I do appreciate you posting replays, but I find most of these to be the result of misplays. This is not be calling out these players as frauds or anything, they’re great players I faced once or a couple times.
Replay: 1
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2102089389?p2
(Good replay. Though I’m not sure why they clicked Ruination when EQ looked free here.
It shows Moon doing its job in chipping Skarmory for Kingambit to sweep, I’ll give you a point.)
Replays: 2
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2102063470
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2102107252
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2115332745
(Heileone had multiple responses to Moon such as Barb Clef, Corv, and Weavile.
The issue for Heileone was actually the Raging Bolt. Their only answer was to Trick Barb onto it and hope to stall it out with Gliscor + Skeledirge, as shown in the first replay, thus Clef was unable to be around for Roaring Moon.
In the first replay, they should’ve clicked BB with Corv instead of press which would’ve put Moon in range of Weavile Ice Shard after Helmet chip. Even if Moon switches out, you’ve exhausted its Booster, becoming easier to check defensively.
The second replay, Roaring Moon doesn’t even come out. Third replay, Heileone for some reason lets go of the Barb instead of swapping to Corv.
Ironically these replays moreso showcase why Raging Bolt is broken rather than Moon, more on that in a future post.)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2114949942
(There were two things your opponent could’ve done. They could’ve Tera’d their Zama, which wouldn’t be bad here since it’s still a Zama, plus you prevent Roaring Moon from getting a single kill. Secondly, they didn’t realize it which in all fairness, most players wouldn’t, but after Treads clicked Ice Spinner, it was now in range of Rillaboom Grassy Glide, especially if Rilla terastilizes.
252+ Atk Choice Band Rillaboom Grassy Glide vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tera Flying Roaring Moon in Grassy Terrain: 125-147 (35.6 - 41.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
Even if Moon was swapped out, the only two that could swap in are R-Bolt and Zama who lose their Proto boosts which imo is a fair trade.)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2117511076
(Trick Room is not a standard playstyle like HO, BO, or Balance, so its difficult to gauge a mon’s viability or brokeness here.)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2082355053?p2
(This whole team gets 6-0d by Moon. Even if it doesn’t outright sweep, it pretty much always getting a kill, but they could’ve lead into Primarina which could get some chip damage on Moon to put it in range of Rilla Grassy Glide. Plus Primarina matches up well with everything here minus Raging Bolt.)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2114980194
(Your opponent made a weird choice to swap into Dnite after Darkrai is sacked when they have a full health Tusk that could’ve either Knocked, Spinned, or Headlong Rush’d for chip in case you decided to preserve Raging Bolt.)
I have a couple more replays. Two from me and two from SPL.
Me
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2091149608
(Roaring Moon gets an opportunity to setup on my Glowking. Since Glowking had done its job, I was fine clicking Sludge and sacking it. I switched to Krookodile (yes I used Krookodile) for the Intimidate and swapped to Corv since I knew it could live 2 Knocks from Moon. If you wanna say “lol he used Krookodile” as an argument, just imagine it as a Lando for a second. Same idea, but in a different body)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2090613118?p2
(Clef cripples the Moon with Sticky Barb. Not much else said)
SPL
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9ou-755472
(JJ09LIE’s Moon gets off a DD, but gets stopped by the Scale Shot Dnite. Plus Xrn had a Raging Bolt in case it Terastilized. Xrn’s own Moon wins after the team is heavily crippled with only Treads and Val remaining which it outspeeds and OHKOs)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9ou-754201
(S1nn0hC0nfirm3d had both Lando and Weavile, so pdt was not sweeping this with Moon)
I do find there to be issues in the metagame, but as I alluded to earlier, Moon isn’t one of them imo. The fact Taunt is becoming more common than Earthquake as evident by the usage statistics, makes Gambit a more reliable Moon check.