DPP Kabutops (OU Analysis)*

EspyJoel

Espy <3
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Similarily with Qwilfish, I have decided for Swords Dancer to be the only set in the main section, anything else is in Other Options. This is mainly because of the fearsome power and versatility of the Swords Dancer compared to the other sets, Choice Band isn't in the main part since unlike in UU, that has little use outside of rain in OU, and with the rain, the ability to switch attacks is needed as rain turns are precious. Any supporting role is better left to other Pokemon.

STATUS: Done.

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http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/kabutops

Team Options in blue.

[Overview]

<p>Kabutops is one of the best Rain Dance sweepers in OU. With an Attack stat higher than Lucario's, it is no surprise that it is so powerful. This extra power combined with the usefulness of Stone Edge are Kabutops' main benefits over Qwilfish. The impressive combination of Water / Rock is not resisted by many, allowing Kabutops to rip through many teams with little effort. If you can keep the rain up, Kabutops will almost certainly do you proud, and if your opponent underestimates this beast, it will likely lead to their demise.</p>

<p>There are Pokemon that can cause it a few problems, but usually once Kabutops gets a Swords Dance off, your opponent better get ready for a painful experience.</p>

[SET]
name: OU Swords Dancer
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Aqua Jet
item: Life Orb
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Adamant
evs: 32 HP / 252 Atk / 20 Def / 204 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Kabutops is a truly fearsome Swords Dancer in OU when Rain Dance is in effect, and this set aims to take full advantage of that. Waterfall and Stone Edge are the primary moves on this set, providing an awesome attacking combination as the only two Pokemon commonly used in OU who resist both types are Breloom and Empoleon. Aqua Jet finishes off the set by allowing Kabutops to OHKO Infernape before it hits you with Mach Punch or Vacuum Wave. Not to mention it does 74% minimum to Choice Scarf Gengar without a Swords Dance boost, who outspeeds you even in the rain. Most important of all, it can hit Scizor before it Bullet Punches you, although it will need to be weakened a bit for you to OHKO it at +2 in the rain, as it does 74.3% - 87.8%. Priority is also just a useful thing to have in general since the rain won’t always be up. When it is raining, Waterfall will have a massive 180 Base Power with Aqua Jet at 90 thanks to the boost to Water-type moves provided by the weather.</p>

<p>Unlike Qwilfish, Kabutops has a higher Attack stat and access to Stone Edge which gives it an easier time against bulky Water- and Dragon-types, such as Gyarados and Salamence. While Qwilfish may have a powerful Explosion and the ability to absorb Toxic Spikes on entry, it usually won't do as much damage to your opponent’s team as Kabutops can. Although Aqua Jet is generally the preferred option in the last slot, there are some other possibilities. X-Scissor can be used since it has a high chance of OHKOing Celebi with Stealth Rock support, even before a Swords Dance. It also provides a more accurate attack to hit Latias and Starmie with, rather than relying on Stone Edge’s shaky accuracy. Low Kick, Superpower, and Brick Break are some Fighting-type alternatives that hit Empoleon for super effective damage and hit most Fighting-weak Pokemon harder than Waterfall. Aqua Tail can replace Waterfall if you want even more power, at the cost of 10% accuracy, but Waterfall is usually strong enough and the accuracy loss from Aqua Tail can hurt at times. Also, the 20% flinch rate can be useful at times. Rock Slide can be used over Stone Edge since it has slightly more reliable accuracy and a nice flinch rate, but the loss of power makes it unappealing.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs are aimed at making Kabutops hit hard, while outspeeding as many important foes as possible. Max Attack is obvious, while 204 Speed EVs allows Kabutops to hit 247 Speed, outrunning anything up to and including +1 +nature base 100s, assuming Rain Dance is in effect. When rain isn’t up, it will outspeed Choice Scarf-less Tyranitar, and many others trying to just outspeed Tyranitar. 32 HP EVs give a Life Orb number, while the rest is put into Defense to take physical hits slightly better. An Adamant nature is preferred for the extra power, but a Jolly nature can be used should you wish to outrun Timid Choice Scarf Gengar and Latias while rain is up, and also outrun neutral natured Gyarados, Kingdra, and Lucario regardless of whether the rain is up or not. Swift Swim is the obvious ability since it doubles Kabutops' Speed to impressive levels, while Life Orb is used for the extra power that is necessary against important threats, such as Skarmory.</p>

<p>Kabutops' teammates should all be centered around either sweeping in Rain Dance or setting it up. All versions of Kingdra are great partners to Kabutops for a few reasons. Mixed versions can easily OHKO Breloom with Draco Meteor and often OHKO standard 252 HP Celebi with Signal Beam, assuming Stealth Rock is up. Both Dragon Dance and special versions can outspeed and OHKO Timid Choice Scarf Latias in the rain, who causes Kabutops problems; however, Dragon Dance versions of Kingdra will need to use Outrage in order to beat Latias and therefore be stuck into it for a few turns, unless those Kingdra carry Draco Meteor. The special versions can also lure in both Celebi and Empoleon, always OHKOing the former with Signal Beam (with Stealth Rock support) and 2HKOing offensive versions of the latter with Hidden Power Electric, allowing Kabutops an easier time sweeping. Ludicolo is a great partner since it can deal with bulky Water-types who can trouble Kabutops if it can't get a Swords Dance up. It can also Ice Beam Breloom to its grave. Qwilfish works effectively as a partner since it OHKOes Celebi 100% of the time at +2 with a STAB Poison Jab. Also, they have similar Pokemon which trouble them, and Qwilfish Exploding on one of them could give Kabutops a chance to sweep.</p>

<p>The Rain Dance supporters who partner up best with Kabutops are those who resist its weaknesses to Electric-, Fighting-, Grass-, and Ground-type moves. Levitate Bronzong is immune to Ground-type attacks and resists Grass-type attacks, so it makes a great partner. It is also one of, if not the best, mid-game Rain Dance replenishers due to its lack of multiple weaknesses and great defenses. Latias resists or is immune to all of the aforementioned attacks which trouble Kabutops and therefore is among the best partners to Kabutops. Jolteon, Magnezone, Rotom-W, and Zapdos are all effective partners as they all resist many of the moves which trouble Kabutops and can fire off powerful Thunders at some of the troublesome bulky Water-types, such as Suicune. Scizor can take the Grass-type attacks aimed at Kabutops and also use Bullet Punch to deal with Abomasnow and Tyranitar whose abilities clear the rain, as well as having super effective Bug-type attacks to hit Celebi and Latias with.</p>


[Team Options]

<p>For support options, Rain Dance is needed to make Kabutops a big threat in OU. Many Pokemon can set this up, but for the lead slot, Azelf, Crobat, Electrode, and Zapdos are the best options, while for mid-game Rain Dance supporters, Bronzong, Rotom-W, and Scizor among others are valid candidates. Stealth Rock support is also very useful as it allows Kabutops to, for example, get a guaranteed OHKO on Skarmory with a +2 Waterfall in the rain. Azelf, Bronzong, Jirachi, and Swampert are the best options to set this up. Screen support from Pokemon such as Bronzong, Magnezone, and Rotom-W can be helpful to Kabutops as it makes it easier for it to get a Swords Dance up as well as letting it take hits better. Memento support from Uxie can give Kabutops an easier time setting up a Swords Dance.</p>

<p>For offensive support partners, other Swift Swim sweepers are best as they also take advantage of the rain. Kingdra is the best partner since its great mixed attacking power allows it to create holes in teams for Kabutops to exploit. It can also lure in Celebi and Empoleon and OHKO / 2HKO them with Signal Beam and Hidden Power Electric, respectively (assuming Stealth Rock is up in the former case), giving Kabutops an easier time sweeping. Ludicolo is also an effective partner since it can deal with bulky Water-types who can trouble Kabutops if it can't get off a Swords Dance. Ludicolo can also OHKO Breloom with Ice Beam. Qwilfish works well as a partner since Kabutops and it both have trouble with some similar Pokemon sometimes (such as bulky Water-types), so Qwilfish Exploding on one of them could open up an opportunity for Kabutops to sweep. Qwilfish also can easily OHKO Celebi with a +2 Poison Jab. Gorebyss and Omastar can also work, but their low Speed lets them down in OU. Floatzel is an acceptable partner, but the lack of Swords Dance usually makes Qwilfish the better choice to partner Kabutops.</p>

<p>For defensive support partners, Pokemon who can take Electric-, Fighting-, Grass-, and Ground-type attacks aimed at Kabutops and also set up Rain Dance reliably are the best options. Latias resists all of the aforementioned types so she makes an effective partner. Bronzong is probably the most reliable mid-game Rain Dance supporter so it also makes a great partner. It can also take Grass- and Ground-type attacks aimed at Kabutops. Scizor can deal with most Pokemon with abilities that change the weather so it is a reliable partner to Kabutops. It can also take Grass-type attacks aimed at Kabutops, while its STAB Bug-type attacks allow it to take care of Celebi and Choice Scarf Latias, who Kabutops hates. Swampert has a nice immunity to Electric-type attacks and benefits from the rain, so it is also a good partner. Lastly, Electric-type Pokemon, such as Jolteon, Magnezone, Rotom-W, and Zapdos, are also good partners since they can each take certain attacks that are commonly aimed at Kabutops, while their STAB Thunders can take care of most of the bulky Water-types which sometimes trouble Kabutops.</p>


[Optional Changes]

<p>Return and Aerial Ace are other attacking options for Kabutops, but have limited use in OU; a +2 Waterfall in the rain OHKOes most Breloom anyway. Kabutops can use a Focus Sash and set up Stealth Rock in the lead position, but there are better options for doing this in OU and for a Rain Dance team; it is better to stick to Azelf, Crobat, Electrode, or Jirachi for leading. Kabutops can set up Rain Dance itself, but the loss of a moveslot hurts it and there are better Pokemon to do this. Kabutops can use Endure / Substitute + Flail, but priority and the abundance of Choice Scarf users makes this hard to set up. Rapid Spin could be useful to get rid of entry hazards, but this is better left to Forretress, Starmie, and Tentacruel in OU. Knock Off is an option since getting rid of an opponent's Leftovers could prove useful, but this has limited use in OU. Surf and Hidden Power are possibilities for use on a mixed set, but Kabutops can usually get through most physical walls by using Swords Dance anyway, and its low base 65 Special Attack makes this even more unappealing.</p>

<p>Kabutops could run a Choice Band, sacrificing versatility for straight out power, but this is usually a bad idea since rain turns are precious and a misprediction when using a Choice Band could therefore prove costly. A Lum Berry could be used to stop status ending your sweep.</p>

<p>Running maximum Speed is fine should you wish to Speed tie with Adamant Mamoswine and outspeed the rare Modest Heatran. When using a Jolly nature, running maximum Speed is best as this Speed ties with Jolly Mamoswine. Jolly and 236 Speed EVs will outspeed Adamant Lucario, while running 192 Speed EVs will outspeed neutral natured Kingdra and other neutral base 85 Pokemon.</p>

[Counters]

<p>Not much can take repeated hits from Kabutops so it often depends on the move choice. Celebi is among the best counters if Kabutops lacks X-Scissor as even with Stealth Rock, it almost always survives a +2 Stone Edge and can then OHKO Kabutops with Grass Knot. Very bulky Breloom can deal with most Kabutops since a +2 Waterfall in the rain only does 66.6% - 78.4% to 236 HP / 248 Def +Defense nature Breloom, allowing it to easily take a hit then Seed Bomb Kabutops for the OHKO. Defensive Empoleon also does well since Waterfall can only manage 75.8% maximum at +2 in the rain, allowing Empoleon to take a hit and OHKO Kabutops with Grass Knot. More offensive Empoleon can do decently, but they have a chance of being OHKOed by a +2 Waterfall in the rain.</p>

<p>Bulky Water-types, such as Suicune, Swampert, and Vaporeon, can do decently as long as Kabutops has not got a Swords Dance up, although non-offensive Suicune and Vaporeon will need Kabutops to be slightly weakened to OHKO it. Choice Scarf Latias can outspeed and OHKO most Kabutops, but apart from Water-type moves, it generally can't switch in directly. Scizor can use Bullet Punch to finish off a weakened Kabutops, but it must be in high health to take an Aqua Jet in the rain from a +2 Kabutops. Shaymin can do well against Kabutops if Bold and with maximum or close to maximum HP and Defense EVs, as it will almost always survive a +2 Stone Edge, even with Stealth Rock support, and has around a 50% chance to survive a +2 X-Scissor with Stealth Rock up. It can then easily OHKO Kabutops with Seed Flare. Non-bulky versions of Shaymin won’t like Kabutops at +2, but they otherwise can take a hit and OHKO Kabutops with Seed Flare.</p>
 
[SET]
name: OU Swords Dancer
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Aqua Jet
item: Life Orb
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Adamant
evs: 52 HP / 252 Atk / 204 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Kabutops is a truly fearsome Swords Dancer in OU when Rain Dance is in effect and this set aims to take full advantage of that fact. Waterfall and Stone Edge are the main moves on this set, providing an awesome attacking combination resisted only by Breloom and Empoleon in OU. (This wording would suggest that these two are the only two Pokemon legal in OU who resist it, though Toxicroak and Poliwrath among others are still usable there - I'd change the wording to something like, "an awesome attacking combination, as the only two Pokemon commonly used in OU who resist both types are Breloom and Empoleon".) Aqua Jet finishes off the set by allowing Kabutops to OHKO Infernape before it hits you with Mach Punch or Vacuum Wave, do 73.9% minimum to Choice Scarf Gengar even without a Swords Dance boost (possible confusion), who outspeeds you even in the rain, and most important of all, it can hit Scizor before it Bullet Punches you, although it will need to be weakened a bit for you to OHKO at +2 in the rain as it does 74.3% - 87.8%. Priority is also just a useful thing to have in general since the rain won’t always be up. When it is raining, Waterfall will have a massive 180 Base Power and Aqua Jet 90 thanks to the boost to Water-type moves provided by the weather (specific).</p>

<p>Kabutops has a higher Attack stat than Qwilfish as well as Stone Edge which gives it an easier time against bulky Water-types, Gyarados, and Salamence. So while Qwilfish may have a powerful Explosion and the ability to absorb Toxic Spikes on entry, it usually won’t do as much damage to your opponent’s team as Kabutops can (conditional for continuity flow of the sentence). Although Aqua Jet is generally the preferred option in the last slot (replaced 'set'), there are some other possibilities. X-Scissor can be used since it has a high chance of OHKOing Celebi with Stealth Rock support, even before a Swords Dance. It also provides a more accurate attack to hit Latias and Starmie with, rather than relying on Stone Edge’s shaky accuracy. Low Kick, Superpower, and Brick Break are some Fighting-type alternatives that (replaced 'as they') hit Empoleon for super effective damage and hit most Fighting-weak Pokemon harder than Waterfall. Aqua Tail can replace Waterfall if you want even more power, at the cost of 10% accuracy, but Waterfall is usually strong enough and the accuracy loss can hurt at times. Rock Slide can be used over Stone Edge since it has slightly more reliable accuracy and a nice flinch rate, but the loss of power makes it unappealing.</p>

<p>The EVs are aimed at making Kabutops hit hard, while outspeeding as many important foes as possible. Max Attack is obvious, while 204 Speed EVs allows Kabutops to hit 247 Speed, outrunning anything up to and including +1 +nature base 100s, assuming Rain Dance is in effect. When rain isn’t up, it will outspeed Choice Scarf-less Tyranitar, and many others trying to just outspeed Tyranitar. The remaining EVs are dumped into HP to take hits better. Adamant nature is preferred for the extra power, but Jolly nature can be used should you wish to outrun Timid Choice Scarf Gengar and Latias while rain is up, and also outrun neutral natured Gyarados, Kingdra, and Lucario regardless of whether rain is up or not. Swift Swim is the obvious nature since it doubles Kabutops’ Speed to impressive levels, while Life Orb is used for the extra power necessary (replaced 'it provides' - makes it sound like it only works against important threats) against important threats such as Skarmory.</p>

<p>Kabutops’ teammates should all be centered around either sweeping in Rain Dance or setting it up. All versions of Kingdra are great partners to Kabutops for a few reasons. Mixed versions can easily OHKO Breloom with Draco Meteor and often OHKO standard 252 HP Celebi with Signal Beam, assuming Stealth Rock is up. Dragon Dance versions can outspeed and OHKO Timid Choice Scarf Latias in the Rain, who causes Kabutops problems, although they will need to use Outrage in order to beat Latias and therefore be stuck into it for a few turns, unless they have Draco Meteor. Special attacking Kingdra is a great partner too since it can outspeed Timid Choice Scarf Latias (you just said that...), who is one of Kabutops’ greatest threats, and OHKO 4 HP versions with Dragon Pulse, which OHKOes 100% of the time, assuming Stealth Rock is up. It can also lure in both Celebi and Empoleon; always OHKOing the former with Signal Beam (with Stealth Rock support) and 2HKOing Offensive versions of the latter with Hidden Power Electric, allowing Kabutops an easier time sweeping. Ludicolo is a great partner since it can deal with bulky Water-types who can trouble Kabutops if it can’t get a Swords Dance up. It can also Ice Beam Breloom to its grave. Qwilfish works effectively as a partner since it OHKOes Celebi 100% of the time at +2 with STAB Poison Jab. Also, they have similar Pokemon which trouble them, and Qwilfish Exploding on one of them could give Kabutops a chance to sweep.</p>

<p>The Rain Dance supporters that partner up best with Kabutops are those which resist its weaknesses to Electric-, Fighting-, Grass-, and Ground-type moves. Levitate Bronzong is immune to Ground-type attacks and resists Grass-type attacks so makes a great partner. It is also one of, if not the best mid-game Rain Dance replenisher. Latias resists or is immune to all of the aforementioned attacks which trouble Kabutops and therefore is among the best partners to Kabutops. Jolteon, Magnezone, Rotom-W, and Zapdos are all effective partners as they all resist many of the moves which trouble Kabutops and can fire off powerful Thunders at the bulky Water-types which trouble Kabutops if it can’t get off a Swords Dance. Scizor can take the Grass-type attacks aimed at Kabutops and also use Bullet Punch to deal with Abomasnow and Tyranitar whose abilities clear the rain, as well as having super effective Bug-type attacks to hit Celebi and Latias with.</p>

[Team Options]

<p>For support options, Rain Dance support is needed to make Kabutops a big threat in OU. In OU, many Pokemon can set this up, but for the lead slot, Azelf, Crobat, Electrode, and Zapdos are the best options, while for mid-game Rain Dance supporters, Bronzong, Rotom-W, and Scizor among others are the best options. Stealth Rock support is also very useful to allow Kabutops to, for example, get an almost guaranteed OHKO on Skarmory with a +2 Waterfall in the rain. Azelf, Bronzong, Jirachi, and Swampert are the best options to set this up. Screen support from Pokemon such as Bronzong, Magnezone, and Rotom-W can be helpful to Kabutops as it makes it easier for it to get a Swords Dance up as well as letting it take hits better. Memento support from Uxie can give Kabutops an easier time setting up a Swords Dance.</p>

<p>For offensive support partners, other Swift Swim sweepers are best as they also take advantage of the rain. Kingdra is the best partner since its great mixed attacking power allows it to create holes in teams for Kabutops to exploit. It can also lure in Celebi and Empoleon and OHKO / 2HKO them with Signal Beam and Hidden Power Electric respectively (assuming Stealth Rock is up in the former case) giving Kabutops an easier time sweeping. Ludicolo is also an effective partner since it can deal with bulky Water-types which can trouble Kabutops if it can’t get off a Swords Dance. Ludicolo can also OHKO Breloom with Ice Beam. Qwilfish works well as a partner since they both have trouble with some similar Pokemon sometimes, such as bulky Water-types, so Qwilfish Exploding on one of them could open up an opportunity for Kabutops to sweep. Qwilfish also can easily OHKO Celebi with a +2 Poison Jab. Gorebyss and Omastar can also work, but their low Speed lets them down in OU. Floatzel is an acceptable partner, but the lack of Swords Dance usually makes Qwilfish the better choice to partner Kabutops.</p>

<p>For defensive support partners, Pokemon which can take Electric-, Fighting-, Grass-, and Ground-type attacks aimed at Kabutops and also set up Rain Dance reliably are the best options. Latias resists all of the aforementioned types so makes an effective partner. Bronzong is probably the most reliable mid-game Rain Dance supporter so makes a great partner. It can also take Grass- and Ground-type attacks aimed at Kabutops. Scizor can deal with most Pokemon with abilities that change the weather so is a reliable partner to Kabutops. It can also take Grass-type attacks aimed at Kabutops, while its STAB Bug-type attacks allow it to take care of Celebi and Choice Scarf Latias, who Kabutops hates. Swampert has a nice immunity to Electric-type attacks and benefits from the Rain, so is also a good partner. Lastly, Electric-type Pokemon such as Jolteon, Magnezone, Rotom-W, and Zapdos are also good partners since they can each take certain attacks that are commonly aimed at Kabutops, while their STAB Thunders can take care of the bulky Water-types which sometimes trouble Kabutops.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Return and Aerial Ace are other attacking options for Kabutops, but have limited use in OU; a +2 Waterfall in the rain OHKOs most Breloom anyway. Kabutops can set up Stealth Rock itself, generally this would mean holding a Focus Sash and using Kabutops as a lead, but there are better options for doing this in OU and for a Rain Dance team, it is better to stick to Azelf, Crobat, Electrode, or Jirachi for leading. Kabutops can set up Rain Dance itself, but the loss of a moveslot hurts it and there are better Pokemon to do this. Kabutops can use Endure / Substitute + Flail, but priority and the abundance of Choice Scarf users makes this hard to set up. Rapid Spin could be useful to get rid of entry hazards, but this is better left to Forretress, Starmie, and Tentacruel in OU. Knock Off is an option since getting rid of an opponent’s Leftovers could prove useful, but this has limited use in OU. Surf and Hidden Power are possibilities for use on a mixed set, but Kabutops can usually get through most physical walls by using Swords Dance anyway, and its low base 65 SpA makes this even more unappealing.</p>

<p>Kabutops could run a Choice Band, sacrificing versatility for straight out power, but this is usually a bad idea since rain turns are precious and a misprediction when using a Choice Band could therefore prove costly. A Lum Berry could be used to stop status ending your sweep.</p>

[EVs]

<p>Adamant and 204 Speed EVs is preferred since this outspeeds +1 +Speed base 100s in the rain and Choice Scarf-less Tyranitar outside of the rain. Maximum Attack should always be used, with leftover thrown into HP to take hits slightly better. Running maximum Speed is fine though should you wish to Speed tie with Adamant Mamoswine and outspeed the rare Modest Heatran. When using a Jolly nature, running maximum Speed is best as this Speed ties with Jolly Mamoswine. Jolly and 236 Speed EVs will outspeed Adamant Lucario, while running 192 Speed EVs will outspeed neutral natured Kingdra and other neutral base 85 Pokemon.</p>

[Opinion]

<p>Kabutops is one of the best Rain Dance sweepers in OU. With an Attack stat even higher than Lucario’s (Lucario's attack isn't *really* that high though, I would think that "equal to that of Heracross" would convey the message better, but each to his own), it is no surprise it is so powerful. This extra power and the usefulness of Stone Edge are the main reasons why Kabutops is generally superior to Qwilfish as a Swords Dancer in the rain. The impressive combination of Water / Rock is not resisted by many, allowing Kabutops to rip through many teams with little effort. If you can keep the rain up, Kabutops will almost certainly do you proud, and if your opponent underestimates this beast, it will likely lead to their demise.</p>

[Counters]

<p>Not much can take repeated hits from Kabutops so it often depends on the move choice. Celebi is among the best counters if Kabutops lacks X-Scissor as even with Stealth Rock, it almost always survives a +2 Stone Edge and then can OHKO Kabutops with Grass Knot. Very bulky Breloom can deal with most Kabutops since a +2 Waterfall in the rain only does 66.6% - 78.4% to 236 HP / 248 Def +Defense nature Breloom, allowing it to easily take a hit then Seed Bomb Kabutops for the OHKO. Defensive Empoleon also does well since Waterfall can only manage 75.8% maximum at +2 in the rain allowing Empoleon to take a hit and OHKO Kabutops with Grass Knot. More offensive Empoleon can do alright, but they have a chance of being OHKOed by a +2 Waterfall in the rain.</p>

