[OVERVIEW]
Kabutops's high Attack, potent Rock / Water STAB combination, and access to Swords Dance and Continental Crush let it shred through bulkier Pokemon like Guzzlord, Mega Audino, and Vileplume, as well as Stealth Rock leads such as Rhydon, Diancie, and Miltank. In particular, Kabutops carves an interesting niche in its ability to KO physically defensive Slowbro with +2 Continental Crush after slight residual damage. A valuable ability in Weak Armor and priority in Aqua Jet enable Kabutops to become a terrifying presence against offensive teams, able to outspeed Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Vanilluxe and Rotom after a Speed boost and hit them hard with its attacks. Its decent enough physical bulk and handy resistances to Fire-, Flying-, and Normal-type attacks grant Kabutops ample opportunities to set up on Pokemon like bulky Incineroar and Choice-locked Braviary. However, Kabutops's typing also leaves it with weaknesses to common Electric-, Grass-, and Fighting-type attacks, allowing for Pokemon like Heliolisk, Whimsicott, and Choice Scarf Passimian to outspeed an unboosted Kabutops and OHKO it with their respective moves. Comfey can always outspeed Kabutops thanks to Triage and OHKO it with Giga Drain. Kabutops also has relatively poor special bulk, limiting what it can set up on besides the aforementioned positive matchups and leaving it easily revenge killed when lacking a Speed boost by Pokemon such as Rotom, Sceptile, and Heliolisk. Kabutops struggles to break through Water- and Ground-resistant Pokemon such as Seismitoad, Torterra, and Quagsire that possess high physical bulk and can easily beat Kabutops even after Swords Dance boosts. Lastly, Kabutops competes a fair bit with Samurott due to its lack of weaknesses to Fighting- and Ground-type moves and broader coverage options that allow it to break through threats like Seismitoad and Torterra far more easily. Samurott also sports more versatility with its ability to viably run special attacking sets.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Liquidation
move 4: Aqua Jet
item: Rockium Z
ability: Weak Armor
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance enables Kabutops to break through defensive walls like Slowbro, Vaporeon, and Mega Audino more easily. Stone Edge is Kabutops's strongest Rock-type STAB move, capable of OHKOing Pokemon like Slowbro, Vileplume, and Garbodor in conjunction with Swords Dance and Rockium Z. Liquidation targets Pokemon resistant to Stone Edge such as Steelix and Palossand. Aqua Jet enables an unboosted Kabutops to pick off faster threats such as Cryogonal, Rotom, and Sneasel.
Set Details
========
Maximum Attack and Speed investment in conjunction with a Jolly nature bolsters Kabutop's role as a Swords Dance sweeper. Weak Armor allows Kabutops to take advantage of weak physical attacks such as Xatu's U-turn and Mega Audino's Knock Off by granting it a +2 boost in Speed. Rockium Z converts Stone Edge into Continental Crush, enabling Kabutops to OHKO bulky Pokemon that it otherwise couldn't, such as Guzzlord, Vileplume, and Druddigon.
Usage Tips
========
Set up Swords Dance against passive Pokemon like Xatu and Mega Audino, Choice-locked Pokemon such as Passimian and Sneasel, and Pokemon naturally threatened out by Kabutops's moves like Incineroar and Golbat. Kabutops can also switch into weaker physical attacks such as Mega Audino's Knock Off and Sneasel's Ice Shard in order to safely activate Weak Armor. Use Aqua Jet to pick off faster, weakened Pokemon like Rotom and Delphox if Kabutops lacks a boost from Weak Armor. Avoid setting up until threats like Seismitoad, Torterra, and Comfey are removed, as they all have ways of cutting a sweep short; the former two take little from any of Kabutops's attacks, while the latter can always outspeed and OHKO Kabutops with Triage Giga Drain. Outside of sweeping, Swords Dance Kabutops can be utilized as a wallbreaker against bulkier Pokemon, threatening defensive backbones like Xatu, Garbodor, and Steelix. Kabutops's Z-Move is needed against defensive teams to OHKO targets like physically defensive Slowbro after Stealth Rock and Vileplume, so preserving its use for the right situation is vital in ensuring that Kabutops is as successful as possible. However, Kabutops's Z-Move can be thrown off more freely against frailer teams in order to score damage on targets like Decidueye and Alolan Exeggutor, which can possibly pave the way for another teammate to sweep.
