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Fake Out prevents a foe from moving for a single turn, and helps Porygon2 and Diancie set Trick Room more easily. Close Combat is Scrafty's best STAB move, hitting common Pokemon like Heatran and Kyurem-B. Knock Off hits Dragapult and Mew hard while having the added benefit of removing items. Ice Punch gives Scrafty an option to hit both Landorus and Zygarde, while Super Fang effectively forces progress by removing half of the attacked Pokemon's health. Assault Vest increases Scrafty's Special Defense, allowing it to take hits from special attackers like Heatran and Landorus better. Intimidate lowers both opposing Pokemon's Attack, allowing Scrafty and its teammates to take hits from physical attackers like Zygarde and Rillaboom better. A Brave nature gives Scrafty a high chance to OHKO Landorus with Ice Punch, while also maximizing its damage output and making its Speed as low as possible, which is important for Trick Room.

Moves Foul Play gives Scrafty a STAB Black Hole Eclipse to beat threats like Mega Metagross, Meloetta, Aegislash, and Victini. High Jump Kick is Scrafty's Fighting-type STAB attack to beat foes like Magnezone, Heatran, and Incineroar. Bulk Up boosts Scrafty's physical offense and bulk for it to take on Pokemon like Mega Charizard X, Garchomp, and bulky Mega Metagross barring Iron Head flinches. Fake Out hits foes for chip damage and breaks Magnezone's Sturdy and Choice Scarf Dragonite's Multiscale. Set Details 76 Special Defense EVs along with 252 HP EVs lets Scrafty tank a Gigavolt Havoc from Magnezone. 180 Attack EVs maximize damage output in order to most reliably KO things like bulky Heatran, Garchomp, and bulky physical Dragonium Z Dragonite. Intimidate is run to crucially lower the Attack of foes like Mega Charizard X and Garchomp. Alternatively, a spread of 244 HP / 100 Atk / 84 Def / 80 SpD can be run to always tank Mega Lopunny's Fake Out followed by High Jump Kick. However, this will sacrifice consistency against bulky Heatran and bulky physical Dragonium Z Dragonite. Usage Tips Don't send Scrafty into Pokemon with defensive setup like Mega Slowbro, and Zygarde, as Scrafty does very little damage even after Bulk Up. Be aware of Counter from Donphan and Crustle, which can knock you out if you stop setting up with Bulk Up early. If the spread with 180 Attack EVs is being run, do not use Fake Out against Garchomp to avoid Rough Skin damage; however, if the alternate spread with 84 Defense EVs is being run, use Fake Out first to secure the KO. Against Registeel, you should use Bulk Up four times before using two High Jump Kicks followed by Black Hole Eclipse. If Registeel uses Seismic Toss before it reaches +6 Defense, just begin using High Jump Kick early too. Against Zeraora, Scrafty will need to predict whether it is running Bulk Up + Electrium Z or not. If it is not, use Black Hole Eclipse immediately for the KO. If it is, set up Bulk Up once while they also use Bulk Up. While Scrafty will still have the advantage in damage rolls in the case of a misprediction, for maximum reliability Scrafty will need to attack immediately against another Bulk Up from Zeraora or set up Bulk Up again before attacking against a Charge from Zeraora. Against offensive Mega Metagross, use Black Hole Eclipse, and use Bulk Up against bulky variants. Fake Out's damage will help you tell how much bulk it has. Against bulky Mega Charizard X, use Bulk Up twice, and then use Black Hole Eclipse followed by High Jump Kick. If you see it's offensive by damage rolls from Fake Out, forego setting up the second Bulk Up, and attack with Black Hole Eclipse. If Mega Gyarados does not have Taunt, use Bulk Up immediately, and use attacking moves according to if it has Mega Evolved or not. If Gyarados does have Taunt, you will need to predict when it uses Taunt by not using Bulk Up and when it will Mega Evolve, using Foul Play or High Jump Kick accordingly. Although Gyarados can win, this matchup is still in Scrafty's favor. Team Options Pokemon that can beat Fairy-types like Mega Charizard Y, Magnezone, and Ferrothorn can greatly help cover Scrafty's deathly weakness to Fairy, beating Pokemon like Magearna, Mega Mawile, Mega Gardevoir, Tapu Lele, and Primarina. In return, Scrafty can beat Pokemon like Heatran, Mega Charizard X, and Garchomp. Clefable can beat Pokemon like Dragonite, Mega Charizard Y, and Landorus-T. In return, Scrafty can beat Pokemon like Mega Metagross, Meloetta, and Magnezone. Stallbreakers like Serperior and Tapu Bulu can beat Pokemon that are too bulky for Scrafty to handly like Zygarde, and Mega Slowbro. In return, Scrafty can beat foes like Victini, Incineroar, and Naganadel.

Fake Out helps to allow a teammate to set up Trick Room, Tailwind, or a Substitute. Fake Out also helps to safely pivot out your other Pokemon to better your matchup against the opponent. Knock Off stops the opposing Pokemon from healing with 50% Berries and can also weaken other Pokemon such as Eviolite Porygon2 and Chansey. Low Kick is the recommended Fighting-type STAB move, as it allows Scrafty to OHKO 4 HP Heatran and Stakataka and 2HKO Mega Kangaskhan, Incineroar, Ferrothorn, and Snorlax after Figy Berry recovery. Drain Punch is a runner up, being the more defensive option that will help to keep Scrafty around longer. Ice Punch is the coverage move of choice, as it hits Pokemon such as Landorus-T and Mega Salamence super effectively; it has an 80% chance to OHKO Landorus-T if Scrafty is not Intimidated. Detect also becomes an option when Figy Berry is used; it allows Scrafty to absorb a Z-Move or stall out weather, Terrain, Tailwind, or Trick Room. Rock Tomb, Super Fang, and Foul Play are options should Scrafty want to target specific threats (such as Volcarona and Mega Charizard Y in the case of Rock Tomb) or just generally do more damage to Pokemon it can't hit super effectively, like Zapdos and Suicune. Foul Play is great for more defensive variants of Scrafty that want to hit Landorus-T, Belly Drum Snorlax, and Metagross harder. Lastly, Snarl is another option in the fourth slot to help weaken opposing special attackers, which can often force a switch from the opponent due to Scrafty's already impressive special bulk. Assault Vest Scrafty can survive a plethora of attacks, including Hyper Voice from Mega Salamence, Dazzling Gleam from Life Orb Tapu Koko, Hurricane from Pelipper, Hydro Vortex from Ludicolo under rain, and Overheat from Mega Charizard Y under sun. Scrafty can also opt to run Figy Berry, which is the superior item when Scrafty is needed to face more physically attacking foes such as Landorus-T, Mega Kangaskhan, and Mega Metagross. However, it should be noted that Figy Berry Scrafty will be KOed by many of the special hits it normally would survive with Assault Vest. 252 HP and 252 Attack EVs maximize Scrafty's balance of bulk and offense. 4 Special Defense EVs will give opposing Download Porygon2 an Attack boost as opposed to a Special Attack boost. Adamant is often the best nature for Scrafty when outside of Trick Room. This allows Scrafty to move before and threaten to KO certain minimum Speed sweepers such as Tyranitar, Alolan Marowak, and Heatran. Brave with a 0 IV in Speed is recommended when Scrafty is paired with a Trick Room user to be as slow as possible. Brave Scrafty also has the added benefit of underspeeding all Aegislash by two Speed points and therefore attacking after Aegislash has switched to Blade forme. Knock Off OHKOes Aegislash 87% of the time. An alternate EV spread of 252 HP / 156 Atk / 4 Def / 92 SpD / 4 Spe with a Careful or Sassy nature will always survive Overheat from Mega Charizard Y in the sun. This spread works well to balance more between physical and special defense at the sacrifice of offensive pressure. Scrafty does have access to Foul Play, which would be the recommended Dark-type STAB move for this set to alleviate the weakened offenses. Scrafty is an excellent choice for Trick Room teams, as the combination of Fake Out, Knock Off, and Fighting coverage can threaten several threats to Trick Room setters such as Aegislash, Tyranitar, and Hydreigon. A core of Scrafty, Cresselia, and Stakataka is one of the most reliable ways to ensure Trick Room gets set. Stakataka and Scrafty alone form a very reliable and offensive Trick Room duo capable of winning entire games if Trick Room is set. Gothitelle and Mega Gengar appreciate Scrafty's Intimidate and Fake Out to help weaken and distract the opponent to allow for either Trick Room or Perish Song. Scrafty running Snarl + Gothitelle + Mega Mawile can become an extremely hard core to play against, as the multiple Intimidates and Snarls will make it very difficult for the opponent to KO anything. Eject Button can also be run to allow for two Intimidates in one turn if Scrafty is hit. Mega Gardevoir is a great complementary offensive Trick Room setter alongside Scrafty. Mega Gardevoir appreciates Intimidate and strong Fighting-type coverage to handle common Steel-type Pokemon such as Ferrothorn and Stakataka, which prey on Gardevoir's poor physical defense. Substitute users such as Aegislash and Heatran appreciate Scrafty's Fake Out causing a foe to flinch, which provides them the chance to get Substitute up or safely attack a threat late in the game. This also often pairs well on Trick Room teams, as common threats like Hydreigon, Tapu Lele, and Metagross often will lose the matchup to either Aegislash or Heatran coupled with Scrafty. Scrafty pairs well with weather setters such as Mega Charizard Y and Pelipper thanks to its ability to counter Tyranitar effectively. Scrafty is naturally not a very offensive Pokemon, and the main set is your strongest and most viable way of utilizing it. Scrafty can be modified to be more defensive if the team calls for it, like shown in the alternate EV spread. Scrafty can fit onto a variety of teams with minimal support, but Scrafty does appreciate the removal of Fairy-type and Flying-type attacks from Pokemon like the island guardians, Mega Gardevoir, Mega Mawile, Mega Salamence, Pelipper, Togekiss, Azumarill, and Mimikyu.

Moves Fake Out is the staple move on any Scrafty set, as it provides a very good means of disrupting opposing teams. Knock Off is a strong option in most situations, either dealing significant damage or removing an important item, if not both. Drain Punch is extremely useful on Assault Vest Scrafty sets, as they lack the ability to recover their health with Figy Berry, but Low Kick is also usable if more damage on specific targets like Tyranitar is desired. High Jump Kick is another potential Fighting-type attack and increases Scrafty's firepower greatly. High Jump Kick has a chance to OHKO standard Incineroar and Kartana, neither of which can be OHKOed by either Drain Punch or Low Kick. However, High Jump Kick must be used carefully, as whiffing it into a Protect will severely hurt Scrafty's longevity. The last slot is flexible and can be adjusted based on the needs of Scrafty's team. Ice Punch lets Scrafty serve as a better check to Zygarde and Landorus-T, 2HKOing both reliably at neutral while having a very good chance to 2HKO bulky Landorus-T at -1 Attack. Super Fang is useful for consistent damage against all non-Ghost-type targets, which can come in handy against bulky Pokemon like Cresselia and Tapu Fini. Poison Jab is an option that provides Scrafty with a way to damage threatening Fairy-type Pokemon, consistently 2HKOing all Island Guardians except Tapu Fini. Set Details Thanks to the Assault Vest and the given HP and Special Defense investment, Scrafty is able to survive a Moonblast from standard Calm Mind Tapu Fini before a boost. This Scrafty also takes on Mega Salamence relatively well, as it will always survive two Hyper Voices or one -1 Double-Edge from standard mixed Mega Salamence. Additionally, Scrafty will never be OHKOed by an All-Out Pummeling from -1 Kartana. The Speed EVs allow Scrafty to outspeed Gothitelle, while the remaining EVs are dumped into Attack. When combined with an Adamant nature, the Attack investment turns Scrafty into an offensive threat while still maintaining its defensive characteristics. Usage Tips Assault Vest Scrafty is meant to be used more offensively than the bulkier Figy Berry set. As such, you must be deliberate about when you switch this Scrafty into attacks, since it lacks the fallback option of a pinch Berry. It lacks recovery entirely when not using Drain Punch, so those sets require extra caution to preserve Scrafty's health. The last move affects what kind of Pokemon Scrafty is most effective against. For example, Ice Punch lets Scrafty function as a very good check to Landorus-T and Zygarde, while Poison Jab turns Scrafty from setup bait to a decent check when facing Tapu Bulu. Super Fang sets are effective at chipping away at bulky Pokemon like Zapdos, Cresselia, and Chansey. Overall, Assault Vest Scrafty should prioritize dealing damage much more than its Figy Berry counterpart in order to make the most out of its time on the field. Team Options This more offensive variant of Scrafty is effective on teams that still appreciate Fake Out and Intimidate support from one Pokemon while also requiring consistent damage output every turn. A prime of example of such a team archetype is full Trick Room, which needs to make the most of the limited time Trick Room remains up. Pokemon that can handle opposing Fairy-types like Mega Metagross, Kartana, and Aegislash make great partners. Fire-types like Mega Charizard Y and Volcanion also fill this role effectively while appreciating Intimidate support and a Rock-type resistance, and Pokemon with low Defense like Mega Gardevoir enjoy the utility provided by Scrafty. Tapu Bulu makes for an interesting partner for Assault Vest Scrafty, as Tapu Bulu provides Scrafty with a means of recovery via Grassy Terrain and has a positive matchup against most of the Fairy-types in the tier, namely the other three Island Guardians.

Moves Fake Out is the most important attack on any Scrafty set, since it allows Scrafty to buy an invaluable free turn for its partner. Knock Off is generally Scrafty's strongest attack, especially if it manages to remove a healing item like a pinch Berry or Leftovers. Scrafty has a couple options for its Fighting-type move; Drain Punch provides Scrafty with consistent damage against all targets and another means of healing beyond its Figy Berry, while Low Kick can be used to OHKO heavier threats like Tyranitar. However, it should be noted that opting for Low Kick makes Scrafty a less effective check to lighter Pokemon like Kartana, whose low weight causes Low Kick's Base Power to drop to 20. Taunt is an incredibly useful move to shut down opposing support options, such as Trick Room, Rage Powder, and Spore, and prevent Pokemon like Chansey and Mega Latias from healing themselves with Soft-Boiled and Recover, respectively. Set Details The given investment in HP and Special Defense, when combined with a Careful nature, allows Scrafty to survive Dazzling Gleam from Life Orb Tapu Koko. In order to outspeed Gothitelle and prevent it from using any status moves with Taunt, 60 EVs are placed in Speed. This conveniently allows Scrafty to also outspeed uninvested Tyranitar and standard Incineroar. The remaining 20 EVs are dumped in Defense, which allows Scrafty to survive any attack from standard -1 Mega Salamence. Figy Berry is used for recovery, providing Scrafty with extra longevity. While any of the non-Wiki pinch Berries could be used in theory, it should be noted that using Mago Berry reveals that Scrafty is not using a Speed-reducing nature and should be avoided. Usage Tips In general, Scrafty is most effectively used by switching it into resisted or weak neutral attacks to dampen blows for its teammate with Intimidate. It also functions well as a lead, especially next to Pokemon that can set up favorable field conditions for your team, such as Stealth Rock or Tailwind. Common Scrafty switch-ins like Tapu Fini don't appreciate having their items removed, so Knock Off can be used gratuitously to punish any defensive switches. Taunt can be used to shut down opposing support options and gives Scrafty a very favorable matchup against passive Pokemon like Amoonguss and Gothitelle. Despite its 4x weakness to Fairy, Scrafty can stomach some Fairy-type attacks if it absolutely needs to, but they should generally be avoided at all costs. If Scrafty's health is just outside of pinch Berry range, you can try to force it to activate by switching into weaker attacks that you are confident will not knock it out. Team Options Pokemon that either have low Defense or appreciate Fake Out and Intimidate support are prime partners for Scrafty. Mega Gardevoir and Mega Latias are great examples, as they both appreciate Scrafty's ability to buy them some free turns. Gardevoir in particular desperately needs help covering its poor Defense, while Mega Latias appreciates the ability to invest in Speed while still retaining its bulk with Calm Mind and Scrafty's Intimidate. Mega Salamence teams often appreciate Scrafty more than Incineroar for their matchup against Tyranitar but must be sure to cover the weakness to Fairy-type Pokemon. The necessity of partners that can handle Fairy-types is not unique to teams with Mega Salamence though, as Scrafty is incredibly vulnerable to their attacks. Steel-types like Mega Metagross, Kartana, and Aegislash all do this job well, while Metagross and Aegislash also appreciate their Ghost- and Dark-type weaknesses being covered. Fire-type Pokemon like Mega Charizard Y and Volcanion make for good partners for Scrafty, as they absorb Fairy-type attacks with ease, while Scrafty can take on threatening Rock-types.

Moves This move lineup takes the best Scrafty has to offer and puts it all together for a nice Fake Out set. Fake Out is very useful at temporarily postponing the opponent's attempts to set up during the first turn, as well as stalling out passive damage from status and weather. Drain Punch is the primary STAB of choice, helping Scrafty prolong its lifespan while still dealing respectable damage. If a Fighting-type move is not the most optimal choice to use, Crunch is the secondary STAB that can hit Ghost- and Psychic-types. The last moveslot is down to what you prefer and/or what your team needs. Detect is the protection of choice, as it shields Scrafty from damage while is also able to escape many attempts at Imprisonment. If protection is not a concern, Ice Punch is the elemental punch of choice, covering Scrafty's Flying-type weakness and giving it nice overall coverage. Stone Edge can be used for handling Talonflame and Mega Charizard if they are a major concern. Lastly, Quick Guard is useful for blocking Talonflame's priority Brave Bird, although it doesn't have much use besides that. Set Details The EV investment is fairly straightforward. Scrafty is fairly slow, and investing in Speed won't allow it to reach any significantly higher speed tiers; therefore, there is no need to invest in Speed. Most of the EVs therefore go into Scrafty's HP and Attack. However, there are also 12 EVs invested into Defense. This is to ensure that Scrafty can survive a Brave Bird from max Attack Choice Band Talonflame after an Intimidate. A Brave nature can also be used if you intend to run a Trick Room-oriented team. The choice of item largely depends on what is necessary for your team. A Lum Berry can help against the burns that limit Scrafty's power, and it is also a great answer to Smeargle. However, if status is not a problem, Assault Vest is a viable alternative for expanding Scrafty's special bulk. Keep in mind that running Assault Vest sacrifices the ability to use Detect. Usage Tips Scrafty, as the set name implies, excels at hindering the opponents with Intimidate and Fake Out. Therefore, using the aforementioned two correctly is strongly advised. It is important to know when to use Scrafty as an Intimidate lead and when to use it as a backup plan for physical sweepers. If you are anticipating one of the opponent's Pokemon to pack its own Fake Out, don't send out Scrafty first. The opponent will target Scrafty, and you will lose the Fake Out war due to Scrafty's low Speed. Likewise, it is important to know exactly which Pokemon should be held back with Fake Out. One wrong prediction, and Scrafty is essentially running only three moves until it switches out. Speaking of switching out, Scrafty can be switched in and out of battle multiple times if need be. This is especially useful if you want to use Intimidate and/or Fake Out multiple times. Team Options Scrafty is a naturally slow Pokemon, sitting at a below-average base 50 Speed, and thus Trick Room is a viable strategy to run. Pokemon that use it well include Aromatisse, Reuniclus, and Slowbro. Scrafty does not have the desired sky-high offenses, so Pokemon that can remedy this with high offenses of their own and benefit from Fake Out and Intimidate also make for excellent partners, with Mega Charizard Y, Mega Kangaskhan, and Choice Gardevoir being notable examples. Finally, Aegislash deserves a special mention, as it resists all of Scrafty's weaknesses and hits hard in return, while Scrafty covers its Dark and Ghost weaknesses.

This is a sample set. We aren't working on ORAS Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out ORAS Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

Scrafty is a niche choice in XY DOU that provides role compression. Its unique typing allows it to check popular threats including Kangaskhan and Aegislash, and its access to Fake Out, Intimidate, and Knock Off make it very disruptive. Eject Button complements those aforementioned traits, letting it weaken physical attackers and immediately switch out to a strong ally. However, Scrafty struggles because of its odd stat distribution with middling HP, Attack, and Speed, which can make it dead weight against stronger, faster foes, especially if its allies aren't benefiting from its utility. It also suffers from its 4x Fairy weakness, which allows Mega Diancie, Mega Gardevoir, and Sylveon to cleanly OHKO it. Fake Out gives Scrafty's partner the opportunity to safely set up or ignore a threatening opposing Pokemon. It is also one of Scrafty's most distinguishing traits in a tier with limited viable Fake Out users aside from Kangaskhan. Knock Off removes important items such as Assault Vest from Volcanion and Conkeldurr to aid special attackers or Safety Goggles from Thundurus and Aegislash to let Amoonguss use Spore freely. Drain Punch 2HKOs 252 HP Mega Kangaskhan while also restoring HP, improving Scrafty's longevity throughout the match. Quick Guard protects Scrafty’s side from priority moves like Talonflame’s Brave Bird, Genesect’s Extreme Speed, and Thundurus’s Thunder Wave, shielding its team from common speed control and revenge killing tactics. Detect is an alternative to give Scrafty an option for positioning and protecting against double targeted attacks. Assault Vest makes Scrafty bulkier at the cost of Quick Guard and Eject Button's momentum. However, Assault Vest does enable Scrafty to run additional coverage moves like Ice Punch and Head Smash to catch opponents off guard. High Jump Kick offers significantly higher power than Drain Punch, but its accuracy and recoil make it unreliable. Mega Gengar appreciates Scrafty’s Intimidate and Eject Button to safely trap threats with Shadow Tag and pivot to a threatening ally. Mega Gardevoir also benefits from Scrafty's Fake Out, which allows it to use Calm Mind or set Trick Room, as well as Intimidate, which patches up Gardevoir's mediocre Defense. Landorus makes a good partner, as Scrafty provides the Intimidate support that Landorus-T would typically provide. The pair of Landorus and Scrafty handily shut down opposing Aegislash as well. Take advantage of Intimidate by switching Scrafty in against physical attackers like Landorus-T and Choice Band Genesect to weaken their damage output. Eject Button should be used strategically to allow Scrafty to take a hit, trigger the item, and bring in an offensive threat or setup sweeper safely.

Moves Fake Out is great for helping partner Pokemon set up and, in general, is an easy move to apply pressure with. Drain Punch is Scrafty's main STAB option and source of recovery. Knock Off is a secondary STAB move that has great neutral coverage with Drain Punch and can help scout and remove items from your opponent's team. Protect is essentially Scrafty's first and only line of defense against Fairy-types, as well as Flying-types such as Talonflame and Salamence, and helps preserve its Intimidate and Fake Out in general by merit of keeping Scrafty alive. Ice Punch is mainly for coverage against Landorus-T, the most common Intimidate user, along with Dragon-types such as Garchomp and Mega Salamence. Taunt is useful to shut down Trick Room and sleep-inducing moves, along with disabling Protect and Substitute. It also allows Scrafty to become a harder check to Aegislash and Amoonguss, disabling them from using status moves and making them much more vulnerable to attacks from Scrafty and its partner. Set Details Sitrus Berry is your go-to item for bulky Pokemon, as instantly recovering a fourth of Scrafty's health is incredibly useful. Obviously, don't use Assault Vest with Protect or Taunt, as Assault Vest will disable those moves. Leftovers can be used over Sitrus Berry if it's taken already. Lum Berry is especially helpful with Taunt, as it helps suppress Amoonguss's Spore or Rotom-W's Will-O-Wisp without fear of being hit by one of those moves first. The given EV spread allows Scrafty to survive Choice Specs Hydreigon's Draco Meteor and maximum Special Attack investment Timid Mega Charizard Y's Overheat in the sun (along with bulkier Modest Charizard's Overheat) without Assault Vest. The rest is dumped into Attack to 2HKO 4 HP Mega Kangaskhan with Drain Punch. Alternatively, Scrafty can run an Adamant nature and maximum Attack investment to 2HKO Mega Kangaskhan that have 252 HP EVs, but this makes Scrafty less bulky. The change in bulk is less noticeable with Assault Vest, however. When using Scrafty with speed control, use 52 Speed EVs to outspeed Jolly Garchomp with Tailwind, 28 Speed EVs to outspeed Adamant Bisharp with Icy Wind, and a Sassy or Brave nature with 0 Speed IVs with Trick Room. 20 Speed EVs allow Scrafty to outspeed Modest Aegislash and other base 60 Speed Pokemon regardless of speed control and Taunt them before they set up a Substitute or use other annoying moves. Usage Tips It's generally a good idea to lead with Scrafty because of the utility of Fake Out and Intimidate, though you may want to think twice if you see Milotic or Bisharp in Team Preview. Fake Out is great to create free turns for Scrafty's partner and Intimidate provides great team support, but Scrafty can become a sitting duck rather quickly. Switch it in and out to refresh both of them and be aware of when Scrafty isn't doing much so that you can make more effective switches. Team Options Fake Out is an amazing move when paired with Substitute or Trick Room. Mega Metagross, Heatran, and Aegislash have great defensive synergy with Scrafty and can easily set up Substitutes when threats such as Landorus-T are preoccupied with Fake Out. The same goes for Trick Room; Jellicent, Cresselia, and Gothitelle all appreciate Scrafty's support options, though you should be careful about being too passive when leading with Cresselia and Scrafty. Of course, Fake Out and Intimidate are universally appreciated. For example, Tailwind users such as Suicune and Talonflame can set up Tailwind more easily, and physically frail sweepers such as Mega Charizard Y, Mega Gardevoir, and Sylveon enjoy both Intimidate and Fake Out. You can run another Intimidate user if you're confident that Defiant won't be a problem. Mega Manectric and Landorus-T can switch out with Volt Switch and U-turn, respectively, making it possible to trigger Intimidate three times in one turn. Gyarados can set up Dragon Dances more easily with Fake Out support, as well. Type synergy to reuse Scrafty's Intimidate is important as well, and Pokemon such as Mega Mawile, Mega Gengar, Rotom-W, Thundurus, and Zapdos all make for great options for type synergy. Other Options Snarl may have obscenely low damage output considering it has roughly 61 Base Power after STAB and spread damage reduction and runs off of Scrafty's base 45 Special Attack, but it lowers the Special Attack of threats such as Heatran and Aegislash and can even hit through Substitutes to further annoy opponents. Quick Guard helps against priority attacks such as Scizor's Bullet Punch, Talonflame's Brave Bird, and Thundurus's Thunder Wave, but it can't guard against most other Fake Out users such as Kangaskhan under normal conditions because of Scrafty's low Speed and the fact that Quick Guard and Fake Out share the same priority. Super Fang keeps Scrafty useful after it gets burned or Intimidated, shaving off half of the foe's health. This can be especially helpful against bulkier Pokemon such as Suicune, but be aware that you may trigger a Sitrus Berry if the foe has an even HP stat. Detect can be used over Protect to avoid Imprison disabling it. However, it has fewer PP and Scrafty likes to hang around for a while, so more PP in most matches is more worthwhile than preparing for the incredibly rare Imprison. In terms of offense, Scrafty has a lot of options, though in many cases there are other Pokemon that perform the role of bulky attacker better, such as Hariyama. High Jump Kick and Low Kick lack the recovery factor that Drain Punch has, but they help Scrafty KO Kangaskhan more efficiently. However, they suffer from inconsistent damage output otherwise. Stone Edge and Poison Jab are coverage options for Flying-types and Fairy-types, respectively, though their damage outputs are still low and Scrafty might be better off just letting a partner handle such threats.

Set Description Fake Out allows Scrafty to freely damage most Pokemon and bypass Sturdy from Pokemon like Magnezone and Sawk. High Jump Kick is Scrafty's strongest STAB attack and allows it to beat many common threats such as Slaking, Heatran, and Tyranitar. It is also Scrafty's strongest option against neutral targets. Payback is used over Crunch due to Scrafty's low Speed stat, which allows Scrafty to underspeed Choice Scarf Cresselia even after Cresselia uses Trick. Counter, Chople Berry, and Intimidate beat physical Fighting-types such as Sawk, Mienshao, and opposing Scrafty. EVs Maximum HP and 84 Special Defense EVs allow Scrafty to survive a Dragon Gem Latios's Draco Meteor and OHKO back with Payback. The rest of the EVs are dumped into Attack to maximize Scrafty's damage. Usage Tips Fake Out allows Scrafty to break Magnezone and Sawk's Sturdy, and High Jump Kick and Counter can OHKO them. Against physical Fighting-types, such as Mienshao, Conkeldurr, Hariyama, and opposing Scrafty, it is always advisable to use Fake Out into Counter. However, Bulk Up variants can still beat Scrafty. Against Conkeldurr, after using Fake Out, it is important to then use Counter. If Conkeldurr attacks with Hammer Arm, Counter wins. However, if Conkeldurr uses Mach Punch, using High Jump Kick on the third turn is a favorable damage roll. Scrafty also has a decent matchup against Snorlax. However, it is important to play around the possibility of Counter by using Payback after Fake Out, as this allows Scrafty to always OHKO with High Jump Kick after. However, this strategy does fail against Belly Drum Snorlax; if you suspect Belly Drum, use High Jump Kick on turn two.

Scrafty is one of only three Fake Out users available in VGC 2011, and as the slowest user of the move, it is most suited for a role in Trick Room teams. Fake Out will incapacitate an opponent for the first turn of the match, making it easier for your partner to twist the dimensions. Drain Punch is the first of Scrafty's offensive options that provides unresisted coverage alongside its coverage moves. Drain Punch also allows Scrafty to recover health and survive longer with its good bulk. Crunch is the second move in its offensive arsenal and an all-round safe option that complements Drain Punch and works off of Scrafty's secondary STAB. The final moveslot will depend on the rest of your team's need. Detect is always useful in Doubles; Ice Punch provides Scrafty with even better coverage, and gives it a reliable way to hit all three genies and other threats, such as Druddigon and Amoonguss, super effectively; Rock Slide can be useful in Trick Room if you enjoy abusing its 30% flinch rate and will still hit two of the genies super effectively, and also leave a huge dent in Volcarona. The choice of item is dependent on your playstyle. Chople Berry will give Scrafty some protection against Conkeldurr's Mach Punch, whereas Life Orb will provide you with some handy KOs on Pokemon, such as Chandelure and Jellicent, who can be EVed to survive Scrafty's Crunch without Life Orb. While Shed Skin can be a useful ability to save Scrafty from status, Moxie is generally the superior option as Scrafty has an uncanny ability to stick around for many turns, and therefore is happy to make use of the Attack boosts it is capable of getting with its great coverage. Within Trick Room, Scrafty can make use of Fling + Iron Ball. Iron Ball reduces Scrafty's Speed to 28 with 0 Speed IV, which will outspeed popular Trick Room Pokemon, such as Conkeldurr, Amoonguss, and Musharna, when Trick Room is in effect. It's also worth noting that Fling will OHKO 252/0 Jellicent. You may want to consider running Zen Headbutt in the third slot to hit Conkeldurr and Amoonguss super effectively. It also comes with a useful 20% flinch chance. Scrafty also functions well outside of Trick Room, although you may want to invest in some Speed EVs in order to outpace some common threats outside of Trick Room. With an Adamant nature and 20 Speed EVs, Scrafty can outspeed neutral natured Jellicent with no investment in Speed EV. 60 EVs will allow Scrafty to outspeed neutral-natured Chandelure with no Speed EV investment. If you would like to use Scrafty on a Tailwind team, 116 Speed EVs allows Scrafty to outspeed all non-boosted Pokemon but Accelgor when Tailwind is in effect. Focus Sash can be used to save Scrafty from powerful Acrobatics and Bug Buzzes from the likes of Tornadus and Volcarona, respectively. Scrafty fears Fighting types, especially Conkeldurr who manages to outspeed Scrafty even in Trick Room. Having a Fighting-type resist to switch in or a Pokemon that can KO Conkeldurr is helpful, such as Musharna, who can deal a heavy hit with STAB Psychic as well as set up Trick Room. Scrafty also fears Flying-type attacks from Pokemon such as Tornadus and Archeops. A Pokemon that can take care of these, such as Eelektross is a great teammate. Scrafty's role is usually to support a set-up Pokemon, and then hammer away once it has achieved that role. Trick Room users, in general, are happy to receive this support.

This is Scrafty's best set, which both takes advantage of and helps to set up, with Fake Out, Trick Room. Drain Punch is Scrafty's Fighting STAB of choice, keeping it healthy and dealing hefty amounts of damage, especially after a Moxie boost. Crunch is the best move for the third slot, seeing as it receives STAB and provides great neutral coverage with Drain Punch. Chople Berry is the main item, protecting Scrafty from the Fighting-type moves most opponents use in hopes of KOing Scrafty. However, if you have a spare Sitrus Berry, that would help keep Scrafty in tip-top condition as well. If you need a little more power behind your attacks (and to help keep Scrafty's pants up), Expert Belt helps Scrafty secure crucial OHKOs and 2HKOs that it could not do with Chople Berry without a Moxie boost. The following are examples of Expert Belt's utility: Crunch vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Cresselia: 53.74% - 64.32% Crunch vs. 4 HP/4 Def Latios: 107.69% - 128.85% Drain Punch vs. 252 HP Abomasnow: 85.28% - 102.03% Drain Punch vs. 252 HP Tyranitar: 117.87% - 141.06% Scrafty is one of those Pokemon that doesn't need much support, but it is always appreciated. Scrafty hates strong Fighting-types, even with Chople Berry, so pairing it up with a Psychic- or Ghost-type Trick Room user is a good idea. Reuniclus, Cresselia, Slowking, Slowbro, Chandelure, and Dusclops are just a few examples of good partners in that regard. Scrafty can also make use of Politoed's Drizzle, which keeps hail and sandstorm from sapping Scrafty's HP, but such support isn't required.

This is a sample set. We aren't working on BW Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out BW Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

Scrafty has a solid niche in the metagame, having access to the rare combination of Intimidate and Fake Out alongside good bulk and offensive coverage that lets it cover a unique combination of common Pokemon in the tier, such as Tyranitar and Jellicent. Scrafty's poor damage output, however, is a major downside, oftentimes missing KOs even on super effective hits. Added on to this is a susceptibility to Intimidate, meaning that Scrafty can find itself providing little utility after the initial Fake Out and Intimidate. Fake Out can generate pressure and opportunities for Scrafty's teammate, allowing it to set up Trick Room or Substitute more easily. Drain Punch is a reliable STAB attack with the added benefit of recovering some health. Low Kick more often has a higher Base Powder, allowing Scrafty to dish out more damage against heavier Pokemon such as Kyurem-B and Heatran. Notably, Low Kick OHKOes non-Chople Berry Tyranitar. Crunch is Scrafty's strongest Dark-type STAB move, giving it a high chance to 2HKO Jellicent. Taunt can be used to give Scrafty additional utility, allowing it to shut down support Pokemon such as Amoonguss and Jellicent. Sitrus Berry is the preferred item to increase Scrafty's longevity. The EV spread allows Scrafty to tank Dragon Gem Latios's Draco Meteor twice in a row while the remaining Attack investment allows it to still 2HKO key targets such as Tyranitar and Heatran. Scrafty's utility comes from Intimidate and Fake Out, so it switches in and out often. Despite its low damage output, Scrafty's damage can still rack up if left unchecked, especially since it can be difficult to knock out thanks to Intimidate and its natural bulk. Scrafty is common on Trick Room teams, as its unique skillset synergizes well with the needs of such teams. Cresselia and Jellicent are two common Trick Room setters that benefit from Intimidate and Scrafty threatening Latios and Tyranitar. Fake Out can also allow Cresselia and Jellicent to set up Trick Room easier. Latios is another excellent teammate, as it can benefit from Fake Out neutralizing a faster foe, such as Choice Scarf Kyurem-B, for a turn, allowing Latios to KO it. Additionally, Scrafty can threaten common Latios answers such as Tyranitar and Kyurem-B. It forms a solid Intimidate core with Landorus-T, neutralizing the opponent's physical attackers. Additionally, Landorus-T and Scrafty can control the pace of the battle, as Landorus-T pivots into a more favorable teammate, while Scrafty generates free turns with Fake Out. Instead of Detect or Taunt, Super Fang is an option to damage bulkier Pokemon such as Thundurus and Gastrodon. Ice Punch is another option that does solid damage to Landorus-T and Thundurus. Helping Hand boosts the power of Scrafty's partner, thereby slightly mitigating its own low damage output.