Serperior [Standard]

Serperior	Regal Pokémon	Contrary
	2x 1x 1/2x	HP 75 260-354 Atk 75 139-273 Def 95 175-317 SpA 75 139-273 SpD 95 175-317 Spe 113 207-357
	Overgrow	---

Overview:
When Black and White first came out Serperior was on almost every dreamworld team, the new car smell was a big factor, but the real reason it was so popular was that its counters hadn't become popular yet. Heatran and Ferrothorn were hardly used and the dragons weren't viable counters. Now Serperior is still very powerful. The only difference is it has to be played more carefully as most teams will have at least 1 check or counter to it. Overall Serperior is one of the least appreciated broken sweepers in the current standard metagame.


Sets:
Choice Scarf
Breakdown (Serperior) (M) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Contrary
EVs: 252 Spd / 4 HP / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Leaf Storm
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Dragon Pulse
- Reflect
This is one of the most broken sweepers in the game. He is counterable, but if he's not revealed until his counters are dead or at ultra low health it will sweep provided leaf storm doesn't miss. Leaf storm could be it's only move and it would still work, this is because each time Serperior uses Leaf Storm his Special Attack goes up by two stages, after 1 turn of leaf storm serperior is able to kill the majority of pokemon after rocks. It's after 3 that he reaches +6 and is unstoppable by weakened teams. You need something to use if they have something that quad resists grass and it needs something to use once Leaf Storm runs out of PP. The most common Pokemon Serperior needs coverage against are Scizor, Ferrothorn, Heatran, Dragonite, Skarmory, Salamence, Venusaur, and Amoonguss. Which of those Serperior needs to cover depend on his team mates. His Hidden Power should always be Fire, Ice or Ground. Dragon Pulse was introduced in BW2 as a Tutor move, Dragon and Fire are near perfect coverage, resisted by only Heatran. Prior to it's introduction Serperior ran dual Grass STAB. Giga Drain was useful to gain back HP or just guarantee not to miss in late game against things weak enough to be killed by it. The final move is a toss up between Reflect, Light Screen, Giga Drain, and Wring Out. Reflect is usually the best option because it lets Seperior prevent physical sweepers from decimating his entire team. If his team is very specially frail he can run light screen instead. Giga Drain is kind of a relic, it doesn't have much of a place now that Serperior gets Dragon Pulse. Wring Out is often used but really never should be. Its power weakens as your opponent's health lowers, as it can't OHKO anything it basically can't kill anything at all. 113 base speed means Serperior should always be timid, if it had 115 it would be viable modest, but at 113 it needs to be timid to outspeed everything between Ninetales and Tornadus.

Wring Out Damage Calculations

Spoiler:

Choice Specs
Breakdown (Serperior) (M) @ Choice Specs
Trait: Contrary
EVs: 252 Spd / 4 HP / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Leaf Storm
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Dragon Pulse
- Giga Drain

Choice Specs Serperior can actually kill things from full health with its coverage moves. That's the main advantage aside from added wall breaking ability. Since Serperior isn't able to to outspeed the fastest threats in the game with a specs set, Reflect and Light Screen are no longer recommended. Giga Drain can potentially be swapped for Wring Out, but Wring Out is still crappy.

Life Orb
Breakdown (Serperior) (F) @ Life Orb
Trait: Contrary
EVs: 252 Spd / 4 HP / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Leaf Storm
- Hidden Power [Ground]
- Giga Drain
- Taunt

Life Orb Serperior doesn't break walls, it tears down the Berlin wall with no hands. Serperior's most common counters utterly fail to this set. Heatran Switches in giving Serperior +2 on the first turn, then gets OHKO'd by Hidden Power Ground. Chansey and Blissey give it +2 on the switch then get taunted when they try to use status, from there the combination of Leaf Storm to boost and Giga Drain to heal make Chansey and Blissey little more than set up fodder. Serperior's passable natural bulk allows it not to be OHKO'd at 90% health by most things that outspeed it so it can usually kill those when they're brought in on it too. This set is rarely run but it's much more reliable than the scarfed set and is arguably just plain better.

Leftovers
Breakdown (Serperior) (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Contrary
EVs: 252 Spd / 4 HP / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Leaf Storm
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Dragon Pulse
- Giga Drain

Leftovers Serperior is slightly less "wide open" than Life Orb, with Life Orb Serperior finds itself dancing around the 8% HP mark too often. Leftovers can be just enough to provide Serperior users that safe feeling they want. Without life orb or the need to specifically counter certain threats Serperior can run it's most complete coverage options, and no longer requires taunt as it will just switch out against high health Chanseys and Blisseys. Dragon Pulse is relatively untested on this set but it there's nothing to be surprised by when using it. Either of the last moves can be switched for Light Screen Reflect or Wring out (Which is actually usable once you have a boost).

Spoiler:

Checks and Counters:
The one Pokemon that always counters Serperior is Amoonguss. Scarfed Chandelure and Banded Scizor are both checks, however Scizor only checks Serperior at low health. Other counters depend on the set. Scarfed and Specs Serperior are countered by Heatran, and checked by Chansey, Blissey, and Skarmory. Life orb Serperior is countered by dragons in general and checked by Scarfed Bounce Gyarados. Leftovers Serperior is Countered by Heatran and Checked by Blissey, and Chansey.

Teammates:
Serperior's Teammates should be able to take out it's checks and counters. Magnezone is extremely useful, being able to revenge Heatran, Scizor and Skarmory reliably. Ice types like Weavile and Mamoswine work well taking out Dragons and other checks. Scarfed Terrakion helps by killing Chansey, Blissey, Salamence, and Volcarona, which makes it a great partner sweeper. Heatran is a good switch to deal with Volcarona, a counter to most Serperiors. Other than that just do what you do with any team. Serperior isn't too tricky to use, and doesn't require much support in team building. The support comes more from killing it's checks than anything else.

Merge Leftovers and Life Orb together to get this (also, I am pretty sure that all starter pokemon do not get females with their DW ability):


Breakdown (Serperior) @ Life Orb
Trait: Contrary
EVs: 252 Spd / 4 HP / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Leaf Storm
- Hidden Power [Ground] / Hidden Power [Fire]
- Giga Drain
- Taunt / Dragon Pulse

Leftovers can be used if you do not like the recoil, but Life Orb allows Serperior to nail some key KOs on the opponent, not to mention that you have Giga Drain.

Also, Magnezone cannot revenge Heatran reliably; Magnezone generally carries HP Fire or HP Ice, and Heatran can take a Thunderbolt with its base 106 Sp Def. Also, Heatran can easily use a Fire Blast on Magnezone to severely hurt it. Magnezone can take out Scizor and Skarmory, but not Heatran. Also, against Gyarados, Serperior can just switch out on the Bounce, not to mention that Gyarados hardly ever runs Bounce on a Choice set. Since Serperior A) outruns Jirachi, and B) generally runs HP Fire or HP Ground instead of HP Ice, only ScarfRachi is a good check, but not against Scarf Serperior.

In Teammates, Terrakion should be mentioned, because Terrakion can handle Heatran, Chansey, and Blissey. Speaking of Chansey can Blissey, they can use Heal Bell on Serperior if Ammoonguss constantly annoys his team. Heatran is also a great partner, being able to check Volcarona, who would make Serperior's life a living hell. Heatran can also supply Stealth Rocks to cripple the flaming moth.

I am not exactly sure on how the rules on these forums are, but I really feel the need to post my comments here.

Cake Is Lie wrote:

Merge Leftovers and Life Orb together to get this (also, I am pretty sure that all starter pokemon do not get females with their DW ability):


Breakdown (Serperior) @ Life Orb
Trait: Contrary
EVs: 252 Spd / 4 HP / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Leaf Storm
- Hidden Power [Ground] / Hidden Power [Fire]
- Giga Drain
- Taunt / Dragon Pulse

Our analysis Format is such that we don't use slashes in our movesets, they're meant to completely importable. And these sets are completely different, there's no point in merging them.

Cake Is Lie wrote:

Leftovers can be used if you do not like the recoil, but Life Orb allows Serperior to nail some key KOs on the opponent, not to mention that you have Giga Drain.

This is not information you wouldn't have got from the analysis already.

Cake Is Lie wrote:

Also, Magnezone cannot revenge Heatran reliably; Magnezone generally carries HP Fire or HP Ice, and Heatran can take a Thunderbolt with its base 106 Sp Def.

If it's specifically on your team to counter Heatran, it has Hidden Power Ground.

Cake Is Lie wrote:

Also, against Gyarados, Serperior can just switch out on the Bounce, not to mention that Gyarados hardly ever runs Bounce on a Choice set. Since Serperior A) outruns Jirachi, and B) generally runs HP Fire or HP Ground instead of HP Ice, only ScarfRachi is a good check, but not against Scarf Serperior.

I see you're using your reading comprehension here. I said Life Orb Serperior was checked by it, Whether or not it counters scarfed Serperior is irrelevant. The Jirachi comment was a jab at my hatred of Jirachi, and should be taken out, not because it's not true, but because Jirachi is now Uber.

Cake Is Lie wrote:

In Teammates, Terrakion should be mentioned, because Terrakion can handle Heatran, Chansey, and Blissey. Speaking of Chansey can Blissey, they can use Heal Bell on Serperior if Ammoonguss constantly annoys his team. Heatran is also a great partner, being able to check Volcarona, who would make Serperior's life a living hell. Heatran can also supply Stealth Rocks to cripple the flaming moth.

I am not exactly sure on how the rules on these forums are, but I really feel the need to post my comments here.

All those team mate's sound good, I'll add them. Except Chansey and Blissey, those don't help Serp anymore than they help anything else.

You did the right thing by posting here. That's a much better idea than bitching about it to Frost.