Copyediting the 10 month Blacephalon article (QC 2/2) (GP 0/1)

[shnowshner]

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Flamethrower
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
===================
Choice Scarf makes use of Blacephalon's useful Speed tier, naturally high Special Attack, and the snowballing potential of Beast Boost, letting it serve as a late-game cleaner and revenge killer while still possessing enough firepower to threaten KOs on targets like Slowbro and Ferrothorn. Timid is the best option so that Blacephalon is able to outrun other Choice Scarf users, namely Tapu Lele and Urshifu-R, and to revenge kill Pokemon with boosted Speed such as Scale Shot Garchomp. Trick is used to cripple bulky answers like Toxapex and Heatran, potentially letting a teammate take advantage of them later.

Blacephalon enjoys pairing with strong wallbreakers or setup attackers, as they can weaken Blacephalon's checks while in return benefit from Blacephalon's ability to force out offensive answers or sweep weakened teams. Weavile is a strong partner that can use Knock Off onto common Blacephalon switch-ins, like Arghonaut, Tapu Fini, and Toxapex, so that Blacephalon has an easier time breaking through them later; in return, Choice Scarf Blacephalon can help handle Tapu Koko or Choice Scarf Tapu Lele that threaten Weavile. Urshifu-R invites in targets like Buzzwole or Slowbro and can use U-Turn on them, providing Blacephalon a way onto the field with significant advantage. Due to the limited number of strong Ghost resists in the CAP Metagame, Choice Scarf Blacephalon is a good partner for other Ghost-types attackers, namely Choice Specs Dragapult and Choice Band Pajantom, as the onslaught of Ghost STAB can overwhelm teams without a strong Ghost check. Certain hyper offensive teams also appreciate Choice Scarf Blacephalon's ability to run through the opponent after the setup sweepers and wallbreakers have done their job: a good teammate is Moltres-Galar, who can come in on expected Ghost-type attacks or Pokemon crippled by Trick, and start setting up to sweep, while also capable of wearing down the opponent's walls into KO range of Blacephalon.

Strong hazard removal support is extremely helpful to ensure Blacephalon can come onto the field and scare out fast offensive Pokemon throughout the match, so sturdy Defog users like Landorus-T, Tornadus-T, and Corviknight are prime teammates. Rapid Spin support from Saharaja and Equilibra allows Blacephalon to better take advantage of its team's own hazards, significantly improving its ability to break. Depending on the move its locked into, Blacephalon can fail to deal with slower offensive Pokemon like Dragapult and Weavile, so it wants teammates like Toxapex and Ferrothorn that can tank hits and spread chip damage.

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Flamethrower
move 3: Fire Blast / Overheat
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Specs
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
===================
Blacephalon's fantastic offensive typing, monstrous Special Attack stat, and Beast Boost ability lets it serve as a dangerous wallbreaker with Choice Specs. Fire Blast is less reliable, but much stronger than Flamethrower and is best used to nab KOs when Flamethower would otherwise fail. Overheat is an option over Fire Blast for greater initial power and accuracy, but starts underperforming after the initial use. Trick gives Blacephalon extra utility versus bulkier checks like Toxapex and avoid situations where locking into a move is disadvantageous.

Blacephalon's poor bulk and awkward typing can make it hard to bring in, so bringing multiple teammates that can safely switch Blacephalon onto the field help enable its destructive prowess. Hazard control pivots like Landorus-T, Tornadus-T, and Corviknight allow for safe and controllable entry onto the field, while offensive pivots like Dragapult or Tapu Koko are better at keeping up offensive pressure. Weavile is a massive pain for Blacephalon to deal with, so having answers to it is invaluable. Tapu Fini can check Weavile, as well as Dragapult and Astrolotl all while providing Defog support. Arghonaut is the premier Weavile counter of the metagame and additionally checks incoming Water-, Dark-, and Rock-type moves that scare Blacephalon out, while its Spikes and Knock Off help Blacephalon's breaking capabilities. Melmetal is another option that can handle strong Physical attackers like the aforementioned Weavile, forces out Blissey and bulky Tyranitar with ease, and in return appreciates Blacephalon's ability to KO Pokemon that resist its Double Iron Bash, like Zapdos, Corviknight, and opposing Melmetal. Teammates that can absorb or otherwise punish Knock Off from its abundant users, such as Clefable, Ferrothorn, Garchomp, and Zapdos, help alleviate Blacephalon's horrible weakness to the move. Frailer offensive partners like Kartana and Tapu Lele can form powerful breaking cores that either blast through each others checks or overload the opponent's defensive backbone.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
===================
Blacephalon can run a Calm Mind set with Heavy-Duty Boots for additional flexibility during a match, but this comes with a heavy cost to both immediate power and Speed. Mind Blown can be run situationally on the Choice Specs set to always OHKO Assault Vest Tornadus-T switching into Stealth Rock; however, this severely limits Blacephalon. Expanding Force is an option when teamed with Tapu Lele, capable of outdamaging Shadow Ball against neutral targets and securing an OHKO against Toxapex and Arghonaut so long as Psychic Terrain is active.

Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Pokemon and Priority Users**: Choice Scarf variants of Kartana and Astrolotl can outspeed and KO both Blacephalon sets. Without Choice Scarf, Blacephalon is threatened by practically any Pokemon that outspeeds it, including Choice Scarf users like Tapu Lele, or naturally fast attackers such as Weavile, Zeraora and Dragapult. Priority attacks such as Urshifu's Aqua Jet and Colossoil's Sucker Punch threaten to KO Blacephalon from full

**Specially bulky Pokemon**: Assault Vest Tornadus-T, specially defensive Landorus-T, Venomicon, and Pyroak are all bulky enough to eat a hit and force Blacephalon out, though they are not always able to come in safely on the Choice Specs set. Blissey is a strong check to Blacephalon as it is immune to Shadow Ball and can stall out its Fire STAB easily: Trick can be a useful way to cripple it, but comes at the cost of either Special Attack or Speed, making it less effective versus Blissey's teammates in the long run. Tyranitar is capable of checking Blacephalon thanks to its typing, stats, and Sand Stream, but it lacks longevity.

**Bulky Water-types**: Leftovers Tapu Fini is capable of blanket checking Blacephalon through its typing and stats, though it must be careful of Shadow Ball from the Choice Specs set. Arghonaut is a good answer to the Choice Scarf set and ignores any Beast Boost raises Blacephalon may have acquired, letting it stop a potential sweep, though it also has to be wary of Shadow Ball. Toxapex can scout Blacephalon's move and swap to an appropriate teammate in response, or simply elect to stay in. Gastrodon's high Special Defense, access to Recover, and Sticky Hold ability make it difficult for Blacephalon to deal with, as it fails to 2HKO with Shadow Ball and has to switch out of Earthquake.

**Entry Hazards**: Being weak to Stealth Rock and vulnerable to all other hazards deserves special mention, as they can quickly bring Blacephalon into range of weaker hits or cause it to faint entirely.

[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/shnowshner.514220/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/lasen.273339/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/spoo.251944/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/

 

[shnowshner]

confirming that this is getting worked on

 

[Lasen]

add
remove
(comment)
(AH=added hyphen)
(RH=removed hyphen)

funny clown

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Flamethrower
move 3: Fire Blast / Overheat
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Specs
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
===================
Blacephalon's fantastic offensive typing and dangerous ability (you repeat "dangerous" later, try a different epithet here) in Beast Boost lets it serve as a dangerous wallbreaker with Choice Specs. Fire Blast is less reliable, but much stronger than Flamethrower and is best used in low-risk situations or to nab KOs when Flamethower would otherwise fail. Overheat is a secondary option for its greater initial power and accuracy versus Fire Blast, but is much less sustainable. Trick gives Blacephalon extra utility versus bulkier checks or teams if being locked into a move is disadvantageous. EVs and nature is invested to make Blacephalon as fast and strong as possible: Timid should almost always be run to maximize the number of opposing Pokemon threatened, as Modest leaves you unable to outpace Pokemon at Base 95 Speed or higher that can run maximum Speed investment, such as Tapu Lele and Garchomp, preventing you from KOing them in late-game scenarios or if the opponent is sacking said Pokemon. (this is information that isn't necessary; if modest is not slashed you don't need to explain what max speed does)

Choice Specs Blacephalon works well with bulky teammates it can fall back on, while in return dealing with their defensive checks. Weavile is a massive pain for Blacephalon to deal with, given its offensive capabilities, so having answers to it is invaluable. Tapu Fini can check Weavile while providing additional support against, as well as Dragapult and Astrolotl all while providing Defog support. Arghonaut is the premier Weavile counter of the metagame, provides Spikes and Knock Off support, and additionally checks incoming Water- and Dark-type attacks that scare Blacephalon out. Heatran is a versatile option that can help versus Weavile either through threatening it out with powerful Fire STAB, or punishing it with a defensive Flame Body set, while providing additional support against answers like Tornadus-T and Choice Scarf Tapu Lele (Tran stacks too many weaknesses, stuff like Melm that you mention afterwards does its job better). Melmetal is another option that can stomach most strong neutral physical attacks, including Venomicon-E's Brave Bird, while threatening the opponent in return (I think this is kind of an empty sentence as it stands, maybe name the things it forces out), and it appreciates Blacephalon's ability to KO Pokemon that get in the way of its Double Iron Bash, like Zapdos, Corviknight, and opposing Melmetal. Frailer offensive partners like Kartana and Tapu Lele can form powerful breaking cores that either blast through each others checks or overload the opponent's defensive backbone.


Blacephalon's poor bulk and awkward typing can make it hard to bring in, so teammates that are able to safely switch Blacephalon onto the field, namely pivot move users like Landorus-T, Slowbro, Tornadus-T, Dragapult, Assault Vest Colossoil, and Corviknight, are very helpful in enabling it to get in position. (OK so I deliberated a lot on this: I think splitting the pivot section into "hazard removal pivots like lando, corv, torn and av colossoil" and then future sight/offensive pivots like slowbro and dragapult" is the best way to approach this, that way the support it needs is even more clear) Blacephalon has to switch out on the many Knock Off users that situationally check it, including Kartana, Zeraora, Toxapex, Arghonaut, Tapu Fini, (not all that common as a Knocker rn) and Colossoil, so it appreciates teammates that can absorb or otherwise punish Knock Off, such as Clefable, Ferrothorn, Garchomp, and Zapdos. Entry hazards can easily limit Blacephalon's capability to threaten the opponent, so good hazard control is mandated to get the most out of its wallbreaking prowess, and many of its already good partners can carry the move, like Landorus-T and Corviknight. (moved higher above) Blacephalon also enjoys the support of Healing Wish users like Astrolotl and Jumbao, specifically from their Choice Scarf variants, helping to alleviate its significant weakness to chip damage. (merge the two paragraphs, bring pivots as the first point)

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Flamethrower
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
===================
Choice Scarf makes use of Blacephalon's useful Speed tier, naturally high Special Attack, and the snowballing potential of Beast Boost, letting it serve as a late-game cleaner and revenge killer while still possessing enough firepower to threaten KOs on targets like Slowbro and Ferrothorn. Timid remains the best option so that Blacephalon is able to outrun other Choice Scarf users, namely Tapu Lele and Urshifu-R, and to revenge kill Pokemon with boosted Speed such as Scale Shot Garchomp.

Blacephalon enjoys pairing with strong wallbreakers or setup attackers, as they can weaken Blacephalon's checks while in return benefit from Blacephalon's ability to force out offensive answers or sweep weakened teams. Weavile's tendency to force switches (be more specific in what Weavile forces out) and cripple foes with Knock Off helps Blacephalon muscle through Pokemon, while Urshifu-R can bring invites in (your wording implies Urshifu-R is gonna U-turn and bring in Buzz/Bro) targets like Buzzwole or Slowbro and U-Turn on them so Blacephalon can get onto the field and threaten KOs. Due to the limited number of strong Ghost resists in the CAP metagame (made lowercase), Choice Scarf Blacephalon is a good partner for other Ghost-types attackers, namely Choice Specs Dragapult and Choice Band Pajantom, as the dual pressure exerted is often enough to overwhelm the opponent's defenses. Certain hyper offensive teams also appreciate Choice Scarf Blacephalon's ability to run through the opponent after the setup sweepers and wallbreakers have done their job: a good teammate is Moltres-Galar, who can come in on expected Ghost-type attacks or Pokemon crippled by Trick, and start setting up in their opponent's face, while also capable of wearing down the opponent's walls into KO range of a Blacephalon sweep.

Strong hazard removal support is extremely helpful to ensure Blacephalon can come onto the field and scare out fast offensive Pokemon throughout the match, so sturdy Defog users like Landorus-T, Tornadus-T, and Corviknight are prime teammates. Rapid Spin support from Colossoil or Saharaja allows Blacephalon to better take advantage of hazards, significantly improving its ability to break and potentially hiding its item if it scores an otherwise unobtainable OHKO. Depending on the move its locked into, Blacephalon can fail to deal with slower offensive Pokemon like Dragapult and Weavile, so it wants teammates that can come in to tank their attacks or wear them down over time: Toxapex is a strong option that is capable of helping with a myriad of threats thanks to its immense bulk and Regenerator, while Ferrothorn is able to chip away at offensive checks and the opposing team through Iron Barbs, Leech Seed, and Spikes. (again merge paragraphs)

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
===================
Blacephalon can run Heavy-Duty Boots and Calm Mind to alleviate its weakness to entry hazards while threatening to sweep with free control over its moves, but this can often reveal its set to the opponent when hazards are up, removing much of the immediate pressure Blacephalon exerts upon entering the field. Mind Blown can be run situationally on the Choice Specs set to always OHKO Assault Vest Tornadus-T switching into Stealth Rock; however, this severely limits Blacephalon.

Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Pokemon and Priority Users**: Choice Scarf variants of Kartana and Astrolotl can outspeed and KO both Blacephalon sets. Without Choice Scarf, Blacephalon is threatened by practically any Pokemon that outspeeds it, including Choice Scarf users like Tapu Lele, or naturally fast attackers such as Weavile, Zeraora, Dragapult, and Venomicon-E. Priority attacks (made lowercase), although rarer in CAP, (no need to compare to OU) such as Urshifu-R's Aqua Jet and Colossoil's Sucker Punch threaten to KO Blacephalon from full. should still be respected by potential users, especially given Blacephalon's awful HP and Defense.

**Specially-bulky(RH) Pokemon**: Tapu Fini, Assault Vest Tornadus-T, specially defensive(made lowercase) Landorus-T and Saharaja (not sold this is a set yet, QC2 can add it back if they so please), Venomicon, and Pyroak are all bulky enough to eat a hit after Stealth Rock and force Blacephalon out, though they are not always able to come in safely if running on the Choice Specs set. Blissey is a strong check to Blacephalon as it is immune to Shadow Ball and can stall out its Fire STAB easily: Trick can be a useful way to cripple it, but comes at the cost of either Special Attack or Speed, making it less effective versus Blissey's teammates in the long run. Tyranitar is capable of checking Blacephalon thanks to its typing, stats, and Sand Stream, but it lacks longevity.

**Regenerator Pivots**: Toxapex can use its naturally high Special Defense to scout Blacephalon's intentions easily, and can then switch into an appropriate answer to the move Blacephalon has locked into. Assault Vest variants of both Galarian Slowking and Tornadus-T are also capable of coming in on Blacephalon to scout its set and intentions.

**Bulky Water-types**: Tapu Fini/Toxapex/Gastrodon

**Entry Hazards**: Being weak to Stealth Rock and vulnerable to all other hazards deserves special mention, as they are capable of bringing Blacephalon into range of weaker hits or just KOing entirely.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[shnowshner, 514220]]
- Quality checked by: [[username1, userid1], [username2, userid2]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1]]

not gonna stamp quite yet cause this a lot of words, but this was rather well written. Tag me on discord when you implement this to make sure I don't have any additional comments.

 

[shnowshner]

two months later

hopefully it reads better, the second paragraph on the first set feels super bloated to me idk how to feel about it!!!

it wasn't mentioned in the bulky water section but i decided to add arghonaut because it's become very popular recently and is running more spdef focused sets post-cappl so i felt it was a good fit. maybe too much mentioned??? idk i'd sooner axe gastro

 

[Lasen]

secondo giro

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Flamethrower
move 3: Fire Blast / Overheat
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Specs
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
===================
Blacephalon's fantastic offensive typing and Beast Boost ability lets it serve as a dangerous wallbreaker with Choice Specs. Fire Blast is less reliable, but much stronger than Flamethrower and is best used in low-risk situations or (low risk situations for blacephalon are next to none) to nab KOs when Flamethower would otherwise fail. Overheat is a secondary option for its greater initial power and accuracy versus Fire Blast, but is much less sustainable. Trick gives Blacephalon extra utility versus bulkier checks or teams if being locked into a move is disadvantageous.

Blacephalon's poor bulk and awkward typing can make it hard to bring in, so bringing multiple teammates that can safely switch Blacephalon onto the field help enable its destructive prowess. Hazard control pivots like Landorus-T, Tornadus-T, Assault Vest Colossoil, and Corviknight allow for safe and controllable entry onto the field, while offensive pivots like Dragapult or Tapu Koko are better at preserving momentum. Weavile is a massive pain for Blacephalon to deal with, given its offensive capabilities, so having answers to it is invaluable. Tapu Fini can check Weavile, as well as Dragapult and Astrolotl all while providing Defog support. Arghonaut is the premier Weavile counter of the metagame and additionally checks incoming Water- and Rock-type moves that scare Blacephalon out, while its Spikes and Knock Off help Blacephalon's breaking capabilities. Melmetal is another option that can handle strong Physical attackers like Venomicon-Epilogue and the aforementioned Weavile, forces out Blissey and bulky Tyranitar with ease, and in return appreciates Blacephalon's ability to KO Pokemon that resist its Double Iron Bash, like Zapdos, Corviknight, and opposing Melmetal. Teammates that can absorb or otherwise punish Knock Off from its abundant users, such as Clefable, Ferrothorn, Garchomp, and Zapdos, help alleviate Blacephalon's horrible weakness to the move. Frailer offensive partners like Kartana and Tapu Lele can form powerful breaking cores that either blast through each others checks or overload the opponent's defensive backbone. Blacephalon also enjoys the support of Healing Wish users like Astrolotl and Jumbao, specifically from their Choice Scarf variants, helping to alleviate its significant weakness to chip damage.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Flamethrower
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
===================
Choice Scarf makes use of Blacephalon's useful Speed tier, naturally high Special Attack, and the snowballing potential of Beast Boost, letting it serve as a late-game cleaner and revenge killer while still possessing enough firepower to threaten KOs on targets like Slowbro and Ferrothorn. Timid remains (no set cross-referencing) is the best option so that Blacephalon is able to outrun other Choice Scarf users, namely Tapu Lele and Urshifu-R, and to revenge kill Pokemon with boosted Speed such as Scale Shot Garchomp.

Blacephalon enjoys pairing with strong wallbreakers or setup attackers, as they can weaken Blacephalon's checks while in return benefit from Blacephalon's ability to force out offensive answers or sweep weakened teams. Weavile is a strong partner that can use Blacephalon's common answers as setup fodder, such as Choice Specs Dragapult or Choice Scarf Tapu Lele, with the added benefit of a strong Knock Off that helps wear down the opposing team. Urshifu-R invites in targets like Buzzwole or Slowbro and can use U-Turn on them, providing Blacephalon a way onto the field with significant advantage. Due to the limited number of strong Ghost resists in the CAP Metagame, Choice Scarf Blacephalon is a good partner for other Ghost-types attackers, namely Choice Specs Dragapult and Choice Band Pajantom, as the dual pressure exerted is often enough to overwhelm the opponent's defenses. Certain hyper offensive teams also appreciate Choice Scarf Blacephalon's ability to run through the opponent after the setup sweepers and wallbreakers have done their job: a good teammate is Moltres-Galar, who can come in on expected Ghost-type attacks or Pokemon crippled by Trick, and start setting up in their face, while also capable of wearing down the opponent's walls into KO range of a Blacephalon sweep.

Strong hazard removal support is extremely helpful to ensure Blacephalon can come onto the field and scare out fast offensive Pokemon throughout the match, so sturdy Defog users like Landorus-T, Tornadus-T, and Corviknight are prime teammates. Rapid Spin support from Colossoil or Saharaja Saharaja and Equilibra allows Blacephalon to better take advantage of hazards, significantly improving its ability to break and potentially hiding its item if it scores an otherwise unobtainable OHKO(huh? how does spin let it bluff an item?). Depending on the move its locked into, Blacephalon can fail to deal with slower offensive Pokemon like Dragapult and Weavile, so it wants teammates that can come in to tank their attacks or wear them down over time: Toxapex is a strong option that is capable of helping with a myriad of threats thanks to its immense bulk and Regenerator, while Ferrothorn is able to chip away at offensive checks and the opposing team through Iron Barbs, Leech Seed, and Spikes.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
===================
Blacephalon can run Heavy-Duty Boots and Calm Mind to alleviate its weakness to entry hazards while threatening to sweep with free control over its moves, but this set is revealed to the opponent when hazards are up, removing much of the immediate pressure Blacephalon exerts upon entering the field. Mind Blown can be run situationally on the Choice Specs set to always OHKO Assault Vest Tornadus-T switching into Stealth Rock; however, this severely limits Blacephalon.

Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Pokemon and Priority Users**: Choice Scarf variants of Kartana and Astrolotl can outspeed and KO both Blacephalon sets. Without Choice Scarf, Blacephalon is threatened by practically any Pokemon that outspeeds it, including Choice Scarf users like Tapu Lele, or naturally fast attackers such as Weavile, Zeraora, Dragapult, and Venomicon-E. Priority attacks such as Urshifu's Aqua Jet and Colossoil's Sucker Punch threaten to KO Blacephalon from full

**Specially bulky Pokemon**: Assault Vest Tornadus-T, specially defensive Landorus-T, Venomicon, and Pyroak are all bulky enough to eat a hit after Stealth Rock and force Blacephalon out, though they are not always able to come in safely on the Choice Specs set. Blissey is a strong check to Blacephalon as it is immune to Shadow Ball and can stall out its Fire STAB easily: Trick can be a useful way to cripple it, but comes at the cost of either Special Attack or Speed, making it less effective versus Blissey's teammates in the long run. Tyranitar is capable of checking Blacephalon thanks to its typing, stats, and Sand Stream, but it lacks longevity.

**Bulky Water-types**: Tapu Fini is capable of blanket checking Blacephalon through its typing, stats, and extra security provided by Misty Terrain, though it must be careful of Shadow Ball from the Choice Specs set. Arghonaut is a good answer to the Choice Scarf set and ignores any Beast Boost raises Blacephalon may have acquired, letting it stop a potential sweep, though it also has to be wary of Shadow Ball. Toxapex can scout Blacephalon's intentions and swap to an appropriate teammate in response, or simply elect to stay in. Gastrodon's high Special Defense, access to Recover, and Sticky Hold ability make it difficult for Blacephalon to deal with, as it fails to 2HKO with Shadow Ball and has to switch out of Earthquake.

**Entry Hazards**: Being weak to Stealth Rock and vulnerable to all other hazards deserves special mention, as they can quickly bring Blacephalon into range of weaker hits or cause it to faint entirely.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[shnowshner, 514220]]
- Quality checked by: [[Lasen, 273339], [username2, userid2]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1]]

good job, switch order of sets so that Scarf is first due to metagame developments and then it's 1/2

 

[zealotinous]

secondo giro

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Flamethrower
move 3: Fire Blast / Overheat
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Specs
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
===================
Blacephalon's fantastic offensive typing and Beast Boost ability lets it serve as a dangerous wallbreaker with Choice Specs. Fire Blast is less reliable, but much stronger than Flamethrower and is best used in low-risk situations or (low risk situations for blacephalon are next to none) to nab KOs when Flamethower would otherwise fail. Overheat is a secondary option for its greater initial power and accuracy versus Fire Blast, but is much less sustainable. Trick gives Blacephalon extra utility versus bulkier checks or teams if being locked into a move is disadvantageous.

Blacephalon's poor bulk and awkward typing can make it hard to bring in, so bringing multiple teammates that can safely switch Blacephalon onto the field help enable its destructive prowess. Hazard control pivots like Landorus-T, Tornadus-T, Assault Vest Colossoil, and Corviknight allow for safe and controllable entry onto the field, while offensive pivots like Dragapult or Tapu Koko are better at preserving momentum. Weavile is a massive pain for Blacephalon to deal with, given its offensive capabilities, so having answers to it is invaluable. Tapu Fini can check Weavile, as well as Dragapult and Astrolotl all while providing Defog support. Arghonaut is the premier Weavile counter of the metagame and additionally checks incoming Water- and Rock-type moves that scare Blacephalon out, while its Spikes and Knock Off help Blacephalon's breaking capabilities. Melmetal is another option that can handle strong Physical attackers like Venomicon-Epilogue and the aforementioned Weavile, forces out Blissey and bulky Tyranitar with ease, and in return appreciates Blacephalon's ability to KO Pokemon that resist its Double Iron Bash, like Zapdos, Corviknight, and opposing Melmetal. Teammates that can absorb or otherwise punish Knock Off from its abundant users, such as Clefable, Ferrothorn, Garchomp, and Zapdos, help alleviate Blacephalon's horrible weakness to the move. Frailer offensive partners like Kartana and Tapu Lele can form powerful breaking cores that either blast through each others checks or overload the opponent's defensive backbone. Blacephalon also enjoys the support of Healing Wish users like Astrolotl and Jumbao, specifically from their Choice Scarf variants, helping to alleviate its significant weakness to chip damage.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Flamethrower
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
===================
Choice Scarf makes use of Blacephalon's useful Speed tier, naturally high Special Attack, and the snowballing potential of Beast Boost, letting it serve as a late-game cleaner and revenge killer while still possessing enough firepower to threaten KOs on targets like Slowbro and Ferrothorn. Timid remains (no set cross-referencing) is the best option so that Blacephalon is able to outrun other Choice Scarf users, namely Tapu Lele and Urshifu-R, and to revenge kill Pokemon with boosted Speed such as Scale Shot Garchomp.

Blacephalon enjoys pairing with strong wallbreakers or setup attackers, as they can weaken Blacephalon's checks while in return benefit from Blacephalon's ability to force out offensive answers or sweep weakened teams. Weavile is a strong partner that can use Blacephalon's common answers as setup fodder, such as Choice Specs Dragapult or Choice Scarf Tapu Lele, with the added benefit of a strong Knock Off that helps wear down the opposing team. Urshifu-R invites in targets like Buzzwole or Slowbro and can use U-Turn on them, providing Blacephalon a way onto the field with significant advantage. Due to the limited number of strong Ghost resists in the CAP Metagame, Choice Scarf Blacephalon is a good partner for other Ghost-types attackers, namely Choice Specs Dragapult and Choice Band Pajantom, as the dual pressure exerted is often enough to overwhelm the opponent's defenses. Certain hyper offensive teams also appreciate Choice Scarf Blacephalon's ability to run through the opponent after the setup sweepers and wallbreakers have done their job: a good teammate is Moltres-Galar, who can come in on expected Ghost-type attacks or Pokemon crippled by Trick, and start setting up in their face, while also capable of wearing down the opponent's walls into KO range of a Blacephalon sweep.

Strong hazard removal support is extremely helpful to ensure Blacephalon can come onto the field and scare out fast offensive Pokemon throughout the match, so sturdy Defog users like Landorus-T, Tornadus-T, and Corviknight are prime teammates. Rapid Spin support from Colossoil or Saharaja Saharaja and Equilibra allows Blacephalon to better take advantage of hazards, significantly improving its ability to break and potentially hiding its item if it scores an otherwise unobtainable OHKO(huh? how does spin let it bluff an item?). Depending on the move its locked into, Blacephalon can fail to deal with slower offensive Pokemon like Dragapult and Weavile, so it wants teammates that can come in to tank their attacks or wear them down over time: Toxapex is a strong option that is capable of helping with a myriad of threats thanks to its immense bulk and Regenerator, while Ferrothorn is able to chip away at offensive checks and the opposing team through Iron Barbs, Leech Seed, and Spikes.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
===================
Blacephalon can run Heavy-Duty Boots and Calm Mind to alleviate its weakness to entry hazards while threatening to sweep with free control over its moves, but this set is revealed to the opponent when hazards are up, removing much of the immediate pressure Blacephalon exerts upon entering the field. Mind Blown can be run situationally on the Choice Specs set to always OHKO Assault Vest Tornadus-T switching into Stealth Rock; however, this severely limits Blacephalon.

Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Pokemon and Priority Users**: Choice Scarf variants of Kartana and Astrolotl can outspeed and KO both Blacephalon sets. Without Choice Scarf, Blacephalon is threatened by practically any Pokemon that outspeeds it, including Choice Scarf users like Tapu Lele, or naturally fast attackers such as Weavile, Zeraora, Dragapult, and Venomicon-E. Priority attacks such as Urshifu's Aqua Jet and Colossoil's Sucker Punch threaten to KO Blacephalon from full

**Specially bulky Pokemon**: Assault Vest Tornadus-T, specially defensive Landorus-T, Venomicon, and Pyroak are all bulky enough to eat a hit after Stealth Rock and force Blacephalon out, though they are not always able to come in safely on the Choice Specs set. Blissey is a strong check to Blacephalon as it is immune to Shadow Ball and can stall out its Fire STAB easily: Trick can be a useful way to cripple it, but comes at the cost of either Special Attack or Speed, making it less effective versus Blissey's teammates in the long run. Tyranitar is capable of checking Blacephalon thanks to its typing, stats, and Sand Stream, but it lacks longevity.

**Bulky Water-types**: Tapu Fini is capable of blanket checking Blacephalon through its typing, stats, and extra security provided by Misty Terrain, though it must be careful of Shadow Ball from the Choice Specs set. Arghonaut is a good answer to the Choice Scarf set and ignores any Beast Boost raises Blacephalon may have acquired, letting it stop a potential sweep, though it also has to be wary of Shadow Ball. Toxapex can scout Blacephalon's intentions and swap to an appropriate teammate in response, or simply elect to stay in. Gastrodon's high Special Defense, access to Recover, and Sticky Hold ability make it difficult for Blacephalon to deal with, as it fails to 2HKO with Shadow Ball and has to switch out of Earthquake.

**Entry Hazards**: Being weak to Stealth Rock and vulnerable to all other hazards deserves special mention, as they can quickly bring Blacephalon into range of weaker hits or cause it to faint entirely.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[shnowshner, 514220]]
- Quality checked by: [[Lasen, 273339], [username2, userid2]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1]]

good job, switch order of sets so that Scarf is first due to metagame developments and then it's 1/2
View attachment 454851

Yay!

 

[spoo]

GUESS WHAT

Hide

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Flamethrower
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
===================
Choice Scarf makes use of Blacephalon's useful Speed tier, naturally high Special Attack, and the snowballing potential of Beast Boost, letting it serve as a late-game cleaner and revenge killer while still possessing enough firepower to threaten KOs on targets like Slowbro and Ferrothorn. Timid is the best option so that Blacephalon is able to outrun other Choice Scarf users, namely Tapu Lele and Urshifu-R, and to revenge kill Pokemon with boosted Speed such as Scale Shot Garchomp. Trick is used to cripple bulky answers like Toxapex and Heatran, potentially letting a teammate take advantage of them later.

Blacephalon enjoys pairing with strong wallbreakers or setup attackers, as they can weaken Blacephalon's checks while in return benefit from Blacephalon's ability to force out offensive answers or sweep weakened teams. Weavile is a strong partner that can use Blacephalon's common answers as setup fodder, such as Choice Specs Dragapult or Choice Scarf Tapu Lele doesnt blace outspeed these guys and ko with sball? i wouldnt call them answers to this set- imo just say that weav can remove items from stuff like argh/pex/fini for blace to wallbreak easier, and blace can rkill fast stuff like koko/lele that threatens weav in return, with the added benefit of a strong Knock Off that helps wear down the opposing team. Urshifu-R invites in targets like Buzzwole or Slowbro and can use U-Turn on them, providing Blacephalon a way onto the field with significant advantage. Due to the limited number of strong Ghost resists in the CAP Metagame, Choice Scarf Blacephalon is a good partner for other Ghost-types attackers, namely Choice Specs Dragapult and Choice Band Pajantom, as the dual pressure exerted is often enough to overwhelm the opponent's defenses. Certain hyper offensive teams also appreciate Choice Scarf Blacephalon's ability to run through the opponent after the setup sweepers and wallbreakers have done their job: a good teammate is Moltres-Galar, who can come in on expected Ghost-type attacks or Pokemon crippled by Trick, and start setting up in their face, while also capable of wearing down the opponent's walls into KO range of a Blacephalon sweep.

Strong hazard removal support is extremely helpful to ensure Blacephalon can come onto the field and scare out fast offensive Pokemon throughout the match, so sturdy Defog users like Landorus-T, Tornadus-T, and Corviknight are prime teammates. Rapid Spin support from Saharaja and Equilibra allows Blacephalon to better take advantage of hazards, significantly improving its ability to break and potentially hiding its item if it scores an otherwise unobtainable OHKO. Depending on the move its locked into, Blacephalon can fail to deal with slower offensive Pokemon like Dragapult and Weavile, so it wants teammates like Toxapex and Ferrothorn that can come in to tank their attacks or wear them down over time: Toxapex is a strong option that is capable of helping with a myriad of threats thanks to its immense bulk and Regenerator, while Ferrothorn is able to chip away at offensive checks and the opposing team through Iron Barbs, Leech Seed, and Spikes. just saving on length since the teammates section is already very long + its p self explanatory what pex and ferro do

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Flamethrower
move 3: Fire Blast / Overheat
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Specs
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
===================
Blacephalon's fantastic offensive typing, monstrous Special Attack stat, and Beast Boost ability lets it serve as a dangerous wallbreaker with Choice Specs. Fire Blast is less reliable, but much stronger than Flamethrower and is best used to nab KOs when Flamethower would otherwise fail. Overheat is a secondary option for its greater initial power and accuracy versus Fire Blast, but is much less sustainable. Trick gives Blacephalon extra utility versus bulkier checks like Toxapex or teams if and avoid situations where being locked into a move is disadvantageous.

Blacephalon's poor bulk and awkward typing can make it hard to bring in, so bringing multiple teammates that can safely switch Blacephalon onto the field help enable its destructive prowess. Hazard control pivots like Landorus-T, Tornadus-T, Assault Vest Colossoil, viable mons only and Corviknight allow for safe and controllable entry onto the field, while offensive pivots like Dragapult or Tapu Koko are better at preserving momentum keeping up offensive pressure. Weavile is a massive pain for Blacephalon to deal with, given its offensive capabilities, so having answers to it is invaluable. Tapu Fini can check Weavile, as well as Dragapult and Astrolotl all while providing Defog support. Arghonaut is the premier Weavile counter of the metagame and additionally checks incoming Water- and Rock-type moves that scare Blacephalon out, while its Spikes and Knock Off help Blacephalon's breaking capabilities. Melmetal is another option that can handle strong Physical attackers like Venomicon-Epilogue and blace outspeeds him now the aforementioned Weavile, forces out Blissey and bulky Tyranitar with ease, and in return appreciates Blacephalon's ability to KO Pokemon that resist its Double Iron Bash, like Zapdos, Corviknight, and opposing Melmetal. Teammates that can absorb or otherwise punish Knock Off from its abundant users, such as Clefable, Ferrothorn, Garchomp, and Zapdos, help alleviate Blacephalon's horrible weakness to the move. Frailer offensive partners like Kartana and Tapu Lele can form powerful breaking cores that either blast through each others checks or overload the opponent's defensive backbone. Blacephalon also enjoys the support of Healing Wish users like Astrolotl and Jumbao, specifically from their Choice Scarf variants, helping to alleviate its significant weakness to chip damage. bao not super good atm and scarf astro + specs blace is weird synergy

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
===================
Blacephalon can run Heavy-Duty Boots and Calm Mind to alleviate its weakness to entry hazards while threatening to sweep with free control over its moves, but this set is revealed to the opponent when hazards are up, removing much of the immediate pressure Blacephalon exerts upon entering the field. Mind Blown can be run situationally on the Choice Specs set to always OHKO Assault Vest Tornadus-T switching into Stealth Rock; however, this severely limits Blacephalon. can run expanding force on lele teams over fire blast or trick

Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Pokemon and Priority Users**: Choice Scarf variants of Kartana and Astrolotl can outspeed and KO both Blacephalon sets. Without Choice Scarf, Blacephalon is threatened by practically any Pokemon that outspeeds it, including Choice Scarf users like Tapu Lele, or naturally fast attackers such as Weavile, Zeraora, and Dragapult, and Venomicon-E. Priority attacks such as Urshifu's Aqua Jet and Colossoil's Sucker Punch threaten to KO Blacephalon from full.

**Specially bulky Pokemon**: Assault Vest Tornadus-T, specially defensive Landorus-T, Venomicon, and Pyroak are all bulky enough to eat a hit after Stealth Rock most of these run boots and force Blacephalon out, though they are not always able to come in safely on the Choice Specs set. Blissey is a strong check to Blacephalon as it is immune to Shadow Ball and can stall out its Fire STAB easily: Trick can be a useful way to cripple it, but comes at the cost of either Special Attack or Speed, making it less effective versus Blissey's teammates in the long run. Tyranitar is capable of checking Blacephalon thanks to its typing, stats, and Sand Stream, but it lacks longevity.

**Bulky Water-types**: Leftovers Tapu Fini is capable of blanket checking Blacephalon through its typing, stats, and extra security provided by Misty Terrain to avoid flamethrower burns? seems pretty niche, id axe the terrain mention, though it must be careful of Shadow Ball from the Choice Specs set. Arghonaut is a good answer to the Choice Scarf set and ignores any Beast Boost raises Blacephalon may have acquired, letting it stop a potential sweep, though it also has to be wary of Shadow Ball. Toxapex can scout Blacephalon's intentions move and swap to an appropriate teammate in response, or simply elect to stay in. Gastrodon's high Special Defense, access to Recover, and Sticky Hold ability make it difficult for Blacephalon to deal with, as it fails to 2HKO with Shadow Ball and has to switch out of Earthquake.

**Entry Hazards**: Being weak to Stealth Rock and vulnerable to all other hazards deserves special mention, as they can quickly bring Blacephalon into range of weaker hits or cause it to faint entirely.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[shnowshner, 514220]]
- Quality checked by: [[Lasen, 273339], [spoo, 251944]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1]]

ONLY 4 MONTHS LATE WOO

 

[Lasen]

checks out

 

[shnowshner]

mate you're really gonna drop this when i've got a whole-ass section i need to worry about in like 24 hours

 

[Lasen]

mate you're really gonna drop this when i've got a whole-ass section i need to worry about in like 24 hours

worry about it in 24h, it's time to implement a check BOZO

 

[shnowshner]

GUESS WHAT

Hide

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Flamethrower
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
===================
Choice Scarf makes use of Blacephalon's useful Speed tier, naturally high Special Attack, and the snowballing potential of Beast Boost, letting it serve as a late-game cleaner and revenge killer while still possessing enough firepower to threaten KOs on targets like Slowbro and Ferrothorn. Timid is the best option so that Blacephalon is able to outrun other Choice Scarf users, namely Tapu Lele and Urshifu-R, and to revenge kill Pokemon with boosted Speed such as Scale Shot Garchomp. Trick is used to cripple bulky answers like Toxapex and Heatran, potentially letting a teammate take advantage of them later.

Blacephalon enjoys pairing with strong wallbreakers or setup attackers, as they can weaken Blacephalon's checks while in return benefit from Blacephalon's ability to force out offensive answers or sweep weakened teams. Weavile is a strong partner that can use Blacephalon's common answers as setup fodder, such as Choice Specs Dragapult or Choice Scarf Tapu Lele doesnt blace outspeed these guys and ko with sball? i wouldnt call them answers to this set- imo just say that weav can remove items from stuff like argh/pex/fini for blace to wallbreak easier, and blace can rkill fast stuff like koko/lele that threatens weav in return, with the added benefit of a strong Knock Off that helps wear down the opposing team. Urshifu-R invites in targets like Buzzwole or Slowbro and can use U-Turn on them, providing Blacephalon a way onto the field with significant advantage. Due to the limited number of strong Ghost resists in the CAP Metagame, Choice Scarf Blacephalon is a good partner for other Ghost-types attackers, namely Choice Specs Dragapult and Choice Band Pajantom, as the dual pressure exerted is often enough to overwhelm the opponent's defenses. Certain hyper offensive teams also appreciate Choice Scarf Blacephalon's ability to run through the opponent after the setup sweepers and wallbreakers have done their job: a good teammate is Moltres-Galar, who can come in on expected Ghost-type attacks or Pokemon crippled by Trick, and start setting up in their face, while also capable of wearing down the opponent's walls into KO range of a Blacephalon sweep.

Strong hazard removal support is extremely helpful to ensure Blacephalon can come onto the field and scare out fast offensive Pokemon throughout the match, so sturdy Defog users like Landorus-T, Tornadus-T, and Corviknight are prime teammates. Rapid Spin support from Saharaja and Equilibra allows Blacephalon to better take advantage of hazards, significantly improving its ability to break and potentially hiding its item if it scores an otherwise unobtainable OHKO. Depending on the move its locked into, Blacephalon can fail to deal with slower offensive Pokemon like Dragapult and Weavile, so it wants teammates like Toxapex and Ferrothorn that can come in to tank their attacks or wear them down over time: Toxapex is a strong option that is capable of helping with a myriad of threats thanks to its immense bulk and Regenerator, while Ferrothorn is able to chip away at offensive checks and the opposing team through Iron Barbs, Leech Seed, and Spikes. just saving on length since the teammates section is already very long + its p self explanatory what pex and ferro do

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Flamethrower
move 3: Fire Blast / Overheat
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Specs
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
===================
Blacephalon's fantastic offensive typing, monstrous Special Attack stat, and Beast Boost ability lets it serve as a dangerous wallbreaker with Choice Specs. Fire Blast is less reliable, but much stronger than Flamethrower and is best used to nab KOs when Flamethower would otherwise fail. Overheat is a secondary option for its greater initial power and accuracy versus Fire Blast, but is much less sustainable. Trick gives Blacephalon extra utility versus bulkier checks like Toxapex or teams if and avoid situations where being locked into a move is disadvantageous.

Blacephalon's poor bulk and awkward typing can make it hard to bring in, so bringing multiple teammates that can safely switch Blacephalon onto the field help enable its destructive prowess. Hazard control pivots like Landorus-T, Tornadus-T, Assault Vest Colossoil, viable mons only and Corviknight allow for safe and controllable entry onto the field, while offensive pivots like Dragapult or Tapu Koko are better at preserving momentum keeping up offensive pressure. Weavile is a massive pain for Blacephalon to deal with, given its offensive capabilities, so having answers to it is invaluable. Tapu Fini can check Weavile, as well as Dragapult and Astrolotl all while providing Defog support. Arghonaut is the premier Weavile counter of the metagame and additionally checks incoming Water- and Rock-type moves that scare Blacephalon out, while its Spikes and Knock Off help Blacephalon's breaking capabilities. Melmetal is another option that can handle strong Physical attackers like Venomicon-Epilogue and blace outspeeds him now the aforementioned Weavile, forces out Blissey and bulky Tyranitar with ease, and in return appreciates Blacephalon's ability to KO Pokemon that resist its Double Iron Bash, like Zapdos, Corviknight, and opposing Melmetal. Teammates that can absorb or otherwise punish Knock Off from its abundant users, such as Clefable, Ferrothorn, Garchomp, and Zapdos, help alleviate Blacephalon's horrible weakness to the move. Frailer offensive partners like Kartana and Tapu Lele can form powerful breaking cores that either blast through each others checks or overload the opponent's defensive backbone. Blacephalon also enjoys the support of Healing Wish users like Astrolotl and Jumbao, specifically from their Choice Scarf variants, helping to alleviate its significant weakness to chip damage. bao not super good atm and scarf astro + specs blace is weird synergy

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
===================
Blacephalon can run Heavy-Duty Boots and Calm Mind to alleviate its weakness to entry hazards while threatening to sweep with free control over its moves, but this set is revealed to the opponent when hazards are up, removing much of the immediate pressure Blacephalon exerts upon entering the field. Mind Blown can be run situationally on the Choice Specs set to always OHKO Assault Vest Tornadus-T switching into Stealth Rock; however, this severely limits Blacephalon. can run expanding force on lele teams over fire blast or trick

Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Pokemon and Priority Users**: Choice Scarf variants of Kartana and Astrolotl can outspeed and KO both Blacephalon sets. Without Choice Scarf, Blacephalon is threatened by practically any Pokemon that outspeeds it, including Choice Scarf users like Tapu Lele, or naturally fast attackers such as Weavile, Zeraora, and Dragapult, and Venomicon-E. Priority attacks such as Urshifu's Aqua Jet and Colossoil's Sucker Punch threaten to KO Blacephalon from full.

**Specially bulky Pokemon**: Assault Vest Tornadus-T, specially defensive Landorus-T, Venomicon, and Pyroak are all bulky enough to eat a hit after Stealth Rock most of these run boots and force Blacephalon out, though they are not always able to come in safely on the Choice Specs set. Blissey is a strong check to Blacephalon as it is immune to Shadow Ball and can stall out its Fire STAB easily: Trick can be a useful way to cripple it, but comes at the cost of either Special Attack or Speed, making it less effective versus Blissey's teammates in the long run. Tyranitar is capable of checking Blacephalon thanks to its typing, stats, and Sand Stream, but it lacks longevity.

**Bulky Water-types**: Leftovers Tapu Fini is capable of blanket checking Blacephalon through its typing, stats, and extra security provided by Misty Terrain to avoid flamethrower burns? seems pretty niche, id axe the terrain mention, though it must be careful of Shadow Ball from the Choice Specs set. Arghonaut is a good answer to the Choice Scarf set and ignores any Beast Boost raises Blacephalon may have acquired, letting it stop a potential sweep, though it also has to be wary of Shadow Ball. Toxapex can scout Blacephalon's intentions move and swap to an appropriate teammate in response, or simply elect to stay in. Gastrodon's high Special Defense, access to Recover, and Sticky Hold ability make it difficult for Blacephalon to deal with, as it fails to 2HKO with Shadow Ball and has to switch out of Earthquake.

**Entry Hazards**: Being weak to Stealth Rock and vulnerable to all other hazards deserves special mention, as they can quickly bring Blacephalon into range of weaker hits or cause it to faint entirely.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[shnowshner, 514220]]
- Quality checked by: [[Lasen, 273339], [spoo, 251944]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1]]

ONLY 4 MONTHS LATE WOO

implemented and awaiting further action (it's been so long idr how to do articles)

 

[Lasen]

Tag GP Team bozo

First of all, don't be rude. Second, spoo said he wants to take a second look which is why the title says QC 1/2

 

[Wulfanator]

 

[spoo]

Rapid Spin support from Saharaja and Equilibra allows Blacephalon to better take advantage of hazards, significantly improving its ability to break and potentially hiding its item if it scores an otherwise unobtainable OHKO

don't think this is super relevant to rapid spin (defog also does this) + no one really runs boots anyways

Blacephalon can run Heavy-Duty Boots and Calm Mind to alleviate its weakness to entry hazards while threatening to sweep with free control over its moves, but this set is revealed to the opponent when hazards are up, removing much of the immediate pressure Blacephalon exerts upon entering the field.

make this sentence more about cm being very inconsistent compared to other sets

overall a little long, there are some sentences that feel unnecessarily wordy but gp should help make things more concise. 2/2

 

[shnowshner]

the wordiness is an unfortunate side-effect of giving me creative control over any sort of written content

okay i spent another like hour making tiny changes GP Team pleease take this article away from me istg

 

[WrathoftheLeopard]

add remove comment

shnowshner, post: 9262160, member: 514220

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Flamethrower
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
===================
Choice Scarf makes use of Blacephalon's useful Speed tier, naturally high Special Attack, and the snowballing potential of Beast Boost, letting it serve as a late-game cleaner and revenge killer while still possessing that posseses enough firepower to threaten KOs on targets like Slowbro and Ferrothorn. A Timid nature is the best option so ensures that Blacephalon is able to outrun other Choice Scarf users, namely Tapu Lele and Urshifu-R, and to revenge kill Pokemon with boosted Speed such as Scale Shot Garchomp. Trick is used to cripple bulky answers like Toxapex and Heatran, potentially letting a teammate take advantage of them later.

Blacephalon enjoys pairing being paired with strong wallbreakers or setup attackers, as they can weaken Blacephalon's its checks while in return benefit benefitting from Blacephalon's its ability to force out their offensive answers or sweep weakened teams. Weavile is a strong partner that can use Knock Off onto against common Blacephalon switch-ins, like Arghonaut, Tapu Fini, and Toxapex, so that Blacephalon has an easier time breaking through them later; in return, Choice Scarf Blacephalon can help handle Tapu Koko or and Choice Scarf Tapu Lele, (add comma) that which threaten Weavile. Urshifu-R invites in targets like Buzzwole or and Slowbro and can use U-Turn U-turn on against them, providing Blacephalon a way onto the field with significant advantage a prime opprtunity to fire off an attack. Due to the limited number of strong robust Ghost resists in the CAP Metagame metagame, Choice Scarf Blacephalon is a good partner for other Ghost-types attackers, namely Choice Specs Dragapult and Choice Band Pajantom, as the onslaught of Ghost Ghost-type STAB moves can overwhelm teams without a strong Ghost check. Certain hyper offensive teams also appreciate Choice Scarf Blacephalon's ability to run through the opponent opponent's team after the setup sweepers and wallbreakers have done their job:; (colon to semicolon) a good teammate is Moltres-Galar Galarian Moltres, who which can come in on expected Ghost-type attacks or Pokemon crippled by Trick, (remove comma) and start setting up to sweep set up, while and it is also capable of wearing down the opponent's walls into KO range of Blacephalon. (removed indent) Strong entry hazard removal support is extremely helpful to ensure that Blacephalon can come onto the field and scare out fast offensive Pokemon throughout the match, so sturdy Defog users like Landorus-T, Tornadus-T, and Corviknight are prime teammates.; (period to semicolon) Rapid Spin support from Saharaja and Equilibra allows Blacephalon to better take advantage of its team's own hazards, significantly improving its ability to break wallbreak. Depending on the move its it's locked into, Blacephalon can fail to deal with slower offensive Pokemon like Dragapult and Weavile, so it wants teammates like Toxapex and Ferrothorn that can tank hits and spread chip damage.

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Flamethrower
move 3: Fire Blast / Overheat
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Specs
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
===================
Blacephalon's fantastic offensive typing, monstrous Special Attack stat, and Beast Boost ability lets let it serve as a dangerous wallbreaker with Choice Specs. Fire Blast is less reliable, (remove comma) but much stronger than Flamethrower and is best used to nab KOs when Flamethower would otherwise fail to. Overheat is an option over Fire Blast for greater initial power and accuracy, but it starts underperforming after the initial use. Trick gives Blacephalon extra utility versus bulkier checks like Toxapex and avoid avoids situations where locking into a move is disadvantageous.

Blacephalon's poor bulk and awkward defensive (clarifying since you mentioned its offensive typing was good at the start) typing can make it hard to bring in, so bringing having multiple teammates that can safely switch Blacephalon onto the field help enable its destructive prowess. Hazard Entry hazard control pivots like Landorus-T, Tornadus-T, and Corviknight allow for safe and controllable entry onto the field for Blacephalon, while offensive pivots like Dragapult or and Tapu Koko are better at keeping up offensive pressure. Weavile is a massive pain for Blacephalon to deal with, so having answers to it is invaluable. Tapu Fini can check Weavile, as well as Dragapult and Astrolotl, (add comma) all while providing Defog support. Arghonaut is the premier Weavile counter of the metagame and additionally checks handles incoming Water-, Dark-, and Rock-type moves that scare Blacephalon out, (remove comma) while its Spikes and Knock Off help Blacephalon's breaking wallbreaking capabilities. Melmetal is another option that can handle strong Physical physical attackers like the aforementioned Weavile, and it forces out Blissey and bulky Tyranitar with ease,; (comma to semicolon) and in return, (add comma) it appreciates Blacephalon's ability to KO Pokemon that resist its Double Iron Bash, like Zapdos, Corviknight, and opposing Melmetal. Teammates that can absorb or otherwise punish Knock Off from its abundant users, such as Clefable, Ferrothorn, Garchomp, and Zapdos, help alleviate Blacephalon's horrible weakness to the move. Frailer offensive partners like Kartana and Tapu Lele can form powerful breaking cores that either blast through each others other's checks or overload the opponent's defensive backbone.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
===================
Blacephalon can run a Calm Mind set with Heavy-Duty Boots for additional flexibility during a match, but this comes with a heavy cost to both immediate power and Speed. Mind Blown can be run situationally on the Choice Specs set to always OHKO Assault Vest Tornadus-T switching into Stealth Rock; however, this the massive recoil severely limits Blacephalon. Expanding Force is an option, (add comma) when Blacephalon is teamed with Tapu Lele, capable of outdamaging Shadow Ball against neutral targets and securing an OHKO against Toxapex and Arghonaut so long as Psychic Terrain is active.

Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Pokemon and Priority Users**: Choice Scarf variants of Kartana and Astrolotl can outspeed and KO both Blacephalon sets. Without Choice Scarf, Blacephalon is threatened by practically any Pokemon that outspeeds it, including Choice Scarf users like Tapu Lele, or and naturally fast attackers such as Weavile, Zeraora, (add comma) and Dragapult. Priority attacks such as Urshifu's Urshifu-R's Aqua Jet and Colossoil's Sucker Punch threaten to KO Blacephalon from full HP.

**Specially bulky Pokemon**: Assault Vest Tornadus-T, specially defensive Landorus-T, Venomicon, and Pyroak are all bulky enough to eat a hit and force Blacephalon out, though they are not always able to come in safely on the Choice Specs set. Blissey is a strong robust check to Blacephalon as it is immune to Shadow Ball and can stall out its Blacephalon's Fire Fire-type STAB moves easily:; (colon to semicolon) Trick can be a useful way to cripple it, but it comes at the cost of either Special Attack or Speed, making it Blacephalon less effective versus Blissey's teammates in the long run. Tyranitar is capable of checking Blacephalon thanks to its typing, stats, and Sand Stream, but it lacks longevity.

**Bulky Water-types**: Leftovers Tapu Fini is capable of blanket checking Blacephalon through its typing and stats, though it must be careful of Shadow Ball from the Choice Specs set. Arghonaut is a good answer to the Choice Scarf set and ignores any Beast Boost raises Blacephalon may have acquired, letting it stop a potential sweep, though it also has to be wary of Shadow Ball. Toxapex can scout Blacephalon's move and swap to an appropriate teammate in response, or simply elect to stay in. Gastrodon's high Special Defense, access to Recover, and Sticky Hold ability make it difficult for Blacephalon to deal with, as it fails to 2HKO Gastrodon with Shadow Ball and has to switch out of Earthquake.

**Entry Hazards**: Being weak to Stealth Rock and vulnerable to all other hazards deserves a special mention, as they can quickly bring Blacephalon into range of weaker hits or cause it to faint entirely.

[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/shnowshner.514220/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/lasen.273339/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/spoo.251944/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/

AM GP Check; implement changes as desired.

 

[CryoGyro]

did someone say wordy
GP 1/1
GP Team done

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[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Flamethrower
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
===================
Choice Scarf makes use of Blacephalon's useful Speed tier, naturally high Special Attack, and the snowballing potential of Beast Boost, letting it serve Blacephalon serves as a late-game Beast Boost cleaner and revenge killer while still possessing with enough firepower to threaten KOs on targets like Slowbro and Ferrothorn. Timid is the best option so that Blacephalon is able to outrun other Choice Scarf users, namely Tapu Lele and Urshifu-R, and to revenge kill Pokemon with boosted Speed such as Scale Shot Garchomp. Trick is used to cripple cripples bulky answers like Toxapex and Heatran, potentially letting a teammate take advantage of them later.

Blacephalon enjoys pairing with strong wallbreakers or setup attackers, as they can weaken Blacephalon's checks while in return benefit benefitting from Blacephalon's ability to force out offensive answers or sweep weakened teams. Weavile is a strong partner that can use Knock Off onto on common Blacephalon switch-ins, (comma) like Arghonaut, Tapu Fini, and Toxapex, so that Blacephalon has an easier time breaking through them later; in return, Choice Scarf Blacephalon can help handle Tapu Koko or and Choice Scarf Tapu Lele that threaten Weavile. Urshifu-R invites in targets like Buzzwole or Slowbro and can use U-Turn on them uses U-turn on baited foes like Buzzwole and Slowbro, providing Blacephalon a way onto the field with significant advantage. Due to the limited number of strong Ghost resists in the CAP Metagame CAP's limited number of Ghost answers, Choice Scarf Blacephalon is a good partner for can overwhelm teams alongside other Ghost-type attackers, namely Choice Specs Dragapult and Choice Band Pajantom, as the onslaught of Ghost STAB can overwhelm teams without a strong Ghost check. Certain hyper offensive teams also appreciate Choice Scarf Blacephalon's ability to run through the opponent after the setup sweepers and wallbreakers have done their job:; (semi) a good teammate is Moltres-Galar, who Galarian Moltres, which can come in and set up on expected Ghost-type attacks or Pokemon crippled by Trick, and start setting up to sweep, while also capable of wearing and which wears down the opponent's walls into KO range of Blacephalon.

Strong entry hazard removal support is extremely helpful to ensure ensures Blacephalon can come onto the field and scare out fast offensive Pokemon throughout the match, so sturdy Defog users like Landorus-T, Tornadus-T, and Corviknight are prime teammates. Rapid Spin support from Saharaja and Equilibra allow Blacephalon to better take advantage of its team's own hazards, significantly improving its ability to break. Depending on the move its locked into, Blacephalon can fail to deal with slower offensive Pokemon like Dragapult and Weavile, so it wants teammates like Toxapex and Ferrothorn that can tank hits and spread chip damage like Toxapex and Ferrothorn.

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Flamethrower
move 3: Fire Blast / Overheat
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Specs
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
===================
Blacephalon's fantastic offensive typing, monstrous Special Attack stat, and Beast Boost ability lets it serve as a dangerous wallbreaker with Choice Specs. Choice Specs Blacephalon is a dangerous wallbreaker. Fire Blast is less reliable, but much stronger than Flamethrower and is best used to nab KOs when Flamethower would otherwise fail that Flamethrower would fail. Overheat is an option over Fire Blast for greater initial power and accuracy, but starts underperforming after the initial use. Trick gives Blacephalon extra utility versus against bulkier checks like Toxapex and avoids situations where locking into a move is disadvantageous.

Blacephalon's poor bulk and awkward typing can make it hard to bring in, so bring multiple teammates that can safely switch Blacephalon onto the field help enable its destructive prowess. Hazard control Defog pivots like Landorus-T, Tornadus-T, and Corviknight allow for safe and controllable entry onto the field, while offensive pivots like Dragapult or and Tapu Koko are better at keeping up offensive pressure. Weavile is a massive pain for Blacephalon to deal with, so having answers to it is invaluable. Tapu Fini can check Weavile, as well as Dragapult and Astrolotl all while providing Defog support. Tapu Fini checks it, Dragapult, and Astrolotl while providing Defog. Arghonaut is the premier Weavile counter, (comma) handles incoming Water-, Dark-, and Rock-type moves, and uses Spikes and Knock Off to help Blacephalon's wallbreaking. of the metagame and additionally checks incoming Water-, Dark-, and Rock-type moves that scare Blacephalon out, while its Spikes and Knock Off help Blacephalon's breaking capabilities. Melmetal is another option that can handle strong physical attackers like the aforementioned Weavile, forces out Blissey and bulky Tyranitar with ease, and in return appreciates Blacephalon's ability to KO Pokemon that resist its Double Iron Bash, (comma) like Zapdos, Corviknight, and opposing Melmetal. Teammates that can absorb or otherwise punish Knock Off from its abundant users, Knock Off absorbers or punishers such as Clefable, Ferrothorn, Garchomp, and Zapdos, (comma) help alleviate Blacephalon's horrible weakness to the move. Frailer offensive partners like Kartana and Tapu Lele can form powerful breaking cores that either blast through each other's checks or overload the opponent's defensive backbone.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
===================
Blacephalon can run a Calm Mind set with Heavy-Duty Boots for additional flexibility during a match, but this comes with a heavy cost to both immediate power and Speed. Mind Blown can be run situationally on the Choice Specs set to always OHKO Assault Vest Tornadus-T switching into after Stealth Rock; however, this severely limits Blacephalon. Expanding Force is an option when teamed with Tapu Lele, capable of outdamaging Shadow Ball against neutral targets and securing an OHKO against Toxapex and Arghonaut so long as Psychic Terrain is active OHKOing Toxapex and Arghonaut.

Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Pokemon and Priority Users**: Choice Scarf variants of Kartana and Astrolotl can outspeed and KO both Blacephalon sets. Without Choice Scarf, Blacephalon is threatened by practically any Pokemon that outspeeds it, including Choice Scarf users like Tapu Lele, (comma) or and naturally fast attackers such as Weavile, Zeraora and Dragapult. Priority attacks such as Urshifu's Aqua Jet and Colossoil's Sucker Punch threaten to KO Blacephalon from full OHKO Blacephalon.

**Specially Bulky Pokemon**: Assault Vest Tornadus-T, specially defensive Landorus-T, Venomicon, and Pyroak are all bulky enough to eat take a hit and force Blacephalon out, though they are not always able to come in safely on the Choice Specs set cannot always switch into Choice Specs. Blissey is a strong check to Blacephalon as it is immune to Shadow Ball and can stall out its Fire STAB easily: with its raw bulk and Ghost immunity; Trick can be a useful way to cripple it, but comes at the cost of either Special Attack or Speed, making it less effective versus Blissey's teammates in the long run costs Blacephalon its long-term power. Tyranitar is capable of checking Blacephalon thanks to its typing, stats, and Sand Stream, but it lacks longevity.

**Bulky Water-types**: Leftovers Tapu Fini is capable of blanket checking checks Blacephalon through its typing and stats, though it must be careful of Shadow Ball from the Choice Specs set Choice Specs Shadow Ball. Arghonaut is a good answer to the Choice Scarf set and ignores any Beast Boost raises Blacephalon may have acquired, letting it stop a potential sweep, though it also has to be wary of Shadow Ball. Toxapex can scout Blacephalon's move and swap to an appropriate teammate in response, or simply elect to stay in switch if necessary. Gastrodon's high Special Defense, access to Recover, and Sticky Hold ability make it difficult for Blacephalon to deal with, as it fails to 2HKO with Shadow Ball and has to switch out of Earthquake.

**Entry Hazards**: Being weak to Stealth Rock and vulnerable to all other hazards deserves special mention, as they can quickly brings Blacephalon into KO range of weaker hits or causes it to faint entirely.

[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/shnowshner.514220/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/lasen.273339/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/spoo.251944/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/