np: RU stage 16 - Ding Dong The Witch is Dead

[DittoCrow]

Slowking

Slowking is hands down the best Pokemon in RU and I doubt anything will top it for a long time. It's typing is insanely good and the only really bad stat is its Speed, which isn't much of an issue for it. This allows it to wall and therefore check so many dangerous Pokemon in RU. I'm pretty sure everyone knows what makes Slowking so good by now (just see the standard sets on its analysis if you don't). Without Slowking, so many Pokemon would have an easier time wreaking havoc, such as Entei, Emboar, Gallade, Hitmonlee, and BlizzSpammers. It is very important for keeping them in check. Slowking can also switch into defensive Pokemon and force them out, as they can't touch Slowking, such as Poliwrath, Cryogonal, and Qwilfish. I've been taking advantage of this recently by using a Choice Specs Slowking set.

Slowking (M) @ Choice Specs
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 212 HP / 252 SAtk / 44 Spd
Modest Nature
- Surf
- Psyshock
- Flamethrower
- Trick

I've been using Pokemon that are weak to the defensive threats I mentioned above, like Escavalier, so that Slowking gets a free switch in and can then deal massive unexpected damage with a Choice Specs boosted move. That's why I like this version of Slowking so much. For example, Surf 2HKOes CB Escavalier and catches a bunch of other threats off guard. Despite not investing in the defenses, Slowking is still bulky enough to check many threats and still has a way to recover through Regenerator. For example, unlike defensive Slowking, this set OHKOes Moltres with Surf, which could catch it by surprise. I'm using Psyshock in order to check Gallade (it OHKOes after Stealth Rock) and Flamethrower to predict Grass-type switch-ins such as Sceptile. Trick also comes in handy, especially against stall teams. Trick will usually cripple an important stall Pokemon such as Spiritomb or even opposing Slowking (and annoying Cosmic Power Sigilyph on the ladder), giving my team a slight but important advantage. You can even play around with the moveset by using Psychic over Psyshock if you don't have trouble with Gallade, swapping out Trick or Flamethrower for Grass Knot, whatever. I used paralysis support from Uxie or Amoonguss (which is a cool 'Regen core') to help Slowking outspeed some threats like Druddigon and Feraligatr.

Overall Slowking is the best overall Pokemon in RU in my opinion and can be versatile. The Choice Specs set is really good and I urge you guys to try it out once in a while over the defensive set!

 

[Molk]

Agreeing that Slowking is one of the best, if not the best Pokemon in RU at the moment. It's an incredibly powerful and versatile threat that's capable of running a large amount of sets effectively and poses a threat to offensive and defensive teams alike with its combination of power, coverage, bulk, and regenerator. While Defensive and Specs Slowking are both amazing set no doubt, my personal favorite is actually OTR Slowking. While a low Speed stat is usually a big disadvantage that troubles almost every Pokemon cursed with it, OTR Slowking can turns its low Speed into a massive advantage, inverting the speed tiers for 4 turns, more than enough time for Slowking to wreak havoc with its temporary Speed boost. OTR Slowking makes for an excellent late game cleaner, using Trick Room when everything's all softened up from being battered by Slowking's teammates, because Trick Room makes Slowking faster than pretty much everything in the tier bar priority, nothing can really stop it from simply cleaning up the rest of the oppsing team, and even when it comes to priority, the only priority move Slowking really fears is Sucker Punch, as it has the bulk and typing to take the rest of them, such as Aqua Jet and Mach Punch with ease. OTR Slowking is especially effective midgame as well, battering the opposing team with Surf, Fire Blast, and Psyshock while possibly supporting its teammates with Trick Room and gradually recovering heath with Regenerator, eventually leading up to the final late game cleanup. Unlike other methods of boosting Speed such as Agility and Dragon Dance, Trick Room lingers for a little while even after Slowking's either switched out or been KO'd, meaning OTR king works especially with other Slow, bulky attackers such as Druddigon, Aggron, and Escavalier, who can use the remaining Trick Room turns after Slowking leaves the match to punch some holes in the opponent's team. As for the set itself, i run Trick Room/Surf/Psyshock/Fire Blast most of the time, although i know there are a few variations that other people prefer. Examples include putting Nasty Plot over Psyshock to function like OTR Cofagrigus when it was still RU, or even running Scald over Surf for a combination of the extra burn chance and the ability to thaw Slowking out from random freezes by using the move. So what do you think of OTR Slowking? Have you ever used/faced it? If so, were your experiences using/playing against it positive or negative?

 

[Pocket]

I have used OTR Slowking, and it's a mixed bag - it can bulldoze through offensive teams with ease, but it gets stalled to death by opposing Slowkings, which are already annoying for Trick Room teams to deal with. If you're using OTR Slowking, definitely have a solid switch-in for opposing Slowking handy.

I have also tried NP OTR Slowking @ Lefties, which sort of functions similarly to OTR Cofagrigus. I like how it does not need to rely on Regenerator as heavily as the LO variant, as well as the ability to set up NP boosts against opponents who try to stall out TR turns / wear out Slowking's health with LO recoils by switching in on resisted hits. However, NP King does suffer from 4 MSS. Without Fire Blast, Escavalier and Ferroseed would be a bitch. Without Surf Slowking can't quickly remove Rock- and Fire-types efficiently. Without Psyshock, Poliwrath and opposing Slowking can stall it out.

 

[DittoCrow]

Sleep

Sleep is arguably the most dangerous status move in general (besides freeze), and it is quite common in RU. The most common users of sleep inducing moves are: Amoonguss, Lilligant, Smeargle, Tangrowth, and Jynx. While this list is small, these Pokemon are pretty common and dangerous because of their sleep inducing moves. They can put a Pokemon to sleep and then set up or just remove their counters for what can sometimes be the rest of the game. It is advised to try to have a "sleep absorber" on every team, if it is feasible.

Sleep Absorbers

There are in fact a lot of convenient ways to counter sleep inducers. Sleep Talk is the most obvious way to do this. The two best users of Sleep Talk in my opinion are Escavalier and Emboar. Neither have a problem fitting it into their movepool, and unlike something like Poliwrath, their typing allows them to counter the common users of sleep moves. I've noticed some others such as Magneton and Druddigon but I haven't used them so I won't comment. What are some other Sleep Talk users that you've used?

Lum Berry and Abilities

Lum Berry became common largely because of Smeargle. Smeargle often has trouble starting off as a lead nowadays because of Lum Berry leads such as Uxie and Kabutops. Gallade is probably the best Pokemon to switch into offensive sleep inducers, if the sleep user is not using the move when Gallade switches in. Due to its high Special Defense, it can take a hit from Lilligant or Jynx and OHKO back while they will fail to put Gallade to sleep due to its Lum Berry. I also want to make a quick mention of Bouffalant and Magmortar. All common sleep moves except for Jynx's Lovely Kiss are Grass-type, so Bouffalant won't be put to sleep due to Sap Sipper; it is also a full stop to Amoonguss in general. Magmortar has Vital Spirit and resists the Grass-type Pokemon's STAB moves, which is why it is sometimes a good idea to run HP Rock on those Pokemon.

Aromatherapy & Heal Bell

While on the topic of status, I just wanted to touch on how good clerics are. Status is extremely common in RU and a paralysis or a burn can completely remove a Pokemon from the match. The most effective users are Clefable or Misdreavus for defensive teams, and Lilligant which actually works well on offensive/balance teams, if you can fit it on Lilligant's movepool. Roselia and Miltank could be used I guess but Roselia has 4mss and Miltank is just average imo :x.

Well that was longer than intended lol. Just want to share what I think are the biggest things to look out for in RU!

 

[Mack the Knife]

Would you guys say RU is the most balanced tier? Nidoqueen leaving makes T-Spikes a lot more viable.

Qwilfish @ Leftovers
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP/ 240 Def/ 16 Spe
Impish Nature
-Toxic Spikes
-Pain Split
-Waterfall
-Thunder Wave/Taunt

Runs like normal Qwil but instead it uses T-Spikes instead of Spikes. I think this could be quite useful.

 

[Pocket]

There's also Lanturn for Heal Bell ;d

Druddigon in particular is a good RestTalker, mainly because it can switch into most of these Sleep inducers (except Jynx) with ease, and can burn off sleep turns with phazing moves or a timely fully paralysis caused by its Glare.

I think the best Sleep Talkers are all-out attackers, though. Defensive Rest Talkers like to have control over their sleep cycle, and usually do not want to be asleep without being at full health (which Rest achieves). However, Sleep Talk on Escavalier, Entei, or Emboar enables it to continue their offense even while asleep. These Sleep Talk users are often choiced users, since they usually do not require all 4 moveslots (since it's only using one move at any given time). Escavalier, Entei, and Emboar actually have no problems switching into most of these sleep inducers, making them particularly useful for the role as a sleep absorber. My favorite strategy versus Smeargle lead is to use a faster Volt-Turner to break Smeargle's sash, as I switch into my Sleep Talker. The Sleep Talker then finishes off Smeargle.

Another interesting sleep absorbers are Guts users, such as Swellow. Although it doesn't work for all sleep inducers, a fast Substitute can totally neuter the likes of Smeargle.

 

[Molk]

Emboar is by far my favorite Sleep Talk Pokemon atm, in fact, i rarely find myself building a team without the thing these days, its just so good at what it does that i often find it irreplaceable. Anyways, Scarf Emboar is a reliable check to pretty much every Pokemon that uses Sleep in RU at the moment, switching into and checking Lilligant, Amoonguss, and Tangrowth with ease, whether they used a Sleep Move or not, and threatening a OHKO/2HKO in return with Flare Blitz. Outside of checking Pokemon that run Sleep moves, Emboar's combination of bulk, coverage, scarf boosted Speed, and typing allows it to pull more than its weight, making it a good check to other top threats such as Escavalier, Durant, Sceptile, most Blizzspammers, and Absol, so Emboar wont let you down even if the opponent lacks a Sleep inducing move. Although some people prefer to use other moves on possible Sleep absorbers instead of Sleep Talk Emboar really doesn't miss out on much of anything anything by replacing its last move with Sleep Talk imo. Flare Blitz/Superpower/Wild Charge covers pretty much every common threat in RU at the moment unless you want Earthquake to hit Qwilfish without recoil, or Head Smash to OHKO other Fire-types such as Moltres, Sigilyph and Entei (although Wild Charge and Superpower still heavily dent all 3 of those, respectively) which i feel pales in comparison to the Sleep absorbing ability Sleep Talk provides. Also, unlike Entei, Emboar still has the ability to revenge kill various faster threats while asleep thanks to its coverage and Choice Scarf, while Entei can't use its +2 priority Extremespeed while asleep, leaving its team slightly more open to faster threats.

Oh by the way, Dittocrow decided to update the np thread a little bit, take a look to see what we added!

 

[mkizzy]

Druddigon has been being used quite more recently, and for good reason. It's quite the monster, and a versatile one at that. 120 Attack isn't a laughing matter, with respectable bulk as well. Although it has low speed, it can take a hit with its decent bulk or it can abuse the gimmicky Trick Room (maybe I'm the only person who likes this ;-;). Druddigon can run a great deal of sets, including Parashuffler, LO/Choice Offensive, Offensive SR, Defensive SR, Sub + 3 Attacks, and even a Mixed Set is effective. Dragon can fit on almost any team without being deadweight, and (if you use it right) it will (hopefully) do its job effectively! Druddigon is definitely top 5 mon imo, up there with Slowking.

 

[col49]

Ugh, I remember the good old days where nobody else ran Drudd :[ Seriously though, I don't mean to sound repetitious but Druddigon is a really solid 'mon, and while it definitely isn't as versatile as something like Slowking it certainly has its own methods of keeping players on their toes (CB smashes most defensive non-Steels, Mixed beats down those Steels+Tangrowth easily, etc.). Tying this into the sleep absorber point, I've been regretting not mentioning Sleep Talk as an option on CB Drudd since I wrote it, since Drudd makes a very solid sleep absorber. Though I will concede that [Choice Scarf] Emboar is probably the best choiced user of the move, Druddigon does make a very solid user of the move, switching comfortably into every common sleep inducer in the tier barring Jynx and being able to put holes in them with non-EQ Sleep Talk pulls. Unlike Entei and Escavalier Druddigon doesn't fold to Lilligant depending on the Hidden Power it runs, making it a much more comfortable response to it, which never hurts (though it can usually be determined by the build of the team what HP it runs).

Oh, and side note, I've been loving Galvantula in the current metagame, in particular Sub+3 Attacks variants. I've definitely mentioned this before, but Galvantula forces a ton of switches, meaning it gets a bunch of free sub opportunities, and from there it can just go to work. Most offensively inclined responses (priority, Scarf users, etc.) to it get put in a tough position by sub, and its nice STAB mean that its already hitting most everything for good damage. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that most of the more common Pokemon of the tier are 2hkoed or better :O Point being, sub Galvantula is cool, Life Orb usage should greatly outweigh Choice Specs on it, etc etc.

 

[Molk]

Substitute+3 Attacks Galvantula seems pretty cool col49 =), i'd imagine it'd probably play like substitute sceptile, using Substitute to dodge Sucker Punch, provide a cushion against other priority, and ease prediction while battering the opposing team with its great Electric/Bug STAB Combo, using Giga Drain when it can to recover the HP lost from Substitute (although this is less effective compared to Sceptile, as Galvy doesn't recieve STAB on the move). Something that should be kept in mind though is that the residual damage from hazards+Life Orb+Substitute will add up rather quickly, which drastically shorten's Galvantula's lifespan if the person using it doesn't play carefully to minimize the residual damage taken, and even then Galvantula can still find itself being worn down if it doesn't get a good opportunity to use Giga Drain. Still though, Sub+3 attacks Galvantula seems like a pretty nice set, i'll give it a spin sometime!

 

[DittoCrow]

Death Fodder

Offensive teams have the most trouble with this: switching into hard hitters. Examples like CB Aggron, Druddigon, Moltres, and Escavalier can usually get a free switch in per match, and more offensive oriented teams might not have a Pokemon that can switch into one of these. This is where death fodder comes into play. I usually have something like Uxie or Mesprit that sets up Stealth Rock and is used to provide momentum with U-turn. However, their other biggest use is being sacrificed to something like Aggron, as most of my offensive teams do not have something that can switch into a Head Smash. Sacrificing something like Uxie can give me a free switch in to a hard hitter of my own, changing the pace of the battle by putting pressure on the opponent instead of vice versa. So, what else do you guys use as death fodder? I'm not sure if everyone runs a Pokemon like this, and if so, what do you do to deal with Pokemon like the ones mentioned above?

 

[Swamp-Rocket]

Death Fodder

Offensive teams have the most trouble with this: switching into hard hitters. Examples like CB Aggron, Druddigon, Moltres, and Escavalier can usually get a free switch in per match, and more offensive oriented teams might not have a Pokemon that can switch into one of these. This is where death fodder comes into play. I usually have something like Uxie or Mesprit that sets up Stealth Rock and is used to provide momentum with U-turn. However, their other biggest use is being sacrificed to something like Aggron, as most of my offensive teams do not have something that can switch into a Head Smash. Sacrificing something like Uxie can give me a free switch in to a hard hitter of my own, changing the pace of the battle by putting pressure on the opponent instead of vice versa. So, what else do you guys use as death fodder? I'm not sure if everyone runs a Pokemon like this, and if so, what do you do to deal with Pokemon like the ones mentioned above?

Hm... typically I don't really like to death fodder my Pokemon, but if I need to sacrifice something on my team, lately it has been Qwilfish, even on my balanced teams. Although this may seem strange because of how good Qwilfish is, it actually works somewhat well. Qwilfish can take a lot of physical hits with Intimidate, and then it can then do as much has it can to the foe, typically by paralysis, or or set up a bunch of layers of Spikes while it slowly dies (and it really does die pretty slowly), in the case that I have a Pokemon that can outpace and KO the threat in question (there are a lot of stalemates Qwilfish runs into, a good example being Escavalier). Losing something like Qwilfish can leave me wide open to another threat such as Emboar, but the entry hazards it lays, Intimidate, and Thunder Wave make the rest of the battle a lot easier to play around, and makes a dangerous threat a lot less dangerous, and if you severely weaken a Pokemon Qwilifish just saved you from, then that is not as big of a deal, because a lower speed means a generally easier to kill Pokemon. Also, with a bunch of layers of Spikes up, you can shift the game into your favor if you can KO a threat, and a sweeper can start using the sacrificed Pokemon's contributions to its own advantages.

Otherwise, I usually death fodder something that isn't very much help in that particular battle. For example, if a team is severely lacking in Psychic- and Ghost-types, chances are Spiritomb is going to have to take the blow if I have it on the team, and nail a Sucker Punch to weaken the foe before it is gone for good. Wallbreakers that seem to have no chance of killing stuff that lack priority, such as Magmortar also sometimes have act as death fodder, as if there is too much offensive pressure for them to switch in and too much speed for them to pull off an attack, they have trouble functioning. Wallbreakers are usually the first to go if I am against something such as Choice Banded Pokemon and I lack resists, but these Pokemon are somewhat easy to revenge kill. However, there have a few cases where I decide to death fodder whatever I am using at the moment if what I have is faster, because I fear what will happen if I decide to switch out, and if I can get a hit off and weaken them, it makes the pressure lessen.

 

[Molk]

Hmmmm, i personally rarely carry a specific Pokemon that i consistently use as death fodder on my teams (although i know there are a few Pokemon that play the role well). I often find what i'm sacrificing early on to be totally match dependent with the way i'm playing and teambuilding at the moment. When i need to death fodder something, i always try and take a good look at my opponent's team first, identify the remaining big threats, and look at my own team and find the Pokemon that would be least useful to me at that specific point of the match, whether its because the Pokemon's been weakened to the point where it can't take any attack/dies to hazards, or because i simply dont need the Pokemon to win the match at the moment.

When i do use a Pokemon specifically as death fodder though, its usually something like Smeargle. Smeargle's often used on heavy offense teams (the team that benefits from having safe death fodder the most) as a suicide hazard setter that aims to get as many layers of Stealth Rock and Spikes up before dying, possibly crippling with Sleep in the process. Later on in the match, when Smeargle's already accomplished its job, its the perfect Pokemon to use as death fodder, getting my teammates in for free with little to no cost, as Smeargle's already done its job by the time i need it as death fodder the majority of the time.

 

[speed ghilliesniper]

I agree that Smeargle is good death fodder after he's gotten his job done and is still alive later on, and another one that plays the same way is Snover on hail teams. Since it's useless outside of the weather and a weak blizz spammer it's not a terrible sacrifice to fodder it later on, although it's important to keep it alive against any team that even remotely smells like rain or sun, as some (like Ludicolo)are obvious others (like Exeggutor) can be a few different sets so it's best to keep Snover alive until you know for sure.

 

[SHUCKLE MAN]

Now that I think about it, "death fodder" stats would probably be possible to get. Simply tally the Pokemon that get KOed on switch-in (of course the stats wouldn't be perfect, as it doesn't distinguish between which Pokemon were sacrificed intentionally, and which ones by accident (i.e. the opponent predicting well and using an un-expected move), although it would give a rough idea. Pokemon often used as late-game sweepers would probably rank low in those stats for example.

 

[VoltTurn]

Custap Golem has been faring me nicely on offensive teams in RU. Takes a hit, sets up rocks, then Custap Explodes. It usually kills SOMETHING a game; also, I've found myself using Explode for momentum vs. walls as I can get a free switch-in to something like Tangrowth and avoid the Sleep Powder. Also, if it doesn't die, it provides an easy death fodder with that double-edged sword of a typing. It gives momentum by dying.

 

[Molk]

Custap Golem has been faring me nicely on offensive teams in RU. Takes a hit, sets up rocks, then Custap Explodes. It usually kills SOMETHING a game; also, I've found myself using Explode for momentum vs. walls as I can get a free switch-in to something like Tangrowth and avoid the Sleep Powder. Also, if it doesn't die, it provides an easy death fodder with that double-edged sword of a typing. It gives momentum by dying.

Hmmmm....i dont really use/see Golem too much tbh, imo it recieves a lot of competition from some of the other Stealth Rock setters in the tier, especially Rhydon. Who shares Golem's excellent dual STABs and has better overall stats, access to Megahorn to hit things like Tangrowth, and the ability to use Eviolite. Golem does have some unique advantages over its competition though, such as Sturdy, a slightly higher Speed stat, priority in Sucker Punch, and most notably that cool Custap Explosion as VolTurn mentioned. would you happen to have any logs of Golem being especially effective? it seems like a pretty interesting Pokemon when used well!

Speaking of Custap Berry, i think Custap Crustle is pretty effective in this meta, while many offensive teams that needs Stealth Rock+Spikes opt for Smeargle as their hazard setter because of its higher Speed and access to Spore, Custap Crustle makes an effective hazard setter as well, having some important advantages that make it worth using over the painter. For example, unlike Smeargle, Crustle isn't cursed with absolutely abysmal stats, making it much more useful outside of setting hazards, being able to take most physical hits well while retaliating with some good physical STABs off of a nice base 95 Attack stat. This also means Crustle functions better than Smeargle during the later stages of the game, not being compromised without Sturdy active. While Crustle's really low Speed stat can be a disadvantage at times, Custap Berry helps patch this up a bit, letting Crustle set up one final layer of Spikes before it goes down when its left below 25% Hp.

So anyways, have any of you used either Custap Golem or Custap Crustle lately? If so, how did they do? Is Golem still outclassed even with this unique advantage? Also, have you tried using some other Pokemon with a Custap berry? its a very unique item that has the potential to be used in a variety of creative ways imo.

 

[vyomov]

Custap Berry is quite interesting especially for Slow pokemon:)
I think this set is decent:

Rotom-C@ Damp Rock
Nature: Timid
EVs: 252 HP/252 SpA/4 Spd
- Rain Dance
- Thunder
- Leaf Storm
- HP Water/Hex
This set is able to surpise a lot of people. Most people expect Rotom-C to Volt Switch and thus switch in a ground type and are then taken by surprise with Rain Dance. Rain Dance offers 100% accurate Thunder, meaning most mons will be hit HARD!
Leaf Storm is the special STAB, which hits Quagsire really hard.
HP Water is to take advantage of the rain vs fire types while Hex is a useful trick if a mon is paralyzed by Thunder.

 

[Molk]

Custap Berry is quite interesting especially for Slow pokemon:)
I think this set is decent:

Rotom-C@ Damp Rock
Nature: Timid
EVs: 252 HP/252 SpA/4 Spd
- Rain Dance
- Thunder
- Leaf Storm
- HP Water/Hex
This set is able to surpise a lot of people. Most people expect Rotom-C to Volt Switch and thus switch in a ground type and are then taken by surprise with Rain Dance. Rain Dance offers 100% accurate Thunder, meaning most mons will be hit HARD!
Leaf Storm is the special STAB, which hits Quagsire really hard.
HP Water is to take advantage of the rain vs fire types while Hex is a useful trick if a mon is paralyzed by Thunder.

I've used a similar Rotom-C set to this before on some of my rain teams i've been testing out lately, it makes a pretty good rain setter given its ability to abuse the rain on its own with Thunder and the synergy it has with the common rain abusers in the tier such as Omastar, Seismitoad, and Kabutops. To be honest though i really dont see the purpose of running either of the moves in the last slot. Most of the targets Hidden Power Water will be aimed at are already hit incredibly hard by either Thunder or Leaf Storm, and Hex is pretty inconsistent given the opponent needs to have a status condition for the move to reach its full power. Volt Switch is just so much more useful imo, it helps Rotom-C reliably gain momentum, and because this particular set isn't Choiced, Rotom-C could simply switch moves even if something such as Rhydon or Piloswine switches in to absorb the Volt Switch. Volt Switch serves another important purpose too, because of its lack of Speed investment, Rotom-C can set up rain dance on a predicted switch to a faster Pokemon, take a hit because of its good bulk and typing, and use Volt Switch to get something such as Kabutops in for free, giving the Rotom-C user a significant advantage.

 

[vyomov]

Stuff like Entei is hit much harder by rain-boosted HP Water: 252+ SpA Rotom-C Hidden Power Water vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Entei in rain: 276-326 (74.39 - 87.87%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
and almost guarantees an OHKO vs Entei with Stealth Rock.
This is because these mons are most likely switch ins(although I've been thinking about HP Rock as an alternative) to Rotom-C

 

[New Breed]

Stuff like Entei is hit much harder by rain-boosted HP Water: 252+ SpA Rotom-C Hidden Power Water vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Entei in rain: 276-326 (74.39 - 87.87%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
and almost guarantees an OHKO vs Entei with Stealth Rock.
This is because these mons are most likely switch ins(although I've been thinking about HP Rock as an alternative) to Rotom-C

Volt Switch is definitely the best option in the last slot as more often then not your going to be wanting to switch out into something like Kabutops/Omastar to get a free setup on that Entei.

Speaking of Custap Berry, i think Custap Crustle is pretty effective in this meta, while many offensive teams that needs Stealth Rock+Spikes opt for Smeargle as their hazard setter because of its higher Speed and access to Spore, Custap Crustle makes an effective hazard setter as well, having some important advantages that make it worth using over the painter. For example, unlike Smeargle, Crustle isn't cursed with absolutely abysmal stats, making it much more useful outside of setting hazards, being able to take most physical hits well while retaliating with some good physical STABs off of a nice base 95 Attack stat. This also means Crustle functions better than Smeargle during the later stages of the game, not being compromised without Sturdy active. While Crustle's really low Speed stat can be a disadvantage at times, Custap Berry helps patch this up a bit, letting Crustle set up one final layer of Spikes before it goes down when its left below 25% Hp.

I have used Custap Crustle quite a bit and it's extremely good at grabbing early game momentum with at least SR + 1 layer of spikes. It distinguishes itself from Smeargle by being able to OHKO suicide leads such as Aerodactyl as they attemp to taunt (needs 3 hits with Rock Blast) and not really caring about Lum Berry Uxie at all. Of course Crustle does have it's downsides such as poor speed and weakness to SR but is a cool option over Smeargle.

I personally prefer the max speed and attack variant with a naive nature and 0 Hp/0 Def/0 Sdef IV's to allow almost any neutral special attack to bring you into Custap range to allow you to either attack/spike and extra turn. You can opt for dual stab on Crustle with X-Scissor/Rock Blast which allows you to dent Uxie, Slowking and other Psychic types decently hard but I prefer Earthquake for QuakeEdge coverage and for the ability to do a nice chunk to Kabutops.

 

[Explorer]

So, after playing about 100+ matches in the new meta, i've found the combination of Acrobatics Drifblim, Swellow, and Spikes to be absolutely amazing in the new metagame. Drifblim and Swellow are already threatening enough on their own, but when paired together they make quite the formidable offensive core, wearing down each others common checks to help the other to sweep late game easily. Drifblim usually starts things off, having plenty of opportunities to switch in thanks to its multiple resistances and immunities and decent bulk (despite its reputation for having pathetic defenses, Drifblim's bulk is about on par with Braviary, which isnt bad at all tbh). After Drifblim gets itself into the match it usually immediately uses Acrobatics, which hits incredibly hard first turn with the Flying Gem boost even with Drifblim's average base 80 Attack. After the initial Acrobatics Drifblim becomes the fastest Pokemon in the tier by far, outpacing things such as Scarf Manectric with ease, from here Drifblim can either continue to use Acrobatics and attempt to sweep, Burn the opponent (possibly a Rock- or Steel-type!) with Will-O-Wisp, or use Substitute to block things like Thunder Wave and paralysis that could end Drifblim's reign of terror early. When Drifblim's about to die, it can go out with a bang with Destiny Bond, automatically taking down the Pokemon that scored the KO against it with it (once again, possibly a Rock-or Steel type!). After Drifblim's work is done, Swellow can usually come in, activiate its Toxic Orb, and clean up the rest of the opponents team uninterrupted with its powerful STABs. Entry Hazards are especially good with this core, as both Swellow and Drifblim score a bunch of OHKOs they wouldnt be able to normally with simply Stealth Rock+1 layer of Spikes, not to mention the vast majority of Pokemon used to check these two are both grounded and lack reliable recovery, making them incredibly easy to wear down. As an added bonus, Drifblim can block Rapid Spin with some prediction, and can OHKO Cryogonal with Acrobatics/Force a double down vs Kabutops with Destiny Bond in return. Of course this core isn't without its flaws, with Swellow and Drifblim sharing common weaknesses to Ice-, Electric-, and Stealth Rock, making things such as Scarf Electrics quite annoying when not properly prepared for. The weakness to Stealth Rock is quite annoying when using this core as well, especially with Swellow switching in and out a lot, so i'd strongly recommend using a Rapid Spinner or at least some way of keeping hazards off of your side of the field when using this core. Nonthenless, these two Pokemon work really well together, and while they need some support to bring out their full potential, the payoff is definitely worth it imo, try it out if you get the chance!

Sets

Drifblim @ Flying Gem
Trait: Unburden
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Acrobatics
- Will-O-Wisp
- Substitute
- Destiny Bond

Swellow @ Toxic Orb
Trait: Guts
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Protect / Quick Attack
- Facade
- Brave Bird
- U-turn

I would suggest pairing this with a Pokemon that could handle Rock and Steel-types. Quagsire comes to mind since, unlike Stunfisk or Torterra, it is not weak to Ice type moves. Pokemon such as Clefable that hate Fighting-types would also be nice partners.

I have to say, Skuntank is an underrated TSpikes absorber. It has decent bulk and very good coverage options. It can destroy many common members of Hail teams with Fire Blast, Toxic, and Sucker Punch, and could also get nice coverage with Hidden Power Water, mainly on Magmortar, Entei, and Rhydon (Rhydon walls most Skuntank). It is also a welcome addition to the TanKing core to beat Escavalier.

 

[col49]

^ I would tend to disagree with Quag and Clef being good partners for this particularly team build, as by design it tends to favor a faster-paced match (either heavy or at most bulky offense), and those sort of 'mons really tend to "slow down" the team's momentum. I myself tended to run 'mons such as Kabutops for Rapid Spin support, Gallade / Hitmonlee for good "recipients" of Swellow's U-Turn momentum and late-game cleaners, and usually some sort of Electric immunity for deterring overzealous Volt Switches (Golurk, Piloswine, etc.).

On the note of Custap 'mons, I've recently been tinkering with the idea of Custap Steelix. While it definitely lacks the early-game potency of leads such as Smeargle, Crustle, and so forth, Steelix retains much more mid-game value, and can usually stick around pretty long and then just get off a solid hit later in the match. I haven't really missed the recovery of Leftovers most of the time (disclaimer: I was running a balanced team, Custap Steelix is p.awful for stall :x), and the added utility to go get off a priority Explosion or something along those lines is pretty clutch (really cool when you get into those Steelix v.Moltres match-ups Turn 1 :] ). I've been running a set of SR ⎮ EQ ⎮ Gyro Ball ⎮ Explosion, and while I've been tinkering with a ton of different spreads I've found it to be a very interesting option over the standard set.

 

[Molk]

I would suggest pairing this with a Pokemon that could handle Rock and Steel-types. Quagsire comes to mind since, unlike Stunfisk or Torterra, it is not weak to Ice type moves. Pokemon such as Clefable that hate Fighting-types would also be nice partners.

Yeah, whenever i use Swellow+Drifblim i always imagine a Pokemon to take these attacks for me (or even two) as a complete and utter given, as things like Aggron might get worn down over time by Drifblim, but they're still fairly threatening, plus things like Weak Armor Kabutops can be really scary if they switch into say Swellow's facade to get the Speed boost, outrun the bird, and KO it next turn. On my team i personally used a combination of Golurk and Ferroseed to combat those pesky Rock-types, between the two of them no Rock-type really posed much of a threat to my team in the end, as i could just switch one of them in depending on the particular threat and use them as hazards fodder, Leech Seed them to wear them down, or simply force them out with Earthquake. The two Pokemon served important purposes outside of beating Rock-types and setting hazards as well, with Golurk helping me absorb Volt Switch for Swellow and Drifblim while also providing a good check to Fighting-types and a resistance to Escavalier's Megahorn, while Ferroseed punished users for locking Druddigon into Outrage, checked various Water-types such as Feraligatr and Omastar, and reliably spread paralysis.

As col49 mentioned though, i really wouldn't suggest using Quagsire in particular for this role, as most teams using Swellow+Drifblim are going to be pretty offensive, and Quagsire just seems to naturally kill momentum for me every time i end up using it :/.

 

[DittoCrow]

A Lack of Rapid Spinners

Hazards are just extremely deadly to all playstyles in this metagame. There are only two good spinners in my opinion, those being Kabutops and Cryogonal. Cryogonal is not that good in this metagame because it struggles to run its previously successful fully SpDef spread. This is due to two Pursuit users, Spiritomb and Escavalier, being extremely common and getting an easy switch in on Cryogonal. If Cryogonal does not run any Defense EVs, it will simply go down too easily to these Pokemon. The metagame is also much more offensive than a year ago and Cryogonal does not have as many opportunities to switch in, spin, and Recover in consecutive turns.

Kabutops is better than Cryogonal, but it doesn't really fit well on defensive teams due to its lack of recovery and frailty. Kabutops is really important because of the fact that it's the best RU spinner. However, it is heavily prepared for whether you bring an offensive or defensive Grass-type, Poliwrath, or Rotom.

Hazards

On the other hand, setting up hazards isn't too difficult. Specifically, I want to talk about Spikes which I believe are really hard to deal with. Some Spikes setters have become better in this stage in my opinion, those being Qwilfish, Ferroseed, and Roselia. There's always Smeargle as well, who doesn't have trouble setting up a layer or two. Spikes hinder a lot of common Pokemon these days. The Pokemon that take the biggest hits are bulky Pokemon such as Slowking, Amoonguss, Druddigon, Spiritomb, etc. They are used to switch into many threats, and Spikes will put a lot of pressure on them and even turn 3HKOs into 2HKOs or whatever. Offensive teams also struggle vs a team with hazards and a solid core. Offensive Pokemon will be forced to switch a lot and usually don't have recovery, so they can be swept by fast threats or just be worn down by continuous switching. Spikes are just really hard to deal with in my opinion if you lack Kabutops.

Toxic Spikes

I don't really think that Toxic Spikes got a lot better since Nidoqueen left. Pokemon that are unaffected by them are still common, such as Levitators, Flying-types, Steel-types, and of course an Amoonguss or Qwilfish here and there. Clerics will also cure the team of poison after the Toxic Spikes user has fainted. Toxic Spikes have never really been that good, and there are still not too many effective users of the move, maybe only Qwilfish and Scolipede(?).

So what do you guys think about hazards in the metagame and how do you deal with them?