Adrian, not even a month ago weren't you trying to alienate BH from other oms by wanting it to be official? If you think about it this is actually quite a big step in that direction, as this introduced familiarity and normality to non-BH players.
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Ladder Balanced Hackmons
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Lcass4919
The Xatu Warrior
lol running dual imposter(lucky punch and eviolite imo) hyper offense practically guarentees offense will have to think twice before attacking.
252 SpA Refrigerate Chansey Boomburst vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Kyurem-W: 364-429 (92.8 - 109.4%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO
252 SpA Refrigerate Chansey Boomburst vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Kyurem-W on a critical hit: 546-643 (139.2 - 164%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Refrigerate Kyurem-W Boomburst vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Eviolite Chansey: 364-429 (51.7 - 60.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
at least kyube W now gets the guarenteed 2hko on chansey with specs so that's something.
252+ Atk Icicle Plate Refrigerate Kyurem-B Fake Out vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Eviolite Chansey: 91-108 (12.9 - 15.3%) -- possible 7HKO
252+ Atk Icicle Plate Refrigerate Kyurem-B Extreme Speed vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Eviolite Chansey: 183-216 (25.9 - 30.6%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
252+ Atk Refrigerate Chansey Fake Out vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Kyurem-B: 115-136 (25.3 - 29.9%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
252+ Atk Refrigerate Chansey Extreme Speed vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Kyurem-B: 229-270 (50.4 - 59.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
i wont run calcs for lucky punch, because i think this speaks for itself. revenge killers extraordinaire, of course, to be honest, i feel like kyurem b should be running rocky helmet now for shed/imposter now anyways. since its nice chip damage for imposter and the boost from ice plate probably wont matter much anymore anyways.
obviously i'm not saying ban chansey, i'm just saying NOT running chansey would be kind of stupid at this point just because it revenge kills almost EVERYTHING with ease. (obviously stuff like mega gengar and ph sweepers with resisted coverage still gives it problems) while still maintaining heavy pressure to the rare people who insist on using stall in bh. after having a pseudo panic attack yesterday, i'm actually kind of looking forward to seeing how serious this will impact the metagame, for better or worse.
something else that caught my attention, is that gimmicky imposters like marowak or mega lati(or regular lati if your retro)or pikachu, and stuff, can actually be somewhat viable here, seeing how nothing offensive invests in hp, and you basically get a huge power poke, steal a mega mewtwo and watch the world crumble.
252 SpA Refrigerate Chansey Boomburst vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Kyurem-W: 364-429 (92.8 - 109.4%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO
252 SpA Refrigerate Chansey Boomburst vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Kyurem-W on a critical hit: 546-643 (139.2 - 164%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Refrigerate Kyurem-W Boomburst vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Eviolite Chansey: 364-429 (51.7 - 60.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
at least kyube W now gets the guarenteed 2hko on chansey with specs so that's something.
252+ Atk Icicle Plate Refrigerate Kyurem-B Fake Out vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Eviolite Chansey: 91-108 (12.9 - 15.3%) -- possible 7HKO
252+ Atk Icicle Plate Refrigerate Kyurem-B Extreme Speed vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Eviolite Chansey: 183-216 (25.9 - 30.6%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
252+ Atk Refrigerate Chansey Fake Out vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Kyurem-B: 115-136 (25.3 - 29.9%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
252+ Atk Refrigerate Chansey Extreme Speed vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Kyurem-B: 229-270 (50.4 - 59.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
i wont run calcs for lucky punch, because i think this speaks for itself. revenge killers extraordinaire, of course, to be honest, i feel like kyurem b should be running rocky helmet now for shed/imposter now anyways. since its nice chip damage for imposter and the boost from ice plate probably wont matter much anymore anyways.
obviously i'm not saying ban chansey, i'm just saying NOT running chansey would be kind of stupid at this point just because it revenge kills almost EVERYTHING with ease. (obviously stuff like mega gengar and ph sweepers with resisted coverage still gives it problems) while still maintaining heavy pressure to the rare people who insist on using stall in bh. after having a pseudo panic attack yesterday, i'm actually kind of looking forward to seeing how serious this will impact the metagame, for better or worse.
something else that caught my attention, is that gimmicky imposters like marowak or mega lati(or regular lati if your retro)
I was trying to positively alienate BH as it was necessary for development. I may want BH to be official, but I feel that prioritising validity over balance and consistency is wrong.
what the hell did I just woke up to.
This is gona be so weird to start playing with EVs again.
Not to mention anti imposter team building with these offense presences is gona cause some seriously volative teams.
But also in a good thing; Some abilities might get some use now that there are EV's gone, specially defensivly.
Furcoat might be a thing to start to consider for all yer stallers to get some free def EV substitutes.
This is gona be so weird to start playing with EVs again.
Not to mention anti imposter team building with these offense presences is gona cause some seriously volative teams.
But also in a good thing; Some abilities might get some use now that there are EV's gone, specially defensivly.
Furcoat might be a thing to start to consider for all yer stallers to get some free def EV substitutes.
I wake up, look at the forums and see this.
RIP Mixed Attackers & RIP Stall
So I guess RIP Adrian Marin too.
Perhaps, dare I say it, and I hope not, but even RIP BH?
Hypothetically speaking, if there was an OM where the only difference between it and standards was the ability to max out all evs, would this have to be implemented there? That's what it's making it seem like to me. Also, imposter and probably sturdninja just got a whole lot better. Sturdninja is basically the only poke that doesn't care about only having 510 evs, and imposter is an even bigger threat now that attackers can't run defense evs. I have a feeling more bans (though probably not to those) are going to be coming. Forgive me if I come off as being rude or I should know this, but why does this have to be implemented? Isn't the purpose of BH to be pokemon that aren't anywhere close to being game legal? It no longer seems like Balanced Hackmons to me. It seems more like Unbalnced regular mons. We took part of the "hack" out of hackmons. It's now basically AAA with whatever move you want.
That was my rant for the day. :)
RIP Mixed Attackers & RIP Stall
So I guess RIP Adrian Marin too.
Perhaps, dare I say it, and I hope not, but even RIP BH?
Hypothetically speaking, if there was an OM where the only difference between it and standards was the ability to max out all evs, would this have to be implemented there? That's what it's making it seem like to me. Also, imposter and probably sturdninja just got a whole lot better. Sturdninja is basically the only poke that doesn't care about only having 510 evs, and imposter is an even bigger threat now that attackers can't run defense evs. I have a feeling more bans (though probably not to those) are going to be coming. Forgive me if I come off as being rude or I should know this, but why does this have to be implemented? Isn't the purpose of BH to be pokemon that aren't anywhere close to being game legal? It no longer seems like Balanced Hackmons to me. It seems more like Unbalnced regular mons. We took part of the "hack" out of hackmons. It's now basically AAA with whatever move you want.
That was my rant for the day. :)
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AWailOfATail
viva la darmz
THIS
SO MUCH THIS
I know that BH was about relating to in-game as much as we could, but after all, it's a metagame on Showdown, not in the games.
You know, this is the first time I've seen a change to BH that gets a response that's completely negative (Or at the very least, there's no positive reactions, the best responses are people saying "huh this is a thing now")
When things like the Soul Dew change you had people like Adrian Marin on one side saying that it was bad, and other people with the opinion that it was a good thing. For all the banning discussions so far (Parental Bond, Ability Clause, Species Clause) there were always people on both sides of the debate saying "This is why this should/should not happen".
Here I've only seen two reactions; "This is now a thing" and "This sucks change it back". There's no "Hey this is really cool now" or "Why wasn't this like this from the beginning?"
That's not saying that this has never happened before (I have the approximate attention span of a hypercaffienated gnat) but I'm saying that it's happening now.
Something to think on, no?
(For the purposes of this post my own feelings on the matter are irrelevant, if I come across as being for or against I apologise)
When things like the Soul Dew change you had people like Adrian Marin on one side saying that it was bad, and other people with the opinion that it was a good thing. For all the banning discussions so far (Parental Bond, Ability Clause, Species Clause) there were always people on both sides of the debate saying "This is why this should/should not happen".
Here I've only seen two reactions; "This is now a thing" and "This sucks change it back". There's no "Hey this is really cool now" or "Why wasn't this like this from the beginning?"
That's not saying that this has never happened before (I have the approximate attention span of a hypercaffienated gnat) but I'm saying that it's happening now.
Something to think on, no?
(For the purposes of this post my own feelings on the matter are irrelevant, if I come across as being for or against I apologise)
I know both Balanced & Pure Hackmons were made to reflect hacked in-game mechanics, but with the community of players growing up these last months i believe BH developed its own identity, something that is its beauty and appeal to make players like such metagame. With all that said, i think in this case fun (A.K.A. the classic & old Balanced Hackmons) should be considered over similarity to hacked in-game mechanics.
Furthermore, the game itself prevents >510 EVs on Wi-Fi battles, but nobody here is playing Wi-Fi battles with its own Nintendo 3DS, Pokémon Showdown is like its own video-game with its own rules, it tries to be as close as possible from the official games, but there's no need to copy every single aspect of those games, at least not in the Other Metagames where we try to make things as different and creative as possible.
Any ability, any move and full EVs was always the heart, soul and mind of BH. Without anyone of those 3 the metagame tends to become different into a negative way.
Furthermore, the game itself prevents >510 EVs on Wi-Fi battles, but nobody here is playing Wi-Fi battles with its own Nintendo 3DS, Pokémon Showdown is like its own video-game with its own rules, it tries to be as close as possible from the official games, but there's no need to copy every single aspect of those games, at least not in the Other Metagames where we try to make things as different and creative as possible.
Any ability, any move and full EVs was always the heart, soul and mind of BH. Without anyone of those 3 the metagame tends to become different into a negative way.
"Oh no, now we have EV limits? WE'RE DOOMED!
RIP STALL!
RIP MIXED OFFENSE!
RIP BALANCED HACKMONS!
NOTHING IS THE SAME ANYMORE!
I WILL NEVER BATTLE AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Oh for Christs' sake, and I thought politicians were bad at adapting to change. Instead of whining like a bunch of spoiled children and proposing drastic changes like bans or new ladders, why don't we actually let the meta develop a little bit and to see the impact this has, and THEN take action from there? I honestly feel like I shouldn't have to be saying this. What are you all, 12?
RIP STALL!
RIP MIXED OFFENSE!
RIP BALANCED HACKMONS!
NOTHING IS THE SAME ANYMORE!
I WILL NEVER BATTLE AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Oh for Christs' sake, and I thought politicians were bad at adapting to change. Instead of whining like a bunch of spoiled children and proposing drastic changes like bans or new ladders, why don't we actually let the meta develop a little bit and to see the impact this has, and THEN take action from there? I honestly feel like I shouldn't have to be saying this. What are you all, 12?
EV
Banned deucer.
At the same time let's not dismiss the feelings of players who have been with BH for a while and have seen it develop and grow over the years into what it is today. They have a right to be upset about seeing a game they like so much transform drastically into something they don't think they're going to enjoy anymore.
Let's just keep the theatrics to a minimum, regardless of our position.
I guess you have a solid point too. Still, I think saying that Balanced Hackmons is "dead" and will never be good again seems like silly overreaction to me. I'm sorry if I myself was too aggressive, but I think the best thing here is to just let the meta change and see how we take it from here as opposed to complaining about it.
Or you could actually provide an actual insight instead of just insulting a lot of people... Seriously, people have a right to be angry at this, and yes they do have to adapt, but it's alright to be upset over something.
I apologized if I over reacted myself in the post above. Still, you fail to see my point. I wasn't saying it was bad that people were getting upset, I was saying that people should at least attempt to try out the new changes before they propose bans and new ladders or declare the meta "dead." It's really a silly level of overreaction going on here in my honest opinion.
EDIT: Alright, I'll provide actual insight. I think these changes will be in the long run beneficial to the meta, actually diversifying the sets and abilities people will run, because hey, Fur Coat suddenly seems quite good when you can't run max EVs in HP, Defense, AND Special Defense, right? It also means that people will have to dedicate a lot of the tiers scarer mixed attackers like Mega Mewtwo X into more solely physical or special based attackers. I also think team preview will be beneficial to the metagame to give people an honest idea of what they will be running up against, as the meta is actually a large amount more luck based than a lot of other metas, since both players have to pray their opponent isn't running the one Pokemon set that tears your team to shreds no matter what, because there is so much variety in BH that it pretty much becomes unavoidable, and though I know it provides exhilaration for some, I honestly think it will better allow players to adapt to their situation. And yes the preferred playstyles in the meta are going to shift DRASTICALLY, but I'm interested to see what they will become as opposed to dreading it. If action needs to be taken and things need to be banned, we will know shortly.
But this is just me offering an opinion based on theorymonning, because I DON'T KNOW until I've had a chance to extensively try out the ladder. So before we propose making a second ladder, why don't we see how this one turns out. Give it a week or two at least, just like most metagame shifts in most of Smogon's ladders, official and otherwise. I know that Balanced Hackmons doesn't usually experience gameplay shifts due to the stagnation of the ladder on principle, but hey, maybe it's time we shook things up a bit.
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Lcass4919
The Xatu Warrior
well, when they say "balanced hackmons is dead" they are obviously referring to the fact this change is something that literally will flip the meta in a way never seen before, balanced hackmons had always been more orientated towards bulky offense as the preferred playstyle, due to the "safety net" the extra ev's provided for many of the sweepers/walls when it came to sweeping and walling stuff. (why do you think deoxys attack sucked so badly last gen/this gen even though its attack/spc attack/speed stat was godly) with this update, the preferred playstyle (along with every other non gimmicked meta that has the 510 ev limit) automatically makes the meta more offensive (note: this doesn't make stall, balanced offense or anything "dead" it just...gives offense more leeway) the problem with this, is most of the balanced hackmons players (alot of the higher ups) prefer balanced offense/semistall/purestall/
Kit Kasai
Love colored magic
I have an interesting thing I just realized. Throughout the history of bh, we've always pushed for in game accuracy and to try to keep as close to in game mechanics as possible. For example, mega evolutions, arceus forms, soul dew, etc. Now when a more relevant change occurs we're making such a huge fuss about it. Just an interesting thought.
Now that I think about it the BH meta would have remained in the same semi-stale state it was in before this update until November, which is months away. Changing the BH meta will (IMO) attract the attention of other players (especially non-BH players who have endured the wrath of others in the OM room) and maybe former players who quit or played less, allowing the BH playerbase to expand at least a little bit.
This is correct, but I don't think the meta would have remained in a "semi-stale state"; it's still different now from how it was in May or June.
I really do not know how to feel about this. One the one hand, I enjoyed the ease is not having to worry about EVs and having every pokemon able to take hits and give them. But on the other, I believe this will intoduce more variety and people will have to be more creative about there sets. I would like to see how this turns out. And please stop complaining about this ruining the entire meta. It is just a different phase, and people will adapt. Sure auto-weather having limited turns this generation changed the entire OU meta, but I feel that it became less centralized and with more viable pokemon. This may happen with BH, so just try out the new version and see if you like it
EVs have always helped stall more than offense so that's why most people are hating this change so much. This is sure a metagame-changing feature but please let's not state it got ruined completely. Now people will have to think how to arrange those 510 Evs and we'll see something which is common sight in other metas: EV benchmarks. Speed creeping, EVing specifically to avoid 2HKOs from prominent threats... it's a whole new feature which, by my point of view, will make teambuilding more difficult and more challenging. Sure, imposter will have to go by this point.
Lcass4919
The Xatu Warrior
seriously, what is with you people and talking about speed creeping...seriously it wont work in this meta.
see, unlike the other metas, we have stuff like refridge kyurem w, and protean mega mewtwo, that pretty much makes "speed creeping" and "living certain hits"(NOTHING lives boomburst enless you resist it.) almost irrelevant even with this. id rather my mega mewtwo y outspeed the other mega mewtwo y then BARELY outspeeding mega mewtwo x, only to be ohkoed by another mega mewtwo y
252 SpA Life Orb Protean Mega Mewtwo Y Shadow Ball vs. 72 HP / 0 SpD Mega Mewtwo Y: 398-468 (107.2 - 126.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Life Orb Mega Mewtwo Y Psycho Boost vs. 72 HP / 0 SpD Mega Mewtwo Y: 172-203 (46.3 - 54.7%) -- 62.1% chance to 2HKO
speed creep BARELY helps in a meta where the entire metagame shifts into hyperoffensive mode. this doesn't make the meta offensive, it makes it HYPER OFFENSIVE. since we have unrestricted pokemon that can be both fast and hit incredibly hard with few checks running around.
We are a more vast metagame. but we also have VERY cookie cutter threats. moreso then any other meta, because their power is just ridiculous. plus verbatim insists on keeping imposter(for good reason), so don't even bother asking for that gone(personally i don't even care about imposter, i was just making a point way back) WHY this is a problem is not because of mega mewtwo x/y, which now can easily run mixed protean and literally dominate the metagame, its because of the sheer power balanced hackmons brings to the table, contrary...protean and -ilates to name a few. and speed creeping and shit is irrelivant when the best offensive threat just so happens to also be the fastest and can quite literally 2hko(if not ohko) the entire tier at this point AT MAX HP. and has ways to stop the premier revenge killers with ONE ATTACK ONLY(king sheild plz). let that sink in. i dont get why you people are talking about speed creep in a meta where "POWER AND DESTRUCTION" is going to be a common sight, and speed creeping shit, only to get a minor amount of hp evs that don't even matter in the long run since your still 2hkoed/ohkoed by the same threat. like...here's what i mean. assuming mega mewtwo x and y are even banned,
252 SpA Life Orb Protean Arceus Moonblast vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Kyurem-B: 416-491 (91.6 - 108.1%) -- 50% chance to OHKO
that is 120 base spc attack moonblast. ohkoing MAX HP kyurem b. remember, we HAVE stronger threats like deoxys attack/darkrai/dialga still, im just showing how futile speed creep is in this meta since if something has super effective hits on you (which is very easy to get might i add) your going to die.
I stumbled across this guide while re-organizing some files on my computer. I had made this and was trying to get some feedback on it before going live, and had planned to do a guide for each type in BH, but it fell by the wayside and was forgotten about when Real Life™ decided to kick me around a bit. And rather than let it fall into the abyss, I thought I'd go ahead and share it before the new change potentially renders any information it contains irrelevant (though not completely since chunks of this don't care how many EVs stuff in the tier can use) just in case someone finds it useful.
Keep in mind this was a rough draft, so it's definitely not perfect (it almost completely lacks formatting right now) and while I did a quick glance to update a few bits to reflect the current meta, some parts might be out of date. If people like this enough, I'll update it after the new meta stabilizes and perhaps go through with the plan to work on the other types.
Keep in mind this was a rough draft, so it's definitely not perfect (it almost completely lacks formatting right now) and while I did a quick glance to update a few bits to reflect the current meta, some parts might be out of date. If people like this enough, I'll update it after the new meta stabilizes and perhaps go through with the plan to work on the other types.
Water Types
In Balanced Hackmons, Water is a relatively uncommon typing only used by a few common Pokemon in the tier. However, this should not be taken to suggest that Water is a bad type. Sure, while it may not stand out in particular among some of the other types in the tier, it's still quite solid and a good Water-type will, at the very least, pull their weight on the team.
Pros
-Resists both Ice and Fire, two of the stronger attacking types in the tier.
-While rain teams, and weather teams in general, are very rare this generation, Water attacks are still boosted by 50% in the rain.
-Additionally, Water's resistance to Water, Fire, and Ice means it can work as a defensive check to rain, sun, and hail teams. Worth keeping in mind should we have a weather resurgence at some point.
-Offensively, Water can be paired with Ice for a classic coverage combo only resisted by other Water types, allowing for Imposter-resistant sweepers that can hit most of the tier. It also matches well with other types, such as Fire and Fairy.
-One of the few types that can use Techno Blast.
-Defensively, Water's resistance to Ice, Fire, Water, and Steel attacks allow it to synergize with Grass, Dragon, Fairy, Steel, Bug, Fire, and Ice. It also synergizes with Rock, Ground, and Flying, though shares weaknesses with them too (Grass, Grass, and Electric, respectively).
-Water's two weaknesses, Grass and Electric, are very rarely used as STAB attacks. Additionally, Grass is a rather rare attacking type in the tier. In any case, Grass can be nullified with Sap Sipper and Electric can be nullified with Volt Absorb, Lightning Rod, or Motor Drive.
-Water Absorb, Storm Drain, and Dry Skin can be put onto a Pokemon to pair with a Water-type sweeper to counter Imposters. For example, a STAB-only Palkia that is Impostered can be safely walled by a Storm Drain Xerneas.
Cons
-Dragon, a very common type that's present on most teams, resists Water.
-Grass weakness means it is vulnerable to Contrary users packing Leaf Storm. It is also vulnerable to Serene Grace users packing Seed Flare and the occasional sun-abuser packing Solar Beam (usually either Zard-Y or Mega-Houndoom looking for a way to bypass Kyogre).
-While it resists Ice, Electric is still paired with Ice attacks for Boltbeam coverage (most frequently seen is Kyu-B using Bolt Strike), which can hurt Water-types.
-While very rare in the current meta, the abilities Water Absorb, Storm Drain, and Dry Skin make the user completely immune to Water attacks not backed by Mold Breaker. Sure, it's nice you can use them to shut down Imposters, but it's not so nice when the opposing team is using these to shut down your Water-sweepers.
-Most usable Water-types are on the lower end of the speed tiers.
-Physical Water-type offense lacks variety as it has only two usable moves.
Notable Water Moves
These are standard moves you're likely to see on a Water-type Pokemon or something else utilizing Water-type coverage. They should the first ones to be considered when choosing a Water-type move.
-Crabhammer: At base power 100, this is the strongest physical move the Water-type has access to. While not bad, it's 90% accuracy can be a let down at times. Also, since it's a contact move, it's compatible with Tough Claws, which brings its power to an effective 133.
-Surf: A solid, no nonsense BP 90 special Water attack. At triple the PP of Steam Eruption, it can be the superior option if your team is in for the long haul since you can attack more freely without worries of running dry of PP.
-Scald: Basically a Surf that sacrifices a little power, dropping to 80 BP, that has a 30% chance to burn. Or alternatively, a Steam Eruption that sacrifices power for longevity. Handy for inflicting random burns, particularly on Flashfire users, while bypassing Taunt, Magic Bounce, and low PP issues. It can also be paired for Sheer Force for a stronger version of Surf at an effective BP 104.
-Steam Eruption: Packing a base power of 110 combined with a 30% burn chance, Steam Eruption is the move of choice for powerful sweepers who don't care that it only has 8 PP (or 90% accuracy). Like Scald, Steam Eruption is compatible with both Serene Grace and Sheer Force, getting a 60% burn chance and effective 143 BP, respectively.
Water Spout: This attack boasts an impressive BP of 150 with perfect accuracy. The catch? It's only that strong at full HP. As such, it's rarely viable to use it on something that can't outspeed most opponents, which means usually packing a Choice Scarf, or can't control the opponent enough to keep its own HP high. However, a boosted, full powered Water Spout is definitely a sight to behold... unless you're on the receiving end.
Niche Water Moves
These moves are generally used on specific sets for specific reasons or for running (keyword) effective gimmicks. These aren't your "standard" picks, but they have their place.
-Waterfall: At 80 BP, Waterfall is a bit weak to be considered a standard option over Crabhammer unless you really need the extra 8 PP (16 vs 24). However, it also has a small flinch chance that, while not notable on its own, makes the move compatible with Sheer Force. Under Sheer Force, Waterfall has an effective BP of 104, allowing it to barely edge out Crabhammer if you're using a physical Sheer Force sweeper with Water STAB or coverage.
-Judgement: With a Splash Plate, the user gets Water-typed Judgement, which can allow for stronger attack than Surf (BP 100 vs BP 90) with reasonable PP and/or for making Imposter resistant/immune sets (say, Water Judgement Chandelure). However, the user becomes vulnerable to Trick and Knock Off unless they have Sticky Hold for their ability, which means care must be taken lest the Judgement user become crippled.
-Techno Blast: With a Douse Drive, the user gets access to the strongest special Water attack that is not dependent on the user's HP. While it sits at a lofty BP 120, it also only has 8 PP, which means it is not automatically a better choice than Judgement. It also suffers the same vulnerabilities as Judgement does.
-Muddy Water: By sacrificing 8 PP and 15% accuracy, Muddy Water becomes a Surf that's compatible with Sheer Force via 30% chance for accuracy drops. Just keep in mind that, sooner or later, 85% accuracy is bound to let you down, which is likely why it's not seen often.
-Whirlpool: Infestation is usually better since it can't be blocked by Water Absorb, Dry Skin, and Storm Drain. However, these abilities are rare. Add that Infestation makes contact, which is a very bad thing in some circumstances, and Whirlpool does have its niche. It can also be used to kill all Shedinjas that do not pack either Magic Guard or a Red Card, should they stay in.
Water Shuriken: At BP 15, it's weaker than most moves used with Skill Link (or Technician if you're feeling lucky), which are typically BP 25. Essentially, that's 75 vs 125 for all unboosted hits. However, what it does offer is priority, which means it gives the user a slightly slower, slightly stronger Extreme Speed when paired with Skill Link. It can also be paired with a King's Rock in an attempt at flinch hax. Just keep in mind that this strategy isn't reliable on its own and you'll likely have to flinch something bulky multiple times in a row to have a chance of KOing it. And some, like PH Giratina, Gyardos-M and Kyogre, will just laugh at you.
Gimmick Water Moves
These moves are often very specific to certain sets or are are just flat out... well, gimmicky. In the right situations, they can be usable and even very deadly. However, you generally have to build your team around creating the right situations for these moves.
-Octazooka: BP 65 definitely leaves something to be desired in terms of damage and also, inconveniently, puts it just out of Technician range. However, with a 50% chance to drop the opponent's accuracy, and 100% under Serene Grace, it does have a niche of disrupting your opponent's attempts at attacking. (And inducing the occasional rage quit.) Just beware of an Imposter getting a hold of your Octazooka lest you become the rage quitter. (Or you could just run a Shield Dust or a No Guard user.)
-Rain Dance: It's usually better to pack Drizzle instead, but manual rain can be handy in the rare instance you decide you need the ability slot more than the moveslot and turn for set-up. And if weather wars become a thing again, it'd be handy for rain teams that want to keep rain in play on a predicted auto-weather starter switch-in.
-Aqua Ring: Basically Baton Passable Leftovers. It's a little bit better than Ingrain since you don't make yourself vulnerable to Perish Song or, worse, getting tricked a Choice item on the turn you set-up. However, the recovery amount is small, so there's very little beyond Baton Pass that can utilize it since the nature of BH often forces frequent switching. And even then you may very well have better uses for those move slots.
-Soak: There's a few niche uses for this move, such as eliminating type-based immunities, making things weak to Grass/Electric, removing an offensive sweeper's STAB, and forcing switches.
Water Moves Not to Use
There's a few moves that are used, typically by players new to the tier, that have a place in other tiers but are simply outclassed here. Usually it's more obscure moves being superior to common variants, but on occasion there's really just no excuse.
-Hydro Pump: Outclassed by Steam Eruption, which has the same power, higher accuracy, and a burn chance. Forgivable here since most people unfamiliar with this tier or Hackmons are probably unaware Steam Eruption even exists.
Aqua Tail: Outclassed by the often-forgotten Crabhammer, which has the same PP and accuracy but slightly higher power. Forgivable since almost nobody uses Kingler in standard.
-Hydro Cannon: You would think it would be obvious that Hyper Beam-esque moves are bad, but every so often I still see a Hydro Cannon or similar move thrown around. While the power is potentially devastating, the recharge turn can easily cause you to lose a match, even if you KO your target. (Plus, if it helps, when you factor in recharge, Hydro Cannon only has an effective BP of 75.)
Notable Water Pokemon
These Pokemon are usually quite common in the tier. Some aren't, but their threat potential is high enough and well known enough that they should be kept in mind. All teams should strive to be ready to handle these Pokemon and, if they're seeking a Water-type to use themselves, should probably look here first.
(Note: Any sets labeled as "Classic" are either direct Gen V sets or are heavily based on them.)
-Kyogre: With its high stats, it outclasses pretty much every other mono-Water type in the game. Kyogre can leverage 150 Special Attack to cause significant damage or utilize its 100/90/140 bulk to run support, sponge hits, or set-up relatively safely. The example sets are variants of its most common uses, and may not be the best variants (this is intended, before anyone complains), although it can easily perform other tasks.
-Palkia: With its high stats and rare typing, Palkia can be a frightening Pokemon to face down. However, Gen VI has not be kind to it as Palkia lost permanent rain, is 4x weak to the new Dry Freeze (for what that's worth), and now has to contend with Assault Vest users and Fairy-types, the latter of which can be immune to both of Palkia's STABs if they so choose. So, despite its power, Palkia is a fairly rare sight. However, being unprepared to handle its standard sets will more than likely spell your doom if you do bump into it. It's most well known for running Drizzle + Water Spout, usually backed by either Choice Specs or Choice Scarf, with Draco Meteor to hit Water-resistant targets.
-Gyarados-Mega: One thing people asked for last generation was a good physical Water-typed attacker. Gyarados was therefore blessed with mega-powers to shed it's 4x Electric weakness and gain more power and bulk. Gyarados is frequently a set-up sweeper, often using Poison Heal, and typically smashes through things with Crabhammer while using Knock Off and Sacred Fire for coverage. While it has amazing utility, Knock Off does let Gyarados down by suffering a significant drop in power once the target's item is removed, which means some things, like Giratina, can wall and harass Gyarados instead of getting forced out or KOed. Meanwhile, its next best choice, Crunch, has a disappointing base power of only 80. Still though, Gyarados is still more than dangerous enough that it can't be taken lightly.
Niche Water Pokemon
There are some Pokemon that can be quite dangerous, but only function well on specific teams or with specific support. Or they may be reliant on a gimmick that only functions once or twice a match. A Pokemon falls into this "tier" if it hits the above requirements while still posing a consistent and credible threat to most teams while also not being outclassed in the role it's attempting to fill.
-Keldeo: While it doesn't have the most power around, and its 91/90/90 bulk can sometimes make it difficult to take hits, Keldeo breaks both the 100 and 105 speed tiers with its 108 speed, making it faster than pretty much all other usable Water-types, while still boasting good power in the form of 129 Special Attack. Keldeo's Water/Fighting typing allows it to abuse moves like Steam Eruption and Water Spout while having access to STAB Secret Sword to bypass dedicated special walls, such as non-Imposter Chansey. However, the advent and common usage of both Mega Mewtwos, who both outspeed Keldeo, make it harder to use this generation than previously.
-Gyarados-Normal: Since mega-evolutions can now mega-evolve into themselves, as weird as that is, you might be wondering what role Gyarados-N can possible have? Simple: it does the same thing as the megalution abuse Gyrados-M does except it uses its Flying secondary typing to safely switch into Fighting or Ground attacks (that aren't Thousand Arrows) to set-up, which may be handy for Imposter-harassing. It could also abuse Aerilate/Gale Wings better than its Mega, but we're heading into theorymon territory there. Also, keep in mind that regular Gyra also has a 4x Electric weakness, which means it risks getting significantly hurt by even mundane things such as Cresselia's Volt Switch.
Example set is the same as Gyra-M's Mega Evolution set.
-Volcanion: Sporting a unique Fire/Water type combination, Volcanion is one of the few Water-types that does not fear Contrary Leaf Storm. It also has a STAB combination that's resisted by only opposing Water and Dragon-types and notably gets STAB on both Eruption and Waterspout. While not as bulky as Kyogre, it typically uses its typing to run a Regenvest set as, unlike Kyogre, it resists Pixelate users too. It could also potentially run special or mixed offensive sets thanks to its 110/130 attacking stats and useful STAB coverage, though its base 70 speed would hold it back if left unboosted.
-Tentacruel: This Pokemon sits in a similar boat as Volcanion in not fearing Grass attacks and also resisting Pixelate. However, it also has a few unique quirks that give it a small niche over other Water-types, such as being able to remove Toxic Spikes on switch-in, perfectly accurate Toxic, being startlingly fast (base 100 speed, higher than other notables besides Keldeo), having surprisingly high special bulk, can safely switch into Prankster Venusaur-M's Black Sludge Trick, and able to threaten Xerneas and other fairies with its rarely seen Poison STAB. However, its offensives are on the low side, so outside of super-effective hits, it should be focusing on support or statusy moves. And also, like other niche Pokemon, you should only uses it when it synergizes with your team better than one of the standard Water or Poison types.
Do Not Use
These are Pokemon that may be mistaken as good by newer players when, in truth, they're either outclassed or they just don't have the stats needed to take advantage of their unique qualities. Most Pokemon not in the Notable or Niche lists will fit here, and many, if not all, of those on the Theorymons list may actually belong here too. If it's not listed anywhere, it's usually safe to assume it belongs here. However, there are undiscovered gems out there waiting to be found by those willing to experiment, but be sure you're trying them out for the right reasons and not for the sake of being different.
-Blastoise-Mega: One of the examples of "Mega-evoltution =/= instantly viable". Blastoise boasts higher Defense and very slightly Attack than Kyogre However, everything else is lower, including its HP, which compromises whatever advantage in physical bulk it might have had. And since Gyarados-M outdoes it in the physical offense department, Blastoise-M finds itself in an awkward position of being decent at either of their roles but not good enough at either to really take advantage of that.
Water Theorymons
These are Pokemon with interesting quirks that show potential, but have not been ran to consistent success. A lot of these may have had roles, prominent or niche, in the last generation and have since fallen to the wayside without being completely outclassed by something new. There's no promises that these Pokemon are any good, or even usable, in the tier and new players are discouraged from choosing these over anything in the Notable or Niche categories. These Pokemon are listed here purely to help more experienced players come up with new ideas for sets and teams. Any mentioned potential is either theory or based on last generation performance, so run these at your own risk.
-Jellicent: With its unique typing, Jellicent had a small niche in the last generation as a defensive/support Pokemon. However, it so far appears to be absent from this generation, perhaps due to the rise of threatening Dark and Ghost-types as well as permanent weather vanishing.
-Lapras: Despite many weaknesses, it was surprisingly bulky and could take a number of hits. Last generation it largely functioned as a stall-based Pokemon on hail teams, boasting both a natural immunity to hail and a neutrality to Fire. It fell to the wayside with the weather nerf, but it does boast a 4x resistance to Ice without being weak to Thousand Arrows, a move that's been making Heatran sad, so it might have a niche in its massive resistances to Refrigerate sets.
-Cloyster: Like Lapras, it boasts 4x Ice resistance. Unlike Lapras, its bulk is lopsided. It can wall Kyurem-B to no end with its beyond impressive 180 Defense. However, with 50/45 special bulk, Kyurem-W and other special Refrigerate users would probably laugh at it.
-Azumarill: During the early days of Gen VI, Azumarill was speculated to be a good Palkia/Reshiram check since it naturally resisted Water Spout and Eruption and was also immune to Draco Meteor and Spacial Rend. However, with both Palkia and Reshiram being a rare sight, Azumarill was never called upon to take up the mantle of weather-dragon slayer. Whether it'll ever need to take up that role, or another, is questionable. However, offensively, the ban to Huge Power makes its damage output weaker than it is in standard.
-Arceus-Water: With 120 base spread, Arceus has great stats to utilize. However, the main problem with Arceus forms is that it requires both its ability and item slot to change from a Normal typing. On the other hand, this does mean any non-Normal Arceus is inherently resistant to Imposters and also immune to losing its item. As a Water-type, Arceus has a few possible niches: fastest Water-type in the tier, better mixed bulk than Kyogre, physical Water-sweeping without Gyarados' Fairy and Fighting weaknesses, and better mixed sweeping potential than anything else. However, despite its potential, Aquarceus remains unused.
In Balanced Hackmons, Water is a relatively uncommon typing only used by a few common Pokemon in the tier. However, this should not be taken to suggest that Water is a bad type. Sure, while it may not stand out in particular among some of the other types in the tier, it's still quite solid and a good Water-type will, at the very least, pull their weight on the team.
Pros
-Resists both Ice and Fire, two of the stronger attacking types in the tier.
-While rain teams, and weather teams in general, are very rare this generation, Water attacks are still boosted by 50% in the rain.
-Additionally, Water's resistance to Water, Fire, and Ice means it can work as a defensive check to rain, sun, and hail teams. Worth keeping in mind should we have a weather resurgence at some point.
-Offensively, Water can be paired with Ice for a classic coverage combo only resisted by other Water types, allowing for Imposter-resistant sweepers that can hit most of the tier. It also matches well with other types, such as Fire and Fairy.
-One of the few types that can use Techno Blast.
-Defensively, Water's resistance to Ice, Fire, Water, and Steel attacks allow it to synergize with Grass, Dragon, Fairy, Steel, Bug, Fire, and Ice. It also synergizes with Rock, Ground, and Flying, though shares weaknesses with them too (Grass, Grass, and Electric, respectively).
-Water's two weaknesses, Grass and Electric, are very rarely used as STAB attacks. Additionally, Grass is a rather rare attacking type in the tier. In any case, Grass can be nullified with Sap Sipper and Electric can be nullified with Volt Absorb, Lightning Rod, or Motor Drive.
-Water Absorb, Storm Drain, and Dry Skin can be put onto a Pokemon to pair with a Water-type sweeper to counter Imposters. For example, a STAB-only Palkia that is Impostered can be safely walled by a Storm Drain Xerneas.
Cons
-Dragon, a very common type that's present on most teams, resists Water.
-Grass weakness means it is vulnerable to Contrary users packing Leaf Storm. It is also vulnerable to Serene Grace users packing Seed Flare and the occasional sun-abuser packing Solar Beam (usually either Zard-Y or Mega-Houndoom looking for a way to bypass Kyogre).
-While it resists Ice, Electric is still paired with Ice attacks for Boltbeam coverage (most frequently seen is Kyu-B using Bolt Strike), which can hurt Water-types.
-While very rare in the current meta, the abilities Water Absorb, Storm Drain, and Dry Skin make the user completely immune to Water attacks not backed by Mold Breaker. Sure, it's nice you can use them to shut down Imposters, but it's not so nice when the opposing team is using these to shut down your Water-sweepers.
-Most usable Water-types are on the lower end of the speed tiers.
-Physical Water-type offense lacks variety as it has only two usable moves.
Notable Water Moves
These are standard moves you're likely to see on a Water-type Pokemon or something else utilizing Water-type coverage. They should the first ones to be considered when choosing a Water-type move.
-Crabhammer: At base power 100, this is the strongest physical move the Water-type has access to. While not bad, it's 90% accuracy can be a let down at times. Also, since it's a contact move, it's compatible with Tough Claws, which brings its power to an effective 133.
-Surf: A solid, no nonsense BP 90 special Water attack. At triple the PP of Steam Eruption, it can be the superior option if your team is in for the long haul since you can attack more freely without worries of running dry of PP.
-Scald: Basically a Surf that sacrifices a little power, dropping to 80 BP, that has a 30% chance to burn. Or alternatively, a Steam Eruption that sacrifices power for longevity. Handy for inflicting random burns, particularly on Flashfire users, while bypassing Taunt, Magic Bounce, and low PP issues. It can also be paired for Sheer Force for a stronger version of Surf at an effective BP 104.
-Steam Eruption: Packing a base power of 110 combined with a 30% burn chance, Steam Eruption is the move of choice for powerful sweepers who don't care that it only has 8 PP (or 90% accuracy). Like Scald, Steam Eruption is compatible with both Serene Grace and Sheer Force, getting a 60% burn chance and effective 143 BP, respectively.
Water Spout: This attack boasts an impressive BP of 150 with perfect accuracy. The catch? It's only that strong at full HP. As such, it's rarely viable to use it on something that can't outspeed most opponents, which means usually packing a Choice Scarf, or can't control the opponent enough to keep its own HP high. However, a boosted, full powered Water Spout is definitely a sight to behold... unless you're on the receiving end.
Niche Water Moves
These moves are generally used on specific sets for specific reasons or for running (keyword) effective gimmicks. These aren't your "standard" picks, but they have their place.
-Waterfall: At 80 BP, Waterfall is a bit weak to be considered a standard option over Crabhammer unless you really need the extra 8 PP (16 vs 24). However, it also has a small flinch chance that, while not notable on its own, makes the move compatible with Sheer Force. Under Sheer Force, Waterfall has an effective BP of 104, allowing it to barely edge out Crabhammer if you're using a physical Sheer Force sweeper with Water STAB or coverage.
-Judgement: With a Splash Plate, the user gets Water-typed Judgement, which can allow for stronger attack than Surf (BP 100 vs BP 90) with reasonable PP and/or for making Imposter resistant/immune sets (say, Water Judgement Chandelure). However, the user becomes vulnerable to Trick and Knock Off unless they have Sticky Hold for their ability, which means care must be taken lest the Judgement user become crippled.
-Techno Blast: With a Douse Drive, the user gets access to the strongest special Water attack that is not dependent on the user's HP. While it sits at a lofty BP 120, it also only has 8 PP, which means it is not automatically a better choice than Judgement. It also suffers the same vulnerabilities as Judgement does.
-Muddy Water: By sacrificing 8 PP and 15% accuracy, Muddy Water becomes a Surf that's compatible with Sheer Force via 30% chance for accuracy drops. Just keep in mind that, sooner or later, 85% accuracy is bound to let you down, which is likely why it's not seen often.
-Whirlpool: Infestation is usually better since it can't be blocked by Water Absorb, Dry Skin, and Storm Drain. However, these abilities are rare. Add that Infestation makes contact, which is a very bad thing in some circumstances, and Whirlpool does have its niche. It can also be used to kill all Shedinjas that do not pack either Magic Guard or a Red Card, should they stay in.
Water Shuriken: At BP 15, it's weaker than most moves used with Skill Link (or Technician if you're feeling lucky), which are typically BP 25. Essentially, that's 75 vs 125 for all unboosted hits. However, what it does offer is priority, which means it gives the user a slightly slower, slightly stronger Extreme Speed when paired with Skill Link. It can also be paired with a King's Rock in an attempt at flinch hax. Just keep in mind that this strategy isn't reliable on its own and you'll likely have to flinch something bulky multiple times in a row to have a chance of KOing it. And some, like PH Giratina, Gyardos-M and Kyogre, will just laugh at you.
Gimmick Water Moves
These moves are often very specific to certain sets or are are just flat out... well, gimmicky. In the right situations, they can be usable and even very deadly. However, you generally have to build your team around creating the right situations for these moves.
-Octazooka: BP 65 definitely leaves something to be desired in terms of damage and also, inconveniently, puts it just out of Technician range. However, with a 50% chance to drop the opponent's accuracy, and 100% under Serene Grace, it does have a niche of disrupting your opponent's attempts at attacking. (And inducing the occasional rage quit.) Just beware of an Imposter getting a hold of your Octazooka lest you become the rage quitter. (Or you could just run a Shield Dust or a No Guard user.)
-Rain Dance: It's usually better to pack Drizzle instead, but manual rain can be handy in the rare instance you decide you need the ability slot more than the moveslot and turn for set-up. And if weather wars become a thing again, it'd be handy for rain teams that want to keep rain in play on a predicted auto-weather starter switch-in.
-Aqua Ring: Basically Baton Passable Leftovers. It's a little bit better than Ingrain since you don't make yourself vulnerable to Perish Song or, worse, getting tricked a Choice item on the turn you set-up. However, the recovery amount is small, so there's very little beyond Baton Pass that can utilize it since the nature of BH often forces frequent switching. And even then you may very well have better uses for those move slots.
-Soak: There's a few niche uses for this move, such as eliminating type-based immunities, making things weak to Grass/Electric, removing an offensive sweeper's STAB, and forcing switches.
Water Moves Not to Use
There's a few moves that are used, typically by players new to the tier, that have a place in other tiers but are simply outclassed here. Usually it's more obscure moves being superior to common variants, but on occasion there's really just no excuse.
-Hydro Pump: Outclassed by Steam Eruption, which has the same power, higher accuracy, and a burn chance. Forgivable here since most people unfamiliar with this tier or Hackmons are probably unaware Steam Eruption even exists.
Aqua Tail: Outclassed by the often-forgotten Crabhammer, which has the same PP and accuracy but slightly higher power. Forgivable since almost nobody uses Kingler in standard.
-Hydro Cannon: You would think it would be obvious that Hyper Beam-esque moves are bad, but every so often I still see a Hydro Cannon or similar move thrown around. While the power is potentially devastating, the recharge turn can easily cause you to lose a match, even if you KO your target. (Plus, if it helps, when you factor in recharge, Hydro Cannon only has an effective BP of 75.)
Notable Water Pokemon
These Pokemon are usually quite common in the tier. Some aren't, but their threat potential is high enough and well known enough that they should be kept in mind. All teams should strive to be ready to handle these Pokemon and, if they're seeking a Water-type to use themselves, should probably look here first.
(Note: Any sets labeled as "Classic" are either direct Gen V sets or are heavily based on them.)
-Kyogre: With its high stats, it outclasses pretty much every other mono-Water type in the game. Kyogre can leverage 150 Special Attack to cause significant damage or utilize its 100/90/140 bulk to run support, sponge hits, or set-up relatively safely. The example sets are variants of its most common uses, and may not be the best variants (this is intended, before anyone complains), although it can easily perform other tasks.
Regenvest
Ability: Regenerator
Item: Assault Vest
Move 1: Surf
Move 2: Ice Beam
Move 3: Nuzzle
Move 4: Volt Switch
Offensive Poison Heal
Ability: Poison Heal
Item: Toxic Orb
Move 1: Steam Eruption
Move 2: Moon Blast
Move 3: Spore
Move 4: Quiver Dance
Support Prankster
Ability: Prankster
Item: Leftovers
Move 1: Encore
Move 2: Parting Shot
Move 3: Recover
Move 4: Destiny Bond
Ability: Regenerator
Item: Assault Vest
Move 1: Surf
Move 2: Ice Beam
Move 3: Nuzzle
Move 4: Volt Switch
Offensive Poison Heal
Ability: Poison Heal
Item: Toxic Orb
Move 1: Steam Eruption
Move 2: Moon Blast
Move 3: Spore
Move 4: Quiver Dance
Support Prankster
Ability: Prankster
Item: Leftovers
Move 1: Encore
Move 2: Parting Shot
Move 3: Recover
Move 4: Destiny Bond
-Palkia: With its high stats and rare typing, Palkia can be a frightening Pokemon to face down. However, Gen VI has not be kind to it as Palkia lost permanent rain, is 4x weak to the new Dry Freeze (for what that's worth), and now has to contend with Assault Vest users and Fairy-types, the latter of which can be immune to both of Palkia's STABs if they so choose. So, despite its power, Palkia is a fairly rare sight. However, being unprepared to handle its standard sets will more than likely spell your doom if you do bump into it. It's most well known for running Drizzle + Water Spout, usually backed by either Choice Specs or Choice Scarf, with Draco Meteor to hit Water-resistant targets.
Classic Drizzle Lead
Ability: Drizzle
Item: Choice Scarf/Specs
Move 1: Waterspout
Move 2: Draco Meteor
Move 3: Trick
Move 4: Recover
Classic Rain Abuse
Ability: Swiftswim
Item: Lustrous Orb
Move 1: Steam Eruption
Move 2: Spacial Rend
Move 3: Spore or Whirlpool
Move 4: Recover or Whirlpool
Ability: Drizzle
Item: Choice Scarf/Specs
Move 1: Waterspout
Move 2: Draco Meteor
Move 3: Trick
Move 4: Recover
Classic Rain Abuse
Ability: Swiftswim
Item: Lustrous Orb
Move 1: Steam Eruption
Move 2: Spacial Rend
Move 3: Spore or Whirlpool
Move 4: Recover or Whirlpool
-Gyarados-Mega: One thing people asked for last generation was a good physical Water-typed attacker. Gyarados was therefore blessed with mega-powers to shed it's 4x Electric weakness and gain more power and bulk. Gyarados is frequently a set-up sweeper, often using Poison Heal, and typically smashes through things with Crabhammer while using Knock Off and Sacred Fire for coverage. While it has amazing utility, Knock Off does let Gyarados down by suffering a significant drop in power once the target's item is removed, which means some things, like Giratina, can wall and harass Gyarados instead of getting forced out or KOed. Meanwhile, its next best choice, Crunch, has a disappointing base power of only 80. Still though, Gyarados is still more than dangerous enough that it can't be taken lightly.
Offensive Poison Heal
Ability: Poison Heal
Item: Toxic Orb
Move 1: Crabhammer
Move 2: Knock Off
Move 3: Sacred Fire
Move 4: Shift Gear
Mega Evolution
Ability: Simple
Item: Gyaradosite
Move 1: Crabhammer
Move 2: Knock Off
Move 3: Sacred Fire
Move 4: Shift Gear
Ability: Poison Heal
Item: Toxic Orb
Move 1: Crabhammer
Move 2: Knock Off
Move 3: Sacred Fire
Move 4: Shift Gear
Mega Evolution
Ability: Simple
Item: Gyaradosite
Move 1: Crabhammer
Move 2: Knock Off
Move 3: Sacred Fire
Move 4: Shift Gear
Niche Water Pokemon
There are some Pokemon that can be quite dangerous, but only function well on specific teams or with specific support. Or they may be reliant on a gimmick that only functions once or twice a match. A Pokemon falls into this "tier" if it hits the above requirements while still posing a consistent and credible threat to most teams while also not being outclassed in the role it's attempting to fill.
-Keldeo: While it doesn't have the most power around, and its 91/90/90 bulk can sometimes make it difficult to take hits, Keldeo breaks both the 100 and 105 speed tiers with its 108 speed, making it faster than pretty much all other usable Water-types, while still boasting good power in the form of 129 Special Attack. Keldeo's Water/Fighting typing allows it to abuse moves like Steam Eruption and Water Spout while having access to STAB Secret Sword to bypass dedicated special walls, such as non-Imposter Chansey. However, the advent and common usage of both Mega Mewtwos, who both outspeed Keldeo, make it harder to use this generation than previously.
Classic Drizzle Lead
Ability: Drizzle
Item: Choice Scarf/Specs
Move 1: Waterspout
Move 2: Secret Sword
Move 3: Trick
Move 4: Recover
Classic Rain Abuse
Ability: Adaptability or Swiftswim
Item: Life Orb or Safety Goggles or Lum Berry
Move 1: Steam Eruption
Move 2: Secret Sword
Move 3: Recover or Whirlpool
Move 4: Recover or Thunder
Ability: Drizzle
Item: Choice Scarf/Specs
Move 1: Waterspout
Move 2: Secret Sword
Move 3: Trick
Move 4: Recover
Classic Rain Abuse
Ability: Adaptability or Swiftswim
Item: Life Orb or Safety Goggles or Lum Berry
Move 1: Steam Eruption
Move 2: Secret Sword
Move 3: Recover or Whirlpool
Move 4: Recover or Thunder
-Gyarados-Normal: Since mega-evolutions can now mega-evolve into themselves, as weird as that is, you might be wondering what role Gyarados-N can possible have? Simple: it does the same thing as the megalution abuse Gyrados-M does except it uses its Flying secondary typing to safely switch into Fighting or Ground attacks (that aren't Thousand Arrows) to set-up, which may be handy for Imposter-harassing. It could also abuse Aerilate/Gale Wings better than its Mega, but we're heading into theorymon territory there. Also, keep in mind that regular Gyra also has a 4x Electric weakness, which means it risks getting significantly hurt by even mundane things such as Cresselia's Volt Switch.
Example set is the same as Gyra-M's Mega Evolution set.
-Volcanion: Sporting a unique Fire/Water type combination, Volcanion is one of the few Water-types that does not fear Contrary Leaf Storm. It also has a STAB combination that's resisted by only opposing Water and Dragon-types and notably gets STAB on both Eruption and Waterspout. While not as bulky as Kyogre, it typically uses its typing to run a Regenvest set as, unlike Kyogre, it resists Pixelate users too. It could also potentially run special or mixed offensive sets thanks to its 110/130 attacking stats and useful STAB coverage, though its base 70 speed would hold it back if left unboosted.
Regenvest
Ability: Regenerator
Item: Assault Vest
Move 1: Scald/Steam Eruption
Move 2: Lava Plume/Searing Shot/Sacred Fire
Move 3: Rapid Spin
Move 4: Volt Switch
Ability: Regenerator
Item: Assault Vest
Move 1: Scald/Steam Eruption
Move 2: Lava Plume/Searing Shot/Sacred Fire
Move 3: Rapid Spin
Move 4: Volt Switch
-Tentacruel: This Pokemon sits in a similar boat as Volcanion in not fearing Grass attacks and also resisting Pixelate. However, it also has a few unique quirks that give it a small niche over other Water-types, such as being able to remove Toxic Spikes on switch-in, perfectly accurate Toxic, being startlingly fast (base 100 speed, higher than other notables besides Keldeo), having surprisingly high special bulk, can safely switch into Prankster Venusaur-M's Black Sludge Trick, and able to threaten Xerneas and other fairies with its rarely seen Poison STAB. However, its offensives are on the low side, so outside of super-effective hits, it should be focusing on support or statusy moves. And also, like other niche Pokemon, you should only uses it when it synergizes with your team better than one of the standard Water or Poison types.
Regenvest
Ability: Regenerator
Item: Assault Vest
Move 1: Scald/Steam Eruption
Move 2: Sludge Wave
Move 3: Rapid Spin/Nuzzle/Sacred Fire
Move 4: Volt Switch/Another pick from Move 3
Ability: Regenerator
Item: Assault Vest
Move 1: Scald/Steam Eruption
Move 2: Sludge Wave
Move 3: Rapid Spin/Nuzzle/Sacred Fire
Move 4: Volt Switch/Another pick from Move 3
Do Not Use
These are Pokemon that may be mistaken as good by newer players when, in truth, they're either outclassed or they just don't have the stats needed to take advantage of their unique qualities. Most Pokemon not in the Notable or Niche lists will fit here, and many, if not all, of those on the Theorymons list may actually belong here too. If it's not listed anywhere, it's usually safe to assume it belongs here. However, there are undiscovered gems out there waiting to be found by those willing to experiment, but be sure you're trying them out for the right reasons and not for the sake of being different.
-Blastoise-Mega: One of the examples of "Mega-evoltution =/= instantly viable". Blastoise boasts higher Defense and very slightly Attack than Kyogre However, everything else is lower, including its HP, which compromises whatever advantage in physical bulk it might have had. And since Gyarados-M outdoes it in the physical offense department, Blastoise-M finds itself in an awkward position of being decent at either of their roles but not good enough at either to really take advantage of that.
Water Theorymons
These are Pokemon with interesting quirks that show potential, but have not been ran to consistent success. A lot of these may have had roles, prominent or niche, in the last generation and have since fallen to the wayside without being completely outclassed by something new. There's no promises that these Pokemon are any good, or even usable, in the tier and new players are discouraged from choosing these over anything in the Notable or Niche categories. These Pokemon are listed here purely to help more experienced players come up with new ideas for sets and teams. Any mentioned potential is either theory or based on last generation performance, so run these at your own risk.
-Jellicent: With its unique typing, Jellicent had a small niche in the last generation as a defensive/support Pokemon. However, it so far appears to be absent from this generation, perhaps due to the rise of threatening Dark and Ghost-types as well as permanent weather vanishing.
Support
Ability: Magic Bounce
Item: Leftovers
Move 1: Defog
Move 2: Will-o-Wisp
Move 3: Heal Bell
Move 4: Recover
Ability: Magic Bounce
Item: Leftovers
Move 1: Defog
Move 2: Will-o-Wisp
Move 3: Heal Bell
Move 4: Recover
-Lapras: Despite many weaknesses, it was surprisingly bulky and could take a number of hits. Last generation it largely functioned as a stall-based Pokemon on hail teams, boasting both a natural immunity to hail and a neutrality to Fire. It fell to the wayside with the weather nerf, but it does boast a 4x resistance to Ice without being weak to Thousand Arrows, a move that's been making Heatran sad, so it might have a niche in its massive resistances to Refrigerate sets.
Classic Poison Stall
Ability: Poison Heal
Item: Toxic Orb
Move 1: Substitute
Move 2: Spiky Shield
Move 3: Psycho Shift or Toxic
Move 4: Gastro Acid or Simple Beam or Worry Seed
Ability: Poison Heal
Item: Toxic Orb
Move 1: Substitute
Move 2: Spiky Shield
Move 3: Psycho Shift or Toxic
Move 4: Gastro Acid or Simple Beam or Worry Seed
-Cloyster: Like Lapras, it boasts 4x Ice resistance. Unlike Lapras, its bulk is lopsided. It can wall Kyurem-B to no end with its beyond impressive 180 Defense. However, with 50/45 special bulk, Kyurem-W and other special Refrigerate users would probably laugh at it.
-Azumarill: During the early days of Gen VI, Azumarill was speculated to be a good Palkia/Reshiram check since it naturally resisted Water Spout and Eruption and was also immune to Draco Meteor and Spacial Rend. However, with both Palkia and Reshiram being a rare sight, Azumarill was never called upon to take up the mantle of weather-dragon slayer. Whether it'll ever need to take up that role, or another, is questionable. However, offensively, the ban to Huge Power makes its damage output weaker than it is in standard.
Dragon Slayer
Ability: Adaptability
Item: Safety Goggles
Move 1: Play Rough
Move 2: Thousand Waves
Move 3: U-Turn
Move 4: Recover
Ability: Adaptability
Item: Safety Goggles
Move 1: Play Rough
Move 2: Thousand Waves
Move 3: U-Turn
Move 4: Recover
-Arceus-Water: With 120 base spread, Arceus has great stats to utilize. However, the main problem with Arceus forms is that it requires both its ability and item slot to change from a Normal typing. On the other hand, this does mean any non-Normal Arceus is inherently resistant to Imposters and also immune to losing its item. As a Water-type, Arceus has a few possible niches: fastest Water-type in the tier, better mixed bulk than Kyogre, physical Water-sweeping without Gyarados' Fairy and Fighting weaknesses, and better mixed sweeping potential than anything else. However, despite its potential, Aquarceus remains unused.
Judgement Sweeper
Ability: Multitype
Item: Water Plate
Move 1: Judgement
Move 2: Blue Flare
Move 3: Quiver Dance/Tail Glow
Move 4: Recover
Ability: Multitype
Item: Water Plate
Move 1: Judgement
Move 2: Blue Flare
Move 3: Quiver Dance/Tail Glow
Move 4: Recover