jake
underdog of the year
hi im sawk i have one set and its just cc spam
[Overview]
<p>Sawk has cemented its place in NU as a superb revenge killer, and perhaps as the best Choice item user in the tier. It is the reason why Pokemon with Fighting-type resistances have become so popular—with an immense base 125 Attack stat and STAB Close Combat, Sawk is capable of shredding unprepared teams. Its base 85 Speed is also considered one of the fastest in NU, meaning Sawk can have plenty of success whether it's using a Choice Band to crush the opposition or a Choice Scarf to outspeed popular threats, such as Swellow. Sawk also has access to a useful ability in Sturdy, which allows it to withstand a potentially fatal hit if it's at full health. However, Sawk's sparse movepool renders it fairly predictable and easy to prepare for; whenever it enters the fray, a Close Combat is almost sure to follow. This by no means makes Sawk an inferior option to other revenge killers, as it maintains both extraordinary power and longevity.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Toxic / Reversal
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Band
ability: Sturdy
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Sawk has an excellent build to abuse Choice items—a massive base 125 Attack coupled with a solid Speed stat allow it to use either Choice Scarf or Choice Band effectively. The selection of item depends on which role Sawk is expected to play on your team; equipping Sawk with a Choice Band allows it to act as a powerful wallbreaker, whereas Sawk becomes a terrific revenge killer when given a Choice Scarf. Close Combat is the cornerstone to any set Sawk can run, as the threat of it alone is often enough to scare off any Pokemon that doesn't resist Fighting. Stone Edge provides complimentary coverage to Close Combat, nailing the Flying-types that resist it as well as providing Sawk a method to hit Ghost-types. Earthquake catches Poison-types who resist Close Combat, such as Garbodor and Muk. The fourth moveslot is down to preference as you will hardly find reason to use it, but Toxic is particularly useful because it surprises several common switch-ins, notably Misdreavus and Alomomola. Reversal is Sawk's most powerful attack when Sturdy has activated, though the prevalence of Stealth Rock in NU often leaves it useless.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs maximize both Attack and Speed, then drop the last point in bulk. Adamant is an option over Jolly, though Sawk misses out on outspeeding a huge number of NU threats including opposing Sawk, Magmortar, Altaria, Braviary, and even Jolly Absol. Sawk has very few viable moves outside of those listed—this is, quite frankly, the best you get. Sawk would also prefer no hazards on its side of the field in order to keep Sturdy intact, meaning Rapid Spin users such as Cryogonal and Wartortle make great partners. While Sawk's Close Combat is very strong, physically defensive behemoths such as Weezing, Eviolite Misdreavus, and Alomomola have little to no issue handling it. Many of Sawk's counters rely on burning it, so a teammate that can absorb a Will-O-Wisp and break down physical walls, such as Magmortar, would be excellent. Lastly, faster Choice Scarf users, such as Jynx or Rotom-S, can outspeed any variant of Sawk and OHKO with Psychic and Air Slash, respectively. For this reason, it would be a good idea to carry Pokemon that can switch in and sponge these attacks, such as Lickilicky or Camerupt.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Sawk has a very small movepool, so there are few other viable options. Bulk Up is the best boosting move that Sawk has access to, though its mediocre defenses make a boosting set unreliable. Sawk would also much rather use a free turn to spam Close Combat than to attempt to set up. Inner Focus might appear viable, but Sturdy is superior in every way. This is because there are no common flinch-inducing moves in the tier. A Fist Plate set is worth consideration to feign a Choice item, but many of Sawk's counters are not bothered by any of its coverage moves, making this gambit somewhat dubious. Counter has very natural synergy with Sturdy, but Sawk already outpaces many physical threats in NU and would prefer to simply go on the offensive to avoid taking unnecessary damage.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Eviolite Misdreavus and Weezing are the two best counters that NU can offer, and take little damage from Sawk's coverage moves. Weezing is also immune to Toxic, and Misdreavus can use Heal Bell to cure it. Bulky Psychic-types such as Duosion, Musharna, and Mesprit are superb counters, as they can all handle anything Sawk throws at them and OHKO back with their STAB moves. Choice Band Sawk sets are beaten by opposing Choice Scarf users, such as Jynx and Rotom-S, who can prey on Close Combat's Defense and Special Defense drops; the Choice Scarf variants can be beaten in the same manner, but are much harder to outspeed. Priority moves can easily pick Sawk off after it uses Close Combat—even Absol's Sucker Punch can KO after a few Defense drops.</p>
[Overview]
<p>Sawk has cemented its place in NU as a superb revenge killer, and perhaps as the best Choice item user in the tier. It is the reason why Pokemon with Fighting-type resistances have become so popular—with an immense base 125 Attack stat and STAB Close Combat, Sawk is capable of shredding unprepared teams. Its base 85 Speed is also considered one of the fastest in NU, meaning Sawk can have plenty of success whether it's using a Choice Band to crush the opposition or a Choice Scarf to outspeed popular threats, such as Swellow. Sawk also has access to a useful ability in Sturdy, which allows it to withstand a potentially fatal hit if it's at full health. However, Sawk's sparse movepool renders it fairly predictable and easy to prepare for; whenever it enters the fray, a Close Combat is almost sure to follow. This by no means makes Sawk an inferior option to other revenge killers, as it maintains both extraordinary power and longevity.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Toxic / Reversal
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Band
ability: Sturdy
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Sawk has an excellent build to abuse Choice items—a massive base 125 Attack coupled with a solid Speed stat allow it to use either Choice Scarf or Choice Band effectively. The selection of item depends on which role Sawk is expected to play on your team; equipping Sawk with a Choice Band allows it to act as a powerful wallbreaker, whereas Sawk becomes a terrific revenge killer when given a Choice Scarf. Close Combat is the cornerstone to any set Sawk can run, as the threat of it alone is often enough to scare off any Pokemon that doesn't resist Fighting. Stone Edge provides complimentary coverage to Close Combat, nailing the Flying-types that resist it as well as providing Sawk a method to hit Ghost-types. Earthquake catches Poison-types who resist Close Combat, such as Garbodor and Muk. The fourth moveslot is down to preference as you will hardly find reason to use it, but Toxic is particularly useful because it surprises several common switch-ins, notably Misdreavus and Alomomola. Reversal is Sawk's most powerful attack when Sturdy has activated, though the prevalence of Stealth Rock in NU often leaves it useless.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs maximize both Attack and Speed, then drop the last point in bulk. Adamant is an option over Jolly, though Sawk misses out on outspeeding a huge number of NU threats including opposing Sawk, Magmortar, Altaria, Braviary, and even Jolly Absol. Sawk has very few viable moves outside of those listed—this is, quite frankly, the best you get. Sawk would also prefer no hazards on its side of the field in order to keep Sturdy intact, meaning Rapid Spin users such as Cryogonal and Wartortle make great partners. While Sawk's Close Combat is very strong, physically defensive behemoths such as Weezing, Eviolite Misdreavus, and Alomomola have little to no issue handling it. Many of Sawk's counters rely on burning it, so a teammate that can absorb a Will-O-Wisp and break down physical walls, such as Magmortar, would be excellent. Lastly, faster Choice Scarf users, such as Jynx or Rotom-S, can outspeed any variant of Sawk and OHKO with Psychic and Air Slash, respectively. For this reason, it would be a good idea to carry Pokemon that can switch in and sponge these attacks, such as Lickilicky or Camerupt.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Sawk has a very small movepool, so there are few other viable options. Bulk Up is the best boosting move that Sawk has access to, though its mediocre defenses make a boosting set unreliable. Sawk would also much rather use a free turn to spam Close Combat than to attempt to set up. Inner Focus might appear viable, but Sturdy is superior in every way. This is because there are no common flinch-inducing moves in the tier. A Fist Plate set is worth consideration to feign a Choice item, but many of Sawk's counters are not bothered by any of its coverage moves, making this gambit somewhat dubious. Counter has very natural synergy with Sturdy, but Sawk already outpaces many physical threats in NU and would prefer to simply go on the offensive to avoid taking unnecessary damage.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Eviolite Misdreavus and Weezing are the two best counters that NU can offer, and take little damage from Sawk's coverage moves. Weezing is also immune to Toxic, and Misdreavus can use Heal Bell to cure it. Bulky Psychic-types such as Duosion, Musharna, and Mesprit are superb counters, as they can all handle anything Sawk throws at them and OHKO back with their STAB moves. Choice Band Sawk sets are beaten by opposing Choice Scarf users, such as Jynx and Rotom-S, who can prey on Close Combat's Defense and Special Defense drops; the Choice Scarf variants can be beaten in the same manner, but are much harder to outspeed. Priority moves can easily pick Sawk off after it uses Close Combat—even Absol's Sucker Punch can KO after a few Defense drops.</p>