[OVERVIEW]
Thanks to its good Special Attack, Adaptability, and a STAB combination that is unresisted when paired with Ice Beam, Basculegion-F serves as one of the strongest special wallbreakers in the metagame. Its access to Flip Turn allows its Choice item sets to synergize with other pivots like Galarian Zapdos and Magnezone to form powerful VoltTurn cores that can easily wear out opposing teams. Basculegion-F can also become extremely threatening under rain with Swift Swim or on Sticky Web teams with Weakness Policy. However, Basculegion-F's mediocre Speed means that even Choice Scarf sets can be outsped and threatened by other common Choice Scarf users like Galarian Zapdos, Hisuian Zoroark, and Gardevoir. Furthermore, the ubiquity of specially defensive Pokemon like Umbreon, Empoleon, and Assault Vest Cyclizar often results in Basculegion-F relying on physical wallbreaker teammates like Slither Wing to start making progress.
[SET]
Choice Specs (Basculegion-F) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Adaptability / Swift Swim
Tera Type: Ghost / Water
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Surf / Hydro Pump
- Shadow Ball
- Ice Beam
- Flip Turn
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Choice Specs Basculegion-F is an incredibly powerful wallbreaker that can use the threat of forcing out common Pokemon like Slowbro, Jirachi, and Hippowdon to its advantage. Hydro Pump trades accuracy for power, notably allowing Basculegion-F to OHKO Magnezone. Ice Beam is important coverage for threatening Dragon- and Grass-types like Cyclizar, Noivern, and Wo-Chien. Flip Turn is useful for pivoting out of special walls like Assault Vest Hisuian Goodra and Umbreon into Pokemon that can exploit them like Galarian Zapdos. Adaptability boosts Basculegion-F's power to immense heights, while Swift Swim can be used under rain to turn Basculegion-F into a frightening sweeper with few switch-ins. While Adaptability means Basculegion-F rarely wants to use Terastallization, it can occasionally be used to secure KOs on crucial foes; for example, Tera Ghost guarantees a 2HKO on Choice Specs Hisuian Goodra. Tera Water can be particularly useful for Swift Swim Basculegion, as when paired with rain, it boosts its Water-type attacks enough to even guarantee a 2HKO on Assault Vest Cyclizar after Stealth Rock without needing to click Ice Beam.
Choice Specs Basculegion-F fits well on balance and bulky offense structures, as well as niche but threatening rain teams, that are in search of a special wallbreaker that can almost always force progress with incredibly powerful attacks. Pivot partners such as Galarian Zapdos, Noivern, and Magnezone can form powerful VoltTurn cores with Basculegion-F that can make progress by luring in relatively passive Pokemon that it can exploit, such as Hippowdon and Jirachi, or wearing down shared checks, like Fezandipiti and Hisuian Goodra. In particular, Fighting-type pivots like Slither Wing and the aforementioned Galarian Zapdos are beneficial for Basculegion-F, as they can check Dark-types like Krookodile, Bisharp, and Umbreon that threaten it and absorb Knock Off from Pokemon like Cyclizar. On rain teams, wallbreaker teammates like Barraskewda and Kilowattrel can similarly pivot around with Basculegion-F while wearing down or eliminating its checks like Umbreon and Empoleon. Entry hazard support from partners like Krookodile and Chesnaught can help further in chipping away at the opposing team. In offensive structures, setup sweepers and cleaners such as Armarouge, Oricorio-E, and Choice Scarf Krookodile particularly appreciate Basculegion-F's ability to blow holes in the opposing team that they can use to pull off a sweep. Defensive partners such as Hippowdon, Umbreon, and Jirachi are essential partners for Basculegion-F in bulkier structures to mitigate its weakness to faster wallbreakers such as Galarian Zapdos, Hisuian Zoroark, and Gardevoir. Basculegion-F also appreciates partners like Cyclizar, Noivern, and Talonflame that can help it enter the field more safely via hazard removal and pivoting.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
Basculegion-F can utilize its threat as a wallbreaker to run a Substitute + Leftovers set, which aims to set up Substitute while the opponent switches to a Pokemon like Cyclizar or Wo-Chien, allowing Basculegion-F to make progress without needing to predict. A Modest nature can be used for more firepower at the risk of non-Choice Scarf Basculegion-F being unable to outspeed Armarouge, while Choice Scarf Basculegion-F fails to outspeed Talonflame.
Checks and Counters
====
**Dark-types**: Bisharp and Krookodile can safely take Basculegion-F down by using priority Sucker Punch and outspeeding it, respectively, though Krookodile needs a Choice Scarf of its own to outspeed Choice Scarf Basculegion-F. Defensive Dark-types, such as Umbreon and Wo-Chien, can easily tank Basculegion-F's attacks and threaten it with super effective damage.
**Special Walls**: Specially defensive Pokemon such as Empoleon, Fezandipiti, Assault Vest Cyclizar, and Hisuian Goodra can reliably switch into Basculegion-F's attacks and either heal off the damage or strike back with Draco Meteor and Knock Off. However, they should all be wary of Choice Specs Basculegion-F, as it can 2HKO them with the right move.
**Faster Wallbreakers**: Many of the strong Choice Scarf users in the tier, such as Galarian Zapdos, Hisuian Zoroark, and Gardevoir, can outspeed and threaten Basculegion-F. Gardevoir in particular can cause trouble, as Trace can copy Basculegion-F's Adaptability and boost Gardevoir's firepower.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sir-tetris.655207/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/flampoke.654091/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/rarelyme.513635/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
Thanks to its good Special Attack, Adaptability, and a STAB combination that is unresisted when paired with Ice Beam, Basculegion-F serves as one of the strongest special wallbreakers in the metagame. Its access to Flip Turn allows its Choice item sets to synergize with other pivots like Galarian Zapdos and Magnezone to form powerful VoltTurn cores that can easily wear out opposing teams. Basculegion-F can also become extremely threatening under rain with Swift Swim or on Sticky Web teams with Weakness Policy. However, Basculegion-F's mediocre Speed means that even Choice Scarf sets can be outsped and threatened by other common Choice Scarf users like Galarian Zapdos, Hisuian Zoroark, and Gardevoir. Furthermore, the ubiquity of specially defensive Pokemon like Umbreon, Empoleon, and Assault Vest Cyclizar often results in Basculegion-F relying on physical wallbreaker teammates like Slither Wing to start making progress.
[SET]
Choice Specs (Basculegion-F) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Adaptability / Swift Swim
Tera Type: Ghost / Water
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Surf / Hydro Pump
- Shadow Ball
- Ice Beam
- Flip Turn
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Choice Specs Basculegion-F is an incredibly powerful wallbreaker that can use the threat of forcing out common Pokemon like Slowbro, Jirachi, and Hippowdon to its advantage. Hydro Pump trades accuracy for power, notably allowing Basculegion-F to OHKO Magnezone. Ice Beam is important coverage for threatening Dragon- and Grass-types like Cyclizar, Noivern, and Wo-Chien. Flip Turn is useful for pivoting out of special walls like Assault Vest Hisuian Goodra and Umbreon into Pokemon that can exploit them like Galarian Zapdos. Adaptability boosts Basculegion-F's power to immense heights, while Swift Swim can be used under rain to turn Basculegion-F into a frightening sweeper with few switch-ins. While Adaptability means Basculegion-F rarely wants to use Terastallization, it can occasionally be used to secure KOs on crucial foes; for example, Tera Ghost guarantees a 2HKO on Choice Specs Hisuian Goodra. Tera Water can be particularly useful for Swift Swim Basculegion, as when paired with rain, it boosts its Water-type attacks enough to even guarantee a 2HKO on Assault Vest Cyclizar after Stealth Rock without needing to click Ice Beam.
Choice Specs Basculegion-F fits well on balance and bulky offense structures, as well as niche but threatening rain teams, that are in search of a special wallbreaker that can almost always force progress with incredibly powerful attacks. Pivot partners such as Galarian Zapdos, Noivern, and Magnezone can form powerful VoltTurn cores with Basculegion-F that can make progress by luring in relatively passive Pokemon that it can exploit, such as Hippowdon and Jirachi, or wearing down shared checks, like Fezandipiti and Hisuian Goodra. In particular, Fighting-type pivots like Slither Wing and the aforementioned Galarian Zapdos are beneficial for Basculegion-F, as they can check Dark-types like Krookodile, Bisharp, and Umbreon that threaten it and absorb Knock Off from Pokemon like Cyclizar. On rain teams, wallbreaker teammates like Barraskewda and Kilowattrel can similarly pivot around with Basculegion-F while wearing down or eliminating its checks like Umbreon and Empoleon. Entry hazard support from partners like Krookodile and Chesnaught can help further in chipping away at the opposing team. In offensive structures, setup sweepers and cleaners such as Armarouge, Oricorio-E, and Choice Scarf Krookodile particularly appreciate Basculegion-F's ability to blow holes in the opposing team that they can use to pull off a sweep. Defensive partners such as Hippowdon, Umbreon, and Jirachi are essential partners for Basculegion-F in bulkier structures to mitigate its weakness to faster wallbreakers such as Galarian Zapdos, Hisuian Zoroark, and Gardevoir. Basculegion-F also appreciates partners like Cyclizar, Noivern, and Talonflame that can help it enter the field more safely via hazard removal and pivoting.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
Basculegion-F can utilize its threat as a wallbreaker to run a Substitute + Leftovers set, which aims to set up Substitute while the opponent switches to a Pokemon like Cyclizar or Wo-Chien, allowing Basculegion-F to make progress without needing to predict. A Modest nature can be used for more firepower at the risk of non-Choice Scarf Basculegion-F being unable to outspeed Armarouge, while Choice Scarf Basculegion-F fails to outspeed Talonflame.
Checks and Counters
====
**Dark-types**: Bisharp and Krookodile can safely take Basculegion-F down by using priority Sucker Punch and outspeeding it, respectively, though Krookodile needs a Choice Scarf of its own to outspeed Choice Scarf Basculegion-F. Defensive Dark-types, such as Umbreon and Wo-Chien, can easily tank Basculegion-F's attacks and threaten it with super effective damage.
**Special Walls**: Specially defensive Pokemon such as Empoleon, Fezandipiti, Assault Vest Cyclizar, and Hisuian Goodra can reliably switch into Basculegion-F's attacks and either heal off the damage or strike back with Draco Meteor and Knock Off. However, they should all be wary of Choice Specs Basculegion-F, as it can 2HKO them with the right move.
**Faster Wallbreakers**: Many of the strong Choice Scarf users in the tier, such as Galarian Zapdos, Hisuian Zoroark, and Gardevoir, can outspeed and threaten Basculegion-F. Gardevoir in particular can cause trouble, as Trace can copy Basculegion-F's Adaptability and boost Gardevoir's firepower.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sir-tetris.655207/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/flampoke.654091/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/rarelyme.513635/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
Last edited:
