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1 vote
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I don't think FEAR is a viable strategy at all.
What does FEAR stand for anyways?
Focus Sash, Endeavour, (Quick) Attack, Rattata.
Focus Sash
Endeavor
(Quick) Attack
Rattata
Ahh thank you
What about FEAST?
Focus Sash
Endeavor
(Quick) Attack
Scrappy
Taillow

It can kill ghosts, best FEAR.
Its not viable. Sure you might win on low ladder, but any mid ladder player isnt dumb. There are things you can do to stop like, like used a starus move, using sand chip or lewch seed chip, hazards, status conditions.  The only one that might "work" would be a level 1 hazard shuckle, which isnt really FEAR at all.

2 Answers

3 votes
 
Best answer

I have a couple of experience with National Dex AG, but not with using FEAR strategy. However from that experience, I can tell a few things about FEAR users:

  • Using FEAR is never a good competitive way. FEAR's discussion is totally kept out from AG Discussion threads—they are very gimmicky and requires a lot of reliability on the fact that is your opponent totally unaware of these?
  • For example, a decently experience player can guess all of these tricks. He can use counter measures for FEAR—using Dusk Mane Necrozma's Rocky Helmet the time you use Endeavor, or using Sunsteel Strike that ignore FEAR consisting of Sturdy. Hence, I believe that FEAR is something that can be utilized for fun against low ladder. However, using that in real competitive scenario is just ridiculous.
  • Like ☆SleepyDreepy☆ said, Rocky Helmet, Leech Seed, Stealth Rocks, Spikes, Toxic, Will-o-Wisp, Sandstorm damage, etc. etc. a thousand of things exist that hamper the proper use of FEAR. However, if you still insist of using FEAR, here are some suggestions (ugh I never want to but for the question...)

Marshadow @ Focus Sash
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Poltergeist
- Shadow Sneak
- Endeavor
- Close Combat

Marshadow can effectively seen as one of the best FEAR users—it has Ghost-type STAB for those pesky Endeavor immune ghost, and it gets an advantage against some of chip damage users—Poltergeist is unaffected by Rocky Helmet and 2OHKOes Necrozma-Dusk Mane. Shadow Sneak is the quick attack Ghost version. Close Combat hits Ferrothorn, a Iron Barbs and Leech Seed abuser (the most common) in AG.
There are still a lot many—Scrappy Taillow, Rattata, Magnemite, etc. but I don't suggest using those—Marshadow still has some niche as a unresisted STAB hitter, doing both FEAR and acting as a anti-sweep forcer in the tier, which other FEAR Pokemon can't do, as they have slightly to no use outside of this.
I have an recommendation to run with FEAR—Mega-Sableye. Honestly, it is a bit of weird choice. However, it's fully functional and useful. It shuts down status moves, reflects Stealth Rock, Leech Seed, etc. etc because of Magic Bounce. There's a set for it:

Sableye @ Sablenite
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Fake Out
- Foul Play
- Toxic
- Recover

That's all I wanted to say. Hope this helps!

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2 votes

Don’t use fear. It’s bad.
It’s really bad. Trust me.
But if you really want to, the best is Scrappy Tailow as it can hit ghosts, just like the other more pathetic ones. You could try a similar strategy that goes like this:
Pineco (level 1) @ Berry Juice
Ability:Sturdy
Nature: anything
EVs:None
•Toxic
•Stealth Rock
•Toxic Spikes
•Pain Split
Still unreliable and bad, just like FEAR, but still funny and can beat the opponent, just like FEAR. Poison them and spam Pain Split.

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