Scizor (BW2 Revamp)

I hardly see any situation where AcroZor is not better than the Offensive LO set with Bug Bite, can't we just use it as a main set ? It's not a gimmick anymore, I even see it more often than the Bug bite one lol
 
For Scarf Scizor's Move 4, remember to slash in Aerial Ace next to Superpower since that lets it check things like defensive Volcarona, non-scarfed Keldeo, Breloom, and Infernape (besides Scarf variants locked into Flare Blitz).

Skarmory doesn't necessarily lose to the offensive SD set. You have to predict well to get past it; if you misplay you will get stalled out, Whirlwinded away, or even hit back with a Brave Bird on your Defense stat that's been weakened by Superpower.

+2 252+ Atk Life Orb Scizor Superpower vs. 224 HP / 252+ Def Skarmory: 212-250 (64.83 - 76.45%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Of course, all SD Scizors will eventually beat Skarmory if it's one-on-one; if you can't get Whirlwinded away, you'll eventually outdamage/outlast Roost's recovery/PP, depending on whether you're the offensive or bulky set.

Finally, here's a little variation on bulky SD Scizor that the current analysis actually mentions under "Additional comments":

Scizor @ Leftovers
Trait: Technician
EVs: 252 Atk / 140 HP / 116 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Bullet Punch
- Superpower
- Roost

This version is great since it turns Ferrothorn into complete setup bait (it can always boost to +6 no matter what Ferrothorn has - Leech Seed, Thunder Wave, Gyro Ball, none of them can stop you), and will outspeed and OHKO defensive Heatran (one of the top checks to the standard bulky SD set)! Generally by the time an opponent realizes you have Superpower and Roost on the same Scizor, you've gotten two or three SDs and it's too late for them to get out of the tight situation in which they have to lose one or two teammates to the combination of Bullet Punch and Superpower. It retains Scizor's excellent use of priority to sweep while having much better neutral coverage than the normal bulky set (thanks to BP/Superpower over BP/Bug Bite). The disadvantage to this spread is that it's a shakier check to Latios and can be 2HKOed by Alakazam and Reuniclus.
 
Acrobatics Scizor DEFINITELY needs to be on the analysis. It is great and plays differently from the Offensive Life Orb set. It lures in Pokemon that would normally counter Scizor such as Jellicent, Tentacruel, and Gyarados, and demolishes them. It can also do major damage to common switch-ins such as Landorus-T at +1 (Intimidate on the Swords Dance). After using it in half my World Cup matches, I can attribute to how effective it is. It is definitely worth another set since it plays so much differently than the other SD set while being extremely effective.

[SET]
name: Acrobatics
move 1: Acrobatics
move 2: Swords Dance
move 3: Bullet Punch
move 4: Superpower
item: Flying Gem
nature: Jolly / Adamant
ability: Technician
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

Jolly lets Scizor outrun Pokemon such as Landorus-T and Tentacruel that it wouldn't otherwise.
 

alexwolf

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Guys don't worry, it will be combined with offensive SD and here is how it will look like:

[SET]
name: Offensive Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Bullet Punch
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Bug Bite / Acrobatics
item: Life Orb / Flying Gem
nature: Adamant / Jolly
ability: Technician
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

Whether or not Bug Bite or Acrobatics should be slashed first (as well as Adamant / Jolly and Life Orb / Flying Gem) is up to debate.
 

Jukain

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alex:
ShakeItUp said:
Acrobatics Scizor DEFINITELY needs to be on the analysis. It is great and plays differently from the Offensive Life Orb set. It lures in Pokemon that would normally counter Scizor such as Jellicent, Tentacruel, and Gyarados, and demolishes them. It can also do major damage to common switch-ins such as Landorus-T at +1 (Intimidate on the Swords Dance). After using it in half my World Cup matches, I can attribute to how effective it is. It is definitely worth another set since it plays so much differently than the other SD set while being extremely effective.
I'm inclined to think this is correct. It plays WAY differently. You don't need stuff to handle Water-types because Scizor beats them. Acrobatics Scizor is ridiculously good, and a million times better than Bug Bite...honestly I'd list it as the second set and move Bug Bite LO down to fourth, but that's just me -- I simply don't see the offensive SD set as anywhere near as effective. I used both variants extensively in this suspect test and found that my results with Acrobatics were way more consistent than Bug Bite. You still get Superpower, which kills literally everything you needed Bug Bite for sans Acrobatics. Jolly is best just because you gain SO much more Speed (and outrun slower Tentacruel). It is not a similar set, like every Gengar set...
 

Shurtugal

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Scarf Scizor should have Sleep Talk ac'ed for Breloom.

Bulky SD wants Lum mentioned.

(Also Jurakin and Shake make good points!)

And how good is the trapper Zor set? It looks cool on paper but I haven't tried so more comments on that (or link me to prior post haven't read all pages) would be appreciated.

GJ Alex! :)
 

alexwolf

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^ Will add Sleep Talk in the AC of the Scarf set, and we have alrdy agreed with the QC team that Acrobatics will be the first slash on the SD set, i just didn't get to update the thread. I am not sure for Lum on bulky SD, but we will see.

And yeah trapper Zor is mediocre but it can get the job done so it deserves a set.
 

Jukain

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alex I remember having a long convo about this -- we all agreed to make offensive sd flying gem acrobatics and drop bug bite lo to ac
 

Shurtugal

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is a Tiering Contributor
I just read through Scarf Scizors write-up: please emphasize its abilities to catch Starmie as well since Weatherless HO have very little ways of preventing it from spinning and Scarf Zor is one of those few ways so please mention it :)

Mention also that pursuit is expendable on Scarf Zor and can be replaced for Sleep Talk or Iron Head ( IHead + Bullet is not as redundant as it looks on paper).
 

AccidentalGreed

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Oh and you may want to somehow split the Set Comments paragraph on the Bulky Swords Dance set because WHEW it is a HANDFUL to look at right now haha.
 

alexwolf

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I just read through Scarf Scizors write-up: please emphasize its abilities to catch Starmie as well since Weatherless HO have very little ways of preventing it from spinning and Scarf Zor is one of those few ways so please mention it :)

Mention also that pursuit is expendable on Scarf Zor and can be replaced for Sleep Talk or Iron Head ( IHead + Bullet is not as redundant as it looks on paper).
Emphasized the trapping of Starmie for HO teams. Also i added Sleep Talk in the OO, as while Scizor can switch into Breloom, its Fighting moves fuck it up and Choice Scarf Scizor can't OHKO back with any of its moves anyway, so its very situational and should be used only if your team desperately needs a Breloom check.

@AG

Maybe will do, but i think i'll let Gato handle this one who knows better.
 

GatoDelFuego

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Why did I join GP

@alexwolf

REMOVE CHANGE COMMENTS

[Overview]

<p>Scizor is a Pokemon that almost has it almost all and it's no wonder that it's one of the best Pokemon in OU. Thanks to its excellent Attack stat and Technician, Scizor is the strongest priority user in OU and can pick off many menacing offensive threats such as Kyurem-B, Dragonite, Terrakion, and Salamence. Scizor also gets STAB U-turn, hitting everything hard everything that doesn't resist it while keeping momentum in its team's favor while making it hard to directly counter it. Furthermore, Scizor has good coverage moves such as Superpower and Acrobatics, allowing it to hit Pokemon that resist its STABs for at least neutral damage and making the task of countering it much more difficult. Pursuit allows Scizor to take out many of the Psychic-types that it scares away out, such as Latios, Latias, and Gengar, shielding many teams that have problems with those threats. Swords Dance only adds to his its offensive potential, transforming it from a revenge killer and heavy hitter to a deadly late-game sweeper that can KO many offensive Pokemon just with a +2 Bullet Punch. To top it off, Scizor has an excellent defensive typing that leaves it only with one weakness and multiple useful resistances, has Roost, and can invest in HP to become very bulky thanks to Bullet Punch mitigating which mitigates its Speed issues, making it not only an offensive asset but also a defensive one.</p>

