[overview]
**Draft Order**: Round 3 onwards
**Price Range**: 13-14 points
**Overview**: With a great defensive typing and priority that packs a punch, Scizor is a solid choice offensively and defensively. It’s able to clean effectively late-game by picking off weakened foes with Bullet Punch, or it can break earlier in the match. Its extremely strong U-turn and useful utility moves enable it to be an incredible pivot as well. Scizor's glaring weakness to Fire-type attacks, with the ability for any foe to run Hidden Power Fire, along with its lackluster coverage unfortunately holds it back from dealing with certain threats, but it can still achieve great value for its team despite this.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Cleaner**: Late-game Scizor is a massive threat, with potent priority that can run through damaged teams. Being able to pick off faster foes with Bullet Punch, especially after a Swords Dance, allows Scizor to clean up many endgames effectively.
**Pivot**: A fantastic defensive typing paired with a strong U-turn makes Scizor a great pivot. It can stay healthy with Roost, allowing it to more consistently use its utility moves like Defog and Knock Off to further aid its partners.
**Wallbreaker**: With its massive Attack stat combined with Swords Dance or Choice Band, Scizor is able to tear holes through certain defensive cores. Its coverage is a bit lacking, however, preventing it from breaking through certain foes that resist its STAB moves such as Flying- or Fire-types. It can also use Pursuit to trap foes that get threatened out by its strong U-turn.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Bullet Punch, U-turn, Bug Bite, Iron Head
**Setup Moves**: Swords Dance
**Utility Moves**: Roost, Defog, Pursuit, Tailwind, Brick Break, Toxic, Light Screen
**Coverage**: Knock Off, Superpower, Aerial Ace, Quick Attack
Niche Moves
========
**Curse**: As an alternative to Swords Dance, Curse can be used to set up against physical attackers. The reduction of Speed is not a major downside due to Scizor’s use of priority.
**Natural Gift**: Paired with Watmel Berry, Apicot Berry, or Micle Berry, Natural Gift provides Scizor with a one-time Fire-, Ground-, or Rock-type coverage move, respectively. This can allow it to surprise KO opposing Steel-, Fire-, or Flying-types that are not weak to its coverage moves such as opposing Scizor.
**Agility**: Although Scizor generally uses priority moves, Agility lets it outspeed many foes and utilize its stronger attacking moves like Iron Head.
Common Items
========
**Occa Berry**: Only having a single weakness leads to foes often using coverage like Hidden Power Fire to break Scizor, making Occa Berry effective. Strong Fire-type attacks can still KO Scizor through the damage reduction, making it mostly useful to survive weaker coverage moves.
**Choice Band**: The immediate power of Choice Band provides Scizor with massive damage from U-turn and its extremely strong priority moves to pick off faster foes, allowing it to clean effectively late-game.
**Life Orb**: Life Orb provides a great damage boost for sets aimed at sweeping with Swords Dance. The recoil is less of an issue due to Scizor's use of priority meaning it takes fewer hits along with recovery from Roost.
**Leftovers**: The recovery provided by Leftovers is appreciated, as Scizor will often be switching in and out taking entry hazard damage. This fits best on bulker sets aimed at utility or sweeping.
Niche Items
========
**Other Damage-boosting Items**: Scizor appreciates the damage boost that items like Expert Belt and Silver Powder provide without the recoil of Life Orb. Metal Coat is especially useful for boosting the damage of Bullet Punch.
**Rocky Helmet**: If Scizor is expected to deal with foes using contact moves, Rocky Helmet can be solid at providing chip damage.
**Choice Scarf**: Even with its lower Speed, Scizor can make decent use of Choice Scarf to catch faster foes that are not afraid of Bullet Punch off guard. These sets will often still utilize priority moves to deal with foes that still outspeed Choice Scarf Scizor.
**Lum Berry**: Scizor is susceptible to burn, especially from foes with Flame Body. Being able to heal this status with Lum Berry can be extremely useful.
**Watmel Berry / Apicot Berry / Micle Berry**: Watmel Berry, Apicot Berry, and Micle Berry provide a single-use Fire-, Ground-, or Rock-type physical coverage move, respectively, when combined with Natural Gift, possibly gaining a surprise KO against Steel-, Fire-, or Flying-types.
Draft Strategy
========
The ability to pivot, break, sweep, or provide vital utility with Knock Off and Defog allows Scizor to fit on practically any draft. It's hard to have a draft that Scizor doesn’t fit well on, as long as it's not paired with other Pokemon that are similarly weak to Fire-type attacks. Being a Steel-type that lacks access to Stealth Rock and does not resist Flying- or Rock-type moves is something to consider when picking partners but is reasonably easy to work around.
**Fire-resistant Partners**: Having a single glaring weakness to Fire leads to Scizor needing to switch out of those attacks often. Foes without coverage to hit it often use Hidden Power Fire to deal with it. Having partners to switch into these moves and take advantage of them like Manaphy, Garchomp, and Mega Diancie is useful.
**Entry Hazard Setters and Control**: The constant pivoting that Scizor provides pressures foes to switch often. With entry hazards from the likes of Clefable, Krookodile, and Uxie, this pressure becomes even stronger. Stealth Rock is especially useful at weakening the Fire- and Flying-types who often attempt to wall it. Scizor's constant pivoting means it also enjoys hazards being removed from its side. Although it has access to Defog, it would rather have other partners like Tapu Fini and Rotom-W remove hazards.
**Wallbreakers**: Scizor can be effective at wallbreaking itself, but the strong U-turn it throws out can be easily taken advantage of by its wallbreaking partners. Immediately powerful threats like Mega Medicham, Landorus, and Kyurem-B are great at keeping up the pressure that pivoting from Scizor provides.
**Pivots**: Scizor is already great at pivoting, but it's even better when its partners can also participate. Pokemon with strong pivoting moves like Tapu Koko, Zapdos, and Landorus-T can for a pivot core, perpetually providing powerful pressure.
Checks and Counters
========
**Fire-type Coverage**: Many Pokemon have the ability to use strong Fire-type coverage moves to annihilate Scizor including Garchomp, Mew, and Necrozma. Even foes that it should wall like Kyurem-B and Mega Diancie can utilize a well-times Hidden Power Fire to dispatch it.
**Fire-types**: Fire-types obviously offensively obliterate Scizor. Along with this, Fire-types like Mega Charizard X and Heatran also take little damage from most of Scizor's moves, making them solid defensive and offensive checks. Some foes such as Moltres and Volcarona can even threaten a burn from Scizor's U-turn or Bullet Punch with Flame Body.
**Flying-types**: Similar to Fire-types, bulky Flying-types like Landorus-T, Celesteela, and Zapdos take little damage from U-turn, often being able to wall Scizor. These Pokemon can run Rocky Helmet, chipping Scizor down and discouraging the powerful pivoting that it generally excels at.
**Chip Damage**: Often, Scizor's game plan is to throw out strong U-turns, keeping up offensive pressure. Chip damage from entry hazards and Rocky Helmet can easily weaken it, preventing Scizor from perpetually providing pivots for its teammates.
**Burn**: Scizor is unable to accomplish much if it is burned by Flame Body or Will-O-Wisp, cutting down its offensive power. Scald is commonly used against it, with bulky Water-types that are generally tough to work around due to resisting Steel often having multiple opportunities to attempt to burn it.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/e-man.617175/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/hacker.387847/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/autumn.384270/
**Draft Order**: Round 3 onwards
**Price Range**: 13-14 points
**Overview**: With a great defensive typing and priority that packs a punch, Scizor is a solid choice offensively and defensively. It’s able to clean effectively late-game by picking off weakened foes with Bullet Punch, or it can break earlier in the match. Its extremely strong U-turn and useful utility moves enable it to be an incredible pivot as well. Scizor's glaring weakness to Fire-type attacks, with the ability for any foe to run Hidden Power Fire, along with its lackluster coverage unfortunately holds it back from dealing with certain threats, but it can still achieve great value for its team despite this.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Cleaner**: Late-game Scizor is a massive threat, with potent priority that can run through damaged teams. Being able to pick off faster foes with Bullet Punch, especially after a Swords Dance, allows Scizor to clean up many endgames effectively.
**Pivot**: A fantastic defensive typing paired with a strong U-turn makes Scizor a great pivot. It can stay healthy with Roost, allowing it to more consistently use its utility moves like Defog and Knock Off to further aid its partners.
**Wallbreaker**: With its massive Attack stat combined with Swords Dance or Choice Band, Scizor is able to tear holes through certain defensive cores. Its coverage is a bit lacking, however, preventing it from breaking through certain foes that resist its STAB moves such as Flying- or Fire-types. It can also use Pursuit to trap foes that get threatened out by its strong U-turn.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Bullet Punch, U-turn, Bug Bite, Iron Head
**Setup Moves**: Swords Dance
**Utility Moves**: Roost, Defog, Pursuit, Tailwind, Brick Break, Toxic, Light Screen
**Coverage**: Knock Off, Superpower, Aerial Ace, Quick Attack
Niche Moves
========
**Curse**: As an alternative to Swords Dance, Curse can be used to set up against physical attackers. The reduction of Speed is not a major downside due to Scizor’s use of priority.
**Natural Gift**: Paired with Watmel Berry, Apicot Berry, or Micle Berry, Natural Gift provides Scizor with a one-time Fire-, Ground-, or Rock-type coverage move, respectively. This can allow it to surprise KO opposing Steel-, Fire-, or Flying-types that are not weak to its coverage moves such as opposing Scizor.
**Agility**: Although Scizor generally uses priority moves, Agility lets it outspeed many foes and utilize its stronger attacking moves like Iron Head.
Common Items
========
**Occa Berry**: Only having a single weakness leads to foes often using coverage like Hidden Power Fire to break Scizor, making Occa Berry effective. Strong Fire-type attacks can still KO Scizor through the damage reduction, making it mostly useful to survive weaker coverage moves.
**Choice Band**: The immediate power of Choice Band provides Scizor with massive damage from U-turn and its extremely strong priority moves to pick off faster foes, allowing it to clean effectively late-game.
**Life Orb**: Life Orb provides a great damage boost for sets aimed at sweeping with Swords Dance. The recoil is less of an issue due to Scizor's use of priority meaning it takes fewer hits along with recovery from Roost.
**Leftovers**: The recovery provided by Leftovers is appreciated, as Scizor will often be switching in and out taking entry hazard damage. This fits best on bulker sets aimed at utility or sweeping.
Niche Items
========
**Other Damage-boosting Items**: Scizor appreciates the damage boost that items like Expert Belt and Silver Powder provide without the recoil of Life Orb. Metal Coat is especially useful for boosting the damage of Bullet Punch.
**Rocky Helmet**: If Scizor is expected to deal with foes using contact moves, Rocky Helmet can be solid at providing chip damage.
**Choice Scarf**: Even with its lower Speed, Scizor can make decent use of Choice Scarf to catch faster foes that are not afraid of Bullet Punch off guard. These sets will often still utilize priority moves to deal with foes that still outspeed Choice Scarf Scizor.
**Lum Berry**: Scizor is susceptible to burn, especially from foes with Flame Body. Being able to heal this status with Lum Berry can be extremely useful.
**Watmel Berry / Apicot Berry / Micle Berry**: Watmel Berry, Apicot Berry, and Micle Berry provide a single-use Fire-, Ground-, or Rock-type physical coverage move, respectively, when combined with Natural Gift, possibly gaining a surprise KO against Steel-, Fire-, or Flying-types.
Draft Strategy
========
The ability to pivot, break, sweep, or provide vital utility with Knock Off and Defog allows Scizor to fit on practically any draft. It's hard to have a draft that Scizor doesn’t fit well on, as long as it's not paired with other Pokemon that are similarly weak to Fire-type attacks. Being a Steel-type that lacks access to Stealth Rock and does not resist Flying- or Rock-type moves is something to consider when picking partners but is reasonably easy to work around.
**Fire-resistant Partners**: Having a single glaring weakness to Fire leads to Scizor needing to switch out of those attacks often. Foes without coverage to hit it often use Hidden Power Fire to deal with it. Having partners to switch into these moves and take advantage of them like Manaphy, Garchomp, and Mega Diancie is useful.
**Entry Hazard Setters and Control**: The constant pivoting that Scizor provides pressures foes to switch often. With entry hazards from the likes of Clefable, Krookodile, and Uxie, this pressure becomes even stronger. Stealth Rock is especially useful at weakening the Fire- and Flying-types who often attempt to wall it. Scizor's constant pivoting means it also enjoys hazards being removed from its side. Although it has access to Defog, it would rather have other partners like Tapu Fini and Rotom-W remove hazards.
**Wallbreakers**: Scizor can be effective at wallbreaking itself, but the strong U-turn it throws out can be easily taken advantage of by its wallbreaking partners. Immediately powerful threats like Mega Medicham, Landorus, and Kyurem-B are great at keeping up the pressure that pivoting from Scizor provides.
**Pivots**: Scizor is already great at pivoting, but it's even better when its partners can also participate. Pokemon with strong pivoting moves like Tapu Koko, Zapdos, and Landorus-T can for a pivot core, perpetually providing powerful pressure.
Checks and Counters
========
**Fire-type Coverage**: Many Pokemon have the ability to use strong Fire-type coverage moves to annihilate Scizor including Garchomp, Mew, and Necrozma. Even foes that it should wall like Kyurem-B and Mega Diancie can utilize a well-times Hidden Power Fire to dispatch it.
**Fire-types**: Fire-types obviously offensively obliterate Scizor. Along with this, Fire-types like Mega Charizard X and Heatran also take little damage from most of Scizor's moves, making them solid defensive and offensive checks. Some foes such as Moltres and Volcarona can even threaten a burn from Scizor's U-turn or Bullet Punch with Flame Body.
**Flying-types**: Similar to Fire-types, bulky Flying-types like Landorus-T, Celesteela, and Zapdos take little damage from U-turn, often being able to wall Scizor. These Pokemon can run Rocky Helmet, chipping Scizor down and discouraging the powerful pivoting that it generally excels at.
**Chip Damage**: Often, Scizor's game plan is to throw out strong U-turns, keeping up offensive pressure. Chip damage from entry hazards and Rocky Helmet can easily weaken it, preventing Scizor from perpetually providing pivots for its teammates.
**Burn**: Scizor is unable to accomplish much if it is burned by Flame Body or Will-O-Wisp, cutting down its offensive power. Scald is commonly used against it, with bulky Water-types that are generally tough to work around due to resisting Steel often having multiple opportunities to attempt to burn it.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/e-man.617175/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/hacker.387847/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/autumn.384270/
Last edited:
