Sceptile, The Forest Pokémon. It agilely leaps about the jungle and uses the sharp leaves on its arms to strike its prey. The leaves that grow on its arms can slice down thick trees. It is without peer in jungle combat. The leaves on its forelegs are as sharp as swords.It regulates its body temperature by basking in sunlight. In the jungle, its power is without equal. It has seeds growing on its back. They are said to be bursting with nutrients that revitalize trees.
Overview
Sceptile is pretty cool. Nice offensive stats, good movepool. The fastest SubSeeder in the game. Sceptile is simply a cool Pokémon. Its Grass type isn't ideal offensively, but it works out well for the resistances. Sceptile got a lot better when 4th gen came around. It got a strong physical Grass move and powerhouse special moves, which really improved its game.
Ability
Overgrow: great ability for an offensive Pokémon like Sceptile. Anything that boosts damage is great, not to mention it can be combined with a pinch berry.
Move Sets
Special Choice
- Leaf Storm
- Energy Ball
- Focus Blast
- Hidden Power [Ice / Hidden Power [Fire] / Dragon Pulse
Item Attached: Choice Specs / Choice Scarf
Ability: Overgrow
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk) / Modest Nature (+Satk, -Atk)
Leaf Storm is insane. It OHKOs a large number of the UU cast even if they resist or are neutral to it. It is your powerhouse attack that strikes fear into the hearts of your opponent. Energy Ball is less powerhouse, more safehouse. It is a reliable option for a standard attack. Focus Blast ruins Steel types that want to take the Leaf Storm. Hidden Power [Ice] hurts Dragons, Flying types and Grass types, Hidden Power [Fire] hurts Grass types and Bug types like Shedinja, and Dragon Pulse is there for neutral coverage.
Run Timid with Choice Specs and Modest with Choice Scarf. Whether you want a powerhouse or a revenge killer is up to you, they work the same way, just have different strengths.
Swords Dance
- Swords Dance
- Leaf Blade
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide / X-Scissor / Substitute
Item Attached: Life Orb / Liechi Berry / Salac Berry
Ability: Overgrow
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
Swords Dance boosts Sceptile's average Attack to pretty high levels, which makes it pretty threatening. Leaf Blade is the standard attack as it has high power, STAB, and an added bonus of high critical hit chance. Earthquake covers Steel types and Fire types that want to take a Leaf Blade to the face as well as being a great attack in general. Rock Slide provides good coverage with Leaf Blade as it murders Bug types and Flying types, not to mention it comes with that awesome 30% flinch. X-Scissor could be used if you wanted to remove any Grass types though. However, Substitute may be more up your alley. When Substitute is used in combination with a Liechi Berry or Salac Berry, Sceptile becomes very dangerous as Overgrow makes Leaf Blade absolutely ridiculously powerful.
SubSeed
- Substitute
- Leech Seed
- Energy Ball
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Item Attached: Leftovers
Ability: Overgrow
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 220 HP / 36 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
SubSeeding is such an abusive and annoying way to play, but if it works, it works. Substitute and Leech Seed are fairly obvious. Drain health behind a shield so you can make more shields. Energy Ball is your standard attack that stops you being Taunt bait and allows you to fight traditionally. Hidden Power [Ice] murders Grass types which is needed as they block Leech Seed, but it also hits Dragons as well. You could go down the physical route with Leaf Blade and X-Scissor, but special is more effective.
EVs and Nature:
Special Choice
No point in running anything but 4 HP, 252 Special Attack and 252 Speed on such an offensive set.
Swords Dance
30 HP IV if you are running Substitute so you make 3 and your pinch berry activates, otherwise stick to the obvious offensive spread.
SubSeed
220 HP gives Sceptile optimum Leftovers recovery, which is useful in its own way. Max Speed so Scpetile is as fast as possible, and the rest in the offensive stat you picked. You could run a more offensive spread hoping to not get hit at all due to Sceptile's Speed, but that is a risky option and Sceptile will still be dealing good damage without an offensive spread..
Other Options
Grasswhistle, Thunderpunch, Crunch, Endeavor, Dragon Claw, Focus Punch, Toxic, Energy Ball Pursuit
Grasswhistle is Sceptile's only option of sleeping something, so use it on a fun gimmick set if you want.
Thunderpunch is another option to hurt Flying types.
Crunch lays the smackdown on Psychic and Ghost types, but that is about it.
Endeavor is a cool move that could work on a lead set with Endeavor, Quick Attack, Leaf Storm, Counter or something.
Dragon Claw is coverage, yawn.
Focus Punch can be used with Substitute or Grasswhistle I guess as a massive power move that murders types that resist Grass.
Toxic is another status Sceptile can throw around.
Grass Knot is usable instead of Energy Ball, but in UU Energy Ball tends to work better.
Pursuit can be used on a Choice Band gimmick set with Leaf Blade, Earthquake, standard physical attacks.
Countering Sceptile
Grass and Poison types work amazingly. They resist Grass and can take most of Sceptile's attacks fine, whilst slowly dealing damage with Hidden Power or a STAB Poison attack. Muk, Swalot, Venusaur, Vileplume, they all work. Another type that does well is the Steel type. Resisting Grass is pretty much mandatory for beating Sceptile, and Steel types tend to be bulky. Registeel does amazingly due to massive defences and a strong attack that can break through Sceptile's frailness. Flying types work, but be careful. Altaria is probably the best bet as long as it avoids Hidden Power [Ice]. Swellow can revenge kill Sceptile brilliantly as it outspeeds it by 5 base points and OHKOs with STAB Brave Bird. Sceptile has really bad bulk. Any strong neutral attack will be hurting it a lot. Also, Sceptile switches out a lot. It will b e taking a lot of damage from Stealth Rock and other entry hazards, so make sure those are up at all times. As long as you get around the terrifying power of Sceptile and don't make silly mistakes, you should be fine in taking it out.
Locations in Games
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Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald Evolve Grovyle Colosseum/XD Trade from RSE Fire Red/Leaf Green Trade from RSE Diamond/Pearl/Platinum Trade from RSEHGSS HeartGold/SoulSilver Evolve Grovyle
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Animé Appearences
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Sceptile has had a fair few Animé Appearences. First, Tyson used one in the Hoenn League and it helped him win. Later, Ash's Grovyle evolved into a Sceptile and helped him win many battles including one against the Palace Maven Spencer
Episode 405: Shocks and Bonds |
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