[QC 3/3]
[GP 1/1]
[OVERVIEW]
* Access to strong STAB moves in Knock Off and Iron Head and the ability to further increase its excellent base 125 Attack stat with Swords Dance make Bisharp a fearsome wallbreaker.
* Bisharp also has access to STAB Sucker Punch, which lets it pick off faster threats and improves its overall matchup against offensive teams, despite its mediocre Speed tier.
* Bisharp is one of the few viable Defiant users in the tier, being able to deter Defog users from clearing entry hazards.
* However, while Bisharp is a very potent attacker, it is hindered by its average bulk and weaknesses to common types.
* Bisharp's overreliance on Sucker Punch to hit faster Pokemon can lead to tricky situations where Bisharp has to predict correctly not to let them use status moves to cripple Bisharp or heal up.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Knock Off
move 2: Iron Head
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Swords Dance
item: Life Orb
ability: Defiant
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Knock Off is Bisharp's main STAB move and hits for massive damage while also removing the target's item.
* Iron Head is Bisharp's secondary STAB move and hits Fairy- and Dark-types such as Clefable and Hydreigon for more damage than Knock Off.
* Sucker Punch is Bisharp's best bet against faster Pokemon, though it is often unreliable and creates mind games, hitting targets only if they opt to use an attacking move.
* Swords Dance boosts Bisharp's Attack stat, allowing it to put a huge amount of pressure on the opposing team.
Set Details
========
* Maximum investment in Attack and Speed allows Bisharp to do as much damage and be as fast as possible.
* A Jolly nature notably lets Bisharp outspeed Pokemon such as Timid Primarina and Jolly Scizor and Speed tie with other base 70 Speed Pokemon such as Volcanion.
* However, an Adamant nature is usable on Bisharp to get a significant boost in Attack, at the cost of being slower.
* Given the offensive nature of this set, Life Orb is preferred on Bisharp to increase its firepower.
* Lum Berry is a viable alternative on Bisharp, improving its matchup against common status users such as Spore Amoonguss and Will-O-Wisp Mew, but Bisharp usually prefers the power boost given by Life Orb.
* Defiant is the preferred ability on Bisharp, raising its Attack by two stages if one of its stats is lowered by a foe. This allows Bisharp to be an effective stop to Defog users and take advantage of moves such as Moonblast to boost its Attack.
Usage Tips
========
* Against more defensively inclined teams, this Bisharp set is best used in the early- and mid-game to get off as much damage as possible, ideally after a Swords Dance boost, allowing its teammates to take advantage of the weakened foes.
* Make full use of Knock Off, as it allows Bisharp to wear down and cripple its foes, including checks and counters, without needing to set up with Swords Dance.
* Given Bisharp's mediocre bulk, Swords Dance should only be used against Pokemon that Bisharp matches up well against such as Celebi and Clefable, but it must be wary of potential super effective coverage carried by those Pokemon.
* Facing more offensively inclined teams, Bisharp works best as a late-game cleaner with Swords Dance and Sucker Punch. Your main focus here should be to weaken Bisharp's checks and counters throughout the match in order for it to clean the opposing team.
* Sucker Punch is fairly easy for the opponent to take advantage of if they predict correctly. There is no certain way to win in these situations; therefore, try to avoid these mind games unless it is absolutely necessary.
Team Options
========
* Due to its ability to punish Defog with Defiant, Bisharp pairs well with hazards setters such as Swampert, Froslass and Tentacruel.
* Latias is an exceptional partner, as it covers Bisharp's weaknesses to Fighting, Fire, and Ground and is able to support Bisharp with Healing Wish to give it a second chance at setting up, should it be weakened or affected by status.
* Bisharp is weak to Fire-type Pokemon like Entei, making Pokemon that beat them, such as Keldeo and Starmie, good partners.
* Bisharp appreciates the presence of teammates that comfortably check Fighting-types like Cobalion and Keldeo; examples include Latias, Mew, and Amoonguss.
* Bisharp pairs well with Pokemon that beat its common Ground-type answers, such as Celebi.
* Special wallbreakers such Primarina and Keldeo can help break through many of the physically defensive walls that Bisharp may struggle with.
* While Bisharp can beat Fairy-types with Iron Head, it cannot reliably switch into their moves due to its Dark / Steel typing. Therefore, Pokemon that resist Fairy moves, such as Tentacruel and Nidoqueen, make for good partners.
* Swords Dance Scizor is another good teammate for this Bisharp set, as the two share many of the same checks, such as Keldeo and Cobalion, letting one of the two weaken them for the other to clean in the late-game.
[SET]
name: Pursuit
move 1: Knock Off
move 2: Iron Head
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Pursuit
item: Dread Plate / Life Orb / Assault Vest
ability: Defiant
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Knock Off is Bisharp's primary STAB move that also provides nice utility in removing opposing items.
* Iron Head threatens Fairy-types such as Clefable, Klefki, and Primarina for more damage than Knock Off.
* Sucker Punch is a priority move and Bisharp's mean to deal with faster foes, although it is unreliable.
* Pursuit lets Bisharp trap and weaken or KO opposing Psychic- and Ghost-types, such as Latias and Gengar.
Set Details
========
* Maximum Attack investment ensures that Bisharp hits as hard as possible, while maximum Speed investment allows Bisharp to be as fast as possible.
* A Jolly nature allows Bisharp to outspeed Pokemon such as Timid Primarina and Modest Togekiss.
* An Adamant nature is an option, further increasing Bisharp's Attack stat, but Jolly is generally preferred to outspeed the threats mentioned above, altough an Adamant nature can be interesting to guarantee the OHKO on Latias with Pursuit if it tries to switch out.
* Dread Plate is recommended on this Bisharp set to boost the power of its three Dark-type STAB moves without any recoil.
* However, Life Orb can also be used for more power and to increase Iron Head's damage as well; this reduces Bisharp's longevity, though.
* Assault Vest increases Bisharp's Special Defense stat to a respectable level, letting it comfortably switch in and Pursuit trap Pokemon such as Latias and Celebi.
* Defiant is used on Bisharp to punish Defog users by increasing Bisharp's Attack if one of its stats is lowered.
Usage Tips
========
* This set's main purpose is to switch in and Pursuit trap the various Psychic- and Ghost-types of the tier to help teammates that are weak to or have trouble getting past those Pokemon.
* Assault Vest Bisharp is also able to comfortably hard switch into Defog users such as Latias and punish them with its Defiant ability, making it a great tool in keeping entry hazards on the opponent's side.
* Given this set's general lack of damage output, its primary focus should be to support Bisharp's teammates with Pursuit, but it also may be used to Knock Off the Leftovers of different walls to aid teammates in breaking them down.
Team Options
========
* Pokemon that appreciate Psychic- and Ghost-types being removed by Bisharp make for great partners. Those Pokemon include Cobalion, Keldeo, and Volcanion.
* Bisharp needs teammates such as Latias and Togekiss to handle Fighting-, Fire-, and Ground-types, especially considering they often get free switches when Pursuit is used.
* Hazards setters like Klefki and Tentacruel appreciate Bisharp's ability to come in and punish Latias and other Defog users with Defiant and Pursuit.
* Considering this Bisharp set's lack of power in comparison to the Swords Dance set, Bisharp appreciates the presence of special wallbreakers such as Alakazam and Primarina to help it muscling through bulkier teams.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Low Kick is a decent coverage move that hits Cobalion, Mega Sharpedo, and other Bisharp, but Bisharp is strapped for moveslots as is and has trouble finding room for it.
* Taunt can be used on Bisharp to prevent the opponent from healing or setting up.
* Although Bisharp's Special Attack is nothing spectacular, it can use Grass Knot to lure Quagsire in and severely damage it.
* Dread Plate is an option on the Swords Dance set to boost the power of Dark moves with no recoil, but Life Orb is generally preferred, as it boosts the power of all of Bisharp's moves.
* Bisharp can use a Choice Scarf to surprise Pokemon such as Gengar, Latias, and Togekiss by KOing them before they can make a move.
* A Double Dance set with Swords Dance and Rock Polish is also usable, although Bisharp usually prefers running a priority move in Sucker Punch.
* It is possible to run Stealth Rock on Bisharp if your team desperately needs a Stealth Rock setter, but Bisharp has trouble finding room for it.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fighting-types**: Fighting-types resist Knock Off and Sucker Punch and can easily revenge OHKO it with their Fighting-type moves. Cobalion, Keldeo, and Infernape are particularly good answers to Bisharp because they also resist Iron Head.
**Physically Defensive Walls**: Defensively invested Quagsire, Hippowdon, Chesnaught, and Gliscor take Bisharp's moves fairly easily and can deal back consequent damage.
**Faster Pokemon That Survive Sucker Punch**: Mega Aerodactyl, Hydreigon, and Krookodile can all stomach a Sucker Punch from Bisharp and KO it in return. Krookodile must be healthy to do so, though, since it boosts Bisharp's Attack by one with Intimidate.
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