<p>Scizor does have its downsides though. While it may only one weakness, it is a very exploitable quadruple weakness to Fire. This means that even Hidden Power Fire from Pokemon with good Special Attack and no investment will OHKO or at least come close in doing so (for example from the likes of Celebi or Latias). Scizor's priority, while strong, has a bad offensive typing as its is resisted by the omnipresent Water-types and therefore by a big portion of rain teams. Add to this that Scizor is neutral to Water moves, has mediocre special bulk, and the boost from Drizzle to Water attacks, and it's no wonder why Scizor gets OHKOed by many offensive Water-types such as Starmie, Keldeo, and Choice Specs Politoed. Keldeo itself, another top-tier threat in OU, gives Scizor a very hard time as it resists Scizor's most used moves, Bullet Punch and U-turn, and can obliterate it with powerful Water attacks. Finally, Scizor's choiced sets are easy to wall with physically bulky Pokemon such as Skarmory, Forretress, Jellicent, and Landorus-T, often giving to those Pokemon the chances to harass Scizor's team with entry hazards or status.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: U-turn
move 2: Bullet Punch
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Pursuit / Quick Attack
item: Choice Band
nature: Adamant
ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This has been Scizor's flagship set since the Platinum era and for good reason. Scizor is one of the few Pokemon that can actually do serious damage with U-turn, (AC) which is why it not only uses it it is used not only as a scouting tool but as a strong spammable attack that does a lot of damage to anything that doesn't resist it, (AC) and even to some Pokemon that do. U-turn also combines nicely with Scizor's great typing and bulk and makes it a very useful pivot, which uses its low Speed to bring safely in Pokemon safely against faster opponents or forced switches. Bullet Punch is Scizor's revenge killing weapon and shaves off a big amount of damage from every offensive Pokemon that doesn't resist it, and makes Scizor a great check for Pokemon such as Latios and Terrakion. Superpower hits Steel-types that resist Scizor's STAB moves for at least neutral damage and OHKOes some of them, namely Magnezone and Heatran. Superpower is also Scizor's best option against Keldeo, dealing ~79% damage on it. Pursuit prevents Ghost- and Psychic-types Pokemon such as Latios, Latias, Gengar, and Celebi (lacking Baton Pass) from switching out, often putting them in a checkmate position, as Scizor is a good switch-in to all of those Pokemon. If Pursuit's trapping abilities are not needed, Quick Attack is a fine alternative that helps Scizor revenge kill offensive Pokemon that resist Bullet Punch, such as Gyarados, Keldeo, Thundurus-T, and Volcarona, OHKOing I don't like it when people say "OHKO Volcarona with stealth rock" because it's really not an OHKO, it's 50% damage offensive variants of the latter with the help of Stealth Rock 87.5% of the time.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Scizor's HP EVs minimize Stealth Rock damage and the 8 leftover EVs go to Special Defense because Scizor switches into special attacks more often than physical. Bug Bite can be used in the last slot for a strong Bug STAB move that doesn't force you out, making dealing with Pokemon such as Reuniclus and SubCM Jirachi much easier, but its use ends there. Night Slash is useful to catch on the switch Jellicent on the switch, and 2HKOing even the most physically bulky sets, but Jellicent usually invests enough Speed EVs to outrun uninvested Scizor sets, (AC) so Scizor would have to sacrifice a lot of bulk to make sure it will outspeed Jellicent. If Scizor's team is lacking a solid switch-in to Choice Specs Latios, an EV spread of 248 HP / 92 Atk / 168 SpD with an Adamant nature can be used, allowing Scizor to always avoid the 2HKO from Draco Meteor even with Stealth Rock in play and eliminate Latios with Pursuit. This spread also makes Scizor a much safer switch-in to Alakazam, Latias, and Gengar, especially if used in rain, where those Pokemon cannot OHKO Scizor with Hidden Power Fire.</p>

<p>Scizor greatly appreciates Rapid Spin support, as U-turn is the move it will be using most of the time. Offensive Analytic Starmie pairs great with Scizor, as not only it is able to beat both spinblockers of OU, Jellicent and Gengar, it can also beat most Pokemon that give Scizor trouble, such as Skarmory, Landorus-T, Hippowdon, Gliscor, Jellicent, Keldeo, Gyarados, and Tentacruel. Scizor returns the favor by being able to dent Bliseey, Chansey, Celebi, and Ferrothorn for huge amounts of damage, if not OHKOing them, paving the way for Starmie to clean up. They also share wonderful defensive synergy, with Starmie resisting Scizor's lone weakness and Scizor resisting three of Starmie's weaknesses, namely Grass-, Dark-, and Ghost-type attacks. Tentacruel is another Rapid Spinner that has very good synergy with Scizor on rain teams. Similarly to Starmie, Tentacruel can beat all the Ghost-types in OU with a SubToxic set, ensuring the spin goes off. It also checks many of the Pokemon that stand in the way of Scizor, such as Keldeo, Heatran, and Skarmory.<p>

<p>Scizor also finds itself like home in VoltTurn chains, as it's one of the best U-turn users in OU. Also, a teammate to take on Water and Fire attacks is a necessity, as Scizor struggles against Water-types, Drizzle-boosted Water attacks, and any Fire attack in general. For those reason, partners such as Rotom-W, Thundurus-T, and Celebi are very beneficial for Scizor, being able to beat bulky Water- and Ground-types that annoy Scizor, and Skarmory too, and having U-turn or Volt Switch to continue the chain. Rotom-W is the best of them though, as aside from the aforementioned advantages, it can also easily switch into Water- and Fire-type attacks aimed at Scizor. Latios and Latias can both beat the Pokemon that trouble Scizor and can tank a couple of Fire and Water attacks.<p>

[SET]
name: Offensive Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Bullet Punch
move 3: Acrobatics
move 4: Superpower
item: Flying Gem
nature: Adamant
ability: Technician
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>With access to Swords Dance, Technician, Bullet Punch, a base 130 Attack stat, and a ton of setup chances, it's no wonder wonder why Scizor is one of the best physical sweepers around. Thanks to Bullet Punch, Scizor can mitigate his its low Speed problem and OHKO many faster offensive Pokemon that don't resist Bullet Punch at +2, such as Latios, Salamence, Dragonite, and Terrakion, with the help of Stealth Rock Does this mean stealth rock is needed for all these kills? Probably just mece+dragonite, right? Make this just a bit clearer. Acrobatics, backed up by a Swords Dance boost and Flying Gem, becomes a very powerful move capable of taking out several of Scizor's usual checks and is strong enough to be useful even after Flying Gem has been consumed. Namely, at +2 and after Stealth Rock damage, it OHKOes Jellicent, Tentacruel, and Gyarados, while also dealing a minimum of 70% damage to the offensive pivot set of Landorus-T After intimidate? If yes , mention. Superpower handles the Pokemon that resist the Acrobatics and Bullet Punch, such as Heatran, Magnezone, Skarmory, and Rotom-W, and provides perfect neutral coverage in OU when combined with Acrobatics, (RC) with the exception of Thundurus-T.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>A Jolly nature enables Scizor to outspeed Adamant Breloom, Timid Magnezone, and uninvested Celebi and Jirachi that might carry Hidden Power Fire, so it's a viable alternative over Adamant. If one prefers more power in Scizor's Bullet Punch, Life Orb and Metal Coat are both excellent choices to use over Flying Gem. Life Orb is better used with Spikes and Stealth Rock support, as one layer of Spikes combined with Stealth Rock allows +2 Bullet Punch to OHKO Jolteon, Garchomp, any Volcarona, and KO 252 HP Latias 75% of the time. Metal Coat makes Bullet Punch strong enough to get the OHKOs on offensive Latias and Venusaur after Stealth Rock damage and with a Swords Dance boost. Both items should be used with Bug Bite over Acrobatics (which works only with one-time use items), which, (AC) although resisted by many of Scizor's checks, has a constant and reliable 135 BP after STAB and with LO is stronger than a Flying Gem-boosted Acrobatics on neutral targets, dealing much more damage to Pokemon such as Hippowdon, Rotom-W, and Vaporeon, and helps a lot teams that are weak to Reuniclus, easily OHKOing offensive sets and 2HKOing the Calm Mind variants.</p>

<p>This set loves Stealth Rock support. For example, after a boost and with Stealth Rock up, Scizor can OHKO Jellicent with Acrobatics, (RC) and Latios and Salamence with Bullet Punch. Lead Tyranitar is an excellent partner to set up Stealth Rock, as not only it lures and weakens Skarmory, Hippowdon, and Landorus-T for Scizor to sweep easier, but it also brings up sandstorm which helps to help bring many offensive Pokemon into the OHKO range of Bullet Punch. Stealth Rock Garchomp is also a good Pokemon to pair with this Scizor, as it is able to weaken the aforementioned Pokemon such as Skarmory, Landorus-T, and Hippowdon, and can also check beat offensive Heatran, a very good check to Scizor. Stealth Rock Celebi checks all the Water-types that threaten Scizor and is in general a very good Stealth Rock setter. That's why it's called "stealth rock celebi?"</p>

<p>Physical sweepers with similar counters are the best offensive partners for Scizor. This way, Scizor can either weaken the opposing team for another sweeper to clean up, or the partnered physical sweeper can do the softening up and Scizor the cleaning. Lucario is one of the best physical sweepers to pair Scizor with, as Scizor lures and eliminates almost every Pokemon that hinders Lucarios's sweep, such as Landorus-T, Jellicent, Tentacruel, and Gyarados. Offensive Gyarados is another physical sweeper that benefits from the absence of bulky Water-types such as Tentacruel and Jellicent, (RC) and has very good defensive synergy too with Scizor, being able to check most Fire-types that threaten Scizor while Scizor can deal with Grass-types such as Ferrothorn and Celebi. Rotom-W is always a nice teammate, (RC) and can attract Pokemon such as Ferrothorn and Celebi for Scizor to set up on, while safely bringing it Scizor in with Volt Switch.</p>

[SET]
name: Bulky Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Roost
move 3: Bullet Punch
move 4: Bug Bite / U-turn
item: Leftovers / Iron Plate
nature: Adamant
ability: Technician
EVs: 252 HP / 40 Atk / 216 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>What this set lacks in power, it makes up for with its strong defensive presence, which gives it much more setup chances than the offensive Swords Dance set and allows it to be a mix of a sweeper and a check to all the offensive Psychic- and Ghost-types of OU. With this EV spread, Scizor fully counters any set of Gengar and Alakazam without Life Orb and Hidden Power Fire even with Stealth Rock up, and can even counter Life Orb version of those two as long as Stealth Rock is off the field. It is also a fantastic counter to any Calm Mind Jirachi, (RC) and a great check to Latios and Latias, as unlike the Choice Band set it isn't 2HKOed by Choice Specs Latios's Draco Meteor and has reliable recovery to stay healthy. In general, this set aims to switch in against the Pokemon it checks and stay healthy with Roost in the early-game, and then later go for a sweep if possible.<p>
Splitting bcuz loooong
<p>Swords Dance gives Scizor the power it needs to become threatening and clean up weakened teams. Bullet Punch deals with anything faster that can threaten Scizor and even without a lot of Attack investment or a boosting item it still hits pretty hard after a boost, OHKOing Latios after two Stealth Rock switch-ins rounds and Breloom with Stealth Rock and one layer of Spikes up. Bullet Punch is also the classic revenge killing tool that Scizor has at its disposal for any dangerous offensive threat, although it's not so powerful on this set and can only be used to pick off very weakened Pokemon, unless they are weak to it, such as Terrakion and Mamoswine. Bug Bite is Scizor's source of power against slower Pokemon and the Psychic-types that it walls. U-turn is a good alternative Bug move for Scizor, despite its seemingly bad synergy with Swords Dance at first glance. U-turn enables Scizor to keep momentum early- and mid-game, (RC) while also avoiding one of this set's biggest enemies, Magnezone. While Scizor will have a harder time sweeping late-game without Bug Bite, it can still pull it off pretty often as just often Bullet Punch will be enough to clean up offensive teams. Finally, Roost is what makes this set work, by giving to Scizor the needed durability to check the Pokemon it is supposed to and attempt a sweep whenever the circumstances allow it.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Leftovers is the best option for this set, (AC) as it allows Scizor to avoid the 2HKO from Gengar's and Alakazam's Focus Blast after Stealth Rock damage, (RC) and increases its overall tanking ability. However, if one wants Scizor to have a better chance at sweeping and a stronger revenge killing tool, Iron Plate is a great option which allows Scizor to OHKO with +2 Bullet Punch Latios, Dragonite, Salamence with +2 Bullet Punch, and KO offensive Volcarona with the help of Stealth Rock, (RC) and Breloom without it. Iron Plate also allows Scizor to fake a Choice Scarf set early-game if used in conjunction with U-turn. An EV spread of 156 HP / 252 Atk / 100 Spe with an Adamant nature can be used to outspeed specially defensive Heatran and outrun some other slow Pokemon, such as defensive Politoed and Vaporeon, so Scizor can hit them first and possibly OHKO them while retaining some bulk.</p>

<p>Rain support enhances this set's performance to whole new great levels. Under rain, Scizor doesn't have to worry about a surprise Hidden Power Fire that the Pokemon it checks (Latios, Latias, Celebi, Gengar, or Alakazam) might carry, and can even avoid the 2HKO from some of these it if the Pokemon that use it have no if they have no boosting item. It also means that non-Choice Specs variants of Magnezone can no longer 2HKO Scizor, so Scizor can either U-turn out or start boosting in Magnezone's face if it lacks Charge Beam. Tentacruel is an excellent teammate for Scizor, as this particular set gives free switch-ins to Skarmory and Heatran, which can set up entry hazards and hinder Scizor's team. Tentacruel can easily switch into both Heatran and Skarmory, while also acting as a good check to some Water-types that Scizor fears, such as Keldeo and Politoed. Specially defensive Celebi counters most Water-types that give Scizor troubles and can also set up Stealth Rock to help Scizor sweep late-game. Rain Volcarona with Hidden Power Water can lure and weaken many of the Pokemon that prevent Scizor from sweeping, such as Skarmory, Tentacruel, non-Choice Scarf Keldeo, Heatran, and Jellicent, making for a fantastic offensive partner. Rotom-W, Latios, and Latias all check Water-types pretty well and have great defensive synergy with Scizor, while Rotom-W also has Volt Switch Turn LOL to compliment Scizor's U-turn.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: U-turn
move 2: Bullet Punch / Iron Head
move 3: Pursuit
move 4: Superpower / Bug Bite
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Jolly
ability: Technician
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set performs a role reminiscent to that of Choice Scarf Tyranitar and Gothitelle: its aim is to deal damage to threats, and possibly trap and kill them, before taking damage itself. Because of its low Speed, it is merely limited to revenge killing threats in the base 120 mark and below, which fortunately is enough to outrun and kill Alakazam. Specifically, Scizor's main targets include fast Psychic- and Ghost-types, the latter of which can be exploited by U-turn, while both fall to Pursuit if they choose to flee. Keep in mind that this is a very specialized set, and should only be used on teams that need a fast way to dispose of Pokemon such as Latios, Latias, Gengar, and Alakazam without risking losing momentum.</p>

<p>Outside of these threats, Scizor can simply choose to spam its STAB U-turn to scout and deal decent damage to nearly anything that switches in. Bullet Punch is still useful without an item offensive boost, but is significantly weaker than on other sets and should only be used mostly in desperate situations. Iron Head can be used for more power in this case, though it lacks the valuable priority Bullet Punch offers. Finally, Superpower is used to surprise and KO Steel-type counters, (AC) such as Magnezone, Heatran, and Lucario, and expand Scizor's general coverage. Bug Bite can be used instead to deal greater damage to staying Psychic-types, though U-turn and Pursuit are usually enough to do the job anyway.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>A Jolly nature is absolutely required on this set, as it is unable to outrun even Espeon and Latios with an Adamant nature. Additionally, maximized Speed is used to tie with opposing Choice Scarf Scizor, as well as the rare but fatally dangerous Choice Scarf Gothitelle. Another attack to consider for this set is Aerial Ace, which nails Volcarona, Infernape, Breloom, and Keldeo, but otherwise compromises coverage.</p>

<p>Since this Scizor can instantly trap and kill the likes of Gengar, Latias, Latios, Starmie, and Alakazam, Pokemon that benefit from their removal would absolutely love being paired with it. Hyper offensive teams that use dual hazard suicide leads such as Skarmory and Forretress, (RC) and Gengar as their spinblocker, (RC) really appreciate Scizor's ability to trap and KO Starmie, as it which could otherwise get past Gengar and get rid of the entry hazards. Calm Mind Keldeo, Swords Dance Lucario, Mienshao, and Terrakion are just a few examples of such teammates, and additionally, they are all decent stallbreakers that can break through walls that Choice Scarf Scizor can't dent. This set also requires Stealth Rock support to work effectively, since as Pursuit isn't enough to even KO certain fleeing Pokemon; Latios, for instance, can only go down with Pursuit along with two Stealth Rock switch-ins. Tyranitar and Hippowdon are also good Stealth Rock users to pair with Choice Scarf Scizor, as the sandstorm they induce helps bring down the Pokemon that Scizor needs to check in to KO range. Furthermore, other revenge killers in the form of Focus Sash users, priority users, or other Choice Scarf Pokemon, (RC) are necessary, as this Scizor is easily set up on by many Pokemon. Focus Sash Alakazam, Mamoswine, and Breloom are all excellent choices depending on your team.</p>

[SET]
name: Trapper
move 1: Pursuit
move 2: Bullet Punch
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Roost
item: Life Orb
nature: Adamant
ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 112 Atk / 148 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Because of its typing and movepool, Scizor is naturally able to switch in and take on Psychic- and Ghost-typed threats in OU. This set capitalizes on this very aspect, designed specifically to allow Scizor to switch in and eliminate them from play easily. Although the Choice Band set does this job as well, using Life Orb instead means Scizor won't become setup bait for dangerous sweepers that would normally take advantage of it if locked into Pursuit. The heavy investment in special bulk, in combination with Roost, also makes Scizor surprisingly resilient, allowing it to tank and recover from Psyshock, Psychic, Draco Meteor, Shadow Ball, and other coverage moves repeatedly. Keep in mind, however, that this set lacks the overall power and coverage of the Choice Band set, so use this set only if you desperately need threats such as Alakazam, Latios, Latias, Espeon, and Gengar out of the way for your team. What else is there? Outside of its trapping role, Scizor still does its usual duties with Bullet Punch, a reasonably strong priority that picks off weakened threats, and U-turn, which helps keep up offensive momentum and compensate for Scizor's lack of coverage.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EV spread is highly specialized; 112 EVs in Attack, along with an Adamant nature, allow Scizor to OHKO a fleeing Latios after Stealth Rock damage with Pursuit, (RC) and Gengar with Bullet Punch after Stealth Rock damage, Substitute, and two rounds of Leftovers. The rest of the EVs is are put into HP and Special Defense, as most of the threats Scizor is trapping are usually specially oriented. You may can also consider a much bulkier spread along with Leftovers to switch in on the likes of Gengar and Latios more easily; 248 HP / 28 Atk / 236 SpD avoids 2HKOs from Choice Specs Latios's Draco Meteor and Life Orb Gengar's Focus Blast most of the time.</p>

<p>Life Orb is an essential item to this set; however, there are notable alternatives if the recoil from Life Orb is undesirable. Boosting items include Dark Gem, which boosts the power of Pursuit only, and the Expert Belt, which boosts power of super effective hits. The Occa Berry is also viable, as it saves Scizor from otherwise fatal KOs from the reasonably common Hidden Power Fire. Be wary that these items further decreases Scizor's physical power, lowering its utility against threats outside of Pursuit targets.</p>

<p>If it wasn't apparent enough already, this Scizor is designed to pair well with Pokemon that appreciate the removal of fast Psychic- or Ghost-types. Examples of Pokemon that benefit from this especially include Terrakion and Keldeo, both of which are easily stopped by Latias, Latios, and Alakazam, in addition to and Lucario, which who has trouble beating Gengar without using Bullet Punch (which is overall inferior to Crunch and Ice Punch). Not sure if this is really necessary or the place? But you're the guy that writes about the metagame, not me If Scizor isn't holding an Occa Berry, Politoed is a good teammate, as the rain it summons lowers the power of Fire-type moves aimed at Scizor. This is extremely helpful if Latios, Gengar, and other Pursuit targets happen to carry Hidden Power Fire, so Scizor it can tank and trap them if needed. This set is also walled by Steel-types due to the lack of Superpower, giving Pokemon such as Skarmory, Jirachi, Heatran, and Ferrothorn opportunities to set up. Your own Heatran can deal with these threats with its Fire-type STAB and Earth Power, (RC) while Magnezone can trap most of them thanks to Magnet Pull. Rotom-W is also a decent counter to many of them, and also completes the VoltTurn combo with Scizor. Preferably, it should have Hidden Power Fire to lure in and beat Ferrothorn, and should invest in bulk to take the common Fire- and rain-boosted Water-type attacks aimed at Scizor.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>The combination of Wacan Berry and Natural Gift provides Scizor with a one-time use 90 Base Power Electric-type attack, which is useful for all the bulky Water-types and Skarmory that like to switch into Scizor. However, it's mostly outclassed by Acrobatics, which already OHKOes most Water-types at +2, (RC) and can be used multiple times, (AC) unlike Natural Gift. Night Slash and Pursuit can be used on any of the Swords Dance sets if Jellicent is a big problem for Scizor's team, but that's the extent of their usefulness. Pursuit has the added benefit of trapping potentially annoying Pokemon and has only ten less Base Power than Night Slash thanks to Technician. Brick Break is an option for the offensive Swords Dance set if one detests the stat drops that Superpower causes, but Superpower is still stronger even at -1, which usually makes it the better option. Also, Brick Break fails to do any significant damage to Skarmory, which can phaze Scizor effortlessly. Occa Berry can be used to lure and KO Pokemon that depend on Hidden Power Fire to OHKO Scizor, such as Latios, Latias, Magnezone, Alakazam, and Gengar. Sleep Talk can be used on any Choiced set on teams that have trouble with Breloom, as Scizor can switch relatively easy into Breloom. Lum Berry can fit on the offensive Swords Dance set to set up easier on Pokemon such as defensive Politoed and Jellicent, but Scizor needs to forfeit Acrobatics and use Bug Bite, which then fails to OHKO some of the bulky Water-types that Lum Berry helps it set up on, making it counterproductive sometimes.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Physically defensive Skarmory is probably the best Scizor check in OU. It fully counters any set aside from the offensive Swords Dance set, which it is a very good check against, taking only ~50% from a +2 Superpower and phazing Scizor with Whirlwind. Jellicent, Tentacruel in rain, and Landorus-T, (RC) are the next best answers to Scizor. They counter any set without Swords Dance, while Tentacruel and Landorus-T can check the offensive Swords Dance set too, as both are faster and can revenge kill a weakened Scizor. Jellicent and Tentacruel can also beat bulky Swords Dance Scizor too, as it can't hurt them back fast enough to avoid getting burned. Keldeo and Gyarados are the best offensive checks to to Scizor, easily taking easily everything except from Acrobatics and denting or OHKOing it back with rain-boosted Water-type attacks. Offensive Heatran is in a similar boat, but fears Superpower instead, while defensive Heatran can act as a secondary Choice Band Scizor switch-in and as a bulky Swords Dance Scizor counter. Forretress counters any non-boosting set but is setup fodder for any boosting set and is a big momentum loser if Scizor goes for U-turn, making it a mediocre Scizor check. Timid Magnezone outspeeds and OHKOes any Scizor set that doesn't utilize a Jolly nature or Choice Scarf, and can safely switch into anything except for Superpower. Speedy Rotom-W is a good check to Swords Dance sets, as it can either neutralize Scizor with Will-O-Wisp or just OHKO with Hidden Power Fire, but it is unable to switch into boosted Bug-type attacks.<p>

<p>As for team types, rain and sun teams tend to fare well against Scizor. Rain teams are filled with Water-type Pokemon that can either outspeed and OHKO Scizor (offensive Water-types) or take a hit from and then cripple Scizor in return back (bulky Water-types), while sun teams similarly are full of Fire attack users and have multiple checks to Scizor's most used moves (U-turn and Bullet Punch), such as Ninetales, Heatran, Volcarona, and Landorus-T.</p>



GP APPROVED 1/2

I pulled out an image just for you :}

Great job!
 
