TJ
Banned deucer.
uploaded -zard
[OVERVIEW]
Ninjask is able to distinguish itself by being the fastest unboosted Pokemon in the metagame. Its stellar Speed stat allows it to revenge kill some of the fastest Pokemon in the tier, such as Floatzel, Alolan Raichu, and Jynx, with a little prior damage. With Tectonic Rage, Ninjask is able to overpower foes such as Regirock and Aggron. These traits give Ninjask a decent amount of staying power against offensive and balanced builds. However, Ninjask's offensive presence only goes so far because its mediocre bulk, nasty 4x Stealth Rock weakness, and five common weaknesses to Fire-, Flying-, Ice-, Rock-, and Electric-type attacks mean it is revenge killed rather easily. Furthermore, Ninjask is often an inconsistent revenge killer due to its mediocre Attack stat, and it is left vulnerable to strong priority users such as Lycanroc, Kangaskhan, Abomasnow, and Absol. Ninjask's rather average Attack stat also means that it struggles to break Pokemon such as Weezing and Archeops, which are able to sponge Ninjask's unboosted attacks and deal good damage in return.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Leech Life
move 3: Dig
move 4: Aerial Ace
item: Groundium Z
ability: Speed Boost
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance supplies Ninjask with a move that boosts its poor Attack stat by two stages. Leech Life is Ninjask's strongest STAB attack that helps it partially mitigate Stealth Rock damage by recovering a bit of HP. Combined with Groundium Z, Dig allows Ninjask to use Tectonic Rage to remove defensive Pokemon such as Aurorus and Aggron; however, be wary that Dig is fairly unreliable after you've used your Z-Move due to the charge turn and low damage output. Aerial Ace allows Ninjask to hit Fighting-, Grass-, and Bug-types such as Gurdurr, Gourgeist-XL, and Pinsir for super effective damage and gives a secondary STAB option.
Set Details
========
252 Attack EVs with an Adamant nature allow Ninjask to hit as hard as possible, and 252 Speed EVs allow it to outspeed the entire unboosted metagame. Speed Boost is the preferred ability, which allows Ninjask at + 1 to outspeed Choice Scarf users such as Pyroar. Groundium Z allows Ninjask to use Tectonic Rage to break through common checks like Togedemaru, but once again it should be used wisely.
Usage Tips
========
When facing offensive teams, Ninjask should usually be utilized early-game or mid-game to revenge kill faster foes such as Alolan Raichu and Pyroar. Make sure that Stealth Rock is off the field, as it really hampers Ninjask's longevity. If Ninjask is playing against bulkier teams, it should be used as a late-game sweeper because it functions a lot better once the opposing team is sufficiently weakened. Likewise, Ninjask should avoid setting up if bulky Pokemon such as Weezing and Palossand are not weakened, since it struggles to break through them even after a +2 Attack boost. Be aware that Tectonic Rage is required to secure OHKOs on bulky threats such as Aggron, so Ninjask should use its Z-Move cautiously, as wasting it will make breaking through bulkier teams harder. Lastly, Ninjask does not have the best bulk or typing to set up safely, but setting up on slower Fighting-types such as Hitmonchan and Gurdurr is usually the best opportunity because they are forced out by Aerial Ace.
Team Options
========
Entry hazard removal is absolutely mandatory for Ninjask because it is 4x weak to Stealth Rock, so Pokemon such as Hitmonchan and Skuntank make for good partners. Hitmonchan is also able to check prominent Fire- and Ice-type Pokemon such as Pyroar and Abomasnow, which Ninjask struggles with otherwise. Ninjask appreciates entry hazard setters that are able to weaken opposing teams to the point it can break through grounded foes such as Gastrodon with Tectonic Rage more easily, making Pokemon with access to Spikes like Ferroseed ideal partners. Offensively, Ninjask partners well with special attackers such as Magmortar and Pyroar that can whittle down checks and counters like Weezing. On the other hand, defensive Pokemon such as Regirock and Gourgeist-XL can check strong priority users such as Kangashan and Lycanroc. Pursuit trappers like Skuntank and Absol are able to pressure bulkier Ghost-types like Palossand and Sableye for Ninjask, letting it clean easier. Lastly, Pokemon with access to U-turn and Volt Switch such as Mesprit and Eelektross can get Ninjask onto the field safely. Eelektross is especially good because it has a slow Volt Switch and is good at pressuring some of Ninjask's checks such as Ferroseed, Golem, and Weezing, while Mesprit provides Stealth Rock and Healing Wish support.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A Choice Band can be used with U-turn for maximum damage output and momentum, though Ninjask can't really take advantage of this effectively because of its 4x weakness to Stealth Rock. A Jolly nature can be used to maximize Ninjask's Speed, but Adamant is preferred for more damage output because the additional Speed that Jolly gives Ninjask does not help it revenge kill any more threats than it would normally. The ability Infiltrator allows Ninjask to check Pokemon like Oriocorio-G that are behind a Substitute, but Ninjask prefers Speed Boost because outspeeding the tier at +1 is more important.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Stealth Rock**: Ninjask's crippling weakness to Stealth Rock means it has limited opportunities to revenge kill foes, set up Swords Dance, and switch onto the field. Stealth Rock setters such as Regirock and Golem also deal with Ninjask easily if it is unboosted.
**Flying-type Pokemon**: Flying-types such as Swanna and Archeops can revenge kill Ninjask easily with their Flying-type STAB moves, since Ninjask does not have a reliable way at breaking them other than relying on its weak Aerial Ace.
**Priority**: Powerful priority attacks, such as Kangaskhan's Fake Out, Lycanroc's Accelerock, and Absol's Sucker Punch are extremely threatening to Ninjask, as its poor bulk prevents it from taking these attacks.
**Physically defensive Pokemon**: Physically bulky Pokemon such as Regirock, Weezing, and Sabelye can all switch into Ninjask's attacks and take little damage in return. Regirock can use Protect to scout for Tectonic Rage and then threaten Ninjask out with Stone Edge, while the latter two can cripple Ninjask with Will-O-Wisp.
[OVERVIEW]
Ninjask is able to distinguish itself by being the fastest unboosted Pokemon in the metagame. Its stellar Speed stat allows it to revenge kill some of the fastest Pokemon in the tier, such as Floatzel, Alolan Raichu, and Jynx, with a little prior damage. With Tectonic Rage, Ninjask is able to overpower foes such as Regirock and Aggron. These traits give Ninjask a decent amount of staying power against offensive and balanced builds. However, Ninjask's offensive presence only goes so far because its mediocre bulk, nasty 4x Stealth Rock weakness, and five common weaknesses to Fire-, Flying-, Ice-, Rock-, and Electric-type attacks mean it is revenge killed rather easily. Furthermore, Ninjask is often an inconsistent revenge killer due to its mediocre Attack stat, and it is left vulnerable to strong priority users such as Lycanroc, Kangaskhan, Abomasnow, and Absol. Ninjask's rather average Attack stat also means that it struggles to break Pokemon such as Weezing and Archeops, which are able to sponge Ninjask's unboosted attacks and deal good damage in return.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Leech Life
move 3: Dig
move 4: Aerial Ace
item: Groundium Z
ability: Speed Boost
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance supplies Ninjask with a move that boosts its poor Attack stat by two stages. Leech Life is Ninjask's strongest STAB attack that helps it partially mitigate Stealth Rock damage by recovering a bit of HP. Combined with Groundium Z, Dig allows Ninjask to use Tectonic Rage to remove defensive Pokemon such as Aurorus and Aggron; however, be wary that Dig is fairly unreliable after you've used your Z-Move due to the charge turn and low damage output. Aerial Ace allows Ninjask to hit Fighting-, Grass-, and Bug-types such as Gurdurr, Gourgeist-XL, and Pinsir for super effective damage and gives a secondary STAB option.
Set Details
========
252 Attack EVs with an Adamant nature allow Ninjask to hit as hard as possible, and 252 Speed EVs allow it to outspeed the entire unboosted metagame. Speed Boost is the preferred ability, which allows Ninjask at + 1 to outspeed Choice Scarf users such as Pyroar. Groundium Z allows Ninjask to use Tectonic Rage to break through common checks like Togedemaru, but once again it should be used wisely.
Usage Tips
========
When facing offensive teams, Ninjask should usually be utilized early-game or mid-game to revenge kill faster foes such as Alolan Raichu and Pyroar. Make sure that Stealth Rock is off the field, as it really hampers Ninjask's longevity. If Ninjask is playing against bulkier teams, it should be used as a late-game sweeper because it functions a lot better once the opposing team is sufficiently weakened. Likewise, Ninjask should avoid setting up if bulky Pokemon such as Weezing and Palossand are not weakened, since it struggles to break through them even after a +2 Attack boost. Be aware that Tectonic Rage is required to secure OHKOs on bulky threats such as Aggron, so Ninjask should use its Z-Move cautiously, as wasting it will make breaking through bulkier teams harder. Lastly, Ninjask does not have the best bulk or typing to set up safely, but setting up on slower Fighting-types such as Hitmonchan and Gurdurr is usually the best opportunity because they are forced out by Aerial Ace.
Team Options
========
Entry hazard removal is absolutely mandatory for Ninjask because it is 4x weak to Stealth Rock, so Pokemon such as Hitmonchan and Skuntank make for good partners. Hitmonchan is also able to check prominent Fire- and Ice-type Pokemon such as Pyroar and Abomasnow, which Ninjask struggles with otherwise. Ninjask appreciates entry hazard setters that are able to weaken opposing teams to the point it can break through grounded foes such as Gastrodon with Tectonic Rage more easily, making Pokemon with access to Spikes like Ferroseed ideal partners. Offensively, Ninjask partners well with special attackers such as Magmortar and Pyroar that can whittle down checks and counters like Weezing. On the other hand, defensive Pokemon such as Regirock and Gourgeist-XL can check strong priority users such as Kangashan and Lycanroc. Pursuit trappers like Skuntank and Absol are able to pressure bulkier Ghost-types like Palossand and Sableye for Ninjask, letting it clean easier. Lastly, Pokemon with access to U-turn and Volt Switch such as Mesprit and Eelektross can get Ninjask onto the field safely. Eelektross is especially good because it has a slow Volt Switch and is good at pressuring some of Ninjask's checks such as Ferroseed, Golem, and Weezing, while Mesprit provides Stealth Rock and Healing Wish support.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A Choice Band can be used with U-turn for maximum damage output and momentum, though Ninjask can't really take advantage of this effectively because of its 4x weakness to Stealth Rock. A Jolly nature can be used to maximize Ninjask's Speed, but Adamant is preferred for more damage output because the additional Speed that Jolly gives Ninjask does not help it revenge kill any more threats than it would normally. The ability Infiltrator allows Ninjask to check Pokemon like Oriocorio-G that are behind a Substitute, but Ninjask prefers Speed Boost because outspeeding the tier at +1 is more important.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Stealth Rock**: Ninjask's crippling weakness to Stealth Rock means it has limited opportunities to revenge kill foes, set up Swords Dance, and switch onto the field. Stealth Rock setters such as Regirock and Golem also deal with Ninjask easily if it is unboosted.
**Flying-type Pokemon**: Flying-types such as Swanna and Archeops can revenge kill Ninjask easily with their Flying-type STAB moves, since Ninjask does not have a reliable way at breaking them other than relying on its weak Aerial Ace.
**Priority**: Powerful priority attacks, such as Kangaskhan's Fake Out, Lycanroc's Accelerock, and Absol's Sucker Punch are extremely threatening to Ninjask, as its poor bulk prevents it from taking these attacks.
**Physically defensive Pokemon**: Physically bulky Pokemon such as Regirock, Weezing, and Sabelye can all switch into Ninjask's attacks and take little damage in return. Regirock can use Protect to scout for Tectonic Rage and then threaten Ninjask out with Stone Edge, while the latter two can cripple Ninjask with Will-O-Wisp.
Last edited by a moderator: