POTW #8 Sceptile

Pokemon of the week #8:

Ability: Overgrow
Raises the power of Grass-type moves 50% when at 1/3 HP or less.

Tier: UU, Underused.

Overview:


Although Sceptile is often eclipsed by other Grass-types, such as the omnipresent Venusaur, he has the potential to effectively fill a variety of different roles on a standard UU team. As the fastest non-Uber SubSeeder, Sceptile is one of the most effective users of the strategy. Additionally, with high Speed and Special Attack, Sceptile is tailor-made for the role of fast, deadly special sweeper; access to moves like Swords Dance and Leaf Blade, as well as a usable Attack stat, make Sceptile a viable physical sweeper. Despite his offensive prowess, Sceptile's low defenses often limit his survivability. When used correctly, however, Sceptile can singlehandedly sweep or stall through large portions of the UU metagame. All in all, Sceptile is a very versatile Pokemon who is a mainstay in the UU environment and should always be considered when making a UU team.

Best Moveset:

~ Swords Dance
~ Leaf Blade
~ Earthquake / X-Scissor
~ Rock Slide / Double-Edge

Sceptile is traditionally seen as a specially-based Pokemon because his base 105 Special Attack often overshadows his middling base 85 Attack. However, Swords Dance, the transition of Leaf Blade becoming physical, and a good physical movepool all work to make Sceptile a viable physical attacker. This set is simple - use Swords Dance to boost Sceptile's Attack to an impressive 538, then attack with the remainder of Sceptile's moves. Leaf Blade was pumped up to 90 Base Power during the D/P transition. Its decent power and high critical hit rate make it a solid STAB move for Sceptile and a must on any physical set. Earthquake provides great neutral coverage and allows Sceptile to hit Registeel and Poison-types. X-Scissor can be used over Earthquake, allowing Sceptile a way to dispose of Tangrowth and Leafeon. Rock Slide grants Sceptile universal type coverage in UU, while also taking care of otherwise dangerous threats such as Moltres and Altaria. Double-Edge is a viable alternative to Rock Slide, providing neutral coverage against the likes of Venusaur and Moltres.