Sticky Web

[Chieliee]

Sticky Web is a new entry hazard, which, when on your field, gives each grounded (non-flying/levitate) a -1 stat in Speed.

While the distribution of the move is extremely narrow, limited to just Joltik and Spinarak, i feel that this move certainly has a niche.

Setting up Spider web to counter the opponent's Spider web causes an interesting scenario, where flying-types and levitators effectively gain a speed boost when compared to grounded Pokémon. For example, it will allow your Scarf Gligar to outspeed and revenge kill most Chlorophyll Sweepers.

Furthermore, Spider web makes the following grounded Pokémon speed tie: 18 and 19 speed (both reach 12 after spider web) 15 and 16 (10), 12 and 13 (8), 9 and 10 (6). While this is not huge, it does have potential to be abused.

Is using Joltik (or Spinarak) just for Spider Web really worth it? I think it depends on the team. I believe it is possible to build around the entire concept of Spider Web to gain maximum benefit from it. It's definitely not something that should be slapped on every team, though

 

[apt-get]

Reminder that Defog now removes hazards on both sides, so Sticky Web is going to be easily removed

it's still a really viable move, though it's predictable cus only two abusers, only one of which is going to get used (Joltik)

 

[Sheddy61]

I believe Surskit can also learn the move, although it does so at level 47 or something so one would need creative breeding.

 

[Darkamber8828]

Yup, Surskit, Joltik, and Spinarak seem to be the three users as of now.

It's a shame Surskit can't learn Defog like Masquerain can. It also doesn't get U-turn. Will Baton Pass Surskit be a thing? Hydro Pump / Signal Beam gets pretty much unresisted coverage in two moves.

If the Gen 6 Oran Berry revolution is actually a thing, Unnerve Joltik is gonna be pretty great.

 

[prem]

rip joltik, the pokemon who never actually learned sticky web :(

yeah only spinark and surskit can use it... SO TIME TO PULL OUT THE SPINARKS

 

[Delver]

Joltik was easily a teir 3 mon last gen, and if it actually gets sticky web, i can see it jumping to "viable". Unfortunately if prem is right, i don really think its worth running a spinarak for a hazard.

 

[prem]

i got confirmed by a lot of people on #safari and in the research section everything points to joltik not learning it. im probably going to try surskit cause its just as fast and does have uturn but sticky eb has lost a lot of its value now

 

[Kavatika]

Sticky Web has such shitty distribution it's not really worth using. Maybe if Scatterbug got it... LOL

 

[Delibird is Amazing]

sewaddle gets this move, make of that as you will.

 

[Darkamber8828]

Sewaddle is a much, much better user of Sticky Web than Surskit or Spinarak. Compared to Surskit's 40/32/52 and Spinarak's 40/40/40, 45/70/60 is pretty damn good, and resists on Water, Ground, and Fighting let it switch in on lots of stuff, and it can steal Oran Berries with STAB Bug Bite off a usable 53 Attack.

Unfortunately, it doesn't get Leaf Blade, which means it has to either use Razor Leaf for a physical Grass move or run Energy Ball (no Giga Drain) off a paltry 40 Special Attack.

Sewaddle @ Eviolite / Berry Juice / Oran Berry
Ability: Overcoat / Chlorophyll
Relaxed Nature
156 HP / 36 SpA / 196 Def / 116 SpD
-Sticky Web
-Bug Bite
-Energy Ball / Razor Leaf
-Air Slash / Bug Buzz / HP Fire / Light Screen / Sunny Day / Toxic

Its movepool is pretty garbage except for Sticky Web. Toxic, Light Screen, Swagger, Substitute, Baton Pass, Agility, and Sunny Day for support. Physically it gets Razor Leaf, Payback, Return, Bug Bite. Specially, it gets Air Slash, Energy Ball, Hidden Power, and Bug Buzz. Every one of those seems like it would suck pretty badly, but Air Slash lets you hit fighting types decently I guess. You could use Sunny Day + Chlorophyll, but it's kind of redundant with Sticky Web.

Hopefully it gets more options in Gen 6.

 

[Chieliee]

doesn't Sewaddle get Synthesis?

 

[Kavatika]

Yes, it does get synthesis via egg move. That is certainly worth mentioning. Also, bug bite works against berry juice iirc, else with berry juice being legal, it's not really worth mentioning.

 

[Darkamber8828]

Oh, huh. Synthesis isn't on Sewaddle's Smogon page. That's really good :>

Deals damage. Should the target be holding a Berry, the user steals this and immediately consumes it; if applicable, the user will experience the Berry's effect, for instance, recovering itself from status with a Lum Berry. The user will not experience the effects of a Custap Berry or Berry Juice consumed by this move.

So, you can steal it, you just can't get healed by it.

That's still pretty good.

EDIT: fuck, apparently it doesn't steal Berry Juice :/

Probably Sticky Web / Energy Ball / [Air Slash / Bug Buzz] / Synthesis or something then.

 

[Unowninator]

According to serebii, Synthesis is a gen 5 only move, and since it learns Sticky Web at level 31, the two moves are incompatible. :( The only reason I know this is because I was about to recommend Seed Bomb before I realized this fact. :'(

Edit: Also, I just found out that Spinark gets Megahorn now, along with Toxic Spikes. Do either of those moves give it some merit?

 

[Unowninator]

no spinark has no merit because its stats are god awful and unsalvagable

So are Swinub's stats, but its BW analysis seems positive. I'm just saying that with these new moves (Sticky Web & Megahorn), I think that it deserves a try.

 

[Heysup]

no spinark has no merit because its stats are god awful and unsalvagable

Honestly, I have seen people use a sash/sticky web/swarm megahorn set with some success.

 

[Punchshroom]

Honestly, I have seen people use a sash/sticky web/swarm megahorn set with some success.

Huh, didn't know Spinarak got Megahorn via Egg move this Gen. Still, those stats are awful, and does not do its interesting movepool (Toxic Spikes, Baton Pass, Disable) justice.

 

[prem]

So are Swinub's stats, but its BW analysis seems positive. I'm just saying that with these new moves (Sticky Web & Megahorn), I think that it deserves a try.

honestly a lot of analyses are made to make the pokemon seem like not trash, when in reality they are trash lol. its a problem people have when writing it i know i struggled with it 9.9

Honestly, I have seen people use a sash/sticky web/swarm megahorn set with some success.

okay that probably could work i guess but i feel like it would only work turn one and would be so bad compared to something else that could do more, but this is theorymon so sorry if im wrong lol

 

[Heysup]

Well it didn't kill anything but it dropped my spinner to low enough health and I had a bit of a hard time getting rid of sticky web / dealing with LO Gastly and Machop.

 

[Unowninator]

Huh, didn't know Spinarak got Megahorn via Egg move this Gen. Still, those stats are awful, and does not do its interesting movepool (Toxic Spikes, Baton Pass, Disable) justice.

I said it got Megahorn. And aren't there a lot of LC Pokemon with weak stats?

 

[Chieliee]

weak compared to evolved mons, but many mons stats are super compared to spinarak's.

here are the sticky web mons:

Spinarak - Bug/Poison | Swarm/Insomnia/Sniper (H) | 40/60/40/40/40/30 | 250 BST | LC | Low Kick/Grass Knot: 20 BP

Surskit - Bug/Water | Swift Swim/Rain Dish (H) | 40/30/32/50/52/65 | 269 BST | LC | Low Kick/Grass Knot: 20 BP

Sewaddle - Bug/Grass | Swarm/Chlorophyll/Overcoat (H) | 45/53/70/40/60/42 | 310 BST | LC | Low Kick/Grass Knot: 20 BP

As you can see, Sewaddle kinda sticks out with high defense and good spdef, without having low attacking/speed/hp stats

some other randomly picked LC mons, for comparison

Magnemite - Electric/Steel | Magnet Pull/Sturdy/Analytic (H) | 25/35/70/95/55/45 | 325 BST | LC | Low Kick/Grass Knot: 20 BP

Swirlix - Fairy | Sweet Veil/Unburden (H) | 62/48/66/59/57/49 | 341 BST | LC | Low Kick/Grass Knot: 20 BP

Mienfoo - Fighting | Inner Focus/Regenerator/Reckless (H) | 45/85/50/55/50/65 | 350 BST | LC | Low Kick/Grass Knot: 40 BP

 

[Heysup]

When using Focus Sash Spinarak, the only stat that actually matters is its base 60 Attack which is actually pretty average. Combine that with 120 base power + STAB + Swarm and Megahorn actually hurts.

 

[Antar]

Surskit is a great Sticky Webber (I run Timid Eviolite max speed running off 65 base). Bug/Water typing has few weaknesses (Flying, Rock and Electric) and quite a number of useful resistances to common types (Fighting, Steel--useful in the anti-Fairy metagame, Water, Ice and Ground) Couple with Rain Dance to transform it into a decently powerful and effective sweeper. Edit: someone pointed out earlier that Hydro Pump + Signal Beam is a pretty much unresisted type combo. I don't think that's true (Frillish and Tentacool come to mind immediately), but it still gives pretty good coverage.

 

[Goddess Briyella]

The addition of Sticky Web allowing players to gain huge Speed advantages against opponents is something that is very significant to look out for, and I find it rather balancing that such an amazing move has such limited distribution and has only been given to a select few mons who never saw much use in Little Cup anyway, hereby giving them a reason to see some light in the metagame this time around. But what I find interesting is how Sticky Web can actually have positive effects on foes that can backfire on the user in certain situations.

Inkay is able to take advantage of Sticky Web with its ability Contrary, which allows it to attain +1 Speed upon entry instead of the usual Speed drop it causes. This, combined with its access to Superpower, allows Inkay to not only have a Speed advantage against foes, but it also gives it a highly potent 120 Base Power Fighting move that increases its Attack and Defense by one stage with every use, gradually making Inkay a physical juggernaut. After boosts from Contrary Superpower, it also gets power added to its STAB Psycho Cut and Night Slash, making it very threatening if it isn't stopped fairly quickly. This is one Pokemon to keep in mind when using Sticky Web.

Another Pokemon who gets Contrary, Snivy has a similar way of using Sticky Web to its advantage. With its decent base 63 Speed, it will be able to outspeed even a few Scarfers after entering battle and gaining the +1 boost to its Speed instead of the drop. With Contrary, Snivy is able to fire off its super powerful STAB Leaf Storm, while getting +2 Special Attack in the process, instead of -2... that is insane, and with its Speed boosted by the inverted effect of Sticky Web, it will become a fast and deadly killing machine. Unfortunately, Contrary Snivy is still not released, but this is definitely something to look out for once it becomes legal.

Pawniard is a Pokemon who doesn't necessarily reverse the effects of Sticky Web, but it is one that gains a huge amount of power right off the bat if the opponent has it in play. It has the ability Defiant, which raises Attack by TWO stages if any of its stats are lowered. Since Sticky Web causes a Speed drop, Pawniard essentially gets an auto-Swords Dance boost as soon as it enters battle, making it incredibly potent without it even having to take time to set up. While its lowered Speed will hinder it, its access to Sucker Punch can make the Speed drop entirely void, and with STAB and +2 affixed to it, it's going to be offing heads. It's true that Sucker Punch can be played around by using non-damaging attacks, but there's nothing stopping Pawniard from running STAB Night Slash or Knock Off (buffed to 65 BP this gen with a bonus if it hits an item) to punish you for thinking you can outsmart it. Beware of Pawniard if you're going to use Sticky Web.


I just thought this would be something nice to keep in mind.

 

[Antar]

Goddess Briyella
It's worth noting that, as far as I know at least, Contrary Snivy has *not* been released. It's only being allowed on the ladder while we sort out what to do about official tiers and previous generation mons / movesets that *will* be able to come in through Pokebank.