[SET]
Rain Sweeper (Basculegion) @ Choice Band
Ability: Swift Swim
Level: 50
Tera Type: Water / Grass
EVs: 36 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 4 SpD / 212 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Wave Crash
- Last Respects
- Aqua Jet
- Flip Turn
[SET COMMENTS]
- Basculegion-M uses its high-Base Power STAB attacks like Wave Crash and Last Respects to claim knockouts in the early-game and secure wins in the late-game, respectively, as well as its Swift Swim ability to outspeed nearly the whole unboosted metagame under rain, giving it positive matchups against metagame staples such as Incineroar, Gholdengo, and Volcarona.
- Last Respects can reach an incredible Base Power of 200, threatening nearly every Pokemon that does not resist Ghost-type attacks with an OHKO. Aqua Jet allows Basculegion-M to pick off a foe at low health while avoiding Sucker Punch from Kingambit. Flip Turn allows it to deal damage and retreat to safety before being attacked.
- Choice Band maximizes Basculegion-M’s damage, notably improving the chance for Last Respects with two fainted teammates to OHKO Rillaboom.
- Tera Water maximizes the damage output of Basculegion-M's Water-type attacks, guaranteeing an OHKO against almost any Gholdengo set, and removes its weakness to Dark-type attacks such as Kingambit’s Sucker Punch. Tera Grass allows Basculegion-M to survive any attack from Rillaboom, resist Electro Shot from Archaludon, and ignore Spore and Rage Powder from Amoonguss.
- The defensive investment allows Basculegion-M to survive a Grassy Glide from Rillaboom. With the Attack investment, Basculegion-M will always OHKO Incineroar in the rain with Wave Crash even after Intimidate. The Speed investment allows it to always outspeed Primarina.
- Choice-locked sets are inherently more risky to use, as being locked into the wrong move can lose an endgame. The Swift Swim set is riskier in terms of speed control, as it relies on its team to set up rain. This set has the potential to be faster than the Choice Scarf set, but without rain, its Speed and damage output can be underwhelming. It has the advantage of Choice Band providing a higher damage boost than Adaptability. This set, as well as the Choice Scarf set, are risky to use over the Focus Sash set as they can be knocked out with one hit.
[SET]
Choice Scarf Sweeper (Basculegion) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Adaptability
Level: 50
Tera Type: Water / Fighting
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Wave Crash
- Last Respects
- Flip Turn
- Aqua Jet / Tera Blast
[SET COMMENTS]
- Choice Scarf Basculegion-M can be used on a team that does not have a way to set up rain to outspeed foes in any situation. Adaptability can make up for the decreased damage output. This set can finish off damaged teams with Last Respects without needing a Speed boost from rain.
- Because of Choice Scarf, Basculegion-M is likely to outspeed its foes, so it can use Flip Turn to switch into a bulkier ally when threatened. Tera Blast is only intended for the Tera Fighting set, in order to hit Kingambit and Archaludon.
- Tera Water can be used to amplify Basculegion-M's damage. Tera Fighting is used with Tera Blast to pressure Kingambit with an OHKO while resisting its Sucker Punch, and it also lets Basculegion-M resist Knock Off from Incineroar and Tyranitar.
- A Jolly nature with maximum Speed is necessary for the Choice Scarf set to outspeed Dragapult.
- Adaptability is always useful due to always providing a boost in some way, whereas Swift Swim is contingent on rain being active for Basculegion-M to benefit. However, this set will not do as much damage as the Choice Band set. The Choice Scarf set may not perform well against opposing speed control such as Trick Room, as it cannot use Protect to stall out turns of Trick Room.
[SET]
Focus Sash Sweeper (Basculegion) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Adaptability
Level: 50
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Liquidation
- Last Respects
- Aqua Jet
- Protect
[SET COMMENTS]
- The Focus Sash set allows Basculegion-M to take a hit and return with strong attacks such as Liquidation and Last Respects.
- Liquidation is used over Wave Crash in order to avoid taking recoil damage and breaking Focus Sash.
- Tera Ghost is used with this set, as Last Respects is likely to become stronger than its weaker Water-type attacks.
- This set can survive a fast attack under Tailwind or Trick Room and use Protect to stall them out, making it generally better against opposing speed control compared to the other sets. However, it will not do as much damage as the Choice Band set and is unlikely to be able to threaten an early-game OHKO because it lacks Wave Crash. It can fit on a variety of teams due to it being self-sufficient in terms of damage output and not necessarily needing speed control.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Teambuilding
============
- Swift Swim sets only appear on rain teams, as otherwise Basculegion-M would be playing without an ability. The Choice Scarf Adaptability set typically appears on balance teams that benefit heavily from getting a quick OHKO against foes like Incineroar. The Focus Sash set can fit on either balance teams or on rain teams with speed control options, as it appreciates rain boosting the weaker Liquidation. Both the Choice Scarf and Focus Sash Adaptability sets can still benefit heavily from being on a rain team thanks to the Water-type damage amplification, despite not having Swift Swim.
- Pelipper’s Drizzle ability allows Swift Swim Basculegion-M to outspeed nearly the entire metagame, as well as boosting the damage of its Water-type attacks, while Pelipper itself can pressure opposing Grass-types with Hurricane. Archaludon can cover Basculegion-M’s weakness to Dark-type Pokemon such as Kingambit using Body Press, round out the offensive core of a rain team, and serve as a bulky pivot to be sent out after using Flip Turn, resisting attacks from Rillaboom and Kilowattrel.
- Incineroar can be used to ensure Rillaboom’s Grassy Glide will never OHKO even if Rillaboom has Miracle Seed and stop opposing Basculegion-M from getting an OHKO with unboosted Last Respects.
- Amoonguss and Sinistcha can use Rage Powder to redirect attacks that threaten to OHKO Basculegion-M, such as Kingambit’s Sucker Punch and Kowtow Cleave, while improving the team’s matchup against Trick Room. Additionally, Sinistcha's Hospitality and Life Dew can be used to bring Basculegion-M back to full health to make use of Focus Sash, stay out of range of attacks like Grassy Glide from Rillaboom, and heal recoil damage from Wave Crash.
- Grass-type Pokemon like Amoonguss and Rillaboom stop Basculegion-M from sweeping through teams with Wave Crash, as Amoonguss can redirect and resist the attack, while Rillaboom is always threatening an OHKO with Wood Hammer. Pelipper can use Hurricane to hit these Pokemon for massive damage, or Basculegion-M outside of rain teams can be paired with Fire-types like Volcarona and Talonflame. Dark-type Pokemon like Incineroar and Kingambit threaten an OHKO against Basculegion-M and prevent it from sweeping with Last Respects, making Close Combat Sneasler a worthwhile partner. A Commander-boosted Dondozo can survive multiple Last Respects and resist any Water-type attacks. Archaludon can threaten Dondozo with Electro Shot, and Pelipper can punish Tera Grass Dondozo with Hurricane. Alternatively, teams can use Incineroar and Rillaboom along with Basculegion-M's Flip Turn to cycle Intimidate and Fake Out, or Multiscale Dragonite to safely remove Dondozo's stat boosts with Haze. Alolan Ninetales pairs well with the Choice Scarf set because it can hit Grass-types with Blizzard and Water-types like Dondozo with Freeze-Dry, while Basculegion-M covers for Alolan Ninetales's weakness to Fire-type Pokemon such as Incineroar. Opposing Archaludon are unlikely to be knocked out even by a maximum power Last Resepcts, so Fighting-type coverage from Annihilape and Sneasler and Ground-type coverage from Ursaluna-B is appreciated.
Strategy Comments
============
- Basculegion-M functions as a late-game cleaner or early-game wallbreaker with high Speed and damage. The Swift Swim sets need its team to set up rain to activate Swift Swim, or else it can be taken out by a quicker foe. It can secure endgames with high-Base Power Last Respects if its teammates have done enough damage to the opposing team. It can bail out of positions with Flip Turn while its teammates take out the foes that are preventing it from sweeping. In the early-game, it can remove the Ursaluna formes, which can allow a teammate like Archaludon to sweep.
- Basculegion-M can be used early or late in a battle, but it must be saved for the late-game if maximizing the damage of Last Respects is necessary. It can be used effectively in the early-game by knocking out a Pokemon such as Incineroar, which can allow a teammate like Gholdengo to sweep the opposing team. The Focus Sash set can clinch an endgame using combinations of Liquidation and Last Respects, but the Choice item sets must be more careful to leave foes that can be swept by one move for last.
- Sun teams can mitigate Basculegion-M’s Speed and offense, particularly for the Swift Swim set. Pokemon that set up sun upon switching in like Torkoal can be countered by keeping Pelipper in the back and switching it in when sun is up to overwrite it. Manual sun setters like Whimsicott must be taken out by a teammate like Incineroar with Flare Blitz or Archaludon with Flash Cannon, as switching in Pelipper will set up rain first, which will be canceled by Whimsicott’s Sunny Day. Alolan Ninetales can change rain to snow, take a hit from Basculegion-M and return damage with Freeze-Dry, and use Disable to nullify a Choice item set or Aurora Veil to mitigate its damage output. Basculegion-M can use Flip Turn to reposition until rain is set, and Pelipper can be lead into Alolan Ninetales because it is slower and so will activate Drizzle after Snow Warning, though an Alolan Ninetales in the back can still switch in to cancel rain. Tyranitar can overwrite rain with Sand Stream and can switch into Last Respects while breaking Focus Sash. Pelipper should expect to be faster than Tyranitar, so sand will be set up after rain. Thus, Pelipper is more likely to successfully set rain if it is reserved in the back or if Tyranitar is knocked out by Basculegion-M's teammates.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/prossettivgc.528197/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/rausakura.589964/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bellchime.493772/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/pengu.650323/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ethanlac.391343/
Rain Sweeper (Basculegion) @ Choice Band
Ability: Swift Swim
Level: 50
Tera Type: Water / Grass
EVs: 36 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 4 SpD / 212 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Wave Crash
- Last Respects
- Aqua Jet
- Flip Turn
[SET COMMENTS]
- Basculegion-M uses its high-Base Power STAB attacks like Wave Crash and Last Respects to claim knockouts in the early-game and secure wins in the late-game, respectively, as well as its Swift Swim ability to outspeed nearly the whole unboosted metagame under rain, giving it positive matchups against metagame staples such as Incineroar, Gholdengo, and Volcarona.
- Last Respects can reach an incredible Base Power of 200, threatening nearly every Pokemon that does not resist Ghost-type attacks with an OHKO. Aqua Jet allows Basculegion-M to pick off a foe at low health while avoiding Sucker Punch from Kingambit. Flip Turn allows it to deal damage and retreat to safety before being attacked.
- Choice Band maximizes Basculegion-M’s damage, notably improving the chance for Last Respects with two fainted teammates to OHKO Rillaboom.
- Tera Water maximizes the damage output of Basculegion-M's Water-type attacks, guaranteeing an OHKO against almost any Gholdengo set, and removes its weakness to Dark-type attacks such as Kingambit’s Sucker Punch. Tera Grass allows Basculegion-M to survive any attack from Rillaboom, resist Electro Shot from Archaludon, and ignore Spore and Rage Powder from Amoonguss.
- The defensive investment allows Basculegion-M to survive a Grassy Glide from Rillaboom. With the Attack investment, Basculegion-M will always OHKO Incineroar in the rain with Wave Crash even after Intimidate. The Speed investment allows it to always outspeed Primarina.
- Choice-locked sets are inherently more risky to use, as being locked into the wrong move can lose an endgame. The Swift Swim set is riskier in terms of speed control, as it relies on its team to set up rain. This set has the potential to be faster than the Choice Scarf set, but without rain, its Speed and damage output can be underwhelming. It has the advantage of Choice Band providing a higher damage boost than Adaptability. This set, as well as the Choice Scarf set, are risky to use over the Focus Sash set as they can be knocked out with one hit.
[SET]
Choice Scarf Sweeper (Basculegion) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Adaptability
Level: 50
Tera Type: Water / Fighting
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Wave Crash
- Last Respects
- Flip Turn
- Aqua Jet / Tera Blast
[SET COMMENTS]
- Choice Scarf Basculegion-M can be used on a team that does not have a way to set up rain to outspeed foes in any situation. Adaptability can make up for the decreased damage output. This set can finish off damaged teams with Last Respects without needing a Speed boost from rain.
- Because of Choice Scarf, Basculegion-M is likely to outspeed its foes, so it can use Flip Turn to switch into a bulkier ally when threatened. Tera Blast is only intended for the Tera Fighting set, in order to hit Kingambit and Archaludon.
- Tera Water can be used to amplify Basculegion-M's damage. Tera Fighting is used with Tera Blast to pressure Kingambit with an OHKO while resisting its Sucker Punch, and it also lets Basculegion-M resist Knock Off from Incineroar and Tyranitar.
- A Jolly nature with maximum Speed is necessary for the Choice Scarf set to outspeed Dragapult.
- Adaptability is always useful due to always providing a boost in some way, whereas Swift Swim is contingent on rain being active for Basculegion-M to benefit. However, this set will not do as much damage as the Choice Band set. The Choice Scarf set may not perform well against opposing speed control such as Trick Room, as it cannot use Protect to stall out turns of Trick Room.
[SET]
Focus Sash Sweeper (Basculegion) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Adaptability
Level: 50
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Liquidation
- Last Respects
- Aqua Jet
- Protect
[SET COMMENTS]
- The Focus Sash set allows Basculegion-M to take a hit and return with strong attacks such as Liquidation and Last Respects.
- Liquidation is used over Wave Crash in order to avoid taking recoil damage and breaking Focus Sash.
- Tera Ghost is used with this set, as Last Respects is likely to become stronger than its weaker Water-type attacks.
- This set can survive a fast attack under Tailwind or Trick Room and use Protect to stall them out, making it generally better against opposing speed control compared to the other sets. However, it will not do as much damage as the Choice Band set and is unlikely to be able to threaten an early-game OHKO because it lacks Wave Crash. It can fit on a variety of teams due to it being self-sufficient in terms of damage output and not necessarily needing speed control.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Teambuilding
============
- Swift Swim sets only appear on rain teams, as otherwise Basculegion-M would be playing without an ability. The Choice Scarf Adaptability set typically appears on balance teams that benefit heavily from getting a quick OHKO against foes like Incineroar. The Focus Sash set can fit on either balance teams or on rain teams with speed control options, as it appreciates rain boosting the weaker Liquidation. Both the Choice Scarf and Focus Sash Adaptability sets can still benefit heavily from being on a rain team thanks to the Water-type damage amplification, despite not having Swift Swim.
- Pelipper’s Drizzle ability allows Swift Swim Basculegion-M to outspeed nearly the entire metagame, as well as boosting the damage of its Water-type attacks, while Pelipper itself can pressure opposing Grass-types with Hurricane. Archaludon can cover Basculegion-M’s weakness to Dark-type Pokemon such as Kingambit using Body Press, round out the offensive core of a rain team, and serve as a bulky pivot to be sent out after using Flip Turn, resisting attacks from Rillaboom and Kilowattrel.
- Incineroar can be used to ensure Rillaboom’s Grassy Glide will never OHKO even if Rillaboom has Miracle Seed and stop opposing Basculegion-M from getting an OHKO with unboosted Last Respects.
- Amoonguss and Sinistcha can use Rage Powder to redirect attacks that threaten to OHKO Basculegion-M, such as Kingambit’s Sucker Punch and Kowtow Cleave, while improving the team’s matchup against Trick Room. Additionally, Sinistcha's Hospitality and Life Dew can be used to bring Basculegion-M back to full health to make use of Focus Sash, stay out of range of attacks like Grassy Glide from Rillaboom, and heal recoil damage from Wave Crash.
- Grass-type Pokemon like Amoonguss and Rillaboom stop Basculegion-M from sweeping through teams with Wave Crash, as Amoonguss can redirect and resist the attack, while Rillaboom is always threatening an OHKO with Wood Hammer. Pelipper can use Hurricane to hit these Pokemon for massive damage, or Basculegion-M outside of rain teams can be paired with Fire-types like Volcarona and Talonflame. Dark-type Pokemon like Incineroar and Kingambit threaten an OHKO against Basculegion-M and prevent it from sweeping with Last Respects, making Close Combat Sneasler a worthwhile partner. A Commander-boosted Dondozo can survive multiple Last Respects and resist any Water-type attacks. Archaludon can threaten Dondozo with Electro Shot, and Pelipper can punish Tera Grass Dondozo with Hurricane. Alternatively, teams can use Incineroar and Rillaboom along with Basculegion-M's Flip Turn to cycle Intimidate and Fake Out, or Multiscale Dragonite to safely remove Dondozo's stat boosts with Haze. Alolan Ninetales pairs well with the Choice Scarf set because it can hit Grass-types with Blizzard and Water-types like Dondozo with Freeze-Dry, while Basculegion-M covers for Alolan Ninetales's weakness to Fire-type Pokemon such as Incineroar. Opposing Archaludon are unlikely to be knocked out even by a maximum power Last Resepcts, so Fighting-type coverage from Annihilape and Sneasler and Ground-type coverage from Ursaluna-B is appreciated.
Strategy Comments
============
- Basculegion-M functions as a late-game cleaner or early-game wallbreaker with high Speed and damage. The Swift Swim sets need its team to set up rain to activate Swift Swim, or else it can be taken out by a quicker foe. It can secure endgames with high-Base Power Last Respects if its teammates have done enough damage to the opposing team. It can bail out of positions with Flip Turn while its teammates take out the foes that are preventing it from sweeping. In the early-game, it can remove the Ursaluna formes, which can allow a teammate like Archaludon to sweep.
- Basculegion-M can be used early or late in a battle, but it must be saved for the late-game if maximizing the damage of Last Respects is necessary. It can be used effectively in the early-game by knocking out a Pokemon such as Incineroar, which can allow a teammate like Gholdengo to sweep the opposing team. The Focus Sash set can clinch an endgame using combinations of Liquidation and Last Respects, but the Choice item sets must be more careful to leave foes that can be swept by one move for last.
- Sun teams can mitigate Basculegion-M’s Speed and offense, particularly for the Swift Swim set. Pokemon that set up sun upon switching in like Torkoal can be countered by keeping Pelipper in the back and switching it in when sun is up to overwrite it. Manual sun setters like Whimsicott must be taken out by a teammate like Incineroar with Flare Blitz or Archaludon with Flash Cannon, as switching in Pelipper will set up rain first, which will be canceled by Whimsicott’s Sunny Day. Alolan Ninetales can change rain to snow, take a hit from Basculegion-M and return damage with Freeze-Dry, and use Disable to nullify a Choice item set or Aurora Veil to mitigate its damage output. Basculegion-M can use Flip Turn to reposition until rain is set, and Pelipper can be lead into Alolan Ninetales because it is slower and so will activate Drizzle after Snow Warning, though an Alolan Ninetales in the back can still switch in to cancel rain. Tyranitar can overwrite rain with Sand Stream and can switch into Last Respects while breaking Focus Sash. Pelipper should expect to be faster than Tyranitar, so sand will be set up after rain. Thus, Pelipper is more likely to successfully set rain if it is reserved in the back or if Tyranitar is knocked out by Basculegion-M's teammates.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/prossettivgc.528197/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/rausakura.589964/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bellchime.493772/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/pengu.650323/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ethanlac.391343/
Last edited:
