Resource ORAS OU Simple Questions, Simple Answers MKII (Read the OP First!) (Now with 100% more Rules!!!)

I'm looking to get back into playing competitively after about a year away from Showdown (almost two years away, aside from a brief return after ORAS launched), and while looking through the viability rankings I've noticed Manaphy's sitting up in S Rank, despite being a complete non-entity in the OU meta last time I played, which I find really interesting. I was going to ask what happened to the meta to cause this, but a more useful question would probably be if there's any sort of written history/record of major changes the metagame has gone through over the last year, or just a summary of what the meta looks like now, so I can bring myself up to speed? I've also noticed all the discussion threads for individual pokemon have been closed now, is that sort of thread not used anymore or does discussion of specific pokes occur elsewhere now?

Cheers!
 
I'm looking to get back into playing competitively after about a year away from Showdown (almost two years away, aside from a brief return after ORAS launched), and while looking through the viability rankings I've noticed Manaphy's sitting up in S Rank, despite being a complete non-entity in the OU meta last time I played, which I find really interesting. I was going to ask what happened to the meta to cause this, but a more useful question would probably be if there's any sort of written history/record of major changes the metagame has gone through over the last year, or just a summary of what the meta looks like now, so I can bring myself up to speed? I've also noticed all the discussion threads for individual pokemon have been closed now, is that sort of thread not used anymore or does discussion of specific pokes occur elsewhere now?

Cheers!
Just adding to this, this wouldn't be the first time I've wished there was a spreadsheet or graph tool alongside the Viability Ranking threads showing ranking changes, because when you *do* fall out of the metagame for a while, there's always something that surprises you. For me, it was Landorus-I "suddenly" getting suspected whereas the last time it checked it was just a decent threat. (More people were complaining about Lando-T, actually.) A visual tool would be cool! Idk how the VR team would feel about it though. It's more work. Hell, I'd do it myself, only I'm busy/not that confident re: programming/really lazy. In any case, I doubt the previous rankings have been archived every time a change has been made so it's a non-entity ATM. Maybe we can make one for gen 7!
 

p2

Banned deucer.
What runs better on Mega Pinsir: Close Combat or Earthquake?
Close Combat hits the likes of Skarmory and Rotom-W, while Earthquake deals more damage to its offensive answers in Mega Diancie and Mega Metagross
 
Close Combat hits the likes of Skarmory and Rotom-W, while Earthquake deals more damage to its offensive answers in Mega Diancie and Mega Metagross
Thanks. I guess I'll run Close Combat, since Skarmory and Rotom-W are much more common threats.
 
Should I run Brick Break or Low Kick on Weavile? HO hates screens, but Low Kick has better damage against all the heavy threats running around.
 
I'm building a team around the offensive core M-Houndoom Toxicroak, and I'm having trouble covering the 6th slot. I feel i need a scarfer so i thought about Staraptor for some bird spam. This question is not enough for RMT so I'm posting here

Houndoom-Mega @ Houndoominite
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 SpA
- Nasty Plot
- Fire Blast
- Dark Pulse
- Will-O-Wisp

Toxicroak @ Life Orb
Ability: Dry Skin
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Gunk Shot
- Drain Punch
- Sucker Punch
- Ice Punch

Raikou @ Assault Vest
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 Def
- Volt Switch
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Shadow Ball

Starmie @ Life Orb
Ability: Analytic
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Psyshock
- Rapid Spin

Celebi @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 156 Def / 84 SpD / 16 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Giga Drain
- Recover
- Thunder Wave
- Stealth Rock
 

MANNAT

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I'm building a team around the offensive core M-Houndoom Toxicroak, and I'm having trouble covering the 6th slot. I feel i need a scarfer so i thought about Staraptor for some bird spam. This question is not enough for RMT so I'm posting here

Houndoom-Mega @ Houndoominite
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 SpA
- Nasty Plot
- Fire Blast
- Dark Pulse
- Will-O-Wisp

Toxicroak @ Life Orb
Ability: Dry Skin
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Gunk Shot
- Drain Punch
- Sucker Punch
- Ice Punch

Raikou @ Assault Vest
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 Def
- Volt Switch
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Shadow Ball

Starmie @ Life Orb
Ability: Analytic
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Psyshock
- Rapid Spin

Celebi @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 156 Def / 84 SpD / 16 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Giga Drain
- Recover
- Thunder Wave
- Stealth Rock
you're really weak to scarf landot, so you should probably pick up weavile or hp ice landot with rocks to free up a spot on celebi.
 
I'm building a team around the offensive core M-Houndoom Toxicroak, and I'm having trouble covering the 6th slot. I feel i need a scarfer so i thought about Staraptor for some bird spam. This question is not enough for RMT so I'm posting here

Houndoom-Mega @ Houndoominite
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 SpA
- Nasty Plot
- Fire Blast
- Dark Pulse
- Will-O-Wisp

Toxicroak @ Life Orb
Ability: Dry Skin
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Gunk Shot
- Drain Punch
- Sucker Punch
- Ice Punch

Raikou @ Assault Vest
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 Def
- Volt Switch
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Shadow Ball

Starmie @ Life Orb
Ability: Analytic
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Psyshock
- Rapid Spin

Celebi @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 156 Def / 84 SpD / 16 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Giga Drain
- Recover
- Thunder Wave
- Stealth Rock
You should check out the RMT Chat section on Showdown, they can help/assist you on your team if you post it on pastebin link better than anyone can help you here.
 
What are the best ways to counter Defensive Gyarados? They're always a pain in the ass, really hard to beat...
 
How can I insert the show/hide option into a post? I'm working on a post but I don't want it to be unnecessarily long.

*Edit*. Thanks for your help :)
I just used it in the shameless self-advertisement Next Best Thing thread.
 
Last edited:
I had a question about one of the clauses. I thought I remembered seeing an item clause somewhere, meaning that two pokemon couldn't hold the same item on a team. After looking around a bit, I couldn't find it. Is it still around, and I'm just not seeing it? Was it removed? Maybe I was looking at a different tier? Was it never even here at all?

I'm trying to build a team, and two pokemon with leftovers would really be nice. If I'm breaking a rule, obviously, I won't use it, but otherwise I'll happily proceed as planned.
 
I had a question about one of the clauses. I thought I remembered seeing an item clause somewhere, meaning that two pokemon couldn't hold the same item on a team. After looking around a bit, I couldn't find it. Is it still around, and I'm just not seeing it? Was it removed? Maybe I was looking at a different tier? Was it never even here at all?

I'm trying to build a team, and two pokemon with leftovers would really be nice. If I'm breaking a rule, obviously, I won't use it, but otherwise I'll happily proceed as planned.
Hi UltraFormi,

I think you may have looked at a different format (aka tier or set playstyle) that was made for wireless battles on the 3DS. As to which format it may have applied to on there, I'm not sure.

However, Smogon generally doesn't apply item clauses (and if so, not in the way you mentioned) so you should be fine to build the team with as many of a given item as you'd like. In short, it was never here, just somewhere else that you probably don't need to worry about.

Hope that helps :)
 
I had a question about one of the clauses. I thought I remembered seeing an item clause somewhere, meaning that two pokemon couldn't hold the same item on a team. After looking around a bit, I couldn't find it. Is it still around, and I'm just not seeing it? Was it removed? Maybe I was looking at a different tier? Was it never even here at all?

I'm trying to build a team, and two pokemon with leftovers would really be nice. If I'm breaking a rule, obviously, I won't use it, but otherwise I'll happily proceed as planned.
Item Clause is for VGC. As far as I know, none of the Smogon tiers have an item clause

EDIT: Not sure about Wi-Fi battles. Also, ninja'd
 

Karxrida

Death to the Undying Savage
is a Community Contributor Alumnus
Wi-Fi battles only apply Item Clause if you select the rules that enforce it. Don't remember what it was called; probably "Set" rules or something.
 
Hi UltraFormi,

I think you may have looked at a different format (aka tier or set playstyle) that was made for wireless battles on the 3DS. As to which format it may have applied to on there, I'm not sure.

However, Smogon generally doesn't apply item clauses (and if so, not in the way you mentioned) so you should be fine to build the team with as many of a given item as you'd like. In short, it was never here, just somewhere else that you probably don't need to worry about.

Hope that helps :)
Item Clause is for VGC. As far as I know, none of the Smogon tiers have an item clause

EDIT: Not sure about Wi-Fi battles. Also, ninja'd
Thanks, guys! Good to know that my tanks can still have leftovers.
 

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