Hello!
Speed Control is the idea/strategy of using a move, ability, or item to decide who's going first in a turn of a Pokémon battle. This can be a useful strategy for many Pokémon, as sometimes they rely on going first or last. For example, going first may be important to an offensive sweeper with poor defenses (like Salazzle) or Trick Room can be used on a powerful, but slow Pokémon (such as Hatterene).
There are many ways to raise your speed in battle. Some moves that help you move first include:
- Thunder Wave / Nuzzle / Glare (Paralysis cuts speed in 1/2)
- Quash (Makes target go last, for double battles)
- Icy Wind (Guaranteed speed decrease)
- Sticky Web (Lowers speed upon entrance)
- Electro Web (Lower's the opponent's speed)
- Max Airstream (Increases user’s speed.)
- Agility (Increases user’s speed).
Some abilities that make you move faster include:
- Swift Swim (With Rain)
- Sand Rush (With a Sandstorm)
- Slush Rush (With Hail)
- Chlorophyll (With intense Sunlight)
Some items that make you move faster include:
- Quick Claw (~23% chance of going first)
- Choice Scarf (Increases Speed for being locked into one move)
As mentioned, Trick Room can also make slower Pokémon move faster. This affects slow, but highly offensive Pokémon.
Some Moves, Abilities, and Items make the user slower, such as:
- Hammer Arm
- Ice Hammer
- Curse
- Stall (Makes the opponent
user move last)
- Slow Start (Decreases user’s speed for 5 turns)
Finally, some Pokémon use a combination of tactics to move first or last. For example, a Magnezone with the Analytic Ability may hold an Iron Ball the decrease it's speed, and make it more likely to move last.
I Hope I Helped!
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