Scizor, The Pincer Pokémon. This Pokémon's pincers, which contain steel, can crush any hard object it gets ahold of into bits. It has a steel-hard body. It intimidates foes by upraising its eye-patterned pincers. Scizor has a body with the hardness of steel. It is not easily fazed by ordinary sorts of attacks. This Pokémon flaps its wings to regulate its body temperature.
Overview
Scizor has always been an odd Pokémon. It's powerful, yet completely weak to a common type, and still has ridiculous levels of usage around. It's also unique in that it's one of a few Pokémon, outside of legends, that are just as usable Mega Evolved than not Mega Evolved. Scizor, thanks to its ability to hold items, can hit a lot harder than its Mega Evolution, making it completely viable. Tie in to that its decent ability of Technician as well as priority like Bullet Punch, it is certainly a force to be reckoned with. Never underestimate this Pokémon when it is out.
Positives
+Decent defenses: 70/100/80 isn't bad at all
+Technician Bug Bite & Bullet Punch. Yikes, those hit hard.
+Fantastic Attack, and with access to Swords Dance, it gets brutal
+Resists 7 different types and is immune to another
+Only has one weakness
+It looks awesome.
Negatives
-Its one weakness is a 4x weakness to Fire, a very commonly used type
-It is somewhat slow
-Many of its other moves aren't boosted by Technician
Abilities
Swarm: When HP is below 1/3rd its maximum, power of Bug-type moves is increased by 50%. Not a bad ability exactly, but it's just utterly outclassed by Technician.
Technician: Moves with a base power of 60 or less are boosted in power by 50%. This is an amazing ability for any mon , but especially for Scizor because of Bullet Punch.
Hidden Ability (Available):
Light Metal: This Pokémon's weight is halved. You'll only see this ability on Mega Scizor sets. Scizor wants to Mega Evolve asap , but sometimes it can't and has to switch in and Light Metal allows it to take less damage from things like Low Kick. Admittedly this ability is entirely situation based , but nonetheless it does have a use.
Movesets
Sharpened Scizors
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Superpower
- Pursuit
Item Attached: Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
Bullet Punch + Choice Band makes Scizor a steel beast. It KO's or scares away just about any weakened or frail target due to its priority and power boost from Technician and Choice Band. Uturn is a solid scouting move and secondary stab and can help you turn the tide in battle. Super Power gives you the coverage you need against the likes of Heatran and Ferrothorn and other steel types. Last but not least is Pursuit which provides some great tactical support against weakened or frail Psychic types that try to switch out on you.
This EV spread allows you to maximize Scizor's bulk as well as its power. It's just a monster and fits right it on any team.
Running with Scizors
- Swords Dance
- Bullet Punch
- Bug Bite
- Superpower
Item Attached: Life Orb
Ability: Technician
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
And the bad Scissor puns commence. This set is pretty standard. Like I said before very few things enjoy taking a Bullet Punch from Scizor even fewer after it starts setting up and gets in a dance or two. Same with Bug Bite really. It's stab + Technician boosted power is just incredible. Superpower as you know by now is for coverage.
I prefer Mega Scizor for Swords Dance sets due to its improved bulk , you can't knock regular Scizor. It has way more power because its not restricted to holding Scizorite and can use Life Orb. Plus with this EV spread you really can't go wrong if your focus is on offense and sweeping in the late game.
Other Options
Aerial Ace, doesn't get the STAB boost as a Scyther, but does decent damage.
Brick Break is always a good move. Decent power, but not boosted by Technician, and it breaks Reflect & Light Screen
Knock Off is always a decent option. While it doesn't get the STAB that Bisharp has, it will still hit hard, though its Gen VI buff means it no longer gets the Technician boost
Pursuit is also good at doing damage when you can predict a switch.
Roost is a great way of recovering health for Scizor, and unlike Flying-types, it doesn't lose an immunity when doing so.
Wing Attack, while not getting the STAB it gets as a Scyther, still gets the Technician boost and can do decent damage
X-Scissor does decent damage with no drawbacks. Always handy.
Double & Triple Battle Options
Scizor is one brutal bug. Technician boosted STAB Bug Bites and Bullet Punches with just enough bulk to set up consistently with Swords Dance. It's really neat when one Pokemon threatens both Sylveon and Cresselia very well.
Rock, Paper, ScizorScizors
Bullet Punch
Bug Bite / U-Turn
Protect
Swords Dance / Feint
Item Attached: Life Orb/ Lum Berry
Ability: Technician
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 4 Def / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
Scizor does its job very well in pressuring fairies with an absurdly powerful Bullet Punch. Cleaning up weaker foes is great too, the +1 Priority is what makes the move so useful. Bug Bite doesn't need to only hit Bug weak opponents, if the Scizor can predict where the Sitrus Berry or Lum Berry is, then this move can be considered a very situational Knock Off. Disruptive and powerful, though U-Turn has its uses in getting partner Pokemon into battle safely. Swords Dance makes Scizor a very daunting threat when there's nothing left on the team strong enough to survive a +2 Bullet Punch and KO Scizor in return. Feint isn't a bad option either as it makes double attacking into a slot safer AND it has +2 priority to perhaps knock out a weakened Prankster or Talonflame before they can act.
Scizor doesn't like going up against Steel types in general, so a Pokemon who can handle Steels like Aegislash and Heatran would love to partner up with Scizor. Earth Power Hydreigon handles both Pokemon fairly well and also appreciates Scizor scaring off most fairies that trouble Hydreigon.
Scizor's usefulness comes from being able to hit for at least nuetral damage on all of its targets unhindered. So Intimidates, Will-O-Wisps and generally anything that resist both Bug and Steel will give Scizor a very hard time. Even at +6 if it's just Scizor and Aegislash left, Scizor is at a severe disadvantage. Not to mention how popular Heatran is at the time of writing. Understand where Scizor won't cover and make sure the team can manage those short comings and Scizor will shine.
Countering Scizor
Heatran is the best counter for Scizor. It resists practically everything that Scizor can do, and it can hit hard with powerful Fire-type moves, which will take Scizor down within seconds. ALternatively, just go for Fire-types: Charizard, Ninetales, Entei, Ho-Oh, Delphox, Flareon, Charmander, Heat Rotom, Chandelure, Volcarona, Talonflame, Cyndaquil...all of them can handle Scizor with relative ease. Fire-type moves are core at taking Scizor down, and being able to resist its STAB moves is very handy..
Overview
To some, when Mega Scizor was first posted here and we got the stats, people were asking "What's the point?". It didn't change type, it didn't get a different ability, it just had increased stats, and despite that, standard Scizor with a Life Orb or a Choice Band still hit harder. Well, the thing that Scizor lacks somewhat is bulk and Mega Scizor ups the bulk considerably with a whopping 140 in physical Defense and a solid 100 in Special Defense. So, while it'll not hit as hard as its non Mega Evolved form, it will be able to survive more
Positives
+Those defences...yowzah
+150 Base Attack is still ridiculous, even without item boosts
+It is slightly faster
+It keeps its many many resistances
+Keeping the Technician ability was perfect for Mega Scizor.
Negatives
-It is still 4* weak to Fire
-Its Speed isn't that much better
-Still lacks a decent physical Fire-type move
Abilities
Technician: Moves with a base power of 60 or less are boosted in power by 50%. This is still an amazing ability, and Scizor has the movepool to back it up
Movesets
Running with Big Mega Scizors
- Swords Dance
- Roost
- Bullet Punch
- Bug Bite / Superpower
Item Attached: Scizorite
Ability: Technician
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 248 HP /44 Atk / 16 Def / 200 SpD
Impish Nature
This Swords Dance and Roost combo is a favorite of mine allowing it to safely sweep especially if you thinning out your opponents threats beforehand. The last slot is up to you. Bug Bite is really good but it's only drawback is its coverage and you're kinda strapped for that with this set , so if you go with Bug Bite like me make sure you save this mon for the late game as much as you can.
This is where Mega Scizor really shines. With this spread plus its natural improved bulk from mega evolving it can take some punishment as well as dish it out.
Needed to cut the Sylveon
- Defog
- Roost
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn / Superpower
Item Attached: Scizorite
Ability: Technician
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 248 HP / 60 Def / 200 SpD
Impish Nature
Another popular set that takes full advantage of Mega Scizor's bulk. Defog cleans up the field and supports your team while Roost makes sure it sticks around so it can do its job. Bullet Punch is solid for what should be obvious reasons at this point. I prefer Uturn with the last slot. It's a strong secondary stab and it allows you to switch out and take the momentum of the battle back once its done its thing. It's a really nice set.
Double & Triple Battle Options
Like many Megas that were introduced, their base form could deal more damage with a Life Orb and not use up a Mega Slot. With Scizor however, it deals less damage, yes, but a large portion of its BST increase is in Defense (+40), and Attack was boosted as much as Special Defence (+20) With that in mind, Mega Scizor will seek to get the most out of its newfound and very useful defenses.
Mega Cuts
Bullet Punch
Bug Bite
Swords Dance
Roost
Item Attached: Scizorite
Ability: Technician
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 252 Atk, 252 Speed OR HP, 4 Def
Adamant Nature
With the increase in defenses, Scizor can take a little more abuse than usual, which allows for more opportunities to set up Swords Dance or Roost off any damage accumulated. The EVs are straightforward, though the defensive builds will want more HP as opposed to Speed.
Mega Evolving doesn't rid it of any of its previous checks like Aegislash and Heatran unfortunately. And a lot of the time, the same things that wall Scizor normally will wall Mega Scizor too, leaving some battles up to the timer when choosing to wittle down the opponent with +2, 4, or 6 Bullet Punches and Roosting in between. Unless your opponent is Heatran that is.
Countering Mega Scizor
The same as standard Scizor, Heatran is your best bet here. Despite its improved bulk, it will still fall to Heatran in one hit, among various other Fire-type Pokémon. Though there are less hilarious options in this, Fire-types are still your best bet to use here because, as before, Fire-type is Scizor's only weakness and you need to go for that if you want to defeat it with relative ease.
Pre-Evolution Corner - Scyther
Overview
When some Pokémon evolve, their previous evolution is kicked to the side, but that's not the case with Scyther. Scyther is a fantastic Pokémon within its own right, and being able to evolve gives it access to the Eviolite which boosts its Defences up to a ridiculous level. While it doesn't have the Bullet Punch you associate with Scizor, Scyther is still powerful and is still a valid choice on many a team
Positives
+Its defences are adequate as standard, but Eviolite boosts them up to fantastic levels.
+Solid Speed at 105
+Very solid Attack at 110
+It also looks awesome.
+It still works as an adequate Pokémon without the Eviolite
Negatives
-Lacks the resistances Scizor has and has 5 weaknesses
-Has a 4* weakness to Rock meaning Stealth Rock will just destroy it
Abilities
Swarm: When HP is below 1/3rd its maximum, power of Bug-type moves is increased by 50%. Not a bad ability exactly, but it's just utterly outclassed by Technician.
Technician: Moves with a base power of 60 or less are boosted in power by 50%. - Still an amazing ability, but doesn't run as well on Scyther as it does on Scizor
Hidden Ability (Available):
Steadfast: Speed raises by one level every time the Pokémon flinches. - This is situational really, but having a Speed boost can make Scyther ridiculous.
Movesets
The Bringer of Death
- Swords Dance
- Aerial Ace
- Bug Bite
- Roost
Item Attached: Eviolite
Ability: Technician
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
Swords Dance Scyther owns. Once its set up nothing will enjoy taking an Aerial Ace or a Bug Bite. Even all those annoying Bulky Fighting , Grass , Psychic and Dark types that will try to ruin all your fun. Roost is a must though regardless if for nothing else than helping you recover some of the damage from Stealth Rock..and as a bonus one last bad Scissor pun!
252 Spe allows you to gain momentum in the early game , or take back the upper hand in the late game as it outspeeds quite a number of threats. 248 HP gives Scyther some nice Bulk with Eviolite. The rest of your evs need to go to Atk.
Slice & Dice
- Bug Bite / Pursuit
- Quick Attack
Item Attached: Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
U-turn takes out OHKO's Meloetta and in addition to that does ahuge chunk of damage to the likes of Cresselia and bulky Psychic types. It also makes for a great scouting move which can give you an edge in battle. Aerial Ace is Scyther's secondary stab move and at 90 base power it does not suck. Bug Bite allows you to go head to head with things like CM Cress and take it out early if all goes well. Which is why I personally prefer it , but Pursuit is also really nice for trapping things Delphox. It will either OHKO'ing them or leave them begging for their life. Quick Attack is your best option for the last slot because it turns your already formidable Scyther into a pretty decent revenge killer as well.
Scyther should always use 252 Speed EVs with a Jolly nature to outspeed the likes of Delphox and it needs 252 Attack EVs to give it as much power as possible. Obviously do not ever use 4 HP EVs, as it will leave Scyther unable to switch into Stealth Rock more than once thanks to it colossal rock type weakness.
Other Options
Most of the options are the same as Scizor
Brick Break is always a good move. Decent power, but not boosted by Technician, and it breaks Reflect & Light Screen
Pursuit is also good at doing damage when you can predict a switch.
Wing Attack gets STAB and can be a decent option on Scyther. While it lacks the guaranteed accuracy of Aerial Ace, you get more of it.
X-Scissor does decent damage with no drawbacks. Always handy.
Countering Scyther
As Scyther has more weaknesses than Scizor, there are far more ways to take it out. If you're looking for quick and easy, then go with Rock-types. A Rock Slide is likely to take Scyther out with ease and seeing as how common that is in the metagame, that's your best bet. Alternatively, with it being weak to Fire, Electric, Ice and Flying, going full in with those moves will likely do very well. Talonflame is a great option for scyther as it will outspeed it due to Gale Wings priority, and both of its STABs will be able to do significant damage on this poor mantis
Locations in Games
Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald:
Trade from FireRed/XD
FireRed/LeafGreen:
Evolve Scyther (FireRed)
Trade from FireRed/XD (LeafGreen)
Colosseum/XD:
Evolve Scyther (XD)
Trade from FireRed (Colosseum)
Diamond/Pearl/Platinum:
Evolve Scyther (Diamond, Platinum)
Trade from Diamond, Platinum, HeartGold or SoulSilver (Pearl)
HeartGold/SoulSilver:
Evolve Scyther
Black/White:
Transfer from Generation IV/ Evolve Dream World Scyther
Black 2/White 2:
Transfer from Generation IV/ Evolve Dream World Scyther
X/Y:
Evolve Scyther
Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire:
Trade from X/Y
Animé Appearences
