Hi C&C, this is my Zubat analysis. Credits to ILoveLiza for making the Lead set!
smogon.com/dp/pokemon/zubat
[Overview]
<p>At first glance, Zubat seems to be pretty terrible due to its poor stats across the board, limited coverage, and weakness to Stealth Rock. However, it does have some moves that most other Flying-type Pokemon would kill for, namely Hypnosis, which allows Zubat to cripple counters, and Nasty Plot, which can boost Zubat's Special Attack to decent levels. In addition, Zubat's Poison / Flying typing offers it useful quad resistances to Bug, Fighting, and Grass. Overall, while Zubat may be inferior to many of the other Flying-type Pokemon in LC, it does have some unique qualities to that prevent it from being completely outclassed.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Brave Bird / Pluck
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Return
move 4: Pursuit / Hypnosis
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With 16 Speed, Zubat can effectively utilize a Choice Scarf set in order to scout and revenge kill the opponent. Brave Bird is Zubat's most powerful STAB attack, though the recoil damage may hurt. Pluck is a good alternative to Brave Bird since it allows Zubat to heal itself when attacking a Pokemon holding Oran Berry, though the power drop is significant. U-turn is a very useful attack, allowing Zubat to scout for counters that may want to switch in. Return provides good neutral coverage, and is its strongest attack without recoil. Finally, Pursuit allows Zubat to checkmate weakened Pokemon, while Hypnosis allows it to cripple Pokemon that are hard to deal with. However, being locked into Hypnosis is usually a very dangerous undertaking and should only be considered if you really need the surprise factor of a fast sleep.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Hypnosis is illegal with Brave Bird, so if one opts for Hypnosis, Pluck must be used along with it. Super Fang is a viable option to use instead of Return, and is much more effective early-game, when most Pokemon are at full health, as it will force all switch-ins (bar Ghost-types) to lose half of their health, and eases prediction for the player.</p>
<p>Since holding a Choice Scarf will make Zubat switch a lot, a Rapid Spinner will pair up great with Zubat. Sandshrew is a prime choice for a spinner because it resists Rock-type attacks and is immune to Electric-type attacks, while Zubat quad-resists Grass-type attacks, though they do share a nasty Ice-type weakness. Sandshrew also has the bulk to set up Stealth Rock, making it the best choice. To take care of the Ice weakness, utilizing Pokemon such as Aron and Bronzor is ideal. Aron can switch in and weaken the foe with Head Smash, while Bronzor can tank several hits and retaliate back its coverage moves.</p>
[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Taunt
move 2: Pluck / Brave Bird
move 3: Hypnosis / Roost
move 4: U-turn
item: Focus Sash / Life Orb
nature: Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 196 Atk / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Zubat has many defining qualities that allow it to become a viable lead. Taunt, coupled with 16 Speed, allow it to stop slow leads such as Hippopotas from setting up Stealth Rock. Pluck and Brave Bird are both viable options in the next slot, gaining STAB, and being able to OHKO Oran Berry Machop, a common lead in today's metagame. Hypnosis allows Zubat to incapacitate an opponent for a few turns, which enables Zubat to hurt it with Pluck or switch to a teammate that can take advantage of the sleeping opponent. Roost is also a viable option, healing off the recoil damage dealt from Brave Bird, while also allowing Zubat to deal more damage. U-turn allows Zubat to scout for counters, and allows the team to gain momentum.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Due to legality issues, Brave Bird cannot be used with Hypnosis, meaning that if Brave Bird is chosen as the STAB move, then Hypnosis cannot be used, and vice versa. Pluck should be used with Hypnosis, along with a Focus Sash. If Brave Bird is used, Roost should be used to complement it, and a Life Orb is the ideal item to hold. The given EV spread maximizes Zubat's Attack and Speed stats, while increasing its HP by one point, allowing it to take hits better.</p>
<p>Rock- and Steel-type Pokemon such as Kabuto will be troublesome, since they take little damage from any of Zubat's attacks, and can set up Stealth Rock. Like Kabuto, Bronzor also has an easy time dealing with Zubat, being able to set up Stealth Rock, before firing off STAB Psychic. As such, teammates that can deal with Kabuto and Bronzor are good to pair up with Zubat. Wooper is a great Kabuto counter, having Water Absorb to prevent it from being hurt by Kabuto's Water attacks, while it also resists Rock Slide thanks to its Ground typing. In return, Wooper can hit Kabuto hard with STAB Earthquake, and Recover off any lost health. Magnet Rise Magnemite is a great counter to Bronzor, being able to trap it and switch in on any move not named Earthquake. From there, Magnemite can use Magnet Rise while it attempts to Earthquake, before taking Bronzor out with repeated Thunderbolts. Finally, all Pokemon that don't carry Lum Berry must be cautious of a potential Hypnosis, which could incapacitate it for a few turns.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Due to Zubat's mediocre damage output and Stealth Rock weakness, Sandshrew is a good partner that can set up Stealth Rock, and spin away Stealth Rock. Chinchou and Zubat have great synergy together; Chinchou is immune to Electric-type attacks and resistant to Ice-type attacks, while Zubat is immune to Ground-type attacks and 4x resists Grass attacks. Gligar can defeat both Zubat and Chinchou with Stone Edge and Earthquake, respectively, so Bronzor is a good teammate for Zubat. Bronzor can also check Aron with Earthquake and defeat Gligar with Hidden Power Ice, two Pokemon that Zubat has trouble dealing with. Finally, though rare, Zubat will be attracting Psychic-type attacks from the likes of Pokemon such as Abra, so a Pursuiter, such as Houndour, is a great teammate. Houndour can checkmate Abra by either hitting it with Sucker Punch if it stays in, or using Pursuit if it switches out.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Surprisingly, Zubat has a couple of interesting other options to note. Quick Attack can be used to revenge kill easier, though it does poor damage overall without STAB. Super Fang can be used to slice the health of healthy walls such as Gligar and Aron in half, though it will only be effective early in the game when most Pokemon are at full health and the opponent's team hasn't been revealed. Fly is a viable STAB move, having more power than Pluck (unless it attacks a Pokemon holding Oran Berry), while not having recoil damage unlike Brave Bird. However, Pokemon that resist Fly can easily be easily switched in, making Fly a poor option. Zen Headbutt is an interesting option to strike Poison- and Fighting-type Pokemon without taking Brave Bird's recoil, but doesn't provide much use outside of that. Tailwind can allow Zubat to outspeed every Pokemon in the tier, while also doubling the Speed of its teammates. Unfortunately, Zubat is frail and better off dealing damage right off the bat; additionally, Tailwind only lasts for a mere three turns. Zubat has access to Nasty Plot as well as Heat Wave, Sludge Bomb, and Air Slash, but with a meager 30 base that would make even Bidoof laugh, Zubat won't be finding much use for it, even after a boost. Speaking of special attacks, Hidden Power Ground or Fighting can be used to deal with Rock-type Pokemon, which would otherwise easily counter Zubat. If a Hidden Power is used, Zubat should be using a Hasty nature. Finally, Zubat can run a weather support set, due to its access to Rain Dance, Sunny Day, and U-turn, which allows it to bring in a sweeper immediately.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Zubat has a handful of counters, but most of them can be easily alluded by Hypnosis. Nonetheless, the single best counters are Rock-type Pokemon, since they completely wall Zubat and can retaliate with super effective STAB attacks. Aron is the best example of this, being able to Rock Polish without fear of being KOed by any of Zubat's moves and OHKO Zubat with Head Smash while continuing to wreak havoc. Likewise, Bronzor can take on a majority of Zubat's moves and OHKO back with Psychic. Electric-type Pokemon that outspeed Zubat are great counters; Elekid is a good example, as it can outspeed Zubat and take it out with ThunderPunch. Since Zubat is frail, priority moves greatly harm it, especially Ice Shard. Pokemon such as Snover and Swinub can check Zubat with Ice Shard without worrying about getting hit in return. Finally, Gligar is a great counter to Zubat due to its impressive physical bulk and access to Stone Edge.</p>
smogon.com/dp/pokemon/zubat
[Overview]
<p>At first glance, Zubat seems to be pretty terrible due to its poor stats across the board, limited coverage, and weakness to Stealth Rock. However, it does have some moves that most other Flying-type Pokemon would kill for, namely Hypnosis, which allows Zubat to cripple counters, and Nasty Plot, which can boost Zubat's Special Attack to decent levels. In addition, Zubat's Poison / Flying typing offers it useful quad resistances to Bug, Fighting, and Grass. Overall, while Zubat may be inferior to many of the other Flying-type Pokemon in LC, it does have some unique qualities to that prevent it from being completely outclassed.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Brave Bird / Pluck
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Return
move 4: Pursuit / Hypnosis
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With 16 Speed, Zubat can effectively utilize a Choice Scarf set in order to scout and revenge kill the opponent. Brave Bird is Zubat's most powerful STAB attack, though the recoil damage may hurt. Pluck is a good alternative to Brave Bird since it allows Zubat to heal itself when attacking a Pokemon holding Oran Berry, though the power drop is significant. U-turn is a very useful attack, allowing Zubat to scout for counters that may want to switch in. Return provides good neutral coverage, and is its strongest attack without recoil. Finally, Pursuit allows Zubat to checkmate weakened Pokemon, while Hypnosis allows it to cripple Pokemon that are hard to deal with. However, being locked into Hypnosis is usually a very dangerous undertaking and should only be considered if you really need the surprise factor of a fast sleep.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Hypnosis is illegal with Brave Bird, so if one opts for Hypnosis, Pluck must be used along with it. Super Fang is a viable option to use instead of Return, and is much more effective early-game, when most Pokemon are at full health, as it will force all switch-ins (bar Ghost-types) to lose half of their health, and eases prediction for the player.</p>
<p>Since holding a Choice Scarf will make Zubat switch a lot, a Rapid Spinner will pair up great with Zubat. Sandshrew is a prime choice for a spinner because it resists Rock-type attacks and is immune to Electric-type attacks, while Zubat quad-resists Grass-type attacks, though they do share a nasty Ice-type weakness. Sandshrew also has the bulk to set up Stealth Rock, making it the best choice. To take care of the Ice weakness, utilizing Pokemon such as Aron and Bronzor is ideal. Aron can switch in and weaken the foe with Head Smash, while Bronzor can tank several hits and retaliate back its coverage moves.</p>
[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Taunt
move 2: Pluck / Brave Bird
move 3: Hypnosis / Roost
move 4: U-turn
item: Focus Sash / Life Orb
nature: Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 196 Atk / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Zubat has many defining qualities that allow it to become a viable lead. Taunt, coupled with 16 Speed, allow it to stop slow leads such as Hippopotas from setting up Stealth Rock. Pluck and Brave Bird are both viable options in the next slot, gaining STAB, and being able to OHKO Oran Berry Machop, a common lead in today's metagame. Hypnosis allows Zubat to incapacitate an opponent for a few turns, which enables Zubat to hurt it with Pluck or switch to a teammate that can take advantage of the sleeping opponent. Roost is also a viable option, healing off the recoil damage dealt from Brave Bird, while also allowing Zubat to deal more damage. U-turn allows Zubat to scout for counters, and allows the team to gain momentum.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Due to legality issues, Brave Bird cannot be used with Hypnosis, meaning that if Brave Bird is chosen as the STAB move, then Hypnosis cannot be used, and vice versa. Pluck should be used with Hypnosis, along with a Focus Sash. If Brave Bird is used, Roost should be used to complement it, and a Life Orb is the ideal item to hold. The given EV spread maximizes Zubat's Attack and Speed stats, while increasing its HP by one point, allowing it to take hits better.</p>
<p>Rock- and Steel-type Pokemon such as Kabuto will be troublesome, since they take little damage from any of Zubat's attacks, and can set up Stealth Rock. Like Kabuto, Bronzor also has an easy time dealing with Zubat, being able to set up Stealth Rock, before firing off STAB Psychic. As such, teammates that can deal with Kabuto and Bronzor are good to pair up with Zubat. Wooper is a great Kabuto counter, having Water Absorb to prevent it from being hurt by Kabuto's Water attacks, while it also resists Rock Slide thanks to its Ground typing. In return, Wooper can hit Kabuto hard with STAB Earthquake, and Recover off any lost health. Magnet Rise Magnemite is a great counter to Bronzor, being able to trap it and switch in on any move not named Earthquake. From there, Magnemite can use Magnet Rise while it attempts to Earthquake, before taking Bronzor out with repeated Thunderbolts. Finally, all Pokemon that don't carry Lum Berry must be cautious of a potential Hypnosis, which could incapacitate it for a few turns.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Due to Zubat's mediocre damage output and Stealth Rock weakness, Sandshrew is a good partner that can set up Stealth Rock, and spin away Stealth Rock. Chinchou and Zubat have great synergy together; Chinchou is immune to Electric-type attacks and resistant to Ice-type attacks, while Zubat is immune to Ground-type attacks and 4x resists Grass attacks. Gligar can defeat both Zubat and Chinchou with Stone Edge and Earthquake, respectively, so Bronzor is a good teammate for Zubat. Bronzor can also check Aron with Earthquake and defeat Gligar with Hidden Power Ice, two Pokemon that Zubat has trouble dealing with. Finally, though rare, Zubat will be attracting Psychic-type attacks from the likes of Pokemon such as Abra, so a Pursuiter, such as Houndour, is a great teammate. Houndour can checkmate Abra by either hitting it with Sucker Punch if it stays in, or using Pursuit if it switches out.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Surprisingly, Zubat has a couple of interesting other options to note. Quick Attack can be used to revenge kill easier, though it does poor damage overall without STAB. Super Fang can be used to slice the health of healthy walls such as Gligar and Aron in half, though it will only be effective early in the game when most Pokemon are at full health and the opponent's team hasn't been revealed. Fly is a viable STAB move, having more power than Pluck (unless it attacks a Pokemon holding Oran Berry), while not having recoil damage unlike Brave Bird. However, Pokemon that resist Fly can easily be easily switched in, making Fly a poor option. Zen Headbutt is an interesting option to strike Poison- and Fighting-type Pokemon without taking Brave Bird's recoil, but doesn't provide much use outside of that. Tailwind can allow Zubat to outspeed every Pokemon in the tier, while also doubling the Speed of its teammates. Unfortunately, Zubat is frail and better off dealing damage right off the bat; additionally, Tailwind only lasts for a mere three turns. Zubat has access to Nasty Plot as well as Heat Wave, Sludge Bomb, and Air Slash, but with a meager 30 base that would make even Bidoof laugh, Zubat won't be finding much use for it, even after a boost. Speaking of special attacks, Hidden Power Ground or Fighting can be used to deal with Rock-type Pokemon, which would otherwise easily counter Zubat. If a Hidden Power is used, Zubat should be using a Hasty nature. Finally, Zubat can run a weather support set, due to its access to Rain Dance, Sunny Day, and U-turn, which allows it to bring in a sweeper immediately.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Zubat has a handful of counters, but most of them can be easily alluded by Hypnosis. Nonetheless, the single best counters are Rock-type Pokemon, since they completely wall Zubat and can retaliate with super effective STAB attacks. Aron is the best example of this, being able to Rock Polish without fear of being KOed by any of Zubat's moves and OHKO Zubat with Head Smash while continuing to wreak havoc. Likewise, Bronzor can take on a majority of Zubat's moves and OHKO back with Psychic. Electric-type Pokemon that outspeed Zubat are great counters; Elekid is a good example, as it can outspeed Zubat and take it out with ThunderPunch. Since Zubat is frail, priority moves greatly harm it, especially Ice Shard. Pokemon such as Snover and Swinub can check Zubat with Ice Shard without worrying about getting hit in return. Finally, Gligar is a great counter to Zubat due to its impressive physical bulk and access to Stone Edge.</p>
