gastlies
running up that hill
[OVERVIEW]
Scyther's incredible Speed, tied with Rapidash for the fastest in the tier, makes it one of only two Pokemon that outspeeds the ubiquitous Fearow, giving it a near-unique ability to revenge kill it. Scyther's excellent Speed is complemented by a fantastic Attack stat and access to Slash. It can further increase its attacking prowess with the combination of Swords Dance and Hyper Beam; with just one boost, it's capable of outright OHKOing many of the tier's frailer Pokemon, such as Staryu and Drowzee. With two boosts, it becomes near-unstoppable, as its high Speed also makes it extremely difficult to revenge kill. However, Scyther is held back by its terrible coverage and a subpar typing. Scyther's offensive movepool is limited to Normal-type moves and the extremely weak Wing Attack, meaning it is completely walled by Graveler and Omanyte, and it also has trouble breaking through Gastly unboosted. Although Scyther's typing gifts it with a handy immunity to Ground-type moves, every Earthquake user has a move that hits it super effectively. Scyther is also weak to the common Fire-type moves in the tier; notably, Rapidash and Arcanine have a 61.5% chance to OHKO it with Fire Blast. Lastly, Scyther's power falls just short of some crucial damage thresholds. For example, Scyther's Hyper Beam at +2 attack is unable to OHKO Arcanine and Seaking, and can only OHKO Fearow 30.8% of the time; for example, Slash followed by a +2 Hyper Beam isn't a guaranteed KO on Nidoqueen. Scyther also faces competition from Pinsir; although they have different roles on a team, they are often incompatible due to their shared weaknesses, most notably to the common Fire Blast. Scyther boasts higher Speed, while Pinsir has higher physical bulk and power, allowing it to get the damage thresholds that Scyther barely misses out on.
name: Swords Dance Sweeper
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Hyper Beam
move 3: Slash
move 4: Wing Attack
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Scyther boasts the deadly combination of Swords Dance and Hyper Beam, which allows it to set up and sweep an opposing team. Scyther needs to set up on Pokemon that are unable to paralyze or OHKO it, such as Fearow, Nidoqueen, Pinsir, Machamp, unboosted Seaking, and Gastly. Unfortunately, Scyther fails to KO many of these foes at +2 Attack, meaning they must be weakened first. As such, setting up with Scyther often requires baiting one of these Pokemon in, dealing enough damage to put it in KO range of Scyther's +2 Hyper Beam, and then allowing your own Pokemon to faint so Scyther may enter the field safely. At this point, Scyther can use Swords Dance, take a hit, and potentially sweep. Arguably the most important Pokemon that Scyther can set up on Fearow, since its high Speed makes it otherwise difficult to check offensively. However, Scyther must be wary of an OHKO from Fearow's Drill Peck on a critical hit.
Slash is a very good option for Scyther if it is unable to find a turn to set up. It can KO frailer Pokemon such as Drowzee and Staryu from 51% and 56.6%, respectively. Most importantly, it does a minimum of 41.1% to Fearow, which is enough to KO Fearow after Nidoqueen or Seaking's Blizzard, and it is favored to KO after Gastly's Thunderbolt. This gives Scyther a safer option to revenge kill Fearow without risking the OHKO from a critical hit Drill Peck. Wing Attack allows Scyther to hit Gastly, notably 2HKOing it at +2 Attack. This means if Gastly switches into Scyther as it sets up Swords Dance, it has to land Hypnosis in order to beat Scyther. If Sleep Clause is already active, the odds become even better for Scyther, as Gastly has to fish for either a critical hit or paralysis from Thunderbolt.
