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Overview
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Escavalier is a Pokemon that has received many new buffs in XY. With the addition of Assault Vest, Escavalier can now take special attacks better than ever before. It also received two important moves. The first, Knock Off, has had its Base Power increased and allows Escavalier to hit Ghost-types for super effective damage while also removing an opponent's item. The second, Drill Run, allows Escavalier to hit the Fire-type Pokemon that previously walled it. In addition to this, the changed mechanic of Overcoat mean that Escavalier can switch in on moves such as Sleep Powder and Spore freely, making it a great Pokemon for absorbing these moves. Escavalier also sits at an extremely low Speed tier, allowing it to underspeed common Trick Room Pokemon such as Cresselia, Aromatisse, and Slowking. Combine all this with its already great typing and powerful STAB Megahorn, and Escavalier is a very potent offensive and defensive threat.
However, Escavalier's list of cons is just as large as its list of pros. Escavalier's typing leaves it with an unfortunate 4x weakness to Fire-type attacks, meaning Pokemon that such as Charizard and Talonflame will always give it trouble. Escavalier's Speed is a double-edged sword; while it makes Escavalier extremely fast in Trick Room, it also makes Escavalier extremely slow outside of it. This also means Escavalier will almost always have to take an attack before dealing any damage, and due to its lack of reliable recovery, Escavalier can find itself being worn down quite quickly. Combined with the high usage of Intimidate and Will-O-Wisp, Escavalier can find itself a sitting duck in certain match-ups. Escavalier is a Pokemon with many positive traits; just make sure to be aware of its negative ones.
Assault Vest
#########
name: Assault Vest
move 1: Megahorn
move 2: Iron Head
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Drill Run
ability: Overcoat
item: Assault Vest
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
ivs: 0 Spe
nature: Brave
Moves
========
Megahorn is Escavalier's strongest STAB move, allowing it to deal massive damage to Pokemon such as Cresselia and Tyranitar. Since Megahorn is Escavalier's most powerful STAB move, it's the move that Escavalier will be using the most against the opponent. Iron Head provides an accurate secondary STAB move for Escavalier and, while not as powerful as Megahorn, it hits Fairy-type Pokemon such as Aromatisse and Sylveon for super effective damage. It also has a 30% chance to flinch the opponent, completely shutting them down for that turn. Knock Off is a great move on Escavalier, as it provides good coverage, while also being able to hit Ghost-types such as Jellicent and Chandelure for super effective damage. Knock Off also removes the opposing Pokemon's item, which can cripple them for the rest of the match. Drill Run rounds out Escavalier's coverage, allowing it to hit Fire-, Steel-, and Poison-type Pokemon, such as Heatran, Excadrill, and Klefki, for super effective damage.
Set Details
==========
Assault Vest is the item of choice, as it boosts Escavalier's Special Defense to astounding levels. Overcoat is one of Escavalier's best traits, as it allows Escavalier to switch into common Pokemon with sleep-inducing moves such as Breloom, Amoonguss, and Jumpluff with ease. The EV spread allows Escavalier to take as many hits as possible while also allowing it to dish out heavy damage. A Brave nature and 0 Speed IVs allow Escavalier to be as slow as possible under Trick Room, while also giving it as much power as possible.
Usage Tips
==========
As previously mentioned, Spore and Sleep Powder users can't put Escavalier to sleep due to Overcoat, making it a great switch-in to users of these moves. Assault Vest gives Escavalier excellent special bulk, making it an amazing offensive pivot. It also allows Escavalier to switch into special attackers such as Cresselia, Shaymin-S, Ludicolo, Latios, and Gardevoir and threaten them out with its STAB moves. Trick Room helps Escavalier immensely, allowing it to outspeed nearly every Pokemon in the game. Fire-types can be a problem for Escavalier, so make sure you know how to play around them. Predicting a Fire-type switch-in and going for Drill Run, as well as smart double switching to wear down an opposing Charizard, are some good tactics for dealing with these Pokemon. Finally, due to Assault Vest preventing Escavalier from running non-damaging moves, Escavalier can find itself getting double targeted quite easily due to its inability to run Protect.
Team Options
===========
Trick Room users such as Cresselia, Jellicent, and Dusclops, are some of the best partners for Escavalier, as they allow Escavalier to outspeed and deal massive damage to almost every Pokemon in the game. Cresselia is especially helpful, as it has access to Safeguard to protect Escavalier from burns, as well as Ice Beam and Psyshock for hitting Intimidate users such as Landorus-T and Hitmontop. Pokemon such as Heatran, Tyranitar, and Politoed can absorb Fire-type moves for Escavalier, and the latter two can also change the weather if sun is up. Politoed's rain weakens the power of Fire-type moves for Escavalier, making it a very helpful teammate. Expert Belt Cresselia, Bisharp, Azumarill, and Shaymin-S can all help eliminate some of the more common Intimidate users, such as Hitmontop and Landorus-T. Shaymin-S can also OHKO Rotom-W before it can use Will-O-Wisp on Escavalier. Intimidate users such as Landorus-T, Hitmontop, Scrafty, and Gyarados can help patch up Escavalier's weaker Defense stat. They are also great switch-ins to one of Escavalier's biggest counters, Heatran. Finally, Choice Scarf Rotom-W, Choice Scarf Tyranitar, Terrakion, and Thundurus can all outspeed and KO Pokemon such as Mega Charizard Y and Gyarados, making them great partners.
Other Options
##########
One of the more notable items for Escavalier is Sitrus Berry. With it, Escavalier can heal itself by a small amount while also being able to use moves such as Protect and Quick Guard. However, the loss in bulk is usually not worth the ability to use these moves. A Swords Dance set under Trick Room is a another possibility, as it makes Escavalier extremely powerful. However, Escavalier must forgo a coverage move to use Swords Dance and it is nearly useless outside of Trick Room. With Escavalier's low Speed, high Attack, and powerful STAB Megahorn, a Choice Band set can be used to deal massive damage to the opponent. However, Megahorn is resisted by many common Pokemon, including Heatran, Mega Charizard Y, and Landorus-T, and Escavalier almost always prefers the bulk and freedom of Assault Vest. An Occa Berry set with some Special Defense investment can function as a good Heatran lure. However, Assault Vest provides Escavalier with much better overall bulk, and due to Escavalier's inability to defeat more common Fire-types such as Mega Charizard Y and Talonflame, it is forced to rely on teammates to deal with Fire-types, even if it can survive their attacks. Finally, Return is a powerful physical attack that allows Escavalier hit Pokemon such as Mega Charizard Y for good damage, although the moves on the main set are almost always the better options due to their superior coverage.
Checks & Counters
##############
**Attack Control**: Common Intimidate users such as Landorus-T, Gyarados, and Hitmontop, can all lower Escavalier's Attack stat, making it hit nowhere near as hard. Scrafty also has access to Intimidate, although Megahorn still deals a large amount of damage to it at -1. Pokemon such as Rotom-W, Gourgeist, and Dusclops can utilize Will-O-Wisp, which lowers Escavalier's power while also wearing it down.
**Offensive Type Advantage**: Fire-types such as Charizard, Heatran, Talonflame, and Volcarona can all absorb a Megahorn or Iron Head and hit back hard with a STAB Fire-type attack. Mega Charizard Y and Talonflame don't have to worry about Drill Run, while Volcarona can burn Escavalier with Flame Body, making them the best counters.
**Speed**: Outside of Trick Room, Escavalier is quite slow, making it vulnerable to being attacked by both opposing Pokemon. Fast, powerful Pokemon, such as Choice Band Landorus-T, Mega Lucario, and Terrakion, can outspeed Escavalier and net a 2HKO, even without a super-effective move.
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Overview
########
Escavalier is a Pokemon that has received many new buffs in XY. With the addition of Assault Vest, Escavalier can now take special attacks better than ever before. It also received two important moves. The first, Knock Off, has had its Base Power increased and allows Escavalier to hit Ghost-types for super effective damage while also removing an opponent's item. The second, Drill Run, allows Escavalier to hit the Fire-type Pokemon that previously walled it. In addition to this, the changed mechanic of Overcoat mean that Escavalier can switch in on moves such as Sleep Powder and Spore freely, making it a great Pokemon for absorbing these moves. Escavalier also sits at an extremely low Speed tier, allowing it to underspeed common Trick Room Pokemon such as Cresselia, Aromatisse, and Slowking. Combine all this with its already great typing and powerful STAB Megahorn, and Escavalier is a very potent offensive and defensive threat.
However, Escavalier's list of cons is just as large as its list of pros. Escavalier's typing leaves it with an unfortunate 4x weakness to Fire-type attacks, meaning Pokemon that such as Charizard and Talonflame will always give it trouble. Escavalier's Speed is a double-edged sword; while it makes Escavalier extremely fast in Trick Room, it also makes Escavalier extremely slow outside of it. This also means Escavalier will almost always have to take an attack before dealing any damage, and due to its lack of reliable recovery, Escavalier can find itself being worn down quite quickly. Combined with the high usage of Intimidate and Will-O-Wisp, Escavalier can find itself a sitting duck in certain match-ups. Escavalier is a Pokemon with many positive traits; just make sure to be aware of its negative ones.
Assault Vest
#########
name: Assault Vest
move 1: Megahorn
move 2: Iron Head
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Drill Run
ability: Overcoat
item: Assault Vest
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
ivs: 0 Spe
nature: Brave
Moves
========
Megahorn is Escavalier's strongest STAB move, allowing it to deal massive damage to Pokemon such as Cresselia and Tyranitar. Since Megahorn is Escavalier's most powerful STAB move, it's the move that Escavalier will be using the most against the opponent. Iron Head provides an accurate secondary STAB move for Escavalier and, while not as powerful as Megahorn, it hits Fairy-type Pokemon such as Aromatisse and Sylveon for super effective damage. It also has a 30% chance to flinch the opponent, completely shutting them down for that turn. Knock Off is a great move on Escavalier, as it provides good coverage, while also being able to hit Ghost-types such as Jellicent and Chandelure for super effective damage. Knock Off also removes the opposing Pokemon's item, which can cripple them for the rest of the match. Drill Run rounds out Escavalier's coverage, allowing it to hit Fire-, Steel-, and Poison-type Pokemon, such as Heatran, Excadrill, and Klefki, for super effective damage.
Set Details
==========
Assault Vest is the item of choice, as it boosts Escavalier's Special Defense to astounding levels. Overcoat is one of Escavalier's best traits, as it allows Escavalier to switch into common Pokemon with sleep-inducing moves such as Breloom, Amoonguss, and Jumpluff with ease. The EV spread allows Escavalier to take as many hits as possible while also allowing it to dish out heavy damage. A Brave nature and 0 Speed IVs allow Escavalier to be as slow as possible under Trick Room, while also giving it as much power as possible.
Usage Tips
==========
As previously mentioned, Spore and Sleep Powder users can't put Escavalier to sleep due to Overcoat, making it a great switch-in to users of these moves. Assault Vest gives Escavalier excellent special bulk, making it an amazing offensive pivot. It also allows Escavalier to switch into special attackers such as Cresselia, Shaymin-S, Ludicolo, Latios, and Gardevoir and threaten them out with its STAB moves. Trick Room helps Escavalier immensely, allowing it to outspeed nearly every Pokemon in the game. Fire-types can be a problem for Escavalier, so make sure you know how to play around them. Predicting a Fire-type switch-in and going for Drill Run, as well as smart double switching to wear down an opposing Charizard, are some good tactics for dealing with these Pokemon. Finally, due to Assault Vest preventing Escavalier from running non-damaging moves, Escavalier can find itself getting double targeted quite easily due to its inability to run Protect.
Team Options
===========
Trick Room users such as Cresselia, Jellicent, and Dusclops, are some of the best partners for Escavalier, as they allow Escavalier to outspeed and deal massive damage to almost every Pokemon in the game. Cresselia is especially helpful, as it has access to Safeguard to protect Escavalier from burns, as well as Ice Beam and Psyshock for hitting Intimidate users such as Landorus-T and Hitmontop. Pokemon such as Heatran, Tyranitar, and Politoed can absorb Fire-type moves for Escavalier, and the latter two can also change the weather if sun is up. Politoed's rain weakens the power of Fire-type moves for Escavalier, making it a very helpful teammate. Expert Belt Cresselia, Bisharp, Azumarill, and Shaymin-S can all help eliminate some of the more common Intimidate users, such as Hitmontop and Landorus-T. Shaymin-S can also OHKO Rotom-W before it can use Will-O-Wisp on Escavalier. Intimidate users such as Landorus-T, Hitmontop, Scrafty, and Gyarados can help patch up Escavalier's weaker Defense stat. They are also great switch-ins to one of Escavalier's biggest counters, Heatran. Finally, Choice Scarf Rotom-W, Choice Scarf Tyranitar, Terrakion, and Thundurus can all outspeed and KO Pokemon such as Mega Charizard Y and Gyarados, making them great partners.
Other Options
##########
One of the more notable items for Escavalier is Sitrus Berry. With it, Escavalier can heal itself by a small amount while also being able to use moves such as Protect and Quick Guard. However, the loss in bulk is usually not worth the ability to use these moves. A Swords Dance set under Trick Room is a another possibility, as it makes Escavalier extremely powerful. However, Escavalier must forgo a coverage move to use Swords Dance and it is nearly useless outside of Trick Room. With Escavalier's low Speed, high Attack, and powerful STAB Megahorn, a Choice Band set can be used to deal massive damage to the opponent. However, Megahorn is resisted by many common Pokemon, including Heatran, Mega Charizard Y, and Landorus-T, and Escavalier almost always prefers the bulk and freedom of Assault Vest. An Occa Berry set with some Special Defense investment can function as a good Heatran lure. However, Assault Vest provides Escavalier with much better overall bulk, and due to Escavalier's inability to defeat more common Fire-types such as Mega Charizard Y and Talonflame, it is forced to rely on teammates to deal with Fire-types, even if it can survive their attacks. Finally, Return is a powerful physical attack that allows Escavalier hit Pokemon such as Mega Charizard Y for good damage, although the moves on the main set are almost always the better options due to their superior coverage.
Checks & Counters
##############
**Attack Control**: Common Intimidate users such as Landorus-T, Gyarados, and Hitmontop, can all lower Escavalier's Attack stat, making it hit nowhere near as hard. Scrafty also has access to Intimidate, although Megahorn still deals a large amount of damage to it at -1. Pokemon such as Rotom-W, Gourgeist, and Dusclops can utilize Will-O-Wisp, which lowers Escavalier's power while also wearing it down.
**Offensive Type Advantage**: Fire-types such as Charizard, Heatran, Talonflame, and Volcarona can all absorb a Megahorn or Iron Head and hit back hard with a STAB Fire-type attack. Mega Charizard Y and Talonflame don't have to worry about Drill Run, while Volcarona can burn Escavalier with Flame Body, making them the best counters.
**Speed**: Outside of Trick Room, Escavalier is quite slow, making it vulnerable to being attacked by both opposing Pokemon. Fast, powerful Pokemon, such as Choice Band Landorus-T, Mega Lucario, and Terrakion, can outspeed Escavalier and net a 2HKO, even without a super-effective move.
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