Endorfins
Your Worst Nightmare
[Overview]
<p>At first, Serperior appears to have little to differentiate itself from the hordes of Grass-types vying for a spot on your team; poor stats, except for its strange base 113 Speed, and a shallow movepool shared by similar Pokemon doesn't help Serperior's case. Thankfully, Serperior has some unique options, and just enough raw power and bulk to run a multitude of effective sets. Serperior's base 75 Attack and Special Attack stats mean that Serperior hits like a wet towel without any boosts; however, Serperior has access to three dangerous boosting moves that can quickly transform it into an offensive threat that belies its stats. Serperior's defensive stats are also mediocre at best, but once again, Serperior can remedy this deficiency with boosting moves such as Calm Mind and Coil, which boost Special Defense and Defense, respectively. Serperior's precise movepool also gives it access to a reliable paralysis inducing move in Glare, a phazing move in Dragon Tail, and dual screens. This makes Serperior a valuable team supporter. Unfortunately, Serperior's offensive movepool is fairly barren, meaning its coverage is lacking when attempting to sweep. While Serperior might not be the best at anything, its unpredictability means it can fit onto almost any team.</p>
[SET]
name: Coil
move 1: Coil
move 2: Leaf Blade
move 3: Aqua Tail
move 4: Return / Substitute
item: Leftovers / Life Orb
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Serperior is one of the few Pokemon gifted with the boosting move Coil. With a viable move to boost its Attack, and a physical movepool that covers most of the metagame, Serperior is one of the few Grass-types that can run a decent physical set in RU. When Serperior coils its serpentine body, it will be able to easily boost up in the face of physical attackers, such as Kabutops, before unleashing its powerful attacks. The Defense boost also means that Serperior is much harder to revenge kill with priority attacks such as ExtremeSpeed, Mach Punch, and Sucker Punch. Coil also boosts Serperior's accuracy, which elevates Aqua Tail and Dragon Tail's accuracy to 100% after a boost, as well as dealing with rare accuracy-lowering moves. Leaf Blade is a poorly distributed move that has excellent Base Power and perfect accuracy; it also has twice the chance to score a critical hit relative to a normal move, which can be useful in some situations. Aqua Tail is a coverage move that many other Grass-types lack. It provides superb coverage, destroying Fire- and Steel-types while having excellent neutral coverage with Leaf Blade on most of the metagame. Return rounds out the set, hitting the Grass-types that resist Aqua tail and Leaf Blade. However, Substitute can be used instead to shield Serperior from status. Serperior's Substitute become increasingly difficult for physical attackers to break as it accumulates more Coil boosts.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>252 Speed EVs and a Jolly nature let Serperior outspeed dangerous threats that reside at base 110 Speed such as Archeops and Tauros. The Attack EVs boost Serperior's mediocre Attack stat to acceptable levels. An alternative EV spread that places emphasis on bulk instead of Attack can be used to turn Serperior into a bulky booster that can take hits and retaliate. If you choose to use a bulkier EV spread, Dragon Tail is a viable option in the last slot to shuffle the opposing team and rack up entry hazard damage, dealing minor damage in the process. Leftovers is the main item for this set, as the passive regeneration synergizes well with the Defense boost from Coil, letting Serperior easily set up on weaker physical attackers. However, Life Orb is another viable option as Serperior sometimes needs the extra power. Substitute is also a viable move on this set; with it, Serperior can avoid status and easily set up on Scald—without risking a burn—and other weak moves. After a few Coils, Serperior's Substitute will be extremely hard to break with weaker or resisted physical moves such as Earthquake.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, Serperior cannot boost its Speed with Coil, which means that it can easily be revenge killed by Choice Scarf holders such as Typhlosion, Emboar, and Manectric. As many revenge killers that beat Serperior are hit super effectively by Rock-type attacks, keeping Stealth Rock on your opponent's side of the field is extremely beneficial. Pokemon such as Uxie and Steelix can comfortably set up Stealth Rock for your team. If Serperior is running Dragon Tail, Spikes support is also beneficial as Serperior can easily rack up entry hazard damage on your opponent by phazing them out repeatedly. Common dedicated physical walls, such as Tangrowth, can comfortably wall Serperior, meaning powerful wallbreakers, such as Escavalier, are good teammates.</p>
[SET]
name: Substitute + Calm Mind
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Giga Drain
move 4: Hidden Power Rock / Hidden Power Fire / Dragon Pulse
item: Leftovers / Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>At first glance, this set appears to be horribly outclassed by Lilligant, who boasts a better boosting move in Quiver Dance, as well as Sleep Powder to incapacitate its counters. However, Serperior has far superior bulk, better base Speed, access to Dragon Pulse, and an extremely useful ability in Overgrow. Substitute and Calm Mind is a time-honored technique that allows Serperior to evade status and set up with ease against certain walls and weaker special attackers—which will struggle to break Serperior's Substitutes after a few boosts. Giga Drain is Serperior's main STAB attack; it replenishes health lost from Life Orb and Substitute, making Serperior harder to wear down. With room for only one coverage move, Serperior cannot hope to hit the entire metagame for neutral damage. However, Hidden Power Rock hits common switch-ins, such as Moltres, Braviary, and Typhlosion, hard. Hidden Power Fire, on the other hand, hits Bug- and Steel-types, such as Escavalier, Magneton, and Accelgor, which would wall Serperior otherwise. Lastly, Dragon Pulse has the best neutral coverage with Giga Drain, only missing out on Steel-type Pokemon. It also hits Dragon-types such as Altaria and Druddigon super effectively, both of whom would otherwise wall Serperior with ease—although Altaria is hit super effectively by Hidden Power Rock. The combination of Substitute and Overgrow is deadly, as Serperior can use its naturally high Speed to safely Substitute down to Overgrow range where it can then unleash a powerful boosted Giga Drain restoring its HP in the process.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>As Serperior hits such a great Speed tier, its Speed is maximized and a Timid nature is chosen. With its base 113 Speed, Serperior can outrun dangerous threats such as Typhlosion and Tauros. Special Attack is also maximized, 75 Special Attack needs to be fully invested in to pose an offensive threat. Leftovers is the standard item for SubCM users, allowing for more Substitutes, and thus easing set up; Leftovers, Giga Drain, and great defenses make Serperior's survivability far superior to its closest competitor: Lilligant. However, Life Orb is still viable on this set, as Serperior greatly appreciates the extra power, and can restore health lost from Life Orb with Giga Drain. Life Orb also has great synergy with Overgrow, which allows Serperior to hit extremely hard once its health drops below one third.</p>
<p>While Serperior isn't weak, it still struggles against dedicated special walls such as Clefable, who can easily tank boosted Giga Drains and beat Serperior with Seismic Toss. Powerful physical attackers, such as Gallade, can easily switch in on said special walls—though they must be wary of paralysis—and destroy them with their attacks. If Serperior chooses to use Hidden Power Rock or Dragon Pulse, it will be walled by Steel-types such as Magneton and Klinklang. They can switch in without fear and stop Serperior in its tracks. However, in the case of Magneton, if Serperior has obtained enough Calm Mind boosts, not even a Life Orb-boosted Hidden Power Fire will be able to defeat it. If Serperior chooses Hidden Power Fire to hit Steel-types, it loses coverage against Fire- and Dragon-types that resist Serperior's attacks; threatening Pokemon which resist Fire-type moves, such as Druddigon and Moltres, will be able to switch in with impunity.</p>
[SET]
name: ParaShuffler
move 1: Glare
move 2: Dragon Tail
move 3: Giga Drain
move 4: Taunt
item: Leftovers
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With both a reliable paralysis and a phazing move in its movepool, Serperior can play the role of a parashuffler very well. By continuously paralyzing members of your opponent's team, Serperior makes it easier for slow, yet powerful Pokemon on your team to sweep. Unlike most paralysis inducers, Serperior's paralysis move, Glare, is not blocked by Ground-types and Electric-type immunities; however, Glare does not affect Ghost-types. Dragon Tail, in conjunction with entry hazards, deals far more damage than directly attacking. The presence of entry hazards on the field also dissuades opponents from switching, meaning Serperior can paralyze more of their team. Keep in mind, however, that Dragon Tail is pitifully weak and cannot break most Substitutes. Giga Drain is Serperior's reliable STAB attack which it can use to threaten Rock-, Ground-, and Water-types, letting Serperior start a parashuffling cycle. It also gets an Overgrow boost, hitting fairly hard despite this set's lack of Special Attack investment. Lastly, Serperior has a fairly fast Taunt, another quality which separates it from other paralysis inducers. Taunt prevents Pokemon from setting up on Serperior, as well as blocking status inducing attempts, such as the deadly Toxic. Taunt also shuts down most walls that commonly switch into Serperior, as they fear paralysis less than their faster teammates. Taunt can also prevent the opponent from setting up a Substitute, allowing Serperior to phaze them freely.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Serperior's EV spread for this set takes advantage of its reasonable mixed defenses, letting it paralyze and shuffle while taking hits from the opposition. Serperior's EVs are geared towards Defense, along with a Bold nature, because Serperior struggles to beat common special attackers, such as Nidoqueen and Moltres, even with Special Defense investment. Leftovers is the advised item, as it helps Serperior maintain the health that it needs to keep up a paralysis cycle. Synthesis is a viable option that can be used over Taunt; it reliably restores Serperior's health, making it harder for Serperior to be worn down. However, it does leave Serperior susceptible to Substitute and status users. Entry hazard users are the best partners for this set. Serperior can shuffle the opponent's team with Dragon Tail, which in conjunction with entry hazards, will quickly wear down the opposing team. Pokemon such as Uxie and Steelix can set up Stealth Rock whereas Pokemon such as Qwilfish, Crustle, and Smeargle can lay down Spikes. Keep in mind, however, that Toxic Spikes should not be used with parashuffler Serperior, as the poison status prevents paralysis. As Serperior provides reliable paralysis, slow but powerful sweepers, such as Nidoqueen and Escavalier, are great teammates that can clean up teams after Serperior has paralyzed their revenge killers.</p>
[SET]
name: Dual Screens
move 1: Light Screen
move 2: Reflect
move 3: Giga Drain
move 4: Taunt
item: Light Clay
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>The strategy of hyper offense often relies on dual screens, letting frail but powerful sweepers set up on attacks they would not be able to stomach otherwise. Serperior is a prime candidate for setting up both Reflect and Light Screen because of its high Speed, unique typing for a dual screens user, and access to Taunt. Light Screen and Reflect are a given on this set. Together, they halve the incoming damage from opposing Pokemon, giving yours ample time to set up or attack. Giga Drain is Serperior's only attack, and although it doesn't hit very hard, it is useful in weakening Pokemon such as Slowking and Lanturn, as they wall certain sweepers. Serperior also benefits greatly from its typing; Grass typing separates it from other popular dual screen users that are mostly Psychic-type. Taunt is Serperior's trump card; it differentiates it from the many other dual screen users vying for a place on your team. With Taunt, Serperior can stop phazers, stop attempts to ruin sweepers with Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp, and prevent other disruptive support moves, such as Trick Room, weather, and entry hazards, from being set up.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Speed is maximized and a Timid nature is used, allowing Serperior to set up Reflect and Light Screen as soon as possible. Any investment in bulk is easily offset by the cushioning Serperior can obtain from quickly setting the appropriate screen. Serperior's naturally high base Speed lets it use Taunt before most Pokemon can move, forcing the opponent to attack Serperior and its team. HP is maximized, as it provides Serperior with the best overall bulk; after dual screen protection, Serperior is very difficult to take down. Light Clay is the mandatory item for this set as it boosts the duration of Reflect and Light Screen by a crucial three turns, allowing Serperior's teammates to set up or tank hits.</p>
<p>Every Pokemon on Serperior's team benefits from dual screens; however, the best teammates are sweepers that can use the turns to set up and subsequently decimate the opponent. Good candidates include Omastar, Zangoose, and Linoone, who only need one turn of set up to sweep. Bulkier set up sweepers, such as Uxie and Gallade, become almost impenetrable behind screens and with their respective boosting moves. Serperior's Taunt prevents Whirlwind and Roar from removing their boosts. Powerful wallbreakers, such as Magmortar, can also take advantage of the protection Serperior provides by opening gaping holes in the opponent's team with its powerful attacks. Dual screens Serperior should always be used on offensive teams, especially hyper offense, to make the most of the few turns of protection.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Like most Grass-types, Serperior's movepool is small; however, that isn't to say Serperior doesn't have decent options. Swords Dance is another boosting move Serperior can use; it doubles Serperior's Attack stat, boosting Serperior's offensive presence twice as fast as Coil. Unfortunately, it makes Serperior play more like a weaker Sawsbuck. As Serperior has excellent bulk, it is better off with Coil most of the time. SubSeed is also popular, and Serperior can pull it off well thanks to its high Speed; however, it is largely outclassed by Whimsicott, which boasts priority on Substitute, Leech Seed, and any other support moves it might be running. Serperior can also run a support set with moves such as Aromatherapy, Glare, and Synthesis. Keep in mind, however, that Pokemon such as Tangrowth and Clefable are far bulkier than Serperior and have similar support options. An all-out special attacker with Leaf Storm, Dragon Pulse, and a Hidden Power of choice is viable, but Serperior just doesn't have enough power to make it a consistent option.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>As Serperior is largely reliant on its STAB attacks, Pokemon with the ability Sap Sipper, such as Miltank and Bouffalant, are great counters. They take little from Serperior's coverage attacks and have little to fear from paralysis. In return, they can smack Serperior with powerful STAB Normal-type attacks. However, if Serperior has accumulated numerous Coil boosts, then even they will be unable to defeat it. Sawsbuck is also immune to Serperior's Grass-type attacks, and resists Aqua Tail to boot. However, its frailty and weakness to Hidden Power Fire hold it back as a check. Bulky Grass-types, such as Tangrowth and Roselia, have little to fear from physical sets; Tangrowth can put Serperior to sleep and hit it hard with a super effective Hidden Power. Roselia can hit Serperior super effectively with Sludge Bomb and can set up numerous entry hazards. Specially based Serperior is also walled comfortably by Roselia even if it runs Hidden Power Fire. As the specially based sets only have two attacking moves, Serperior can never have perfect coverage. If Hidden Power Rock or Dragon Pulse are the coverage move of choice, Steel-types, such as Magneton, Escavalier, and Klinklang, will wall Serperior. If Hidden Power Fire is used, Fire-types, such as Moltres and Entei, will be able to wall, and eventually beat, Serperior. Bug- and Flying-types, such as Pinsir and Braviary, can all hit Serperior super effectively with their STABs and can outspeed Serperior with a Choice Scarf. However, they have to be wary of Hidden Power Rock when switching in.</p>
[Unreleased]
<p>As soon as Contrary comes out, Serperior will likely move up a few tiers and this analysis will no longer exist.</p>
<p>At first, Serperior appears to have little to differentiate itself from the hordes of Grass-types vying for a spot on your team; poor stats, except for its strange base 113 Speed, and a shallow movepool shared by similar Pokemon doesn't help Serperior's case. Thankfully, Serperior has some unique options, and just enough raw power and bulk to run a multitude of effective sets. Serperior's base 75 Attack and Special Attack stats mean that Serperior hits like a wet towel without any boosts; however, Serperior has access to three dangerous boosting moves that can quickly transform it into an offensive threat that belies its stats. Serperior's defensive stats are also mediocre at best, but once again, Serperior can remedy this deficiency with boosting moves such as Calm Mind and Coil, which boost Special Defense and Defense, respectively. Serperior's precise movepool also gives it access to a reliable paralysis inducing move in Glare, a phazing move in Dragon Tail, and dual screens. This makes Serperior a valuable team supporter. Unfortunately, Serperior's offensive movepool is fairly barren, meaning its coverage is lacking when attempting to sweep. While Serperior might not be the best at anything, its unpredictability means it can fit onto almost any team.</p>
[SET]
name: Coil
move 1: Coil
move 2: Leaf Blade
move 3: Aqua Tail
move 4: Return / Substitute
item: Leftovers / Life Orb
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Serperior is one of the few Pokemon gifted with the boosting move Coil. With a viable move to boost its Attack, and a physical movepool that covers most of the metagame, Serperior is one of the few Grass-types that can run a decent physical set in RU. When Serperior coils its serpentine body, it will be able to easily boost up in the face of physical attackers, such as Kabutops, before unleashing its powerful attacks. The Defense boost also means that Serperior is much harder to revenge kill with priority attacks such as ExtremeSpeed, Mach Punch, and Sucker Punch. Coil also boosts Serperior's accuracy, which elevates Aqua Tail and Dragon Tail's accuracy to 100% after a boost, as well as dealing with rare accuracy-lowering moves. Leaf Blade is a poorly distributed move that has excellent Base Power and perfect accuracy; it also has twice the chance to score a critical hit relative to a normal move, which can be useful in some situations. Aqua Tail is a coverage move that many other Grass-types lack. It provides superb coverage, destroying Fire- and Steel-types while having excellent neutral coverage with Leaf Blade on most of the metagame. Return rounds out the set, hitting the Grass-types that resist Aqua tail and Leaf Blade. However, Substitute can be used instead to shield Serperior from status. Serperior's Substitute become increasingly difficult for physical attackers to break as it accumulates more Coil boosts.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>252 Speed EVs and a Jolly nature let Serperior outspeed dangerous threats that reside at base 110 Speed such as Archeops and Tauros. The Attack EVs boost Serperior's mediocre Attack stat to acceptable levels. An alternative EV spread that places emphasis on bulk instead of Attack can be used to turn Serperior into a bulky booster that can take hits and retaliate. If you choose to use a bulkier EV spread, Dragon Tail is a viable option in the last slot to shuffle the opposing team and rack up entry hazard damage, dealing minor damage in the process. Leftovers is the main item for this set, as the passive regeneration synergizes well with the Defense boost from Coil, letting Serperior easily set up on weaker physical attackers. However, Life Orb is another viable option as Serperior sometimes needs the extra power. Substitute is also a viable move on this set; with it, Serperior can avoid status and easily set up on Scald—without risking a burn—and other weak moves. After a few Coils, Serperior's Substitute will be extremely hard to break with weaker or resisted physical moves such as Earthquake.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, Serperior cannot boost its Speed with Coil, which means that it can easily be revenge killed by Choice Scarf holders such as Typhlosion, Emboar, and Manectric. As many revenge killers that beat Serperior are hit super effectively by Rock-type attacks, keeping Stealth Rock on your opponent's side of the field is extremely beneficial. Pokemon such as Uxie and Steelix can comfortably set up Stealth Rock for your team. If Serperior is running Dragon Tail, Spikes support is also beneficial as Serperior can easily rack up entry hazard damage on your opponent by phazing them out repeatedly. Common dedicated physical walls, such as Tangrowth, can comfortably wall Serperior, meaning powerful wallbreakers, such as Escavalier, are good teammates.</p>
[SET]
name: Substitute + Calm Mind
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Giga Drain
move 4: Hidden Power Rock / Hidden Power Fire / Dragon Pulse
item: Leftovers / Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>At first glance, this set appears to be horribly outclassed by Lilligant, who boasts a better boosting move in Quiver Dance, as well as Sleep Powder to incapacitate its counters. However, Serperior has far superior bulk, better base Speed, access to Dragon Pulse, and an extremely useful ability in Overgrow. Substitute and Calm Mind is a time-honored technique that allows Serperior to evade status and set up with ease against certain walls and weaker special attackers—which will struggle to break Serperior's Substitutes after a few boosts. Giga Drain is Serperior's main STAB attack; it replenishes health lost from Life Orb and Substitute, making Serperior harder to wear down. With room for only one coverage move, Serperior cannot hope to hit the entire metagame for neutral damage. However, Hidden Power Rock hits common switch-ins, such as Moltres, Braviary, and Typhlosion, hard. Hidden Power Fire, on the other hand, hits Bug- and Steel-types, such as Escavalier, Magneton, and Accelgor, which would wall Serperior otherwise. Lastly, Dragon Pulse has the best neutral coverage with Giga Drain, only missing out on Steel-type Pokemon. It also hits Dragon-types such as Altaria and Druddigon super effectively, both of whom would otherwise wall Serperior with ease—although Altaria is hit super effectively by Hidden Power Rock. The combination of Substitute and Overgrow is deadly, as Serperior can use its naturally high Speed to safely Substitute down to Overgrow range where it can then unleash a powerful boosted Giga Drain restoring its HP in the process.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>As Serperior hits such a great Speed tier, its Speed is maximized and a Timid nature is chosen. With its base 113 Speed, Serperior can outrun dangerous threats such as Typhlosion and Tauros. Special Attack is also maximized, 75 Special Attack needs to be fully invested in to pose an offensive threat. Leftovers is the standard item for SubCM users, allowing for more Substitutes, and thus easing set up; Leftovers, Giga Drain, and great defenses make Serperior's survivability far superior to its closest competitor: Lilligant. However, Life Orb is still viable on this set, as Serperior greatly appreciates the extra power, and can restore health lost from Life Orb with Giga Drain. Life Orb also has great synergy with Overgrow, which allows Serperior to hit extremely hard once its health drops below one third.</p>
<p>While Serperior isn't weak, it still struggles against dedicated special walls such as Clefable, who can easily tank boosted Giga Drains and beat Serperior with Seismic Toss. Powerful physical attackers, such as Gallade, can easily switch in on said special walls—though they must be wary of paralysis—and destroy them with their attacks. If Serperior chooses to use Hidden Power Rock or Dragon Pulse, it will be walled by Steel-types such as Magneton and Klinklang. They can switch in without fear and stop Serperior in its tracks. However, in the case of Magneton, if Serperior has obtained enough Calm Mind boosts, not even a Life Orb-boosted Hidden Power Fire will be able to defeat it. If Serperior chooses Hidden Power Fire to hit Steel-types, it loses coverage against Fire- and Dragon-types that resist Serperior's attacks; threatening Pokemon which resist Fire-type moves, such as Druddigon and Moltres, will be able to switch in with impunity.</p>
[SET]
name: ParaShuffler
move 1: Glare
move 2: Dragon Tail
move 3: Giga Drain
move 4: Taunt
item: Leftovers
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With both a reliable paralysis and a phazing move in its movepool, Serperior can play the role of a parashuffler very well. By continuously paralyzing members of your opponent's team, Serperior makes it easier for slow, yet powerful Pokemon on your team to sweep. Unlike most paralysis inducers, Serperior's paralysis move, Glare, is not blocked by Ground-types and Electric-type immunities; however, Glare does not affect Ghost-types. Dragon Tail, in conjunction with entry hazards, deals far more damage than directly attacking. The presence of entry hazards on the field also dissuades opponents from switching, meaning Serperior can paralyze more of their team. Keep in mind, however, that Dragon Tail is pitifully weak and cannot break most Substitutes. Giga Drain is Serperior's reliable STAB attack which it can use to threaten Rock-, Ground-, and Water-types, letting Serperior start a parashuffling cycle. It also gets an Overgrow boost, hitting fairly hard despite this set's lack of Special Attack investment. Lastly, Serperior has a fairly fast Taunt, another quality which separates it from other paralysis inducers. Taunt prevents Pokemon from setting up on Serperior, as well as blocking status inducing attempts, such as the deadly Toxic. Taunt also shuts down most walls that commonly switch into Serperior, as they fear paralysis less than their faster teammates. Taunt can also prevent the opponent from setting up a Substitute, allowing Serperior to phaze them freely.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Serperior's EV spread for this set takes advantage of its reasonable mixed defenses, letting it paralyze and shuffle while taking hits from the opposition. Serperior's EVs are geared towards Defense, along with a Bold nature, because Serperior struggles to beat common special attackers, such as Nidoqueen and Moltres, even with Special Defense investment. Leftovers is the advised item, as it helps Serperior maintain the health that it needs to keep up a paralysis cycle. Synthesis is a viable option that can be used over Taunt; it reliably restores Serperior's health, making it harder for Serperior to be worn down. However, it does leave Serperior susceptible to Substitute and status users. Entry hazard users are the best partners for this set. Serperior can shuffle the opponent's team with Dragon Tail, which in conjunction with entry hazards, will quickly wear down the opposing team. Pokemon such as Uxie and Steelix can set up Stealth Rock whereas Pokemon such as Qwilfish, Crustle, and Smeargle can lay down Spikes. Keep in mind, however, that Toxic Spikes should not be used with parashuffler Serperior, as the poison status prevents paralysis. As Serperior provides reliable paralysis, slow but powerful sweepers, such as Nidoqueen and Escavalier, are great teammates that can clean up teams after Serperior has paralyzed their revenge killers.</p>
[SET]
name: Dual Screens
move 1: Light Screen
move 2: Reflect
move 3: Giga Drain
move 4: Taunt
item: Light Clay
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>The strategy of hyper offense often relies on dual screens, letting frail but powerful sweepers set up on attacks they would not be able to stomach otherwise. Serperior is a prime candidate for setting up both Reflect and Light Screen because of its high Speed, unique typing for a dual screens user, and access to Taunt. Light Screen and Reflect are a given on this set. Together, they halve the incoming damage from opposing Pokemon, giving yours ample time to set up or attack. Giga Drain is Serperior's only attack, and although it doesn't hit very hard, it is useful in weakening Pokemon such as Slowking and Lanturn, as they wall certain sweepers. Serperior also benefits greatly from its typing; Grass typing separates it from other popular dual screen users that are mostly Psychic-type. Taunt is Serperior's trump card; it differentiates it from the many other dual screen users vying for a place on your team. With Taunt, Serperior can stop phazers, stop attempts to ruin sweepers with Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp, and prevent other disruptive support moves, such as Trick Room, weather, and entry hazards, from being set up.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Speed is maximized and a Timid nature is used, allowing Serperior to set up Reflect and Light Screen as soon as possible. Any investment in bulk is easily offset by the cushioning Serperior can obtain from quickly setting the appropriate screen. Serperior's naturally high base Speed lets it use Taunt before most Pokemon can move, forcing the opponent to attack Serperior and its team. HP is maximized, as it provides Serperior with the best overall bulk; after dual screen protection, Serperior is very difficult to take down. Light Clay is the mandatory item for this set as it boosts the duration of Reflect and Light Screen by a crucial three turns, allowing Serperior's teammates to set up or tank hits.</p>
<p>Every Pokemon on Serperior's team benefits from dual screens; however, the best teammates are sweepers that can use the turns to set up and subsequently decimate the opponent. Good candidates include Omastar, Zangoose, and Linoone, who only need one turn of set up to sweep. Bulkier set up sweepers, such as Uxie and Gallade, become almost impenetrable behind screens and with their respective boosting moves. Serperior's Taunt prevents Whirlwind and Roar from removing their boosts. Powerful wallbreakers, such as Magmortar, can also take advantage of the protection Serperior provides by opening gaping holes in the opponent's team with its powerful attacks. Dual screens Serperior should always be used on offensive teams, especially hyper offense, to make the most of the few turns of protection.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Like most Grass-types, Serperior's movepool is small; however, that isn't to say Serperior doesn't have decent options. Swords Dance is another boosting move Serperior can use; it doubles Serperior's Attack stat, boosting Serperior's offensive presence twice as fast as Coil. Unfortunately, it makes Serperior play more like a weaker Sawsbuck. As Serperior has excellent bulk, it is better off with Coil most of the time. SubSeed is also popular, and Serperior can pull it off well thanks to its high Speed; however, it is largely outclassed by Whimsicott, which boasts priority on Substitute, Leech Seed, and any other support moves it might be running. Serperior can also run a support set with moves such as Aromatherapy, Glare, and Synthesis. Keep in mind, however, that Pokemon such as Tangrowth and Clefable are far bulkier than Serperior and have similar support options. An all-out special attacker with Leaf Storm, Dragon Pulse, and a Hidden Power of choice is viable, but Serperior just doesn't have enough power to make it a consistent option.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>As Serperior is largely reliant on its STAB attacks, Pokemon with the ability Sap Sipper, such as Miltank and Bouffalant, are great counters. They take little from Serperior's coverage attacks and have little to fear from paralysis. In return, they can smack Serperior with powerful STAB Normal-type attacks. However, if Serperior has accumulated numerous Coil boosts, then even they will be unable to defeat it. Sawsbuck is also immune to Serperior's Grass-type attacks, and resists Aqua Tail to boot. However, its frailty and weakness to Hidden Power Fire hold it back as a check. Bulky Grass-types, such as Tangrowth and Roselia, have little to fear from physical sets; Tangrowth can put Serperior to sleep and hit it hard with a super effective Hidden Power. Roselia can hit Serperior super effectively with Sludge Bomb and can set up numerous entry hazards. Specially based Serperior is also walled comfortably by Roselia even if it runs Hidden Power Fire. As the specially based sets only have two attacking moves, Serperior can never have perfect coverage. If Hidden Power Rock or Dragon Pulse are the coverage move of choice, Steel-types, such as Magneton, Escavalier, and Klinklang, will wall Serperior. If Hidden Power Fire is used, Fire-types, such as Moltres and Entei, will be able to wall, and eventually beat, Serperior. Bug- and Flying-types, such as Pinsir and Braviary, can all hit Serperior super effectively with their STABs and can outspeed Serperior with a Choice Scarf. However, they have to be wary of Hidden Power Rock when switching in.</p>
[Unreleased]
<p>As soon as Contrary comes out, Serperior will likely move up a few tiers and this analysis will no longer exist.</p>