QC: PK Gaming , Hootie, p2
GP: The Dutch Plumberjack
[OVERVIEW]
* Its Mega Evolution makes Scizor very bulky and enables it to outspeed threats such as Magnezone and slower variations of Mega Venusuar and Rotom-W. Combined with Mega Scizor's typing and access to Roost, it is only in danger against Fire-type attacks or boosted attacks.
* Mega Scizor fits easily on a variety of teams not looking for any other Mega Pokemon, as it can check many ominous threats such as Mega Metagross, Nihilego, and Kyurem-B. It works great in teams that utilize Volt Switch and U-turn as its core.
* Scizor is vulnerable to being lured by Pokemon running Hidden Power Fire such as Tapu Lele, Magnezone, Mega Venusaur, and Mega Alakazam. It also faces issues from Pokemon that often carry Fire-type coverage such as Garchomp and Celesteela.
* Many new threats such as Toxapex and Alolan Marowak along with old threats such as Charizard, Heatran, and Volcarona make it difficult to utilize Scizor effectively. Psychic Terrain is also a problem, as it prevents Scizor from being able to use Bullet Punch on grounded Pokemon.
[SET]
name: Bulky Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Roost
move 3: Bullet Punch
move 4: U-turn
item: Scizorite
ability: Light Metal
nature: Impish
evs: 248 HP / 116 Def / 128 SpD / 16 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Swords Dance bolster Mega Scizor's Attack. Though uninvested, Mega Scizor is capable of doing quite a bit of damage with a boosted Bullet Punch.
* Roost keeps Mega Scizor healthy while giving it more opportunities to use Swords Dance or continue its sweep.
* Bullet Punch allows Mega Scizor to smash through faster offensive Pokemon such as Nihilego and Pheromosa.
* U-tun lets Mega Scizor further fulfill its role as a pivot while doing respectable damage to slower Pokemon after a Swords Dance.
* Superpower is Mega Scizor's best option to force its way through Heatran, Chansey, and weakened Pokemon such as Skarmory and Celesteela. U-turn is usually the better move, though, as it is more effective to have Mega Scizor's teammates handle these threats.
* Bug Bite is a more consistent Bug-type STAB option that doesn't force Mega Scizor to switch out while dealing heftier damage to Mega Venusaur, Rotom-W, Ferrothorn, and Zygarde.
Set Details
========
* Light Metal reduces Mega Scizor's weight to reduce damage taken from Low Kick before Mega Evolving.
* 248 HP EVs and 128 SpD EVs allow Mega Scizor to survive two Focus Blasts from Mega Alakazam if Stealth Rock is off the field. Furthermore, they allow Mega Scizor to avoid a 4HKO from Modest Magearna's Aura Sphere.
* 116 Defense EVs with an Impish nature gives Mega Scizor extra bulk to help set up against threats such as bulky Landorus-T, Mega Metagross, and non-Swords Dance Excadrill.
* 16 Speed EVs allow Mega Scizor to always outspeed Adamant Alolan Marowak.
* Max Defense with an Impish nature is also acceptable to minimize damage from Mega Metagross and physical Ground-types.
* Adamant with 88 Attack EVs allow Bullet Punch to always 2HKO Tapu Koko while also 2HKOing most Tapu Fini after a Swords Dance.
* An alternative spread of 248 HP, 164 Special Defense EVs, and a Careful nature allow Mega Scizor to always survive two Focus Blasts from Mega Alakazam regardless if Stealth Rock is on the field or not.
* 88 Defense EVs are needed on a neutral nature to always survive a boosted High Jump Kick from Choice Scarf Pheromosa. An Impish nature with no EV investment guarantees Mega Scizor to survive the boosted move at full health.
* 60 Speed EVs are optional to outspeed most Mega Venusaur. This should be used if Bug Bite is the move of choice.
Usage Tips
========
* This set works as a pivot for Volt Switch and U-turn teams to switch into. Mega Scizor's bulk with its potential of threatening frailer Pokemon with Swords Dance and Bullet Punch should not be underestimated.
* Mega Scizor can switch into a plethora of Pokemon. Examples are Choice Scarf Tapu Lele not locked into Hidden Power Fire, Mega Metagross, Choice Band Tapu Bulu, and Mega Alakazam.
* Scizor needs a turn of safety to Mega Evolve and get going. This can be accomplished with U-turn or Volt Switch support. Furthermore, Scizor can switch in after a Pokemon has been sacked or into a weaker, resisted, or ineffective attack such as Tapu Fini's Moonblast.
* When using U-turn Mega Scizor should hold off on using Swords Dance unless it is safe to do so. Remember that there are Pokemon such as both variations of Mega Charizard, Heatran, and Volcarona that easily switch into Mega Scizor and immediately threaten it out. U-turn is a very safe option if these Pokemon exist on the enemy team; however, if you suspect a Volcarona switch, the best course of action is to double switch instead to avoid activating Flame Body.
* If running Superpower, try to use it whenever you predict a Heatran switch-in. Furthermore, potential Superpower targets such as Celesteela, Skarmory, and Ferrothorn don't take much damage from the unboosted attack.
* Mega Scizor doesn't have Leftovers to recover passively. Thus, it relies a lot on Roost to keep itself healthy. Sometimes it is worth conceding momentum to keeping Mega Scizor healthy to do its role more effectively.
* Elimination of Psychic Terrain is critical for using Bullet Punch against grounded Pokemon. This can be accomplished with Mega Scizor's team using a different terrain setter or by stalling out Psychic Terrain.
Team Options
========
* Pokemon that utilize U-turn and Volt Switch are highly recommended with Mega Scizor. Tapu Koko, Landorus-T, and Rotom-W are great examples. Tapu Koko threatens Skarmory and Celesteela with STAB Thunderbolt or Volt Switch, which is further bolstered by Electric Terrain. It also eliminates pesky bulky Water-types such as Toxapex that are otherwise a tad more difficult for Swords Dance Scizor to bypass. Landorus-T provides utility with Intimidate, Stealth Rock, and being a solid check against Mega Charizard X. Rotom-W can take on Heatran that either lack or have used up Bloom Doom with STAB Hydro Pump and Pain Split.
* Removal of Spikes and Stealth Rock is also critical to keep Mega Scizor and some of its grounded teammates from being worn down through repeated chip damage. Tapu Fini is a great partner that provides Defog utility and immunity to status effects with Misty Terrain. Tapu Fini is also great for clearing Psychic Terrain from Tapu Lele. Mantine is also an acceptable partner that has a great Special Defense stat as well as access to recovery.
* Bloom Doom Heatran can melt through a lot of Mega Scizor's problematic Pokemon while being an effective lure against troublesome bulky Water-types such as Rotom-Wash and Toxapex.
* Greninja is a great teammate that can provide Spikes support while being able to pressure many of Mega Scizor's threats with its vast array of coverage moves. Pressuring Defog users such as Zapdos and Skarmory, which are great switch-ins to Mega Scizor, is an added bonus.
* Other Water-types such as Manaphy, Keldeo, and Slowbro can handle problematic Fire-types while being able to lure and take down some of Scizor's potential switch-ins. Mega Scizor does well at handling Grass-types that otherwise are issues for the Water-types, especially if Hidden Power Fire is absent from their set.
* Magnezone and Dugtrio are Pokemon that syngergize well with slow U-turns that Mega Scizor provides. Magnezone helps eliminate Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Celesteela. Dugtrio applies major pressure to Heatran and Toxapex and, if using Focus Sash, can be a reliable answer to check Mega Charizard X and Volcarona.
* Lures or powerful offensive Pokemon such as Continental Crush Landorus-T, Inferno Overdrive Garchomp, or Hoopa-U can power through a lot of Mega Scizor's common switch-ins while appreciating the slow U-turn from Mega Scizor to switch in easier.
[SET]
name: Pursuit
move 1: Pursuit
move 2: Bullet Punch
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Roost
item: Scizorite
ability: Light Metal
nature: Adamant
evs: 248 HP / 100 Atk / 144 SpD / 16 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Pursuit is the main move in this set, as it lets Scizor chase down Tapu Lele, Mega Metagross, Mega Alakazam, Latios, and Jirachi that attempt to flee. It also is Scizor's better move against Alolan Marowak and Gengar.
* Bullet Punch helps Scizor take down faster threats such as Pheromosa, Kyurem-B, and Nihilego.
* U-turn allows Scizor to retain momentum while being a good STAB attack to use on Grass-types.
* Roost gives Scizor longevity to continue fulfilling its utility role.
Set Details
========
* 100 Attack EVs with an Adamant nature guarantees a OHKO on Latios that attempt to switch out after taking Life Orb recoil and Stealth Rock damage.
* 16 Speed EVs allow Mega Scizor to be faster than Adamant Alolan Marowak.
* The remaining EVs are invested into Mega Scizor's bulk to help it effectively trap special attackers.
* Mega Scizor can opt to be more durable by investing the Attack EVs into either Defense or Special Defense with an Impish or Careful nature. This does make Mega Scizor much weaker when attempting to revenge kill with Bullet Punch or trapping threats with Pursuit, though.
Usage Tips
========
* This set revolves around Mega Scizor's utility with being able to revenge kill, trap, and keep momentum all in one nice package.
* Pursuit should be used on Pokemon that threaten Mega Scizor's team and cannot realistically harm Mega Scizor back without taking risks. Psychic-types that lack any Fire-type attack or are Choice locked are great for Mega Scizor to trap and severely wound or KO with Pursuit. This also works on frailer attackers such as Gengar and Nihilego.
* Though sometimes risky, Pursuit is a great move to use against Pokemon that may opt to U-turn or Volt Switch away from Mega Scizor such as defensive Landorus-T.
Team Options
========
* Heatran is a great partner that can provide Stealth Rock support and be an answer to Pokemon running Hidden Power Fire. If desired, it also is a great trapper that can shut down Water-types with Bloom Doom.
* Zygarde appreciates the disposal of Latios, Ice Punch Mega Metagross, and Tapu Lele to help set up and clear through the opposing team with boosted Thousand Arrows.
* Manaphy is a great partner, as it takes advantage of the removal of Latios and Latias with access to Z-Rain Dance. Once the opposing team is weakened Manaphy can sweep faster teams with Z-Rain Dance or drown bulkier teams with a boosted Hydro Vortex.
* The Removal of Choice Scarf Tapu Lele, Mega Metagross, and Mega Alakazam as well as Latios and Latias makes it easier to use Pokemon such as Choice Specs Keldeo, Swords Dance Garchomp, Choice Specs Nihilego, and Kyurem-B.
* Tapu Fini is still a great support Pokemon to keep entry hazards off the field to help Mega Scizor fulfill its role successfully.
[SET]
name: Offensive Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Bullet Punch
move 3: Bug Bite
move 4: Superpower
item: Scizorite
ability: Light Metal / Technician
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Swords Dance doubles Mega Scizor's Attack to make it a powerful offensive threat.
* Bullet Punch bypasses the issue of being slower than the majority of the offensive tier. After a Swords Dance Bullet Punch will OHKO targets such as Tapu Koko and place massive dents on in Tapu Fini and Greninja.
* Bug Bite provides a more consistent Bug-type STAB attack without forcing Scizor to switch out. It allows Scizor to muscle through switch-ins such as Gyarados and Mega Venusaur.
* Superpower gives Scizor a fighting chance against Steel-types, which otherwise wall this set.
* U-turn is a viable option over Bug Bite; however, this set prefers to stay in and dish as much damage as possible.
Set Details
========
* Maximum Attack with an Adamant nature grants Scizor as much power as possible.
* Maximizing Speed allows Scizor to creep bulkier Pokemon such as Mega Venusaur and Rotom-W.
* Scizorite is the preferred item, as it grants Scizor a boost in durability and power as well as greater chances of outspeeding Magnezone, an otherwise dangerous threat to Scizor.
* Life Orb trades away Scizor's durability for extra power and not requiring a Mega slot. The power boost allows Scizor to secure more KOs without Stealth Rock such as with a boosted Bullet Punch against Tapu Koko or boosted Superpower versus a weakened physically defensive Skarmory.
* Light Metal is the ability of choice when using Scizorite as the item. Else, Technician is the preferred ability choice.
Usage Tips
========
* This set needs to hold off as long as it can before attempting to set up and sweep through the opposing team late-game. The lack of invested bulk and Roost make Scizor a bit easier to wear down if it attempts to sweep at an inopportune moment.
* Scizor should opt to use Superpower against potential switch-ins such as Heatran. This is important because many variations of Heatran will run enough Speed to outspeed even Jolly Mega Scizor and OHKO it with any Fire-type attack.
* STAB Bullet Punch has quite a bit of power behind it on this set. This allows Scizor to come in and revenge kill threats such as Pheromosa and weakened Tapu Koko more easily than bulkier sets, which gives some utility in the event that Scizor is having difficulty setting up.
* Psychic Terrain is problematic, as it prevents Scizor from using Bullet Punch on grounded Pokemon. Scizor's teammates can help reset the Terrain with their own, or teammates should help by stalling out Psychic Terrain long enough.
Team Options
========
* Garchomp and Landorus-T are great Pokemon that can lure some of Scizor's threats. Inferno Overdrive Garchomp and Continental Crush Landorus-T melt through Skarmory and Celesteela without much issue. Their STAB Earthquakes apply a lot of pressure to Heatran and Toxapex as well. Landorus-T can provide support with Stealth Rock while Garchomp can create massive dents on the opponent's team with STAB Dragon Claw.
* Protean Greninja is an excellent teammate because it not only applies pressure on Heatran but also can lure Toxapex and beat it with Extrasensory or Hidden Power Electric. For an added bonus Protean Greninja can opt to lay Spikes to help Scizor's sweep late-game.
* Tapu Fini can eliminate entry hazards to keep Scizor healthy. This is extremely important with this set, as sometimes Scizor can come in and revenge kill with Bullet Punch, and entry hazards and Life Orb recoil can add up quickly.
* Choice Scarf users such as Garchomp and Nihilego are great for eliminating Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, and Volcarona, which otherwise can switch into Scizor and either set up freely or do massive damage immediately.
* Assault Vest Magearna provides a reliable answer to Tapu Lele while using Volt Switch to have Scizor switch in safely.
* Heatran is solid partner, as it absorbs Fire-type attacks such as Flamethrower and Will-O-Wisp. It's a great lure for other Heatran with Earth Power while also being able to shut down threats with Taunt or Bloom Doom.
* Jirachi can run Healing Wish to give Scizor a second chance of attempting a sweep while also providing Stealth Rock. Latias has the added utility of Defog if warranted.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Knock Off lets Scizor deprive potential switch-ins such as Zapdos, Toxapex, Alolan Marowak, and Skarmory of their items. It also can be used to scout out Pokemon potentially holding a Z-crystal such as Bloom Doom Heatran.
* Defog is an option for Mega Scizor to clear hazards. Its bulk, access to recovery, and utility with Bullet Punch and U-turn make it nice to use on bulkier teams.
* Choice Band can be used on a regular Scizor. It gives Scizor immediate power and helps make it an interesting utility Pokemon that can revenge kill and sometimes trap weakened Pokemon.
* Iron Head ensures Scizor can hit Tapu Lele for super effective damage regardless of Terrain.
* Scizor is capable of Baton Passing one of Swords Dance, Iron Defense, or Agility. It can be paired with Substitute to protect the recipient as well.
* Fightinium Z on the offensive Swords Dance set turns Superpower into All-Out Pummeling. After a Swords Dance, it will OHKO specially defensive Celesteela while, also having a 25% chance to OHKO Skarmory after Stealth Rock. In most cases, though, this is a large tradeoff, though, as it cuts into Bug Bite and Bullet Punch's damage output.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fire-types**: Heatran, Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, Volcarona, and Alolan Marowak can easily survive any STAB attack from Scizor and crisp Scizor with any Fire-type move. Mega Charizard X and Mega Charizard Y boast the advantage of not taking any extra damage from Knock Off and can pack Roost to heal themselves. Volcarona can easily set up on most Scizor sets with Quiver Dance and burn through it with STAB Fire Blast. Alolan Marowak either is immune to or resists most of Scizor's attacks while being able to respond with STAB Fire Punch or cripple with Will-O-Wisp. Heatran usually packs enough Speed to outspeed even Jolly Mega Scizor and proceeds to torch it with its arsenal of Fire-type attacks, though it has to be wary of Superpower. Bear in mind that Stealth Rock easily wears down Fire-types and U-turn makes it harder to catch Mega Scizor.
**Water-types**: Toxapex, Manaphy, Greninja, Gyarados, and Keldeo are either fast or bulky enough to threaten Scizor out of the field. Many of these Pokemon will often carry STAB Scald and potentially cripple Scizor with a burn. Toxapex, Mantine, and Pelipper can be major drains to Scizor's sweeping potential thanks to access to recovery and, in Toxapex and Mantine's case, Haze. Keldeo and Manaphy both easily withstand boosted Bullet Punches while retaliating with powerful Water-type attacks such as Hydro Pump and Surf. Rotom-W is a special case that, in spite of not taking repeated abuse from Scizor's attacks very well, can threaten it out with STAB Hydro Pump or potentially burn it with Will-O-Wisp. Greninja cannot switch in safely; however, it can retaliate with STAB Hydro Pump or Protean Hidden Power Fire. Ash-Greninja can take advantage of a weakened Scizor, as Water Shuriken will strike first before Bullet Punch. Gyarados is a Pokemon that can withstand almost any attack in its regular form, cripple Scizor with Intimidate, and set up Dragon Dance against it.
**Physically Defensive Pokemon:** Skarmory, Celesteela, Mega Venusaur, and Quagsire are barely bothered by anything Scizor does. Skarmory and Quagsire have recovery to help keep themselves healthy. Skarmory can easily phaze Scizor while Zapdos threatens Scizor with STAB Discharge or Heat Wave. Celesteela can set up Leech Seed and Protect on sets lacking Superpower while often packing Flamethrower or Fire Blast to roast Scizor. Scizor sets lacking Swords Dance are also vulnerable to Autotomize Celesteela setting up. Quagsire's Unaware ability means it never cares about anything Scizor does while having STAB Scald to potentially burn Scizor. Mega Venusaur is a rare case that often carries Hidden Power Fire in the event that Scizor are bold enough to stay in and try to set up on or KO it, though more offensive Scizor sets can do hefty damage to Mega Venusaur with a boosted Bug Bite.
**Electric-types:** Tapu Koko, Thundurus, Rotom-W, and Zapdos are rather threatening Pokemon to Mega Scizor, as they are all capable of taking at least one Bullet Punch and retaliating with STAB Thunderbolt. Tapu Koko needs to be cautious of offensive Scizor or defensive Mega Scizor that pack Attack EVs, as it can be OHKOed by a boosted Bullet Punch. Thundurus and Zapdos resist the majority of moves that Mega Scizor carries, with Zapdos having the added benefit of Roost and Heat Wave to efficiently eliminate Scizor.
**Magnezone:** Nothing puts fear into the heart of Scizor like the sight of Magnezone. Not only does Scizor sometimes run the risk of being slower than Magnezone, Magnezone can carry items such as Chople Berry to survive a boosted Superpower while OHKOing back with Hidden Power Fire. Magnezone limits Scizor to using U-turn more often to prevent itself from being trapped and KOed.
Last edited:
