[Overview]
Weavile's good Speed and Attack stats, combined with its incredible offensive typing, make it threatening to a lot of standard teams. Dark and Ice hit almost the entire tier for neutral damage, with only the rare Zamazenta-C resisting both. Ice Shard can also be situationally useful in keeping opposing offensive setup sweepers in check, most notably Zekrom and Zygarde. Weavile has incredibly low bulk by Ubers standards, though, and can be incredibly difficult to bring in repeatedly as a result. Its Dark typing can make it difficult to fit onto teams because it cannot check Calyrex-S effectively, forcing stacking weaknesses to common Pokemon like Xerneas. It offers very little to teams defensively and can be difficult to justify over similarly fast offensive Pokemon like Marshadow and Mewtwo, which offer similar offensive pressure, but with more defined defensive niches. Weavile also has to rely on Triple Axel's unreliable accuracy for damage output, which is never ideal.
[SET]
Name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Triple Axel
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Ice Shard
item: Heavy-Duty Boots
ability: Pressure
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Swords Dance allows Weavile to set up on forced switches and gives the power necessary to OHKO some of the physically bulkier Pokemon seen in Ubers. Without the boost from Swords Dance, Weavile can't break through the natural bulk of some of the best Pokemon in Ubers, which sadly makes it harder to scare Pokemon out for setup chances. Triple Axel, although unreliable, is Weavile's strongest attack and situationally shuts down Focus Sash users like Slurpuff and Substitute users like Zygarde. Knock Off hits most of the Ice-resistant Pokemon that reside in Ubers, most notably hitting Necrozma-DM. It's also useful to clean late-game because of Triple Axel's notoriously low accuracy. Ice Shard lets Weavile pick off some weakened faster Pokemon in the tier, including setup sweepers like Zekrom and Zygarde. Pressure is useful to deplete the PP of common attacks, most notably Calyrex-S's Astral Barrage and Eternatus's Dynamax Cannon. Pickpocket can have situational utility after taking Yveltal's Knock Off, but Pressure is often more useful, especially since Pickpocket can give an item Weavile doesn't want like Choice Specs or Choice Scarf. Jolly is normally preferred over Adamant to allow Weavile to outspeed most Eternatus, as well as Speed tying Jolly Marshadow, but Adamant can be used for its extra power.
Yveltal provides good pivoting support to get Weavile in, and Weavile can force out Eternatus, the most common Yveltal check. Necrozma-DM can come in on Xerneas repeatedly throughout a game, and it can support Weavile with paralysis or by using Knock Off to help wear down checks like Ferrothorn. Eternatus can pivot in well against Pokemon that can force Weavile out, like Kyogre and Marshadow, and wear down Pokemon like Necrozma-DM into range of Weavile's attacks. Ferrothorn's Spikes helps wear down checks to most wallbreakers in the tier, and it appreciates a teammate that can check Substitute Zygarde variants alongside it.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
A Choice Band set can be used in conjunction with Beat Up to take advantage of the high base Attack stats of Weavile's teammates; however, this limits the options for teambuilding with Weavile, as you want high-Attack teammates as well as a cleric like Xerneas, since Beat Up doesn't incorporate statused teammates. Wide Lens is an option over Heavy-Duty Boots to make Triple Axel more reliable, but this does make Weavile much weaker to entry hazards. Focus Sash can be used on certain hyper offense builds that are good at preventing opposing hazards from getting up, letting Weavile have a guaranteed turn to set up a Swords Dance.
Checks and Counters
====
**Xerneas**: Xerneas does not fear any of Weavile's moves and will OHKO it with Moonblast, and defensive sets can normally stay healthy enough throughout a game to keep Weavile in check with Rest.
**Buzzwole**: Buzzwole's incredible physical bulk and resistance to Dark make it very effective at preventing Weavile from making progress. Buzzwole also threatens to OHKO Weavile in return and has reliable recovery to consistently check it throughout a game.
**Zamazenta-C**: Zamazenta-C completely shuts down Weavile given how little it takes from all of Weavile's moves.
**Ho-Oh**: While Ho-Oh hates having its item removed, the standard physically defensive set can switch into Weavile and avoid the 2HKO from all of its standard moves. Ho-Oh also threatens to OHKO Weavile while recovering passively throughout the game to do so consistently.
**Ferrothorn**: Ferrothorn can OHKO Weavile with Body Press and has Iron Barbs to further compromise Weavile's already miserable bulk.
**Toxapex**: While uncommon, Toxapex doesn't take much from any of Weavile's moves, removes Weavile's Attack boosts with Haze, and will eventually burn it with Scald. Regenerator and Recover combine to let Toxapex do this consistently throughout a game, too.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Aberforth, 249382]]
- Quality checked by: [[Manaphy, 50695], [Minority, 222996]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [lotiasite, 302985]]
Weavile's good Speed and Attack stats, combined with its incredible offensive typing, make it threatening to a lot of standard teams. Dark and Ice hit almost the entire tier for neutral damage, with only the rare Zamazenta-C resisting both. Ice Shard can also be situationally useful in keeping opposing offensive setup sweepers in check, most notably Zekrom and Zygarde. Weavile has incredibly low bulk by Ubers standards, though, and can be incredibly difficult to bring in repeatedly as a result. Its Dark typing can make it difficult to fit onto teams because it cannot check Calyrex-S effectively, forcing stacking weaknesses to common Pokemon like Xerneas. It offers very little to teams defensively and can be difficult to justify over similarly fast offensive Pokemon like Marshadow and Mewtwo, which offer similar offensive pressure, but with more defined defensive niches. Weavile also has to rely on Triple Axel's unreliable accuracy for damage output, which is never ideal.
[SET]
Name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Triple Axel
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Ice Shard
item: Heavy-Duty Boots
ability: Pressure
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Swords Dance allows Weavile to set up on forced switches and gives the power necessary to OHKO some of the physically bulkier Pokemon seen in Ubers. Without the boost from Swords Dance, Weavile can't break through the natural bulk of some of the best Pokemon in Ubers, which sadly makes it harder to scare Pokemon out for setup chances. Triple Axel, although unreliable, is Weavile's strongest attack and situationally shuts down Focus Sash users like Slurpuff and Substitute users like Zygarde. Knock Off hits most of the Ice-resistant Pokemon that reside in Ubers, most notably hitting Necrozma-DM. It's also useful to clean late-game because of Triple Axel's notoriously low accuracy. Ice Shard lets Weavile pick off some weakened faster Pokemon in the tier, including setup sweepers like Zekrom and Zygarde. Pressure is useful to deplete the PP of common attacks, most notably Calyrex-S's Astral Barrage and Eternatus's Dynamax Cannon. Pickpocket can have situational utility after taking Yveltal's Knock Off, but Pressure is often more useful, especially since Pickpocket can give an item Weavile doesn't want like Choice Specs or Choice Scarf. Jolly is normally preferred over Adamant to allow Weavile to outspeed most Eternatus, as well as Speed tying Jolly Marshadow, but Adamant can be used for its extra power.
Yveltal provides good pivoting support to get Weavile in, and Weavile can force out Eternatus, the most common Yveltal check. Necrozma-DM can come in on Xerneas repeatedly throughout a game, and it can support Weavile with paralysis or by using Knock Off to help wear down checks like Ferrothorn. Eternatus can pivot in well against Pokemon that can force Weavile out, like Kyogre and Marshadow, and wear down Pokemon like Necrozma-DM into range of Weavile's attacks. Ferrothorn's Spikes helps wear down checks to most wallbreakers in the tier, and it appreciates a teammate that can check Substitute Zygarde variants alongside it.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
A Choice Band set can be used in conjunction with Beat Up to take advantage of the high base Attack stats of Weavile's teammates; however, this limits the options for teambuilding with Weavile, as you want high-Attack teammates as well as a cleric like Xerneas, since Beat Up doesn't incorporate statused teammates. Wide Lens is an option over Heavy-Duty Boots to make Triple Axel more reliable, but this does make Weavile much weaker to entry hazards. Focus Sash can be used on certain hyper offense builds that are good at preventing opposing hazards from getting up, letting Weavile have a guaranteed turn to set up a Swords Dance.
Checks and Counters
====
**Xerneas**: Xerneas does not fear any of Weavile's moves and will OHKO it with Moonblast, and defensive sets can normally stay healthy enough throughout a game to keep Weavile in check with Rest.
**Buzzwole**: Buzzwole's incredible physical bulk and resistance to Dark make it very effective at preventing Weavile from making progress. Buzzwole also threatens to OHKO Weavile in return and has reliable recovery to consistently check it throughout a game.
**Zamazenta-C**: Zamazenta-C completely shuts down Weavile given how little it takes from all of Weavile's moves.
**Ho-Oh**: While Ho-Oh hates having its item removed, the standard physically defensive set can switch into Weavile and avoid the 2HKO from all of its standard moves. Ho-Oh also threatens to OHKO Weavile while recovering passively throughout the game to do so consistently.
**Ferrothorn**: Ferrothorn can OHKO Weavile with Body Press and has Iron Barbs to further compromise Weavile's already miserable bulk.
**Toxapex**: While uncommon, Toxapex doesn't take much from any of Weavile's moves, removes Weavile's Attack boosts with Haze, and will eventually burn it with Scald. Regenerator and Recover combine to let Toxapex do this consistently throughout a game, too.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Aberforth, 249382]]
- Quality checked by: [[Manaphy, 50695], [Minority, 222996]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [lotiasite, 302985]]
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