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[OVERVIEW]
Sharpedo is an incredibly potent sweeper and cleaner with its excellent coverage, access to the ability Speed Boost, and high offensive stats. It can potentially run a physical set, a special set, or even a mixed set, and its access to Psychic Fangs makes physical variants extremely difficult to wall. Unfortunately, Sharpedo's typing leaves it weak to common attacking types such as Electric, Grass, Fighting, and Fairy, and its extremely poor defenses mean that it cannot switch in on any attack, even resisted ones. Its only average Speed before its ability kicks in means that Protect is mandatory on every set. It is still outsped by Choice Scarf users with over base 100 Speed, although it can utilize Protect to accumulate enough boosts to outspeed these threats. Although boasting impressive mixed offensive stats, Sharpedo will often have trouble breaking through more bulky teams without prior damage.
[SET]
name: Physical Attacker
move 1: Crunch
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Psychic Fangs
move 4: Protect
item: Life Orb
ability: Speed Boost
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Crunch and Waterfall are Sharpedo's strongest physical STAB moves that provide excellent neutral coverage across the tier. Psychic Fangs complements that coverage nearly perfectly, hitting threats such as Chesnaught and Kommo-o for huge damage while also OHKOing Toxicroak. Protect is mandatory in order to allow Sharpedo to gain at least one Speed boost and scout the foe.
Set Details
========
Life Orb is the item of choice to give Sharpedo's attacks a little much-needed extra power. Speed Boost is the only viable ability on Sharpedo, as it increases its sweeping and cleaning potential immensely, and Rough Skin provides no offensive benefit. An Adamant nature is selected for the most immediate power possible, as Sharpedo doesn't outspeed anything notable with a Jolly nature at +1. However, a Jolly nature does allow Sharpedo to outspeed positive-natured Heracross, Roserade, and the occasional Meloetta before any boosts, but the loss of power is significant and makes Sharpedo more reliant on prior damage from other sources to clean. Maximum investment in Attack and Speed is mandatory, as Sharpedo's natural bulk is nonexistent, making any other EV spreads pointless.
Usage Tips
========
Sharpedo is best used as an early-game wallbreaker or late-game cleaner, functioning particularly well in the latter role. It can easily punch massive holes in the opposing team with its powerful attacks and great coverage, which allows its teammates to easily clean up afterwards. Alternatively, and preferably, Sharpedo can be saved for late-game when its checks and counters have been either weakened or eliminated. Protect should be used on the first turn during any matchup where the foe has a chance to be faster than Sharpedo; for example, when facing a Pokemon like Heracross, it might be a Choice Scarf variant, so using Protect to gain that crucial Speed boost is extremely important to avoid being surprise KOed. It should also be used to scout in general, as there are usually no major consequences to using Protect. There are times when using Protect may not always be necessary, such as when Sharpedo manages to force a switch; however, it is usually safer to go for Protect, and the momentum lost isn't significant due to the opponent likely switching in a Pokemon that wouldn't take much damage from Sharpedo in the first place. Life Orb damage will wear down Sharpedo quickly, so try to maximize the value of Sharpedo's offensive potential by predicting correctly as much as possible or using an attack that will provide the best super effective or neutral coverage against your opponent's team. Sharpedo will often be KOed by anything it cannot OHKO due to its lackluster bulk, so be careful when attempting to 2HKO seemingly harmless attackers, such as Cresselia, which may carry moves that can severely damage or outright KO Sharpedo in return. Priority is the bane of Sharpedo's existence, so try to remove any potential priority users before attempting a sweep.
Team Options
========
As a sweeper and cleaner, Sharpedo appreciates entry hazard support in order to more easily take down its foes without being KOed in return. For that reason, teammates such as Nidoqueen, Bronzong, Chesnaught, and Registeel make good partners for their ability to set up Stealth Rock or Spikes, and they have the typing, synergy, and defensive bulk to help take on the Electric-, Fighting-, Grass-, and Fairy-type moves aimed at Sharpedo. Strong special attackers such as Gardevoir and Kommo-o have decent synergy with Sharpedo and can help take down more troublesome bulky defensive threats such as Umbreon, Rotom-C, and Escavalier. Rapid Spin and Defog support can be helpful for Sharpedo, as Life Orb recoil plus entry hazard damage quickly wears it down over the course of the battle, so Pokemon like Dhelmise, Gligar, and Donphan are helpful teammates. Bulky pivots such as Rotom-C, Rotom-H, and Uxie can all help Sharpedo get in safely with Volt Switch or U-turn and allow it to begin wreaking havoc.
[SET]
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Dark Pulse
move 2: Hydro Pump
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Protect
item: Life Orb
ability: Speed Boost
nature: Modest
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Sharpedo's Special Attack isn't too shabby, and coupled with a powerful STAB Hydro Pump and good neutral coverage, it can easily force its way through the physical variant's traditional checks and counters. Dark Pulse is Sharpedo's most powerful secondary STAB move, hitting a large portion of the tier for neutral damage and OHKOing threats like Slowbro that the physical variant would be unable to. Hydro Pump is obscenely powerful and OHKOes most frailer offensive Pokemon that could possibly eat a Waterfall from physical Sharpedo. Ice Beam rounds out Sharpedo's coverage quite well, hitting Pokemon like Chesnaught and Kommo-o for super effective damage. Protect is also mandatory on this set, as it allows Sharpedo to outspeed the entire unboosted metagame after a single boost.
Set Details
========
Life Orb gives a much-needed power boost to Sharpedo's moves, especially given that its Special Attack is considerably lower than its Attack. A Modest nature along with maximum investment in Special Attack and Speed maximizes Sharpedo's offensive potential. A Timid nature can be used in order to outpace maximum Speed Adamant Flygon, especially since special Sharpedo can OHKO it with Ice Beam, but the loss of power is also quite noticeable. Speed Boost is required on Sharpedo to give it the boosts it needs to outspeed and KO faster offensive threats.
Usage Tips
========
Because of the popularity of physical Sharpedo variants due to Psychic Fangs, special Sharpedo can lure in typical physical checks such as Chesnaught, Cloyster, Doublade, and Slowbro and KO them with the appropriate moves. As with any Sharpedo set, try to preserve Sharpedo until late-game when priority users and other checks and counters have been weakened or KOed. It is particularly important to not reveal this set's moves until necessary, as part of the appeal of using special Sharpedo is the surprise factor and thus being able to lure in and KO the physical variant's checks and counters. Use Protect to scout the foe for any possible super effective coverage or Choice Scarf users and gain the necessary Speed boost to outpace faster offensive threats. Dark Pulse is the most reliably spammable move, and it possesses a handy 20% chance to flinch as well. Hydro Pump provides excellent coverage along with Dark Pulse and is boosted by STAB to boot, and it can easily blast less specially defensive walls away. Ice Beam shouldn't be used unless necessary to break through Pokemon like Chesnaught and Kommo-o, as Dark Pulse and Hydro Pump usually do enough damage already and are more easily spammed than Ice Beam.
Team Options
========
As this variant has less trouble with dedicated physical walls like Chesnaught and Slowbro, physical attackers such as Doublade, Heracross, and Escavalier can all tear through the special walls that Sharpedo has issues breaking past. Entry hazard support from the likes of Froslass, Nidoqueen, Chesnaught, and Bronzong are greatly appreciated, as Sharpedo's Special Attack is still only decent, even with the higher Base Power of Hydro Pump. Spinblockers like Dhelmise and the aforementioned Doublade can be helpful to prevent the removal of entry hazards, although this is less effective against Defoggers like Mantine that can easily sponge any hit from Sharpedo and Toxic stall it with Roost. Pivots such as Rotom-H and Rotom-C can get in Sharpedo safely with Volt Switch and have decent synergy with it.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A mixed set is viable but isn't as necessary due to Psychic Fangs being in Sharpedo's arsenal. Aqua Jet can be used to pick off weakened priority users, but it is mostly redundant with Speed Boost. Earthquake can be used to hit Registeel and Tyrantrum a bit harder than Waterfall, but it has little use outside of that. Sharpedo has access to some interesting support moves such as Taunt and Destiny Bond, but their utility is overshadowed by the coverage moves that Sharpedo needs to properly sweep. Poison Fang can be used to hit Fairy-types like Whimsicott and Florges, but it is otherwise an inferior option to Psychic Fangs. Substitute can be used as a tool to avoid priority and can possibly replace Protect, but the immediate protection and guaranteed Speed boost are far more effective in most cases.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Bulky Defensive Pokemon**: Sharpedo has a tough time getting past bulky Pokemon, especially depending on its set. Physical variants cannot hope to break through threats like Whimsicott, Umbreon, and Cloyster without flinches and Defense drops. Special variants have a tough time with dedicated special walls like Mantine, Registeel, and Florges. Both variants have trouble 2HKOing Porygon2 without prior damage, and it can easily KO in return with Thunderbolt.
**Priority Users**: Most priority will end Sharpedo's sweep prematurely, even when resisted, so it must watch out for Pokemon such as Toxicroak and Honchkrow as well as Mach Punch users such as Hitmonlee to a lesser extent.
**Residual Damage**: Life Orb recoil along with entry hazard damage can add up quickly, so smart switching on the opponent's part can force Sharpedo into a health range where it is more easily revenge killed. Sandstorm and status such as poison and burn can also shorten Sharpedo's longevity quite rapidly.
**Bulkier Offensive Pokemon**: Bulkier offensive Pokemon such as Shaymin, Kommo-o, and Rotom-C can all eat a super effective coverage move and OHKO Sharpedo in return.
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