UU Scizor [done]

[OVERVIEW]

Scizor's potent defensive typing, amazing utility in Knock Off and U-turn, reliable recovery in Roost, and useful ability in Technician for Bullet Punch make it one of UU's scariest cleaners and best pivots. Scizor's dominance stems from its set versatility and ability to fit on nearly every playstyle, ranging from hyper offense to balance. Scizor's 3 Attacks + Roost set provides near-unmatched utility as a pivot that can nearly always make progress by crippling switch-ins like Salamence and Celesteela with Knock Off and enabling threats like Azelf with U-turn, all while having Roost to check threats like Tangrowth and Zarude throughout a game. Meanwhile, Scizor's bulky Swords Dance set is notorious for being a strong late-game cleaner that can take advantage of common Pokemon like Zarude, Chansey, and Hippowdon to boost its Attack while also being a great revenge killer against Zygarde-10% and Nihilego, as well as having the longevity to outlast checks like Celesteela and sweep when the time is right. Scizor's offensive Swords Dance set focuses on going all out and steamrolling past defensive Pokemon like Tangrowth and Chansey while easily sweeping past Hydreigon and Mamoswine with its boosted attacks. All of these factors make Scizor quite tough to handle in the builder, possibly exploiting Skarmory and Cobalion with U-turn as well as potentially outlasting hard checks like Salamence, opening up its team. However, Scizor is not without its flaws. Its poor Speed and average Special Defense leave it susceptible to strong special attackers like Keldeo and Thundurus-T. Cleaning with Bullet Punch isn't always easy due to the prevalence of faster Steel-resistant Pokemon like Cobalion, Rotom-W, and the aforementioned Keldeo and Thundurus-T. This relegates Scizor to item displacement and pivoting for the early- to mid-game, as it is unable to immediately make progress on its own. Scizor also has a horrific weakness to Fire-type attacks, leaving it limited by common coverage moves from threats such as Galarian Slowbro, Celesteela, Azelf, and Salamence. Common defensive Pokemon like Skarmory and Amoonguss can be used to scout nearly all of Scizor's attacks, making it easier to distinguish what set it is running. Scizor struggles to fit all the moves it would like, wanting Swords Dance to sweep late-game, Knock Off to cripple switch-ins like Salamence, and U-turn to pivot away from unfavorable matchups.

[SET]
name: 3 Attacks + Roost
move 1: Bullet Punch
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Roost
item: Heavy-Duty Boots
ability: Technician
nature: Adamant
evs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 104 Def / 140 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

U-turn allows Scizor to consistently grab momentum, forcing out Tangrowth and Slowking while punishing switch-ins like Skarmory and Cobalion by pivoting out to a teammate like Rotom-W. Knock Off cripples switch-ins like Celesteela, Moltres, and Salamence. It also allows Scizor to threaten Chansey and removes Rocky Helmet from Cobalion and Skarmory that would wear Scizor down, though it has to worry about giving free Justified boosts to Cobalion. Dual Wingbeat is an option over U-turn that lets Scizor lure in and nail Amoonguss and Keldeo. Roost gives Scizor the longevity to handle Zarude, Hippowdon, and Nihilego. Heavy-Duty Boots is the preferred option for Scizor to pivot with ease and not worry about residual damage from Stealth Rock and Spikes. Rocky Helmet is an alternative that punishes pivots like Zarude and Crobat as well as Choice-locked threats like Diggersby and Zygarde-10% locked into Body Slam and Outrage or other contact moves. The given EV spread lets Scizor avoid the 2HKO from Zarude's Darkest Lariat and standard Nihilego's Power Gem. It also guarantees Scizor will be able to take a Meteor Beam from Nihilego.

This Scizor set best operates on VoltTurn and bulky offense teams that provide additional pivots to synergize with Scizor and create momentum cores. Powerful wallbreakers like Conkeldurr, Keldeo, and Zygarde-10% enjoy Scizor's pivot support and remove threats like Cobalion, Moltres, and Rotom-H. Electric-types like Thundurus-T and Rotom-W form potent VoltTurn cores with Scizor, luring in Grass-types like Tangrowth and Zarude as well Chansey for Scizor to take advantage of, all while checking Flying-types like Skarmory, Mandibuzz, and Moltres in return. Other pivots like Azelf and Zarude make for solid teammates; the former threatens Steel-types like Skarmory and Cobalion, while the latter can help overwhelm Amoonguss and counter Rotom-W and enjoys Rocky Helmet being removed from Skarmory. Hippowdon, Nihilego, and Nidoqueen provide Stealth Rock support for Scizor to wear down Amoonguss and Rotom-W easier. Scizor's ability to remove Heavy-Duty Boots from checks like Salamence and the Stealth Rock setters' ability to keep Stealth Rock up against nearly every form of entry hazard removal dramatically increases Scizor's potency. Hippowdon and Nihilego also handle threats to Scizor like Thundurus-T and Salamence. Defensive walls like Amoonguss and Slowking can take on threats to Scizor like Keldeo and Salamence while also being helpful for keeping Scizor from getting overwhelmed by Zarude and Nihilego. The latter can also provide a slow pivot with Teleport to get Scizor in safely against Pokemon like Tangrowth.

[SET]
name: Bulky Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Bullet Punch
move 3: Knock Off / U-turn
move 4: Roost
item: Heavy-Duty Boots
ability: Technician
nature: Adamant
evs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 244 Def

[SET COMMENTS]

Swords Dance + Bullet Punch turns Scizor into a potent revenge killer and late-game sweeper capable of taking out fast threats like Nihilego, Zygarde-10%, and Azelf with a strong priority attack. Knock Off is essential in crippling the likes of Celesteela, Moltres, and Salamence, causing them to lose out on passive recovery or take damage from Stealth Rock, allowing Scizor to possibly overcome them in the long run. U-turn can be used over Knock Off for powerful pivoting while still retaining sweeping abilities, being able to pressure Amoonguss a lot more easily as well as bring in teammates like Azelf to handle counters like Skarmory and Cobalion. However, Scizor must be paired with another Knock Off user such as Tangrowth or Diggersby to cover for Scizor dropping it. Moreover, Swords Dance + U-turn is walled by dangerous threats like Celesteela and Salamence, which no longer fear Knock Off crippling them and can handle Scizor more easily. Roost maintains Scizor's longevity, letting it check Nihilego, Zarude, Tangrowth, and Mamoswine throughout a game while preparing itself to sweep. It also has benefits in PP stalling Amoonguss out of Foul Play. Heavy-Duty Boots keeps Scizor from getting worn down by entry hazards and being forced to use Roost. Meanwhile, Rocky Helmet is an option to chip threats like Zarude, Cobalion, and Diggersby, while Safety Goggles lets Scizor act as a switch-in to Amoonguss by denying it Spore or Stun Spore and beating it one-on-one, though this has few other applications. Heavy investment in HP and Defense allows Scizor to set up against and take on physical attackers like Zarude, Excadrill, and Zygarde-10%. It also decreases the damage taken from Amoonguss’s Foul Play and allows Scizor to take advantage of Cobalion lacking Swords Dance.

Bulky Swords Dance Scizor best fits on bulky offense, VoltTurn, and balance teams that appreciate a late-game sweeper that provides integral defensive utility against threats like Tangrowth and Mamoswine. Stealth Rock setters like Nihilego and Hippowdon are valuable teammates; not only do they provide entry hazards to wear down the likes of Amoonguss and Celesteela, they also beat checks to Scizor like Moltres, Rotom-H, and Salamence. Special attackers like Hydreigon and Keldeo appreciate Scizor countering Chansey and can shatter Pokemon like Mandibuzz and Skarmory that stand in Scizor's way. Rotom-W and Thundurus-T are solid teammates that can pressure Flying-types like Celesteela, Mandibuzz, and Skarmory. Fast pivots like Azelf, Crobat, and Raikou take on revenge killers that threaten Scizor like Keldeo and Cobalion, especially appreciating U-turn bringing them in. These Pokemon provide useful revenge killing utility to Scizor's team in general because of how weak Bullet Punch is without setting up.

[SET]
name: Offensive Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Bullet Punch
move 3: Knock Off / Quick Attack
move 4: Dual Wingbeat / Superpower / Bug Bite
item: Life Orb
ability: Technician
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Bullet Punch covers Scizor's usual targets like Nihilego, Togekiss, and Mamoswine. After a Swords Dance, it can easily pick off faster threats like Hydreigon and Zygarde-10% as well as bulkier foes like Hatterene and offensive Salamence after the latter has taken slight chip. The rest of the moves can be tailored to the needs of Scizor's team. Knock Off nails the likes of Slowking and Thundurus-T while being a good midground against Hippowdon and opposing Scizor. It also punishes Moltres and Rotom-H attempting to switch into Scizor. Alternatively, Technician-boosted Quick Attack lets Scizor pick off faster Pokemon resistant to Bullet Punch like Thundurus-T, Keldeo, and Rotom-W, though they do have to be fairly worn down. Dual Wingbeat does heavy damage against Grass-types like Amoonguss, Tangrowth, and Zarude, OHKOing them after a boost. It also covers Hippowdon well. However, Superpower lets Scizor break past Steel-types like Celesteela, Cobalion, and Skarmory, while Bug Bite retains super effective damage on Tangrowth and Zarude while also hitting Slowking and Umbreon hard, though it leaves Scizor walled by Cobalion as a result. Life Orb allows Scizor to maximize its wallbreaking potential, since it has limited longevity anyway.

This set best fits on hyper offense teams that appreciate Scizor's potent late-game cleaning potential and ability to revenge kill faster threats like Azelf even when low on HP. It also has the ability and the prowess to prevent fast threats such as Lycanroc-D, Zygarde-10%, and Choice Scarf Hydreigon from running over hyper offense teams. Entry hazard support from Excadrill, Froslass, and Scolipede is key in softening up Celesteela and Primarina for Scizor to get past. Excadrill can also remove entry hazards with Rapid Spin, while Scolipede can heavily chip threats like Cobalion with Endeavor. Gyarados makes a great partner for Scizor, taking advantage of Scizor luring in Keldeo and Moltres for free setup. Similarly, Meteor Beam Nihilego can wipe out annoyances to Scizor like Skarmory, Mandibuzz, and Rotom-H. Necrozma is able to use common Scizor counterplay such as Cobalion, Skarmory, and even Rotom-H as setup bait. Early-game wallbreakers and sweepers like Thundurus-T and Autotomize Celesteela can overwhelm Mandibuzz, Salamence, and Hippowdon for Scizor. Azelf, in particular, revenge kills many threats to Scizor like Cobalion and Keldeo.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Scizor can use a Choice Band set for great power right from the get-go, wearing down threats like Amoonguss and Keldeo with powerful a U-turn and revenge killing Azelf easier with a strong Bullet Punch, but it requires extensive support to keep it from getting worn down by entry hazards and Rocky Helmet chip from Skarmory, Hippowdon, and Cobalion. Superpower on the bulky Swords Dance set allows Scizor to heavily damage a common counter in Cobalion, but Scizor prefers the utility Knock Off or U-turn provides. Defog is an option for bulky Scizor sets on stall teams as a secondary entry hazard remover due to it outlasting entry hazard setters like Swampert and providing valuable defensive utility with its Steel typing, (RH) but this set is very passive, and stall generally prefers Defoggers like Salamence and Articuno instead.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Steel-types**: Skarmory and Cobalion are great switch-ins to Scizor, as they resist Bullet Punch and U-turn and can wear it down with Rocky Helmet. Both Iron Defense Skarmory and Swords Dance Cobalion can overcome bulky variants of Scizor by boosting alongside it. Celesteela hates Knock Off but OHKOes Scizor with Flamethrower.

**Fire-types and Fire-type Coverage**: Moltres and Rotom-H outspeed and OHKO Scizor, but they have to watch out for Knock Off removing their Heavy-Duty Boots. Fire-type coverage on the likes of Salamence, Azelf, Hydreigon, Nidoqueen, and Colbur Berry Galarian Slowbro wipes out Scizor.

**Electric-types**: Thundurus-T, Rotom-H, and Raikou all resist Bullet Punch and can hit Scizor hard in return. Rotom-W can cripple Scizor with Will-O-Wisp but loses to bulky Swords Dance variants.

**Water-types**: Offensive Water-types like Keldeo and Starmie resist Bullet Punch and can revenge kill Scizor by hitting it hard with their STAB attacks, though the latter needs Scizor to be decently chipped at risk of getting hit hard by Knock Off. Gyarados also resists Bullet Punch and can boost with Dragon Dance as it forces Scizor out. Scizor is also at risk from getting burned by Scald from foes it attempts to take on like Swampert and RestTalk Primarina due to its inability to immediately defeat them.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Monky25, 515132]]
- Quality checked by: [[Mystras Leoxses, 530118], [avarice, 346653], [Sage, 192277]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Lumari, 232216]]
 
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Aqua Jet

Stardew
is a Contributor to Smogonis a Community Contributor Alumnus
You did a great job with this imo, most of these are nitpicks
[OVERVIEW]
:ss/Scizor:

-Scizor's potent defensive typing, amazing utility in Knock Off and U-turn, reliable recovery in Roost, and useful ability in Technician for Bullet Punch make it one of UU's scariest sweepers and best pivots.
-Scizor's dominance stems from its set versatility and ability to fit on nearly every playstyle ranging from hyper offense to balance. (make this a seperate point) Its bulky Swords Dance set is notorious for being a strong late-game cleaner that can take advantage of staples like Zarude, Chansey, and Hippowdon to boost its Attack while also being a great revenge killer into Zygarde-10% and Nihilego. (Separate point) Meanwhile, Scizor's 3 Attacks + Roost set lets it act as a dominant pivot that can nearly always make progress by crippling switch-ins like Moltres and Mandibuzz with Knock Off while having the longevity to beat Nihilego and Zarude. (separate point) Scizor's Offensive Swords Dance set on hyper offense focuses on boosting its Attack to go all out and steamroll past defensive staples like Tangrowth and Chansey while easily revenge killing Hydreigon and Mamoswine with its boosted attacks. (separate point) This set versatility makes Scizor quite tough to handle in the builder, being able to get past typical answers in the long term.
-However, Scizor is not without its flaws; its poor Speed and average Special Defense leaves it susceptible to strong special attackers like Keldeo and Thundurus-T. It also has a crippling weakness to Fire-type attacks, being limited by common threats such as Moltres, Celesteela, and Salamence.
-Common defensive Pokemon like Skarmory, Rotom-W, Amoonguss, and Cobalion all are roadblocks to Scizor’s success as well. Scizor also has issues fitting all the moves it likes 4mss, wanting the sweeping potential with Swords Dance, (AC) the ability to use Knock Off and cripple switch-ins like Moltres, U-turn to pivot away from Skarmory, and Roost to maintain defensive utility.

[SET]
name: Bulky Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Bullet Punch
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Roost
item: Rocky Helmet / Safety Goggles / Heavy-Duty Boots (You aren't setting up on Amoonguss due to Foul Play so remove safety goggles imo)
ability: Technician
nature: Adamant
evs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 244 Def

[SET COMMENTS]

Paragraph 1
-Swords Dance + Bullet Punch turns Scizor into a potent revenge killer capable of taking out fast threats like Nihilego, Zygarde-10%, and Azelf with a strong priority.
-Knock Off is essential in crippling the likes of Celesteela, Moltres, Mandibuzz, and Salamence, causing them to lose out on passive recovery or take damage from Stealth Rock, allowing Scizor to possibly overcome them in the long-term.
-Roost maintains Scizor's longevity, letting it check Nihilego, Zarude, Tangrowth, and Mamoswine throughout a game, while also stalling Amoonguss out of Foul Play.
-Rocky Helmet chips threats like Zarude, Cobalion, and Gyarados. (Also deters other Scizor from U-turning on it, which imo is more important then Gyara because you aren't sending Scizor in on him even if its Rocky Helmet Scizor)
-Safety Goggles lets it act as a switch-in to Amoonguss by denying it Spore and beating it in a 1v1.
-Heavy-Duty Boots keeps Scizor from getting worn down by entry hazards and forced into Roost.
-Heavy investment in HP and Defense allows Scizor to set up on or take a hit and retaliate back against physical attackers like Hippowdon, Excadrill, Zarude, and Zygarde-10%. It also minimizes the damage taken from Amoonguss’s Foul Play. (This is super vauge. What does the given attack ro defence stat beat specifically? Something like "The given EV spread allows Scizor to check x, with the remainder invested into attack to allow it to hit as hard as possible.")

Paragraph 2
-Bulky Swords Dance Scizor best fits on VoltTurn, bulky offense, and balance teams that appreciate the late-game win-condition that has integral defensive utility against threats like Zarude and Mamoswine.
-Stealth Rock setters like Nihilego and Hippowdon are valuable teammates, not only providing entry hazards to wear down the likes of Amoonguss and Celesteela, but also beating checks to Scizor like Moltres, Rotom-H, and Salamence.
-Special attackers like Hydreigon and Keldeo appreciate Scizor countering Chansey and can shatter Pokemon like Mandibuzz and Skarmory who stand in Scizor's way.
-Rotom-H, Togekiss, and Thundurus-T are all solid teammates that can pressure Flying-types like Celesteela, Mandibuzz, and Skarmory.
-Fast pivots like Azelf, Crobat, and Raikou take on revenge killers to that threaten Scizor like Keldeo and Cobalion.

[SET]
name: 3 Attacks + Roost
move 1: Bullet Punch
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Roost
item: Heavy-Duty Boots / Rocky Helmet / Protective Pads (Honestly check with the rest of QC but I almost always default to Metal Coat so I can actually counter Nihilego)
ability: Technician
nature: Adamant
evs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 104 Def / 140 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

Paragraph 1
-U-turn allows Scizor to consistently grab momentum, forcing out Tangrowth and Slowking while punishing switch-ins like Skarmory and Moltres by pivoting out into a teammate like Rotom-W.
-Knock Off cripples switch-ins to Scizor like Moltres, Mandibuzz, and Salamence. It also allows Scizor to threaten Chansey and removes Rocky Helmet from Cobalion and Skarmory that would wear Scizor down.
-Roost gives Scizor the longevity to handle Zarude and Nihilego.
-Heavy-Duty Boots is the preferred option for Scizor to pivot with ease and not worry about residual damage from Stealth Rock and Spikes.
-Rocky Helmet lets Scizor punish Zarude and Jirachi.
-Protective Pads gives Scizor the freedom to hit Moltres with Knock Off and use U-turn on Amoonguss, Skarmory, (AC) and Cobalion without fearing a Flame Body burn and Rocky Helmet damage.
-The given EV spread lets Scizor avoid the 2HKO from Zarude's Darkest Lariat as well avoid the 2HKO from Nihilego's Power Gem most of the time. It also guarantees Scizor will live a Meteor Beam from Nihilego.

Paragraph 2
-This Scizor set best operates on VoltTurn and bulky offense teams that provide additional pivots to synergize with Scizor and create momentum cores.
-Electric-types like Thundurus-T, Rotom-W, and Rotom-H all form VoltTurn cores with Scizor, luring in Grass-types like Tangrowth and Zarude as well Chansey for Scizor to take advantage of. They all check Flying-types like Skarmory, Mandibuzz, and Moltres in return.
-Other pivots like Moltres and Zarude make for solid teammates; the former threatens Steel-types like Skarmory and lures in Nihilego while the latter can help overwhelm Amoonguss and counter Rotom-W.
-Powerful wallbreakers like Starmie, Keldeo, and Zygarde-10% enjoy Scizor's pivot support and remove threats like Cobalion, Moltres, and Rotom-H.
-Hippowdon and Nihilego provide Stealth Rock support for Scizor to wear down Amoonguss and Rotom-W easier. Scizor's ability to remove Heavy-Duty Boots from checks like Salamence and the Stealth Rock setters' ability to keep Stealth Rock up against nearly every form of entry hazard removal dramatically increases Scizor's potency. Hippowdon and Nihilego also handle threats to Scizor like Thundurus-T and Moltres.
-Defensive walls like Amoonguss and Slowking can take on threats to Scizor like Keldeo and Salamence. The latter can provide both Future Sight support to wear down Rotom-H and Keldeo as well as provide a slow pivot with Teleport to get Scizor in safely against Pokemon like Zarude.

[SET] (Won't comment on this since I've never used it before)
name: Offensive Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Bullet Punch
move 3: Knock Off / Quick Attack
move 4: Dual Wingbeat / Bug Bite / Superpower
item: Life Orb
ability: Technician
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Paragraph 1
-Bullet Punch covers Scizor's usual targets like Nihilego, Togekiss, and Mamoswine. After a Swords Dance, Scizor can easily pick off faster threats like Hydreigon and Zygarde-10% as well as bulkier foes like Hatterene and Salamence after the latter has taken slight chip. The rest of the moves can be tailored to the needs of Scizor's team.
-Knock Off destroys the likes of Celesteela, Slowking, and Gyarados while being a good midground against Hippowdon and opposing Scizor. It also punishes Moltres and Rotom-H attempting to switch into Scizor.
-Technician boosted Quick Attack lets Scizor pick off faster Bullet Punch resists like Thundurus-T, Keldeo, and Rotom-W, though they do have to be fairly chipped.
-Dual Wingbeat does heavy damage against Grass-types like Amoonguss, Tangrowth, and Zarude. It also covers Hippowdon well.
-Bug Bite retains super effective damage on the aforementioned Grass-types while hitting Slowking.
-Superpower lets Scizor break past Steel-types like Celesteela, Cobalion, and Skarmory.
-Life Orb allows Scizor to maximize its wallbreaking potential since it has limited longevity anyway.

Paragraph 2
-This set best fits on hyper offense teams that appreciate its potent late-game cleaning potential and good matchup against typical threats to hyper offense like Zarude and Lycanroc-D.
-Entry hazard support from Excadrill and Scolipede is key in softening up Celesteela and enemy Scizor for Scizor to get past.
-Gyarados makes a great partner for Scizor, taking advantage of Scizor luring in Keldeo and Moltres for free setup. Similarly, Meteor Beam Nihilego can wipe out annoyances to Scizor like Skarmory, Mandibuzz, and Rotom-H.
-Early-game wallbreakers and sweepers like Thundurus-T and Autotomize Celesteela can overwhelm Mandibuzz, Salamence, and Hippowdon for Scizor. Azelf in particular revenge kills many threats to Scizor like Cobalion and Keldeo.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

-U-turn or Superpower can be used over Knock Off on the bulky Swords Dance set for powerful pivoting or the ability to break past Celesteela easier, but these moves fail to provide the same utility as Knock Off and have notable downsides; both fail to break past Moltres and the former struggles against Celesteela and Rotom-H while the latter is walled by Slowking.
-Scizor can use a Choice Band set for strong power right from the get-go, wearing down threats like Amoonguss and Keldeo with powerful a U-turn and revenge killing Azelf easier with a strong Bullet Punch, but Scizor requires extensive support to keep it from getting worn down by entry hazards and Rocky Helmet chip from Skarmory, Hippowdon, and Cobalion.
-A Choice Scarf set can work as a revenge killer capable of luring and beating fast threats like Azelf and Keldeo, but Scizor gets worn down too easily and generally is a worse Choice Scarf user compared to Hydreigon and Diggersby because of their greater Speed tiers. The former actually revenge kills setup sweepers like Gyarados while the latter is much tougher to switch into as well.
-Defog is an option for bulky Scizor sets on stall teams due to it outlasting entry hazard setters like Swampert, but generally stall prefers Defoggers like Salamence and Articuno instead. (Defog Scizor is ass, I would not be recommending this to newer players)

Checks and Counters
===================

**Steel-types**: Skarmory and Cobalion are great switch-ins to Scizor, as they resist Bullet Punch and U-turn and can wear Scizor down with Rocky Helmet. Both Iron Defense Skarmory and Swords Dance Cobalion can overcome bulky variants of Scizor by boosting past it. Celesteela hates Knock Off but OHKOes Scizor with Flamethrower.

**Fire-types and Fire-type Coverage**: Scizor has a crippling weakness to Fire attacks; Moltres and Rotom-H outspeed and OHKO Scizor, but they have to watch out for Knock Off removing their Heavy-Duty Boots. Fire-type coverage on the likes of Salamence, Azelf, Hydreigon, Nidoqueen, and Galarian Slowbro all wipe out Scizor.

**Electric-types**: Thundurus-T, Rotom-H, and Raikou all resist Bullet Punch and can hit Scizor hard in return. Rotom-W can cripple Scizor with Will-O-Wisp but loses to bulky Swords Dance variants.

**Water-types**: Offensive Water-types like Keldeo and Starmie resist Bullet Punch and can revenge kill Scizor by hitting it hard with their STAB attacks, though the latter needs Scizor to be decently chipped at risk of getting hit hard by Knock Off. Gyarados also resists Bullet Punch and can boost with Dragon Dance as it forces Scizor out.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Monky25, 515132]]
- Quality checked by: [[username1, userid1], [username2, userid2], [username3, userid3]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1], [username2, userid2]]
 
Last edited:
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I think you use staples a bit too liberally. Cobalion, Salamence, and Hippowdon sure, but with other mons that are high on the vr but not as prominent I would tone it down. The most odd thing here was the use of it for something like Rotom-H. Otherwise nice work
1/3
[OVERVIEW]
:ss/Scizor:

-Scizor's potent defensive typing, amazing utility in Knock Off and U-turn, reliable recovery in Roost, and useful ability in Technician for Bullet Punch make it one of UU's scariest cleaners sweepers and best pivots.
-Scizor's dominance stems from its set versatility and ability to fit on nearly every playstyle ranging from hyper offense to balance. Its bulky Swords Dance set is notorious for being a strong late-game cleaner that can take advantage of common Pokemon staples like Zarude, Chansey, and Hippowdon to boost its Attack while also being a great revenge killer to Zygarde-10% and Nihilego. zarude is hard to fit without leaving a gaping hole to keldeo and chansey can feel awful to play with sometimes with sand and lack of good hazard controls. It's been getting like 1-2 appearances out of the last few weeks, its good just not always seen.
-Meanwhile, Scizor's 3 Attacks + Roost set lets it act as a dominant pivot that can nearly always make progress by crippling switch-ins like Moltres and Mandibuzz with Knock Off while having the longevity to beat Nihilego and Zarude.
-Scizor's offensive lowercased Swords Dance set on hyper offense focuses on boosting its Attack to go all out and steamroll past defensive Pokemon staples like Tangrowth and Chansey while easily revenge killing Hydreigon and Mamoswine with its boosted attacks.
-This set versatility makes Scizor quite tough to handle in the builder, being able to get past typical answers in the long term.
-However, Scizor is not without its flaws; its poor Speed and average Special Defense leaves it susceptible to strong special attackers like Keldeo and Thundurus-T. It also has a crippling weakness to Fire-type attacks, being limited by common threats such as Galarian Slowbro Moltres, Celesteela, and Salamence. Colbur Galarbro has been like the most consistently annoying thing for Scizor outside of cobalion. Additionally, you could also mention that its poor special defense prevents it from acting as a super reliable check to things like Nihilego without investment
-Common defensive Pokemon like Skarmory, Rotom-W, Amoonguss, and Cobalion all are roadblocks to Scizor’s success as well. I'd want to include that they check multiple sets, meaning that they are usually safe bets into Scizor in general but up to u if and how u want to implement it Scizor suffers from 4MSS, wanting the sweeping potential with Swords Dance, Knock Off to cripple switch-ins like Salamence Moltres, also include it needs it to remove rocky helmets since that's the bane of Scizor clicking U-turn to pivot away from Skarmory, and Roost to maintain defensive utility. Roost is non negotiable on anything outside of hyper offense considering we have band in oo



[SET]
name: Bulky Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Bullet Punch
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Roost
item: Rocky Helmet / Safety Goggles / Heavy-Duty Boots
ability: Technician
nature: Adamant
evs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 244 Def

[SET COMMENTS]

Paragraph 1
-Swords Dance + Bullet Punch turns Scizor into a potent revenge killer capable of taking out fast threats like Nihilego, Zygarde-10%, and Azelf with a strong priority. mention where it can find opportunities to setup
-Knock Off is essential in crippling the likes of Celesteela, Moltres, Mandibuzz, and Salamence, causing them to lose out on passive recovery or take damage from Stealth Rock, allowing Scizor to possibly overcome them in the long-term.
-U-turn can be used over Knock Off for powerful pivoting while still retaining sweeping abilities, being able to pressure Amoonguss a lot easier as well as bring in teammates to handle counters like Skarmory and Cobalion, but this set is walled by threats common staples like Celesteela, Rotom-H, and Salamence and doesn't have the great utility Knock Off provides.
-Roost maintains Scizor's longevity, letting it check Nihilego, Zarude, Tangrowth, and Mamoswine throughout a game, while also PP stalling Amoonguss's out of Foul Play.
-Rocky Helmet chips threats like Zarude, Cobalion, and Gyarados.
-Safety Goggles lets it act as a switch-in to Amoonguss by denying it Spore and beating it in a 1v1. id mention some downsides like how it's only really useful into Amoonguss
-Heavy-Duty Boots keeps Scizor from getting worn down by entry hazards and forced into Roost.
-Heavy investment in HP and Defense allows Scizor to set up against and take on physical attackers like Hippowdon, Excadrill, Zarude, and Zygarde-10%. It also minimizes the damage taken from Amoonguss’s Foul Play.

Paragraph 2
-Bulky Swords Dance Scizor best fits on VoltTurn, bulky offense, and balance teams that appreciate the late-game win-condition that has integral defensive utility against threats like Zarude and Mamoswine.
-Stealth Rock setters like Nihilego and Hippowdon are valuable teammates, not only providing entry hazards to wear down the likes of Amoonguss and Celesteela, but also beating checks to Scizor like Moltres, Rotom-H, and Salamence.
-Special attackers like Hydreigon and Keldeo appreciate Scizor countering Chansey and can shatter Pokemon like Mandibuzz and Skarmory who stand in Scizor's way. mention that hydreigon can pivot out of chansey into Scizor easy with U-turn and Keldeo can overwhelm Salamence with icy wind
-Rotom-H, Togekiss, and Thundurus-T are all solid teammates that can pressure Flying-types like Celesteela, Mandibuzz, and Skarmory.
-Fast pivots like Azelf, Crobat, and Raikou take on revenge killers that threaten Scizor like Keldeo and Cobalion.

mention other Pokemon that have shared checks with Scizor but can overwhelm them to leave a path open for it to clean teams. An example would be something like Cobalion packing stone edge for it destroy moltres and mence for Scizor to clean and appreciating Pokemon like Hippowdon and Skarm getting their items removed

also absolutely mention other Pokemon that overwhelm galar bro, Colbur sets are so annoying for SD Scizor to get any breathing room, Zygarde and Mamoswine would be my recommendation


[SET]
name: 3 Attacks + Roost
move 1: Bullet Punch
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Roost
item: Heavy-Duty Boots / Rocky Helmet / Protective Pads
ability: Technician
nature: Adamant
evs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 104 Def / 140 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

Paragraph 1
-U-turn allows Scizor to consistently grab momentum, forcing out Tangrowth and Slowking while punishing switch-ins like Skarmory and Moltres by pivoting out into a teammate like Rotom-W.
-Knock Off cripples switch-ins to Scizor like Moltres, Mandibuzz, and Salamence. It also allows Scizor to threaten Chansey and removes Rocky Helmet from Cobalion and Skarmory that would wear Scizor down.
-Roost gives Scizor the longevity to handle Zarude and Nihilego.
-Heavy-Duty Boots is the preferred option for Scizor to pivot with ease and not worry about residual damage from Stealth Rock and Spikes.
-Rocky Helmet lets Scizor punish Zarude and Jirachi. mention the Diggersby locked into body slam and Zydog into outrage.
-Protective Pads gives Scizor the freedom to hit Moltres with Knock Off and use U-turn on Amoonguss, Skarmory, and Cobalion without fearing a Flame Body burn and Rocky Helmet damage. mention something like how it cant afford to switch into nihilego to keep this
-The given EV spread lets Scizor avoid the 2HKO from Zarude's Darkest Lariat as well avoid the 2HKO from Nihilego's Power Gem most of the time. It also guarantees Scizor will live a Meteor Beam from Nihilego.

Paragraph 2
-This Scizor set best operates on VoltTurn and bulky offense teams that provide additional pivots to synergize with Scizor and create momentum cores.
-Electric-types like Thundurus-T, Rotom-W, and Rotom-H all form VoltTurn cores with Scizor, luring in Grass-types like Tangrowth and Zarude as well Chansey for Scizor to take advantage of. They all check Flying-types like Skarmory, Mandibuzz, and Moltres in return.
-Other pivots like Moltres and Zarude make for solid teammates; the former threatens Steel-types like Skarmory and lures in Nihilego while the latter can help overwhelm Amoonguss and counter Rotom-W. mention that they also like Hippowdon's and Amoonguss's rocky helmet removed for their pivoting shenanigans
-Powerful wallbreakers like Starmie, Keldeo, and Zygarde-10% enjoy Scizor's pivot support and remove threats like Cobalion, Moltres, and Rotom-H.
-Hippowdon and Nihilego provide Stealth Rock support for Scizor to wear down Amoonguss and Rotom-W easier. Scizor's ability to remove Heavy-Duty Boots from checks like Salamence and the Stealth Rock setters' ability to keep Stealth Rock up against nearly every form of entry hazard removal dramatically increases Scizor's potency. Hippowdon and Nihilego also handle threats to Scizor like Thundurus-T and Moltres.
I would try diversifying a bit considering you already mentioned these two, cobalion and Nidoqueen come to mind considering that the former can toxic hippo for Scizor to outlast easier and the latter is a wallbreaker that come in on skarmory and cobalion and shred them.
-Defensive walls like Amoonguss and Slowking can take on threats to Scizor like Keldeo and Salamence. The latter can provide both Future Sight support to wear down Rotom-H and Keldeo as well as provide a slow pivot with Teleport to get Scizor in safely against Pokemon like Zarude. the fs stuff is worded weird, its more like for cobalion and Salamence than anything really. You also don't wear down keldeo rather its getting forced out since nobody in their right mind would let it go if they need it

[SET]
name: Offensive Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Bullet Punch
move 3: Knock Off / Quick Attack
move 4: Dual Wingbeat / Bug Bite / Superpower
item: Life Orb
ability: Technician
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Paragraph 1
-Bullet Punch covers Scizor's usual targets like Nihilego, Togekiss, and Mamoswine. After a Swords Dance, Scizor can easily pick off faster threats like Hydreigon and Zygarde-10% as well as bulkier foes like Hatterene and Salamence after the latter has taken slight chip. The rest of the moves can be tailored to the needs of Scizor's team.
-Knock Off destroys the likes of Celesteela, Slowking, and Gyarados while being a good midground against Hippowdon and opposing Scizor. It also punishes Moltres and Rotom-H attempting to switch into Scizor.
-Technician boosted Quick Attack lets Scizor pick off faster Bullet Punch resists like Thundurus-T, Keldeo, and Rotom-W, though they do have to be fairly chipped.
-Dual Wingbeat does heavy damage against Grass-types like Amoonguss, Tangrowth, and Zarude, OHKOing them after a boost. It also covers Hippowdon well.
-Bug Bite retains super effective damage on the aforementioned Tangrowth and Zarude Grass-types while hitting Slowking and Umbreon. not the most common Pokemon lol, but it is worth mentioning for teammates like Gyarados and Azelf
-Superpower lets Scizor break past Steel-types like Celesteela, Cobalion, and Skarmory.
-Life Orb allows Scizor to maximize its wallbreaking potential since it has limited longevity anyway.

Paragraph 2
-This set best fits on hyper offense teams that appreciate its potent late-game cleaning potential and good matchup against typical threats to hyper offense like Zarude and Lycanroc-D. maybe something like Zygarde-10% would be better here
-Entry hazard support from Excadrill and Scolipede is key in softening up Celesteela and enemy Scizor for Scizor to get past. Mention how Excadrill can clear opposing hazards for easier setup while Scolipede can leave more lasting damage against opponents like cobalion and put keldeo in range for something like quick attack
-Gyarados makes a great partner for Scizor, taking advantage of Scizor luring in Keldeo and Moltres for free setup. Similarly, Meteor Beam Nihilego can wipe out annoyances to Scizor like Skarmory, Mandibuzz, and Rotom-H.
-Early-game wallbreakers and sweepers like Thundurus-T and Autotomize Celesteela can overwhelm Mandibuzz, Salamence, and Hippowdon for Scizor. Azelf in particular revenge kills many threats to Scizor like Cobalion and Keldeo.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

-Scizor can use a Choice Band set for strong power right from the get-go, wearing down threats like Amoonguss and Keldeo with powerful a U-turn and revenge killing Azelf easier with a strong Bullet Punch, but Scizor requires extensive support to keep it from getting worn down by entry hazards and Rocky Helmet chip from Skarmory, Hippowdon, and Cobalion.
-A Choice Scarf set can work as a revenge killer capable of luring and beating fast threats like Azelf and Keldeo, but Scizor gets worn down too easily and generally is a worse Choice Scarf user compared to Hydreigon and Diggersby because of their greater Speed tiers. The former actually revenge kills setup sweepers like Gyarados while the latter is much tougher to switch into as well.
-Defog is an option for bulky Scizor sets on stall teams due to it outlasting entry hazard setters like Swampert, but generally stall prefers Defoggers like Salamence and Articuno instead.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Steel-types**: Skarmory and Cobalion are great switch-ins to Scizor, as they resist Bullet Punch and U-turn and can wear Scizor down with Rocky Helmet. Both Iron Defense Skarmory and Swords Dance Cobalion can overcome bulky variants of Scizor by boosting past it. Celesteela hates Knock Off but OHKOes Scizor with Flamethrower.

**Fire-types and Fire-type Coverage**: Scizor has a crippling weakness to Fire attacks; Moltres and Rotom-H outspeed and OHKO Scizor, but they have to watch out for Knock Off removing their Heavy-Duty Boots. Fire-type coverage on the likes of Salamence, Azelf, Hydreigon, Nidoqueen, and Galarian Slowbro all wipe out Scizor. would mention that bro needs to use Colbur Berry to check Scizor comfortably

**Electric-types**: Thundurus-T, Rotom-H, and Raikou all resist Bullet Punch and can hit Scizor hard in return. Rotom-W can cripple Scizor with Will-O-Wisp but loses to bulky Swords Dance variants.

**Water-types**: Offensive Water-types like Keldeo and Starmie resist Bullet Punch and can revenge kill Scizor by hitting it hard with their STAB attacks, though the latter needs Scizor to be decently chipped at risk of getting hit hard by Knock Off. Gyarados also resists Bullet Punch and can boost with Dragon Dance as it forces Scizor out.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Monky25, 515132]]
- Quality checked by: [[Mystras Leoxses, 530118], [username2, userid2], [username3, userid3]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1], [username2, userid2]]
 
Last edited:

avarice

greedy for love
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RoAPL Champion
[OVERVIEW]
:ss/Scizor:

-Scizor's potent defensive typing, amazing utility in Knock Off and U-turn, reliable recovery in Roost, and useful ability in Technician for Bullet Punch make it one of UU's scariest cleaners and best pivots.
-Scizor's dominance stems from its set versatility and ability to fit on nearly every playstyle ranging from hyper offense to balance. Its bulky Swords Dance set is notorious for being a strong late-game cleaner that can take advantage of common Pokemon like Zarude, Chansey, and Hippowdon to boost its Attack while also being a great revenge killer to Zygarde-10% and Nihilego.
-Meanwhile, Scizor's 3 Attacks + Roost set lets it act as a dominant pivot that can nearly always make progress by crippling switch-ins like Salamence and Celesteela with Knock Off while having the longevity to beat Nihilego and Zarude.
-Scizor's offensive Swords Dance set on hyper offense focuses on boosting its Attack to go all out and steamroll past defensive Pokemon like Tangrowth and Chansey while easily revenge killing Hydreigon and Mamoswine with its boosted attacks.
-This set versatility makes Scizor quite tough to handle in the builder, being able to get past typical answers in the long term.
-However, Scizor is not without its flaws; its poor Speed and average Special Defense leaves it susceptible to strong special attackers like Keldeo and Thundurus-T. It also has a crippling weakness to Fire-type attacks, being limited by common threats such as Galarian Slowbro, Celesteela, Azelf, and Salamence.
-Common defensive Pokemon like Skarmory, Rotom-W, Amoonguss, and Cobalion including coba as defensive is kinda odd, could maybe just say bullet punch isn't always the easiest to clean with in practice with fast resists all are roadblocks to Scizor’s success as well, checking the vast majority of its sets. Scizor struggles to fit all the moves it would like, wanting the sweeping potential with Swords Dance, Knock Off to cripple switch-ins like Salamence, and U-turn to pivot away from Skarmory.

[SET]
name: Bulky Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Bullet Punch
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Roost
item: Rocky Helmet / Heavy-Duty Boots / Safety Goggles
ability: Technician
nature: Adamant
evs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 244 Def

[SET COMMENTS]

Paragraph 1
-Swords Dance + Bullet Punch turns Scizor into a potent revenge killer capable of taking out fast threats like Nihilego, Zygarde-10%, and Azelf with a strong priority.
-Knock Off is essential in crippling the likes of Celesteela, Moltres, Mandibuzz, and Salamence, causing them to lose out on passive recovery or take damage from Stealth Rock, allowing Scizor to possibly overcome them in the long-term.
-U-turn can be used over Knock Off for powerful pivoting while still retaining sweeping abilities, being able to pressure Amoonguss a lot easier as well as bring in teammates to handle counters like Skarmory and Cobalion, but this set is walled by common sthreats like Celesteela, Rotom-H, and Salamence and doesn't have the great utility Knock Off provides.
-Roost maintains Scizor's longevity, letting it check Nihilego, Zarude, Tangrowth, and Mamoswine throughout a game, while also PP stalling Amoonguss out of Foul Play.
-Heavy-Duty Boots keeps Scizor from getting worn down by entry hazards and forced into Roost.
-Rocky Helmet chips threats like Zarude, Cobalion, and Gyarados use a different example than gyara.
-Safety Goggles lets it act as a switch-in to Amoonguss by denying it Spore and beating it in a 1v1, but this is only useful against Amoonguss.
-Heavy investment in HP and Defense allows Scizor to set up against and take on physical attackers like Hippowdon, Excadrill, Zarude, and Zygarde-10% I think utility coba getting set up should be here, probably over zarude w all its mentions. It also minimizes the damage taken from Amoonguss’s Foul Play.

Paragraph 2
-Bulky Swords Dance Scizor best fits on bulky offense, VoltTurn, and balance teams that appreciate the late-game win-condition that has integral defensive utility against threats like Zarude and Mamoswine.
-Stealth Rock setters like Nihilego and Hippowdon are valuable teammates, not only providing entry hazards to wear down the likes of Amoonguss and Celesteela, but also beating checks to Scizor like Moltres, Rotom-H, and Salamence.
-Special attackers like Hydreigon and Keldeo appreciate Scizor countering Chansey and can shatter Pokemon like Mandibuzz and Skarmory who stand in Scizor's way.
-Rotom-W and Thundurus-T are solid teammates that can pressure Flying-types like Celesteela, Mandibuzz, and Skarmory.
-Fast pivots like Azelf, Crobat, and Raikou take on revenge killers that threaten Scizor like Keldeo and Cobalion, especially appreciating U-turn bringing them in. mention how these pivots are useful speed control in general with how weak bullet punch is

[SET]
name: 3 Attacks + Roost
move 1: Bullet Punch
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Roost
item: Heavy-Duty Boots / Rocky Helmet
ability: Technician
nature: Adamant
evs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 104 Def / 140 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

Paragraph 1
-U-turn allows Scizor to consistently grab momentum, forcing out Tangrowth and Slowking while punishing switch-ins like Skarmory and Moltres by pivoting out into a teammate like Rotom-W.
-Knock Off cripples switch-ins to Scizor like Moltres, Mandibuzz, and Salamence. It also allows Scizor to threaten Chansey and removes Rocky Helmet from Cobalion and Skarmory that would wear Scizor down.
-Dual Wingbeat is an option over U-turn to lure in and nail Amoonguss and Keldeo.
-Roost gives Scizor the longevity to handle Zarude and Nihilego.
-Heavy-Duty Boots is the preferred option for Scizor to pivot with ease and not worry about residual damage from Stealth Rock and Spikes.
-Rocky Helmet lets Scizor punish Zarude and Jirachi as well as Choice-locked threats like Diggersby and Zygarde-10% locked into Body Slam and Outrage.
-Protective Pads gives Scizor the freedom to hit Moltres with Knock Off and use U-turn on Amoonguss, Skarmory, and Cobalion without fearing a Flame Body burn and Rocky Helmet damage, but it struggles to switch into Nihilego.
-The given EV spread lets Scizor avoid the 2HKO from Zarude's Darkest Lariat as well avoid the 2HKO from Nihilego's Power Gem most of the time. It also guarantees Scizor will live a Meteor Beam from Nihilego.

Paragraph 2
-This Scizor set best operates on VoltTurn and bulky offense teams that provide additional pivots to synergize with Scizor and create momentum cores.
-Powerful wallbreakers like Starmie, Keldeo, and Zygarde-10% enjoy Scizor's pivot support and remove threats like Cobalion, Moltres, and Rotom-H.
-Electric-types like Thundurus-T, Rotom-W, and Rotom-H all form VoltTurn cores with Scizor, luring in Grass-types like Tangrowth and Zarude as well Chansey for Scizor to take advantage of. They all check Flying-types like Skarmory, Mandibuzz, and Moltres in return.
-Other pivots like Moltres and Zarude make for solid teammates; the former threatens Steel-types like Skarmory and lures in Nihilego while the latter can help overwhelm Amoonguss and counter Rotom-W. They both enjoy Rocky Helmet being removed from Hippowdon and Skarmory.
-Hippowdon and Nidoqueen provide Stealth Rock support for Scizor to wear down Amoonguss and Rotom-W easier. Scizor's ability to remove Heavy-Duty Boots from checks like Salamence and the Stealth Rock setters' ability to keep Stealth Rock up against nearly every form of entry hazard removal dramatically increases Scizor's potency. Hippowdon and Nihilego also handle threats to Scizor like Thundurus-T and Primarina.
-Defensive walls like Amoonguss and Slowking can take on threats to Scizor like Keldeo and Salamence. The latter can provide a slow pivot with Teleport to get Scizor in safely against Pokemon like Zarude. mention how other defensive walls are good because of how mixed def can sometimes get overwhelmed on either side w zarude/nihi

[SET]
name: Offensive Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Bullet Punch
move 3: Knock Off / Quick Attack
move 4: Dual Wingbeat / Bug Bite / Superpower
item: Life Orb
ability: Technician
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Paragraph 1
-Bullet Punch covers Scizor's usual targets like Nihilego, Togekiss, and Mamoswine. After a Swords Dance, Scizor can easily pick off faster threats like Hydreigon and Zygarde-10% as well as bulkier foes like Hatterene and Salamence after the latter has taken slight chip. The rest of the moves can be tailored to the needs of Scizor's team.
-Knock Off destroys bit of an exaggeration, would probably outright remove steela and maybe gyara for smth else the likes of Celesteela, Slowking, and Gyarados while being a good midground against Hippowdon and opposing Scizor. It also punishes Moltres and Rotom-H attempting to switch into Scizor.
-Technician boosted Quick Attack lets Scizor pick off faster Bullet Punch resists like Thundurus-T, Keldeo, and Rotom-W, though they do have to be fairly chipped.
-Dual Wingbeat does heavy damage against Grass-types like Amoonguss, Tangrowth, and Zarude, OHKOing them after a boost. It also covers Hippowdon well.
-Bug Bite retains super effective damage on Tangrowth and Zarude while also hitting Slowking and Umbreon hard mention getting walled by coba.
-Superpower lets Scizor break past Steel-types like Celesteela, Cobalion, and Skarmory.
-Life Orb allows Scizor to maximize its wallbreaking potential since it has limited longevity anyway.

Paragraph 2
-This set best fits on hyper offense teams that appreciate its potent late-game cleaning potential and good matchup against typical threats to hyper offense like Zarude and Lycanroc-D.
-Entry hazard support from Excadrill and Scolipede is key in softening up Celesteela and enemy Scizor for Scizor to get past. Excadrill can also remove entry hazards with Rapid Spin while Scolipede can heavily chip threats like Cobalion with Endeavor.
-Gyarados makes a great partner for Scizor, taking advantage of Scizor luring in Keldeo and Moltres for free setup. Similarly, Meteor Beam Nihilego can wipe out annoyances to Scizor like Skarmory, Mandibuzz, and Rotom-H.
-Early-game wallbreakers and sweepers like Thundurus-T and Autotomize Celesteela can overwhelm Mandibuzz, Salamence, and Hippowdon for Scizor. Azelf in particular revenge kills many threats to Scizor like Cobalion and Keldeo.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

-Scizor can use a Choice Band set for strong power right from the get-go, wearing down threats like Amoonguss and Keldeo with powerful a U-turn and revenge killing Azelf easier with a strong Bullet Punch, but Scizor requires extensive support to keep it from getting worn down by entry hazards and Rocky Helmet chip from Skarmory, Hippowdon, and Cobalion.
-A Choice Scarf set can work as a revenge killer capable of luring and beating fast threats like Azelf and Keldeo, but Scizor gets worn down too easily and generally is a worse Choice Scarf user compared to Hydreigon and Diggersby because of their greater Speed tiers. The former actually revenge kills setup sweepers like Gyarados while the latter is much tougher to switch into as well.
-Defog is an option for bulky Scizor sets on stall teams due to it outlasting entry hazard setters like Swampert, but generally stall prefers Defoggers like Salamence and Articuno instead.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Steel-types**: Skarmory and Cobalion are great switch-ins to Scizor, as they resist Bullet Punch and U-turn and can wear Scizor down with Rocky Helmet. Both Iron Defense Skarmory and Swords Dance Cobalion can overcome bulky variants of Scizor by boosting past it. Celesteela hates Knock Off but OHKOes Scizor with Flamethrower.

**Fire-types and Fire-type Coverage**: Scizor has a crippling weakness to Fire attacks; Moltres and Rotom-H outspeed and OHKO Scizor, but they have to watch out for Knock Off removing their Heavy-Duty Boots. Fire-type coverage on the likes of Salamence, Azelf, Hydreigon, Nidoqueen, and Colbur Berry Galarian Slowbro all wipe out Scizor.

**Electric-types**: Thundurus-T, Rotom-H, and Raikou all resist Bullet Punch and can hit Scizor hard in return. Rotom-W can cripple Scizor with Will-O-Wisp but loses to bulky Swords Dance variants. could mention incinerate thundy and scald raikou but eh

**Water-types**: Offensive Water-types like Keldeo and Starmie resist Bullet Punch and can revenge kill Scizor by hitting it hard with their STAB attacks, though the latter needs Scizor to be decently chipped at risk of getting hit hard by Knock Off. Gyarados also resists Bullet Punch and can boost with Dragon Dance as it forces Scizor out.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Monky25, 515132]]
- Quality checked by: [[Mystras Leoxses, 530118], [avarice, 346653], [username3, userid3]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1], [username2, userid2]]
solid
 

pokemonisfun

Banned deucer.
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excellent work, no major comments except I think superpower should be higher on the list for the HO set, amateur check, defer to QC - also Monky you did mention something about likely trial QC after a few amateur checks, I think I've had about 10 or so since then...just a friendly reminder

[OVERVIEW]
:ss/Scizor:

Scizor's potent defensive typing, amazing utility in Knock Off and U-turn, reliable recovery in Roost, and useful ability in Technician for Bullet Punch make it one of UU's scariest cleaners and best pivots. Scizor's dominance stems from its set versatility and ability to fit on nearly every playstyle ranging from hyper offense to balance. Its bulky Swords Dance set is notorious for being a strong late-game cleaner that can take advantage of common Pokemon like Zarude, Chansey, and Hippowdon to boost its Attack while also being a great revenge killer to Zygarde-10% and Nihilego, having great longevity to outlast checks like Celesteela and sweep when the time is right. Meanwhile, Scizor's 3 Attacks + Roost set provides near unmatched utility as a dominant pivot that can nearly always make progress by crippling switch-ins like Salamence and Celesteela with Knock Off and enable sharpen threats like Azelf with U-turn, all while having Roost to last throughout a game checking threats like Nihilego and Zarude. Small point but U-Turn enables threats like Conk/Prim (get them in), whereas other pivots like Azelf I think you synergize well with them and make them stronger, but you're not enabling them. Alternatively, you can switch the Azelf excample to like Conk or Prim or Mamo. Scizor's offensive Swords Dance set on hyper offense focuses on boosting its Attack to go all out and steamroll past defensive Pokemon like Tangrowth and Chansey while easily sweeping past revenge killing Hydreigon and Mamoswine with its boosted attacks. Revenge kill in common parlance means coming in after a kill, so you won't be boosted. You could say you sweep past these which is what I changed it to or change the examples to things you actually revenge, at +0. All of these factors makes Scizor quite tough to handle in the builder, having the possibility to exploit Skarmory with U-turn as well as potentially outlasting hard checks like Salamence as it opens up its team. However, Scizor is not without its flaws. Its poor Speed and average Special Defense leave it susceptible to strong special attackers like Keldeo and Thundurus-T. Bullet Punch isn't always easy to clean enemy teams with the prevalence of faster Steel-resistant Pokemon like Cobalion, Rotom-W, and the aforementioned Keldeo and Thundurus-T. Scizor also has a crippling weakness to Fire-type attacks, leaving it limited by common threats such as Galarian Slowbro, Celesteela, Azelf, and Salamence. I'd add "coverage moves from" after "common" in the previous sentence because it makes it clear they use fire moves, which the reader may not know. Common defensive Pokemon like Skarmory and Amoonguss can be used to scout nearly all of Scizor's attacks, making it easier to distinguish what set it is running. Scizor struggles to fit all the moves it would like, wanting the sweeping potential with Swords Dance, Knock Off to cripple switch-ins like Salamence, and U-turn to pivot away from Skarmory.

[SET]
name: Bulky Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Bullet Punch
move 3: Knock Off / U-turn
move 4: Roost
item: Rocky Helmet / Heavy-Duty Boots / Safety Goggles
ability: Technician
nature: Adamant
evs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 244 Def

[SET COMMENTS]

Swords Dance + Bullet Punch turns Scizor into a potent revenge killer and late game sweeper capable of taking out fast threats like Nihilego, Zygarde-10%, and Azelf with a strong priority. Again you don't really revenge kill many of these mons, but you can sweep past them at +2 and threaten to weaken them at least. Knock Off is essential in crippling the likes of Celesteela, Moltres, Mandibuzz, and Salamence, causing them to lose out on passive recovery or take damage from Stealth Rock, allowing Scizor to possibly overcome them in the long-term. U-turn can be used over Knock Off for powerful pivoting while still retaining sweeping abilities, being able to pressure Amoonguss a lot easier as well as bring in teammates like Azelf to handle counters like Skarmory and Cobalion like Azelf, but this set is walled by threats like Celesteela, Moltres, and Salamence, which all no longer fear Knock Off crippling them and can handle Scizor easier. Changed Azelf placement for clarity, moved example closer to description. Roost maintains Scizor's longevity, letting it check Nihilego, Zarude, Tangrowth, and Mamoswine throughout a game while preparing itself to sweep. It also has benefits in PP stalling Amoonguss out of Foul Play. Heavy-Duty Boots keeps Scizor from getting worn down by entry hazards and forced into Roost. Meanwhile, Rocky Helmet chips threats like Zarude, Cobalion, and Diggersby. Safety Goggles lets it act as a switch-in to Amoonguss by denying it Spore and beating it in a 1v1, but has very few other applications this is only useful against Amoonguss. Sleep Powder Tang/Stun Spore Amoong/Hail from Vanilluxe are other very minor uses. Heavy investment in HP and Defense allows Scizor to set up against and take on physical attackers like Hippowdon Zarude, Excadrill, and Zygarde-10%. You set up on Hippo even without a lick of defense so your implication here that you need hp and defense for it is not right, I wouldn't even mention Zarude here and just keep it as Exca and Zygarde tbh. But I put Zarude if you want 3 examples. It also minimizes decreases the damage taken from Amoonguss’s Foul Play and allows Scizor to take advantage of Cobalion lacking Swords Dance. Minimize would be - attack nature and 0 attack IVs which obviously is dumb. You are lowering foul play but not minimizing it.

Bulky Swords Dance Scizor best fits on bulky offense, VoltTurn, and balance teams that appreciate the late-game win-condition that has integral defensive utility against threats like Zarude and Mamoswine. Stealth Rock setters like Nihilego and Hippowdon are valuable teammates, not only providing entry hazards to wear down the likes of Amoonguss and Celesteela, but also beating checks to Scizor like Moltres, Rotom-H, and Salamence. Special attackers like Hydreigon and Keldeo appreciate Scizor countering Chansey and can shatter Pokemon like Mandibuzz and Skarmory who stand in Scizor's way. Rotom-W and Thundurus-T are solid teammates that can pressure Flying-types like Celesteela, Mandibuzz, and Skarmory. Fast pivots like Azelf, Crobat, and Raikou take on revenge killers that threaten Scizor like Keldeo and Cobalion, especially appreciating U-turn bringing them in. These Pokemon provide useful Speed to Scizor's team in general because of how weak Bullet Punch is without setting up.

[SET]
name: 3 Attacks + Roost
move 1: Bullet Punch
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Roost
item: Heavy-Duty Boots / Rocky Helmet
ability: Technician
nature: Adamant
evs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 104 Def / 140 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

U-turn allows Scizor to consistently grab momentum, forcing out Tangrowth and Slowking while punishing switch-ins like Skarmory and Cobalion by pivoting out into a teammate like Rotom-W. Knock Off cripples switch-ins to Scizor like Moltres, Mandibuzz, and Salamence. It also allows Scizor to threaten Chansey and removes Rocky Helmet from Cobalion and Skarmory that would wear Scizor down. Dual Wingbeat is an option over U-turn to lure in and nail Amoonguss and Keldeo. Roost gives Scizor the longevity to handle Zarude and Nihilego. Heavy-Duty Boots is the preferred option for Scizor to pivot with ease and not worry about residual damage from Stealth Rock and Spikes. Rocky Helmet lets Scizor punish Zarude and Jirachi as well as Choice-locked threats like Diggersby and Zygarde-10% locked into Body Slam and Outrage or other contact moves. I understand body slam and outrage are the contact moves that they tend to be locked into but I don't know why you single them out when it punishes all contact moves, it's inaccurate to leave them out. Protective Pads gives Scizor the freedom to hit Moltres with Knock Off and use U-turn on Amoonguss, Skarmory, and Cobalion without fearing a Flame Body burn and Rocky Helmet damage, but it has less overall usefulness struggles to switch into Nihilego. Unclear why you talk about how this makes it worse against Nihilego (helmet also hardly helps vs nihilego and there are other things you are much worse into like zygarde now, I think you can just say it's worse overall) The given EV spread lets Scizor avoid the 2HKO from Zarude's Darkest Lariat and standard Nihilego's Power Gem as well avoid the 2HKO from Nihilego's Power Gem most of the time. It also guarantees Scizor will live a Meteor Beam from Nihilego. I believe since you wrote this analysis, Nihilego has a new spread that runs 176 spa on Power Gem (instead of 252 spa). 176 spa never 2hkos you so we can say it all the time now instead of most of the time. That said, I don't believe 176 spa power gem is still the most common practically speaking 252 spa is still more common I think.

This Scizor set best operates on VoltTurn and bulky offense teams that provide additional pivots to synergize with Scizor and create momentum cores. Powerful wallbreakers like Starmie, Keldeo, and Zygarde-10% enjoy Scizor's pivot support and remove threats like Cobalion, Moltres, and Rotom-H. Electric-types like Thundurus-T, Rotom-W, and Rotom-H all form VoltTurn cores with Scizor, luring in Grass-types like Tangrowth and Zarude as well Chansey for Scizor to take advantage of. They all check Flying-types like Skarmory, Mandibuzz, and Moltres in return. Other pivots like Moltres and Zarude make for solid teammates; the former threatens Steel-types like Skarmory and lures in Nihilego while the latter can help overwhelm Amoonguss and counter Rotom-W. They both enjoy Rocky Helmet being removed from Hippowdon and Skarmory. Hippowdon and Nidoqueen provide Stealth Rock support for Scizor to wear down Amoonguss and Rotom-W easier. Scizor's ability to remove Heavy-Duty Boots from checks like Salamence and the Stealth Rock setters' ability to keep Stealth Rock up against nearly every form of entry hazard removal dramatically increases Scizor's potency. Hippowdon and Nihilego also handle threats to Scizor like Thundurus-T and Primarina. Defensive walls like Amoonguss and Slowking can take on threats to Scizor like Keldeo and Salamence while also being helpful for keeping Scizor from getting overwhelmed by Zarude and Nihilego. The latter can also provide a slow pivot with Teleport to get Scizor in safely against Pokemon like Tangrowth.

[SET]
name: Offensive Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Bullet Punch
move 3: Knock Off / Quick Attack
move 4: Dual Wingbeat / Bug Bite / Superpower ask QC? I think Superpower should be above bug bite, hitting skarm is important for HO and killing instantly cobalion is important too
item: Life Orb
ability: Technician
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Bullet Punch covers Scizor's usual targets like Nihilego, Togekiss, and Mamoswine. After a Swords Dance, Scizor can easily pick off faster threats like Hydreigon and Zygarde-10% as well as bulkier foes like Hatterene and Salamence after the latter has taken slight chip. The rest of the moves can be tailored to the needs of Scizor's team. Knock Off nails the likes of Slowking and Thundurus-T while being a good midground against Hippowdon and opposing Scizor. It also punishes Moltres and Rotom-H attempting to switch into Scizor. Technician boosted Quick Attack lets Scizor pick off faster Bullet Punch resists like Thundurus-T, Keldeo, and Rotom-W, though they do have to be fairly chipped. Dual Wingbeat does heavy damage against Grass-types like Amoonguss, Tangrowth, and Zarude, OHKOing them after a boost. It also covers Hippowdon well. Bug Bite retains super effective damage on Tangrowth and Zarude while also hitting Slowking and Umbreon hard, but Scizor is walled by Cobalion as a result. Superpower lets Scizor break past Steel-types like Celesteela, Cobalion, and Skarmory. Life Orb allows Scizor to maximize its wallbreaking potential since it has limited longevity anyway.

This set best fits on hyper offense teams that appreciate its potent late-game cleaning potential and good matchup against typical threats to hyper offense like Zarude and Lycanroc-D. Entry hazard support from Excadrill and Scolipede is key in softening up Celesteela and enemy Scizor for Scizor to get past. Excadrill can also remove entry hazards with Rapid Spin while Scolipede can heavily chip threats like Cobalion with Endeavor. Gyarados makes a great partner for Scizor, taking advantage of Scizor luring in Keldeo and Moltres for free setup. Similarly, Meteor Beam Nihilego can wipe out annoyances to Scizor like Skarmory, Mandibuzz, and Rotom-H. Early-game wallbreakers and sweepers like Thundurus-T and Autotomize Celesteela can overwhelm Mandibuzz, Salamence, and Hippowdon for Scizor. Azelf in particular revenge kills many threats to Scizor like Cobalion and Keldeo.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Scizor can use a Choice Band set for strong power right from the get-go, wearing down threats like Amoonguss and Keldeo with powerful a U-turn and revenge killing Azelf easier with a strong Bullet Punch, but Scizor requires extensive support to keep it from getting worn down by entry hazards and Rocky Helmet chip from Skarmory, Hippowdon, and Cobalion. A Choice Scarf set can make Scizor a revenge killer capable of luring and beating fast threats like Azelf and Keldeo, but Scizor gets worn down too easily and generally is a worse Choice Scarf user compared to Hydreigon and Diggersby because of their greater Speed tiers. The former actually revenge kills setup sweepers like Gyarados while the latter is much tougher to switch into as well. Defog is an option for bulky Scizor sets on stall teams due to it outlasting entry hazard setters like Swampert, but generally stall prefers Defoggers like Salamence and Articuno instead. Consider Leftovers on most sets? I'd delete mention of Choice Scarf which has seen essentially no usage. Consider saying superpower can be used on the bulky sd or 3 attack set to help the cobalion MU in particular?

Checks and Counters
===================

**Steel-types**: Skarmory and Cobalion are great switch-ins to Scizor, as they resist Bullet Punch and U-turn and can wear Scizor down with Rocky Helmet. Both Iron Defense Skarmory and Swords Dance Cobalion can overcome bulky variants of Scizor by boosting past it. Celesteela hates Knock Off but OHKOes Scizor with Flamethrower.

**Fire-types and Fire-type Coverage**: Scizor has a crippling weakness to Fire attacks; Moltres and Rotom-H outspeed and OHKO Scizor, but they have to watch out for Knock Off removing their Heavy-Duty Boots. Fire-type coverage on the likes of Salamence, Azelf, Hydreigon, Nidoqueen, and Colbur Berry Galarian Slowbro all wipe out Scizor.

**Electric-types**: Thundurus-T, Rotom-H, and Raikou all resist Bullet Punch and can hit Scizor hard in return. Rotom-W can cripple Scizor with Will-O-Wisp but loses to bulky Swords Dance variants.

**Water-types**: Offensive Water-types like Keldeo and Starmie resist Bullet Punch and can revenge kill Scizor by hitting it hard with their STAB attacks, though the latter needs Scizor to be decently chipped at risk of getting hit hard by Knock Off. Gyarados also resists Bullet Punch and can boost with Dragon Dance as it forces Scizor out.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Monky25, 515132]]
- Quality checked by: [[Mystras Leoxses, 530118], [avarice, 346653], [username3, userid3]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1], [username2, userid2]]
 

Sage

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Very well done, 3/3 when implemented

[OVERVIEW]
:ss/Scizor:

Scizor's potent defensive typing, amazing utility in Knock Off and U-turn, reliable recovery in Roost, and useful ability in Technician for Bullet Punch make it one of UU's scariest cleaners and best pivots. Scizor's dominance stems from its set versatility and ability to fit on nearly every playstyle ranging from hyper offense to balance. Scizor's 3 Attacks + Roost set provides near unmatched utility as a dominant pivot that can nearly always make progress by crippling switch-ins like Salamence and Celesteela with Knock Off and enabling threats like Azelf with U-turn, all while having Roost to last throughout a game checking threats like Tangrowth and Zarude. Meanwhile, Scizor's bulky Swords Dance set is notorious for being a strong late-game cleaner that can take advantage of common Pokemon like Zarude, Chansey, and Hippowdon to boost its Attack while also being a great revenge killer to Zygarde-10% and Nihilego, having great longevity to outlast checks like Celesteela and sweep when the time is right. Scizor's offensive Swords Dance set on hyper offense focuses on boosting its Attack to go all out and steamroll past defensive Pokemon like Tangrowth and Chansey while easily sweeping past Hydreigon and Mamoswine with its boosted attacks. Scizor gets some use as a cleaner on non Hard Offense that I think we don't need to limit its description to HO. All of these factors makes Scizor quite tough to handle in the builder, having the possibility to exploit Skarmory and Cobalion with U-turn as well as potentially outlasting hard checks like Salamence as it opens up its team. However, Scizor is not without its flaws. Its poor Speed and average Special Defense leave it susceptible to strong special attackers like Keldeo and Thundurus-T. Bullet Punch isn't always easy to clean enemy teams with the prevalence of faster Steel-resistant Pokemon like Cobalion, Rotom-W, and the aforementioned Keldeo and Thundurus-T. Scizor also has a crippling weakness to Fire-type attacks, leaving it limited by common coverage moves from threats such as Galarian Slowbro, Celesteela, Azelf, and Salamence. Common defensive Pokemon like Skarmory and Amoonguss can be used to scout nearly all of Scizor's attacks, making it easier to distinguish what set it is running. Scizor struggles to fit all the moves it would like, wanting the sweeping potential with Swords Dance, Knock Off to cripple switch-ins like Salamence, and U-turn to pivot away from Skarmory unfavorable matchups. Add a line about how early game Scizor can be relegated to removing items and pivoting to other teammates, unable to make immediate progress on its own.

[SET]
name: 3 Attacks + Roost
move 1: Bullet Punch
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Roost
item: Heavy-Duty Boots
ability: Technician
nature: Adamant
evs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 104 Def / 140 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

U-turn allows Scizor to consistently grab momentum, forcing out Tangrowth and Slowking while punishing switch-ins like Skarmory and Cobalion by pivoting out into a teammate like Rotom-W. Knock Off cripples switch-ins like Celesteela, Moltres, and Salamence. It also allows Scizor to threaten Chansey and removes Rocky Helmet from Cobalion and Skarmory that would wear Scizor down. Mention being careful of Justified when spamming Knock Off into Cobalion teams, one of the worst ways Scizor can be punished. Dual Wingbeat is an option over U-turn to lure in and nail Amoonguss and Keldeo. Roost gives Scizor the longevity to handle Zarude, Hippowdon, and Nihilego. Heavy-Duty Boots is the preferred option for Scizor to pivot with ease and not worry about residual damage from Stealth Rock and Spikes. Rocky Helmet is an option for Scizor to punish pivots like Zarude and Jirachi as well as Choice-locked threats like Diggersby and Zygarde-10% locked into Body Slam and Outrage or other contact moves. The given EV spread lets Scizor avoid the 2HKO from Zarude's Darkest Lariat and the 2HKO from standard Nihilego's Power Gem. It also guarantees Scizor will live a Meteor Beam from Nihilego. Would mention more meta relevant pivots than Jirachi, like opposing Scizor, Crobat, etc.

This Scizor set best operates on VoltTurn and bulky offense teams that provide additional pivots to synergize with Scizor and create momentum cores. Powerful wallbreakers like Starmie, Conkeldurr, Keldeo, and Zygarde-10% enjoy Scizor's pivot support and remove threats like Cobalion, Moltres, and Rotom-H. Electric-types like Thundurus-T, Rotom-W, and Rotom-H all form VoltTurn cores with Scizor, luring in Grass-types like Tangrowth and Zarude as well Chansey for Scizor to take advantage of. They all check Flying-types like Skarmory, Mandibuzz, and Moltres in return. Other pivots like Azelf and Zarude make for solid teammates; the former threatens Steel-types like Skarmory and Cobalion while the latter can help overwhelm Amoonguss and counter Rotom-W, enjoying Rocky Helmet being removed from Skarmory. Hippowdon, Nihilego, and Nidoqueen provide Stealth Rock support for Scizor to wear down Amoonguss and Rotom-W easier. Scizor's ability to remove Heavy-Duty Boots from checks like Salamence and the Stealth Rock setters' ability to keep Stealth Rock up against nearly every form of entry hazard removal dramatically increases Scizor's potency. Hippowdon and Nihilego also handle threats to Scizor like Thundurus-T and Primarina. Defensive walls like Amoonguss and Slowking can take on threats to Scizor like Keldeo and Salamence while also being helpful for keeping Scizor from getting overwhelmed by Zarude and Nihilego. The latter can also provide a slow pivot with Teleport to get Scizor in safely against Pokemon like Tangrowth.

[SET]
name: Bulky Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Bullet Punch
move 3: Knock Off / U-turn
move 4: Roost
item: Heavy-Duty Boots
ability: Technician
nature: Adamant
evs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 244 Def

[SET COMMENTS]

Swords Dance + Bullet Punch turns Scizor into a potent revenge killer and late-game sweeper capable of taking out fast threats like Nihilego, Zygarde-10%, and Azelf with a strong priority. Knock Off is essential in crippling the likes of Celesteela, Moltres, and Salamence, causing them to lose out on passive recovery or take damage from Stealth Rock, allowing Scizor to possibly overcome them in the long-term. U-turn can be used over Knock Off for powerful pivoting while still retaining sweeping abilities, being able to pressure Amoonguss a lot easier as well as bring in teammates like Azelf to handle counters like Skarmory and Cobalion, but this set is walled by threats like Celesteela and Salamence, which no longer fear Knock Off crippling them and can handle Scizor easier. Roost maintains Scizor's longevity, letting it check Nihilego, Zarude, Tangrowth, and Mamoswine throughout a game while preparing itself to sweep. It also has benefits in PP stalling Amoonguss out of Foul Play. Heavy-Duty Boots keeps Scizor from getting worn down by entry hazards and forced into Roost. Meanwhile, Rocky Helmet chips threats like Zarude, Cobalion, and Diggersby. Safety Goggles lets it act as a switch-in to Amoonguss by denying it Spore or Stun Spore and beating it in a 1v1, but this has few other applications. Heavy investment in HP and Defense allows Scizor to set up against and take on physical attackers like Zarude, Excadrill, and Zygarde-10%. It also decreases the damage taken from Amoonguss’s Foul Play and allows Scizor to take advantage of Cobalion lacking Swords Dance. Add a line of pairing SD U-turn set with a different Knock Off user to cover for Scizor dropping it.

Bulky Swords Dance Scizor best fits on bulky offense, VoltTurn, and balance teams that appreciate a late-game win-condition that provides integral defensive utility against threats like Tangrowth and Mamoswine. Stealth Rock setters like Nihilego and Hippowdon are valuable teammates, not only providing entry hazards to wear down the likes of Amoonguss and Celesteela, but also beating checks to Scizor like Moltres, Rotom-H, and Salamence. Special attackers like Hydreigon and Keldeo appreciate Scizor countering Chansey and can shatter Pokemon like Mandibuzz and Skarmory who stand in Scizor's way. Rotom-W and Thundurus-T are solid teammates that can pressure Flying-types like Celesteela, Mandibuzz, and Skarmory. Fast pivots like Azelf, Crobat, and Raikou take on revenge killers that threaten Scizor like Keldeo and Cobalion, especially appreciating U-turn bringing them in. These Pokemon provide useful Speed to Scizor's team in general because of how weak Bullet Punch is without setting up.

[SET]
name: Offensive Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Bullet Punch
move 3: Knock Off / Quick Attack
move 4: Dual Wingbeat / Superpower / Bug Bite
item: Life Orb
ability: Technician
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Bullet Punch covers Scizor's usual targets like Nihilego, Togekiss, and Mamoswine. After a Swords Dance, Scizor can easily pick off faster threats like Hydreigon and Zygarde-10% as well as bulkier foes like Hatterene and offensive Salamence after the latter has taken slight chip. The rest of the moves can be tailored to the needs of Scizor's team. Knock Off nails the likes of Slowking and Thundurus-T while being a good midground against Hippowdon and opposing Scizor. It also punishes Moltres and Rotom-H attempting to switch into Scizor. Technician boosted Quick Attack lets Scizor pick off faster Bullet Punch resists like Thundurus-T, Keldeo, and Rotom-W, though they do have to be fairly chipped. Dual Wingbeat does heavy damage against Grass-types like Amoonguss, Tangrowth, and Zarude, OHKOing them after a boost. It also covers Hippowdon well. Superpower lets Scizor break past Steel-types like Celesteela, Cobalion, and Skarmory. Bug Bite retains super effective damage on Tangrowth and Zarude while also hitting Slowking and Umbreon hard, but Scizor is walled by Cobalion as a result. Life Orb allows Scizor to maximize its wallbreaking potential since it has limited longevity anyway.

This set best fits on hyper offense teams that appreciate its potent late-game cleaning potential and good matchup against typical threats to hyper offense like Zarude and Lycanroc-D. Entry hazard support from Excadrill, Froslass, and Scolipede is key in softening up Celesteela and Primarina for Scizor to get past. Excadrill can also remove entry hazards with Rapid Spin while Scolipede can heavily chip threats like Cobalion with Endeavor. Gyarados makes a great partner for Scizor, taking advantage of Scizor luring in Keldeo and Moltres for free setup. Similarly, Meteor Beam Nihilego can wipe out annoyances to Scizor like Skarmory, Mandibuzz, and Rotom-H. Necrozma is able to use common Scizor counterplay such as Cobalion, Skarmory, and even Rotom-H as setup bait. Early-game wallbreakers and sweepers like Thundurus-T and Autotomize Celesteela can overwhelm Mandibuzz, Salamence, and Hippowdon for Scizor. Azelf in particular revenge kills many threats to Scizor like Cobalion and Keldeo. Would add a mention to how Scizor prevents HO teams from being completely run over by speed control options like Scarf Hydra, Crobat, Lycanroc, and how it retains the ability to revenge kill even when it is low on HP.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Protective Pads gives Scizor the freedom to hit Moltres with Knock Off and use U-turn on Skarmory and Cobalion without fearing a Flame Body burn and Rocky Helmet damage respectively, but Scizor greatly prefers Heavy-Duty Boots to bypass entry hazard damage. Protective Pads is IMO the worst of the OO mentions in this paragraph by a long shot, I would either put this at the end of the paragraph or remove it entirely, up to you. Scizor can use a Choice Band set for strong power right from the get-go, wearing down threats like Amoonguss and Keldeo with powerful a U-turn and revenge killing Azelf easier with a strong Bullet Punch, but Scizor requires extensive support to keep it from getting worn down by entry hazards and Rocky Helmet chip from Skarmory, Hippowdon, and Cobalion. Superpower on the bulky Swords Dance set allows Scizor to heavily damage a common counter in Cobalion, but Scizor prefers the utility Knock Off or U-turn provides. Defog is an option for bulky Scizor sets on stall teams due to it outlasting entry hazard setters like Swampert, but generally stall prefers Defoggers like Salamence and Articuno instead. Would reword this to say that it is more used as a secondary defogger, I don't think the Scizor stall teams are bad by any means they just use it more for general purpose Steel qualities than the hazard removal.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Steel-types**: Skarmory and Cobalion are great switch-ins to Scizor, as they resist Bullet Punch and U-turn and can wear Scizor down with Rocky Helmet. Both Iron Defense Skarmory and Swords Dance Cobalion can overcome bulky variants of Scizor by boosting past it. Celesteela hates Knock Off but OHKOes Scizor with Flamethrower.

**Fire-types and Fire-type Coverage**: Scizor has a crippling weakness to Fire attacks; Moltres and Rotom-H outspeed and OHKO Scizor, but they have to watch out for Knock Off removing their Heavy-Duty Boots. Fire-type coverage on the likes of Salamence, Azelf, Hydreigon, Nidoqueen, and Colbur Berry Galarian Slowbro all wipe out Scizor.

**Electric-types**: Thundurus-T, Rotom-H, and Raikou all resist Bullet Punch and can hit Scizor hard in return. Rotom-W can cripple Scizor with Will-O-Wisp but loses to bulky Swords Dance variants.

**Water-types**: Offensive Water-types like Keldeo and Starmie resist Bullet Punch and can revenge kill Scizor by hitting it hard with their STAB attacks, though the latter needs Scizor to be decently chipped at risk of getting hit hard by Knock Off. Gyarados also resists Bullet Punch and can boost with Dragon Dance as it forces Scizor out. Mention risk of Scald for Scizor even when trying to threaten Waters either neutral to Steel or too passive to immediately kill it like Primarina and Swampert.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Monky25, 515132]]
- Quality checked by: [[Mystras Leoxses, 530118], [avarice, 346653], [username3, userid3]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1], [username2, userid2]]
 

Sulo

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add remove comment
ac = add comma
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:ss/Scizor:(moved the scizor so it doesn't mess with formatting)
[OVERVIEW]

Scizor's potent defensive typing, amazing utility in Knock Off and U-turn, reliable recovery in Roost, and useful ability in Technician for Bullet Punch make it one of UU's scariest cleaners and best pivots. Scizor's dominance stems from its set versatility and ability to fit on nearly every playstyle, (ac) ranging from hyper offense to balance. Scizor's 3 Attacks + Roost set provides near unmatched utility as a dominant (think we should tone down on this a little. this connotation was also used prior to / after this and while this is more of a QC thing, Scizor isn't as dominant anymore, so I'd recommend changing that.) pivot that can nearly always make progress by crippling switch-ins like Salamence and Celesteela with Knock Off and enabling threats like Azelf with U-turn, all while having Roost to last throughout a game, (ac) checking threats like Tangrowth and Zarude. Meanwhile, Scizor's bulky Swords Dance set is notorious for being a strong late-game cleaner that can take advantage of common Pokemon like Zarude, Chansey, and Hippowdon to boost its Attack while also being a great revenge killer against to Zygarde-10% and Nihilego, as well as having the longevity to outlast checks like Celesteela and sweep when the time is right. Scizor's offensive Swords Dance set on offense focuses on going all out and steamrolling on boosting its Attack to go all out and steamroll past defensive Pokemon like Tangrowth and Chansey while easily sweeping past Hydreigon and Mamoswine with its boosted attacks. All of these factors make makes Scizor quite tough to handle in the builder, possibly exploiting having the possibility to exploit Skarmory and Cobalion with U-turn as well as potentially outlasting hard checks like Salamence, (ac) opening as it opens up its team. However, Scizor is not without its flaws. Its poor Speed and average Special Defense leave it susceptible to strong special attackers like Keldeo and Thundurus-T. Cleaning with Bullet Punch isn't always easy Bullet Punch isn't always easy to clean enemy teams with due to the prevalence of faster Steel-resistant Pokemon like Cobalion, Rotom-W, and the aforementioned Keldeo and Thundurus-T. (ap) This relegates relegating Scizor to item displacement and pivoting for the early- to mid-game, as it Scizor is unable to immediately make progress on its own. Scizor also has a horrific weakness to Fire-type attacks, leaving it limited by common coverage moves from threats such as Galarian Slowbro, Celesteela, Azelf, and Salamence. Common defensive Pokemon like Skarmory and Amoonguss can be used to scout nearly all of Scizor's attacks, making it easier to distinguish what set it is running. Scizor struggles to fit all the moves it would like, wanting Swords Dance to sweep late-game, the sweeping potential with Swords Dance, Knock Off to cripple switch-ins like Salamence, and U-turn to pivot away from unfavorable matchups.

[SET]
name: 3 Attacks + Roost
move 1: Bullet Punch
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Roost
item: Heavy-Duty Boots
ability: Technician
nature: Adamant
evs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 104 Def / 140 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

U-turn allows Scizor to consistently grab momentum, forcing out Tangrowth and Slowking while punishing switch-ins like Skarmory and Cobalion by pivoting out into a teammate like Rotom-W. Knock Off cripples switch-ins like Celesteela, Moltres, and Salamence. It also allows Scizor to threaten Chansey and removes Rocky Helmet from Cobalion and Skarmory that would wear Scizor down, though it has to worry about giving free Justified boosts to Cobalion. Dual Wingbeat is an option over U-turn that lets Scizor lure in and nail Amoonguss and Keldeo. to lure in and nail Amoonguss and Keldeo. Roost gives Scizor the longevity to handle Zarude, Hippowdon, and Nihilego. Heavy-Duty Boots is the preferred option for Scizor to pivot with ease and not worry about residual damage from Stealth Rock and Spikes. Rocky Helmet is an alternative that punishes option for Scizor to punish pivots like Zarude and Crobat as well as Choice-locked threats like Diggersby and Zygarde-10% locked into Body Slam and Outrage or other contact moves. The given EV spread lets Scizor avoid the 2HKO from Zarude's Darkest Lariat and standard Nihilego's Power Gem. It also guarantees Scizor will live a Meteor Beam from Nihilego.

This Scizor set best operates on VoltTurn and bulky offense teams that provide additional pivots to synergize with Scizor and create momentum cores. Powerful wallbreakers like Conkeldurr, Keldeo, and Zygarde-10% enjoy Scizor's pivot support and remove threats like Cobalion, Moltres, and Rotom-H. Electric-types like Thundurus-T and Rotom-W form potent VoltTurn cores with Scizor, luring in Grass-types like Tangrowth and Zarude as well Chansey for Scizor to take advantage of, all while checking Flying-types like Skarmory, Mandibuzz, and Moltres in return. Other pivots like Azelf and Zarude make for solid teammates; the former threatens Steel-types like Skarmory and Cobalion while the latter can help overwhelm Amoonguss and counter Rotom-W, enjoying Rocky Helmet being removed from Skarmory. Hippowdon, Nihilego, and Nidoqueen provide Stealth Rock support for Scizor to wear down Amoonguss and Rotom-W easier. Scizor's ability to remove Heavy-Duty Boots from checks like Salamence and the Stealth Rock setters' ability to keep Stealth Rock up against nearly every form of entry hazard removal dramatically increases Scizor's potency. Hippowdon and Nihilego also handle threats to Scizor like Thundurus-T and Salamence. Defensive walls like Amoonguss and Slowking can take on threats to Scizor like Keldeo and Salamence while also being helpful for keeping Scizor from getting overwhelmed by Zarude and Nihilego. The latter can also provide a slow pivot with Teleport to get Scizor in safely against Pokemon like Tangrowth.

[SET]
name: Bulky Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Bullet Punch
move 3: Knock Off / U-turn
move 4: Roost
item: Heavy-Duty Boots
ability: Technician
nature: Adamant
evs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 244 Def

[SET COMMENTS]

Swords Dance + Bullet Punch turns Scizor into a potent revenge killer and late-game sweeper capable of taking out fast threats like Nihilego, Zygarde-10%, and Azelf with a strong priority attack. Knock Off is essential in crippling the likes of Celesteela, Moltres, and Salamence, causing them to lose out on passive recovery or take damage from Stealth Rock, allowing Scizor to possibly overcome them in the long-term. U-turn can be used over Knock Off for powerful pivoting while still retaining sweeping abilities, being able to pressure Amoonguss a lot easier as well as bring in teammates like Azelf to handle counters like Skarmory and Cobalion. However, Scizor must be paired with another Knock Off user such as Tangrowth or Diggersby to cover for Scizor dropping it. Moreover, Swords Dance + U-turn set is walled by dangerous threats like Celesteela and Salamence, which no longer fear Knock Off crippling them and can handle Scizor easier. Roost maintains Scizor's longevity, letting it check Nihilego, Zarude, Tangrowth, and Mamoswine throughout a game while preparing itself to sweep. It also has benefits in PP stalling Amoonguss out of Foul Play. Heavy-Duty Boots keeps Scizor from getting worn down by entry hazards and being forced to use forced into Roost. Meanwhile, Rocky Helmet chips threats like Zarude, Cobalion, and Diggersby. Safety Goggles lets it act as a switch-in to Amoonguss by denying it Spore or Stun Spore and beating it in a 1v1, but this has few other applications. Heavy investment in HP and Defense allows Scizor to set up against and take on physical attackers like Zarude, Excadrill, and Zygarde-10%. It also decreases the damage taken from Amoonguss’s Foul Play and allows Scizor to take advantage of Cobalion lacking Swords Dance.

Bulky Swords Dance Scizor best fits on bulky offense, VoltTurn, and balance teams that appreciate a late-game win-condition that provides integral defensive utility against threats like Tangrowth and Mamoswine. Stealth Rock setters like Nihilego and Hippowdon are valuable teammates; (added semicolon) not only do they provide providing entry hazards to wear down the likes of Amoonguss and Celesteela, but they also beat also beating checks to Scizor like Moltres, Rotom-H, and Salamence. Special attackers like Hydreigon and Keldeo appreciate Scizor countering Chansey and can shatter Pokemon like Mandibuzz and Skarmory who stand in Scizor's way. Rotom-W and Thundurus-T are solid teammates that can pressure Flying-types like Celesteela, Mandibuzz, and Skarmory. Fast pivots like Azelf, Crobat, and Raikou take on revenge killers that threaten Scizor like Keldeo and Cobalion, especially appreciating U-turn bringing them in. These Pokemon provide useful Speed to Scizor's team in general because of how weak Bullet Punch is without setting up. (<- is this trying to say that the fast mons mentioned provide more reliable revenge killing? i'd change it to something like "These Pokemon also serve as revenge killers alongside Scizor as it is too weak to reliably do so on its own.")

[SET]
name: Offensive Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Bullet Punch
move 3: Knock Off / Quick Attack
move 4: Dual Wingbeat / Superpower / Bug Bite
item: Life Orb
ability: Technician
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Bullet Punch covers Scizor's usual targets like Nihilego, Togekiss, and Mamoswine. After a Swords Dance, it Scizor can easily pick off faster threats like Hydreigon and Zygarde-10% as well as bulkier foes like Hatterene and offensive Salamence after the latter has taken slight chip. The rest of the moves can be tailored to the needs of Scizor's team. Knock Off nails the likes of Slowking and Thundurus-T while being a good midground against Hippowdon and opposing Scizor. It also punishes Moltres and Rotom-H attempting to switch into Scizor. Technician-boosted (added hyphen) Quick Attack lets Scizor pick off faster Pokemon resistant to Bullet Punch resists like Thundurus-T, Keldeo, and Rotom-W, though they do have to be fairly chipped. Dual Wingbeat does heavy damage against Grass-types like Amoonguss, Tangrowth, and Zarude, OHKOing them after a boost. It also covers Hippowdon well. Superpower lets Scizor break past Steel-types like Celesteela, Cobalion, and Skarmory. Bug Bite retains super effective damage on Tangrowth and Zarude while also hitting Slowking and Umbreon hard, but leaves Scizor walled by Scizor is walled by Cobalion as a result. Life Orb allows Scizor to maximize its wallbreaking potential since it has limited longevity anyway.

This set best fits on hyper offense teams that appreciate Scizor's potent late-game cleaning potential and ability to revenge kill faster threats like Azelf even when low on HP. (ap) It also has the ability as well as the prowess to prevent fast threats such as Lycanroc-D, Zygarde-10%, and Choice Scarf Hydreigon from running over hyper offense teams. Entry hazard support from Excadrill, Froslass, and Scolipede is key in softening up Celesteela and Primarina for Scizor to get past. Excadrill can also remove entry hazards with Rapid Spin while Scolipede can heavily chip threats like Cobalion with Endeavor. Gyarados makes a great partner for Scizor, taking advantage of Scizor luring in Keldeo and Moltres for free setup. Similarly, Meteor Beam Nihilego can wipe out annoyances to Scizor like Skarmory, Mandibuzz, and Rotom-H. Necrozma is able to use common Scizor counterplay such as Cobalion, Skarmory, and even Rotom-H as setup bait. Early-game wallbreakers and sweepers like Thundurus-T and Autotomize Celesteela can overwhelm Mandibuzz, Salamence, and Hippowdon for Scizor. Azelf, in particular, (commas) revenge kills many threats to Scizor like Cobalion and Keldeo.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Scizor can use a Choice Band set for strong power right from the get-go, wearing down threats like Amoonguss and Keldeo with powerful a U-turn and revenge killing Azelf easier with a strong Bullet Punch, but it Scizor requires extensive support to keep it from getting worn down by entry hazards and Rocky Helmet chip from Skarmory, Hippowdon, and Cobalion. Superpower on the bulky Swords Dance set allows Scizor to heavily damage a common counter in Cobalion, but Scizor prefers the utility Knock Off or U-turn provides. Defog is an option for bulky Scizor sets on stall teams as a secondary entry hazard remover Defogger due to it outlasting entry hazard setters like Swampert and providing valuable defensive utility with its Steel-typing, but this set is very passive and stall generally prefers Defoggers like Salamence and Articuno instead.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Steel-types**: Skarmory and Cobalion are great switch-ins to Scizor, as they resist Bullet Punch and U-turn and can wear it down wear Scizor down with Rocky Helmet. Both Iron Defense Skarmory and Swords Dance Cobalion can overcome bulky variants of Scizor by boosting alongside past it. Celesteela hates Knock Off but OHKOes Scizor with Flamethrower.

**Fire-types and Fire-type Coverage**: Scizor has a crippling weakness to Fire attacks; Moltres and Rotom-H outspeed and OHKO Scizor, but they have to watch out for Knock Off removing their Heavy-Duty Boots. Fire-type coverage on the likes of Salamence, Azelf, Hydreigon, Nidoqueen, and Colbur Berry Galarian Slowbro all wipe out Scizor.

**Electric-types**: Thundurus-T, Rotom-H, and Raikou all resist Bullet Punch and can hit Scizor hard in return. Rotom-W can cripple Scizor with Will-O-Wisp but loses to bulky Swords Dance variants.

**Water-types**: Offensive Water-types like Keldeo and Starmie resist Bullet Punch and can revenge kill Scizor by hitting it hard with their STAB attacks, though the latter needs Scizor to be decently chipped at risk of getting hit hard by Knock Off. Gyarados also resists Bullet Punch and can boost with Dragon Dance as it forces Scizor out. Scizor is also at risk from getting burned by Scald from foes it Scizor attempts to take on like Swampert and RestTalk Primarina due to its inability to immediately defeat them.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Monky25, 515132]]
- Quality checked by: [[Mystras Leoxses, 530118], [avarice, 346653], [Sage, 192277]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1], [username2, userid2]]
 

Lumari

empty spaces
is a Site Content Manageris a Top Social Media Contributoris a Member of Senior Staffis a Community Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Top Smogon Media Contributoris an Administrator Alumnus
TFP Leader
Sulo: add remove comment ac = add comma rc = remove commaap = add period
mari: add / fix remove (comments); (AC=add comma; RC=remove comma; SC=semicolon)
GP Team done, this is honestly fine and would rather just get this on site
:ss/Scizor:(moved the scizor so it doesn't mess with formatting)
[OVERVIEW]

Scizor's potent defensive typing, amazing utility in Knock Off and U-turn, reliable recovery in Roost, and useful ability in Technician for Bullet Punch make it one of UU's scariest cleaners and best pivots. Scizor's dominance stems from its set versatility and ability to fit on nearly every playstyle, (ac) ranging from hyper offense to balance. Scizor's 3 Attacks + Roost set provides near-unmatched (AH) utility as a dominant (think we should tone down on this a little. this connotation was also used prior to / after this and while this is more of a QC thing, Scizor isn't as dominant anymore, so I'd recommend changing that.) pivot that can nearly always make progress by crippling switch-ins like Salamence and Celesteela with Knock Off and enabling threats like Azelf with U-turn, all while having Roost to last throughout a game, (ac) checking check threats like Tangrowth and Zarude throughout a game. (p sure this was what's meant) Meanwhile, Scizor's bulky Swords Dance set is notorious for being a strong late-game cleaner that can take advantage of common Pokemon like Zarude, Chansey, and Hippowdon to boost its Attack while also being a great revenge killer against to Zygarde-10% and Nihilego, as well as having the longevity to outlast checks like Celesteela and sweep when the time is right. Scizor's offensive Swords Dance set on offense focuses on going all out and steamrolling on boosting its Attack to go all out and steamroll past defensive Pokemon like Tangrowth and Chansey while easily sweeping past Hydreigon and Mamoswine with its boosted attacks. All of these factors make makes Scizor quite tough to handle in the builder, possibly exploiting having the possibility to exploit (prefer initial version with possibility -> ability, feels more accurate with intentions) Skarmory and Cobalion with U-turn as well as potentially outlasting hard checks like Salamence, (ac) opening as it opens up its (keep as is, its -> their) team. However, Scizor is not without its flaws. Its poor Speed and average Special Defense leave it susceptible to strong special attackers like Keldeo and Thundurus-T. Cleaning with Bullet Punch isn't always easy Bullet Punch isn't always easy to clean enemy teams with due to the prevalence of faster Steel-resistant Pokemon like Cobalion, Rotom-W, and the aforementioned Keldeo and Thundurus-T. (ap) This relegates relegating Scizor to item displacement and pivoting for the early- to mid-game, as it Scizor is unable to immediately make progress on its own. Scizor also has a horrific weakness to Fire-type attacks, leaving it limited by common coverage moves from threats such as Galarian Slowbro, Celesteela, Azelf, and Salamence. Common defensive Pokemon like Skarmory and Amoonguss can be used to scout nearly all of Scizor's attacks, making it easier to distinguish what set it is running. Scizor struggles to fit all the moves it would like, wanting Swords Dance to sweep late-game, the sweeping potential with Swords Dance, Knock Off to cripple switch-ins like Salamence, and U-turn to pivot away from unfavorable matchups. (okay)

[SET]
name: 3 Attacks + Roost
move 1: Bullet Punch
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Roost
item: Heavy-Duty Boots
ability: Technician
nature: Adamant
evs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 104 Def / 140 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

U-turn allows Scizor to consistently grab momentum, forcing out Tangrowth and Slowking while punishing switch-ins like Skarmory and Cobalion by pivoting out into to a teammate like Rotom-W. Knock Off cripples switch-ins like Celesteela, Moltres, and Salamence. It also allows Scizor to threaten Chansey and removes Rocky Helmet from Cobalion and Skarmory that would wear Scizor down, though it has to worry about giving free Justified boosts to Cobalion. Dual Wingbeat is an option over U-turn that lets Scizor lure in and nail Amoonguss and Keldeo. to lure in and nail Amoonguss and Keldeo. (this is fine as is) Roost gives Scizor the longevity to handle Zarude, Hippowdon, and Nihilego. Heavy-Duty Boots is the preferred option for Scizor to pivot with ease and not worry about residual damage from Stealth Rock and Spikes. Rocky Helmet is an alternative that punishes option for Scizor to punish (remove "for scizor" yea but the wording changes are fine) pivots like Zarude and Crobat as well as Choice-locked threats like Diggersby and Zygarde-10% locked into Body Slam and Outrage or other contact moves. The given EV spread lets Scizor avoid the 2HKO from Zarude's Darkest Lariat and standard Nihilego's Power Gem. It also guarantees Scizor will live be able to take a Meteor Beam from Nihilego.

This Scizor set best operates on VoltTurn and bulky offense teams that provide additional pivots to synergize with Scizor and create momentum cores. Powerful wallbreakers like Conkeldurr, Keldeo, and Zygarde-10% enjoy Scizor's pivot support and remove threats like Cobalion, Moltres, and Rotom-H. Electric-types like Thundurus-T and Rotom-W form potent VoltTurn cores with Scizor, luring in Grass-types like Tangrowth and Zarude as well Chansey for Scizor to take advantage of, all (yep either this or remove comma) while checking Flying-types like Skarmory, Mandibuzz, and Moltres in return. Other pivots like Azelf and Zarude make for solid teammates; the former threatens Steel-types like Skarmory and Cobalion, (AC) while the latter can help overwhelm Amoonguss and counter Rotom-W (RC) enjoying and enjoys Rocky Helmet being removed from Skarmory. Hippowdon, Nihilego, and Nidoqueen provide Stealth Rock support for Scizor to wear down Amoonguss and Rotom-W easier. Scizor's ability to remove Heavy-Duty Boots from checks like Salamence and the Stealth Rock setters' ability to keep Stealth Rock up against nearly every form of entry hazard removal dramatically increases Scizor's potency. Hippowdon and Nihilego also handle threats to Scizor like Thundurus-T and Salamence. Defensive walls like Amoonguss and Slowking can take on threats to Scizor like Keldeo and Salamence while also being helpful for keeping Scizor from getting overwhelmed by Zarude and Nihilego. The latter can also provide a slow pivot with Teleport to get Scizor in safely against Pokemon like Tangrowth.

[SET]
name: Bulky Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Bullet Punch
move 3: Knock Off / U-turn
move 4: Roost
item: Heavy-Duty Boots
ability: Technician
nature: Adamant
evs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 244 Def

[SET COMMENTS]

Swords Dance + Bullet Punch turns Scizor into a potent revenge killer and late-game sweeper capable of taking out fast threats like Nihilego, Zygarde-10%, and Azelf with a strong priority attack. Knock Off is essential in crippling the likes of Celesteela, Moltres, and Salamence, causing them to lose out on passive recovery or take damage from Stealth Rock, allowing Scizor to possibly overcome them in the long-term long run. U-turn can be used over Knock Off for powerful pivoting while still retaining sweeping abilities, being able to pressure Amoonguss a lot easier more easily as well as bring in teammates like Azelf to handle counters like Skarmory and Cobalion. However, Scizor must be paired with another Knock Off user such as Tangrowth or Diggersby to cover for Scizor dropping it. Moreover, Swords Dance + U-turn set (better "a Swords Dance + U-turn set", or just "such a set" honestly) is walled by dangerous threats like Celesteela and Salamence, which no longer fear Knock Off crippling them and can handle Scizor easier more easily. Roost maintains Scizor's longevity, letting it check Nihilego, Zarude, Tangrowth, and Mamoswine throughout a game while preparing itself to sweep. It also has benefits in PP stalling Amoonguss out of Foul Play. Heavy-Duty Boots keeps Scizor from getting worn down by entry hazards and being forced to use forced into (...fine if the reason here was that the verb was too far removed rather than this being actually incorrect) Roost. Meanwhile, Rocky Helmet chips is an option to chip threats like Zarude, Cobalion, and Diggersby, (comma) while Safety Goggles lets it Scizor act as a switch-in to Amoonguss by denying it Spore or Stun Spore and beating it in a 1v1, but one-on-one, though this has few other applications. Heavy investment in HP and Defense allows Scizor to set up against and take on physical attackers like Zarude, Excadrill, and Zygarde-10%. It also decreases the damage taken from Amoonguss’s Foul Play and allows Scizor to take advantage of Cobalion lacking Swords Dance.

Bulky Swords Dance Scizor best fits on bulky offense, VoltTurn, and balance teams that appreciate a late-game win-condition sweeper that provides integral defensive utility against threats like Tangrowth and Mamoswine. Stealth Rock setters like Nihilego and Hippowdon are valuable teammates; (added semicolon) not only do they provide providing entry hazards to wear down the likes of Amoonguss and Celesteela, but they also beat also beating checks to Scizor like Moltres, Rotom-H, and Salamence. (idm initial version either fwiw as long as comma before but goes) Special attackers like Hydreigon and Keldeo appreciate Scizor countering Chansey and can shatter Pokemon like Mandibuzz and Skarmory who that stand in Scizor's way. Rotom-W and Thundurus-T are solid teammates that can pressure Flying-types like Celesteela, Mandibuzz, and Skarmory. Fast pivots like Azelf, Crobat, and Raikou take on revenge killers that threaten Scizor like Keldeo and Cobalion, especially appreciating U-turn bringing them in. These Pokemon provide useful Speed revenge killing utility to Scizor's team in general because of how weak Bullet Punch is without setting up. (<- is this trying to say that the fast mons mentioned provide more reliable revenge killing? i'd change it to something like "These Pokemon also serve as revenge killers alongside Scizor as it is too weak to reliably do so on its own.") (this reasoning yes)

[SET]
name: Offensive Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Bullet Punch
move 3: Knock Off / Quick Attack
move 4: Dual Wingbeat / Superpower / Bug Bite
item: Life Orb
ability: Technician
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Bullet Punch covers Scizor's usual targets like Nihilego, Togekiss, and Mamoswine. After a Swords Dance, it Scizor can easily pick off faster threats like Hydreigon and Zygarde-10% as well as bulkier foes like Hatterene and offensive Salamence after the latter has taken slight chip. The rest of the moves can be tailored to the needs of Scizor's team. Knock Off nails the likes of Slowking and Thundurus-T while being a good midground against Hippowdon and opposing Scizor. It also punishes Moltres and Rotom-H attempting to switch into Scizor. Alternatively, Technician-boosted (added hyphen) Quick Attack lets Scizor pick off faster Pokemon resistant to Bullet Punch resists like Thundurus-T, Keldeo, and Rotom-W, though they do have to be fairly chipped worn down. Dual Wingbeat does heavy damage against Grass-types like Amoonguss, Tangrowth, and Zarude, OHKOing them after a boost. It also covers Hippowdon well. However, Superpower lets Scizor break past Steel-types like Celesteela, Cobalion, and Skarmory, (comma) while Bug Bite retains super effective damage on Tangrowth and Zarude while also hitting Slowking and Umbreon hard, but though it (remember the comma stuff I pasted in your PM here too) leaves Scizor walled by Scizor is walled by Cobalion as a result. Life Orb allows Scizor to maximize its wallbreaking potential, (AC) since it has limited longevity anyway.

This set best fits on hyper offense teams that appreciate Scizor's potent late-game cleaning potential and ability to revenge kill faster threats like Azelf even when low on HP. (ap) It also has the ability as well as the prowess (keep as is and just change this bit to "and", you're correctly noticing that the wordiness makes this hard to read but i don't like the nuance of spinning this off to another sentence) to prevent fast threats such as Lycanroc-D, Zygarde-10%, and Choice Scarf Hydreigon from running over hyper offense teams. Entry hazard support from Excadrill, Froslass, and Scolipede is key in softening up Celesteela and Primarina for Scizor to get past. Excadrill can also remove entry hazards with Rapid Spin, (AC) while Scolipede can heavily chip threats like Cobalion with Endeavor. Gyarados makes a great partner for Scizor, taking advantage of Scizor luring in Keldeo and Moltres for free setup. Similarly, Meteor Beam Nihilego can wipe out annoyances to Scizor like Skarmory, Mandibuzz, and Rotom-H. Necrozma is able to use common Scizor counterplay such as Cobalion, Skarmory, and even Rotom-H as setup bait. Early-game wallbreakers and sweepers like Thundurus-T and Autotomize Celesteela can overwhelm Mandibuzz, Salamence, and Hippowdon for Scizor. Azelf, in particular, (commas) revenge kills many threats to Scizor like Cobalion and Keldeo.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Scizor can use a Choice Band set for strong great power right from the get-go, wearing down threats like Amoonguss and Keldeo with powerful a U-turn and revenge killing Azelf easier with a strong Bullet Punch, but it Scizor requires extensive support to keep it from getting worn down by entry hazards and Rocky Helmet chip from Skarmory, Hippowdon, and Cobalion. Superpower on the bulky Swords Dance set allows Scizor to heavily damage a common counter in Cobalion, but Scizor prefers the utility Knock Off or U-turn provides. Defog is an option for bulky Scizor sets on stall teams as a secondary entry hazard remover Defogger due to it outlasting entry hazard setters like Swampert and providing valuable defensive utility with its Steel typing, (RH) but this set is very passive, (AC) and stall generally prefers Defoggers like Salamence and Articuno instead.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Steel-types**: Skarmory and Cobalion are great switch-ins to Scizor, as they resist Bullet Punch and U-turn and can wear it down wear Scizor down with Rocky Helmet. Both Iron Defense Skarmory and Swords Dance Cobalion can overcome bulky variants of Scizor by boosting alongside past it. Celesteela hates Knock Off but OHKOes Scizor with Flamethrower.

**Fire-types and Fire-type Coverage**: Scizor has a crippling weakness to Fire attacks; Moltres and Rotom-H outspeed and OHKO Scizor, but they have to watch out for Knock Off removing their Heavy-Duty Boots. Fire-type coverage on the likes of Salamence, Azelf, Hydreigon, Nidoqueen, and Colbur Berry Galarian Slowbro all wipe wipes out Scizor.

**Electric-types**: Thundurus-T, Rotom-H, and Raikou all resist Bullet Punch and can hit Scizor hard in return. Rotom-W can cripple Scizor with Will-O-Wisp but loses to bulky Swords Dance variants.

**Water-types**: Offensive Water-types like Keldeo and Starmie resist Bullet Punch and can revenge kill Scizor by hitting it hard with their STAB attacks, though the latter needs Scizor to be decently chipped at risk of getting hit hard by Knock Off. Gyarados also resists Bullet Punch and can boost with Dragon Dance as it forces Scizor out. Scizor is also at risk from getting burned by Scald from foes it Scizor attempts to take on like Swampert and RestTalk Primarina due to its inability to immediately defeat them.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Monky25, 515132]]
- Quality checked by: [[Mystras Leoxses, 530118], [avarice, 346653], [Sage, 192277]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1], [username2, userid2]]
@ sulo i tried to mark all the changes that i felt were redundant so if im letting them go then assume i either would have made the change myself too or can see a logical reason that i feel is good enough. lmk if you have questions

 

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