[OVERVIEW]
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Leaf Blade
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Double Edge
item: Normalium Z
ability: Chlorophyll
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Set Details
========
Usage Tips
========
Team Options
========
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Checks and Counters
===================
**Weezing**: Takes 90% max from a +2 Breakneck Blitz, and can either cripple it with Will-o-Wisp or hit it with Sludge Bomb, which has a chance to 1HKO. This is the main reason Leafeon struggles in the meta.
**Sableye**: Forces it out with Prankster Will-O-Wisp.
**Fire types**: Pyroar outspeeds and just destroys it with Fire Blast. Magmortar, Turtonator, and Camerupt also threaten it with their STABs, but can be broken past by a boosted Leafeon, especially Z-Dig variants.
**Flying types**: Swanna and Oricorio-S 1HKO with Hurricane, but the latter is beaten by Knock Off if it's not scarfed.
**Ice types**: Scarf Jynx revenge kills. Abomasnow 1HKOs with Blizzard, but is a rather shaky check as it can be beaten by an unboosted Breakneck Blitz.
- A good Attack stat and the ability to boost with Swords Dance make it a threatening wallbreaker.
- A good Speed tier
- A great Defense stat means that it can take a couple of physical hits, even uninvested.
- However, its Special Defense is rather poor, which doesn't help when Poison, Fire, and Flying moves are so common.
- Its biggest flaw is its poor coverage, leaving it reliant on a Z-move to break through many foes.
- Faces heavy competion from Lilligant, Shiftry, Exeggutor-A, and Ludicolo as an offensive Grass type.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Leaf Blade
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Double Edge
item: Normalium Z
ability: Chlorophyll
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
- Swords Dance allows it to boost its attack, allowing it to wallbreak.
- Leaf Blade is its strongest STAB.
- Knock Off lets it remove Eviolites, as well as hitting Ghost types such as Gourgeist and Oricorio-S who are immune to Breakneck Blitz super effectively.
- Double Edge provides good neutral coverage, and when combined with Normalium Z lets Leafeon break through Poison, Fire, and Dragon types such as Skuntank, Magmortar, and Guzzlord.
Set Details
========
- Max Speed with a Jolly nature lets it outspeed Skuntank and Calm Mind Oricorio. The rest is poured into attack to further its wallbreaking potential.
- Normalium Z gives it a 190 BP Breakneck Blitz, which allows it to break through threats such as Skuntank and Weezing.
- Both of its abilities are situational outside Sun teams, but Chlorophyll is prefered to improve the matchup against sun sweepers
Usage Tips
========
- Its good Defense means it can switch in on a neutral physical hit if need be. Try not to switch it in on unresisted special attacks, though.
- If there's a mon that can burn Leafeon like Gourgeist or Weezing, switch it out unless you're confident you can 1HKO it. You should always switch out of Sableye.
- Use a Breakneck Blitz to take out a threat that its coverage is not sufficient to handle, such as Guzzlord or Skuntank, or something threatening like Magmortar or Abomasnow.
- Don't be too scared of priority unless its health is low. It can take two Ice Shards from Abomasnow, for instance.
- Against defensive teams, try to keep it preserved as it is a good wincon against them if its checks are weakened. It can be played more liberally against offense, as its good physical bulk lets it check threats such as Gurdurr and Carracosta.
Team Options
========
- Stealth Rock support is essential, as the only chance Leafeon has of 1HKOing Weezing at +2 is if Rocks are up. It also really hurts the Fire, Flying, and Ice types that can be annoying to deal with. Piloswine and Carracosta are good setters. The latter especially synergizes well, as Leafeon can switch in to Ground and Grass attacks for it.
- Dark types like Skuntank and Guzzlord that can switch in to Prankster mons.
- Something that can check Weezing, such as Mesprit and Musharna, as Leafeon struggles to break it even at +2.
- Things that can switch in to Fire types, like Carracosta and Assault Vest Lanturn.
- By no means necessary, but sun support from Regirock, Volbeat, or Liepard is nice to allow it clean weakened teams. It should be noted that it has competion for this role, as this set has no moves that benefit from the sun, unlike Victreebel.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
- Dig with Groundium Z lets it hit Fire, Poison, and Steel types super effectively. The main problem is you're walled by Weezing. Most of these targets are hit hard enough by Breakneck Blitz anyway.
- Life Orb lets it hit harder, but the lack of the Z-move means you'll struggle to break through many Pokémon.
- Synthesis increases Leafeon's longevity over the course of a match and allows it to reliably check threats like Gurdurr through the course of the match. It's rather difficult to fit in a set, though.
- X-Scizzor hits Guzzlord super effectively and hits Skuntank neutrally, but Knock Off and Double Edge are just much better coverage options.
- Its high Speed and ability to revenge kill Carracosta at +2 makes it seem like a decent scarfer, but its mediocre power, lackluster coverage, and lack of a pivoting move means that there are better options like Primeape and Oricorio-S.
- Leafeon has a great support movepool with options like Wish and Heal Bell, so a more defensive support set seems tempting. However, the fact that it's easily taken advantage of by Poison types makes it suboptimal, and 65 HP isn't the best for Wish passing. Its poor Special Defense and defensive typing don't help. Audino is much better in this role.
- Choice Band, but seriously why when you struggle to break through common Pokémon at +2 and it's so easy to take advantage of a choicelocked Leafeon. Little reason to use over Swords
Checks and Counters
===================
**Weezing**: Takes 90% max from a +2 Breakneck Blitz, and can either cripple it with Will-o-Wisp or hit it with Sludge Bomb, which has a chance to 1HKO. This is the main reason Leafeon struggles in the meta.
**Sableye**: Forces it out with Prankster Will-O-Wisp.
**Fire types**: Pyroar outspeeds and just destroys it with Fire Blast. Magmortar, Turtonator, and Camerupt also threaten it with their STABs, but can be broken past by a boosted Leafeon, especially Z-Dig variants.
**Flying types**: Swanna and Oricorio-S 1HKO with Hurricane, but the latter is beaten by Knock Off if it's not scarfed.
**Ice types**: Scarf Jynx revenge kills. Abomasnow 1HKOs with Blizzard, but is a rather shaky check as it can be beaten by an unboosted Breakneck Blitz.
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