[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Bitter Blade
move 3: Shadow Sneak / Taunt
move 4: Close Combat / Solar Blade / Taunt
item: Focus Sash / Life Orb
tera type: Fire / Fighting / Grass
ability: Weak Armor / Flash Fire
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Ceruledge’s access to Swords Dance lets it leverage its powerful STAB combination and great attacking options to function as a threatening wallbreaker. At +2, Ceruledge is capable of OHKOing Corviknight, Amoonguss, bulky Volcarona, and defensive Gholdengo with Bitter Blade. Shadow Sneak serves as a secondary STAB attack, preferred for its priority that lets it heavily damage faster threats like Iron Valiant and Dragapult at +2, OHKOing the latter and making offensive counterplay to Ceruledge harder. Taunt can be run over Shadow Sneak to stop entry hazard setters and sweepers from setting up, giving Ceruledge a chance to break foes with recovery such as Clodsire without the opponent gaining too much progress. Taunt also prevents Ceruledge by being statused by the likes of Clodsire and Rotom-W. Close Combat OHKOs specially defensive Garganacl after a Swords Dance boost while 2HKOing Ting-Lu, physically defensive Garganacl, and Rotom-W, all of which are not threatened by Bitter Blade. Solar Blade threatens Dondozo, Garganacl, Ting-Lu, Rotom-W, and Great Tusk while sun is active. Focus Sash can ensure that Weak Armor and Swords Dance are activated, allowing Ceruledge to sweep more reliably. Life Orb is an alternative option that makes it possible to OHKO Ting-Lu and 2HKO Great Tusk at +2. Weak Armor couples incredibly well with Focus Sash, and its resistances to types like Bug and Fire, allowing Ceruledge to gain a free Speed boost by switching into U-turn from pivots like Corviknight and Cinderace, as well as Pyro Ball from the latter. Flash Fire lets Ceruledge function as a more reliable switch-in to Fire-types like Iron Moth, while potentially powering up Bitter Blade. Tera Fire provides extra power to Bitter Blade in order to OHKO Amoonguss and 2HKO Tera Steel Toxapex before Swords Dance. Tera Fighting provides Ceruledge with a Dark-resistance, allowing it to take attacks from the likes of Kingambit and Roaring Moon, particularly Sucker Punch from the former, in order to gain a Speed boost from Weak Armor. However, beware of other neutral attacks from such threats, as Choice Band Roaring Moon will still be able to OHKO Ceruledge with Dragon Claw. After a Swords Dance, Tera Fighting gives Close Combat enough extra power to OHKO all Garganacl sets, Ting-Lu, and Rotom-W after Stealth Rock chip. Tera Grass can be used together with Solar Blade in order to 2HKO Dondozo under sun. If running a Jolly nature, Ceruledge can outspeed Gholdengo and Baxcalibur, as well as Booster Energy Iron Valiant, Choice Scarf Meowscarada, and +1 Roaring Moon and Adamant Dragapult after a Weak Armor boost. Jolly, however, notably misses out on Adamant’s chance to OHKO Great Tusk and Ting-Lu at +2 with Tera Fighting Close Combat, as well as ensuring a 2HKO against Clodsire with Bitter Blade after Stealth Rock chip.
Ceruledge fits best on offensive teams, mainly those that use sun, in addition to some bulky offense teams that can provide it opportunities to enter battle and set up safely. As one of few viable physical Fire-types, Ceruledge has great synergy with Torkoal, which can activate sun to boost Bitter Blade’s power and allow Solar Blade to be used in one turn. Torkoal also sets Stealth Rock, removes hazards with Rapid Spin, and can spread status with Lava Plume and Yawn to allow Ceruledge safe entry. Walking Wake benefits from Ceruledge’s unique coverage on sun teams, as it appreciates foes like Azumarill and Slowking being removed. In return, Walking Wake can pressure foes like Skeledirge and Great Tusk. Great Tusk and Hatterene are also good partners on sun teams, as they can keep entry hazards off the field so that Ceruledge can enter battle safely with its Focus Sash intact. Ceruledge struggles with physical walls like Rotom-W and Great Tusk, as well as Unaware walls like Skeledirge and Dondozo. Choice Specs Iron Valiant has coverage for these foes, while Booster Energy variants threaten faster attackers like Roaring Moon and Dragapult. Mixed Garchomp puts pressure on most of Ceruledge’s checks, like Dondozo and Skeledirge, while luring in Corviknight so that Ceruledge can take advantage of its U-turn in order to activate Weak Armor. Corviknight itself is a good partner, as it is able to lure in Cinderace, another Pokemon Ceruledge can take advantage of, and pivot Ceruledge into battle safely. But, it can be a drain on momentum for more offensive teams. Ceruledge works well with hazard setters, as extra chip damage helps Ceruledge break foes like Garganacl and Rotom-W. In return, Ceruledge pressures Corviknight and can spinblock with its Ghost typing, but it doesn’t often do so due to bad matchups against common Rapid Spin users like Great Tusk. Examples of hazard-setting teammates include Great Tusk and Meowscarada, with the former being able to check Dark-types like Kingambit in the event Ceruledge cannot Terastallize, and the latter checking Rotom-W and Great Tusk.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/breloombuddy.619748/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/captaindaimyo.602431/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/autumn.384270/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tea-guzzler.577920/
