OU Scizor (3 Attacks + Roost)


Roost + 3 Attacks
########
name: Roost + 3 Attacks
move 1: Roost
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Bullet Punch
move 4: Knock Off / Pursuit / Superpower
ability: Light Metal
item: Scizorite
evs: 248 HP / 96 Atk / 164 SpD
nature: Adamant

Moves
========

Roost gives Scizor a way to repeatedly check prominent threats such as Bisharp, Latias, Latios, most Fairy-types, and some Dragon-types that offensive sets cannot deal with. U-turn is a good STAB move that Scizor can use to switch into a more favorable match-up, especially against Skarmory; it also provides the team with offensive momentum. Bullet Punch gives Scizor a solid STAB move which is necessary to hit Fairy-and Dragon-types such as Clefable and Kyurem-B. Bullet Punch is also a priority attack that is boosted by Technician, which mitigates Scizor's horrible Speed. Knock Off is a great move to round off Scizor's coverage, neutering walls such as Landorus-T, Hippowdon, and Heatran on the switch while also hitting Pokemon such as Skarmory. Other options on this set include using Pursuit instead of Knock Off to trap Pokemon such as Latios, Latias, and Mega Gardevoir, which can assist Pokemon such as Keldeo in sweeping. It also puts Kyurem-B into the KO range of Bullet Punch. Adding to Scizor's coverage, Superpower hits common switch-ins to Scizor such as Heatran while being able to do a good amount of damage to Skarmory, forcing it to Roost. Superpower is also the only move in Scizor's arsenal that is guaranteed to OHKO Bisharp.


Set Details
========

Scizor's EV spread focuses on HP, Special Defense, and Attack. 248 HP EVs make Scizor as bulky as possible and reduce Stealth Rock damage. 164 Special Defense EVs are used to help Scizor sponge up attacks from the likes of Latios, Latias, and Aegislash, while 96 Attack EVs give Scizor additional damage output. Light Metal is the ability of choice as it reduces the damage of Low Kick and Grass Knot, and Mega Scizor gains Technician upon Mega Evolving anyway.

Usage Tips
========

This Scizor set is a medium between the other sets, being more offensively-oriented than the Defog set but more defensively-oriented than the Swords Dance set. Mega Scizor can act as a lure to Pokemon that counter it such as Heatran and Skarmory, then use U-turn to escape the unfavorable match-up. U-turn should also be used to build or keep offensive momentum for the team. Scizor makes for a good switch-in to Fairy-type Pokemon, as it resists their STAB moves and can retaliate with a super effective Bullet Punch. However, watch out for Clefable as it sometimes carries a Fire-type move which often OHKOes Scizor. Another Pokemon to watch out for is Mega Gardevoir, as it occasionally carries Hidden Power Fire or Will-O-Wisp, which are moves that Scizor dislikes.

Team Options
========

Notable teammates of Mega Scizor should be able to counter Keldeo, Thundurus, and Fire- types such as Heatran. Pokemon such as Tyranitar, Rotom-W, Keldeo, Terrakion, and Heatran all make for great partners, as they can beat the Fire-types that Mega Scizor hates. Pokemon that counter or check Thundurus such as Terrakion, Gastrodon, and Hippowdon also make for great teammates as they either wall it or threaten it out. Mega Scizor has no way to really damage Keldeo, and a Hydro Pump from it could be deadly, so teammates that can check Keldeo such as Latias, and Latios make good teammates. As Mega Scizor is a counter to Fairy-types, Pokemon that are weak or are countered by Fairy-types are good teammates to Mega Scizor as well.
 
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I'd personally slash U-turn before Bug Bite, maybe even make it the only slash. Bullet Punch / U-turn / Roost / Knock Off has been the set I've ran ever since I started messing around with Roost + 3 Attacks Scizor back in BW (although back then I ran Superpower or Pursuit over Knock Off). Bug Bite is stronger, but U-turn still hits pretty hard and has great momentum grabbing utility due to the nature of the move. It's just such a good move in general that if you don't really need the extra power of Bug Bite for any specific threats, U-turn is going to be the better option.
 
Not sure why Bug Bite is mentioned at all tbh, it's no where near as effective as U-turn and almost every competitive battler will choose U-turn for its momentum gaining power.

Mention Superpower though and slash it with U-turn or even Knock Off as it hits common swap ins like Heatran / Skarmory (doesn't do too much to Skarmory, but allows the user to be wary you have it).

In usage tips make sure to note that a lot of Clefable carry a Fire move specially for Scizor, Ferrothorn, Aegislash and Skarmory. In the same vein, some Mega Gardevoir run HP Fire (rare) or Will-o-Wisp (common). It might not be as easy to swap in on them as you might think. Make sure to scout properly before risking it.

In team options make sure to add in Pokemon that check / counter Keldeo because all the pokes you listed can be beaten by Keldeo while Mega Scizor can do next to nothing to it.
 

CyclicCompound

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Why is there no Pursuit on here? A bulky 3 Attacks + Roost Scizor is a perfect Pursuit trapper for the Latis, Gengar, even things neutral to Pursuit like Mega Gardevoir. I would slash it in front of Knock Off.

Also, I don't like Superpower being slashed with U-turn. Can we make the set:

Roost + 3 Attacks
########
name: Roost + 3 Attacks
move 1: Roost
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Bullet Punch
move 4: Pursuit / Knock Off / Superpower
ability: Light Metal
item: Scizorite
evs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
nature: Adamant

I moved the 8 leftover EVs to Special Defense; unless putting them in speed accomplishes anything, it's considered speed creep.
 
Pursuit is alright but certainly does not warrant a front slash. Knock is 8/10 more useful and there are much more pokes that don't enjoy losing an item to getting trapped by something that won't be hitting that hard anyway. Pursuit was good last gen because there were many more Psychic types and the fact that Scizor almost always used a Choice Band, neither of which are true now. Let the set be Knock Off THEN choose what move goes next.
 

CyclicCompound

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Pursuit is alright but certainly does not warrant a front slash. Knock is 8/10 more useful and there are much more pokes that don't enjoy losing an item to getting trapped by something that won't be hitting that hard anyway. Pursuit was good last gen because there were many more Psychic types and the fact that Scizor almost always used a Choice Band, neither of which are true now. Let the set be Knock Off THEN choose what move goes next.
My main problem with Knock Off is that against most of those Pokemon it's like Knock is the subpar "I guess I have nothing else to spam" option. I'm talking about Heatran, Skarmory, etc. In 9/10 cases I'd rather just U-turn out of these threats into something better, not waste momentum with Knock Off. For that reason I personally feel that the extra damage on specific targets afforded by Pursuit is actually more helpful.
 

CyclicCompound

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Alright, per request I will be checking this:
Moves said:
Knock off packs a huge punch with a base power of 65 and 97 when the opposing Pokemon is holding an item. As a bonus Knock off also discards the opponent's item.
This is a little bit of an overstatement. UnSTABbed 97 power isn't quite a "huge" punch, and 65 is really on the weaker side (too bad it's not boosted by Technician).
Moves said:
Pursuit is a good move that can catch your opponent off guard. It is good against Latios and Latias because they would probably switch out when faced against a Scizor.
Mention a few more targets here, please. Mega Gardevoir is a good one, it also helps bring stuff like Kyurem-B and Dragonite into Bullet Punch range later down the road, etc.
Moves said:
Superpower hits common switch-ins such as Heatran and Skarmory. Hitting Heatran with a Superpower is HUGE damage.
I know this is getting very nitpicky, but I would rephrase this to say "Superpower hits Heatran for massive damage on the switch, and is Scizor's only way of touching Skarmory." The reason I say that is that hitting Heatran with Superpower does loads more damage than hitting Skarmory, so it feels weird putting them together. I hope that's not confusing.
Set Details said:
Roost gives the Mega Scizor some way to heal off damage with the 248 HP evs.
248HP is actually to hit a Stealth Rock number, I'm not sure if it affects Roost though.
Set Details said:
Bullet Punch is the most powerful priority move that is at times crucial for battling.
lol I think you put this in the wrong section.
Set Details said:
Technician is the only viable ability.
Remember to change this to Light Metal, and note that Scizor will gain Technician upon Mega Evolution.
Usage Tips said:
Good wall hitter. Scizor hits walls quite hard, especially physical walls.
I'm going to have to disagree with this one. Quagsire, Skarmory, Bulky Mega Charizard X, and other bulky walls can be really tough for Scizor to take down.

Elaborate more in your Team Options section. How specifically does Scizor work well with them? What kind of support does Scizor offer to its teammates that its teammates can take advantage of, and vice versa?

Once you've fixed these things, tag me and I'll give it a QC check.
 

Knight of Cydonia

I COULD BE BANNED!
I don't really get what this set has over sd or defog. To deserve a set of its own you should be explaining why it is good enough to forgo the nice utility of defog or the big threat of sd. As it stands I can't see from this skeleton why I would want to use this mega scizor over the two current sets. I'm not saying there are definitely are no advantages to this set, you just haven't sold it well exactly.
 
Mention that unlike the more defensive-oriented Defog set, this set can act as a superior revenge killer/cleaner. Also mention that Superpower is a great way to kill Bisharp as it has an easy time switching in.

but Superpower is Scizor's only way to even touch Skarmory.
Scizor should be U-Turning instead of using Superpower most of the time against Skarmory, I don't get how Superpower does better than Knock Off, Roost technicalities aside. Additionally, Taunt/Counter Skarmory has been getting a lot more common, so attacking it without prior scouting is a rather risky endeavour.
 

Jukain

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I don't really get what this set has over sd or defog. To deserve a set of its own you should be explaining why it is good enough to forgo the nice utility of defog or the big threat of sd. As it stands I can't see from this skeleton why I would want to use this mega scizor over the two current sets. I'm not saying there are definitely are no advantages to this set, you just haven't sold it well exactly.
the reason to use it is that mega scizor has shitty defogging prowess and when you're not looking for an sd sweeper in that slot, especially on more defensive teams.

i prefer a more spdef spread, reason being i want this to sponge some lati and aegi hits well. usually with 96 atk, 248 hp, rest spdef. i would rather this be the main spread, or at least a set details mention.

you mention bisharp as a mega scizor switch-in but it takes a big chunk from u-turn and besides can't touch mega scizor. superpower is fine but you're overselling hitting bisharp.

it's important to mention keld/thundy/heatran answers in team options, though i see you're not done with that so i'll wait to comment more.
 

CyclicCompound

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So yeah, like Jukain said, there needs to be more mention of teammates who can beat Keldeo, Thundurus, and Heatran. As of right now you have a few Pokemon who can check them, but very little that can switch in (most notably, nothing you listed is really a safe switch-in to Keldeo). Add some stuff in that department. Also:
Set Details said:
- Unlike more defensive-oriented sets such as Scizors with Defog, this set can act as a superior revenge killer.
- Also unlike more offensive-oriented sets such as Scizors with Swords Dance, this set is more specially defensive.
These should be in Usage Tips.

I'll leave the EVs up to Jukain since he has more experience with this set than I do. I'll go ahead and give this its first QC check though since you fixed everything else I told you to.

QC Approved 1/3
 
Hey! I really liked your set, I gave it a try, and it worked out great for me. But personally, I prefer a more Physically Defensive set. Mega Scizors will with a lot of investments in Defense, take on even powerful moves such as STAB EQ, and can roost its way up again. That is the set that has worked best for me, and I highly reccomend it. Also, I would maybe even have considered running SD on it, seeing it still having a viable attack stat to take use of, and a good bulk to take use of. Anyways, good job! :)
 
OnlyLove i really don't want to reassign this, but your prose is not up to the standards that i would approve to be on site. i will give you a chance to rewrite this in 72 hours, but if not it will be reassigned. i do not mean to be harsh, but this is just not the quality of work necessary to make it on the dex. overall it is very clunky and contains information that is very "filler" or just redundant. keep in mind that qc had to help you with the set itself too quite a lot, so this is your final shot at getting this right.

here are a few snippets which i found were either redundant/bad/inaccurate or a combination of the three:

Bisharp on the other hand switches very easily into Scizor's moves, but with Superpower Scizor has a way to knock Bisharp out. Although, Bisharp can't touch Scizor at all, so Bisharp isn't too big of a threat against Scizor.
one of mega scizor's main niches is that it hard counters bisharp... yet you mention it switches easily into scizor but then say it isn't a threat? this is very confusing.

Gliscor acts as a wall. With the ability Toxic Heal and Roost, it can wall Fire type attacks easily.
gliscor doesn't really wall fire type attacks that easily :/

Finally, we have Talonflame. Scizor and viable teammates above are quite weak to Keldeo. With priority Brave Bird not much can stop a Talonflame.
you have a random insertion of not much stopping a talonflame in a scizor analysis. this is just an inappropriate insertion-- the analysis should focus on the set itself, not delving into the effectiveness of its checks and counters

i'd recommend checking out some analyses on the dex to find out what to write about exactly and understand the kind of quality i am looking for.

i don't wish to discourage you; i really do appreciate the work you've put into this so far. however, smogon maintains a certain bar of quality necessary and you don't meet it at the moment. if you need more help, find me on irc in #ouqc (read the stickied topic in this subforum to learn more about irc if you're unaware) and i can help you make this analysis ready to get on site.

thank you so far for your time and effort in this analysis.
 
OnlyLove i really don't want to reassign this, but your prose is not up to the standards that i would approve to be on site. i will give you a chance to rewrite this in 72 hours, but if not it will be reassigned. i do not mean to be harsh, but this is just not the quality of work necessary to make it on the dex. overall it is very clunky and contains information that is very "filler" or just redundant. keep in mind that qc had to help you with the set itself too quite a lot, so this is your final shot at getting this right.

here are a few snippets which i found were either redundant/bad/inaccurate or a combination of the three:



one of mega scizor's main niches is that it hard counters bisharp... yet you mention it switches easily into scizor but then say it isn't a threat? this is very confusing.



gliscor doesn't really wall fire type attacks that easily :/



you have a random insertion of not much stopping a talonflame in a scizor analysis. this is just an inappropriate insertion-- the analysis should focus on the set itself, not delving into the effectiveness of its checks and counters

i'd recommend checking out some analyses on the dex to find out what to write about exactly and understand the kind of quality i am looking for.

i don't wish to discourage you; i really do appreciate the work you've put into this so far. however, smogon maintains a certain bar of quality necessary and you don't meet it at the moment. if you need more help, find me on irc in #ouqc (read the stickied topic in this subforum to learn more about irc if you're unaware) and i can help you make this analysis ready to get on site.

thank you so far for your time and effort in this analysis.
what do you mean by rewrite? Should I go back to QC 0/3? I basically changed all of the bullet points that I made and got QCed into sentences. And I changed the things that you pointed out.
 
what do you mean by rewrite? Should I go back to QC 0/3? I basically changed all of the bullet points that I made and got QCed into sentences. And I changed the things that you pointed out.
He just means look over your writing and make sure it looks good, that the information is correct, and there isn't any pointless information in the analysis (AKA fluff)
 
Dice does this look better? Is there still anything that needs to be changed?

Edit: Sorry I couldn't catch you on irc, I asked some other OU QC team members though and they helped me with it :)
 

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