Ok so this is my first post so be kind.
Ok lets face it despite additions in gen V to alter their standing stealth rock and other entry hazards will remain integral to all metagames. As gen IV proved often the most effective way to set up these key moves was through the use of suicide leads, or bulky leads. Many also found the easiest way to prevent the move's use was through anti-leads meant to kill off the opponents before it can get up stealth rock, or do any serious damage after getting it up. since gen V has brought some new toys to play with in the leading department so I'm briefly gonna explore how each field of leads may change with the B/W metagame as it evolves.
Feel free to expand on or insult(constructive criticism at its best:P) my ideas.
Anti Leads- Where in the past anti leads were primarily slow hard hitting pokemon that could take a hit and dish a bigger one back to be followed up by a priority move. This generation opens up possibilities for fast hard hittting anti leads with the addition of espeon.
Heres how situations could potentially play out
Infernape @ Focus Sash
Trait: Blaze
EVs: 64 Atk / 252 Spa / 192 Spe
Naive Nature (+Spe, -SpD)
- Fake Out
- Stealth Rock/U-Turn
- Fire Blast
- Close Combat / Encore/Mach Punch
(Do note that U-Turn and Mach Punch aren't on the traditional lead infernape set, but they might see some use occasionally)
&
Espeon @ Leftovers
Magic Mirror
Modest (+SpAtk, -Atk)/Timid (+Spd, -Atk)
252 SpAtk, 252 Spd, 4 Atk
~Calm Mind
~Psycho Shock
~Shadow Ball
~Hidden Power [Ice]/Hidden Power [Fighting]/Hidden Power [Fire]/Grass Knot
vs.
Swampert @ Leftovers
Torrent
Relaxed [+Def -Spd]
240 HP | 216 Def | 52 Sp.Atk
- Earthquake
- Ice Beam
- Stealth Rock
- Roar
So traditionally our lead infernape is useless against lead swampert its options consist of faking out for some damage getting out stealth rock on the sash and the switching, or trying to kill swampert which as we know isn't really gonna happen. When we throw Espeon in the mix things change. Infernape Fake outs U-Turns on the rocks or the EQ Espeon comes in takes the hit or reflects the stealth rock and threatens to kill swampert with grass knot. Thus allowing both pokemon to survive and the threats of both Stealth Rock and Swampert are neutralized, and infernape to play a new role as sweeper/scout with its current moveset and counter eliminated.
Bulky and suicide leads-
Considering the new limitation of stealth rock no longer being a tm move all the popular old leads will remain relatively the same in order to keep stealth rock on their moveset. There are a few new bulky pokemon that actually learn stealth rock, but they have odd typings so it will be interesting to see how they find their place into the meagame.
Well apparently I've written a lot so I'm finna call it quits, what do you guys think will happen to leads as we discover more and more about black and white?
Ok lets face it despite additions in gen V to alter their standing stealth rock and other entry hazards will remain integral to all metagames. As gen IV proved often the most effective way to set up these key moves was through the use of suicide leads, or bulky leads. Many also found the easiest way to prevent the move's use was through anti-leads meant to kill off the opponents before it can get up stealth rock, or do any serious damage after getting it up. since gen V has brought some new toys to play with in the leading department so I'm briefly gonna explore how each field of leads may change with the B/W metagame as it evolves.
Feel free to expand on or insult(constructive criticism at its best:P) my ideas.
Anti Leads- Where in the past anti leads were primarily slow hard hitting pokemon that could take a hit and dish a bigger one back to be followed up by a priority move. This generation opens up possibilities for fast hard hittting anti leads with the addition of espeon.
Heres how situations could potentially play out
Infernape @ Focus Sash
Trait: Blaze
EVs: 64 Atk / 252 Spa / 192 Spe
Naive Nature (+Spe, -SpD)
- Fake Out
- Stealth Rock/U-Turn
- Fire Blast
- Close Combat / Encore/Mach Punch
(Do note that U-Turn and Mach Punch aren't on the traditional lead infernape set, but they might see some use occasionally)
&
Espeon @ Leftovers
Magic Mirror
Modest (+SpAtk, -Atk)/Timid (+Spd, -Atk)
252 SpAtk, 252 Spd, 4 Atk
~Calm Mind
~Psycho Shock
~Shadow Ball
~Hidden Power [Ice]/Hidden Power [Fighting]/Hidden Power [Fire]/Grass Knot
vs.
Swampert @ Leftovers
Torrent
Relaxed [+Def -Spd]
240 HP | 216 Def | 52 Sp.Atk
- Earthquake
- Ice Beam
- Stealth Rock
- Roar
So traditionally our lead infernape is useless against lead swampert its options consist of faking out for some damage getting out stealth rock on the sash and the switching, or trying to kill swampert which as we know isn't really gonna happen. When we throw Espeon in the mix things change. Infernape Fake outs U-Turns on the rocks or the EQ Espeon comes in takes the hit or reflects the stealth rock and threatens to kill swampert with grass knot. Thus allowing both pokemon to survive and the threats of both Stealth Rock and Swampert are neutralized, and infernape to play a new role as sweeper/scout with its current moveset and counter eliminated.
Bulky and suicide leads-
Considering the new limitation of stealth rock no longer being a tm move all the popular old leads will remain relatively the same in order to keep stealth rock on their moveset. There are a few new bulky pokemon that actually learn stealth rock, but they have odd typings so it will be interesting to see how they find their place into the meagame.
Well apparently I've written a lot so I'm finna call it quits, what do you guys think will happen to leads as we discover more and more about black and white?