The UU Role Comparison Project

ScraftyIsTheBest

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The UU Role Comparison Project

Credit to Theorymon for the OP and idea

Have you ever pinpointed a Pokémon on one of your teams, where you find it's role to be extremely useful for your team, but wonder "man, if only there was a similar Pokémon that had more manageable flaws for my team"? If so, this is the thread for you! Believe it or not, there tend to be a lot more Pokémon that can achieve a certain role than you think, but often times, these Pokémon are obscure, or they may be common Pokémon using an unusual set, so the people who are looking for such a "role replacement" may end up never finding it!

This thread aims to fix that problem! The main goal of this thread is to highlight certain underrated Pokémon sets, by comparing them to more common Pokémon who fulfill similar roles, both the advantages and the disadvantages! This way, people who feel like their team could use with some changes can get some tips from this thread, or if they are just making a team with certain roles in mind, they can be exposed to some Pokémon that deserve more usage! Also, don't worry if you can't think of any good examples, commenting on examples already mentioned to incite discussion is fine too!

Here's to get you guys started. Feel free to use the same format, since it gets right to the point, but if you feel the need to deviate a bit, that's fine too!

Heracross as a Choice Scarf user vs. Mienshao



Heracross @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Moxie
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Megahorn
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake / Night Slash

Heracross's Advantages:

1. Moxie Heracross can gain power as he revenge kills a certain Pokemon. With the Attack boosts gained per every kill, Heracross can also blow through the team with its power to be a sweeper

2. Megahorn This means Heracross can also legitimately deal some serious damage to Mew and Azelf, which Mienshao cannot do (and has to resort to U-turn to do so). This also means Heracross can deal some more damage to Shaymin than what Mienshao can do.

3. Better bulk Not that big of an advantage, but this means Heracross is capable of taking a hit or two, while Mienshao folds to even the lightest of Attacks, Heracross can sometimes take at least one neutral hit

Heracross's Disadvantages:

1. Lower Speed While Mienshao has the luxury of outpacing every Choice Scarf user in UU with its cookie-cutter Scarf set, Heracross often finds itself outpaced by Scarf Raikou, Scarf Flygon, and some other revenge killers. Mienshao, on the other hand, is faster than everything in UU bar the rare Acrotile and thus is a more useful revenge killer in general

2. Weaker STAB move Heracross's Close Combat still isn't quite as powerful as Mienshao's Reckless boosted Hi Jump Kick, meaning Heracross doesn't always hit as hard

3. Lack of U-turn Mienshao can switch right out of predicted switches to Nidoqueen and Cofagrigus, which means it can then immediately resort to a teammate to remove its counters. Heracross can't do this, and is forced to switch out if it mispredicts a Queen/Cofag switch-in.

Discuss.

Role Comparison Archive:

Heracross vs. Krookodile as a Choice Scarf Moxie cleaner
Sharpedo vs. Yanmega as a Speed Boost cleaner
Mew vs. Bisharp as a Swords Dance stallbreaker
Galvantula vs. Zapdos as an Offensive Electric-type
Cradily vs. Rhyperior as a Rock-type Utility Pokemon
Swellow vs. Crobat as a fast physical Flying-type
Shaymin vs. Roserade as a special Grass-type
Druddigon vs. Flygon as a Choice Banded Dragon-type
Moltres vs. Chandelure as a special Fire-type
Crustle vs. Rhyperior as a Stealth Rock Rock-type
Quagsire vs. Swampert as a bulky Water / Ground type
Slowking vs. Slowbro as a bulky Water-type
Zapdos vs. Raikou as an offensive Electric-type
Piloswine vs. Rhyperior as a bulky Ground-type
Azelf vs. Mew as a Nasty Plot sweeper
Crustle vs. Froslass as a suicide hazards setter
Umbreon vs. Togekiss as defensive support Pokemon
Snorlax vs. Zweilous as a bulky parashuffler
Weezing vs. Cofagrigus as a physical wall
Qwilfish vs. Slowbro as a bulky Fighting-type counter
Darmanitan vs. Victini as a fast Fire-type
Porygon-Z vs. Chandelure as a Choice Specs wallbreaker
Meloetta vs. Mew as a Psychic-type
Lilligant vs. Roserade as an offensive Grass-type
Rotom-H vs. Raikou as a Choiced Electric-type
Cobalion vs. Heracross as general Fighting-types
Suicine vs. Slowbro as a bulky Calm Mind Water-type
Mismagius vs. Cofagrigus as a specially offensive Ghost-type
Feraligatr vs. Azumarill as a physical Water-type
Porygon2 vs. Snorlax as a bulky Normal-type
Escavalier vs. Heracross as a CB Bug-type
Aggron vs. Rhyperior as a CB Rock-type
Scolipede vs. Heracross as a Bug-type SD sweeper
Rotom-C vs. Shaymin as a special Grass-type
The Big Three Spikers Comparison
Dusclops vs. Cofagrigus as a defensive Ghost-type
Beheeyem vs. Cofagrigus as a special TR sweeper
 
I'd like to compare the same good old Scarf Heracross to the underrated Scarf Krookodile.


VS


Krookodile's Advantages:
Higher base speed
Hits Chandelure super effectively with STAB
EdgeQuake
STAB Pursuit to trap Ghost-types better
No 4x weaknesses
More reliable STAB moves
Always outspeeds opposing Scarf Heracross and can destroy it with Aerial Ace, and non-Scarf Mienshao
Immune to Raikou and Zapdos's main STAB
Resistant to Stealth Rock (unlike Heracross)

Krookodile's Disadvantages
Maimed by Scarf Mienshao
STAB moves have lower base power
Can't break through AmoonBro as well as Moxie Heracross
Close Combat > Superpower on Moxie cleaners
Lower base attack
Weak to fighting-type moves


It now comes somewhat as a mystery why people almost always use Scarf Heracross instead--is Megahorn + Close Combat really more effective than Earthquake + Crunch? Krookodile beats our current suspect, Chandelure, 1v1 with ease, whereas Heracross must rely on Stone Edge (I don't think Shadow Claw at +0 OHKOs Chandelure).
 
How about Sharpedo vs Yanmega as a Speed Boost cleaner?

vs


Sharpedo's Advantages
  • Excellent STAB synergy, being resisted by very few Pokemon - only Empoleon is commonly seen in the tier, and Earthquake smashes it, too.
  • Can run physical, mixed or even purely special sets, thus giving it surprise factor and maiming its usual counters, unlike Yanmega, which is solely special.
  • Slightly higher Attack stat compared to the Special Attack on Yanmega.
  • Not horribly weak to Stealth Rock like its counterpart.
  • Hits Chandelure super-effectively with all common moves on the physical set, and most of them on other sets.
  • Can benefit from the rain that setters such as Kingdra or Tornadus provide.
Sharpedo's Disadvantages
  • Has practically no bulk and folds to even weak attacks; therefore is quite weak to priority unless it carries the uncommon Aqua Jet - and even then, Extremespeed exists.
  • Vulnerable to Spikes, which are common in UU.
  • Cannot heal itself with any moves [though in order to get Giga Drain, Yanmega often needs to give up its coverage against steels/Zapdos/etc]
  • Vulnerable to Intimidate.
  • Its counterpart actually does have the bulk to take a stray hit if Stealth Rock is not up.
 

Iminyourcloset

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This thread looks interesting :o
What about Mew v. Bisharp as SD sweepers? /me shrugs

vs.


Bisharp's Advantages:
- More resistances/Immunities make it easier to switch in
- Way higher attack to murder faster
- More/better abilities, Defiant and Inner Focus ruin Intimidate cores and flinch haxers, respectively.
- Fairly more abusable STAB in Dark

Bisharp's Disadvantages:
- Less bulk; Mew can take a good hit or two even if it's not resisted
- Slower, so hard to sweep
- Relies on Sucker Punch, and it's coverage moves are "eh"
- Worse coverage moves, really only having Low Kick or Iron Head to use

Feel free to add on; I couldn't get very much down...
 

Arkian

this is the state of grace
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Awesome thread ScraftyIsTheBest! Here are my additions on the comparisons:

@Explorer: Heracross resists Fighting-type attacks, an extremely useful ability in UU, whereas Krookodile is weak to said type. Heracross is also stronger with a higher Attack stat and higher Base Powered moves. EdgeQuake+Crunch doesn't matter as CC+Megahorn+Stone Edge get practically the same coverage (am I missing something important?). Other than that, it looks fine to me.

