[OVERVIEW]
Swoobat is a unique and potentially devastating sweeper that uses its amazing ability Simple as well as its access to Calm Mind and Stored Power to become a dangerous threat. A great Speed tier allows it to get the jump on much of the unboosted metagame, and in conjunction with Salac Berry and Simple, it enables it to outrun every switch-in in the tier. Swoobat's defensive typing and bulk are nothing to write home about, but its 4x resistance to Fighting and a Ground immunity can give it some setup opportunities against certain threats such as Silvally-Fighting and defensive Poliwrath as well as Torterra and Electivire Choice-locked into Earthquake. Unfortunately, Swoobat's Special Attack is poor until it picks up a Calm Mind, which can be a tall task thanks to its bad defenses and defensive typing. Said defensive typing leaves it open to common Dark-, Ice-, and Electric-type attacks from Silvally-Dark, Glaceon, and Electivire. Swoobat's poor bulk and reliance on getting to low health to activate Salac Berry also mean that priority attacks from Pokemon such as Kecleon and Swanna are a huge problem for it. Swoobat is also very predictable, so a smart player can see what is coming and react accordingly by keeping one answer for it alive. Swoobat's hit-or-miss nature means that it only gets one shot to sweep, so all answers for it must be dealt with before it even attempts to set up. As a result, Swoobat needs significant support from its team if it is to sweep.
[SET]
name: Substitute + Calm Mind
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Stored Power
move 4: Heat Wave
item: Salac Berry
ability: Simple
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Substitute allows Swoobat to set up on Pokemon Choice-locked into moves that can't break its Substitute or passive Pokemon attempting to afflict it with status conditions. The Choice-locked Pokemon can include Golem, Electivire, and Torterra locked into Earthquake, while passive Pokemon that are vulnerable to Swoobat include Pyukumuku, Bronzor, and Dusclops. Stored Power becomes extremely powerful if Swoobat accrues all the boosts it is aiming to; it reaches 140 Base Power after one Calm Mind and the Salac Berry boost. Heat Wave provides the best coverage alongside Stored Power, as it hits most of the tier's Psychic-resistant Pokemon neutrally and notably hits Bronzor, Pawniard, and Metang super effectively.
Set Details
========
Salac Berry gives Swoobat +2 to its Speed thanks to Simple, making it extremely fast and juicing up Stored Power even more. 4 HP EVs allow Swoobat to get into range of its Salac Berry after three uses of Substitute from full health.
Usage Tips
========
Swoobat is a very all-or-nothing sweeper; it usually only gets one chance to sweep, and it will achieve very little if the field is not prepared for it. Therefore, heavily weakening or removing checks and counters like Silvally-Dark and Pawniard is highly recommended before sending out Swoobat. Attempt to use Swoobat as a mid-game wallbreaker if a sweep looks unlikely. Using it mid-game can also bait out checks like Kecleon and Silvally-Dark that can be capitalized on by its teammates if you switch intelligently. Deciding when to use Calm Mind or Substitute is key to using Swoobat properly. Calm Mind can be used in the face of some of the tier's weaker special attackers and against slower special attackers that don't run coverage for Swoobat. These can include Servine, Exeggutor, and special Combusken, but you should keep in mind that directly switching into these threats is out of the question. Substitute, on the other hand, can be used on passive Pokemon such as Altaria, Pyukumuku, and Mareanie. Swoobat will often find itself behind a Substitute and unboosted while a faster Pokemon like Choice Scarf Electivire or Choice Scarf Rotom-S is in front of it. If this is the case, continuously use Substitute on the anticipated attacks to get Swoobat into Salac Berry range while behind a Substitute. While Swoobat is pretty weak without a boost, it can use its Speed stat to revenge kill certain weakened threats such as Leafeon, Mawile, and Simisage in an emergency.
Team Options
========
Swoobat fits best on hyper offense teams that can wear down the opposition for Swoobat and get it in. Dual screens support is very useful for Swoobat, as the damage reduction gives it many more opportunities to set up and actually allows it to make use of its resistances to an extent. Electrode is a standout option, as it can also get Swoobat in safely via Volt Switch. Other hyper offense staples make for good teammates for Swoobat. Dugtrio, Golem, and Crustle are all good leads; Dugtrio and Golem can potentially give Swoobat a free switch via Memento and Explosion, although this usually won't happen, as Swoobat is usually not seen early-game and these Pokemon are almost always dispatched within the first few turns. Crustle can also set Spikes, chipping down Swoobat's checks even more. Hyper offense sweepers include Rock Polish Torterra, Combusken, and Swords Dance Bibarel. These can help Swoobat out by breaking down checks like Bronzor, Silvally-Dark, and Kecleon, therefore allowing Swoobat to clean up easily. Swoobat can also potentially break down the opposing team early-game by getting rid of Silvally-Fighting, Gourgeist-XL, and Mareanie for them. Directly switching Swoobat in is not recommended, as it needs to be as healthy as possible to start a sweep and even hard resisted hits will do a ton of damage to it. Pivoting it in via U-turn or Volt Switch from the likes of Electrode and Silvally is a good idea. Bringing it in after Dugtrio's Memento or after one of your Pokemon has fainted is another way to do this.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Psychic is an option that gives Swoobat a more immediate offensive presence that doesn't require boosting to actually become a decent move, but the drop in power is extremely noticeable once Swoobat sets up. Air Slash can be used as a STAB move that hits some neutral targets like Silvally-Dark and Beheeyem harder, but the coverage is overall very redundant, and being walled by Bronzor is not preferable. Roost can give Swoobat multiple tries to set up and give it some form of longevity. Kee Berry is another option on such a set to turn Swoobat into a more bulk-focused setup sweeper. Unfortunately, Swoobat's coverage isn't fantastic as it is, and constricting it even more is generally not a wise choice.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Dark-types**: Dark-types such as Silvally-Dark and Pawniard pose huge problems for Swoobat, as they threaten it with their STAB moves and are immune to Stored Power. Silvally-Dark does not come close to dropping to a +2 Heat Wave and dispatches Swoobat as long as it isn't behind a Substitute. Pawniard can't take a Heat Wave, but it does revenge kill Swoobat with Sucker Punch. The rare Zweilous serves as the hardest Swoobat counter available, as it takes little damage even from Heat Wave and retaliates with a STAB move.
**Bulky Psychic-resistant Pokemon**: Pokemon that resist Psychic pose problems for Swoobat, as most of them are not taken out by Heat Wave if they aren't weak to it. Bronzor can take even a boosted Heat Wave and chip Swoobat with Psywave. Metang threatens Swoobat with its attacks as well, and Choice Specs Beheeyem can take a Stored Power if Swoobat is only at +2 and crush it with Shadow Ball.
**Offensive Pivots**: Offensive pivots such as Komala, Electivire, Rotom-S, and Silvally-Ground can break Swoobat's Substitute with U-turn or Volt Switch and bring in a wall that can take Swoobat's hits or a Choice Scarf user that can revenge kill it if it hasn't eaten its Salac Berry yet. None of these are adequate checks once Swoobat has accrued its boosts, however.
**Priority**: Priority is a big problem for Swoobat, as it needs to be at low health for Salac Berry to activate and has pitiful bulk. Swanna, Pawniard, Purugly, Kecleon, and Golem are common Pokemon that can carry a threatening priority move. Purugly and Golem must rely on Sucker Punch, however, which can be disastrous if they predict incorrectly due to Swoobat always running Substitute and Calm Mind.
**Constant Offensive Pressure**: Swoobat's bad bulk and reliance on setting up to do damage mean that just pressuring it, especially with physical attacks, is a good way to shut it down completely and prevent it from safely setting up.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[SputnikGT, 475916]]
- Quality checked by: [[Ho3nConfirm3d, 231074], [5gen, 296755]]
- Grammar checked by: [[A Cake Wearing A Hat, 388157], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
Swoobat is a unique and potentially devastating sweeper that uses its amazing ability Simple as well as its access to Calm Mind and Stored Power to become a dangerous threat. A great Speed tier allows it to get the jump on much of the unboosted metagame, and in conjunction with Salac Berry and Simple, it enables it to outrun every switch-in in the tier. Swoobat's defensive typing and bulk are nothing to write home about, but its 4x resistance to Fighting and a Ground immunity can give it some setup opportunities against certain threats such as Silvally-Fighting and defensive Poliwrath as well as Torterra and Electivire Choice-locked into Earthquake. Unfortunately, Swoobat's Special Attack is poor until it picks up a Calm Mind, which can be a tall task thanks to its bad defenses and defensive typing. Said defensive typing leaves it open to common Dark-, Ice-, and Electric-type attacks from Silvally-Dark, Glaceon, and Electivire. Swoobat's poor bulk and reliance on getting to low health to activate Salac Berry also mean that priority attacks from Pokemon such as Kecleon and Swanna are a huge problem for it. Swoobat is also very predictable, so a smart player can see what is coming and react accordingly by keeping one answer for it alive. Swoobat's hit-or-miss nature means that it only gets one shot to sweep, so all answers for it must be dealt with before it even attempts to set up. As a result, Swoobat needs significant support from its team if it is to sweep.
[SET]
name: Substitute + Calm Mind
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Stored Power
move 4: Heat Wave
item: Salac Berry
ability: Simple
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Substitute allows Swoobat to set up on Pokemon Choice-locked into moves that can't break its Substitute or passive Pokemon attempting to afflict it with status conditions. The Choice-locked Pokemon can include Golem, Electivire, and Torterra locked into Earthquake, while passive Pokemon that are vulnerable to Swoobat include Pyukumuku, Bronzor, and Dusclops. Stored Power becomes extremely powerful if Swoobat accrues all the boosts it is aiming to; it reaches 140 Base Power after one Calm Mind and the Salac Berry boost. Heat Wave provides the best coverage alongside Stored Power, as it hits most of the tier's Psychic-resistant Pokemon neutrally and notably hits Bronzor, Pawniard, and Metang super effectively.
Set Details
========
Salac Berry gives Swoobat +2 to its Speed thanks to Simple, making it extremely fast and juicing up Stored Power even more. 4 HP EVs allow Swoobat to get into range of its Salac Berry after three uses of Substitute from full health.
Usage Tips
========
Swoobat is a very all-or-nothing sweeper; it usually only gets one chance to sweep, and it will achieve very little if the field is not prepared for it. Therefore, heavily weakening or removing checks and counters like Silvally-Dark and Pawniard is highly recommended before sending out Swoobat. Attempt to use Swoobat as a mid-game wallbreaker if a sweep looks unlikely. Using it mid-game can also bait out checks like Kecleon and Silvally-Dark that can be capitalized on by its teammates if you switch intelligently. Deciding when to use Calm Mind or Substitute is key to using Swoobat properly. Calm Mind can be used in the face of some of the tier's weaker special attackers and against slower special attackers that don't run coverage for Swoobat. These can include Servine, Exeggutor, and special Combusken, but you should keep in mind that directly switching into these threats is out of the question. Substitute, on the other hand, can be used on passive Pokemon such as Altaria, Pyukumuku, and Mareanie. Swoobat will often find itself behind a Substitute and unboosted while a faster Pokemon like Choice Scarf Electivire or Choice Scarf Rotom-S is in front of it. If this is the case, continuously use Substitute on the anticipated attacks to get Swoobat into Salac Berry range while behind a Substitute. While Swoobat is pretty weak without a boost, it can use its Speed stat to revenge kill certain weakened threats such as Leafeon, Mawile, and Simisage in an emergency.
Team Options
========
Swoobat fits best on hyper offense teams that can wear down the opposition for Swoobat and get it in. Dual screens support is very useful for Swoobat, as the damage reduction gives it many more opportunities to set up and actually allows it to make use of its resistances to an extent. Electrode is a standout option, as it can also get Swoobat in safely via Volt Switch. Other hyper offense staples make for good teammates for Swoobat. Dugtrio, Golem, and Crustle are all good leads; Dugtrio and Golem can potentially give Swoobat a free switch via Memento and Explosion, although this usually won't happen, as Swoobat is usually not seen early-game and these Pokemon are almost always dispatched within the first few turns. Crustle can also set Spikes, chipping down Swoobat's checks even more. Hyper offense sweepers include Rock Polish Torterra, Combusken, and Swords Dance Bibarel. These can help Swoobat out by breaking down checks like Bronzor, Silvally-Dark, and Kecleon, therefore allowing Swoobat to clean up easily. Swoobat can also potentially break down the opposing team early-game by getting rid of Silvally-Fighting, Gourgeist-XL, and Mareanie for them. Directly switching Swoobat in is not recommended, as it needs to be as healthy as possible to start a sweep and even hard resisted hits will do a ton of damage to it. Pivoting it in via U-turn or Volt Switch from the likes of Electrode and Silvally is a good idea. Bringing it in after Dugtrio's Memento or after one of your Pokemon has fainted is another way to do this.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Psychic is an option that gives Swoobat a more immediate offensive presence that doesn't require boosting to actually become a decent move, but the drop in power is extremely noticeable once Swoobat sets up. Air Slash can be used as a STAB move that hits some neutral targets like Silvally-Dark and Beheeyem harder, but the coverage is overall very redundant, and being walled by Bronzor is not preferable. Roost can give Swoobat multiple tries to set up and give it some form of longevity. Kee Berry is another option on such a set to turn Swoobat into a more bulk-focused setup sweeper. Unfortunately, Swoobat's coverage isn't fantastic as it is, and constricting it even more is generally not a wise choice.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Dark-types**: Dark-types such as Silvally-Dark and Pawniard pose huge problems for Swoobat, as they threaten it with their STAB moves and are immune to Stored Power. Silvally-Dark does not come close to dropping to a +2 Heat Wave and dispatches Swoobat as long as it isn't behind a Substitute. Pawniard can't take a Heat Wave, but it does revenge kill Swoobat with Sucker Punch. The rare Zweilous serves as the hardest Swoobat counter available, as it takes little damage even from Heat Wave and retaliates with a STAB move.
**Bulky Psychic-resistant Pokemon**: Pokemon that resist Psychic pose problems for Swoobat, as most of them are not taken out by Heat Wave if they aren't weak to it. Bronzor can take even a boosted Heat Wave and chip Swoobat with Psywave. Metang threatens Swoobat with its attacks as well, and Choice Specs Beheeyem can take a Stored Power if Swoobat is only at +2 and crush it with Shadow Ball.
**Offensive Pivots**: Offensive pivots such as Komala, Electivire, Rotom-S, and Silvally-Ground can break Swoobat's Substitute with U-turn or Volt Switch and bring in a wall that can take Swoobat's hits or a Choice Scarf user that can revenge kill it if it hasn't eaten its Salac Berry yet. None of these are adequate checks once Swoobat has accrued its boosts, however.
**Priority**: Priority is a big problem for Swoobat, as it needs to be at low health for Salac Berry to activate and has pitiful bulk. Swanna, Pawniard, Purugly, Kecleon, and Golem are common Pokemon that can carry a threatening priority move. Purugly and Golem must rely on Sucker Punch, however, which can be disastrous if they predict incorrectly due to Swoobat always running Substitute and Calm Mind.
**Constant Offensive Pressure**: Swoobat's bad bulk and reliance on setting up to do damage mean that just pressuring it, especially with physical attacks, is a good way to shut it down completely and prevent it from safely setting up.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[SputnikGT, 475916]]
- Quality checked by: [[Ho3nConfirm3d, 231074], [5gen, 296755]]
- Grammar checked by: [[A Cake Wearing A Hat, 388157], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
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