[OVERVIEW]
Scrafty is a common pick for Trick Room teams, providing both Fake Out and Intimidate support. Its low base Speed lets it underspeed most of the metagame, including slower Pokemon such as Aegislash. With good coverage between its Dark- and Fighting-type STAB moves, Scrafty is a strong option that helps Trick Room teams tremendously versus Mega Kangaskhan and Steel-types such as Heatran and Aegislash. In addition, Scrafty has excellent typing synergy with Trick Room setters, resisting the Dark- and Ghost-type attacks they are often weak to. On the other hand, Scrafty is extremely weak to Fairy-types, such as Mega Diancie and Sylveon, as well as Fighting-types such as Keldeo, and its base 90 Attack is rather underwhelming. Opposing faster Fake Out users such as Mega Kangaskhan and Quick Guard users such as Keldeo also nullify Scrafty's ability to effectively provide Fake Out support to a team.
[SET]
name: Trick Room Attacker
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Drain Punch / Low Kick
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Head Smash / Ice Punch / Detect
item: Life Orb
ability: Intimidate
nature: Brave
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Fake Out helps immobilize an opposing Pokemon, giving Scrafty's partner room to attack set up Trick Room. Drain Punch is Scrafty's primary Fighting-type STAB move, hitting common threats to Trick Room teams such as Heatran and Kangaskhan while also recovering HP. Another option, Low Kick, does more damage against certain threats, such as Mega Kangaskhan, Kyurem-B, and Heatran, but does not provide recovery and is much weaker against lighter threats (such as?). Knock Off covers Ghost-types such as Aegislash, makes Scrafty difficult to switch into, and provides valuable utility in removing the opposing Pokemon's item, such as Safety Goggles to help sleep inducers on your team. Head Smash is a powerful move that allows Scrafty to hit Flying- and Fairy-types, such as Mega Charizard Y, Thundurus, Togekiss, and Sylveon, which it struggles to do any real damage against otherwise. Ice Punch is an option to cover Landorus-T. Protect is an all-around good move for Pokemon in Doubles to avoid taking damage while a partner deals with a threat. In addition, it is often unexpected on Scrafty, giving it a surprise factor and letting Scrafty avoid what would otherwise be free double targets.
Set Details
========
Scrafty's Intimidate lets it weaken opposing physical attackers, such as Mega Kangaskhan and Landorus-T. The EV investment lets Scrafty maximize its damage output and bulk. Minimizing Speed makes Scrafty underspeed most threats, including those in the critical base 60 Speed tier, under Trick Room while also giving it the potential to hit Aegislash with Knock Off after it transforms into its vulnerable Blade forme outside of Trick Room. If Scrafty is used on a non-Trick Room team, an Adamant nature is better.
Usage Tips
========
Scrafty's Fake Out utility should be used to help a teammate set up Trick Room. Keep in mind that opponents may predict Fake Out, so be conscious of opponents taking advantage of this for free switches; sometimes it can be better to just attack. Avoid status moves such as Will-O-Wisp and Spore, which neuter Scrafty's ability to contribute to its team. Preserve Scrafty when necessary, even when it is burned: its Intimidate and Fake Out utility is still incredibly valuable. Opposing Pokemon with Defiant or Competitive such as Bisharp and Milotic, respectively, may take advantage of Intimidate to get free boosts, so avoid bringing Scrafty in on these Pokemon.
Team Options
========
Trick Room setters such as Cresselia, Mega Diancie, Jellicent, and Reuniclus, which can take advantage of Scrafty's utility and also synergize well with its typing, make for good partners. Steel-types such as Heatran resist and can switch into Fairy-type attacks that Scrafty wishes to avoid. Talonflame is a big threat to Scrafty and Trick Room teams in general, so Talonflame checks such as Heatran and Rhyperior help Scrafty by switching into and threatening Talonflame. Amoonguss is a huge check to Trick Room teams, so Pokemon that are immune to Spore or can KO Amoonguss, such as Safety Goggles users and Fire-types such as Heatran and Talonflame, respectively, can remove Amoonguss to help Scrafty.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Despite the increased damage output and offensive presence Life Orb gives Scrafty, other items such as Safety Goggles, Assault Vest, Sitrus Berry, and Lum Berry can be considered to help Scrafty combat Amoonguss or give it more bulk and staying power. Taunt allows Scrafty to combat Amoonguss outside of Trick Room and can also stop opposing Pokemon from crippling a Trick Room setter with their own Taunt. Iron Head allows Scrafty to OHKO Mega Diancie while also doing significant damage to other Fairy-types such as Mega Gardevoir and Sylveon. Poison Jab provides coverage on Fairy-types and also has a chance to inflict poison. Super Fang deals a consistent 50% of an opposing Pokemon's current HP, letting Scrafty play around burns and Intimidate, both of which drop its damage output. High Jump Kick deals consistently higher damage and hits harder than the other Fighting-type move options, but Scrafty then must fear Protect and Ghost-type switch-ins, and it also has a chance to miss completely, causing Scrafty to take 50% of its HP in recoil damage.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Typing Advantage**: Fairy-types such as Sylveon resist Scrafty's STAB combination and threaten to easily OHKO it. Fighting-types such as Keldeo likewise threaten Scrafty. Powerful Flying-type STAB moves threaten Scrafty as well, and Talonflame's Brave Bird even has priority to move before Scrafty under Trick Room.
**Intimidate and Burns**: Scrafty can do little to stop Pokemon such as Rotom-W and Jellicent from burning it and halving its Attack. Intimidate from Pokemon such as Gyarados and Landorus-T reduces Scrafty's damage output and subsequenty the important offensive pressure it provides.
**Miscellaneous**: Defiant and Competitive users such as Bisharp and Milotic take advantage of Intimidate by gaining free offensive boosts. In particular, this makes Bisharp an even larger threat to Trick Room teams.
**Utility**: Not running Protect leaves Scrafty with little counterplay to an opposing Fake Out user, which will almost always be faster than Scrafty's Fake Out. In addition, Quick Guard users such as Keldeo can stop Scrafty from using Fake Out.
Scrafty is a common pick for Trick Room teams, providing both Fake Out and Intimidate support. Its low base Speed lets it underspeed most of the metagame, including slower Pokemon such as Aegislash. With good coverage between its Dark- and Fighting-type STAB moves, Scrafty is a strong option that helps Trick Room teams tremendously versus Mega Kangaskhan and Steel-types such as Heatran and Aegislash. In addition, Scrafty has excellent typing synergy with Trick Room setters, resisting the Dark- and Ghost-type attacks they are often weak to. On the other hand, Scrafty is extremely weak to Fairy-types, such as Mega Diancie and Sylveon, as well as Fighting-types such as Keldeo, and its base 90 Attack is rather underwhelming. Opposing faster Fake Out users such as Mega Kangaskhan and Quick Guard users such as Keldeo also nullify Scrafty's ability to effectively provide Fake Out support to a team.
[SET]
name: Trick Room Attacker
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Drain Punch / Low Kick
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Head Smash / Ice Punch / Detect
item: Life Orb
ability: Intimidate
nature: Brave
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Fake Out helps immobilize an opposing Pokemon, giving Scrafty's partner room to attack set up Trick Room. Drain Punch is Scrafty's primary Fighting-type STAB move, hitting common threats to Trick Room teams such as Heatran and Kangaskhan while also recovering HP. Another option, Low Kick, does more damage against certain threats, such as Mega Kangaskhan, Kyurem-B, and Heatran, but does not provide recovery and is much weaker against lighter threats (such as?). Knock Off covers Ghost-types such as Aegislash, makes Scrafty difficult to switch into, and provides valuable utility in removing the opposing Pokemon's item, such as Safety Goggles to help sleep inducers on your team. Head Smash is a powerful move that allows Scrafty to hit Flying- and Fairy-types, such as Mega Charizard Y, Thundurus, Togekiss, and Sylveon, which it struggles to do any real damage against otherwise. Ice Punch is an option to cover Landorus-T. Protect is an all-around good move for Pokemon in Doubles to avoid taking damage while a partner deals with a threat. In addition, it is often unexpected on Scrafty, giving it a surprise factor and letting Scrafty avoid what would otherwise be free double targets.
Set Details
========
Scrafty's Intimidate lets it weaken opposing physical attackers, such as Mega Kangaskhan and Landorus-T. The EV investment lets Scrafty maximize its damage output and bulk. Minimizing Speed makes Scrafty underspeed most threats, including those in the critical base 60 Speed tier, under Trick Room while also giving it the potential to hit Aegislash with Knock Off after it transforms into its vulnerable Blade forme outside of Trick Room. If Scrafty is used on a non-Trick Room team, an Adamant nature is better.
Usage Tips
========
Scrafty's Fake Out utility should be used to help a teammate set up Trick Room. Keep in mind that opponents may predict Fake Out, so be conscious of opponents taking advantage of this for free switches; sometimes it can be better to just attack. Avoid status moves such as Will-O-Wisp and Spore, which neuter Scrafty's ability to contribute to its team. Preserve Scrafty when necessary, even when it is burned: its Intimidate and Fake Out utility is still incredibly valuable. Opposing Pokemon with Defiant or Competitive such as Bisharp and Milotic, respectively, may take advantage of Intimidate to get free boosts, so avoid bringing Scrafty in on these Pokemon.
Team Options
========
Trick Room setters such as Cresselia, Mega Diancie, Jellicent, and Reuniclus, which can take advantage of Scrafty's utility and also synergize well with its typing, make for good partners. Steel-types such as Heatran resist and can switch into Fairy-type attacks that Scrafty wishes to avoid. Talonflame is a big threat to Scrafty and Trick Room teams in general, so Talonflame checks such as Heatran and Rhyperior help Scrafty by switching into and threatening Talonflame. Amoonguss is a huge check to Trick Room teams, so Pokemon that are immune to Spore or can KO Amoonguss, such as Safety Goggles users and Fire-types such as Heatran and Talonflame, respectively, can remove Amoonguss to help Scrafty.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Despite the increased damage output and offensive presence Life Orb gives Scrafty, other items such as Safety Goggles, Assault Vest, Sitrus Berry, and Lum Berry can be considered to help Scrafty combat Amoonguss or give it more bulk and staying power. Taunt allows Scrafty to combat Amoonguss outside of Trick Room and can also stop opposing Pokemon from crippling a Trick Room setter with their own Taunt. Iron Head allows Scrafty to OHKO Mega Diancie while also doing significant damage to other Fairy-types such as Mega Gardevoir and Sylveon. Poison Jab provides coverage on Fairy-types and also has a chance to inflict poison. Super Fang deals a consistent 50% of an opposing Pokemon's current HP, letting Scrafty play around burns and Intimidate, both of which drop its damage output. High Jump Kick deals consistently higher damage and hits harder than the other Fighting-type move options, but Scrafty then must fear Protect and Ghost-type switch-ins, and it also has a chance to miss completely, causing Scrafty to take 50% of its HP in recoil damage.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Typing Advantage**: Fairy-types such as Sylveon resist Scrafty's STAB combination and threaten to easily OHKO it. Fighting-types such as Keldeo likewise threaten Scrafty. Powerful Flying-type STAB moves threaten Scrafty as well, and Talonflame's Brave Bird even has priority to move before Scrafty under Trick Room.
**Intimidate and Burns**: Scrafty can do little to stop Pokemon such as Rotom-W and Jellicent from burning it and halving its Attack. Intimidate from Pokemon such as Gyarados and Landorus-T reduces Scrafty's damage output and subsequenty the important offensive pressure it provides.
**Miscellaneous**: Defiant and Competitive users such as Bisharp and Milotic take advantage of Intimidate by gaining free offensive boosts. In particular, this makes Bisharp an even larger threat to Trick Room teams.
**Utility**: Not running Protect leaves Scrafty with little counterplay to an opposing Fake Out user, which will almost always be faster than Scrafty's Fake Out. In addition, Quick Guard users such as Keldeo can stop Scrafty from using Fake Out.
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