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The CB set is probably the most effective right now, in part because everyone expects Sash Spore. IMO the real threat of this Pokemon comes from the fact that its two sets have such different checks and counters. I don't think I've had a game where it hasn't taken down one or two Pokemon.

It's very obviously designed for doubles (like most of this generation). If you're a big fan, try using it there.

GF don't balance the game for singles 6vs6, which is the only context in which Houndstone was broken. The game is balanced for VGC only, as it is the only competitive mode recognised by GF. We've got to stop pretending that the game developers care about ensuring the continuation of our...

And if we get to a point where (as currently seems possible), the bent of the game is so obviously offensive that the concept of 'walling' offensive threats becomes untenable? The early meta is revealing a huge variety of ridiculous offensive threats that are only being kept in check by faster...

This is my take. It is obvious that Gamefreak does not share Smogon's philosophy regarding what constitutes a desirable metagame, and there has been a very obvious attempt at pushing the game towards offensive play. Between the nerfs to almost every defensive strategy imaginable, the...

With your EVs, a max attack Adamant Hawlucha clean OHKOs at +2 after rocks. You'll need points in defense or HP if you want to check Lucha.

It also further divorces Smogon from the broader community it largely aspires to provide a competitive ruleset for. Every generation has seen players jump ship over single Pokemon bans, let alone attempting to completely ban the game's flagship mechanic. We provide a competitive ruleset by...

Disagree entirely. For one thing, of the Pokemon you mention, only Buzzwole and Megagross actually beat Breloom, and this only if Breloom has exhausted its Spore. Tapu Lele is OHKOed by Bullet Seed, as is Pheromosa through its resistance, and Landorus-T is possibly 2HKOed by Bullet Seed even...

There is no TR extender because competitive singles is at best a side show to competitive doubles, in GF's eyes, and 10 turns of TR with no way of canceling would be utterly broken in 2v2. As it is, I'll repeat: this Pokémon was designed with 2v2 trick room in mind. It doesn't work in the...

16+ Atk Thick Club Marowak-Alola Flare Blitz vs. 240 HP / 216+ Def Mandibuzz: 172-204 (40.8 - 48.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery Actually, this does have potential, as Mandibuzz outspeeds and can potentially KO with Foul Play after the Flare Blitz recoil, or can...

First, Tapu Lele does not protect Talon from priority because Talon is airborne, and is hence not affected by the terrain. Second, bulky sets in general are forced to sacrifice speed or power in order to do their job, and lose out to a good chunk of the Pokemon that, in ORAS, they would have...

Honestly have found Persian to be very underwhelming after the initial PS hype. Its physical bulk is compromised to a large extent by its complete lack of recovery, which makes it get worn down very easily as a defensive pivot (for example, 252+ Atk Life Orb Bisharp Iron Head vs. 252 HP / 4 Def...

I'd say a good 80% of the new gen is obviously designed with VGC in mind. This is just another potentially potent VGC mon with no relevance or usefulness in singles play.

It's a doubles mon, IMO, not really optimised for singles play. That's pretty much the entirety of Sun and Moon, though, so....

I've said this before, but it seems blindingly obvious to me that what has happened is that Gamefreak has been focusing on the VGC as the competitive standard for the last two generations, and that any additions - be they Pokemon, move changes, etc - that benefitted the 1v1 meta were by accident...

It's a VGC mon. Pretty much like this entire generation.

Another Pokemon obviously made for doubles. Seriously wondering what the point of singles OU is going to be this generation.

Because doubles is the name of the competitive game. All the official tourneys are doubles only, and GF has been anything but subtle about focusing its competitive balancing on that area. Singles hasn't been the focus for 2 generations now - Gen 7 just makes it more obvious. The 'competitive...

This Pokemon, like -most- of Gen 7, was obviously designed with doubles in mind. Guys, GF doesn't care about singles. If it's competitively viable at all, it's by accident and not design.

More they're focusing on the doubles scene as the competitive standard. This has been a theme for the last two generations. This gen just makes it more obvious.