Hey people, Magnemite with CyclicCompound, TRC., and The Mega Lotad here bringing everyone the next Pokemon of the Week! Sorry it's a bit late today, we ran into a few barriers along the way.
The XY OU Pokemon of the Week is an (obviously) weekly project in the Overused forum. The idea originated from when we were reading many of the discussion threads, often the discussion is a bit lacking in the content department. Our goal here to is to highlight a threat in the metagame that isn't as well known, or isn't used as much as it should be, and provide a concise amount of information about that Pokemon; this will encourage creativity during teambuilding, and it will also provide an instant wealth of knowledge about that particular threat. This will hopefully be more helpful to the massive influx of new players in the OU subforum and promote better discussion within the individual threads. In this thread though, the main point of discussion should be about experiences with that particular Pokemon and the sets featured, and how it has helped in some way during your battling. Niche sets and gimmicks can be mentioned as well, but bear in mind that this thread is mainly an informative source of knowledge through what is written in the OP; discussion is not its main focus, though it is most certainly allowed. we need to make this point clear. Think of this like an article introducing you to a new threat that you can use; and try it out! Oh yeah, you can also VM one of us what you think the next POTW should be, bearing in mind that they will be on lesser-used threats, such as Suicune, Diggersby, or Raikou.
Remember, in order to be Pokemon of the Week, a Pokemon must be in a tier below OU (Including BL).
This week's Pokemon of the Week is Scolipede.
Art by The Mega Lotad.
Type: Bug / Poison
Base Stats: 60 HP / 100 Atk / 89 Def / 55 SpA / 69 SpD / 112 Spe
Ability: Poison Point / Swarm / Speed Boost
Introduction
When looking at Scolipede, the first thing that stand out is its phenomenal Speed Boost ability. Speed Boost allows Scolipede to take on a multitude of roles in the OU metagame, including but not limited to being a Spikes lead, late-game cleaner, quick passer, or a pivotal member of full Baton Pass teams. Scolipede's blistering Speed, great support movepool, decent offensive movepool, and of course Speed Boost all help make Scolipede the versatile threat it is.
One of Scolipede's biggest flaws is its weakness to common Flying-type priority moves, which means that offensive sets are quite easy to revenge kill despite Scolipede's blazing Speed, while support sets can be shut down easily. Its poor bulk and weakness to Stealth Rock prevent Scolipede from taking strong hits from many of the powerful attackers in OU. Scolipede is also rather weak, and while its STAB Megahorn hits a multitude of common Pokemon super effectively, its STAB combination is one of the worst in the game coverage-wise. This prevents offensive sets from being able to scratch many common defensive Pokemon, most notably Skarmory, which can also Defog away Scolipede's hazards or phaze away its precious boosts.
What to try:
Scolipede @ Life Orb
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Protect
- Megahorn
- Earthquake
- Poison Jab / Rock Slide
Although Scolipede is usually thought of for its ability to Baton Pass boosts, this set brings together Scolipede's decent Attack Stat, strong STAB Megahorn, good coverage, and Speed Boost to transform it into a surprisingly effective late-game sweeper. Protect allows it to gain a free turn of speed against faster foes, particularly the fast but frail ones that Scolipede has an easy time beating. Megahorn is Scolipede's strongest attack, hitting surprisingly hard (it's a solid 2HKO against physically defensive Rotom-W even without Stealth Rock up). Earthquake provides valuable coverage against Aegislash, Heatran, Excadrill, and other similar Bug-type resists. Finally, either Poison Jab or Rock Slide can be used in the final slot, Poison Jab being generally more useful with its STAB and coverage against bulky Fairy-types, but Rock Slide is also a handy option to better dispatch of foes like Mega Charizard Y, Thundurus, and Landorus. Full EV investment in Attack and Speed, along with the item Life Orb, gives Scolipede the greatest offensive presence possible. An Adamant nature is selected over Jolly because Scolipede does not need the extra speed thanks to Speed Boost.
Scolipede @ Focus Sash
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Megahorn
- Spikes / Toxic Spikes
- Swords Dance / Toxic Spikes
- Baton Pass / Earthquake / Rock Slide
Rather than being a late-game cleaner, this set aims to be a strong, dedicated lead with both offensive and support capability. Megahorn is again the main STAB, packing both power and consistency. Spikes is the main move for the second slot, allowing Scolipede to easily put hazard pressure on the opponent from early on. Toxic Spikes can be used over Spikes, should it be more beneficial to the player's team. Swords Dance works terrific with Baton Pass, allowing Scolipede to pass at least +1 Speed and +2 Attack to any Pokemon it chooses. If Baton Pass is not being used, Toxic Spikes can be used over Swords Dance, allowing Scolipede to pack two hazards for different scenarios. Finally, Earthquake and Rock Slide are two of Scolipede's coverage options, allowing it to hit unsuspecting targets like Heatran, Aegislash, Dragonite, and Talonflame (on the switch), respectively. Because this set is a lead, Focus Sash is the item of choice, almost always guaranteeing it two layers of hazards or a safe pass to a teammate. A Jolly Nature makes it easier to outspeed foes on the first and second turns, allowing it to do more work before it goes down.
Scolipede @ Mental Herb / Black Sludge
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 248 HP / 208 SpD / 52 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Iron Defense
- Protect
- Substitute
- Baton Pass
This set aims to be used on dedicated Baton Pass teams, which are commonly a standard lineup of Scolipede / Espeon / Sylveon / Vaporeon / Smeargle / Mr. Mime or Zapdos. The style is formulaic in nature, so virtually every good full Baton Pass team will have a Scolipede, as Scolipede can pass Speed boosts with immense ease thanks to its ability. Iron Defense is the boosting move of choice, as it increases the power of Espeon's Stored Power while also making the teams Substitute's harder to break, physically of course. Protect and Substitute are used to amass Speed boosts, and can be used back-to-back. Baton Pass is obviously a mandatory move, to pass the boosts to any teammate. The EV spread allows Scolipede to outspeed Choice Scarf Rotom-W after one boost, with the rest maximizing Scolipede's bulk. The item choice comes down to preference: Mental Herb allows Scolipede to set up a Substitute on Taunt Thundurus, whereas Black Sludge aids it in creating more Substitutes.
What else can you try?
A defensive Toxic Spikes set has merit, but it struggles in a meta where Defog, Poison-types, and Steel-types are prominent. Pursuit is weak,but can be used if your team is in desire of it. Also, a Substitute + Salac Berry + Swarm set could work in theory, but there really isn't any reason to forgo Speed Boost.
Good Partners for this Pokemon:
Scolipede fits nicely on hyper offensive teams, as being able to pass Speed boosts to a fellow sweeper can be very rewarding. The offensive set is also great on offensive teams, but not for the support it provides, rather, as an offensive Pokemon in its own right. The full Baton Pass set has the most concrete partners. Stored Power Espeon, Acid Armor Vaporeon, Calm Mind Sylveon, Soundproof Mr. Mime, Ingrain Smeargle, and physically defensive Zapdos are all top choices.
Playing against Scolipede: Checks and Counters
Since it lacks power, offensive Scolipede is easy to deal with for physical walls such as Hippowdon, Zapdos, and Skarmory. Skarmory in particular can not only freely switch into and wall every Scolipede set, but it is also able to completely erase almost every impact Scolipede can have on the battle via Defog and Whirlwind. The notable exception to this is on full Baton Pass teams, where Scolipede can simply Baton Pass to Espeon and bounce back Skarmory's Whirlwind. Offensively, Scolipede can be easily checked by strong priority users, particularly Talonflame and Mega Pinsir. While by no means perfect answers to it, somewhat bulky offensive Pokemon that are not weak to any of Scolipede's moves such as Keldeo can take a hit and deal massive damage to it in return.
There we go, that's the thirteenth Pokemon of the Week! Let us know whether this has helped you at all, and your results of testing this Scolipede set on the ladder. Also, don't forget to let us know via VM what Pokemon you want to see next. All opinions are welcome, as well as opinions about the Pokemon of the Week format and any ideas you want to see implemented, as well as questions for us about either Scolipede or POTW itself. Go out there and try Scolipede now, and we'll see you next time!
The XY OU Pokemon of the Week is an (obviously) weekly project in the Overused forum. The idea originated from when we were reading many of the discussion threads, often the discussion is a bit lacking in the content department. Our goal here to is to highlight a threat in the metagame that isn't as well known, or isn't used as much as it should be, and provide a concise amount of information about that Pokemon; this will encourage creativity during teambuilding, and it will also provide an instant wealth of knowledge about that particular threat. This will hopefully be more helpful to the massive influx of new players in the OU subforum and promote better discussion within the individual threads. In this thread though, the main point of discussion should be about experiences with that particular Pokemon and the sets featured, and how it has helped in some way during your battling. Niche sets and gimmicks can be mentioned as well, but bear in mind that this thread is mainly an informative source of knowledge through what is written in the OP; discussion is not its main focus, though it is most certainly allowed. we need to make this point clear. Think of this like an article introducing you to a new threat that you can use; and try it out! Oh yeah, you can also VM one of us what you think the next POTW should be, bearing in mind that they will be on lesser-used threats, such as Suicune, Diggersby, or Raikou.
Remember, in order to be Pokemon of the Week, a Pokemon must be in a tier below OU (Including BL).
This week's Pokemon of the Week is Scolipede.
Art by The Mega Lotad.
Type: Bug / Poison
Base Stats: 60 HP / 100 Atk / 89 Def / 55 SpA / 69 SpD / 112 Spe
Ability: Poison Point / Swarm / Speed Boost
When looking at Scolipede, the first thing that stand out is its phenomenal Speed Boost ability. Speed Boost allows Scolipede to take on a multitude of roles in the OU metagame, including but not limited to being a Spikes lead, late-game cleaner, quick passer, or a pivotal member of full Baton Pass teams. Scolipede's blistering Speed, great support movepool, decent offensive movepool, and of course Speed Boost all help make Scolipede the versatile threat it is.
One of Scolipede's biggest flaws is its weakness to common Flying-type priority moves, which means that offensive sets are quite easy to revenge kill despite Scolipede's blazing Speed, while support sets can be shut down easily. Its poor bulk and weakness to Stealth Rock prevent Scolipede from taking strong hits from many of the powerful attackers in OU. Scolipede is also rather weak, and while its STAB Megahorn hits a multitude of common Pokemon super effectively, its STAB combination is one of the worst in the game coverage-wise. This prevents offensive sets from being able to scratch many common defensive Pokemon, most notably Skarmory, which can also Defog away Scolipede's hazards or phaze away its precious boosts.
What to try:
Scolipede @ Life Orb
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Protect
- Megahorn
- Earthquake
- Poison Jab / Rock Slide
Although Scolipede is usually thought of for its ability to Baton Pass boosts, this set brings together Scolipede's decent Attack Stat, strong STAB Megahorn, good coverage, and Speed Boost to transform it into a surprisingly effective late-game sweeper. Protect allows it to gain a free turn of speed against faster foes, particularly the fast but frail ones that Scolipede has an easy time beating. Megahorn is Scolipede's strongest attack, hitting surprisingly hard (it's a solid 2HKO against physically defensive Rotom-W even without Stealth Rock up). Earthquake provides valuable coverage against Aegislash, Heatran, Excadrill, and other similar Bug-type resists. Finally, either Poison Jab or Rock Slide can be used in the final slot, Poison Jab being generally more useful with its STAB and coverage against bulky Fairy-types, but Rock Slide is also a handy option to better dispatch of foes like Mega Charizard Y, Thundurus, and Landorus. Full EV investment in Attack and Speed, along with the item Life Orb, gives Scolipede the greatest offensive presence possible. An Adamant nature is selected over Jolly because Scolipede does not need the extra speed thanks to Speed Boost.
Scolipede @ Focus Sash
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Megahorn
- Spikes / Toxic Spikes
- Swords Dance / Toxic Spikes
- Baton Pass / Earthquake / Rock Slide
Rather than being a late-game cleaner, this set aims to be a strong, dedicated lead with both offensive and support capability. Megahorn is again the main STAB, packing both power and consistency. Spikes is the main move for the second slot, allowing Scolipede to easily put hazard pressure on the opponent from early on. Toxic Spikes can be used over Spikes, should it be more beneficial to the player's team. Swords Dance works terrific with Baton Pass, allowing Scolipede to pass at least +1 Speed and +2 Attack to any Pokemon it chooses. If Baton Pass is not being used, Toxic Spikes can be used over Swords Dance, allowing Scolipede to pack two hazards for different scenarios. Finally, Earthquake and Rock Slide are two of Scolipede's coverage options, allowing it to hit unsuspecting targets like Heatran, Aegislash, Dragonite, and Talonflame (on the switch), respectively. Because this set is a lead, Focus Sash is the item of choice, almost always guaranteeing it two layers of hazards or a safe pass to a teammate. A Jolly Nature makes it easier to outspeed foes on the first and second turns, allowing it to do more work before it goes down.
Scolipede @ Mental Herb / Black Sludge
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 248 HP / 208 SpD / 52 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Iron Defense
- Protect
- Substitute
- Baton Pass
This set aims to be used on dedicated Baton Pass teams, which are commonly a standard lineup of Scolipede / Espeon / Sylveon / Vaporeon / Smeargle / Mr. Mime or Zapdos. The style is formulaic in nature, so virtually every good full Baton Pass team will have a Scolipede, as Scolipede can pass Speed boosts with immense ease thanks to its ability. Iron Defense is the boosting move of choice, as it increases the power of Espeon's Stored Power while also making the teams Substitute's harder to break, physically of course. Protect and Substitute are used to amass Speed boosts, and can be used back-to-back. Baton Pass is obviously a mandatory move, to pass the boosts to any teammate. The EV spread allows Scolipede to outspeed Choice Scarf Rotom-W after one boost, with the rest maximizing Scolipede's bulk. The item choice comes down to preference: Mental Herb allows Scolipede to set up a Substitute on Taunt Thundurus, whereas Black Sludge aids it in creating more Substitutes.
What else can you try?
A defensive Toxic Spikes set has merit, but it struggles in a meta where Defog, Poison-types, and Steel-types are prominent. Pursuit is weak,but can be used if your team is in desire of it. Also, a Substitute + Salac Berry + Swarm set could work in theory, but there really isn't any reason to forgo Speed Boost.
Good Partners for this Pokemon:
Scolipede fits nicely on hyper offensive teams, as being able to pass Speed boosts to a fellow sweeper can be very rewarding. The offensive set is also great on offensive teams, but not for the support it provides, rather, as an offensive Pokemon in its own right. The full Baton Pass set has the most concrete partners. Stored Power Espeon, Acid Armor Vaporeon, Calm Mind Sylveon, Soundproof Mr. Mime, Ingrain Smeargle, and physically defensive Zapdos are all top choices.
Playing against Scolipede: Checks and Counters
Since it lacks power, offensive Scolipede is easy to deal with for physical walls such as Hippowdon, Zapdos, and Skarmory. Skarmory in particular can not only freely switch into and wall every Scolipede set, but it is also able to completely erase almost every impact Scolipede can have on the battle via Defog and Whirlwind. The notable exception to this is on full Baton Pass teams, where Scolipede can simply Baton Pass to Espeon and bounce back Skarmory's Whirlwind. Offensively, Scolipede can be easily checked by strong priority users, particularly Talonflame and Mega Pinsir. While by no means perfect answers to it, somewhat bulky offensive Pokemon that are not weak to any of Scolipede's moves such as Keldeo can take a hit and deal massive damage to it in return.
There we go, that's the thirteenth Pokemon of the Week! Let us know whether this has helped you at all, and your results of testing this Scolipede set on the ladder. Also, don't forget to let us know via VM what Pokemon you want to see next. All opinions are welcome, as well as opinions about the Pokemon of the Week format and any ideas you want to see implemented, as well as questions for us about either Scolipede or POTW itself. Go out there and try Scolipede now, and we'll see you next time!
Pokemon of the Week #1: Staraptor
Pokemon of the Week #2: Krookodile
Pokemon of the Week #3: Suicune
Pokemon of the Week #4: Reuniclus
Pokemon of the Week #5: Diggersby
Pokemon of the Week #6: Kyurem-B
Pokemon of the Week #7: Manaphy
Pokemon of the Week #8: Hippowdon
Pokemon of the Week #9: Donphan (April Fools!)
Pokemon of the Week #10: Kabutops
Pokemon of the Week #11: Gothitelle
Pokemon of the Week #12: Rotom-H
Pokemon of the Week #2: Krookodile
Pokemon of the Week #3: Suicune
Pokemon of the Week #4: Reuniclus
Pokemon of the Week #5: Diggersby
Pokemon of the Week #6: Kyurem-B
Pokemon of the Week #7: Manaphy
Pokemon of the Week #8: Hippowdon
Pokemon of the Week #9: Donphan (April Fools!)
Pokemon of the Week #10: Kabutops
Pokemon of the Week #11: Gothitelle
Pokemon of the Week #12: Rotom-H
