A Discussion About Priority-sweepers (PSweepers)

Bologo

Bologo

Have fun with birds and bees.
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Priority moves are highly underrated, and can be used to perform dangerous sweeps. This is a thread to discuss those who have the potential to sweep with priority moves, hence the name priority-sweeper, or PSweeper for short.

First off, let's look at the priority moves in DP:

40 BP

Ice Shard
Aqua Jet
Quick Attack
Fake Out
Bullet Punch
Mach Punch
Shadow Sneak
Vacuum Wave

80 BP

Extremespeed
Sucker Punch

Now, I believe that those are all of them (correct me if I'm wrong). Fake Out and Sucker Punch are very unlikely to sweep since they must either be used on the first turn (Fake Out), or only used when the opponent is going to attack (Sucker Punch), which makes them very unreliable. Sucker Punch will still work with good prediction though. The others however, are potent weapons for sweeping.

The great thing about priority moves are that they give slower pokemon a chance to really whoop some ass in DP, because so many new ones were introduced.

What we're going to do in this thread is discuss some potential PSweepers
or even dig out some new ones that haven't been explored yet. They often have a boosting move to go with their priority move unless they can already hit super-hard.

Here are some great ones that I've messed around with:

Empoleon @Leftovers
EVs: 252 HP/252 Atk/4 Spd
Adamant Nature

- Aqua Jet
- Swords Dance
- Drill Peck/Avalanche
- Earthquake

Quite deadly with an extreme amount of resistances to back him up when boosting his attack. Swords Dance up, kill stuff with Aqua Jet, etc etc etc. Only has 4 EVs for speed to beat out min speed base 60s by 1 point, because it doesn't need much because of Aqua Jet, which allows for lots and lots of HP. This is Empoleon's best bet at getting a sweep IMO, and I love using this set. :]

Lucario @Focus Sash/Life Orb
EVs: 252 Atk/252 Spd/4 HP
Adamant Nature

- Swords Dance
- Bullet Punch
- Extremespeed
- Close Combat

The fully prioritized version of SDLuke. Extremely deadly, and possibly the best priority abuser in the game.

Lucario @ Leftovers
Ability: Steadfast
EVs: 220 HP/188 Def/100 SAtk
Modest nature
- Vacuum Wave
- Calm Mind
- Aura Sphere
- Shadow Ball

Not as deadly as PSweeper, but is still quite potent, and has quite a lot more bulk compared to SDLuke because of Calm Mind to withstand a lot more hits.

Toxicroak @Leftovers
EVs: 184 HP/28 Def/16 Spd/252 SAtk/28 SDef

- Nasty Plot
- Vaccum Wave
- Dark Pulse
- Sludge Bomb

Quite a cool version of Toxicroak that a lot of people forget even exists. Lucario may seem better at this, but Nasty Plotting is Toxicroak's game. My EV spread is most likely awful, but whatever, I just wanted to try the guy out.

Breloom @Toxic Orb/Life Orb
EVs: 236 HP/252 Atk/20 Spd
Adamant Nature

- Swords Dance
- Mach Punch
- Seed Bomb/Stone Edge
- Spore

My own EV spread was terrible, so the "Anti-Starter" EVs are a better representation of how this set should be. This set was a killer though. SD Breloom is one of the deadliest Brelooms out there. If you have a Life Orb, you can still possibly get recovery every turn if you switch in on a Toxic, or come in on Toxic Spikes. Basically, you restore 2% each turn while have 1024 attack after 1 friggin Swords Dance with Life Orb, and Mach Punch can tear things apart. If you really hate stuff like Gengar, then Stone Edge is an option over Seed Bomb. Toxic Orb is a safer item to use though.

SD Breloom by far hits the hardest out of all the PSweepers here.

Kabutops @Mystic Water/Life Orb
EVs: 192 HP/252 Atk/64 Spd
Ability: Battle Armor
Adamant Nature

- Swords Dance
- Aqua Jet
- Stone Edge
- Brick Break/X-Scissor

Alright, so I just started using this recently, but it's pulled its weight quite well as a PSweeper on my team. The 192 HP gives 309 HP which is quite good for LO, but my EV spread is quite debatable IMO anyway. Basically, it kills shit, and isn't walled by anything since Skarmory/Hippo/Gliscor/Cresselia all get their asses kicked by this set after a Swords Dance. If this set is used on a Sandstorm team, it becomes all that much harder to take down thanks to the Sp Def bonus for Rocks.


Alright, so those are the one's that I've used. Now it's time for you to show us the PSweepers that YOU'VE used. Let's dig up some jewels in this thread and make some pokemon get some more love for priority!

Go ahead! :]
 
http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24791

You left out Shadow Sneak and Vacuum Wave.

I stick Ice Shard on everything that learns it in ubers. Scarf Abomasnow, Specs Lapras, you name it. Rayquaza is a beast. Ice Shard won't OHKO it (because I don't have any Attack EVs on those dudes), but it does a bit, which helps when you add in Life Orb recoil and my own Extremespeed Rayquaza.

Specs Lucario ought to use Vacuum Wave on nearly all of its sets. I used Vacuum Wave on my BP recipient Lucario, even though it got Speed boosts passed, because I wanted to beat other Pokemon with +Speed stuff. This also helps if I somehow fail to get a pass.
 
A CB Azumaril, especially in the rain, wrecks complete havoc with aqua jet. Especially if you can pass some attack; a great example I've seen is a curse - wish pass Umbreon leading to a simple sweep. Azzy can usually take a hit too, allowing for a more powerful move if need be, like waterfall.
Stick a life orb on it and you're laughing.

I do like that Empy set though.
 
Hey Bologo :D

Great guide BTW. I was hoping on building a team around such priority abusers.
I think you left out one of the best priority abusers. It's ability makes it my favourite priority abuser, not to mention it gets 2 priority moves (Y).

Hitmontop @ Life orb
TECHNICIAN
Adamant - 252 HP/252 Attack/6 Defence
-Mach punch
-Bullet punch
-Close combat
-Stone edge

Technician is what makes this set. It gets a 90BP Priority move (Mach punch) and a 60BP Priority move (Bullet punch). I don't use a stat up move on this set since I use a BellyPassing Smeargle to BP a Belly drum to it, but if you don't like that kinda stuff, you can stick Bulk up on here somewhere.
 
Break the walls down! said:
Hey Bologo :D

Great guide BTW. I was hoping on building a team around such priority abusers.
I think you left out one of the best priority abusers. It's ability makes it my favourite priority abuser, not to mention it gets 2 priority moves (Y).

Hitmontop @ Life orb
TECHNICIAN
Adamant - 252 HP/252 Attack/6 Defence
-Mach punch
-Bullet punch
-Close combat
-Stone edge

Technician is what makes this set. It gets a 90BP Priority move (Mach punch) and a 60BP Priority move (Bullet punch). I don't use a stat up move on this set since I use a BellyPassing Smeargle to BP a Belly drum to it, but if you don't like that kinda stuff, you can stick Bulk up on here somewhere.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that thing's awesome. I only left it out because I've never used it before, so I didn't know what I could say about it. Technitop has the toughest Mach Punch out there though, so I should try that thing out sometime. Isn't it kind of a bad idea to use Life Orb on your Baton Pass recipient though?
 
I don't use Life orb on it on the team it gets BPed to, I just listed life orb since it's the standard item for that set.
 
Scrimmed through the whole thread, but didn't really read anything.

What I did want to add is that this one douche once used a team like this on me:

Kabutops @ Focus Sash
Swords Dance
Priority

Scizor @ Focus Sash
Swords Dance
Priority

Lucario @ Focus Sash
Swords Dance
Priority

Empoleon @ Focus Sash
Swords Dance
Priority

And they topped it off with a Focus Sash Tyranitar, which is the most fucking annoying team in the whole fucking wide world cause you can't fucking OHKO anything without them fucking you up the ass god that was fucking annoying
 
I've been using Swords Dance/Aqua Jet Empoleon at least since before December with surprising results, although my set looks slightly different. I run both Waterfall (where you have Earthquake listed) and Aqua Jet on the same set, with Drill Peck as the third attack. I don't find EQ to give that much extra coverage, and I like the idea of effectively a 120-power STAB Water-type attack after Torrent activation. Besides, Water and Flying provide amazing type coverage on their own, hitting all but the likes of (I think) Dialga and other Empoleons.


Empoleon (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 118 HP/140 Atk/252 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Aqua Jet
- Drill Peck
- Swords Dance
- Waterfall

Max speed Jolly reaches quite a convenient number, beating out Adamant Breloom/Metagross by a single point.
 
Belly Drum/Bullet Punch Hariyama is basically losing 50% of its HP to make Bullet Punch four times as powerful, making it 160. A simple STAB Close Combat is 180, Cross Chop is 150. It's not worth it at all.

And yeah, lack of Quick Attack Scizor in the OP makes me sad, that's pretty beastly.

Priority moves are highly underrated, and can be used to perform dangerous sweeps.
Click to expand...

Sorry but I see them all the time, I think everyone and their dog knows their worth. Goddamn Ice Shard Abomasnow and Bullet Punch Metagross are annoying as well.
 
I love guts/burn hariyama...

Hariyama @Burn Orb
Guts

CC
Stone Edge
Bullet Punch
Fake Out

Also, Azumarill is amazing.
 
I mainly use priority moves as a means of picking off weakened, but fast, foes, rather than as a basis for sweeping an entire team.

The occasional Mach Punch Infernape should get a mention as well, for its sheer unexpectedness.
 
Yea SD Empoleon works for me, especially with paralysis support and waterfall .
Empoleon @ Leftovers
Evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
-Sword Dance
-Aqua Jet
-Avalanche
-Waterfall

Simple and yet effective, imo the only counters are Vaporeon and Gyarados from the OU department . Paralysis + Waterfall perform the always-gay paraflinch combo, while whatever is not paralysed you just aqua jet it in the face . Avalanche rapes Dragons and becomes a nice 120 BP move.

You could also mention SD + Mach Punch infernape with LO, since after an SD it can kill everything . Scarftran is ohkoed if it doesn't expect it and stayed in for the earth power, and Lucario is screwed if he stays in to Espeed you .
 
I think CurseSwine should get a mention!

Mamoswine (M) @ Leftovers / Life Orb
Ability: Snow Cloak
EVs: 156 HP/252 Atk/16 Spd/86 SDef
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Ice Shard
- Earthquake
- Curse
- Stone Edge / Avalanche

Depends on the options you chose with this - You can use Leftovers and them EVs that are advised, or you can forget about HP EVs and have them at any number you want, and add Life Orb over Leftovers. Avalanche is the prefered move because you be attacking after the opponent with Curse snapping away 1/4 of your speed. However, Stone-Edge is a nasty suprise that will take down Gyarados with Ice Shard following your Stone-Edge the turn after.

There's an analysis on this anyway , but yeah...
 
Quick Attack Scizor is good for a sweep. As mentioned, Aqua Jet Azumarill in the rain wrecks shit. Besides that, I've used... Quick Attack Staraptor?
 
a bulky hitmontop can do this very good.
bullet punch/extreem speed/mach punch
it has great sdef. I also gave it bulk up
I forgot the EV spread I made for it.
 
Linoone is pretty beastly since it can basically set up in one turn, thanks to Gluttony. 1012 Att and 444 Speed is pretty dangerous. (assuming Adamant, Jolly hits a little less hard)
 
Aeroblacktyl said:
Scrimmed through the whole thread, but didn't really read anything.

What I did want to add is that this one douche once used a team like this on me:

Kabutops @ Focus Sash
Swords Dance
Priority

Scizor @ Focus Sash
Swords Dance
Priority

Lucario @ Focus Sash
Swords Dance
Priority

Empoleon @ Focus Sash
Swords Dance
Priority

And they topped it off with a Focus Sash Tyranitar, which is the most fucking annoying team in the whole fucking wide world cause you can't fucking OHKO anything without them fucking you up the ass god that was fucking annoying
Click to expand...

Haha, sigged.

Priority moves are some of those ridiculously good things that you don't realise are awesome until someone creams you with them. I once brought in Dugtrio on a Lucario's SD, and then forgot it had Extremespeed. Vacuum Wave was just the icing on the cake, really.
 
I've never used priority moves but, I'm going to after reading all the support for them. Personally, I like Mach Punch and Fake Out because opponents think that their faster when I wind up getting a free hit and Fake Out also flinches instantly to frustrate the opponent even more. (evil laugh)
 
Break the walls down! said:
Hitmontop @ Life orb
TECHNICIAN
Adamant - 252 HP/252 Attack/6 Defence
-Mach punch
-Bullet punch
-Close combat
-Stone edge
Click to expand...
I've used PriorityTop since the start of D/P though with Fake Out over Close Combat. Partly because theres nothing like one turn KO'ing light sweepers and it still lets Top be an asshole against some things faster and stronger.

Straight away for this kind of set I'd say Life Orb is a horrible idea on it. Part of the advantage is Top is pretty sturdy and you want to give it as many chances to switch in as possible.

The second thing wrong is that Muscle Band alone is actually enough to edge most of his moves into KO's. This is especially relevant if you plan on BP'ing it boosts too you don't want it losing health every turn. Especially when you're running Close Combat on top.

The old BulkyTop with Bulk Up which worked in Advance still works brilliantly in D/P as well. In that respect it actually has two approaches to the priority game.
 
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