The Next Best Thing v2 - Latios

[alexwolf]

Alexander your submission is illegal as Specs Gastrodon already has a set on-site.

 

[Prinz]

i knew it was on the site but it has a really low usage (never seen it on the ladder for example) therefore i wanted to propose cs gastrodon. no problem though, my bad.

 

[Shined0wn]

(M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Storm Drain
EVs: 248 HP / 192 Def / 68 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Substitute
- Toxic
- Recover
- Scald

This is my own version of toxic-stall gliscor, in gastrodon, it's funny to use, and you can use it like check of Keldeo easily, it's really annoying against stall teams and the provality to burn it's other of the biggests conveninents of the set to cover your team against Off pokemon. In fact it's cute, funny, and unpredictable.

 

[dice]

It seems like Gastrodon is a bust with only a few sets to post because of its shallow movepool. I think Choice Specs is a valid suggestion just because it's so rare. (psttt, someone post Life Orb :))

 

[MikeDawg]

Gastrodon (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Storm Drain
EVs: 124 HP / 252 SAtk / 132 SDef
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Surf
- Earth Power
- Ice Beam
- Recover

While certainly an overlooked set, in a similar vein to life orb vaporeon, offensive gastrodon should not be underestimated. With rain and storm drain support, gastrodon is looking at the equivalent of around 800 attack on surf, and that is sure to dent anything. Earth power and ice beam offer near perfect coverage alongside surf and certainly hold their own alongside those crazy surfs. The real beauty of life orb gastrodon over specs and the like is recover, more specifically its frequent opprotunities to use it. Especially against rain, gastrodon's immunities are very common offensive types (and one even gives it a spatt boost!) allowing it plenty of situations where a switch by the opponent is inevitable, letting gastrodon to either hit the switch in or recover to further take advantage of its surprising bulk.

 

[Joeyboy]

Voting Period for Garchomp starts now, here are links to each set you can vote for:

• Dr Ciel
• Princess Bri
• iliekmudkipz123456789
• msox
• Vertex
• scorpdestroyer
• Shined0wn
• Mikedawg

For voting, just put the username of the person you wish to vote for in bold and if you want to really show your stuff, a short 1 or 2 sentence explanation for why you chose that set. Voting will be open for 2 days! Feel free to VM or PM me any suggestions for the next test subject if you have any.

Also, I decided not to include Alexander.'s. I'm going to change the OP to reflect that 'mons on site can't be nommed.

 

[Princess Bubblegum]

Princess Bri

 

[phantom]

Princess Bri

The other sets are either on site or crap. The only other set I would have voted for is something with Rindo Berry and CounterCoat, you get a surprise kill on celebi and other grass types. Besides that, physically defensive should be the one on site set, imo.

 

[Usatoday]

Princess Bri

 

[toshimelonhead]

Princess Bri

Easy choice.

 

[Scarface]

Princess Bri
it's really the only logical one.

 

[cb aaron judge]

Princess Bri

 

[Halcyon.]

Princess Bri

It's super obvious that Physically Defensive Gastrodon is its best set right now (and in my opinion, the only one keeping it out of the lower tiers). Bri actually used it in a battle we played a while ago and it was a bitch to take down. It gives any team without Breloom, Venusaur, or Celebi trouble.

 

[Prinz]

Bri

 

[dcae]

Princess Bri

 

[Vert]

Princess Bri

 

[MikeDawg]

At risk of sounding like I'm not bandwagoning: scorpdestroyer

While I do like Bri's set, I was under the impression that physically defensive was already standard. In fact, it was by far the most common spread this month...

Hide

| Spreads |
| Bold:252/0/252/4/0/0 18.003% |
| Calm:252/0/84/0/172/0 12.045% |
| Calm:252/0/0/4/252/0 10.966% |
| Sassy:252/0/84/0/172/0 8.469% |
| Modest:252/0/0/252/4/0 5.326% |
| Calm:252/0/4/0/252/0 4.859% |
| Other 40.331% |

It isn't really the Next Big Thing... it's already the "big thing," so to speak. As such, I feel as if it pushes the purpose even moreso than Alexander's submission, so I didn't vote for it. Scorps is a nice surprise and could easily not only prevent gastro from being statused but also harm the opponent in the process. (and breloom spore sucks)

 

[blitzlefan]

scorpdestroyer's set looks pretty cool to me as well. Princess Bri's set is probably superior, but it's already fairly common (I've seen a lot of posts about the defensive spread in other threads). I'm a huge fan of slapping Magic Coat on random Pokemon for the surprise factor, especially in Ubers, to prevent status and hazards. However, Gastrodon needs to be wary of Ferrothorn and Breloom's Grass-type STABs, as if they choose to go for the KO instead of using a support move, Gastrodon is screwed.

 

[Meru]

Princess Bri just because I think this thread serves to update on-site analyses, and this set should pretty much be the on-site standard set right now.

 

[stairwaytohell]

Bri

 

[DarkBlazeR]

Princess Bri

 

[dice]

Princess Bri of course

 

[Joeyboy]

Voting is now closed and the winner is Dice's physically bulky set. This set will be added in the v2 archive featured in the second post of the thread.

The next subject is the Bivalve Pokémon, Cloyster!

Voting will take place in 4 days!

 

[Kidogo]

@ King's Rock
Trait: Skill Link
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SpA)
- Shell Smash
- Icicle Spear
- Rock Blast
- Ice Shard
Posting this before Lavos. Although White Herb is usually the standard item on cloyster, I rarely find it useful. Even at -1 / -1, basically no non-SE physical moves or OHKOing (and you shouldnt be setting up on terrakion, for example. Meanwhile, most decently powerful special moves are OHKOing even without the drop. Additionally, cloyster is fairly slow before a SS, so most of the time you'll take a hit before setting up, meaning priority is really the only draw of white herb, but this is fairly rare and cloyster can take a hit at -1 from basically every priority attack bar techniloom MP, which already KOs after rocks even with WH (252+ Atk Life Orb Technician Breloom Mach Punch vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Cloyster: 172-203 (71.07 - 83.88%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock). So the better choice is to choose an item that helps cloyster to sweep. Cloyster's biggest problem is that many buliky mons (bulky waters especially) are only 2HKOed even at +2. LO doesn't help much, as it's not quite enough of a boost. The solution is king's rock. With skill link, cloyster has two 5-hit moves, so the chance of getting a flinch each turn becomes more than 40%. Given that +2 cloyster 2HKOs but doesn't OHKO the majority of the meta, this is a huge bonus, and could easily turn the game around. Meanwhile, Ice Shard allows cloyster to beat stuff like scarf latios, which would otherwise outspeed and KO it, allowing it to run adamant for more power.
Finally, if you're not convinced yet, just check out this WS to witness KR cloyster's awesome power.

 

[MikeDawg]

Cloyster @ Focus Sash
Trait: Skill Link
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Spd / 252 Atk
Jolly Nature
- Spikes/Toxic Spikes
- Shell Smash
- Icicle Spear
- Rock Blast

I think this is a very poor choice for next best thing considering cloyster is one of the most one-dimensional pokemon around... but in any case:

Cloyster could do a hyper offense lead sort of thing. Set up spikes or tspikes (depending on team needs) if not threatened or shell smash if need be and start punching holes.

HP Fire OHKOs Scizor, the likely switch-in. Bullet Punch is not even a 2HKO on +0 def Cloyster, even if 252+ CB Scizor.

But why not just +2 252 Atk Life Orb Skill Link Cloyster Rock Blast (5 hits) vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Scizor: 290-345 (84.54 - 100.58%) -- 6.25% chance to OHKO?