ScraftyIsTheBest
On to new Horizons!
Okay, here's the weakest Ghost-type in the entire game.
Why does Dusclops have to be so much better?
[Overview]
<p>Banette is a very unfortunate case. While its offensive stats are very solid, it suffers from the fact that it is simply too frail and slow to make any use of said stats the majority of the time. Its movepool doesn't help its case either, since it is fairly dry on offensive options, further limiting any offensive potential it might have had. Banette does have one small niche, however, as a suicidal Trick Room lead. It can set up Trick Room for its team while taking itself down in the process; therefore, don't expect too much out of Banette otherwise.</p>
[SET]
name: Suicide Trick Room
move 1: Trick Room
move 2: Taunt
move 3: Shadow Claw / Curse
move 4: Destiny Bond
item: Focus Sash
ability: Insomnia
nature: Brave
evs: 252 Atk
ivs: 0 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpD / 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is Banette's best and only way to effectively contribute to its team. This set should always take the lead position, as it should very rarely stay around for long. Its main role is to support slower team members with Trick Room, hopefully taking down an opponent in the process. Its middling defenses and Speed are also key to this set's success. Taunt is an effective tool to stop the opponent's setup opportunities, especially from the likes of Scolipede and Carracosta. Shadow Claw provides a reasonably strong STAB attack for Banette to use, and prevents it from being complete Taunt bait. Curse, on the other hand, is useful against any Pokemon that refuses to outright defeat Banette after it has done its job; aside from wearing down an opponent for your sweepers to sweep better, it will quickly guarantee Banette's demise. Finally, Destiny Bond is useful for Banette to potentially take down an opponent after it has done its job.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread, IVs, and nature minimize Banette's already upsetting defenses and Speed to allow it to reach its Focus Sash more easily and outspeed plenty of opponents under Trick Room. Focus Sash is necessary in order for Banette to set up Trick Room successfully, as Banette is a frail Pokemon in general. Insomnia is the preferred ability, as it allows Banette to ignore sleep moves from the likes of Jynx's and Jumpluff and hence set up Trick Room on them. Because Banette is running Trick Room, it is necessary to pair it up with slow and powerful Pokemon, such as Marowak, Relicanth, Eelektross, and Golurk. Other Trick Room users, such as Exeggutor and Musharna, are also advisable to put less pressure on Banette for its role.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>As previously stated, Banette has quite a miserable movepool, which means there isn't much for it to put to good use. It has some useful priority attacks in Sucker Punch and Shadow Sneak, but its lack of STAB on the former makes Banette a mediocre user of it. Choice Band and Choice Specs are certainly possibilities, but it is outclassed by Golurk and Sawk as Choice Band users, with Trick being its one and only niche over them. It can also support its team with Sunny Day or Rain Dance, and has Thunder to take advantage of the latter, but this role is better left to other Pokemon such as Regirock and Ludicolo. Banette also has some support options in Will-O-Wisp, Thunder Wave, Disable, Toxic, Pain Split, Calm Mind, and Cotton Guard. Unfortunately, Banette's bulk is too disappointing put any of these moves to good use.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Kangaskhan can utilize Scrappy along with a combination of Fake Out and Double-Edge to ensure Banette accomplishes nothing. Taunt users such as Mandibuzz, Samurott, and Serperior are also useful to stop Banette from doing its job, especially if it lacks Shadow Claw in favor of Curse. Skuntank can also do this, and can also use Pursuit to break the Focus Sash. Marowak, Golem, and Piloswine can use multi-hit moves to break Banette's Focus Sash and potentially eliminate it from the match. It is noteworthy that it is usually the slow powerhouses under Trick Room that pose the legitimate threat; Banette itself is not extraordinarily threatening.</p>
Skeleton:
Why does Dusclops have to be so much better?
[Overview]
<p>Banette is a very unfortunate case. While its offensive stats are very solid, it suffers from the fact that it is simply too frail and slow to make any use of said stats the majority of the time. Its movepool doesn't help its case either, since it is fairly dry on offensive options, further limiting any offensive potential it might have had. Banette does have one small niche, however, as a suicidal Trick Room lead. It can set up Trick Room for its team while taking itself down in the process; therefore, don't expect too much out of Banette otherwise.</p>
[SET]
name: Suicide Trick Room
move 1: Trick Room
move 2: Taunt
move 3: Shadow Claw / Curse
move 4: Destiny Bond
item: Focus Sash
ability: Insomnia
nature: Brave
evs: 252 Atk
ivs: 0 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpD / 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is Banette's best and only way to effectively contribute to its team. This set should always take the lead position, as it should very rarely stay around for long. Its main role is to support slower team members with Trick Room, hopefully taking down an opponent in the process. Its middling defenses and Speed are also key to this set's success. Taunt is an effective tool to stop the opponent's setup opportunities, especially from the likes of Scolipede and Carracosta. Shadow Claw provides a reasonably strong STAB attack for Banette to use, and prevents it from being complete Taunt bait. Curse, on the other hand, is useful against any Pokemon that refuses to outright defeat Banette after it has done its job; aside from wearing down an opponent for your sweepers to sweep better, it will quickly guarantee Banette's demise. Finally, Destiny Bond is useful for Banette to potentially take down an opponent after it has done its job.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread, IVs, and nature minimize Banette's already upsetting defenses and Speed to allow it to reach its Focus Sash more easily and outspeed plenty of opponents under Trick Room. Focus Sash is necessary in order for Banette to set up Trick Room successfully, as Banette is a frail Pokemon in general. Insomnia is the preferred ability, as it allows Banette to ignore sleep moves from the likes of Jynx's and Jumpluff and hence set up Trick Room on them. Because Banette is running Trick Room, it is necessary to pair it up with slow and powerful Pokemon, such as Marowak, Relicanth, Eelektross, and Golurk. Other Trick Room users, such as Exeggutor and Musharna, are also advisable to put less pressure on Banette for its role.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>As previously stated, Banette has quite a miserable movepool, which means there isn't much for it to put to good use. It has some useful priority attacks in Sucker Punch and Shadow Sneak, but its lack of STAB on the former makes Banette a mediocre user of it. Choice Band and Choice Specs are certainly possibilities, but it is outclassed by Golurk and Sawk as Choice Band users, with Trick being its one and only niche over them. It can also support its team with Sunny Day or Rain Dance, and has Thunder to take advantage of the latter, but this role is better left to other Pokemon such as Regirock and Ludicolo. Banette also has some support options in Will-O-Wisp, Thunder Wave, Disable, Toxic, Pain Split, Calm Mind, and Cotton Guard. Unfortunately, Banette's bulk is too disappointing put any of these moves to good use.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Kangaskhan can utilize Scrappy along with a combination of Fake Out and Double-Edge to ensure Banette accomplishes nothing. Taunt users such as Mandibuzz, Samurott, and Serperior are also useful to stop Banette from doing its job, especially if it lacks Shadow Claw in favor of Curse. Skuntank can also do this, and can also use Pursuit to break the Focus Sash. Marowak, Golem, and Piloswine can use multi-hit moves to break Banette's Focus Sash and potentially eliminate it from the match. It is noteworthy that it is usually the slow powerhouses under Trick Room that pose the legitimate threat; Banette itself is not extraordinarily threatening.</p>
Skeleton:
[Overview]
- One of those Pokemon that get condemned to disuse even in NU
- It's offensive stats are good, but it's too slow and frail to make use of them
- Not a great movepool either, it's pretty dry on many options
- Almost completely outclassed by all the other Ghosts, who have actual legit stats and movepools to work with
- The only thing Banette is good for is a suicide Trick Room lead
- Don't expect a lot out of this thing
- The only reason Banette should ever be used, and the only way to use it to any effect
- It aims to set up TR for slower mons like Relicanth and then take down something
- Trick Room because that's what Banette is used for
- Taunt stops setup from mons such as Scolipede
- Shadow Claw prevents Banette from being Taunt bait while Curse deals with anything not willing to kill Banette
- Destiny Bond on the other hand should take down some offensive Pokemon with it
- Make all of Banette's already miserable stats even more miserable with 0 IV's, except Attack, to make sure Banette can reach the Sash more easily
- Brave Nature because minimize Speed for TR use
- Sash is the key to Banette's success, because Banette can't take any hits so it needs that survival to grab a TR turn
- Insomnia so that you can be immune to Jynx's Lovely Kiss and set up TR on it
- Because this is TR, slow and strong mons such as Relicanth, Eelektross, and Golurk are musts, that's why Banette exists
- Not much else to Banette, really
- Nothing, really
- Choice sets, Trick is the only thing differentiating it from Golurk
- Has some special moves like T-bolt, but use Haunter
- Sucker Punch
- Can set up weather, but that's better left off to shit like Regirock and Volbeat
- Has some other support moves such as WoW, T-Wave, Toxic, Disable, Cotton Guard, CM, Pain Split. Unfortunately, can't put any of these to good use.
- Kangaskhan can Fake Out+Double-Edge with Scrappy to make sure it accomplishes nothing
- Taunt Serperior (or most Taunt Pokemon in general due to TR's -7 priority)
- Mandibuzz
- Marowak, Golem, and Piloswine since they have multi-hit moves to break past the Sash
- Its usually the Trick Room sweepers that pose the real threats, Banette itself does not
- Almost everything viable in NU can beat it because it's so frail and slow
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