Crobat [4F]

[LonelyNess]

Old Analysis: http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/crobat

[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Taunt
move 2: Roost
move 3: Brave Bird / Air Slash
move 4: U-turn / Sunny Day / Hypnosis
item: Leftovers
nature: Jolly / Timid
evs: 168 HP / 108 SpD / 232 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p> There are three things that make Crobat an outstanding lead in the Underused tier. The first is base 130 Speed, which allows it to outpace any non-Scarfed Pokemon barring Electrode. The second is Taunt, with which Crobat can stop nearly any opposing lead from setting up any number of support options. Lastly, Crobat has Roost, allowing it to eliminate all of its weaknesses except for Psychic, at the cost of a new Ground weakness.</p>

<p> Brave Bird is Crobat’s main STAB. Even without any Attack investment, the high base power of Brave Bird easily makes up for it. Teams lacking any type of Flying resist will be hard-pressed to switch into this move, especially when the prospect of Taunt looms, preventing any type of recovery.</p>

<p>The last slot in the set really comes down to team preference. U-turn is the default for any team wanting general support. Crobat’s Speed and ability to force switches because of Taunt will afford many advantageous scenarios. Crobat happens to be the fastest user of Sunny Day in the UU tier, so if your team happens to be one that could take advantage of sunny weather, Crobat is the perfect Pokemon for you. Rain Dance is also an option; however, Electrode is generally a better candidate for a lead who sets up Rain Dance. Hypnosis is also good for general utility, but its low accuracy makes it unreliable at best. If you are using Hypnosis, you will have to resort to Air Slash for your Flying STAB and change the nature to Timid because Brave Bird and Hypnosis is an illegal combination. Substitute can also be used in the last slot, as it eases prediction and can afford Crobat a bit of added protection in certain situations.</p>

<p> The EVs are very specific on this particular set. 232 Speed allows Crobat 389 Speed, outspeeding all non-Scarfed Pokemon except for Electrode, and all Scarfed Pokemon of neutral base 80 Speed or lower. 168 HP and 108 SpD allows Crobat to avoid being 2HKOed by any unboosted Psychic from Uxie, a Pokemon who frequently use Psychic to deter Crobat from using Taunt and stopping its setup. It also aids in taking Ice Beam from a number of threats.The HP EVs also afford Crobat incredible physical bulk, avoiding the OHKO from common leads who use Stone Edge such as Regirock, Nidoking, and defensively-based Kabutops. This means you can safely Taunt and then Roost off damage. </p>

<p> There are few teams that can’t take advantage of Crobat’s contributions. Teams that have large weaknesses to Fighting, Grass, and Bug attacks will love having Crobat to support them, as most of the Pokemon who carry these attacks lack the ability to boost their Speed. This makes them prime targets for Brave Bird, which will easily OHKO. Because of this, sweeping Water-types make great partners with Crobat. Azumarill, Milotic, and Slowbro will all love having Crobat around to take out Grass-types standing in the way of their sweeps, and Crobat will love having a Pokemon to take Ice attacks directed at it. It’s a match made in heaven.</p>

[SET]
name: PlotBat
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Air Slash / Sludge Bomb
move 3: Heat Wave
move 4: Roost / Hidden Power Grass
item: Life Orb / Leftovers / Lum Berry
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p> Crobat may have a mediocre Special Attack stat, topping out at 239. But with Nasty Plot, it can double that stat instantly, substantially increasing its ability to sweep, and with that amazing base 130 Speed, Electrode and Choice Scarf users of base 85 Speed or higher are the only things standing in its way.</p>

<p> Air Slash and Heat Wave make up its main attack options. Air Slash is there for STAB and also has the added benefit of a 30% flinch rate, occasionally granting Crobat some free damage. Sludge Bomb can be used if you're not concerned about hitting Fighting-types, although without the threat of STAB Flying attacks, they may feel safe to stay in and harass you with Stone Edge. Heat Wave compliments Flying STAB nicely, leaving only Rock-types and Chansey to stop it. The last slot in the set can alleviate one of these problems. Hidden Power Grass is an option if your team is unable to remove Rock-types. If your team is fine with these threats, Roost is a far better choice as it affords Crobat the chance to Roost off Life Orb recoil and residual damage against less threatening Pokemon. Taunt is an option in the last slot as well, as it allows Crobat to stop opponents from using status like Thunder Wave to stop your sweep, but it is generally an inferior option.</p>

<p> Life Orb is the preferred item on this set because Crobat’s offenses are less than stellar without it. Leftovers can be used in lieu of Life Orb if the recoil is off-putting. Lum Berry gives Crobat a one-time status prevention, but beyond that isn’t the best choice. </p>

<p> Crobat will frequently lure in Steel-types such as Steelix and Registeel, which this set beats fairly easily. This can open up a sweep for other Pokemon that fear these threats. As such, Mismagius is a great partner for this Crobat. Other Pokemon that make good partners for Crobat are good Rock-type and Chansey switch-ins. Toxicroak, Medicham, and Rhydon come to mind as being able to take advantage of Nasty Plot Crobat's counters. If you’re just looking to get rid of Crobat’s counters outright, Trapinch can be useful in taking out all Chansey sets, and the majority of Steel and Rock-type Pokemon with ease. </p>

[SET]
name: Choice Bat
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Pursuit
move 4: Steel Wing / Cross Poison
item: Choice Band
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p> This is Crobat’s best chance at pulling off a physical sweep. With a Choice Band and 252 Atk EVs, any non-resistant Pokemon is going to take a ridiculously hard hit from Brave Bird. U-turn allows you to scout for your opponent’s Flying resist and switch to an appropriate counter. Because of this, U-turn is generally the best move to use your first time in. Pursuit allows Crobat to be a revenge killer of sorts, hitting Mismagius and other physically weak Pokemon who would generally switch out of the standard Crobat sets for heavy damage. Steel Wing is really there for lack of a better move, but can be useful if your opponent opts to use a Rock-type as his Flying resist instead of a Steel-type. Cross Poison can be useful too if you desire a STAB move that doesn't have recoil like Brave Bird, but it doesn't improve coverage at all. </p>

<p> Crobat will undoubtedly create large holes in an opponent’s team. Considering no UnderUsed Steel- or Rock-type has any form of recovery barring Leftovers and Rest, any damage that Crobat does is likely to be permanent. Thus, Crobat can be used to wear down an opponent enough for a different Pokemon to actually perform the sweep. Sceptile and Swellow come to mind as excellent candidates to make the end-game sweep, because really, only Steel-types get in their way, and when the opponent lacks one, it’s all but done for. Blaziken also gets a mention for being 2x resistant to Gyro Ball, which is used by Crobat‘s most common switch-in, Steelix. Once Blaziken gets in on a relatively weak attack, it is free to wallbreak at will.</p>

[Team Options]

<p> It’s hard to think of a team that wouldn’t be better off with a Crobat.
Offensive teams will appreciate its numerous resistances, and any team bothered by Shaymin, Yanmega, Toxicroak, and other such Pokemon will be glad to incorporate Crobat into the fold. Teams that have little trouble with Steel- or Rock-types are also great teams for Crobat as those Pokemon are its greatest enemies. </p>

<p> When using the special set, be sure to include Pokemon that sweep in a similar fashion to the standard Crobat, as Nasty Plot Crobat is a particularly good lure and counter to the majority of its standard counters. Swellow, Honchkrow, and Sceptile all enjoy having Steel-types out of the way so they can complete a sweep. If opening up the sweep for Crobat is desired, physical moves on normally special-based Pokemon can eradicate Chansey. Swords Dance Shaymin and Ludicolo will lure in Chansey more often than not, and can threaten with high-powered Seed Bombs. Trapinch is also a near-guaranteed way of getting rid of the big pink blob, as well as any Steel-types in your path. </p>

[Other Options]

<p> The remainder of Crobat’s movepool is rather slim pickings. Poison Fang, Bite, and X-Scissor are usable physical moves, although none really provide much more to coverage than the aformentioned moves. You could slap a Choice Specs on Crobat and use Sludge Bomb and Giga Drain over Roost and Nasty Plot on the Special set, but considering that Crobat fails to break 360 Special Attack, and that its coverage isn’t exactly stellar, that job is best left to other Pokemon. </p>

<p> Support wise, Confuse Ray can be useful for forcing switches, or just making life a pain in general for your opponent. Haze and Whirlwind can be used if your team lacks a way to get rid of offensive boosts, but Crobat’s defenses are generally too weak to take boosted attacks repeatedly, even with access to Roost. Screech is a more indirect approach to phazing and forces the opponent to either leave the field of battle or take a hefty hit from Brave Bird the following turn. Lastly, Rain Dance can be used on the lead, and with Crobat‘s high Speed, is near-guaranteed to go off. </p>

[EVs]

</p> A minimum of 232 Speed with a boosting nature is necessary on any Crobat set. This allows you to outpace anything in the UU tier that is not Scarfed (barring Electrode), and all Scarfed, neutral-natured Pokemon of base 80 Speed or lower. On the lead, making sure you can safely Taunt is paramount to its success, so a more defensive approach is taken in lieu of offensive EVs. 168 HP and 108 SpD gives Crobat the ability to withstand two of most unboosted Psychic attacks, meaning it can freely Taunt the likes of Uxie without fear of retribution. As well, it affords Crobat a bit of wiggle room against users of Ice- or Electric-type moves.</p>

<p> Physical offensive sets will generally want to eschew any defensive EVs and just go with the standard 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe spread, as the chance to win a Speed tie against opposing Crobat is generally better than any marginal amount of bulk you’d receive from the extra HP. Special-based sets will definitely want to max out Special Attack, considering that at a paltry base 70, Crobat’s Special Attack will need as much help as it can get. </p>

[Opinion]

<p> It’s not hard to see why Crobat is hailed as the best lead in UU. Its access to a fast Taunt, Roost, and its considerable bulk make it the perfect candidate for stopping your opponent from using undesirable support moves. Not only can it stop your opponent from setting up, but it can often sweep by itself with help from its Speed and high base power STAB option Brave Bird. All of these things together make a very neat and tidy package that can both support the team, and sometimes make a break-away sweep all on its own. </p>

[Counters]

<p> As a general rule of thumb, Steel-types will do an adequate job of walling Crobat. Steelix and Registeel fit the bill perfectly; however, do note that you will need a slight investment in Attack on Registeel, lest you fail to 2HKO with Ice Punch while it’s in the air or Earthquake when it’s using Roost. Both Steel-types should be wary of the special-based sets, as neither of these two Pokemon enjoy having a +2 Life Orb Heat Wave thrown at
them. </p>

<p> Rock-types can also take almost anything Crobat can throw at them and threaten it with STAB Stone Edge, although if the attack fails to OHKO, Crobat can stall out Stone Edge’s PP with Roost, barring a critical hit. </p>

<p> Chansey is probably the best answer to the special set, threatening with Thunder Wave which will effectively eliminate Crobat from the game. If Crobat lacks Hidden Power Grass, Rock-types and Lanturn make an appearance as the only Pokemon who resist Flying / Fire. Strong Psychic-types like Espeon that can take a quick Special hit are also adequate counters. </p>

 

[twash]

Rain Dance wasn't listed on the Lead primarily? Why not? :/

Substitute / Roost / Brave Bird / U-turn or Taunt is a great set, I don't know why isn't here, maybe you have never used it? I think it should definitely be in the analysis, it's an excellent set.

That's just on a quick skim through, by the way.

 

[Erazor]

How is Hypnosis an option on the lead set? It's incompatible with Brave Bird.

 

[LonelyNess]

Rain Dance isn't listed as a primary option on the lead set because, simply put, Electrode does the whole "lead who sets up Rain Dance" thing better. I put a blip about Rain Dance in the set comments though.

I also fixed the bit about Brave Bird / Hypnosis. I added Air Slash as a secondary option over Brave Bird and put a bit in the set comments noting that if you were using Hypnosis, you would have to change to Air Slash and use a Timid nature.

I honestly have never used that set enough to comment on it. I will play around a bit with it today and see whether or not it's worth its own set.

 

[Zepar]

After a roost, ground is a weakness.

<p> There are three things that make Crobat an outstanding lead in the Underused tier. The first being base 130 Speed, which allows it to outpace any non-scarfed Pokemon barring Electrode. The second is Taunt, with which Crobat can stop nearly any opposing lead from setting up any number of support moves. Lastly, Crobat has Roost, allowing it to eliminate all of its weaknesses except for a single Psychic weakness.</p>

 

[adman2]

Rain Dance isn't listed as a primary option on the lead set because, simply put, Electrode does the whole "lead who sets up Rain Dance" thing better. I put a blip about Rain Dance in the set comments though.

I also fixed the bit about Brave Bird / Hypnosis. I added Air Slash as a secondary option over Brave Bird and put a bit in the set comments noting that if you were using Hypnosis, you would have to change to Air Slash and use a Timid nature.

I honestly have never used that set enough to comment on it. I will play around a bit with it today and see whether or not it's worth its own set.

Crobat does have a small advantage over Electrode as a Rain lead that may be worth mentioning. Inner Focus gives it the ability to Taunt or Rain Dance in spite of Fake Out. It need not be a complete suicide lead, since you can sometimes Roost and Rain Dance again due it being bulkier than Electrode. I hope my comment was worthwhile, for I've been using Crobat as a Rain lead for some time (albeit in OU).

 

[franky]

Rain Dance Electrode doesn't outclass Crobat because of speed.

• Has access to Inner Focus to evade Fake Out Leads
• Crobat is not necessarily "suicide" it has access to recovery moves to replenish health and it has pretty good bulk, especially with the EV's given.
• Effective user for Taunt + Rain Dance + U-Turn to bring in the appropriate sweeper. Electrode executes Rain Dance differently, Taunt or use Rain Dance then Explosion to bring in the sweeper safely.

 

[LonelyNess]

You don't U-turn into an appropriate sweeper because then you risk your sweeper's life to an attack. That's why Explosion is good, because it gives a free switch in (and a shitface ton of damage to your opponent).

Fake Out user are all slower than both Electrode and Crobat, so it's a moot point as long as the Fake Out doesn't OHKO.

So what if it's not suicide, if I'm using a not suicide lead, then I'll use something bulkier than Crobat, and if I'm using a suicide lead, I'll use Electrode.

I'm not slashing Rain Dance. I already put it in the set comments.

 

[Random Pizzaman]

<p> Crobat will undoubtedly create large holes in an opponent’s team. Considering no Underused Steel or Rock-type has any type of recovery, any damage that Crobat does is likely to be permanent.

Just a little spelling blip I found on the CB set. Great job on the analysis by the way

 

[Heysup]

I may suggest you slash in Sludge Bomb with Air Slash, as Poison + Fire is not exactly poor coverage, especially with Sludge Bombs extra power over Air Slash.

 

[RaikouLover]

I'll second that, there is really no advantage to using Air Slash since it is significantly weaker, and the type coverage with Heat Wave is somewhat redundant.

Also, the lead's EV spread looks funny... Uxie and Slowbro don't commonly run Psychic IIRC, and the no attack investment seems pretty meh... especially since Brave Bird makes Crobat a pretty damn decent attacker in UU.

 

[JabbaTheGriffin]

Some Uxie (I know when I run Uxie I do this) specifically run Psychic JUST to deal with Crobat to punish it for taunting me.

And Air Slash covers the fighters that Crobat gets the free switches to plot on. If they find out you're not running air slash they'll feel free to stone edge you after you switch in on their fighting move. I'm not saying Sludge Bomb shouldn't be an option I'm just making a case for Air Slash in case anyone says it shouldn't be an option at all. I'd slash them. I haven't tried Sludge Bomb yet so I can't exactly comment on which one should be the premiere option though. I'll test that out tomorrow.

 

[LonelyNess]

| Slowbro | Move | Psychic | 41.6 |
| Uxie | Move | Psychic | 33.3 |

That's a pretty significant amount of all Slowbros and Uxies... that and the Special Defense lets it take Ice Beams better as well.

------------------------------------------

Considering that the difference in base power is only 22.5 after STAB, I wouldn't call the change in power from Air Slash to Sludge Bomb all that much... and whereas Air Slash and Heat Wave make up some what redundant coverage, Sludge Bomb and Heat Wave make up COMPLETELY redundant coverage. And while Sludge Bomb + Heat Wave may have better neutral coverage, Air Slash's advantage in hitting Fighting types makes it better on the average. I will slash in Sludge Bomb though.

 

[Imp]

[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Taunt
move 2: Roost
move 3: Brave Bird / Air Slash
move 4: U-turn / Sunny Day / Hypnosis
item: Leftovers
nature: Jolly / Timid
evs: 168 HP / 108 SpD / 232 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p> There are three things that make Crobat an outstanding lead in the Underused tier, the first being base 130 Speed, which allows it to outpace any non-scarfed Pokemon barring Electrode. The second is Taunt, with which Crobat can stop nearly any opposing lead from setting up any number of support moves. Lastly, Crobat has Roost, allowing it to eliminate all of its weaknesses except for Ground and Psychic.</p>

<p> Brave Bird makes up Crobat’s main STAB. Even without any Attack investment, the high base power of Brave Bird easily makes up for it. Teams lacking any type of Flying resist will be hard pressed to switch in to this move, especially when the prospect of Taunt looms, preventing any type of recovery.</p>

<p>The last slot in the set really comes up to team preference. U-turn is the default for any team wanting general support. Crobat’s Speed and ability to force switches because of Taunt will afford many advantageous scenarios. Crobat happens to be the fastest user of Sunny Day in the tier, so if your team happens to be one that could take advantage of sunny weather, Crobat is the perfect Pokemon for you. Rain Dance is also an option, however Electrode is generally a better candidate for a lead who sets up Rain Dance. Hypnosis is also good for general utility, but its low accuracy makes it unreliable at best. If you are using Hypnosis, you will have to resort to Air Slash for your Flying STAB and change the nature to Timid because Brave Bird and Hypnosis are an illegal combination. </p>

<p> The EVs are very specific on this particular set. 232 Speed allows Crobat 389 Speed, out speeding all non-scarfed Pokemon except for Electrode, and all scarfed Pokemon of neutral base 80 Speed or lower. 168 HP and 108 SpD allows Crobat to avoid being 2HKOed by any unboosted Psychic from Uxie and Slowbro, two Pokemon who frequently use Psychic to deter Crobat from using Taunt and stopping their setups. The HP EVs also afford Crobat incredible physical bulk as well, avoiding the OHKO from common leads who use Stone Edge such as Regirock, Nidoking, and defensively based Kabutops. This means you can safely Taunt, and then Roost off damage. </p>

<p> There are few teams that can’t take advantage of Crobat’s contributions. Teams that have large weaknesses to Fighting, Grass, and Bug attacks will love having Crobat on their team, as most of the Pokemon who carry these attacks lack the ability to boost their Speed, making them prime targets for Brave Bird which will easily OHKO. Because of this, sweeping Water-types are great partners with Crobat. Azumarill, Milotic, and Slowbro will all love having Crobat around to take out Grass-types standing in the way of their sweep, and Crobat will love having a Pokemon to take Ice attacks directed at it. It’s a match made in heaven.</p>

[SET]
name: PlotBat
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Air Slash / Sludge Bomb
move 3: Heat Wave
move 4: Roost / Hidden Power Grass
item: Life Orb / Leftovers / Lum Berry
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p> Crobat may have a mediocre Special Attack stat, topping out at 239 when at its peak. But with Nasty Plot, it can double that stat instantly, increasing its ability to sweep substantially, and with that amazing base 130 Speed, Electrode and Choice Scarf users of base 85 Speed or higher are the only things standing in its way.</p>

<p> Air Slash and Heat Wave make up its main attack options. Air Slash is there for STAB and also has the added benefit of a 30% flinch rate, occasionally granting Crobat some free damage. Sludge Bomb can be used if you're not concerned about hitting Fighting-types, although the threat of STAB Flying will generally force them out whereas if they learn you aren't packing Air Slash or Brave Bird, threatening with Stone Edge becomes a real threat. Heat Wave complements Flying STAB nicely, leaving only Rock-types and Chansey to stop it. The last slot in the set can alleviate one of these problems. Hidden Power Grass is an option if your team is unable to remove Rock-types. If your team is fine with these threats, Roost is a far better choice as it affords Crobat the chance to Roost against less threatening Pokemon and recover off Life Orb recoil and residual damage. Taunt is an option in the last slot as well, as it allows Crobat to stop opponents from using status like Thunder Wave to stop your sweep, but it is generally an inferior option.</p>

<p> Life Orb is the preferred item on this set because Crobat’s offenses are less than stellar without it. Leftovers can be used in lieu of Life Orb if the recoil is off putting. Lum Berry gives Crobat one time status prevention, but beyond that isn’t the best choice. </p>

<p> Crobat will frequently lure in Steel-types such as Steelix and Registeel, which this set beats fairly easily. This can open up a sweep from other Pokemon that fear these Pokemon. As such, Mismagius is a great partner to this Crobat. Other Pokemon that make good partners to Crobat are good switch-ins to Rock-types, and Chansey. Toxicroak, Medicham, and Rhydon come to mind as being able to take advantage. If you’re just looking to get rid of Crobat’s counters outright, Trapinch can be useful in taking out all Chansey sets, and the majority of Steel and Rock-type Pokemon with ease. </p>

[SET]
name: Choice Bat
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Pursuit
move 4: Steel Wing / Cross Poison
item: Choice Band
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p> This is Crobat’s best chance at making a physical sweep. With a Choice Band and 252 Atk EVs, any Pokemon not resistant is going to take a ridiculously hard hit from Brave Bird. U-turn allows you to scout for your opponent’s Flying resist and switch to an appropriate counter. Because of this, U-turn is generally the best move to use your first time in. Pursuit allows Crobat to be a revenge killer of sorts, hitting Mismagius and other physically weak Pokemon who would generally switch out of the standard Crobat sets. Steel Wing is really there for lack of a better move, but can be useful if your opponent opts to use a Rock-type as their Flying resist instead of a Steel-type. Cross Poison can be useful too if you desire a STAB move that doesn't have the recoil like Brave Bird, but it doesn't improve coverage at all. </p>

<p> Crobat will undoubtedly create large holes in an opponent’s team. Considering no Underused Steel or Rock-type has any type of recovery, any damage that Crobat does is likely to be permanent. Thus, Crobat can be used to wear down an opponent enough for a different Pokemon to actually perform the sweep. Sceptile and Swellow come to mind as excellent candidates to make the end game sweep because really only Steel-types get in their way, and when the opponent lacks one, it’s all but done for. Blaziken also gets a mention for being 2x resistant to Gyro Ball, which is used by Crobat‘s most common switch-in, Steelix. Once Blaziken gets in on a relatively weak attack, it is free to wall break accordingly.</p>

[Team Options]

<p> It’s hard to think of a team that wouldn’t be better off with a Crobat.
Offensive teams will appreciate its numerous resistances, and any team bothered by Shaymin, Yanmega, Toxicroak, and other such Pokemon will be glad to incorporate Crobat in the fold. Teams that have little trouble with Steel or Rock-types are also great teams for Crobat as they are its greatest enemies. </p>

<p> When using the special set, be sure to include Pokemon that sweep in a similar fashion to the standard Crobat, as Nasty Plot Crobat is a particularly good lure and counter to the majority of its standard counters. Swellow, Honchkrow, and Sceptile all enjoy having Steel-types out of the way so they can complete a sweep. If opening up the sweep for Crobat is desired, using often special based Pokemon physically can eradicate Chansey. Swords Dance Shaymin and Ludicolo will lure in Chansey more often than not, and can threaten with high powered Seed Bomb. Trapinch is also a near guaranteed way of getting rid of the big pink blob, as well as any Steel-types in your way. </p>

[Other Options]

<p> The remainder of Crobat’s movepool is rather slim pickings. Poison Fang, Bite, and X-Scissor are usable physical moves, although none really bring much more to coverage than the above moves. You can slap a Choice Specs on Crobat and use Sludge Bomb and Giga Drain over Roost and Nasty Plot on the Special set, but considering that Crobat barely breaks 360 Special Attack and its coverage isn’t exactly stellar, that job is best left to other Pokemon. </p>

<p> Support wise, Confuse Ray can be useful in order to force switches, or just make life a pain in general for your opponent. Haze and Whirlwind can be made to use if your team lacks a way to get rid of offensive boosts, but Crobat’s defenses are generally too weak to take boosted attacks repeatedly, even with access to Roost. Screech is a less direct approach to phazing, but can be used as the opponent is forced to either leave the field of battle, or take a hefty hit from Brave Bird in the following turn. Lastly, Rain Dance can be used on the lead, and with Crobat‘s high Speed is near guaranteed to go off. </p>

[EVs]

</p> A minimum of 232 Speed is necessary on any Crobat set. This allows you to outpace anything in the tier not scarfed (barring Electrode), and all scarfed Pokemon of base 80 Speed or lower. On the lead, making sure you can safely Taunt is paramount to its success, so in lieu of offensive EVs, a more defensive approach is taken. 168 HP and 108 SpD gives Crobat the ability to withstand two of any unboosted Psychic attack, meaning it can freely Taunt the likes of Uxie and Slowbro without fear of retribution. </p>

<p> Offensive sets hitting physically will generally want to eschew any defensive EVs and just go with the standard 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe spread as the chance to win a Speed tie against opposing Crobat is generally better than any marginal amount of bulk you’d receive from the extra HP. Specially based sets will definitely want to max out Special Attack, considering that at a paltry base 70, Crobat’s Special Attack will need as much help as it can get. </p>

[Opinion]

<p> It’s not hard to see why Crobat is hailed as the best lead in UU. Its access to a fast Taunt, Roost, and its considerable bulk make it the perfect candidate for stopping your opponent from setting up undesirable support moves. Not only can it stop your opponent from setting up, but it can often get a sweep by itself with help from its Speed and high base power moves like Brave Bird. All of these things together make a very neat and tidy package that can both support the team, and sometimes make a break away sweep all on its own. </p>

[Counters]

<p> As a general rule of thumb, Steel-types will do an adequate job at walling Crobat. Steelix and Registeel fit the bill perfectly, however do note that you will need a slight investment in Attack on Registeel, lest you fail to 2HKO with Ice Punch while it’s in the air, and Earthquake when it’s using Roost, however, beware of the Special based sets as neither of these two Pokemon will enjoy getting a Life Orb +2 Heat Wave thrown at
them. </p>

<p> Rock-types can also take most anything Crobat can throw at them and threaten it with STAB Stone Edge, although if you fail to OHKO, Crobat can stall out Stone Edge’s PP with Roost barring a critical hit. </p>

<p> To the special sets, Chansey is probably the best answer (removed “to it”), threatening Thunder Wave which will effectively eliminate it from the game. If Crobat lacks Hidden Power Grass, Rock-types make an appearance again as the only Pokemon who resist Flying / Fire. Strong Psychic-types like Espeon that can take a quick special hit are also adequate counters. </p>

 

[Eo Ut Mortus]

Suggesting that a nod be given to Substitute in U-Turn's slot on the first set. Given its situationality, it's a bit hard to explain, but here are some examples off the top of my head.

-Insurance against Sucker Punch (Absol, Toxicroak, Honchkrow)

-Sub gives you a practically free turn to scout against Pokemon such as Roserade, Venusaur, Shaymin.

-More free turns if opponent brings in death fodder. Moderately weakened checks like Mespirit and Slowbro can now not come in since Crobat will have two shots at them with a Sub up.

-If you are low on health but have enough health to make a Sub, you can Sub and Roost against stuff like Torterra, some Shaymin, EQ/Sucker Punch Nidoking, etc. who would kill you with Earthquake/Earth Power if you just Roost.

 

[LonelyNess]

Fixed all of the grammatical errors.

Added a blurb about Substitute on the first set. I don't plan on making it its own set for the sole reason that it really doesn't change much of anything in regards to how the lead set plays.

 

[RaikouLover]

Considering that the difference in base power is only 22.5 after STAB, I wouldn't call the change in power from Air Slash to Sludge Bomb all that much... and whereas Air Slash and Heat Wave make up some what redundant coverage, Sludge Bomb and Heat Wave make up COMPLETELY redundant coverage. And while Sludge Bomb + Heat Wave may have better neutral coverage, Air Slash's advantage in hitting Fighting types makes it better on the average. I will slash in Sludge Bomb though.

Only 22.5? That's the difference between Discharge and Thunderbolt and its pretty significant, especially when it is being magnified by each Nasty Plot. Just to let you know, thats a 20% increase in power! I don't think people would bother using Discharge over Thunderbolt on Calm Mind Raikou or Nasty Plot Raichu now would they? Look at the fighters in UU and what they take from Sludge Bomb:

76 HP Hariyama: 86-100%
Min / Min Hitmons: 98-100%
252 HP Hitmontop: 77-91%
Min / Min Blaziken: 100%
252 HP Poliwrath: 72-85%

For Toxicroak, he is weak against Heat Wave :-( and takes over 150%!

So basically, only defensive fighters in Hitmontop and Poliwrath can survive, and their survival is sketchy at best with a layer or two of spikes. So switching to Air Slash only grants you two additional kills for a loss in 20% power against everything else. What about type coverage you say? Air Slash + Heat Wave hits super effective against 17 pokemon (6 of which are fighters excluding Toxicroak because hes weak against Heat Wave), hits 37 pokemon neutral, and leaves you walled by type wise (im using Chansey in neutral) by Kabutops, Omastar, Lanturn, and Regirock. For Sludge Bomb + Heat Wave, you hit... 11 pokemon super effective and 47 pokemon neutral effective (where is Qwilfish in the UU list!). So basically, nothing in UU walls Poison + Fire. In fact, the only type combos that do are Water / Ground, Rock / Ground, and Water / Poison, all of which apparently are absent in UU.

So the real question is... why should you bother with Air Slash?

EDIT: after doing this I realized a ton of shit is in NU... gotta change that its a crime against nature :-(

 

[cim]

Whirlwind is an excellent fourth move on "Lead" Crobat (that in all honesty you can use at any time in battle, not just in the lead position)

also, 80 / 80 is not "incredible" physical bulk, neither is taking a 236 Atk Stone Edge. Chris no like hype :(

Fixed all of the grammatical errors.

Added a blurb about Substitute on the first set. I don't plan on making it its own set for the sole reason that it really doesn't change much of anything in regards to how the lead set plays.

I'd really just make a "general tank" set with Sub / Whirlwind as slashes on the fourth move rather than setting something up or using U-Turn that's more oriented for stall teams.

 

[RaikouLover]

How would whirlwind work? Crobat doesn't really appreciate going last...

In all honesty I don't really see how any of Crobat's sets here play differently to what was already on the analysis to begin with. Sleep inducer and Brave Bat probably shouldn't be merged because they accomplish two completely different things, and options like Rain Dance and Sunny Day are just mentions because they work but are overspecialized for a general analysis.

 

[LonelyNess]

All of the Pokemon that are hit NVE from Air Slash / Heat Wave are also hit NVE by Sludge Bomb / Heat Wave with the exception of Lanturn (because Rock resists Poison as you forgot to mention). Wheras Poison / Fire also fails to hit Ground / Water (hello Gastrodon and Quagsire). As well as Poison / Water (hello Qwilfish).

Anyway, I see the merits of Sludge Bomb and that's why it's a slashed option on the set.

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And also, it's a UU revamp, not "add more sets because more sets are fun!" It doesn't have to play any differently than the sets that are already mentioned. It just needs to be adapted to its current tier. Which I have done. And if Sunny Day / Rain Dance are overspecialized for a general analysis, then tell that to Jirachi who has a SPECIFIC Rain Dance set listed... or Bronzong... or Articuno for crying out loud.

Furthermore, the Brave Bat set isn't good in UU, the attack EVs are there for a single OU Pokemon, and aren't adapted to UU. That and the Brave Bat (essentially just a "Lead Set" with a prettier name) and Sleep inducer play EXACTLY THE SAME. This is why I merged them together... because there's no reason to seperate the two.

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Lastly, Whirlwind is already mentioned in the Other Options, and that's where it's going to stay.

 

[Bologo]

Put Toxic in Other Options at least. Crobat is a very good Toxistaller due to the extremely high speed and Taunt with relative bulk/resistances. Personally, I would make an entire set devoted to Toxistalling, since it has worked very well for me and plays differently than the other sets there. However, it doesn't completely need a new set if you don't feel like writing/testing it.

 

[LonelyNess]

The only reason I didn't was because I haven't tested it, and wouldn't know where to begin with the defensive EVs at all. My guess would be the lead's EVs would be a good place to start, but I imagine that the need for max speed isn't nearly as great as in the lead, and as such, could put some in Defense as well.

 

[Bologo]

Well, the set that I tried was:

Crobat @Leftovers
EVs: 252 HP/252 Spe/4 SDef
Jolly

- Brave Bird / Heat Wave
- Roost
- Taunt
- Toxic

I personally found the max speed to be quite helpful, and one of the big reasons why it's so good is the high speed. It helped a lot so that Crobat wasn't ONLY devoted to stalling, and could still do the revenge-killing job pretty well if he needed to, even outspeeding +speed Scarf base 70s. Also, he can Taunt TrickScarf users that try to ruin his stalling (eg. Uxie), which is quite important.

I wasn't sure about the 252 HP EVs, but it did help him take hits equally well on both sides. However, if the bit about not being 2HKOed by Uxie/Slowbro is important, go with the defensive EVs of the lead.

 

[Zach]

Rain Dance Electrode doesn't outclass Crobat because of speed.

• Has access to Inner Focus to evade Fake Out Leads
• Crobat is not necessarily "suicide" it has access to recovery moves to replenish health and it has pretty good bulk, especially with the EV's given.
• Effective user for Taunt + Rain Dance + U-Turn to bring in the appropriate sweeper. Electrode executes Rain Dance differently, Taunt or use Rain Dance then Explosion to bring in the sweeper safely.

Not to mention the fact that Crobat doesn't immediately give away that you are using a Rain Dance team.

 

[cim]

Whirlwind Crobat is no joke. I mean yeah it's not taking advantage of its Speed but that's like saying Tank Metagross sucks because it "should be attacking". Whirlwind is a really nice way for Crobat to do some damage to Pokémon like Registeel with Crobat can't really harm when you have Spikes support.