Taken over from TCR with permission from Ernesto
Overview
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With two excellent abilities to allow Scrafty to set up more easily, it is a dangerous sweeper. Scrafty has Knock Off utility that it can use to weaken its own checks. However, Scrafty is weak to common Pokemon, such as Heracross. Without a boost, it can have trouble breaking through tougher walls such as Milotic or Suicune. Also, Scrafty has a low Speed stat, which means it is outsped by Pokemon with base 115 Speed even at +1, and any relevant Choice Scarf user still outspeeds it even at +2.
Dragon Dance
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name: Dragon Dance Sweeper
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: Drain Punch / High Jump Kick
move 4: Zen Headbutt / Iron Head
ability: Shed Skin / Moxie
item: Leftovers / Life Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
========
Knock Off is the Dark-type STAB move of choice, and it can help with wearing down Scrafty and its teammates' own checks and counters by removing Leftovers and Assault Vests. Drain Punch is the preferred STAB attack, and helps to preserve Scrafty's longevity. Drain Punch is best used when using Scrafty as a mid- and late-game sweeper. High Jump Kick can be used in order to provide more immediate power, as well as to severely dent any switch-ins. It should be used when Scrafty is functioning as a wallbreaker on a team. Zen Headbutt is Scrafty's best option against Toxicroak, and it also prevents Pokemon such as Nidoqueen, Roserade, and Amoonguss from scaring Scrafty out. It also gets super effective damage on Heracross, Mienshao, Hitmontop, and Chesnaught, although it cannot KO any of them except Mienshao. Iron Head allows Scrafty to do excellent damage on weakened Florges and Gardevoir, although it does not always OHKO even specially defensive Florges at +1.
Set Details
========
Max Attack and Speed make Scrafty a strong sweeper. 252 Speed EVs with a Jolly nature allow Scrafty to outspeed Mienshao after a boost. Leftovers is preferred when using Drain Punch and Shed Skin in order to allow Scrafty to stay alive over the duration of the match. Life Orb is preferred when using High Jump Kick and/or Moxie, as this allows Scrafty to sweep extremely well late-game. Lum Berry is an option when using Moxie, although if you are that worried about status, you could just use Shed Skin. Shed Skin is the preferred ability, as this allows Scrafty to act as a psuedo-status absorber and not have to worry about a burn or a paralysis ruining Scrafy's sweep. However, Moxie can be used to steamroll through unprepared teams, racking up boost after boost.
Usage Tips
========
Scrafty should set up on Pokemon that don't deal a lot of damage to it; these are usually special attackers. It can function greatly against stall-based teams. With Shed Skin, it usually does not mind burns, so setting up on Pokemon such as Crocune or Vaporeon can quickly turn a match around. Shed Skin also allows Scrafty to be the only Fighting-type to not be shut down by Sableye, granting it a niche of its own. Late-game, Scrafty should abuse its unique typing and try to force switches to set up a Dragon Dance.
Team Options
========
Pokemon that can set entry hazards up can really help with wearing down Scrafty's checks and counters. Pokemon such as Heracross cannot handle full entry hazards and a +1 High Jump Kick. With Moxie this puts immense pressure on a team. Gligar is an excellent teammate, as it can beat Crobat, Choice Scarf Honchkrow, and Heracross, which all beat Scrafty. Gligar can also set up Stealth Rock to wear down the opponent's team. Pokemon such as Choice Band Heracross that can bait in Florges make excellent partners, as Florges is quickly overwhelmed by such strong attacks. Scrafty appreciates Thunder Wave support, making Pokemon such as Slowbro, Mew, Celebi, and Jirachi decent partners. Amoonguss can perform a similar role in spreading sleep and paralysis, although this compounds a Honchkrow weakness. Ghost-type Pokemon such as Froslass or Cofagrigus can switch in on Fighting-type attacks. Froslass can easily set up a layer or two of Spikes and eliminate a key threat with Destiny Bond, while Cofagrigus can switch in easily on Pokemon such as Crobat or Heracross.
Bulk Up
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name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: Drain Punch
move 4: Rest
ability: Shed Skin
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpD/ 4 Atk
nature: Careful
Moves
========
Bulk Up is the main move, often slowly building a sweep against bulky offense teams. Knock Off is excellent utility, and helps cut down on opposing recovery. Knock Off also messes with more stall-based teams. Drain Punch gives Scrafty psuedo-recovery, and can really hit hard with a boost. This is Scrafty's most reliable way to heal. Rest is a keystone to the Bulk Up set, as Rest allows Scrafty to fully heal up and proceed to rack up Bulk Up boosts again. However, Shed Skin does not always activate, often sealing Scrafty's fate. Iron Head can be used to deal with Florges, although it fails to OHKO Florges even at +1, and so should only be used either on the switch or late-game. Zen Headbutt can be used to catch Toxicroak off-guard, although Rest is usually preferred in the last slot.
Set Details
========
252 HP and Special Defense EVs assure maximum special bulk, and easily let Scrafty set up on Pokemon like Crocune. Shed Skin allows Scrafty to potentially get a one-turn sleep, and can stop other status effects. Shed Skin also allows Scrafty to not be shut down by Sableye, setting Scrafty apart from other Fighting-types.
Usage Tips
========
Scrafty should be used against Pokemon that commonly run a RestTalk set, as Scrafty will then be able to set up easily. If Scrafty can take a hit from something or force it out, then Scrafty is usually fine to set up. Do not set up if a Pokemon such as Florges or Heracross is on the opposing team. It is best to get entry hazards up before setting up, in order to limit the amount of switches on the opposing team.
Team Options
========
Pokemon such as Qwilfish or Hitmontop can help support Scrafty. Both can do work against Heracross, and Qwilfish can set up Spikes and Toxic Spikes. Hitmontop can help weaken Pokemon such as Florges by hitting them with Toxic. Pokemon that lure in Crocune or Vaporeon can help set up a Scrafty sweep. A switch-in to Crobat is nice, making Raikou or Rhyperior great partners. Raikou can set up on a lot of Pokemon that Scrafty lures in, while Rhyperior can set up Stealth Rock. Bronzong is a good partner, as Bronzong easily beats Florges while also setting up Stealth Rock. In a similar vein, most Pokemon that can beat Florges can make a great partner to Scrafty. Paralysis support is extremely beneficial, even more so than to the Dragon Dance set, as Scrafty has extremely low Speed. Slowbro, Mew, and Celebi are usually all bulky and can spread status. They all can also take Fighting-type attacks aimed at Scrafty. Florges can be a decent partner, as Florges can beat most Heracross sets and lures in Nidoking and Nidoqueen for Scrafty to set up on.
Other Options
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Head Smash can be used as a powerful attack. Poison Jab can be used over Iron Head as it has the ability to poison Florges. However, it has the drawback of possibly poisoning Guts Heracross; furthermore, Steel-types are immune to Poison Jab. Thunder Punch can be used to hit bulky Water-types, although Knock Off is usually superior. A RestTalk set can be used with Shed Skin on more stall-based teams, although Sleep Talk usually a waste of a move with Shed Skin. A Choice Band can be used to deal heavy damage to some Pokemon. An Assault Vest set can be used, though it is inferior to Snorlax in that regard. Scrafty does offer Knock Off support however, as well as a reliable way to heal in Drain Punch.
Checks & Counters
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**Fairy-types**: Florges and Aromatisse can always beat Scrafty, resisting both of its STAB moves and hitting with a 4x super effective Moonblast.
**Heracross**: Heracross resists both of Scrafty's STAB moves and can OHKO with a Close Combat.
**Hitmontop**: The bulky pivot set of Hitmontop can take any attack by Scrafty and KO back with Close Combat, though it will take heavy damage from High Jump Kick.
**Chesnaught**: Chesnaught can easily tank a +1 Ice Punch or Zen Headbutt and can hit Scrafty hard with a super effective Hammer Arm.
**Hippowdon**: Hippowdon can take any hit from a +1 Scrafty and either Whirlwind Scrafty out or hit hard with an Earthquake. In tight situations, it can stall with Slack Off, though it often loses to Drain Punch Scrafty this way.
**Crobat**: Crobat can generally switch in on Dragon Dance or a Fighting-type move, however other than those moves it cannot switch in. Crobat can do a minimum of 70% to an uninvested Scrafty, making it an effective revenge killer.
**Revenge Killers**: Due to Scrafty's pitiful base 58 Speed, any viable Choice Scarf user can outspeed Scrafty after a boost. This leaves Life Orb Scrafty at a disadvantage, as it is easily revenge killed by powerful attacks such as Flygon's Outrage or Heracross's Close Combat.
**Wallbreakers**: Common Pokemon that are delegated to break through walls can usually beat the Bulk Up set. Pokemon such as Choice Band Heracross and Life Orb Honchkrow still threaten Scrafty, even at +1.
Overview
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With two excellent abilities to allow Scrafty to set up more easily, it is a dangerous sweeper. Scrafty has Knock Off utility that it can use to weaken its own checks. However, Scrafty is weak to common Pokemon, such as Heracross. Without a boost, it can have trouble breaking through tougher walls such as Milotic or Suicune. Also, Scrafty has a low Speed stat, which means it is outsped by Pokemon with base 115 Speed even at +1, and any relevant Choice Scarf user still outspeeds it even at +2.
Dragon Dance
########
name: Dragon Dance Sweeper
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: Drain Punch / High Jump Kick
move 4: Zen Headbutt / Iron Head
ability: Shed Skin / Moxie
item: Leftovers / Life Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
========
Knock Off is the Dark-type STAB move of choice, and it can help with wearing down Scrafty and its teammates' own checks and counters by removing Leftovers and Assault Vests. Drain Punch is the preferred STAB attack, and helps to preserve Scrafty's longevity. Drain Punch is best used when using Scrafty as a mid- and late-game sweeper. High Jump Kick can be used in order to provide more immediate power, as well as to severely dent any switch-ins. It should be used when Scrafty is functioning as a wallbreaker on a team. Zen Headbutt is Scrafty's best option against Toxicroak, and it also prevents Pokemon such as Nidoqueen, Roserade, and Amoonguss from scaring Scrafty out. It also gets super effective damage on Heracross, Mienshao, Hitmontop, and Chesnaught, although it cannot KO any of them except Mienshao. Iron Head allows Scrafty to do excellent damage on weakened Florges and Gardevoir, although it does not always OHKO even specially defensive Florges at +1.
Set Details
========
Max Attack and Speed make Scrafty a strong sweeper. 252 Speed EVs with a Jolly nature allow Scrafty to outspeed Mienshao after a boost. Leftovers is preferred when using Drain Punch and Shed Skin in order to allow Scrafty to stay alive over the duration of the match. Life Orb is preferred when using High Jump Kick and/or Moxie, as this allows Scrafty to sweep extremely well late-game. Lum Berry is an option when using Moxie, although if you are that worried about status, you could just use Shed Skin. Shed Skin is the preferred ability, as this allows Scrafty to act as a psuedo-status absorber and not have to worry about a burn or a paralysis ruining Scrafy's sweep. However, Moxie can be used to steamroll through unprepared teams, racking up boost after boost.
Usage Tips
========
Scrafty should set up on Pokemon that don't deal a lot of damage to it; these are usually special attackers. It can function greatly against stall-based teams. With Shed Skin, it usually does not mind burns, so setting up on Pokemon such as Crocune or Vaporeon can quickly turn a match around. Shed Skin also allows Scrafty to be the only Fighting-type to not be shut down by Sableye, granting it a niche of its own. Late-game, Scrafty should abuse its unique typing and try to force switches to set up a Dragon Dance.
Team Options
========
Pokemon that can set entry hazards up can really help with wearing down Scrafty's checks and counters. Pokemon such as Heracross cannot handle full entry hazards and a +1 High Jump Kick. With Moxie this puts immense pressure on a team. Gligar is an excellent teammate, as it can beat Crobat, Choice Scarf Honchkrow, and Heracross, which all beat Scrafty. Gligar can also set up Stealth Rock to wear down the opponent's team. Pokemon such as Choice Band Heracross that can bait in Florges make excellent partners, as Florges is quickly overwhelmed by such strong attacks. Scrafty appreciates Thunder Wave support, making Pokemon such as Slowbro, Mew, Celebi, and Jirachi decent partners. Amoonguss can perform a similar role in spreading sleep and paralysis, although this compounds a Honchkrow weakness. Ghost-type Pokemon such as Froslass or Cofagrigus can switch in on Fighting-type attacks. Froslass can easily set up a layer or two of Spikes and eliminate a key threat with Destiny Bond, while Cofagrigus can switch in easily on Pokemon such as Crobat or Heracross.
Bulk Up
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name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: Drain Punch
move 4: Rest
ability: Shed Skin
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpD/ 4 Atk
nature: Careful
Moves
========
Bulk Up is the main move, often slowly building a sweep against bulky offense teams. Knock Off is excellent utility, and helps cut down on opposing recovery. Knock Off also messes with more stall-based teams. Drain Punch gives Scrafty psuedo-recovery, and can really hit hard with a boost. This is Scrafty's most reliable way to heal. Rest is a keystone to the Bulk Up set, as Rest allows Scrafty to fully heal up and proceed to rack up Bulk Up boosts again. However, Shed Skin does not always activate, often sealing Scrafty's fate. Iron Head can be used to deal with Florges, although it fails to OHKO Florges even at +1, and so should only be used either on the switch or late-game. Zen Headbutt can be used to catch Toxicroak off-guard, although Rest is usually preferred in the last slot.
Set Details
========
252 HP and Special Defense EVs assure maximum special bulk, and easily let Scrafty set up on Pokemon like Crocune. Shed Skin allows Scrafty to potentially get a one-turn sleep, and can stop other status effects. Shed Skin also allows Scrafty to not be shut down by Sableye, setting Scrafty apart from other Fighting-types.
Usage Tips
========
Scrafty should be used against Pokemon that commonly run a RestTalk set, as Scrafty will then be able to set up easily. If Scrafty can take a hit from something or force it out, then Scrafty is usually fine to set up. Do not set up if a Pokemon such as Florges or Heracross is on the opposing team. It is best to get entry hazards up before setting up, in order to limit the amount of switches on the opposing team.
Team Options
========
Pokemon such as Qwilfish or Hitmontop can help support Scrafty. Both can do work against Heracross, and Qwilfish can set up Spikes and Toxic Spikes. Hitmontop can help weaken Pokemon such as Florges by hitting them with Toxic. Pokemon that lure in Crocune or Vaporeon can help set up a Scrafty sweep. A switch-in to Crobat is nice, making Raikou or Rhyperior great partners. Raikou can set up on a lot of Pokemon that Scrafty lures in, while Rhyperior can set up Stealth Rock. Bronzong is a good partner, as Bronzong easily beats Florges while also setting up Stealth Rock. In a similar vein, most Pokemon that can beat Florges can make a great partner to Scrafty. Paralysis support is extremely beneficial, even more so than to the Dragon Dance set, as Scrafty has extremely low Speed. Slowbro, Mew, and Celebi are usually all bulky and can spread status. They all can also take Fighting-type attacks aimed at Scrafty. Florges can be a decent partner, as Florges can beat most Heracross sets and lures in Nidoking and Nidoqueen for Scrafty to set up on.
Other Options
########
Head Smash can be used as a powerful attack. Poison Jab can be used over Iron Head as it has the ability to poison Florges. However, it has the drawback of possibly poisoning Guts Heracross; furthermore, Steel-types are immune to Poison Jab. Thunder Punch can be used to hit bulky Water-types, although Knock Off is usually superior. A RestTalk set can be used with Shed Skin on more stall-based teams, although Sleep Talk usually a waste of a move with Shed Skin. A Choice Band can be used to deal heavy damage to some Pokemon. An Assault Vest set can be used, though it is inferior to Snorlax in that regard. Scrafty does offer Knock Off support however, as well as a reliable way to heal in Drain Punch.
Checks & Counters
########
**Fairy-types**: Florges and Aromatisse can always beat Scrafty, resisting both of its STAB moves and hitting with a 4x super effective Moonblast.
**Heracross**: Heracross resists both of Scrafty's STAB moves and can OHKO with a Close Combat.
**Hitmontop**: The bulky pivot set of Hitmontop can take any attack by Scrafty and KO back with Close Combat, though it will take heavy damage from High Jump Kick.
**Chesnaught**: Chesnaught can easily tank a +1 Ice Punch or Zen Headbutt and can hit Scrafty hard with a super effective Hammer Arm.
**Hippowdon**: Hippowdon can take any hit from a +1 Scrafty and either Whirlwind Scrafty out or hit hard with an Earthquake. In tight situations, it can stall with Slack Off, though it often loses to Drain Punch Scrafty this way.
**Crobat**: Crobat can generally switch in on Dragon Dance or a Fighting-type move, however other than those moves it cannot switch in. Crobat can do a minimum of 70% to an uninvested Scrafty, making it an effective revenge killer.
**Revenge Killers**: Due to Scrafty's pitiful base 58 Speed, any viable Choice Scarf user can outspeed Scrafty after a boost. This leaves Life Orb Scrafty at a disadvantage, as it is easily revenge killed by powerful attacks such as Flygon's Outrage or Heracross's Close Combat.
**Wallbreakers**: Common Pokemon that are delegated to break through walls can usually beat the Bulk Up set. Pokemon such as Choice Band Heracross and Life Orb Honchkrow still threaten Scrafty, even at +1.
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