Scyther fits best on fast offensive teams that appreciate its Speed and ability to revenge kill Fearow. Seaking is a good teammate that can switch into Fire-types and Graveler. Seaking's Blizzard also gets Fearow into KO range for Scyther's Slash. Porygon can switch into Graveler and Omanyte to wall them and set up Agility. Porygon's Psychic also gets Gastly into KO range for Scyther's Wing Attack at +2. Sleepers such as Gastly, Drowzee, and Vileplume can help Scyther find setup opportunities on sleeping Pokemon. Fire-type allies can trade with opposing Fire-types and Gastly to ease pressure for Scyther. Scyther also fits well on hyper offensive teams that sacrifice utility Pokemon in favor of damage output, as it benefits a lot more from foes being at low HP than from them being paralyzed. As a result, Pokemon such as Nidoqueen, Rapidash, Arcanine, Pinsir, and Machamp are good teammates. It is possible to drop Nidoqueen on these teams as well, since teams lacking Nidoqueen generally focus on stacking Pokemon with high Speed, and Scyther can alleviate the Fearow weakness that a team lacking Nidoqueen often suffers.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
If Scyther pursues other options, Wing Attack should be dropped, although it is usually not recommended due to completely losing the Gastly matchup. Scyther's most common other option is Agility; it can be used to negate the Speed drop from paralysis. This increases the pool of Pokemon that Scyther can set up on, adding foes such as Staryu, Drowzee, and Vileplume to its list of options. This can also be used to win certain endgames that Scyther would otherwise lose by taking paralysis. However, the chance for full paralysis reduces Hyper Beam's accuracy to an effective 67.1%, and considering Scyther typically has to hit multiple Hyper Beams in a row, this sweep can be halted by one unfortunate miss or full paralysis. In addition, Agility can be used to outpace other Agility users, such as Seaking, Dragonair, and Porygon, while also allowing Scyther to not worry about speed ties against opposing Scyther or Rapidash.
Substitute can be used to punish switches, such as a weakened Fearow switching out of a predicted Slash, but Scyther can still be paralyzed behind a Substitute. Double-Edge can be used as a midground between Slash and Hyper Beam but it is only useful in highly specific situations and is generally not recommended.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Rock-types**: Graveler and Omanyte can switch into all of Scyther's attacks and wall it. The former takes up to 17.8% from Slash and OHKOes with Rock Slide, while the latter takes up to 22.7% from Slash and 2HKOes with Blizzard. Graveler can also freely set up Substitute on Scyther, making it very tricky to switch into.
**Gastly**: Gastly is completely immune to Slash and Hyper Beam, and it 2HKOes Scyther with Thunderbolt. Scyther has to rely on the weak Wing Attack to hit Gastly, which does very little when unboosted. However, the move 2HKOes at +2 Attack, meaning Gastly has to hit Hypnosis if it switches into Scyther as it uses Swords Dance, but it can use Thunderbolt instead to get Scyther into KO range for a teammate. Even at +4 Attack, Scyther fails to OHKO Gastly most of the time.
**Fire-types**: Arcanine and Rapidash have a 61.5% chance to OHKO Scyther with Fire Blast; Arcanine always survives a +2 Hyper Beam and Rapidash survives 84.6% of the time. Magmar has higher odds to OHKO Scyther with an 82.1% chance, but Scyther also has an 82.1% chance to OHKO Magmar at +2 Attack, meaning Magmar is better suited for checking an unboosted Scyther.
**Paralysis**: Since Scyther is heavily reliant on its Speed, it must avoid paralysis, especially if it lacks Agility. A paralyzed Scyther is very easy to revenge kill due to its poor bulk and weakness-laden typing. Because of this, it should switch out of Thunder Wave users such as Staryu and Drowzee unless it can KO them. Thunder Wave variants of Porygon are overwhelmingly favored to survive a +2 Hyper Beam, and they cleanly 2HKO Scyther with Blizzard. Vileplume's bulk also lets it survive a +2 Hyper Beam from full HP, although it has to rely on the less accurate Stun Spore.
**Ground-types**: Nidoqueen and Sandslash are bulky enough to beat Scyther one-on-one. They both easily survive a +2 Hyper Beam and 2HKO Scyther in return. However, Scyther can pair up with other physical attackers checked by them, such as Fearow, to break through, overwhelming these checks with offensive power.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gastlies.540559/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gangsta-spongebob.535530/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/volk.530877/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sabelette.583793/
[/SPOILER]
[/QUOTE]
Scyther's incredible Speed, tied with Rapidash for the fastest in the tier, makes it one of only two Pokemon that outspeeds the ubiquitous Fearow, giving it a near-unique ability to revenge kill it. Scyther's excellent Speed is complemented by a fantastic Attack stat and access to Slash. It can further increase its attacking prowess with the combination of Swords Dance and Hyper Beam; with just one boost, it's capable of outright OHKOing many of the tier's frailer Pokemon, such as Staryu and Drowzee. With two boosts, it becomes near-unstoppable, as its high Speed also makes it extremely difficult to revenge kill. However, Scyther is held back by its terrible coverage and a subpar typing. Scyther's offensive movepool is limited to Normal-type moves and the extremely weak Wing Attack, meaning it is completely walled by Graveler and Omanyte, and it also has trouble breaking through Gastly unboosted. Although Scyther's typing gifts it with a handy immunity to Ground-type moves, every Earthquake user has a move that hits it super effectively. Scyther is also weak to the common Fire-type moves in the tier; notably, Rapidash and Arcanine have a 61.5% chance to OHKO it with Fire Blast. Lastly, Scyther's power falls just short of some crucial damage thresholds. For example, Scyther's Hyper Beam at +2 attack is unable to OHKO Arcanine and Seaking, and can only OHKO Fearow 30.8% of the time; for example, Slash followed by a +2 Hyper Beam isn't a guaranteed KO on Nidoqueen. Scyther also faces competition from Pinsir; although they have different roles on a team, they are often incompatible due to their shared weaknesses, most notably to the common Fire Blast. Scyther boasts higher Speed, while Pinsir has higher physical bulk and power, allowing it to get the damage thresholds that Scyther barely misses out on.
name: Swords Dance Sweeper
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Hyper Beam
move 3: Slash
move 4: Wing Attack
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Scyther boasts the deadly combination of Swords Dance and Hyper Beam, which allows it to set up and sweep an opposing team. Scyther needs to set up on Pokemon that are unable to paralyze or OHKO it, such as Fearow, Nidoqueen, Pinsir, Machamp, unboosted Seaking, and Gastly. Unfortunately, Scyther fails to KO many of these foes at +2 Attack, meaning they must be weakened first. As such, setting up with Scyther often requires baiting one of these Pokemon in, dealing enough damage to put it in KO range of Scyther's +2 Hyper Beam, and then allowing your own Pokemon to faint so Scyther may enter the field safely. At this point, Scyther can use Swords Dance, take a hit, and potentially sweep. Arguably the most important Pokemon that Scyther can set up on Fearow, since its high Speed makes it otherwise difficult to check offensively. However, Scyther must be wary of an OHKO from Fearow's Drill Peck on a critical hit.
Slash is a very good option for Scyther if it is unable to find a turn to set up. It can KO frailer Pokemon such as Drowzee and Staryu from 51% and 56.6%, respectively. Most importantly, it does a minimum of 41.1% to Fearow, which is enough to KO Fearow after Nidoqueen or Seaking's Blizzard, and it is favored to KO after Gastly's Thunderbolt. This gives Scyther a safer option to revenge kill Fearow without risking the OHKO from a critical hit Drill Peck. Wing Attack allows Scyther to hit Gastly, notably 2HKOing it at +2 Attack. This means if Gastly switches into Scyther as it sets up Swords Dance, it has to land Hypnosis in order to beat Scyther. If Sleep Clause is already active, the odds become even better for Scyther, as Gastly has to fish for either a critical hit or paralysis from Thunderbolt.
Scyther fits best on fast offensive teams that appreciate its Speed and ability to revenge kill Fearow. Seaking is a good teammate that can switch into Fire-types and Graveler. Seaking's Blizzard also gets Fearow into KO range for Scyther's Slash. Porygon can switch into Graveler and Omanyte to wall them and set up Agility. Porygon's Psychic also gets Gastly into KO range for Scyther's Wing Attack at +2. Sleepers such as Gastly, Drowzee, and Vileplume can help Scyther find setup opportunities on sleeping Pokemon. Fire-type allies can trade with opposing Fire-types and Gastly to ease pressure for Scyther. Scyther also fits well on hyper offensive teams that sacrifice utility Pokemon in favor of damage output, as it benefits a lot more from foes being at low HP than from them being paralyzed. As a result, Pokemon such as Nidoqueen, Rapidash, Arcanine, Pinsir, and Machamp are good teammates. It is possible to drop Nidoqueen on these teams as well, since teams lacking Nidoqueen generally focus on stacking Pokemon with high Speed, and Scyther can alleviate the Fearow weakness that a team lacking Nidoqueen often suffers.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
If Scyther pursues other options, Wing Attack should be dropped, although it is usually not recommended due to completely losing the Gastly matchup. Scyther's most common other option is Agility; it can be used to negate the Speed drop from paralysis. This increases the pool of Pokemon that Scyther can set up on, adding foes such as Staryu, Drowzee, and Vileplume to its list of options. This can also be used to win certain endgames that Scyther would otherwise lose by taking paralysis. However, the chance for full paralysis reduces Hyper Beam's accuracy to an effective 67.1%, and considering Scyther typically has to hit multiple Hyper Beams in a row, this sweep can be halted by one unfortunate miss or full paralysis. In addition, Agility can be used to outpace other Agility users, such as Seaking, Dragonair, and Porygon, while also allowing Scyther to not worry about speed ties against opposing Scyther or Rapidash.
Substitute can be used to punish switches, such as a weakened Fearow switching out of a predicted Slash, but Scyther can still be paralyzed behind a Substitute. Double-Edge can be used as a midground between Slash and Hyper Beam but it is only useful in highly specific situations and is generally not recommended.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Rock-types**: Graveler and Omanyte can switch into all of Scyther's attacks and wall it. The former takes up to 17.8% from Slash and OHKOes with Rock Slide, while the latter takes up to 22.7% from Slash and 2HKOes with Blizzard. Graveler can also freely set up Substitute on Scyther, making it very tricky to switch into.
**Gastly**: Gastly is completely immune to Slash and Hyper Beam, and it 2HKOes Scyther with Thunderbolt. Scyther has to rely on the weak Wing Attack to hit Gastly, which does very little when unboosted. However, the move 2HKOes at +2 Attack, meaning Gastly has to hit Hypnosis if it switches into Scyther as it uses Swords Dance, but it can use Thunderbolt instead to get Scyther into KO range for a teammate. Even at +4 Attack, Scyther fails to OHKO Gastly most of the time.
**Fire-types**: Arcanine and Rapidash have a 61.5% chance to OHKO Scyther with Fire Blast; Arcanine always survives a +2 Hyper Beam and Rapidash survives 84.6% of the time. Magmar has higher odds to OHKO Scyther with an 82.1% chance, but Scyther also has an 82.1% chance to OHKO Magmar at +2 Attack, meaning Magmar is better suited for checking an unboosted Scyther.
**Paralysis**: Since Scyther is heavily reliant on its Speed, it must avoid paralysis, especially if it lacks Agility. A paralyzed Scyther is very easy to revenge kill due to its poor bulk and weakness-laden typing. Because of this, it should switch out of Thunder Wave users such as Staryu and Drowzee unless it can KO them. Thunder Wave variants of Porygon are overwhelmingly favored to survive a +2 Hyper Beam, and they cleanly 2HKO Scyther with Blizzard. Vileplume's bulk also lets it survive a +2 Hyper Beam from full HP, although it has to rely on the less accurate Stun Spore.
**Ground-types**: Nidoqueen and Sandslash are bulky enough to beat Scyther one-on-one. They both easily survive a +2 Hyper Beam and 2HKO Scyther in return. However, Scyther can pair up with other physical attackers checked by them, such as Fearow, to break through, overwhelming these checks with offensive power.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gastlies.540559/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gangsta-spongebob.535530/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/volk.530877/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sabelette.583793/
[/SPOILER]
[/QUOTE]
Last edited: