[OVERVIEW]
High base Attack and Speed combined with solid offensive tools grant Primeape a decent offensive presence. It's capable of threatening just about everything in the tier with either super effective coverage or Body Slam paralysis. Additionally, it's one of the few Pokemon that can reliably 2HKO Porygon with its STAB Submission. However, its bulk is quite poor, so the majority of the tier can 2HKO or 3HKO it. It's also very weak to paralysis, limiting its ability to actually break though defensive pieces like Porygon. To make matters worse, Primeape's offensive presence has major flaws. Body Slam's paralysis chance is often not enough to justify using a Pokemon that deals little damage to common bulky threats like Nidoqueen and Machamp. Its Speed, while fast, fails against the omnipresent Rapidash and Fearow. While it can force paralysis on some important Pokemon and sometimes even get a KO, teams typically prefer offensive threats with higher reward, and thus it's recommended that players avoid using Primeape.
[SET]
name: All-out Attacker
move 1: Submission
move 2: Body Slam
move 3: Hyper Beam
move 4: Rock Slide
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Submission serves as Primeape's main STAB attack and lets it 2HKO some defensive Pokemon like Porygon, Omanyte and Graveler. Body Slam is Primeape's most spammable attack and lets it fish for paralysis against switch-ins. Hyper Beam is Primeape's most powerful attack, letting it finish off weakened threats that are out of range of its other attacks, such as Dragonair and Drowzee below half HP and Nidoqueen and Machamp below 40%. It also lets Primeape OHKO Abra. Rock Slide hits Fire-types, Pinsir, and Fearow for super effective damage, usually 3HKOing them.
Rapidash and Fearow outspeed Primeape and can easily overwhelm it, so Omanyte is a great partner for its ability to switch into them. Gastly can also pivot into all of Primeape's attacks barring Rock Slide and win the one-on-one with Psychic, which makes Abra and Drowzee good partners. Drowzee has the added benefit of switching into Thunder Wave users fairly well, which helps Primeape avoid getting paralyzed. Primeape struggles to break though Nidoqueen and Machamp; your own Machamp and Fearow, respectively, can be used to handle those dangerous threats.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Since Body Slam is still quite threatening to Fire-types, Thunderbolt can be used over Rock Slide. It still 3HKOes Fearow and is Primeape's strongest attack against Slowpoke. Against other Water-types, Thunderbolt and Submission deal similar damage, but Thunderbolt lacks recoil and has much better accuracy. However, Primeape struggles to damage Pinsir without Rock Slide. Low Kick can flinch past some bulky threats when combined with paralysis support, but this strategy is very inconsistent and Low Kick has little use otherwise. Counter can 2HKO some would-be checks like Pinsir and Machamp, but it is very prediction-reliant and has little use against most other threats.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fearow**: Fearow is immune to paralysis from Body Slam and can outspeed and 2HKO Primeape with Drill Peck. However, it has a 16.2% chance to be 2HKOed by Rock Slide.
**Rapidash**: Rapidash outspeeds Primeape and has a 55.2% chance to 2HKO it with Fire Blast, which also threatens to burn it. In return, Primeape can only 3HKO with Rock Slide. However, Rapidash must watch out for a Body Slam paralysis.
**Bulky threats**: Machamp is only 4HKOed by Submission and takes less than 40% from Hyper Beam, and it can 3HKO Primeape with its Submission or Earthquake. Nidoqueen can 2HKO Primeape with Earthquake, and Primeape's Body Slam is only a 5HKO in return; Hyper Beam deals less than 40% to Nidoqueen.
**Gastly**: Gastly is immune to or takes minimal damage form all of Primeape's attacks barring Rock Slide, which can only 3HKO it, while Gastly can 2HKO with Psychic.
**Paralysis**: The vast majority of the tier has little issue breaking through Primeape's low defenses once its Speed is gone. Common Thunder Wave users like Dragonair and Drowzee easily tank two hits from Primeape and paralyze it back. While Porygon does not want to lose over half its health from Submission, it can also take a hit and paralyze Primeape in a pinch.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gangsta-spongebob.535530/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sabelette.583793/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/phoopes.96315/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sabelette.583793/
High base Attack and Speed combined with solid offensive tools grant Primeape a decent offensive presence. It's capable of threatening just about everything in the tier with either super effective coverage or Body Slam paralysis. Additionally, it's one of the few Pokemon that can reliably 2HKO Porygon with its STAB Submission. However, its bulk is quite poor, so the majority of the tier can 2HKO or 3HKO it. It's also very weak to paralysis, limiting its ability to actually break though defensive pieces like Porygon. To make matters worse, Primeape's offensive presence has major flaws. Body Slam's paralysis chance is often not enough to justify using a Pokemon that deals little damage to common bulky threats like Nidoqueen and Machamp. Its Speed, while fast, fails against the omnipresent Rapidash and Fearow. While it can force paralysis on some important Pokemon and sometimes even get a KO, teams typically prefer offensive threats with higher reward, and thus it's recommended that players avoid using Primeape.
[SET]
name: All-out Attacker
move 1: Submission
move 2: Body Slam
move 3: Hyper Beam
move 4: Rock Slide
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Submission serves as Primeape's main STAB attack and lets it 2HKO some defensive Pokemon like Porygon, Omanyte and Graveler. Body Slam is Primeape's most spammable attack and lets it fish for paralysis against switch-ins. Hyper Beam is Primeape's most powerful attack, letting it finish off weakened threats that are out of range of its other attacks, such as Dragonair and Drowzee below half HP and Nidoqueen and Machamp below 40%. It also lets Primeape OHKO Abra. Rock Slide hits Fire-types, Pinsir, and Fearow for super effective damage, usually 3HKOing them.
Rapidash and Fearow outspeed Primeape and can easily overwhelm it, so Omanyte is a great partner for its ability to switch into them. Gastly can also pivot into all of Primeape's attacks barring Rock Slide and win the one-on-one with Psychic, which makes Abra and Drowzee good partners. Drowzee has the added benefit of switching into Thunder Wave users fairly well, which helps Primeape avoid getting paralyzed. Primeape struggles to break though Nidoqueen and Machamp; your own Machamp and Fearow, respectively, can be used to handle those dangerous threats.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Since Body Slam is still quite threatening to Fire-types, Thunderbolt can be used over Rock Slide. It still 3HKOes Fearow and is Primeape's strongest attack against Slowpoke. Against other Water-types, Thunderbolt and Submission deal similar damage, but Thunderbolt lacks recoil and has much better accuracy. However, Primeape struggles to damage Pinsir without Rock Slide. Low Kick can flinch past some bulky threats when combined with paralysis support, but this strategy is very inconsistent and Low Kick has little use otherwise. Counter can 2HKO some would-be checks like Pinsir and Machamp, but it is very prediction-reliant and has little use against most other threats.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fearow**: Fearow is immune to paralysis from Body Slam and can outspeed and 2HKO Primeape with Drill Peck. However, it has a 16.2% chance to be 2HKOed by Rock Slide.
**Rapidash**: Rapidash outspeeds Primeape and has a 55.2% chance to 2HKO it with Fire Blast, which also threatens to burn it. In return, Primeape can only 3HKO with Rock Slide. However, Rapidash must watch out for a Body Slam paralysis.
**Bulky threats**: Machamp is only 4HKOed by Submission and takes less than 40% from Hyper Beam, and it can 3HKO Primeape with its Submission or Earthquake. Nidoqueen can 2HKO Primeape with Earthquake, and Primeape's Body Slam is only a 5HKO in return; Hyper Beam deals less than 40% to Nidoqueen.
**Gastly**: Gastly is immune to or takes minimal damage form all of Primeape's attacks barring Rock Slide, which can only 3HKO it, while Gastly can 2HKO with Psychic.
**Paralysis**: The vast majority of the tier has little issue breaking through Primeape's low defenses once its Speed is gone. Common Thunder Wave users like Dragonair and Drowzee easily tank two hits from Primeape and paralyze it back. While Porygon does not want to lose over half its health from Submission, it can also take a hit and paralyze Primeape in a pinch.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gangsta-spongebob.535530/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sabelette.583793/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/phoopes.96315/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sabelette.583793/
Last edited:
