Honchkrow can also use z-snatch to give itself +2 speed and steal an opponents setup move (although it's rare that an opponent will try to setup in front of honchkrow unless they predict a sucker punch). It probably isn't overall as effective as z-mirror move but it's a mixup option, that might catch an opponent who relies on scarf passimian off gaurd. And if you manage to snatch a swords dance, well, its pretty much gg at that point.
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Metagame SM RU - RU Alpha Discussion - Month 2
- Thread starter phantom
- Start date
Z-snatch is actually better. Honchkrow has a speed problem and moxie takes care of its attack problems. However, the benefit of z-mirror move is that it "steals" the z-move of the opponent's last move. This can cause pandemonium with some types like dragon, ghost, and flying. Since Mirror Move is flying, Honchkrow could even use supersonic skystrike over z-mirror move if a crucial KO is needed (triggering moxie). Honchkrow is a pretty good z-move user.
What are the best z-move users in RU (including UU drops) besides Honchkrow? Does trick room become viable with the new gen 7 mons?
I think talonflame will drop all the way down to RU. This could be a good fletchinder replacement (and a good flying type if honchkrow never makes it down here). Talonflame has a very high base speed (126) and full health priority acrobatics is excellent. A flame body brave bird set could also work. Flyinium Z supersonic skystrike gale wings could work; gale wings gives priority to supersonic skystrike at full health, which means talonflame could be an early game wallbreaker.
EVERYONE'S FAVORITE TEAM STYLE IS BACK
RegiMola is still amazing in SM, friends...
The core received three amazing partners in
.
Doublade is absolutely amazing for RegiMola cores, its great natural bulk allowing it to easily combat threats to the RegiMola core such as Tyrantrum and Virizion. Doublade's main selling point, however, is its offensive capabilities; there hasn't really been a mon like Doublade in RU's history (outside of Doublade last generation, obviously), that can easily wall such major threats while also being a threat offensively. Doublade allows RegiMola teams to apply more offensive pressure to the opposition, while simultaneously giving them a solid answer to many fo the threats that plague them. Doublade is also obviously amazing for Offense teams, as it allows them to have a solid check for many metagame-defining threats that can simultaneously put a dent in the opposition.
Gligar, aka defensive Flygon except actually AMAZING, is once again back to plague offensive players. Gligar is ridiculously bulky, and its great typing in tandem with this bulk allows it to be the best Defogger this tier has ever seen. Gligar fulfills almost all of the roles Flygon did on RegiMola teams, trading in some Speed for a great deal more bulk. This Pokemon will surely make RegiMola even more difficult to break.
Lastly, we have Florges, which is an absolute god-send for RegiMola teams. It is literally Aromatisse done right; it is fast enough to outspeed threats such as Gurdurr, has access to Aromatherapy, is bulky enough to set up Calm Minds, and is strong enough to pressure the opposition. Florges allows RegiMola teams to deal with annoying Pokemon such as Sableye very easily. It's also worth noting that CM Florges can easily set up on defensive Venusaur, especially with Aromatherapy to shrug off potential Sludge Bomb poisons.
24 SpA Venusaur Sludge Bomb vs. +1 252 HP / 4 SpD Florges: 92-110 (25.5 - 30.5%) -- 1.8% chance to 4HKO after Leftovers recovery
A set of Synthesis / Aromatherapy / Calm Mind / Moonblast works perfectly for RegiMola cores, and it should FINALLY get the awful excuse for a Virizion "counter" that is Aromatisse out of our tier.
Of course, these Pokemon do not cover every threat to RegiMola cores, which is why you do in fact have a 6th slot. Moltres will always be a threat, however, so hopefully we ban it if it ever ends up in this tier...because it's still absolutely broken; not to mention, it only gained tools in Z-moves such as Z-Sunny Day, which boosts its Speed 1 stage and allows it to use Solarbeam to destroy Water-types.
Long live RegiMola :D
Going to take credit for innovating Z-Sunny Day Moltres b/c I used it in the RU Wishlist Tournament. I don't know if that will be one of Moltres' flagship sets (Traditional options like Life Orb/Scarf and Bloom Doom will end up being great as well), but Z-Sunny Day is a really cool take on SunnyBeam Moltres from BW and XY RU. Basically you have the versatility to choose what archetype or teambuild you need to threaten, kinda similar to how Waterium-Z Manaphy does in OU. Z-Sunny Day allows you to essentially become a Scarf Moltres under Sun, which terrorizes offensive builds given that while Sun is up you blast Water and Rock types with Solarbeam. Versus bulkier teams, you have the option to use a 185 base power Fire move (also potentially under Sun) which theoretically gives you a ton of stopping power versus special walls, although in practice I haven't had any notable opportunities to use it.
Moltres @ Firium Z
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Fire Blast
- Solar Beam
- Sunny Day
- Roost
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Fire Blast
- Solar Beam
- Sunny Day
- Roost
Some Replays of the Z-Moltres in action (Not the best but literally the only ones I have)
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7pokebankou-495098668 - test game with a friend
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7pokebankou-499818073 - R1G1 for Wishlist
Also can attest to the effectiveness of RegiMola stall with its newfound partners after seeing -Tsunami- use it. GG.
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The set is Z-Sunny Day, so Hurricane isn't used on a set like that to begin with because of the accuracy drop from Sun, and Burn Up (and Overheat) are pretty useless because you're cleaning and may need to click Fire Blast several times. If you were going to switch, running Life Orb (and Morning Sun) would likely be better because then you're a wallbreaker, and even then you'd probably want to run Fire Blast just in case you need to break several walls.
I'm not too sure what Moltres does with Z-Sunny Day that isn't better done by Zard (who has more power and more speed, in exchange for less bulk), though.
I personally think Burn Up isn't all that useful on any Moltres set. Losing power after the first hit sucks a lot for the same reason Scarf rarely runs Overheat.
I'm not too sure what Moltres does with Z-Sunny Day that isn't better done by Zard (who has more power and more speed, in exchange for less bulk), though.
I personally think Burn Up isn't all that useful on any Moltres set. Losing power after the first hit sucks a lot for the same reason Scarf rarely runs Overheat.
So yesterday night take the w used a life orb necrozma against kableye to great effect, and the ru room was talking about how necrozma actually has enough to make a bulky attacker/offensive rocker set work. Good spat, average att, decent speed (slower then most offensive threats and misses tying with vena by 1 base point, but outspeeds most defensive threats) and enough of a movepool. Take was running psychic/flash cannon/power gem/rocks, but earthquake is also a strong option. You sacrifice some bulk but you 2hko max hp muk even without att investment. Meanwhile you threaten gligar and decidueye with a psychic that is stronger than gardy's. Necrozma is one of the most versatile pokemon with its balanced stats and always useful if not incredible ability, and access to both swords dance and calm mind.
Also it looks pretty cool.
Also it looks pretty cool.
A bit of a follow-up to my mega post about Milotic a few days ago, but I was able to kind of work through the EV spread a lot more on both a more offensive and defensive set. So, have fun guys!:
Milotic @ Leftovers
Ability: Competitive
EVs: 232 HP / 136 SpA / 96 SpD / 44 Spe
Modest Nature
- Scald
- Recover
- Toxic
- Ice Beam
Ability: Competitive
EVs: 232 HP / 136 SpA / 96 SpD / 44 Spe
Modest Nature
- Scald
- Recover
- Toxic
- Ice Beam
This sees great use on spikestack bulky offense teams as its higher offensive presence means it saps less momentum from its team upon switch in. The HP and SpDef EVs ensure that Life Orb Moltres can't 2HKO Milotic with Hurricane upon switch in while the Speed is for Gligar. You could opt for Surf over Scald, but the burn chance is still almost always prefered in spite of the burn nerf in SM. Toxic lets you deal with Alomomola and opposing Milotic and Recover is obvious for recovery. Ice Beam smacks around Gligar and Flygon while also cutting into more offensive Grass-types thanks to the Special Attack investment. This set can be run on a Sticky Web team, but it's advised to go max SpA / max Spe Timid with a Life Orb and Hydro Pump over Toxic to take as much advantage of Sticky Web as possible. As for a full defensive set...
Milotic @ Leftovers
Ability: Competitive / Marvel Scale
EVs: 232 HP / 116 Def / 116 SpD / 44 Spe
Calm Nature
- Scald
- Recover
- Toxic
- Haze / Refresh / Ice Beam
Ability: Competitive / Marvel Scale
EVs: 232 HP / 116 Def / 116 SpD / 44 Spe
Calm Nature
- Scald
- Recover
- Toxic
- Haze / Refresh / Ice Beam
The defensive set for Milotic is great on balance teams as it provides a pretty reliable switch in for Moltres (avoids the 2HKO from LO Hurricane after Rocks) as well as a Defog deterent should the team use Toxic Spikes. Scald and Recover are staples on most Milotic sets and it's no different here. Toxic allows Milotic to cripple bulky Waters on the opposing team and the last slot gives it some extra utility. Haze prevents stuff like Doublade, Florges, etc. from trying to set up on you to push past you. Refresh allows Milotic to 1v1 pretty much every bulky Water that's common in the tier and should not be overlooked. Even without Special Attack investment, Milotic has base 100 Special Attack, meaning Ice Beam will still thrash Flygon and Gligar as well as offensive Grass-types. It also allows Milotic to not be near complete bait for Heliolisk. Calm is used so Milotic can avert the 2HKO from LO Moltres's Hurricane after Stealth Rock, which can be vital for many balance teams. 44 Speed is for Gligar once again and the rest is thrown into Defense to allow Milotic to tank hits from most entry hazard removers.
Obviously, these EV spreads aren't final as the meta continues to change and evolve, so feel free to critique as you please. Don't forget that Chesnaught is an amazing partner regardless of the set you use.
6ft Torbjorn
formerly JoycapJoshST
To those who think Talonflame will be RU after the nerf... I have to object:
Talonflame @ Flyinium Z
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 252 Atk / 168 SpA / 88 Spe
Lonely Nature
- Overheat
- Brave Bird
- U-turn
- Roost
Flyinium Z gives you two options. First - Z-Brave Bird gives you a 190BP Supersonic Skystrike, which can make switching into it dangerous, as it can severely cripple basically anything neutral under around 90 Def or so. See:
Stuff like this + anything that's crippled get's picked off by Brave Bird
The second option you have through Flyinium Z is Z-Roost, which actually resets stats alongside the health recovery you get. Get why i'm carrying Overheat and that odd looking EV spread yet?
I know this looks niche on paper, but I have high hopes for it. I've tried it on a Bulky/Hyper Offense hybrid team before up in OU and it's fine at what it does. It's just a bit fiddly getting the thing it without hazards sometimes. It's ability to wallbreak hasn't really changed IMO and, with the advent of Z-Moves and it's state, I think the nerf is kind of justified IF this set works.
Oh, and Merry Christmas!
Talonflame @ Flyinium Z
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 252 Atk / 168 SpA / 88 Spe
Lonely Nature
- Overheat
- Brave Bird
- U-turn
- Roost
Flyinium Z gives you two options. First - Z-Brave Bird gives you a 190BP Supersonic Skystrike, which can make switching into it dangerous, as it can severely cripple basically anything neutral under around 90 Def or so. See:
- 252+ Atk Talonflame Supersonic Skystrike vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Clawitzer: 277-327 (97.8 - 115.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
- 252+ Atk Talonflame Supersonic Skystrike vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Malamar: 276-325 (73.4 - 86.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
- 252+ Atk Talonflame Supersonic Skystrike vs. 112 HP / 0 Def Flygon: 298-352 (90.5 - 106.9%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
- 252+ Atk Talonflame Supersonic Skystrike vs. 188 HP / 0 Def Dragalge: 271-321 (85.2 - 100.9%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
- 252+ Atk Talonflame Supersonic Skystrike vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Drampa: 285-336 (79.1 - 93.3%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
Stuff like this + anything that's crippled get's picked off by Brave Bird
The second option you have through Flyinium Z is Z-Roost, which actually resets stats alongside the health recovery you get. Get why i'm carrying Overheat and that odd looking EV spread yet?
I know this looks niche on paper, but I have high hopes for it. I've tried it on a Bulky/Hyper Offense hybrid team before up in OU and it's fine at what it does. It's just a bit fiddly getting the thing it without hazards sometimes. It's ability to wallbreak hasn't really changed IMO and, with the advent of Z-Moves and it's state, I think the nerf is kind of justified IF this set works.
Oh, and Merry Christmas!
Just realized that we had a sh*tton of dragons that were in BL2 or lower end of UU Back in Oras, so it's time for Dragons, Dragons, and more Dragons!!
Hands down most powerful dragon in RU evah (i think). With massive 147(!) base attack and decent 97 base speed, access to mold breaker, decent covergages and two powerful boosting moves, hax has no problem in sweeping either offense, balance, or stall teams that not even RegiMola can handle. Not to mention it pairs well with sticky web user (galv can handle bulky waters and shuckle has utility in encore). It's biggest downside is its mediocre bulk but can easily be patched by aurora veil or (Z)-Memento/Parting shot support. Its only counter probably is granbull, (or comfey if u REALLY want to push it)
Prediction: Broken and definitely Banworthy
It was broken and got quickbanned before and i think it's still banworthy in this gen, Rain Dance set can demolish offensive team easily and has no problem of setting up due to its solid bulk and typing. Critdra probably will be less effective cuz of the likes of milotic,vape, and florges, but the former two can't take crit draco (and most of them are invested in physical defense anyway). DD set is outclassed by haxo and flygon but it's still there.
Prediction: Top Tier Threat, Probably Broken
This thing is still stupidly powerful, but it also gain many new checks in florges, milotic, vape, umbreon (maybe), and diancie (4 of them are forced to recover after tanking draco/ice beam), and many new revenge killers. It also makes a great scarfer and its sub roost set is still potent (watch out for iron head registeel tho). Also slays with sticky web support and can dispose most of the hazard removers
Prediction: Top Tier Threat
With many special tanks drop from UU, i think noivern could actualy be managable. Its speed tier is still golden but its spa is still okay at best and it relies too much on boosting items (mostly choice specs becuz LO doesn't do that much of damage) it also gains new checks in florges, diancie, gigalith (probably won't drop) and many new revenge killers (aero, pedo, lycanroc and scarfers). Also both draco and hurricane are exploitable for its ineffectiveness against fairy, spa drop, and inaccuracy respectively. Having access to switcheroo is always nice tho
Prediction: Mid to Top Tier Threat
The Special tank we all have been waiting for! AV Goodra can checks multitude of threats like chandy, zoroark, yanmega, special pedo, heliolisk, milotic, etc. It also can run other sets like Curse, Rain dance, etc. Definetly one to watch for
Prediction: Top Tier Threat
A special dragon that doesn't care less about fairies, sold!. Best defensive toxic spikes setter with two very powerful stab moves, having walled by registeel is sucks tho but on the bright side, no more duggy to watch out for. Its bulk and solid typing also gives more utility rather than just being a slow hard hitting dragon (looking at you drampa)
Prediction: Top Tier Threat
Hands down most powerful dragon in RU evah (i think). With massive 147(!) base attack and decent 97 base speed, access to mold breaker, decent covergages and two powerful boosting moves, hax has no problem in sweeping either offense, balance, or stall teams that not even RegiMola can handle. Not to mention it pairs well with sticky web user (galv can handle bulky waters and shuckle has utility in encore). It's biggest downside is its mediocre bulk but can easily be patched by aurora veil or (Z)-Memento/Parting shot support. Its only counter probably is granbull, (or comfey if u REALLY want to push it)
Prediction: Broken and definitely Banworthy
It was broken and got quickbanned before and i think it's still banworthy in this gen, Rain Dance set can demolish offensive team easily and has no problem of setting up due to its solid bulk and typing. Critdra probably will be less effective cuz of the likes of milotic,vape, and florges, but the former two can't take crit draco (and most of them are invested in physical defense anyway). DD set is outclassed by haxo and flygon but it's still there.
Prediction: Top Tier Threat, Probably Broken
This thing is still stupidly powerful, but it also gain many new checks in florges, milotic, vape, umbreon (maybe), and diancie (4 of them are forced to recover after tanking draco/ice beam), and many new revenge killers. It also makes a great scarfer and its sub roost set is still potent (watch out for iron head registeel tho). Also slays with sticky web support and can dispose most of the hazard removers
Prediction: Top Tier Threat
With many special tanks drop from UU, i think noivern could actualy be managable. Its speed tier is still golden but its spa is still okay at best and it relies too much on boosting items (mostly choice specs becuz LO doesn't do that much of damage) it also gains new checks in florges, diancie, gigalith (probably won't drop) and many new revenge killers (aero, pedo, lycanroc and scarfers). Also both draco and hurricane are exploitable for its ineffectiveness against fairy, spa drop, and inaccuracy respectively. Having access to switcheroo is always nice tho
Prediction: Mid to Top Tier Threat
The Special tank we all have been waiting for! AV Goodra can checks multitude of threats like chandy, zoroark, yanmega, special pedo, heliolisk, milotic, etc. It also can run other sets like Curse, Rain dance, etc. Definetly one to watch for
Prediction: Top Tier Threat
A special dragon that doesn't care less about fairies, sold!. Best defensive toxic spikes setter with two very powerful stab moves, having walled by registeel is sucks tho but on the bright side, no more duggy to watch out for. Its bulk and solid typing also gives more utility rather than just being a slow hard hitting dragon (looking at you drampa)
Prediction: Top Tier Threat
phantom
Banned deucer.
Kingdra has OU usage at the moment, so it's not a prospect for SM RU I would think :P
But yeah, the surge in Dragon-types this gen should be very interesting since there was only one relevant Dragon in XY RU and you didn't even need a dragon resist to beat it. I think it's good to note we can expect stuff like Alolan Eggy and Kommo-o as other Dragons that have a shot of dropping to RU too (Kommo-o is basically worse than Haxorus, so it really shouldn't stay UU). In contrast to XY with only two viable dragons, I expect RU to incorporate similar archetypes that higher tiers have done in the past in order to fend them off. It'll be interesting to see how RU will develop when we can borrow teambuilding concepts from upper tiers since the dynamic will likely resemble them more so this gen.
But yeah, the surge in Dragon-types this gen should be very interesting since there was only one relevant Dragon in XY RU and you didn't even need a dragon resist to beat it. I think it's good to note we can expect stuff like Alolan Eggy and Kommo-o as other Dragons that have a shot of dropping to RU too (Kommo-o is basically worse than Haxorus, so it really shouldn't stay UU). In contrast to XY with only two viable dragons, I expect RU to incorporate similar archetypes that higher tiers have done in the past in order to fend them off. It'll be interesting to see how RU will develop when we can borrow teambuilding concepts from upper tiers since the dynamic will likely resemble them more so this gen.
Hopefully we get the same amount of fairies, more than fucking diancie at least. Please UU give us some Ribombee, Gardevoir and stuff.
Anyways, looking forward to the fun chaos that will be alpha UU. We gonna have everything: Dragons, Fairies, Escavalier becoming the king, FIRE TYPES, FIGHTING TYPES, LUCARIO.
Anyways, looking forward to the fun chaos that will be alpha UU. We gonna have everything: Dragons, Fairies, Escavalier becoming the king, FIRE TYPES, FIGHTING TYPES, LUCARIO.
So I just kind of want to talk about a couple of the key Pokemon that we're likely going to be getting initially for RU alpha in a week or so:
I don't give a damn about AV Goodra. What's your play for a well-played Specs Goodra? Honestly, base 80 has proven to be an amazing Speed tier for wallbreakers in RU's history. It was true in BW with Gallade, true once more in ORAS with Venusaur and Medicham, and if / when Goodra falls, it'll be true once more. Base 150 Special Defense is more than enough to deal with resisted special attacks in this tier, even uninvested, thus allowing Goodra to just focus on hitting extremely hard. Its coverage resembles that of a Normal-type, only it has an amazing defensive typing. Definitely a major potential drop at the start of RU alpha, and one that might end up staying.
The king of ADV that so so powerful, it was tournament banned in Japan. While those days are long behind it, Heracross is still a formidable physical attacker that is likely to find its way down to RU alpha considering Terrakion and Keldeo dropped into UU alpha. While Heracross is pretty big on its own, I'm personally looking to see Zoroark + Scarf Heracross teams just rip apart RU alpha. The tandem work perfectly together as you don't even have to worry about entry hazards since Zoro and Hera take the same from every entry hazard out there. Zoro also happens to blast most of Heracross's answers now that it has access to Sludge Bomb. Of course, Guts sets, SD, and Band will all be very potent threats in their own right, so Heracross will by no means be a one-trick pony... or bug.
I haven't seen much talk about these, but there's a pretty decent outside shot that we'll see Nidoqueen, and possibly Nidoking, drop down into RU alpha. Nidoqueen would be a very nice addition to the tier to have a Scarf Heracross check that isn't blown away completely by Zoroark and it's a very good offensive Stealth Rock setter as it is. Of course, Nidoqueen is not new to RU as it had a short stint in the tier back in BW, but Nidoking has always been locked away in UU. It would obviously have a major impact on the tier thanks to its incredible Sheer Force-boosted coverage. And simply put, it would have an amazing Speed tier in RU with Life orb and Choice Scarf.
Spirit's, well, spirit animal? Idk, but there's no denying that Metagross would be a fun Pokemon in the tier. With about a million different possible sets, it would be very challenging to deal with Metagross. From Agility, to Assault Vest, Choice Band, Stealth Rock, and maybe even a mixed set of some sort, Metagross would be a tough Pokemon to outright stop in the tier, but probably not without answers as the tier is heavy on bulky Water-types and Metagross's track record with them isn't the greatest. 70 base Speed is also just under that base 80 mark which always seems to be crucial in RU, but an actual offensive answer to Tyrantrum would definitely be welcome.
So yeah, it's more than just Dragons and Fairies that we could be getting. There's plenty of other stuff too! And don't forget likely obvious stuff like Darmanitan, Celebi, and possibly even Lucario and Infernape (don't laugh about Infernape. Remember that Terrakion, Keldeo, and Latias are down in UU rn)
I don't give a damn about AV Goodra. What's your play for a well-played Specs Goodra? Honestly, base 80 has proven to be an amazing Speed tier for wallbreakers in RU's history. It was true in BW with Gallade, true once more in ORAS with Venusaur and Medicham, and if / when Goodra falls, it'll be true once more. Base 150 Special Defense is more than enough to deal with resisted special attacks in this tier, even uninvested, thus allowing Goodra to just focus on hitting extremely hard. Its coverage resembles that of a Normal-type, only it has an amazing defensive typing. Definitely a major potential drop at the start of RU alpha, and one that might end up staying.
Goodra @ Choice Specs
Ability: Sap Sipper
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest or Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Fire Blast
- Sludge Wave / Sludge Bomb
- Muddy Water / Thunderbolt / Dragon Pulse
Ability: Sap Sipper
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest or Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Fire Blast
- Sludge Wave / Sludge Bomb
- Muddy Water / Thunderbolt / Dragon Pulse
The king of ADV that so so powerful, it was tournament banned in Japan. While those days are long behind it, Heracross is still a formidable physical attacker that is likely to find its way down to RU alpha considering Terrakion and Keldeo dropped into UU alpha. While Heracross is pretty big on its own, I'm personally looking to see Zoroark + Scarf Heracross teams just rip apart RU alpha. The tandem work perfectly together as you don't even have to worry about entry hazards since Zoro and Hera take the same from every entry hazard out there. Zoro also happens to blast most of Heracross's answers now that it has access to Sludge Bomb. Of course, Guts sets, SD, and Band will all be very potent threats in their own right, so Heracross will by no means be a one-trick pony... or bug.
Heracross @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Megahorn
- Close Combat
- Knock Off
- Earthquake / Stone Edge
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Megahorn
- Close Combat
- Knock Off
- Earthquake / Stone Edge
I haven't seen much talk about these, but there's a pretty decent outside shot that we'll see Nidoqueen, and possibly Nidoking, drop down into RU alpha. Nidoqueen would be a very nice addition to the tier to have a Scarf Heracross check that isn't blown away completely by Zoroark and it's a very good offensive Stealth Rock setter as it is. Of course, Nidoqueen is not new to RU as it had a short stint in the tier back in BW, but Nidoking has always been locked away in UU. It would obviously have a major impact on the tier thanks to its incredible Sheer Force-boosted coverage. And simply put, it would have an amazing Speed tier in RU with Life orb and Choice Scarf.
Nidoking @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Earth Power
- Sludge Wave
- Ice Beam
- Focus Blast / Thunderbolt
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Earth Power
- Sludge Wave
- Ice Beam
- Focus Blast / Thunderbolt
Nidoqueen @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 180 HP / 252 SpA / 76 Spe
Modest Nature
- Earth Power
- Stealth Rock
- Ice Beam
- Sludge Wave / Thunderbolt / Toxic Spikes(?)
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 180 HP / 252 SpA / 76 Spe
Modest Nature
- Earth Power
- Stealth Rock
- Ice Beam
- Sludge Wave / Thunderbolt / Toxic Spikes(?)
Spirit's, well, spirit animal? Idk, but there's no denying that Metagross would be a fun Pokemon in the tier. With about a million different possible sets, it would be very challenging to deal with Metagross. From Agility, to Assault Vest, Choice Band, Stealth Rock, and maybe even a mixed set of some sort, Metagross would be a tough Pokemon to outright stop in the tier, but probably not without answers as the tier is heavy on bulky Water-types and Metagross's track record with them isn't the greatest. 70 base Speed is also just under that base 80 mark which always seems to be crucial in RU, but an actual offensive answer to Tyrantrum would definitely be welcome.
Metagross @ Choice Band
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Meteor Mash
- Ice Punch
- Thunder Punch / Zen Headbutt
- Pursuit / Zen Headbutt / Bullet Punch
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Meteor Mash
- Ice Punch
- Thunder Punch / Zen Headbutt
- Pursuit / Zen Headbutt / Bullet Punch
So yeah, it's more than just Dragons and Fairies that we could be getting. There's plenty of other stuff too! And don't forget likely obvious stuff like Darmanitan, Celebi, and possibly even Lucario and Infernape (don't laugh about Infernape. Remember that Terrakion, Keldeo, and Latias are down in UU rn)
As Type: Null seems to have very good bulk already, I decided to see what it would look like with eviolite.
Type: Null @ Eviolite
Ability: Battle Armor
EVs: 44 HP / 252 Atk / 212 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Return
- Substitute
- Shadow Claw
This thing turns out to be a bit ridiculous. As an example, this set is more physically bulky than max defence aromatisse. Speed is for beating min speed gligar and by extension, all the other important defensive mons.
This massive bulk on both the physical and special side allows type:null to get up a sub on a huge number of more passive mons such as gligar, alomomola, florges, milotic, gigilith and many more. Also, once it has set up, it's very difficult to revenge kill it quickly as even a lot of super effective hits struggle to knock it out.
Alongside this extreme bulk, it also hits fairly hard, with a +2 return taking out the majority of offensive threats in the tier.
+2 252+ Atk Type: Null Return vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Flygon: 352-415 (116.9 - 137.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252+ Atk Type: Null Return vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Moltres: 321-378 (100 - 117.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
The downside comes from the fact that it has absolutely 0 recovery and extremely limited attacking options. The fact that it can't even hold leftovers makes type: null very easy to wear down over time and easy to pressure. This means that if you want it to be a consistent threat throughout a match, or to sponge hits reliably, wish + heal bell support is very much appreciated. Its limited coverage moves means that you're forced to run shadow claw to hit opposing ghosts. Shadow claw is such a shit move that even resisted returns hit harder than it, meaning that rock and steel types give you a really hard time.
Overall, I think this mon has been overlooked somewhat thus far and I can definitely see it posing some kind of threat in either this tier or the one below it.
I've come up with a couple of silvally sets as well which I'll share at some point. I don't think it's amazing but it's definitely not as bad as some people have been making it out to be.
Type: Null @ Eviolite
Ability: Battle Armor
EVs: 44 HP / 252 Atk / 212 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Return
- Substitute
- Shadow Claw
This thing turns out to be a bit ridiculous. As an example, this set is more physically bulky than max defence aromatisse. Speed is for beating min speed gligar and by extension, all the other important defensive mons.
0 Atk Mew Zen Headbutt vs. 44 HP / 0 Def Eviolite Type: Null: 60-72 (17.5 - 21%) -- possible 5HKO
0 Atk Mew Zen Headbutt vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Aromatisse: 76-91 (18.7 - 22.4%) -- possible 5HKO
0 SpA Florges Moonblast vs. 44 HP / 0 SpD Eviolite Type: Null: 79-94 (23 - 27.4%) -- 67.6% chance to 4HKO
0 Atk Gigalith Rock Blast (3 hits) vs. 44 HP / 0 Def Eviolite Type: Null: 75-90 (21.9 - 26.3%) -- approx. 1.5% chance to 4HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Flygon Earthquake vs. 44 HP / 0 Def Eviolite Type: Null: 144-169 (42.1 - 49.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 SpA Life Orb Moltres Fire Blast vs. 44 HP / 0 SpD Eviolite Type: Null: 160-188 (46.7 - 54.9%) -- 69.5% chance to 2HKO
0 Atk Mew Zen Headbutt vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Aromatisse: 76-91 (18.7 - 22.4%) -- possible 5HKO
0 SpA Florges Moonblast vs. 44 HP / 0 SpD Eviolite Type: Null: 79-94 (23 - 27.4%) -- 67.6% chance to 4HKO
0 Atk Gigalith Rock Blast (3 hits) vs. 44 HP / 0 Def Eviolite Type: Null: 75-90 (21.9 - 26.3%) -- approx. 1.5% chance to 4HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Flygon Earthquake vs. 44 HP / 0 Def Eviolite Type: Null: 144-169 (42.1 - 49.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 SpA Life Orb Moltres Fire Blast vs. 44 HP / 0 SpD Eviolite Type: Null: 160-188 (46.7 - 54.9%) -- 69.5% chance to 2HKO
This massive bulk on both the physical and special side allows type:null to get up a sub on a huge number of more passive mons such as gligar, alomomola, florges, milotic, gigilith and many more. Also, once it has set up, it's very difficult to revenge kill it quickly as even a lot of super effective hits struggle to knock it out.
Alongside this extreme bulk, it also hits fairly hard, with a +2 return taking out the majority of offensive threats in the tier.
+2 252+ Atk Type: Null Return vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Flygon: 352-415 (116.9 - 137.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252+ Atk Type: Null Return vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Moltres: 321-378 (100 - 117.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
The downside comes from the fact that it has absolutely 0 recovery and extremely limited attacking options. The fact that it can't even hold leftovers makes type: null very easy to wear down over time and easy to pressure. This means that if you want it to be a consistent threat throughout a match, or to sponge hits reliably, wish + heal bell support is very much appreciated. Its limited coverage moves means that you're forced to run shadow claw to hit opposing ghosts. Shadow claw is such a shit move that even resisted returns hit harder than it, meaning that rock and steel types give you a really hard time.
Overall, I think this mon has been overlooked somewhat thus far and I can definitely see it posing some kind of threat in either this tier or the one below it.
I've come up with a couple of silvally sets as well which I'll share at some point. I don't think it's amazing but it's definitely not as bad as some people have been making it out to be.
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When a pre-evo might be more useful than its evolved form. That's Type: Null and Silvally for you. Aside from that though, I've been working with an old Pokemon that got a pretty significant buff:
Swellow went from being the best of the bad early-game Flying-types to one of the most lowkey good late-game cleaners in RU. The massive buff to Special Attack is all Swellow needed to become a pretty significant force. Its Speed tier really makes the buff work as Swellow's base 125 Speed allows it to play like a slower Scarf user while still having the power to break down defensive cores (it's faster than Scarf Emboar, but does sit just behind Tyrantrum) While Hurricane may not be usable yet due to incompatibility with Heat Wave and how much Swellow needs the coverage, Swellow still has Air Slash for emergency situations (and you're clicking Boomburst 95% of the time anyway) What sets it apart from Exploud (aside from the juiced up Speed) is U-turn; an incredible momentum-building move that works very well in conjunction with some of Swellow's best partners. Stuff like Cobalion, Donphan, and Chesnaught work pretty well with Swellow as they prey on the Steel- and Rock-types that Swellow lures in. Cobalion sets Rocks and checks Tyrantrum (and most Steels not named Cobalion in general) Donphan reliably gets rid of Stealth Rock and can also check Tyrantrum. Chesnaught sets Spikes (huge for the Rock and Steel mons that Swellow invites in) and once again stops Scarf Tyrantrum. (you want a Ttrum check if you haven't noticed) Of course, Swellow falters against Scarf Gardevoir and Moltres as well bc of it being slower and having non-existent bulk, but stuff like Milotic and Alolan Muk can bail you out here. Because Swellow can act as a slower Choice Scarf user on top of being a strong Specs attacker, you can double up on wallbreakers with something like LO Gardevoir or Band Tyrantrum. Both work well as they put even more pressure on Steel-types, thus lessening the need for Swellow to use anything other than Boomburst or U-turn. I'm not entirely sure why I haven't seen more people using it as Swellow feels like one of the easier offensive Pokemon to support considering what the tier has to work with. It's a really cool Pokemon that isn't super hard to use or support.
Swellow went from being the best of the bad early-game Flying-types to one of the most lowkey good late-game cleaners in RU. The massive buff to Special Attack is all Swellow needed to become a pretty significant force. Its Speed tier really makes the buff work as Swellow's base 125 Speed allows it to play like a slower Scarf user while still having the power to break down defensive cores (it's faster than Scarf Emboar, but does sit just behind Tyrantrum) While Hurricane may not be usable yet due to incompatibility with Heat Wave and how much Swellow needs the coverage, Swellow still has Air Slash for emergency situations (and you're clicking Boomburst 95% of the time anyway) What sets it apart from Exploud (aside from the juiced up Speed) is U-turn; an incredible momentum-building move that works very well in conjunction with some of Swellow's best partners. Stuff like Cobalion, Donphan, and Chesnaught work pretty well with Swellow as they prey on the Steel- and Rock-types that Swellow lures in. Cobalion sets Rocks and checks Tyrantrum (and most Steels not named Cobalion in general) Donphan reliably gets rid of Stealth Rock and can also check Tyrantrum. Chesnaught sets Spikes (huge for the Rock and Steel mons that Swellow invites in) and once again stops Scarf Tyrantrum. (you want a Ttrum check if you haven't noticed) Of course, Swellow falters against Scarf Gardevoir and Moltres as well bc of it being slower and having non-existent bulk, but stuff like Milotic and Alolan Muk can bail you out here. Because Swellow can act as a slower Choice Scarf user on top of being a strong Specs attacker, you can double up on wallbreakers with something like LO Gardevoir or Band Tyrantrum. Both work well as they put even more pressure on Steel-types, thus lessening the need for Swellow to use anything other than Boomburst or U-turn. I'm not entirely sure why I haven't seen more people using it as Swellow feels like one of the easier offensive Pokemon to support considering what the tier has to work with. It's a really cool Pokemon that isn't super hard to use or support.
Double Wind (Swellow) (F) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Scrappy
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Boomburst
- U-turn
- Heat Wave
- Air Slash
Ability: Scrappy
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Boomburst
- U-turn
- Heat Wave
- Air Slash
I know we've all been sucking milo's dick but seriously she's so fucking good lmao. This is the set I've been using:
Milotic @ Leftovers
Ability: Competitive
EVs: 232 HP / 232 SpD / 44 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Toxic
- Recover
- Refresh
It's the defensive set EonX posted above but with a more specially defensive spread (helps with things like Swellow and fairies) and Refresh as the main move over anything else in that slot. The fact it can beat any water 1v1 is so fucking good :0 it switches in for free against gligar/any water/kinda crobat (BB hurts, u might want less spdef and more def if thats the case) and just beat them from there. Best thing is it doesn't need much support in terms of getting rid of status.
I'll also be testing Silvally out (SD steel type) but in general I think silvally wants to run u-turn and not parting shot. If milotic switches in on parting shot you're fucked lmao.
Milotic @ Leftovers
Ability: Competitive
EVs: 232 HP / 232 SpD / 44 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Toxic
- Recover
- Refresh
It's the defensive set EonX posted above but with a more specially defensive spread (helps with things like Swellow and fairies) and Refresh as the main move over anything else in that slot. The fact it can beat any water 1v1 is so fucking good :0 it switches in for free against gligar/any water/kinda crobat (BB hurts, u might want less spdef and more def if thats the case) and just beat them from there. Best thing is it doesn't need much support in terms of getting rid of status.
I'll also be testing Silvally out (SD steel type) but in general I think silvally wants to run u-turn and not parting shot. If milotic switches in on parting shot you're fucked lmao.
HypnoEmpire
Yokatta...
I was looking for a fun way to deal with Tyrantrum when I came across this:
While Diglett can never truly fill the void Dugtrio left when it was around in ORAS, Diglett can hilariously still trap a few key Pokemon that we will likely see in SM RU. Here's the set I came up with:
Diglett @ Groundium Z
Ability: Arena Trap
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Sucker Punch
- Toxic
- Memento
Diglett's Tectonic Rage hits nearly as hard as Dugtrio's Choice Band Earthquake did back in ORAS. You can trap and remove threats such as non-scarf Tyrantrum, Muk-A, Magneton, Registeel, and slightly weakened Diancie. While this pool of Pokemon seems relatively small, you trap what were popular Flying- and Normal-resists in ORAS, which can pave the way for a Swellow or Braviary sweep, for instance. Trapping and revenge killing other weakened Pokemon is nice as well.
Sadly, you're left to speed-tie Drapion and can't outspeed stuff like Cobalion and Delphox. Oh well.
A Pokemon I expect will perform well is SM RU is Exeggutor-A. There's one set in particular that I can see becoming a popular choice for a wallbreaker.
Exeggutor-Alola @ Choice Specs
Ability: Frisk
EVs: 92 HP / 252 SpA / 164 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Leaf Storm
- Flamethrower
- Giga Drain
And here it is! Draco Meteor and Leaf Storm are both nukes coming off of 125 SpA and with Fire coverage to boot, you'll be hard-pressed to find a reliable answer to this beast. Fairy-types such as Diancie and Florges despise switching into Leaf Storm and Steel-types such as Registeel and Escavalier have difficulty switching in in fear of Flamethrower. Speed EVs outpace 0 Spe Alomomola and HP EVs help it take some hits like Florges' Moonblast.
Big problem I see with Exeggutor-A is its speed tier. It has no way to outspeed Blastoise or Milotic without a +Spe nature, so you're left to either hoping they don't carry Ice Beam or cutting through your offensive power. While this is disappointing, I hope this doesn't result in Exeggutor-A dropping to NU. I'd love my favorite Pokemon of this gen to stay in my favorite tier. :)
While Diglett can never truly fill the void Dugtrio left when it was around in ORAS, Diglett can hilariously still trap a few key Pokemon that we will likely see in SM RU. Here's the set I came up with:
Diglett @ Groundium Z
Ability: Arena Trap
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Sucker Punch
- Toxic
- Memento
Diglett's Tectonic Rage hits nearly as hard as Dugtrio's Choice Band Earthquake did back in ORAS. You can trap and remove threats such as non-scarf Tyrantrum, Muk-A, Magneton, Registeel, and slightly weakened Diancie. While this pool of Pokemon seems relatively small, you trap what were popular Flying- and Normal-resists in ORAS, which can pave the way for a Swellow or Braviary sweep, for instance. Trapping and revenge killing other weakened Pokemon is nice as well.
252 Atk Diglett Tectonic Rage vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tyrantrum: 296-350 (97 - 114.7%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO
252 Atk Diglett Tectonic Rage vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Muk-Alola: 434-512 (104.8 - 123.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Diglett Tectonic Rage vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Magneton: 712-844 (295.4 - 350.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Diglett Tectonic Rage vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Registeel: 240-284 (65.9 - 78%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Diglett Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Registeel: 134-162 (36.8 - 44.5%) -- 99.8% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Diglett Tectonic Rage vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Diancie: 240-284 (78.9 - 93.4%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Diglett Tectonic Rage vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Muk-Alola: 434-512 (104.8 - 123.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Diglett Tectonic Rage vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Magneton: 712-844 (295.4 - 350.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Diglett Tectonic Rage vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Registeel: 240-284 (65.9 - 78%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Diglett Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Registeel: 134-162 (36.8 - 44.5%) -- 99.8% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Diglett Tectonic Rage vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Diancie: 240-284 (78.9 - 93.4%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
Sadly, you're left to speed-tie Drapion and can't outspeed stuff like Cobalion and Delphox. Oh well.
A Pokemon I expect will perform well is SM RU is Exeggutor-A. There's one set in particular that I can see becoming a popular choice for a wallbreaker.
Exeggutor-Alola @ Choice Specs
Ability: Frisk
EVs: 92 HP / 252 SpA / 164 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Leaf Storm
- Flamethrower
- Giga Drain
And here it is! Draco Meteor and Leaf Storm are both nukes coming off of 125 SpA and with Fire coverage to boot, you'll be hard-pressed to find a reliable answer to this beast. Fairy-types such as Diancie and Florges despise switching into Leaf Storm and Steel-types such as Registeel and Escavalier have difficulty switching in in fear of Flamethrower. Speed EVs outpace 0 Spe Alomomola and HP EVs help it take some hits like Florges' Moonblast.
252+ SpA Choice Specs Exeggutor-Alola Leaf Storm vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Diancie: 368-434 (121 - 142.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Exeggutor-Alola Leaf Storm vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Florges: 232-274 (64.4 - 76.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
-2 252+ SpA Choice Specs Exeggutor-Alola Leaf Storm vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Florges: 117-138 (32.5 - 38.3%) -- 2.1% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Choice Specs Exeggutor-Alola Flamethrower vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Registeel: 170-202 (46.7 - 55.4%) -- 69.5% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Choice Specs Exeggutor-Alola Flamethrower vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Assault Vest Escavalier: 404-476 (117.7 - 138.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Exeggutor-Alola Leaf Storm vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Florges: 232-274 (64.4 - 76.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
-2 252+ SpA Choice Specs Exeggutor-Alola Leaf Storm vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Florges: 117-138 (32.5 - 38.3%) -- 2.1% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Choice Specs Exeggutor-Alola Flamethrower vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Registeel: 170-202 (46.7 - 55.4%) -- 69.5% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Choice Specs Exeggutor-Alola Flamethrower vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Assault Vest Escavalier: 404-476 (117.7 - 138.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Big problem I see with Exeggutor-A is its speed tier. It has no way to outspeed Blastoise or Milotic without a +Spe nature, so you're left to either hoping they don't carry Ice Beam or cutting through your offensive power. While this is disappointing, I hope this doesn't result in Exeggutor-A dropping to NU. I'd love my favorite Pokemon of this gen to stay in my favorite tier. :)
I'm using this:
Exeggutor-Alola @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Harvest
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Atk / 168 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Substitute
- Dragon Hammer
- Earthquake
- Swords Dance
--
Exeggutor-Alola @ Leftovers
Ability: Frisk
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Atk / 168 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Synthesis
- Dragon Hammer
- Earthquake
Can't get enough test games to determine which one is better but they defo sound better than choice specs considering all the shit we're getting that can do that, potentially.
I also cant figure out if having max hp as opposed to max atk is a good idea but it sounds sensible enough to me.
Eggy is adorable
Exeggutor-Alola @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Harvest
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Atk / 168 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Substitute
- Dragon Hammer
- Earthquake
- Swords Dance
--
Exeggutor-Alola @ Leftovers
Ability: Frisk
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Atk / 168 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Synthesis
- Dragon Hammer
- Earthquake
Can't get enough test games to determine which one is better but they defo sound better than choice specs considering all the shit we're getting that can do that, potentially.
I also cant figure out if having max hp as opposed to max atk is a good idea but it sounds sensible enough to me.
Eggy is adorable
I think another set to look into for Alolan Exeggutor is a Synth + 3 Attacks set on the special side with Draco, Giga Drain, and Flamethrower. It has decent bulk and passable defensive typing. Would be an interesting way to try and set it apart from all the powerful Dragons we're likely getting. Something like this would be interesting:
Exeggutor-Alola @ Life Orb
Ability: Frisk
EVs: 92 HP / 252 SpA / 164 Spe
Modest Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Giga Drain
- Flamethrower
- Synthesis
Aside from Alolan Eggy, there's a core I've been working with that I like quite a bit for more offensive teams looking to put heavy pressure on Steel-types:
A lot of the special tanks that Swellow tends to struggle with are Pokemon Life Orb Gardevoir can severely weaken or take down with her. Swellow's high Speed tier also means that you don't have to use Scarf on Gardevoir since Swellow has enough Speed to be a slower cleaner if the team is supported well enough against faster threats. The absence of Focus Blast may seem odd considering Swellow tends to struggle with Rock-types the most, but Gardevoir can severely weaken them well enough as it is with Moonblast and Psyshock. If you really want Gardevoir to go ham, you could put Calm Mind over Destiny Bond, but D-Bond means that it can either escape Alolan Muk or take it down with her to help Swellow. You could also use Choice Band / DD Tyrantrum over Gardevoir, but it doesn't do nearly as good of a job at forcing in fat Rock-types, Diancie in particular, as Gardevoir does. That said, Scarf Tyrantrum is something to consider over Swellow if you can't fit in hazard control of some kind since Gardevoir can deal with most Steel-types that hold Ttrum back.
Exeggutor-Alola @ Life Orb
Ability: Frisk
EVs: 92 HP / 252 SpA / 164 Spe
Modest Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Giga Drain
- Flamethrower
- Synthesis
Aside from Alolan Eggy, there's a core I've been working with that I like quite a bit for more offensive teams looking to put heavy pressure on Steel-types:
Double Wind (Swellow) (F) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Scrappy
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Boomburst
- Heat Wave
- U-turn
- Air Slash
Burst End (Gardevoir) (F) @ Life Orb
Ability: Trace
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Psyshock
- Shadow Ball
- Destiny Bond
Ability: Scrappy
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Boomburst
- Heat Wave
- U-turn
- Air Slash
Burst End (Gardevoir) (F) @ Life Orb
Ability: Trace
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Psyshock
- Shadow Ball
- Destiny Bond
A lot of the special tanks that Swellow tends to struggle with are Pokemon Life Orb Gardevoir can severely weaken or take down with her. Swellow's high Speed tier also means that you don't have to use Scarf on Gardevoir since Swellow has enough Speed to be a slower cleaner if the team is supported well enough against faster threats. The absence of Focus Blast may seem odd considering Swellow tends to struggle with Rock-types the most, but Gardevoir can severely weaken them well enough as it is with Moonblast and Psyshock. If you really want Gardevoir to go ham, you could put Calm Mind over Destiny Bond, but D-Bond means that it can either escape Alolan Muk or take it down with her to help Swellow. You could also use Choice Band / DD Tyrantrum over Gardevoir, but it doesn't do nearly as good of a job at forcing in fat Rock-types, Diancie in particular, as Gardevoir does. That said, Scarf Tyrantrum is something to consider over Swellow if you can't fit in hazard control of some kind since Gardevoir can deal with most Steel-types that hold Ttrum back.
Here's A core I wanna highlight:
I was building a team for a couple of matches against EonX and The Wall 22 which were teams built for a speculative RU Alpha that was comprised of wishlist mons as well as pokemon such as the Nido's and Heracross (Plus all of BL2). During those extremely fun games I noticed that this core stood out as a very effective one and I think balance and Bulky Offense will use cores such as this one as there main defensive pokemon. Gligar is an extremely Bulky and effective hazard remover as well as a pivot with access to momentum. It's able to check a myriad of overwhelming threats while also being able to u-turn into an offensive mon which is able to take on its counters, I paired it with Specs Kyurem which was really fun :) . Moving onto Milotic...Well you know what it does. It takes on whatever Gligar doesn't like: Waters,Ices and strong special attackers. Furthermore, it helps with wearing down the opponent which can really rack up with stealth rock from Diancie and U-turn from Gligar. Speaking of another catch all check: Diancie. Diancie will most definitely mark its place in the meta as a check to most of the top tier threats much like ORAS. It is able to set up rocks easily as well act as an effective pivot for any strong attacker. In this core it serves as the dark resist and knock off switch in and helps Milotic from being overwhelmed by things like Moltres, especially sets like Bloom Doom.
In terms of threats to this core: Any form of Tyrantrum is quite hard to deal with so I recommend Offensive partners such Cobalion however the beauty of this core is that it supports most offensive mons so the choice is really up to you :) . Speaking of cobalion, SD Fightium Z could be quite threatning however you can play around it by switching or opting for haze on Milotic. Finally, Knock off Escav would be very annoying considering that your initial switch in would be gligar.
As a side note:
I just mentioned this mon but I think this is a real sleeper. With the prospect of things such as Metagross, Dragalge and Umbreon(Foul Play will do a ton though) dropping I think Escavalier will be very effective being able to pursuit trap many mons as well as fire off powerful attacks when it comes in on the things it checks whether AV or Band, Maybe SD for the keks.
I did say that the choice is up to you when it comes to offensive options but here is some inspiration :) :
Shout outs to EonX and The Wall 22 (The Welsh Wall) for allowing me to test the core in our fun matches. Shout outs to Spirit (Phantom) for the amazing milotic EV spread. Finally, shout outs to my buddies in the RU chat room :p .
Thank you for reading and have a great day and here's to RU Alpha :)
I was building a team for a couple of matches against EonX and The Wall 22 which were teams built for a speculative RU Alpha that was comprised of wishlist mons as well as pokemon such as the Nido's and Heracross (Plus all of BL2). During those extremely fun games I noticed that this core stood out as a very effective one and I think balance and Bulky Offense will use cores such as this one as there main defensive pokemon. Gligar is an extremely Bulky and effective hazard remover as well as a pivot with access to momentum. It's able to check a myriad of overwhelming threats while also being able to u-turn into an offensive mon which is able to take on its counters, I paired it with Specs Kyurem which was really fun :) . Moving onto Milotic...Well you know what it does. It takes on whatever Gligar doesn't like: Waters,Ices and strong special attackers. Furthermore, it helps with wearing down the opponent which can really rack up with stealth rock from Diancie and U-turn from Gligar. Speaking of another catch all check: Diancie. Diancie will most definitely mark its place in the meta as a check to most of the top tier threats much like ORAS. It is able to set up rocks easily as well act as an effective pivot for any strong attacker. In this core it serves as the dark resist and knock off switch in and helps Milotic from being overwhelmed by things like Moltres, especially sets like Bloom Doom.
In terms of threats to this core: Any form of Tyrantrum is quite hard to deal with so I recommend Offensive partners such Cobalion however the beauty of this core is that it supports most offensive mons so the choice is really up to you :) . Speaking of cobalion, SD Fightium Z could be quite threatning however you can play around it by switching or opting for haze on Milotic. Finally, Knock off Escav would be very annoying considering that your initial switch in would be gligar.
As a side note:
I just mentioned this mon but I think this is a real sleeper. With the prospect of things such as Metagross, Dragalge and Umbreon(Foul Play will do a ton though) dropping I think Escavalier will be very effective being able to pursuit trap many mons as well as fire off powerful attacks when it comes in on the things it checks whether AV or Band, Maybe SD for the keks.
I did say that the choice is up to you when it comes to offensive options but here is some inspiration :) :
Shout outs to EonX and The Wall 22 (The Welsh Wall) for allowing me to test the core in our fun matches. Shout outs to Spirit (Phantom) for the amazing milotic EV spread. Finally, shout outs to my buddies in the RU chat room :p .
Gligar (M) @ Eviolite
Ability: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 252 HP / 16 Def / 240 SpD
Impish Nature
IVs: 30 Spe
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Defog
- Roost
Milotic @ Leftovers
Ability: Marvel Scale/Competitive
EVs: 252 HP / 140 Def / 116 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Haze/Refresh/Toxic
- Recover
Diancie @ Leftovers
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 36 Def / 220 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Moonblast
- Diamond Storm
- Heal Bell/Toxic
Ability: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 252 HP / 16 Def / 240 SpD
Impish Nature
IVs: 30 Spe
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Defog
- Roost
Milotic @ Leftovers
Ability: Marvel Scale/Competitive
EVs: 252 HP / 140 Def / 116 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Haze/Refresh/Toxic
- Recover
Diancie @ Leftovers
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 36 Def / 220 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Moonblast
- Diamond Storm
- Heal Bell/Toxic
Thank you for reading and have a great day and here's to RU Alpha :)
Joining the discussion on Alolan Exeggutor, this kind of set is a little more "out there" but is still interesting:
Exeggutor-Alola @ Life Orb
Ability: Frisk
EVs: 112 Atk / 220 SpA / 176 Spe
Hasty/Naive Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Wood Hammer
- Flamethrower
- Synthesis
I'm going to assume Florges (and possibly Sylveon if you guys get that) will be vital to a lot of defensive cores, featuring a bulky water (Alomomola, Milotic, SUICUNE?, Slowbro?, etc.) and a Steel-type (Bronzong, Steelix, Doublade, etc.). While it will drag its weight poorly versus Offense due to no HP investment and a -Def/SpD nature, bulky defensive cores relying on Pokemon such as these will be torn up pretty badly. EVs are to outspeed uninvested Florges while being able to 2HKO 252/252 Sylveon after rocks with Wood Hammer, rest in Special Attack so that Draco Meteor and Flamethrower still can do some damage. If Sylveon ends up not being in RU somehow, you can scale it down to 80 Atk for 2HKOing Florges, with max SpA investment. If you want you can change the EVs to creep uninvested Milotic, but I assume most of them are gonna run some amount of Spe anyway so it might not be worthwhile since Ice Beam is a clean OHKO against you.
112 Atk Life Orb Exeggutor-Alola Wood Hammer vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Sylveon: 185-218 (46.9 - 55.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
112 Atk Life Orb Exeggutor-Alola Wood Hammer vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Florges: 179-212 (49.7 - 58.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
220 SpA Life Orb Exeggutor-Alola Flamethrower vs. 240 HP / 16 SpD Eviolite Doublade: 278-328 (87.1 - 102.8%) -- 50% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
112 Atk Life Orb Exeggutor-Alola Wood Hammer vs. 188 HP / 144 Def Snorlax: 227-269 (44.6 - 52.9%) -- 86.7% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
220 SpA Life Orb Exeggutor-Alola Draco Meteor vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Eviolite Gligar: 165-196 (49.5 - 58.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock (Fun fact, Gligar can't afford to Roost against you because you pack that Wood Hammer)
112 Atk Life Orb Exeggutor-Alola Wood Hammer vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Diancie: 273-322 (89.8 - 105.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
220 SpA Life Orb Exeggutor-Alola Flamethrower vs. 252 HP / 184+ SpD Bronzong: 166-198 (49.1 - 58.5%) -- 98.8% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
Exeggutor-Alola @ Life Orb
Ability: Frisk
EVs: 112 Atk / 220 SpA / 176 Spe
Hasty/Naive Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Wood Hammer
- Flamethrower
- Synthesis
I'm going to assume Florges (and possibly Sylveon if you guys get that) will be vital to a lot of defensive cores, featuring a bulky water (Alomomola, Milotic, SUICUNE?, Slowbro?, etc.) and a Steel-type (Bronzong, Steelix, Doublade, etc.). While it will drag its weight poorly versus Offense due to no HP investment and a -Def/SpD nature, bulky defensive cores relying on Pokemon such as these will be torn up pretty badly. EVs are to outspeed uninvested Florges while being able to 2HKO 252/252 Sylveon after rocks with Wood Hammer, rest in Special Attack so that Draco Meteor and Flamethrower still can do some damage. If Sylveon ends up not being in RU somehow, you can scale it down to 80 Atk for 2HKOing Florges, with max SpA investment. If you want you can change the EVs to creep uninvested Milotic, but I assume most of them are gonna run some amount of Spe anyway so it might not be worthwhile since Ice Beam is a clean OHKO against you.
112 Atk Life Orb Exeggutor-Alola Wood Hammer vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Sylveon: 185-218 (46.9 - 55.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
112 Atk Life Orb Exeggutor-Alola Wood Hammer vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Florges: 179-212 (49.7 - 58.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
220 SpA Life Orb Exeggutor-Alola Flamethrower vs. 240 HP / 16 SpD Eviolite Doublade: 278-328 (87.1 - 102.8%) -- 50% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
112 Atk Life Orb Exeggutor-Alola Wood Hammer vs. 188 HP / 144 Def Snorlax: 227-269 (44.6 - 52.9%) -- 86.7% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
220 SpA Life Orb Exeggutor-Alola Draco Meteor vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Eviolite Gligar: 165-196 (49.5 - 58.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock (Fun fact, Gligar can't afford to Roost against you because you pack that Wood Hammer)
112 Atk Life Orb Exeggutor-Alola Wood Hammer vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Diancie: 273-322 (89.8 - 105.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
220 SpA Life Orb Exeggutor-Alola Flamethrower vs. 252 HP / 184+ SpD Bronzong: 166-198 (49.1 - 58.5%) -- 98.8% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
Suicune/Slowbro will never drop to RU, they are useful for checking many physical attackers with scald spam in UU alpha. Sylveon will probably also not drop due to so many fairy-weak threats in UU alpha (keldeo, kyu-b, weavile, dragonite, salamence, etc.) So power creep will be massive this gen. Trick room and sticky web will get better due to an increased number of slower pokemon.
Anyone think this could work?
Crobat @ Black Sludge
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Tailwind
- Brave Bird
- Defog
- U-turn
Tailwind to boost your team's speed for 4 turns. Pair this up with the new slower pokemon and watch them rip the opposing team apart. Defog to get rid of hazards. Wonder if this support crobat could work.
Dugtrio-Alola @ Focus Sash
Ability: Sand Force
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Memento
- Sucker Punch
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
Since dugtrio-regular moved up to OU there is a void in fast ground types. Dugtrio alola could work as a replacement, with sucker punch for priority, dual stabs, and memento to faint itself and allow a teammate to setup (because memento often forces a switch).
Do any of you think kommo-o will drop down here? It has 3 ways to set up (autotomize, swords dance, dragon dance) and potential to go either physical or special. This is very unpredictable.
Dhelmise @ Leftovers
Ability: Steelworker
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Anchor Shot
- Rapid Spin
- Shadow Claw
- Power Whip
Last one. I don't see UU taking this (too slow for a rapid spinner), so I think RU could have Dhelmise. This is a spinner that does well versus other ghosts.
Anyone think this could work?
Crobat @ Black Sludge
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Tailwind
- Brave Bird
- Defog
- U-turn
Tailwind to boost your team's speed for 4 turns. Pair this up with the new slower pokemon and watch them rip the opposing team apart. Defog to get rid of hazards. Wonder if this support crobat could work.
Dugtrio-Alola @ Focus Sash
Ability: Sand Force
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Memento
- Sucker Punch
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
Since dugtrio-regular moved up to OU there is a void in fast ground types. Dugtrio alola could work as a replacement, with sucker punch for priority, dual stabs, and memento to faint itself and allow a teammate to setup (because memento often forces a switch).
Do any of you think kommo-o will drop down here? It has 3 ways to set up (autotomize, swords dance, dragon dance) and potential to go either physical or special. This is very unpredictable.
Dhelmise @ Leftovers
Ability: Steelworker
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Anchor Shot
- Rapid Spin
- Shadow Claw
- Power Whip
Last one. I don't see UU taking this (too slow for a rapid spinner), so I think RU could have Dhelmise. This is a spinner that does well versus other ghosts.
Right now the wish list meta (the one used for the SM RU wish list tour, the restrictive one) is pretty much revolved around some very specific key mons/cores/builds. First and foremost imo is fairies in general.. they're absolutely broken. Gardevoir, CM Florges, and Diancie specifically. Those three mons are absolutely amazing and I've never been in a situation where I thought "dang this mon isn't pulling their weight" when I used them. Diancie is just a tad bit held back by Cobalion but once Cobalion goes to UU she'll be even better. Another key Pokemon is Crobat. He's just good at everything he does. Fast, offers good power/revenge killing potential with Brave Bird, and has Taunt and U-turn to grab momentum or shut down some Pokemon. There's also Milotic but we talked enough about her lmao so I'll save it.
And finally there's Umbreon which is also slightly held back by Cobalion right now but once he's gone he should have a bit more freedom. Flygon is looking a bit underwhelming honestly, but idk, the meta's not formed yet and we're just playing a speculative tier that'll probably change drastically once alpha RU is actually out.
With that being said I believe the formula to creating a decent balance team rn is the following: bird(s), fairy check(s), milotic, and bird checks. The birds are Crobat and Swellow. Fairy checks imo are limited to Silvally-steel, Doublade, and perhaps Escavalier (I haven't used him yet) or Cobalion but he can't exactly switch into fairies very easily since it's neutral on him. Bird checks can be Milotic, Umbreon, Gigalith/Rhyp, and Diancie.
Here are some sets I've been using:
Milotic @ Leftovers
Ability: Competitive
EVs: 232 HP / 116 Def / 116 SpD / 44 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Toxic
- Recover
- Refresh
Umbreon @ Leftovers
Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 240 HP / 252 Def / 16 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Wish
- Protect
- Heal Bell / Baton Pass
- Foul Play
Crobat @ Black Sludge
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 248 HP / 44 Atk / 216 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Roost
- Defog
- Brave Bird
- Taunt / U-turn
Silvally @ Steel Memory
Ability: RKS System
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Iron Head
- Swords Dance
- Crunch
- U-turn
Diancie @ Leftovers
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 248 HP / 36 SpA / 224 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Diamond Storm
- Moonblast
- Heal Bell
This is pretty much the team (minus chesnaught) I've been using lately which I really like. Silvally actually proved to be a really good Fairy check/counter honestly, with wish support from Umbreon. I like it over Doublade cuz the speed it has ensures it always outspeeds non-scarf Garde (even with Adamant) and Florges and immediately force them out instead of having to take two hits like Doublade. He's more reliable than Doublade in a nutshell imo, purely because he can outspeed them.
I was saying Crobat felt underwhelming before but after extensively using him I take back what I said. Crobat is looking REALLY fucking solid. He's just an amazing Pokemon all around. With investment he can take hits like a champ while still hitting decently hard, and Taunt + Brave Bird is just really good at shutting down a lot of defensive mons. It also beats Cobalion 1v1, defogs, and taunts it so it doesn't set SR again while 3-4HKOing with Brave Bird. That's of course assuming it doesn't have stone edge or something. His speed also means he outspeeds Swellow and OHKOs (although you need 92 atk to 100% ensure OHKO) with brave bird after SR.
And finally there's Umbreon which is also slightly held back by Cobalion right now but once he's gone he should have a bit more freedom. Flygon is looking a bit underwhelming honestly, but idk, the meta's not formed yet and we're just playing a speculative tier that'll probably change drastically once alpha RU is actually out.
With that being said I believe the formula to creating a decent balance team rn is the following: bird(s), fairy check(s), milotic, and bird checks. The birds are Crobat and Swellow. Fairy checks imo are limited to Silvally-steel, Doublade, and perhaps Escavalier (I haven't used him yet) or Cobalion but he can't exactly switch into fairies very easily since it's neutral on him. Bird checks can be Milotic, Umbreon, Gigalith/Rhyp, and Diancie.
Here are some sets I've been using:
Milotic @ Leftovers
Ability: Competitive
EVs: 232 HP / 116 Def / 116 SpD / 44 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Toxic
- Recover
- Refresh
Umbreon @ Leftovers
Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 240 HP / 252 Def / 16 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Wish
- Protect
- Heal Bell / Baton Pass
- Foul Play
Crobat @ Black Sludge
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 248 HP / 44 Atk / 216 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Roost
- Defog
- Brave Bird
- Taunt / U-turn
Silvally @ Steel Memory
Ability: RKS System
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Iron Head
- Swords Dance
- Crunch
- U-turn
Diancie @ Leftovers
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 248 HP / 36 SpA / 224 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Diamond Storm
- Moonblast
- Heal Bell
This is pretty much the team (minus chesnaught) I've been using lately which I really like. Silvally actually proved to be a really good Fairy check/counter honestly, with wish support from Umbreon. I like it over Doublade cuz the speed it has ensures it always outspeeds non-scarf Garde (even with Adamant) and Florges and immediately force them out instead of having to take two hits like Doublade. He's more reliable than Doublade in a nutshell imo, purely because he can outspeed them.
I was saying Crobat felt underwhelming before but after extensively using him I take back what I said. Crobat is looking REALLY fucking solid. He's just an amazing Pokemon all around. With investment he can take hits like a champ while still hitting decently hard, and Taunt + Brave Bird is just really good at shutting down a lot of defensive mons. It also beats Cobalion 1v1, defogs, and taunts it so it doesn't set SR again while 3-4HKOing with Brave Bird. That's of course assuming it doesn't have stone edge or something. His speed also means he outspeeds Swellow and OHKOs (although you need 92 atk to 100% ensure OHKO) with brave bird after SR.
eren
je suis d'ailleurs
i was gonna post sets for all bl two and more new dudes with good descriptions but u can tell how lazy i am. LUL.
**atrocity exhibition
dragalge @ choice specs | adaptibility
modest | 160 hp / 252 spa / 96 spe
• draco meteor
• sludge wave
• focus blast
• hydro pump
**atrocity exhibition
dragalge @ draco plate / fightium z | adaptibility
modest | 160 hp / 252 spa / 96 spe
• draco meteor
• sludge wave
• focus blast
• toxic spikes
**atrocity exhibition
dragalge @ black sludge | adaptibility
calm | 200 hp / 252 spd / 56 spe
• draco meteor / dragon tail
• sludge wave
• scald
• toxic spikes
**gimme the loot
sableye @ leftovers | prankster
impish | 252 hp / 252 def / 4 spd
• taunt
• will-o-wisp
• recover
• knock off / foul play
**gimme the loot
sableye @ leftovers | prankster
careful | 252 hp / 252 spd / 4 def
• taunt
• will-o-wisp
• recover
• knock off / foul play
**dream fortress
minior @ white herb | shields down
jolly | 252 atk / 252 spe / 4 def
• shell smash
• acrobatics
• earthquake
• stone edge
**knuckey
passimian @ choice scarf | defiant (when released)
jolly | 252 atk / 252 spe / 4 def
• close combat
• u-turn
• brutal swing
• rock slide / iron head
**cartographist
dhelmise @ choice band | steelworker
adamant | 252 atk / 252 spe / 4 def
• anchor shot
• shadow claw
• power whip
• rapid spin
**cartographist
dhelmise @ leftovers | steelworker
adamant | 252 atk / 252 spe / 4 def
• substitute
• shadow claw
• power whip
• swords dance
**cartographist
dhelmise @ leftovers | steelworker
adamant | 252 atk / 252 hp / 4 def
• anchor shot
• earthquake / shadow claw
• power whip
• rapid spin
**dell'Accademia
wishiwashi-school @ life orb | schooling
modest | 252 hp / 252 spa / 4 spe
• hydro pump
• u-turn
• ice beam
• hidden power [grass]
**violet
slowking @ assault vest | regenerator
modest | 248 hp / 176 spa / 84 spe
• scald
• future sight
• fire blast
• dragon tail
**badlands
flygon @ liechi berry | levitate
adamant / jolly | 252 atk / 252 spe / 4 def
• substitute
• dragon dance
• earthquake
• outrage
**badlands
flygon @ groundium z | levitate
adamant / jolly | 252 atk / 252 spe / 4 def
• iron tail
• dragon dance
• earthquake
• outrage
**no light, no light
vikavolt @ leftovers | levitate
modest | 248 hp / 80 spa / 180 spe
• substitute
• roost
• thunderbolt
• bug buzz / hidden power [ice]
dragalge @ choice specs | adaptibility
modest | 160 hp / 252 spa / 96 spe
• draco meteor
• sludge wave
• focus blast
• hydro pump
dragalge @ draco plate / fightium z | adaptibility
modest | 160 hp / 252 spa / 96 spe
• draco meteor
• sludge wave
• focus blast
• toxic spikes
dragalge @ black sludge | adaptibility
calm | 200 hp / 252 spd / 56 spe
• draco meteor / dragon tail
• sludge wave
• scald
• toxic spikes
sableye @ leftovers | prankster
impish | 252 hp / 252 def / 4 spd
• taunt
• will-o-wisp
• recover
• knock off / foul play
sableye @ leftovers | prankster
careful | 252 hp / 252 spd / 4 def
• taunt
• will-o-wisp
• recover
• knock off / foul play
minior @ white herb | shields down
jolly | 252 atk / 252 spe / 4 def
• shell smash
• acrobatics
• earthquake
• stone edge
passimian @ choice scarf | defiant (when released)
jolly | 252 atk / 252 spe / 4 def
• close combat
• u-turn
• brutal swing
• rock slide / iron head
dhelmise @ choice band | steelworker
adamant | 252 atk / 252 spe / 4 def
• anchor shot
• shadow claw
• power whip
• rapid spin
dhelmise @ leftovers | steelworker
adamant | 252 atk / 252 spe / 4 def
• substitute
• shadow claw
• power whip
• swords dance
dhelmise @ leftovers | steelworker
adamant | 252 atk / 252 hp / 4 def
• anchor shot
• earthquake / shadow claw
• power whip
• rapid spin
wishiwashi-school @ life orb | schooling
modest | 252 hp / 252 spa / 4 spe
• hydro pump
• u-turn
• ice beam
• hidden power [grass]
slowking @ assault vest | regenerator
modest | 248 hp / 176 spa / 84 spe
• scald
• future sight
• fire blast
• dragon tail
flygon @ liechi berry | levitate
adamant / jolly | 252 atk / 252 spe / 4 def
• substitute
• dragon dance
• earthquake
• outrage
flygon @ groundium z | levitate
adamant / jolly | 252 atk / 252 spe / 4 def
• iron tail
• dragon dance
• earthquake
• outrage
vikavolt @ leftovers | levitate
modest | 248 hp / 80 spa / 180 spe
• substitute
• roost
• thunderbolt
• bug buzz / hidden power [ice]
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On the other hand, I question the use of Life Orb on a mon that gets severely crippled if it gets damaged too much (like no one ran LO Archeops during Gen 5 or 6 in any tier it was in (unless Acrobactics is the reason that was never used, somehow)), but I digress. I'd probably go for Lefties or even Specs on Wishiwashi to be honest, unless Life Orb gets a KO I'm not aware of.
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