Since we're still in the part of sharing
:lopunny-mega: sets, I'll throw my own hat in the ring before the topic drifts away. After seeing the priority spamming core of
:lopunny-mega: :samurott-hisui: in the good cores thread, I got intrigued enough to try it out...which says a lot, considering I'd like to use new mega only on this format. Before anything else, here's the paste:
https://pokepast.es/761632380f43d9ac
I knew right away that I wanted to pair this core with tspikes support, for lopunny's fake out synergizes perfectly with the racking poison that boots-less grounded mons have to go through.
:glimmora: was thus a no-brainer, and can spread poison in multiple ways while providing some level of hazard control. While its efforts can largely be negated by
:corviknight: :slowking-galar: :excadrill: that's where
:samurott-hisui: comes in, with its swords dance set overpowering even corv with good plays (especially since after taking a c.edge, they're put in a checkmate position: if they roost, the spike is up and you can now 2hko with boosted hits; if they defog, they've not healed so you can attack again to either finish it off, or bring it down super low; if they attack, you live any hit and they're chipped while the spike is down; if they iron defense RUN!!!!! you can't win this....well you theoretically could if you replace your water stab with encore, but getting off big damage on
:tyranitar-mega: :kingambit: :floette-mega: is way too valuable to pass up.
This core is insanely weak to fairy and
:charizard-mega-y: so I added a spdef
:rotom-heat: to temporarily stave off these threats while providing volt switch pivoting, your primary offensive measure against
:corviknight: :scizor-mega: and also an additional status spreader to both get freely chipped by lop's fake out but also get smacked by hex pult. As much as I didn't wanna go mainstream like this, adding a corv of my own to the team team improves the main core significantly type chart-wise, as well as provide additional slow pivoting and -reliable- hazard removal support. Defog may seem like lunacy alongside so much hazard stacking, but considering how easy it is to get hazards back up (
:samurott-hisui: just by attacking,
:glimmora: just by getting attacked) it doesn't usually hamper progress that much; and it's also vital to avoid your own main core get attacked by (toxic) spikes/your pivots getting affected by rocks. Especially if it gives
:glimmora: a chance to use sash (even though you should just switch to your ground move immunities for the most part, but I digress). As for your attacking move, while body press would be nice to not be walled by opposing
:excadrill: :kingambit: its stab moves are simply more valuable to the team. I originally had (and generally reccommend) brave bird on the set in order to threaten
:sneasler: :volcarona: :meganium-mega: some fire types, more effectively, but iron head is better at wearing down
:floette-mega: which can be one of the worst matchups for the team depending on its healing moves; brave bird does 2hko it, but only barely and it can spam synthesis while you keep taking brave bird recoil until it can attack to kill you (or you roost and give it MORE setup opportunities...).
Lastly there's a dragon type; I originally had scarf
:garchomp: for "volt switch blocking" and "speed control" but it just kept doing little to nothing in most matches so I axed it. This might sound unfathomable to many, especially with
:charizard-mega-x: being a massive threat to the team even now, but...the team for the most part, can cover all sorts of threats both fast and slow. You don't need a scarfer when not only is lop generally fast enough, both it and samu have such powerful priority that also have near-perfect coverage alongside one-another, that most threats can't keep up with and will eventually succumb - ESPECIALLY if they're poisoned. Your bulky/pivoting core can also soft-check most of the meta, and bring back these offensive threats over and over again to cycle priority if need be. Glimm has a sash to live a hit if you can preserve it for long enough, too (even though it should prioritize above all else, poisoning as many things as physically possible above even setting up rocks). In any case, in order to still keep a fast guy around
:dragapult: was added last to provide its valuable resistances/immunities from its typing, provide specially-attacking breaking power, and even just a bit more pivoting if need be. Since rotom is covering wisp, pult is free to explore twave as its status spreading move of choice, crippling fire types as well as threats like floette. With 3 mons on the team spreading status like candy, its hex will often be at full power in many circumstances. And ofc draco nukes most things under neutral conditions, while allowing for full spatk investment. Colbur berry allows you to take a hit from
:sneasler: :kingambit: :samurott-hisui: in a pinch, though sitrus berry could also be used for recovery (I wonder if I should give that to either rotom or corv instead though...).
Another item option that I now think about it, would be haban berry to live scarf
:garchomp: outrage from full and revenge kill; it's only now downed on me that said mon, alongside
:floette-mega:,
:primarina: and
:charizard-mega-x: are probably the biggest threats to the team; however, it's gonna be hard to cover for these threats without making significant changes to the team. The biggest one I had in mind was giving rotom discharge>pain split to attack prim without switching out (it can live an unboosted surf from full) while having decent odds at fishing for para vs the other threats, but...idk. I've never actually clicked pain split with it. I might also give it more speed to cover offensive mega scizor, but idk how much would detract too much from its bulk. All things considered though, really proud of how far the team has gone on the ladder up until this point: getting to 1569, no.60 on the ladder is insane considering my general skill level and REALLY speaks levels to the team's general strengths. If need be/possible, I'd also like to make a
sample team submission for this team, due to how well-rounded and effective it generally is.
EDIT: I forgot to mention that physdef cm
:clefable: (regular not mega) is also a giant threat, being able to setup on most mons while also having the physdef to live most hits as it snowballs out of control. That'd be another reason for iron head on corv, although it doesn't even 2hko...but you can fish for some sort of hax to disrupt its momentum at least.
Also since I'm here again, I decided to dig up some replays to showcase the team:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9championsou-2623276806-x0ngrefxvq9bke8wr84dgm6n78ltdlwpw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9championsou-2623338757
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9championsou-2623346115 (espathra moment, tbh I played too recklessly around it but still prevailed anyway)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9championsou-2623361415
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9championsou-2623452530 (the nightmare floette matchup I alluded to up above, twave pult really saved me there...)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9championsou-2623461045-i8q4u19rhwa31040namx5rkc4exftaypw
Also I really wanna emphasize how powerful/potent the priority spamming core is: Lopunny's fake out+mach punch stab combo reaches an effective free 80 bp-same power as extremespeed! Backed up with an adamant nature, the mon can really push the limits against all sorts of offensive threats - notably, you can freely trigger ceruledge's weak armor, and it in turn can't even use shadow sneak against you. Fake out also lets you chip opposing glimm leads' focus sash, to then have your own glimm absorb its tspikes and finish it off with earth power next turn (living with sash if it loses speed ties). Samurott's sucker punch with blackglasses exceeds even 80 bp and becomes a really powerful tool to prevent would-be rkillers after a boost - it's especially valuable since the move isn't always expected on the mon. Together, the fighting and dark type priority moves are only resisted by fairy types; they require careful maneuvering around, but as shown in the above replays and in general, aren't impossible to beat. I DID consider adding
:aegislash: somewhere on the team, but I'm unsure where it'd best fit at, and what exact set it would run; especially since iron head seems indispensible against the cm fairies.
