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What's your favourite lead?

In UU, I prefer Persian. He's a real team player, turning many 3KOs into 2KOs, by coming in and out repeatedly with Fake Out/U-Turn. Bite has to be used for Ghosts, and the last move is just filler, really... Taunt, Return, and even Switcheroo work well, I've found.
 
Azelf @ Life Orb
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Nature: Timid
- Fire Blast
- Thunderbolt
- Grass Knot
- Explosion

This works great as very few people expect Azelf to run a full attack set, and expect the more common Taunt/Stealth Rock.

Opposing Azelf Taunt or set up SR while I Thunderbolt/Fire Blast, Killing them unless they explode off, which helps since most of my teams are weak against pokes such as Azelf and Alakazam. Abomasnow is defeated using fire blast. Swampert gets a Grass Knot for the OHKO when he least expects it. Infernape gives me troubles though, I have thought of using Psychic but where? It also has a weakness to TTar since sandstorm doubles its Special Defense.

Also Explosion helps it go out with a bang.
 
Son_of_Shadoo said:
In UU, I prefer Persian. He's a real team player, turning many 3KOs into 2KOs, by coming in and out repeatedly with Fake Out/U-Turn. Bite has to be used for Ghosts, and the last move is just filler, really... Taunt, Return, and even Switcheroo work well, I've found.
Click to expand...

With Hypnosis down to 60% accuracy now, what reason is there for using Persian over Ambipom? Ambipom has more power, speed, and many more options (Baton Passing, Nasty Plot, Brick Break, Payback, Shadow Claw).
 
Persian is better at using Nasty Plot actually. Still has terrible special attack though. As in, with timid and 252 EVs, you're looking at a figure around 220. Works well if it can get a couple of boosts however.
 
i like bellyzard as a lead. If people think that you have the normal anti-lead zard, and they sr, without a strong priority, they just lost the game. It is kind of an all or nothing move though.
 
Charizard with Hidden Power Grass for swampert, and if your gonna run charizard you might as well run him before the stealth rocks come into play
 
Gyarados has quite a few nice match-ups and fares well against Metagross, Heatran, Hippowdon, some Jirachi and most Swampert. Taunt is extremely useful against the slow leads. DDLO could work since it can 2HKO Metagross with Earthquake, but it's pretty hard to get a good sweep in as several teams have dedicated Gyarados counters.
 
For my rain team, I run this Crobat:

Crobat @ Damp Rock
252 Spe/128 HP/84 Def/44 SpD
- Rain Dance
- U-Turn
- Roost
- Taunt

Taunt, Rain Dance then U-Turn out for a sweeper or Swampy. Roost when necessary. If Bronzong (my only other rain-inducer) KOs, then Crobat can come in with rain again.
 
I remember on one of my earlier Shoddy teams I used an Anti-Lead Gliscor.

Gliscor@Lefties
Jolly - 252 Hp/40 Def/216 Spe
~Taunt
~Stealth Rock
~Earthquake
~U-Turn

Stole the EV spread from its Stall Breaker set. From the few time I actually used that team I had a bit of success. Taunt anything slower than you and then proceed from there. Set up SR then hit 'em hard with EQ or GTFO thanks to U-Turn.

In one instance, it was him against a LeadGross. Predicting the SR I Taunt, knowing I'd be faster. Then, predicting the Asplosion, I set up SR of my own knowing I'd be a little hard-pressed without it. Luckily enough my opponent was an idiot and I was able to Roar stall him with a Stockpile Hippo until a combination of impregnable defense, Sandstorm, and Stealth Rock took him out. Without Gliscor, I doubt I would've been able to win that match as easily as I did.

The latest lead I've been using is a Lead Roserade

Roserade@Focus Sash
*Natural Cure*
Timid - 4 Hp/252 SpAtk/252 Spe
~Sleep Powder
~Toxic Spikes
~Grass Knot
~HP [Ground]

I've been using this a lot on PBR. LeadRade for me, is mostly to ensure my SubPetaya Empoleon isn't completely shut down by things like Blissey and other Bulky Waters that would switch in by spreading Poison like the plague. Sleep Powder allows me to safely set up one layer of T-Spikes at least (assuming Sleep Powder hit). Most of the time the opponent's I find on PBR are too dumb to switch out enabling me to set up another layer of T-Spikes. Grass Knot hits the big guys like Swampert, Hippo, and also helps against things like Gyarados and TTar (if she's lucky enough to last until the later game) while HP [Ground] hits Metagross and Heatran leads. With Natural Cure you can also use her as a sort of status absorber, as well.

Also, I'd like to comment on the ScarfLoom mentioned earlier. One of my friends has been using that and lemme tell ya, unless you've got a status absorber, prepare to be smashed big time. That thing has torn me apart more times than I care too remember. You just don't expect it being Scarf'd and then WHAM, you're down you're Speedy Sweeper, and have lost any offensive momentum you were attempting to gain. Doesn't help that he then has the speed to outpace what Pokemon you DO have left and hit them for some pretty decent damage with things like Seed Bomb and Stone Edge.
 
togekiss @ Choice scarf
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP/252 SPE/6 Def
Calm Nature
- Trick
- Thunderwave
- Reflect
- Air slash

This has been my most successful lead yet. Trick cripples most SR and weather leads and forces them to switch giving me a free turn to turn togekiss into a bulky neast with reflect or cripple the common speedy switch in which hates to be paralyzed like weavile, salamence, infernape or tyranitar. Once all this has been achieved i can proceed to flinch hax my way to victory. This lead allows me to cripple the opposing lead (T-wave for fellow scarfers then switch and come back later) usually get a KO and leave a pokemon paralyzed and leave up a defensive screen for few turns allowing my swampert to effectively set up SR and tank away or phaze with roar

awsome
 
I use lead Metagross on most of my teams but lately I've been experimenting with teams and leads. I like a variation of LoveDestiny's Smeargle lead that sets up all my team's entry hazards.

Smeargle @ Focus Sash (Jolly)
252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
- Spore
- Stealth Rock
- Spikes
- Detect

Detect is useful against lead Jirachi to see if it will Iron Head or Trick and also helps against Infernape and Weavile. I'd rather sacrifice the option for Endeavoring bulky leads (which are set up bait anyways) than have to play around Fake Outs and Pursuits and Fire Blasts.

I'm also playing around with a lead Venomoth similar to the Roserade posted above.

Venomoth @ Focus Sash (Timid) -- Shield Dust
4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
- Sleep Powder
- Bug Buzz
- HP [Ice]
- Toxic Spikes

Shield Dust is *supposed* to stop flinching as a side effect from moves but I'm not sure if it works correctly on Shoddy or not. Jirachi's Iron Head and Zen Headbutt haven't flinched me yet (only out of about three tries though, and Sleep Powder seems to miss every time against Jirachi :/) but Fake Out always flinches. Maybe Shield Dust doesn't work against Fake Out?

Venomoth sleeps the opponent and sets up a layer of Toxic Spikes or two. Bug Buzz is obligatory STAB. HP [Ice] may seem odd but the other choices are [Ground] and [Fire]. Almost the only time Venomoth is faster than Heatran is when it's a lead, but it doesn't stay in to be 2HKOed; a neutral Bug Buzz hits almost as hard as a 2x effective HP [Fire]. HP [Ice] hits lead Gliscors which are annoying for my team and also random Salamence who seem to like switching into Venomoth (I don't get it either).
 
EvilMario said:
With Hypnosis down to 60% accuracy now, what reason is there for using Persian over Ambipom? Ambipom has more power, speed, and many more options (Baton Passing, Nasty Plot, Brick Break, Payback, Shadow Claw).
Click to expand...
There is no reason to use Persian as a lead outside of NU. I found the best set for Ambipom lead is Fake Out/Return/Pursuit/Brick Break.
 
conal said:
togekiss @ Choice scarf
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP/252 SPE/6 Def
Calm Nature
- Trick
- Thunderwave
- Reflect
- Air slash

This has been my most successful lead yet. Trick cripples most SR and weather leads and forces them to switch giving me a free turn to turn togekiss into a bulky neast with reflect or cripple the common speedy switch in which hates to be paralyzed like weavile, salamence, infernape or tyranitar. Once all this has been achieved i can proceed to flinch hax my way to victory. This lead allows me to cripple the opposing lead (T-wave for fellow scarfers then switch and come back later) usually get a KO and leave a pokemon paralyzed and leave up a defensive screen for few turns allowing my swampert to effectively set up SR and tank away or phaze with roar

awsome
Click to expand...

I use togekiss very similirly as a lead too and i love him. only difference is i dont pack reflect and instead use hidden power ice. which i find has been very beneficial for me
 
My favorite uu lead would have to be scarf roserade because he does my offensive playing style so well.
First turn he sleeps something allowing an early game weakener to weaken
my opponents team. And he can come back later and revenge kill.

In ou i like to use jirachi. Idk why,though.

In ubers i use Deo-a for awsomeness value.
 
EvilMario said:
With Hypnosis down to 60% accuracy now, what reason is there for using Persian over Ambipom? Ambipom has more power, speed, and many more options (Baton Passing, Nasty Plot, Brick Break, Payback, Shadow Claw).
Click to expand...


You forget one of Persian's options I listed. Switcheroo. Passing a Choice Band to Roserade or Uxie, anyone?
 
In UU, my favorite lead thus far has probably been Clefable.

Flame Orb, Bold, 44 HP/252 Def/212 Sp. Def
Trick
Protect
Stealth Rock
Wish

EVs and nature give it equal defenses on both sides. Stealth Rock is obvious, Protect helps for scouting, Flame Orb activation, and to block an Ambipom Fake Out, Wish helps in late-game, and Trick can really screw over the Fighting-types this tends to lure in. Few UU leads carry Taunt, so that really isn't much of a problem. And on top of that, they have no idea whatsoever that this is my set. Clefable can run pretty much anything and be successful.
 
I've been using the standard Aerodactyl, but in format-2 and casuals. In OU I've been using focus sash Mamoswine, which has been doing VERY well against the current meta. Don't like Jirachi though.
 
iv been using lead metagross for awhile now and it works really good it also works good with a lum berry bullet punch can be used for leads like aerodactyl as they might predict stealth rock comming and taunt explosion can be your finisher but like all pokemon it has alot of counters for that matter but thats just me.
 
ive been using this azelf it fits well in rain dance teams

azelf@damp rock
ability:levitate
evs:4 hp/252 attack/252 speed
nature:naive
-rain dance
-stealth rock
-physchic
-u-turn
this may not be the best lead azelf in the world but it fits well on rain dance teams,rain dance up,then lay some stealth rocks after that you can switch out and leave a painful mark on your foe,the evs and natures make sure that everything goes right, with damp rock,you got a ton of turns for a ton of fun on your water pokemon

this is one of the coolest leads ive used.i dont think most will have the same opinion through.
 
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