QC Magnemite / Montsegur / Anty
GP Antemortem / frenzyplant
Overview
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name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Horn Leech
move 3: Double-Edge / Return
move 4: Baton Pass / Substitute
ability: Sap Sipper
item: Life Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
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**Throh**: Throh can live any hit Sawsbuck wants to throw at it before a Swords Dance and can hit back hard with its super effective STAB move.
**Haunter**: Haunter is immune to Normal-type attacks and resists Horn Leech. It can check Sawsbuck by going for Sludge Wave or even switching in, if the opponent is guaranteed to go for Swords Dance. This means that Sawsbuck will be forced to switch out, wasting a turn, since Sawsbuck can barely touch Haunter however if its low on HP, it's down to a Speed tie.
**Revenge Killers**: Revenge killers such as Ninetales, Dodrio, Scyther, Sneasel and Tauros can come in after a teammate faints, outspeed Sawsbuck outside of sun and OHKO Sawsbuck due to its poor mediocre defenses. If Sawsbuck is running a Chlorophyll set and has sun up, then Sneasel can take it out from below half with an Ice Shard.
**Gourgeist**: All variants of Gourgeist resist or are immune to Sawsbuck's STAB moves, it can come in and threaten to burn Sawsbuck with a Will-O-Wisp. If Sawsbuck uses the turn to set up a Swords Dance, when Gourgeist switches in, it can Baton Pass however the incoming Pokemon is at a risk of getting burned and crippled.
**Garbodor**: Garbodor resists Horn Leech and can cause Sawsbuck to take heavy damage from the combination of Rocky Helmet + Aftermath + Double Edge's recoil when fainting. If Sawsbuck is faced against Garbodor, it's forced to switch out or get OHKOed by Gunk Shot due to Double Edge not OHKOing.
**Physical Walls**: Physical walls such as Avalugg and Pelipper can come in against Sawsbuck setting up a Swords Dance, survive a hit and retaliate with their STAB attacks such as Avalanche and Hurricane. Sawsbuck is either going to be forced to switch, wasting a turn if it did Swords Dance or get OHKOed; the opposing wall can use the chance to get status or a hard hit on the incoming Pokemon.
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- Swords Dance
- Good offensive coverage typing
- Sap Sipper gives immunity to Grass-type attacks and boosts Attack by 1 stage
- Chlorophyll doubles the Speed when in the sun
- Good movepool
- Frailty means its easy to revenge kill
- Isn't too fast for a sweeper in the tier
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name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Horn Leech
move 3: Double-Edge / Return
move 4: Baton Pass / Substitute
ability: Sap Sipper
item: Life Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
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- Swords Dance for boosting attack by two stages
- Horn Leech for STAB and recovery
- Double-Edge for more a STAB + POWER however gives recoil
- Return for STAB but doesn't have recoil damage
- Baton Pass to gain momentum against Pokemon such as Gourgeist
- Substitute is to avoid Sawsbuck getting hit by status
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- Standard offensive spread
- Life Orb for more power
- Sap Sipper to get attack boost from Grass-types
- 108 HP / 252 Atk / 148 Spe set + Chlorophyll can be used with sun to get the double Speed boost which lets you outspeed Scarf Tauros and enough bulk to take Sneasel Ice Shard better
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- Do not attempt a sweep until Sawsbuck's checks and counters are weakened
- Be careful of switching into Grass-type attacks as its predictable and can result in Sawsbuck's death.
- Best used as a mid to late game sweeper
- Bring Sawsbuck in on Pokemon it can set up on such as Carracosta, Serperior, Relicanth, Golem, and Stunfisk however it has the chance of paralyzing Sawsbuck crippling its sweeping abilities
- Baton Pass can be used straight away after bringing in Sawsbuck to gain momentum against walls such as Avalugg, Gourgeist, and Garbodor or pass SD boost
- Substitute avoids Pokemon such as Misdreavus, Vullaby and Pelipper inflicting status, allows Sawsbuck to scout incoming attacks, and prevents revenge killers from doing damage when coming in first turn
- When using sun, its crucial to bring in Sawsbuck after setting the sun up because you want to take advantage of the turns + get a chance to SD if needed
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- Entry hazards from Pokemon such as Garbodor
- Other Normal-type Pokemon like Tauros to soften up same walls
- Switch in for Sneasel, Poliwrath
- Fire / Grass / Water core
- Teammates such as Carbink, Golem and Voltbeat provide Sunny Day support when Sawsbuck is using Chlorophyll; Voltbeat also has a slow U-turn which can benefit Sawsbuck with a free switch in
- Other teammates which benefit from sun such as Ninetales and Flareon
- Victreebel is pretty much mandatory as a teammate when using sun due to its access to Chlorophyll and utilizing sun well.
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- Jump Kick
- Wild Charge
- Substitute + Salac Berry
- Aromatherapy
- Synthesis
- Agility
- Thunder Wave
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**Throh**: Throh can live any hit Sawsbuck wants to throw at it before a Swords Dance and can hit back hard with its super effective STAB move.
**Haunter**: Haunter is immune to Normal-type attacks and resists Horn Leech. It can check Sawsbuck by going for Sludge Wave or even switching in, if the opponent is guaranteed to go for Swords Dance. This means that Sawsbuck will be forced to switch out, wasting a turn, since Sawsbuck can barely touch Haunter however if its low on HP, it's down to a Speed tie.
**Revenge Killers**: Revenge killers such as Ninetales, Dodrio, Scyther, Sneasel and Tauros can come in after a teammate faints, outspeed Sawsbuck outside of sun and OHKO Sawsbuck due to its poor mediocre defenses. If Sawsbuck is running a Chlorophyll set and has sun up, then Sneasel can take it out from below half with an Ice Shard.
**Gourgeist**: All variants of Gourgeist resist or are immune to Sawsbuck's STAB moves, it can come in and threaten to burn Sawsbuck with a Will-O-Wisp. If Sawsbuck uses the turn to set up a Swords Dance, when Gourgeist switches in, it can Baton Pass however the incoming Pokemon is at a risk of getting burned and crippled.
**Garbodor**: Garbodor resists Horn Leech and can cause Sawsbuck to take heavy damage from the combination of Rocky Helmet + Aftermath + Double Edge's recoil when fainting. If Sawsbuck is faced against Garbodor, it's forced to switch out or get OHKOed by Gunk Shot due to Double Edge not OHKOing.
**Physical Walls**: Physical walls such as Avalugg and Pelipper can come in against Sawsbuck setting up a Swords Dance, survive a hit and retaliate with their STAB attacks such as Avalanche and Hurricane. Sawsbuck is either going to be forced to switch, wasting a turn if it did Swords Dance or get OHKOed; the opposing wall can use the chance to get status or a hard hit on the incoming Pokemon.
Overview
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Sawsbuck is a decent sweeper due to its good abilities: Sap Sipper gives it an immunity to Grass-type attacks and boosts its Attack by one stage when it is hit by one, while Chlorophyll doubles its Speed when sun is active. Sawsbuck receives competition from Grass-types such as Leafeon; however, it has a niche in its Normal typing, which grants it an immunity to Ghost-type attacks and opportunities to hit opposing Grass-types hard with its STAB moves. Sawsbuck has good offensive type coverage and access to Swords Dance to boost its Attack for sweeping. Unfortunately, Sawsbuck isn't too fast for a sweeper, its typing gives it 6 weaknesses, and its poor defenses mean it's easy to revenge kill.
Swords Dance
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name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Horn Leech
move 3: Double-Edge / Return
move 4: Baton Pass / Substitute
ability: Sap Sipper
item: Life Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
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Swords Dance boosts Sawsbuck's Attack by two stages. Horn Leech is a strong STAB move that recovers 50% of the damage dealt. Double-Edge is a hard hitting Normal-type STAB move; Horn Leech's recovery makes up for its recoil. Return is an option if Sawsbuck needs a strong Normal-type STAB move without recoil damage and still hits hard. Baton Pass allows Sawsbuck to gain momentum against walls such as Tangela and pass Swords Dance boosts. Alternatively, Substitute protects Sawsbuck from getting inflicted by status, allows it to scout foes' moves, and keeps it from getting revenge killed.
Set Details
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A standard offensive EV spread is used on Sawsbuck to ensure it can outspeed as many Pokemon as possible and Speed tie with Haunter. Life Orb is used for more power. Sap Sipper allows Sawsbuck to get an Attack boost of one stage when hit by a Grass-type move. Chlorophyll can be used with sun support to get the Speed boost. When using Chlorophyll, an EV spread of 108 HP / 252 Atk / 148 Spe is preferred, as it lets Sawsbuck outspeed Choice Scarf Tauros and gives it more bulk, letting it take hits such as Sneasel's Ice Shard better.
Usage Tips
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Sawsbuck is best used as a mid- or late-game sweeper. Sawsbuck shouldn't be setting up to sweep until its checks and counters are weakened to the point where it can 2HKO or OHKO them. When switching into Grass-type attacks, be cautious, as it's predictable and can result in Sawsbuck fainting, such as if an opposing Roselia goes for Sludge Bomb rather than Giga Drain when you switch Sawsbuck in. Make sure to bring Sawsbuck in on Pokemon it can set up on, such as Carracosta, Serperior, Relicanth, Golem, and Stunfisk, although the latter has the chance of paralyzing Sawsbuck, crippling its sweeping abilities.
Baton Pass can be used immediately after bringing in Sawsbuck to gain momentum against walls such as Avalugg, Gourgeist, and Garbodor, or Baton Pass can be used later to pass a Swords Dance boost to a teammate. Substitute prevents Pokemon such as Misdreavus, Vullaby and Pelipper from inflicting status, allows Sawsbuck to scout incoming attacks, and prevents revenge killers from dealing damage the first turn they come in. When using sun, it's crucial to bring in Sawsbuck right after setting it up, as it needs to take advantage of sun's few turns and set up a Swords Dance if needed.
Team Options
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Entry hazards from Pokemon such as Garbodor are appreciated, as they weaken Pokemon throughout the battle so that Sawsbuck can OHKO or 2HKO them. Wallbreakers such as Tauros can weaken walls to the point of getting OHKOed by Sawsbuck's attacks. Sawsbuck provides a switch-in to Grass- and Electric-types, which threaten Poliwrath. In return, Poliwrath helps beat Ice- and Fire-types that threaten Sawsbuck, especially Avalugg due to its physical bulk. A Fire / Water / Grass core including Sawsbuck has great synergy, as the members resist each other's weaknesses; Pelipper, Sawsbuck and Ninetales work especially well as partners in this case. If using Chlorophyll, teammates such as Carbink, Golem, and Volbeat are appreciated because they can use Sunny Day. Volbeat deserves a special mention, as it has a slow U-turn that can give Sawsbuck a free switch in. Pokemon that benefit from sun, such as Ninetales, Flareon, and Victreebel, make good teammates, as they are similar to Chlorophyll Sawsbuck. Sneasel checks Ghost-types that don't mind taking Sawsbuck's attacks, such as Haunter and Gourgeist.
Other Options
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Wild Charge allows Sawsbuck to hit Water / Flying such as Mantine, Pelipper and Swanna harder than Horn Leech. Jump Kick can be used for hitting Steel-types such as Bastiodon and Klang. Megahorn can hit Tangela and Gourgeist hard. Substitute + Salac Berry can be used; Sawsbuck should spam Substitute until the foe switches out or it gets the Speed boost. Aromatherapy can be used to keep Sawsbuck's team free of status, while Synthesis recovers HP and even more so in sun. Agility boosts Speed to ensure Sawsbuck isn't revenge killed by faster Pokemon when not in sun. Thunder Wave can be used to cripple Pokemon before fainting.
Checks & Counters
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**Gourgeist**: All variants of Gourgeist resist or are immune to Sawsbuck's STAB moves, so it can come in and threaten to burn Sawsbuck with Will-O-Wisp. If Sawsbuck uses the turn Gourgeist switches in to set up a Swords Dance, it can Baton Pass out; however, the incoming Pokemon is at risk of getting burned as well. Also, Gourgeist can't touch Sawsbuck if it is behind a Substitute.
**Faster Pokemon**: Faster Pokemon, such as Ninetales, Choice Scarf Rotom-F, Dodrio, Scyther, Sneasel, and Tauros, can come in after a teammate faints, outspeed Sawsbuck outside of sun, and OHKO Sawsbuck due to its poor defenses.
**Priority**: Priority moves such as Sneasel's Ice Shard and Mightyena's Sucker Punch can hit Sawsbuck hard before it gets a chance to attack. Pokemon such as Illumise and Meowstic can also cripple Sawsbuck with Prankster Thunder Wave, lowering its Speed.
**Haunter**: Haunter is immune to Normal-type attacks and resists Horn Leech. It can check Sawsbuck with Sludge Wave or by switching in when you use Swords Dance. This means that Sawsbuck will be forced to switch out, wasting a turn and allowing Haunter to set up a Substitute or hit the incoming Pokemon.
**Physical Walls**: Physical walls such as Avalugg, Garbodor, and Pelipper can switch into Swords Dance, survive a hit, and retaliate with their STAB Avalanche, Gunk Shot, and Hurricane, respectively. Sawsbuck is either going to be OHKOed or be forced to switch and have wasted a turn setting up; the opposing wall can use this chance to inflict status or score a hard hit on the incoming Pokemon.
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