Azelf (Analysis) [QC 2/3]

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Plusle

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http://veekun.com/dex/pokemon/azelf
Azelf

STATUS: finished and updating with dual screens

[OVERVIEW]

  • Azelf is a fast,frail,suicide lead,that can reliably set up Stealth Rock. it also has good dual base 125 attack stats.
  • Priority can defeat, Azelf as it is very frail.

[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Taunt
move 3: U-Turn / Fire Blast / Psychic
move 4 :U-Turn / Fire Blast / Psycic
item: Focus Sash
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

Set Description
  • Azelf is a fast user of Stealth Rock and with a Focus Sash can always get it up reliably.
  • Taunt helps Azelf stop slower leads like Hippodown and Heatran from setting up Stealth Rock.
  • U-Turn is Azelf's best option as it can be used for Scouting and escaping Shadow Tag
  • Fire Blast is used for Scizor and Doryuzzu
  • Psychic is Azelf's best STAB move but has bad coverage and let's Tyranitar switch in.
Additional Comments
  • Azelf can use the Trick and Choice Scarf strategy to force Switches,cripple Walls and help sweepers set up.
  • Explosion can be used although it's power has been halved.
  • You can run max Attk over SAttk to power up U-Turn.
Teammates & Counters
  • Good Team Mates are Pokemon like Mothra that appreciate the opponent having Stealth Rock and it not having it.
  • Pursuiter's can switch in and hit Azelf with a powerful hit and trap it. Tyranitar also has Sandstorm to cancel out the Focus Sash
  • Voltros and other Mischevious Heart users can use Priority Taunt preventing Azelf's main purpose.
[SET]
name: Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Psycho Shock / Psychic
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Grass Knot / HP Fighting
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

Set Description

  • Azelf has a great Special Attack stat and Nasty Plot allows Azelf to abuse it.
  • Psychic is Azlef's main attack scoring a 1HKO on Blissey and Snorlax
  • Fire Blast is for Scizor,Doryuzzu and other Steels who resist Psychic
  • Grass Knot helps Azelf beat Bulky Water Types and Tyranitar.
  • HP Fighting allows Azelf to beat Dark types and Heatran.

Additional Comments
  • Azelf can use Leftovers to survive for longer, although it misses out on some KO's, especially Tyranitar.
  • As a compromise between a Life Orb and Leftovers you can use Expert Belt.
Teammates and Counters
  • Roobushin us a good partner, as it can beat Blissey,Snorlax,Heatran and Tyranitar.
  • Pursuiter's can switch in and hit Azelf with a powerful hit and trap it.
  • Heatan resists most of these moves and can use a STAB Fire Blast

[SET]
name: Dual Screens
move 1: Reflect
move 2: Light Screen
move 3: Taunt
move 4: Stealth Rock / U-turn
item: Light Clay
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

Set Description


  • Azelf can quickly set up Dual Screens against many slow threats, preventing sweeps.
  • It also can help your team set up frail sweepers such as Blaziken
  • Taunt can prevent Set Up
Additional Comments

  • If you already have Stealth Rock, you can use U-Turn.
  • Focus Sash means you can take a hit.
Teammates and Counters

  • See lead.
  • Brick Break destroys the screens.


[Team Options]

  • A Fighting type like Roopushin is good partner as it can eliminate Tyranitar, Heatran and Blissey.
  • Stealth Rock weak Pokémon are good partners as Azelf prevents stealth rock and can set it up, helping them score important KO’s
  • Things that can take hits From Priority users and faster Pokémon like Doryuzzu are great as Azelf is weak to these 2 things.
[Optional Changes]

  • You can abuse Azelf’s high Special Attack and Speed and run a Choice Specs set.
  • You can also use its high Attack and run a Choice Band set
[Counters]
  • Snorlax and Blissey take low damage except Psycho Shock from Azelf's attacks and can end it's sweep.
  • Heatan resists all it's moves except for Hidden Power and can kill Azelf with a STAB Fire Blast.
  • Tytanitar and Pursuiter's can come in on a Psychic and can trap azelf as it tries to escape.
  • Voltros and other Mischevious Heart users can use Priority Taunt to prevent Stealth Rock
  • Anything with Priority can beat Azelfs Frail Defense's.
[Dream World]

  • Azelf does not have a Dream World ability.
 
I have finished. I tested choice sets and they were not very good so I have not included them.

Edit: done
 
Not sure if this is the missing bit, but you forgot this part
[Team Options]

  • Text

[Optional Changes]

  • Text

[Counters]

  • Text

[Dream World]

  • Text
Click to expand...

Also, this is just an aesthetic note, you often want to put the moves with multiple options down lower on the list. this is because they are often case by case and not "needed" completely for the set. Plus it also just looks more pleasing to the eye.
[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Taunt
move 3: U-Turn / Fire Blast / Psychic
move 4: U-Turn / Fire Blast / Psychic
item: Focus Sash
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Click to expand...
 
Just curious why Psycho Shock isn't an option on the NP set.

It can OHKO most blissey sometimes after SR damage after a single NP.

just thought it was worth mentioning...
 
This may seem stupid but why is Mothra mentioned in the set comments? the sentence makes sense but wouldn't you rather use a Pokemon that is much more viable in OU?
 
The Lead set should be Naive, not Timid. Azelf is going to get 2HKOed by any special attack use thanks to its poor defences and Focus Sash. You might as well power up U-turn, given that you actually suggested that dumping all the SpA EVs into Atk is an option.

Also, why no mention of a Dual Screener set? You could just basically copy the one from 4th gen, maybe with U-turn as an AC mention in place of Taunt or SR.
 
I'd suggest slashing in Psycho Shock for the NP set, as at +2 it can OHKO Blissey with a bit of prior damage, or just SR, though it's not guaranteed (83.8% - 98.7% vs 252/252 +Def Blissey), and it still 2HKOs Snorlax, and almost always 2HKOs Hippowdon if you're not running Grass Knot. Definitely worth a slash imo, I'd even say it merits being the primary option given its wallbreaking potential (Shock for Bliss/Lax, Blast/Thrower for Skarm/Nattorei, Knot for Hippowdon, and that's all the primary walls taken care of AFAIK).
 
In addition to the NP set, Thunderbolt is worth a mention. There are a lot of Bulky Waters that Grassknot doesn't hit very hard due to them being light. Thunderbolt takes care of all of them. Also, eletric has better coverage overall than grass, minus that ground immunity.
 
You definitely need to put Psycho Shock there. On the lead set, keep U-Turn as move. 3, and slash Fire Blast and Psychic on move 4. You need U-Turn to avoid getting wiped out by non-Scarf'd Shandera. Remove the mention of U-Turn being used for scouting, since anyway both Teams are shown in Team Preview.
 
I would like to see the following set being added to the OP:

[SET]
name: Dual Screens
move 1: Reflect
move 2: Light Screen
move 3: Taunt
move 4: Stealth Rock / U-turn
item: Light Clay
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

Fast enough to pull off the Dual Screen strategy without being inflicted a status change or Taunt, in most cases. The goal of this Azelf is to set up another Pokemon, i.e: Baton Pass users, DD Salamence / Ononokusu / Dragonite, Urugamosu, Roobushin, etc.
 
CB Azelf is one of the things that I currently have in my to-do list. So I'll get back to you with the results of this test as soon as I complete it. Nevertheless, what's in the OP now looks good to me.

QC APPROVED (1/2)
 
The first set is really messy and can be fixed by simply cleaning up the slashes. With the Explosion nerf and the advent of Team Preview, U-turn is probably Azelf's best option to work as both a scout and Stealth Rock user. It is also incredibly helpful for escaping from Pursuit-less Tyranitar or just nailing them on the switch. Fire Blast is extremely important for Scizor and Nattorei, but Psychic is useful for consistent STAB, although it doesn't hit all that much super effectively. This is how the slashes should look in my opinion:

- Stealth Rock
- Taunt
- U-turn
- Fire Blast / Psychic

The only other thing I would consider is a Choice Band set. It was an amazing lead in Gen IV and was extremely useful to hit normal counters like Tyranitar for huge damage with CB U-turn. I think a physical Choice Band / Scarf set with U-turn / Ice Punch / Fire Punch / Zen Headbutt should definitely be considered. Since I liked it so much last Gen, I'll test it out when I get some free time. In the mean time you can start writing the other sets because everything else looks good!

QC Approved 2/2
 
It may be worth mentioning that if Nasty Plot Azelf opts to use Hidden Power Fighting (which requires a Speed IV of 30), a Speed stat of 354 is desirable to outpace Torunerosu and Borutorosu, and the rest of the EVs may be dumped into HP. There's nothing very important between 111 and 115 base Speed.

-Zane
 
ChaosNebula said:
Can you give an example of the CS Azelf, I am a little interested in them, and want to know how well Choiced Azelf works
Click to expand...

I have been tryin this out as a lead

4 Hp/252 Atk/ 252 Def
Choice Scarf
Trick
Zen Headbutt
Uturn
Fire Punch
OTK Genesect lead every time and Cripples Zorark. Cripples SR users with Trick. With Scarf very few faster for scouting
purposes. Trick cripples many pokes or makes them very predictable. Zen Headbutt for stab and Machamp leads. Even can work as late game clean up if priority users are gone. Choice Band can work but Scarf overall is better to keep Azelf away from as many attacks as possible due to his frality. Trick I feel has become even more important this generation. Especially with Evo Stone making stall more playable and the Mischievios Heart users.

Tekkarion and Lucario both make good teammates for Azelf attracting the Dark attacks which both eat and recieve a boost in Justice Hearts. Also allowing both to easily set up whether you want a +1Atk/+2 Spe Tekkarion or a +3 Lucario with a +2 priority.
 
Explosion despite the nerf is still a viable option on Azelf, especially with its speed, access to flamethrower to ward away steel types and the power boost it can get from Life Orb. I am currently running this set and its doing really good.

Azelf @ Life Orb
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Naive Nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- U-turn
- Explosion
- Energy Ball / Hidden Power (Ice)
- Flamethrower

Explosion with Life Orb does 65.8% - 77.7% to Max/Max Gliscor. Gliscor's don't get that bulky and 66% is still quite a chunk. Flamethrower is a very good attacking type with all the steels running around to absorb the draco meteors and outrages. I use it over fireblast because Fire blast doesn't do anything with that extra power while the 15% chance to miss could be costly. U-turn is a great move regardless of the pokemon using it. Energy ball is just filler, but HP Ice is a good alternative.
 
I have been using Choice Band Azelf for quite a while and it has worked pretty well for me.
I run

Azelf @Choice Band
EVs: 252Atk / 252 Spd / 4HP
Nature: Jolly
Zen Headbutt
U-turn
Ice/Thunder Punch
Trick

Powerful U-turn does major damage to T-tar, Zen Headbutt does a lot of damage to any special walls switching in, 2HKOs Blissey and perhaps chansey. Giscor walks all over this set if it has roost and your not running Ice Punch. Gyrados has nothing to worry about if you are lacking thunder punch. Also Trick can be used to cripple a wall that another one of your sweepers has trouble with. Since no one expects Physical Azelf, it really puts a hurting on most of its counters.

For fun antics pair it up with one of the Bug/Steel types and double up on powerful u-turns.
 
Lead matchups are pretty dead in gen V, so you should call the first set "Stealth Rock."
On the Nasty Plot set, I'd replace Fire Blast with Flamethrower (you don't need the extra power) and consider slashing Hidden Power Fighting ahead of Grass Knot. Tyranitar and Heatran are everywhere, and the ability to them out after a boost is awesome. Consider slashing Shadow Ball in the last slot so Azelf can deal with Lati@s.
 
Minor niptick:

[SET]
name: Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Psycho Shock / Psychic
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Grass Knot / HP Fighting
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

Psychic is Azlef's main attack scoring a 1HKO on Blissey and Snorlax
Click to expand...

You mean Psycho Shock, right?
 
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