@Shiruba: I really don't know why Speed Boost Yanmega is still being used, Tinted Lens is much better. On top of Sharpedo's horrendous bulk, its typing is really not that good, being weak to Fighting-type attacks. Both can't OHKO most semi-bulky Pokemon without little prior damage, however, Yanmega has a chance to survive something (granted SR is off). For pros, Sharpedo can use both attacking stats, while Yanmega HAS to stick to Special Attacking moves. Other than that, you covered everything.

@Closet: Those are some weird Pokemon to compare. Typing hinders Bisharp with a 4x weakness to Fighting-type attacks. Bisharp at least has a good priority move, even though it's unreliable. I can't think of anything other than that.

It's weird how the Pokemon that we're listing advantages/disadvantages are all past Dark-types :o
Great job guys, and feel free to argue with my changes ^_^
 
Awesome thread ScraftyIsTheBest! Here are my additions on the comparisons:

@Explorer: Heracross resists Fighting-type attacks, an extremely useful ability in UU, whereas Krookodile is weak to said type. Heracross is also stronger with a higher Attack stat and higher Base Powered moves. EdgeQuake+Crunch doesn't matter as CC+Megahorn+Stone Edge get practically the same coverage (am I missing something important?). Other than that, it looks fine to me.
I edited my original post to add these things, great points. Maybe I'll get to use Krookodile in RU next month anyway :)

I also decided to mention that Krookodile is resistant to Stealth Rock and has an Electric immunity, not that these advantages completely outweigh the disadvantages you mentioned.

@Iminyourcloset: Are you referring to SD Mew or just offensive Mew in general?
 
Cool Thread! How's this, Galvantula vs. Zapdos as an Offensive Electric-type?

vs


Galvantula's Advantages
-the Compound Eyes Ability allows it to spam an accurate Thunder without relying on Rain Support, and of course Galvantula's Thunder is more powerful than Zapdos's Thunderbolt
-108 Base Speed to beat Base 100s and 105s such as Victini and Zoroark respectively
-Access to Giga Drain allowing it to beat the common Electric-type checks Rhyperior and Swampert without losing a Hidden Power slot
-Secondary STAB in Bug Buzz to hit several UU Pokemon much harder. For example it can 2HKO Umbreon after Stealth Rocks while Zapdos is walled by it

Galvantula's Disadvantages
-disgustingly frail, even resisted hits do heavy damage and it can be picked off by Priority with relative ease as opposed to Zapdos who can usually take a hit or two when needed
-it's grounded so it's susceptible to Spikes and Toxic Spikes and lacks the very useful Ground Immunity that Zapdos boasts
-Zapdos has reliable recovery in Roost to shrug of passive damage from Life Orb and Stealth Rocks while Galvantula has to rely on getting some health back from Bulky Waters and Rhyperior with Giga Drain
 
@Shiruba: I really don't know why Speed Boost Yanmega is still being used, Tinted Lens is much better. On top of Sharpedo's horrendous bulk, its typing is really not that good, being weak to Fighting-type attacks. Both can't OHKO most semi-bulky Pokemon without little prior damage, however, Yanmega has a chance to survive something (granted SR is off). For pros, Sharpedo can use both attacking stats, while Yanmega HAS to stick to Special Attacking moves. Other than that, you covered everything.
well i guess it could be used for surprise factor? haha, you're right though. from my experience, sharpedo seems to be better.

sharpedo being weak to something doesn't mean anything really; resisted attacks from a semi-powerful 'mon should take it down regardless. when i use sharpedo on my team, i don't even account for it when it comes to defensive synergy because lol what defence?

but yeah, you're quite right. i think i said that sharpedo could go mixed or special, though? i'll definitely add it if i forgot. thanks!
 

Ace Emerald

Cyclic, lunar, metamorphosing
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This is a strong thread idea. That said, I think the example in the OP is a little off. Both Heracross and Meinshao are popular and common Scarfers, the goal seems to be comparing non-standard Pokemon and sets with more common ones, outlining differences.

Here's one I've used:

Bulky Utility Pokemon

vs


Advantages of Cradily:
  • Reliable recovery
  • Almost full counters all Raikou and Zapdos
  • Water (and more importantly Scald) immunity
  • More special bulk

Disadvantages of Cradily:
  • MUCH weaker
  • Less physical bulk
  • No phazing move (which sucks with combined with being weaker)
  • Fire neutrality means you can't check Darmanitan and Victini

It's a little hard to justify using Cradily because its lack of strength or phazing make it set up bait, but there's something to be said for its ability to hard counter Zapdos and Raikou much better than Rhyperior. Its Water immunity and access to Recover are pretty good traits as well, and make Cradily usable in certain situations (which is what this thread is about).
 
This is a strong thread idea. That said, I think the example in the OP is a little off. Both Heracross and Meinshao are popular and common Scarfers, the goal seems to be comparing non-standard Pokemon and sets with more common ones, outlining differences.
I think the purpose of this thread is open to interpretation. It can be for highlighting Pokemon that can accomplish a similar role to one that is more common, but can also be used to present pros and cons to the use of various common Pokemon for the same purpose, and to determine which is better for one's team based on their individual strengths and weaknesses.

[also Rhyperior can break subs with Rock Blast which is fantastic - but on the other end, being neutral to Grass Knot means that Cradily doesn't get screwed over by special variants of Victini, which is a nice pro - it's also not usually OHKO'd because of a surprise move like HP Grass or something, but aside from that, solid job! I almost always use Mienshao in UU, so I never really have problems with Cradily, but it sounds like it could be a great threat]
 

CoolStoryBrobat

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I agree with Ace Emerald on the interpretation of less commonly-used/non-standard Pokemon in comparison to ones we'd prefer usually, that was my initial take on the thread. And with that being said, here's an idea I'd like to pitch:

Swellow Vs. Crobat as Flying-type Attackers. (The two actually have a handy few similarities, but I'll try to avoid those)

Vs.


Advantages of Swellow


  • Pseudo-Immunity to status due to holding Flame/Toxic Orb
  • Guts gives it a 50% attack boost, allowing it to hit incredibly hard while being able to switch moves (The band set allows Crobat to hit harder, but it has no freedom between moves.)
  • Has better neutral coverage with STAB Guts-boosted facade,
  • Access to a STAB priority move in Quick Attack (Eh, worth a mention, no?)
Disadvantages of Swellow



  • Bears a Stealth Rock weakness, which even though Crobat shares, Swellow can't afford to run Roost most of the time.
  • Poor defensive typing
  • Dies VERY quickly due to poor defenses, status orb damage, SR weakness, and Brave Bird recoil
  • Has SLIGHTLY less Speed and Atk (Crobat has 90 Atk and 130 Speed, Swellow has 85 and 125 Speed.)
  • Really is better off being played lategame when most Rocks/Steels are dead, since it gets worn down and weakened quickly, whereas Crobat can always be used at any time.
  • Extremely vulnerable to priority
 
Hmm... How about Shaymin vs Roserade as Specially Offensive Pokemon?

vs


Shaymin's Advantages:
  • Much better bulk overall, with Roserade having only a slight lead in Special Defense, while Shaymin possesses vastly superior HP and physical bulk.
  • Access to an extremely powerful STAB which doesn't force it to switch after use - in fact, it has the effect of a pseudo Nasty Plot, and can force many switches, which in turn rack up hazard damage.
  • Nice coverage moves in the form of Earth Power, Air Slash, and Psychic, all of which don't force it to give up a Hidden Power slot.
  • Faster than Roserade, as it reaches that great base 100, above many important threats in the UU tier that rest at base 95, which means it is not forced to take a chance on the speed tie.
  • Resists Earthquake and other common ground moves, sponging them quite nicely due to its good natural bulk.
  • Can run an effective offensive SubSeed set.
  • Can also support the team with great moves like Aromatherapy, Toxic, and Healing Wish if necessary, though one of the draws of Shaymin is its great offensive coverage, and Roserade has access to both Aromatherapy and Toxic anyway. Still, Healing Wish is notable for bringing back massive threats like Choice Scarf Darmanitan for a second rampage after they've been severely weakened.
Shaymin's Disadvantages:
  • Shaymin has a lower Special Attack stat than Roserade, which often makes Roserade more immediately threatening.
  • Seed Flare's PP is easy to wear down, especially given the powerful possessors of Pressure such as Raikou and Zapdos.
  • Roserade can absorb Toxic Spikes, though they're not really used often due to the ubiquitous Poison types in the tier.
  • Roserade has access to Sleep Powder, which basically equates to a knocked out Pokemon given the B/W sleep mechanics.
  • Has only one STAB, as opposed to Roserade's two.
  • Roserade isn't always [or almost always] used offensively, and as such, can be expected to be of a defensive set and is therefore somewhat unpredictable.
  • Shaymin is weak to common moves such as U-Turn and Heracross' Megahorn, though Roserade still takes a hefty chunk due to its low physical bulk. Roserade also has a handy resistance to the ubiquitous Fighting type moves in the tier, but most of these are coming from physical attackers that will still horribly maim Roserade.
 
Roserade also has access to Aromatherapy so I'd say the only support Move Shaymin has over it is Healing Wish, which is pretty promising although hard to fit onto a Set (Scarfed Shaymin anyone?) Aside from that a Fighting resistance is wonderful however Rose is so frail on the Physical side that things like STAB HJK from Mienshao do heavy damage anyway.
 
Roserade also has access to Aromatherapy so I'd say the only support Move Shaymin has over it is Healing Wish, which is pretty promising although hard to fit onto a Set (Scarfed Shaymin anyone?)
haha, i wasn't sure how to say that roserade can have those too, but i figured it out. thanks! do you think i should emphasize healing wish a bit more? i've never used it personally, but setting up a scarf darmanitan or something to go on a second flare blitz rampage does sound rather appealing.
 
haha, i wasn't sure how to say that roserade can have those too, but i figured it out. thanks! do you think i should emphasize healing wish a bit more? i've never used it personally, but setting up a scarf darmanitan or something to go on a second flare blitz rampage does sound rather appealing.
To be honest I haven't used Healing Wish Shaymin just yet ^^' I run SubSeed. Although I have seen the Move in battle and it's pretty good. Like you said setting up something like Darm for a second round is rather nice, in fact it can turn a game around so maybe it should be emphasized. Although it does cost Shaymin some coverage.
 
Choice Band Dragons:

vs.


Why use Druddigon?

  • Much better attack stat
  • Priority in Sucker Punch
  • Mold Breaker to beat Levitate Pokemon (especially Bronzong) with Earthquake and do other cool things like bypass Solid Rock
  • Bulkier, especially since CB Druddigon invests in bulk and Flygon doesn't
  • Resistances to Grass and Water, can take Ice attacks
Why use Flygon?

  • Outspeeds most of the tier, and is thus harder for offensive teams to check even with offensive pressure (Though Druddigon's bulk makes up for a bit of this)
  • U-Turn to wear down and force out counters
  • Ground STAB
  • Valuable immunities in Electric and Ground, both excellent attacking types in UU.
 
I have another one:


VS

(offensive variants)

Moltres's advantages:
Base speed higher by 15 points; Scarf Moltres can outspeed ScarfCross whereas Scarf Chandelure can't
STAB Hurricane
Reliable recovery (Roost)
Immune to Spikes and Toxic Spikes

Moltres's disadvantages:
Weak to Raikou and Zapdos's main STAB move
Inferior ability (Flash Fire beats Pressure 9 out of 10 times)
4x Stealth Rock weakness, compared to Chandelure's 2x
Must use HP Grass for Swampert and Rhyperior, whereas Chandelure gets Energy Ball and can run a different Hidden Power type
Neutral to BlizzSpam
Main STAB moves are less reliable

So yeah just slap an Air Balloon on Chandelure and give it Umbreon's wish support and no wonder Moltres doesn't fit in UU well.
 

CoolStoryBrobat

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I got another one as well:

Crustle Vs. Rhyperior, as Rock-type Hazard setters
Vs.


Advantages of Crustle


  • Has access to Stealth Rock AND Spikes
  • Slightly more speed and Special Defense
  • Better defensive typing, being weak only to Water, Rock, and Steel, and thus has fewer weaknesses than Rhyperior, one of which isn't a common attacking type
  • Has access to Shell Smash, thus being able to go offensive more effectively than any of Rhyperior's boosting sets (Rock Polish, Swords Dance, etc.)
  • Access to Knock Off (Still rarely seen but worth a mention) to be annoying
  • The ability Sturdy, which prevents an OHKO at full HP, practically guaranteeing you at least Stealth Rock (And a layer of Spikes if you run Custap Berry)
  • The ability Shell Armor, which blocks all manner of critical hits. Eff you, hax!
  • It lugs an enormous boulder around. Rhyperior, do you even lift?
Disadvantages of Crustle



  • Significantly less HP, slightly less defense
  • Less effective defensive abilities (Not being OHKO'd at full HP or taking crits is nice, but Solid Rock is the ultimate defensive ability in the long run)
  • Stealth Rock weakness, which keeps it from switching in much, while Rhyperior actually resists Stealth Rock :l
  • Its STABs aren't as helpful offensively as Rhyperior's
  • Movepool is much more sparse than Rhyperior's, and thus doesn't have a whole ton of options
  • Despite having fewer weaknesses, Crustle also has only two resistances (both of them being rare attacking types) and no Electric Immunity, thus meaning it can't counter Raikou effectively
  • Not as much Atk as Rhyperior has, meaning if it's meant to be an attacker, it NEEDS Shell Smash to do respectable damage in comparison
  • Unable to pHaze out foes, due to lacking access to both Roar and Dragon Tail, meaning it invites certain sweepers to set up
 
Quagsire vs Swampert as Bulky Water Types

vs


Advantages of Quagsire
  • Access to Unware to beat setup sweepers
  • Access to Water Absorb
  • Reliable Recovery
  • Has access to Stockpile
Disadvantages of Quagsire
  • Worse Hp and Defensive Stats (Unless you get some Stockpiles)
  • Does not have access to Stealth Rock
  • Does not have access to Phazing
  • Has mediocre attack stat (unless you get a few curses)
Hope I did good =)
 

ScraftyIsTheBest

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Well I'll continue on the discussion, here's some.

Slowking as a Bulky Water-type vs. Slowbro

vs.


Slowking's Advantages

Dragon Tail: Slowking has this great move, which means it can shuffle the opposing team, and also rack up Spikes+SR damage with this move. This makes it harder to switch into, as that Shaymin coming in could be forced right out, while also handling bulky Water-types better (and resets CM Cune boosts). It also is part of what makes Slowking a better match-up against Kingdra.

Better special bulk: Slowking's better special bulk, (and it still has decent physical bulk), make it the better matchup against Kingdra, as it can take a Specs DM or a +1 Outrage, and force it right out with D-Tail. Kingdra's ways of dealing real damage to Slowking all have major drawbacks. This also means Slowking can better take on attackers that hit from both sides, and also makes it a pretty good bet against Nidoqueen/Nidoking

Slowking's Disadvantages:

Lack of sheer physical bulk: Slowking doesn't have the rock-hard physical defense of Slowbro, who can flat out wall many of the physical attackers in the tier, whereas Slowking pretty much can come in but still can get 2HKO'd.
 

TPO3

Never practice; Always perform.
vs


Zapdos vs Raikou as offensive Electric-types

Zapdos's Advantages

Checks Heracross with its resistance to both Close Combat and Megahorn, as well as access to Heat Wave and Hidden Power Flying. Zapdos checks Fighting-types in general, like Mienshao, but Heracross is the most noteworthy with its dual STAB attacks.

Higher initial Special Attack Zapdos has a whopping base 125 Special Attack which means it will hit hard right off the bat, allowing it to abuse Life Orb with ease.

Ground Immunity allowing Zapdos to also check choiced Ground-types, such as Flygon or Krookodile with proper prediction. (Check, not counter.)

More Bulk which allows Zapdos to run physically and specially defensive sets and have greater longevity. Zapdos's typing also aids in this aspect, as you can switch into some pretty common attacks throughout a match. (ex: Leaf Storm, Scald, Close Combat)

Roost which allows Zapdos to not only have greater longevity, but also run the obscenely annoying SubRoost set, which can stall a lot of low-pp moves, like Stone Edge.

Disadvantages of Zapdos

Less speed: base 100 Speed still is not bad by any stretch of the imagination, but it definitely isn't as good as Raikou's awesome base 115, which lets it outspeed some common pokemon in UU, such as Froslass, Tornadus, CB Flygon, and non-scarf Mienshao.

No access to Calm Mind which Raikou is blessed enough to have. With just a turn of setup, Raikou can turn into a sweeping machine, and with Substitute it can even grab some extra boosts. Everybody knows how dangerous SubCM Raikou is during ladder play.

Extrasensory: With pretty much every set needing to run Roost, Zapdos doesn't often find a slot to abuse extrasensory with. In addition, it often elects to run Heat Wave instead as it has more power, and hits Bronzong. Raikou on the other hand often has a free moveslot and can run Extrasensory alongside Hidden Power Grass to hit both Nidoking/queen in addition to Swampert and Rhyperior, while Zapdos normally has to pick one pair of Ground-types or the other.

Weak to Stealth Rock: Zapdos's crippling Stealth Rock weakness makes Roost a necessity on pretty much every set. In addition to this, it makes it very difficult (although admittedly, not impossible) to run a Choice item on Zapdos, despite having access to Volt Switch. The damage just adds up too quickly, and nobody wants to be locked into Roost.
 
I like this thread alot itll be a great tool for all playets.

On that note, i think that some of these pokes are so vastly outclassed by the superior pokes in most cases. Krookodile and hera are completely different and can suit multiple needs. Krookodiles immunity to psychic and electric moves, resistance to sr andfaster speed and access to aerial ace lets it act as a reliable check to moxiecross.personally i like krookodile more : )

Crustle and rhyperior are 2 great options for hazard layers. Crustles custap set guarantees hazards but rhyperior has more staying power.both are great in this aspect.

In regards to slowbro vs. Slowking, i think slowbro vastly outclasses slowking as a physical wall. Slowking is good as a trick room sweeper with access to nasty plot but as a wall its kinda meh being easily 2hko by most attackerz. I think slowking is also facing competition from kilotic who has almost the exaxt stats except sp def which milotic is much higher. Overall slowking is good as a wall but better as a sweeper.

I want to reserve porygonz vs chandelure as choice specs user, wikk be complete friday or saturday : )
 
I want to reserve porygonz vs chandelure as choice specs user, wikk be complete friday or saturday : )
Damn! I knew I should've got on that one right away >.< I love those two

btw, maybe that should be a comparison as Choice Item users in general, most if not all of the reasons I can think of to use PZ over Chandy as a Specs user applies to Scarf as well.
 
Rhyperior vs Piloswine

for Stealth Rock setter and electric-stopping tank.

[PIMG]469[/PIMG] VS [PIMG]221[/PIMG]

Similarities
-Access to Stealth Rock
-Ground typing
-Almost identically good bulk and attack
-Multi hitting STAB

Benefits to Rhyperior
- Leftovers recovery
- Resistances to flying, fire, and rock
- Solid Rock
- Rock STAB
- Phazing

Benefits to Piloswine
- Priority
- Resistance to ice and neutrality to ground
- Not 4x weak to water and grass
- Ice STAB
- Higher speed
- Hail Immunity
- Greater overall cuteness

Overall, Rhyperior is generally the more well rounded poke, adding valuable fire, rock, and flying resistances while having superior longevity thanks to Leftovers and Solid Rock. It can also provide phazing and/or hit with superior coverage. However Piloswine can still be a useful addition to your team with the near-equivalent of Jolly Weavile's Ice Shard, allowing it to revenge kill weakened or ice-weak sweepers (i.e. Flygon) and fair better in 1v1 situations against Pokemon like Nidoking. Its ice resistance is also very useful, improving its effectiveness against certain electric Pokemon such as Sub CM Raikou and making it a good answer to Blizzard spam from the likes of Glaceon and Jynx. It can also survive surprise HP Grasses and the odd Scald, with LO Zapdos' HP Grass only a 2-3HKO.
 
azelf vs mew Nasty Plot Sweeper

vs



Azelf Benefit

-25 bass higher Special attack and speed
-better ability in my opinion which lets it set up on a choiced ground move looking at you flygon


Mew benefit

-Better Defenses that could make up for its less speed
-More unpredictable your opponent hhas to take a turn to see what set it is then counter it
-Better move pool which makes it much more versatile
 

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