http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/sharpedo
Heysup is working on a "mixed sweeper" set so I'll be leaving it out. This was written before Quality Control came into effect so the whole thing is written rather than notes (was told by ete to post here). Might add a Choice Scarf set, need to test :P Anyway any comments appreciated :) red text is notes to myself.
[Overview]
<p>Sharpedo's excellent offensive stats and decent Speed make him an effective sweeper in UU. This is complemented by his decent movepool and reliable STAB moves. Sharpedo's main downfall is his awful defenses and poor defensive typing, giving him weaknesses to common Grass-type moves, as well as common Fighting-type moves like Mach Punch. This is disappointing, as Sharpedo works excellently when it's against crippled or weakened opponents, or hiding behind a Substitute.</p>
[SET]
name: Offensive Lead
move 1: Crunch
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Aqua Jet
move 4: Taunt / Earthquake / Ice Fang
item: Focus Sash
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[Set Comments]
<p>Sharpedo is an effective lead in UU as he can hit the opponent with his powerful STAB attacks and proceed to finish them off with Aqua Jet. Rhyperior leads are KOed with Waterfall followed by Aqua Jet, while Crunch has a chance to 2HKO Uxie and OHKO Alakazam (or 2HKO Focus Sash versions with Crunch followed by Aqua Jet). Taunt is the best option in the final slot as it shuts down lead Cloyster, who causes problems due to his huge physical defense and his typing, which gives him a resistance to Water-type moves. Earthquake allows Sharpedo to hit Registeel, while Ice Fang deals huge damage to Altaria and Torterra switch-ins. Focus Sash is the ideal item as any attack is likely to KO Sharpedo.</p>
[Additional Comments]
<p>The EVs focus on Sharpedo's Attack, giving his physical moves more power. 252 Speed EVs aren't used to outrun a specific threat; they are used because Sharpedo's defenses are not worth investing in.</p>
<p>Ambipom leads cause Sharpedo problems as Fake out will deal a large amount of damage, and his high Speed allows him to attack again before he can hit back; Aqua Jet is unable to KO Ambipom after he has used Fake out, making Sharpedo easy to defeat. Spiritomb also causes Sharpedo problems as his great defenses means that he takes little damage from any of Sharpedo's attacks, while he can hit Sharpedo super effectively with Hidden Power Fighting and finish him off with Sucker Punch. Registeel is a decent partner for this set as it can switch into both Ambipom and Spiritomb with ease and attempt to set up with Curse, or cripple Ambipom with Thunder Wave (providing he doesn't carry Taunt). Its great defenses mean Registeel will take reduced damage from Hidden Power Fighting, and its Steel-typing gives it a resistance to Dark-, Ghost-, and Normal-type moves. Machoke leads also cause Sharpedo problems as he hits you super effectively with DynamicPunch, and proceed to use Bullet Punch to negate Sharpedo's Focus Sash; the confusion caused by DynamicPunch isn't helpful either. Slowbro is an excellent choice to deal with Machoke leads due to his Own Tempo ability and high defensive stats; his Psychic-typing also gives him a resistance to DynamicPunch.</p>
[SET]
name: Physical Attacker
move 1: Waterfall
move 2: Crunch
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Substitute / Ice Fang / Zen Headbutt
item: Life Orb
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[Set Comments]
<p>This set takes advantage of Sharpedo's excellent Attack and decent movepool, which make him a powerful physical sweeper in UU. Waterfall is the most important move on this set, providing excellent STAB, while dealing huge damage to walls like Donphan, Regirock, and Moltres. Crunch is used as secondary STAB, hitting Psychic- and Ghost-types like Slowbro and Rotom super effectively. Earthquake is used to hit Steel-types like Registeel and Magneton, while dealing more damage to Aggron than Waterfall. The final slot is down to personal preference; Substitute is the best option if you choose to use a Life Orb as it protects Sharpedo from status and critical hits, while also covering his awful defenses. Ice Fang may be used to hit Altaria and Torterra with more power, and Zen Headbutt deals more damage to the likes of Venusaur and Hitmontop.</p>
[Additional Comments]
<p>252 Attack EVs are used on this set to deal maximum damage with his attacks, while 252 Speed EVs are used to tie with positive base 95 Pokemon. Sharpedo is so frail that it isn't worth investing in his defenses. When using a Choice Band, an Adamant nature is recommended to deal as much damage as possible over a single turn, though Jolly can be used to outrun the likes of Rotom and tie with positive-natured Drapion and Houndoom.</p>
<p>Bulky Water-types cause problems for this set as Sharpedo is unable to hit the majority of them super effectively. Problems arise when facing Blastoise, Milotic, and Cloyster. Venusaur is an excellent partner for Sharpedo as he can switch into these threats with ease thanks to his immunity to Toxic and resistance to Water-type attacks. Venusaur can proceed to Sleep Powder or Swords Dance and attempt to KO the opponent. Venusaur is also helpful as he absorbs Toxic Spikes, a common move on Cloyster. Torterra is another option as STAB Wood Hammer deals huge damage to the likes of Slowbro and Milotic; he should watch out for Ice Beam though.</p>
<p>Support from Toxic Spikes is helpful as it cripples bulky walls who attempt to stop Sharpedo's sweep. These include Leafeon, Tangrowth, and non-RestTalk Spiritomb. Drapion is an excellent choice to set up Toxic Spikes due to his excellent typing and decent defensive stats. Qwilfish is another great choice as he can act as a suicide lead and explode on the opponent, giving Sharpedo a safe switch in.</p>
<p>Pokemon with priority moves-such as Hitmontop, Absol, and Scyther-cause big problems for Sharpedo as his defenses are horrible. Donphan is an option as he takes little damage from common priority moves in UU, and can set up Stealth Rock, remove entry hazards with Rapid Spin, and hit incoming Ghosts with Assurance. He also has access to Ice Shard, dealing huge damage to Scyther, and Earthquake coming from base 120 Attack will hit anyone who doesn't resist it for huge damage.</p>
[SET]
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Surf / Hydro Pump
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Hidden Power Grass
move 4: Substitute / Dark Pulse
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid / Modest
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[Set Comments]
<p> While the above set utilizes Sharpedo's impressive Attack, this set uses Sharpedo's lower Special Attack to sweep. Although this seems inferior to his physical or mixed set, this set carries surprise value, and his special movepool is equally as good as his physical one. Surf and Hydro Pump act as reliable STAB, both dealing huge damage to the likes of Moltres, Regirock, and Donphan. Surf is the most reliable option as Sharpedo's defenses are so horrible that he cannot afford to miss an attack; however, Hydro Pump does have some merit, having the chance to OHKO standard Regirock (providing you have Stealth Rock and a layer of Spikes). Ice Beam allows Sharpedo to hit Altaria, Torterra, and Tangrowth super effectively, scoring an OHKO on each. Hidden Power Grass is used to deal with Slowbro, Milotic, and Quagsire. The final slot is down to personal preference, though Substitute is recommended when you use a Life Orb due to Sharpedo's weak defenses. Dark Pulse can be used as secondary STAB, hitting Ghosts like Rotom, as well as Psychic-types like Uxie. Using an Expert Belt in place of Life Orb is an option as it helps Sharpedo bluff a Choice item, which can lure an opponent into thinking they are safe when switching into Sharpedo; you then proceed to hit them super effectively.</p>
[Additional Comments]
<p>252 Special Attack EVs ensure that Sharpedo's attacks deal as much damage as possible, and 252 Speed EVs along with a Timid nature allow Sharpedo to outrun the likes of Rotom and tie with positive-natured Drapion and Houndoom. The choice between a Timid and Modest nature depends on whether you wish for more Speed or more power.</p>
<p> Due to his lack of a physical move, this set encounters problems with special walls like Chansey. There are numerous ways to deal with Chansey, the first being a mixed sweeper acting as a lure with special attacks. Magmortar is an excellent option as he can bluff a Choice item with Expert Belt and 2HKO Chansey with Cross Chop. Another way to beat Chansey is to use a Mismagius with Taunt and Nasty Plot. After three Nasty Plot boosts, Mismagius can 2HKO Chansey with Hidden Power Fighting. Registeel will also cause problems as Sharpedo is unable to 2HKO it with Choice Specs Hydro Pump, while Registeel can cripple him with Thunder Wave and finish him off with Iron Head. Nidoking is a great choice to beat Registeel as he can switch into Thunder Wave for free due to his Ground typing, and threaten Registeel with STAB Earthquake or Earth Power. Rhyperior and Donphan are also excellent choices as they can switch into any of Registeel's attacks and hit it with STAB Earthquake.</p>
<p>To ensure an OHKO against Regirock, Stealth Rock and a layer of Spikes is required. Omastar is a fine choice for this role as it has huge Defense, allowing it to set up against physical threats such as Scyther and Arcanine, while scaring away common Rapid Spinners like Donphan and Claydol with its STAB Surf. Another way to set up entry hazards is to use Cloyster or Qwilfish to set up Spikes, along with a defensive partner like Chansey or Uxie with Stealth Rock. A pair like this will also cause many switches due to their resistances and support moves like Yawn.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Due to Sharpedo's awful defenses and poor typing, he lures Pokemon with priority moves, the main users being Arcanine, Hitmontop, and Azumarill. The best partner to deal with these threats is Slowbro, taking neutral damage from ExtremeSpeed and resisting Mach Punch and Aqua Jet (although Sharpedo is a Water-type, his horrible defenses leave him vulnerable to Aqua Jet). Slowbro can hit Arcanine super effectively with Surf, while Hitmontop is defeated with Psychic. Spiritomb is another decent partner to beat the likes of Hitmontop as he walls almost every one of Hitmontop's moves, and is able to use Will-O-Wisp to cut Hitmontop's Attack in half.</p>
<p>Bulky Water-types are difficult for Sharpedo to break without a Defense drop from Crunch; as such, some team support is required. Venusaur is an excellent choice for this role due to his versatility. Swords Dance Venusaur may be used on more offensive teams, while a SubSeeder can be used on more stall-oriented teams. Venusaur also benefits from the removal of Fire- and Psychic-type opponents, both of whom are hit super effectively by Sharpedo's STAB moves.</p>
<p>Registeel is a decent defensive partner for Sharpedo as it can switch into Pokemon like Milotic and Venusaur (barring those with Earthquake), while dealing with the likes of Mismagius and Alakazam as well. Registeel appreciates the removal of Fire-types like Blaziken and Moltres, and Ground-types like Torterra. Sharpedo can take care of these threats with his STAB moves, and benefits from Stealth Rock, which Registeel can set up.</p>
<p>For specially-based sets, Chansey is an obstacle. To combat this problem, a Choice Band Dugtrio is an excellent addition to your team, as he can trap Chansey with his ability, Arena Trap, and KO her with STAB Earthquake. Mixed attackers like Blaziken are other great options as they can trick Chansey into thinking they're a special sweeper, and then proceed to pummel her with physical attacks. Any physical sweeper with a decent Attack score will make short work of her and cause problems for your opponent's team.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Night Slash is another reliable STAB move, which you may use in place of Crunch. The loss of power isn't preferable, though the higher chance of landing a critical hit is most welcome. Assurance is another option if you have entry hazards, as it hits the opponent with a massive 150 Base Power, including STAB. Super Fang is an excellent option on any set, halving the HP of a wall who's causing problems. Agility may be useful to boost Sharpedo's Speed, allowing you to focus EVs on his offensive stats.</p>
<p>Choice items may be used in place of Life Orb for more power, though this makes Sharpedo easy to predict and will force you to switch more often. This causes problems as Sharpedo's awful defenses will make it difficult to switch in, and Stealth Rock will take its toll after repeated switch ins.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Bulky Water-types can wall the majority of Sharpedo's attacks, barring the rare Choice Specs-boosted Hidden Power. Milotic makes light work of Sharpedo, having a resistance to his STAB Water-type moves, and taking little damage from Crunch and Dark Pulse due to her great defenses. Hidden Power Grass deals a minimum of 72% to Sharpedo even without EV investment, always scoring a 2HKO. Cloyster can take on any physically-based set, using his great Defense to set up entry hazards, while he can play offensively with Rock Blast or Explosion. Blastoise also takes little damage from any of Sharpedo's attacks, regardless of them being physical or special. Blastoise can use this time to support his team with Rapid Spin, or cripple Sharpedo with Yawn or Toxic. Finally, Poliwrath resists Sharpedo's Dark-type moves, whilst having has an immunity to Water-type attacks thanks to Water Absorb. If Sharpedo is carrying a Choice item, he's forced to switch out, and Poliwrath can use this time to set up a Substitute or hit the incoming Pokemon with Focus Punch.</p>
<p>Chansey can handle most specially-based sets with her huge HP and good Special Defense, while she can beat Sharpedo with Seismic Toss and Softboiled. Lanturn also does an excellent job at countering Sharpedo who lack Earthquake, and can hit Sharpedo with STAB Electric-type moves.</p>
<p>Weezing can handle most physically-based sets with his immunity to Earthquake, huge defensive stats, and access to a variety of moves that can deal with Sharpedo. Thunderbolt will OHKO Sharpedo, while Will-O-Wisp cuts his Attack score in half. Weezing should be careful of Hydro Pump from mixed and specially-based sets, however.</p>
<p>Venusaur can handle most sets, though repeated hits from Ice Beam will wear him down over time. Sleep Powder can be used to cripple Sharpedo, while Energy Ball or Power Whip will OHKO him. Tangrowth is another decent choice, though his low Special Defense is an issue if Sharpedo is running Ice Beam or Dark Pulse.</p>
<p>Hitmontop is a decent counter as he can exploit Sharpedo's low Defense with his super effective priority moves. A combination of Fake Out and Mach Punch will KO Sharpedo, while his Intimidate ability will weaken Sharpedo's physical attacks.</p>
