Bisharp, AKA Kirikizan
LET'S LEAD THEM ONTO VICTORY RED RANGER!!!
EDIT: Thanks to trickroom for some of the help with adding some teammates and re-mentioning some counters I missed. @_@;
QC Approved: 2/2
GP Approved: 2/2
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[Overview]
<p>You better “be sharp” when you face Bisharp! Its unique typing gives it a mixed blessing; it has a few cringing weaknesses such as Fighting, Fire, and Ground. Despite this, it also boasts a total of nine resistances and immunity to Poison and Psychic. What makes this power ranger scary to face against is the fact that it boasts Sucker Punch. It’s definitely a mixed bag since it fails on fast priority Pokemon and when the opponent just wants to be a good guy and not attack a foe to stoop down to Bisharp’s level. Like every bad guy, it’s a little slow and doesn’t like to take a lot of combat; especially when either things heat up, plans go straight to the ground, or gets into too many fights. It has a lot of perks over Extreme Killer Arceus thanks to its noted resistances including Stealth Rock, immunity to Toxic Spikes, and handling Lugia and Giratina a lot better. Go underestimating Bisharp, and you never know when you’ll be ambushed by it!</p>
[SET]
name: Dirty Ranger
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: Brick Break
move 4: Night Slash / Stone Edge
item: Life Orb
ability: Inner Focus
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Everybody loves Power Rangers, but no one likes a dirty fighter. Bisharp combines both of these awesome aspects and gets a moveset that looks like this. Bisharp works best coming in on the revenge; preferably on a Pokemon locked into Outrage. Set up Swords Dance, and watch your opponent tremble in fear! Ambush them when they least expect it with a swift Sucker Punch. Groudon thinks it’s all big and bad? Watch it drop its jaw when it takes about 75% after a +2 Sucker Punch. For Forretress and Ferrothorn, simply use Swords Dance and follow up with Brick Break. Of course, the biggest issue is mind games. Hence, why Night Slash is placed as a fourth option. Giratina, the big and bad wall, takes 80.3% - 94.6% from +2 Night Slash. Even Lugia has to be runninga Bold nature or it gets destroyed by +2 Night Slash. Stone Edge can at least prevent a stray Ho-Oh switch-in. Inner Focus is the preferred ability since it can set up on Scarf Shaymin-S locked onto Air Slash and prevents Jirachi from flinching through Bisharp with Serene Grace Iron Head.</p>
<p>Balloon is an interesting item for Bisharp to consider. It prevents Bisharp from being hit by Spikes and makes taking Groudon and Garchomp on a little less challenging. Bisharp just has to be very careful due to the power drop being a bit more noticeable. For example, +2 Sucker Punch can fail to OHKO Garchomp (81.3% - 95.8%) and it works best with Groudon switching into Bisharp or if Groudon is weakened. In other words, Bisharp looks very frightening to offensive teams that slaps a wall here and there to stop common checks. Max HP can be used with the set instead of max Speed. While you sacrifice beating Giratina (and some Giratina-O), max HP does allow Bisharp to take a little more injury than normal. Be aware that you risk losing to Bulk Up Dialga even more since Dialga will be faster than Bisharp and can 2HKO after it has used Bulk Up twice. Payback can replace Night Slash since it inflicts more damage when Bisharp is slower, but you put yourself at greater risk of losing to Wobbuffet.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Of course, there are some minor flaws to that plan. First off, Bold Lugia can hold the fort against Bisharp and wear it out. Reflect suddenly becomes more effective with the Defense buff and Lugia can afford a safe Whirlwind or switch-out in the process. Lugia shouldn’t attempt to tank Bisharp under Reflect since it likely lacks an attack to dent Bisharp and a critical hit seals Lugia’s fate. Dialga resists Sucker Punch pretty well, though offensive variants taking over 50% is a hard feat to beat. Bulk Up variants can at least prevent Bisharp from getting too far. If Bisharp switches into Dialga, it can’t beat Dialga one-on-one. After two Bulk Ups, Swords Dance Brick Break does 48% - 56.9%. The issue is that Dialga 2HKOes Bisharp with +2 Outrage. Bisharp can struggle very hard against a well-built stall team. It can at least put a dent here and there, but a full health stall team prevents Bisharp from getting far into the match.</p>
<p>Mewtwo is a good partner overall for Bisharp since offensive Mewtwo smashes through stall a lot better than Bisharp. Kyogre, primarily fast variants, can help ease Ho-Oh woe for Bisharp. Palkia can threaten Groudon most of the time while keeping Ho-Oh’s Sacred Fire at check. Just be aware that Scarf Palkia hates stall. Palkia is great for drawing in Choice Dragon-type moves, which means Bisharp sets up on them. Wobbuffet is a cool partner thanks to Shadow Tag forcing the opponent to stay in. It can take out Scarf Dialga or use Encore to give way to Bisharp switching in and setting up a free Swords Dance. Giratina-O helps alleviate the pain of facing Scarf Terrakion and easily takes Bisharp's weaknesses thanks to being immune to two of them. Bisharp also resists everything thrown at Giratina-O, so they work well hand in hand. You can try slowing down some of Bisharp’s more crippling issues with Mischevious Heart Thundurus. While it seems like an odd combo, it makes beating Dialga a bit more bearable since +2 Brick Break OHKOes offensive Dialga. Thundurus can use STAB Thunder to scare any Pokemon from switching into it while shutting down Kyogre and Lugia. Grass Knot can put a trip on Groudon too. Focus Blast also keeps Dialga from switching into Thunder constantly. Groudon can make it as a teammate, though keep in mind it's the supportive ones Bisharp is looking for. Lugia can set up Reflect for Bisharp while putting Groudon to a halt while having access to Thunder Wave to prevent faster Dialgas from ruining Bisharp’s sweep. For an added bonus, Lugia draws in many attacks that Bisharp resists (barring Thunder). Scarf Heracross is solid as it wrecks Darkrai and Dialga with its awesome dual STABs.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>There isn’t much to add here. It learns a lot of other moves, but it is either outclassed of the role in the Uber tier or is just a niche. Stealth Rock and Sucker Punch are illegal, so that is left out for obvious reasons. Mean Look can trap a Pokemon, but Bisharp already suffers from four moveslot syndrome. Rock Polish isn’t a good option with Bisharp’s attacks having low base power. It also needs Jolly to outspeed Scarf Garchomp. Low Sweep has a niche; it 2HKOes offensive Dialga safely. Choice Band can be considered, but a lock onto Sucker Punch can be deadly on setup sweepers such as Swords Dance Rayquaza. On the bright side, Bisharp can be used as a revenge killer. There's also Pursuit, which can prevent Ghost-types from switching out freely from Bisharp.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Aside from Sucker Punch being a double-edged sword (which is funny because Bisharp is the Sword Blade Pokemon!), Groudon puts a major stop to Bisharp most of the time. Groudon is durable enough to take +2 Sucker Punch while immediately shutting down Bisharp with STAB Earthquake. Balloon variants can take on a weakened Groudon, but Fire Punch and Overheat can spell Bisharp’s doom thanks to Drought boosting its power. Steel Arceus may not have any blades, but it can Will-O-Wisp Bisharp. Thankfully, Steel Arceus suffers from four moveslot syndrome. This means it has to take a gamble between Roar and Will-O-Wisp. If Steel Arceus carries Roar, Bisharp isn’t as threatened by Steel Arceus. On the other hand, Fighting Arceus completely shuts down Bisharp. Don’t even think of picking a fight with it! Ho-Oh was mentioned here and there, and while it’s OHKOed by +2 Sucker Punch (especially after Stealth Rock), Substitute can be an annoyance to Bisharp since Sucker Punch gives Ho-Oh a free Substitute. Pressure makes the situation worse as it limits Bisharp to four uses of Sucker Punch. Dialga was often mentioned; while Bisharp has some ways of bypassing Dialga with Ankle Sweep 2HKOing offensive variants, Bulk Up Dialga can cause Bisharp a major headache since it’s not exactly a free switch-in. Lugia can be annoying to Bisharp if Stealth Rock isn’t on the field. While Lugia has to gamble with a 12.5% chance of suffering a critical hit, it can stall Bisharp out with Reflect + Roost.</p>
<p>Darkrai can be used for an emergency stop to Bisharp. Dark Void doesn’t trigger Sucker Punch while Darkrai can obtain a free Nasty Plot most of the time. Support Mewtwo can be a real pain for the set since it’s not expected often. Mewtwo can bypass a Sucker Punch thanks to Will-O-Wisp and then switch to a Pokemon that can take either a weakened Sucker Punch or Brick Break. Terrakion is not only a Musketeer, but it can switch into Bisharp and survive a +2 Sucker Punch. Thanks to Justified, Terrakion even gets a free Attack boost out of it to purge the world of Bisharp's evil deeds. Nattorei's Iron Barbs are no match for Bisharp's sword, with the exception that it adds extra recoil. Level Ground and Leech Seed can make the situation very annoying as well. Skarmory can at least prevent Bisharp from getting very far. Their blades are evenly matched, so Skarmory is rather forced to use Whirlwind or Bisharp will just use Swords Dance again to assure the 2HKO. Just be aware that bulky Kyogre can temporarily halt Bisharp's sweep thanks to Surf hitting Bisharp hard while Sucker Punch fails to work on attacks such as Calm Mind.</p>
======
[Overview]
<p>You better “be sharp” when you face Bisharp! Its unique typing gives it a mixed blessing; it has a few cringing weaknesses such as Fighting, Fire, and Ground Despite this, it also boasts a total of nine resistances and immunity to Posion and Psychic. What makes this power ranger scary to face against is the fact that it boasts Sucker Punch. It’s definitely a mixed bag since it fails on fast priority Pokemon and when the opponent just wants to be a good guy and not attack a foe to stoop down to Bisharp’s level. Like every bad guy, it’s a little slow and doesn’t like to take a lot of combat; especially when either things heat up, plans go straight to the ground, or gets into too many fights. It has a lot of perks over Extreme Killer Arceus thanks to its noted resistances including Stealth Rock, immunity to Toxic Spikes, and handling Lugia and Gitatina a lot better. Go underestimating Bisharp, and you never know when you’ll be ambushed by it!</p>
[SET]
name: Dirty Ranger
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: Brick Break
move 4: Night Slash / Stone Edge
item: Life Orb
ability: Inner Focus
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Everybody loves Power Rangers, but no one likes a dirty fighter. Bisharp combines both of these awesome aspects and gets a moveset that looks like this. Bisharp works best coming in on the revenge; preferably on a Pokemon locked into Outrage. Set up Swords Dance, and watch your opponent tremble in fear! Ambush them when they least expect it with a swift Sucker Punch. Groudon thinks it’s all big and bad? Watch it drop its jaw when it takes about 75% after a +2 Sucker Punch. For Forretress and Ferrothorn, simply use Swords Dance and follow up with Brick Break. Of course, the biggest issue is mind games. Hence, why Night Slash is placed as a fourth option. Giratina, the big and bad wall, takes 80.3% - 94.6% from +2 Night Slash. Even Lugia has to be a Bold nature or it gets destroyed by +2 Night Slash. Stone Edge can at least prevent a stray Ho-Oh switch-in. Inner Focus is the preferred ability since it can set up on Scarf Shaymin-S locked onto Air Slash and prevents Jirachi from flinching through Bisharp with Serene Grace Iron Head.</p>
<p>Balloon is an interesting item for Bisharp to consider. It prevents Bisharp from being hit by Spikes and makes taking Groudon and Garchomp on a little less challenging. Bisharp just has to be very careful due to the power drop being a bit more noticeable. For example, +2 Sucker Punch can fail to OHKO Garchomp (81.3% - 95.8%) and it works best with Groudon switching into Bisharp or if Groudon is weakened. In other words, Bisharp looks very frightening to offensive teams that slaps a wall here and there to stop common checks.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p> Max HP can be used with the set instead of max Speed. While you sacrifice losing to Giratina (and some Giratina-O), max HP does allow Bisharp to take a little more injury than normal. Be aware that you risk losing to Bulk Up Dialga even more since Dialga will be faster than Bisharp and can 2HKO after it has used Bulk Up twice. Payback can replace Night Slash since it inflicts more damage when Bisharp is slower, but youput yourself at greater risk of losing to Wobbuffet.</p>
<p>Of course, there’s some minor flaws to that plan. First off, Bold Lugia can hold the fort against Bisharp and wear it out. Reflect suddenly becomes more effective with the Defense buff and Lugia can afford a safe Whirlwind or switch-out in the process. Lugia shouldn’t attempt to tank Bisharp under Reflect since it likely lacks an attack to dent Bisharp and a critical hit seals Lugia’s fate. Dialga resists Sucker Punch pretty well, though offensive variants taking over 50% is a hard feat to beat. Bulk Up variants can at least prevent Bisharp from getting too far. If Bisharp switches into Dialga, it can’t beat Dialga one-on-one. After two Bulk Ups, Swords Dance Brick Break does 48% - 56.9%. The issue is that Dialga 2HKOes Bisharp with +2 Outrage. Bisharp can struggle very hard against a well-built stall team. It can at least put a dent here and there, but a full health stall team prevents Bisharp from getting far into the match.</p>
<p>Mewtwo is a good partner overall for Bisharp since offensive Mewtwo smashes through stall a lot better than Bisharp. Kyogre, primarily fast variants, can help ease Ho-Oh woe for Bisharp. Palkia can threaten Groudon most of the time while keeping Ho-Oh’s Sacred Fire at check. Just be aware that Scarf Palkia hates stall. Palkia is great for drawing in Choice Dragon-type moves, which means Bisharp sets up on them. Wobbuffet is a cool partner thanks to Shadow Tag forcing the opponent to stay in. It can take out Scarf Dialga or use Encore to give way to Bisharp switching in and setting up a free Swords Dance. Giratina-O helps alleviate the pain of facing Scarf Terrakion and easily takes Bisharp's weaknesses thanks to being immune to two of them. Bisharp also resists everything thrown at Giratina-O, so they work well hand in hand. Finally, Lugia can set up Reflect for Bisharp while putting Groudon to a halt while having access to Thunder Wave to prevent faster Dialgas from ruining Bisharp’s sweep. For an added bonus, Lugia draws in many attacks that Bisharp resists (barring Thunder).</p>
[Team Options]
<p>What has been mentioned in the additional comments for the Dirty Ranger pretty much applies to here as well. You can attempt to offer Bisharp entry hazard support. It definitely likes Ferrothorn as a team player. It lacks Toxic Spikes, but it offers an option to handle Kyogre, Palkia, and most Rain teams a bit better than Forretress would. Forretress offers Bisharp Toxic Spikes and Rapid Spin support. Unlike Ferrothorn, Forretress doesn’t share a Fighting-type weakness with Bisharp. Sadly, both share a Fire-type weakness, so Giratina-O and / or Kyogre are highly recommended. Dual Screens is never a bad idea to help aid Bisharp’s sweep. Lugia has access to its higher defenses to be of further aid to Bisharp. Mewtwo can be used for a more offensive Dual Screen option. Cresselia has access to Lunar Dance for a guaranteed full health Bisharp to come out on the field. Just make sure that Cresselia and Lugia don’t bring in Darkrai. Finally, you can try slowing down some of Bisharp’s more crippling issues with Mischevious Heart Thundurus. While it seems like an odd combo, it makes beating Dialga a bit more bearable since +2 Brick Break OHKOes offensive Dialga. Thundurus can use STAB Thunder to scare any Pokemon from switching into it while shutting down Kyogre and Lugia. Grass Knot can put a trip on Groudon too. Focus Blast also keeps Dialga from switching into Thunder constantly. Groudon can make it as a teammate, though keep in mind it's the supportive ones Bisharp is looking for. Groudon boasts access to Stealth Rock and Thunder Wave while having some ways of bypassing annoying Pokemon such as Skarmory and Forretress with Overheat or Fire Punch. Scarf Heracross is the final mention here since it can resist some of Bisharp's weaknesses and has access to STAB Close Combat and Megahorn to tear through. It can come into Steel Arceus's Will-O-Wisp and obtain a free Attack boost while preventing Darkrai from wrecking Bisharp's team.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>There isn’t much to add here. It learns a lot of other moves, but it is either outclassed of the role in the Uber tier or is just a niche. Stealth Rock and Sucker Punch are illegal, so that is left out for obvious reasons. Mean Look can trap a Pokemon, but Bisharp already suffers from four moveslot syndrome. Rock Polish isn’t a good option with Bisharp’s attacks having low base power. It also needs Jolly to outspeed Scarf Garchomp. Ankle Sweep has a niche that it 2HKOes offensive Dialga safely. Choice Band can be considered, but a lock onto Sucker Punch can be deadly on setup sweepers such as Swords Dance Rayquaza. On the bright side, Bisharp can be used as a revenge killer. There's also Pursuit, which can prevent Ghost-types from switching out freely from Bisharp.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Aside from Sucker Punch being a double-edged sword (which is funny because Bisharp is the Sword Blade Pokemon!), Groudon puts a major stop to Bisharp most of the time. Groudon is durable enough to take +2 Sucker Punch while immediately shutting down Bisharp with STAB Earthquake. Balloon variants can take on a weakened Groudon, but Fire Punch and Overheat can spell Bisharp’s doom immediately thanks to Drought boosting its power. Steel Arceus may not have any blades, but it can Will-O-Wisp Bisharp. Thankfully Steel Arceus suffers from four moveslot syndrome. This means it has to take a gamble between Roar and Will-O-Wisp. If Steel Arceus carries Roar, Bisharp isn’t as threatened by Steel Arceus. On the other hand, Fighting Arceus completely shuts down Bisharp. Don’t even think of picking a fight with it! Ho-Oh was mentioned here and there, and while it’s OHKOed by +2 Sucker Punch (especially after Stealth Rock), Substitute can be an annoyance to Bisharp since Sucker Punch gives Ho-Oh a free Substitute. Pressure makes the situation worse as it limits Bisharp to four uses of Sucker Punch. Dialga was often mentioned; while Bisharp has some ways of bypassing Dialga with Ankle Sweep 2HKOing offensive variants, Bulk Up Dialga can cause Bisharp a major headache since it’s not exactly a free switch-in. Lugia can be annoying to Bisharp if Stealth Rock isn’t on the field. While Lugia has to gamble with a 12.5% chance of suffering a critical hit, it can stall Bisharp out with Reflect + Roost. Darkrai can be used for an emergency stop to Bisharp. Dark Void doesn’t trigger Sucker Punch while Darkrai can obtain a free Nasty Plot most of the time. Support Mewtwo can be a real pain for the set since it’s not expected often. Mewtwo can bypass a Sucker Punch thanks to Will-O-Wisp and then switch to a Pokemon that can take either a weakened Sucker Punch or Brick Break. Terrakion is not only a Musketeer, but it can switch into Bisharp and survive a +2 Sucker Punch. Thanks to Righteous Heart, Terrakion even gets a free Attack boost out of it to purge the world of Bisharp's evil deeds. Nattorei's Iron Barbs are no match for Bisharp's sword, with the exception that it adds extra recoil. Level Ground and Leech Seed can make the situation very annoying as well. Skarmory can at least prevent Bisharp from getting very far. Their blades are evenly matched, so Skarmory is rather forced to use Whirlwind or Bisharp will just use Swords Dance again to assure the 2HKO. Just be aware that bulky Kyogre can temporarily halt Bisharp's sweep thanks to Surf hitting Bisharp hard while Sucker Punch fails to work on attacks such as Calm Mind.</p>
[Overview]
<p>You better “be sharp” when you face Bisharp! Its unique typing gives it a mixed blessing; it has a few cringing weaknesses such as Fighting, Fire, and Ground Despite this, it also boasts a total of nine resistances and immunity to Posion and Psychic. What makes this power ranger scary to face against is the fact that it boasts Sucker Punch. It’s definitely a mixed bag since it fails on fast priority Pokemon and when the opponent just wants to be a good guy and not attack a foe to stoop down to Bisharp’s level. Like every bad guy, it’s a little slow and doesn’t like to take a lot of combat; especially when either things heat up, plans go straight to the ground, or gets into too many fights. It has a lot of perks over Extreme Killer Arceus thanks to its noted resistances including Stealth Rock, immunity to Toxic Spikes, and handling Lugia and Gitatina a lot better. Go underestimating Bisharp, and you never know when you’ll be ambushed by it!</p>
[SET]
name: Dirty Ranger
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: Brick Break
move 4: Night Slash / Stone Edge
item: Life Orb
ability: Inner Focus
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Everybody loves Power Rangers, but no one likes a dirty fighter. Bisharp combines both of these awesome aspects and gets a moveset that looks like this. Bisharp works best coming in on the revenge; preferably on a Pokemon locked into Outrage. Set up Swords Dance, and watch your opponent tremble in fear! Ambush them when they least expect it with a swift Sucker Punch. Groudon thinks it’s all big and bad? Watch it drop its jaw when it takes about 75% after a +2 Sucker Punch. For Forretress and Ferrothorn, simply use Swords Dance and follow up with Brick Break. Of course, the biggest issue is mind games. Hence, why Night Slash is placed as a fourth option. Giratina, the big and bad wall, takes 80.3% - 94.6% from +2 Night Slash. Even Lugia has to be a Bold nature or it gets destroyed by +2 Night Slash. Stone Edge can at least prevent a stray Ho-Oh switch-in. Inner Focus is the preferred ability since it can set up on Scarf Shaymin-S locked onto Air Slash and prevents Jirachi from flinching through Bisharp with Serene Grace Iron Head.</p>
<p>Balloon is an interesting item for Bisharp to consider. It prevents Bisharp from being hit by Spikes and makes taking Groudon and Garchomp on a little less challenging. Bisharp just has to be very careful due to the power drop being a bit more noticeable. For example, +2 Sucker Punch can fail to OHKO Garchomp (81.3% - 95.8%) and it works best with Groudon switching into Bisharp or if Groudon is weakened. In other words, Bisharp looks very frightening to offensive teams that slaps a wall here and there to stop common checks.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p> Max HP can be used with the set instead of max Speed. While you sacrifice losing to Giratina (and some Giratina-O), max HP does allow Bisharp to take a little more injury than normal. Be aware that you risk losing to Bulk Up Dialga even more since Dialga will be faster than Bisharp and can 2HKO after it has used Bulk Up twice. Payback can replace Night Slash since it inflicts more damage when Bisharp is slower, but youput yourself at greater risk of losing to Wobbuffet.</p>
<p>Of course, there’s some minor flaws to that plan. First off, Bold Lugia can hold the fort against Bisharp and wear it out. Reflect suddenly becomes more effective with the Defense buff and Lugia can afford a safe Whirlwind or switch-out in the process. Lugia shouldn’t attempt to tank Bisharp under Reflect since it likely lacks an attack to dent Bisharp and a critical hit seals Lugia’s fate. Dialga resists Sucker Punch pretty well, though offensive variants taking over 50% is a hard feat to beat. Bulk Up variants can at least prevent Bisharp from getting too far. If Bisharp switches into Dialga, it can’t beat Dialga one-on-one. After two Bulk Ups, Swords Dance Brick Break does 48% - 56.9%. The issue is that Dialga 2HKOes Bisharp with +2 Outrage. Bisharp can struggle very hard against a well-built stall team. It can at least put a dent here and there, but a full health stall team prevents Bisharp from getting far into the match.</p>
<p>Mewtwo is a good partner overall for Bisharp since offensive Mewtwo smashes through stall a lot better than Bisharp. Kyogre, primarily fast variants, can help ease Ho-Oh woe for Bisharp. Palkia can threaten Groudon most of the time while keeping Ho-Oh’s Sacred Fire at check. Just be aware that Scarf Palkia hates stall. Palkia is great for drawing in Choice Dragon-type moves, which means Bisharp sets up on them. Wobbuffet is a cool partner thanks to Shadow Tag forcing the opponent to stay in. It can take out Scarf Dialga or use Encore to give way to Bisharp switching in and setting up a free Swords Dance. Giratina-O helps alleviate the pain of facing Scarf Terrakion and easily takes Bisharp's weaknesses thanks to being immune to two of them. Bisharp also resists everything thrown at Giratina-O, so they work well hand in hand. Finally, Lugia can set up Reflect for Bisharp while putting Groudon to a halt while having access to Thunder Wave to prevent faster Dialgas from ruining Bisharp’s sweep. For an added bonus, Lugia draws in many attacks that Bisharp resists (barring Thunder).</p>
[Team Options]
<p>What has been mentioned in the additional comments for the Dirty Ranger pretty much applies to here as well. You can attempt to offer Bisharp entry hazard support. It definitely likes Ferrothorn as a team player. It lacks Toxic Spikes, but it offers an option to handle Kyogre, Palkia, and most Rain teams a bit better than Forretress would. Forretress offers Bisharp Toxic Spikes and Rapid Spin support. Unlike Ferrothorn, Forretress doesn’t share a Fighting-type weakness with Bisharp. Sadly, both share a Fire-type weakness, so Giratina-O and / or Kyogre are highly recommended. Dual Screens is never a bad idea to help aid Bisharp’s sweep. Lugia has access to its higher defenses to be of further aid to Bisharp. Mewtwo can be used for a more offensive Dual Screen option. Cresselia has access to Lunar Dance for a guaranteed full health Bisharp to come out on the field. Just make sure that Cresselia and Lugia don’t bring in Darkrai. Finally, you can try slowing down some of Bisharp’s more crippling issues with Mischevious Heart Thundurus. While it seems like an odd combo, it makes beating Dialga a bit more bearable since +2 Brick Break OHKOes offensive Dialga. Thundurus can use STAB Thunder to scare any Pokemon from switching into it while shutting down Kyogre and Lugia. Grass Knot can put a trip on Groudon too. Focus Blast also keeps Dialga from switching into Thunder constantly. Groudon can make it as a teammate, though keep in mind it's the supportive ones Bisharp is looking for. Groudon boasts access to Stealth Rock and Thunder Wave while having some ways of bypassing annoying Pokemon such as Skarmory and Forretress with Overheat or Fire Punch. Scarf Heracross is the final mention here since it can resist some of Bisharp's weaknesses and has access to STAB Close Combat and Megahorn to tear through. It can come into Steel Arceus's Will-O-Wisp and obtain a free Attack boost while preventing Darkrai from wrecking Bisharp's team.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>There isn’t much to add here. It learns a lot of other moves, but it is either outclassed of the role in the Uber tier or is just a niche. Stealth Rock and Sucker Punch are illegal, so that is left out for obvious reasons. Mean Look can trap a Pokemon, but Bisharp already suffers from four moveslot syndrome. Rock Polish isn’t a good option with Bisharp’s attacks having low base power. It also needs Jolly to outspeed Scarf Garchomp. Ankle Sweep has a niche that it 2HKOes offensive Dialga safely. Choice Band can be considered, but a lock onto Sucker Punch can be deadly on setup sweepers such as Swords Dance Rayquaza. On the bright side, Bisharp can be used as a revenge killer. There's also Pursuit, which can prevent Ghost-types from switching out freely from Bisharp.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Aside from Sucker Punch being a double-edged sword (which is funny because Bisharp is the Sword Blade Pokemon!), Groudon puts a major stop to Bisharp most of the time. Groudon is durable enough to take +2 Sucker Punch while immediately shutting down Bisharp with STAB Earthquake. Balloon variants can take on a weakened Groudon, but Fire Punch and Overheat can spell Bisharp’s doom immediately thanks to Drought boosting its power. Steel Arceus may not have any blades, but it can Will-O-Wisp Bisharp. Thankfully Steel Arceus suffers from four moveslot syndrome. This means it has to take a gamble between Roar and Will-O-Wisp. If Steel Arceus carries Roar, Bisharp isn’t as threatened by Steel Arceus. On the other hand, Fighting Arceus completely shuts down Bisharp. Don’t even think of picking a fight with it! Ho-Oh was mentioned here and there, and while it’s OHKOed by +2 Sucker Punch (especially after Stealth Rock), Substitute can be an annoyance to Bisharp since Sucker Punch gives Ho-Oh a free Substitute. Pressure makes the situation worse as it limits Bisharp to four uses of Sucker Punch. Dialga was often mentioned; while Bisharp has some ways of bypassing Dialga with Ankle Sweep 2HKOing offensive variants, Bulk Up Dialga can cause Bisharp a major headache since it’s not exactly a free switch-in. Lugia can be annoying to Bisharp if Stealth Rock isn’t on the field. While Lugia has to gamble with a 12.5% chance of suffering a critical hit, it can stall Bisharp out with Reflect + Roost. Darkrai can be used for an emergency stop to Bisharp. Dark Void doesn’t trigger Sucker Punch while Darkrai can obtain a free Nasty Plot most of the time. Support Mewtwo can be a real pain for the set since it’s not expected often. Mewtwo can bypass a Sucker Punch thanks to Will-O-Wisp and then switch to a Pokemon that can take either a weakened Sucker Punch or Brick Break. Terrakion is not only a Musketeer, but it can switch into Bisharp and survive a +2 Sucker Punch. Thanks to Righteous Heart, Terrakion even gets a free Attack boost out of it to purge the world of Bisharp's evil deeds. Nattorei's Iron Barbs are no match for Bisharp's sword, with the exception that it adds extra recoil. Level Ground and Leech Seed can make the situation very annoying as well. Skarmory can at least prevent Bisharp from getting very far. Their blades are evenly matched, so Skarmory is rather forced to use Whirlwind or Bisharp will just use Swords Dance again to assure the 2HKO. Just be aware that bulky Kyogre can temporarily halt Bisharp's sweep thanks to Surf hitting Bisharp hard while Sucker Punch fails to work on attacks such as Calm Mind.</p>
