Sceptile Movesets & Competitive Sets

Set Details Acrobatics is meant for opposing Grass-types, notably preventing Vileplume from being a counter. Rock Slide could be used instead to nail Flying- and Fire-types like Talonflame and Salazzle, but a boosted Acrobatics usually suffices. Low Kick is great for Steel-types and Guzzlord. Earthquake also works to hit Steel- and Poison-types like Stakataka and Garbodor, but it shouldn't be ran on Grassy Terrain teams. Drain Punch is another Fighting-type attack worth considering for its recovery, but the power drop off is noticeable; at +2, Sceptile fails to reliably OHKO Stakataka and never OHKOes Guzzlord. Sceptile's item depends on which Terrain setter it is paired with, and Speed investment is unnecessary given that nothing relevant outspeeds it after Unburden. Pincurchin and Thwackey both work as potential Terrain setters for Sceptile to receive its Unburden boost from. They also complement Sceptile in their unique ways: Pincurchin sets Spikes to put Vileplume in range of a +2 Acrobatics, and Thwackey brings Sceptile on the field safely with U-turn and boosts Leaf Blade. Other Terrain sweepers such as Alolan Raichu and Cosmic Power Xatu complement Sceptile by dealing with Talonflame and Weezing. Pivots like Silvally-Ground and Arcanine tend to bring in Sceptile on Water- and Ground-type walls for setup opportunities. Additionally, these two force damage on the likes of Mantine and Talonflame so that Sceptile is capable of sweeping past them later.

Moves Leaf Storm is Sceptile's strongest STAB move, and with a Life Orb it hits everything that doesn't resist it for heavy damage, notably Heliolisk, Steelix, and Sneasel. Even Grass-resistant Pokemon take heavy damage; Garbodor takes about 40% from it, while Xatu loses about half of its HP. Giga Drain is Sceptile's most spammable move, as it's 100% accurate and allows Sceptile to gain back health lost from Life Orb recoil and entry hazard damage. It pairs incredibly well with Overgrow, as the damage increase also increases the recovery. Focus Blast covers Steel-types like Silvally-Steel and Klinklang and Grass-resistant Dark-types like Incineroar and Guzzlord, hitting all for super effective damage. Earthquake provides coverage against Poison- and Fire-types like Garbodor and Magmortar, notably OHKOing Delphox thanks to Life Orb, as well as hitting Steel-types, though it offers lower overall damage than Focus Blast. Hidden Power Ice hits Grass- and Flying-types such as Decidueye, Xatu, and Golbat, having a good chance of 2HKOing Golbat after Stealth Rock. Set Details Life Orb heavily increases Sceptile's power, and the recoil can be offset by using Giga Drain. If Sceptile is put into Overgrow range, either through Life Orb recoil or other damage, it will deal massive damage with its Grass-type attacks; Leaf Storm is especially powerful, while Giga Drain benefits from both the increased power and increased healing. A Timid nature and 252 Speed EVs make Sceptile as fast as possible, outspeeding Whimsicott and Sneasel, while 252 Special Attack EVs make its moves hit harder. Usage Tips Spamming Leaf Storm if the opponent only has shaky switch-ins to it, like Whimsicott and Incineroar, is a good way to pressure the enemy team early-game. Leaf Storm is Sceptile's strongest STAB attack, but its Special Attack drop and the risk of hard counters such as Golbat and Weezing switching into it mean Sceptile gets easily forced out, so coverage should be used when predicting common switch-ins. The Special Attack drop also invites in setup sweepers like Comfey and Incineroar. Use Sceptile's ability to outspeed almost everything in NU to its advantage by pressuring frail offensive Pokemon like Heliolisk and Choice-locked Sneasel. Sceptile gets worn down very quickly by repeatedly switching into Spikes and Stealth Rock, so it's best to remove these before sending Sceptile out. Don't hesitate to use Giga Drain when Overgrow is activated, as it actually hits quite hard, which allows Sceptile to gain health back so it can continue to punch holes. Earthquake can catch Fire-types like Incineroar and Delphox off guard after using Leaf Storm. Try to preserve Sceptile for late-game, as it can easily clean if the opponent's team is weakened. Team Options Entry hazard setters such as Rhydon, Steelix, and Piloswine pair very well with Sceptile. They can wear down many of Sceptile's answers such as Golbat and Silvally-Steel so that Sceptile can handle them more easily over time, and they also capitalize on the switches that Sceptile forces. U-turn and Volt Switch users like Passimian, Xatu, and Rotom can bring Sceptile in safely so it can punch holes without taking a hit first. The latter two can also act as hazard removers, increasing Sceptile's longevity. Rock-types such as Rhydon pair well with Sceptile because they can set Stealth Rock and check Fire-types like Incineroar, Delphox, and Magmortar as well as Flying-types. at the same time. In return, they appreciate Sceptile dealing with Ground- and Water-types. Together with Sceptile, Mega Glalie and Sneasel can put a lot of pressure on Fire-types as well as check Golbat and Decidueye. Fire-types of your own such as Delphox and Incineroar can gain free turns off of the Steel- and Grass-types that Sceptile brings in, such as Silvally-Steel and Decidueye. Pokemon like Druddigon and defensive Slowking that take advantage of pivoting Choice Scarf users are also good partners for Sceptile, as they prevent it from being revenge killed as easily.

Moves Substitute is a great move for using on a predicted switch to a potential check; it greatly eases prediction throughout the match. Substitute also allows Mega Sceptile to evade Bisharp and Mega Absol's Sucker Punch. Giga Drain works extremely well alongside Substitute, as it recovers Mega Sceptile's health and therefore allows it to make more Substitutes. It also hits Water-type Pokemon super effectively, which allows Mega Sceptile to check various Water-types such as Rotom-W. However, it is relatively weak against neutral targets. Dragon Pulse is a great secondary STAB move that hits most targets neutrally while also hitting Dragon-types super effectively, which allows Mega Sceptile to revenge all Dragon-types without a Speed boost bar Mega Altaria, such as Latios and Choice Band Dragonite. On the fourth and final slot you should use Focus Blast, as it hits all Steel-types at except for Doublade at least neutrally, unlike Earthquake, to which Skarmory is immune, and Hidden Power Fire, to which Heatran is immune. However, if you're willing to give up hitting Heatran and OHKOing Bisharp, Hidden Power Fire is viable because it is more accurate than Focus Blast and hits Scizor super effectively. Set Details Sceptile needs base 145 Speed, Lightning Rod, and its Dragon typing in order to be viable in OU, so it should be used with Sceptilite. Maximum Speed and Special Attack investment with a Timid nature should be used to hit as hard as possible without sacrificing any Speed. If Mega Sceptile were to use a Modest nature, for example, it wouldn't be able to revenge kill Mega Lopunny or Mega Manectric. Usage Tips Mega Sceptile is a fast Pokemon; even without having already gained the Speed boost that comes from Mega Evolving, it can revenge kill many Pokemon such as Keldeo, Terrakion, and Latios. However, this Speed is not always sufficient, as it doesn't allow Mega Sceptile to outspeed Mega Lopunny or Mega Manectric on the turn it Mega Evolves. Against teams with these Pokemon, or any Pokemon with a base Speed of 120 or higher, it is very important to Mega Evolve quickly, as not prioritizing Mega Evolving Sceptile could lead to, for example, Mega Lopunny demolishing your team. One method you can use to bring Sceptile in early and safely is a slow Volt Switch or U-turn. After Mega Evolving and acquiring Lightning Rod, Mega Sceptile can switch in on Electric-type attacks from the various Electric-type Pokemon in OU, including Thundurus, Mega Manectric, and Rotom-W, get a Special Attack boost, and subsequently either attack with a very powerful move or set up a Substitute. You should use Substitute whenever the situation calls for it; instead of having to predict whether or not the opponent will switch his or her Pokemon out, and thus possibly costing a game, just use Substitute. The worst that could happen is that Mega Sceptile wastes 25% of its HP; the potential benefit of being protected by a Substitute against a Pokemon that Mega Sceptile can 2HKO far outweighs this risk. When behind a Substitute, Mega Sceptile becomes very hard to deal with for offensive teams, as few Pokemon used on offensive teams can outspeed and/or avoid the 2HKO from Mega Sceptile. Emergency checks to Mega Sceptile, such as Weavile, do not work when Mega Sceptile is behind a Substitute, as Weavile's Ice Shard simply breaks the Substitute and Mega Sceptile can OHKO Weavile with Focus Blast. Team Options Fairies such as Clefable, Mega Altaria, Togekiss, and Sylveon all give Mega Sceptile trouble. As a result, it appreciates teammates that make quick work of Fairies, namely Steel-types such as Klefki, Bronzong, and Jirachi and Poison-types such as Amoonguss, Dragalge, and Gengar. Togekiss is especially notable as a nuisance for Sceptile, as it takes pitiful damage from all of Sceptile's moves. Rotom-W and Thundurus both check Togekiss, so they can make for good teammates for Mega Sceptile. Talonflame's priority Brave Bird can stop any Mega Sceptile not behind a Substitute, so Mega Sceptile appreciates the support of Talonflame switch-ins, such as Heatran, Rhyperior, and Rotom-W. Heatran is especially notable because it can beat the bulky Grass-types, such as Amoonguss, that give Mega Sceptile headaches. Talonflame is a great teammate for Mega Sceptile as well. It is stopped cold by various Pokemon such as Rotom-W, Rhyperior, Tyranitar, and Heatran, all four of which Mega Sceptile beats for Talonflame, while in return, Talonflame can break down the bulky Grass-types, such as Mega Venusaur, that Mega Sceptile hates dealing with. Gyarados also hates Rotom-W for its ability to wall and OHKO it with Volt Switch. Mega Sceptile OHKOes Rotom-W for Gyarados, and if Mega Sceptile switches in on a Volt Switch, it gets a Special Attack boost. In return, Gyarados beats the bulky Grass-types, such as Celebi, that Mega Sceptile cannot by using Bounce. As Mega Sceptile struggles greatly against stall, it enjoys having powerful wallbreakers as teammates to break the walls that it cannot. Choice Specs Sylveon, Choice Specs Dragalge, Swords Dance Diggersby, and Swords Dance Crawdaunt can all help break defensive teams for Mega Sceptile.

Moves Leaf Storm is a very powerful STAB move that lets Mega Sceptile OHKO and 2HKO many Pokemon that its other Grass-type moves cannot. For example, Leaf Storm has a decent chance to 2HKO physically defensive Magic Guard Clefable and OHKO Choice Scarf Landorus-T, Mega Manectric, and Assault Vest Azumarill after Stealth Rock. However, because Leaf Storm tends to force out Mega Sceptile after use because of the Special Attack drop it induces, Energy Ball can be used instead if you want a more consistent STAB move. In addition, Energy Ball does not allow for Pokemon that would otherwise be OHKOed by Leaf Storm, such as Mega Slowbro, to switch in on a Mega Sceptile at -2 Special Attack and abuse the situation. Both moves allow Mega Sceptile to check the bulky Water-types that it's supposed to, such as Rotom-W and Keldeo. Dragon Pulse is a great secondary STAB move that only Fairies are immune to and only Steel-types resist. Additionally, it hits Dragon-type Pokemon super effectively, which allows Mega Sceptile to effectively revenge kill Dragon-types such as Latias and Garchomp. Earthquake can be used to effectively handle Heatran, Klefki, Jirachi, Magnezone, and Tentacruel, and Hidden Power Fire can be used to cover Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Skarmory. One small problem with Hidden Power Fire is that it forces Mega Sceptile to use a Speed IV of 30, which prevents it from Speed tying with Mega Beedrill. Set Details Mega Sceptile's base 145 Speed, Lightning Rod ability, and Dragon typing are all integral to its success in OU, so Sceptile needs to be used with Sceptilite. Maximum Speed EVs with a Speed-boosting nature are used in order to get the most of Mega Sceptile's revenge killing ability; if Mega Sceptile is using a Special Attack-boosting nature it loses out on being able to revenge kill Mega Lopunny and Mega Manectric. Even though Hidden Power Fire drops Mega Sceptile's Speed IV to 30, maximum Speed investment should still be used so that you can at least Speed tie other Mega Sceptile with Hidden Power Fire. A Naive nature is chosen on sets with Earthquake so that you don't drop either of Mega Sceptile's offensive stats. If you're using only Focus Blast for coverage against Steel-types, a Timid nature should be used to prevent any unnecessary hindrance to Mega Sceptile's Special Defense. Maximum Special Attack investment is used to ensure it hits as hard as possible. Usage Tips Mega Sceptile's base 120 Speed before Mega Evolving is great, but it is not always enough, as it doesn't allow Mega Sceptile to revenge kill Mega Lopunny or Mega Manectric. Thus, it's very important for Mega Sceptile to Mega Evolve early on when playing against offensive teams. One method by which you could bring in Mega Sceptile is with a slow Volt Switch or U-turn; this ensures Mega Sceptile gets in unscathed. After Sceptile Mega Evolves and acquires Lightning Rod, you can have it pivot in on Electric-type attacks from the likes of Thundurus, Mega Manectric, Raikou, and Rotom-W, receive a Special Attack boost, and subsequently begin to use extremely powerful attacks. Do beware that some of these Electric-types may carry Hidden Power Ice, or in Thundurus's case, Hidden Power Flying, which does severe damage to Mega Sceptile. Thanks to its 4x Water resistance, Mega Sceptile can also pivot in on various Water-types, such as Slowbro, Quagsire, Keldeo, and Alomomola, and annihilate them with a STAB Leaf Storm. Again, be aware that some of these Pokemon may carry Ice Beam or Icy Wind, both of which demolish Mega Sceptile. One perk of Mega Sceptile is that, unlike with other fast attackers, you don't have to be cautious when playing against a team with Thundurus, because Mega Sceptile cannot be stopped by Prankster Thunder Wave. Team Options Defensively, Steel-types such as Klefki, Bronzong, and Jirachi as well as Poison-types such as Amoonguss, Dragalge, and Gengar can handle the Fairy-types that Mega Sceptile has trouble with, such as Clefable, Mega Altaria, Togekiss, and Sylveon. Togekiss especially gives Mega Sceptile a hard time, so checks to it, such as Rotom-W and Thundurus, make for good teammates. Mega Sceptile hates Talonflame's priority Brave Bird, so Talonflame switch-ins such as Heatran, Rhyperior, and Rotom-W are helpful. Heatran deserves a special mention for also being able to beat the bulky Grass-types, such as Amoonguss, that Mega Sceptile hates. Offensively, Mega Sceptile makes a good partner for Talonflame as well, as Mega Sceptile beats Rotom-W, Rhyperior, Tyranitar, and Heatran, all Pokemon that counter Talonflame. Gyarados hates Rotom-W for its ability to wall and OHKO it with Volt Switch. Mega Sceptile can OHKO Rotom-W for Gyarados, and if it switches in on a Volt Switch, it will get a Special Attack boost. In return, Gyarados with Bounce beats the bulky Grass-types that Mega Sceptile cannot, such as Amoonguss. As Mega Sceptile struggles greatly against stall, it appreciates powerful wallbreakers to break the walls that it cannot. Choice Specs Sylveon, Choice Specs Dragalge, Swords Dance Diggersby, and Swords Dance Crawdaunt can all help break defensive teams for Mega Sceptile.

Despite the introduction of Whimsicott, which is the be-all and end-all of SubSeeders, Sceptile can also fill this niche and differentiates itself from the cotton ball due to its ability to hurt opposing Pokemon through direct offense in addition to passive damage. The strategy here is to use Leech Seed as a Pokemon switches in, then use Substitute to protect Sceptile from status and attacks while regaining most of the sacrificed HP though the aforementioned Leech Seed. Whenever the opportunity presents itself, Sceptile is free to fire off a powerful Leaf Storm or do more consistent damage with Giga Drain. It's worth noting that Sceptile also has the option of using Substitute until it is in Overgrow range in order to fire off an even stronger STAB attack. Hidden Power Fire is the coverage move of choice because it lands a super effective hit on all the Grass-types that would otherwise wall this set. Focus Blast is a viable alternative because it maintains coverage on Ferroseed and makes it possible for Sceptile to beat Sap Sipper users such as Sawsbuck and Bouffalant. It does, however, come with the unfortunate side effect of leaving Sceptile completely walled by Roselia and Amoonguss. The given EVs ensure that Sceptile outpaces as much as possible, Speed tying with other Sceptile at the very least, and maximize its Special Attack. You may also choose to run max Speed; this is especially useful if you opt against Hidden Power Fire as Sceptile's coverage move, as this would mean it doesn't need to run a 30 Speed IV, essentially ensuring its always faster than opposing Sceptile. Doing this also comes with the benefit of recovering a greater HP percentage though Leech Seed every turn. Hidden Power Ice is also an acceptable coverage move, as it still gets super effective coverage on all the Grass-types in the tier, bar Ferroseed. This particular Sceptile variant appreciates entry hazard support more than any other due to the sheer volume of switches it forces. Smeargle can act as a very effective suicide lead, often getting at least two layers of entry hazards up before going down. This, of course, means that you will also have to invest in a spinblocker to prevent the hazards from being blown away; Spiritomb and Rotom both fill this role quite nicely. Because Sceptile cannot possibly cover every relevant threat with a single coverage move, it also appreciates a partner who can take advantage of the Pokemon that don't mind its chosen coverage move. If you went with Hidden Power Fire, then Sap Sipper users such as Miltank and Bouffalant are the main issue. Luckily, every Pokemon with access to this ability shares the Normal typing, allowing you to take advantage of it by pairing Sceptile with a sturdy Fighting-type, such as Gurdurr or Hariyama. On the other hand, if you decide to go with Focus Blast, then pairing Sceptile with a Fire-type that can take advantage of the Grass-types which will wall this set is a good idea.

