APPROVED BY Molk
Welcome to the Team Building for RU project. This project was originally hosted by Huntofthelion, Nova and Asek a while back, and then the BW2 version was hosted by Subject18. I brought it back to OU for XY, and now it finds its way in the newly-established XY RU.
The aim of this project is to help newer players know what is, and isn't, viable to use on their RU teams and finding niches for less than common Pokemon that you haven't thought of. For this I want you guys to post sets that work well, or not so well, in the current metagame and explain why they do or do not work. This project is all about discussing which Pokemon are good at all the "roles" there are in RU. From Physical Sweepers to Hazard setters, we're looking to find what Pokemon are good at doing the job. Considering the usage stats, new players maybe confused as to what is good to use in the tier.
That's where you guys come in! By posting your favorite sets with a quick little description you can help save new users everywhere from using some of that more terrible sets, as well as helping them fill out their team by giving them a quick list of what fills different roles. Also feel free to post sets that people should not be using, yet still do. Remember however this is not the place to post over specialized / gimmick sets. Those sets belong in one of the creative move-set threads located in the RU sub-forum.
Other users can then comment on the set and discuss if it should be placed on the good or bad side of the fence. Discussion on sets is encouraged so don't worry about jumping in and offering your input on a posted set! If a pokemon fits under more than 1 category list the role it is geared towards the most first followed by the other roles it can perform with the same set. This is a great way for you people new to RU to see what are good additions to your teams so check in regularly to see which Pokemon work so you can improve your team building skills!
This project is also a great way to get noticed for that super cool Community Contributor badge that everyone wants, or if you already have it you can work towards keeping it, so don't feel like you need to be the winner to win!
This is what we'd like your posts providing sets to look like, and remember to export the set from a simulator so it's easily importable! It should including selling points as to why it is worthy of being considered for a spot on someones team. If the pokemon/set you post falls under the "what not to use" section point out both the good and the bad as well as mentioning the issues that it has. Since a lot of pokemon are somewhat niche and very underrated posting replays of these pokemon in use can be great support to sell the set and to give players an idea of how they should be using the pokemon. These replays can be put in the Additional Comments portion of your post.
Follow this format for your post:
What to use:
Virizion @ Lum Berry
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spe
Nature: Jolly
- Swords Dance
- Leaf Blade
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge
What it Does: Virizion is a unique sweeper thanks to its typing giving it a really good STAB combination. It has super effective and neutral coverage on many top physical walls and tanks in the tier such as Rhyperior, Registeel, Gligar, and Alomomola. Swords Dance gives Virizion the power it needs to sweep through teams reliably. Leaf Blade is the primary STAB move as it catches many physical walls and tanks for super effective or neutral damage. Close Combat smacks around most things that resist Leaf Blade, but this should be used only when necessary as it lowers Virizion's otherwise very good Special Defense upon use. Stone Edge gives much needed coverage on the likes of Moltres, Delphox, and Golbat, but you will need a boost and Rocks to get past the latter. EV spread is very simplistic and Jolly is used as Virizion sits just above Delphox. Lum Berry is very helpful as it allows Virizion to switch into Scald from bulky Waters without fear. This also allows Virizion to stay in on the likes of Uxie, Registeel, and Mega-Bannette should it already have a boost since it can tank at least one of their offensive moves and has Lum Berry to avert their status inducing moves.
Good Teammates: Virizion struggles with bulky Grass-types, especially Amoonguss. For this reason, Pokemon such as Moltres, Escavalier, and Durant make for great teammates. In particular, Moltres shares good defensive synergy with Virizion. Virizion also struggles with bulky Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon. If you can keep Stealth Rock off the field, then Zoroark is a fantastic lure for these. So long as you have Virizion as the 6th member of your team, Zoroark can come in disguised as Virizion to lure out these Pokemon and remove them with its Dark-type STAB move of choice.
What Counters it: Virizion has a very difficult time with Amoonguss as it 4x resists Leaf Blade and is the only common Grass-type that also resists Close Combat. It can use Clear Smog to remove any of Virizion's boost while simultanously hitting it for super effective damage. Bulky Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon such as Reuniclus, Cresselia, and Cofagrigus can tank any move and retaliate in various ways. Choice Scarf users such as Emboar and Moltres can easily revenge kill Virizion and can have some success switching in as both resist Leaf Blade (Moltres even resists Close Combat)
Additional Info: Life Orb is an option to use over Lum Berry for more power. Not much else otherwise. Virizion is a pretty straightforward physical sweeper. It may not have other move options, but it doesn't really need anything else to be successful.
Braviary @ Life Orb
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 SpD
Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- Superpower
- Return
- Roost
What it does: Braviary is surprisingly bulky for a bird pokemon. Because of this he lacks speed though, but that doesn't mean he's bad. Braviary has a very solid 120 attack stat. He also gets strong STABs and various coverage moves on top of that. Boost his power a bit with Life Orb and you will deal heavy damage to most pokemon. 3 attacks are enough to hit most things so last moveslot goes to Roost. This is basically to heal all the recoil damage. Another great niche he has is that he can punish defog users. Although he is not as effective as other defiant users, he can still pull it off. He lacks the speed and priority to make full use of it but hit bulk compensates for that.
Good Teammates: Fast threats and priority are a problem for Braviary. A fast pokemon like Sharpedo or a good priority user like Zoroark are very good. Defensive steel types can also tank the super effective hits Braviary himself can't. A good rapid spinner is also very desirable. Being able to switch in without much harm is essential for him to survive. Defog support is not really needed since that breaks the purpose of Defiant. If you don't have your own hazards that the opponent wants gone, there is no point in using this thing as a fast bulky attacker.
What Counters it: I've already mentioned it before. Fast pokemon that can also deal a lot of damage. A good example is Heliolisk. He is faster, deals super effective damage and has lots of coverage options. Switching in a ground type to stop the Volt Switch/TBolt isn't always the best idea because he can carry Grass Knot or Surf. Priority moves can also wreck Braviary if his health is low from recoil. He can't heal up, he has to switch but switching in later will also be difficult because of rocks. This is why I also mentioned that rapid spin support is essential.
Any Additional Info: After Tornadus' ban, Braviary is most likely the best Defiant user/Defog punisher in RU. A hazard focused team should always consider using a pokemon like this since it will support the team immensely.
Gallade @ Life Orb
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spe
Nature: Jolly
- Substitute
- Drain Punch
- Psycho Cut
- Knock Off
What it Does: Sub + 3 Attacks Gallade is quite the pain for many teams to face. Usually, Gallade's biggest problem is its inability to net more than 2 KOs against most offensive teams. However, this set fixes that by using Substitute to shield Gallade from revenge killers and status users alike. Drain Punch gives this set great flexibility and solid power. Psycho Cut hammers Fighting- and Poison-types while also dealing solid damage to Aromatisse. Knock Off finishes off the set by smashing bulky Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon that could otherwise handle Gallade's STAB moves with ease. While most Gallade sets use Adamant and some don't even run max Speed, this one uses Jolly and max Speed to outpace as many threats as possible. Life Orb seems odd on a Substitute user, but Drain Punch's healing side effect makes this possible, and helps to make up for the power lost from using Jolly.
Good Teammates: As Gallade lacks the ability to boost its Attack stat with Swords Dance, entry hazard users are great teammates. Froslass, Rhyperior, Registeel, and Bronzong can reliably setup entry hazards to chip away at Gallade's checks and counters. Paralysis support from stuff like Registeel and Uxie is nice so Gallade can have an easier time sweeping late-game. Emboar and Moltres nice to check Spiritomb, Durant, and Escavalier. Use Grass-types like Rotom-C and Virizion to deal with Alomomola and physically defensive Gastrodon as Gallade can't overwhelm them like Swords Dance sets can.
What Counters It: Toxic Spikes suck a ton since you can't use Substitute freely. Alomomola, physically defensive Gastrodon, and Tangrowth are too damn bulky to break. Eviolite Golbat that invest in enough Speed to outpace Gallade are annoying since Infiltrator will allow it to bludgeon Gallade with Brave Bird, even if a Substitute is up. Spiritomb can tank any hit and has Infiltrator to bypass Substitute, so needless to say, it sucks. Multi-hit moves, such as Cinccino's Tail Slap can break through Gallade's Substitutes and still cause serious, if not lethal, damage.
Any Additional Info: Ice Punch can be used to take a dump on Gligar and hit Tangrowth harder than anything else can. Stone Edge if you don't want to rely on Rocks to donk Moltres without dying. X-Scissor if you want to hit Tangrowth and retain coverage on most Psychics. Uh, that's about it!
Barbaracle @ Life Orb / White Herb
Ability: Tough Claws
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
- Shell Smash
- Razor Shell
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
What it does: Barbaracle is a very dangerous physical sweeper, simply because it has good enough bulk to let it survive a neutral hit, set-up, and muscle its way through the opponent's team easily. With an Adamant nature, Life Orb, Tough Claws, and Shell Smash, Barbaracle becomes very scary at +2, being able to KO any slightly weakened wall, and OHKO a lot of frailer Pokemon. Razor Shell is the STAB of choice because it's boosted by Tough Claws, making its base power equal to that of Stone Edge's, while having better accuracy than the latter. Stone Edge, on the other hand, is used to hit Pokemon that aren't hit as hard by Razor Shell, examples are Tangrowth and Alomomola, which Barbaracle can beat (2HKOs both with LO assuming they're 252/252+ Def) given the fact that they have been weakened enough, which usually isn't a lot. It's also worth noting that it effectively OHKOs Amoonguss and Slowking at +2 LO, while having a 12.5% chance to OHKO Virizion with SR on the field. And finally, Earthquake is good neutral coverage, for when you think it's enough to kill a Pokemon and don't want to risk Razor Shell or Stone Edge to miss.
Good teammates: Barbaracle really appreciates Stealth Rock in the field, so a good user of that is very appreciated. It has good synergy with Druddigon, so that's a good teammate. Registeel is another candidate, too, but they have a shared Ground weakness, so beware of that. It also likes dual screen support, which makes Meowstic a very good teammate.
What counters it: If it's using Life Orb, then it will often weaken itself to the point where a relatively strong priority attack will kill it. Mach Punch from Hitmonlee, or Sucker Punch from Life Orb Zoroark. Basically, revenge-killing it with priority is always effective assuming it's non-White Herb. A healthy Tangrowth with max HP will always live a +2 Life Orb Stone Edge assuming it's at 100% health, otherwise it'll OHKO. Otherwise, not many things stand up to its face.
Any additional info:
Durant @ Life Orb
Ability: Hustle
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Jolly Nature
- Iron Head
- X-Scissor
- Hone Claws
- Rock Slide
What It Does: Durant is one of the best sweepers in the whole RU metagame, with an amazing base 109 speed, our little ant can outspeed dangerous sweepers such as Moltres and Zoroark and with a great typing and a great base attack boosted by hustle this pokemon can sweep entire teams. Iron head and X-Scissor are the best STAB moves that durant gets, hone claws is a perfect boosting move for Durant becasuse it allows it to boost its already high attack to sky levels and fix the hustle accuarcy drop, finally rock slide allows durant to destroy Moltres who otherwise walls it.
Good Teammates: This Durant set is walled by most steel types like Registeel and Steelix , therefore a fire type like delphox shares great offensive synergy with Durant. Delphox takes care of the steel types while Durant takes care of Slowking and Aromatisse two walls that Delphox has trouble with. A dual screener can set up light screen to boost its low Special Defense and Reflect to boost its already high Defense causing durant to set hone claws easier.
What Counters It: Steel types like Steelix and Registeel resist all Durant's moves and can cripple it with thunder wave or phaze it out with dragon tail. Faster offensive pokemon such as Sceptile can come in a hone claws and roast Durant with Hidden Power Fire. Finally, gligar can wall durant with roost but can't do much in return.
Other Options: Superpower can be used to do more damage to steel types, but the attack and defense drops can hinder Durant's sweeping potential. Crunch is another viable option taking care of Cofagrigus and Dusclops but rock slide is generally better. Finally, batton pass can be a last resort if you don't want to waste that hone claws boost but Durant has better things to do.
NOW YOU LOSE (Fletchinder)
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 216 HP / 252 Atk / 40 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Acrobatics
- Will-O-Wisp
- Roost
Role: Physical Sweeper, Revenge Killer, Late Game Cleaner
What It Does: Just like its evolution Talonflame in OU, Fletchinder's saving grace is its access to priority Flying-type moves, and while it doesn't have access to Brave Bird like its evolution, Acrobatics is still more than enough to make Fletchinder a solid revenge killer and physical sweeper in the RU metagame. Although Fletchinder might look too frail and Stealth Rock weak to set up at first, it actually gets plenty of changes to do so in the hands of a good player thanks to its typing, Will-O-Wisp and priority recovery, which lets it switch in on things such as Escavalier, Cobalion lacking Stone Edge, Aromatisse, and Sceptile, as well as priority Acrobatic's ability to force switches, meaning it can actually get a boost and sweep more often than not. Lastly Fletchinder's unique access to Will-O-Wisp among Flying-types allows it to cripple common resistances to Flying-type moves such as Rhyperior, not just lowering their attack, but doing chip damage over the course of the match until they end up in KO range and Fletchinder can sweep.
Good Teammates: As a Fire/Flying type that's 4x weak to Stealth Rock, a Pokemon that can clear entry hazards is heavily suggested when using Fletchinder. Luckily, both of the good offensive spinners (Hitmonlee and Kabutops) and the best offensive Defog User (Shiftry) synergize pretty well with Fletchinder. For example, outside of simply spinning Hitmonlee's extremely powerful High Jump Kick lets it OHKO the Rock/Steel-types that get in Fletch's way, and generally break through bulky things that Fletchinder couldn't hope to great through. Kabutops really appreciates Fletchinder's ability to threaten various Fighting- and Grass-types that give it trouble. While Shiftry is capable of OHKOing Rhyperior, taking Volt Switches from things such as Heliolisk and Jolteon from Fletchinder, and also appreciates Fletchinder's ability to check things like Hitmonlee and Virizion just like Kabutops. Outside of simply clearing hazards, Fletchinder really appreciates Pokemon that can take advantage of the Rock- and Steel-types that can take its Acrobatics, such as Rhyperior. Virizion works really well here, using its great dual STAB combination and good resistances to force out/take advantage of both kinds of Pokemon, especially if they get crippled by Will-O-Wisp, not to mention Kabutops/Fletchinder/Virizion has the potential to form a pretty neat FWG. Lastly, like really any other sweeper but especially in Fletchinder's case, spikes support is really great, they really help wear the aforementioned Rock- and Steel-types, which are almost always grounded, and generally helps +2 Fletchinder get KOs against bulkier opponents that might usually just barely survive otherwise, making it that much easier to just cleave through a team.
What Counters It: As mentioned multiple times before, Rock- and Steel-types are your best bet at stopping Fletchinder most of the time, they can take repeated Acrobatics, usually threaten Fletchinder in return, and in a lot of cases even set up Stealth Rock to pressure bird even further, although you have to be pretty wary of Will-O-Wisp chip damage racking up over the course of the game. Good examples of Pokemon that fall into this category include Rhyperior, Registeel, Magneton, Kabutops, and Doublade to an extent. Outside of these, Electric-types such as Heliolisk, Jolteon, and Lanturn are also solid at checking Fletchinder on offense, but are significantly easier to wear down into KO range thanks to their poor defenses, which means anyone relying on them to beat fletch has to be pretty careful. Alomomola doesn't resist flying-type moves, but its more than bulky enough to take some +2 Acrobatics and attempt to Toxic Stall fletchinder. If all else fails, if you see Fletch on the opposing team, just try and set up Stealth Rock as quickly as possible and try as hard as you can to keep it up, they might not be the end all be all but they really help limit just how much damage Fletchinder can take/stop it from setting up as easily.
Any Additional Info: NOW YOU LOSE
Delphox @ Life Orb
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 HP
Timid Nature
- Calm Mind
- Grass Knot
- Fire Blast
- Psyshock
What It Does: Fantastic speed tier, awesome coverage and with Life Orb it hits like a truck even before any Calm Mind boosts. Its offensive typing is pretty perfect for beating many of the popular walls in the tier such as Amoonguss, Tangrowth, Aromatisse, Bronzong, Registeel and a number of others. Against offensively inclined teams, there are no safe switch ins and it generally just spams its high powered STAB moves. Against defensive teams it finds ample opportunities to set up calm mind boosts to smash through any pokes that can normally take it on. Its access to Psyshock is key here, as it allows Delphox to beat what should be special walls like Aromatisse without worry. This can also be extremely helpful in a CM war as it allows you to hit the unboosted defensive stat. Overall just a really powerful pokemon that puts pressure on all team archetypes.
Good Teammates: With its relatively low bulk and bad defensive typing Delphox finds it difficult to come in safely so volt-turn strategies suit it well. This includes pokes like Heliolisk, Braviary and Swellow. Having a weakness to stealth rocks while also being affected by all other forms of hazards is really very damaging so a Defog/ Rapid Spin user is very helpful. This is especially true of mons like Skuntank and Shiftry who can threaten bulky psychics which sometimes give delphox trouble (Cresselia, Slowking, Grumpig lol etc).
What Counters It: Slowking's large special bulk and resistance to Delphox's dual STAB make it the best check but after a couple of Calm Mind boosts Delphox can handle a Scald fairly nicely and can hit back with a powerful Grass Knot. Alomomola with some special defence investment can take it on to an extent but very often it can lose its battle. Dugtrio is by far the best offensive check but any physical threat which outspeeds, such as cincinno or stone edge cobalion can easily revenge kill. A lot of priority also beats Delphox so it must be wary of sucker punch users such as Skuntank and Emboar or aqua jet users like Gatr or Kabutops.
Any Additional Info: Running Life Orb can often shorten Delphox's life span so running leftovers can make sure it gets a chance to make use of any CM boosts it builds up. The loss of Life Orb is very noticeable however as Delphox's Spa isn't that high without any boosts. In line with running leftovers, Substitute can be used over Grass Knot to avoid status or sucker punches allowing you to sweep more easily in some situations.
Reuniclus @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Psyshock
- Shadow Ball / Focus Blast
- Recover
What It Does: Reuniclus will Calm Mind several times once the strong Pokemon with super effective moves against it are gone (e.g. Escavalier, Zoroark). Once it's gained a few Calm Mind boosts there are very few things in the tier that can actually 2HKO it, and if you can't 2HKO Reuniclus then it will recover stall against you until it's healthy enough to kill you or continue boosting with Calm Mind. Psyshock's a great move because it ruins other Calm Mind boosters that try and set up alongside you, although to be honest most of them in this tier are Psychic-types who run Psyshock too (e.g. Delphox, Meloetta, Cresselia), shadow ball hits everything Psyshock doesn't except for dark types, while focus blast misses and runs out of PP hits everything Psyshock doesn't except for Psychic-types. Shadow Ball is usually the better choice, just because with Focus Blast you are definitely losing to other Calm Mind boosters that aren't Meloetta. Magic Guard and terrible Speed means that the only status Reuniclus minds is sleep / freeze, and even then a lot of sleep users in the tier can't usually manage to kill it before it wakes up and Recovers / Psyshocks them. This means it doesn't have to carry Substitute or Rest like Cresselia often has to to avoid Toxics.
Good Teammates: Pokemon that can deal with dark types such as Zoroark or Skuntank / Drapion are greatly appreciated, such as Cobalion. A fire type to deal with Escavalier and Durant is also appreciated, such as Moltres or Emboar. It chills out pretty happily on stall teams as well, being a good stop to most of the fighting types in the tier (because max def is usually not 2HKOed by Knock Off) as well as being a great win condition. On more offensive teams it can act as a win condition against stall once haze Pokemon are weakened enough and providing that they aren't carrying a Reuniclus themselves.
What Counters It: As alluded to twice before, the steel bugs Escavalier and Durant give it a lot of trouble because they can pretty cleanly 2HKO it. Zoroark can also take it out, and Skuntank can Taunt / haze it to stop any boosting in its tracks. Any Pokemon that gets Taunt and isn't weak to Psyshock will stop its shenanigans decently, and Pokemon that carry haze or phazing moves can also stop it from setting up. When it gets down to last Pokemon Reuniclus situations it's a lot harder to deal with because you can't phaze it, but if you still have your hard hitting physical attackers it shouldn't pose too much of a threat.
Omastar @ White Herb / Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim / Weak Armor
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SDef / 252 Spe
Nature: Modest
- Shell Smash
- Hydro Pump / Surf
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power Grass
What it Does: Shell Smash Omastar is extremely dangerous in any metagame it's in, and RU is no different; if not prepared for, this set will take lives. A +2 boost on both Special Attack and Speed will make Omastar a force to be reckoned with. This set is designed to do one thing: set up and proceed to hammer the opposition with powerful attacks. However, there are a lot of things that can stop Omastar, so those should be taken out before attempting to set up and sweep, because its main item, White Herb, is one-use only, and if you're not using it, the defense drops will most likely cause it to take a lot of damage setting up. Fire-types are usually the easiest Pokemon to set up on, as Omastar only takes 1/4 damage from Fire-type attacks. The moves that Omastar runs are pretty self explanatory, since they attain nearly perfect coverage. The only thing is for Omastar's Water-type STAB, Hydro Pump is preferred, though Surf is an option if you don't want to risk missing.
Good Teammates: Because Grass-types happen to absolutely destroy Omastar, packing something to take care of them, such as a Fire-type, is highly recommended. A powerful physical attacker that can take down the special walls that trouble Omastar is also recommended. A good Pokemon that can do both those jobs, such as Choice Band Emboar, is also great. If using Swift Swim, be sure to pack a Rain setter such as Ludicolo to take advantage of that massive speed boost.
What Counters It: Because Omastar is x4 weak to Grass, Grass-types have a much easier time checking Omastar. Special walls are also good answers towards Omastar, because it relies so much on its special attacks. Pokemon that possess both these qualities, such as Assault Vest Tangrowth and Amoonguss, are the best answers to Omastar in RU. Additionally, because Omastar has no priority attacks, many Choice Scarf users can still outspeed it after a +2 boost and KO it. If Omastar is weak enough, a priority attack like a Mach Punch from Hitmonlee could be extremely threatening towards a potential sweep.
Any Additional Info: Modest is the preferred nature, though Timid can be used go a little faster, and outspeed base 100 Choice Scarf users after +2. Lum Berry can be used as an item to prevent a Thunder Wave user from stopping Omastar's sweep cold. Finally, Omastar has a reliable secondary STAB in Earth Power, but the above set has such great coverage that Omastar will usually end up giving some of it up.
Yanmega @ Life Orb
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Protect
- Bug Buzz
- Air Slash
- Giga Drain / Hidden Power Fire
Role: Late-game Cleaner, Special Sweeper
What It Does: Thanks to Speed Boost and a good Special Attack stat further strengthened with Life Orb, Yanmega makes a great late-game sweeper that has copious amounts of both speed and power. Unlike other late-game cleaners, Yanmega is rarely hindered by the opponent's Scarfed Pokemon due to its accumulation of Speed boosts, easily brushing past Pokemon like Emboar and Rotom-C. Protect is instrumental, allowing Yanmega to grab an initial boost against faster opponents, as well as easily letting it run a Modest nature without fear of being outsped. Bug Buzz and Air Slash are Yanmega's best STABs, and together have decent enough coverage that Yanmega is not hindered by weaker, unSTABbed coverage options. In the final slot, Giga Drain is the attack of choice, hitting Pokemon like Rhyperior, Gastrodon, and Alomomola that could be difficult to get past, as well as giving a helpful HP boost to offset the effect of Life Orb.
Good Teammates: A Pokemon to remove Stealth Rock is necessary, greatly improving Yanmega's chances of safely switching in and pulling off a sweep, as well as letting it take more Life Orb recoil. Hitmonlee and Kabutops are generally the best options, as they are both very threatening to the special walls that Yanmega needs weakened, and are also good at wearing down the opponent's team with powerful attacks. A reliable hazard setter such as Cobalion or Rhyperior is also a good teammate to have, as well as Spikes-stackers such as Froslass or Qwilfish, as both hazards severely wear down the opponent's Pokemon, particularly bulkier ones like Druddigon, Escavalier, and Moltres that can take one of Yanmega's attacks and retaliate. Dugtrio can eliminate or weaken several key counters to Yanmega, such as Registeel, and Moltres does a good job taking on both the aforementioned Registeel and Doublade, two Steel-types that Yanmega has no hope of getting past.
What Counters It: Bulky Steel-types like Registeel, Escavalier, and Doublade are Yanmega's worst nightmare, as all of them will almost always win a 1-on-1 matchup against Yanmega provided they're reasonably healthy. Most walls or tanks, most notably defensive or bulky variants of Moltres, will be a roadblock to a successful sweep, and must be weakened or eliminated before Yanmega can sweep safely. Other than those specific Pokemon, anything with a moderately powerful attack and the ability to safely take on at least one of Yanmega's attacks (particularly special attackers like Assault Vest Meloetta) can severely damage and sometimes outright KO Yanmega, seeing as it's not very bulky, and these Pokemon must also be weakened before a sweep. Finally, paralysis absolutely ruins Yanmega, so it needs to tread carefully around Pokemon like Druddigon that may carry a paralysis-inducing move.
Any Additional Info: If you didn't get it already from this being literally 2/3 of the above entry, do not expect Yanmega to sweep with stuff like Registeel around.
Tauros @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 244 Atk / 252 Spd / 12 SAtk
Naive Nature
- Rock Climb
- Ice Beam / Fire Blast
- Earthquake
- Zen Headbutt
What It Does: Tauros is a straight forward Pokemon. It's a fast hard hitting sweeper who can threaten a lot of the metagame. with a good attack stat and Life Orb + Sheer Force boosting it's power even more, it can threaten a large portion of the metagame. The reason it's better then other physical sweepers is because it has a way to get around some of the premier physical walls in the tier (Tangrowth, Gligar, Golbat, Steelix). The ev's maximise Attack and speed while giving it enough sp. attack ev's to 2hko the mentioned walls. Ice Beam beats Tangrowth and Gligar while Fire Blast helps it get past Steelix, Tangrowth, and Ferroseed all of whom shrug off his other attacks.
Good Teammates: Like most offensive pokemon Tauros appreciates hazard support. Qwilfish is one of the better partners for Tauros because it can not only set up spikes but also take the fighting attacks aimed at him. Taurus is also relatively frail so you won't be able to just switch him in easily. This is why ghost types like Mismagius, Rotom, and Spirtomb make good partners. Rotom is probably the best partner because it can take the fighting types aimed at Tauros, cripple them with burns and then Volt Switch to bring in Tauros safely.
What Counters It: Pokemon who are bulky on both sides of the spectrum are a good stop for Tauros. Slowking for example with it's great defense and sp. defense can take it's hits with ease and cripple it with Scald burns or T-Wave. Another problem is that it suffers from 4 move slot syndrome and depending on what coverage move it runs (Fire Blast or Ice Beam) it can be easily stopped. If running Fire Blast Gligar, and Golbat can stop him hard and if Ice Beam, Steelix and Ferroseed stop him stone cold.
Additional Info: You could opt to run Fire Blast and Ice Beam on the same set and forgo earthquake all together but Earthquakes hits a lot of more pokemon harder then Fire Blast or Ice Beam will. Choice Band is an option and turns Tauros into more of a Wall Breaker then Late Game Cleaner. But being locked into Ice Beam is less then favorable especially when the switch out. Choice Scarf can also be run to make Tauros a great revenge killer since it will outspeed most of the tier with a scarf. Finally you can forgo Ice Beam and Fire Blast all together in which case you should run Earthquake and Rock slide or Substitute but their are other pokemon better for this in the tier and getting past some of the most common physical walls is one of the major advantages of Tauros.
Zoroark @ Life Orb
Ability: Illusion
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Nature: Naive
- Knock Off
- Flamethrower
- Grass Knot
- Sucker Punch
Role: Mixed Sweeper, Wallbreaker
What it Does: Zoroark is perhaps the best mixed sweeper in the tier. Sporting great mixed offenses, a solid movepool, and great moves, Zoroark is hard to stop once it gets going. Knock Off is Zoroark's main STAB move. It has great power, removes opposing Pokemon's items to disrupt their strategies, and is a great move in general. Flamethrower is nice to nail Steel-types, especially Registeel and Cobalion. Be aware that you will have to catch the latter on a switch since it outspeeds Zoroark. Flamethrower is also nice for catching the likes of Tangrowth and the physically bulky Doublade. Grass Knot destroys Rhyperior, and also does very solid damage to Alomomola and Gastrodon. Sucker Punch rounds out the set by dealing out damage to Pokemon that normally outspeed Zoroark. It's also nice to get some decent damage on Hitmonlee if you have no reliable switch-in for it when it comes in on Zoroark. (though you should have one) The EVs maximize Zoroark's physical attacking prowess as it generally doesn't need investment in Special Attack to deal with what it needs to.
Good Teammates: Zoroark can't really get past Aromatisse no matter what it tries to do. Using Pokemon such as Delphox, Escavalier, and Moltres is a great way to take advantage of an Aromatisse switch-in. As ironic as it sounds, having an Aromatisse of your own isn't a bad idea considering it's one of very few reliable Hitmonlee switch-ins RU has to offer and Lee will commonly be sent out to revenge kill Zoroark. Spikes support from the likes of Froslass, Omastar, and Accelgor is nice since many of Zoroark's checks and counters are grounded. On the flip side, Sticky Web support can make Zoroark lethal against offensive teams, as the likes of Cobalion, Sceptile, Jolteon, and Virizion no longer outspeed it and are forced to take a hit before being able to possibly attack Zoroark. Choice Scarf Pokemon in general can cause Zoroark issues should they be able to take a Sucker Punch. For this reason, defensive pivots such as Slowking, Rhyperior, and Amoonguss are good options. While there shouldn't be a designated teamslot for it, having a Pokemon you ideally want Zoroark to disguise itself as upon entering battle can help maximize Zoroark's effectiveness. As Aromatisse and Hitmonlee are big obstacles for Zoroark, disguising it as Doublade, Braviary, Delphox, or Escavalier will make these Pokemon hesitant to switch in at first, likely giving Zoroark enough time to take out what it needs to.
What Counters It: Aromatisse. Simply put, there is nothing Zoroark can do to OHKO it while Aromatisse is OHKOing back with Moonblast. Cobalion and Virizion not only outspeed Zoroark and resist Sucker Punch, they also benefit from it thanks to Justified. Registeel doesn't exactly like Flamthrower, but it can take one easily and cripple Zoroark with paralysis. Sticky Web can really put a damper on Zoroark as its defenses aren't exactly that good and it relies on Speed quite a bit. Hitmonlee can easily come in and revenge kill Zoroark, but it can have some issues switching in. Emboar actually resists every move on this set and can easily KO with any STAB move due to Zoroark's frailty. However, Emboar is usually quite reliant on its item to perform its specific role, so it doesn't appreciate Knock Off at all. Choice Scarf users that can outspeed Zoroark and take a Sucker Punch are all capable of revenge killing it. Moltres, Emboar, Rotom-C, and Braviary are all capable of doing this. Most naturally faster Pokemon are incapable of handling a Sucker Punch, but Durant is one of the few exceptions.
Any Additional Info: If you use Sticky Web support, Naughty is an option. Otherwise, fool people with your Illusion. Watch as the best answer to your primary sweeper goes down. Enjoy sweeping with your primary sweeper or Zoroark itself.
Doublade @ Eviolite
Ability: No Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Shadow Sneak
- Iron Head
- Sacred Sword
What It Does: Doublade hits hard off its base 110 attack with useful coverage in the form of sacred sword. It can boost its offenses with swords dance and finish off faster targets with shadow sneak. Many physical attackers who lack a strong ground, fire, dark or ghost move will find themselves hard-pressed to get past the pair of swords without taking major damage in the process. Doublade hits awfully hard after a swords dance or two and its typing combined with its sky-high physical bulk leaves Doublade able to set up in the face of a lot of offensive threats.
Good Teammates: Aromatisse is capable of taking knock offs, passing wishes and removing any pesky burns, all of which Doublade greatly appreciates. Doublade also appreciates things to take special attacks like Slowking or Dragalge, who can set toxic spikes to wear down opponents faster while Doublade prevents them from being spun away. Exploud discourages the use of any ghost moves while it's alive and healthy, forcing your opponent to predict accordingly while Doublade is out to avoid giving Exploud a free switch-in.
What Counters It: Qwilfish switches into anything Doublade can throw at it and can either set hazards or chip it down with waterfall while black sludge heals off the damage, then haze away Doublade's boosts if it tries to set up. Moltres has an easy time switching into iron head or sacred sword and OHKOing Doublade with fire blast, though it must be cautious of the rare rock slide. Rotom-C can come in and burn Doublade with will-o-wisp, which thanks to Doublade's ability will hit 100% of the time. Physically bulky knock off users like Drapion can remove Doublade's eviolite and finish it off with EQ, though it will take a lot of damage in the process. Finally, the rare Pelipper takes pitiful damage from all of Doublade's attacks and can easily roost off the damage while fishing for scald burns.
Any Additional Info: Doublade's low speed isn't worth investing in, and it prefers eviolite over any other item to keep its bulk as high as possible. Doublade already beats everything with wings not named Moltres or Yanmega, so unless you're looking specifically to bait them in, sacred sword is a better coverage option than rock slide. Doublade's lack of reliable recovery and passive healing from leftovers kill any chance of running a purely defensive set, and its support movepool is rather dry. Iron head is more reliable than gyro ball, hitting slower targets harder and allowing Doublade to outspeed slow threats like Reuniclus and Escavalier. Shadow claw can be used over shadow sneak if you have another reliable source of priority, but usually iron head is enough in the way of strong STAB.
Slowking @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 216 SAtk / 44 SDef
Nature: Modest
- Scald
- Psyshock
- Fire Blast
- Dragon Tail
What it Does: Assault Vest Slowking can best be described as a glue Pokemon for teams in need of power, but needing the ability to reliably handle the likes of Delphox and Moltres. Thanks to Regenerator, Slowking can easily run Assault Vest to soak up virtually any special attack that isn't a STAB super effective one. Even if the target you're trying to switch into predicts with a super effective move, Slowking can just switch back out to the appropriate response and regain 33% of its max HP. Scald is a cool move on AV Slowking as the 30% burn chance can make it incredibly annoying to take down. Psyshock is used over Psychic as most Fighting-types, especially Gallade, have lower Defense than Special Defense. Plus, you're already smashing Rhyperior and Gligar with Scald anyway. Fire Blast is nice to beat up on shit like Cobalion, Registeel, Escavalier, and Bronzong. Dragon Tail finishes off the set and can be used to rack up entry hazard damage early on. This is particularly useful as Slowking's typing deters about every Spinner from coming in naturally while most Defog users are SR weak. EV spread rounds down passive damage and hits the final boost point provided by nature. The rest is put in Special Defense to amplify the effects of Assault Vest a little more. Modest is a no-brainer for the nature so Slowking can hit hard enough.
Good Teammates: Slowking fits well with many defensive and offensive Pokemon alike. Defensively, Rhyperior, Registeel, Amoonguss, and Tangrowth all gel well with Slowking. Good offensive partners include Virizion, Emboar, Cobalion, and Moltres. As AV Slowking runs Dragon Tail, Spikes support can really amplify the shuffling ability Slowking has. Froslass is a go-to Spikes setter for offensive-minded teams while teams looking for a bulkier Spikes user can utilize Roselia. Slowking absolutely hates Knock Off, so anything that can deal with it is appreciated. Cobalion and Virizion both have Justified to actually benefit from it while Tangrowth and Amoonguss have Regenerator to make up for the lack of Leftovers if need be.
What Counters It: Durant sucks.... a ton. Although it has difficulty coming in directly on Slowking, the steel ant can easily come in after a KO or through Dragon Tail phazing and immediately threaten Slowking with its powerful X-Scissor. Assault Vest Tangrowth running Power Whip will seriously dent, if not OHKO, Slowking as it lacks physical defense investment like most variants of its defensive set. If Druddigon carries one of Thunder Punch, Sucker Punch, or the lesser seen Crunch, it is going to beat Slowking handily, especially if these attacks are boosted by Sheer Force. Fighting-types such as Gallade and Hitmonlee can inflict serious amounts of damage with Knock Off, but will generally need Slowking worn down a little bit to ensure the KO so they don't get drilled with Psyshock after their attack. Any user of Toxic or Toxic Spikes can really hamper Slowking. Although most users of these moves can't beat Slowking one-on-one, this will keep Slowking from staying in for very long. Bronzong, Registeel, Alomomola, and opposing defensive Slowking are all capable of running Toxic while Drapion, Roselia, and Cofagrigus can all utilize Toxic Spikes.
Any Additional Info: If phazing isn't your cup of tea, there are a couple of coverage moves to consider on Assault Vest Slowking. Ice Beam seems redundant with Fire Blast, but it is able to deal serious damage to the likes of Druddigon and Sigilyph. Grass Knot trips up opposing Slowking for decent damage while also offering up something to hit Seismitoad, Jellicent, and Gastrodon with harder. Remember, just because Slowking is running all attack moves doesn't mean it's a wallbreaker. It is likely going to be a key to keeping your team together and being super resilient against most special attackers due to its typing, ability, and incredible special bulk with the AV boost.
Escavalier @ Assault Vest
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Megahorn
- Iron Head
- Knock Off
- Drill Run / Pursuit
What It Does: Escavalier is an awesome Pokemon right now in the RU tier. It is an amazing Tank capable of taking all sort of non-Fire special hits and dish out insane damage. It is the bane of almost any Grass and Psychic type in the tier thanks to its typing and ability that got buffed this gen as it now gives it an Immunity to Powder moves and Hail Damage.
Assault Vest is an amazing item for a Pokemon like Escavalier that has good defenses but mediocre support movepool and it lets it run Max Attack without bug bulk losses.
Its STAB coverage leaves a lot to be desired but Megahorn and Iron Head coming off 405 Attack are nothing to scoff at. Knock Off is the best move to spam early game as almost nothing enjoys losing its item and the Fairy and Dark Types resisting it crumble at its STAB moves. Drill Run Escavalier's only means to hit Fire and Steel types like Emboar and Registeel but Pursuit is perfectly usable to trap physically frail mons and Psychic or Ghost types like Meloetta and Delphox locked into the wrong move.
The EV spread gives it a Stealth Rock number and lets Escavalier hit as hard as possible.
Good Teammates: Escavalier fits well on Balanced and Bulky Offensive teams that need something to take on special attackers while having a good offensive presence.
Water types are awesome partners as they appreciate Escavalier's ability to deal with troubling Grass types and they can take Fire moves for it so Alomomola and Slowking are good partners. The former also has Wish to heal Escavalier that is pretty prone to being worn down and the latter has Trick Room. Druddigon is another amazing offensive partner as it likes its Ice and Fairy weakness covered while dealing with Fire types really well in return.
What Counters It: Escavalier is really prone to being worn down as it is the slowest pokemon in the Tier, is vulnerable to all Entry Hazards and doesn't use Leftovers. Fire Types like Moltres can switch into any move and OHKO with ease in return. Bulky Steel types like Registeel can also take a lot of it and set up Stealth Rock. Mega Banette and other ghost types can switch into Megahorn and Burn it or remove its Assault Vest with Knock Off. Gligar and Golbat hate Knock Off but they can generally take hit for days and wear down Escavalier with their STAB moves. Finally, powerful physical attackers such as LO Hitmonlee can take Escavalier out with a bit of prior damage
Any Additional Info: A 174 HP / 252 Atk / 84 Spe Spread can be used to outspeed uninvested Aromatisse and Slowking and do a lot of damage with a STAB move. A ResTalk Specially Defensive set with either Leftovers or a Chesto Berry as an item can also be used but it is not that reliable and has to drop Knock Off or a STAB move. Also it doesn't hit that hard.
Escavalier @ Choice Band
Ability: Overcoat / Swarm
EVs: 174 HP / 252 Atk / 84 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Megahorn
- Iron Head
- Knock Off
- Drill Run / Pursuit
What It Does: This set takes a more offensive approach than the Assault Vest set and can surprise its usual checks.
Choice Band Megahorn hits like a truck and can 2HKO a lot of frail resistances.
Its STAB coverage is not great but Megahorn and Iron Head's power makes up for that. Knock Off is still the best move to spam early game as almost nothing enjoys losing its item and the Fairy and Dark Types resisting it crumble at its STAB moves. Drill Run Escavalier's only means to hit Fire and Steel types like Emboar and Registeel but Pursuit is even more viable as it punishes Ghost and Psychic types trying to stay in. It is not a good move to be locked into however. Swarm is also viable as it makes Megahorn a nuke at low health.
The EV spread lets it outspeed uninvested Base 30 Pokemon such as Slowking and Cofagrigus and heavily damage them. Use 0 Speed EVs and a Brave Nature if you have Trick Room support.
Good Teammates: This Escavalier fits well on Bulky Offensive teams looking for a powerful tank that can deal a lot of damage to common walls like Cresselia and Aromatisse
Water types are awesome partners as they appreciate Escavalier's ability to deal with troubling Grass types and they can take Fire moves for it. Slowking is the best Choice as it sets up Trick Room that makes it insanely fast and poweful at the same time. Cofagrigus is an awesome partner for the same reason and it also appreciates Dark Types weakened. Druddigon likes Trick Room too and has good sinergy with it as Steel Types have difficulties handling both of them.
What Counters It: Escavalier is really prone to being worn down as it is the slowest pokemon in the Tier, is vulnerable to all Entry Hazards and doesn't use Leftovers. Fire Types like Moltres can switch into any move and OHKO with ease in return. Bulky Steel types like Registeel can also take a lot of it and set up Stealth Rock. Ghost types can switch into any move and Burn it but be careful as Cofagrigus is outsped if it is running no speed investment.
Any Additional Info: Life Orb or Swords Dance can be used but the former only wears down Escavalier faster and Escavalier is waay to slow to take advantage of the second
Clawitzer @ Expert Belt / Life Orb
Ability: Mega Launcher
EVs: 200 HP / 252 SAtk / 56 Spe
Modest Nature
- Scald
- Dark Pulse
- Aura Sphere
- Ice Beam
What it does: With Mega Launcher, its powerful base 120 attack, relatively decent bulk, and its great coverage, Clawitzer is a formidable special attacker. Expert Belt is a great choice on Clawitzer due to its coverage destroying common switch-ins to percieved Choice-locked moves. For example, Ice Beam nails Tangrowth, Virizion, and other bulky grass types that switch into a Scald. Similarly, Dark Pulse nails Slowking and Jellicent. A Cobalion who thinks he can set up for free due to a choice-locked Dark Pulse suddenly finds himself KOed by an Aura Sphere. However, this is likely to only surprise your opponent one time, so a Life Orb might be used for more power instead. Scald is usually a superior option to Water Pulse, since even pokemon resistant to Scald are threatened to be crippled by a burn. Water Pulse can have more power, but Scald is easily much more spammable. While Dragon Pulse has better neutral coverage, Ice Beam is a much better option to defeat Grass-types like Tangrowth. The 56 Speed EVs are invested to outspeed minimum speed Emboar, before you get nailed by a super effective Wild Charge. Ultimately, Clawitzer's power and coverage allows it to severely weaken the opposing team.
Good teammates: Because of Clawitzer's low speed, Trick Room support is very beneficial (where in that case, a 0 IV Quiet nature should be used instead). Moreover, Expert Belt Clawitzer is a great lure for things like Slowking and Cobalion, so teammates who appreciate them weakened will benefit from Clawitzer, like Cobalion. Things that can defeat walls like Gastrodon and Aromatisse are also great partners. Grass-types like Tangrowth, Amoonguss, and Virizion also make good parters, since they resist the many Grass and Electric-type attacks aimed at Clawitzer.
What counters it: Clawitzer's main downfall is its horrible speed, and so anything that is faster and carries a super effective move can revenge kill it, like Heliolisk, Sceptile, and Virizion. Furthermore, walls such as the previously mentioned Gastrodon and specially defensive Aromatisse can take anything Clawitzer throws at them. Clawtizer also has trouble defeating Assault Vest Escavalier, which can tank any hit and hit back hard with Megahorn.
Additional Information: Choice Specs can be used instead to turn this thing into a powerful wallbreaker, but since Clawitzer heavily relies on its great coverage to get past many things, an Expert Belt or Life Orb generally suits it better. Also, don't use Assault Vest.
Magneton @ Eviolite / Choice Specs
Ability: Analytic
EVs: 144 Spd / 112 HP / 252 SAtk
Modest Nature
- Volt Switch
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Grass] / Hidden Power [Fire]
- Flash Cannon
Role: Bulky Attacker
What it does: Magneton is a powerful Pokemon and its bulk makes it even more threatening. Plus the combination of its great defense and power coupled with its amazing ability "Analytic" pushes its special attack to exceptional levels. Analytic increases a Pokemon's attacks by 1.3x damage if it is the last to move in a turn. Because of Magnetons low speed it's poised to abuse the mechanics of Analytic. The effects of Analytic can also be used to take advantage of switches, so if you attacked and the opponent switches to another Pokemon, your attack is boosted by 1.3. It's the perfect ability for a bulky attacker like Magneton. If you choose to replace Eviolite with Choice Specs then its special attack gets boosted 1.5 and by 1.3, which makes Magneton truly fearsome. Volt Switch in order to escape unfavorable match-ups, this is a great tool for Magneton because it's usually slower than opposing Pokemon. A slower Volt Switch will always give you the upper hand, unless the opponents Pokemon is immune. Thunderbolt is his bread and butter stab. Flash Cannon barely saw usage last gen but since the new Fairy typing was introduced its proven useful. Hidden Power Grass is very important because it allows Magneton to get passed bulky water/ground types that would otherwise wall this set. Hidden Power Fire is used in the same fashion as Hidden Power Grass except it's aimed at opposing steels and grass types. The 144spd evs allow it to outspeed up to uninvested base 85 Pokemon, namely Gligar who is 2HKO'd by Flash Cannon. Max special attack of course, and the rest of the evs into HP to retain some bulk.
Good Teammates: Pokemon who are immune to or resist super effective attacks aimed at Magneton make great teammates. Moltres is one of the best teammates for Magneton, it's immune to ground and it can take the fire attacks aimed at Magneton because of its decent defenses. In return Magneton eats the rock typed attacks aimed at Moltres. But most importantly Moltres eliminates bulky steel and grass types that Magneton has difficulty getting passed, and fighting types that destroy Magneton. Aromatisse is a great partner for Magneton as well, it eats all of the fighting and fire type attacks for Magneton. Aromatisse can also pass Wishes to it, helping Magneton recover HP lost from tanking hits. Plus Magneton is immune to and resist all of Aromatisses weaknesses. Shuckle is also a great teammate. Its ability to lower the opposing teams speed with Sticky Web can be very beneficial for the Choice Specs set. Although it's redundant to Analytic, the abiility to out-speed and KO most of its checks is a good trade-off.
What Counters it: Bulky Ground/Waters and Lanturn are its biggest counters if you choose to use Hidden Power Fire over Hidden Power Grass. Because they would resist all of Magnetons moves. Pokemon with huge special defense stats cause problems for Magneton as well. Cobalion and Druddigon are huge pains for Magneton, because they can take a hit and KO with Close Combat or Earthquake. Magneton hits most of the tier with powerful neutral attacks so their aren't many true counters, just a bunch of Checks. Like Moltres, Delphox, Virizion, Gallade, Emboar, etc.
Additional Info: If you use Shuckle as a teammate use an ev spread of 252spa / 252spe / 4def, this way you can outspeed most of its checks. But if you want to keep your eviolite for the extra bulk, the suggested ev spread will allow Magneton to outspeed up to neutral 95 base speed Pokemon.
Zoroark (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Illusion
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Naive Nature
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Flamethrower
- Grass Knot
What it does: Zoroark is a really good Pokemon in RU right now, being the ultimate teammate for set up sweepers by luring in their checks and counters, creating massive mind games, and literally breaking PS!'s team preview. This set is probably the best set Zoroark can run right now, thanks to having two really good physical STABs, and some nice coverage hitting some of RU's best physically defensive Pokemon hard. Knock Off is the used that will be spammed most often by Zoroark, as it is a powerful 97.5 BP STAB when the opponent holds an item, with the utility of removing that item. Knock Off also out damages Dark Pulse even though Zoroark has a lower attack stat due to the higher base power of a boosted Knock Off. Sucker Punch is useful for picking off weakened threats allowing Zoroark to clean up faster foes late game. The last two moveslots are used to cover some of the most common defensive Pokemon in the tier. Grass Knot is there primarily as a way of dealing with Rhyperior as even max SpD Careful Rhyperior has over a 50% chance to be OHKOed, while Flamethrower does ~80% to Assault Vest Escavalier.
Good Teammates: Pokemon that appreciate a weakened Escavalier and Rhyperior enjoy the presence of Zoroark (thats like half the tier!). Specifically, special set up sweepers, such as Venomoth, Mismagius, Cresselia, Reuniclus, and Calm Mind Meloetta. These all have excellent synergy with Zoroark as well, drawing in Psychic and Ghost-type attacks that Zoroark's poor defenses can handle, while all deter the use of random fighting-type moves being thrown around. Zoroark's coverage does have some gaps, such as Emboar and opposing Dark-types, so having teammates that are capable of cleaning up weakened Emboar and Dark-types with these help Zoroark function.
What Counters it: As mentioned before, Emboar, Skuntank, and Drapion are all good responses to Zoroark, due to their typing and decent defenses, and with Zoroark's low defenses, it can't really take a hit, even if it is resisted. Aromatisse, doesn't care about its attacks and can easily dispose of it with its super effective STAB.
Additional Info: You could probably move some EVs to SpA to always beat AV Esca after rocks, but most of the time you are just spamming Knock Off and Escavalier will usually be damaged by previous switch-ins or switching into Zoroark itself. Physically based mixed Zoroark is only Zoroark, k thx.
Exploud @ Choice Specs
Ability: Scrappy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 Spe
Modest Nature
- Boomburst
- Surf
- Fire Blast
- Focus Blast
What It Does: Exploud is basically the 'Nidoking of RU'. It hits damn near everything for a ridiculous amount of damage thanks to drawback-free 140 BP STAB, which is already notable on its own but it just so happens to have Scrappy and a wide selection of coverage moves to augment its power.
Good Teammates: Since Exploud punches holes in teams so well, teammates that are well equipped to clean up the game with high speed and power are optimal, as well as backing Exploud up against faster teams. Delphox, Virizion, Sceptile, Cobalion, Heliolisk, and Zoroark are such examples. Its Fighting weakness should also be covered, making Fighting-resistant Pokemon, such as Amoonguss and Cresselia, valuable partners. Sticky Web also allows Exploud to outspeed a greater a variety of opponents, though it want significant investment in Speed to do so.
What Counters It: Having a Scrappy Normal resist on your team, such as Rhyperior, Escavalier, and Registeel, can make Exploud pause before spamming Boomburst, which is crucial because Exploud's sheer power, high HP, and lone weakness means it can overwhelm most defensive responses, such as Slowking and Cresselia, before it gets worn down. It is much easier to check Exploud offensively than trying to counter it since it is so slow and not too bulky, though obviously Fighting-type responses such as Cobalion, Hitmonlee, and Virizion work best.
Any Additional Info: An EV spread that allows Exploud to outspeed walls such as Cresselia or even Drapion, or just function better with Sticky Web, is worth a look, though this would detract from Exploud's bulk, which it likes to have against more offensive teams.
Moltres @ Choice Specs
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SAtk / 248 HP / 8 Spd
Modest Nature
- Hurricane
- U-turn
- Fire Blast
- Hidden Power Grass
What It Does: Moltres is an extremely powerful wallbreaker, slamming any pokemon that doesn't resist it incredibly hard. AV Slowking, Max Special Defense Aromatisse, and Physically Defensive Cresselia are all 2HKOed by Specs Hurricane after Stealth Rock. Hurricane and Fire Blast are mandatory STABs, and both have the same base power. U-Turn generates momentum, helping a frail or weakened teammate come in safely. Hidden Power Grass destroys Rhyperior, 2HKOs Lanturn, who would wall Moltres otherwise, and hits Gastrodon more accurately than Hurricane. Moltres is also a nightmare against Escavalier, coming in safely against any move bar Knock Off (or Return, I guess) and threatening to KO with Fire Blast.
Good Teammates: Rapid Spin and/or Defog support is absolutely necessary, as otherwise Moltres can only switch in twice at best. Pokemon such as Hitmonlee, Hitmontop, Skunktank, Kabutops, etc. are amazing partners for Moltres. Late game cleaners that benefit from walls being gone, such as Sharpedo, greatly benefit from Moltres' presence. Heliolisk is a great partner to Moltres, forming a Volt-Turn core and sharing decent defensive synergy.
What Counters It: Stealth Rock. Aside from that, barely anything hard-counters Moltres. However, Moltres is prone to being revenge killed by faster, offensive pokemon with super effective moves, such as Heliolisk, Kabutops, or Electivire. Moltres also is prone to being worn down, as it has no form of recovery on a choice set. Also, some of the pokemon that resist Fire Blast but are 2HKOed by Hurricane can avoid the 2HKO nearly half the time, as Hurricane has a terrible 70 accuracy.
Any Additional Info: Flamethrower can be used in place of Hidden Power Grass or U-Turn to provide a reliable fire type STAB. Moltres also could run max speed/max special attack, but I think it functions better as a bulky Specs user. There aren't too many other options, maybe Hidden Power Flying as a replacement for Hurricane?
Hitmonlee (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Reckless
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- High Jump Kick
- Knock Off
- Mach Punch / Stone Edge
- Rapid Spin
What It Does: Hitmonlee is perhaps the best Pokemon in RU right now, Knock Off getting a buff this gen turns Hitmonlee into an insane threat giving it the ability to beat many Psychic and Ghost types that it usually struggled with, which is also what turns it into one of the best Rapid Spinners in the tier. Reckless HJK literally OHKO's everything in the tier that doesn't resist it and still manages to 2HKO a huge chunck of the Pokemon that do resist. Mach Punch is extremely valuable to have allowing you to potentially revenge some faster threats that may have been weakened but Stone Edge is also an option to OHKO any Flying types such as Moltres that might try to switch in.
Good Teammates: In general Dark types make excellent teammates for Hitmonlee as even though with access to Knock Off it has the ability to beat many Ghost and Psychic types it appreciates having them removed by a Pursuit user such as Skuntank or Drapion to ease prediction. Choice Specs Zoroark is also one of the best Hitmonlee partners due to it's ability to lure out and weaken it's limited counters in Gligar and Weezing.
What Counters It: Hitmonlee's counters are very limited, the two best counters in the tier are Gligar and Weezing due to their typing and bulk with Gligar being able to Roost off any damage and the latter being able to burn Hitmonlee with Will-O-Wisp. Doublade gets an honourable mention for being able to tank 2 Knock Off's and do massive damage back to Hitmonlee.
Any Additional Info: A Choice Scarf set is extremely viable since alot of teams rely on outspeeding Hitmonlee instead of packing a dedicated wall to switch in. An Endure Liechi Berry Unburdun set is also possible if you can remove Hail from Mega Abomasnow and priority.
Zangoose (M) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Toxic Boost
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 Def
Adamant / Jolly Nature
- Facade
- Close Combat
- Knock Off
- Quick Attack / Swords Dance
What it does: Zangoose is a fantastic wallbreaker and physical sweeper in RU, capable of 2HKOing the entire tier with just the boost from its ability! Its Facade is mainly the most spammable move, easily slicing through physical walls such as Gligar, Tangrowth, and Alomomola. Close Combat allows Zangoose to 2HKO Rhyperior as well as almost every Steel-type in the tier. This is where Knock Off comes in, as it destroys Ghost-types such as Cofagrigus, Mismagius, and Doublade attempting to play around it. Quick Attack lets Zangoose pick off weakened threats such as Sharpedo and gives it a fairly decent priority move to counteract slower Sucker Punches and the like. However, should Zangoose have the appropriate support (sticky web or memento), then Swords Dance can turn all of its 2HKOes into OHKOes, as there are very few Pokemon in the tier capable of surviving its attacks at +2.
Good teammates: Zangoose needs very little support to work well, but Stealth Rock is a given, really. If possible, Zoroark can also make a great partner, as it can lure out many of Zangoose's checks and OHKO them while providing Memento support in order for Zangoose to set up a Swords Dance. Also, Sticky Web from Shuckle also works well with Zangoose, as it prevents it from being revenge killed by faster threats such as Cobalion and Virizion.
What counters it: Nothing! The way to beat Zangoose is to exploit the seeping Toxic damage by switching around to resists and Protect spam, though this can be risky as one false move will likely lead to one of your Pokemon being taken out. As for offensive teams, the main way to deal with Zangoose is to revenge kill it; thankfully, it's not the fastest Pokemon around nor does it have the most powerful priority move, so it's easy enough to take out.
Any Additional Info: Jolly vs Adamant is just a matter of preference, really. Jolly would probably be better fit to counteract offense so that Zangoose outspeeds as much as it needs to because its frailty and constant bombardment with poison damage means it can't afford to take a powerful hit. Adamant is generally better if you're meaning to counteract stall, as the extra power can be mighty useful.
Rhyperior @ Choice Band
Ability: Solid Rock
EVs: 168 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 84 Spe
Nature: Adamant
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- Megahorn
- Ice Punch / Rock Blast
What it Does: Tears shit up. In all seriousness though, there is no defensive counter to this set. On a good day, Choice Band Rhyperior is 2HKOing, quite literally, everything in the tier. Stone Edge has no immunities and unless the opponent is bulky and/or 4x resists it, they will take some sizable damage. It has accuracy problems though. You will sometimes think Rhyperior is blind. Earthquake deals with most of what Stone Edge doesn't, and forms the ever-great EdgeQuake combination. Perhaps the only downside to it is the fact Flying-types and Levitate Pokemon get away scot-free. Megahorn bludgeons bulky Grass- and Psychic-types. So, use this against stuff like Tangrowth, Slowking, and annoying Cresselia. Again, less-than-ideal accuracy, so Rhyeprior may appear to be blind at times. Ice Punch is almost exclusively for Gligar, but considering p. much everything else is covered in 3 moves, you can afford to specify targets here. If Gligar isn't a problem for the rest of your team to take out, Rock Blast is a nice utility STAB move that breaks through Subs and Sashes. While it will rarely be as powerful as Stone Edge, it does have better accuracy. The EVs look a bit odd. Attack is maximized for obvious reasons while 84 Speed EVs is enough to get Rhyperior ahead of minimum Speed Tangrowth. The rest of the EVs get placed in HP while rounding down hazard damage.
Good Teammates: Virizion is fantastic for Choice Band Rhyperior. Virizion has trouble with bulky Grass- and Psychic-type Pokemon, the kinds of mons CB Rhyperior easily lures in and smashes. The two also share good defensive synergy with Virizion covering Grass- and Water-type weaknesses that plague Rhyperior while Virizion enjoys having a fallback option against Flying- and Fire-types. As Rhyperior is vulnerable to Spikes and it will likely have to switch out and tank hits to do its job effectively, hazard control is nice. Hitmonlee appreciates having bulky Psychic-types weakened or outright KOed and it is capable of providing Rapid Spin support. While stacking multiple weaknesses with Rhyperior can be challenging, Kabutops absolutely loves having bulky Grass-types removed and, can too, provide Rapid Spin support. If you go the Defog route, Shiftry isn't a bad option as Rhyperior's exploitable 4x weaknesses to Grass- and Water-type moves can make it easier for Shiftry to get in, a problem it usually has due to its frailty. Paralysis support from the likes of Meloetta and Slowking can make Rhyperior especially menacing considering Speed is its major downfall. Another way to circumvent this is through the use of Trick Room. Slowking, Reuniclus, and Aromatisse are all fantastic users of the move.
What Counters It: Nothing... nothing defensively at least. Fully physically defensive Alomomola is getting 2HKOed by this monster after Rocks and a single layer of Spikes... As previously alluded to, nothing counters Rhyperior on a good day. The closest you get is Gligar, who is still decimated by a well-timed Ice Punch. Bronzong is about the only Pokemon capable of taking any attack on this set, and it still isn't taking Megahorn really well without heavy physical defense investment. Otherwise, Choice Band Rhyperior is forcing a gamble game every time it safely comes in. And if you gamble wrong, something is going down. That said, Rhyperior is slow and has common weaknesses, so smart offensive pressure will limit its time in battle. If it manages to get on the field, your best bet is to go to something that resists one or both of Rhyperior's STABs and hope it doesn't use the correct coverage move. Bronzong and Claydol are the only two that can handle Rhyperior's STAB combination through resistances and immunities. Neither take Megahorn well though and Claydol is in bad shape against Ice Punch too. Steel-types such as Cobalion and Registeel can take anything but Earthquake. Flying-types such as Moltres and Braviary are immune to EQ, but they can't do much back (except for HP Grass Moltres) and they are all instantly destroyed by Stone Edge. Gligar is the only Flying-type in the tier that can avoid being manhandled by Stone Edge. After Rhyperior KOes something, just about anything with a Water- or Grass-type move, or a powerful neutral special attack will generally force out Rhyperior due to its low Speed, exploitable weaknesses, and lackluster Special Defense. So, Sceptile, Virizion, Clawitzer, Sharpedo, Heliolisk, Delphox. Things like that.
Additional Info: If Trick Room support is used, move all Speed EVs to HP, drop Speed IVs to 0, and change the nature to Brave. Fire Punch tears Escavalier a new one while also giving Bronzong more to think about. Otherwise, just rinse and repeat the following process: Come in. Click STAB move with fewer resistances / immunities. Watch shit die.
Yanmega @ Choice Specs
Ability: Tinted Lens
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Modest Nature
- Bug Buzz
- Air Slash
- U-turn
- Sleep Talk
What it Does: The combination of Yanmega's excellent base 116 Special Attack stat, decently powerful STAB options, and an incredible ability in the form of Tinted Lens that turns 2x resistances into neutral damage makes Yanmega an exceptionally threatening wallbreaker in the RU tier, capable of 2HKOing pretty much anything that isn't retardedly specially bulky with its STAB moves alone. The set above is pretty straightforward and almost always gets the job done. Bug Buzz and Air Slash are pretty self explanatory, Bug Buzz is pretty much the offensive move you'll be using 99% of the time unless the opponent is using something that 4x resists it, or has the bulk to take a Bug Buzz but not an Air Slash. If the opponent is using one of the few things that can take repeated hits from this powerful bug, then simply predict the switch in and use U-turn, going to something that can handle the switchin accordingly. Sleep Talk is mainly a filler move because the first three offensive moves are really all that Yanmega needs, but it gives Yanmega a secondary role of a sleep absorber than can take Spores and Sleep Powders from things such as Amoonguss and Tangrowth, then immediately force them out with the threat of a sleep talked Bug Buzz or Air Slash.
Good Teammates: Specs Yanmega may be an incredible wallbreaker, but needless to say like any other Pokemon it needs some team support to function to its full potential. Firstly and most importantly, Yanmega's Bug/Flying typing makes it 4x weak to Stealth Rock, meaning it heavily appreciates anything that can get rid of them. Since Yanmega is usually used on offensive teams, Pokemon that can do this while keeping a solid offensive presence such as Kabutops, Hitmonlee, and Shiftry work best here. Additionally, Hitmonlee and Yanmega make a pretty terrifying wallbreaking core when paired together between the sheer power of a reckless boosted High Jump Kick and Tinted Lens Bug Buzz. Outside of simply removing entry hazards, Yanmega has trouble with one Pokemon in particular: Registeel, who can take repeated hits from it despite Tinted Lens forcing it to take neutral damage from Bug Buzz, and can paralyze it in return, making Dugtrio an exceptional teammate that can trap and eliminate the Steel menace. As a bonus, Yanmega's U-turn gives Dugtrio plenty of opportunities to switch in and trap opponents for its teammates, whether they're registeel or otherwise.
What Counters It: Because Yanmega's Tinted Lens ability almost completely removes resistances to its attacks, counters to Yanmega are few and far between, and the ones that don't exist have to rely on sheer bulk to beat it out instead of utilizing their typing. As mentioned before, Registeel makes an excellent check to Yanmega, taking multiple hits from it despite no longer resisting Bug Buzz, and either paralyzing it in return or 2HKOing it with a Rock Slide, it can even set up Stealth Rock to limit Yanmega's ability to switch in! Aromatisse can take a hit or two from Choice Specs Yanmega and can use protect to gain back leftovers recovery, but ends up being incredibly shaky due to the fact that it gets cleanly 2HKO'd by Bug Buzz+Stealth Rock if it takes residual damage of any form. Togetic is rare, but it still resists Bug Buzz even through Tinted Lens thanks to its Fairy/Flying typing and has more than enough bulk to take Choice Specs Air Slashes and Roost off the damage, eventually wearing down dragonfly with Dazzling Gleam. Outside of this, the best way to get rid of a Tinted Lens Yanmega on the run is the revenge kill it with something faster, as 95 base Speed, while good, isn't outspeeding the entire metagame anytime soon. Pokemon that can easily do this include Delphox, Zoroark, Timid Moltres, Heliolisk, Hidden Power Sceptile, Stone Edge Virizion and Cobalion, Scarf Braviary, and Cinccino.
Additional Info: This is the only bhug silentverse dislikes
Druddigon @ Choice Band
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Outrage
- Earthquake / Super Power
- Fire Punch / Sucker Punch
- Dragon Claw
What it does: Druddigon is one of the premiere powerhouses in the tier. It boast an impressive 120 base attack stat and is backed up by decent 77 / 90 / 90 defenses. Its dragon typing grants it a bunch of resistances to common attacking moves and the popular fire / water / grass core , you can slap this monster on many teams and it will work. Druddigon's Rough Skin ability gives it a way to wear down rapid spinners like Hitmontop and Kabutops. It also nets passive damage on the tiers u-turn'ers. Outrage and Dragon Claw are its timeless STABS and are primary options when breaking down the opponents walls. Although the drop off in power is noticeable, Dragon Claw is useful when you can't afford to be locked into an Outrage. Earthquake is there to break down steel types who think they're going to eat a D-Claw or Outrage, but you have to watch out when using Earthquake because your opponent can easily switch to a Levitate ability Pokemon or a Flying typed Pokemon. Both are immune to ground typed moves and things won't go well once they find out you're choice locked into Earthquake. Super Power is just as effective as Earthquake but I slashed it because its penalty is to harsh and using it will force you to hit and run almost all of the time since it drops your attack and defense with each use. Fire Punch enables Druddigon to hit Durant and Escavalier extremely hard. Sucker Punch is useful because it gives Druddigon a tool to KO weakened Pokemon. It's equally as dangerous as Earthquake because your opponent can set up once they figure out you're locked into Sucker Punch. Iron Tail and Gunk Shot are also options because they allow Druddigon to get passed the tiers fairy types, like Aromatisse and Togetic.
Good Teammates: Pokemon that can tank Ice and Dragon typed moves aimed at Druddigon are good teammates for it. Namely Escavalier and Slowking. Escavalier can easily eat up Ice and Dragon moves and hit back hard, it also gets rid of the Grass, Dark, and Fairy typed pokemon for Slowking and Druddigon. While Druddigon tanks the Fire, Grass, and Electric typed attacks aimed at Escavalier and Slowking. Slowking's bulk and regenerator ability allows it to repeatedly switch in and out tanking super effective moves aimed at Druddigon and Escavalier. Slowking's bulky attacking set utlizes Fire Blast and Surf, two moves that gives it the necessary tools to possibly eliminate all of Druddigons counters. These pokemon work extremely well together because of their myriad of resistances. Druddigon can also benefit from a wish passer like Alomomola in order to recover health and punch even more holes in the opponents team.
What Counters it: Since Druddigon is capable of running a number of sets your opponent will try to scout and see what moves Druddigon will use and what item it's holding. Most people just assume Druddigon is going to set up stealth rock and once it tanks a hit, your opponent will assume it's some sort of bulky variant and they'll underestimate its offensive capability. You can use that to your advantage and KO one or two of Druddigons checks and counters like Steelix, Escavalier, Tangrowth, and Cobalion.
Druddigon @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spe
Nature: Adamant
- Outrage / Dragon Claw
- Fire Punch
- Iron Tail / Gunk Shot
- Sucker Punch / Dragon Claw
What it Does: Imo, the most badass Druddigon set you can use. Sheer Force Druddigon is an absolute menace as it can easily carry Life Orb and deal tons of damage. Outrage is your main attack, busting up everything that doesn't resist it. However, since this set can utilize its coverage moves to effectively lure out and KO typical Druddigon answers, Dragon Claw is a viable option for your main STAB move. Fire Punch is a near necessity since Escavalier is one of the most dangerous offensive checks to Druddigon. It also helps that Fire Punch gets the Sheer Force boost. The 3rd slot deals with Fairy-types as well as some other threats, depending on the move chosen. Iron Tail isn't quite as accurate, nor as powerful, but it also smacks around Rhyperior for heavy damage, something that may try to out-tank (that a word?) Druddigon. Gunk Shot is stronger and has a bit more power while also hitting Tangrowth much harder, hard enough to 2HKO after LO and Sheer Force boosts. The last slot gives Druddigon some added utility. Sucker Punch is nice to pick off weakened threats or frail Psychic- and Ghost-types in general. If this doesn't appeal to you and Outrage is occupying the first slot, Dragon Claw is perfectly usable for a safer move to use early in the match. The EV spread rounds down passive damage from Spikes, SR, etc. while maximizing overall bulk and damage output. The extra EVs are put into Speed to creep past other Druddigon. If you are using Gunk Shot, it can be worth your while to go up to 20 Speed EVs to get the jump on uninvested Tangrowth.
Good Teammates: As Sheer Force Druddigon is good at forcing out and either heavily damaging or outright KOing bulky Steel- and Fairy-type Pokemon, it is wise to pack teammates that can take advantage of this. Hitmonlee likes having Aromatisse and other Fairy-types KOed or weakened to the point where a HJK takes them out. Heliolisk likes having bulky walls weakened in general and really benefits from having bulky Steel-types worn down. Wish support is nice since it allows Druddigon to continue to switch in on resisted attacks and impose its will. For this, it doesn't get much better than Alomomola. If you already have a Water-type on your team, you can turn to Aromatisse whom also packs Aromatherapy, thus allowing Druddigon to play more recklessly in the face of status inducers. Since most Pokemon Druddigon tries to weaken or outright KO are grounded, Spikes support from Froslass can be really nice. A Rapid Spin or Defog user is nice to remove entry hazards as Druddigon takes damage from Rocks, Spikes, and TSpikes. Hitmonlee and Kabutops are solid Rapid Spin users while Gligar, Golbat, and Shiftry can usually get Defog off reliably.
What Counters It: Not a whole lot. Alomomola is the best answer to this Druddigon as it can just Toxic stall it to death. Gligar can be problematic, but it can be overwhelmed if a teammate can Knock Off its Eviolite. If Druddigon uses Outrage without Dragon Claw, most defensive Steel-types can wear it down. Registeel and Bronzong can both Toxic it while Escavalier can respond with its own powerful STAB move in Megahorn. Keep in mind though that none of these Steel-types have reliable recovery, so Druddigon will often do its job just by weakening them. Entry hazards in general (bar Sticky Web) can put a damper on Druddigon's fun by limiting the time it has on the field. It's very hard to keep Druddigon from netting at least one KO in a match. If it comes in on something that can hit it hard before being taken down, it's often best just to do that so Druddigon can't come in at will on whatever it wants anymore.
Any Additional Info: Thunder Punch is usable to do something with Alomomola, but even then, you won't 2HKO it. It can be neat for the odd Slowking that runs Toxic, but it's generally not worth it. Crunch is okay I guess if you're worried about Cresselia setting up on Sucker Punch. Use Sheer Force. Don't use anything else. Sheer Force is what makes most of Druddigon's coverage moves so hard to switch into.
Banette @ Banettite
Ability: Insomnia / Frisk
EVs: 168 HP / 252 Atk / 88 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Shadow Claw
- Taunt
- Destiny Bond
What it does: Mega-Banette is one of the most versatile pokemon in the tier. With Prankster, a large support movepool, and a sky-high base 165 attack, Banette can run a variety of different sets ranging from offensive to support. With Prankster Destiny Bond, Banette acts as an amazing "fail safe" for virtually all types of teams. Venomoth passed a Quiver Dance to Moltres and is wrecking your team? A Sharpedo that you just can't seem to stop? Send in Banette, and save your team from a certain sweep. Banette is the ultimate insurance for a team. Also, with access to Prankster Taunt, it can easily shut down many walls and setup sweepers, and greatly eases prediction with Sucker Punch and Destiny Bond. However, unlike many other support pokemon, Banette has the unique trait of being a considerable offensive threat to your opponents. With a base 165 attack, Banette can put large dents in the opposing team. Plus, with a strong priority move like Sucker Punch, Banette can KO many threats without sacrificing itself with Destiny Bond.
Good Teammates: Although Banette can usually be placed on any team, certain teammates greatly help. Banette has quite a bit of trouble with getting past Dark-Types who resist all of his commonly run moves, and is often the target of things like Knock Off. Therefore, Banette is best partnered with a strong Fighting-type, such as Cobalion or Virizion, who can benefit from the Dark-type moves aimed at Banette. Damaging status moves like Toxic and Burn are the bane of Banette's existence, allowing your opponent to effectively kill Banette without fear of Destiny Bond. Therefore, clerics like Aromatisse are good partners to help remove these detrimental effects. Also, with the large amount of switches Banette is likely to cause (from sweepers fearing Destiny Bond or walls shut down by Taunt), hazard support is appreciated to take advantage of this.
What counters it: Probably the most reliable "counter" to Banette is proper prediction. While it has access to both Taunt and Destiny Bond/Sucker Punch to make your opponent's choice of move difficult, he cannot preform both at the same time. Opposing sweepers can set up on Sucker Punch and Destiny Bond (which can be stalled out due to their unfortunately low PP), while a direct attack when a status move is predicted can result in Banette's death. A considerable amount of prediction is required to get the most out of Banette's lifespan. As for particular pokemon that can come in easily on Banette, physically bulky attackers like Rhyperior take any attack Banette can throw at it, and isn't stopped cold by Taunt. However, it must be wary of Will-O-Wisp, which more support-orientated Banette often carry. The aforementioned Dark-types also pose trouble for Banette, locking Banette into a "50/50" survival chance. A Destiny Bond on a move like Taunt can prove disasterous, while a Taunt on a STAB Dark-type attack is similar. Otherwise, Banette has no true counters, due to the variety of sets it can run and ability to take down any attacker with Destiny Bond.
Additional Info: Like I stated before, Banette is extremely versatile, having access to Thunder Wave, Will-O-Wisp, Cotton Guard, Calm Mind, Substitute, and even Trick Room. This is only one of the many sets Banette can run, and this unpredictability also adds to Banette's success. The particular EV spread is to outpace Cresselia investing in 4 speed, as well as opposing Banette who often run 84 speed EVs.
Reuniclus @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Psyshock
- Shadow Ball / Focus Blast
- Recover
What It Does: Reuniclus will Calm Mind several times once the strong Pokemon with super effective moves against it are gone (e.g. Escavalier, Zoroark). Once it's gained a few Calm Mind boosts there are very few things in the tier that can actually 2HKO it, and if you can't 2HKO Reuniclus then it will recover stall against you until it's healthy enough to kill you or continue boosting with Calm Mind. Psyshock's a great move because it ruins other Calm Mind boosters that try and set up alongside you, although to be honest most of them in this tier are Psychic-types who run Psyshock too (e.g. Delphox, Meloetta, Cresselia), shadow ball hits everything Psyshock doesn't except for dark types, while focus blast misses and runs out of PP hits everything Psyshock doesn't except for Psychic-types. Shadow Ball is usually the better choice, just because with Focus Blast you are definitely losing to other Calm Mind boosters that aren't Meloetta. Magic Guard and terrible Speed means that the only status Reuniclus minds is sleep / freeze, and even then a lot of sleep users in the tier can't usually manage to kill it before it wakes up and Recovers / Psyshocks them. This means it doesn't have to carry Substitute or Rest like Cresselia often has to to avoid Toxics.
Good Teammates: Pokemon that can deal with dark types such as Zoroark or Skuntank / Drapion are greatly appreciated, such as Cobalion. A fire type to deal with Escavalier and Durant is also appreciated, such as Moltres or Emboar. It chills out pretty happily on stall teams as well, being a good stop to most of the fighting types in the tier (because max def is usually not 2HKOed by Knock Off) as well as being a great win condition. On more offensive teams it can act as a win condition against stall once haze Pokemon are weakened enough and providing that they aren't carrying a Reuniclus themselves.
What Counters It: As alluded to twice before, the steel bugs Escavalier and Durant give it a lot of trouble because they can pretty cleanly 2HKO it. Zoroark can also take it out, and Skuntank can Taunt / haze it to stop any boosting in its tracks. Any Pokemon that gets Taunt and isn't weak to Psyshock will stop its shenanigans decently, and Pokemon that carry haze or phazing moves can also stop it from setting up. When it gets down to last Pokemon Reuniclus situations it's a lot harder to deal with because you can't phaze it, but if you still have your hard hitting physical attackers it shouldn't pose too much of a threat.
Drapion @ Black Sludge
Ability: Battle Armor
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SDef / 4 Atk
Careful nature
- Taunt
- Toxic Spikes
- Knock Off
- Whirlwind
What it does: While Drapion can run a common Swords Dance set, a specially defensive set is where it truly shines. With this, it absolutely destroys common Calm Mind users like Meloetta, Slowking, Reuniclus, and Cresselia, easily tanking any boosted hit and either phazing with Whirlwind or KOing with Knock Off. Taunt, coupled with Drapion's above average speed for a defensive mon, allows Drapion to stop status, shut down walls, and prevent your opponent from using Drapion as setup fodder. Because of Drapion's Toxic immunity, it can get past most walls easily. This and Drapion's great mixed bulk provide many opportunities for Drapion to set up Toxic Spikes, which is a great boon to more balanced or stall teams. Toxic Spikes is one of the main reasons to use Drapion over Skuntank, and Drapion is undoubtedly one of the best users of the move.
Good Teammates: Drapion unfortunately has no means of reliable recovery, which means it can easily be worn down throughout the match. Wish support from things like Alomomola and Aromatisse are immensely helpful to make sure Drapion stays healthy. Because Drapion is likely to be found on more stall-ish teams, bulky walls are best paired up with Drapion to take advantage of the poison Drapion spreads around. In turn, Drapion prevents its teammates from being easy setup fodder, something which most walls have trouble with. Spinblockers are also great partners for Drapion, to ensure that Toxic Spikes are kept on the field. Gourgeist, notably, has great type synergy with Drapion.
What counters it: Dugtrio makes for a great counter to Drapion, trapping eliminating it with its STAB Earthquake. Also, while Drapion has good bulk with investment, its lack of recovery means that powerful attacks from things like Moltres can break through it.
Additional Information: This Drapion set is pretty invariant, as you'll find all of its moves hard to replace. Earthquake is a viable choice to hit Poison-types not named Amoonguss and Steel-types that like to switch into Toxic Spikes, but Drapion simply doesn't have an open slot.
Tauros @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 244 Atk / 252 Spd / 12 SAtk
Naive Nature
- Rock Climb
- Ice Beam / Fire Blast
- Earthquake
- Zen Headbutt
What It Does: Tauros is a straight forward Pokemon. It's a fast hard hitting sweeper who can threaten a lot of the metagame. with a good attack stat and Life Orb + Sheer Force boosting it's power even more, it can threaten a large portion of the metagame. The reason it's better then other physical sweepers is because it has a way to get around some of the premier physical walls in the tier (Tangrowth, Gligar, Golbat, Steelix). The ev's maximise Attack and speed while giving it enough sp. attack ev's to 2hko the mentioned walls. Ice Beam beats Tangrowth and Gligar while Fire Blast helps it get past Steelix, Tangrowth, and Ferroseed all of whom shrug off his other attacks.
Good Teammates: Like most offensive pokemon Tauros appreciates hazard support. Qwilfish is one of the better partners for Tauros because it can not only set up spikes but also take the fighting attacks aimed at him. Taurus is also relatively frail so you won't be able to just switch him in easily. This is why ghost types like Mismagius, Rotom, and Spirtomb make good partners. Rotom is probably the best partner because it can take the fighting types aimed at Tauros, cripple them with burns and then Volt Switch to bring in Tauros safely.
What Counters It: Pokemon who are bulky on both sides of the spectrum are a good stop for Tauros. Slowking for example with it's great defense and sp. defense can take it's hits with ease and cripple it with Scald burns or T-Wave. Another problem is that it suffers from 4 move slot syndrome and depending on what coverage move it runs (Fire Blast or Ice Beam) it can be easily stopped. If running Fire Blast Gligar, and Golbat can stop him hard and if Ice Beam, Steelix and Ferroseed stop him stone cold.
Additional Info: You could opt to run Fire Blast and Ice Beam on the same set and forgo earthquake all together but Earthquakes hits a lot of more pokemon harder then Fire Blast or Ice Beam will. Choice Band is an option and turns Tauros into more of a Wall Breaker then Late Game Cleaner. But being locked into Ice Beam is less then favorable especially when the switch out. Choice Scarf can also be run to make Tauros a great revenge killer since it will outspeed most of the tier with a scarf. Finally you can forgo Ice Beam and Fire Blast all together in which case you should run Earthquake and Rock slide or Substitute but their are other pokemon better for this in the tier and getting past some of the most common physical walls is one of the major advantages of Tauros.
Combusken @ Eviolite
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 248 HP / 64 SpD / 196 Spe
Jolly Nature
-Protect
-Swords Dance / Bulk Up
-Flare Blitz
-Baton Pass
What it does: Combusken is an excellent quick passer for offensive / balanced teams, providing handy Speed and Attack boosts that make it possible to ravage through defensive cores and full-blown stall. Despite no investment in its Attack stat, after a Swords Dance boost, Combusken hits a very respectable 412 Attack stat, which is even more powerful than a max attack Adamant Druddigon! Combusken can then use this attack stat alongside its excellent STAB in Flare Blitz to sweep on its own if the situation is more favorable towards itself as opposed to its recipients or if it's simply too risky passing in front of a certain threat. Bulk Up is also a really good move to ease quick passing, as it can make sure that Combusken's teammate comes in more safely and isn't picked off as easily by priority.
Good teammates: In terms of teammates, it's not a matter of which Pokemon can support Combusken, but rather, which Pokemon Combusken can help support. It's good that Combusken's recipients have good synergy with it; for example, Druddigon resists Water-type moves aimed at Combusken, whereas Drapion is immune to Psychic attacks, and Rhyperior resists Flying moves. By having the receiver resist the attacks aimed at Combusken, it makes much easier to pull off a successful pass.
What counters it: Countering Combusken is a matter of not walling it per-say, but stopping it from passing. In that regard, the Pokemon countering Combusken need to fulfill two criteria: the ability to tank a +2 Flare Blitz and phase / negate stat boosts. Roar / Dragon Tail Rhyperior and Dragon Tail Slowking are by far the best counters, resisting Combusken's primary STAB, doing a serious chunk back, and preventing it from passing boosts to its teammates. Aside from these two, Roar / Whirlwind / Haze / Clear Smog users in general that can at the very least, tank a +2 Flare Blitz, are solid checks as well. Whimiscott gets a special mention considering it can switch into a Swords Dance and Encore Combusken regardless of its Speed boosts, though watch out for Flare Blitz.
Additional info: The Speed EVs allows Combusken to outspeed Choice Scarf Braviary at +2, which is as fast as it need to go. The rest is mainly chucked into its defenses so it can pass easier. Eviolite also further cements Combusken's bulk, allowing it serve as a decent check to the likes of Escavalier and Durant if need be. Substitute may be used over Flare Blitz, but Combusken is utter Taunt bait otherwise.
Slurpuff @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Unburden
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Substitute
- Belly Drum
- Play Rough
- Return
What it Does: Slurpuff makes a great late game cleaner in RU thanks to Unburden and Belly Drum, which, once both boosts have been acquired, Slurpuff can do a lot of work against teams once its counters have been removed. While it's not broken like UU Hawlucha/LC Swirlix, Slurpuff is still great at this role and is a force to be reckoned with. Belly Drum allows Slurpuff to maximize its Attack and allow Play Rough and Return to literally sting. Substitute allows Slurpuff to get off a Belly Drum more easily and become more likely to activate Sitrus Berry, and also allows Slurpuff to avoid Toxic, Thunder Wave, and Will-O-Wisp, which are detrimental to Slurpuff. Play Rough is good STAB and is a nice "screw you Druddigon" button too. Return allows Slurpuff to hit Delphox and Moltres pretty hard, and in general hits anything that resists Play Rough that isn't a Steel-type pretty hard.
Good Teammates: Since Slurpuff can't touch Steel-types, Fire-types such as Delphox, Emboar, and Moltres make fine teammates. In addition, Dugtrio and Magneton can both trap some of Slurpuff's counters, making it easier for Slurpuff to pull off a sweep; the former also has Memento which is awesome to allow Slurpuff to get a Belly Drum off more easily. Since Slurpuff is a cleaner, entry hazards are definitely welcome, of which Froslass and Smeargle can provide perfectly. Zoroark is also nice to lure in some of Slurpuff's counters such as Cofagrigus and Doublade.
What counters it: Escavalier is definitely up there when it comes to countering Slurpuff. It resists both Play Rough and Return and can retaliate with Iron Head. Cofagrigus may not be able to take a +4 Play Rough, but Mummy allows it to disable Unburden and hence allow its teammates to dismantle Slurpuff more easily. Doublade and Bronzong are also nice counters and can retaliate with Steel-type STAB. Using initially faster Pokemon that are powerful can also overwhelm Slurpuff and prevent it from getting off a Belly Drum.
Additional Info: You could change up the EV spread to outspeed what you need while still having a Substitute HP value; I'm not that good at making EV spreads so there may be a better EV spread than this one lol. A SubCM set may also be a possibility though I have yet to test that.
Zoroark (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Illusion
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Naive Nature
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Flamethrower
- Grass Knot
What it does: Zoroark is a really good Pokemon in RU right now, being the ultimate teammate for set up sweepers by luring in their checks and counters, creating massive mind games, and literally breaking PS!'s team preview. This set is probably the best set Zoroark can run right now, thanks to having two really good physical STABs, and some nice coverage hitting some of RU's best physically defensive Pokemon hard. Knock Off is the used that will be spammed most often by Zoroark, as it is a powerful 97.5 BP STAB when the opponent holds an item, with the utility of removing that item. Knock Off also out damages Dark Pulse even though Zoroark has a lower attack stat due to the higher base power of a boosted Knock Off. Sucker Punch is useful for picking off weakened threats allowing Zoroark to clean up faster foes late game. The last two moveslots are used to cover some of the most common defensive Pokemon in the tier. Grass Knot is there primarily as a way of dealing with Rhyperior as even max SpD Careful Rhyperior has over a 50% chance to be OHKOed, while Flamethrower does ~80% to Assault Vest Escavalier.
Good Teammates: Pokemon that appreciate a weakened Escavalier and Rhyperior enjoy the presence of Zoroark (thats like half the tier!). Specifically, special set up sweepers, such as Venomoth, Mismagius, Cresselia, Reuniclus, and Calm Mind Meloetta. These all have excellent synergy with Zoroark as well, drawing in Psychic and Ghost-type attacks that Zoroark's poor defenses can handle, while all deter the use of random fighting-type moves being thrown around. Zoroark's coverage does have some gaps, such as Emboar and opposing Dark-types, so having teammates that are capable of cleaning up weakened Emboar and Dark-types with these help Zoroark function.
What Counters it: As mentioned before, Emboar, Skuntank, and Drapion are all good responses to Zoroark, due to their typing and decent defenses, and with Zoroark's low defenses, it can't really take a hit, even if it is resisted. Aromatisse, doesn't care about its attacks and can easily dispose of it with its super effective STAB.
Additional Info: You could probably move some EVs to SpA to always beat AV Esca after rocks, but most of the time you are just spamming Knock Off and Escavalier will usually be damaged by previous switch-ins or switching into Zoroark itself. Physically based mixed Zoroark is only Zoroark, k thx.
Omastar @ White Herb / Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim / Weak Armor
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SDef / 252 Spe
Nature: Modest
- Shell Smash
- Hydro Pump / Surf
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power Grass
Role: Special Sweeper, Late Game Cleaner
What it Does: Shell Smash Omastar is extremely dangerous in any metagame it's in, and RU is no different; if not prepared for, this set will take lives. A +2 boost on both Special Attack and Speed will make Omastar a force to be reckoned with. This set is designed to do one thing: set up and proceed to hammer the opposition with powerful attacks. However, there are a lot of things that can stop Omastar, so those should be taken out before attempting to set up and sweep, because its main item, White Herb, is one-use only, and if you're not using it, the defense drops will most likely cause it to take a lot of damage setting up. Fire-types are usually the easiest Pokemon to set up on, as Omastar only takes 1/4 damage from Fire-type attacks. The moves that Omastar runs are pretty self explanatory, since they attain nearly perfect coverage. The only thing is for Omastar's Water-type STAB, Hydro Pump is preferred, though Surf is an option if you don't want to risk missing.
Good Teammates: Because Grass-types happen to absolutely destroy Omastar, packing something to take care of them, such as a Fire-type, is highly recommended. A powerful physical attacker that can take down the special walls that trouble Omastar is also recommended. A good Pokemon that can do both those jobs, such as Choice Band Emboar, is also great. If using Swift Swim, be sure to pack a Rain setter such as Ludicolo to take advantage of that massive speed boost.
What Counters It: Because Omastar is x4 weak to Grass, Grass-types have a much easier time checking Omastar. Special walls are also good answers towards Omastar, because it relies so much on its special attacks. Pokemon that possess both these qualities, such as Assault Vest Tangrowth and Amoonguss, are the best answers to Omastar in RU. Additionally, because Omastar has no priority attacks, many Choice Scarf users can still outspeed it after a +2 boost and KO it. If Omastar is weak enough, a priority attack like a Mach Punch from Hitmonlee could be extremely threatening towards a potential sweep.
Any Additional Info: Modest is the preferred nature, though Timid can be used go a little faster, and outspeed base 100 Choice Scarf users after +2. Lum Berry can be used as an item to prevent a Thunder Wave user from stopping Omastar's sweep cold. Finally, Omastar has a reliable secondary STAB in Earth Power, but the above set has such great coverage that Omastar will usually end up giving some of it up.
Braviary @ Life Orb
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 SpD
Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- Superpower
- Return
- Roost
What it does: Braviary is surprisingly bulky for a bird pokemon. Because of this he lacks speed though, but that doesn't mean he's bad. Braviary has a very solid 120 attack stat. He also gets strong STABs and various coverage moves on top of that. Boost his power a bit with Life Orb and you will deal heavy damage to most pokemon. 3 attacks are enough to hit most things so last moveslot goes to Roost. This is basically to heal all the recoil damage. Another great niche he has is that he can punish defog users. Although he is not as effective as other defiant users, he can still pull it off. He lacks the speed and priority to make full use of it but hit bulk compensates for that.
Good Teammates: Fast threats and priority are a problem for Braviary. A fast pokemon like Sharpedo or a good priority user like Zoroark are very good. Defensive steel types can also tank the super effective hits Braviary himself can't. A good rapid spinner is also very desirable. Being able to switch in without much harm is essential for him to survive. Defog support is not really needed since that breaks the purpose of Defiant. If you don't have your own hazards that the opponent wants gone, there is no point in using this thing as a fast bulky attacker.
What Counters it: I've already mentioned it before. Fast pokemon that can also deal a lot of damage. A good example is Heliolisk. He is faster, deals super effective damage and has lots of coverage options. Switching in a ground type to stop the Volt Switch/TBolt isn't always the best idea because he can carry Grass Knot or Surf. Priority moves can also wreck Braviary if his health is low from recoil. He can't heal up, he has to switch but switching in later will also be difficult because of rocks. This is why I also mentioned that rapid spin support is essential.
Any Additional Info: After Tornadus' ban, Braviary is most likely the best Defiant user/Defog punisher in RU. A hazard focused team should always consider using a pokemon like this since it will support the team immensely.
Gallade @ Life Orb
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spe
Nature: Jolly
- Substitute
- Drain Punch
- Psycho Cut
- Knock Off
What it Does: Sub + 3 Attacks Gallade is quite the pain for many teams to face. Usually, Gallade's biggest problem is its inability to net more than 2 KOs against most offensive teams. However, this set fixes that by using Substitute to shield Gallade from revenge killers and status users alike. Drain Punch gives this set great flexibility and solid power. Psycho Cut hammers Fighting- and Poison-types while also dealing solid damage to Aromatisse. Knock Off finishes off the set by smashing bulky Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon that could otherwise handle Gallade's STAB moves with ease. While most Gallade sets use Adamant and some don't even run max Speed, this one uses Jolly and max Speed to outpace as many threats as possible. Life Orb seems odd on a Substitute user, but Drain Punch's healing side effect makes this possible, and helps to make up for the power lost from using Jolly.
Good Teammates: As Gallade lacks the ability to boost its Attack stat with Swords Dance, entry hazard users are great teammates. Froslass, Rhyperior, Registeel, and Bronzong can reliably setup entry hazards to chip away at Gallade's checks and counters. Paralysis support from stuff like Registeel and Uxie is nice so Gallade can have an easier time sweeping late-game. Emboar and Moltres nice to check Spiritomb, Durant, and Escavalier. Use Grass-types like Rotom-C and Virizion to deal with Alomomola and physically defensive Gastrodon as Gallade can't overwhelm them like Swords Dance sets can.
What Counters It: Toxic Spikes suck a ton since you can't use Substitute freely. Alomomola, physically defensive Gastrodon, and Tangrowth are too damn bulky to break. Eviolite Golbat that invest in enough Speed to outpace Gallade are annoying since Infiltrator will allow it to bludgeon Gallade with Brave Bird, even if a Substitute is up. Spiritomb can tank any hit and has Infiltrator to bypass Substitute, so needless to say, it sucks. Multi-hit moves, such as Cinccino's Tail Slap can break through Gallade's Substitutes and still cause serious, if not lethal, damage.
Any Additional Info: Ice Punch can be used to take a dump on Gligar and hit Tangrowth harder than anything else can. Stone Edge if you don't want to rely on Rocks to donk Moltres without dying. X-Scissor if you want to hit Tangrowth and retain coverage on most Psychics. Uh, that's about it!
Swellow @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Guts
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Nature: Jolly
- Facade
- Brave Bird
- U-turn
- Quick Attack
What it Does: Swellow's combination of power and speed is a marvel to behold. Capable of outspeeding almost all of the unboosted tier and overpowering the majority of them, Swellow can very easily close up games simply because the opponent lacks the means to outspeed it and weather its assaults. Swellow is fast enough to outspeed Choice Scarf Emboar, and has enough strength to OHKO the same Emboar with nothing but a boosted Facade (not even Brave Bird, mind you!). Most other speedy Pokemon, such as Cinccino, Heliolisk, Virizion, and Delphox, have even lower bulk than Emboar, making them very easy pickings for Swellow.
Good Teammates: Dugtrio can easily trap the Rock- and Steel-types that otherwise wall Swellow cold, as Swellow easily lures them in and U-turns to Dugtrio to dispose of them. Wallbreaker teammates, such as Clawitzer and Emboar, can lay the hurt on most Swellow counters, and appreciate Swellow's ability to force out Pokemon and bring themselves in safely with U-turn. Most of Swellow's checks are grounded, so having Spikes or even Toxic Spikes can go a long way in wearing them down, with hazard setters such as Crustle and Drapion being suited for the job. VoltTurn-using teammates, especially slower users, can help Swellow activate its status orb without risking damage or needing to run Protect; Eelektross, Rotom-C, and Clawitzer can do this nicely. Rapid Spin and Defog support is very crucial if not mandatory, as status takes its toll on Swellow enough as it is, and Stealth Rock would cut into its lifespan even more. Kabutops can lure out Grass-types, Hitmonlee beats up Rock- and Steel-types, and Shiftry's STABs wreck a lot of Swellow responses, all of them knowing Knock Off for good measure.
What Counters It: Basically any Rock- or Steel-type stops Swellow from doing much bar U-turning, although extremely bulky Pokemon such as Gligar, Alomomola, and Cresselia also make good responses. Priority and Choice Scarf Pokemon (unless they are as slow as Emboar) helps in keeping Swellow in check, should they remain healthy enough to survive Quick Attack. Stealth Rock can ward off Swellow until its anti-hazard teammates get rid of the hazard, which can buy one a chance to retaliate.
Additional Information: Flame Orb can be used if one expects Swellow to stay in battle for more than 3 turns at a time. Protect can still be used if VoltTurn is difficult to fit on your team. Pursuit dooms weakened Pokemon, or Dark-weak Pokemon such as Delphox and Mismagius.
Sharpedo (F) @ Life Orb
Trait: Speed Boost
EVs: 188 Atk / 184 SAtk / 136 Spd
Naughty Nature (+Atk, -SDef)
- Hydro Pump / Waterfall
- Ice Beam
- Crunch
- Protect
What it does: Probably the best late game sweeper in rarelyused. Mostly due to its gargantuan base attack stat and respectable base special attack stat. Of course a large portion of the credit goes to its ability Speed Boost, which increases its speed after every turn eventually pushing him to sonic levels. Sharpedo is very frail and weak to priority which limits him to mid-late game when his checks and counters have been eliminated and/or worn down. Sharpedo gains a speed boost after every turn meanining that there's no longer a need for a priority move. Sharpedo also has difficulty getting passed bulky grass types. Here's where swapping Ice Beam for Aqua Jet comes in handy. Now the only things that may get in the way at this point are bulky defensive pokemon, like Tangrowth, like Amoonguss, like Gourgeist, and Rotom-C. There's enough speed evs to ensure Sharpedo outspeeds everything after two turns. Also with that amount of evs invested in special attack, Hydro Pump is more powerful than Waterfall. Which is why I replaced Waterfall, but you could use either one it's your decision. Protect to scout potential scarfed pokemon and priority moves. It's also an effective way to ensure you get at least one speed boost. Crunch is Sharpedo's obligatory stab and frankly it won't be a great white shark without it.
Good Teammates: Strong electric typed Pokemon like Heliolisk, and strong grass typed Pokemon prove to be great teammates to Sharpedo. They can eliminate the bulky water typed Pokemon that would laugh off Hydro Pump and Ice Beam attacks while taking little damage from Crunch. A bulky ghost type like Confag wouldn't be a bad teammate either. It can effectively switch in on priority moves that would wreck Sharpedo (mach punch and fake out) since it's immune, then proceed to cripple physical attackers with Will-o-Wisp.
What Counters it: Alomomola shrugs off the damage taken from Hydro Pump and Ice beam and there's a 0.5% chance to 3HKO with Crunch after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery. Pokemon with strong priority moves (Ambipom and Hitmontop) can be problematic for Sharpedo since it's really frail and also because this set lacks its own priority move. Aromatisse is also a problem because it's really bulky, it can come in eat a Hydro Pump and OHKO with an uninvested MoonBlast. Poliwrath resist every attacking move on this moveset and it can set up on Sharpedo unhindered. Seismitoad and Barbaracle are also notable checks (and bulky waters in general).
Yanmega @ Life Orb
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Protect
- Bug Buzz
- Air Slash
- Giga Drain / Hidden Power Fire
Role: Late-game Cleaner, Special Sweeper
What It Does: Thanks to Speed Boost and a good Special Attack stat further strengthened with Life Orb, Yanmega makes a great late-game sweeper that has copious amounts of both speed and power. Unlike other late-game cleaners, Yanmega is rarely hindered by the opponent's Scarfed Pokemon due to its accumulation of Speed boosts, easily brushing past Pokemon like Emboar and Rotom-C. Protect is instrumental, allowing Yanmega to grab an initial boost against faster opponents, as well as easily letting it run a Modest nature without fear of being outsped. Bug Buzz and Air Slash are Yanmega's best STABs, and together have decent enough coverage that Yanmega is not hindered by weaker, unSTABbed coverage options. In the final slot, Giga Drain is the attack of choice, hitting Pokemon like Rhyperior, Gastrodon, and Alomomola that could be difficult to get past, as well as giving a helpful HP boost to offset the effect of Life Orb.
Good Teammates: A Pokemon to remove Stealth Rock is necessary, greatly improving Yanmega's chances of safely switching in and pulling off a sweep, as well as letting it take more Life Orb recoil. Hitmonlee and Kabutops are generally the best options, as they are both very threatening to the special walls that Yanmega needs weakened, and are also good at wearing down the opponent's team with powerful attacks. A reliable hazard setter such as Cobalion or Rhyperior is also a good teammate to have, as well as Spikes-stackers such as Froslass or Qwilfish, as both hazards severely wear down the opponent's Pokemon, particularly bulkier ones like Druddigon, Escavalier, and Moltres that can take one of Yanmega's attacks and retaliate. Dugtrio can eliminate or weaken several key counters to Yanmega, such as Registeel, and Moltres does a good job taking on both the aforementioned Registeel and Doublade, two Steel-types that Yanmega has no hope of getting past.
What Counters It: Bulky Steel-types like Registeel, Escavalier, and Doublade are Yanmega's worst nightmare, as all of them will almost always win a 1-on-1 matchup against Yanmega provided they're reasonably healthy. Most walls or tanks, most notably defensive or bulky variants of Moltres, will be a roadblock to a successful sweep, and must be weakened or eliminated before Yanmega can sweep safely. Other than those specific Pokemon, anything with a moderately powerful attack and the ability to safely take on at least one of Yanmega's attacks (particularly special attackers like Assault Vest Meloetta) can severely damage and sometimes outright KO Yanmega, seeing as it's not very bulky, and these Pokemon must also be weakened before a sweep. Finally, paralysis absolutely ruins Yanmega, so it needs to tread carefully around Pokemon like Druddigon that may carry a paralysis-inducing move.
Any Additional Info: If you didn't get it already from this being literally 2/3 of the above entry, do not expect Yanmega to sweep with stuff like Registeel around.
NOW YOU LOSE (Fletchinder)
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 216 HP / 252 Atk / 40 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Acrobatics
- Will-O-Wisp
- Roost
Role: Physical Sweeper, Revenge Killer, Late Game Cleaner
What It Does: Just like its evolution Talonflame in OU, Fletchinder's saving grace is its access to priority Flying-type moves, and while it doesn't have access to Brave Bird like its evolution, Acrobatics is still more than enough to make Fletchinder a solid revenge killer and physical sweeper in the RU metagame. Although Fletchinder might look too frail and Stealth Rock weak to set up at first, it actually gets plenty of changes to do so in the hands of a good player thanks to its typing, Will-O-Wisp and priority recovery, which lets it switch in on things such as Escavalier, Cobalion lacking Stone Edge, Aromatisse, and Sceptile, as well as priority Acrobatic's ability to force switches, meaning it can actually get a boost and sweep more often than not. Lastly Fletchinder's unique access to Will-O-Wisp among Flying-types allows it to cripple common resistances to Flying-type moves such as Rhyperior, not just lowering their attack, but doing chip damage over the course of the match until they end up in KO range and Fletchinder can sweep.
Good Teammates: As a Fire/Flying type that's 4x weak to Stealth Rock, a Pokemon that can clear entry hazards is heavily suggested when using Fletchinder. Luckily, both of the good offensive spinners (Hitmonlee and Kabutops) and the best offensive Defog User (Shiftry) synergize pretty well with Fletchinder. For example, outside of simply spinning Hitmonlee's extremely powerful High Jump Kick lets it OHKO the Rock/Steel-types that get in Fletch's way, and generally break through bulky things that Fletchinder couldn't hope to great through. Kabutops really appreciates Fletchinder's ability to threaten various Fighting- and Grass-types that give it trouble. While Shiftry is capable of OHKOing Rhyperior, taking Volt Switches from things such as Heliolisk and Jolteon from Fletchinder, and also appreciates Fletchinder's ability to check things like Hitmonlee and Virizion just like Kabutops. Outside of simply clearing hazards, Fletchinder really appreciates Pokemon that can take advantage of the Rock- and Steel-types that can take its Acrobatics, such as Rhyperior. Virizion works really well here, using its great dual STAB combination and good resistances to force out/take advantage of both kinds of Pokemon, especially if they get crippled by Will-O-Wisp, not to mention Kabutops/Fletchinder/Virizion has the potential to form a pretty neat FWG. Lastly, like really any other sweeper but especially in Fletchinder's case, spikes support is really great, they really help wear the aforementioned Rock- and Steel-types, which are almost always grounded, and generally helps +2 Fletchinder get KOs against bulkier opponents that might usually just barely survive otherwise, making it that much easier to just cleave through a team.
What Counters It: As mentioned multiple times before, Rock- and Steel-types are your best bet at stopping Fletchinder most of the time, they can take repeated Acrobatics, usually threaten Fletchinder in return, and in a lot of cases even set up Stealth Rock to pressure bird even further, although you have to be pretty wary of Will-O-Wisp chip damage racking up over the course of the game. Good examples of Pokemon that fall into this category include Rhyperior, Registeel, Magneton, Kabutops, and Doublade to an extent. Outside of these, Electric-types such as Heliolisk, Jolteon, and Lanturn are also solid at checking Fletchinder on offense, but are significantly easier to wear down into KO range thanks to their poor defenses, which means anyone relying on them to beat fletch has to be pretty careful. Alomomola doesn't resist flying-type moves, but its more than bulky enough to take some +2 Acrobatics and attempt to Toxic Stall fletchinder. If all else fails, if you see Fletch on the opposing team, just try and set up Stealth Rock as quickly as possible and try as hard as you can to keep it up, they might not be the end all be all but they really help limit just how much damage Fletchinder can take/stop it from setting up as easily.
Any Additional Info: Don told, you didnt listen, NOW YOU LOSE
Delphox @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Psyshock
- Grass Knot
- Switcheroo
What It Does: Strong STABs, good speed, and high power make Delphox a formidable revenge killer. It can now outspeed opponents that it could not before, such as Virizion, Cobalion, Heliolisk, and Sceptile, before laying waste to them with powerful attacks. It even boasts enough speed to outrun Unburden Slurpuff, and also outpaces other Scarfers such as Emboar and Braviary. One of the most appealing aspects of Scarf Delphox is that it knows Switcheroo, and still has good Speed without Scarf. Switcheroo allows Delphox to ditch the Scarf should the ability to switch moves prove more crucial than the extra Speed, or if it simply wants to cripple the foe.
Good Teammates: Grass-type teammates are much appreciated to take care of bulky Water-types that prevent Delphox from locking herself into its Fire STAB easily, while Fighting-type partners cover Dark-types that stop Delphox's Psychic STAB. A hazard remover is greatly appreciated since Delphox often switches in and out. Kabutops can use Rapid Spin and lures out Grass-types for Delphox to roast, Hitmonlee can Rapid Spin and beats up Dark-types, while Shiftry has decent defensive synergy with Delphox and knows Defog; they can also help punch holes into the opponent with their high offensive stats.
What Counters It: Stealth Rock keeps Delphox from switching in and out too freely, while Pursuit can easily finish off a Delphox locked into an undesirable attack. Priority such as Aqua Jet, Sucker Punch, and Shadow Sneak also causes Delphox maor issues, especially considering its weak Defense, while paralysis pretty much cripples it. Since this Delphox variant is the only variant that doesn't boost its stats, it is much easier to switch into its attacks, though defensive responses should be wary of Switcheroo.
Any Additional Info: Flamethrower can be used for accuracy, while Shadow Ball allows Delphox to revenge other Delphoxes.
Braviary @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Nature: Jolly / Adamant
- Brave Bird
- Super Power
- Return
- U-turn
What it Does: Choice Scarf Braviary is a threat that a fair amount of people slept on in BW, but XY made it that much better. With the buff to Defog, Braviary becomes one of the best anti-Defog Pokemon in RU. Why is this? Because, even if Defog doesn't come up in a battle, Braviary is fully capable of pulling its weight. With great power, above average bulk, and solid Speed, Braviary makes for a reliable revenge killer and late-game cleaner. Brave Bird is Braviary's strongest move and will almost always take out any offensive-inclined Pokemon that lacks a resistance. Super Power allows Braviary to deal some serious damage to Rock- and Steel-types such as Rhyperior, Registeel, and Bronzong. Return is a safer STAB option that allows Braviary to revenge kill targets reliably when the power of Brave Bird just isn't necessary. U-turn finishes the set by giving Braviary a scouting move to build momentum with and lure out checks and counters. The EV spread is simple for a physical Choice Scarf user. Jolly is the primary nature of choice to outspeed as many things as possible, but Adamant can allow Braviary to clean up sooner.
Good Teammates: VoltTurn teams couldn't dream of a better Choice Scarf user since it deters Defog to remove the hazard such teams rely on and it has great synergy with most members. Electric-types such as Heliolisk, Rotom-C, and Eelektross can handle most of what Braviary struggles with. Heliolisk in particular can take a dump on Rhyperior and Registeel (it will need Focus Blast for the latter, though) while having great natural Speed to revenge kill some of the slower offensive threats in the tier. Since Braviary's checks and counters largely consist of Rock- and Steel-types, using Dugtrio to trap and remove these threats off of a well-timed U-turn is a good option. Rapid Spin and Defog support is nice as Braviary isn't a fan of Stealth Rock at all. Kabutops shares good synergy with Braviary, sans the shared Electric weakness, while Shiftry is one of the better Defog users to use on offensive teams Braviary should be used on.
What Counters It: Rhyperior, Registeel, and Bronzong are all a pain in the ass thanks to their bulk and resistance to Braviary's STAB moves. Faster Choice Scarf users such as Rotom-C and Heliolisk can't switch-in on Braviary, but they are more than capable of revenge killing the eagle. Stealth Rock can quickly shorten Braviary's lifespan, especially in conjunction with Brave Bird recoil, so anything that sets it up can indirectly check Braviary. This would include Cobalion, Druddigon, as well as the best defensive answers to Braviary in Rhyperior, Registeel, and Bronzong. Cofagrigus can tank a hit, remove Defiant with Mummy, and cripple Braviary with Will-O-Wisp to render the eagle useless the rest of the match.
Any Additional Info: To elaborate on the Jolly vs. Adamant deal, Jolly allows Braviary to stay in front of as many things as possible to be a more reliable revenge killer while Adamant provides a power boost to allow Braviary to clean up teams with less prior damage necessary. Braviary can do both with either nature, but it will favor revenge killing with Jolly and it will be better at late-game cleaning with Adamant.
Dugtrio @ Life Orb / Choice Band
Ability: Arena Trap
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Memento / Shadow Claw
- Sucker Punch
What it does: Dugtrio's job is straight-forward and very simple. Come in after something dies, or after you gain momentum using u-turn/volt switch against the opponent as they switched out, trap the opponent's Pokemon and kill it with the appropriate move. It's a bit weak, but it's very reliable at its job and can trap and kill whatever you want (and whatever that doesn't have levitate or flying/ghost type), provided they're in KO range for any of its moves. Memento is also a very useful utility move to have, weakening the opponent's attacking stats to give one of your Pokemon an opportunity to safely set-up for free. Dugtrio is very good at getting rid of top-tier threats such as Cobalion, Delphox and Drapion.
Good Teammates: Whichever likes Cobalion, Delphox, or steel types in general gone likes to be Dugtrio's teammate. This includes Pokemon like Choice Band Druddigon, Shiftry and Delphox who like Cobalion out of the game. Ghost-types and Psychic-types like Jellicent and Slowking respectively like having Drapion and Skuntank out too, so Dugtrio makes a good teammate. Pokemon who have Volt Switch or U-turn also make good partners, to safely get in Dugtrio and get rid of the opponent's Pokemon. Whimsicott lures in Cobalion and Delphox and has access to U-turn for Dugtrio to have a field day.
What Counters It: Dugtrio by definition can't be countered thanks to its ability, Arena Trap. But because it's relatively weak and can't tank a single hit, anything that is faster or can take a hit and hit back can easily get rid of Dugtrio. Pokemon with Levitate, flying-, or ghost-type can't be trapped by its ability, so that can be helpful too. It's also weak to priority. Sucker Punchers like Shiftry, Zoroark, or Life Orb/Choice Band Druddigon can easily kill it.
Any Additional Info: A set with Focus Sash and Reversal over Memento works, but it's too weak, and even with Reversal it can't kill Cobalion in 1 shot.
NOW YOU LOSE (Fletchinder)
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 216 HP / 252 Atk / 40 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Acrobatics
- Will-O-Wisp
- Roost
Role: Physical Sweeper, Revenge Killer, Late Game Cleaner
What It Does: Just like its evolution Talonflame in OU, Fletchinder's saving grace is its access to priority Flying-type moves, and while it doesn't have access to Brave Bird like its evolution, Acrobatics is still more than enough to make Fletchinder a solid revenge killer and physical sweeper in the RU metagame. Although Fletchinder might look too frail and Stealth Rock weak to set up at first, it actually gets plenty of changes to do so in the hands of a good player thanks to its typing, Will-O-Wisp and priority recovery, which lets it switch in on things such as Escavalier, Cobalion lacking Stone Edge, Aromatisse, and Sceptile, as well as priority Acrobatic's ability to force switches, meaning it can actually get a boost and sweep more often than not. Lastly Fletchinder's unique access to Will-O-Wisp among Flying-types allows it to cripple common resistances to Flying-type moves such as Rhyperior, not just lowering their attack, but doing chip damage over the course of the match until they end up in KO range and Fletchinder can sweep.
Good Teammates: As a Fire/Flying type that's 4x weak to Stealth Rock, a Pokemon that can clear entry hazards is heavily suggested when using Fletchinder. Luckily, both of the good offensive spinners (Hitmonlee and Kabutops) and the best offensive Defog User (Shiftry) synergize pretty well with Fletchinder. For example, outside of simply spinning Hitmonlee's extremely powerful High Jump Kick lets it OHKO the Rock/Steel-types that get in Fletch's way, and generally break through bulky things that Fletchinder couldn't hope to great through. Kabutops really appreciates Fletchinder's ability to threaten various Fighting- and Grass-types that give it trouble. While Shiftry is capable of OHKOing Rhyperior, taking Volt Switches from things such as Heliolisk and Jolteon from Fletchinder, and also appreciates Fletchinder's ability to check things like Hitmonlee and Virizion just like Kabutops. Outside of simply clearing hazards, Fletchinder really appreciates Pokemon that can take advantage of the Rock- and Steel-types that can take its Acrobatics, such as Rhyperior. Virizion works really well here, using its great dual STAB combination and good resistances to force out/take advantage of both kinds of Pokemon, especially if they get crippled by Will-O-Wisp, not to mention Kabutops/Fletchinder/Virizion has the potential to form a pretty neat FWG. Lastly, like really any other sweeper but especially in Fletchinder's case, spikes support is really great, they really help wear the aforementioned Rock- and Steel-types, which are almost always grounded, and generally helps +2 Fletchinder get KOs against bulkier opponents that might usually just barely survive otherwise, making it that much easier to just cleave through a team.
What Counters It: As mentioned multiple times before, Rock- and Steel-types are your best bet at stopping Fletchinder most of the time, they can take repeated Acrobatics, usually threaten Fletchinder in return, and in a lot of cases even set up Stealth Rock to pressure bird even further, although you have to be pretty wary of Will-O-Wisp chip damage racking up over the course of the game. Good examples of Pokemon that fall into this category include Rhyperior, Registeel, Magneton, Kabutops, and Doublade to an extent. Outside of these, Electric-types such as Heliolisk, Jolteon, and Lanturn are also solid at checking Fletchinder on offense, but are significantly easier to wear down into KO range thanks to their poor defenses, which means anyone relying on them to beat fletch has to be pretty careful. Alomomola doesn't resist flying-type moves, but its more than bulky enough to take some +2 Acrobatics and attempt to Toxic Stall fletchinder. If all else fails, if you see Fletch on the opposing team, just try and set up Stealth Rock as quickly as possible and try as hard as you can to keep it up, they might not be the end all be all but they really help limit just how much damage Fletchinder can take/stop it from setting up as easily.
Any Additional Info: Don told, you didnt listen, NOW YOU LOSE
Amoonguss @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 140 Def / 116 SDef
Bold Nature
- Spore
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Foul Play / Stun Spore
What It Does: It switches into almost all grass and water types in the tier without a coff.
Its good defensive stats and its amazing ability make him an awesome pivot. Spore is one of the best moves in the game and it is very difficult to stop as any pokemon immune to hit can't do much back to Amoonguss and it creates a lot of momentum and setup opportunities. Dual stabs have relatively good coverage hitting the pokemon Amoonguss walls hard and Sludge Bomb is especially useful for hitting the grass types immune to spore. Foul Play is the preferred option in the last slot as it hits Escavalier (who commonly switches in on any move) harder than any move in the mushroom's arsenal (even than HP Fire) scoring a guaranteed 3HKO after rocks. It also OHKOes Mega Banette and is the strongest move against a variety of Physical attackers like Braviary, Druddigon and Gallade. EV Spread lets amonguss take EarthQuakes from Rhyperior and Iron Heads from Cobalion a lot better as investing a lot in special bulk is not that useful as Amoonguss has great resistances there.
Good Teammates: Alomomola is a great partner in stall teams as it deals with the Physical Attackers troubling Amoonguss (Namely Emboar, CB Druddigon and Braviary). AV Slowking forms a great regenerator core with Amoonguss for balanced team taking on Ice and Fire types easily and hitting back hard. Other pokemon weak to grass and Water types like Rhyperior also appreciate Amoonguss support. Cobalion and Emboar are great partners too as they nicely check Escavalier.
What Counters It: Spore makes Amoonguss hard to deal with but Sleep Talk Emboar can switch into Spore and demolish it if it sleep talks a Fire move, Choice Band Escavalier is immune to spore and, if Speed invested, it can OHKO Amoonguss if it has taken a bit of prior damage. If Sleep Clause is already active Moltres, Exploud, Braviary and most steel types can switch in and wall Amoonguss or OHKO it with a STAB or Coverage move.
Any Additional Info: A fully specially or physically defensive spread can be used in stall teams to better deal with offensive Water and Fighting types respectively. With those sets Clear Smog is recommended in the last slot providing "haze" support for the team. Rocky Helmet can be used over Leftovers to punish Knock Off users and physical attackers in general and Life Orb is usable with a 240 HP / 16 Def / 252 SpA spread and a Modest nature to still retain decent bulk and lets Amoonguss act as a proper bulky attacker.
Slowking @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 216 SAtk / 44 SDef
Nature: Modest
- Scald
- Psyshock
- Fire Blast
- Dragon Tail
What it Does: Assault Vest Slowking can best be described as a glue Pokemon for teams in need of power, but needing the ability to reliably handle the likes of Delphox and Moltres. Thanks to Regenerator, Slowking can easily run Assault Vest to soak up virtually any special attack that isn't a STAB super effective one. Even if the target you're trying to switch into predicts with a super effective move, Slowking can just switch back out to the appropriate response and regain 33% of its max HP. Scald is a cool move on AV Slowking as the 30% burn chance can make it incredibly annoying to take down. Psyshock is used over Psychic as most Fighting-types, especially Gallade, have lower Defense than Special Defense. Plus, you're already smashing Rhyperior and Gligar with Scald anyway. Fire Blast is nice to beat up on shit like Cobalion, Registeel, Escavalier, and Bronzong. Dragon Tail finishes off the set and can be used to rack up entry hazard damage early on. This is particularly useful as Slowking's typing deters about every Spinner from coming in naturally while most Defog users are SR weak. EV spread rounds down passive damage and hits the final boost point provided by nature. The rest is put in Special Defense to amplify the effects of Assault Vest a little more. Modest is a no-brainer for the nature so Slowking can hit hard enough.
Good Teammates: Slowking fits well with many defensive and offensive Pokemon alike. Defensively, Rhyperior, Registeel, Amoonguss, and Tangrowth all gel well with Slowking. Good offensive partners include Virizion, Emboar, Cobalion, and Moltres. As AV Slowking runs Dragon Tail, Spikes support can really amplify the shuffling ability Slowking has. Froslass is a go-to Spikes setter for offensive-minded teams while teams looking for a bulkier Spikes user can utilize Roselia. Slowking absolutely hates Knock Off, so anything that can deal with it is appreciated. Cobalion and Virizion both have Justified to actually benefit from it while Tangrowth and Amoonguss have Regenerator to make up for the lack of Leftovers if need be.
What Counters It: Durant sucks.... a ton. Although it has difficulty coming in directly on Slowking, the steel ant can easily come in after a KO or through Dragon Tail phazing and immediately threaten Slowking with its powerful X-Scissor. Assault Vest Tangrowth running Power Whip will seriously dent, if not OHKO, Slowking as it lacks physical defense investment like most variants of its defensive set. If Druddigon carries one of Thunder Punch, Sucker Punch, or the lesser seen Crunch, it is going to beat Slowking handily, especially if these attacks are boosted by Sheer Force. Fighting-types such as Gallade and Hitmonlee can inflict serious amounts of damage with Knock Off, but will generally need Slowking worn down a little bit to ensure the KO so they don't get drilled with Psyshock after their attack. Any user of Toxic or Toxic Spikes can really hamper Slowking. Although most users of these moves can't beat Slowking one-on-one, this will keep Slowking from staying in for very long. Bronzong, Registeel, Alomomola, and opposing defensive Slowking are all capable of running Toxic while Drapion, Roselia, and Cofagrigus can all utilize Toxic Spikes.
Any Additional Info: If phazing isn't your cup of tea, there are a couple of coverage moves to consider on Assault Vest Slowking. Ice Beam seems redundant with Fire Blast, but it is able to deal serious damage to the likes of Druddigon and Sigilyph. Grass Knot trips up opposing Slowking for decent damage while also offering up something to hit Seismitoad, Jellicent, and Gastrodon with harder. Remember, just because Slowking is running all attack moves doesn't mean it's a wallbreaker. It is likely going to be a key to keeping your team together and being super resilient against most special attackers due to its typing, ability, and incredible special bulk with the AV boost.
Cobalion @ Leftovers
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SAtk / 252 Spe
Nature: Naive
- Stealth Rock
- Iron Head
- Close Combat
- Volt Switch
What it Does: With a great base 108 Speed and high base 129 Defense, Cobalion makes for a fast, yet durable user of Stealth Rock. This is a great Rocks user for offensive-minded teams as Cobalion is capable of dealing some quick damage after it has set up Stealth Rock. Iron Head is the primary STAB move due to its reliability and lack of defensive drops. Close Combat provides Cobaion with some extra power to dent the likes of Rhyperior and Registeel should the need arise. Volt Switch is a really odd move for a Pokemon of Cobalion's typing, but considering most Electric-immune Pokemon won't be willing to come in, it allows Cobalion to build momentum reliably. The EV spread simply maximizes Cobalion's damage output while not nerfing the power of Volt Switch, since it can do a decent amount of damage to the likes of Moltres. Leftovers is the item of choice so Cobalion can take some extra hits and its first job is to keep Stealth Rock on the field.
Good Teammates: Froslass is a solid partner to form a hazard-setting core with Cobalion and neither is really easy to setup on. Pokemon like Sharpedo, Delphox, Moltres, and Heliolisk that can otherwise struggle to find many switch-in opportunities appreciate Cobalion's Volt Switch to give them extra chances to wreak havoc. Most Ghost- and Psychic-types such as Reuniclus, Cofagrigus, and the aforementioned Delphox appreciate Cobalion's ability to absorb Knock Off for them.
What Counters It: Golbat is probably the easiest way to keep this Cobalion from doing much since it has the bulk to tank Iron Head all day, doesn't take a ton from Volt Switch, and has Defog to get rid of the Stealth Rock that Cobalion sets. Moltres isn't too fond of Volt Switch, but it resists Cobalion's STAB combination and wrecks it with Fire Blast. Gligar is another annoying Defog user that simply doesn't care about anything Cobalion tries to do to it. Cresselia and Reuniclus can easily handle Cobalion's unboosted Iron Heads and begin setting up for a potential sweep.
Additional Info: Lum Berry is an option to get a free pass on status ailments. Life Orb can juice up Cobalion's attacks, but generally isn't worth it to give up the decent bulk. If Volt Switch isn't doing much for you, Taunt is an option to prevent slower hazard users from doing much of anything. Switch to a Jolly nature and allocate Special Attack EVs to Defense in this case. If Close Combat's defense drops are a turn off, you could try Sacred Sword. Power drop sucks though.
Alomomola @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 104 HP / 252 Def / 152 SDef
Impish / Bold Nature
- Wish
- Protect
- Toxic
- Waterfall / Scald
What It Does: Alomomola is pretty much the best Wishpasser in RU imo and i honestly would never make any kind of stall team without it tbh. Alomomola's Wishes are the absolute largest in the game outside of Chansey/Blissey's Wishes, which means that even without full hp investment Alomomola can still heal up its teammates for about 250 HP per wishpass, a pretty impressive number. What's more? Alomomola's Regenerator ability means that it can spend less time using its wishes to heal itself and more time on healing up its teammates, making it that much more efficient as a wishpasser. Alomomola isn't only useful for passing wishes though, its great all around bulk with the proper ev spread along with its excellent ability in Regenerator makes it an EXCELLENT defensive Pokemon in and of itself. Alomomola is capable of pivoting into pretty much any physical attack in the tier, and can simply switch out and recover a third of its hp with Regenerator whenever things get rough, making it exceptionally durable. In general, the given Alomomola spread is almost impossible to OHKO in general without a STAB Electric or Grass-Type move. Waterfall lets Alomomola do a bit more damage if needed (not much more though lol), while Scald is MUCH weaker, but gives a nifty burn rate, a lot of people actually prefer Scald due to the fact that Alomomola's main method of doing damage is usually Toxic anyway.
Good Teammates: To start off, most bulky Pokemon that can take on Electric- and Grass-types such as Heliolisk, Virizion, and Sceptile make good cores with Alomomola. In particular, Grass/Poisons such as Amoonguss and Roselia work especially well. Amoonguss makes a very solid Regenerator core with Alomomola, taking on pretty much any Grass- or Electric-type currently common in the tier for Alomomola, while Alomomola takes annoying things such as Emboar and Braviary for Amoonguss in return, since both Pokemon have Regenerator, they can simply restore hp by switchspamming. Roselia exchanges some bulk and access to Regenerator for access to Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and Aromatherapy, making it a better teammate on teams leaning more towards full stall, who might appreciate these moves quite a bit. Roselia's low base HP means Alomomola's Wish pretty much fully heals it too. Druddigon and Escavalier can also take on annoying Grass- and Electric-types (along with just special attackers in general) for Alomomola, but provide a bit more offensive presence than the previously mentioned Grass/Poisons. Both Pokemon really appreciate Alomomola's Wish support too, as they have no method of recovery of their own. Lastly, Dragalge is in a similar boat to Roselia, resisting both Electric- and Grass-type moves while having decent special bulk to cover Alomomola in general, REALLY appreciates mola's wish support, and has access to important moves such as Toxic Spikes, Dragon Tail, and Haze to function effectively on full stall, a playstyle that imo should be using Alomomola more often than not. In general, pretty much every defensive Pokemon that can't recover on its own appreciates Alomomola's Wish support at the very least, even if they don't have excellent synergy otherwise.
What Counters It: Unless you do something like double switch a faster Taunt user into Alomomola, there isn't really anything you can do to stop it from at least trying to pass a wish, however, there are plenty of Pokemon that can either outright kill or take advantage of mom fish. For example, while Amoonguss and Roselia are good teammates for Alomomola, they're also some of mola's worst enemies, essentially switching in for free, and either threatening a Giga Drain or using Alomomola as Spikes Fodder. Dragalge and Drapion are in a similar boat, switching in pretty much for free and using Alomomola as Toxic Spikes fodder. Alomomola can't touch Calm Mind Reuniclus at all, becoming complete and utter set up bait for the cell until it's strong enough to finally kill off Alomomola and possibly the rest of the team. Sceptile is annoyed by the residual damage from Toxic, but can pretty much come in for free otherwise and OHKO mola with a Leaf Storm without a second though. meanwhile, Lum SD Virizion essentially gets a free Swords Dance up vs Alomomola bar repeated Scald Burns.
Any Additional Info: The EV spread used in the set actually barely detracts from Alomomola's physical bulk at all, with most physical attacks only doing like 3% more, meanwhile Alomomola's special bulk increases significantly with this EV spread, taking anywhere between 10% and 20% less from the average special attak, definitely worth it imo.
Slowking @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 216 SAtk / 44 SDef
Nature: Modest
- Scald
- Psyshock
- Fire Blast
- Dragon Tail
What it Does: Assault Vest Slowking can best be described as a glue Pokemon for teams in need of power, but needing the ability to reliably handle the likes of Delphox and Moltres. Thanks to Regenerator, Slowking can easily run Assault Vest to soak up virtually any special attack that isn't a STAB super effective one. Even if the target you're trying to switch into predicts with a super effective move, Slowking can just switch back out to the appropriate response and regain 33% of its max HP. Scald is a cool move on AV Slowking as the 30% burn chance can make it incredibly annoying to take down. Psyshock is used over Psychic as most Fighting-types, especially Gallade, have lower Defense than Special Defense. Plus, you're already smashing Rhyperior and Gligar with Scald anyway. Fire Blast is nice to beat up on shit like Cobalion, Registeel, Escavalier, and Bronzong. Dragon Tail finishes off the set and can be used to rack up entry hazard damage early on. This is particularly useful as Slowking's typing deters about every Spinner from coming in naturally while most Defog users are SR weak. EV spread rounds down passive damage and hits the final boost point provided by nature. The rest is put in Special Defense to amplify the effects of Assault Vest a little more. Modest is a no-brainer for the nature so Slowking can hit hard enough.
Good Teammates: Slowking fits well with many defensive and offensive Pokemon alike. Defensively, Rhyperior, Registeel, Amoonguss, and Tangrowth all gel well with Slowking. Good offensive partners include Virizion, Emboar, Cobalion, and Moltres. As AV Slowking runs Dragon Tail, Spikes support can really amplify the shuffling ability Slowking has. Froslass is a go-to Spikes setter for offensive-minded teams while teams looking for a bulkier Spikes user can utilize Roselia. Slowking absolutely hates Knock Off, so anything that can deal with it is appreciated. Cobalion and Virizion both have Justified to actually benefit from it while Tangrowth and Amoonguss have Regenerator to make up for the lack of Leftovers if need be.
What Counters It: Durant sucks.... a ton. Although it has difficulty coming in directly on Slowking, the steel ant can easily come in after a KO or through Dragon Tail phazing and immediately threaten Slowking with its powerful X-Scissor. Assault Vest Tangrowth running Power Whip will seriously dent, if not OHKO, Slowking as it lacks physical defense investment like most variants of its defensive set. If Druddigon carries one of Thunder Punch, Sucker Punch, or the lesser seen Crunch, it is going to beat Slowking handily, especially if these attacks are boosted by Sheer Force. Fighting-types such as Gallade and Hitmonlee can inflict serious amounts of damage with Knock Off, but will generally need Slowking worn down a little bit to ensure the KO so they don't get drilled with Psyshock after their attack. Any user of Toxic or Toxic Spikes can really hamper Slowking. Although most users of these moves can't beat Slowking one-on-one, this will keep Slowking from staying in for very long. Bronzong, Registeel, Alomomola, and opposing defensive Slowking are all capable of running Toxic while Drapion, Roselia, and Cofagrigus can all utilize Toxic Spikes.
Any Additional Info: If phazing isn't your cup of tea, there are a couple of coverage moves to consider on Assault Vest Slowking. Ice Beam seems redundant with Fire Blast, but it is able to deal serious damage to the likes of Druddigon and Sigilyph. Grass Knot trips up opposing Slowking for decent damage while also offering up something to hit Seismitoad, Jellicent, and Gastrodon with harder. Remember, just because Slowking is running all attack moves doesn't mean it's a wallbreaker. It is likely going to be a key to keeping your team together and being super resilient against most special attackers due to its typing, ability, and incredible special bulk with the AV boost.
Meloetta @ Assault Vest
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SAtk / 4 Spe
Modest Nature
- U-turn
- Hyper Voice
- Psyshock / Psychic
- Focus Blast / Shadow Ball
What it does: Meloetta-A has a really high Special defense Stat and nice Special Attack as well, both are 128. This set aims to make those two points even better, with Assault Vest boosting that Special defense even higher (With this spread is about as bulky as Amoonguss on the special side without AV factored in). It tanks hits like Specsploud's Boomburst and Specs Delphox Fire Blast with easy. Hyper Voice is obvious and probably best STAB Move (Unless GF decides to give her Boomburst o3o). The choice between psyshock and Psychic is personal preference, Psychic has more Base Power, however Psyshock maims Special Walls. I feel like Psychic is overall more usefull since Special walls usually don't give much shit about Psyshock but meh. The last slot depend son your teams needs really. Focus Blast can be used to decimate Steels, however Shadow Ball has more neutral coverage and hits Bronzong SE.
Good Teammates: While Meloetta has juice Special Defense, her Defense is a bit disappointing, so carrying a strong Physical Wall is adviced, especially something that can take Dark moves. Also repeated assaults can take Meloetta out so Wish support is usefull, but not necessary. Lastly something that can take on strong Special walls like Cresselia is appreciated. Pokemon that learns Volt Switch/Uturn also work well with Meloetta, forming a VolTurn core which is cool.
What counters it: Like stated above, bulky Psychics like Uxie, Cresselia and, if you opt for Shadow Ball, Steel types become a problem. It is also weak to Sucker Punch and Pursuit due to being a Psychic type. Scarfed Physical attackers like Hitmonlee and Braviary dont give a fuck about her Special bulk so be sure to watch out for them as well. Also being grounded limits her switchins somewhat since this Meloetta set doesnt have a usebale draining move.
Any Additional info: I guess you can opt to replace U-turn for some other move like Grass Knot or Shadow Ball if you really think you do not need it but U-turn is definitely advised.
Rhyperior @ Leftovers
Ability: Solid Rock
EVs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 244 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Rock Blast / Stone Edge
- Roar
What It Does:
Rhyperior is an amazing tank. It takes on almost all Flying and Fire types in the tier and sets up rock to punish them every time they switch in. It has amazing Attack and Defense even uninvested and thanks to Solid Rock and that meaty HP stats it takes non Water or Grass Special Hits surprisingly well. That awesome attack and coverage with STAB moves alone makes switching into it really difficult without a dedicated Physical Wall. Roar>Dragon Tail mostly because SubCM Cresselia is a major pain for a lot of teams and not many Taunt users can freely do that against Rhyperior (think Drapion, Cobalion and Skuntank) making Dragon Tail inferior. Not to mention the 100% accuracy.
Rhyperior can take ridicolously strong physical hits (like Jolly LO Reckless HJK from Hitmonlee). Without Raikou in the tier and with Heliolisk and Rotom Mow gaining popularity it is not that effective in checking Electric types but this is still a super reliable Stealth Rock setter for Balanced and even offensive teams.
Good Teammates: Grass types such as Amoonguss and Tangrowth are good partners as they are able to take the Grass and Water hits that scare Rhyperior and appreciating its ability to deal with problematic Fire and Flying types. Slowking is another good choice as it deals with most Water and Fighting types really well and Alomomola is great for its big wishes that help keeping Rhyperior healty. Also any sweeper appreciates Stealth Rock support so they are decent partners.
What Counters It: Grass types like Tangrowth and Virizion can switch into any move and force Rhyperior out. Bulky water types are also good switch ins but they don't like repeated Earthquakes (the exception being Alomomola). Most strong Fighting types (like Hitmonlee and Gallade) and pokemon carrying a strong super effective coverage move (like Energy Ball or Focus Blast Meloetta or Surf Heliolisk) can OHKO Rhyperior with a bit of prior damage so they are good checks.
Any Additional Info: More attack investment can be used to take out specific threats but it is more often than not a bad idea if you rely a lot on Rhyperior to check special Fire Types. Megahorn and Fire punch are usable over Roar to hit Tangrowth, Cresselia and Escavalier harder but using teammates is generally the best idea.
Cofagrigus @ Leftovers
Ability: Mummy
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Spd
- Trick Room
- Hidden Power Fighting
- Nasty Plot
- Shadow Ball
What it does: Cofagrigus has great defensive stats and can absorb hits thanks to its huge 145/105 base defenses. Allowing him enough time to boost it's respectable base 95 special attack stat with Nasty Plot and set up Trick Room. Shadow Ball has near perfect coverage and hits almost everything for neutral damage, as it is only resisted by dark types. Of course normal types are immune to ghost but that's what Hidden Power Fighting is there for. Essentially giving Cofagrigus perfect coverage. Thanks to its woeful speed nothing late game should out-speed him and if it does it can likely absorb the hit and KO with a +2 Shadow Ball. So if you've effectively removed Cofagrigus's checks and counters it should sweep unhindered. Leftovers over life orb to increase its longevity and the passive recovery is pretty useful as well.
Good Teammates: Pokemon that can effectively clear out Cofagrigus's checks and counters to ensure it's sweep goes unhampered. Escavalier for one is a great partner, it effectively checks Cofagrigus's biggest counter Assault Vest Meloetta. And because of its pitiful speed Escavalier is also greatly benefited by Cofagrigu's Trick Room support. Other notable offensive partners include Hitmonlee, Emboar, and Yanmega, who can all clear out most of Cofagrigus's checks. Teammates that can cure Cofagrigus of status ailments, tank dark attacks and heal it are definitely helpful. Wish pass Aromatisse fits that role perfectly. A hazard cleaner wouldn't be a bad partner either since residual damage hurts Confagrigus because of its lack of recovery options.
Counters: Meloetta is probably Cofagrigus's best counter, it is immune to Shadow Ball and takes minimal damage from HP Fighting. Keeping Cofagrigus in on Meloetta just gives it free turns to set-up because Cofagrigus can basically do nothing to stop it. Other counters are of course dark types like Skuntank and Drapion (which are probably the biggest). Zoroark is a decent check as well biggest it can take a Shadow Ball and hit hard.
Any Additional Info: Cofagrigus is susceptible to hit and run tactics and can be worn down quickly with a combination of hard hits and status ailments because it doesn't have reliable recovery.
Tangrowth @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SAtk
Relaxed Nature
- Knock Off
- Giga Drain
- Hidden Power Fire
- Earthquake / Leech Seed
What it does: Tangrowth boasts huge hp and defensive base stats, that allows it to take on some of the tiers best physical attackers, pivots, and other defensive specialist. All without the need of a recovery move thanks to its wonderful Regenerator ability; now it can switch in and out of multiple attacks while gaining HP. Tangrowth has the power to check Sharpedo, Tyrantrum, Druddigon, and Golurk, it also hard walls Kabutops, Cincinno, Ambipom, Rhyperior, and a host of other offensive and defensive threats. Giga Drain is the obligatory stab that also offers some form of recovery. Earthquake to hit steel types that resist giga drain, and it's also able to catch Tangrowth's poison typed counters on switches (Drapion & Skuntank). Leech Seed can be used over Earthquake to force your opponent to switch. HP Fire is for opposing grass types. It can also be used to hit two of Tangrowths counters Escavalier and Durant. And Knock Off is such a useful move especially in lower tiers. Why pass up the opportunity to knock off leftovers and eviolites? Being able to soften up walls is huge for your teams offensive pokemon.
Good Teammates: The best defensive teammates to tangrowth are bulky water types, preferably specially defensive walls since it doesn't have the capability to deal with powerful special attacks. A pokemon like Lanturn compliments Tangrowth perfectly. Lanturn has the necessary bulk to eat those powerful ice, fire, and flying typed attacks Tangrowth hates. It's also capable of absorbing status moves that would otherwise annoy Tangrowth because it has access to heal bell. Another notable defensive pokemon that compliments Tangrowth is Slowking. There is a bit of a drop off because it doesn't have heal bell nor can it resist flying typed moves. It does have Regenerator though and forms a nice defensive core with Tangrowth that essentially heals itself. Offensive pokemon that Tangrowth compliments include Emboar, Moltres, and Braviary. Tangrowth can take all of the water and ground typed attacks aimed at Emboar, losing out only to Flying and Psychic super-effective moves that can be covered by other teammates. Pretty much the same thing with both Moltres and Braviary, Tangrowth can reliably eat up SE moves thrown at both those pokemon.
What Counters It: Moltres and Delphox are the biggest threats to Tangrowth in the current metagame. It's no match for the powerful stabs dished out by Moltres since both are SE on Tangrowth. The same thing with Delphox minus the weakness to psychic typing. There is also another problem, not only is Tangrowth is weak to the tiers common fire, flying and ice typed attacks but it's also susceptible to trick. Which basically renders it useless since it can't force switches with leech seed and without investment in spa or attack, it's easily set up on after being choice locked. Skuntank, Drapion, and Roselia counter Tangrowth along with the tiers other poison types. Other honorable mentions are Durant, Braviary, and Escavalier.
Alomomola @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 104 HP / 252 Def / 152 SDef
Impish / Bold Nature
- Wish
- Protect
- Toxic
- Waterfall / Scald
What It Does: Alomomola is pretty much the best Wishpasser in RU imo and i honestly would never make any kind of stall team without it tbh. Alomomola's Wishes are the absolute largest in the game outside of Chansey/Blissey's Wishes, which means that even without full hp investment Alomomola can still heal up its teammates for about 250 HP per wishpass, a pretty impressive number. What's more? Alomomola's Regenerator ability means that it can spend less time using its wishes to heal itself and more time on healing up its teammates, making it that much more efficient as a wishpasser. Alomomola isn't only useful for passing wishes though, its great all around bulk with the proper ev spread along with its excellent ability in Regenerator makes it an EXCELLENT defensive Pokemon in and of itself. Alomomola is capable of pivoting into pretty much any physical attack in the tier, and can simply switch out and recover a third of its hp with Regenerator whenever things get rough, making it exceptionally durable. In general, the given Alomomola spread is almost impossible to OHKO in general without a STAB Electric or Grass-Type move. Waterfall lets Alomomola do a bit more damage if needed (not much more though lol), while Scald is MUCH weaker, but gives a nifty burn rate, a lot of people actually prefer Scald due to the fact that Alomomola's main method of doing damage is usually Toxic anyway.
Good Teammates: To start off, most bulky Pokemon that can take on Electric- and Grass-types such as Heliolisk, Virizion, and Sceptile make good cores with Alomomola. In particular, Grass/Poisons such as Amoonguss and Roselia work especially well. Amoonguss makes a very solid Regenerator core with Alomomola, taking on pretty much any Grass- or Electric-type currently common in the tier for Alomomola, while Alomomola takes annoying things such as Emboar and Braviary for Amoonguss in return, since both Pokemon have Regenerator, they can simply restore hp by switchspamming. Roselia exchanges some bulk and access to Regenerator for access to Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and Aromatherapy, making it a better teammate on teams leaning more towards full stall, who might appreciate these moves quite a bit. Roselia's low base HP means Alomomola's Wish pretty much fully heals it too. Druddigon and Escavalier can also take on annoying Grass- and Electric-types (along with just special attackers in general) for Alomomola, but provide a bit more offensive presence than the previously mentioned Grass/Poisons. Both Pokemon really appreciate Alomomola's Wish support too, as they have no method of recovery of their own. Lastly, Dragalge is in a similar boat to Roselia, resisting both Electric- and Grass-type moves while having decent special bulk to cover Alomomola in general, REALLY appreciates mola's wish support, and has access to important moves such as Toxic Spikes, Dragon Tail, and Haze to function effectively on full stall, a playstyle that imo should be using Alomomola more often than not. In general, pretty much every defensive Pokemon that can't recover on its own appreciates Alomomola's Wish support at the very least, even if they don't have excellent synergy otherwise.
What Counters It: Unless you do something like double switch a faster Taunt user into Alomomola, there isn't really anything you can do to stop it from at least trying to pass a wish, however, there are plenty of Pokemon that can either outright kill or take advantage of mom fish. For example, while Amoonguss and Roselia are good teammates for Alomomola, they're also some of mola's worst enemies, essentially switching in for free, and either threatening a Giga Drain or using Alomomola as Spikes Fodder. Dragalge and Drapion are in a similar boat, switching in pretty much for free and using Alomomola as Toxic Spikes fodder. Alomomola can't touch Calm Mind Reuniclus at all, becoming complete and utter set up bait for the cell until it's strong enough to finally kill off Alomomola and possibly the rest of the team. Sceptile is annoyed by the residual damage from Toxic, but can pretty much come in for free otherwise and OHKO mola with a Leaf Storm without a second though. meanwhile, Lum SD Virizion essentially gets a free Swords Dance up vs Alomomola bar repeated Scald Burns.
Any Additional Info: The EV spread used in the set actually barely detracts from Alomomola's physical bulk at all, with most physical attacks only doing like 3% more, meanwhile Alomomola's special bulk increases significantly with this EV spread, taking anywhere between 10% and 20% less from the average special attak, definitely worth it imo.
Gligar @ Eviolite
Ability: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SDef
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- U-turn / Toxic / Knock Off
- Defog
- Roost
What It Does: Say hello to what's easily the best defog user and defensive hazard remover in the tier imo. Gligar's incredible eviolite bolstered bulk (especially on the physical side), great physically defensive typing, access to reliable recovery, and decent Speed stat stat all come together to make sure that Gligar can consistently pull off a defog or two for its team when needed, meanwhile checking and countering all kinds of threatening physical attackers such as Hitmonlee, Escavalier, Cobalion, Drapion, Rhyperior, Druddigon, Doublade, and more along the way! (to anyone who says Knock Off is a problem, Gligar can still take on these threats without its Eviolite, and still has enough bulk to do what it was born to do either way: Defog. Earthquake, Roost, and Defog are all obvious in the roles that they play on Gligar's set, but the last moveslot has some more variety to it. U-turn lets Gligar turn into a volturn pivot of sorts, using its incredible physical bulk and good resistances to force switches and using U-turn on the opponent on their way out, providing you with the switch advantage. Toxic is just a generally good defensive move, and lets Gligar stall out things that it wouldn't be able to break through otherwise with ease, also good for chip damage on switchins. Lastly, Knock Off does some damage to levitating Ghosts such as Mismagius that wall Gligar otherwise, and has the general utility of removing important things such as Leftovers and Eviolite over the course of the game. Aerial Ace isn't listed here but can be used if you REALLLY need a check to swords dance Virizion and can't fit anything else, niche, but an option nonetheless.
Good Teammates:
Because Gligar's main role is removing hazards for your team, Pokemon that are vulnerable to Stealth Rock and/or repeated layers of Spikes are naturally good teammates for Gligar. Most notably, Moltres and Yanmega really enjoy these hazards being consistently removed, and can nuke to their absolute maximum in this case without having to worry as much about Stealth Rock cutting 50% of their health per switch in. Fletchinder isn't as immediately threatening, but can still pull off a late game sweep pretty often and can do so even more effectively with Gligar's help. Delphox is another good example of a Pokemon that appreciates Gligar, it's not quite as vulnerable to Stealth Rock, but still takes 25% on switch in, not to mention the possibility of Stealth Rock+Spikes. removing Stealth Rock for delphox lets it do its wallbreaking/sweeping role that much more effectively. Outside of these Pokemon, Gligar also fits really well on defensive balance/stall teams that dislike multiple layers of hazards stacked against them, providing a solid defensive backbone and a way of removing hazards that can't really be blocked in one teamslot. As for support Gligar itself needs, Gligar might have a solid defensive typing, but its weaknesses to Ice- and Water-type moves are crippling, especially given the fact that they usually target its still good but lower special defense stat. Therefore, bulky Water-types such as Jellicent, Gastrodon, Alomomola, and especially Slowking pair well with Gligar.
What Counters It:
There's nothing that can really *stop* Gligar from defogging away hazards outside of smart switching, Defiant and Competitive users exist, but most of them are either mediocre, or incapable of breaking through Gligar even at +2. However, this doesn't mean Gligar is unbeatable, far from it in fact. Gligar's mediocre base Attack stat, only decent special bulk, and weaknesses to Water- and Ice-type moves make it perfectly possible to get past Gligar in RU. Bulky Water-types such as Slowking, Alomomola, Jellicent, and Gastrodon are some excellent ways to get past Gligar, they don't really fear anything except Toxic, can recover off all damage, and force Gligar out with Scald and/or pass a wish in Alomomola's case. Moltres can come in on any of Gligar's move except for Toxic and force it out with the threat of a Life orb Fire Blast or Hurricane, as can Tinted Lens Specs Yanmega. Mega Abomasnow resists Earthquake, can't be knocked off, and can easily OHKO Gligar in Blizzard in return. In general, Bulky Water-types, special Grass-types, and general special attacking nukes that can take an Earthquake should let you break through Gligar.
Any Additional Info:
Please Don't use Stealth Rock on Defog Gligar, it's pretty counterproductive and leads to a base case of 4mss that you don't want.
Slowking @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 216 SAtk / 44 SDef
Nature: Modest
- Scald
- Psyshock
- Fire Blast
- Dragon Tail
What it Does: Assault Vest Slowking can best be described as a glue Pokemon for teams in need of power, but needing the ability to reliably handle the likes of Delphox and Moltres. Thanks to Regenerator, Slowking can easily run Assault Vest to soak up virtually any special attack that isn't a STAB super effective one. Even if the target you're trying to switch into predicts with a super effective move, Slowking can just switch back out to the appropriate response and regain 33% of its max HP. Scald is a cool move on AV Slowking as the 30% burn chance can make it incredibly annoying to take down. Psyshock is used over Psychic as most Fighting-types, especially Gallade, have lower Defense than Special Defense. Plus, you're already smashing Rhyperior and Gligar with Scald anyway. Fire Blast is nice to beat up on shit like Cobalion, Registeel, Escavalier, and Bronzong. Dragon Tail finishes off the set and can be used to rack up entry hazard damage early on. This is particularly useful as Slowking's typing deters about every Spinner from coming in naturally while most Defog users are SR weak. EV spread rounds down passive damage and hits the final boost point provided by nature. The rest is put in Special Defense to amplify the effects of Assault Vest a little more. Modest is a no-brainer for the nature so Slowking can hit hard enough.
Good Teammates: Slowking fits well with many defensive and offensive Pokemon alike. Defensively, Rhyperior, Registeel, Amoonguss, and Tangrowth all gel well with Slowking. Good offensive partners include Virizion, Emboar, Cobalion, and Moltres. As AV Slowking runs Dragon Tail, Spikes support can really amplify the shuffling ability Slowking has. Froslass is a go-to Spikes setter for offensive-minded teams while teams looking for a bulkier Spikes user can utilize Roselia. Slowking absolutely hates Knock Off, so anything that can deal with it is appreciated. Cobalion and Virizion both have Justified to actually benefit from it while Tangrowth and Amoonguss have Regenerator to make up for the lack of Leftovers if need be.
What Counters It: Durant sucks.... a ton. Although it has difficulty coming in directly on Slowking, the steel ant can easily come in after a KO or through Dragon Tail phazing and immediately threaten Slowking with its powerful X-Scissor. Assault Vest Tangrowth running Power Whip will seriously dent, if not OHKO, Slowking as it lacks physical defense investment like most variants of its defensive set. If Druddigon carries one of Thunder Punch, Sucker Punch, or the lesser seen Crunch, it is going to beat Slowking handily, especially if these attacks are boosted by Sheer Force. Fighting-types such as Gallade and Hitmonlee can inflict serious amounts of damage with Knock Off, but will generally need Slowking worn down a little bit to ensure the KO so they don't get drilled with Psyshock after their attack. Any user of Toxic or Toxic Spikes can really hamper Slowking. Although most users of these moves can't beat Slowking one-on-one, this will keep Slowking from staying in for very long. Bronzong, Registeel, Alomomola, and opposing defensive Slowking are all capable of running Toxic while Drapion, Roselia, and Cofagrigus can all utilize Toxic Spikes.
Any Additional Info: If phazing isn't your cup of tea, there are a couple of coverage moves to consider on Assault Vest Slowking. Ice Beam seems redundant with Fire Blast, but it is able to deal serious damage to the likes of Druddigon and Sigilyph. Grass Knot trips up opposing Slowking for decent damage while also offering up something to hit Seismitoad, Jellicent, and Gastrodon with harder. Remember, just because Slowking is running all attack moves doesn't mean it's a wallbreaker. It is likely going to be a key to keeping your team together and being super resilient against most special attackers due to its typing, ability, and incredible special bulk with the AV boost.
Aromatisse @ Leftovers
Ability: Aroma Veil
EV's: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 SpD
IV's: 0 Spe
Relaxed Nature
- Protect
- Wish
- Toxic / Moonblast
- Aromatherapy
What it does: Switch into physical attacks, heal allies with Wish/Aromatherapy, stall out teams with Toxic. Aromatisse is possibly one of the best mixed walls in RU. Pure Fairy is a great typing for a defensive Pokemon, with only two weaknesses that are both relatively uncommon on offensive Pokemon (aside from Escavalier). What's more, it's ability protects it from Taunt, one of the most common ways of shutting down a wall, and it also has pretty good 101 / 72 / 89 defenses. This, combined with its resistances to Dark, Fighting, and Bug, allows it to stall out many Pokemon, and function effectively as a Cleric. The set given is pretty self explanatory. With the EVs, Aromatisse is able to pass 203 HP Wishes to Pokemon like Carracosta (to pick a bad example) who lack any methods of healing. With Aroma Veil blocking Taunt, Aromatisse can run a moveset with only non-damaging moves. Toxic does greater passive damage, but you can use Moonblast if your team lacks Fairy coverage.
Good teammates: Pretty much any Pokemon that either has trouble switching in or can't heal itself. Also, Pokemon that are weak to status. Aromatisse also works really well with Shell Smashers like Barbaracle or Carracosta, they can switch in after a Wish, and be healed of Burns through Aromatherapy. (I haven't used it a lot with other teammates so more examples would be appreciated). Aromatisse struggles with bulky Poisons, and so appreciates the help of a Pokemon like Rhyperior.
What counters it: Escavalier. It is immune to Toxic and resists Moonblast, and can 2HKO back with Iron Head. Defensively, Aromatisse also struggles against bulky Poisons like Amoonguss and Golbat.
Any additional info: As it doesn't require Leftovers to heal itself and resists dark, Aromatisse can freely switch into Knock Off, and stall off the attacking Pokemon with Wish / Protect. As it has decent 99 SpAtk and 89 SpDef stats, Aromatisse can run a Calm Mind set, but it's generally better used defensively.
Shuckle (M) @ Mental Herb
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 132 SDef / 124 Spd
Careful Nature
- Sticky Web
- Stealth Rock
- Infestation / Toxic / Knock Off
- Encore
What It Does: Shuckle doesn't really do much on its own, but it has a knack for supporting its teammates that makes it incredibly dangerous. Shuckle is the best Sticky Web users in the game. Sticky Web is an incredibly deadly move that slows down pretty much every grounded pokemon, letting slow, powerful wallbreakers get a speed advantage they usually wouldn't have over these opponent, and because of Shuckle's good 20/230/230 defenses, free Focus Sash in Sturdy (although lol almost nothing is OHKOing this anyway, Contrary and Gluttony are really bad on this set either way), and ability to run Mental Herb to stop Taunt, it's almost guarenteed to set it (and Stealth Rock!) up at least once over the course of the match. Encore makes sure the usually very passive Shuckle doesn't become set up bait, while all the moves in the last slot have their seperate uses. Infestation deals some chip damage to whatever it hits before Shuckle goes down and its partial trapping ability sometimes gives one of your teammates a free opportunity to switch in. Toxic lets Shuckle Cripple a defensive pokemon with some permanent passive damage, while Knock Off lets Shuckle remove things such as Leftovers and Life Orb from the opposing team. Speed might seem weird on a Pokemon as slow as Shuckle, but it actually serves an important purpose, letting you outspeed 0 Speed Escavalier and get both Stealth Rock and Sticky Web up before being 2HKO'd by Iron Head.
Good Teammates:Because of what Sticky Web does, slow (but not like Escavalier slow lol), but powerful offensive Pokemon naturally make good teammates. Using Sticky Web's speed lowering effect to get the jump on things that would revenge kill them otherwise. Exploud, Tinted Lens Yanmega, and Hitmonlee are three great examples of Pokemon like this, all 3 Pokemon hit extremely hard and have few safe switch-ins, and with Sticky Web's support, grounded fast Pokemon that would usually be able to revenge kill them after a KO now end up getting outsped and easily killed by Boomburst/Bug Buzz/High Jump Kick. Hitmonlee also happens to wreck Sharpedo with Mach Punch, an annoyance for Sticky Web teams. Other Pokemon that can benefit from this support include Moltres, Emboar, and the rare Zangoose. Try to make sure your team isn't too depended on Sticky Web though, just in case it gets removed via Rapid Spin or Defog. Speaking of Rapid Spin and Defog, things that can stop/punish these moves are good things to pair with Shuckle too. Mega Banette can block Rapid Spin for its team, and can also serve as an emergency stop to problem Pokemon for your Sticky Web team by using Prankster Destiny Bond (think about Thundurus's priority Thunder Wave in OU, except this is a free 1 for 1 instead of paralysis), all while benefitting from Sticky Web's support itself. Meanwhile, Defiant Braviary gets a free +2 Attack boost from anything trying to Defog it, turning it into a massive threat if the situation arises, and like Mega Banette, definitely benefits from Sticky Web's speed lowering effect.
What Counters It: Unless your name is Xatu or Durant channeling its inner Soulgazer, It's almost impossible to "stop" Shuckle from doing its job at least once per se, but there are still ways to slow it down/remove its hazard support later on. As a suicide hazard lead, Rapid Spin and Defog are public enemies #1, as they can remove your Stealth Rock and Sticky Web from the game, possibly when Shuckle isn't alive to set it up again, however, any good Sticky Web team should have teammates to either block Rapid Spin, punish you for using Defog, or both, so you'll have to get past those first. Not to mention people will be reluctant to lead with Shuckle if you have any of these.
Any Additional Info: DO NOT USE LEFTOVERS
Froslass @ Focus Sash
Ability: Cursed Body
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Destiny Bond
- Spikes
- Ice Beam
- Taunt
What It Does: Sets up a couple layers of Spikes against most teams, Taunts opposing hazard users to keep your side of the field clean, then when it's time to go it Destiny Bonds to bring down one of your opponent's Pokemon. Ice Beam is a STAB option to get off some damage in a necessary situation, especially when facing something like a Defog Gligar, where KOing it may be more preferable than using Taunt.
Good Teammates: Froslass is excellent on hyper offensive teams, to set up hazards and maintain great momentum early-game. As such, wallbreakers and setup sweepers such as Hitmonlee, Delphox, Durant, Virizion, and Kabutops make excellent partners. Defiant / Competitive users such as Braviary work well to take advantage of Defog, as well as Ghost-types like Mismagius to block Rapid Spin. Sharpedo appreciates Spikes in wearing down bulky Water-types so it can sweep later.
What Counters It: Rhyperior sometimes carries Rock Blast, and if it does it can break straight through your Focus Sash providing they don't get only 2 hits. Meanwhile you'll only do ~50% back to Rhyperior with Ice Beam, and you've likely used Taunt first turn to stop Stealth Rock from going up. It's not a great answer to Froslass because if you're unlucky the Froslass will actually beat Rhyperior (there's a 0.4% chance to 2HKO Rhyperior after Leftovers) but it's still a decent stop. Cinccino will stop its shenanigans entirely providing it's using a set with a boosting item, cleanly outspeeding and OHKOing with Bullet Seed. Any faster Pokemon with Taunt (of which there are surprisingly few with Azelf gone) will shut down Froslass.
Any Additional Info: You can opt to run a more offensive Froslass spread of max SpA instead of HP, but this variant takes on Rhyperior better (there's a chance you'll Taunt to stop the rocks and get up a layer of Spikes or kill it with Destiny Bond) and it's not like Froslass is going to be doing much damage—its main advantage is being able to beat Xatu.
Shuckle (M) @ Mental Herb
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 132 SDef / 124 Spd
Careful Nature
- Sticky Web
- Stealth Rock
- Infestation / Toxic / Knock Off
- Encore
What It Does: Shuckle doesn't really do much on its own, but it has a knack for supporting its teammates that makes it incredibly dangerous. Shuckle is the best Sticky Web users in the game. Sticky Web is an incredibly deadly move that slows down pretty much every grounded pokemon, letting slow, powerful wallbreakers get a speed advantage they usually wouldn't have over these opponent, and because of Shuckle's good 20/230/230 defenses, free Focus Sash in Sturdy (although lol almost nothing is OHKOing this anyway, Contrary and Gluttony are really bad on this set either way), and ability to run Mental Herb to stop Taunt, it's almost guarenteed to set it (and Stealth Rock!) up at least once over the course of the match. Encore makes sure the usually very passive Shuckle doesn't become set up bait, while all the moves in the last slot have their seperate uses. Infestation deals some chip damage to whatever it hits before Shuckle goes down and its partial trapping ability sometimes gives one of your teammates a free opportunity to switch in. Toxic lets Shuckle Cripple a defensive pokemon with some permanent passive damage, while Knock Off lets Shuckle remove things such as Leftovers and Life Orb from the opposing team. Speed might seem weird on a Pokemon as slow as Shuckle, but it actually serves an important purpose, letting you outspeed 0 Speed Escavalier and get both Stealth Rock and Sticky Web up before being 2HKO'd by Iron Head.
Good Teammates:Because of what Sticky Web does, slow (but not like Escavalier slow lol), but powerful offensive Pokemon naturally make good teammates. Using Sticky Web's speed lowering effect to get the jump on things that would revenge kill them otherwise. Exploud, Tinted Lens Yanmega, and Hitmonlee are three great examples of Pokemon like this, all 3 Pokemon hit extremely hard and have few safe switch-ins, and with Sticky Web's support, grounded fast Pokemon that would usually be able to revenge kill them after a KO now end up getting outsped and easily killed by Boomburst/Bug Buzz/High Jump Kick. Hitmonlee also happens to wreck Sharpedo with Mach Punch, an annoyance for Sticky Web teams. Other Pokemon that can benefit from this support include Moltres, Emboar, and the rare Zangoose. Try to make sure your team isn't too depended on Sticky Web though, just in case it gets removed via Rapid Spin or Defog. Speaking of Rapid Spin and Defog, things that can stop/punish these moves are good things to pair with Shuckle too. Mega Banette can block Rapid Spin for its team, and can also serve as an emergency stop to problem Pokemon for your Sticky Web team by using Prankster Destiny Bond (think about Thundurus's priority Thunder Wave in OU, except this is a free 1 for 1 instead of paralysis), all while benefitting from Sticky Web's support itself. Meanwhile, Defiant Braviary gets a free +2 Attack boost from anything trying to Defog it, turning it into a massive threat if the situation arises, and like Mega Banette, definitely benefits from Sticky Web's speed lowering effect.
What Counters It: Unless your name is Xatu or Durant channeling its inner Soulgazer, It's almost impossible to "stop" Shuckle from doing its job at least once per se, but there are still ways to slow it down/remove its hazard support later on. As a suicide hazard lead, Rapid Spin and Defog are public enemies #1, as they can remove your Stealth Rock and Sticky Web from the game, possibly when Shuckle isn't alive to set it up again, however, any good Sticky Web team should have teammates to either block Rapid Spin, punish you for using Defog, or both, so you'll have to get past those first. Not to mention people will be reluctant to lead with Shuckle if you have any of these.
Any Additional Info: DO NOT USE LEFTOVERS
Drapion @ Black Sludge
Ability: Battle Armor
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SDef / 4 Atk
Careful nature
- Taunt
- Toxic Spikes
- Knock Off
- Whirlwind
What it does: While Drapion can run a common Swords Dance set, a specially defensive set is where it truly shines. With this, it absolutely destroys common Calm Mind users like Meloetta, Slowking, Reuniclus, and Cresselia, easily tanking any boosted hit and either phazing with Whirlwind or KOing with Knock Off. Taunt, coupled with Drapion's above average speed for a defensive mon, allows Drapion to stop status, shut down walls, and prevent your opponent from using Drapion as setup fodder. Because of Drapion's Toxic immunity, it can get past most walls easily. This and Drapion's great mixed bulk provide many opportunities for Drapion to set up Toxic Spikes, which is a great boon to more balanced or stall teams. Toxic Spikes is one of the main reasons to use Drapion over Skuntank, and Drapion is undoubtedly one of the best users of the move.
Good Teammates: Drapion unfortunately has no means of reliable recovery, which means it can easily be worn down throughout the match. Wish support from things like Alomomola and Aromatisse are immensely helpful to make sure Drapion stays healthy. Because Drapion is likely to be found on more stall-ish teams, bulky walls are best paired up with Drapion to take advantage of the poison Drapion spreads around. In turn, Drapion prevents its teammates from being easy setup fodder, something which most walls have trouble with. Spinblockers are also great partners for Drapion, to ensure that Toxic Spikes are kept on the field. Gourgeist, notably, has great type synergy with Drapion.
What counters it: Dugtrio makes for a great counter to Drapion, trapping eliminating it with its STAB Earthquake. Also, while Drapion has good bulk with investment, its lack of recovery means that powerful attacks from things like Moltres can break through it.
Additional Information: This Drapion set is pretty invariant, as you'll find all of its moves hard to replace. Earthquake is a viable choice to hit Poison-types not named Amoonguss and Steel-types that like to switch into Toxic Spikes, but Drapion simply doesn't have an open slot.
Cobalion @ Leftovers
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SAtk / 252 Spe
Nature: Naive
- Stealth Rock
- Iron Head
- Close Combat
- Volt Switch
What it Does: With a great base 108 Speed and high base 129 Defense, Cobalion makes for a fast, yet durable user of Stealth Rock. This is a great Rocks user for offensive-minded teams as Cobalion is capable of dealing some quick damage after it has set up Stealth Rock. Iron Head is the primary STAB move due to its reliability and lack of defensive drops. Close Combat provides Cobaion with some extra power to dent the likes of Rhyperior and Registeel should the need arise. Volt Switch is a really odd move for a Pokemon of Cobalion's typing, but considering most Electric-immune Pokemon won't be willing to come in, it allows Cobalion to build momentum reliably. The EV spread simply maximizes Cobalion's damage output while not nerfing the power of Volt Switch, since it can do a decent amount of damage to the likes of Moltres. Leftovers is the item of choice so Cobalion can take some extra hits and its first job is to keep Stealth Rock on the field.
Good Teammates: Froslass is a solid partner to form a hazard-setting core with Cobalion and neither is really easy to setup on. Pokemon like Sharpedo, Delphox, Moltres, and Heliolisk that can otherwise struggle to find many switch-in opportunities appreciate Cobalion's Volt Switch to give them extra chances to wreak havoc. Most Ghost- and Psychic-types such as Reuniclus, Cofagrigus, and the aforementioned Delphox appreciate Cobalion's ability to absorb Knock Off for them.
What Counters It: Golbat is probably the easiest way to keep this Cobalion from doing much since it has the bulk to tank Iron Head all day, doesn't take a ton from Volt Switch, and has Defog to get rid of the Stealth Rock that Cobalion sets. Moltres isn't too fond of Volt Switch, but it resists Cobalion's STAB combination and wrecks it with Fire Blast. Gligar is another annoying Defog user that simply doesn't care about anything Cobalion tries to do to it. Cresselia and Reuniclus can easily handle Cobalion's unboosted Iron Heads and begin setting up for a potential sweep.
Additional Info: Lum Berry is an option to get a free pass on status ailments. Life Orb can juice up Cobalion's attacks, but generally isn't worth it to give up the decent bulk. If Volt Switch isn't doing much for you, Taunt is an option to prevent slower hazard users from doing much of anything. Switch to a Jolly nature and allocate Special Attack EVs to Defense in this case. If Close Combat's defense drops are a turn off, you could try Sacred Sword. Power drop sucks though.
Dragalge @ Leftovers
Ability: Poison Point
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Sassy / Calm Nature
- Toxic Spikes
- Sludge Bomb
- Dragon Pulse
- Dragon Tail / Scald
What it Does: This Dragalge set does quite a bit in RU and is part of why Dragalge is very good in RU right now. It is a very reliable setter of Toxic Spikes, a great entry hazard on balance and stall. It has excellent special bulk and a nice defensive typing to complement it, allowing it to take hits from Sceptile, Virizion, Emboar, etc, so it can reliably set up Toxic Spikes throughout the match. 97 Special Attack, while not outstanding in any way, is pretty solid for a defensive Pokemon, and Dragalge can pack a decent punch with Sludge Bomb and Dragon Pulse. In addition, Draglage can burn Pokemon immune to Toxic Spikes with Scald, or it can phaze with Dragon Tail, also making it a semi decent answer to Venomoth and SD Virizion. The EVs give it all the special bulk it needs to take special hits well, and the nature depends on the move you're using in the last slot.
Good Teammates: Since Dragalge has no recovery options, a Wish passer is a great choice to keep Dragalge healthy throughout the match. Alomomola and Aromatisse are both good for this, and the latter also has Aromatherapy to remove status aimed at Dragalge, and the seadragon also has good synergy with the former. A spinner could be decent to remove hazards, which could take a toll on Dragalge's lifespan. Walls such as Gligar appreciate Dragalge's Toxic Spikes support. Gourgeist can spinblock for Dragalge and resists Ground-type moves for Dragalge, but beware some shared weaknesses. Additional hazard setters such as Gligar can supplement more hazards for Dragalge to phaze effectively and spread hazard damage.
What counters it: Delphox and Meloetta can both destroy Dragalge with Psyshock; the latter also takes fairly little damage from Dragalge's moves. Dugtrio can remove Dragalge perfectly and Arena Trap prevents it from escaping. Using fairly bulky Pokemon with setup moves can work if Dragalge lacks Dragon Tail. Additionally, taking advantage of Dragalge's lack of recovery with repeated assaults will eventually take it down.
Additional Information: Please do not use Assault Vest on dragalge or random mons in general
Qwilfish @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Nature: Timid / Jolly
- Spikes
- Taunt
- Toxic Spikes / Waterfall
- Destiny Bond
What it does: While often overlooked as a Spikes-stacker due to the more popular Froslass, Qwilfish still has useful utility that sets it apart from its competition. First off, Intimidate is extremely helpful, often giving Qwilfish more time to set up hazards or giving a teammate an easy switch-in to a weakened attacker. Spikes and Taunt allow Qwilfish to be a valuable early-game asset, not only getting up multiple layers of hazards but also preventing the opponent from setting up themselves. Toxic Spikes, while situational due to the relative ubiquity of Poison-types, can nevertheless be very helpful by putting intense pressure on any Pokemon not immune to them, particularly defensive ones such as Aromatisse or Alomomola. Destiny Bond lets it take out any slower attacker, and also works well when the opponent must switch in an effort to preserve an important Pokemon, incurring more hazard damage upon themselves.
Good teammates: Because Qwilfish's main role is to lay down hazards, sweepers who can take advantage of them are often good teammates. Doublade is often a good option, as its bulk allows it to take advantage of Intimidate easily to set up with Swords Dance, and it can even spinblock for Qwilfish. Tauros is likewise good, as it often invites Fighting-type attacks that Qwilfish has no problem taking, and will easily clean up late-game. Sweepers that are fast but are not as strong such as Sceptile and Heliolisk always appreciate the extra hazard damage that Qwilfish provides. Defensively, Gligar can help support Qwilfish because it is immune to both Electric- and Ground-type moves, and can set up Stealth Rock to assist in dealing even more damage. In return, Qwilfish can easily sponge the Water- and Ice-type attacks often aimed at Gligar.
What counters it: Thanks to Dry Skin, Heliolisk is a near-perfect counter, only failing if Qwilfish uses Destiny Bond on the turn Heliolisk switches in. Faster attackers in general such as Sceptile and Tauros can KO Qwilfish before it has a chance to Destiny Bond, though some, such as Delphox, do not wish to switch into Waterfall. Taunt, particularly from the likes of Froslass, can prevent Qwilfish from doing its Spikes-stacking job, often forcing it out. Reuniclus is immune to Spikes and Toxic Spikes and easily OHKOs Qwilfish with its Psychic-type STAB, though Qwilfish can outspeed and Destiny Bond if Reuniclus has not already set up Trick Room.
Additional information: Pain Split gives Qwilfish some more longevity, but the unreliability of Pain Split coupled with Qwilfish's poor defenses mean it's not really that great. Haze sounds good on paper, but Qwilfish is a poor user due to its lack of bulk as well as the fact that common boosting attackers such as Reuniclus and Gallade beat it anyway.
Druddigon @ Leftovers
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Dragon Claw / Outrage
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Tail / Gunk Shot / Earthquake
Role: Hazard User
What It Does: Druddigon has an awesome Attack stat and typing, allowing it to cause switches often. Because of this, Druddigon has an easy time setting up Stealth Rock for its teammates. Dragon Claw is the preferred STAB attack, and does a lot of damage to Pokemon that do not resist it. Outrage can also be used to hit hard, but it's very risky to be locked into it due to many bulky Pokemon in the tier such as Registeel and Aromatisse. Sucker Punch lets Druddigon pick off weakened foes. The last move is a toss up. Iron Tail and Gunk Shot deals massive damage to Aromatisse, and other Fariy-types that like to switch in. However, Earthquake provides nice coverage with its Dragon STAB, hitting Steel-types that try to switch in for super effective damage. The EV spread given tries to maximize Druddigon's bulk and makes it hit as hard as possible, and allows it to outpace opposing Druddigon. The ability Rough Skin is used to allow Druddigon to punish physical attackers, and Leftovers lets it heal damage it may have taken from entry hazards, or status such as poison and burn.
Good Teammates: Good teammates for Druddigon include Steel-types like Escavalier and Durant because they resist all the types Druddigon is weak too, and can eliminate Pokemon like Aromatisse. In return, Druddigon can switch into Fire-type moves aimed at them. Spikes users such as Roselia and Qwilfish make good partners because they can help Druddigon wear down opponents. Fire-types like Magmortar and Moltres also make good partners, breaking through very problematic Steel-types that trouble Druddigon.
What Counters It: Bulky Steel-types such as Steelix and Registeel give Druddigon a hard time because they resist almost all the moves Druddigon usually carries. In addition, Pokemon that have naturally high Defense such as Rhyperior, Alomomola, and Tangrowth can the former can set up Rock Polish and the latter two can wear Druddigon out with Scald and Toxic, or Leech Seed, respectively.
Any Additional Info: You can add all the Attack EVs to Defense or Special Defense to maximize Druddigon's bulk.
Kabutops @ Life Orb
Ability: Weak Armor
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
Adamant Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Stone Edge
- Aqua Jet
- Waterfall / Swords Dance
What it does: Kabutops remains largely unchanged from the fifth generation as he is still a great Pokemon. One of the things that makes Kabutops so great is that he can defeat almost any spinblocker in the tier. Kabutops isn't limited to just spinning though. Swords Dance can turn this fossil into a fantastic late game cleaner with Aqua Jet to overcome it's below average speed. Rapid Spin is an important part of this set as Kabutops is known for being one of the best spinners out there. Stone Edge and Aqua Jet are the 2 STAB moves you will be using most of the time. Stone Edge is Kabutops his most powerful attack and hits any neutral target for good damage. Aqua Jet is there for late game cleaning to out prioritize faster Pokemon like Yanmega, Moltres and Delphox, However to kill these Pokemon Stealth Rocks must be on the field. The last choice can be either Waterfall or Swords Dance. Swords Dance is the preferred option as it allows Kabutops to transform 2 hit KOs into OHKOs like Stone Edge against Spiritomb or Aqua Jet against Emboar. Waterfall however can be used to OHKO slower Pokemon like specially defensive Rhyperior and Claydol.
Good teammates: Good teammates for Kabutops are Pokemon that enjoy Rapid Spin support and can defeat Kabutops his counters like Poliwrath and Grass types, for this reason Fire and Flying types stand out as good teammates. Moltres in particular is a great teammate as it can defeat every counter of Kabutops. The two make a great core as Kabutops with Swords Dance can also defeat some of Moltres his counters. Other switch in to Grass types are also really useful for Kabutops. Assault Vest Escavelier makes a good example as it can easily switch in on any Grass type attack or Grass type status move and scare them out with a powerful Megahorn.
What counters it: While Kabutops is a great Pokemon, it is not without it's problems. Grass type are the bane of Kabutops existance since he has a 4x weakness to Grass attacks. Tangrowth can take any hit Kabutops throws at it whit it's great defense stat and can retaliate with a Power Whip. Rotom-Mow and Sceptile are more offensive checks to Kabutops. While they don't like taking a Stone Edge at all they can OHKO Kabutops back Volt Switch and Leaf Storm / Leaf Blade respectively. Lastly Poliwrath can take hits from Kabutops without too many problems and can phase out Kabutops with Circle Throw. Keep in mind though Circle Throw from defensive Poliwrath is only a 2 hit Ko though.
Any Additional Info: There are a few things that haven't been mentioned that Kabutops can make use of. Kabutops can carry a Lum Berry to set up a Swords Dance on the likes of Jellicent without caring about Will O Wisp. Lum berry also helps against Paralysis and Burns which Kabutops hates. As for moves Kabutops can forgo Rapid Spin to have both Swords Dance and Waterfall to make it a terrifying sweeper, however Rapid Spin is a rare move in RU and Kabutops is the best user of it. Knock Off can be used to Knock Off items while providing super effective coverage against Ghost types minus Spiritomb, Cresselia and Reuniclus although than you have to lose out on STAB or Swords Dance. X Scissor similarly can be used to defeat Tangrowth and Slowking while still being able to do alot of damage against Reuniclus and Cresselia. However outside of those X Scissor has little use.
Gligar @ Eviolite
Ability: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SDef
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- U-turn / Toxic / Knock Off
- Defog
- Roost
What It Does: Say hello to what's easily the best defog user and defensive hazard remover in the tier imo. Gligar's incredible eviolite bolstered bulk (especially on the physical side), great physically defensive typing, access to reliable recovery, and decent Speed stat stat all come together to make sure that Gligar can consistently pull off a defog or two for its team when needed, meanwhile checking and countering all kinds of threatening physical attackers such as Hitmonlee, Escavalier, Cobalion, Drapion, Rhyperior, Druddigon, Doublade, and more along the way! (to anyone who says Knock Off is a problem, Gligar can still take on these threats without its Eviolite, and still has enough bulk to do what it was born to do either way: Defog. Earthquake, Roost, and Defog are all obvious in the roles that they play on Gligar's set, but the last moveslot has some more variety to it. U-turn lets Gligar turn into a volturn pivot of sorts, using its incredible physical bulk and good resistances to force switches and using U-turn on the opponent on their way out, providing you with the switch advantage. Toxic is just a generally good defensive move, and lets Gligar stall out things that it wouldn't be able to break through otherwise with ease, also good for chip damage on switchins. Lastly, Knock Off does some damage to levitating Ghosts such as Mismagius that wall Gligar otherwise, and has the general utility of removing important things such as Leftovers and Eviolite over the course of the game. Aerial Ace isn't listed here but can be used if you REALLLY need a check to swords dance Virizion and can't fit anything else, niche, but an option nonetheless.
Good Teammates: Because Gligar's main role is removing hazards for your team, Pokemon that are vulnerable to Stealth Rock and/or repeated layers of Spikes are naturally good teammates for Gligar. Most notably, Moltres and Yanmega really enjoy these hazards being consistently removed, and can nuke to their absolute maximum in this case without having to worry as much about Stealth Rock cutting 50% of their health per switch in. Fletchinder isn't as immediately threatening, but can still pull off a late game sweep pretty often and can do so even more effectively with Gligar's help. Delphox is another good example of a Pokemon that appreciates Gligar, it's not quite as vulnerable to Stealth Rock, but still takes 25% on switch in, not to mention the possibility of Stealth Rock+Spikes. removing Stealth Rock for delphox lets it do its wallbreaking/sweeping role that much more effectively. Outside of these Pokemon, Gligar also fits really well on defensive balance/stall teams that dislike multiple layers of hazards stacked against them, providing a solid defensive backbone and a way of removing hazards that can't really be blocked in one teamslot. As for support Gligar itself needs, Gligar might have a solid defensive typing, but its weaknesses to Ice- and Water-type moves are crippling, especially given the fact that they usually target its still good but lower special defense stat. Therefore, bulky Water-types such as Jellicent, Gastrodon, Alomomola, and especially Slowking pair well with Gligar.
What Counters It: There's nothing that can really *stop* Gligar from defogging away hazards outside of smart switching, Defiant and Competitive users exist, but most of them are either mediocre, or incapable of breaking through Gligar even at +2. However, this doesn't mean Gligar is unbeatable, far from it in fact. Gligar's mediocre base Attack stat, only decent special bulk, and weaknesses to Water- and Ice-type moves make it perfectly possible to get past Gligar in RU. Bulky Water-types such as Slowking, Alomomola, Jellicent, and Gastrodon are some excellent ways to get past Gligar, they don't really fear anything except Toxic, can recover off all damage, and force Gligar out with Scald and/or pass a wish in Alomomola's case. Moltres can come in on any of Gligar's move except for Toxic and force it out with the threat of a Life orb Fire Blast or Hurricane, as can Tinted Lens Specs Yanmega. Mega Abomasnow resists Earthquake, can't be knocked off, and can easily OHKO Gligar in Blizzard in return. In general, Bulky Water-types, special Grass-types, and general special attacking nukes that can take an Earthquake should let you break through Gligar.
Any Additional Info: Please Don't use Stealth Rock on Defog Gligar, it's pretty counterproductive and leads to a base case of 4mss that you don't want.
Skuntank @ Black Sludge
Ability: Aftermath
EVs: 252 HP / 228 Atk / 16 SDef / 12 Spe
Adamant nature
- Sucker Punch
- Defog
- Taunt
- Poison Jab
What it does: While its typing and stats may suggest it plays a similar role to Drapion, the two are in fact different in many respects. Notably, Skuntank has access to Sucker Punch and the ever-valuable Defog, but lacks Toxic Spikes and Knock Off like Drapion. Because of this, Skuntank plays more of an offensive hazard remover as opposed to Drapion, which plays a more defensive hazard support role. Defog is what most people will use Skuntank for, and its decent bulk allows it to perform this effectively. Sucker Punch allows Skuntank to have a decent offensive presence, picking off weakened threats. Taunt gives opposing walls a hard time, and Poison Jab can be used to weaken the opponent. 12 Speed EVs outspeed minimum speed Cresslia, while 228 Attack guarantees a OHKO on Delphox with Sucker Punch. Because the invested special bulk is rather insignificant, 240 Attack EVs can be used instead to hit harder.
Good Teammates: Things that have a hard time with entry hazards like Moltres obviously benefit from Skuntank's Defog, and make great partners. Because Skuntank is easily worn down due to lack of recovery, Wish/Cleric support is also appreciated to keep Skuntank is good condition. Other than that, Skuntank is a great fit on any team due to the utility it brings.
What counters it: Braviary is a pretty big nightmare for Skuntank (and any defogger for that matter), getting a free +2 attack boost when switching into Defog. Cobalion is also a threat to Skuntank, resisting all of its common moves and outspeeding Skuntank, setting up a free Swords Dance. Otherwise, any decently powerful attacker with a STAB Ground-type move can punch a considerable hole in Skuntank.
Additional Information: Life Orb is a viable alternative to Black Sludge, increasing its offensive power but sacrificing its longevity. It's really up to you which item you want to use, and depends on the role you want Skuntank to play.
Shiftry @ Life Orb
Ability: Chlorophyll / Pickpocket
EVs: 252 Atk / 64 SpA / 192 Spe
Nature: Naughty
- Defog
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Leaf Storm / Giga Drain
What it Does: Shiftry has an incredible STAB combination that threatens a wide variety of Pokemon, and it uses that trait to create free Defog opportunities for its teammates. It may be frail, but what it lacks in bulk it makes up for in sheer damage output, especially with its usable mixed offenses and wide offensive movepool, which also gives it something to do when not Defogging. A Defogger that hardly gives up any sort of offensive presence, it is worth a look for teams in need of a supporter that doesn't slow them down.
Good Teammates: Keep in mind that Shiftry is the one doing the supporting with Defog, so its teammates should capitalize on it. Defog-loving teammates obviously benefit the most from Shiftry's support. Not only do the likes of Delphox, Moltres, Swellow, and Yanmega like having Stealth Rock out of their lives, but all of them also appreciate Shiftry's holepunching prowess, be it crippling opponents with Knock Off or smacking them with Grass STAB, which the majority of their counters dislike. However, even with its good coverage, Shiftry often finds itself at the mercy of the musketeers, or Defiant Braviary should it fail to predict correctly. Rotom-S and Doublade can help keep these threats in check very well, preventing Shiftry from potentially becoming a viability for the team.
What Counters It: Cobalion, and Virizion, Emboar and even Combusken resists Shiftry's STABs, meaning they have little to fear from Shiftry and either use it for free setup opportunities or simply KO it before it Defogs. Braviary switch-ins can discourage Defog, though the combination of Knock Off and Sucker Punch would put Braviary in a losing position instead. Shiftry has several weaknesses, but faster Pokemon have to be wary about its powerful Sucker Punch while the slower ones have to worry about taking too much damage. KOing Shiftry is usually very easy, the problem is preventing Shiftry from Defogging or/and doing too much (or even irreparable) damage to your team; laying down hazards and keeping one's hazard setter out of harm's way while applying constant offensive pressure can prevent Shiftry from going for Defog easily.
Additional Information: This is Shiftry's biggest asset: the ability to customise its set with various moves or EVs to suit the team's needs while remaining effective due to its mixed offenses and strong STABs. The aforementioned set has enough Speed to outrun Adamant Slurpuff (likely the fastest threat Shiftry would want to outrun) while packing special Grass STAB instead of physical Grass STAB due to the immense physical bulk most RU Ground-types possess, but more speed (or less), an incline towards Special Attack over Attack (with Dark Pulse in tow), or even certain coverage and lure moves can be used to better support its teammates or itself, depending on what its team requires. For example, Low Kick can be used to weaken Registeel for Yanmega and keeps Cobalion from waltzing in on Shiftry, while a well-timed Explosion can cripple the likes of unsuspecting Druddigon and Aromatisse, paving the way for its teammates to sweep. Shiftry's potential to run so many powerful supporting moves in conjuction with Defog can be tremendously useful for offensive teams.
Hitmontop (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Close Combat
- Toxic
- Foresight / Sucker Punch
What It Does: Hitmontop is the best defensive rapid spinner in RU. Even with the existance of a renewed Defog, Rapid Spin is very valuable (mainly because it doesn't remove your own hazards) and this guy is one of the best pokemon to use it effectively. It has impressive physical bulk with maximum investment, thanks to Intimidate, and has resistances to Dark, Rock and Bug, meaning it is also a good switch-in to Knock Offs. Close Combat is a strong, accurate STAB move (CC>HJK because Ghosts swith in a lot anyway) and Foresight so that you can spin even on supposed spinblockers; alternitively, Sucker Punch can be used to finish weakened faster targets because of its priority. Toxic is meant to be used on Ghost-types that block Rapid Spin or bulky pokemon that trouble your team and wear them down.
Good Teammates: Any pokemon with a SR weakness enjoys Hitmontop's support, examples being Moltres, Delphox and Yanmega; it can also switch in on Rock-type moves aimed at these pokemon. In terms of synergy, it's good to have someone to take on Psychic, Ghost and Flying types that set up on or kill Top, like Drapion and Rhyperior, respectively. Drapion and other Dark-types can also eliminate the Ghosts that block Rapid Spin. Because Top has no recovery bar Lefties and is crippled by burns or Toxic, it functions a lot better with the support of a cleric and Wish passer, like Aromatisse.
What Counters It: The pokemon that give Hitmontop the most trouble are Ghost-types, because they block Rapid Spin and are immune to Close Combat, like Froslass, who can Taunt it and start setting Spikes, and Cofafrigus, who sets up with Nasty Plot or burns Hitmontop (and if it has Rest, doesn't even care about Toxic). Psychic and Fairy types also use Top as setup bait, examples being Delphox(CM), Cresselia (SubCM), and Slurpuff (SubBD). It cannot switch in on pokemon with Defiant/Competitive (like Braviary), because Intimidate gives them a boost.
Any Additional Info: Hitmontop is best suited to more defensive teams, using entry hazards and status to weaken opponents while keeping your own field free of hazards. There are other options for Hitmontop's last moveslot, like: Stone Edge, which has good coverage with CC; Mach Punch, for a more reliable priority move; or Fake Out.
Hitmonlee (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Reckless
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- High Jump Kick
- Knock Off
- Mach Punch / Stone Edge
- Rapid Spin
What It Does: Hitmonlee is perhaps the best Pokemon in RU right now, Knock Off getting a buff this gen turns Hitmonlee into an insane threat giving it the ability to beat many Psychic and Ghost types that it usually struggled with, which is also what turns it into one of the best Rapid Spinners in the tier. Reckless HJK literally OHKO's everything in the tier that doesn't resist it and still manages to 2HKO a huge chunck of the Pokemon that do resist. Mach Punch is extremely valuable to have allowing you to potentially revenge some faster threats that may have been weakened but Stone Edge is also an option to OHKO any Flying types such as Moltres that might try to switch in.
Good Teammates: In general Dark types make excellent teammates for Hitmonlee as even though with access to Knock Off it has the ability to beat many Ghost and Psychic types it appreciates having them removed by a Pursuit user such as Skuntank or Drapion to ease prediction. Choice Specs Zoroark is also one of the best Hitmonlee partners due to it's ability to lure out and weaken it's limited counters in Gligar and Weezing.
What Counters It: Hitmonlee's counters are very limited, the two best counters in the tier are Gligar and Weezing due to their typing and bulk with Gligar being able to Roost off any damage and the latter being able to burn Hitmonlee with Will-O-Wisp. Doublade gets an honourable mention for being able to tank 2 Knock Off's and do massive damage back to Hitmonlee.
Any Additional Info: A Choice Scarf set is extremely viable since alot of teams rely on outspeeding Hitmonlee instead of packing a dedicated wall to switch in. An Endure Liechi Berry Unburdun set is also possible if you can remove Hail from Mega Abomasnow and priority.
Combusken @ Eviolite
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 248 HP / 64 SpD / 196 Spe
Jolly Nature
-Protect
-Swords Dance / Bulk Up
-Flare Blitz
-Baton Pass
What it does: Combusken is an excellent quick passer for offensive / balanced teams, providing handy Speed and Attack boosts that make it possible to ravage through defensive cores and full-blown stall. Despite no investment in its Attack stat, after a Swords Dance boost, Combusken hits a very respectable 412 Attack stat, which is even more powerful than a max attack Adamant Druddigon! Combusken can then use this attack stat alongside its excellent STAB in Flare Blitz to sweep on its own if the situation is more favorable towards itself as opposed to its recipients or if it's simply too risky passing in front of a certain threat. Bulk Up is also a really good move to ease quick passing, as it can make sure that Combusken's teammate comes in more safely and isn't picked off as easily by priority.
Good teammates: In terms of teammates, it's not a matter of which Pokemon can support Combusken, but rather, which Pokemon Combusken can help support. It's good that Combusken's recipients have good synergy with it; for example, Druddigon resists Water-type moves aimed at Combusken, whereas Drapion is immune to Psychic attacks, and Rhyperior resists Flying moves. By having the receiver resist the attacks aimed at Combusken, it makes much easier to pull off a successful pass.
What counters it: Countering Combusken is a matter of not walling it per-say, but stopping it from passing. In that regard, the Pokemon countering Combusken need to fulfill two criteria: the ability to tank a +2 Flare Blitz and phase / negate stat boosts. Roar / Dragon Tail Rhyperior and Dragon Tail Slowking are by far the best counters, resisting Combusken's primary STAB, doing a serious chunk back, and preventing it from passing boosts to its teammates. Aside from these two, Roar / Whirlwind / Haze / Clear Smog users in general that can at the very least, tank a +2 Flare Blitz, are solid checks as well. Whimiscott gets a special mention considering it can switch into a Swords Dance and Encore Combusken regardless of its Speed boosts, though watch out for Flare Blitz.
Additional info: The Speed EVs allows Combusken to outspeed Choice Scarf Braviary at +2, which is as fast as it need to go. The rest is mainly chucked into its defenses so it can pass easier. Eviolite also further cements Combusken's bulk, allowing it serve as a decent check to the likes of Escavalier and Durant if need be. Substitute may be used over Flare Blitz, but Combusken is utter Taunt bait otherwise.
Shuckle (M) @ Mental Herb
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 132 SDef / 124 Spd
Careful Nature
- Sticky Web
- Stealth Rock
- Infestation / Toxic / Knock Off
- Encore
What It Does: Shuckle doesn't really do much on its own, but it has a knack for supporting its teammates that makes it incredibly dangerous. Shuckle is the best Sticky Web users in the game. Sticky Web is an incredibly deadly move that slows down pretty much every grounded pokemon, letting slow, powerful wallbreakers get a speed advantage they usually wouldn't have over these opponent, and because of Shuckle's good 20/230/230 defenses, free Focus Sash in Sturdy (although lol almost nothing is OHKOing this anyway, Contrary and Gluttony are really bad on this set either way), and ability to run Mental Herb to stop Taunt, it's almost guarenteed to set it (and Stealth Rock!) up at least once over the course of the match. Encore makes sure the usually very passive Shuckle doesn't become set up bait, while all the moves in the last slot have their seperate uses. Infestation deals some chip damage to whatever it hits before Shuckle goes down and its partial trapping ability sometimes gives one of your teammates a free opportunity to switch in. Toxic lets Shuckle Cripple a defensive pokemon with some permanent passive damage, while Knock Off lets Shuckle remove things such as Leftovers and Life Orb from the opposing team. Speed might seem weird on a Pokemon as slow as Shuckle, but it actually serves an important purpose, letting you outspeed 0 Speed Escavalier and get both Stealth Rock and Sticky Web up before being 2HKO'd by Iron Head.
Good Teammates:Because of what Sticky Web does, slow (but not like Escavalier slow lol), but powerful offensive Pokemon naturally make good teammates. Using Sticky Web's speed lowering effect to get the jump on things that would revenge kill them otherwise. Exploud, Tinted Lens Yanmega, and Hitmonlee are three great examples of Pokemon like this, all 3 Pokemon hit extremely hard and have few safe switch-ins, and with Sticky Web's support, grounded fast Pokemon that would usually be able to revenge kill them after a KO now end up getting outsped and easily killed by Boomburst/Bug Buzz/High Jump Kick. Hitmonlee also happens to wreck Sharpedo with Mach Punch, an annoyance for Sticky Web teams. Other Pokemon that can benefit from this support include Moltres, Emboar, and the rare Zangoose. Try to make sure your team isn't too depended on Sticky Web though, just in case it gets removed via Rapid Spin or Defog. Speaking of Rapid Spin and Defog, things that can stop/punish these moves are good things to pair with Shuckle too. Mega Banette can block Rapid Spin for its team, and can also serve as an emergency stop to problem Pokemon for your Sticky Web team by using Prankster Destiny Bond (think about Thundurus's priority Thunder Wave in OU, except this is a free 1 for 1 instead of paralysis), all while benefitting from Sticky Web's support itself. Meanwhile, Defiant Braviary gets a free +2 Attack boost from anything trying to Defog it, turning it into a massive threat if the situation arises, and like Mega Banette, definitely benefits from Sticky Web's speed lowering effect.
What Counters It: Unless your name is Xatu or Durant channeling its inner Soulgazer, It's almost impossible to "stop" Shuckle from doing its job at least once per se, but there are still ways to slow it down/remove its hazard support later on. As a suicide hazard lead, Rapid Spin and Defog are public enemies #1, as they can remove your Stealth Rock and Sticky Web from the game, possibly when Shuckle isn't alive to set it up again, however, any good Sticky Web team should have teammates to either block Rapid Spin, punish you for using Defog, or both, so you'll have to get past those first. Not to mention people will be reluctant to lead with Shuckle if you have any of these.
Any Additional Info: DO NOT USE LEFTOVERS
Xatu (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 252 SDef / 248 HP / 8 Def
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Roost
- Thunder Wave
- Heat Wave
- U-turn
Role: Support
What it does: Xatu's main role is to prevent entry hazards from coming on the field for offensive teams. In particular, it's the one true counter to Shuckle and a decent check to Froslass (provided it doesn't switch in on Ice Beam). Thunder Wave is used to lower Froslass's speed, allowing Xatu to Roost before it attacks again. Once it gets some parahax or is in a good position to avoid a KO without needing Roost, then Xatu is free to 2HKO Froslass with Heat Wave. Heat Wave also 2HKOes Escavalier on the switch, which is pretty convenient for teams that are weak to it. U-turn allows Xatu to maintain momentum despite its paltry offensive presence. A specially defensive spread is prefered to take on Froslass.
Good teammates: Xatu struggles immensely with Rhyperior; as a result, a teammate that can pressure Rhyperior to the point where it can't set up Stealth Rock is good to have. Zoroark is also a good partner for Xatu, as it can disguise itself as Xatu in order to KO Rhyperior with Grass Knot. In general, Pokemon that appreciate entry hazards will like Xatu's presence. Non-Sticky Web hyper offensive teams work best with Xatu though, as these teams otherwise lose to Sticky Web rather easily.
What counters it: It's kinda hard to describe a counter to Xatu considering its role is to support its team by removing entry hazards, but Rhyperior tops the list considering it's one of the few entry hazard setters that can KO Xatu and set up Stealth Rock on top of that. Pursuit users in general are a major pain in Xatu's side, so Skuntank, Druddigon and a healthy Escavalier can easily force it out and punish for doing so.
Any Additional Info: Grass Knot is an option if your team is weak to Rhyperior and Psychic may be used over Heat Wave should you want Xatu to have a reliable STAB. Toxic is also a good option to mess with walls such as Alomomola.
Meowstic @ Light Clay
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 248 HP / 248 Def / 12 SDef
Nature: Bold
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Thunder Wave
- Psychic
What it Does: Prankster Dual Screens. That's it in a nutshell. Basically, if you're using a Hyper Offense team and you want a Dual Screens user, this is what you should be turning to. Meowstic is crazy good at setting them up thanks to its decent bulk and ability to always get the proper Screen up before taking the hit. Thunder Wave provides extra support by acting as a "panic button" of sorts to stop any one sweeper from dominating you if it set up. Psychic is there to just do damage and keep from being complete Taunt bait. It helps that it trashes Fighting-types like Hitmonlee and Virizion. EVs round down passive damage and hit the final jump point for nature. Extra EVs go to Special Defense, as Speed will rarely ever matter and attacking isn't your primary concern. A physically defensive spread is used so you can live scary shit like AV Escavalier's Megahorn when Reflect is up. Light Clay is obvious to extend the duration of the Screens
Good Teammates: Virtually any sweeper loves this. Virizion, Delphox, Cobalion, Sharpedo, Zoroark. You name a sweeper, it probably benefits in some way. Venomoth, Gorebyss, and Huntail (sucks, use Gorebyss) can all pass off Quiver Dances and Shell Smashes respecitvely with much more reliability behind Screens. Teams that use slower attackers such as Druddigon, Gallade, and Escavalier like the top notch Speed control Meowstic provides.
What Counters It: Well, Dark- and Steel-types fear nothing from it (bar Thunder Wave) so they can beat Meowstic easily enough. Problem is, they can't stop it from getting Screens up unless it's a Taunt user like Cobalion (who isn't taking Psychic well) Knock Off from the likes of Zoroark and Hitmonlee may not defeat Meowstic, but it removes Light Clay, thus hindering it for the rest of the match. They'll probably eat a Thunder Wave (or Psychic in Lee's case) in the process though. Really, nothing "counters" Meowstic in the sense that it will always get at least 1 Screen up, and unless you Taunt it, it can get the other up before going down. That said, Defog users can remove them after they're setup, though none are doing much to Meowstic directly to wear it down. Anything trying to set up on it risks paralysis and if AV Escavalier can't OHKO with Megahorn behind Reflect, you know virtually nothing is OHKOing Meowstic behind the proper Screen unless it boosts up.
Any Additional Info: Psyshock over Psychic is plausible since most Fighting-types have better Special Defense. However, you then do nothing to Gligar to prevent it from Defogging the Screens. Otherwise, use this to help show your opponents how broken SmashPass and QuiverPass can be.
Alomomola @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 104 HP / 252 Def / 152 SDef
Impish / Bold Nature
- Wish
- Protect
- Toxic
- Waterfall / Scald
What It Does: Alomomola is pretty much the best Wishpasser in RU imo and i honestly would never make any kind of stall team without it tbh. Alomomola's Wishes are the absolute largest in the game outside of Chansey/Blissey's Wishes, which means that even without full hp investment Alomomola can still heal up its teammates for about 250 HP per wishpass, a pretty impressive number. What's more? Alomomola's Regenerator ability means that it can spend less time using its wishes to heal itself and more time on healing up its teammates, making it that much more efficient as a wishpasser. Alomomola isn't only useful for passing wishes though, its great all around bulk with the proper ev spread along with its excellent ability in Regenerator makes it an EXCELLENT defensive Pokemon in and of itself. Alomomola is capable of pivoting into pretty much any physical attack in the tier, and can simply switch out and recover a third of its hp with Regenerator whenever things get rough, making it exceptionally durable. In general, the given Alomomola spread is almost impossible to OHKO in general without a STAB Electric or Grass-Type move. Waterfall lets Alomomola do a bit more damage if needed (not much more though lol), while Scald is MUCH weaker, but gives a nifty burn rate, a lot of people actually prefer Scald due to the fact that Alomomola's main method of doing damage is usually Toxic anyway.
Good Teammates: To start off, most bulky Pokemon that can take on Electric- and Grass-types such as Heliolisk, Virizion, and Sceptile make good cores with Alomomola. In particular, Grass/Poisons such as Amoonguss and Roselia work especially well. Amoonguss makes a very solid Regenerator core with Alomomola, taking on pretty much any Grass- or Electric-type currently common in the tier for Alomomola, while Alomomola takes annoying things such as Emboar and Braviary for Amoonguss in return, since both Pokemon have Regenerator, they can simply restore hp by switchspamming. Roselia exchanges some bulk and access to Regenerator for access to Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and Aromatherapy, making it a better teammate on teams leaning more towards full stall, who might appreciate these moves quite a bit. Roselia's low base HP means Alomomola's Wish pretty much fully heals it too. Druddigon and Escavalier can also take on annoying Grass- and Electric-types (along with just special attackers in general) for Alomomola, but provide a bit more offensive presence than the previously mentioned Grass/Poisons. Both Pokemon really appreciate Alomomola's Wish support too, as they have no method of recovery of their own. Lastly, Dragalge is in a similar boat to Roselia, resisting both Electric- and Grass-type moves while having decent special bulk to cover Alomomola in general, REALLY appreciates mola's wish support, and has access to important moves such as Toxic Spikes, Dragon Tail, and Haze to function effectively on full stall, a playstyle that imo should be using Alomomola more often than not. In general, pretty much every defensive Pokemon that can't recover on its own appreciates Alomomola's Wish support at the very least, even if they don't have excellent synergy otherwise.
What Counters It: Unless you do something like double switch a faster Taunt user into Alomomola, there isn't really anything you can do to stop it from at least trying to pass a wish, however, there are plenty of Pokemon that can either outright kill or take advantage of mom fish. For example, while Amoonguss and Roselia are good teammates for Alomomola, they're also some of mola's worst enemies, essentially switching in for free, and either threatening a Giga Drain or using Alomomola as Spikes Fodder. Dragalge and Drapion are in a similar boat, switching in pretty much for free and using Alomomola as Toxic Spikes fodder. Alomomola can't touch Calm Mind Reuniclus at all, becoming complete and utter set up bait for the cell until it's strong enough to finally kill off Alomomola and possibly the rest of the team. Sceptile is annoyed by the residual damage from Toxic, but can pretty much come in for free otherwise and OHKO mola with a Leaf Storm without a second though. meanwhile, Lum SD Virizion essentially gets a free Swords Dance up vs Alomomola bar repeated Scald Burns.
Any Additional Info: The EV spread used in the set actually barely detracts from Alomomola's physical bulk at all, with most physical attacks only doing like 3% more, meanwhile Alomomola's special bulk increases significantly with this EV spread, taking anywhere between 10% and 20% less from the average special attak, definitely worth it imo.
Cresselia (F) @ Light Clay
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 60 Def / 196 SDef
Bold Nature
- Light Screen
- Moonblast
- Reflect
- Lunar Dance / Moonlight
Role: Support
What it does: Cresselia has amazing bulk that allows it to offer the team support with dual screens. It also has a reliable recovery move and a great ability (Levitate) that helps it avoid being worn down to quickly because it avoids spikes and t-spikes. Plus Cresselia can't be trapped by "Arena Trap" ability Pokemon. It can easily set up both screens because of its magnificent defenses. After its defenses are augmented by both screens, super effective moves become your only options if you want to inflict a decent amount of damage on the lunar Pokemon. This set forgoes Leftovers because Light Clay gives you the maximum amount of turns possible behind the screens. Moonlight is a decent option because it gives Cresselia a much needed form of recovery thus leading to more opportunities to set up screens. Lunar Dance can easily fit into that last slot because of its wonderful utility. It offers the chance to replenish a teammates health and cures all status ailments at the same time. It also occurs before hazard damage is calculated so you can pass the Dance to any teammate regardless of their health status. Moonblast over Psychic so it's not rendered totally useless after setting up screens. Moonblast also allows Cresselia to hit Dark types for super effective damage while at the same time hitting Fighting types super effectively. Ice Beam is an option over Moonblast because it enables Cresselia to hit most defog users hard. The evs are optimized so that it has a bit more special bulk than physical but you can adjust them to fit your teams need.
Good Teammates: Pokemon that don't have very good defensive stats but very good offensive stats benefit greatly from Cresselias dual screen support. Pokemon like Delphox, Durant, and Zoroark are able to boost their already impressive offensive stats while eating attacks under screens. In order to sweep the opposing team or punch enough holes to allow another teammate to pick off the opposing weakened Pokemon.
What Counters it: Defog is dual screen Cresselia's biggest enemy because it can clear both screens and all hazards you've set up ... at once. Most defog users give Cresselia problems as well. Golbat and Togetic scoff at Cresselias attempts to attack them because they resist its only attack "Moonblast." Gligar can eat those Moonblast and wear Cresselia down with Toxic. Escavalier is also a nuisance to Cresselia because Cresselia can't deal decent damage to it with Ice Beam or Moonblast. It's also wrecked by Escavaliers STAB Megahorn. Other threats are Pursuit trappers and Ghost.
Additional Info: Don't use Psychic over Moonblast.
What not to use:
Malamar @ Assault Vest
Ability: Contrary
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Superpower
- Night Slash
- Psycho Cut
- Rock Slide
What It Does: Malamar is one of many pokemon that got a lot of hype when XY came out but then it was soon learned that it's not as good as people think. The basic premise is to set up boosts with Superpower + Contrary and attempt to sweep. Night Slash and Psycho Cut offer some stab moves while rock slide covers bug types who otherwise make Malamar quake in fear and tremble at the very though of them.
Why you shouldn't use it: To start with it breaks one of the major sins of RU and competitive pokemon in general which is to not slap assault vest on random pokemon.Aside from this it also has other faults. For one it has no form of reliable recovery so it will get worn down with enough attacks. It also is extremely slow to set up and usually cant get more then 1 boost before it gets threatened out but the likes of Yanmega and Escavelier. This is impart due to it's mediocre stats (only one of which goes above base 90) and it's 4x weakness to bug types of which their are a plethora of in RU (Escavelier, Yanmega, Durant) and the fact that u-turn is extremely common. All of these factors means that Malamar is a pokemon who requires more team support then it's worth.
What Counters It: Bug types, bug types and bug types. They are the absolute end all end all to Malamar. Escavelier and Durant especially because their naturally high defense means they take little from any of Malmar's moves and even with the defense boosts threaten it out with their stab megahorns. Apart from this anything that hits extremely hard from the beginning like choice users will easily 2hko him thanks to his low stats. Status, in particular burns, will completely shut down Malamar's chances of sweeping as it'll take 2 superpowers to even mitigate the effects of burn.
Any Additional Info: So as you see Malamar is a poke that really shouldn't be used at all. It takes a lot more team support then it's worth and in the end is more of a liability then a sweeper.
Electivire @ Life Orb
Ability: Vital Spirit
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 SAtk
Hasty Nature
- Thunder Punch
- Volt Switch
- Focus Blast
- Earthquake / Ice Punch
Why you shouldn't use it: Jesus how many reasons can I give? We'll go through one thing at a time shall we? First, stats. 75 / 67 / 65 defenses are pitiful. It's a good thing the majority of it's hits are neutral, because even those ones are going to be lethal. It can only take on unboosted weak neutral hits comfortably, and not to many of them either. Any major set up sweeper ot tank such as Renui, the occasional CM Slowking and CM Delphox are just gonna have the time of their life, as even without a boost they can just do whatever the hell they want to it. It can also be scarfed killed so easily, because it really doesn't take much to 2HKO at worse. Offensive wise, is slightly better. 123 / 95 / 95 isn't the worst in RU. The speed is OK, sitting right on bare minimum, but nothing to ride home to your mum about, you know? The attack is actually rather good physically. 95 SpAtk is rather pathetic in comparison though. It's missing the outright strength to take out any sort of even remotely bulky pokes. Again, the 3 Psychics just laugh their asses off, Rhyperior (for whatever reason it may be) running SubDance can take a few Earthquakes, and with some SpDef investment, some Focus Miss too (considering it will probably get a free turn from it as well). And letting a +2 Subbed rhyp isn't a smart thing to do. Fortunately it can OHKO the likes of boosted Omastar and Kabutops, and 2HKO Barbacle. It's just too bad it's slower than these and can get OHKO'd or 2HKO'd itself. Redundant, yes? For typing, well, bleh. One weakness is good, but it IS Ground, which is bad. and it can't really take any sort of Earthquake (or occasional earth power ;P) from anything. Hell, even Gligar 2HKOs. It only has2 Resistances for it to boast. While thy are more or less common ones (Grass and Electric), the pokemon it will be taking hits from are high powered, meaning 2HKOs or 3HKOs all round. The likes of Tangrowth and Roseila wall it senseless. Ice punch can remedy, but then what about Doulblade or Registeel (Reg can take Focus blast)? Eletric is a good offesnive type actually, but it just gets bulked out so hard it doesn't even really matter. It can sorta put some pressure on Defensive Slowkings, but with Regen and/or Slack Off, it will just get Toxic / Scald away. Escaviler also laughs itself from this thing and OHKOs with ease.
What counters it: Anything with Moderate bulk and/or can heal itself once or twice will stall the wires of his back. Reni, Delphox, Rhyp not scared of Focus Blast and Roseilia are good mentions. Tangrowth and Esca can just absolutely maw Eca down. I don't know why i didn't mention this before (o3o) but Rotom-M just bitches on his face not matter what he tries to pull out.
Typhlosion @ Choice Specs
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
Timid nature
-Eruption
-Fire Blast
-Focus Blast
-HP Grass
What it does: Pretty much nothing Delphox or Moltres can't. Although it has respectable speed and power, it is outclassed in almost every way. Although Specs Eruption hits hard, it is killed by Stealth Rock and priority, and basically cannot switch into any attacks at all. Also, as a revenge killer, base 100 speed is way too slow to be effective. When it utilizes a Choice Scarf, it lacks enough power. Because Eruption can only be effectively used if Typhlosion is 100% healthy, it is often a one-time trick. Delphox is much more useful, requiring much less support and bringing more to the table.
Good Teamates:
What Counters It: Anything with priority, or anything that can take an Eruption and wreck it back, like Alomomola and Slowking.
Claydol @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SDef / 252 HP / 4 Def
Sassy Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Ice Beam / Toxic
What It Does: Claydol is an overrated pokemon but it still has a lot of usage (5.05192% in April!). It is supposed to be a rapid spinner but it is stopped cold by any spinblocker as it can't do anything against them bar Toxic which can't do much as it is weak to their STAB. It is massive setup fodder for any sweeper not weak to its stab and harmless against common pokemons in the tier like Escavalier. It has common weaknesses to Water, Grass, Dark and Ghost and even Toxic Fodder. It is ouclassed in setting up screens by almost any user of the moves and ugly ;;;;;;
Good Teammates:
What Counters It: Any ghost type, Cresselia, Aromatisse, Amonguss and any bulky water type. Meloetta and Reuniclus can easily start setting up on it and then proceed to destroy your team.
Any Additional Info: 0 Atk Claydol Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Froslass: 109-129 (38.7 - 45.9%) -- guaranteed 3HKO lol it can't even 2hko the frailest Ghost type in the tier.
Hitmonchan (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Impish Nature
- Drain Punch
- Ice Punch
- Foresight
- Rapid Spin
AND
Hitmonchan (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Drain Punch
- Ice Punch
- Mach Punch
- Rapid Spin
What It Does: Well it's supposed to Foresight+Rapid Spin. But honestly i really don't see a reason to use it when its just so damn outclassed at what it does. As a defensive Rapid Spinner, there's little reason to use it over its counterpart Hitmontop, who can also Foresight Spin, is much bulkier, and has a great ability in Intimidate to make its job as a defensive Pokemon even easier, while Hitmonchan is still left with pretty damn mediocre bulk for something thats supposed to be a defensive spinner. As an offensive spinner, Hitmonlee does the job way better too, using Knock Off to threaten spinblockers and also functioning as a wallbreaker with the pure, unadulterated power of a reckless High Jump Kick coming off of base 120 Attack. Kabutops is much better as a spinner too tbh despite not being another hitmon. Even outside of pure Rapid Spinning, i'd use pretty much all of the defensive defoggers such as Gligar, Togetic, etc before this, it's honestly pretty garbo. Basically, unless you really need the Gligar coverage, don't use Hitmonchan, Foresight Spinner or otherwise (there are much better options than all out attacking Hitmonchan too lol) and a good team should be using something that can take out Gligar anyway instead of having to resort to Hitmonchan as a spinner.
Good Teammates: As tier leader i'm gonna say i don't see a point in filling this out for things you shouldn't be using. What's the point of suggesting teammates for bad pokemon anyway .-..
What Counters It: Bulky Ghost-types such as Cofagrigus, Gourgeist, and Jellicent can't exactly stop it from spinning because of the possibility of Foresight, but they can still take its attacks just fine even when vulnerable to Drain Punch (unless they're Doublade ofc), they can Burn it and cripple it, and easily wear it down with Shadow Ball/Leech Seed/Scald/Etc. Ghosts are still full stops to the second set either way. Bulky Psychic-types such as Cresselia, Reuniclus, and Slowking do a pretty good job as well, especially considering Hitmonchan doesn't learn Knock Off, just watch out for Thunderpunch in the latter's case. Honestly unless you're running 6 Pokemon weak to Fighting/Ice coverage, you shouldn't be having your entire team get swept by this thing
Any Additional Info: I could kinda understand this getting some sort of niche usage last gen, but this gen.... with Hitmontop, buffed Hitmonlee, and new hazard clearers such as Gligar and Togetic available? Ew.
Whimsicott @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SDef
Impish Nature
- Leech Seed
- Substitute
- U-turn
- Taunt
What it does: Annoys your opponent... nothing else. A prankster sub seeder sounds cool in theory until you realize you get walled by every grass type and pokemon with the ability magic guard and magic bounce. It also provides little support to your team and in most cases its just a wasted slot.
What counters it: Like I said, most grass types hard counter this set, Xatu can use Whimsicott as a set up fodder forcing Whimsicott out. Pokemon with Magic Guard such as Sigilyph and Reuniclus can smack Whimsicott with strong psychic STAB moves. Finally toxic and toxic spikes completely ruin Scott.
Additional comments: In conclusion, Sub seed Whimsicott wastes all his potential and makes a mediocre sub seeder. Cool if you want to troll your friends but in the ladder expect to have a hard time with this set.
Feel free to VM me with questions or suggestions, I'll consider them all. Get posting!
Welcome to the Team Building for RU project. This project was originally hosted by Huntofthelion, Nova and Asek a while back, and then the BW2 version was hosted by Subject18. I brought it back to OU for XY, and now it finds its way in the newly-established XY RU.
The aim of this project is to help newer players know what is, and isn't, viable to use on their RU teams and finding niches for less than common Pokemon that you haven't thought of. For this I want you guys to post sets that work well, or not so well, in the current metagame and explain why they do or do not work. This project is all about discussing which Pokemon are good at all the "roles" there are in RU. From Physical Sweepers to Hazard setters, we're looking to find what Pokemon are good at doing the job. Considering the usage stats, new players maybe confused as to what is good to use in the tier.
That's where you guys come in! By posting your favorite sets with a quick little description you can help save new users everywhere from using some of that more terrible sets, as well as helping them fill out their team by giving them a quick list of what fills different roles. Also feel free to post sets that people should not be using, yet still do. Remember however this is not the place to post over specialized / gimmick sets. Those sets belong in one of the creative move-set threads located in the RU sub-forum.
Other users can then comment on the set and discuss if it should be placed on the good or bad side of the fence. Discussion on sets is encouraged so don't worry about jumping in and offering your input on a posted set! If a pokemon fits under more than 1 category list the role it is geared towards the most first followed by the other roles it can perform with the same set. This is a great way for you people new to RU to see what are good additions to your teams so check in regularly to see which Pokemon work so you can improve your team building skills!
This project is also a great way to get noticed for that super cool Community Contributor badge that everyone wants, or if you already have it you can work towards keeping it, so don't feel like you need to be the winner to win!
This is what we'd like your posts providing sets to look like, and remember to export the set from a simulator so it's easily importable! It should including selling points as to why it is worthy of being considered for a spot on someones team. If the pokemon/set you post falls under the "what not to use" section point out both the good and the bad as well as mentioning the issues that it has. Since a lot of pokemon are somewhat niche and very underrated posting replays of these pokemon in use can be great support to sell the set and to give players an idea of how they should be using the pokemon. These replays can be put in the Additional Comments portion of your post.
Follow this format for your post:
What to use:
Virizion @ Lum Berry
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spe
Nature: Jolly
- Swords Dance
- Leaf Blade
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge
What it Does: Virizion is a unique sweeper thanks to its typing giving it a really good STAB combination. It has super effective and neutral coverage on many top physical walls and tanks in the tier such as Rhyperior, Registeel, Gligar, and Alomomola. Swords Dance gives Virizion the power it needs to sweep through teams reliably. Leaf Blade is the primary STAB move as it catches many physical walls and tanks for super effective or neutral damage. Close Combat smacks around most things that resist Leaf Blade, but this should be used only when necessary as it lowers Virizion's otherwise very good Special Defense upon use. Stone Edge gives much needed coverage on the likes of Moltres, Delphox, and Golbat, but you will need a boost and Rocks to get past the latter. EV spread is very simplistic and Jolly is used as Virizion sits just above Delphox. Lum Berry is very helpful as it allows Virizion to switch into Scald from bulky Waters without fear. This also allows Virizion to stay in on the likes of Uxie, Registeel, and Mega-Bannette should it already have a boost since it can tank at least one of their offensive moves and has Lum Berry to avert their status inducing moves.
Good Teammates: Virizion struggles with bulky Grass-types, especially Amoonguss. For this reason, Pokemon such as Moltres, Escavalier, and Durant make for great teammates. In particular, Moltres shares good defensive synergy with Virizion. Virizion also struggles with bulky Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon. If you can keep Stealth Rock off the field, then Zoroark is a fantastic lure for these. So long as you have Virizion as the 6th member of your team, Zoroark can come in disguised as Virizion to lure out these Pokemon and remove them with its Dark-type STAB move of choice.
What Counters it: Virizion has a very difficult time with Amoonguss as it 4x resists Leaf Blade and is the only common Grass-type that also resists Close Combat. It can use Clear Smog to remove any of Virizion's boost while simultanously hitting it for super effective damage. Bulky Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon such as Reuniclus, Cresselia, and Cofagrigus can tank any move and retaliate in various ways. Choice Scarf users such as Emboar and Moltres can easily revenge kill Virizion and can have some success switching in as both resist Leaf Blade (Moltres even resists Close Combat)
Additional Info: Life Orb is an option to use over Lum Berry for more power. Not much else otherwise. Virizion is a pretty straightforward physical sweeper. It may not have other move options, but it doesn't really need anything else to be successful.
Braviary @ Life Orb
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 SpD
Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- Superpower
- Return
- Roost
What it does: Braviary is surprisingly bulky for a bird pokemon. Because of this he lacks speed though, but that doesn't mean he's bad. Braviary has a very solid 120 attack stat. He also gets strong STABs and various coverage moves on top of that. Boost his power a bit with Life Orb and you will deal heavy damage to most pokemon. 3 attacks are enough to hit most things so last moveslot goes to Roost. This is basically to heal all the recoil damage. Another great niche he has is that he can punish defog users. Although he is not as effective as other defiant users, he can still pull it off. He lacks the speed and priority to make full use of it but hit bulk compensates for that.
Good Teammates: Fast threats and priority are a problem for Braviary. A fast pokemon like Sharpedo or a good priority user like Zoroark are very good. Defensive steel types can also tank the super effective hits Braviary himself can't. A good rapid spinner is also very desirable. Being able to switch in without much harm is essential for him to survive. Defog support is not really needed since that breaks the purpose of Defiant. If you don't have your own hazards that the opponent wants gone, there is no point in using this thing as a fast bulky attacker.
What Counters it: I've already mentioned it before. Fast pokemon that can also deal a lot of damage. A good example is Heliolisk. He is faster, deals super effective damage and has lots of coverage options. Switching in a ground type to stop the Volt Switch/TBolt isn't always the best idea because he can carry Grass Knot or Surf. Priority moves can also wreck Braviary if his health is low from recoil. He can't heal up, he has to switch but switching in later will also be difficult because of rocks. This is why I also mentioned that rapid spin support is essential.
Any Additional Info: After Tornadus' ban, Braviary is most likely the best Defiant user/Defog punisher in RU. A hazard focused team should always consider using a pokemon like this since it will support the team immensely.
Gallade @ Life Orb
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spe
Nature: Jolly
- Substitute
- Drain Punch
- Psycho Cut
- Knock Off
What it Does: Sub + 3 Attacks Gallade is quite the pain for many teams to face. Usually, Gallade's biggest problem is its inability to net more than 2 KOs against most offensive teams. However, this set fixes that by using Substitute to shield Gallade from revenge killers and status users alike. Drain Punch gives this set great flexibility and solid power. Psycho Cut hammers Fighting- and Poison-types while also dealing solid damage to Aromatisse. Knock Off finishes off the set by smashing bulky Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon that could otherwise handle Gallade's STAB moves with ease. While most Gallade sets use Adamant and some don't even run max Speed, this one uses Jolly and max Speed to outpace as many threats as possible. Life Orb seems odd on a Substitute user, but Drain Punch's healing side effect makes this possible, and helps to make up for the power lost from using Jolly.
Good Teammates: As Gallade lacks the ability to boost its Attack stat with Swords Dance, entry hazard users are great teammates. Froslass, Rhyperior, Registeel, and Bronzong can reliably setup entry hazards to chip away at Gallade's checks and counters. Paralysis support from stuff like Registeel and Uxie is nice so Gallade can have an easier time sweeping late-game. Emboar and Moltres nice to check Spiritomb, Durant, and Escavalier. Use Grass-types like Rotom-C and Virizion to deal with Alomomola and physically defensive Gastrodon as Gallade can't overwhelm them like Swords Dance sets can.
What Counters It: Toxic Spikes suck a ton since you can't use Substitute freely. Alomomola, physically defensive Gastrodon, and Tangrowth are too damn bulky to break. Eviolite Golbat that invest in enough Speed to outpace Gallade are annoying since Infiltrator will allow it to bludgeon Gallade with Brave Bird, even if a Substitute is up. Spiritomb can tank any hit and has Infiltrator to bypass Substitute, so needless to say, it sucks. Multi-hit moves, such as Cinccino's Tail Slap can break through Gallade's Substitutes and still cause serious, if not lethal, damage.
Any Additional Info: Ice Punch can be used to take a dump on Gligar and hit Tangrowth harder than anything else can. Stone Edge if you don't want to rely on Rocks to donk Moltres without dying. X-Scissor if you want to hit Tangrowth and retain coverage on most Psychics. Uh, that's about it!
Barbaracle @ Life Orb / White Herb
Ability: Tough Claws
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
- Shell Smash
- Razor Shell
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
What it does: Barbaracle is a very dangerous physical sweeper, simply because it has good enough bulk to let it survive a neutral hit, set-up, and muscle its way through the opponent's team easily. With an Adamant nature, Life Orb, Tough Claws, and Shell Smash, Barbaracle becomes very scary at +2, being able to KO any slightly weakened wall, and OHKO a lot of frailer Pokemon. Razor Shell is the STAB of choice because it's boosted by Tough Claws, making its base power equal to that of Stone Edge's, while having better accuracy than the latter. Stone Edge, on the other hand, is used to hit Pokemon that aren't hit as hard by Razor Shell, examples are Tangrowth and Alomomola, which Barbaracle can beat (2HKOs both with LO assuming they're 252/252+ Def) given the fact that they have been weakened enough, which usually isn't a lot. It's also worth noting that it effectively OHKOs Amoonguss and Slowking at +2 LO, while having a 12.5% chance to OHKO Virizion with SR on the field. And finally, Earthquake is good neutral coverage, for when you think it's enough to kill a Pokemon and don't want to risk Razor Shell or Stone Edge to miss.
Good teammates: Barbaracle really appreciates Stealth Rock in the field, so a good user of that is very appreciated. It has good synergy with Druddigon, so that's a good teammate. Registeel is another candidate, too, but they have a shared Ground weakness, so beware of that. It also likes dual screen support, which makes Meowstic a very good teammate.
What counters it: If it's using Life Orb, then it will often weaken itself to the point where a relatively strong priority attack will kill it. Mach Punch from Hitmonlee, or Sucker Punch from Life Orb Zoroark. Basically, revenge-killing it with priority is always effective assuming it's non-White Herb. A healthy Tangrowth with max HP will always live a +2 Life Orb Stone Edge assuming it's at 100% health, otherwise it'll OHKO. Otherwise, not many things stand up to its face.
Any additional info:
Durant @ Life Orb
Ability: Hustle
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Jolly Nature
- Iron Head
- X-Scissor
- Hone Claws
- Rock Slide
What It Does: Durant is one of the best sweepers in the whole RU metagame, with an amazing base 109 speed, our little ant can outspeed dangerous sweepers such as Moltres and Zoroark and with a great typing and a great base attack boosted by hustle this pokemon can sweep entire teams. Iron head and X-Scissor are the best STAB moves that durant gets, hone claws is a perfect boosting move for Durant becasuse it allows it to boost its already high attack to sky levels and fix the hustle accuarcy drop, finally rock slide allows durant to destroy Moltres who otherwise walls it.
Good Teammates: This Durant set is walled by most steel types like Registeel and Steelix , therefore a fire type like delphox shares great offensive synergy with Durant. Delphox takes care of the steel types while Durant takes care of Slowking and Aromatisse two walls that Delphox has trouble with. A dual screener can set up light screen to boost its low Special Defense and Reflect to boost its already high Defense causing durant to set hone claws easier.
What Counters It: Steel types like Steelix and Registeel resist all Durant's moves and can cripple it with thunder wave or phaze it out with dragon tail. Faster offensive pokemon such as Sceptile can come in a hone claws and roast Durant with Hidden Power Fire. Finally, gligar can wall durant with roost but can't do much in return.
Other Options: Superpower can be used to do more damage to steel types, but the attack and defense drops can hinder Durant's sweeping potential. Crunch is another viable option taking care of Cofagrigus and Dusclops but rock slide is generally better. Finally, batton pass can be a last resort if you don't want to waste that hone claws boost but Durant has better things to do.
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 216 HP / 252 Atk / 40 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Acrobatics
- Will-O-Wisp
- Roost
Role: Physical Sweeper, Revenge Killer, Late Game Cleaner
What It Does: Just like its evolution Talonflame in OU, Fletchinder's saving grace is its access to priority Flying-type moves, and while it doesn't have access to Brave Bird like its evolution, Acrobatics is still more than enough to make Fletchinder a solid revenge killer and physical sweeper in the RU metagame. Although Fletchinder might look too frail and Stealth Rock weak to set up at first, it actually gets plenty of changes to do so in the hands of a good player thanks to its typing, Will-O-Wisp and priority recovery, which lets it switch in on things such as Escavalier, Cobalion lacking Stone Edge, Aromatisse, and Sceptile, as well as priority Acrobatic's ability to force switches, meaning it can actually get a boost and sweep more often than not. Lastly Fletchinder's unique access to Will-O-Wisp among Flying-types allows it to cripple common resistances to Flying-type moves such as Rhyperior, not just lowering their attack, but doing chip damage over the course of the match until they end up in KO range and Fletchinder can sweep.
Good Teammates: As a Fire/Flying type that's 4x weak to Stealth Rock, a Pokemon that can clear entry hazards is heavily suggested when using Fletchinder. Luckily, both of the good offensive spinners (Hitmonlee and Kabutops) and the best offensive Defog User (Shiftry) synergize pretty well with Fletchinder. For example, outside of simply spinning Hitmonlee's extremely powerful High Jump Kick lets it OHKO the Rock/Steel-types that get in Fletch's way, and generally break through bulky things that Fletchinder couldn't hope to great through. Kabutops really appreciates Fletchinder's ability to threaten various Fighting- and Grass-types that give it trouble. While Shiftry is capable of OHKOing Rhyperior, taking Volt Switches from things such as Heliolisk and Jolteon from Fletchinder, and also appreciates Fletchinder's ability to check things like Hitmonlee and Virizion just like Kabutops. Outside of simply clearing hazards, Fletchinder really appreciates Pokemon that can take advantage of the Rock- and Steel-types that can take its Acrobatics, such as Rhyperior. Virizion works really well here, using its great dual STAB combination and good resistances to force out/take advantage of both kinds of Pokemon, especially if they get crippled by Will-O-Wisp, not to mention Kabutops/Fletchinder/Virizion has the potential to form a pretty neat FWG. Lastly, like really any other sweeper but especially in Fletchinder's case, spikes support is really great, they really help wear the aforementioned Rock- and Steel-types, which are almost always grounded, and generally helps +2 Fletchinder get KOs against bulkier opponents that might usually just barely survive otherwise, making it that much easier to just cleave through a team.
What Counters It: As mentioned multiple times before, Rock- and Steel-types are your best bet at stopping Fletchinder most of the time, they can take repeated Acrobatics, usually threaten Fletchinder in return, and in a lot of cases even set up Stealth Rock to pressure bird even further, although you have to be pretty wary of Will-O-Wisp chip damage racking up over the course of the game. Good examples of Pokemon that fall into this category include Rhyperior, Registeel, Magneton, Kabutops, and Doublade to an extent. Outside of these, Electric-types such as Heliolisk, Jolteon, and Lanturn are also solid at checking Fletchinder on offense, but are significantly easier to wear down into KO range thanks to their poor defenses, which means anyone relying on them to beat fletch has to be pretty careful. Alomomola doesn't resist flying-type moves, but its more than bulky enough to take some +2 Acrobatics and attempt to Toxic Stall fletchinder. If all else fails, if you see Fletch on the opposing team, just try and set up Stealth Rock as quickly as possible and try as hard as you can to keep it up, they might not be the end all be all but they really help limit just how much damage Fletchinder can take/stop it from setting up as easily.
Any Additional Info: NOW YOU LOSE
Delphox @ Life Orb
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 HP
Timid Nature
- Calm Mind
- Grass Knot
- Fire Blast
- Psyshock
What It Does: Fantastic speed tier, awesome coverage and with Life Orb it hits like a truck even before any Calm Mind boosts. Its offensive typing is pretty perfect for beating many of the popular walls in the tier such as Amoonguss, Tangrowth, Aromatisse, Bronzong, Registeel and a number of others. Against offensively inclined teams, there are no safe switch ins and it generally just spams its high powered STAB moves. Against defensive teams it finds ample opportunities to set up calm mind boosts to smash through any pokes that can normally take it on. Its access to Psyshock is key here, as it allows Delphox to beat what should be special walls like Aromatisse without worry. This can also be extremely helpful in a CM war as it allows you to hit the unboosted defensive stat. Overall just a really powerful pokemon that puts pressure on all team archetypes.
Good Teammates: With its relatively low bulk and bad defensive typing Delphox finds it difficult to come in safely so volt-turn strategies suit it well. This includes pokes like Heliolisk, Braviary and Swellow. Having a weakness to stealth rocks while also being affected by all other forms of hazards is really very damaging so a Defog/ Rapid Spin user is very helpful. This is especially true of mons like Skuntank and Shiftry who can threaten bulky psychics which sometimes give delphox trouble (Cresselia, Slowking, Grumpig lol etc).
What Counters It: Slowking's large special bulk and resistance to Delphox's dual STAB make it the best check but after a couple of Calm Mind boosts Delphox can handle a Scald fairly nicely and can hit back with a powerful Grass Knot. Alomomola with some special defence investment can take it on to an extent but very often it can lose its battle. Dugtrio is by far the best offensive check but any physical threat which outspeeds, such as cincinno or stone edge cobalion can easily revenge kill. A lot of priority also beats Delphox so it must be wary of sucker punch users such as Skuntank and Emboar or aqua jet users like Gatr or Kabutops.
Any Additional Info: Running Life Orb can often shorten Delphox's life span so running leftovers can make sure it gets a chance to make use of any CM boosts it builds up. The loss of Life Orb is very noticeable however as Delphox's Spa isn't that high without any boosts. In line with running leftovers, Substitute can be used over Grass Knot to avoid status or sucker punches allowing you to sweep more easily in some situations.
Reuniclus @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Psyshock
- Shadow Ball / Focus Blast
- Recover
What It Does: Reuniclus will Calm Mind several times once the strong Pokemon with super effective moves against it are gone (e.g. Escavalier, Zoroark). Once it's gained a few Calm Mind boosts there are very few things in the tier that can actually 2HKO it, and if you can't 2HKO Reuniclus then it will recover stall against you until it's healthy enough to kill you or continue boosting with Calm Mind. Psyshock's a great move because it ruins other Calm Mind boosters that try and set up alongside you, although to be honest most of them in this tier are Psychic-types who run Psyshock too (e.g. Delphox, Meloetta, Cresselia), shadow ball hits everything Psyshock doesn't except for dark types, while focus blast misses and runs out of PP hits everything Psyshock doesn't except for Psychic-types. Shadow Ball is usually the better choice, just because with Focus Blast you are definitely losing to other Calm Mind boosters that aren't Meloetta. Magic Guard and terrible Speed means that the only status Reuniclus minds is sleep / freeze, and even then a lot of sleep users in the tier can't usually manage to kill it before it wakes up and Recovers / Psyshocks them. This means it doesn't have to carry Substitute or Rest like Cresselia often has to to avoid Toxics.
Good Teammates: Pokemon that can deal with dark types such as Zoroark or Skuntank / Drapion are greatly appreciated, such as Cobalion. A fire type to deal with Escavalier and Durant is also appreciated, such as Moltres or Emboar. It chills out pretty happily on stall teams as well, being a good stop to most of the fighting types in the tier (because max def is usually not 2HKOed by Knock Off) as well as being a great win condition. On more offensive teams it can act as a win condition against stall once haze Pokemon are weakened enough and providing that they aren't carrying a Reuniclus themselves.
What Counters It: As alluded to twice before, the steel bugs Escavalier and Durant give it a lot of trouble because they can pretty cleanly 2HKO it. Zoroark can also take it out, and Skuntank can Taunt / haze it to stop any boosting in its tracks. Any Pokemon that gets Taunt and isn't weak to Psyshock will stop its shenanigans decently, and Pokemon that carry haze or phazing moves can also stop it from setting up. When it gets down to last Pokemon Reuniclus situations it's a lot harder to deal with because you can't phaze it, but if you still have your hard hitting physical attackers it shouldn't pose too much of a threat.
Omastar @ White Herb / Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim / Weak Armor
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SDef / 252 Spe
Nature: Modest
- Shell Smash
- Hydro Pump / Surf
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power Grass
What it Does: Shell Smash Omastar is extremely dangerous in any metagame it's in, and RU is no different; if not prepared for, this set will take lives. A +2 boost on both Special Attack and Speed will make Omastar a force to be reckoned with. This set is designed to do one thing: set up and proceed to hammer the opposition with powerful attacks. However, there are a lot of things that can stop Omastar, so those should be taken out before attempting to set up and sweep, because its main item, White Herb, is one-use only, and if you're not using it, the defense drops will most likely cause it to take a lot of damage setting up. Fire-types are usually the easiest Pokemon to set up on, as Omastar only takes 1/4 damage from Fire-type attacks. The moves that Omastar runs are pretty self explanatory, since they attain nearly perfect coverage. The only thing is for Omastar's Water-type STAB, Hydro Pump is preferred, though Surf is an option if you don't want to risk missing.
Good Teammates: Because Grass-types happen to absolutely destroy Omastar, packing something to take care of them, such as a Fire-type, is highly recommended. A powerful physical attacker that can take down the special walls that trouble Omastar is also recommended. A good Pokemon that can do both those jobs, such as Choice Band Emboar, is also great. If using Swift Swim, be sure to pack a Rain setter such as Ludicolo to take advantage of that massive speed boost.
What Counters It: Because Omastar is x4 weak to Grass, Grass-types have a much easier time checking Omastar. Special walls are also good answers towards Omastar, because it relies so much on its special attacks. Pokemon that possess both these qualities, such as Assault Vest Tangrowth and Amoonguss, are the best answers to Omastar in RU. Additionally, because Omastar has no priority attacks, many Choice Scarf users can still outspeed it after a +2 boost and KO it. If Omastar is weak enough, a priority attack like a Mach Punch from Hitmonlee could be extremely threatening towards a potential sweep.
Any Additional Info: Modest is the preferred nature, though Timid can be used go a little faster, and outspeed base 100 Choice Scarf users after +2. Lum Berry can be used as an item to prevent a Thunder Wave user from stopping Omastar's sweep cold. Finally, Omastar has a reliable secondary STAB in Earth Power, but the above set has such great coverage that Omastar will usually end up giving some of it up.
Yanmega @ Life Orb
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Protect
- Bug Buzz
- Air Slash
- Giga Drain / Hidden Power Fire
Role: Late-game Cleaner, Special Sweeper
What It Does: Thanks to Speed Boost and a good Special Attack stat further strengthened with Life Orb, Yanmega makes a great late-game sweeper that has copious amounts of both speed and power. Unlike other late-game cleaners, Yanmega is rarely hindered by the opponent's Scarfed Pokemon due to its accumulation of Speed boosts, easily brushing past Pokemon like Emboar and Rotom-C. Protect is instrumental, allowing Yanmega to grab an initial boost against faster opponents, as well as easily letting it run a Modest nature without fear of being outsped. Bug Buzz and Air Slash are Yanmega's best STABs, and together have decent enough coverage that Yanmega is not hindered by weaker, unSTABbed coverage options. In the final slot, Giga Drain is the attack of choice, hitting Pokemon like Rhyperior, Gastrodon, and Alomomola that could be difficult to get past, as well as giving a helpful HP boost to offset the effect of Life Orb.
Good Teammates: A Pokemon to remove Stealth Rock is necessary, greatly improving Yanmega's chances of safely switching in and pulling off a sweep, as well as letting it take more Life Orb recoil. Hitmonlee and Kabutops are generally the best options, as they are both very threatening to the special walls that Yanmega needs weakened, and are also good at wearing down the opponent's team with powerful attacks. A reliable hazard setter such as Cobalion or Rhyperior is also a good teammate to have, as well as Spikes-stackers such as Froslass or Qwilfish, as both hazards severely wear down the opponent's Pokemon, particularly bulkier ones like Druddigon, Escavalier, and Moltres that can take one of Yanmega's attacks and retaliate. Dugtrio can eliminate or weaken several key counters to Yanmega, such as Registeel, and Moltres does a good job taking on both the aforementioned Registeel and Doublade, two Steel-types that Yanmega has no hope of getting past.
What Counters It: Bulky Steel-types like Registeel, Escavalier, and Doublade are Yanmega's worst nightmare, as all of them will almost always win a 1-on-1 matchup against Yanmega provided they're reasonably healthy. Most walls or tanks, most notably defensive or bulky variants of Moltres, will be a roadblock to a successful sweep, and must be weakened or eliminated before Yanmega can sweep safely. Other than those specific Pokemon, anything with a moderately powerful attack and the ability to safely take on at least one of Yanmega's attacks (particularly special attackers like Assault Vest Meloetta) can severely damage and sometimes outright KO Yanmega, seeing as it's not very bulky, and these Pokemon must also be weakened before a sweep. Finally, paralysis absolutely ruins Yanmega, so it needs to tread carefully around Pokemon like Druddigon that may carry a paralysis-inducing move.
Any Additional Info: If you didn't get it already from this being literally 2/3 of the above entry, do not expect Yanmega to sweep with stuff like Registeel around.
Tauros @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 244 Atk / 252 Spd / 12 SAtk
Naive Nature
- Rock Climb
- Ice Beam / Fire Blast
- Earthquake
- Zen Headbutt
What It Does: Tauros is a straight forward Pokemon. It's a fast hard hitting sweeper who can threaten a lot of the metagame. with a good attack stat and Life Orb + Sheer Force boosting it's power even more, it can threaten a large portion of the metagame. The reason it's better then other physical sweepers is because it has a way to get around some of the premier physical walls in the tier (Tangrowth, Gligar, Golbat, Steelix). The ev's maximise Attack and speed while giving it enough sp. attack ev's to 2hko the mentioned walls. Ice Beam beats Tangrowth and Gligar while Fire Blast helps it get past Steelix, Tangrowth, and Ferroseed all of whom shrug off his other attacks.
Good Teammates: Like most offensive pokemon Tauros appreciates hazard support. Qwilfish is one of the better partners for Tauros because it can not only set up spikes but also take the fighting attacks aimed at him. Taurus is also relatively frail so you won't be able to just switch him in easily. This is why ghost types like Mismagius, Rotom, and Spirtomb make good partners. Rotom is probably the best partner because it can take the fighting types aimed at Tauros, cripple them with burns and then Volt Switch to bring in Tauros safely.
What Counters It: Pokemon who are bulky on both sides of the spectrum are a good stop for Tauros. Slowking for example with it's great defense and sp. defense can take it's hits with ease and cripple it with Scald burns or T-Wave. Another problem is that it suffers from 4 move slot syndrome and depending on what coverage move it runs (Fire Blast or Ice Beam) it can be easily stopped. If running Fire Blast Gligar, and Golbat can stop him hard and if Ice Beam, Steelix and Ferroseed stop him stone cold.
Additional Info: You could opt to run Fire Blast and Ice Beam on the same set and forgo earthquake all together but Earthquakes hits a lot of more pokemon harder then Fire Blast or Ice Beam will. Choice Band is an option and turns Tauros into more of a Wall Breaker then Late Game Cleaner. But being locked into Ice Beam is less then favorable especially when the switch out. Choice Scarf can also be run to make Tauros a great revenge killer since it will outspeed most of the tier with a scarf. Finally you can forgo Ice Beam and Fire Blast all together in which case you should run Earthquake and Rock slide or Substitute but their are other pokemon better for this in the tier and getting past some of the most common physical walls is one of the major advantages of Tauros.
Ability: Illusion
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Nature: Naive
- Knock Off
- Flamethrower
- Grass Knot
- Sucker Punch
Role: Mixed Sweeper, Wallbreaker
What it Does: Zoroark is perhaps the best mixed sweeper in the tier. Sporting great mixed offenses, a solid movepool, and great moves, Zoroark is hard to stop once it gets going. Knock Off is Zoroark's main STAB move. It has great power, removes opposing Pokemon's items to disrupt their strategies, and is a great move in general. Flamethrower is nice to nail Steel-types, especially Registeel and Cobalion. Be aware that you will have to catch the latter on a switch since it outspeeds Zoroark. Flamethrower is also nice for catching the likes of Tangrowth and the physically bulky Doublade. Grass Knot destroys Rhyperior, and also does very solid damage to Alomomola and Gastrodon. Sucker Punch rounds out the set by dealing out damage to Pokemon that normally outspeed Zoroark. It's also nice to get some decent damage on Hitmonlee if you have no reliable switch-in for it when it comes in on Zoroark. (though you should have one) The EVs maximize Zoroark's physical attacking prowess as it generally doesn't need investment in Special Attack to deal with what it needs to.
Good Teammates: Zoroark can't really get past Aromatisse no matter what it tries to do. Using Pokemon such as Delphox, Escavalier, and Moltres is a great way to take advantage of an Aromatisse switch-in. As ironic as it sounds, having an Aromatisse of your own isn't a bad idea considering it's one of very few reliable Hitmonlee switch-ins RU has to offer and Lee will commonly be sent out to revenge kill Zoroark. Spikes support from the likes of Froslass, Omastar, and Accelgor is nice since many of Zoroark's checks and counters are grounded. On the flip side, Sticky Web support can make Zoroark lethal against offensive teams, as the likes of Cobalion, Sceptile, Jolteon, and Virizion no longer outspeed it and are forced to take a hit before being able to possibly attack Zoroark. Choice Scarf Pokemon in general can cause Zoroark issues should they be able to take a Sucker Punch. For this reason, defensive pivots such as Slowking, Rhyperior, and Amoonguss are good options. While there shouldn't be a designated teamslot for it, having a Pokemon you ideally want Zoroark to disguise itself as upon entering battle can help maximize Zoroark's effectiveness. As Aromatisse and Hitmonlee are big obstacles for Zoroark, disguising it as Doublade, Braviary, Delphox, or Escavalier will make these Pokemon hesitant to switch in at first, likely giving Zoroark enough time to take out what it needs to.
What Counters It: Aromatisse. Simply put, there is nothing Zoroark can do to OHKO it while Aromatisse is OHKOing back with Moonblast. Cobalion and Virizion not only outspeed Zoroark and resist Sucker Punch, they also benefit from it thanks to Justified. Registeel doesn't exactly like Flamthrower, but it can take one easily and cripple Zoroark with paralysis. Sticky Web can really put a damper on Zoroark as its defenses aren't exactly that good and it relies on Speed quite a bit. Hitmonlee can easily come in and revenge kill Zoroark, but it can have some issues switching in. Emboar actually resists every move on this set and can easily KO with any STAB move due to Zoroark's frailty. However, Emboar is usually quite reliant on its item to perform its specific role, so it doesn't appreciate Knock Off at all. Choice Scarf users that can outspeed Zoroark and take a Sucker Punch are all capable of revenge killing it. Moltres, Emboar, Rotom-C, and Braviary are all capable of doing this. Most naturally faster Pokemon are incapable of handling a Sucker Punch, but Durant is one of the few exceptions.
Any Additional Info: If you use Sticky Web support, Naughty is an option. Otherwise, fool people with your Illusion. Watch as the best answer to your primary sweeper goes down. Enjoy sweeping with your primary sweeper or Zoroark itself.
Doublade @ Eviolite
Ability: No Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Shadow Sneak
- Iron Head
- Sacred Sword
What It Does: Doublade hits hard off its base 110 attack with useful coverage in the form of sacred sword. It can boost its offenses with swords dance and finish off faster targets with shadow sneak. Many physical attackers who lack a strong ground, fire, dark or ghost move will find themselves hard-pressed to get past the pair of swords without taking major damage in the process. Doublade hits awfully hard after a swords dance or two and its typing combined with its sky-high physical bulk leaves Doublade able to set up in the face of a lot of offensive threats.
Good Teammates: Aromatisse is capable of taking knock offs, passing wishes and removing any pesky burns, all of which Doublade greatly appreciates. Doublade also appreciates things to take special attacks like Slowking or Dragalge, who can set toxic spikes to wear down opponents faster while Doublade prevents them from being spun away. Exploud discourages the use of any ghost moves while it's alive and healthy, forcing your opponent to predict accordingly while Doublade is out to avoid giving Exploud a free switch-in.
What Counters It: Qwilfish switches into anything Doublade can throw at it and can either set hazards or chip it down with waterfall while black sludge heals off the damage, then haze away Doublade's boosts if it tries to set up. Moltres has an easy time switching into iron head or sacred sword and OHKOing Doublade with fire blast, though it must be cautious of the rare rock slide. Rotom-C can come in and burn Doublade with will-o-wisp, which thanks to Doublade's ability will hit 100% of the time. Physically bulky knock off users like Drapion can remove Doublade's eviolite and finish it off with EQ, though it will take a lot of damage in the process. Finally, the rare Pelipper takes pitiful damage from all of Doublade's attacks and can easily roost off the damage while fishing for scald burns.
Any Additional Info: Doublade's low speed isn't worth investing in, and it prefers eviolite over any other item to keep its bulk as high as possible. Doublade already beats everything with wings not named Moltres or Yanmega, so unless you're looking specifically to bait them in, sacred sword is a better coverage option than rock slide. Doublade's lack of reliable recovery and passive healing from leftovers kill any chance of running a purely defensive set, and its support movepool is rather dry. Iron head is more reliable than gyro ball, hitting slower targets harder and allowing Doublade to outspeed slow threats like Reuniclus and Escavalier. Shadow claw can be used over shadow sneak if you have another reliable source of priority, but usually iron head is enough in the way of strong STAB.
Slowking @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 216 SAtk / 44 SDef
Nature: Modest
- Scald
- Psyshock
- Fire Blast
- Dragon Tail
What it Does: Assault Vest Slowking can best be described as a glue Pokemon for teams in need of power, but needing the ability to reliably handle the likes of Delphox and Moltres. Thanks to Regenerator, Slowking can easily run Assault Vest to soak up virtually any special attack that isn't a STAB super effective one. Even if the target you're trying to switch into predicts with a super effective move, Slowking can just switch back out to the appropriate response and regain 33% of its max HP. Scald is a cool move on AV Slowking as the 30% burn chance can make it incredibly annoying to take down. Psyshock is used over Psychic as most Fighting-types, especially Gallade, have lower Defense than Special Defense. Plus, you're already smashing Rhyperior and Gligar with Scald anyway. Fire Blast is nice to beat up on shit like Cobalion, Registeel, Escavalier, and Bronzong. Dragon Tail finishes off the set and can be used to rack up entry hazard damage early on. This is particularly useful as Slowking's typing deters about every Spinner from coming in naturally while most Defog users are SR weak. EV spread rounds down passive damage and hits the final boost point provided by nature. The rest is put in Special Defense to amplify the effects of Assault Vest a little more. Modest is a no-brainer for the nature so Slowking can hit hard enough.
Good Teammates: Slowking fits well with many defensive and offensive Pokemon alike. Defensively, Rhyperior, Registeel, Amoonguss, and Tangrowth all gel well with Slowking. Good offensive partners include Virizion, Emboar, Cobalion, and Moltres. As AV Slowking runs Dragon Tail, Spikes support can really amplify the shuffling ability Slowking has. Froslass is a go-to Spikes setter for offensive-minded teams while teams looking for a bulkier Spikes user can utilize Roselia. Slowking absolutely hates Knock Off, so anything that can deal with it is appreciated. Cobalion and Virizion both have Justified to actually benefit from it while Tangrowth and Amoonguss have Regenerator to make up for the lack of Leftovers if need be.
What Counters It: Durant sucks.... a ton. Although it has difficulty coming in directly on Slowking, the steel ant can easily come in after a KO or through Dragon Tail phazing and immediately threaten Slowking with its powerful X-Scissor. Assault Vest Tangrowth running Power Whip will seriously dent, if not OHKO, Slowking as it lacks physical defense investment like most variants of its defensive set. If Druddigon carries one of Thunder Punch, Sucker Punch, or the lesser seen Crunch, it is going to beat Slowking handily, especially if these attacks are boosted by Sheer Force. Fighting-types such as Gallade and Hitmonlee can inflict serious amounts of damage with Knock Off, but will generally need Slowking worn down a little bit to ensure the KO so they don't get drilled with Psyshock after their attack. Any user of Toxic or Toxic Spikes can really hamper Slowking. Although most users of these moves can't beat Slowking one-on-one, this will keep Slowking from staying in for very long. Bronzong, Registeel, Alomomola, and opposing defensive Slowking are all capable of running Toxic while Drapion, Roselia, and Cofagrigus can all utilize Toxic Spikes.
Any Additional Info: If phazing isn't your cup of tea, there are a couple of coverage moves to consider on Assault Vest Slowking. Ice Beam seems redundant with Fire Blast, but it is able to deal serious damage to the likes of Druddigon and Sigilyph. Grass Knot trips up opposing Slowking for decent damage while also offering up something to hit Seismitoad, Jellicent, and Gastrodon with harder. Remember, just because Slowking is running all attack moves doesn't mean it's a wallbreaker. It is likely going to be a key to keeping your team together and being super resilient against most special attackers due to its typing, ability, and incredible special bulk with the AV boost.
Escavalier @ Assault Vest
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Megahorn
- Iron Head
- Knock Off
- Drill Run / Pursuit
What It Does: Escavalier is an awesome Pokemon right now in the RU tier. It is an amazing Tank capable of taking all sort of non-Fire special hits and dish out insane damage. It is the bane of almost any Grass and Psychic type in the tier thanks to its typing and ability that got buffed this gen as it now gives it an Immunity to Powder moves and Hail Damage.
Assault Vest is an amazing item for a Pokemon like Escavalier that has good defenses but mediocre support movepool and it lets it run Max Attack without bug bulk losses.
Its STAB coverage leaves a lot to be desired but Megahorn and Iron Head coming off 405 Attack are nothing to scoff at. Knock Off is the best move to spam early game as almost nothing enjoys losing its item and the Fairy and Dark Types resisting it crumble at its STAB moves. Drill Run Escavalier's only means to hit Fire and Steel types like Emboar and Registeel but Pursuit is perfectly usable to trap physically frail mons and Psychic or Ghost types like Meloetta and Delphox locked into the wrong move.
The EV spread gives it a Stealth Rock number and lets Escavalier hit as hard as possible.
Good Teammates: Escavalier fits well on Balanced and Bulky Offensive teams that need something to take on special attackers while having a good offensive presence.
Water types are awesome partners as they appreciate Escavalier's ability to deal with troubling Grass types and they can take Fire moves for it so Alomomola and Slowking are good partners. The former also has Wish to heal Escavalier that is pretty prone to being worn down and the latter has Trick Room. Druddigon is another amazing offensive partner as it likes its Ice and Fairy weakness covered while dealing with Fire types really well in return.
What Counters It: Escavalier is really prone to being worn down as it is the slowest pokemon in the Tier, is vulnerable to all Entry Hazards and doesn't use Leftovers. Fire Types like Moltres can switch into any move and OHKO with ease in return. Bulky Steel types like Registeel can also take a lot of it and set up Stealth Rock. Mega Banette and other ghost types can switch into Megahorn and Burn it or remove its Assault Vest with Knock Off. Gligar and Golbat hate Knock Off but they can generally take hit for days and wear down Escavalier with their STAB moves. Finally, powerful physical attackers such as LO Hitmonlee can take Escavalier out with a bit of prior damage
Any Additional Info: A 174 HP / 252 Atk / 84 Spe Spread can be used to outspeed uninvested Aromatisse and Slowking and do a lot of damage with a STAB move. A ResTalk Specially Defensive set with either Leftovers or a Chesto Berry as an item can also be used but it is not that reliable and has to drop Knock Off or a STAB move. Also it doesn't hit that hard.
Escavalier @ Choice Band
Ability: Overcoat / Swarm
EVs: 174 HP / 252 Atk / 84 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Megahorn
- Iron Head
- Knock Off
- Drill Run / Pursuit
What It Does: This set takes a more offensive approach than the Assault Vest set and can surprise its usual checks.
Choice Band Megahorn hits like a truck and can 2HKO a lot of frail resistances.
Its STAB coverage is not great but Megahorn and Iron Head's power makes up for that. Knock Off is still the best move to spam early game as almost nothing enjoys losing its item and the Fairy and Dark Types resisting it crumble at its STAB moves. Drill Run Escavalier's only means to hit Fire and Steel types like Emboar and Registeel but Pursuit is even more viable as it punishes Ghost and Psychic types trying to stay in. It is not a good move to be locked into however. Swarm is also viable as it makes Megahorn a nuke at low health.
The EV spread lets it outspeed uninvested Base 30 Pokemon such as Slowking and Cofagrigus and heavily damage them. Use 0 Speed EVs and a Brave Nature if you have Trick Room support.
Good Teammates: This Escavalier fits well on Bulky Offensive teams looking for a powerful tank that can deal a lot of damage to common walls like Cresselia and Aromatisse
Water types are awesome partners as they appreciate Escavalier's ability to deal with troubling Grass types and they can take Fire moves for it. Slowking is the best Choice as it sets up Trick Room that makes it insanely fast and poweful at the same time. Cofagrigus is an awesome partner for the same reason and it also appreciates Dark Types weakened. Druddigon likes Trick Room too and has good sinergy with it as Steel Types have difficulties handling both of them.
What Counters It: Escavalier is really prone to being worn down as it is the slowest pokemon in the Tier, is vulnerable to all Entry Hazards and doesn't use Leftovers. Fire Types like Moltres can switch into any move and OHKO with ease in return. Bulky Steel types like Registeel can also take a lot of it and set up Stealth Rock. Ghost types can switch into any move and Burn it but be careful as Cofagrigus is outsped if it is running no speed investment.
Any Additional Info: Life Orb or Swords Dance can be used but the former only wears down Escavalier faster and Escavalier is waay to slow to take advantage of the second
Clawitzer @ Expert Belt / Life Orb
Ability: Mega Launcher
EVs: 200 HP / 252 SAtk / 56 Spe
Modest Nature
- Scald
- Dark Pulse
- Aura Sphere
- Ice Beam
What it does: With Mega Launcher, its powerful base 120 attack, relatively decent bulk, and its great coverage, Clawitzer is a formidable special attacker. Expert Belt is a great choice on Clawitzer due to its coverage destroying common switch-ins to percieved Choice-locked moves. For example, Ice Beam nails Tangrowth, Virizion, and other bulky grass types that switch into a Scald. Similarly, Dark Pulse nails Slowking and Jellicent. A Cobalion who thinks he can set up for free due to a choice-locked Dark Pulse suddenly finds himself KOed by an Aura Sphere. However, this is likely to only surprise your opponent one time, so a Life Orb might be used for more power instead. Scald is usually a superior option to Water Pulse, since even pokemon resistant to Scald are threatened to be crippled by a burn. Water Pulse can have more power, but Scald is easily much more spammable. While Dragon Pulse has better neutral coverage, Ice Beam is a much better option to defeat Grass-types like Tangrowth. The 56 Speed EVs are invested to outspeed minimum speed Emboar, before you get nailed by a super effective Wild Charge. Ultimately, Clawitzer's power and coverage allows it to severely weaken the opposing team.
Good teammates: Because of Clawitzer's low speed, Trick Room support is very beneficial (where in that case, a 0 IV Quiet nature should be used instead). Moreover, Expert Belt Clawitzer is a great lure for things like Slowking and Cobalion, so teammates who appreciate them weakened will benefit from Clawitzer, like Cobalion. Things that can defeat walls like Gastrodon and Aromatisse are also great partners. Grass-types like Tangrowth, Amoonguss, and Virizion also make good parters, since they resist the many Grass and Electric-type attacks aimed at Clawitzer.
What counters it: Clawitzer's main downfall is its horrible speed, and so anything that is faster and carries a super effective move can revenge kill it, like Heliolisk, Sceptile, and Virizion. Furthermore, walls such as the previously mentioned Gastrodon and specially defensive Aromatisse can take anything Clawitzer throws at them. Clawtizer also has trouble defeating Assault Vest Escavalier, which can tank any hit and hit back hard with Megahorn.
Additional Information: Choice Specs can be used instead to turn this thing into a powerful wallbreaker, but since Clawitzer heavily relies on its great coverage to get past many things, an Expert Belt or Life Orb generally suits it better. Also, don't use Assault Vest.
Ability: Analytic
EVs: 144 Spd / 112 HP / 252 SAtk
Modest Nature
- Volt Switch
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Grass] / Hidden Power [Fire]
- Flash Cannon
Role: Bulky Attacker
What it does: Magneton is a powerful Pokemon and its bulk makes it even more threatening. Plus the combination of its great defense and power coupled with its amazing ability "Analytic" pushes its special attack to exceptional levels. Analytic increases a Pokemon's attacks by 1.3x damage if it is the last to move in a turn. Because of Magnetons low speed it's poised to abuse the mechanics of Analytic. The effects of Analytic can also be used to take advantage of switches, so if you attacked and the opponent switches to another Pokemon, your attack is boosted by 1.3. It's the perfect ability for a bulky attacker like Magneton. If you choose to replace Eviolite with Choice Specs then its special attack gets boosted 1.5 and by 1.3, which makes Magneton truly fearsome. Volt Switch in order to escape unfavorable match-ups, this is a great tool for Magneton because it's usually slower than opposing Pokemon. A slower Volt Switch will always give you the upper hand, unless the opponents Pokemon is immune. Thunderbolt is his bread and butter stab. Flash Cannon barely saw usage last gen but since the new Fairy typing was introduced its proven useful. Hidden Power Grass is very important because it allows Magneton to get passed bulky water/ground types that would otherwise wall this set. Hidden Power Fire is used in the same fashion as Hidden Power Grass except it's aimed at opposing steels and grass types. The 144spd evs allow it to outspeed up to uninvested base 85 Pokemon, namely Gligar who is 2HKO'd by Flash Cannon. Max special attack of course, and the rest of the evs into HP to retain some bulk.
Good Teammates: Pokemon who are immune to or resist super effective attacks aimed at Magneton make great teammates. Moltres is one of the best teammates for Magneton, it's immune to ground and it can take the fire attacks aimed at Magneton because of its decent defenses. In return Magneton eats the rock typed attacks aimed at Moltres. But most importantly Moltres eliminates bulky steel and grass types that Magneton has difficulty getting passed, and fighting types that destroy Magneton. Aromatisse is a great partner for Magneton as well, it eats all of the fighting and fire type attacks for Magneton. Aromatisse can also pass Wishes to it, helping Magneton recover HP lost from tanking hits. Plus Magneton is immune to and resist all of Aromatisses weaknesses. Shuckle is also a great teammate. Its ability to lower the opposing teams speed with Sticky Web can be very beneficial for the Choice Specs set. Although it's redundant to Analytic, the abiility to out-speed and KO most of its checks is a good trade-off.
What Counters it: Bulky Ground/Waters and Lanturn are its biggest counters if you choose to use Hidden Power Fire over Hidden Power Grass. Because they would resist all of Magnetons moves. Pokemon with huge special defense stats cause problems for Magneton as well. Cobalion and Druddigon are huge pains for Magneton, because they can take a hit and KO with Close Combat or Earthquake. Magneton hits most of the tier with powerful neutral attacks so their aren't many true counters, just a bunch of Checks. Like Moltres, Delphox, Virizion, Gallade, Emboar, etc.
Additional Info: If you use Shuckle as a teammate use an ev spread of 252spa / 252spe / 4def, this way you can outspeed most of its checks. But if you want to keep your eviolite for the extra bulk, the suggested ev spread will allow Magneton to outspeed up to neutral 95 base speed Pokemon.
Zoroark (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Illusion
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Naive Nature
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Flamethrower
- Grass Knot
What it does: Zoroark is a really good Pokemon in RU right now, being the ultimate teammate for set up sweepers by luring in their checks and counters, creating massive mind games, and literally breaking PS!'s team preview. This set is probably the best set Zoroark can run right now, thanks to having two really good physical STABs, and some nice coverage hitting some of RU's best physically defensive Pokemon hard. Knock Off is the used that will be spammed most often by Zoroark, as it is a powerful 97.5 BP STAB when the opponent holds an item, with the utility of removing that item. Knock Off also out damages Dark Pulse even though Zoroark has a lower attack stat due to the higher base power of a boosted Knock Off. Sucker Punch is useful for picking off weakened threats allowing Zoroark to clean up faster foes late game. The last two moveslots are used to cover some of the most common defensive Pokemon in the tier. Grass Knot is there primarily as a way of dealing with Rhyperior as even max SpD Careful Rhyperior has over a 50% chance to be OHKOed, while Flamethrower does ~80% to Assault Vest Escavalier.
Good Teammates: Pokemon that appreciate a weakened Escavalier and Rhyperior enjoy the presence of Zoroark (thats like half the tier!). Specifically, special set up sweepers, such as Venomoth, Mismagius, Cresselia, Reuniclus, and Calm Mind Meloetta. These all have excellent synergy with Zoroark as well, drawing in Psychic and Ghost-type attacks that Zoroark's poor defenses can handle, while all deter the use of random fighting-type moves being thrown around. Zoroark's coverage does have some gaps, such as Emboar and opposing Dark-types, so having teammates that are capable of cleaning up weakened Emboar and Dark-types with these help Zoroark function.
What Counters it: As mentioned before, Emboar, Skuntank, and Drapion are all good responses to Zoroark, due to their typing and decent defenses, and with Zoroark's low defenses, it can't really take a hit, even if it is resisted. Aromatisse, doesn't care about its attacks and can easily dispose of it with its super effective STAB.
Additional Info: You could probably move some EVs to SpA to always beat AV Esca after rocks, but most of the time you are just spamming Knock Off and Escavalier will usually be damaged by previous switch-ins or switching into Zoroark itself. Physically based mixed Zoroark is only Zoroark, k thx.
Exploud @ Choice Specs
Ability: Scrappy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 Spe
Modest Nature
- Boomburst
- Surf
- Fire Blast
- Focus Blast
What It Does: Exploud is basically the 'Nidoking of RU'. It hits damn near everything for a ridiculous amount of damage thanks to drawback-free 140 BP STAB, which is already notable on its own but it just so happens to have Scrappy and a wide selection of coverage moves to augment its power.
Good Teammates: Since Exploud punches holes in teams so well, teammates that are well equipped to clean up the game with high speed and power are optimal, as well as backing Exploud up against faster teams. Delphox, Virizion, Sceptile, Cobalion, Heliolisk, and Zoroark are such examples. Its Fighting weakness should also be covered, making Fighting-resistant Pokemon, such as Amoonguss and Cresselia, valuable partners. Sticky Web also allows Exploud to outspeed a greater a variety of opponents, though it want significant investment in Speed to do so.
What Counters It: Having a Scrappy Normal resist on your team, such as Rhyperior, Escavalier, and Registeel, can make Exploud pause before spamming Boomburst, which is crucial because Exploud's sheer power, high HP, and lone weakness means it can overwhelm most defensive responses, such as Slowking and Cresselia, before it gets worn down. It is much easier to check Exploud offensively than trying to counter it since it is so slow and not too bulky, though obviously Fighting-type responses such as Cobalion, Hitmonlee, and Virizion work best.
Any Additional Info: An EV spread that allows Exploud to outspeed walls such as Cresselia or even Drapion, or just function better with Sticky Web, is worth a look, though this would detract from Exploud's bulk, which it likes to have against more offensive teams.
Moltres @ Choice Specs
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SAtk / 248 HP / 8 Spd
Modest Nature
- Hurricane
- U-turn
- Fire Blast
- Hidden Power Grass
What It Does: Moltres is an extremely powerful wallbreaker, slamming any pokemon that doesn't resist it incredibly hard. AV Slowking, Max Special Defense Aromatisse, and Physically Defensive Cresselia are all 2HKOed by Specs Hurricane after Stealth Rock. Hurricane and Fire Blast are mandatory STABs, and both have the same base power. U-Turn generates momentum, helping a frail or weakened teammate come in safely. Hidden Power Grass destroys Rhyperior, 2HKOs Lanturn, who would wall Moltres otherwise, and hits Gastrodon more accurately than Hurricane. Moltres is also a nightmare against Escavalier, coming in safely against any move bar Knock Off (or Return, I guess) and threatening to KO with Fire Blast.
Good Teammates: Rapid Spin and/or Defog support is absolutely necessary, as otherwise Moltres can only switch in twice at best. Pokemon such as Hitmonlee, Hitmontop, Skunktank, Kabutops, etc. are amazing partners for Moltres. Late game cleaners that benefit from walls being gone, such as Sharpedo, greatly benefit from Moltres' presence. Heliolisk is a great partner to Moltres, forming a Volt-Turn core and sharing decent defensive synergy.
What Counters It: Stealth Rock. Aside from that, barely anything hard-counters Moltres. However, Moltres is prone to being revenge killed by faster, offensive pokemon with super effective moves, such as Heliolisk, Kabutops, or Electivire. Moltres also is prone to being worn down, as it has no form of recovery on a choice set. Also, some of the pokemon that resist Fire Blast but are 2HKOed by Hurricane can avoid the 2HKO nearly half the time, as Hurricane has a terrible 70 accuracy.
Any Additional Info: Flamethrower can be used in place of Hidden Power Grass or U-Turn to provide a reliable fire type STAB. Moltres also could run max speed/max special attack, but I think it functions better as a bulky Specs user. There aren't too many other options, maybe Hidden Power Flying as a replacement for Hurricane?
Hitmonlee (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Reckless
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- High Jump Kick
- Knock Off
- Mach Punch / Stone Edge
- Rapid Spin
What It Does: Hitmonlee is perhaps the best Pokemon in RU right now, Knock Off getting a buff this gen turns Hitmonlee into an insane threat giving it the ability to beat many Psychic and Ghost types that it usually struggled with, which is also what turns it into one of the best Rapid Spinners in the tier. Reckless HJK literally OHKO's everything in the tier that doesn't resist it and still manages to 2HKO a huge chunck of the Pokemon that do resist. Mach Punch is extremely valuable to have allowing you to potentially revenge some faster threats that may have been weakened but Stone Edge is also an option to OHKO any Flying types such as Moltres that might try to switch in.
Good Teammates: In general Dark types make excellent teammates for Hitmonlee as even though with access to Knock Off it has the ability to beat many Ghost and Psychic types it appreciates having them removed by a Pursuit user such as Skuntank or Drapion to ease prediction. Choice Specs Zoroark is also one of the best Hitmonlee partners due to it's ability to lure out and weaken it's limited counters in Gligar and Weezing.
What Counters It: Hitmonlee's counters are very limited, the two best counters in the tier are Gligar and Weezing due to their typing and bulk with Gligar being able to Roost off any damage and the latter being able to burn Hitmonlee with Will-O-Wisp. Doublade gets an honourable mention for being able to tank 2 Knock Off's and do massive damage back to Hitmonlee.
Any Additional Info: A Choice Scarf set is extremely viable since alot of teams rely on outspeeding Hitmonlee instead of packing a dedicated wall to switch in. An Endure Liechi Berry Unburdun set is also possible if you can remove Hail from Mega Abomasnow and priority.
Zangoose (M) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Toxic Boost
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 Def
Adamant / Jolly Nature
- Facade
- Close Combat
- Knock Off
- Quick Attack / Swords Dance
What it does: Zangoose is a fantastic wallbreaker and physical sweeper in RU, capable of 2HKOing the entire tier with just the boost from its ability! Its Facade is mainly the most spammable move, easily slicing through physical walls such as Gligar, Tangrowth, and Alomomola. Close Combat allows Zangoose to 2HKO Rhyperior as well as almost every Steel-type in the tier. This is where Knock Off comes in, as it destroys Ghost-types such as Cofagrigus, Mismagius, and Doublade attempting to play around it. Quick Attack lets Zangoose pick off weakened threats such as Sharpedo and gives it a fairly decent priority move to counteract slower Sucker Punches and the like. However, should Zangoose have the appropriate support (sticky web or memento), then Swords Dance can turn all of its 2HKOes into OHKOes, as there are very few Pokemon in the tier capable of surviving its attacks at +2.
Good teammates: Zangoose needs very little support to work well, but Stealth Rock is a given, really. If possible, Zoroark can also make a great partner, as it can lure out many of Zangoose's checks and OHKO them while providing Memento support in order for Zangoose to set up a Swords Dance. Also, Sticky Web from Shuckle also works well with Zangoose, as it prevents it from being revenge killed by faster threats such as Cobalion and Virizion.
What counters it: Nothing! The way to beat Zangoose is to exploit the seeping Toxic damage by switching around to resists and Protect spam, though this can be risky as one false move will likely lead to one of your Pokemon being taken out. As for offensive teams, the main way to deal with Zangoose is to revenge kill it; thankfully, it's not the fastest Pokemon around nor does it have the most powerful priority move, so it's easy enough to take out.
Any Additional Info: Jolly vs Adamant is just a matter of preference, really. Jolly would probably be better fit to counteract offense so that Zangoose outspeeds as much as it needs to because its frailty and constant bombardment with poison damage means it can't afford to take a powerful hit. Adamant is generally better if you're meaning to counteract stall, as the extra power can be mighty useful.
Rhyperior @ Choice Band
Ability: Solid Rock
EVs: 168 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 84 Spe
Nature: Adamant
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- Megahorn
- Ice Punch / Rock Blast
What it Does: Tears shit up. In all seriousness though, there is no defensive counter to this set. On a good day, Choice Band Rhyperior is 2HKOing, quite literally, everything in the tier. Stone Edge has no immunities and unless the opponent is bulky and/or 4x resists it, they will take some sizable damage. It has accuracy problems though. You will sometimes think Rhyperior is blind. Earthquake deals with most of what Stone Edge doesn't, and forms the ever-great EdgeQuake combination. Perhaps the only downside to it is the fact Flying-types and Levitate Pokemon get away scot-free. Megahorn bludgeons bulky Grass- and Psychic-types. So, use this against stuff like Tangrowth, Slowking, and annoying Cresselia. Again, less-than-ideal accuracy, so Rhyeprior may appear to be blind at times. Ice Punch is almost exclusively for Gligar, but considering p. much everything else is covered in 3 moves, you can afford to specify targets here. If Gligar isn't a problem for the rest of your team to take out, Rock Blast is a nice utility STAB move that breaks through Subs and Sashes. While it will rarely be as powerful as Stone Edge, it does have better accuracy. The EVs look a bit odd. Attack is maximized for obvious reasons while 84 Speed EVs is enough to get Rhyperior ahead of minimum Speed Tangrowth. The rest of the EVs get placed in HP while rounding down hazard damage.
Good Teammates: Virizion is fantastic for Choice Band Rhyperior. Virizion has trouble with bulky Grass- and Psychic-type Pokemon, the kinds of mons CB Rhyperior easily lures in and smashes. The two also share good defensive synergy with Virizion covering Grass- and Water-type weaknesses that plague Rhyperior while Virizion enjoys having a fallback option against Flying- and Fire-types. As Rhyperior is vulnerable to Spikes and it will likely have to switch out and tank hits to do its job effectively, hazard control is nice. Hitmonlee appreciates having bulky Psychic-types weakened or outright KOed and it is capable of providing Rapid Spin support. While stacking multiple weaknesses with Rhyperior can be challenging, Kabutops absolutely loves having bulky Grass-types removed and, can too, provide Rapid Spin support. If you go the Defog route, Shiftry isn't a bad option as Rhyperior's exploitable 4x weaknesses to Grass- and Water-type moves can make it easier for Shiftry to get in, a problem it usually has due to its frailty. Paralysis support from the likes of Meloetta and Slowking can make Rhyperior especially menacing considering Speed is its major downfall. Another way to circumvent this is through the use of Trick Room. Slowking, Reuniclus, and Aromatisse are all fantastic users of the move.
What Counters It: Nothing... nothing defensively at least. Fully physically defensive Alomomola is getting 2HKOed by this monster after Rocks and a single layer of Spikes... As previously alluded to, nothing counters Rhyperior on a good day. The closest you get is Gligar, who is still decimated by a well-timed Ice Punch. Bronzong is about the only Pokemon capable of taking any attack on this set, and it still isn't taking Megahorn really well without heavy physical defense investment. Otherwise, Choice Band Rhyperior is forcing a gamble game every time it safely comes in. And if you gamble wrong, something is going down. That said, Rhyperior is slow and has common weaknesses, so smart offensive pressure will limit its time in battle. If it manages to get on the field, your best bet is to go to something that resists one or both of Rhyperior's STABs and hope it doesn't use the correct coverage move. Bronzong and Claydol are the only two that can handle Rhyperior's STAB combination through resistances and immunities. Neither take Megahorn well though and Claydol is in bad shape against Ice Punch too. Steel-types such as Cobalion and Registeel can take anything but Earthquake. Flying-types such as Moltres and Braviary are immune to EQ, but they can't do much back (except for HP Grass Moltres) and they are all instantly destroyed by Stone Edge. Gligar is the only Flying-type in the tier that can avoid being manhandled by Stone Edge. After Rhyperior KOes something, just about anything with a Water- or Grass-type move, or a powerful neutral special attack will generally force out Rhyperior due to its low Speed, exploitable weaknesses, and lackluster Special Defense. So, Sceptile, Virizion, Clawitzer, Sharpedo, Heliolisk, Delphox. Things like that.
Additional Info: If Trick Room support is used, move all Speed EVs to HP, drop Speed IVs to 0, and change the nature to Brave. Fire Punch tears Escavalier a new one while also giving Bronzong more to think about. Otherwise, just rinse and repeat the following process: Come in. Click STAB move with fewer resistances / immunities. Watch shit die.
Yanmega @ Choice Specs
Ability: Tinted Lens
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Modest Nature
- Bug Buzz
- Air Slash
- U-turn
- Sleep Talk
What it Does: The combination of Yanmega's excellent base 116 Special Attack stat, decently powerful STAB options, and an incredible ability in the form of Tinted Lens that turns 2x resistances into neutral damage makes Yanmega an exceptionally threatening wallbreaker in the RU tier, capable of 2HKOing pretty much anything that isn't retardedly specially bulky with its STAB moves alone. The set above is pretty straightforward and almost always gets the job done. Bug Buzz and Air Slash are pretty self explanatory, Bug Buzz is pretty much the offensive move you'll be using 99% of the time unless the opponent is using something that 4x resists it, or has the bulk to take a Bug Buzz but not an Air Slash. If the opponent is using one of the few things that can take repeated hits from this powerful bug, then simply predict the switch in and use U-turn, going to something that can handle the switchin accordingly. Sleep Talk is mainly a filler move because the first three offensive moves are really all that Yanmega needs, but it gives Yanmega a secondary role of a sleep absorber than can take Spores and Sleep Powders from things such as Amoonguss and Tangrowth, then immediately force them out with the threat of a sleep talked Bug Buzz or Air Slash.
Good Teammates: Specs Yanmega may be an incredible wallbreaker, but needless to say like any other Pokemon it needs some team support to function to its full potential. Firstly and most importantly, Yanmega's Bug/Flying typing makes it 4x weak to Stealth Rock, meaning it heavily appreciates anything that can get rid of them. Since Yanmega is usually used on offensive teams, Pokemon that can do this while keeping a solid offensive presence such as Kabutops, Hitmonlee, and Shiftry work best here. Additionally, Hitmonlee and Yanmega make a pretty terrifying wallbreaking core when paired together between the sheer power of a reckless boosted High Jump Kick and Tinted Lens Bug Buzz. Outside of simply removing entry hazards, Yanmega has trouble with one Pokemon in particular: Registeel, who can take repeated hits from it despite Tinted Lens forcing it to take neutral damage from Bug Buzz, and can paralyze it in return, making Dugtrio an exceptional teammate that can trap and eliminate the Steel menace. As a bonus, Yanmega's U-turn gives Dugtrio plenty of opportunities to switch in and trap opponents for its teammates, whether they're registeel or otherwise.
What Counters It: Because Yanmega's Tinted Lens ability almost completely removes resistances to its attacks, counters to Yanmega are few and far between, and the ones that don't exist have to rely on sheer bulk to beat it out instead of utilizing their typing. As mentioned before, Registeel makes an excellent check to Yanmega, taking multiple hits from it despite no longer resisting Bug Buzz, and either paralyzing it in return or 2HKOing it with a Rock Slide, it can even set up Stealth Rock to limit Yanmega's ability to switch in! Aromatisse can take a hit or two from Choice Specs Yanmega and can use protect to gain back leftovers recovery, but ends up being incredibly shaky due to the fact that it gets cleanly 2HKO'd by Bug Buzz+Stealth Rock if it takes residual damage of any form. Togetic is rare, but it still resists Bug Buzz even through Tinted Lens thanks to its Fairy/Flying typing and has more than enough bulk to take Choice Specs Air Slashes and Roost off the damage, eventually wearing down dragonfly with Dazzling Gleam. Outside of this, the best way to get rid of a Tinted Lens Yanmega on the run is the revenge kill it with something faster, as 95 base Speed, while good, isn't outspeeding the entire metagame anytime soon. Pokemon that can easily do this include Delphox, Zoroark, Timid Moltres, Heliolisk, Hidden Power Sceptile, Stone Edge Virizion and Cobalion, Scarf Braviary, and Cinccino.
Additional Info: This is the only bhug silentverse dislikes
Druddigon @ Choice Band
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Outrage
- Earthquake / Super Power
- Fire Punch / Sucker Punch
- Dragon Claw
What it does: Druddigon is one of the premiere powerhouses in the tier. It boast an impressive 120 base attack stat and is backed up by decent 77 / 90 / 90 defenses. Its dragon typing grants it a bunch of resistances to common attacking moves and the popular fire / water / grass core , you can slap this monster on many teams and it will work. Druddigon's Rough Skin ability gives it a way to wear down rapid spinners like Hitmontop and Kabutops. It also nets passive damage on the tiers u-turn'ers. Outrage and Dragon Claw are its timeless STABS and are primary options when breaking down the opponents walls. Although the drop off in power is noticeable, Dragon Claw is useful when you can't afford to be locked into an Outrage. Earthquake is there to break down steel types who think they're going to eat a D-Claw or Outrage, but you have to watch out when using Earthquake because your opponent can easily switch to a Levitate ability Pokemon or a Flying typed Pokemon. Both are immune to ground typed moves and things won't go well once they find out you're choice locked into Earthquake. Super Power is just as effective as Earthquake but I slashed it because its penalty is to harsh and using it will force you to hit and run almost all of the time since it drops your attack and defense with each use. Fire Punch enables Druddigon to hit Durant and Escavalier extremely hard. Sucker Punch is useful because it gives Druddigon a tool to KO weakened Pokemon. It's equally as dangerous as Earthquake because your opponent can set up once they figure out you're locked into Sucker Punch. Iron Tail and Gunk Shot are also options because they allow Druddigon to get passed the tiers fairy types, like Aromatisse and Togetic.
Good Teammates: Pokemon that can tank Ice and Dragon typed moves aimed at Druddigon are good teammates for it. Namely Escavalier and Slowking. Escavalier can easily eat up Ice and Dragon moves and hit back hard, it also gets rid of the Grass, Dark, and Fairy typed pokemon for Slowking and Druddigon. While Druddigon tanks the Fire, Grass, and Electric typed attacks aimed at Escavalier and Slowking. Slowking's bulk and regenerator ability allows it to repeatedly switch in and out tanking super effective moves aimed at Druddigon and Escavalier. Slowking's bulky attacking set utlizes Fire Blast and Surf, two moves that gives it the necessary tools to possibly eliminate all of Druddigons counters. These pokemon work extremely well together because of their myriad of resistances. Druddigon can also benefit from a wish passer like Alomomola in order to recover health and punch even more holes in the opponents team.
What Counters it: Since Druddigon is capable of running a number of sets your opponent will try to scout and see what moves Druddigon will use and what item it's holding. Most people just assume Druddigon is going to set up stealth rock and once it tanks a hit, your opponent will assume it's some sort of bulky variant and they'll underestimate its offensive capability. You can use that to your advantage and KO one or two of Druddigons checks and counters like Steelix, Escavalier, Tangrowth, and Cobalion.
Druddigon @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spe
Nature: Adamant
- Outrage / Dragon Claw
- Fire Punch
- Iron Tail / Gunk Shot
- Sucker Punch / Dragon Claw
What it Does: Imo, the most badass Druddigon set you can use. Sheer Force Druddigon is an absolute menace as it can easily carry Life Orb and deal tons of damage. Outrage is your main attack, busting up everything that doesn't resist it. However, since this set can utilize its coverage moves to effectively lure out and KO typical Druddigon answers, Dragon Claw is a viable option for your main STAB move. Fire Punch is a near necessity since Escavalier is one of the most dangerous offensive checks to Druddigon. It also helps that Fire Punch gets the Sheer Force boost. The 3rd slot deals with Fairy-types as well as some other threats, depending on the move chosen. Iron Tail isn't quite as accurate, nor as powerful, but it also smacks around Rhyperior for heavy damage, something that may try to out-tank (that a word?) Druddigon. Gunk Shot is stronger and has a bit more power while also hitting Tangrowth much harder, hard enough to 2HKO after LO and Sheer Force boosts. The last slot gives Druddigon some added utility. Sucker Punch is nice to pick off weakened threats or frail Psychic- and Ghost-types in general. If this doesn't appeal to you and Outrage is occupying the first slot, Dragon Claw is perfectly usable for a safer move to use early in the match. The EV spread rounds down passive damage from Spikes, SR, etc. while maximizing overall bulk and damage output. The extra EVs are put into Speed to creep past other Druddigon. If you are using Gunk Shot, it can be worth your while to go up to 20 Speed EVs to get the jump on uninvested Tangrowth.
Good Teammates: As Sheer Force Druddigon is good at forcing out and either heavily damaging or outright KOing bulky Steel- and Fairy-type Pokemon, it is wise to pack teammates that can take advantage of this. Hitmonlee likes having Aromatisse and other Fairy-types KOed or weakened to the point where a HJK takes them out. Heliolisk likes having bulky walls weakened in general and really benefits from having bulky Steel-types worn down. Wish support is nice since it allows Druddigon to continue to switch in on resisted attacks and impose its will. For this, it doesn't get much better than Alomomola. If you already have a Water-type on your team, you can turn to Aromatisse whom also packs Aromatherapy, thus allowing Druddigon to play more recklessly in the face of status inducers. Since most Pokemon Druddigon tries to weaken or outright KO are grounded, Spikes support from Froslass can be really nice. A Rapid Spin or Defog user is nice to remove entry hazards as Druddigon takes damage from Rocks, Spikes, and TSpikes. Hitmonlee and Kabutops are solid Rapid Spin users while Gligar, Golbat, and Shiftry can usually get Defog off reliably.
What Counters It: Not a whole lot. Alomomola is the best answer to this Druddigon as it can just Toxic stall it to death. Gligar can be problematic, but it can be overwhelmed if a teammate can Knock Off its Eviolite. If Druddigon uses Outrage without Dragon Claw, most defensive Steel-types can wear it down. Registeel and Bronzong can both Toxic it while Escavalier can respond with its own powerful STAB move in Megahorn. Keep in mind though that none of these Steel-types have reliable recovery, so Druddigon will often do its job just by weakening them. Entry hazards in general (bar Sticky Web) can put a damper on Druddigon's fun by limiting the time it has on the field. It's very hard to keep Druddigon from netting at least one KO in a match. If it comes in on something that can hit it hard before being taken down, it's often best just to do that so Druddigon can't come in at will on whatever it wants anymore.
Any Additional Info: Thunder Punch is usable to do something with Alomomola, but even then, you won't 2HKO it. It can be neat for the odd Slowking that runs Toxic, but it's generally not worth it. Crunch is okay I guess if you're worried about Cresselia setting up on Sucker Punch. Use Sheer Force. Don't use anything else. Sheer Force is what makes most of Druddigon's coverage moves so hard to switch into.
Banette @ Banettite
Ability: Insomnia / Frisk
EVs: 168 HP / 252 Atk / 88 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Shadow Claw
- Taunt
- Destiny Bond
What it does: Mega-Banette is one of the most versatile pokemon in the tier. With Prankster, a large support movepool, and a sky-high base 165 attack, Banette can run a variety of different sets ranging from offensive to support. With Prankster Destiny Bond, Banette acts as an amazing "fail safe" for virtually all types of teams. Venomoth passed a Quiver Dance to Moltres and is wrecking your team? A Sharpedo that you just can't seem to stop? Send in Banette, and save your team from a certain sweep. Banette is the ultimate insurance for a team. Also, with access to Prankster Taunt, it can easily shut down many walls and setup sweepers, and greatly eases prediction with Sucker Punch and Destiny Bond. However, unlike many other support pokemon, Banette has the unique trait of being a considerable offensive threat to your opponents. With a base 165 attack, Banette can put large dents in the opposing team. Plus, with a strong priority move like Sucker Punch, Banette can KO many threats without sacrificing itself with Destiny Bond.
Good Teammates: Although Banette can usually be placed on any team, certain teammates greatly help. Banette has quite a bit of trouble with getting past Dark-Types who resist all of his commonly run moves, and is often the target of things like Knock Off. Therefore, Banette is best partnered with a strong Fighting-type, such as Cobalion or Virizion, who can benefit from the Dark-type moves aimed at Banette. Damaging status moves like Toxic and Burn are the bane of Banette's existence, allowing your opponent to effectively kill Banette without fear of Destiny Bond. Therefore, clerics like Aromatisse are good partners to help remove these detrimental effects. Also, with the large amount of switches Banette is likely to cause (from sweepers fearing Destiny Bond or walls shut down by Taunt), hazard support is appreciated to take advantage of this.
What counters it: Probably the most reliable "counter" to Banette is proper prediction. While it has access to both Taunt and Destiny Bond/Sucker Punch to make your opponent's choice of move difficult, he cannot preform both at the same time. Opposing sweepers can set up on Sucker Punch and Destiny Bond (which can be stalled out due to their unfortunately low PP), while a direct attack when a status move is predicted can result in Banette's death. A considerable amount of prediction is required to get the most out of Banette's lifespan. As for particular pokemon that can come in easily on Banette, physically bulky attackers like Rhyperior take any attack Banette can throw at it, and isn't stopped cold by Taunt. However, it must be wary of Will-O-Wisp, which more support-orientated Banette often carry. The aforementioned Dark-types also pose trouble for Banette, locking Banette into a "50/50" survival chance. A Destiny Bond on a move like Taunt can prove disasterous, while a Taunt on a STAB Dark-type attack is similar. Otherwise, Banette has no true counters, due to the variety of sets it can run and ability to take down any attacker with Destiny Bond.
Additional Info: Like I stated before, Banette is extremely versatile, having access to Thunder Wave, Will-O-Wisp, Cotton Guard, Calm Mind, Substitute, and even Trick Room. This is only one of the many sets Banette can run, and this unpredictability also adds to Banette's success. The particular EV spread is to outpace Cresselia investing in 4 speed, as well as opposing Banette who often run 84 speed EVs.
Reuniclus @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Psyshock
- Shadow Ball / Focus Blast
- Recover
What It Does: Reuniclus will Calm Mind several times once the strong Pokemon with super effective moves against it are gone (e.g. Escavalier, Zoroark). Once it's gained a few Calm Mind boosts there are very few things in the tier that can actually 2HKO it, and if you can't 2HKO Reuniclus then it will recover stall against you until it's healthy enough to kill you or continue boosting with Calm Mind. Psyshock's a great move because it ruins other Calm Mind boosters that try and set up alongside you, although to be honest most of them in this tier are Psychic-types who run Psyshock too (e.g. Delphox, Meloetta, Cresselia), shadow ball hits everything Psyshock doesn't except for dark types, while focus blast misses and runs out of PP hits everything Psyshock doesn't except for Psychic-types. Shadow Ball is usually the better choice, just because with Focus Blast you are definitely losing to other Calm Mind boosters that aren't Meloetta. Magic Guard and terrible Speed means that the only status Reuniclus minds is sleep / freeze, and even then a lot of sleep users in the tier can't usually manage to kill it before it wakes up and Recovers / Psyshocks them. This means it doesn't have to carry Substitute or Rest like Cresselia often has to to avoid Toxics.
Good Teammates: Pokemon that can deal with dark types such as Zoroark or Skuntank / Drapion are greatly appreciated, such as Cobalion. A fire type to deal with Escavalier and Durant is also appreciated, such as Moltres or Emboar. It chills out pretty happily on stall teams as well, being a good stop to most of the fighting types in the tier (because max def is usually not 2HKOed by Knock Off) as well as being a great win condition. On more offensive teams it can act as a win condition against stall once haze Pokemon are weakened enough and providing that they aren't carrying a Reuniclus themselves.
What Counters It: As alluded to twice before, the steel bugs Escavalier and Durant give it a lot of trouble because they can pretty cleanly 2HKO it. Zoroark can also take it out, and Skuntank can Taunt / haze it to stop any boosting in its tracks. Any Pokemon that gets Taunt and isn't weak to Psyshock will stop its shenanigans decently, and Pokemon that carry haze or phazing moves can also stop it from setting up. When it gets down to last Pokemon Reuniclus situations it's a lot harder to deal with because you can't phaze it, but if you still have your hard hitting physical attackers it shouldn't pose too much of a threat.
Drapion @ Black Sludge
Ability: Battle Armor
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SDef / 4 Atk
Careful nature
- Taunt
- Toxic Spikes
- Knock Off
- Whirlwind
What it does: While Drapion can run a common Swords Dance set, a specially defensive set is where it truly shines. With this, it absolutely destroys common Calm Mind users like Meloetta, Slowking, Reuniclus, and Cresselia, easily tanking any boosted hit and either phazing with Whirlwind or KOing with Knock Off. Taunt, coupled with Drapion's above average speed for a defensive mon, allows Drapion to stop status, shut down walls, and prevent your opponent from using Drapion as setup fodder. Because of Drapion's Toxic immunity, it can get past most walls easily. This and Drapion's great mixed bulk provide many opportunities for Drapion to set up Toxic Spikes, which is a great boon to more balanced or stall teams. Toxic Spikes is one of the main reasons to use Drapion over Skuntank, and Drapion is undoubtedly one of the best users of the move.
Good Teammates: Drapion unfortunately has no means of reliable recovery, which means it can easily be worn down throughout the match. Wish support from things like Alomomola and Aromatisse are immensely helpful to make sure Drapion stays healthy. Because Drapion is likely to be found on more stall-ish teams, bulky walls are best paired up with Drapion to take advantage of the poison Drapion spreads around. In turn, Drapion prevents its teammates from being easy setup fodder, something which most walls have trouble with. Spinblockers are also great partners for Drapion, to ensure that Toxic Spikes are kept on the field. Gourgeist, notably, has great type synergy with Drapion.
What counters it: Dugtrio makes for a great counter to Drapion, trapping eliminating it with its STAB Earthquake. Also, while Drapion has good bulk with investment, its lack of recovery means that powerful attacks from things like Moltres can break through it.
Additional Information: This Drapion set is pretty invariant, as you'll find all of its moves hard to replace. Earthquake is a viable choice to hit Poison-types not named Amoonguss and Steel-types that like to switch into Toxic Spikes, but Drapion simply doesn't have an open slot.
Tauros @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 244 Atk / 252 Spd / 12 SAtk
Naive Nature
- Rock Climb
- Ice Beam / Fire Blast
- Earthquake
- Zen Headbutt
What It Does: Tauros is a straight forward Pokemon. It's a fast hard hitting sweeper who can threaten a lot of the metagame. with a good attack stat and Life Orb + Sheer Force boosting it's power even more, it can threaten a large portion of the metagame. The reason it's better then other physical sweepers is because it has a way to get around some of the premier physical walls in the tier (Tangrowth, Gligar, Golbat, Steelix). The ev's maximise Attack and speed while giving it enough sp. attack ev's to 2hko the mentioned walls. Ice Beam beats Tangrowth and Gligar while Fire Blast helps it get past Steelix, Tangrowth, and Ferroseed all of whom shrug off his other attacks.
Good Teammates: Like most offensive pokemon Tauros appreciates hazard support. Qwilfish is one of the better partners for Tauros because it can not only set up spikes but also take the fighting attacks aimed at him. Taurus is also relatively frail so you won't be able to just switch him in easily. This is why ghost types like Mismagius, Rotom, and Spirtomb make good partners. Rotom is probably the best partner because it can take the fighting types aimed at Tauros, cripple them with burns and then Volt Switch to bring in Tauros safely.
What Counters It: Pokemon who are bulky on both sides of the spectrum are a good stop for Tauros. Slowking for example with it's great defense and sp. defense can take it's hits with ease and cripple it with Scald burns or T-Wave. Another problem is that it suffers from 4 move slot syndrome and depending on what coverage move it runs (Fire Blast or Ice Beam) it can be easily stopped. If running Fire Blast Gligar, and Golbat can stop him hard and if Ice Beam, Steelix and Ferroseed stop him stone cold.
Additional Info: You could opt to run Fire Blast and Ice Beam on the same set and forgo earthquake all together but Earthquakes hits a lot of more pokemon harder then Fire Blast or Ice Beam will. Choice Band is an option and turns Tauros into more of a Wall Breaker then Late Game Cleaner. But being locked into Ice Beam is less then favorable especially when the switch out. Choice Scarf can also be run to make Tauros a great revenge killer since it will outspeed most of the tier with a scarf. Finally you can forgo Ice Beam and Fire Blast all together in which case you should run Earthquake and Rock slide or Substitute but their are other pokemon better for this in the tier and getting past some of the most common physical walls is one of the major advantages of Tauros.
Combusken @ Eviolite
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 248 HP / 64 SpD / 196 Spe
Jolly Nature
-Protect
-Swords Dance / Bulk Up
-Flare Blitz
-Baton Pass
What it does: Combusken is an excellent quick passer for offensive / balanced teams, providing handy Speed and Attack boosts that make it possible to ravage through defensive cores and full-blown stall. Despite no investment in its Attack stat, after a Swords Dance boost, Combusken hits a very respectable 412 Attack stat, which is even more powerful than a max attack Adamant Druddigon! Combusken can then use this attack stat alongside its excellent STAB in Flare Blitz to sweep on its own if the situation is more favorable towards itself as opposed to its recipients or if it's simply too risky passing in front of a certain threat. Bulk Up is also a really good move to ease quick passing, as it can make sure that Combusken's teammate comes in more safely and isn't picked off as easily by priority.
Good teammates: In terms of teammates, it's not a matter of which Pokemon can support Combusken, but rather, which Pokemon Combusken can help support. It's good that Combusken's recipients have good synergy with it; for example, Druddigon resists Water-type moves aimed at Combusken, whereas Drapion is immune to Psychic attacks, and Rhyperior resists Flying moves. By having the receiver resist the attacks aimed at Combusken, it makes much easier to pull off a successful pass.
What counters it: Countering Combusken is a matter of not walling it per-say, but stopping it from passing. In that regard, the Pokemon countering Combusken need to fulfill two criteria: the ability to tank a +2 Flare Blitz and phase / negate stat boosts. Roar / Dragon Tail Rhyperior and Dragon Tail Slowking are by far the best counters, resisting Combusken's primary STAB, doing a serious chunk back, and preventing it from passing boosts to its teammates. Aside from these two, Roar / Whirlwind / Haze / Clear Smog users in general that can at the very least, tank a +2 Flare Blitz, are solid checks as well. Whimiscott gets a special mention considering it can switch into a Swords Dance and Encore Combusken regardless of its Speed boosts, though watch out for Flare Blitz.
Additional info: The Speed EVs allows Combusken to outspeed Choice Scarf Braviary at +2, which is as fast as it need to go. The rest is mainly chucked into its defenses so it can pass easier. Eviolite also further cements Combusken's bulk, allowing it serve as a decent check to the likes of Escavalier and Durant if need be. Substitute may be used over Flare Blitz, but Combusken is utter Taunt bait otherwise.
Slurpuff @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Unburden
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Substitute
- Belly Drum
- Play Rough
- Return
What it Does: Slurpuff makes a great late game cleaner in RU thanks to Unburden and Belly Drum, which, once both boosts have been acquired, Slurpuff can do a lot of work against teams once its counters have been removed. While it's not broken like UU Hawlucha/LC Swirlix, Slurpuff is still great at this role and is a force to be reckoned with. Belly Drum allows Slurpuff to maximize its Attack and allow Play Rough and Return to literally sting. Substitute allows Slurpuff to get off a Belly Drum more easily and become more likely to activate Sitrus Berry, and also allows Slurpuff to avoid Toxic, Thunder Wave, and Will-O-Wisp, which are detrimental to Slurpuff. Play Rough is good STAB and is a nice "screw you Druddigon" button too. Return allows Slurpuff to hit Delphox and Moltres pretty hard, and in general hits anything that resists Play Rough that isn't a Steel-type pretty hard.
Good Teammates: Since Slurpuff can't touch Steel-types, Fire-types such as Delphox, Emboar, and Moltres make fine teammates. In addition, Dugtrio and Magneton can both trap some of Slurpuff's counters, making it easier for Slurpuff to pull off a sweep; the former also has Memento which is awesome to allow Slurpuff to get a Belly Drum off more easily. Since Slurpuff is a cleaner, entry hazards are definitely welcome, of which Froslass and Smeargle can provide perfectly. Zoroark is also nice to lure in some of Slurpuff's counters such as Cofagrigus and Doublade.
What counters it: Escavalier is definitely up there when it comes to countering Slurpuff. It resists both Play Rough and Return and can retaliate with Iron Head. Cofagrigus may not be able to take a +4 Play Rough, but Mummy allows it to disable Unburden and hence allow its teammates to dismantle Slurpuff more easily. Doublade and Bronzong are also nice counters and can retaliate with Steel-type STAB. Using initially faster Pokemon that are powerful can also overwhelm Slurpuff and prevent it from getting off a Belly Drum.
Additional Info: You could change up the EV spread to outspeed what you need while still having a Substitute HP value; I'm not that good at making EV spreads so there may be a better EV spread than this one lol. A SubCM set may also be a possibility though I have yet to test that.
Zoroark (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Illusion
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Naive Nature
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Flamethrower
- Grass Knot
What it does: Zoroark is a really good Pokemon in RU right now, being the ultimate teammate for set up sweepers by luring in their checks and counters, creating massive mind games, and literally breaking PS!'s team preview. This set is probably the best set Zoroark can run right now, thanks to having two really good physical STABs, and some nice coverage hitting some of RU's best physically defensive Pokemon hard. Knock Off is the used that will be spammed most often by Zoroark, as it is a powerful 97.5 BP STAB when the opponent holds an item, with the utility of removing that item. Knock Off also out damages Dark Pulse even though Zoroark has a lower attack stat due to the higher base power of a boosted Knock Off. Sucker Punch is useful for picking off weakened threats allowing Zoroark to clean up faster foes late game. The last two moveslots are used to cover some of the most common defensive Pokemon in the tier. Grass Knot is there primarily as a way of dealing with Rhyperior as even max SpD Careful Rhyperior has over a 50% chance to be OHKOed, while Flamethrower does ~80% to Assault Vest Escavalier.
Good Teammates: Pokemon that appreciate a weakened Escavalier and Rhyperior enjoy the presence of Zoroark (thats like half the tier!). Specifically, special set up sweepers, such as Venomoth, Mismagius, Cresselia, Reuniclus, and Calm Mind Meloetta. These all have excellent synergy with Zoroark as well, drawing in Psychic and Ghost-type attacks that Zoroark's poor defenses can handle, while all deter the use of random fighting-type moves being thrown around. Zoroark's coverage does have some gaps, such as Emboar and opposing Dark-types, so having teammates that are capable of cleaning up weakened Emboar and Dark-types with these help Zoroark function.
What Counters it: As mentioned before, Emboar, Skuntank, and Drapion are all good responses to Zoroark, due to their typing and decent defenses, and with Zoroark's low defenses, it can't really take a hit, even if it is resisted. Aromatisse, doesn't care about its attacks and can easily dispose of it with its super effective STAB.
Additional Info: You could probably move some EVs to SpA to always beat AV Esca after rocks, but most of the time you are just spamming Knock Off and Escavalier will usually be damaged by previous switch-ins or switching into Zoroark itself. Physically based mixed Zoroark is only Zoroark, k thx.
Omastar @ White Herb / Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim / Weak Armor
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SDef / 252 Spe
Nature: Modest
- Shell Smash
- Hydro Pump / Surf
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power Grass
Role: Special Sweeper, Late Game Cleaner
What it Does: Shell Smash Omastar is extremely dangerous in any metagame it's in, and RU is no different; if not prepared for, this set will take lives. A +2 boost on both Special Attack and Speed will make Omastar a force to be reckoned with. This set is designed to do one thing: set up and proceed to hammer the opposition with powerful attacks. However, there are a lot of things that can stop Omastar, so those should be taken out before attempting to set up and sweep, because its main item, White Herb, is one-use only, and if you're not using it, the defense drops will most likely cause it to take a lot of damage setting up. Fire-types are usually the easiest Pokemon to set up on, as Omastar only takes 1/4 damage from Fire-type attacks. The moves that Omastar runs are pretty self explanatory, since they attain nearly perfect coverage. The only thing is for Omastar's Water-type STAB, Hydro Pump is preferred, though Surf is an option if you don't want to risk missing.
Good Teammates: Because Grass-types happen to absolutely destroy Omastar, packing something to take care of them, such as a Fire-type, is highly recommended. A powerful physical attacker that can take down the special walls that trouble Omastar is also recommended. A good Pokemon that can do both those jobs, such as Choice Band Emboar, is also great. If using Swift Swim, be sure to pack a Rain setter such as Ludicolo to take advantage of that massive speed boost.
What Counters It: Because Omastar is x4 weak to Grass, Grass-types have a much easier time checking Omastar. Special walls are also good answers towards Omastar, because it relies so much on its special attacks. Pokemon that possess both these qualities, such as Assault Vest Tangrowth and Amoonguss, are the best answers to Omastar in RU. Additionally, because Omastar has no priority attacks, many Choice Scarf users can still outspeed it after a +2 boost and KO it. If Omastar is weak enough, a priority attack like a Mach Punch from Hitmonlee could be extremely threatening towards a potential sweep.
Any Additional Info: Modest is the preferred nature, though Timid can be used go a little faster, and outspeed base 100 Choice Scarf users after +2. Lum Berry can be used as an item to prevent a Thunder Wave user from stopping Omastar's sweep cold. Finally, Omastar has a reliable secondary STAB in Earth Power, but the above set has such great coverage that Omastar will usually end up giving some of it up.
Braviary @ Life Orb
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 SpD
Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- Superpower
- Return
- Roost
What it does: Braviary is surprisingly bulky for a bird pokemon. Because of this he lacks speed though, but that doesn't mean he's bad. Braviary has a very solid 120 attack stat. He also gets strong STABs and various coverage moves on top of that. Boost his power a bit with Life Orb and you will deal heavy damage to most pokemon. 3 attacks are enough to hit most things so last moveslot goes to Roost. This is basically to heal all the recoil damage. Another great niche he has is that he can punish defog users. Although he is not as effective as other defiant users, he can still pull it off. He lacks the speed and priority to make full use of it but hit bulk compensates for that.
Good Teammates: Fast threats and priority are a problem for Braviary. A fast pokemon like Sharpedo or a good priority user like Zoroark are very good. Defensive steel types can also tank the super effective hits Braviary himself can't. A good rapid spinner is also very desirable. Being able to switch in without much harm is essential for him to survive. Defog support is not really needed since that breaks the purpose of Defiant. If you don't have your own hazards that the opponent wants gone, there is no point in using this thing as a fast bulky attacker.
What Counters it: I've already mentioned it before. Fast pokemon that can also deal a lot of damage. A good example is Heliolisk. He is faster, deals super effective damage and has lots of coverage options. Switching in a ground type to stop the Volt Switch/TBolt isn't always the best idea because he can carry Grass Knot or Surf. Priority moves can also wreck Braviary if his health is low from recoil. He can't heal up, he has to switch but switching in later will also be difficult because of rocks. This is why I also mentioned that rapid spin support is essential.
Any Additional Info: After Tornadus' ban, Braviary is most likely the best Defiant user/Defog punisher in RU. A hazard focused team should always consider using a pokemon like this since it will support the team immensely.
Gallade @ Life Orb
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spe
Nature: Jolly
- Substitute
- Drain Punch
- Psycho Cut
- Knock Off
What it Does: Sub + 3 Attacks Gallade is quite the pain for many teams to face. Usually, Gallade's biggest problem is its inability to net more than 2 KOs against most offensive teams. However, this set fixes that by using Substitute to shield Gallade from revenge killers and status users alike. Drain Punch gives this set great flexibility and solid power. Psycho Cut hammers Fighting- and Poison-types while also dealing solid damage to Aromatisse. Knock Off finishes off the set by smashing bulky Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon that could otherwise handle Gallade's STAB moves with ease. While most Gallade sets use Adamant and some don't even run max Speed, this one uses Jolly and max Speed to outpace as many threats as possible. Life Orb seems odd on a Substitute user, but Drain Punch's healing side effect makes this possible, and helps to make up for the power lost from using Jolly.
Good Teammates: As Gallade lacks the ability to boost its Attack stat with Swords Dance, entry hazard users are great teammates. Froslass, Rhyperior, Registeel, and Bronzong can reliably setup entry hazards to chip away at Gallade's checks and counters. Paralysis support from stuff like Registeel and Uxie is nice so Gallade can have an easier time sweeping late-game. Emboar and Moltres nice to check Spiritomb, Durant, and Escavalier. Use Grass-types like Rotom-C and Virizion to deal with Alomomola and physically defensive Gastrodon as Gallade can't overwhelm them like Swords Dance sets can.
What Counters It: Toxic Spikes suck a ton since you can't use Substitute freely. Alomomola, physically defensive Gastrodon, and Tangrowth are too damn bulky to break. Eviolite Golbat that invest in enough Speed to outpace Gallade are annoying since Infiltrator will allow it to bludgeon Gallade with Brave Bird, even if a Substitute is up. Spiritomb can tank any hit and has Infiltrator to bypass Substitute, so needless to say, it sucks. Multi-hit moves, such as Cinccino's Tail Slap can break through Gallade's Substitutes and still cause serious, if not lethal, damage.
Any Additional Info: Ice Punch can be used to take a dump on Gligar and hit Tangrowth harder than anything else can. Stone Edge if you don't want to rely on Rocks to donk Moltres without dying. X-Scissor if you want to hit Tangrowth and retain coverage on most Psychics. Uh, that's about it!
Swellow @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Guts
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Nature: Jolly
- Facade
- Brave Bird
- U-turn
- Quick Attack
What it Does: Swellow's combination of power and speed is a marvel to behold. Capable of outspeeding almost all of the unboosted tier and overpowering the majority of them, Swellow can very easily close up games simply because the opponent lacks the means to outspeed it and weather its assaults. Swellow is fast enough to outspeed Choice Scarf Emboar, and has enough strength to OHKO the same Emboar with nothing but a boosted Facade (not even Brave Bird, mind you!). Most other speedy Pokemon, such as Cinccino, Heliolisk, Virizion, and Delphox, have even lower bulk than Emboar, making them very easy pickings for Swellow.
Good Teammates: Dugtrio can easily trap the Rock- and Steel-types that otherwise wall Swellow cold, as Swellow easily lures them in and U-turns to Dugtrio to dispose of them. Wallbreaker teammates, such as Clawitzer and Emboar, can lay the hurt on most Swellow counters, and appreciate Swellow's ability to force out Pokemon and bring themselves in safely with U-turn. Most of Swellow's checks are grounded, so having Spikes or even Toxic Spikes can go a long way in wearing them down, with hazard setters such as Crustle and Drapion being suited for the job. VoltTurn-using teammates, especially slower users, can help Swellow activate its status orb without risking damage or needing to run Protect; Eelektross, Rotom-C, and Clawitzer can do this nicely. Rapid Spin and Defog support is very crucial if not mandatory, as status takes its toll on Swellow enough as it is, and Stealth Rock would cut into its lifespan even more. Kabutops can lure out Grass-types, Hitmonlee beats up Rock- and Steel-types, and Shiftry's STABs wreck a lot of Swellow responses, all of them knowing Knock Off for good measure.
What Counters It: Basically any Rock- or Steel-type stops Swellow from doing much bar U-turning, although extremely bulky Pokemon such as Gligar, Alomomola, and Cresselia also make good responses. Priority and Choice Scarf Pokemon (unless they are as slow as Emboar) helps in keeping Swellow in check, should they remain healthy enough to survive Quick Attack. Stealth Rock can ward off Swellow until its anti-hazard teammates get rid of the hazard, which can buy one a chance to retaliate.
Additional Information: Flame Orb can be used if one expects Swellow to stay in battle for more than 3 turns at a time. Protect can still be used if VoltTurn is difficult to fit on your team. Pursuit dooms weakened Pokemon, or Dark-weak Pokemon such as Delphox and Mismagius.
Sharpedo (F) @ Life Orb
Trait: Speed Boost
EVs: 188 Atk / 184 SAtk / 136 Spd
Naughty Nature (+Atk, -SDef)
- Hydro Pump / Waterfall
- Ice Beam
- Crunch
- Protect
What it does: Probably the best late game sweeper in rarelyused. Mostly due to its gargantuan base attack stat and respectable base special attack stat. Of course a large portion of the credit goes to its ability Speed Boost, which increases its speed after every turn eventually pushing him to sonic levels. Sharpedo is very frail and weak to priority which limits him to mid-late game when his checks and counters have been eliminated and/or worn down. Sharpedo gains a speed boost after every turn meanining that there's no longer a need for a priority move. Sharpedo also has difficulty getting passed bulky grass types. Here's where swapping Ice Beam for Aqua Jet comes in handy. Now the only things that may get in the way at this point are bulky defensive pokemon, like Tangrowth, like Amoonguss, like Gourgeist, and Rotom-C. There's enough speed evs to ensure Sharpedo outspeeds everything after two turns. Also with that amount of evs invested in special attack, Hydro Pump is more powerful than Waterfall. Which is why I replaced Waterfall, but you could use either one it's your decision. Protect to scout potential scarfed pokemon and priority moves. It's also an effective way to ensure you get at least one speed boost. Crunch is Sharpedo's obligatory stab and frankly it won't be a great white shark without it.
Good Teammates: Strong electric typed Pokemon like Heliolisk, and strong grass typed Pokemon prove to be great teammates to Sharpedo. They can eliminate the bulky water typed Pokemon that would laugh off Hydro Pump and Ice Beam attacks while taking little damage from Crunch. A bulky ghost type like Confag wouldn't be a bad teammate either. It can effectively switch in on priority moves that would wreck Sharpedo (mach punch and fake out) since it's immune, then proceed to cripple physical attackers with Will-o-Wisp.
What Counters it: Alomomola shrugs off the damage taken from Hydro Pump and Ice beam and there's a 0.5% chance to 3HKO with Crunch after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery. Pokemon with strong priority moves (Ambipom and Hitmontop) can be problematic for Sharpedo since it's really frail and also because this set lacks its own priority move. Aromatisse is also a problem because it's really bulky, it can come in eat a Hydro Pump and OHKO with an uninvested MoonBlast. Poliwrath resist every attacking move on this moveset and it can set up on Sharpedo unhindered. Seismitoad and Barbaracle are also notable checks (and bulky waters in general).
Yanmega @ Life Orb
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Protect
- Bug Buzz
- Air Slash
- Giga Drain / Hidden Power Fire
Role: Late-game Cleaner, Special Sweeper
What It Does: Thanks to Speed Boost and a good Special Attack stat further strengthened with Life Orb, Yanmega makes a great late-game sweeper that has copious amounts of both speed and power. Unlike other late-game cleaners, Yanmega is rarely hindered by the opponent's Scarfed Pokemon due to its accumulation of Speed boosts, easily brushing past Pokemon like Emboar and Rotom-C. Protect is instrumental, allowing Yanmega to grab an initial boost against faster opponents, as well as easily letting it run a Modest nature without fear of being outsped. Bug Buzz and Air Slash are Yanmega's best STABs, and together have decent enough coverage that Yanmega is not hindered by weaker, unSTABbed coverage options. In the final slot, Giga Drain is the attack of choice, hitting Pokemon like Rhyperior, Gastrodon, and Alomomola that could be difficult to get past, as well as giving a helpful HP boost to offset the effect of Life Orb.
Good Teammates: A Pokemon to remove Stealth Rock is necessary, greatly improving Yanmega's chances of safely switching in and pulling off a sweep, as well as letting it take more Life Orb recoil. Hitmonlee and Kabutops are generally the best options, as they are both very threatening to the special walls that Yanmega needs weakened, and are also good at wearing down the opponent's team with powerful attacks. A reliable hazard setter such as Cobalion or Rhyperior is also a good teammate to have, as well as Spikes-stackers such as Froslass or Qwilfish, as both hazards severely wear down the opponent's Pokemon, particularly bulkier ones like Druddigon, Escavalier, and Moltres that can take one of Yanmega's attacks and retaliate. Dugtrio can eliminate or weaken several key counters to Yanmega, such as Registeel, and Moltres does a good job taking on both the aforementioned Registeel and Doublade, two Steel-types that Yanmega has no hope of getting past.
What Counters It: Bulky Steel-types like Registeel, Escavalier, and Doublade are Yanmega's worst nightmare, as all of them will almost always win a 1-on-1 matchup against Yanmega provided they're reasonably healthy. Most walls or tanks, most notably defensive or bulky variants of Moltres, will be a roadblock to a successful sweep, and must be weakened or eliminated before Yanmega can sweep safely. Other than those specific Pokemon, anything with a moderately powerful attack and the ability to safely take on at least one of Yanmega's attacks (particularly special attackers like Assault Vest Meloetta) can severely damage and sometimes outright KO Yanmega, seeing as it's not very bulky, and these Pokemon must also be weakened before a sweep. Finally, paralysis absolutely ruins Yanmega, so it needs to tread carefully around Pokemon like Druddigon that may carry a paralysis-inducing move.
Any Additional Info: If you didn't get it already from this being literally 2/3 of the above entry, do not expect Yanmega to sweep with stuff like Registeel around.
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 216 HP / 252 Atk / 40 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Acrobatics
- Will-O-Wisp
- Roost
Role: Physical Sweeper, Revenge Killer, Late Game Cleaner
What It Does: Just like its evolution Talonflame in OU, Fletchinder's saving grace is its access to priority Flying-type moves, and while it doesn't have access to Brave Bird like its evolution, Acrobatics is still more than enough to make Fletchinder a solid revenge killer and physical sweeper in the RU metagame. Although Fletchinder might look too frail and Stealth Rock weak to set up at first, it actually gets plenty of changes to do so in the hands of a good player thanks to its typing, Will-O-Wisp and priority recovery, which lets it switch in on things such as Escavalier, Cobalion lacking Stone Edge, Aromatisse, and Sceptile, as well as priority Acrobatic's ability to force switches, meaning it can actually get a boost and sweep more often than not. Lastly Fletchinder's unique access to Will-O-Wisp among Flying-types allows it to cripple common resistances to Flying-type moves such as Rhyperior, not just lowering their attack, but doing chip damage over the course of the match until they end up in KO range and Fletchinder can sweep.
Good Teammates: As a Fire/Flying type that's 4x weak to Stealth Rock, a Pokemon that can clear entry hazards is heavily suggested when using Fletchinder. Luckily, both of the good offensive spinners (Hitmonlee and Kabutops) and the best offensive Defog User (Shiftry) synergize pretty well with Fletchinder. For example, outside of simply spinning Hitmonlee's extremely powerful High Jump Kick lets it OHKO the Rock/Steel-types that get in Fletch's way, and generally break through bulky things that Fletchinder couldn't hope to great through. Kabutops really appreciates Fletchinder's ability to threaten various Fighting- and Grass-types that give it trouble. While Shiftry is capable of OHKOing Rhyperior, taking Volt Switches from things such as Heliolisk and Jolteon from Fletchinder, and also appreciates Fletchinder's ability to check things like Hitmonlee and Virizion just like Kabutops. Outside of simply clearing hazards, Fletchinder really appreciates Pokemon that can take advantage of the Rock- and Steel-types that can take its Acrobatics, such as Rhyperior. Virizion works really well here, using its great dual STAB combination and good resistances to force out/take advantage of both kinds of Pokemon, especially if they get crippled by Will-O-Wisp, not to mention Kabutops/Fletchinder/Virizion has the potential to form a pretty neat FWG. Lastly, like really any other sweeper but especially in Fletchinder's case, spikes support is really great, they really help wear the aforementioned Rock- and Steel-types, which are almost always grounded, and generally helps +2 Fletchinder get KOs against bulkier opponents that might usually just barely survive otherwise, making it that much easier to just cleave through a team.
What Counters It: As mentioned multiple times before, Rock- and Steel-types are your best bet at stopping Fletchinder most of the time, they can take repeated Acrobatics, usually threaten Fletchinder in return, and in a lot of cases even set up Stealth Rock to pressure bird even further, although you have to be pretty wary of Will-O-Wisp chip damage racking up over the course of the game. Good examples of Pokemon that fall into this category include Rhyperior, Registeel, Magneton, Kabutops, and Doublade to an extent. Outside of these, Electric-types such as Heliolisk, Jolteon, and Lanturn are also solid at checking Fletchinder on offense, but are significantly easier to wear down into KO range thanks to their poor defenses, which means anyone relying on them to beat fletch has to be pretty careful. Alomomola doesn't resist flying-type moves, but its more than bulky enough to take some +2 Acrobatics and attempt to Toxic Stall fletchinder. If all else fails, if you see Fletch on the opposing team, just try and set up Stealth Rock as quickly as possible and try as hard as you can to keep it up, they might not be the end all be all but they really help limit just how much damage Fletchinder can take/stop it from setting up as easily.
Any Additional Info: Don told, you didnt listen, NOW YOU LOSE
Delphox @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Psyshock
- Grass Knot
- Switcheroo
What It Does: Strong STABs, good speed, and high power make Delphox a formidable revenge killer. It can now outspeed opponents that it could not before, such as Virizion, Cobalion, Heliolisk, and Sceptile, before laying waste to them with powerful attacks. It even boasts enough speed to outrun Unburden Slurpuff, and also outpaces other Scarfers such as Emboar and Braviary. One of the most appealing aspects of Scarf Delphox is that it knows Switcheroo, and still has good Speed without Scarf. Switcheroo allows Delphox to ditch the Scarf should the ability to switch moves prove more crucial than the extra Speed, or if it simply wants to cripple the foe.
Good Teammates: Grass-type teammates are much appreciated to take care of bulky Water-types that prevent Delphox from locking herself into its Fire STAB easily, while Fighting-type partners cover Dark-types that stop Delphox's Psychic STAB. A hazard remover is greatly appreciated since Delphox often switches in and out. Kabutops can use Rapid Spin and lures out Grass-types for Delphox to roast, Hitmonlee can Rapid Spin and beats up Dark-types, while Shiftry has decent defensive synergy with Delphox and knows Defog; they can also help punch holes into the opponent with their high offensive stats.
What Counters It: Stealth Rock keeps Delphox from switching in and out too freely, while Pursuit can easily finish off a Delphox locked into an undesirable attack. Priority such as Aqua Jet, Sucker Punch, and Shadow Sneak also causes Delphox maor issues, especially considering its weak Defense, while paralysis pretty much cripples it. Since this Delphox variant is the only variant that doesn't boost its stats, it is much easier to switch into its attacks, though defensive responses should be wary of Switcheroo.
Any Additional Info: Flamethrower can be used for accuracy, while Shadow Ball allows Delphox to revenge other Delphoxes.
Braviary @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Nature: Jolly / Adamant
- Brave Bird
- Super Power
- Return
- U-turn
What it Does: Choice Scarf Braviary is a threat that a fair amount of people slept on in BW, but XY made it that much better. With the buff to Defog, Braviary becomes one of the best anti-Defog Pokemon in RU. Why is this? Because, even if Defog doesn't come up in a battle, Braviary is fully capable of pulling its weight. With great power, above average bulk, and solid Speed, Braviary makes for a reliable revenge killer and late-game cleaner. Brave Bird is Braviary's strongest move and will almost always take out any offensive-inclined Pokemon that lacks a resistance. Super Power allows Braviary to deal some serious damage to Rock- and Steel-types such as Rhyperior, Registeel, and Bronzong. Return is a safer STAB option that allows Braviary to revenge kill targets reliably when the power of Brave Bird just isn't necessary. U-turn finishes the set by giving Braviary a scouting move to build momentum with and lure out checks and counters. The EV spread is simple for a physical Choice Scarf user. Jolly is the primary nature of choice to outspeed as many things as possible, but Adamant can allow Braviary to clean up sooner.
Good Teammates: VoltTurn teams couldn't dream of a better Choice Scarf user since it deters Defog to remove the hazard such teams rely on and it has great synergy with most members. Electric-types such as Heliolisk, Rotom-C, and Eelektross can handle most of what Braviary struggles with. Heliolisk in particular can take a dump on Rhyperior and Registeel (it will need Focus Blast for the latter, though) while having great natural Speed to revenge kill some of the slower offensive threats in the tier. Since Braviary's checks and counters largely consist of Rock- and Steel-types, using Dugtrio to trap and remove these threats off of a well-timed U-turn is a good option. Rapid Spin and Defog support is nice as Braviary isn't a fan of Stealth Rock at all. Kabutops shares good synergy with Braviary, sans the shared Electric weakness, while Shiftry is one of the better Defog users to use on offensive teams Braviary should be used on.
What Counters It: Rhyperior, Registeel, and Bronzong are all a pain in the ass thanks to their bulk and resistance to Braviary's STAB moves. Faster Choice Scarf users such as Rotom-C and Heliolisk can't switch-in on Braviary, but they are more than capable of revenge killing the eagle. Stealth Rock can quickly shorten Braviary's lifespan, especially in conjunction with Brave Bird recoil, so anything that sets it up can indirectly check Braviary. This would include Cobalion, Druddigon, as well as the best defensive answers to Braviary in Rhyperior, Registeel, and Bronzong. Cofagrigus can tank a hit, remove Defiant with Mummy, and cripple Braviary with Will-O-Wisp to render the eagle useless the rest of the match.
Any Additional Info: To elaborate on the Jolly vs. Adamant deal, Jolly allows Braviary to stay in front of as many things as possible to be a more reliable revenge killer while Adamant provides a power boost to allow Braviary to clean up teams with less prior damage necessary. Braviary can do both with either nature, but it will favor revenge killing with Jolly and it will be better at late-game cleaning with Adamant.
Dugtrio @ Life Orb / Choice Band
Ability: Arena Trap
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Memento / Shadow Claw
- Sucker Punch
What it does: Dugtrio's job is straight-forward and very simple. Come in after something dies, or after you gain momentum using u-turn/volt switch against the opponent as they switched out, trap the opponent's Pokemon and kill it with the appropriate move. It's a bit weak, but it's very reliable at its job and can trap and kill whatever you want (and whatever that doesn't have levitate or flying/ghost type), provided they're in KO range for any of its moves. Memento is also a very useful utility move to have, weakening the opponent's attacking stats to give one of your Pokemon an opportunity to safely set-up for free. Dugtrio is very good at getting rid of top-tier threats such as Cobalion, Delphox and Drapion.
Good Teammates: Whichever likes Cobalion, Delphox, or steel types in general gone likes to be Dugtrio's teammate. This includes Pokemon like Choice Band Druddigon, Shiftry and Delphox who like Cobalion out of the game. Ghost-types and Psychic-types like Jellicent and Slowking respectively like having Drapion and Skuntank out too, so Dugtrio makes a good teammate. Pokemon who have Volt Switch or U-turn also make good partners, to safely get in Dugtrio and get rid of the opponent's Pokemon. Whimsicott lures in Cobalion and Delphox and has access to U-turn for Dugtrio to have a field day.
What Counters It: Dugtrio by definition can't be countered thanks to its ability, Arena Trap. But because it's relatively weak and can't tank a single hit, anything that is faster or can take a hit and hit back can easily get rid of Dugtrio. Pokemon with Levitate, flying-, or ghost-type can't be trapped by its ability, so that can be helpful too. It's also weak to priority. Sucker Punchers like Shiftry, Zoroark, or Life Orb/Choice Band Druddigon can easily kill it.
Any Additional Info: A set with Focus Sash and Reversal over Memento works, but it's too weak, and even with Reversal it can't kill Cobalion in 1 shot.
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 216 HP / 252 Atk / 40 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Acrobatics
- Will-O-Wisp
- Roost
Role: Physical Sweeper, Revenge Killer, Late Game Cleaner
What It Does: Just like its evolution Talonflame in OU, Fletchinder's saving grace is its access to priority Flying-type moves, and while it doesn't have access to Brave Bird like its evolution, Acrobatics is still more than enough to make Fletchinder a solid revenge killer and physical sweeper in the RU metagame. Although Fletchinder might look too frail and Stealth Rock weak to set up at first, it actually gets plenty of changes to do so in the hands of a good player thanks to its typing, Will-O-Wisp and priority recovery, which lets it switch in on things such as Escavalier, Cobalion lacking Stone Edge, Aromatisse, and Sceptile, as well as priority Acrobatic's ability to force switches, meaning it can actually get a boost and sweep more often than not. Lastly Fletchinder's unique access to Will-O-Wisp among Flying-types allows it to cripple common resistances to Flying-type moves such as Rhyperior, not just lowering their attack, but doing chip damage over the course of the match until they end up in KO range and Fletchinder can sweep.
Good Teammates: As a Fire/Flying type that's 4x weak to Stealth Rock, a Pokemon that can clear entry hazards is heavily suggested when using Fletchinder. Luckily, both of the good offensive spinners (Hitmonlee and Kabutops) and the best offensive Defog User (Shiftry) synergize pretty well with Fletchinder. For example, outside of simply spinning Hitmonlee's extremely powerful High Jump Kick lets it OHKO the Rock/Steel-types that get in Fletch's way, and generally break through bulky things that Fletchinder couldn't hope to great through. Kabutops really appreciates Fletchinder's ability to threaten various Fighting- and Grass-types that give it trouble. While Shiftry is capable of OHKOing Rhyperior, taking Volt Switches from things such as Heliolisk and Jolteon from Fletchinder, and also appreciates Fletchinder's ability to check things like Hitmonlee and Virizion just like Kabutops. Outside of simply clearing hazards, Fletchinder really appreciates Pokemon that can take advantage of the Rock- and Steel-types that can take its Acrobatics, such as Rhyperior. Virizion works really well here, using its great dual STAB combination and good resistances to force out/take advantage of both kinds of Pokemon, especially if they get crippled by Will-O-Wisp, not to mention Kabutops/Fletchinder/Virizion has the potential to form a pretty neat FWG. Lastly, like really any other sweeper but especially in Fletchinder's case, spikes support is really great, they really help wear the aforementioned Rock- and Steel-types, which are almost always grounded, and generally helps +2 Fletchinder get KOs against bulkier opponents that might usually just barely survive otherwise, making it that much easier to just cleave through a team.
What Counters It: As mentioned multiple times before, Rock- and Steel-types are your best bet at stopping Fletchinder most of the time, they can take repeated Acrobatics, usually threaten Fletchinder in return, and in a lot of cases even set up Stealth Rock to pressure bird even further, although you have to be pretty wary of Will-O-Wisp chip damage racking up over the course of the game. Good examples of Pokemon that fall into this category include Rhyperior, Registeel, Magneton, Kabutops, and Doublade to an extent. Outside of these, Electric-types such as Heliolisk, Jolteon, and Lanturn are also solid at checking Fletchinder on offense, but are significantly easier to wear down into KO range thanks to their poor defenses, which means anyone relying on them to beat fletch has to be pretty careful. Alomomola doesn't resist flying-type moves, but its more than bulky enough to take some +2 Acrobatics and attempt to Toxic Stall fletchinder. If all else fails, if you see Fletch on the opposing team, just try and set up Stealth Rock as quickly as possible and try as hard as you can to keep it up, they might not be the end all be all but they really help limit just how much damage Fletchinder can take/stop it from setting up as easily.
Any Additional Info: Don told, you didnt listen, NOW YOU LOSE
Amoonguss @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 140 Def / 116 SDef
Bold Nature
- Spore
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Foul Play / Stun Spore
What It Does: It switches into almost all grass and water types in the tier without a coff.
Its good defensive stats and its amazing ability make him an awesome pivot. Spore is one of the best moves in the game and it is very difficult to stop as any pokemon immune to hit can't do much back to Amoonguss and it creates a lot of momentum and setup opportunities. Dual stabs have relatively good coverage hitting the pokemon Amoonguss walls hard and Sludge Bomb is especially useful for hitting the grass types immune to spore. Foul Play is the preferred option in the last slot as it hits Escavalier (who commonly switches in on any move) harder than any move in the mushroom's arsenal (even than HP Fire) scoring a guaranteed 3HKO after rocks. It also OHKOes Mega Banette and is the strongest move against a variety of Physical attackers like Braviary, Druddigon and Gallade. EV Spread lets amonguss take EarthQuakes from Rhyperior and Iron Heads from Cobalion a lot better as investing a lot in special bulk is not that useful as Amoonguss has great resistances there.
Good Teammates: Alomomola is a great partner in stall teams as it deals with the Physical Attackers troubling Amoonguss (Namely Emboar, CB Druddigon and Braviary). AV Slowking forms a great regenerator core with Amoonguss for balanced team taking on Ice and Fire types easily and hitting back hard. Other pokemon weak to grass and Water types like Rhyperior also appreciate Amoonguss support. Cobalion and Emboar are great partners too as they nicely check Escavalier.
What Counters It: Spore makes Amoonguss hard to deal with but Sleep Talk Emboar can switch into Spore and demolish it if it sleep talks a Fire move, Choice Band Escavalier is immune to spore and, if Speed invested, it can OHKO Amoonguss if it has taken a bit of prior damage. If Sleep Clause is already active Moltres, Exploud, Braviary and most steel types can switch in and wall Amoonguss or OHKO it with a STAB or Coverage move.
Any Additional Info: A fully specially or physically defensive spread can be used in stall teams to better deal with offensive Water and Fighting types respectively. With those sets Clear Smog is recommended in the last slot providing "haze" support for the team. Rocky Helmet can be used over Leftovers to punish Knock Off users and physical attackers in general and Life Orb is usable with a 240 HP / 16 Def / 252 SpA spread and a Modest nature to still retain decent bulk and lets Amoonguss act as a proper bulky attacker.
Slowking @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 216 SAtk / 44 SDef
Nature: Modest
- Scald
- Psyshock
- Fire Blast
- Dragon Tail
What it Does: Assault Vest Slowking can best be described as a glue Pokemon for teams in need of power, but needing the ability to reliably handle the likes of Delphox and Moltres. Thanks to Regenerator, Slowking can easily run Assault Vest to soak up virtually any special attack that isn't a STAB super effective one. Even if the target you're trying to switch into predicts with a super effective move, Slowking can just switch back out to the appropriate response and regain 33% of its max HP. Scald is a cool move on AV Slowking as the 30% burn chance can make it incredibly annoying to take down. Psyshock is used over Psychic as most Fighting-types, especially Gallade, have lower Defense than Special Defense. Plus, you're already smashing Rhyperior and Gligar with Scald anyway. Fire Blast is nice to beat up on shit like Cobalion, Registeel, Escavalier, and Bronzong. Dragon Tail finishes off the set and can be used to rack up entry hazard damage early on. This is particularly useful as Slowking's typing deters about every Spinner from coming in naturally while most Defog users are SR weak. EV spread rounds down passive damage and hits the final boost point provided by nature. The rest is put in Special Defense to amplify the effects of Assault Vest a little more. Modest is a no-brainer for the nature so Slowking can hit hard enough.
Good Teammates: Slowking fits well with many defensive and offensive Pokemon alike. Defensively, Rhyperior, Registeel, Amoonguss, and Tangrowth all gel well with Slowking. Good offensive partners include Virizion, Emboar, Cobalion, and Moltres. As AV Slowking runs Dragon Tail, Spikes support can really amplify the shuffling ability Slowking has. Froslass is a go-to Spikes setter for offensive-minded teams while teams looking for a bulkier Spikes user can utilize Roselia. Slowking absolutely hates Knock Off, so anything that can deal with it is appreciated. Cobalion and Virizion both have Justified to actually benefit from it while Tangrowth and Amoonguss have Regenerator to make up for the lack of Leftovers if need be.
What Counters It: Durant sucks.... a ton. Although it has difficulty coming in directly on Slowking, the steel ant can easily come in after a KO or through Dragon Tail phazing and immediately threaten Slowking with its powerful X-Scissor. Assault Vest Tangrowth running Power Whip will seriously dent, if not OHKO, Slowking as it lacks physical defense investment like most variants of its defensive set. If Druddigon carries one of Thunder Punch, Sucker Punch, or the lesser seen Crunch, it is going to beat Slowking handily, especially if these attacks are boosted by Sheer Force. Fighting-types such as Gallade and Hitmonlee can inflict serious amounts of damage with Knock Off, but will generally need Slowking worn down a little bit to ensure the KO so they don't get drilled with Psyshock after their attack. Any user of Toxic or Toxic Spikes can really hamper Slowking. Although most users of these moves can't beat Slowking one-on-one, this will keep Slowking from staying in for very long. Bronzong, Registeel, Alomomola, and opposing defensive Slowking are all capable of running Toxic while Drapion, Roselia, and Cofagrigus can all utilize Toxic Spikes.
Any Additional Info: If phazing isn't your cup of tea, there are a couple of coverage moves to consider on Assault Vest Slowking. Ice Beam seems redundant with Fire Blast, but it is able to deal serious damage to the likes of Druddigon and Sigilyph. Grass Knot trips up opposing Slowking for decent damage while also offering up something to hit Seismitoad, Jellicent, and Gastrodon with harder. Remember, just because Slowking is running all attack moves doesn't mean it's a wallbreaker. It is likely going to be a key to keeping your team together and being super resilient against most special attackers due to its typing, ability, and incredible special bulk with the AV boost.
Cobalion @ Leftovers
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SAtk / 252 Spe
Nature: Naive
- Stealth Rock
- Iron Head
- Close Combat
- Volt Switch
What it Does: With a great base 108 Speed and high base 129 Defense, Cobalion makes for a fast, yet durable user of Stealth Rock. This is a great Rocks user for offensive-minded teams as Cobalion is capable of dealing some quick damage after it has set up Stealth Rock. Iron Head is the primary STAB move due to its reliability and lack of defensive drops. Close Combat provides Cobaion with some extra power to dent the likes of Rhyperior and Registeel should the need arise. Volt Switch is a really odd move for a Pokemon of Cobalion's typing, but considering most Electric-immune Pokemon won't be willing to come in, it allows Cobalion to build momentum reliably. The EV spread simply maximizes Cobalion's damage output while not nerfing the power of Volt Switch, since it can do a decent amount of damage to the likes of Moltres. Leftovers is the item of choice so Cobalion can take some extra hits and its first job is to keep Stealth Rock on the field.
Good Teammates: Froslass is a solid partner to form a hazard-setting core with Cobalion and neither is really easy to setup on. Pokemon like Sharpedo, Delphox, Moltres, and Heliolisk that can otherwise struggle to find many switch-in opportunities appreciate Cobalion's Volt Switch to give them extra chances to wreak havoc. Most Ghost- and Psychic-types such as Reuniclus, Cofagrigus, and the aforementioned Delphox appreciate Cobalion's ability to absorb Knock Off for them.
What Counters It: Golbat is probably the easiest way to keep this Cobalion from doing much since it has the bulk to tank Iron Head all day, doesn't take a ton from Volt Switch, and has Defog to get rid of the Stealth Rock that Cobalion sets. Moltres isn't too fond of Volt Switch, but it resists Cobalion's STAB combination and wrecks it with Fire Blast. Gligar is another annoying Defog user that simply doesn't care about anything Cobalion tries to do to it. Cresselia and Reuniclus can easily handle Cobalion's unboosted Iron Heads and begin setting up for a potential sweep.
Additional Info: Lum Berry is an option to get a free pass on status ailments. Life Orb can juice up Cobalion's attacks, but generally isn't worth it to give up the decent bulk. If Volt Switch isn't doing much for you, Taunt is an option to prevent slower hazard users from doing much of anything. Switch to a Jolly nature and allocate Special Attack EVs to Defense in this case. If Close Combat's defense drops are a turn off, you could try Sacred Sword. Power drop sucks though.
Alomomola @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 104 HP / 252 Def / 152 SDef
Impish / Bold Nature
- Wish
- Protect
- Toxic
- Waterfall / Scald
What It Does: Alomomola is pretty much the best Wishpasser in RU imo and i honestly would never make any kind of stall team without it tbh. Alomomola's Wishes are the absolute largest in the game outside of Chansey/Blissey's Wishes, which means that even without full hp investment Alomomola can still heal up its teammates for about 250 HP per wishpass, a pretty impressive number. What's more? Alomomola's Regenerator ability means that it can spend less time using its wishes to heal itself and more time on healing up its teammates, making it that much more efficient as a wishpasser. Alomomola isn't only useful for passing wishes though, its great all around bulk with the proper ev spread along with its excellent ability in Regenerator makes it an EXCELLENT defensive Pokemon in and of itself. Alomomola is capable of pivoting into pretty much any physical attack in the tier, and can simply switch out and recover a third of its hp with Regenerator whenever things get rough, making it exceptionally durable. In general, the given Alomomola spread is almost impossible to OHKO in general without a STAB Electric or Grass-Type move. Waterfall lets Alomomola do a bit more damage if needed (not much more though lol), while Scald is MUCH weaker, but gives a nifty burn rate, a lot of people actually prefer Scald due to the fact that Alomomola's main method of doing damage is usually Toxic anyway.
Good Teammates: To start off, most bulky Pokemon that can take on Electric- and Grass-types such as Heliolisk, Virizion, and Sceptile make good cores with Alomomola. In particular, Grass/Poisons such as Amoonguss and Roselia work especially well. Amoonguss makes a very solid Regenerator core with Alomomola, taking on pretty much any Grass- or Electric-type currently common in the tier for Alomomola, while Alomomola takes annoying things such as Emboar and Braviary for Amoonguss in return, since both Pokemon have Regenerator, they can simply restore hp by switchspamming. Roselia exchanges some bulk and access to Regenerator for access to Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and Aromatherapy, making it a better teammate on teams leaning more towards full stall, who might appreciate these moves quite a bit. Roselia's low base HP means Alomomola's Wish pretty much fully heals it too. Druddigon and Escavalier can also take on annoying Grass- and Electric-types (along with just special attackers in general) for Alomomola, but provide a bit more offensive presence than the previously mentioned Grass/Poisons. Both Pokemon really appreciate Alomomola's Wish support too, as they have no method of recovery of their own. Lastly, Dragalge is in a similar boat to Roselia, resisting both Electric- and Grass-type moves while having decent special bulk to cover Alomomola in general, REALLY appreciates mola's wish support, and has access to important moves such as Toxic Spikes, Dragon Tail, and Haze to function effectively on full stall, a playstyle that imo should be using Alomomola more often than not. In general, pretty much every defensive Pokemon that can't recover on its own appreciates Alomomola's Wish support at the very least, even if they don't have excellent synergy otherwise.
What Counters It: Unless you do something like double switch a faster Taunt user into Alomomola, there isn't really anything you can do to stop it from at least trying to pass a wish, however, there are plenty of Pokemon that can either outright kill or take advantage of mom fish. For example, while Amoonguss and Roselia are good teammates for Alomomola, they're also some of mola's worst enemies, essentially switching in for free, and either threatening a Giga Drain or using Alomomola as Spikes Fodder. Dragalge and Drapion are in a similar boat, switching in pretty much for free and using Alomomola as Toxic Spikes fodder. Alomomola can't touch Calm Mind Reuniclus at all, becoming complete and utter set up bait for the cell until it's strong enough to finally kill off Alomomola and possibly the rest of the team. Sceptile is annoyed by the residual damage from Toxic, but can pretty much come in for free otherwise and OHKO mola with a Leaf Storm without a second though. meanwhile, Lum SD Virizion essentially gets a free Swords Dance up vs Alomomola bar repeated Scald Burns.
Any Additional Info: The EV spread used in the set actually barely detracts from Alomomola's physical bulk at all, with most physical attacks only doing like 3% more, meanwhile Alomomola's special bulk increases significantly with this EV spread, taking anywhere between 10% and 20% less from the average special attak, definitely worth it imo.
Slowking @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 216 SAtk / 44 SDef
Nature: Modest
- Scald
- Psyshock
- Fire Blast
- Dragon Tail
What it Does: Assault Vest Slowking can best be described as a glue Pokemon for teams in need of power, but needing the ability to reliably handle the likes of Delphox and Moltres. Thanks to Regenerator, Slowking can easily run Assault Vest to soak up virtually any special attack that isn't a STAB super effective one. Even if the target you're trying to switch into predicts with a super effective move, Slowking can just switch back out to the appropriate response and regain 33% of its max HP. Scald is a cool move on AV Slowking as the 30% burn chance can make it incredibly annoying to take down. Psyshock is used over Psychic as most Fighting-types, especially Gallade, have lower Defense than Special Defense. Plus, you're already smashing Rhyperior and Gligar with Scald anyway. Fire Blast is nice to beat up on shit like Cobalion, Registeel, Escavalier, and Bronzong. Dragon Tail finishes off the set and can be used to rack up entry hazard damage early on. This is particularly useful as Slowking's typing deters about every Spinner from coming in naturally while most Defog users are SR weak. EV spread rounds down passive damage and hits the final boost point provided by nature. The rest is put in Special Defense to amplify the effects of Assault Vest a little more. Modest is a no-brainer for the nature so Slowking can hit hard enough.
Good Teammates: Slowking fits well with many defensive and offensive Pokemon alike. Defensively, Rhyperior, Registeel, Amoonguss, and Tangrowth all gel well with Slowking. Good offensive partners include Virizion, Emboar, Cobalion, and Moltres. As AV Slowking runs Dragon Tail, Spikes support can really amplify the shuffling ability Slowking has. Froslass is a go-to Spikes setter for offensive-minded teams while teams looking for a bulkier Spikes user can utilize Roselia. Slowking absolutely hates Knock Off, so anything that can deal with it is appreciated. Cobalion and Virizion both have Justified to actually benefit from it while Tangrowth and Amoonguss have Regenerator to make up for the lack of Leftovers if need be.
What Counters It: Durant sucks.... a ton. Although it has difficulty coming in directly on Slowking, the steel ant can easily come in after a KO or through Dragon Tail phazing and immediately threaten Slowking with its powerful X-Scissor. Assault Vest Tangrowth running Power Whip will seriously dent, if not OHKO, Slowking as it lacks physical defense investment like most variants of its defensive set. If Druddigon carries one of Thunder Punch, Sucker Punch, or the lesser seen Crunch, it is going to beat Slowking handily, especially if these attacks are boosted by Sheer Force. Fighting-types such as Gallade and Hitmonlee can inflict serious amounts of damage with Knock Off, but will generally need Slowking worn down a little bit to ensure the KO so they don't get drilled with Psyshock after their attack. Any user of Toxic or Toxic Spikes can really hamper Slowking. Although most users of these moves can't beat Slowking one-on-one, this will keep Slowking from staying in for very long. Bronzong, Registeel, Alomomola, and opposing defensive Slowking are all capable of running Toxic while Drapion, Roselia, and Cofagrigus can all utilize Toxic Spikes.
Any Additional Info: If phazing isn't your cup of tea, there are a couple of coverage moves to consider on Assault Vest Slowking. Ice Beam seems redundant with Fire Blast, but it is able to deal serious damage to the likes of Druddigon and Sigilyph. Grass Knot trips up opposing Slowking for decent damage while also offering up something to hit Seismitoad, Jellicent, and Gastrodon with harder. Remember, just because Slowking is running all attack moves doesn't mean it's a wallbreaker. It is likely going to be a key to keeping your team together and being super resilient against most special attackers due to its typing, ability, and incredible special bulk with the AV boost.
Meloetta @ Assault Vest
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SAtk / 4 Spe
Modest Nature
- U-turn
- Hyper Voice
- Psyshock / Psychic
- Focus Blast / Shadow Ball
What it does: Meloetta-A has a really high Special defense Stat and nice Special Attack as well, both are 128. This set aims to make those two points even better, with Assault Vest boosting that Special defense even higher (With this spread is about as bulky as Amoonguss on the special side without AV factored in). It tanks hits like Specsploud's Boomburst and Specs Delphox Fire Blast with easy. Hyper Voice is obvious and probably best STAB Move (Unless GF decides to give her Boomburst o3o). The choice between psyshock and Psychic is personal preference, Psychic has more Base Power, however Psyshock maims Special Walls. I feel like Psychic is overall more usefull since Special walls usually don't give much shit about Psyshock but meh. The last slot depend son your teams needs really. Focus Blast can be used to decimate Steels, however Shadow Ball has more neutral coverage and hits Bronzong SE.
Good Teammates: While Meloetta has juice Special Defense, her Defense is a bit disappointing, so carrying a strong Physical Wall is adviced, especially something that can take Dark moves. Also repeated assaults can take Meloetta out so Wish support is usefull, but not necessary. Lastly something that can take on strong Special walls like Cresselia is appreciated. Pokemon that learns Volt Switch/Uturn also work well with Meloetta, forming a VolTurn core which is cool.
What counters it: Like stated above, bulky Psychics like Uxie, Cresselia and, if you opt for Shadow Ball, Steel types become a problem. It is also weak to Sucker Punch and Pursuit due to being a Psychic type. Scarfed Physical attackers like Hitmonlee and Braviary dont give a fuck about her Special bulk so be sure to watch out for them as well. Also being grounded limits her switchins somewhat since this Meloetta set doesnt have a usebale draining move.
Any Additional info: I guess you can opt to replace U-turn for some other move like Grass Knot or Shadow Ball if you really think you do not need it but U-turn is definitely advised.
Rhyperior @ Leftovers
Ability: Solid Rock
EVs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 244 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Rock Blast / Stone Edge
- Roar
What It Does:
Rhyperior is an amazing tank. It takes on almost all Flying and Fire types in the tier and sets up rock to punish them every time they switch in. It has amazing Attack and Defense even uninvested and thanks to Solid Rock and that meaty HP stats it takes non Water or Grass Special Hits surprisingly well. That awesome attack and coverage with STAB moves alone makes switching into it really difficult without a dedicated Physical Wall. Roar>Dragon Tail mostly because SubCM Cresselia is a major pain for a lot of teams and not many Taunt users can freely do that against Rhyperior (think Drapion, Cobalion and Skuntank) making Dragon Tail inferior. Not to mention the 100% accuracy.
Rhyperior can take ridicolously strong physical hits (like Jolly LO Reckless HJK from Hitmonlee). Without Raikou in the tier and with Heliolisk and Rotom Mow gaining popularity it is not that effective in checking Electric types but this is still a super reliable Stealth Rock setter for Balanced and even offensive teams.
Good Teammates: Grass types such as Amoonguss and Tangrowth are good partners as they are able to take the Grass and Water hits that scare Rhyperior and appreciating its ability to deal with problematic Fire and Flying types. Slowking is another good choice as it deals with most Water and Fighting types really well and Alomomola is great for its big wishes that help keeping Rhyperior healty. Also any sweeper appreciates Stealth Rock support so they are decent partners.
What Counters It: Grass types like Tangrowth and Virizion can switch into any move and force Rhyperior out. Bulky water types are also good switch ins but they don't like repeated Earthquakes (the exception being Alomomola). Most strong Fighting types (like Hitmonlee and Gallade) and pokemon carrying a strong super effective coverage move (like Energy Ball or Focus Blast Meloetta or Surf Heliolisk) can OHKO Rhyperior with a bit of prior damage so they are good checks.
Any Additional Info: More attack investment can be used to take out specific threats but it is more often than not a bad idea if you rely a lot on Rhyperior to check special Fire Types. Megahorn and Fire punch are usable over Roar to hit Tangrowth, Cresselia and Escavalier harder but using teammates is generally the best idea.
Cofagrigus @ Leftovers
Ability: Mummy
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Spd
- Trick Room
- Hidden Power Fighting
- Nasty Plot
- Shadow Ball
What it does: Cofagrigus has great defensive stats and can absorb hits thanks to its huge 145/105 base defenses. Allowing him enough time to boost it's respectable base 95 special attack stat with Nasty Plot and set up Trick Room. Shadow Ball has near perfect coverage and hits almost everything for neutral damage, as it is only resisted by dark types. Of course normal types are immune to ghost but that's what Hidden Power Fighting is there for. Essentially giving Cofagrigus perfect coverage. Thanks to its woeful speed nothing late game should out-speed him and if it does it can likely absorb the hit and KO with a +2 Shadow Ball. So if you've effectively removed Cofagrigus's checks and counters it should sweep unhindered. Leftovers over life orb to increase its longevity and the passive recovery is pretty useful as well.
Good Teammates: Pokemon that can effectively clear out Cofagrigus's checks and counters to ensure it's sweep goes unhampered. Escavalier for one is a great partner, it effectively checks Cofagrigus's biggest counter Assault Vest Meloetta. And because of its pitiful speed Escavalier is also greatly benefited by Cofagrigu's Trick Room support. Other notable offensive partners include Hitmonlee, Emboar, and Yanmega, who can all clear out most of Cofagrigus's checks. Teammates that can cure Cofagrigus of status ailments, tank dark attacks and heal it are definitely helpful. Wish pass Aromatisse fits that role perfectly. A hazard cleaner wouldn't be a bad partner either since residual damage hurts Confagrigus because of its lack of recovery options.
Counters: Meloetta is probably Cofagrigus's best counter, it is immune to Shadow Ball and takes minimal damage from HP Fighting. Keeping Cofagrigus in on Meloetta just gives it free turns to set-up because Cofagrigus can basically do nothing to stop it. Other counters are of course dark types like Skuntank and Drapion (which are probably the biggest). Zoroark is a decent check as well biggest it can take a Shadow Ball and hit hard.
Any Additional Info: Cofagrigus is susceptible to hit and run tactics and can be worn down quickly with a combination of hard hits and status ailments because it doesn't have reliable recovery.
Tangrowth @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SAtk
Relaxed Nature
- Knock Off
- Giga Drain
- Hidden Power Fire
- Earthquake / Leech Seed
What it does: Tangrowth boasts huge hp and defensive base stats, that allows it to take on some of the tiers best physical attackers, pivots, and other defensive specialist. All without the need of a recovery move thanks to its wonderful Regenerator ability; now it can switch in and out of multiple attacks while gaining HP. Tangrowth has the power to check Sharpedo, Tyrantrum, Druddigon, and Golurk, it also hard walls Kabutops, Cincinno, Ambipom, Rhyperior, and a host of other offensive and defensive threats. Giga Drain is the obligatory stab that also offers some form of recovery. Earthquake to hit steel types that resist giga drain, and it's also able to catch Tangrowth's poison typed counters on switches (Drapion & Skuntank). Leech Seed can be used over Earthquake to force your opponent to switch. HP Fire is for opposing grass types. It can also be used to hit two of Tangrowths counters Escavalier and Durant. And Knock Off is such a useful move especially in lower tiers. Why pass up the opportunity to knock off leftovers and eviolites? Being able to soften up walls is huge for your teams offensive pokemon.
Good Teammates: The best defensive teammates to tangrowth are bulky water types, preferably specially defensive walls since it doesn't have the capability to deal with powerful special attacks. A pokemon like Lanturn compliments Tangrowth perfectly. Lanturn has the necessary bulk to eat those powerful ice, fire, and flying typed attacks Tangrowth hates. It's also capable of absorbing status moves that would otherwise annoy Tangrowth because it has access to heal bell. Another notable defensive pokemon that compliments Tangrowth is Slowking. There is a bit of a drop off because it doesn't have heal bell nor can it resist flying typed moves. It does have Regenerator though and forms a nice defensive core with Tangrowth that essentially heals itself. Offensive pokemon that Tangrowth compliments include Emboar, Moltres, and Braviary. Tangrowth can take all of the water and ground typed attacks aimed at Emboar, losing out only to Flying and Psychic super-effective moves that can be covered by other teammates. Pretty much the same thing with both Moltres and Braviary, Tangrowth can reliably eat up SE moves thrown at both those pokemon.
What Counters It: Moltres and Delphox are the biggest threats to Tangrowth in the current metagame. It's no match for the powerful stabs dished out by Moltres since both are SE on Tangrowth. The same thing with Delphox minus the weakness to psychic typing. There is also another problem, not only is Tangrowth is weak to the tiers common fire, flying and ice typed attacks but it's also susceptible to trick. Which basically renders it useless since it can't force switches with leech seed and without investment in spa or attack, it's easily set up on after being choice locked. Skuntank, Drapion, and Roselia counter Tangrowth along with the tiers other poison types. Other honorable mentions are Durant, Braviary, and Escavalier.
Alomomola @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 104 HP / 252 Def / 152 SDef
Impish / Bold Nature
- Wish
- Protect
- Toxic
- Waterfall / Scald
What It Does: Alomomola is pretty much the best Wishpasser in RU imo and i honestly would never make any kind of stall team without it tbh. Alomomola's Wishes are the absolute largest in the game outside of Chansey/Blissey's Wishes, which means that even without full hp investment Alomomola can still heal up its teammates for about 250 HP per wishpass, a pretty impressive number. What's more? Alomomola's Regenerator ability means that it can spend less time using its wishes to heal itself and more time on healing up its teammates, making it that much more efficient as a wishpasser. Alomomola isn't only useful for passing wishes though, its great all around bulk with the proper ev spread along with its excellent ability in Regenerator makes it an EXCELLENT defensive Pokemon in and of itself. Alomomola is capable of pivoting into pretty much any physical attack in the tier, and can simply switch out and recover a third of its hp with Regenerator whenever things get rough, making it exceptionally durable. In general, the given Alomomola spread is almost impossible to OHKO in general without a STAB Electric or Grass-Type move. Waterfall lets Alomomola do a bit more damage if needed (not much more though lol), while Scald is MUCH weaker, but gives a nifty burn rate, a lot of people actually prefer Scald due to the fact that Alomomola's main method of doing damage is usually Toxic anyway.
Good Teammates: To start off, most bulky Pokemon that can take on Electric- and Grass-types such as Heliolisk, Virizion, and Sceptile make good cores with Alomomola. In particular, Grass/Poisons such as Amoonguss and Roselia work especially well. Amoonguss makes a very solid Regenerator core with Alomomola, taking on pretty much any Grass- or Electric-type currently common in the tier for Alomomola, while Alomomola takes annoying things such as Emboar and Braviary for Amoonguss in return, since both Pokemon have Regenerator, they can simply restore hp by switchspamming. Roselia exchanges some bulk and access to Regenerator for access to Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and Aromatherapy, making it a better teammate on teams leaning more towards full stall, who might appreciate these moves quite a bit. Roselia's low base HP means Alomomola's Wish pretty much fully heals it too. Druddigon and Escavalier can also take on annoying Grass- and Electric-types (along with just special attackers in general) for Alomomola, but provide a bit more offensive presence than the previously mentioned Grass/Poisons. Both Pokemon really appreciate Alomomola's Wish support too, as they have no method of recovery of their own. Lastly, Dragalge is in a similar boat to Roselia, resisting both Electric- and Grass-type moves while having decent special bulk to cover Alomomola in general, REALLY appreciates mola's wish support, and has access to important moves such as Toxic Spikes, Dragon Tail, and Haze to function effectively on full stall, a playstyle that imo should be using Alomomola more often than not. In general, pretty much every defensive Pokemon that can't recover on its own appreciates Alomomola's Wish support at the very least, even if they don't have excellent synergy otherwise.
What Counters It: Unless you do something like double switch a faster Taunt user into Alomomola, there isn't really anything you can do to stop it from at least trying to pass a wish, however, there are plenty of Pokemon that can either outright kill or take advantage of mom fish. For example, while Amoonguss and Roselia are good teammates for Alomomola, they're also some of mola's worst enemies, essentially switching in for free, and either threatening a Giga Drain or using Alomomola as Spikes Fodder. Dragalge and Drapion are in a similar boat, switching in pretty much for free and using Alomomola as Toxic Spikes fodder. Alomomola can't touch Calm Mind Reuniclus at all, becoming complete and utter set up bait for the cell until it's strong enough to finally kill off Alomomola and possibly the rest of the team. Sceptile is annoyed by the residual damage from Toxic, but can pretty much come in for free otherwise and OHKO mola with a Leaf Storm without a second though. meanwhile, Lum SD Virizion essentially gets a free Swords Dance up vs Alomomola bar repeated Scald Burns.
Any Additional Info: The EV spread used in the set actually barely detracts from Alomomola's physical bulk at all, with most physical attacks only doing like 3% more, meanwhile Alomomola's special bulk increases significantly with this EV spread, taking anywhere between 10% and 20% less from the average special attak, definitely worth it imo.
Gligar @ Eviolite
Ability: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SDef
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- U-turn / Toxic / Knock Off
- Defog
- Roost
What It Does: Say hello to what's easily the best defog user and defensive hazard remover in the tier imo. Gligar's incredible eviolite bolstered bulk (especially on the physical side), great physically defensive typing, access to reliable recovery, and decent Speed stat stat all come together to make sure that Gligar can consistently pull off a defog or two for its team when needed, meanwhile checking and countering all kinds of threatening physical attackers such as Hitmonlee, Escavalier, Cobalion, Drapion, Rhyperior, Druddigon, Doublade, and more along the way! (to anyone who says Knock Off is a problem, Gligar can still take on these threats without its Eviolite, and still has enough bulk to do what it was born to do either way: Defog. Earthquake, Roost, and Defog are all obvious in the roles that they play on Gligar's set, but the last moveslot has some more variety to it. U-turn lets Gligar turn into a volturn pivot of sorts, using its incredible physical bulk and good resistances to force switches and using U-turn on the opponent on their way out, providing you with the switch advantage. Toxic is just a generally good defensive move, and lets Gligar stall out things that it wouldn't be able to break through otherwise with ease, also good for chip damage on switchins. Lastly, Knock Off does some damage to levitating Ghosts such as Mismagius that wall Gligar otherwise, and has the general utility of removing important things such as Leftovers and Eviolite over the course of the game. Aerial Ace isn't listed here but can be used if you REALLLY need a check to swords dance Virizion and can't fit anything else, niche, but an option nonetheless.
Good Teammates:
Because Gligar's main role is removing hazards for your team, Pokemon that are vulnerable to Stealth Rock and/or repeated layers of Spikes are naturally good teammates for Gligar. Most notably, Moltres and Yanmega really enjoy these hazards being consistently removed, and can nuke to their absolute maximum in this case without having to worry as much about Stealth Rock cutting 50% of their health per switch in. Fletchinder isn't as immediately threatening, but can still pull off a late game sweep pretty often and can do so even more effectively with Gligar's help. Delphox is another good example of a Pokemon that appreciates Gligar, it's not quite as vulnerable to Stealth Rock, but still takes 25% on switch in, not to mention the possibility of Stealth Rock+Spikes. removing Stealth Rock for delphox lets it do its wallbreaking/sweeping role that much more effectively. Outside of these Pokemon, Gligar also fits really well on defensive balance/stall teams that dislike multiple layers of hazards stacked against them, providing a solid defensive backbone and a way of removing hazards that can't really be blocked in one teamslot. As for support Gligar itself needs, Gligar might have a solid defensive typing, but its weaknesses to Ice- and Water-type moves are crippling, especially given the fact that they usually target its still good but lower special defense stat. Therefore, bulky Water-types such as Jellicent, Gastrodon, Alomomola, and especially Slowking pair well with Gligar.
What Counters It:
There's nothing that can really *stop* Gligar from defogging away hazards outside of smart switching, Defiant and Competitive users exist, but most of them are either mediocre, or incapable of breaking through Gligar even at +2. However, this doesn't mean Gligar is unbeatable, far from it in fact. Gligar's mediocre base Attack stat, only decent special bulk, and weaknesses to Water- and Ice-type moves make it perfectly possible to get past Gligar in RU. Bulky Water-types such as Slowking, Alomomola, Jellicent, and Gastrodon are some excellent ways to get past Gligar, they don't really fear anything except Toxic, can recover off all damage, and force Gligar out with Scald and/or pass a wish in Alomomola's case. Moltres can come in on any of Gligar's move except for Toxic and force it out with the threat of a Life orb Fire Blast or Hurricane, as can Tinted Lens Specs Yanmega. Mega Abomasnow resists Earthquake, can't be knocked off, and can easily OHKO Gligar in Blizzard in return. In general, Bulky Water-types, special Grass-types, and general special attacking nukes that can take an Earthquake should let you break through Gligar.
Any Additional Info:
Please Don't use Stealth Rock on Defog Gligar, it's pretty counterproductive and leads to a base case of 4mss that you don't want.
Slowking @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 216 SAtk / 44 SDef
Nature: Modest
- Scald
- Psyshock
- Fire Blast
- Dragon Tail
What it Does: Assault Vest Slowking can best be described as a glue Pokemon for teams in need of power, but needing the ability to reliably handle the likes of Delphox and Moltres. Thanks to Regenerator, Slowking can easily run Assault Vest to soak up virtually any special attack that isn't a STAB super effective one. Even if the target you're trying to switch into predicts with a super effective move, Slowking can just switch back out to the appropriate response and regain 33% of its max HP. Scald is a cool move on AV Slowking as the 30% burn chance can make it incredibly annoying to take down. Psyshock is used over Psychic as most Fighting-types, especially Gallade, have lower Defense than Special Defense. Plus, you're already smashing Rhyperior and Gligar with Scald anyway. Fire Blast is nice to beat up on shit like Cobalion, Registeel, Escavalier, and Bronzong. Dragon Tail finishes off the set and can be used to rack up entry hazard damage early on. This is particularly useful as Slowking's typing deters about every Spinner from coming in naturally while most Defog users are SR weak. EV spread rounds down passive damage and hits the final boost point provided by nature. The rest is put in Special Defense to amplify the effects of Assault Vest a little more. Modest is a no-brainer for the nature so Slowking can hit hard enough.
Good Teammates: Slowking fits well with many defensive and offensive Pokemon alike. Defensively, Rhyperior, Registeel, Amoonguss, and Tangrowth all gel well with Slowking. Good offensive partners include Virizion, Emboar, Cobalion, and Moltres. As AV Slowking runs Dragon Tail, Spikes support can really amplify the shuffling ability Slowking has. Froslass is a go-to Spikes setter for offensive-minded teams while teams looking for a bulkier Spikes user can utilize Roselia. Slowking absolutely hates Knock Off, so anything that can deal with it is appreciated. Cobalion and Virizion both have Justified to actually benefit from it while Tangrowth and Amoonguss have Regenerator to make up for the lack of Leftovers if need be.
What Counters It: Durant sucks.... a ton. Although it has difficulty coming in directly on Slowking, the steel ant can easily come in after a KO or through Dragon Tail phazing and immediately threaten Slowking with its powerful X-Scissor. Assault Vest Tangrowth running Power Whip will seriously dent, if not OHKO, Slowking as it lacks physical defense investment like most variants of its defensive set. If Druddigon carries one of Thunder Punch, Sucker Punch, or the lesser seen Crunch, it is going to beat Slowking handily, especially if these attacks are boosted by Sheer Force. Fighting-types such as Gallade and Hitmonlee can inflict serious amounts of damage with Knock Off, but will generally need Slowking worn down a little bit to ensure the KO so they don't get drilled with Psyshock after their attack. Any user of Toxic or Toxic Spikes can really hamper Slowking. Although most users of these moves can't beat Slowking one-on-one, this will keep Slowking from staying in for very long. Bronzong, Registeel, Alomomola, and opposing defensive Slowking are all capable of running Toxic while Drapion, Roselia, and Cofagrigus can all utilize Toxic Spikes.
Any Additional Info: If phazing isn't your cup of tea, there are a couple of coverage moves to consider on Assault Vest Slowking. Ice Beam seems redundant with Fire Blast, but it is able to deal serious damage to the likes of Druddigon and Sigilyph. Grass Knot trips up opposing Slowking for decent damage while also offering up something to hit Seismitoad, Jellicent, and Gastrodon with harder. Remember, just because Slowking is running all attack moves doesn't mean it's a wallbreaker. It is likely going to be a key to keeping your team together and being super resilient against most special attackers due to its typing, ability, and incredible special bulk with the AV boost.
Aromatisse @ Leftovers
Ability: Aroma Veil
EV's: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 SpD
IV's: 0 Spe
Relaxed Nature
- Protect
- Wish
- Toxic / Moonblast
- Aromatherapy
What it does: Switch into physical attacks, heal allies with Wish/Aromatherapy, stall out teams with Toxic. Aromatisse is possibly one of the best mixed walls in RU. Pure Fairy is a great typing for a defensive Pokemon, with only two weaknesses that are both relatively uncommon on offensive Pokemon (aside from Escavalier). What's more, it's ability protects it from Taunt, one of the most common ways of shutting down a wall, and it also has pretty good 101 / 72 / 89 defenses. This, combined with its resistances to Dark, Fighting, and Bug, allows it to stall out many Pokemon, and function effectively as a Cleric. The set given is pretty self explanatory. With the EVs, Aromatisse is able to pass 203 HP Wishes to Pokemon like Carracosta (to pick a bad example) who lack any methods of healing. With Aroma Veil blocking Taunt, Aromatisse can run a moveset with only non-damaging moves. Toxic does greater passive damage, but you can use Moonblast if your team lacks Fairy coverage.
Good teammates: Pretty much any Pokemon that either has trouble switching in or can't heal itself. Also, Pokemon that are weak to status. Aromatisse also works really well with Shell Smashers like Barbaracle or Carracosta, they can switch in after a Wish, and be healed of Burns through Aromatherapy. (I haven't used it a lot with other teammates so more examples would be appreciated). Aromatisse struggles with bulky Poisons, and so appreciates the help of a Pokemon like Rhyperior.
What counters it: Escavalier. It is immune to Toxic and resists Moonblast, and can 2HKO back with Iron Head. Defensively, Aromatisse also struggles against bulky Poisons like Amoonguss and Golbat.
Any additional info: As it doesn't require Leftovers to heal itself and resists dark, Aromatisse can freely switch into Knock Off, and stall off the attacking Pokemon with Wish / Protect. As it has decent 99 SpAtk and 89 SpDef stats, Aromatisse can run a Calm Mind set, but it's generally better used defensively.
Shuckle (M) @ Mental Herb
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 132 SDef / 124 Spd
Careful Nature
- Sticky Web
- Stealth Rock
- Infestation / Toxic / Knock Off
- Encore
What It Does: Shuckle doesn't really do much on its own, but it has a knack for supporting its teammates that makes it incredibly dangerous. Shuckle is the best Sticky Web users in the game. Sticky Web is an incredibly deadly move that slows down pretty much every grounded pokemon, letting slow, powerful wallbreakers get a speed advantage they usually wouldn't have over these opponent, and because of Shuckle's good 20/230/230 defenses, free Focus Sash in Sturdy (although lol almost nothing is OHKOing this anyway, Contrary and Gluttony are really bad on this set either way), and ability to run Mental Herb to stop Taunt, it's almost guarenteed to set it (and Stealth Rock!) up at least once over the course of the match. Encore makes sure the usually very passive Shuckle doesn't become set up bait, while all the moves in the last slot have their seperate uses. Infestation deals some chip damage to whatever it hits before Shuckle goes down and its partial trapping ability sometimes gives one of your teammates a free opportunity to switch in. Toxic lets Shuckle Cripple a defensive pokemon with some permanent passive damage, while Knock Off lets Shuckle remove things such as Leftovers and Life Orb from the opposing team. Speed might seem weird on a Pokemon as slow as Shuckle, but it actually serves an important purpose, letting you outspeed 0 Speed Escavalier and get both Stealth Rock and Sticky Web up before being 2HKO'd by Iron Head.
Good Teammates:Because of what Sticky Web does, slow (but not like Escavalier slow lol), but powerful offensive Pokemon naturally make good teammates. Using Sticky Web's speed lowering effect to get the jump on things that would revenge kill them otherwise. Exploud, Tinted Lens Yanmega, and Hitmonlee are three great examples of Pokemon like this, all 3 Pokemon hit extremely hard and have few safe switch-ins, and with Sticky Web's support, grounded fast Pokemon that would usually be able to revenge kill them after a KO now end up getting outsped and easily killed by Boomburst/Bug Buzz/High Jump Kick. Hitmonlee also happens to wreck Sharpedo with Mach Punch, an annoyance for Sticky Web teams. Other Pokemon that can benefit from this support include Moltres, Emboar, and the rare Zangoose. Try to make sure your team isn't too depended on Sticky Web though, just in case it gets removed via Rapid Spin or Defog. Speaking of Rapid Spin and Defog, things that can stop/punish these moves are good things to pair with Shuckle too. Mega Banette can block Rapid Spin for its team, and can also serve as an emergency stop to problem Pokemon for your Sticky Web team by using Prankster Destiny Bond (think about Thundurus's priority Thunder Wave in OU, except this is a free 1 for 1 instead of paralysis), all while benefitting from Sticky Web's support itself. Meanwhile, Defiant Braviary gets a free +2 Attack boost from anything trying to Defog it, turning it into a massive threat if the situation arises, and like Mega Banette, definitely benefits from Sticky Web's speed lowering effect.
What Counters It: Unless your name is Xatu or Durant channeling its inner Soulgazer, It's almost impossible to "stop" Shuckle from doing its job at least once per se, but there are still ways to slow it down/remove its hazard support later on. As a suicide hazard lead, Rapid Spin and Defog are public enemies #1, as they can remove your Stealth Rock and Sticky Web from the game, possibly when Shuckle isn't alive to set it up again, however, any good Sticky Web team should have teammates to either block Rapid Spin, punish you for using Defog, or both, so you'll have to get past those first. Not to mention people will be reluctant to lead with Shuckle if you have any of these.
Any Additional Info: DO NOT USE LEFTOVERS
Froslass @ Focus Sash
Ability: Cursed Body
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Destiny Bond
- Spikes
- Ice Beam
- Taunt
What It Does: Sets up a couple layers of Spikes against most teams, Taunts opposing hazard users to keep your side of the field clean, then when it's time to go it Destiny Bonds to bring down one of your opponent's Pokemon. Ice Beam is a STAB option to get off some damage in a necessary situation, especially when facing something like a Defog Gligar, where KOing it may be more preferable than using Taunt.
Good Teammates: Froslass is excellent on hyper offensive teams, to set up hazards and maintain great momentum early-game. As such, wallbreakers and setup sweepers such as Hitmonlee, Delphox, Durant, Virizion, and Kabutops make excellent partners. Defiant / Competitive users such as Braviary work well to take advantage of Defog, as well as Ghost-types like Mismagius to block Rapid Spin. Sharpedo appreciates Spikes in wearing down bulky Water-types so it can sweep later.
What Counters It: Rhyperior sometimes carries Rock Blast, and if it does it can break straight through your Focus Sash providing they don't get only 2 hits. Meanwhile you'll only do ~50% back to Rhyperior with Ice Beam, and you've likely used Taunt first turn to stop Stealth Rock from going up. It's not a great answer to Froslass because if you're unlucky the Froslass will actually beat Rhyperior (there's a 0.4% chance to 2HKO Rhyperior after Leftovers) but it's still a decent stop. Cinccino will stop its shenanigans entirely providing it's using a set with a boosting item, cleanly outspeeding and OHKOing with Bullet Seed. Any faster Pokemon with Taunt (of which there are surprisingly few with Azelf gone) will shut down Froslass.
Any Additional Info: You can opt to run a more offensive Froslass spread of max SpA instead of HP, but this variant takes on Rhyperior better (there's a chance you'll Taunt to stop the rocks and get up a layer of Spikes or kill it with Destiny Bond) and it's not like Froslass is going to be doing much damage—its main advantage is being able to beat Xatu.
Shuckle (M) @ Mental Herb
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 132 SDef / 124 Spd
Careful Nature
- Sticky Web
- Stealth Rock
- Infestation / Toxic / Knock Off
- Encore
What It Does: Shuckle doesn't really do much on its own, but it has a knack for supporting its teammates that makes it incredibly dangerous. Shuckle is the best Sticky Web users in the game. Sticky Web is an incredibly deadly move that slows down pretty much every grounded pokemon, letting slow, powerful wallbreakers get a speed advantage they usually wouldn't have over these opponent, and because of Shuckle's good 20/230/230 defenses, free Focus Sash in Sturdy (although lol almost nothing is OHKOing this anyway, Contrary and Gluttony are really bad on this set either way), and ability to run Mental Herb to stop Taunt, it's almost guarenteed to set it (and Stealth Rock!) up at least once over the course of the match. Encore makes sure the usually very passive Shuckle doesn't become set up bait, while all the moves in the last slot have their seperate uses. Infestation deals some chip damage to whatever it hits before Shuckle goes down and its partial trapping ability sometimes gives one of your teammates a free opportunity to switch in. Toxic lets Shuckle Cripple a defensive pokemon with some permanent passive damage, while Knock Off lets Shuckle remove things such as Leftovers and Life Orb from the opposing team. Speed might seem weird on a Pokemon as slow as Shuckle, but it actually serves an important purpose, letting you outspeed 0 Speed Escavalier and get both Stealth Rock and Sticky Web up before being 2HKO'd by Iron Head.
Good Teammates:Because of what Sticky Web does, slow (but not like Escavalier slow lol), but powerful offensive Pokemon naturally make good teammates. Using Sticky Web's speed lowering effect to get the jump on things that would revenge kill them otherwise. Exploud, Tinted Lens Yanmega, and Hitmonlee are three great examples of Pokemon like this, all 3 Pokemon hit extremely hard and have few safe switch-ins, and with Sticky Web's support, grounded fast Pokemon that would usually be able to revenge kill them after a KO now end up getting outsped and easily killed by Boomburst/Bug Buzz/High Jump Kick. Hitmonlee also happens to wreck Sharpedo with Mach Punch, an annoyance for Sticky Web teams. Other Pokemon that can benefit from this support include Moltres, Emboar, and the rare Zangoose. Try to make sure your team isn't too depended on Sticky Web though, just in case it gets removed via Rapid Spin or Defog. Speaking of Rapid Spin and Defog, things that can stop/punish these moves are good things to pair with Shuckle too. Mega Banette can block Rapid Spin for its team, and can also serve as an emergency stop to problem Pokemon for your Sticky Web team by using Prankster Destiny Bond (think about Thundurus's priority Thunder Wave in OU, except this is a free 1 for 1 instead of paralysis), all while benefitting from Sticky Web's support itself. Meanwhile, Defiant Braviary gets a free +2 Attack boost from anything trying to Defog it, turning it into a massive threat if the situation arises, and like Mega Banette, definitely benefits from Sticky Web's speed lowering effect.
What Counters It: Unless your name is Xatu or Durant channeling its inner Soulgazer, It's almost impossible to "stop" Shuckle from doing its job at least once per se, but there are still ways to slow it down/remove its hazard support later on. As a suicide hazard lead, Rapid Spin and Defog are public enemies #1, as they can remove your Stealth Rock and Sticky Web from the game, possibly when Shuckle isn't alive to set it up again, however, any good Sticky Web team should have teammates to either block Rapid Spin, punish you for using Defog, or both, so you'll have to get past those first. Not to mention people will be reluctant to lead with Shuckle if you have any of these.
Any Additional Info: DO NOT USE LEFTOVERS
Drapion @ Black Sludge
Ability: Battle Armor
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SDef / 4 Atk
Careful nature
- Taunt
- Toxic Spikes
- Knock Off
- Whirlwind
What it does: While Drapion can run a common Swords Dance set, a specially defensive set is where it truly shines. With this, it absolutely destroys common Calm Mind users like Meloetta, Slowking, Reuniclus, and Cresselia, easily tanking any boosted hit and either phazing with Whirlwind or KOing with Knock Off. Taunt, coupled with Drapion's above average speed for a defensive mon, allows Drapion to stop status, shut down walls, and prevent your opponent from using Drapion as setup fodder. Because of Drapion's Toxic immunity, it can get past most walls easily. This and Drapion's great mixed bulk provide many opportunities for Drapion to set up Toxic Spikes, which is a great boon to more balanced or stall teams. Toxic Spikes is one of the main reasons to use Drapion over Skuntank, and Drapion is undoubtedly one of the best users of the move.
Good Teammates: Drapion unfortunately has no means of reliable recovery, which means it can easily be worn down throughout the match. Wish support from things like Alomomola and Aromatisse are immensely helpful to make sure Drapion stays healthy. Because Drapion is likely to be found on more stall-ish teams, bulky walls are best paired up with Drapion to take advantage of the poison Drapion spreads around. In turn, Drapion prevents its teammates from being easy setup fodder, something which most walls have trouble with. Spinblockers are also great partners for Drapion, to ensure that Toxic Spikes are kept on the field. Gourgeist, notably, has great type synergy with Drapion.
What counters it: Dugtrio makes for a great counter to Drapion, trapping eliminating it with its STAB Earthquake. Also, while Drapion has good bulk with investment, its lack of recovery means that powerful attacks from things like Moltres can break through it.
Additional Information: This Drapion set is pretty invariant, as you'll find all of its moves hard to replace. Earthquake is a viable choice to hit Poison-types not named Amoonguss and Steel-types that like to switch into Toxic Spikes, but Drapion simply doesn't have an open slot.
Cobalion @ Leftovers
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SAtk / 252 Spe
Nature: Naive
- Stealth Rock
- Iron Head
- Close Combat
- Volt Switch
What it Does: With a great base 108 Speed and high base 129 Defense, Cobalion makes for a fast, yet durable user of Stealth Rock. This is a great Rocks user for offensive-minded teams as Cobalion is capable of dealing some quick damage after it has set up Stealth Rock. Iron Head is the primary STAB move due to its reliability and lack of defensive drops. Close Combat provides Cobaion with some extra power to dent the likes of Rhyperior and Registeel should the need arise. Volt Switch is a really odd move for a Pokemon of Cobalion's typing, but considering most Electric-immune Pokemon won't be willing to come in, it allows Cobalion to build momentum reliably. The EV spread simply maximizes Cobalion's damage output while not nerfing the power of Volt Switch, since it can do a decent amount of damage to the likes of Moltres. Leftovers is the item of choice so Cobalion can take some extra hits and its first job is to keep Stealth Rock on the field.
Good Teammates: Froslass is a solid partner to form a hazard-setting core with Cobalion and neither is really easy to setup on. Pokemon like Sharpedo, Delphox, Moltres, and Heliolisk that can otherwise struggle to find many switch-in opportunities appreciate Cobalion's Volt Switch to give them extra chances to wreak havoc. Most Ghost- and Psychic-types such as Reuniclus, Cofagrigus, and the aforementioned Delphox appreciate Cobalion's ability to absorb Knock Off for them.
What Counters It: Golbat is probably the easiest way to keep this Cobalion from doing much since it has the bulk to tank Iron Head all day, doesn't take a ton from Volt Switch, and has Defog to get rid of the Stealth Rock that Cobalion sets. Moltres isn't too fond of Volt Switch, but it resists Cobalion's STAB combination and wrecks it with Fire Blast. Gligar is another annoying Defog user that simply doesn't care about anything Cobalion tries to do to it. Cresselia and Reuniclus can easily handle Cobalion's unboosted Iron Heads and begin setting up for a potential sweep.
Additional Info: Lum Berry is an option to get a free pass on status ailments. Life Orb can juice up Cobalion's attacks, but generally isn't worth it to give up the decent bulk. If Volt Switch isn't doing much for you, Taunt is an option to prevent slower hazard users from doing much of anything. Switch to a Jolly nature and allocate Special Attack EVs to Defense in this case. If Close Combat's defense drops are a turn off, you could try Sacred Sword. Power drop sucks though.
Dragalge @ Leftovers
Ability: Poison Point
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Sassy / Calm Nature
- Toxic Spikes
- Sludge Bomb
- Dragon Pulse
- Dragon Tail / Scald
What it Does: This Dragalge set does quite a bit in RU and is part of why Dragalge is very good in RU right now. It is a very reliable setter of Toxic Spikes, a great entry hazard on balance and stall. It has excellent special bulk and a nice defensive typing to complement it, allowing it to take hits from Sceptile, Virizion, Emboar, etc, so it can reliably set up Toxic Spikes throughout the match. 97 Special Attack, while not outstanding in any way, is pretty solid for a defensive Pokemon, and Dragalge can pack a decent punch with Sludge Bomb and Dragon Pulse. In addition, Draglage can burn Pokemon immune to Toxic Spikes with Scald, or it can phaze with Dragon Tail, also making it a semi decent answer to Venomoth and SD Virizion. The EVs give it all the special bulk it needs to take special hits well, and the nature depends on the move you're using in the last slot.
Good Teammates: Since Dragalge has no recovery options, a Wish passer is a great choice to keep Dragalge healthy throughout the match. Alomomola and Aromatisse are both good for this, and the latter also has Aromatherapy to remove status aimed at Dragalge, and the seadragon also has good synergy with the former. A spinner could be decent to remove hazards, which could take a toll on Dragalge's lifespan. Walls such as Gligar appreciate Dragalge's Toxic Spikes support. Gourgeist can spinblock for Dragalge and resists Ground-type moves for Dragalge, but beware some shared weaknesses. Additional hazard setters such as Gligar can supplement more hazards for Dragalge to phaze effectively and spread hazard damage.
What counters it: Delphox and Meloetta can both destroy Dragalge with Psyshock; the latter also takes fairly little damage from Dragalge's moves. Dugtrio can remove Dragalge perfectly and Arena Trap prevents it from escaping. Using fairly bulky Pokemon with setup moves can work if Dragalge lacks Dragon Tail. Additionally, taking advantage of Dragalge's lack of recovery with repeated assaults will eventually take it down.
Additional Information: Please do not use Assault Vest on dragalge or random mons in general
Qwilfish @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Nature: Timid / Jolly
- Spikes
- Taunt
- Toxic Spikes / Waterfall
- Destiny Bond
What it does: While often overlooked as a Spikes-stacker due to the more popular Froslass, Qwilfish still has useful utility that sets it apart from its competition. First off, Intimidate is extremely helpful, often giving Qwilfish more time to set up hazards or giving a teammate an easy switch-in to a weakened attacker. Spikes and Taunt allow Qwilfish to be a valuable early-game asset, not only getting up multiple layers of hazards but also preventing the opponent from setting up themselves. Toxic Spikes, while situational due to the relative ubiquity of Poison-types, can nevertheless be very helpful by putting intense pressure on any Pokemon not immune to them, particularly defensive ones such as Aromatisse or Alomomola. Destiny Bond lets it take out any slower attacker, and also works well when the opponent must switch in an effort to preserve an important Pokemon, incurring more hazard damage upon themselves.
Good teammates: Because Qwilfish's main role is to lay down hazards, sweepers who can take advantage of them are often good teammates. Doublade is often a good option, as its bulk allows it to take advantage of Intimidate easily to set up with Swords Dance, and it can even spinblock for Qwilfish. Tauros is likewise good, as it often invites Fighting-type attacks that Qwilfish has no problem taking, and will easily clean up late-game. Sweepers that are fast but are not as strong such as Sceptile and Heliolisk always appreciate the extra hazard damage that Qwilfish provides. Defensively, Gligar can help support Qwilfish because it is immune to both Electric- and Ground-type moves, and can set up Stealth Rock to assist in dealing even more damage. In return, Qwilfish can easily sponge the Water- and Ice-type attacks often aimed at Gligar.
What counters it: Thanks to Dry Skin, Heliolisk is a near-perfect counter, only failing if Qwilfish uses Destiny Bond on the turn Heliolisk switches in. Faster attackers in general such as Sceptile and Tauros can KO Qwilfish before it has a chance to Destiny Bond, though some, such as Delphox, do not wish to switch into Waterfall. Taunt, particularly from the likes of Froslass, can prevent Qwilfish from doing its Spikes-stacking job, often forcing it out. Reuniclus is immune to Spikes and Toxic Spikes and easily OHKOs Qwilfish with its Psychic-type STAB, though Qwilfish can outspeed and Destiny Bond if Reuniclus has not already set up Trick Room.
Additional information: Pain Split gives Qwilfish some more longevity, but the unreliability of Pain Split coupled with Qwilfish's poor defenses mean it's not really that great. Haze sounds good on paper, but Qwilfish is a poor user due to its lack of bulk as well as the fact that common boosting attackers such as Reuniclus and Gallade beat it anyway.
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Dragon Claw / Outrage
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Tail / Gunk Shot / Earthquake
Role: Hazard User
What It Does: Druddigon has an awesome Attack stat and typing, allowing it to cause switches often. Because of this, Druddigon has an easy time setting up Stealth Rock for its teammates. Dragon Claw is the preferred STAB attack, and does a lot of damage to Pokemon that do not resist it. Outrage can also be used to hit hard, but it's very risky to be locked into it due to many bulky Pokemon in the tier such as Registeel and Aromatisse. Sucker Punch lets Druddigon pick off weakened foes. The last move is a toss up. Iron Tail and Gunk Shot deals massive damage to Aromatisse, and other Fariy-types that like to switch in. However, Earthquake provides nice coverage with its Dragon STAB, hitting Steel-types that try to switch in for super effective damage. The EV spread given tries to maximize Druddigon's bulk and makes it hit as hard as possible, and allows it to outpace opposing Druddigon. The ability Rough Skin is used to allow Druddigon to punish physical attackers, and Leftovers lets it heal damage it may have taken from entry hazards, or status such as poison and burn.
Good Teammates: Good teammates for Druddigon include Steel-types like Escavalier and Durant because they resist all the types Druddigon is weak too, and can eliminate Pokemon like Aromatisse. In return, Druddigon can switch into Fire-type moves aimed at them. Spikes users such as Roselia and Qwilfish make good partners because they can help Druddigon wear down opponents. Fire-types like Magmortar and Moltres also make good partners, breaking through very problematic Steel-types that trouble Druddigon.
What Counters It: Bulky Steel-types such as Steelix and Registeel give Druddigon a hard time because they resist almost all the moves Druddigon usually carries. In addition, Pokemon that have naturally high Defense such as Rhyperior, Alomomola, and Tangrowth can the former can set up Rock Polish and the latter two can wear Druddigon out with Scald and Toxic, or Leech Seed, respectively.
Any Additional Info: You can add all the Attack EVs to Defense or Special Defense to maximize Druddigon's bulk.
Kabutops @ Life Orb
Ability: Weak Armor
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
Adamant Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Stone Edge
- Aqua Jet
- Waterfall / Swords Dance
What it does: Kabutops remains largely unchanged from the fifth generation as he is still a great Pokemon. One of the things that makes Kabutops so great is that he can defeat almost any spinblocker in the tier. Kabutops isn't limited to just spinning though. Swords Dance can turn this fossil into a fantastic late game cleaner with Aqua Jet to overcome it's below average speed. Rapid Spin is an important part of this set as Kabutops is known for being one of the best spinners out there. Stone Edge and Aqua Jet are the 2 STAB moves you will be using most of the time. Stone Edge is Kabutops his most powerful attack and hits any neutral target for good damage. Aqua Jet is there for late game cleaning to out prioritize faster Pokemon like Yanmega, Moltres and Delphox, However to kill these Pokemon Stealth Rocks must be on the field. The last choice can be either Waterfall or Swords Dance. Swords Dance is the preferred option as it allows Kabutops to transform 2 hit KOs into OHKOs like Stone Edge against Spiritomb or Aqua Jet against Emboar. Waterfall however can be used to OHKO slower Pokemon like specially defensive Rhyperior and Claydol.
Good teammates: Good teammates for Kabutops are Pokemon that enjoy Rapid Spin support and can defeat Kabutops his counters like Poliwrath and Grass types, for this reason Fire and Flying types stand out as good teammates. Moltres in particular is a great teammate as it can defeat every counter of Kabutops. The two make a great core as Kabutops with Swords Dance can also defeat some of Moltres his counters. Other switch in to Grass types are also really useful for Kabutops. Assault Vest Escavelier makes a good example as it can easily switch in on any Grass type attack or Grass type status move and scare them out with a powerful Megahorn.
What counters it: While Kabutops is a great Pokemon, it is not without it's problems. Grass type are the bane of Kabutops existance since he has a 4x weakness to Grass attacks. Tangrowth can take any hit Kabutops throws at it whit it's great defense stat and can retaliate with a Power Whip. Rotom-Mow and Sceptile are more offensive checks to Kabutops. While they don't like taking a Stone Edge at all they can OHKO Kabutops back Volt Switch and Leaf Storm / Leaf Blade respectively. Lastly Poliwrath can take hits from Kabutops without too many problems and can phase out Kabutops with Circle Throw. Keep in mind though Circle Throw from defensive Poliwrath is only a 2 hit Ko though.
Any Additional Info: There are a few things that haven't been mentioned that Kabutops can make use of. Kabutops can carry a Lum Berry to set up a Swords Dance on the likes of Jellicent without caring about Will O Wisp. Lum berry also helps against Paralysis and Burns which Kabutops hates. As for moves Kabutops can forgo Rapid Spin to have both Swords Dance and Waterfall to make it a terrifying sweeper, however Rapid Spin is a rare move in RU and Kabutops is the best user of it. Knock Off can be used to Knock Off items while providing super effective coverage against Ghost types minus Spiritomb, Cresselia and Reuniclus although than you have to lose out on STAB or Swords Dance. X Scissor similarly can be used to defeat Tangrowth and Slowking while still being able to do alot of damage against Reuniclus and Cresselia. However outside of those X Scissor has little use.
Gligar @ Eviolite
Ability: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SDef
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- U-turn / Toxic / Knock Off
- Defog
- Roost
What It Does: Say hello to what's easily the best defog user and defensive hazard remover in the tier imo. Gligar's incredible eviolite bolstered bulk (especially on the physical side), great physically defensive typing, access to reliable recovery, and decent Speed stat stat all come together to make sure that Gligar can consistently pull off a defog or two for its team when needed, meanwhile checking and countering all kinds of threatening physical attackers such as Hitmonlee, Escavalier, Cobalion, Drapion, Rhyperior, Druddigon, Doublade, and more along the way! (to anyone who says Knock Off is a problem, Gligar can still take on these threats without its Eviolite, and still has enough bulk to do what it was born to do either way: Defog. Earthquake, Roost, and Defog are all obvious in the roles that they play on Gligar's set, but the last moveslot has some more variety to it. U-turn lets Gligar turn into a volturn pivot of sorts, using its incredible physical bulk and good resistances to force switches and using U-turn on the opponent on their way out, providing you with the switch advantage. Toxic is just a generally good defensive move, and lets Gligar stall out things that it wouldn't be able to break through otherwise with ease, also good for chip damage on switchins. Lastly, Knock Off does some damage to levitating Ghosts such as Mismagius that wall Gligar otherwise, and has the general utility of removing important things such as Leftovers and Eviolite over the course of the game. Aerial Ace isn't listed here but can be used if you REALLLY need a check to swords dance Virizion and can't fit anything else, niche, but an option nonetheless.
Good Teammates: Because Gligar's main role is removing hazards for your team, Pokemon that are vulnerable to Stealth Rock and/or repeated layers of Spikes are naturally good teammates for Gligar. Most notably, Moltres and Yanmega really enjoy these hazards being consistently removed, and can nuke to their absolute maximum in this case without having to worry as much about Stealth Rock cutting 50% of their health per switch in. Fletchinder isn't as immediately threatening, but can still pull off a late game sweep pretty often and can do so even more effectively with Gligar's help. Delphox is another good example of a Pokemon that appreciates Gligar, it's not quite as vulnerable to Stealth Rock, but still takes 25% on switch in, not to mention the possibility of Stealth Rock+Spikes. removing Stealth Rock for delphox lets it do its wallbreaking/sweeping role that much more effectively. Outside of these Pokemon, Gligar also fits really well on defensive balance/stall teams that dislike multiple layers of hazards stacked against them, providing a solid defensive backbone and a way of removing hazards that can't really be blocked in one teamslot. As for support Gligar itself needs, Gligar might have a solid defensive typing, but its weaknesses to Ice- and Water-type moves are crippling, especially given the fact that they usually target its still good but lower special defense stat. Therefore, bulky Water-types such as Jellicent, Gastrodon, Alomomola, and especially Slowking pair well with Gligar.
What Counters It: There's nothing that can really *stop* Gligar from defogging away hazards outside of smart switching, Defiant and Competitive users exist, but most of them are either mediocre, or incapable of breaking through Gligar even at +2. However, this doesn't mean Gligar is unbeatable, far from it in fact. Gligar's mediocre base Attack stat, only decent special bulk, and weaknesses to Water- and Ice-type moves make it perfectly possible to get past Gligar in RU. Bulky Water-types such as Slowking, Alomomola, Jellicent, and Gastrodon are some excellent ways to get past Gligar, they don't really fear anything except Toxic, can recover off all damage, and force Gligar out with Scald and/or pass a wish in Alomomola's case. Moltres can come in on any of Gligar's move except for Toxic and force it out with the threat of a Life orb Fire Blast or Hurricane, as can Tinted Lens Specs Yanmega. Mega Abomasnow resists Earthquake, can't be knocked off, and can easily OHKO Gligar in Blizzard in return. In general, Bulky Water-types, special Grass-types, and general special attacking nukes that can take an Earthquake should let you break through Gligar.
Any Additional Info: Please Don't use Stealth Rock on Defog Gligar, it's pretty counterproductive and leads to a base case of 4mss that you don't want.
Skuntank @ Black Sludge
Ability: Aftermath
EVs: 252 HP / 228 Atk / 16 SDef / 12 Spe
Adamant nature
- Sucker Punch
- Defog
- Taunt
- Poison Jab
What it does: While its typing and stats may suggest it plays a similar role to Drapion, the two are in fact different in many respects. Notably, Skuntank has access to Sucker Punch and the ever-valuable Defog, but lacks Toxic Spikes and Knock Off like Drapion. Because of this, Skuntank plays more of an offensive hazard remover as opposed to Drapion, which plays a more defensive hazard support role. Defog is what most people will use Skuntank for, and its decent bulk allows it to perform this effectively. Sucker Punch allows Skuntank to have a decent offensive presence, picking off weakened threats. Taunt gives opposing walls a hard time, and Poison Jab can be used to weaken the opponent. 12 Speed EVs outspeed minimum speed Cresslia, while 228 Attack guarantees a OHKO on Delphox with Sucker Punch. Because the invested special bulk is rather insignificant, 240 Attack EVs can be used instead to hit harder.
Good Teammates: Things that have a hard time with entry hazards like Moltres obviously benefit from Skuntank's Defog, and make great partners. Because Skuntank is easily worn down due to lack of recovery, Wish/Cleric support is also appreciated to keep Skuntank is good condition. Other than that, Skuntank is a great fit on any team due to the utility it brings.
What counters it: Braviary is a pretty big nightmare for Skuntank (and any defogger for that matter), getting a free +2 attack boost when switching into Defog. Cobalion is also a threat to Skuntank, resisting all of its common moves and outspeeding Skuntank, setting up a free Swords Dance. Otherwise, any decently powerful attacker with a STAB Ground-type move can punch a considerable hole in Skuntank.
Additional Information: Life Orb is a viable alternative to Black Sludge, increasing its offensive power but sacrificing its longevity. It's really up to you which item you want to use, and depends on the role you want Skuntank to play.
Shiftry @ Life Orb
Ability: Chlorophyll / Pickpocket
EVs: 252 Atk / 64 SpA / 192 Spe
Nature: Naughty
- Defog
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Leaf Storm / Giga Drain
What it Does: Shiftry has an incredible STAB combination that threatens a wide variety of Pokemon, and it uses that trait to create free Defog opportunities for its teammates. It may be frail, but what it lacks in bulk it makes up for in sheer damage output, especially with its usable mixed offenses and wide offensive movepool, which also gives it something to do when not Defogging. A Defogger that hardly gives up any sort of offensive presence, it is worth a look for teams in need of a supporter that doesn't slow them down.
Good Teammates: Keep in mind that Shiftry is the one doing the supporting with Defog, so its teammates should capitalize on it. Defog-loving teammates obviously benefit the most from Shiftry's support. Not only do the likes of Delphox, Moltres, Swellow, and Yanmega like having Stealth Rock out of their lives, but all of them also appreciate Shiftry's holepunching prowess, be it crippling opponents with Knock Off or smacking them with Grass STAB, which the majority of their counters dislike. However, even with its good coverage, Shiftry often finds itself at the mercy of the musketeers, or Defiant Braviary should it fail to predict correctly. Rotom-S and Doublade can help keep these threats in check very well, preventing Shiftry from potentially becoming a viability for the team.
What Counters It: Cobalion, and Virizion, Emboar and even Combusken resists Shiftry's STABs, meaning they have little to fear from Shiftry and either use it for free setup opportunities or simply KO it before it Defogs. Braviary switch-ins can discourage Defog, though the combination of Knock Off and Sucker Punch would put Braviary in a losing position instead. Shiftry has several weaknesses, but faster Pokemon have to be wary about its powerful Sucker Punch while the slower ones have to worry about taking too much damage. KOing Shiftry is usually very easy, the problem is preventing Shiftry from Defogging or/and doing too much (or even irreparable) damage to your team; laying down hazards and keeping one's hazard setter out of harm's way while applying constant offensive pressure can prevent Shiftry from going for Defog easily.
Additional Information: This is Shiftry's biggest asset: the ability to customise its set with various moves or EVs to suit the team's needs while remaining effective due to its mixed offenses and strong STABs. The aforementioned set has enough Speed to outrun Adamant Slurpuff (likely the fastest threat Shiftry would want to outrun) while packing special Grass STAB instead of physical Grass STAB due to the immense physical bulk most RU Ground-types possess, but more speed (or less), an incline towards Special Attack over Attack (with Dark Pulse in tow), or even certain coverage and lure moves can be used to better support its teammates or itself, depending on what its team requires. For example, Low Kick can be used to weaken Registeel for Yanmega and keeps Cobalion from waltzing in on Shiftry, while a well-timed Explosion can cripple the likes of unsuspecting Druddigon and Aromatisse, paving the way for its teammates to sweep. Shiftry's potential to run so many powerful supporting moves in conjuction with Defog can be tremendously useful for offensive teams.
Hitmontop (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Close Combat
- Toxic
- Foresight / Sucker Punch
What It Does: Hitmontop is the best defensive rapid spinner in RU. Even with the existance of a renewed Defog, Rapid Spin is very valuable (mainly because it doesn't remove your own hazards) and this guy is one of the best pokemon to use it effectively. It has impressive physical bulk with maximum investment, thanks to Intimidate, and has resistances to Dark, Rock and Bug, meaning it is also a good switch-in to Knock Offs. Close Combat is a strong, accurate STAB move (CC>HJK because Ghosts swith in a lot anyway) and Foresight so that you can spin even on supposed spinblockers; alternitively, Sucker Punch can be used to finish weakened faster targets because of its priority. Toxic is meant to be used on Ghost-types that block Rapid Spin or bulky pokemon that trouble your team and wear them down.
Good Teammates: Any pokemon with a SR weakness enjoys Hitmontop's support, examples being Moltres, Delphox and Yanmega; it can also switch in on Rock-type moves aimed at these pokemon. In terms of synergy, it's good to have someone to take on Psychic, Ghost and Flying types that set up on or kill Top, like Drapion and Rhyperior, respectively. Drapion and other Dark-types can also eliminate the Ghosts that block Rapid Spin. Because Top has no recovery bar Lefties and is crippled by burns or Toxic, it functions a lot better with the support of a cleric and Wish passer, like Aromatisse.
What Counters It: The pokemon that give Hitmontop the most trouble are Ghost-types, because they block Rapid Spin and are immune to Close Combat, like Froslass, who can Taunt it and start setting Spikes, and Cofafrigus, who sets up with Nasty Plot or burns Hitmontop (and if it has Rest, doesn't even care about Toxic). Psychic and Fairy types also use Top as setup bait, examples being Delphox(CM), Cresselia (SubCM), and Slurpuff (SubBD). It cannot switch in on pokemon with Defiant/Competitive (like Braviary), because Intimidate gives them a boost.
Any Additional Info: Hitmontop is best suited to more defensive teams, using entry hazards and status to weaken opponents while keeping your own field free of hazards. There are other options for Hitmontop's last moveslot, like: Stone Edge, which has good coverage with CC; Mach Punch, for a more reliable priority move; or Fake Out.
Hitmonlee (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Reckless
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- High Jump Kick
- Knock Off
- Mach Punch / Stone Edge
- Rapid Spin
What It Does: Hitmonlee is perhaps the best Pokemon in RU right now, Knock Off getting a buff this gen turns Hitmonlee into an insane threat giving it the ability to beat many Psychic and Ghost types that it usually struggled with, which is also what turns it into one of the best Rapid Spinners in the tier. Reckless HJK literally OHKO's everything in the tier that doesn't resist it and still manages to 2HKO a huge chunck of the Pokemon that do resist. Mach Punch is extremely valuable to have allowing you to potentially revenge some faster threats that may have been weakened but Stone Edge is also an option to OHKO any Flying types such as Moltres that might try to switch in.
Good Teammates: In general Dark types make excellent teammates for Hitmonlee as even though with access to Knock Off it has the ability to beat many Ghost and Psychic types it appreciates having them removed by a Pursuit user such as Skuntank or Drapion to ease prediction. Choice Specs Zoroark is also one of the best Hitmonlee partners due to it's ability to lure out and weaken it's limited counters in Gligar and Weezing.
What Counters It: Hitmonlee's counters are very limited, the two best counters in the tier are Gligar and Weezing due to their typing and bulk with Gligar being able to Roost off any damage and the latter being able to burn Hitmonlee with Will-O-Wisp. Doublade gets an honourable mention for being able to tank 2 Knock Off's and do massive damage back to Hitmonlee.
Any Additional Info: A Choice Scarf set is extremely viable since alot of teams rely on outspeeding Hitmonlee instead of packing a dedicated wall to switch in. An Endure Liechi Berry Unburdun set is also possible if you can remove Hail from Mega Abomasnow and priority.
Combusken @ Eviolite
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 248 HP / 64 SpD / 196 Spe
Jolly Nature
-Protect
-Swords Dance / Bulk Up
-Flare Blitz
-Baton Pass
What it does: Combusken is an excellent quick passer for offensive / balanced teams, providing handy Speed and Attack boosts that make it possible to ravage through defensive cores and full-blown stall. Despite no investment in its Attack stat, after a Swords Dance boost, Combusken hits a very respectable 412 Attack stat, which is even more powerful than a max attack Adamant Druddigon! Combusken can then use this attack stat alongside its excellent STAB in Flare Blitz to sweep on its own if the situation is more favorable towards itself as opposed to its recipients or if it's simply too risky passing in front of a certain threat. Bulk Up is also a really good move to ease quick passing, as it can make sure that Combusken's teammate comes in more safely and isn't picked off as easily by priority.
Good teammates: In terms of teammates, it's not a matter of which Pokemon can support Combusken, but rather, which Pokemon Combusken can help support. It's good that Combusken's recipients have good synergy with it; for example, Druddigon resists Water-type moves aimed at Combusken, whereas Drapion is immune to Psychic attacks, and Rhyperior resists Flying moves. By having the receiver resist the attacks aimed at Combusken, it makes much easier to pull off a successful pass.
What counters it: Countering Combusken is a matter of not walling it per-say, but stopping it from passing. In that regard, the Pokemon countering Combusken need to fulfill two criteria: the ability to tank a +2 Flare Blitz and phase / negate stat boosts. Roar / Dragon Tail Rhyperior and Dragon Tail Slowking are by far the best counters, resisting Combusken's primary STAB, doing a serious chunk back, and preventing it from passing boosts to its teammates. Aside from these two, Roar / Whirlwind / Haze / Clear Smog users in general that can at the very least, tank a +2 Flare Blitz, are solid checks as well. Whimiscott gets a special mention considering it can switch into a Swords Dance and Encore Combusken regardless of its Speed boosts, though watch out for Flare Blitz.
Additional info: The Speed EVs allows Combusken to outspeed Choice Scarf Braviary at +2, which is as fast as it need to go. The rest is mainly chucked into its defenses so it can pass easier. Eviolite also further cements Combusken's bulk, allowing it serve as a decent check to the likes of Escavalier and Durant if need be. Substitute may be used over Flare Blitz, but Combusken is utter Taunt bait otherwise.
Shuckle (M) @ Mental Herb
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 132 SDef / 124 Spd
Careful Nature
- Sticky Web
- Stealth Rock
- Infestation / Toxic / Knock Off
- Encore
What It Does: Shuckle doesn't really do much on its own, but it has a knack for supporting its teammates that makes it incredibly dangerous. Shuckle is the best Sticky Web users in the game. Sticky Web is an incredibly deadly move that slows down pretty much every grounded pokemon, letting slow, powerful wallbreakers get a speed advantage they usually wouldn't have over these opponent, and because of Shuckle's good 20/230/230 defenses, free Focus Sash in Sturdy (although lol almost nothing is OHKOing this anyway, Contrary and Gluttony are really bad on this set either way), and ability to run Mental Herb to stop Taunt, it's almost guarenteed to set it (and Stealth Rock!) up at least once over the course of the match. Encore makes sure the usually very passive Shuckle doesn't become set up bait, while all the moves in the last slot have their seperate uses. Infestation deals some chip damage to whatever it hits before Shuckle goes down and its partial trapping ability sometimes gives one of your teammates a free opportunity to switch in. Toxic lets Shuckle Cripple a defensive pokemon with some permanent passive damage, while Knock Off lets Shuckle remove things such as Leftovers and Life Orb from the opposing team. Speed might seem weird on a Pokemon as slow as Shuckle, but it actually serves an important purpose, letting you outspeed 0 Speed Escavalier and get both Stealth Rock and Sticky Web up before being 2HKO'd by Iron Head.
Good Teammates:Because of what Sticky Web does, slow (but not like Escavalier slow lol), but powerful offensive Pokemon naturally make good teammates. Using Sticky Web's speed lowering effect to get the jump on things that would revenge kill them otherwise. Exploud, Tinted Lens Yanmega, and Hitmonlee are three great examples of Pokemon like this, all 3 Pokemon hit extremely hard and have few safe switch-ins, and with Sticky Web's support, grounded fast Pokemon that would usually be able to revenge kill them after a KO now end up getting outsped and easily killed by Boomburst/Bug Buzz/High Jump Kick. Hitmonlee also happens to wreck Sharpedo with Mach Punch, an annoyance for Sticky Web teams. Other Pokemon that can benefit from this support include Moltres, Emboar, and the rare Zangoose. Try to make sure your team isn't too depended on Sticky Web though, just in case it gets removed via Rapid Spin or Defog. Speaking of Rapid Spin and Defog, things that can stop/punish these moves are good things to pair with Shuckle too. Mega Banette can block Rapid Spin for its team, and can also serve as an emergency stop to problem Pokemon for your Sticky Web team by using Prankster Destiny Bond (think about Thundurus's priority Thunder Wave in OU, except this is a free 1 for 1 instead of paralysis), all while benefitting from Sticky Web's support itself. Meanwhile, Defiant Braviary gets a free +2 Attack boost from anything trying to Defog it, turning it into a massive threat if the situation arises, and like Mega Banette, definitely benefits from Sticky Web's speed lowering effect.
What Counters It: Unless your name is Xatu or Durant channeling its inner Soulgazer, It's almost impossible to "stop" Shuckle from doing its job at least once per se, but there are still ways to slow it down/remove its hazard support later on. As a suicide hazard lead, Rapid Spin and Defog are public enemies #1, as they can remove your Stealth Rock and Sticky Web from the game, possibly when Shuckle isn't alive to set it up again, however, any good Sticky Web team should have teammates to either block Rapid Spin, punish you for using Defog, or both, so you'll have to get past those first. Not to mention people will be reluctant to lead with Shuckle if you have any of these.
Any Additional Info: DO NOT USE LEFTOVERS
Xatu (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 252 SDef / 248 HP / 8 Def
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Roost
- Thunder Wave
- Heat Wave
- U-turn
Role: Support
What it does: Xatu's main role is to prevent entry hazards from coming on the field for offensive teams. In particular, it's the one true counter to Shuckle and a decent check to Froslass (provided it doesn't switch in on Ice Beam). Thunder Wave is used to lower Froslass's speed, allowing Xatu to Roost before it attacks again. Once it gets some parahax or is in a good position to avoid a KO without needing Roost, then Xatu is free to 2HKO Froslass with Heat Wave. Heat Wave also 2HKOes Escavalier on the switch, which is pretty convenient for teams that are weak to it. U-turn allows Xatu to maintain momentum despite its paltry offensive presence. A specially defensive spread is prefered to take on Froslass.
Good teammates: Xatu struggles immensely with Rhyperior; as a result, a teammate that can pressure Rhyperior to the point where it can't set up Stealth Rock is good to have. Zoroark is also a good partner for Xatu, as it can disguise itself as Xatu in order to KO Rhyperior with Grass Knot. In general, Pokemon that appreciate entry hazards will like Xatu's presence. Non-Sticky Web hyper offensive teams work best with Xatu though, as these teams otherwise lose to Sticky Web rather easily.
What counters it: It's kinda hard to describe a counter to Xatu considering its role is to support its team by removing entry hazards, but Rhyperior tops the list considering it's one of the few entry hazard setters that can KO Xatu and set up Stealth Rock on top of that. Pursuit users in general are a major pain in Xatu's side, so Skuntank, Druddigon and a healthy Escavalier can easily force it out and punish for doing so.
Any Additional Info: Grass Knot is an option if your team is weak to Rhyperior and Psychic may be used over Heat Wave should you want Xatu to have a reliable STAB. Toxic is also a good option to mess with walls such as Alomomola.
Meowstic @ Light Clay
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 248 HP / 248 Def / 12 SDef
Nature: Bold
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Thunder Wave
- Psychic
What it Does: Prankster Dual Screens. That's it in a nutshell. Basically, if you're using a Hyper Offense team and you want a Dual Screens user, this is what you should be turning to. Meowstic is crazy good at setting them up thanks to its decent bulk and ability to always get the proper Screen up before taking the hit. Thunder Wave provides extra support by acting as a "panic button" of sorts to stop any one sweeper from dominating you if it set up. Psychic is there to just do damage and keep from being complete Taunt bait. It helps that it trashes Fighting-types like Hitmonlee and Virizion. EVs round down passive damage and hit the final jump point for nature. Extra EVs go to Special Defense, as Speed will rarely ever matter and attacking isn't your primary concern. A physically defensive spread is used so you can live scary shit like AV Escavalier's Megahorn when Reflect is up. Light Clay is obvious to extend the duration of the Screens
Good Teammates: Virtually any sweeper loves this. Virizion, Delphox, Cobalion, Sharpedo, Zoroark. You name a sweeper, it probably benefits in some way. Venomoth, Gorebyss, and Huntail (sucks, use Gorebyss) can all pass off Quiver Dances and Shell Smashes respecitvely with much more reliability behind Screens. Teams that use slower attackers such as Druddigon, Gallade, and Escavalier like the top notch Speed control Meowstic provides.
What Counters It: Well, Dark- and Steel-types fear nothing from it (bar Thunder Wave) so they can beat Meowstic easily enough. Problem is, they can't stop it from getting Screens up unless it's a Taunt user like Cobalion (who isn't taking Psychic well) Knock Off from the likes of Zoroark and Hitmonlee may not defeat Meowstic, but it removes Light Clay, thus hindering it for the rest of the match. They'll probably eat a Thunder Wave (or Psychic in Lee's case) in the process though. Really, nothing "counters" Meowstic in the sense that it will always get at least 1 Screen up, and unless you Taunt it, it can get the other up before going down. That said, Defog users can remove them after they're setup, though none are doing much to Meowstic directly to wear it down. Anything trying to set up on it risks paralysis and if AV Escavalier can't OHKO with Megahorn behind Reflect, you know virtually nothing is OHKOing Meowstic behind the proper Screen unless it boosts up.
Any Additional Info: Psyshock over Psychic is plausible since most Fighting-types have better Special Defense. However, you then do nothing to Gligar to prevent it from Defogging the Screens. Otherwise, use this to help show your opponents how broken SmashPass and QuiverPass can be.
Alomomola @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 104 HP / 252 Def / 152 SDef
Impish / Bold Nature
- Wish
- Protect
- Toxic
- Waterfall / Scald
What It Does: Alomomola is pretty much the best Wishpasser in RU imo and i honestly would never make any kind of stall team without it tbh. Alomomola's Wishes are the absolute largest in the game outside of Chansey/Blissey's Wishes, which means that even without full hp investment Alomomola can still heal up its teammates for about 250 HP per wishpass, a pretty impressive number. What's more? Alomomola's Regenerator ability means that it can spend less time using its wishes to heal itself and more time on healing up its teammates, making it that much more efficient as a wishpasser. Alomomola isn't only useful for passing wishes though, its great all around bulk with the proper ev spread along with its excellent ability in Regenerator makes it an EXCELLENT defensive Pokemon in and of itself. Alomomola is capable of pivoting into pretty much any physical attack in the tier, and can simply switch out and recover a third of its hp with Regenerator whenever things get rough, making it exceptionally durable. In general, the given Alomomola spread is almost impossible to OHKO in general without a STAB Electric or Grass-Type move. Waterfall lets Alomomola do a bit more damage if needed (not much more though lol), while Scald is MUCH weaker, but gives a nifty burn rate, a lot of people actually prefer Scald due to the fact that Alomomola's main method of doing damage is usually Toxic anyway.
Good Teammates: To start off, most bulky Pokemon that can take on Electric- and Grass-types such as Heliolisk, Virizion, and Sceptile make good cores with Alomomola. In particular, Grass/Poisons such as Amoonguss and Roselia work especially well. Amoonguss makes a very solid Regenerator core with Alomomola, taking on pretty much any Grass- or Electric-type currently common in the tier for Alomomola, while Alomomola takes annoying things such as Emboar and Braviary for Amoonguss in return, since both Pokemon have Regenerator, they can simply restore hp by switchspamming. Roselia exchanges some bulk and access to Regenerator for access to Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and Aromatherapy, making it a better teammate on teams leaning more towards full stall, who might appreciate these moves quite a bit. Roselia's low base HP means Alomomola's Wish pretty much fully heals it too. Druddigon and Escavalier can also take on annoying Grass- and Electric-types (along with just special attackers in general) for Alomomola, but provide a bit more offensive presence than the previously mentioned Grass/Poisons. Both Pokemon really appreciate Alomomola's Wish support too, as they have no method of recovery of their own. Lastly, Dragalge is in a similar boat to Roselia, resisting both Electric- and Grass-type moves while having decent special bulk to cover Alomomola in general, REALLY appreciates mola's wish support, and has access to important moves such as Toxic Spikes, Dragon Tail, and Haze to function effectively on full stall, a playstyle that imo should be using Alomomola more often than not. In general, pretty much every defensive Pokemon that can't recover on its own appreciates Alomomola's Wish support at the very least, even if they don't have excellent synergy otherwise.
What Counters It: Unless you do something like double switch a faster Taunt user into Alomomola, there isn't really anything you can do to stop it from at least trying to pass a wish, however, there are plenty of Pokemon that can either outright kill or take advantage of mom fish. For example, while Amoonguss and Roselia are good teammates for Alomomola, they're also some of mola's worst enemies, essentially switching in for free, and either threatening a Giga Drain or using Alomomola as Spikes Fodder. Dragalge and Drapion are in a similar boat, switching in pretty much for free and using Alomomola as Toxic Spikes fodder. Alomomola can't touch Calm Mind Reuniclus at all, becoming complete and utter set up bait for the cell until it's strong enough to finally kill off Alomomola and possibly the rest of the team. Sceptile is annoyed by the residual damage from Toxic, but can pretty much come in for free otherwise and OHKO mola with a Leaf Storm without a second though. meanwhile, Lum SD Virizion essentially gets a free Swords Dance up vs Alomomola bar repeated Scald Burns.
Any Additional Info: The EV spread used in the set actually barely detracts from Alomomola's physical bulk at all, with most physical attacks only doing like 3% more, meanwhile Alomomola's special bulk increases significantly with this EV spread, taking anywhere between 10% and 20% less from the average special attak, definitely worth it imo.
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 60 Def / 196 SDef
Bold Nature
- Light Screen
- Moonblast
- Reflect
- Lunar Dance / Moonlight
Role: Support
What it does: Cresselia has amazing bulk that allows it to offer the team support with dual screens. It also has a reliable recovery move and a great ability (Levitate) that helps it avoid being worn down to quickly because it avoids spikes and t-spikes. Plus Cresselia can't be trapped by "Arena Trap" ability Pokemon. It can easily set up both screens because of its magnificent defenses. After its defenses are augmented by both screens, super effective moves become your only options if you want to inflict a decent amount of damage on the lunar Pokemon. This set forgoes Leftovers because Light Clay gives you the maximum amount of turns possible behind the screens. Moonlight is a decent option because it gives Cresselia a much needed form of recovery thus leading to more opportunities to set up screens. Lunar Dance can easily fit into that last slot because of its wonderful utility. It offers the chance to replenish a teammates health and cures all status ailments at the same time. It also occurs before hazard damage is calculated so you can pass the Dance to any teammate regardless of their health status. Moonblast over Psychic so it's not rendered totally useless after setting up screens. Moonblast also allows Cresselia to hit Dark types for super effective damage while at the same time hitting Fighting types super effectively. Ice Beam is an option over Moonblast because it enables Cresselia to hit most defog users hard. The evs are optimized so that it has a bit more special bulk than physical but you can adjust them to fit your teams need.
Good Teammates: Pokemon that don't have very good defensive stats but very good offensive stats benefit greatly from Cresselias dual screen support. Pokemon like Delphox, Durant, and Zoroark are able to boost their already impressive offensive stats while eating attacks under screens. In order to sweep the opposing team or punch enough holes to allow another teammate to pick off the opposing weakened Pokemon.
What Counters it: Defog is dual screen Cresselia's biggest enemy because it can clear both screens and all hazards you've set up ... at once. Most defog users give Cresselia problems as well. Golbat and Togetic scoff at Cresselias attempts to attack them because they resist its only attack "Moonblast." Gligar can eat those Moonblast and wear Cresselia down with Toxic. Escavalier is also a nuisance to Cresselia because Cresselia can't deal decent damage to it with Ice Beam or Moonblast. It's also wrecked by Escavaliers STAB Megahorn. Other threats are Pursuit trappers and Ghost.
Additional Info: Don't use Psychic over Moonblast.
What not to use:
Malamar @ Assault Vest
Ability: Contrary
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Superpower
- Night Slash
- Psycho Cut
- Rock Slide
What It Does: Malamar is one of many pokemon that got a lot of hype when XY came out but then it was soon learned that it's not as good as people think. The basic premise is to set up boosts with Superpower + Contrary and attempt to sweep. Night Slash and Psycho Cut offer some stab moves while rock slide covers bug types who otherwise make Malamar quake in fear and tremble at the very though of them.
Why you shouldn't use it: To start with it breaks one of the major sins of RU and competitive pokemon in general which is to not slap assault vest on random pokemon.Aside from this it also has other faults. For one it has no form of reliable recovery so it will get worn down with enough attacks. It also is extremely slow to set up and usually cant get more then 1 boost before it gets threatened out but the likes of Yanmega and Escavelier. This is impart due to it's mediocre stats (only one of which goes above base 90) and it's 4x weakness to bug types of which their are a plethora of in RU (Escavelier, Yanmega, Durant) and the fact that u-turn is extremely common. All of these factors means that Malamar is a pokemon who requires more team support then it's worth.
What Counters It: Bug types, bug types and bug types. They are the absolute end all end all to Malamar. Escavelier and Durant especially because their naturally high defense means they take little from any of Malmar's moves and even with the defense boosts threaten it out with their stab megahorns. Apart from this anything that hits extremely hard from the beginning like choice users will easily 2hko him thanks to his low stats. Status, in particular burns, will completely shut down Malamar's chances of sweeping as it'll take 2 superpowers to even mitigate the effects of burn.
Any Additional Info: So as you see Malamar is a poke that really shouldn't be used at all. It takes a lot more team support then it's worth and in the end is more of a liability then a sweeper.
Electivire @ Life Orb
Ability: Vital Spirit
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 SAtk
Hasty Nature
- Thunder Punch
- Volt Switch
- Focus Blast
- Earthquake / Ice Punch
Why you shouldn't use it: Jesus how many reasons can I give? We'll go through one thing at a time shall we? First, stats. 75 / 67 / 65 defenses are pitiful. It's a good thing the majority of it's hits are neutral, because even those ones are going to be lethal. It can only take on unboosted weak neutral hits comfortably, and not to many of them either. Any major set up sweeper ot tank such as Renui, the occasional CM Slowking and CM Delphox are just gonna have the time of their life, as even without a boost they can just do whatever the hell they want to it. It can also be scarfed killed so easily, because it really doesn't take much to 2HKO at worse. Offensive wise, is slightly better. 123 / 95 / 95 isn't the worst in RU. The speed is OK, sitting right on bare minimum, but nothing to ride home to your mum about, you know? The attack is actually rather good physically. 95 SpAtk is rather pathetic in comparison though. It's missing the outright strength to take out any sort of even remotely bulky pokes. Again, the 3 Psychics just laugh their asses off, Rhyperior (for whatever reason it may be) running SubDance can take a few Earthquakes, and with some SpDef investment, some Focus Miss too (considering it will probably get a free turn from it as well). And letting a +2 Subbed rhyp isn't a smart thing to do. Fortunately it can OHKO the likes of boosted Omastar and Kabutops, and 2HKO Barbacle. It's just too bad it's slower than these and can get OHKO'd or 2HKO'd itself. Redundant, yes? For typing, well, bleh. One weakness is good, but it IS Ground, which is bad. and it can't really take any sort of Earthquake (or occasional earth power ;P) from anything. Hell, even Gligar 2HKOs. It only has2 Resistances for it to boast. While thy are more or less common ones (Grass and Electric), the pokemon it will be taking hits from are high powered, meaning 2HKOs or 3HKOs all round. The likes of Tangrowth and Roseila wall it senseless. Ice punch can remedy, but then what about Doulblade or Registeel (Reg can take Focus blast)? Eletric is a good offesnive type actually, but it just gets bulked out so hard it doesn't even really matter. It can sorta put some pressure on Defensive Slowkings, but with Regen and/or Slack Off, it will just get Toxic / Scald away. Escaviler also laughs itself from this thing and OHKOs with ease.
What counters it: Anything with Moderate bulk and/or can heal itself once or twice will stall the wires of his back. Reni, Delphox, Rhyp not scared of Focus Blast and Roseilia are good mentions. Tangrowth and Esca can just absolutely maw Eca down. I don't know why i didn't mention this before (o3o) but Rotom-M just bitches on his face not matter what he tries to pull out.
Typhlosion @ Choice Specs
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
Timid nature
-Eruption
-Fire Blast
-Focus Blast
-HP Grass
What it does: Pretty much nothing Delphox or Moltres can't. Although it has respectable speed and power, it is outclassed in almost every way. Although Specs Eruption hits hard, it is killed by Stealth Rock and priority, and basically cannot switch into any attacks at all. Also, as a revenge killer, base 100 speed is way too slow to be effective. When it utilizes a Choice Scarf, it lacks enough power. Because Eruption can only be effectively used if Typhlosion is 100% healthy, it is often a one-time trick. Delphox is much more useful, requiring much less support and bringing more to the table.
Good Teamates:
What Counters It: Anything with priority, or anything that can take an Eruption and wreck it back, like Alomomola and Slowking.
Claydol @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SDef / 252 HP / 4 Def
Sassy Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Ice Beam / Toxic
What It Does: Claydol is an overrated pokemon but it still has a lot of usage (5.05192% in April!). It is supposed to be a rapid spinner but it is stopped cold by any spinblocker as it can't do anything against them bar Toxic which can't do much as it is weak to their STAB. It is massive setup fodder for any sweeper not weak to its stab and harmless against common pokemons in the tier like Escavalier. It has common weaknesses to Water, Grass, Dark and Ghost and even Toxic Fodder. It is ouclassed in setting up screens by almost any user of the moves and ugly ;;;;;;
Good Teammates:
What Counters It: Any ghost type, Cresselia, Aromatisse, Amonguss and any bulky water type. Meloetta and Reuniclus can easily start setting up on it and then proceed to destroy your team.
Any Additional Info: 0 Atk Claydol Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Froslass: 109-129 (38.7 - 45.9%) -- guaranteed 3HKO lol it can't even 2hko the frailest Ghost type in the tier.
Hitmonchan (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Impish Nature
- Drain Punch
- Ice Punch
- Foresight
- Rapid Spin
AND
Hitmonchan (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Drain Punch
- Ice Punch
- Mach Punch
- Rapid Spin
What It Does: Well it's supposed to Foresight+Rapid Spin. But honestly i really don't see a reason to use it when its just so damn outclassed at what it does. As a defensive Rapid Spinner, there's little reason to use it over its counterpart Hitmontop, who can also Foresight Spin, is much bulkier, and has a great ability in Intimidate to make its job as a defensive Pokemon even easier, while Hitmonchan is still left with pretty damn mediocre bulk for something thats supposed to be a defensive spinner. As an offensive spinner, Hitmonlee does the job way better too, using Knock Off to threaten spinblockers and also functioning as a wallbreaker with the pure, unadulterated power of a reckless High Jump Kick coming off of base 120 Attack. Kabutops is much better as a spinner too tbh despite not being another hitmon. Even outside of pure Rapid Spinning, i'd use pretty much all of the defensive defoggers such as Gligar, Togetic, etc before this, it's honestly pretty garbo. Basically, unless you really need the Gligar coverage, don't use Hitmonchan, Foresight Spinner or otherwise (there are much better options than all out attacking Hitmonchan too lol) and a good team should be using something that can take out Gligar anyway instead of having to resort to Hitmonchan as a spinner.
Good Teammates: As tier leader i'm gonna say i don't see a point in filling this out for things you shouldn't be using. What's the point of suggesting teammates for bad pokemon anyway .-..
What Counters It: Bulky Ghost-types such as Cofagrigus, Gourgeist, and Jellicent can't exactly stop it from spinning because of the possibility of Foresight, but they can still take its attacks just fine even when vulnerable to Drain Punch (unless they're Doublade ofc), they can Burn it and cripple it, and easily wear it down with Shadow Ball/Leech Seed/Scald/Etc. Ghosts are still full stops to the second set either way. Bulky Psychic-types such as Cresselia, Reuniclus, and Slowking do a pretty good job as well, especially considering Hitmonchan doesn't learn Knock Off, just watch out for Thunderpunch in the latter's case. Honestly unless you're running 6 Pokemon weak to Fighting/Ice coverage, you shouldn't be having your entire team get swept by this thing
Any Additional Info: I could kinda understand this getting some sort of niche usage last gen, but this gen.... with Hitmontop, buffed Hitmonlee, and new hazard clearers such as Gligar and Togetic available? Ew.
Whimsicott @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SDef
Impish Nature
- Leech Seed
- Substitute
- U-turn
- Taunt
What it does: Annoys your opponent... nothing else. A prankster sub seeder sounds cool in theory until you realize you get walled by every grass type and pokemon with the ability magic guard and magic bounce. It also provides little support to your team and in most cases its just a wasted slot.
What counters it: Like I said, most grass types hard counter this set, Xatu can use Whimsicott as a set up fodder forcing Whimsicott out. Pokemon with Magic Guard such as Sigilyph and Reuniclus can smack Whimsicott with strong psychic STAB moves. Finally toxic and toxic spikes completely ruin Scott.
Additional comments: In conclusion, Sub seed Whimsicott wastes all his potential and makes a mediocre sub seeder. Cool if you want to troll your friends but in the ladder expect to have a hard time with this set.
Feel free to VM me with questions or suggestions, I'll consider them all. Get posting!
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