I suggested in #cap that we should include a CAP Threat list to go on the CAP site for people to refer to, as there is currently none available. It would really help out people that need a quick definition of what CAP X does, instead of taking up a huge amount of time reading their respective analyses. tennisace agreed to adding one, and so this thread will be used to write up relatively short explanations of the top 50 Pokemon used in the CAP metagame. We will also be including a rank system of stars for each Pokemon based on how they perform; 1 star being the lowest and 5 stars being the highest.
Feel free to reserve and write up any Pokemon that doesn't currently have a description attatched to it. I suggest that you write up more than just one Pokemon if you decide to help out, just so this thread doesn't get flooded with one Pokemon posts. I (and tennisace) will be updating this regularly as well. Limit three reservations at once. Also, please, NO THEORYMON! You must have actually used the Pokemon in order to write about them!
CAP Threat List
Offensive Threats
Colossoil
Type: Dark / Ground
Abilities: Guts / Rebound
Base Stats: 133 HP / 122 Atk / 72 Def / 71 SpA / 72 SpD / 95 Spe
Rating: *****
Stall's biggest fear is, without a doubt, Colossoil. Should any stall, or any other team for that matter, encounter Colossoil, they should watch out for its unpredictable moves, ranging from Earthquake, Sucker Punch, Pursuit, Taunt, Stone Edge, Selfdestruct, Crunch, Rapid Spin, and U-turn, all which can be used in many different scenarios. Colossoil is easily Blissey's biggest fear, as well as posing a threat to Starmie, Latias, and Rotom-A with it's terrifying STAB Dark-type moves. Although he is walled somewhat by Skarmory and Gliscor, Colossoil can sometimes bypass this by using Selfdestruct, or Taunt so that Skarmory cannot set up against Colossoil. Flimsier checks to Colossoil include Gyarados and Salamence, who can easily kill off Colossoil, but can take a huge dent before doing so with his Sucker Punch. Colossoil is also capable of 2HKOing the regular bulky Waters, such as Arghonaut, Vaporeon, and Swampert. When building or playing CAP stall, always be sure to watch out for Colossoil, or it will cause serious damage.
Gyarados
Type: Water / Flying
Ability: Intimidate
Base Stats: 95 HP / 125 Atk / 79 Def / 60 SpA / 100 SpD / 81 Spe
Rating: *****
Gyarados is even more useful in the CAP metagame than it is in Standard. Being one of the best counters to Fidgit and Colossoil guarantees that it is easy to switch it in and set up Dragon Dances. Just like in Standard, playing Gyarados revolves around using Dragon Dance and boosted Waterfalls. Because of Arghonaut (who negates Gyarados' Dragon Dance boosts due to Unaware) and Celebi, Gyarados usually runs Bounce in tandem with Waterfall. The last move varies; Taunt helps considerably against Vaporeon, Arghonaut, and Celebi, but Earthquake ensures that Cyclohm (who resists Water and Flying) doesn't wall you. While most Gyarados are Adamant, Jolly can be used as it outpaces Stratagem after one Dragon Dance.
Metagross
Type: Steel / Psychic
Ability: Clear Body
Base Stats: 80 HP / 135 Atk / 130 Def / 95 SpA / 90 SpD / 70 Spe
Rating: *****
Metagross is one of the most dangerous and metagame-shaping Pokemon within CAP, mainly due to a combination of very advantageous stats and its access to a powerful Zen Headbutt. While its physically-attacking Steel-type counterpart, Scizor, has trouble with Pokemon like Arghonaut, Fidgit and Revenankh, Metagross can simply smash its way through with its Psychic-STAB, which is actually capable of OHKOing many variants of the three when backed up by a Life Orb. It also possesses high physical bulk to the point where even an offensive Metagross has little trouble switching into the common physical attacks of Arghonaut and Revenankh. Along with the common lead sets, there are generally two types of Metagross sets that are used in CAP, and both of them usually have Zen Headbutt. One of them is a bulky attacker that invests in HP and is designed to take hits and potentially remove counters to other Pokemon by Exploding. The other is Life Orb Zen Headbutt AgiliGross, which has become among the most fearsome and difficult to stop late-game sweepers in the CAP metagame. This notably leaves it more vulnerable to Skarmory, who has become increasingly useful as a CAP Metagross response.
Pyroak
Type: Fire / Grass
Abilities: Rock Head / Flash Fire
Base Stats: 117 HP / 105 Atk / 102 Def / 80 SpA / 96 SpD / 70 Spe
Rating: *****
With Pyroak's good base 105 Attack stat, along with Dragon Dance and two 120 Base Power STAB attacks in Wood Hammer and Flare Blitz, Pyroak is considered a top-level threat in the CAP metagame. For type coverage, Pyroak typically uses one of Earthquake, Stone Edge, or Dragon Claw. What makes Pyroak difficult to stop is the fact that Fire- and Grass-typed attacks hit almost all of the traditionally bulky Pokemon for super effective damage, meaning Pyroak's counters and checks tend to be a bit out of the ordinary. Heatran will stop any set without Earthquake, while Latias and Salamence will shut down any Pyroak that don't run Dragon Claw or Stone Edge. If Stone Edge is used, Cyclohm becomes the most reliable counter. In the absence of the correct Pokemon to stop Pyroak, Pokemon with 359 Speed will outrun the common Adamant sets after a Dragon Dance, while Pokemon that can reach 394 Speed will outrun even Jolly +1 Pyroak. This means that Pokemon like Stratagem and Aerodactyl make the ideal revenge killers. In a pinch, Pyroak can usually be handled by Tricking it a Choice item; any of its common attacks are easily walled when Pyroak can no longer switch moves.
Stratagem
Type: Rock
Abilities: Technician / Levitate
Base Stats: 90 HP / 60 Atk / 65 Def / 120 SpA / 70 SpD / 130 Spe
Rating: *****
Stratagem's impressive Special Attack, blistering Speed, wide movepool, and excellent typing make Stratagem a very threatening special sweeper. He can boost his Special Attack with Calm Mind, but more often than not, he will just run an all-out offensive set with four attacks, with either Life Orb or Choice Specs. Stratagem commonly carries Paleo Wave, Earth Power, Flamethrower, and Energy Ball, but he can pull off an effective Technician or Calm Mind set. Substitute + Calm Mind Stratagem can even potentially beat Blissey if she doesn't have Seismic Toss. The biggest issue with Stratagem is how easy Scizor and Metagross can revenge kill it with Bullet Punch, meaning it can't stay in for long periods of time without disposing of them, as well as Blissey if Stratagem doesn't have the right moves for her. However, once those threats have been removed, Stratagem is a monster that can - and will - special sweep like very little else.
Celebi
Type: Psychic / Grass
Ability: Natural Cure
Base Stats: 100 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 100 Spe
Rating: ****
At a glance, Celebi is not the most obvious threat to the untrained eye. But after looking closer, it's actually difficult to see why Celebi wouldn't be a monster in a metagame where some of the most influential walls are defensive Water-types and many of the new Pokemon are weak to Psychic. Offensive Celebi can be extremely destructive with its well-rounded stats and ability to hit many key Pokemon, particularly defensive ones, for super effective damage. Life Orb Leaf Storm basically OHKOes everything that's weak to it, including Arghonaut and other bulky Waters, and Psychic rips into Fidgit and Revenankh for massive damage. Combined with coverage moves like Earth Power and Hidden Power Fire, switching into an offensive Celebi without losing a chunk of health or more can seem like a daunting task. This is not to say that Celebi doesn't have its good share of CAP-unique shortcomings. Kitsunoh can outrun even Timid Celebi, resists both of its STAB moves and can deal back loads of damage with ShadowStrike or U-turn. Colossoil can also situationally dispatch Celebi with Sucker Punch or Scarf U-turn, but non-Scarf Colossoil must tread very carefully, as Celebi outruns and can OHKO it with Leaf Storm or even Grass Knot.
Cyclohm
Type: Electric / Dragon
Abilities: Shield Dust / Static
Base Stats: 108 HP / 60 Atk / 118 Def / 112 SpA / 70 SpD / 80 Spe
Rating: ****
Cyclohm has the highest Special Attack out of every Dragon-type Pokémon in CAP, and when you factor in his lack of Stealth Rock and Pursuit weakness, Hippowdon-esque Defense, and Electric STAB, you have quite the beast in your hands. Cyclohm, however, is not limited to STAB moves only. On the contrary, he gets a stellar special movepool which includes power moves, such as Flamethrower, Surf, Overheat, and Hydro Pump (although the latter two can't be used together on the same set due to Egg Moves issues). Cyclohm also gets Slack Off for instant recovery, and this coupled with his typing, defenses, and the Shield Dust ability makes him an excellent check to Jirachi, Machamp, and a lot of physical attackers in general. His weaknesses to Ground-, Ice-, and Dragon- moves put however a serious damp on Cyclohm's viability. A lot of common Pokémon like Colossoil, Salamence, and Latias can outspeed and destroy him. Moreover, the mediocre Special Defense means that even neutral but powerful special attacks like Stratagem's Paleo Wave can 2HKO Cyclohm.
Heatran
Type: Fire / Steel
Ability: Flash Fire
Base Stats: 91 HP / 90 Atk / 106 Def / 130 SpA / 106 SpD / 77 Spe
Rating: ****
Sporting a large 130 Special Attack stat, Heatran is not short of firepower. In fact, a STAB Fire Blast will be doing large mounts of damage even to Pokemon that resist it. Substitute and Life Orb Heatran are commonly seen sets and are very dangerous if you have nothing for it. Also, Scarfed Heatran, althought not as common, is also a dangerous sweeper, being able to revenge kill well with its large Special Attack stat , outspeeding even Salamence and Gyarados, two common Heatran switch-ins, before a Dragon Dance. Because of its excellent typing that packs numerous resistances, it's not hard to switch Heatran in on the field. It can also force many switches by coming into a Fire move, such as Will-O-Wisp, and boosting its Fire-type attacks to considerable levels.
Jirachi
Type: Steel / Psychic
Ability: Serene Grace
Base Stats: 100 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 100 Spe
Rating: ****
Jirachi's ridiculous versatility allows him to cover a lot of roles on a team. Substitute + Calm Mind variants are notable for their ability to get past Arghonaut, a feat shared with few other set up sweepers. All-out attacking variants can break through unsuspecting teams with ease. Choice Scarf variants are also very viable, but they needed to reinvent themselves a little. Kitsunoh is a much more reliable revenge-killer when equipped with a Scarf (and most importantly, he can outpace +1 Jolly Salamence ), so Jirachi had to invest on his selling points, the main one being Zen Headbutt. This move, seldom seen in Standard, is a great boon in CAP against the many Psychic-weak Pokémon lurking around, and the flinch chance is an extra bonus. Jirachi, however, needs to have special care of Colossoil, which walls the Psychic/Electric combo that is commonly used on the Substitute + Calm Mind set, and can easily OHKO the pixie with Earthquake or trap it with Pursuit. Cyclohm also fears little from the physically-oriented variants thanks to Shield Dust, and can fry Jirachi with Overheat.
Kitsunoh
Type: Steel / Ghost
Abilities: Frisk / Limber
Base Stats: 80 HP / 103 Atk / 85 Def / 55 SpA / 80 SpD / 110 Spe
Rating: ****
Kitsunoh has excellent defensive typing and just enough Speed and Attack to make it a potent threat. ShadowStrike, Kitsunoh's signature move, has a 50% chance of dropping its opponent's Defense. It is usually seen with Substitute, Will-o-Wisp, ShadowStrike, and Superpower, and is extremely difficult to handle without letting one of your Pokemon get burned or knocked out. Kitsunoh doesn't hit very hard, but with Taunt, Life Orb, and its wide offensive movepool, it has been known to sweep teams. Kitsunoh is also an excellent Choice Scarf and Choice Band user, and can scout switch-ins with U-turn or use Trick to cripple a physical tank or wall. The vast array of resistances and immunities provided by the Ghost/Steel typing ensure you will not have a difficult time switching Kitsunoh in.
Latias
Type: Dragon / Psychic
Ability: Levitate
Base Stats: 80 HP / 80 Atk / 80 Def / 110 SpA / 130 SpD / 110 Spe
Rating: ****
Latias makes a good check to several dangerous threats like Arghonaut, Cyclohm, and Infernape. Her Dragon STAB attacks can put the hurt into a good part of the metagame, with Thunderbolt and Surf rounding off the coverage. Trick is a great boon too, since a lot of commonly used Pokémon in CAP will hate being tricked a Choice item. Unfortunately, Latias comes with some issues too. Colossoil is perhaps the greatest one, and can put her in a checkmate position with the combined threat of Sucker Punch and Pursuit. Tyranitar is quite common too, and can Pursuit Latias with ease. Metagross can set up an Agility on nearly any Latias and proceed to KO her with Meteor Mash. Latias can be quite the asset to your team, but only if you know what you are doing.
Shaymin
Type: Grass
Ability: Natural Cure
Base Stats: 100 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 100 Spe
Rating: ****
The main advantages Shaymin has over Celebi are the lack of being part Psychic-type and access to Seed Flare. Being pure Grass-type means that Shaymin does not fear of getting Pursuited like Celebi. The most important feat, however, is the aforementioned Seed Flare. Few pokémon can comfortably take a 120 BP STAB move from a 299 SpA (further enhanced by Life Orb most times), and when you factor in the 40% chance of a Special Defense drop, not even Blissey is a completely safe switch in. Earth Power destroy pesky Heatran, Metagross, and Cyclohm who think they can wall Shaymin, and Air Slash gets the super effective hit on Pyroak. Hidden Power Ice rounds off the set and destroys any Salamence attempting to set up on him - or you may opt for Synthesis/Rest for improved longevity. Shaymin is a very underrated Pokémon, and a threat to any team lacking a reliable Grass-type resist (or Blissey), although, without means of recovery, between Life Orb, entry hazards, and weather damage, Shaymin won't stick around for long.
Starmie
Type: Water / Psychic
Abilities: Illuminate / Natural Cure
Base Stats: 60 HP / 75 Atk / 85 Def / 115 Spe / 100 SpA / 85 SpD
Rating: ****
While keeping its status as a fast and powerful sweeper who can potentially Rapid Spin as well, Starmie is well suited to severely damage most CAP Pokemon, scoring an OHKO on Fidgit and Kitsunoh with a Life Orbed Hydro Pump, and Cyclohm with Ice Beam. Though it may still hit hard, the addition of Revenankh made Starmie less competent in Rapid Spinning, but Starmie still completely viable. Colossoil's Sucker Punch and Pursuit combination will force a mind game, making Colossoil somewhat difficult to deal with once it switches in safely, not to mention that Choice Scarf variants will easily finish Starmie off. Despite this, Starmie still remains a competent offensive threat in the CAP metagame, just like in OU.
Tyranitar
Type: Rock / Dark
Ability: Sandstream
Base Stats: 100 HP / 134 Atk / 110 Def / 95 SpA / 100 SpD / 61 Spe
Rating: ****
Faced with a new nemesis, Arghonaut, and the fact that it now must compete for a team slot with Colossoil, who carries out many of Tyranitar's traditional tasks more fluidly, Tyranitar can be described as a victim of circumstance within the CAP metagame. Having a massive Attack stat, multiple stat-boosting moves, and great defensive prowess doesn't seem as good when you realize that most defensive teams are equipped with an almost perfect counter to it, and that Colossoil is faster and can take status with ease. Many of Tyranitar's famous sets from OU, such as Choice Band and Dragon Dance, have been deemed inefficient and obsolete in this harsh new metagame. The story isn't all bad for Tyranitar, however. Sandstream remains an exceptionally useful ability, and Tyranitar has gained a new role as a partner to Stratagem, who becomes even more dangerous with a Special Defense boost. This boost also allows Tyranitar to become a more reliable answer to Latias than Colossoil, who often has to resort to a Sucker Punch/Pursuit gamble in which it risks getting hit by a Life Orb Surf. Tyranitar in CAP is usually seen as a lead, and it will often be found using elemental attacking sets that set it apart from Colossoil as a counter-breaker with its huge movepool. A lot of teams choose to run both Tyranitar and Colossoil, as the two are deceptively capable of weakening each others' counters.
Dragonite
Type: Dragon / Flying
Ability: Inner Focus
Base Stats: 91 HP / 134 Atk / 95 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 80 Spe
Rating: ***
Dragonite has very solid defenses, a gigantic Attack stat, and very usable Special Attack. To best abuse all of these, Dragonite is usually seen as a mixed attacker, using Draco Meteor, Superpower, Roost, and either Flamethrower or Thunderbolt, backed up by Life Orb. Dragonite may also use Dragon Dance with Outrage and Earthquake, or a support set with Heal Bell, Roost, and Light Screen. Dragonite also likes to use ExtremeSpeed to help compensate for its mediocre Speed stat. Despite the wide variety of move options, Dragonite is often compared unfavourably to other Dragon Dance users, such as Salamence, who admittedly has much better Speed. In general, anything that helps against Salamence will also work against Dragonite, such as Stealth Rock and Choice Scarfed or priority Ice attacks. One can also deal with it by forcing it to lock itself into Outrage and switching in a Steel-typed Pokemon, such as Metagross.
Empoleon
Type: Water / Steel
Ability: Torrent
Base Stats: 84 HP / 86 Atk / 88 Def / 111 SpA / 101 SpD / 60 Spe
Rating: ***
While still a very powerful sweeper once it sets up, Empoleon faces a large obstacle in the CAP metagame: Arghonaut. With Unaware, it ignores Empoleon's potential Petaya boost and can take pretty much any one of its unboosted attacks, bar a Life Orb Grass Knot. However, Arghonaut's presence is largely limited to defensive teams, and it can usually be cleared away through the same methods that Empoleon's other common counters, such as Blissey and Snorlax, can be cleared out. As in OU, once its counters have been cleared away or weakened, Empoleon is extremely efficient at plowing through an enemy team with only one turn needed to Agility and solidify its sweep.
Jolteon
Type: Electric
Ability: Volt Absorb
Base Stats: 65 HP / 65 Atk / 60 Def / 110 SpA / 95 SpD / 130 Spe
Rating: ***
Jolteon has top-tier Speed and excellent Special Attack stats, which, when boosted by Life Orb or Choice Specs, makes Jolteon a serious threat. STAB Thunderbolt hits very hard and is Jolteon's primary attack. However, as threatening as Jolteon is, his movepool is very small and predictable: his other moves are generally limited to Shadow Ball, Signal Beam, and Hidden Power Ice or Grass. Some Jolteon use Charge Beam to boost their Special Attack and Baton Pass to escape from danger and to scout. If you have Blissey, or to a lesser extent, Snorlax, Jolteon should be easily manageable. Jolteon can also be checked by Ground-types with priority or Choice Scarf, like Colossoil, Mamoswine, and Flygon. If Jolteon is a problem for your team, keep in mind that it has a hard time switching into any attack that isn't Electric.
Lucario
Type: Fighting / Steel
Abilities: Inner Focus / Steadfast
Base Stats: 70 HP / 110 Atk / 70 Def / 115 SpA / 70 SpD / 90 Spe
Rating: ***
Lucario is known for his Swords Dance sets; the ability to pick off faster foes with ExtremeSpeed combined with the raw power behind Close Combat has always been considered devastating. However, in the CAP metagame, this is considerably reduced. Kitsunoh can always switch in and KO it with SuperPower or burn it with Will-O-Wisp, Arghonaut ignores the Swords Dance boost, Revenankh is immune to Lucario's main moves, and Fidgit, Stratagem, and Colossoil all outpace it and can take a +2 ExtremeSpeed. Lucario is definitely a frightening sweeper, but with the way most of the CAPs can check or counter it, expect to see less of it than you would in the Standard metagame.
Mamoswine
Type: Ice / Ground
Abilities: Oblivious / Snow Cloak
Base Stats: 110 HP / 130 Atk / 80 Def / 70 SpA / 60 SpD / 80 Spe
Rating: ***
Mamoswine ranks among one of the very most powerful Pokemon in the metagame. STAB Earthquake from 130 base Attack is absolutely devastating to anything that doesn't resist or is immune to it. This power is even more exaggerated when Mamoswine holds a Life Orb or a Choice Band, which it nearly always does. Mamoswine also runs Ice Shard, helping it deal with its mediocre Speed and allowing Mamoswine to check threats like Salamence and Gliscor. Stone Edge and Superpower typically round off Mamoswine's moveset (fortunately, Mamoswine hasn't got a lot of options). To make matters worse, Mamoswine is reasonably bulky, and is sometimes seen with Stealth Rock as a lead. Bronzong, Gyarados, and Skarmory are generally hailed as the only real counters to Mamoswine, but Pokemon that can hit first and resist Ice make good checks to it, such as Starmie, Scizor and a fast-paced Suicune. Another big downside is that Colossoil is almost superior to Mamoswine, as Colossoil packs higher Speed, excellent abilities, and an enormous movepool.
Revenankh
Type: Ghost / Fighting
Abilities: Shed Skin / Air Lock
Base Stats: 90 HP / 105 Atk / 90 Def / 65 SpA / 100 SpD / 65 Spe
Rating: ***
The combination of Shed Skin, Rest, and Bulk Up, seasoned with an unresisted dual STAB, allow Revenankh to be a nearly unstoppable force in the right hands. After a couple of Defense boosts from Bulk Up, few things can even hope to 3HKO him on the physical side, while the good Revenankh's Special Defense allows it to take neutral special attacks with ease. This Ghost-type also provides a handy Rapid Spin immunity, which is capitalized by Revenankh thanks to his neutrality to Pursuit and, most importantly, a durability which is arguably unmatched in the OU environment by other Ghost-types. However, it is easily stopped by common Taunt and Encore users like Fidgit, as well as Arghonaut (thanks to the Unaware ability). Super effective hits from the likes of Metagross using Zen Headbutt will put the hurt on him too, even after a couple of Defense boosts.
Scizor
Type: Bug / Steel
Base Stats: 70 HP / 130 Atk / 100 Def / 55 SpA / 80 SpD / 65 Spe
Abilities: Swarm / Technician
Rating: ***
Massive Attack, great typing, and the strongest Technician boosted priority move in the game, Scizor is a pretty dangerous threat to many teams. Scizor's Bullet Punch is one of the most dangerous moves in the game, hitting ridiculously hard with a Choice Band backing it up. With Swords Dance, it becomes even more powerful. Scizor also gets STAB on U-turn and Pursuit, like Bullet Punch, is boosted by Technician (assuming the opponent stays in), making it a very effective scouting and trapping tool, especially as its typing gives it great resistances and plenty of opportunities to switch in. However, this is when the praise is cut short. unlike the OU metagame, Scizor has a hard time sweeping effectively in CAP. Arghonaut is resistant to both of Scizor's STAB attacks and ignores Swords Dance and can beat it down with Waterfall; Kitsunoh also resists Scizor's STAB attacks and can cripple Scizor with Will-O-Wisp; Cyclohm's great bulk and Speed and access to Flamethrower can easily dispose of Scizor; and with Gyarados being such a common threat, it too can switch into Scizor and set up multiple Dragon Dances.
Togekiss
Type: Normal / Flying
Abilities: Serene Grace / Hustle
Base Stats: 85 HP / 50 Atk / 95 Def / 120 SpA / 115 SpD / 80 Spe
Rating: ***
Togekiss is a very potent threat in the CAP metagame. With many of the CAP Pokemon taking super effective damage from Flying-type attacks, such as Pyroak, Revenankh, and Arghonaut, Togekiss can simply abuse its STAB Air Slash to dispose of them. Because of Togekiss' Serene Grace ability, Air Slash's flinch rate shoots up to 60%, allowing it to take down even more foes with general ease. Add to the fact that Togekiss' ability to spread paralysis via Thunder Wave or Body Slam gives the opponent a mere 30% chance of hitting Togekiss once paralyzed and being smacked by Air Slash. Even though Togekiss makes a great combatant against many CAP Pokemon, it has its faults against the others. Cyclohm is perhaps the biggest problem Togekiss will have to face. Since its ability, Shield Dust, prevents Togekiss' Body Slam from paralyzing and Air Slash from flinching, and having access to a super effective Thunderbolt, Togekiss won't stand a chance against Cyclohm. Kitsunoh is another large threat to Togekiss, as its Limber ability and resistance and immunity to Air Slash and Aura Sphere, respectively, instantly threatens Togekiss. Lastly, Fidgit can switch into Togekiss as it uses Thunder Wave, Roost, or Nasty Plot, use Encore, and set up entry hazards as Togekiss is forced to switch out.
Zapdos
Type: Electric / Flying
Ability: Pressure
Base Stats: 90 HP / 90 Atk / 85 Def / 125 SpA / 90 SpD / 100 Spe
Rating: ***
Zapdos has many traits which are similar to those of a sweeper: excellent Special Attack, great Speed, and a wide movepool. STAB Thunderbolt backed by Zapdos' high Special Attack will be doing a considerable amount of damage to those that don't resist or immune to it. Zapdos can then be more of a threat with Metal Sound, forcing the foe to either switch (and potentially rack up residual damage), or face one of Zapdos' attacks at double the damage. Zapdos can also abuse Agility for itself, or even Baton Pass it onto its teammates, making it one of the best Agility Baton Passers available. When it comes to sweeping, Zapdos does have significant problems. With the use of Latias, Cyclohm (both resisting Thunderbolt, Heat Wave, and Hidden Power Grass), and Blissey, they can instantly OHKO Zapdos with their powerful STAB Draco Meteor, and in Blissey's case, cripple it with Toxic or Thunder Wave. Also, with Colossoil and Fidgit being able to switch into Zapdos' Thunderbolt with impunity, it's at risk of taking heavy damage from Colossoil's Crunch or being hit by Encore from Fidgit.
Breloom
Type: Grass / Fighting
Abilities: Effect Spore / Poison Heal
Base Stats: 60 HP / 130 Atk / 80 Def / 60 SpA / 60 SpD / 70 Spe
Rating: **
Breloom's stats are mediocre all around, with the exception of a gigantic Attack stat. On top of this, Breloom likes to throw around 150 Base Powered STAB Focus Punches. With Spore and Substitute, these can be difficult to handle unless you've got a Fidgit on your team. Unfortunately, therein lies Breloom's greatest flaw: it has absolutely no way to handle Fidgit, who is immune to Spore and can freely Encore many of Breloom's moves. Because of this, virtually all Breloom carry Seed Bomb to ensure they can at least do a bit of damage to Fidgit, as well as score a super effective hit on Arghonaut.
Flygon
Type: Ground / Dragon
Ability: Levitate
Base Stats: 80 HP / 100 Atk / 80 Def / 80 SAtk / 80 SDef / 100 Spe
Rating: **
Flygon's stats are somewhat unappealing; it is his fantastic typing and ability that keep him consistently OU. He most commonly appears with a Choice Band or a Choice Scarf, using U-turn, Earthquake, and Outrage, and one of Fire Blast, ThunderPunch, and Draco Meteor. In the CAP metagame, Flygon is aided by a fantastic U-turn partner: Kitsunoh. Unfortunately, that's where the good news ends. With the popularity of defensive walls in CAP, Flygon users find it just doesn't always hit hard enough to get the job done.
Gliscor
Type: Ground / Flying
Abilities: Sand Veil / Hyper Cutter
Base Stats: 75 HP / 95 Atk / 125 Def / 45 SpA / 75 SpD / 95 Spe
Rating: **
Gliscor has two important moves that can turn it into a real threat: Swords Dance and Rock Polish/Agility. Gliscor has the physical bulk to set up multiple boosts and abuse them with its STAB-boosted Earthquake, Stone Edge, and/or Ice Fang, while also having access to Roost to heal any damage taken and Life Orb recoil. Unfortunately for Gliscor, four moveslot syndrome means it can't do all these things at once, so more than likely it'll be boosting only one stat (Attack or Speed) and running two attacks with Roost, sometimes even three attacks. Fast special attackers, such as Starmie, Syclant, Latias, and Fidgit can force out SD Gliscor (although Fidgit must be wary of switching into Earthquake, and Syclant fears Stone Edge) and Rock Polish/Agility Gliscor lacks the power to sweep on its own. Additionally, Arghonaut is probably the easiest switch-in to offensive Gliscor possible, thanks to Unaware negating any boosts Gliscor has gathered, and will always beat it one-on-one.
Machamp
Type: Fighting
Ability: No Guard
Base Stats: 90 HP / 130 Atk / 80 Def / 65 SpA / 85 SpD / 55 Spe
Rating: **
While Machamp is famously difficult to switch into in OU, the four-armed fighter actually has quite a few problems within the CAP metagame, all of which are a direct result of the added Pokemon. Revenankh and Kitsunoh are immune to DynamicPunch and take only neutral damage from Payback. Revenankh is bulky enough to set up on Machamp, while Kitsunoh can deal lots of damage with ShadowStrike or burn it with Will-O-Wisp, so that Payback fails to break its Substitutes. Fidgit is bulky enough to switch into Machamp using its Fighting resist and wall it, the confusion being a minor hindrance. Cyclohm doesn't even resist Fighting, but it completely ignores DynamicPunch's confusion effect through its Shield Dust ability, and defensive Cyclohm is bulky enough to not be 2HKOed. Despite losing a lot of ground due to the presence of the new Pokemon, Machamp is still a powerful Pokemon, and it actually holds a niche within the CAP metagame as a fairly good response to the extremely dangerous Stratagem. Machamp resists Stratagem's Rock STAB, is bulky enough to survive almost any other attack, and can OHKO back with DynamicPunch.
Syclant
Type: Ice / Bug
Abilities: Mountaineer / Compound Eyes
Base Stats: 70 HP / 116 Atk / 70 Def / 114 SpA / 65 SpD / 115 Spe
Rating: **
Syclant is a decent addition to any offensively-based team; whether he be used as a revenge killer, particularly to threatening Dragons, such as Dragon Dance Salamence, a fast Spikes lead, or just as a designated sweeper, Syclant is capable of doing them all. He can attack from either side of the offensive spectrum just fine, but you'll see Syclant attacking from the special side more than the physical side, because Syclant has a stronger special movepool to work with, including Tail Glow, and special Syclant basically outclasses physical Syclant in terms of sweeping. Also, thanks to Mountaineer, Syclant doesn't have to worry about taking 50% damage upon switching into Stealth Rock, allowing him to set up Tail Glow at great health. However, there are a handful of Pokemon that instantly threaten Syclant. Scizor and Metagross can destroy Syclant with their STAB Bullet Punch; Heatran can outpace him with a Choice Scarf and burn him to a crisp; Arghonaut has Unaware that will negate Syclant's Tail Glow and can easily handle Syclant's other attacks; and since Syclant is more specially-based, Blissey and Snorlax can switch into him and destroy it with Flamethrower and Fire Punch, respectively.
Roserade
Type: Grass / Poison
Abilities: Natural Cure / Poison Point
Base Stats: 60 HP / 70 Atk / 55 Def / 125 SpA / 105 SpD / 90 Spe
Rating: *
Roserade took a huge hit in the CAP metagame with the introduction of Fidgit. Not only is Fidgit a faster, bulkier user of Spikes and Toxic Spikes, it is immune to Roserade's Sleep Powder as well. Nonetheless, there are those who use Roserade in the CAP metagame for its ability to set up Toxic Spikes while still hitting very hard with STAB Leaf Storm and the ability to put an opposing Pokemon to sleep. Most Roserade are used as leads with a Focus Sash and will carry Hidden Power Ice or Fire to compliment Leaf Storm.
Salamence -
Infernape - KnightoftheWind
Gengar - HD
Magnezone - Admiral Stalfos19
Kingdra -
Snorlax - Beej
Defensive/Supportive Threats
Arghonaut
Type: Water / Fighting
Ability: Unaware
Base Stats: 105 HP / 110 Atk / 95 Def / 70 SpA / 100 SpD / 75 Spe
Rating: *****
There are no words to describe how much Arghonaut affects the metagame. Thanks to his typing, his impressive bulk, but most importantly his Unaware ability, he can stop almost any set up sweeper dead in their tracks. Combined with Recover, these traits allow Arghonaut to stall out a lot of potential threats. He is not limited to a tanking set, either. Focus Punch, Bulk Up, Stockpile, Toxic, Roar, and Swagger (which has a great deal of synergy with Unaware), provide Arghonaut with much more versatility people would give him credit for. However, Arghonaut is not invincible. A lot of Pokémon can either switch in safely and threaten him out - like Latias, Salamence, or Cyclohm - or set up on him - like the fearsome Agility + Zen Headbutt Metagross and Breloom. All in all, even with these shortcomings, Arghonaut is a solid Pokémon. He provides a great backbone to balanced teams, and also, he has become a crucial addition to stall teams.
Fidgit
Type: Poison / Ground
Abilities: Persistent / Vital Spirit
Base Stats: 95 / 76 / 109 / 90 / 80 / 105
Rating: *****
Fidgit is a major player in the CAP metagame. It appears on virtually any stall team, and is very usable on balanced and even offense. The biggest thing to watch out for against Fidgit is its Encore, which is on almost all Fidgit. Most sets carry Spikes; while Toxic Spikes are viable, it is a rarity due to the high usage of Fidgit itself and teams generally carry several Toxic Spikes immunity Pokemon. Rapid Spin is very popular on Fidgit; the ability to remove entry hazards is invaluable in CAP. Of course, it's also very possible to run two entry hazards on one set. Most Fidgit like to have one attack, so Earth Power, or Shadow Ball for the Ghost-types, are usually in the last moveslot. Some Fidgit are used to serve more specific supporting roles. Persistent makes Trick Room, Gravity, and Tailwind last two extra turns each, making Fidgit easily the best user of these moves. Fidgit is also a good user of Wish, Rain Dance, and Reflect and Light Screen.
Skarmory
Type: Steel / Flying
Abilities: Sturdy / Keen Eye
Base Stats: 65 HP / 80 Atk / 140 Def / 40 SpA / 70 SpD / 70 Spe
Rating: *****
Thanks to Skarmory's excellent typing, gargantuan Defense, access to reliable recovery, ability to support his teammates via Spikes, and phazing opponents with Whirlwind, Skarmory has become a common staple on balanced and stall teams. Skarmory is able to switch into many physical threats, such as Scizor, Metagross, Arghonaut, and non-Taunt Colossoil and easily set up Spikes against them as they switch out. Although Skarmory has some fierce competition with Fidgit, who has more support options in the form of Encore, Rapid Spin and Toxic Spikes, Skarmory's higher Defense, access to instant recovery in Roost, and arguably better typing, allows it to be a more reliable defensive backbone. Unfortunately, it's not all great for Skarmory. Special attackers, such as Stratagem and Cyclohm, can easily abuse Skarmory's low Special Defense to demolish it with their powerful STAB attacks. Also, Skarmory is easy Magnezone bait if it's not carrying a Shed Shell, which the majority of Skarmory don't.
Blissey
Type: Normal
Abilities: Natural Cure / Serene Grace
Base Stats: 255 HP / 10 Atk / 10 Def / 75 SpA / 135 SpD / 55 Spe
Rating: ****
Blissey is easily the sturdiest special wall in the game, and is capable of stopping almost every special attacker in the metagame. She generally supports the team and heals herself with Wish and Protect, but Softboiled is also used. She has a wide offensive movepool, but generally only uses Flamethrower, Ice Beam, and Seismic Toss to deal damage. She usually carries a support move as well, in the form of Thunder Wave, Aromatherapy, Stealth Rock, or Toxic. She is always a staple on stall teams. Her greatest flaw is her vulnerability on the physical spectrum, and especially to Pursuit from Pokemon like Colossoil, Scizor, and Tyranitar.
Gyarados
Type: Water / Flying
Ability: Intimidate
Base Stats: 95 HP / 125 Atk / 79 Def / 60 SpA / 100 SpD / 81 Spe
Rating: ****
Gyarados can use a defensive set with Rest, Sleep Talk, and Waterfall to great effect, thanks to its decent typing and Intimidate. This style of Gyarados fits any style of team; defensive teams usually like to use Roar, while offensive teams can use a RestTalk Gyarados with Dragon Dance. Gyarados counters many big offensive threats, such as Colossoil and most Fighting-types. Unfortunately, Gyarados faces stiff competition: Suicune, Swampert, and Arghonaut can all be used in Gyarados's place, and they aren't weak to Stealth Rock. Gyarados can also function well defensively, simply by giving him Taunt and a bulky EV spread; this set doesn't last as long, but it checks the threats that it needs to without being terribly reduced as an offensive threat.
Jirachi
Type: Steel / Psychic
Ability: Serene Grace
Base Stats: 100 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 100 Spe
Rating: ****
Jirachi has solid defensive stats and typing, and his support movepool is perfect to accommodate those. Jirachi can support his team as a lead with Trick, Stealth Rock, and U-turn, or can pass Wish later on in the match. He is also very adept at spreading paralysis, either with Thunder Wave or Body Slam (which has a 60% paralysis chance with Serene Grace). Jirachi is also one of the very best Rain Dance supporters, and is also a great choice if you need Light Screen and Reflect. Jirachi is best dealt with by using powerful Ground- and Fire-typed attacks, like Earthquake or Fire Blast. Alternately, Magnezone can swiftly finish off any Jirachi without U-turn. In general, try to dispose of Jirachi quickly; many more offensive teams tend to fall apart after their Wish passer goes down.
Vaporeon
Type: Water
Ability: Water Absorb
Base Stats: 130 HP / 65 Atk / 60 Def / 110 SpA / 95 SpD / 65 Spe
Rating: ****
Vaporeon is a great team supporter and is one of the best bulky Water-types in the game. Vaporeon's ability to pass Wish to its teammates allows it to be a great asset to any team. Vaporeon can also use Roar and Toxic to great effect, racking up more residual damage or weakening the opponent's defensive core, respectivly. Vaporeon also plays an integral part in Baton Pass teams, passing Wish and insanely bulky Substitutes. On top of this, its ability, Water Absorb, grants it free switch-ins on Water-type users, such as Gyarados and Suicune. Despite all this, Vaporeon faces rough competition for a team slot with Suicune and Arghonaut. Suicune, although lacking reliable recovery, can set up Calm Minds with relative ease, and Arghonaut's ability, Unaware, and access to Recover makes it a superb bulky Water. Users of strong Electric- and Grass-type attacks, such as Jolteon, Latias and Celebi, are the bane of Vaporeon as well.
Bronzong
Type: Steel / Psychic
Abilities: Levitate / Heatproof
Base Stats: 67 HP / 89 Atk / 116 Def / 79 SpA / 116 SpD / 33 Spe
Rating: ***
Bronzong is a great transition Pokemon: he is great at switching in and supporting the team with moves like Stealth Rock and Hypnosis. His good defenses and Steel typing with Levitate guarantee that finding a time to switch in is never a problem. In terms of offense, Bronzong usually uses Gyro Ball and Earthquake, and often carries Explosion so it isn't completely set up bait. Bronzong can also serve more specific purposes, like setting up Reflect and Light Screen or preparing a sweeper with Rain Dance or Trick Room. Though he sometimes competes with Fidgit for a team-slot, Bronzong is still as reliable as ever.
Celebi
Type: Psychic / Grass
Ability: Natural Cure
Base Stats: 100 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 100 Spe
Rating: ***
Celebi, as a defensive Pokemon, remains a common sight even in the CAP metagame for a myriad of reasons. Its fantastic all-around bulk and access to a plethora of support moves allow it to be used for a variety of purposes, whether it be an all-around counter that relies on its ability to survive hits miraculously and cripple the opponent with Thunder Wave, or its ability to support the team with Reflect and shuffle through the opponent's team with Perish Song. Celebi can also take better advantage of its Psychic typing in the CAP metagame. STAB Psychic allows a defensive Celebi to deal a surprisingly large amount of damage to threats that may otherwise set up on it, such as Revenankh and Fidgit (though one must be wary of Encore). Unfortunately, this is where the story goes sour, as the green onion has to deal with many increased dangers unique to the CAP metagame. Kitsunoh is immune to Thunder Wave (assuming it uses Limber) and can easily 2HKO Celebi with its STAB moves. Colossoil can outrun defensive Celebi and deal heavy damage with its STAB moves or U-turn. Worst of all,
Syclant can threaten to OHKO Celebi with Bug Buzz and grab a free turn to set up Tail Glow
as Celebi switches out.
Cyclohm
Type: Electric / Dragon
Abilities: Shield Dust / Static
Base Stats: 108 HP / 60 Atk / 118 Def / 112 SpA / 70 SpD / 80 Spe
Rating: ***
Although Cyclohm has Hippowdon's defensive stats, he lacks a great defensive typing. While Electric/Dragon does provide a very good set of resistances, like Electric, Water, Fire, and Steel, it also provides three huge weaknesses: Ground, Dragon, and Ice. Because many Pokemon in the CAP metagame carry at least one move of one of these three types, Cyclohm has a difficult time tanking. This is made even more difficult by the fact that Cyclohm is vulnerable to virtually every form of passive damage. Defensive Cyclohm is made possible by Slack Off. Defensive Cyclohm often invests in moderate amounts of Speed to be able to Slack Off more quickly than the opponent. EVs can be distributed in various ways; it will be very physically bulky regardless. Zapdos is often chosen over Cyclohm for defensive purposes, as it is faster, immune to Ground, and has Roost to help with its weaknesses to Ice and Rock.
Gliscor
Type: Ground / Flying
Abilities: Sand Veil / Hyper Cutter
Base Stats: 75 HP / 95 Atk / 125 Def / 45 SpA / 75 SpD / 95 Spe
Rating: ***
Gliscor's unique typing and excellent Defense stat make it a very reliable physical wall. Combine this with Roost and a respectable support movepool including Stealth Rock, Taunt, and Knock Off, Gliscor is sure to see frequent use. Most run enough Speed to outrun even Jolly Lucario, so Gliscor will often be able to use Roost before his opponent is allowed to attack. Gliscor is also a staple on Baton Pass teams, as he is one of very few Pokemon who have access to Taunt and multiple stat boosting moves like Swords Dance and Agility. However, Gliscor has difficulty taking special attacks, which is worsened by his weaknesses to many common special attacks, such as Surf and Ice Beam. Note that Sand Veil is often used on defensive Gliscor, so your moves will be only 80% as accurate in a sandstorm as they would be otherwise.
Heatran
Type: Fire / Steel
Ability: Flash Fire
Base Stats: 91 HP / 90 Atk / 106 Def / 130 SpA / 106 SpD / 77 Spe
Rating: ***
With excellent defenses and part Steel typing, Heatran can be used very well as a defensive Pokemon. Heatran has two main defensive sets: the Rest + Sleep Talk set and the Torment set. RestTalk Heatran usually invests in Special Defense EVs and can be quite a tough nut to crack; faster Pokemon with Ground attacks can usually take it out if they can avoid getting hit too hard by Lava Plume or Fire Blast. Torment Heatran creates bulky Substitutes and Torment will often prevent your Pokemon from using their best moves against it. The best check to this set is decent prediction with an Encoring Fidgit or predicting when it will use Torment, so you won't use your best move first. Lava Plume has a 30% chance to burn, meaning physical attackers like Gyarados and Salamence take a huge risk just by switching in.
Hippowdon
Type: Ground
Ability: Sand Stream
Base Stats: 108 HP / 112 Atk / 118 Def / 68 SpA / 72 SpD / 47 Spe
Rating: ***
Solid defensive typing, one of the highest Defense stats in the metagame, and the ability to set up Stealth Rock and Sand Stream all combine to make this hippopotamus a great addition to any stall team. There is really one standard moveset for Hippowdon: Stealth Rock, Earthquake, Slack Off, and Roar. The increased usage of Taunt and Encore is bad news, notably coming from Pokemon like Gyarados, Fidgit, and Gliscor, but Hippowdon fares very well against some of CAP's unique threats, such as Colossoil and Kitsunoh.
Latias
Type: Dragon / Psychic
Ability: Levitate
Base Stats: 80 HP / 80 Atk / 90 Def / 110 SpA / 130 SpD / 110 Spe
Rating: ***
Latias has a massive Special Defense stat, and while her typing isn't perfect defensively, it is very interesting and it often comes in handy; Latias is one of the very best counters to Infernape and Zapdos, for example. Her very high Speed and access to Recover and Refresh make it difficult for the opponent to permanently dent Latias as well. Her most threatening aspect as a defensive Pokemon is her ability to support her team; Latias has a wide support movepool, starring Wish, Thunder Wave, Reflect, and Roar. Latias's only real flaw is her weaknesses to Dragon-, Ice- and Dark-type attacks, the latter of which means Pursuit is often a problem for Latias.
Pyroak
Type: Fire / Grass
Abilities: Rock Head / Flash Fire
Base Stats: 117 HP / 105 Atk / 102 Def / 80 SpA / 96 SpD / 70 Spe
Rating: ***
Due to its good stats, solid ability, and great movepool, Pyroak is capable of being a defensive threat, despite its bad typing. Pyroak's support options include: Stealth Rock, Sleep Powder, Stun Spore, Aromatherapy, Will-O-Wisp, Roar, Leech Seed, Knock Off, Synthesis, and Toxic. However, it has a very limited number of moveslots available, especially since it virtually always runs at least two attacks; often three. Status is the main thing to watch for; Pyroak is capable of spreading any of the four types of status without much difficulty. Defensive Pyroak still packs a punch, as it has base 140 STAB attacks in Leaf Storm and Overheat. Often, however, Pyroak opts to act as a SubSeeder, using Leech Seed, Substitute, and Lava Plume. Pyroak is weak to virtually all forms of passive damage; if you can keep Stealth Rock or Toxic Spikes on the field, you will most likely be able to prevent Pyroak from impeding your powerful attackers. Pyroak also fears Toxic and Trick, as well as Rock- and Flying-typed attacks.
Rotom-A
Type: Electric / Ghost
Ability: Levitate
Base Stats: 50 HP / 65 Atk / 107 Def / 105 SpA / 107 SpD / 86 Spe
Rating: ***
Rotom-A comes in five flavours, each with their own unique move. In CAP, Rotom-W, Rotom-C, and Rotom-H all see consistent use. Defensive sets generally employ either Rest and Sleep Talk or Will-O-Wisp and Reflect. Thunderbolt is on most sets, as is one of Hydro Pump, Leaf Storm, Shadow Ball, or Overheat. While Rotom-A does enjoy popularity on stall teams for the ability to block Rapid Spin, he faces newfound competition in Revenankh and Kitsunoh. What hurts Rotom-A more than anything, though, is the likelihood of encountering Colossoil, who will gladly absorb Will-O-Wisp for the Guts boost and decimate Rotom-A with Pursuit.
Starmie
Type: Water / Psychic
Abilities: Natural Cure / Illuminate
Base Stats: 60 HP / 75 Atk / 85 Def / 100 SpA / 85 SpD / 115 Spe
Rating: ***
Starmie makes a good defensive Pokemon for two reasons: Water is an excellent typing defensively (Psychic less so) and its 115 base Speed, giving Starmie one of the fastest Recover users in the metagame. While Starmie will never wall entire teams, it excels at forcing out various offensive threats, like Infernape, Gyarados, and Gliscor. On top of this, Starmie is an excellent Rapid Spinner; Natural Cure means Starmie rarely fears Toxic Spikes. Revenankh is the ideal counter, as his Ghost typing prevents Rapid Spin and his high Special Defense allows him to take Surfs almost indefinitely. Starmie's biggest flaw is its weakness to Dark moves; most notably Pursuit.
Shaymin
Type: Grass
Ability: Natural Cure
Base Stats: 100 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 100 Spe
Rating: ***
With a combination of Shaymin's 100 / 100 / 100 defenses and a typing that affords it resistance to Ground-, Electric-, Water-, and Grass-type attacks, Shaymin proves a formidable wall against many threats in the CAP metagame. With this set of resists and thick defenses, Shaymin can set up Leech Seed and begin Substitute and Protect stalling against many foes. Shaymin misses out on access to Recover that fellow defensive Grass-type Celebi enjoys, leaving Shaymin's recovery options limited to Leech Seed, the Rest and Natural Cure combination, or the unreliable Synthesis. However, Shaymin makes a good check to many top-tier offensive threats, including Gyarados (without Bounce) and Colossoil. Shaymin must remain weary of certain threats, such as Syclant, who threatens it with a super effective STAB Ice Beam if Shaymin stays in, or set up Tail Glow if Shaymin switches. Other threats include Heatran, who switches in with little risk and threatens with powerful Fire Blasts; Latias, who outspeeds Shaymin, resists Seed Flare and can set up Calm Minds without much fear; Kitsunoh, who can Taunt or Substitute on Leech Seed attempts and threaten with Ice Punch or STAB ShadowStrike, while also resisting Seed Flare; and others. All in all, Shaymin is an excellent utility with its ability to wall bulky a good portion of the CAP metagame, access to the SubSeed combination, and solid typing, all while being able to pose an offensive threat in a pinch with a powerful STAB Seed Flare.
Suicune
Type: Water
Ability: Pressure
Base Stats: 100 HP / 75 Atk / 115 Def / 90 SpA / 115 SpD / 85 Spe
Rating: ***
Suicune, as a defensive Water-type, is generally outclassed by Arghonaut and Vaporeon in the CAP metagame. Suicune itself has better overall defenses, 100 HP / 115 Def / 115 SpD, compared to Arghonaut’s 105 HP / 95 Def / 100 SpD and Vaporeon’s 130 HP / 60 Def / 95 SpD, but he isn’t used as much. The reason is becaue Arghonaut has Unaware, preventing Pokemon who would normally set up on Suicune (ones without HP Electric are Dragon Dance Gyarados fodder and ones without Ice Beam are Dragon Dance Salamence fodder) to set-up on him. Suicune’s only recovery comes in the form of Rest, which allows the aforementioned Pokemon to set-up on him as he takes his two turns of sleep, unless he carries Sleep Talk; Arghonaut and Vaporeon both have great recovery moves, the former having Recover and the latter having Wish. Also, most defensive Suicune run Calm Mind to boost there already spectacular Special Defense and Special Attack, but sadly, Arghonaut stops his set-up instantly via Unaware. Some Suicune run Roar, and with his overall defenses, he can easily shuffle the opponent’s team, and has the ability to wall both sides of the offensive spectrum at the same time.
Swampert
Type: Water/Ground
Ability: Torrent
Stats: 100 HP / 110 Atk / 90 Def / 85 SpA / 90 SpD / 55 Spe
Rating: ***
Swampert has excellent defensive typing and the stats to back it up. He faces stiff competition in the forms of Arghonaut, Suicune and Vaporeon, so Swampert almost always takes advantage of the three things that separate him from the rest: a sandstorm immunity, the ability to use mixed offenses, and Stealth Rock. Virtually every Swampert has Earthquake, Ice Beam, Stealth Rock, and one of Roar, Surf/Hydro Pump, and Protect. Despite Swampert's usefulness, he has a very hard time competing with Arghonaut and his Unaware ability. As a result, Swampert's use in the CAP metagame is rather limited.
Zapdos
Type: Electric / Flying
Ability: Pressure
Base Stats: 90 HP / 90 Atk / 85 Def / 125 SpA / 90 SpD / 100 Spe
Rating: ***
The combination of Electric/Flying, good defenses, Pressure, and a fast Roost means that a defensive Zapdos can be a very difficult Pokemon to deal with. The most common form uses a physically defensive EV spread and three attacks: Thunderbolt, Heat Wave, and Hidden Power Grass or Ice. This makes it one of the best counters to Scizor, Metagross, Gyarados, and depending on the Hidden Power type, it can prevent Swampert, Fidgit, and Salamence from setting up against it. Zapdos can also invest in Special Defense; these will often set up Light Screen. A very defensive Zapdos may run Thunderbolt as its only attack, along with Roost, Substitute, and either Roar or Toxic.
Forretress
Type: Bug / Steel
Ability: Sturdy
Base Stats: 75 HP / 90 Atk / 140 Def / 60 SpA / 60 SpD / 40 Spe
Rating: **
With Forretress' excellent base 140 Defense, it can switch into a vast amount of physical threats that don't carry any super effective Fire-type moves and set up multiple entry hazards with ease. It also has access to Rapid Spin, letting it remove of any entry hazards the opponent has set up, while Forretress sets up its own. To keep Forretress from becoming useless offensively, it commonly carries Payback and/or Explosion. That way, it can use Payback against Ghost-types that block Rapid Spin, such as Rotom-A and Gengar, and explode in the face of Pokemon that try to set up against it, like Gyarados and Salamence. However, it is commonly considered outclassed by Fidgit when it comes to setting up entry hazards and spinning away the opponents.
Tentacruel
Type: Water / Poison
Abilities: Clear Body / Liquid Ooze
Base Stats: 80 HP / 70 Atk / 65 Def / 80 SpA / 120 SpD / 100 Spe
Rating: **
Tentacruel is typically used to spread Toxic Spikes and Rapid Spin for very defensive teams. It generally uses Surf and another special attack as well, but 80 base Special Attack means Tentacruel doesn't pack very much power. While he can still use Toxic Spikes and Rapid Spin effectively, Tentacruel's role has been more or less annexed by Fidgit, who has higher Defense, more Speed, and more support options. Unless somebody dearly needs an answer to Infernape, Tentacruel is a rare sight.
---------------------------------
NEW: There are offensive and defensive/support lists. The Pokemon who are listed twice need separate blurbs for both sides and will get separate rankings.
At the moment, they're not in any specific order. Once we get some stuff done, we will order them from best to worst (5 stars at the top going down). We'll also add sprites to the ones finished.
If a Pokemon has more than one ability, make sure you use "Abilities".
One final note, there's no need in rushing with this, take as much time as you need. Obviously, it would still be nice if we get this finished fast though. Most importantly, don't hesitate to ask for help!
Let's get this done people!
Feel free to reserve and write up any Pokemon that doesn't currently have a description attatched to it. I suggest that you write up more than just one Pokemon if you decide to help out, just so this thread doesn't get flooded with one Pokemon posts. I (and tennisace) will be updating this regularly as well. Limit three reservations at once. Also, please, NO THEORYMON! You must have actually used the Pokemon in order to write about them!
CAP Threat List
Offensive Threats
Colossoil
Type: Dark / Ground
Abilities: Guts / Rebound
Base Stats: 133 HP / 122 Atk / 72 Def / 71 SpA / 72 SpD / 95 Spe
Rating: *****
Stall's biggest fear is, without a doubt, Colossoil. Should any stall, or any other team for that matter, encounter Colossoil, they should watch out for its unpredictable moves, ranging from Earthquake, Sucker Punch, Pursuit, Taunt, Stone Edge, Selfdestruct, Crunch, Rapid Spin, and U-turn, all which can be used in many different scenarios. Colossoil is easily Blissey's biggest fear, as well as posing a threat to Starmie, Latias, and Rotom-A with it's terrifying STAB Dark-type moves. Although he is walled somewhat by Skarmory and Gliscor, Colossoil can sometimes bypass this by using Selfdestruct, or Taunt so that Skarmory cannot set up against Colossoil. Flimsier checks to Colossoil include Gyarados and Salamence, who can easily kill off Colossoil, but can take a huge dent before doing so with his Sucker Punch. Colossoil is also capable of 2HKOing the regular bulky Waters, such as Arghonaut, Vaporeon, and Swampert. When building or playing CAP stall, always be sure to watch out for Colossoil, or it will cause serious damage.
Gyarados
Type: Water / Flying
Ability: Intimidate
Base Stats: 95 HP / 125 Atk / 79 Def / 60 SpA / 100 SpD / 81 Spe
Rating: *****
Gyarados is even more useful in the CAP metagame than it is in Standard. Being one of the best counters to Fidgit and Colossoil guarantees that it is easy to switch it in and set up Dragon Dances. Just like in Standard, playing Gyarados revolves around using Dragon Dance and boosted Waterfalls. Because of Arghonaut (who negates Gyarados' Dragon Dance boosts due to Unaware) and Celebi, Gyarados usually runs Bounce in tandem with Waterfall. The last move varies; Taunt helps considerably against Vaporeon, Arghonaut, and Celebi, but Earthquake ensures that Cyclohm (who resists Water and Flying) doesn't wall you. While most Gyarados are Adamant, Jolly can be used as it outpaces Stratagem after one Dragon Dance.
Metagross
Type: Steel / Psychic
Ability: Clear Body
Base Stats: 80 HP / 135 Atk / 130 Def / 95 SpA / 90 SpD / 70 Spe
Rating: *****
Metagross is one of the most dangerous and metagame-shaping Pokemon within CAP, mainly due to a combination of very advantageous stats and its access to a powerful Zen Headbutt. While its physically-attacking Steel-type counterpart, Scizor, has trouble with Pokemon like Arghonaut, Fidgit and Revenankh, Metagross can simply smash its way through with its Psychic-STAB, which is actually capable of OHKOing many variants of the three when backed up by a Life Orb. It also possesses high physical bulk to the point where even an offensive Metagross has little trouble switching into the common physical attacks of Arghonaut and Revenankh. Along with the common lead sets, there are generally two types of Metagross sets that are used in CAP, and both of them usually have Zen Headbutt. One of them is a bulky attacker that invests in HP and is designed to take hits and potentially remove counters to other Pokemon by Exploding. The other is Life Orb Zen Headbutt AgiliGross, which has become among the most fearsome and difficult to stop late-game sweepers in the CAP metagame. This notably leaves it more vulnerable to Skarmory, who has become increasingly useful as a CAP Metagross response.
Pyroak
Type: Fire / Grass
Abilities: Rock Head / Flash Fire
Base Stats: 117 HP / 105 Atk / 102 Def / 80 SpA / 96 SpD / 70 Spe
Rating: *****
With Pyroak's good base 105 Attack stat, along with Dragon Dance and two 120 Base Power STAB attacks in Wood Hammer and Flare Blitz, Pyroak is considered a top-level threat in the CAP metagame. For type coverage, Pyroak typically uses one of Earthquake, Stone Edge, or Dragon Claw. What makes Pyroak difficult to stop is the fact that Fire- and Grass-typed attacks hit almost all of the traditionally bulky Pokemon for super effective damage, meaning Pyroak's counters and checks tend to be a bit out of the ordinary. Heatran will stop any set without Earthquake, while Latias and Salamence will shut down any Pyroak that don't run Dragon Claw or Stone Edge. If Stone Edge is used, Cyclohm becomes the most reliable counter. In the absence of the correct Pokemon to stop Pyroak, Pokemon with 359 Speed will outrun the common Adamant sets after a Dragon Dance, while Pokemon that can reach 394 Speed will outrun even Jolly +1 Pyroak. This means that Pokemon like Stratagem and Aerodactyl make the ideal revenge killers. In a pinch, Pyroak can usually be handled by Tricking it a Choice item; any of its common attacks are easily walled when Pyroak can no longer switch moves.
Stratagem
Type: Rock
Abilities: Technician / Levitate
Base Stats: 90 HP / 60 Atk / 65 Def / 120 SpA / 70 SpD / 130 Spe
Rating: *****
Stratagem's impressive Special Attack, blistering Speed, wide movepool, and excellent typing make Stratagem a very threatening special sweeper. He can boost his Special Attack with Calm Mind, but more often than not, he will just run an all-out offensive set with four attacks, with either Life Orb or Choice Specs. Stratagem commonly carries Paleo Wave, Earth Power, Flamethrower, and Energy Ball, but he can pull off an effective Technician or Calm Mind set. Substitute + Calm Mind Stratagem can even potentially beat Blissey if she doesn't have Seismic Toss. The biggest issue with Stratagem is how easy Scizor and Metagross can revenge kill it with Bullet Punch, meaning it can't stay in for long periods of time without disposing of them, as well as Blissey if Stratagem doesn't have the right moves for her. However, once those threats have been removed, Stratagem is a monster that can - and will - special sweep like very little else.
Celebi
Type: Psychic / Grass
Ability: Natural Cure
Base Stats: 100 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 100 Spe
Rating: ****
At a glance, Celebi is not the most obvious threat to the untrained eye. But after looking closer, it's actually difficult to see why Celebi wouldn't be a monster in a metagame where some of the most influential walls are defensive Water-types and many of the new Pokemon are weak to Psychic. Offensive Celebi can be extremely destructive with its well-rounded stats and ability to hit many key Pokemon, particularly defensive ones, for super effective damage. Life Orb Leaf Storm basically OHKOes everything that's weak to it, including Arghonaut and other bulky Waters, and Psychic rips into Fidgit and Revenankh for massive damage. Combined with coverage moves like Earth Power and Hidden Power Fire, switching into an offensive Celebi without losing a chunk of health or more can seem like a daunting task. This is not to say that Celebi doesn't have its good share of CAP-unique shortcomings. Kitsunoh can outrun even Timid Celebi, resists both of its STAB moves and can deal back loads of damage with ShadowStrike or U-turn. Colossoil can also situationally dispatch Celebi with Sucker Punch or Scarf U-turn, but non-Scarf Colossoil must tread very carefully, as Celebi outruns and can OHKO it with Leaf Storm or even Grass Knot.
Cyclohm
Type: Electric / Dragon
Abilities: Shield Dust / Static
Base Stats: 108 HP / 60 Atk / 118 Def / 112 SpA / 70 SpD / 80 Spe
Rating: ****
Cyclohm has the highest Special Attack out of every Dragon-type Pokémon in CAP, and when you factor in his lack of Stealth Rock and Pursuit weakness, Hippowdon-esque Defense, and Electric STAB, you have quite the beast in your hands. Cyclohm, however, is not limited to STAB moves only. On the contrary, he gets a stellar special movepool which includes power moves, such as Flamethrower, Surf, Overheat, and Hydro Pump (although the latter two can't be used together on the same set due to Egg Moves issues). Cyclohm also gets Slack Off for instant recovery, and this coupled with his typing, defenses, and the Shield Dust ability makes him an excellent check to Jirachi, Machamp, and a lot of physical attackers in general. His weaknesses to Ground-, Ice-, and Dragon- moves put however a serious damp on Cyclohm's viability. A lot of common Pokémon like Colossoil, Salamence, and Latias can outspeed and destroy him. Moreover, the mediocre Special Defense means that even neutral but powerful special attacks like Stratagem's Paleo Wave can 2HKO Cyclohm.
Heatran
Type: Fire / Steel
Ability: Flash Fire
Base Stats: 91 HP / 90 Atk / 106 Def / 130 SpA / 106 SpD / 77 Spe
Rating: ****
Sporting a large 130 Special Attack stat, Heatran is not short of firepower. In fact, a STAB Fire Blast will be doing large mounts of damage even to Pokemon that resist it. Substitute and Life Orb Heatran are commonly seen sets and are very dangerous if you have nothing for it. Also, Scarfed Heatran, althought not as common, is also a dangerous sweeper, being able to revenge kill well with its large Special Attack stat , outspeeding even Salamence and Gyarados, two common Heatran switch-ins, before a Dragon Dance. Because of its excellent typing that packs numerous resistances, it's not hard to switch Heatran in on the field. It can also force many switches by coming into a Fire move, such as Will-O-Wisp, and boosting its Fire-type attacks to considerable levels.
Jirachi
Type: Steel / Psychic
Ability: Serene Grace
Base Stats: 100 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 100 Spe
Rating: ****
Jirachi's ridiculous versatility allows him to cover a lot of roles on a team. Substitute + Calm Mind variants are notable for their ability to get past Arghonaut, a feat shared with few other set up sweepers. All-out attacking variants can break through unsuspecting teams with ease. Choice Scarf variants are also very viable, but they needed to reinvent themselves a little. Kitsunoh is a much more reliable revenge-killer when equipped with a Scarf (and most importantly, he can outpace +1 Jolly Salamence ), so Jirachi had to invest on his selling points, the main one being Zen Headbutt. This move, seldom seen in Standard, is a great boon in CAP against the many Psychic-weak Pokémon lurking around, and the flinch chance is an extra bonus. Jirachi, however, needs to have special care of Colossoil, which walls the Psychic/Electric combo that is commonly used on the Substitute + Calm Mind set, and can easily OHKO the pixie with Earthquake or trap it with Pursuit. Cyclohm also fears little from the physically-oriented variants thanks to Shield Dust, and can fry Jirachi with Overheat.
Kitsunoh
Type: Steel / Ghost
Abilities: Frisk / Limber
Base Stats: 80 HP / 103 Atk / 85 Def / 55 SpA / 80 SpD / 110 Spe
Rating: ****
Kitsunoh has excellent defensive typing and just enough Speed and Attack to make it a potent threat. ShadowStrike, Kitsunoh's signature move, has a 50% chance of dropping its opponent's Defense. It is usually seen with Substitute, Will-o-Wisp, ShadowStrike, and Superpower, and is extremely difficult to handle without letting one of your Pokemon get burned or knocked out. Kitsunoh doesn't hit very hard, but with Taunt, Life Orb, and its wide offensive movepool, it has been known to sweep teams. Kitsunoh is also an excellent Choice Scarf and Choice Band user, and can scout switch-ins with U-turn or use Trick to cripple a physical tank or wall. The vast array of resistances and immunities provided by the Ghost/Steel typing ensure you will not have a difficult time switching Kitsunoh in.
Latias
Type: Dragon / Psychic
Ability: Levitate
Base Stats: 80 HP / 80 Atk / 80 Def / 110 SpA / 130 SpD / 110 Spe
Rating: ****
Latias makes a good check to several dangerous threats like Arghonaut, Cyclohm, and Infernape. Her Dragon STAB attacks can put the hurt into a good part of the metagame, with Thunderbolt and Surf rounding off the coverage. Trick is a great boon too, since a lot of commonly used Pokémon in CAP will hate being tricked a Choice item. Unfortunately, Latias comes with some issues too. Colossoil is perhaps the greatest one, and can put her in a checkmate position with the combined threat of Sucker Punch and Pursuit. Tyranitar is quite common too, and can Pursuit Latias with ease. Metagross can set up an Agility on nearly any Latias and proceed to KO her with Meteor Mash. Latias can be quite the asset to your team, but only if you know what you are doing.
Shaymin
Type: Grass
Ability: Natural Cure
Base Stats: 100 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 100 Spe
Rating: ****
The main advantages Shaymin has over Celebi are the lack of being part Psychic-type and access to Seed Flare. Being pure Grass-type means that Shaymin does not fear of getting Pursuited like Celebi. The most important feat, however, is the aforementioned Seed Flare. Few pokémon can comfortably take a 120 BP STAB move from a 299 SpA (further enhanced by Life Orb most times), and when you factor in the 40% chance of a Special Defense drop, not even Blissey is a completely safe switch in. Earth Power destroy pesky Heatran, Metagross, and Cyclohm who think they can wall Shaymin, and Air Slash gets the super effective hit on Pyroak. Hidden Power Ice rounds off the set and destroys any Salamence attempting to set up on him - or you may opt for Synthesis/Rest for improved longevity. Shaymin is a very underrated Pokémon, and a threat to any team lacking a reliable Grass-type resist (or Blissey), although, without means of recovery, between Life Orb, entry hazards, and weather damage, Shaymin won't stick around for long.
Starmie
Type: Water / Psychic
Abilities: Illuminate / Natural Cure
Base Stats: 60 HP / 75 Atk / 85 Def / 115 Spe / 100 SpA / 85 SpD
Rating: ****
While keeping its status as a fast and powerful sweeper who can potentially Rapid Spin as well, Starmie is well suited to severely damage most CAP Pokemon, scoring an OHKO on Fidgit and Kitsunoh with a Life Orbed Hydro Pump, and Cyclohm with Ice Beam. Though it may still hit hard, the addition of Revenankh made Starmie less competent in Rapid Spinning, but Starmie still completely viable. Colossoil's Sucker Punch and Pursuit combination will force a mind game, making Colossoil somewhat difficult to deal with once it switches in safely, not to mention that Choice Scarf variants will easily finish Starmie off. Despite this, Starmie still remains a competent offensive threat in the CAP metagame, just like in OU.
Tyranitar
Type: Rock / Dark
Ability: Sandstream
Base Stats: 100 HP / 134 Atk / 110 Def / 95 SpA / 100 SpD / 61 Spe
Rating: ****
Faced with a new nemesis, Arghonaut, and the fact that it now must compete for a team slot with Colossoil, who carries out many of Tyranitar's traditional tasks more fluidly, Tyranitar can be described as a victim of circumstance within the CAP metagame. Having a massive Attack stat, multiple stat-boosting moves, and great defensive prowess doesn't seem as good when you realize that most defensive teams are equipped with an almost perfect counter to it, and that Colossoil is faster and can take status with ease. Many of Tyranitar's famous sets from OU, such as Choice Band and Dragon Dance, have been deemed inefficient and obsolete in this harsh new metagame. The story isn't all bad for Tyranitar, however. Sandstream remains an exceptionally useful ability, and Tyranitar has gained a new role as a partner to Stratagem, who becomes even more dangerous with a Special Defense boost. This boost also allows Tyranitar to become a more reliable answer to Latias than Colossoil, who often has to resort to a Sucker Punch/Pursuit gamble in which it risks getting hit by a Life Orb Surf. Tyranitar in CAP is usually seen as a lead, and it will often be found using elemental attacking sets that set it apart from Colossoil as a counter-breaker with its huge movepool. A lot of teams choose to run both Tyranitar and Colossoil, as the two are deceptively capable of weakening each others' counters.
Dragonite
Type: Dragon / Flying
Ability: Inner Focus
Base Stats: 91 HP / 134 Atk / 95 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 80 Spe
Rating: ***
Dragonite has very solid defenses, a gigantic Attack stat, and very usable Special Attack. To best abuse all of these, Dragonite is usually seen as a mixed attacker, using Draco Meteor, Superpower, Roost, and either Flamethrower or Thunderbolt, backed up by Life Orb. Dragonite may also use Dragon Dance with Outrage and Earthquake, or a support set with Heal Bell, Roost, and Light Screen. Dragonite also likes to use ExtremeSpeed to help compensate for its mediocre Speed stat. Despite the wide variety of move options, Dragonite is often compared unfavourably to other Dragon Dance users, such as Salamence, who admittedly has much better Speed. In general, anything that helps against Salamence will also work against Dragonite, such as Stealth Rock and Choice Scarfed or priority Ice attacks. One can also deal with it by forcing it to lock itself into Outrage and switching in a Steel-typed Pokemon, such as Metagross.
Empoleon
Type: Water / Steel
Ability: Torrent
Base Stats: 84 HP / 86 Atk / 88 Def / 111 SpA / 101 SpD / 60 Spe
Rating: ***
While still a very powerful sweeper once it sets up, Empoleon faces a large obstacle in the CAP metagame: Arghonaut. With Unaware, it ignores Empoleon's potential Petaya boost and can take pretty much any one of its unboosted attacks, bar a Life Orb Grass Knot. However, Arghonaut's presence is largely limited to defensive teams, and it can usually be cleared away through the same methods that Empoleon's other common counters, such as Blissey and Snorlax, can be cleared out. As in OU, once its counters have been cleared away or weakened, Empoleon is extremely efficient at plowing through an enemy team with only one turn needed to Agility and solidify its sweep.
Jolteon
Type: Electric
Ability: Volt Absorb
Base Stats: 65 HP / 65 Atk / 60 Def / 110 SpA / 95 SpD / 130 Spe
Rating: ***
Jolteon has top-tier Speed and excellent Special Attack stats, which, when boosted by Life Orb or Choice Specs, makes Jolteon a serious threat. STAB Thunderbolt hits very hard and is Jolteon's primary attack. However, as threatening as Jolteon is, his movepool is very small and predictable: his other moves are generally limited to Shadow Ball, Signal Beam, and Hidden Power Ice or Grass. Some Jolteon use Charge Beam to boost their Special Attack and Baton Pass to escape from danger and to scout. If you have Blissey, or to a lesser extent, Snorlax, Jolteon should be easily manageable. Jolteon can also be checked by Ground-types with priority or Choice Scarf, like Colossoil, Mamoswine, and Flygon. If Jolteon is a problem for your team, keep in mind that it has a hard time switching into any attack that isn't Electric.
Lucario
Type: Fighting / Steel
Abilities: Inner Focus / Steadfast
Base Stats: 70 HP / 110 Atk / 70 Def / 115 SpA / 70 SpD / 90 Spe
Rating: ***
Lucario is known for his Swords Dance sets; the ability to pick off faster foes with ExtremeSpeed combined with the raw power behind Close Combat has always been considered devastating. However, in the CAP metagame, this is considerably reduced. Kitsunoh can always switch in and KO it with SuperPower or burn it with Will-O-Wisp, Arghonaut ignores the Swords Dance boost, Revenankh is immune to Lucario's main moves, and Fidgit, Stratagem, and Colossoil all outpace it and can take a +2 ExtremeSpeed. Lucario is definitely a frightening sweeper, but with the way most of the CAPs can check or counter it, expect to see less of it than you would in the Standard metagame.
Mamoswine
Type: Ice / Ground
Abilities: Oblivious / Snow Cloak
Base Stats: 110 HP / 130 Atk / 80 Def / 70 SpA / 60 SpD / 80 Spe
Rating: ***
Mamoswine ranks among one of the very most powerful Pokemon in the metagame. STAB Earthquake from 130 base Attack is absolutely devastating to anything that doesn't resist or is immune to it. This power is even more exaggerated when Mamoswine holds a Life Orb or a Choice Band, which it nearly always does. Mamoswine also runs Ice Shard, helping it deal with its mediocre Speed and allowing Mamoswine to check threats like Salamence and Gliscor. Stone Edge and Superpower typically round off Mamoswine's moveset (fortunately, Mamoswine hasn't got a lot of options). To make matters worse, Mamoswine is reasonably bulky, and is sometimes seen with Stealth Rock as a lead. Bronzong, Gyarados, and Skarmory are generally hailed as the only real counters to Mamoswine, but Pokemon that can hit first and resist Ice make good checks to it, such as Starmie, Scizor and a fast-paced Suicune. Another big downside is that Colossoil is almost superior to Mamoswine, as Colossoil packs higher Speed, excellent abilities, and an enormous movepool.
Revenankh
Type: Ghost / Fighting
Abilities: Shed Skin / Air Lock
Base Stats: 90 HP / 105 Atk / 90 Def / 65 SpA / 100 SpD / 65 Spe
Rating: ***
The combination of Shed Skin, Rest, and Bulk Up, seasoned with an unresisted dual STAB, allow Revenankh to be a nearly unstoppable force in the right hands. After a couple of Defense boosts from Bulk Up, few things can even hope to 3HKO him on the physical side, while the good Revenankh's Special Defense allows it to take neutral special attacks with ease. This Ghost-type also provides a handy Rapid Spin immunity, which is capitalized by Revenankh thanks to his neutrality to Pursuit and, most importantly, a durability which is arguably unmatched in the OU environment by other Ghost-types. However, it is easily stopped by common Taunt and Encore users like Fidgit, as well as Arghonaut (thanks to the Unaware ability). Super effective hits from the likes of Metagross using Zen Headbutt will put the hurt on him too, even after a couple of Defense boosts.
Scizor
Type: Bug / Steel
Base Stats: 70 HP / 130 Atk / 100 Def / 55 SpA / 80 SpD / 65 Spe
Abilities: Swarm / Technician
Rating: ***
Massive Attack, great typing, and the strongest Technician boosted priority move in the game, Scizor is a pretty dangerous threat to many teams. Scizor's Bullet Punch is one of the most dangerous moves in the game, hitting ridiculously hard with a Choice Band backing it up. With Swords Dance, it becomes even more powerful. Scizor also gets STAB on U-turn and Pursuit, like Bullet Punch, is boosted by Technician (assuming the opponent stays in), making it a very effective scouting and trapping tool, especially as its typing gives it great resistances and plenty of opportunities to switch in. However, this is when the praise is cut short. unlike the OU metagame, Scizor has a hard time sweeping effectively in CAP. Arghonaut is resistant to both of Scizor's STAB attacks and ignores Swords Dance and can beat it down with Waterfall; Kitsunoh also resists Scizor's STAB attacks and can cripple Scizor with Will-O-Wisp; Cyclohm's great bulk and Speed and access to Flamethrower can easily dispose of Scizor; and with Gyarados being such a common threat, it too can switch into Scizor and set up multiple Dragon Dances.
Togekiss
Type: Normal / Flying
Abilities: Serene Grace / Hustle
Base Stats: 85 HP / 50 Atk / 95 Def / 120 SpA / 115 SpD / 80 Spe
Rating: ***
Togekiss is a very potent threat in the CAP metagame. With many of the CAP Pokemon taking super effective damage from Flying-type attacks, such as Pyroak, Revenankh, and Arghonaut, Togekiss can simply abuse its STAB Air Slash to dispose of them. Because of Togekiss' Serene Grace ability, Air Slash's flinch rate shoots up to 60%, allowing it to take down even more foes with general ease. Add to the fact that Togekiss' ability to spread paralysis via Thunder Wave or Body Slam gives the opponent a mere 30% chance of hitting Togekiss once paralyzed and being smacked by Air Slash. Even though Togekiss makes a great combatant against many CAP Pokemon, it has its faults against the others. Cyclohm is perhaps the biggest problem Togekiss will have to face. Since its ability, Shield Dust, prevents Togekiss' Body Slam from paralyzing and Air Slash from flinching, and having access to a super effective Thunderbolt, Togekiss won't stand a chance against Cyclohm. Kitsunoh is another large threat to Togekiss, as its Limber ability and resistance and immunity to Air Slash and Aura Sphere, respectively, instantly threatens Togekiss. Lastly, Fidgit can switch into Togekiss as it uses Thunder Wave, Roost, or Nasty Plot, use Encore, and set up entry hazards as Togekiss is forced to switch out.
Zapdos
Type: Electric / Flying
Ability: Pressure
Base Stats: 90 HP / 90 Atk / 85 Def / 125 SpA / 90 SpD / 100 Spe
Rating: ***
Zapdos has many traits which are similar to those of a sweeper: excellent Special Attack, great Speed, and a wide movepool. STAB Thunderbolt backed by Zapdos' high Special Attack will be doing a considerable amount of damage to those that don't resist or immune to it. Zapdos can then be more of a threat with Metal Sound, forcing the foe to either switch (and potentially rack up residual damage), or face one of Zapdos' attacks at double the damage. Zapdos can also abuse Agility for itself, or even Baton Pass it onto its teammates, making it one of the best Agility Baton Passers available. When it comes to sweeping, Zapdos does have significant problems. With the use of Latias, Cyclohm (both resisting Thunderbolt, Heat Wave, and Hidden Power Grass), and Blissey, they can instantly OHKO Zapdos with their powerful STAB Draco Meteor, and in Blissey's case, cripple it with Toxic or Thunder Wave. Also, with Colossoil and Fidgit being able to switch into Zapdos' Thunderbolt with impunity, it's at risk of taking heavy damage from Colossoil's Crunch or being hit by Encore from Fidgit.
Breloom
Type: Grass / Fighting
Abilities: Effect Spore / Poison Heal
Base Stats: 60 HP / 130 Atk / 80 Def / 60 SpA / 60 SpD / 70 Spe
Rating: **
Breloom's stats are mediocre all around, with the exception of a gigantic Attack stat. On top of this, Breloom likes to throw around 150 Base Powered STAB Focus Punches. With Spore and Substitute, these can be difficult to handle unless you've got a Fidgit on your team. Unfortunately, therein lies Breloom's greatest flaw: it has absolutely no way to handle Fidgit, who is immune to Spore and can freely Encore many of Breloom's moves. Because of this, virtually all Breloom carry Seed Bomb to ensure they can at least do a bit of damage to Fidgit, as well as score a super effective hit on Arghonaut.
Flygon
Type: Ground / Dragon
Ability: Levitate
Base Stats: 80 HP / 100 Atk / 80 Def / 80 SAtk / 80 SDef / 100 Spe
Rating: **
Flygon's stats are somewhat unappealing; it is his fantastic typing and ability that keep him consistently OU. He most commonly appears with a Choice Band or a Choice Scarf, using U-turn, Earthquake, and Outrage, and one of Fire Blast, ThunderPunch, and Draco Meteor. In the CAP metagame, Flygon is aided by a fantastic U-turn partner: Kitsunoh. Unfortunately, that's where the good news ends. With the popularity of defensive walls in CAP, Flygon users find it just doesn't always hit hard enough to get the job done.
Gliscor
Type: Ground / Flying
Abilities: Sand Veil / Hyper Cutter
Base Stats: 75 HP / 95 Atk / 125 Def / 45 SpA / 75 SpD / 95 Spe
Rating: **
Gliscor has two important moves that can turn it into a real threat: Swords Dance and Rock Polish/Agility. Gliscor has the physical bulk to set up multiple boosts and abuse them with its STAB-boosted Earthquake, Stone Edge, and/or Ice Fang, while also having access to Roost to heal any damage taken and Life Orb recoil. Unfortunately for Gliscor, four moveslot syndrome means it can't do all these things at once, so more than likely it'll be boosting only one stat (Attack or Speed) and running two attacks with Roost, sometimes even three attacks. Fast special attackers, such as Starmie, Syclant, Latias, and Fidgit can force out SD Gliscor (although Fidgit must be wary of switching into Earthquake, and Syclant fears Stone Edge) and Rock Polish/Agility Gliscor lacks the power to sweep on its own. Additionally, Arghonaut is probably the easiest switch-in to offensive Gliscor possible, thanks to Unaware negating any boosts Gliscor has gathered, and will always beat it one-on-one.
Machamp
Type: Fighting
Ability: No Guard
Base Stats: 90 HP / 130 Atk / 80 Def / 65 SpA / 85 SpD / 55 Spe
Rating: **
While Machamp is famously difficult to switch into in OU, the four-armed fighter actually has quite a few problems within the CAP metagame, all of which are a direct result of the added Pokemon. Revenankh and Kitsunoh are immune to DynamicPunch and take only neutral damage from Payback. Revenankh is bulky enough to set up on Machamp, while Kitsunoh can deal lots of damage with ShadowStrike or burn it with Will-O-Wisp, so that Payback fails to break its Substitutes. Fidgit is bulky enough to switch into Machamp using its Fighting resist and wall it, the confusion being a minor hindrance. Cyclohm doesn't even resist Fighting, but it completely ignores DynamicPunch's confusion effect through its Shield Dust ability, and defensive Cyclohm is bulky enough to not be 2HKOed. Despite losing a lot of ground due to the presence of the new Pokemon, Machamp is still a powerful Pokemon, and it actually holds a niche within the CAP metagame as a fairly good response to the extremely dangerous Stratagem. Machamp resists Stratagem's Rock STAB, is bulky enough to survive almost any other attack, and can OHKO back with DynamicPunch.
Syclant
Type: Ice / Bug
Abilities: Mountaineer / Compound Eyes
Base Stats: 70 HP / 116 Atk / 70 Def / 114 SpA / 65 SpD / 115 Spe
Rating: **
Syclant is a decent addition to any offensively-based team; whether he be used as a revenge killer, particularly to threatening Dragons, such as Dragon Dance Salamence, a fast Spikes lead, or just as a designated sweeper, Syclant is capable of doing them all. He can attack from either side of the offensive spectrum just fine, but you'll see Syclant attacking from the special side more than the physical side, because Syclant has a stronger special movepool to work with, including Tail Glow, and special Syclant basically outclasses physical Syclant in terms of sweeping. Also, thanks to Mountaineer, Syclant doesn't have to worry about taking 50% damage upon switching into Stealth Rock, allowing him to set up Tail Glow at great health. However, there are a handful of Pokemon that instantly threaten Syclant. Scizor and Metagross can destroy Syclant with their STAB Bullet Punch; Heatran can outpace him with a Choice Scarf and burn him to a crisp; Arghonaut has Unaware that will negate Syclant's Tail Glow and can easily handle Syclant's other attacks; and since Syclant is more specially-based, Blissey and Snorlax can switch into him and destroy it with Flamethrower and Fire Punch, respectively.
Roserade
Type: Grass / Poison
Abilities: Natural Cure / Poison Point
Base Stats: 60 HP / 70 Atk / 55 Def / 125 SpA / 105 SpD / 90 Spe
Rating: *
Roserade took a huge hit in the CAP metagame with the introduction of Fidgit. Not only is Fidgit a faster, bulkier user of Spikes and Toxic Spikes, it is immune to Roserade's Sleep Powder as well. Nonetheless, there are those who use Roserade in the CAP metagame for its ability to set up Toxic Spikes while still hitting very hard with STAB Leaf Storm and the ability to put an opposing Pokemon to sleep. Most Roserade are used as leads with a Focus Sash and will carry Hidden Power Ice or Fire to compliment Leaf Storm.
Salamence -
Infernape - KnightoftheWind
Gengar - HD
Magnezone - Admiral Stalfos19
Kingdra -
Snorlax - Beej
Defensive/Supportive Threats
Arghonaut
Type: Water / Fighting
Ability: Unaware
Base Stats: 105 HP / 110 Atk / 95 Def / 70 SpA / 100 SpD / 75 Spe
Rating: *****
There are no words to describe how much Arghonaut affects the metagame. Thanks to his typing, his impressive bulk, but most importantly his Unaware ability, he can stop almost any set up sweeper dead in their tracks. Combined with Recover, these traits allow Arghonaut to stall out a lot of potential threats. He is not limited to a tanking set, either. Focus Punch, Bulk Up, Stockpile, Toxic, Roar, and Swagger (which has a great deal of synergy with Unaware), provide Arghonaut with much more versatility people would give him credit for. However, Arghonaut is not invincible. A lot of Pokémon can either switch in safely and threaten him out - like Latias, Salamence, or Cyclohm - or set up on him - like the fearsome Agility + Zen Headbutt Metagross and Breloom. All in all, even with these shortcomings, Arghonaut is a solid Pokémon. He provides a great backbone to balanced teams, and also, he has become a crucial addition to stall teams.
Fidgit
Type: Poison / Ground
Abilities: Persistent / Vital Spirit
Base Stats: 95 / 76 / 109 / 90 / 80 / 105
Rating: *****
Fidgit is a major player in the CAP metagame. It appears on virtually any stall team, and is very usable on balanced and even offense. The biggest thing to watch out for against Fidgit is its Encore, which is on almost all Fidgit. Most sets carry Spikes; while Toxic Spikes are viable, it is a rarity due to the high usage of Fidgit itself and teams generally carry several Toxic Spikes immunity Pokemon. Rapid Spin is very popular on Fidgit; the ability to remove entry hazards is invaluable in CAP. Of course, it's also very possible to run two entry hazards on one set. Most Fidgit like to have one attack, so Earth Power, or Shadow Ball for the Ghost-types, are usually in the last moveslot. Some Fidgit are used to serve more specific supporting roles. Persistent makes Trick Room, Gravity, and Tailwind last two extra turns each, making Fidgit easily the best user of these moves. Fidgit is also a good user of Wish, Rain Dance, and Reflect and Light Screen.
Skarmory
Type: Steel / Flying
Abilities: Sturdy / Keen Eye
Base Stats: 65 HP / 80 Atk / 140 Def / 40 SpA / 70 SpD / 70 Spe
Rating: *****
Thanks to Skarmory's excellent typing, gargantuan Defense, access to reliable recovery, ability to support his teammates via Spikes, and phazing opponents with Whirlwind, Skarmory has become a common staple on balanced and stall teams. Skarmory is able to switch into many physical threats, such as Scizor, Metagross, Arghonaut, and non-Taunt Colossoil and easily set up Spikes against them as they switch out. Although Skarmory has some fierce competition with Fidgit, who has more support options in the form of Encore, Rapid Spin and Toxic Spikes, Skarmory's higher Defense, access to instant recovery in Roost, and arguably better typing, allows it to be a more reliable defensive backbone. Unfortunately, it's not all great for Skarmory. Special attackers, such as Stratagem and Cyclohm, can easily abuse Skarmory's low Special Defense to demolish it with their powerful STAB attacks. Also, Skarmory is easy Magnezone bait if it's not carrying a Shed Shell, which the majority of Skarmory don't.
Blissey
Type: Normal
Abilities: Natural Cure / Serene Grace
Base Stats: 255 HP / 10 Atk / 10 Def / 75 SpA / 135 SpD / 55 Spe
Rating: ****
Blissey is easily the sturdiest special wall in the game, and is capable of stopping almost every special attacker in the metagame. She generally supports the team and heals herself with Wish and Protect, but Softboiled is also used. She has a wide offensive movepool, but generally only uses Flamethrower, Ice Beam, and Seismic Toss to deal damage. She usually carries a support move as well, in the form of Thunder Wave, Aromatherapy, Stealth Rock, or Toxic. She is always a staple on stall teams. Her greatest flaw is her vulnerability on the physical spectrum, and especially to Pursuit from Pokemon like Colossoil, Scizor, and Tyranitar.
Gyarados
Type: Water / Flying
Ability: Intimidate
Base Stats: 95 HP / 125 Atk / 79 Def / 60 SpA / 100 SpD / 81 Spe
Rating: ****
Gyarados can use a defensive set with Rest, Sleep Talk, and Waterfall to great effect, thanks to its decent typing and Intimidate. This style of Gyarados fits any style of team; defensive teams usually like to use Roar, while offensive teams can use a RestTalk Gyarados with Dragon Dance. Gyarados counters many big offensive threats, such as Colossoil and most Fighting-types. Unfortunately, Gyarados faces stiff competition: Suicune, Swampert, and Arghonaut can all be used in Gyarados's place, and they aren't weak to Stealth Rock. Gyarados can also function well defensively, simply by giving him Taunt and a bulky EV spread; this set doesn't last as long, but it checks the threats that it needs to without being terribly reduced as an offensive threat.
Jirachi
Type: Steel / Psychic
Ability: Serene Grace
Base Stats: 100 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 100 Spe
Rating: ****
Jirachi has solid defensive stats and typing, and his support movepool is perfect to accommodate those. Jirachi can support his team as a lead with Trick, Stealth Rock, and U-turn, or can pass Wish later on in the match. He is also very adept at spreading paralysis, either with Thunder Wave or Body Slam (which has a 60% paralysis chance with Serene Grace). Jirachi is also one of the very best Rain Dance supporters, and is also a great choice if you need Light Screen and Reflect. Jirachi is best dealt with by using powerful Ground- and Fire-typed attacks, like Earthquake or Fire Blast. Alternately, Magnezone can swiftly finish off any Jirachi without U-turn. In general, try to dispose of Jirachi quickly; many more offensive teams tend to fall apart after their Wish passer goes down.
Vaporeon
Type: Water
Ability: Water Absorb
Base Stats: 130 HP / 65 Atk / 60 Def / 110 SpA / 95 SpD / 65 Spe
Rating: ****
Vaporeon is a great team supporter and is one of the best bulky Water-types in the game. Vaporeon's ability to pass Wish to its teammates allows it to be a great asset to any team. Vaporeon can also use Roar and Toxic to great effect, racking up more residual damage or weakening the opponent's defensive core, respectivly. Vaporeon also plays an integral part in Baton Pass teams, passing Wish and insanely bulky Substitutes. On top of this, its ability, Water Absorb, grants it free switch-ins on Water-type users, such as Gyarados and Suicune. Despite all this, Vaporeon faces rough competition for a team slot with Suicune and Arghonaut. Suicune, although lacking reliable recovery, can set up Calm Minds with relative ease, and Arghonaut's ability, Unaware, and access to Recover makes it a superb bulky Water. Users of strong Electric- and Grass-type attacks, such as Jolteon, Latias and Celebi, are the bane of Vaporeon as well.
Bronzong
Type: Steel / Psychic
Abilities: Levitate / Heatproof
Base Stats: 67 HP / 89 Atk / 116 Def / 79 SpA / 116 SpD / 33 Spe
Rating: ***
Bronzong is a great transition Pokemon: he is great at switching in and supporting the team with moves like Stealth Rock and Hypnosis. His good defenses and Steel typing with Levitate guarantee that finding a time to switch in is never a problem. In terms of offense, Bronzong usually uses Gyro Ball and Earthquake, and often carries Explosion so it isn't completely set up bait. Bronzong can also serve more specific purposes, like setting up Reflect and Light Screen or preparing a sweeper with Rain Dance or Trick Room. Though he sometimes competes with Fidgit for a team-slot, Bronzong is still as reliable as ever.
Celebi
Type: Psychic / Grass
Ability: Natural Cure
Base Stats: 100 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 100 Spe
Rating: ***
Celebi, as a defensive Pokemon, remains a common sight even in the CAP metagame for a myriad of reasons. Its fantastic all-around bulk and access to a plethora of support moves allow it to be used for a variety of purposes, whether it be an all-around counter that relies on its ability to survive hits miraculously and cripple the opponent with Thunder Wave, or its ability to support the team with Reflect and shuffle through the opponent's team with Perish Song. Celebi can also take better advantage of its Psychic typing in the CAP metagame. STAB Psychic allows a defensive Celebi to deal a surprisingly large amount of damage to threats that may otherwise set up on it, such as Revenankh and Fidgit (though one must be wary of Encore). Unfortunately, this is where the story goes sour, as the green onion has to deal with many increased dangers unique to the CAP metagame. Kitsunoh is immune to Thunder Wave (assuming it uses Limber) and can easily 2HKO Celebi with its STAB moves. Colossoil can outrun defensive Celebi and deal heavy damage with its STAB moves or U-turn. Worst of all,
Syclant can threaten to OHKO Celebi with Bug Buzz and grab a free turn to set up Tail Glow
as Celebi switches out.
Cyclohm
Type: Electric / Dragon
Abilities: Shield Dust / Static
Base Stats: 108 HP / 60 Atk / 118 Def / 112 SpA / 70 SpD / 80 Spe
Rating: ***
Although Cyclohm has Hippowdon's defensive stats, he lacks a great defensive typing. While Electric/Dragon does provide a very good set of resistances, like Electric, Water, Fire, and Steel, it also provides three huge weaknesses: Ground, Dragon, and Ice. Because many Pokemon in the CAP metagame carry at least one move of one of these three types, Cyclohm has a difficult time tanking. This is made even more difficult by the fact that Cyclohm is vulnerable to virtually every form of passive damage. Defensive Cyclohm is made possible by Slack Off. Defensive Cyclohm often invests in moderate amounts of Speed to be able to Slack Off more quickly than the opponent. EVs can be distributed in various ways; it will be very physically bulky regardless. Zapdos is often chosen over Cyclohm for defensive purposes, as it is faster, immune to Ground, and has Roost to help with its weaknesses to Ice and Rock.
Gliscor
Type: Ground / Flying
Abilities: Sand Veil / Hyper Cutter
Base Stats: 75 HP / 95 Atk / 125 Def / 45 SpA / 75 SpD / 95 Spe
Rating: ***
Gliscor's unique typing and excellent Defense stat make it a very reliable physical wall. Combine this with Roost and a respectable support movepool including Stealth Rock, Taunt, and Knock Off, Gliscor is sure to see frequent use. Most run enough Speed to outrun even Jolly Lucario, so Gliscor will often be able to use Roost before his opponent is allowed to attack. Gliscor is also a staple on Baton Pass teams, as he is one of very few Pokemon who have access to Taunt and multiple stat boosting moves like Swords Dance and Agility. However, Gliscor has difficulty taking special attacks, which is worsened by his weaknesses to many common special attacks, such as Surf and Ice Beam. Note that Sand Veil is often used on defensive Gliscor, so your moves will be only 80% as accurate in a sandstorm as they would be otherwise.
Heatran
Type: Fire / Steel
Ability: Flash Fire
Base Stats: 91 HP / 90 Atk / 106 Def / 130 SpA / 106 SpD / 77 Spe
Rating: ***
With excellent defenses and part Steel typing, Heatran can be used very well as a defensive Pokemon. Heatran has two main defensive sets: the Rest + Sleep Talk set and the Torment set. RestTalk Heatran usually invests in Special Defense EVs and can be quite a tough nut to crack; faster Pokemon with Ground attacks can usually take it out if they can avoid getting hit too hard by Lava Plume or Fire Blast. Torment Heatran creates bulky Substitutes and Torment will often prevent your Pokemon from using their best moves against it. The best check to this set is decent prediction with an Encoring Fidgit or predicting when it will use Torment, so you won't use your best move first. Lava Plume has a 30% chance to burn, meaning physical attackers like Gyarados and Salamence take a huge risk just by switching in.
Hippowdon
Type: Ground
Ability: Sand Stream
Base Stats: 108 HP / 112 Atk / 118 Def / 68 SpA / 72 SpD / 47 Spe
Rating: ***
Solid defensive typing, one of the highest Defense stats in the metagame, and the ability to set up Stealth Rock and Sand Stream all combine to make this hippopotamus a great addition to any stall team. There is really one standard moveset for Hippowdon: Stealth Rock, Earthquake, Slack Off, and Roar. The increased usage of Taunt and Encore is bad news, notably coming from Pokemon like Gyarados, Fidgit, and Gliscor, but Hippowdon fares very well against some of CAP's unique threats, such as Colossoil and Kitsunoh.
Latias
Type: Dragon / Psychic
Ability: Levitate
Base Stats: 80 HP / 80 Atk / 90 Def / 110 SpA / 130 SpD / 110 Spe
Rating: ***
Latias has a massive Special Defense stat, and while her typing isn't perfect defensively, it is very interesting and it often comes in handy; Latias is one of the very best counters to Infernape and Zapdos, for example. Her very high Speed and access to Recover and Refresh make it difficult for the opponent to permanently dent Latias as well. Her most threatening aspect as a defensive Pokemon is her ability to support her team; Latias has a wide support movepool, starring Wish, Thunder Wave, Reflect, and Roar. Latias's only real flaw is her weaknesses to Dragon-, Ice- and Dark-type attacks, the latter of which means Pursuit is often a problem for Latias.
Pyroak
Type: Fire / Grass
Abilities: Rock Head / Flash Fire
Base Stats: 117 HP / 105 Atk / 102 Def / 80 SpA / 96 SpD / 70 Spe
Rating: ***
Due to its good stats, solid ability, and great movepool, Pyroak is capable of being a defensive threat, despite its bad typing. Pyroak's support options include: Stealth Rock, Sleep Powder, Stun Spore, Aromatherapy, Will-O-Wisp, Roar, Leech Seed, Knock Off, Synthesis, and Toxic. However, it has a very limited number of moveslots available, especially since it virtually always runs at least two attacks; often three. Status is the main thing to watch for; Pyroak is capable of spreading any of the four types of status without much difficulty. Defensive Pyroak still packs a punch, as it has base 140 STAB attacks in Leaf Storm and Overheat. Often, however, Pyroak opts to act as a SubSeeder, using Leech Seed, Substitute, and Lava Plume. Pyroak is weak to virtually all forms of passive damage; if you can keep Stealth Rock or Toxic Spikes on the field, you will most likely be able to prevent Pyroak from impeding your powerful attackers. Pyroak also fears Toxic and Trick, as well as Rock- and Flying-typed attacks.
Rotom-A
Type: Electric / Ghost
Ability: Levitate
Base Stats: 50 HP / 65 Atk / 107 Def / 105 SpA / 107 SpD / 86 Spe
Rating: ***
Rotom-A comes in five flavours, each with their own unique move. In CAP, Rotom-W, Rotom-C, and Rotom-H all see consistent use. Defensive sets generally employ either Rest and Sleep Talk or Will-O-Wisp and Reflect. Thunderbolt is on most sets, as is one of Hydro Pump, Leaf Storm, Shadow Ball, or Overheat. While Rotom-A does enjoy popularity on stall teams for the ability to block Rapid Spin, he faces newfound competition in Revenankh and Kitsunoh. What hurts Rotom-A more than anything, though, is the likelihood of encountering Colossoil, who will gladly absorb Will-O-Wisp for the Guts boost and decimate Rotom-A with Pursuit.
Starmie
Type: Water / Psychic
Abilities: Natural Cure / Illuminate
Base Stats: 60 HP / 75 Atk / 85 Def / 100 SpA / 85 SpD / 115 Spe
Rating: ***
Starmie makes a good defensive Pokemon for two reasons: Water is an excellent typing defensively (Psychic less so) and its 115 base Speed, giving Starmie one of the fastest Recover users in the metagame. While Starmie will never wall entire teams, it excels at forcing out various offensive threats, like Infernape, Gyarados, and Gliscor. On top of this, Starmie is an excellent Rapid Spinner; Natural Cure means Starmie rarely fears Toxic Spikes. Revenankh is the ideal counter, as his Ghost typing prevents Rapid Spin and his high Special Defense allows him to take Surfs almost indefinitely. Starmie's biggest flaw is its weakness to Dark moves; most notably Pursuit.
Shaymin
Type: Grass
Ability: Natural Cure
Base Stats: 100 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 100 Spe
Rating: ***
With a combination of Shaymin's 100 / 100 / 100 defenses and a typing that affords it resistance to Ground-, Electric-, Water-, and Grass-type attacks, Shaymin proves a formidable wall against many threats in the CAP metagame. With this set of resists and thick defenses, Shaymin can set up Leech Seed and begin Substitute and Protect stalling against many foes. Shaymin misses out on access to Recover that fellow defensive Grass-type Celebi enjoys, leaving Shaymin's recovery options limited to Leech Seed, the Rest and Natural Cure combination, or the unreliable Synthesis. However, Shaymin makes a good check to many top-tier offensive threats, including Gyarados (without Bounce) and Colossoil. Shaymin must remain weary of certain threats, such as Syclant, who threatens it with a super effective STAB Ice Beam if Shaymin stays in, or set up Tail Glow if Shaymin switches. Other threats include Heatran, who switches in with little risk and threatens with powerful Fire Blasts; Latias, who outspeeds Shaymin, resists Seed Flare and can set up Calm Minds without much fear; Kitsunoh, who can Taunt or Substitute on Leech Seed attempts and threaten with Ice Punch or STAB ShadowStrike, while also resisting Seed Flare; and others. All in all, Shaymin is an excellent utility with its ability to wall bulky a good portion of the CAP metagame, access to the SubSeed combination, and solid typing, all while being able to pose an offensive threat in a pinch with a powerful STAB Seed Flare.
Suicune
Type: Water
Ability: Pressure
Base Stats: 100 HP / 75 Atk / 115 Def / 90 SpA / 115 SpD / 85 Spe
Rating: ***
Suicune, as a defensive Water-type, is generally outclassed by Arghonaut and Vaporeon in the CAP metagame. Suicune itself has better overall defenses, 100 HP / 115 Def / 115 SpD, compared to Arghonaut’s 105 HP / 95 Def / 100 SpD and Vaporeon’s 130 HP / 60 Def / 95 SpD, but he isn’t used as much. The reason is becaue Arghonaut has Unaware, preventing Pokemon who would normally set up on Suicune (ones without HP Electric are Dragon Dance Gyarados fodder and ones without Ice Beam are Dragon Dance Salamence fodder) to set-up on him. Suicune’s only recovery comes in the form of Rest, which allows the aforementioned Pokemon to set-up on him as he takes his two turns of sleep, unless he carries Sleep Talk; Arghonaut and Vaporeon both have great recovery moves, the former having Recover and the latter having Wish. Also, most defensive Suicune run Calm Mind to boost there already spectacular Special Defense and Special Attack, but sadly, Arghonaut stops his set-up instantly via Unaware. Some Suicune run Roar, and with his overall defenses, he can easily shuffle the opponent’s team, and has the ability to wall both sides of the offensive spectrum at the same time.
Swampert
Type: Water/Ground
Ability: Torrent
Stats: 100 HP / 110 Atk / 90 Def / 85 SpA / 90 SpD / 55 Spe
Rating: ***
Swampert has excellent defensive typing and the stats to back it up. He faces stiff competition in the forms of Arghonaut, Suicune and Vaporeon, so Swampert almost always takes advantage of the three things that separate him from the rest: a sandstorm immunity, the ability to use mixed offenses, and Stealth Rock. Virtually every Swampert has Earthquake, Ice Beam, Stealth Rock, and one of Roar, Surf/Hydro Pump, and Protect. Despite Swampert's usefulness, he has a very hard time competing with Arghonaut and his Unaware ability. As a result, Swampert's use in the CAP metagame is rather limited.
Zapdos
Type: Electric / Flying
Ability: Pressure
Base Stats: 90 HP / 90 Atk / 85 Def / 125 SpA / 90 SpD / 100 Spe
Rating: ***
The combination of Electric/Flying, good defenses, Pressure, and a fast Roost means that a defensive Zapdos can be a very difficult Pokemon to deal with. The most common form uses a physically defensive EV spread and three attacks: Thunderbolt, Heat Wave, and Hidden Power Grass or Ice. This makes it one of the best counters to Scizor, Metagross, Gyarados, and depending on the Hidden Power type, it can prevent Swampert, Fidgit, and Salamence from setting up against it. Zapdos can also invest in Special Defense; these will often set up Light Screen. A very defensive Zapdos may run Thunderbolt as its only attack, along with Roost, Substitute, and either Roar or Toxic.
Forretress
Type: Bug / Steel
Ability: Sturdy
Base Stats: 75 HP / 90 Atk / 140 Def / 60 SpA / 60 SpD / 40 Spe
Rating: **
With Forretress' excellent base 140 Defense, it can switch into a vast amount of physical threats that don't carry any super effective Fire-type moves and set up multiple entry hazards with ease. It also has access to Rapid Spin, letting it remove of any entry hazards the opponent has set up, while Forretress sets up its own. To keep Forretress from becoming useless offensively, it commonly carries Payback and/or Explosion. That way, it can use Payback against Ghost-types that block Rapid Spin, such as Rotom-A and Gengar, and explode in the face of Pokemon that try to set up against it, like Gyarados and Salamence. However, it is commonly considered outclassed by Fidgit when it comes to setting up entry hazards and spinning away the opponents.
Tentacruel
Type: Water / Poison
Abilities: Clear Body / Liquid Ooze
Base Stats: 80 HP / 70 Atk / 65 Def / 80 SpA / 120 SpD / 100 Spe
Rating: **
Tentacruel is typically used to spread Toxic Spikes and Rapid Spin for very defensive teams. It generally uses Surf and another special attack as well, but 80 base Special Attack means Tentacruel doesn't pack very much power. While he can still use Toxic Spikes and Rapid Spin effectively, Tentacruel's role has been more or less annexed by Fidgit, who has higher Defense, more Speed, and more support options. Unless somebody dearly needs an answer to Infernape, Tentacruel is a rare sight.
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NEW: There are offensive and defensive/support lists. The Pokemon who are listed twice need separate blurbs for both sides and will get separate rankings.
At the moment, they're not in any specific order. Once we get some stuff done, we will order them from best to worst (5 stars at the top going down). We'll also add sprites to the ones finished.
If a Pokemon has more than one ability, make sure you use "Abilities".
One final note, there's no need in rushing with this, take as much time as you need. Obviously, it would still be nice if we get this finished fast though. Most importantly, don't hesitate to ask for help!
Let's get this done people!
