Scizor
Overview
Scizor is a terrific threat in today's metagame. Its Bug / Steel typing gives it a host of useful resistances to utilize alongside its respectable bulk. Scizor has a great offensive ability, Technician, to abuse in tandem with its 130 base Attack, making it a real offensive terror. While neither STAB is particularly impressive in terms of coverage, they grant power boosts to key moves like the incredibly useful U-turn, and Scizor's terrifying Bullet Punch. Technician Bullet Punch, when boosted by a Choice Band or Swords Dance, is a terrifically powerful priority move, granting Scizor revenge killing and sweeping potential sure to be valued by any team. Scizor can also make an excellent scout with a STAB U-turn, which does huge damage to opposing Pokemon whilst giving teammates a free switch-in. Scizor is the only Bug-type to get U-turn without being to weak Stealth Rock, making it arguably the greatest abuser of the move in the game.
Whether Scizor is sweeping with Swords Dance, scouting with Choice Band U-turn, or picking off opponents with a Technician Bullet Punch, it will surely be a great asset to any team, especially teams that struggle against threats such as Latios, Reuniclus, and Tyranitar. Scizor can fit on almost any team, as it accomplishes many jobs and provides a team with fantastic offensive and defensive support.
Type(s): &
Abilities:
Technician: Powers up all attacks base 60 power and lower 1.5 times.
Swarm: When this Pokemon's HP is below 1/3 all Bug Attacks power is increased 1.5 times.
Base Stats:
HP: 70
Attack: 130
Defense: 100
Speed: 65
Special Attack: 55
Special Defense: 80
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Movesets
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Swords Dance Sweeper
Scizor @ Life Orb
Ability: Technician
EV's: 232 HP / 252 Atk. / 24 Def.
Nature: Adamant (+ Atk, - Sp.Atk.)
~ Swords Dance
~ Quick Attack / X-Scissor / Superpower
~ Bullet Punch
~ Roost / X-Scissor / Brick Break / Night Slash
This is probably one of the more common sets of Scizor you will see in the OU metagame. Kinda looks like a SD Lucario but isn't as frail, has less weaknesses, and can self-recover. The reason SD Lucario is still used over Scizor is it hits harder.
Swords Dance at least one to send a message to your opponent. That message being that you are an incredibly dangerous foes. Quick Attack with 1 Swords Dance, Technician, and Life Orb will OHKO many of Scizor's threats like Azelf and Infernape. Roost gives yourself some much needed HP after taking Life Orb recoil. X-Scissor and Iron Head for STAB while Brick Break and Night Slash offer coverage.
Now That Scizor Gets Bullet Punch as a Level Up Move in Platinum all hell will break loose if you dont have a Zapdos and you let this guy get a SD or two under his belt. With STAB and Technician it will be able to touch and OHKO faster Ghosts like Gengar and Mismagius.
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Baton Passing Bug
Scizor @ Leftovers / Occa Berry
Ability: Technician / Swarm
EV's: 184 HP / 176 Def. / 148 Spd.
Nature: Impish (+ Def, - Sp.Atk.)
~ Swords Dance / Iron Defense / Agility
~ Baton Pass
~ X-Scissor / Iron Head / Metal Claw
~ Roost / Swords Dance / Iron Defense / Agility
With Scizor's amazing typing, above average Defenses, an amazing array of Stat boosting moves, and Baton Pass. This makes Scizor one of the best Baton Passers in the game.
Anyways Pick your poison of an attacking move between STAB choices so Taunt doesn't shut you down completely. Then boost your Stats and give them to a fellow teammate. If you wanna use more than one Stat boosting move you can sacrifice Roost from your movepool.
*Metal Claw works with Technician and has a 10% Attack Increase rate which is Baton Passable.*
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Banded Bug
Scizor @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EV's: 4 HP / 252 Atk. / 252 Spd.
Nature: Adamant (+ Atk, - Sp.Atk)
~ U-turn / X-Scissor
~ Iron Head / Metal Claw / Double Hit / Bullet Punch / Quick Attack
~ Pursuit / Night Slash
~ Brick Break / Double Hit / Bullet Punch / Quick Attack
This set I think is a tad bit underrated. As most Celebi users will either HP Fire at the first sight of Scizor or switch out giving Pursuit something Celebi something to be more than afraid of. And with an Attack Stat equal to Machamps (Base 130 / Maxes out at 394) Choice Band is certainly a decent option on Scizor.
U-turn is for scouting switches while X-Scissor provides that little extra kick. Iron Head is for more STAB but can be interchangeable inbetween Bullet Punch, Quick Attack or Double Hit. Pursuit to catch those running Psychic's and Ghosts off guard. Then Brick Break for the pink blob Blissey and a massive array of Steel Type Pokemon.
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Agility Attacker
Scizor @ Life Orb
Ability: Technician / Swarm
EV's: 108 HP / 252 Atk. / 148 Spd.
Nature: Adamant (+ Atk, - Sp.Atk)
~ Agility
~ Iron Head / Metal Claw / Double Hit
~ X-Scissor
~ Brick Break / Night Slash
One Agility and your opponent has trouble. The Swords Dance set pumps up Quick Attack's deadlyness but Agility makes Scizor outspeed most of its most common threats and now threatens to OHKO them.
First move can be dedicated to Steel STAB which may not prove all to useful to you. X-Scissor will probably be your main attacking threat as it enables you to OHKO Azelf outside of Quick Attack. Last move offers additional coverage, question is where? Brick Break if Steels, Rocks, and Normals bother you. Night Slash if you want to have a fighting chance against Ghosts.
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Sub-Salac Sweeper
Scizor @ Salac Berry
Ability: Swarm
EV's: 252 Atk. / 4 Def / 252 Spd.
Nature: Jolly (+ Spd, - Sp.Atk.)
~ X-Scissor
~ Iron Head / Brick Break / Reversal / Baton Pass
~ Substitute
~ Swords Dance
With no HP EV's Scizor should get 281 HP which will allow you to make four 70 HP substitutes while leaving 1 HP remaining. (Maximizing Reversals power if you choose to use it.) And after the Salac Boost Scizor outspeeds base 120 Pokemon (Alakazam, Sceptile, etc.)
Swarm X-Scissors hurt like hell, especially if you manage a Swords Dance or two. Next moveslot is for more coverage or the ability to Baton Pass your Stat boosts to a fellow teammate. Then wither your own HP down to activate Salac Berry with Substitute and boost Stats with Swords Dance.
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Uber-Scizor
Scizor @ Life Orb / Expert Belt
Ability: Technician
EV's: 176 HP / 100 Atk. / 176 Sp.Def. / 56 Spd.
Nature: Adamant
~ Pursuit
~ U-turn
~ Roost
~ Light Screen / Bullet Punch / Quick Attack
The most applicable use for Scizor in the Uber metagame as he has few weaknesses and a decent Special Defense that can be reinforced through Light Screen.
The Scizor wont do much to a majority of the Uber's out there but is more than able to provide team support so other's can. U-turn and Pursuit also doing massive amounts of damage to Attacking, Normal, and Speed forms of Deoxys as they probably don't pack Fire Punch. Darkrai and Mewtwo also wont enjoy taking U-turn in the face either. Bullet Punch or Quick Attack is also useable if Light Screen doesn't tickle your fancy and you need that priority attack.
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Toxi-Stall Bug
Scizor @ Leftovers / Occa Berry
Ability: Technician
EV's: 184 HP / 176 Atk. / 148 Def.
Nature: Impish (+ Def, - Sp.Atk.)
~ Protect
~ Toxic
~ Roost
~ Light Screen / X-Scissor / U-turn / Iron Head / Night Slash
Fairly decent typing and Defenses so why not a Toxi-Stall set. Use Protect and Toxic in conjunction to wither a foes HP down to nothing. Roost to get your HP back up after taking a few hits. Last moveslot you can add Light Screen to take Special Attacks better or have one of the following attacking moves so Taunt doesn't shut you down.
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Continuous Counter-Bug
Scizor @ Focus Sash / Leftovers / Occa Berry
Ability: Technician / Swarm
EV's: 252 HP / 252 Atk. / 4 Spd.
Nature: Adamant (+ Atk, - Sp.Atk)
~ Counter
~ X-Scissor / U-turn
~ Bullet Punch / Quick Attack / Double Hit
~ Roost / Iron Head / Metal Claw
A semi-gimmick set brought by yours truly. Item choice is how you want to use this strategy. Focus Sash allows you to survive anyone attack (As long as you haven't activated it before and you are at full HP.) Occa Berry to live a Fire Type Attack, and Leftovers for additional recovery. (On top of Roost.)
So point is here to Counter an incoming Physical Attack to get a K.O. then Roost to Counter again or Attack according to whatever moves you selected.
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Specs-Scizor
Scizor @ Choice Specs
Ability: Swarm
EV's: 4 HP / 252 Sp.Atk / 252 Spd.
Nature: Modest (+ Sp.Atk, - Atk.)
~ Bug Buzz / U-turn
~ Air Slash
~ Flash Cannon / U-turn
~ Hidden Power [Ground / Ice / Electric]
Novelty set FTW. Choice Specs Scizor won't really be causing much damage as with a maximum Special Attack of 229. (343.5 After Choice Specs.)
Bug Buzz will be the main source of attacking here as it is Scizor's most powerful Special STAB. Air Slash helps you put the hurt on Fighting and other Bug Types. Flash Cannon for some additional STAB coverage or U-turn. (As it is good on any Choice set.) Hidden Power Ground helps K.O. slower Heatran and Magnezone, while HP Ice helps with Dragons and Flyers, and finally HP Electric so Gyarados will think twice about coming in to Intimidate you.
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Other Options 1
Aerial Ace: For a Physical Flying Attack that gets a boost from Technician and help you take down Fighting and Bug Types. (Heracross, Machamp, and Yanmega.)
Rain Dance: Can be used to help Scizor and friends take Fire hits better.
Endure: Usable with Liechi or Salac Berry and Reversal to cause massive amounts of damage.
Steel Wing: An alternate to Metal Claw and Iron Head, unfortunately it doesn't get a Technician boost but it has a 10% chance of increasing your Defense 1 level.
Rock Smash: Is an alternate Fighting Attack that gets a Technician boost and is able to lower a foe's Defense 1 level 50% of the time.
Safeguard: If you are really concerned about Status ruining your sweep then help shield your team for a few turns with this move.
Other Options 2
There are few viable alternative sets to those listed above. A Choice Scarf set can be quite an effective scout, hurting foes with a quick and powerful U-turn while being an effective revenge killer, much like Choice Band Scizor. Also, a Roost set with Life Orb + 3 attacks is viable, granting Scizor durability and coverage, in exchange for losing the wall-shattering power that would be offered by Swords Dance. Scizor can also run an effective Baton Pass set with Agility or Swords Dance, but on the whole this is outclassed by Gorebyss or Huntail passing Shell Smash. Finally, Iron Head is a stronger move to use for Scizor's Steel-type STAB, but it is largely outclassed by Bullet Punch, though it would be the STAB move of choice when trying to abuse Choice Scarf.
Checks and Counters
Most defensive Steel-types are good counters to Scizor, as long as they don't switch into a super effective Superpower or Brick Break. Skarmory is probably the best initial switch-in, as it is easily able to takes Scizor's attacks and set up Spikes. Furthermore, if Scizor acquires too many boosts, Skarmory can just phaze it away with Whirlwind. Bulky Water-types such as Jellicent and Rotom-W can safely wall Scizor, and can cripple it with Will-O-Wisp. They must, however, be wary that with enough Swords Dance boosts, it still has a chance to break through them. Rotom-W often carries Hidden Power Fire to surprise Ferrothorn, and can OHKO Scizor while laughing at Bullet Punch thanks to its 4x resistance to Steel-type attacks. Gyarados resists Bug-, Steel-, and Fighting-type attacks, completely resisting Scizor's offense and further weakening its Attack with Intimidate. It can batter Scizor with its powerful STAB Waterfall, or phaze it with Dragon Tail or Roar. While it has fallen from popularity in BW, Zapdos also resists Bug-, Steel-, and Fighting-type attacks, and will destroy Scizor with Heat Wave or STAB Thunderbolt. While its inferior defenses make it less capable of freely switching in, Thundurus shares the same resistances and will make quick work of Scizor once it has switched in safely. Thudurus is one of many fast and powerful sweepers that can shrug off a Bullet Punch and successfully revenge kill Scizor, a list which includes Infernape, Hidden Power Fire Starmie, and Victini.
Dream World
Scizor's Dream World ability, Light Metal, decreases the damage taken from weight-based moves, such as Grass Knot and Low Kick. When compared to Scizor's other abilities, Technician and Swarm, it's useless. Therefore, Light Metal should never be seen in competitive play.
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Sources
http://teamuber.net/forum/showthread.php?t=773 &
http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=85616 ----
