Competitive Pokémon Role Guide

[Greencat]

Competitive Pokémon Role Guide

Welcome to the Competitive Pokémon Role Guide! Located below is information regarding the Role of Pokémon usually associated with Competitive Battling. Hopefully this will be found helpful.

Sweeper

Comment:

Sweepers are Pokémon with amazing Attack and usually are fallowed up with great speed (And sometimes Stat Boosters). If they don't have great speed, they tend to have great Defenses as well to sustain at least some damage and Agility or Rock Polish it's speed up to par. They are usually defined as a Special or Physical Sweeper depending the stats. However, sometimes you will get Pokémon where the Special Attack and Attack Stat are similar and strong enough enough to become a Mix-Sweeper. Choice Band/Specs/Scarf-er usually fall under this section.

Tank

Comment:

Tanks are very hard to get rid of at times due to there "bulkiness". Tanks have great defenses and at least decent Attack or Special Attack. The downside to these Pokémon is there usual slow Speed, but at times, this won't matter. They commonly have a Recovery move and sometimes a way of raising there stats. This group also has some variations: Physical Tank and Special Tank.

Hazer

Comment:

Usually, the opponent will raise his/her Pokémon's stats and leave you in a ton of trouble, but a Hazer can get rid of that problem. Hazers have Haze , a move that eliminates all Stats. Another variation is Roar and Whirlwind, which causes the Opponent's Pokémon to switch and when a Pokémon switches it's Stat Boosts are removed. Very helpful when your opponent is attempting to sweep your whole team.

Staller/Wall

Comment:

These Pokemon have huge defenses, but in return, sacrifice their Atk/SpAtk/Spd. They consists of moves that slowly KO their opponent such as Toxic and Will-O-Wisp. With low Atk/SpAtk, it is wise to throw on a Seismic Toss if possible. It's also recommended to choose a Pokemon with few weaknesses and/or many resistances. Variations include Special and Physical Wall.

Cleric

Comment:

The main role of this Pokémon is to heal the team with Aromatherapy or Wish. They are capable of taking a few hits depending on the Pokémon.

Spiker/Rapid-Spinner

Comment:

Spikers "spike" the opponent with either Spikes, Stealth Rocks, or Toxic Spikes while Rapid-Spinners get rid of "spike" related attacks. Often, Spikers are capable of causing the opponent to switch with Roar or Whirlwind.

-Er

Comment:

Usually Pokémon with a specifically useful move or moves (i.e. BoltBeamer = Thunderbolt & Ice Beam) are given this name.

Lead

Comment:

Generally a Pokémon that carries moves that "Set-Up". These include Spikes, Stealth Rocks, Toxic Spikes, etc. They also sometimes carry the move Explosion and U-Turn.

Anti-Lead

Comment:

Anti-Lead's main purpose is to counter a Lead. They usually have the move Trick along with a Choice item (Scarf, Band and Specs) to stop their foe from using other moves and foil their move-set.

- Greencat @ 6:52 PM

If you think something is missing please PM me, Greencat.

Edited April 20, 2009 by Greencat

[Ninja_Soldier_Raiden]

You should post Example pokemon like wall/stall

skarmory and blissney

[pokemonfan]

That was some great info! I am so happy to have finally given my drifloon a category name.

It is definitely a sweeper! I'm glad you posted that GC i was always confused on what those titles meant.

[Okami]

Yes, I am very grateful for this list. As I've begged and begged people to explain to me what a Sweeper is...now I feel kind of dumb. Good stuff to know, though. Thanks Greencat!

[randomspot555]

I think a good sub-category for a sweeper would be "Glass Cannon." These are Pokemon with high attack and/or special attack (and usually high speed) but will rarely survive one hit. A common item with them is Focus Sash. Pokemon like Aerodactyl and Weavile on the physical side, and Gengar on the special side.

[Neo]

Sweet Info

[Greencat]

I'm glad it was helpful. I was afraid no one was going to post.

[Neo]

If you havent already done so you should put this on PP Wiki

[Torte de Lini]

What? No Anti-Lead?

[bear831]

How about suicide leads they are popular now.

[Torte de Lini]

Isn't that an anti-lead basically?

[Silent Storm]

Suicide leads only exist so they can set up Stealth Rock or something like and die, anti leads are there so they deal with common leads in the current metagame like suicide leads.

Suicide leads are best know for having focus sash ensuring that they lay done stealth rock

Common lead would be Azelf having stealth rock explosion, filler moves and focus sahs with max speed IVs and EVs.

The common anti lead would be an Infernape with Fake Out, which deals with suicide leads (kills sash).

[damio]

Suicide leads only exist so they can set up Stealth Rock or something like and die, anti leads are there so they deal with common leads in the current metagame like suicide leads.

Suicide leads are best know for having focus sash ensuring that they lay done stealth rock

Common lead would be Azelf having stealth rock explosion, filler moves and focus sahs with max speed IVs and EVs.

The common anti lead would be an Infernape with Fake Out, which deals with suicide leads (kills sash).

Wouldn't a crobat or Mesprit be better? due to higher speed.

[randomspot555]

Wouldn't a crobat or Mesprit be better? due to higher speed.

Crobat isn't as great as a lead it used to be due to Hypnosis going down to 60%, and it doesn't really have clear answers to the ever popular leads like Metagross (w/ Bullet Punch), Aerodactyl, or Weavile (Fake Out + Counter). It could win out against Azelf and Infernape under the right circumstances.

But the best thing Crobat is for is a RestTalk counter. Sleep Machamp/Milotic/whatever, then Taunt it to prevent the use of Sleep Talk.

As for Mesprit, I imagine it could serve as a good bulky lead. It can lay down rocks, set up screens. As long as it avoids the rare Pursuit Metagross, it could do quite well.

[Greencat]

If you think something is missing please PM me, Greencat. I may add "Anti-Lead" since it is getting popular.

[Illithian]

Well, if you add Anti-Lead, you should also add just normal Lead and Annoyer.

[Destati]

Yeah, you need to go more indepth regarding leads.

There are annoyer leads, anti-leads, and suicide leads.

Annoyer Leads are typically pokemon like Aerodactyl. Taunt annoys the opponent's lead, no matter what class they are. They, like anti-leads, tend to set up Stealth Rock but also have good power.

Anti-leads primarily counter Annoyer Leads and Suicide Leads, but not so much run-of-the-mill pokemon. Weavile, Jirachi and Metagross are typically anti-leads. Trick is their favorite move.

Suicide Leads used to be common, but with the advent of Anti-leads they've been seen far less often. Metagross and Azelf were usually suicude leads. They behave a lot like Annoyer leads, but have explosion to ko the foe. They also typically wore focus sashes.

You also need to talk about sweepers some more. Revenge sweepers, late-game sweepers, Bulky Sweepers (NOT tanks).

Revenge Sweepers tend to be fast, but not so strong. Their job is to finish off a pokemon with low health.

Late-game sweepers typically use set-ups, mostly nastyplot and swords dance, to finish off the remaining low-speed pokemon.

Bulky Sweepers have naturally high attack and speed, but their EVs and Nature are mostly allocated into their defenses, such as in the case of Zapdos and Gyarados.

[Greencat]

I'll add those right now and edit them later.

Edit:

Lead

Comment:

Generally a Pokémon that carries moves that "Set-Up". These include Spikes, Stealth Rocks, Toxic Spikes, etc. They also sometimes carry the move Explosion and U-Turn.

Anti-Lead

Comment:

Anti-Lead's main purpose is to counter a Lead. They usually have the move Trick along with a Choice item (Scarf, Band and Specs) to stop their foe from using other moves and foil their move-set.

Merry Christmas. ;P

[Destati]

bah, also, it feels like everyone uses anti-leads these days...

Well, the cool people at least

Do we use the term sponge anymore? I haven't used that word in months.

[Greencat]

I believe "Sponge" has turned into "Wall" now. =/

[Shress]

Should mention "Anti-Spinners" somewhat as a subgroup. Maybe. O_o

[Silent Storm]

You mean spin blockers?

[Destati]

There's only one good anti-spinner, and thats Dusknoir.

[Shress]

Spin blocker, anti-spinner, hehe.

There are a lot more good spin blockers than just Dusknoir, Destati. =)

[Greencat]

Anti-Spinner is hardly recognized in quite a few Pokémon Anaysis Websites.