PU Kabutops

MZ

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[OVERVIEW]

Kabutops is a solid Choice Scarf user that has plenty of utility in checking top threats such as Oricorio-G and Froslass due to its unique combination of typing and Speed. Unlike most Choice Scarf users, it functions more as a utility revenge killer, with excellent support options such as Rapid Spin and Knock Off, and not as a check to most setup sweepers due to its mediocre base Speed. Kabutops is also notable for its role on rain teams, as its solid Speed, decent Attack, access to Swords Dance, and excellent STAB combination all make it highly suited to become one of the tier's top rain sweepers. Kabutops gets by on key resistances to Fire, Flying, Ice, and Normal, but its typing is a double-edged sword, leaving it with common weaknesses to Fighting, Ground, Electric, and Grass. This leaves it vulnerable to many coverage moves such as Kangaskhan's Earthquake and Dodrio's Jump Kick, and this can often limit its opportunities for setup or revenge killing. Additionally, outside of rain, Kabutops is prone to being revenge killed by common Choice Scarf users such as Primeape and Togedemaru and struggles with how common Mach Punch Hitmonchan and Gurdurr are. Ultimately, Kabutops faces a lot of competition from faster Choice Scarf users such as Togedemaru, Primeape, and Swanna, which are far more capable at revenge killing, and only sets itself apart with its unique set of resistances and ability to remove entry hazards.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Liquidation
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Rapid Spin
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Liquidation and Stone Edge form a nearly unresisted STAB combination, although this is slightly let down by Stone Edge's accuracy. Knock Off enables Kabutops to cripple switch-ins that are reliant on their item for bulk, such as Gurdurr and Tangela, or recovery, such as Poliwrath, Weezing, and Qwilfish. Rapid Spin allows Kabutops to serve as an emergency entry hazard remover, with its heightened Speed and positive matchup against spinblockers like Froslass and Oricorio-G giving it an easier time clearing its side of the field. Superpower is an option if hazard control is already covered or Knock Off is undesirable, as it allows Kabutops to reliably revenge kill Modest Omastar after a Shell Smash and OHKO Aggron and Alolan Sandslash.

Set Details
========

Maximum Speed investment, a Jolly nature, and Choice Scarf all push Kabutops's Speed to the limit, allowing it to outspeed and threaten Pokemon such as Floatzel and Choice Scarf Aurorus. Maximum Attack investment keeps Kabutops strong enough to KO the Pokemon it needs to check, such as Oricorio-E. Swift Swim gives Kabutops more utility in case of facing an opposing rain team, as it can outspeed and KO rain sweepers such as Ludicolo with slight chip damage, although Battle Armor's ability to prevent critical hits can be helpful.

Usage Tips
========

Choice Scarf Kabutops is best used as a pivot into offensive threats it has a type advantage against, such as Dodrio and Froslass. Kabutops will rarely be a completely safe switch-in to said threats; it cannot comfortably switch into Dodrio's Jump Kick and Froslass's Will-O-Wisp. However, with good prediction, Kabutops can limit the opponent's ability to spam moves it can switch into and keep top threats such as Stoutland on their toes. Once Kabutops has managed to come in safely, use Knock Off and Rapid Spin aggressively when possible. Taking advantage of a forced switch to remove entry hazards or cripple a switch-in such as Tangela can reap huge dividends late-game. Kabutops won't have much longevity, so make sure to keep a close tab on what it needs to accomplish in any given game and avoid risking it recklessly if, for example, it will need to stick around to remove Qwilfish's Spikes later in the match or revenge kill Calm Mind Oricorio-G. Keep in mind that all of its moves can be exploited by certain setup sweepers if Kabutops opts to lock itself into them. In particular, Rapid Spin and Knock Off allow many setup sweepers such as Lycanroc and Lilligant to set up with Swords Dance or Quiver Dance practically risk-free. If your team finds itself pressured by a particular setup sweeper, make sure that Kabutops avoids locking itself into one of the moves that might give the sweeper the chance it needs to sweep your team.

Team Options
========

Pokemon that are vulnerable to entry hazards such as Aurorus and Lanturn appreciate Kabutops's Rapid Spin support. However, Kabutops is prone to being spinblocked by many of the tier's common Ghost-types, so a secondary entry hazard remover such as Lurantis or Shiftry is advisable. Teams which that use their own dedicated entry hazard setters such as Smeargle and Froslass and don't want to Defog away their own Sticky Web or Spikes should consider using Kabutops for entry hazard removal. Kabutops also benefits noticeably from Spikes, as they can chip away at many of its grounded checks, including Gurdurr and Tangela. Fighting-type checks such as Mesprit and Haunter are needed to keep Pokemon such as Primeape and the aforementioned Gurdurr in check for Kabutops, and additional switch-ins to Ground-, Grass-, and Electric-type attacks such as Lilligant, Skuntank, and Mudsdale are advisable. On the other hand, Kabutops can be excellent support for Flying- and Fire-weak Pokemon such as Gurdurr and Jynx, helping teams using them to keep offensive momentum even when forced out. Kabutops is fairly mediocre at revenge killing setup sweepers such as Lilligant and Pinsir, so strong priority users such as Kangaskhan and Alolan Raticate can help keep these sweepers in check. Kabutops appreciates being paired with strong wallbreakers such as Aurorus and Stoutland, since it struggles with most physically bulky Pokemon. In the same vein, Kabutops can help many bulky Grass- and Water-types such as Tangela and Poliwrath switch in fairly freely, so checks to these types of Pokemon such as Altaria and Jynx are advisable.

[SET]
name: Rain Sweeper
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Liquidation
move 4: Superpower / Aqua Jet
item: Rockium Z / Life Orb
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Swords Dance increases Kabutops's Attack by two stages, enabling it to break through defensive Pokemon like Weezing and Lurantis more easily. Stone Edge is Kabutops's most powerful STAB move, dealing good damage to Water-resistant Pokemon like Qwilfish, Silvally-Dragon, and Altaria. Liquidation pairs well with Stone Edge, allowing Kabutops to deal sizeable damage to Ground-, Steel-, and Fighting-types, such as Mudsdale, Aggron, and Primeape. Superpower gives Kabutops neutral coverage for Poliwrath, which would otherwise completely wall it, and the ability for non-Life Orb sets to OHKO Aggron without rain. Alternatively, Aqua Jet can be used to pick off Pokemon that outspeed Kabutops outside of rain such as Pyroar and Froslass as well as hit Choice Scarf Aurorus, which is otherwise a highly problematic Pokemon for rain teams to handle. It can also pick off a weakened Gurdurr before Mach Punch.

Set Details
========

Maximum Attack investment and an Adamant nature help Kabutops hit as hard as possible to facilitate its sweeps. Meanwhile, Swift Swim and maximum Speed investment allow Kabutops to outspeed almost the entire tier under rain without the need for a Choice Scarf or a Speed-boosting nature. Rockium Z gives Kabutops an excellent nuke to OHKO many Pokemon otherwise capable of tanking a hit such as physically defensive Qwilfish. It also avoids the need to rely on Stone Edge's subpar accuracy for a single turn. Life Orb is another solid option that keeps Kabutops's power level consistently high, although the recoil can put Kabutops in range of certain priority users. Lum Berry is another alternative to set up a Swords Dance versus status users such as Froslass and Misdreavus.

Usage Tips
========

Swords Dance dramatically increases Kabutops's power and threat level, so try to set up with it when possible. Kabutops can set up versus many Choice item users and most defensive Pokemon, such as Stoutland Choice-locked into Return and bulky Oricorio-G, as well as on forced switches versus Pokemon like Scyther. If using Life Orb, be very careful about allowing Kabutops to take too much chip damage, or it won't be able to sweep. Kabutops should try to avoid being used until rain has been set up, as without rain Kabutops finds itself much weaker and slower. However, it may sometimes be needed to revenge kill certain threats outside of rain. Choice Scarf Aurorus in particular is a large threat that many rain teams may rely on Aqua Jet Kabutops to revenge kill. Normally Z-Moves ought to be played carefully and preserved for one specific instance, but so few Pokemon are capable of switching into a +2 Continental Crush with rain up and and prevent Kabutops from grabbing a KO on the next turn that it is often fine to simply use it as soon as the opportunity prevents itself, especially since entering into a drawn-out series of predictions with your opponent about when you'll finally use the Z-Move may waste precious rain turns. The few exceptions to this include full-health Gurdurr and Unaware Pyukumuku.

Team Options
========

This set is meant for rain teams only. Rain setters such as Mesprit and Volbeat give Kabutops not only the weather it needs to function effectively, but also free opportunities to switch in with their slow U-turn. Mesprit can also use Healing Wish to bring back a weakened Kabutops for a second sweep attempt, which is particularly useful for Life Orb variants. Fellow rain sweepers like Omastar, Qwilfish, and Ludicolo can help break down teams in tandem with Kabutops. Qwilfish is an especially good partner, since both Pokemon can break down physically bulky annoyances like Type: Null with their Swords Dance sets. Qwilfish also checks Fighting-types like Gurdurr for Kabutops and can absorb Toxic Spikes, which are extremely annoying for Life Orb Kabutops. Checks to Choice Scarf Aurorus, such as Alolan Sandslash and Assault Vest Crabominable, are very important for rain teams, as it can easily revenge kill Kabutops lacking Aqua Jet due to its ability removing rain. However, these Pokemon may be somewhat difficult to fit onto rain teams.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Waterfall is a worthwhile alternative to Liquidation that passes up slight boost in power for the chance to make opposing Pokemon flinch. Kabutops can be used as a suicide lead for hyper offensive teams with a Focus Sash, Weak Armor, and Stealth Rock. Although it faces tight competition from other leads such as Omastar, Aurorus, and Lycanroc, which have multiple entry hazards, more utility outside of setting Stealth Rock, and more offensive presence, respectively, Kabutops can remove the opponent's entry hazards with Rapid Spin, allowing you to take an early lead in the entry hazard game. Swords Dance sets can be run outside of rain teams, although they ought to utilize Weak Armor to make up for their lack of Speed without Swift Swim being active. However, Lycanroc and Carracosta tend to be much more useful due to the former's immediate Speed and the latter's ease of setting up and higher Attack. Offensive Rapid Spin sets are also workable for non-Choice Scarf Kabutops, although there is very little reason to use them over Pokemon such as Shiftry and Hitmonchan. Toxic can cripple switch-ins such as Tangela, Poliwrath, and Gourgeist-XL but is extremely difficult to justify using over better options and is extremely exploitable if Choice Scarf Kabutops locks itself into the status move.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Fighting-types**: Poliwrath is one of the best switch-ins to Kabutops, as it is immune to Liquidation, resists Stone Edge, and threatens to OHKO Kabutops with Focus Blast, only fearing a boosted Superpower. Gurdurr has the bulk to take a +2 Liquidation from non-Life Orb Kabutops in the rain and threatens to KO it with Drain Punch. Both of these Pokemon can also pick Kabutops off with Vacuum Wave and Mach Punch, respectively. Hitmonchan can also be a nuisance with Mach Punch.

**Faster Pokemon**: Faster Choice Scarf users such as Primeape and Togedemaru can easily revenge kill Choice Scarf Kabutops, as it is somewhat frail. Very few foes outspeed Kabutops under rain, but Choice Scarf Alolan Raichu can revenge kill non-Aqua Jet rain sweeper Kabutops.

**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Kabutops can struggle to break through Pokemon such as Tangela, Qwilfish, Quagsire, and Pyukumuku. Although they must be careful about taking a boosted Z-Move and don't appreciate losing their item, all of these Pokemon can KO Kabutops or cripple it with status.

**Opposing Weather**: Choice Scarf Aurorus and Abomasnow can remove Kabutops's rain, outspeed it, and KO it with Freeze-Dry or Giga Drain, although a weakened Aurorus is vulnerable to Aqua Jet and neither fares especially well versus Choice Scarf Kabutops.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [Megazard, 202117]
- Quality checked by: [[allstarapology, 400292], [yogi, 252106], [jklioe, 424692]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [A Cake Wearing A Hat, 388157]]
 
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asa

is a Site Content Manageris a Community Leaderis a Community Contributoris a Tiering Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Social Media Contributor Alumnus
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Taken over from allstarapology

[OVERVIEW]
  • Kabutops is in a weird place, a solid Choice Scarf user due to the utility of checking top threats like Oricorio-Sensu and Froslass due to its typing but one which loses to many other Choice Scarf users, priority users, and boosting sweepers
  • Access to great utility options like Rapid Spin and Knock Off also enhance its performance as more of a utility, revenge killing scarfer rather than a great offensive threat in its own right
  • Kabutops's access to Swift Swim, a high Attack stat, and a great STAB combination also make it a very potent sweeper on rain teams, with Swords Dance allowing Kabutops to pose an even greater threat to teams by further bolstering its good offensive presence.
  • However, Kabutops has poor defensive presence as a result of its defensive typing burdening it with a number of weaknesses and its below average bulk limiting setup opportunities.
  • Though Kabutops does possess a few key resistances to Fire, Flying, and Normal, it can't take full advantage of them due to its vulnerability to common coverage moves carried by Pokemon of these types.
  • Outside of rain, Kabutops is prone to being revenge killed by a number of offensive Pokemon like Lilligant, Primeape, Swanna, and Rotom-F. Priority users like Gurdurr, Hitmonchan, and Skuntank can also potentially revenge kill Kabutops because of its previously mentioned poor defensive presence. (maybe mention that aqua jet mitigates this to some degree either here or at the third bullet.)
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Liquidation
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Rapid Spin
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
  • Liquidation is Kabutops's main and most reliable STAB move, boasting a fairly high Base Power and allowing Kabutops to deal massive damage to Pokemon like Pyroar and Mudsdale.
  • Stone Edge is Kabutops's secondary and most powerful STAB move, threatening to hit Water-resistant or -immune Pokemon like Altaria, Lanturn, Kingler, (f kingler.) Lilligant, and Jynx hard. Its shaky accuracy limits its reliability, however. (kind of want to see ludicolo mentioned here bc of swift swim + scarf allowing you to better deal with opposing rain, but it's up to you.)
  • Knock Off enables Kabutops to cripple switch-ins that are reliant on their item for bulk, such as Gurdurr and Tangela, or recovery, such as Poliwrath, Weezing, and Qwilfish.
  • Rapid Spin allows Kabutops to serve as an emergency hazard remover, with its heightened Speed and positive matchup against common setters and certain spinblockers giving it an easier time clearing its side of the field.
Set Details
========
  • Max Speed Jolly Choice Scarf makes you faster than as much as possible, beating threats like Modest Choice Scarf Mesprit and Pyroar
  • Max attack makes you strong enough to nab KOs vs Pokemon like bulky Sensu
  • Swift Swim gives Kabutops more utility in counter teaming rain
Usage Tips
========
  • Choice Scarf Kabutops is best used as a pivot into offensive threats it has a type advantage versus, such as Pyroar and Froslass
  • Kabutops cannot safely switch into many of these Pokemon 100% of the time, but played smartly and offensively it can limit their ability to spam moves that allow Kabutops in for free
  • Use Knock Off and Rapid Spin aggressively when possible, taking advantage of Pokemon you force out such as Altaria to remove entry hazards or an opponent's item
  • Kabutops doesn't have much longevity, so make sure you keep a close tab on its health if it's needed to revenge kill something like Oricorio-Pom-Pom
  • Keep in mind that all of its moves are somewhat abusable when locked into, especially Rapid Spin and Knock Off. If your team faces a setup sweeper like Lilligant which can just win with a free turn, be sure to avoid locking yourself into a move it can set up on
Team Options
========
  • Pokemon that are weak to entry hazards like Articuno and Lanturn. (change 'weak' to 'vulnerable', as lanturn's not weak to hazards in terms of typing.) Also hazard setters that don't want their stuff to get Defogged away like Smeargle and Froslass, in particular Spikers because this dude likes spikes. Also mediocre removers that like to have a secondary option like Lurantis or Shiftry.
  • Gurdurr resists like Mesprit and Musharna can help with those pesky Mach Punches (mesprit's healing wish is good for making up for kabutops's previously mentioned longevity issues.)
  • Flying and Fire weak Pokemon like Lilligant and Sandslash-Alola (having these two on the same team sounds kinda weird considering they both serve as spinners, unless you mean swords dance. if so, specify.) appreciate having an offensive check to those types around
  • If using Scarf Kabutops, you'll probably want some good priority users to revenge kill Speed-boosting setup sweepers. Pokemon like Kangaskhan and Skuntank can help with that
  • Kabutops also struggles a lot with letting in bulky Grass and Water types like Tangela and Poliwrath, so checks to those types of Pokemon like Altaria and Jynx can be very useful
[SET]
name: Rain Sweeper
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Liquidation
move 4: Superpower / Aqua Jet
item: Rockium Z / Life Orb
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
  • Swords Dance increases Kabutops's Attack by two stages, which enables it to more easily break through defensive Pokemon like Weezing and Lurantis.
  • Stone Edge is Kabutops's most powerful STAB move, dealing good damage to Water-resistant Pokemon like Qwilfish, Silvally-Dragon, and Altaria.
  • Liquidation pairs well with Stone Edge, allowing Kabutops to deal sizeable damage to Ground-, Steel-, and Fighting-types, such as Mudsdale, Aggron, and Primeape.
  • Superpower gives Kabutops neutral coverage for Poliwrath, which would otherwise completely wall it
  • Alternatively, Aqua Jet can be used to pick off Pokemon that outspeed Kabutops outside of rain such as Pyroar and Froslass as well hit Choice Scarf Aurorus, which is otherwise a highly problematic Rain check. It also picks off a weakened Gurdurr
Set Details
========
  • Max Attack Adamant lets Kabutops hit as hard as possible under the rain
  • Max Speed and Swift Swim let Kabutops outspeed almost all of the tier without the need for a Choice Scarf or a Jolly nature
  • Rockium Z gives Kabutops an excellent nuke to grab a near-guaranteed KO and break through Pokemon like Lurantis that can give it trouble (smth about not having to risk missing stone edge could be mentioned.)
  • Life Orb keeps Kabutops's power level consistently high but the recoil it has can put Kabutops in range of priority users
  • Lum Berry is another alternative to set up a Swords Dance versus status users like Froslass and Qwilfish
Usage Tips
========
  • If possible, setting up a Swords Dance dramatically increases Kabutops's power and threat level (what are some instances where kabutops can safely go for swords dance?) (maybe smth about how using sd is only 100% necessary against bulkier teams, as most offensive teams struggle to take its attacks even unboosted, especially if it's rockium z / rain-boosted liquidation.)
  • If using Life Orb, be very careful about allowing Kabutops to take too much chip damage, or it won't be able to sweep
  • Should mostly be used just when rain is up, it's fairly mediocre without it although you can still revenge kill slow things or potentially fast Water-weak Pokemon if running Aqua Jet
  • Normally you wouldn't want to just toss out your Z move, but so few things can really switch into your +2 Continental Crush with Rain up and not allow you to get a KO right after that it's generally ok to just use it ASAP, especially since dancing around when you're going to use it wastes rain turns
Team Options
========
  • This set is meant for Rain teams only
  • Rain setters like Mesprit and Volbeat give Kabutops the support it needs
  • Fellow Rain sweepers like Omastar, Qwilfish, and Ludicolo can help break down teams in tandem with Kabutops, Qwilfish especially since they both can break down physically bulky Pokemon with their Swords Dance sets
  • Other Rain staples like Togedemaru obviously
  • Also checks to Choice Scarf Aurorus like AV Hitmonchan are useful because it's a pain
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
  • Kabutops can be used a sash rocks lead for hyper offensive teams, though it faces tight competition from other leads like Omastar, Aurorus, and Crustle
  • SD sets can work off of rain teams, although they should be running Weak Armor and/or Aqua Jet due to it not having all that speed (faces some competition from lycanroc and qwilfish.)
  • Offensive Rapid Spin 3 attacks sets are also workable, it just suffers from 4mss and a lack of a real niche, there's not much reason to use it over Pokemon like Shiftry and Hitmonchan
  • Toxic can help cripple Tangela and Gourgeist-XL but kinda sucks (even more of a momentum drain than rapid spin.)
Checks and Counters
===================

**Faster Pokemon**: Faster Choice Scarf users such as Primeape and Togedemaru can easily revenge kill Choice Scarf Kabutops as it is somewhat frail. Very few things outspeed Kabutops under Rain, but Choice Scarf Alolan Raichu can revenge kill non-Aqua Jet Rain Sweeper Kabutops.

**Fighting-types**: Poliwrath is one of the best switch-ins to Kabutops, as it's immune to Liquidation, resists Stone Edge, and threatens to OHKO Kabutops with Focus Blast, only fearing a boosted Superpower. Gurdurr has the bulk to take a +2 Liquidation from non-Life Orb Kabutops in the rain and threatens to KO it with Drain Punch. Both of these Pokemon can also pick Kabutops off with Vacuum Wave and Mach Punch, respectively.

**Opposing Weather**: Choice Scarf Aurorus and Abomasnow can remove Kabutops's Rain, outspeed it, and KO it with Freeze Dry and Giga Drain respectively. (you mentioned that aurorus needs to watch out for aqua jet earlier, may as well mention it here too.)

**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Kabutops can struggle to break through Pokemon such as Tangela, Qwilfish, Pyukumuku, and Type: Null. Although they must be careful about taking a boosted Z-move and don't appreciate having their item knocked off, all of these Pokemon can KO, status, or pivot out of Kabutops.
done, qc 1/3.
smallhoopa.gif
 

yogi

I did not succumb...
is a Tutor Alumnusis a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
Taken over from allstarapology

[OVERVIEW]
  • Kabutops is in a weird place, a solid Choice Scarf user due to the utility of checking top threats like Oricorio-Sensu (oricorio-g) and Froslass due to its typing but one which loses to many other Choice Scarf users, priority users, and boosting sweepers (shouldn't really be saying in a weird place because that's referencing it at this point in time, which is awkward especially in constantly shifting metas)
  • Access to great utility options like Rapid Spin and Knock Off also enhance its performance as more of a utility, revenge killing scarfer rather than a great offensive threat in its own right
  • Kabutops's access to Swift Swim, a high Attack stat, and a great STAB combination also make it a very potent sweeper on rain teams, with Swords Dance allowing Kabutops to pose an even greater threat to teams by further bolstering its good offensive presence.
  • However, Kabutops has poor defensive presence as a result of its defensive typing burdening it with a number of weaknesses and its below average bulk limiting setup opportunities. (when referring to rain teams i really don't see why defensive presence needs to be a factor)
  • Though Kabutops does possess a few key resistances to Fire, Flying, and Normal, it can't take full advantage of them due to its vulnerability to common coverage moves carried by Pokemon of these types. (a few examples to help show what you mean)
  • Outside of rain, Kabutops is prone to being revenge killed by a number of offensive Pokemon like Lilligant, Primeape, Swanna, and Rotom-F. Priority users like Gurdurr, Hitmonchan, and Skuntank can also potentially revenge kill Kabutops because of its previously mentioned poor defensive presence. (i mean, this really doesn't account for the scarf set here. non scarf versions of all the first group of mons do not want to take on scarf kabutops, especially if they're at all chipped)
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Liquidation / Waterfall (i really value the flinch chance for a fast pokemon and the damage difference is super negligible anyways so really no reason to not slash)
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Rapid Spin
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
  • Liquidation is Kabutops's main and most reliable STAB move, boasting a fairly high Base Power and allowing Kabutops to deal massive damage to Pokemon like Pyroar and Mudsdale. (i mean i'd just say deal massive damage to mudsdale, because you straight ohko pyroar regardless)
  • Stone Edge is Kabutops's secondary and most powerful STAB move, threatening to hit Water-resistant or -immune Pokemon like Altaria, Lanturn, Lilligant, and Jynx hard. Its shaky accuracy limits its reliability, however.
  • Knock Off enables Kabutops to cripple switch-ins that are reliant on their item for bulk, such as Gurdurr and Tangela, or recovery, such as Poliwrath, Weezing, and Qwilfish. (gives a more reliable move versus things like jynx too, without risking the miss but still dealing a large amount of damage)
  • Rapid Spin allows Kabutops to serve as an emergency hazard remover, with its heightened Speed and positive matchup against common setters and certain spinblockers giving it an easier time clearing its side of the field. (beats oricorio-g and froslass which is neat for a spinner)
  • superpower should deffo be included. the ability to not lose to both +2 modest omastar and aggron is super neat, lets you also bop shit like alola slash too
Set Details
========
  • Max Speed Jolly Choice Scarf makes you faster than as much as possible, beating threats like Modest Choice Scarf Mesprit and Pyroar (order needs to be changed because it seems like pyroar has scarf by using this order)
  • Max attack makes you strong enough to nab KOs vs Pokemon like bulky Sensu (minor chip required versus bulky oricorio-g)
  • Swift Swim gives Kabutops more utility in counter teaming rain, allowing it to revenge kill Pokemon such as Ludicolo
Usage Tips
========
  • Choice Scarf Kabutops is best used as a pivot into offensive threats it has a type advantage versus, such as Pyroar and Froslass (i really, really wouldn't want to risk it versus froslass. it has a million different moves that can hurt you, can easily get spikes up which you'll find it hard to remove, and is overall just not a good pokemon to be used as an example. choice locked pyroar might be a better one too)
  • Kabutops cannot safely switch into many of these Pokemon 100% of the time, but played smartly and offensively it can limit their ability to spam moves that allow Kabutops in for free (i'd add more example to the point above and talk about pokemon that are v risky to switch in versus safer switch-ins to be honest)
  • Use Knock Off and Rapid Spin aggressively when possible, taking advantage of Pokemon you force out such as Altaria to remove entry hazards or an opponent's item
  • Kabutops doesn't have much longevity, so make sure you keep a close tab on its health if it's needed to revenge kill something like Oricorio-Pom-Pom (oricorio-e) (specify non-scarf versions, because they can run scarf. just say bulky versions of oricorio-g and oricorio-e)
  • Keep in mind that all of its moves are somewhat abusable when locked into, especially Rapid Spin and Knock Off. If your team faces a setup sweeper like Lilligant which can just win with a free turn, be sure to avoid locking yourself into a move it can set up on (ghost-types versus rapid spin generates so much momentum for the opponent, see froslass as a prime example)
  • there's not really a point on it revenge killing, which it does rather effectively thanks to its good speed tier with scarf
Team Options
========
  • Pokemon that are vulnerable to entry hazards like Articuno and Lanturn (to be honest, cuno paired with kabutops seems like hot ass). Also hazard setters that don't want their stuff to get Defogged away like Smeargle and Froslass, in particular Spikers because this dude likes spikes :blobglare:. Also mediocre removers that like to have a secondary option like Lurantis or Shiftry. (expansion on the last two pokemon. they really do a lot more than just remove and they both help severely weaken physical walls thanks to their mixed movepools) (froslass is a fantastic partner because not only does it basically block both forms of removal, it can check fighting-types while keeping spikes down)
  • Gurdurr resists like Mesprit and Musharna can help with those pesky Mach Punches (yes grandpa) (mesprit provides stealth rocks, healing wish, slow u-turn, etc. musharna is one of the sturdiest fighting-type resist in the tier)
  • Flying and Fire weak Pokemon like Lilligant and Sandslash-Alola (alolan sandslash) appreciate having an offensive check to those types around
  • If using Scarf Kabutops, you'll probably want some good priority users to revenge kill Speed-boosting setup sweepers. Pokemon like Kangaskhan and Skuntank can help with that (what sweepers, expand this) (i'd also talk about how useful this is if kabutops locks itself into a move that allows these pokemon in for free)
  • Kabutops also struggles a lot with letting in bulky Grass and Water types like Tangela and Poliwrath, so checks to those types of Pokemon like Altaria and Jynx can be very useful (altaria does have to be wary of poliwrath running ice beam, which is kinda does now for alt and tangela)
  • some special walls or tanks, like av hitmonchan, are worth mentioning. purely because kabutops doesn't enjoy taking even resist special hits. also provides secondary hazard removal for kabutops which is neat. yes i understand i am suggesting double spin but both of these pokemon on one team beat basically every single viable spinblocker and also do alternative roles. you can also mention a few defoggers here too because like you said earlier kabutops gets chipped quite easily
[SET]
name: Rain Sweeper
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Liquidation / Waterfall (same as before damage difference really isn't noticeable and flinch is nice)
move 4: Superpower / Aqua Jet
item: Rockium Z / Life Orb
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
  • Swords Dance increases Kabutops's Attack by two stages, which enables it to more easily break through defensive Pokemon like Weezing and Lurantis.
  • Stone Edge is Kabutops's most powerful STAB move, dealing good damage to Water-resistant Pokemon like Qwilfish, Silvally-Dragon, and Altaria.
  • Liquidation pairs well with Stone Edge, allowing Kabutops to deal sizeable damage to Ground-, Steel-, and Fighting-types, such as Mudsdale, Aggron, and Primeape.
  • waterfall
  • Superpower gives Kabutops neutral coverage for Poliwrath, which would otherwise completely wall it (also lets the rock z versions ohko aggron outside of rain and alolan sandslash)
  • Alternatively, Aqua Jet can be used to pick off Pokemon that outspeed Kabutops outside of rain such as Pyroar and Froslass as well hit Choice Scarf Aurorus, which is otherwise a highly problematic Rain check. It also picks off a weakened Gurdurr
Set Details
========
  • Max Attack Adamant lets Kabutops hit as hard as possible under the rain
  • Max Speed and Swift Swim let Kabutops outspeed almost all of the tier without the need for a Choice Scarf or a Jolly nature
  • Rockium Z gives Kabutops an excellent nuke to grab a near-guaranteed KO and break through Pokemon like Lurantis that can give it trouble. It also stops you from needing to risk Stone Edge's accuracy in certain situations
  • Life Orb keeps Kabutops's power level consistently high but the recoil it has can put Kabutops in range of priority users (hm. i know this is technically true but, hitmonchan with max atk ada only does a max of 65% and all sucker punch users do f all. gurdurr would also most likely drain punch versus kabu too)
  • Lum Berry is another alternative to set up a Swords Dance versus status users like Froslass and Qwilfish
Usage Tips
========
  • If possible, setting up a Swords Dance dramatically increases Kabutops's power and threat level. Kabutops can set up versus many choice users and most defensive Pokemon, such as Stoutland choice-locked into Return and bulky Oricorio-G (can also do it on predicted switches too, because rain can easily force this)
  • If using Life Orb, be very careful about allowing Kabutops to take too much chip damage, or it won't be able to sweep
  • Should mostly be used just when rain is up, it's fairly mediocre without it although you can still revenge kill slow things or potentially fast Water-weak Pokemon if running Aqua Jet
  • Normally you wouldn't want to just toss out your Z move, but so few things can really switch into your +2 Continental Crush with Rain up and not allow you to get a KO right after that it's generally ok to just use it ASAP, especially since dancing around when you're going to use it wastes rain turns (basically kabu can be used to break teams down)
Team Options
========
  • This set is meant for Rain teams only :blobwizard:
  • Rain setters like Mesprit and Volbeat give Kabutops the support it needs (obvs expansion, u-turn support, hwish, twave, etc. etc.)
  • Fellow Rain sweepers like Omastar, Qwilfish, and Ludicolo can help break down teams in tandem with Kabutops, Qwilfish especially since they both can break down physically bulky Pokemon with their Swords Dance sets (talk about how qwil is the only offensive pokemon on rain that can reliably deal with most fighting-types) (qwil also absorbs toxic spikes which sucks for rain teams, like real hard)
  • Other Rain staples like Togedemaru obviously (of course)
  • Also checks to Choice Scarf Aurorus like AV Hitmonchan are useful because it's a pain
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
  • Kabutops can be used a sash rocks lead for hyper offensive teams, though it faces tight competition from other leads like Omastar, Aurorus, and Crustle (BWAHAHA spin rocks lead is a very small but slightly usable niche)
  • SD sets can work off of rain teams, although they should be running Weak Armor and/or Aqua Jet due to it not having all that speed. Still, Lycanroc tends to be better due to its immediate speed
  • Offensive Rapid Spin 3 attacks sets are also workable, it just suffers from 4mss and a lack of a real niche, there's not much reason to use it over Pokemon like Shiftry and Hitmonchan
  • Toxic can help cripple Tangela and Gourgeist-XL but kinda sucks (would only be used on scarf too)
Checks and Counters
===================

**Faster Pokemon**: Faster Choice Scarf users such as Primeape and Togedemaru can easily revenge kill Choice Scarf Kabutops as it is somewhat frail. Very few things outspeed Kabutops under Rain, but Choice Scarf Alolan Raichu can revenge kill non-Aqua Jet Rain Sweeper Kabutops. (choice scarf alolan raichu...)

**Fighting-types**: Poliwrath is one of the best switch-ins to Kabutops, as it's immune to Liquidation, resists Stone Edge, and threatens to OHKO Kabutops with Focus Blast, only fearing a boosted Superpower. Gurdurr has the bulk to take a +2 Liquidation from non-Life Orb Kabutops in the rain and threatens to KO it with Drain Punch. Both of these Pokemon can also pick Kabutops off with Vacuum Wave and Mach Punch, respectively.

**Opposing Weather**: Choice Scarf Aurorus and Abomasnow can remove Kabutops's Rain, outspeed it, and KO it with Freeze Dry and Giga Drain respectively, although a weakened Aurorus is vulnerable to Aqua Jet and neither fare especially well versus Choice Scarf Kabutops.

**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Kabutops can struggle to break through Pokemon such as Tangela, Qwilfish, Pyukumuku, and Type: Null. Although they must be careful about taking a boosted Z-move and don't appreciate having their item knocked off, all of these Pokemon can KO, status, or pivot out of Kabutops. (i'd just remove type: null. doesn't like being knocked off and hates rain kabu)
Done. 2/3.
9qJxFoh.gif
 
Last edited:
Taken over from allstarapology

[OVERVIEW]

Kabutops is a solid Choice Scarf user which has plenty of utility in checking top threats such as Oricorio-G and Froslass due to its unique typing and Speed combination. Unlike most Choice Scarf users, it functions more as a utility revenge killer, with excellent support options such as Rapid Spin and Knock Off, and not as a strong attacker or a check to most setup sweepers (rly confused on these points, on "strong attackers" due to very solid attack and very respectable base power stabs, its power is comparable to scarf users like primape, aurorus, and mesprit tbh and is definitely a stronger scarf attacker than toge or even swanna, and on "checks to setup sweepers" this point is more legitimate, but it can still at least emergency rkill something like lycanroc, modest oma, or costa). Kabutops is also notable for its role on Rain teams, as its solid Speed, decent Attack, access to Swords Dance, and excellent STAB combination all make it highly suited to become on of the tier's top Rain sweepers. Kabutops gets by on key resistances to Fire, Flying, Ice, and Normal, but its typing is a double-edged sword which leaves it with common weaknesses including to Fighting, Ground, Electric, and Grass. This leaves it vulnerable to many coverage moves, such as Kangaskhan's Earthquake, and this can often limit its opportunities for setup or revenge killing (nothing to really do with revenge killing, but more so in terms of switching into the normal-types that it tries to check). Additionally, outside of Rain, Kabutops is prone to being revenge killed by common Choice Scarf users such as Primeape and Togedemaru, and struggles with how common Mach Punch Hitmonchan and Gurdurr are. Kabutops is a high risk, high reward Pokemon which fits multiple unique niches but can be somewhat difficult to use effectively.

i'd also touch upon how as a scarfer it competes with other scarfers that are better at revenge killing and/or have sources of momentum (primape, togedemaru, swanna, and potentially scyther all apply) since that kind of flaw does have an effect on its team composition

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Liquidation
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Rapid Spin
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Liquidation is Kabutops's main and most reliable STAB move, boasting a fairly high Base Power and allowing Kabutops to deal massive damage to Pokemon such as Mudsdale. Stone Edge is Kabutops's secondary and most powerful STAB move, threatening to hit Water-resistant or -immune Pokemon like Altaria, Lanturn, Lilligant, and Jynx hard. Its shaky accuracy limits its reliability, however. Knock Off enables Kabutops to cripple switch-ins that are reliant on their item for bulk, such as Gurdurr and Tangela, or recovery, such as Poliwrath, Weezing, and Qwilfish. Rapid Spin allows Kabutops to serve as an emergency hazard remover, with its heightened Speed and positive matchup against spinblockers like Froslass and Oricorio-G giving it an easier time clearing its side of the field. Superpower is an option if hazard control is already covered or Knock Off is undesirable, as it allows Kabutops to reliably revenge kill Modest Omastar after a Shell Smash and OHKO Aggron and Sandslash-A.

Set Details
========

Maximum Speed investment, Jolly nature, and Choice Scarf all push Kabutops's Spede to the limit, allowing it to outspeed and threaten Pokemon such as Floatzel and Modest Choice Scarf Mesprit (idk about this one, since i don't use modest scarf on mesp anymore due to modest oma being a relevant threat to prep for now. i'd prefer another example like lycanroc or scarf aurorus). Maximum Attack investment keeps Kabutops strong enough to KO the Pokemon it needs to check, such as Oricorio-E. Swift Swim gives Kabutops more utility in case of facing an opposing Rain team, as it can outspeed and KO Rain sweepers such as Ludicolo with slight chip damage, although Battle Armor's ability to prevent critical hits can be helpful.

Usage Tips
========

Choice Scarf Kabutops is best used as a pivot into offensive threats it has a type advantage versus, such as Swanna (i would argue that scyther or even jynx feel like slightly more secure examples than the two you have so i'd probably mention them on those grounds too, but i have no qualms about you keeping these examples given that you've mentioned the potential issues there could be in switching into them) and Froslass. Kabutops will rarely be a completely safe switchin to said threats; it cannot comfortably switch into Swanna's Scald and Froslass's Will-O-Wisp. However, with good prediction, Kabutops can limit the opponent's ability to spam moves which Kabutops can switch into and keep top threats such as Stoutland on their toes. Once Kabutops has managed to come in safely, use Knock Off and Rapid Spin aggressively when possible. Taking advantage of a forced switch to remove entry hazards or cripple a switchin such as Tangela can reap huge dividends late-game. Kabutops won't have much longevity, so make sure to keep a close tab on what it needs to accomplish in any given game and avoid risking it recklessly if, for example, it will need to stick around to remove a Qwilfish's Spikes later in the match or revenge kill a Calm Mind Oricorio-G. Keep in mind that all of its moves can be abused by certain setup sweepers if Kabutops opts to lock itself into them. In particular, Rapid Spin and Knock Off allow many setup sweepers such as Lycanroc and Lilligant to set up with Swords Dance or Quiver Dance practically risk-free. If your team finds itself pressured by a particular setup sweeper, make sure that Kabutops avoids locking itself into one of the moves that might give it the chance it needs to sweep your team.

Team Options
========

Pokemon that are vulnerable to entry hazards such as Articuno (agree with yogi tbh, i don't mind cuno for a secondary example but i'd rly rather u mention somebody like sensu or aurorus, esp considering they're more mainstream threats that are also good at breaking physically bulky checks and have good grass-type matchup, also gurdurr in sensu's case) and Lanturn appreciate Kabutops's Rapid Spin support. However, Kabutops is prone to being spinblocked by many of the tier's common Ghost-types, so a secondary entry hazard remover such as Lurantis, Shiftry, or the aforementioned Articuno is advisable. Teams which use their own dedicated entry hazard setters such as Smeargle and Froslass which don't want to Defog away their own Sticky Webs or Spikes should consider using Kabutops for entry hazard removal. (i would add more on the point about spikes support for a few reasons: 1. kabu's own team's hazards also pressure ghost types that switch in to spinblock, making its job easier. 2. it makes kabu more of a threat, which is relevant to emphasize given its good offensive typing and how strong it is naturally.) Fighting-type checks such as Mesprit and Haunter are needed to keep Pokemon such as Primeape and Gurdurr in check for Kabutops, and additional Ground- and Grass- resists and Electric immunities such as Lilligant, Skuntank, and Mudsdale are advisable. On the other hand, Kabutops can be excellent support for Flying- and Fire-weak Pokemon such as Gurdurr and Jynx, helping teams using them to keep offensive momentum even when forced out. Kabutops is fairly mediocre at revenge killing setup sweepers such as Lilligant and Pinsir, so strong priority users such as Kangaskhan and Raticate-A can help keep these sweepers in check. Kabutops appreciates being paired with strong wallbreakers such as Aurorus and Stoutland since it struggles with most physically bulky Pokemon. In the same vein, Kabutops can give many bulky Grass- and Water-types such as Tangela and Poliwrath fairly free switchins, so checks to these types of Pokemon such as Altaria and Jynx are advisable.

[SET]
name: Rain Sweeper
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Liquidation
move 4: Superpower / Aqua Jet
item: Rockium Z / Life Orb
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Swords Dance increases Kabutops's Attack by two stages, which enables it to more easily break through defensive Pokemon like Weezing and Lurantis. Stone Edge is Kabutops's most powerful STAB move, dealing good damage to Water-resistant Pokemon like Qwilfish, Silvally-Dragon, and Altaria. Liquidation pairs well with Stone Edge, allowing Kabutops to deal sizeable damage to Ground-, Steel-, and Fighting-types, such as Mudsdale, Aggron, and Primeape. Superpower gives Kabutops neutral coverage for Poliwrath, which would otherwise completely wall it, and the ability for non-Life Orb Kabutops to OHKO Aggron without Rain. Alternatively, Aqua Jet can be used to pick off Pokemon that outspeed Kabutops outside of rain such as Pyroar and Froslass as well hit Choice Scarf Aurorus, which is otherwise a highly problematic Pokemon for Rain teams to handle (also opposing scarf kabu w/ swift swim looking to revenge kill you, which is reasonable to expect to run into when facing a non-rain build). It also picks off a weakened Gurdurr before Mach Punch.

Set Details
========

Maximum Attack investment and an Adamant nature helps Kabutops hit as hard as possible to facilitate its sweeps. Meanwhile, Swift Swim and maximum Speed investment allow Kabutops to outspeed almost the entire tier under rain without the need for a Choice Scarf or Speed-boosting nature. Rockium Z gives Kabutops an excellent nuke to OHKO many Pokemon otherwise capable of tanking a hit such as physically defensive Qwilfish. It also avoids the need to rely on Stone Edge's subpar accuracy for a single turn. Life Orb is another solid option which keeps Kabutop's power level consistently high, although the recoil can put Kabutops in range of certain priority users. Lum Berry is another alternative to set up a Swords Dance versus status users such as Froslass and Misdreavus.

Usage Tips
========

If possible, setting up a Swords Dance dramatically increases Kabutops's power and threat level. Kabutops can set up versus many Choice users and most defensive Pokemon, such as Stoutland choice-locked into Return and bulky Oricorio-G, as well as on forced switches versus Pokemon like Scyther. If using Life Orb, be very careful about allowing Kabutops to take too much chip damage, or it won't be able to sweep. Kabutops should try to avoid being used until Rain has been set up, as without it Kabutops finds itself much weaker and slower. However, it may sometimes be needed to revenge kill certain threats outside of Rain. Choice Scarf Aurorus in particular is a large threat which many rain teams may rely on Choice Scarf Kabutops to revenge kill. Normally Z-moves ought to be played carefully and preserved for one specific instance, but so few Pokemon are capable of switching into a +2 Continental Crush with Rain up and and prevent Kabutops from grabbing a KO on the next turn that it is often fine to simply use it as soon as the opportunity prevents itself, especially since entering into a drawn out series of predictions with your opponent about when you'll finally use the Z-move may waste precious rain turns.

some examples of what the player needs to be mindful of what should be weakened before throwing out a +2 CC/attempting to sweep would help (pyukumuku, poliwrath, tangela, and yeah)

Team Options
========

This set is meant for rain teams only. Rain setters such as Mesprit and Volbeat give Kabutops not only the weather it needs to function effectively, but also free switchin opportunities with their slow U-turn. Mesprit can also use Healing Wish to bring back a weakened Kabutops for a second sweep attempt, which is particularly useful for Life Orb variants. (liepard as a setter is worth being mentioned too, having u-turn and the fact that knock off on mutual switch ins like wrath, tangela, and gurdurr alone will often put them in range of +2 kabu) Fellow rain sweepers like Omastar, Qwilfish, and Ludicolo can help break down teams in tandem with Kabutops. Qwilfish is an especially good partner since both Pokemon can break down physically bulky annoyances such as Type: Null with their Swords Dance sets. Qwilfish also checks Fighting-types like Gurdurr for Kabutops, and can absorb Toxic Spikes which are extremely annoying for Life Orb Kabutops. Checks to Choice Scarf Aurorus, such as Assault Vest Crabominable and Sandslash-A, are very important for rain teams as it can easily revenge kill Kabutops lacking Aqua Jet due to its ability removing rain. However, these Pokemon may be somewhat difficult to fit onto rain teams.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Waterfall is a worthwhile alternative to Liquidation, which passes up slight power for the chance to flinch opponents. Kabutops can be used as a suicide lead for hyper offensive teams with a Focus Sash and Stealth Rock. Although it faces tight competition from other leads such as Omastar, Aurorus, and Lycanroc, which have multiple entry hazards, more utility outside of setting Stealth Rock, and more offensive presence, respectively, Kabutops can remove the opponent's entry hazards with Rapid Spin, allowing you to take an early lead in the entry hazard game. Swords Dance sets can be run outside of rain teams, although they ought to utilize Weak Armor to make up for its lack of Speed without Swift Swim being active. However, Lycanroc and Carracosta tend to be much more useful due to the former's immediate Speed and the latter's ease of setting up and higher attack. Offensive Rapid Spin sets are also workable for non-Choice Scarf Kabutops, although there is very little reason to use them over Pokemon such as Shiftry and Hitmonchan. Toxic can cripple switchins such as Tangela, Poliwrath, and Gourgeist-XL, but is extremely difficult to justify using over better options and is extremely abusable if Choice Scarf Kabutops locks itself into the status move.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Faster Pokemon**: Faster Choice Scarf users such as Primeape and Togedemaru can easily revenge kill Choice Scarf Kabutops as it is somewhat frail. Very few things outspeed Kabutops under Rain, but Choice Scarf Alolan Raichu can revenge kill non-Aqua Jet rain Sweeper Kabutops.

**Fighting-types**: Poliwrath is one of the best switch-ins to Kabutops, as it is immune to Liquidation, resists Stone Edge, and threatens to OHKO Kabutops with Focus Blast, only fearing a boosted Superpower. Gurdurr has the bulk to take a +2 Liquidation from non-Life Orb Kabutops in the rain and threatens to KO it with Drain Punch. Both of these Pokemon can also pick Kabutops off with Vacuum Wave and Mach Punch, respectively. Hitmonchan can also be a nuisance with Mach Punch.

**Opposing Weather**: Choice Scarf Aurorus and Abomasnow can remove Kabutops's Rain, outspeed it, and KO it with Freeze Dry and Giga Drain respectively, although a weakened Aurorus is vulnerable to Aqua Jet and neither fare especially well versus Choice Scarf Kabutops.

**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Kabutops can struggle to break through Pokemon such as Tangela, Qwilfish, and Pyukumuku. Although they must be careful about taking a boosted Z-move and don't appreciate having their item knocked off, all of these Pokemon can KO Kabutops or cripple it with status.

i would personally put fighting types above faster mons (due to wrath and gurdurr's huge reliability as checks to kabu) and physically bulky pokemon over opposing weather since opposing weather is only a set-specific problem and are restricted to revenge killing whereas the best examples for the physically bulky pokemon are problems regardless of the set, especially tangela and pyuku. otherwise this is fine
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [Megazard, 202117]
- Quality checked by: [[allstarapology, 400292], [yogi, 252106], ]
- Grammar checked by: []
3/3!
 

Astra

talk to me nice
is a Site Content Manageris a Top Social Media Contributoris a Forum Moderatoris a Community Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Top Smogon Media Contributoris a Community Leader Alumnus
amcheck :)
i personally think it was well written, it was mostly just corrections to terms and a few changes that i think make it flow better
add remove (comments)
[OVERVIEW]

Kabutops is a solid Choice Scarf user which has plenty of utility in checking top threats such as Oricorio-G and Froslass due to its unique typing and Speed combination. Unlike most Choice Scarf users, it functions more as a utility revenge killer, with excellent support options such as Rapid Spin and Knock Off, and not as a check to most setup sweepers due to its mediocre base Speed. Kabutops is also notable for its role on Rain teams, as its solid Speed, decent Attack, access to Swords Dance, and excellent STAB combination all make it highly suited to become one of the tier's top Rain rain sweepers. Kabutops gets by on key resistances to Fire, Flying, Ice, and Normal, but its typing is a double-edged sword, (AC) which leavinges it with common weaknesses including to Fighting, Ground, Electric, and Grass. This leaves it vulnerable to many coverage moves, (RC) such as like Kangaskhan's Earthquake, and this can often limit its opportunities for setup or revenge killing. Additionally, outside of Rrain, Kabutops is prone to being revenge killed by common Choice Scarf users such as Primeape and Togedemaru, and struggles with how common Mach Punch Hitmonchan and Gurdurr are. Ultimately, Kabutops faces a lot of competition from faster Choice Scarf users such as Togedemaru, Primeape, and Swanna, which are far more capable at revenge killing, and only sets itself apart with its unique set of resistances and ability to remove entry hazards.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Liquidation
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Rapid Spin
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Liquidation is Kabutops's main and most reliable STAB move, boasting a fairly high Base Power and allowing Kabutops to deal massive damage to Pokemon such as Mudsdale. Stone Edge is Kabutops's secondary and most powerful STAB move, threatening to hit Water-resistant or -immune Pokemon like Altaria, Lanturn, Lilligant, and Jynx hard. Its shaky accuracy limits its reliability, however. Knock Off enables Kabutops to cripple switch-ins that are reliant on their item for bulk, such as Gurdurr and Tangela, or recovery, such as Poliwrath, Weezing, and Qwilfish. Rapid Spin allows Kabutops to serve as an emergency hazard remover, with its heightened Speed and positive matchup against spinblockers like Froslass and Oricorio-G giving it an easier time clearing its side of the field. Superpower is an option if hazard control is already covered or Knock Off is undesirable, as it allows Kabutops to reliably revenge kill Modest Omastar after a Shell Smash and OHKO Aggron and Sandslash-A.

Set Details
========

Maximum Speed investment, Jolly nature, and Choice Scarf all push Kabutops's Spede speed to the limit, allowing it to outspeed and threaten Pokemon such as Floatzel and Choice Scarf Aurorus. Maximum Attack investment keeps Kabutops strong enough to KO the Pokemon it needs to check, (RC) such as Oricorio-E. Swift Swim gives Kabutops more utility in case of facing an opposing Rain team, as it can outspeed and KO Rain sweepers such as Ludicolo with slight chip damage, although Battle Armor's ability to prevent critical hits can be helpful.

Usage Tips
========

Choice Scarf Kabutops is best used as a pivot into offensive threats it has a type advantage against versus, such as Swanna and Froslass. Kabutops will rarely be a completely safe switch-in to said threats; it cannot comfortably switch into Swanna's Scald and Froslass's Will-O-Wisp. However, with good prediction, Kabutops can limit the opponent's ability to spam moves which Kabutops can switch into and keep top threats such as Stoutland on their toes. Once Kabutops has managed to come in safely, use Knock Off and Rapid Spin aggressively when possible. Taking advantage of a forced switch to remove entry hazards or cripple a switch-in such as Tangela can reap huge dividends late-game. Kabutops won't have much longevity, so make sure to keep a close tab on what it needs to accomplish in any given game and avoid risking it recklessly if, for example, it will need to stick around to remove a Qwilfish's Spikes later in the match or revenge kill a Calm Mind Oricorio-G. Keep in mind that all of its moves can be abused by certain setup sweepers if Kabutops opts to lock itself into them. In particular, Rapid Spin and Knock Off allow many setup sweepers such as Lycanroc and Lilligant to set up with Swords Dance or Quiver Dance practically risk-free. If your team finds itself pressured by a particular setup sweeper, make sure that Kabutops avoids locking itself into one of the moves that might give it the chance it needs to sweep your team.

Team Options
========

Pokemon that are vulnerable to entry hazards such as Aurorus and Lanturn appreciate Kabutops's Rapid Spin support. However, Kabutops is prone to being spinblocked by many of the tier's common Ghost-types, so a secondary entry hazard remover such as Lurantis or Shiftry is advisable. Teams which use their own dedicated entry hazard setters such as Smeargle and Froslass which that don't want to Defog away their own Sticky Webs or Spikes should consider using Kabutops for entry hazard removal. Kabutops also benefits noticeably from Spikes, as they can chip away at many of its grounded checks, (AC) including Gurdurr and Tangela. Fighting-type checks such as Mesprit and Haunter are needed to keep Pokemon such as Primeape and the aforementioned Gurdurr in check for Kabutops, and additional Ground- and Grass- resists and Electric immunities such as Lilligant, Skuntank, and Mudsdale are advisable. On the other hand, Kabutops can be excellent support for Flying- and Fire-weak Pokemon such as Gurdurr and Jynx, helping teams using them to keep offensive momentum even when forced out. Kabutops is fairly mediocre at revenge killing setup sweepers such as Lilligant and Pinsir, so strong priority users such as Kangaskhan and Raticate-A can help keep these sweepers in check. Kabutops appreciates being paired with strong wallbreakers such as Aurorus and Stoutland since it struggles with most physically bulky Pokemon. In the same vein, Kabutops can give many bulky Grass- and Water-types such as Tangela and Poliwrath fairly free switch-ins, so checks to these types of Pokemon such as Altaria and Jynx are advisable.

[SET]
name: Rain Sweeper
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Liquidation
move 4: Superpower / Aqua Jet
item: Rockium Z / Life Orb
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Swords Dance increases Kabutops's Attack by two stages, which enables enabling it to more easily break through defensive Pokemon like Weezing and Lurantis more easily. (the changes here allow it to flow better in my opinion) Stone Edge is Kabutops's most powerful STAB move, dealing good damage to Water-resistant Pokemon like Qwilfish, Silvally-Dragon, and Altaria. Liquidation pairs well with Stone Edge, allowing Kabutops to deal sizeable damage to Ground-, Steel-, and Fighting-types, such as Mudsdale, Aggron, and Primeape. Superpower gives Kabutops neutral coverage for Poliwrath, which would otherwise completely wall it, and the ability for non-Life Orb Kabutops to OHKO Aggron without Rain. Alternatively, Aqua Jet can be used to pick off Pokemon that outspeed Kabutops outside of rain such as Pyroar and Froslass as well hit Choice Scarf Aurorus, which is otherwise a highly problematic Pokemon for Rain teams to handle. It can also picks off a weakened Gurdurr before Mach Punch.

Set Details
========

Maximum Attack investment and an Adamant nature helps Kabutops hit as hard as possible to facilitate its sweeps. Meanwhile, Swift Swim and maximum Speed investment allow Kabutops to outspeed almost the entire tier under rain without the need for a Choice Scarf or a Speed-boosting nature. Rockium Z gives Kabutops an excellent nuke to OHKO many Pokemon otherwise capable of tanking a hit such as physically defensive Qwilfish. It also avoids the need to rely on Stone Edge's subpar accuracy for a single turn. Life Orb is another solid option which keeps Kabutop's power level consistently high, although the recoil can put Kabutops it in range of certain priority users. Lum Berry is another alternative to set up a Swords Dance versus status users such as Froslass and Misdreavus.

Usage Tips
========

If possible, setting up a Swords Dance dramatically increases Kabutops's power and threat level, (AC) so try to set up with it when possible (I think with this change it sounds more in line with most Usage Tips openings). Kabutops can set up versus many Choice users and most defensive Pokemon, such as Stoutland choice-locked into Return and bulky Oricorio-G, as well as on forced switches versus Pokemon like Scyther. If using Life Orb, be very careful about allowing Kabutops to take too much chip damage, or it won't be able to sweep. Kabutops should try to avoid being used until Rain rain has been set up, as without it Kabutops finds itself much weaker and slower. However, it may sometimes be needed to revenge kill certain threats outside of Rain rain. Choice Scarf Aurorus in particular is a large threat which many rain teams may rely on Choice Scarf Kabutops to revenge kill. Normally Z-moves ought to be played carefully and preserved for one specific instance, but so few Pokemon are capable of switching into a +2 Continental Crush with Rain up and and prevent Kabutops from grabbing a KO on the next turn that it is often fine to simply use it as soon as the opportunity prevents itself, especially since entering into a drawn out series of predictions with your opponent about when you'll finally use the Z-move may waste precious rain turns. The few exceptions to this include full health Gurdurr and Unaware Pyukumuku. (add period)

Team Options
========

This set is meant for rain teams only. Rain setters such as Mesprit and Volbeat give Kabutops not only the weather it needs to function effectively, but also free switch-in opportunities with their slow U-turn. Mesprit can also use Healing Wish to bring back a weakened Kabutops for a second sweep attempt, which is particularly useful for Life Orb variants. Fellow rain sweepers like Omastar, Qwilfish, and Ludicolo can help break down teams in tandem with Kabutops. Qwilfish is an especially good partner since both Pokemon can break down physically bulky annoyances such as like Type: Null with their Swords Dance sets. Qwilfish also checks Fighting-types like Gurdurr for Kabutops, and can absorb Toxic Spikes which are extremely annoying for Life Orb Kabutops. Checks to Choice Scarf Aurorus, such as Assault Vest Crabominable and Sandslash-A, are very important for rain teams as it can easily revenge kill Kabutops lacking Aqua Jet due to its ability removing rain. However, these Pokemon may be somewhat difficult to fit onto rain teams.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Waterfall is a worthwhile alternative to Liquidation, which passes up slight power for the chance to flinch opponents. Kabutops can be used as a suicide lead for hyper offensive teams with a Focus Sash and Stealth Rock. Although it faces tight competition from other leads such as Omastar, Aurorus, and Lycanroc, which have multiple entry hazards, more utility outside of setting Stealth Rock, and more offensive presence, respectively, Kabutops can remove the opponent's entry hazards with Rapid Spin, allowing you to take an early lead in the entry hazard game. Swords Dance sets can be run outside of rain teams, although they ought to utilize Weak Armor to make up for its lack of Speed without Swift Swim being active. However, Lycanroc and Carracosta tend to be much more useful due to the former's immediate Speed and the latter's ease of setting up and higher attack. Offensive Rapid Spin sets are also workable for non-Choice Scarf Kabutops, although there is very little reason to use them over Pokemon such as Shiftry and Hitmonchan. Toxic can cripple switchins such as Tangela, Poliwrath, and Gourgeist-XL, but is extremely difficult to justify using over better options and is extremely abusable if Choice Scarf Kabutops locks itself into the status move.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Fighting-types**: Poliwrath is one of the best switch-ins to Kabutops, as it is immune to Liquidation, resists Stone Edge, and threatens to OHKO Kabutops with Focus Blast, only fearing a boosted Superpower. Gurdurr has the bulk to take a +2 Liquidation from non-Life Orb Kabutops in the rain and threatens to KO it with Drain Punch. Both of these Pokemon can also pick Kabutops off with Vacuum Wave and Mach Punch, respectively. Hitmonchan can also be a nuisance with Mach Punch.

**Faster Pokemon**: Faster Choice Scarf users such as Primeape and Togedemaru can easily revenge kill Choice Scarf Kabutops as it is somewhat frail. Very few things outspeed Kabutops under Rain, but Choice Scarf Alolan Raichu can revenge kill non-Aqua Jet rain Sweeper Kabutops.

**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Kabutops can struggle to break through Pokemon such as Tangela, Qwilfish, and Pyukumuku. Although they must be careful about taking a boosted Z-move and don't appreciate having their item knocked off, all of these Pokemon can KO Kabutops or cripple it with status.

**Opposing Weather**: Choice Scarf Aurorus and Abomasnow can remove Kabutops's Rain, outspeed it, and KO it with Freeze Dry and Giga Drain respectively, although a weakened Aurorus is vulnerable to Aqua Jet and neither fare especially well versus Choice Scarf Kabutops.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [Megazard, 202117]
- Quality checked by: [[allstarapology, 400292], [yogi, 252106], [jklioe, 424692]]
- Grammar checked by: [][/QUOTE]
 
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Lumari

empty spaces
is a Site Content Manageris a Top Social Media Contributoris a Member of Senior Staffis a Community Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Top Smogon Media Contributoris an Administrator Alumnus
TFP Leader
nice changes tbh @ above

also i worked on top of the amcheck without realising it was already implemented, since there weren't many changes in there i decided to leave stuff like this for the purpose of giving feedback, sry 4 extra work



Estronic: add remove (comments)
tdp: add / fix remove [comments]
GP 1/2
[OVERVIEW]

Kabutops is a solid Choice Scarf user which that has plenty of utility in checking top threats such as Oricorio-G and Froslass due to its unique typing and Speed combination. Unlike most Choice Scarf users, it functions more as a utility revenge killer, with excellent support options such as Rapid Spin and Knock Off, and not as a check to most setup sweepers due to its mediocre base Speed. Kabutops is also notable for its role on rain teams, as its solid Speed, decent Attack, access to Swords Dance, and excellent STAB combination all make it highly suited to become one of the tier's top Rain rain sweepers. Kabutops gets by on [this is fine to keep] key resistances to Fire, Flying, Ice, and Normal, but its typing is a double-edged sword, (AC) which leavinges [or just "its typing leaves", but ya this is an improvement over the original] it with common weaknesses including to Fighting, Ground, Electric, and Grass. This leaves it vulnerable to many coverage moves, (RC) such as like [remove comma yes but like / such as are more or less interchangeable here] Kangaskhan's Earthquake, and this can often limit its opportunities for setup or revenge killing. Additionally, outside of Rrain, Kabutops is prone to being revenge killed by common Choice Scarf users such as Primeape and Togedemaru (RC) and struggles with how common Mach Punch Hitmonchan and Gurdurr are. Ultimately, Kabutops faces a lot of competition from faster Choice Scarf users such as Togedemaru, Primeape, and Swanna, which are far more capable at revenge killing, and only sets itself apart with its unique set of resistances and ability to remove entry hazards.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Liquidation
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Rapid Spin
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Liquidation is Kabutops's main and most reliable STAB move, boasting a fairly high Base Power and allowing Kabutops to deal massive damage to Pokemon such as Mudsdale. Stone Edge is Kabutops's secondary and most powerful STAB move, threatening to hit Water-resistant or -immune Pokemon like Altaria, Lanturn, Lilligant, and Jynx hard. Its shaky accuracy limits its reliability, however. Knock Off enables Kabutops to cripple switch-ins that are reliant on their item for bulk, such as Gurdurr and Tangela, or recovery, such as Poliwrath, Weezing, and Qwilfish. Rapid Spin allows Kabutops to serve as an emergency entry hazard remover, with its heightened Speed and positive matchup against spinblockers like Froslass and Oricorio-G giving it an easier time clearing its side of the field. Superpower is an option if hazard control is already covered or Knock Off is undesirable, as it allows Kabutops to reliably revenge kill Modest Omastar after a Shell Smash and OHKO Aggron and Sandslash-A Alolan Sandslash.

Set Details
========

Maximum Speed investment, a Jolly nature, and Choice Scarf all push Kabutops's Spede speed [should have caps here] to the limit, allowing it to outspeed and threaten Pokemon such as Floatzel and Choice Scarf Aurorus. Maximum Attack investment keeps Kabutops strong enough to KO the Pokemon it needs to check, (RC) [keep comma here actually] such as Oricorio-E. Swift Swim gives Kabutops more utility in case of facing an opposing rain team, as it can outspeed and KO rain sweepers such as Ludicolo with slight chip damage, although Battle Armor's ability to prevent critical hits can be helpful.

Usage Tips
========

Choice Scarf Kabutops is best used as a pivot into offensive threats it has a type advantage against versus, [these are interchangeable] such as Swanna and Froslass. Kabutops will rarely be a completely safe switch-in to said threats; it cannot comfortably switch into Swanna's Scald and Froslass's Will-O-Wisp. However, with good prediction, Kabutops can limit the opponent's ability to spam moves which Kabutops it can switch into and keep top threats such as Stoutland on their toes. Once Kabutops has managed to come in safely, use Knock Off and Rapid Spin aggressively when possible. Taking advantage of a forced switch to remove entry hazards or cripple a switch-in such as Tangela can reap huge dividends late-game. Kabutops won't have much longevity, so make sure to keep a close tab on what it needs to accomplish in any given game and avoid risking it recklessly if, for example, it will need to stick around to remove a Qwilfish's Spikes later in the match or revenge kill a Calm Mind Oricorio-G. Keep in mind that all of its moves can be abused exploited by certain setup sweepers if Kabutops opts to lock itself into them. In particular, Rapid Spin and Knock Off allow many setup sweepers such as Lycanroc and Lilligant to set up with Swords Dance or Quiver Dance practically risk-free. If your team finds itself pressured by a particular setup sweeper, make sure that Kabutops avoids locking itself into one of the moves that might give it the chance it needs to sweep your team.

Team Options
========

Pokemon that are vulnerable to entry hazards such as Aurorus and Lanturn appreciate Kabutops's Rapid Spin support. However, Kabutops is prone to being spinblocked by many of the tier's common Ghost-types, so a secondary entry hazard remover such as Lurantis or Shiftry is advisable. Teams which use their own dedicated entry hazard setters such as Smeargle and Froslass which that don't want to Defog away their own Sticky Webs or Spikes should consider using Kabutops for entry hazard removal. Kabutops also benefits noticeably from Spikes, as they can chip away at many of its grounded checks, (AC) including Gurdurr and Tangela. Fighting-type checks such as Mesprit and Haunter are needed to keep Pokemon such as Primeape and the aforementioned Gurdurr in check for Kabutops, and additional switch-ins to Ground-, (AC) and Grass-, (AC) resists and Electric-type attacks immunities (or w/e, just avoid resists / immunities) such as Lilligant, Skuntank, and Mudsdale are advisable. On the other hand, Kabutops can be excellent support for Flying- and Fire-weak Pokemon such as Gurdurr and Jynx, helping teams using them to keep offensive momentum even when forced out. Kabutops is fairly mediocre at revenge killing setup sweepers such as Lilligant and Pinsir, so strong priority users such as Kangaskhan and Alolan Raticate-A can help keep these sweepers in check. Kabutops appreciates being paired with strong wallbreakers such as Aurorus and Stoutland, (AC) since it struggles with most physically bulky Pokemon. In the same vein, Kabutops can give help many bulky Grass- and Water-types such as Tangela and Poliwrath switch in fairly freely switch-ins, so checks to these types of Pokemon such as Altaria and Jynx are advisable.

[SET]
name: Rain Sweeper
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Liquidation
move 4: Superpower / Aqua Jet
item: Rockium Z / Life Orb
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Swords Dance increases Kabutops's Attack by two stages, which enables enabling it to more easily break through defensive Pokemon like Weezing and Lurantis more easily. (the changes here allow it to flow better in my opinion) [former is less necessary than the latter but ya] Stone Edge is Kabutops's most powerful STAB move, dealing good damage to Water-resistant Pokemon like Qwilfish, Silvally-Dragon, and Altaria. Liquidation pairs well with Stone Edge, allowing Kabutops to deal sizeable damage to Ground-, Steel-, and Fighting-types, such as Mudsdale, Aggron, and Primeape. Superpower gives Kabutops neutral coverage for Poliwrath, which would otherwise completely wall it, and the ability for non-Life Orb Kabutops sets to OHKO Aggron without rain. Alternatively, Aqua Jet can be used to pick off Pokemon that outspeed Kabutops outside of rain such as Pyroar and Froslass as well as hit Choice Scarf Aurorus, which is otherwise a highly problematic Pokemon for rain teams to handle. It can also picks [change isn't rly required, but if you do make it also make sure to adjust the verb accordingly] off a weakened Gurdurr before Mach Punch.

Set Details
========

Maximum Attack investment and an Adamant nature helps help Kabutops hit as hard as possible to facilitate its sweeps. Meanwhile, Swift Swim and maximum Speed investment allow Kabutops to outspeed almost the entire tier under rain without the need for a Choice Scarf or a Speed-boosting nature. Rockium Z gives Kabutops an excellent nuke to OHKO many Pokemon otherwise capable of tanking a hit such as physically defensive Qwilfish. It also avoids the need to rely on Stone Edge's subpar accuracy for a single turn. Life Orb is another solid option which that keeps Kabutop's Kabutops's power level consistently high, although the recoil can put Kabutops it [would probably keep Kabutops here tbh] in range of certain priority users. Lum Berry is another alternative to set up a Swords Dance versus status users such as Froslass and Misdreavus.

Usage Tips
========

If possible, setting up a Swords Dance dramatically increases Kabutops's power and threat level, (AC) so try to set up with it when possible (I think with this change it sounds more in line with most Usage Tips openings). [subjective, agree that it's an improvement but don't think I would've made any changes to this sentence myself] Kabutops can set up versus many Choice users and most defensive Pokemon, such as Stoutland Choice-locked into Return and bulky Oricorio-G, as well as on forced switches versus Pokemon like Scyther. If using Life Orb, be very careful about allowing Kabutops to take too much chip damage, or it won't be able to sweep. Kabutops should try to avoid being used until Rain rain has been set up, as without it Kabutops finds itself much weaker and slower. However, it may sometimes be needed to revenge kill certain threats outside of Rain rain. Choice Scarf Aurorus in particular is a large threat which that many rain teams may rely on Choice Scarf (?) Kabutops to revenge kill. Normally Z-Moves ought to be played carefully and preserved for one specific instance, but so few Pokemon are capable of switching into a +2 Continental Crush with rain up and and prevent Kabutops from grabbing a KO on the next turn that it is often fine to simply use it as soon as the opportunity prevents itself, especially since entering into a drawn-out (AH) series of predictions with your opponent about when you'll finally use the Z-Move may waste precious rain turns. The few exceptions to this include full-health (AH) Gurdurr and Unaware Pyukumuku. (add period)

Team Options
========

This set is meant for rain teams only. Rain setters such as Mesprit and Volbeat give Kabutops not only the weather it needs to function effectively, but also free switch-in opportunities to switch in with their slow U-turn. Mesprit can also use Healing Wish to bring back a weakened Kabutops for a second sweep attempt, which is particularly useful for Life Orb variants. Fellow rain sweepers like Omastar, Qwilfish, and Ludicolo can help break down teams in tandem with Kabutops. Qwilfish is an especially good partner, (AC) since both Pokemon can break down physically bulky annoyances such as like Type: Null with their Swords Dance sets. Qwilfish also checks Fighting-types like Gurdurr for Kabutops (RC) and can absorb Toxic Spikes, (AC) which are extremely annoying for Life Orb Kabutops. Checks to Choice Scarf Aurorus, such as Assault Vest Crabominable and Alolan Sandslash-A, are very important for rain teams, (AC) as it can easily revenge kill Kabutops lacking Aqua Jet due to its ability removing rain. However, these Pokemon may be somewhat difficult to fit onto rain teams.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Waterfall is a worthwhile alternative to Liquidation, which passes up slight power for the chance to flinch opponents make opposing Pokemon flinch. Kabutops can be used as a suicide lead for hyper offensive teams with a Focus Sash and Stealth Rock. Although it faces tight competition from other leads such as Omastar, Aurorus, and Lycanroc, which have multiple entry hazards, more utility outside of setting Stealth Rock, and more offensive presence, respectively, Kabutops can remove the opponent's entry hazards with Rapid Spin, allowing you to take an early lead in the entry hazard game. Swords Dance sets can be run outside of rain teams, although they ought to utilize Weak Armor to make up for its their lack of Speed without Swift Swim being active. However, Lycanroc and Carracosta tend to be much more useful due to the former's immediate Speed and the latter's ease of setting up and higher Attack. Offensive Rapid Spin sets are also workable for non-Choice Scarf Kabutops, although there is very little reason to use them over Pokemon such as Shiftry and Hitmonchan. Toxic can cripple switchins switch-ins such as Tangela, Poliwrath, and Gourgeist-XL (RC) but is extremely difficult to justify using over better options and is extremely abusable exploitable if Choice Scarf Kabutops locks itself into the status move.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Fighting-types**: Poliwrath is one of the best switch-ins to Kabutops, as it is immune to Liquidation, resists Stone Edge, and threatens to OHKO Kabutops with Focus Blast, only fearing a boosted Superpower. Gurdurr has the bulk to take a +2 Liquidation from non-Life Orb Kabutops in the rain and threatens to KO it with Drain Punch. Both of these Pokemon can also pick Kabutops off with Vacuum Wave and Mach Punch, respectively. Hitmonchan can also be a nuisance with Mach Punch.

**Faster Pokemon**: Faster Choice Scarf users such as Primeape and Togedemaru can easily revenge kill Choice Scarf Kabutops, (AC) as it is somewhat frail. Very few things foes outspeed Kabutops under rain, but Choice Scarf Alolan Raichu can revenge kill non-Aqua Jet rain sweeper Kabutops.

**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Kabutops can struggle to break through Pokemon such as Tangela, Qwilfish, and Pyukumuku. Although they must be careful about taking a boosted Z-Move and don't appreciate having losing their item knocked off, all of these Pokemon can KO Kabutops or cripple it with status.

**Opposing Weather**: Choice Scarf Aurorus and Abomasnow can remove Kabutops's rain, outspeed it, and KO it with Freeze-Dry (AH) and or Giga Drain respectively, although a weakened Aurorus is vulnerable to Aqua Jet and neither fare fares especially well versus Choice Scarf Kabutops.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [Megazard, 202117]
- Quality checked by: [[allstarapology, 400292], [yogi, 252106], [jklioe, 424692]]
- Grammar checked by: []
 

A Cake Wearing A Hat

moist and crusty
is a Community Leaderis a Community Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Smogon Media Contributoris a Dedicated Tournament Hostis a Battle Simulator Moderatoris a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Top Social Media Contributor Alumnus
Random Battle Lead
add remove comments
[OVERVIEW]

Kabutops is a solid Choice Scarf user that has plenty of utility in checking top threats such as Oricorio-G and Froslass due to its unique combination of typing and Speed combination. (It doesn't have a unique typing so i'm assuming this is what you're going for) Unlike most Choice Scarf users, it functions more as a utility revenge killer, with excellent support options such as Rapid Spin and Knock Off, and not as a check to most setup sweepers due to its mediocre base Speed. Kabutops is also notable for its role on rain teams, as its solid Speed, decent Attack, access to Swords Dance, and excellent STAB combination all make it highly suited to become one of the tier's top rain sweepers. Kabutops gets by on key resistances to Fire, Flying, Ice, and Normal, but its typing is a double-edged sword, leaving it with common weaknesses including to Fighting, Ground, Electric, and Grass. This leaves it vulnerable to many coverage moves such as Kangaskhan's Earthquake, and this can often limit its opportunities for setup or revenge killing. Additionally, outside of rain, Kabutops is prone to being revenge killed by common Choice Scarf users such as Primeape and Togedemaru and struggles with how common Mach Punch Hitmonchan and Gurdurr are. Ultimately, Kabutops faces a lot of competition from faster Choice Scarf users such as Togedemaru, Primeape, and Swanna, which are far more capable at revenge killing, and only sets itself apart with its unique set of resistances and ability to remove entry hazards.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Liquidation
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Rapid Spin
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe


[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========


Liquidation is Kabutops's main and most reliable STAB move, boasting a fairly high Base Power and allowing Kabutops to deal massive damage to Pokemon such as Mudsdale. Stone Edge is Kabutops's secondary and most powerful STAB move, threatening to hit Water-resistant or -immune Pokemon like Altaria, Lanturn, Lilligant, and Jynx hard. Its shaky accuracy limits its reliability, however. Knock Off enables Kabutops to cripple switch-ins that are reliant on their item for bulk, such as Gurdurr and Tangela, or recovery, such as Poliwrath, Weezing, and Qwilfish. Rapid Spin allows Kabutops to serve as an emergency entry hazard remover, with its heightened Speed and positive matchup against spinblockers like Froslass and Oricorio-G giving it an easier time clearing its side of the field. Superpower is an option if hazard control is already covered or Knock Off is undesirable, as it allows Kabutops to reliably revenge kill Modest Omastar after a Shell Smash and OHKO Aggron and Alolan Sandslash.

Set Details
========


Maximum Speed investment, a Jolly nature, and Choice Scarf all push Kabutops's Speed to the limit, allowing it to outspeed and threaten Pokemon such as Floatzel and Choice Scarf Aurorus. Maximum Attack investment keeps Kabutops strong enough to KO the Pokemon it needs to check, such as Oricorio-E. Swift Swim gives Kabutops more utility in case of facing an opposing rain team, as it can outspeed and KO rain sweepers such as Ludicolo with slight chip damage, although Battle Armor's ability to prevent critical hits can be helpful.

Usage Tips
========


Choice Scarf Kabutops is best used as a pivot into offensive threats it has a type advantage against, such as Swanna and Froslass. Kabutops will rarely be a completely safe switch-in to said threats; it cannot comfortably switch into Swanna's Scald and Froslass's Will-O-Wisp. However, with good prediction, Kabutops can limit the opponent's ability to spam moves it can switch into and keep top threats such as Stoutland on their toes. Once Kabutops has managed to come in safely, use Knock Off and Rapid Spin aggressively when possible. Taking advantage of a forced switch to remove entry hazards or cripple a switch-in such as Tangela can reap huge dividends late-game. Kabutops won't have much longevity, so make sure to keep a close tab on what it needs to accomplish in any given game and avoid risking it recklessly if, for example, it will need to stick around to remove Qwilfish's Spikes later in the match or revenge kill Calm Mind Oricorio-G. Keep in mind that all of its moves can be exploited by certain setup sweepers if Kabutops opts to lock itself into them. In particular, Rapid Spin and Knock Off allow many setup sweepers such as Lycanroc and Lilligant to set up with Swords Dance or Quiver Dance practically risk-free. If your team finds itself pressured by a particular setup sweeper, make sure that Kabutops avoids locking itself into one of the moves that might give it the sweeper the chance it needs to sweep your team.

Team Options
========


Pokemon that are vulnerable to entry hazards such as Aurorus and Lanturn appreciate Kabutops's Rapid Spin support. However, Kabutops is prone to being spinblocked by many of the tier's common Ghost-types, so a secondary entry hazard remover such as Lurantis or Shiftry is advisable. Teams which that use their own dedicated entry hazard setters such as Smeargle and Froslass that and don't want to Defog away their own Sticky Web or Spikes should consider using Kabutops for entry hazard removal. Kabutops also benefits noticeably from Spikes, as they can chip away at many of its grounded checks, including Gurdurr and Tangela. Fighting-type checks such as Mesprit and Haunter are needed to keep Pokemon such as Primeape and the aforementioned Gurdurr in check for Kabutops, and additional switch-ins to Ground-, Grass-, and Electric-type attacks such as Lilligant, Skuntank, and Mudsdale are advisable. On the other hand, Kabutops can be excellent support for Flying- and Fire-weak Pokemon such as Gurdurr and Jynx, helping teams using them to keep offensive momentum even when forced out. Kabutops is fairly mediocre at revenge killing setup sweepers such as Lilligant and Pinsir, so strong priority users such as Kangaskhan and Alolan Raticate can help keep these sweepers in check. Kabutops appreciates being paired with strong wallbreakers such as Aurorus and Stoutland, since it struggles with most physically bulky Pokemon. In the same vein, Kabutops can help many bulky Grass- and Water-types such as Tangela and Poliwrath switch in fairly freely, so checks to these types of Pokemon such as Altaria and Jynx are advisable.

[SET]
name: Rain Sweeper
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Liquidation
move 4: Superpower / Aqua Jet
item: Rockium Z / Life Orb
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe


[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========


Swords Dance increases Kabutops's Attack by two stages, enabling it to break through defensive Pokemon like Weezing and Lurantis more easily. Stone Edge is Kabutops's most powerful STAB move, dealing good damage to Water-resistant Pokemon like Qwilfish, Silvally-Dragon, and Altaria. Liquidation pairs well with Stone Edge, allowing Kabutops to deal sizeable damage to Ground-, Steel-, and Fighting-types, such as Mudsdale, Aggron, and Primeape. Superpower gives Kabutops neutral coverage for Poliwrath, which would otherwise completely wall it, and the ability for non-Life Orb sets to OHKO Aggron without rain. Alternatively, Aqua Jet can be used to pick off Pokemon that outspeed Kabutops outside of rain such as Pyroar and Froslass as well as hit Choice Scarf Aurorus, which is otherwise a highly problematic Pokemon for rain teams to handle. It can also pick off a weakened Gurdurr before Mach Punch.

Set Details
========


Maximum Attack investment and an Adamant nature help Kabutops hit as hard as possible to facilitate its sweeps. Meanwhile, Swift Swim and maximum Speed investment allow Kabutops to outspeed almost the entire tier under rain without the need for a Choice Scarf or a Speed-boosting nature. Rockium Z gives Kabutops an excellent nuke to OHKO many Pokemon otherwise capable of tanking a hit such as physically defensive Qwilfish. It also avoids the need to rely on Stone Edge's subpar accuracy for a single turn. Life Orb is another solid option that keeps Kabutops's power level consistently high, although the recoil can put Kabutops in range of certain priority users. Lum Berry is another alternative to set up a Swords Dance versus status users such as Froslass and Misdreavus.

Usage Tips
========


Swords Dance dramatically increases Kabutops's power and threat level, so try to set up with it when possible. Kabutops can set up versus many Choice item users and most defensive Pokemon, such as Stoutland Choice-locked into Return and bulky Oricorio-G, as well as on forced switches versus Pokemon like Scyther. If using Life Orb, be very careful about allowing Kabutops to take too much chip damage, or it won't be able to sweep. Kabutops should try to avoid being used until rain has been set up, as without it rain Kabutops finds itself much weaker and slower. However, it may sometimes be needed to revenge kill certain threats outside of rain. Choice Scarf Aurorus in particular is a large threat that many rain teams may rely on Aqua Jet Kabutops to revenge kill. Normally Z-Moves ought to be played carefully and preserved for one specific instance, but so few Pokemon are capable of switching into a +2 Continental Crush with rain up and and prevent Kabutops from grabbing a KO on the next turn that it is often fine to simply use it as soon as the opportunity prevents itself, especially since entering into a drawn-out series of predictions with your opponent about when you'll finally use the Z-Move may waste precious rain turns. The few exceptions to this include full-health Gurdurr and Unaware Pyukumuku.

Team Options
========


This set is meant for rain teams only. Rain setters such as Mesprit and Volbeat give Kabutops not only the weather it needs to function effectively, but also free opportunities to switch in with their slow U-turn. Mesprit can also use Healing Wish to bring back a weakened Kabutops for a second sweep attempt, which is particularly useful for Life Orb variants. Fellow rain sweepers like Omastar, Qwilfish, and Ludicolo can help break down teams in tandem with Kabutops. Qwilfish is an especially good partner, since both Pokemon can break down physically bulky annoyances like Type: Null with their Swords Dance sets. Qwilfish also checks Fighting-types like Gurdurr for Kabutops and can absorb Toxic Spikes, which are extremely annoying for Life Orb Kabutops. Checks to Choice Scarf Aurorus, such as Alolan Sandslash and Assault Vest Crabominable and Alolan Sandslash, are very important for rain teams, as it can easily revenge kill Kabutops lacking Aqua Jet due to its ability removing rain. However, these Pokemon may be somewhat difficult to fit onto rain teams.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============


Waterfall is a worthwhile alternative to Liquidation, (RC) which that passes up slight boost in power for the chance to make opposing Pokemon flinch. Kabutops can be used as a suicide lead for hyper offensive teams with a Focus Sash, (AC) Weak Armor, (AC, this addition was approved by asa) and Stealth Rock. Although it faces tight competition from other leads such as Omastar, Aurorus, and Lycanroc, which have multiple entry hazards, more utility outside of setting Stealth Rock, and more offensive presence, respectively, Kabutops can remove the opponent's entry hazards with Rapid Spin, allowing you to take an early lead in the entry hazard game. Swords Dance sets can be run outside of rain teams, although they ought to utilize Weak Armor to make up for their lack of Speed without Swift Swim being active. However, Lycanroc and Carracosta tend to be much more useful due to the former's immediate Speed and the latter's ease of setting up and higher Attack. Offensive Rapid Spin sets are also workable for non-Choice Scarf Kabutops, although there is very little reason to use them over Pokemon such as Shiftry and Hitmonchan. Toxic can cripple switch-ins such as Tangela, Poliwrath, and Gourgeist-XL but is extremely difficult to justify using over better options and is extremely exploitable if Choice Scarf Kabutops locks itself into the status move.

Checks and Counters
===================


**Fighting-types**: Poliwrath is one of the best switch-ins to Kabutops, as it is immune to Liquidation, resists Stone Edge, and threatens to OHKO Kabutops with Focus Blast, only fearing a boosted Superpower. Gurdurr has the bulk to take a +2 Liquidation from non-Life Orb Kabutops in the rain and threatens to KO it with Drain Punch. Both of these Pokemon can also pick Kabutops off with Vacuum Wave and Mach Punch, respectively. Hitmonchan can also be a nuisance with Mach Punch.

**Faster Pokemon**: Faster Choice Scarf users such as Primeape and Togedemaru can easily revenge kill Choice Scarf Kabutops, as it is somewhat frail. Very few foes outspeed Kabutops under rain, but Choice Scarf Alolan Raichu can revenge kill non-Aqua Jet rain sweeper Kabutops.

**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Kabutops can struggle to break through Pokemon such as Tangela, Qwilfish, and Pyukumuku. Although they must be careful about taking a boosted Z-Move and don't appreciate losing their item, all of these Pokemon can KO Kabutops or cripple it with status.

**Opposing Weather**: Choice Scarf Aurorus and Abomasnow can remove Kabutops's rain, outspeed it, and KO it with Freeze-Dry or Giga Drain, although a weakened Aurorus is vulnerable to Aqua Jet and neither fares especially well versus Choice Scarf Kabutops.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [Megazard, 202117]
- Quality checked by: [[allstarapology, 400292], [yogi, 252106], [jklioe, 424692]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216],
[A Cake Wearing A Hat, 388157]]

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