Credit to fatty for the OP. Banner by skylight.
The Next Best Thing
What is this?:
I for one, along with many others I'm sure, feel as though there is some untapped power within the RU environment. There is substantial evidence for this idea in the form of one commonality for most tiers, RU included: there always seems to be one or more new-fangled, hyped up sets that weren't originally main-stay or seen as "viable" by the community, but somehow has taken the metagame by storm. This can be seen in DPP OU (with Special Lucario transitioning to SD Lucario, Heatran eventually running items other than Choice Scarf, and the influx of ChestoRest Kingdra) in ADV (with the vaunted TyraniBoah now becoming almost an urban myth in comparison to Special and DD Tyranitar, and the increasing popularity of SupeRachi) and in BW OU (with the advent of SubSalac Terrakion, SubDisable Gengar, and ChestoRest Volcarona). Yes, some of these sets may have been found early on with respect to the creation of the tier or fairly recently, the point is, though, that there seems to be an endless supply of effective and potent sets out there yet to be discovered, especially factoring in metagame swings and the possible tier shifts. The purpose of this project will be to systematically subject each and every RU pokemon to a collective body of research in an attempt to uncover these "hidden gems", so to speak, and hopefully spark some creativity throughout the RU community.
The Process:
Each week, I will choose a different RU Pokemon, sometimes chosen by random, sometimes chosen by curiousity, of which participants will try to personally create a new set for that is not already on-site or in the process of being put on-site. Participants will be given 5 days to create their set, with discussion about the particular sets being promoted throughout, and on the 6th and 7th day of the week, a vote will be held to choose which user's set represented the most creative and simultaneously competivitely viable set to utilize in the current RU metagame. Once the votes are tallied and a winner is crowned, the set will be archived in the OP and the process will start all over again for the next pokemon specimen.
What are we looking for?:
Specifically, I want to stress the importance of the balance between creativity and viability when picking a set to post for the Pokemon in question. There's a very fine line between a "creative" set and a "gimmick", and this project is not meant to produce gimmicks, rather emphasize the ability to think outside the box when using a specific Pokemon in order to maximize it's potential. Having said that, I would also like to deviate from simple one move / item changes. For example, using Lum Berry over Life Orb on an SD Absol does nothing to show any untapped potential Absol has because we already have a basic understanding of what SD Absol is and does, it's just now better at dealing with status and has less power. The same goes for using Return over Pursuit on CB Escavalier, it doesn't yield productive discussion or results for the project. I am looking for sets that test what we think we know about checks or counters, so-called standards, and what it means to be viable. Maybe a particular option for a Pokemon looks inferior at first glance for that particular pokemon, but dig deeper and try and find what it might mean in the big picture, for the entire team.
Some things to consider:
This week's pokemon will be:
Spiritomb
So what sets can spiritomb run to beat its normal checks / counters? What sets have you found that are great but not already on site? If you do know a cool set for spiritomb, then get posting!
The Next Best Thing
What is this?:
I for one, along with many others I'm sure, feel as though there is some untapped power within the RU environment. There is substantial evidence for this idea in the form of one commonality for most tiers, RU included: there always seems to be one or more new-fangled, hyped up sets that weren't originally main-stay or seen as "viable" by the community, but somehow has taken the metagame by storm. This can be seen in DPP OU (with Special Lucario transitioning to SD Lucario, Heatran eventually running items other than Choice Scarf, and the influx of ChestoRest Kingdra) in ADV (with the vaunted TyraniBoah now becoming almost an urban myth in comparison to Special and DD Tyranitar, and the increasing popularity of SupeRachi) and in BW OU (with the advent of SubSalac Terrakion, SubDisable Gengar, and ChestoRest Volcarona). Yes, some of these sets may have been found early on with respect to the creation of the tier or fairly recently, the point is, though, that there seems to be an endless supply of effective and potent sets out there yet to be discovered, especially factoring in metagame swings and the possible tier shifts. The purpose of this project will be to systematically subject each and every RU pokemon to a collective body of research in an attempt to uncover these "hidden gems", so to speak, and hopefully spark some creativity throughout the RU community.
The Process:
Each week, I will choose a different RU Pokemon, sometimes chosen by random, sometimes chosen by curiousity, of which participants will try to personally create a new set for that is not already on-site or in the process of being put on-site. Participants will be given 5 days to create their set, with discussion about the particular sets being promoted throughout, and on the 6th and 7th day of the week, a vote will be held to choose which user's set represented the most creative and simultaneously competivitely viable set to utilize in the current RU metagame. Once the votes are tallied and a winner is crowned, the set will be archived in the OP and the process will start all over again for the next pokemon specimen.
What are we looking for?:
Specifically, I want to stress the importance of the balance between creativity and viability when picking a set to post for the Pokemon in question. There's a very fine line between a "creative" set and a "gimmick", and this project is not meant to produce gimmicks, rather emphasize the ability to think outside the box when using a specific Pokemon in order to maximize it's potential. Having said that, I would also like to deviate from simple one move / item changes. For example, using Lum Berry over Life Orb on an SD Absol does nothing to show any untapped potential Absol has because we already have a basic understanding of what SD Absol is and does, it's just now better at dealing with status and has less power. The same goes for using Return over Pursuit on CB Escavalier, it doesn't yield productive discussion or results for the project. I am looking for sets that test what we think we know about checks or counters, so-called standards, and what it means to be viable. Maybe a particular option for a Pokemon looks inferior at first glance for that particular pokemon, but dig deeper and try and find what it might mean in the big picture, for the entire team.
Some things to consider:
- What is thought to "counter" this pokemon?
- Is there anyway to bypass this pokemon's so-called "counters?
- What moves are seldom used on this pokemon, but have the most upside?
- What niches can this pokemon potentially fill in the current metagame?
- What opposing pokemon does this pokemon do well against?
- How can this pokemon benefit its teammates?
[PIMG]500[/PIMG]
Rotom-C @ Expert Belt
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 20 HP / 252 SAtk / 236 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Volt Switch
- Leaf Storm
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Fire]
All right, Expert Belt Rotom-C has pretty much been the new standard Rotom-C in higher level play, and rightfully so. Scarf Rotom-C has always been a waste of Rotom's potential in my opinion, as it's pretty bulky, sits at a nice Speed tier anyway, and has great coverage with its STABs and HP Fire. Because Rotom-C has always been commonly seen as a Choice Scarf user in the past, this means that it tends to lure out resists to one of its STAB moves, namely Volt Switch or Thunderbolt. Lanturn, Rhydon, Ferroseed, and others are all lured out to take a Volt Switch, but they get smacked by Leaf Storm or HP Fire after "predicting" the Electric-type move. Anyway, this set has been used for a while, but it's kinda become a little more prepared for now, so it's lost its effectiveness a bit. Of course, this means that you can now bluff Expert Belt with Choice Scarf. However, against your average everyday ladder player this set still has a ton of surprise value and eliminates Electric resists very easily, allowing Rotom to just spam Volt Switch later. I'd personally use Modest because nothing around base 80 Speed uses positive natures commonly, but Timid is also good so you can be sure that you outspeed Kabutops among other things.
While it would seem that this set could be outclassed by the ChestoRest set that Molk posted, the extra damage output gained from Expert Belt can actually be really important.
252+ SpA Expert Belt Rotom-C Leaf Storm vs. 248 HP / 116+ SpD Slowking: 391-463 (99.49 - 117.81%) -- 93.75% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Rotom-C Leaf Storm vs. 248 HP / 116+ SpD Slowking: 326-386 (82.95 - 98.21%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Expert Belt Rotom-C Leaf Storm vs. 40 HP / 216+ SpD Lanturn: 461-542 (114.96 - 135.16%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ SpA Rotom-C Leaf Storm vs. 40 HP / 216+ SpD Lanturn: 384-452 (95.76 - 112.71%) -- 75% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Expert Belt Rotom-C Hidden Power Fire vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Eviolite Ferroseed: 264-312 (90.41 - 106.84%) -- 43.75% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Rotom-C Hidden Power Fire vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Eviolite Ferroseed: 220-260 (75.34 - 89.04%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Expert Belt Rotom-C Hidden Power Fire vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Tangrowth: 300-355 (74.25 - 87.87%) -- 6.25% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ SpA Rotom-C Hidden Power Fire vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Tangrowth: 250-296 (61.88 - 73.26%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ SpA Expert Belt Rotom-C Hidden Power Fire vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Escavalier: 331-394 (96.5 - 114.86%) -- 81.25% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Rotom-C Hidden Power Fire vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Escavalier: 276-328 (80.46 - 95.62%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Expert Belt Rotom-C Volt Switch vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Sigilyph: 312-370 (109.09 - 129.37%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ SpA Rotom-C Volt Switch vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Sigilyph: 260-308 (90.9 - 107.69%) -- 43.75% chance to OHKO
Sceptile @ Flying Gem
Trait: Unburden
EVs: 204 Atk / 224 SAtk / 80 Spd
Naive Nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Acrobatics
- Rock Slide
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Leaf Storm
Mixed Sceptile Unburden, this set help work like a soft wallbreaker luring a punch of mons such Roselia, Cryogonal, Moltres or Escavalier with the right support of hazards, Stealth Rock at least. The Evs spread allows to outrun Offensive Cryogonal. Also, on late game when the damage is done can work like a cleaner because Unburden + great coverage on both sides.
Qwilfish @ Focus Sash
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 Def
Timid Nature
- Taunt
- Destiny Bond
- Spikes
- Hydro Pump
Despite Qwilfish's higher physical Attack stat, Hydro Pump actually hits harder than Waterfall when used against a target with equal defenses. This becomes useful is quite a few situations, including hitting Steelix (pretty much dead if it faces this Qwilfish), Regirock (this includes the SpDef set) and Sandslash (for ladder play) loads harder. This set especially makes it easier to sweep with mons like Klinklang, Moltres, and other Pokemon that have trouble with those Defensive Pokemon . The Speed is used to Taunt Pokemon like Uxie and Smeargle and prevent them from setting up hazards / screens, as well as Destiny Bonding slower mons after you've set up Spikes. Destroys Custap Crustle with Intimidate and Taunt, as well as setting up at least 2 layers of hazards of its own and Destiny Bonding once its finished its job. Otherwise, this is standard suicide lead Qwilfish with Hydro Pump over Waterfall and Destiny Bond over Explosion.
Damage calcs to prove Hydro Pump hits harder, Mew is just an example:
252 Atk Qwilfish Waterfall vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Mew: 106-126 (31.08 - 36.95%) -- 76.61% chance to 3HKO
252 SpA Qwilfish Hydro Pump vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Mew: 115-136 (33.72 - 39.88%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
Escavalier @ Chesto Berry
Trait: Overcoat
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spd
Careful Nature
- Megahorn
- Iron Head
- Pursuit
- Rest
One of Escavalier's main flaws at the moment is that its vulnerable to being worn down over the course of the match because of its lack of reliable recovery. Chestorest patches up this flaw to an extent, providing Escavalier with a one use way to fully heal itself from any prior damage, residual damage, or status all in one turn! giving Escav way more much needed longetivity. Aside from the addition of Chestorest over Sleep Talk/Return, this Escavalier plays very similarly to almost every other Escavalier set, switching in on Pokemon such as Uxie, Sceptile, and Hp Rock Lilligant, forcing them out with a combination of bulk and typing, and either Pursuit trapping the formerly mentioned Pokemon or smacking the switch in with a really, really strong Megahorn, the only really notable difference is that this Escavalier can fully heal itself on a free turn if its sufficiently weakened, but this is very important. While Chestorest Escavalier isn't quite as strong as CB Escavalier because of the lack of a boosting item, it still has 405 Attack and a base 120 BP STAB to work with, more than enough to effectively do its job regardless in my opinion, the Pursuit might be a bit weaker, but thats not too big of a problem tbh. One final thing to note is that Chestorest Escavalier can be played both offensively and defensively, so although i used Offensive Escavalier for this example, Chestorest can be effectively used on defensive Escav as well, and if you think you need the extra special bulk feel free to change things up a bit.
Entei @ Heat Rock
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 SAtk
Adamant Nature
- Sunny Day
- Flare Blitz
- SolarBeam
- ExtremeSpeed
The mighty fire dog! This is an offensive weather setter, which is a bit harder to find than a defensive Sun setter. It's role is to set sun and possibly wreck havoc on the opponent's team with an extremely strong Flare Blitz. This Entei also absolutely destroys Hail, with the combination of Sunny Day and Flare Blitz. Solar Beam is a stronger alternative to HP Grass that wrecks any Water type's that resist Flare Blitz, and Entei still beats Qwilfish with Sun up (Waterfall doesn't 2HKO, which is pretty nice.) All in all, this set is pretty effective with or without a full Sun team.
on your wings (Sigilyph) @ Flame Orb
Trait: Magic Guard
EVs: 248 HP / 56 Def / 204 Spd
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Whirlwind
- Roost
- Psychic / Psyshock
this set pretty much destroys stall mercilessly. i use this with spikes and psyshock whenever im stall weak... cryogonal gets destroyed by psyshock so it has no chance to spin and just sr + 1 layer of spikes allows you to beat spiritomb. with 0 atk ivs and a timid nature, foul play is doing ~38% and you easily just whirlwind it away until it is forced to rest. once it has to rest it loses. simple as that
flame orb lets you feign cm shift or cosmic power and also prevents status like paralysis
Mesprit @ Leftovers / Life Orb
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- U-turn
- Psychic
- Thunderbolt
- Healing Wish
This Mesprit set is quite a good addition to offensive teams that need a bulky Fighting-type resist while keeping up some offensive presence imo. Even without much investment in Mesprit's defenses, Mesprit can take quite a few relatively hard hits thanks to its naturally good 80/105/105 bulk, and doesn't get worn down as quickly as other defensive Pokemon because of its immunity to Spikes and Toxic Spikes, which often proves invaluable. Once Mesprit switches in, its often able to force quite a few switches because of its good Special Attack stat and the threat of the multiple sets that Mesprit can run, making it exceptionally good at grabbing momentum with a well played U-turn. The most important part of this set, though, is Healing Wish. Healing Wish is quite the unique and useful move on Mesprit, and it can turn a potential loss into a guarenteed win in the blink of an eye. By using Healing Wish, Mesprit can basically sacrifice itself at any point in the match and fully heal a teammate more suited to the situation This is especially useful for giving powerful attackers such as CB Druddigon, or dangerous sweepers such as Quiver Dance Lilligant a second chance. It can also prove useful as a way to revive a defensive Pokemon, preventing an opponent that would've torn through your team at that point otherwise from beating you. Psychic and Thunderbolt give pretty good coverage together imo, although you do struggle against certain Pokemon such as Steelix and Escavalier, so running Hidden Power Fire over either Thunderbolt or U-turn is an option, although the utility of the latter is often missed. The given Evs let Mesprit hit as hard as possible while being able to U-turn out of jolly Smeargle and tie with positive natured base 80s such as Kabutops and opposing Mesprit, although if you think you need more bulk for Mesprit's specific role running less Speed is definitely an option, just dont go under 260 Speed, as that leaves you vulnerable to neutral natured base 80's.
Druddigon is a great mon for this since there are a lot of ways you can go with it, such as offensive, defensive, and interesting moves like Pursuit, Flamethrower, and Glare. I posted this in the np thread the other day but think it deserves some more discussion:
Druddigon (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SDef
Careful Nature
- Dragon Claw
- Hone Claws
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Druddigon has excellent typing and enough bulk for it to be effective defensively. Specially defensive Druddigon walls so many threats; some examples are: Sceptile, Lilligant, Rotom-C, Rotom, Galvantula, Manectric, Typhlosion, Slowking, and serve as a backup check to things like Magmortar and Accelgor. It also makes a great sleep absorber since it matches up well against Grass-type Pokemon. Hone Claws puts a twist on the standard specially defensive set, as it allows Druddigon to set up on walls such as Amoonguss (lacking Clear Smog), Clefable, Lanturn, and Qwilfish. Thus, vs defensive oriented teams without a phazer, this set can actually pull off a sweep. You can even use Dragon Tail over Dragon Claw on a Spikes-stacking team which is really annoying.
This week's pokemon will be:
Spiritomb
So what sets can spiritomb run to beat its normal checks / counters? What sets have you found that are great but not already on site? If you do know a cool set for spiritomb, then get posting!