[OVERVIEW]
[SET]
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Will-O-Wisp
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Toxic Spikes
move 4: Taunt / Pain Split
item: Black Sludge
ability: Levitate
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Set Details
========
Usage Tips
========
Team Options
========
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Checks and Counters
===================
**Psychic-Types**: The abundance of viable Psychic-types in the tier such as; Slowbro, Xatu, Slowking, Mesprit, and Jynx are severely detrimental to Weezing's existence. Slowbro, Slowking, Mesprit and Jynx can all come in safely and start setting up or Mesprit could just fire off a STAB super-effective Choice Specs Psychic and OHKO Weezing. Xatu can come in without worry and can shut down Weezing with ease, Xatu bounces all of its utility attacks back with Magic Bounce and can take any hit Weezing fires off and Roost off all the damage dealt, it can also hit it with Psychic to deal extremely generous damage. Uxie can set up hazards against Weezing while taking minimal damage from any attack and can hit it super-effectively with STAB Psychic.
**Strong Special Attackers**: Weezing's low Special Defence leaves it exceedingly vulnerable to powerful Special Attackers like Delphox, either forcing a switch or dealing massive damage. Specially based set up sweeper like Quiver Dance Vivillon or Calm Mind Slowbro can come in at low cost and proceed to boosts their stats knowing Weezing will likely not stay in. Additionally, special attacking Fire-types such as Delphox, Houndoom, Turtonatur, Typhlosion, Magmortar and Charizardcan come in easily due to them being immune to Will-O-Wisp and having powerful attacks to overwhelm Weezing.
**Taunt & Substitute Users**: Faster Pokemon that make use of Substitute like Mismagius, Vivillon and Minior can block all of Weezing's utility moves and either set up or deal generoud damage, while Taunt users can shut down Weezing making it so it can't abuse its support moves.
- Bearing a good defensive typing combined with an immunity to Ground-type attacks due to levitate meaning it's only weakness is Psychic, Weezing makes a competent physically defensive Pokemon in the tier.
- Having access to a myriad of support moves such as Will-O-Wisp, Taunt, Haze, and being able to provide hazards within Toxic Spikes enables to provide a lot of support to its teammates.
- Outside of Black Sludge and Pain Split, Weezing has no reliable source of recovery. Meaning it can be easily wore down throughout the match without support from fellow teammates.
- Furthermore, due to it's low special defence, it's extremely susceptible to the abundance of strong special attackers in the tier, which can prove troublesome forcing Weezing to switch out. It also doesn't help that the majority of Psychic-types are specially based, making them premier threats to Weezing.
[SET]
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Will-O-Wisp
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Toxic Spikes
move 4: Taunt / Pain Split
item: Black Sludge
ability: Levitate
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
- Will-O-Wisp is essential in Weezing's moveset, being able to cripple physically offensive Pokemon like Sneasel, Virizion, Hitmonlee and Steelix, wearing them down while giving teammates like Vivillon or Scrafty set up fodder.
- Sludge Bomb is Weezing's primary STAB attack, and can be useful to fish for Poisons against Pokemon unaffected by Will-O-Wisp like Xatu and Fire-types.
- Toxic Spikes supports teammates by inflicting grounded foes with Poison. Additionally, Weezing can find itself setting up hazards against a lot of physical attackers and even prominent other hazard setters thanks to its sustainable bulk and wide utility movepool.
- Taunt enables it to prevent other slower hazard setters from setting them up, namely; Steelix, Garbodor, Rhydon, Piloswine, Druddigon, Shuckle, Ferroseed and Regirock. It also lets slower bulkier Pokemon from healing themselves or abusing their own utility moves, some examples would be Vileplume, Aromatisse, Gourgeist-L, Gastrodon and Quagsire.
- Pain Split is used as semi-reliable recovery as well as lessening the opponents HP in the progress.
- Haze is a viable option as well, removing all stat changes from the opponent to prevent foes from sweeping or setting up. It is worth noting that Clear Smog has the same affect, but Clear Smog isn't affected by taunt but doesn't go through substitute and doesn't affect Steel-types, while Haze can hit Steel-types and go through substitute but it's halted by taunt.
- Flamethrower can be utilised efficiently for direct damage output to mainly hit common Steel-types super-effectively, namely; Steelix, Alolan-Sandslash, Ferroseed and Silvally-Steel.
Set Details
========
- Levitate is Weezing's only ability, removing one of its weaknesses leaving it only bein weak to Psychic. Although due to levitate Weezing can't absorb Toxic Spikes for teammates unlike grounded Poison-types
- Maximum investment in HP and Physical Defence enables it to take advantage of its good defensive typing and physical defence stat, reaching its full potential as a physical wall. Or alternatively, Weezing could run 44 speed invested EVs, enabling it to outrun Vaporeon and somewhat cripple it with Taunt. Although it's generally a waste.
- Black Sludge provides consistent, passive recovery. Also discouraging Choiced Trick users from tricking against Weezing.
Usage Tips
========
- Weezing should be sent in against physical attackers to either cripple them with burns from Will-O-Wisp, or take advantage of Weezing's great defence and set up hazards.
- Additionally, Weezing can find itself setting up hazards against a lot of physical attackers, and even other prominent hazard setters thanks to its sustainable bulk and wide utility movepool.
- Try and abstain from using Toxic Spikes when the opposing team still has a grounded Poison-type, but in some situations it could be used to your advantage and switch out to a check to the Poison-type that is coming in.
- Weezing can be switched into clerics like Aromatisse, Togetic or Audino and stop them in their tracks with Taunt, it can also be brought out against certain set-up Pokemon like Virizion, Barbaracle, Rhydon and Klinklang to either burn them or completely remove their stat boosts with Haze.
- Sludge Bomb can be used against common switch-ins for Weezing, mainly being Psychic and Fire-types like Xatu or Magmortar to fish for a 30% Poison.
- You should also be weary of inflicting Poison on Pokemon that Weezing can only beat with Will-O-Wisp like Rhydon or Samurott.
Team Options
========
- Due to Weezing's lack of reliable recovery, Wish support provided by teammates aids its longevity. Furthermore, Vaporeon is a good partner thanks to its natural bulk, ability to pass health from Wish efficiently and take on the majority of Fire-types in the tier.
- Other Water-types such as Lanturn can synergies well with Weezing, bearing good special bulk to make up for Weezing's lack of special defence and appreciating Weezing's immunity to Ground-type attacks, while also providing Heal Bell support for bulkier teams that Weezing typically finds a place on.
- Dark-types make suitable partners for Weezing, Pokemon like Sneasel or Skuntank can trap Psychic-types and they also appreciate Weezing's levitate, or alternatively Houndoom can deal with Psychic-types with its brute strength and STAB attacks, also liking Weezing's immunity to Ground-type attacks.
- Stealth Rock support provided by Seismitoad or Rhydon can punish incoming Fire-types, due to them being susceptible and worn down easily by hazards. Seismitoad and Rhydon can also handle Fire-types by themselves somewhat well.
- Ghost-types are sometimes good responses to Psychic-types, also Hex abusers such as Rotom and Jellicent can take advantage of poisoned foes, powering up their STAB Hex. In addition to that, they can also block Rapid Spinners preventing opponents to remove Weezing's Toxic Spikes.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
- Due to Weezing's lack of reliable recovery, Icium Z in tandem Haze gives it a one-off chance to fully regain 100% of its health back. Haze is a viable option as well even without Icium Z, removing all stat changes from the opponent can always come in handy.
- Rocky Helmet is another option to chip away at physical-attackers, but is left with no reliable recovery besides pain split if it ops to use it.
- Memento can be used to give teammates opportunities to set-up.
- Toxic can be used on more bulkier or stall archetypes for more direct status infliction, also hitting non-grounded Pokemon like the Rotom-formes, Mismagius, Cryonogal, and of course Flying-types. Although Toxic is usually useless on any other type of team.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Psychic-Types**: The abundance of viable Psychic-types in the tier such as; Slowbro, Xatu, Slowking, Mesprit, and Jynx are severely detrimental to Weezing's existence. Slowbro, Slowking, Mesprit and Jynx can all come in safely and start setting up or Mesprit could just fire off a STAB super-effective Choice Specs Psychic and OHKO Weezing. Xatu can come in without worry and can shut down Weezing with ease, Xatu bounces all of its utility attacks back with Magic Bounce and can take any hit Weezing fires off and Roost off all the damage dealt, it can also hit it with Psychic to deal extremely generous damage. Uxie can set up hazards against Weezing while taking minimal damage from any attack and can hit it super-effectively with STAB Psychic.
**Strong Special Attackers**: Weezing's low Special Defence leaves it exceedingly vulnerable to powerful Special Attackers like Delphox, either forcing a switch or dealing massive damage. Specially based set up sweeper like Quiver Dance Vivillon or Calm Mind Slowbro can come in at low cost and proceed to boosts their stats knowing Weezing will likely not stay in. Additionally, special attacking Fire-types such as Delphox, Houndoom, Turtonatur, Typhlosion, Magmortar and Charizardcan come in easily due to them being immune to Will-O-Wisp and having powerful attacks to overwhelm Weezing.
**Taunt & Substitute Users**: Faster Pokemon that make use of Substitute like Mismagius, Vivillon and Minior can block all of Weezing's utility moves and either set up or deal generoud damage, while Taunt users can shut down Weezing making it so it can't abuse its support moves.
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