[overview]
**Draft Order**: Round 6 onwards
**Price Range**: 3-5 points
**Overview**: With access to a great Speed tier, Unburden, and access to Swords Dance, Sceptile can function as a budget sweeper and/or cleaner in the right circumstances. With its higher Special Attack stat it can function as a strong Special Attacking cleaner. It is also one of the fastest users of Leech Seed in the format, allowing it to effectively fulfill a niche as a fast Substitute + Leech Seed spammer.
Common Roles
========
**Setup Sweeper**: With Unburden activated, very few Pokemon have any chance of attempting to outspeed Sceptile. In combination with Swords Dance, Sceptile can potentially sweep an unprepared team.
**Late-game Cleaner**: Sceptile’s high natural speed allows it to potentially clean through a weakened team without needing setup, granted it utilizes its higher Special Attack stat.
**Sub Seed**: Sceptile is one of the fastest Pokemon with Leech Seed in the format, which when combined with Substitute allows it to whittle down key defensive checks to its teammates.
**Special Breaker**: When using Special Attack-boosting items, Sceptile’s STAB Leaf Storm hits surprisingly hard, which can catch opponents off guard and open the door for one of Sceptile’s teammates.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Leaf Blade, Giga Drain, Energy Ball, Leaf Storm
**Setup Moves**: Swords Dance, Trailblaze, Dragon Dance, Scale Shot
**Utility Moves**: Leech Seed, Substitute, Protect, Vacuum Wave
**Coverage**: Earthquake, Rock Slide, Acrobatics, Thunder Punch, Brick Break, Crunch, X-Scissor, Dragon Claw, Outrage, Focus Blast
Niche Moves
========
**Fling**: When holding a Big Nugget, Fling’s now 130 base power can deal significant damage to an opposing bulky Ghost type while simultaneously activating Unburden.
**Dig**: Power Herb with Dig is an effective option for allowing Sceptile to activate Unburden.
**Endure**: When used together with berries that activate at low HP, such as Petaya Berry or Liechi Berry, Sceptile can activate Unburden and be put into a position to do a ton of damage in the late-game assuming a lack of priority options from the other side.
**Grassy Terrain**: Sceptile can opt to set up its own Grassy Terrain both to proc Grassy Seed as well as boost its own Grass-type STAB moves.
**Upper Hand**: Since Sceptile’s bulk makes it susceptible to a light breeze, having Upper Hand to ward off stray priority moves.
**Vacuum Wave**: For Special sets, Vacuum Wave is Sceptile’s only priority option, which can help punch through
Common Items
========
**Terrain Seed**: With proper Terrain support, the ability to activate Sceptile’s Unburden immediately upon switch-in is invaluable. Alternatively, it can be used as an anti-terrain option for when an opposing team has its own Terrain support.
**Choice Specs**: While not as powerful a wall breaker as many other Pokemon, a Choice Specs boosted Leaf Storm can offer a surprise KO to unprepared opponents.
**Damage-boosting Items**: Similar to Choice Specs, when holding a damage-boosting such as Life Orb, Sceptile is able to dish out decent damage off its strong Special attacks without being locked into one move.
**Focus Sash**: Due to having low bulk, a potential option for activating Unburden is to intentionally take a strong hit that brings it down to 1 HP and use up its Focus Sash.
Niche Items
========
**Mirror Herb**: Making the correct read and stealing an opponent’s boosts while also triggering Unburden can be a viable option.
**White Herb**: In the rare situation when running Scale Shot, it’s possible for White Herb to be activated, thus triggering Unburden.
**Pinch berries**: Berries that activate on low health, such as Liechi Berry, can be used in tandem with Substitute or Endure in order to activate Unburden. These sets typically fall victim to priority options.
Tera
========
Typically other Tera Captains will be much more useful in general for teams; however, Sceptile is a relatively cheap cleaner that does benefit from being a secondary Tera Captain. Sceptile appreciates having its coverage moves boosted by types such as Flying, Ground, Electric, or Rock.
Draft Strategy
========
Sceptile should be drafted towards the end of the draft as a supplement to an already offense-focused team. Putting it on a team with other threats that don’t share common checks is generally preferred.
**Entry Hazard Support**: Due to its sweeper/cleaner nature, having the entry hazards of Pokemon such as Ting-Lu, Garchomp, or Glimmora can make its job significantly easier.
**Pivot Options**: Since Sceptile is incredibly frail, having Pokemon with momentum options allow it more opportunities to hit the field. Pokemon such as Landorus-T or Hisuian Samurott having access to hazards on top of momentum options make them especially good partners.
**Wallbreakers**: Pokemon that can deal enough damage to Sceptile’s checks and open the door for it to clean up late-game make for great partners. Pokemon such as Chi-Yu, Gouging Fire, or Landorus-T having good type matchups against some of Sceptile’s checks make them good options.
**Offense**: Sceptile should never be the primary sweeper on any team. It should only be there to supplement an already good draft that needs a little bit more oomph to make it truly great. Other sweepers/cleaners such as Darkrai, Iron Valiant, or Tornadus-T can break first before setting the stage for Sceptile to clean up.
**Dual Screens**: Pokemon that can run Reflect or Light Screen can offer Sceptile a better shot at surviving a stray hit. Typically, this is better served by Pokemon that fit well on offense such as Deoxys-S, Tinkaton, or Klefki.
**Terrain Support**: Pokemon that synergize well with Sceptile as well as set Terrain can allow it to activate Unburden make great partners. The main option is Indeedee, whose Psychic Terrain has the added benefit of nullifying priority moves that otherwise threaten Sceptile.
Checks and Counters
========
**Physically-Defensive Walls**: When not used as a Tera Captain, Pokemon with good Physical Defense that resist its STAB moves such as Corviknight, Pecharunt, or Iron Hands, typically pose problems for Sceptile. Even with the ability to Terastallize, many Pokemon still retain the ability to take at least a hit and hit it back.
**Priority**: Sceptile’s defensive stats are quite poor. Many supereffective or STAB priority moves from Pokemon such as Weavile or Kingambit put it at risk of fainting.
**Phazing**: Due to Unburden only activating once, phasing Sceptile out significantly reduces its ability to threaten the opposing team. Options such as Red Card or Roar heavily reduce the pressure.
**Grass Types**: When not used as a Tera Captain, Sceptile struggles to break past bulky Grass types such as Celebi and Shaymin. These Pokemon are also immune to Leech Seed, making it difficult for Sub Seed variants to make progress.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/djblak.352386/
**Draft Order**: Round 6 onwards
**Price Range**: 3-5 points
**Overview**: With access to a great Speed tier, Unburden, and access to Swords Dance, Sceptile can function as a budget sweeper and/or cleaner in the right circumstances. With its higher Special Attack stat it can function as a strong Special Attacking cleaner. It is also one of the fastest users of Leech Seed in the format, allowing it to effectively fulfill a niche as a fast Substitute + Leech Seed spammer.
Common Roles
========
**Setup Sweeper**: With Unburden activated, very few Pokemon have any chance of attempting to outspeed Sceptile. In combination with Swords Dance, Sceptile can potentially sweep an unprepared team.
**Late-game Cleaner**: Sceptile’s high natural speed allows it to potentially clean through a weakened team without needing setup, granted it utilizes its higher Special Attack stat.
**Sub Seed**: Sceptile is one of the fastest Pokemon with Leech Seed in the format, which when combined with Substitute allows it to whittle down key defensive checks to its teammates.
**Special Breaker**: When using Special Attack-boosting items, Sceptile’s STAB Leaf Storm hits surprisingly hard, which can catch opponents off guard and open the door for one of Sceptile’s teammates.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Leaf Blade, Giga Drain, Energy Ball, Leaf Storm
**Setup Moves**: Swords Dance, Trailblaze, Dragon Dance, Scale Shot
**Utility Moves**: Leech Seed, Substitute, Protect, Vacuum Wave
**Coverage**: Earthquake, Rock Slide, Acrobatics, Thunder Punch, Brick Break, Crunch, X-Scissor, Dragon Claw, Outrage, Focus Blast
Niche Moves
========
**Fling**: When holding a Big Nugget, Fling’s now 130 base power can deal significant damage to an opposing bulky Ghost type while simultaneously activating Unburden.
**Dig**: Power Herb with Dig is an effective option for allowing Sceptile to activate Unburden.
**Endure**: When used together with berries that activate at low HP, such as Petaya Berry or Liechi Berry, Sceptile can activate Unburden and be put into a position to do a ton of damage in the late-game assuming a lack of priority options from the other side.
**Grassy Terrain**: Sceptile can opt to set up its own Grassy Terrain both to proc Grassy Seed as well as boost its own Grass-type STAB moves.
**Upper Hand**: Since Sceptile’s bulk makes it susceptible to a light breeze, having Upper Hand to ward off stray priority moves.
**Vacuum Wave**: For Special sets, Vacuum Wave is Sceptile’s only priority option, which can help punch through
Common Items
========
**Terrain Seed**: With proper Terrain support, the ability to activate Sceptile’s Unburden immediately upon switch-in is invaluable. Alternatively, it can be used as an anti-terrain option for when an opposing team has its own Terrain support.
**Choice Specs**: While not as powerful a wall breaker as many other Pokemon, a Choice Specs boosted Leaf Storm can offer a surprise KO to unprepared opponents.
**Damage-boosting Items**: Similar to Choice Specs, when holding a damage-boosting such as Life Orb, Sceptile is able to dish out decent damage off its strong Special attacks without being locked into one move.
**Focus Sash**: Due to having low bulk, a potential option for activating Unburden is to intentionally take a strong hit that brings it down to 1 HP and use up its Focus Sash.
Niche Items
========
**Mirror Herb**: Making the correct read and stealing an opponent’s boosts while also triggering Unburden can be a viable option.
**White Herb**: In the rare situation when running Scale Shot, it’s possible for White Herb to be activated, thus triggering Unburden.
**Pinch berries**: Berries that activate on low health, such as Liechi Berry, can be used in tandem with Substitute or Endure in order to activate Unburden. These sets typically fall victim to priority options.
Tera
========
Typically other Tera Captains will be much more useful in general for teams; however, Sceptile is a relatively cheap cleaner that does benefit from being a secondary Tera Captain. Sceptile appreciates having its coverage moves boosted by types such as Flying, Ground, Electric, or Rock.
Draft Strategy
========
Sceptile should be drafted towards the end of the draft as a supplement to an already offense-focused team. Putting it on a team with other threats that don’t share common checks is generally preferred.
**Entry Hazard Support**: Due to its sweeper/cleaner nature, having the entry hazards of Pokemon such as Ting-Lu, Garchomp, or Glimmora can make its job significantly easier.
**Pivot Options**: Since Sceptile is incredibly frail, having Pokemon with momentum options allow it more opportunities to hit the field. Pokemon such as Landorus-T or Hisuian Samurott having access to hazards on top of momentum options make them especially good partners.
**Wallbreakers**: Pokemon that can deal enough damage to Sceptile’s checks and open the door for it to clean up late-game make for great partners. Pokemon such as Chi-Yu, Gouging Fire, or Landorus-T having good type matchups against some of Sceptile’s checks make them good options.
**Offense**: Sceptile should never be the primary sweeper on any team. It should only be there to supplement an already good draft that needs a little bit more oomph to make it truly great. Other sweepers/cleaners such as Darkrai, Iron Valiant, or Tornadus-T can break first before setting the stage for Sceptile to clean up.
**Dual Screens**: Pokemon that can run Reflect or Light Screen can offer Sceptile a better shot at surviving a stray hit. Typically, this is better served by Pokemon that fit well on offense such as Deoxys-S, Tinkaton, or Klefki.
**Terrain Support**: Pokemon that synergize well with Sceptile as well as set Terrain can allow it to activate Unburden make great partners. The main option is Indeedee, whose Psychic Terrain has the added benefit of nullifying priority moves that otherwise threaten Sceptile.
Checks and Counters
========
**Physically-Defensive Walls**: When not used as a Tera Captain, Pokemon with good Physical Defense that resist its STAB moves such as Corviknight, Pecharunt, or Iron Hands, typically pose problems for Sceptile. Even with the ability to Terastallize, many Pokemon still retain the ability to take at least a hit and hit it back.
**Priority**: Sceptile’s defensive stats are quite poor. Many supereffective or STAB priority moves from Pokemon such as Weavile or Kingambit put it at risk of fainting.
**Phazing**: Due to Unburden only activating once, phasing Sceptile out significantly reduces its ability to threaten the opposing team. Options such as Red Card or Roar heavily reduce the pressure.
**Grass Types**: When not used as a Tera Captain, Sceptile struggles to break past bulky Grass types such as Celebi and Shaymin. These Pokemon are also immune to Leech Seed, making it difficult for Sub Seed variants to make progress.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/djblak.352386/
Last edited:
