Finishing Item Analysis

Xia

On porpoise
is a Contributor Alumnus
We're still working on finishing this.

The original project went through and added analyses for a lot of the more popular items, but it's also in the best interest of the community to analyze the competitive viability of all items seen in competitive play. While this may seem like a grand undertaking, a lot of these unpopular items are related enough to enable using analysis templates that provide a general strategy about the items with minor changes that coincide with the individual characteristics of these items (note that some items will still receive individualized analyses if they carry high competitive merit, like Yache Berry).

Items that fall under this category include:

Type-resistant Berries (Chilan Berry, Passo Berry)
Type-Specific +20% Boost Items (Sea Incense, Charcoal)
Plates (Flame Plate, Meadow Plate)
Power Items (Power Belt, Power Weight)
Mail
And any other items whose purposes are extremely similar.

While some of these items may be Pokémon specific, such as Bone Club for Marowak, these analyses should focus on how the item influences the battle, not how the Pokémon holding the item influences the battle. In short, these should not be mini-analyses of Pokémon. We also expect analyses to be on-par with the rest of the on-site work, meaning poorly written analyses or those whose content isn't "up to snuff" will have to go through some revisions before making it on-site. However, it is my own responsibility to polish all analyses and I will work personally with the writer or work to wring out all of the useful information about an item there is. Some of these items may require the use of theorymon, since even banned items (Berry Juice in Little Cup) or those whose effects are negated by our own competitive clauses (Micle Berry). Nevertheless, it is important to keep analyses within the limits of rational expectations for unobtainable battle conditions.

Still other items, such as Metronome, fall under the category of "pseudo-competitive"--that is, to new players these items appear to be viable items but fail to prove themselves in actual battle conditions. In this case, it is advised that the writer explain why these items should not be used and provide alternative options which outclass said item or enable to Pokémon holding them to gain a competitive edge. Joke analyses are prohibited.

All those wishing to help write item analyses should make reservations in this thread that lists the item the writer wants to analyze or which template the writer wishes to develop. Following analysis format, items listed with a username beside it are reserved and will be updated with a link to the post containing the analysis. Bolded items are on-site.

Obviously, any on-site analysis that is outdated can be re-reserved for an update (the community will decide if an analysis is outdated enough to warrant an update). Only the most recent analysis will be linked in the reservation list.

Templates:

Plates
- Xia


Type-Boost Items - Xia
BlackGlasses
Dragon Fang
NeverMeltIce
Sea Incense
Sharp Beak
Soft Sand
Wave Incense
Charcoal
Magnet
Metal Coat
Odd Incense
Poison Barb
Rock Incense
Rose Incense
Spell Tag


Type-Boost Items (outclassed) - Xia
Hard Stone
Miracle Seed
Mystic Water
TwistedSpoon


Confusion-Inducing Berries
Aguav Berry
Figy Berry
Iapapa Berry
Mago Berry
Wiki Berry


Item List
-A-
Adamant Orb
- Unknown Author

-B-
Babiri Berry
- Legacy Raider
Big Root - Xia
Black Sludge - jumpluff
BrightPowder - Xia

-C-
Chesto Berry - Xia
Chilan Berry - Unknown Author
Choice Band - kd24
Choice Specs - kd24
Choice Scarf - kd24
Chople Berry - Unknown Author
Custap Berry - Unknown Author

-D-
Destiny Knot - Xia
Damp Rock - jumpluff
DeepseaScale - Fuzznip
SeepSeaTooth - Fuzznip

-E-
Expert Belt
- kd24

-F-
Flame Orb
- Unknown Author
Focus Sash - kd24

-G-
Griseous Orb
- Unknown Author

-H-
Haban Berry
- Unknown Author
Heat Rock - Legacy Raider

-I-
Iron Ball
- Xia

-J-

-K-

-L-
Leftovers
- twash
Liechi Berry - jumpluff
Life Orb - Legacy Raider
Light Ball - jumpluff
Light Clay - Unknown Author
Lum Berry - kd24
Lustrous Orb - Unknown Author

-M-

Macho Brace - jumpluff
Metronome - Xia
Micle Berry - Xia
Muscle Band - Xia

-N-

-O-
Occa Berry
- Legacy Raider

-P-
Petaya Berry
- Xia
Persim Berry - Unknown Author

-Q-
Quick Powder
- Hegna

-R-
Rindo Berry
- jumpluff

-S-
Salac Berry - Xia
Silk Scarf - Xia
SilverPowder - Xia
Shed Shell - Fuzznip
Shell Bell - Xia
Shuca Berry - Unknown Author
Soul Dew - jumpluff
Stick - Komodo

-T-
Thick Club
- Fuzznip
Toxic Orb - Legacy Raider

-U-

-V-

-W-
Wacan Berry
- jumpluff
White Herb - Xia
Wise Glasses - Legacy Raider

-X-

-Y-
Yache Berry
- Hegna

-Z-

Zoom Lens - Xia
 

eric the espeon

maybe I just misunderstood
is a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Researcher Alumnusis a Top CAP Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnus
The original project put together a majority of the important items, but there did not seem to be a systematic check for which items were deemed competitive enough to have an analysis, as a result some were missed. I decided to have a look through the item list for viable items that could have analysis added, and came up with the list below. Bear in mind that there are currently item analysis for things like Chilan Berry and Black Sludge, so the criteria for having an item analysis seems to be "have some kind of competitive use, even if it's overly specific and unusual". Input on which items should have analysis is welcome.

If a few writers get together, we should have this finished quite quickly. However, if this ends up not happening soon then hopefully this list should at least prove a good reference for people to work on slowly. I can check the item analysis, and will be doing the same for as many of the on site ones as I can.

The list below is roughly ordered by importance, with the high priority ones at the top. Post in this thread to claim items and avoid duplication of effort. I do not need to accept your claim, just post your analysis once it is written.

Edit: Please do not work on Pokemon specific analysis just yet, we are going to change the way they are written so that they just a mini analysis for the Pokemon that uses them, and need to set out specifics.

Italic indicates that the analysis is on site.
The writer's name links to the post with the analysis if they have posted it.

Salac Berry - Xia
Apparently it's mentioned in no fewer than 72 analysis...

Yache Berry - Hegna
Big part of why Chompy got banned, a few OUs and Ubers use it.

Petaya Berry - Xia
Important to Empoleon, and 22 other analysis mention it.

<all> Plate
Currently they all have little more than a link to the Arceus page, but the Arceus page does not actually talk about all of them. Need to think about what they should have, possibly a short overview of how that type of Arceus works (not fully legal in Ubers yet though).

Shed Shell - Fuzznip
Common on two OUs. Interesting item.

Iron Ball - Xia
Lagging Tail/Full Incense
Power <Item>

Macho Brace gets one, so these should at least for comparison. Iron Ball is the most powerful Fling item, which is nice. 130 BP dark move.

Oran Berry
Only for Little Cup, but it is one of if not the most common and important items in that tier. Kinda important really.

Silk Scarf - Xia
Arceus, Ambi, Zangoose, Persian, Linoone, Bibarel.. surprising how many have it as an option.

<everything> Mail

Blocks Trick, so has some use. Someone used it on Wobby iirc. Not mentioned in analysis yet though.

Shuca Berry - TLK
Has an analysis, but it's short and could be expanded seems as though it's now probably the most popular resist berry.

Thick Club - Fuzznip
A Cubone bit could added for LC.

Chesto Berry - Xia
Quite a few Pokemon use it over Lum, worth writing something explaining this.

White Herb
Used on a few things.

Passho Berry
Mentioned in Torkoal and Steelix. iirc there was some talk of it being used on Claydol once.


BrightPowder - Xia
Hax item, but it's in three analysis.

Zoom Lens - Xia
Wide Lens gets one, this is like a 2x better version for slow Pokemon.

Sitrus Berry
I think it's used in doubles, maybe when they are supported by Smogon. Or add it as part of the doubles project, at least a short analysis.

DeepSeaScale - Fuzznip
Only currently useful in LC (or kinda bad in NU). Good Pokemon specific items seem decent choices for item analysis.

DeepSeaTooth - Fuzznip
Could have a LC section added.

Berry Juice
Only currently useful/legal in.. well.. LC Ubers. So maybe not yet, but it is a central item there so maybe.

Muscle Band
- Xia
Wise Glasses has one, only seems balanced since this is just the Physical counterpart.

Micle Berry Pretty much OHKO specific, but with talk of testing them.. well, you never know.

Metal/Quick Powder
Ditto's items are pushing it. Still, something about why each of them is used/not used could be helpful for anyone crazy enough to use Ditto.

Stick
Maybe. Also, "Farfetch'd's" looks horrible.

Starf Berry
Gimmicky, but maybe just about worthy of an analysis.

Enigma Berry
Very gimmicky, don't know if its worthy of an analysis.

Jaboca Berry / Rowap Berry
You thought the previous two were gimmicky? These are even moreso. Still, I bet it has some specialist use (lead to break a sash?).

Leppa Berry
P2 superstall? Mentioned in the analysis, but not only tenuously "viable".

Metronome
/ Shell Bell
Would mostly be "why this sucks 99% of the time", but that would stop noobs from using it I guess. For someone very new they could look like great items, and a lot of analysis were/are "why this actually is not great" for bottom of the barrel Pokemon.

Sharp Beak - Xia
Main item on a Staraptor set, mentioned in Crobat analysis.

NeverMeltIce - Xia
Mentioned in the Weavile/Mamoswine analysis, questionable.

SilverPowder
Option on a Venomoth set (fixed broken link in analysis, it had Silver Powder), questionable.

Mystic Water - Xia
Mentioned in the Floatzel/Empoleon analysis, questionable.

Soft Sand - Xia
Mentioned in the Dugtrio/Trapinch analysis, questionable.

Black Belt - TLK
Mentioned in the Hitmonchan analysis, questionable.

BlackGlasses
- Xia
Mentioned in the Weavile analysis, questionable.

Dragon Fang - Xia
Mentioned in the Dragonite analysis, questionable.

"Unused" type specific +20% boost items and type resist berries
I did a search for each of them, all the ones that do not have any mention in any Pokemon analysis were not mentioned above. The others could have an analysis, but I'm leaning slightly toward not. Obviously they each could have some competitive use, but is it enough?
 

Xia

On porpoise
is a Contributor Alumnus
Reserving the BrightPowder analysis, seeing as I already have it about finished.
 
Thick Club

Thick Club is an excellent item for Marowak to use, who boasts a decent base 80 Attack stat, Rock Head Double-Edge, and Swords Dance. The Attack boosts from Swords Dance are independent of Thick Club's boost as well, so a +6 Marowak will effectively reach +14 when Thick Club is equipped.

Marowak does not need to resort to Choice items to hit hard, as holding Thick Club allows it to switch its moves as needed. Needing less Swords Dances to hit spectacular Attack scores is also an advantage, as Marowak will have little chance to set up. It is also not left entirely helpless if it loses its item to Trick or Knock Off, although it will be much less powerful, with no redeeming Speed or bulk.

However, Marowak is quite slow and has many weaknesses; considering these, its defenses, especially when uninvested in, are nothing to be proud of. This can be remedied by Trick Room, but Trick Room only lasts five turns, and anything which can survive its onslaught can at least cripple or beat it. Without Leftovers, Substitute will wear it down fast, and it has no way of recovering damage taken. It is also vulnerable to status, especially Will-O-Wisp, without the use of Lum Berry.

Marowak, and therefore Thick Club, is only really viable under Trick Room, or when passed Speed. Paralysis support is also useful to clear the path for Marowak to actually get some hits in before it falls under a KO.

Like Marowak, Cubone is also a great user of Thick Club in the Little Cup metagame. It reaches the highest Attack stat out of all of the sweepers, scoring a high 30, Rock Head Double-Edge, and a very strong Earthquake. However, it too experiences the exact same problems as its brother, Marowak. With its slow Speed, vulnerability to priority moves, and weakness to the common Water-type attacks in LC, Cubone has a pretty hard time dealing a considerable amount of damage to the opponent’s team. To abuse Cubone to full effect, paralysis, Agility, or Trick Room support is generally recommended, or Cubone may not impress you.

DeepSeaTooth

DeepSeaTooth is the only item that makes the otherwise useless Clamperl a powerhouse, especially when used with Trick Room support. When holding DeepSeaTooth, Clamperl's mediocre 271 maximum Special Attack is boosted all the way up to 542, which no other Pokemon is capable of reaching instantly. This will make Clamperl's STAB Surf (and other special attacks) very powerful. It should go without saying that there is absolutely no reason to use any other item on Clamperl than DeepSeaTooth, as the effect it applies is never to be looked away from.

