shed skin is for streakers
[Overview]
<p>Once again, the hoodlum Pokemon makes an appearance on the VGC stage, often playing a starring role in Trick Room teams. While it has more competition than it had in VGC 2011 from Hitmontop and Haryiama, it's still a great dual purpose Pokemon, helping set up Trick Room and then tearing opponents apart under its effects with its great dual STAB and Moxie.</p>
[SET]
name: Physical Tank
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Drain Punch
move 3: Crunch
move 4: Detect
item: Chople Berry
nature: Brave
ability: Moxie
ivs: 0 Spe
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 6 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is Scrafty's best set, which both takes advantage of and helps to set up, with Fake Out, Trick Room. Drain Punch is Scrafty's Fighting STAB of choice, keeping it healthy and dealing hefty amounts of damage, especially after a Moxie boost. Crunch is the best move for the third slot, seeing as it receives STAB and provides great neutral coverage with Drain Punch. Chople Berry is the main item, protecting Scrafty from the Fighting-type moves most opponents use in hopes of KOing Scrafty. However, if you have a spare Sitrus Berry, that would help keep Scrafty in tip-top condition as well.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>If you need a little more power behind your attacks (and to help keep Scrafty's pants up), Expert Belt helps Scrafty secure crucial OHKOs and 2HKOs that it could not do with Chople Berry without a Moxie boost. The following are examples of Expert Belt's utility:</p>
<ul class="damage_calculation">
<li>Crunch vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Cresselia: 53.74% - 64.32%</li>
<li>Crunch vs. 4 HP/4 Def Latios: 107.69% - 128.85%</li>
<li>Drain Punch vs. 252 HP Abomasnow: 85.28% - 102.03%</li>
<li>Drain Punch vs. 252 HP Tyranitar: 117.87% - 141.06%</li>
</ul>
<p>Scrafty is one of those Pokemon that doesn't need much support, but it is always appreciated. Scrafty hates strong Fighting-types, even with Chople Berry, so pairing it up with a Psychic- or Ghost-type Trick Room user is a good idea. Reuniclus, Cresselia, Slowking, Slowbro, Chandelure, and Dusclops are just a few examples of good partners in that regard. Scrafty can also make use of Politoed's Drizzle, which keeps hail and sandstorm from sapping Scrafty's HP, but such support isn't required.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Although its movepool is not too broad, there are definitely some interesting options hidden away in Scrafty's deep pockets. Shed Skin can be used in place of Moxie if you fear burn, but Scrafty enjoys accumulating Moxie boosts and it would be a shame to let free Attack boosts go to waste. Scrafty has Zen Headbutt, Rock Slide, Stone Edge, and even Smack Down to rid itself of troublesome Fighting- and Flying-types, but its partner Trick Room user should have something to deal with said Pokemon. Scrafty can learn Snarl to augment its bulk, but it's hard to find a slot for it. Payback can be used over Crunch if Scrafty is caught without Trick Room, but Crunch is overall more reliable. Fire Punch and Thunderpunch are available, but they don't offer much that the main options don't do already. Ice Punch is a perfectly viable move, allowing Scrafty to hit Flying-, Dragon-, and the oh-so-annoying Grass-types super effectively if you needed. Bear in mind, however, that with Ice Punch, Scrafty can't do anything to Shedinja. Hi Jump Kick can be used if only for the sheer power it provides, but Pokemon tend to use Protect against Scrafty due to Trick Room and Fake Out, so the recoil is off-putting.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Flying Gem and Acrobatics, especially from Pokemon that don't usually carry it such as Mienshao, Blaziken, and Gliscor, tend to KO Scrafty. Scrafty must be especially careful around those that are expected to carry it, such as Tornadus and Crobat, the latter having Inner Focus to prevent a flinch from Fake Out. Fighting-types such as Terrakion and Conkeldurr can KO any Scrafty that don't carry Chople Berry, and Conkeldurr can deal massive damage to Scrafty even with Hammer Arm and KO it next turn with Mach Punch. Metagross can use Hammer Arm as well to nail Scrafty, or it can just Meteor Mash it a few times, as Scrafty can't do much to Metagross outside of Fire Punch. Gyarados can spam Waterfall, taking little damage from Scrafty's attacks since Intimidate makes Scrafty next to useless. Gyarados must watch out for Thunderpunch, however.</p>
[Dream World]
<p>Scrafty gets Intimidate, which, when released, would force players to make a very tough choice between more power and more overall bulk. However, Hitmontop would be a better user of Intimidate, considering it has STAB priority and Wide Guard, so Moxie would probably still be the best ability for Scrafty.</p>
[Overview]
<p>Once again, the hoodlum Pokemon makes an appearance on the VGC stage, often playing a starring role in Trick Room teams. While it has more competition than it had in VGC 2011 from Hitmontop and Haryiama, it's still a great dual purpose Pokemon, helping set up Trick Room and then tearing opponents apart under its effects with its great dual STAB and Moxie.</p>
[SET]
name: Physical Tank
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Drain Punch
move 3: Crunch
move 4: Detect
item: Chople Berry
nature: Brave
ability: Moxie
ivs: 0 Spe
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 6 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is Scrafty's best set, which both takes advantage of and helps to set up, with Fake Out, Trick Room. Drain Punch is Scrafty's Fighting STAB of choice, keeping it healthy and dealing hefty amounts of damage, especially after a Moxie boost. Crunch is the best move for the third slot, seeing as it receives STAB and provides great neutral coverage with Drain Punch. Chople Berry is the main item, protecting Scrafty from the Fighting-type moves most opponents use in hopes of KOing Scrafty. However, if you have a spare Sitrus Berry, that would help keep Scrafty in tip-top condition as well.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>If you need a little more power behind your attacks (and to help keep Scrafty's pants up), Expert Belt helps Scrafty secure crucial OHKOs and 2HKOs that it could not do with Chople Berry without a Moxie boost. The following are examples of Expert Belt's utility:</p>
<ul class="damage_calculation">
<li>Crunch vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Cresselia: 53.74% - 64.32%</li>
<li>Crunch vs. 4 HP/4 Def Latios: 107.69% - 128.85%</li>
<li>Drain Punch vs. 252 HP Abomasnow: 85.28% - 102.03%</li>
<li>Drain Punch vs. 252 HP Tyranitar: 117.87% - 141.06%</li>
</ul>
<p>Scrafty is one of those Pokemon that doesn't need much support, but it is always appreciated. Scrafty hates strong Fighting-types, even with Chople Berry, so pairing it up with a Psychic- or Ghost-type Trick Room user is a good idea. Reuniclus, Cresselia, Slowking, Slowbro, Chandelure, and Dusclops are just a few examples of good partners in that regard. Scrafty can also make use of Politoed's Drizzle, which keeps hail and sandstorm from sapping Scrafty's HP, but such support isn't required.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Although its movepool is not too broad, there are definitely some interesting options hidden away in Scrafty's deep pockets. Shed Skin can be used in place of Moxie if you fear burn, but Scrafty enjoys accumulating Moxie boosts and it would be a shame to let free Attack boosts go to waste. Scrafty has Zen Headbutt, Rock Slide, Stone Edge, and even Smack Down to rid itself of troublesome Fighting- and Flying-types, but its partner Trick Room user should have something to deal with said Pokemon. Scrafty can learn Snarl to augment its bulk, but it's hard to find a slot for it. Payback can be used over Crunch if Scrafty is caught without Trick Room, but Crunch is overall more reliable. Fire Punch and Thunderpunch are available, but they don't offer much that the main options don't do already. Ice Punch is a perfectly viable move, allowing Scrafty to hit Flying-, Dragon-, and the oh-so-annoying Grass-types super effectively if you needed. Bear in mind, however, that with Ice Punch, Scrafty can't do anything to Shedinja. Hi Jump Kick can be used if only for the sheer power it provides, but Pokemon tend to use Protect against Scrafty due to Trick Room and Fake Out, so the recoil is off-putting.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Flying Gem and Acrobatics, especially from Pokemon that don't usually carry it such as Mienshao, Blaziken, and Gliscor, tend to KO Scrafty. Scrafty must be especially careful around those that are expected to carry it, such as Tornadus and Crobat, the latter having Inner Focus to prevent a flinch from Fake Out. Fighting-types such as Terrakion and Conkeldurr can KO any Scrafty that don't carry Chople Berry, and Conkeldurr can deal massive damage to Scrafty even with Hammer Arm and KO it next turn with Mach Punch. Metagross can use Hammer Arm as well to nail Scrafty, or it can just Meteor Mash it a few times, as Scrafty can't do much to Metagross outside of Fire Punch. Gyarados can spam Waterfall, taking little damage from Scrafty's attacks since Intimidate makes Scrafty next to useless. Gyarados must watch out for Thunderpunch, however.</p>
[Dream World]
<p>Scrafty gets Intimidate, which, when released, would force players to make a very tough choice between more power and more overall bulk. However, Hitmontop would be a better user of Intimidate, considering it has STAB priority and Wide Guard, so Moxie would probably still be the best ability for Scrafty.</p>
