<p>Moltres was always a bad Pokemon to use in OU. Losing 50% of its health from Stealth Rock, having a mediocre 90 base Speed, being weak to Electric-, Rock-, and Water-type moves, and being outclassed by the Fire-types of OU were the main reasons that Moltres never saw any real use. However, Moltres got Hurricane in BW2, which gave it a reason to be used OU. While it faces stiff competition with OU's prime Hurricane user, Tornadus-T, it has its own unique traits to distinguish it from it. Those are a much stronger Hurricane due to the higher Special Attack stat, the ability to get past Jirachi, Bronzong, Metagross, and OHKO Ferrothorn in rain unlike Tornadus-T, and lastly the ability to switch easily into many Pokemon that sun teams carry, and from there punch holes with a stupidly strong Fire Blast. Even if those traits are not enough for Moltres to escape from the shadow of Tornadus-T, its crippling Stealth Rock weakness, its weakness to common attacking moves, and its middling Speed, Moltres and Tornadus-T when combined together form a destructive Hurricane combo, where Moltres weakens the Pokemon that prevent Tornadus-T from cleaning up late game. So, while Moltres needs a ton of support to work, it has a specific niche, the ability to work as a wallbreaking partner for Tornadus-T, which makes it viable in OU.</p>
<p>Keldeo may arguably be the cutest Pokemon in the OU tier, but that's not all there is to this pretty pony! With a great base 129 Special Attack and a good base 108 Speed, it has all the tools it needs to punch holes in opposing teams with relative ease. With Secret Sword, it becomes one of the only special attackers in the entire metagame that is capable of getting past Chansey and Blissey with ease. With all of these pros, it's hard to imagine that there are reasons to not use Keldeo, but sadly, this is the case. While Keldeo has great STAB coverage, which also includes access to powerful moves such as Hydro Pump and Secret Sword, it has a very shallow movepool. In fact, what walls Keldeo is usually determined solely by its moveset. Keldeo is usually limited to running its STABs and a Hidden Power of choice for coverage, but this pony certainly doesn't lack flexibility. With a great boosting option in Calm Mind, the choice to boost its power with a Life Orb or Choice Specs, and the ability to speed up with Choice Scarf, Keldeo can definitely wreak havoc on opposing teams.</p>
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Last edited by Steven Snype; Nov 15th, 2012 at 12:25:28 AM.
Perhaps a dragon with such a high attack stat is hax. However, the sad, un-haxy reality for Haxorus is that it is simply outclassed in the BW2 OU metagame. With a awkward base 97 speed, very poor defenses, and a rather subpar movepool, at first, there seems to be no reason to use it over the stronger, bulkier Kyurem-B. However, there are two main reasons to consider this haxy dragon for a teamslot - firstly, Haxorus does not have a ice typing, which means it can switch in a lot more times before being completely worn down, unlike Kyurem-B, in addition to mono-Dragon being a better defensive typing then Dragon/Ice overall. Secondly, it has a better movepool then Kyurem-B, packing Aqua Tail and Superpower, two key moves which let it get past things Kyurem-B could only hope to. While Haxorus might be outclassed by the faster dragons in OU, access to Dragon Dance as well as being one of the few dragons with access to a strong Fighting move means that it is certainly worth considering.
I have to agree with PK Gaming that the "hax" jokes are just stupid. The real problem is that they just don't seem to mix in well or contribute to the analysis at all. They feel forced, and trying to force flavour into an analysis is one of the worst things you can do.
Bloodninja: Rhinoceruses don't play games. They f**king charge your ass.
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Tangerine: who needs friends when you have POWER
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Originally Posted by Fat akuchi
no, you haven't got OCD, don't fucking selfdiagnose, grow up, you're not a beautiful and unique snowflake and don't fucking pathologise yourself.
Perhaps a dragon with such a high attack stat is hax. However, the sad, un-haxy reality for Haxorus is that it is simply outclassed in the BW2 OU metagame. With a awkward base 97 speed, very poor defenses, and a rather subpar movepool, at first, there seems to be no reason to use it over the stronger, bulkier Kyurem-B. However, there are two main reasons to consider this haxy dragon for a teamslot - firstly, Haxorus does not have a ice typing, which means it can switch in a lot more times before being completely worn down, unlike Kyurem-B, in addition to mono-Dragon being a better defensive typing then Dragon/Ice overall. Secondly, it has a better movepool then Kyurem-B, packing Aqua Tail and Superpower, two key moves which lets(mini GP Check) it get past things Kyurem-B could only hope to. While Haxorus might be outclassed by the faster dragons in OU, access to Dragon Dance as well as being one of the few dragons with access to a strong Fighting move means that it is certainly worth considering.
Such as?.....nobody. Aqua Tail, Superpower? Hmm...Skarmory? No. Kyurem-B has Fusion Bolt. Hippowdon and Gliscor? Kyurem-B has ice beam. Ferrothorn? No. Focus Blast. Jirachi? No. Earth Power.
I am just pointing out what is wrong. BTW Kyurem-B can get past everything in OU with the right move. Ice neutrality lets it beat Genesect.
To be fair, Haxorus can conceivably run Outrage/Aqua Tail/Superpower/Dragon or Swords Dance and gain all that delicious coverage while Kyurem-B is not able to get such easy coverage. Haxorus doesn't NEED Earthquake between the other three, as it really only hits Heatran harder. You listed four moves for Kyurem, but three of them use his much weaker Special Attack and didn't even give him a Dragon STAB, so he's going to be walled by something whereas Haxorus CAN beat all his checks.
Now, to keep this from being ENTIRELY off-topic, judging from the discussion on the Suspect Test threads, it looks like Genesect will be getting the boot. A lot of people, myself included, mention Genesect explicitly in our new overviews. Should we look into fixing this and keep them in reserve, or just wait until the Suspect is actually finished?
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FaceFaceFace: "Genesect is like the Terminator. Scary when he's coming after you, absolutely lovely with ridiculous punch-lines when he's on your side."
Such as?.....nobody. Aqua Tail, Superpower? Hmm...Skarmory? No. Kyurem-B has Fusion Bolt. Hippowdon and Gliscor? Kyurem-B has ice beam. Ferrothorn? No. Focus Blast. Jirachi? No. Earth Power.
AirLoon/Sub Heatran is the biggest one. Bronzong. Ferrothron without having to rely on focus miss. Scizor (Aqua Tail hits for neutral). And it can do this as well as get past all the threats you mentioned without having to give up anything - Kyurem-B, on the other hand, can only pack some of those moves, has to give up EVs for KOs/not getting KO'd somewhere, and doesn't have access to the glorious setup that is Dragon Dance. Also has to rely on Focus Miss to get past ferrothorn, and we all know how reliable Focus Miss is.
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Originally Posted by Fat ThisMysteriousGuy
I'm up to help for writing. Even though I'm fairly new and not especially well known, I'm willing to contribute to this site and I feel writing would be the best way to go. I'll start by revamping Scrafty, which definitely could use a revamp since it's rather mediocre now in the metagame. Editing this post when it's ready.
EDIT: Ready to go:
Current Overview:
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Blessed with Dark / Fighting typing and decent stats all around, Scrafty lives up to its reputation of being a bad-ass ghetto lizard. Sporting good defenses, decent Attack, and two different boosting moves in Bulk Up and Dragon Dance, Scrafty is a versatile threat, viable on both balanced and offensive teams. The combination of Rest and Shed Skin is another neat perk of Scrafty's that allows it to heal itself somewhat reliably and distinguish itself from similar Pokemon. While its low Speed and weakness to Fighting-type moves hold it back from being a top-tier threat, Scrafty has just the right moves, stats, and typing to find a niche in the standard metagame.
Why it needs changing: It's a little too short, and really needs to talk about the flaws with Scrafty, since the common consensus is that it's a rather poor choice in the OU metagame.
Proposed Overview:
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“Disappointment” is perhaps the word that best describes Scrafty. Initially, it might be hard to understand why, especially since he’s a gangster lizard! He has two excellent abilities, Moxie for offensive pressure, and Shed Skin to cure itself of status, which allows for somewhat reliable recovery through Rest. He also gets two great setup moves with Dragon Dance to sweep and Bulk Up to be a bulky attacker. Dark/Fighting also gives him fantastic offensive STAB coverage. Furthermore, he has good 65 / 115 / 115 defenses allowing him to set up with apparent ease. These factors all seem to make Scrafty quite a unique threat in the OU metagame.
So where did our hoodie lizard go wrong? It all starts falling apart when you look at his other stats. His Attack is mediocre at best, which is a huge problem due to the constant power creep in the OU metagame, as well as being agonizingly slow. These two factors mean he needs multiple boosts in order to accomplish anything. Unfortunately, this is not easy to achieve, since he can go down rather easily. His supposed great bulk is hampered by his low HP, meaning even the Bulk Up set can still be brought down by onslaughts from Special Attackers. Finally, while having only two weaknesses, he’s weak to some of the most prominent threats in OU, such as Breloom, Terrakion, Keldeo, and, most importantly, Tornadus-Therian, who still outspeeds him after a Dragon Dance and laughs at the Bulk Up set. It’s still important to know that with proper support, Scrafty can still succeed in OU, but be warned that there are plenty of other Pokemon to consider before him.
Yes, I know this one is wordy, but I'm pretty sure this does a much better job at covering why Scrafty doesn't really work in the OU metagame, while still covering all the things he actually can do. Any input would definitely help.
Scrafty has already been done by BallaBrown, sorry.
When Rotom-H lost its Ghost typing, it got a mixed bag of goodies. It lost its ability to block Rapid Spin but gained a unique typing in Electric / Fire. With its quadruple weakness to Ground-type moves nullified by Levitate, Rotom-H's typing grants it only two weaknesses, to Water and Rock, while giving it useful resistances to Fire-, Grass-, Electric-, and Ice-type attacks. The weakness to Rock hampers its ability to switch in often, being vulnerable to Stealth Rock, and Rotom-H will have a hard time popping in and out like it used to without Rapid Spin support. With the ability to take down the Jellicent / Ferrothorn core with relative ease and eliminate dangerous threats, namely Heatran and Scizor, Rotom-H is still a solid choice that should not be taken lightly.
On the whole, Rotom-H is still a respectable Pokemon with well distributed stats, a good typing that resists the BoltBeam combination, and great STAB. With the proper team support and a bit of patience, Rotom-H can fit into many teams and it can easily do some serious damage with the right team support. Underestimate this toaster at your peril.
New Overview
<p>Although Rotom-H didn't get any improvements in BW2 the metagame became much friendlier to it. Some big names were introduced to the OU scene and Rotom-H is capable of checking most of them, particularly Genesect, Tornadus-T, and Thundurus-T, by virtue of its typing. In addition, Rotom-H can serve as a roadblock against many Pokemon commonly found in sun teams, such as Ninetales, Venusaur, and Volcarona, further increasing its usefulness as a defensive Pokemon. Rotom-H also has Volt Switch, Thunder Wave, and Will-O-Wisp in its arsenal which coupled with its eight immunities and resistances makes it a great pivot and status spreader. Rotom-H can go on the offensive too with a Choice Specs set and sun support, as it has great dual STABs, Volt Switch to keep momentum, and great resistances to work with, shielding temporarily sun teams from otherwise problematic Pokemon such as Tornadus-T.</p>
<p>However, this is where the heat cools down for Rotom-H. The Stealth Rock weakness is its biggest downfall, greatly limiting its viability as a defensive and a hit and run Pokemon. The prevelance of rain teams is another thorn on Rotom-H's side, as Water attacks will be flying everywhere and Rotom-H's main STAB move will have its power halved, leaving it unable to properly damage many Pokemon that it checks. Finally the lack of a reliable recovery move and the mediocre Speed stat make its defenisve and offensive duties respectively much harder to fulfill.</p>
Infernape's mixed attacking talents will no longer help it out the way they have befor the rest of his career. The name of the game in BW2 is all-out offense, which for an attacker generally means do one thing and do it well. On the physical side, offensive teams with only one dedicated physical wall are consistently broken by Rock Gem Terrakion, who boasts far stronger physical attacks and much higher usable bulk when used in sand. On the special side, Infernape isn't very good to start with. Rain teams in particular have pPokemon like, such as Tentacruel and Tornadus-T, which assure he can notwill pull a sweep or even leave lasting damage. If you attempt to counteract the weather with your own, you run into the problem of Venusaur, Victini, and Darmanitan collectively outclassing it under sun while returning to the original Terrakion + any top-tier special attacker problem in sand and hail. Infernape's past gave him reasons to be used against stall, which has an easier time stacking physical walls to beat Terrakion's sets than his, in particular sun stall teams with Sableye despised him because he can 2HKO anything under the sun without being halted by a burn. However, stall is not a significant part of BW2 and the chances of finding a proper place for Infernape in your team are slim.
c/p if you need/want it
Infernape's mixed attacking talents will no longer help it out the way they have before. The name of the game in BW2 is all-out offense, which for an attacker generally means do one thing and do it well. On the physical side, offensive teams with only one dedicated physical wall are consistently broken by Rock Gem Terrakion, who boasts far stronger physical attacks and much higher usable bulk when used in sand. On the special side, Infernape isn't very good to start with. Rain teams in particular have Pokemon, such as Tentacruel and Tornadus-T, which assure he will pull a sweep or even leave lasting damage. If you attempt to counteract the weather with your own, you run into the problem of Venusaur, Victini, and Darmanitan collectively outclassing it under sun while returning to the original Terrakion + any top-tier special attacker problem in sand and hail. Infernape's past gave him reasons to be used against stall, which has an easier time stacking physical walls to beat Terrakion's sets than his, in particular sun stall teams with Sableye despised him because he can 2HKO anything under the sun without being halted by a burn. However, stall is not a significant part of BW2 and the chances of finding a proper place for Infernape in your team are slim.
Infernape's mixed attacking talents willare no longer thelp it out the way pinnacle of wallbreaking as they have befowere in DPP. The name of the game in BW2 is all-out offense, which for an attacker generally means do one thing and do it well. On the physical side, offensive teams with only one dedicated physical wall are consistently broken by Rock Gem Terrakion, whoich boasts far stronger physical attacks and much higher usable bulk when used in sand. On the special side, Infernape consisn't vertently good to startruggles with. R rain teams in p, which are both effecticularve and prevalent in the metagame; they have Pokemon, such as Tentacruel and Tornadus-T, which asensure that Infernape will never pull off a sweep, or even leave lasting damage. If you attempt to counteract the weather with your own, you run into the problem of Venusaur, Victini, and Darmanitan collectively outclassbeing it undbetter sun while returning toabusers. In the original Terrakion + any top-tier special attacker problem in sand and hail.early days of BW1, Infernape's past gave him reasons to be used was effective against stall, which has an easier time stacking physical walls to bdeal with Terrakion's sets often lead than his, in particular sem to being weak to Infernape's mixed prowess. Sun stall suffered teams wihe most, particularly those that used Sableye despised , as Infernape, whim because he can 2HKO anything undll members ofmosthe sun withteams, could not being halt stopped by a burnwith Will-O-Wisp. However, stall is not a significant part of BW2, and the chances of finding a proper place for Infernape in your team are now slim.
Abomasnow's main role on a team is to remove the opponent's weather advantage, and that should really be the only reason to consider using it on your team. Don't bother using Abomasnow to create a hail team, they're far inferior to sand, sun, and rain teams. Abomasnow's stats and movepool lend it to a role of disrupting the opponent's team patterns through an offensive or SubSeed set. Ultimately, Abomasnow doesn't need much team support as it has a singular role in messing with your opponent's team and breaksstealing whatever weather advantage they may have had.
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Originally Posted by Fat metagross
Metagross has a limited amount of decent traits. It can actually take a strong physical move from things likethe likes of Kyurem-B and hit back, and can run a specially defensive set with Pursuit that does well against threats likesuch as Latios. Its problem is that it’s basically outclassed by virtually every Steel in OU, who deservedo more to merit that crucial team spot more than Metagross does. It’s walled by commonly seen defensive Pokemon such as Ferrothorn and Rotom-W, which is a problem when other Steels,such asparticularly / namely Genesect and (!) Scizor, can just U-turn out on the problem. If you’ll ever use Metagross, thenbe sure that it’s because it fills a specific niche that you may need; otherwise, stick to its better brothers.
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Originally Posted by Fat tyranitar
You’re using Tyranitar to set up sandstorm, so play to its strengths. Defensive sets with Stealth Rock are done better by Hippowdon, who isn’t threatened by the popular Dugtrio & Genesect (!) combination found on many sun and rain teams and at the same time has reliable recovery. Tyranitar is pretty versatile which allows it to be less one dimensional than Hippowdon and thereforeBeing pretty versatile, especially in comparison to Hippowdon, Tyranitar can run Fire Blast to catchtake out Ferrothorn. However, Tyranitar should be running a more offensive set such as Choice Band to get easy kills with Pursuit while at the same time hurting something badly with its STAB moves. Choice Scarf sets have declined in popularity with the arrival of Tornadus-T, but have some merit on teams that include both Hippowdon and Tyranitar.
Dragonite is a top-tier OU Pokemon, and while different sets can fit any team archetype, it is most commonly seen as an offensive Dragon Dancer. Generally making its way into the battle as a mid-game opener or wall breaker, Dragon Dance Dragonite has few counters under the traditional definition. Recently, Dragonite's effectiveness has been hampered by Genesect's Choice Scarf Ice Beam (!). Aside from Gensect and Scizor's Bullet Punch, every other Dragonite counter is slow and defensively oriented, and so they will take a lot of damage from Outrage. The most notable second set, although rare, is the Rain Tank although it is rare; other sets have fallen by the wayside as the metagame becomes more offensively oriented. Many Pokemon are both faster and can OHKO Dragonite, so unless it is boosting itsSpeed via Dragon Dance, Dragonite is usually considered more of a liability than an asset.
By the grace of Regenerator, Tangrowth has become one of the most resilient physical walls in the game, second only to Protect Gliscor after it's Toxic Orb has activated(no need to go such in-depth into describing gliscor imo; this isn't its analysis after all). Tangrowth's home is generally on defensive teams, where it can be used to scout Choice Band attackers by taking the blow and regeneratingswitching out to a resist , regaining health on the way optional, up to you . andAdditionally, it can also wear down the other team down massively with it'sa support movepool featuring Sleep Powder, Leech Seed, and Knock Off. It can also be used effectively on balanced teams for the same purpose and to counter top physical threats, beingas it is hard for even Breloom to toss asidebreak through even when asleep. A small Special Defense investment will allow it to take a Hydro Pump or two as well. It's not going to be fighting for top 5 usage any timeanytime soon, but it can still be an effective fit inon numerous teams.
Blissey is a titanic, specially defensive fat blob of a Pokemon that unfortunately has had a hard time transitioning into B/W2BW2. WithThe introduction of the move Psyshock, which allows a user to target Blissey's inferior Defense stat instead of her titanic Special Defense stat, as well as the fact that many special attackers—such as Tornadus-T and Keldeo—now tend to pack a physical Fighting move to force it as well as numerous steel and other Specially Defensively bulky Pokemon out, it has not had a good time. To make matters worse, there are Pokemon with such titanic special attacking stats or setup potential, such as Thundurus-T, that they can simply force Blissey out with the threat of game-ending setups.
However, it's not all gloom and doom, asOn the bright side, Wish now restores 50% of the user's HP, which means itsBlissey's Wishes now will almost always fully heal the targeted Pokemon to full HP. In addition, Blissey still performs the role of specially defensive tank almost without parallel, holding the second largest special bulk in the game, second only to Chansey. It does, however, have two advantages over its earlier evolution: firstly, it is not forced to use the item Eviolite; secondly, and it has a workable Special Attack stat. While it isn't the easiest Pokemon to use, Blissey is still a massive wall that stops special attacks cold, and should be considered for any team that has trouble with special attackers maybe mention specific special attackers? since, as you said, several of them can beat blissey.
Sableye, pitiful in previous generations, thanks Arceus for respect in BW2 OU due to the combination of Prankster and a collection of Prankster-abusable moves, likesuch as / namely / especially Taunt, Recover, and Will-O-Wisp. It has three primary roles in BW2: to act a spinblocker, to cripple physical offense with priority Will-O-Wisp, and to break stall with priority Taunt. While Sableye has utility on most team archetypes, it is important to note that it is the premier spinblocker on sun teams, as Drought allows it to easily beat Tentacruel and Starmie while Will-O-Wisp and Taunt allowenable it to take care of Donphan and Forretress.
<p>As most legendary Pokemon, Celebi was blessed with great Base Stats all around. ItIn addition to great base stats, Celebi also has a quite gooddecent and synergistic typing dirge how celebi's typing is 'synergistic' - firstly, the way i understand it, synergy usually refers to something between two pokemon or more; secondly, grass / psychic don't cancel out each other's weaknesses the way, say, something like ghost / dark would..?, an awesome ability that lets it act as a status absorber, and a phenomenal movepool. These traits allow Celebi to play many roles, depending toon your teamsteam's needs. With a large repertoire of utility moves, including Stealth Rock, U-turn, Perish Song, Thunder Wave, Heal Bell, and Baton Pass, it can be a sturdy special wall that handles many prominent threats, such as Keldeo, Thundurus-T, Sheer Force Landorus, and Breloom, with a large repertoire of utility moves, consisting of Stealth Rock, U-turn, Perish Song, Thunder-Wave, Heal Bell and Baton Pass. OrAlternatively, it can take the offensive route and abuseutilize its good coverage, bulk, and resistances to set up with Nasty Plot, making it quite hard to wall. It can even use a Choice Scarf set to revenge kill troublesome threats, a Baton Pass set to assist your sweepers, or a tank set to combine the offensive and defensive roles.</p>
<p>However the list of itsCelebi's flaws is as big as the list of its advantages positives?. HisIts typing leaves it with a whopping seven weaknesses, one of them being a quadruple weakness to Bug moves. This means that it is prone to both Pursuit trapping, and to U-turn, which is never a good thing with Genesect (!) lurking in the corner. As with most Grass-types, it struggles quite a bit against sun teams, and finally is hurt by the prevalence of Tornadus-T. But don't let those flaws disappoint you. With the right teammates Celebi can really shine, and prevent those pesky rain teams that are everywhere from overwhelming you.fluffy! try something like "However, the prevalence of rain teams, which Celebi beats handily / matches up well against, provides a more-than-sufficient reason to use it."</p>
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Originally Posted by Fat rotom-w
<p>Although Rotom-W didn't gainreceive any improvements in BW2, it has managed to stay in the spotlight due to its ability to handle many rampaging new threats, such as Keldeo, Genesect (!), Tornadus-T, and rain teams in general, which are on the rampage, in addition to the Pokemon it used to check either cut this part or give a few examples. Its awesome typing, useful ability, and great dual STABs make it one of the few Electric-types that can beat Tyranitar and check Ground-types, while also allowing it to fit on any team with little worries. It performs especially well in team archetypes revolving around the VoltTurn strategy, mainly offensive oneson offensive VoltTurn teams; alongside Scizor, Genesect (!), and Tornadus-T, it can run circles around whole teams with little effort, making it a very annoying Pokemon to facefluff. Rotom-W may not have a lot of options, but it does its job well, and has carved its own niche as a premier VoltTurn partner.</p>
Ditto is, in a nutshell, one of the best revenge killers in the game. Taking on the exact stats (with the exception of HP, it keeps its horrid base 48)(bar HP), moves, typing, status, and ability of the enemy Pokemon thanks to its new ability Imposter, Ditto can quickly turn a game around a game in which you are being 6-1'd by a +5/+5 Dragonite into one where you 0-1 them with that same Dragonite. While Team Preview means thatmight make your opponent will be hesitant to set-upset up on you, in this metagame of fast, game-ending threats, such a revenge killer like Ditto is invaluable. WhileHowever, it will suffer against stall teams thanks to keepingas it must keep its poor base HP and beingis practically forced to use a Choice Scarf;as well asit also struggles against Substitute-setup sweepers thanks to Imposter failing if a substitute is outdue to Imposter's mechanics, Ditto is still a Pokemon with a unique niche that might just save you from losing to a game-ending sweep one day.
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Originally Posted by Fat haxorus
Once upon a time, Haxorus's massive base Attack saw it being accused of being too good. However, the reality for Haxorus is that it is simply outclassed in the BW2 OU metagame. With a awkward base 97 Speed, very poor defenses, and a rather subpar movepool, at first, there seems to be no reason to use it over the stronger, bulkier Kyurem-B. However, there are two main reasons to consider this haxy dragon for a teamslot:- firstly, Haxorus does not have a ice typing, which means it can switch in a lot more times before being completely worn down, unlike Kyurem-B, in addition to mono-Dragon being a better defensive typing then Dragon/Ice overallhas the better defensive typing; in particular, it isn't weak to Stealth Rock. Secondly, it has a better movepool thenthan Kyurem-B;packing Aqua Tail and Superpower, two key moves which let it get past things Kyurem-B could only hope toAqua Tail and Superpower allow it to break throughgive specific examples. While Haxorus might be outclassed by the faster dragons in OUdoes face serious competition from the faster Dragonsgive examples, access to Dragon Dance as well as being one of the few dragons with access to a strong Fighting move means that it is certainly worth consideringaccess to both Dragon Dance and a strong Fighting move gives it a certain niche.
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Originally Posted by Fat jirachi
For those of you who are wishing upon the stars for a great Steel-type: look no further. With so many dragon types running around in OU, Jirachi already adds to the team by being a member of the only typing to resist Dragon-type attacks. With eight resistances (including one to Dragon), only two weaknesses, a wide movepool, a great ability, and base 100 stats, Jirachi is a stellar Pokemon worth using on many teams. To put the cherry on the cake, the new BW Wish mechanics mean that Jirachi is a even greater supporter then before, able to heal many Pokemon from the cusp of death to full HP with a single wish pass. While it suffers from unfortunate Fire and Ground weaknesses, somewhat lacking STAB options, as well as only good attacking stats rather thenthan great ones, Jirachi is a Pokemon worth looking at, if not using, on almost any team.
not sure whether it's entirely my place to say so, but tbh IDK about this one :/ it's a bit overdramatic / fluffy (particularly the 'jirachi is a great pokemon worth using on many teams / any team' line - which you even reused D: !) and doesn't have much actual content, other than the stuff we can easily tell just by looking at a generic pokedex entry / a typechart / a learnset - try including information along the lines of, idk, its main roles, playstyles it works best in / against, things to consider when using it on a team.
Like a plethora of other Pokemon that were hopelessly useless in DPP, Sharpedo went from a subpar attacker to a legitimate BW OU threat as a result of its new Dream World ability. Sharpedo is used almost exclusively as a Life Orb sweeper on offensive rain teams, utilizing Protect to nab a free Speed Boost and then attempting a sweep with its great movepool and deadly dual STAB. Thanks to impressive mixed attacking stats and access to powerful moves such as Waterfall, Crunch, Hydro Pump, Ice Beam, and Earthquake, Sharpedo can choose to go either fully physical or mixed, and it has access to powerful moves such as Waterfall, Crunch, Hydro Pump, Ice Beam, and Earthquake. While Sharpedo possesses all the tools it needs to be a top-tier sweeper, it's hampered by its pitiful defenses that rank among the worst in the entire game, meaning it can't even switch into resisted attacks. Sharpedo is also almost completely walled by the one Pokemon that almost always gives rain teams the shivers: Ferrothorn. However, when played to its strengths as a late-game cleaner with Drizzle support, Sharpedo can prove to be both a unique and useful offensive presence.
<p>In such a fast, high-paced offensive metagame, many average Pokemon often get spun under the table. Hitmontop has been more or less relegated to this role—its offensive capabilities are lackluster in comparison to other Fighting-types,innamely / particularly Terrakion and Conkeldurr, while its defensive capabilities are restricted due to a lack of reliable recovery. However, all is not lost for Hitmontop, as the offensive metagame has translated into a fluxseen an increase of Spike-stacking teams, oftentimes with the usage of multiple physical attackers. With Intimidate and Rapid Spin in its arsenal, Hitmontop is able to carve itself a niche as an ever-valuable Rapid Spin user that is also able to beat dangerous physical threats such as Terrakion and Lucario. Hitmontop is an incredibly limited Pokemon in terms of versatilityWhile Hitmontop's versatility is incredibly limited outside of these two roles, but they might just be what you need to succeed.</p>
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Originally Posted by Fat staraptor
<p>Unfortunately for Staraptor, it has been banned into the barren wasteland known as BL. Too strong for UU, but too weak to be used consistently in OU, it struggles to find a place on most teams. Its weakness to Stealth Rock and paper-thin defenses contribute to this, as it has a hard time switching in unless after a kill. Despite having Close Combat in its movepool to alleviate the poor coverage between its STABsits poor STAB coverage, it struggles to break through certain Steel-types, such as Jirachi. Its base 100 base Speed further puts it in an awkward position;as with a Choice Band equipped, it just isn't fast enough to be effective in a metagame flooded with speedy attackers, and with a Choice Scarf attached, it struggles to do enough damage. On the bright side, it receives a nifty Dream World ability in Reckless, which powers up its main two STABs, Brave Bird and Double-Edge, to incredible levels. It also has access to U-turn, an excellent move in a metagame based so heavily on momentum. Although a rather risky Pokemon to use, Staraptor can perform well under favorable conditions.</p>
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fat scrafty
<p>It is safe to say that Scrafty is not the Pokemon it once was in BW1, and its drop from OU to UU reflects that. With the new, powerful Pokemon that BW2 has brought in the form of rain attackersWith the new, powerful rain attackers, namely Keldeo and Tornadus-T, Scrafty just cannotstruggles to find its place in the metagame. Its bulk cannot withstand the onslaught of attacks that it is bound to take from such threats, and even if it manages to get a Dragon Dance boost, it is still outsped by Tornadus-T.It is not bulky enough to sponge attacks from the aforementioned threats, and it is not fast enough to outrun Tornadus-T even after a Dragon Dance boost.Unfortunately, the transition to a fast paced metagame means that Scrafty's main perk in beating stall has been nullified, as stall is no longer nearly as prevalent as it was in BW1.In addition, the increasing pace of the metagame and decreasing popularity of stall means that Scrafty's main perk, stallbreaking, is now less useful. Although extremely vulnerable to the multitude of rain attackers, Scrafty still maintains its dominance over most sand teams, and that in itself could warrant a slot on your team if desperate.</p>
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fat ninjask
<p>Ninjask has been in existence for three generations, and its job hasn't changed since its inception. Ninjask's main goal is to accumulate as many Speed boosts as possible in order to start a successful Baton Pass chain. In this role, it is second to none, and it should hence be expected on every Baton Pass team. To put it simply, Baton Pass based teams do not and cannot work without Speed boosts to begin the chain, and no Pokemon accumulates Speed boosts nearly as effectively or reliably as Ninjask. this entire (previous) sentence can be removed imo However, with the introduction of BW came Ninjask's new main enemy: Prankster. Ninjask is entirely vulnerable to Prankster Taunts and, consequently, the entire chain is ruined by this pesky strategy. Either wayNonetheless, if you're looking to build a Baton pass team, always start atwith Ninjask.</p>
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fat dugtrio
<p>Dugtrio is a very specialized Pokemon; its main use is to maintain control of the weather wars that dominate the metagame through the means of Arena Trap. It is used primarily on sun offense teams for its ability to to trap and KO weakened weather starters such as Tyranitar and Politoed, while also being able to eliminate Pokemon that threaten sun teams, such as Terrakion. However, its usage is not limited to sun offense as itIt also commonly finds itself a place on offensive rain teams for its ability to dispose of not just Ninetales and Tyranitar, but also other potentially troublesome Pokemon that would normally be a hassle to defeat. Threats such as Ninetales and Tyranitar are now hesitant to switch in out of fear of being trapped by Dugtrio and thus losing the weather war, whileFor example, Steel-types such as Jirachi will have to second guess aboutthink twice before switching into Tornadus-T due to Dugtrio's presence. Despite this, Dugtrio is not without its flaws. As it has a mediocre Attack stat, meaning that in order to cause any real damage, it must hit its target super effectively in order to do much meaningful damage, and even then it struggles to do meaningful damage. Its non-existent defenses mean that it can only come in after a kill, or with excellent prediction. Combine these two things together, and if Dugtrio is not facing an opposing weather team, it will often be dead-weight. Nevertheless, with the dependence onimportance of winning the weather war in the current metagame, Dugtrio is one of the more important Pokemon in the tier.</p>
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fat virizion
<p>Although Virizion didn't gain or lose anything with the introduction of BW2, the transition from BW1 to BW2 was not a kind one. In BW1, it was used as a check to the multiple threats that rain offense had to provide, but in BW2, it has turned into a burden when facing rain offense.The transition from BW1 to BW2 was not a kind one to Virizion. It used to be a great check to rain offense, but this is no longer the case: with Pokemon such as Tornadus-T and Genesect being common sights on rain offense, Virizion doesn't stand a chance against thethis prominent playstyle. Everything in the metagame has gotten faster and stronger, leaving Virizion struggling to keep pace. As such, it has experienced the drop from OU to UU and is probably going to stay there for the foreseeable future. It still does havepossesses the niche of being able to checking sand offense teams with its two STABs, but now faces competition from Breloom as the primary Grass / Fighting type Pokemon, with Breloom having the advantage thanks to Spore and Mach Punch. The last year has been a tough one for Virizion, and all indications show that that trend will continue.</p>
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fat aerodactyl
<p>With Team Preview required in all standard BW battles, Aerodactyl's role as a suicide lead from DPP has been greatly hampered. No longer can it prevent the opponent from setting up Stealth Rock; they can just set it up later. As such, Aerodactyl has seen a great drop in usage, dropping from the mantle of OU all the way to down to RU. Its lacking defenses and Stealth Rock weakness make it almost useless mid-game, limiting its roles greatly. On the bright side, the one thing it hasn't lost over the generation shift is its ability to set up Stealth Rock—its amazing Speed allows it to set up the entry hazard with remarkable consistency. Add to that the fact that most players don't account for Aerodactyl when they make their team, and you might just have yourself a key cog to your team. In such a fast-paced, offensive metagame, this niche is more than enough reason to use Aerodactyl.</p>
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fat deoxys-d
<p>Although its stats indicate otherwise, Deoxys-D is the premier offensive Spikes lead spike-stacker in the OU metagame. Its base 90 Speed stat allows it to outpace just what it needs to, while its enormous bulk makes it impossible to take down in one blow, allowing the user to getlay at least one, if not two, layers of entry hazards set. This consistency appeals to many players, and as the generation has progressed, so has Deoxys-D's recognition as one of the best.Not only does it have the tools necessary to be a great spike-stacker, but itFurthermore, Deoxys-D can also run certain moves moves such as (give examples) to ensure that its work cannot be blown awayundone by common Rapid Spin users. It has essentially defined the new, fast-paced BW2 metagame, as it is used on nearly every weatherless hyper offensive (specifically weatherless offensive) team (i would move this to the end; it's a great concluding sentence imo). Unfortunately for Deoxys-D, it is a Psychic-type, whichits Psychic typing leaves it vulnerable to many common attackers, most notably Genesect and Tyranitar. It also has no way of breaking through either of the Magic Bounce users, Espeon and Xatu, rendering it essentially useless as long as those Pokemon are in battle. Despite these flaws, Deoxys-D has risen up to the creme of the crop, firmly holding a position as one of the elite (yea i'd replace this sentence with the one i pointed out previously).</p>
For Cresselia the shift from DPP to BW was not all that big, and BW2 has been much of the same, however Cresselia is still is as good a wall as you will find. Sporting incredibly solid 120/120/130 defenses of 120/120/130, Cresselia can comfortably take hits, and lots of them. (combine paragraph)Cresselia’s main function is to wall, whether it be from the Physical side of the spectrum, the Special side or heck even both, it fulfills this function very effectively. With a great ability in Levitate, Cresselia picks up immunity to the omnipresent ground moves such as Earthquake, allowing for many free switch insgains free switch-ins on the omnipresent Ground moves, such as Earthquake. It also possesses an incredible support movepool, championedspearheaded? by its signature move Lunar Dance. With this generation being heavily defined by powerhouse physical attackers, many of whom are Fighting typesmost notably the Fighting-types give examples, Cresselia’s Psychic typing further helps its walling capabilities, nullifyingand its ability to nullify serious threats in the OU metagame.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fat landorus-t
BW2 brought with it the release of some of the biggest offensive threats we have seen to date: including the Therian forms of Thundurus, Tornadus and Landorus. Landorus-T is often overlooked for the other Therians, or even its Incarnate form, however Landorus in its Therian form has acquired a very particular set of skills, skills that allow it to be a nightmare for the metagame when fully utilized.
Landorus-T trades off 10 base Speed and Special Attack for an increased 20 base Attack, which allows it to be truly threatening outright with a base Attack stat of 145. One of Landorus-I’s biggest draws is the rather unique 101 speed tier, which allows it to out speed a range of big threats and so losing that tier may seem like a substantial drawback, however Landorus-T functions in different ways.With a significantly higher Attack stat but a lower Speed, Landorus-T plays quite differently to its Incarnate form. Landorus-T is one of a very limited number of Pokemon who can effectively run either an Offensive set, Defensive set or Support setgo offensive, defensive, or support, which is one of his greatest assets. Landorus-T swaps the useful offensive abilities Sand Force and Sheer Force for Intimidate, which is more useful than ever in the current metagame with so many physical powerhouses running around. This ability will provide more than ample opportunities for Landorus-T to set up, whether it be Stealth Rock on a supporting set, Rock Polish on an offensive set, or simply to lower the attack of a foe, it truly is the crux of Landorus-T’s usefulness.The crux of Landorus-T's usefulness is Intimidate, which is invaluable given the prevalence of physical powerhouses in the current metagame; it provides ample opportunity for Landorus-T to set up, whether it be Stealth Rock on a supporting set, or Rock Polish on an offensive set.
<p>Xatu is a weird Pokemon; while its stats and typing suck, its ability, Magic Bounce, is one of the best abilities in the game, and makes it undeniably the best Deoxys-D counter in the game. This, combined with good moves such as Roost, Heat Wave, and U-turn, allow Xatu to fulfill a specific niche in OU. Xatu acts as a pseudo-spinner that doesn't kill your momentum, as it doesn't need to waste one turn to use Rapid Spin, and has U-turn tooto keep up the pace. For this reason, Xatu works best in offensive teams that detest entry hazards, especially sun offense. What's more is thatFurthermore, Xatu has a typing suited to taking hits from most entry hazard users in OU, such as Ferrothorn, Deoxys-D, and Forretress, coupled with passable defenses and reliable recovery, meaning that it can live long enough to outlast opposing entry hazard users.makingThis makes it a decent option for more defensive teams that have a way to deal with Pokemon that can beat Xatu and therefore set up entry hazardsits counters, such as Terrakion and Tyranitar. Outside of its niche Xatu sucks though, as it is frail for a defensive Pokemon, lacks significant offensive pressure, often making it set up bait, and has a Pursuit weakness; its lack of offensive pressure also renders it setup bait,andAdditionally, it competes with Espeon for a team slot, as Espeon is a more offensive alternative that is much better at setting up dual screens. As long as you stick to Xatu's niche, which is—countering Deoxys-D, and preventing entry hazards for certain kinds of teams, mainly sun offense—you won't be disappointed.</p>
<p>While Gastrodon was tossed aside in DPP due to being outclassed by basically every bulky Water-type out there, BW is much kinder to it. Storm Drain went from being a useless ability to one of the most useful abilities, granting Gastrodon an immunity to Water-type attacks and a Special Attack boost when it is hit by one as well. When combined with stellar special bulk and ausable base 92 Special Attack that makes it so Gastrodon is not setup fodder, unlike many defensive Pokemon, Gastrodon proves to be an excellent Pokemon. All of these traits add up to the best rain check in the business, as most Water-type sweepers, Tornadus-T, and Thundurus-T are unable to break Gastrodon without a Grass-type move. Other offensive threats, such as Latios and Hydreigon, cannot defeat Gastrodon either. Rain being the dominant weather currently increases Gastrodon's utility tenfold. The only impediments to Gastrodon's success are Ferrothorn, the upsurge of Chlorophyll sweepers, and its slightly disappointing Defense stat. Despite these downfalls, Gastrodon can fit onto basically any team bar heavy offense or sun, so throw it on your team and you will be on the road to success.</p>
Hydreigon belongs to the special group of Pokemon that can boast they possess no true counters: they potentially carry a move that can OHKO or 2HKO any Pokemon in the game, and as such are virtually impossible to safely switch into. Its peers include such wrecking balls as Deoxys-A, Excadrill, and Salamence. He also has Levitate, garnering many of the benefits his Flying-type brethren possess with nearly none of the drawbacks. Hydreigon is even gifted with excellent attacking and defensive stats, as well as a movepool to make any Pokemon Leaf Green with envy, so why does he struggle in OU? The answer is simple: Hydreigon’s base 98 Speed. While very far from bad, he falls just short of the myriad of base 100 Speed Pokemon, and more importantly, of Genesect’s base 99 speed (!). Hydreigon’s secondary Dark typing only makes things worse, giving him weaknesses to Fighting- and Bug-type attacks while doing nothing to improve his STAB coverage or alleviate his Dragon and Ice weaknesses. Hydreigon is not an easy Dragon to use, and isn’t always the right one, with many of his peers being faster, more powerful, or both, but don't be afraid to give it a try; this ferocious hydra just might surprise you.
Chandelure's incredible base 145 base Special Attack, which allows it to fire off some of the most powerful attacks in OU with a sun boost, are poorly supported by all of its other stats. Its typing, in concert with its Speed, has unfortunate weaknesses that attract many dangerous threats that can easily revenge kill, or even set up on it. The fact that it dislikes both rain and sand does it no favors when it is also weak against every entry hazard. Despite all this, if you really just want to see this nuke go off, you can fall back on Chandelure's immunities to Fire-, Fighting-, and Normal-type attacks to do so. Alternatively, you can try out Kyogre in Ubers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fat pory2
By many metrics, Porygon2 is the bulkiest Eviolite user in the game, competing even with the most defensive of Pokemon. This high bulk is supported by three decent abilities, especially Trace, as well as a workable base 105 Special Attack to strike back at its foes. Unfortunately, its good qualities end there. Lack of Leftovers recovery, low Speed, and a shallow movepool mean that Porygon2 is relatively easy to overwhelm with the kind of offensive pressure that is typical on many teams. Defensively, its Normal typing is a double-edged sword at best. These drawbacks ultimately prevent this virtual duck from taking the OU environment by storm.
<p>Keldeo may arguably be the cutest Pokemon in the OU tier, but that's not all there is to this pretty pony! With a great base 129 Special Attack and a good base 108 Speed, it has all the tools it needs to punch holes in opposing teams with relative ease. With Secret Sword, it becomes one of the only special attackers in the entire metagame that is capable of getting past Chansey and Blissey with ease. With all of these pros, it's hard to imagine that there are reasons to not use Keldeo, but sadly, this is the case.However,While Keldeo hasdespite Keldeo's great STAB coverage and powerful STAB moves, especially with access to powerful moves such as Hydro Pump and Secret Sword, it has a very shallow movepool, and is often limited to Hidden Power for coverage. In fact, what walls Keldeo is usually determined solely by the moves it runs. Keldeo is usually limited to running its STABs and a Hidden Power of choice for coverage, but this ponyNevertheless, Keldeo certainly isn't one-sided 'a one-trick pony'?. With a great boosting option in Calm Mind, the ability to run power-boosting items such as Life Orb or Choice Specs, and the ability to speed up with Choice Scarf, Keldeo can definitely wreak havoc on opposing teams.</p>
GP Approved sirn/sirn
Last edited by sirndpt; Dec 9th, 2012 at 11:18:44 AM.
So I figured it couldn't hurt to dole out some problems I have with other overviews. With that in mind, I have to single out nyttyn.
The proposed Blissey overview is not only longer than and just as verbose as the overview it intends to replace, but also much less well-written and riddled with mistakes and annoying memes. (Can we seriously stop using the term "fat/pink blob"? They arguably don't even fit the definition of "blob".) It talks as if Chansey is its only competition as a special wall, when it really isn't.
I feel that the proposed Jirachi overview actually isn't saying enough. Maybe the old overview was too wordy, but at the very least, it gave the impression that it is a very versatile Pokemon, which is a very big point for Jirachi. The mentions of Jirachi's weaknesses seem lazy.
Ditto still promotes an abject lie and probably should be completely retooled.
P.S. 1: Lord of Bays's Hydreigon: Although I agree that the current overview gets a bit too into describing its offensive power, I feel that the proposed overview handles it rather awkwardly, mentioning two Uber Pokemon and being ironically verbose with its typing weaknesses.
P.S. 2: What's happening with DarkBlazeR's Scizor? Genesect kind of got banned...
There are many effective bulky Ground-types thriving in OU, such as Gliscor and Hippowdon, which results in Donphan being somewhat overlooked. Don't be fooled by Donphan's former placement in UU, however, as it has quite a few perks to support its team and differentiate itself from the competition. Before you consider Donphan among others, keep in mind that your team will have to play to its main attributes, and be wary of its weaknesses to strong special attacks and several Ghost-type Pokemon (especially Jellicent).
Donphan's main function is to eliminate entry hazards with Rapid Spin, and thanks to its fantastic physical bulk and Ground typing, it will most likely achieve this goal with little cost. Donphan also sports a base 120 Attack stat, which, paired with STAB Earthquake, makes it a durable, hard-to-ignore offensive tank. As a nice side bonus, its ability, Sturdy, has been improved so it survives attacks at full health, aiding in its survival against powerful OU attackers. Donphan, ideally, should be played with diversity in mind, since it can function well as a utility Pokemon while standing up toe to toe with major threats, unlike its competition. Overall, if you need a defensive buffer not named Skarmory, Ferrothorn, or Forretress, Donphan can be counted on to reliably utilize Rapid Spin and sponge strong physical attacks for its team.
New:
<p>With Hippowdon, Gliscor, Gastrodon, and Landorus-T all roaming OU, Donphan seems a bit outclassed as a defensive Ground-type. Fortunately, Donphan has one major calling card that separates it from the rest: Rapid Spin. This alone makes it an excellent choice in OU. The metagame isn't exactly kind to Donphan, however. The battlefield is often littered with Rain-boosted Water attacks and jacked-up Special attackers, all among the things Donphan hates with a passion. When it isn't raining, it's probably sunny, and the threat of a Chlorophyll sweeper or a powerful Fire Blast lurks around the corner. Despite these shortcomings, Donphan's excellent Attack and Defense allow it to take on the other side of OU. It is one of the best Terrakion checks available, and walls any Tyranitar not packing Ice Beam. It can easily fit onto any team in need of a bulky Rapid Spin user.</p>
I'm locking this (but not moving it) because I intend to revamp this project with a new OP and new protocol later today, and want to make sure it's known.
Look forward to the grand overhaul of Project: Overviews soon!
Nov 14th, 2012, 2:23:58 PM
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additional credit to Pocket and AccidentalGreed