<p>Bulky Water-types such as Suicune, Swampert, and Vaporeon can do decently as long as Kabutops has not got a Swords Dance up, although non-Offensive Suicune and Vaporeon will need Kabutops to be slightly weakened to OHKO it. Choice Scarf Latias can outspeed and OHKO most Kabutops, but apart from Water-type moves, it generally can’t switch in directly. Scizor can use Bullet Punch to finish off a weakened Kabutops, but it must be in high health to take an Aqua Jet in the rain from a +2 Kabutops. Shaymin can do well against Kabutops if Bold and with maximum or close to maximum HP and Defense EVs, as it will almost always survive a +2 Stone Edge, even with Stealth Rock support, and has around a 50% chance to survive a +2 X-Scissor with Stealth Rock up. It can then easily OHKO Kabutops with Seed Flare. Non-bulky versions of Shaymin won’t like Kabutops at +2 but otherwise can take a hit and OHKO Kabutops with Seed Flare.</p>

<p>They may be UU and so uncommon in OU, but Quagsire, Toxicroak, and Poliwrath can all do well against Kabutops thanks to resisting Rock-type moves and being immune to Water-type moves, while hitting back with super effective attacks. Slowbro can deal with Kabutops well as maximum HP / Defense variations survive a +2 Stone Edge / X-Scissor if around maximum health and then can then either essentially end Kabutops’ sweep with Thunder Wave or finish off a weakened one with Surf. Milotic can’t take a +2 Stone Edge but otherwise can take a hit and then take out a weakened Kabutops.</p>

Joel sets the standard. Most of these are more flavour nitpicks than grammar corrections, but regardless, a very good analysis indeed from what I can see.
 
More offensive Empoleon can do alright, but they have a chance of being OHKOed by a +2 Waterfall in the rain

"All right" should never be one word.

Swift Swim is the obvious nature since it doubles Kabutops’ Speed to impressive levels

I think you mean ability, not nature.
 
This set, moreso than Qwilfish wants completely to be Jolly, especially considering Kabutops is more than capable of operating in Sandstorm.

Why? You outspeed Lucario and can smack it with Waterfall before it hits you with Close Combat. You also will outspeed Gyarados outside of rain, who can do fatal damage with Earthquake.

I really don't think 10% boost in power is worth the benefits reaped by switching to Jolly, and 236 Speed EVs, which puts your speed at 280 / 560. Furthermore, in the rain, you can eliminate the thought of ANYTHING outspeeding you. No Scarf Starmie, Azelf, Gengar, or Latias (who ALL carry Thunderbolt). Have a nice day.

This extra power and the usefulness of Stone Edge are the main reasons why Kabutops is generally superior to Qwilfish as a Swords Dancer in the rain.

I would remove this sentence because it does not help the analysis at all and is a questionable sentence in its own right. It is not a fact. Some people will prefer Qwilfish absorbing Toxic Spikes, resistence to common priority (Bullet Punch / Mach Punch), and the games biggest Trump Card in Swords Danced Explosion (say OHKO to anything?).
 
[SET]
name: OU Swords Dancer
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Aqua Jet
item: Life Orb
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Adamant
evs: 52 HP / 252 Atk / 204 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

...

<p>Kabutops has a higher Attack stat than Qwilfish as well as Stone Edge which gives it an easier time against bulky Water-types, Gyarados, and Salamence. So while Qwilfish may have a powerful Explosion and the ability to absorb Toxic Spikes on entry, it usually won’t do as much damage to your opponent’s team as Kabutops does. Although Aqua Jet is generally the preferred option in the last slot (over "set"), there are some other possibilities. X-Scissor can be used since it has a high chance of OHKOing Celebi with Stealth Rock support, even before a Swords Dance. It also provides a more accurate attack to hit Latias and Starmie with, rather than relying on Stone Edge’s shaky accuracy. Low Kick, Superpower, and Brick Break are some Fighting-type alternatives as they hit Empoleon for super effective damage and hit most Fighting-weak Pokemon harder than Waterfall. Aqua Tail can replace Waterfall if you want even more power at the cost of 10% accuracy, but Waterfall is usually strong enough and the accuracy loss can hurt at times. Rock Slide can be used over Stone Edge since it has slightly more reliable accuracy and a nice flinch rate, but the loss of power makes it unappealing.</p>

...

...
<p>The Rain Dance supporters who partner up best with Kabutops are those who resist its weaknesses to Electric-, Fighting-, Grass-, and Ground-type moves. Bronzong is immune to Ground-type attacks and resists Grass-type attacks so makes a great partner. It is also one of, if not the best mid-game Rain Dance replenisher. Latias resists or is immune to all of the aforementioned attacks which trouble Kabutops and therefore is among the best partners to Kabutops. Jolteon, Magnezone, Rotom-W, and Zapdos are all effective partners as they all resist many of the moves which trouble Kabutops and can fire off powerful Thunders at the bulky Water-types which trouble Kabutops if it can’t get off a Swords Dance. Scizor can take the Grass-type attacks aimed at Kabutops and also use Bullet Punch to deal with Abomasnow and Tyranitar whose abilities clear the rain, as well as having super effective Bug-type attacks to hit Celebi and Latias with.</p>[/COLOR]

[Team Options]

...

<p>For offensive support partners, other Swift Swim sweepers are best as they also take advantage of the rain. Kingdra is the best partner since its great mixed attacking power allows it to create holes in teams for Kabutops to exploit. It can also lure in Celebi and Empoleon and OHKO / 2HKO them with Signal Beam and Hidden Power Electric respectively (assuming Stealth Rock is up in the former case), (comma) giving Kabutops an easier time sweeping. Ludicolo is also an effective partner since it can deal with bulky Water-types who can trouble Kabutops if it can’t get off a Swords Dance. Ludicolo can also OHKO Breloom with Ice Beam. Qwilfish works well as a partner since they both have trouble with some similar Pokemon sometimes, such as bulky Water-types(you'll want to wrap this in parentheses or write the sentence differently) so Qwilfish Exploding on one of them could open up an opportunity for Kabutops to sweep. Qwilfish also can easily OHKO Celebi with a +2 Poison Jab. Goreyss and Omastar can also work, but their low Speed lets them down in OU. Floatzel is an acceptable partner, but the lack of Swords Dance usually makes Qwilfish the better choice to partner Kabutops.</p>

<p>For defensive support partners, Pokemon who can take Electric-, Fighting-, Grass-, and Ground-type attacks aimed at Kabutops and also set up Rain Dance reliably are the best options. Latias resists all of the aforementioned types so makes an effective partner. Bronzong is probably the most reliable mid-game Rain Dance supporter so makes a great partner. It can also take Grass- and Ground-type attacks aimed at Kabutops. Scizor can deal with most Pokemon with abilities that change the weather so is a reliable partner to Kabutops. It can also take Grass-type attacks aimed at Kabutops, while its STAB Bug-type attacks allow it to take care of Celebi and Choice Scarf Latias, who Kabutops hates. Swampert has a nice immunity to Electric-type attacks so is also a good partner. Lastly, Electric-type Pokemon such as Jolteon, Magnezone, Rotom-W, and Zapdos since they can each take certain attacks that are commonly aimed at Kabutops, while their STAB Thunders can take care of some of the bulky Water-types which sometimes trouble Kabutops.</p>[/COLOR]

[Other Options]

<p>Return and Aerial Ace are other attacking options for Kabutops, but have limited use in OU; a +2 Waterfall in the rain OHKOs most Breloom anyway. Kabutops can set up Stealth Rock itself, generally this would mean holding a Focus Sash and using Kabutops as a lead, but there are better options for doing this in OU and for a Rain Dance team, it is better to stick to Azelf, Crobat, Electrode, or Jirachi for leading.(You'll want to rework this sentence; I suggest adding a semicolon or cutting it into two sentences.) Kabutops can set up Rain Dance itself, but the loss of a moveslot hurts it and there are better Pokemon to do this. Kabutops can use Endure / Substitute + Flail, but priority and the abundance of Choice Scarf users makes this hard to set up. Rapid Spin could be useful to get rid of entry hazards, but this is better left to Forretress, Starmie, and Tentacruel in OU. Knock Off is an option since getting rid of an opponent’s Leftovers could prove useful, but this has limited use in OU. Surf and Hidden Power are possibilities for use on a mixed set, but Kabutops can usually get through most physical walls by using Swords Dance anyway, and its low base 65 SpA makes this even more unappealing.</p>

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[EVs]

...

[Opinion]

...

[Counters]

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yargh
 
Put in the corrections by bmb, jc104, and diinbong.

@RaikouLover - No, Adamant is more useful than Jolly since the vast majority of the time Kabutops is in play, the rain will be up (it's not that hard to keep it up really), and so this extra power is so helpful against Skarmory, Forretress, Scizor, Bronzong, and the list goes on and on. Yes, Jolly does have some benefits outside of rain such as outspeeding Adamant Lucario and when it is raining, outspeeding Timid Choice Scarf Latias is great but there are other ways of dealing with Latias, such as a faster Kingdra, etc (the others you mentioned are hardly used or hate Aqua Jet anyway). I've edited that bit you quoted to call them benefits rather than making Kabutops superior to Qwilfish.
 
Wouldn't an EV spread like this be better for the Swords Dancer? 32HP/252Atk/8Def/216Spe.

It hits a Life Orb number, the attack is obvious, the 8Def helps with priority, doesn't screw your LO number, and just gives more mileage than just putting it into HP. 216Spe outspeeds everything you said, although it works well for other Kabutops, and the fact that it can outspeed neutral natured base 75 pokemon without RD up.
 
Put in the corrections by bmb, jc104, and diinbong.

@RaikouLover - No, Adamant is more useful than Jolly since the vast majority of the time Kabutops is in play, the rain will be up (it's not that hard to keep it up really), and so this extra power is so helpful against Skarmory, Forretress, Scizor, Bronzong, and the list goes on and on. Yes, Jolly does have some benefits outside of rain such as outspeeding Adamant Lucario and when it is raining, outspeeding Timid Choice Scarf Latias is great but there are other ways of dealing with Latias, such as a faster Kingdra, etc (the others you mentioned are hardly used or hate Aqua Jet anyway). I've edited that bit you quoted to call them benefits rather than making Kabutops superior to Qwilfish.

I would agree with RaikouLover about running Jolly though, because faster revenge killers are out there. The extra power of Adamant is generally not needed, as a +2 Waterfall will usually do enough damage even at Jolly.

In the rain, Skarm is likely to get OHKO'd with Stealth Rock in play - 658 Atk vs 396 Def & 334 HP (80 Base Power): 277 - 327 (82.93% - 97.90%), Forretress can't do much to you apart from Explosion, which you resist, Scizor is OHKO'd (Bullet Punch won't kill you so long as you have decent health left) and so is Bronzong. In return for the slight power drop (Which is insignificant, really), you outspeed all potential revenge killers.

So, I'd suggest an EV spread of 32 HP / 252 Atk / 20 Def / 204 Spe with a Jolly nature, allowing you outspeed Scarf Starmie, which means nothing outspeeds this Kabutops (Unless they pull something stupid like Scarf Alakazam or something). 32 HP so you have a Life Orb number, max Attack is obvious, and dump the rest into Defense to take less from Bullet Punches coming from Scizor and stuff like that.
 
Wouldn't an EV spread like this be better for the Swords Dancer? 32HP/252Atk/8Def/216Spe.

It hits a Life Orb number, the attack is obvious, the 8Def helps with priority, doesn't screw your LO number, and just gives more mileage than just putting it into HP. 216Spe outspeeds everything you said, although it works well for other Kabutops, and the fact that it can outspeed neutral natured base 75 pokemon without RD up.

I have changed it to a Life Orb number but kept the spare in Defense, the only base 75 in OU is Smeargle which usually runs Jolly so extra Speed isn't so useful. More often than not the extra Defense will be better.

I would agree with RaikouLover about running Jolly though, because faster revenge killers are out there. The extra power of Adamant is generally not needed, as a +2 Waterfall will usually do enough damage even at Jolly.

In the rain, Skarm is likely to get OHKO'd with Stealth Rock in play - 658 Atk vs 396 Def & 334 HP (80 Base Power): 277 - 327 (82.93% - 97.90%), Forretress can't do much to you apart from Explosion, which you resist, Scizor is OHKO'd (Bullet Punch won't kill you so long as you have decent health left) and so is Bronzong. In return for the slight power drop (Which is insignificant, really), you outspeed all potential revenge killers.

So, I'd suggest an EV spread of 32 HP / 252 Atk / 20 Def / 204 Spe with a Jolly nature, allowing you outspeed Scarf Starmie, which means nothing outspeeds this Kabutops (Unless they pull something stupid like Scarf Alakazam or something). 32 HP so you have a Life Orb number, max Attack is obvious, and dump the rest into Defense to take less from Bullet Punches coming from Scizor and stuff like that.

Firstly, if you were to run Jolly, why would you make yourself slower than Adamant Lucario when those extra HP EVs are hardly as important as outspeeding it. Now, let me show you just some damage calculations (I could do a lot more) to show why this power drop is not insignificant:

Adamant Kabutops

+2 Stone Edge vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Bold Suicune: 69.3% - 81.9%
+2 Stone Edge vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Bold Vaporeon: 90.5% - 106.7%
+2 Stone Edge vs. 252 HP / 220 Def Bold Celebi: 78% - 92.1%
+2 Waterfall in rain vs 252 HP / 252 Def Relaxed Swampert: 97.5% - 114.9%
+2 Waterfall in rain vs 252 HP / 144 Def Impish Forretress: 88.1% - 103.7%
+2 Waterfall in rain vs 12 HP / 12 Def Empoleon: 89.7% - 105.8%
+2 Aqua Jet (+0 Waterfall) in rain vs 248 HP Scizor: 74.6% - 88.3%

Jolly Kabutops

+2 Stone Edge vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Bold Suicune: 63.1% - 74.5%
+2 Stone Edge vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Bold Vaporeon: 82.3% - 97.2%
+2 Stone Edge vs. 252 HP / 220 Def Bold Celebi: 71.3% - 83.9%
+2 Waterfall in rain vs 252 HP / 252 Def Relaxed Swampert: 89.1% - 105%
+2 Waterfall in rain vs 252 HP / 144 Def Impish Forretress: 80.5% - 94.9%
+2 Waterfall in rain vs 12 HP / 12 Def Empoleon: 81.7% - 96.2%
+2 Aqua Jet (+0 Waterfall) in rain vs 248 HP Scizor: 67.6% - 79.9%

As you can see the loss of power decreases the chance of an OHKO with Stealth Rock on many Pokemon and since you can't guarantee you will have Stealth Rock up, this makes the power loss hurt even more. Scizor can OHKO you with Superpower, before you launch an attack if your not at +2 as Waterfall with SR and a bit of prior damage will not OHKO it with Jolly, unlike Adamant, and when your weakened, due to the lower output of Aqua Jet, you are much more prone to it's Bullet Punch, etc. Now, the few Pokemon you outspeed with Jolly when it is raining (that are important) are: Timid Choice Scarf Latias, Timid Choice Scarf Starmie, and Timid Choice Scarf Gengar. Now the first one is nice to outspeed, but can't easily switch in due to being badly hurt by Stone Edge and not being able to recover off Waterfall damage, and also one of your Rain Dance supporters should be able to deal with it anyway. Now Choice Scarf Starmie may be nice to outspeed, but it's not that common really (12.6% of Starmie had it) and Ludicolo or Kingdra can take a hit and take it out anyway. Gengar can be hit with Aqua Jet, being OHKOed at +2 and with some prior damage without a SD. Now, the ones you outspeed with Jolly when the rain is not up (who are important) are Adamant Lucario, neutral Kingdra, and non Choice Scarf Heatran. I will admit that outspeeding Kingdra is nice, but with Jolly Stone Edge without a SD only does 69.9% - 82.5% anyway so your better off dealing with it another way. Heatran won't like Aqua Jet and the same goes for Lucario who takes 40.9% - 48.4% from Adamant if it's not raining, and 60.9% - 71.9% if Lucario has used Close Combat. This means it usually wouldn't be too much trouble late-game anyway unless you are very badly weakened that ExtremeSpeed would take you out.

So, Adamant is staying there as the main nature with Jolly mentioned in the Set Comments.
 
[Overview]

<p>Kabutops is one of the best Rain Dance sweepers in OU. With an Attack stat even higher than Lucario’s, it is no surprise that it is so powerful. This extra power and the usefulness of Stone Edge are Kabutops' main benefits over Qwilfish. The impressive combination of Water / Rock is not resisted by many, allowing Kabutops to rip through many teams with little effort. If you can keep the rain up, Kabutops will almost certainly do you proud, and if your opponent underestimates this beast, it will likely lead to their demise.</p>

<p>There may be some Pokemon that can cause it a few problems, but usually once Kabutops gets a Swords Dance off, your opponent better get ready for a painful experience.</p>

[SET]
name: OU Swords Dancer
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Aqua Jet
item: Life Orb
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Adamant
evs: 32 HP / 252 Atk / 20 Def / 204 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Kabutops is a truly fearsome Swords Dancer in OU when Rain Dance is in effect, and this set aims to take full advantage of that fact. Waterfall and Stone Edge are the main moves on this set, providing an awesome attacking combination as the only two Pokemon commonly used in OU who resist both types are Breloom and Empoleon. Aqua Jet finishes off the set by allowing Kabutops to OHKO Infernape before it hits you with Mach Punch or Vacuum Wave, does 74% minimum to Choice Scarf Gengar without a Swords Dance boost, who outspeeds you even in the rain, and most important of all, it can hit Scizor before it Bullet Punches you, although it will need to be weakened a bit for you to OHKO it at +2 in the rain, as it does 74.3% - 87.8%. Priority is also just a useful thing to have in general since the rain won’t always be up. When it is raining, Waterfall will have a massive 180 Base Power and Aqua Jet 90 thanks to the boost to Water-type moves provided by the weather.</p>

<p>Unlike Qwilfish, Kabutops has a higher Attack stat and access to Stone Edge which gives it an easier time against bulky Water- and Dragon-types, such as Gyarados and Salamence. So while Qwilfish may have a powerful Explosion and the ability to absorb Toxic Spikes on entry, it usually won't do as much damage to your opponent’s team as Kabutops can. Although Aqua Jet is generally the preferred option in the last slot, there are some other possibilities. X-Scissor can be used since it has a high chance of OHKOing Celebi with Stealth Rock support, even before a Swords Dance. It also provides a more accurate attack to hit Latias and Starmie with, rather than relying on Stone Edge’s shaky accuracy. Low Kick, Superpower, and Brick Break are some Fighting-type alternatives that hit Empoleon for super effective damage and hit most Fighting-weak Pokemon harder than Waterfall. Aqua Tail can replace Waterfall if you want even more power, at the cost of 10% accuracy, but Waterfall is usually strong enough and the accuracy loss from Aqua Tail can hurt at times. Rock Slide can be used over Stone Edge since it has slightly more reliable accuracy and a nice flinch rate, but the loss of power makes it unappealing.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs are aimed at making Kabutops hit hard, while outspeeding as many important foes as possible. Max Attack is obvious, while 204 Speed EVs allows Kabutops to hit 247 Speed, outrunning anything up to and including +1 +nature base 100s, assuming Rain Dance is in effect. When rain isn’t up, it will outspeed Choice Scarf-less Tyranitar, and many others trying to just outspeed Tyranitar. 32 HP EVs give a Life Orb number, while the rest is put into Defense to take physical hits slightly better. An Adamant nature is preferred for the extra power, but a Jolly nature can be used should you wish to outrun Timid Choice Scarf Gengar and Latias while rain is up, and also outrun neutral natured Gyarados, Kingdra, and Lucario regardless of whether the rain is up or not. Swift Swim is the obvious ability since it doubles Kabutops’ Speed to impressive levels, while Life Orb is used for the extra power that is necessary against important threats, such as Skarmory.</p>

<p>Kabutops’ teammates should all be centered around either sweeping in Rain Dance or setting it up. All versions of Kingdra are great partners to Kabutops for a few reasons. Mixed versions can easily OHKO Breloom with Draco Meteor and often OHKO standard 252 HP Celebi with Signal Beam, assuming Stealth Rock is up. Dragon Dance versions can outspeed and OHKO Timid Choice Scarf Latias in the rain, who causes Kabutops problems; however, Kingdra will need to use Outrage in order to beat Latias and therefore be stuck into it for a few turns, unless Kingdra has Draco Meteor. Special attacking variations are great partners too since they can outspeed Timid Choice Scarf Latias, who is one of Kabutops’ greatest threats, and OHKO 4 HP versions with Dragon Pulse 100% of the time, assuming Stealth Rock is up. (you already mentioned Kingdra beating Latias, no need to say it again) It can also lure in both Celebi and Empoleon; always OHKOing the former with Signal Beam (with Stealth Rock support) and 2HKOing [Bo]ffensive[/B] versions of the latter with Hidden Power Electric, allowing Kabutops an easier time sweeping. Ludicolo is a great partner since it can deal with bulky Water-types who can trouble Kabutops if it can’t get a Swords Dance up. It can also Ice Beam Breloom to its grave. Qwilfish works effectively as a partner since it OHKOes Celebi 100% of the time at +2 with a STAB Poison Jab. Also, they have similar Pokemon which trouble them, and Qwilfish Exploding on one of them could give Kabutops a chance to sweep.</p>

<p>The Rain Dance supporters who partner up best with Kabutops are those who resist its weaknesses to Electric-, Fighting-, Grass-, and Ground-type moves. Levitate Bronzong is immune to Ground-type attacks and resists Grass-type attacks, so it makes a great partner. It is also one of, if not the best, mid-game Rain Dance replenishers. Latias resists or is immune to all of the aforementioned attacks which trouble Kabutops and therefore is among the best partners to Kabutops. Jolteon, Magnezone, Rotom-W, and Zapdos are all effective partners as they all resist many of the moves which trouble Kabutops and can fire off powerful Thunders at the bulky Water-types which trouble Kabutops if it can’t get off a Swords Dance. Scizor can take the Grass-type attacks aimed at Kabutops and also use Bullet Punch to deal with Abomasnow and Tyranitar whose abilities clear the rain, as well as having super effective Bug-type attacks to hit Celebi and Latias with.</p>


[Team Options]

<p>For support options, Rain Dance is needed to make Kabutops a big threat in OU. Many Pokemon can set this up, but for the lead slot, Azelf, Crobat, Electrode, and Zapdos are the best options, while for mid-game Rain Dance supporters, Bronzong, Rotom-W, and Scizor among others are the best options. Stealth Rock support is also very useful to allow Kabutops to, for example, get an almost guaranteed OHKO on Skarmory with a +2 Waterfall in the rain. Azelf, Bronzong, Jirachi, and Swampert are the best options to set this up. Screen support from Pokemon such as Bronzong, Magnezone, and Rotom-W can be helpful to Kabutops as it makes it easier for it to get a Swords Dance up as well as letting it take hits better. Memento support from Uxie can give Kabutops an easier time setting up a Swords Dance.</p>

<p>For offensive support partners, other Swift Swim sweepers are best as they also take advantage of the rain. Kingdra is the best partner since its great mixed attacking power allows it to create holes in teams for Kabutops to exploit. It can also lure in Celebi and Empoleon and OHKO / 2HKO them with Signal Beam and Hidden Power Electric, respectively (assuming Stealth Rock is up in the former case), giving Kabutops an easier time sweeping. Ludicolo is also an effective partner since it can deal with bulky Water-types who can trouble Kabutops if it can’t get off a Swords Dance. Ludicolo can also OHKO Breloom with Ice Beam. Qwilfish works well as a partner since Kabutops and it both have trouble with some similar Pokemon sometimes (such as bulky Water-types), so Qwilfish Exploding on one of them could open up an opportunity for Kabutops to sweep. Qwilfish also can easily OHKO Celebi with a +2 Poison Jab. Gorebyss and Omastar can also work, but their low Speed lets them down in OU. Floatzel is an acceptable partner, but the lack of Swords Dance usually makes Qwilfish the better choice to partner Kabutops.</p>

<p>For defensive support partners, Pokemon who can take Electric-, Fighting-, Grass-, and Ground-type attacks aimed at Kabutops and also set up Rain Dance reliably are the best options. Latias resists all of the aforementioned types so she makes an effective partner. Bronzong is probably the most reliable mid-game Rain Dance supporter so it makes a great partner. It can also take Grass- and Ground-type attacks aimed at Kabutops. Scizor can deal with most Pokemon with abilities that change the weather so it is a reliable partner to Kabutops. It can also take Grass-type attacks aimed at Kabutops, while its STAB Bug-type attacks allow it to take care of Celebi and Choice Scarf Latias, who Kabutops hates. Swampert has a nice immunity to Electric-type attacks and benefits from the rain, so is also a good partner. Lastly, Electric-type Pokemon, such as Jolteon, Magnezone, Rotom-W, and Zapdos, are also good partners since they can each take certain attacks that are commonly aimed at Kabutops, while their STAB Thunders can take care of most of the bulky Water-types which sometimes trouble Kabutops.</p>


[Optional Changes]

<p>Return and Aerial Ace are other attacking options for Kabutops, but have limited use in OU; a +2 Waterfall in the rain OHKOes most Breloom anyway. Kabutops can set up Stealth Rock itself, generally this would mean holding a Focus Sash and using Kabutops as a lead, but there are better options for doing this in OU and for a Rain Dance team; it is better to stick to Azelf, Crobat, Electrode, or Jirachi for leading. Kabutops can set up Rain Dance itself, but the loss of a moveslot hurts it and there are better Pokemon to do this. Kabutops can use Endure / Substitute + Flail, but priority and the abundance of Choice Scarf users makes this hard to set up. Rapid Spin could be useful to get rid of entry hazards, but this is better left to Forretress, Starmie, and Tentacruel in OU. Knock Off is an option since getting rid of an opponent’s Leftovers could prove useful, but this has limited use in OU. Surf and Hidden Power are possibilities for use on a mixed set, but Kabutops can usually get through most physical walls by using Swords Dance anyway, and its low base 65 Special Attack makes this even more unappealing.</p>

<p>Kabutops could run a Choice Band, sacrificing versatility for straight out power, but this is usually a bad idea since rain turns are precious and a misprediction when using a Choice Band could therefore prove costly. A Lum Berry could be used to stop status ending your sweep.</p>

<p>[Adamant and 204 Speed EVs is preferred since this outspeeds +1 +Speed base 100s in the rain and Choice Scarf-less Tyranitar outside of the rain.] Maximum Attack should always be used, with leftover thrown into HP to take hits slightly better. (you don't need to say this, you already did. This is for OTHER EVs only) Running maximum Speed is fine though should you wish to Speed tie with Adamant Mamoswine and outspeed the rare Modest Heatran. When using a Jolly nature, running maximum Speed is best as this Speed ties with Jolly Mamoswine. Jolly and 236 Speed EVs will outspeed Adamant Lucario, while running 192 Speed EVs will outspeed neutral natured Kingdra and other neutral base 85 Pokemon.</p>

[Counters]

<p>Not much can take repeated hits from Kabutops so it often depends on the move choice. Celebi is among the best counters if Kabutops lacks X-Scissor as even with Stealth Rock, it almost always survives a +2 Stone Edge and can then OHKO Kabutops with Grass Knot. Very bulky Breloom can deal with most Kabutops since a +2 Waterfall in the rain only does 66.6% - 78.4% to 236 HP / 248 Def +Defense nature Breloom, allowing it to easily take a hit then Seed Bomb Kabutops for the OHKO. Defensive Empoleon also does well since Waterfall can only manage 75.8% maximum at +2 in the rain, allowing Empoleon to take a hit and OHKO Kabutops with Grass Knot. More offensive Empoleon can do decently, but they have a chance of being OHKOed by a +2 Waterfall in the rain.</p>

<p>Bulky Water-types, such as Suicune, Swampert, and Vaporeon, can do decently as long as Kabutops has not got a Swords Dance up, although non-offensive Suicune and Vaporeon will need Kabutops to be slightly weakened to OHKO it. Choice Scarf Latias can outspeed and OHKO most Kabutops, but apart from Water-type moves, it generally can’t switch in directly. Scizor can use Bullet Punch to finish off a weakened Kabutops, but it must be in high health to take an Aqua Jet in the rain from a +2 Kabutops. Shaymin can do well against Kabutops if Bold and with maximum or close to maximum HP and Defense EVs, as it will almost always survive a +2 Stone Edge, even with Stealth Rock support, and has around a 50% chance to survive a +2 X-Scissor with Stealth Rock up. It can then easily OHKO Kabutops with Seed Flare. Non-bulky versions of Shaymin won’t like Kabutops at +2, but they otherwise can take a hit and OHKO Kabutops with Seed Flare.</p>

<p>[They may be UU and so uncommon in OU] (what?), but Quagsire, Toxicroak, and Poliwrath can all do well against Kabutops thanks to resisting Rock-type moves and being immune to Water-type moves, while hitting back with super effective attacks. Slowbro can deal with Kabutops well as maximum HP / Defense variations survive a +2 Stone Edge / X-Scissor if around maximum health and then can then either essentially end Kabutops’ sweep with Thunder Wave or finish off a weakened one with Surf. Milotic can’t take a +2 Stone Edge but otherwise can take a hit and then take out a weakened Kabutops. Hitmontop has Intimidate to lower Kabutops' Attack and can take it out with Close Combat or more offensive versions can use Mach Punch if Kabutops is slightly weakened.</p>

I don't think the above paragraph is necessary. Kabutops is going to have a UU analysis for all UU talk. Tabs are coming soon, so you're better off to remove them now.

Great job Joel!

There's one thing I noticed throughout the analysis, your ' marks look different. These are what yours look like: ’. These are Smogon's: '. Maybe you should change them? I'm not sure if you have to though.
 
Changes in Blue.
Comments in Red.
The special versions can also lure in both Celebi and Empoleon, Omitted apostrophe always OHKOing the former with Signal Beam (with Stealth Rock support) and 2HKOing offensive versions of the latter with Hidden Power Electric, allowing Kabutops an easier time sweeping.

Stealth Rock support is also very useful as it allows Kabutops to, for example, get a guaranteed OHKO on Skarmory with a +2 Waterfall in the rain. +2 Waterfall in the rain vs. 252/176 positive Skarmory: 91.62% - 107.78%, an OHKO w/ SR

Kabutops can use a Focus Sash and set up Stealth Rock in the lead position, Sentence seemed convoluted but there are better options for doing this in OU and for a Rain Dance team; it is better to stick to Azelf, Crobat, Electrode, or Jirachi for leading.

Very bulky Breloom can deal with most Kabutops since a +2 Waterfall in the rain only does 66.6% - 78.4% to 236 HP / 248 Def +Defense nature Breloom, allowing it to easily take a hit then Seed Bomb Kabutops for the OHKO. Assuming Breloom is switching into the SD, I would not consider Breloom a straight up Counter Defensive Empoleon also does well since Waterfall can only manage 75.8% maximum at +2 in the rain, allowing Empoleon to take a hit and OHKO Kabutops with Grass Knot. Again, doesn't seem very solid, but I suppose not much can take hits from Kabutops
Most of the changes were personal or metagame influenced, where other more experienced battlers could help for the latter. Quite flawless, otherwise.

Hope I helped.
 
Overview and OU Swords Dancer
comments

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nice job!
[Overview]

<p>Kabutops is one of the best Rain Dance sweepers in OU. With an Attack stat even higher than Lucario's, it is no surprise that it is so powerful. This extra power and the combined with the usefulness of Stone Edge are Kabutops' main benefits over Qwilfish. The impressive combination of Water / Rock is not resisted by many, allowing Kabutops to rip through many teams with little effort. If you can keep the rain up, Kabutops will almost certainly do you proud, and if your opponent underestimates this beast, it will likely lead to their demise.</p>

<p>There may be some are Pokemon that can cause it a few problems, but usually once Kabutops gets a Swords Dance off, your opponent better get ready for a painful experience.</p>

[SET]
name: OU Swords Dancer
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Aqua Jet
item: Life Orb
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Adamant
evs: 32 HP / 252 Atk / 20 Def / 204 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Kabutops is a truly fearsome Swords Dancer in OU when Rain Dance is in effect, and this set aims to take full advantage of that fact. Waterfall and Stone Edge are the main primary moves on this set, providing an awesome attacking combination as the only two Pokemon commonly used in OU who resist both types are Breloom and Empoleon. Aqua Jet finishes off the set by allowing Kabutops to OHKO Infernape before it hits you with Mach Punch or Vacuum Wave. Not to mention it does 74% minimum to Choice Scarf Gengar without a Swords Dance boost, who outspeeds you even in the rain. and Most important of all, it can hit Scizor before it Bullet Punches you, although it will need to be weakened a bit for you to OHKO it at +2 in the rain, as it does 74.3% - 87.8%. (huge run on.)Priority is also just a useful thing to have in general since the rain won’t always be up. When it is raining, Waterfall will have a massive 180 Base Power and Aqua Jet 90 thanks to the boost to Water-type moves provided by the weather.</p>

<p>Unlike Qwilfish, Kabutops has a higher Attack stat and access to Stone Edge which gives it an easier time against bulky Water- and Dragon-types, such as Gyarados and Salamence. So while Qwilfish may have a powerful Explosion and the ability to absorb Toxic Spikes on entry, it usually won't do as much damage to your opponent’s team as Kabutops can. Although Aqua Jet is generally the preferred option in the last slot, there are some other possibilities. X-Scissor can be used since it has a high chance of OHKOing Celebi with Stealth Rock support, even before a Swords Dance. It also provides a more accurate attack to hit Latias and Starmie with, rather than relying on Stone Edge’s shaky accuracy. Low Kick, Superpower, and Brick Break are some Fighting-type alternatives that hit Empoleon for super effective damage and hit most Fighting-weak Pokemon harder than Waterfall. Aqua Tail can replace Waterfall if you want even more power, at the cost of 10% accuracy, but Waterfall is usually strong enough and the accuracy loss from Aqua Tail can hurt at times. Rock Slide can be used over Stone Edge since it has slightly more reliable accuracy and a nice flinch rate, but the loss of power makes it unappealing.</p>
 
Some grammar/comments.

OU Swords Dancer said:
<p>Kabutops is a truly fearsome Swords Dancer in OU when Rain Dance is in effect, and this set aims to take full advantage of that. Waterfall and Stone Edge are the primary moves on this set, providing an awesome attacking combination as the only two Pokemon commonly used in OU who resist both types are Breloom and Empoleon. Aqua Jet finishes off the set by allowing Kabutops to OHKO most priority users like Infernape before it hits you with Mach Punch or Vacuum Wave, (comma) not to mention it does 74% minimum to Choice Scarf Gengar without a Swords Dance boost, who outspeeds you even in the rain. Most important of all, it can hit Scizor before it Bullet Punches you, although it will need to be weakened a bit for you to OHKO it at +2 in the rain, as it does 74.3% - 87.8%. Priority is also just a useful thing to have in general since the rain won’t always be up. When it is raining, Waterfall will have a massive 180 Base Power with Aqua Jet at 90 thanks to the boost to Water-type moves provided by the weather.</p>

I think going more global in the first part would be better. I went with "most" since there are possible priority users like Aqua Jet Empoleon/Azumarill.

Second fix is just correcting a run-on.

At the last points, they are mostly just flow changes. I really disliked "and Aqua Jet 90". It sounds "slangish" honestly.

OU Swords Dancer said:
<p>Unlike Qwilfish, Kabutops has a higher Attack stat and access to Stone Edge which gives it an easier time against bulky Water- and Dragon-types, such as Gyarados and Salamence. So (delete) While Qwilfish may have a powerful Explosion and the ability to absorb Toxic Spikes on entry, it usually won't do as much damage to your opponent’s team as Kabutops can. Although Aqua Jet is generally the preferred option in the last slot, there are some other possibilities. X-Scissor can be used since it has a high chance of OHKOing Celebi with Stealth Rock support, even before a Swords Dance. It also provides a more accurate attack to hit Latias and Starmie with, rather than relying on Stone Edge’s shaky accuracy. Low Kick, Superpower, and Brick Break are some Fighting-type alternatives that hit Empoleon for super effective damage and hit most Fighting-weak Pokemon harder than Waterfall. Aqua Tail can replace Waterfall if you want even more power, at the cost of 10% accuracy, but Waterfall is usually strong enough and the accuracy loss from Aqua Tail can hurt at times (maybe mention the flinch rate's usefulness here). Rock Slide can be used over Stone Edge since it has slightly more reliable accuracy and a nice flinch rate, but the loss of power makes it unappealing.</p>

"So" is not necessary here since it acts as an extra fat word at the start of the sentence.

OU Swords Dancer said:
<p>Kabutops' teammates should all be centered around either sweeping in Rain Dance or setting it up. All versions of Kingdra are great partners to Kabutops for a few reasons. Mixed versions can easily OHKO Breloom with Draco Meteor and often OHKO standard 252 HP Celebi with Signal Beam, assuming Stealth Rock is up. Both Dragon Dance and special versions can outspeed and OHKO Timid Choice Scarf Latias in the rain, who causes Kabutops problems; however, Dragon Dance versions of Kingdra will need to use Outrage in order to beat Latias and therefore be stuck into it for a few turns, unless those Kingdra carry Draco Meteor. The special versions can also lure in both Celebi and Empoleon, always OHKOing the former with Signal Beam (with Stealth Rock support) and 2HKOing offensive versions of the latter with Hidden Power Electric, allowing Kabutops an easier time sweeping. Ludicolo is a great partner since it can deal with bulky Water-types who can trouble Kabutops if it can't get a Swords Dance up. It can also Ice Beam Breloom to its grave. Qwilfish works effectively as a partner since it OHKOes Celebi 100% of the time at +2 with a STAB Poison Jab. Also, they have similar Pokemon which trouble them, and Qwilfish Exploding on one of them could give Kabutops a chance to sweep.</p>

I don't know what "it" is referring to in this line. It could be Latias, so this change is needed to prevent confusion.

OU Swords Dancer said:
<p>The Rain Dance supporters who partner up best with Kabutops are those who resist its weaknesses to Electric-, Fighting-, Grass-, and Ground-type moves. Levitate Bronzong is immune to Ground-type attacks and resists Grass-type attacks, so it makes a great partner. It is also one of, if not the best, mid-game Rain Dance replenishers due to its lack of multiple weaknesses and great defenses (one may ask "why?"). Latias resists or is immune to all of the aforementioned attacks which trouble Kabutops and therefore is among the best partners to Kabutops. Jolteon, Magnezone, Rotom-W, and Zapdos are all effective partners as they all resist many of the moves which trouble Kabutops and can fire off powerful Thunders at the bulky Water-types which trouble Kabutops (would remove this repetitive part) if it can’t get off a Swords Dance. Scizor can take the Grass-type attacks aimed at Kabutops and also use Bullet Punch to deal with Abomasnow and Tyranitar whose abilities clear the rain, as well as having super effective Bug-type attacks to hit Celebi and Latias with.</p>

Team Options said:
<p>For support options, Rain Dance is needed to make Kabutops a big threat in OU. Many Pokemon can set this up, but for the lead slot, Azelf, Crobat, Electrode, and Zapdos are the best options, while for mid-game Rain Dance supporters, Bronzong, Rotom-W, and Scizor among others are valid candidates. Stealth Rock support is also very useful as it allows Kabutops to, for example, get a guaranteed OHKO on Skarmory with a +2 Waterfall in the rain. Azelf, Bronzong, Jirachi, and Swampert are the best options to set this up. Screen support from Pokemon such as Bronzong, Magnezone, and Rotom-W can be helpful to Kabutops as it makes it easier for it to get a Swords Dance up as well as letting it take hits better. Memento support from Uxie can give Kabutops an easier time setting up a Swords Dance.</p>

Getting rid of repetition.

Team Options said:
<p>For defensive support partners, Pokemon who can take Electric-, Fighting-, Grass-, and Ground-type attacks aimed at Kabutops and also set up Rain Dance reliably are the best options. Latias resists all of the aforementioned types so she makes an effective partner. Bronzong is probably the most reliable mid-game Rain Dance supporter so it also makes a great partner. It can also take Grass- and Ground-type attacks aimed at Kabutops. Scizor can deal with most Pokemon with abilities that change the weather so it is a reliable partner to Kabutops. It can also take Grass-type attacks aimed at Kabutops, while its STAB Bug-type attacks allow it to take care of Celebi and Choice Scarf Latias, who Kabutops hates. Swampert has a nice immunity to Electric-type attacks and benefits from the rain, so it is also a good partner. Lastly, Electric-type Pokemon, such as Jolteon, Magnezone, Rotom-W, and Zapdos, are also good partners since they can each take certain attacks that are commonly aimed at Kabutops, while their STAB Thunders can take care of most of the bulky Water-types which sometimes trouble Kabutops.</p>

Making it less dull...

Missing word.
 
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