Type Comparison

[skies]

Type Comparison

As of Generation Six, there are a total of 105 unique type combinations disregarding forme changes and Mega Evolutions. These types are shared only through evolutions, but no other Pokemon have these exact type combinations. This is not the main focus of this project, however. Instead, it will focus on how each type combination is effective on either the defensive side or the offensive side. Each week, a new typing will be selected. These typings should be compared with all permanent ladders. Users will then compare these types on their different merits, and ultimately determine which type is objectively better.

Some things to keep in mind:

• How does the typing fare defensively? Are its resistances good?
• How does the typing fare offensively? Does it have good coverage?
• How do the Pokemon of this typing represent it? Are they good or bad?
• Would this typing be better than another typing with similar qualities?
• Disregard statistics. A typing may have one or two more resistance, but are they relevant?
• How does the typing fare in this specific metagame? Normal / Ground is good in STABmons, but that is not relevant to AAA discussion.

Here is our first week's Type Comparison.

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Get to discussing!

 

[skies]

Reserved for past combinations and conclusions.

 

[Uselesscrab]

1v1

Bug/Steel would be excellent in 1v1, if not for the fact that Charizard is 1v1's #1 most used Pokemon. Pure Steel is better in many cases because of that and a resistance to attacks like Mega Salamence's Giga Impact.

However, in spite of this, the defensive typing has a number of advantages. By virtue of the Steel component, it walls other common threats like Mega Mawile, Mega Metagross and various fairies (Sylveon, Gardevoir, etc). Fighting and Ground neutralities allow it to deal better with Mega Lopunny and random coverage moves (e.g. Hammer Arm or Earthquake on Mega Metagross, Focus Blast on Mega Gengar) that would give pure Steels trouble.

But in reality, defensive Bug/Steel typing is by and large absent from the current 1v1 metagame. The only users I've seen multiple times are the currently C Rank Mega Scizor (an okay Pokemon) and unranked Durant, which is mostly used to troll (and not particularly well) with Entrainment Truant.

Offensively, there is a single Bug/Steel, one of several Ubers that is unbanned in the meta: the fairly commonly seen Genesect. Its best-known set, Choice Scarf, often uses Steel STAB to defeat the ubiquitous Kyurem-B and the aforementioned fairies, but its real strengths — its wide movepool, particularly on the special side, and ability Download — are unrelated to its typing.

As a result, I would judge this typing more or less irrelevant.

I'll make a writeup for Water/Ground later, with comparisons between the two.

 

[EV]

STABmons

Each type combination has at least one very viable Pokemon and a few less viable/gimmicky options. Ironically (?) the two most viable threats are actually rivals in STABmons: Scizor, a major setup threat and Quagsire, one of the best answers to physical setup.

Scizor & Mega Scizor - Both of these are huge offensive threats in STABmons, more so the mega forme than its base, but either one should be taken into consideration when building a team. Bug/Steel isn't a great offensive combination, oddly enough. In fact, it fails to hit a lot of major threats for SE or neutral damage (Heatran, Thundurus, Landorus, Gyarados, Charizard, Aegislash, Talonflame, Rotom, etc) and relies on coverage from Superpower or Knock Off to KO them. But this offensive combination is not what makes Scizor so great; it's the defensive combination that makes it such an offensive threat. Did I just blow your mind?

Since Bug/Steel is only weak to Fire and has important resistances, Scizor can come in on things like Kyurem, Aerodactyl (after a kill), Meloetta, Lati@s (lacking HP Fire), or Tyranitar and proceed to force them out and set up. It can also set up on defensive variants of Landorus-T, a very common Pokemon, since Earthquake doesn't hit hard enough and Scizor can Roost in between Shift Gear. For this reason Scizor often packs a defensive investment and Roost since it can guarantee living a few hits before retaliating at +1/+2 (Shift Gear) or +2 (Swords Dance). 150 base Attack is no slouch uninvested either, and with Technician it can still pack a punch if it needs to attack prior to setting up.

Quagsire - Meet the bane of most physical attacker's lives. Unaware is a great ability to have in a metagame where setup is king. However, it's not just the ability that makes Quagsire so stellar. Like Scizor, Quagsire has only one weakness: Grass. Though also like Scizor, it is a x4 weakness. Even so, Water and Ground give Quagsire a nice spectrum of type combinations it walls simply because they can't hit it for SE damage. 95/85 defensive bulk is not that great, but it's often enough to stomach a hit on the switch-in, Protect to gain Leftovers health, and then hit Recover to build its way back up to near-full health.

Don't think Quagsire is a sitting duck because it relies on Recover to check setup! It also carries Scald most the time, a move nearly every Physical attacker loathes due to the burn chance. Plus, should an attacker stay in and foolishly think they can wear down Quagsire through sheer willpower, they'll be met with a Toxic, or if the Quagsire player is feeling ballsy, it might start throwing out Spikes on your side of the field.

Overall both types are known for their defensive capabilities in STABmons. Scizor takes advantage of this combo to turn itself into an offensive threat thanks to its many opportunities to setup while Quagsire uses its typing to wall a lot of attackers and slowly wear them down.

 

[Peef Rimgar]

Tier Shift

Scizor & Scizor-Mega: These two pokemon both function as they do in OU, with Scizor-Mega being a buly defogger or SD user, and Scizor being a potent choice band user. Not much to tell about then, as it's essentially standards.

Durant: Durant is a very scary mon, and it's not hard to see why. With a trolly 119 speed tier (a median speed tier for TS is 110-115 for reference) and scary high attack with Hustle boost factored in, this thing is a force to be reckoned with. With the heckin typing it has, plus oddly high defense, it's not terribly difficult to set up a Hone Claws with either.

Escavalier: Escavalier is something I'm not quite as familiar with, but all I need to know is that Kingslayer2779 has done serious damage to me with it. Under Trick Room, it can outslow just about anything thanks to its painfully slow 30 speed stat. It can hit very hard as well, with an insanely powerful Megahorn.

This type is generally for bulky physical attackers.

Quagsire: Thanks to Quag's NU placement, it's stupidly bulky with Unaware. This makes it an instant choice for just about any stall team, and a good catch all for boosting attackers on any team. It can spread status, and heal off any damage you do to it. Something Offensive teams need to watch out for for sure.

Swampert-Mega: Mega Swampert is easily the second best rain sweeper, right underneath the obvious Kabutops. The only real reason not to use it is loss of Mega-Slot, which really isn't that detrimental to rain teams anyways, as the only other mega worth using is Amph which is meh. It can be a right nuke to unprepared team and can honestly stand alone alright if you would ever need it to.

This type functions between stall to offense, depending on what mon.