Focus Sash

[Taylor]

Description

If the holder has max HP, Focus Sash guarantees they survive any attack with 1 HP. If the holder is not at full health, the item will not activate. If the holder takes damage, but does not activate Focus Sash, and then recovers off this damage to return to 100% HP, Focus Sash can still activate. Focus Sash will allow the holder to survive all hits of a multi-hit move like Fury Attack, provided the holder is at 100% health on the first hit. Also allows the holder to survive all hits of Triple Kick. Focus Sash prevents the holder from OHKOing itself in its confusion. Does not protect against Doom Desire or Future Sight. Does not protect the holder from OHKOing itself from recoil damage. One-time use.

Competitive Use

Focus Sash is commonly seen on frail leading Pokemon to guarantee survival of at least one attack. Often, this allows the Pokemon to set up in some way, whether by distributing entry hazards, setting up dual screens, or calling weather. Its utility declines significantly for Pokemon that are not leads, since Stealth Rock, Spikes, and sandstorm are all very common.

Focus Sash In Dream World

Surviving what-would-be a OHKO under normal circumstances, instead allowing you to return the blow or hit twice without prior-reckoning, fits very well alongside the phrase "you never hear the shot that takes you down". Filled with such a vast array of powerful sweepers, Dream World's tier gives us room to explore our team building skills by equipping Focus Sash to one or else two of your team members.

I say two because the first Focus Sash user may be Blaziken, which as we know would not give the opponent much time to think about setting up Stealth Rock.


If you're faster than the opponent, you're at liberty to set up the turn before in attempt to rampage through your opponent as you attempt to devle into their teams inner-workings. You need to prepare your main sweepers arrival and it is vital you have done enough damage prior to making your sweep successful.

Excadrill is hands down the best Rapid Spin user in the metagame, giving you the freedom to summon a Focus Sash user with your item in tact.


Users Of Focus Sash In Dream World

Dream World beholds a myriad of strategies and play-styles; it thrives at the thought of such an innotive team-structure that you can make competitively viable with the right preperation.

Genesect @ Focus Sash
Trait: Download
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Naive Nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- U-turn
- Flamethrower
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt

Notoriously known for using Choice Scarf as a swift revenge-killer, Genesect's coverage brought forth threw those elemental attacks, U-turn and a Download boost, gives you the upperhand when you're looking to control the momentum of how you first few turns of the game may pan out.

Garchomp (M) @ Focus Sash
Trait: Sand Veil
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Outrage
- Swords Dance
- Earthquake
- Fire Fang

People claim you can truck through teams with CBChomp so effortlessly. Let's just assume your team is offensively orientated and you don't intend to switch to too heavily. You simply lead with Garchomp (or save it if you're using him in conjunction with Excadrill), knowing you can win the one-on-one confrontation. We know what the Yache Berry set can do; imagine the same situation, but surviving Draco Meteor or a Hi Jump Kick +2 from Blaziken?


Last / Own Thoughts

Dream World tends to be mislead as a tier that "exchanges Chandelure trade-offs until the right moment with say Blaziken/Breloom presents itself or U-turn in sand until your Chandelure captures their weather starter, as you embrace your Excadrill sweep".

Despite that, there are ways of taking advantage in the earlier stages of the game through unconvential sets in any metagame. So far I've not ran into many other Pokemon with Focus Sash other than similar Tyranitar/Genesect and the occasional Deoxys-S.

Thoughts/Experiences/Ideas?

 

[Harsha]

Dugtrio is obviously a great Focus Sash user because it threatens Tyranitar and allows you to summon your own weather if you aren't using sand.

Some DW exclusive experiences with Focus Sash that I thought were cool were Rock Polish Genesect and your Terrakion set. Dual booster Terrakion does really well in this metagame, especially if sent out against Excadrill that thinks it will have an easy time handling you. I've seen you use it in battle and from what I have gathered it is pretty useful. Rock Polish Genesect works very well as a lead with Focus Sash because it outspeeds the whole metagame at +2 and it can OHKO the opponent's Genesect if he or she dares stay in. One thing I noted is the lack of coverage, as I had to run Genesect without a STAB move. However, Focus Sash is a cool and effective item in DW.

 

[jrrrrrrr]

Definitely gotta mention Magic Guard Alakazam as a Focus Sash user. It's a guaranteed revenge kill on pretty much anything in the tier (well, unless Focus Blast misses). Gotta love a powerful sweeper with an extra life. Too bad it doesn't learn Nasty Plot =[

 

[Jaetheho]

ditto has to be there. with no entry hazards on the field, it can counter sweep very very easily.

 

[BattleStar]

I actually think cloyster should be mentioned here aswell . It first off is a great Focus Sash user letting it get off a free shell smash. However it arguably is the best Focus Sash Counter with its access to Icicle Spear and Rock Blast.

I myself run this set for my cloyster

Cloyster@Focus Sash
Jolly
208 Spe/ 252 Atk/ 44 HP
-Shell Smash
- Icicle Spear
- Rock Blast
- Razor Shell

95% of the time I start off with a secured Shell smash. Usually when cloyster comes my opponent will switch out with a counter. I then am able to stay and attack while having the security of not being KOed and actually taking down a counter.

This set also works against Focus Sash users due to Icicle Spear and Rock Blat bypassing them. I have had a lot of KO on blazikens with Rock Blast thinking they can KO cloyster first, but having my own trusty Focus Sash ;)

 

[Taylor]

I haven't tried Alakazam because in Standard OU, what threatens you with Pursuit can be OHKOed by Focus Blast, so throughout the match your Alakazam is a major threat to the opponents' team as more often than not, requires two attacks to take him out.

However, Dream World has Chandelure, where even the Modest Choice Scarf varient can outspeed Alakazam. Hidden Power [Ice] and Shadow Ball fight for the last slot, unless you were to relieve Alakazam of his Calm Mind duties. One of its main selling points is that you can keep Zam in the backrow and summon him with no drawbacks whatsoever. Chandelure's presense, Genesect, Deoxys-S and Excadrill don't give him much room to sweep or find that opportunity as well.

It may be worth adding to the OP because he can take all the Musketeers one-on-one and outspeed the likes of Thundurus, Garchomp and with Focus Sash, defeat Blaziken. Strictly as a Focus Sash user, Alakazam is one of the best at utilizing such an item.

The only reason I used SashTar was so I could ensure that if I play were to play the game safe with Rapid Spin Excadrill, I'd be able to summon SandStream once more without hazards causing me to faint.

 

[Rakan]

On my more offensively oriented Dream World teams, I've been using a dual-Focus Sash combination of Dugtrio and Deoxys-S. Although Deoxys-S is vulnerable to weather, it is almost guaranteed to get up 2 layers if it isn't facing Tyranitar. In addition, it outspeeds threats such as Choice Scarf Genesect and OHKOes with HP Fire / Fire Punch. Dugtrio is a great user of Focus Sash since Sandstorm doesn't affect it. This allows it to effectively trap and kill Chandelure / Tyranitar, as otherwise, it wouldn't be able to stand a hit.

 

[Celestavian]

SashTar is better for more than just setting up Sand without issue. Against other sand teams, I use it to surprise a ton of stuff, like LO Deo-S, Terrakion, Excadrill, Blaziken, TR Reuniclus, etc.