
[OVERVIEW]
Pinsir has one of the highest Attack stats of any Swords Dance user in GSC UU. Its STAB Hidden Power Bug threatens common Pokemon such as Bellossom, Slowbro, Slowking, Hypno, and Mr. Mime. It has relatively few weaknesses, notably lacking the problematic weakness to Electric that its biggest competition Scyther has, and its above average Speed also lets it outrun Pokemon such as Nidoqueen, Kabutops, Victreebel, and Politoed. However, Pinsir can be difficult to switch in because of its low HP and Special Defense in a metagame with numerous special threats. Moreover, Pinsir is absolutely stonewalled by Haunter unless it runs the rare Hidden Power Ground and struggles with other common Pokemon such as Fire Blast Nidoqueen, Qwilfish, and Scyther. Lastly, Pinsir faces huge competition from one of the best Pokemon in the tier in Scyther, which is faster, immune to Spikes, has better special bulk, and can do more for its team because of Baton Pass.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Hidden Power Bug
move 3: Double-Edge / Body Slam / Return
move 4: Submission
item: Leftovers
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Pinsir is a powerful wallbreaker in a metagame where its STAB Hidden Power Bug is highly appreciated due to a lot of top threats being Psychic-types, and it can also hit Bug-resistant foes hard with its coverage moves. Double-Edge is Pinsir's most powerful move, notably 2HKOing Nidoqueen after a single Swords Dance. Two alternative options for Double-Edge are Return and Body Slam. The former has more power than Body Slam and retains the ability to 2HKO Nidoqueen if Spikes are up, while the latter doesn't hit as hard but effectively threatens the Pokemon that are often used to check Pinsir, such as Scyther, Jumpluff, and Crobat with paralysis. Submission targets Magneton, Kabutops, and Omastar, which can take both of the other attacking moves, and having a powerful move for Granbull is very handy. Pinsir sets up best against Pokemon it scares out such as Slowbro, Slowking, Hypno, and Chansey, although it must watch for status.
Team Options
=========
Pinsir struggles with Qwilfish, Scyther, and especially Haunter, so Pursuit Electabuzz makes a great partner, as it threatens the former two and traps Haunter. Pinsir's great attacking power after a Swords Dance means the opponent will often have to sacrifice a Pokemon to take it down, which can let powerful attackers such as Nidoqueen and Curse Granbull clean up late-game. Gligar, although a niche Pokemon, is a good Pinsir partner because Pinsir has a good matchup against Ice Beam Nidoqueen variants, while Gligar checks Fire Blast Nidoqueen variants. Blastoise works well alongside Pinsir to spin entry hazards away, making setting up easier and offsetting recoil. Screen setters such as Chansey, Hypno, and Electrode can ease Pinsir's setup and make it harder to handle. Paralysis support is very useful for helping Pinsir beat faster Pokemon without taking too many hits. Pinsir is also great when stacked alongside other setup sweepers such as Scyther and Sandslash to overwhelm the opponent's defensive Pokemon when given screen support.
[SET]
name: RestTalk
move 1: Rest
move 2: Sleep Talk
move 3: Swords Dance
move 4: Body Slam
item: Leftovers
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
This set is designed to take advantage of Pinsir's decent defenses and typing to set up on more passive Pokemon such as Hypno and Chansey without having to worry too much about status. This set also lets Pinsir beat Ice Beam variants of Nidoqueen, as it doesn't care about Lovely Kiss and doesn't take too much from Nidoqueen's attacks, letting it beat Nidoqueen in the long run. The point of running Body Slam on this set is to provide neutral damage output on Scyther and Nidoqueen and to paralyze Pokemon that tend to revenge kill Pinsir such as Dodrio, Crobat, and Jumpluff.
Team Options
=========
Since this Pinsir set is walled by any Normal-resistant Pokemon, it is wise to pair it with Spikes so its counters are slowly worn down. As with the Swords Dance set, Pursuit Electabuzz makes a great partner for this set, as it forces Kabutops and Omastar out and Pursuit traps Haunter. Light Screen support from Electrode, Ampharos, or Hypno is nice for preventing Pinsir from being too overwhelmed by special threats. Granbull makes for an excellent partner, as Pinsir can take on Granbull's role of as a status absorber, allowing Granbull to run a more offensive set. Granbull will then be able to lure in Pinsir counters such as Magneton and Haunter and surprise KO them with Hidden Power Ground.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=========
Hidden Power Ground is Pinsir's most viable other option; alongside a Normal-type attack, it gives Pinsir perfect neutral coverage in only two moves and lets it beat Haunter and Nidoqueen more easily, but losing Hidden Power Bug leaves Pinsir worse off against Psychic-types like Slowbro, Hypno, and Mr. Mime. Pinsir can use Rest alongside Mint Berry in order to bring it back to full health and get rid of status. Alternatively, Substitute can potentially be used to block attempts to inflict status on Pinsir and take advantage of Pokemon that are unable to move due to sleep or paralysis. Miracle Berry is an option, although the lack of Leftovers with Pinsir's bad special bulk make it a niche option. Lastly, Pinsir can run a set with Endure and Flail that has sweeping potential when Pinsir is partnered with a Pokemon that can pass Speed to it, but it is next to worthless otherwise.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Haunter**: Haunter is the best Pinsir check because it 4x resists Hidden Power Bug and is completely immune to Submission and Double-Edge. A Pinsir switching out lets Haunter use Hypnosis on anything that comes in or hit hard with Thunder or Psychic. However, if Pinsir is running Hidden Power Ground, then it can beat Haunter unless it hits Hypnosis or is carrying Destiny Bond, which can force a trade.
**Nidoqueen**: If Nidoqueen is running Fire Blast, then it will beat Pinsir in a one-on-one matchup, although it takes big damage from Hidden Power Ground or Double-Edge after a Swords Dance. In addition, Lovely Kiss is able to disrupt offensive Pinsir's momentum—although this is limited to non-Sleep Talk sets—and Moonlight gives decent longevity against RestTalk variants, but it hates getting paralyzed by Body Slam.
**Qwilfish**: Qwilfish has good Defense, and Haze lets it get rid of any boosts Pinsir has obtained. It also has a chance to 3HKO with Hydro Pump and can put down Spikes when Pinsir switches out. However, Pinsir can deal massive damage to Qwilfish if it manages to win the Speed tie.
**Scyther**: Scyther outspeeds Pinsir and 3HKOes with Wing Attack; this can also be brought to a 2HKO if Pinsir takes recoil from Double-Edge. If Scyther finds itself against an unboosted Pinsir, it can generally set up Swords Dance freely. However, Scyther must beware of being paralyzed when switching in, and it can potentially lose to Pinsir if it switches into a full health Pinsir that just used Swords Dance.
**Jumpluff**: Jumpluff dominates offensive Pinsir because it is not 2HKOed unless Pinsir sets up and can easily lock Pinsir into Swords Dance. It can also cripple Pinsir with Sleep Powder or Stun Spore. Some Jumpluff carry Hidden Power Flying, making it an even worse matchup. However, Jumpluff falls flat against RestTalk variants, since Encore fails against called moves from Sleep Talk, and Jumpluff is crippled by paralysis from Body Slam from either Pinsir variant.
**Crobat**: Crobat is a very reliable Pinsir check because of its access to Haze, letting it remove any of Pinsir's boosts. It can also take a few Double-Edges because of its decent bulk and 3HKO Pinsir in return with Hidden Power Flying or Wing Attack. However, Crobat hates being paralyzed by Body Slam.
**Rock- and Steel-types**: Omastar, Kabutops, and Magneton all are unreliable when dealing with the offensive set because of Submission, but they all dominate the RestTalk set because of their Body Slam resistance and ability to hit Pinsir very hard, although Kabutops hates being paralyzed by Body Slam.
**Fire-types**: While all the Fire-types are rare, they dominate Pinsir one-on-one. Magmar and Arcanine are able to outspeed and OHKO Pinsir and can reliably switch into Hidden Power Bug. Flareon is also able to OHKO Pinsir, but it is hit rather hard by Double-Edge and is slower.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[ReeceHughes, 508601]]
- Quality checked by: [[Earthworm, 15210], [Century Express, 234737]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [Estronic, 240732]]
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