Plague von Karma
Banned deucer.
Approved by big man Amaranth prior to posting
SD+HB is still crack
[OVERVIEW]
Pinsir is the sole viable Bug-type in RBY OU thanks to an amazing Attack stat that can be further boosted by Swords Dance, allowing it to let loose nuclear Hyper Beams while trapping with Bind. A +2 Pinsir is nothing to be trifled with, capable of beating Snorlax outright with Submission and possessing a Hyper Beam that can OHKO the physically frailer Pokemon in the tier, including Jolteon, Chansey, Jynx, Alakazam, and Victreebel. Additionally, Pinsir has the strongest non-STAB Slash in the game, hitting nearly as hard as Persian right out of the gate. This makes it one of the few physical attackers that can contest Reflect users like Snorlax and Chansey, the latter of which it can 2HKO. Pinsir's typing gives it surprising defensive utility as well, resisting Earthquake and not being hit super effectively by Thunderbolt, giving it use over other Swords Dance users like Kingler. Pinsir is by no means slow relative to OU either, outpacing Victreebel and Cloyster, and, with paralysis support, it can absolutely mow down even the faster Pokemon in the tier, acting as a surprisingly strong late-game sweeper.
However, like all RBY Bug-types, Pinsir suffers from some severe downsides. While powerful, Pinsir cannot hit Gengar without Seismic Toss, possessing strictly Normal- and Fighting-type attacks in its offensive movepool. Ergo, Gengar can effortlessly switch in and let out a completely uncontested Hypnosis while Pinsir is forced to switch out or pivot out with Bind. Pinsir also suffers from a bit of four moveslot syndrome, demanding Swords Dance and Hyper Beam while having to pick between Slash, Submission, and Bind for its last two slots, all of which can significantly affect its matchups. Worse still, Pinsir is very reliant on its Speed to sweep, as being outsped exposes its noticeably mediocre special bulk, leading to it getting forced out by paralysis inducers such as Alakazam, Starmie, and full HP Chansey. These flaws make Pinsir a rare sight in RBY OU, but a serviceable pick nonetheless.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Hyper Beam
move 3: Slash / Body Slam / Bind
move 4: Submission / Bind
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Swords Dance and Hyper Beam are Pinsir's bread and butter, allowing it to swiftly end games if its team can successfully chip and paralyze the opposing team. It should be noted that Swords Dance reapplies the paralysis Speed drop to paralyzed foes, so if Pinsir itself is paralyzed, it isn't game over just yet. This effect also applies to paralyzed Pokemon attempting to switch in, making doing so extremely risky.
Pinsir's last two moveslots largely depend on what its user wants. For the third moveslot, Slash gives Pinsir immediate power and provides a better matchup against Reflect users, while Body Slam lets Pinsir spread its own paralysis, making it more self-sufficient. For the fourth slot, Submission, while unreliable and giving Pinsir significant blowback for its use, is an amazing way to dispatch Cloyster, Chansey, and Snorlax at +2, dealing well over 50% to each of them. In fact, after two boosts, Pinsir can outright OHKO non-Reflect Snorlax. Alternatively, Bind can occupy either the third or fourth moveslot, letting Pinsir pivot into its teammates to gain a better position while also dealing serious chip damage. This works especially well against paralyzed teams, forcing them to switch around to PP stall it while often taking around 7% each time if Pinsir has picked up even a single boost, which rapidly adds up over the course of the move.
While this is all well and good on paper, using Pinsir in practice is fairly difficult. It's best to keep it to endgame scenarios, when the opposing team has likely been thoroughly paralyzed. However, it's perfectly fair to switch it in on a Chansey's Soft-Boiled turn or a Snorlax's Rest or Earthquake, both options that Pinsir doesn't really care about. Similarly, Recover turns from paralyzed Alakazam and Starmie are good opportunities for Pinsir to sneak in and force damage on the opposing team; if either of these Pokemon experience full paralysis when attempting to respond, they could absolutely be KOed the following turn. Fellow partial trapping pivots and Explosions are other good switch-in chances. Picking up a boost with Pinsir is also quite difficult, though Pinsir is not against taking a hit to set up if it means winning the game there and then. Punishing a Snorlax Rest with Pinsir is among the best ways to get a boost with impunity, often forcing Snorlax out lest it is KOed from there. Pinsir works best on teams that have multiple paralysis inducers, one of which will likely be the ubiquitous Chansey. Jolteon synergizes very well with Pinsir, appreciating Pinsir's Ground resistance and ability to 2HKO Rhydon with +2 Submission.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
While a highly contested slot, Pinsir's fourth moveslot is the most flexible. If a team absolutely needs another Pokemon to hit Gengar, Seismic Toss is a suitable option, allowing Pinsir to punish its attempts to switch in. After two strikes, Gengar often becomes much more inclined to Explode, making it a bit more predictable. However, fitting Seismic Toss always brings severe opportunity cost, causing Pinsir to lose out on Submission's fantastic damage against Normal-types or Bind's utility.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Gengar**: Pinsir can't even touch Gengar without Seismic Toss, possessing no alternatives to hit it. Worse still, Gengar's Thunderbolt is a guaranteed 3HKO, dealing up to 41.4% per hit, or it can fire off a completely uncontested Hypnosis. However, Bind can immobilize Gengar while allowing Pinsir to bring in a teammate such as Alakazam for free, which does add a degree of risk.
**Paralysis**: Paralysis rains on Pinsir's parade, exposing its severely lacking special bulk and making it near-incapable of running over the opposing team. There is counterplay if Pinsir's foe is paralyzed as well, though, as Pinsir can attempt to use Swords Dance to reapply the Speed drop and continue whaling on them. Pokemon like Exeggutor and Lapras become much more threatening when Pinsir is paralyzed, utilizing their powerful special attacks to 2HKO it. As a result, Pokemon like Alakazam and Starmie will often force Pinsir out by the threat of paralysis alone unless it's in a situation where paralysis doesn't matter. This also makes Body Slam paralysis from Pokemon like Tauros, Snorlax, and Rhydon particularly annoying, as Pinsir can't often stomach more than two hits from any given Pokemon.
**Strong Special Attackers**: Pinsir's special bulk of 65/55 is awful; even Jolteon's Thunderbolt and Starmie's Surf have a high chance to 2HKO it. As a result, Pinsir is very frequently forced out by special attackers unless it can KO them first, such as if they're paralyzed or chipped. However, Pinsir does often have the chance to attack them once, which can situationally be all it needs in endgame scenarios.
**Physically Bulky Foes**: Pokemon like Rhydon, Cloyster, and Slowbro put large amounts of pressure on Pinsir—especially if it's paralyzed—while being able to stomach its hefty physical blows. These Pokemon can also strike back with equally devastating attacks; in Rhydon's case, Rock Slide can deal upwards of 80% in a single hit, which can be a KO if Pinsir even tries to respond with Submission.
**Counter Users**: If Pinsir can't KO Chansey outright, Counter Chansey will OHKO Pinsir if it uses any of its offensive attacks bar Bind. This can also apply to more niche Counter users, such as Snorlax, Alakazam, and Kangaskhan. However, if Pinsir has Bind, it has a solid way to counter-play the strategy, immobilizing the Counter users and chipping them into Hyper Beam range.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Plague von Karma, 236353]]
- Quality checked by: [[Amaranth, 265630], [Enigami, 233818]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429]]
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