SM Smeargle QC: 0/1

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Aaronboyer

Something Worth Fighting For
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[OVERVIEW]
Infinite creativity and versatility: that’s what Smeargle’s potential would be if it wasn’t squandered by its abysmally low stats. Relegated to a support role that capitalizes on its decent base 75 Speed, Smeargle can effectively incapacitate foes by putting them asleep with Spore and begin stacking entry hazards. With such limited distribution, Smeargle has proven to be one of the best Sticky Web setters in the metagame, providing hyper offensive teams with crucial Speed control. Even with HP investment, however, Smeargle’s paper-thin defenses usually prevent it from setting up entry hazards more than once per game. Because of its poor defenses, Smeargle also cannot utilize Mental Herb to improve its matchup versus faster Taunt users like Floatzel, Electrode, and Oricorio-F, giving it even more competition from Shuckle. Lastly, Smeargle’s dependence on status ailments to cripple and incapacitate opposing entry hazard removers means nothing to Komala, the metagame’s most common Rapid Spin user, due to Comatose, forcing Smeargle to hard switch or pivot out with Parting Shot.

[SET]
name: Sticky Web
move 1: Spore
move 2: Sticky Web
move 3: Stealth Rock
move 4: Nuzzle / Parting Shot
item: Focus Sash
ability: Technician / Own Tempo
nature: Jolly / Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
  • Spore is what truly diversifies Smeargle as a Sticky Web setter, as incapacitating goes by putting them asleep generated free turns to set up entry hazards and to pivot out into one of Smeargle’s offensive teammates.
  • Sticky Web lowers all opposing grounded Pokemon’s Speed by one stage when they switch in, giving Smeargle’s offensive teammates the chance to attack first more often.
  • Stealth Rock continues the entry hazard stacking trend, and most significantly heavily chips opposing Flying-types like Swanna, Rotom-S, and Altaria that are immune to Sticky Web and threaten to Defog it away.
  • Paralyzing foes with Nuzzle provides teams with additional Speed control and gives Smeargle a utility option after being Taunted.
  • Parting Shot on the other hand helps bring in Smeargle’s offensive teammates more safely.

Set Details
========
  • Maximum Speed alongside a Speed-enhancing nature provides Smeargle better opportunities to go first and either lay entry hazards or cripple the opposition with a status infliction. A Jolly nature alongside Technician gives Nuzzle a very slight damage boost; on the other hand, when utilizing Parting Shot, a Timid nature alongside zero Attack IVs and Own Tempo helps versus Foul Play users like Gourgeist-XL and Stunfisk, as well as Chatter from Chatot.

Usage Tips
========
  • At Team Preview, determine what potential entry hazard removers the opponent has so you can mentally prepare to play a bit more aggressively against those Pokemon. For instance, aggressively using Nuzzle early against an incoming Swanna switch-in impedes it from reliably using Defog, while immediately pivoting out of a potential Komala lead or switch-in with Parting Shot keeps up offensive momentum.
  • Smeargle should almost always be led with, even in spite of potential bad matchups, due to its Focus Sash item being worthless after switching into entry hazards itself. Even immediately pivoting out with Parting Shot is usually a net gain versus most Spore-immune foes.
  • Setting up as many entry hazards as early as it can is Smeargle’s primary goal, with its other support moves used to facilitate that goal. Sticky Web should be Smeargle’s focus against offensive teams, while Stealth Rock’s chip damage is crucial versus stall teams.
  • Foddering Smeargle after its Focus Sash is broken by switching into a predicted attack provides its team one last time by not having one of its offensive teammates take an unnecessary hit.

Team Options
========
  • Pairing Smeargle alongside a sturdy Ghost-type can provide crucial support by blocking Rapid Spin from Komala and Sandslash. Gourgeist-S is a fantastic choice due to its Speed, reliable recovery, and Ground resistance. Knock Off from the aforementioned Rapid Spin users also deals negligible damage to Gourgeist-S with its held Colbur Berry. Other, more offensive Ghost-types like Nasty Plot + Taunt Misdreavus also have their own niches.
  • Defiant and Competitive users such as Purugly, Pawniard, Meowstic-F, and Gothitelle help dissuade Defog users from removing Smeargle’s entry hazards. Picking the appropriate Defog deterrent Pokémon depends on what offensive teammates are chosen. Gothitelle, for instance, switches into Swanna and Silvally-Fighting well due to its raw bulk and HP investment and can threaten them out with Thunderbolt and Psychic respectively.
  • As already mentioned, all of this support to keep Sticky Web up for as long as possible is meaningless without offensive teammates to back Smeargle up. Pokémon such as Electivire, Swanna, Simisage, and Granbull make the most out of the Speed control Smeargle provides to utilize their wide variety of coverage moves to nail the opposing team. Several of these Pokemon are also effective VoltTurn partners for Smeargle to continue laying entry hazards and putting foes asleep if it has to pivot out with Parting Shot early.
  • While most of the aforementioned offensive partners are free to utilize Life Orb, Expert Belt, or another non-choiced item to make full use of their extensive coverage, having a Choice Scarf user in the back in case the opposing team is able to successfully remove Sticky Web from play provides a safety net. Electivire, Silvally, or Pinsir are just a few examples of effective Choice Scarf users that can act as an emergency backup while still putting offensive pressure on the opposing team.
  • Stallbreakers like Nasty Plot + Taunt Simisear are also very important for breaking down opposing stall teams that don’t particularly mind Smeargle’s Sticky Web.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
  • Spikes and Toxic Spikes are an alternative entry hazard Smeargle can stack if another member of its team uses Stealth Rock like offensive Golem. Forgoing Stealth Rock support altogether is not an option, however, as getting additional chip damage against Defog-using Flying-types like Swanna and Rotom-S is crucial. More often than not, Smeargle is the better Stealth Rock user and puts the focus of Smeargle’s teammates back on dishing out strong offensive attacks.
  • Lovely Kiss incapacitates opposing Grass-types that try to absorb a predicted Spore, but its shaky accuracy makes it extremely inconsistent most of the time and doesn’t improve its matchup versus Komala or Nature Cure users like Altaria and Trevenant.
  • Smeargle’s rare combination of Belly Drum and STAB Extreme Speed can overcome its pitiful base 20 Attack. Being able to custom-tailor its coverage moves from Icicle Spear to Bonemerang to V-Create helps it overcome Normal-resist and -immune checks. Setting up Belly Drum consistently is another story, however, as with such puny defenses Smeargle rarely ever gets a free turn.

Checks and Counters
===================
**Komala**: With the ability to counter-lead Smeargle when seen at Team Preview, Komala’s immunity to sleep and paralysis alongside its access to Rapid Spin forces Smeargle out every time in fear of its Focus Sash breaking. Komala can also pivot out of Smeargle’s Ghost-type teammate with U-turn, keeping up the opposition’s offensive momentum.

**Grass-types**: Offensive Grass-types like Simisage, Silvally-Grass, and Servine are all immune to Spore, with Torterra even fearless of Nuzzle’s paralyzation due to its secondary Ground typing.

**Fast Offensive Pokemon**: Smeargle’s poor bulk and mediocre Speed means just about every fast offensive Pokemon threatens to 2HKO it. Faster VoltTurn users like Electivire and Silvally-Dark can also quickly dent Smeargle before switching into an appropriate offensive answer. Lastly, Z-Rain Dance variants of Swanna are noteworthy for being able to self-cure their paralysis with Hydration while posing an immediate threat to Sticky Web teams.

**Substitute**: Pokemon such as Exeggutor, Drifblim, and Dugtrio can all try to take advantage of Smeargle’s passivity by safely setting up a Substitute against it. Bouffalant is a noteworthy example of fully walling Smeargle due to Soundproof blocking Parting Shot, which in turn gives Bouffalant the opportunity to freely use Swords Dance.

**Taunt and Trick users** Taunt users like Floatzel, Misdreavus, and Oricorio-F are freely able to shut down Smeargle from doing just about anything besides paralyzing them with Nuzzle, of which even Electrode is immune. Similarly, Trick users such as Mr. Mime and Rotom-S neuter Smeargle from being able to set more than one entry hazard by locking into a singular move.

**Multi-hit attack Users**: Bullet Seed and Rock Blast users such as Toucannon, Crustle, and Golem can bypass Smeargle’s Focus Sash, minimizing the number of entry hazards it can set. However, most multi-hit attack users, outside of the incredibly rare choice-locked Leafeon sets that utilize Bullet Seed, are both slower than Smeargle and are in danger of being put asleep with Spore.

**Natu**: Although it’s incredibly rare, Magic Bounce Natu can deflect all of Smeargle’s entry hazards and throw them back on its side of the field, as well as reverse-sleep induce Smeargle with Spore.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Aaronboyer, 239454]]
- Quality checked by: [[BLANK, BLANK]]
- Grammar checked by: [[BLANK, BLANK], [BLANK, BLANK]]
 
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UT

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