#123+ #212: Scyther and Scizor

Well, we've escaped the horror of Mr. Mime and find ourselves safe and what the hell is that? A giant mantis and his robot friend!!!

Just going to say this now: I like Scyther. Despite being bug/flying, there is a decent amount to like, starting with a reasonable 70 base HP, 80 in both defences, 105 speed and 110 attack, with the throw away special attack at 55. So what if you won't be a mixed attacker, you can hit pretty hard and fast with those stats. You also get the technician ability again (boost the power of moves base 60 or lower by 1.5x, moves affected denoted by *), along with swarm (ups the power of bug-type moves by 1.5x when your HP is below 1/3rd) and the hidden ability steadfast (boosts your already impressive speed by one stage when you get flinched). So what if two of the abilities may as well not be there? Steadfast isn't that common, and ability capsules exist.

Looks safer than the clown...

You start off with the special fighting move vacuum wave* (base 40) which is pretty forgettable since, y'know, it's special, but it does get priority, like, I dunno, quick attack* which you can also get, hitting as a base 40 physical normal with the same priority. Leer drops the defence of the foe, focus energy boosts critical changes, and pursuit (sorta *) hits as a base 40 dark move that can hit foes who are switching out for double damage, gaining priority only when the foe tries switching out. False swipe* is a normal physical base 40 attack that uses restraint and will leave the foe alive, agility boosts your speed, and wing attack* is your first STAB move as a base 60 physical flying move which can also hit any foe in a multi-battle. Fury cutter* comes hot on its heels as another STAB move, this time a base 40 physical bug move increasing in power with successive uses up to a maximum 160, which is pretty scary if you can keep on hitting with its 95 accuracy and lack of initial damage leaving you open to death. Slash is an ever serviceable base 70 normal physical move (just too high for technician) that has a decent critical ratio, whilst razor wind is a shade more powerful at 80, but is normal special move with a charging turn, which ruins the appeal of the high critical ratio.

Double-team boosts your evasiveness, which can be nice, whilst X-scissor is a nicely powerful bug physical move (base 80) and night slash is a good dark physical with base 70 and an increased critical hit ratio. Double hit* hits twice (wow!) with base 35 normal physical power on each hit within the turn, air slash is a base 75 flying special (STAB but wrong stat category) that has a decent flinch chance, swords dance boosts your attack by two stages and feint* hits base 30 normal physical as a priority move that also lifts the effects of the foe's protect, detect, spiky shield and whatnot.

In addition to all the scattered stuff you normally get from TMs (here, return could be great, by the way), you get hyper beam if you wan't to waste a move slot (the same being said for giga impact, but that at least is physical), brick break, aerial ace* (and STAB, too), thief*, steel wing (which gets STAB if you evolve), struggle bug* (but despite STAB is special), X-scissor (again), U-turn (bug physical and allows you to switch out when you hit, so potentially awesome), cut* and rock smash*. Why no fly? Especially when you get roost...

To go with things like swords dance and agility, you can breed in baton pass and pass these moves onto something even more horrifying (you can also get substitute from TMs of course), and you can also get counter. Bug buzz is special and so is less valuable than it could be, defog carries utility but it probably better on another Pokemon, reversal is decent, and the tutor can give knock off and bug bite, as well as snore and tail wind.

If you didn't use the metal coat on Onix (or you had a spare), then you can trade Scyther with it to get Scizor. Both Pokemon have the same base stat total, but here we have reassigned some of that wonderful speed to other areas, mainly the defence, which shoots up to 100, the attack gets an extra 20 as well, going to 130, with the speed now lagging behind at 65. You also trade out your flying-type to steel, making you more weak to fire, and since lots of fast fire-types hang around as special or mixed sweepers, this could be a poor call. Steadfast also makes way, granting light metal, which halves your weight.

Is Hugh Jackman motion controlling this?

Instead of vacuum wave, you get the much better bullet punch*, which is basically a steel equivalent to quick attack so you get STAB. The other two obligatory steel moves that pop up in the level list are metal claw*, a base 50 physical move that has a slight chance of raising your attack by a stage, and iron head, a base 80 physical move that carries a decent chance of flinching the foe. Fling and acrobatics are there on the TM list as a potential combo, as acrobatics starts as base 55* until you lose your item, at which point it doubles to 110. Flash cannon is normally a decent move, but not with 55 base special attack, strength may be more advisable. Iron defence, iron head and superpower are added by the tutor, with the latter hitting hard but reducing both of your physical stats by a stage for each use.

We're not quite done yet, as Scizor has been blessed by a mega evolution. Mega Scizor gets a much needed boost in stats and a really dumb design. 150 attack is great, so is 140 defence, even the 20 more to special defence is nice, but adding 10 to special attack and only adding the same to speed is really insulting: add 20 to speed, nothing to special attack, then maybe it could be good. You get technician as the sole ability, but the remaining lack of speed, the massive weakness to fire (in place of less significant weaknesses to ice and poison) are just baffling with the massive speed loss from the original Scyther.

What?

I'll finish wrapping up in the designated paragraph: I like Scyther a lot, but I don't really like Scizor that much. Scizor is just not fast enough to carry enough of a threat. Even with technician, the priority moves available aren't anything ground breaking, so to do real damage, you'll be attacking later. Sure, a STAB bullet punch with technician could save you, but it may not be enough to make me like this Pokemon as much as its original form.

(All artwork presented by Ken Sugimori, taken from the Bulbapedia image archives)