While it may seem odd to let Sceptile's special attacking prowess go to waste by using it as a physical sweeper, this set has a few perks over the others. For one, it can more readily take advantage of Sceptile's Dream World ability, Unburden, which takes the already fast Sceptile and makes certain that nothing outspeeds it. Secondly, Sceptile's physical movepool is actually much better than its special movepool. Finally, there's the fact that this set actually has a means of boosting its offense, something the specially offensive sets lack. Swords Dance allows Sceptile to double its Attack in a single turn and lets it sweep much more easily. Leaf Blade is the STAB move of choice here, as its respectable 90 Base Power will do good amounts of damage to anything after a Swords Dance boost. The last two slots are dedicated to coverage moves. Earthquake and Drain Punch both demolish Steel-types, but the former trades super effective coverage on Normal-type users of Sap Sipper and Ferroseed for a higher Base Power and the ability to maim grounded Fire- and Poison-types such as Entei and Drapion. Acrobatics is used not only to ensure the activation of Flying Gem, but also because of its high Base Power and super effective coverage on opposing Grass-types and Bug-types, bar Ferroseed. If you choose to forgo Acrobatics, then Rock Slide can be used to land a good hit on Flying-types such as Moltres that would otherwise have no trouble countering this set. The given EVs ensure that, before an Unburden boost, Sceptile ties with base 105s if it runs Adamant and at worse ties with opposing Sceptile with Jolly. Attack is then maximized and the remaining EVs are placed in Defense to slightly cushion Sceptile against physical priority. Adamant is preferred with Flying Gem as Sceptile is missing out on the power that Life Orb provides and gets a ton of Speed once it activates Unburden. If you're confident you can get Unburden to activate, you can get away with running 0 Speed and invest all of the EVs in Sceptile's bulk, since even without any investment, Sceptile outruns Timid Choice Scarf Manectric--the fastest thing you'll see in RU. Grass Gem is also an option to activate Unburden, but Flying Gem ensures Sceptile always has access to a fully powered Acrobatics. A Jolly nature and Overgrow should be used when Sceptile forgoes the use of a Gem to activate Unburden. Stick to the given moves; all of Sceptile's effective coverage moves have been talked about. This set is pretty self-sufficient as it is, but it benefits from the standard things all offensive Pokemon benefit from, namely entry hazards and the weakening of its checks. Uxie can set up Stealth Rock and then give Sceptile a good setup opportunity with its trademark Yawn + U-turn combo. Spikes users such as Smeargle and Crustle also make good partners. Strong physical attackers that can severely dent opposing physical walls, perhaps even a second Swords Dance sweeper, are also appreciated. Kabutops has decent defensive synergy with Sceptile and can either punch holes into enemy defenses or take advantage of the holes Sceptile punches and sweep itself.

Sceptile functions well as an all-out attacker as a result of its high Speed and Special Attack. Although many Sceptile sets have the issue of not running very powerful moves, a STAB Leaf Storm completely alleviates this issue, and because it's nearly twice as strong as Giga Drain, its power is rather terrifying, doing over 50% damage to even bulky special walls such as Clefable. Leaf Storm also does quite a bit of damage to some of Sceptile's offensive checks, with Entei and Druddigon taking about 50% damage from it. Although the side effect will often cause Sceptile to switch out afterwards, the raw power of the move usually means Sceptile should use it unless there is a bulky resist to Leaf Storm on the opposing team. Focus Blast hits Steel-types and Sap Sipper Pokemon such as Bouffalant hard, which might try to switch into Leaf Storm. Hidden Power Rock covers Flying-, Fire-, and Bug-types, particularly Moltres, which packs a 4x resistance to Leaf Storm. Finally, because Sceptile tends to switch out a lot, Giga Drain is an alternative STAB that helps recover HP lost to entry hazards and Life Orb recoil. It also makes a good move to clean up teams with, considering it is accurate and does not have an undesirable side effect. A Life Orb is the preferred item, as it allows Sceptile to switch its moves, and Giga Drain can heal off Life Orb damage. However, Choice Specs is a viable option as well, considering Leaf Storm might make Sceptile a hit-and-run attacker and will therefore not need to switch moves too much. Once again, Hidden Power Ice or Fire are viable options for Druddigon and other Dragon-types or Escavalier and other Grass-types, but Hidden Power Rock is more useful in most situations due to Moltres and other Fire-types being so common and dangerous, as providing a free switch-in for Moltres is generally not a good idea. Sceptile is prone to being revenge killed by Pokemon holding a Choice Scarf, especially the common Emboar. Water-types, such as Kabutops or Slowking, make good switch-ins to Emboar, and although Rapid Spin is not needed, Kabutops might be helpful with its Rapid Spin support if Choice Specs is the chosen item. Water-types also help deal with the naturally faster Aerodactyl, and Kabutops can take a hit from Swellow as well. This particular Sceptile is also prone to being hit by Sucker Punch due to its poor physical bulk and lack of a way to avoid the move. Steelix makes a good partner as a result of this, as it can take on most physical attackers that carry the move, especially Druddigon, which resists Sceptile's STAB. It may also be worth using a Fighting-type such as Hariyama to check Sucker Punch users as an alternative due to Dark-types being weak to their STABs, particularly Absol, which has coverage moves for Steel-types. Finally, because Sceptile is almost completely walled by Amoonguss and Roselia, packing a Fire-type such as Entei or Emboar is a good idea, as they can easily deal with the Grass-types and not be crippled by sleep-inducing moves thanks to Sleep Talk.

