Since the month is almost over, and pokebank is out, I wanted to share my thoughts and team about this meta. This was definitely a pretty fun (if centralizing) meta. One of the first things I've noticed in this meta was that it was pretty specially based. Another interesting thing to note is that the speed tiers are quite funny here, with 100 being very desirable. Stealth rock is also a pretty powerful move in the meta. As a whole, here are the pokemon I think really stood out:
Aerodactyl. This thing is just a beast with a blistering 130spe, a decent 105 attack, and a potential to mega evolve. There really should be two sets used on this. Either a sashed lead meaning to set up stealth rock and/or deal damage, or a mega evo that uses hone claws and elemental fangs (ice and electric are really good). The main downside is that it's not that sturdy, and anything scarfed will outspeed it as this will rarely carry scarf.
Yanmega. This thing gets faster and faster, making it very hard to revenge kill. Yanmega also carries giga drain to take care of Rotom-w. It has a weakness to rocks and can't really hit some things like Zapdos or Togekiss, but it's good nonetheless.
Flygon. An electric immunity in this tier is great, and it also gets U-turn and Stone edge. The only thing worrying about it is a 4x weakness to ice. It has a great 100atk and 100spe.
Rotom. This thing is probably #1 usage in sky battles. Without a weakness to electric moves, a resistance to ice moves, will-o-wisp, electric STAB, hydro pump to hit ground types, and great defenses, this thing is the core of many teams.
Zapdos. Sitting at the nice 100 speed tier, Zapdos carries a very powerful 125spA stat and decent coverage moves. Volt switch, thunderbolt/discharge, heat wave, and hp ice rounds out its moveset, and a LO, scarf, specs, or even agility set make this one of the most dangerous threats in the tier.
Togekiss. Great defensive stats, reliable recovery, and paraflinch. Togekiss has a decent fairy typing and really good stats and with thunder wave and air slash or dazzling gleam, it can rip apart teams. It's vulnerable to electric types like Rotom and Zapdos, so make sure those are out of the way before Togekiss can do anything.
Gliscor. Very physically defensive, reliable healing, and can set up and remove hazards. Definitely more of a support pokemon (though offensive variants are possible), but it really has to watch out for HP ice or other ice moves.
Cryogonal. This thing has 105 speed and thus, can outspeed other popular pokemon like Charizard or Zapdos that sit at 100. Cryogonal is decently bulky in the special department, and also carries freeze dry, a way to hit Rotom-w.
Bronzong. It has a decent defensive type, and can act as support with hypnosis and stealth rock.
Xatu. It's the only thing in this tier that can bounce back hazards. This means a lot, and it's a decent support pokemon with status, momentum, damage, or screens.
Skarmory. Very bulky defense, can set up stealth rock, phaze, heal, and also defog. It's just that in a meta where most things carry electric moves, it's not as great as it is in regular OU.
Talonflame. Keep rocks away from this guy, and priority brave bird will still get you places.
Charizard. Gen one's time to shine! Charizard sits at a nice 100 speed tier, and if it weren't for the 4x weakness to rocks, it'd probably be the most used. Charizard X gets a very powerful flare blitz, thunder punch, dragon claw, and dragon dance, pushing its speed all the way to scarfed Zapdos. Charizard Y on the other hand, gets powerful sun boosted STAB, and solarbeam can pick off slightly weakened Rotom-w.
Here's the team I used (complete with silly nicknames). It got 24 wins and 4 losses.
A breakdown of all the pokemon I chose and why:
Aerodactyl. This thing is just a beast with a blistering 130spe, a decent 105 attack, and a potential to mega evolve. There really should be two sets used on this. Either a sashed lead meaning to set up stealth rock and/or deal damage, or a mega evo that uses hone claws and elemental fangs (ice and electric are really good). The main downside is that it's not that sturdy, and anything scarfed will outspeed it as this will rarely carry scarf.
Yanmega. This thing gets faster and faster, making it very hard to revenge kill. Yanmega also carries giga drain to take care of Rotom-w. It has a weakness to rocks and can't really hit some things like Zapdos or Togekiss, but it's good nonetheless.
Flygon. An electric immunity in this tier is great, and it also gets U-turn and Stone edge. The only thing worrying about it is a 4x weakness to ice. It has a great 100atk and 100spe.
Rotom. This thing is probably #1 usage in sky battles. Without a weakness to electric moves, a resistance to ice moves, will-o-wisp, electric STAB, hydro pump to hit ground types, and great defenses, this thing is the core of many teams.
Zapdos. Sitting at the nice 100 speed tier, Zapdos carries a very powerful 125spA stat and decent coverage moves. Volt switch, thunderbolt/discharge, heat wave, and hp ice rounds out its moveset, and a LO, scarf, specs, or even agility set make this one of the most dangerous threats in the tier.
Togekiss. Great defensive stats, reliable recovery, and paraflinch. Togekiss has a decent fairy typing and really good stats and with thunder wave and air slash or dazzling gleam, it can rip apart teams. It's vulnerable to electric types like Rotom and Zapdos, so make sure those are out of the way before Togekiss can do anything.
Gliscor. Very physically defensive, reliable healing, and can set up and remove hazards. Definitely more of a support pokemon (though offensive variants are possible), but it really has to watch out for HP ice or other ice moves.
Cryogonal. This thing has 105 speed and thus, can outspeed other popular pokemon like Charizard or Zapdos that sit at 100. Cryogonal is decently bulky in the special department, and also carries freeze dry, a way to hit Rotom-w.
Bronzong. It has a decent defensive type, and can act as support with hypnosis and stealth rock.
Xatu. It's the only thing in this tier that can bounce back hazards. This means a lot, and it's a decent support pokemon with status, momentum, damage, or screens.
Skarmory. Very bulky defense, can set up stealth rock, phaze, heal, and also defog. It's just that in a meta where most things carry electric moves, it's not as great as it is in regular OU.
Talonflame. Keep rocks away from this guy, and priority brave bird will still get you places.
Charizard. Gen one's time to shine! Charizard sits at a nice 100 speed tier, and if it weren't for the 4x weakness to rocks, it'd probably be the most used. Charizard X gets a very powerful flare blitz, thunder punch, dragon claw, and dragon dance, pushing its speed all the way to scarfed Zapdos. Charizard Y on the other hand, gets powerful sun boosted STAB, and solarbeam can pick off slightly weakened Rotom-w.
Here's the team I used (complete with silly nicknames). It got 24 wins and 4 losses.
I'm the best okay (Charizard) @ Charizardite X
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 HP
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Dragon Claw
- Flare Blitz
- Thunder Punch
Raging against machine (Rotom-Wash) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SDef / 252 HP / 4 SAtk
Calm Nature
IVs: 30 Atk / 30 Def
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Will-O-Wisp
- Pain Split
wow whoa much wise (Xatu) @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Impish Nature
- Roost
- U-turn
- Thunder Wave
- Night Shade
Sipper of beds (Zapdos) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 HP
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Heat Wave
Badness cube (Gliscor) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 248 Def / 244 HP / 16 Spd
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Stone Edge
- Ice Fang
- Protect
Toge (Togekiss) @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Modest Nature
IVs: 30 Atk / 30 Def
- Thunder Wave
- Air Slash
- Roost
- Dazzling Gleam
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 HP
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Dragon Claw
- Flare Blitz
- Thunder Punch
Raging against machine (Rotom-Wash) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SDef / 252 HP / 4 SAtk
Calm Nature
IVs: 30 Atk / 30 Def
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Will-O-Wisp
- Pain Split
wow whoa much wise (Xatu) @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Impish Nature
- Roost
- U-turn
- Thunder Wave
- Night Shade
Sipper of beds (Zapdos) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 HP
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Heat Wave
Badness cube (Gliscor) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 248 Def / 244 HP / 16 Spd
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Stone Edge
- Ice Fang
- Protect
Toge (Togekiss) @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Modest Nature
IVs: 30 Atk / 30 Def
- Thunder Wave
- Air Slash
- Roost
- Dazzling Gleam
A breakdown of all the pokemon I chose and why:
Charizard - This is my physical sweeper. If it can come in without rocks, and set up a dragon dance, it can deal some damage. At +1, flare blitz is guaranteed to either kill skarmory, or drop it down to 1hp (even without the attack boost, flare blitz cleaves off over 80% of 252hp 232+def Skarmory's hp). +1 Dragon claw is a guaranteed 2hko on non physically defensive variants of Rotom-w, and the dragon typing Charizard gets lets it be neutral to water and to resist electric, while also not having a wow burn hazard. With just one dragon dance, Charizard X can also guarantee a kill against 252hp Togekiss. Definitely a very potent sweeper.
Rotom - Bulk, bulk, bulk. This pokemon is the epitome of bulk. It can burn physical attackers and use volt switch to gather momentum, and even hit ground types with a hydro pump. With just 4 spA evs, a hydro pump has a 31% to 1hko Gliscor. Rotom also counters Togekiss in resisting flying, and being immune to thunder wave. This is one half of my defensive core (alongside Gliscor)
Xatu - A way to deflect stealth rock is highly appreciated, and Xatu also supports with night shade, spreading paralysis, and having a slow U-turn to keep momentum. The given EVs make it physically defensive in that it can survive the onslaught of the (mostly physical) rock setters. The given EVs virtually ensure that it cannot be 1hko'd by any physical attack, and it can roost off damage or cripple the opponent. Another great reason I have this is because of the fact that I make use of fast volt-switches, so I can deal damage to a lead, and then bounce back rocks. Xatu is even more pivotal on my team since I do not personally carry a spinner or defogger, so I must use Xatu to either block or reflect stones.
Zapdos - A late game sweeper, scarfed zapdos can also function as a lead or scout and can be paired with Xatu, Gliscor, or Rotom-w when pulling a fast volt switch. HP ice is a 1hko on Gliscor, and thunderbolt does enough to 2hko most of the tier. The biggest advantage Zapdos has is that if the opponent does not know it's a scarf, it can just rip apart teams. Heat wave is for Bronzong, but thunderbolt, volt switch, and hp ice are the real big players here.
Gliscor - The physically defensive alternative to Rotom-w. Gliscor can set up rocks, recover reliably, and have some sort of offensive presence. Toxic and defog are also options, but Gliscor's real bulk comes when it can live Mega charizard X's boosted(!) attacks, recover, and hit back with stone edge.
Togekiss - Togekiss is another late game cleaner, and should only really be used when Zapdos and Rotom-w are gone so it can paraflinch. Dazzling gleam is usually an emergency option reserved for hitting dragons or Zapdos or Rotom-w. Dazzling gleam from modest 252 Togekiss 2hkos Zapdos and 4hkos Rotom-w, but Togekiss really appreciates having those electric types removed first.
Rotom - Bulk, bulk, bulk. This pokemon is the epitome of bulk. It can burn physical attackers and use volt switch to gather momentum, and even hit ground types with a hydro pump. With just 4 spA evs, a hydro pump has a 31% to 1hko Gliscor. Rotom also counters Togekiss in resisting flying, and being immune to thunder wave. This is one half of my defensive core (alongside Gliscor)
Xatu - A way to deflect stealth rock is highly appreciated, and Xatu also supports with night shade, spreading paralysis, and having a slow U-turn to keep momentum. The given EVs make it physically defensive in that it can survive the onslaught of the (mostly physical) rock setters. The given EVs virtually ensure that it cannot be 1hko'd by any physical attack, and it can roost off damage or cripple the opponent. Another great reason I have this is because of the fact that I make use of fast volt-switches, so I can deal damage to a lead, and then bounce back rocks. Xatu is even more pivotal on my team since I do not personally carry a spinner or defogger, so I must use Xatu to either block or reflect stones.
Zapdos - A late game sweeper, scarfed zapdos can also function as a lead or scout and can be paired with Xatu, Gliscor, or Rotom-w when pulling a fast volt switch. HP ice is a 1hko on Gliscor, and thunderbolt does enough to 2hko most of the tier. The biggest advantage Zapdos has is that if the opponent does not know it's a scarf, it can just rip apart teams. Heat wave is for Bronzong, but thunderbolt, volt switch, and hp ice are the real big players here.
Gliscor - The physically defensive alternative to Rotom-w. Gliscor can set up rocks, recover reliably, and have some sort of offensive presence. Toxic and defog are also options, but Gliscor's real bulk comes when it can live Mega charizard X's boosted(!) attacks, recover, and hit back with stone edge.
Togekiss - Togekiss is another late game cleaner, and should only really be used when Zapdos and Rotom-w are gone so it can paraflinch. Dazzling gleam is usually an emergency option reserved for hitting dragons or Zapdos or Rotom-w. Dazzling gleam from modest 252 Togekiss 2hkos Zapdos and 4hkos Rotom-w, but Togekiss really appreciates having those electric types removed first.
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