XY OU Threat List [Compiling Entries]

SparksBlade

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Rob. said:
...and decent base defenses...
Only one defense stat is decent. Also, it could be that i'm obsessed with "Not taunt and set-up bait" thing, but mention Scald and its burn chance.
 

Clone

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Jirachi: Defensive
Type: Steel / Psychic
Base Stats: 100 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 100 SAtk / 100 SDef / 100 Spe
Ability: Serene Grace

With a great defensive typing, a good support movepool, and great 100 /100 / 100 defenses, Jirachi is a premier defensive Pokemon in the OU metagame. He sports great resistances in Dragon, Psychic, and Fairy, which allows him to counter top tier threats such as Clefable, Mega Gardevoir, Latios, and Latias, as well as numerous other special attackers. Additionally, he has access to Iron Head, Body Slam, and Thunder Wave, which can all be used to hax the opponent to death through the infamous ParaFlinch strategy thanks to his ability, Serene Grace. Jirachi also has access to U-Turn, which allows him to retain momentum through the numerous switches he forces. He's also incredibly hard to wear down, as he has access to Wish, which provides him, and his teammates, with a semi-reliable form of recovery. Lastly, Jirachi has access to great support moves such as Healing Wish, Light Screen, Reflect, and Toxic, which only ensures that he'll be helping your team out every time he comes in.


Cresselia: Defensive
Type: Psychic
Base stats: 120 HP / 70 Atk / 120 Def / 75 SAtk / 130 SDef / 85 Spe
Ability: Levitate

Boasting insane defenses, a good support movepool, and access to semi-reliable recovery allow Cresselia to function very well on defensively oriented teams. She holds the title of being the best Landorus-I counter in the tier, which is something that every stall team needs in order to not get 6-0ed by him. Aside from her fantastic 120 / 120 / 130 Defenses, her decent Psychic-typing give her useful resistances to Fighting and Psychic-type moves, which makes her an excellent counter to Mega Medicham, and a decent check to Mega Gardevoir when using a specially defensive EV spread. On top of all this, access to support moves in Light Screen, Reflect, Thunder Wave, and Trick Room give her ample opportunities to support her team. Lastly, Cresselia has access to the coveted Lunar Dance, which restores a teammate to full health, cures them of status, and restores all PP at the cost of her own life, which can allow a more useful teammate to have a second life.

I went ahead and did Cress as well to just finish this off. I may tweak Jirachis a bit to make it flow better, but here are the last two =]

edit: retyped Jirachi's paragraph.
 
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Jukain

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Okay, all of these entries are finally done, though some revamps and additions have to be made for ORAS. I'll get to compiling these (which shouldn't take that long). After that, I'll determine which ones need ORAS updates and open the new Pokemon to reservation. I'll have this coincide with the start of the actual ORAS analyses/updates. Thanks everyone for your contributions!
 

Jukain

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FINISHED compiliation double checked with OP (sprites -> models next)

multiple posts due to character limit, will update this post with progress

Alakazam
Type: Psychic
Base Stats: 55 HP / 50 Atk / 45 Def / 135 SpA / 95 SpD / 120 Spe
Ability: Synchronize / Inner Focus / Magic Guard

Alakazam's glorious mustache isn't the only thing that gives it a good reputation in the OU metagame. Magic Guard makes it immune to all forms of residual damage, which means that the only way to defeat Alakazam is through direct damage. Combine this with its blazing Speed and high Special Attack stat, and it's no surprise why Alakazam is often regarded as one of the most successful failsafes in the metagame. When equipped with a Focus Sash it ensures that Alakazam has to be hit a minimum of two times before going down, allowing it to get at least one hit on its target, or two if it's running Thunder Wave. This makes Alakazam a stop to nearly any sweeper that poses to plow through a team, even if it has to sacrifice itself in doing so.


Azumarill
Type: Water / Fairy
Base Stats: 100 / 50 / 80 / 60 / 80 / 50
Abilities: Thick Fat / Huge Power / Sap Sipper

Looking at Azumarill's base stats, it doesn't look like anything special. However, upon further inspection you see how wonderful Azumarill truly is. Huge Power is a blessing which gives Azumarill an Attack stat that's effectively higher than base 150. Its typing gives it many wonderful resistances as well. This typing allows it to check many potent threats like Mega Charizard X and Keldeo. It can run three viable sets: Assault Vest, Choice Band, and Belly Drum. Assault Vest sets are the best sets in the current metagame and act as a wonderful sponge and glue. Choice Band sets hit hard right off the bat and also enjoy powerful priority STAB Aqua Jets. Belly Drum sets turn Azumarill into an even larger threat, as nothing can switch into it at +6, nothing can switch into it safely anyways! Azumarill can OHKO / 2HKO most of the metagame while also having enough bulk to sponge a couple hits in return.


Bisharp
Type: Dark / Steel
Base Stats: 65 / 125 / 100 / 60 / 70 / 70
Ability: Defiant / Inner Focus / Pressure

With access to Defiant, Swords Dance, and powerful STAB moves such as Sucker Punch, Knock Off, and Pursuit, Bisharp is one of the deadliest sweepers and offensive supporters in the metagame. It has an excellent Attack stat, and its unique typing makes it the only Steel-type that still resists Ghost- and Dark-type moves, while its own Dark-type STAB, Knock Off, is now able to break through other Steel-types. In addition, Knock Off is both powerful and removes a foe's item, threatening offensive and defensive Pokemon alike. Bisharp's ability, Defiant, makes it a perfect switch-in to Defog, doubling its Attack, while also meaning that Sticky Web and Intimidate only benefit it. Its secondary STAB in Iron Head also threatens the new Fairy-types, and it even has Pursuit to trap various Dark-type weak threats, particularly the Lati twins. Bisharp applies constant offensive pressure and is thus one of the most effective attackers in the Overused environment.


Breloom
Type: Grass / Fighting
Base Stats: 60 HP / 130 Atk / 80 Def / 60 SpA / 60 SpD / 70 Spe
Ability: Effect Spore / Poison Heal / Technician

Check out this fighting mushroom. It has only one stat worth looking at, and that's the high Attack stat, which may be further bolstered by Technician. But this is enough to pull it's weight. With moves like Mach Punch, Bullet Seed, and Rock Tomb to be boosted by Technician, and the 100% accurate Spore, this seemingly one trick pony isn't as easy to handle as you may believe. It can lead with it's Focus Sash set, and put something to sleep to neuter it for the moment. The fact that people expect it to be a one trick pony makes it somewhat easier for you to surprise them. Don't overlook Breloom ever during teambuilding, as underestimation may kill your team.


Conkeldurr
Type: Fighting
Base Stats: 105 HP / 140 Atk / 95 Def / 55 SpA / 65 SpD / 45 Spe
Ability: Guts / Sheer Force / Iron Fist

Just look at that Attack stat. It's godly. And the bulk. This is the thing that dethroned Machamp as The Bulky Fighting Type. With great physical bulk, it seems Assault Vest was made for this Pokemon, though Life Orb is a good item as well. Attacks coming off base 140 Attack stat, boosted either by Sheer Force or Iron Fist, Conkeldurr takes a big chunk of HP from anything that doesn't resist its attacks. It can also use guts to laugh in the face of Will-o-Wisp and Toxic users. With a decent move pool that gives it the coverage it needs, Conkeldurr itself picks its own checks and counters. It also has STAB priority in the form of Mach Punch, which gets further boosted by Iron Fist. It can also run Bulk Up, which can increase its longevity and raise its Attack to sky levels. This clown is not to be laughed at.


Crawdaunt
Type: Water / Dark
Base Stats: 63 HP / 120 Atk / 85 Def / 90 SpA / 55 SpD / 55 Spe
Ability: Hyper Cutter / Shell Armor / Adaptability

Blessed with a high Attack stat and a brilliant ability in Adaptability, Crawdaunt has no trouble hitting as hard as possible. With powerful STAB moves in Crabhammer and Knock Off as well as priority in the form of Aqua Jet, Crawdaunt's Choice Band set is an incredibly powerful wallbreaker, and it even has Superpower as strong coverage. This isn't Crawdaunt's only option though; it has access to Swords Dance to make it hit even harder, as well as Crunch for the Mega Pokemon that otherwise don't take as much damage from Knock Off. As it is one of the best hole-punchers in the game, Crawdaunt is a definite threat; an offensive powerhouse that must be prepared for.


Diggersby
Type: Normal / Ground
Base Stats: 85 HP / 56 Atk / 77 Def / 50 SpA / 77 SpD / 78 Spe
Ability: Pickup / Cheek Pouch / Huge Power

The Normal type of the first route this Gen, Diggersby's stats are laughable. But that's the case with every Huge Power/Pure Power Pokemon(except Mega Medicham). Huge Power raises its Attack stat way above the "usable" mark. It's STABs provide it such great coverage that only 2 Pokemon in the entire OU can take them to face-Gengar and Skarmory, and these neither check it or counter it well, so Diggersby runs another move to at least dent them well. Having a STAB priority, coming after the Huge Power boost makes it a threatening revenge killer. It can run Life Orb or Choice Scarf, both having slightly different tasks : the former puts dents in the opposition team, while the latter finishes it off. When building a team, don't forget to think something up for this bunny.


Dragonite
Type: Dragon / Flying
Base Stats: 91 HP / 134 Atk / 95 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 80 Spe
Ability: Inner Focus / Multiscale

Dragonite sits near the top of the hierarchy of OU Dragons. With stats and typing similar to a handful of others, what sets Dragonite apart is its marvelous ability and a movepool only second to the likes of Mewtwo and Arceus. As a Dragon Dancer, Multiscale lets it get to +1 on pretty much anything, typically in combination with a Lum Berry to avoid status. After that, Dragonite has all the coverage it needs to topple over the OU tier, as well the raw power of Outrage to get past walls and Extremespeed to let it defeat the likes of priority-based revenge killers such as Talonflame and Mamoswine. Besides being a Dragon Dance user that is challenging to stop from setting up, Dragonite also has other tactics. With a Choice Band it can check almost anything and break down many walls, as Multiscale, Outrage, Extremespeed, and its coverage go a long way. Roost can be utilized on offensive sets as well, letting Dragonite set up in the face of even more Pokemon.


Entei

Type: Fire
Base Stats: 115 HP / 115 Atk / 85 Def / 90 SpA / 75 SpD / 100 Spe
Ability: Pressure / Flash Fire (Unreleased)

After playing second fiddle to Arcanine for a long time, Entei finally leaps into the OU metagame strongly. Gen 6 gave it Sacred Fire to abuse it's great attack stat, and the burn chance is always handy as well. With a decent bulk, it can take a few resisted hits nicely, and combined with it's nice speed, it can be a nice late-game sweeper with either Choice Band or Life Orb. To take care of faster opponents, it has Extremespeed as well. Though it's movepool appears shallow besides these, it has just enough tools to be a threat in this tier. This dog can take away the match from your grasp at the final turn, so be sure to prepare for it.


Excadrill
Type: Ground / Steel
Base Stats: 110 HP / 135 Atk / 60 Def / 50 SpA / 65 SpD / 88 Spe
Ability: Sand Rush / Sand Force / Mold Breaker

Meet Excadrill, a very potent offensive Rapid Spinner. With a great Attack stat and powerful STAB at its disposal, Excadrill's offensive presence can prove rather threatening indeed. This is further augmented by its choice of abilities; Mold Breaker means that levitating Pokemon such as Rotom-W aren't safe to switch in on an Earthquake, and when paired with Tyranitar or Hippowdon, Excadrill can become an insanely fast sweeper thanks to Sand Rush. Excadrill can also take on the role of a speedy revenge killer when equipped with a Choice Scarf; allowing it to outspeed and check a whole new legion of foes. The destructive capabilities of this Pokemon are to be feared, and the support it can provide by clearing hazards for its team is very valuable indeed.


Garchomp
Type: Dragon / Ground
Base Stats: 108 HP / 130 Atk / 95 Def / 80 SpA / 85 SpD / 102 Spe
Ability: Sand Veil / Rough Skin

The pseudo-legendary of DPP, this dragon's still a big thing despite the introduction of Fairies. With fantastic Attack and Speed stats, and a Dragon/Ground typing that gives almost perfect coverage in STABs alone, Garchomp can be a deadly set-up sweeper with Swords Dance, or revenge kill with its Scarf set. Great abilities in Sand Veil and Rough Skin are icing on the cake : the former makes it very threatening when paired with Tyranitar/Hippowdon, while the latter punishes the many physical attackers out there. With 3 resistances, 1 immunity, and only 3 weaknesses, combined with the fact that it takes only 6.25% of damage from Stealth Rock, it can switch in and out a lot. It's bulk gives it a chance to set-up against neutral and resisted attacks, and it's wide movepool can help in surprising it's checks. All in all, Garchomp may not be the might it once was, this shark still is a threat for whom preparation is mandatory.


Gengar
Type: Ghost / Poison
Base Stats: 60 HP / 65 Atk / 60 Def / 130 SpA / 75 SpD / 110 Spe
Ability: Levitate

Gengar's high 110 speed and 130 special attack, combined with an excellent Ghost/Poison typing and Levitate, granting it immunities to Normal, Fighting and Ground attacks, and a vast movepool, have made Gengar the only pokemon to remain in the OU tier across all generations. Gengar's Ghost/Poison STAB combination has excellent neutral coverage, with Focus Blast commonly run alongside its STABs for perfect neutral coverage. Gengar also has a plethora of additional coverage options including Thunderbolt, Hidden Power and Energy Ball, and with a Life Orb, can outspeed and 2HKO almost the entire OU tier. Gengar's support movepool is also excellent, and by using one or more attacks in combination with Taunt, Substitute, Will-O-Wisp, Disable or Pain Split, Gengar is able to terrorise stall teams. More rarely, Gengar can also surprise opponents with Trick, Destiny Bond, Counter, Mean Look and Perish Song. While Gengar's low 60/60/75 bulk and lack of useable priority leave it vulnerable to revenge killing, its versatility and unpredictability make it one of the most dangerous pokemon in OU.


Goodra
Type: Dragon
Base Stats: 90 HP / 100 Atk / 70 Def / 110 SpA / 150 SpD / 80 Spe
Ability: Sap Sipper / Hydration / Gooey

With a great pure Dragon typing and great stats to abuse it, Goodra is an excellent special tank. While Specs and Scarf sets are outclassed by other Dragon-types, Goodras amazing bulk with an Assault Vest gives it a usable niche over Latios and other offensive Dragons. Goodras movepool is what truly sets it apart however, as its access to all of Draco Meteor, Fire Blast, Sludge Bomb, Earthquake, Thunderbolt, and even Muddy Water leaves it with no truly reliable counters, though many checks, as nearly all of them fear switching into one of its common coverage moves. Goodra also has a very easy time switching into common special attackers due to its resistances to Water, Electric, Fire, and an immunity to Grass due to Sap Sipper. Even though Goodra has significant flaws, it's definitely a threat that needs to be played around carefully.


Greninja
Type: Water / Dark
Base Stats: 72 HP / 95 Atk / 67 Def / 103 SpA / 71 SpD / 122 Spe
Ability: Torrent / Protean

Greninja is a unique attacker capable of putting a dent in opponents or doing some late-game cleaning with terrifying ease. This is thanks to blisteringly high Speed, an incredible ability in Protean, and a movepool full of coverage attacks to put the aforementioned ability to great use. Greninja's vast offensive movepool combined with STAB on every attack allows it to dispatch of a wide array of opponents, and it is one of the fastest unboosted Pokemon in OU. Greninja is also capable of scouting and gaining momentum should it run U-turn in its final moveslot. Overall, Greninja's defining traits all add up to make one threatening foe indeed.

Gyarados

Type: Water / Flying
Base Stats: 95 HP / 125 Atk / 79 Def / 60 SpA / 100 SpD / 81 Spe
Ability: Intimidate / Moxie

Gyarados is known to be one of OU's most common and fearsome sweepers. Access to Dragon Dance and an Attack stat of 125 is quite scary, but with the ability to run Moxie, it can turn Gyarados from a setup sweeper into a steamroller. It has access to numerous moves to aid in its setup, such as Taunt and Substitute, which both shield it from status moves and greatly increase the number of Pokemon it can setup upon. In addition, it can also run Intimidate for a much easier time switching in on physical attackers and turning them into bait. It carries a plethora of moves, such as Waterfall, Earthquake, Bounce, and Ice Fang which provide it fantastic coverage, which is walled by very few Pokemon. Gyarados isn't exactly on the frail side either, sporting quite solid 95/79/100 defensive stats, making it even more difficult to take down as well. It can run Leftovers for longevity and to acquire more boosts, Life Orb for a large power boost, and it also carries the ability to create guessing games with opponents, as they'll often think to themselves "Is it a mega?", which can put them in very bad situations. Overall, with amazing stats, a solid movepool to draw from, and two amazing abilities, Gyarados has solidified itself in OU as a top choice, and one that every team should be prepared for.


Hawlucha
Type: Fighting / Flying
Base Stats: 77 HP / 92 Atk / 77 Def / 74 SpA/ 63 SpD / 118 Spe
Ability: Limber / Mold Breaker / Unburden

The eagle took off for the OU meta, and is still flying high. Having a unique typing, Hawlucha is a fantastic Pokemon whose typing, stats and abilities say only one thing: SWEEPER! With a decent Attack stat, and a very high Speed stat, Hawlucha is a very threatening presence. Using Power Herb+Sky Attack to heavy damage, the main aim is to activate Unburden, after which it can outspeed the entire tier. Having decent coverage in it's STABS, it can afford to run Substitue and Swords Dance to boost it's Attack and keep away nasty statuses. Also, Aegislash, which laughed in it's face, is banned now, so Hawlucha is easier to use. It's time you started forming a strategy for when you face this bird.


Heatran
Type: Fire / Steel
Base Stats: 91 HP / 90 Atk / 106 Def / 130 SpA / 106 SpD / 77 Spe
Ability: Flash Fire / Flame Body (unreleased)

With excellent Special Attack and a decent Speed stat, along with a great typing, Heatran is more than capable of playing an offensive role. Thanks to its stats, Heatran can either be a revenge klller with a Choice Scarf, wallbreaker with Choice Specs, or just an offensive pivot with an Air Balloon, allowing it to take on Earthquake Charizard X as well as Excadrill. Flash Fire is also a great ability for Heatran, providing it with an immunity to Fire-type moves while also boosting its own should it happen to absorb one. Offensive Heatran is also an excellent glue for many offensive teams due to its great resistances, most notably a 4x resistance to Mega Gardevoirs Hyper Voice and immunity to Fire. It also has near perfect coverage between Fire Blast, Flash Cannon, and Earth Power, only missing out on opposing Air Balloon Heatran.


Infernape
Type: Fire / Fighting
Base Stats: 76 HP / 104 Atk / 71 Def / 104 SpA / 71 SpD / 108 Spe
Ability: Blaze / Iron Fist

This monkey has been OU ever since it came into being. As its stat spread suggests, it's a fast sweeper, though from which side it may sweep is mostly a mystery, indicating how threatening it is. It can go fully physical, fully special, or mixed, keeping the foe guessing. It also has access to Stealth Rock and U-Turn, so it can lead as well. It has both physical and special STAB priority, which means it can revenge kill from both sides, or put a dent in faster Pokemon(like Greninja, which may be OHKO'd by Mach Punch). It has nice coverage in Grass Knot, U-Turn, and Iron Fist boosted ThunderPunch. It can 2HKO most of the tier unless both it's STABs are resisted, in which case it can either U-Turn out, or use it's coverage to surprise the foe. Be prepared, or rather than bananas, it may eat your team for dinner.


Kabutops
Type: Rock / Water
Base Stats: 60 HP / 115 Atk / 105 Def / 65 SpA / 70 Def / 80 Spe
Ability: Swift Swim / Battle Armor / Weak Armor

Kabutops has always been one of the premier Swift Swim users, with a Speed stat that's very intimidating when under rain and a great Attack to fire rain-boosted Waterfalls off of. With the combination of Drizzle and Swift Swim unbanned in the OU environment, Kabutops can be an extremely powerful wallbreaker or a great cleaner with its great coverage in its STABs alone. This allows it to run Swords Dance as a boosting move to increase its power on a free turn without missing much, and it becomes very difficult to wall at that point. Kabutops is mainly useful for rain teams as most Swift Swim abusers or rain-based pokemon in general are special attackers, and it can wipe away many of those special walls for its team. On top of these strengths, Kabutops also brings priority in the form of Aqua Jet to the table. Overall, Kabutops is a fairly one-dimensional but extremely effective attacker on rain teams.


Keldeo
Type: Water / Fighting
Base Stats: 91 HP / 72 Atk / 90 Def / 129 SpA / 90 SpD / 108 Spe
Ability: Justified

With an excellent base 129 Special Attack stat, a powerful STAB in the form of Hydro Pump, and a good Speed tier, Keldeo is a very powerful specially offensive threat that should always be prepared for. With a Choice Specs equipped, Keldeo's Hydro Pump becomes a force to be reckoned with, that can punch holes through a wide variety of teams quite easily. On top of this, Keldeo has access to the exclusive Fighting-type move Secret Sword, which targets the opponent's Defense instead of Special Defense, lettin it easily break past special walls that might be able to take multiple Hydro Pumps quite easily, such as Goodra, Chansey, and Blissey. Choice Specs isn't the only set Keldeo can effectively run, though; it can also effectively run a Choice Scarf set, using its boosted Speed to revenge kill a variety of threats such as Mega Gyarados, Mega Tyranitar, Genesect, and Mega Lucario, as well as a Calm Mind set that boosts its Special Attack and Special defense stats in preparation for a game-ending sweep, making it somewhat versatile.


Kingdra
Type: Dragon / Water
Stats: 75 HP / 95 Atk / 95 Def / 95 SpA / 95 SpD / 85 Spe
Ability: Swift Swim / Sniper / Damp

Kingdra is a fantastic example of a Pokemon withe well-rounded stats, but little usage. It has two fantastic abilities in Swift Swim and Sniper. Swift Swim makes it a deadly sweeper in rain, firing off strong STABs, water attacks being further boosted by rain. The new critical hit mechanics have favoured it a lot. Equipped with a Scope Lens, every hit is a critical hit after Focus Energy. This means you can fire Draco Meteors without having to worry about the drop in Special Attack. Kingdra is mostly either completely Special or mixed, both variants being a threat and having different checks and counters. This shows how difficult it is deal with it. You've got to prepare for this underrated threat, or else it may rip your team apart.


Kyurem-B
Type: Dragon / Ice
Base Stats: 125 HP / 170 Atk / 100 Def / 120 SpA / 90 SpD / 95 Spe
Ability: Teravolt

Boasting the fourth highest BST in the game, surpassed only by the Mega Mewtwo forms and Arceus, Kyurem-B is a disgustingly powerful attacker. An obscenely high Attack stat and great Special Attack stat allow it to function as an effective mixed attacker, and excellent bulk lets it check some top threats and makes taking it down easier said than done. Its ability is also helpful, allowing it to bypass many defensive Pokemon's abilities like Thick Fat and Levitate. An ample movepool gives Kyurem-B strong STAB moves, good coverage options, and a variety of sets it can run, including devastating physically and specially based mixed attacking sets, as well as a Choice Scarf set that can surprise many unsuspecting foes. It should come as no surprise that Kyurem-B is one of the most feared attackers in the OU tier.


Landorus
Type: Ground / Flying
Base Stats: 89 HP / 125 Atk / 90 Def / 115 SpA / 80 SpD / 101 Spe
Ability: Sand Force / Sheer Force

What makes Landorus so threatening is that its ability Sheer Force boosts its fairly wide array of special attacks and negates Life Orb recoil, giving it what is essentially a free 1.69x boost in power and turning its base 115 Special Attack into something far greater with little drawback. Commonly seen as an all-out attacker or a Calm Mind sweeper, Landorus's fantastic raw damage output, solid Speed, and nice coverage options make it very threatening to both offensive and defensive teams. In addition to its special sets, Landorus also several physical offensive options. One should handle Landorus with care, as switching a special sponge into this Pokemon directly is not always safe.


Landorus-T
Type: Ground / Flying
Base Stats: 89 / 145 / 90 / 105 / 80 / 91
Ability: Intimidate

Although it has made name for itself as a great pivot, it's difficult to ignore the sky-high Attack stat it has. Possessing the EdgeQuake combo, only few Pokemon like to switch into it's attacks. Having two boosting moves to increase either it's Attack or Speed, it can be either a late-game cleaner or make huge dents in the opposition team in mid-game. Intimidate is useful to dampen the hits of physical attackers, so that it can either set up or start throwing attacks. It also has the coveted Stealth Rock, further increasing it's viability. Every team has to have an answer to this tiger, or else that team shouldn't be allowed to see the light of day.


Latias
Type: Dragon / Psychic
Base Stats: 80 HP / 80 Atk / 90 Def / 110 SpA / 130 SpD / 110 Spe
Ability: Levitate

Latias has a lot of things going for it. With a great Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed stat, Latias is a Pokemon that not only hits hard, but can also tank hits from the likes of Mega Charizard Y and Mega Venusaur, too. Latias also has access to Defog, meaning she can support Pokemon such as Charizard, Mega Pinsir, and Talonflame with ease. What separates Latias from Latios, however, is her access to Healing Wish, which allows her to restore sweepers back to full health and cure them of any status conditions when she is no longer needed. Latias is almost always seen running a Life Orb with Defog and Healing Wish, and then a combination of moves such as Draco Meteor, Psyshock, Thunderbolt, Hidden Power Fire, and sometimes even Hidden Power Fighting.


Latios
Type: Dragon / Psychic
Stats: 80 HP / 90 Atk / 80 Def / 130 SpA / 110 SpD / 110 Spe
Ability: Levitate

Latios is known as one of the fastest Dragon-types in OU, second only to Noivern, a Pokemon that's not seen very often. He has well rounded stats, so he can outspeed a large portion of the game, hit back very hard, and even take a hit or two, especially on the special side. Latios is a very powerful revenge killer with Draco Meteor, is able to get past special walls with Psyshock, and is also an effective hazard remover with Defog, creating great synergy with offensive and balanced teams alike, while requiring minimal team support to get the job done. He's neutral to Stealth Rock, and Levitate protects him from every other hazard, thus making switching in and out easier. Latios is one of the most prevalent forces in OU, and having an answer to him is an absolute must.


Mamoswine
Type: Ice / Ground
Base Stats: 110 HP / 130 Atk / 80 Def / 70 SpA / 60 SpD / 80 Spe
Ability: Oblivious / Snow Cloak / Thick Fat

Ground / Ice has the very best super effective and neutral coverage of any type combination in the game, and when backed up with impressive Attack, priority, and moves with high Base Power, Mamoswine is a huge threat. Ice Shard's priority gives Mamoswine a lot of breathing room against offensive teams, shredding staples such as Thundurus, Landorus, Garchomp, and Mega Pinsir, while Icicle Crash and Earthquake make short work of countless defensive threats. Top this off with access to coverage moves that can get past the handful of Pokemon that can deal with Mamoswine's STAB and access to Stealth Rock, and you have a very effective attacker in the OU metagame.


Manaphy
Type: Water
Base Stats: 100 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 100 Spe
Ability: Hydration

Manaphy's signature move, Tail Glow, allows it to raise its Special Attack by three stages, making it an extremely powerful offensive threat. It also has great coverage in Surf, Ice Beam, and either Energy Ball for the likes of Rotom-W and Slowbro or Psychic for the likes of Mega Venusaur. Leftovers is usually chosen for passive recovery, though Wacan Berry can be used to beat Thundurus, and Life Orb can even be chosen as a way to 2HKO Chansey after a single Tail Glow. While Tail Glow is the most common set, a Calm Mind set with Calm Mind, Rain Dance, Scald, and Rest can be used, taking advantage of Hydration to wake Manaphy up right after it uses Rest.


Mega Absol

Type: Dark
Base Stats: 65 HP / 150 Atk / 60 Def / 115 SpA / 60 SpD / 115 Spe
Ability: Magic Bounce (Pressure / Super Luck / Justified)

Mega Absol is blessed with huge Attack and Speed stats and an often-overlooked Special Attack stat that allows it to threaten opposing teams severely. Despite its frailty, its useful ability in Magic Bounce allows it to pivot into numerous defensive Pokemon and avoid status, as well as prevent hazard setup; it is a perfect way of dealing with Deoxys-D. Sucker Punch gives it extremely powerful priority that can be used to revenge kill Psychic- and Ghost-type attackers or sweep offensive teams. Knock Off gives it a strong, more reliable option that has great utility against almost all Pokemon. Mega Absol's solid special movepool that contains gems like Fire Blast and Ice Beam allows it to choose its own counters, and can set up a Swords Dance and Baton Pass its boosts along to another sweeper, as almost no battler would attempt to phaze Mega Absol. The power, speed, and utility that Mega Absol provides makes it a lethal threat capable of sweeping or disrupting many teams if given the opportunity.


Mega Aerodactyl
Type: Rock / Flying
Base Stats: 80 HP / 135 Atk / 85 Def / 70 SpA / 95 SpD / 150 Spe
Ability: Tough Claws (Rock Head / Pressure / Unnerve)

Mega Aerodactyl's claim to fame is its almighty Speed stat - tied with Mega Alakazam, it is the fastest unboosted Pokemon in OU. With an arsenal of coverage attacks boosted by Tough Claws plus a solid STAB in Stone Edge, Mega Aerodactyl is capable of hitting much of the metagame for great damage. Mega Aerodactyl can also put its blistering Speed to good use by employing Taunt or Roost in its last moveslot; granting it the ability to cripple walls or regain lost HP respectively. It is fair to say that Mega Aerodactyl boasts unique attributes which certainly make it a threat worth preparing for.


Mega Alakazam
Type: Psychic
Base Stats: 55 HP / 50 Atk / 65 Def / 175 SpA / 95 SpD / 150 Spe
Ability: Trace (Synchronize / Inner Focus / Magic Guard)

If Alakazam wasn't powerful or fast enough for you, then its bearded Mega Evolution should whet your appetite for sure. In fact, its ridiculously high Speed is topped only by Deoxys-S, the fastest Pokemon in the game. This means that Mega Alakazam basically outspeeds the entire unboosted metagame with ease, allowing it to revenge kill even more Pokemon than its former self. In addition, its jaw-dropping Special Attack and fantastic coverage makes it incredibly difficult to switch into, and only a very select few defensive Pokemon can claim to wall it successfully. However, one of Mega Alakazam's most unique offensive traits comes from its ability, Trace. With this ability, Mega Alakazam is able to copy other Pokemon's abilities such as Swift Swim, Protean, Flash Fire, and Sheer Force to use for its own benefit, which makes it that much more threatening and unpredictable. Although it might not seem too significant, Mega Alakazam's slightly iincreased bulk allows it to take certain priority moves better than Alakazam itself, which can be pretty significant under some circumstances. In conclusion, Mega Alakazam is a real offensive threat in the OU metagame, and it can easily run through most unprepared teams.


Mega Ampharos
Type: Electric / Dragon
Stats: 90 HP / 95 Atk / 105 Def / 165 SpA / 110 SpD / 45 Spe
Ability: Mold Breaker (Static / Plus)

When looking at Mega Ampharos, the first things that stand out are its glorious locks and unique Electric/Dragon typing, shared only by the Uber titan Zekrom. When looking at its stats, the first two things that immediately stand out are its colossal 165 base Special Attack, the second highest in OU, and its atrocious base 45 Speed. However, one thing to not overlook is its base 90 / 105 / 110 defenses, which, when invested, Mega Ampharos ridiculously tanky, and as a result, one of Ampharos's best sets is a Volt Switch set, as it is capable of taking virtually any hit at full health and safely switching into a deadly sweeper in waiting. It is in this such role that its bad Speed is actually a blessing, as this allows it to function as a fantastic pivot switch, arguably the most optimized one in the game. If utilized in an even more offensive manner, its Speed can be patched up quickly with Agility, turning Mega Ampharos into a deadly sweeper.


Mega Blastoise
Type: Water
Base Stats: 79 HP / 103 Atk / 120 Def / 135 SpA / 115 SpD / 78 Spe
Ability: Mega Launcher

Having good bulk, both physically and specially, a superb base 135 Special Attack, and a great defensive typing, Mega Blastoise can take hits and dish them back as well, even if it does lack recovery. But what gives Mega Blastoise a solid niche in the metagame is its access to Rapid Spin, which it is very effective at using considering its abilities. Mega Launcher-boosted Dark Pulse can 2HKO any Ghost as well, meaning that spinblocking Blastoise is futile. Though not amazing, Mega Blastoise fills a clear offensive and supporting niche which it does well.


Mega Charizard X
Type: Fire / Dragon
Base Stats: 78 HP / 130 Atk / 111 Def / 130 SpA / 85 SpD / 100 Spe
Ability: Tough Claws (Blaze / Solar Power)

Mega Charizard X is just as threatening as its Y counterpart, if not more so, as it has pretty much everything it needs to be a threatening Dragon Dance sweeper. With its ability to force multiple switches, nice defensive typing, and somewhat beefy 78/111/85 bulk, it's not hard for Mega Charizard X to get at least one Dragon Dance under its belt. On top of this, Mega Charizard X's Fire / Dragon STAB combination is absolutely fantastic, as it is resisted by only a fair few Pokemon such as Heatran and Azumarill , which of course makes its offensive presence quite potent. Combine this with its Tough Claws ability, which gives a slightly greater boost than a Life Orb to moves Mega Charizard X will be commonly using, such as Flare Blitz, Dragon Claw, and Outrage, and the ability to restore HP at will with Roost, and you have an absolute monster on your hands, capable of plowing through entire teams once set up correctly. Overall, Mega Charizard X is a formidable offensive threat, and its Dragon Dancing prowess makes it a threat to offensive and defensive teams alike.



Mega Charizard Y
Type: Fire / Flying
Base Stats: 78 HP / 104 Atk / 78 Def / 159 SpA / 115 SpD / 100 Spe
Ability: Drought (Blaze / Solar Power)

Mega Charizard Y is renowned as one of the best wallbreakers in OU thanks to its extremely high Special Attack, decent Speed, and ability Drought. With the sun Drought brings, Mega Charizard Y can fire off extremely powerful sun-boosted Fire Blasts, which outright slaughter much of the OU tier. It is unique among Fire-types in that it can murder both Heatran and Water-types with its coverage, which includes Focus Blast and sun-enhanced Solar Beam. Thanks to its large Special Defense stat, Mega Charizard Y can take a battering from special attacks, heal up with Roost, and outright demolish their users. Furthermore, because the opponent does not know which Mega Charizard this is when it comes out, he or she is left to guess what to switch in initially, which can be punished. Combine all this with resistances to key types like Fighting, Bug, Fire, and Steel, and you have a frightening offensive Pokemon that given but one free opportunity can do serious harm to any team.


Mega Garchomp
Type: Dragon / Ground
Base Stats: 108 HP / 170 Atk / 115 Def / 120 SpA / 95 SpD / 92 Spe
Ability: Sand Force (Sand Veil / Rough Skin)

Garchomp has always been an offensively dominant Pokemon, and its Mega Evolution just gives it more power to destroy with. Reasonably high bulk, incredible Attack, enough Speed to outpace almost all defensive threats, and a Special Attack stat that can break down physically defensive Pokemon that once troubled regular Garchomp are the key advantages of this forme. Typically, Mega Garchomp acts as a wallbreaker, using incredibly powerful attacks and mixed coverage to break down defensive threats. Now with a high-powered Draco Meteor and Fire Blast, Garchomp can get past its typical checks such as Hippowdon, Skarmory, Landorus-T, and Gliscor without breaking a sweat. Base 170 Attack serves Garchomp well on the physical side, dealing huge amounts of damage to all types of teams. Overall, with the power and bulk to break through any wall with raw attacks and the potential of a Sand Force boost, Garchomp becomes quite a monster to deal with.


Mega Gardevoir
Type: Psychic / Fairy
Base Stats: 68 HP / 85 Atk / 65 Def / 165 SpA / 135 SpD / 100 Spe
Ability: Pixilate

Having an excellent offensive typing, stats, and ability, Mega Gardevoir becomes a real threat as long as it lives. Pixilate makes Normal moves Fairy-type and also gives them a 1.3x boost, and this works well with Mega Gardevoir's access to Hyper Voice. Add to the mix options like Shadow Ball, Focus Blast, and Psyshock it's easy to understand why Mega Gardevoir really does a lot. A nice base 100 Speed makes Mega Gardevoir decently fast and able to quickly KO a lot of Pokemon. It also has a nice base 135 Special Defense, letting it check nearly any special attacker. Finally, access to useful moves such as Taunt and Calm Mind make Mega Gardevoir a very strong wallbreaker.


Mega Heracross
Type: Bug / Fighting
Base Stats: 80 HP / 185 Atk / 115 Def / 40 SpA / 105 SpD / 75 Spe
Ability: Skill Link (Swarm / Guts / Moxie)

Mega Heracross is no slouch when it comes to hitting hard. With an absolutely monstrous Attack stat and a potent STAB combination, Mega Heracross is easily one of the strongest wallbreakers and hole-punchers in OU. Its Skill Link ability forces Rock Blast, Pin Missile, and Bullet Seed to always hit their maximum amount of times, giving Mega Heracross immensely powerful coverage against a wide majority of defensive threats. With Swords Dance, Mega Heracross can even pose as a potent sweeper, capable of OHKOing most of the metagame with its powerful coverage moves after just one boost. One must not also forget that Mega Heracross has very solid defensive stats for such an offensive juggernaut, which means that it's able to easily survive almost any kind of non-super effective attack from full health, making it quite threatening towards offensive teams as well. Its somewhat below average base 75 Speed stat is more than enough to put it ahead most defensive threats, and a few offensive threats as well. With Mega Heracross's sheer power, insane coverage, and access to boosting moves, it's no wonder why teams cower in fear at the sight of this beast.


Mega Houndoom
Type: Dark / Fire
Base Stats: 75 HP / 90 Atk / 90 Def / 140 SpA / 90 SpD / 115 Spe
Ability: Solar Power

Mega Houndoom's great Speed and Special Attack, the latter getting boosted even further in sun, are not to be trifled with. Sun support from Ninetales or a Sunny Day user is not hard to provide; in fact, Mega Houndoom can set it up itself. In the sun, Fire Blast becomes incredibly strong, Dark Pulse also gets powered up, and Solar Beam loses its charge turn. If you choose to use Mega Houndoom without sun, it gets Nasty Plot to shoot its Special Attack through the roof and has nifty support options such as Taunt, Will-O-Wisp, and Destiny Bond. Since one of Houndoom's base abilities is Flash Fire it has an easier time switching in, and if it can get a Flash Fire boost and a Solar Power / Nasty Plot boost, Fire Blast reaches unimaginable power levels. Though Mega Houndoom is by no means perfect, it is still quite strong when used well.​



Mega Manectric
Type: Electric
Base Stats: 70 HP / 75 Atk / 80 Def / 135 SpA / 80 SpD / 135 Spe
Ability: Intimidate (Static / Lightningrod / Minus)

Mega Manectric stands out as a Pokemon with a number of desirable qualities that allow it to excel in OU. First and foremost is its incredible Speed stat - the only unboosted opponents that outspeed it are Mega Alakazam and Mega Aerodactyl. Mega Manectric adopts a hit 'n' run playstyle; using Volt Switch to continually switch in and out of the field, gaining momentum, doing damage, and neutering physical attackers with Intimidate when it switches in. Aditionally, it gets Fire-type coverage to roast Steel-types with in the form of Overheat, which few other Electric-types can lay claims to, and because of the frequent rate at which it switches out, Mega Manectric cares little about the Special Attack drop induced by the aforementioned attack. Overall, this electrified canine makes for one threatening offensive pivot whose lightning-fast assaults will surely come as shocking to anyone unwise enough to underestimate it.

Mega Medicham

Type: Fighting / Psychic
Base Stats: 60 HP / 100 Atk / 85 Def / 80 SpA / 85 SpD / Spe 100
Ability: Pure Power (Pure Power / Telepathy)

Mega Medicham has by far the highest attack in OU. With sufficient Speed, movepool, and defenses to back up that Attack, it unsurprisingly takes on the role of wallbreaker and does it in a way few can match. A simple four attack set can easily 2HKO all but a small few of the metagame, while simultaneously requiring little guess work and no set up, making it very consistent. Conveniently most of Medicham's counters are Psychic types meaning that the occasional pursuit supporter seen with it can make it even harder to counter. Not to be too one dimensional Medicham's access to Bullet Punch, Fake Out, Substitute, and Baton Pass mitigate its predictability and ineptitude against faster offensive teams.


Mega Pinsir
Type: Bug / Flying
Base Stats: 65 HP / 155 Atk / 120 Def / 65 SpA / 90 SpD / 105 Spe
Ability: Aerilate (Hyper Cutter / Mold Breaker / Moxie)

After generations of living in the shadow of Heracross, Pinsir was finally a given a chance to shine this generation with the debut of Mega Evolution. No longer grounded, Mega Pinsir takes flight as one of OU's best physical sweepers. Thanks to its monstrous base 155 Attack stat and the hefty boost granted by Aerilate, Pinsir's STAB Return (or Frustration) is a scary prospect, even without any Swords Dance boosts. After a boost, Mega Pinsir becomes a terrifying sweeping machine that only a select handful of Pokémon can deal with. Access to priority in the form of Quick Attack gives Mega Pinsir a way to put the hurt on foes faster than itself, and a secondary coverage attack such as Earthquake complements Pinsir's Flying-type STAB wonderfully. The dangers that a boosted Mega Pinsir presents to an unprepared team cannot be stressed enough - failing to prepare for Mega Pinsir means that you are surely preparing to fail against it.


Mega Scizor
Type: Bug / Steel
Base Stats: 70 HP / 150 Atk / 140 Def/ 65 SpA / 100 SpD / 75 Spe
Ability: Technician (Swarm / Light Metal / Technician)

Mega Scizor has an incredible attack stat backing it, in addition to Technician boosted Bullet Punch, making its somewhat lacklustre speed stat. However, what makes Mega Scizor much different from most offensive Pokemon is its titanic bulk, which is actually bulkier that Skarmory stat-wise! Using this bulk, Mega Scizor can setup a Swords Dance or two on a large portion of the metagame, with pokemon such as Azumarill, Bisharp, Conkeldurr, and it has reliable recovery in Roost, which allows it to be able to withstand constant offensive pressure and continue to setup. Technician boosted Bug Bites can put a large dent in anything that doesn't resist it, and it also carries Knock Off, which is a fantastic offensive and supportive move, as well as Superpower to lure and beat some of its checks like Ferrothorn and Heatran. It also carries U-turn to grab momentum as well. All in all, Mega Scizor is a versatile offensive threat that can run numerous sets with different coverage moves to sweep, and tailors its moveset to its needs.


Mega Tyranitar
Type: Dark / Rock
Base Stats: 100 HP / 164 Atk / 150 Def / 95 SpA / 120 SpD / 71 Spe
Ability: Sand Stream (Sand Stream / Unnerve)

Mega Tyranitar is one of the most reliable win conditions in the game, as a fantastic Dragon Dancer. Sporting amazing bulk on both sides, augmented by Sand, Mega Tyranitar can setup on virtually any neutrally effective attack, as well as being able to survive some Super Effective ones as well! Being able to setup upon the Latis, CB Talonflame, Mega Manectric and Raikou is amazing for a sweeper. Having access to EdgeQuake for offensive coverage, and the choice of a Crunch for STAB or Ice Punch to round off coverage, it can completely decimate a team after it achieves a Dragon Dance, and can smash through most teams with it's coverage. Having coverage like Thunder Punch for Keldeo, Fire Punch for Ferrothorn, Aqua Tail for Hippowdown and Gliscor, it certainly is tailorable to what you need to take down and its unique speed stat allows it to outpace some prominent threats like Bisharp. If you don't prepare for Mega Tyranitar, you'll be in a lot of trouble, and even if you do, it's imperative you don't let it setup, otherwise it will prove it's reliability as it rips through your team.


Omastar
Type: Rock / Water
Base Stats: 70 HP / 60 Atk / 125 Def / 115 SpA / 70 SpD / 55 Spe
Abilities: Shell Armor / Swift Swim / Weak Armor

Omastar, thanks to its ability, Swift Swim, is a very powerful Pokemon on rain teams. Swift Swim turns Omastar's mediocre Speed stat into something much more usable by doubling it. This Speed, combined with rain boosting the power of Water-type moves, makes Omastar a very fast and powerful threat. Omastar is usually seen carrying Choice Specs to make the power of Hydro Pump incredibly strong in rain, though a Shell Smash set can be used to boost Omastar's Special Attack and Speed even further.

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Raikou
Type: Electric
Base Stats: 90 HP / 85 Atk / 75 Def / 115 SpA / 100 SpD / 115 Spe
Ability: Pressure / Volt Absorb (Unreleased)

Raikou may be UU, but it a great Pokemon in OU as well. It can quickly switch out of anything while doing massive damage by using Volt Switch. Thunderbolt is its main STAB, which has a chance to paralyze and deals great damage. Raikou has good staying power, thanks to only 1 weakness. A boosted Hidden Power Ice may deal easier with Ground types, but is kinda frail since it has a weak 60 Base power without STAB. Calm Mind is a way of greeding; Any Special Attack will do more after Raikou boosted it up. Substiute can be set up to block status, and grant a free turn to set up. Raikou is a real threat, with a great 115 Special Attack and 115 base Speed, that you must have a good Pokemon around that can stop it.


Scolipede
Type: Bug / Poison
Base Stats: 60 HP / 100 Atk / 89 Def / 55 SpA / 69 SpD / 112 Spe
Ability: Poison Point / Swarm / Speed Boost

Like most Pokemon with the ability Speed Boost, Scolipede's base 100 Attack stat and access to Swords Dance make it an amazing late-game cleaner. Scolipede's coverage between its powerful STAB Megahorn, Rock Slide, and Earthquake allow it to hit almost any Pokemon for super effective or respectable damage. Furthermore, after one Speed Boost, Scolipede outspeeds the entire unboosted tier, making it very hard to keep under control. Scolipede's ability in Speed Boost is its claim to fame, and makes it a terrifying Pokemon in the OU Metagame.


Scizor
Type: Bug / Steel
Base Stats: 70 HP / 130 Atk / 115 Def / 55 SpA / 80 SpD / 65 Spe
Ability: Swarm / Technician / Light Metal

Having a near-perfect typing with only one weakness, beefy defenses, excellent Attack, and a very good movepool, Scizor has a lot going for it. Bullet Punch is the main attraction with Scizor as it's one of the strongest priority moves in OU, solidifying Scizor as a very dangerous sweeper and revenge killer. Scizor excels in its sweeper role, using its defensive attributes to Swords Dance, while having powerful coverage moves to hit defensive Pokemon, as well as Bullet Punch to hit anything faster. With a Choice Band; Bullet Punch, U-turn, and Pursuit allow Scizor to be a revenge killer, trapper, and a pivot all in one. In addition to this, access to Knock Off and Superpower make it difficult to wall. Scizor can also act as a good offensive supporter with access to Defog and Roost. Few, if any Pokemon can match Scizor's offensive, defensive, and supporting presence all in one.


Staraptor
Type: Normal / Flying
Base Stats: 85 HP / 120 Atk / 70 Def / 50 SpA / 60 SpD / 100 Spe
Ability: Intimidate / Reckless

Staraptor's Brave Bird is truly in a league of its own; after boosts from STAB, Reckless and a Choice Band, the vast majority of Pokémon that do not resist it are OHKOed or 2HKOed. Also setting it apart from its avian brethren is its access to Close Combat, which will swiftly dispatch of Rock-type and Steel-types attempting to come in and tank a Brave Bird. Should it encounter a sticky situation, Staraptor can U-turn out to an ally, gaining offensive momentum in the process. In a similar vein, Staraptor can utilize its stellar HP stat in conjunction with Final Gambit to put a dent in Pokemon that it won't be able to break through. Finally, when equipped with a Choice Scarf, Staraptor can take on the role of a late-game cleaner, tearing through the opposition when its counters have been eliminated. Make sure your team is capable of dealing with this flying menace, or you'll know all about it when it strikes.


Starmie
Type: Water / Psychic
Base Stats: 60 HP / 75 Atk / 85 Def / 100 SpA / 85 SpD / 115 Spe
Ability: Illuminate / Natural Cure / Analytic

Despite having finally descended to UU after five generations of OU stardom, Starmie's combination of excellent coverage, great power and high Speed mean that it is still a capable offensive threat in its own right. Access to Rapid Spin means that Starmie functions as one of a handful of viable offensive spinners, and also ensures that allies troubled by Stealth Rock will make the most of having Starmie around. But this is not all; additionally, Starmie boasts a rather handy ability - Ghost-types aren't going to like being on the receiving end of an Analytic-boosted Hydro Pump when they come in to try and spinblock. It is fair to say that on the whole, Starmie makes for a pretty solid offensive spinner that one would do well not to underestimate.


Talonflame
Type: Fire / Flying
Base Stats: 78 HP / 81 Atk / 71 Def / 74 SpA / 69 SpD / 126 Spe
Abilities: Flame Body / Gale Wings

Talonflame is a serious threat thanks to its ability, Gale Wings. With Gale Wings, Talonflame receives priority to all Flying-type move, effectively giving it a 120 Base Power priority move in Brave Bird. It's secondary STAB also gives it a way to deal with the Steel-types that resist Brave Bird. The most common set tends to be Choice Band, taking Talonflame's mediocre Attack and making it much more effective at revenge killing and late-game cleaning. It also can use U-turn to gain momentum, as well as priority Tailwind to help a sweeper before it faints. Another common set is Swords Dance, also powering up Talonflame to great levels. These sets can run Natural Gift with a certain berry to break past common counters; for example, Liechi Berry with Natural Cure can help in beating Rotom-W. Finally, a Bulk Up set is possible, not only boosting Talonflame's Attack stat, but its Defense stat as well, making it much harder to KO.


Terrakion
Type: Rock / Fighting
Stats: 90 HP / 129 Atk / 90 Def / 72 SpA / 90 SpD / 108 Spe
Ability: Justified

Terrakion's typing is amazing offensively, as Rock / Fighting coverage is resisted by only a few Pokemon in the game, so it usually only needs his STABs to threaten foes. Due to this excellent STAB coverage, Terrakion can free up its last two moveslots to use whatever it wants, thus allowing it to run a wide variety of sets that have differing purposes, such as anti-lead Stealth Rock setter, double dancer, Choice Band, and Choice Scarf. Terrakion's stats are great in almost every department, having great bulk, excellent Attack, and being at a great Speed tier. Between the flexibility of his sets and his excellent stats, Terrakion is one of the larger forces in OU, and having an answer to him on your team is greatly advised.


Thundurus
Type: Electric / Flying
Base Stats: 79 HP / 115 Atk / 70 Def / 125 SpA / 80 SpD / 111 Spe
Ability: Prankster / Defiant

Thundurus is by no means a Pokemon to take lightly. With excellent Attack, Special Attack, and Speed stats in tandem with two great abilities, it is definitely a force to be reckoned with. Thundurus makes full use of Prankster with its access to moves such as Taunt and Thunder Wave, which allow it to spread status with ease. Thundurus's Prankster-boosted Thunder Wave also allows it to act as a panic button to speedy setup sweepers. On top of these great attributes, Thundurus is also gifted with Nasty Plot, allowing it to utilize its offensive tools to sweep through fractured teams as soon as its counters have been eliminated. Alternatively, Thundurus can strike without boosts to be an immediate threat whenever it switches in and utilize Defiant to give itself a free Attack boost against Defog users, utilizing a great physical movepool including Knock Off, Superpower, and U-turn. Thundurus's position as one of OU's most threatening and defining attackers is never to be underestimated.


Thundurus-T
Type: Electric / Flying
Base Stats: 79 HP / 105 Atk / 70 Def / 145 SpA / 80 SpD / 101 Spe
Ability: Volt Absorb / Defiant

Possessing one of the highest Special Attack stats in the game, Thundurus-T is a massively powerful special attacker. Volt Absorb is a great ability that gives it switch-in opportunities while healing itself, and it has a nifty Speed tier that puts it just ahead of common Pokemon, including Manaphy and Mega Charizard Y, which it threatens with its powerful STAB Electric-type moves. Agility and Nasty Plot give it boosting moves that allow it to break through many different kinds of teams, and a good typing makes it very resistant to priority despite poor bulk. It can even utilize both boosting moves on one set so it will be helpful against more than one team archetype. Thundurus-T also has a very potent Choice Scarf set that revenge kills and picks up momentum with Volt Switch. Thundurus-T possesses many of the ideal characteristics of an offensive Pokemon, and it is among the most dangerous threats of the metagame.


Tornadus-T
Type: Flying
Base Stats: 70 HP / 100 Atk / 80 Def / 110 SpA / 90 SpD / 121 Spe
Ability: Regenerator

Once the king of rain offense, Tornadus-T has no doubt fallen from grace since the BW2 era. However, its amazing Speed stat, stellar offensive movepool, and base 110 Special Attack make it a difficult Pokemon to switch into safely, which renders Tornadus-T a fearsome offensive threat. By virtue of Hurricane's shaky accuracy, Tornadus-T is often paired with Politoed, which can provide useful Drizzle support. An otherwise inconvenient weakness to Stealth Rock is mitigated by Tornadus-T's ability, Regenerator, which is complemented by its access to U-turn. Regenerator's usefulness does not end there, as it lets Tornadus use a Life Orb with fewer regrets or act as a potent pivot with the use of Assault Vest. This means that Tornadus-T will be able to constantly switch in and out through a battle and persistently be a hassle to deal with. U-turn also allows Tornadus-T to scout for potential switch-ins and adjust accordingly, making defensive counters to the Cyclone Genie less appropriate due to risks of being trapped or set up on.


Tyranitar
Type: Dark / Rock
Base Stats:100 HP / 134 Atk / 110 Def / 95 SpA / 100 SpD / 61 Spe
Abilities: Sand Stream / Unnerve

Tyranitar's access to an item allows it to play a greater variety of roles than Mega Tyranitar. With a good attack stat of 134, and an amazing physical movepool, Tyranitar is well placed to punch holes in the opponents team, and can also use its 95 special attack to run a mixed set. In addition to Stone Edge and Crunch, Pursuit is an important STAB move on Tyranitar, as it provides the ability to trap many Dark weak pokemon, including Latios and Latias, and even the threat of Pursuit can deter an opponent from carelessly switching in a Dark-weak pokemon. Thanks to Sand Stream, Tyranitar's uninvested special defense of 100 is already equivalent to a base stat of 159, making it bulky enough to switch in on Draco Meteor from Life Orb Latios. Choice Scarf is the most popular item for Tyranitar to hold, as with a speed positive nature, it can outspeed positive speed base 115 pokemon. Choice Banded sets offer immense power, and are able to do enormous damage with Pursuit even if an opponent chooses not to switch out, while an Assault Vest set can even survive a Mega Charizard-Y's Focus Blast in the sun, before OHKOing it with Stone Edge. While Tyranitar's low base 61 speed and 7 weaknesses leave it vulnerable to quite a few pokemon, particularly Fighting types, it has good 100/110/100 bulk, and its power makes it difficult to switch in on. Tyranitar's amazing ability to change the weather, along with the variety of sets it can run have firmly cemented Tyranitar's place in OU for the last five generations.


Victini
Type: Psychic / Fire
Base Stats: 100 / 100 / 100 / 100 / 100 / 100
Ability: Victory Star

Victini's 100 base stats across the board are nothing to scoff at, as it allows Victini to run Mixed, Banded, Scarfed, and Trick Room sets, all functioning in their own way. Victini's great offensive typing in Psychic / Fire allows it dent many Pokemon. However, the true power in Victini is in its signature move 'V-Create'. V-Create is a base 180 Power STAB move that is almost guaranteed to put a dent in any Pokemon that attempts to switch into it if not KO them. V-Create makes Victini one of the hardest Pokemon to switch into in the OU metagame, let alone Victini's banded and revenge killing sets, which already do a good job at making Victini a terrifying Pokemon.


Volcarona
Type: Bug / Fire
Base Stats: 85 HP / 60 Atk / 65 Def / 135 SpA / 105 SpD / 100 Spe
Ability: Flame Body / Swarm

Volcarona is an effective bulky sweeper in the OU tier, boasting an enormous base 135 Special Attack stat and decent Speed combined with access to one of the best boosting moves in the game in Quiver Dance that lets it blast through unprepared teams with minimal setup. A good typing gives it strong STAB moves and, as a virtue of it, several resistances that it can use to set up. Invested bulk in conjunction with Flame Body lets it set up top threats such as Aegislash and Bisharp. While there are several threats that can almost always prevent Volcarona from doing its job, if these are removed, then Volcarona will usually have a chance to sweep that one must be careful to prevent.


Zygarde
Type: Dragon / Ground
Base Stats: 108 HP / 100 Atk / 121 Def / 81 SpA / 95 SpD / 95 Spe
Abilities: Aura Break

Zygarde does not look immediately threatening, but the numerous ways it can become so should not be underestimated. One should observe its potent STAB combination, which has very few resistances between them, and its access to boosting moves such as Dragon Dance and Coil, which is already a recipe for a very dangerous sweeper. Zygarde's offensive movepool is not wide, but it is precise: with both STABs, Stone Edge, and Extreme Speed, there aren't a lot of offensive or defensive threats it cannot cover. Zygarde also has very impressive bulk, which can be further boosted with Coil, and this allows its Substitutes to not be broken by just about any non super-effective attack from defensive Pokemon. Access to Dragon Tail means that opposing phazers do not present a threat to Zygarde, which will almost always be faster. Zygarde's only real downfall is its inability to pose an immediate threat like other Dragons can against most neutral targets, but if you can pit Zygarde against an opponent it can comfortably defeat, the opponent may have little to no time left to stop it.
 
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Jukain

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Alomomola
Type: Water
Base Stats: 165 HP / 75 Atk / 80 Def / 40 Spa / 45 SpD / 65 Spe
Ability: Healer / Hydration / Regenerator

Alomomola is an excellent defensive pivot because of its expansive array of supporting moves and decent base defenses that are backed by its gargantuan base 165 HP stat. Alomomola can reliably switch into most unboosted physical attacks without worrying about losing too much Health because it can easily replenish its own HP through Wish or its ability Regenerator. Regenerator heals Alomomola by 1/3 of its max HP every time it switches out, so Alomomola can constantly switch in to take hits and use Wish to heal itself or a teammate. Its ability to easily heal itself makes Alomomola difficult to wear down. Alomomola also has access to Magic Coat, which enables it to reflect non-damaging moves back to its opponent. Alomomola serves as an excellent defensive anchor that's fully capable of providing its teammates with healing through Wish.


Amoonguss
Type: Grass / Poison
Base Stats: 114 HP / 85 Atk / 70 Def / 85 SpA / 80 SpD / 30 Spe
Ability: Effect Spore / Regenerator

Amoonguss is arguably one of the best pivots in the entire game, as it has amazing bulk, as well as an awesome ability in Regenerator, healing Amoonguss by a third of its health every time it pivots out. Aside from being able to switch into any neutral hit well, Amoonguss has an amazing move in Spore, which is a completely accurate move that forces the opponent to sleep. Grass-types that attempt to switch into Amoonguss's Spore are punished by Amoonguss's STAB Sludge Bomb. However, Spore and pivoting are not Amoonguss's main gems, as Amoonguss can cripple faster opponents with Stun Spore, or punish physical attackers with Foul Play, if not already being a complete stop to them. With all these points considered, Amoonguss is a valuable Pokemon to any team that lacks a pivot.


Blissey
Type: Normal
Base Stats: 255 HP / 10 Atk / 10 Def / 75 SpA / 135 SpD / 55 Spe
Ability: Natural Cure / Serene Grace / Healer

The elder of the pink blobs is a nightmare for nearly any special attacker to face, as its gargantuan base 255 HP stat and superb 135 Special Defense make it nearly untouchable from the special side for the most part. Access to reliable recovery lets Blissey become arguably one of the toughest special walls to break, as it is nearly impossible to wear down slowly over the course of a battle. Natural Cure ensures that Toxic doesn't hamper Blissey either, and Blissey's great status-absorbing ability can be a major pain for Pokemon reliant on wearing the opponent down through status. Finally, Blissey makes good use of Toxic and Seismic Toss to ensure that almost no boosting special attacker can get past it, with very few exceptions.


Bronzong
Type: Steel / Psychic
Base Stats: 67 HP / 89 Atk / 116 Def / 79 SpA / 116 SpD / 33 Spe
Abilities: Levitate / Heatproof / Heavy Metal

Bronzong's Steel/Psychic typing provides it with nine resistances and one immunity, while Bronzong's abilities grant it an immunity to either Ground or Fire. Levitate is the more common choice, as with the Ground immunity it provides, and backed by solid 67/116/116 defenses, Bronzong's unique combination of typing and ability allows it to counter Ground type pokemon including Sand Rush Excadrill and Mamoswine, and with Special Defense investment, Bronzong is able to use its resistances to take on special attackers including Latios and Mega Gardevoir. Bronzong's bulk makes it a reliable Stealth Rock setter, and in addition, it can support the team with Trick Room and Explosion, or Dual Screens. Due to Bronzong's lack of recovery, it is unable to stall out opposing pokemon, and needs to carry the right offensive moves in order to take down the pokemon that it aims to wall. While this lack of recovery and vulnerability to Knock Off make Bronzong difficult to include on a team, its typing, ability and support movepool give it a niche in OU.


Celebi
Type: Psychic / Grass
Base Stats: 100 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 100 Spe
Ability: Natural Cure

Celebi is a good defensive pokemon in OU, as its 100/100/100 bulk allows it to reliably set up Stealth Rock, while making use of its extensive support movepool, including Recover, Heal Bell, Healing Wish and Thunder Wave, and ability Natural Cure, allowing it to also absorb status moves. Celebi's Psychic / Grass typing provides useful resistances to Water, Fighting and Ground, allowing it to check is to be an excellent check to Water types, particularly Keldeo and some Landorus sets. The defensive utility of Celebi's typing is a double-edged sword, as it also gives Celebi seven weaknesses. Because of this, both U-Turn and Baton Pass are often seen on Celebi, allowing it to pivot out of unfavourable matchups; additionally Celebi is also well suited to Baton Pass offensive boosts or a Substitute to a teammate. Although Celebi mainly runs defensive sets, Celebi's access to three attack boosting moves, and mixed 100/100 offenses also allow it to surprise with an offensive Life Orb set. While Celebi's typing makes it difficult to fit on teams, with the right teammates, it can provide excellent support.


Chansey
Type: Normal
Base Stats: 250 HP / 5 Atk / 5 Def / 35 SpA / 105 SpD / 50 Spe
Ability: Natural Cure / Serene Grace / Healer

Don't let Chansey's status as a NFE Pokemon fool you into thinking it's any less of a threat. With defenses exceeding even that of its evolved form Blissey thanks to Eviolite, Chansey is capable of taking a wide range of both physical and special attacks. Reliable recovery allows Chansey to stall while it wears down many of its opponents with either Toxic or Seismic Toss. Its ability, Natural Cure, prevents opponents from wearing it down with status, allowing it to out-stall even other defensive Pokemon. Finally, it has plenty of support options such as Wish, Stealth Rock, and Aromatherapy to help out its teammates, meaning giving free turns to Chansey is a dangerous ordeal. Make sure your team can break Chansey, as it is extremely difficult to wear down and will easily outlast its foes, given the chance.


Chesnaught
Type: Grass / Fighting
Base Stats: 88 HP / 107 Atk / 122 Def / 74 SpA / 75 SpD / 64 Spe
Ability: Overgrow / Bulletproof

Chesnaught has a unique combination of qualities that make it a resilient physical tank. With base 88 HP and 122 Defense, Chesnaught can easily take many physical attacks, and its good defensive typing gives it a resistance to EdgeQuake, a move combination commonly found on many physical attackers, as well as a valuable Dark-type resistance. Thanks to its bulk and ease of switching in, Chesnaught lends itself naturally to be a great Leech Seed user, replenishing both its own and its teammates' health. In tandem with Spiky Shield, Chesnaught can stall for Leech Seed recovery while making physically attackers lose 25% of their HP in a single turn, making it great at wearing down its counters. Finally, Chesnaught's ability Bulletproof makes it immune to many commonly seen attacks, making it a great switch-in to Pokemon reliant on moves such as Shadow Ball or Aura Sphere.


Clefable
Type: Fairy
Base Stats: 95 HP / 70 Atk / 73 Def / 95 SpA / 90 SpD / 60 Spe
Abilities: Cute Charm / Magic Guard / Unaware

Clefable's unimpressive base stats and cute appearance belie its status as one of the most dangerous pokemon in OU. With maximum defensive investment, Clefable becomes extremely difficult for any pokemon to OHKO, allowing it to use its great defensive typing, reliable recovery and abilities to be an excellent defensive and offensive pokemon. Magic Guard sets heavily invest in physical defense, and boost their special offenses and defenses with Calm Mind. before attacking with Moonblast. Clefable commonly runs Flamethrower for coverage, which roasts most Steel- types, making Clefable even more difficult to check, especially as there are only a handful of OU viable Poison- type pokemon. Clefable can also viably use Unaware, and while Unaware sets are vulnerable to status, they are able to set up on and force out most boosted sweepers, while having the potential to sweep with the combination of Moonblast and Calm Mind or Cosmic Power and Stored Power. Clefable can also be used in a purely defensive role, supporting the team with Wish, Heal Bell and Stealth Rock. Clefable only has a small number of reliable checks, and even less after it has begun to setup, so any unprepared team is at risk of being swept by this smiling pink blob.


Cresselia
Type: Psychic
Base stats: 120 HP / 70 Atk / 120 Def / 75 SAtk / 130 SDef / 85 Spe
Ability: Levitate

Boasting insane defenses, a good support movepool, and access to semi-reliable recovery allow Cresselia to function very well on defensively oriented teams. She holds the title of being the best Landorus-I counter in the tier, which is something that every stall team needs in order to not get 6-0ed by him. Aside from her fantastic 120 / 120 / 130 Defenses, her decent Psychic-typing give her useful resistances to Fighting and Psychic-type moves, which makes her an excellent counter to Mega Medicham, and a decent check to Mega Gardevoir when using a specially defensive EV spread. On top of all this, access to support moves in Light Screen, Reflect, Thunder Wave, and Trick Room give her ample opportunities to support her team. Lastly, Cresselia has access to the coveted Lunar Dance, which restores a teammate to full health, cures them of status, and restores all PP at the cost of her own life, which can allow a more useful teammate to have a second life.


Doublade
Type: Steel / Ghost
Base Stats: 59 HP / 110 Atk / 150 Def / 45 SpA / 49 SpD / 35 Spe
Ability: No Guard

The first thing you will notice when looking at Doublade's stats is that incredible Defense stat. When equipped with an Eviolite, Doublade's Defense soars through the roof, making it capable of tanking even the most powerful of physical hits. Blessed with a unique defensive typing that grants it an incredible number of resistances plus three immunities, there is no shortage of potential switch-in opportunities for Doublade, and it stands out as an effective check to some of OU's most powerful wallbreakers including Terrakion, Mega Gardevoir and Mega Pinsir. It can run an effective RestTalk set which allows it to shrug off status and regain all of its health; extending its longevity, plus has sufficient offenses to deal some decent damage with its STAB Shadow Claw and/or Gyro Ball. It can also effectively put a timer on its opponent with Toxic (Which won't suffer an untimely miss thanks to No Guard) and stall them out with Rest. All in all, while not the versatile monster that Aegislash was in OU, Doublade is capable of proving a threat in its own right, so ensure that your team packs special attackers that can swiftly dispose of it, or there's going to be trouble.


Ferrothorn
Type: Grass / Steel
Base Stats: 74 HP / 94 Atk / 131 Def / 54 SpA / 116 SpD / 20 Spe
Ability: Iron Barbs / Anticipation

This steel durian packs excellent 74/131/116 defenses, making it an extremely common wall on any OU team. Its fantastic typing leaves it only two weaknesses, while its natural bulk allows it to stomach neutral hits relatively easily. Access to great support moves such as Stealth Rock, Spikes, and Thunder Wave lets Ferrothorn pressure the opposing team, while Leech Seed and Protect allow it to survive and stall out some foes, and powerful STAB moves in Gyro Ball and Power Whip ensure that it just isn't a sitting duck on the battlefield. Ferrothorn's combination of utility and bulk is quite impressive, and it is due to this that many teams carry a countermeasure for this defensive behemoth.


Gastrodon
Type: Water / Ground
Base Stats: 111 HP / 83 Atk / 68 Def / 92 SpA / 82 SpD / 39 Spe
Ability: Sticky Hold / Storm Drain / Sand Force

With solid 111 / 68 / 82 Defenses, and a great defensive typing leaving it only weak to Grass-type attacks, and an ability giving it an immunity to Water-type attacks, it's easy to see why Gastrodon is an ideal physical wall in the OU metagame. Gastrodon's high HP stat makes it very hard to break through, and with defensive investment, Gastrodon can take any non-STAB or neutral hit well, and retaliate by either spreading a burn with Scald or by using Toxic, two very common moves on Gastrodon. Gastrodon can also take down common threats in the OU metagame that can't break through it such as Dragonite or Garchomp with Ice Beam, allowing Gastrodon to act as a tank. Alongside all this, Gastrodon has access to Recover, so trying to whittle it down with Toxic or a Burn is a lot harder than it is on other Pokemon.


Gliscor
Type: Ground / Flying
Base Stats: 75 HP / 95 Atk / 125 Def / 45 SpA / 75 SpD / 95 Spe
Ability: Hyper Cutter / Sand Veil / Poison Heal

Gliscor's main claim to fame in OU lies in its infamous SubToxic strategy, gradually whittling down opponents without any net HP loss, but its typing and solid 75/125/75 defenses means that it also checks many common threats such as Terrakion, Landorus-T, Excadrill, and Breloom, and even some specially offensive threats such as the Lati twins, Landorus, and Gengar with the correct EVs. Support moves such as U-turn, Knock Off, and Taunt can be used relatively well with Gliscor's great Speed, while its immunity to status thanks to Toxic Orb + Poison Heal and access to Roost allows it to win against most opposing walls. Furthermore, the sheer amount of passive recovery granted by Poison Heal means that it is extremely difficult to wear Gliscor down, and its usual offensive options of Earthquake and Toxic hit most of the tier, allowing Gliscor to stall out most opponents extremely effectively.


Gyarados
Type: Water / Flying
Base Stats: 95 HP / 125 Atk / 79 Def / 60 SpA / 100 SpD / 81 Spe
Ability: Intimidate / Moxie

Sporting a unique typing that allows Gyarados to take on some of the most dangerous special attackers in the game, such as Keldeo, Charizard Y, and Landorus, defensive Gyarados is viable as it can function as a comfortable pivot to most special attackers, and some physical ones as well, due to Intimidate bolstering its average Defence when it switches in. Gyarados can make use of its support movepool, using Thunder Wave to cripple most special attackers. It is also blessed with Taunt, preventing pokemon like Ferrothorn from coming in and simply using it as hazard bait, making it much more difficult to KO using passive moves like Leech Seed, or slower users of Toxic. Gyarados can run RestTalk, as it's its only method of recovery, allowing it to come in numerous times throughout the match to check the aforementioned Pokemon. Having a strong STAB in waterfall allows it to comfortably take out ground types who are immune to Thunder Wave, and prevent it from being a sitting duck. Access to Dragon Tail also allows it to act as a Para/shuffler of sorts, and prevents boosting threats from beating it.


Heatran
Type: Fire / Steel
Base Stats: 91 HP / 90 Atk / 106 Def / 130 SpA / 106 SpD / 77 Spe
Ability: Flash Fire / Flame Body

Heatran's amazing defensive typing, which grants it an immunity and only three weaknesses, coupled with its solid 91 / 106 / 106 bulk, make it an ideal defensive threat. Heatran's ability in Flash Fire also grants it immunity to Fire-type attacks, granting it an additional immunity as well. Most defensive Heatran run a specially defensive spread, allowing it to take special hits well, and allow it do what it wishes. Heatran also is a common user of Lava Plume, which with its base 130 Special Attack stat, allows it to deal damage and even potentially burn. Heatran also tend to run Toxic and Protect in conjunction with Leftovers to wear down the opponent with poison that stacks up, as well as slowly recovering health.


Hippowdon
Type: Ground
Base Stats: 108 HP / 112 Atk / 118 Def / 68 SpA / 72 SpD / 47 Spe
Ability: Sand Stream / Sand Force

Hippowdon is a fantastic defensive pokemon, having the ability to go as a physically, specially, or mixed wall. Utilizing its solid stats, it provides an extreme nuisance to take down, with reliable recovery in Slack Off. In addition, it carries coveted moves like Stealth Rock, and can also psuedo-haze with Whirlwind. Its attack stat is solid, meaning that with no investment it still packs a punch. Hippowdon also supports its team with Sand Storm, allowing it to be a viable choice on Sand Offense teams. With investment, Hippowdon can run a specially defensive set, which handles Pokemon that rely on weaker a Hidden Power Ice to defeat it, such as Thundurus and Mega Manectric, and dispatching them with Stone Edge/Earthquake respectively. Due to shuffling, SR capabilities, extreme physical bulk and passable special defence, being an amazing partner to Sand Offense teams, and not being a passive threat, Hippowdon is a solid choice for a slot in an OU team, and something that should never be overlooked when observing Pokemon that wall you.


Jirachi
Type: Steel / Psychic
Base Stats: 100 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 100 SAtk / 100 SDef / 100 Spe
Ability: Serene Grace

With a great defensive typing, a good support movepool, and great 100 /100 / 100 defenses, Jirachi is a premier defensive Pokemon in the OU metagame. He sports great resistances in Dragon, Psychic, and Fairy, which allows him to counter top tier threats such as Clefable, Mega Gardevoir, Latios, and Latias, as well as numerous other special attackers. Additionally, he has access to Iron Head, Body Slam, and Thunder Wave, which can all be used to hax the opponent to death through the infamous ParaFlinch strategy thanks to his ability, Serene Grace. Jirachi also has access to U-Turn, which allows him to retain momentum through the numerous switches he forces. He's also incredibly hard to wear down, as he has access to Wish, which provides him, and his teammates, with a semi-reliable form of recovery. Lastly, Jirachi has access to great support moves such as Healing Wish, Light Screen, Reflect, and Toxic, which only ensures that he'll be helping your team out every time he comes in.


Landorus-T
Type: Ground / Flying
Base Stats: 89 HP / 145 Atk / 90 Def / 105 SpA / 80 SpD / 91 Spe
Ability: Intimidate

Landorus-T functions as one of the best physical pivots in the OU metagame due to its combination of good bulk, a great defensive typing, and an amazing ability in Intimidate, allowing it to switch into almost any neutral physical attack and take it well. Landorus-T's naturally high attack stat also allows it to do some damage when pivoting in, meaning that Landorus-T can simply pivot in and hit hard, while being bulky enough to take attacks in return. Landorus-T's also has access to U-Turn, allowing the team to keep up momentum.


Mandibuzz

Type: Dark / Flying
Base Stats: 110 HP/ 65 Atk / 105 Def / 55 SpA / 95 SpD / 80 Spe
Abilities: Big Pecks / Overcoat / Weak Armor

Mandibuzz only has one function in OU; to Defog away entry hazards, but it has several attributes that allow it to reliably carry out this role. With excellent 110 / 105 / 95 defenses, three resistances, immunities to Ground and Psychic and access to Roost, Mandibuzz is difficult to take down without a super-effective attack, and with Overcoat allowing it to dodge most Sleep moves and access to Taunt from a decent base 80 speed, Mandibuzz is also difficult to cripple with status. Thanks to Foul Play, Mandibuzz does not need to rely on its low 65 attack, and can instead increase its already impressive defenses to the point where it can even outstall neutral hits as powerful as Choice Band Talonflame's Brave Bird on the physical side, and any attack from Landorus on the special side. Mandibuzz's typing is also a boon, as it allows to dodge the Pursuit and Magnet Pull trapping that other common Defog users are weak to. Mandibuzz has a few common weaknesses, including one to the same Stealth Rocks that it aims to remove, but its typing and great defenses make it a good pick for teams in need of a bulky Defog user.


Mega Charizard X
Type: Fire / Dragon
Base Stats: 78 HP / 130 Atk / 111 Def / 130 SpA / 85 SpD / 100 Spe
Ability: Tough Claws (Blaze / Solar Power)

While renowned as a devastating offensive threat, Mega Charizard X is also seen filling the role of defender, boasting an excellent defensive typing and a solid base 111 Defense stat. Thanks to its resistances, defensive Mega Charizard X stands out as an excellent way to handle Mega Charizard Y, a top OU wallbreaker. It can switch into many physical attackers and cripple them with a burn, thereby ruining them for the remainder of the match. It is one of the best available switch-ins to offensive Electric-, Steel-, Bug-, and Grass-types of all kinds, taking their attacks with ease and smacking back hard with its Tough Claws-boosted attacks whilst Roosting off damage as needed, allowing it to persevere throughout each battle. With investment, Mega Charizard X proves an excellent defensive pivot that can cripple foes while still packing quite a punch.


Mega Scizor

Type: Steel / Bug
Base Stats: 70 HP / 150 Atk / 140 Def / 65 SpA / 100 SpD/ 75 Spe
Ability: Technician (Swarm / Technician / Light Metal)

Although Mega Scizor is more commonly used for its offensive potential, its Mega Evolution also provides it with significant buffs to both defensive stats. With excellent 70 / 140 / 100 bulk, a great defensive typing with only a single weakness, reliable recovery, and an immunity to Toxic, Mega Scizor is difficult to take down without a Fire move, and can wall a significant portion of the OU metagame. Consequently, this make Mega Scizor an excellent user of Defog, as its Bug / Steel typing gives it lots of useful resistance, and thus many safe switchin opportunities. With base 150 attack, even an uninvested Bullet Punch will hit hard, and with a fourth slot to carry an additional coverage move, or U-Turn to escape trapping and create momentum, few pokemon are able to set up on Mega Scizor. While Mega Scizor needs to avoid all things Fire, including coverage moves and Hidden Powers, it is otherwise able to reliably support the team, making it worth the investment of both the team slot and the Mega slot.


Mega Venusaur
Type: Grass / Poison
Base Stats: 80 HP / 100 Atk / 123 Def / 122 SpA / 120 SpD / 80 Spe
Ability: Thick Fat (Overgrow / Chlorophyll)

Sporting incredibly well-rounded stats, a rather wide movepool and a stellar defensive typing further aided by its ability, it's no wonder Mega Venusaur stands out as one of OU's premier defensive Pokemon. Capable of checking a plethora of lethal threats such as Keldeo and Thundurus, Mega Venusaur can act as a solid defensive pivot for the team. With an arsenal containing utility options such as Leech Seed and Sleep Powder, Mega Venusaur is able to pull off a multitude of different tricks with great success, plus recovery from Giga Drain and Synthesis work wonders for Mega Venusaur's longevity. A versatile defensive threat that can work well on both offensively and defensively-inclined teams, Mega Venusaur is more than capable of pulling its weight and proving its worth.


Mew
Type: Psychic
Base Stats: 100 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 100 Spe
Ability: Synchronize

Mew is the definition of versatility, and this best trait is observed with it's defensive movepool. Carrying moves like Will-o-Wisp to cripple some premier threats that it walls, some courtesy of its typing, such as Mega Medicham, Azumarill, and Life Orb Terrakion. It also carries the coveted Taunt, and a strong speed tier, allowing it to become an amazing Stallbreaker as well. It has reliable recovery in Roost, which makes it deceptively long-lasting, and makes it very difficult to take down by even HO teams. Mew also can choose what type of wall it needs to be, whether physically or specially inclined, further showcasing its versatility. It also commonly runs Knock Off, proving as a massive nuisance, as many pokemon hate losing their items, whether it be facing Stall or Offense. It is also not limited to those moves as it can function as a Defog-user, or run other moves aside from Knock Off if it needs to lure and beat something that could setup on it. Mew is arguably the poster-pokemon for versatility, and must be thoroughly prepared for, as it often times can be the opponents win condition, and your chances of victory will be crushed by this floating cat.


Quagsire
Type: Water / Ground
Base Stats: 95 HP / 85 Atk / 85 Def / 65 SpA / 65 SpD / 35 Spe
Ability: Damp / Water Absorb / Unaware

With its ability Unaware, Quagsire is able to take on the plethora of physical setup sweepers in the tier. Unaware ignores the opponent's offensive stat boosts, allowing Quagsire to be an efficient check even if the foe is at +6. It can spread burns with Scald, crippling physical attackers, while it can also use Toxic to take down more defensive threats. It still has Earthquake as some form of offense against Ground-weak threats, as well as reliable recovery in the form of Recover; it can even lock an opponent into a move with Encore. It is very effective on stall teams, as it can help with some teammates' potential problems, specifically their susceptibility to being used as setup bait, making it an excellent counter to top threats such as Bisharp and Mega Charizard X.


Rhyperior
Type: Ground / Rock
Base Stats: 115 HP / 140 Atk / 130 Def / 55 SpA / 55 SpD / 40 Spe
Ability: Lightingrod / Solid Rock / Reckless

Rhyperior is one of the best checks to Birdspam in OU, thanks to its resistances to Talonflame's dual STAB, Mega Pinsir's Return, and Staraptor's dual STAB. To add to this, it has amazing Defense and great HP, as well as an excellent ability in Solid Rock, allowing it to easily take a Close Combat from either Staraptor or Mega Pinsir. It also has excellent Attack even when uninvested and an excellent dual STAB combination, allowing it to easily OHKO all 3 of the previously mentioned Pokemon. Rhyperior also has access to Stealth Rock and plenty of opportunities to set it up, as well as a very useful immunity to Electric-type moves, making it an excellent partner to Water-types that resist Rhyperior's 4x weakness to Water, as well as key resistanes to Fire- and Rock-type moves, which allow it to be an emergency check to some physical attackers, such as Charizard X.


Rotom-H
Type: Electric / Fire
Base stats: 50 HP / 65 Atk / 107 Def / 105 SpA / 107 SpD / 86 Spe
Ability: Levitate

While at first glance it may seem like a lesser Rotom-W, the Heat forme of Rotom is surely not to be overlooked. Its unique typing, with eight very useful resistances, and access to Will-O-Wisp, Thunder Wave, and Trick makes Rotom-H intensely anti-metagame. It can reliably check such dangerous threats as Talonflame, Aegislash, Thundurus, Mega Mawile, Mega Charizard Y, and Mega Pinsir with more consistency than Rotom-W in some cases due to the increased resistances. Its immunity to both paralysis and burn means that it is also a great status absorber. Thanks to Levitate, it is is immune to the Ground-type attacks that similar Pokemon such as Mega Charizard X and Heatran abhor. While its Stealth Rock weakness and reliance on Overheat hold it back defensively, Rotom-H's many unique qualities combine to make a potent defensive threat.


Rotom-W
Type: Electric / Water
Base Stats: 50 HP / 65 Atk / 107 Def / 105 SpA / 107 SpD / 86 Spe
Ability: Levitate

Rotom-W is an important defensive threat for numerous reasons. Its good mixed defenses allow it to take advantage of its stellar defensive typing. The number of useful resistances Rotom-W has is impressive, but what makes it so useful is its ability, Levitate, which lets it avoid all the Ground-type moves that Ice-, Water-, Steel-, and Flying-type Pokemon use for coverage, and the fact that it only has a single weakness means that attackers will often not possess a coverage move to hit it super effectively. Possessing multiple semi-reliable methods of recovery, Rotom-W can be a pain to take down. In addition, Rotom-W has access to Will-O-Wisp, preventing many physical attackers from attempting to stay in and muscle past it. Finally, Rotom-W is one of the only defensive Pokemon with access to Volt Switch, which allows it to grab momentum on many of the switches it forces. These unique qualities combine to give Rotom-W an important place in the metagame.


Sableye
Type: Dark / Ghost
Base Stats: 50 HP / 75 Atk / 75 Def / 65 SpA / 65 SpD / 50 Spe
Ability: Keen Eye / Stall / Prankster

Sableye is capable of being a menace to teams of all types. Its ability Prankster gives priority to any status moves, which it can easily utilize along with its expansive movepool of support options. Priority Will-O-Wisp is simply a nightmare for almost every physical attacker, stopping many sweeps cold and forcing switches left and right. Priority Taunt allows Sableye to shut down any foe attempting to set up, bring it down with status moves, or recover lost health. Priority Recover means that Sableye will usually be able to heal before its opponents can attack it, allowing it to easily stall. Finally, a myriad of attacking moves such as Knock Off and Foul Play makes sure that Sableye isn't a sitting duck and adds to its already insane utility value. Make sure your team has a way to deal with Sableye, because Sableye certainly has a way to deal with you back.


Skarmory
Type: Steel / Flying
Base Stats: 65 HP / 80 Atk / 140 Def / 40 SpA / 70 SpD / 70 Spe
Ability: Keen Eye / Sturdy / Weak Armor

By virtue of its extremely high Defense stat and great defensive typing, Skarmory is a solid switch-in and counter to many prominent physical attackers. It's one of the few Steel-types that are immune to Ground-type moves and neutral to Fighting-type moves, and carries with it an impressive eight resistances and two immunities that stop many. Access to reliable recovery makes Skarmory one of the most durable physical walls, while Whirlwind prevents it from becoming setup bait. The entry hazards it can lay down punish the special attackers that switch into it, and access to Defog can easily eradicate entry hazards detrimental to its own team. Overall, Skarmory's impressive physical bulk and amazing utility value make it a major defensive threat that must be played around carefully.


Slowbro
Type: Water / Psychic
Base Stats: 95 HP / 75 Atk / 110 Def / 100 SpA / 80 SpD / 30 Spe
Abilities: Oblivious / Own Tempo / Regenerator

Slowbro is an excellent physical wall, with great physical defenses, useful resistances, reliable recovery and additional recovery provided by Regenerator upon switching out. Slowbro normally bulks out its already impressive 95/110 physical defenses with full EV investment, allowing it to survive some of the strongest physical attacks in OU, including Mega Charizard-X's +1 Outrage, while also being able to comfortably wall feared physical attackers like Mega Medicham, Terrakion and Landorus-T; in other words, very few pokemon without a powerful super-effective move are able to reliably break through it. Slowbro is not a sitting duck defensively either, and with 100 special attack and access to a good movepool including Scald, Psyshock, Ice Beam, Thunder Wave, and Toxic, is able to status or attack an opposing pokemon, before healing with Slack Off or switching out to a teammate while recovering HP with Regenerator. While Slowbro is vulnerable to special attackers, and very powerful super-effective physical attacks, it is commonly used in a defensive core, which allows it to make frequent switches to fully utilise Regenerator, making Slowbro's weaknesses difficult to target.


Slowking
Type: Water / Psychic
Base Stats: 95 HP / 75 Atk / 80 Def / 100 SpA / 110 SpD / 30 Spe
Abilities: Oblivious / Own Tempo / Regenerator

Slowking is a surprisingly good wall, and is the Specially defensive counterpart to Slowbro. Slowking boasts the ability to take on some of the most devastating Special attackers in the tier, such as Mega Charizard-Y, Mega Gardevoir, Keldeo, and the Lati twins, which hit devastatingly hard. With access to Regenerator, Slowking can heal off damage fairly easily and can afford to switch in multiple times in battle without worry. Carrying an expansive movepool, Slowking can easily switch in on most of these special attackers and proceed to cripple them with Thunder Wave, and can use Slack Off for reliable recover outside Regenerator abuse. Unlike Slowbro, who has trouble some of the aforementioned Pokemon, Slowking easily takes them on without fear, and as Slowking possesses Scald, even physical attackers need to be wary, as switching in can completely cripple it with a burn for the rest of the match. It's movepool is also just as expansive, being able to use Fire Blast for Ferrothorn, Ice Beam for Dragons, and Psyshock as STAB. Being able to cover an almost entirely different spectrum of attackers also allows it to warrant the use of Assualt Vest, coupled with moves like Power Gem and Ice Beam to beat common Special attackers, Slowking has defined itself as an OU threat.



Starmie
Type: Water / Psychic
Base Stats: 60 HP / 75 Atk / 85 Def / 100 SpA / 85 SpD / 115 Spe
Ability: Illuminate / Natural Cure / Analytic

While normally seen running an offensive set due to its good offensive movepool as well as access to Analytic, Starmie can also run a defensive set, which makes it the best dedicated Rapid Spinner in OU. A combination of high Speed, decent defenses, a very usable STAB in Scald, and access to Recover and Natural Cure, mean Starmie has no problem coming in multiple times during a battle to get off a Rapid Spin. An excellent base 115 Speed stat puts it ahead of Pokemon like Thundurus, who risks taking a Scald burn if it tries to attack Starmie, while Natural Cure makes its Prankster Thunder Wave nearly irrelevant. Starmie also has access to Reflect Type, which it can use over a secondary attack to take little damage from Pursuit if it switches out afterwards, allowing it to come back in later and Rapid Spin again late game.


Suicune
Type: Water
Base Stats: 100 HP / 75 Atk / 115 Def / 90 SpA / 115 SpD / 85 Spe
Ability: Pressure / Water Absorb (Unreleased)

With a great defensive typing, formidable bulk, and access to Calm Mind, it is no wonder that Suicune is a notable defensive threat in the OU metagame. Through the use of these mentioned attributes, Suicune can be a sturdy late-game sweeper. With investment in physical bulk, the fabled CroCune set fears not the likes of status or offensive measures after it begins boosting. Indeed, it can only be stopped by extraordinary power before it has begun accumulating Calm Mind boosts or phazing. Suicune is also capable of deterring Pokemon that try to set up on it thanks to Scald, which poses a nasty 30% burn chance to almost any setup sweeper that dare try. Deal with Suicune as soon as possible, or fall victim to its offensive and defensive capabilities.


Sylveon
Type: Fairy
Base Stats: 95 HP / 65 Atk / 65 Def / 110 SpA / 130 SpD / 60 Spe
Ability: Cute Charm / Pixilate

With its base 95 HP and 130 Special Defense stats, Sylveon is known as a great special tank. A mono-Fairy typing gives Sylveon three resistances, one immunity, and only two weaknesses, which are both uncommon special attacking types, making Sylveon extremely tough to break through on the special side without substantial boosts. With access to Wish and Heal Bell, Sylveon not only has a fairly reliable method of recovery for itself, but can also heal up and cure teammates, so giving free turns to Sylveon can have far-reaching implications for the entire team. Pixilate makes Sylveon's Hyper Voice a powerful STAB move, ensuring that Sylveon is not setup bait for dangerous sweepers, and it can even use Calm Mind to bolster its Special Defense while also improving its offensive presence, making it all the more difficult to break.


Talonflame
Type: Fire / Flying
Base Stats: 78 HP / 81 Atk / 71 Def / 74 SpA / 69 SpD / 126 Spe
Abilities: Flame Body / Gale Wings

While Talonflame's unimpressive 78/71/69 defenses and 4x Stealth Rock weakness may make it seem like a poor defensive pokemon, Talonflame's access to priority Roost and Brave Bird, a fast Taunt and Will-O-Wisp make it surprisingly difficult to KO. The combination of Roost, Will-O-Wisp and Taunt forms a very threatening stallbreaker set which is able to comfortable remove most walls from the game, as few have enough offensive power to overcome Talonflame's recovery. Roost also removes Talonflame's Electric weakness, and reduces its Rock weakness to 2x, which with good prediction, makes Talonflame's weaknesses more difficult to exploit. Taunt or Will-O-Wisp can also be paired with Bulk Up and Roost, allowing Talonflame to set up on and stall out physical attackers, with good potential for a late-game sweep.


Tangrowth
Type: Grass
Base Stats: 100 HP / 100 Atk / 125 Def / 110 SpA / 50 SpD / 50 Spe
Ability: Chlorophyll / Leaf Guard / Regenerator

Tangrowth's mono-Grass typing is nothing to laugh at, as this monster's base 100 HP stat and base 125 Defense make it incredibly bulky on the physical side and let it switch into many physical attackers with impunity. Its ability Regenerator allows it to simply switch out to regain health, making it extremely hard to wear down over the course of a match, even when afflicted by burn or poison. Leech Seed, Sleep Powder, and Knock Off let it wear out and cripple the Pokemon that could potentially hurt it and provide a great degree of support to the rest of its team. When equipped with an Assault Vest and maxed out in Special Defense, Tangrowth becomes an extremely resilient mixed pivot that can serve a team throughout the entire match thanks to Regenerator, and a good attacking movepool allows it to have a decent offensive presence in addition to its defensive capabilities.


Tentacruel
Type: Water / Poison
Base Stats: 80 HP / 70 Atk / 65 Def / 80 SpA / 120 SpD / 100 Spe
Ability: Clear Body / Liquid Ooze / Rain Dish

Tentacruel's unique typing, giving it eight resistances, backed up by excellent Special Defence allow it to become a hard check to common Pokemon such as Azumarril, Keldeo and Clefable. Its walling capabilities are supported by STAB Scald, allowing it to burn opponents, Acid Spray, letting it easily deal with Calm Mind sweepers, along with an amazing support move pool, including Haze, Toxic Spikes and Knock off. But its main niche lies in its ability clear entry hazards from its side of the field, with Rapid Spin, invaluable for teams with their own entry hazards. Due to its high natural Special Defence, it can afford investing heavily in its Physical Defence in order to become a mixed wall and allowing it to switch into Pokemon such as Scizor and Scolipede much more easily. Its high Speed allows it to out speed Pokemon such as Jolly Tyranitar and Adamant Breloom with little investment.


Togekiss
Type: Fairy / Flying
Base Stats: 85 HP / 50 Atk / 95 Def / 120 SpA / 115 SpD / 80 Spe
Ability: Hustle / Serene Grace / Super Luck

With solid bulk, respectable Special Attack, and a useful Fairy/Flying type, Togekiss is a good special wall. Its crucial type advantages against Dragon, Ground, and Fighting enable it to handle dangerous special threats as Latios and Landorus, and even some physical ones as Dragonite and Conkeldurr. Though somewhat held back by a Stealth Rock weakness, it has access to reliable recovery to offset the damage. Its support movepool is expansive, containing gems such as Defog, Thunder Wave, and Heal Bell. Its Serene Grace ability makes it an infamous abuser of the "paraflinch" strategy, in which slowed-down opponents are whittled down as successive flinches and full paralysis immobilize them. Overall, Togekiss's durability, utility, versatility, and disruptive potential make it a notable defensive threat.


Zapdos
Type: Electric / Flying
Base Stats: 90 HP / 90 Atk / 85 Def / 125 SpA / 90 SpD / 100 Spe
Ability: Pressure / Static (Unreleased)

Zapdos has an amazing stat spread that has allowed it to be successful for all five previous generations, and this one is no different. Good defensive stats combined with a typing that gives Zapdos resistances to the common Flying-, Fighting-, and Ground-type attacks allow it to take on a plethora of powerful threats in the metagame, including Talonflame, Mega Pinsir, and Mega Scizor. Roost allows it to do its job throughout the match, and it is one of the best Defog users as it finds many opportunities to do so. Its Special Attack is also very threatening, letting it fight back against the threats that it walls. A powerful STAB Thunderbolt and good coverage options such as Heat Wave mean Zapdos is both difficult to break through and sponge attacks from. Zapdos is an extremely effective Pokemon that will cause trouble for many attackers when used correctly, and it must be played around carefully.
 
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Jukain

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Azelf
Type: Psychic
Base Stats: 75 HP / 125 Atk / 70 Def / 125 SpA / 70 SpD / 115 Spe
Ability: Levitate

Azelf's combination of high Speed and a movepool absolutely chock-full of utility options means it can function effectively as a team supporter. Azelf has access to the dual screens combination of Light Screen and Reflect, which is greatly appreciated by allied setup sweepers. However, this is not all - it is also capable of feats such as setting up Stealth Rock, depriving the foe of their item with Knock Off, using Taunt to stop opponents setting up or crippling it, or using Explosion to inflict a great amount of damage on a foe and bring in a teammate unscathed. Azelf can run its suicide lead set from DP OU to success; ensuring Stealth Rock has been set up before quite literally going out with a bang. Azelf's support can allow its team to have a significantly easier time going about wreaking havoc, so it is advisable that your team is capable of dealing with the blue pixie.


Ditto
Type: Normal
Base Stats: 48 HP / 48 Atk / 48 Def / 48 SpA / 48 SpD / 48 Spe
Ability: Limber / Imposter

Ditto is an unparalleled revenge killer in the metagme, by virtue of its Hidden ability Imposter. This ability allows Ditto to copy the opponents stats bar HP, moveset, and possible stat boosts simply by switching in. With a Choice Scarf, Ditto will always be faster than the opposing Pokemon unless they are holding a Choice Scarf themself, and Ditto uses this to sweep through teams with the potential boosts it has acquired. Not only this, but Ditto's ability lets it scout the movesets of common leads and other Pokemon with a wide variety of options; this makes planning against those threats much easier to handle. It also has the advantage of being able to copy Mega Evolutions, allowing a possible two Mega Evolutions on one team. Ditto is a thorn in the side of setup sweepers, and its strange talent should never be forgotten.


Gorebyss
Type: Water
Base Stats: 55 HP / 84 Atk / 105 Def / 114 SpA / 75 SpD / 52 Spe
Ability: Swift Swim / Hydration

Gorebyss is undoubtedly a very threatening support Pokemon on account of its sole niche: SmashPassing. In the blink of an eye, Gorebyss can turn one of its already-powerful teammates such as Kyurem-B, Dragonite or Garchomp into a sweeping machine capable of tearing through opponents with insane power and speed, and thanks to Gorebyss' item of choice, the White Herb, its recipient will not be subject to debilitating defense drops that would otherwise serve to increase vulnerability to the omnipresent priority attacks. Additionally, Gorebyss' physical bulk isn't too shabby, which means it can take a hit as it sets up if it has to. The support that Gorebyss can provide for its allies is very potent indeed; it can facilitate a sweep with frightening ease.


Gothitelle
Type: Psychic
Base Stats: 70 HP / 55 Atk / 95 Def / 95 SpA / 110 SpD / 65 Spe
Ability: Frisk / Competitive / Shadow Tag

Blessed with the rare Shadow Tag ability, Gothitelle stands out as one of the best trappers in the game. It has an extensive special movepool that can be tailored specifically for threats that it wants to trap. When equipped with a Choice Specs, Gothitelle is very proficient at eliminating defensive cores; it just needs to run the correct coverage move. It can use Psychic for Mega Venusaur, Thunderbolt for Skarmory, Hidden Power Ground for Heatran, and Grass Knot for Hippowdon; its options are plentiful. It can also use a Choice Scarf set effectively to trap offensive threats, such as Keldeo, Scizor, and Gyarados. It is arguably the most versatile trapper, both in the Pokemon it can trap and the moves it can run to defeat them. It has a wealth of other options available ranging from specific Hidden Powers for certain foes to Trick to cripple nearly all defensive Pokemon. Because of its versatility and its ability to remove threats easily, Gothitelle can fit into most teams very well and is almost always able to do its intended job, making it a difficult opponent to face and a significant foe to watch out for.


Klefki
Type: Steel / Fairy
Base Stats: 57 HP / 80 Atk / 91 Def / 80 SpA / 87 SpD / 75 Spe
Ability: Magician / Prankster

While GameFreaks Pokemon design concept might be becoming childish Gen-by-Gen, it still produces some fantastic Pokemon, and Klefki is one the new ones. With a great defensive typing, which gives it 2 immunities and 11 resistances, and a fantastic ability in Prankster complimented by its nice supportive movepool, this is one of the best supporters. It can lay Spikes, set up dual screens, paralyze/poison, and has other plethora of options to abuse with Prankster. It has priority Fairy Lock to prevent a foe from fleeing. This can be useful when you're against something that can't do much to Klefki, or when the opposition Pokemon is about to die due to some residual damage. Though not very difficult to take down by brute force, this bunch of keys leaves a lasting impression on every battle.


Magnezone
Type: Steel / Electric
Base Stats: 70 HP / 70 Atk / 115 Def / 130 SpA / 90 SpD / 60 Spe
Ability: Magnet Pull / Illuminate/ Analytic

Magnezone was gifted with the ability Magnet Pull, which prevents all Steel-Type Pokemon from switching out, thus acting as the premier Steel-Type killer. It is used in conjunction with Pokemon who hate Steel-Types, most often Dragon-Types like Dragonite, which allows them to spam high power STAB moves like Outrage without much trouble. Ferrothorn is a common example of what Magnezone can trap. When running HP Fire, Magnezone can switch in, prevent Ferrothorn from switching out and trapping it, and then trade momentum for a guaranteed kill. Magnezone can also do this to Pokemon such as Skarmory and Scizor, two very important targets that it can take down using the aforementioned method. However Magnezone also carries critical moves such as Volt Switch to gain momentum of Pokemon like Skarmory and can get it out of bad situations, and its STAB Flash Cannon, which does massive damage to Fairy-Types, which are getting increasingly common and are often annoying to some teams. Ironically, Fairy-Types also gain from Magnezone's removal of Steel-Types, such as Mega Gardevoir and Clefable.


Politoed
Type: Water
Base Stats: 90 HP / 75 Atk / 75 Def / 90 SpA / 100 SpD / 70 Spe
Ability: Water Absorb / Damp / Drizzle

After enjoying a period of notoriety and omnipresence in last generation's OU, a nerf to weather-summoning abilities has seen Politoed plummet from grace and for the most part, back into obscurity. However, it would be unfair to say that Politoed is without a niche in XY OU; the ability to automatically summon eight turns of rainfall with a Damp Rock means that Politoed can provide valuable support to any team desiring said weather. For allies such as Kingdra and Kabutops, having Politoed around is a real boon - having rain support means that they can reach their full potential as deadly sweepers. This is not all, however; for Politoed is also adept at abusing the rain for itself when the need arises - a rain-boosted STAB Hydro Pump is certainly nothing to scoff at. Even though it is unequivocal that Politoed is one of the Pokemon that the generation shift hasn't been kind to, the unique support that it can provide for a team means that it is still a Pokemon more than capable of pulling its weight.


Scolipede
Type: Bug / Poison
Base Stats: 60 HP / 100 Atk / 89 Def / 55 SpA / 69 SpD / 112 Spe
Abilities: Poison Point / Swarm / Speed Boost

Scolipede's below-par stats are more than made up for by its ability Speed Boost. Scolipede's access to Baton Pass, allows it to run a very dangerous quick-pass set, as in addition to speed, it can also pass Substitute, Iron Defense or Swords Dance boosts to a teammate; the Iron Defense boosts are particularly significant, as this can allow Scolipede to set up an unbreakable Substitute in front of some physical attackers. While wallbreakers and physical attackers are obvious recipients for Scolipede to pass to, Espeon also appreciates the boosts, as every turn, Scolipede increases the base power of Stored Power. With a decent base 100 attack boosted by Life Orb, and a good physical movepool, Scolipede can also run a purely offensive set to sweep through a weakened team, and with Speed Boost, is impossible to revenge kill without priority. More rarely, Scolipede can use its access to Spikes, Toxic Spikes and Endeavor, to serve as a hazard setting lead. While Scolipede is vulnerable to priority, particularly from Flying types, and has difficulty against bulky teams and phasing, Speed Boost will make you regret giving Scolipede a free turn.


Shuckle
Type: Bug / Rock
Base Stats: 20 HP / 10 Atk / 230 Def / 10 SpA / 230 SpD / 5 Spe
Ability: Sturdy / Gluttony / Contrary

Shuckle's hilarious stats notwithstanding, it indeed has a notable niche in OU. Impressive overall defenses make Shuckle the most resilient and reliable user of the powerful Sticky Web. Access to Encore prevents opponents from taking advantage of it freely, and it can be used to deter Defog and Rapid Spin users from removing Shuckle's hazards, or punish them if they do. Sturdy affords the use of a Mental Herb with little few regrets, letting Shuckle act as a pretty effective lead, and Stealth Rock is always a nice touch. Sum these traits, and Shuckle is something that can threaten teams with its utility.


Smeargle
Type: Normal
Base Stats: 55 HP / 20 Atk / 35 Def / 20 SpA / 45 SpD / 75 Spe
Ability: Own Tempo / Technician / Moody

Smeargle is the only Pokemon with access to the move Sketch, which essentially lets it copy any move and gives it any possible moveset it desires. This enables it to fill almost any supporting role on your team, whether it is to lay down every entry hazard in the game, put foes to sleep with Spore, Taunt opposing leads, or even Baton Pass boosts such as Shell Smash. This diversity gives it a high level of unpredictability, and it enables it to tailor its moveset in order to best suit your team. Overall, Smeargle is quite dangerous due to its versatility, and should always be remembered in the metagame.


Tyranitar
Type: Dark / Rock
Base Stats: 100 HP / 134 Atk / 110 Def / 95 SpA / 100 SpD / 61 Spe
Ability: Sand Stream / Unnerve

Support Tyranitar has two main roles in OU; to lay down Stealth Rocks, and to set up Sand Stream for Sand Rush Excadrill. Tyranitar's excellent bulk makes it difficult to OHKO without a Fighting- type move, allowing support sets to potentially forgo Focus Sash or Leftovers in favour of Smooth Rock, allowing for 8 turns of sand. In addition to its excellent and expansive physical movepool, Support Tyranitar also makes good use of its 95 Special Attack stat, frequently carrying Fire Blast and Ice Beam to threaten the opposing Steel-, Flying- and Ground- types, that can both set Stealth Rocks and check Excadrill. Even after Tyranitar faints, its influence on the battlefield will remain, both in the form of the Sand Stream, and the free switchin given to Excadrill.


Venomoth
Type: Bug / Poison
Base Stats: 70 HP / 65 Atk / 60 Def / 90 SpA / 75 SpD / 90 Spe
Ability: Shield Dust / Tinted Lens / Wonder Skin

At a first glance, Venomoth looks like nothing special; a Pokémon with mediocre base stats and a weakness to Stealth Rock. However, Venomoth's niche lies in passing boosts acquired via Quiver Dance; a role that it performs rather well. Incapacitating the opponent with Sleep Powder allows Venomoth to set up, and it can then proceed to Baton Pass the boosts it accumulates to an ally. Wonder Skin is particularly useful for Venomoth, as it makes being shut down by moves such as Taunt and Thunder Wave far less of a likelihood. Venomoth has the potential to turn already-powerful special attackers like Thundurus-T, Keldeo and Mega Gardevoir into insanely strong and fast sweepers, so its supportive capabilities are certainly not to be underestimated.


Wobbuffet
Type: Psychic
Base Stats: 190 HP / 33 Atk / 58 Def / 33 SpA / 58 SpD / 33 Spe
Ability: Shadow Tag / Telepathy

At first glance, Wobbuffet looks like garbage. Its stats are all utterly abysmal besides HP, and its movepool consists of... eight moves, none of which are attacks, recovery, status, utility, or anything that would be of use. However, this movepool fits its role perfectly, with its ability Shadow Tag allowing it to trap foes and either eliminate them or make them setup bait with Encore. With a high base HP, Wobbuffet is actually pretty bulky despite what its pitiful defenses might lead you to believe, and this means it loses a large number of HP after each attack. Counter and Mirror Coat can thus hit foes back extremely hard. Wobbuffet can take at least one hit from basically every attacker and proceed to dispatch the foe with double the damage received. In addition, Wobbuffet has Tickle to make physical walls easier for physically offensive teammates to take out. Access to Safeguard prevents Pokemon like Prankster Thunder Wave Thundurus from incapacitating teammates at crucial times. This unique ability to support and take out threats makes Wobbuffet extremely dangerous.
 
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Jukain

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I was holding off on this until after the Mence ban, but then I got sidetracked with other things and ended up not following through with assessing the entries and getting ORAS up and running. That said, I'll be looking through the entries with a few others and determining what needs threatlist entries/what needs updates. I'll be putting a few things in hide tags below for my own reference. Bear in mind that there's a somewhat strict cutoff and excluded Pokemon are most likely done so deliberately. Just because something has a niche doesn't mean it deserves a place on the threatlist.
Dragalge (Offensive)
Mega Altaria (Offensive, Defensive)
Mega Beedrill (Offensive)
Mega Diancie (Offensive)
Mega Gallade (Offensive)
Mega Latias (Defensive)
Mega Lopunny (Offensive)
Mega Metagross (Offensive)
Mega Pidgeot (Offensive)
Mega Sableye (Defensive)
Mega Sceptile (Offensive)
Mega Sharpedo (Offensive)
Mega Slowbro (Defensive)
Mega Swampert (Offensive)

Mega Gyarados
 

Clone

Free Gliscor
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Edit: My bad..

Also, is it worth it to have Slowbro receive an offensive set (Recover 3 attacks) or Dragalge a defensive one (SpDef toxic spikes)? I feel that both of these are viable sets, but I'm not QC so up to you.
 

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