QC: Dice / Jukain / BKC
GP: GatoDelFuego / fleurdyleurse
Would like QC input on:
- Move order
- EVs
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Scolipede was gifted with one of the most powerful abilities in the entire game: Speed Boost. Speed Boost makes Scolipede even faster without Scolipede even doing a thing. Scolipede has powerful STAB moves in Megahorn and Poison Jab, as well as coverage moves such as Earthquake and Rock Slide to back it up. Although Baton Pass was recently nerfed, a quick Baton Pass set is still very viable and can come in handy to quickly pass boosts to a teammate. However, Scolipede is not without its flaws. The combination of Talonflame and Mega Pinsir, also known as BirdSpam, is common, and their priority Flying-type attacks mitigate all of Scolipede's boosts. Scolipede's average base 100 Attack is fairly average, meaning it can't break through bulkier Pokemon such as Hippowdon and Landorus-T. Its bulk is nothing to write home about either, and with common weaknesses to Fire- and Rock-type moves, Scolipede isn't able to live many hits. Life Orb and Stealth Rock also add up quickly.
Offensive
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name: Offensive
move 1: Megahorn
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Poison Jab / Rock Slide
move 4: Protect
ability: Speed Boost
item: Life Orb
evs: 16 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 236 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
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Megahorn is a very powerful STAB move that is capable of hitting a lot of the OU metagame hard. Earthquake gets good neutral coverage alongside Megahorn that hits Heatran and Aegislash for super effective damage. Poison Jab is another STAB move that hits Clefable and other Fairy-types harder than any of Scolipede's other moves. Rock Slide is a neat coverage move for its ability to hit common switch-ins to Scolipede such as Mega Pinsir, Mega Charizard Y, and Talonflame. Protect is necessary because it ensures that Scolipede can gain a Speed boost, but Swords Dance can be used instead to bolster Scolipede's Attack; however, Swords Dance is very risky compared to Protect. Baton Pass is a solid option to pass any boosts to a teammate and keep up momentum; if Baton Pass is chosen, Swords Dance should be used in the third moveslot.
Set Details
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An Adamant nature is chosen because Scolipede gains Speed from Speed Boost anyway, and a Jolly nature does not allow Scolipede to outspeed anything notable; the drop in power is noticeable as well. 236 Speed EVs allow Scolipede to outspeed max Speed Kyurem-B before a boost, and the Attack EVs are to maximize Scolipede's power, with the rest put into HP to give Scoliepde an odd HP number to allow it to switch in four times versus three. Life Orb is chosen as the item because Scolipede's damage output needs to be increased in any way it can, something that Black Sludge misses out on. Finally, Speed Boost is the ability of choice because it bolsters Scolipede's Speed, which is more beneficial than Scolipede's other abilities.
Usage Tips
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Scolipede is best used later in the match where it has the opportunity to clean up the opposing team. This means it's often best to save Scolipede until this time because Life Orb and entry hazard damage racks up quickly. If you see that the opponent carries either Mega Pinsir or Talonflame, do not keep Scolipede in on these Pokemon. Try to be careful when setting up if the opponent does have either of the aforementioned Pokemon or Pokemon that resist Scolipede's attacks such as Heatran or Mawile. A spread of 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe with a Jolly nature can be used to outspeed both Latias and Latios before any boosts and allows Scolipede to forgo Protect for a coverage move, although the drop in power is noticeable. For example, with a Jolly nature, Scolipede is highly unlikely to 2HKO Mega Charizard Y with Poison Jab, whereas if an Adamant nature is chosen Scolipede 2HKOes it 100% of the time.
Team Options
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Entry hazard support from the likes of Tyranitar or Landorus-T is very helpful because these entry hazards wear down potential switch-ins and bulkier Pokemon. Similarly, Rapid Spin or Defog support is needed because Scolipede is susceptible to all forms of entry hazards; this means Latios or Excadrill for Defog or Rapid Spin, respectively. Excadrill, in particular, makes for a good partner because it weakens walls and can also utilize Rapid Spin. Mega Heracross is a good partner because it can beat down walls such as Skarmory and Hippowdon for Scolipede, giving it an easier time to sweep; Scolipede also resists Fairy-type moves for Mega Heracross and can break through Clefable. Mega Gyarados is a neat teammate because it resists Fire-type moves and Scolipede resists Fighting-, Bug-, Fairy-, and Grass-type moves in return. Mega Gyarados also beats Landorus-T and Rotom-W for Scolipede. Keldeo can also break through Rotom-W for Scolipede. Finally, Wish support is very beneficial because it keeps Scolipede healthy throughout the match; Sylveon makes a good partner for this.
QuickPass
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name: QuickPass
move 1: Protect
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Baton Pass
move 4: Swords Dance / Iron Defense
ability: Speed Boost
item: Mental Herb
evs: 248 HP / 20 Def / 240 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
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Protect is vital because it ensures Scolipede gains at least one Speed boost and also allows Scolipede to scout for certain moves. Substitute is also important because it shields Scolipede from Will-O-Wisp and Thunder Wave—two very crippling status moves. It also acts as a safety net to allow for smooth passing to a partner. Baton Pass passes all of the boosts Scolipede accumulates to a partner. Swords Dance boosts Scolipede's Attack to pass to a powerful teammate. Iron Defense can also be used should the boosts in Defense be more appealing. Another decent option is Megahorn, which is still powerful without investment, which takes advantage of any boosts accumulated by Swords Dance. Rock Slide is always an option to hit switch-ins to Scolipede such as Talonflame, Mega Charizard Y, and Mega Pinsir.
Set Details
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Mental Herb ensures that, should Scolipede be Taunted, it can safely Baton Pass to a partner without fear. 248 HP EVs ensures that Scolipede can switch into Stealth Rock a total of four times by making its HP an odd number, while 240 Speed EVs allow Scolipede to outspeed fully invested base 110 Speed Pokemon like Latios; the rest of the EVs are dumped into Defense. Black Sludge is an option for constant recovery, although Mental Herb is more useful for the most part. Finally, Focus Sash is an alternative option to guarantee at least one boost, but Mental Herb is more reliable and entry hazards render Focus Sash useless.
Usage Tips
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The goal of this set is not to focus on getting up either a Swords Dance or an Iron Defense as quickly as possible, as this is easily taken advantage of. Instead, focus on setting up a Substitute to allow for a safer pass to a partner. Scolipede should take advantage of Protect and use it on potential Choice Scarf Pokemon or to scout for coverage moves. This variant of Scolipede can pass many times in a game, so don't think that if your recipient does not perform successfully that Scolipede is suddenly total deadweight. Although this set has Mental Herb, when against certain Taunt users such as Thundurus, it is best to just get Scolipede off of the battlefield instead of just sitting there waiting for Taunt to run out.
Team Options
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Firstly, this Scolipede set is a supporter. This makes sweepers such as Mega Mawile and Mega Heracross even more dangerous thanks to Scolipede's boosts. Mega Mawile, in particular, stands out because it resists all of Scolipede's weaknesses except for Fire, and is nearly unstoppable after a few boosts. Some other sweepers include Azumarill and Mega Medicham. Azelf is a good partner because it can set up dual screens for Scolipede to have an easier time to set up and pass. The little extra boost from Speed to some Pokemon such as Landorus and Kyurem-B is very much appreciated as well.
Other Options
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Aqua Tail nails Landorus-T, Gliscor, and Hippowdon harder than any of Scolipede's other attacks. A set consisting of Spikes and Endeavor with a Focus Sash can be a viable lead thanks to its ability to beat Latias and Latios one-on-one and can usually lay one or two layers of Spikes and proceed to bring something down to 1 HP with Endeavor. Toxic Spikes can be used as well. Substitute on offensive sets can see use to block status such as Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp. Finally, X-Scissor can be used instead of Megahorn if accuracy is of concern, though this is highly unrecommended because of the significant drop in power.
Checks & Counters
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**Flying-types**: Flying-types such as Mega Pinsir and Talonflame have powerful STAB moves to dispose of Scolipede with. These Pokemon also have priority on these STAB moves to negate any Speed boosts that Scolipede has collected.
**Physically Defensive Pokemon**: Pokemon with high Defense stats can often take on Scolipede. Such Pokemon include Skarmory and Mega Scizor, both of which resist all of Scolipede's attacks and can keep themselves healthy with Roost; the latter is also bulky enough to take on Earthquake.
**Ground-types**: Landorus-T and Gliscor resist both of Scolipede's STAB moves, while Hippowdon is not 2HKOed by Megahorn, these Pokemon are only hit by Aqua Tail.
**Status**: Status moves such as Will-O-Wisp and Thunder Wave both cripple Scolipede, with the former making Scolipede extremely weak and the latter making it very slow.
**Faster Pokemon Before Speed Boost**: Latios, Keldeo, and Greninja all outspeed Scolipede before it nets any boosts and can do a large chunk of damage to it.
**Chip Damage**: Scolipede is weak to Stealth Rock and impacted by Spikes, which in conjunction with Life Orb and Scolipede's susceptibility to all forms of weather, builds up very quickly.
Overview
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name: Offensive
move 1: Megahorn
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Poison Jab / Rock Slide
move 4: Protect
ability: Speed Boost
item: Life Orb
evs: 24 HP / 252 Atk / 236 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
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Set Details
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Usage Tips
========
Team Options
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name: QuickPass
move 1: Protect
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Baton Pass
move 4: Swords Dance / Iron Defense
ability: Speed Boost
item: Mental Herb
evs: 240 HP / 92 Def / 176 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
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Checks & Counters
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- Pros:
- Speed Boost turns it into a very fast threat.
- Powerful STAB moves in Megahorn and Poison Jab.
- Somewhat colorful movepool with coverage like Earthquake and Rock Slide.
- Can quick pass should this be needed.
- Has a decent typing with useful resistances to Fighting-type moves.
- Versatile.
- Cons:
- FlyingSpam really sucks, with Pokemon like Talonflame and Mega Pinsir avoiding its Speed Boosts.
- Can't break through come physically defensive Pokemon like Landorus-T.
- 100 Attack is pretty average, and it does not always have the room to set up.
- Not extremely bulky, with 60 / 89 / 60 bulk.
- Common weaknesses like Fire- and Rock-types.
- Gets worn down very fast
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name: Offensive
move 1: Megahorn
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Poison Jab / Rock Slide
move 4: Protect
ability: Speed Boost
item: Life Orb
evs: 24 HP / 252 Atk / 236 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
========
- Megahorn is an insanely powerful STAB move that hits a lot of OU hard.
- Poison Jab is another STAB move that hits Fairy-types super effectively.
- Earthquake gets nice neutral coverage, hitting Heatran and Aegislash for super efective damage.
- Rock Slide hits Mega Pinsir, Mega Charizard Y, and Talonflame switch ins very hard.
- Swords Dance boosts Scolipede's Attack to high levels btu giving up Protect is very risky.
- Protect ensures that Scolipede will gain a Speed boost.
- Baton Pass can be used to quickly pass Scolipede's boosts to a teammate; if this is used, Swords Dance can be used in the third slot.
Set Details
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- An Adamant nature is chosen because Scolipede boosts its Speed anyways, and Jolly doesn't really let Scolipede outspeed anything important.
- The given Speed EVs allow Scolipede to outspeed Kyurem-B before a boost.
- Life Orb is chosen as the item because it increases Scolipede's damage output.
- Speed Boost is the ability because it bolsters Scolipede's, as Scolipede's other abilities are quite useless.
Usage Tips
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- Save Scolipede for late game where it can clean up; thus, it's best to save it until then because Life Orb and hazards rack up quickly.
- Be extremely careful about Mega Pinsir and Talonflame, as mentioned several times already, as it's a big waste to let Scolipede die.
- Try to be careful when setting up if the opponent does have either of the aforementioned Pokemon are Pokemon that resist Scolipede's attacks like Heatran or Mawile.
- Jolly with 252 EVs can be used to outspeed the Lati twins from the get go and can run a coverage move like Aqua Tail or Rock Slide instead, although the drop in power is noticeable.
Team Options
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- Hazard support from the likes of Tyranitar or Landorus-T is beneficial because it wears down potential switch-ins and to wear down bulkier Pokemon.
- Mega Heracross can break down walls like Skarmory and Hippowdown for Scolipede, allowing it an easier time to sweep, while Scolipede resists Fairy-type moves and can nail Clefable.
- Similarly, Rapid Spin or Defog support is very beneficial, making Defog users such as Latios good partners and Excadrill for Rapid Spin.
- Excadrill in particular is good because it can Rapid Spin and weaken walls.
- Mega Gyarados forms a neat core because it resists Fire-type moves and Scolipede resists Fighting-, Bug-, Fairy-, and Grass-type moves in return. Mega Gyarados also can beat Landorus-T and Rotom-W for Scolipede.
- Keldeo also breaks down Rotom-W and Landorus-T.
- Wish support is very helpful to keep Scolipede healthy throughout the match, Sylveon is a good partner for this.
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name: QuickPass
move 1: Protect
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Baton Pass
move 4: Swords Dance / Iron Defense
ability: Speed Boost
item: Mental Herb
evs: 240 HP / 92 Def / 176 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
========
- Protect ensures that Scolipede gains one Speed Boost and it also allows for it to scout for certain moves.
- Substitute shields Scolipede from Will-O-Wisp and Thunder Wave while also providing a safe shield for the partner.
- Baton Pass is to pass all of Scolipede's boosts to a teammate, of course.
- Swords Dance boosts Scolipede's Attack, which can be passed to a teammate.
- Iron Defense allows Scolipede to pass Defense boosts.
- Megahorn can be used on this set for a strong attacking move, and to take advantage of Swords Dance.
- Rock Slide, again, is an option to hurt potential switch-ins like Talonflame, Mega Charizard Y, and Mega Pinsir.
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- Mental Herb ensures that if Scolipede is to face a Taunt user it can safely Baton Pass to a partner.
- Black Sludge can be used, but more often than not the recovery isn't as helpful as Mental Herb.
- Focus Sash can be used to ensure a boost, although Mental Herb is often more reliable.
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- Try not to focus on getting either a Swords Dance or an Iron Defense, this can be easily taken advantage of. Instead, focus on getting up Substitutes to safely pass Speed to a partner.
- Scolipede should try and use Protect to its advantage, using it on potentially faster Pokemon or too scout for moves.
- This variant of Scolipede can pass multiple times during a game, so don't think that just because your recipient might not perform successfully that Scolipede will be deadweight.
- Although this set has Mental Herb, even on some Taunt users like Thundurus, it is best to just get out of there as fast as you can instead of just sitting there waiting for Taunt to run out.
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- This Scolipede is a supporter, first and foremost.
- Dangerous sweepers such as Mega Mawile and Mega Heracross can become even more dangerous with Scolipede's boosts.
- Other sweepers include Azumarill and Mega Medicham, which appreciate the boosts well.
- Mega Mawile in particular stands out because it resists Fire-, Flying-, Rock-, and Psychic-type attacks (all of Scolipede's weaknesses) and can become nearly unstoppable with a few boosts under its belt.
- Azelf is a good partner because it can set screens for Scoliepde to have an easier time boosting and passing.
- The little extra umph from the Speed Boost can be passed along to Pokemon like Landorus and Kyurem-Black just to make them a bit speedier.
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- Aqua Tail hits Landorus-T, Gliscor, and Hippowdown hard.
- Spikes or Toxic Spikes can be used to set hazards for its team.
- A Spikes set with Endeavor can be a viable lead because of the ability to beat Latios / Latias 1v1.
- Iron Defense and Baton Pass can be used, but this is not as effective as it used to be and offensive sets outclass it.
- Substitute allows for easier setup and shields it from Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp.
- X-Scissor can be used instead of Megahorn if the accuracy concerns you, but this is highly unrecommended as the power provided by Megahorn is missed greatly.
Checks & Counters
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- Flying-types: Mega Pinsir and Talonflame negate all boosts with their priority and can easily OHKO Scolipede with these moves.
- Aegislash: Aegislash needs to be weakened before Earthquake can break through it and Air Balloon variants completely wall it. It also can halt the QuickPass set.
- Physically Defensive Pokemon: Skarmory in particular resists all of Scolipede's move and does huge chunks to it with Brave Bird. Mega Scizor as well resists Scoliepede's moves and is bulky enough to take Earthquake.
- Ground-types: Landorus-T, Gliscor, and Hippowdown resist both of Scolipede's STAB moves and are only hit by Aqua Tail.
- Status: Will-O-Wisp and Thunder Wave equally cripple it Scolipede, either rendering it weak or slow.
- Faster Pokemon pre-Speed Boost: Latios, Keldeo, and Greninja all can outspeed and do a large chunk to Scolipede before it nets a boost.
- Being Worn Down: Scolipede is weak to Stealth Rock and impacted by Spikes, this in conjunction with Life Orb and Scolipede's susceptibility to all weather rack up very quickly.
**Aegislash**: Aegislash resists all of Scolipede's STAB attacks and needs to be weakened before Earthquake breaks through it, and Air Balloon variants completely wall Scolipede. Aegislash also puts a halt to quick pass sets as well.
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