[OVERVIEW]
Alakazam received some serious upgrades in Tradebacks OU, gaining the elemental punches to give it coverage outside of Seismic Toss. However, its usual roles remain: Alakazam is a strong lead, revenge killer, and paralysis support guru thanks to its exceptional Speed—allowing it to outrun even Persian—a trait which also gives it a fantastic critical hit rate. Indeed, Alakazam's offense allows it to close out end games very quickly if left unparalyzed. With effectively no weaknesses thanks to its typing, Alakazam has notable defensive utility; it can switch into Pokemon like Chansey and opposing Psychic-types like Starmie, Hypno, and opposing Alakazam. These traits culminate to form a strong, multi-faceted threat that can be used at any stage of the game with few truly losing matchups.
However, Alakazam is not flawless, as its physical bulk is very poor. If paralyzed, while it's an amazing sleep blocker thereafter, it's also very vulnerable to Pokemon like Snorlax, Tauros, and Persian, which eat it alive. Furthermore, Psychic's PP only goes so far, and this is what defines Alakazam: it must be used conservatively. Alakazam has a very difficult time breaking past the mandatory Chansey without a mix of full paralysis, critical hits, and Special drops, and even if it succeeds, it's not going to sweep thereafter. Alakazam also finds itself cancelled out by opposing Psychic-types, which, similar to Chansey, often goad it into prolonged interactions that leave it with little attacking PP thereafter.
[SET]
name: Standard
move 1: Psychic
move 2: Seismic Toss / Ice Punch / Thunder Punch
move 3: Thunder Wave
move 4: Recover
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Alakazam's Psychic is nothing to scoff at, dealing massive damage to anything that doesn't resist it, with Alakazam's high critical hit rate and Psychic's chance for a Special drop frequently able to turn 3HKO ranges into 2HKOs frequently. Psychic can potentially 2HKO Rhydon, Persian, and even Tauros if either occurs. Alakazam's Speed makes its Thunder Wave largely uncontested in many instances, forcing slower Pokemon like Starmie and Gengar out if they wish to remain threatening later. Recover's 32 PP gives Alakazam excellent longevity, ensuring it can remain offensively threatening for long periods of time.
The choice of coverage for Alakazam in Tradebacks OU requires a good bit of forethought. Seismic Toss remains its most consistent option: its fixed damage and the low HP of opposing Alakazam and Starmie mean it should win most interactions against foes that resist Psychic. It also makes Exeggutor far more inclined to use Explosion if even one connects, as it lacks recovery. Ice Punch functions similarly, improving Alakazam's matchups against Exeggutor, Rhydon, Zapdos, and Dragonite. It can also let Alakazam fish for freeze against Chansey, though it's unreliable against it due to the possibility of Alakazam being overwhelmed by repeated full paralysis and Seismic Toss. Thunder Punch allows Alakazam to be far stronger against Starmie, 2HKOing it with even a tiny bit of prior chip damage. It also improves Alakazam's matchups against Lapras, Cloyster, Articuno, and the niche Vapeoreon. However, if running the new elemental punches, Alakazam will always lose to something unless it drops its trusty Thunder Wave: running Psychic + Thunder Punch means it loses to Exeggutor, while Psychic + Ice Punch means it loses to Starmie and gets set up on by Slowbro and Vaporeon. Simply put, these moves improve its consistency in some matchups but forfeit others, so they should be used in cases where a less consistent but more potent Alakazam is affordable.
Alakazam makes for a strong lead, as it can paralyze virtually any target before they can make a move, something notably effective when paired with physical sleepers like Snorlax and Persian, which can break through paralyzed Psychic-types and Chansey. Gengar and Persian tend to be forced out; if it isn't for the Thunder Wave, it's for Alakazam's devastating Psychic. In some situations it can force out opposing Starmie, which might want to avoid getting paralyzed. This is usually to Chansey, which absorbs Thunder Wave well and can threaten with Sing thereafter. If faced with a sleep lead like Jynx, Alakazam is content with taking sleep, as it can wake up against opposing Psychic-types like Exeggutor, Hypno, and non-Seismic Toss Alakazam. Against sleep lead Alakazam has a positive matchup against, such as Gengar and Persian, Alakazam is best off using Thunder Wave and pressuring the switch-in or double switching into a sleeper. Chansey is also relatively easy to wake up on if it lacks Seismic Toss. Given its speed and power, Alakazam is also usable in the back as a strong late-game cleaner. The elemental punches let Alakazam excel here so long as its teammates remove its checks. Starmie makes for a strong partner here, making use of the coverage Alakazam lacks to form a concentrated offensive core with a strong backbone. In the case Alakazam is used in the back, it should avoid paralysis in most situations, but adapting Alakazam's role to the situation at hand is essential for succeeding with it.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Alakazam's movepool is deeper than it seems, making customization very possible. Generally, Psychic and Recover should never be dropped, as they are the roots of its power and longevity. Sets using two of Seismic Toss, Thunder Punch, and Ice Punch are possible if dropping Thunder Wave, but this significantly reduces its threat level against Pokemon like Tauros, which become capable of trading hits with it once the set is revealed. All things considered, Alakazam's single coverage moveslot is the most droppable, and anything further than that is ill-advised.
Barrier is a significant upgrade to the classic Reflect Alakazam set from regular RBY OU, letting Alakazam stack Defense buffs and reapply the Speed drop from Thunder Wave paralysis. These traits make it a lot stronger against Pokemon like Snorlax long-term, and because it can reapply the paralysis Speed drop, its own paralysis-absorbing antics are far more effective. However, all of this comes with a crucial caveat: it has to drop its coverage, leaving it with just 16 attacking PP in Psychic, which is generally undesirable in a metagame with high bulk and lots of recovery. If its checks are removed, though, Barrier Alakazam can spark endgame scenarios that are very difficult for opponents to dig out of.
Counter gives Alakazam more utility against opposing Seismic Toss Alakazam, severely damaging it if it lands. It also has utility against Pokemon like Snorlax, which can't OHKO Alakazam without extremely strong attacks like Hyper Beam. Outside of this, bringing in Alakazam after a Pokemon like Tauros has KOed something to threaten paralysis and instead go for Counter allows it to severely damage a switch-in, possibly even landing a free KO.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Physical Attackers**: Alakazam's low physical bulk makes it highly vulnerable to physical attacks if paralyzed. Tauros, Persian, Rhydon, and Snorlax all mortally threaten it on this front, especially if switching in on a recovery turn. If Alakazam has taken even minor damage, all of these Pokemon are capable of threatening it with a KO.
**Psychic-types**: Because it relies on Psychic, Alakazam tends to find itself in awkward situations against opposing Psychic-types, with them often cancelling each other out. While its elemental punches can allow it to specialize in defeating Starmie or Exeggutor quickly, it can still find itself walled due to the hole in its coverage, and prolonged interactions involving Seismic Toss can result in it being taken out by repeated full paralysis. Surf variants of Starmie can be particularly dicey, with critical hits dealing massive damage. Plus, if the opposing team has more than one Psychic-type, or a Chansey to go with it, the opponent can mitigate Special drops from Psychic by switching between them.
**Chansey**: Chansey is a royal pain for Alakazam, healing off any damage Alakazam dishes out thanks to its monstrous special bulk and access to Soft-Boiled. In lead situations, Chansey also likes to switch in on turn 1 to take paralysis and put Alakazam to sleep. However, even with just Psychic, Alakazam can force its way through with a mix of critical hits, Special drops, and repeated full paralysis, albeit with a significant hit to its attacking PP.
**Exeggutor**: Exeggutor resists Psychic and is often willing to take paralysis if it means putting Alakazam to sleep. If Alakazam isn't running Seismic Toss or Ice Punch, Exeggutor also shrugs off any damage taken, giving it more opportunities to incapacitate Alakazam.
**Slowbro**: Slowbro would love nothing more than to trade a Thunder Wave with Alakazam, set up Amnesia to reapply the Speed drop from paralysis to become faster, and than just blow past and deal massive damage to the opposing team. If Alakazam has Thunder Punch, it can often win out short-term with a 3HKO or win out later with critical hits. Seismic Toss also works for forcing Slowbro to use Rest, which leaves it open for a stronger attacker to come in and force Slowbro out.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/plague-von-karma.236353/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gangsta-spongebob.535530/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/torchic.43049/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sabelette.583793/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sabelette.583793/
Alakazam received some serious upgrades in Tradebacks OU, gaining the elemental punches to give it coverage outside of Seismic Toss. However, its usual roles remain: Alakazam is a strong lead, revenge killer, and paralysis support guru thanks to its exceptional Speed—allowing it to outrun even Persian—a trait which also gives it a fantastic critical hit rate. Indeed, Alakazam's offense allows it to close out end games very quickly if left unparalyzed. With effectively no weaknesses thanks to its typing, Alakazam has notable defensive utility; it can switch into Pokemon like Chansey and opposing Psychic-types like Starmie, Hypno, and opposing Alakazam. These traits culminate to form a strong, multi-faceted threat that can be used at any stage of the game with few truly losing matchups.
However, Alakazam is not flawless, as its physical bulk is very poor. If paralyzed, while it's an amazing sleep blocker thereafter, it's also very vulnerable to Pokemon like Snorlax, Tauros, and Persian, which eat it alive. Furthermore, Psychic's PP only goes so far, and this is what defines Alakazam: it must be used conservatively. Alakazam has a very difficult time breaking past the mandatory Chansey without a mix of full paralysis, critical hits, and Special drops, and even if it succeeds, it's not going to sweep thereafter. Alakazam also finds itself cancelled out by opposing Psychic-types, which, similar to Chansey, often goad it into prolonged interactions that leave it with little attacking PP thereafter.
[SET]
name: Standard
move 1: Psychic
move 2: Seismic Toss / Ice Punch / Thunder Punch
move 3: Thunder Wave
move 4: Recover
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Alakazam's Psychic is nothing to scoff at, dealing massive damage to anything that doesn't resist it, with Alakazam's high critical hit rate and Psychic's chance for a Special drop frequently able to turn 3HKO ranges into 2HKOs frequently. Psychic can potentially 2HKO Rhydon, Persian, and even Tauros if either occurs. Alakazam's Speed makes its Thunder Wave largely uncontested in many instances, forcing slower Pokemon like Starmie and Gengar out if they wish to remain threatening later. Recover's 32 PP gives Alakazam excellent longevity, ensuring it can remain offensively threatening for long periods of time.
The choice of coverage for Alakazam in Tradebacks OU requires a good bit of forethought. Seismic Toss remains its most consistent option: its fixed damage and the low HP of opposing Alakazam and Starmie mean it should win most interactions against foes that resist Psychic. It also makes Exeggutor far more inclined to use Explosion if even one connects, as it lacks recovery. Ice Punch functions similarly, improving Alakazam's matchups against Exeggutor, Rhydon, Zapdos, and Dragonite. It can also let Alakazam fish for freeze against Chansey, though it's unreliable against it due to the possibility of Alakazam being overwhelmed by repeated full paralysis and Seismic Toss. Thunder Punch allows Alakazam to be far stronger against Starmie, 2HKOing it with even a tiny bit of prior chip damage. It also improves Alakazam's matchups against Lapras, Cloyster, Articuno, and the niche Vapeoreon. However, if running the new elemental punches, Alakazam will always lose to something unless it drops its trusty Thunder Wave: running Psychic + Thunder Punch means it loses to Exeggutor, while Psychic + Ice Punch means it loses to Starmie and gets set up on by Slowbro and Vaporeon. Simply put, these moves improve its consistency in some matchups but forfeit others, so they should be used in cases where a less consistent but more potent Alakazam is affordable.
Alakazam makes for a strong lead, as it can paralyze virtually any target before they can make a move, something notably effective when paired with physical sleepers like Snorlax and Persian, which can break through paralyzed Psychic-types and Chansey. Gengar and Persian tend to be forced out; if it isn't for the Thunder Wave, it's for Alakazam's devastating Psychic. In some situations it can force out opposing Starmie, which might want to avoid getting paralyzed. This is usually to Chansey, which absorbs Thunder Wave well and can threaten with Sing thereafter. If faced with a sleep lead like Jynx, Alakazam is content with taking sleep, as it can wake up against opposing Psychic-types like Exeggutor, Hypno, and non-Seismic Toss Alakazam. Against sleep lead Alakazam has a positive matchup against, such as Gengar and Persian, Alakazam is best off using Thunder Wave and pressuring the switch-in or double switching into a sleeper. Chansey is also relatively easy to wake up on if it lacks Seismic Toss. Given its speed and power, Alakazam is also usable in the back as a strong late-game cleaner. The elemental punches let Alakazam excel here so long as its teammates remove its checks. Starmie makes for a strong partner here, making use of the coverage Alakazam lacks to form a concentrated offensive core with a strong backbone. In the case Alakazam is used in the back, it should avoid paralysis in most situations, but adapting Alakazam's role to the situation at hand is essential for succeeding with it.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Alakazam's movepool is deeper than it seems, making customization very possible. Generally, Psychic and Recover should never be dropped, as they are the roots of its power and longevity. Sets using two of Seismic Toss, Thunder Punch, and Ice Punch are possible if dropping Thunder Wave, but this significantly reduces its threat level against Pokemon like Tauros, which become capable of trading hits with it once the set is revealed. All things considered, Alakazam's single coverage moveslot is the most droppable, and anything further than that is ill-advised.
Barrier is a significant upgrade to the classic Reflect Alakazam set from regular RBY OU, letting Alakazam stack Defense buffs and reapply the Speed drop from Thunder Wave paralysis. These traits make it a lot stronger against Pokemon like Snorlax long-term, and because it can reapply the paralysis Speed drop, its own paralysis-absorbing antics are far more effective. However, all of this comes with a crucial caveat: it has to drop its coverage, leaving it with just 16 attacking PP in Psychic, which is generally undesirable in a metagame with high bulk and lots of recovery. If its checks are removed, though, Barrier Alakazam can spark endgame scenarios that are very difficult for opponents to dig out of.
Counter gives Alakazam more utility against opposing Seismic Toss Alakazam, severely damaging it if it lands. It also has utility against Pokemon like Snorlax, which can't OHKO Alakazam without extremely strong attacks like Hyper Beam. Outside of this, bringing in Alakazam after a Pokemon like Tauros has KOed something to threaten paralysis and instead go for Counter allows it to severely damage a switch-in, possibly even landing a free KO.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Physical Attackers**: Alakazam's low physical bulk makes it highly vulnerable to physical attacks if paralyzed. Tauros, Persian, Rhydon, and Snorlax all mortally threaten it on this front, especially if switching in on a recovery turn. If Alakazam has taken even minor damage, all of these Pokemon are capable of threatening it with a KO.
**Psychic-types**: Because it relies on Psychic, Alakazam tends to find itself in awkward situations against opposing Psychic-types, with them often cancelling each other out. While its elemental punches can allow it to specialize in defeating Starmie or Exeggutor quickly, it can still find itself walled due to the hole in its coverage, and prolonged interactions involving Seismic Toss can result in it being taken out by repeated full paralysis. Surf variants of Starmie can be particularly dicey, with critical hits dealing massive damage. Plus, if the opposing team has more than one Psychic-type, or a Chansey to go with it, the opponent can mitigate Special drops from Psychic by switching between them.
**Chansey**: Chansey is a royal pain for Alakazam, healing off any damage Alakazam dishes out thanks to its monstrous special bulk and access to Soft-Boiled. In lead situations, Chansey also likes to switch in on turn 1 to take paralysis and put Alakazam to sleep. However, even with just Psychic, Alakazam can force its way through with a mix of critical hits, Special drops, and repeated full paralysis, albeit with a significant hit to its attacking PP.
**Exeggutor**: Exeggutor resists Psychic and is often willing to take paralysis if it means putting Alakazam to sleep. If Alakazam isn't running Seismic Toss or Ice Punch, Exeggutor also shrugs off any damage taken, giving it more opportunities to incapacitate Alakazam.
**Slowbro**: Slowbro would love nothing more than to trade a Thunder Wave with Alakazam, set up Amnesia to reapply the Speed drop from paralysis to become faster, and than just blow past and deal massive damage to the opposing team. If Alakazam has Thunder Punch, it can often win out short-term with a 3HKO or win out later with critical hits. Seismic Toss also works for forcing Slowbro to use Rest, which leaves it open for a stronger attacker to come in and force Slowbro out.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/plague-von-karma.236353/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gangsta-spongebob.535530/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/torchic.43049/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sabelette.583793/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sabelette.583793/
Last edited:
