Looks like creativity falls to the people willing to "risk" being creative.
I like it better that way anyway :)
I like it better that way anyway :)
It is, however, the best way to inspire new teams, creativity, and provoke discussion about stuff. Innovation is key to a fun metagame, and even if certain threats are prominent and powerful etc, it's the willingness of the playerbase to try new things that makes a metagame awesome to play and is the biggest reason why I prefer NU over any other meta. A stale metagame could be described as "balanced", but I think it would be more apt to call it "boring", which is something no one here wants.A stale metagame is a balanced metagame. Trying to force a change on a stable tier isn't exactly a smart idea.
Like the guy above me said, getting 2HKO'd doesn't make it a check. Plus, how do you plan on getting to +1 when you're outsped and you're 2HKO'd when you switch in?I can see Gurdurr having a lot of potential. I've been testing it a little, and its much bulkier than I initially thought. Using a 252 HP / 252 SpD spread with Eviolite:
Timid LO Magmortar's Fire Blast vs. Gurdurr: 48% - 56%
+1 Drain Punch in return: 60% - 71% a KO with SR and 1 turn of LO recoil. Just Mach Punch next turn if needed. Gurdurr can't switch into Fire Blast, but it can check Magmortar somewhat consistently.
Additional STAB, but outside of it - absolutely nothing unfortunately (and Trick). Well... it may try doing something gimmicky with Guard Swap, but yeah.I'd really like to see what meditite KO's over Sawk with that 9 point higher attack. Right now the only thing I'm getting out of it is that it's just a "Sawk jr."
My entire reason for testing it was that I noticed there were no viable users of HJK in the lower tiers, and then I saw Meditite with its Atk bigger than Sawk and decided to try it. So I didn't initially set out to see what it could KO over Sawk but I'm sure there are some.I'd really like to see what meditite KO's over Sawk with that 9 point higher attack. Right now the only thing I'm getting out of it is that it's just a "Sawk jr."
I agree that its defenses are just too pitiful to do anything with. But I did experiment with Ninjask BP'ing SD and speed boosts to Eviolite Meditite who used Sub to protect against status and such. In fact, this may be the most viable way to use Meditite but the set up didn't suit my team so I switched to Scarf.Well, it could potentially work an Eviolite set with access to Recover, and with heavy bulk investment, Eviolite fixes everything! =P
Recover / Hi Jump Kick / Zen Headbutt / Drain Punch ?
You could also number the elemental punches along with its additional STAB. It gets Ice Punch to hit things like Altaria for more damage than Stone Edge, ThunderPunch etc.Additional STAB, but outside of it - absolutely nothing unfortunately (and Trick). Well... it may try doing something gimmicky with Guard Swap, but yeah.
Almost forgot - he also has access to Baton Pass, so he may try to Baton Pass for example Bulk Up. With Eviolite it should be doable, but still nothing really good.
Anything that hits it hard neutrally, it is frail as hell even with an eviolite.Sub/Disable Haunter is really starting to get annoying. It gets in the way of pretty much every fighting-type in the tier, and I have resorted to using a Skuntank with two dark attacks to deal with it. Any suggestions?
This is the very reason that Scarf Sawk turns me off: it's not gamebreakingly strong, nor is it fast enough to revenge Timid Gorebyss. It's one of the two slowest scarfers (Braviary being the slowest common scarfer), and its moves have immunities that opposing substitute Pokemon can easily abuse. Substitute Haunter with Sludge Bomb is actually really strong, and I think there's a great reason why tennisace has been trying to hype it for quite a while.Sub/Disable Haunter is really starting to get annoying. It gets in the way of pretty much every fighting-type in the tier, and I have resorted to using a Skuntank with two dark attacks to deal with it. Any suggestions?
Naturally, that means there should be a rise in CB Sawk rather than Scarf Sawk, since really it doesn't outspeed as much as it used to. It hits hard as hell, especially if you carry something to break those Psychic-types in two.This is the very reason that Scarf Sawk turns me off: it's not gamebreakingly strong, nor is it fast enough to revenge Timid Gorebyss.
Cinccino. It's faster, so disable doesn't work, and it can switch into Shadow Ball for free and snipe Haunter from behind the sub with Rock Blast.Sub/Disable Haunter is really starting to get annoying. It gets in the way of pretty much every fighting-type in the tier, and I have resorted to using a Skuntank with two dark attacks to deal with it. Any suggestions?