I feel that a lot of people overextend with Scolipede. They'll sub down to red health and get the +6 boost when a +3 boost is all that's required to outspeed the entire opposing team (except priority, but not even an 8000% speed boost would help there). Sometimes you need more boosts, but I see people subbing down to really low health against really slow teams.
It's difficult, but possible to get Scoli to pass twice in a game, and I feel that people hang on to their boosts too long.
On an unrelated note, I've been using double spikes Scolipede, and I have no clue whether it's good, or whether people are expecting BP Scoli and end up reacting poorly.
Scolipede @ Black Sludge
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 248 HP / 188 Spd / 72 Atk
Jolly Nature
- Toxic Spikes
- Spikes
- Rock Slide
- Megahorn
Double spikes together with 2 attacks with OK coverage. I wanted to use TSpikes, but a better set would probably be Swords Dance instead of TSpikes. If you go with TSpikes and not Spikes I think you'll have a love hate relation with this thing. TSpikes can sometimes completely wreck teams, but it can also be pretty useless against certain teams. Running double spikes allows me to choose which spike I want to use depending on team matchups, at the cost of sweeping potential.
Bug/Rock coverage is OK. It's not stellar, just kinda functional. Talonflame love coming in to stop Scoli, you may be able to catch the reckless Talonflame user with a Rock Slide, but that's what I mean when I said that I dunno whether this is actually good or whether it's only good because it defies people's expectations. The thing I find most interesting about Bug/Rock is that one hits Gyarados, the other hits M Gyarados.
The speed EVs are enough to outspeed Deo-S after one speed boost. HP investment gives Scoli a bit of bulk to maybe allow it to lay spikes multiple times throughout the match. The leftover EVs go into Attack just so I can do that little bit more damage to stuff like Char X or Dragonite or whoever. Deo-S will be tempted to Taunt Scoli to deny BP. So if you use Turn 1 to break sash, then Turn 2 to kill (since you now outspeed) you can now play 6v5, except now YOU'RE the one with a billion speed spiker.
Gyarados is a good switch-in, and at -1, with so little attack investment, Rock Slide isn't gonna do very much unless I get 18 flinches in a row. This is one big reason to go SD instead of TSpikes. Mandibuzz is another great switch in, blowing away spikes with Defog and taking nothing from my pathetic Rock Slides. SD atleast threatens it.
It has so-so matchups against spinners and defoggers. Blastoise can come in at will and spin. If Blastoise has Roar, it will come in the instant Scolipede shows its face. However, M Blastoise with Rapid Spin+3 attacks is more common, and if they suspect BP Scoli, Blastoise is probably not gonna switch in, and if you can get TSpikes up before Blastoise comes in, that really really restricts what Blastoise can do.
Starmie can't come in and spin, due to speed boost. Excadrill has a good matchup. Donphan is kinda OK, though I guess he's somewhat similar to Blastoise in the sense that he has to come in before TSpikes are up.
Gliscor, Skarm, Mandibuzz, Empoleon and Scizor can Defog easily, though I rarely see Gliscor carry it. Latias has to take a SE Megahorn, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was bulky enough to just shrug it off, Defog, Roost, then kill with a Psychic attack
