Overview
name: Anti-Lead
move 1: Energy Ball / Giga Drain
move 2: Dragon Pulse
move 3: Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Earthquake / Iron Tail
ability: Overgrow
item: Sceptilite
evs: 116 Atk / 252 SpA / 140 Spe
nature: Hasty / Naive
Moves
Set Details
Usage Tips
Team Options
- Hard-to-check special sweeper in the RU tier.
- Unmatched speed in the tier.
- Unique typing allows it to fill holes in your team's defense and offense.
- Special ability Lightningrod makes it a threat to electric attackers.
- Wide movepool.
name: Anti-Lead
move 1: Energy Ball / Giga Drain
move 2: Dragon Pulse
move 3: Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Earthquake / Iron Tail
ability: Overgrow
item: Sceptilite
evs: 116 Atk / 252 SpA / 140 Spe
nature: Hasty / Naive
Moves
- Energy Ball is the ideal STAB move for ripping things to shreds.
- Giga Drain is an alternative STAB that is less powerful but heals Mega Sceptile.
- Dragon Pulse is the secondary STAB that is virtually unresisted in the tier.
- Hidden Power Fire provides the best coverage, as it hits Steel types, other Grass types, and Bug types; all of whom are common switch-ins to Sceptile.
- EQ is also for coverage, esp. against the physically fragile electric types in the tier whom Sceptile is glad to switch into. Additionally, it gives Sceptile mixed sweeping potential.
- Iron Tail is an option for hitting Fairy and Ice types, but there are very few of those in RU and the accuracy is shaky at best.
Set Details
- Given EV spread + nature is used to ensure Offensive Jolteon is outsped and OHKO'd with EQ.
- Hasty / Naive is recommended to maintain speed superiority and allow mixed sweeping. Rash nature is an option if Giga Drain is chosen, but then he cannot outspeed key Pokemon. Naive might be the best choice simply for sponging Bronzong's Gyro Ball, though it will still 2HKO him.
- Held item is for mega-evolving.
Usage Tips
- Mega-Sceptile is an ideal lead in RU, a tier full of Electric-type scouts and poorly-typed hazard setters. Since mega evolution also needs to be done ASAP so he can acquire Lightningrod, it is almost mandatory that he be put out first.
- Dragon Pulse can 2HKO nearly everything in the tier, so use it freely when making predictions.
- Cannot outspeed scarfed Braviary or Accelgor due to Hidden Power Fire IVs; don't bother maxing out speed. Every mon that matters will be outsped with this EV spread.
- Common status attacks do not cripple Sceptile; he absorbs Thunder Wave thanks to Lightningrod, hits hard enough to pull off a sweep before Toxic KOs him, and is a mixed attacker who doesn't mind getting burned. Being a Grass-type also protects him from Spore which would otherwise put him to sleep.
Team Options
- Rhyperior will resist the Flying types such as Fletchinder who may try to outspeed Sceptile, then set up Stealth Rocks.
- Registeel is another great option for resisting Fairy types, Dragon types, Poison types and Bug types while doing the same thing, though there is a tradeoff in that Registeel lacks Rhyperior's offensive presence.
- In general, Pokemon that resist Flying attacks are the most wanted teammates, since most of Sceptile's viable checks in RU are Flying mons. Bug resistance is also critical.
- There are some leads Mega-Sceptile cannot mess with. Scarfed Braviary is the most criminal one in RU, and Accelgor and Crustle are the bad ones who sometimes crawl up from NU.
- Fletchinder can outspeed and OHKO Sceptile with Acrobatics.
- Amoongus can survive all Sceptile's attacks with its bulk and retaliate with Sludge Bomb.
- Clawitzer with Assault Vest is not OHKO'd by Energy Ball, and usually packs Ice Beam.
- Golbat with eviolite can switch in and survive a Dragon Pulse assault, probably even with Stealth Rock in play.
