[OVERVIEW]
Kabutops is one of NU's best leads for hyper offense teams. It offers impressive utility in the lead slot by being able to both set Stealth Rock and clear opposing hazards with Rapid Spin while dissuading spinblockers and forcing progress with a strong Knock Off. Kabutops is also an offensive threat on its own, with Weak Armor and Rapid Spin to boost its Speed and a powerful STAB Stone Edge to bust through Pokemon that can prevent or ignore Stealth Rock, such as Xatu, Tsareena, and Heavy-Duty Boots users. These factors give Kabutops an edge when compared to leads such as Aerodactyl and Froslass, which are faster but far more passive and, unlike Kabutops, helpless to remove hazards on their own if an opponent can play around Taunt. However, because its typing is exploitable and it struggles to fit a Water-type move, Kabutops struggles one-on-one against bulky Stealth Rock setters such as Mudsdale, though it can cripple them in the long term by removing their Leftovers. In addition, Stealth Rock can be an inconsistent factor in many games: aside from the prevalence of Heavy-Duty Boots, many of the tier's walls, such as Mudsdale, Stakataka, and Copperajah, resist Stealth Rock. This can factor into the decision to choose Froslass over Kabutops, as Spikes is more impactful against these defensive threats.
[SET]
name: Suicide Lead
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: Rapid Spin
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Focus Sash
ability: Weak Armor
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
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Knock Off is a multifaceted tool for Kabutops, being its best way of making progress against defensive Pokemon such as Diancie and Mudsdale that rely on Leftovers and hitting Ghost-types such as Golurk and Doublade that may attempt to spinblock against it. Stone Edge is chosen over a Water-type attack because it gives Kabutops a way to threaten Tsareena, Mantine, and Dhelmise, all of which can otherwise wall and defeat Kabutops while preventing it from keeping up Stealth Rock. Stone Edge can also 2HKO common offensive Pokemon such as Blastoise and Drapion, preventing them from setting up on Kabutops. Weak Armor lets Kabutops outspeed Tsareena after the latter Rapid Spins and helps it defeat Aerodactyl in the lead matchup.
Offensive teammates especially weak to Stealth Rock, such as Acrobatics Ninjask and Focus Sash Salazzle, greatly appreciate Kabutops's ability to keep Stealth Rock off the field. Xatu can serve as additional support for these teammates, offering a backup form of hazard control against Pokemon such as Mudsdale that can keep Stealth Rock up against Kabutops or set the hazard easily once it faints. Xatu can also set up dual screens, which, in conjunction with Kabutops's Stealth Rock, can enable a myriad of powerful sweepers such as Blastoise, Decidueye, Toxicroak, and Kingdra. Kabutops's Knock Off support is especially appreciated by wallbreakers with similar checks such as Heliolisk and Tyrantrum. Lastly, Thwackey is an excellent yet very niche teammate for Kabutops, revenge killing Silvally-Ground and luring in Talonflame to remove its Heavy-Duty Boots, and together they can support dangerous Grassy Terrain-reliant sweepers such as Dhelmise and Terrain Pulse Blastoise.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
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Liquidation could be used in place of Stone Edge, improving Kabutops's matchup against Silvally-Ground and defensive Pokemon such as Stakataka, Diancie, and Mudsdale that otherwise give it significant trouble. However, it forfeits Kabutops's crucial ability to beat Tsareena and Mantine and also leaves it largely unable to dissuade Blastoise, Rotom-C, and Toxicroak from taking advantage of it.
Checks and Counters
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**Physical Walls**: Stakataka and Mudsdale take a pittance from Kabutops's common attacks and can use Toxic to prevent it from continually spinning away their Stealth Rock. Silvally-Steel, on the other hand, can use Toxic alongside Defog to prevent Kabutops from getting Stealth Rock up. Sandaconda also performs well, as it can cripple Kabutops with Glare and OHKO it with Earthquake after Rocky Helmet chip, so a lucky Sandaconda could come away from the exchange with Stealth Rock up.
**Grass-types**: Dhelmise can block Rapid Spin, take Kabutops's attacks reasonably well, and use its own Rapid Spin to clear away Kabutops's Stealth Rock. However, Stone Edge has a slight chance to 2HKO Dhelmise if it has no Defense investment. Tsareena is also equipped with Rapid Spin and can attempt to stall Kabutops out of Stone Edges with Synthesis, but it cannot switch in safely for fear of a 2HKO. Vileplume walls Kabutops and can defeat it with Giga Drain or render it useless with Sleep Powder or Effect Spore. Rotom-C can neutralize Kabutops with Trick or Will-O-Wisp and potentially clear its Stealth Rock with Defog.
**Silvally-Ground**: Barring Liquidation, Kabutops has nothing to effectively hit Silvally-Ground, which can proceed to begin a sweep by setting up against it with Swords Dance and possibly Flame Charge.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[memesketch, 537558]]
- Quality checked by: [[Togkey, 400664], [Rabia, 336073]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Rabia, 336073]]
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