Shadow Sceptile
Attack
Defense
Stamina
Best Movesets
Analysis
Shadow Sceptile is an outstanding Grass Type attacker, hitting hard and fast thanks to the raw power of Frenzy Plant and its Shadow boost. However, it's also pretty frail for the most part, and tends to drop pretty quickly. Add to that the fact that is, in fact, not Kartana, and Shadow Sceptile's place in the pantheon of Grass Types isn't quite as high as it might seem at first glance. Still, this is a great Pokemon can can definitely help to fill up your Grass team.
Offense
- Bullet Seed should be paired with Frenzy Plant* if possible for maximum damage and Grass-type DPS.
- Leaf Blade is a good alternative, but it is a bit behind.
- Fury Cutter is viable, as it outperforms Bullet Seed when both hit for the same level of effectiveness. It can even be viable when not Super Effective due to its high energy gains.
- Earthquake, Aerial Ace, Breaking Swipe, and Dragon Claw don't perform as well, and also lack STAB.
Defense
- Bullet Seed is superior to Fury Cutter due to higher base damage.
- Aerial Ace and Dragon Claw are superior to Leaf Blade due to better counter coverage.
- Breaking Swipe is a worse Dragon Claw on defense.
- Earthquake provides nice type coverage but can be slow.
- Frenzy Plant performs okay but lacks coverage.
Bullet is preferable over Fury Cutter for its faster energy gains and greater STAB damage output.
Leaf Blade is one of the best charge moves in the game, and with a very low 35 energy cost, along with STAB, is pretty much mandatory for Sceptile. Unlike other Grass-type starters, Sceptile doesn't "need" Frenzy Plant, but it does provide a harder-hitting option. The rest of Sceptile's charge moves are optional to provide coverage, with most of them being viable depending on the format and your playstyle. Earthquake is a very powerful move that provides wide coverage, though 65 energy can be a bit expensive. Aerial Ace is a lackluster move even against Fighting-types (Leaf Blade still has a higher DPE), but does have a niche against other Grass-types.
Sceptile is one of many Grass-type contenders in Great League. With an offensive stat distribution and somewhat vulnerable mono-Grass-typing, Sceptile is one of the more fragile and riskier picks. What Sceptile does have to offer is the fastest Leaf Blade in the game (tied with Farfetch'd), which lets it pressure shields a bit sooner than any other Grass-type. Access to Frenzy Plant is a nice addition that gives it some extra power, but this doesn't really distinguish Sceptile from its competitors. The lack of bulk is notable however, and if Leaf Blade is taken out of the equation then Sceptile looks more like a squishier Meganium. Overall, not a terrific top-tier pick, though its access to Earthquake and Aerial Ace does give it some coverage in some niche situations.
