[OVERVIEW]
Smeargle unsurprisingly has tremendous flexibility, but it is overwhelmingly seen as a spiker / sleep lead run on hyper offense teams. Unlike other aggressive spikes leads, Smeargle has the advantage of sometimes being able to get down all 3 layers and/or trade up by sleeping a mon and then exploding/destiny bonding/endeavoring another. However, Smeargle's terrible base stats and dependence on getting a good lead matchup tend to make it more rarely seen than more reliable spikers like Skarmory, Forretress, and Cloyster.
[SET]
name: Standard Spikes Lead
move 1: Spore
move 2: Spikes
move 3: Whirlwind/Encore/Will-O-Wisp/Thunder Wave/Substitute
move 4: Destiny Bond/Explosion/Endeavor/Transform/Baton Pass
item: Salac Berry/Leftovers/Lum Berry
ability: Own Tempo
nature: Jolly
evs: 68 HP / 188 Spd / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Spore and Spikes are the hallmarks of this set. Individually, they are both among the strongest moves in the game and being able to use both on the same set is the main reason to use a mon with base stats as low as Smeargle's. The object of the set is fairly straightforward: put something to sleep and then start laying spikes until you can't anymore.
The EVs are chosen such that Smeargle can take a max invested Modest Zapdos Thunderbolt, while still investing as much as possible into HP to assist slightly in Smeargle's anemic physical defense. Max speed (273) jolly is usually ideal, as the 269-272 speed range is quite crowded with neutral nature base 85 speed like Adamant Heracross hitting 269 and a variety of other mons (Salamence, Zapdos, Jirachi, Celebi, etc.) hitting 270-272 in order to speed creep those.
Item wise, Smeargle usually opts for Salac Berry. Being able to eat most strong special hits (from say, Zapdos, Starmie, Suicune, etc.) and then proc salac berry offers a lot of potential upside. It's worth noting that Smeargle outspeeds the entire relevant metagame at +1. Leftovers is an alternative that gives Smeargle much better longevity in sand. Lum Berry is seen rarely, and helps primarily in the sleep lead mirror matchup vs Jynx or enemy Smeargle. It also sometimes comes in handy at stopping a thunderbolt para full para from ruining your day.
The remaining two moves are where Smeargle's endless customizability comes in. Typically, the remaining two moves will consist of a phazing/utility/setup denial move and a trading move. Whirlwind and Encore have the benefit of helping handle substitute users and Lum Berry users which a dual status set often allows free setup against. Thunder Wave/Will-O-Wisp have the advantage of sometimes crippling opponents that sleep sac something then immediately switch to a fast revenge killer, believing that Smeargle can no longer threaten their Aerodactyl or similar. Substitute can be very effective against opponents who sleep sac their lead and then try to wake it up quickly and kill Smeargle before it can get all 3 layers.
As for trading moves, Destiny Bond has great synergy with Encore and Whirlwind as it discourages setup sweepers from attacking and encourages them to continue setting up whereupon they can be encored or whirlwinded. (An important note is that a fast destiny bond will still work the following turn provided you move second. So, a dragon dancer that outspeeds you or someone attacking into a negative priority whirlwind will still proc the Destiny Bond you used the previous turn). Stab Explosion still hits reasonably hard even off Smeargle's pathetic attack stat and importantly, denies opponent a setup turn / sleep burn turn.
Team Options
========
This smeargle set is typically seen as a lead on hyper offense spike stack teams. Its trade heavy playstyle combined with high volatility make it a good fit for this style.
Gengar is crucial to defend your hard earned spikes from enemy rapid spinners. Physical setup threats like DD Tyranitar, Aerodactyl, Agility Metagross are often combined to overwhelm enemy rock resists which tend to struggle to come in repeatedly on spikes. Other typical spikes abusers such as mixed Salamence, CM Jirachi, Jolteon, Charizard, etc. can also be considered.
Occasionally, this set is also put on Dugtrio offense. Smeargle's Explosion usually puts almost any dug weak foe into range, most notably Tyranitar.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Fake Out can be used to scout whether the opposing Tyranitar/Metagross has leftovers before deciding whether to Spore or Spikes. However, it is otherwise largely a waste of a slot and the upside when facing a Lum Berry is not particularly high.
Endure can be used to survive unfavorable lead matchups such as Salamence or Dugtrio, proc a Salac Berry, and then get a Spore/Spikes/Endeavor off. Usually though, this will often lead to an enemy Tyranitar entering and your Smeargle perishing immediately to sandstorm.
Rapid Spin can be an option in emergencies, primarily for slower paced Smeargle teams. The surprise value can sometimes bait opponent into overcommitting to 3 layers, sacrificing their spiker, and/or not going to their ghost to spin block you. That being said, Smeargle lacks the longevity/speed to be a reliable spinner and having spin at all is usually a pace mismatch with the typical Smeargle team.
Spider Web can be combined with Perish Song/SubSeed in order to get a gimmicky trap off on a sleep sac. This usually requires all 4 move slots which tends to be too much of a sacrifice to be fully viable.
Endeavor can be combined with Endure or Substitute to bring down your own HP, and optionally an attack such as Extreme Speed or Seismic Toss to finish off crippled opponents.
Smeargle is the only mon capable of Baton Passing Belly Drum or Tail Glow to a teammate. This can be effective if the opponent sleep sacs, stays in, and doesn't wake. But without the ability to raise your own speed, it is highly vulnerable to an opponent switching to a fast revenge killer that threatens Smeargle. Tail Glow pass usually lacks the needed upside to justify this, while Belly Drum pass tends to be far too unreliable outside the context of a dedicated all in cheese team.
Belly Drum can also be used alongside Attack investment and Extreme Speed to make Smeargle into a sweeper in its own right. +6 STAB Explosion kills almost any non-ghost and +6 Extreme Speed can kill a lot of supposed revenge killers. This set is best used in mid-late game when ghosts have been eliminated and normal resists chipped. The required investment into attack makes this Smeargle completely unable to eat any hits and therefore even more reliant on getting the right entry on a double down or sacrifice than other Smeargle sets.
Checks and Counters
===================
Smeargle is tremendously dependent on getting a favorable lead matchup. An enemy Salamence, Dugtrio, or Jolly Medicham lead for example, can quickly wrest your momentum away and force you to play without spikes or by making uncomfortable switches with a hyper offense team not well equipped to do so.
Even in matchups where Smeargle is supposedly favored such as Zapdos, Tyranitar, and Metagross, things can go wrong quickly. A fast Zapdos with substitute or a mixed Zapdos with HP fighting and attack investment can ruin your day. Tyranitar with Lum Berry and dragon dance can use you as setup fodder. A Metagross with lum berry or a choice band meta with sleep talk can turn the tables.
Natural Cure users combined with fast revenge killers (especially Dugtrio) can put Smeargle into an awkward guessing game between clicking Spore a second time on the already asleep Natural Cure or risking laying down a spike and being forced out/trapped.
The rare Insomnia or Vital Spirit user can deny your Spore entirely, while Sleep Talk users can also take the sting out of Spore.
[CREDITS]
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/spreek.682628/
Quality checked by:
Grammar checked by:
Smeargle unsurprisingly has tremendous flexibility, but it is overwhelmingly seen as a spiker / sleep lead run on hyper offense teams. Unlike other aggressive spikes leads, Smeargle has the advantage of sometimes being able to get down all 3 layers and/or trade up by sleeping a mon and then exploding/destiny bonding/endeavoring another. However, Smeargle's terrible base stats and dependence on getting a good lead matchup tend to make it more rarely seen than more reliable spikers like Skarmory, Forretress, and Cloyster.
[SET]
name: Standard Spikes Lead
move 1: Spore
move 2: Spikes
move 3: Whirlwind/Encore/Will-O-Wisp/Thunder Wave/Substitute
move 4: Destiny Bond/Explosion/Endeavor/Transform/Baton Pass
item: Salac Berry/Leftovers/Lum Berry
ability: Own Tempo
nature: Jolly
evs: 68 HP / 188 Spd / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Spore and Spikes are the hallmarks of this set. Individually, they are both among the strongest moves in the game and being able to use both on the same set is the main reason to use a mon with base stats as low as Smeargle's. The object of the set is fairly straightforward: put something to sleep and then start laying spikes until you can't anymore.
The EVs are chosen such that Smeargle can take a max invested Modest Zapdos Thunderbolt, while still investing as much as possible into HP to assist slightly in Smeargle's anemic physical defense. Max speed (273) jolly is usually ideal, as the 269-272 speed range is quite crowded with neutral nature base 85 speed like Adamant Heracross hitting 269 and a variety of other mons (Salamence, Zapdos, Jirachi, Celebi, etc.) hitting 270-272 in order to speed creep those.
Item wise, Smeargle usually opts for Salac Berry. Being able to eat most strong special hits (from say, Zapdos, Starmie, Suicune, etc.) and then proc salac berry offers a lot of potential upside. It's worth noting that Smeargle outspeeds the entire relevant metagame at +1. Leftovers is an alternative that gives Smeargle much better longevity in sand. Lum Berry is seen rarely, and helps primarily in the sleep lead mirror matchup vs Jynx or enemy Smeargle. It also sometimes comes in handy at stopping a thunderbolt para full para from ruining your day.
The remaining two moves are where Smeargle's endless customizability comes in. Typically, the remaining two moves will consist of a phazing/utility/setup denial move and a trading move. Whirlwind and Encore have the benefit of helping handle substitute users and Lum Berry users which a dual status set often allows free setup against. Thunder Wave/Will-O-Wisp have the advantage of sometimes crippling opponents that sleep sac something then immediately switch to a fast revenge killer, believing that Smeargle can no longer threaten their Aerodactyl or similar. Substitute can be very effective against opponents who sleep sac their lead and then try to wake it up quickly and kill Smeargle before it can get all 3 layers.
As for trading moves, Destiny Bond has great synergy with Encore and Whirlwind as it discourages setup sweepers from attacking and encourages them to continue setting up whereupon they can be encored or whirlwinded. (An important note is that a fast destiny bond will still work the following turn provided you move second. So, a dragon dancer that outspeeds you or someone attacking into a negative priority whirlwind will still proc the Destiny Bond you used the previous turn). Stab Explosion still hits reasonably hard even off Smeargle's pathetic attack stat and importantly, denies opponent a setup turn / sleep burn turn.
Team Options
========
This smeargle set is typically seen as a lead on hyper offense spike stack teams. Its trade heavy playstyle combined with high volatility make it a good fit for this style.
Gengar is crucial to defend your hard earned spikes from enemy rapid spinners. Physical setup threats like DD Tyranitar, Aerodactyl, Agility Metagross are often combined to overwhelm enemy rock resists which tend to struggle to come in repeatedly on spikes. Other typical spikes abusers such as mixed Salamence, CM Jirachi, Jolteon, Charizard, etc. can also be considered.
Occasionally, this set is also put on Dugtrio offense. Smeargle's Explosion usually puts almost any dug weak foe into range, most notably Tyranitar.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Fake Out can be used to scout whether the opposing Tyranitar/Metagross has leftovers before deciding whether to Spore or Spikes. However, it is otherwise largely a waste of a slot and the upside when facing a Lum Berry is not particularly high.
Endure can be used to survive unfavorable lead matchups such as Salamence or Dugtrio, proc a Salac Berry, and then get a Spore/Spikes/Endeavor off. Usually though, this will often lead to an enemy Tyranitar entering and your Smeargle perishing immediately to sandstorm.
Rapid Spin can be an option in emergencies, primarily for slower paced Smeargle teams. The surprise value can sometimes bait opponent into overcommitting to 3 layers, sacrificing their spiker, and/or not going to their ghost to spin block you. That being said, Smeargle lacks the longevity/speed to be a reliable spinner and having spin at all is usually a pace mismatch with the typical Smeargle team.
Spider Web can be combined with Perish Song/SubSeed in order to get a gimmicky trap off on a sleep sac. This usually requires all 4 move slots which tends to be too much of a sacrifice to be fully viable.
Endeavor can be combined with Endure or Substitute to bring down your own HP, and optionally an attack such as Extreme Speed or Seismic Toss to finish off crippled opponents.
Smeargle is the only mon capable of Baton Passing Belly Drum or Tail Glow to a teammate. This can be effective if the opponent sleep sacs, stays in, and doesn't wake. But without the ability to raise your own speed, it is highly vulnerable to an opponent switching to a fast revenge killer that threatens Smeargle. Tail Glow pass usually lacks the needed upside to justify this, while Belly Drum pass tends to be far too unreliable outside the context of a dedicated all in cheese team.
Belly Drum can also be used alongside Attack investment and Extreme Speed to make Smeargle into a sweeper in its own right. +6 STAB Explosion kills almost any non-ghost and +6 Extreme Speed can kill a lot of supposed revenge killers. This set is best used in mid-late game when ghosts have been eliminated and normal resists chipped. The required investment into attack makes this Smeargle completely unable to eat any hits and therefore even more reliant on getting the right entry on a double down or sacrifice than other Smeargle sets.
Checks and Counters
===================
Smeargle is tremendously dependent on getting a favorable lead matchup. An enemy Salamence, Dugtrio, or Jolly Medicham lead for example, can quickly wrest your momentum away and force you to play without spikes or by making uncomfortable switches with a hyper offense team not well equipped to do so.
Even in matchups where Smeargle is supposedly favored such as Zapdos, Tyranitar, and Metagross, things can go wrong quickly. A fast Zapdos with substitute or a mixed Zapdos with HP fighting and attack investment can ruin your day. Tyranitar with Lum Berry and dragon dance can use you as setup fodder. A Metagross with lum berry or a choice band meta with sleep talk can turn the tables.
Natural Cure users combined with fast revenge killers (especially Dugtrio) can put Smeargle into an awkward guessing game between clicking Spore a second time on the already asleep Natural Cure or risking laying down a spike and being forced out/trapped.
The rare Insomnia or Vital Spirit user can deny your Spore entirely, while Sleep Talk users can also take the sting out of Spore.
[CREDITS]
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/spreek.682628/
Quality checked by:
Grammar checked by: