Its Ventus again for another article but this one is about dpp leads made it with the help of fapkingg !
DPP Leads :
In DPP and olders gen there are no team preview which is basically mean you will have a 'lead match up' so you have to choose the right one for your team and god know isn't an easy task.
I will give you a list with various types of leads like suicide leads,bulky leads with their advantages and their disadvantages.
Suicide leads : Most of them are just used to setup hazard as much they can (for spikes/t-spike users) with sleep move,taunt which prevent other slowers lead to setup their hazard and explosion which remove one big threat or wall in the start of the game.
Aerodactyl : Aero is a really fast pokemon, and having both SR + Taunt make it a reliable Suicide Lead. It's usually Sashed, while it can be Power Herb + Sky Attack sometimes to KO non-sash Machamp.
Azelf :It's one of the most versatile leads, because you can choose from like Focus Sash / Choice Scarf or Band / Dual Screener / Colbur berry. Its high speed allows it to set up SR almost always, while fast Taunt can be useful sometimes. The other moves depend on its set.
Infernape : Ape has access to Fake Out + Stealth Rock + Endeavor in addition to a high speed and a strong attack stat
Mamoswine : Mamo is a decent lead, It gets Stealth Rock and the Endeavor + Ice Shard Combo. In addition to that, It is strong and has an acceptable speed.
Roserade : Roserade is pretty good as a lead, you will almost always put something to sleep, then set your Toxic Spikes in the field. Other than that, Leaf Storm hits hard and HP Fire provides coverage.
Froslass : Froslass has a good niche in being a fast lead that has access to Taunt, Spikes and Destiny Bond. Other moves such as Icy Wind and Shadow ball can be used in the last slot.
Smeargle :The fact that Smeargle learn every move makes it a decent lead. Usually you spore something, then you set up your Entry Hazards. U-Turn in the last slot enables you to scout and pressure your opponent with a switch-in if he taunts.
SR Leads + berry : With their natural bulk/typing they can set their stealth rock and attack the opposing lead regardless weakness thanks to their resist berry.
Jirachi -Jirachi has an insane movepool, It's usually Occa with SR / Psychic / Grass Knot or Tbolt / HP Ground. But some people use a defensive Leftovers version with SR / Body Slam or Twave / Iron Head / Wish and that's absolutely fine.
Metagross - Same typing as jirachi and acces to explosion/SR and good bulk which means its really good lead.
Lum berry/Occa berry or custap berry (leaving eq ada from scarf flygon and boom with the custap)
Empoleon - SR + 3 attack (Grass Knot/H Pump/Aqua Jet/Ice Beam) make him good lead
Focus sash or sometimes chople berry.
Heatran - SR + 3 attack (Fire Blast/Earth Power/Explosion-Hidden power-WoW)
Shuca Heatran lives EQ from adamant Scarf Flygon, Passho beats LO Starmie and Swampert if it carries HP Grass. Focus Sash is used sometimes.
Celebi - SR + 3 attack (leaf storm/hp fire/earth power) with the occa berry for tran/ape.
Azelf - See Suicide Lead Azelf.
Bronzong - Same typing as gross with same moveset (not bullet punch sadly).
Occa berry or leftovers if you are using heatproof over levitate.
Bulky leads : They are just setting their hazard and taunting/phazing other lead,they can back early game thanks to their bulks.
Gliscor - Acces to stealth rock/taunt/u-turn and sand veil and natural bulk allow him to check threat like sd lucario in late game.
Swampert - Good typing,SR and Roar/Protect for explosion users,water/ground typing allow him to beat lead like infernape/zapdos without hp grass which is very helpfull.
Hippowdon - Same as swampert but without the water typing but with recovery other than leftiez and countering well zapdos/dnite mixed with the spedef set.
More used on defensive team (semi stall/stall)
Nidoqueen - SR/T-Spike and Roar made him good lead for defensives teams.
Skarmory - Cool lead since you have acces to taunt/spikes/whirlwind/roar which allow you to beat other defensives lead (not gliscor) but you are sadly beaten by common lead like azelf/zapdos/dnite and he being trapped by magnezone.
Forretress - Don't really like him as lead,honestly you are not going to use a defensive entry hazard setup/remover who is beaten by like all leads in the game right ? also he is trapped by magnezone.
Uxie - Bulky lead,acces to Stealth Rock/T-Wave/U-turn.
Blissey - Acces to stealth rock but not really other usefull move which make him good lead and he is also beaten by machamp/dnite/azelf ect.Its definitively lead who is bad in the metagame.
Scooters : Their roles is to break sash of other leads(suicide leads ect) to gain the momentum at the start of the game by checking checks/counters of the scooter.
Azelf - Choice variant and sometimes colbur berry variant are using u-turn to scoot their counter (ttar)
Jirachi - Used most of time on choice scarf variant.
Zapdos - Allow you to scoot hippo/swampert/ttar if you don't have hp grass for the second one or not toxic.
Infernape - Choice variant are using u-turn to break sash (band is outspeeded by common lead like azelf/scarf flygon who can just ko you t1 be worry)
Crobat - U-turn allow you to break sash of thing like azelf with ease and to gain the momentum(since crobat is a momentum machine)
Gliscor - U-turn allow you to break sash and scoot after you taunted thing like hippo/swampert.
Flygon - Same as ape.
Uxie - U-turn is used to gain the momentum after setting the rock or t-waving a mon and allow you also to scoot your counter (ttar)
Celebi - U-turn is used to gain the momentum after setting the rock
Smeargle - U-turn when you see the opposing lead is faster than you with taunt like aerodactyl/azelf.
And you ? are you choosing the right lead when you build a team or just pick up a random ? if you chose the second option i wish this article helped you to understand how to pick a lead for your team !
