QC Approvals [kokoloko] [panamaxis] [Ernesto]
GP Approvals [Kangaaroo (Minus)] [horyzhnz]
Overview
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name: Cleaner
move 1: Protect
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Crunch
move 4: Ice Beam
ability: Speed Boost
item: Life Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 104 SpA / 152 Spe
nature: Naughty / Lonely
Moves
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Set Details
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Usage Tips
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Team Options
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Other Options
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Checks & Counters
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- Great Cleaner with awesome STABs and coverage moves.
- Has one of the best offensive abilities in the game, Speed Boost, allowing it to reach insane levels after a couple of turns.
- Absolute horrible bulk
- Mediocre Speed initial Speed, which sometimes requires one turn of set up (Protect) to compensate.
- Pretty much dead if it fails to KO the opposing Pokemon.
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name: Cleaner
move 1: Protect
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Crunch
move 4: Ice Beam
ability: Speed Boost
item: Life Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 104 SpA / 152 Spe
nature: Naughty / Lonely
Moves
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- Protect is to activate Speed Boost while taking no damage. It's fairly predictable, though, so the opponent can easily take advantage of this.
- Crunch is a STAB move that can be used to OHKO Mew after Stealth Rock damage, 2HKO Slowbro, a good chance to OHKO Cofagrigus and Metagross after Stealth Rock Damage, and OHKO Chandelure for example.
- Waterfall deals with the plethora of Fire- and Ground-type wallbreakers than infest the tier (see: Victini, Darmanitan, Houndoom, Nidos,) and Raikou.
- It's worth noting that Sharpedo's STABs alone deal with a huge portion of the metagame, as they have amazing neutral coverage.
- Ice Beam is specifically to deal a minimum of 60% to 0/4 Hydreigon, and 252/0 Chesnaught, but you should also use it if the opposing Pokemon is hit harder by it than Sharpedo's STABs, obviously. Such cases include Flygon, Noivern, Shaymin, and Crobat.
Set Details
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- EVs maximize the damage output from its STABs, outpace positive base 130s at +1 and all viable Scarfers at +2, and the rest is dumped into SpA to deal as much damage as possible to Hydreigon and Chesnaught.
- Life Orb is used to increase the power of Sharpedo's moves.
- Naughty is so you don't lower either attacking stat, it's used over Lonely to take priority attacks slightly better.
Usage Tips
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- Weaken the opponent's team enough before releasing the shark to use it effectively.
- It's best to remove priority users entirely before attempting to sweep, as Sharpedo's defenses are paper this, so it doesn't want to take a hit, ever.
- While most people will tell you to save Sharpedo for late-game, it's actually advisable to try to get him in once before that to weaken one of its checks so it can sweep more easily late game.
Team Options
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- Pokemon that can set up Spikes and Stealth Rock like Forretress.
- Pokemon which lure and weaken bulky Pokemon are appreciated.
- Spinblockers and fast Taunt users are good teammates as they help keep hazards on the field. The latter also prevents recovery to help Sharpedo sweep.
- Due to the change in Roar/Whirlwind mechanics, phazers can prevent Umbreon and Florges (and other Wish + Protect users) healing by using Roar/Whirlwind on the Protect.
- Slow U-Turn users or Volt Switch users make for great partners and allow Sharpedo to come in, hit a check on the switch, switch out, and come back later for the kill.
- Grounded Poison-types that can also set up Hazards like Nidoqueen and Qwilfish also make for good partners as they absorb Toxic Spikes, which Sharpedo hates.
Other Options
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- Aqua Jet to out-prioritize other priority users, especially Arcanine and Entei.
- Destiny Bond
- Substitute
- Earthquake
- Zen Headbutt
- Hydro Pump with 252 SpA / 104 Atk.
Checks & Counters
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- Chesnaught
- Hydreigon
- Shaymin
- only those three deserve special mentions tbh, everything else that checks it can just be lumped under "bulky pokemon that aren't weak to its attacks"
- Toxicroak
Overview
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It's hard to imagine how a Pokemon withsuch low defenses could manage to be a threat in the metagame, but Sharpedo manages to pull it off. For starters, Sharpedo has access to one of the best offensive abilities any Pokemon could wish for: Speed Boost, allowing it to reach insane levels of speedafter only a couple of turns. This, combined with its fantastic STABs and coverage moves, makes it one of the best late-game cleaners available in UU. However, using Sharpedo can prove to be a high risk, high reward strategy because of its initial Speed, which requires a turn of Protect to patch up, and its frailty that can turn it into a dead weight.
Cleaner
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name: Cleaner
move 1: Protect
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Crunch
move 4: Ice Beam
ability: Speed Boost
item: Life Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 104 SpA / 152 Spe
nature: Naughty
Moves
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Protect is used so that Speed Boost can activate while Sharpedo takes no damage. It's fairly predictable,(RC) though, so the opponent can easily take advantage of this. Crunch is a STAB move that can be used to OHKO Mew after Stealth Rock damage, 2HKO Slowbro, OHKO Cofagrigus and Metagross most of the time after Stealth Rock damage, and OHKO Chandelure. Waterfall is another STAB move that deals with the plethora of Fire- and Ground-type wallbreakers that infest the tier, such as Victini, Darmanitan, Houndom, and Nidoking.It's worth noting that Sharpedo's STABs alone deal with a huge portion of the metagame, as they have amazing neutral coverage. Ice Beam is specifically used to deal a minimum of 60% to 0/4 Hydreigon, and 252/0 Chesnaught, but you should also use it if the opposing Pokemon is hit harder by it than Sharpedo's STABs. Examples include Flygon, Noivern, Shaymin, and Crobat.
Set Details
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The given EVs maximize the damage output from Sharpedo's attacksand let it outpace Pokemon and common Scarfers in the tier. The rest are dumped into Special Attack to deal as much damage as possible to Hydreigon and Chesnaught. Life Orb is used to increase the power of Sharpedo's moves, and a Naughty nature is used so you don't lower either attacking statand is used over a Lonely nature to take priority attacks slightly better.
Usage Tips
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You should weaken the opponent's team enough before releasing the sharkto use it effectively. It's best to remove priority users entirely before attempting to sweep, as Sharpedo's defenses are paper thin; it doesn't want to take a hit, ever. WhileSharpedo is commonly saved until late in the game, it's actually advisable to try to get it inearlier in the game to weaken one of its checks so it can sweep more easily late-game.
Team Options
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Pokemon that can set upentry hazards like Forretress can prove to be invaluable when attacking. Pokemon which lure and weaken bulky Pokemon are also appreciated. Spinblockers and fast Taunt users are good teammates as they help keep entry hazards on the field. The latter also prevents recovery to help Sharpedo sweep. Due to the change in Roarand Whirlwind mechanics, phazers can prevent Umbreon, Florges, and Wish users in general from healing by using phazing moves on them. Slow U-turn or Volt Switch users also make for great partners and allow Sharpedo to come in, hit a check on the switch, switch out, and come back later for the kill. Grounded Poison-types that can also set upentry hazards like Nidoqueen and Qwilfish also make for good partners as they absorb Toxic Spikes, which Sharpedodoesn't appreciate. Froslass is another great Pokemon that can lay down Spikes and help with other utility moves, such as Thunder Wave and Destiny Bond.
Other Options
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You can opt to use Aqua Jet to out-prioritize other priority users, potentially saving Sharpedo from a possible KO.Destiny Bond is also a viable move Sharpedo can utilize, as with Speed Boost; it will most likely outspeed the opponent, making it very likely that Sharpedo will be able to successfully use Destiny Bond. Substitute can also be used so Sharpedo can take an attack or two, while also allowing it to stall out for Speed Boost. Earthquake and Zen Headbutt work as alternate coverage moves that you can tailor to your needs, while you can use Hydro Pump when running a 252 SpA / 104 Atk EV spread.
Checks & Counters
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**Pokemon that resist Sharpedo's STABs**: Chesnaught, Hydreigon, Toxicroak, and Shaymin can be a little hard to deal with if they are healthy at late-game, though Hydreigon and Chesnaught get hit hard by Ice Beam.
**Bulky Water-types**: Sharpedo has a hard time getting around some bulky Water-type Pokemon like Swampert, Suicune, and Alomomola, sothey can halt Sharpedo from paving through teams.
**Bulky Pokemon that can take a hit**: Pokemon like Snorlax, Florges, and Aromatisse can take an attack from Sharpedo then KO back.
**Priority**: Priority users,(RC) like Lucario, and Honchkrow, and Mega Absol with Sucker Punch can easily stop Sharpedo in its tracks.
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