Arguably Sceptile's most dangerous set, this variant attempts to set up a Substitute on the numerous Pokemon that it can threaten, such as Kabutops, Slowking, and Aggron, and then let its high Speed and Special Attack do the rest. A Substitute does many good things for Sceptile, including allowing it to avoid status conditions, particularly paralysis, evade Sucker Punch, a relatively common priority move that could cause Sceptile issues, and ease prediction if in the case a faster Pokemon, such as Accelgor, or a dangerous Pokemon, such as Escavalier, switches in. However, arguably the best part about a Substitute is that it allows Sceptile to get into Overgrow range almost whenever it wants to. In case it is incapable of doing enough damage to finish off the opponent, Sceptile can repeatedly use a Substitute until it has a low enough HP and then attack with an Overgrow-boosted STAB Giga Drain. Giga Drain can not only heal off the damage from the Substitutes, but it also keeps Sceptile from getting worn down too quickly from its Life Orb and is thus used as its main STAB. The remaining two moves are used for coverage. Focus Blast is a godsend for Sceptile, as it obtains coverage against Steel-type Pokemon and Sap Sipper users such as Bouffalant and Sawsbuck. Focus Blast is also Sceptile's strongest option against Pokemon such as Emboar, and in normal situations, it does more damage than Giga Drain (although its shaky accuracy must be considered in these cases). Hidden Power Rock covers Fire-, Bug-, and Flying-types such as Moltres and Sigilyph. Due to Focus Blast, Sceptile, unlike other Grass-types, can afford to run Hidden Power Rock without needing to worry about most of the targets that Hidden Power Fire would otherwise hit. Sceptile should always run maximum Special Attack and Speed EVs with a Timid nature, as it is hard-pressed to take a hit, and a Life Orb is used to hit harder itself. A Life Orb also results in recoil damage, which can help get Sceptile into Overgrow range. There are other Hidden Powers that Sceptile can consider using over Hidden Power Rock. The first of these is Hidden Power Fire, which gets an OHKO on Escavalier, a Pokemon that could otherwise cause problems for Sceptile. Hidden Power Ice is similar, as it gives Sceptile a reliable way to 2HKO Druddigon; Hidden Power Ice also allows Sceptile to run 31 Speed IVs unlike the other two Hidden Power options, which can allow Sceptile to outspeed and OHKO other Sceptile. Both Hidden Power Fire and Hidden Power Ice also hit Amoonguss and Roselia super effectively, but they still don't do that much to either of them. Ultimately, however, Hidden Power Rock is more useful in most situations to deal with Moltres and other similar Pokemon. Amoonguss and other bulky Grass-types are generally problems for Sceptile, even if it runs a super effective Hidden Power. Therefore, strong Fire-type Pokemon such as Entei or Emboar make good partners, as they can OHKO any Grass-type in their path, can take a Megahorn from Escavalier and retaliate, and can act as a sleep absorber if the need arises. Entei can also deal with Accelgor and Cryogonal, two Pokemon that Sceptile might have trouble with. In return, Sceptile can directly switch into and subsequently threaten bulky Water-types, which are common switch-ins to Fire-types. Water-types are also helpful partners, as they can withstand hits from Fire-types that threaten Sceptile, particularly Choice Scarf Emboar and Entei, and they can also KO Aerodactyl, a rather common Pokemon that is faster than Sceptile. Qwilfish is a standout example, as its excellent physical bulk allows it to take many hits, and its access to Spikes helps wear down opponents such as Escavalier and Druddigon so that Sceptile can finish them off more easily. Bringing a Fire- and Water-type also results in a Fire / Water / Grass core, which is rather effective in RU.