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Bitter Blade
move 3: Shadow Sneak / Taunt
move 4: Close Combat / Solar Blade / Taunt
item: Focus Sash / Life Orb
tera type: Fire / Fighting / Grass
ability: Weak Armor / Flash Fire
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Ceruledge’s access to Swords Dance lets it leverage its powerful STAB combination and great attacking options to function as a threatening wallbreaker. At +2, Ceruledge is capable of OHKOing Corviknight, Amoonguss, bulky Volcarona, and defensive Gholdengo with Bitter Blade. Shadow Sneak serves as a secondary STAB attack, preferred for its priority that lets it heavily damage faster threats like Iron Valiant and Dragapult at +2, OHKOing the latter and making offensive counterplay to Ceruledge harder. Taunt can be run over Shadow Sneak to stop entry hazard setters and sweepers from setting up, giving Ceruledge a chance to break foes with recovery such as Clodsire without the opponent gaining too much progress. Taunt also prevents Ceruledge by being statused by the likes of Clodsire and Rotom-W. Close Combat OHKOs specially defensive Garganacl after a Swords Dance boost while 2HKOing Ting-Lu, physically defensive Garganacl, and Rotom-W, all of which are not threatened by Bitter Blade. Solar Blade threatens Dondozo, Garganacl, Ting-Lu, Rotom-W, and Great Tusk while sun is active. Focus Sash can ensure that Weak Armor and Swords Dance are activated, allowing Ceruledge to sweep more reliably. Life Orb is an alternative option that makes it possible to OHKO Ting-Lu and 2HKO Great Tusk at +2. Weak Armor couples incredibly well with Focus Sash, and its resistances to types like Bug and Fire, allowing Ceruledge to gain a free Speed boost by switching into U-turn from pivots like Corviknight and Cinderace, as well as Pyro Ball from the latter. Flash Fire lets Ceruledge function as a more reliable switch-in to Fire-types like Iron Moth, while potentially powering up Bitter Blade. Tera Fire provides extra power to Bitter Blade in order to OHKO Amoonguss and 2HKO Tera Steel Toxapex before Swords Dance. Tera Fighting provides Ceruledge with a Dark-resistance, allowing it to take attacks from the likes of Kingambit and Roaring Moon, particularly Sucker Punch from the former, in order to gain a Speed boost from Weak Armor. However, beware of other neutral attacks from such threats, as Choice Band Roaring Moon will still be able to OHKO Ceruledge with Dragon Claw. After a Swords Dance, Tera Fighting gives Close Combat enough extra power to OHKO all Garganacl sets, Ting-Lu, and Rotom-W after Stealth Rock chip. Tera Grass can be used together with Solar Blade in order to 2HKO Dondozo under sun. If running a Jolly nature, Ceruledge can outspeed Gholdengo and Baxcalibur, as well as Booster Energy Iron Valiant, Choice Scarf Meowscarada, and +1 Roaring Moon and Adamant Dragapult after a Weak Armor boost. Jolly, however, notably misses out on Adamant’s chance to OHKO Great Tusk and Ting-Lu at +2 with Tera Fighting Close Combat, as well as ensuring a 2HKO against Clodsire with Bitter Blade after Stealth Rock chip.
Ceruledge fits best on offensive teams, mainly those that use sun, in addition to some bulky offense teams that can provide it opportunities to enter battle and set up safely. As one of few viable physical Fire-types, Ceruledge has great synergy with Torkoal, which can activate sun to boost Bitter Blade’s power and allow Solar Blade to be used in one turn. Torkoal also sets Stealth Rock, removes hazards with Rapid Spin, and can spread status with Lava Plume and Yawn to allow Ceruledge safe entry. Walking Wake benefits from Ceruledge’s unique coverage on sun teams, as it appreciates foes like Azumarill and Slowking being removed. In return, Walking Wake can pressure foes like Skeledirge and Great Tusk. Great Tusk and Hatterene are also good partners on sun teams, as they can keep entry hazards off the field so that Ceruledge can enter battle safely with its Focus Sash intact. Ceruledge struggles with physical walls like Rotom-W and Great Tusk, as well as Unaware walls like Skeledirge and Dondozo. Choice Specs Iron Valiant has coverage for these foes, while Booster Energy variants threaten faster attackers like Roaring Moon and Dragapult. Mixed Garchomp puts pressure on most of Ceruledge’s checks, like Dondozo and Skeledirge, while luring in Corviknight so that Ceruledge can take advantage of its U-turn in order to activate Weak Armor. Corviknight itself is a good partner, as it is able to lure in Cinderace, another Pokemon Ceruledge can take advantage of, and pivot Ceruledge into battle safely. But, it can be a drain on momentum for more offensive teams. Ceruledge works well with hazard setters, as extra chip damage helps Ceruledge break foes like Garganacl and Rotom-W. In return, Ceruledge pressures Corviknight and can spinblock with its Ghost typing, but it doesn’t often do so due to bad matchups against common Rapid Spin users like Great Tusk. Examples of hazard-setting teammates include Great Tusk and Meowscarada, with the former being able to check Dark-types like Kingambit in the event Ceruledge cannot Terastallize, and the latter checking Rotom-W and Great Tusk.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/breloombuddy.619748/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/captaindaimyo.602431/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/autumn.384270/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tea-guzzler.577920/
Last edited: