What is a good moveset for Sawsbuck?

Question

If you have a good competitive moveset for Sawsbuck, post an answer below and upvote the best ones. Movesets for any of its pre-evolutions can also be shared on this thread.

Be sure to include full set details in your post, e.g. items, abilities, natures and EVs. Some explanation, including the intended game mode for your set, is also appreciated. Access the full list of guidelines here.

Sawsbuck Pokédex and learnset for reference.

Answer 1

Sun Revenge!

Sawsbuck @ Choice Band / Life Orb
Ability: Chlorophyll
Adamant Nature
EVs: 252 Atk / 28 Def / 28 SpD / 200 Spe
- Retaliate
- Horn Leech
- Nature Power (Earthquake)
- Megahorn / Wild Charge

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Retaliate is not only STAB but it gets double power if used right after another one of your Pokemon is fainted! Coming off a 328 Attack stat further boosted either to 492 (By Choice Band) or 426 (By Life Orb) will destroy almost anything that is not immune/resistant to it. Horn Leech is STAB and healing, very good especially with Life Orb as it heals off the damage. Nature Power becomes Earthquake in Wi-fi and PO (Pokemon Online) so it is an obvious choice for coverage. Megahorn or Wild Charge choose your coverage. His Speed is 557 with Chlorophyll boost which allows you to outspeed anything that is not boosted, but if you really fear scarfed Pokemon you can put full EVs into speed.

Comments

Summer form not only fits the role of SUN revenge killer but also is one of the coolest looking of his forms.

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Life orb multiplies damage by 1.3x, not attack stat

Answer 2

Sub-kicking Sweeper death Sawsbuck!

Swasbuck (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Horn Leech
- Double Kick
- Megahorn

• Swords Dance (set up!)
• Horn leech (Now dealing tremendous damage with Swords Dance you can recover)
• Double Kick (Bye bye subs)
• Megahorn (BANG)

Ahhh set up with Swords Dance hang on with Focus Sash then kill

Comments

Why this set works really good!

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lol i didn't vote this down, but you're doomed by Chandelure.

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every thing is doomed by chandelure... XD

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and hex has taught me this the hard way

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Almost every ghost type smears this guy.

Answer 3

Gen 9 NU Swords Dance

Sawsbuck @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 192 HP / 40 Atk / 24 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Substitute
- Swords Dance
- Headbutt
- Trailblaze

If you feel like using Jirachi at home: Sawsbuck in NU for some reason, here is a Swords Dance set for it. Substitute can allow Sawsbuck to potentially scout status moves and can take advantage of Choice locked Pokmeon. Swords Dance allows Sawsbuck to boost its Attack so it can hit harder. Headbutt is Sawsbuck's main attacking move, as Serene Grace can giving Headbutt a higher chance to flinch can let Sawsbuck cheese its way past opposing Pokemon. Trailblaze is used for the Grass STAB to boost Sawsbuck's speed so it can have a higher speed stat to be able to flinch Choice Scarf Pokemon with Headbutt. Leftovers is used for a little HP recovery. Tera Ghost allows Sawsbuck to turn its Fighting weakness into an immunity, which lets Sawsbuck take advantage of Pokemon that are Choice locked into a Fighting move.

252 Speed EVs is used to give Sawsbuck as much speed as possible. 192 HP EVs with 24 Defense EVs are used to prevent Sawsbuck's Substitute from being broken by an Earthquake from Sandaconda if you haven't used your Tera on Sawsbuck.

0 Atk Sandaconda Earthquake vs. 192 HP / 24 Def Sawsbuck: 74-87 (21.2 - 24.9%) -- possible 5HKO after Leftovers recovery

This can be useful should the Sandaconda not have a Rock move such as Stone Edge. (Besides, you could potentially fish for Stone Edge misses. :P) You could probably optimize the EV spread to prevent Sawsbuck's Substitute from getting immediately broken by another Pokemon. The rest of the EVs are used in Attack to give Sawsbuck's attacks some power.

Answer 4

Sawsbuck (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Sap Sipper
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature

• Horn Leech
• Retaliate
• Nature Power
• Megahorn / Jump Kick

Revenge killer.
Sap Sipper lets him take in Grass moves for teammates, boosting that attack.
Or, bring this guy out after one of you other Pokemon has fainted. STAB, double power, and Life Orb will hurt.
Nature Power becomes Earthquake, give Fire type coverage.
Megahorn covers annoying Psychics, or Jump Kick to get Fighting type coverage.
Horn Leech is STAb and recovers Life Orb damage.

Answer 5

Sawsbuck @ Life Orb
Ability: Sap Sipper
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Horn Leech
- Double Edge
- Nature Power
- Jump Kick

• Horn Leech - STAB, recover health
• Double Edge - STAB
• Nature Power (Earthquake) - Coverage
• Jump Kick - Yes

Answer 6

Gen 9 NU Choice Scarf

Sawsbuck-Winter @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Serene Grace
Tera Type: Normal
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Headbutt
- Double-Edge
- Horn Leech
- Wild Charge / Stomping Tantrum

A Choice Scarf set for Sawsbuck in Gen 9 NU. Headbutt with Serene Grace provides Sawsbuck with a Normal STAB that has a chance to flinch 60% of the time. Double Edge is for a more powerful Normal STAB and should be used in situations where a Serene Grace Headbutt won't help break through opposing Pokemon. Horn Leech is used for a Grass STAB that gives Sawsbuck some sort of HP recovery. The last slot is mostly just a filler move. Wild Charge allows you to hit Oricorio-Sensu and Drifblim super effectively, while Stomping Tantrum allows you to deal super effective damage to Steel-types. I chose Winter Form because Choice Scarf allows Sawsbuck-Winter to go dashing through the snow- it looks cool. Tera Normal allows you to have stronger Headbutts and stronger Double Edges, depending on the situation.

Comments

Outspeeding threats? No, looking like Rudolph! +1

Answer 7

Must have Sun support

Sawsbuck @ Life Orb
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 6 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Horn Leech
- Return
- Nature Power
- Swords Dance / Megahorn

• Horn Leech: STAB + Life Orb healing
• Return: Reliable STAB
• Nature Power: In Wi-fi it is Earthquake
• Swords Dance / Megahorn: Super strong or coverage

Answer 8

Here's my take on Sawsbuck:

Sawsbuck @ Leftovers / Big Root
Ability: Sap Sipper (Chlorophyll isn't bad though)
EVs: 252 HP / 80 Atk / 176 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Leech Seed
- Horn Leech
- Swords Dance
- Baton Pass

-Leech Seed (HP restore)
-Horn Leech (Good power, STAB, HP restore)
-Swords Dance (Boost Horn Leech power, which means more HP restore)
-Baton Pass (If you can't handle it, pass it to someone who can)

Answer 9

Sawsbuck @ Silk Scarf
Ability: Chlorophyll
Nature: Adamant (+Atk -SpAtk)
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
- Swords Dance
- Double-Edge
- Horn Leech
- Jump Kick

Silk Scarf boosts power of Normal moves (Double-Edge). Swords Dance as setup. Double-Edge as primary STAB and Horn Leech as other STAB. Jump Kick as coverage.

Comments

You should probably run life orb over silk scarf so hou can boost your other moves power. Other than that, the set is fine

Answer 10

Gen 7 ZU

Sawsbuck @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 104 HP / 252 Atk / 152 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Headbutt
- Horn Leech
- Thunder Wave
- Swords Dance

This set is probably gimmiky. Heabutt is STAB and can make the opposing Pokemon flinch. Horn Leech is for healing. Thunder Wave is to paralyze Pokemon so you can annoy them with paraflinch. Swords Dance is to boost your attack.

Answer 11

Serene Grace is really bad on Sawsbuck, but… maybe?

Sawsbuck @ King’s Rock / Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 100 Atk / 156 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Bounce
- Double Kick / Headbutt
- Synthesis
- Horn Leech

Basically Paraflinch. Headbutt doesn’t exist in Gen V for Sawsbuck, so King’s Rock Double Kick almost fills that gap. Bounce gives you 60% paralyze chance with Leftovers time.

Answer 12

Sawsbuck @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Thunder Wave
- Headbutt
- Zen Headbutt
- Synthesis / Agility / Trailblaze

For some reason they gave this thing Serene Grace. They also gave Sawsbuck Zen Headbutt, so it can basically paraflinch anything not named Sableye and Spiritomb. The only reason I came up with this set is because I was shiny hunting for Steenee but came across two shiny Deerling, but this thing could actually be really fun to run. Lefties give you recovery every turn, letting you heal while you are paraflinching. Serene Grace is the backbone for this set, giving your Headbutt a 60% chance to flinch and a 40% chance with Zen. With paralysis, provided the opponent is immune to Twave, you have an EIGHTY FIVE percent chance for them not to attack with Headbutt and a 65% with Zen. Yeah, this can be very mean. Twave slows opponents down and gives the opponent a 25% chance for them not to attack, and fits like bread and butter with Headbutt / Zen Headbutt. Headbutt (gets STAB and is best in neutral scenarios) and Zen Headbutt have a 40% chance to flinch with Serene Grace (is also coverage), which is pretty good. Synthesis gives you recovery, allowing you to be even more annoying. Agility or Trailblaze boost your Speed, allowing you to become faster, which would help you beat things immune to Twave, but the recovery from Synthesis is usually better. Tera Ghost gives you an immunity to your Fighting weakness, a resistance to Poison, a resistance to Bug (U-Turn), and immunity to Spin (and other Normal moves).