[OVERVIEW]
- Great offensive type combination with few resisting types
- Great attack and decent speed make it a decent wallbreaker, especially under rain
- Access to STAB priority with Aqua Jet
- Weak to Fighting, Ground, and Grass, all of which are common
- Low HP stat ruins its solid Defense, and makes its poor Special Defense even worse
- Swift Swim makes it a fantastic sweeper when used in Rain
- Other Water Types such as Samurott or Vaporeon provide significant competition as they are both more bulky and can do similar damage without rain support
- Struggles with its Speed outside of rain
Moves
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Name: Offensive Wallbreaker
Move 1: Swords Dance
Move 2: Stone Edge
Move 3: Liquidation
Move 4: Aqua Jet
Item: Rockium Z / Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
Nature: Adamant / Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Moves
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- Swords Dance raises Kabutops strength to very high levels
- Stone Edge does great damage and is Kabutops's most powerful Rock STAB
- Liquidation is a very powerful physical Water move that can even lower the Defenses of bulkier opponents, and it hits very hard under rain
- Aqua Jet is great for revenge killing or finishing off faster targets
- Rapid Spin makes Kabutops a good hazard remover as its speed stat makes it one of the faster Spinners
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- Max Attack and Speed make it very threatening
- Life Orb makes Kabutops hit with a constant powerful offense
- Rockium Z gives Kabutops the ability to OHKO tankier opposing Pokemon with Continental Crush
- Jolly nature helps Kabutops outspeed most other Pokemon, especially under rain.
- Adamant is best used when rain setting teammates can already set up rain, as Kabutops can hit a lot harder if it isn't worrying about Speed
Usage Tips
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- STAB Aqua Jet makes it great at revenge killing
- It's offense can scare opponents into switching, giving a free Swords Dance
- If Kabutops is in rain, double speed and boosted STAB Water moves make it a terrifying sweeper
- It's frailty it a reason to be cautious when using Swords Dance
- Very underwhelming unboosted offense outside of rain
- Weak to common Pokemon like Whimsicott, Heliolisk, and Venusaur
Team Options
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- Bulky Grass Types that can take Grass or Ground types for Kabutops and Kabutops can cover their Flying and Fire weaknesses
- Users of Healing Wish / Wish like Audino and Mesprit that can give Kabutops a second chance if Kabutops is worn down
- Heal Bell users that can get rid of Burn or paralysis
- Rain users such as Liepard and Uxie who can setup Rain very easy
- Memento and Parting Shot Pokemon like Silvally and Uxie can give Kabutops an easier Swords Dance
- Rain Sweepers such as Omastar, Ludicolo, and Qwilfish partner well with Kabutops as they can be used if Kabutops would be more disadvantageous in that situation
Other Options
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- Rain Dance will aid Kabutops in getting the Speed boost from Swift Swim, but having another team member do it for Kabutops would be preferable
- Superpower is a good coverage move for countering Ice, Steel, and Dark types, but comes with stat drops
- Aerial Ace hits Virizion and Toxicroak very hard, but hits very few others hard
- Knock Off is a great utility move, but doesn't hit as hard as Waterfall or Stone Edge would
- Choice Scarf is easier if you are running a Rapid Spin set and helps Kabutops outspeed others outside of Rain
Checks and Counters
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**Faster Pokemon**: Without rain Kabutops struggles with outspeeding threats
**Bulky Water Types**: Kabutops has barely any answers to other Water types such as Slowbro and Vaporeon, who make easy work of an unboosted Kabutops
**Bulky Grass Types**: Venusaur and Gourgeist-XL counter Kabutops as it has very few things that can cover Grass Types, and they can OHKO or 2HKO Kabutops easily
**Fighting Types**: Virizon and Toxicroak especially as they resist Kabutops STAB attacks and easily OHKO Kabutops, Life Orb Hitmonlee is also a threat as a Mach Punch can KO a weakened Kabutops
**Stat Drops**: Jellicent and Granbull can severely weaken Kabutops with Intimidate, Will-o-wisp, and Thunder Wave
**Weather**: Vanilluxe, Aurorus, and Liepard can remove rain and leave Kabutops vulnerable.
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