Here is Pinsir, a very good but often forgotten Pokémon. The Attacking Lead set that bugmaniacbob wrote was uploaded only 4 months ago, so I don't know if I should make changes to it, or just copy-paste it here...
QC Approvals: 2/2
(Bad Ass)
(Bluewind)
QC Rejections: 0/2
GP Checks: 2/3
(Komodo)
(Snorlaxe)
[Overview]
<p>Pinsir is often overlooked due to his bad Special Defense, only decent Speed, and more importantly, his Stealth Rock weakness. Luckily, Pinsir is a great Pokemon if used properly, as he has a monstrous Attack stat and enough Speed to outrun the common base 80 Speed Pokemon, such as Blaziken and Venusaur. This, coupled with a great offensive movepool including X-Scissor, Close Combat, Stone Edge, Earthquake, and Swords Dance, makes him a potent threat in the UU metagame. His abilities are very good too; Mold Breaker allows Pinsir to hit Levitating foes with Earthquake, while Hyper Cutter makes him immune to Intimidate. However, it isn't all good news for Pinsir. Besides the aforementioned Stealth Rock weakness, fast Pokemon such as Swellow, Arcanine, and Alakazam easily revenge kill him if he is not carrying a Choice Scarf. His lackluster HP and Special Defense also make him susceptible to strong special attacks. All in all, if you play Pinsir to his strengths, he won't disappoint you.</p>
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: X-Scissor
move 3: Close Combat / Earthquake
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Life Orb
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set takes advantage of Pinsir's tremendous Attack stat by using Swords Dance to boost it to a whopping 698, which is enough to allow Pinsir to OHKO or 2HKO the entire metagame with his great coverage. X-Scissor is Pinsir's main attack, destroying almost every Pokemon who doesn't resist it. Close Combat hits Rock- and Steel-types for super effective damage, while Earthquake is also a viable option over Close Combat. Thanks to Mold Breaker, Earthquake even hits Pokemon with the ability Levitate, most importantly Rotom and Weezing, who would wall Pinsir otherwise. Close Combat is still usually the preferred option, as it's stronger and has a great chance of OHKOing 252 HP / 252 Def Impish Registeel after a Swords Dance boost (it always OHKOes after Stealth Rock damage if Registeel switches in on it). Finally, Stone Edge destroys Altaria, Articuno, and Moltres, who would otherwise wall Pinsir.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread maximizes Pinsir's Attack and Speed. An Adamant nature can be used to give Pinsir more power, but Pinsir really needs the Jolly nature to outspeed base 80 Speed Pokemon such as Venusaur, Blaziken, and Kabutops. The choice of ability depends on the attacks you use. If you use Close Combat, Hyper Cutter is usually the better choice, since it makes Pinsir immune to Intimidate. If you use Earthquake, Mold Breaker is better as it allows Pinsir to attack Levitating foes with Earthquake. Mold Breaker is also viable without Earthquake, as it lets Pinsir hit Rhyperior harder with Close Combat, bypassing the aforementioned Pokemon's Solid Rock ability.</p>
<p>It should be noted that this variant of Pinsir is easily revenge killed by Fire-types and Swellow. For this reason, a defensive Rock-type Pokemon, such as Regirock, is a great partner for this Pinsir, as it can beat most Fire- and Flying-type Pokemon due to his good defenses and access to STAB Stone Edge. Dugtrio is also a good teammate, as he can trap and KO Fire-, Rock-, and Steel-type foes who would otherwise cause problems for Pinsir. This set really appreciates paralysis support since it allows Pinsir to beat some powerful, fast sweepers who would otherwise stop him in his tracks. Bulky Fighting-types, such as Hitmontop and Hariyama, can put a sudden halt to Pinsir's sweep. Hariyama can to phaze Pinsir and remove his Swords Dance boosts. If Pinsir does not have the ability Hyper Cutter, then Hitmontop can Intimidate him and threaten with Stone Edge. As such, Psychic-types such as Uxie, Slowbro, and Espeon are great partners for Pinsir, as they can take care of those pesky Fighting-types with their STAB Psychic. Weezing and Spiritomb are also great choices, but Spiritomb must be wary of Foresight Hitmontop.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice
move 1: X-Scissor
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Close Combat
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Band
ability: Mold Breaker
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Pinsir makes good use of Choice items thanks to his great Attack and decent Speed stats, similarly to Choice Heracross in OU. X-Scissor is again Pinsir's STAB move of choice, hitting Psychic- and Grass-types such as Slowbro, Uxie, Tangrowth, and Leafeon extremely hard. Earthquake and Stone Edge form the infamous EdgeQuake combo, which gives Pinsir almost perfect coverage with only two moves. Earthquake benefits from Mold Breaker, as it negates Levitate. Finally, Close Combat hits Rock- and Steel-types, such as Registeel, Regirock, and Rhyperior, harder than Earthquake can, 2HKOing all of the aforementioned foes.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Pinsir becomes much harder to revenge kill when holding a Choice Scarf, while a Choice Band makes him much more powerful. An Adamant nature is generally better when running Choice Scarf, while a Jolly nature is preferable when Choice Band is Pinsir's item. Jolly can also be used with Choice Scarf to outspeed base 80 Speed Choice Scarf users with a +Spe nature, such as Blaziken. As this set will be utilizing Earthquake, Mold Breaker is the main ability, but Hyper Cutter can be used instead to stop Intimidate from lowering Pinsir's Attack stat. Quick Attack can also be used, especially with Choice Band, as it allows Pinsir to hit frail sweepers such as Alakazam and Swellow quite hard before they manage to hit him. It's illegal with Close Combat, though.</p>
<p>Rapid Spin support is mandatory for Pinsir, and this set is not an exception. Stealth Rock support is also important, as it facilitates Pinsir's job. Claydol, Kabutops, and Donphan can provide both quite reliably. Pokemon such as Blaziken, Primeape, Rhyperior, and Donphan who appreciate Choice Scarf Pinsir's ability to get rid of frail sweepers like Alakazam and Sceptile are good partners, too.</p>
[SET]
name: Attacking Lead
move 1: X-Scissor
move 2: Close Combat / Earthquake
move 3: Stone Edge / Quick Attack
move 4: Stealth Rock
item: Focus Sash / Lum Berry
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Pinsir can work as an effective anti-lead against many common UU leads by balancing considerable attack power with decent physical bulk and Speed. This set makes great use of one of the only moves not shared by Pinsir and his little brother Heracross: Stealth Rock. Although Stealth Rock is an important tool for almost all teams, in this set it takes a back seat to attempting to KO the opposing lead.</p>
<p>X-Scissor is another move that Pinsir has that Heracross does not, and although it sacrifices a massive amount of power compared to Heracross's Megahorn, it boasts perfect accuracy, which is especially important at the start of the game. X-Scissor is very useful for Pinsir, allowing him to 2HKO Uxie and Mesprit while also scoring powerful hits on Alakazam, Ambipom, and Electrode. Alakazam and Electrode can then be disposed of with Quick Attack, the third competitive move that Heracross does not have. Unfortunately, Adamant X-Scissor + Quick Attack only has an average shot to 2HKO Ambipom, and Pinsir will also lose to Life Orb-boosted Fake Out + Return. Close Combat is another good tool for Pinsir to use, since it can easily OHKO Ambipom. It is also useful to hit Cloyster, Rhyperior, Registeel, and Steelix for super effective damage. However, it is illegal with Quick Attack, so you should think carefully before using it. Hence, Close Combat pairs well with Stone Edge to hit Flying- and Fire-types, and Quick Attack pairs well with Earthquake to beat Rock-, Steel-, and Poison-types.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>As Pinsir has many options for covering different threats, this set has a great deal of customizability. Generally speaking, a Jolly nature is most useful if you want to get Stealth Rock up reliably, as it allows you to outrun Modest Moltres, as well as Timid Venusaur and Mesprit, and also gives you more utility mid-game. However, an Adamant nature can also be useful in order to more easily obtain vital KOs against such bulky threats as Kabutops and Omastar. There are four moves that can be used in your two attacking move slots, and almost any combination of moves and nature is usable depending on the foes you wish to prioritize on beating.</p>
<p>Stone Edge is effective against several Pokemon who wall Pinsir otherwise, most importantly Moltres. It is also a powerful weapon against Arcanine, usually OHKOing after Flare Blitz recoil, and can 2HKO suicide lead Cloyster. The only real problem with it is its low accuracy. Earthquake provides much of the same coverage as Close Combat, albeit with less power. However, it gives Pinsir a better chance than Close Combat at taking on some lesser-seen leads, such as Qwilfish, Nidoking, and Nidoqueen. Earthquake also has a lot of mid-game utility in hitting Rotom, Weezing, and Mismagius. However, it cannot 2HKO bulky Omastar with Leftovers. It is not advisable to use a combination of Close Combat + Earthquake due to overlapping coverage, and Close Combat + Quick Attack is illegal, but any other legal combination of these four moves is usable. However, any combination lacking Quick Attack is beaten by faster offensive leads such as Alakazam, any combination lacking Close Combat loses to dedicated Spiker leads such as bulky Omastar and Cloyster, any combination lacking Stone Edge loses to Moltres and other Flying-types, and any combination lacking Earthquake loses to Qwilfish and other Poison-types. Generally speaking, Jolly Pinsir should use Close Combat + Stone Edge as this provides the best balance between sheer power and coverage, and as such is most useful both early- and late-game. However, for an Adamant Pinsir, Earthquake + Quick Attack is usually better, since this allows Pinsir to better take advantage of its extra power. Lastly, although Close Combat is illegal with Quick Attack, Superpower is not, and can allow Pinsir to beat Kabutops with greater ease. However, it will leave him as set-up fodder for just about everything else.</p>
<p>Focus Sash is usually the best item, preventing Pinsir from being OHKOed by the likes of Moltres and Kabutops. Lum Berry can also be useful to avoid Uxie's Thunder Wave and Yawn. Mold Breaker is the most useful ability, though Hyper Cutter will negate Arcanine's Intimidate. The EVs and nature generate maximum Attack, allowing Pinsir to deal as much damage as possible to the opposing team. The Speed stat is also maximized, allowing him to outrun most lead Arcanine and Kabutops. The 4 leftover EVs go in Defense rather than in HP in order to give Pinsir five switches into Stealth Rock.</p>
<p>Stealth Rock benefits all kinds of teams, but this Pinsir will usually work best on pure or bulky offense teams. You should also note that if Pinsir lacks Close Combat, dedicated Spiker Omastar or Cloyster can set up two layers of Spikes against him, so you should also carry a Rapid Spinner. Rapid Spinners are also helpful to remove Stealth Rock from the field, which will badly hurt Pinsir if you save him for later in the battle. Good partners on offensive teams include Pokemon who benefit from early-game Stealth Rock, such as Blaziken and Venusaur. Neither of these enjoy taking the Rock-type attacks aimed at Pinsir though, so tread carefully. In an offensive role, Pinsir's greatest joy is in beating down slower Psychic- and Dark-types such as Slowbro and Uxie; thus, he makes a good partner to Fighting-types such as Hitmontop, who in return can Rapid Spin away Stealth Rock for Pinsir. Fast Psychic-types such as Alakazam also make good partners since they are able to strike down Fighting- and Poison-types. Lastly, bulky Water-types such as Milotic can be helpful to deal with Fire- and Rock-type Pokemon, as well as helping to some extent against Swellow and other fast Flying-types who give Pinsir problems.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>As with all offensive Pokemon, Stealth Rock support is almost mandatory, as it makes Pinsir's sweep much easier. It also discourages Flying- and Fire-types from switching in. Uxie is a very reliable lead who can almost always set up Stealth Rock; Omastar can set up all the entry hazards with ease. Rapid Spin support is very important to keep Pinsir alive. Hitmontop is a very reliable Rapid Spinner because of his good defenses and Foresight. Kabutops, Claydol, Sandslash, Donphan, and Torkoal can support Pinsir in both ways. Kabutops is especially good, as he can take Flying- and Fire-type attacks thanks to his typing. Bulky Water- and Rock-types such as Slowking, Lanturn, Slowbro, Milotic, Rhyperior, and Regirock are all good teammates for Pinsir, as they can take care of Fire-types. Regirock and Rhyperior can also beat Flying-type Pokemon, while bulky Water-types can defeat Rock-types. Hariyama is also able to beat Fire-types thanks to its bulk and Thick Fat ability, but he shares a Flying-type weakness with Pinsir, so tread cautiously.</p>
<p>Pinsir has a lot of problems against bulky Fighting-types such as Hitmontop and Hariyama, so a partner that can eliminate them is highly recommended. Slowbro shrugs off their attacks due to his high Defense and resistance to Fighting-types attacks. He is also able to wall most Fire-type Pokemon, making him an ideal partner. Weezing is also a good choice because of his monstrous Defense. Spiritomb and Dusclops boast a Fighting-type immunity and can burn them with Will-O-Wisp. Alakazam and Espeon can outspeed every bulky Fighting-type and OHKO them with Psychic. Swellow can also KO them with Brave Bird, but he shares an unfortunate Stealth Rock weakness with Pinsir.</p>
<p>Using Scyther and Pinsir in the same team is a good strategy, as they can both break down each other's counters pretty effectively. Scyther can OHKO the Fighting-type Pokemon who trouble Pinsir, while Pinsir has a very strong Close Combat to deal with Rock- and Steel-types. But they both are weak to Stealth Rock, so Rapid Spin support is necessary. Examples of reliable Rapid Spinners include Donphan, Claydol, and Hitmontop.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Bulk Up is an option, but Pinsir's terrible Special Defense makes it unappealing. Similarly, a mono-attacker set with Bulk Up, X-Scissor, Rest, and Sleep Talk can be used, but with Pinsir's pitiful Special Defense, such a set is not recommended. Brick Break and Superpower are also options, but Close Combat is a much better choice. They should only be considered when Pinsir is running Quick Attack, as Close Combat + Quick Attack is an illegal combination. Flail with Endure or Substitute can also be used, but it's very unreliable. Faint Attack is Pinsir's only attack to hit Ghosts super effectively, but its poor Base Power makes it a lackluster option. Knock Off and Toxic are options for crippling walls, but Pinsir is much better off simply attacking.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Hariyama is quite bulky and can take Pinsir's attacks with ease, making him an excellent counter. Hitmontop can do the same thanks to Intimidate, but Pinsir could be running Hyper Cutter as his ability, so Hitmontop must be wary. Most Fire-types such as Arcanine, Entei, Typhlosion, Houndoom, Magmortar, and Moltres can outspeed and KO Pinsir, especially if they are carrying a Choice Scarf, but if Pinsir is carrying a Choice Scarf of his own, they will have problems with Earthquake or Stone Edge. Similarly, Flying-types such as Scyther and Swellow can KO Pinsir with Aerial Ace or Brave Bird, but Stone Edge will destroy them. Rhyperior and Regirock can also beat Pinsir with Stone Edge, while Registeel can paralyze him with Thunder Wave, rendering him useless. Spiritomb and Dusclops can burn Pinsir with Will-O-Wisp, turning him into deadweight. Finally, Stealth Rock is Pinsir's biggest problem, since when the floating horror is on the field, Pinsir loses 25% of his health upon switching in, thus giving a lot of Pokemon the opportunity to OHKO him.</p>
QC Approvals: 2/2
QC Rejections: 0/2
GP Checks: 2/3
[Overview]
<p>Pinsir is often overlooked due to his bad Special Defense, only decent Speed, and more importantly, his Stealth Rock weakness. Luckily, Pinsir is a great Pokemon if used properly, as he has a monstrous Attack stat and enough Speed to outrun the common base 80 Speed Pokemon, such as Blaziken and Venusaur. This, coupled with a great offensive movepool including X-Scissor, Close Combat, Stone Edge, Earthquake, and Swords Dance, makes him a potent threat in the UU metagame. His abilities are very good too; Mold Breaker allows Pinsir to hit Levitating foes with Earthquake, while Hyper Cutter makes him immune to Intimidate. However, it isn't all good news for Pinsir. Besides the aforementioned Stealth Rock weakness, fast Pokemon such as Swellow, Arcanine, and Alakazam easily revenge kill him if he is not carrying a Choice Scarf. His lackluster HP and Special Defense also make him susceptible to strong special attacks. All in all, if you play Pinsir to his strengths, he won't disappoint you.</p>
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: X-Scissor
move 3: Close Combat / Earthquake
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Life Orb
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set takes advantage of Pinsir's tremendous Attack stat by using Swords Dance to boost it to a whopping 698, which is enough to allow Pinsir to OHKO or 2HKO the entire metagame with his great coverage. X-Scissor is Pinsir's main attack, destroying almost every Pokemon who doesn't resist it. Close Combat hits Rock- and Steel-types for super effective damage, while Earthquake is also a viable option over Close Combat. Thanks to Mold Breaker, Earthquake even hits Pokemon with the ability Levitate, most importantly Rotom and Weezing, who would wall Pinsir otherwise. Close Combat is still usually the preferred option, as it's stronger and has a great chance of OHKOing 252 HP / 252 Def Impish Registeel after a Swords Dance boost (it always OHKOes after Stealth Rock damage if Registeel switches in on it). Finally, Stone Edge destroys Altaria, Articuno, and Moltres, who would otherwise wall Pinsir.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread maximizes Pinsir's Attack and Speed. An Adamant nature can be used to give Pinsir more power, but Pinsir really needs the Jolly nature to outspeed base 80 Speed Pokemon such as Venusaur, Blaziken, and Kabutops. The choice of ability depends on the attacks you use. If you use Close Combat, Hyper Cutter is usually the better choice, since it makes Pinsir immune to Intimidate. If you use Earthquake, Mold Breaker is better as it allows Pinsir to attack Levitating foes with Earthquake. Mold Breaker is also viable without Earthquake, as it lets Pinsir hit Rhyperior harder with Close Combat, bypassing the aforementioned Pokemon's Solid Rock ability.</p>
<p>It should be noted that this variant of Pinsir is easily revenge killed by Fire-types and Swellow. For this reason, a defensive Rock-type Pokemon, such as Regirock, is a great partner for this Pinsir, as it can beat most Fire- and Flying-type Pokemon due to his good defenses and access to STAB Stone Edge. Dugtrio is also a good teammate, as he can trap and KO Fire-, Rock-, and Steel-type foes who would otherwise cause problems for Pinsir. This set really appreciates paralysis support since it allows Pinsir to beat some powerful, fast sweepers who would otherwise stop him in his tracks. Bulky Fighting-types, such as Hitmontop and Hariyama, can put a sudden halt to Pinsir's sweep. Hariyama can to phaze Pinsir and remove his Swords Dance boosts. If Pinsir does not have the ability Hyper Cutter, then Hitmontop can Intimidate him and threaten with Stone Edge. As such, Psychic-types such as Uxie, Slowbro, and Espeon are great partners for Pinsir, as they can take care of those pesky Fighting-types with their STAB Psychic. Weezing and Spiritomb are also great choices, but Spiritomb must be wary of Foresight Hitmontop.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice
move 1: X-Scissor
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Close Combat
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Band
ability: Mold Breaker
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Pinsir makes good use of Choice items thanks to his great Attack and decent Speed stats, similarly to Choice Heracross in OU. X-Scissor is again Pinsir's STAB move of choice, hitting Psychic- and Grass-types such as Slowbro, Uxie, Tangrowth, and Leafeon extremely hard. Earthquake and Stone Edge form the infamous EdgeQuake combo, which gives Pinsir almost perfect coverage with only two moves. Earthquake benefits from Mold Breaker, as it negates Levitate. Finally, Close Combat hits Rock- and Steel-types, such as Registeel, Regirock, and Rhyperior, harder than Earthquake can, 2HKOing all of the aforementioned foes.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Pinsir becomes much harder to revenge kill when holding a Choice Scarf, while a Choice Band makes him much more powerful. An Adamant nature is generally better when running Choice Scarf, while a Jolly nature is preferable when Choice Band is Pinsir's item. Jolly can also be used with Choice Scarf to outspeed base 80 Speed Choice Scarf users with a +Spe nature, such as Blaziken. As this set will be utilizing Earthquake, Mold Breaker is the main ability, but Hyper Cutter can be used instead to stop Intimidate from lowering Pinsir's Attack stat. Quick Attack can also be used, especially with Choice Band, as it allows Pinsir to hit frail sweepers such as Alakazam and Swellow quite hard before they manage to hit him. It's illegal with Close Combat, though.</p>
<p>Rapid Spin support is mandatory for Pinsir, and this set is not an exception. Stealth Rock support is also important, as it facilitates Pinsir's job. Claydol, Kabutops, and Donphan can provide both quite reliably. Pokemon such as Blaziken, Primeape, Rhyperior, and Donphan who appreciate Choice Scarf Pinsir's ability to get rid of frail sweepers like Alakazam and Sceptile are good partners, too.</p>
[SET]
name: Attacking Lead
move 1: X-Scissor
move 2: Close Combat / Earthquake
move 3: Stone Edge / Quick Attack
move 4: Stealth Rock
item: Focus Sash / Lum Berry
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Pinsir can work as an effective anti-lead against many common UU leads by balancing considerable attack power with decent physical bulk and Speed. This set makes great use of one of the only moves not shared by Pinsir and his little brother Heracross: Stealth Rock. Although Stealth Rock is an important tool for almost all teams, in this set it takes a back seat to attempting to KO the opposing lead.</p>
<p>X-Scissor is another move that Pinsir has that Heracross does not, and although it sacrifices a massive amount of power compared to Heracross's Megahorn, it boasts perfect accuracy, which is especially important at the start of the game. X-Scissor is very useful for Pinsir, allowing him to 2HKO Uxie and Mesprit while also scoring powerful hits on Alakazam, Ambipom, and Electrode. Alakazam and Electrode can then be disposed of with Quick Attack, the third competitive move that Heracross does not have. Unfortunately, Adamant X-Scissor + Quick Attack only has an average shot to 2HKO Ambipom, and Pinsir will also lose to Life Orb-boosted Fake Out + Return. Close Combat is another good tool for Pinsir to use, since it can easily OHKO Ambipom. It is also useful to hit Cloyster, Rhyperior, Registeel, and Steelix for super effective damage. However, it is illegal with Quick Attack, so you should think carefully before using it. Hence, Close Combat pairs well with Stone Edge to hit Flying- and Fire-types, and Quick Attack pairs well with Earthquake to beat Rock-, Steel-, and Poison-types.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>As Pinsir has many options for covering different threats, this set has a great deal of customizability. Generally speaking, a Jolly nature is most useful if you want to get Stealth Rock up reliably, as it allows you to outrun Modest Moltres, as well as Timid Venusaur and Mesprit, and also gives you more utility mid-game. However, an Adamant nature can also be useful in order to more easily obtain vital KOs against such bulky threats as Kabutops and Omastar. There are four moves that can be used in your two attacking move slots, and almost any combination of moves and nature is usable depending on the foes you wish to prioritize on beating.</p>
<p>Stone Edge is effective against several Pokemon who wall Pinsir otherwise, most importantly Moltres. It is also a powerful weapon against Arcanine, usually OHKOing after Flare Blitz recoil, and can 2HKO suicide lead Cloyster. The only real problem with it is its low accuracy. Earthquake provides much of the same coverage as Close Combat, albeit with less power. However, it gives Pinsir a better chance than Close Combat at taking on some lesser-seen leads, such as Qwilfish, Nidoking, and Nidoqueen. Earthquake also has a lot of mid-game utility in hitting Rotom, Weezing, and Mismagius. However, it cannot 2HKO bulky Omastar with Leftovers. It is not advisable to use a combination of Close Combat + Earthquake due to overlapping coverage, and Close Combat + Quick Attack is illegal, but any other legal combination of these four moves is usable. However, any combination lacking Quick Attack is beaten by faster offensive leads such as Alakazam, any combination lacking Close Combat loses to dedicated Spiker leads such as bulky Omastar and Cloyster, any combination lacking Stone Edge loses to Moltres and other Flying-types, and any combination lacking Earthquake loses to Qwilfish and other Poison-types. Generally speaking, Jolly Pinsir should use Close Combat + Stone Edge as this provides the best balance between sheer power and coverage, and as such is most useful both early- and late-game. However, for an Adamant Pinsir, Earthquake + Quick Attack is usually better, since this allows Pinsir to better take advantage of its extra power. Lastly, although Close Combat is illegal with Quick Attack, Superpower is not, and can allow Pinsir to beat Kabutops with greater ease. However, it will leave him as set-up fodder for just about everything else.</p>
<p>Focus Sash is usually the best item, preventing Pinsir from being OHKOed by the likes of Moltres and Kabutops. Lum Berry can also be useful to avoid Uxie's Thunder Wave and Yawn. Mold Breaker is the most useful ability, though Hyper Cutter will negate Arcanine's Intimidate. The EVs and nature generate maximum Attack, allowing Pinsir to deal as much damage as possible to the opposing team. The Speed stat is also maximized, allowing him to outrun most lead Arcanine and Kabutops. The 4 leftover EVs go in Defense rather than in HP in order to give Pinsir five switches into Stealth Rock.</p>
<p>Stealth Rock benefits all kinds of teams, but this Pinsir will usually work best on pure or bulky offense teams. You should also note that if Pinsir lacks Close Combat, dedicated Spiker Omastar or Cloyster can set up two layers of Spikes against him, so you should also carry a Rapid Spinner. Rapid Spinners are also helpful to remove Stealth Rock from the field, which will badly hurt Pinsir if you save him for later in the battle. Good partners on offensive teams include Pokemon who benefit from early-game Stealth Rock, such as Blaziken and Venusaur. Neither of these enjoy taking the Rock-type attacks aimed at Pinsir though, so tread carefully. In an offensive role, Pinsir's greatest joy is in beating down slower Psychic- and Dark-types such as Slowbro and Uxie; thus, he makes a good partner to Fighting-types such as Hitmontop, who in return can Rapid Spin away Stealth Rock for Pinsir. Fast Psychic-types such as Alakazam also make good partners since they are able to strike down Fighting- and Poison-types. Lastly, bulky Water-types such as Milotic can be helpful to deal with Fire- and Rock-type Pokemon, as well as helping to some extent against Swellow and other fast Flying-types who give Pinsir problems.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>As with all offensive Pokemon, Stealth Rock support is almost mandatory, as it makes Pinsir's sweep much easier. It also discourages Flying- and Fire-types from switching in. Uxie is a very reliable lead who can almost always set up Stealth Rock; Omastar can set up all the entry hazards with ease. Rapid Spin support is very important to keep Pinsir alive. Hitmontop is a very reliable Rapid Spinner because of his good defenses and Foresight. Kabutops, Claydol, Sandslash, Donphan, and Torkoal can support Pinsir in both ways. Kabutops is especially good, as he can take Flying- and Fire-type attacks thanks to his typing. Bulky Water- and Rock-types such as Slowking, Lanturn, Slowbro, Milotic, Rhyperior, and Regirock are all good teammates for Pinsir, as they can take care of Fire-types. Regirock and Rhyperior can also beat Flying-type Pokemon, while bulky Water-types can defeat Rock-types. Hariyama is also able to beat Fire-types thanks to its bulk and Thick Fat ability, but he shares a Flying-type weakness with Pinsir, so tread cautiously.</p>
<p>Pinsir has a lot of problems against bulky Fighting-types such as Hitmontop and Hariyama, so a partner that can eliminate them is highly recommended. Slowbro shrugs off their attacks due to his high Defense and resistance to Fighting-types attacks. He is also able to wall most Fire-type Pokemon, making him an ideal partner. Weezing is also a good choice because of his monstrous Defense. Spiritomb and Dusclops boast a Fighting-type immunity and can burn them with Will-O-Wisp. Alakazam and Espeon can outspeed every bulky Fighting-type and OHKO them with Psychic. Swellow can also KO them with Brave Bird, but he shares an unfortunate Stealth Rock weakness with Pinsir.</p>
<p>Using Scyther and Pinsir in the same team is a good strategy, as they can both break down each other's counters pretty effectively. Scyther can OHKO the Fighting-type Pokemon who trouble Pinsir, while Pinsir has a very strong Close Combat to deal with Rock- and Steel-types. But they both are weak to Stealth Rock, so Rapid Spin support is necessary. Examples of reliable Rapid Spinners include Donphan, Claydol, and Hitmontop.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Bulk Up is an option, but Pinsir's terrible Special Defense makes it unappealing. Similarly, a mono-attacker set with Bulk Up, X-Scissor, Rest, and Sleep Talk can be used, but with Pinsir's pitiful Special Defense, such a set is not recommended. Brick Break and Superpower are also options, but Close Combat is a much better choice. They should only be considered when Pinsir is running Quick Attack, as Close Combat + Quick Attack is an illegal combination. Flail with Endure or Substitute can also be used, but it's very unreliable. Faint Attack is Pinsir's only attack to hit Ghosts super effectively, but its poor Base Power makes it a lackluster option. Knock Off and Toxic are options for crippling walls, but Pinsir is much better off simply attacking.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Hariyama is quite bulky and can take Pinsir's attacks with ease, making him an excellent counter. Hitmontop can do the same thanks to Intimidate, but Pinsir could be running Hyper Cutter as his ability, so Hitmontop must be wary. Most Fire-types such as Arcanine, Entei, Typhlosion, Houndoom, Magmortar, and Moltres can outspeed and KO Pinsir, especially if they are carrying a Choice Scarf, but if Pinsir is carrying a Choice Scarf of his own, they will have problems with Earthquake or Stone Edge. Similarly, Flying-types such as Scyther and Swellow can KO Pinsir with Aerial Ace or Brave Bird, but Stone Edge will destroy them. Rhyperior and Regirock can also beat Pinsir with Stone Edge, while Registeel can paralyze him with Thunder Wave, rendering him useless. Spiritomb and Dusclops can burn Pinsir with Will-O-Wisp, turning him into deadweight. Finally, Stealth Rock is Pinsir's biggest problem, since when the floating horror is on the field, Pinsir loses 25% of his health upon switching in, thus giving a lot of Pokemon the opportunity to OHKO him.</p>
