Kabutops

Kabutops is one of NU's best leads for hyper offense teams. It offers impressive utility in the lead slot by being able to both set Stealth Rock and clear opposing hazards with Rapid Spin while dissuading spinblockers and forcing progress with a strong Knock Off. Kabutops is also an offensive threat on its own, with Weak Armor and Rapid Spin to boost its Speed and a powerful STAB Stone Edge to bust through Pokemon that can prevent or ignore Stealth Rock, such as Xatu, Tsareena, and Heavy-Duty Boots users. These factors give Kabutops an edge when compared to leads such as Aerodactyl and Froslass, which are faster but far more passive and, unlike Kabutops, helpless to remove hazards on their own if an opponent can play around Taunt. However, because its typing is exploitable and it struggles to fit a Water-type move, Kabutops struggles one-on-one against bulky Stealth Rock setters such as Mudsdale, though it can cripple them in the long term by removing their Leftovers. In addition, Stealth Rock can be an inconsistent factor in many games: aside from the prevalence of Heavy-Duty Boots, many of the tier's walls, such as Mudsdale, Stakataka, and Copperajah, resist Stealth Rock. This can factor into the decision to choose Froslass over Kabutops, as Spikes is more impactful against these defensive threats.