Competitive Guide: Navighast

[Dragonstrike]

So, since I'm currently training a competitive Swabone that has been laying in my in-game boxes since like...months for the sake of bringing up a Navighast with Leaf Blade on the upcoming Tournament, I was wondering how to implend that move on the Physical Set? I'd enjoy to keep Swords Dance and take Leaf Blade instead of Ice-Punch/Knock Off on the fourth move slot, but wanted to hear whether this would be a well choice at all. 

Swabone in question has an adamant nature and I plan for using Mach Punch as its Priority STAB alongside Shadow Claw for second STAB, wearing an Expert Belt.

I'd say Leaf Blade would be a surprise coverage move more than anything else.  How effective it will be will depend on how many Ground and/or Water types weak to Grass you think you can catch off guard with the move.  Could have some merit as a kind of middle ground between Ice Punch and Thunder Punch since you hit both Ground and Water types rather hard with it at the expense of being more likely to lose to some other threats (Gliscor, Cocancer, and non-mega Gyarados in particular come to my mind).  

You do also get to surprise KO Escartress that think they can take the neutral hit as well, which can be fun.  Dragon, Grass, and Flying types become a bit harder for Navighast to deal with in exchange, so plan accordingly.

[Dragonstrike]

Oh yeah, on that note: this guide should probably be updated to mention that Leaf Blade is no longer exclusively an egg move!

If you want to use it though, you need to level up a Swabone to level 56 without evolving it if you didn't get the move through breeding. Once you have one Swabone/Skelerogue/Navighast with the move, though, you can breed the egg move as normal, which makes things a lot easier.

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

Lolz, I already know that since it was among the first things I looked into after reading the Change Log from the latest update; and that's why asking how that move can be implended at all.

[Lord Windos]

@PhantomUnderYourDesk and @Dragonstrike:

Thanks for the update, guys! I just edited the ARRG! Set to reflect this addition, and put Thunder Punch in Suggestions as per the realization that its great at taking out Water and Flying types as well!

As for my opinion on Leaf Blade, its as Dragonstrike says: its a nice middle of the Ground options for having more neutral coverage options against Hybrid Water and Ground without being being Walled by either type for packing Ice Punch, TP, and Knock Off respectively. In particular, Encartress and Evolite Regenerator Corsola suffers more from LB, and Brainroar/Electrux certainly don't appreciate being nailed with the move. It also pair well with Shadow Claw and a Scope Lens/Focus Energy from Luxelong, as it both moves have a 50%/100% chance of Criting , which combined with a SD can tear teams apart left to right if they don't resistant either move!

Dragon types and Flying types gives the captain more conniptions, however, so be ready to get shut down by them if you want to run both moves! Then again, you could always forgo Shadow Claw for Ice Punch, since with Ice Punch and TP/LB, you would be able to hit all the relevant types you want while only sacrificing a STAB move that not much Pokémon in the Meta are SE against. Decisions, decisions...

[Dragonstrike]

Plus, a 2x LB hits harder than a 2x Thunder/Ice Punch due to LB's 90 base power, which is also another consideration for it being a middle ground.  Those Ground/Water pokemon you'd only nail 2x with the punches suddenly have a little more to be cautious about...

This also reminds me that I too should probably go back through my older guides and update them to account for relevant new egg moves.  Coatlith in particular comes to mind since it can get Defog now...

[PhantomUnderYourDesk]

Thanks for all the help and suggestions! ~☆

Hmm, I guess I'll go for Mach Punch/Thunder Punch/Swords Dance/Leaf Blade as my captain's movepool then, as I lack an Electric Type move in my Tournament Team, already have a good Ice Type move to hit Gliscor, Coalith and other treaths that I can't think off at the moment and two Fairies to hit Dragons hard. Luckily I only have to farm for one additional Red Shard...

[shademonkey]

@Lord Windos

Hiya! It been awhile since there has been a Competitive guide on forum, what it going dormant due to online battles being capput atm.

I, for one, have set the guides I was supposed to write aside for a bit out of pure laziness, and not because the online is a little shaky. I have strategic sets for almost every Uranium mon on a text file but it's writing guides that bored me. I might post some once the Halloween tourney is past, ie once the competition is over and once I had the chance to see stuff played I hadn't thought of.

You are a Pirate! ARRRRG! (Physical Atk)

Mach Punch/Shadow Sneak

Shadow Claw/Drain Punch

Sword Dance

Ice Punch/Knock Off/Leaf Blade

Item: Life Orb/Super Belt/Scope Lens

Nature: Adamant or Jolly

EV’s: 252 ATK, 252 SPD, last 4 can go in any but S.ATK

Drain Punch is wasted here. The damage output is far from satisfactory. Superpower or Hammer Arm are what you want to put here.
Superpower is in most cases what you want to blow holes into the opposing team, although repeated use makes your attacks weaker. And since its defensives stats aren't that great to begin with, a debuff in Defense isn't that big of a deal.
Hammer Arm is decent in that it doesn't impair your Hammer Arm + Shadow Sneak damage output. Though do note that while 90 BS Speed does make Navighast slow in a tierless environment and that the Speed drop may not be too detrimental as every usable mon already outspeeds it, that may not always be the case. Once Navighast gets sorted into UU or NU, its Speed BS may become a valuable asset, as 90 is really not bad. It's average.
The point of all this being, whether using Superpower or Hammer Arm, be aware of what it's going to cost you to avoid surprises.
If one were to argue that using Superpower in the same set as Swords Dance is counterproductive, I would tell them that Superpower is meant for weakening foes early-game while Swords Dance can only be used late-game for a Shadow Sneak sweep.
Oh and those 4 EVs left have to go into one of the Defenses, not into HP, to keep an odd number of HP at level 50.
In a nutshell : 

Navighast @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Speed
Jolly Nature
- Superpower
- Shadow Sneak
- Swords Dance
- coverage against problematic foes for your team, or Will-o-Wisp. Because Will-o-Wisp fits better here than on any other set.

AAAAAAAAAAAND I just checked and saw that Shadow Sneak was an unobtainable egg move. F*ck me. 
Then Mach Punch + Shadow Claw it is, as unpleased as that leaves me. I'll leave what I wrote here just in case this changes in the future and Shadow Sneak becomes available (lol)

Set Sail on the Flying Dutchman! (Special Atk)

Shadow Ball/Focus Blast

Glare/Wil-lo-Wisp/Taunt/Curse/Focus Blast

Nasty Plot

Hidden Power (Ice)/Brine/Flamethrower

Item: Life Orb /Salac Berry

Nature: Timid or Modest

EV’s: 252 in S.ATK and SPD

Glare is not available either so it's best not to mention it.
A ShadowBlast move combo is just what you need here tbh. Plus the added coverage, which I find a superior option to Will-o-Wisp here.

A Dead Man Tells No Tales (Destiny Bond)

Destiny Bond

Mach Punch

Taunt

Curse/Toxic/Wil-lo-Wisp

Items: Life Orb or Choice Scarf

Nature: Jolly

EV’s: 252 ATK and SPD

That may just be me but I feel two sets have been mixed up here. The Life Orb set is a variant of "You are a pirate ARRRRG". The Choice Scarf set on the other hand, as @Narshyl pointed, deserves more credit. Superpower, Shadow Claw, [Coverage], in conjunction with a Scarfed Destiny Bond is something to watch out for. The element of suprise is here and while it may not hit super hard, it can definitely nick a surprise kill.

[Dragonstrike]

@shademonkey

- On the note of Glare being an egg move for Swabone...I'm trying to remember if egg moves can be passed down while breeding with a Ditto/Duplicat. It's not something I think about too often, tbh, but...

Well, I thought of this question just now because Duplicat learns Glare at level 1.

- And on the note of Shadow Sneak, Minyan learns it at level 50 and is in the Human-Like egg group, so that egg move is most certainly obtainable! Sableye works too (learns Shadow Sneak at level 25, also in the Human-like egg group).

[Lord Windos]

@shademonkey : Thank you for the input, mate! I am less than pleased to learn that both Glare AND Shadow Sneak are unavailable for the dead captain, as they give him perfect Paralysis procing on all types AND double Priority to work with, along side its other malicious tricks. Not to pleased by this, devs!

As for Superpower/Hammer Arm over Drain Punch, I always favor sustainability over raw power, and enough SD behind any move makes them move more than powerful to sweep anything under the rug despite its low BP. I'd slash those moves in...if it were not for the fact that Shadow Sneak being a ghost in the pirate's moveset as of now means that Mach Punch + Shadow Claw is pretty much the only way to go, as priority is much to good to pass up on in favor of SP or HA. *Grumbles....*

I'll nick Glare and move it over to the 'Moves that Navighast SHOULD have*, along with Shadow Sneak. I'll also clean up the moveset in general, as you make a strong point about ShadowBlast being the most optimal combo on their, and I'll move Wil-lo-wisp to the fourth slot, as it can still be argued that burning an Phys. Attack is just as good as Coverage options.

I'll redesign the Deadman's based on your suggestions, as it in hindsight what you suggest makes a lot sense, and something that I should have caught the first time around when I first devised this set. Having Mach Punch on a the CS set is sort of redundant, given that anything the priority can help against end up outspeeding it anyway with their own OR can survive a hit and retaliate with a much more robust and devastating attack.

Still, Mach Punch on a Choice Band Set, on the other hand.....that has some scary potential behind it!

[Lord Windos]

- On the note of Glare being an egg move for Swabone...I'm trying to remember if egg moves can be passed down while breeding with a Ditto/Duplicat.  It's not something I think about too often, tbh, but...

Well, I thought of this question just now because Duplicat learns Glare at level 1.

- And on the note of Shadow Sneak, Minyan learns it at level 50 and is in the Human-Like egg group, so that egg move is most certainly obtainable!  Sableye works too (learns Shadow Sneak at level 25, also in the Human-like egg group).

....Well, now I am simultaneous relieved that Navighast still has double priority and Glare (Maybe) under its belt and a bit disgruntled because that means I have more work cut for me redesigning and editing that moveset. Oh well, if its to make the dread captain Navighast better equipped to plunder the OU/UU for all its worth, I'll gladely get right to it!