Accelgor
Ready (I think) for GP checks
QC: [X] [X] [X]
GP: [ ] [ ]
[Overview]
<p>Considering its paper thin defences, a special attack stat that's decent at best and the fact that it is vulnerable to every entry hazard, it can be hard to justify finding a place for Accelgor on your team. However, the Ninja Bug has a large enough move pool, and its stats are allocated well enough, for it to fill a number of niches and roles within the current UU metagame.</p>
<p>For example, its great 145 Speed and access to spikes make it the fastest Spike lead in the tier, even outspeeding Froslass. On top of this, its typing allows it to hit some of the most commonly used UU Pokemon such as Mew, Celebi and Azelf hard with STAB Bug Buzz, and Sticky Hold allows it to cause switches against Trick users.</p>
<p>However, Accelgor is very weak to priority attacks, as outside of a pitifully weak Quick Attack, it has no priority moves of its own. As well as this, Its 80/40/60 defences make it nigh on impossible to switch in without good prediction, as the ever-present entry hazards nullify its Focus Sash, its one way of surviving an attack.</p>
[SET]
Name: Spikes Lead
Move 1: Spikes
Move 2: Bug Buzz
Move 3: Focus Blast
Move 4: Yawn / U-Turn
Ability: Sticky Hold
Item: Focus Sash
Nature: Timid
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>The aim of this set is simple; set up spikes and then either U-Turn out or attack as necessary. Yawn is an option, as it can cause switches after spikes have been setup, and Bug Buzz and Focus Blast are there as its two strongest attacks.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Similarly to Froslass however, its frailty means that it has to rely on a Focus Sash to stop it fainting after the first attack, and therefore can find switching back in very difficult. Rapid Spin support is essential for this set, because if by some miracle Accelgor can switch out with its Focus Sash intact, entry hazards would nullify it when it switches back in.</p>
[SET]
Name: All-Out Offensive
Move 1: Bug Buzz
Move 2: Focus Blast
Move 3: Hidden Power Ice
Move 4: Acid Spray / Giga Drain / U-Turn
Ability: Sticky Hold
Item: Life Orb / Choice Specs
Nature: Modest
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With the aid of a Life Orb and maximum Special Attack investment, Accelgor becomes a powerful revenge killer. It hits a maximum of 328 Special Attack with a Modest nature, and reaches 389 speed. Choice Specs are an option over a Life Orb, however the ability to switch between moves is often appreciated more than the extra power.</p>
<p>Hidden Power Ice is very useful in the UU tier, as it hits common threats such as Nidoking, and especially Donphan, on their weaker defence stat.</p>
<p>For the fourth slot, Acid Spray is only useful if a switch is predicted (or if trying to cause one), as its lack of power and Accelgor's non-existent defences mean that Accelgor is almost certain to be knocked if the opponent attacks. Giga Drain's extra coverage is fairly redundant, but always an option due to the HP recovery, and U-Turn is slashed as it allows Accelgor to function as a scout.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Not being able to use a Focus Sash on this set is a big disadvantage, as it means that Accelgor is OHKOed by a large amount of the tier. For this set to work, Rapid Spin support is very much appreciated to avoid Accelgor's HP being reduced any more than necessary, and for U-Turn to be more effective.</p>
[CHECKS AND COUNTERS]
<p>Countering Accelgor isn't particularly difficult; on the sets listed above it has defences of 302 / 116 / 156, so the odds of it surviving any critical hits or either boosted or super effective attacks are very small. Despite this, there are some Pokemon that can counter Accelgor particularly well. For example, chansey can wall it almost completely, along as Accelgor doesn't have Acid Spray. As well as this, Arcanine resists its STAB, so can switch in easily and can finish it off with ExtremeSpeed or easily OHKO it with any Fire type move. As well as this, Accelgor is particularly prone to being trapped and is easily taken out out by priority moves.</p>
[OTHER OPTIONS]
<p>As well as the above sets, Accelgor has a variety of other options in its movepool. For example, its high speed stat and the fact that it learns Rain Dance mean that it could function very similarly to Electrode in Gen 4. Also, access to Baton Pass, Substitute, Agility and Acid Armor mean that it could find a use as a baton passer, but its defences (or rather, lack of) make this not particularly viable. Swagger is also an option, as are Power Swap and Guard Share, although the latter two fit very niche roles at best.</p>
[DREAM WORLD]
<p>Accelgor gets Unburn as its Dream World ability. At first glance this might seem odd, given its high speed, but even with minimum IVs and EVs Accelgor outspeeds the entire metagame once Unburden has been activated. This could be viable on a pinch berry set; once both Unburden and a Petaya Berry have been activated, Acellgor reaches 428 Special Attack and a maximum of 778 Speed. Since it outspeeds everything though, the EVs could be moved from Speed to support its awful defences.</p>
Ready (I think) for GP checks
QC: [X] [X] [X]
GP: [ ] [ ]
[Overview]
<p>Considering its paper thin defences, a special attack stat that's decent at best and the fact that it is vulnerable to every entry hazard, it can be hard to justify finding a place for Accelgor on your team. However, the Ninja Bug has a large enough move pool, and its stats are allocated well enough, for it to fill a number of niches and roles within the current UU metagame.</p>
<p>For example, its great 145 Speed and access to spikes make it the fastest Spike lead in the tier, even outspeeding Froslass. On top of this, its typing allows it to hit some of the most commonly used UU Pokemon such as Mew, Celebi and Azelf hard with STAB Bug Buzz, and Sticky Hold allows it to cause switches against Trick users.</p>
<p>However, Accelgor is very weak to priority attacks, as outside of a pitifully weak Quick Attack, it has no priority moves of its own. As well as this, Its 80/40/60 defences make it nigh on impossible to switch in without good prediction, as the ever-present entry hazards nullify its Focus Sash, its one way of surviving an attack.</p>
[SET]
Name: Spikes Lead
Move 1: Spikes
Move 2: Bug Buzz
Move 3: Focus Blast
Move 4: Yawn / U-Turn
Ability: Sticky Hold
Item: Focus Sash
Nature: Timid
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>The aim of this set is simple; set up spikes and then either U-Turn out or attack as necessary. Yawn is an option, as it can cause switches after spikes have been setup, and Bug Buzz and Focus Blast are there as its two strongest attacks.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Similarly to Froslass however, its frailty means that it has to rely on a Focus Sash to stop it fainting after the first attack, and therefore can find switching back in very difficult. Rapid Spin support is essential for this set, because if by some miracle Accelgor can switch out with its Focus Sash intact, entry hazards would nullify it when it switches back in.</p>
[SET]
Name: All-Out Offensive
Move 1: Bug Buzz
Move 2: Focus Blast
Move 3: Hidden Power Ice
Move 4: Acid Spray / Giga Drain / U-Turn
Ability: Sticky Hold
Item: Life Orb / Choice Specs
Nature: Modest
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With the aid of a Life Orb and maximum Special Attack investment, Accelgor becomes a powerful revenge killer. It hits a maximum of 328 Special Attack with a Modest nature, and reaches 389 speed. Choice Specs are an option over a Life Orb, however the ability to switch between moves is often appreciated more than the extra power.</p>
<p>Hidden Power Ice is very useful in the UU tier, as it hits common threats such as Nidoking, and especially Donphan, on their weaker defence stat.</p>
<p>For the fourth slot, Acid Spray is only useful if a switch is predicted (or if trying to cause one), as its lack of power and Accelgor's non-existent defences mean that Accelgor is almost certain to be knocked if the opponent attacks. Giga Drain's extra coverage is fairly redundant, but always an option due to the HP recovery, and U-Turn is slashed as it allows Accelgor to function as a scout.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Not being able to use a Focus Sash on this set is a big disadvantage, as it means that Accelgor is OHKOed by a large amount of the tier. For this set to work, Rapid Spin support is very much appreciated to avoid Accelgor's HP being reduced any more than necessary, and for U-Turn to be more effective.</p>
[CHECKS AND COUNTERS]
<p>Countering Accelgor isn't particularly difficult; on the sets listed above it has defences of 302 / 116 / 156, so the odds of it surviving any critical hits or either boosted or super effective attacks are very small. Despite this, there are some Pokemon that can counter Accelgor particularly well. For example, chansey can wall it almost completely, along as Accelgor doesn't have Acid Spray. As well as this, Arcanine resists its STAB, so can switch in easily and can finish it off with ExtremeSpeed or easily OHKO it with any Fire type move. As well as this, Accelgor is particularly prone to being trapped and is easily taken out out by priority moves.</p>
[OTHER OPTIONS]
<p>As well as the above sets, Accelgor has a variety of other options in its movepool. For example, its high speed stat and the fact that it learns Rain Dance mean that it could function very similarly to Electrode in Gen 4. Also, access to Baton Pass, Substitute, Agility and Acid Armor mean that it could find a use as a baton passer, but its defences (or rather, lack of) make this not particularly viable. Swagger is also an option, as are Power Swap and Guard Share, although the latter two fit very niche roles at best.</p>
[DREAM WORLD]
<p>Accelgor gets Unburn as its Dream World ability. At first glance this might seem odd, given its high speed, but even with minimum IVs and EVs Accelgor outspeeds the entire metagame once Unburden has been activated. This could be viable on a pinch berry set; once both Unburden and a Petaya Berry have been activated, Acellgor reaches 428 Special Attack and a maximum of 778 Speed. Since it outspeeds everything though, the EVs could be moved from Speed to support its awful defences.</p>