BP
Upper Decky Lip Mints
"TUH HUH HUH, BAD LEAD MATCH UP! LET ME CLAIM 2 MONS"
[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Water Spout
move 2: Self-Destruct
move 3: Hydro Pump / Surf
move 4: Roar
item: Lum Berry
ability: Water Veil
nature: Hasty
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Wailmer has cemented itself as one of the best leads for offense builds. STAB-boosted Water Spout threatens almost the entirety of ADV ZU, having only a handful of safe answers, such as Staryu, Seaking, and Chinchou. Self-Destruct allows Wailmer to remove any faster Pokemon that cannot OHKO it, such as Staryu and Butterfree, and it also removes Pokemon Water Spout cannot OHKO such as Seaking, Delcatty, and Dustox. When Wailmer is already damaged, Hydro Pump is used to threaten Pokemon that resist Self-Destruct such as Nosepass and Aron. Surf can also be used for its greater accuracy, though it also has lower power and cannot OHKO Nosepass. Roar is used exclusively for opposing Snorunt leads, as they most often use Endure to bait a damaging move to put them into range of their Salac Berry. Alternatively, Snorunt can choose to use Hidden Power Grass, which heavily damages Wailmer rendering Water Spout useless. Lum Berry helps prevent Butterfree putting Wailmer to sleep, allowing Wailmer to remove it with Water Spout.
Wailmer excels on offense teams of almost any variety. It is able to break through opposing leads like Butterfree, Growlithe, and Cyndaquil and common specially defensive Pokemon such as Dustox, Castform, and Delcatty. Other special attackers such as Elekid, Chinchou, and Growlithe greatly appreciate Wailmer softening up or taking down their hard checks and counters, which they normally cannot get through. Alternatively, physical wallbreakers such as Cubone, Aipom, and Pidgeotto can remove specially defensive Pokemon for Wailmer so that it doesn't have to use Self-Destruct to remove them itself. These same physical attackers appreciate the pressure Wailmer applies to Pokemon that resist Normal such as Nosepass, Magnemite, and Shuppet with Water Spout. Ironically, Wailmer pairs well with these Pokemon that resist Normal because Choice Band Aipom OHKOes it with Double Edge. Thunder Wave and Sleep Powder users such as Magnemite, Chinchou, and Butterfree pair well with Wailmer, as they can cripple faster attackers to ensure its safety if it hasn't already used Self-Destruct. Butterfree in particular is worth mentioning, as it is a fantastic mid-game wallbreaker or late-game cleaner that appreciates how much Wailmer threatens Pokemon like Lileep and Dustox. Chinchou is also worth a mention because of its ability to wall other Chinchou and absorb Elekid's Thunderbolt. Bulky attackers such as Castform, Sunflora, and Grimer can threaten both Chinchou and Elekid, which otherwise prove to be major obstacles for Wailmer. Wailmer struggles against other Water-types like Seaking, Staryu, and Croconaw, so Pokemon that can threaten them like Elekid and Bayleef pair well with it.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Ice Beam can be used to reliably beat Lileep one-on-one, but this requires giving up Roar, which forces Wailmer to use an attack on Snorunt. An EV spread of 174 Def / 140 SpA / 132 SpD / 62 Spe and a Modest nature can be used in order to prevent lead Aipom and lead Elekid from OHKOing Wailmer, but this drastically reduces Wailmer's capabilities as an attacker.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Aipom**: Choice Band Aipom can outspeed Wailmer and OHKO it with Double Edge.
**Electric-types**: Elekid and Chinchou can both outspeed Wailmer and OHKO it with Thunderbolt.
**Rock-, Steel-, and Ghost-types**: Pokemon such as Magnemite, Nosepass, and Shuppet can all switch into Wailmer on a Self-Destruct prediction. These Pokemon are only able to switch in on Self-Destruct, as Hydro Pump or Water Spout dispatches them otherwise.
**Lileep and Bayleef**: Lileep and Bayleef are able to survive a Water Spout into a Self-Destruct and, in return, 2HKO Wailmer with their Grass-type STAB moves. While neither can switch into it, they are regarded as the most reliable defensive answers to all of Wailmer's moves, bar Ice Beam.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bp.272450/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gangsta-spongebob.535530/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sleid.601970/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/wrathoftheleopard.511181/
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