Delta Serperior (Analysed ep.15)

Battle Simulator Meta Discussion
1

" As rain is falling from the sky, your pride shall fall down your corpse "
-Delta Serperior

Hi guys, girls, Neptune reject and everything in-between! So, I like D.Serperior design. I really think it is a good team addition to Rain, although overlapping types with Kingdra isn’t fun. Gosh my intro keeps getting worst every day. So, as I say,

ITS RAINING MAN!

Be warned, since there is no competitive usage stats avaliable, I do not have any reliable ways to accurately predict the metagame. This analysis is theoretical and does not entirely reflect a Pokémon’s viability.

Typing, Stats, Ability & Movepool

Water/Dragon
Ability: Multiscale/Drizzle (DW)
Hp: 75
Atk: 75
Def: 95
SpA: 75
SpD: 95
Spe: 113

Good typing, nice movepool and Drizzle makes it the primary Rain setter in OU. Well, maybe because not many people prefer using Politoad… Honestly, I think the question deserves to be asked. D.Serperior’s stats are bad, let’s face it. It got a very good speed and nice Def and SpD, but low HP and offenses makes it somewhat passive. Politoad and Delta Serperior aren’t that different in terms of viability in my opinion, so let’s focus on things that D.Serperior does better.

Dragon is a very nice complement to D.Serperior’s typing. It turn Grass and Electric into a neutrality instead of the weakness that Rain often stacks. Double Fire resist and rain mean Delta Serperior is one of the best switch in to Mega Typhlosion in the game.

Delta Serperior also has a great movepool. Support moves includes Defog, Whirlpool, Coil, Glare, Dragon Tail, Toxic, Safeguard and it even have reliable recovery in Slack Off!

Sets sugestion

Defog support

Delta Serperior @ Damp Rock
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 252 Hp / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
-Defog / U-Turn
-Slack Off / U-Turn
-Glare
-Scald/Surf

This is Serperior’s standard set. Setup Rain, paralyse things and allow your rain abuser to wreak havoc. Scald also burn the opponent, which is always good except if you are running a livewire central team. In this case, Surf is better if you don’t want to accidentally burn an opponent that you wanted to paralyse.

Wanabe Zygard (Sub Coil)

Delta Serperior @ Leftovers
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 252 Hp / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
-Substitute
-Glare
-Coil
-Waterfall

I honestly don’t think this is that good, but it is certainly annoying as heck. If you ever played the first half of Gen 7 or played early DLC 2 Gen 8, you probably know how annoying is Zygard (please ban this :poop:). Here, you are mostly here for annoy the opponent by using Substitute, Glare and Coil.

Other options

Dragon STAB could be used instead of Scald, but it leaves Delta Serperior incapable of crippling its Switch-In and is blocked by Fairy types, who are more common than Water immune. However, it notably hit Toxicroak. U-Turn is also a good way to turn your Pokémon into a strong pivot.

Good teammates

  • Electric types cover water types that often blocks Delta Serperior. They also frequently run Livewire under rain, move that is increasingly stronger under rain. Also, Thunder.
  • Rain Abuser are nearly mandatory teammates for Delta Serperior. Mega Delta Typhlosion, Mega Swampert, Delta Dragonite and Keldeo are notable ones.
  • Steel types checks fairy for D.Serperior. Ferrothorn, Mega Delta Tyhlosion and Mega Scizor are very good inside rain team.
  • Fairy types like Azumarill and Delta Raichu covers Dragon Types offensively for Delta Serperior.
  • Flying types like Tornadus-T can spam Hurricane without drawbacks. The former is also a great pivot for rain team and cover grass types who generally annoy Rain.
  • Since Delta Serperior will often be switching in, it need hazards removal when cor carrying Defog. Zapdos, Latios and Delta Blaziken are notable hazards setter, with Zapdos enjoying Thunder and possibly Weather Ball (didn’t checked, but I think it leans that in Insurgence too).

Checks and counters

  • Water Immune Pokémon kina blocks Delta Serperior and are often problematic for Rain teams in general. However, they don’t like Glare. Toxicroak can be annoying, especially the Bulky Substitute variant.
  • In the same vein, Substitute users like Mega Crawdaunt or Mega Gyarados are good checks because they blocks Glare and Scal Burns
  • As D.Serp need its speed, Livewire can be a problem.
  • Fairy types are problematic as they OHKO it easy.
  • Opposing Dragons too, although most don’t like Scald burns. Special attacking dragons as Kingdra or Kyurem-B (although this one is more of a mixed attacker) are good example.
  • I’m not shure about that, but Clefable seems the biggest counter. If burned on Scald, Glare doesn’t affect anymore and Clafable then proceed to set up Calm Mind, Wish, Set Rocks or just good old Moonblast.

Overall

Rain has some GREAT abusers here in Ins.OU. And thus, with the role compression it offers as a Defogger over Politoad, Delta Serperior is a great Pokémon in OU. It does suffers from passivity and prevent rain from using Kingdra becasue of overlapping typing, but we can rest assured. Rain has more toy to play with.

Hey, that’s werd. In most of my favorite meta, Rain is strong. Heh.

    • Mega Cryogonal
    • Delta Blaziken
    • Mega Charizard X
    • Latios
    • Clefable
    • Other
0 voters
3 Likes
2

So Jojo was not overreacting when he said that you were a competitive king, huh?

3 Likes
3

He is completely overreacting.

1 Like
4

An absolute lie

5

I can assure you I’m only good theoredically. I’m not quite as badass when it comes to actual battles.

6

don’t you wanna be slower to set up rain?

1 Like
7

is this why?

8

No, because:

  1. It is the faster weather setter in the game
  2. To outspeed and parralyse fast Pokémon like Garchomp and Mega Charizard

Well, at least when talking about Eruption and Fire Blast, the things Delta Typhlosion would mostly be using.

9

oh alr, so, you switch them in later or first round?

10

It also takes neutral damage from solar beam

1 Like
11

im assuming by croagunk u meant toxicroak? afaik croagunk doesnt have much ou usage

1 Like
12

I always forget its evo name. I’m used to Pokken.

13

D. Serperior would want Multiscale if you’re running SubCoil, as anyways you’re wasting rain turns, and this version isn’t rain-centric like the other set. It’s essentially a better typed Pelipper with worse bulk for its rain sets, Roost/Slack Off, U-Turn, Defog, Scald/Hurricane/Toxic/Glare. They both essentially run the above set.

1 Like
14

Is Dragon Dance viable on D. Serperior? Because I have a set if it is.

1 Like
15

Look at its attack and juge by yourself.

16

It seems as if it could be tho. But I am not good at competitive, so I want your opinion.

17

75 is VERY LOW, I would say beyond saving outside of the lower tiers. When about 80, its fine with high power moves and/or +2 boosting moves.

18

You could also technically run a RestTalk set, maybe something like this:

D. Serperior @ Leftovers
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 252 HP/252 SpDef/4 Spe
Careful Nature
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
-Coil
-Waterfall

Obviously this isn’t the most ideal (EVs could be tweaked), but against a team without a Water resist, it could be very annoying to take down.

19

Suicune do the job better.

1 Like
20

True. All D. Serp really has going for it is Multiscale, Suicune is much bulkier. That being said, if Suicune isn’t an option for whatever reason, D. Serp could go phys w/ Coil or spec w/ Calm Mind. The CM variant works even better since Scald is a thing.

1 Like