QC: Blast / erisia / Threw
GP: The Dutch Plumberjack / Haund
[OVERVIEW]
Simisage faces a lot of competition as an offensive Grass-type in NU from Shiftry and Lilligant. However, its good Speed tier, good mixed offensive stats, and excellent mixed coverage give it a niche for outspeeding and KOing threats like Rotom, Jynx, and Primeape. Simisage also has excellent coverage moves in Knock Off, Superpower, Rock Slide, and Gunk Shot, letting it hit most of the metagame for neutral damage and making it dangerous against offensive teams when facing a slower Pokemon. Sadly, though, Simisage's meager bulk, combined with its weakness to common types in Bug, Fire, Ice, Flying, and Poison, requires it to almost always come in as a revenge killer or via a slow pivot to avoid taking damage; it also makes it difficult for Simisage to make use of its resistances to common moves like Earthquake and Hydro Pump. Even though Simisage's two most used moves, Superpower and Leaf Storm, are incredibly strong, Simisage can be forced out after using them, and it lacks power against neutral foes without them. Besides that, while Simisage's Speed tier is decent, it leaves it slower than threatening foes like Scyther and Pyroar. In general, Simisage is a pretty unreliable Pokemon because almost all of its useful moves incur stat drops, have imperfect accuracy, or both.
[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Leaf Storm
move 2: Superpower
move 3: Rock Slide
move 4: Gunk Shot / Giga Drain
item: Life Orb
ability: Overgrow
nature: Naive
evs: 152 Atk / 104 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
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Leaf Storm is Simisage's strongest STAB move and hits prevalent Ground-, Rock-, and Water-types like Rhydon, Barbaracle, and Samurott super effectively. To add on to this, Leaf Storm also takes a chuck of health out of any Pokemon that it hits; for example, it takes about 40% of Skuntank's health away. Superpower provides extremely needed coverage for Steel-types like Klinklang and Ferroseed, as well as other threatening Pokemon like Shiftry, Abomasnow, and Pyroar on the switch; it also deals a substantial amount of damage to Miltank, which is immune to Leaf Storm due to its access to Sap Sipper. Rock Slide lets Simisage hit a plethora of Pokemon that threaten it, like Charizard and Vivillon; it can also be used for deterring Assault Vest Magmortar, defensive Xatu, and Scyther from switching in. Gunk Shot allows Simisage to OHKO other Grass-types like Lilligant and Ludicolo, and it can be used against Shiftry if you don't want Simisage to lower its Defense and Attack with Superpower. Gunk Shot also obliterates Clefairy, and it has a chance to 2HKO Mega Audino after it takes Stealth Rock damage if Simisage attacks it on the switch. Giga Drain can be used if you want Simisage to have a form of recovery and a consistent STAB move that doesn't lower its Special Attack two stages every use; however, it is discouraged, considering Simisage loses crucial coverage and power from Gunk Shot, and every Pokemon that Giga Drain hits, Leaf Storm hits for greater damage. Knock Off could also be used over Gunk Shot to give Simisage a way to deal with Eviolite users like Bronzor and Ferroseed; however, Simisage again loses out on crucial coverage and power.
Set Details
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Maximum Speed investment, alongside 152 Attack EVs and 104 Special Attack EVs, Life Orb, and a Naive nature, allow Simisage to be as fast as possible, outspeeding base 100s, while still having enough EVs to OHKO prominent threats like Kangaskhan with Superpower, Jynx and bulky Charizard with Rock Slide, and Lilligant and Ludicolo with Gunk Shot. Overgrow lets Simisage hit any Pokemon with a freakishly strong Leaf Storm and Giga Drain when it's low on health.
Usage Tips
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Avoid switching Simisage in directly, as its lackluster bulk causes it to get OHKOed by a lot of neutral hits very often. Avoid Jynx and Vivillon on the chance that they're running Focus Sash, as they can survive one of any move from Simisage and OHKO it in return with Ice Beam or Hurricane. Try to use Leaf Storm, or Giga Drain if you're predicting the opponent to switch in a faster Rock- or Water-type like Choice Scarf Kabutops and Floatzel to deal as much damage to them as possible before being forced out by their huge offensive pressure. Try not to spam Superpower unless necessary, as the stat drops normally force Simisage out unless it can deal a lot of damage with Leaf Storm. Use Leaf Storm to take out huge chunks of health on multiple Pokemon, as Simisage is commonly used as a hit-and-run attacker. Try to spam Rock Slide as much as possible, as it deals decent amounts of damage to all of its targets and can be used for securing a KO on a weakened Pokemon without having to worry about too low of accuracy or dropping Simisage's stats. Use Gunk Shot to predict opposing Fairy- and Grass-types like Clefairy and Lilligant coming in or just to heavily damage, as well as even OHKO them, the first turn in. Switch in on weak or resisted attacks to potentially trigger Overgrow to hit the target or switch-in with a strengthened Leaf Storm or Giga Drain; you can also use this to get a strong Giga Drain and then regain the lost health to repeat the process.
Team Options
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Stealth Rock setters like Mesprit and Omastar are good teammates because the entry hazard support that they provide can turn 2HKOs from Simisage into OHKOs against bulky Pokemon like Regirock and Pelipper, in addition to breaking Focus Sashes from Vivillon and Jynx, allowing Simisage to KO them without worrying about them surviving with one HP and OHKOing it in return. Mesprit also has a slow U-turn, which means that it can safely bring Simisage in most of the time. On the other hand, Omastar can set up both Stealth Rock and Spikes, as well as tank Fire-, Ice-, and Flying-type moves aimed at Simisage and KO the users in return. Water-types like Samurott and Lanturn take care of the Fire-types that threaten Simisage; Lanturn also threatens a lot of the Flying-types that outspeed and can easily OHKO Simisage. Simisage in return takes care of the Grass-types that threaten Samurott and Lanturn, like Ludicolo and Lilligant, with Gunk Shot. Poison-resistant Pokemon like Rhydon, Piloswine, and Steelix are good teammates for Simisage because they can take Poison-type moves from opposing Garbodor and Skuntank with ease and KO them in return; however, be aware that Rhydon and Steelix only take care of physical Skuntank, so Piloswine is a better option if you're worried about facing special Skuntank. Wallbreakers like Tauros are good teammates too because they can weaken a lot of the foes that threaten Simisage and get rid of its checks and counters before it comes in. Hariyama is a good choice of a teammate as well, as its amazing HP stat and access to Thick Fat let it tank Ice- and Fire-type moves for Simisage.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
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A special set with Focus Blast and an appropriate Hidden Power can be used to lure in physically defensive foes and KO them with ease while also providing stronger Leaf Storms with either Choice Specs or Life Orb. Nasty Plot can be used to threaten a sweep but is difficult to make work due to Simisage's decent-at-best Speed tier and mediocre bulk. Taunt lets Simisage prevent entry hazard setters, status users, and setup sweepers from performing their roles but is difficult to use due to Simisage's low bulk and is hard to fit into a moveslot over a highly needed coverage move. Substitute is good for avoiding Sucker Punch and other forms of priority and can be used alongside Life Orb to trigger Overgrow for boosted Giga Drains to deal heavy hits and regain health with. Gluttony + Salac Berry can be used but is unnecessary and difficult to use unless you're trying to go for a late-game sweep with Simisage.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Poison-types**: Poison-types like Garbodor, Vileplume, Weezing, and Skuntank can survive any of Simisage's attacks with ease and OHKO it in return with their Poison-type STAB moves.
**Priority Users, Faster Pokemon, and Revenge Killers**: Sucker Punch Shiftry, Skuntank, and Kangaskhan, Bullet Punch Hariyama, Ice Shard Piloswine and Abomasnow, Quick Attack Zangoose, and Mach Punch Gurdurr and Hitmonchan can all either survive a hit from Simisage and 2HKO it with their respective priority moves or come in on it while it's weakened and revenge kill it. Faster Pokemon like Scyther, Swellow, Archeops, Tauros, and Pyroar can switch in on Simisear's main STAB move, Leaf Storm, and force it out, even after Stealth Rock damage. However, even though they all survive a Leaf Storm from Simisear, the amount of damage that they take really hinders their play later in the match, so they're better off just coming in after a teammate has been KOed and forcing Simisage out.
**Bulky Pokemon**: Bulky Pokemon like Mega Audino and Musharna are barely even fazed by any of the moves Simisage has to throw at them and can proceed to set up on, PP stall, or outright KO Simisage with ease; they also disregard Leaf Storms from Simisage with recovery moves like Wish and Moonlight, thus rendering Simisage useless.
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