This is At the Buzzer’s list of the top 25 Pokemon of all-time. We’re in the serious business zone now, counting down one by one until we reach the very best. For more information, click here or check out the Related Links down at the bottom of the post. Don’t forget to vote on how we did in the poll below!
Today’s Pokemon swings its eye-patterned pincers up to scare its foes. This makes it look like it has three heads. Its wings are not used for flying. They are flapped at high speed to adjust its body temperature. It has a body with the hardness of steel. It is not easily fazed by ordinary sorts of attacks
12) Scizor (2 votes, 173 points)
Shaun: If Lapras is the Range Rover of… no, screw that. Enough with car metaphors.
Ah! Much better — Scizor reminds me of a Power Ranger, but like the best Power Ranger that ever rangered. I think this humanoid form, along with his badass pincers, are what I like so much about him.
He’s like the Red Ranger and the Megazord combined, which means he’s the perfect fusion that the Power Rangers themselves never figured out. Why the hell did they always wait so long to summon the Megazord, anyway? You can JUMP THROUGH TIME, but you can’t figure out how to optimize your combat? See the Putty men? Call the Megazord! It’s not hard, you guys.
Anyways, like Iron Man, Scizor has an awesome design that blends power and chic, but this form actually carries over into battle — unlike many Pokemon who are all bark but no bite, Scizor delivers the goods. And when he bites, he bites HARD.
I’m sure Chris will get into the metagame tactics of Scizor, because he ran (will forever run?) one in his own competitive team, but Scizor is capable of some of the most devastating attacks in the game, and his blend of strength and speed is hard to match. Weirdly enough, I’ve never owned one of my own, despite Scizor being one of the reasons I was so excited for Gold/Silver to come out, and for the Steel typing itself.
I almost compared Scizor to the combination of Iron Man and the Power Rangers. When I start mixing metaphors, it’s time to be done. GO GO METAL SCI-ZOOORRR, DUUU DUUU DUUUU DUUUUUU DUUUU
Chris: Starmie was my first staple. And when Gold/Silver/Crystal came out, I thought Scizor looked pretty neat. Unfortunately, I played through all of Gold while we were on a trip to Buffalo (because what else would you do in Buffalo?). That meant I didn’t have anyone to trade with, so I just rocked a Scyther that I nabbed in the Bug Catching Contest.
Then Diamond came around and everything changed.
Scizor was already pretty strong. Great ATK, great typing (only one weakness, 4x Fire), great design. Then he added a little trick in Gen IV called Bullet Punch. Bullet Punch solves one of Scizor’s problems: mediocre SPD. Now he gets access to a priority move with STAB. 40 base power? Not an issue! STAB makes it 60, the Technician ability bumps it to 90, and if you want to go ham and toss in a Choice Band, that’s a 135 attack with priority. Yeah, I can deal with that.
Scizor is now my staple. I can’t imagine a situation where he wouldn’t be on my team. I’ve built support for him, I’ve transferred him across nine cartridges, and I bought him a seafood dinner one time that he didn’t seem to enjoy. Scizor is my joint.
Jason: Scyther was already cool. Did he really need to be turned into a hyper-speed steel powerhouse of death? No. But we certainly aren’t going to complain about it.
Objection Network 