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Jukain

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I'll just get to the point: I don't like the overview.

It's too long, and doesn't even explain Scizor in the metagame.

The first paragraph could be summed up to:

'Scizor most commonly runs a Choice Band set, which takes advantage of Scizor's typing and Technician ability to function as a great revenge killer with Bullet Punch, trap Psychic- and Ghost-types with Pursuit, and maintain momentum as well as deal heavy damage with U-turn. It is also a great Swords Dance attacker that utilizes a Flying Gem-boosted Acrobatics to destroy its usual Water-type counters, or even a bulkier set with Roost and a powerful STAB Bug Bite that can take on top threats like Latios very well. It can even run a surprise Choice Scarf set, which wrecks Pokemon like Starmie and Hidden Power Fire Latios while providing a great revenge killer.'

This gives so much more information than what you have while being shorter AND explaining Scizor's most common roles in the metagame. I don't go into stuff like bulky SD, trapper, and BP, as those just aren't as common or universally threatening. They don't explain Scizor in the metagame.

Your second paragraph is also unnecessarily huge -- Scizor's flaws aren't so prevalent that you need a book to explain them. It has an exploitable quadruple weakness to Fire, which means it easily falls prey to even weak, uninvested Hidden Power Fires. Its Bullet Punch is resisted by common Water- and Electric-types, which under rain can wreck it with their respective STAB moves. Keldeo can prove to be a particularly large issue, as it resists almost everything Scizor can carry. Add to that its inability to handle common physical walls like Landorus-T, Skarmory, Gliscor, and Hippowdon with its Choice sets at the very least and you have a powerful, but fairly easily accounted for threat.

End with something positive. Scizor is a top-tier threat -- but you end off on such a sour note that I wouldn't be convinced it's a very good Pokemon.

Sorry if this comes as harsh, but I feel I have to address this. I will also do the last GP after you fix the overview, as I want to see if there's any more fluff to deal with -- this analysis is massive.
 

alexwolf

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Not all overviews need to finish in a positive tone. I have already addressed Scizor's positive qualities and i didn't want to use a conclusion sentence as they do tend to be repetitive.

Also, while the overview was indeed long, i don't think it didn't have the necessary content, and i don't think that going a bit in length about the role of one of the most used Pokemon in OU is a bad thing. That said, you guys go ahead and do whatever you want. If the majority of the QC team prefers your first half of the overview then so be it. Oh and if you don't like the second half you are free to show me your own, and once again the QC team can choose whatever they prefer the most.

Also @GatoDelFuego

Nice check, implemented! Here are my comments:

Your comment in the set comments of offensive SD said:
Does this mean stealth rock is needed for all these kills? Probably just mece+dragonite, right? Make this just a bit clearer.
SR is needed to OHKO everything except from Terrakion, so i changed it to make this clear.

AC of offensive SD said:
Life Orb is better used with Spikes and Stealth Rock support, as one layer of Spikes combined with Stealth Rock allows +2 Bullet Punch to OHKO Jolteon, Garchomp, any Volcarona, and KO 252 HP Latias 75% of the time.
You told me to add KO before mentioning Latias, but why is that? I have already mentioned that Bullet Punch can OHKO all of those Pokemon, with Latias included.

AC of offensive SD said:
Stealth Rock Celebi checks all the Water-types that threaten Scizor and is in general a very good Stealth Rock setter. That's why it's called "stealth rock celebi?"
The bolded is your comment. After thinking about it better, i removed the mention of SR Celebi as there is no such thing. I just mentioned that SpD Celebi is a good partner that can take care of Water-types and is also a good setter of SR. I think its ok now.

Unless Gato has ay objections this can now receiver its second GP check.
 
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You told me to add KO before mentioning Latias, but why is that? I have already mentioned that Bullet Punch can OHKO all of those Pokemon, with Latias included.
I'm not GP, but I saw this and figured I reply. What you had written makes it seem like all Pokemon you mentioned have a 75% chance of being OHKOed by BP after SR and 1 layer of Spikes. But the exception to this is max HP Latias, so that needs to be clarified.
 

GatoDelFuego

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Yep! Spareacacount pretty much got it.

also wtf I didn't get tagged for this omg this tagging system
 

AccidentalGreed

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Oh, @alexwolf , I forgot. Can you just switch the second and third moveslots in the Choice Scarf set? Pursuit is sorta, heh, really important on that set, and just switching them would be better considering I mentioned Bullet Punch and Iron Head after Pursuit in the prose.
 

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