Ability Contrary Serperior

[CuLay]

So apparently Japanese will get their hands on a Serperior with his HA Contrary, so we will finally be able to get it legally(trough trade). Something many of us have been waiting for.
So what set will you use if you thinking of using one?

 

[Breadley]

Leaf Storm that has a built in boost is of course pretty awesome, but does it get anything else that really benefits from that? I do want to root for it, since I have been glad to see Grass types become more relevant than they were at times in the past, but that also means a lot of potential problems for the grass snake, with a lot of teams having either grass pokemon or checks and counters to other grass pokemon that can also give Serperior grief. I am a pretty big noob, so I am sure others will have better feedback, I just think that its station in life will improve with access to Contrary, but that OU might be a pipe dream.

 

[Chou Toshio]

Would have been cool in BW, but I honestly can't help seeing it as a slower, weaker, mega sceptile in XY... Then there is the Smogon bird to take into account, totally changing the meta Contrary Serperior will see itself in.

 

[Zebstrika]

Even at +2 or +4 Serperior is still pretty easy to wall, considering it gets all of Dragon Pulse and Hidden Power to cover the seven types that resist Leaf Storm.

 

[RoyalDispenser]

Would have been cool in BW, but I honestly can't help seeing it as a slower, weaker, mega sceptile in XY... Then there is the Smogon bird to take into account, totally changing the meta Contrary Serperior will see itself in.

Unlike sceptile though; serperior can boost it's stats, hold items (even scarf to check keldeo, greninja, lando, and sceptile), and doesn't take up a mega slot while retaining very similar coverage on the special side as well as utility in screens, taunt, and glare. Sceptile is in a pretty similar boat with checks and counters anyway.

Sceptile

Pros:
Decent SpA
Good Speed
Can run a surprise mixed or physical set

Cons:
Can't boost SpA outside lightning rod
Speed ties beedrill.. which is a scary RNG based situation.
Outsped by scarfers
Frail
Doesn't hit amazingly hard especially when it's strongest move puts it at -2
Takes up mega slot
No Utility
Somewhat hindering typing (strong fire attacks still hurt neutrually)

Serperior

Pros:
Decent Speed
Utility in screens, taunt, and status spreading glare
Can boost offenses
Can utilize items

Cons:
Piss poor offenses
Checks depend on it's hidden power (sorta a con)
Outsped by greninja
Bad Typing (grass sucks)

 

[Thunderorange]

It will be fun to use and okay late-game sweeper but leaf storm isn't really the best attack to rely on. Now I understand this isn't theorymon but if serperior got a mega with dragon typing and draco meteor it would be firmly in OU.

 

[calamebe]

I know it will rise to at least RU, but I'm not sure about UU. In OU Sceptile outclasses it so it wont be used, but I could see it getting some usage in UU. Contrary and Leaf Storm go together so well, but I don't really see it getting too good due to Serperior's stats sucking so much.

 

[Eik00c]

I know it will rise to at least RU, but I'm not sure about UU. In OU Sceptile outclasses it so it wont be used, but I could see it getting some usage in UU. Contrary and Leaf Storm go together so well, but I don't really see it getting too good due to Serperior's stats sucking so much.

Atm, Mega Sceptile is in RU so Serperior will still be pretty outclassed in RU, unless Sceptile gets banned to UU/OU. And although this thread is about Contrary Serperior, I think there's a more important question at hand: anybody hyped for Reckless Emboar?

Also, was this even approved?

 

[calamebe]

Atm, Mega Sceptile is in RU so Serperior will still be pretty outclassed in RU, unless Sceptile gets banned to UU/OU. And although this thread is about Contrary Serperior, I think there's a more important question at hand: anybody hyped for Reckless Emboar?

Also, was this even approved?

Well Sceptile will get banned from RU and maybe UU so that's why I think it will eventually be pretty good for RU.

Reckless Emboar will be powerful as hell, but it will kill itself really quickly and it would probably need Wish support or healing wish support to have a really big impact on the game.

 

[TURBODERP]

Having Glare is pretty nifty and useful actually, and with the ability to spam Leaf Storm, that might prove to be C-rank or so worthy.

 

[haunter]

There's already a thread about this Pokémon.