PU Pinsir

uploaded -zard

[OVERVIEW]

Pinsir is the best offensive Bug-type in the tier thanks to its impressive base Attack stat, good movepool, and great abilities. It functions best as a mid- or late-game sweeper because Z-Me First and Moxie cause Pinsir to become unstoppable against weakened and more offensive teams. However, it also does well as a wallbreaker thanks to its high Attack and access to Swords Dance and Mold Breaker, which allows it to hit Pokemon with the Levitate ability and bypass Pyukumuku's Unaware ability. These assets allow Pinsir to break through common defensive cores on balanced teams, especially ones centered around Weezing, Mesprit, and Claydol. The similarity between Pinsir's two main sets and the nearly equal popularity of both make it difficult to predict which Pinsir set is being used at first, allowing players to use this to their advantage. However, Pinsir is somewhat limited in power due to its only STAB attack being X-Scissor, which only has 80 Base Power; this, when coupled with Pinsir's merely average Speed stat, makes it hard for Pinsir to consistently wallbreak against more offensive teams. Pinsir's Speed stat, poor defensive typing, and mediocre bulk cause it to be easily revenge killed by the likes of Swanna, Pyroar, and Oricorio-G. Its typing also means Pinsir has to deal with a crippling weakness to Stealth Rock, which wears it down quickly.

[SET]
name: Z-Me First
move 1: Me First
move 2: X-Scissor
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Normalium Z
ability: Moxie
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Me First copies a slower foe's move at 1.5x power; when used with Normalium Z, it turns the copied attack into a Z-Move and gives Pinsir a +2 Speed boost that allows it to outspeed the majority of the metagame, making it an excellent late-game cleaner. Earthquake is arguably the best coverage move for Pinsir, as it is a strong attack that also allows Pinsir to hit Rock- and Steel-types like Regirock, Probopass, Togedemaru, and Metang hard. X-Scissor is Pinsir's strongest STAB attack and is helpful in hitting Psychic-types like Mesprit, Musharna, and Claydol super effectively. Stone Edge lets Pinsir KO Flying-types like Oricorio-G and Swanna that would otherwise wall the set and force Pinsir out.

Set Details
========

Maximum Attack and Speed investment with an Adamant nature maximizes Pinsir's offensive presence so that it is able to reliably sweep late-game and outspeed the entire unboosted metagame after the boost from Z-Me First. Moxie boosts Pinsir's Attack whenever it KOes a foe. Normalium Z allows Pinsir to double its Speed with Z-Me First, making it faster than common Choice Scarf users such as Primeape, Pyroar, Mesprit, and Oricorio-G, which, when combined with a potential boost from Moxie, can let Pinsir sweep easily.

Usage Tips
========

Due to Pinsir's mediocre Speed and bulk, setting up with Z-Me First requires patience and proper prediction. For example, if it is avoidable, Pinsir should not use Z-Me First against foes that are predicted to use special attacks or attacks that they resist. Pinsir will want to wait until the enemy team is sufficiently weakened so it can easily clean through the rest of the team. However, it is important to keep in mind how Moxie will play into Pinsir's attempts to sweep, as Pinsir can snowball rather quickly and possibly even sweep early-game. The best time to set up with Z-Me First is on slower physical attackers such as Golurk, Hitmonchan, and Kabutops that are likely to be KOed by the copied Z-Move. After the Speed increase and a boost from Moxie, it is very difficult to stop Pinsir from sweeping, so it is wise to be patient when using it due to the one-use nature of the Z-Move. It's better to preserve Pinsir's health as much as possible so it can take priority moves more easily while it is sweeping. Although it is technically possible to outplay Sucker Punch with Me First, eliminating opposing priority users beforehand is generally preferred. It is important to note that this set does not fare well against stall because it does not have enough power or coverage to hit common Pokemon found on the playstyle. The best that can be hoped for is to get a Moxie boost from KOing a Pokemon and become semi-threatening.

Team Options
========

Pinsir will want a team around it that is good at hitting hard and weakening the opponent's Pokemon to ease Pinsir's attempts at sweeping. Because of this, strong wallbreakers like Choice Specs Drampa, Choice Specs Aurorus, and Choice Band Stoutland make for good partners. Entry hazard support helps to wear down foes as they switch in, so Spikes users like Ferroseed as well as reliable Stealth Rock users such as Regirock and Clefairy make for amazing partners. Clefairy, with its Eviolite intact, also doubles as a reliable check to Pyroar, which threatens Pinsir. Pursuit trapping can be another valuable asset to weaken foes and ease Pinsir's attempts at sweeping. The most notable Pursuit trapper is Skuntank, but Absol and Stoutland are also fine partners. Pokemon such as Alolan Exeggutor and Gourgeist provide options for dealing with the bulky Ground-types that Pinsir has great trouble dealing with; Alolan Exeggutor can pressure Ground-types because of its wallbreaking potential and threatening STAB attacks, whereas Gourgeist can beat Ground-types because of its bulk and sustainability.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: X-Scissor
move 4: Knock Off / Stone Edge
item: Life Orb / Lum Berry
ability: Mold Breaker
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Swords Dance allows Pinsir to boost its Attack to sky-high levels so it can wallbreak against balance and stall teams. Earthquake is a powerful coverage move that can hit Poison-, Rock-, and Steel-types super effectively and hit Fighting-types neutrally. X-Scissor is Pinsir's best STAB move and strongest viable attack. Knock Off gives Pinsir a better matchup against walls like Gourgeist-XL that would otherwise give Pinsir a hard time, and it also hits Flying-types neutrally. Stone Edge is an alternative option that hits Flying-types such as Swanna but because of Pinsir's mediocre Speed, most Flying-types outspeed it. For this reason, Stone Edge is rather limited in how it aids Pinsir.

Set Details
========

The EVs are straightforward, with maximum investment in Attack and Speed allowing Pinsir to hit hard against incoming walls, and outspeed bulkier threats. A Jolly nature makes Pinsir harder to revenge kill by letting it outspeed threats like Kabutops, Skuntank, and Stoutland. Life Orb is the preferred item because Pinsir relies a lot on the boosted power to be a substantial threat, but this also comes with the drawback of recoil damage, which can quickly wear down Pinsir throughout the battle. Lum Berry is an alternative choice that makes Pinsir better suited to beat Pokemon like Sableye and other passive status inducers, as it gives Pinsir a free opportunity to set up and saves Pinsir's HP in the long run. It also allows Pinsir to be worn down less due to the lack of a Life Orb, but this comes with the cost of reducing Pinsir's overall damage output, which is useful for reliably KOing Weezing and Carracosta from full at +2 and KOing Regirock with enough chip damage. Mold Breaker is the most preferred ability on this set because it allows Pinsir to KO Pokemon with the Sturdy ability, such as Crustle, Carracosta, and Probopass, and always Pinsir to hit Pokemon with Levitate like Weezing and Eelektross.

Usage Tips
========

Swords Dance Pinsir functions as a wallbreaker, which means it has the job of boosting up early- or mid-game and powering through bulky Pokemon, making way for other Pokemon to clean up the battle. Swords Dance is only necessary if the opposing team is more defensively oriented and a boost is required to KO opposing bulky Pokemon. Versus offensive teams, attacking is generally better thanks to Pinsir's good coverage and high base Attack, which lets it do enough damage to KO frail foes. This strategy is also preferred sometimes on account of Pinsir's average Speed tier, which limits its ability to effectively utilize a boost because it can be easily revenge killed. Swords Dance can also be hard to set up if the opposing offensive Pokemon threatens to KO Pinsir if it does not attack, further dissuading setup. Thanks to Pinsir's naturally high Attack, however, it can be very threatening unboosted and can force out frail foes to get a setup opportunity.

Team Options
========

Fighting-types such as Gurdurr and Primeape make for great partners with Pinsir because Pinsir KOes and pressures opposing Psychic-types and takes on Weezing and Claydol thanks to Swords Dance and Mold Breaker. Late-game cleaners like Floatzel and Pyroar also appreciate Pinsir's wallbreaking ability. Entry hazard removal is very helpful to Pinsir, as it helps deal with Pinsir's susceptibility to Stealth Rock and other hazards. Swanna pairs well with Pinsir because it can provide Defog support and weaken some of the Pokemon that Pinsir has trouble getting through such as Mudsdale and Gurdurr. Blanket defensive Pokemon like Lanturn, Regirock, Weezing, and Ferroseed serve as dedicated switch-ins when Pinsir is threatened out by revenge killers. Many of them can also set entry hazards, which helps Pinsir break through walls.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

A Choice Scarf set can be used in a similar fashion to Normalium Z by acting as a late-game cleaner with Moxie, but the obvious downside is the inability to switch between its moves, which can make it hard to break through a team with easily wallable moves like X-Scissor and Earthquake. Choice Band Pinsir with Mold Breaker can act as a decently strong threat to many Pokemon with its near-perfect coverage but generally does not find use due to its lackluster Speed and weakness to entry hazards. Close Combat can be run on either the Z-Me First or the Swords Dance set as an alternative to Stone Edge and Knock Off because it gives Pinsir an option to hit specific bulky Pokemon like Type: Null, Ferroseed, and Audino. It does this, however, by giving up needed coverage for Flying- and Ghost-types, and Close Combat makes Pinsir easier to revenge kill, especially with regards to priority. Buginium Z can be used to break past a physically bulky Pokemon like Ferroseed or get a quick KO against an offensive Pokemon without needing to set up. However, Buginium Z finds a hard time being used because Savage Spin-Out is resisted by many Pokemon. Not using a Life Orb also means that Pinsir will have difficulty breaking other walls with its coverage moves. Pinsir can fill in a niche role by utilizing an offensive Stealth Rock set in a couple of ways. Pinsir can attempt to use a suicide lead set with Earthquake, Stone Edge or Rock Tomb, and X-Scissor to set Stealth Rock early-game against foes that attempt to set up. It can also use a set with a Lum Berry and Swords Dance as a way of compressing the two roles of Stealth Rock setter and wallbreaker together, thus making it more justifiable to put on teams. Running a Jolly nature on the Z-Me First set is another option, as it allows Pinsir to outspeed Pokemon such as maximum Speed Kabutops and Skuntank, but those sets are not really that common and the ability to use Z-Me First on Skuntank isn't really helpful. It should be noted that Quick Attack can be used on either Pinsir set, though it is significantly more useful on the Swords Dance set, because the priority helps Pinsir patch up its mediocre Speed versus more offensive teams. This is not recommended as much, however, because Quick Attack is very weak even after a Swords Dance boost and Life Orb.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Bulky Ground-types**: Bulky Ground-types that inhabit the tier such as Mudsdale, Gastrodon, and even Golem, if it is invested into Defense, all pose a roadblock to Pinsir. Apart from most of them either resisting or being neutral to Pinsir's coverage, Gastrodon has reliable recovery, and all of them have options to heavily damage Pinsir.

**Physical Walls**: This applies more to the Z-Me First set because it lacks the power necessary to overcome physical walls like Weezing, Ferroseed, Type: Null, and Regirock. However, the Swords Dance set usually requires a Swords Dance boost to be effective against these Pokemon; otherwise, Pokemon like Ferroseed and Regirock can deal massive damage with Gyro Ball and Stone Edge, respectively.

**Revenge Killers**: Pinsir is not very fast, so it is threatened by many offensive Pokemon like Pyroar and Oricorio-G. Pinsir's poor defensive typing also makes it easier to threaten. This applies more to the Swords Dance set because the Z-Me First set outspeeds revenge killers at +2.

**Residual Damage**: Pinsir is a grounded Pokemon that is weak to Stealth Rock, so entry hazards can limit how often Pinsir can switch in, especially if it is using a Life Orb. A weakened Pinsir becomes less of a threat because many bulky Pokemon and priority users will have an easier time KOing it.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

yogi

I did not succumb...
is a Tutor Alumnusis a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
Yup, both sets are the main ones we want it to have (although I don't think we've decided on which one we want first, but that's okay for the time-being) n_n!
 

MZ

And now for something completely different
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Top Team Rater Alumnusis a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Community Leader Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Top Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Top Smogon Media Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
[OVERVIEW]
  • Pinsir is the best offensive Bug type in the tier thanks to it's good movepool and great abilities.
  • Functions well as a late game sweeper because Moxie causes Pinsir to snowball.
  • Functions well as a wallbreaker thanks to its high Attack, Swords Dance, and Mold Breaker.
  • Is a good answer to the many Psychic types that are prominent in the metagame. i mean not that much, not like a skunk or something, eh. this just isnt a big part of pinsir
  • Pinsir is somewhat limited in power due to its only STAB being limited to X-Scissor which is 80 BP.
  • Its Speed lacks just enough to make it hard to keep up an Offensive presence, making it easier to revenge kill.
  • Its weakness to entry hazards makes it easy to wear down.
this is just really generic and doesnt actually get much into what pinsir does. I would really get into how pinsir is either a v strong wallbreaker with sd or a great offense sweeper with z-me first, so its two sets really mess up two different styles in balance and offense

also, make z-me first the first set, just CP it and all the TO and stuff above the SD set. it's just better

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: X-Scissor
move 4: Knock Off / Stone Edge
item: Life Orb / Lum Berry
ability: Mold Breaker
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
  • Swords Dance is the bread and butter of the set as it allows Pinsir to really do damage and fulfill its role as a wall breaker.
  • Earthquake is an amazing coverage move with its high BP and its ability to hit a lot of the things that would otherwise wall Pinsir like Poison, Rock, and Steel types, while also giving a decent neutral hitting move for Fighting types.
  • X-Scissor is Pinsir's best STAB move and is the strongest move it can fire off with the help of STAB. It is very useful move for hitting Psychic types who have adapted to running Colbur berry supereffectively. dont see how colbur changes whether or not u would want to run x scissor, it's for more than just colbur mesprit
  • Knock Off gives Pinsir a better match up against walls like Gourgeist-S or Palossand that would otherwise give Pinsir a hard time breaking through them as well as a move to neutrally hit Flying types on a switch in.
  • Stone Edge is also on the set because it gives a supereffective move against Flying types, which can be very helpful on switch ins. Because most Flying types such as Swanna and Archeops are faster and will revenge kill Pinsir, Stone Edge is limited in how it aids Pinsir.

Set Details
========
  • The EVs are straightforward with Max in Atk and Max in Spe. The Atk is to help Pinsir hit as hard as possible against incoming walls and the Spe is to outspeed walls and Bulky threats while matching speed with threats like Qwilfish and Articuno.
  • The Jolly nature goes along with the need for Max speed on Pinsir to ensure it is harder to revenge kill by slower threats.
  • Life Orb is the preferred item of choice because Pinsir relies a lot on its coverage and Life Orb is a blanket boost that covers them all, while at the same time making Pinsir's hits much more damaging.
  • Lum berry is an alternative choice that makes Pinsir better suited to match ups like Sableye and other passive walls with Toxic or Will-o-Wisp as it is a free opportunity to set up, while saving Pinsir's HP is the long run. It also allows Pinsir to save Pinsir's HP from wearing down due to Life Orb.

Usage Tips
========
  • Swords Dance Pinsir functions as a wall breaker on a team which means it has the job of boosting up and powering through wall Pokemon.
  • Swords Dance is only necessary if the opposing team is more of a Balanced or Stall team where a Swords Dance boost is required to kill opposing Pokemon. Versus Offensive teams, throwing off moves is generally better thanks to Pinsir's good coverage and high attack that can do enough damage on its own to KO less bulky targets.
  • Thanks to Pinsir's high natural attack it can be very threatening unboosted and can threaten frailer Pokemon to switch into walls which is the best time for a Swords Dance.
this is pretty light, id at least talk about how ur using it to bust through balance early game, what it's supposed to do vs offense when it probably doesnt need to/cant set up an SD, anything else u can think of really

Team Options
========
  • Fighting Types such as Gurdurr and Primeape make great pairs with Pinsir because Pinsir kills and pressures opposing Psychic types and takes on Qwilfish and Weezing thanks to Swords Dance and Mold Breaker.
  • Faster threats can be paired with Pinsir like Floatzel, Archeops, and Kangaskhan who can sweep through the rest of the opposing team after wall Pokemon are gone.
  • Hazard removal on the team is very helpful to Pinsir as it helps deal with Pinsir's Stealth Rock weakness and susceptibility to other hazards. Swanna makes a good pair by helping to weaken some of the Pokemon that Pinsir has trouble getting through such as Regirock and Gurdurr.
  • Blanket Defensive Pokemon like Lanturn, Regirock, Weezing and Ferroseed serve as dedicated switch ins when Pinsir is threatened out by revenge killers. Many of them can also contribute hazards to help in Pinsir's wall breaking.
[SET]
name: Normalium Z Sweeper u can just call the set Z-Me First
move 1: Me First
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: X-Scissor
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Normalium Z
ability: Moxie
nature: Jolly / Adamant honestly have no clue why jolly is slashed, let alone first. id deslash it altogether, outspeeding Magmortar pre-setup is just not worth it
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
  • Me First is the crux of this set because when powered up with Normalium Z Pinsir receives a +2 boost in speed allowing it to outspeed pretty much everything, outside of a potential Tailwind or Electric Terrain Raichu-A dont need to mention those, not like they're relevant like u admit, making it an excellent late game cleaner. Z Me First also copies the opposing Pokemon's attacking move and turns it into a Z move version making it a powerful hit when boosted by Me First.
  • Earthquake is arguably the best coverage move for Pinsir, allowing it to hit Steel and Rock types like Regirock, Probopass, Metang, and Togedamaru hard and is otherwise a strong neutral move available to Pinsir.
  • X-Scissor is Pinsir's strongest standard attack in the set thanks to STAB and is helpful in hitting Psychic types like Mesprit and Musharna supereffectively and avoiding a potentially Colbur berry.
  • Stone Edge rounds out the set by being able to kill Flying types like Oricorio-Sensu, Archeops, and Swanna that would otherwise wall the set and force Pinsir out.

Set Details
========
  • The Max Attack investment ensures that Pinsir is able to reliably sweep at the end of the game as it allows it to hit its hardest.
  • Speed could be taken away to give a little bit in bulk to be able to take weaker hits a bit better but Max Speed is generally preferred as it allows Pinsir to more easily get off a Me First on Pokemon.
  • For the reasons above, the nature is slashed because Adamant allows it to hit a bit harder which can come in handy when sweeping through a team, but Jolly allows for a bit more set up opportunities so both can be important. if u were to talk about jolly, like maybe in other options, you would also have to specify what pokemon pinsir is outspeeding with it
  • Normalium Z for Me first is the bread and butter of the set as it allows Pinsir to boost to ridiculous speeds and, if attacked, fire off a Z move which in conjunction with a Moxie boost could be an easy sweep for a victory. i give u max of 1 use of bread and butter in an analysis, dont overdo it

Usage Tips
========
  • It can be very tricky to set up a Z Me First, especially since Pinsir is not particularly bulky or fast so patience, timing, and thoughtful plays are required to successfully pull it off. this doesnt really mean anything, try to turn this into an actual tip
  • Pinsir will want to wait until the enemy team is sufficiently weakened, so it can easily clean through the rest of a team. It is important to keep in mind how Moxie will play into its sweeps as Pinsir can snowball rather quickly.
  • Pinsir will want a team around it that is good at hitting hard and weakening the opponent's Pokemon because a weakened team is pretty much a guaranteed win for Pinsir. This includes threats like Choice Specs Drampa or Choice Band Stoutland. this belongs in team options not usage tips ?_?
  • Obviously, the best time to set up is on slower, physically hitting Pokemon, so the move copied has a good chance to outright KO the target. After the Moxie boost and speed increase, the game should be in your hands.
  • It's better to preserve Pinsir's health as much as possible because it makes it much easier to take a priority move or two while it is sweeping. Prioritizing opposing priority Pokemon is also a strategy.
  • It is important to note that this set does not fair well against Stall because it does not have enough power or coverage to hit common Stall Pokemon. The best that can be hoped for is to get a Moxie boost from KOing a Pokemon and become semi threatening.
i would talk about playing around/against priority users, they're what u want to keep this healthy for and an important factor in how it plays/sweeps

Team Options
========
  • Pinsir will want a team around it that is good at hitting hard and weakening the opponent's Pokemon because a weakened team is pretty much a guaranteed win for Pinsir. This includes threats like Choice Specs Drampa or Choice Band Stoutland. oh, here it is. get rid of the bullet above then
  • Tailwind supportm from Pokemon like Swanna and Murkrowm is a possible option as it allows Pinsir to out speed faster threats, giving it further opportunities to set up Z Me First and continue being fast after Tailwind expires. tailwind blows and i would remove this altogether
  • Hazard stacking, especially Spikes, is an easy way of weakening an enemy team through repeated switches and successive chip, until weak enough for Pinsir to kill. Teammates that work well include Qwilfish and Ferroseed and a reliable Stealth Rocker such as Regirock, Miltank, and Clefairy who all can come in multiple times to keep Stealth Rocks up.
  • Pursuit trapping can be a valuable asset in weakening teams as it has the potential to keep Pokemon low for Pinsir in the late game. This can be done by most notable Skuntank, but can also be done by Absol and Stoutland.
stuff that lures or beats ground types is nice, bulky grounds are p much the hardest thing z-me first has to deal with

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
  • A Choice Scarf set can be used in a similar fashion to Normalium Z by acting as a Moxie boost cleaner, but the obvious downside is the inability to switch between its moves which can make it hard to break through a team with moves like X-Scissor or Earthquake, both easily stoppable.
  • Choice Band Pinsir with Mold Breaker can act a a pretty strong threat to many Pokemon with its near perfect coverage, but generally does not find use due to its lackluster Speed and weakness to Hazards.
  • Close Combat can be ran on either of the sets as an alternative for Knock Off or Stone Edge because it gives Pinsir an option to hit particularly Bulky Pokemon like Miltank, Type: Null, Ferroseed or Audino. It does this, however, by giving up needed coverage for Flying and Ghost types and Close Combat makes Pinsir easier to revenge kill, especially with priority.
  • Buginium Z can be used to give Pinsir a nuke option for a particular hard wall to get past, like Ferroseed or to snag a quick kill without setting up. Bug can also be an unreliable type to use a Z move on due to its many resistances. The item slot, overall makes Pinsir weaker in its coverage moves which it desperately needs to break through other walls.
no mention of rocks? SR lead with sash and 3 attacking moves or lum SR offensive, or SR+SD are all decent enough sets that deserve some kind of mention here

Checks and Counters
===================

**Fairy Types**: This one applies to both the sets as neither really has much to deal with a Granbull, Silvally-Fairy, or Clefairy outside of a neutral Earthquake which effectively counters Pinsir. These Pokemon will generally fire back with a threatening Fairy STAB or status Pinsir either of which can be detrimental to Pinsir. see this section doesnt really differentiate itself from defensive walls. add that to the fact that clefairy takes a lot and hates knock off, and granbull is just awful, and i would get rid of this section and fold it into defensive walls

**Residual Damage**: Pinsir is grounded Pokemon that is weak to Stealth Rock so hazards can play a big role in the way Pinsir enters the field and how many switch ins it is limited to. A weakened Pinsir becomes less of a threat also because many wall Pokemon have an easier time killing it. also priority users get through it easier, with examples of course

**Revenge Killers**: Pinsir is not the fastest threat by any means so it finds itself being threatened by a great deal of Offensive threats like Archeops, Pyroar, and Oricorio-Sensu. Pinsir's Bug typing also make it easier because it lacks many resistances to be able to take a hit. This threat may not apply as easily to the Normalium Z sweeper, however, because after a Z Me First it will out speed everything. yeah this is just written weird and i had a hard time understanding what u were getting at, I would clarify better that this more applies to SD just like how defensive walls more applies to Z-Me First

**Defensive Walls try "Physical Walls" instead, sounds better imo**: This counter applies more to the sweeping sets because they lack the power necessary to overcome hard Defensive walls like Weezing, Ferroseed, Type: Null, and Regirock. i mean mold breaker eq breaks weezing just fine, especially if lum, u could put somth else there. also really specify that it's the z-me first set that struggles with these, "sweeping sets" is vague and both run setup moves

first of all, I would definitely make a new section for "Bulky Ground-types". Mudsdale, Gastrodon, and Palossand all hard wall it no problem with reliable recovery and Golurk and defensive golem (and edge full health bulky torterra ig but not important are all problems. Secondly, C&C should be ordered by biggest to smallest threat/problem. I would do Ground types / Physical walls / Revenge killers / Residual Damage in that order.
qcstamp.gif
1/3
 

asa

is a Site Content Manageris a Community Leaderis a Community Contributoris a Tiering Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Social Media Contributor Alumnus
PU Leader
[OVERVIEW]
  • Pinsir is the best offensive Bug type in the tier thanks to it's good movepool and great abilities.
  • Functions well as a mid to late game sweeper because Z-Me First and Moxie cause Pinsir to snowball crazy against weakened and Offensive oriented teams.
  • Functions well as a wallbreaker thanks to its high Attack, Swords Dance, and Mold Breaker allowing it to break through common wall cores in Balance oriented teams, especially ones with Weezing.
  • Pinsir is somewhat limited in power due to its only STAB being limited to X-Scissor which is 80 BP.
  • Its Speed lacks just enough to make it hard to keep up an Offensive presence, making it easier to revenge kill.
  • Its weakness to entry hazards makes it easy to wear down.
[SET]
name: Z-Me First
move 1: Me First
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: X-Scissor (probably nitpicky, but i feel like this should be after me first, since this is its stab and all that. i'll talk to qc about this and see what they think.)
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Normalium Z
ability: Moxie
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
  • Me First is the crux of this set because when powered up with Normalium Z Pinsir receives a +2 boost in speed allowing it to outspeed pretty much everything making it an excellent late game cleaner. Z Me First also copies the opposing Pokemon's attacking move and turns it into a Z move version making it a powerful hit when boosted by Me First.
  • Earthquake is arguably the best coverage move for Pinsir, allowing it to hit Steel and Rock types like Regirock, Probopass, Metang, and Togedamaru hard and is otherwise a strong neutral move available to Pinsir.
  • X-Scissor is Pinsir's strongest standard attack in the set thanks to STAB and is helpful in hitting Psychic types like Mesprit and Musharna supereffectively and avoids Colbur berries either Pokemon may be holding.
  • Stone Edge rounds out the set by being able to kill Flying types like Oricorio-Sensu (G), Archeops, and Swanna that would otherwise wall the set and force Pinsir out.

Set Details
========
  • The Max Attack investment ensures that Pinsir is able to reliably sweep at the end of the game as it allows it to hit its hardest.
  • Speed could be taken away to give a little bit in bulk to be able to take weaker hits a bit better but Max Speed is generally preferred as it allows Pinsir to more easily get off a Me First on Pokemon like Skuntank. (merge these two points into one since they're both about its ev spread.)
  • Adamant is the clear choice on the set because it allows Pinsir to be at its maximum strength, while still allowing it plenty of speed for Z-Me First to work.
  • Normalium Z for Me first is the bread and butter of the set as it allows Pinsir to boost to ridiculous speeds (be more clear about how much speed pinsir obtains when using the z move, this is exaggeration.) and, if attacked, fire off a Z move which in conjunction with a Moxie boost could be an easy sweep for a victory.
  • Although you do briefly mention it above, a point about Moxie and what it does should go here.

Usage Tips
========
  • It can be very tricky to set up a Z Me First, especially since Pinsir is not particularly bulky or fast so being thoughtful of what moves are being used against Pinsir is required. This would include keeping in mind what category of move is being used (Physical or Special) and what type is being used as the corresponding Z-Move used with Z-Me First could end up being resisted or very weak. (simplify this bit by saying something like, 'don't use the z move on special attackers since...')
  • Pinsir will want to wait until the enemy team is sufficiently weakened, so it can easily clean through the rest of a team. It is important to keep in mind how Moxie will play into its sweeps as Pinsir can snowball rather quickly.
  • Obviously, the best time to set up is on slower, physically hitting Pokemon (such as...), so the move copied has a good chance to outright KO the target. After the Moxie boost and speed increase, the game should be in your hands.
  • It's better to preserve Pinsir's health as much as possible because it makes it much easier to take a priority move or two while it is sweeping. It is technically possible to outplay Sucker Punches with Me First but eliminating opposing priority Pokemon first is a preferable strategy.
  • It is important to note that this set does not fair well against Stall because it does not have enough power or coverage to hit common Stall Pokemon. The best that can be hoped for is to get a Moxie boost from KOing a Pokemon and become semi threatening.
Team Options
========
  • Pinsir will want a team around it that is good at hitting hard and weakening the opponent's Pokemon because a weakened team is pretty much a guaranteed win for Pinsir. This includes threats like Choice Specs Drampa or Choice Band Stoutland.
  • Hazard stacking, especially Spikes, is an easy way of weakening an enemy team through repeated switches and successive chip, until weak enough for Pinsir to kill. Teammates that work well include Qwilfish (rip qwilfish) and Ferroseed and a reliable Stealth Rocker such as Regirock, Miltank, and Clefairy who all can come in multiple times to keep Stealth Rocks up.
  • Pursuit trapping can be a valuable asset in weakening teams as it has the potential to keep Pokemon low for Pinsir in the late game. This can be done by most notable (ik it's only qc 2/3, but notably.) Skuntank, but can also be done by Absol and Stoutland.
  • Pokemon such as Alolan Exeggutor and Gourgeist provide an Offensive and Defensive option for dealing with Bulky Ground types Pinsir has a great trouble dealing with, Alolan Exeggutor because of of its wallbreaking potential and scary STAB and Gourgeist because of its bulk and sustainability.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: X-Scissor
move 4: Knock Off / Stone Edge
item: Life Orb / Lum Berry
ability: Mold Breaker
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
  • Swords Dance is the most distinguishing feature of this set as it allows Pinsir to deal a hefty amount of damage and fulfill its role as a wall breaker against Balance teams.
  • Earthquake is an amazing coverage move with its high BP and its ability to hit a lot of the things that would otherwise wall Pinsir like Poison, Rock, and Steel types, while also giving a decent neutral hitting move for Fighting types.
  • X-Scissor is Pinsir's best STAB move and is the strongest move it can fire off with the help of STAB.
  • Knock Off gives Pinsir a better match up against walls like Gourgeist-S (XL) or Palossand that would otherwise give Pinsir a hard time breaking through them as well as a move to neutrally hit Flying types on a switch in.
  • Stone Edge is also on the set because it gives a supereffective move against Flying types, which can be very helpful on switch ins. Because most Flying types such as Swanna and Archeops are faster and will revenge kill Pinsir, Stone Edge is limited in how it aids Pinsir.
(spacing.)
Set Details
========
  • The EVs are straightforward with Max in Atk and Max in Spe. The Atk is to help Pinsir hit as hard as possible against incoming walls and the Spe is to outspeed walls and Bulky threats while matching speed with threats like Qwilfish (rip qwilfish) and Articuno.
  • The Jolly nature goes along with the need for Max speed on Pinsir to ensure it is harder to revenge kill by slower threats. (merge these two points, and don't abbreviate speed as spe and attack as atk.)
  • Life Orb is the preferred item of choice because Pinsir relies a lot on its coverage and Life Orb is a blanket boost that covers them all, while at the same time making Pinsir's hits much more damaging. (reword this point, and mention something about it coming with the drawback of recoil.)
  • Lum berry is an alternative choice that makes Pinsir better suited to match ups like Sableye and other passive walls with Toxic or Will-o-Wisp as it is a free opportunity to set up, while saving Pinsir's HP is the long run. It also allows Pinsir to save Pinsir's HP from wearing down due to Life Orb. (something about how this leaves pinsir weaker should go here.)
(spacing.)
Usage Tips
========
  • Swords Dance Pinsir functions as a wall breaker which means it has the job of boosting up early or mid game and powering through bulky wall Pokemon on Stall or Balance teams which make way for other cleaners.
  • Swords Dance is only necessary if the opposing team is more of a Balanced or Stall team where a Swords Dance boost is required to kill opposing Pokemon.
  • Versus Offensive teams, throwing off moves is generally better thanks to Pinsir's good coverage and high attack that can do enough damage on its own to KO less bulky targets. This strategy is also preferred on account of Pinsir average Speed tier which limits on well it can utilize a boost after killing a Pokemon. (merge these two points.)
  • Swords Dance is can also be impossible to set up if the opposing Offensive pressure threatens to KO Pinsir at any point, further disuading its use.
  • Thanks to Pinsir's high natural attack it can be very threatening unboosted and can threaten frailer Pokemon to switch into walls which is the best time to set up a Swords Dance. Once a Swords Dance is used on the predicted switch, Pinsir can fulfill its role.
Team Options
========
  • Fighting Types such as Gurdurr and Primeape make great pairs with Pinsir because Pinsir kills and pressures opposing Psychic types and takes on Qwilfish (rip qwilfish) and Weezing thanks to Swords Dance and Mold Breaker.
  • Faster threats can be paired with Pinsir like Floatzel, Archeops, and Kangaskhan (probably not the best example since jolly kangaskhan is only 11 points faster than jolly pinsir.) who can sweep through the rest of the opposing team after wall Pokemon are gone.
  • Hazard removal on the team is very helpful to Pinsir as it helps deal with Pinsir's Stealth Rock weakness and susceptibility to other hazards. Swanna makes a good pair by helping to weaken some of the Pokemon that Pinsir has trouble getting through such as Regirock and Gurdurr.
  • Blanket Defensive Pokemon like Lanturn, Regirock, Weezing and Ferroseed serve as dedicated switch ins when Pinsir is threatened out by revenge killers. Many of them can also contribute hazards to help in Pinsir's wall breaking.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
  • A Choice Scarf set can be used in a similar fashion to Normalium Z by acting as a Moxie boost cleaner, but the obvious downside is the inability to switch between its moves which can make it hard to break through a team with moves like X-Scissor or Earthquake, both easily stoppable.
  • Choice Band Pinsir with Mold Breaker can act a a pretty strong threat to many Pokemon with its near perfect coverage, but generally does not find use due to its lackluster Speed and weakness to Hazards.
  • Close Combat can be ran on either of the sets as an alternative for Knock Off or Stone Edge because it gives Pinsir an option to hit particularly Bulky Pokemon like Miltank, Type: Null, Ferroseed or Audino. It does this, however, by giving up needed coverage for Flying and Ghost types and Close Combat makes Pinsir easier to revenge kill, especially with priority.
  • Buginium Z can be used to give Pinsir a nuke option for a particular hard wall to get past, like Ferroseed or to snag a quick kill without setting up. Bug can also be an unreliable type to use a Z move on due to its many resistances. The item slot, overall makes Pinsir weaker in its coverage moves which it desperately needs to break through other walls.
  • Pinsir can fill in a niche role by utilizing an Offensive Stealth Rock set in a multitude of ways. The first version uses three offensive moves, being Earthquake, Stone Edge/Rock Tomb, and X-Scissor, with a Focus Sash. This version is basically a suicide lead meant to get up Stealth Rocks and threaten Pokemon hoping to take advantage of a free turn by setting up. Other options include using a Lum berry with Swords Dance as a way of compressing the two roles of Stealth Rocker and wallbreaker together, thus making it more justifiable to put on teams.
  • Something about Jolly on Z MF could go here.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Bulky Ground Types**: This check and counter consists of the bulky Ground types that inhabit the tier such as Mudsdale, Palossand, Golurk (probably not the best example since it is not as bulky as the other listed ground types.), Gastrodon, and even Golem if it is invested into Defense. Apart from most of them either resisting or being neutral to Pinsir's coverage, some of them have reliable recovery and have options to do hefty damage to Pinsir. (this point could stand some rewording. remove the 'this check and counter consists of' and say smth like 'bulky ground types such as x, y, and z...' and then put the point about them not taking much from pinsir's attacks and how some of them have recovery.)

**Physical Walls**: This counter applies more to the Z-Me First set because it lacks the power necessary to overcome hard Defensive walls like Weezing, Ferroseed, Type: Null, and Regirock but the Swords Dance sets usually require a Swords Dance boost to be effective against these Pokemon other wise Pokemon like Ferroseed and Regirock can deal massive damage with Gyro Ball and Stone Edge respectively.

**Revenge Killers**: Pinsir is not the fastest threat by any means so it finds itself being threatened by a great deal of Offensive threats like Archeops, Pyroar, and Oricorio-Sensu (G). Pinsir's Bug typing also make it easier to threaten because it lacks resistances so it is usually unable to take any hits. This is more of a Counter to the Swords Dance set because the Z-Me First set becomes fast enough to outspeed Revenge killers.

**Residual Damage**: Pinsir is grounded Pokemon that is weak to Stealth Rock so hazards can play a big role in the way Pinsir enters the field and how many switch ins it is limited to. A weakened Pinsir becomes less of a threat also because many wall and priority using Pokemon have an easier time killing it.
2/3. consider rewording some of the points since a few of them are a little hard to read and understand, and tone down on some of the casual language.
 
Last edited:

asa

is a Site Content Manageris a Community Leaderis a Community Contributoris a Tiering Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Social Media Contributor Alumnus
PU Leader
[OVERVIEW]

Pinsir is the best offensive Bug type in the tier thanks to it's good movepool and great abilities. It functions best as a mid to late game sweeper because Z-Me First and Moxie cause Pinsir to snowball crazy (watch the casual language.) against weakened teams and more offensive teams. However, it also does well as a wallbreaker thanks to its high Attack and access to Swords Dance and Mold Breaker, which allow it to break through common wall cores in balance, especially ones with Weezing. (expand a bit more on this and mention specific balanced cores that it breaks, and that mold breaker also bypasses unaware.) Pinsir is somewhat limited in power due to its only STAB being X-Scissor which is 80 BP (don't abbreviate Base Power.) and, when coupled with its Speed stat, makes it hard to keep up an offensive presence (it's more so that it makes consistently wallbreaking against faster, more offensive teams difficult.) and this also makes it easier to revenge kill. (mention specific pokemon that revenge kill it.) Pinsir also has to deal with a crippling weakness to entry hazards which wears it down fast.

The overview is a bit too short imo; mention stuff like its poor defensive typing in combination with its middling bulk, how it can be difficult to discern which variant of Pinsir it is, and how its Attack is naturally p good. I also feel like the beginning could stand some rewording, but I'll leave that up to QC 3/3.

[SET]
name: Z-Me First
move 1: Me First
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: X-Scissor (i still feel like this should be above eq, since stab and all.)
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Normalium Z
ability: Moxie
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Me First is the crux of this set because when it is powered up with Normalium Z, Pinsir receives a Speed boost that allows it to outspeed pretty much everything, (i would mention specific pokemon that it outspeeds, but that's probably me looking too deep in or w/e.) making it an excellent late game cleaner. Z Me First also copies the opposing Pokemon's attacking move and turns it into a Z move version making it a powerful hit when boosted by Me First. (find a way to join these two points into one; like, 'Me First copies the move used by the opposing Pokemon, hitting them 1.5% harder. With Normalium Z, Me First becomes Z-Me First, which doubles Pinsir's Speed upon use and turns the attacking move used by the opposing Pokemon into a Z Move, making it easier for Pinsir to commence sweeping.') Earthquake is arguably the best coverage move for Pinsir, allowing it to hit Steel and Rock types like Regirock, Probopass, Metang, and Togedamaru (put togedemaru before metang, more common.) hard and is otherwise a strong neutral move available to Pinsir. X-Scissor is Pinsir's strongest standard (STAB, not standard.) attack in the set thanks to its STAB boost and is helpful in hitting Psychic types like Mesprit, Musharna, and Claydol supereffectively, while also avoiding Colbur berries any of the Pokemon may be holding. Stone Edge rounds out the set by being able to kill (KO, not kill.) Flying types like Oricorio-Sensu (G), Archeops, and Swanna that would otherwise wall the set and force Pinsir out.

Set Details
========

The maximum Attack investment ensures that Pinsir is able to reliably sweep at the end of the game as it allows it to hit its hardest. Speed could be taken away to give a little bit in bulk to be able to take hits like Skuntank's Sucker Punch and other priority a bit better but maximum Speed investment is generally preferred as it allows Pinsir to more easily use Me First on Pokemon near its Speed tier. (relegate the point about siphoning speed for hp to oo imo, i feel like being as fast as possible is too good to pass up most of the time.) Adamant is the clear choice on the set because it allows Pinsir to be at its maximum strength, while still allowing it plenty of Speed for Z Me First to effectively make its Speed insurmountable. Normalium Z for Me first is the bread and butter of the set as it allows Pinsir to boost to around 540 Speed (provide the exact number. it's 538.) making it faster than all of the usual Choice Scarf users in PU (give specific examples of choice scarf users that it outspeeds.) and, if attacked, it fires off a Z move, which in conjunction with a Moxie boost could be an easy sweep for a victory. Pinsir's preferred ability on this set is Moxie because the boost in Attack (specifically after it KOs something.) it provides starts to snowball quickly, especially when nothing out speeds it as mentioned above.

Usage Tips
========

It can be very tricky to set up a Z Me First, especially since Pinsir is not particularly bulky or fast so patience and timing are required. Using a Z Me first on a special attack and using it on a move that is resisted by the opposing Pokemon are both examples of considerations to keep in mind. Pinsir will want to wait until the enemy team is sufficiently weakened, so it can easily clean through the rest of a team. However, it is important to keep in mind how Moxie will play into its sweeps as Pinsir can snowball rather quickly, making sweeps possible early in the game. The best time to set up a Z Me First is on slower, physically hitting Pokemon such as Golurk, Hitmonchan, or Kabutops, so the copied Z move has a good chance to outright KO the target in addtion to the boosts it provides. After the Moxie boost and Speed increase, the game could very well be over. (don't assume the state of a game, simply state that it can difficult to stop following its receiving of these stat boosts.) It's better to preserve Pinsir's health as much as possible because it makes it much easier to take a priority move or two while it is sweeping. Although it is technically possible to outplay Sucker Punches with Me First, eliminating opposing priority Pokemon first is the preferable strategy. It is important to note that this set does not fair well against stall because it does not have enough power or coverage to hit common Stall Pokemon. The best that can be hoped for is to get a Moxie boost from KOing a Pokemon and become semi-threatening.

Team Options
========

Pinsir will want a team around it that is good at hitting hard and weakening the opponent's Pokemon because a weakened team increases the chance of Pinsir winning the game. This includes threats like Choice Specs Drampa, Choice Band Stoutland, or any other Pokemon that just hits hard. (replace this last bit with a third example, like aurorus.) Hazard stacking, especially Spikes, is an easy way of weakening an enemy team through repeated switches and successive chip damage, until Pinsir can easily KO them. Teammates that work well include Ferroseed, who can get up Spikes, and a reliable Stealth Rocker such as Regirock, Miltank, and Clefairy who all can come in multiple times to keep Stealth Rocks up. (clefairy being the most reliable check to magmortar and pyroar lacking taunt, two fire types that threaten pinsir, should be noted.) Pursuit trapping can be a valuable asset in weakening teams as it has the potential to keep Pokemon low for Pinsir in the late game. This can be done by most notably Skuntank, but can also be done by Absol and Stoutland. Pokemon such as Alolan Exeggutor and Gourgeist provide an offensive and defensive option for dealing with bulky Ground-types Pinsir has a great trouble dealing with; Alolan Exeggutor because of of its wallbreaking potential and threatening STAB and Gourgeist because of its bulk and sustainability.

Flying-type checks need a mention here.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: X-Scissor
move 4: Knock Off / Stone Edge
item: Life Orb / Lum Berry
ability: Mold Breaker
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Swords Dance is the most distinguishing feature of this set as it allows Pinsir to boost its Attack to the point of being highly threatening and ultimately fulfill its role as a wall breaker against balance and stall teams. Earthquake is an amazing coverage move with its high BP and its ability to hit a lot of the things that would otherwise wall Pinsir like Poison-, Rock-, and Steel-types, while also giving a decent neutral hitting move for Fighting-types. X-Scissor is Pinsir's best STAB move and is the strongest move it can fire off with the help of STAB. Knock Off gives Pinsir a better match up against walls like Gourgeist-XL or Palossand, which would otherwise give Pinsir a hard time, as well as a move to neutrally hit Flying-types. Stone Edge is also on the set because it gives a supereffective move against Flying types, which can be very helpful on switch-ins, because most Flying types such as Swanna and Archeops are faster and will revenge kill Pinsir. For this reason, Stone Edge is rather limited in how it aids Pinsir.

Set Details
========

The EVs are straightforward, maximum investment in Attack and maximum investment in Speed. The Attack investment is to help Pinsir hit as hard as possible against incoming walls and the Speed is to outspeed walls and bulky threats. The Jolly nature ensures maximum Speed on Pinsir, making it harder to revenge kill by slightly slower threats like Kabutops, Skuntank, or Stoutland. Life Orb is the preferred item because Pinsir relies a lot on the boosted power it gives to be a substantial threat, but this also comes with the drawback of recoil damage which can quickly wear down Pinsir throughout the battle. Lum berry is an alternative choice that makes Pinsir better suited to match ups like Sableye and other passive walls with Toxic or Will-o-Wisp as it is a free opportunity to set up and saving Pinsir's HP in the long run. It also allows Pinsir to to be worn down less due to the lack of a Life Orb, but this comes with the cost of reducing Pinsir's overall damage output. (are there any kos life orb pinsir can pull off that lum berry cannot?)

Usage Tips
========

Swords Dance Pinsir functions as a wall breaker which means it has the job of boosting up early or mid game and powering through bulky wall Pokemon, which make way for other Pokemon to clean up the battle. Swords Dance is only necessary if the opposing team is oriented more towards balance or stall, where a Swords Dance boost is required to kill opposing bulky Pokemon. Versus offensive teams, attacking is generally better thanks to Pinsir's good coverage and high attack which can do enough damage to KO less bulky targets. This strategy is also preferred sometimes on account of Pinsir's average Speed tier which limits how well it can utilize a boost after killing a Pokemon because it can be easily revenge killed. Swords Dance is can also be impossible to set up if the opposing offensive pressure threatens to KO Pinsir, further dissuading its use. Thanks to Pinsir's high natural Attack, however, it can be very threatening unboosted and can threaten frailer Pokemon, causing switches, and giving Pinsir a set up opportunity.

Team Options
========

Fighting Types such as Gurdurr and Primeape make great pairs with Pinsir because Pinsir KOes and pressures opposing Psychic-types and takes on Weezing and Claydol thanks to Swords Dance and Mold Breaker. Faster threats can be paired with Pinsir like Floatzel, Archeops, and Pyroar who can sweep through the rest of the opposing team after bulkier Pokemon are gone. Hazard removal on the team is very helpful to Pinsir as it helps deal with Pinsir's susceptibility to hazard stacking. Swanna makes a good pair by helping to weaken some of the Pokemon that Pinsir has trouble getting through such as Mudsdale and Gurdurr, while providing Defog support at the same time. Blanket Defensive Pokemon like Lanturn, Regirock, Weezing and Ferroseed serve as dedicated switch-ins when Pinsir is threatened out by revenge killers. Many of them can also contribute to hazard stacking, which helps Pinsir break through walls.

Late-game cleaners need a mention, since they can struggle with breaking through bulkier builds and appreciate Pinsir doing so for them.)

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

A Choice Scarf set can be used in a similar fashion to Normalium Z by acting as a Moxie boost cleaner, but the obvious downside is the inability to switch between its moves which can make it hard to break through a team with moves like X-Scissor or Earthquake, both being easily stoppable. Choice Banded Pinsir with Mold Breaker can act a as a decently strong threat to many Pokemon with its near perfect coverage, but generally does not find use due to its lackluster Speed and weakness to hazards. Close Combat can be ran on either the Me First or Swords Dance set as an alternative for Knock Off and Stone Edge respectively because it gives Pinsir an option to hit specific bulky Pokemon like Miltank, Type: Null, Ferroseed, and Audino. It does this, however, by giving up needed coverage for Flying- and Ghost-types and Close Combat makes Pinsir easier to revenge kill, especially with regards to priority. Buginium Z can be used to give Pinsir a nuke option for a particular hard wall to get past, like Ferroseed or to snag a quick kill without setting up. Buginium Z finds a hard time being used because Bug-type moves can be an unreliable type to use a Z move on due to its many resistances. The item slot also makes Pinsir weaker in its coverage moves which it desperately needs to break through other walls. Pinsir can fill in a niche role by utilizing an offensive Stealth Rock set in a couple of ways. The first version uses three offensive moves, being Earthquake, Stone Edge/Rock Tomb, and X-Scissor, with a Focus Sash. This version is basically a suicide lead meant to get up Stealth Rocks and threaten Pokemon hoping to take advantage of a free turn by setting up. Other options include using a Lum berry with Swords Dance as a way of compressing the two roles of Stealth Rocker and wallbreaker together, thus making it more justifiable to put on teams. Running Jolly nature on the Z Me First set is another option as it allows Pinsir to outspeed Pokemon such as maximum Speed Kabutops, Magmortar, and Skuntank, but those sets are not really that common and the ability to use Z Me First on Magmortar and Skuntank first isn't really helpful.

Quick Attack at least deserves a mention here imo, since it sort of improves Pinsir's matchup v offensive teams, though it's weak af.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Bulky Ground-types**: Bulky Ground-types that inhabit the tier such as Mudsdale, Palossand, Gastrodon, and even Golem if it is invested into Defense all pose a roadblock to Pinsir. Apart from most of them either resisting or being neutral to Pinsir's coverage, Palossand and Gastrodon have reliable recovery and all of them have options to heavily damage Pinsir.

**Physical Walls**: This applies more to the Z-Me First set, because it lacks the power necessary to overcome hard Defensive walls like Weezing, Ferroseed, Type: Null, and Regirock but the Swords Dance sets usually require a Swords Dance boost to be effective against these Pokemon other wise Pokemon like Ferroseed and Regirock can deal massive damage with Gyro Ball and Stone Edge respectively.

**Revenge Killers**: Pinsir is not very fast so it is threatened by many offensive threats like Archeops, Pyroar, and Oricorio-G. Pinsir's Bug-typing also make it easier to threaten because it lacks resistances making it unable to easily take hits. This applies more to Swords Dance set, because the Z Me First set becomes fast enough to outspeed Revenge killers.

**Residual Damage**: Pinsir is a grounded Pokemon that is weak to Stealth Rock so hazards can limit how often Pinsir can switch-in, especially if the set includes Life Orb. A weakened Pinsir becomes less of a threat because many bulky and priority-using Pokemon have an easier time killing it.
gonna bring this back to life by rechecking. this does not count as 3/3, just wanted to go back since you didn't do certain stuff and to prepare it for whomever (or whoever, idfk) checks it last.
 
Last edited:

Aaronboyer

Something Worth Fighting For
is a Contributor to Smogon
This is an amateur GP check so only implement what you want
ADD REMOVE (COMMENTS)
Pinsir is the best offensive (AH)Bug-type in the tier thanks to its impressive natural base Attack stat, good movepool and great abilities. It functions best as a (AH)mid- to (AH)late-game sweeper because Z-Me First and Moxie cause Pinsir to become unstoppable against weakened teams and more offensive offensively orientated teams. However, it also does well as a wallbreaker thanks to its high Attack and access to Swords Dance and Mold Breaker, which allow allows it to hit Pokemon with the Levitate ability and bypass Pyukumuku's Unaware ability. These (can't tell if trying to spell assets or aspects; I think you meant assets)assests assets allow Pinsir to break through common wall cores on balanced teams, especially ones centered around Weezing, Mesprit, and Claydol. The popularity and similarity between Pinsir's two main sets make it difficult to predict which Pinsir set is being used at first, allowing players to use this to their advantage. Pinsir is somewhat limited in power due to its only STAB being (AC)X-Scissor, which is 80 base power and, when coupled with its Speed stat, makes it hard to consistently wallbreak against more offensive (AP)teams. and this also makes it Pinsir is easy easier to revenge kill by the likes of Archeops, Swanna, (AC)Pyroar, and (RP)Oricorio-G. It's also easier to revenge kill due to its defensively poor defensive typing of Bug-type Bug-typing and the fact that its defensive stats leave a lot to be desired. Its typing also means Pinsir also has to deal with a crippling weakness to entry (AC)hazards, which wears it down fast.

[SET]
name: Z-Me First
move 1: Me First
move 2: X-Scissor
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Normalium Z
ability: Moxie
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

(AH)Z-Me First is the crux of this set because it retains the power of copying an opponents move at 1.5x power, turns it into the Z-move equivalent and Pinsir receives a 2x Speed boost that allows it to outspeed pretty much everything the majority of the metagame, making it an excellent (AH)late-game cleaner. Earthquake is arguably the best coverage move for Pinsir, allowing it to hit (AH)Steel- and (AH)Rock-types like Regirock, Probopass, Togedamaru, and Metang hard and is otherwise a strong neutral move available to Pinsir. X-Scissor is Pinsir's strongest STAB attack in the set thanks to its STAB boost and is helpful in hitting (AH)Psychic-types like Mesprit, Musharna, and Claydol supereffectively super (RC)effectively, while also avoiding Colbur berries Berries any of the Pokemon may be holding. Stone Edge rounds out the set by being able to KO (AH)Flying-types like Oricorio-G, Archeops, and Swanna that would otherwise wall the set and force Pinsir out.

Set Details
========

The maximum Maximum Attack investment ensures that Pinsir is able to reliably sweep at the end of the game as it allows it to hit its hardest. Adamant is the clear choice on the set because it allows Pinsir to be at its maximum strength, while still allowing it plenty of Speed for (AH)Z-Me First to effectively make its Speed insurmountable. Normalium Z for Me first First is the bread and butter of the (AC)set, as it allows Pinsir to boost to 538 Speed making it faster than all of the common Choice Scarf users in PU (such as Primape, Pyroar, Mesprit, and Oricorio-G) and, if attacked, it fires off a Z move, which in conjunction with a Moxie (AC)boost, could be an easy sweep for a victory. Pinsir's preferred ability on this set is Moxie because the boost in Attack, after each KO, starts to snowball quickly, especially when nothing out speeds it, as mentioned above.

Usage Tips
========

It can be very tricky to set up a Z Me First, especially since Pinsir is not particularly bulky or fast so patience and timing are required. Using a Z Me first First on a special attack and using it on a move that is resisted by the opposing Pokemon are both examples of considerations to keep in mind. Pinsir will want to wait until the enemy team is sufficiently weakened, so it can easily clean through the rest of a team. However, it is important to keep in mind how Moxie will play into its sweeps sweep as Pinsir can snowball rather quickly, making sweeps possible early in the game. The best time to set up a Z Me First is on slower, physically hitting Pokemon such as Golurk, Hitmonchan, or Kabutops, so the copied Z move has a good chance to outright KO the target in addtion addition to the boosts it provides. After the Moxie boost and Speed increase, it is very difficult to stop Pinsir from sweeping a team so it is wise to be patient when using it because you only get one shot. It's better to preserve Pinsir's health as much as possible because it makes it much easier to take a priority move or two while it is sweeping. Although it is technically possible to outplay Sucker Punches with Me First, eliminating opposing priority Pokemon first is the preferable strategy. It is important to note that this set does not fair well against stall because it does not have enough power or coverage to hit common Stall Pokemon. The best that can be hoped for is to get a Moxie boost from KOing a Pokemon and become semi-threatening.

Team Options
========

Pinsir will want a team around it that is good at hitting hard and weakening the opponent's Pokemon because a weakened team increases the chance of Pinsir winning the game. Examples of (AH)hard-hitting Pokemon include threats like Choice Specs Drampa and (RC)Aurorus, and Choice Band Stoutland. Hazard stacking, especially Spikes, is an easy way of weakening an enemy team through repeated switches and successive chip (RC)damage, until Pinsir can easily KO them. Teammates that work well include Ferroseed, who can get up Spikes, and a reliable Stealth Rocker such as Regirock, (Not PU Anymore)Miltank, and Clefairy who all can come in multiple times to keep Stealth Rocks up. Clefairy, with its Eviolite intact, also doubles as a reliable check to (Not PU Anymore)Magmortar and Pyroar, who threaten Pinsir. Pursuit trapping can be a valuable asset in weakening teams as it has the potential to keep Pokemon low for Pinsir in the late game. This can be done by most notably Skuntank, but can also be done by Absol and Stoutland. Pokemon such as Alolan Exeggutor and Gourgeist provide an offensive and defensive option for dealing with bulky Ground-types Pinsir has a great trouble dealing(RSC)with; Alolan Exeggutor because of of its wallbreaking potential and threatening STAB and Gourgeist because of its bulk and sustainability.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: X-Scissor
move 4: Knock Off / Stone Edge
item: Life Orb / Lum Berry
ability: Mold Breaker
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Swords Dance is the most distinguishing feature of this (AC)set, as it allows Pinsir to boost its Attack to the point of being highly threatening and ultimately fulfill its role as a wall breaker against balance and stall teams. Earthquake is an amazing coverage move with its high BP base power and its ability to hit a lot of the things that would otherwise wall Pinsir like Poison-, Rock-, and (RC)Steel-types, while also giving a decent neutral hitting move for Fighting-types. X-Scissor is Pinsir's best STAB move and is one of the strongest move moves it can fire off (Redundant)with the help of STAB. Knock Off gives Pinsir a better match up against walls like Gourgeist-XL or (Not PU Anymore)Palossand, which would otherwise give Pinsir a hard time, as well as a move to neutrally hit Flying-types. Stone Edge is also on the set because it gives a supereffective super effective move against (AH)Flying-types, which can be very helpful on (RC)switch-ins, because most (AH)Flying-types such as Swanna and Archeops are faster and will revenge kill Pinsir. For this reason, Stone Edge is rather limited in how it aids Pinsir.

Set Details
========

The EVs are (RC)straightforward, with maximum investment in Attack and maximum investment in Speed. The Attack investment is to help Pinsir hit as hard as possible against incoming walls and the Speed is to outspeed walls and bulky threats. The Jolly nature ensures maximum Speed on Pinsir, making it harder to revenge kill by slightly slower threats like Kabutops, Skuntank, or Stoutland. Life Orb is the preferred item because Pinsir relies a lot on the boosted power it gives to be a substantial threat, but this also comes with the drawback of recoil (AC)damage, which can quickly wear down Pinsir throughout the battle. Lum berry Berry is an alternative choice that makes Pinsir better suited to match ups matchups like Sableye and other passive walls with Toxic or (AC)Will-o-Wisp, as it is a free opportunity to set up and saving save Pinsir's HP in the long run. It also allows Pinsir to to be worn down less due to the lack of a Life Orb, but this comes with the cost of reducing Pinsir's overall damage (AC)output, which is useful for reliably KOing Weezing and Carracosta from full with +2 Attack and KOing Regirock with enough chip damage.

Usage Tips
========

Swords Dance Pinsir functions as a wall (AC)breaker, which means it has the job of boosting up (AH)early- or (AH)mid-game and powering through bulky wall Pokemon, which make making way for other Pokemon to clean up the battle. Swords Dance is only necessary if the opposing team is oriented more towards balance or stall more defensively (RC)oriented, and where a Swords Dance boost is required to kill knockout opposing bulky Pokemon. Versus offensive teams, attacking is generally better thanks to Pinsir's good coverage and high attack (AC)Attack, which can do enough damage to KO less bulky targets. This strategy is also preferred sometimes on account of Pinsir's average Speed (AC)tier, which limits how well it can utilize a boost after killing a Pokemon because it can be easily revenge killed. Swords Dance is can also be impossible to set up if the opposing offensive pressure threatens to KO Pinsir, further dissuading its use. Thanks to Pinsir's naturally high natural Attack, however, it can be very threatening unboosted and can threaten frailer Pokemon, causing switches, and giving Pinsir a set up setup opportunity.

Team Options
========

Fighting Types (AH)Fighting-types such as Gurdurr and Primeape make a great pairs pair with Pinsir because Pinsir KOes and pressures opposing Psychic-types and takes take on Weezing and Claydol thanks to Swords Dance and Mold Breaker. Faster threats can be paired with Pinsir like Floatzel, Archeops, and Pyroar who can sweep through the rest of the opposing team after bulkier Pokemon are gone can be paired with Pinsir like Floatzel, Archeops, and Pyroar. Hazard removal on the team is very helpful to Pinsir as it helps deal with Pinsir's susceptibility to hazard stacking. Swanna makes a good pair by helping to weaken some of the Pokemon that Pinsir has trouble getting through such as Mudsdale and (RC)Gurdurr, while providing Defog support at the same time. Blanket Defensive Pokemon like Lanturn, Regirock, (AC)Weezing, and Ferroseed serve as dedicated switch-ins when Pinsir is threatened out by revenge killers. Many of them can also contribute to hazard stacking, which helps Pinsir break through walls. Pinsir also functions as a support to (AH)late-game cleaners such as Primape, Archeops, and Pyroar which can pick off a weakened or frail team after Pinsir is KOed.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

A Choice Scarf set can be used in a similar fashion to Normalium Z by acting as a Moxie boost cleaner, but the obvious downside is the inability to switch between its (AC)moves, which can make it hard to break through a team with moves like X-Scissor or Earthquake(RC), both being easily stoppable. Choice Banded Band Pinsir with Mold Breaker can act a as a decently strong threat to many Pokemon with its near perfect (RC)coverage, but generally does not find use due to its lackluster Speed and weakness to hazards. Close Combat can be ran run on either the Me First or Swords Dance set as an alternative for Knock Off and Stone Edge respectively because it gives Pinsir an option to hit specific bulky Pokemon like (Not PU Anymore)Miltank, Type: Null, Ferroseed, and Audino. It does this, however, by giving up needed coverage for Flying- and Ghost-types and Close Combat makes Pinsir easier to revenge kill, especially with regards to priority. Buginium Z can be used to give Pinsir a nuke option for a particular hard wall to get past, like Ferroseed or to snag a quick kill without setting up. Buginium Z finds a hard time being used because Bug-type moves can be an unreliable type to use a Z move on due to its many resistances. The item slot also makes Pinsir weaker in its coverage moves which it desperately needs to break through other walls. Pinsir can fill in a niche role by utilizing an offensive Stealth Rock set in a couple of ways. The first version uses three offensive moves, being Earthquake, Stone Edge/Rock Tomb, and X-Scissor, with a Focus Sash. This version is basically a suicide lead meant to get up Stealth Rocks Rock and threaten Pokemon hoping to take advantage of a free turn by setting up. Other options include using a Lum berry Berry with Swords Dance as a way of compressing the two roles of Stealth Rocker and wallbreaker together, thus making it more justifiable to put on teams. Running Jolly nature on the (AH)Z-Me First set is another option as it allows Pinsir to outspeed Pokemon such as maximum Speed Kabutops, (Not PU Anymore)Magmortar, and Skuntank, but those sets are not really that common and the ability to use (AH)Z-Me First on (Is Now NU)Magmortar and Skuntank first isn't really helpful. It should be noted that Quick Attack can be used on either Pinsir set (although preferably on the Swords Dance set) because the priority it gives helps Pinsir versus more offensive teams since Pinsir has average speed. This is not recommended as much, however, because Quick Attack is very weak even after a Swords Dance boost and Life Orb.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Bulky Ground-types**: Bulky Ground-types that inhabit the tier such as Mudsdale, (Not PU Anymore)Palossand, Gastrodon, and even Golem if it is invested into Defense all pose a roadblock to Pinsir. Apart from most of them either resisting or being neutral to Pinsir's coverage, (Not PU Anymore)Palossand and Gastrodon have reliable recovery and all of them have options to heavily damage Pinsir.

**Physical Walls**: This applies more to the Z-Me First (RC)set, because it lacks the power necessary to overcome hard Defensive walls like Weezing, Ferroseed, Type: Null, and (AP)Regirock. but (AC)However, the Swords Dance sets usually require a Swords Dance boost to be effective against these Pokemon other wise otherwise Pokemon like Ferroseed and Regirock can deal massive damage with Gyro Ball and Stone Edge respectively.

**Revenge Killers**: Pinsir is not very (AC)fast, so it is threatened by many offensive threats like Archeops, Pyroar, and Oricorio-G. Pinsir's Bug-typing also make it easier to threaten because it lacks resistances making it unable to easily take hits. This applies more to the Swords Dance (RC)set, because the (AH)Z-Me First set becomes fast enough to outspeed Revenge killers.

**Residual Damage**: Pinsir is a grounded Pokemon that is weak to Stealth Rock so hazards can limit how often Pinsir can switch-in, especially if the set includes Life Orb. A weakened Pinsir becomes less of a threat because many bulky and priority-using Pokemon have an easier time killing it.
ling it.
 

A Cake Wearing A Hat

moist and crusty
is a Community Leaderis a Community Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Smogon Media Contributoris a Dedicated Tournament Hostis a Battle Simulator Moderatoris a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Top Social Media Contributor Alumnus
Community Leader
Please be sure to implement this using the proper method at spo.ink/gpvideo
e: removed archeops mentions
Add remove comments
AC=add comma, RC=remove comma, AP=add period, ASC= add semicolon

[OVERVIEW]

Pinsir is the best offensive Bug type Bug-type in the tier thanks to its impressive natural base Attack stat, good movepool, (AC) and great abilities. It functions best as a mid mid- to late game late-game sweeper because Z-Me First and Moxie cause Pinsir to become unstoppable against weakened teams and more offensive orientated teams. However, it also does well as a wallbreaker thanks to its high Attack and access to Swords Dance and Mold Breaker, which allow allows it to hit Pokemon with the Levitate ability and bypass Pyukumuku's Unaware ability. These assests assets allow Pinsir to break through common wall defensive cores on balanced teams, especially ones centered around Weezing, Mesprit, and Claydol. The popularity and similarity between Pinsir's two main sets and the nearly equal popularity of both make it difficult to predict which Pinsir set is being used at first, allowing players to use this to their advantage. Pinsir is somewhat limited in power due to its only STAB attack being X-Scissor, (AC) which is 80 base power and, when only has 80 Base Power; this, when coupled with its Pinsir's merely average Speed stat, makes it hard for Pinsir to consistently wallbreak against more offensive teams and this also makes it easier to revenge kill teams. Pinsir's Speed stat, poor defensive typing, and mediocre bulk cause it to be easily revenge killed by the likes of Archeops, (RC) Swanna, Pyroar, (AC) and Oricorio-G. It's also easier to revenge kill due to its poor defensive typing of Bug-type and the fact that its defensive stats leave a lot to be desired. Its typing also means Pinsir also has to deal with a crippling weakness to entry hazards Stealth Rock, (AC) which wears it down fast quickly.

[SET]
name: Z-Me First
move 1: Me First
move 2: X-Scissor
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Normalium Z
ability: Moxie
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Z Me First is the crux of this set because it retains the power of copying an opponents copies a slower foe's move at 1.5x power, turns it into the Z-move equivalent power; when used with Normalium Z, it turns the copied attack into a Z-Move and gives Pinsir receives a 2x Speed boost that allows it to outspeed pretty much everything the majority of the metagame, making it an excellent late game late-game cleaner. Earthquake is arguably the best coverage move for Pinsir, allowing it as it is a strong attack that also allows Pinsir to hit Steel Rock- and Rock types Steel-types like Regirock, Probopass, Togedamaru, and Metang hard and is otherwise a strong neutral move available to Pinsir. X-Scissor is Pinsir's strongest STAB attack in the set thanks to its STAB boost and is helpful in hitting Psychic types Psychic-types like Mesprit, Musharna, and Claydol supereffectively while also avoiding Colbur berries any of the Pokemon may be holding super effectively. Stone Edge rounds out the set by being able to lets Pinsir KO Flying types Flying-types like Oricorio-G, (RC) Archeops, (RC) and Swanna that would otherwise wall the set and force Pinsir out.

Set Details
========

The maximum Maximum Attack and Speed investment ensures with an Adamant nature maximizes Pinsir's offensive presence so that Pinsir it is able to reliably sweep at the end of the game as it allows it to hit its hardest. Adamant is the clear choice on the set because it allows Pinsir to be at its maximum strength, while still allowing it plenty of Speed for Z Me First to effectively make its Speed insurmountable hit as hard as possible. late-game and outspeed the entire metagame after a boost from Z-Me First. Moxie boosts Pinsir's Attack whenever it KOes a foe. Normalium Z for Me first is the bread and butter of the set as it allows Pinsir to boost to 538 Speed use Z-Me First to double its Speed, making it faster than all of the common Choice Scarf users in PU (such as Primape, Pyroar, Mesprit, and Oricorio-G) and, if attacked, it fires off a Z move, which in conjunction with a Moxie boost, could be an easy sweep for a victory. Pinsir's preferred ability on this set is Moxie because the boost in Attack, after each KO, starts to snowball quickly, especially when nothing out speeds it, as mentioned above. such as Primeape, Pyroar, Mesprit, and Oricorio-G, which, when combined with a potential boost from Moxie, can let Pinsir sweep easily.

Usage Tips
========

It can be very tricky to set up a Z Me First, especially since Pinsir is not particularly bulky or fast so patience and timing are required. Using a Z Me first on a special attack and using it on a move that is resisted by the opposing Pokemon are both examples of considerations to keep in mind. Due to Pinsir's mediocre Speed and bulk, setting up with Z-Me First requires patience and proper prediction. For example, if it is avoidable, Pinsir should not use Z-Me First against foes that are predicted to use special attacks or attacks that they resist. Pinsir will want to wait until the enemy team is sufficiently weakened, (RC) so it can easily clean through the rest of a the team. However, it is important to keep in mind how Moxie will play into its sweeps Pinsir's attempts to sweep, as Pinsir can snowball rather quickly, (RC) making sweeps possible early in the game and possibly even sweep early-game. The best time to set up a Z Me with Z-Me First is on slower, physically hitting Pokemon slower physical attackers such as Golurk, Hitmonchan, or and Kabutops, (RC) so the copied Z move has a good chance to outright KO the target in addtion to the boosts it provides that are likely to be KOed by the copied Z-Move. After the Moxie boost and Speed increase and a boost from Moxie, it is very difficult to stop Pinsir from sweeping a team, (AC) so it is wise to be patient when using it because you only get one shot due to the one-use nature of the Z-Move. It's better to preserve Pinsir's health as much as possible because it makes it much easier to take a priority move or two so it can take priority moves more easily while it is sweeping. Although it is technically possible to outplay Sucker Punches Punch with Me First, eliminating opposing priority Pokemon first is the preferable strategy users beforehand is generally preferred. It is important to note that this set does not fair fare well against stall because it does not have enough power or coverage to hit common Stall Pokemon found on the playstyle. The best that can be hoped for is to get a Moxie boost from KOing a Pokemon and become semi-threatening.

Team Options
========

Pinsir will want a team around it that is good at hitting hard and weakening the opponent's Pokemon because a weakened team increases the chance of Pinsir winning the game. Examples of hard hitting Pokemon include threats to ease Pinsir's attempts at sweeping. Because of this, strong wallbreakers like Choice Specs Drampa and, (AC) Choice Specs Aurorus, and Choice Band Stoutland make good partners. Hazard stacking, especially Spikes, is an easy way of weakening an enemy team through repeated switches and successive chip damage, until Pinsir can easily KO them. Teammates that work well include Ferroseed, who can get up Spikes, and a reliable Stealth Rocker such as Regirock, Miltank, and Clefairy who all can come in multiple times to keep Stealth Rocks up. Entry hazard support helps to wear down foes as they switch in, so Spikes users like Ferroseed make amazing partners, as well as reliable Stealth Rock users such as Regirock and Clefairy. Clefairy, with its Eviolite intact, also doubles as a reliable check to Magmortar and Pyroar, who threaten which threatens Pinsir. Pursuit trapping can be a another valuable asset in weakening teams as it has the potential to keep Pokemon low for Pinsir in the late game. This can be done by most notably Skuntank, but can also be done by Absol and Stoutland. to weaken foes and ease Pinsir's attempts at sweeping. The most notably Pursuit trapper is Skuntank, but Absol and Stoutland are also fine partners. Pokemon such as Alolan Exeggutor and Gourgeist provide an offensive and defensive option options for dealing with the bulky Ground-types that Pinsir has a great trouble dealing with; Alolan Exeggutor can pressure Ground-types because of of its wallbreaking potential and threatening STAB and attacks, whereas Gourgeist can beat Ground-types because of its bulk and sustainability.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: X-Scissor
move 4: Knock Off / Stone Edge
item: Life Orb / Lum Berry
ability: Mold Breaker
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Swords Dance is the most distinguishing feature of this set, (AC) as it allows Pinsir to boost its Attack to the point of being highly threatening and ultimately fulfill its role as a wall breaker to sky-high levels so it can wallbreak against balance and stall teams. Earthquake is an amazing a powerful coverage move with its high BP and its ability to hit a lot of the things that would otherwise wall Pinsir like that can hit Poison-, Rock-, and Steel-types, (RC) while also giving a decent neutral hitting move for super effectively and hit Fighting-types neutrally. X-Scissor is Pinsir's best STAB move and is the strongest move it can fire off with the help of STAB strongest viable attack. Knock Off gives Pinsir a better match up matchup against walls like Gourgeist-XL or Palossand, which that would otherwise give Pinsir a hard time, as well as a move to neutrally hit and it also hits Flying-types neutrally. Stone Edge is also on the set because it gives a supereffective move against Flying types, which can be very helpful on switch-ins, because most Flying types an alternative option that hits Flying-types such as Swanna and Archeops are faster and will revenge kill Pinsir super effectively on the switch, but because of Pinsir's mediocre Speed, most Flying-types outspeed it. For this reason, Stone Edge is rather limited in how it aids Pinsir.

Set Details
========

The EVs are straightforward, with maximum investment in Attack and maximum investment in Speed. The Attack investment is to help lets Pinsir hit as hard as possible against incoming walls, (AC) and the Speed is investment allows Pinsir to outspeed walls and bulky threats. The A Jolly nature ensures maximum Speed on Pinsir, making it makes Pinsir harder to revenge kill by slightly slower letting it outspeed threats like Kabutops, Skuntank, or and Stoutland. Life Orb is the preferred item because Pinsir relies a lot on the boosted power it gives to be a substantial threat, but this also comes with the drawback of recoil damage, (AC) which can quickly wear down Pinsir throughout the battle. Lum berry Berry is an alternative choice that makes Pinsir better suited to match ups beat Pokemon like Sableye and other passive walls with Toxic or Will-o-Wisp status inducers, as it is it gives Pinsir a free opportunity to set up and saving saves Pinsir's HP in the long run. It also allows Pinsir to to be worn down less due to the lack of a Life Orb, but this comes with the cost of reducing Pinsir's overall damage output, (AC) which is useful for reliably KOing Weezing and Carracosta from full with +2 Attack at +2 and KOing Regirock with enough chip damage.

Usage Tips
========

Swords Dance Pinsir functions as a wall breaker wallbreaker, which means it has the job of boosting up early early- or mid game mid-game and powering through bulky wall Pokemon, which make making way for other Pokemon to clean up the battle. Swords Dance is only necessary if the opposing team is oriented more towards balance or stall, where more defensively oriented and a Swords Dance boost is required to kill KO opposing bulky Pokemon. Versus offensive teams, attacking is generally better thanks to Pinsir's good coverage and high attack Attack, which can lets it do enough damage to KO less bulky targets frail foes. This strategy is also preferred sometimes on account of Pinsir's average Speed tier, (AC) which limits how well it can utilize a boost after killing a Pokemon its ability to effectively utilize a boost because it can be easily revenge killed. Swords Dance is can also be impossible hard to set up if the opposing offensive pressure Pokemon threatens to KO Pinsir if it does not attack, further dissuading its use setup. Thanks to Pinsir's naturally high natural Attack, however, it can be very threatening unboosted and can threaten frailer Pokemon, causing switches, and giving Pinsir a set up can force out frail foes to get a setup opportunity.

Team Options
========

Fighting Types Fighting-types such as Gurdurr and Primeape make great pairs partners with Pinsir because Pinsir KOes and pressures opposing Psychic-types and takes on Weezing and Claydol thanks to Swords Dance and Mold Breaker. Faster threats can be paired with Pinsir like Floatzel, Archeops, and Pyroar who can sweep through the rest of the opposing team after bulkier Pokemon are gone Late-game cleaners like Floatzel and Pyroar appreciate Pinsir's wallbreaking ability. Hazard Entry hazard removal on the team is very helpful to Pinsir, (AC) as it helps deal with Pinsir's susceptibility to hazard stacking Stealth Rock and other hazards. Swanna makes a good pair by helping to pairs well with Pinsir because it can provide Defog support and weaken some of the Pokemon that Pinsir has trouble getting through such as Mudsdale and Gurdurr, (RC) while providing Defog support at the same time. (keep the period) Blanket Defensive Pokemon like Lanturn, Regirock, Weezing, (AC) and Ferroseed serve as dedicated switch-ins when Pinsir is threatened out by revenge killers. Many of them can also contribute to hazard stacking set entry hazards, which helps Pinsir break through walls. Pinsir also functions as a support to late-game cleaners such as Primape, Archeops, and Pyroar which can pick off a weakened or frail team after Pinsir is KOed. (Cleaners = faster threats that can sweep through an opposing team once bulky Pokemon are gone)

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

A Choice Scarf set can be used in a similar fashion to Normalium Z by acting as a Moxie boost late-game cleaner with Moxie, but the obvious downside is the inability to switch between its moves, (AC) which can make it hard to break through a team with easily wallable moves like X-Scissor or and Earthquake, (RC) both being easily stoppable. Choice Banded Band Pinsir with Mold Breaker can act a as a decently strong threat to many Pokemon with its near perfect coverage, (RC) but generally does not find use due to its lackluster Speed and weakness to entry hazards. Close Combat can be ran run on either the Me Z-Me First or Swords Dance set as an alternative for Knock Off and Stone Edge respectively and Knock Off because it gives Pinsir an option to hit specific bulky Pokemon like Miltank, Type: Null, Ferroseed, and Audino. It does this, however, by giving up needed coverage for Flying- and Ghost-types, (AC) and Close Combat makes Pinsir easier to revenge kill, especially with regards to priority. Buginium Z can be used to give Pinsir a nuke option for a particular hard wall to get past, like Ferroseed or to snag a quick kill without setting up break past a physically bulky Pokemon like Ferroseed or get a quick KO against an offensive Pokemon without needing to set up. However, Buginium Z finds a hard time being used because Bug-type moves can be an unreliable type to use a Z move on due to its many resistances Savage Spin-Out is resisted by many Pokemon. The item slot also makes Pinsir weaker in its coverage moves which it desperately needs to break through other walls. Not using a Life Orb also means that Pinsir's will have difficulty breaking other walls with its coverage moves. Pinsir can fill in a niche role by utilizing an offensive Stealth Rock set in a couple of ways. The first version uses three offensive moves, being Earthquake, Stone Edge/Rock Tomb, and X-Scissor, with a Focus Sash. This version is basically a suicide lead meant to get up Stealth Rocks and threaten Pokemon hoping to take advantage of a free turn by setting up. Other options include using Pinsir can attempt to use a suicide lead set with Earthquake, Stone Edge or Rock Tomb, and X-Scissor to set Stealth Rock early-game against foes that attempt to set up. It can also use a set with a Lum berry with Berry and Swords Dance as a way of compressing the two roles of Stealth Rocker Rock setter and wallbreaker together, thus making it more justifiable to put on teams. Running Jolly nature on the Z Me Z-Me First set is another option, (AC) as it allows Pinsir to outspeed Pokemon such as maximum Speed Kabutops, Magmortar, and Kabutops and Skuntank, but those sets are not really that common and the ability to use Z Me Z-Me First on Magmortar and Skuntank first isn't really helpful. It should be noted that Quick Attack can be used on either Pinsir set (although preferably on the Swords Dance set), (AC) though it is significantly more useful on the Swords Dance set, because the priority it gives helps Pinsir patch up its mediocre Speed versus more offensive teams since Pinsir has average speed. This is not recommended as much, however, because Quick Attack is very weak even after a Swords Dance boost and Life Orb.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Bulky Ground-types**: Bulky Ground-types that inhabit the tier such as Mudsdale, Palossand, Gastrodon, and even Golem if it is invested into Defense all pose a roadblock to Pinsir. Apart from most of them either resisting or being neutral to Pinsir's coverage, Palossand and Gastrodon have has reliable recovery, (AC) and all of them have options to heavily damage Pinsir.

**Physical Walls**: This applies more to the Z-Me First set, (RC) because it lacks the power necessary to overcome hard Defensive physical walls like Weezing, Ferroseed, Type: Null, and Regirock but. (AP) However, the Swords Dance sets usually require a Swords Dance boost to be effective against these Pokemon other wise; (ASC) otherwise, Pokemon like Ferroseed and Regirock can deal massive damage with Gyro Ball and Stone Edge, (AC) respectively.

**Revenge Killers**: Pinsir is not very fast, (AC) so it is threatened by many offensive threats Pokemon like Archeops, (RC) Pyroar, (RC) and Oricorio-G. Pinsir's Bug-typing poor defensive typing also make makes it easier to threaten because it lacks resistances making it unable to easily take hits. This applies more to the Swords Dance set, (RC) because the Z Me Z-Me First set becomes fast enough to outspeed Revenge outspeeds revenge killers after a boost.

**Residual Damage**: Pinsir is a grounded Pokemon that is weak to Stealth Rock, (AC) so entry hazards can limit how often Pinsir can switch-in switch in, especially if the set includes it is using a Life Orb. A weakened Pinsir becomes less of a threat because many bulky and priority-using Pokemon and priority users will have an easier time killing KOing it.
ling it.

1/2
 
Last edited:

Darkinium

the mighty nuaguunibi
This might be an awkward time to point this out, but I checked and there are still quite a lot of Miltank and Palossand mentions. You can find them by using ctrl+f, and drop their mentions or replace them instead.
 

lotiasite

undedgy
is a Forum Moderatoris a Top Contributoris a Smogon Media Contributoris a Social Media Contributor Alumnus
GP 2/2, you have a very interesting and unique writing style, i like it
[OVERVIEW]

Pinsir is the best offensive Bug-type in the tier thanks to its impressive base Attack stat, good movepool, and great abilities. It functions best as a mid- tor late-game sweeper because Z-Me First and Moxie cause Pinsir to become unstoppable against weakened teams and more offensive teams. However, it also does well as a wallbreaker thanks to its high Attack and access to Swords Dance and Mold Breaker, which allows it to hit Pokemon with the Levitate ability and bypass Pyukumuku's Unaware ability. These assets allow Pinsir to break through common defensive cores on balanced teams, especially ones centered around Weezing, Mesprit, and Claydol. The similarity between Pinsir's two main sets and the nearly equal popularity of both make it difficult to predict which Pinsir set is being used at first, allowing players to use this to their advantage. However, Pinsir is somewhat limited in power due to its only STAB attack being X-Scissor, which only has 80 base pBase Power; this, when coupled with Pinsir's merely average Speed stat, makes it hard for Pinsir to consistently wallbreak against more offensive teams. Pinsir's Speed stat, poor defensive typing, and mediocre bulk cause it to be easily revenge killed by the likes of Swanna, Pyroar, and Oricorio-G. Its typing also means Pinsir has to deal with a crippling weakness to Stealth Rock, which wears it down quickly.

[SET]
name: Z-Me First
move 1: Me First
move 2: X-Scissor
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Normalium Z
ability: Moxie
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Me First copies a slower foe's move at 1.5x power; when used with Normalium Z, it turns the copied attack into a Z-Move and gives Pinsir a +2x Speed boost that allows it to outspeed the majority of the metagame, making it an excellent late-game cleaner. Earthquake is arguably the best coverage move for Pinsir, as it is a strong attack that also allows Pinsir to hit Rock- and Steel-types like Regirock, Probopass, Togedaemaru, and Metang hard. X-Scissor is Pinsir's strongest STAB attack and is helpful in hitting Psychic-types like Mesprit, Musharna, and Claydol super effectively. Stone Edge lets Pinsir KO Flying-types like Oricorio-G and Swanna that would otherwise wall the set and force Pinsir out.

Set Details
========

Maximum Attack and Speed investment with an Adamant nature maximizes Pinsir's offensive presence so that it is able to reliably sweep late-game and outspeed the entire unboosted metagame after athe boost from Z-Me First. Moxie boosts Pinsir's Attack whenever it KOes a foe. Normalium Z allows Pinsir to double its Speed with Z-Me First, making it faster than common Choice Scarf users such as Primeape, Pyroar, Mesprit, and Oricorio-G, which, when combined with a potential boost from Moxie, can let Pinsir sweep easily.

Usage Tips
========

Due to Pinsir's mediocre Speed and bulk, setting up with Z-Me First requires patience and proper prediction. For example, if it is avoidable, Pinsir should not use Z-Me First against foes that are predicted to use special attacks or attacks that they resist. Pinsir will want to wait until the enemy team is sufficiently weakened so it can easily clean through the rest of the team. However, it is important to keep in mind how Moxie will play into Pinsir's attempts to sweep, as Pinsir can snowball rather quickly and possibly even sweep early-game. The best time to set up with Z-Me First is on slower physical attackers such as Golurk, Hitmonchan, and Kabutops that are likely to be KOed by the copied Z-Move. After the Speed increase and a boost from Moxie, it is very difficult to stop Pinsir from sweeping, so it is wise to be patient when using it due to the one-use nature of the Z-Move. It's better to preserve Pinsir's health as much as possible so it can take priority moves more easily while it is sweeping. Although it is technically possible to outplay Sucker Punch with Me First, eliminating opposing priority users beforehand is generally preferred. It is important to note that this set does not fare well against stall because it does not have enough power or coverage to hit common Pokemon found on the playstyle. The best that can be hoped for is to get a Moxie boost from KOing a Pokemon and become semi-threatening.

Team Options
========

Pinsir will want a team around it that is good at hitting hard and weakening the opponent's Pokemon to ease Pinsir's attempts at sweeping. Because of this, strong wallbreakers like Choice Specs Drampa, Choice Specs Aurorus, and Choice Band Stoutland make for good partners. Entry hazard support helps to wear down foes as they switch in, so Spikes users like Ferroseed make amazing partners, as well as reliable Stealth Rock users such as Regirock and Clefairy make for amazing partners. Clefairy, with its Eviolite intact, also doubles as a reliable check to Pyroar, which threatens Pinsir. Pursuit trapping can be another valuable asset to weaken foes and ease Pinsir's attempts at sweeping. The most notablye Pursuit trapper is Skuntank, but Absol and Stoutland are also fine partners. Pokemon such as Alolan Exeggutor and Gourgeist provide options for dealing with the bulky Ground-types that Pinsir has great trouble dealing with; Alolan Exeggutor can pressure Ground-types because of its wallbreaking potential and threatening STAB attacks, whereas Gourgeist can beat Ground-types because of its bulk and sustainability.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: X-Scissor
move 4: Knock Off / Stone Edge
item: Life Orb / Lum Berry
ability: Mold Breaker
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Swords Dance is the most distinguishing feature of this set, as it(fluff) allows Pinsir to boost its Attack to sky-high levels so it can wallbreak against balance and stall teams. Earthquake is a powerful coverage move that can hit Poison-, Rock-, and Steel-types super effectively and hit Fighting-types neutrally. X-Scissor is Pinsir's best STAB move and strongest viable attack. Knock Off gives Pinsir a better matchup against walls like Gourgeist-XL that would otherwise give Pinsir a hard time, and it also hits Flying-types neutrally. Stone Edge is an alternative option that hits Flying-types such as Swanna but because of Pinsir's mediocre Speed, most Flying-types outspeed it. For this reason, Stone Edge is rather limited in how it aids Pinsir.

Set Details
========

The EVs are straightforward, with maximum investment in Attack and maximum investment in Speed. The Attack investment letsSpeed allowing Pinsir to hit as hard as possible against incoming walls, and the Speed investment allows Pinsir to outspeed walls and bulkyier threats. A Jolly nature makes Pinsir harder to revenge kill by letting it outspeed threats like Kabutops, Skuntank, and Stoutland. Life Orb is the preferred item because Pinsir relies a lot on the boosted power to be a substantial threat, but this also comes with the drawback of recoil damage, which can quickly wear down Pinsir throughout the battle. Lum Berry is an alternative choice that makes Pinsir better suited to beat Pokemon like Sableye and other passive status inducers, as it gives Pinsir a free opportunity to set up and saves Pinsir's HP in the long run. It also allows Pinsir to be worn down less due to the lack of a Life Orb, but this comes with the cost of reducing Pinsir's overall damage output, which is useful for reliably KOing Weezing and Carracosta from full at +2 and KOing Regirock with enough chip damage. (talk about mold breaker here too bc it isnt explained over moxie)

Usage Tips
========

Swords Dance Pinsir functions as a wallbreaker, which means it has the job of boosting up early- or mid-game and powering through bulky Pokemon, making way for other Pokemon to clean up the battle. Swords Dance is only necessary if the opposing team is more defensively oriented and a boost is required to KO opposing bulky Pokemon. Versus offensive teams, attacking is generally better thanks to Pinsir's good coverage and high base Attack, which lets it do enough damage to KO frail foes. This strategy is also preferred sometimes on account of Pinsir's average Speed tier, which limits its ability to effectively utilize a boost because it can be easily revenge killed. Swords Dance can also be hard to set up if the opposing offensive Pokemon threatens to KO Pinsir if it does not attack, further dissuading setup. Thanks to Pinsir's naturally high Attack, however, it can be very threatening unboosted and can force out frail foes to get a setup opportunity.

Team Options
========

Fighting-types such as Gurdurr and Primeape make for great partners with Pinsir because Pinsir KOes and pressures opposing Psychic-types and takes on Weezing and Claydol thanks to Swords Dance and Mold Breaker. Late-game cleaners like Floatzel and Pyroar also appreciate Pinsir's wallbreaking ability. Entry hazard removal is very helpful to Pinsir, as it helps deal with Pinsir's susceptibility to Stealth Rock and other hazards. Swanna pairs well with Pinsir because it can provide Defog support and weaken some of the Pokemon that Pinsir has trouble getting through such as Mudsdale and Gurdurr. Blanket Ddefensive Pokemon like Lanturn, Regirock, Weezing, and Ferroseed serve as dedicated switch-ins when Pinsir is threatened out by revenge killers. Many of them can also set entry hazards, which helps Pinsir break through walls.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

A Choice Scarf set can be used in a similar fashion to Normalium Z by acting as a late-game cleaner with Moxie, but the obvious downside is the inability to switch between its moves, which can make it hard to break through a team with easily wallable moves like X-Scissor and Earthquake. Choice Band Pinsir with Mold Breaker can act as a decently strong threat to many Pokemon with its near-(AH)perfect coverage but generally does not find use due to its lackluster Speed and weakness to entry hazards. Close Combat can be run on either the Z-Me First or the Swords Dance set as an alternative forto Stone Edge and Knock Off because it gives Pinsir an option to hit specific bulky Pokemon like Type: Null, Ferroseed, and Audino. It does this, however, by giving up needed coverage for Flying- and Ghost-types, and Close Combat makes Pinsir easier to revenge kill, especially with regards to priority. Buginium Z can be used to break past a physically bulky Pokemon like Ferroseed or get a quick KO against an offensive Pokemon without needing to set up. However, Buginium Z finds a hard time being used because Savage Spin-Out is resisted by many Pokemon. Not using a Life Orb also means that Pinsir's will have difficulty breaking other walls with its coverage moves. Pinsir can fill in a niche role by utilizing an offensive Stealth Rock set in a couple of ways. Pinsir can attempt to use a suicide lead set with Earthquake, Stone Edge or Rock Tomb, and X-Scissor to set Stealth Rock early-game against foes that attempt to set up. It can also use a set with a Lum Berry and Swords Dance as a way of compressing the two roles of Stealth Rock setter and wallbreaker together, thus making it more justifiable to put on teams. Running a Jolly nature on the Z-Me First set is another option, as it allows Pinsir to outspeed Pokemon such as maximum Speed Kabutops and Skuntank, but those sets are not really that common and the ability to use Z-Me First on Skuntank isn't really helpful. It should be noted that Quick Attack can be used on either Pinsir set, though it is significantly more useful on the Swords Dance set, because the priority helps Pinsir patch up its mediocre Speed versus more offensive teams. This is not recommended as much, however, because Quick Attack is very weak even after a Swords Dance boost and Life Orb.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Bulky Ground-types**: Bulky Ground-types that inhabit the tier such as Mudsdale, Gastrodon, and even Golem, if it is invested into Defense, all pose a roadblock to Pinsir. Apart from most of them either resisting or being neutral to Pinsir's coverage, Gastrodon has reliable recovery, and all of them have options to heavily damage Pinsir.

**Physical Walls**: This applies more to the Z-Me First set because it lacks the power necessary to overcome physical walls like Weezing, Ferroseed, Type: Null, and Regirock. However, the Swords Dance sets usually requires a Swords Dance boost to be effective against these Pokemon; otherwise, Pokemon like Ferroseed and Regirock can deal massive damage with Gyro Ball and Stone Edge, respectively.

**Revenge Killers**: Pinsir is not very fast, so it is threatened by many offensive Pokemon like Pyroar and Oricorio-G. Pinsir's poor defensive typing also makes it easier to threaten. This applies more to the Swords Dance set because the Z-Me First set outspeeds revenge killers after a boostt +2.

**Residual Damage**: Pinsir is a grounded Pokemon that is weak to Stealth Rock, so entry hazards can limit how often Pinsir can switch in, especially if it is using a Life Orb. A weakened Pinsir becomes less of a threat because many bulky Pokemon and priority users will have an easier time KOing it.
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 1, Guests: 0)

Top