RU Stage 15 Suspect Coverage: Durant

By Arifeen. Art by LifeisDANK.
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Durant by LifeisDANK

Introduction

Durant has been one of the top Pokémon in RU ever since it was discovered in BW. When BW2 was released, it still retained the title of one of the most prominent threats of RU. In XY and early ORAS, RU contained plenty of Pokémon that could check Durant, such as Doublade, Moltres, and Gligar. However, after their rise to UU, Durant started being more and more threatening. It wasn't suspect tested immediately, however, as Sharpedo and Mega Abomasnow were more threatening and broken for the tier. As SPL 7 came on, the sheer power of Durant was finally recognized. It was one of the most used Pokémon in SPL, being on 36% of all the teams, just 1% below Flygon. But what made it so good in RU? It has a great base Speed stat of 109, allowing it to outspeed key Pokémon such as Virizion, Delphox, Flygon, and Sigilyph. It also has a great ability in Hustle, which, despite its accuracy reduction, allows Durant to hit most Pokémon very hard. On top of that, Durant has amazing coverage moves, which means it lacks a true counter in RU. One of the best checks for Durant was Rotom-S, which doesn't do much other than countering Durant, is weak to Stealth Rock, and can also theoretically lose to Durant if Durant has Rock Slide, which is very unlikely, though. On top of that, Durant has a great defensive typing, having only one weakness, and its high Defense stat allows it to tank physical hits. Having a great offensive ability and Speed allows Durant to run a plethora of sets, each of which threaten different playstyles.

All-out Attacker

Durant

This is Durant's All-Out Attacker set. Having the ability to change moves alongside Hustle and Life Orb makes Durant one of the hardest Pokémon to switch into, as its attacks will 2HKO almost every offensive Pokémon and most defensive Pokémon. This allows Durant to heavily pressure defensive and balance builds, as sometimes they only have checks for Choice Scarf or Choice Band Durant. Durant also acts as a great revenge killer of wallbreakers such Virizion, Meloetta, Hoopa, and Delphox due to its high Speed stat. On the other hand, Choice Band could also be used on Durant, making it hit even harder, KOing almost every offensive Pokémon that doesn't resist its moves and putting huge pressure on defensive teams. Hone Claws could also be used over Thunder Fang in conjunction with Life Orb or Lum Berry to make Durant a terrifying setup sweeper. The Hone Claws set also does not need to worry about Hustle missing, and thus is very feared.

Choice Scarf

Durant

Choice Scarf allows Durant's already monstrous Speed rise to higher levels, making it a dangerous revenge killer that pressures offensive builds a lot. Due to Hustle, Durant still hits very hard. With a Choice Scarf, Durant can beat other Choice Scarf users such as Medicham and Tyrantrum, while the coverage move in Superpower allows it to hit Steel-type Pokémon such as Mega Steelix and Registeel. An Adamant nature is preferred, as Durant hits 317 Speed with it, which is still high enough to outspeed most of the relevant Choice Scarf users, apart from Flygon and Delphox. Baton Pass is usually run in order to gain momentum, as Durant forces a lot of switches. Alternatively, Thunder Fang can also be used in order to hit checks such as Pelipper and Poliwrath for super effective damage.

Substitute + Baton Pass

Durant

This set takes advantage of the amount of switches Durant forces. Switch Durant into a defensive Pokémon such as Diancie to get a free Substitute, as most of them should switch out. This allows Durant to be a dangerous attacker with the added protection of Substitute, as Hustle still allows it to hit hard. Durant can also take advantage of Substitute and Baton Pass it to a teammate, most likely a hard-hitting Pokémon that is quite frail, allowing that Pokémon to threaten the foe even more. Iron Head alongside Superpower gives Durant the coverage to hit Diancie and Mega Steelix, two of the most common Stealth Rock users in the tier, while X-Scissor and Superpower allow Durant to hit bulky Water-types such as Slowking and Blastoise, while still hitting Mega Steelix. Alternatively, Salac Berry could also be used, making Durant a late-game cleaner. Hone Claws can also be used over Baton Pass to act as a strong wallbreaker behind Substitute.

Conclusion

In the end, Durant was banned by a wide margin of 82.8%. Its ban gives Pokémon such as Virizion and Delphox more opportunity to shine, as they lost one of their best revenge killers. This also makes Tyrantrum and Medicham the best Choice Scarf users in the tier. Durant's banning will also make bulky Water-type such as Slowking and Blastoise more usable, as they do not need to fear being 2HKOed by Durant. Virizion also looks like it will be the most dangerous sweeper due to its Speed, typing, and bulk, but it will never be as dangerous as Durant. How will the metagame be shaped after the banning of such an influential Pokémon? Stay tuned!

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