Right now I have three sets planned out, but I need some QC feedback before I start on the whole thing! Also, might need a little help on the set order too!
Jungle
[Overview]
<p>Simisage sports a nice balance of Speed and power, allowing it to take the role of a fast hard-hitter. With good mixed attacking stats and high Speed, Simisage can swing past many common threats such as Charizard, Jynx, and Sawsbuck, and threaten them with its coverage moves. However, Simisage's Grass typing does it no favors defensively, burdening it with several weaknesses to common attacking types. It is also very frail, leaving it hard-pressed to find many switch-in opportunities. As a Grass-type, Simisage faces a lot of competition from Serperior, a faster and more reliable boosting sweeper. However, Simisage's versatility and ability to immediately threaten the opposing team are able to set it apart from its competition.</p>
[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Giga Drain
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Hidden Power Rock
item: Life Orb
ability: Overgrow
nature: Hasty
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>All of Simisage's best qualities are displayed in this set: its great coverage, good mixed attacking stats, and high Speed. By virtue of this, Simisage can serve as an excellent cleaner, capable of punching holes in many teams. Simisage can set up a Substitute on many Pokemon it forces out, such as Alomomola and Seismitoad, and let its vast coverage do the rest. Substitute is an excellent move for Simisage in general, protecting it from status and revenge killers while also easing prediction. Giga Drain serves as Simisage's STAB move, and works very well in tandem with Substitute and its ability, Overgrow; Simisage can use Substitute to get down into Overgrow range, heal the damage off with a boosted Giga Drain, and rinse and repeat once bulky Pokémon that resist the move are removed. Superpower is an excellent coverage move that Simisage has access to; not only does it provide a strong hit on Steel-types, Skuntank, and Sap Sipper Pokemon such as Miltank and Sawsbuck, but it nails several special walls such as Lickilicky and Regice as well. Hidden Power Rock rounds off this set's coverage, notably hitting Fire-, Flying-, and Bug-types for super effective damage.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Hidden Power Fire can be considered over Hidden Power Rock, providing a strong hit against bulky Grass-types and Metang while still hitting Bug-types super effectively. However, without Hidden Power Rock, Simisage misses out on Charizard, an arguably more important threat. Focus Blast can be used over Superpower with a Timid nature, but its miss chance is undesirable and Focus Blast does not gain any notable KOs. Simisage struggles against many bulky Grass-types such as Roselia and Vileplume, so partners that can deal with them are quite useful. Charizard is a prime example, hitting the aforementioned Grass-types with Fire Blast while also luring in Water-types such as Alomomola for Simisage to set up on. Jynx is another good partner, easily crushing Grass-types with Ice Beam while also threatening bulky Poison-types, such as Garbodor, with STAB Psychic. In return, Simisage can lure and KO special walls with Superpower. Finally, Simisage has a lot of difficulty switching in due to its frailty; a slow Volt Switch or Baton Pass from Eelektross, Probopass, or Musharna is quite useful to compensate for that.</p>
[SET]
name: Physical Attacker
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Seed Bomb
move 3: Acrobatics
move 4: Low Kick / Endeavor
item: Flying Gem
ability: Overgrow
nature: Jolly
evs: 8 HP / 248 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Simisage can opt to go fully physically offensive in order to lure and KO many normal checks, and can serve as a decent wallbreaker due to its good Attack and wide array of coverage moves. Substitute shields Simisage from status and revenge killing, and can also help to ensure that Simisage gets safely into Overgrow range. Simisage's Grass-type STAB is a major selling point to this set, serving as a weapon against physically defensive titans such as Alomomola and Regirock. Acrobatics is an interesting coverage move that allows Simisage to lure and defeat Tangela, Vileplume, and Roselia, common checks to its other sets. It also has the added benefit of hitting Bug-types such as Scolipede for super effective damage. Low Kick is the preferred move in the last slot, providing coverage against Steel-types, Lickilicky, and Regice. Endeavor, on the other hand, is a more colorful option to be considered, being able to bring an opponent down to 1 HP after four uses of Substitute. Endeavor is a bit trickier to pull off, however, making Low Kick the superior option most of the time.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>8 HP EVs are used to allow Simisage to make four Substitutes from full health, while the rest maximizes Speed and power. Hone Claws can be used to allow Simisage to boost its Attack, but Simisage would prefer to straightaway attack than boost up, especially considering its limited lifespan. Rock Slide can hit Fire- and Flying-types while still covering Bug-types, but Acrobatics generally hits these Pokemon hard enough. Toxic Spikes support is incredibly useful in helping Simisage break down walls; because of this, Scolipede and Garbodor make for fine partners. Pokemon such as Swellow appreciate Simisage's ability to break down walls, and can efficiently clean up once said walls have either been weakened or removed. Simisage struggles quite a bit against bulky Poison-types such as Garbodor and Muk; Choice Scarf Jynx can threaten them out with Psychic, and appreciates Simisage's wallbreaking services as well. Piloswine can also take on most Poison-types with ease, and can set up Stealth Rock while sharing solid offensive and defensive synergy with Simisage. Finally, slow Volt Switch or Baton Pass support from Eelektross, Probopass, or Musharna is greatly appreciated to allow Simisage to enter the field safely.</p>
[SET]
name: Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Giga Drain
move 3: Focus Blast / Substitute
move 4: Hidden Power Rock
item: Life Orb / Salac Berry
ability: Gluttony
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While Simisage does face a lot of competition from Serperior in the role of a boosting sweeper, its higher Special Attack and access to Nasty Plot set it apart. Simisage also boosts significantly faster than Serperior, meaning it can deal much more damage after a single boost. Unfortunately, Simisage's frailty can often make it difficult to obtain a boost, but it can still find setup opportunities against Pokemon it threatens out. Giga Drain serves as a reasonably strong STAB move, and is useful for healing off Life Orb recoil. Focus Blast attains coverage against Steel-types and Sap Sipper Pokemon, and is especially handy for crushing most special walls—after a Nasty Plot boost and Stealth Rock, even Lickilicky and Regice are OHKOed! On the other hand, Substitute can be used for more conservative boosting, allowing you to set up more freely against the likes of Alomomola and Seismitoad. It should be noted that Focus Blast works better with Life Orb, but Substitute works better with Salac Berry. Finally, the last slot is reserved for Hidden Power Rock, attaining coverage on Charizard, Braviary, and Scolipede.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Gluttony is used on this set because Nasty Plot is illegal with Overgrow, despite the fact that it is only useful on variants running Salac Berry. Hidden Power Fire can be used to hit Metang harder than any other move, but coverage against Charizard is too important to pass up. Simisage boasts incredible power if it manages to get a boost—the only problem is actually getting that boost, as Simisage's frailty often denies it many setup opportunities. Because of this, dual screens or Memento support is extremely useful to allow Simisage to set up; Gardevoir and Muk make great partners in this regard. Stealth Rock support is appreciated to allow Simisage to OHKO Regice and Mandibuzz after a boost with Focus Blast and Hidden Power Rock, respectively. Ground-types can set up Stealth Rock, lure in Water-types for Simisage, and can threaten bulky Poison-types and Metang with their STABs. Charizard is another good partner, being able to crush Grass / Poison-types such as Roselia and Vileplume, and also lure out bulky Water-types.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Simisage can use a mixed set utilizing Hone Claws alongside moves such as Seed Bomb, Focus Blast, and Acrobatics; however, Nasty Plot is a better boosting move. In a similar vein, Work Up can boost both of Simisage's offenses, but Nasty Plot is still superior. Leaf Storm is Simisage's strongest attack, and can be used alongside Choice Specs to make Simisage a powerful wallbreaker. However, the -2 Special Attack drop is undesirable, and Life Orb makes Simisage more versatile. Simisage hits a valuable Speed tier at base 101, making a Choice Scarf set seem plausible. Unfortunately, all of Simisage's moves are either too weak or terrible to be locked into. Taunt can make Simisage a decent anti-lead, but it is too frail to make good use of the move, and is outclassed by Serperior in this role. Leech Seed can sap away at the opponent's health, while Acrobatics can deal with opposing Grass-types; however, it has far better things to be doing and is too frail to use it efficiently. Bullet Seed can break Sturdy from the likes of Golem; unfortunately, it is illegal with Overgrow. Finally, Grasswhistle can potentially neuter a counter for the rest of the match, but is too inaccurate to be worth using.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Simisage is hard to directly counter due to its high Speed and vast array of coverage moves; checking it is a much simpler task. Bulky Poison-types such as Garbodor and Muk are the best answers, as they are not weak to any of Simisage's moves and can OHKO in return with their STABs. In a similar boat, Metang can comfortably tank anything Simisage throws at it and can dent it with Meteor Mash. Dragonair, although rare, can take Simisage's hits for days and set up with Dragon Dance. Faster Pokemon can also get the jump on Simisage; due to its general frailty, most neutral hits will leave a large dent, if not OHKO. Scolipede can switch in on Simisage's Grass-type moves and OHKO with Megahorn. Choice Scarf users such as Jynx, Primeape, and Charizard can also revenge kill it, though they sometimes have difficulty switching in. Swellow also dislikes switching in (even against Grass-type moves), but can crush Simisage with Brave Bird. Finally, priority is effective at revenge killing a weakened Simisage, examples being Kangaskhan's Fake Out and Sucker Punch combination and Gurdurr's Mach Punch.</p>
Jungle
[Overview]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Giga Drain
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Hidden Power Rock
item: Life Orb
ability: Overgrow
nature: Hasty
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
name: Physical Attacker
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Seed Bomb
move 3: Acrobatics
move 4: Low Kick / Endeavor
item: Flying Gem
ability: Overgrow
nature: Jolly
evs: 8 HP / 248 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
name: Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Giga Drain
move 3: Focus Blast / Substitute
move 4: Hidden Power Rock
item: Life Orb / Salac Berry
ability: Gluttony
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
- Nice combination of Speed and power
- Hits a great Speed tier, letting it outspeed threats like Charizard, Jynx, and Sawsbuck
- Good mixed attacking stats w/ a solid movepool to back it up
- Grass typing sucks in a meta dominated by Scolipede
- Frail, with many exploitable weaknesses
- Competition from Serperior, who's faster, bulkier, and boosts easier
- Simisage separates itself w/ the ability to hit hard off the bat
- Awesome movepool compared to other Grasses
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Giga Drain
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Hidden Power Rock
item: Life Orb
ability: Overgrow
nature: Hasty
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
- Simisage's best set; makes use of its good coverage and immediate offensive presence
- Works as a late-game cleaner or mid-game hole puncher
- Can set up a Sub on things he forces out and shield from status/revenge killers
- Giga Drain is best Grass STAB/heals off Sub + LO recoil
- Also works well w/ Sub, Subbing down to Overgrow range and retaliating w/ a strong Giga Drain
- Can continuously spam Sub + Drain once Grass resists are gone
- Superpower gets great coverage on Sap Sippers/Steels/Skunk, and nails special walls like Licky/Regice
- HP Rock wraps up the coverage, hitting Fire, Flying, and Bug-types harder than any other move
- HP Fire for Grasses/Metang while still hitting Bugs
- Misses out on Zard though, who's more important
- Focus Blast > Superpower, but it misses and doesn't do anything Superpower doesn't
- Struggles a lot against bulky Grasses, so mons that can deal w/ them are useful
- Fire-types like Zard destroy Grass-types, and lure in Waters like Alomomola for Sage to take advantage of
- Jynx is also a good partner, dealing w/ Grasses and also threatening annoying Poison-types w/ Psychic
- In return, Sage lures in and dents many special walls w/ Superpower
- Finds difficulties switching in due to its frailty, so slow Volt Switch/Baton Pass support from Eel/Probopass/Mushy is useful
name: Physical Attacker
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Seed Bomb
move 3: Acrobatics
move 4: Low Kick / Endeavor
item: Flying Gem
ability: Overgrow
nature: Jolly
evs: 8 HP / 248 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
- Sage can use a fully physical set to lure in and dent normal checks
- Decent wallbreaker thanks to his great SE coverage
- Sub to protect from status, revenge killing, etc.
- Also helps to get into Overgrow range easier
- Seed Bomb best physical STAB, dents many physical walls (Alomomola, Regirock)
- Acrobatics is a cool coverage move that hurts Tangela/Vileplume/Roselia, and as a bonus kills Scolipede
- Low Kick covers Steels + special walls
- Endeavor is another option for further wallbreaking, with Sub helping to reach 1 HP
- Endeavor is a bit harder to pull off, though
- 8 HP EVs look weird, but let Sage make 5 Subs from full health
- Hone Claws in the last slot to boost Attack, but the other moves have more utility
- Rock Slide for Fire-types, but Acrobatics hits them hard enough
- Toxic Spikes are useful to help make wallbreaking easier; Scolipede/Garbodor are good choices to set them up
- Cleaners, such as Swellow, appreciate Sage's wallbreaking abilities
- Still struggles against bulky Poisons (Muk, Garbodor), so mons that can deal w/ them are good partners
- Scarf Jynx kills Poisons, and can clean up late-game once walls are removed
- Piloswine beats Poisons, resists Ice w/ Thick Fat, sets up SR, and kills many of Sage's checks
- Slow Volt Switch/Baton Pass from Eel/Probopass/Mushy is nice, allowing Simisage to enter the field unscathed
name: Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Giga Drain
move 3: Focus Blast / Substitute
move 4: Hidden Power Rock
item: Life Orb / Salac Berry
ability: Gluttony
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
- Set aims to boost SpA and go for a sweep
- Crazy powerful after a boost if you manage to sneak one in
- NP is the boosting move of choice, boosts faster than Serperior which is a key selling point
- Giga Drain for STAB/also heals off LO recoil
- Focus Blast gets great coverage against Steels/Sap Sipper mons
- Also does crazy things like OHKO Licky/Regice after a boost + rocks!
- Sub for more conservative boosting, though you lose out on great coverage
- Focus Blast better w/ LO, Sub better w/ Salac Berry
- HP Rock for best coverage, hits Zard, Braviary, Scolipede on the switch, etc.
- Gluttony b/c NP is illegal w/ Overgrow
- HP Fire for Grasses/Metang, but hitting Zard is more important
- Super strong after a boost, the only problem is getting the boost
- Dual screens/Memento support is nice, Gardy/Muk are great partners for this role (Gardy even gets both)
- Likes SR so it can OHKO Regice w/ Focus Blast after a boost/OHKO Mandibuzz w/ HP Rock after a boost
- Golem/Golurk set up SR + lure in Water-types for Sage to threaten out/boost
- They also kill bulky Poisons/Metang which are annoying for Sage
- Zard kills Plume/Rose and lures in Waters
- Mixed Hone Claws set (Seed Bomb, Focus Blast, Acrobatics), but NP is a better/stronger booster
- Work Up boosts Sage's mixed offenses, but still outdone by NP
- Specs + Leaf Storm, but LO allows for switching up attacks
- Scarf, but all of Sage's moves are either weak or are bad to be locked into
- Taunt, but it's too frail to make use of it/done better by Serp
- Leech Seed + Acrobatics to get around Grasses, but it's too frail
- Bullet Seed for Subs/Sturdy mons, but it's illegal w/ Overgrow
- SunnyBeamer set, but done better by Chlorophyll Eggy and Victreebel
- Grass Knot, but Giga Drain is more consistent/useful
- Crunch/Shadow Claw on the physical set, but doesn't offer much in coverage + weak
- Gunk Shot hits Grasses, but Acrobatics is more accurate + hits Plume/Rose harder
- Grasswhistle is too inaccurate
- Hard to counter, but easy to check
- Bulky Poisons (Garbodor, Muk) are best counters, tanking any attack and OHKOing w/ their STABs
- Metang lives anything thanks to its bulk/typing and can dent w/ Meteor Mash
- Dragonair tanks all of its hits and can set up DD
- Pokemon that can outspeed can usually kill it due to its frailty
- Scolipede takes any hit except HP Rock/Acrobatics and OHKOes w/ Megahorn
- Scarfers, such as Jynx/Primeape/Charizard, can revenge kill it
- Swellow doesn't like switching in, but destroys w/ Brave Bird
- Priority kills a weakened one (Kanga's Fake Out + Sucker Punch combo and Gurdurr's Mach Punch)
[Overview]
<p>Simisage sports a nice balance of Speed and power, allowing it to take the role of a fast hard-hitter. With good mixed attacking stats and high Speed, Simisage can swing past many common threats such as Charizard, Jynx, and Sawsbuck, and threaten them with its coverage moves. However, Simisage's Grass typing does it no favors defensively, burdening it with several weaknesses to common attacking types. It is also very frail, leaving it hard-pressed to find many switch-in opportunities. As a Grass-type, Simisage faces a lot of competition from Serperior, a faster and more reliable boosting sweeper. However, Simisage's versatility and ability to immediately threaten the opposing team are able to set it apart from its competition.</p>
[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Giga Drain
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Hidden Power Rock
item: Life Orb
ability: Overgrow
nature: Hasty
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>All of Simisage's best qualities are displayed in this set: its great coverage, good mixed attacking stats, and high Speed. By virtue of this, Simisage can serve as an excellent cleaner, capable of punching holes in many teams. Simisage can set up a Substitute on many Pokemon it forces out, such as Alomomola and Seismitoad, and let its vast coverage do the rest. Substitute is an excellent move for Simisage in general, protecting it from status and revenge killers while also easing prediction. Giga Drain serves as Simisage's STAB move, and works very well in tandem with Substitute and its ability, Overgrow; Simisage can use Substitute to get down into Overgrow range, heal the damage off with a boosted Giga Drain, and rinse and repeat once bulky Pokémon that resist the move are removed. Superpower is an excellent coverage move that Simisage has access to; not only does it provide a strong hit on Steel-types, Skuntank, and Sap Sipper Pokemon such as Miltank and Sawsbuck, but it nails several special walls such as Lickilicky and Regice as well. Hidden Power Rock rounds off this set's coverage, notably hitting Fire-, Flying-, and Bug-types for super effective damage.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Hidden Power Fire can be considered over Hidden Power Rock, providing a strong hit against bulky Grass-types and Metang while still hitting Bug-types super effectively. However, without Hidden Power Rock, Simisage misses out on Charizard, an arguably more important threat. Focus Blast can be used over Superpower with a Timid nature, but its miss chance is undesirable and Focus Blast does not gain any notable KOs. Simisage struggles against many bulky Grass-types such as Roselia and Vileplume, so partners that can deal with them are quite useful. Charizard is a prime example, hitting the aforementioned Grass-types with Fire Blast while also luring in Water-types such as Alomomola for Simisage to set up on. Jynx is another good partner, easily crushing Grass-types with Ice Beam while also threatening bulky Poison-types, such as Garbodor, with STAB Psychic. In return, Simisage can lure and KO special walls with Superpower. Finally, Simisage has a lot of difficulty switching in due to its frailty; a slow Volt Switch or Baton Pass from Eelektross, Probopass, or Musharna is quite useful to compensate for that.</p>
[SET]
name: Physical Attacker
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Seed Bomb
move 3: Acrobatics
move 4: Low Kick / Endeavor
item: Flying Gem
ability: Overgrow
nature: Jolly
evs: 8 HP / 248 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Simisage can opt to go fully physically offensive in order to lure and KO many normal checks, and can serve as a decent wallbreaker due to its good Attack and wide array of coverage moves. Substitute shields Simisage from status and revenge killing, and can also help to ensure that Simisage gets safely into Overgrow range. Simisage's Grass-type STAB is a major selling point to this set, serving as a weapon against physically defensive titans such as Alomomola and Regirock. Acrobatics is an interesting coverage move that allows Simisage to lure and defeat Tangela, Vileplume, and Roselia, common checks to its other sets. It also has the added benefit of hitting Bug-types such as Scolipede for super effective damage. Low Kick is the preferred move in the last slot, providing coverage against Steel-types, Lickilicky, and Regice. Endeavor, on the other hand, is a more colorful option to be considered, being able to bring an opponent down to 1 HP after four uses of Substitute. Endeavor is a bit trickier to pull off, however, making Low Kick the superior option most of the time.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>8 HP EVs are used to allow Simisage to make four Substitutes from full health, while the rest maximizes Speed and power. Hone Claws can be used to allow Simisage to boost its Attack, but Simisage would prefer to straightaway attack than boost up, especially considering its limited lifespan. Rock Slide can hit Fire- and Flying-types while still covering Bug-types, but Acrobatics generally hits these Pokemon hard enough. Toxic Spikes support is incredibly useful in helping Simisage break down walls; because of this, Scolipede and Garbodor make for fine partners. Pokemon such as Swellow appreciate Simisage's ability to break down walls, and can efficiently clean up once said walls have either been weakened or removed. Simisage struggles quite a bit against bulky Poison-types such as Garbodor and Muk; Choice Scarf Jynx can threaten them out with Psychic, and appreciates Simisage's wallbreaking services as well. Piloswine can also take on most Poison-types with ease, and can set up Stealth Rock while sharing solid offensive and defensive synergy with Simisage. Finally, slow Volt Switch or Baton Pass support from Eelektross, Probopass, or Musharna is greatly appreciated to allow Simisage to enter the field safely.</p>
[SET]
name: Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Giga Drain
move 3: Focus Blast / Substitute
move 4: Hidden Power Rock
item: Life Orb / Salac Berry
ability: Gluttony
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While Simisage does face a lot of competition from Serperior in the role of a boosting sweeper, its higher Special Attack and access to Nasty Plot set it apart. Simisage also boosts significantly faster than Serperior, meaning it can deal much more damage after a single boost. Unfortunately, Simisage's frailty can often make it difficult to obtain a boost, but it can still find setup opportunities against Pokemon it threatens out. Giga Drain serves as a reasonably strong STAB move, and is useful for healing off Life Orb recoil. Focus Blast attains coverage against Steel-types and Sap Sipper Pokemon, and is especially handy for crushing most special walls—after a Nasty Plot boost and Stealth Rock, even Lickilicky and Regice are OHKOed! On the other hand, Substitute can be used for more conservative boosting, allowing you to set up more freely against the likes of Alomomola and Seismitoad. It should be noted that Focus Blast works better with Life Orb, but Substitute works better with Salac Berry. Finally, the last slot is reserved for Hidden Power Rock, attaining coverage on Charizard, Braviary, and Scolipede.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Gluttony is used on this set because Nasty Plot is illegal with Overgrow, despite the fact that it is only useful on variants running Salac Berry. Hidden Power Fire can be used to hit Metang harder than any other move, but coverage against Charizard is too important to pass up. Simisage boasts incredible power if it manages to get a boost—the only problem is actually getting that boost, as Simisage's frailty often denies it many setup opportunities. Because of this, dual screens or Memento support is extremely useful to allow Simisage to set up; Gardevoir and Muk make great partners in this regard. Stealth Rock support is appreciated to allow Simisage to OHKO Regice and Mandibuzz after a boost with Focus Blast and Hidden Power Rock, respectively. Ground-types can set up Stealth Rock, lure in Water-types for Simisage, and can threaten bulky Poison-types and Metang with their STABs. Charizard is another good partner, being able to crush Grass / Poison-types such as Roselia and Vileplume, and also lure out bulky Water-types.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Simisage can use a mixed set utilizing Hone Claws alongside moves such as Seed Bomb, Focus Blast, and Acrobatics; however, Nasty Plot is a better boosting move. In a similar vein, Work Up can boost both of Simisage's offenses, but Nasty Plot is still superior. Leaf Storm is Simisage's strongest attack, and can be used alongside Choice Specs to make Simisage a powerful wallbreaker. However, the -2 Special Attack drop is undesirable, and Life Orb makes Simisage more versatile. Simisage hits a valuable Speed tier at base 101, making a Choice Scarf set seem plausible. Unfortunately, all of Simisage's moves are either too weak or terrible to be locked into. Taunt can make Simisage a decent anti-lead, but it is too frail to make good use of the move, and is outclassed by Serperior in this role. Leech Seed can sap away at the opponent's health, while Acrobatics can deal with opposing Grass-types; however, it has far better things to be doing and is too frail to use it efficiently. Bullet Seed can break Sturdy from the likes of Golem; unfortunately, it is illegal with Overgrow. Finally, Grasswhistle can potentially neuter a counter for the rest of the match, but is too inaccurate to be worth using.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Simisage is hard to directly counter due to its high Speed and vast array of coverage moves; checking it is a much simpler task. Bulky Poison-types such as Garbodor and Muk are the best answers, as they are not weak to any of Simisage's moves and can OHKO in return with their STABs. In a similar boat, Metang can comfortably tank anything Simisage throws at it and can dent it with Meteor Mash. Dragonair, although rare, can take Simisage's hits for days and set up with Dragon Dance. Faster Pokemon can also get the jump on Simisage; due to its general frailty, most neutral hits will leave a large dent, if not OHKO. Scolipede can switch in on Simisage's Grass-type moves and OHKO with Megahorn. Choice Scarf users such as Jynx, Primeape, and Charizard can also revenge kill it, though they sometimes have difficulty switching in. Swellow also dislikes switching in (even against Grass-type moves), but can crush Simisage with Brave Bird. Finally, priority is effective at revenge killing a weakened Simisage, examples being Kangaskhan's Fake Out and Sucker Punch combination and Gurdurr's Mach Punch.</p>
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