Question

Which is more valuable on a sweeper, speed or special attack/attack?

Comments

well, i think speed wins.
if you have speed you'll attack first.
also if the pokemon has low attack/sp attack it probs not a good sweeper...
but if it has 100+speed and 95+attack it'll do.
if you are concerned about either though, just get a focus sash and use either a speed or attack/spattack enhaning move. like agility or howneclaws:)

i think a good sweeper is haxorus as it can learn dragon dance. which boosts both stats:)

Answer 1

It's definitely a matter of opinion, but based on many people's experiences, as well as common sense, it's easy to say that attacking stats make a much larger difference in standard sweeping. Without Attack, you have no damage to deal, after all!

Speed only influences who gets to hit first, whereas Attack / Special Attack are your main tools for the trade. A Pokemon that's fast, but weak in attacking, is not going to sweep.

Take Serperior, for example. Yeah, with Contrary and Leaf Storm, it can sweep, but without that ability, Serperior is not going to sweep, even with that high speed stat. Instead, standard Serperior will be setting up screens or SubSeeding.

With Speed, it's ideal to create a role that revolves around and complements your other stats. Seeing as good Defenses are ideal for setup strategies, that's how regular Serperior will use their speed.

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However, it's harder to define a fighter with high attack, but lower speed. It's a similar concept to Speed, where you have to develop a role to suit your other stats, but seeing as dealing damage is the only way to win with Pokemon like this, it's more of a one-way road.

One way is to Tank, which is when you take advantage of good HP and Defense to become inclined in a spectrum (Physical or Special). These Pokemon, such as Rhyperior, Gardevoir and Blissey (Sorta) are Pokemon that can survive and hit back hard, albeit going last most of the time.

Trick Room can also prove to help out Pokemon like this, but then again, that takes out the Speed issue altogether, so I won't go into detail.

If the Pokemon is slow, but has high attack, and isn't bulky enough to tank or isn't in Trick Room, the final solution is to abuse Priority attacks. Pokemon like Mamoswine have a lot of weaknesses, making them frail. Stack that with high Attack and low speed and you have a doomed sweeper. However, Mamoswine holds its own ground with Ice Shard which will always strike first, ignoring priority. This tactic weakens the foe enough to to let Mamoswine take a hit, and then hit them with a full-on attack next turn, KO'ing them.

Most slow sweepers use this tactic, or purely use Priority to pick off weakened foes. This is "Revenge-Killing". It's basically a "bottom of the barrel" resort for when the sweeper is too slow (Mamoswine, Dragonite, Kecleon) or deathly frail (Sharpedo, Weavile).

Finally if your slow sweeper cannot achieve any of this, then...Well, it can't perform on its own, and is likely a very low-grade Pokemon. Pokemon like Rampardos have incredibly high Attack. However, Rampardos also has little bulk, fairly low speed, and no Priority. This is why Rampardos is "inferior", despite 160 Base Attack.

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It has been a REALLY long time since I wrote an answer this long. Sorry...xD

Answer 2

It really is kind of an opinion, and it also depends on the Pokemon's base Speed altogether.
Whatever Pokemon you have, you should give it enough Speed so that it should at least outspeed most Pokemon.
One thing for sure is, (in my experience), unless Speed doesn't really matter that much if their already slow, is to give them a Timid/Jolly nature.
So l guess Speed matters a little more than Attack and Sp. Attack, hope this helps! ~

Comments

So having 200 speed and 100 attack/special attack is better than 200 attack/special attack and 100 speed?

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Well, like I said, it still varies on the Pokemon.
What Pokemon are you training?

Answer 3

Answering an Ancient Question, like the fossil I am. I just can't ignore this.

First of all...
We need both of the stat.

Higher Speed will allow you to attack clean, neat and first without any specialties.
Higher Attack/Special Attack will allow you to deal more damage, if ever you hit first or not.

But. Without attack, you can't deal much damage. despite striking first. ending up you're throwing snowballs over a mountain.
And. Without speed, you might die even before you can attack, considering the number of truck-that-moves-like-a-racecar in the higher tiers.
And as mentioned, having both mean you'll strike fast and deal lots of damage--It's best to have both, right?

But... let's take an example.
Ninjask - Has 150 base speed as well as Speed Boost (probably one of the fastest Pokemon alive.) and has a slightly-above average 90 base attack and deathly frail defenses.

What kind of moveset do people commonly use with it? Answer? Baton Pass/Protect/Swords Dance

As Ninjask's Attack isn't enough despite the godly speed and access to Sword's Dance.

Another one...
Emboar - Has 120 Base Attack, 100 Base Special Attack. Where's the speed? Down to 65 that is. Only it's HP saved it, it has frail defenses and has no priority moves at all, Flame Charge hardly gives beans.

What kind of moveset do people commonly use with it? Answer? Reckless, and no-one uses it, infact, like Rampardos, who has the similar issue, but worse.

As they say: "Emboar might die in the first turn anyways, so why not go full power?"

Looking at those--check the ones who has high in both.
E.g. Salamence
Decent 100 Speed, 135 Attack and 110 Sp.Atk

Movesets with Salamence are also decent. Accounting the fact it can outspeed slower Pokemon unlike Rampardos as well as hit hard unlike Ninjask and the newly introduced Regieleki.

Another example: Marshadow
High 125 Speed, 125 Attack.

Marshadow's moveset include a various options of offense, and might as well include Shadow Sneak, which is priority (despite being fast, because, wynaut strike faster?) and that crazy movepool of wide coverage. Marshadow hits hard enough as well as outspeed enough enemies, that's why it's loved by many.

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IF your Pokemon is slow and can receive enough damage, that's good enough, but it's risky, compared to not allowing your opponent to move and just make them faint clean. Ehem Calyrex-Ice v.s. Calyrex-Ghost

• Priority moves DOES exist. e.g. Extremespeed/Quick Attack. These two moves will strike before any other moves with the lower priority bracket. Unless your enemy also used one, it won't be a problem to strike first. e.g. Scizor using Bullet Punch.
• Check this sites' page about Moves for more information.

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And yet again, I'm saying here, both stats are important, and you must invest with both. That's why only a few Pokemon are in the better tiers as they're the ones who met either both stats or has high enough defenses to wall/survive (like Metagross). This narrows down the choices of which Pokemon to use to sweep.

Wait up, someone mentioned "Trick Room"!!!

What is Trick Room? - The move called Trick Room reverses speed for a number of turns.

This is useful for slowpokes, but is pretty much a ton of job than just go straight forward truck-that-moves-like-a-racecar. It may also not be viable as it consumes a turn, and moves like Taunt can prevent it as people commonly use a lead carrying taunt--and worse, your Pokemon supposed to set it up will die with OHKO from a truck-that-moves-like-a-racecar Pokemon ehem, Mega Alakazam Psychic/Deoxys-A Psycho Boost.

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I hope this helps, I answered this at my bedtime. Ah yes, that brain activity during the night.

Comments

"Movesets with Salamence are also decent. Accounting the fact it can outspeed slower Pokemon unlike Rampardos as well as hit hard unlike Ninjask and the newly introduced Regieleki."

Objection: Regieleki can actually hit extremely hard with Transistor and access to Rising Voltage in conjuction with a boosting item like Magnet, Choice Specs, or Life Orb.