[COMPLETED] Kabutops



Fuzznip helps me with the initial skeleton.

[Pros]
<ul>
<li>Kabutops is one of the more offensive spinner.</li>
<li>Swift Swim doubles its Speed under the rain.</li>
<li>It has access to Sword Dance and priority Aqua Jet.</li>
</ul>

[Cons]
<ul>
<li>Faces competition from Starmie as an offensive spinner.</li>
<li>Its bulk leaves to be desired, and it has trouble setting up Swords Dance. </li>
<li>Azumarill is better than Kabutops as an Aqua Jet user, due to its Huge Power ability and better defenses and typing. </li>
</ul>

[Set Recommendations]

Name: Swift Sweeper
Move 1: Swords Dance
Move 2: Waterfall
Move 3: Stone Edge
Move 4: Aqua Jet / Rapid Spin
Ability: Swift Swim
Item: Life Orb / Lum Berry
Evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Nature: Adamant

<p>Even with the nerf to Drizzle, Kabutops still remains one of the most powerful sweepers in rain while holding a Life Orb. When the rain starts to fall, Swift Swim doubles Kabutops's Speed, reaching an amazing stat of 518, outrunning the entire unboosted metagame. An Adamant nature is used to maximize Kabutops's damage output, and Swords Dance grants it a +2 boost in its Attack stat, reaching an astonishing value of 658. Life Orb powers up all of Kabutops's moves, and after a boost it turns into a threatening sweeper to deal with. Kabutops gains STAB on Waterfall, which becomes insanely powerful in rain with an amazing Base Power of 180. A Swords Dance-boosted Waterfall screws all Pokemon, even those it hits for neutral damage, and it has a small chance of flinching the opponent if survives it. Stone Edge is its secondary STAB, having a high Base Power and a little critical hit chance, which damages any Grass-, Dragon-, and Water-type Pokemon trying to switch in on its Water-type moves. Also, +2 Stone Edge allows Kabutops to hit Ghost-type Pokemon hard, making Kabutops difficult to spinblock. The last moveslot depends on what things your team needs cover. Aqua Jet picks off weakened enemies, hitting priority users before they hit back with Bullet Punch or Mach Punch, and a Swords Dance-boosted Aqua Jet allows Kabutops to hit Pokemon that outspeed it outside of rain, such as Garchomp, Talonflame, Lucario, and Hawlucha. However, Kabutops has to compete with Azumarill as Aqua Jet user due to its ability Huge Power that doubles its Attack stat and better typing. On the other side, Rapid Spin allows Kabutops to spin away Entry hazards that are problematic if your team suffers them. Unfortunately it faces competition with Starmie as spinner for offensive teams, because the latter can have a defensive role and has Recover to recoup its HP.</p>

<p>Politoed is a required teammate, as it provides huge support with Drizzle. Other Rain Dance users such as Crobat, Rotom, and Jolteon are all good partners for Kabutops. If they run Damp Rock, the duration of the rain is increased from 5 to 8 turns, but obviously Kabutops has to begin its sweep immediately before the rain stops. Talonflame and Charizard appreciate the lack of Stealth Rock on the field and can switch into Kabutops's weaknesses to Grass-, Fighting-, and Ground-type attacks. Ferrothorn is a good partner as well, providing Spikes support and Electric- and Grass-type resistances, and Kabutops can switch into Fire-type moves aimed at it.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Mega Venusaur, Trevenant, and Gourgiest-A are the best counters to Kabutops. They take all its hits very well and can KO back with Giga Drain and Seed Bomb. Also, Aegislash counters Kabutops since Kabutops has no way to beat it in Shield forme and is easily KOed by Blade forme. Quagsire with Unaware and massive Defense investment is a solid check to Kabutops, making its Swords Dance boosts useless. Gastrodon, Mega Aggron, and Skarmory are all checks to Kabutops. The former absorbs Water-type STAB moves, boosting its Special Attack stat, and resists Stone Edge. Mega Aggron can tank anything Kabutops's uses with its monstruous Defense and OHKOes back with Earthquake, and Skarmory takes all the Kabutops's moves well. Rotom-W checks this set very well due to its high Defense and can OHKO back with Volt Switch. Priority users such as Scizor, Breloom, and Azumarill can easily defeat Kabutops respectively with Bullet Punch, Mach Punch, and Aqua Jet due to its lack Defense. Sableye can freely switch in on Kabutops's Rapid Spin then cripple it with a priority Will-O-Wisp.</p>
 
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I saw someone talk about a set with Endure + Weakness Policy. It seems a bit gimmicky, but it might look something like this:

<p>Kabutops @ Weakness Policy<br />
Ability: Weak Armor<br />
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe <br />
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SpA)<br />
- Endure<br />
- Stone Edge<br />
- Aqua Jet<br />
- Swords Dance</p>

The goal of the set is to SD on a predicted switch-in like Breloom, use Endure to survive the super-effective hit, and then destroy at +4/+1. I don't know how viable it is, but maybe it could go in other options?
 
I saw someone talk about a set with Endure + Weakness Policy. It seems a bit gimmicky, but it might look something like this:

<p>Kabutops @ Weakness Policy<br />
Ability: Weak Armor<br />
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe <br />
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SpA)<br />
- Endure<br />
- Stone Edge<br />
- Aqua Jet<br />
- Swords Dance</p>

The goal of the set is to SD on a predicted switch-in like Breloom, use Endure to survive the super-effective hit, and then destroy at +4/+1. I don't know how viable it is, but maybe it could go in other options?
Sounds gimmicky, but I can't think of a priority user that could outspeed you at +1, except maybe Talonflame. Unfortunately, Sucker Punch is faster than Aqua Jet and ends your attempt at a sweep. Seems like a High Risk/High Reward strategy.
 
I saw someone talk about a set with Endure + Weakness Policy. It seems a bit gimmicky, but it might look something like this:

<p>Kabutops @ Weakness Policy<br />
Ability: Weak Armor<br />
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe <br />
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SpA)<br />
- Endure<br />
- Stone Edge<br />
- Aqua Jet<br />
- Swords Dance</p>

The goal of the set is to SD on a predicted switch-in like Breloom, use Endure to survive the super-effective hit, and then destroy at +4/+1. I don't know how viable it is, but maybe it could go in other options?
Tempting as it may be, it is not the way to do this. +4 Aqua Jet won't be downing everything and a good number of Pokemon can live and finish you off.

Things to add:

-Trevenant / Gourgiest-A
-Quagsire
-Remove Hippowdon from checks.
-Aegislash is a clean counter and not a check to this set since Kabutops has no way of beating it at all.
-Swift Swim needs to be slashed as Kabutops (like you said) can be turned into a ferocious sweeper with SD.

I'm low on time now, i'll look at this more thoroughly later, good work bud
 

ginganinja

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Low Kick is iirc illegal (PS! wouldn't let me load it so thats what im going off) so that needs to be removed ASAP.

Anyway couple of things

The set I ran was

-SD
-Waterfall
-Aqua Jet
-Stone Edge

With LO + Adamant + Swift Swim with Politoed.
You don't NEED Rapid Spin to be effective on Kabutops, so I am rather surprised that its listed as a mandatory move. Either have a "spinner set" and a "Swords Dance sweeper set" or do some heavy slash work with Swords Dance + Rapid Spin, as I am really unhappy with the lack of mention of SD (being relegated to 4th moveslot, 2nd slash is not something im at all pleased with.

There is also (as far as I can see), no mention of any Politoed Support / Rain team support, which is THE reason you use Kabutops. Offensively checking Talonflame and all that is nice, but speaking from personal experience I only ever used it as a rain sweeper, since with Drizzle Swim legal it is very effective. Waterfall under the Rain nukes pretty much everything, but its not even slashed which seems p bad.
 
Hm, so Drizzle + Swift Swim is now legal? I didn't think it was, because in BW was banned.
If it is, then I edit the first post.
Anyway, the reason why i didn't mention anything 'bout Politoed / Rain team support, was because it is only a skeleton, and i'm writing the entire analysis, and i want to put there.
Next, i will edit the set this evening when i come back home.
 

ginganinja

It's all coming back to me now
is a Community Leader Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a CAP Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
Hm, so Drizzle + Swift Swim is now legal? I didn't think it was, because in BW was banned.
If it is, then I edit the first post.
Anyway, the reason why i didn't mention anything 'bout Politoed / Rain team support, was because it is only a skeleton, and i'm writing the entire analysis, and i want to put there.
Next, i will edit the set this evening when i come back home.
Yes, according to the OU banlist, Drizzle Swim is legal and available for use

-I am aware it is just a skeleton, and thats ok, im not expecting you to write an essay for the current short form. That said, there is nothing stopping you from mentioning it in a bullet point, so that QC at least knows it will be talked about when the analysis is further developed. If its not there, then there is the chance it might not be discussed / wasn't on your radar, so I posted just in case it was unclear. I will chat to QC as to whether they feel two separate sets are best, or if we can combine them somehow. Will keep you posted.
 
Yes, according to the OU banlist, Drizzle Swim is legal and available for use

-I am aware it is just a skeleton, and thats ok, im not expecting you to write an essay for the current short form. That said, there is nothing stopping you from mentioning it in a bullet point, so that QC at least knows it will be talked about when the analysis is further developed. If its not there, then there is the chance it might not be discussed / wasn't on your radar, so I posted just in case it was unclear. I will chat to QC as to whether they feel two separate sets are best, or if we can combine them somehow. Will keep you posted.
Yeah, don't worry will be discussed :)
Thanks for all Ginga ^^
 
It can be easily combined to this:

-Swords Dance
-Stone Edge
-Aqua Jet
-Rapid Spin / Waterfall

Don't think it needs separate sets.
 
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ginganinja

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I would potentially prefer

-Swords Dance
-Stone Edge
-Waterfall
-Rapid Spin / Aqua Jet

The reasoning is that while Aqua Jet is really awesome, that fact is you really want a reliable STAB move, especially if you are running Swords dance as your primary move, and Stone Edge just isn't reliable enough. Waterfall gets solid coverage on a lot of mons, and +2 Drizzle backed Waterfall nukes the hell out of Aegislash and Hippowdon, so IMO you REALLY want Waterfall somewhere.

Personally id switch the slash order between Aqua Jet and Rapid Spin around in my order, but thats just me going of from my experience, and subject to debate so I put Rapid Spin first.
 
Sorry guys, I had some problems, but now i'm on.
However, i have fixed the OP post, giving a mention to Politoed and Rain Team supports, and also fixed the set.
Next, in my opinion if you run an SD set, i prefer to run Aqua Jet instead, because you can stop stuff like Scizor if it has already suffered some damage first, otherwise it can OHKO Kabutops with Bullet Punch. This is my idea.
 

ginganinja

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is a Community Leader Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a CAP Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
Yea ok Slash Rapid Spin second after Aqua Jet. If someone on QC wants to speak up about this change, then please post or forever hold your peace. ill give this 24 hrs tops before approving this myself to let any other QC members post of they want something discussed.
 

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