Scream Tail Movesets & Competitive Sets

Booster Energy allows Scream Tail to outspeed most of the metagame and launch fast Encores and Disables. Dazzling Gleam is used to chip low-health targets. Disable and Encore are great supportive tools to disrupt foes and can punish passive play. The EV spread allows it to survive Choice Specs Flutter Mane Shadow Ball while comfortably taking a Tera Water Surging Strikes from Urshifu-R and Tera Dark Wicked Blow from Urshifu-S. Tera Dark is preferred for Prankster Taunt immunity and a Ghost resistance. Alternatively, Tera Grass can be used to provide immunity to powder moves from Amoonguss.

Scream Tail is a bulky support Pokemon that uses its high Speed and disruption moves to punish opponents that hamper setup from Scream Tail's teammates. Encore allows Scream Tail to lock foes into passive moves such as Protect, Fake Out, and Taunt, giving its teammates opportunities to setup or attack as well as discouraging opponents from using the latter two moves to hinder setup. Disable is used similarly but can instead prevent opponents from going for attacks that would hit Scream Tail or its partners for large amounts of damage; Encore also disables moves that Pokemon are forced to use, either through Choice items or Scream Tail using Encore. Dazzling Gleam and Play Rough give Scream Tail a way to deal chip damage: Dazzling Gleam can bypass redirection from Pokemon like Amoonguss, while Play Rough can hit Pokemon such as Pelipper that use Wide Guard; both also potentially break a Focus Sash. Booster Energy allows Scream Tail to outspeed Pokemon like Calyrex-S and Choice Scarf Urshifu-R and threaten to use Disable and Encore. The Special Defense EVs allow Scream Tail to survive Calyrex-S's Astral Barrage or a Shadow Ball from Choice Specs Flutter Mane, while the Defense EVs let Scream Tail almost always survive one Wood Hammer from Choice Band Rillaboom. The Speed EVs let Scream Tail outspeed Adamant Choice Scarf Urshifu as well as Calyrex-S. Tera Grass allows Scream Tail to become immune to Spore and Rage Powder from Amoonguss. Scream Tail partners well with Terapagos because it is a bulky setup sweeper that benefits from Scream Tail slowing down the pace of the game and discouraging opponents from using Fake Out, Taunt, and other moves that would prevent it from setting up Calm Mind. Raging Bolt, Rillaboom, and Incineroar are strong with Scream Tail, as it discourages opponents from using Protect in front of Protect, Grassy Glide, and Fake Out, respectively. Scream Tail struggles against Pokemon that carry Taunt, such as Incineroar and Tornadus, as they make it functionally useless and force Scream Tail to switch out, burning its Booster Energy. It is also extremely passive and reliant on its teammates to cover for its lack of damage output.

This is the sample set before we work on new analyses. This will be updated as the metagame continues to develop. Stay tuned!

Thanks to its fantastic utility movepool, solid defensive stats and typing, and access to Boomburst + Pixilate, Scream Tail functions as a strong attacker, Stealth Rock setter, and decent defensive switch-in to threats like Iron Hands, Latios, and Deoxys-S. Boomburst + Pixilate enables Scream Tail to deal considerable damage, 2HKOing common threats like Zapdos, Kingambit, and RegenVest Iron Hands while bypassing Substitute from Zamazenta and OHKOing it. Psychic Noise hits Iron Moth and Pecharunt on top of preventing switch-ins like Corviknight and Gholdengo from healing; however, Stealth Rock is also an option. Wish grants Scream Tail longevity as well as letting it heal partners low on HP. Protect lets it guarantee healing from Wish, heal more from Leftovers, and scout the move that dangerous Choice item attackers like Gholdengo, Roaring Moon, and Zamazenta are using. Trick should be used exclusively on Choice Scarf sets to punish switch-ins like RegenVest Swampert and Manaphy as well as Iron Treads and Corviknight, benefiting other special wallbreakers like Gholdengo and Latios. Leftovers provides Scream Tail with extra longevity, Heavy-Duty Boots prevents chip damage from entry hazards, and Choice Scarf gives it valuable speed control, letting it outspeed non-Choice Scarf Roaring Moon, Zamazenta, and Deoxys-S. Scream Tail is best suited for bulky offense and balance teams that make use of its offensive and defensive utility as well as its ability to set Stealth Rock and threaten or sit on most entry hazard removers with ease. Teammates that lack longevity like non-Regenerator Great Tusk, the Landorus formes, and Iron Treads appreciate Scream Tail for its ability to provide them healing with Wish. Teammates like Gholdengo and Iron moth that struggle with removing RegenVest Iron Hands and Roaring Moon benefit from Scream Tail being able to easily beat them with Boomburst; in return, Gholdengo and Iron Moth can threaten opposing Gholdengo, Iron Treads, and Assault Vest Iron Crown. Knock Off users like Roaring Moon, Great Tusk, and Manaphy can help Scream Tail by removing Assault Vest from Swampert and opposing Manaphy, letting it 3HKO them. Scream Tail is threatened by entry hazards if it is not running Heavy-Duty Boots, so it requires an entry hazard remover like Corviknight, Great Tusk, or Iron Treads.

Scream Tail's diverse setup options and bulk make it one of the most unpredictable Baton Pass Pokemon in the metagame. Encore: Encore is perfect for punishing passive play, giving Scream Tail many new setup opportunities. Sing: Sing is a high-risk, high-reward option to set up in otherwise impossible situations, and it is especially effective with Blunder Policy. Substitute: Not only is Substitute useful to pass with Baton Pass, but it makes weak Pokemon such as Garganacl into easy setup bait. Other Options Flamethrower: When using Calm Mind, Flamethrower can threaten Gholdengo and Scizor. Psychic Fangs: Psychic Fangs 2HKOes Clodsire and, after a Bulk Up boost, can OHKO Iron Moth that don't invest in Defense. However, Grimmsnarl holds back its dual screens-breaking potential. Drain Punch: Drain Punch gives Scream Tail some offensive presence against Kingambit. Stored Power: When combined with Calm Mind and Blunder Policy, Stored Power can threaten Unaware walls such as Skeledirge. Tera Types Normal: Tera Normal gets rid of Scream Tail's key weakness to Steel, and it performs well against Flutter Mane and Gholdengo in particular. Steel: Tera Steel gives Scream Tail a fantastic defensive typing, resisting Scizor's Bullet Punch in particular. Dark: If Grimmsnarl is particularly problematic for your team, Tera Dark will block its Prankster Taunt from stopping Scream Tail. Items Mental Herb: Mental Herb is the most reliable option for getting Baton Pass off against faster Taunt users. Blunder Policy: When paired with Sing, Scream Tail can pass Speed when Sing misses. Sitrus Berry: A burst of recovery from Sitrus Berry eases setup in general. Booster Energy: While it's impossible to pass Protosynthesis boosts via Baton Pass, either outspeeding disruptive foes such as Iron Bundle, or surviving Choice Specs holders like Iron Moth and Gholdengo, can be a deadly surprise. General EV Spreads 220 HP / 220 Def / 68 SpD with Careful or Calm: This EV spread gives Scream Tail enough bulk to survive Timid Gholdengo's Make It Rain after Stealth Rock damage, and it has a 93.7% chance of surviving Tera Steel Choice Band Scizor's Bullet Punch. 180 HP / 124 SpD / 204 Spe with Calm or Careful: This spread outspeeds Jolly Annihilape, and with Blunder Policy, it can even outspeed Booster Energy Iron Bundle after missing Sing. The bulk lets Scream Tail survive a hit from Timid Gholdengo and Choice Specs Flutter Mane after Stealth Rock damage. 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe with Jolly or Timid: Maximizing Speed lets Scream Tail outspeed high-profile targets such as Iron Moth and Garchomp. Blunder Policy-Specific EV Spreads 220 HP / 220 Def / 4 SpA / 4 SpD / 60 Spe with Careful or Calm: This spread gives Scream Tail enough bulk to usually survive Tera Steel Choice Band Scizor's Bullet Punch, and it also outspeeds Booster Energy Iron Valiant after missing Sing. The remaining 8 EVs can only boost Special Defense and an offensive stat of your choice. 180 HP / 212 SpD / 116 Spe with Jolly or Timid and 180 HP / 100 SpD / 228 Spe with Careful or Calm: These functionally identical stat spreads let Scream Tail outspeed even Choice Scarf Dragapult after missing Sing! The Special Defense investment lets Scream Tail survive a hit from Timid Gholdengo and Choice Specs Flutter Mane after Stealth Rock damage.

Scream Tail's bulk and impressive Speed make it a great dual screens setter. Encore: Encore punishing setup is extremely valuable considering Scream Tail's passive nature compared to other dual screens setters. Perish Song: Perish Song can ruin Baton Pass attempts from the likes of Espathra or opposing Scream Tail, and it does well against most setup sweepers, except Gholdengo. Light Clay versus Mental Herb: Light Clay is the preferred choice, but Mental Herb can save Scream Tail from some particularly difficult users of Taunt such as Corviknight and Annihilape. Tera Types The extreme support focus of this set means that Terastallization should only be used as a last resort, or when it can clearly lead to a win. Normal: In emergencies, Tera Normal can let Scream Tail set up dual screens against Flutter Mane and Gholdengo. Note that Scream Tail is completely passive against Gholdengo, though. Dark: Tera Dark is a niche answer to Prankster Taunt users such as Grimmsnarl.

Scream Tail's bulk, Speed, and diverse support options make it a great all-in-one Trick Room support Pokemon. Misty Explosion : Misty Explosion may limit Scream Tail's offensive reach, but it's key for bringing in sweepers safely after setting Trick Room. Encore: Encore is great at disrupting foes trying to set up in front of Scream Tail. Trick Room Sweepers: Ursaluna-B is the most popular partner for Trick Room setups, but other semi-slow sweepers like Basculegion-M can work as well. EV Spread: The special bulk guarantees that Scream Tail survives Shadow Ball from Choice Specs Flutter Mane. If using Sitrus Berry, the physical bulk guarantees that both formes of Choice Band Urshifu will fail to 2HKO Scream Tail with their signature moves. Tera Types Tera Dependency - Low: Scream Tail's bulk and typing make it easy to set up without having to rely on Terastallization. Water: Tera Water's Steel-type and Fire-type resistances can be key at surviving big attacks from Gholdengo and Chi-Yu. Steel: Tera Steel can help Scream Tail set up against Tera Flying and Extreme Speed Dragonite while still providing a key Steel-type resistance. Items Mental Herb: Taunt Flutter Mane can be a big problem for Scream Tail, but Mental Herb can help guarantee that it gets to set Trick Room at least once. Sitrus Berry: Sitrus Berry's healing can give Scream Tail a stronger chance at getting both Stealth Rock and Trick Room down.

Scream Tail's incredible support movepool and bulk makes it a fine Stealth Rock supporter. Thunder Wave versus Fling: Thunder Wave is the easiest form of paralysis to fit in, but with Light Ball, Fling can paralyze Ground-types such as Great Tusk and Garchomp, and Gholdengo that lack Covert Cloak, at the cost of leaving Scream Tail extremely vulnerable to Encore. Fling can also get rid of devastating Choice items from Trick users such as Rotom-W. Encore: Scream Tail's great Speed tier makes it an especially effective user of Encore, letting it punish foes that attempt to set up, such as Roaring Moon. Perish Song: Perish Song is another way for Scream Tail to threaten setup sweepers such as Dragonite, and it can become a win condition late in the game. It's also a fantastic response to Baton Pass foes such as Espathra and opposing Scream Tail. Rock Tomb: Rock Tomb's additional Speed control is helpful against threats that boost their Speed, such as Dragonite and Baxcalibur. Dazzling Gleam: While a rather weak STAB move, Dazzling Gleam threatening to 2HKO offensive Great Tusk can make it a good way to punish Rapid Spin use. Other Options Flamethrower: Flamethrower 2HKOes Scizor, though it does not 2HKO Gholdengo, making Recover sets still problematic. Disable: Disable is particularly apt at ruining Choice item foes that need a specific move to 2HKO Scream Tail, such as Scizor, though compared to Encore, it's less useful against support moves. Psychic Fangs: In addition to 2HKOing Iron Moth, Psychic Fangs breaking dual screens can be extremely useful, though this doesn't work against Grimmsnarl. Tera Types Normal: Tera Normal might seem like an underwhelming defensive option, but taking on Ghost-type attacks while avoiding a 2HKO from Gholdengo can be valuable. Steel: Tera Steel gives a vital Steel resistance and is a great defensive typing in general. Fairy: Tera Fairy improves Scream Tail's matchup against Dark-types such as Hydreigon. Fire: If using Flamethrower, Tera Fire Scream Taill will have a 97.3% chance to 2HKO Tera Steel Scizor, making it an effective lure. Items Mental Herb: Blocking the first use of Taunt makes Scream Tail an extremely reliable setter of Stealth Rock. Sitrus Berry: Sitrus Berry is the safest way to increase Scream Tail's longetivity, and it can avoid certain 2HKOs depending on the EV spread, such as that from Choice Specs Iron Bundle's Hydro Pump with specially defensive spreads. Light Ball: Light Ball is a requirement when using Fling, ensuring Scream Tail can inflict paralysis once and get rid of Choice items with one move. Booster Energy: Booster Energy being instantly consumed makes Scream Tail less flexible, but boosting Speed lets it outspeed key threats such as Dragapult. This item can also be used with bulkier EV spreads to make Scream Tail even bulkier, pulling off incredible stunts such as surviving Timid Choice Specs Gholdengo's Make It Rain. EV Spreads Scream Tail has an incredible number of viable EV spreads at its disposal: consider these as mere examples rather than all of its viable EV spreads! 180 HP / 156 SpD / 172 Spe with Calm or Careful: This EV spread outspeeds Baxcalibur and Great Tusk and survives Timid Choice Specs Iron Moth's Sludge Wave 93.7% of the time. 180 HP / 124 SpD / 204 Spe with Calm or Careful: The Speed investment outspeeds Jolly Annihilape, and Scream Tail avoids OHKOs from Timid Gholdengo and Choice Specs Flutter Mane. 220 HP / 220 Def / 68 SpD with Calm or Careful: This EV spread avoids an OHKO from Timid Gholdengo's Make It Rain after Stealth Rock damage, and Scream Tail has a 93.7% chance of surviving Tera Steel Scizor's Choice Band Bullet Punch. If outspeeding Baxcalibur and Great Tusk is a must, a Speed-boosting nature and 68 Speed EVs can be used instead. 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe with Timid or Jolly: With maximum Speed investment, Scream Tail outspeeds not only Iron Moth, but also major Encore targets such as Garchomp and Annihilape.