[Overview]
<p>Smeargle has always been a unique Pokemon in that it has access to every single move in the game via Sketch. However, its stats are horrible in every way, so trying to use it offensively or defensively is not a good idea. Its only usable stat is its Speed, although 75 base Speed is still fairly mediocre. Even its abilities are horrible, with confusion being extremely uncommon and Technician being wasted on something with zero offensive capabilities, with the one that is actually pretty good, Moody, banned. However, having access to every move in the game means access to the coveted Spore, which turns Smeargle into perhaps the single best user of Baton Pass in the entire game. While Smeargle is almost always relegated to Baton Passing, it is quite good at it, and it is nigh-impossible to stop it from pulling off a pass within the first 3 or 4 turns of the match. A not-so-threatening Smeargle can turn into an impossible-to-stop Terrakion or Genesect in a matter of a few turns, and that is why Smeargle should always be under consideration for any team looking to use Baton Pass, as it leaves most other potential Baton Pass users outclassed in its wake.</p>
[SET]
name: Baton Pass
move 1: Baton Pass
move 2: Shell Smash
move 3: Spore
move 4: Taunt / Ingrain
item: Focus Sash
ability: Own Tempo
nature: Timid
evs: 80 HP / 96 Def / 80 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Smeargle has one niche and one niche only—SmashPassing with access to Spore. In the lead position, it is very hard to stop Smeargle from pulling off a pass without very careful playing and precise prediction. To ensure an intact Focus Sash, Smeargle is best used as a lead, allowing a teammate to pull off an easy sweep early-game; although, that is not to say that with dual screen support that Smeargle cannot do so mid- to late-game. In fact, mid-game can be a great time to pass if one would like a teammate to set up entry hazards to aid the recipient of Shell Smash in its sweep. Nothing enjoys facing a Pokemon with +2 in both offenses and Speed, and Smeargle is perhaps the best Pokemon to give a teammate the powerful boost given by Shell Smash.</p>
<p>While Smeargle may seem outclassed by the other major SmashPasser, Gorebyss, who can actually hit hard on its own and has Hydration to make itself essentially immune to any attempts of status under rain. Spore gives Smeargle and edge, making SmashPassing easy: on the first turn use Spore, follow it up with Shell Smash on the switch, and, as Smeargle will outspeed most anything at +2, Baton Pass to a decent recipient and have the recipient sweep. This simple process does not need much else, so the last slot is mainly used to prevent strategies that would stop the pass. Taunt is a great option, being especially useful against users of Roar and Whirlwind, as well as preventing Leech Seed from impeding the recipient of Shell Smash, as Leech Seed transfers to the recipient if a Pokemon inflicted with it uses Baton Pass. Ingrain is excellent as well, providing a great foundation for any Baton Pass team, as it makes it so nothing can phaze Smeargle or whatever Pokemon it passes to. Smeargle can potentially reverse the first two steps, setting up Shell Smash and then following it up with Spore after something with priority has switched in, giving Smeargle another setup opportunity before it passes.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>With the given EVs, though they may seem complex, Smeargle's bulk is actually overall greater than that of any other possible EV spread, as EV spreads like 252 HP / 4 Def and 4 HP / 252 Def are inefficient. A Timid nature and max Speed make it so Smeargle can outspeed the maximum amount of Pokemon possible after a Shell Smash, making it much easier to get off a pass. Focus Sash is easily the best item, as Smeargle absolutely needs it to do anything, and is one of the reasons why Smeargle is so effective in the lead position. Lum Berry or White Herb can also be used if one decides that they want to pass Substitute with Shell Smash, as Substitute is counterproductive when using Focus Sash. Lum Berry gives Smeargle a trump card against paralysis and sleep, which otherwise make Smeargle useless, while White Herb restores the recipient's defenses. Magic Coat is another decent option for the last slot, and is great for preventing a faster Taunt, entry hazards, or status moves. Stealth Rock is also great if one would like Stealth Rock in play if trying to pass right off the bat, giving no opportunity for a teammate to set up Stealth Rock. Smeargle can actually Baton Pass pretty much anything, the best choices being Shift Gear, Tail Glow, Quiver Dance, and Coil, but Shell Smash is really the best boost that any Pokemon could receive, and Smeargle has trouble pulling off the multiple boosts required by the other moves for them to be much better than Shell Smash.</p>
<p>If attempting to pass mid-game, Smeargle is going to need dual screen support to pull off a pass, as it is quite frail. Espeon is the best choice for the job, because if whatever Smeargle is passing to is about to get phazed by Roar or Whirlwind, one can just give the pass to Espeon and let it reflect the phazing move, then have Espeon pass to the intended recipient. Also, the recipient, with its lowered defenses, enjoys screens as well. Speaking of recipients, there is no point in using this set if you don't have a good one. The Therian genies have high offenses and Speed with which to abuse Shell Smash, so they are great recipients. Landorus-T in particular is an excellent choice, as Intimidate essentially negates the Defense drop from Shell Smash, and Landorus-T is immune to Thunder Wave and is not weak to the most common priority, Scizor's Bullet Punch. Kyurem has amazing bulk, making it difficult to KO, and when you add in its titanic 130/130 offenses it is an excellent recipient. Technician Breloom loves the boost from Baton Pass, as it often struggles to find time to set up and has only one major downfall that Shell Smash fixes, its mediocre Speed stat, which is actually quite similar to Smeargle's. Genesect and Dragonite are other examples of Pokemon with great mixed offenses, coverage, and Speed to abuse Shell Smash with. If it is powerful and likes a boost to its Speed (hint: any good offensive Pokemon), it will appreciate Shell Smash being passed to it. The last thing that may be wanted is entry hazard support, Pokemon such as Ferrothorn and Forretress being the best for the job.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Despite having such a vast movepool, Smeargle has very few other options that are not outclassed by something else. A gimmicky Endeavor / Focus Sash / ExtremeSpeed / Spore set can be used, acting similar to users of the FEAR strategy, except with Spore to cripple opponents and therefore make it easier for Smeargle to get off an Endeavor and KO with ExtremeSpeed. Belly Drum and Baton Pass can be combined with a Salac Berry and a Substitute in order to pass +6 Attack and +1 Speed, perhaps the most devastating boost a physical attacker can get. One of its sets that used to be pretty decent, the entry hazards set, is now plain outclassed by Deoxys-D, Forretress, and Ferrothorn, mainly due to Smeargle's lack of bulk and subpar typing. As previously mentioned, any attempt at an offensive or defensive set is not worth the effort, as Smeargle's horrible stats make them ineffective.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>With its Focus Sash broken, Smeargle is OHKOed by pretty much anything due to its nonexistent bulk, but with its Focus Sash still intact, Smeargle poses quite the threat in that it will likely get a pass off. However, there are ways to bypass Smeargle's seemingly impenetrable methods of Baton Passing. Lum Berry Tyranitar is excellent for the job, as Lum Berry will rid Tyranitar of Spore and from there Tyranitar can hit Smeargle with a STAB Crunch and let the damage from sand finish it off. Vaporeon is basically immune to Spore under rain due to Hydration, making it pretty much impossible for Smeargle to pull off a pass against it. Vaporeon can Roar Smeargle out, and has utility against many physical attackers attempting to set up outside of beating Smeargle. Magic Coat and Taunt from Pokemon such as Deoxys-D can also prove effective, the former having the advantage of reflecting Spore and the latter of preventing Smeargle from doing anything if it is not running the rare Magic Coat itself. Magic Bounce is useful in a similar regard to Magic Coat. Phazing is an effective strategy if Ingrain has not been setup, though it is impossible if it is. Anything that can break Smeargle's Focus Sash without it doing anything in the process is excellent at preventing Smeargle from pulling off a successful pass. Sand, hail, Fake Out, and Jirachi, all for their own fairly obvious reasons, are excellent at doing so. Of course, if for some reason Smeargle is not running a Baton Pass set, you can easily pretend that it doesn't exist and use it as setup fodder.</p>
<p>Smeargle has always been a unique Pokemon in that it has access to every single move in the game via Sketch. However, its stats are horrible in every way, so trying to use it offensively or defensively is not a good idea. Its only usable stat is its Speed, although 75 base Speed is still fairly mediocre. Even its abilities are horrible, with confusion being extremely uncommon and Technician being wasted on something with zero offensive capabilities, with the one that is actually pretty good, Moody, banned. However, having access to every move in the game means access to the coveted Spore, which turns Smeargle into perhaps the single best user of Baton Pass in the entire game. While Smeargle is almost always relegated to Baton Passing, it is quite good at it, and it is nigh-impossible to stop it from pulling off a pass within the first 3 or 4 turns of the match. A not-so-threatening Smeargle can turn into an impossible-to-stop Terrakion or Genesect in a matter of a few turns, and that is why Smeargle should always be under consideration for any team looking to use Baton Pass, as it leaves most other potential Baton Pass users outclassed in its wake.</p>
[SET]
name: Baton Pass
move 1: Baton Pass
move 2: Shell Smash
move 3: Spore
move 4: Taunt / Ingrain
item: Focus Sash
ability: Own Tempo
nature: Timid
evs: 80 HP / 96 Def / 80 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Smeargle has one niche and one niche only—SmashPassing with access to Spore. In the lead position, it is very hard to stop Smeargle from pulling off a pass without very careful playing and precise prediction. To ensure an intact Focus Sash, Smeargle is best used as a lead, allowing a teammate to pull off an easy sweep early-game; although, that is not to say that with dual screen support that Smeargle cannot do so mid- to late-game. In fact, mid-game can be a great time to pass if one would like a teammate to set up entry hazards to aid the recipient of Shell Smash in its sweep. Nothing enjoys facing a Pokemon with +2 in both offenses and Speed, and Smeargle is perhaps the best Pokemon to give a teammate the powerful boost given by Shell Smash.</p>
<p>While Smeargle may seem outclassed by the other major SmashPasser, Gorebyss, who can actually hit hard on its own and has Hydration to make itself essentially immune to any attempts of status under rain. Spore gives Smeargle and edge, making SmashPassing easy: on the first turn use Spore, follow it up with Shell Smash on the switch, and, as Smeargle will outspeed most anything at +2, Baton Pass to a decent recipient and have the recipient sweep. This simple process does not need much else, so the last slot is mainly used to prevent strategies that would stop the pass. Taunt is a great option, being especially useful against users of Roar and Whirlwind, as well as preventing Leech Seed from impeding the recipient of Shell Smash, as Leech Seed transfers to the recipient if a Pokemon inflicted with it uses Baton Pass. Ingrain is excellent as well, providing a great foundation for any Baton Pass team, as it makes it so nothing can phaze Smeargle or whatever Pokemon it passes to. Smeargle can potentially reverse the first two steps, setting up Shell Smash and then following it up with Spore after something with priority has switched in, giving Smeargle another setup opportunity before it passes.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>With the given EVs, though they may seem complex, Smeargle's bulk is actually overall greater than that of any other possible EV spread, as EV spreads like 252 HP / 4 Def and 4 HP / 252 Def are inefficient. A Timid nature and max Speed make it so Smeargle can outspeed the maximum amount of Pokemon possible after a Shell Smash, making it much easier to get off a pass. Focus Sash is easily the best item, as Smeargle absolutely needs it to do anything, and is one of the reasons why Smeargle is so effective in the lead position. Lum Berry or White Herb can also be used if one decides that they want to pass Substitute with Shell Smash, as Substitute is counterproductive when using Focus Sash. Lum Berry gives Smeargle a trump card against paralysis and sleep, which otherwise make Smeargle useless, while White Herb restores the recipient's defenses. Magic Coat is another decent option for the last slot, and is great for preventing a faster Taunt, entry hazards, or status moves. Stealth Rock is also great if one would like Stealth Rock in play if trying to pass right off the bat, giving no opportunity for a teammate to set up Stealth Rock. Smeargle can actually Baton Pass pretty much anything, the best choices being Shift Gear, Tail Glow, Quiver Dance, and Coil, but Shell Smash is really the best boost that any Pokemon could receive, and Smeargle has trouble pulling off the multiple boosts required by the other moves for them to be much better than Shell Smash.</p>
<p>If attempting to pass mid-game, Smeargle is going to need dual screen support to pull off a pass, as it is quite frail. Espeon is the best choice for the job, because if whatever Smeargle is passing to is about to get phazed by Roar or Whirlwind, one can just give the pass to Espeon and let it reflect the phazing move, then have Espeon pass to the intended recipient. Also, the recipient, with its lowered defenses, enjoys screens as well. Speaking of recipients, there is no point in using this set if you don't have a good one. The Therian genies have high offenses and Speed with which to abuse Shell Smash, so they are great recipients. Landorus-T in particular is an excellent choice, as Intimidate essentially negates the Defense drop from Shell Smash, and Landorus-T is immune to Thunder Wave and is not weak to the most common priority, Scizor's Bullet Punch. Kyurem has amazing bulk, making it difficult to KO, and when you add in its titanic 130/130 offenses it is an excellent recipient. Technician Breloom loves the boost from Baton Pass, as it often struggles to find time to set up and has only one major downfall that Shell Smash fixes, its mediocre Speed stat, which is actually quite similar to Smeargle's. Genesect and Dragonite are other examples of Pokemon with great mixed offenses, coverage, and Speed to abuse Shell Smash with. If it is powerful and likes a boost to its Speed (hint: any good offensive Pokemon), it will appreciate Shell Smash being passed to it. The last thing that may be wanted is entry hazard support, Pokemon such as Ferrothorn and Forretress being the best for the job.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Despite having such a vast movepool, Smeargle has very few other options that are not outclassed by something else. A gimmicky Endeavor / Focus Sash / ExtremeSpeed / Spore set can be used, acting similar to users of the FEAR strategy, except with Spore to cripple opponents and therefore make it easier for Smeargle to get off an Endeavor and KO with ExtremeSpeed. Belly Drum and Baton Pass can be combined with a Salac Berry and a Substitute in order to pass +6 Attack and +1 Speed, perhaps the most devastating boost a physical attacker can get. One of its sets that used to be pretty decent, the entry hazards set, is now plain outclassed by Deoxys-D, Forretress, and Ferrothorn, mainly due to Smeargle's lack of bulk and subpar typing. As previously mentioned, any attempt at an offensive or defensive set is not worth the effort, as Smeargle's horrible stats make them ineffective.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>With its Focus Sash broken, Smeargle is OHKOed by pretty much anything due to its nonexistent bulk, but with its Focus Sash still intact, Smeargle poses quite the threat in that it will likely get a pass off. However, there are ways to bypass Smeargle's seemingly impenetrable methods of Baton Passing. Lum Berry Tyranitar is excellent for the job, as Lum Berry will rid Tyranitar of Spore and from there Tyranitar can hit Smeargle with a STAB Crunch and let the damage from sand finish it off. Vaporeon is basically immune to Spore under rain due to Hydration, making it pretty much impossible for Smeargle to pull off a pass against it. Vaporeon can Roar Smeargle out, and has utility against many physical attackers attempting to set up outside of beating Smeargle. Magic Coat and Taunt from Pokemon such as Deoxys-D can also prove effective, the former having the advantage of reflecting Spore and the latter of preventing Smeargle from doing anything if it is not running the rare Magic Coat itself. Magic Bounce is useful in a similar regard to Magic Coat. Phazing is an effective strategy if Ingrain has not been setup, though it is impossible if it is. Anything that can break Smeargle's Focus Sash without it doing anything in the process is excellent at preventing Smeargle from pulling off a successful pass. Sand, hail, Fake Out, and Jirachi, all for their own fairly obvious reasons, are excellent at doing so. Of course, if for some reason Smeargle is not running a Baton Pass set, you can easily pretend that it doesn't exist and use it as setup fodder.</p>
