Stratagem (Full Revamp + Update)

Fuzznip · Sep 7, 2009

Yeah, I finished Stratagem. There were a shitload of sets it can run (there was around 9 in the previous analysis), so with the help of a few people in #cap, I was able to reduce the amount of sets to 4. These include Lead, SubCM, Offensive CM, and Choice.

If you feel that there should be a set included in there, please provide good reasoning and I will look into it.

Status: COMPLETE! (ready for upload)
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[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Paleo Wave
move 3: Earth Power / Flamethrower
move 4: Energy Ball / Flamethrower / Vacuum Wave
item: Focus Sash
nature: Timid
ability: Levitate
evs: 6 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Stratagem in the lead position is often compared to Aerodactyl. They both hold the title as the fastest Stealth Rock user, share the same base Speed of 130, and are Rock-type (Aerodactyl being part Flying-type). The only difference Stratagem has when comparing it with Aerodactyl, is that it lacks Taunt to prevent the opposing lead from setting up Stealth Rock. However, it’s more focused more on its Special Attack rather than Attack, and it has a better offensive movepool to work with, which Aerodactyl doesn't have.

Stealth Rock is obviously the crux of this set, as with Stratagem’s lightning-fast Speed, it’s almost guaranteed to set it up. Paleo Wave is the primary STAB move due to its relatively high base power, 85. It’s also the strongest special Rock-type move in the CAP metagame, allowing it to severely hurt opposing leads that don’t resist it. With Steel-types resisting Paleo Wave, Earth Power and Flamethrower are excellent moves to deal with them, and they also provide fantastic coverage in conjunction with Paleo Wave. An advantage Earth Power has over Flamethrower is the fact that it can hurt Heatran and Tyranitar, but Flamethrower is capable of hitting Steel-types harder than Earth Power does and also hits Bronzong super effectively. There are multiple options Stratagem can use in the last moveslot. Energy Ball gives Stratagem the chance to deal heavy damage against Swampert and Hippowdon, as both of them can be quite troublesome without it. If you opt for Earth Power instead of Flamethrower on the third moveslot, it can still be used in the fourth slot, as it provides perfect coverage (only Flygon being resistant to all of them, which isn't commonly seen as a lead). Lastly, Vacuum Wave can be proven extremely useful. The reason for this is because of priority dependent leads, such as Aqua Jet Empoleon and Extremespeed Lucario. Without Vacuum Wave, both of the aforementioned threats can easily handle Stratagem, destroying it with a combination of Surf + Aqua Jet and Close Combat + Extremespeed, respectively. So if you opt to use Vacuum Wave, they won't be of any threat anymore. Also, with Vacuum Wave, Stratagem can easily take on opposing leads that share the same base Speed as Stratagem, like Aerodactyl and Jolteon, being able to always come out on top instead of relying on a Speed tie to win.

Depending on the last move Stratagem uses, it will fall under different problems. Swampert and Hippowdon can become tough to take down without Energy Ball. If Stratagem is lacking Flamethrower, Bronzong and Scizor can easily destroy Stratagem with Gyro Ball or Bullet Punch, respectively. Whichever moveset Stratagem uses, Blissey and Snorlax will laugh at it all day thanks to their high Special Defense and HP. To deal with these issues, Celebi is an excellent counter towards Hippowdon and Swampert thanks to its great bulk and access to Grass Knot. Rotom-h is a very effective switch-in towards Bronzong and Scizor, resisting their Steel-type attacks and threatening them with Overheat or Will-O-Wisp. As for Blissey and Snorlax, Machamp fares well against them with DynamicPunch, and it can use Rest to rejuvenate itself from status and previous hits. Tyranitar leads will always be a big threat no matter what moveset Stratagem uses, since its great Special Defense stat will make Earth Power and even Vacuum Wave fail to 2HKO, while it can 2HKO Stratagem back with Crunch. Gliscor is a decent switch-in towards Tyranitar, thanks to its exceptional physical bulk, having Roost to heal off any damage it took, and having access to Stealth Rock and Earthquake.

[SET]
name: Defensive Calm Mind Sweeper
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Paleo Wave
move 4: Earth Power
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
ability: Levitate
evs: 6 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Stratagem takes a more defensive approach with this set, due to the use of Substitute and Calm Mind, but Stratagem becomes a very dangerous sweeping force once it achieves a couple of boosts under its belt. Not only that, but Stratagem is the fastest Calm Mind user in the CAP metagame, reaching an insanely high Speed stat of 394.

The procedure for using this set is rather simple; switch it into a Pokemon it can force out (like Heatran or Zapdos), and proceed to set up Substitute. After that, start increasing Stratagem’s stats by using Calm Mind, and setting up another Substitute when its previous one breaks. Stratagem’s Paleo Wave becomes extremely powerful with a few boosts, OHKOing many threats it comes across that don’t resist it. Another great thing about the Substitute + Calm Mind combo is that Blissey basically becomes set-up fodder, as Substitute blocks Thunder Wave or Toxic and Calm Mind makes Stratagem’s Substitute harder for Blissey to break with Ice Beam or Flamethrower. The only downfall to this strategy is if Blissey uses Seismic Toss. As for Stratagem’s second attacking option, Earth Power provides excellent type coverage in tandem with Paleo Wave, nailing Steel-types that resist Paleo Wave for super-effective damage.

Levitate is recommended as its ability, since it helps Stratagem become immune to its Ground-weakness, unlike Technician. Also, with Technician, AncientPower will be the primary choice of attacking, but its poor PP makes it a less viable option as it can run out rather quickly. On the other hand, Paleo Wave has more PP to work with, a handy side-effect to drop the opposing Pokemon’s Attack, and is only weaker than AncientPower by 5 base power points.

Even though Stratagem may become a dangerous sweeper, it does fall under multiple problems. Pokemon that resist the Paleo Wave + Earth Power combo will obviously become a big nuisance, particularly Bronzong and Flygon. The former has exceptional overall bulk and can easily ruin Stratagem’s sweep with Gyro Ball, while the latter can destroy it with Outrage. To deal with these threats, Rotom-h can threaten each of them with Will-O-Wisp, completely draining their effectiveness. Scizor wouldn’t mind switching into Bronzong at all, allowing it to set up Swords Dance and finish it with X-Scissor, and it can also put the hurt in Flygon with Bullet Punch. Having Toxic Spikes on the field is recommended as it helps Stratagem boost up its stats while the opponent’s health is being slowly drained away, allowing Stratagem to finish it off. Tentacruel is an excellent supporter to set up Toxic Spikes, thanks to its excellent special bulk and access to many support moves, including Rapid Spin and Knock Off. To further aid Stratagem in achieving multiple Calm Mind boosts, it’s definitely not a bad idea to support it with Reflect and Light Screen. Dual screens will make its Substitute considerably harder to break, allowing Stratagem to boost up safely without worrying of being KOed as easily. Azelf and Bronzong are two excellent suicidal dual screeners, and both of them can set up Stealth Rock and give Stratagem a free switch in by using Explosion. Tyranitar and Hippowdon are excellent pair-ups as well, due to the fact that they provide an everlasting sandstorm. Since Stratagem is Rock-type, it’s Special Defense will increase by 1.5x, which gives it more bulk to let it set up Calm Mind easier.

[SET]
name: Offensive Calm Mind Sweeper
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: AncientPower
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Flamethrower / Giga Drain
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
ability: Technician
evs: 6 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

With the Defensive Calm Mind Sweeper set taking a defensive approach, this set attempts to use Calm Mind to increase Stratagem’s offensive potential, making it twice as threatening. After just one Calm Mind, Stratagem’s already great Special Attack stat of 339 shoots up to a high 508, and with Life Orb intact, Stratagem becomes insanely powerful. This set uses Stratagem's Technician ability rather than Levitate, so it can take advantage of its weaker moves as they will be skyrocketed in power.

Due to the use of Technician as Strategem’s primary ability, AncientPower’s measly 60 base power shoots up to a powerful 90, allowing it to deal massive amounts of damage to Pokemon that don’t resist it. As an added bonus, AncientPower also has a shot to increase all of Stratagem’s stats by one stage, making Stratagem ridiculously powerful. Earth Power is recommended as Stratagem’s secondary attacking choice, as it provides excellent coverage in conjunction with AncientPower, hitting those pesky Steel-types super effectively, and also has a handy side-effect that may lower the opposing Pokemon’s Special Defense by one stage. Flamethrower and Giga Drain are both viable options in the last slot. Flamethrower hits Steel-types harder than Earth Power does, and it also allows it to put the hurt in Bronzong who is immune to Earth Power. It also enables Stratagem to OHKO Scizor on the switch and deal with Forretress easily. On the other hand, Giga Drain reaches a base power of 90, allowing Stratagem to gradually heal chunks of its health when it uses it. It also hurts bulky Water-types like Swampert and Vaporeon, both of them falling under an OHKO provided that Stealth Rock is in play and Stratagem has at least one Calm Mind boost. That means that Stratagem will be healing up to 50% of its health, giving it added survivability to continue its sweep.

Scizor and Choice Scarf Jirachi are brutal when Stratagem encounters them, as the former easily penetrates it with Bullet Punch while the latter outpaces and threatens Stratagem with Iron Head. With that being said, Magnezone is an excellent choice to use since Bullet Punch and Iron Head only tickle it, while Magnezone could easily dispose of them with Hidden Power Fire. Entry hazard support is definitely recommended as it can help Stratagem turn its 2HKOs into OHKOs. For example, a Calm Mind boosted Earth Power does 62 - 74% damage to the standard Choice Band Tyranitar, so if you successfully set up Stealth Rock and a full layer of Spikes, Tyranitar has a slim chance at survival. Bronzong is an excellent Pokemon to set up Stealth Rock, thanks to its fantastic overall bulk. Skarmory is one of the most effective Spikes set-upper due to its high Defense stat, and it can also deal with Scizor and Jirachi. Blissey will be a huge nuisance to Stratagem, as it is using another attacking move in exchange with Substitute. Machamp can deal with Blissey quite effectively, shrugging off its special attacks and not caring about being paralyzed or poisoned thanks to Rest, allowing it to penetrate Blissey with DynamicPunch. With Stratagem’s frail defenses, it might have a hard time to pull off a Calm Mind boost and still have enough health left over to sweep, so it’s a great idea to pair up Stratagem with Tyranitar or Hippowdon and provide it with dual screen support coming from Pokemon like Azelf or Bronzong. With Stratagem being Rock-type, it’s Special Defense will increase in the sandstorm, which makes it slightly more bulkier, while with dual screens, Stratagem can pull off a couple of Calm Mind boosts and still have enough HP left over to sweep.

[SET]
name: Choiced Sweeper
move 1: Paleo Wave
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Flamethrower
move 4: Energy Ball
item: Choice Specs / Choice Scarf
nature: Timid / Modest
ability: Levitate
evs: 6 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Choice Specs Stratagem can easily become a huge threat, as it boasts a high Special Attack stat of 508, and has an enormous Speed stat of 394 to work with. On the other hand, Choice Scarf Stratagem can become an effective revenge killer, reaching an insanely high Speed stat of 538, outrunning many fast-paces threats, like Dragon Dance Gyarados and Salamence. Also, Stratagem has a fantastic offensive movepool that provides excellent type coverage.

Paleo Wave is the main attacking option as it receives a STAB and hits Pokemon that don’t resist it for considerably high damage. Although, a Choice Specs boosted Paleo Wave is strong enough to still put a dent in Pokemon that resist it. Earth Power is Stratagem’s secondary attack to use, hitting Pokemon like Heatran, Tyranitar, and Tentacruel super effectively. It also has a shot to lower the opposing Pokemon’s Special Defense by one stage, which can potentially turn its 3HKOs into solid 2HKOs. Flamethrower provides excellent coverage in tandem with Paleo Wave and Earth Power, hitting everything in the CAP metagame bar Flygon for neutral or super effective damage. It also hits those pesky Steel-types like Bronzong, Metagross, and Scizor super effectively. Lastly, Energy Ball completes the set by giving Stratagem perfect type coverage. It also hits the bulky Water-types like Swampert, Suicune, and Vaporeon for a massive amount of damage, and like Earth Power, it has a chance to lower the opponent’s Special Defense by one stage as well.

Levitate is the superior ability over Technician, as Stratagem needs as many opportunities to switch in as possible. As for the nature, it depends on what item you are using. With Choice Specs, a Timid nature is preferred to make Stratagem as fast as possible, while a Modest nature is used with Choice Scarf so it can deal respectable amounts of damage.

To aid Stratagem’s sweeping capabilities, entry hazard support is definitely recommended, as it can easily help it OHKO threats that it would’ve 2HKOd. With that being said, Bronzong, Skarmory, and Roserade are fantastic entry hazard supporters. Bronzong with its fantastic overall bulk, great typing, and Stealth Rock; Skarmory’s high Defense stat, Whirlwind, and Spikes; and Roserade’s excellent Speed, Sleep Powder, and Toxic Spikes.

[Levitate or Technician?]

When using Stratagem, it’s often difficult to select which ability it should use, since they are both very good. This may be one of its biggest problems, because Stratagem can use any one of its abilities for basically any set, due to the fact that they are both competitively viable options. However, there are a few things to keep in mind that may help you select the right ability for your chosen set.

Levitate is the preferred ability on defensive sets, specifically the Defensive Calm Mind Sweeper. The reason for this is because Stratagem needs to remove as many potential weaknesses as possible so it becomes more difficult to take down. Not only is Levitate preferred on defensive sets, but sets that rely on switching in and out, like the Choiced Sweeper, should be using that ability as well. It will grant Stratagem more opportunities to switch in and will make it a more effective sweeper and revenge-killer.

On the other hand, all out offensive sets like the Offensive Calm Mind Sweeper should generally be using Technician, as Stratagem will be granted with a 90 base power AncientPower and Giga Drain. Also, these type of sets don’t necessarily rely on switching in or being afraid of having a Ground-type weakness, since the job of offensive sets is to create as many holes and gain as many KOs in the opponent’s team as possible, before it falls under a KO itself.

[Team Options]

Offensively, Stratagem will always appreciate having entry hazards set up on the opponent’s field, particularly Stealth Rock and Spikes as they chip off health instantly, unlike Toxic Spikes which takes more time. Bronzong and Swampert are excellent Pokemon to set up Stealth Rock, with their fantastic overall bulk and great typing. Skarmory and Forretress are great providers of Spikes, the former being able to Roost off any damage taken and having Whirlwind to blow away the opposing Pokemon, while the latter carrying great physical bulk and having Rapid Spin to remove entry hazards set up on your field. The more defensive sets like the Substitute + Calm Mind set will definitely enjoy having Toxic Spikes set up, as it allows Stratagem to keep setting up Substitute and Calm Mind to gradually lower the opponent’s health, until the opposing Pokemon reaches the point where it will fall under a KO with one of Stratagem’s attacks. Tentacruel and Roserade are both fantastic at setting up Toxic Spikes, thanks to their considerable Special Defense and access to multiple support moves, the former having Knock Off and Rapid Spin, while the latter having Sleep Powder.

Pairing up Stratagem with Tyranitar or Hippowdon is definitely recommended as well, since they provide an everlasting sandstorm. Since Stratagem is Rock-type, its Special Defense will increase by 1.5x, giving it 264 Special Defense rather than 176. This also helps Stratagem’s sets that use Calm Mind, as it gives Stratagem much higher special bulk, allowing it to survive many super effective special hits coming from the likes of Starmie and Vaporeon. To further aid Stratagem’s boosting capabilities, providing it with dual screen support is not at all a bad idea. Azelf is an incredible dual screen supporter, having a high Speed stat, Stealth Rock, and Explosion. Jirachi is a reliable defensive screener, and it also has Wish and U-turn to either heal Stratagem on the switch, or switch into it without getting hit (assuming Jirachi moves last).

Scizor, Metagross, and Choice Scarf Jirachi are Stratagem’s worst nightmare, the former two having Bullet Punch, while the latter having Iron Head. Even though they all hate being hit by Flamethrower on the switch, one misprediction will cost Stratagem’s life. With that being said, Choice Scarf Magnezone is one of the most effective switch-ins to these threats, resisting their Steel-types moves by 4x and trapping them with its Magnet Pull ability, allowing it to easily dispose of them with Hidden Power Fire or Thunderbolt. Although, Thunderbolt fails to OHKO Metagross, so it’s better to bring down its HP until its in KO range, otherwise Magnezone will be slammed by Earthquake. Rotom-h is also an effective counter, shrugging off their Steel-type attacks and threatening them with Overheat or Will-O-Wisp.

Blissey is the biggest threat to practically any set Stratagem runs, especially ones that carry Seismic Toss as it can just laugh at the Defensive Calm Mind Sweeper set. With it’s insane Special Defense and HP, Stratagem will never pass through the thick, pink blob. To deal with this, Machamp is an excellent Pokemon to take into consideration, as it obliterates Blissey with DynamicPunch and can use Rest to remove any status or damage it has taken. Flygon can be proven to be a nuisance due to the fact that it resists Paleo Wave, Earth Power, and Flamethrower (which are commonly seen on Stratagem’s sets) and can threaten it with Outrage. Bronzong is one of the most effective counters, being resistant and immune to both of its STAB Outrage and Earthquake attacks and threatening it with a powerful Gyro Ball.

[Other Options]

Stratagem has a magnificent offensive movepool, but many of them aren’t used as they are already outclassed by Stratagem’s more viable movesets. On the special side, Stratagem has moves like Charge Beam, Focus Blast, Heat Wave, Ice Beam, Ominous Wind, Power Gem, Shadow Ball, Signal Beam, Thunderbolt, Vacuum Wave, and Weather Ball. All of these moves may seem viable, but with Stratagem commonly carrying Paleo Wave, Earth Power, and Flamethrower, they are pretty much redundant. Calm Mind is more viable than Charge Beam, as the Special Defense boost it provides is quite helpful, and all Focus Blast is hitting is basically Normal-types like Blissey, which won’t help it at all. Flamethrower is more viable than Heat Wave due to its perfect accuracy, Paleo Wave and Energy Ball outclasses Thunderbolt and Ice Beam, as Paleo Wave hits Gyarados and Dragon-types hard enough for a KO, while Energy Ball nails Swampert and other bulky Water-types. Stratagem can use Ominous Wind and Vacuum Wave on a Technician set, but they are not as viable as you may think, since AncientPower will always be the better option in most circumstances. Shadow Ball and Signal Beam are pretty much only being used against Ghost-, Grass-, and Psychic-types, though Paleo Wave hits them hard enough and Flamethrower already gets rid of the Grass-types. Weather Ball is an interesting move to use though, since its power doubles in the weather and its type depends on the weather as well. With that being said, Stratagem can easily a 100 base power Rock-type move in the sand, much stronger than Paleo Wave. The only downside to this is if your opponent is using another weather team, meaning Stratagem will have no STAB attack which leaves it weaker offensively.

Stratagem has a pretty good movepool on the physical side, as it gets moves like Head Smash, Stone Edge, U-turn, Explosion, Earthquake, and Zen Headbutt. It also has Swords Dance in its movepool, meaning it can easily surprise its most common counter, Blissey, with a Swords Dance boosted Head Smash. However, even though it may seem appealing, Stratagem boasts a pathetic Attack stat, only reaching 219 with a Jolly nature, so it should generally be looked away from. Explosion may seem appealing to use against Blissey and Snorlax, but it will never come even close to an OHKO, and it won't be bringing down anything notable with it anyway. The only way to make Explosion worthwhile is to invest in Attack EVs and holding a Life Orb, but that should generally be looked away from as Stratagem has better things to do than having as much power as possible to just explode itself.

[EVs]

Stratagem should always run max Speed and Special Attack, since it should take advantage of its extraordinary base 130 Speed and great base 120 Special Attack. Also, there’s nothing else Stratagem can really input its EVs in, as it’s pathetic Attack stat should never be used (even though it may have some decent physical moves) and its defenses are worthless.

[CAP Metagame]

Stratagem's insane Speed and reasonably high Special Attack allows it to fare quite well against the majority of the CAP Pokemon. Syclant, Pyroak, Fidgit, Kitsunoh, and Cyclohm are all potential targets that Stratagem can easily threaten with either Paleo Wave or Earth Power. Calm Mind versions with Technician are even more threatening against them, having the chance at turning 2HKOs into solid OHKOs. The praise ends there, though; Revenankh and Arghonaut are two major problems when Stratagem is up against them. Revenankh takes pitiful damage from Paleo Wave and Earth Power, allowing it to decimate Stratagem with Hammer Arm. Arghonaut can easily nullify any Calm Mind boosts gathered, resists Paleo Wave, has amazing overall bulk, and access to Waterfall to nail Stratagem (though Giga Drain or Energy Ball can put the hurt in it).

Stratagem does exceptionally well against the OU Pokemon, due to the fact that its lightning-fast Speed and fantastic offensive movepool makes it an effective revenge-killer and sweeper. Choice Scarf Stratagem can outpace practically anything, even if the opponent has used Dragon Dance or Agility. Dragon Dance Salamence and Gyarados and Agility Empoleon are three examples of things Stratagem can easily revenge-kill. However, with the inclusion of Bullet Punch to Scizor's movepool, Stratagem tend to have a couple of issues at sweeping because of this. Scizor can switch into Earth Power or Energy Ball and easily destroy Stratagem, which is really bad since Scizor can potentially end its sweep quite fast. Even though Stratagem may have a couple of problems here and there, it still does a fantastic job against CAP Pokemon and OU Pokemon.

[Opinion]

Stratagem is a very unique Pokemon because of its two great abilities, them being Levitate and Technician. It may be difficult to decide whether Stratagem should be using Levitate, or whether it should be using Technician, as it has the movepool to take advantage of both. That means it can use a Choice Specs Technician set, or even use Levitate as an ability on the offensive Calm Mind set. Stratagem also holds the title as the fastest Calm Mind user, making it one brutal sweeper.

Stratagem is commonly referred to as the opposite of Aerodactyl, because it basically is. They both share the exact same Speed stat and have the exact same offensive stats that they don't use, Stratagem gets an Attack stat reaching 140, while Aerodactyl reaches a Special Attack stat of 140. Stratagem is just based on being a special threat and Aerodactyl takes it on the physical side, but they are essentially identical twin opposites.

[Counters]

Blissey is by far Stratagem’s worst nightmare, boasting insane Special Defense and HP, allowing it to rub off anything Stratagem attempts to throw at it. Snorlax works the same way, except it would need to watch out for boosted Paleo Wave attacks, as they can still put a dent in it. Basically, any Pokemon that boasts high Special Defense and don’t fear any of Stratagem’s moves can effectively counter it, like Cresselia and Bronzong (Bronzong can live through Flamethrower or Fire Blast and destroy it with Gyro Ball).

Scizor, Metagross, and Choice Scarf Jirachi can easily deal with Stratagem. Scizor and Metagross being able to switch in and penetrate it with Bullet Punch, while Jirachi outpacing it and eliminating it with Iron Head, though they should watch out for Flamethrower or Earth Power if you are attempting to switch them into one of Stratagem's attacks.

If Stratagem is lacking Fire Blast or Flamethrower, Bronzong is going to be a brick wall, laughing at Paleo Wave and being immune to Earth Power, which it can then proceed to beat it hard with Gyro Ball. Flygon works the same way, resisting Paleo Wave, Flamethrower or Fire Blast, and having an immunity to Earth Power. It can then destroy it with Outrage, erasing it from the picture.
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I'm done for now. *wipes head*

Infiltrator · Sep 7, 2009

The analysis is good, I didn't notice any flaws in it. Good job. I read over it couple of times though.

Flamestrike · Sep 7, 2009

Rotom-h is a very effective switch-in towards Bronzong and Scizor, resisting their Steel-type attacks and threatening them with Overhead or Will-O-Wisp.

I believe you meant Overheat there. It's in the last paragraph for the lead set.

Tentacruel is an excellent supporter to set up Toxic Spikes, thanks to its excellent special bulk and access to many support moves

Sounds better with to in there I think (last paragraph for defensive CM).

It may be difficult to decide wether Stratagem should be using Levitate, or wether it should be using Technician

Another simple typo, first paragraph of the opinion section (should be whether).

That's all I found, looks good otherwise. Great job!

Umbreon Dan · Sep 7, 2009

name: Lead
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Paleo Wave
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Fire Blast / Energy Ball / Explosion

I'm not a fan of how this is laid out, to be honest. Explosion really hasn't proven useful on the lead set, and doesn't really score many critical OHKOes. Saying Fire Blast is preferred to hit Scizor switch-ins doesn't really make sense because it is used in the lead slot and you have no idea what the opponent is going to switch in if he's got a bad matchup. Also, Fire Blast really isn't necessary; Flamethrower gets the job done with 100 accuracy. In my experience, Energy Ball has been easily preferable anyway. Earth Power isn't really as necessary as you suggest, as Rock + Fire gives good enough coverage (it's only resisted by Flygon in OU, which resists Rock + Ground as well)

I would go with

name: Lead
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Paleo Wave
move 3: Earth Power / Flamethrower
move 4: Energy Ball / Flamethrower

A relatively recent discovery is Vacuum Wave on this set, which means you always beat Infernape (which you normally lose to) and Aerodactyl (which is otherwise 50/50) as well as some other priority-dependent leads, as well as giving you a chance against a low-HP Scizor. I would suggest it as an option in the paragraphs.

franky · Sep 7, 2009

[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Paleo Wave
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Fire Blast / Energy Ball / Explosion
item: Focus Sash
nature: Timid / Naive
ability: Levitate
evs: 6 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Stratagem in the lead position has been noticed as an identical Aerodactyl. They both hold the title as the fastest Stealth Rock user, share the same base Speed, and are part Rock-type (Aerodactyl being part Flying-type). The only difference Stratagem has when comparing it with Aerodactyl, is that it lacks Taunt to prevent opposing leads from getting their respective Stealth Rock up. On the other hand, it’s (extra material, you can edit the wordings) focused more on its Special Attack rather than Attack, and it has a better offensive movepool to work with.

Stealth Rock is obviously the crux of this set, as with Stratagem’s lightning-fast Speed, it’s almost always guaranteed to set it up. Paleo Wave is the primary STAB move (cut out extra words) and has a relatively high base power. It’s also the strongest special Rock-type move in the CAP metagame, allowing it to severely hurt opposing leads that don’t resist it. With Steel-types resisting Paleo Wave, Earth Power is an excellent move to deal with them, and it also provides fantastic coverage in conjunction with Paleo Wave. There are multiple options Stratagem can use in the last moveslot. Fire Blast is preferred as it allows Stratagem to OHKO incoming Scizor switch-ins and nail Bronzong for the 2HKO ('removed to the ground'). Energy Ball gives Stratagem the chance to deal hard damage against Swampert and Hippowdon, as both of them can be quite troublesome without it. Lastly, Explosion is an excellent suicidal move (ommit ,) because it can potentially bring down the opposing Pokemon with it, especially against Blissey and Snorlax; both of which love to switch in to it. If you opt to use Explosion, then using a Naive nature is recommended, since using a Timid nature will drop Stratagem’s Attack stat, which makes Explosion’s power weaker.

Depending on the last move Stratagem uses, it will fall under different problems. Swampert and Hippowdon can become tough to take down without Energy Ball, and Explosion won’t do much either. If Stratagem is lacking Fire Blast, Bronzong and Scizor can easily destroy Stratagem with Gyro Ball or Bullet Punch, respectively. If it doesn’t use Explosion, Blissey and Snorlax will laugh at it all day. To deal with these issues, Celebi is an excellent counter towards Hippowdon and Swampert thanks to its great bulk and access Grass Knot. Rotom-h is a very effective switch-in towards Bronzong and Scizor, resisting their Steel-type attacks and threatening them with Overheat or Will-O-Wisp. As for Blissey and Snorlax, Machamp fares well against them with DynamicPunch, and it can use Rest to rejuvenate itself from status and previous hits. Tyranitar leads will always be a big threat no matter what moveset Stratagem uses, since its great Special Defense stat will make Earth Power fail to 2HKO, while it can 2HKO Stratagem with Crunch. Arghonaut is arguably the best counter currently to combat against Tyranitar, due to the fact that it resists both of Tyranitar’s STAB attacks and boasts excellent physical bulk.

Comments in parethesis, just cut out some extra words and elaborated on some things. Good job on dis. Also I would elaborate on Infernape and Lucario leads who defeat you.

Fuzznip · Sep 8, 2009

Thanks Umbreon Dan and franky, I've fixed up the comments.

Although, I do have a different Lead moveset that I would like some feedback on. Instead of using Levitate, why not use Technician? Everything that carries Earthquake will most likely have another super effective move, like with Swampert, and Metagross. Even if they don't have a super effective move, there other moves will pretty much 2HKO Stratagem anyway, so there isn't really a point in using Levitate I think. The set would look like this:

name: Lead
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Ancient Power
move 3: Earth Power / Flamethrower
move 4: Giga Drain / Flamethrower / Vacuum Wave
item: Focus Sash
nature: Timid
ability: Technician
evs: 6 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

It will get a higher STAB attack and will increase Vacuum Wave and Giga Drain's power greatly.

I'm not sure which one will be proven more useful, so thoughts on this will be appreciated.

Umbreon Dan · Sep 8, 2009

a technician lead is possible, but the only reason to do so is because technician Giga Drain gurantees an OHKO on standard Swampert (while Energy Ball does not) so that absolutely must be on the set. However, without levitate, Stratagem will have extremely few opportunities to switch back in if it needs to go out, so technician is probably inferior. it could be mentioned in other options, or if there's support, it could be a separate set.

HD · Sep 9, 2009

Fuzznip said:
STOP FUCKING EDITTING IT WHILE I'M PROOFREADING!

Status: COMPLETE! (needs proofreading)
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[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Paleo Wave
move 3: Earth Power / Flamethrower
move 4: Energy Ball / Flamethrower / Vacuum Wave
item: Focus Sash
nature: Timid
ability: Levitate
evs: 6 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Stratagem in the lead position has been noticed as an identical Aerodactyl. They both hold the title as the fastest Stealth Rock user, share the same base Speed[they're both the fastest users of SR, so wouldn't they have the same base speed? Basically, the second part is redundant], and are Rock-type (Aerodactyl being part Flying-type)[isn't that a difference?]. The only difference Stratagem has when comparing it with Aerodactyl, is that it lacks Taunt to prevent the opposing lead from setting up Stealth Rock. On the other hand['on the other hand' usually means the other, in this case Areodactyl] , it’s focused more on its Special Attack rather than Attack, and it has a better offensive movepool to work with.

Stealth Rock is obviously the crux of this set, as with Stratagem’s lightning-fast Speed, it’s almost always guaranteed to set it up. Paleo Wave is the primary STAB move due to the STAB[primary STAB move because of STAB? Fuzz wtf?] and has a relatively high base power. It’s also the strongest special Rock-type move in the CAP metagame, allowing it to severely hurt opposing leads that don’t resist it. With Steel-types resisting Paleo Wave, Earth Power and Flamethrower are excellent moves to deal with them, and it also provides fantastic coverage in conjunction with Paleo Wave. An advantage Earth Power has over Flamethrower is the fact that it can hurt Heatran and Tyranitar, but Flamethrower is capable of hitting Steel-types harder than Earth Power does and also hits Bronzong super effectively. There are multiple options Stratagem can use in the last moveslot. Energy Ball gives Stratagem the chance to deal hard damage against Swampert and Hippowdon, as both of them can be quite troublesome without it. If you use Earth Power instead of Flamethrower on the third moveslot, it can still be used in the fourth slot, as it provides perfect coverage (only Flygon being resistant to all of them, which isn't commonly seen as a lead). Lastly, Vacuum Wave can be proven extremely useful. The reason for this is because of priority dependent leads, such as Mach Punch Infernape[don't they run Fake Out?] and Extremespeed Lucario. Without Vacuum Wave, both of the aforementioned threats can easily handle Stratagem, destroying it with a combination of Close Combat + Mach Punch and Close Combat + Extremespeed, respectively. So if you opt to use Vacuum Wave, they won't be of any threat anymore. Also, Stratagem can easily take on opposing leads that share the same base Speed as Stratagem, like Aerodactyl and Jolteon, being able to always come out on top instead of relying on a Speed tie to win.

Depending on the last move Stratagem uses, it will fall under different problems. Swampert and Hippowdon can become tough to take down without Energy Ball, and Explosion won’t do much either. If Stratagem is lacking Fire Blast[doesn't the current set(above) have Flamethrower?], Bronzong and Scizor can easily destroy Stratagem with Gyro Ball or Bullet Punch, respectively. If it doesn’t use Explosion, Blissey and Snorlax will laugh at it all day. To deal with these issues, Celebi is an excellent counter towards Hippowdon and Swampert thanks to its great bulk and access to Grass Knot. Rotom-h is a very effective switch-in towards Bronzong and Scizor, resisting their Steel-type attacks and threatening them with Overheat or Will-O-Wisp. As for Blissey and Snorlax, Machamp fares well against them with DynamicPunch, and it can use Rest to rejuvenate itself from status and previous hits. Tyranitar leads will always be a big threat no matter what moveset Stratagem uses, since its great Special Defense stat will make Earth Power and even Vacuum Wave fail to 2HKO, while it can 2HKO Stratagem back with Crunch. Gliscor is a decent switch-in towards Tyranitar, thanks to its exceptional physical bulk, having Roost to heal off any damage it took, and having access to Stealth Rock and Earthquake.

[SET]
name: Defensive Calm Mind Sweeper
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Paleo Wave
move 4: Earth Power
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
ability: Levitate
evs: 6 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Stratagem takes a more defensive approach with this set, due to the use of Substitute and Calm mind, but Stratagem becomes a very dangerous sweeping force once it achieves a couple of boosts under its belt. Not only that, but Stratagem is the fastest Calm Mind user in the CAP metagame, reaching an insanely high Speed stat of 394.

The procedure to using this set is rather simple; switch it into a Pokemon it can force out (like Gyarados or Salamence)[I don't see how he could switch-in unless against EQ aswell as the fact practically all Gyarados are DD, which means if the Gyarados has atleast 200 EVs Jolly/244 Adamant would outspeed], and proceed to set up Substitute. After that, start increasing Stratagem’s stats by using Calm Mind, and setting up another Substitute when its previous one breaks. Stratagem’s Paleo Wave becomes extremely powerful with a few boosts, OHKOing many threats it comes across that don’t resist it. Another great thing about the Substitute + Calm Mind combo is that Blissey basically becomes set-up fodder, as Substitute blocks Thunder Wave or Toxic and Calm Mind makes Stratagem’s Substitute harder for Blissey to break with Ice Beam or Flamethrower. The only downfall to this strategy is if Blissey uses Seismic Toss. As for Stratagem’s second attacking option, Earth Power provides excellent type coverage in tandem with Paleo Wave, nailing Steel-types that resist Paleo Wave for super-effective damage.

Levitate is recommended as an ability, since it helps Stratagem become immune its Ground-weakness, unlike Technician. Also, with Technician, AncientPower will be the primary choice of attacking, but its poor PP makes it a less viable option as it can run out rather quickly. On the other hand, Paleo Wave has more PP to work with, a handy side-effect to drop the opposing Pokemon’s Attack, and is only weaker than AncientPower by 5 base power points.

Even though Stratagem may become a dangerous sweeper, it does fall under multiple problems. Pokemon that resist the Paleo Wave + Earth Power combo will obviously become a big nuisance, particularly Bronzong and Flygon. The former has exceptional overall bulk and can easily ruin Stratagem’s sweep with Gyro Ball, while the latter can destroy it with Outrage. To deal with these threats, Rotom-h can threaten each of them with Will-O-Wisp, completely draining their effectiveness. Scizor wouldn’t mind switching into Bronzong at all, allowing it to set up Swords Dance and finish it with X-Scissor, and it can also put the hurt in Flygon with Bullet Punch. Having Toxic Spikes on the field is recommended as it helps Stratagem boost up its stats while the opponent’s health is slowly being drained away, allowing Stratagem to finish it off. Tentacruel is an excellent supporter to set up Toxic Spikes, thanks to its excellent special bulk and access to many support moves, including Rapid Spin and Knock Off. To further aid Stratagem in achieving multiple Calm Mind boosts, it’s definitely not a bad idea to support it with Reflect and Light Screen. Dual screens will make its Substitute considerably harder to break, allowing Stratagem to boost up safely without worrying of being KOed as easily. Azelf and Bronzong are two excellent suicidal dual screeners, and both of them can set up Stealth Rock and give Stratagem a free switch in by using Explosion. Tyranitar and Hippowdon are excellent pair-ups as well, due to the fact that they provide an everlasting sandstorm. Since Stratagem is Rock-type, it’s Special Defense will increase by 1.5x, which gives it more bulk to let it set up Calm Mind easier.

[SET]
name: Offensive Calm Mind Sweeper
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: AncientPower
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Flamethrower / Giga Drain
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
ability: Technician
evs: 6 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

With the Defensive Calm Mind Sweeper set taking a defensive approach, this set attempts to use Calm Mind to increase Stratagem’s offensive potential, making it twice as threatening. After just one Calm Mind, Stratagem’s already great Special Attack stat of 339 shoots up to a high 508, and with Life Orb intact, Stratagem becomes insanely powerful. This set uses Stratagem Technician ability rather than Levitate, like the other Calm Mind set does. This allows it to power up it’s weaker moves to a powerful level[take this part out since it's repeating 'power up'].

Due to the use of Technician as Strategem’s primary ability, AncientPower’s measly 60 base power shoots up to a powerful 90, allowing it to deal massive amounts of damage to Pokemon that don’t resist it. As an added bonus, AncientPower also has a shot to increase all of Stratagem’s stats by one stage, making Stratagem ridiculously powerful. Earth Power is recommended as Stratagem’s secondary attacking choice, as it provides excellent coverage in conjunction with AncientPower, hitting those pesky Steel-types super effectively, and also has a handy side-effect that may lower the opposing Pokemon’s Special Defense by one stage. Flamethrower and Giga Drain are both viable options in the last slot. Flamethrower hits Steel-types harder than Earth Power does, and it also allows it to put the hurt in Bronzong who is immune to Earth Power. It also enables Stratagem to OHKO Scizor on the switch and deal with Forretress easily. On the other hand, Giga Drain reaches a base power of 90, allowing Stratagem to gradually heal chunks of its health when it uses it. It also hurts bulky Water-types like Swampert and Vaporeon, both of them falling under an OHKO provided that Stealth Rock is in play and if Stratagem has at least one Calm Mind boost. That means that Stratagem will be healing up to 50% of its health, giving it added survivability to continue its sweep.

Scizor and Choice Scarf Jirachi are brutal when Stratagem encounters them, as the former easily penetrates it with Bullet Punch while the latter outpaces and threatens Stratagem with Iron Head. With that being said, Magnezone is an excellent choice to use since Bullet Punch and Iron Head only tickle it, while Magnezone could easily dispose of them with Hidden Power Fire. Entry hazard support is definitely recommended as it can help Stratagem turn its 2HKOs into OHKOs. For example, a Calm Mind boosted Earth Power does 62 - 74% damage to the standard Choice Band Tyranitar, so if you successfully set up Stealth Rock and a full layer of Spikes, Tyranitar has a slim chance at survival. Bronzong is an excellent Pokemon to set up Stealth Rock, thanks to its fantastic overall bulk. Skarmory is one of the most effective Spikes set-upper due to its high Defense stat, and it can also deal with Scizor and Jirachi. Blissey will be a huge nuisance to Stratagem, as it is using another attacking move in exchange with Substitute. Machamp can deal with Blissey quite effectively, shrugging off its special attacks and not caring about being paralyzed or poisoned thanks to Rest, allowing it to penetrate Blissey with DynamicPunch. With Stratagem’s frail defenses, it might have a hard time to pull off a Calm Mind boost and still have enough health left over to sweep, so it’s a great idea to pair up Stratagem with Tyranitar or Hippowdon and provide it with dual screen support coming from Pokemon like Azelf or Bronzong. With Stratagem being Rock-type, it’s Special Defense will increase in the sand[I assume you mean Sandstorm, unless taking Stratagem to the beach increases it's Special Defense], which makes it slightly more bulkier, while with dual screens, Stratagem can pull off a couple of Calm Mind boosts and still have enough HP left over to sweep.

[SET]
name: Choiced Sweeper
move 1: Paleo Wave
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Flamethrower
move 4: Energy Ball
item: Choice Specs / Choice Scarf
nature: Timid / Modest
ability: Levitate
evs: 6 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Choice Specs Stratagem can easily become a huge threat, as it boasts a high Special Attack stat of 508, and has an enormous Speed stat of 394 to work with. On the other hand, Choice Scarf Stratagem can become an effective revenge killer, reaching an insanely high Speed stat of 538, outrunning many fast-paces threats, like Dragon Dance Gyarados and Salamence. Also, Stratagem has a fantastic offensive movepool that provides excellent type coverage.

Paleo Wave is the main attacking option as it receives a STAB and hits Pokemon that don’t resist it for considerably high damage. Although, a Choice Specs boosted Paleo Wave is strong enough to still put a dent in Pokemon that resist it. Earth Power is Stratagem’s secondary attack to use, hitting Pokemon like Heatran, Tyranitar, and Tentacruel super effectively. It also has a shot to lower the opposing Pokemon’s Special Defense by one stage, which can potentially turn its 3HKOs into solid 2HKOs. Flamethrower provides excellent coverage in tandem with Paleo Wave and Earth Power, hitting everything in the CAP metagame bar Flygon for neutral or super effective damage. It also hits those pesky Steel-types like Bronzong, Metagross, and Scizor super effectively. Lastly, Energy Ball completes the set by giving Stratagem perfect type coverage. It also hits the bulky Water-types like Swampert, Suicune, and Vaporeon for a massive amount of damage, and like Earth Power, it has a chance to lower the opponent’s Special Defense by one stage as well.

Levitate is the more superior ability than Technician, as Stratagem needs as many opportunities to switch in as possible. As for the nature, it depends on what item you are using. With Choice Specs, a Timid nature is preferred to make Stratagem as fast as possible, while a Modest nature is used with Choice Scarf so it can deal respectable amounts of damage.

To aid Stratagem’s sweeping capabilities, entry hazard support is definitely recommended, as it can easily help it OHKO threats that it would’ve 2HKOd. With that being said, Bronzong, Skarmory, and Roserade are fantastic entry hazard supporters. Bronzong with its fantastic overall bulk, great typing, and Stealth Rock; Skarmory’s high Defense stat, Whirlwind, and Spikes; and Roserade’s excellent Speed, Sleep Powder, and Toxic Spikes.

[Levitate or Technician?]

When using Stratagem, it’s often difficult to select which ability it should use, since they are both very good. This may be one of its biggest problems, because Stratagem can use any one of its abilities for basically any set, due to the fact that they are both competitively viable options. However, there are a few things to keep in mind that may help you select the right ability for your chosen set.

Levitate is the preferred ability on defensive sets, specifically the Defensive Calm Mind Sweeper. The reason for this is because Stratagem needs to remove as many potential weaknesses as possible so it becomes more difficult to take down. Not only is Levitate preferred on defensive sets, but sets that rely on switching in and out, like the Choiced Sweeper, should be using that ability as well[take this part out since you're repeating yourself]. It will grant Stratagem more opportunities to switch in and will make it a more effective sweeper and revenge-killer.

On the other hand, all out offensive sets like the Offensive Calm Mind Sweeper should generally be using Technician, as Stratagem will be granted with a 90 base power AncientPower and Giga Drain. Also, these type of sets don’t necessarily rely on switching in or being afraid of having a Ground-type weakness, since the job of offensive sets is to dent as many holes and gain as many KOs in the opponent’s team as possible, before it falls under a KO itself.

[Team Options]

Offensively, Stratagem will always appreciate having entry hazards set up on the opponent’s field, particularly Stealth Rock and Spikes as they chip off health instantly, unlike Toxic Spikes which takes more time. Bronzong and Swampert are excellent Pokemon to set up Stealth Rock, with their fantastic overall bulk and great typing. Skarmory and Forretress are great providers of Spikes, the former being able to Roost off any damage taken and having Whirlwind to blow away the opposing Pokemon, while the latter carrying great physical bulk and having Rapid Spin to remove entry hazards set up on your field. The more defensive sets like the Substitute + Calm Mind set will definitely enjoy having Toxic Spikes set up, as it allows Stratagem to keep setting up Substitute and Calm Mind to gradually lower the opponent’s health, until the opposing Pokemon reaches the point where it will fall under a KO with one of Stratagem’s attacks. Tentacruel and Roserade are both fantastic at setting up Toxic Spikes, thanks to their considerable Special Defense and access to multiple support moves, the former having Knock Off and Rapid Spin, while the latter having Sleep Powder.

Pairing up Stratagem with Tyranitar or Hippowdon is definitely recommended as well, since they provide an everlasting sandstorm. Since Stratagem is Rock-type, its Special Defense will increase by 1.5x, giving it 264 Special Defense rather than 176. This also helps Stratagem’s sets that use Calm Mind, as it gives Stratagem much higher special bulk, allowing it to survive many super effective special hits coming from the likes of Starmie and Vaporeon. To further aid Stratagem’s boosting capabilities, providing it with dual screen support is not at all a bad idea. Azelf is an incredible dual screen supporter, having a high Speed stat, Stealth Rock, and Explosion. Jirachi is a reliable defensive screener, and it also has Wish and U-turn to either heal Stratagem on the switch, or switch into it without getting hit (assuming Jirachi moves last).

Scizor, Metagross, and Choice Scarf Jirachi are Stratagem’s worst nightmare, the former two having Bullet Punch, while the latter having Iron Head. Even though they all hate being hit by Flamethrower on the switch, one misprediction will cost Stratagem’s life. With that being said, Choice Scarf Magnezone is one of the most effective switch-ins to these threats, resisting their Steel-types moves by 4x and trapping them with its Magnet Pull ability, allowing it to easily dispose of them with Hidden Power Fire. Although, Hidden Power Fire fails to OHKO Metagross, so it’s better to bring down its HP until its in KO range, otherwise Magnezone will be slammed by Earthquake. Rotom-h is also an effective counter, shrugging off their Steel-type attacks and threatening them with Overheat or Will-O-Wisp.

Blissey is the biggest threat to practically any set Stratagem runs, especially ones that carry Seismic Toss as it can just laugh at the Defensive Calm Mind Sweeper set. With it’s insane Special Defense and HP, Stratagem will never pass through the thick, pink blob. To deal with this, Machamp is an excellent Pokemon to take into consideration, as it obliterates Blissey with DynamicPunch and can use Rest to remove any status or damage it has taken. Flygon can be proven to be a nuisance due to the fact that it resists Paleo Wave, Earth Power, and Flamethrower (which are commonly seen on Stratagem’s set['sets' since their are more than one with Flamethrower]) and can threaten it with Outrage. Bronzong is one of the most effective counters, being resistant and immune to both of its STAB Outrage and Earthquake attacks and threatening it with a powerful Gyro Ball.

[Other Options]

Stratagem has a magnificent offensive movepool, but many of them aren’t used as they are already outclassed by Stratagem’s more viable movesets. On the special side, Stratagem has moves like Charge Beam, Focus Blast, Heat Wave, Ice Beam, Ominous Wind, Power Gem, Shadow Ball, Signal Beam, Thunderbolt, Vacuum Wave, and Weather Ball. All of these moves may seem viable, but with Stratagem commonly carrying Paleo Wave, Earth Power, and Flamethrower, they are pretty much redundant. Calm Mind is more viable than Charge Beam, as the Special Defense boost it provides is quite helpful, and all Focus Blast is hitting is basically Normal-types like Blissey, which won’t help it at all. Flamethrower is more viable than Heat Wave due to its perfect accuracy, Paleo Wave and Energy Ball outclasses Thunderbolt and Ice Beam, as Paleo Wave hits Gyarados and Dragon-types hard enough for a KO, while Energy Ball nails Swampert and other bulky Water-types. Stratagem can use Ominous Wind and Vacuum Wave on a Technician set, but they are not as viable as you may think, since AncientPower will always be the better option in most circumstances. Shadow Ball and Signal Beam are pretty much only being used against Ghost-, Grass-, and Psychic-types, though Paleo Wave hits them hard enough and Flamethrower already gets rid of the Grass-types. Weather Ball is an interesting move to use though, since its power doubles in the weather and its type depends on the weather as well. With that being said, Stratagem can easily a 100 base power Rock-type move in the sand, much stronger than Paleo Wave. The only downside to this is if your opponent is using another weather team, meaning Stratagem will have no STAB attack which leaves it weaker offensively.

Stratagem has a pretty good movepool on the physical side, as it gets moves like Head Smash, Stone Edge, U-turn, Explosion, Earthquake, and Zen Headbutt. It also has Swords Dance in its movepool, meaning it can easily surprise its most common counter, Blissey, with a Swords Dance boosted Head Smash. However, even though it may seem appealing, Stratagem boasts a pathetic Attack stat, only reaching 219 with a Jolly nature, so it should generally be looked away from. Explosion may seem appealing to use against Blissey and Snorlax, but it will never come even close to an OHKO, and it won't be bringing down anything notable with it anyway. The only way to make Explosion worthwhile is to invest in Attack EVs and holding a Life Orb, but that should generally be looked away from as Stratagem has better things to do than having as much power as possible to just explode itself.

[EVs]

Stratagem should always run max Speed and Special Attack, since it should take advantage of its extraordinary base 130 Speed and great base 120 SpA[spell it out, this isn't Shoddy or IRC]. Also, there’s nothing else Stratagem can really input its EVs in, as it’s pathetic Attack stat should never be used, even though it may have some decent physical moves, and its defenses are worthless.

[Opinion]

Stratagem is a very unique Pokemon because of its two great abilities, them being Levitate and Technician. It may be difficult to decide whether Stratagem should be using Levitate, or whether it should be using Technician, as it has the movepool to take advantage of both. That means it can use a Choice Specs Technician set, or even use Levitate as an ability on the offensive Calm Mind set. Stratagem also holds the title as the fastest Calm Mind user, making it one brutal sweeper.

Stratagem is commonly referred to as the opposite of Aerodactyl, because it basically is. They both share the exact same Speed stat and have the exact same offensive stats that they don't use, Stratagem gets an Attack stat reaching 140, while Aerodactyl reaches a Special Attack stat of 140. Stratagem is just based on being a special threat and Aerodactyl takes it on the physical side, but they are essentially identical twin opposites.I honestly don't see this as an opinion.You're just comparing/contrasting Areodactyl and Stratagem. Input something YOU feel about Stratagem.

[Counters]

Blissey is by far Stratagem’s worst nightmare, boasting insane Special Defense and HP, allowing it to rub off anything Stratagem attempts to throw at it. Snorlax works the same way, except it would need to watch out for boosted Paleo Wave attacks, as they can still put a dent in it. Basically, any Pokemon that boasts high Special Defense and don’t fear any of Stratagem’s moves can effectively counter it, like Cresselia and Bronzong (Bronzong can live through Flamethrower or Fire Blast and destroy it with Gyro Ball).

Scizor, Metagross, and Choice Scarf Jirachi can easily deal with Stratagem. Scizor and Metagross being able to switch in and penetrate it with Bullet Punch, while Jirachi outpacing it and eliminating it with Iron Head, though they should watch out for Flamethrower or Earth Power if you are attempting to switch them into one of Stratagem's attacks.

If Stratagem is lacking Fire Blast or Flamethrower, Bronzong is going to be a brick wall, laughing at Paleo Wave and being immune to Earth Power, which it can then proceed to beat it hard with Gyro Ball. Flygon works the same way, resisting Paleo Wave, Flamethrower or Fire Blast, and having an immunity to Earth Power. It can then destroy it with Outrage, erasing it from the picture.

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I'm done for now. You have until I finish school and get on the computer.*wipes head*

Good job Fuzzy.

Pink · Sep 9, 2009

Stratagem in the lead position has been noticed as an identical Aerodactyl. They both hold the title as the fastest Stealth Rock user, share the same base Speed, and are Rock-type (Aerodactyl being part Flying-type). The only difference Stratagem has when comparing it with Aerodactyl, is that it lacks Taunt to prevent the opposing lead from setting up Stealth Rock. On the other hand, it’s focused more on its Special Attack rather than Attack, and it has a better offensive movepool to work with.

I personally think this could all be reworded. Perhaps:

In the lead position, Strategem has many similarities to Aerodactyl. They both hold the title for fastest Stealth Rock user, sharing the same base speed. Both Pokemon are Rock-type, although Aerodactyl is part Flying-type. However, Strategem differs slightly in other aspects. For one, it is based as a Special attacker as opposed to Aerodactyl, who is a Physical Attacker. Also, Strategem does not have access to taunt, and therefore cannot shut down opponents from setting up Stealth Rocks.

Really, I don't see the need to have this paragraph even in the analysis. The only similarities are the speeds. They play much different roles in my mind. If anything it should just be noted that Strategem doesn't get Taunt, and leave it at that.

Fuzznip · Sep 12, 2009

Updated Stratagem and added the [CAP Metagame] section, as they are now preferred on all CAP analyses.

All I need is one more proofread and Stratagem is ready for uploading.

youknowwhoitis · Sep 12, 2009

Stratagem isn't even close to an identical Aerodactyl. The only similarities are the base speed and rock typing. That's like saying Staraptor and Salamence are identical. They share a base speed and Flying typing, but both use severely different moves and are played almost completely differently, even used out of the same team position.

Umbreon Dan · Sep 12, 2009

well, they both use a focus sash to get stealth rock up first turn and mess up the opponent's team as much as possible without fearing for their own health. they aren't that different, really. either way, I would change the first sentence to "Stratagem in the lead position is often compared to Aerodactyl. " because identical is a bad word to use

RegalStar · Sep 12, 2009

In Team Options, you seems to have simply list how Bronzong counters Strategem without mentioning any potential teammates to deal with it.

Umbreon Dan · Sep 12, 2009

Scizor, Metagross, and Choice Scarf Jirachi are Stratagem’s worst nightmare, the former two having Bullet Punch, while the latter having Iron Head. Even though they all hate being hit by Flamethrower on the switch, one misprediction will cost Stratagem’s life. With that being said, Choice Scarf Magnezone is one of the most effective switch-ins to these threats, resisting their Steel-types moves by 4x and trapping them with its Magnet Pull ability, allowing it to easily dispose of them with Hidden Power Fire. Thunderbolt fails to OHKO Metagross though, so it’s better to bring down its HP until it's in KO range, otherwise Magnezone will be slammed by Earthquake.

neutral stab thunderbolt actually hits metagross and jirachi harder than a HP-fire

Illithian-Z · Sep 12, 2009

Mostly nitpicky stuff for my proof. Very nice analysis.

[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Paleo Wave
move 3: Earth Power / Flamethrower
move 4: Energy Ball / Flamethrower / Vacuum Wave
item: Focus Sash
nature: Timid
ability: Levitate
evs: 6 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Strategem's Lead set is visibly similar to Aerodactyl's. They both hold the title as the fastest Stealth Rock user, share the same base Speed of 130, and are Rock-type (Aerodactyl being part Flying-type). The only difference Stratagem has when comparing it with Aerodactyl, is that it lacks Taunt to prevent the opposing lead from setting up Stealth Rock. However, it’s more focused on its Special Attack rather than Attack, and it has a better offensive movepool to work with, which Aerodactyl doesn't necessarily (Necessarily is a weird word here) have.

Stealth Rock is obviously the crux of this set, as with Stratagem’s lightning-fast Speed, it’s almost always (redundant) guaranteed to set it up. Paleo Wave is the primary STAB move due to its relatively high base power, 85. It’s also the strongest special Rock-type move in the CAP metagame, allowing it to severely hurt opposing leads that don’t resist it. With Steel-types resisting Paleo Wave, Earth Power and Flamethrower are excellent moves to deal with them, and they also provides (remove) fantastic coverage in conjunction with Paleo Wave. An advantage Earth Power has over Flamethrower is the fact that it can hurt Heatran and Tyranitar, but Flamethrower is capable of hitting Steel-types harder than Earth Power does and also hits Bronzong super effectively. There are multiple options Stratagem can use in the last moveslot. Energy Ball gives Stratagem the chance to deal heavy damage against Swampert and Hippowdon, as both of them can be quite troublesome without it. If you opt for Earth Power instead of Flamethrower on the third moveslot, it can still be used in the fourth slot, as it provides perfect coverage (only Flygon being resistant to all of them, which isn't commonly seen as a lead). Lastly, Vacuum Wave can be proven extremely useful. The reason for this is because of priority dependent leads, such as Aqua Jet Empoleon and Extremespeed Lucario. Without Vacuum Wave, both of the aforementioned threats can easily handle Stratagem, destroying it with a combination of Surf + Aqua Jet and Close Combat + Extremespeed, respectively. So if you opt to use Vacuum Wave, they won't be of any threat anymore. Also, with Vacuum Wave, Stratagem can easily take on opposing leads that share the same base Speed as Stratagem, like Aerodactyl and Jolteon, being able to always come out on top instead of relying on a Speed tie to win.

Depending on the last move Stratagem uses, it will fall under different problems. Swampert and Hippowdon can become tough to take down without Energy Ball, and Explosion won’t do much either. If Stratagem is lacking Flamethrower, Bronzong and Scizor can easily destroy Stratagem with Gyro Ball or Bullet Punch, respectively. If it doesn’t use Explosion, Blissey and Snorlax will laugh at it all day. (You might want to suggest using Explosion earlier) To deal with these issues, Celebi is an excellent counter towards Hippowdon and Swampert thanks to its great bulk and access to Grass Knot. Rotom-h is a very effective switch-in towards Bronzong and Scizor, resisting their Steel-type attacks and threatening them with Overheat or Will-O-Wisp. As for Blissey and Snorlax, Machamp fares well against them with DynamicPunch, and it can use Rest to rejuvenate itself from status and previous hits. Tyranitar leads will always be a big threat no matter what moveset Stratagem uses, since its great Special Defense stat will make Earth Power and even Vacuum Wave fail to 2HKO, while it can 2HKO Stratagem back with Crunch. Gliscor is a decent switch-in towards Tyranitar, thanks to its exceptional physical bulk, having Roost to heal off any damage it took, and having access to Stealth Rock and Earthquake.

[SET]
name: Defensive Calm Mind Sweeper
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Paleo Wave
move 4: Earth Power
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
ability: Levitate
evs: 6 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Stratagem takes a more defensive approach with this set, due to the use of Substitute and Calm Mind, but Stratagem becomes a very dangerous sweeping force once it achieves a couple of boosts under its belt. Not only that, but Stratagem is the fastest Calm Mind user in the CAP metagame, reaching an insanely high Speed stat of 394.

The procedure for using this set is rather simple; switch it into a Pokemon it can force out (like Heatran or Zapdos), and proceed to set up Substitute. After that, start increasing Stratagem’s stats by using Calm Mind, and setting up another Substitute when its previous one breaks. Stratagem’s Paleo Wave becomes extremely powerful with a few boosts, OHKOing many threats it comes across that don’t resist it. Another great thing about the Substitute + Calm Mind combo is that Blissey basically becomes set-up fodder, as Substitute blocks Thunder Wave or Toxic and Calm Mind makes Stratagem’s Substitute harder for Blissey to break with Ice Beam or Flamethrower. The only downfall to this strategy is if Blissey uses Seismic Toss. As for Stratagem’s second attacking option, Earth Power provides excellent type coverage in tandem with Paleo Wave, nailing Steel-types that resist Paleo Wave for super-effective damage.

Levitate is recommended as its ability, since it helps Stratagem become immune to its Ground-weakness, unlike Technician. Also, with Technician, AncientPower will be the primary choice of attacking, but its poor PP makes it a less viable option as it can run out rather quickly. On the other hand, Paleo Wave has more PP to work with, a handy side-effect to drop the opposing Pokemon’s Attack, and is only weaker than AncientPower by 5 base power points.

Even though Stratagem may become a dangerous sweeper, it does fall under multiple problems. Pokemon that resist the Paleo Wave + Earth Power combo will obviously become a big nuisance, particularly Bronzong and Flygon. The former has exceptional overall bulk and can easily ruin Stratagem’s sweep with Gyro Ball, while the latter can destroy it with Outrage. To deal with these threats, Rotom-h can threaten each of them with Will-O-Wisp, completely draining their effectiveness. Scizor wouldn’t mind switching into Bronzong at all, allowing it to set up Swords Dance and finish it with X-Scissor, and it can also put the hurt in Flygon with Bullet Punch. Having Toxic Spikes on the field is recommended as it helps Stratagem boost up its stats while the opponent’s health is being slowly drained away, allowing Stratagem to finish it off. Tentacruel is an excellent supporter to set up Toxic Spikes, thanks to its excellent special bulk and access to many support moves, including Rapid Spin and Knock Off. To further aid Stratagem in achieving multiple Calm Mind boosts, it’s definitely not a bad idea to support it with Reflect and Light Screen. Dual screens will make its Substitute considerably harder to break, allowing Stratagem to boost up safely without worrying of being KOed as easily. Azelf and Bronzong are two excellent suicidal dual screeners, and both of them can set up Stealth Rock and give Stratagem a free switch in by using Explosion. Tyranitar and Hippowdon are excellent pair-ups as well, due to the fact that they provide an everlasting sandstorm. Since Stratagem is Rock-type, it’s Special Defense will increase by 1.5x, which gives it more bulk to let it set up Calm Mind easier.

[SET]
name: Offensive Calm Mind Sweeper
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: AncientPower
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Flamethrower / Giga Drain
item: Leftovers / Life Orb (see below)
nature: Timid
ability: Technician
evs: 6 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

With the Defensive Calm Mind Sweeper set taking a defensive approach, this set attempts to use Calm Mind to increase Stratagem’s offensive potential, making it twice as threatening. After just one Calm Mind, Stratagem’s already great Special Attack stat of 339 shoots up to a high 508, and with Life Orb (You never mentioned a Life Orb) intact, Stratagem becomes insanely powerful. This set uses Stratagem's Technician ability rather than Levitate, so it can take advantage of its weaker moves as they will be skyrocketed in power.

Due to the use of Technician as Strategem’s primary ability, AncientPower’s measly 60 base power shoots up to a powerful 90, allowing it to deal massive amounts of damage to Pokemon that don’t resist it. As an added bonus, AncientPower also has a shot to increase all of Stratagem’s stats by one stage, making Stratagem ridiculously powerful. Earth Power is recommended as Stratagem’s secondary attacking choice, as it provides excellent coverage in conjunction with AncientPower, hitting those pesky Steel-types super effectively, and also has a handy side-effect that may lower the opposing Pokemon’s Special Defense by one stage. Flamethrower and Giga Drain are both viable options in the last slot. Flamethrower hits Steel-types harder than Earth Power does, and it also allows it to put the hurt in Bronzong who is immune to Earth Power. It also enables Stratagem to OHKO Scizor on the switch and deal with Forretress easily. On the other hand, Giga Drain reaches a base power of 90, allowing Stratagem to gradually heal chunks of its health when it uses it. It also hurts bulky Water-types like Swampert and Vaporeon, both of them falling under an OHKO provided that Stealth Rock is in play and if (remove) Stratagem has at least one Calm Mind boost. That means that Stratagem will be healing up to 50% of its health, giving it added survivability to continue its sweep.

Scizor and Choice Scarf Jirachi are brutal when Stratagem encounters them, as the former easily penetrates it with Bullet Punch while the latter outpaces and threatens Stratagem with Iron Head. With that being said, Magnezone is an excellent choice to use since Bullet Punch and Iron Head only tickle it, while Magnezone could easily dispose of them with Hidden Power Fire. Entry hazard support is definitely recommended as it can help Stratagem turn its 2HKOs into OHKOs. For example, a Calm Mind boosted Earth Power does 62 - 74% damage to the standard Choice Band Tyranitar, so if you successfully set up Stealth Rock and a full layer of Spikes, Tyranitar has a slim chance at survival. Bronzong is an excellent Pokemon to set up Stealth Rock, thanks to its fantastic overall bulk. Skarmory is one of the most effective Spikes set-upper due to its high Defense stat, and it can also deal with Scizor and Jirachi. Blissey will be a huge nuisance to Stratagem, as it is using another attacking move in exchange with Substitute. Machamp can deal with Blissey quite effectively, shrugging off its special attacks and not caring about being paralyzed or poisoned thanks to Rest, allowing it to penetrate Blissey with DynamicPunch. With Stratagem’s frail defenses, it might have a hard time to pull off a Calm Mind boost and still have enough health left over to sweep, so it’s a great idea to pair up Stratagem with Tyranitar or Hippowdon and provide it with dual screen support coming from Pokemon like Azelf or Bronzong. With Stratagem being Rock-type, it’s Special Defense will increase in the sandstorm, which makes it slightly more bulkier, while with dual screens, Stratagem can pull off a couple of Calm Mind boosts and still have enough HP left over to sweep.

[SET]
name: Choiced Sweeper
move 1: Paleo Wave
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Flamethrower
move 4: Energy Ball
item: Choice Specs / Choice Scarf
nature: Timid / Modest
ability: Levitate
evs: 6 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Choice Specs Stratagem can easily become a huge threat, as it boasts a high Special Attack stat of 508, and has an enormous Speed stat of 394 to work with. On the other hand, Choice Scarf Stratagem can become an effective revenge killer, reaching an insanely high Speed stat of 538, outrunning many fast-paces threats, like Dragon Dance Gyarados and Salamence. Also, Stratagem has a fantastic offensive movepool that provides excellent type coverage.

Paleo Wave is the main attacking option as it receives a STAB and hits Pokemon that don’t resist it for considerably high damage. Although, a Choice Specs boosted Paleo Wave is strong enough to still put a dent in Pokemon that resist it. Earth Power is Stratagem’s secondary attack to use, hitting Pokemon like Heatran, Tyranitar, and Tentacruel super effectively. It also has a shot to lower the opposing Pokemon’s Special Defense by one stage, which can potentially turn its 3HKOs into solid 2HKOs. Flamethrower provides excellent coverage in tandem with Paleo Wave and Earth Power, hitting everything in the CAP metagame bar Flygon for neutral or super effective damage. It also hits those pesky Steel-types like Bronzong, Metagross, and Scizor super effectively. Lastly, Energy Ball completes the set by giving Stratagem perfect type coverage. It also hits the bulky Water-types like Swampert, Suicune, and Vaporeon for a massive amount of damage, and like Earth Power, it has a chance to lower the opponent’s Special Defense by one stage as well.

Levitate is the more (remove) superior ability over Technician, as Stratagem needs as many opportunities to switch in as possible. As for the nature, it depends on what item you are using. With Choice Specs, a Timid nature is preferred to make Stratagem as fast as possible, while a Modest nature is used with Choice Scarf so it can deal respectable amounts of damage.

To aid Stratagem’s sweeping capabilities, entry hazard support is definitely recommended, as it can easily help it OHKO threats that it would’ve 2HKOd. With that being said, Bronzong, Skarmory, and Roserade are fantastic entry hazard supporters. Bronzong with its fantastic overall bulk, great typing, and Stealth Rock; Skarmory’s high Defense stat, Whirlwind, and Spikes; and Roserade’s excellent Speed, Sleep Powder, and Toxic Spikes.

[Levitate or Technician?]

When using Stratagem, it’s often difficult to select which ability it should use, since they are both very good. This may be one of its biggest problems, because Stratagem can use any one of its abilities for basically any set, due to the fact that they are both competitively viable options. However, there are a few things to keep in mind that may help you select the right ability for your chosen set.

Levitate is the preferred ability on defensive sets, specifically the Defensive Calm Mind Sweeper. The reason for this is because Stratagem needs to remove as many potential weaknesses as possible so it becomes more difficult to take down. Not only is Levitate preferred on defensive sets, but sets that rely on switching in and out, like the Choiced Sweeper, should be using that ability as well. It will grant Stratagem more opportunities to switch in and will make it a more effective sweeper and revenge-killer.

On the other hand, all out offensive sets like the Offensive Calm Mind Sweeper should generally be using Technician, as Stratagem will be granted with a 90 base power AncientPower and Giga Drain. Also, these type of sets don’t necessarily rely on switching in or being afraid of having a Ground-type weakness, since the job of offensive sets is to create as many holes and gain as many KOs in the opponent’s team as possible, before it falls under a KO itself.