In the Little Cup metagame, DeepSeaTooth Clamperl was a tremendous threat to nearly every Pokemon, even the bulky Munchlax. With some Trick Room support, Clamperl can rip entire teams to shreds with its extraordinary 36 max Special Attack stat and powerful STAB Surf. In fact, Clamperl was so overpowered with DeepSeaTooth, that its signature item was deemed broken for LC OU play, and if one wanted to use DeepSeaTooth Clamperl, they had to use it in LC Ubers. (not sure if I can mention LC Ubers)

DeepSeaScale

DeepSeaScale is a very overlooked item on Clamperl, as it doesn’t increase any of Clamperl’s offensive stats; instead, it raises Clamperl’s decent Special Defense. In UU, Clamperl’s below average Special Defense raises to a considerably high 458 when maximized. On the other hand, Clamperl’s Special Defense of 16 in the Little Cup metagame shoots up to a high 32, which is unheard of in the Little Cup metagame. Even though DeepSeaScale enhances Clamperl’s hit-taking ability on the special side, its mediocre HP and access to no reliable recovery move outside of Rest really hinders it in both metagames; not to mention its pathetic Speed. Using DeepSeaTooth is almost always the better item to use, as the end result is more satisfying.

Shed Shell is mine.
 

eric the espeon

maybe I just misunderstood
is a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Researcher Alumnusis a Top CAP Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnus
Added Thick Club with some edits, other people post when ready.

Edit: After talking with mingot, hold off on Pokemon specific items for now. It's not going on site yet, we're changing the focus of Pokemon specific items and need to discuss it in a bit more detail.
 

Xia

On porpoise
is a Contributor Alumnus
<this was uploaded (a while ago?)>

BrightPowder

<p>BrightPowder is oftentimes seen on Pokemon who are featured on hail or sandstorm teams.</p>

<p>BrightPowder is commonly paired up with Substitute, since it gives the user two chances to make the opponent miss without taking direct damage (the 25% Substitute damage is typically much less than the potential damage). Once behind a Substitute, the chances of your opponent breaking your Substitute and hitting you without missing is quite low. While their opponent is busy trying to break through their Substitute, the BrightPowder Pokemon can strike with impunity.</p>

<p>Pokemon with the abilities Sand Veil and Snow Cloak are the main users of this item, and even then there are very few who are able of using the item effectively. Cacturne utilizes a combination of Bright Powder, Sand Veil, and Substitute to avoid damage while attempting to sweep with the priority Sucker Punch provides. Froslass, too, hides behind a Substitute, using hail damage and 100% accuracy Blizzards to dispose of its foes. Sandslash is the second Sand Veil abuser that also employs the use of BrightPowder, though it has less of a reliance on the item than the other two Pokemon discussed.</p>

<p>Although the BrightPowder + evasion ability does increase the Pokemon holding the item's evasiveness by 30%, there is still a luck factor that must be considered. Any strategy that relies on "hax" to be successful can only be counted on for so long. Therefore, it is not recommended to equip BrightPowder on any Pokemon who must rely heavily on luck in order to be successful; the Pokemon listed above are all able to pull off their strategies sans BrightPowder.</p>

EDIT: I'm also going to do Salac Berry and Shed Shell, if I'm allowed to reserve two.
 
<UPLOADED>

Shed Shell

<p>Shed Shell’s ability to allow the holder to escape the grips of trap-related abilities and moves is extremely beneficial for a lot of Pokemon.</p>

<p>Shed Shell sees the most use in the OU metagame, commonly held by Skarmory and Forretress. The reason for this is Magnezone, who is capable of trapping both of them with its ability, Magnet Pull, and finishing them off with Thunderbolt or Hidden Power Fire, respectively. This means that Skarmory and Forretress have failed to set up numerous amounts of entry hazards, which they are very good at doing; Shed Shell is extremely helpful in situations like this.</p>

<p>In the UU metagame, Shed Shell doesn’t see a lot of use, but it is still helpful when Dugtrio and Magneton are running around. Chansey is one of the most common holders of Shed Shell, because it allows her to switch out of Dugtrio, who loves to trap Chansey and finishing her off with repeated Earthquake attacks. Registeel is also a common user of Shed Shell, letting it switch out of Magneton, who can set up Magnet Rise and Substitute, as well as Dugtrio, who destroys Registeel with Earthquake easily.</p>
 
Aside from usage on Arceus, type boosters and plates have the same effect. I would say that's worth noting. Possibly something like

"On any Pokemon other than Arceus, <type> Plate is identical to <type boosting item>. See the <link to type boosting item> analysis for details."

That allows the Plate analyses to focus on Arceus, while the other type-booster analyses focus on other uses. If preferred, the Plate could cover everything, leaving the other type-booster as just a short statement like the reverse of the above.

On Shoddy it makes no difference, but on WiFi players can simply use whatever is most expedient. No point trying to get a Magnet if you already have a Zap Plate.

That said, there is one small difference. If flung, a Plate has 90 Base Power, while most other type-boosters have only 30, though there are exceptions.
 

Xia

On porpoise
is a Contributor Alumnus
<UPLOADED>

Salac Berry

<p>Like many pinch Berries, the Salac Berry is oftentimes held by Substitute-using, boosting sweepers. The pairing of Salac Berry with Substitute has led to the moniker SubSalac. Since Substitute takes 25% health from its user, a Pokemon could theoretically obtain multiple stat boosts and +1 Speed while hiding safely behind a Substitute.</p>

<p>Another strategy coupled with Salac Berry involves Endure and Reversal. By increasing their Speed by one stage, these Pokemon can thoroughly sweep teams lacking priority. While useful, this strategy is fairly obvious and many teams are able to "nip it in the bud" via harmful weather effects or status.</p>

<p>The usefulness of Salac Berry has been lessened by the prevalence of priority and Choice Scarf in today's metagame. Priority renders Speed boosts useless, while any Pokemon using Choice Scarf will outpace +1 Pokemon with ease. Still, Salac Berry sees heavy usage thanks to its ease of use and traditional success.</p>
 
Ready for upload I think

Shuca Berry

<p>When this Pokemon is hit by a super effective Ground-type move, the damage is reduced by 50%. This item is consumed after use. If this item is recovered via Recycle, it can activate again. Provides a one-time 60 power Ground attack when a Pokemon holding this item uses Natural Gift.</p>

<p>Shuca Berry is very useful on the Ground-type weak Pokemon, namely Heatran, Metagross and Empoleon. The lead that troubles them all is Swampert. Heatran and Empoleon can defeat it by surviving an Earthquake with Shuca Berry and retaliate with Hidden Power Grass or Grass Knot respectively. Metagross doesn't need to to kill Swampert, as its primary role is a suicide lead; It survives an Earthquake from Swampert and can then Stealth Rock. Shuca Berry Heatran also uses the Berry to bluff a Choice Scarf, helping it find ample time to set up Stealth Rock. Similarly, when Heatran uses Fire Blast, the foe might send in their sweeper, attempt to set up, and then watch then watch it get blown to smithereens by Heatran's Explosion. All in all, it can be used to bluff items, aid suicide leads to find a turn (or two), and to set up Stealth Rock.</p>

EDIT: Thanks Xia for editing in the grammar changes.
 

Xia

On porpoise
is a Contributor Alumnus
<Uploaded>

Silk Scarf

<p>Though items that boost the power of attacks based on type are typically ignored, Silk Scarf has proven to be a very viable item choice for a variety of Pokemon. Many of these Pokemon, such as Ambipom, Bibarel, and Linoone, use this item to increase damage output without suffering from Life Orb recoil. As you may also have noted, all three of these Pokemon's strategies are focused on using a single, Normal-type priority move. Combined with STAB and lack of recoil, Silk Scarf-boosted ExtremeSpeeds, Fake Outs, and Quick Attacks are very comparable to their Life Orb-boosted bretheren. By using these attacks only, Silk Scarf becomes the superior item choice.</p>

<p>Basically, the only Pokemon who should be holding this item are those whose strategies force them to use mostly Normal-type attacks. Simply placing a Silk Scarf on a standard sweeper with one Normal-type attack is mostly useless, since their other attacks miss out on a power boost. Even the Pokemon mentioned previously don't carry Silk Scarf on every set; it loses usefulness once these Pokemon change their strategies. Therefore, it's recommended that Silk Scarf is only held by Pokemon with highly specialized movesets with Normal-type attacks at its core.</p>

EDIT: Also:
<p>Shuca Berry is very useful on the Ground-type weak Pokemon, namely Heatran, Metagross and Empoleon. The lead that troubles them all is Swampert. Heatran and Empoleon can defeat it by surviving an Earthquake with Shuca Berry and retaliate with Hidden Power Grass or Grass Knot respectively. Metagross doesn't need to to kill Swampert, as its primary role is a suicide lead; It survives an Earthquake from Swampert and can then Stealth Rock. Shuca Berry Heatran also uses the Berry to bluff a Choice Scarf, helping it find ample time to set up Stealth Rock. Similarly, when Heatran uses Fire Blast, the foe might send in their sweeper, attempt to set up, and then watch then watch it get blown to smithereens by Heatran's Explosion. All in all, it can be used to bluff items, aid suicide leads to find a turn (or two), and to set up Stealth Rock.</p>
 
I hope it's alright to point out errors in the analysises (analyses?) of other posters.

Xia's Salac Berry:
<p>Like many pinch Berries, the Salac Berry is oftentimes held by Substitute-using, boosting sweepers. The pairing of Salac Berry with Substitute has led to the moniker SubBerry. Since Substitute takes 25% health from its user, a Pokemon could theoretically obtain multiple stat boostscand +1 Speed while hiding safely behind a Substitute.</p>
The first bolded segment isn't really an error per say, but I've never heard it called that before. It's always been "SubSalac", which also less confusing for those who hear the phrase elsewhere, as "SubBerry" could reference any berry.

The seconded bolded part is merely a typo, should be "boosts and".
 

Xia

On porpoise
is a Contributor Alumnus
I hope it's alright to point out errors in the analysises (analyses?) of other posters.

Xia's Salac Berry:


The first bolded segment isn't really an error per say, but I've never heard it called that before. It's always been "SubSalac", which also less confusing for those who hear the phrase elsewhere, as "SubBerry" could reference any berry.

The seconded bolded part is merely a typo, should be "boosts and".
Fixed both. Thank you.
 
Ready for Upload

Black Belt

<p>Raises the power of Fighting-type moves 20%.</p>

<p>Out of all the Fighting-types, Black Belt is most useful on Hitmonchan. Black Belt, coupled with Hitmonchan's Iron Fist and access to STAB Close Combat, Mach Punch and Focus Punch, allow it to boost the power of these moves even further.</p>

<p>Hitmontop can also use the Black Belt with its Technician ability, but offensive sets are generally better left to other Fighting-types with higher Attack stats. Hitmonlee can use it on the Life Orb set, if you dislike the recoil and don't mind doing 10% less damage. It will boost Close Combat and Mach Punch, although it doesn't help Earthquake and Stone Edge, unlike Life Orb. Don't use this item on the OU fighters, Machamp and Lucario, as they usually run only one Fighting-type move and use the other three slots for coverage.</p>
 
Yes, please do. These all need quality checking before they are ready for the site.
In that case, I'll go ahead and post a few things about other analyses that I noticed.

Xia's Brightpowder analysis:
Xia said:
<p>BrightPowder is oftentimes seen on Pokemon who are featured on hail or sandstorm teams.</p>

<p>BrightPowder is oftentimes paired up with Substitute, since it gives the user two chances to make the opponent miss without taking direct damage (the 25% Substitute damage is oftentimes much less than the potential damage). Once behind a Substitute, the chances of your opponent breaking your Substitute and hitting you without missing is quite low. While their opponent is busy trying to break through their Substitute, the BrightPowder Pokemon can strike with impunity.</p>
I feel like you're using the word "oftentimes" too much in such a small number of sentences. It sounds weird when you repeat the same word or phrase a lot like that, so I recommend changing one or two of the "oftentimes" to something else, like "usually" or just "often".

Xia said:
<p>Pokemon with the abilities Sand Veil and Snow Cloak are the main users of this item, and even then there are very few who are able of using the item effectively. Cacturne utilizes a combination of Bright Powder, Sand Veil, and Substitute to avoid damage while attempting to sweep with the priority Sucker Punch provides. Froslass, too, hides behind a Substitute, though it focuses primarily on Toxic stalling the opponent. Sandslash is the second Sand Veil abuser that also employs the use of BrightPowder, though it has less of a reliance on the item than the other two Pokemon discussed.</p>
For the bolded section, I don't know about OU, but Froslass rarely, if ever, is used for Toxic stalling in UU; she mostly tries to abuse the missed hits by setting Spikes and whittling the opponent's HP down with Hail damage and 100% accurate Blizzards, as well as possibly utilizing Confuse Ray. Since she is currently being used more in UU than in OU (due to the prevalence of Sandstorm), it might be better to mention this strategy instead. However, it seems likely that she'll be booted to BL in the upcoming vote, so you might want to wait until the vote is over first.


Fuzznip's Shed Shell analysis:

Fuzznip said:
<p>In the UU metagame, Shed Shell doesn’t see a lot of use, but it is still helpful when Dugtrio and Magneton are running around. Chansey is one of the most common holders of Shed Shell, because it allows her to switch out of Dugtrio, who loves to trap Chansey and finishing her off with repeated Earthquake attacks. Registeel is also a common user of Shed Shell, letting it switch out of Magneton, who can set up Magnet Rise and Substitute, as well as Dugtrio, who destroys Registeel with Earthquake easily.</p>
Bolded section: I believe it should be "and finish her off", not "finishing".

Underlined section: I don't know if "easily" is the best way to put it. Dugtrio is 2HKO'd by Registeel's EQ or Iron Head, so Dugtrio has to be careful when it switches in. IIRC there also might be a chance that Registeel will survive two EQ's if Dugtrio isn't carrying a Choice Band, so you might want to mention these (damage calcs should probably be done before mentioning the second point, though).


The LegendKiller's Shuca Berry analysis:

The LegendKiller said:
Shuca Berry is very useful on Ground-type weak Pokemon; namely Heatran, Metagross and Empoleon. The lead that troubles them all is Swampert. Heatran and Empoleon can get by it by surviving an Earthquake with Shuca Berry and retaliate with Hidden Power Grass and Grass Knot, respectively. Metagross doesn't need to to kill Swampert, as its primary role is a suicide lead; it survives an Earthquake from Swampert and can then set up Stealth Rock. Shuca Berry Heatran also uses the berry to bluff a Choice Scarf, giving it ample time to set up Stealth Rock. Similarly, when Heatran uses Fire Blast, the foe might send in their counter, attempt to set up, and then watch it get blown to smithereens by Heatran's Explosion. All in all, it can be used to bluff Choice items, or aid suicide leads to find a turn (or two) to set up Stealth Rock.
There were a lot of grammatical errors in this paragraph, so I just edited them in. I tried not to change any of the actual sentences, though a few instances of grammar errors require rearranging. None of the actual information was changed however, since I don't have enough knowledge of the OU metagame to make such decisions myself. I ignored the Description paragraph because the items already have those, so it's not really needed.

However, I'm not sure of some of the content. You mention that Metagross is a suicide lead, but your scenario doesn't make it seem that way. Also, Heatran is faster than Swampert, so it should be able to OHKO Swampert before it gets attacked. The paragraph in general doesn't seem to flow very well either. Perhaps it might be better to make the analysis more generalized, rather than focusing on Swampert vs ______.


The LegendKiller's Black Belt analysis:

The LegendKiller said:
Out of all the Fighting-types, Black Belt is most useful on Hitmonchan. Black Belt, coupled with Hitmonchan's Iron Fist and access to STAB Close Combat, Mach Punch and Focus Punch, allow it to boost the power of these moves even further.

Hitmontop can also use the Black Belt with its Technician ability, but offensive sets are generally better left to other Fighting-types with higher Attack stats. Hitmonlee can use it on the Life Orb set, if you dislike the recoil and don't mind doing 10% less damage. It will boost Close Combat and Mach Punch, although it doesn't help Earthquake and Stone Edge, unlike Life Orb. Don't use this item on the OU fighters, Machamp and Lucario, as they usually run only one Fighting-type move and use the other three slots for coverage.
This one flows somewhat better than the previous analysis, but there were still quite a few grammatical errors, so once again the above paragraph is already edited with the changes. For the most part, you need to make sure that item and attack names are capitalized, as well as types. You also don't seem to know how to use a colon ( : ) correctly, as both times you used it was in an improper situation; I advise against using it in the future, unless you brush up on your grammar a bit.
 

Xia

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is a Contributor Alumnus
I've updated my BrightPowder analysis. Thank you for the grammar and content check MagicMaster.
 
Alright, here's some fixes for The LegendKiller's updated Shuca Berry paragraph, my changes are in bold while my comments are in bold italics.

Overview
Shuca Berry is very useful on the Ground-type (forgot the hyphen) weak, lead Pokemon; namely Heatran, Metagross and Empoleon. Shuca berry allows them to resist the hit, and (removed "/or to" since it's unnecessary) either retaliate with an attack or set-up Stealth Rock. It's not a necessity on Metagross, who can usually take physical (you don't need to capitalize "physical" and "special") Ground-type attacks with its high Defense. Also, (added to help the flow) Heatran doesn't bother using Earth Power on Metagross as it can already hit harder with Fire Blast ("Fire Blast" is the attack name, not "Fire-Blast"). Empoleon uses Shuca Berry to aid against Earthquake Metagross, and has a 48% chance to 2HKO it with Surf. Heatran uses Shuca Berry for two reasons: to take any Ground-type attack from either attacking spectrum, and to bluff a Choice Scarf. The latter is especially useful in taking out troublesome Pokemon such as Gyarados or Salamence who think they can set up on a locked attack or dispatch it with Earthquake, only to be met by a surprise boom. (the last few sentences were rather awkward, so I rewrote them entirely)
Definitely a step up than your previous paragraph, good job.
 

Xia

On porpoise
is a Contributor Alumnus
Decided to go ahead and do Chesto Berry (edits are welcome).

Also, if a mod could go through and update the OP while eric is gone so we know which items have been uploaded or posted, please do so (I only ask since eric will be on leave for a while).

<Uploaded>

Chesto Berry

<p>Although status-specific Berries take a statistical back seat to Lum Berry, Chesto Berry is a popular choice for Pokemon&emdash;specifically sweepers&emdash;using Rest for recovery. Since it is not activated by the likes of poison, burn, or paralysis, a Pokemon can continue setting up while under the effects of said status, yet still use Rest with no side effects when the need arises.</p>

<p>The reason not too many people see Chesto Berry being used is because there aren't very many Pokemon who can utilize Rest without pairing it with Sleep Talk. Besides that, Chesto Berry's one time use makes Rest's recovery a double-edged sword; if your Pokemon ends up needing to Rest again, it is open to attack for two additional turns.</p>

<p>Chesto Berry is also a poor item choice for sweepers because it does little to aid a sweep. Few sweepers are willing to relinquish their Life Orbs or Choice items just to get a free turn of recovery, since the increase in power may be enough to keep them alive (an example of the old adage "the best defense is a good offense"). Rest is also a pain to fit on a moveset, since the four moveslots are typically needed to perfect type coverage.</p>
 
Chesto Berry

<p>Although status-specific Berries take a statistical back seat to Lum Berry, Chesto Berry is a popular choice for Pokemon&emdash;specifically sweepers&emdash;using Rest for recovery. Since it is not activated by the likes of poison, burn, or paralysis, a Pokemon can continue sweeping or walling while under the effects of said status, yet still use Rest with no side effects when the need arises.</p>
Bolded: Not sure why this happened, perhaps it would work if you put a space between the words and the dashes?

Underlined: For the few sets I've seen posted on Smogon that use ChestoRest, they usually have it in order to continue setting up without worrying about taking too much damage or getting hit with status, not so much so they can actually start sweeping beforehand. For example, ChestoRest Steelix usually Curses up until it's on the brink of death, Rests, and THEN it proceeds to rape as much as it can, not earlier (unless it somehow manages to get 6 Curses without taking much damage or any status). Same thing for Drifblim (the only other Pokemon I can remember that has a ChestoRest set on Smogon), it Calm Minds as much as possible, then Rests for full recovery AND Speed boost, and only then does it attempt to sweep.

Xia said:
<p>The reason not too many people see Chesto Berry being used is because there aren't very many Pokemon who can utilize Rest without pairing it with Sleep Talk. Besides that, Chesto Berry's one time use makes Rest's recovery a double-edged sword; if your Pokemon ends up needing to Rest again, it is open to attack for two additional turns.</p>

<p>Chesto Berry is also a poor item choice for sweepers because it does little to aid a sweep. Few sweepers are willing to relinquish their Life Orbs or Choice items just to get a free turn of recovery, since the increase in power may be enough to keep them alive (an example of the old addage "the best defense is a good offense"). Rest is also a pain to fit on a moveset, since the four moveslots are typically needed to attain perfect type coverage.</p>
Just some suggestions I have to make it flow a little better. Also, ChestoRest is never used without a setup move, which is why I removed that bit at the end. You might want to remove that bit about walling in the first paragraph for the same reason, since I've never seen a ChestoRest set that wasn't attempting a sweep of some kind.
 

Xia

On porpoise
is a Contributor Alumnus
Thank you MagicMaster. For the record, that "&emdash;" bit is HTML code, meaning it'll show up like "-" (but the right form) in the on-site analysis.

EDIT: After looking over the list of items, a lot of them are 10% type-boosting items. Would it be plausible to make a "cookie cutter" of sorts for these analyses? What I mean is, since they are so similar, would it be plausible to make an analysis that works for all of them?

Take my Silk Scarf analysis for example, it could easily be edited and make sense for NeverMeltIce, Sharp Beak, Mystic Water, and the like just by changing the names of the item and the Pokemon that hold it. It would get the same amount of information out while saving time. Figured it was worth mentioning at any rate.
 

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