Kabutops Movesets & Competitive Sets

Moves Waterfall is the primary STAB move, which is boosted under rain and is capable of OHKOing most offensive Pokemon. Stone Edge is the secondary STAB attack and has excellent coverage alongside Waterfall. Swords Dance allows Kabutops to boost its already good Attack, but Rapid Spin can also be used if necessary, providing utility at the cost of power. However, Swords Dance is preferred because a +2 Waterfall in the rain OHKOes Skarmory after Stealth Rock. Low Kick is an awesome move for dealing with Pokemon that resist Kabutops's STAB types, such as Ferrothorn, but Aqua Jet is good for revenge killing. Set Details 252 Attack and Speed EVs maximize Kabutops's offensive potential. Life Orb provides a significant power boost at the cost of some HP. An Adamant nature provides a power boost, as a Jolly nature only allows Kabutops to beat Choice Scarf Terrakion, which can be handled by Aqua Jet. Usage Tips Kabutops is free to sweep when its counters or checks are taken out or weakened. If your Politoed must be sacrificed, be sure that you can bring Kabutops out straight after. Under normal circumstances, rain lasts just long enough for Kabutops to sweep, but only if brought out right after rain is set up. Kabutops functions even better as a sweeper after a boost from Swords Dance. The best times to use Swords Dance is when Kabutops can force out the opponent, such as when against Charizard Y, or when it can finish them off with an Aqua Jet, which is a situation where you can predict them to switch. If at any given time Kabutops needs to switch out to avoid being OHKOed, switch it out, even if it means losing the last turns of rain. Team Options Politoed is one of the best Pokemon you could ever team Kabutops up with, and for one sole reason: Drizzle. Drizzle causes rain to start when Politoed switches in, and rain is necessary for Kabutops to function. Tornadus is also a great rain setter, as it has access to priority Rain Dance due to Prankster. Most Stealth Rock setters can work well with Kabutops, as it slowly weakens the opposing team and knocks certain Pokemon into KO range. Mega Scizor works well with Kabutops under rain due to the fact that Fire-type moves are weakened, and Mega Scizor has decent special bulk. Latios also works well with Kabutops, as it can beat many Pokemon that mess with its rain offense. Rotom-W is immune to Earthquake, which threatens Kabutops, and provides the utility of Volt Switch, as well as also getting a huge boost from the rain when using Hydro Pump. Lastly, Kingdra breaks many walls Kabutops has trouble with, and works well with Swift Swim as well, forming an offensive rain core.

Moves Rapid Spin provides great team support for Pokemon weak to Stealth Rock. Stone Edge is a very strong STAB move that hits Grass-, Flying-, and Ice-types very hard. Waterfall is Kabutops's other strong STAB move, and it hits bulky Ground- and Fighting-types such as Rhyperior and Hitmontop. Superpower enables Kabutops to prevent Pokemon such as Scrafty from setting up and to hit Steel-types very hard on the switch; it can also catch Virizion or Seismitoad off-guard for some nice damage. Aqua Jet can be used to hit fast Fire-types such Delphox and Houndoom. Knock Off could also be utilized as a more accurate way to threaten Ghost-types than Stone Edge and also to remove items from bulky Pokemon that switch into Kabutops, such as Alomomola. Set Details This set focuses on Kabutops's offensive prowess as well as its ability to support the team with Rapid Spin. A Jolly nature and maximum Speed investment help it outspeed as many Pokemon as possible, such as Adamant Hitmonlee and Modest Meloetta, and also gives it more chances to spin to help teammates weak to entry hazards. An Adamant nature can be used to give it a significant boost in power but hinders its Speed, which means it would be able to spin against fewer Pokemon. Weak Armor is preferred over Swift Swim unless Kabutops is used on a dedicated rain team. The ability allows it to tank a hit with its decent Defense from the likes of Sneasel and Mega Glalie and outspeed them the turn after. Life Orb gives a boost to all of Kabutops's moves. Usage Tips Kabutops is best used on a team that needs entry hazard removal as well as a Pokemon that resists Fire- and Flying-type moves. It's best to use Kabutops early- and mid-game to pressure the opponent's walls with very strong STAB moves and to remove any entry hazards. It is extremely important to spin hazards away for teammates that would otherwise be crippled by them. If running Aqua Jet, Kabutops can revenge kill Fire-types such as Delphox and Houndoom with ease. Team Options Any Pokemon that appreciate entry hazards being removed, such as the Ice- and Fire-types in the tier, pair well with Kabutops. These Ice- and Fire-types, such as Mega Glalie, Delphox, and Fletchinder, can remove the bulky Grass-types that Kabutops has trouble with in return. Grass-types, such as Virizion and Rotom-C, make for good teammates, as they have great defensive synergy with Kabutops, covering its Electric, Grass, and Ground weaknesses. Any Thunder Wave user can help Kabutops outspeed foes and use Rapid Spin on them or KO them later in the game. Other entry hazard setters, such as Accelgor or any Sticky Web user, synergize well with Kabutops, as Rapid Spin doesn't remove their entry hazards, unlike Defog. If Kabutops is running Swift Swim, other Swift Swim users could be paired with it, such as Ludicolo and Seismitoad, to form an offensive rain core.

Although a support set may seem odd for a Pokemon with such excellent offenses, Kabutops has all the tools needed to successfully pull it off. While its Rock / Water typing leaves it susceptible to Grass-, Fighting-, and Ground-type attacks, Kabutops does have useful resistances to Fire-, Ice-, and Flying-type moves. The 4x Fire-type resistance is especially helpful when dealing with Arcanine and Victini, two prominent physical threats in UU. Kabutops also provides further team support by spinning away hazards or setting up Stealth Rock, and has some key advantages over other users of this combo, such as Claydol, which has practically no offensive presence and thus becomes easy set-up fodder for spinblockers such as Mismagius. Kabutops can hammer Mismagius on the switch with Waterfall and KO it with Aqua Jet, taking advantage of its poor Defense and also outspeeding its Substitutes or attacks. It must be mentioned though that Kabutops will rarely be able to run both Waterfall and Aqua Jet on this set, as it badly needs the additional coverage offered by Stone Edge or Rock Slide. Water-type STAB is also helpful for hitting Golurk, whose partial Ground typing ensures that it won't enjoy the super effective move. Stone Edge is another offensive option for Kabutops, eliminating the Flying- and Ice-types that may get in the way, but its accuracy may prove disappointing; Rock Slide is a viable alternative, though the power drop is significant. Since Kabutops has a Fighting weakness, Pokemon that resist it, such as Gligar, make great partners. Unfortunately, Kabutops and Gligar share a Grass-type weakness, so Pokemon such as Roserade are good partners. Roserade also provides Spikes support, which complements Kabutops's Stealth Rock nicely. Offensive versions of Shaymin are also good partners, as they will appreciate hazard support and resist Grass-type moves. Since Hitmontop spins away Stealth Rock and threatens Kabutops with STAB Fighting-type moves, offensive Psychic-types such as Azelf are good partners. They must watch out for Sucker Punch, however. The EV spread is rather specialized: 68 Attack EVs ensure that Kabutops OHKOes Victini (and, by extension, non-Intimidate Arcanine) with Stone Edge after Stealth Rock damage, while the defensive investment allows it to comfortably survive both a Life Orb Fusion Bolt and a Life Orb Close Combat from Victini and Arcanine, respectively. This makes Kabutops a great check to these Fire-types, as it resists their primary STAB move and will not fall easily to their coverage moves. Speed EVs are certainly viable, but hardly any Pokemon that outspeed Kabutops threaten it, and such a change would take away from Kabutops's bulk. The ability is a toss-up, but also a relatively unimportant issue. Swift Swim takes advantage of opposing Rain Dance teams, while Battle Armor is useful to prevent critical hits, but such an ability is not particularly useful on Kabutops, which can neither boost its defenses nor recover HP.

This set focuses on using rain support and Swords Dance to double Kabutops's Speed and Attack stats, allowing it to easily tear apart unprepared teams with its great dual STAB. Waterfall is the most reliable Water-type move in its arsenal, hitting a wide range of threats hard after the Swords Dance and rain boosts. Stone Edge allows Kabutops to hit opposing Water-, Grass-, and Dragon-types that resist Waterfall for neutral damage. This combo is enough to dent everything except Ferroseed and Quagsire, both of which tank the Water / Rock offensive combination with ease. Aqua Jet earns a place in the last slot for a variety of reasons: even if it is raining, Kabutops can circumvent its low Speed and attempt a late-game sweep as long as it has already nabbed a Swords Dance boost. The priority is also good insurance against revenge killing, allowing Kabutops to hit opponents hard before they can attack. Be sure to remember the power difference between Aqua Jet and Waterfall, however, and resist the urge to use it in situations where Kabutops comfortably outspeeds its opponent. The EVs provide the maximum Speed possible, as chances are you may occasionally need Kabutops outside of rain. Its base 80 Speed is usable, tying with other base 80s such as Togekiss. 252 Attack EVs ensure Kabutops will hit as hard as possible, both before and after a Swords Dance boost. The choice of a Jolly or Adamant nature is clear with rain support: Adamant for maximum power, while Jolly is viable if you want extra insurance outside of rain, outpacing Adamant Heracross and standard Arcanine. If you don't intend to provide Kabutops with rain support, an EV spread of 72 HP / 252 Atk / 184 Spe with Weak Armor is certainly viable, as after being hit by a physical move, Kabutops will be able to outspeed notable threats such as Zapdos and Mew and KO them (though some prior damage may be required). Such an approach is less favorable, however, both because it is situational and the fact that Kabutops is frail. Pokemon that set up Rain Dance are the primary teammates for Kabutops, as the rain boosts both its power and Speed. Accelgor is a great partner in this regard, as it has an extremely fast Rain Dance and resists the Grass-, Fighting-, and Ground-type moves that Kabutops is weak to. Furthermore, the ninja bug can use U-turn to gain momentum for Kabutops to take advantage of. Amoonguss is another great choice, as it 4x resists Grass-type moves and has its Fire-type weakness covered by Kabutops. It is also bulky enough to set up Rain Dance multiple times, benefits from the rain by having the aforementioned Fire-type weakness removed, and has Spore to do one of two things: put the opponent to sleep and set up Rain Dance safely, or summon the storms first, sleep the opponent, and give Kabutops a free switch-in. Offensively, Kingdra is a good partner, as it can smash holes in the opponent's team with its own powerful dual STAB and clear the way for Kabutops to sweep. Ludicolo gets a mention too, as it eliminates most of the physical walls that Kabutops has trouble getting past with its powerful special attacks. To get an idea of how fearsome Kabutops is in the rain, take the following into account: Grass-types such as Roserade and Shaymin, which originally outspeed and KO Kabutops, are swiftly KOed by a +2 Adamant Life Orb Stone Edge. Unaware Quagsire with a physically defensive spread is KOed by Adamant Life Orb- and rain-boosted Waterfall as well, and cannot damage Kabutops significantly, even with Earthquake. Hitmontop takes 93.8% - 110.5% from a +1 (after Intimidate) Adamant Life Orb Waterfall, and is hardly strong enough to KO with Mach Punch alone. Unaware Quagsire and Water Absorb variants (if Kabutops doesn't have a boost already) are some of the best counters to Kabutops as long as there is no rain; physically defensive versions will laugh at Stone Edge and Waterfall. Roserade is therefore a good partner, as it can set up Spikes to ease Kabutops's KOs and eliminate Quagsire with its STAB Grass-type attacks. It also has decent synergy with Kabutops, 4x resisting the Grass-type moves directed at the shellfish while Kabutops can take the Flying- and Fire-type attacks directed at Roserade. That said, opposing Grass-types, especially bulky ones such as Shaymin and Ferroseed, are troubling. They take little damage from either of Kabutops's STABs, and set up on or force Kabutops out. If you aren't using rain support, strong Fire-types such as Arcanine and Rotom-H are good for taking these out. Otherwise, strong Ice-types, such as Weavile, and Flying-types, such as Crobat, are better choices. These partners (bar Rotom-H) will in turn leave you walled by most bulky Water-types, so Electric-types such as Zapdos and Raikou are useful teammates as well. The ability to scout with Volt Switch is especially helpful, as it seizes the momentum and augments Kabutops's offensive pressure.

Life Orb is the preferred item due to the drastic increase of power it provides, although Lum Berry is also an option in order to evade status and avoid taking recoil damage from Life Orb. Waterfall is Kabutops's main STAB move, as the boost from rain makes it effectively a 120 Base Power move. Stone Edge also provides excellent coverage, and can shred Lugia, a Pokemon most physical attackers generally have a hard time taking on. Low Kick rounds out the coverage by smashing apart Dialga and Ferrothorn, two common Pokemon that resist its STABs. Rapid Spin is an excellent move to place in the fourth slot to remove the omnipresent Spikes and Stealth Rock, which can pave the way for a late-game sweep by a teammate. Due to the strength of its attacks, Kabutops can severely damage Giratina-O and Arceus-Ghost, paving a pathway for Rapid Spin. Keep in mind that Kabutops is quite frail, however, and will likely be knocked out if the opponent stays in, so use with extreme care. Aqua Jet can be used to OHKO Choice Scarf Terrakion and +2 Blaziken in the rain, both of which can otherwise outspeed Kabutops and KO it in return. Kabutops can take advantage of the switches it is capable of forcing in order to nab a turn to use Swords Dance, allowing it to tear into the opponent's team. However, finding the time to set up can be pretty tricky, and Kabutops can still be phazed by extremely bulky physical walls, such as Giratina, even at +2 and will still be revenge killed by the same threats it normally would be even with the extra Attack. Since Kabutops outspeeds nearly every commonly used threat in Ubers in the rain, an Adamant nature is preferred in order to deal more damage. However, a Jolly nature is also an option in order to outspeed Choice Scarf Terrakion while it is raining. However, it should be noted that Timid Choice Scarf Shaymin-S and Timid Choice Scarf Darkrai both still outspeed Kabutops in the rain. A simple 252 Atk / 252 Spe spread is used in order to make Kabutops as threatening as possible, with 4 EVs in Defense in order to take physical priority moves slightly better. X-Scissor is an option on this set as it allows Kabutops to reliably kill Arceus-Grass in the rain at +2, without having to rely on Stone Edge's shaky accuracy. Aqua Jet is also an option for revenge killing Blaziken. Rock Slide is an option over Stone Edge for its accuracy and chance for a flinch, but the power loss is noticeable. Conversely, Aqua Tail can be used over Waterfall for more power at the cost of accuracy. It cannot be stressed enough that Kyogre should be paired with Kabutops. Kabutops is useless without rain support, but with it Kabutops is a monster. As both Pokemon share weaknesses to Grass- and Electric-type moves it is recommended that a Pokemon that can resist both types be partnered with them. Ferrothorn loves having its Fire-type weakness removed in the rain and can set up entry hazards for its team while sponging Grass- and Electric-type attacks thrown at Kyogre and Kabutops. Rayquaza nullifies Swift Swim with its Air Lock ability, so a teammate that can handle it is appreciated. Both Gyro Ball Ferrothorn and Choice Scarf Palkia can take out a Rayquaza that has locked itself into Outrage. Ferrothorn can also paralyze Rayquaza with Thunder Wave, allowing Kabutops to kill it before it can move. Bronzong can also take on mixed Rayquaza with the aid of prediction, allowing it to set up dual screens for the team, which also makes it easier for Kabutops to get off a Swords Dance. If Low Kick is not being used Magnezone can trap and kill Ferrothorn while also benefiting from access to perfect-accuracy Thunder. Wobbuffet, thanks to Shadow Tag, can also give Kabutops opportunities to set up thanks to Encore combined with Tickle or Safeguard, depending on the situation. Wobbuffet can also remove faster Choice Scarf Pokemon.

Kabutops can also run a Choice Band set successfully, as it can 2HKO at worst a large portion of the Ubers metagame. Waterfall is Kabutops's strongest move in rain, with the exception of Aqua Tail if accuracy is not a concern. Stone Edge has excellent coverage and is Kabutops's strongest move when it isn't raining. Low Kick allows a 2HKO on Ferrothorn, who is otherwise a serious threat. X-Scissor is a reliable 2HKO on Arceus-Grass, preventing it from switching in safely. Aqua Jet can be used instead in order to revenge kill Blaziken and Choice Scarf Terrakion. An Adamant nature is far more important here than it is for the Swords Dance set, as Kabutops sorely needs the power it provides, although Jolly is still an option in order to get the jump on Choice Scarf Terrakion. Attack and Speed are maximized in order to make Kabutops as threatening as possible. The rest of the EVs are dumped into Defense in order to take physical priority moves slightly more effectively. Aqua Tail can be used over Waterfall for more power at the cost of accuracy and the chance of a flinch. The reverse is true when deciding whether to use Rock Slide over Stone Edge, which trades power for 90% accuracy and a 30% flinch rate. However, using Rock Slide is not recommended as it misses the 2HKO on Giratina-O that Stone Edge provides. Rapid Spin is an option in order to remove entry hazards, especially since the most common spinblockers, Giratina-O and Arceus-Ghost, are both 2HKOed by one of Kabutops's STAB moves. However, being locked into a Base 20 Power move can be fatal in Ubers, as many threats can turn the game on a dime if they get the chance to set up, so Rapid Spin should be used with care. Brick Break can be used over Low Kick in order to smash dual screens, but it misses out on the 2HKO on Ferrothorn. Once again, Kyogre support is mandatory with this set. Choice Specs Kyogre makes an excellent teammate as 4 HP Palkia cannot survive a Choice Band Stone Edge after switching in to a Choice Specs Water Spout in the rain. Entry hazard support is even more important to this set. Ferrothorn is an excellent supplier of Spikes and also resists the shared weaknesses of Kyogre and Kabutops. However, both share a weakness to Fighting-type moves, so a teammate that can take those is recommended. Arceus-Ghost carries a useful immunity to both Fighting- and Normal-type moves, allowing it to check Fighting-types while also blocking Rapid Spin, preventing Ferrothorn's layers of Spikes from going to waste. Giratina-O also does this job well, and in addition carries resistances to Grass- and Electric-type moves. Choice Scarf Palkia can revenge kill Rayquaza, who otherwise can outspeed and OHKO Kabutops with Earthquake or a strong Dragon-type move, thanks to Air Lock nullifying Swift Swim.

Waterfall provides a reliable STAB move, is boosted by rain, and has a chance to flinch, making it Kabutops's go-to move in almost any situation. Rock Slide takes advantage of Kabutops's other STAB, Rock, and hits the Pokemon who threaten Kabutops, such as Abomasnow and Zapdos, for super effective damage. Aqua Jet provides Kabutops a reliable STAB priority move, in the event that Kabutops is paralyzed or Trick Room is set up. While Kabutops's STABs give plenty of coverage, Low Kick may be used instead in order to hit weather setters, such as Tyranitar and Abomasnow, for super effective damage, as the loss of rain on the field is detrimental to Kabutops. Protect is always a useful move to have, shielding its user from damage for a turn and allowing Kabutops's partner to take out a threat gunning for it. Due to Kabutops's frailty, Focus Sash is used so Kabutops can stomach any attack. In the event Focus Sash is unavailable due to Item Clause, a Life Orb may be used instead in order to boost Kabutops's attacks at the cost of some HP every attack. However, it may be the case that both of these items are already in use due to their usefulness; a Rock Gem can be utilized instead to provide one very powerful Rock Slide. Kabutops's ability, Swift Swim, doubles its Speed when rain is falling on the field, making it Kabutops's primary ability. An Adamant nature is used as Kabutops will outspeed virtually any Pokemon in this metagame in rain; however, a Jolly nature may be used in order to outspeed opposing Kabutops. Kabutops relies heavily on rain; thus a teammate who can set up rain is crucial to Kabutops's success. Politoed is probably Kabutops' best teammate in this regard; its ability Drizzle allows it to set up eternal rain by entering the field. Ludicolo is also a strong choice, possessing two abilities that take advantage of the rain; it can Fake Out threats to give Kabutops time to eliminate them, while Kabutops's Rock Slide destroys Flying-types who ruin Ludicolo's day. Cresselia makes for a good teammate, scaring off Fighting-types with its STAB Psychic, and providing support with moves such as Helping Hand.

Moderate defensive ability and great attacking power make Kabutops a reliable lead. One of its main selling points is its ability to almost always be able to set up Stealth Rock at the beginning of the match. The most common Taunt lead, Ambipom, cannot touch Kabutops with its STAB moves and takes heavy damage in return, though you must beware of variants with Low Kick. Stone Edge is a solid attacking choice that will OHKO Moltres and 2HKO Cloyster, Qwilfish, Mesprit, and Spiritomb. A Stone Edge combined with an Aqua Jet will finish off Intimidate Arcanine and Ambipom. Aqua Jet will also handle the occasional Focus Sash lead such as Alakazam, as well as giving Kabutops the ability to revenge kill some Pokemon like Blaziken later in the game. The final slot is not as important as the first two. Rapid Spin is really what differentiates Kabutops from other suicide leads--with it, Kabutops can stop Omastar from setting up more than one layer of Spikes and get rid of the opposing lead's Stealth Rock. On the other hand, Waterfall is a solid and reliable STAB choice that doesn't have Stone Edge's accuracy issues. However, its only real use is on Hippopotas and Nidoqueen, and the utility from Rapid Spin is usually more valuable for a lead. Lum Berry will enable Kabutops to beat the Venusaur leads who try to put it to sleep on the first turn. It will also allow Kabutops to set up Stealth Rock on Uxie without fear of Thunder Wave or Yawn. On the other hand, Focus Sash will ensure that Kabutops will survive Alakazam's Focus Blast or Moltres's Hidden Power Grass and KO both of them with Stone Edge. It will also provide some security against Arcanine; no longer will you have to worry if it is carrying Hidden Power Grass. Bear in mind that outside of a critical hit, however, Kabutops will not beat it, because Arcanine's higher Speed means that it will Extreme Speed Kabutops before Kabutops can Aqua Jet. The 132 HP EVs allow Kabutops to survive Life Orb Ambipom's Fake Out + Low Kick, and either attack back with Stone Edge or set up Stealth Rock. Attack is then maximized, and the remaining EVs are placed in Speed, which allows Kabutops to outrun 0 Speed Uxie. As good as Kabutops is, there are a number of common leads who can cause it trouble, such as Uxie and Mesprit. Standard support Uxie is 4HKOed by Stone Edge at best when factoring in Leftovers, while Mesprit is 2HKOed by Stone Edge but is still faster and can set up Stealth Rock before escaping with U-turn. Both also have the potential to do serious damage to Kabutops with Thunderbolt or Grass Knot. Absol and Drapion are immune to Psychic and can either trap the pixies with Pursuit or set up with Swords Dance. These Pokemon will also be helpful in removing Ghost-types who block Kabutops's Rapid Spin. If Kabutops does not carry Rapid Spin, it has trouble with other entry hazard leads. While Cloyster and Qwilfish are 2HKOed by Stone Edge, bulky Omastar is one of Kabutops's worst match-ups; Kabutops can only 4HKO through Leftovers, while Omastar can set up Spikes and Stealth Rock or 2HKO Kabutops with Surf. Offensively inclined Omastar can be 2HKOed by Stone Edge, but can OHKO back with Hidden Power Grass. Thus, if your Kabutops does not have Rapid Spin, you should consider investing in another Rapid Spinner, such as Blastoise. You should also consider Ghost-type support in order to maintain your own Stealth Rock on the field. When facing a lead such as Ambipom or Alakazam, prediction is key. If you manage to predict a Taunt, Kabutops can use the turn to strike back with Stone Edge, finishing both off on the subsequent turn with Aqua Jet. Theoretically, the most advisable move is to attack first, since regardless of whether they Taunt or not, Kabutops will still 'win' the match-up. However, on teams where Stealth Rock is immensely important, such as overtly offensive teams, getting Stealth Rock down regardless of Kabutops's sacrifice should be your priority. The decision will usually boil down to the team you are running alongside Kabutops, and whose presence your team will benefit most from--Kabutops's or Stealth Rock's. If your team has the momentum to recover, Stealth Rock is important enough to warrant starting on the back foot, provided you have the means to make the most of it.

Being weak to the ever popular Close Combat and Earthquake means that Kabutops's good Defense stat is somewhat wasted. In fact, you are better off specializing in Special Defense and running Sand Stream to capitalize on Kabutops's resistances to Ice and Fire, as well as improving its ability to take Surf from bulky Water-types. This Kabutops can act as a pretty decent Rapid Spinner, mainly because of surprise factor. Pokemon like Venusaur and Hitmontop are more often the first switch-ins to Kabutops than Ghost-types like Spiritomb. Also, once your opponent catches on to the set, Kabutops can remove the spinblocker's Leftovers with a well-timed Knock Off, which, combined with sandstorm support, will significantly decrease its longevity. Stealth Rock is also a support option, but Hippopotas, the only Sand Stream Pokemon in UU, has access to it anyway. If you are using Kabutops outside of sandstorm, however, Stealth Rock is usually a better option than Knock Off for support. In order to take resisted attacks better, this Kabutops should maximize its Special Defense stat. Since sandstorm gives Kabutops a 1.5x Special Defense boost, it will gain the most possible stat points this way. After that, some HP EVs are recommended, not only to increase the overall Special Defense but also to improve Kabutops's ability to take hits from physical threats such as Arcanine and Swellow. A minimum of 52 HP EVs will ensure that Jolly Swellow's Guts-boosted Facade cannot 2HKO, and 200 EVs may be used so that Facade will never 2HKO with Stealth Rock factored in. Heavier investment does not serve any particular purpose but will also allow Kabutops to survive unexpected attacks such as Life Orb Arcanine's Thunder Fang. The remaining EVs should be used to buff Kabutops's respectable Attack. Hippopotas is almost essential in order to activate sandstorm, which is necessary if you want to make Kabutops's special bulk worth using. However, this can cause the rest of your team to suffer if they are not immune to sandstorm, as the residual damage can wear them down quite quickly. Bulky Grass-types have the greatest type synergy with Kabutops. Venusaur has reasonable special bulk and can take Electric-, Grass-, and Fighting-type attacks aimed at Kabutops with ease, while in return Kabutops can switch in on Fire-, Ice-, and Flying-type attacks. Both can also cause heavy damage to the Ground-types that trouble them with their super effective STAB moves. Venusaur can also spread status, absorb Toxic Spikes, and deal with Slowbro and Tangrowth, two of the biggest threats to Kabutops. Rapid Spin support is extremely helpful to those weak to Stealth Rock, such as Moltres and Scyther. They and other sweepers also benefit from the Stealth Rock and Knock Off support Kabutops provides. To compound the residual damage, dedicated Spikers such as Omastar are useful, as well as Toxic Spikers such as Drapion. Drapion is also a useful teammate since it, like Venusaur, can absorb Toxic Spikes and beat down Slowbro and Tangrowth, as well as stopping Ghost-types who try to block Rapid Spin, and shuffling with Whirlwind.

Kabutops's mediocre typing and Speed ensure that it will have a difficult time setting up on most of the metagame. A Choice Band set tries to amend these problems. Stone Edge will make Venusaur think twice about switching in, as those without any investment in Defense take 95% minimum. Kabutops's main Water-typed attack will score a super effective hit on most Ground-types trying to switch in on Stone Edge. Aqua Jet enables Kabutops to revenge kill faster, weakened Pokemon such as Arcanine and Houndoom. For its final moveslot, Return gives a nice neutral attack that has the added advantage of being able to hit Toxicroak, Poliwrath, and Quagsire. There are a couple of options in the last slot if you don't want to go with Return. Rapid Spin is a useful option, as common spinblockers such as Mismagius and Spiritomb would be suicidal to try to switch in on something as powerful as Choice Band Kabutops, allowing it to get a surprise Rapid Spin off without much difficulty; however, this does mean that Kabutops will be locked into a weak attack, giving your opponent a very good opportunity to turn the tables on you. Superpower is another option that hits Registeel for more damage, but lowers Kabutops's stats, leaving it very vulnerable. Another point that merits a mention is an alternative, faster EV spread of 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Speed with a Jolly nature, which enables you to tie with all other positive base 80 Speed Pokemon, most importantly Venusaur and Blaziken. Kabutops is likely to run into far more obstacles with this set than with the Swords Dance set due to the loss of power and the inability to switch moves, particularly because it cannot switch to Aqua Jet to ward off revenge killers. Thus, you should play this set to its advantages, namely its ability to hit hard off the bat and impressive STAB coverage. These factors lend themselves more to a wallbreaker or cleaner than to a sweeper. You should consider carefully whether you want your whole team to benefit or to focus your efforts around one sweeper. Choice Band Kabutops tends to draw in Water- and Grass-types, who resist its primary STAB. Standard Tangrowth and Slowbro are both taking around 40-45% damage on average from Stone Edge, whereupon Pokemon such as Rhyperior and Arcanine can take advantage of them. Steel- and Fighting-types, such as Registeel and Hariyama, will also be worn down by repeated attacks, which can be good for sweepers such as Absol. Entry hazards such as Stealth Rock accentuate this weakening process, so make sure to include them on your team. There are a number of solo sweepers who work well with Kabutops. Swords Dance Scyther and Nasty Plot Mismagius are good examples of fast boosting sweepers, while Swellow and Alakazam represent frail but potent late-game cleaners. On Rain Dance teams, specially inclined cleaners include Omastar and Gorebyss, both of whom have enough power to muscle through a weakened team with STAB Hydro Pump backed by the rain. If you want a physical sweeper to take advantage of Kabutops's weakening of physical walls, however, Swords Dance Ludicolo or Qwilfish are two of the best options.

With Swords Dance to back up those great STAB moves and that impressive Attack stat, this version of Kabutops can be a devastating sweeper. Stone Edge and Aqua Tail provide superb coverage, only resisted by Toxicroak, Poliwrath, and Quagsire in UU. Waterfall is a deadly, reliable STAB move that carries a potential flinch chance, and it is the primary option for Kabutops's main STAB move. However, Aqua Tail becomes noticeably more powerful in the rain, where a Swords Dance boosted Aqua Tail OHKOes Miltank, Hitmontop, and Weezing, as well as Registeel and Uxie most of the time. A Swords Dance and Life Orb boosted Aqua Jet is a very potent weapon and can OHKO many fast but frail sweepers, such as Blaziken, Nidoking, Houndoom, and Hitmonlee. If you want some more coverage on Kabutops, you can swap Aqua Jet for one of several coverage moves, though this is not recommended since Aqua Jet's safeguard against priority is far more valuable than covering certain niche Pokemon. X-Scissor is perhaps the most notable option to deal slightly more damage to two of Kabutops's deadliest foes--Slowbro and Tangrowth--although it barely out-damages STAB Stone Edge and will not come close to OHKOing either without a lot of previous damage. On the other hand, Return will 2HKO Poliwrath and Quagsire after a Swords Dance, both of whom Kabutops cannot beat otherwise. There are two separate sets here: Standard and Rain Dance. In both cases, maximizing Kabutops's Attack stat should be your first priority. If you are not running rain, Kabutops needs maximum Speed to at worst tie with other base 80 Speed Pokemon, such as Venusaur, Mesprit, Blaziken, and Altaria. Waterfall should also be used with this set due to its reliability. However, if you are running a Rain Dance team, an Adamant nature and Aqua Tail are preferable for the greater damage output, which guarantees the death of such threats as Uxie and Registeel. Alternatively, you can try a bulkier spread of 112 HP / 248 Atk / 148 Spe, which gives Kabutops a much easier time setting up on physical threats such as Swellow and Arcanine when rain is not up, while still enabling it to beat Choice Scarf Rotom in the rain. If not running Rain Dance on your team, you should note that Kabutops is much easier to stop. Kabutops's greatest threats are bulky Water-, Grass-, and Fighting-types. Thus, Venusaur makes an excellent partner to Kabutops, as it resists the STAB attacks of all those types and can hit back with its own STAB moves; Slowbro and Tangrowth are both OHKOed by special sets. Drapion is another option, as it too can deal with Tangrowth and can also trap Slowbro with STAB Pursuit. Bulkier versions are also helpful, as they can use Whirlwind to rack up residual damage. Both Drapion and Venusaur can also absorb Toxic Spikes. Lastly, strong Fire-types such as Thunder Fang Arcanine and Passho Berry Houndoom can bait out and weaken Water-types, allowing Kabutops to overpower them later on. Fire-types, particularly Moltres, can also break down Grass- and Fighting-types. While Swords Dance Kabutops is fully capable of being used as a standalone sweeper, it truly excels on a Rain Dance team. Electrode is the fastest Rain Dance lead in the game and is guaranteed to set it up. As for other teammates, Uxie is extremely reliable at setting up Rain Dance and can also set up Stealth Rock, Reflect, and Light Screen to aid in Kabutops's sweep. It can also grant Kabutops a free switch with Memento and is a good stop to Toxicroak. Entry hazards are also helpful for Kabutops's sweep and can be set up by Pokemon such as Registeel and Uxie, both of whom also have access to Rain Dance. Below are some damage calculations to show off Kabutops's potentiel. +2 Aqua Tail in rain vs. 252/252+ Uxie: 97.5% - 114.7% +1 Aqua Tail in rain vs. 252/252+ Hitmontop: 105.9% - 124.7% +2 Aqua Tail in rain vs. 252/252+ Weezing: 109% - 128.7% +2 Aqua Tail in rain vs. 252/224+ Miltank: 103.8% - 122.6% +2 Aqua Tail in rain vs. 252/0 Registeel: 109.9% - 129.7% +2 Aqua Tail in rain vs. 252/0 Venusaur: 91.8% - 108% +2 Stone Edge vs. 252/0 Leafeon: 91.6% - 107.8% +2 Stone Edge vs. 248/252+ Milotic: 91.1% - 107.6% +2 Stone Edge vs. 0/0 Toxicroak: 98.7% - 116.3% +2 Aqua Jet in rain vs. 252/0 Hitmontop: 87.2% - 103% +2 Aqua Jet in rain vs. 4/0 Hitmonlee: 175.2% - 207% One problem with Rain Dance is its limited duration. Therefore, there are two ways to use this Kabutops in the rain. The first is to bring it in early and break your opponent's team, while relying on other rain sweepers to clean up afterward, and the other is to whittle down your opponent's team with the relentless pressure of other rain sweepers, bringing in Kabutops to take down anything left standing. On this note, Ludicolo is an excellent partner to Kabutops for its ability to frighten away Tangrowth, Slowbro, and Milotic. Qwilfish can also break the opponent's team--by setting up Swords Dance and threatening a sweep, the opponent may be forced to sacrifice their bulky Water-type to Qwilfish's Explosion. Alternatively, it can also set up Spikes. On the special side, Gorebyss and Omastar are the most potent teammates. Gorebyss is indifferent to the priority moves that plague Kabutops and has Psychic to get rid of Toxicroak and Poliwrath; however, Omastar is faster and hits slightly harder.

The attributes that make Kabutops a successful sweeper--namely, a stellar base 115 Attack and excellent attacking STAB--also make him a great Rapid Spinner. One of the difficulties entailed in Rapid Spinning is eliminating the Ghost-types who switch in to block Rapid Spin, and while most other UU spinners are walled by common spinblockers, Kabutops can hit every Ghost in the UU tier for solid, neutral damage with his STAB Stone Edge. Offensive Ghost-types such as Rotom and Mismagius are KOed by a combination of Stone Edge and Aqua Jet, and even the most defensive Spiritomb is 2HKOed by a +2 Stone Edge. In most cases, an opponent will have to risk losing a Pokemon to Kabutops in order to successfully preserve his or her entry hazards. Stone Edge is Kabutops's strongest STAB option and is therefore absolutely necessary on this set. Aqua Jet provides excellent additional coverage and is invaluable as a priority move. In addition to finishing off weakened Mismagius and Rotom, Aqua Jet protects Kabutops from Dugtrio and allows Kabutops to pick off weakened or frail Pokemon such as Houndoom. Swords Dance enables Kabutops to beat Dusclops and Spiritomb, who will otherwise drain all of Stone Edge's PP with Pressure. It also lets Kabutops threaten a sweep and prevents other defensive Pokemon such as Milotic from walling him. Waterfall is not as useful without rain support, but it is an option over Swords Dance to hit the likes of Rhyperior, Steelix, and Donphan. Attack is maximized so that Kabutops can hit Ghost switch-ins as hard as possible, making spinning easier. With a Jolly nature and 252 Speed EVs, Kabutops ties with other +Speed nature base 80s, including Venusaur, Blaziken, and Mesprit, which can be important when trying to sustain a sweep. If one does not wish to risk a tie with these Pokemon, there are a few lower benchmarks that can be aimed for instead. With a Jolly nature and a spread of 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spe, Kabutops outruns max Speed, +Speed nature base 70s, such as Cloyster and Ludicolo. With an Adamant nature and a spread of 132 HP / 252 Atk / 124 Spe, Kabutops outpaces base 95s who lack Speed investment, such as Uxie. It is possible to go lower than this, although it is not advisable. Kabutops should be able to definitively outrun most Milotic, allowing him to perform a last-ditch Rapid Spin before being KOed should the need arise. While it may be hard to switch in on Kabutops, it is considerably more difficult for him to switch in than it is for other Rapid Spinners. It is easiest to get Kabutops in after a KO or on a double switch, especially on a Pokemon such as Swellow whom Kabutops can easily threaten and force out. Outside of that, offensively weak Pokemon, including Chansey, Clefable, and Miltank, as well as Fire- and Ice-types who lack super effective coverage moves, such as Arcanine (without Hidden Power Grass) and Articuno, are Kabutops's best opportunities to switch in. Kabutops is an excellent partner to any Pokemon in dire need of Rapid Spin support. Moltres is a notable example, capable of luring in Chansey, whom Kabutops can switch in on and threaten out, and forcing out many of the Pokemon who give Kabutops trouble, including Registeel, Donphan, Hitmontop, and Venusaur. Scyther also makes a good partner, as he can deal with Venusaur and Hitmontop as well as lure in Arcanine. Scyther can also be paired with Dugtrio in order to immediately get rid of Registeel--who walls both Kabutops and Scyther--by U-turning to Dugtrio as Registeel switches in. Dugtrio also traps and KOes Toxicroak, another Pokemon Kabutops struggles against. While Kabutops can handle all of UU's spinblockers by himself, doing so requires accurate prediction, not to mention relying on Stone Edge's shaky accuracy. In order to ease prediction (or cushion the blow of a Stone Edge miss), Pursuit Spiritomb can be used alongside Kabutops to trap and KO (or severely damage) most Ghost-types. Spiritomb also handles most Fighting-types, who are prone to switching in on Kabutops, especially if he has yet to Swords Dance.

Kabutops is a perfect example of a Pokemon who can excel when it is granted access to a metagame with permanent weather. Kabutops's already decent base 115 Attack stat gets raised to tremendous heights when it is boosted by Life Orb and Swords Dance. Furthermore, Kyogre's Drizzle ability allows it to abuse the perpetual rain with its Swift Swim, doubling its Speed. Swords Dance is obvious on this set, as, coupled with Life Orb, it makes Kabutops's Attack soar; this makes it a true threat, even in the Ubers tier, which holds some of the toughest Pokemon. Waterfall is also quite obvious. It gains not only STAB, but also the boost from rain, bringing its Base Power up to 180. This can rip through many Pokemon, especially since it comes off Kabutops's boosted Attack stat. Waterfall is its main STAB and will probably be the move that you use the most (and for good reason). Low Kick is a great move for Kabutops; it gives great coverage alongside Waterfall. Most Pokemon in Ubers are quite heavy, which gives a great 120 Base Power on these targets. Furthermore, it allows Kabutops to beat many Pokemon who would normally give it trouble. For example, most versions of Dialga will be OHKOed by a Swords Dance-boosted Low Kick. Stone Edge rounds off the set nicely, giving you a secondary STAB move. It will probably be used only sparingly, because of the great coverage from Waterfall and Low Kick, but it certainly does have its uses. It allows you to hit Latias and Latios, who otherwise resist your moves. It also hits Lugia, Ho-Oh, and Rayquaza for massive damage (it gets 150 Base Power after STAB, before weaknesses are taken into account). The EVs for this set are quite straightforward. Maximizing Attack and Speed give Kabutops all the power and speed that it can get, so it can sweep as easily as possible (since it's not going to be taking many hits). Scizor is a threat for Kabutops, since its Bullet Punch bypasses Kabutops's boosted Speed stat. Kabutops is quite frail, so it will be doing a lot of damage to the shellfish (Kabutops does not resist Bullet Punch). A bulky Kyogre, such as the "Boosting Tank" version, can take Scizor's Bullet Punches with ease. It can then start boosting its Special Defense and Special Attack with Calm Mind, Resting off damage when necessary; from there it can attempt a sweep. Kyogre will also set up the rain, which is so incredibly necessary for Kabutops to sweep. As mentioned before, Kabutops is quite frail, so any assistance in getting it into play or helping it set up is greatly appreciated. Wobbuffet can be a great help. By using Encore, Shadow Tag, and Safeguard (in some cases), Wobbuffet can provide for an easy switch into play. To do this, you can simply Encore a move that does little to no damage to Kabutops, or a status move (once Safeguard is set up). Then, you can switch Kabutops in without fear, while it also gains a turn to use Swords Dance while your opponent switches Pokemon. Although it is not necessary, Wobbuffet support is highly recommended. Kabutops's 60 / 105 / 70 defenses are really quite dismal (albeit its Defense isn't too bad), especially in Ubers, where Pokemon hit harder and generally from the special side.

Although Kabutops is holding a Choice Band, this set generally functions best as a revenge killer. Kabutops's Speed stat is boosted to epic proportions via Swift Swim, since Kyogre is the most-used Uber Pokemon. Furthermore, Kabutops's Attack is boosted right off the bat by its Choice Band, meaning that it can do some serious damage without the need for using Swords Dance. Like the Swords Dance set, Waterfall will generally be your move of choice. Waterfall receives two 1.5x boosts from STAB and the rain, as well as the Attack boost from the Choice Band, making it a truly potent threat. Low Kick and Stone Edge provide excellent coverage with Waterfall. The former has high Base Power due to how heavy most Pokemon are in Ubers, as well as doing huge damage to Dialga, who can normally walk all over Kabutops; the latter gains STAB boost and is generally your best bet against Lugia, Rayquaza switch-ins (don't stay in against Rayquaza because of Air Lock), and Ho-Oh. The fourth slot is mainly filler, since the other three moves hit most if not all Ubers for at least neutral damage. Aqua Jet is the best option in the last slot to bypasss Choice Scarf Darkrai after some prior damage. . Since you are not boosting your Attack quite as much, sturdy physical walls can wall this Kabutops quite easily. Giratina in particular can present a problem, as it resists your main form of attack, Waterfall, and it has no weaknesses to your other moves, meaning that it can status Kabutops with Will-O-Wisp while Resting off the damage that Kabutops does. Special attackers can power through Giratina, as the mighty Dragon-type normally invests in Defense. Of note are Dialga or Palkia who can wallop it with a STAB super effective Draco Meteor.

Knock Off makes Kabutops very annoying and can really help out your team. This set has its uses in UU, since it means that Pokemon like Hypno have to recover more and Pokemon like Fearow that may run Choice Band cannot sweep as effectively.

This set can be useful with some prediction, since Kabutops has above-average Attack. The lack of Earthquake as a move choice, though, really hinders Kabutops's ability to sweep. Double-Edge has a high damage output, but Return works if you don't like recoil damage. Rock Slide is a good move in general and a good STAB attack to have. Hidden Power Ground can hit Steel-types. It's a toss-up between Brick Break and Knock Off; Brick Break can hit Normal-types much harder, while Knock Off is good for a hit-and-run and generally annoying.

This set is very straightforward and can definitely work in UU, since Swift Swim users can be fairly potent. Use Rain Dance to double your Speed and Swords Dance to make your attacks much stronger. You don't necessarily have to use Surf, but it is a good idea. If you don't want to, use an Adamant nature and put the Special Attack EVs into Speed. Surf is useful, though, for beating things like Solrock, since it and other similar Pokemon don't take as much damage from Rock Slide. Lum Berry is a good item choice so that your sweep isn't ruined by paralysis or burn.

This set allows Kabutops to utilize Flail. This can work in UU, but be mindful of Quick Attack users, since combos like Endure + Flail are common in UU. 176 Speed EVs alongside a Jolly nature is all that is needed, since it would reach a Speed stat of 396 after consuming its Salac Berry.

Set Description This set makes Kabutops a very menacing threat in OU, although the reasons why may not be immediately apparent. While Slash does not benefit from Swords Dance boosts, it comes off of a very high 115 base Attack stat, which allows it to immediately threaten a paralyzed Alakazam or Chansey (and Starmie to a lesser extent), as well as Rest Snorlax. If the former two have full paralysis on a recovering turn or Kabutops comes in on Rest from the latter, the opponent will be forced to switch them out, most likely to a Pokemon such as Exeggutor or Tauros that takes permanent damage. Slash is not a 3HKO on Snorlax, but Snorlax cannot just stall Kabutops with Rest because it is too easy to predict the Rest and use Swords Dance. Once Kabutops is at +2, two Slashes and a Hyper Beam KO Snorlax after Rest before it can attack, forcing Snorlax to switch or risk fainting. Even if Snorlax uses Reflect, it offers little protection because Kabutops has plenty of opportunities to boost to +4. Alternatively, Kabutops can fish for a critical hit with Surf while Snorlax is asleep—a viable strategy considering Kabutops's respectable critical hit rate. The benefits of Slash don't end here, though. Slash with +2 Hyper Beam is enough to KO Zapdos and Tauros 100% of the time, as well as Exeggutor 95.4% of the time. If Chansey is at 88.6% health, Slash + Hyper Beam becomes a guaranteed KO. At 84.4%, Slash becomes a guaranteed 2HKO too, so a little bit of chip damage comes a long way in breaking through Chansey. Kabutops also packs a big, big punch as a late-game sweeper. +4 Hyper Beam is a guaranteed KO on Exeggutor and anything more frail than it. With a bit of chip damage, +2 Hyper Beam KOes Starmie and Chansey. Kabutops is not very hard to find setup opportunities with, either: any sleeping Pokemon such as Rest Cloyster, Snorlax, or Jolteon (provided it comes in on the latter's Rest turn) will do. Sleep fodder your opponent is trying to sack, a Rhydon switching out fearing Surf, and an untimely full paralysis are other possible setup windows. Kabutops also distinguishes itself from other setup sweepers because paralysis does not end its usability in the game. While its late-game sweeping abilities are hindered, its respectable Speed means it's still very capable of beating several Pokemon such as Chansey, Snorlax, Cloyster, and paralyzed Alakazam, using Swords Dance to reapply the latter's paralysis Speed drop and outspeed it. Paralyzed Kabutops also still does significant damage with Slash to potential switch-ins. Kabutops's typing plays a key role in the Tauros matchup, and typing is perhaps the main asset it has over Sandslash and Kingler. Kabutops's Rock typing means that Tauros will generally resort to Earthquake to beat it, or the much rarer Thunderbolt. Not only does Earthquake have a mere 2.2% chance to 2HKO, it will also never OHKO a full health Kabutops with a critical hit. Sandslash is always 2HKOed by Tauros's Blizzard and OHKOed if it's a critical hit, while Kingler taking on Tauros is likely to find itself paralyzed by a neutral Body Slam, severely hindering its ability to continue the sweep. Earthquake also comes without a freeze or paralysis chance, which gives Kabutops much better odds at late-game sweeping. Unboosted Kabutops can even beat Tauros one-on-one in some situations, usually winning if Tauros is damaged by Slash beforehand or switches in on it. Kabutops also has the most reliable way of disposing of Rhydon and Golem with Surf, since Kingler's Crabhammer has unreliable accuracy, and Sandslash must be at +4 to always OHKO with Earthquake, but this comes the expense of being worse against Gengar. Lastly, Kabutops also has good synergy with Electric-types such as Zapdos. They can seriously threaten each other's counters, and most players will switch Rhydon in without second thought upon sight of Zapdos, allowing for a double switch to Kabutops and subsequent threat of a setup sweep.