[OVERVIEW]
Pinsir is a solid Swords Dance sweeper thanks to the combination of its base 85 Speed and good coverage, letting it outspeed prominent metagame threats such as Incineroar, Decidueye, Medicham, and Choice Specs Vanilluxe as well as overwhelm defensive Pokemon like Slowbro, Steelix, and Rhydon. Its ability Moxie also lets it easily sweep teams after it gets a KO, while Mold Breaker enables Pinsir to more easily KO Steelix by ignoring Sturdy. Additionally, Mold Breaker gives Pinsir a much better matchup versus stall teams, as it allows Pinsir to ignore Unaware and thus defeat Pyukumuku and Quagsire with relative ease. Unfortunately, Pinsir's Speed tier still leaves it outsped by faster threats such as Heliolisk, Rotom, Whimsicott, and Choice Scarf Braviary, all of which threaten to revenge kill Pinsir or cripple it with status; however, Pinsir's resistance to Fighting is a huge boon for it, as it enables Pinsir to avoid being easily revenge killed by Passimian. Pinsir is also threatened by common attacking types in Fire, Flying, and Rock, giving it a poor matchup against Pokemon such as Delphox, Houndoom, Vivillon, and Aerodactyl. Additionally, Pinsir is very reliant on obtaining an Attack boost to handle its defensive checks due to X-Scissor's low Base Power, while Stone Edge and Earthquake aren't very strong unboosted.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: X-Scissor
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Groundium Z
ability: Moxie / Mold Breaker
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance raises Pinsir's Attack by two stages, letting it deal heavy damage to defensive Pokemon like Diancie, Vaporeon, Vileplume, and Torterra after a boost with the proper coverage move. X-Scissor is Pinsir's STAB attack and hits Psychic- and Dark-types like Slowbro, Slowking, Sneasel, and Guzzlord for super effective damage. Earthquake allows Pinsir to hit Steel-, Rock-, and Poison-types such as Steelix, Rhydon, and Garbodor for super effective damage and turns into Tectonic Rage when powered up by Groundium Z. Stone Edge rounds off Pinsir's coverage and hits Flying-types like Braviary, Vivillon, and Golbat hard, notably having a good chance to KO Golbat after Stealth Rock damage and an Attack boost from Moxie.
Set Details
========
252 Attack EVs and 252 Speed EVs with a Jolly nature make Pinsir as fast and as strong as possible. Groundium Z turns Earthquake into Tectonic Rage and enables Pinsir to OHKO Pokemon such as Diancie, Hariyama, and Rhydon after a Swords Dance boost while also hitting neutral targets like Passimian, Palossand, Mega Audino, and Vileplume hard. Moxie gives Pinsir an Attack boost after every KO it gets, allowing it to become more and more threatening. Alternatively, Mold Breaker lets Pinsir bypass Sturdy and OHKO Steelix with boosted Tectonic Rage, bypass Unaware to beat Pyukumuku and Quagsire, and hit Levitate users such as Rotom and Mismagius with Earthquake, meaning Pinsir doesn't have to rely on Stone Edge to dispatch them.
Usage Tips
========
Pinsir excels against bulky teams that lack a reliable means to outspeed and KO it. Mold Breaker Pinsir in specific gives stall builds trouble, as not only do these teams lack a means to easily KO it, they also rely on Unaware users such as Pyukumuku and Quagsire to check physical setup attackers. Saving Groundium Z to break past defensive Pokemon that aren't weak to X-Scissor or Stone Edge like Palossand, Mega Audino, Vileplume, and Miltank is a must; otherwise, Pinsir risks being statused and potentially stopped. This is especially noteworthy if Pinsir is a team's best way to break through bulky teams, as if Pinsir gets statused, it is much easier to wear down and potentially beat. If using Moxie, Pinsir can afford to attack Pokemon like weakened Steelix, Diancie, Silvally-Steel, and Assault Vest Slowbro to get an instant Attack boost rather than risk taking damage trying to set up Swords Dance. If trying to set up, Choice-locked Pokemon like Passimian, Sceptile, and Sneasel locked into Pursuit or Ice Shard make for solid setup opportunities thanks to Pinsir's defensive typing and stats. Pinsir also finds opportunities to set up against Pokemon it forces out such as Xatu and Cryogonal. While Pinsir's Speed tier is solid, be cautious of faster Pokemon such as Heliolisk, Vivillon, Delphox, and Aerodactyl, as they can all revenge kill Pinsir and stop it from sweeping. Even though Pinsir doesn't hit very hard unboosted, offensive builds typically struggle to switch into even unboosted hits from it. Therefore, it's better to just start attacking teams that lack a solid defensive backbone.
Team Options
========
Entry hazard support from Pokemon such as Diancie, Steelix, and Rhydon aids Pinsir by chipping away at bulky Pokemon like Slowbro, Vaporeon, and Druddigon, making it easier for Pinsir to rely on Moxie rather than Swords Dance for Attack boosts while also securing an OHKO on defensive Slowbro with X-Scissor after a Swords Dance. Additionally, hazards break Steelix's Sturdy, allowing Moxie variants of Pinsir to OHKO it with +2 Tectonic Rage. Diancie and Rhydon also help cover Pinsir's weaknesses to Fire and Flying and can switch into Pokemon like Incineroar, Braviary, and Aerodactyl. Naturally fast Pokemon like Heliolisk, Whimsicott, and Delphox as well as Choice Scarf users like Passimian, Rotom, and Braviary help deal with Pokemon faster than Pinsir like Houndoom, opposing Delphox, and Heliolisk. Hazard control from the likes of Rotom, Xatu, and Blastoise is beneficial for Pinsir because it prevents Pinsir from losing large chunks of HP when it comes into battle due to its Stealth Rock weakness. Additionally, Rotom checks Flying-types like Braviary for Pinsir. Fighting-types like Passimian, Hariyama, and Scrafty appreciate Pinsir pressuring opposing Psychic- and Poison-types like Slowbro, Garbodor, and Golbat, allowing them to either clean late-game or have an easier time wallbreaking themselves. In return, Fighting-types beat opposing Rock- and Steel-types such as Diancie, Rhydon, and Steelix for Pinsir.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Pinsir can forgo Stone Edge and opt for Knock Off to cripple bulky Pokemon like Slowbro, Rhydon, and Golbat by removing their item while still retaining the coverage Stone Edge provides. However, Knock Off struggles to KO Golbat even after a Swords Dance boost. A Stealth Rock lead set with Swords Dance and Mold Breaker lets Pinsir beat opposing Stealth Rock users like Diancie, Steelix, and Rhydon while also getting up Stealth Rock against Xatu, although such as set is easily walled by Flying-types like Braviary, Vivillon, and Golbat and is notably setup fodder for the former two. Pinsir could use a Moxie set based around Z-Me First for a two-stage Speed boost, making Pinsir very difficult to revenge kill while also still providing it with Attack boosts, but the lack in immediate attacking power is easily noticed, and Pinsir is reliant on Tectonic Rage and Swords Dance to break past bulky Steel- and Rock-types.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Pokemon**: Pokemon such as Heliolisk, Rotom, and Whimsicott all naturally outspeed Pinsir and can revenge kill it with ease. Choice Scarf users like Passimian, Vanilluxe, and Braviary also threaten to revenge kill Pinsir, although the former two require chip damage to reliably do so. Priority moves from the likes of Sneasel, Decidueye, Comfey, and Absol can KO a weakened Pinsir.
**Flying-types**: Vivillon and Aerodactyl both outspeed Pinsir and can KO it with super effective Flying-type moves, although Stone Edge OHKOes both of them. Golbat survives an unboosted Stone Edge and KOes Pinsir after Stealth Rock damage.
**Fire-types**: Bulky Incineroar sets can switch into an unboosted Pinsir and threaten an OHKO with Fire Blast. Houndoom and Delphox both outspeed Pinsir and can OHKO with their Fire-type moves, although neither can switch into Pinsir easily.