[Team Options]

Offensively, Stratagem will always appreciate having entry hazards set up on the opponent’s field, particularly Stealth Rock and Spikes as they chip off health instantly, unlike Toxic Spikes which takes more time. Bronzong and Swampert are excellent Pokemon to set up Stealth Rock, with their fantastic overall bulk and great typing. Skarmory and Forretress are great providers of Spikes, the former being able to Roost off any damage taken and having Whirlwind to blow away the opposing Pokemon, while the latter carrying great physical bulk and having Rapid Spin to remove entry hazards set up on your field. The more defensive sets like the Substitute + Calm Mind set will definitely enjoy having Toxic Spikes set up, as it allows Stratagem to keep setting up Substitute and Calm Mind to gradually lower the opponent’s health, until the opposing Pokemon reaches the point where it will fall under a KO with one of Stratagem’s attacks. Tentacruel and Roserade are both fantastic at setting up Toxic Spikes, thanks to their considerable Special Defense and access to multiple support moves, the former having Knock Off and Rapid Spin, while the latter having Sleep Powder.

Pairing up Stratagem with Tyranitar or Hippowdon is definitely recommended as well, since they provide an everlasting sandstorm. Since Stratagem is Rock-type, its Special Defense will increase by 1.5x, giving it 264 Special Defense rather than 176. This also helps Stratagem’s sets that use Calm Mind, as it gives Stratagem much higher special bulk, allowing it to survive many super effective special hits coming from the likes of Starmie and Vaporeon. To further aid Stratagem’s boosting capabilities, providing it with dual screen support is not at all a bad idea. Azelf is an incredible dual screen supporter, having a high Speed stat, Stealth Rock, and Explosion. Jirachi is a reliable defensive screener, and it also has Wish and U-turn to either heal Stratagem on the switch, or switch into it without getting hit (assuming Jirachi moves last).

Scizor, Metagross, and Choice Scarf Jirachi are Stratagem’s worst nightmare, the former two having Bullet Punch, while the latter having Iron Head. Even though they all hate being hit by Flamethrower on the switch, one misprediction will cost Stratagem’s life. With that being said, Choice Scarf Magnezone is one of the most effective switch-ins to these threats, resisting their Steel-types moves by 4x and trapping them with its Magnet Pull ability, allowing it to easily dispose of them with Hidden Power Fire. Although, Hidden Power Fire fails to OHKO Metagross, so it’s better to bring down its HP until its in KO range, otherwise Magnezone will be slammed by Earthquake. Rotom-h is also an effective counter, shrugging off their Steel-type attacks and threatening them with Overheat or Will-O-Wisp.

Blissey is the biggest threat to practically any set Stratagem runs, especially ones that carry Seismic Toss as it can just laugh at the Defensive Calm Mind Sweeper set. With it’s insane Special Defense and HP, Stratagem will never pass through the thick, pink blob. To deal with this, Machamp is an excellent Pokemon to take into consideration, as it obliterates Blissey with DynamicPunch and can use Rest to remove any status or damage it has taken. Flygon can be proven to be a nuisance due to the fact that it resists Paleo Wave, Earth Power, and Flamethrower (which are commonly seen on Stratagem’s sets) and can threaten it with Outrage. Bronzong is one of the most effective counters, being resistant and immune to both of its STAB Outrage and Earthquake attacks and threatening it with a powerful Gyro Ball.

[Other Options]

Stratagem has a magnificent offensive movepool, but many of them aren’t used as they are already outclassed by Stratagem’s more viable movesets. On the special side, Stratagem has moves like Charge Beam, Focus Blast, Heat Wave, Ice Beam, Ominous Wind, Power Gem, Shadow Ball, Signal Beam, Thunderbolt, Vacuum Wave, and Weather Ball. All of these moves may seem viable, but with Stratagem commonly carrying Paleo Wave, Earth Power, and Flamethrower, they are pretty much redundant. Calm Mind is more viable than Charge Beam, as the Special Defense boost it provides is quite helpful, and all Focus Blast is hitting is basically Normal-types like Blissey, which won’t help it at all. Flamethrower is more viable than Heat Wave due to its perfect accuracy, Paleo Wave and Energy Ball outclasses Thunderbolt and Ice Beam, as Paleo Wave hits Gyarados and Dragon-types hard enough for a KO, while Energy Ball nails Swampert and other bulky Water-types. Stratagem can use Ominous Wind and Vacuum Wave on a Technician set, but they are not as viable as you may think, since AncientPower will always be the better option in most circumstances. Shadow Ball and Signal Beam are pretty much only being used against Ghost-, Grass-, and Psychic-types, though Paleo Wave hits them hard enough and Flamethrower already gets rid of the Grass-types. Weather Ball is an interesting move to use though, since its power doubles in the weather and its type depends on the weather as well. With that being said, Stratagem can easily a 100 base power Rock-type move in the sand, much stronger than Paleo Wave. The only downside to this is if your opponent is using another weather team, meaning Stratagem will have no STAB attack which leaves it weaker offensively.

Stratagem has a pretty good movepool on the physical side, as it gets moves like Head Smash, Stone Edge, U-turn, Explosion, Earthquake, and Zen Headbutt. It also has Swords Dance in its movepool, meaning it can easily surprise its most common counter, Blissey, with a Swords Dance boosted Head Smash. However, even though it may seem appealing, Stratagem boasts a pathetic Attack stat, only reaching 219 with a Jolly nature, so it should generally be looked away from. Explosion may seem appealing to use against Blissey and Snorlax, but it will never come even close to an OHKO, and it won't be bringing down anything notable with it anyway. The only way to make Explosion worthwhile is to invest in Attack EVs and holding a Life Orb, but that should generally be looked away from as Stratagem has better things to do than having as much power as possible to just explode itself.

[EVs]

Stratagem should always run max Speed and Special Attack, since it should take advantage of its extraordinary base 130 Speed and great base 120 Special Attack. Also, there’s nothing else Stratagem can really input its EVs in, as it’s pathetic Attack stat should never be used (even though it may have some decent physical moves) and its defenses are worthless.

[Opinion]

Stratagem is a very unique Pokemon because of its two great abilities, them being Levitate and Technician. It may be difficult to decide whether Stratagem should be using Levitate, or whether it should be using Technician, as it has the movepool to take advantage of both. That means it can use a Choice Specs Technician set, or even use Levitate as an ability on the offensive Calm Mind set. Stratagem also holds the title as the fastest Calm Mind user, making it one brutal sweeper.

Stratagem is commonly referred to as the opposite of Aerodactyl, because it basically is. They both share the exact same Speed stat and have the exact same offensive stats that they don't use, Stratagem gets an Attack stat reaching 140, while Aerodactyl reaches a Special Attack stat of 140. Stratagem is just based on being a special threat and Aerodactyl takes it on the physical side, but they are essentially identical twin opposites.

[Counters]

Blissey is by far Stratagem’s worst nightmare, boasting insane Special Defense and HP, allowing it to rub off anything Stratagem attempts to throw at it. Snorlax works the same way, except it would need to watch out for boosted Paleo Wave attacks, as they can still put a dent in it. Basically, any Pokemon that boasts high Special Defense and don’t fear any of Stratagem’s moves can effectively counter it, like Cresselia and Bronzong (Bronzong can live through Flamethrower or Fire Blast and destroy it with Gyro Ball).

Scizor, Metagross, and Choice Scarf Jirachi can easily deal with Stratagem. Scizor and Metagross being able to switch in and penetrate it with Bullet Punch, while Jirachi outpacing it and eliminating it with Iron Head, though they should watch out for Flamethrower or Earth Power if you are attempting to switch them into one of Stratagem's attacks.

If Stratagem is lacking Fire Blast or Flamethrower, Bronzong is going to be a brick wall, laughing at Paleo Wave and being immune to Earth Power. It can then proceed to beat it hard with Gyro Ball. Flygon works the same way, resisting Paleo Wave, Flamethrower or Fire Blast, and having an immunity to Earth Power. It can then destroy it with Outrage, erasing it from the picture.

[CAP Metagame]

Stratagem's insane Speed and reasonably high Special Attack allows it to fare quite well against the majority of the CAP Pokemon. Syclant, Pyroak, Fidgit, Kitsunoh, and Cyclohm are all potential targets that Stratagem can easily threaten with either Paleo Wave or Earth Power. Calm Mind versions with Technician are even more threatening against them, having the chance at turning 2HKOs into solid OHKOs. The praise ends there, though; Revenankh and Arghonaut are two major problems when Stratagem is up against them. Revenankh takes pitiful damage from Paleo Wave and Earth Power, allowing it to decimate Stratagem with Hammer Arm. Arghonaut can easily nullify any Calm Mind boosts gathered, resists Paleo Wave, has amazing overall bulk, and access to Waterfall to nail Stratagem (though Giga Drain or Energy Ball can put the hurt in it).

Stratagem does exceptionally well against the OU Pokemon, due to the fact that its lightning-fast Speed and fantastic offensive movepool makes it an effective revenge-killer and sweeper. Choice Scarf Stratagem can outpace practically anything, even if the opponent has used Dragon Dance or Agility. Dragon Dance Salamence and Gyarados and Agility Empoleon are three examples of things Stratagem can easily revenge-kill. However, with the inclusion of Bullet Punch to Scizor's movepool, Stratagem tend to have a couple of issues at sweeping because of this. Scizor can switch into Earth Power or Energy Ball and easily destroy Stratagem, which is really bad since Scizor can potentially end its sweep quite fast. Even though Stratagem may have a couple of problems here and there, it still does a fantastic job against CAP Pokemon and OU Pokemon.

Fuzznip · Sep 12, 2009

Fantastic, thank you Illi!

Stratagem is now done, locking!

Stratagem (Full Revamp + Update)

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