Anyways saw that most of the other metagames had this sort of thread, so I decided to start one here.
As many of the Ubers regulars know, the ladder is kind of cancerous. The cause of this might be because new users are not really sure which sets are the most effective in the current metagame. The purpose of this thread is to educate new users and to introduce to them sets that are inherently "better" than the "not as good" sets. This thread is in no way frowning down upon innovative and uncommon sets, rather, it is leaning toward improving the quality of battles in this metagame.
An example of how you should format your responses:
Don't Use This:
Chansey @ Eviolite
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD
Bold Nature
- Wish / Heal Bell
- Soft-Boiled
- Seismic Toss
- Toxic
Why It's Bad:
Chansey may seem like your perfect specially-defensive wall in Ubers, but the presence of Shadow Tag makes it trash. It is capable of Wish-passing, but again, Shadow Tag is a big enough reason to NOT use Chansey. Also unlike its evolution, Chansey really requires Eviolite to be able to function properly so it can't use an item like Shed Shell to escape Shadow Tag users. Without Shed Shell, Chansey is complete Shadow Tag bait, being completely removed by Mega Gar and is set-up bait for Gothitelle.
Instead, use this:
Blissey @ Shed Shell
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Toxic
- Flamethrower / Seismic toss
- Soft-Boiled
- Heal Bell
Why It's Better:
While Blissey loses its access to Eviolite, it still possesses enough bulk to do its job well. It also can use the item Shed Shell. This alone is a good reason to use Blissey over Chansey. While its pre-evolution is susceptible to Mega-Gengar and Gothitelle, Blissey is able to switch out and escape Shadow Tag, allowing it to still either go into a ‘mon that beats either of the Stag users (i.e. Yveltal).
RULES:
-Make sure the set / Pokemon that you're talking about is actually decently common; anyone with a brain can tell that Swampert isn't a viable choice in Ubers, but Pokemon that actually get usage such as Deoxys-Defense are the type of thing that this thread is meant to inform about.
http://sim.smogon.com:8080/Stats/2014-07/moveset/ubers-0.0.txt
Archive:
As many of the Ubers regulars know, the ladder is kind of cancerous. The cause of this might be because new users are not really sure which sets are the most effective in the current metagame. The purpose of this thread is to educate new users and to introduce to them sets that are inherently "better" than the "not as good" sets. This thread is in no way frowning down upon innovative and uncommon sets, rather, it is leaning toward improving the quality of battles in this metagame.
An example of how you should format your responses:
Don't Use This:
Chansey @ Eviolite
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD
Bold Nature
- Wish / Heal Bell
- Soft-Boiled
- Seismic Toss
- Toxic
Why It's Bad:
Chansey may seem like your perfect specially-defensive wall in Ubers, but the presence of Shadow Tag makes it trash. It is capable of Wish-passing, but again, Shadow Tag is a big enough reason to NOT use Chansey. Also unlike its evolution, Chansey really requires Eviolite to be able to function properly so it can't use an item like Shed Shell to escape Shadow Tag users. Without Shed Shell, Chansey is complete Shadow Tag bait, being completely removed by Mega Gar and is set-up bait for Gothitelle.
Instead, use this:
Blissey @ Shed Shell
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Toxic
- Flamethrower / Seismic toss
- Soft-Boiled
- Heal Bell
Why It's Better:
While Blissey loses its access to Eviolite, it still possesses enough bulk to do its job well. It also can use the item Shed Shell. This alone is a good reason to use Blissey over Chansey. While its pre-evolution is susceptible to Mega-Gengar and Gothitelle, Blissey is able to switch out and escape Shadow Tag, allowing it to still either go into a ‘mon that beats either of the Stag users (i.e. Yveltal).
RULES:
-Make sure the set / Pokemon that you're talking about is actually decently common; anyone with a brain can tell that Swampert isn't a viable choice in Ubers, but Pokemon that actually get usage such as Deoxys-Defense are the type of thing that this thread is meant to inform about.
http://sim.smogon.com:8080/Stats/2014-07/moveset/ubers-0.0.txt
Archive:
Don't Use
Darkrai @ leftovers
EVs: 4 HP/252 Sp Atk/252 Speed
Nature: Timid
-Dark Void
-DREAM EATER
-Nightmare
-ect
Use This Instead
Darkrai @ Life Orb
EVs: 4 HP/252 Sp Atk/252 Speed
Nature: Timid
-Dark Void
-Sludge Bomb
-Nasty Plot
-Dark Pulse
Darkrai @ leftovers
EVs: 4 HP/252 Sp Atk/252 Speed
Nature: Timid
-Dark Void
-DREAM EATER
-Nightmare
-ect
Use This Instead
Darkrai @ Life Orb
EVs: 4 HP/252 Sp Atk/252 Speed
Nature: Timid
-Dark Void
-Sludge Bomb
-Nasty Plot
-Dark Pulse
DON'T USE THIS
Yveltal @ Life Orb
EVs: 252 SpA 252 Spe
Nature: Mild
-Steel Wing
-Dark Pulse
-Oblivion Wing
-Sucker Punch
USE THIS
Yveltal @ Life Orb
EVs: 252 SpA 252 Spe
Nature: Mild
-Sucker Punch
-Dark Pulse
-Oblivion Wing
-Taunt / U-Turn
252+ SpA Life Orb Yveltal Oblivion Wing vs. 104 HP / 0 SpD Xerneas: 191-226 (45.5 - 53.9%) -- 43.4% chance to 2HKO
4 Atk Life Orb Yveltal Steel Wing vs. 104 HP / 32 Def Xerneas: 169-200 (40.3 - 47.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
Yveltal @ Life Orb
EVs: 252 SpA 252 Spe
Nature: Mild
-Steel Wing
-Dark Pulse
-Oblivion Wing
-Sucker Punch
USE THIS
Yveltal @ Life Orb
EVs: 252 SpA 252 Spe
Nature: Mild
-Sucker Punch
-Dark Pulse
-Oblivion Wing
-Taunt / U-Turn
252+ SpA Life Orb Yveltal Oblivion Wing vs. 104 HP / 0 SpD Xerneas: 191-226 (45.5 - 53.9%) -- 43.4% chance to 2HKO
4 Atk Life Orb Yveltal Steel Wing vs. 104 HP / 32 Def Xerneas: 169-200 (40.3 - 47.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
Don't use this(plz;_;):
Xerneas @ Power Herb
Ability: Fairy Aura
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
- Geomancy
- Moonblast
- FLASH CANNON
- Thunderbolt / Hidden Power Fire / Focus Blast / Psychic
Why it is bad:
The main problem here Flash Cannon which makes no sense on Xerneas whatsoever because Moonblast does more to things weak to Steel-type attacks than Flash Cannon with the only exceptions being Carbink and Diancie.
Use this instead:
Xerneas @ Power Herb
Ability: Fairy Aura
EVs: 104 HP / 32 Def / 252 SpA / 120 Spe or 104 HP / 28 Def / 252 SpA / 124 Spe (with HP Fire)
Modest Nature
- Geomancy
- Moonblast
- Hidden Power Fire / Substitute / Focus Blast
- Thunder / Psyshock
Why this is better:
First of all, there is no wasted moveslot on Flash Cannon. Second of all, this Xerneas is prepared for Sticky Web teams using MMY or Genesect. 120 / 124 Speed EVs allow it to outrun Mega Mewtwo Y at +1 and the Defense EVs give Genesect the Special Attack Boost from Download instead of powering up its Iron Head before you want to set up your Geomancy. Thunder does a lot more to Specially Defensive Kyogre than Moonblast. It is much easier to get enough prior damage to KO with Thunder than Moonblast. Thunder also hits Ho-Oh extremely hard and is a good way to smack around most Steel-types and Poison-types as well. Psyshock is slightly weaker than Psychic in terms of Base Power, but it does pick up the same KOes as Psychic and hits Ho-Oh for a lot more damage than Psychic ever will. Its ability to 2HKO Blissey is a very nice perk as well. Substitute helps Xerneas set up on Mons that use status to cripple it and also gives Xerneas a chance to best Aegislash one on one. I highly recommend using Thunder along side Substitute.
Xerneas @ Power Herb
Ability: Fairy Aura
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
- Geomancy
- Moonblast
- FLASH CANNON
- Thunderbolt / Hidden Power Fire / Focus Blast / Psychic
Why it is bad:
The main problem here Flash Cannon which makes no sense on Xerneas whatsoever because Moonblast does more to things weak to Steel-type attacks than Flash Cannon with the only exceptions being Carbink and Diancie.
- 252+ SpA Xerneas Flash Cannon vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Arceus-Fairy: 166-196 (37.3 - 44.1%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
- 252+ SpA Fairy Aura Xerneas Moonblast vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Arceus-Fairy: 196-232 (44.1 - 52.2%) -- 16.8% chance to 2HKO
- +2 252+ SpA Xerneas Thunderbolt vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Kyogre: 248-292 (61.5 - 72.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
- +2 252+ SpA Fairy Aura Xerneas Moonblast vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Kyogre: 261-307 (64.7 - 76.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
Use this instead:
Xerneas @ Power Herb
Ability: Fairy Aura
EVs: 104 HP / 32 Def / 252 SpA / 120 Spe or 104 HP / 28 Def / 252 SpA / 124 Spe (with HP Fire)
Modest Nature
- Geomancy
- Moonblast
- Hidden Power Fire / Substitute / Focus Blast
- Thunder / Psyshock
Why this is better:
First of all, there is no wasted moveslot on Flash Cannon. Second of all, this Xerneas is prepared for Sticky Web teams using MMY or Genesect. 120 / 124 Speed EVs allow it to outrun Mega Mewtwo Y at +1 and the Defense EVs give Genesect the Special Attack Boost from Download instead of powering up its Iron Head before you want to set up your Geomancy. Thunder does a lot more to Specially Defensive Kyogre than Moonblast. It is much easier to get enough prior damage to KO with Thunder than Moonblast. Thunder also hits Ho-Oh extremely hard and is a good way to smack around most Steel-types and Poison-types as well. Psyshock is slightly weaker than Psychic in terms of Base Power, but it does pick up the same KOes as Psychic and hits Ho-Oh for a lot more damage than Psychic ever will. Its ability to 2HKO Blissey is a very nice perk as well. Substitute helps Xerneas set up on Mons that use status to cripple it and also gives Xerneas a chance to best Aegislash one on one. I highly recommend using Thunder along side Substitute.
Don't use this:
Giratina @ Leftovers / Chesto Berry
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- DEFOG
- Rest / Some random offensive move
- Sleep Talk / Roar / Dragon Tail / Some other random move
Why it is bad:
Giratina has titanic bulk and access to Defog which should be the recipe for a good hazard clearer... this is false. Giratina has one of the worst cases of 4mss and trying to cram another move like Defog on a set lowers its already bad efficiency to unusable levels vs competent teams. The problem is that its only form of decent recovery is Rest (pain split is pretty terrible with that titanic HP stat). With so many threats to Giratina in XY, it also wants Sleep Talk in order to have a chance of not giving these threats a chance to freely switch in. This leaves 2 slots that need to be dedicated to hurting these threats / phasing them and no room for support moves that don't deter free switch ins.
If you really want to use a Ghost with Defog, then use one of these instead:
Arceus @ Spooky Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 248 HP / 148 Def / 112 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Judgment
- Defog
- Recover
- Will-O-Wisp
Why it is better:
What makes Arceus-Ghost better is Recover and better offensive presence. It can keep itself in good health with only one moveslot meaning it actually has room for a support move like Defog. It's offensive presence is better because of its decent 120 base Special Attack, and it is using a base 100 Ghost attack as it's attacking option instead of a mediocre special Attack and Shadow Ball.
Giratina-O @ Griseous Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 Atk / 180 Def / 76 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Defog
- Shadow Sneak
- Dragon Tail
- Will-O-Wisp
Why it is better:
What makes this Giratina forme better at using Defog than the other are its useable offensive stats and its orb and, to a lesser extent, Levitate. It can actually beat a couple Taunt users one on one (offensive Mewtwo and Deoxys-S) with Shadow Sneak and it's better Attack stat. These Attack stat buffs also make Giratina-O less of a wall and more of a tank, making Dragon Tail > Roar a much more viable option on it unlike its Altered forme. Levitate gives this Giratina a lot more free switch in opportunities as well and allows it to beat / force out Ground-type threats, giving it plenty of chances to Defog. Levitate also makes Giratina-O immune to Spikes and Toxic Spikes, making it the biggest pain for Scolipede Offense to face.
Use this instead if you want to use Giratina-A:
Giratina @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spe or 248 HP / 252 SpD / 8 Spe (Speed creep at your discretion)
Bold / Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Will-O-Wisp
- Roar
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Why it is better:
This is the only set of moves Giratina can viably run. Rest is there to keep Giratina healthy and able to wall certain threats for as long as possible. Will-O-Wisp is a given to help Giratina wear down its switch ins and also helps it in crippling threats it is designed to wall. Roar makes sure Giratina has a weapon against set up sweepers since it is more or less a Dusclops without Seismic Toss without it. Roar is used over Dragon Tail because of the Fairy-types that roam Ubers whom would be able to freely set up on Giratina should it not have Roar. Sleep Talk is there to harass Giratina's switch-ins while it is Resting. Fairies, Darkrai, and Yveltal are all extremely dangerous switch-ins to Giratina and giving them a free switch with no chance of punishment is a bad idea in itself.
Giratina @ Leftovers / Chesto Berry
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- DEFOG
- Rest / Some random offensive move
- Sleep Talk / Roar / Dragon Tail / Some other random move
Why it is bad:
Giratina has titanic bulk and access to Defog which should be the recipe for a good hazard clearer... this is false. Giratina has one of the worst cases of 4mss and trying to cram another move like Defog on a set lowers its already bad efficiency to unusable levels vs competent teams. The problem is that its only form of decent recovery is Rest (pain split is pretty terrible with that titanic HP stat). With so many threats to Giratina in XY, it also wants Sleep Talk in order to have a chance of not giving these threats a chance to freely switch in. This leaves 2 slots that need to be dedicated to hurting these threats / phasing them and no room for support moves that don't deter free switch ins.
If you really want to use a Ghost with Defog, then use one of these instead:
Arceus @ Spooky Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 248 HP / 148 Def / 112 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Judgment
- Defog
- Recover
- Will-O-Wisp
Why it is better:
What makes Arceus-Ghost better is Recover and better offensive presence. It can keep itself in good health with only one moveslot meaning it actually has room for a support move like Defog. It's offensive presence is better because of its decent 120 base Special Attack, and it is using a base 100 Ghost attack as it's attacking option instead of a mediocre special Attack and Shadow Ball.
Giratina-O @ Griseous Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 Atk / 180 Def / 76 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Defog
- Shadow Sneak
- Dragon Tail
- Will-O-Wisp
Why it is better:
What makes this Giratina forme better at using Defog than the other are its useable offensive stats and its orb and, to a lesser extent, Levitate. It can actually beat a couple Taunt users one on one (offensive Mewtwo and Deoxys-S) with Shadow Sneak and it's better Attack stat. These Attack stat buffs also make Giratina-O less of a wall and more of a tank, making Dragon Tail > Roar a much more viable option on it unlike its Altered forme. Levitate gives this Giratina a lot more free switch in opportunities as well and allows it to beat / force out Ground-type threats, giving it plenty of chances to Defog. Levitate also makes Giratina-O immune to Spikes and Toxic Spikes, making it the biggest pain for Scolipede Offense to face.
Use this instead if you want to use Giratina-A:
Giratina @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spe or 248 HP / 252 SpD / 8 Spe (Speed creep at your discretion)
Bold / Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Will-O-Wisp
- Roar
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Why it is better:
This is the only set of moves Giratina can viably run. Rest is there to keep Giratina healthy and able to wall certain threats for as long as possible. Will-O-Wisp is a given to help Giratina wear down its switch ins and also helps it in crippling threats it is designed to wall. Roar makes sure Giratina has a weapon against set up sweepers since it is more or less a Dusclops without Seismic Toss without it. Roar is used over Dragon Tail because of the Fairy-types that roam Ubers whom would be able to freely set up on Giratina should it not have Roar. Sleep Talk is there to harass Giratina's switch-ins while it is Resting. Fairies, Darkrai, and Yveltal are all extremely dangerous switch-ins to Giratina and giving them a free switch with no chance of punishment is a bad idea in itself.
Don't use this
Ho-Oh @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: I don't know
Adamant Nature
- Brave Bird
- Sacred Fire
- Earthquake
- Flame Charge
I don't really get this set by my logic, but I have seen even voiced or higher users in the Ubers room (not that it actually matters) and on my brief stint on the ladder during suspect testing using this so I guess it's somewhat relevant. From a Xerneas-checking perspective, let me just out it this way: you are not going to check Xerneas without removing Stealth Rock anyway.
+2 252+ SpA Xerneas Thunder vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Assault Vest Ho-Oh: 58.7 - 69.3%
I am just actually blindly guessing but it seems to me that the big incentive of using ass vest mons would be to check strong special attackers, and Ho-oh's beneficial typing definitely helps vs Xerneas. However, you are just as fine or even better off using a standard Ho-oh with moves like Thunder Wave, Whirlwind or items like Life Orb or Choice Band to either stop Xerneas or damage it heavily. Even if you managed to keep SR up for your assault vest Ho-oh, Xerneas still 2hkos you while you can't OHKO back, phaze or twave it. I also want to note that having Ho-oh as a lone Xerneas answer will not be sufficient, but I expect everyone to understand this by now. As for other special attackers you check better I guess Palkia is somewhat relevant, though you are still 2HKOd. Sucker Punch from Yveltal will still do big damage so taking those Dark Pulses better won't really help. All in all, since the reliance on SR removal makes Ho-oh's performance somewhat inconsistent, the worst you can actually do to help it become more self-sustaining is to take away its ability to heal, deal big damage and status/phaze by using assault vest.
Instead use
Ho-Oh @ Life Orb or Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 52 SpD everything else is customizable
Adamant or Impish Nature
- Sacred Fire
- Brave Bird
- Roost
- Whirlwind or Thunder Wave
If you really want a Ho-oh to back-up check Xerneas, then this is the best I can give you. Via the HP and sdef investment, a +2 Thunder will never OHKO you at full health, meaning you can phaze or slow it down. The additional ev distribution is either 200 defense and 8 speed (creep) with impish+leftovers w/ whirlwind is perfectly viable for defensive Ho-oh while a more offensive distribution with adamant+LO and a lot of attack and some speed creep as well as twave is a very nice option too.
Ho-Oh @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: I don't know
Adamant Nature
- Brave Bird
- Sacred Fire
- Earthquake
- Flame Charge
I don't really get this set by my logic, but I have seen even voiced or higher users in the Ubers room (not that it actually matters) and on my brief stint on the ladder during suspect testing using this so I guess it's somewhat relevant. From a Xerneas-checking perspective, let me just out it this way: you are not going to check Xerneas without removing Stealth Rock anyway.
+2 252+ SpA Xerneas Thunder vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Assault Vest Ho-Oh: 58.7 - 69.3%
I am just actually blindly guessing but it seems to me that the big incentive of using ass vest mons would be to check strong special attackers, and Ho-oh's beneficial typing definitely helps vs Xerneas. However, you are just as fine or even better off using a standard Ho-oh with moves like Thunder Wave, Whirlwind or items like Life Orb or Choice Band to either stop Xerneas or damage it heavily. Even if you managed to keep SR up for your assault vest Ho-oh, Xerneas still 2hkos you while you can't OHKO back, phaze or twave it. I also want to note that having Ho-oh as a lone Xerneas answer will not be sufficient, but I expect everyone to understand this by now. As for other special attackers you check better I guess Palkia is somewhat relevant, though you are still 2HKOd. Sucker Punch from Yveltal will still do big damage so taking those Dark Pulses better won't really help. All in all, since the reliance on SR removal makes Ho-oh's performance somewhat inconsistent, the worst you can actually do to help it become more self-sustaining is to take away its ability to heal, deal big damage and status/phaze by using assault vest.
Instead use
Ho-Oh @ Life Orb or Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 52 SpD everything else is customizable
Adamant or Impish Nature
- Sacred Fire
- Brave Bird
- Roost
- Whirlwind or Thunder Wave
If you really want a Ho-oh to back-up check Xerneas, then this is the best I can give you. Via the HP and sdef investment, a +2 Thunder will never OHKO you at full health, meaning you can phaze or slow it down. The additional ev distribution is either 200 defense and 8 speed (creep) with impish+leftovers w/ whirlwind is perfectly viable for defensive Ho-oh while a more offensive distribution with adamant+LO and a lot of attack and some speed creep as well as twave is a very nice option too.
Don't use this
Scizor @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Superpower
- Pursuit
I can clearly see the logic behind this, being able to do around 80 % (don't quote me on that) to GeoXern is definitely more than acceptable. There are, however, things outside of that thought process that must be taken into account when opting to use the metal bug. The ubers metagame is filled with many attacks that Scizor can take quite easily, defensive Fairys tend to do little, the occasional scarf Zekrom may lock into Outrage at some point, Lugia may throw out an Aeroblast every now and then. Scizor has a beneficial typing and good stats to be much more consistent in tanking and for this, you will need Roost. Roost is so mandatory on Ubers Scizor that I'd probably write this paragraph even if it didn't get the following support moves: Defog, Swords Dance, Toxic that are all unusable with a Choice Band.
Instead try this
Scizor @ Scizorite
Ability: Light Metal
EVs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 244 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch
- Roost
- Knock Off
- Swords Dance
or
Scizor @ Scizorite
Ability: Light Metal
EVs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 244 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch
- Roost
- Toxic / U-turn
- Pursuit
or defog
You will find yourself so much more flexible. The SD set not only deals decent damage to Xerneas, it manages to pressure teams with a bp resistant support Arceus forme by virtue of Knock Off. More than often, given the right support, it manages to clean up weakened teams elegantly. All in all, ultimate defensive Fairy haunter aside from Gengar.
The more support inclined pursuit set is still very reliable at removing non-hp fire Gengar. You can choose U-turn in the third slot, which prevents dbond Gengar shenanigans while Toxic at least does cripple Ho-oh among other common switch ins.
Scizor @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Superpower
- Pursuit
I can clearly see the logic behind this, being able to do around 80 % (don't quote me on that) to GeoXern is definitely more than acceptable. There are, however, things outside of that thought process that must be taken into account when opting to use the metal bug. The ubers metagame is filled with many attacks that Scizor can take quite easily, defensive Fairys tend to do little, the occasional scarf Zekrom may lock into Outrage at some point, Lugia may throw out an Aeroblast every now and then. Scizor has a beneficial typing and good stats to be much more consistent in tanking and for this, you will need Roost. Roost is so mandatory on Ubers Scizor that I'd probably write this paragraph even if it didn't get the following support moves: Defog, Swords Dance, Toxic that are all unusable with a Choice Band.
Instead try this
Scizor @ Scizorite
Ability: Light Metal
EVs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 244 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch
- Roost
- Knock Off
- Swords Dance
or
Scizor @ Scizorite
Ability: Light Metal
EVs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 244 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch
- Roost
- Toxic / U-turn
- Pursuit
or defog
You will find yourself so much more flexible. The SD set not only deals decent damage to Xerneas, it manages to pressure teams with a bp resistant support Arceus forme by virtue of Knock Off. More than often, given the right support, it manages to clean up weakened teams elegantly. All in all, ultimate defensive Fairy haunter aside from Gengar.
The more support inclined pursuit set is still very reliable at removing non-hp fire Gengar. You can choose U-turn in the third slot, which prevents dbond Gengar shenanigans while Toxic at least does cripple Ho-oh among other common switch ins.
Calm Mind Lugia is a terrible set to use in Ubers. With so many Specially Defensive threats such as Ho-Oh, Aegislash, opposing Lugia and pretty much any Arceus form there is that decides to run Special bulk, and with the pitiful base 90 Special Attack Lugia "boasts", offensive Lugia is a waste of time and should never be considered, especially when there are much better users of Calm Mind to choose from. Even with Calm Mind boosts, it'll fail to do any kind of damage to many of the bulkier Pokemon in the tier. Lugia should be used as a defensive or specially defensive wall, something it has excelled at tremendously since it was first introduced in Generation II.
I've seen a Calm Mind Lugia set that makes me want to crawl under a hole and rip my nipples off:
Don't use this:
Lugia @ Leftovers
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpA
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Aeroblast
Do I really need to explain why Crogia is terrible?...
Do I?...
I have to?...
....okaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay...
Why it's bad:
I don't even know where to begin.
As I stated earlier, even with Calm Mind boosts, Aeroblast will not do jack with even neutral hits. Here's some calcs:
+1 8 SpA Lugia Aeroblast vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Kyogre: 111-132 (32.4 - 38.5%) -- 98.2% chance to 3HKO
+1 8 SpA Lugia Aeroblast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Arceus: 127-151 (33.3 - 39.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
+3 8 SpA Lugia Aeroblast vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Ho-Oh: 171-202 (41.2 - 48.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
You get the point.
The attack of choice is horrible because of its low PP at 8. With so many users of Pressure in Ubers, Aeroblast can easily be stalled out in 4 turns, at which point, Lugia has no more offensive presence and this set would be deemed useless since the only way you can use Aeroblast at that point is through Sleep Talk, which is highly unreliable. Shit will only get worse when you're Taunted, which means that you'll be forced to Struggle once you're out of PP for Aeroblast.
I'm not even done explaining why this turd of a set is terrible. It's Whirlwind, Roar and Dragon Tail bait. Thanks to the fact that this Lugia has no offensive presence even with boosts, the opponent has no problem forcing this set out with one phasing move.
I forgot to mention that since Aeroblast is your only attacking move, you're walled by anything in the tier that resists Flying...have fun with that.
Use instead:
Lugia @ Leftovers
Ability: Multiscale/Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
- Substitute/Ice Beam
- Toxic/Ice Beam
- Whirlwind/Dragon Tail/Ice Beam
- Roost
Why it's better:
THIS is how you should run Lugia. The Great Wall of Pokemon has a vast support movepool that BEGS to be used at your disposal. With 106/130/154 defenses alongside the Multiscale ability, you're guaranteed to take several hits and screw over the dynamics of your opponent's team.
You can run specially defensive, but physically defensive is usually the better way to go since, in tandem with Multiscale, enables it to switch in on E-Killer Arceus a lot easier and whirlwind it out next turn. You can, however, decide to run Pressure to PP Stall a lot easier, but Multiscale makes Lugia nearly unbreakable on the first hit against it.
The moves you use here should be chosen relating to what your team needs. You can run all of the support moves listed here instead of Ice Beam, but you'll be prone to Taunt, so be aware of that. Ice Beam is generally the attacking move of choice for Lugia to hit the many Pokes 4x weak to Ice in the tier, such as Rayquaza, Landorus and Garchomp, while also doing good damage towards Groudon in tandem with Toxic. It can also hit Yveltal that try to Taunt you. When choosing your moves, Roost MUST be one of the moves you choose since it provides reliable recovery for Lugia and a chance to gain your Multiscale back once it's been broken. Whirlwind is the better phasing move for Lugia to run over Dragon Tail. Since Fairies were introduced this generation, Dragon Tail has lost its luster. However, Dragon Tail can hit Giratina and other Dragon types for ok SE damage. Being able to phase set up sweepers such as E-Killer Arceus is what makes Lugia so damn good as a wall. Toxic for obligatory toxic stalling. Substitute, along with the amount of bulk Lugia has, will make Lugia very annoying to try to take down, especially if it Roosts while behind the sub to get Multiscale back.
I'll leave it to someone else to post better Calm Mind users in the tier than Lugia, but people....pls....no Calm Mind Lugia. It's terribad...
I've seen a Calm Mind Lugia set that makes me want to crawl under a hole and rip my nipples off:
Don't use this:
Lugia @ Leftovers
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpA
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Aeroblast
Do I really need to explain why Crogia is terrible?...
Do I?...
I have to?...
....okaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay...
Why it's bad:
I don't even know where to begin.
As I stated earlier, even with Calm Mind boosts, Aeroblast will not do jack with even neutral hits. Here's some calcs:
+1 8 SpA Lugia Aeroblast vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Kyogre: 111-132 (32.4 - 38.5%) -- 98.2% chance to 3HKO
+1 8 SpA Lugia Aeroblast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Arceus: 127-151 (33.3 - 39.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
+3 8 SpA Lugia Aeroblast vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Ho-Oh: 171-202 (41.2 - 48.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
You get the point.
The attack of choice is horrible because of its low PP at 8. With so many users of Pressure in Ubers, Aeroblast can easily be stalled out in 4 turns, at which point, Lugia has no more offensive presence and this set would be deemed useless since the only way you can use Aeroblast at that point is through Sleep Talk, which is highly unreliable. Shit will only get worse when you're Taunted, which means that you'll be forced to Struggle once you're out of PP for Aeroblast.
I'm not even done explaining why this turd of a set is terrible. It's Whirlwind, Roar and Dragon Tail bait. Thanks to the fact that this Lugia has no offensive presence even with boosts, the opponent has no problem forcing this set out with one phasing move.
I forgot to mention that since Aeroblast is your only attacking move, you're walled by anything in the tier that resists Flying...have fun with that.
Use instead:
Lugia @ Leftovers
Ability: Multiscale/Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
- Substitute/Ice Beam
- Toxic/Ice Beam
- Whirlwind/Dragon Tail/Ice Beam
- Roost
Why it's better:
THIS is how you should run Lugia. The Great Wall of Pokemon has a vast support movepool that BEGS to be used at your disposal. With 106/130/154 defenses alongside the Multiscale ability, you're guaranteed to take several hits and screw over the dynamics of your opponent's team.
You can run specially defensive, but physically defensive is usually the better way to go since, in tandem with Multiscale, enables it to switch in on E-Killer Arceus a lot easier and whirlwind it out next turn. You can, however, decide to run Pressure to PP Stall a lot easier, but Multiscale makes Lugia nearly unbreakable on the first hit against it.
The moves you use here should be chosen relating to what your team needs. You can run all of the support moves listed here instead of Ice Beam, but you'll be prone to Taunt, so be aware of that. Ice Beam is generally the attacking move of choice for Lugia to hit the many Pokes 4x weak to Ice in the tier, such as Rayquaza, Landorus and Garchomp, while also doing good damage towards Groudon in tandem with Toxic. It can also hit Yveltal that try to Taunt you. When choosing your moves, Roost MUST be one of the moves you choose since it provides reliable recovery for Lugia and a chance to gain your Multiscale back once it's been broken. Whirlwind is the better phasing move for Lugia to run over Dragon Tail. Since Fairies were introduced this generation, Dragon Tail has lost its luster. However, Dragon Tail can hit Giratina and other Dragon types for ok SE damage. Being able to phase set up sweepers such as E-Killer Arceus is what makes Lugia so damn good as a wall. Toxic for obligatory toxic stalling. Substitute, along with the amount of bulk Lugia has, will make Lugia very annoying to try to take down, especially if it Roosts while behind the sub to get Multiscale back.
I'll leave it to someone else to post better Calm Mind users in the tier than Lugia, but people....pls....no Calm Mind Lugia. It's terribad...
Let's talk about Klefki!
Don't use this:
Klefki @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Toxic
- Thunder Wave
- Play Rough
- Spikes
Why it's bad:
In the meta where Gothitelle dominates, using that Klefki set is a surefire way to lose. If an opposing Goth traps your klefki, which is usually your sole Xerneas or even Yveltal check, and then opponent can simply remove hazard and establish a definite win condition. This Klefki set cannot beat Refresh Dark Arceus too.
Use this:
Klefki @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Heal Block
- Thunder Wave
- Play Rough
- Spikes
Why it's better:
Now, Gothitelle can't beat this set, even with Taunt. Gothitelle is forced to switch out or faint, so your Klefki will be free to check Yveltal and Xerneas with no problem! This set can be hilariously effective for cockblocking Arceus formes' expected recover. Heal Block allows Klefki to beat Blissey and Sylveon too, since they cannot heal the damage from play rough and hazards. If you don't think that losing Toxic is worth the tradeoff, then watch this replay:
http://pokemonshowdown.com/replay/smogtours-ubers-20230
If Hack didn't have Heal Block Klefki, then he probably would have lost to Geomancy Xerneas. Heal Block Klefki gave Hack a downed Gothitelle and a free layer of spikes which cemented his victory.
Don't use this:
Klefki @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Toxic
- Thunder Wave
- Play Rough
- Spikes
Why it's bad:
In the meta where Gothitelle dominates, using that Klefki set is a surefire way to lose. If an opposing Goth traps your klefki, which is usually your sole Xerneas or even Yveltal check, and then opponent can simply remove hazard and establish a definite win condition. This Klefki set cannot beat Refresh Dark Arceus too.
Use this:
Klefki @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Heal Block
- Thunder Wave
- Play Rough
- Spikes
Why it's better:
Now, Gothitelle can't beat this set, even with Taunt. Gothitelle is forced to switch out or faint, so your Klefki will be free to check Yveltal and Xerneas with no problem! This set can be hilariously effective for cockblocking Arceus formes' expected recover. Heal Block allows Klefki to beat Blissey and Sylveon too, since they cannot heal the damage from play rough and hazards. If you don't think that losing Toxic is worth the tradeoff, then watch this replay:
http://pokemonshowdown.com/replay/smogtours-ubers-20230
If Hack didn't have Heal Block Klefki, then he probably would have lost to Geomancy Xerneas. Heal Block Klefki gave Hack a downed Gothitelle and a free layer of spikes which cemented his victory.
Don't use this:
Palkia @ Assault Vest
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Spacial Rend
- Hydro Pump / Surf
- Thunder / Dragon Tail
- Fire Blast
Why it is bad:
Locking Palkia out of its support moves and Rest is a pretty bad idea. Although he concept of the set isn't bad, this side effect makes it subpar. Assault Vest Palkia will be worn down incredibly easily unless wish support is given. Wish support is usually found on stall anyways, and on stall teams, Toxic is invaluable on Palkia but AV doesn't allow it. This also makes Palkia extremely burn prone which isn't fun when attempting to force Specially Defensive Kyogre to Rest. Assault Vest's Special Defense boost just isn't worth all of the problem it causes.
Use one of these instead:
Palkia @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 60 HP / 196 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Spacial Rend
- Hydro Pump
- Rest
- Toxic
Why it is better:
Leftovers and Rest make this Palkia much harder to wear down than the Assault Vest one. ITs lack of Assault Vest also allows it to use Toxic to damage Kyogre while it is sleeping. Toxic also discourages support support Arceus formes from switching in as well as any other walls. Toxic is considered one of the best moves in the game, and giving Palkia access to it makes this set better than the AV one already. Rest turns a KOed Palkia into a sleeping Palkia, so you will get to keep your Kyogre switch in if it is worn down. This Palkia works particularly well on Balanced teams.
Palkia @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Dragon Tail
- Toxic
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Why it is better:
This Palkia is far more resilient than the Assault Vest one, primarily due to its access to Rest. This is a surest and most reliable way of walling Kyogre, making Specially Defensive Palkia good for stall teams.
Palkia @ Lustrous Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Spacial Rend
- Hydro Pump
- Fire Blast
- Thunder Wave / Thunder
Why it is better:
This Palkia is better because of the power Lustrous Orb brings to its STAB moves and access to Thunder Wave. Hydro pump under a kyogre's rain is stupid strong with Lustrous Orb equipped and Spacial Rend is given quite a boost itself. Thunder Wave allows Palkia to cripple Xerneas, Support Arceus formes, non-Refresh Calm Mind Arceus formes on the switch and allows it to slow down Choice Scarf Kyogre when facing the fish down. Due to the lack of recovery this set has and the ballsy nature of using Twave on it, this Palkia orks best on Offense and Hyper Offense.
Palkia @ Assault Vest
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Spacial Rend
- Hydro Pump / Surf
- Thunder / Dragon Tail
- Fire Blast
Why it is bad:
Locking Palkia out of its support moves and Rest is a pretty bad idea. Although he concept of the set isn't bad, this side effect makes it subpar. Assault Vest Palkia will be worn down incredibly easily unless wish support is given. Wish support is usually found on stall anyways, and on stall teams, Toxic is invaluable on Palkia but AV doesn't allow it. This also makes Palkia extremely burn prone which isn't fun when attempting to force Specially Defensive Kyogre to Rest. Assault Vest's Special Defense boost just isn't worth all of the problem it causes.
Use one of these instead:
Palkia @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 60 HP / 196 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Spacial Rend
- Hydro Pump
- Rest
- Toxic
Why it is better:
Leftovers and Rest make this Palkia much harder to wear down than the Assault Vest one. ITs lack of Assault Vest also allows it to use Toxic to damage Kyogre while it is sleeping. Toxic also discourages support support Arceus formes from switching in as well as any other walls. Toxic is considered one of the best moves in the game, and giving Palkia access to it makes this set better than the AV one already. Rest turns a KOed Palkia into a sleeping Palkia, so you will get to keep your Kyogre switch in if it is worn down. This Palkia works particularly well on Balanced teams.
Palkia @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Dragon Tail
- Toxic
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Why it is better:
This Palkia is far more resilient than the Assault Vest one, primarily due to its access to Rest. This is a surest and most reliable way of walling Kyogre, making Specially Defensive Palkia good for stall teams.
Palkia @ Lustrous Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Spacial Rend
- Hydro Pump
- Fire Blast
- Thunder Wave / Thunder
Why it is better:
This Palkia is better because of the power Lustrous Orb brings to its STAB moves and access to Thunder Wave. Hydro pump under a kyogre's rain is stupid strong with Lustrous Orb equipped and Spacial Rend is given quite a boost itself. Thunder Wave allows Palkia to cripple Xerneas, Support Arceus formes, non-Refresh Calm Mind Arceus formes on the switch and allows it to slow down Choice Scarf Kyogre when facing the fish down. Due to the lack of recovery this set has and the ballsy nature of using Twave on it, this Palkia orks best on Offense and Hyper Offense.
Don't use this:
Blaziken @ Blazikenite
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Low Kick
- Brave Bird
- Protect
Why it is bad:
Brave Bird on Blaziken is pretty bad since it does not add any needed coverage or a high powered move that can help Blaziken sweep or clean the opposing team, there are much better options for this Blaziken move slot.
Use this instead:
Blaziken @ Blazikenite
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Low Kick
- Knock Off / Stone Edge
- Protect / Swords Dance
Why it is better:
This Blaziken moveset is far superior. With Knock Off Blaziken is able to hit pokemon that could counter it before like the Giratina forms for a good amount of damage, as well as getting rid of the item from a pokemon that switches in on it. Stone Edge is also a great option since it makes Blaziken able to take out Ho-oh that could previously wall Blaziken.
Blaziken @ Blazikenite
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Low Kick
- Brave Bird
- Protect
Why it is bad:
Brave Bird on Blaziken is pretty bad since it does not add any needed coverage or a high powered move that can help Blaziken sweep or clean the opposing team, there are much better options for this Blaziken move slot.
Use this instead:
Blaziken @ Blazikenite
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Low Kick
- Knock Off / Stone Edge
- Protect / Swords Dance
Why it is better:
This Blaziken moveset is far superior. With Knock Off Blaziken is able to hit pokemon that could counter it before like the Giratina forms for a good amount of damage, as well as getting rid of the item from a pokemon that switches in on it. Stone Edge is also a great option since it makes Blaziken able to take out Ho-oh that could previously wall Blaziken.
Don't use this:
Lucario @ Lucarionite
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Bullet Punch
- Earthquake / Anything like this
- Any other move
Use this instead:
Lucario @ Lucarionite
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Bullet Punch
- Close Combat
- Iron Tail
- Swords Dance / Stone Edge
Iron Tail is actually the best Steel STAB option for M-Lucario, and it works very well with Adaptability, even with the low accuracy it's worth using to Hit Hard on M-Gengar, Giratina and OHKO Xerneas, BP don't hit hard enough to OHKO those things, except Deoxys-A. Swords Dance just make Close Combat and Iron Tail hit extremely Hard on any threat, M-Lucario can OHKO things easily with a +2 Adaptability Move. You can put Stone Edge besides Swords Dance for a coverage vs Ho-Oh, but loses a lot of Setup Capacity.
Lucario @ Lucarionite
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Bullet Punch
- Earthquake / Anything like this
- Any other move
Use this instead:
Lucario @ Lucarionite
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Bullet Punch
- Close Combat
- Iron Tail
- Swords Dance / Stone Edge
Iron Tail is actually the best Steel STAB option for M-Lucario, and it works very well with Adaptability, even with the low accuracy it's worth using to Hit Hard on M-Gengar, Giratina and OHKO Xerneas, BP don't hit hard enough to OHKO those things, except Deoxys-A. Swords Dance just make Close Combat and Iron Tail hit extremely Hard on any threat, M-Lucario can OHKO things easily with a +2 Adaptability Move. You can put Stone Edge besides Swords Dance for a coverage vs Ho-Oh, but loses a lot of Setup Capacity.
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