[OVERVIEW]
Azelf is a versatile Pokemon that can take advantage of its incredibly high Speed tier and wide movepool to provide a powerful offensive presence and fast support. Nasty Plot and a variety of coverage moves such as Fire Blast, Energy Ball, and Dazzling Gleam allow Azelf to hit nearly the entire tier for super effective damage. It learning Knock Off and U-turn also makes it a great offensive pivot that can threaten tier staples like Aegislash and Assault Vest Tangrowth. Despite Azelf's elite Speed, common Choice Scarf users like Krookodile and Zarude easily revenge kill it. Azelf does not have much bulk and lacks recovery, leaving it worn down quickly and making it difficult to set up with Nasty Plot. It also needs pivot support to get in safely, as it typically cannot directly switch into any attack. Starmie gives Azelf competition as a fast Psychic-type with strong coverage moves, solid secondary typing, a better offensive ability in Analytic, and better utility moves like Recover. However, Azelf can be more threatening than Starmie after Nasty Plot. As a pivot, Thundurus-T can fill a similar role, but Azelf's high Speed allows it to better threaten Pokemon like Keldeo and Nihilego.
[SET]
name: Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Psyshock
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Energy Ball / Dazzling Gleam
item: Expert Belt / Life Orb
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
After a Nasty Plot, very few Pokemon other than Chansey and Umbreon can withstand a hit from Azelf. Psyshock is the preferred STAB option to OHKO Nihilego and Tentacruel without a boost, and it also hits Chansey considerably harder than Psychic. Fire Blast OHKOes defensive Celesteela and Assault Vest Tangrowth at +2. It also covers many key threats such as Jirachi and Buzzwole. Energy Ball is the preferred last move to hit Krookodile, Rhyperior, and Milotic for super effective damage. It also hits Unaware users like Quagsire and Pyukumuku, giving Azelf a good matchup against certain stall teams. Dazzling Gleam is an option to 2HKO Salamence and hit Galarian Moltres super effectively while also maintaining coverage for Krookodile. It also prevents Umbreon from completely walling Azelf. Since Azelf will typically be hitting its foes for super effective damage, Expert Belt is enough to OHKO nearly everything. Life Orb can be used to increase Azelf's damage output more consistently on targets that it cannot hit super effectively, like Hatterene and Moltres, but the chip damage adds up quickly and leaves Azelf more vulnerable to revenge killers with priority like Lycanroc-D. Colbur Berry allows Azelf to withstand one Dark-type hit from common Choice Scarf users like Krookodile and Zarude and KO them back. This is more situational and less reliable, and Azelf needs the extra power from Expert Belt or Life Orb to OHKO certain foes like Celesteela and Assault Vest Tangrowth at +2.
Nasty Plot Azelf is best used on hyper offense builds that can offer it support, although it can also fit on certain balance teams as a late-game wincon. An entry hazard setter like Nihilego or Krookodile helps weaken foes like Chansey and Primarina into KO range of +2 Azelf. A Sticky Web setter like Ribombee or Shuckle significantly boosts Azelf's ability to clean through teams, as Sticky Web invalidates common Choice Scarf users like Krookodile and Zarude as revenge killers. It also ensures Azelf does not lose any Speed ties with Zygarde-10%, or Raikou and Starmie if they lack Heavy-Duty Boots. A pivot like Zarude can get Azelf in safely against Pokemon like Amoonguss. A wallbreaker like Azumarill or Mamoswine can help punch holes in the enemy team, significantly weakening them for Azelf to sweep later. Other sweepers like Gyarados and Nasty Plot Thundurus-T can be used on hyper offense teams to cover a wider range of threats, including Galarian Moltres and Incineroar, which Azelf cannot easily beat.
[SET]
name: Offensive Pivot
move 1: Psychic / Psyshock
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Flamethrower
item: Heavy-Duty Boots
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
U-turn lets Azelf to pivot away from switch-ins and escape counters like Umbreon and Galarian Moltres. Knock Off offers important utility to cripple defensive switch-ins like Chansey and Hatterene. Psychic is the preferred STAB option to OHKO Kommo-o and Buzzwole. Psyshock is an option over Psychic to guarantee the OHKO on Nihilego and deal additional damage to specially defensive foes like Chansey and Primarina. Flamethrower allows Azelf to threaten Jirachi and Aegislash. While Timid is the preferred nature, a Naive nature can be used to deal more chip damage with U-turn and Knock Off at the expense of some survivability.
Offensive pivot Azelf best fits on balance teams and offense teams that appreciate a fast pivot and revenge killer. Strong wallbreakers like Azumarill and Mamoswine appreciate Azelf's pivoting and deal with Umbreon. An entry hazard setter like Nidoqueen, Rhyperior, or Krookodile syncs well with the switches that Azelf's momentum forces, providing additional damage for it and its teammates to break through defensive cores like Tangrowth + Chansey. An offensive pivot like Zarude forms a strong pivoting core with Azelf. Zarude can bring Azelf in on Amoonguss and Tangrowth, while it can bring Zarude in on foes like Seismitoad and Rhyperior. Primarina is a great partner for Azelf, as it threatens Pokemon like Krookodile and Galarian Moltres. Keldeo can also be a great partner, as it threatens checks like Incineroar. In return, Azelf helps remove their common Grass-type counters like Amoonguss and Tangrowth after they are sufficiently chipped. Many Choice Scarf users like Krookodile and Zarude can outspeed and threaten Azelf, so a defensive teammate like Amoonguss or Tangrowth can be used to take hits from these foes.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Adrenaline Orb can be used on the Nasty Plot set to beat Azelf's most common check in Choice Scarf Krookodile, as Intimidate will boost Azelf's Speed and allow it to KO Krookodile with a boosted coverage move. This tactic also helps against Salamence, but it is rather useless against teams that do not have one of these two Pokemon. Azelf can be used as a suicide lead due to its great Speed tier and access to Stealth Rock and Taunt. While this allows Azelf to always get Stealth Rock up with a Focus Sash, a Pokemon like Krookodile, which possesses better defensive utility and a stronger Knock Off, can typically do this job better. A dual screens set can additionally set Stealth Rock and maintain momentum with Explosion, but it has difficulties setting both Stealth Rock and dual screens. Azelf can also be a Choice Band user with its great Speed tier and wide physical movepool, boasting options like Knock Off, U-turn, Zen Headbutt, Ice Punch, Explosion, and Trick. However, it is usually unable to OHKO its foes and outclassed by Pokemon like Crawdaunt, which provides priority and a stronger Knock Off.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Choice Scarf Users**: Common Choice Scarf users like Krookodile, Zarude, Jirachi, and Mienshao outspeed and threaten Azelf with super effective STAB or coverage moves.
**Priority Attackers**: Azelf does not have great defenses and will be 2HKOed by most priority attacks, including Accelerock from Lycanroc-D and Aqua Jet from Azumarill. Additionally, more powerful priority attacks like a boosted Quick Attack from Diggersby will KO Azelf after minimal chip damage.
**Dark-types**: Galarian Moltres can OHKO Azelf, and Azelf cannot do much back it unless it is running Dazzling Gleam and Colbur Berry. Umbreon walls Azelf almost completely without Dazzling Gleam. Finally, Incineroar poses the most significant problem to Azelf, as it can threaten to KO Azelf with Knock Off or pivot with U-turn or Parting Shot, while Azelf cannot threaten it at all.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[BigFatMantis, 507497]]
- Quality checked by: [[Monky25, 515132], [Bandkrook, 301217], [Twilight, 344575], [Hilomilo, 313384]]
- Grammar checked by: [[DC, 449990], [Finland, 517429]]
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