**Unaware Pokemon**: Both Pyukumuku and Quagsire easily switch into Moxie Pinsir, can recover health lost with Recover, and ignore any Attack boosts thanks to Unaware. However, they must be cautious of Mold Breaker variants, which can ignore their ability and break past them.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Rabia, 336073]]
- Quality checked by: [[allstarapology, 400292], [kay, 240237], [quziel, 297859]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [martha, 384270]]
Pinsir is a solid Swords Dance sweeper thanks to the combination of its base 85 Speed and good coverage, letting it outspeed prominent metagame threats such as Incineroar, Decidueye, Medicham, and Choice Specs Vanilluxe as well as overwhelm defensive Pokemon like Slowbro, Steelix, and Rhydon. Its ability Moxie also lets it easily sweep teams after it gets a KO, while Mold Breaker enables Pinsir to more easily KO Steelix by ignoring Sturdy. Additionally, Mold Breaker gives Pinsir a much better matchup versus stall teams, as it allows Pinsir to ignore Unaware and thus defeat Pyukumuku and Quagsire with relative ease. Unfortunately, Pinsir's Speed tier still leaves it outsped by faster threats such as Heliolisk, Rotom, Whimsicott, and Choice Scarf Braviary, all of which threaten to revenge kill Pinsir or cripple it with status; however, Pinsir's resistance to Fighting is a huge boon for it, as it enables Pinsir to avoid being easily revenge killed by Passimian. Pinsir is also threatened by common attacking types in Fire, Flying, and Rock, giving it a poor matchup against Pokemon such as Delphox, Houndoom, Vivillon, and Aerodactyl. Additionally, Pinsir is very reliant on obtaining an Attack boost to handle its defensive checks due to X-Scissor's low Base Power, while Stone Edge and Earthquake aren't very strong unboosted.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: X-Scissor
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Groundium Z
ability: Moxie / Mold Breaker
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance raises Pinsir's Attack by two stages, letting it deal heavy damage to defensive Pokemon like Diancie, Vaporeon, Vileplume, and Torterra after a boost with the proper coverage move. X-Scissor is Pinsir's STAB attack and hits Psychic- and Dark-types like Slowbro, Slowking, Sneasel, and Guzzlord for super effective damage. Earthquake allows Pinsir to hit Steel-, Rock-, and Poison-types such as Steelix, Rhydon, and Garbodor for super effective damage and turns into Tectonic Rage when powered up by Groundium Z. Stone Edge rounds off Pinsir's coverage and hits Flying-types like Braviary, Vivillon, and Golbat hard, notably having a good chance to KO Golbat after Stealth Rock damage and an Attack boost from Moxie.
Set Details
========
252 Attack EVs and 252 Speed EVs with a Jolly nature make Pinsir as fast and as strong as possible. Groundium Z turns Earthquake into Tectonic Rage and enables Pinsir to OHKO Pokemon such as Diancie, Hariyama, and Rhydon after a Swords Dance boost while also hitting neutral targets like Passimian, Palossand, Mega Audino, and Vileplume hard. Moxie gives Pinsir an Attack boost after every KO it gets, allowing it to become more and more threatening. Alternatively, Mold Breaker lets Pinsir bypass Sturdy and OHKO Steelix with boosted Tectonic Rage, bypass Unaware to beat Pyukumuku and Quagsire, and hit Levitate users such as Rotom and Mismagius with Earthquake, meaning Pinsir doesn't have to rely on Stone Edge to dispatch them.
Usage Tips
========
Pinsir excels against bulky teams that lack a reliable means to outspeed and KO it. Mold Breaker Pinsir in specific gives stall builds trouble, as not only do these teams lack a means to easily KO it, they also rely on Unaware users such as Pyukumuku and Quagsire to check physical setup attackers. Saving Groundium Z to break past defensive Pokemon that aren't weak to X-Scissor or Stone Edge like Palossand, Mega Audino, Vileplume, and Miltank is a must; otherwise, Pinsir risks being statused and potentially stopped. This is especially noteworthy if Pinsir is a team's best way to break through bulky teams, as if Pinsir gets statused, it is much easier to wear down and potentially beat. If using Moxie, Pinsir can afford to attack Pokemon like weakened Steelix, Diancie, Silvally-Steel, and Assault Vest Slowbro to get an instant Attack boost rather than risk taking damage trying to set up Swords Dance. If trying to set up, Choice-locked Pokemon like Passimian, Sceptile, and Sneasel locked into Pursuit or Ice Shard make for solid setup opportunities thanks to Pinsir's defensive typing and stats. Pinsir also finds opportunities to set up against Pokemon it forces out such as Xatu and Cryogonal. While Pinsir's Speed tier is solid, be cautious of faster Pokemon such as Heliolisk, Vivillon, Delphox, and Aerodactyl, as they can all revenge kill Pinsir and stop it from sweeping. Even though Pinsir doesn't hit very hard unboosted, offensive builds typically struggle to switch into even unboosted hits from it. Therefore, it's better to just start attacking teams that lack a solid defensive backbone.
Team Options
========
Entry hazard support from Pokemon such as Diancie, Steelix, and Rhydon aids Pinsir by chipping away at bulky Pokemon like Slowbro, Vaporeon, and Druddigon, making it easier for Pinsir to rely on Moxie rather than Swords Dance for Attack boosts while also securing an OHKO on defensive Slowbro with X-Scissor after a Swords Dance. Additionally, hazards break Steelix's Sturdy, allowing Moxie variants of Pinsir to OHKO it with +2 Tectonic Rage. Diancie and Rhydon also help cover Pinsir's weaknesses to Fire and Flying and can switch into Pokemon like Incineroar, Braviary, and Aerodactyl. Naturally fast Pokemon like Heliolisk, Whimsicott, and Delphox as well as Choice Scarf users like Passimian, Rotom, and Braviary help deal with Pokemon faster than Pinsir like Houndoom, opposing Delphox, and Heliolisk. Hazard control from the likes of Rotom, Xatu, and Blastoise is beneficial for Pinsir because it prevents Pinsir from losing large chunks of HP when it comes into battle due to its Stealth Rock weakness. Additionally, Rotom checks Flying-types like Braviary for Pinsir. Fighting-types like Passimian, Hariyama, and Scrafty appreciate Pinsir pressuring opposing Psychic- and Poison-types like Slowbro, Garbodor, and Golbat, allowing them to either clean late-game or have an easier time wallbreaking themselves. In return, Fighting-types beat opposing Rock- and Steel-types such as Diancie, Rhydon, and Steelix for Pinsir.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Pinsir can forgo Stone Edge and opt for Knock Off to cripple bulky Pokemon like Slowbro, Rhydon, and Golbat by removing their item while still retaining the coverage Stone Edge provides. However, Knock Off struggles to KO Golbat even after a Swords Dance boost. A Stealth Rock lead set with Swords Dance and Mold Breaker lets Pinsir beat opposing Stealth Rock users like Diancie, Steelix, and Rhydon while also getting up Stealth Rock against Xatu, although such as set is easily walled by Flying-types like Braviary, Vivillon, and Golbat and is notably setup fodder for the former two. Pinsir could use a Moxie set based around Z-Me First for a two-stage Speed boost, making Pinsir very difficult to revenge kill while also still providing it with Attack boosts, but the lack in immediate attacking power is easily noticed, and Pinsir is reliant on Tectonic Rage and Swords Dance to break past bulky Steel- and Rock-types.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Pokemon**: Pokemon such as Heliolisk, Rotom, and Whimsicott all naturally outspeed Pinsir and can revenge kill it with ease. Choice Scarf users like Passimian, Vanilluxe, and Braviary also threaten to revenge kill Pinsir, although the former two require chip damage to reliably do so. Priority moves from the likes of Sneasel, Decidueye, Comfey, and Absol can KO a weakened Pinsir.
**Flying-types**: Vivillon and Aerodactyl both outspeed Pinsir and can KO it with super effective Flying-type moves, although Stone Edge OHKOes both of them. Golbat survives an unboosted Stone Edge and KOes Pinsir after Stealth Rock damage.
**Fire-types**: Bulky Incineroar sets can switch into an unboosted Pinsir and threaten an OHKO with Fire Blast. Houndoom and Delphox both outspeed Pinsir and can OHKO with their Fire-type moves, although neither can switch into Pinsir easily.
**Unaware Pokemon**: Both Pyukumuku and Quagsire easily switch into Moxie Pinsir, can recover health lost with Recover, and ignore any Attack boosts thanks to Unaware. However, they must be cautious of Mold Breaker variants, which can ignore their ability and break past them.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Rabia, 336073]]
- Quality checked by: [[allstarapology, 400292], [kay, 240237], [quziel, 297859]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [martha, 384270]]
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