status: READY FOR UPLOAD
Sceptile's on-site analysis was written by me back in the Higher Ground era. So, it obviously needed an update, and I also made it more concise. As much as I disapprove of the new referring to Pokemon as people rule, I implemented it in the analysis.
[Overview]
<h4>UU</h4>
<p>Although Sceptile is often eclipsed by other Grass-types, such as the omnipresent Venusaur, he has the potential to effectively fill a variety of different roles on a standard UU team. As the fastest non-Uber SubSeeder, Sceptile is one of the most effective users of the strategy. Additionally, with high Speed and Special Attack, Sceptile is tailor-made for the role of fast, deadly special sweeper; access to moves like Swords Dance and Leaf Blade, as well as a usable Attack stat, make Sceptile a viable physical sweeper. Despite his offensive prowess, Sceptile's low defenses often limit his survivability. When used correctly, however, Sceptile can singlehandedly sweep or stall through large portions of the UU metagame. All in all, Sceptile is a very versatile Pokemon who is a mainstay in the UU environment and should always be considered when making a UU team.</p>
[SET]
name: UU SubSeed
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Leech Seed
move 3: Energy Ball / Leaf Storm
move 4: Hidden Power Ice
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
ivs: 7 HP / 30 Atk / 30 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With the advent of DPP, Sceptile's ADV title of the fastest SubSeed user in the game was usurped by Shaymin-S. Now, however, with Shaymin-S banished to the Uber tier, Sceptile finally has time to shine. Sceptile boasts numerous advantages over other common UU SubSeeders, such as Tangrowth and the ubiquitous Venusaur. Most notably, Sceptile possesses a magnificent base 120 Speed, which lets him outpace the entire UU metagame (apart from Swellow and Electrode). Sceptile's ability, Overgrow, works perfectly with Substitute, allowing Sceptile to launch more powerful STAB Grass attacks if he ends up Substituting to low health. He also has a respectable base 105 Special Attack to wear opponents down faster.</p>
<p>The tried-and-true strategy of SubSeeding is nothing new to Sceptile, having previously been Sceptile's flagship set in ADV. Switch Sceptile in on something he scares away (such as Milotic or Rhyperior), throw up a Substitute, and strike the switch-in with Leech Seed. From here, Sceptile's prodigious Speed allows him to create an near-infinite string of Substitutes to weather the opponent's assault, while simultaneously draining their health every turn. Sceptile can speed up the process by attacking with Energy Ball and Hidden Power Ice. Leaf Storm is a viable alternative to Energy Ball, because Substitute often brings Sceptile under 1/3 of his health (thus activating Overgrow). A STAB Overgrow Leaf Storm is tremendously strong, and can dent many of Sceptile's counters. However, the harsh drop in Special Attack hurts Sceptile's attacking prowess.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>SubSeed is a strategy notorious for causing switches, so SubSeed Sceptile is best paired up with Stealth Rock and a Spiker to rack up damage even faster. Sceptile does have the misfortune of being walled easily by bulkier Fire-types, such as Magmortar and Arcanine. Therefore, it is a good idea to use Sceptile in tandem with a bulky Water-type, like Milotic or Slowbro. They provide extra insurance against Fire- and Steel-types, can Ice Beam Grass-types and Altaria, and can pave the way for Sceptile to SubSeed unhindered.</p>
<p>One of the most common strategies in UU is to use a so-called Fire + Water + Grass core, which possesses excellent synergy. To complete the trinity, a strong Fire-type that can cover up Sceptile's weaknesses can be used. Arcanine and Blaziken are good choices, as they provide the firepower needed to muscle their way through SubSeed Sceptile's counters – while trashing any overeager Grass-types who can withstand Sceptile's Hidden Power Ice. Blaziken's STAB Fighting-type attacks also demolish Clefable and Chansey, two annoyances to Sceptile. However, Swellow, one of the two Pokemon in UU that outspeeds Sceptile, is a dangerous threat that the aforementioned Fire-types cannot deal with. To take care of Swellow and other Flying-types, you can use Sceptile in concert with Rhyperior, who provides the perfect answer to these problems. Rhyperior solidly walls Flying-types such as Swellow and Altaria, and has a powerful STAB Earthquake to dispose of annoying Steel-types. Dugtrio is also a satisfactory answer to Steel-types.</p>
<p>To fully reap the benefits of Sceptile's great Speed and Special Attack, both stats should be maximized. If one wants Sceptile's Substitutes to have more survivability, EVs can be allocated from Special Attack to HP. Sceptile should preferably invest at least 196 EVs into Special Attack, which allows him to 2HKO variants of Venusaur (with Hidden Power Ice) that do not invest in Special Defense. The IVs allow Sceptile to maximize Hidden Power Ice's strength, as well as provide a Leftovers number. If the need arises, Sceptile can Substitute five times in a row using the specified IVs. Note that the specified IVs should only be used if Sceptile is not running any HP EVs.</p>
[SET]
name: UU Choice Specs
move 1: Leaf Storm
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Energy Ball / Dragon Pulse
item: Choice Specs
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Three things make Sceptile a brilliant candidate for a Choice Specs set: his respectable base 105 Special Attack, his blazing base 120 Speed, and his wide special movepool. A STAB Choice Specs Leaf Storm from Sceptile is downright scary and will blast its way through almost anyone who doesn't resist it. Unfortunately, Grass isn't the best offensive type, so this is where the other moves come to the rescue. Focus Blast provides a high-power (albeit inaccurate) tool for hitting the likes of Registeel and Chansey, while Hidden Power Ice strikes Flying-types (specifically Altaria) and fellow Grass-types (specifically Venusaur) who are keen to switch in on Sceptile. The last slot presents a choice of Energy Ball or Dragon Pulse, two moves that are best suited for late-game sweeping. Energy Ball provides Sceptile with a reliable STAB move when Leaf Storm isn't needed, whereas Dragon Pulse offers superior type coverage.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Specs Sceptile is a top-tier revenge killer, netting many OHKOs with Leaf Storm alone. The following calculations demonstrate the power of Sceptile's Leaf Storm:</p>
<h3>Damage Calculations</h3>
<ul class="damage_calculation">
<li>Leaf Storm vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Uxie - 66.4% - 78.2% (2HKO with Stealth Rock)</li>
<li>Leaf Storm vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Swellow - 97.3% - 114.6% (OHKO with Stealth Rock)</li>
<li>Leaf Storm vs. 244 HP / 0 SpD Spiritomb - 91.7% - 108.3% (2HKO with Stealth Rock, chance of OHKO)</li>
<li>Leaf Storm vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Houndoom - 61.6% - 71.6% (2HKO with Stealth Rock)</li>
<li>Leaf Storm vs. 252 HP / 100 SpD Clefable - 66.5% - 78.7% (2HKO with Stealth Rock)</li>
<li>Leaf Storm vs. 252 HP / 252 SpD Steelix - 78% - 92.1% (2HKO with Stealth Rock)</li>
<li>Leaf Storm vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Milotic - 124.2% - 146.6% (guaranteed OHKO)</li>
<li>Leaf Storm vs. 212 HP / 0 SpD Torterra - 88% - 103.6%</li>
<li>Leaf Storm vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mismagius - 108% - 127.5% (guaranteed OHKO)</li>
<li>Leaf Storm vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Mismagius - 79.6% - 93.8% (2HKO with Stealth Rock)</li>
</ul>
<p>This variant of Sceptile will be switching out very often, due to the Special Attack drops from his primary move, Leaf Storm. Thus, Rapid Spin support is desirable to keep Sceptile healthy in the long run. Good candidates for this job are Blastoise, who can scare away the Fire-types Sceptile despises, and Claydol, who takes care of both Fire- and Steel-types simultaneously with its STAB Earth Power. Claydol especially serves as a good partner to Sceptile, because it can not only spin away entry hazards, but also lay down hazards of its own to aid Sceptile. Arcanine and Blaziken are both excellent partners to this Sceptile, as they have wallbreaking potential and can easily eliminate special walls such as Chansey (as well as the quintessential Grass-type wall, Tangrowth) that try to block Sceptile. Fire-types also have great synergy with Sceptile, as they resist many of Sceptile's weaknesses (such as Bug, Fire, and Ice), whereas Sceptile himself defensively complements Fire-types (resisting Water and Ground). Dugtrio's useful Arena Trap ability allows him to comfortably dispose of Registeel and Chansey with STAB Earthquake, making him an ideal partner for Sceptile.</p>
<p>The EVs on this set are self-explanatory - maximize Speed and Special Attack to fully utilize Sceptile's potential.</p>
[SET]
name: UU Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Leaf Blade
move 3: Earthquake / X-Scissor
move 4: Rock Slide / Double-Edge
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Sceptile is traditionally seen as a specially-based Pokemon because his base 105 Special Attack often overshadows his middling base 85 Attack. However, Swords Dance, the transition of Leaf Blade becoming physical, and a good physical movepool all work to make Sceptile a viable physical attacker. This set is simple - use Swords Dance to boost Sceptile's Attack to an impressive 538, then attack with the remainder of Sceptile's moves. Leaf Blade was pumped up to 90 Base Power during the D/P transition. Its decent power and high critical hit rate make it a solid STAB move for Sceptile and a must on any physical set. Earthquake provides great neutral coverage and allows Sceptile to hit Registeel and Poison-types. X-Scissor can be used over Earthquake, allowing Sceptile a way to dispose of Tangrowth and Leafeon. Rock Slide grants Sceptile universal type coverage in UU, while also taking care of otherwise dangerous threats such as Moltres and Altaria. Double-Edge is a viable alternative to Rock Slide, providing neutral coverage against the likes of Venusaur and Moltres.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Swords Dance Sceptile, like the SubSeed variant, dislikes Flying-types, who can come in, outspeed/wall him, and OHKO with their STAB moves. Therefore, this particular Sceptile is best used in conjunction with sturdy Steel- or Rock-types, such as Steelix or Rhyperior, who can eliminate these threats. Rhyperior, again, serves as an especially great partner to Swords Dance Sceptile; Rhyperior and Sceptile have great defensive synergy. Weezing is the biggest threat to any physical Sceptile, walling him with superior Defense and burning him with Will-O-Wisp and KOing with Sludge Bomb. Houndoom is an excellent way to eliminate Weezing, as he can come in on a predicted Will-O-Wisp, which will activate the hellhound's Flash Fire. From here, Houndoom's STAB Fire moves can easily take care of Weezing.</p>
[SET]
name: UU MixTile
move 1: Leaf Storm
move 2: Hidden Power Ice
move 3: Leaf Blade / Rock Slide
move 4: Earthquake / Low Kick
item: Life Orb
nature: Hasty
evs: 252 Atk / 80 SpA / 176 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>As mentioned before, Sceptile has good physical and special attacking stats. Additionally, many of his moves became physical during the D/P transition, allowing for both of his potent attacking stats to be utilized. This paves the way for him to become an effective mixed sweeper in the UU environment. This particular Sceptile is capable of destroying stall and does a very good job in taking out the premier walls in UU. Leaf Storm is Sceptile's primary method of attacking, scoring massive damage against the likes of Milotic and Rhyperior. Hidden Power Ice provides Sceptile with a valuable tool for hitting the ever-present Venusaur. The remaining two physical moves should be used in complementary pairs. The advantages and disadvantages of each pair are listed below:</p>
<ul>
<li><b>Leaf Blade / Earthquake</b> - This combination allows Sceptile to 3HKO Registeel (with Earthquake) and 2HKO Chansey (with Leaf Blade). Leaf Blade also provides Sceptile with a reliable STAB move. However, these two attacks leave Sceptile helpless against Moltres.</li>
<li><b>Leaf Blade / Low Kick</b> - Low Kick grants Sceptile a valuable 2HKO on Registeel, while Leaf Blade, as mentioned before, cleanly 2HKOes Chansey. Yet, Sceptile sacrifices coverage on Arcanine and Moltres.</li>
<li><b>Rock Slide / Low Kick</b> - Once again, Low Kick 2HKOes Registeel. Rock Slide lets Sceptile secure an OHKO on Moltres, but leaves him susceptible to bulky Arcanine.</li>
<li><b>Rock Slide / Earthquake</b> - This combination gives Sceptile the best coverage, allowing him to 3HKO Registeel and 2HKO bulky Arcanine (with Earthquake) and OHKO Moltres (with Rock Slide). However, it leaves Sceptile without a reliable STAB move.</li>
</ul>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>In terms of pure attack power, Sceptile is inferior to other UU mixed sweepers, such as Blaziken and Magmortar. What gives mixed Sceptile viability is the sheer surprise factor. While he serves as an excellent stallbreaker, mixed Sceptile is best used as a late-game sweeper, due to the fact that he has much higher Speed than the aforementioned Pokemon. Mixed Sceptile benefits greatly from entry hazard support, which makes his sweep easier. Unlike the SubSeed set, bulky Water support is not as necessary, because mixed Sceptile has the ability to outspeed and KO most Fire-types with Earthquake or Rock Slide. However, it does not hurt to have one in reserve.</p>
[Team Options]
<h4>UU</h4>
<p>While the Choice Specs set packs a huge amount of power, it is susceptible to Fire-types switching in on Leaf Storm. Sceptile has no reliable way of damaging Fire-types aside from Focus Blast (which is rather risky) or resorting to obscure and otherwise useless Hidden Powers. So, one of the best aids to Choice Specs Sceptile - and any Sceptile set in general - is a bulky Water. A prime example of a bulky Water is Milotic (among others like Slowbro and Azumarill). Milotic has great defenses, allowing her to easily deal with the common Fire-type mixed sweepers that are such a nuisance to Sceptile. Ideally, a Rest + Sleep Talk Milotic would serve as the best partner to Sceptile. If there's one status Sceptile really hates, it's paralysis, which nullifies his Speed. A Rest + Sleep Talk Milotic can absorb status for your team as well as effectively support Sceptile with her STAB Surf, which can easily dispatch of any irksome Fire-types. Adding a Fire-type to your team completes the common Fire + Water + Grass core strategy; Blaziken and Arcanine are recommended because they can dismantle walls easily, allowing Sceptile free rein.</p>
<p>Rhyperior is one of the best partners Sceptile can have, especially to SubSeed and Swords Dance variants. Sceptile's greatest asset is his blistering Speed, so anything that outspeeds him is a real pain in the neck. Unluckily for Sceptile, one of the two Pokemon that outspeeds him is a counter - Swellow. To make matters worse, because Swellow is a prominent late-game sweeper, he can potentially prevent Sceptile from pulling off a late-game sweep of his own. To eliminate Swellow, Rhyperior serves as the perfect answer. Rhyperior's typing allows him to laugh at any attacks Swellow throws at him. Additionally, Rhyperior can take care of Steel-types, who can hinder special Sceptile lacking Focus Blast. Dugtrio is a also a very efficient partner, as his useful Arena Trap ability allows him to trap and take down Steel-types with a STAB Earthquake.</p>