With the advent of DPP, Sceptile's ADV title of the fastest SubSeed user in the game was usurped by Shaymin-S. Now, however, with Shaymin-S banished to the Uber tier, Sceptile finally has time to shine. Sceptile boasts numerous advantages over other common UU SubSeeders, such as Tangrowth and the ubiquitous Venusaur. Most notably, Sceptile possesses a magnificent base 120 Speed, which lets him outpace the entire UU metagame (apart from Swellow and Electrode). Sceptile's ability, Overgrow, works perfectly with Substitute, allowing Sceptile to launch more powerful STAB Grass attacks if he ends up Substituting to low health. He also has a respectable base 105 Special Attack to wear opponents down faster. The tried-and-true strategy of SubSeeding is nothing new to Sceptile, having previously been Sceptile's flagship set in ADV. Switch Sceptile in on something he scares away (such as Milotic or Rhyperior), throw up a Substitute, and strike the switch-in with Leech Seed. From here, Sceptile's prodigious Speed allows him to create an near-infinite string of Substitutes to weather the opponent's assault, while simultaneously draining their health every turn. Sceptile can speed up the process by attacking with Energy Ball and Hidden Power Ice. Leaf Storm is a viable alternative to Energy Ball, because Substitute often brings Sceptile under 1/3 of his health (thus activating Overgrow). A STAB Overgrow Leaf Storm is tremendously strong, and can dent many of Sceptile's counters. However, the harsh drop in Special Attack hurts Sceptile's attacking prowess. SubSeed is a strategy notorious for causing switches, so SubSeed Sceptile is best paired up with entry hazard supporters to rack up damage even faster. Sceptile does have the misfortune of being walled easily by bulkier Fire-types, such as Magmortar and Arcanine. Therefore, it is a good idea to use Sceptile in tandem with a bulky Water-type, like Milotic or Slowbro. They provide extra insurance against Fire- and Steel-types, can Ice Beam Grass-types and Altaria, and can pave the way for Sceptile to SubSeed unhindered. One of the most common strategies in UU is to use a so-called Fire + Water + Grass core, which possesses excellent synergy. To complete the trinity, a strong Fire-type that can cover up Sceptile's weaknesses can be used. Arcanine and Blaziken are good choices, as they provide the firepower needed to muscle their way through SubSeed Sceptile's counters -- while trashing any overeager Grass-types who can withstand Sceptile's Hidden Power Ice. Blaziken's STAB Fighting-type attacks also demolish Clefable and Chansey, two annoyances to Sceptile. However, Swellow, one of the two Pokemon in UU that outspeeds Sceptile, is a dangerous threat that the aforementioned Fire-types cannot deal with. To take care of Swellow and other Flying-types, you can use Sceptile in concert with Rhyperior, who provides the perfect answer to these problems. Rhyperior solidly walls Flying-types such as Swellow and Altaria, and has a powerful STAB Earthquake to dispose of annoying Steel-types. Dugtrio is also a satisfactory answer to Steel-types. To fully reap the benefits of Sceptile's great Speed and Special Attack, both stats should be maximized. If one wants Sceptile's Substitutes to have more survivability, EVs can be allocated from Special Attack to HP. Sceptile should preferably invest at least 196 EVs into Special Attack, which allows him to 2HKO variants of Venusaur (with Hidden Power Ice) that do not invest in Special Defense. The IVs allow Sceptile to maximize Hidden Power Ice's strength, as well as provide a Leftovers number. If the need arises, Sceptile can Substitute five times in a row using the specified IVs. Note that the specified IVs should only be used if Sceptile is not running any HP EVs.

With his excellent Speed and Special Attack, Sceptile functions quite well at sweeping with a Life Orb boost. Sceptile's pure Grass typing helps him switch into many common attacks, such as Surf and Earthquake (unlike Venusaur), and Synthesis allows him to instantly replenish his health, giving him more sustainability. Leaf Storm from Sceptile's base 105 Special Attack will destroy most Pokemon, apart from those who resist it or have obscenely high Special Defense (such as Chansey). Focus Blast is an excellent attack to open with because most of Sceptile's counters are either Steel-type or Normal-type. To round off Sceptile's type coverage, Hidden Power Psychic or Hidden Power Ice can be used. Hidden Power Psychic nails Weezing, Blaziken, Venusaur, and Toxicroak, while Hidden Power Ice deals with opposing Grass-types and Altaria. Most Grass-types, however, will take a lot of damage from or be OHKOed by Focus Blast. At first glance, the EV spread may seem strange, but it's tailored to do specific tasks. Special Attack is maximized because Sceptile needs to hit as hard as possible. Speed is the next thing that's considered, since Sceptile should at least outspeed neutral-natured base 110s and positive-natured base 95s. 176 EVs will suffice, but if you opt for Hidden Power Psychic, invest another 4 EVs to make up for the reduced Speed IVs, making it 180 Speed EVs in total. The remaining EVs are dumped in HP to help Sceptile switch into resisted attacks; however, with Hidden Power Psychic, 76 HP EVs will only allow Sceptile ten attacks before it faints from Life Orb recoil, so 4 EVs should be relocated to Special Defense. Otherwise, with Hidden Power Ice, the spread is a simpler 80 HP / 252 SpA / 176 Spe. Alternatively, maximizing Speed with a Timid nature is also an option. This allows you to outpace Pokemon like Scyther and Mismagius at the cost of 2HKOing Pokemon such as Registeel and losing approximately 6% of Sceptile's total HP. Because Sceptile is a one-dimensional special attacker, he's walled by Pokemon such as Chansey and specially defensive Venusaur. Additionally, bulky Fire-types like Arcanine and Moltres can easily switch in. This makes Azumarill an effective teammate for Sceptile. Azumarill can switch into any of the aforementioned Pokemon besides Venusaur (assuming Venusaur has a Grass-type attack) and OHKO them. Arcanine is also quite effective, since his Flash Fire ability allows him to switch into Fire-type attacks directed at Sceptile and possibly set up a sweep of his own. Sceptile also often lures in Registeel, who resists Sceptile's STAB Grass-type attacks. However, this variant of Sceptile can 2HKO Registeel with Focus Blast, opening up a path for other sweepers such as Alakazam, Mismagius, and Swellow. Also, with Leaf Storm potentially dropping Sceptile's Special Attack stat, Sceptile is often forced out by Pokemon like Life Orb Venusaur and Moltres. Therefore, it is a good idea to carry a sturdy defensive Pokemon to take attacks from these threats. With this in mind, Milotic and Registeel make a great defensive combo: Milotic deals with Moltres, and Registeel deals with Venusaur.

Three things make Sceptile a brilliant candidate for a Choice Specs set: his respectable base 105 Special Attack, his blazing base 120 Speed, and his wide special movepool. A STAB Choice Specs Leaf Storm from Sceptile is downright scary and will blast its way through almost anyone who doesn't resist it. Unfortunately, Grass isn't the best offensive type, so this is where the other moves come to the rescue. Focus Blast provides a high-power (albeit inaccurate) tool for hitting the likes of Registeel and Chansey, while Hidden Power Ice strikes Flying-types (specifically Altaria) and fellow Grass-types (specifically Venusaur) who are keen to switch in on Sceptile. The last slot presents a choice of Energy Ball or Dragon Pulse, two moves that are best suited for late-game sweeping. Energy Ball provides Sceptile with a reliable STAB move when Leaf Storm isn't needed, whereas Dragon Pulse offers superior type coverage. Specs Sceptile is a top-tier revenge killer, netting many OHKOs with Leaf Storm alone. The following calculations demonstrate the power of Sceptile's Leaf Storm: Leaf Storm vs. 252/0 Uxie: 66.4% - 78.2% Leaf Storm vs. 0/0 Swellow: 97.3% - 114.6% Leaf Storm vs. 244/0 Spiritomb: 91.7% - 108.3% Leaf Storm vs. 0/0 Houndoom: 61.6% - 71.6% Leaf Storm vs. 252/100 Clefable: 66.5% - 78.7% Leaf Storm vs. 252/252 Steelix: 78% - 92.1% Leaf Storm vs. 248/0 Milotic: 124.2% - 146.6% Leaf Storm vs. 212/0 Torterra: 88% - 103.6% Leaf Storm vs. 4/0 Mismagius: 108% - 127.5% Leaf Storm vs. 252/0 Mismagius: 79.6% - 93.8% This variant of Sceptile will be switching out very often, due to the Special Attack drops from his primary move, Leaf Storm. Thus, Rapid Spin support is desirable to keep Sceptile healthy in the long run. Good candidates for this job are Blastoise, who can scare away the Fire-types Sceptile despises, and Claydol, who takes care of both Fire- and Steel-types simultaneously with its STAB Earth Power. Claydol especially serves as a good partner to Sceptile, because it can not only spin away entry hazards, but also lay down hazards of its own to aid Sceptile. Arcanine and Blaziken are both excellent partners to this Sceptile, as they have wallbreaking potential and can easily eliminate special walls such as Chansey (as well as the quintessential Grass-type wall, Tangrowth) that try to block Sceptile. Fire-types also have great synergy with Sceptile, as they resist many of Sceptile's weaknesses (such as Bug, Fire, and Ice), whereas Sceptile himself defensively complements Fire-types (resisting Water and Ground). Dugtrio's useful Arena Trap ability allows him to comfortably dispose of Registeel and Chansey with STAB Earthquake, making him an ideal partner for Sceptile.

Sceptile is traditionally seen as a specially-based Pokemon because his base 105 Special Attack often overshadows his middling base 85 Attack. However, Swords Dance, the transition of Leaf Blade becoming physical, and a good physical movepool all work to make Sceptile a viable physical attacker. This set is simple - use Swords Dance to boost Sceptile's Attack to an impressive 538, then attack with the remainder of Sceptile's moves. Leaf Blade was pumped up to 90 Base Power during the D/P transition. Its decent power and high critical hit rate make it a solid STAB move for Sceptile and a must on any physical set. Earthquake provides great neutral coverage and allows Sceptile to hit Registeel and Poison-types. X-Scissor can be used over Earthquake, allowing Sceptile a way to dispose of Tangrowth and Leafeon. Rock Slide grants Sceptile universal type coverage in UU, while also taking care of otherwise dangerous threats such as Moltres and Altaria. Double-Edge is a viable alternative to Rock Slide, providing neutral coverage against the likes of Venusaur and Moltres. Swords Dance Sceptile, like the SubSeed variant, dislikes Flying-types, who can come in, outspeed/wall him, and OHKO with their STAB moves. Therefore, this particular Sceptile is best used in conjunction with sturdy Steel- or Rock-types, such as Steelix or Rhyperior, who can eliminate these threats. Rhyperior, again, serves as an especially great partner to Swords Dance Sceptile; Rhyperior and Sceptile have great defensive synergy. Weezing is the biggest threat to any physical Sceptile, walling him with superior Defense and burning him with Will-O-Wisp and KOing with Sludge Bomb. Houndoom is an excellent way to eliminate Weezing, as he can come in on a predicted Will-O-Wisp, which will activate the hellhound's Flash Fire. From here, Houndoom's STAB Fire moves can easily take care of Weezing.

Although Sceptile is commonly seen as a sweeper or SubSeeder, using it as an attacking lead to prevent early setup is a viable alternative. Boasting a base 105 Special Attack stat, Sceptile's Leaf Storm is capable of KOing many of the popular leads utilized in the UU metagame. Quick Attack is Sceptile's best choice to beat faster, frailer leads, like Electrode, before they can cause serious damage to Sceptile. Hidden Power Ice allows Sceptile to beat leads such as Torterra and Jumpluff before they can set up Stealth Rock or put Sceptile to sleep, respectively. Endeavor can be used in place of Hidden Power if you opt for Focus Sash, as it allows Sceptile to beat bulky Pokemon who try to set up after Sceptile's Focus Sash breaks. Such Pokemon include Registeel, who often tries to force Sceptile to switch while setting up Stealth Rock. Rock Slide is a great move for Sceptile, allowing it to effectively dispose of Moltres and Scyther who try to kill it with their STAB attacks, especially the latter, who is a very common lead. Rock Slide also allows Sceptile to beat Swellow if Sceptile holds Focus Sash. The choice between Life Orb and Focus Sash is hard. Life Orb guarantees many kills that cannot be obtained with Focus Sash, such as the surefire OHKO on Ambipom with Leaf Storm and the 2HKO on Mesprit. However, Focus Sash allows Sceptile to abuse Overgrow and Endeavor, making it a deadly attacker at 1 HP. Focus Sash is also Sceptile's only way to beat Swellow and the rare Choice Scarf Scyther. Lum Berry is an option to counter Choice Scarf sleep leads like Venusaur and Jumpluff, while also avoiding Thunder Wave from Uxie, but it usually isn't the best choice due to the power and survivability Sceptile loses without its Life Orb and Focus Sash, respectively. Hidden Power Fire and Earthquake are viable options to beat Steel-types; barring Probopass or Magneton, however, Steel-types can still set up on Sceptile if it doesn't carry Earthquake. Protect can be used to block Fake Out from the swarm of Ambipom leads seen in UU, but it is hard to find a moveslot for it, and it's only important if Sceptile holds Focus Sash. Houndoom is a great teammate due to its ability to set up on Mismagius, whose special bulk otherwise poses a problem for Sceptile. Houndoom definitely appreciates Sceptile's ability to remove bulky Water-types such as Milotic with ease, and it loves switching in on Ice- and Fire-type attacks thanks to its passable special bulk and Flash Fire ability, respectively. Houndoom also beats the Bug-type Pokemon who scare away Sceptile. Spikes Qwilfish, especially with Taunt, can set up on the likes of Registeel; it can safely Taunt and absorb Toxic, netting it some free turns to set up Spikes. Spiritomb with Pursuit utterly obliterates Mismagius, who gives Sceptile trouble with its above-average special bulk. Spiritomb also has a field day with Uxie, whose high defensive stats can also be a problem for Sceptile.

As mentioned before, Sceptile has good physical and special attacking stats. Additionally, many of his moves became physical during the DPP transition, allowing for both of his potent attacking stats to be utilized. This paves the way for him to become an effective mixed sweeper in the UU environment. This particular Sceptile is capable of destroying stall and does a very good job in taking out the premier walls in UU. Leaf Storm is Sceptile's primary method of attacking, scoring massive damage against the likes of Milotic and Rhyperior. Hidden Power Ice provides Sceptile with a valuable tool for hitting the ever-present Venusaur. The remaining two physical moves should be used in complementary pairs. The advantages and disadvantages of each pair are listed below: Leaf Blade and Earthquake allows Sceptile to 3HKO Registeel with Earthquake and 2HKO Chansey with Leaf Blade. Leaf Blade also provides Sceptile with a reliable STAB move. However, these two attacks leave Sceptile helpless against Moltres. Another combination is Low Kick and Leaf Blade; Low Kick grant Sceptile a valuable 2HKO on Registeel, while Leaf Blade, as mentioned before, cleanly 2HKOes Chansey. Yet, Sceptile sacrifices coverage on Arcanine and Moltres. Rock Slide and Low Kick are another good duo, as Low Kick 2HKOes Registeel, while Rock Slide lets Sceptile OHKO Moltres; this leaves him susceptible to bulky Arcanine, though. Lastly, Rock Slide and Earthquake can be used together, giving Sceptile the best coverage; these two moves allow him to 3HKO Registeel, 2HKO bulky Arcanine, and OHKO Moltres. Earthquake and Rock Slide, however, leave Sceptile without a reliable STAB move. In terms of pure attack power, Sceptile is inferior to other UU mixed sweepers, such as Blaziken and Magmortar. What gives mixed Sceptile viability is the sheer surprise factor. While he serves as an excellent stallbreaker, mixed Sceptile is best used as a late-game sweeper, due to the fact that he has much higher Speed than the aforementioned Pokemon. Mixed Sceptile benefits greatly from entry hazard support, which makes his sweep easier. Unlike the SubSeed set, bulky Water support is not as necessary, because mixed Sceptile has the ability to outspeed and KO most Fire-types with Earthquake or Rock Slide. However, it does not hurt to have one in reserve.

Sceptile is one of the most annoying stall Pokemon in the game. The strategy is to use Leech Seed, then set up a Substitute, which drains the opponent's health and prevents it from even harming Sceptile. If the likes of Skarmory or Salamence show up, fire off Hidden Power. This set makes Blissey cry, and with a few predictions, Leaf Blade can hit the switch-in hard as Blissey switches out. This set gains dramatically in effectiveness with a few layers of Spikes down, because Leech Seed forces switches, but Spikes discourage them, which puts your opponent into a catch-22 situation. The IVs given are for Hidden Power Ice; there is no spread for a maximum Speed Hidden Power Fire, sadly. Regardless, you can lower Sceptile's HP IV to 3 if you'd prefer; this allows Sceptile to keep a 70 Base Power Hidden Power and maximize the percentage HP it recovers from Leech Seed.

In 200, Sceptile doesn't have the luxury of being able to use SubSeed. However, Pokemon in this metagame are less defensive as well, so Sceptile can do a lot more damage via direct attacking. Toxic allows Sceptile to cripple its best counter, Regice, on the switch. Protect helps it stall for additional Leech Seed recovery or Toxic damage, and also stops the beast of 200, Slaking.

Unless your opponent has some first-rate maneuvering with Tyranitar, this Pokemon will take out at least one other foe. Endeavor ruins Blissey even at half HP. Unless you are really afraid of Aerodactyl, go with Petaya Berry.

This sweeper is specially based, but has Focus Punch to catch Blissey and Snorlax on the switch.

A fun sweeper; rather novelty, but so is Swords Dance Sceptile as a whole. A Swords Dance-boosted Brick Break can decimate Blissey and Snorlax. The choice between Leaf Blade and Thunder Punch depends on who your team fears more; Leaf Blade will do more damage to Swampert, Milotic, and Suicune, while Thunder Punch lands solid hits on Skarmory and Gyarados.