[OVERVIEW]
Scyther is one of the most threatening Pokemon in the GSC UnderUsed metagame. It is almost unmatched in terms of Speed, with the only notable Pokemon that outspeed it being Jumpluff, Crobat, and Electrode. It can pass Swords Dance or Agility boosts to its teammates before the opponent has a chance to properly react, and it also functions very effectively as a standalone sweeper thanks to its high Attack. Of the few viable Haze users and phazers available, an even lower number can take on a Swords Dance-boosted Scyther reliably. The only thing that prevents Scyther from being completely unstoppable is its limited attacking movepool—the strongest STAB attacks it can use are Hidden Power Flying and Hidden Power Bug, and using these means it can't use Hidden Power Ground.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Wing Attack / Return
move 3: Hidden Power Ground / Hidden Power Bug
move 4: Baton Pass
item: Leftovers
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Swords Dance rapidly increases Scyther's already high Attack, transforming it from a relatively weak attacker into a menacing threat. Wing Attack is a low-Base Power but reliable STAB attack that is preferred over other options such as Return due to its ability to land super effective damage on Grass-types like Jumpluff and Bellossom as well as opposing Scyther and Pinsir. Against neutral targets, Wing Attack is marginally weaker than Return, but hitting the aforementioned targets hard is very important. Hidden Power Ground is the preferred coverage move, offering perfect coverage alongside Wing Attack and hitting common Poison-, Electric-, and Rock-types including Nidoqueen, Qwilfish, Haunter, Ampharos, Magneton, Electabuzz, Omastar, and Kabutops for 2HKOs or better after a Swords Dance boost. The alternative is Hidden Power Bug, which can be chosen to deal massive damage to the tier's numerous strong Psychic-type Pokemon, including Slowbro, Hypno, Mr. Mime, and Kadabra, while also offering a small boost in power against neutral targets like Granbull and Piloswine. However, choosing Hidden Power Bug means Scyther will be unable to hit Magneton and will miss out on numerous 2HKOs listed above. When matched up against such foes and in many other cases, Scyther's best choice may be to Baton Pass its boosts to a teammate such as Nidoqueen, Dodrio, Granbull, Gyarados, Quagsire, or Kabutops. These Pokemon can greatly benefit from the additional Attack boost, which may allow them to break past their usual checks. Baton Pass is also great for scouting what Pokemon the opponent might switch into Scyther and reacting accordingly, since it will usually go first due to Scyther's Speed if the foe stays in and will go after the switch if it doesn't.
Team Options
========
Nidoqueen makes for a good teammate for Scyther thanks to the pair's good typing synergy—Scyther is immune to Ground and makes for an excellent pivot with Baton Pass, whereas Nidoqueen easily takes any Rock- and Electric-type moves aimed at Scyther. Furthermore, Nidoqueen benefits from being passed one or more Swords Dance boosts, which can allow it to get past its usual checks like Granbull and Slowbro. Many Pokemon will try to make Scyther easier to handle by paralyzing it with Thunder Wave or Stun Spore, so it can be helpful to use a Pokemon that can take status moves well such as RestTalk Slowbro or RestTalk Hypno, both of which also happen to serve as decent Nidoqueen checks. Other Hypno sets also make for great status spreaders and supporters in general thanks to Hypno's access to Light Screen, Thunder Wave, and Hypnosis. Ampharos is another option for Light Screen support; it can also draw in Ground-types such as Nidoqueen as it sets up the screen, which can give Scyther an opportunity to come in on Earthquake. Granbull, particularly a variant with a coverage move, stands to benefit greatly as a Swords Dance recipient, as almost no Pokemon can take boosted attacks from it for long. Dodrio is likewise an enormous threat when passed a Swords Dance boost, especially considering it outspeeds Qwilfish, one of the tier's most prevalent Haze users. Quagsire and Piloswine are other good Swords Dance receivers that double as Electric-type checks. Gyarados and Kabutops can also become much more challenging to take on once passed Attack boosts from Scyther. Pokemon with Explosion such as Haunter and Electrode can be useful for their ability to break through or weaken some of Scyther's checks, such as Nidoqueen, Piloswine, Sandslash, and Quagsire; they can also support it with screens and status moves. Mr. Mime and Jumpluff are also great at easing setup for Scyther with their status moves and access to screens, and they can also use Encore to lock foes into moves that Scyther can easily switch into. Lastly, Spikes damage can help Scyther to secure some crucial KOs, such as against Electabuzz and Kadabra, so Qwilfish is a useful teammate.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
If Scyther has Hidden Power Ground, it is a reasonable choice to use Light Screen over Baton Pass, which will make dealing with Scyther even harder than usual for Pokemon like Slowbro and Nidoqueen and can also be used to assist a teammate like Sandslash in setting up if Scyther can't do much on its own. Hyper Beam can also be used over Baton Pass as a surprise move to deal a huge amount of damage to an unsuspecting foe, potentially KOing it from a range well outside what Scyther is normally capable of. Scyther is also deceptively bulky and is somewhat likely to survive a follow-up attack on the recharge turn if the opposing team lacks a Rock-type move. Scyther can use Agility with Baton Pass to pass Speed boosts to sweepers like Quagsire, Sandslash, Victreebel, and Politoed. However, it must drop either Swords Dance or a coverage move, which is likely to heavily impact its overall effectiveness and decrease its ability to take on Haze users and phazers. Scyther can try to use a RestTalk set with Swords Dance and an attacking move, but no matter which attack it chooses, it will be nearly certain to encounter foes that wall it completely. Scyther can also drop its item and use Thief in its fourth moveslot, potentially crippling one of its checks by taking its Leftovers.
Checks and Counters
=============
**Ground-types**: Piloswine is one of the most reliable Scyther answers. It threatens Scyther with either a STAB Ice-type attack or a Rock-type attack and can use Roar to phaze it or Curse to ready itself for taking on the Baton Pass recipient if it expects Scyther to pass its boosts away. However, +2 Hidden Power Bug can potentially 2HKO after Spikes damage. Sandslash and Quagsire also 2HKO Scyther with their Rock-type moves, whereas Scyther needs Hidden Power Bug and Spikes support to threaten a 2HKO in return. Gligar is merely 3HKOed by +2 Wing Attack, but it can only 3HKO in return with its own Wing Attack. However, if Scyther attacks it, Gligar can retaliate with Counter, so Scyther will rarely want to risk attempting to take Gligar on.
**Gyarados**: Gyarados can 2HKO Scyther with Hidden Power Flying or 3HKO with Thunder and also gets Roar to phaze it if it attempts to use Baton Pass. In return, a +2 Scyther can only manage a 3HKO with Wing Attack.
**Jumpluff**: As it outspeeds Scyther, Jumpluff can switch in on a predicted Swords Dance and use Encore to stop Scyther from attacking it or passing its boost away. Alternatively, it can use Sleep Powder or Stun Spore to cripple Scyther. If Scyther anticipates Jumpluff's entry and uses Wing Attack, it is still at risk of being hit by a status move, meaning Jumpluff may be able to safely heal off the damage with Synthesis as Scyther switches to avoid the status. Jumpluff can also run Hidden Power Flying as a means of damaging Scyther that try to take it on or to revenge kill a low health Scyther.
**Crobat**: Crobat is the only true counter to Scyther, having higher Speed and access to Haze to remove any boosts, as well as being able to hit it super effectively with STAB Wing Attack or Hidden Power Flying. As Crobat can remove any boosts Scyther has before it can attack, Wing Attack can only muster a possible 5HKO against Crobat, while Crobat easily 3HKOes in return with its own Wing Attack. However, Crobat's effectiveness outside of countering Scyther tends to be quite limited, so it is not particularly common.
**Kabutops and Graveler**: Kabutops survives a +2 Hidden Power Ground and OHKOes Scyther in return with Ancient Power. However, it has no way to prevent Scyther from using Baton Pass, so this must be taken into account. Graveler survives a +2 Hidden Power Ground and OHKOes Scyther in return with Hidden Power Rock or Rock Slide. It can also use Explosion to attempt to take out Scyther or its Baton Pass recipient in one hit.
**Hard-hitting Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Pokemon such as Curse Granbull, Slowbro, and Omastar don't reliably counter Scyther, but if they are healthy and Scyther lacks a coverage move that hits them super effectively, they pose a threat to both Scyther and many of the Pokemon that Scyther may be intending to pass its boosts to. Granbull's simultaneous Attack and Defense boosting makes it difficult for any common recipient to deal with it; Slowbro is incredibly physically bulky, does solid damage with its STAB attacks, and may have Thunder Wave to cripple Scyther; and Omastar has a hard-hitting Surf that may be paired with Ice Beam, Haze, or even Ancient Power to hit Scyther hard or erase its boosts as it tries to pass them. However, it must be kept in mind that Scyther 2HKOes Slowbro with +2 Hidden Power Bug and 2HKOes Omastar with +2 Hidden Power Ground.
**Electric-types**: Ampharos survives +2 Hidden Power Ground and can OHKO Scyther in return with Thunder. Electabuzz Speed ties with Scyther and has a chance to OHKO Hidden Power Ground variants with Thunder due to the reduced HP DV; however, it is almost impossible for it to OHKO Hidden Power Bug Scyther, and +2 Hidden Power Ground can also OHKO Electabuzz, being particularly likely to do so after Spikes damage. Magneton is easily OHKOed by +2 Hidden Power Ground, but it survives unboosted Hidden Power Ground and OHKOes in return with Thunder. It is also one of the most reliable counters to Hidden Power Bug Scyther, although it must beware of Ground-type Baton Pass recipients. Electrode outspeeds Scyther and 2HKOes it with Thunderbolt, while Scyther requires a high damage roll to OHKO after Spikes with +2 Hidden Power Ground. Electrode can also paralyze Scyther with Thunder Wave or use Explosion to bring it to low health.
**Nidoqueen**: Scyther's Swords Dance-boosted Hidden Power Ground can 2HKO Nidoqueen, but Nidoqueen can hit it with Lovely Kiss to incapacitate it before it can finish Nidoqueen off. Hidden Power Ground Scyther is likely to be 2HKOed by Thunder or Fire Blast from Nidoqueen and risks getting paralyzed by Thunder, whereas Hidden Power Bug Scyther is less likely to be 2HKOed but also fails to 2HKO Nidoqueen due to lacking a super effective attack.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Earthworm, 15210]]
- Quality checked by: [[Diophantine, 370164], [Century Express, 234737]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Empress, 175616], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
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