As of the time of this screenshot, I am 1st, 3rd, and 4th on ladder.
Going to go over some common threats and some underrated mons (in my opinion).
Firstly, any Shroomish users should never feel good about any win in any game ever. I used the mon to try it out and it just feels dirty
Now onto threats based on my experience in game (I use roughly the same team for every game on all 3 accounts)
Note: I don't usually post on here so I'm not gonna make those pretty sprites in the comment lmao i got no idea how to do that
Grimer-Alola: Super strong knock off, literally every single set this mon has is annoying as fuck (AV, leftovers, band, etc) paired with the right support mons. It always poisons the mons I don't want poisoned, requires a lot of maneuvering to beat
Delibird: For me, the one of my biggest threats in the tier ONLY if it is a special attack set (imo). There are a lot of physdef walls but special walls mostly consist of mons that Delibird can easily deal with with its coverage moves, albeit weaker without a form of setup, I believe it's highly underrated and deserves more usage or at least experimentation.
Ting-Lu: Among all the other non baby pokemon, Ting-Lu is rarely used, but since the majority of hazard removal in the tier is rapid spin, a tera ghost Ting Lu can set up a sweep with a fast mon extremely easily, while walling some pretty big threats (think spikes,rocks,whirlwind,eq or something similar)
Weather: The most consistent weather imo is definitely rain. Although sun can be nice and you can try simple growth sweeps with numel, against a well put together team this is far less likely. Basculegion + Kyogre is a very scary core and requires perfect play for the opponent in order to beat. I personally had to add a tera normal in my initial team building because last respects is that scary.
Overused pokemon:
Bronzor: : It is not good, just annoying.
Glimmet: ^^ Everyone with a put together team has a form of AV/spdef tank and a way to remove hazards. Glimmet isn't particularly fast and dies very easily. I think scarf is the best set but they're all not great
Pawniard: Decent, but almost always requires tera to get major value, stabs aren't great, and though sucker is nice there are a good couple mons I'm more scared to see than pawniard on the physical side.
Sinistea: I don't even see it anymore but I just wanted to reiterate that it is very bad.
Legendaries: Zacian-C and Miraidon are meta defining. Arceus is great, but all the random calm mind arceuses are awful and should not be used. Kyogre is a phenomenal rain mon, but if you're running Kyogre rain please do yourself a favor and go damp rock instead of trying to make an offensive Kyogre as your rain setter. Koraidon is good but personally less scary for me, I can definitely see people having difficulties with it though. Ting Lu is underrated. Mostly every other legendary is useless, one of the mons I listed above will do the job better for you.
I made this post in 15 minutes so a lot of mons definitely I didn't mention, if someone posts more specifics maybe I'll post my take on it but I'm too lazy to think properly about it rn.
is crazy good with an assault vest. as long as you have counterplay to pawniard coming in with pokemon like fuecoco or hippowdon then you can really abuse this guy, destroys cm arcs with clear smog, survives 2 choice specs tera water spouts from kyogre, and stuffs shroomish. I think this is the best spdef mon in the meta, although toed is also very good
is the one of the best pokemon in the metagame, its ridiculously hard to stop magnemite from making progress on your team, i would recommend everyone to use Analytic on their magnemite, even with a leftovers protect + 3a set it shreds the meta and breaks every one of its checks except foongus, which it could break with tera very feasibly
is a really good mon which can 2hko resists with double edge and use uturn to wear them down into that range, it requires support in the form of clearing hazards and can kill itself pretty fast
The best offensive mon, it has a ton of different sets that keeps opponents guessing, and it brings Sun which counteracts opposing Rain and supports sweepers like Flutter Mane. Scarf, Band, SD, and Bulk Up are all viable options.
A great offensive threat with SD or CM since much of the good defensive mons are grounded. Defensively, a Ground type is not as needed on each team with Miraidon's departure, but Arceus-Ground is a great mon anyways.
Ekiller is still one of the most prominent offensive threats you can encounter in this metagame, capable of shredding offense with its strong priority. It has tricks like Taunt, Recover, and coverage options, although you should note that there are offensive mons that are immune to the combo of Extreme Speed and one of EQ and Shadow Claw.
It has great bulk and is really annoying to deal with when it keeps Knocking and poisoning things, and can be tailored to check physical or special threats.
Slowpoke is so bulky on the physical side. It has the typing, bulk, and movepool to handle most of the pre-eminent physical threats in the metagame.
Even in a tier which has more options for bulky Water resists compared to Ubers, Kyogre is still one of the biggest threats, able to easily overwhelm those resists in the right context. IMO, Rain isn't a very strong weather in this meta compared to Sun, but Kyogre's rain is still valuable for counteracting the effects of the opposing sun.
A speedy offensive threat that has some defensive utility thanks to its typing. It has a number of viable physically defensive checks, but it has tools to at least threaten most of them, whether it's Tera, SD, or Wild Charge.
Eternatus just has great stats all around. It doesn't need to run defensive sets as much since Foongus is an option.
A bulky regen mon, it competes with Slowpoke which is physically bulkier and less passive. Mareanie is better at limiting setup with Haze and Toxic (Spikes) can be more effective at wearing down foes in the long run.
A very hard check to physical setup sweepers. It's a lot more stable against Zacian-Crowned and Pawinard, in general, but it can be worn down due to its predictability and vulnerability to hazards.
Probably one of the best Defoggers. It’s probably the best switch in for Staravia, and it can generally at least switch in on some other physical attackers like physical Arceus-Ground, Ekiller, or Grimer-Alola. Corviknight struggles to outright counter most of these mons unless it runs IronPress, so it can only really fill two of the roles of wall, pivot and hazard clearer. Still, in spite of its flaws it has such a strong niche that it belongs here.
Great offensive mon that can use Tera to beat certain checks. Against more passive mons it can often just keep setting up. Defiant is great for the few Defoggers.
Nice set of immunities and resistances that makes it usable against some of the top threats. It has Wisp and rare access to Defog to support the team. It's vulnerable to being worn down, but it is at least immune to Spikes and Toxic Spikes.
Groudon is real bulky and good at setting up hazards. Unlike Hippopotas it doesn't have recovery, but it is also far less passive with a better movepool, Will-o-Wisp, and Spikes which is just a better hazard to take advantage of free turns with. It doesn't get sat on by anything that resists Ground, and it sets up Sun which can be pretty abusable.
Pretty decent general special tank and spinner. Access to Knock Off and Spikes of its own let it be more proactive. While it's very bulky, specially, it's also easy to wear down over time.
Flutter Mane is especially deadly in the sun set up by Koraidon or Groudon. Specs Tera Fairy Moonblast does a fairy amount to usual Ghost check Grimer-Alola. Psyshock for AV Foongus.
Another good offensive ghost, it's weaker than Flutter Mane overall but has more up its sleeve. It uses IIlusion and tricks like WispHex, U-turn, and Trick to wear down or debilitate its checks. Although frail, it has a unique set of immunities and enough bulk to take a hit after burning a foe.
Excellent offensive spiker and spinner that beats most spinblockers and opposing hazard removers naturally by virtue of its speed and typing. Freeze-Dry is just a good move that pummels a lot of the common defensive mons.
A great breaker that is pretty tough to switch in on, but it is also hard to bring in thanks to low speed and weaknesses. It's a physical breaker that has a good shot at 2HKOing Slowpoke.
While Hippopotas is really predictable, it can use its immense physical bulk and phasing to shut down teams heavily reliant on physical attackers like Zacian-Crowned.
Froakie is a good offensive mon with a lot of tricks. It competes with Delibird, who can spin and has a Ground immunity, but Froakie can run Choice items it can Switcheroo onto opponents, as well as chip down foes with U-turn, or just Spike on them like Delibird does.
A fine lead in a tier with limited hazard control options. It can get some damage on most mons it faces while setting up hazards. Sometimes all it will do is set up one layer then die, but depending on your gameplan, that might be all you need.
Drifloon is mostly here for the fast Defog which is pretty unique. It's worse than the other ghosts in general, but the moderate bulk and Ground immunity lets you bring it in on certain mons easier and fire off a Wisp. Giratina-O has similar defensive use cases but is bulkier, so make sure to take advantage of Drifloon's fast Wisp. CM + Flare Boost is theoretically usable, but I find that it lacks the power and longevity to get it done, compared to Zorua-H or Flutter Mane.
Offensive Mewtwo can crush cores without Grimer-Alola, while Stalltwo can lure it and burn it. As an offensive mon it can be a bit too slow sometimes.
Compared to Hippopotas it's less passive with two STAB options, and immunites to Normal and Fighting can potentially help in some situations against Koraidon or Arceus, although Hippopotas does pretty well against them too. Theoretically it can spinblock, but it loses to most of the better spinners.
Deerling is a super annoying SubSeeder. Against defensive cores it can usually get up a Sub and force paralysis against one or two mons, and force them to switch out and regen a lot, so it's great when paired with Spikes and a way to block removal. It has great speed naturally and its bulk can be engineered to take on some special attackers fairly nicely which still outspeeding base 140s.
It's pretty niche with Miraidon not in the tier, but it's a good special tank that can set up Spikes regardless.
Good offensive mon with nice dual stab, priority and tspike-absorbing capabilities. While not the strongest it can very easily go boom to avoid giving up momentum against like Grimer-Alola or Mareanie. Alternately, LO Fire Blast can deal enough to 2HKO Pawniard.
I agree that it's overrated, but it still has very respectable power in spite of its poor coverage. Choiced sets can overwhelm resists with Sludge Bomb poisons, well-timed Teras or simply sheer power, but it requires good positioning against offensive mons. Toxic Debris can be super annoying if you let your Poison-types die. As a dedicated lead it seems a bit subpar as it's not the fastest.
Actually a solid offensive threat, although there are a lot of common Grass resists it has the tools like Knock Off, SD, U-turn, Acrobatics to be useful.
Probably one of the best options for a bulky Fairy-type. It can somewhat check Koraidon and discourages it from clicking Dragon moves. It often needs to Tera in order to beat Foongus or Mareanie.
The best screen setter. Screens are pretty good at enabling offensive threats, like SD Arceus or Pawniard.
A really powerful setup sweeper that breaks through walls after a boost.
It's pretty overshadowed by Fuecoco, but it often switches in better on non-setup mons. Giving a boost to Pawniard is pretty rough though.
Hazard setting pivot with ground immunity and intimidate for physical attackers. It often just ends up setup fodder for the top physical attackers that aren't outright weak to Ground, so it needs to get out fast usually.
Sinistea is an effective sweeper, if you have appropriate ways to deal with opposing Dark-types.
Check to Staravia that burns things. Also a CM user that doesn't get reset by Foongus.
Pretty niche compared to other Grounds, but it is at least great against Koraidon. Rapid Spin is a great option and Knock Off makes it harder to spinblock.
Skiddo is probably the best choice for a defensive Grass type that resists Ground. This makes it more capable of beating Arceus-Ground than Foongus. As a Bulk Up sweeper, it faces coverage issues but it has some options to play around its checks like Sub or Tera.
Koraidon is a better fit for most teams, but Meditite has the ability to Trick a scarf or band onto a check like Slowpoke. Additionally, it has a better matchup against Mareanie thanks to the Psychic STAB.
Torch Song and a usable secondary STAB making it less passive, as well as a Normal immunity are all reasons you would use it over Fuecoco. It's team dependent though, as it's less bulky.
The best Sticky Web setter thanks to good speed.
A solid revenge killer, but it struggles a bit against resilient defensive cores.
I'll be honest I've never seen or used this mon but it's probably good enough to put here.
Axew has great stats for a DD mon and can break through Unaware nicely as well. It doesn't really have the juice to break through Slowpoke or Corviknight though, and has a bit of 4MSS.
An extremely passive and annoying mon. It is either unbeatable or does nothing. I find more often than not it does nothing.
It's a lot harder to position than Pawniard overall, so it's pretty niche. It has slightly more power than Pawniard overall and a much more competitive speed tier, and the ability to deal with Koraidon with a boosted Ice Shard is worth noting.
Dondozo can sit on some physical attackers that Fuecoco cannot due to a different typing.
It bounces stuff back and sits on a lot of defensive mons that you commonly see.
Very bulky defogger and status mon. It's not a great wall thanks to lacking a good recovery option.
Salandit is a usable NP sweeper. Good speed and a great matchup against Zacian-Crowned naturally means its not dead weight against offense, and Corrosion Toxic is a great way to punish checks like Eternatus, Mareanie, Glimmet.
A niche lead that can spike and rapid spin while spinblocking. It's not the fastest.
Really fast but it's a bit too weak to be top tier. Against teams without general special walls or where their Electric immunity is vulnerable to Grass or frail it can work. If you predict and use Tera well you can get things done with its modest power but you will need to work your ass off to beat something like Foongus.
Being immune to Toxic means you can bring it in against opposing Poison types and try to stallbreak with Taunt and status. It has a solid defensive type on its own and good enough speed to potentially burn opposing offensive Arceus.
It's an ok offensive pivot. Compared to similar offensive pivots like Koraidon, it has a potentially stronger U-turn and Gunk Shot to wear foes down, as well as Sucker Punch to beat faster threats. Overall it is generally weaker and more limited in the sets it can run though.
Fast offensive pivot with some nice offensive utility, but it's way too stopped by Ground types to be that good.
Snover is an interesting Kyogre check that is actually pretty bulky and strong in Hail.
(single) Pretty hard to stand up to after a boost, and CB can also help break through Unaware mons. Very slow by this tier's standard.
Has some merit as a check to some physical mons like Pawniard. Pretty easily walled but can also set up on certain defensive mons.
Kind of a demon in Sun, even if opponents with bulky Foongus and Mareanie can try and dance around it.
Arguably a better lead than Glimmet cause it can anti-lead with Mortal Spin.
It's actually bulky enough to set up a belly drum relatively easily, then beat down offense with Ice Shard, but it's pretty gimmicky and struggles against defensive backbones.
What does it have over its Alola counterpart? The answer is Curse.
A pretty solid rain sweeper, but it's fast enough to get it done outside of rain as well. It has enough HP to use Wave Crash a few times before going down.
It can be a pretty effective NP sweeper but it competes heavily with Salandit, who I think has better defensive merits (Toxic-immune, Grimer-A can't Drain Punch and get all its health back) but Houndour has some advantages too. More notably it beats down opposing defensive poison types rather than having to stall them and can probably take a single Earth Power from Toedscool. Also hits Ghost types like Giratina.
It's worse than Houndour in every way except power. Specs is very hard to switch in on.
Bulky water that can set up rocks or Curse up, making use of great mixed bulk and less exploitable weaknesses than Slowpoke.
Decent rain sweeper with NP.
Compared to Koraidon and Meditite, it has a better speed tier and different coverage options (Gunk Shot, EQ) that let it find a niche. Scarf seems the best to always revenge kill opposing Scarf Koraidon.
It's extremely niche compared to Kanto Slowpoke. It does a bit better against some threats that have Electric coverage.
It's really passive but is an option for a bulky Defogger with recovery for a stall team. Each of its abilities have use.
It barely offers anything over other bulky Grass types like Foongus and Skiddo, but being a special attacker lets it beat Fuecoco with Tera Ground more easily.
With Guts and a great STAB combo alongside DD, Larvitar is an okay sweeper. It's unfortunately very slow, even after a DD, however.
Offensive pivot that has enough speed and power to revenge kill effectively while pivoting out of faster mons with Parting Shot. It is frail as a mf and unable to do much to defensive mons that resist Poison.
Its Prankster Copycat gimmick is a viable way to clean up a weakened team.
Still a really strong mon that sets up on most of the bulky waters it invites in.
Loses to a lot of common threats but its just barely usable as a Staravia switch-in.
Another bulky water, this one has decent speed and wisp. I think it's a far cry from how good it is in Ubers due to much stronger competition.
Usable role compression mon that is a soft check to Staravia and Glimmet and offers a lot of utility.
Sweeping with Last Respects is definitely possible.