<p>Because Sceptile is normally seen as a sweeper, entry hazard support is greatly needed to increase the chances of Sceptile pulling off a successful sweep. Ideally, the entry hazard layer should be a Pokemon that also helps Sceptile play to his strengths. An example of a Pokemon that fills these roles is Claydol. Claydol's STAB Earth Power gets super effective hits on Fire- and Steel-types, making Sceptile's job much easier. Claydol can Rapid Spin away entry hazards to make sure the Choice Specs variant can survive longer, while simultaneously laying down hazards of its own. It can also set up Reflect and Light Screen to ease taking hits for your entire team, use Ice Beam to check Altaria and Psychic to check Weezing, and round things off with a bang (Explosion) when it's done.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<h4>UU</h4>
<p>Sceptile can abuse Overgrow, his sky-high Speed stat, and his ability to force switches by running a SubLiechi set. The premise of the set is to Substitute on something Sceptile scares away, and then use Swords Dance. Then, continue to Substitute, which will forcibly activate the Liechi Berry. From here, Sceptile has an astronomically powered +3 STAB Overgrow Leaf Blade at his disposal. This enormously powerful attack, coupled with Sceptile's prodigious Speed, make a SubLiechi set very dangerous. However, this set is somewhat hard to set up, and priority users have a field day with it.</p>
<p>Another attractive (albeit unreliable) option that Sceptile has at his disposal is the possibility of running an Endeavor set. After surviving a fatal blow (via Focus Sash or Endure), Sceptile can use Endeavor to lower his opponent's HP to 1, as long as the target in question is not Ghost-type. More importantly, however, Sceptile's Overgrow ability activates, powering up his already powerful Leaf Storm. Even better, Sceptile can use Quick Attack to dispose of Endeavor-weakened opponents. However, the one thing restricting the viability of this set is the abundance of priority users in UU, which nullifies the purpose of this set completely.</p>
<p>Sceptile has access to Pursuit, Crunch, and Night Slash, three Dark moves that can work on the physical sets. However, their type coverage is unremarkable. In the healing department, besides Leech Seed, he receives Synthesis and Giga Drain. In terms of an alternative STAB move, Grass Knot is always an option, but generally should not be used unless one is planning to use Sceptile in the OU environment. Sceptile can use Counter in conjunction with Focus Sash to produce some interesting but generally unreliable results. Screech is an interesting option but is generally overshadowed by Swords Dance unless Sceptile is trying to force switches. Sceptile receives ThunderPunch, but not Ice Punch to batter Dragons. Sceptile can throw together a Choice Band set, but Swords Dance packs more power and is generally more reliable. Additionally, Sceptile learns the Sunny Day + SolarBeam combo, but is too frail to pull it off successfully.</p>
[Counters]
<h4>UU</h4>
<p>Defensively, Weezing is arguably the best Sceptile counter around; he resists Grass, Ground, and Fighting (the most common attack combination Sceptile uses) and can burn physical variants as well as dispatch of any variant with STAB Sludge Bomb. Sceptile is also prone to being revenge killed by Scarfed Pokémon, particularly the likes of Moltres and Typhlosion. Registeel is also a fairly reliable counter to Sceptile lacking Focus Blast or Earthquake. Chansey sufficiently walls any specially based set well; a Specs Focus Blast can only muster a 3HKO (37.29% - 43.99%). Chansey must be wary of the mixed sweeper, though - his prime objective is to lure Chansey out and then strike her with physical attacks. Clefable's Magic Guard ability, which prevents her from being afflicted by passive damage, allows her to serve as a hard counter to SubSeed Sceptile. Venusaur is also a good check to Sceptile, as he can freely switch in on any of Sceptile's Grass-type attacks (watch out for Hidden Power Ice, though).</p>
<p>Flying-types, as mentioned before, are Sceptile's Achilles' heel. Swellow is a dangerous late-game threat that can outspeed Sceptile and OHKO him with Brave Bird. However, due to his frailty, he must stay on his toes and not switch in carelessly. Altaria is defensively bulky and can take on pretty much any Sceptile set without fear of retribution unless Sceptile is running Hidden Power Ice. Moltres sports a quad-resistance to Grass and can take care of any Sceptile lacking Rock Slide or Hidden Power Rock.</p>
6/8/10 - posted
6/9/10 - MixTile waiting for QC approval
6/24/10 - added new, more relevant calcs
6/26/10 - implemented new "referring to Pokemon as people" rule
7/24/10 - QC approved (stamps: Eo Ut Mortus, FlareBlitz, whistle)! finished up MixTile, corrected some HTML issues
7/25/10 - GP check 1/2 from jc104
8/4/10 - GP check 2/2 from Eo Ut Mortus
8/25/10 - uploaded by whistle
6/9/10 - MixTile waiting for QC approval
6/24/10 - added new, more relevant calcs
6/26/10 - implemented new "referring to Pokemon as people" rule
7/24/10 - QC approved (stamps: Eo Ut Mortus, FlareBlitz, whistle)! finished up MixTile, corrected some HTML issues
7/25/10 - GP check 1/2 from jc104
8/4/10 - GP check 2/2 from Eo Ut Mortus
8/25/10 - uploaded by whistle
Sceptile's on-site analysis was written by me back in the Higher Ground era. So, it obviously needed an update, and I also made it more concise. As much as I disapprove of the new referring to Pokemon as people rule, I implemented it in the analysis.
[Overview]
<h4>UU</h4>
<p>Although Sceptile is often eclipsed by other Grass-types, such as the omnipresent Venusaur, he has the potential to effectively fill a variety of different roles on a standard UU team. As the fastest non-Uber SubSeeder, Sceptile is one of the most effective users of the strategy. Additionally, with high Speed and Special Attack, Sceptile is tailor-made for the role of fast, deadly special sweeper; access to moves like Swords Dance and Leaf Blade, as well as a usable Attack stat, make Sceptile a viable physical sweeper. Despite his offensive prowess, Sceptile's low defenses often limit his survivability. When used correctly, however, Sceptile can singlehandedly sweep or stall through large portions of the UU metagame. All in all, Sceptile is a very versatile Pokemon who is a mainstay in the UU environment and should always be considered when making a UU team.</p>
[SET]
name: UU SubSeed
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Leech Seed
move 3: Energy Ball / Leaf Storm
move 4: Hidden Power Ice
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
ivs: 7 HP / 30 Atk / 30 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With the advent of DPP, Sceptile's ADV title of the fastest SubSeed user in the game was usurped by Shaymin-S. Now, however, with Shaymin-S banished to the Uber tier, Sceptile finally has time to shine. Sceptile boasts numerous advantages over other common UU SubSeeders, such as Tangrowth and the ubiquitous Venusaur. Most notably, Sceptile possesses a magnificent base 120 Speed, which lets him outpace the entire UU metagame (apart from Swellow and Electrode). Sceptile's ability, Overgrow, works perfectly with Substitute, allowing Sceptile to launch more powerful STAB Grass attacks if he ends up Substituting to low health. He also has a respectable base 105 Special Attack to wear opponents down faster.</p>
<p>The tried-and-true strategy of SubSeeding is nothing new to Sceptile, having previously been Sceptile's flagship set in ADV. Switch Sceptile in on something he scares away (such as Milotic or Rhyperior), throw up a Substitute, and strike the switch-in with Leech Seed. From here, Sceptile's prodigious Speed allows him to create an near-infinite string of Substitutes to weather the opponent's assault, while simultaneously draining their health every turn. Sceptile can speed up the process by attacking with Energy Ball and Hidden Power Ice. Leaf Storm is a viable alternative to Energy Ball, because Substitute often brings Sceptile under 1/3 of his health (thus activating Overgrow). A STAB Overgrow Leaf Storm is tremendously strong, and can dent many of Sceptile's counters. However, the harsh drop in Special Attack hurts Sceptile's attacking prowess.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>SubSeed is a strategy notorious for causing switches, so SubSeed Sceptile is best paired up with Stealth Rock and a Spiker to rack up damage even faster. Sceptile does have the misfortune of being walled easily by bulkier Fire-types, such as Magmortar and Arcanine. Therefore, it is a good idea to use Sceptile in tandem with a bulky Water-type, like Milotic or Slowbro. They provide extra insurance against Fire- and Steel-types, can Ice Beam Grass-types and Altaria, and can pave the way for Sceptile to SubSeed unhindered.</p>
<p>One of the most common strategies in UU is to use a so-called Fire + Water + Grass core, which possesses excellent synergy. To complete the trinity, a strong Fire-type that can cover up Sceptile's weaknesses can be used. Arcanine and Blaziken are good choices, as they provide the firepower needed to muscle their way through SubSeed Sceptile's counters – while trashing any overeager Grass-types who can withstand Sceptile's Hidden Power Ice. Blaziken's STAB Fighting-type attacks also demolish Clefable and Chansey, two annoyances to Sceptile. However, Swellow, one of the two Pokemon in UU that outspeeds Sceptile, is a dangerous threat that the aforementioned Fire-types cannot deal with. To take care of Swellow and other Flying-types, you can use Sceptile in concert with Rhyperior, who provides the perfect answer to these problems. Rhyperior solidly walls Flying-types such as Swellow and Altaria, and has a powerful STAB Earthquake to dispose of annoying Steel-types. Dugtrio is also a satisfactory answer to Steel-types.</p>
<p>To fully reap the benefits of Sceptile's great Speed and Special Attack, both stats should be maximized. If one wants Sceptile's Substitutes to have more survivability, EVs can be allocated from Special Attack to HP. Sceptile should preferably invest at least 196 EVs into Special Attack, which allows him to 2HKO variants of Venusaur (with Hidden Power Ice) that do not invest in Special Defense. The IVs allow Sceptile to maximize Hidden Power Ice's strength, as well as provide a Leftovers number. If the need arises, Sceptile can Substitute five times in a row using the specified IVs. Note that the specified IVs should only be used if Sceptile is not running any HP EVs.</p>
[SET]
name: UU Choice Specs
move 1: Leaf Storm
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Energy Ball / Dragon Pulse
item: Choice Specs
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Three things make Sceptile a brilliant candidate for a Choice Specs set: his respectable base 105 Special Attack, his blazing base 120 Speed, and his wide special movepool. A STAB Choice Specs Leaf Storm from Sceptile is downright scary and will blast its way through almost anyone who doesn't resist it. Unfortunately, Grass isn't the best offensive type, so this is where the other moves come to the rescue. Focus Blast provides a high-power (albeit inaccurate) tool for hitting the likes of Registeel and Chansey, while Hidden Power Ice strikes Flying-types (specifically Altaria) and fellow Grass-types (specifically Venusaur) who are keen to switch in on Sceptile. The last slot presents a choice of Energy Ball or Dragon Pulse, two moves that are best suited for late-game sweeping. Energy Ball provides Sceptile with a reliable STAB move when Leaf Storm isn't needed, whereas Dragon Pulse offers superior type coverage.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Specs Sceptile is a top-tier revenge killer, netting many OHKOs with Leaf Storm alone. The following calculations demonstrate the power of Sceptile's Leaf Storm:</p>
<h3>Damage Calculations</h3>
<ul class="damage_calculation">
<li>Leaf Storm vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Uxie - 66.4% - 78.2% (2HKO with Stealth Rock)</li>
<li>Leaf Storm vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Swellow - 97.3% - 114.6% (OHKO with Stealth Rock)</li>
<li>Leaf Storm vs. 244 HP / 0 SpD Spiritomb - 91.7% - 108.3% (2HKO with Stealth Rock, chance of OHKO)</li>
<li>Leaf Storm vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Houndoom - 61.6% - 71.6% (2HKO with Stealth Rock)</li>
<li>Leaf Storm vs. 252 HP / 100 SpD Clefable - 66.5% - 78.7% (2HKO with Stealth Rock)</li>
<li>Leaf Storm vs. 252 HP / 252 SpD Steelix - 78% - 92.1% (2HKO with Stealth Rock)</li>
<li>Leaf Storm vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Milotic - 124.2% - 146.6% (guaranteed OHKO)</li>
<li>Leaf Storm vs. 212 HP / 0 SpD Torterra - 88% - 103.6%</li>
<li>Leaf Storm vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mismagius - 108% - 127.5% (guaranteed OHKO)</li>
<li>Leaf Storm vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Mismagius - 79.6% - 93.8% (2HKO with Stealth Rock)</li>
</ul>
<p>This variant of Sceptile will be switching out very often, due to the Special Attack drops from his primary move, Leaf Storm. Thus, Rapid Spin support is desirable to keep Sceptile healthy in the long run. Good candidates for this job are Blastoise, who can scare away the Fire-types Sceptile despises, and Claydol, who takes care of both Fire- and Steel-types simultaneously with its STAB Earth Power. Claydol especially serves as a good partner to Sceptile, because it can not only spin away entry hazards, but also lay down hazards of its own to aid Sceptile. Arcanine and Blaziken are both excellent partners to this Sceptile, as they have wallbreaking potential and can easily eliminate special walls such as Chansey (as well as the quintessential Grass-type wall, Tangrowth) that try to block Sceptile. Fire-types also have great synergy with Sceptile, as they resist many of Sceptile's weaknesses (such as Bug, Fire, and Ice), whereas Sceptile himself defensively complements Fire-types (resisting Water and Ground). Dugtrio's useful Arena Trap ability allows him to comfortably dispose of Registeel and Chansey with STAB Earthquake, making him an ideal partner for Sceptile.</p>
<p>The EVs on this set are self-explanatory - maximize Speed and Special Attack to fully utilize Sceptile's potential.</p>
[SET]
name: UU Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Leaf Blade
move 3: Earthquake / X-Scissor
move 4: Rock Slide / Double-Edge
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Sceptile is traditionally seen as a specially-based Pokemon because his base 105 Special Attack often overshadows his middling base 85 Attack. However, Swords Dance, the transition of Leaf Blade becoming physical, and a good physical movepool all work to make Sceptile a viable physical attacker. This set is simple - use Swords Dance to boost Sceptile's Attack to an impressive 538, then attack with the remainder of Sceptile's moves. Leaf Blade was pumped up to 90 Base Power during the D/P transition. Its decent power and high critical hit rate make it a solid STAB move for Sceptile and a must on any physical set. Earthquake provides great neutral coverage and allows Sceptile to hit Registeel and Poison-types. X-Scissor can be used over Earthquake, allowing Sceptile a way to dispose of Tangrowth and Leafeon. Rock Slide grants Sceptile universal type coverage in UU, while also taking care of otherwise dangerous threats such as Moltres and Altaria. Double-Edge is a viable alternative to Rock Slide, providing neutral coverage against the likes of Venusaur and Moltres.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Swords Dance Sceptile, like the SubSeed variant, dislikes Flying-types, who can come in, outspeed/wall him, and OHKO with their STAB moves. Therefore, this particular Sceptile is best used in conjunction with sturdy Steel- or Rock-types, such as Steelix or Rhyperior, who can eliminate these threats. Rhyperior, again, serves as an especially great partner to Swords Dance Sceptile; Rhyperior and Sceptile have great defensive synergy. Weezing is the biggest threat to any physical Sceptile, walling him with superior Defense and burning him with Will-O-Wisp and KOing with Sludge Bomb. Houndoom is an excellent way to eliminate Weezing, as he can come in on a predicted Will-O-Wisp, which will activate the hellhound's Flash Fire. From here, Houndoom's STAB Fire moves can easily take care of Weezing.</p>
[SET]
name: UU MixTile
move 1: Leaf Storm
move 2: Hidden Power Ice
move 3: Leaf Blade / Rock Slide
move 4: Earthquake / Low Kick
item: Life Orb
nature: Hasty
evs: 252 Atk / 80 SpA / 176 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>As mentioned before, Sceptile has good physical and special attacking stats. Additionally, many of his moves became physical during the D/P transition, allowing for both of his potent attacking stats to be utilized. This paves the way for him to become an effective mixed sweeper in the UU environment. This particular Sceptile is capable of destroying stall and does a very good job in taking out the premier walls in UU. Leaf Storm is Sceptile's primary method of attacking, scoring massive damage against the likes of Milotic and Rhyperior. Hidden Power Ice provides Sceptile with a valuable tool for hitting the ever-present Venusaur. The remaining two physical moves should be used in complementary pairs. The advantages and disadvantages of each pair are listed below:</p>
<ul>
<li><b>Leaf Blade / Earthquake</b> - This combination allows Sceptile to 3HKO Registeel (with Earthquake) and 2HKO Chansey (with Leaf Blade). Leaf Blade also provides Sceptile with a reliable STAB move. However, these two attacks leave Sceptile helpless against Moltres.</li>
<li><b>Leaf Blade / Low Kick</b> - Low Kick grants Sceptile a valuable 2HKO on Registeel, while Leaf Blade, as mentioned before, cleanly 2HKOes Chansey. Yet, Sceptile sacrifices coverage on Arcanine and Moltres.</li>
<li><b>Rock Slide / Low Kick</b> - Once again, Low Kick 2HKOes Registeel. Rock Slide lets Sceptile secure an OHKO on Moltres, but leaves him susceptible to bulky Arcanine.</li>
<li><b>Rock Slide / Earthquake</b> - This combination gives Sceptile the best coverage, allowing him to 3HKO Registeel and 2HKO bulky Arcanine (with Earthquake) and OHKO Moltres (with Rock Slide). However, it leaves Sceptile without a reliable STAB move.</li>
</ul>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>In terms of pure attack power, Sceptile is inferior to other UU mixed sweepers, such as Blaziken and Magmortar. What gives mixed Sceptile viability is the sheer surprise factor. While he serves as an excellent stallbreaker, mixed Sceptile is best used as a late-game sweeper, due to the fact that he has much higher Speed than the aforementioned Pokemon. Mixed Sceptile benefits greatly from entry hazard support, which makes his sweep easier. Unlike the SubSeed set, bulky Water support is not as necessary, because mixed Sceptile has the ability to outspeed and KO most Fire-types with Earthquake or Rock Slide. However, it does not hurt to have one in reserve.</p>
[Team Options]
<h4>UU</h4>
<p>While the Choice Specs set packs a huge amount of power, it is susceptible to Fire-types switching in on Leaf Storm. Sceptile has no reliable way of damaging Fire-types aside from Focus Blast (which is rather risky) or resorting to obscure and otherwise useless Hidden Powers. So, one of the best aids to Choice Specs Sceptile - and any Sceptile set in general - is a bulky Water. A prime example of a bulky Water is Milotic (among others like Slowbro and Azumarill). Milotic has great defenses, allowing her to easily deal with the common Fire-type mixed sweepers that are such a nuisance to Sceptile. Ideally, a Rest + Sleep Talk Milotic would serve as the best partner to Sceptile. If there's one status Sceptile really hates, it's paralysis, which nullifies his Speed. A Rest + Sleep Talk Milotic can absorb status for your team as well as effectively support Sceptile with her STAB Surf, which can easily dispatch of any irksome Fire-types. Adding a Fire-type to your team completes the common Fire + Water + Grass core strategy; Blaziken and Arcanine are recommended because they can dismantle walls easily, allowing Sceptile free rein.</p>
<p>Rhyperior is one of the best partners Sceptile can have, especially to SubSeed and Swords Dance variants. Sceptile's greatest asset is his blistering Speed, so anything that outspeeds him is a real pain in the neck. Unluckily for Sceptile, one of the two Pokemon that outspeeds him is a counter - Swellow. To make matters worse, because Swellow is a prominent late-game sweeper, he can potentially prevent Sceptile from pulling off a late-game sweep of his own. To eliminate Swellow, Rhyperior serves as the perfect answer. Rhyperior's typing allows him to laugh at any attacks Swellow throws at him. Additionally, Rhyperior can take care of Steel-types, who can hinder special Sceptile lacking Focus Blast. Dugtrio is a also a very efficient partner, as his useful Arena Trap ability allows him to trap and take down Steel-types with a STAB Earthquake.</p>
<p>Because Sceptile is normally seen as a sweeper, entry hazard support is greatly needed to increase the chances of Sceptile pulling off a successful sweep. Ideally, the entry hazard layer should be a Pokemon that also helps Sceptile play to his strengths. An example of a Pokemon that fills these roles is Claydol. Claydol's STAB Earth Power gets super effective hits on Fire- and Steel-types, making Sceptile's job much easier. Claydol can Rapid Spin away entry hazards to make sure the Choice Specs variant can survive longer, while simultaneously laying down hazards of its own. It can also set up Reflect and Light Screen to ease taking hits for your entire team, use Ice Beam to check Altaria and Psychic to check Weezing, and round things off with a bang (Explosion) when it's done.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<h4>UU</h4>
<p>Sceptile can abuse Overgrow, his sky-high Speed stat, and his ability to force switches by running a SubLiechi set. The premise of the set is to Substitute on something Sceptile scares away, and then use Swords Dance. Then, continue to Substitute, which will forcibly activate the Liechi Berry. From here, Sceptile has an astronomically powered +3 STAB Overgrow Leaf Blade at his disposal. This enormously powerful attack, coupled with Sceptile's prodigious Speed, make a SubLiechi set very dangerous. However, this set is somewhat hard to set up, and priority users have a field day with it.</p>
<p>Another attractive (albeit unreliable) option that Sceptile has at his disposal is the possibility of running an Endeavor set. After surviving a fatal blow (via Focus Sash or Endure), Sceptile can use Endeavor to lower his opponent's HP to 1, as long as the target in question is not Ghost-type. More importantly, however, Sceptile's Overgrow ability activates, powering up his already powerful Leaf Storm. Even better, Sceptile can use Quick Attack to dispose of Endeavor-weakened opponents. However, the one thing restricting the viability of this set is the abundance of priority users in UU, which nullifies the purpose of this set completely.</p>
<p>Sceptile has access to Pursuit, Crunch, and Night Slash, three Dark moves that can work on the physical sets. However, their type coverage is unremarkable. In the healing department, besides Leech Seed, he receives Synthesis and Giga Drain. In terms of an alternative STAB move, Grass Knot is always an option, but generally should not be used unless one is planning to use Sceptile in the OU environment. Sceptile can use Counter in conjunction with Focus Sash to produce some interesting but generally unreliable results. Screech is an interesting option but is generally overshadowed by Swords Dance unless Sceptile is trying to force switches. Sceptile receives ThunderPunch, but not Ice Punch to batter Dragons. Sceptile can throw together a Choice Band set, but Swords Dance packs more power and is generally more reliable. Additionally, Sceptile learns the Sunny Day + SolarBeam combo, but is too frail to pull it off successfully.</p>
[Counters]
<h4>UU</h4>
<p>Defensively, Weezing is arguably the best Sceptile counter around; he resists Grass, Ground, and Fighting (the most common attack combination Sceptile uses) and can burn physical variants as well as dispatch of any variant with STAB Sludge Bomb. Sceptile is also prone to being revenge killed by Scarfed Pokémon, particularly the likes of Moltres and Typhlosion. Registeel is also a fairly reliable counter to Sceptile lacking Focus Blast or Earthquake. Chansey sufficiently walls any specially based set well; a Specs Focus Blast can only muster a 3HKO (37.29% - 43.99%). Chansey must be wary of the mixed sweeper, though - his prime objective is to lure Chansey out and then strike her with physical attacks. Clefable's Magic Guard ability, which prevents her from being afflicted by passive damage, allows her to serve as a hard counter to SubSeed Sceptile. Venusaur is also a good check to Sceptile, as he can freely switch in on any of Sceptile's Grass-type attacks (watch out for Hidden Power Ice, though).</p>
<p>Flying-types, as mentioned before, are Sceptile's Achilles' heel. Swellow is a dangerous late-game threat that can outspeed Sceptile and OHKO him with Brave Bird. However, due to his frailty, he must stay on his toes and not switch in carelessly. Altaria is defensively bulky and can take on pretty much any Sceptile set without fear of retribution unless Sceptile is running Hidden Power Ice. Moltres sports a quad-resistance to Grass and can take care of any Sceptile lacking Rock Slide or Hidden Power Rock.</p>
