[OVERVIEW]
Alakazam is a premier wallbreaker in BDSP OU, tearing holes through slower teams lacking a hard counter. Alakazam's high Speed tier lets it outspeed other prominent threats such as Latios, Infernape, and Starmie, forcing them out with its superb coverage. Furthermore, Magic Guard gives Alakazam a myriad of benefits, such as preventing it from being worn down by entry hazards, preserving its Focus Sash, and mitigating Life Orb recoil. Furthermore, counterplay to Alakazam differs depending on what item it is running; using a Life Orb denies nearly all defensive counterplay options through its sheer power, while running a Focus Sash prevents Alakazam from being instantly revenge killed, which is often enough for it to break apart more offensive teams. However, Alakazam is not without its flaws, as its physical bulk is extremely poor, causing it to be revenge killed easily and limiting its setup opportunities. Moreover, its reliance on Focus Blast to deal with Dark- and Steel-types means just one miss can ruin it. Additionally, while Alakazam has a strong offensive presence, it rarely ever threatens to OHKO foes without a boost, meaning if Focus Sash has been broken or it is known to be using a Life Orb, multiple Pokemon can just tank a hit from it and OHKO it back.
[SET]
name: Nasty Plot
move 1: Psychic / Psyshock
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Nasty Plot
item: Life Orb / Focus Sash
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Psychic is Alakazam's STAB move of choice due to its higher Base Power; however, Psyshock allows Alakazam to break through special walls such as Gastrodon and Blissey much more easily, especially with a Life Orb. Focus Blast lets Alakazam nail the Steel- and Dark-types that would otherwise wall it such as Tyranitar, Scizor, and Heatran. Shadow Ball deals with opposing Psychic-types such as Latios, opposing Alakazam, and Jirachi, which can switch into Focus Blast and Alakazam's Psychic-type STAB move. Magic Guard benefits Alakazam no matter which item it is running; if running Life Orb, Magic Guard prevents its recoil; if running Focus Sash, Magic Guard preserves it in the face of entry hazards. Life Orb can be used to wallbreak much more effectively, notably allowing Alakazam to 2HKO Scizor with Focus Blast after Stealth Rock chip. Focus Sash in turn provides a one-time safety net for Alakazam to setup for free or revenge kill something safely.
Alakazam fits best on offense and bulky offense teams, as both archetypes are fast-paced enough to take advantage of Alakazam punching holes in opposing walls while still maintaining the ability to safely bring it in multiple times. Due to Alakazam's frailty, it greatly appreciates slow pivoting from Pokemon such as Gliscor, Rotom-W, and Scizor to bring it in safely. Stealth Rock support from the aforementioned Gliscor, Heatran, and Garchomp are extremely useful, as they allow Alakazam to break through its checks more easily. Latios and Azelf are also solid partners, as they can form an exceptionally potent Psychic Spam core, weakening their shared checks. The likes of Weavile, Nidoking, and Nasty Plot Rotom-W work well with Alakazam to wallbreak for each other. A strong defensive core is also appreciated alongside Alakazam, as it invites in powerful revenge killers like Weavile. Focus Sash Alakazam works exceptionally well on hyper offense teams with partners such as Feraligatr, Azumarill, and Lucario, as it provides a one-time countermeasure to opposing sweepers and can clean weakened teams due to its high Speed tier, all while Focus Sash prevents it from being revenge killed by priority. Clefable also can assist Scizor in checking the likes of Garchomp and Weavile on balance teams, as Scizor can get easily overwhelmed.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Recover gives Alakazam the chance to heal off weak hits and use passive Pokemon like non-Calm Mind and non-Thunder Wave Blissey as complete setup fodder while restoring its Focus Sash should it get chipped. However, Alakazam's pitiful bulk makes this option rarely relevant in practice. Dazzling Gleam gives Alakazam a consistent option to hit Dark-types without Focus Blast's chance to miss; however, it is much weaker and leaves Alakazam helpless against some Steel-types. If Shadow Ball is replaced, Alakazam becomes unable to break Jirach i and opposing Alakazam, making Dazzling Gleam a much worse option regardless of what move is dropped.Encore can lock Pokemon into a non-damaging move, giving Alakazam or its teammates free setup turns; however, it is inconsistent and can very rarely be used. Taunt is usable on hyper offense teams to prevent entry hazards or dual screens from going up from slower leads like Azelf and Skarmory while preventing the likes of Scizor and Skarmory from recovering. It can also deny Defog from Scizor and Gliscor, helping teammates like Lucario and Feraligatr sweep more easily.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Steel-types**: Scizor walls Focus Sash variants of Alakazam, while Life Orb variants require getting a sequence correct and landing multiple Focus Blasts, making Scizor as close to a counter as you can get. Heatran can switch into Alakazam's Psychic-type STAB moves and Shadow Ball a few times and force it out; however, it can lose if Alakazam uses Nasty Plot or Focus Blast as it switches in. Similarly, Jirachi can switch into Alakazam's Psychic-type STAB move and Focus Blast; however it loses if Alakazam sets up with Nasty Plot or hits it with Shadow Ball on the switch.
**Revenge Killing**: Faster Pokemon like Weavile and Choice Scarf Garchomp can revenge kill Alakazam, although they are unable to safely switch into it directly. Beat Up and Dual Chop, respectively, bypass Alakazam's Focus Sash if it has one, making them much more consistent at checking it. Priority such as Dragonite and Lucario's Extreme Speed and Crawdaunt's Aqua Jet easily remove Alakazam due to its poor physical bulk; however, they are unable to switch into it. To add onto that, Focus Sash variants of Alakazam can live one hit from full HP and potentially KO these Pokemon back. As such, this requires Alakazam to either be chipped or scouted first in order to consistently revenge kill it.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[adem, 529732]]
- Quality checked by: [[dex, 277988], [Lalaya, 279858]]
- Grammar checked by: [[dex, 277988]]
Alakazam is a premier wallbreaker in BDSP OU, tearing holes through slower teams lacking a hard counter. Alakazam's high Speed tier lets it outspeed other prominent threats such as Latios, Infernape, and Starmie, forcing them out with its superb coverage. Furthermore, Magic Guard gives Alakazam a myriad of benefits, such as preventing it from being worn down by entry hazards, preserving its Focus Sash, and mitigating Life Orb recoil. Furthermore, counterplay to Alakazam differs depending on what item it is running; using a Life Orb denies nearly all defensive counterplay options through its sheer power, while running a Focus Sash prevents Alakazam from being instantly revenge killed, which is often enough for it to break apart more offensive teams. However, Alakazam is not without its flaws, as its physical bulk is extremely poor, causing it to be revenge killed easily and limiting its setup opportunities. Moreover, its reliance on Focus Blast to deal with Dark- and Steel-types means just one miss can ruin it. Additionally, while Alakazam has a strong offensive presence, it rarely ever threatens to OHKO foes without a boost, meaning if Focus Sash has been broken or it is known to be using a Life Orb, multiple Pokemon can just tank a hit from it and OHKO it back.
[SET]
name: Nasty Plot
move 1: Psychic / Psyshock
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Nasty Plot
item: Life Orb / Focus Sash
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Psychic is Alakazam's STAB move of choice due to its higher Base Power; however, Psyshock allows Alakazam to break through special walls such as Gastrodon and Blissey much more easily, especially with a Life Orb. Focus Blast lets Alakazam nail the Steel- and Dark-types that would otherwise wall it such as Tyranitar, Scizor, and Heatran. Shadow Ball deals with opposing Psychic-types such as Latios, opposing Alakazam, and Jirachi, which can switch into Focus Blast and Alakazam's Psychic-type STAB move. Magic Guard benefits Alakazam no matter which item it is running; if running Life Orb, Magic Guard prevents its recoil; if running Focus Sash, Magic Guard preserves it in the face of entry hazards. Life Orb can be used to wallbreak much more effectively, notably allowing Alakazam to 2HKO Scizor with Focus Blast after Stealth Rock chip. Focus Sash in turn provides a one-time safety net for Alakazam to setup for free or revenge kill something safely.
Alakazam fits best on offense and bulky offense teams, as both archetypes are fast-paced enough to take advantage of Alakazam punching holes in opposing walls while still maintaining the ability to safely bring it in multiple times. Due to Alakazam's frailty, it greatly appreciates slow pivoting from Pokemon such as Gliscor, Rotom-W, and Scizor to bring it in safely. Stealth Rock support from the aforementioned Gliscor, Heatran, and Garchomp are extremely useful, as they allow Alakazam to break through its checks more easily. Latios and Azelf are also solid partners, as they can form an exceptionally potent Psychic Spam core, weakening their shared checks. The likes of Weavile, Nidoking, and Nasty Plot Rotom-W work well with Alakazam to wallbreak for each other. A strong defensive core is also appreciated alongside Alakazam, as it invites in powerful revenge killers like Weavile. Focus Sash Alakazam works exceptionally well on hyper offense teams with partners such as Feraligatr, Azumarill, and Lucario, as it provides a one-time countermeasure to opposing sweepers and can clean weakened teams due to its high Speed tier, all while Focus Sash prevents it from being revenge killed by priority. Clefable also can assist Scizor in checking the likes of Garchomp and Weavile on balance teams, as Scizor can get easily overwhelmed.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Recover gives Alakazam the chance to heal off weak hits and use passive Pokemon like non-Calm Mind and non-Thunder Wave Blissey as complete setup fodder while restoring its Focus Sash should it get chipped. However, Alakazam's pitiful bulk makes this option rarely relevant in practice. Dazzling Gleam gives Alakazam a consistent option to hit Dark-types without Focus Blast's chance to miss; however, it is much weaker and leaves Alakazam helpless against some Steel-types. If Shadow Ball is replaced, Alakazam becomes unable to break Jirach i and opposing Alakazam, making Dazzling Gleam a much worse option regardless of what move is dropped.Encore can lock Pokemon into a non-damaging move, giving Alakazam or its teammates free setup turns; however, it is inconsistent and can very rarely be used. Taunt is usable on hyper offense teams to prevent entry hazards or dual screens from going up from slower leads like Azelf and Skarmory while preventing the likes of Scizor and Skarmory from recovering. It can also deny Defog from Scizor and Gliscor, helping teammates like Lucario and Feraligatr sweep more easily.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Steel-types**: Scizor walls Focus Sash variants of Alakazam, while Life Orb variants require getting a sequence correct and landing multiple Focus Blasts, making Scizor as close to a counter as you can get. Heatran can switch into Alakazam's Psychic-type STAB moves and Shadow Ball a few times and force it out; however, it can lose if Alakazam uses Nasty Plot or Focus Blast as it switches in. Similarly, Jirachi can switch into Alakazam's Psychic-type STAB move and Focus Blast; however it loses if Alakazam sets up with Nasty Plot or hits it with Shadow Ball on the switch.
**Revenge Killing**: Faster Pokemon like Weavile and Choice Scarf Garchomp can revenge kill Alakazam, although they are unable to safely switch into it directly. Beat Up and Dual Chop, respectively, bypass Alakazam's Focus Sash if it has one, making them much more consistent at checking it. Priority such as Dragonite and Lucario's Extreme Speed and Crawdaunt's Aqua Jet easily remove Alakazam due to its poor physical bulk; however, they are unable to switch into it. To add onto that, Focus Sash variants of Alakazam can live one hit from full HP and potentially KO these Pokemon back. As such, this requires Alakazam to either be chipped or scouted first in order to consistently revenge kill it.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[adem, 529732]]
- Quality checked by: [[dex, 277988], [Lalaya, 279858]]
- Grammar checked by: [[dex, 277988]]
Last edited:
