There was a similar set upthread that opted for Calm Mind/Moonlight/Moonblast/Ice Beam over Specs. You lose the ability to predict against Steel-types (and Fire-types are also a pain), but it's a lot more flexible and can get kinda nasty to deal with at +2 if you don't have the right stuff on your team for it. This is what I've gleaned from playing against it, at least. Unless I needed the immediate power of specs, I'd opt for Calm Mind myself.I've been enjoying this meta when I have the time, and I found this set very interesting.
Lunatone (Diancie) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
- Moonblast
- Ancient Power
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Fighting] / Hidden Power [Fire] / Earth Power
I never expected this thing to work well, but it surely does. This was my answer for something to counter for most common Landorus-T sets.
Levitate catches most things off guard and provides immunity for many entry hazards (minus Stealth Rock) as well as Diancie's Ground Weakness, meaning Landorus-T's Earthquake can't do anything, and neither can any Dragon-types with Earthquake who think they can kill Diancie before it kills them.
The EVs also give Diancie a lot of bulk. 150 / 150 Defenses are great without many EVs invested. 100 base SpA isn't bad, but it isn't amazing, so I put specs on this thing.
Moonblast is good STAB and is common on many normal Diancies. Unfortunately Lunatone doesn't get Power Gem, so I had no option but to run Ancient Power. Ice Beam is the move primarily aimed at Landorus-T and allows great coverage overall. For the last slot, I used to run Earth Power but I realized that Steel types with Levitate are fairly common, so I resorted to Hidden Power Fighting. Earth Power, however, is still an option, and I also found Hidden Power Fire can be good for any Levitate Aegislash/Doublade's that appear.
The HP Fighting set could be walled by any Steel/Ghost's, HP Fire could be walled by any Heatran, and Earth Power can be walled by any levitate Steel types. This set does have its drawbacks, but I find it still works quite well. It may use some improvements, but I haven't found any. If anyone can, I'd greatly appreciate it.
Love the meta so far, and thanks for reading. :P
This is a great set for a great underated mon. However, maybe Bulk Up could be an alternative to the D-dance if you want more bulk.Not sure if anyone's talked about this yet, but I've been having a lot of fun with this monster:
Medicham @ Medichamite
Ability: Shed Skin
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- High Jump Kick
- Zen Headbutt
- Knock Off/Ice Punch
Scrafty is finally good for something! Inheriting from Scrafty allows Medicham to keep both its STABs in High Jump Kick and Zen Headbutt, while also giving it Dragon Dance and Knock Off. At +1, this thing is practically unstoppable, easily 2HKO'ing anything in the game. Even Unaware Suicune cannot switch into this thing, as HJK cleanly 2HKO's. Shed Skin pre-Mega gives you a chance to set up some Dragon Dances and cure any status in the meantime. It has a weakness to -atespeed and Gale Wings but those users certainly cannot switch in.
252+ Atk Pure Power Mega Medicham High Jump Kick vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Suicune: 255-300 (63.1 - 74.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
+1 252+ Atk Pure Power Mega Medicham Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Cresselia: 368-434 (82.8 - 97.7%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
+1 252+ Atk Pure Power Mega Medicham Knock Off vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Mega Slowbro: 182-216 (46.1 - 54.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
Good partners for this would be Gengar, who absolutely tears through anything that isn't OHKO'd by MegaCham with Adaptability.
It's just one of the new proteans people have been testing out. I ran into it a while back too. It's main niche is abusing thick club to get basically a huge power + protean combo. Only drawbacks would be it's slow, sucker punch is unreliable and shadow sneak has low bp (fake out is fake out). It's a pretty good mon imo, if anyone hasn't seen it before, the sheer surprise would make it very effective. It's pretty bulky and since it's constantly changing type while using priority, it's harder to revenge. Another thing to note would be that it beats most, if not all, specially based proteans since they're mainly psychic/ghost types or are frail enough for sucker punch to get the KO.Maybe someone could also explain the Protean-Marowak set a bit more?
I just want to point out Lucario set also work with Mega Medicham If you don't want it to get revenged by Gale Wings or -atespeed user.Not sure if anyone's talked about this yet, but I've been having a lot of fun with this monster:
Medicham @ Medichamite
Ability: Shed Skin
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- High Jump Kick
- Zen Headbutt
- Knock Off/Ice Punch
Scrafty is finally good for something! Inheriting from Scrafty allows Medicham to keep both its STABs in High Jump Kick and Zen Headbutt, while also giving it Dragon Dance and Knock Off. At +1, this thing is practically unstoppable, easily 2HKO'ing anything in the game. Even Unaware Suicune cannot switch into this thing, as HJK cleanly 2HKO's. Shed Skin pre-Mega gives you a chance to set up some Dragon Dances and cure any status in the meantime. It has a weakness to -atespeed and Gale Wings but those users certainly cannot switch in.
252+ Atk Pure Power Mega Medicham High Jump Kick vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Suicune: 255-300 (63.1 - 74.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
+1 252+ Atk Pure Power Mega Medicham Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Cresselia: 368-434 (82.8 - 97.7%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
+1 252+ Atk Pure Power Mega Medicham Knock Off vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Mega Slowbro: 182-216 (46.1 - 54.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
Good partners for this would be Gengar, who absolutely tears through anything that isn't OHKO'd by MegaCham with Adaptability.
I guess Ferrothorn can better inherit from either Arcanine or Flareon. They have both reliable recovery in Morningsun (Arcanine) and Protect/Wish (Flareon). They both get Steel moves for STAB (Arcanine gets Iron head/Flareon gets Iron tail). Idk if Heatran offers something Arcanine/Flareon can't offer? They both get roar and WoW. I would also rank Ferrothorn higher because it now has reliable recovery.B- rank
Ferrothorn (Heatran)
I'm going to hold off on ranking it up, but I will go ahead and add arcanine. Flareon wish/protect isn't too reliable and it doesn't have very much utility coming from it either. Also, Iron tail is a terrible stab on a defensive mon. We'll see what others say about moving it up.I guess Ferrothorn can better inherit from either Arcanine or Flareon. They have both reliable recovery in Morningsun (Arcanine) and Protect/Wish (Flareon). They both get Steel moves for STAB (Arcanine gets Iron head/Flareon gets Iron tail). Idk if Heatran offers something Arcanine/Flareon can't offer? They both get roar and WoW. I would also rank Ferrothorn higher because it now has reliable recovery.
The question is what? There aren't that many mons that can abuse groudon's movepool; I'm not really thinking of any off the top of my head.I don't see anything inheriting from Groudon-Primal there. Maybe add some Desolate Land users?
The diancie set adrian provided for countering protean is far superior and is listed. That would be cradily. Diancie-Mega is also a very underrated mon and is highly effective.regular diance with levitate is worth a high ranking tbh, its better then mega diance i can say thats for sure. it walls most common protean sets(water/steel rek it tho, but nobody seems to run that), all forms of common birdspam, and has access to defog and u-turn. its a nice defensive pivot. id argue its better then doublade/aegis since it gets reliable recovery with 16 pp, and doesn't have to pick between fire/ground weakness, and can ohko pinsir with rock slide before it can do anything serious back. it even gets dragon tail if you fear them setting up on you.
I knew Heatran got Iron head/Roar. I just confirmed that Flareon/Arcanine get those too.NyneTiNyne Heatran offers Stealth Rock, and you get Iron Head and Roar too.
I've used FF Ferrothorn a lot in AAA and it has always been an excellent mon. Not a lot things can hit it when unboosted, expect for fighting moves ofcourse. And because Flareon is also added to Doublade, I assumed it would be good for Ferrothorn too. But I understand your point.I'm going to hold off on ranking it up, but I will go ahead and add arcanine. Flareon wish/protect isn't too reliable and it doesn't have very much utility coming from it either. Also, Iron tail is a terrible stab on a defensive mon. We'll see what others say about moving it up.
lmao. yeah, because earthquakes from rayquaza lando/aerialate lando is definately something diancie enjoys. and all proteaners run water type coverage rite? and why is lunatone even mentioned. what does it get that flygon/chimecho doesn't? other then moonblast? levi diance checks protean IF they run water/steel, while countering 90% of flying spam. i have tried both. and there's a reason i switched to levitate. offensive teams cannot afford to run 2 walls for flying spam AND protean. and levi diance serves as a middleground to give you room for teambuilding, while also serving as a defogger. it fills 3 niches offensive teams desperately need, and all on one pokemon.The question is what? There aren't that many mons that can abuse groudon's movepool; I'm not really thinking of any off the top of my head.
The diancie set adrian provided for countering protean is far superior and is listed.
Talk to adrian about that one. Diancie beats protean sets without iron tail 10/10 inheriting from cradily, and even though he wants protean banned he went as far to call it "easy to handle" about an hour ago since he is using that diancie set. I really am not sure why lunatone is mentioned, I am guessing it is moonblast but I really don't know. Levi Diancie loses to greninja variants of protean, which are about half of them atm (since a lot of people like that coverage as well as spikes and u-turn). Diancie really doesn't belong on offensive teams. Balanced teams maybe, but if offensive teams have to pack a counter to protean you aren't doing offense right.lmao. yeah, because earthquakes from rayquaza lando/aerialate lando is definately something diancie enjoys. and all proteaners run water type coverage rite? and why is lunatone even mentioned. what does it get that flygon/chimecho doesn't? other then moonblast? levi diance checks protean IF they run water/steel, while countering 90% of flying spam. i have tried both. and there's a reason i switched to levitate. offensive teams cannot afford to run 2 walls for flying spam AND protean. and levi diance serves as a middleground to give you room for teambuilding, while also serving as a defogger. it fills 3 niches offensive teams desperately need, and all on one pokemon.