[overview]
**Draft order**: Round 2 onwards
**Price range**: 15-17 points
**Overview**: While Serperior looks underwhelming with its mediocre stats, it is quite threatening due to Contrary Leaf Storm and strong utility moves. Tera provides Serperior with coverage options it desparately needs, chiefly Ground and Fire. Tera Stellar allows Serperior to boost its Special Attack with Contrary, providing another option when looking to sweep. Serperior's excellent Speed makes it one of the deadliest cleaners and Tera Captains available in Draft. Serperior can take a while to gain the sufficient Contrary boosts it needs to win a battle, making it important that it is positioned well and supported by its teammates for the snake to truly excel.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Contrary Sweeper**: Serperior can make a frightening sweeper in the later stages of battle. A single Leaf Storm can be all it takes to put it in range of sweeping. If boosted high enough, even Grass-resistant Pokemon might soon find themselves overwhelmed by it. Choice Scarf allows Serperior to outrun all unboosted and most Speed-boosted Pokemon, making it very difficult to answer.
**Substitute Attacker**: Serperior can take advantage of its switch-ins with Substitute, allowing it to freely use Glare on threatening opponents or Leech Seed on passive walls. This set allows Serperior to have a frightening amount of staying power while also finding windows to set up on a full paralysis turn.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB moves**: Leaf Storm, Giga Drain
**Setup moves**: 130-Base Power Nasty Plot (Leaf Storm)
**Utility moves**: Substitute, Glare, Leech Seed, Taunt, Synthesis, Knock Off
**Coverage**: Tera Blast, Dragon Pulse
Niche Moves
========
**Dragon Tail**: Dragon Tail can be used to hit Serperior's checks as they switch in, ideally with entry hazards up so that they can be chipped down for later.
**Dual Screens**: Reflect and Light Screen are useful options on teams looking to take advantage of a utility set to provide a sweeper, or even itself, valuable turns to set up.
**Endure**: Endure can be paired with a Custap Berry to surprise faster revenge killers like Greninja, Iron Valiant, and Darkrai. It can also be used alongside Leech Seed to stall out additional turns of passive damage.
**Wrap**: Wrap allows Serperior to trap a passive opponent, allowing it the turns it might need to set up with Leaf Storm or Stellar Tera Blast.
Common Items
========
**Choice Scarf**: Choice Scarf is a great item on Contrary Sweeper sets, allowing it to blaze past most of the metagame while also setting up with Contrary Leaf Storm.
**Leftovers**: Leftovers is commonly used on utility sets for passive recovery. Reasonable defenses, Substitute, and Leech Seed combine well with Leftovers to give it a surprising amount of staying power.
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Heavy-Duty Boots is a great item in battles against hazard stack teams.
Niche Items
========
**Life Orb / Miracle Seed / Choice Specs**: Damage-boosting items are great on sweeper sets that don't need a Choice Scarf to outspeed threats, potentially allowing it to OHKO or 2HKO Pokemon it otherwise couldn't.
**Focus Sash**: Focus Sash allows Serperior to function as an anti-lead against opponents it is faster than, virtually guaranteeing two uses of Leaf Storm. It is also useful in conjunction with Mirror Coat as a surprise check to a specially offensive threat such as Iron Valiant or Greninja.
**Light Clay**: If Serperior is using dual screens, Light Clay is useful for extending the duration of them, allowing teammates more time and opportunities to set up.
**Lum Berry**: Status is one of the most threatening things for a Serperior to face. Lum Berry can help it flip the tables, letting Serperior lure in would-be threats and ensuring safety from danger.
**Resistance Berries**: Using a resistance Berry is useful for Serperior luring opposing threats and taking a hit an opponent isn't expecting.
Tera
========
Serperior is simultaneously one of the best Tera Captains and one of the most Tera-reliant Pokemon on the board and is thus priced with the assumption that it will be your Tera Captain. Tera Stellar is one of the best options for Serperior, making Tera Blast a neutral coverage option for types Serperior struggles to hit effectively while also raising its offensive stats by one stage each. Tera Fire and Tera Ground provide Serperior with coverage for the Grass- and Fire-type Pokemon it has difficulty in dealing with, respectively. As one of the greatest Leaf Storm users ever seen, Tera Grass helps it pack even more punch and reach sweeping range faster. On defensive sets, Tera Water provides a great defensive typing while also enabling it to fight the Fire-type Pokemon likely to switch in on it.
Draft Strategy
========
Serperior should be built around with the intention of being utilized as a late-game sweeper as your primary Tera Captain. Serperior is limited and requires heavy support from its teammates to break through checks. The speedy serpent is also not particularly bulky and enjoys having help from teammates in getting into battle safely.
**Strong Wallbreakers**: Serperior has woeful offensive stats and requires at least one turn of setup before becoming a threatening cleaner, so wallbreakers are important in removing obstacles that might stop a sweep in its tracks. Physical wallbreakers like Roaring Moon, Great Tusk, and Garchomp that don't rely on Tera are excellent partners for the Tera-hungry Serperior.
**Entry Hazards**: Serperior greatly enjoys entry hazard support from Pokemon like Ting-Lu, Gliscor, and Skarmory, as they can help in weakening opposing Pokemon into range of Serperior's Leaf Storm.
**Slow Pivots**: Pivot support from Pokemon like Corviknight, Galarian Slowking, and Zapdos can allow the frail Serperior to come in numerous times over the course of a battle without sacrificing health.
**Elite Speed**: In spite of being fast already, Serperior enjoys having teammates faster than it such as Greninja, Cinderace, and Roaring Moon, as this alleviates the necessity to run Choice Scarf against faster opposing drafts, opening up more room for set diversity.
**Grounded Poison-types**: A grounded Poison-type can be very valuable for a Serperior to have, as it does not enjoy running Heavy-Duty Boots and dislikes Toxic Spikes. Toxic poison ruins Serperior's usefulness on its Substitute sets, greatly damaging its sustainability. Glarian Slowking, Clodsire, and Pecharunt are all good teammates.
Checks and Counters
========
**Grass-resistant Foes**: Serperior's lack of coverage options leaves it with few options to hit Grass-reesistant foes. Terastallisation is highly important in providing Serperior with a tool to help circumvent this while also removing its original weaknesses. Serperior can typically break through frail foes on its own, but needs support in handling bulkier ones.
**Special Walls**: Pokemon with high special bulk or that can raise their Special Defense are exceedingly difficult for Serperior to remove. Serperior only has eight PP for Leaf Storm and needs to make sure they count. Special walls can switch in, shrug off the hit while simultaneously forcing Serperior out, and recover the damage. This can leave Serperior unable to perform its role as a late-game cleaner, as it might literally run out of attacks it can use against Pokemon like Zapdos, Deoxys-D, and Clefable.
**Pressure**: Pokemon like Corviknight, and Deoxys-D can be challenging for Serperior to navigate, doubling the PP cost required to use its limited Leaf Storms.
**Entry Hazards**: Serperior does not typically want to hold Heavy-Duty Boots as an item but sometimes has to out of necessity. Strong hazard control like Great Tusk, Iron Treads, and Quaquaval make for excellent partners, removing the requirement to run Heavy-Duty Boots. Toxic Spikes can be particularly challenging for Serperior to manage as it puts Serperior on a timer, unable to leverage its high sustainability to win a battle.
**Status Condition**: Toxic and paralysis are two of the most intimidating things for a Serperior to face, as in the right conditions they can prevent a sweep. Speed is, quite literally, Serperior's only good stat and having that cut in half by paralysis can completely shut down its viability as a late-game cleaner. Toxic is also heavily hazardous for Serperior to face, as Serperior has no immediate power and needs extra turns to get going with Contrary boosts before becoming threatening.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/olivia7.620359/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/dartrix-joker.356084/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno6377.527276/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ut.523866/
**Draft order**: Round 2 onwards
**Price range**: 15-17 points
**Overview**: While Serperior looks underwhelming with its mediocre stats, it is quite threatening due to Contrary Leaf Storm and strong utility moves. Tera provides Serperior with coverage options it desparately needs, chiefly Ground and Fire. Tera Stellar allows Serperior to boost its Special Attack with Contrary, providing another option when looking to sweep. Serperior's excellent Speed makes it one of the deadliest cleaners and Tera Captains available in Draft. Serperior can take a while to gain the sufficient Contrary boosts it needs to win a battle, making it important that it is positioned well and supported by its teammates for the snake to truly excel.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Contrary Sweeper**: Serperior can make a frightening sweeper in the later stages of battle. A single Leaf Storm can be all it takes to put it in range of sweeping. If boosted high enough, even Grass-resistant Pokemon might soon find themselves overwhelmed by it. Choice Scarf allows Serperior to outrun all unboosted and most Speed-boosted Pokemon, making it very difficult to answer.
**Substitute Attacker**: Serperior can take advantage of its switch-ins with Substitute, allowing it to freely use Glare on threatening opponents or Leech Seed on passive walls. This set allows Serperior to have a frightening amount of staying power while also finding windows to set up on a full paralysis turn.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB moves**: Leaf Storm, Giga Drain
**Setup moves**: 130-Base Power Nasty Plot (Leaf Storm)
**Utility moves**: Substitute, Glare, Leech Seed, Taunt, Synthesis, Knock Off
**Coverage**: Tera Blast, Dragon Pulse
Niche Moves
========
**Dragon Tail**: Dragon Tail can be used to hit Serperior's checks as they switch in, ideally with entry hazards up so that they can be chipped down for later.
**Dual Screens**: Reflect and Light Screen are useful options on teams looking to take advantage of a utility set to provide a sweeper, or even itself, valuable turns to set up.
**Endure**: Endure can be paired with a Custap Berry to surprise faster revenge killers like Greninja, Iron Valiant, and Darkrai. It can also be used alongside Leech Seed to stall out additional turns of passive damage.
**Wrap**: Wrap allows Serperior to trap a passive opponent, allowing it the turns it might need to set up with Leaf Storm or Stellar Tera Blast.
Common Items
========
**Choice Scarf**: Choice Scarf is a great item on Contrary Sweeper sets, allowing it to blaze past most of the metagame while also setting up with Contrary Leaf Storm.
**Leftovers**: Leftovers is commonly used on utility sets for passive recovery. Reasonable defenses, Substitute, and Leech Seed combine well with Leftovers to give it a surprising amount of staying power.
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Heavy-Duty Boots is a great item in battles against hazard stack teams.
Niche Items
========
**Life Orb / Miracle Seed / Choice Specs**: Damage-boosting items are great on sweeper sets that don't need a Choice Scarf to outspeed threats, potentially allowing it to OHKO or 2HKO Pokemon it otherwise couldn't.
**Focus Sash**: Focus Sash allows Serperior to function as an anti-lead against opponents it is faster than, virtually guaranteeing two uses of Leaf Storm. It is also useful in conjunction with Mirror Coat as a surprise check to a specially offensive threat such as Iron Valiant or Greninja.
**Light Clay**: If Serperior is using dual screens, Light Clay is useful for extending the duration of them, allowing teammates more time and opportunities to set up.
**Lum Berry**: Status is one of the most threatening things for a Serperior to face. Lum Berry can help it flip the tables, letting Serperior lure in would-be threats and ensuring safety from danger.
**Resistance Berries**: Using a resistance Berry is useful for Serperior luring opposing threats and taking a hit an opponent isn't expecting.
Tera
========
Serperior is simultaneously one of the best Tera Captains and one of the most Tera-reliant Pokemon on the board and is thus priced with the assumption that it will be your Tera Captain. Tera Stellar is one of the best options for Serperior, making Tera Blast a neutral coverage option for types Serperior struggles to hit effectively while also raising its offensive stats by one stage each. Tera Fire and Tera Ground provide Serperior with coverage for the Grass- and Fire-type Pokemon it has difficulty in dealing with, respectively. As one of the greatest Leaf Storm users ever seen, Tera Grass helps it pack even more punch and reach sweeping range faster. On defensive sets, Tera Water provides a great defensive typing while also enabling it to fight the Fire-type Pokemon likely to switch in on it.
Draft Strategy
========
Serperior should be built around with the intention of being utilized as a late-game sweeper as your primary Tera Captain. Serperior is limited and requires heavy support from its teammates to break through checks. The speedy serpent is also not particularly bulky and enjoys having help from teammates in getting into battle safely.
**Strong Wallbreakers**: Serperior has woeful offensive stats and requires at least one turn of setup before becoming a threatening cleaner, so wallbreakers are important in removing obstacles that might stop a sweep in its tracks. Physical wallbreakers like Roaring Moon, Great Tusk, and Garchomp that don't rely on Tera are excellent partners for the Tera-hungry Serperior.
**Entry Hazards**: Serperior greatly enjoys entry hazard support from Pokemon like Ting-Lu, Gliscor, and Skarmory, as they can help in weakening opposing Pokemon into range of Serperior's Leaf Storm.
**Slow Pivots**: Pivot support from Pokemon like Corviknight, Galarian Slowking, and Zapdos can allow the frail Serperior to come in numerous times over the course of a battle without sacrificing health.
**Elite Speed**: In spite of being fast already, Serperior enjoys having teammates faster than it such as Greninja, Cinderace, and Roaring Moon, as this alleviates the necessity to run Choice Scarf against faster opposing drafts, opening up more room for set diversity.
**Grounded Poison-types**: A grounded Poison-type can be very valuable for a Serperior to have, as it does not enjoy running Heavy-Duty Boots and dislikes Toxic Spikes. Toxic poison ruins Serperior's usefulness on its Substitute sets, greatly damaging its sustainability. Glarian Slowking, Clodsire, and Pecharunt are all good teammates.
Checks and Counters
========
**Grass-resistant Foes**: Serperior's lack of coverage options leaves it with few options to hit Grass-reesistant foes. Terastallisation is highly important in providing Serperior with a tool to help circumvent this while also removing its original weaknesses. Serperior can typically break through frail foes on its own, but needs support in handling bulkier ones.
**Special Walls**: Pokemon with high special bulk or that can raise their Special Defense are exceedingly difficult for Serperior to remove. Serperior only has eight PP for Leaf Storm and needs to make sure they count. Special walls can switch in, shrug off the hit while simultaneously forcing Serperior out, and recover the damage. This can leave Serperior unable to perform its role as a late-game cleaner, as it might literally run out of attacks it can use against Pokemon like Zapdos, Deoxys-D, and Clefable.
**Pressure**: Pokemon like Corviknight, and Deoxys-D can be challenging for Serperior to navigate, doubling the PP cost required to use its limited Leaf Storms.
**Entry Hazards**: Serperior does not typically want to hold Heavy-Duty Boots as an item but sometimes has to out of necessity. Strong hazard control like Great Tusk, Iron Treads, and Quaquaval make for excellent partners, removing the requirement to run Heavy-Duty Boots. Toxic Spikes can be particularly challenging for Serperior to manage as it puts Serperior on a timer, unable to leverage its high sustainability to win a battle.
**Status Condition**: Toxic and paralysis are two of the most intimidating things for a Serperior to face, as in the right conditions they can prevent a sweep. Speed is, quite literally, Serperior's only good stat and having that cut in half by paralysis can completely shut down its viability as a late-game cleaner. Toxic is also heavily hazardous for Serperior to face, as Serperior has no immediate power and needs extra turns to get going with Contrary boosts before becoming threatening.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/olivia7.620359/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/dartrix-joker.356084/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno6377.527276/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ut.523866/
Last edited:
