[OVERVIEW]
Servine is a potent utility machine, capable of spreading paralysis consistently with its Glare and providing Knock Off support to remove the pesky Eviolite from would-be checks like Hisuian Sliggoo and Ivysaur. Contrary is a dangerous ability when used in conjunction with STAB Leaf Storm, allowing even defensive Servine sets to become difficult to wall after one or two boosts. With reliable recovery in Synthesis to complement great utility moves like Leech Seed and Taunt, Servine can be quite disruptive and difficult to take down with its passable natural bulk. It does, however, suffer from a weakness to common threats like Poison-types such as Ivysaur and Koffing, which can sponge its attacks comfortably, and Steel-types like Hisuian Sliggoo and Varoom, which can also take Servine on with ease. Strong Fire-types such as Monferno and Pignite can threaten Servine out consistently, allowing them to use their powerful STAB attacks and Knock Off to great effect.
[SET]
Defensive (Servine) @ Eviolite
Ability: Contrary
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Leaf Storm
- Synthesis
- Knock Off
- Glare / Giga Drain / Tera Blast
[SET COMMENTS]
Servine is an efficient Knock Off user and offensive setup sweeper, using its powerful STAB Leaf Storm in conjunction with Contrary to rack up boosts while dishing out damage. Glare is a powerful tool to spread paralysis on even Ground-types that would normally sponge Nuzzle and Thunder Wave attempts, such as Gabite and Piloswine. Alternatively, Giga Drain can be used to capitalize on the boosts provided by Leaf Storm, becoming quite powerful itself and effective in preserving Leaf Storm PP. Tera Blast can hit Grass- and Poison-types like Ivysaur and Koffing. Maximum HP investment is used to provide Servine with some general bulk, helping it avoid an OHKO from Monferno and Piloswine and a 2HKO from foes like Choice Specs Drakloak and Gabite, while maximum Speed investment ensures it outspeeds Pokemon like Gabite, Ivysaur, and Monferno, which can allow a boosted Servine with Tera Blast to break through them after enough chip damage instead of being forced out.
Servine uses its utility as a Knock Off user and paralysis spreader effectively on balance and bulky offense teams, providing Eviolite removal to open up teammates like Monferno and Piloswine to clean late-game. Entry hazard support from teammates like Frogadier, Piloswine, and Tinkatuff is appreciated to wear down foes like Pignite and Raboot. Drakloak and Misdreavus are excellent partners for Servine, using the paralysis it spreads to boost their Hex damage. Offensive setup options like Swords Dance Gabite and Shell Smash Wartortle also appreciate the paralysis spreading Servine provides, using paralyzed foes like Dunsparce as setup opportunites. Misdreavus and Quaxwell are valuable defensive teammates that can switch into Servine checks, like Monferno, Pignite, and Raboot, with Quaxwell providing hazard removal as well. Koffing can also help check these powerful Fire-types while providing Toxic Spikes support. Poison- and Steel-types like Koffing, Ivysaur, Hisuian Sliggoo, and Pawniard are dangerous Servine checks, which makes Ground-types like Gabite and Piloswine valuable for breaking through them. Sap Sipper Girafarig is capable of walling Servine with ease, using it as potential setup fodder on Nasty Plot sets, making teammates like Hisuian Sliggoo and Pawniard valuable to keep it in check.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Choice Scarf Servine can be an effective speed control option, using its Leaf Storm in conjunction with Contrary to snowball quickly, as it outpaces foes like Frogadier and Vigoroth. Leech Seed sets can be quite disruptive, with Substitute enabling this further by using Servine's comfortable Speed tier. Servine can use Light Screen and Reflect alongside Light Clay to enable offensive teammates, granting Dragon Dance Fraxure and Shell Smash Wartortle much easier opportunities to sweep.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fire-types**: Monferno, Pignite, and Raboot can also use their powerful Fire-type STAB attacks to break through Servine, with the former two also getting access to Knock Off to be disruptive in general. Monferno and Raboot also have access to U-turn, which can allow teammates safe entry points to preserve momentum.
**Poison-types**: Ivysaur can comfortably stomach all of Servine's attacks and threaten it back with STAB Sludge Bomb or use Knock Off to disrupt foes. Koffing can similarly wall Servine with its Neutralizing Gas to cause stat drops with Contrary while threatening to spread Toxic Spikes; Levitate Koffing will struggle a bit more, though. Weepinbell is a niche pick but can use Servine as setup fodder, getting a safe Swords Dance to become a dangerous setup sweeper.
**Steel-types**: While Tinkatuff can't do much damage to Servine, it can effectively wall it and bother it with Knock Off and Thunder Wave. Hisuian Sliggoo can't risk using Acid Spray against Servine but can still threaten it with Ice Beam and Sludge Bomb. Varoom is an annoyance for Servine especially, with its 4x resistance to its STAB attacks allowing it to use Servine as setup fodder or disrupt foes with Toxic Spikes and Parting Shot.
**Faster Wallbreakers**: Faster wallbreakers like Girafarig and Frogadier can threaten high damage against Servine. Girafarig even has access to Sap Sipper, preventing Servine from getting boosts against it. Priority attacks from Pokemon like Choice Band Fraxure and Piloswine can also threaten to take down Servine after it takes chip damage or loses its Eviolite.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/flampoke.654091/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/mirbro.451786/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/5dots.543866/
Grammar checked by:
Servine is a potent utility machine, capable of spreading paralysis consistently with its Glare and providing Knock Off support to remove the pesky Eviolite from would-be checks like Hisuian Sliggoo and Ivysaur. Contrary is a dangerous ability when used in conjunction with STAB Leaf Storm, allowing even defensive Servine sets to become difficult to wall after one or two boosts. With reliable recovery in Synthesis to complement great utility moves like Leech Seed and Taunt, Servine can be quite disruptive and difficult to take down with its passable natural bulk. It does, however, suffer from a weakness to common threats like Poison-types such as Ivysaur and Koffing, which can sponge its attacks comfortably, and Steel-types like Hisuian Sliggoo and Varoom, which can also take Servine on with ease. Strong Fire-types such as Monferno and Pignite can threaten Servine out consistently, allowing them to use their powerful STAB attacks and Knock Off to great effect.
[SET]
Defensive (Servine) @ Eviolite
Ability: Contrary
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Leaf Storm
- Synthesis
- Knock Off
- Glare / Giga Drain / Tera Blast
[SET COMMENTS]
Servine is an efficient Knock Off user and offensive setup sweeper, using its powerful STAB Leaf Storm in conjunction with Contrary to rack up boosts while dishing out damage. Glare is a powerful tool to spread paralysis on even Ground-types that would normally sponge Nuzzle and Thunder Wave attempts, such as Gabite and Piloswine. Alternatively, Giga Drain can be used to capitalize on the boosts provided by Leaf Storm, becoming quite powerful itself and effective in preserving Leaf Storm PP. Tera Blast can hit Grass- and Poison-types like Ivysaur and Koffing. Maximum HP investment is used to provide Servine with some general bulk, helping it avoid an OHKO from Monferno and Piloswine and a 2HKO from foes like Choice Specs Drakloak and Gabite, while maximum Speed investment ensures it outspeeds Pokemon like Gabite, Ivysaur, and Monferno, which can allow a boosted Servine with Tera Blast to break through them after enough chip damage instead of being forced out.
Servine uses its utility as a Knock Off user and paralysis spreader effectively on balance and bulky offense teams, providing Eviolite removal to open up teammates like Monferno and Piloswine to clean late-game. Entry hazard support from teammates like Frogadier, Piloswine, and Tinkatuff is appreciated to wear down foes like Pignite and Raboot. Drakloak and Misdreavus are excellent partners for Servine, using the paralysis it spreads to boost their Hex damage. Offensive setup options like Swords Dance Gabite and Shell Smash Wartortle also appreciate the paralysis spreading Servine provides, using paralyzed foes like Dunsparce as setup opportunites. Misdreavus and Quaxwell are valuable defensive teammates that can switch into Servine checks, like Monferno, Pignite, and Raboot, with Quaxwell providing hazard removal as well. Koffing can also help check these powerful Fire-types while providing Toxic Spikes support. Poison- and Steel-types like Koffing, Ivysaur, Hisuian Sliggoo, and Pawniard are dangerous Servine checks, which makes Ground-types like Gabite and Piloswine valuable for breaking through them. Sap Sipper Girafarig is capable of walling Servine with ease, using it as potential setup fodder on Nasty Plot sets, making teammates like Hisuian Sliggoo and Pawniard valuable to keep it in check.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Choice Scarf Servine can be an effective speed control option, using its Leaf Storm in conjunction with Contrary to snowball quickly, as it outpaces foes like Frogadier and Vigoroth. Leech Seed sets can be quite disruptive, with Substitute enabling this further by using Servine's comfortable Speed tier. Servine can use Light Screen and Reflect alongside Light Clay to enable offensive teammates, granting Dragon Dance Fraxure and Shell Smash Wartortle much easier opportunities to sweep.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fire-types**: Monferno, Pignite, and Raboot can also use their powerful Fire-type STAB attacks to break through Servine, with the former two also getting access to Knock Off to be disruptive in general. Monferno and Raboot also have access to U-turn, which can allow teammates safe entry points to preserve momentum.
**Poison-types**: Ivysaur can comfortably stomach all of Servine's attacks and threaten it back with STAB Sludge Bomb or use Knock Off to disrupt foes. Koffing can similarly wall Servine with its Neutralizing Gas to cause stat drops with Contrary while threatening to spread Toxic Spikes; Levitate Koffing will struggle a bit more, though. Weepinbell is a niche pick but can use Servine as setup fodder, getting a safe Swords Dance to become a dangerous setup sweeper.
**Steel-types**: While Tinkatuff can't do much damage to Servine, it can effectively wall it and bother it with Knock Off and Thunder Wave. Hisuian Sliggoo can't risk using Acid Spray against Servine but can still threaten it with Ice Beam and Sludge Bomb. Varoom is an annoyance for Servine especially, with its 4x resistance to its STAB attacks allowing it to use Servine as setup fodder or disrupt foes with Toxic Spikes and Parting Shot.
**Faster Wallbreakers**: Faster wallbreakers like Girafarig and Frogadier can threaten high damage against Servine. Girafarig even has access to Sap Sipper, preventing Servine from getting boosts against it. Priority attacks from Pokemon like Choice Band Fraxure and Piloswine can also threaten to take down Servine after it takes chip damage or loses its Eviolite.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/flampoke.654091/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/mirbro.451786/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/5dots.543866/
Grammar checked by:
Last edited:
