LC Taillow [GP 2/2]

Corporal Levi

ninjadog of the decade
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+Corporal Levi: macle, I wouldn't mind doing taillow
#macle: OK
+zeriloa: fuck my dickbag teacher
#macle: LEVI GETS TAILOW
#macle: POST A THREAD
#macle: OR I WILL FORGET

taken over from arceus_17

Overview
########

With two useful abilities in Guts and Scrappy and an excellent base 85 Speed stat which allows it to hit the coveted 19 Speed tier, Taillow is able to take advantage of its ridiculously high-powered STAB attacks such as Brave Bird and Boomburst to act as a potent offensive threat. U-turn allows Taillow to play around its checks, and the ability to viably run either a physical or special set means that Taillow isn't totally one-dimensional.
However, despite its strengths, Taillow is actually quite easy to take down. Its bulk is absolutely atrocious; this is further compounded by its weakness to Stealth Rock. Moreover, despite the power of Taillow's STAB moves, its coverage moves are much less impressive, being limited in quantity and generally quite underwhelming. Although Taillow has its niche, its enormous flaws hold it back from being a top-tier threat.

Life Orb
########
name: Life Orb
move 1: Boomburst
move 2: Hidden Power Fighting
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Brave Bird
ability: Scrappy
item: Life Orb
evs: 36 Def / 200 SpA / 240 Spe
ivs: 19 HP
nature: Naive

Moves
========

Boomburst is the attack that should be utilized the most; when paired with Scrappy and Life Orb, it becomes very difficult to switch into. Because Heat Wave is incompatible with Scrappy, Hidden Power Fighting is used instead, heavily damaging Pawniard in particular. What Taillow can't break, it can U-turn out of, granting its team momentum in the process. Brave Bird is mostly a filler move, but with Life Orb, it is useful for OHKOing Fighting-types, something that Air Slash cannot do.

Set Details
========

The given EVs and nature maximize Taillow's Special Attack and Speed and thus its sweeping potential, with the remaining EVs put in Defense so that Taillow can better take priority attacks. The reduced HP IVs allow Taillow to hit 19 HP, meaning Taillow only loses one HP per round of Life Orb recoil instead of two. Life Orb is the preferred item so Taillow can hit hard while maintaining the ability to switch moves.

Usage Tips
=======

This set performs best once the opposing Rock- and Steel types are adequately weakened or removed, allowing Taillow to freely fire off Boomburst. Otherwise, playing with this set is quite straightforward: use Boomburst as much as the situation allows.

Team Options
========

Hazards on the opposing side are as appreciated as they are for any offensive Pokemon, allowing Taillow to get a few OHKOs and 2HKOs that it otherwise could not; Tirtouga and Pawniard are examples of Pokemon that can set up Stealth Rock while checking the Rock-types that trouble Taillow. Diglett is able to set up Stealth Rock, and can trap and KO a variety of Rock- and Steel-types. On the other hand, Rapid Spin support is beneficial to deal with Taillow's Stealth Rock weakness, with Drilbur being a prime candidate for its ability to set up Stealth Rock as well. Taillow also makes an excellent member of a "bird spam" core by being paired with other Flying-types, such as Fletchling, Doduo, and Archen; one Flying-type weakens the opposing team's checks and counters to Flying-types, allowing the others to sweep.

Guts Sweeper
########
name: Guts Sweeper
move 1: Facade
move 2: Brave Bird
move 3: Quick Attack / Steel Wing
move 4: U-Turn / Protect / Steel Wing
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Guts
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe
nature: Jolly

Moves
========

This set aims to take advantage of powerful Guts-boosted attacks. Facade becomes incredibly dangerous once Taillow is inflicted with status, 2HKOing almost anything that doesn't resist it. Brave Bird is an alternative STAB move; although the recoil can be quite detrimental, it hits Fighting- and Grass-types quite hard and deals more damage than Facade before Guts is activated. Quick Attack, although not especially powerful, is useful for picking off weakened threats and is Taillow's only priority attack. U-turn is useful for maintaining momentum and chipping away at Taillow's checks, while Protect allows Taillow to reliably activate Toxic Orb. However, Steel Wing can be viably used in the third or fourth moveslot if Archen is particularly troublesome.

Set Details
========

The given EVs maximize Taillow's Attack and Speed and thus its sweeping potential, and the leftover EVs are dumped into HP so Taillow can switch into Stealth Rock 4 times instead of 3 if its status orb does not activate. Toxic Orb is preferred over Flame Orb because Taillow's lack of methods to directly break through checks and counters means that it will usually not be staying in for very long.

Usage Tips
========

Because most of Taillow's success depends on Guts, it is essential to activate the status orb as early as possible. The best way of doing so is through a slow U-turn or Volt Switch user to get Taillow into play unharmed. This can also be done by switching Taillow into a Ghost- or Ground-type move or Will-O-Wisp, although this can be quite risky, as the opponent may choose a different attack.

Team Options
========

Because Taillow is prone to switching a lot during the match, Rapid Spin or Defog support is essential; as such, Drilbur makes for an excellent partner because not only can it remove the hazards from your side of the field, but it is also capable of setting Stealth Rock and heavily damaging troublesome Rock- and Steel-types with its STAB Earthquake. Arena Trap Diglett is another good teammate to get rid of certain Rock- and Steel-types. Because this set doesn't have Scrappy, a solid Pursuit user such as Stunky or Houndour is also a good partner to remove Ghost-types, which are immune to Facade. As with all of its sets, Taillow can be paired with another powerful Flying-type Pokemon such as Fletchling, Doduo, or Archen to help wear down their shared checks and counters.

Other Options
########

Taillow's movepool is quite shallow, so there aren't many other viable options other than the ones already listed. The special set can also utilize Choice Specs or Choice Scarf, but the former does not obtain very many notable KOs over Life Orb, and the latter tends to lack the damage necessary to sweep effectively. A physical Choice Scarf set can be used with U-turn / Brave Bird / Return / Pursuit to outspeed the entire metagame, but the damage output is somewhat underwhelming. Roost can be used on either set to prolong Taillow's otherwise limited lifespan, but Taillow tends to be too frail to use it effectively. On the special set, Hidden Power Grass can be used to damage Omanyte and Sturdy-lacking Tirtouga; Hidden Power Ground can similarly be run on the special set to OHKO Sturdy-lacking Magnemite, while Hidden Power Fire 2HKOes Ferroseed. However, Hidden Power Fighting is generally the most useful Hidden Power variant. A Choice Band set can be used because it takes less recoil than the Guts set, but the inability to switch moves usually renders it the lesser option.

Checks and Counters
########

**Defensive Rock- and Steel-types**: Defensive Rock- and Steel-types can reliably counter most variants of physical Taillow as well as special Taillow sets that lack Hidden Power Fighting; Tirtouga, Eviolite Pawniard, and Archen are particularly notable examples.

**Revenge Killers**: Because Taillow is incredibly frail, common users of Choice Scarf can easily outspeed and KO it with a powerful STAB move, such as Pawniard's Knock Off. Taillow's frailty also leaves it vulnerable to powerful priority attacks; this is especially detrimental to the special set because it doesn't have priority of its own.
 
Last edited:

Celestavian

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Also I'd like to see mention of how it can be priority weak, especially the Specs set since it doesn't have any unlike the Guts set. Otherwise this looks pretty good!

QC 2/3
 
What KOes does Specs get you that LO doesn't? It's pretty useful to be able to switch attacks AND have a slightly more powerful Brave Bird / U-turn. Brave Bird is also needed, I'm fairly sure, to KO Mienfoo. I used Brave Bird / Boom / HP Fight / [Sub/U-turn] when I was testing it and it worked fairly well. I have honestly never seen a SpecsBoom taillow work vs a player that knows it gets Scrappy....
 

Corporal Levi

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I went through the A ranked mons, and these are the differences I found:

Choice Scarf Scraggy (same chances with Stealth Rock) -
196 SpA Choice Specs Taillow Boomburst vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Scraggy: 21-25 (100 - 119%) -- guaranteed OHKO
196 SpA Life Orb Taillow Boomburst vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Scraggy: 19-23 (90.4 - 109.5%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO

Specially Defensive Chinchou (probably not the most optimal set but I saw it on the ladder a few times, made mostly irrelevant by Stealth Rock) -
196 SpA Choice Specs Taillow Boomburst vs. 76 HP / 228+ SpD Eviolite Chinchou: 12-15 (48 - 60%) -- 90.2% chance to 2HKO
196 SpA Life Orb Taillow Boomburst vs. 76 HP / 228+ SpD Eviolite Chinchou: 9-13 (36 - 52%) -- 11.3% chance to 2HKO

Offensive Chinchou (made irrelevant by Stealth Rock) -
196 SpA Choice Specs Taillow Boomburst vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Chinchou: 22-27 (91.6 - 112.5%) -- 75% chance to OHKO
196 SpA Life Orb Taillow Boomburst vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Chinchou: 21-25 (87.5 - 104.1%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO

Defensive Porygon (made irrelevant by Stealth Rock) -
196 SpA Choice Specs Taillow Boomburst vs. 156 HP / 76+ SpD Eviolite Porygon: 12-15 (48 - 60%) -- 90.2% chance to 2HKO
196 SpA Choice Specs Taillow Boomburst vs. 236 HP / 76+ SpD Eviolite Porygon: 12-15 (46.1 - 57.6%) -- 51.2% chance to 2HKO
196 SpA Life Orb Taillow Boomburst vs. 156 HP / 76+ SpD Eviolite Porygon: 9-13 (36 - 52%) -- 11.3% chance to 2HKO
196 SpA Life Orb Taillow Boomburst vs. 236 HP / 76+ SpD Eviolite Porygon: 9-13 (34.6 - 50%) -- 0.4% chance to 2HKO

Spritzee (made irrelevant by Stealth Rock) -
196 SpA Choice Specs Taillow Boomburst vs. 212 HP / 76 SpD Eviolite Spritzee: 13-16 (48.1 - 59.2%) -- 85.9% chance to 2HKO
196 SpA Life Orb Taillow Boomburst vs. 212 HP / 76 SpD Eviolite Spritzee: 12-16 (44.4 - 59.2%) -- 12.1% chance to 2HKO

Trubbish -
196 SpA Choice Specs Taillow Boomburst vs. 116 HP / 20 SpD Trubbish: 21-25 (91.3 - 108.6%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO
196 SpA Life Orb Taillow Boomburst vs. 116 HP / 20 SpD Trubbish: 19-23 (82.6 - 100%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO
196 SpA Life Orb Taillow Boomburst vs. 116 HP / 20 SpD Trubbish: 19-23 (82.6 - 100%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

196 SpA Choice Specs Taillow Boomburst vs. 116 HP / 236 SpD Eviolite Vullaby (made irrelevant by Stealth Rock): 12-15 (48 - 60%) -- 90.2% chance to 2HKO
196 SpA Life Orb Taillow Boomburst vs. 116 HP / 236 SpD Eviolite Vullaby: 9-13 (36 - 52%) -- 11.3% chance to 2HKO


Most of the differences are eliminated by Stealth Rock, so I'll add Life Orb. I'm not sure if I should retain Choice Specs, since I guess if they have a defogger or your team doesn't carry entry hazards, it could still make a difference.

Also, where should Substitute go
 
umm why are you using the default spreads from the damage calculator? always change spreads to match what's shown in analyses, as rn those calcs are irrelevant
 

tcr

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There is honestly no reason to using Choice Specs other than getting 2-3 more HP loss. Life Orb is infinitely better, as 19 Speed is just fine. Its basically the bird version of Elekid tbh. Choice Specs simply limit it to one move, which can easily be blocked. A moveset of U-turn / Brave Bird / HP Fight / Boomburst seems nice, but ill let other QC members weigh in as I have not used Taillow as much.
 

macle

sup geodudes
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honestly i agree with LO > choice specs tho is Scarf even good? like without lo or specs, tailow cant revenge shit
 
name: Choice Band
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Return/Double-Edge
move 4: Facade/Quick Attack
ability: Guts/Scrappy
item: Choice Band
evs: 236 Atk / 236 Spd / 36 SpDef
nature: Jolly

I know this is probably worse than the guts set but it can come in handy if you don't want the extra recoil. But basically just come in, hit something hard, and switch out, use u-turn for scouting, and quick attack for extra priority when you need it most. Facade comes more powerful with Guts, and Brave Bird is your main STAB. Return/Double-Edge is just for power or no recoil.
 

Corporal Levi

ninjadog of the decade
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Thanks for the input! A band set does have some advantages over the guts set, but overall, I don't think they're really enough to warrant its own set. I'll mention it under Other Options, though.
 
Thanks for the input! A band set does have some advantages over the guts set, but overall, I don't think they're really enough to warrant its own set. I'll mention it under Other Options, though.
No problem, and sorry I'm late. And yeah I agree with you and thanks for putting it under the other options. ;]
 

Rowan

The professor?
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i don't like specs, life orb is better cos it can power up BB too, which will be the stronger option so get rid of air slash and get rid of specs. scarf is still cool though.

slash hasty or naive with timid i don't know which one

mention steel wing somewhere it means it can OHKO BJ archen after rocks, and 2HKO evio archen after rocks with Guts.

3/3 after that, even though this is old it's still good
 
iirc crux of this set isn't supposed to be used in analyses, so you should reword that in the moves section of the first set. looks good tho, move to gp
 

fleurdyleurse

nobody,not even the rain,has such small hands
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hi
Overview
########

With two useful abilities in Guts and Scrappy and an excellent base 85 Speed, stat which allowings it to hit the coveted 19 Speed tier, Taillow is able to take advantage of its ridiculously high powered STAB attacks such as Brave Bird and Boomburst to act as a potent offensive threat. Access to U-Tturn allows Taillow to play around its checks, and the ability to viably run either a physical or special set means that Taillow isn't totally one-dimensional.
However, despite its strengths, Taillow is actually quite easy to take down. Its bulk is absolutely atrocious; this is further compounded by its weakness to Stealth Rock. Not only thatMoreover, but despite the power of Taillow's STAB moves, its coverage moves are much less impressive, being limited in quantity and generally quite underwhelming. Although Taillow has its niche, its enormous flaws hold it back from being a top -tier threat.

Life Orb
########
name: Life Orb
move 1: Boomburst
move 2: Hidden Power [Fighting]
move 3: U-Turn
move 4: Brave Bird
ability: Scrappy
item: Life Orb
evs: 36 Def / 200 SpA / 240 Spe
IVs: 19 HP
nature: Naive

Moves
========

Boomburst is the attack that should be utilized the most; when paired with Scrappy and Life Orb, it becomes very difficult to switch into. Because Heat Wave is incompatible with Scrappy, Hidden Power Fighting is instead used, heavily damaging Pawniard, in particular. What Taillow can't break, it can U-Turn out of, granting its team momentum in the process. Brave Bird is mostly a filler move, but with Life Orb, it is useful for OHKOing Fighting-types, something whichthat Air Slash cannot do.

Set Details
========

The given EVs and nature maximize Taillow's Special Attack and Speed and thus its sweeping potential, with the remaining EVs put in dDefense so Taillow can better take priority attacks. The reduced HP IVs allow Taillow to hit 19 HP, meaning Taillow only loses one HP per round of Life Orb recoil instead of two. Life Orb is the preferred item so Taillow can hit hard while maintaining the ability to switch moves.

Usage Tips
=======

This set performs best once the opposing Rock- and Steel types are adequately weakened or removed, allowing Taillow to freely fire off Boomburst. Otherwise, playing with this set is quite straightforward: use Boomburst as much as the situation allows.

Team Options
========

Hazards on the opposing side are appreciated as they are for any offensive Pokemon, allowing Taillow to get a few OHKOs and 2HKOs that it otherwise could not; Tirtouga and Pawniard are examples of Pokemon that can set up Stealth Rock while checking the Rock-types that plagutrouble Taillow. Diglett is able to set up Stealth Rock, and can additionally trap and KO a variety of Rock- and Steel-types. On the other hand, Rapid Spin support is beneficial to deal with Taillow's Stealth Rock weakness, with Drilbur being a prime candidate for its ability to set up Stealth Rock as well. Taillow also makes an excellent member of a "bird spam" core by being paired with other fFlying-types, such as Fletchling, Doduo, and Archen; one Flying-type weakens the opposing team's checks and counters to Flying-types, allowing the others to sweep.

Guts Sweeper
########
name: Guts Sweeper
move 1: Facade
move 2: Brave Bird
move 3: Quick Attack / Steel Wing
move 4: U-Turn / Protect / Steel Wing
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Guts
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe
nature: Jolly

Moves
========

This set aims to take advantage of powerful Guts-boosted attacks. Facade becomes incredibly dangerous once Taillow is inflicted by status, 2HKOing almost anything that doesn't resist it. Brave Bird is an alternative STAB move; although the recoil can be quite detrimental, it hits Fighting- and Grass-types in particular quite hard and deals more damage than Facade before Guts is activated. Quick Attack, although not especially powerful, is useful for picking off weakened threats and is Taillow's only available priority attack. U-Tturn is useful for maintaining momentum and chipping away at Taillow's checks, while Protect allows Taillow to reliably activate Toxic Orb. However, Steel Wing can be viably used in the third or fourth moveslot if Archen is particularly troublesome.

Set Details
========

The given EVs maximize Taillow's Attack and Speed and thus its sweeping potential, with the leftover EVs beingare dumped into HP so Taillow can switch into Stealth Rock 4 times instead of 3 if its status orb does not activate. Toxic Orb is preferred over Flame Orb because Taillow's lack of methods to directly break through checks and counters means that it will usually not be staying in for very long.

Usage Tips
========

Because most of Taillow's success depends on Guts, it is essential to activate the status orb as early as possible. The best way of doing so is through a slow U-Tturn or Volt Switch user to get Taillow into play unharmed. This can also be done by switching Taillow into a Ghost- or Ground T-type move or Will-O-Wisp, although this can be quite risky, as the opponent may choose a different attack.

Team Options
========

Because Taillow is prone to switching a lot during the match, Rapid Spin or Defog support is essential; as such, Drilbur makes for an excellent partner because not only does it remove the hazards from your field, but it also is also capable of setting Stealth Rock and heavily damaging troublesome Rock- and Steel-types with its STAB Earthquake. Arena Trap Diglett is, once again, another good teammate to get rid of certain Rock and Steel types. Because this set doesn't have Scrappy, a solid Pursuit user such as Stunky or Houndour is also a good partner to remove Ghost types that are immune to Facade. As with all of its sets, Taillow can be paired with another powerful Flying-type Pokemon such as Fletchling, Doduo, or Archen to help wear down checks and counters.

Other Options
########

Taillow's movepool is quite shallow, so there aren't many other viable options other than the ones already listed. The Sspecial set can also utilize Choice Specs or Choice Scarf, but the former does not obtain very many notable KOs over Life Orb, and the latter tends to lack the damage necessary to sweep effectively. A physical Choice Scarf set can be used with U-Tturn / Brave Bird / Return / Pursuit to outspeed the entire metagame, but the damage output is somewhat underwhelming. Roost can be used on either set to prolong Taillow's otherwise limited lifespan, but Taillow tends to be too frail to use it effectively. On the special set, Hidden Power Grass can be used to damage sSturdyless-lacking Onix, Omanyte, and sturdyless offensive Tirtouga; Hidden Power Ground can similarly be run on the special set to OHKO sSturdyless-lacking Magnemite, while Hidden Power Fire hit2HKOes Ferroseed for the 2HKO. However, Hidden Power Fighting is generally the most useful Hidden Power variant. A Choice Band set can be used because it takes less recoil than the Status OrbGuts set, but the inability to switch moves usually renders it the lesser option.

Checks and Counters
########

**Defensive Rock- and Steel-types:** Defensive Rock- and Steel-types can reliably counter most variants of physical Taillow as well as special Taillow sets that lack Hidden Power Fighting; Tirtouga, Eviolite Pawniard, and Archen are particularly notable examples.

**Revenge- killers:** Because Taillow is incredibly frail, common users of Choice Scarf can easily outspeed and KO it with a powerful STAB move, such as Pawniard's Knock Off. Taillow's frailty also leaves it vulnerable to powerful priority attacks; this is especially detrimental to the special set because it doesn't have priority of its own.

GP 1/2
 
Last edited:

frenzyplant

Inertia is a property of matter.
is a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnus
2/2 :)

add remove (comments)

Overview
########

With two useful abilities in Guts and Scrappy and an excellent base 85 Speed stat which allows it to hit the coveted 19 Speed tier, Taillow is able to take advantage of its ridiculously high-powered STAB attacks such as Brave Bird and Boomburst to act as a potent offensive threat. U-turn allows Taillow to play around its checks, and the ability to viably run either a physical or special set means that Taillow isn't totally one-dimensional.
However, despite its strengths, Taillow is actually quite easy to take down. Its bulk is absolutely atrocious; this is further compounded by its weakness to Stealth Rock. Moreover, despite the power of Taillow's STAB moves, its coverage moves are much less impressive, being limited in quantity and generally quite underwhelming. Although Taillow has its niche, its enormous flaws hold it back from being a top-tier threat.

Life Orb
########
name: Life Orb
move 1: Boomburst
move 2: Hidden Power [Fighting] (remove brackets)
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Brave Bird
ability: Scrappy
item: Life Orb
evs: 36 Def / 200 SpA / 240 Spe
ivs: 19 HP
nature: Naive

Moves
========

Boomburst is the attack that should be utilized the most; when paired with Scrappy and Life Orb, it becomes very difficult to switch into. Because Heat Wave is incompatible with Scrappy, Hidden Power Fighting is instead used instead, heavily damaging Pawniard in particular. What Taillow can't break, it can U-turn out of, granting its team momentum in the process. Brave Bird is mostly a filler move, but with Life Orb, it is useful for OHKOing Fighting-types, something that Air Slash cannot do.

Set Details
========

The given EVs and nature maximize Taillow's Special Attack and Speed and thus its sweeping potential, with the remaining EVs put in Defense so that Taillow can better take priority attacks. The reduced HP IVs allow Taillow to hit 19 HP, meaning Taillow only loses one HP per round of Life Orb recoil instead of two. Life Orb is the preferred item so Taillow can hit hard while maintaining the ability to switch moves.

Usage Tips
=======

This set performs best once the opposing Rock- and Steel types are adequately weakened or removed, allowing Taillow to freely fire off Boomburst. Otherwise, playing with this set is quite straightforward: use Boomburst as much as the situation allows.

Team Options
========

Hazards on the opposing side are as appreciated as they are for any offensive Pokemon, allowing Taillow to get a few OHKOs and 2HKOs that it otherwise could not; Tirtouga and Pawniard are examples of Pokemon that can set up Stealth Rock while checking the Rock-types that trouble Taillow. Diglett is able to set up Stealth Rock, and can trap and KO a variety of Rock- and Steel-types. On the other hand, Rapid Spin support is beneficial to deal with Taillow's Stealth Rock weakness, with Drilbur being a prime candidate for its ability to set up Stealth Rock as well. Taillow also makes an excellent member of a "bird spam" core by being paired with other Flying-types, such as Fletchling, Doduo, and Archen; one Flying-type weakens the opposing team's checks and counters to Flying-types, allowing the others to sweep.

Guts Sweeper
########
name: Guts Sweeper
move 1: Facade
move 2: Brave Bird
move 3: Quick Attack / Steel Wing
move 4: U-turn / Protect / Steel Wing
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Guts
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe
nature: Jolly

Moves
========

This set aims to take advantage of powerful Guts-boosted attacks. Facade becomes incredibly dangerous once Taillow is inflicted by with status, 2HKOing almost anything that doesn't resist it. Brave Bird is an alternative STAB move; although the recoil can be quite detrimental, it hits Fighting- and Grass-types quite hard and deals more damage than Facade before Guts is activated. Quick Attack, although not especially powerful, is useful for picking off weakened threats and is Taillow's only available priority attack. U-turn is useful for maintaining momentum and chipping away at Taillow's checks, while Protect allows Taillow to reliably activate Toxic Orb. However, Steel Wing can be viably used in the third or fourth moveslot if Archen is particularly troublesome.

Set Details
========

The given EVs maximize Taillow's Attack and Speed and thus its sweeping potential, and the leftover EVs are dumped into HP so Taillow can switch into Stealth Rock 4 times instead of 3 if its status orb does not activate. Toxic Orb is preferred over Flame Orb because Taillow's lack of methods to directly break through checks and counters means that it will usually not be staying in for very long.

Usage Tips
========

Because most of Taillow's success depends on Guts, it is essential to activate the status orb as early as possible. The best way of doing so is through a slow U-turn or Volt Switch user to get Taillow into play unharmed. This can also be done by switching Taillow into a Ghost- or Ground-type move or Will-O-Wisp, although this can be quite risky, as the opponent may choose a different attack.

Team Options
========

Because Taillow is prone to switching a lot during the match, Rapid Spin or Defog support is essential; as such, Drilbur makes for an excellent partner because not only does can it remove the hazards from your side of the field, but it is also capable of setting Stealth Rock and heavily damaging troublesome Rock- and Steel-types with its STAB Earthquake. Arena Trap Diglett is, once again, another good teammate to get rid of certain Rock- (dash) and Steel-types. Because this set doesn't have Scrappy, a solid Pursuit user such as Stunky or Houndour is also a good partner to remove Ghost-types, which that are immune to Facade. As with all of its sets, Taillow can be paired with another powerful Flying-type Pokemon such as Fletchling, Doduo, or Archen to help wear down their shared checks and counters.

Other Options
########

Taillow's movepool is quite shallow, so there aren't many other viable options other than the ones already listed. The special set can also utilize Choice Specs or Choice Scarf, but the former does not obtain very many notable KOs over Life Orb, and the latter tends to lack the damage necessary to sweep effectively. A physical Choice Scarf set can be used with U-turn / Brave Bird / Return / Pursuit to outspeed the entire metagame, but the damage output is somewhat underwhelming. Roost can be used on either set to prolong Taillow's otherwise limited lifespan, but Taillow tends to be too frail to use it effectively. On the special set, Hidden Power Grass can be used to damage Omanyte and Sturdy-lacking Tirtouga; Hidden Power Ground can similarly be run on the special set to OHKO Sturdy-lacking Magnemite, while Hidden Power Fire 2HKOes Ferroseed. However, Hidden Power Fighting is generally the most useful Hidden Power variant. A Choice Band set can be used because it takes less recoil than the Guts set, but the inability to switch moves usually renders it the lesser option.

Checks and Counters
########

**Defensive Rock- and Steel-types:**: (move colon) Defensive Rock- and Steel-types can reliably counter most variants of physical Taillow as well as special Taillow sets that lack Hidden Power Fighting; Tirtouga, Eviolite Pawniard, and Archen are particularly notable examples.

**Revenge Killers:**: (move colon) Because Taillow is incredibly frail, common users of Choice Scarf can easily outspeed and KO it with a powerful STAB move, such as Pawniard's Knock Off. Taillow's frailty also leaves it vulnerable to powerful priority attacks; this is especially detrimental to the special set because it doesn't have priority of its own.
 

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