Kabutops (BW2 Revamp) [GP: 2/2]

Governess · May 3, 2013

Sorry for double posting, but Kabutops is now fully written, and ready to continue to be fixed by QC.

shrang · May 4, 2013

A Sun team, for instance, can utilize Swift Swim Kabutops to check Rain and to use Rapid Spin.

Another minor thing to note for this, IMO, is that Kabutops also has a 4x Fire resistance, so synergistically, Kabutops works very well on sun teams too.

Governess · May 4, 2013

Thank you, shrang. I'll add that in right now.

EDIT: Added it in.

Governess · May 7, 2013

(sorry for double posting) Bumping for that final check. Is there anything else that needs to be fixed to this?

jc104 · May 7, 2013

[Overview]

While there are many rain sweepers that roam the OU tier, one must not overlook Kabutops. (cliché and frankly not true – you're really overselling Kabutops. I know you've split the overview into positives and negatives, but not to add the proviso that Kabutops is a sweeper for non-drizzle rain is misleading) With the aid of Swift Swim, Kabutops transforms into a powerful sweeper, outspeeding almost all who dare to step in his path. Kabutops is also blessed with Swords Dance, which further enhances its sweeping potential. Boasting a base 115 Attack stat, Kabutops also comes with a great offensive STAB combination, hitting almost every type for neutral or super effective damage. It doesn't stop there: Weak Armor is a viable ability for Kabutops to utilize as well, allowing it to make full use of Aqua Jet (umm..what? Weak armor doesn't allow full use of aqua jet. Weak armor lets you use kabutops on drizzle teams – boosts that are actually wanted are rare, and this is worth mentioning). Even with Starmie and Tentacruel coming as prominent Rapin Spin users, Kabutops still finds a place as a decent spinner (in rain these are a lot better than kabutops – spin kabutops is best in sand IMO). Finally, Kabutops has the potential to shine outside of rain teams, serving as a useful check against them to aid sun and sand-weathered teams.

Kabutops comes with as many cons as it does pros, however. Despite that Kabutops has a plethora of roles to play, its movepool is quite limited, so many of Kabutops's moves are used multiple times on multiple sets. Its defenses, while decent, still fall short (worth mentioning that its defensive typing is really awful – it might have a decent physical defense stat, but almost every physical attacker can one-shot it). Additionally, Kabutops fails to be part of a Drizzle team when using Swift Swim, forcing it to turn to Rain Dance if Kabutops has any hope of outspeeding the likes of Latios and Terrakion, as its current Speed is quite lackluster. Heavy team support is also needed to keep Kabutops alive and to keep Rain Dance active. In spite of all the setbacks and preparation Kabutops has to offer, it can still be an invaluable member to the team when used correctly.

[SET]
name: Offensive Rapid Spin
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Aqua Jet
move 4: Swords Dance / Superpower
item: Life Orb / Lum Berry
ability: Swift Swim / Weak Armor
nature: Adamant / Jolly (after some testing I've come to the conclusion this is well worth slashing – lets you outrun Adamant Lucario, Adamant Landorus-T, offensive heatran, at least tie with Mamoswine, possibly outrun Rotom-w, Gyarados etc. Most of these OHKO you, but you can generally OHKO them too so massive difference)
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

While Kabutops is generally outclassed by fellow Rapid Spin users in the OU tier, Kabutops still stands as a great offensive spinner thanks to its great coverage, priority with Aqua Jet, and decent defences (Kabutops is defensively pretty awful actually – that typing…). This variant of Kabutops doesn't have to be limited to rain conditions: it can be used outside of rain, specifically on sun teams, to check rain teams. Considering it's 4x resistance to Fire-type attacks, it actually synergizes well with sun teams.(disagree totally. The pokemon you might be checking can't be checked in the sun because Aqua Jet is incredibly weak. I'd much rather see sand mentioned, because there the SpD boost is really helpful) Rapid Spin is the main move of this set, removing entry hazards from your side of the field. Stone Edge is Kabutops's primary STAB move, boasting both power and coverage. Aqua Jet is its secondary STAB move, allowing Kabutops to check the likes of Terrakion, Volcarona, and Mamoswine. The final moveslot is based on preference. Swords Dance is the ideal move for Kabutops, and for good reasons. With the Swords Dance boost, Kabutops can OHKO Jellicent with Stone Edge, making Kabutops increasingly difficult to spinblock. It can also OHKO Gengar with Aqua Jet, along with faring quite well against Hippowdon. However, with Superpower, Kabutops isn't setup fodder against Ferrothorn. It also makes it easier to go up against Tyranitar and Hydreigon.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

One of Kabutops's ability, Swift Swim, can be used regardless of whether Kabutops is in the rain or not to check rain teams, as they are so common in OU (Swift swim rapid spin kabutops is for non-rain teams, exclusively. Pretty incoherent sentence, too). It also works well with Superpower in checking rain teams, especially with Ferrothorn in the majority of them. However, Weak Armor works well with Aqua Jet and Swords Dance, as it contains that priority Speed, and that boosted power in Attack (this makes no sense. I don’t know what you're trying to say – Weak armor allows you to use Kabutops with Drizzle. Aqua Jet is then used because you're slow, and weak armor boosts are quite rare). Kabutops equipped with the Life Orb allows Kabutops to break through walls much quicker. It's a mandatory item for Kabutops if Superpower is choson over Swords Dance. Lum Berry is a viable option, as it heals Kabutops of any statuses it may catch, specifically from Breloom or Amoonguss.

Kabutops has a classic sweeping set; 252 EVs in both Attack and Speed to make the most of Kabutops's power and Speed, while the 4 HP EVs grant that small boost in bulk. An Adamant nature is used to maximize Kabutops Attack stat, allowing Kabutops to OHKO and 2HKO a vast variety of Pokemon while wallbreaking bulky users, such as Ferrothorn, Jellicent, and Gastrodon. For example, thanks to Adamant, Superpower can now 2HKO the standard 252 HP / 88+ Def Ferrothorn, accounting the -1 Attack drop recoil. However, if Speed is more important, Jolly can be used. Keep in mind that Kabutops misses out on many 2HKOes and OHKOes with Jolly (this is true of everything – you need to list what they are; otherwise, leave this out). A Jolly nature should be used as a when Kabutops is a stand-alone Swords Dance sweeper and not accompanied by rain. There aren't many alternative options pertaining to Kabutops's movepool; although, X-Scissor is an option in the final moveslot to check Celebi (not so much to check, as to lure out and kill). Waterfall can also be used over Aqua Jet for the additional power, though in most cases, Aqua Jet is preferred with this set due to the priority it provides.

Thanks to Swords Dance, Kabutops can usually hold its own against spinblockers, and its STAB combo hits almost every Pokemon for nutruel (ok this is the second time I've seen you spell neutral like this – wtf lol)damage, so not many partners are needed with it. Pokemon that benefit from having no entry hazards from the opponent, such as Volcarona, Kyurem-B, and Mamoswine (mamoswine seems an odd suggestion), are good partners to Kabutops, as it can keep entry hazards off the field for them to sweep. If Kabutops were to be used on a rain team, Damp Rock users are potent partners for it as well, specifically Tornadus and Kingdra (damp rock kingdra? Not common – kingdra is your best rain sweeper; you don't put damp rock on it.). Tornadus also deals with Grass-types, Kabutops's enemy. Politoed is a good partner if Weak Armor is used, along with Thundurus-T, as it makes use of the permanent rain. Kingdra also pairs well with Adamant Kabutops in rain; while Kabutops wallbreaks and weakens the opposing team, Kingdra can clean up what's left due to it being faster than most potent threats, such as Choice Scarf Keldeo and Choice Scarf Latios. Tentacruel can switch-in on Kabutops while taking very little from its attacks(not really, SD Stone Edge tears right through it). Powerful Psychic-types, such as Alakazam, Latios, and Latias, can easily handle Tentacruel.

I'm afraid this is really quite bad. It's filled with misinformation, and not especially well written either. I couldn't even make it to the end. Please could you just take a bit more care - for example, run a calc to see if tentacruel can take on Kabutops. Think about whether something relying on aqua jet in sun is a good idea. Go and actually try using Kabutops, and really consider if it's as good as you're saying it is.

Governess · May 7, 2013

jc104 said:
I'm afraid this is really quite bad. It's filled with misinformation, and not especially well written either. I couldn't even make it to the end. Please could you just take a bit more care - for example, run a calc to see if tentacruel can take on Kabutops. Think about whether something relying on aqua jet in sun is a good idea. Go and actually try using Kabutops, and really consider if it's as good as you're saying it is.

Mmm.. That's never good to hear. I'm sorry for that; the quality I have displayed for this analysis is unacceptable atm. I made the changes you said, and fixed the second half of the analysis you couldn't get to, jc103. My apologies for this.

alexwolf · May 8, 2013

There are still many problems with this analysis:

Overview

You didn't mention that Swift Swim allows Kabutops to act as a fearsome sweeper against rain teams
You just list Kabutops's pros in a generic way that doesn't explain to the reader Kabutops's niche. Kabutops's niche is as a physical sweeper on teams that have troubles against rain teams and can get past Ferrothorn (unlike Kingdra, which is usually a special attacker and walled by Ferrothorn), as a physical offensive rapid spinner that can beat Ferrothorn on rain teams (unlike Starmie which is a special attacker and can't beat Ferro and unlike Tentacruel which is not an offensive spinner), and finally we have the very rare set of SD + Weak Armour, which gives to Kabutops the little niche of potential sweeping under rain with a +2 Atk / +1 Spe boost. Oh and don't forget to mention that Kabutops can be used on manual rain dance teams.
Your explanation of Kabutops's downsides is very vague and and not really useful as well. One of Kabutops's biggest flaws is its disappointing Speed for an offensive Pokemon (outside of rain obviously), as well as bad defensive typing, which leaves it easily revenge killed by anything faster, which is pretty much every offensive Pokemon in OU. This makes Swift Swim Kabutops not that useful when not facing a rain team. On Weak Armour sets, the Speed problem is still there, although it can be mitigated if Kabutops is brought into a resisted or weak physical attack that makes contact, but this needs good prediction as Kabutops is very frail. Aside from the Speed problem, Kabutops faces a lot of competition in every single set it has. Swift Swim sets face competition from Kingdra, another Pokemon that is used to screw over rain teams and is more useful outside rain, Rapid Spin sets face competition from Starmie and Tentacruel, and finally any sweeping set with Weak Armour is very situational and unreliable and thus generally outclassed by better physical sweepers such as Terrakion and Gyrados.

The rest of the analysis is pretty lacking in quality as well, and if i end up doing what i did with the overview it would result in me rewriting half of the analysis, so please look over the analysis again, and try to explain Kabutops's niche as good as possible. After writing something, stop and read it to see if what you just wrote actually says anything to people that don't know how Kabutops is played other than what they already know by looking at its moves, stats, and abilities.

Governess · May 8, 2013

Ok; I went through it all and did my best to emphasize on Kabutop's niches as accurately as possible, as well as fixing any fuzzy spots. I also tried to make it easier for a reader who hasn't got a clue on how to use Kabutops to understand the analysis better.

ginganinja · May 12, 2013

a physical offensive Rapid Spin user that can beat Ferrothorn on rain teams, a trait that seperates Kabutops from other spinners, such as Starmie and Tentacruel,

I might be being a little pedantic here but Tentacruel usually can do pretty well against Ferrothorn 1v1. Idk if that sentence needs rewording or not, I just personally dislike it.

Perhapes mention Kabutops suffering from 4MSS since it cannot get SD / X-Scissor / Low Kick / Aqua Jet / Waterfall / Rapid Spin / Stone Edge. This means it usually has to choose between getting walled Ferrothorn or walled by Celebi.

While Kabutops is outclassed by fellow Rapid Spin users in the OU tier, Kabutops still stands as a great offensive spinner thanks to its great coverage, priority with Aqua Jet, and the ability to get past Ferrothorn on rain teams, something other rain spinners, such as Starmie and Tentacruel, can't accomplish.

Yea ok this is flat out wrong. Firstly, the set as it stands (using the first slash possible), actually LOSES to Ferrothorn. Secondly, under rain Tentacruel stands a very good chance in a 1v1 with Ferrothorn. Sub Toxic can stall for a miss, but pretty much any Tentacruel can spam Scald, go for the burn, and then win. Re-word this.

Stone Edge is Kabutops's primary STAB move, boasting both power and coverage, along with checking Ninetales, a Pokemon that can cut Kabutops short due to Drought, weakening its Water-type attacks.

Considering Kabutops is really using Aqua Jet as a revenge killing move, I don't consider killing Ninetales a massive selling point. its good sure, but no Ninetales is 1v1ing a Kabutops. Drought is also going up for the game unless you have weither of you own, and regardless, against a sun team Aqua Jet has limited use anyway. I think I am doing a below average job at explaining this, but basically I dislike the sentence as it stands, and think there are better examples of mons Stone Edge hits (like a Dragonite attempting to set up with MS active, idk)

Ferrothorn and Forretress are both good entry hazard users with Kabutop

+s

Celebi and Breloom can easily counter Kabutops in rain, so having partners that can get rid of them, such as Scizor and Torndaus, are very useful to Kabutops.

Celebi yes, Breloom is a little bit controversial. Waterfall + Aqua Jet (which outprios Mach Punch) under rain has a minimum damage of 88.15% damage (if Adamant). When you add in SR (as well as the fact this is min min both times), Breloom countering kabutops is a little tricky. Heck, if SRs up and Loom is running LO, then its dying in the process. Either remove Breloom or mention that it potentially only beats Aqua Jet less variants. Worth noting that losing 60-70% is still a fuckload of damage for breloom to take, so if you do mention it, do bring up that it takes heavy damage from Waterfall.

Obviously using Aqua Jet + Adamant is a serious concession to make since now Scarf Keldeo outspeeds

Also mention that Aqua Jet is useful for allowing you to "beat" Breloom under rain, since currently all you mention is that its useful on Weak Amour versions, when its not bad on a Swift Swim team. Aqua Jet also lets you avoid a Bullet Punch from Scizor picking you off. Since Bullet Punch does 57.56 - 67.89%, and your running LO + SR has a good chance to be up, this senario isn't utterly uncommon so being able to OutPrio it isn't a bad option. Also gives you an option outside of rain (ie when its finished), to still wreck shit like Landorus, Thundurus-T and like Garchomp / Terrakion, which all outspeed you when rain is down, and Aqua jet hits all of the above very hard at +2 (or in some cases +0).

Skarmory is a powerful counter to Kabutops due to its high Defense, enabling it to take any of Kabutops's attacks while staying alive with Roost.

See its lines like this that irritate me, because it means you are either not stating this line correctly, or you have no idea at how powerful Waterfall is under the rain, or have not had much playtesting experience. I don't use kabutops that much, but have used DD Gyarados under rain and at a glance I could tell that the above line looked incorrect without even calculating. Here is the calculations below

+2 252 Atk Life Orb Kabutops Waterfall vs. 224 HP / 252+ Def Skarmory in rain: 266-316 (81.34 - 96.63%) -- 56.25% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

Not a counter

Bulky Pokemon, such as Vaporeon, can wall all of Kabutops's attacks due to their high bulk or resistance to Kabutop's STAB moves.

Cmon man -_-

You cannot put incorrect infomation in this analysis, so please check your calculations here!

+2 252 Atk Life Orb Kabutops Stone Edge vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Vaporeon: 383-452 (82.72 - 97.62%) -- 68.75% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

Latios and Latias can fare against Kabutops pretty well, but neither of them enjoy being hit by an X-Scissor, espeically during a switch in.

+2 Waterfall like OHKOs Latias after SR, +2 SE OHKOs regardless etc etc. Its not just X-Scissor they don't like, its switching in PERIOD. For instance

252 Atk Life Orb Kabutops Stone Edge vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Latias: 212-251 (70.19 - 83.11%)

Thats not even with a SD boost, just a standard Kabutops SE with LO backed. You can remove LO and add Adamant (for the offensive spinner), and its still taking around 60% min without factoring in SR. Remember, this is Latias, Latios will take even more. technically they counter the Offensive Rapid Spinner set since they can switch in on a Stone Edge, and attempt to Recover stall SE till it misses, or just go for the KO. Swift Swimmer Kabutops just runs right over it tho.

Outspeeding Kabutops outside of rain is also a simple way to defeat it; without Swift Swim's Speed boost, Kabutops is outsped by almost any Pokemon that can pack a punch.

Jolly Kabutops outspeeds most Dragonite, Scizor, Adamant Lucario (at a guess), most Gyarados, Adamant Mamoswine, Heatran, Politoed, Tyranitar, and heck, maybe most Rotom-W and Landorus-T. Heck, it beats most Kyurem-B since most run Adamant and not full speed investment (iirc) so basically you just stated that all of the above pokemon hit like a girl. Reword pls since Kabutops actually outspeeds a fair number of things with Jolly, and some of the stuff it doesn't outspeed, hates Aqua Jet (like Terrakion and Landorus-I and even Thundurus-T if +2 / SR is up / Rain etc etc)

Basically, your checks and counters section needs a shitload of work. Here is what I recommend. Firstly, split Checks and Counters up into stuff that beats the standard rapid spinner sets, and the stuff that beats the Rain set. Celebi is potentially your "catch all" counter but as mentioned Kabutops struggles against grass types in general. So your formatting should look like this

-General Counter: Celebi

Counters to Offensive Rapid Spinner (the first set) + mons that JUST CHECK the Offensive Rapid Spinner set

Counters to Swift Swim kabutops + mons that JUST CHECK the Swift Swimmer set

General CHECKS to Kabutops in General (this is where shit like Conkeldurr + prio users go, as well as I guess changing the weather, although that would potentially go with checks to Swift Swim Kabutops.

When doing this please please please CALCULATE shit. For instance, Virizion gets OHKOed by +2 Low Kick so is not a counter to Kabutops's Swift Swim set. I acknowledge that certain sets are hard to counter, but you cannot put incorrect data in an analysis, as its a bad look. I think on some occasions you meant that a particular mon counters one set but not the other which perhapes explains the fairly large number of inaccuracies. Just sort your Checks and Counters section like how I recommended and you should be fine, and avoid people like me yelling at you. Sorry :(

EDIT

Yea thanks jc104, assumed physically defensive Celebi

jc104 · May 13, 2013

Celebi doesn't counter Kabutops very well at all unless you're using a physically defensive spread or a non-standard number of Speed evs (at least 60 for adamant Kabutops, a lot more for Jolly). Specially defensive Celebi is comfortably 2HKOed by Stone Edge.

How you have not managed to mention keldeo in checks and counters I have no idea, especially scarf. The only thing it potentially falls to is Jolly +2 Superpower in the rain. Both Secret Sword and Hydro Pump will OHKO.

PK Gaming · May 13, 2013

You really need to downsize that overview. Keep it short and concise, and cut out the fluff. Your analysis is way too descriptive, I would personally cut out a good 75% of the 2nd paragraph because most of what you've written is unnecessary.

I'm not a fan of filling the analysis with claims that Kabutops is outclassed.

While Kabutops is outclassed by fellow Rapid Spin users in the OU tier, Kabutops still stands as a great offensive spinner thanks to its great coverage and priority with Aqua Jet.

I'd be less likely to use Kabutops if I read an opening line like that. It's definitely worse than Starmie and Tentacruel as a spinner, but it's decent in its own way (Swift Swim and Swords Dance). Why would even allow the Kabutops analysis to go up if it was outclassed at spinning?

I would add Superpower to the AC of the Swords Dance set, since it definitively OHKOes Keldeo after a Swords Dance (important if your opponent has a healthy Keldeo).

Your counters section needs some serious work. Why is Lucario mentioned as a check to Kabutops? It's premier priority move (ExtremeSpeed) is resisted by Kabutops, and Bullet Punch does squat to Kabutops.

Many Pokemon, such as Terrakion and Tyranitar, fall in this similar category.

I don't understand what you're trying to say here. Where is the Rotom-W mention? Bulky Rotom-W is a hard check to Kabutops for most of the game and it's extremely common. In fact, you should mention Rotom-W throughout the analysis as the "go-to" check to Kabutops on most teams.

Venusaur is mentioned as a strong Kabutops counter, but it takes too much damage from Stone Edge, and is 2HKOed by a combination of Waterfall + Stone Edge OR Stone Edge + Aqua Jet. It (along with the other Grass-types) should mentioned as checks. You should specifically point out that Breloom has a strong Mach Punch. I think it would be better if you mentioned weather starters in general (and how they can't switch in) instead of just Ninetales.

You need to reorder the Pokemon listed based on how well they counter Kabutops. OU Pokemon get priority over non-OU Pokemon (Virizion and Shaymin should probably be mentioned in a sentence after Breloom) and Pokemon like Conkeldurr (who barely does over half with Mach Punch and isn't common at all) arguably shouldn't even be mentioned. Keldeo, Rotom-W and physically defensive Jellicent need to be added as checks. I would mention that Kabutops is significantly easier to deal with if it hasn't boosted.

Governess · May 13, 2013

Ok, I'm not going to quote everything that everyone has suggested, so I'll cut it short:

ginganinja said:
When doing this please please please CALCULATE shit. For instance, Virizion gets OHKOed by +2 Low Kick so is not a counter to Kabutops's Swift Swim set. I acknowledge that certain sets are hard to counter, but you cannot put incorrect data in an analysis, as its a bad look. I think on some occasions you meant that a particular mon counters one set but not the other which perhapes explains the fairly large number of inaccuracies. Just sort your Checks and Counters section like how I recommended and you should be fine, and avoid people like me yelling at you. Sorry :(

Thank you, added everything that you have mentioned. Fixed the up the Checks and Counters into groups like you suggested. Also, yelling isn't that bad; it knocks some sense into me to make sure I'm checking over what I'm doing. x3 I'll keep it in mind, though.

jc104 said:
Celebi doesn't counter Kabutops very well at all unless you're using a physically defensive spread or a non-standard number of Speed evs (at least 60 for adamant Kabutops, a lot more for Jolly). Specially defensive Celebi is comfortably 2HKOed by Stone Edge.

How you have not managed to mention keldeo in checks and counters I have no idea, especially scarf. The only thing it potentially falls to is Jolly +2 Superpower in the rain. Both Secret Sword and Hydro Pump will OHKO.

Thank you as well; added physically defensive Celebi and Keldeo. I have no idea how I missed it, either. @-@

PK Gaming said:
You really need to downsize that overview. Keep it short and concise, and cut out the fluff. Your analysis is way too descriptive, I would personally cut out a good 75% of the 2nd paragraph because most of what you've written is unnecessary.

I went through the analysis and tried to get rid of everything that was considered fluff.

PK Gaming said:
Venusaur is mentioned as a strong Kabutops counter, but it takes too much damage from Stone Edge, and is 2HKOed by a combination of Waterfall + Stone Edge OR Stone Edge + Aqua Jet. It (along with the other Grass-types) should mentioned as checks. You should specifically point out that Breloom has a strong Mach Punch. I think it would be better if you mentioned weather starters in general (and how they can't switch in) instead of just Ninetales.

You need to reorder the Pokemon listed based on how well they counter Kabutops. OU Pokemon get priority over non-OU Pokemon (Virizion and Shaymin should probably be mentioned in a sentence after Breloom) and Pokemon like Conkeldurr (who barely does over half with Mach Punch and isn't common at all) arguably shouldn't even be mentioned. Keldeo, Rotom-W and physically defensive Jellicent need to be added as checks. I would mention that Kabutops is significantly easier to deal with if it hasn't boosted.

Thank you as well, fixed / added all of that.

Hopefully I finally got it right ^^; I honestly should've been able to catch all of this instead of having the QC find it for me. I tried to add everything that was suggested.

Jukain · May 13, 2013

Kabutops does not have "many unique niches." It can run two sets. Pokemon like Dragonite and Jirachi have many unique niches.

Governess · May 13, 2013

Thank you, Jukain. Fixed the sentence.

ginganinja · May 14, 2013

Kabutops can be easily revenged killed by the likes of Keldeo and Terrakion.

Mention that in the case of Terrakion, it still has to watch out for a +2 Aqua jet crippling it.

Sableye is a great Pokemon to spread burn status to Kabutops.

mention that it cannot switch in

A Jolly nature should be used as a when Kabutops is a stand-alone Swords Dance sweeper and not accompanied by rain.

Reword this as Adamant SD Kabutops OHKOs Jellicent (according to Pocket) with Stone Edge, making Adamant very attractive as an option. When reading this line I get the feeling to pick Jolly mostly when running Swords Dance, when Adamant is sometimes better.

"Kabutops comes with many more cons than it does pros."

Remove that, its unnecessary

Kabutops has many setbacks and preparations it needs to function well, but if you play Kabutops's niches to its strength, it can earn a spot on your team.

This isn't an ESSENTIAL change, but this style is very cliché of many analysis. I know from experience how hard it is to find a good concluding line so I won't push this so hard, but if you can find a better way of summarising this, than that would be awesome.

Lum Berry is a viable option, as it heals Kabutops of any statuses it may catch, specifically from Breloom or Amoonguss.

Ok, when I see Lum Berry on something like Kabutops, Spore from Breloom and Amoonguss does not jump to mind. Both those pokemon nail me with their respective grass moves (or Mach Punch if your name is Breloom), so Lum Berry is more of a shield against a WoW from Jellicent, a Body Slam from Jirachi, or an untimely Scald Burn. Mention some of these instead of spore, as sleep is one of the lesser status problems Kabutops is likely to take.

Wtih rain present, Swift Swim turns one of Kabutops's biggest flaw into a dangerous weapon.

Reword to something like: swift swim greatly compensates for kabutops's otherwise poor speed. Makes it sounds like low speed is its massive flaw
or something idk. Kabutops has other issues bar its speed, and the line looks awkward.

Latios and Latias are decent checks to the Rapid Spin set, as they can both take a Stone Edge, and they can go for the KO against Kabutops.

I can give Latias a pass, it occasionally runs 252 HP, and is bulkier anyway, but Latios just takes 2 much from Stone Edge. Like Adamant Stone Edge cripples the fuck outta it and I think their are better options out there.

Amoonguss and Breloom also carry Spore, which can be useful in crippling Kabutops.

Remove this line. Both mons have super effective STAB to use against kabutops, rather than wasting a spore on it.

Rotom-W is a great check to this set as well, as it can absorb an attack from Kabutops and can either cripple it with Will-O-Wisp, or proceed to KO it. Being inflicted with the burn status also reduces the effectiveness of this set, since it relies on Swords Dance's Attack boost.

This looks a bit odd I guess. Rotom-W is a pretty excellent check, especially if its running Physical Defence. be sure to hype it up more, and don't focus so much on WoW, Volt Switch is always going to be the best choice against Kabutops, instead of the 70% ish move that might miss (and you still take damage as well)

Make the above changes and I should be able to give this its final stamp

Governess · May 14, 2013

Ok, thank you ginganinja. Added all the changes you listed; it should be ready for that final QC check.

ginganinja · May 14, 2013

[qc]3/3[/qc]

Lets get this shit done

Governess · May 14, 2013

Thank you, ginganinja. (At last) This is now ready for the GP team. =)

Oglemi · May 16, 2013

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[Overview]

Kabutops has a few great qualities that catches the eye. Kabutops displays great success as a physical sweeper on teams that have difficulties against rain teams, a physical offensive Rapid Spin user that can beat Ferrothorn on rain teams—a trait that separates Kabutops from other spinners such as Starmie—and the combo of Swords Dance and Weak Armor, giving Kabutops the chance to potentially sweep under rain. Kabutops can also be used on manual Rain Dance teams to make use of Swift Swim, allowing Kabutops to act as a fearsome sweeper against opposing rain teams while outspeeding the majority of them. Boasting a base 115 Attack stat, Kabutops also comes with a great offensive STAB combination, hitting almost every type for neutral or super effective damage.

One of Kabutops's biggest flaws is its disappointing Speed when Swift Swim is not being used, as well as its bad defensive typing, which leaves it easily revenge killed by anything faster than it. Kingdra gives Kabutops some stiff competition to Kabutops, since it can be useful outside of rain. Other Rapid Spin users, such as Starmie and Tentacruel, are often better choices than Kabutops. Many physical sweepers, such as Gyarados and Terrakion, outclass almost all of Kabutops's sweeping sets with the ability Weak Armor. Kabutops also suffers from the four-moveslot syndrome, meaning that it usually has to choose between getting walled by Ferrothorn or walled by Celebi. Heavy team support is also needed to keep Kabutops alive and to keep Rain Dance active. If you strategically use Kabutops while taking advantage of what it has to offer, then Kabutops will not fail in any role it is made to play.

[SET]
name: Offensive Rapid Spin
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Aqua Jet
move 4: Swords Dance / Superpower
item: Life Orb / Lum Berry
ability: Swift Swim / Weak Armor
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

This variant of Kabutops doesn't have to be limited to rain conditions; it can be used on sun teams as well to check rain teams. Kabutops also goes well with sand teams, as the Special Defense boost from sandstorm aids Kabutops in the long run. Rapid Spin is the main move of this set, removing entry hazards from your side of the field. Stone Edge is Kabutops's primary STAB move, boasting both power and coverage, along with checking Dragonite, whom Kabutops OHKOes with Stone Edge if Multiscale is broken. Aqua Jet is its secondary STAB move, making up for the lack of Speed while allowing Kabutops to check the likes of Terrakion, Volcarona, and Mamoswine. The final moveslot is based on preference. Swords Dance is the ideal move for Kabutops, and for good reasons. With the Swords Dance boost, Kabutops can OHKO Jellicent with Stone Edge, making Kabutops increasingly difficult to spinblock. It can also OHKO Gengar with Aqua Jet, along with faring quite well against Hippowdon, a bulky Pokemon Kabutops usually cannot scar. However, with Superpower, Kabutops isn't setup fodder against Ferrothorn, a common Pokemon on rain teams.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

One of Kabutops's abilities, Swift Swim, should be used exclusively for non-Drizzle teams. It also works well with Superpower in checking rain teams, especially with Ferrothorn on the majority of them. However, Weak Armor allows Kabutops to be used on Drizzle teams, and it can make up for the loss in Speed with Aqua Jet. Kabutops equipped with the Life Orb allows Kabutops to break through walls much quicker. It's a mandatory item for Kabutops if Superpower is chosen over Swords Dance. Lum Berry is a viable option, as it heals Kabutops of any statuses it may catch, specifically from a Will-O-Wisp from Jellicent, a Body Slam from Jirachi, or an untimely Scald burn.

Kabutops has a classic sweeping set; 252 EVs in both Attack and Speed to make the most of Kabutops's power and Speed, while the 4 HP EVs grant that small boost in bulk. An Adamant nature is used to maximize Kabutops's Attack stat, allowing it to OHKO and 2HKO a vast variety of Pokemon while wallbreaking bulky Pokemon like Ferrothorn, Jellicent, and Gastrodon. For example, thanks to Adamant, Superpower can now 2HKO the standard 252 HP / 88+ Def Ferrothorn, accounting for the -1 Attack drop recoil. However, if Speed is more important, Jolly can be used to outspeed Pokemon such as Adamant Landorus-T and offensive Heatran. An Adamant Swords Dance Kabutops can OHKO Jellicent with Stone Edge, making Adamant a great nature to have. There aren't many alternative options pertaining to Kabutops's movepool; although, X-Scissor is an option in the final moveslot to lure and defeat Celebi. Waterfall can also be used over Aqua Jet for the additional power.

Thanks to Swords Dance, Kabutops can usually hold its own against spinblockers thanks to its offensive presence, and its STAB combo hits almost every Pokemon for neutral damage, so not many partners are needed with it. Pokemon that benefit from having no entry hazards from the opponent, such as Volcarona and Kyurem-B, are good partners to pair with Kabutops, as it can keep entry hazards off the field for them to sweep. If Kabutops were to be used using Kabutops on a Rain Dance team, Damp Rock users are potent partners for it as well, specifically Tornadus, who also deals with Grass-types, Kabutops's enemy. Politoed is a good partner if Weak Armor is used, along with Thundurus-T, as it can make use of the permanent rain. Kingdra also pairs well with Adamant Kabutops in rain; while Kabutops wallbreaks and weakens the opposing team, Kingdra can clean up what's left due to it being faster than most potent threats, particularly Choice Scarf Keldeo and Choice Scarf Latios.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Low Kick / Aqua Jet
item: Life Orb
ability: Swift Swim / Weak Armor
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

If you were to combine Kabutops's blessing of Swords Dance with its Swift Swim ability together, you have made a decently powerful, yet fast, late-game rain sweeper. By combining Kabutops's access to Swords Dance and the ability Swift Swim together, you create a decently power and fast late-game sweeper. This is the set where Kabutops's formidable coverage really shows; it displays major offensive presence and allows Kabutops to dent many Pokemon of the OU metagame along with checking rain teams quite well. With rain present, Swift Swim turns one of Kabutops's biggest flaws into a dangerous weapon. Swords Dance is the center of the set, as it raises Kabutops's Attack stat to great heights, handling common rain team threats such as Ferrothorn and Forretress quite well. Waterfall is the primary STAB move, getting a power boost in rain conditions. Stone Edge is Kabutops's secondary STAB move, checking Thundurus-T. Low Kick provides great coverage against Steel-types, specifically Ferrothorn, as Low Kick 2HKOes it. Aqua Jet should only be used if Weak Armor is Kabutops's ability, as its priority plays a big part in its success. Aqua Jet is also useful for allowing Kabutops to defeat Breloom under rain. Aqua Jet also lets it avoid a Bullet Punch from Scizor, while being able to KO it in return. Outside of rain, Aqua Jet allows Kabutops to dish out harsh damage to Pokemon that can outspeeds it, such as Landorus, Thundurus-T, Garchomp, and Terrakion, especially when a Swords Dance boost is in play.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Having 252 EVs in both Attack and Speed is a must if Kabutops wants to let out its full potential in Attack and Speed. A Jolly nature is used to outspeed Choice Scarf Keldeo, Terrakion, and Latios when Swift Swim is activated. However, Adamant can be used with Aqua Jet for that extra boost in power, but considering the fact that a Choice Scarf Keldeo can now outspeed Kabutops, it might not be worth it in the long run. Life Orb increases Kabutops's overall power. Superpower is an option to use on the set as well, as it can OHKO Keldeo after a Swords Dance. Swift Swim is the ability of choice, allowing Kabutops to enhance its ability to check rain teams. However, Weak Armor can be used as an ability if Kabutops is used on a Drizzle-based team, hoping for the rare boost in Speed from physical contact, making Kabutops a great sweeper outside of rain. X-Scissor is an option to lure out and defeat Celebi along with other Grass-types. An all-out attacking set is viable, but the power loss from the lack of Swords Dance makes Kabutops into less of a sweeper and more into a lackluster wallbreaker. Aqua Jet can be used over Waterfall as a STAB move, which is recommended when used in conjunction with Weak Armor, but the power loss is easily noticed.

If Swift Swim is used, Damp Rock users with Rain Dance are the best partners for Kabutops. Tornadus is arguably the best partner choice for Kabutops; it has priority in Rain Dance and can take advantage of rain with Hurricane. Swift Swim should also be used to take advantage of Kabutops's niche of checking opposing rain teams, as they are so common in OU. If Weak Armor is used, Politoed is a great option as a partner. However, Kabutops can be in any weather environment with Weak Armor. Pokemon that can lay entry hazards are also great partners to Kabutops teammates as well. Ferrothorn and Forretress are both good entry hazard users to use with Kabutops. When rain is present alongside Kabutops, their weakness to Fire-types are weakened as well. Celebi can easily counter Kabutops in rain, so having partners that can get rid of it, such as Scizor and Tornadus, are very useful to Kabutops. Weather changers with the exception of Politoed annoy Kabutops, especially when Swift Swim is being used. Scizor can easily handle Tyranitar and the rare Abomasnow. Choice Specs Keldeo can handle Hippowdon. While Kabutops has the ability to check Ninetales with Stone Edge, it can still be a nuisance to Kabutops due to the sun weakening its Water-type moves. In such a scenario, Dragon-type Pokemon, such as Salamence and Latios, are good partners to deal with Ninetales.

[Other Options]

In spite of Kabutops's small movepool, it has a variety of other options to choose from. Kabutops can provide its own rain with the move Rain Dance; however, it loses power from the loss of a Life Orb and a valuable moveslot by sacrificing a move for Rain Dance. Kabutops also has potential with a support set, but it doesn't want to give up moveslots for support moves, and there are many other Pokemon better suited for that particular role. Rock Polish is an option when you want that additional Speed when Swift Swim is not used and turn Kabutops into a potent sweeper. Kabutops can also run a Choice Scarf or Choice Band set for an increase in overall Speed or power, respectively. However, Kabutops loses too much momentum to unlock this set's full potential, and it also wastes Rain Dance turns from the constant switches. Rock Slide can replace Stone Edge as a more reliable Rock-type STAB move for Kabutops, but it would rather have that additional power in Stone Edge. Likewise, Hone Claws can help with accuracy issues, specifically with Stone Edge. Foresight paired with Rapid Spin can be useful against spinblockers, but since Kabutops can defeat nearly every spinblocker in OU with its current Rapid Spin set, Foresight is deemed redundant. In short, Kabutops should stick with its niche of checking rain teams, specifically Ferrothorn, to be successful.

[Checks and Counters]

Despite Kabutops's offensive presence, one will find that it's surprisingly easy to counter Kabutops. The physically defensive variant of Celebi is one of the best counters to Kabutops, as it can take almost all of Kabutops's attacks while KOing it in retaliation. Gastrodon can absorb Kabutops's Water-type STAB moves and resists its Rock-type STAB attack while aiming for the burn chance in Scald.

Latias is a decent check to the Rapid Spin set, as she can take a Stone Edge and go for the KO against Kabutops. Rotom-W is also a great check to this specific set. Physically defensive Jellicent can also prevent Kabutops from fulfilling its role as a spinner while crippling it with Will-O-Wisp or Toxic.

Weather inducers, bar Politoed, are great counters to the Swords Dance set; without rain, Kabutops can be easily revenged killed by the likes of Keldeo and Terrakion. Rotom-W is a great check to this set as well, as it can absorb an attack thanks to its great Defense and can proceed to KO it with Volt Switch. Will-O-Wisp is also a great choice against Kabutops as well, but Rotom-W is better off defeating Kabutops with Volt Switch. Being inflicted with the burn status also reduces the effectiveness of this set, since Kabutops relies on Swords Dance's Attack boost. Sableye is a great Pokemon to spread burn status to Kabutops; it cannot switch into Kabutops, however.

While there are not many hard counters to Kabutops, there are many checks that are effective against it in general. In a nutshell, almost every strong Grass-type Pokemon, such as Breloom, Venusaur, Virizion, and Shaymin, are great checks to Kabutops. Breloom in particular can easily defeat Kabutops with its powerful Mach Punch. Keldeo, Rotom-W, and the physically defensive variant of Jellicent are also great checks to Kabutops. Kabutops with Swift Swim activated makes it difficult to outspeed, even with the Choice Scarf. Even outside of rain, it's not easy to outspeed Kabutops, and even Pokemon that can outspeed it, such as Terrakion and Landorus, dislike an Aqua Jet from Kabutops. One of the easier ways to handle Kabutops is to get rid of it before it attempts to set up Swords Dance, as it is much easier to defeat without the Attack boost.

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Governess · May 16, 2013

Thank you, Oglemi. Implemented the check; it only needs one more to be finished.

Jukain · May 18, 2013

[Overview]

Kabutops has a few great qualities that catches the eye. Kabutops displays great success as a physical sweeper on teams that have difficult~~ies~~y against rain teams,(RC) and a physical offensive Rapid Spin user that can beat Ferrothorn on rain teams—a trait that separates Kabutops from other spinners such as Starmie—and has access to the combination of Swords Dance and Weak Armor, giving Kabutops the chance to potentially sweep under rain. Kabutops can also be used on manual Rain Dance teams to make use of Swift Swim, allowing Kabutops to act as a fearsome sweeper against opposing rain teams while outspeeding the majority of them. Boasting a base 115 Attack stat, Kabutops also comes with a great offensive STAB combination, hitting almost every type for neutral or super effective damage.

One of Kabutops's biggest flaws is its disappointing Speed when Swift Swim is not ~~being us~~activated, as well as its bad defensive typing, which leaves it easily revenge killed by anything faster than it. Kingdra gives Kabutops s~~ome s~~tiff competition, as~~ince~~ it can be useful outside of rain. Other Rapid Spin users, such as Starmie and Tentacruel, are often better choices than Kabutops. Many physical sweepers, such as Gyarados and Terrakion, outclass almost all of Kabutops's sweeping sets with the ability Weak Armor. Kabutops also suffers from four-moveslot syndrome, meaning that it usually has to choose between getting walled by Ferrothorn or ~~walled by~~ Celebi. Heavy team support is also needed to keep Kabutops alive and to keep Rain Dance active. If you strategically use Kabutops while taking advantage of what it has to offer, then Kabutops will not fail in any role it is ~~made~~used to play.

[SET]
name: Offensive Rapid Spin
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Aqua Jet
move 4: Swords Dance / Superpower
item: Life Orb / Lum Berry
ability: Swift Swim / Weak Armor
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

This variant of Kabutops doesn't have to be limited to rain conditions; it can be used on sun teams as well to check rain teams. Kabutops also goes well with sand teams, as the Special Defense boost from sandstorm aids Kabutops ~~in the long run~~defensively. Rapid Spin is the main move of this set, removing entry hazards from your side of the field. Stone Edge is Kabutops's primary STAB move, boasting both power and coverage, along with checking Dragonite, whom Kabutops OHKOes with Stone Edge if Multiscale is broken. Aqua Jet is its secondary STAB move, making up for the lack of Speed while allowing Kabutops to check the likes of Terrakion, Volcarona, and Mamoswine. The final moveslot is based on preference. Swords Dance is the ideal move for Kabutops, and for good reasons. With the Swords Dance boost, Kabutops can OHKO Jellicent with Stone Edge, making Kabutops increasingly difficult to spinblock. It can also OHKO Gengar with Aqua Jet, along with faring quite well against Hippowdon, a bulky Pokemon Kabutops usually cannot scar. However, with Superpower, Kabutops isn't setup fodder against Ferrothorn, a common Pokemon on rain teams.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

One of Kabutops's abilities, Swift Swim, should be used exclusively ~~for~~on non-Drizzle teams. It also works well with Superpower in checking rain teams, especially with Ferrothorn being on ~~the~~ ma~~jorit~~ny of them. However, Weak Armor allows Kabutops to be used on Drizzle teams, and it can make up for the loss in Speed with Aqua Jet. Kabutops equipped with the Life Orb allows Kabutops to break through walls much quicker. It's a mandatory item for Kabutops if Superpower is chosen over Swords Dance. Lum Berry is a viable option, as it heals Kabutops of any statuses it may catch, specifically from a Will-O-Wisp from Jellicent, a Body Slam from Jirachi, or an untimely Scald burn.

~~Kabutops has a classic sweeping set; 252 EVs in both Attack and Speed to make the most of Kabutops's power and Speed, while the 4 HP EVs grant that small boost in bulk.~~ An Adamant nature is used to maximize Kabutops's Attack stat, allowing it to OHKO and 2HKO a vast variety of Pokemon while wallbreaking bulky Pokemon like Ferrothorn, Jellicent, and Gastrodon. 252/252 spreads don't need to be explained ever For example, thanks to Adamant, Superpower can 2HKO the standard 252 HP / 88+ Def Ferrothorn, accounting for the -1 Attack drop ~~recoil~~. However, if Speed is more important, Jolly can be used to outspeed Pokemon such as Adamant Landorus-T and offensive Heatran. An Adamant Swords Dance Kabutops can OHKO Jellicent with Stone Edge, making Adamant a great nature to have. There aren't many alternative options pertaining to Kabutops's move~~pool; al~~set, (AC) though,(RC) X-Scissor is an option in the final moveslot to lure and defeat Celebi. Waterfall can also be used over Aqua Jet for the additional power.

Thanks to Swords Dance, Kabutops can usually hold its own against spinblockers thanks to its offensive presence, and its STAB combo hits almost every Pokemon for neutral damage, so not many partners are needed with it. Pokemon that benefit from having no entry hazards from the opponent, such as Volcarona and Kyurem-B, are good partners to pair with Kabutops, as it can keep entry hazards off the field for them to sweep. If using Kabutops on a Rain Dance team, Damp Rock users are potent partners for it as well, specifically Tornadus, who also deals with Grass-types. Politoed is a good partner if Weak Armor is used, along with Thundurus-T, as itKabutops can make good use of ~~the~~ permanent rain. Kingdra also pairs well with Adamant Kabutops in rain; while Kabutops wallbreaks and weakens the opposing team, Kingdra can clean up what's left due to it being faster than most ~~potent~~offensive threats, particularly Choice Scarf Keldeo and ~~Choice Scarf~~ Latios.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Low Kick / Aqua Jet
item: Life Orb
ability: Swift Swim / Weak Armor
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

With Kabutops's access to Swords Dance and the ability Swift Swim ~~together~~, ~~you create~~it can function as a decently powerful and fast late-game sweeper. This is the set where Kabutops's formidable coverage really shows; it ~~displays~~provides a major offensive presence and allows Kabutops to dent many Pokemon ofin the OU metagame along with checking rain teams quite well. With rain present, Swift Swim turns one of Kabutops's biggest flaws into a dangerous weapon. Waterfall is the primary STAB move, getting a power boost in rain conditions. Stone Edge is Kabutops's secondary STAB move, checking Thundurus-T. Low Kick provides great coverage against Steel-types, specifically Ferrothorn, as Low Kick 2HKOes it. Aqua Jet should only be used if Weak Armor is Kabutops's ability, as its priority plays a big part in its success. Aqua Jet is also useful for allowing Kabutops to defeat Breloom under rain. Aqua Jet also lets it avoid a Bullet Punch from Scizor,(RC) while being able to KO it in return. Outside of rain, Aqua Jet allows ~~you~~Kabutops to dish out harsh damage to Pokemon that can outspeeds it, such as Landorus, Thundurus-T, Garchomp, and Terrakion, especially when it has a Swords Dance boost ~~is in play~~.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

A Jolly nature is used to outspeed Choice Scarf Keldeo, Terrakion, and Latios when Swift Swim is activated. However, Adamant can be used with Aqua Jet for ~~that~~an extra boost in power, but considering the fact that a Choice Scarf Keldeo ~~can now~~would then be able to outspeed Kabutops, it might not be worth it in the long run. Life Orb increases Kabutops's overall power. Superpower is an option to use on theis set as well, as it can OHKO Keldeo after a Swords Dance. Swift Swim is the ability of choice, allowing Kabutops to check rain teams. However, Weak Armor can be used as an ability if Kabutops is used on a Drizzle-based team, ~~hop~~sometimes providing ~~for the r~~are boost in Speed from physical contact,(RC) and making Kabutops a great sweeper outside of rain. X-Scissor is an option to lure out and defeat Celebi along with other Grass-types. An all-out attacking set is viable, but the power loss from the lack of Swords Dance makes Kabutops into less of a sweeper and more ~~int~~of a lackluster wallbreaker. Aqua Jet can be used over Waterfall as a STAB move, ~~which is~~being heavily recommended ~~in arms~~ when ~~used in conjunction with~~ Weak Armor is used, but the power loss is easily noticed.

If Swift Swim is used, Damp Rock users with Rain Dance are the best partners for Kabutops. Tornadus is arguably the best partner; it has priority Rain Dance and can take advantage of rain with Hurricane. Swift Swim should also be used to take advantage of Kabutops's niche of checking opposing rain teams, as they are so common in OU. If Weak Armor is used, Politoed is a great option as a partner. However, Kabutops can be in any weather environment with Weak Armor. Pokemon that can lay entry hazards are also great teammates as well. Ferrothorn and Forretress are both good entry hazard users to ~~use~~pair with Kabutops. When rain is present ~~alongside Kabutops~~, their weakness to Fire-types are weakened as well. Celebi can easily counter Kabutops in rain, so having partners that can get rid of it, such as Scizor and Tornadus, are very useful to Kabutops. Weather changers, (AC) with the exception of Politoed, (AC) annoy Kabutops, especially when Swift Swim is being used. Scizor can easily handle Tyranitar and the rare Abomasnow. Choice Specs Keldeo can handle Hippowdon. While Kabutops has the ability to check Ninetales with Stone Edge, it can still be a nuisance to Kabutops due to the sun weakening its Water-type moves. In such a scenario, Dragon-type Pokemon, such as Salamence and Latios, are good partners to deal with Ninetales.

[Other Options]

In spite of Kabutops's small movepool, it has a variety of other options to choose from. Kabutops can provide its own rain with the move Rain Dance; however, it loses power from the loss of a Life Orb and a valuable moveslot by sacrificing a move for Rain Dance. Kabutops also has potential with a support set, but it doesn't want to give up moveslots for support moves, and there are many other Pokemon better suited for that particular role. Rock Polish is an option when you want that additional Speed ~~when~~if Swift Swim is not used ~~and~~, (AC) turning Kabutops into a potent sweeper. Kabutops can also run a Choice Scarf or Choice Band set for an increase in overall Speed or power, respectively. However, Kabutops loses too much momentum to unlock this set's full potential, and it also wastes Rain Dance turns from the constant switches. Rock Slide can replace Stone Edge as a more reliable Rock-type STAB move for Kabutops, but it would rather have thate additional power infrom Stone Edge. Likewise, Hone Claws can help with accuracy issues, specifically with Stone Edge. Foresight paired with Rapid Spin can be useful against spinblockers, but ~~sinc~~because Kabutops can defeat nearly every spinblocker in OU with its current Rapid Spin set, Foresight is deemed redundant. In short, Kabutops should stick with its niche of checking rain teams, specifically Ferrothorn, to be successful.

[Checks and Counters]

Despite Kabutops's offensive presence, one will find that it's surprisingly easy to counter ~~Kabutops~~it. The physically defensive variant of Celebi is one of the best counters to Kabutops, as it can take almost all of Kabutops's attacks while KOing it in retaliation. Gastrodon can absorb Kabutops's Water-type STAB moves and resists its Rock-type STAB attack while aiming for the burn chance in Scald.

Latias is a decent check to the Rapid Spin set, as she can take a Stone Edge and go for the KO against Kabutops. Rotom-W is also a great check to this specific set. Physically defensive Jellicent can also prevent Kabutops from fulfilling its role as a spinner while crippling it with Will-O-Wisp or Toxic.

Weather inducters, bar Politoed, are great counters to the Swords Dance set; without rain, Kabutops can be easily revenged killed by the likes of Keldeo and Terrakion. Rotom-W is a great check to this set as well, as it can absorb an attack thanks to its great Defense and proceed to KO it with Volt Switch. Will-O-Wisp is also a great choice against Kabutops as well, but Rotom-W is better off defeating Kabutops with Volt Switch. Being inflicted with the burn status also reduces the effectiveness of this set, as~~ince~~ Kabutops relies on Swords Dance's Attack boost. Sableye is a great Pokemon to spread burn status to Kabutops; it cannot switch into Kabutops, however.

While there are not many hard counters to Kabutops, there are many checks that are effective against it in general. In a nutshell, almost every strong Grass-type Pokemon, such as Breloom, Venusaur, Virizion, and Shaymin, are great checks to Kabutops. Breloom in particular can easily defeat Kabutops with its powerful Mach Punch. Keldeo, Rotom-W, and the physically defensive variant of Jellicent are also great checks to Kabutops. Kabutops with Swift Swim activated makes it difficult to outspeed, even with the Choice Scarf. Even outside of rain, it's not easy to outspeed Kabutops, and even Pokemon that can outspeed it, such as Terrakion and Landorus, dislike taking an Aqua Jet from Kabutops. One of the easier ways to handle Kabutops is to get rid of it before it attempts to set up Swords Dance, as it is much easier to defeat without the Attack boost.

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Governess · May 18, 2013

Thank you, Jukain. If nothing else needs to be added to it, this analysis is ready to go on-site.

PK Gaming · May 20, 2013

Good work, though you should seriously try to avoid saying the obvious (One of Kabutops's abilities, Swift Swim, should be used exclusively on non-Drizzle teams, Rapid Spin is the main move of this set, removing entry hazards from your side of the field, or Life Orb increases Kabutops's overall power, etc)

Uploading.

Kabutops (BW2 Revamp) [GP: 2/2]

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General Kenobi

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