Team Options
========
Specially offensive wallbreakers such as Heliolisk, Sceptile, and Vikavolt possess the ability to weaken defensive threats to Kabutops such as Pyukumuku, Seismitoad, and Torterra. In return, Kabutops is able to muscle past specially defensive walls such as Mega Audino and Type: Null. Choice Scarf users such as Passimian, Vanilluxe, and Rotom are able to outspeed and check various revenge killers to Kabutops such as Heliolisk, Sceptile, and opposing Passimian. Furthermore, defensive walls like Steelix, Vileplume, and Golbat can sponge hits from such Pokemon. Entry hazards from setters such as Torterra, Seismitoad, and Garbodor are able to wear at bulkier teams. Most notably, Kabutops is able to OHKO physically defensive Slowbro with +2 Continental Crush after Stealth Rock. Pivots like Incineroar and Xatu ensure that Kabutops is brought in safely and can be used to pivot Kabutops into Pokemon it can take advantage of such as Rhydon and Sneasel. Additional support through dual screens and Memento from Pokemon like Xatu and Mismagius grants Kabutops several safe opportunities to set up Swords Dance.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Kabutops can be an effective lead on dedicated hyper offense teams due to its ability to run both Stealth Rock and Rapid Spin, favoring it in the entry hazard game. Unfortunately, bulky entry hazard setters such as Steelix and Rhydon are preferred, as they find several opportunities throughout a game to set Stealth Rock. Such a set also competes with Omastar, which trades Rapid Spin for the ability to stack Spikes in addition to Stealth Rock. Superpower with Fightinium Z is a viable alternative that grants Kabutops the ability to muscle past Seismitoad and Ferroseed, but this forfeits a boosted Continental Crush's ability to KO Slowbro and is also weaker against neutral Pokemon like Druddigon. Choice Scarf sets are unique in their ability to compress hazard removal with outspeeding offensive threats such as Heliolisk and Choice Scarf Vanilluxe, but otherwise they face immense amounts of competition from other Choice Scarf users such as Passimian and Rotom due to their pivoting abilities and overall superior offensive presence in part by their STAB and coverage options.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fighting-types**: Passimian, Hariyama, and Scrafty resist Stone Edge, possess the bulk to survive +2 Liquidation, and threaten to obliterate Kabutops in return. Choice Scarf Passimian is also able to safely revenge kill Kabutops should it lack any Speed boosts from Weak Armor.
**Bulky Ground- and Water-types**: Seismitoad, Torterra, and Quagsire take pitiful amounts of damage from even a boosted Kabutops and threaten to decimate it in return with a super effective move. If Kabutops has used its Z-Move, Slowbro and Vaporeon are able to avoid being OHKOed by +2 Stone Edge and potentially cripple Kabutops with Scald or, in Slowbro's case, OHKO it with Grass Knot. Steelix is able to survive +2 Liquidation at full health and retaliate with Earthquake.
**Grass-type Attacks**: Sceptile and Whimsicott are able to outspeed an unboosted Kabutops and target its 4x weakness. Vileplume is able to survive +2 Stone Edge and can OHKO it in return with Giga Drain, but Vileplume must be cautious of its Z-Move. Comfey's Giga Drain is able to always outspeed Kabutops thanks to Triage. Various other Pokemon like Delphox and Assault Vest Slowbro may carry Grass Knot, dissuading Kabutops from setting up in front of them.
**Electric-types**: Without any Weak Armor boosts, Kabutops is easily revenged killed by the likes of Rotom and Heliolisk. Heliolisk in particular is able to come in and take advantage of Aqua Jet thanks to Dry Skin, and Choice Scarf variants can outpace even a Weak Armor-boosted Kabutops.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[tondas, 442732]]
- Quality checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [Quziel, 297859], [Eternally, 295647]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [frostration, 447027]]
Kabutops's high Attack, potent Rock / Water STAB combination, and access to Swords Dance and Continental Crush let it shred through bulkier Pokemon like Guzzlord, Mega Audino, and Vileplume, as well as Stealth Rock leads such as Rhydon, Diancie, and Miltank. In particular, Kabutops carves an interesting niche in its ability to KO physically defensive Slowbro with +2 Continental Crush after slight residual damage. A valuable ability in Weak Armor and priority in Aqua Jet enable Kabutops to become a terrifying presence against offensive teams, able to outspeed Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Vanilluxe and Rotom after a Speed boost and hit them hard with its attacks. Its decent enough physical bulk and handy resistances to Fire-, Flying-, and Normal-type attacks grant Kabutops ample opportunities to set up on Pokemon like bulky Incineroar and Choice-locked Braviary. However, Kabutops's typing also leaves it with weaknesses to common Electric-, Grass-, and Fighting-type attacks, allowing for Pokemon like Heliolisk, Whimsicott, and Choice Scarf Passimian to outspeed an unboosted Kabutops and OHKO it with their respective moves. Comfey can always outspeed Kabutops thanks to Triage and OHKO it with Giga Drain. Kabutops also has relatively poor special bulk, limiting what it can set up on besides the aforementioned positive matchups and leaving it easily revenge killed when lacking a Speed boost by Pokemon such as Rotom, Sceptile, and Heliolisk. Kabutops struggles to break through Water- and Ground-resistant Pokemon such as Seismitoad, Torterra, and Quagsire that possess high physical bulk and can easily beat Kabutops even after Swords Dance boosts. Lastly, Kabutops competes a fair bit with Samurott due to its lack of weaknesses to Fighting- and Ground-type moves and broader coverage options that allow it to break through threats like Seismitoad and Torterra far more easily. Samurott also sports more versatility with its ability to viably run special attacking sets.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Liquidation
move 4: Aqua Jet
item: Rockium Z
ability: Weak Armor
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance enables Kabutops to break through defensive walls like Slowbro, Vaporeon, and Mega Audino more easily. Stone Edge is Kabutops's strongest Rock-type STAB move, capable of OHKOing Pokemon like Slowbro, Vileplume, and Garbodor in conjunction with Swords Dance and Rockium Z. Liquidation targets Pokemon resistant to Stone Edge such as Steelix and Palossand. Aqua Jet enables an unboosted Kabutops to pick off faster threats such as Cryogonal, Rotom, and Sneasel.
Set Details
========
Maximum Attack and Speed investment in conjunction with a Jolly nature bolsters Kabutop's role as a Swords Dance sweeper. Weak Armor allows Kabutops to take advantage of weak physical attacks such as Xatu's U-turn and Mega Audino's Knock Off by granting it a +2 boost in Speed. Rockium Z converts Stone Edge into Continental Crush, enabling Kabutops to OHKO bulky Pokemon that it otherwise couldn't, such as Guzzlord, Vileplume, and Druddigon.
Usage Tips
========
Set up Swords Dance against passive Pokemon like Xatu and Mega Audino, Choice-locked Pokemon such as Passimian and Sneasel, and Pokemon naturally threatened out by Kabutops's moves like Incineroar and Golbat. Kabutops can also switch into weaker physical attacks such as Mega Audino's Knock Off and Sneasel's Ice Shard in order to safely activate Weak Armor. Use Aqua Jet to pick off faster, weakened Pokemon like Rotom and Delphox if Kabutops lacks a boost from Weak Armor. Avoid setting up until threats like Seismitoad, Torterra, and Comfey are removed, as they all have ways of cutting a sweep short; the former two take little from any of Kabutops's attacks, while the latter can always outspeed and OHKO Kabutops with Triage Giga Drain. Outside of sweeping, Swords Dance Kabutops can be utilized as a wallbreaker against bulkier Pokemon, threatening defensive backbones like Xatu, Garbodor, and Steelix. Kabutops's Z-Move is needed against defensive teams to OHKO targets like physically defensive Slowbro after Stealth Rock and Vileplume, so preserving its use for the right situation is vital in ensuring that Kabutops is as successful as possible. However, Kabutops's Z-Move can be thrown off more freely against frailer teams in order to score damage on targets like Decidueye and Alolan Exeggutor, which can possibly pave the way for another teammate to sweep.
Team Options
========
Specially offensive wallbreakers such as Heliolisk, Sceptile, and Vikavolt possess the ability to weaken defensive threats to Kabutops such as Pyukumuku, Seismitoad, and Torterra. In return, Kabutops is able to muscle past specially defensive walls such as Mega Audino and Type: Null. Choice Scarf users such as Passimian, Vanilluxe, and Rotom are able to outspeed and check various revenge killers to Kabutops such as Heliolisk, Sceptile, and opposing Passimian. Furthermore, defensive walls like Steelix, Vileplume, and Golbat can sponge hits from such Pokemon. Entry hazards from setters such as Torterra, Seismitoad, and Garbodor are able to wear at bulkier teams. Most notably, Kabutops is able to OHKO physically defensive Slowbro with +2 Continental Crush after Stealth Rock. Pivots like Incineroar and Xatu ensure that Kabutops is brought in safely and can be used to pivot Kabutops into Pokemon it can take advantage of such as Rhydon and Sneasel. Additional support through dual screens and Memento from Pokemon like Xatu and Mismagius grants Kabutops several safe opportunities to set up Swords Dance.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Kabutops can be an effective lead on dedicated hyper offense teams due to its ability to run both Stealth Rock and Rapid Spin, favoring it in the entry hazard game. Unfortunately, bulky entry hazard setters such as Steelix and Rhydon are preferred, as they find several opportunities throughout a game to set Stealth Rock. Such a set also competes with Omastar, which trades Rapid Spin for the ability to stack Spikes in addition to Stealth Rock. Superpower with Fightinium Z is a viable alternative that grants Kabutops the ability to muscle past Seismitoad and Ferroseed, but this forfeits a boosted Continental Crush's ability to KO Slowbro and is also weaker against neutral Pokemon like Druddigon. Choice Scarf sets are unique in their ability to compress hazard removal with outspeeding offensive threats such as Heliolisk and Choice Scarf Vanilluxe, but otherwise they face immense amounts of competition from other Choice Scarf users such as Passimian and Rotom due to their pivoting abilities and overall superior offensive presence in part by their STAB and coverage options.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fighting-types**: Passimian, Hariyama, and Scrafty resist Stone Edge, possess the bulk to survive +2 Liquidation, and threaten to obliterate Kabutops in return. Choice Scarf Passimian is also able to safely revenge kill Kabutops should it lack any Speed boosts from Weak Armor.
**Bulky Ground- and Water-types**: Seismitoad, Torterra, and Quagsire take pitiful amounts of damage from even a boosted Kabutops and threaten to decimate it in return with a super effective move. If Kabutops has used its Z-Move, Slowbro and Vaporeon are able to avoid being OHKOed by +2 Stone Edge and potentially cripple Kabutops with Scald or, in Slowbro's case, OHKO it with Grass Knot. Steelix is able to survive +2 Liquidation at full health and retaliate with Earthquake.
**Grass-type Attacks**: Sceptile and Whimsicott are able to outspeed an unboosted Kabutops and target its 4x weakness. Vileplume is able to survive +2 Stone Edge and can OHKO it in return with Giga Drain, but Vileplume must be cautious of its Z-Move. Comfey's Giga Drain is able to always outspeed Kabutops thanks to Triage. Various other Pokemon like Delphox and Assault Vest Slowbro may carry Grass Knot, dissuading Kabutops from setting up in front of them.
**Electric-types**: Without any Weak Armor boosts, Kabutops is easily revenged killed by the likes of Rotom and Heliolisk. Heliolisk in particular is able to come in and take advantage of Aqua Jet thanks to Dry Skin, and Choice Scarf variants can outpace even a Weak Armor-boosted Kabutops.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[tondas, 442732]]
- Quality checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [Quziel, 297859], [Eternally, 295647]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [frostration, 447027]]
Last edited by a moderator:
