[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Double-Edge
move 2: Quick Attack
move 3: Aerial Ace / Hidden Power Flying
move 4: Hidden Power Ground / Steel Wing
item: Choice Band
ability: Guts
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Taillow's fantastic base Speed in conjunction with Guts and powerful STAB Double-Edge allows it be an excellent revenge killer and wallbreaker. Quick Attack is used to safely revenge kill weakened Pokemon that Speed tie with or are faster than Taillow such as Aipom, Staryu, and Elekid. While not nearly as strong as Double-Edge, Aerial Ace provides a non-recoil STAB move that is still able to threaten offensive Pokemon as well as Bug- and Grass-types such as Bayleef, Dustox, and Exeggcute. Hidden Power Ground is coverage that allows Taillow to deal super effective damage to Rock- and Steel-types such as Rhyhorn, Magnemite, and Nosepass. As an alternative to Aerial Ace and Hidden Power Ground, Hidden Power Flying and Steel Wing can be used. Hidden Power Flying is stronger than Aerial Ace, while Steel Wing can hit Lileep, with the trade-off being walled by Magnemite and Aron. Taillow's access to Guts allows it to punish the use of Toxic and Will-O-Wisp by increasing its damage output, which other Choice Band Normal-types like Aipom and Pidgeotto cannot do.
Taillow fits on offensive and balanced teams that enjoy its wallbreaking and revenge killing capabilities. Taillow suffers from competition from Pidgeotto, which has much better bulk and stronger attacks. However, Taillow's much higher Speed justifies its use on faster teams. Due to its extreme fragility, Taillow appreciates Rock- and Steel-type checks like Koffing, Bayleef, and Lileep. Special attackers such as Elekid, Chinchou, and Growlithe appreciate Taillow's ability to deal with common special walls like Dustox, Delcatty, and Chinchou; in return, Taillow benefits from their ability to deal with physical walls such as Rhyhorn, Koffing, and Magnemite. Spikes and Toxic support can help soften physical walls and lower faster offensive Pokemon into Quick Attack range.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Lead Taillow with Silk Scarf can be used to deal with Endure leads like Snorunt and Cyndaquil and physically frail leads like Chinchou, but its much lower damage output throughout the game hinders it significantly. Without a Choice item, Taillow can also utilize Endeavor to lower the HP of opposing Pokemon drastically after a single hit due to Taillow's low bulk. Hidden Power Fighting might be tempting to be able to hit all Rock- and Steel-types in one slot, but doing so loses Taillow a crucial Speed IV that makes it unable to Speed tie with Aipom, offensive Staryu, and opposing Taillow. Taillow also still cannot 2HKO a healthy Lileep with Hidden Power Fighting regardless.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Rock- and Steel-types**: Despite having coverage for these Pokemon, Taillow does not like having to predict and can be easily forced out if it is locked into any non-coverage move. For instance, Rhyhorn can take advantage of a Taillow locked into Double-Edge by using Substitute on it, and Lileep will always be able to wall all Taillow sets.
**Frailty**: Taillow's abysmal amount of bulk makes it difficult to safely switch in, as even weak neutral moves from walls such as Koffing and Dustox’s Sludge Bomb and Exeggcute’s Psychic can easily do more than half of Taillow's HP damage.
**Residual Damage**: Taillow's Double-Edge recoil compounded with its low HP stat can very quickly wear it down.
**Faster Pokemon**: Pokemon that outspeed Taillow such as Elekid and Luvdisc force it out easily.
**Koffing**: Koffing is able to 2HKO Taillow with Sludge Bomb and avoids being 2HKOed by Taillow's Double-Edge if Sludge Bomb doesn’t activate Guts.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/jonamon-25.494585/
- Quality checked by: https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gangsta-spongebob.535530/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bp.272450/
- Grammar checked by
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/autumn.384270/
name: Choice Band
move 1: Double-Edge
move 2: Quick Attack
move 3: Aerial Ace / Hidden Power Flying
move 4: Hidden Power Ground / Steel Wing
item: Choice Band
ability: Guts
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Taillow's fantastic base Speed in conjunction with Guts and powerful STAB Double-Edge allows it be an excellent revenge killer and wallbreaker. Quick Attack is used to safely revenge kill weakened Pokemon that Speed tie with or are faster than Taillow such as Aipom, Staryu, and Elekid. While not nearly as strong as Double-Edge, Aerial Ace provides a non-recoil STAB move that is still able to threaten offensive Pokemon as well as Bug- and Grass-types such as Bayleef, Dustox, and Exeggcute. Hidden Power Ground is coverage that allows Taillow to deal super effective damage to Rock- and Steel-types such as Rhyhorn, Magnemite, and Nosepass. As an alternative to Aerial Ace and Hidden Power Ground, Hidden Power Flying and Steel Wing can be used. Hidden Power Flying is stronger than Aerial Ace, while Steel Wing can hit Lileep, with the trade-off being walled by Magnemite and Aron. Taillow's access to Guts allows it to punish the use of Toxic and Will-O-Wisp by increasing its damage output, which other Choice Band Normal-types like Aipom and Pidgeotto cannot do.
Taillow fits on offensive and balanced teams that enjoy its wallbreaking and revenge killing capabilities. Taillow suffers from competition from Pidgeotto, which has much better bulk and stronger attacks. However, Taillow's much higher Speed justifies its use on faster teams. Due to its extreme fragility, Taillow appreciates Rock- and Steel-type checks like Koffing, Bayleef, and Lileep. Special attackers such as Elekid, Chinchou, and Growlithe appreciate Taillow's ability to deal with common special walls like Dustox, Delcatty, and Chinchou; in return, Taillow benefits from their ability to deal with physical walls such as Rhyhorn, Koffing, and Magnemite. Spikes and Toxic support can help soften physical walls and lower faster offensive Pokemon into Quick Attack range.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Lead Taillow with Silk Scarf can be used to deal with Endure leads like Snorunt and Cyndaquil and physically frail leads like Chinchou, but its much lower damage output throughout the game hinders it significantly. Without a Choice item, Taillow can also utilize Endeavor to lower the HP of opposing Pokemon drastically after a single hit due to Taillow's low bulk. Hidden Power Fighting might be tempting to be able to hit all Rock- and Steel-types in one slot, but doing so loses Taillow a crucial Speed IV that makes it unable to Speed tie with Aipom, offensive Staryu, and opposing Taillow. Taillow also still cannot 2HKO a healthy Lileep with Hidden Power Fighting regardless.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Rock- and Steel-types**: Despite having coverage for these Pokemon, Taillow does not like having to predict and can be easily forced out if it is locked into any non-coverage move. For instance, Rhyhorn can take advantage of a Taillow locked into Double-Edge by using Substitute on it, and Lileep will always be able to wall all Taillow sets.
**Frailty**: Taillow's abysmal amount of bulk makes it difficult to safely switch in, as even weak neutral moves from walls such as Koffing and Dustox’s Sludge Bomb and Exeggcute’s Psychic can easily do more than half of Taillow's HP damage.
**Residual Damage**: Taillow's Double-Edge recoil compounded with its low HP stat can very quickly wear it down.
**Faster Pokemon**: Pokemon that outspeed Taillow such as Elekid and Luvdisc force it out easily.
**Koffing**: Koffing is able to 2HKO Taillow with Sludge Bomb and avoids being 2HKOed by Taillow's Double-Edge if Sludge Bomb doesn’t activate Guts.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/jonamon-25.494585/
- Quality checked by: https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gangsta-spongebob.535530/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bp.272450/
- Grammar checked by
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/autumn.384270/
Last edited:
