Other Your Favorite Wall(s), and Why

[Æthereal Reaper]

Everytime I go to make a team, I sort of struggle with what to do in terms of walls. I get tired of using the same Defensive Rotom-W, or Specially Defensive Sylveon/Clefable. Most balanced teams use 1-2 of them, and I feel like lately, I haven't seen much variety. So what I'm looking to do here is compile a list of walls, both physical and special, common, and unorthodox.

TL;DR: Post your favorite walling mons, their movesets, and say a little bit about them. Don't be afraid to post super common ones, the goal here is to catalog walls to assist in teambuilding.


Maokai (Trevenant) (M) @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Harvest
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 120 Def / 132 SDef
Impish Nature
- Substitute
- Leech Seed
- Curse
- Will-O-Wisp

This guy here is sort of a split wall, and sports one of the most annoying movesets I've ever come up with. I usually run him on sun teams so that Harvest grants me full use of the Sitrus Berry. I use him mostly as a stall breaker. He sets up in the face of other walls without a care in the world. Substitute allows him to get a safety net going. Leech Seed provides longevity behind the substitute. Curse is a really cool skill when you are a ghost. It chunks 1/4 of the enemies health per turn, but at the initial cost of 1/2 yours. But this is where having a sitrus berry comes in handy. Even if you are not in sun, you still have a 50% chance to get it back every turn, which shouldn't be hard with the sub seed to sustain you. Finally, Will-O-Wisp to add more damage, and a handy burn. It's worth noting that Burn and Curse do stack, so you can force just about anything out if you can get a sub up.


Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 216 Def / 44 Spe
Bold Nature
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Will-O-Wisp
- Pain Split

I probably don't have to go into too much depth on this one, but I figured since I posted such a weird wall, I should probably post something standard too. Rotom Wash has a great bulk, and an excellent typing, that is further offset by his ability Levitate, which makes him troublesome for many other teams. Will-O-Wisp allows him to further cripple Physical Sweepers he comes in on. Hydro Pump is a primary STAB that allows him to deal damage while being this incredibly bulky. Volt-Switch provides momentum and form one half of the infamous VoltTurn core. Pain Spilt does considerable damage to full health switch-ins, and reinvigorates rotom to stay out and play. Leftovers provides the icing on the cake that is this frustrating washing machine.

Anyway, I could post more, there are a lot of obvious ones: Sylveon, Clefable, Skarmory, Zapdos, Heatran, Ferrothorn, etc. But I'd like to see some other people post, hopefully this goes well.

Physical Walls

Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 216 Def / 44 Spe
Bold Nature
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Will-O-Wisp
- Pain Split

Mixed Walls

Maokai (Trevenant) (M) @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Harvest
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 120 Def / 132 SDef
Impish Nature
- Substitute
- Leech Seed
- Curse
- Will-O-Wisp

 

[FullLifeGames]

My favourite wall was the German wall, splitting it into west and east! The chinese isn't bad either!

No to be honest, you should ask someone, if it's okay to do this thread before you create it here ... and you should also read the rules.
If you didn't ask for permission, this will be closed soon.

 

[BlueLobster]

I love using Avalugg as a wall. Most people have never seen it and don't know what it does, think lol ice type and spam SE moves on it. It walls most the unboosted physical meta. Here is it's best set:

Avalugg @ Rocky Helmet
252 HP, 252 Def, 4 Atk
Impish nature

Toxic/Rapid Spin
Recover
Avalanche
Mirror Coat

Works amazingly well as a Chansey partner, sadly is outclassed by Skarmory, who can set more hazards and has better typing and S.Def, but seeing such little usage gives it the surprise factor so many people think WTF how come I can't kill this thing? If they have no special sweeper left.

 

[Æthereal Reaper]

My favourite wall was the German wall, splitting it into west in east! The chinese isn't bad either!

No to be honest, you should ask someone, if it's okay to do this thread before you create it and you should also read the rules.
If you didn't ask for permission, this will be closed soon.

I didn't, and I have no idea where to post something like this, I figured ti fell under the category of competitive discussion. The ORAS Core thread seemed to be something of a similar vein, so I figured this was okay. If not, I'd appreciate if someone could tell me the appropriate place to post this.

 

[heritage]

Lol Avalugg
Also, yeah, you probably should have asked Haunter or Ginganinja or something. There really isn't a need for a thread like this. The OP is a little short, and the ORAS cores thread already covers things like this.
I don't know where to post it since there really isn't a need for it.

 

[FullLifeGames]

I didn't, and I have no idea where to post something like this, I figured ti fell under the category of competitive discussion. The ORAS Core thread seemed to be something of a similar vein, so I figured this was okay. If not, I'd appreciate if someone could tell me the appropriate place to post this.

Well, since we have this thread: http://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/ou-teambuilding-v3.3517051/ this is kinda OU Teambuilding Lite.

 

[Celticpride]

In addition to what FullLifeGames said, there's also a lengthy dedicated Stall thread:

http://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/stall.3490051/

There's a decent amount of info in there (along with a healthy amount of crap you should ignore). Important to note that it started at the beginning of XY, so most of the earlier stuff is less relevant now.

 

[chief_fabio]

Cofagrigus @ Leftovers
Ability: Mummy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Shadow Ball
- Rest
- Sleep Talk


it can counter mega metagross, shuts down completely mega lopunny and block spinners :3

 

[ZapDraws]

Not necessarily the best build, but a frustrating one nonetheless:

Porygon-2
Ability: Trace
Nature: Bold
Item: Eviolite
EVs: 4HP 252Def 252SpD
Toxic
Ice Beam
Thunderbolt
Recover

This thing has done more for me than you'd think. Something comes in against P2, and does minimal damage, getting poisoned in the process. I Recover during the switch (They assume it's defensively built for the opposite type of attack.) and nail the next one with Toxic. A P2 built to top out defensively both ways can outlast a lot of opponents. Bolt-Beam does the usual. My build has been burned AND Leech Seeded, and still took down multiple targets. If I need a wall, this is the one I use every time.

 

[RoyalDispenser]

Before the lock,

Spiritomb @Leftovers/Chesto Berry
Ability: Infiltrator
Nature: Impish
EVs: 252 HP, 252 Def, 4 Atk
- Will-o-wisp
- Pursuit
- Sucker Punch
- Rest/ShadowSneak

Deals with mega mence fairly well taking on neutral from his attacks and burning past sub.

 

[rainbowumbreon]

In B4 lock(although i dont mind this thread if it had a longer op)

Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability Iron Barbs
Nature Sassy
Evs: 252 Hp ,252 Sp Def,4 Atk
-Protect
-Leech Seed
-Gyro Ball
-Spikes / Stealth Rock

This is a very tough poke to breck down.With both lefties recovery and leech seed this poke can stall out many special attackers while passively getting up entry hazards

 

[DragonAscent]

Aaaaaaaand I'll slip in too!

Dogekiss @ Lefties/rockin' helmet
Nature: Bold
Evs: 252 HP, 252 def, 4 Spdef
-T wave/body slam (fak u mega sceptile [jk I lurve you <3])
-Flamethrower/aura sphere/heal bell/defog
-Air slash
-roost

Pretty much skarmory without hazards and with the ability to deal with ferrothorn. Or be a cleric, if you feel so inclined. T wave's for utility, because mega aero and lop and whatnot.

 

[Karxrida]

First of all, Trevenant is shit. Don't use is.

Secondly, Rotom-W isn't a wall, it's a pivot and BirdSpam check. Trying to play it like a wall will get you very dead washing machine very quickly.

 

[Jojobobo]

First of all, Trevenant is shit. Don't use is.

Secondly, Rotom-W isn't a wall, it's a pivot and BirdSpam check. Trying to play it like a wall will get you very dead washing machine very quickly.

There's also nothing wrong with phrasing things more politely.

 

[Karxrida]

There's also nothing wrong with phrasing things more politely.

I prefer to be short and blunt with my posts, even if it means being an asshole sometimes as long as I get my point across. If you would prefer me to explain why I know Trevenant is bad, check the last 2 pages of the Good Cores thread (on phone so I can't link atm, I'll edit this when I get home), though do note I'm being an asshole to the other guy too even though he started it.

Also, being snarky gets me a ton of likes.

EDIT:
http://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/oras-good-cores.3520901/page-7#post-5861560
http://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/oras-good-cores.3520901/page-7#post-5861857

 

[Æthereal Reaper]

Opinion is opinion, I never said good walls, I said your favorite. Also, I know Rotom isn't a wall per say, but his incredible bulk does allow him to wall off certain mons. Also, feel free to be an asshole, this is the internet. Also, ik Treevenant is garbage, but I really like him. I could potentially turn this into a good walls thread and fancy up the OP, but I feel like I need approval from mods before I put that kind of work in.

 

[Karxrida]

Opinion is opinion, I never said good walls, I said your favorite. Also, I know Rotom isn't a wall per say, but his incredible bulk does allow him to wall off certain mons. Also, feel free to be an asshole, this is the internet. Also, ik Treevenant is garbage, but I really like him. I could potentially turn this into a good walls thread and fancy up the OP, but I feel like I need approval from mods before I put that kind of work in.

Neither of them are even walls, as they lack the bulk and reliable recovery necessary to do so. There is also the issue of Trevenant being completely unviable in OU, as it is very easy to deal with and gives lots of threatening sweepers free switch-ins and/or setup opportunities.

 

[Ajwf]

I would have to say Gliscor... I was trying to think on what walls I've used the most as a way to quantify what would statistically be my favorite, and I think Gliscor is the easy choice, followed closely by Slowbro or Chesnaught.

One of the interesting things about Gliscor is it has not only an excellent typing and an S-Tier ability, it has so many roles on a stall team it can fulfill. Versatility is huge for any mon that you use consistently, because if it's a one trick pony, there's few times where you'll need that trick. Gliscor most commonly runs the Specially Defensive set used to counter Landorus-I. However TauntBreaker, Toxic Stall, and Physical Defensive all see uses for different purposes. Gliscor is a quick and cheap answer to multiple status users, has the attack to bust through taunt users and also the luxury of passive recovery twice that of leftovers, giving him little need to bother with taunt issues.

Taking Landorus (for the most part) is rare in and of itself for stall. To give you an idea, Cresselia is currently reknown as stall's best Landorus counter. The fall off after that is pretty steep, with only AV tornadus-T, CBBNite and Gliscor really making the cut consistently. Once you fall past that, Mandibuzz, Zapdos, Gyarados and Charizard Y are good options, but struggle in one form or another. All that remains after that is Chansey, Sylveon or some check and pray to god it doesn't run KnockOff/Sludge wave.

However, Gliscor gets another common issue: Stall Breaker Mew and Stall Breaker Gengar. None of the above function well vs either of themm considering the burns taken and taunt combination. Since you run knock off (for Lando's Life Orb first, then for switchins with levitate [aka Latis and Gengar]), neither of these are a true issue if you can get the toxic up first. What takes these two otherwise? Charizard-Y and Heatran are generally respected counters to Mew, although Heatran now must be weary of EQ. Gengar is a surprisingly difficult check, generally requiring like Mandibuzz (who takes a burn) heatran (fears Focus blast, can't sit in all day vs Shadow Ball) or even foul play Amoongus. While Gengar is far more frail and therefore generally regarded as the worse stall breaker, his unpredictability lends SpD Gliscor to be one of the single best stops to him in OU.

Lastly, probably the reason I've used him so often: He has massive utility. A lot of mons need more spots. All mons want more moveslots. However, Gliscor, while he does care, isn't deterred. With great moves in Roost, Acrobatics, Knock Off, Earthquake, SubToxic (because tradition), Taunt, U-turn, Stealth Rock and Ice Fang, Gliscor can fit just about any team's needs.


Gliscor @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 244 HP / 176 SpD / 88 Spe
Careful Nature
- Knock Off
- Earthquake
- Acrobatics / Taunt
- Roost

Current gliscor spread, used to speed creep mew creeping adamant Bisharp. Which also gets Hera one it goes mega. Knock off for Lando, Acro for Hera, EQ for coverage... pretty basic. If you don't have a hera issue, go taunt over Acro. Taunt is generally more useful anyways.

Really, this only scrapes the surface on why Gliscor is such an impressive wall, but there's few ways to truly do it justice.

 

[silversurfer718]

Opinion is opinion, I never said good walls, I said your favorite. Also, I know Rotom isn't a wall per say, but his incredible bulk does allow him to wall off certain mons. Also, feel free to be an asshole, this is the internet. Also, ik Treevenant is garbage, but I really like him. I could potentially turn this into a good walls thread and fancy up the OP, but I feel like I need approval from mods before I put that kind of work in.

The only Trevenant set I've seen work in OU that wasn't completely LOL bad was the status absorber with lum berry and harvest. I actually liked it a lot and it paired well with TTar who and Rotom-W who took care of birdspam, but then stallbreaker Mew shot up in usuage and completely obliterated it. And this was like, mid XY. Once Mega Man and Mega Cham shot up post Aegisban it was all over IMO on using Trev.

 

[blitzbanmagarin]

Mandibuzz is my favorite physical wall. Mandibuzz has some really annoying moves and insane bulk. I use it as a physical wall, but it can take a special hit pretty well considering its HP stat is extremely high. And base 95 sp.def isn't bad at all.

Mandibuzz @ Leftovers
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Roost
- Foul Play
- Defog/Knock Off
- Taunt

The purpose of this Mandibuzz is to stop Pokemon like Landorus, Excadrill, Bisharp, Dragonite, Garchomp and other common OU physical sweepers. Foul Play is your main move you'll be using against these Pokemon. Roost to get your HP back. You can put defog to get rid of the hazards, but knock off is also very helpful. Taunt is good if you're facing another wall.

It helped me a lot to stop all these physical sweepers. You can also put Rocky Helmet as item, but the problem is that you have no recovery, except for roost.

 

[56k]

I think this thread definitely has a use and a place on the forum, but OP please be picky about what you edit into the 1st post. Try only putting the tried-and-tested OU viable walls in the 1st post because remember that competitive pokemon is about winning not favorites. For example if something is truly outclassed then don't bother putting into the post because it'd be bad advice for anyone coming in to find some solid phys/spec/mix walls. Only keep in things on the level of ferrothorn and chansey and such.

Okay, so, my most-used-because-it-is-good wall? (I guess that does mean favorite)

Taunt Skarmory! - Now don't get me wrong, the current nature of OU filled with with trappers and knock off users and volt switchers and heatrans definitely makes it pretty frustrating for skarm's life. That's why I don't think it's a good idea to keep skarm in charge of crucial defogging or stealth rocking unless you have an offensive team, which probably only need to do it once. Stallier teams will probably want their main hazard support done by something that isn't so prone to trapping and has mixed bulk stats so it can do hazard on a wider variety of threats. Instead, skarm seems perfect for spikes, which are only situationally as useful as rocks but still add up if you're actually against a more defensive team. Instead skarm can focus on pure physical threats like he's meant to and furthermore taunt things that are slower than him (of which there really are many)

Skarmory @ Shed Shell
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 248 HP / 176 Def / 84 Spe
Impish Nature
- Whirlwind
- Roost
- Spikes
- Taunt

Is he taunt bait himself? Well think about it for a moment: the most common taunters are mew, heatran, thundurus, sableye, and talonflame. All of these are pokemon that skarmory wouldn't be staying in on in the first place (unless it's mono-attack talonflame). If you are going full stall and you have those threats handled then taunt skarm might have a good place in your team for the various threats out there that really can't touch skarm at all.

 

[Questro]

Not quite sure if we could still post in this thread, but I'd like to give my own two cents :)

Two walls come to my mind when I think of the pokemon who have served me the best. The first:

Alomomola @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 120 HP / 136 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Scald
- Wish
- Protect
- Toxic

Sometimes I run more Special Defense, max Defense, Mirror Coat, or Magic Coat depending on my team, but the big fish is just an amazing pokemon. I remember using it in NU last gen and thinking, why does no else use this thing? Sure, its offensive presence is lacking, but it's undoubtedly one of the, if not the best, wish passer in OU. Its Regenerator ability allows stall teams room for pivoting and less pressure on healing each turn while its good base stats and neutral typing transforms the big fish into a pseudo-blanket check to the physical monsters of the tier. Alo even has been a part of some of my balance teams in the same manner Slowbro is used, so it's not just for dedicated stall teams (like a Cresselia for example). In ORAS, Alomomola still fares decently in the meta, taking on new threats such as Mega Loppuny and Gunk Shot Greninja, while serving its previous role as a wall into Landorus-t (pretty much on every team now) and Talonflame. Its elegant design is simply the icing on the top.

The only trouble with Alo though is its heavy burden on a team when playing against Volt-Turn. I've never had too much trouble with the famed stallbreakers of this gen, but the Volt-Turn strategy is definitely one I would consider the easiest at picking apart ill-equipped stall teams. And for that reason, I sometimes replace Alomomola with my next favorite wall:

Quagsire @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Scald
- Earthquake
- Toxic
- Recover

It's just so derpy, that it's cute. Anyway, quagsire had a good run in the early stages of XY stall around the time Mega-Luke was banned. It fell off a bit later when it could no longer check the powerful physical stallbreakers that a lot of teams were running (such as MegaCham and MegaCross) and as Mega Char X was slowly dipping in popularity. However, I remain firm in Quagsire's unique attributes as a wall, with its Unaware ability continuing to kill brain cells. Just like Alomomola, Quagsire helps out a defensive team's nature of being too passive, which often permits the opponent to set up. And some of the scariest set-up sweepers have been brought into XY that many physical walls can't simply handle. I think we get how Quag works in that regard, so I won't continue. However, I'd love to mention I sometimes exclusively look for a ground type to stop Volt-turn cores, and Quagsire is one of the few who can stop Volt switch users without investment into Special Defense by virtue of its typing. Magnezone, Manectric, Raikou all fail to break through Quag and literally stops the opposing team's momentum and turns it into your favor. All in all, one of the greatest anti-meta pokes to have graced my own teams.

 

[SacredGengar]

I Love the Amoonguss Alamamola core :} one of the best for the below teirs. regen cores are always a troll!

 

[alexwolf]

We have an active Stall thread with a better OP, no need for this one.