DPP Leads :
In DPP and olders gen there are no team preview which is basically mean you will have a 'lead match up' so you have to choose the right one for your team and god know isn't an easy task.
I will give you a list with various types of leads like suicide leads,bulky leads with their advantages and their disadvantages.
Suicide leads : Most of them are just used to setup hazard as much they can (for spikes/t-spike users) with sleep move,taunt which prevent other slowers lead to setup their hazard and explosion which remove one big threat or wall in the start of the game.
Aerodactyl : Aero is a really fast pokemon, and having both SR + Taunt make it a reliable Suicide Lead. It's usually Sashed, while it can be Power Herb + Sky Attack sometimes to KO non-sash Machamp.
Azelf :It's one of the most versatile leads, because you can choose from like Focus Sash / Choice Scarf or Band / Dual Screener / Colbur berry. Its high speed allows it to set up SR almost always, while fast Taunt can be useful sometimes. The other moves depend on its set.
Infernape : Ape has access to Fake Out + Stealth Rock + Endeavor in addition to a high speed and a strong attack stat
Mamoswine : Mamo is a decent lead, It gets Stealth Rock and the Endeavor + Ice Shard Combo. In addition to that, It is strong and has an acceptable speed.
Roserade : Roserade is pretty good as a lead, you will almost always put something to sleep, then set your Toxic Spikes in the field. Other than that, Leaf Storm hits hard and HP Fire provides coverage.
Froslass : Froslass has a good niche in being a fast lead that has access to Taunt, Spikes and Destiny Bond. Other moves such as Icy Wind and Shadow ball can be used in the last slot.
Smeargle :The fact that Smeargle learn every move makes it a decent lead. Usually you spore something, then you set up your Entry Hazards. U-Turn in the last slot enables you to scout and pressure your opponent with a switch-in if he taunts.
SR Leads + berry : With their natural bulk/typing they can set their stealth rock and attack the opposing lead regardless weakness thanks to their resist berry.
Jirachi -Jirachi has an insane movepool, It's usually Occa with SR / Psychic / Grass Knot or Tbolt / HP Ground. But some people use a defensive Leftovers version with SR / Body Slam or Twave / Iron Head / Wish and that's absolutely fine.
Metagross - Same typing as jirachi and acces to explosion/SR and good bulk which means its really good lead.
Lum berry/Occa berry or custap berry (leaving eq ada from scarf flygon and boom with the custap)
Empoleon - SR + 3 attack (Grass Knot/H Pump/Aqua Jet/Ice Beam) make him good lead
Focus sash or sometimes chople berry.
Heatran - SR + 3 attack (Fire Blast/Earth Power/Explosion-Hidden power-WoW)
Shuca Heatran lives EQ from adamant Scarf Flygon, Passho beats LO Starmie and Swampert if it carries HP Grass. Focus Sash is used sometimes.
Celebi - SR + 3 attack (leaf storm/hp fire/earth power) with the occa berry for tran/ape.
Azelf - See Suicide Lead Azelf.
Bronzong - Same typing as gross with same moveset (not bullet punch sadly).
Occa berry or leftovers if you are using heatproof over levitate.
Bulky leads : They are just setting their hazard and taunting/phazing other lead,they can back early game thanks to their bulks.
Gliscor - Acces to stealth rock/taunt/u-turn and sand veil and natural bulk allow him to check threat like sd lucario in late game.
Swampert - Good typing,SR and Roar/Protect for explosion users,water/ground typing allow him to beat lead like infernape/zapdos without hp grass which is very helpfull.
Hippowdon - Same as swampert but without the water typing but with recovery other than leftiez and countering well zapdos/dnite mixed with the spedef set.
More used on defensive team (semi stall/stall)
Nidoqueen - SR/T-Spike and Roar made him good lead for defensives teams.
Skarmory - Cool lead since you have acces to taunt/spikes/whirlwind/roar which allow you to beat other defensives lead (not gliscor) but you are sadly beaten by common lead like azelf/zapdos/dnite and he being trapped by magnezone.
Forretress - Don't really like him as lead,honestly you are not going to use a defensive entry hazard setup/remover who is beaten by like all leads in the game right ? also he is trapped by magnezone.
Uxie - Bulky lead,acces to Stealth Rock/T-Wave/U-turn.
Blissey - Acces to stealth rock but not really other usefull move which make him good lead and he is also beaten by machamp/dnite/azelf ect.Its definitively lead who is bad in the metagame.
Scooters : Their roles is to break sash of other leads(suicide leads ect) to gain the momentum at the start of the game by checking checks/counters of the scooter.
Azelf - Choice variant and sometimes colbur berry variant are using u-turn to scoot their counter (ttar)
Jirachi - Used most of time on choice scarf variant.
Zapdos - Allow you to scoot hippo/swampert/ttar if you don't have hp grass for the second one or not toxic.
Infernape - Choice variant are using u-turn to break sash (band is outspeeded by common lead like azelf/scarf flygon who can just ko you t1 be worry)
Crobat - U-turn allow you to break sash of thing like azelf with ease and to gain the momentum(since crobat is a momentum machine)
Gliscor - U-turn allow you to break sash and scoot after you taunted thing like hippo/swampert.
Flygon - Same as ape.
Uxie - U-turn is used to gain the momentum after setting the rock or t-waving a mon and allow you also to scoot your counter (ttar)
Celebi - U-turn is used to gain the momentum after setting the rock
Smeargle - U-turn when you see the opposing lead is faster than you with taunt like aerodactyl/azelf.
And you ? are you choosing the right lead when you build a team or just pick up a random ? if you chose the second option i wish this article helped you to understand how to pick a lead for your team !
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