Gen 1 Seaking (UU Revamp) [QC 2/2] [GP 2/2]

[Sevi 7]

[OVERVIEW]

Seaking is a pretty pathetic Pokemon in UU. It's only faster than the tier's slowest Pokemon, it's 2HKOed or 3HKOed by most of the metagame, its Attack and Special stats are only average at best, and it has a barren movepool. Even Agility doesn't give Seaking anything unique, since Seadra can pack both Hydro Pump and Agility. To make matters worse, Articuno also gets Agility and is better in almost every way.

With Seaking having such a hard time standing out, you may be surprised that it has a niche. Seaking can be an Agility mixed attacker, just like Articuno, but with a slightly higher Attack stat. That Attack difference makes Tentacruel, one of Articuno's most common checks, more manageable. Furthermore, Dugtrio cannot KO Seaking with a critical hit, meaning Seaking can set up on it without fear, unlike Articuno. These benefits don’t really make up for Seaking’s shortcomings, but it can find itself some success in the metagame.

[SET]

Name: Agility Mixed Attacker
Move 1: Double-Edge
Move 2: Blizzard
Move 3: Hyper Beam
Move 4: Agility

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

This set is Seaking's best chance at sweeping. Double-Edge does the most damage on average and is unresisted by most of the metagame. It allows Seaking to take on Tentacruel, which is almost always 3HKOed if a critical hit occurs. Therefore, Tentacruel cannot use Rest over and over again against Seaking as reliably as it can against Articuno, which is Seaking's biggest niche. Blizzard is used to 2HKO Dugtrio, Dragonite, and Dodrio as well as 3HKO Tangela. Hyper Beam KOes foes from higher health than Double-Edge. Notably, Double-Edge followed by Hyper Beam can KO Kadabra from full health, while critical hit Double-Edge and a subsequent Hyper Beam can KO Electabuzz and Raichu. Agility mitigates Seaking’s terrible Speed and bypasses paralysis's Speed drop so Seaking can sweep even when paralyzed.

It is nearly impossible for Seaking to sweep or beat Tentacruel without a Speed boost, so Seaking needs to find the opportunity to set up. The simplest way is to switch Seaking in against a sleeping Pokemon. The ideal scenario would be to weaken Tentacruel and switch Seaking in as it uses Rest. Seaking can then set up and potentially 3HKO Tentacruel before it can attack. However, it can be difficult to predict when Tentacruel will use Rest, especially if the opponent knows you have a Seaking. Predicting wrong means a huge loss of momentum, as Seaking is forced to switch it out, making this strategy risky. Fortunately, Seaking can set up against any sleeping Pokemon. Therefore, Hypno with Hypnosis, Tangela, and Haunter pair well with Seaking. Putting a Pokemon to sleep can last up to seven turns, so this is Seaking's safest option. Another strategy is to switch Seaking in against a slower or paralyzed Pokemon that is in KO range, pressuring the opponent to switch out. Seaking can set up instead of going for the KO, but be wary that your opponent may predict the Agility or be willing to sacrifice their Pokemon and go for an attack instead. One common situation like this is switching Seaking in against a paralyzed Kadabra that was hit by Seismic Toss. In this case, the opponent must decide if staying in to use Thunder Wave is worth the risk of predicting wrong and being KOed by Hyper Beam. Paying attention to a foe's HP and knowing when Seaking can KO is vital to its success.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

BubbleBeam can be used over Blizzard to hope for a Speed drop against an incoming check. The additional damage from BubbleBeam may be enough to put a Pokemon into KO range, whereas just setting up with Agility would force Seaking to switch out. Getting the Speed drop could also make switching a bit easier, as whatever switches in for Seaking would now be faster than the opponent's Pokemon. However, BubbleBeam is weaker than Blizzard, and it cannot KO Dugtrio after its Substitute breaks. Kangaskhan and Persian also go from a potential 3HKO to a 4HKO. Without Blizzard, Seaking's bad coverage becomes even worse and it struggles to damage Flying- and Grass-type Pokemon. Surf is Seaking's strongest special attack thanks to STAB and can be used instead of Blizzard or Hyper Beam. Surf always KOes Dugtrio after Substitute and always 3HKOes Kangaskhan and Persian, whereas Blizzard just has a chance to do both. Surf is also Seaking's best chance at beating Omastar by having a good chance to 4HKO. However, Blizzard's coverage and chance to freeze far outweigh Surf's benefits. Meanwhile, Hyper Beam is generally Seaking's strongest attack and Seaking has a much harder time sweeping without it.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Thunderbolt Users**: Thunderbolt 2HKOes or 3HKOes Seaking, making its users very dangerous. Haunter is the best choice to check Seaking, since it is immune to Double-Edge and Hyper Beam, and Blizzard only 4HKOes. Switching a healthy Haunter in stops all of Seaking's momentum, even after it has set up. However, Haunter should avoid switching into Blizzard, which can freeze, and a high damage critical hit can be enough for Seaking to KO Haunter first if it has already set up. Gyarados is another great choice. Seaking's Double-Edge only 4HKOes Gyarados, and the recoil damage guarantees that Gyarados's Thunderbolt will 2HKO. Seaking's only hope to KO a healthy Gyarados is to land critical hit Double-Edge followed by critical hit Hyper Beam, or to freeze with Blizzard. Electabuzz and Raichu 2HKO Seaking and have Thunder Wave to force Seaking to use Agility again. Raichu can also use Agility to outspeed Seaking. Electabuzz and Raichu do have to be careful about switching into a Seaking that has already set up, as critical hit Double-Edge followed by Hyper Beam KOes them.

**Rest Users**: Bulky Rest users can stop Seaking from sweeping, constantly healing until Seaking KOes itself from Double-Edge's recoil damage. This situation is also known as a Rest loop. Omastar is the best choice, as Double-Edge, Blizzard, and Hyper Beam barely damage it, giving it several chances to paralyze Seaking with Body Slam before needing to use Rest. However, Omastar is afraid of Blizzard's freeze, and it needs to be wary of Surf Seaking, which can 4HKO Omastar to prevent safe Rest looping. Hypno and Vaporeon can also safely Rest loop. Seaking needs two critical hits to 3HKO them, and it takes an average of 20% recoil damage every Rest cycle. In addition, Hypno can paralyze Seaking with Thunder Wave before it needs to use Rest and weaken or even KO Seaking with Psychic. Tentacruel can be 3HKOed by Seaking's Double-Edge if one attack is a critical hit, but Seaking has a relatively low critical hit rate, so Tentacruel can sometimes survive Rest looping it.

**Kangaskhan and Persian**: Kangaskhan and Persian 3HKO Seaking and are not likely to get 3HKOed back. Therefore, they can usually KO Seaking first if they switch into Seaking as it uses Agility or to revenge kill. Kangaskhan is the better choice because Body Slam can paralyze Seaking, and a critical hit Body Slam followed by Hyper Beam will 2HKO. Persian's Slash and Hyper Beam can combine to 2HKO, although both moves need a high damage roll, and Thunderbolt 3HKOes while having a small chance to paralyze. However, a +2 Seaking with Surf can 3HKO them first.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Sevi 7, 505149]]
- Quality checked by: [[Plague von Karma, 236353], [phoopes, 96315]]
- Grammar checked by: [[CryoGyro, 331519], [Finland, 517429]]

 

[Plague von Karma]

Overview

However, outside of serious competitive games, Seaking can be a fun Pokemon to use.

I am going to be blunt: this line should be removed or the entire analysis put down. This analysis should justify Seaking's use in the metagame.

Set Details

On the other hand, Surf does have a higher base power

You should mention STAB somewhere here.

Double-Edge is Seaking’s main physical attack, and practically guarantees a 3HKO against Tentacruel, as long as one Double-Edge is a Critical Hit.

This is worded strangely. You open it with "practically guarantees" which tells the reader it is a 3HKO, then go on to say "as long as you crit once". This creates a dissonance between the two clauses. "Double-Edge is Seaking's main physical attack, which 3HKOs Tentacruel if one attack lands a critical hit" or something along those lines would be more effective.

Hyper Beam is Seaking’s most powerful attack, often out damaging even Surf, and allows Seaking the best chance at sweeping.

Bring up some notable calcs. Any Pokemon that fall to DEdge -> HB? Any Pokemon that get KOed surprisingly early? You can absolutely expand on this.

Finally, Agility is the cornerstone of this set and is needed to outspeed Tentacruel, and mitigate Seaking’s terrible Speed.

Remove the "cornerstone" bit as it's already established by the set title. You should mention that it bypasses the speed drop from paralysis so Seaking isn't totally fucked.

It is paramount for Seaking to set-up an Agility in order for it to succeed, so finding the opportunity is a top priority.

This needs a ton of expansion. Give examples of where Seaking should pick up the Agility, etc. Maybe go over points of entry and the like too, this area is just way too vague for someone to make use of it.

Other Options

However, Bubblebeam is weaker than even Blizzard and that damage difference can be a problem.

This should be expanded on. What matchups does it negatively affect? Dugtrio? Does the Speed drop affect the Dugtrio matchup in any way? Much more info can be given here. Generally, it boils down to consistency.

Checks & Counters

It is not difficult to check Seaking. Omastar, Vaporeon and Hypno can take Seaking’s attacks well and either Rest loop or KO the unicorn fish. However, all three checks must be wary of Blizzard's freeze chance, which not only will allow Seaking to psuedo KO them, but also give Seaking the perfect opportunity to use Agility. Electabuzz, Raichu and Haunter outspeed Seaking and can 2HKO with Thunderbolt. Haunter is also completely immune to Seaking's Normal-type attacks, making it nearly impossible for Seaking to beat Haunter. Gyarados and Articuno don’t take much damage from Seaking's attacks and Articuno is immune to freeze, while Gyarados can carry Thunderbolt. Dragonite also walls Seaking if Seaking doesn’t carry Blizzard, and Dragonite can paralyze with Thunder Wave or hit Seaking Super-Effectively with Thunderbolt.

Put this into the correct format provided in the Skeleton Thread. We don't currently use the paragraph format as it's historically been regarded as difficult to read.

 

[Plague von Karma]

Overview

These benefits don’t make up for Seaking’s other shortcomings, especially since Seaking has far less Special and bulk than Articuno. However, it can find success in the metagame.

Go over these shortcomings in a second paragraph, and make the first more focused on what it can bring to the table on its own. It is important to establish Seaking's benefits and drawbacks in detail.

Some points to get you started;

• One of many mons Haunter just laughs at
• Relies on Agility to get started because holy fuck that Speed is bad to start with. Puts it at odds with opposing Agility users.
• Very poor coverage outside of Blizzard and Normal-type attacks.

Set Details

This is Seaking’s only usable set.

OO's existence means this statement is false. Remove it.

A Double-Edge and Hyper Beam can KO Kadabra from full health

Replace "and" with "followed up by", or something along those lines.

Separate the area where you go over strategy with Seaking (from when you go over how to agility onwards) into a second paragraph. Makes it more readable.

Checks and Counters

It is not difficult to check Seaking. Omastar, Vaporeon and Hypno can take Seaking’s attacks well and either Rest loop or KO the unicorn fish. However, all three checks must be wary of Blizzard's freeze chance, which not only will allow Seaking to psuedo KO them, but also give Seaking the perfect opportunity to use Agility.

Electabuzz, Raichu and Haunter outspeed Seaking and can 2HKO with Thunderbolt. Haunter is also completely immune to Seaking's Normal-type attacks, making it nearly impossible for Seaking to beat Haunter.

Articuno and Gyarados don’t take much damage from Seaking's attacks and Articuno is immune to freeze, while Gyarados can carry Thunderbolt.

Again, this needs to be in the proper format. Here's a mockup of what it could look like:

**Water-types**: Omastar, Vaporeon and Hypno can take Seaking’s attacks well and either Rest loop or KO the unicorn fish. However, all three checks must be wary of Blizzard's freeze chance, which not only will allow Seaking to pseudo-KO them, but also give Seaking the perfect opportunity to use Agility.

**Electric-type Coverage**: Electabuzz, Raichu and Haunter outspeed Seaking and can 2HKO with Thunderbolt. Haunter is also completely immune to Seaking's Normal-type attacks, making it nearly impossible for Seaking to beat Haunter. Gyarados doesn't take much damage from Seaking's attacks and can carry Thunderbolt.

**Articuno**: Articuno doesn’t take much damage from Seaking's attacks and is immune to freeze.

There also needs to be far more explanation here. Articuno's section doesn't talk about how it actually beats Seaking, nor does it go over how if both have used Agility, Articuno still outspeeds.

 

[Plague von Karma]

Overview

Seaking is a pretty pathetic Pokemon in UU. Its only faster than the tier's slowest Pokemon. It's 2HKOed or 3HKOed by most of the meta. Its Attack and Special stats are also average at best, which is made even worse by Seaking's barren movepool. Even Agility doesn't give Seaking anything unique since Seadra can pack both Hydro Pump and Agility and Articuno gets Agility and is better in almost every way.

This is a run-on sentence, try splitting it. Could be like "To make matters worse, Articuno gets Agility and is better in almost every way.".

Set Details

Double-Edge also lets Seaking take on Tentacruel, who is nearly always 3HKOed by Double-Edge, if one attack lands a critical hit. Therefore, Tentacruel cannot Rest loop against Seaking as reliably as it can against Articuno, which is Seaking's biggest niche.

I still believe that mentioning the CH first is important. Something like "Double-Edge allows Seaking to take on Tentacruel, which—if struck with a critical hit at least once—is always 3HKOed." would have less emotional whiplash attached, y'get me?

Blizzard is used to 2HKO Dugtrio, Dragonite and Dodrio and 3HKO Tangela and Venusaur.

Replace this with ", as well as".

Blizzard's 10% chance to freeze also gives Seaking a chance to beat Omastar.

This is just dex info that applies to any matchup, you can prolly cut this.

The ideal scenario would be to weaken Tentacruel and switch-in Seaking as Tentacruel uses Rest.

Replace with "it".

While both subjects are broad, I'm pretty sure Checks & Counters could be expanded, it seems a bit bare for a Pokemon that is generally regarded as something on the outer reaches of viability. Opposing Water-types sounds like a big one, eg. Poliwrath, Dewgong, Omastar, Vaporeon...

Implement for QC 1/2

 

[phoopes]

Its only faster than the tier's slowest Pokemon. It's 2HKOed or 3HKOed by most of the meta. Its Attack and Special stats are also average at best, which is made even worse by Seaking's barren movepool.

I'd restructure this into...

"It's only faster than the tier's slowest Pokemon, it's 2HKOed or 3HKOed by most of the meta, and its Attack and Special stats are only average at best, which is made even worse by Seaking's barren movepool."

Blizzard is used to 2HKO Dugtrio, Dragonite and Dodrio, as well as, 3HKO Tangela and Venusaur.

Not sure how relevant including Venusaur is in here, since it 2HKOs with Razor Leaf. If you already have some Double-Edge recoil, it very well could take you out in one shot. Not saying remove it but I think I need to be sold on why you would include this calc.

However, Bubblebeam is weaker than Blizzard, meaning that Dugtrio can survive a Special attack even after a Substitute.

I'm not sure exactly what you mean here. Do you mean Dugtrio can survive Bubblebeam even after a Sub? I think that's what you mean but it's not 100% clear.

**Rest Users**

I would maybe define what the term "Rest loop" means since you use it so often in this paragraph. Could be helpful.

 

[phoopes]

Sevi 7 those edits look good to me!

QC 2/2

 

[CryoGyro]

GP 1/2

Hide

[OVERVIEW]

Seaking is a pretty pathetic Pokemon in UU. It's only faster than the tier's slowest Pokemon, it's 2HKOed or 3HKOed by most of the meta, and its Attack and Special stats are only average at best, which is made even worse by Seaking's and it has a barren movepool. Even Agility doesn't give Seaking anything unique, (comma) since Seadra can pack both Hydro Pump and Agility. To make matters worse, Articuno gets Agility and is better in almost every way.

With Seaking having such a hard time standing out, you may be surprised that it has carved itself a niche in the metagame. Seaking can be an Agility mixed attacker, just like Articuno, but with a slightly higher Attack stat. This may not seem like much, but That Attack difference makes Tentacruel, one Articuno's most common checks, more manageable. Furthermore, Dugtrio cannot kill KO Seaking with a critical hit, meaning Seaking can set-up Agility set up on it without fear, unlike Articuno. These benefits don’t really make up for Seaking’s shortcomings, but this unicorn fish it can find itself some success in the metagame.

[SET]

Name: Agility Mixed Attacker
Move 1: Double-Edge
Move 2: Blizzard
Move 3: Hyper Beam
Move 4: Agility

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

This set is Seaking's best chance at sweeping. Double-Edge is Seaking's main attack, as it does the most damage on average and is unresisted by most of the metagame. Double-Edge It allows Seaking to take on Tentacruel, which if struck with a critical hit at least once, is almost always a 3HKO 3HKOed if a critical hit occurs. Therefore, Tentacruel cannot use Rest over and over again against Seaking as reliably as it can against Articuno, which is Seaking's biggest niche. Blizzard is used to 2HKO Dugtrio, Dragonite, (comma) and Dodrio, (comma) as well as, (comma) 3HKO Tangela. Hyper Beam KOes opponents foes from higher health than Double-Edge. Notably, a Double-Edge followed by a Hyper Beam can KO Kadabra from full health, while a critical hit Double-Edge and a subsequent Hyper Beam can KO Electabuzz and Raichu. Agility completes the set by mitigating mitigates Seaking’s terrible Speed and bypasses paralysis's Speed drop so Seaking can sweep even when paralyzed.

It is nearly impossible for Seaking to sweep or beat Tentacruel without a Speed boost, so Seaking needs to find the opportunity to set up. The simplest way is to switch Seaking in against a sleeping Pokemon. The ideal scenario would be to weaken Tentacruel and switch-in Seaking in as it uses Rest. Seaking can then set up and potentially 3HKO Tentacruel before it can attack However, it can be difficult to predict when Tentacruel will use Rest, especially if the opponent knows you have a Seaking. Predicting wrong means a huge loss of momentum, as Seaking is forced to switch out, making this strategy risky. Fortunately, Seaking can set up against any sleeping Pokemon. Therefore, Hypno with Hypnosis, Tangela, (comma) and or Haunter pair well with Seaking. Putting a Pokemon to sleep can last up to seven turns in this generation, so this is Seaking's safest option. Another strategy is to switch Seaking in against a slower or paralyzed Pokemon that is in KO range;, (comma) pressuring the opponent to switch out. Seaking can set up instead of going for the KO, but be wary that an opponent may predict the Agility or may be willing to sacrifice their Pokemon and go for an attack instead. One common situation like this is against a paralyzed Kadabra that was hit by a Seismic Toss. In this case, the opponent must decide if staying in to use Thunder Wave Seaking is worth the risk of predicting wrong and being KOed by Hyper Beam. Paying attention to an opponent's health a foe's HP and knowing when Seaking can KO is vital to its success.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Bubblebeam can be used over Blizzard to hope for a Speed drop against an incoming check. The additional damage from Bubblebeam may be enough to put a Pokemon into KO range, whereas just setting up an with Agility would force Seaking to switch out. Getting the Speed drop could also make switching-out a bit easier, as whatever switches in for Seaking would now be faster than the opponent's Pokemon. However, Bubblebeam is weaker than Blizzard, and cannot KO Dugtrio after its Substitute breaks. Kangaskhan and Persian also go from a potential 3HKO to a 4HKO. Furthermore, Without Blizzard, Seaking's bad coverage becomes even worse and Seaking struggles to damage Flying- and Grass-type Pokemon. Surf is Seaking's strongest special attack, (comma) thanks to STAB, (comma) and can be used instead of Blizzard or Hyper Beam. Surf always KOes Dugtrio after a Substitute and always 3HKOes Kangaskhan and Persian, whereas Blizzard just has a chance to do these. Surf is also Seaking's best chance at beating Omastar, (comma) which has by having a good chance to 4HKO. However, Surf is almost never worth it. Just like with Bubblebeam, Blizzard's coverage and chance to freeze far outweigh Surf's benefits. Meanwhile, Hyper Beam is generally Seaking's strongest attack and Seaking has a much harder time sweeping without it.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Thunderbolt Users**: Thunderbolt 2HKOes or 3HKOes Seaking, making its users very dangerous. Haunter is the best choice to check Seaking with, since it is immune to Double-Edge and Hyper Beam, and Blizzard only 4HKOes. Switching-in a healthy Haunter in stops all of Seaking's momentum, even after it has set up. However, Haunter should try to switch in against a Double-Edge, Hyper Beam or Agility, because Blizzard avoid switching into Blizzard, which can freeze, (comma) and a high damage critical hit can be enough aditional damage for Seaking to KO Haunter first, (comma) if Seaking has already set up. Gyarados is another great choice. Seaking's Double-Edge only 4HKOes Gyarados, (comma) and the recoil damage guarantees that Gyarados's Thunderbolt will 2HKO. Seaking's only hope to KO a healthy Gyarados is to land a critical hit Double-Edge followed by a critical hit Hyper Beam, or to freeze with Blizzard. Lastly, Electabuzz and Raichu 2HKO Seaking and have Thunder Wave to force Seaking to set-up use Agility again. Raichu can also set-up an use Agility of its own and then to outspeed Seaking as well. Electabuzz and Raichu do have to be careful about switching into a Seaking that has already set up though, as a critical hit Double-Edge followed by a Hyper Beam KOes both of them.

**Rest Users**: Bulky Rest users can stop Seaking from sweeping, and can continue to use Rest constantly healing until Seaking KOes itself from Double-Edge's recoil damage. This situation is also known as a Rest loop. Omastar is the best choice, as it completely stops Seaking from sweeping, due to its Rock and Water-typing. Double-Edge, Blizzard and Hyper Beam barely damage Omastar it, giving it several chances to paralyze Seaking with Body Slam before needing to use Rest. However, Omastar is afraid of Blizzard's freeze, and needs to be wary of a Seaking with Surf, since Seaking can then 4HKO it, and Omastar can no longer safely Rest loop Surf Seaking, which can 4HKO Omastar to prevent safe Rest looping. Hypno and Vaporeon can also safely Rest loop. Seaking needs two critical hits to 3HKO them, and takes an average of 20% recoil damage, (comma) on average, every Rest cycle. In addition, Hypno can paralyze Seaking with Thunder Wave, (comma) before it needs to use Rest, and weaken or even KO Seaking with Psychic. Tentacruel can be 3HKOed by Seaking's Double-Edge, (comma) if one attack is a critical hit, but Seaking has a relatively low critical hit rate, so Tentacruel can survive Rest looping it.

**Kangaskhan and Persian**: Kangaskhan and Persian both 3HKO Seaking and are not likely to get 3HKOed back. Therefore, they can usually KO Seaking first, (comma) if they switch into Seaking as it uses Agility or to revenge kill. Kangaskhan is the better choice, (comma) because Body Slam can paralyze Seaking, and a critical hit Body Slam followed by a Hyper Beam will 2HKO. Persian is still a good choice though. Persian's Slash and Hyper Beam can 2HKO, although both need a high damage roll, and Thunderbolt 3HKOes while having a small chance to paralyze. However, Seaking's Surf 3HKOs both Kangaskhan and Persian, so a Speed boosted +2 Seaking with Surf can 3HKO them first.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Sevi 7, 505149]]
- Quality checked by: [[Plague von Karma, 236353 ], [phoopes,96315]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]

 

[Sevi 7]

Implemented. Thank you!

 

[Adeleine]

there were some one and two letter changes in this relatively sparse check. i highlighted one especially hard to see one, but just make sure to be careful to not miss those

Add/Fix Remove Comment
(AC)/(RC): Add/Remove Comma

Hide

[OVERVIEW]

Seaking is a pretty pathetic Pokemon in UU. It's only faster than the tier's slowest Pokemon, it's 2HKOed or 3HKOed by most of the metagame, its Attack and Special stats are only average at best, and it has a barren movepool. Even Agility doesn't give Seaking anything unique, since Seadra can pack both Hydro Pump and Agility. To make matters worse, Articuno also gets Agility and is better in almost every way.

With Seaking having such a hard time standing out, you may be surprised (removed bold) that it has a niche. Seaking can be an Agility mixed attacker, just like Articuno, but with a slightly higher Attack stat. That Attack difference makes Tentacruel, one of Articuno's most common checks, more manageable. Furthermore, Dugtrio cannot KO Seaking with a critical hit, meaning Seaking can set up on it without fear, unlike Articuno. These benefits don’t really make up for Seaking’s shortcomings, but it can find itself some success in the metagame.

[SET]

Name: Agility Mixed Attacker
Move 1: Double-Edge
Move 2: Blizzard
Move 3: Hyper Beam
Move 4: Agility

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

This set is Seaking's best chance at sweeping. Double-Edge does the most damage on average and is unresisted by most of the metagame. It allows Seaking to take on Tentacruel, which is almost always 3HKOed if a critical hit occurs. Therefore, Tentacruel cannot use (removed bold) Rest over and over again against Seaking as reliably as it can against Articuno, which is Seaking's biggest niche. Blizzard is used to 2HKO Dugtrio, Dragonite, and Dodrio as well as 3HKO Tangela. Hyper Beam KOes foes from higher health than Double-Edge. Notably, Double-Edge followed by Hyper Beam can KO Kadabra from full health, while critical hit Double-Edge and a (this one may be easy to miss, so here's a comment) subsequent Hyper Beam can KO Electabuzz and Raichu. Agility mitigates Seaking’s terrible Speed and bypasses paralysis's Speed drop so Seaking can sweep even when paralyzed.

It is nearly impossible for Seaking to sweep or beat Tentacruel without a Speed boost, so Seaking needs to find the opportunity to set up. The simplest way is to switch Seaking in against a sleeping Pokemon. The ideal scenario would be to weaken Tentacruel and switch Seaking in as it uses Rest. Seaking can then set up and potentially 3HKO Tentacruel before it can attack. (added period) However, it can be difficult to predict when Tentacruel will use Rest, especially if the opponent knows you have a Seaking. Predicting wrong means a huge loss of momentum, as Seaking is forced to switch out, making this strategy risky. Fortunately, Seaking can set up against any sleeping Pokemon. Therefore, Hypno with Hypnosis, Tangela, and Haunter pair well with Seaking. Putting a Pokemon to sleep can last up to seven turns, so this is Seaking's safest option. Another strategy is to switch Seaking in against a slower or paralyzed Pokemon that is in KO range, pressuring the opponent to switch it out. Seaking can set up instead of going for the KO, but be wary that an your opponent may predict the Agility or be willing to sacrifice their Pokemon and go for an attack instead. One common situation like this is switching Seaking in against a paralyzed Kadabra that was hit by Seismic Toss. In this case, the opponent must decide if staying in to use Thunder Wave is worth the risk of predicting wrong and being KOed by Hyper Beam. Paying attention to a foe's HP and knowing when Seaking can KO is vital to its success.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

BubbleBeam can be used over Blizzard to hope for a Speed drop against an incoming check. The additional damage from BubbleBeam may be enough to put a Pokemon into KO range, whereas just setting up with Agility would force Seaking to switch out. Getting the Speed drop could also make switching a bit easier, as whatever switches in for Seaking would now be faster than the opponent's Pokemon. However, BubbleBeam is weaker than Blizzard, and it cannot KO Dugtrio after its Substitute breaks. Kangaskhan and Persian also go from a potential 3HKO to a 4HKO. Without Blizzard, Seaking's bad coverage becomes even worse and Seaking it struggles to damage Flying- and Grass-type Pokemon. Surf is Seaking's strongest special attack thanks to STAB and can be used instead of Blizzard or Hyper Beam. Surf always KOes Dugtrio after Substitute and always 3HKOes Kangaskhan and Persian, whereas Blizzard just has a chance to do both. (I imagine?) Surf is also Seaking's best chance at beating Omastar by having a good chance to 4HKO. However, Blizzard's coverage and chance to freeze far outweigh Surf's benefits. Meanwhile, Hyper Beam is generally Seaking's strongest attack and Seaking has a much harder time sweeping without it.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Thunderbolt Users**: Thunderbolt 2HKOes or 3HKOes Seaking, making its users very dangerous. Haunter is the best choice to check Seaking, since it is immune to Double-Edge and Hyper Beam, and Blizzard only 4HKOes. Switching a healthy Haunter in stops all of Seaking's momentum, even after it has set up. However, Haunter should avoid switching into Blizzard, which can freeze, and a high damage critical hit can be enough additional damage for Seaking to KO Haunter first if Seaking it has already set up. Gyarados is another great choice. Seaking's Double-Edge only 4HKOes Gyarados, and the recoil damage guarantees that Gyarados's Thunderbolt will 2HKO. Seaking's only hope to KO a healthy Gyarados is to land critical hit Double-Edge followed by critical hit Hyper Beam, or to freeze with Blizzard. Electabuzz and Raichu 2HKO Seaking and have Thunder Wave to force Seaking to use Agility again. Raichu can also use Agility to outspeed Seaking. Electabuzz and Raichu do have to be careful about switching into a Seaking that has already set up, as critical hit Double-Edge followed by Hyper Beam KOes them.

**Rest Users**: Bulky Rest users can stop Seaking from sweeping, constantly healing until Seaking KOes itself from Double-Edge's recoil damage. This situation is also known as a Rest loop. Omastar is the best choice, as Double-Edge, Blizzard, (AC) and Hyper Beam barely damages it, giving it several chances to paralyze Seaking with Body Slam before needing to use Rest. However, Omastar is afraid of Blizzard's freeze, and it needs to be wary of Surf Seaking, which can 4HKO Omastar to prevent safe Rest looping. Hypno and Vaporeon can also safely Rest loop. Seaking needs two critical hits to 3HKO them, and it takes an average of 20% recoil damage every Rest cycle. In addition, Hypno can paralyze Seaking with Thunder Wave before it needs to use Rest (RC) and weaken or even KO Seaking with Psychic. Tentacruel can be 3HKOed by Seaking's Double-Edge if one attack is a critical hit, but Seaking has a relatively low critical hit rate, so Tentacruel can often (I imagine this makes sense?) survive Rest looping it.

**Kangaskhan and Persian**: Kangaskhan and Persian 3HKO Seaking and are not likely to get 3HKOed back. Therefore, they can usually KO Seaking first if they switch into Seaking as it uses Agility or to revenge kill. Kangaskhan is the better choice because Body Slam can paralyze Seaking, and a (removed bold) critical hit Body Slam followed by Hyper Beam will 2HKO. Persian's Slash and Hyper Beam can combine to 2HKO, although both moves need a high damage roll, and Thunderbolt 3HKOes while having a small chance to paralyze. However, a +2 Seaking with Surf can 3HKO them first.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Sevi 7, 505149]]
- Quality checked by: [[Plague von Karma, 236353], [phoopes, 96315]] (fixed spacing/caps for pvk/phoops/cg)
- Grammar checked by: [[CryoGyro, 331519], [Finland, 517429]]

2/2

 

[Sevi 7]

Sorry, I was more careful with GPing this time.

Tentacruel can be 3HKOed by Seaking's Double-Edge if one attack is a critical hit, but Seaking has a relatively low critical hit rate, so Tentacruel can often (I imagine this makes sense?) survive Rest looping it.

I changed often to sometimes. Since Tentacruel survives less than 15% of the time if my math is right.

Other than that I implemented the GP.

Thank you to everyone for helping and fixing my many mistakes.

 

[Plague von Karma]

This was uploaded!