Okay, this is finally ready for QC!
is deer
[Overview]
<p>Sawsbuck possesses several traits that set it apart from other physical Grass-types, namely its ability Sap Sipper and Normal typing. This blesses it with a handy immunity, potential Attack boosts, and excellent neutral coverage with its STABs alone. With a solid movepool containing gems such as Horn Leech, Double-Edge, Nature Power, Swords Dance, Substitute, and Baton Pass, it has everything it needs to lay wreckage to the opposing team. Its high base Speed further benefits it, letting it outspeed the majority of the metagame and putting it on par with threats such as Jynx, Primeape, and Haunter. Unfortunately, it is rather frail, leaving it prone to being revenge killed—its weaknesses to common attacking types and vulnerability to priority don't do it any favors. Nevertheless, no other physical Grass-type in the tier's offensive capabilities and movepool can compare to Sawsbuck's.</p>
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Double-Edge / Return
move 3: Horn Leech
move 4: Nature Power / Substitute
item: Life Orb
ability: Sap Sipper
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is by far Sawsbuck's most common and threatening set. The goal is simple: set up a Swords Dance and dish out as much damage as possible. Double-Edge is chosen as the primary Normal STAB because of its sheer damage output, OHKOing Ludicolo and Sawk after Stealth Rock and generally helping to check things even without a Swords Dance boost. However, if the recoil turns you off, Return is a suitable replacement but the power difference is noticeable. Horn Leech is Sawsbuck's best Grass-type STAB, hitting Rock-types and Golurk hard and providing a semi-reliable form of recovery that helps patch up Life Orb and Double-Edge recoil. Finally, Nature Power (as it turns into Earthquake) provides the best coverage with Sawsbuck's STABs, hitting Steel-types like Metang for super effective damage as well as letting it bypass Sucker Punch from the likes of Kangaskhan and Skuntank. Substitute, on the other hand, works in tandem with Swords Dance, allowing Sawsbuck to set up in the face of Alomomola, Tangela lacking Hidden Power Ice, defensive Seismitoad, and Misdreavus without Foul Play. It's worth noting that if you do decide to use Substitute, Return is the Normal STAB of choice. However, both Double-Edge and Return are suitable alongside Nature Power.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Life Orb is generally the go-to item, giving Sawsbuck a noticeable power boost and helping it to gain several important KOs against certain Pokemon. Lum Berry is an alternative that gives it a temporary shield against status, which is particularly useful when not running Substitute. This allows Sawsbuck to comfortably absorb Will-O-Wisp, Thunder Wave, and, of course, Swagger, without forcing it to give up its coverage move. Generally speaking though, the power boost provided by Life Orb is more important. Baton Pass is another useful move that can be used in the fourth slot; it allows Sawsbuck to escape its counters and potentially pass Attack boosts at the same time. Sawsbuck does miss the coverage and utility provided by its other options here, but Baton Pass is perfectly viable and can certainly be considered.</p>
<p>Specially oriented Water-types, such as Samurott and Gorebyss, make good partners for Sawsbuck; not only can they break down physical walls like Weezing but they can also lure in Grass-type moves for Sawsbuck to absorb. This set often runs into issues with the Fighting-types of the tier; Gurdurr in particular is extremely threatening as it can tank any attack and threaten back with Drain Punch or Mach Punch. Psychic-types, such as Musharna, can take it on with ease as well as threaten physical walls with STAB Psychic. Entry hazards work well with Sawsbuck, with Stealth Rock allowing it to score OHKOs on Scolipede and Charizard with Double-Edge or Return. Rock-types and Ground-types can set up Stealth Rock, and they also lure in Water- and Grass-type Pokemon for Sawsbuck to take advantage of. Finally, Garbodor is a good candidate for setting up Spikes, being able to handily deal with Fighting-types through Rocky Helmet and Aftermath recoil.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Double-Edge
move 2: Horn Leech
move 3: Nature Power
move 4: Baton Pass
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Sap Sipper
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While Sawsbuck might be a bit lacking when compared with other possible Choice Scarf users, especially the faster and more versatile Tauros, it is still a viable choice. It sets itself apart from Tauros with its secondary Grass typing and Sap Sipper and still hits just as hard. That said, Tauros is still usually the superior option and should always be considered before using Sawsbuck as a Choice Scarf user. Double-Edge is the best Normal-type STAB for this set, as Sawsbuck needs all the power it can get due to lacking the boost from Life Orb. STAB Horn Leech is one of Sawsbuck's main advantages over Tauros and helps deal damage against Golurk, Rock-types, and bulky Water-types. Nature Power helps revenge kill Steel-types, such as Metang, Probopass, and Bastiodon, who would otherwise wall Sawsbuck completely. Finally, the last slot is reserved for Baton Pass and allows Sawsbuck to escape walls that it can't break through, as well as potentially passing Sap Sipper boosts.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>One can forgo Baton Pass in exchange for an attacking move such as Megahorn or Wild Charge. However, this does not generally add much to Sawsbuck's coverage, and its STAB moves are strong enough in most cases. Wild Charge is notable, however, for hitting Drifblim, a Pokemon who would completely wall this set without it. That said, there are far better ways to deal with this threat, and Wild Charge recoil combined with Drifblim's enormous HP stat does not end well for Sawsbuck. Likewise, Toxic can come as a surprise to most walls, but simply Baton Passing out into a better matchup is a much safer and more reliable option.</p>
<p>As this set has no way to break down physical walls, namely Weezing, Tangela, and Vileplume, partners that can defeat these Pokemon are near mandatory. Powerful special attackers such as Jynx, Charizard, and Samurott are some of the best examples of this, handily breaking down physical walls and generally making up for Sawsbuck's lack of overall power. As a bonus, Samurott can even lure in Grass-type moves for Sawsbuck to take advantage of. Skuntank makes for a prime partner as well, handily dealing with the Ghost-types that Sawsbuck commonly lures in. Sawsbuck is extremely weak to priority, particularly Mach Punch, so any partner that can sponge it comes in handy. Garbodor and Musharna are some of the best examples of this, the former having access to Spikes and the latter easily dealing with bulky Poison-types.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Sawsbuck can opt to use its other ability, Chlorophyll, which proves to be extremely useful on a dedicated sun team, turning it into a deadly cleaner that cannot be outsped in the sun. Choice Band can be used to give an even bigger power boost than Life Orb; however, this denies Sawsbuck the ability to switch moves and boost Attack via Swords Dance, making it an inferior option. Jump Kick provides similar coverage to Nature Power, but is inferior due to its inability to provide super effective coverage against Metang and Poison-types and cannot bypass Sucker Punch. Retaliate can be used on the Choice Scarf set, as it is more of a hit-and-run type of Pokemon; however, Double-Edge is usually strong enough and is a far more reliable option should you decide to stay in. A set with Substitute and Leech Seed is interesting, and Sawsbuck separates itself from other SubSeeders with its higher offensive presence, but it doesn't generally accomplish anything the other sets don't. Sawsbuck is also unable to break through the common Grass-types of the tier who are immune to Leech Seed. Aromatherapy provides protection against status, but Sawsbuck is too frail to effectively utilize it and Substitute is generally a better option. Finally, Sawsbuck has access to two forms of status, namely Thunder Wave and Grasswhistle. However, it is too frail to make use of the former, and the latter is far too inaccurate to be worth using.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>The Ghost-types of the tier are an ever-present nightmare to Sawsbuck, particularly Drifblim, Misdreavus, and Haunter. Drifblim is the best offensive check to Sawsbuck available, resisting all of its common moves while only fearing the rare Wild Charge, and can OHKO with Acrobatics. Misdreavus, particularly Foul Play variants, can also handle Sawsbuck extremely well, breaking its Substitutes with Foul Play and burning it with Will-O-Wisp. Finally, while Haunter does not enjoy taking a boosted Horn Leech to the face, it fears nothing else and can OHKO with Sludge Bomb. Weezing's combination of typing, bulk, and ability make it an adept counter to Sawsbuck, tanking any attack and KOing with STAB Sludge Bomb. Gurdurr is another Pokemon that counters Sawsbuck fairly well, being able tank any attack with its Eviolite-boosted defenses and threaten back with Drain Punch and Mach Punch. Defensive Sap Sipper Miltank is immune to Horn Leech, can shrug off one or two Double-Edges or Returns, and can paralyze Sawsbuck with Body Slam. Scolipede and Charizard are two excellent offensive checks; while they dislike eating a Double-Edge or Return to the face, particularly with their pronounced Stealth Rock weakness, they can easily switch in on Horn Leech and proceed to OHKO. Finally, priority is very effective at taking down a weakened Sawsbuck, particularly Gurdurr's Mach Punch and Kangaskhan's Fake Out.</p>
is deer
[Overview]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Double-Edge / Return
move 3: Horn Leech
move 4: Nature Power / Substitute
item: Life Orb
ability: Sap Sipper
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Double-Edge
move 2: Horn Leech
move 3: Nature Power
move 4: Baton Pass
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Sap Sipper
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
- Packs Sap Sipper to set it apart from other physical Grasses
- Unique Normal / Grass typing gives it great coverage w/ STABs
- Solid options in Horn Leech, Return/DE, Nature Power, BPass, and Sub/SD
- Hits the magical Speed tier at base 95
- On the frailer side/weak to priority
- Bad defensive typing isn't doing it any favors, either
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Double-Edge / Return
move 3: Horn Leech
move 4: Nature Power / Substitute
item: Life Orb
ability: Sap Sipper
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
- Aims to set up and dish out as much damage as possible
- SD boost Deer's Attack and makes it easier to sweep
- DE preferred Normal STAB to OHKO Ludicolo, Sawk and helps to check stuff even w/o an SD boost
- Return is viable if you don't like recoil
- Horn Leech is best Grass STAB, useful for providing recovery
- Nature Power provides best coverage, hitting Steels like Metang + avoids Skuntank's Sucker Punch
- Sub + SD lets you set up in the face of Mola, Tangela w/o HP Ice, defensive Seismitoad, Missy w/o Foul Play
- If using Sub, you should use Return > DE, but either Normal STAB can be used w/ Nature Power
- Lum Berry can be used to give a one-time shield to status. particularly on sets w/o Sub
- BPass is useful to escape counters + potentially pass Attack boosts
- Special attacking Water-types can beat Weezing/lure in Grass-type moves for Deer to absorb
- Psychics like Musharna can beat Weezing + Fighting-types
- Likes hazards so it can OHKO Scolipede + Charizard w/ Return after rocks
- Rock-types/Ground-types lure in Waters + Grasses and set up SR
- Garbodor handles Fightings + sets up Spikes
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Double-Edge
move 2: Horn Leech
move 3: Nature Power
move 4: Baton Pass
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Sap Sipper
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
- Not the greatest Scarfer around, but still viable
- Sets itself apart from Tauros due to its secondary Grass typing/Sap Sipper
- DE > Return for its greater power (set lacks LO)
- Horn Leech hits Golurk, Rock-types, bulky Waters that Deer might struggle against otherwise
- Nature Power provides coverage against Steels that would wall you otherwise
- BPass predicts switches/potentially passes Sap Sipper boosts
- Attacking move (Megahorn, Wild Charge) in the fourth slot, but don’t provide much in coverage and STAB moves are usually strong enough
- Toxic for walls, but Deer would rather just BPass out into a better matchup
- Hard-hitting special attackers (Jynx, Charizard, Samurott) can break down physical walls/punch holes in teams for Deer to clean up
- Rott also lures in Grass-type moves
- Vulnerable to priority (esp. Mach Punch), so Garbodor/Musharna are good partners to take them
- Chlorophyll is useful on a sun team; outspeeds basically everything and steamrolls through frailer offensive teams
- CB is outclassed by LO b/c Deer can switch moves/set up w/ Sub or SD
- Jump Kick is outclassed by EQ as EQ hurts Metang/Poisons + Nature Power bypasses Sucker Punch
- Retaliate on the Scarf set, but DE is strong enough and far more reliable
- Offensive SubSeed set, but generally doesn’t do anything standard set doesn’t
- Aromatherapy protects from status, but too frail to use it efficiently and Sub does this better
- T-wave slows stuff down, but still too frail to utilize it
- Grasswhistle is too inaccurate
- Not much else
- Ghosts give Deer a hard time
- Drifblim resists all of Deer's common moves/OHKOes w/ Acrobatics
- Misdreavus w/ Foul Play breaks its Subs and burns w/ Willo
- Haunter hates boosted Horn Leech, but OHKOes w/ Sludge Bomb
- Weezing has boss physical bulk/STAB Sludge Bomb to KO slightly weakened ones
- Gurdurr tanks Deer’s attacks w/ ease and threatening w/ Drain Punch or Mach Punch
- Defensive Sap Sipper Miltank tanks Return and paralyzes w/ Body Slam
- Scolipede/Charizard can switch in on Horn Leech and OHKO
- Priority users (Gurdurr, Kanga) can kill weakened ones
[Overview]
<p>Sawsbuck possesses several traits that set it apart from other physical Grass-types, namely its ability Sap Sipper and Normal typing. This blesses it with a handy immunity, potential Attack boosts, and excellent neutral coverage with its STABs alone. With a solid movepool containing gems such as Horn Leech, Double-Edge, Nature Power, Swords Dance, Substitute, and Baton Pass, it has everything it needs to lay wreckage to the opposing team. Its high base Speed further benefits it, letting it outspeed the majority of the metagame and putting it on par with threats such as Jynx, Primeape, and Haunter. Unfortunately, it is rather frail, leaving it prone to being revenge killed—its weaknesses to common attacking types and vulnerability to priority don't do it any favors. Nevertheless, no other physical Grass-type in the tier's offensive capabilities and movepool can compare to Sawsbuck's.</p>
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Double-Edge / Return
move 3: Horn Leech
move 4: Nature Power / Substitute
item: Life Orb
ability: Sap Sipper
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is by far Sawsbuck's most common and threatening set. The goal is simple: set up a Swords Dance and dish out as much damage as possible. Double-Edge is chosen as the primary Normal STAB because of its sheer damage output, OHKOing Ludicolo and Sawk after Stealth Rock and generally helping to check things even without a Swords Dance boost. However, if the recoil turns you off, Return is a suitable replacement but the power difference is noticeable. Horn Leech is Sawsbuck's best Grass-type STAB, hitting Rock-types and Golurk hard and providing a semi-reliable form of recovery that helps patch up Life Orb and Double-Edge recoil. Finally, Nature Power (as it turns into Earthquake) provides the best coverage with Sawsbuck's STABs, hitting Steel-types like Metang for super effective damage as well as letting it bypass Sucker Punch from the likes of Kangaskhan and Skuntank. Substitute, on the other hand, works in tandem with Swords Dance, allowing Sawsbuck to set up in the face of Alomomola, Tangela lacking Hidden Power Ice, defensive Seismitoad, and Misdreavus without Foul Play. It's worth noting that if you do decide to use Substitute, Return is the Normal STAB of choice. However, both Double-Edge and Return are suitable alongside Nature Power.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Life Orb is generally the go-to item, giving Sawsbuck a noticeable power boost and helping it to gain several important KOs against certain Pokemon. Lum Berry is an alternative that gives it a temporary shield against status, which is particularly useful when not running Substitute. This allows Sawsbuck to comfortably absorb Will-O-Wisp, Thunder Wave, and, of course, Swagger, without forcing it to give up its coverage move. Generally speaking though, the power boost provided by Life Orb is more important. Baton Pass is another useful move that can be used in the fourth slot; it allows Sawsbuck to escape its counters and potentially pass Attack boosts at the same time. Sawsbuck does miss the coverage and utility provided by its other options here, but Baton Pass is perfectly viable and can certainly be considered.</p>
<p>Specially oriented Water-types, such as Samurott and Gorebyss, make good partners for Sawsbuck; not only can they break down physical walls like Weezing but they can also lure in Grass-type moves for Sawsbuck to absorb. This set often runs into issues with the Fighting-types of the tier; Gurdurr in particular is extremely threatening as it can tank any attack and threaten back with Drain Punch or Mach Punch. Psychic-types, such as Musharna, can take it on with ease as well as threaten physical walls with STAB Psychic. Entry hazards work well with Sawsbuck, with Stealth Rock allowing it to score OHKOs on Scolipede and Charizard with Double-Edge or Return. Rock-types and Ground-types can set up Stealth Rock, and they also lure in Water- and Grass-type Pokemon for Sawsbuck to take advantage of. Finally, Garbodor is a good candidate for setting up Spikes, being able to handily deal with Fighting-types through Rocky Helmet and Aftermath recoil.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Double-Edge
move 2: Horn Leech
move 3: Nature Power
move 4: Baton Pass
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Sap Sipper
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While Sawsbuck might be a bit lacking when compared with other possible Choice Scarf users, especially the faster and more versatile Tauros, it is still a viable choice. It sets itself apart from Tauros with its secondary Grass typing and Sap Sipper and still hits just as hard. That said, Tauros is still usually the superior option and should always be considered before using Sawsbuck as a Choice Scarf user. Double-Edge is the best Normal-type STAB for this set, as Sawsbuck needs all the power it can get due to lacking the boost from Life Orb. STAB Horn Leech is one of Sawsbuck's main advantages over Tauros and helps deal damage against Golurk, Rock-types, and bulky Water-types. Nature Power helps revenge kill Steel-types, such as Metang, Probopass, and Bastiodon, who would otherwise wall Sawsbuck completely. Finally, the last slot is reserved for Baton Pass and allows Sawsbuck to escape walls that it can't break through, as well as potentially passing Sap Sipper boosts.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>One can forgo Baton Pass in exchange for an attacking move such as Megahorn or Wild Charge. However, this does not generally add much to Sawsbuck's coverage, and its STAB moves are strong enough in most cases. Wild Charge is notable, however, for hitting Drifblim, a Pokemon who would completely wall this set without it. That said, there are far better ways to deal with this threat, and Wild Charge recoil combined with Drifblim's enormous HP stat does not end well for Sawsbuck. Likewise, Toxic can come as a surprise to most walls, but simply Baton Passing out into a better matchup is a much safer and more reliable option.</p>
<p>As this set has no way to break down physical walls, namely Weezing, Tangela, and Vileplume, partners that can defeat these Pokemon are near mandatory. Powerful special attackers such as Jynx, Charizard, and Samurott are some of the best examples of this, handily breaking down physical walls and generally making up for Sawsbuck's lack of overall power. As a bonus, Samurott can even lure in Grass-type moves for Sawsbuck to take advantage of. Skuntank makes for a prime partner as well, handily dealing with the Ghost-types that Sawsbuck commonly lures in. Sawsbuck is extremely weak to priority, particularly Mach Punch, so any partner that can sponge it comes in handy. Garbodor and Musharna are some of the best examples of this, the former having access to Spikes and the latter easily dealing with bulky Poison-types.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Sawsbuck can opt to use its other ability, Chlorophyll, which proves to be extremely useful on a dedicated sun team, turning it into a deadly cleaner that cannot be outsped in the sun. Choice Band can be used to give an even bigger power boost than Life Orb; however, this denies Sawsbuck the ability to switch moves and boost Attack via Swords Dance, making it an inferior option. Jump Kick provides similar coverage to Nature Power, but is inferior due to its inability to provide super effective coverage against Metang and Poison-types and cannot bypass Sucker Punch. Retaliate can be used on the Choice Scarf set, as it is more of a hit-and-run type of Pokemon; however, Double-Edge is usually strong enough and is a far more reliable option should you decide to stay in. A set with Substitute and Leech Seed is interesting, and Sawsbuck separates itself from other SubSeeders with its higher offensive presence, but it doesn't generally accomplish anything the other sets don't. Sawsbuck is also unable to break through the common Grass-types of the tier who are immune to Leech Seed. Aromatherapy provides protection against status, but Sawsbuck is too frail to effectively utilize it and Substitute is generally a better option. Finally, Sawsbuck has access to two forms of status, namely Thunder Wave and Grasswhistle. However, it is too frail to make use of the former, and the latter is far too inaccurate to be worth using.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>The Ghost-types of the tier are an ever-present nightmare to Sawsbuck, particularly Drifblim, Misdreavus, and Haunter. Drifblim is the best offensive check to Sawsbuck available, resisting all of its common moves while only fearing the rare Wild Charge, and can OHKO with Acrobatics. Misdreavus, particularly Foul Play variants, can also handle Sawsbuck extremely well, breaking its Substitutes with Foul Play and burning it with Will-O-Wisp. Finally, while Haunter does not enjoy taking a boosted Horn Leech to the face, it fears nothing else and can OHKO with Sludge Bomb. Weezing's combination of typing, bulk, and ability make it an adept counter to Sawsbuck, tanking any attack and KOing with STAB Sludge Bomb. Gurdurr is another Pokemon that counters Sawsbuck fairly well, being able tank any attack with its Eviolite-boosted defenses and threaten back with Drain Punch and Mach Punch. Defensive Sap Sipper Miltank is immune to Horn Leech, can shrug off one or two Double-Edges or Returns, and can paralyze Sawsbuck with Body Slam. Scolipede and Charizard are two excellent offensive checks; while they dislike eating a Double-Edge or Return to the face, particularly with their pronounced Stealth Rock weakness, they can easily switch in on Horn Leech and proceed to OHKO. Finally, priority is very effective at taking down a weakened Sawsbuck, particularly Gurdurr's Mach Punch and Kangaskhan's Fake Out.</p>
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