Other Dedicated Leads

[shack]

Don't want to be a douche or anything but, by having a ''Dedicated'' lead, your opponent will most likely predict you lead and correspond with a complete counter/check so I find the dedicated lead role to be useless nowadays.. (Sorry if this has been stated before)

Not unless you have 2 pokemon that could be a lead or a pokemon that can lead but doesn't have to like Greninja. Some people use him as a special sweeper, not just for U-Turn

 

[WebBowser]

There are a couple of lead sets I've been liking.

1. Smeargle @ focus sash

Parting Shot
Taunt
Spore
Magic Coat

What? No setup moves? No hazards? Yes, the sole purpose of this guy is to grab momentum, and nothing more. And he does a great job of it. Fast/Prankster taunt user? Magic Coat. Fast offensive Lead? Spore. Slow defensive poke? Taunt. Slow offensive pokemon? Spore or parting shot. Obvious grass type swap in? parting shot. Obvious magic bounce switch in? phase out with parting shot for the lols. He's got an answer to just about anything you can do, and near all of them get him some momentum (though he does not necessarily like the answer in the case of fast offensive lead). Deo-S is the biggest problem this set has because it is fast and can run either offensive or taunt. Lastly, this guy is still useful if he gets tricked a scarf for super fast parting shots and spores.

2. Wobuffet Leftovers

252 HP
252 Def
4 SPDef

Tickle
Counter
MagicMirror Coat (lol I wish)
Encore

It's a similar idea to the above smeargle set, except that wobb can also take hits and do a few other things. Tickle is for weakening defensive leads like ferrothorn for a lethal pursuit trapper follow-up. Counter is for obvious reasons and is especially notable in that it allows it to ohko pretty much any non ghost switch in after taking an easily predicted u-turn. Mirror Coat is there because Wobbuffet, and Encore is to shut down any foolish attempts to use wobb as setup bait. Still is weak to any "fast" taunter (read: any taunter at all) and any team with both a u-turner and a ghost or a specially based dark type will laugh at this guy as always.

 

[EeveeMaster248]

I currently use Smeargle as lead for most of my teams that I use. My Smeargle looks like this:

Smeargle @ Quick Claw
Ability: Own Tempo
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Spd / 4 Def
Nature: Jolly

-Spore
-Stealth Rock
-Spider Web
-Heal Bell

Smeargle usually is able to attack first for me with Max Speed (both EV & IV), and if the opponent is truly much faster there's still a chance with Quick Claw. Spore will at least give a chance to set up Stealth Rock & Spider Web, but if I don't have the time or the opponent switches I will usually put down Spider Web to ensure the rest of my time always has the upper hand. I find that worst case scenario it does better having Spider Web down rather than Stealth Rock if you HAVE to. Before he leaves I will usually try and re-Spore the enemy and use him later with Heal Bell to keep the team fresh and healthy.

 

[-NLMRY-]

I rather like to lead with an anti-bullshit Mandibuzz with Foul Play, roost, defog and knock off: it's very rare that The Man can't at least annoy the shit out of someone, he has the bulk to take a rotoms Volt Switch and Roost it off, it can take an Icicle Crash from Mamoswine and 2HKO it, providing it goes for the stealth rock mindlessly like most lead Mamos do...and there's very few things that appreciate a knock off. Not to mention it essentially hard counters lead smeargles. You do need to read the situation and get out of there if it's bad, but eh, that's what the rest of your team is for. I've also been finding Porygon2 with Eviolite to be a solid choice to push momentum in your favor, throwing out Tri Attacks or Discharges can get you a critical status, while dealing sizable bites of damage.

I personally enjoy (not always) leading with Ditto. No need to post the set since there's only one, but it's great for scouting opposing leads and possibly ko-ing them. For instance, if I see a Mandibuzz I expect to lead, I'll lead with Ditto and then I'll switch to my defensive MegaScizor, who doesn't care about Knock Off or Foul Play and will Knock Off either Buzz's Leftovers/Rocky Helmet or the opponent's switch in (unless it's a Mega). Opposing Ferrothorn leads can't do anything without Thunderwave. Opposing Greninja get KO'd or badly damaged if they have U-Turn. It also shuts down Spore Smeargle, who gets Spored himself, then KO'd by Scizor's Bullet Punch. It's worked out great for me, though I wouldn't say it's a dedicated lead-more of an anti-lead with utility late game if the opponent tries to boost. Oh, and as a bonus, I usually get two Megas because of Ditto.

 

[Aquaslash]

Where are you seeing skymin? .

In ubers matches of course. For whatever reason, suicide spiker frosslass seems to be more effective for me there than in OU

 

[WebBowser]

I currently use Smeargle as lead for most of my teams that I use. My Smeargle looks like this:

Smeargle @ Quick Claw
Ability: Own Tempo
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Spd / 4 Def
Nature: Jolly

-Spore
-Stealth Rock
-Spider Web
-Heal Bell

Smeargle usually is able to attack first for me with Max Speed (both EV & IV), and if the opponent is truly much faster there's still a chance with Quick Claw. Spore will at least give a chance to set up Stealth Rock & Spider Web, but if I don't have the time or the opponent switches I will usually put down Spider Web to ensure the rest of my time always has the upper hand. I find that worst case scenario it does better having Spider Web down rather than Stealth Rock if you HAVE to. Before he leaves I will usually try and re-Spore the enemy and use him later with Heal Bell to keep the team fresh and healthy.

Quick claw is a very bad idea tbh, try focus sash so that if he does get outsped, he can do stuff. Otherwise, pretty typical smeargle deck outside of heal bell, which is a decent move if he survives long enough to use it. do not depend on him.

 

[TooMuchSugar]

In ubers matches of course. For whatever reason, suicide spiker frosslass seems to be more effective for me there than in OU

Um you are aware that this is the OU forum, right?

Also yes smeargle should ALWAYS have focus sash.

 

[hyunwoo0124]

I believe Jolly Sashed Swine is still very good in the current meta game with EQ/SR/Ice Shard/Icicle Crash as a lead. Setting up rocks fishing for flinches and a priority while saving it for checking most threatning dragons like Chomp and Dragonite. He is also immune to Sandstorm and Hail making his sash more easier to keep.

 

[WebBowser]

Um you are aware that this is the OU forum, right?

Also yes smeargle should ALWAYS have focus sash.

I can somewhat imagine scarf Smeargle being effective with the advent of Parting Shot, which I still believe is going to be Smeargle's new best friend (see my set above). I simply cannot see any other item being effective unless he makes it into a tier where being outsped is not an issue, where he doesn't die to any attack what so ever, or if someone actually manages to find a workable offensive set on him. The first two are simply not happening as long as Smeargle is in OU, and the last seems just as unlikely as any other gen.