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Theorymon Discussion and Viability Ranking

What if Metagross could have Unburden?

With respectable bulk, good defensive typing and monstrous attack, Metagross only suffers from one flaw: low speed. While he does have access to Agility, this takes away a moveslot better used for offensive coverage. By having access to Unburden, Metagross can overcome his weakness and pose an immediate threat to most offensive threats. It also allows Metagross to act as a pseudo status-absorber by allowing it to switch in on a status move holding a Lum Berry, thus triggering Unburden. Chances are, however, that because of his defensive advantages and thus would be bumped up to uber tier.

Physical Unburden Metagross @ Lum Berry
Jolly 252 Atk/4 Def/252 Spe
-Meteor Mash
-Zen Headbutt
-Hammer Arm
-Earthquake
 
vyomov said:
Raikou would definitely become OU and would feature in the top ten with the unlocking of the nature
Click to expand...
That's a pretty bold statement, and I'm not quite sure about that, because although Thundurs-T does not outspeed Keldeo and Landous(speed tie), but beats them 1v1. Raikou is a great pokemon, but Thundurus-T kinda just outshines it, with decent bulk and Agility and Nasty Plot, it's a way bigger threat to the OU meta, regardless of Raikou's nature. On beating the KeldLandTar core, I wouldn't run Raikou over Thundurus-T simply because Thundurus-T is a better pokemon. Neither Raikou nor Thundurus-T really beat the KeldLandTar core, so using Raikou over Thundurs-T in this situation doesn't make too much sense to me, because Thundurus-T is basically better or even with everything Raikou can do (for the most part). The only thing that really jumps out at me that Raikou has over Thundurus-T is lack of a SR weakness, and better speed, but Thundurus-T's boosting moves kinda make up for that in most situations IMO.
Long story short, I wouldn't use Thundurus-T or Raikou on my team for breaking the KeldLandTar core. If I wanted an electric type to deal woth Keldeo, I would pick Thundurus despite the fact that it doesn't outspeed Keldeo (Keldeo is usually Choice Scarf anyways) for being bettter as a pokemon in general. Although I like the idea of Timid Raikou with Aura Sphere, as I would for obvious reasons be better than it is now, I'm not sure it would really make a splash in usage.
 
Maestro72 said:
What if Metagross could have Unburden?

With respectable bulk, good defensive typing and monstrous attack, Metagross only suffers from one flaw: low speed. While he does have access to Agility, this takes away a moveslot better used for offensive coverage. By having access to Unburden, Metagross can overcome his weakness and pose an immediate threat to most offensive threats. It also allows Metagross to act as a pseudo status-absorber by allowing it to switch in on a status move holding a Lum Berry, thus triggering Unburden. Chances are, however, that because of his defensive advantages and thus would be bumped up to uber tier.

Physical Unburden Metagross @ Lum Berry
Jolly 252 Atk/4 Def/252 Spe
-Meteor Mash
-Zen Headbutt
-Hammer Arm
-Earthquake
Click to expand...


I kinda like the idea, as it doesn't sacrifice a move slot for Rock Polish allowing it more coverage, however I think something like Liechi Berry would be the superior item choice, since Metagross has the bulk to take a hit and knock it down into Pinch range. I dunno, maybe I just like the idea of sweeping with Metagross more. Maybe a Steel Gem could work too?
 
I tend to think Metagross's big problem isn't survivability (Speed, Defenses, defensive typing). Agility Metagross just doesn't hit hard enough-- and unlike a Dragon Dance user, RP Lando, or Volc, doesn't have any way to bring its offensive might to a level threatening enough to sweep.

My answer: Sheer Force

Sheer Force (Chikara-Duku, or just-force-it) is a very odd ability, because flavor-wise, it works best with PHYSICAL attackers. Yes, when we think of Sheer Force abusers we think of special sets (because most special attacks are better for it), but the ability is clearly meant to work with physical attackers from a flavor stand point.

Think about it-- the name of the ability (in both English and Japanese) literally refers to the action of smashing through by force-- "FORCING IT" being the best summary of the nuance. Obviously, this flavor-wise makes a lot more sense with insane physical attacks, not pansy-ass special one.

You can even see this in the distribution of the ability: Landorus, Nidoking/queen, Darmanitan, Conkuldurr, Tauros, Braviary, Steelix, Rampardos... in fact, there isn't a single Sheer Force user with Special Attack > Attack.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of these Pokemon do not have good physical STAB attacks compatible with Sheer Force. Furthermore, the Fighting and Ground attacks most of them use for coverage aren't compatible either. So, we end up with Special Sheer Force users.


However, Metagross is in a different boat.
-Metagross smashing through shit by force? Sure, this works perfectly flavor-wise.
-Metagross being a predominantly physical attacker? Sure, this works perfect flavor-wise.
-STABs that are compatible with Sheer Force? YES. Meteor Mash and Zen Headbutt are both compatible with Sheer Force.
-Coverage attacks that are compatible with Sheer Force. YES. While Metagross likes fighting/ground coverage and has no such moves that work with Sheer Force, it can always fall back on Bolt-Beam coverage with Thunder- and IcePunch, which both basically become 100% accurate 100 base power attacks that don't take LO recoil.


Metagross
Sheer Force
@Life Orb
-Agility
-Meteor Mash
-ThunderPunch / Zen Headbutt
-Ice Punch

Just to showcase gross' power:

Life Orb Sheer Force Metagross Meteor Mash vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Hippowdon: 270-320 (64.28 - 76.19%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
(Ice Punch does .5 percent more damage)

-1 252+ Atk Life Orb Sheer Force Metagross Ice Punch vs. 200 HP / 244 Def Landorus-T: 359-426 (97.28 - 115.44%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO

252+ Atk Life Orb Sheer Force Metagross Ice Punch vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Multiscale Dragonite: 325-385 (84.19 - 99.74%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ Atk Life Orb Sheer Force Metagross Meteor Mash vs. 120 HP / 0 Def Conkeldurr: 325-383 (85.3 - 100.52%) -- 6.25% chance to OHKO

252+ Atk Life Orb Sheer Force Metagross Meteor Mash vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Cresselia: 199-234 (44.81 - 52.7%) -- 87.5% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock
 
Metagross would still heavily depend on Agility to be threatening, but Sheer Force would certainly make it a much more effective sweeper then it is now, possibly giving it enough potential to finally give it a solid niche in OU as a GOOD Agility sweeper. Sorry Metagross fans, AgiliGross isn't a good sweeper. With Sheer Force though, Metagross hits like a god damn freight train, and like Landorus, it would only need one turn of setup before it could go on a sweeping rampage.
 
What if magnezone got levitate?
I'm not sure if this has been mentioned, but flavor-wise, it makes sense (you know, since its already floating in the air). Essentially, this would give magnezone another niche in the tier. Instead of trapping and eliminating steel types, magnezone could instead check various ground types with HP Ice. This includes landorus-t, garchomp, Dugtrio and mamoswine lacking superpower. Unlike air balloon heatran and bronzong, it cannot use Stealth Rock, but it makes up for with its access to volt switch. What do you guys think?
 
I still don't think it would be used. There are plenty of Electric types that are immune to ground types, like Thundurus-T and Zapdos. The only reason anyone should ever use Magnezone is because he can trap steel types. That is honestly the only reason. Outside of that niche, why would I use it over any other electric type? I mean, I guess it has a nice secondary Steel typing, so it would be a hard counter to Garchomp in the rain, but that sees like a pretty small niche to me.
 
@Gary-- exactly! With Sheer Force, Metagross would have the power needed to smash in heavy hits at any chance, making him a decent mid-game wall breaker as well. Throw in the chance to throw up an Agility and sweep at any given time, and you have a real beast on your hands again. The important point is that Sheer Force gives Meteor Mash the power it needs to leave significant hits even on Pokemon that resist it. So, even if Metagross wouldn't have the best coverage (or very little super effective coverage with Bolt-Beam punches), it would still be able to hit things hard enough to keep enemies scared.

BTW...

Levitate Zone would have an incredible typing, and would be a stupidly good defensive Pokemon (or offensive pivot). I mean, 70 / 115 / 90 is nothing to sneeze at, and we're talking about resistance to: (EdgeQuake) (Bolt-Beam) (Ice-Ground) (Flying-Ground) (Electric-Flying) (Dragon-Ground) (Dragon-Electric)

Let's not forget the fact that it is immune to Sand, Spikes, Toxic Spikes, Toxic, and resists Stealth Rock.

Those are some pretty insane attacking combos to be resistant/immune to. Magnezone's only real flaw would be having such a limited support movepool, but between Light Screen, Reflect, Thunder Wave, Toxic, Metal Sound, and that 125 base Special Attack, I'm sure you could find SOME way too capitalize on ALL the switches he would be forcing.

Something as simple as:

Magnezone
Modest
@Leftovers
252 HP / 4 Sp.A / 252 Sp.Def
-Volt Switch
-Hidden Power Ice / Fire
-Toxic
-Thunder
 
Hmm . . . well, I was going to ask something really silly like "What if Volcarona had Mountaineer?" But a recent bout with a Chople berry Tyranitar has me thinking in a different direction:

What if Snorlax had Harvest?
It makes sense flavor-wise: after all, Snorlax is either sleeping or eating according to Pokedex entries, so why not give him an ability that allows him to keep on eating. This provides a few different options when in the Sun, ranging from Chople Berry/Sitrus Berry tanking to Lum Berry rest shenanigans to (gasp!) Custap Berry sweeping potential. Of course, all that's somewhat of a pipe dream as standalone sets, but thanks to improved relevancy of Trick Room teams, HarvestLax would have his time in the sun (pun intended).

Not really sure how to go about making sets for this as it would open up a megaton of options for Snorlax.
 
I can see Magnezone benefiting from Levitate. By giving up Magnet Pull for Levitate, it's role changes from a Steel trapper for more offensive teams to a utility Pokemon that can serve both offensive and defensive roles. With Levitate, it can now easily check the likes of Hippowdon, Landorus-T, and Garchomp who all would've destroyed Magnet Pull Magnezone. It can serve a defensive role with it's massive list of resistances; I believe it has the most resistances out of any Pokemon, as well as its immunity to Spikes, Toxic, and Sand. The only trouble with defensive Magnezone is the fact that it has a shallow support movepool. I'd imagine it being used as a Paralysis spreader while being a check to a number of Pokemon and a slow Volt Switch user to help build momentum on more balanced teams. Even without Magnet Pull, Magnezone would still be able to tun offensive sets. It can take advantage of its large number of resistances and solid bulk to switch in easily and fire off powerful attacks from its base 125 Special Attack, similar to how offensive Heatran is played. In short, Levitate Magnezone would have merit and would be an interesting option in the metagame
 
What if Dragonite got Swords Dance?

I could see this being deadly. Multiscale guarantees the boost, and it'll just screw over team with +2 Extremespeed, which is far more powerful that Lucario's. In fact, Dragonite even has Aqua Jet, which when boosted in the rain, strikes those pesky resists like Terrakion and Gengar. Finally +2 Outrage is ridiculously strong. Honestly, if Salamence got Swords Dance, that trash would be broken, since screw Moxie-kill Extremespeed. Dragonite can even use a Double Dance set consisting of Extremespeed adn Outrage, since +3 or +5 Outrage could easily break though steel-types like no other. Dragonite with Swords Dance would add a whole new flavor to it.
 
Shurtugal said:
Levitate Metagross would be cool. NO MORE FUCKING AIR BALLOONS!!!!!! :D

*ahem* I got carried away, sorry :p

With Levitate, Metagross would be able to set up on so much more Pokemon than it can currently, and I'd actually like a meta with Levitate Metagross. It's a more offensive Bronzong for people who need Bronzong's prowess on an offensive based team. It's more useful than Regenerator or Analytical, at least.
Click to expand...
Kinda late, but i felt the need to address this. Personally, i feel that Regenerator would easily be the best ability for Metagross, although the less realistic one for it to have. With Regenerator, Metagross could become one of the best offensive and defensive pivots ever, as well as one of the best Steel-types around. When you think of Metagross's faults as a defensive and tankish Pokemon, lack of reliable recovery is probably the first thing that comes to mind, leaving Metagross very easy to wear down and usually unable to check more than 1 Pokemon. Let's take a look at some popular Pokemon that Metagross counters and then some Pokemon that it checks very well (assuming a set of 252 HP / 252 Def+ and a moveset of Meteor Mash / Bullet Punch / Ice Punch / Earthquake). It counters SubDisable Gengar, non-HP Fire Latias, Alakazam, Tyranitar, Cloyster, non-Earth Power Kyurem-B, non-CB Terrakion, Jirachi, OTR Reuniclus, Lucario, Toxicroak. All those are threatening offensive Pokemon that usually give troubles to many kind of teams. As for what Metagross checks the list will be huge so i will list the most important of them: every Outraging Dragon, Lati@s, Celebi, Hydreigon, Breloom (after Sleep Clause has been activated) being the most significant. Now just imagine if Metagross could take repeated punishment from all those Pokemon, in addition to having excellent offensive presence, resistance to SR, immunity to Toxic, Toxic Spikes, and sand, Pursuit, Bullet Punch, and Stealth Rock.

Btw i though of some other ways to make Moltres more viable, but instead of making it more balanced like some other abilities suggestions have tried (Magic Guard, Regenerator) the abilities i will propose would make Moltres even more of a double-edged sword that destroys when SR is off the field but often becomes a liability when it is up. Here we go:

What if Moltres got Sheer Force?

Not only would Moltres gain a 19% power boost (1.69 = LO * Sheer Force, 1.5 = Specs) it would also gain the ability to switch moves, use Roost, and become a lethal late game sweeper all with one simple set of Hurricane, Fire Blast, Roost, Agility. This is what i really like about Sheer Force. It makes coverage moves almost unnecessary (except from Tyranitar obviously), and so frees up slots for Moltres to use both Roost and Agility, and thus becoming an interesting and potent mix of wallbreaker, offensive tank, and late game sweeper. I am really tempted to post some calcs but i always do this and i guess it is kind of pointless, so just let me tell you this: Fire Blast in rain OHKOes max HP Jirachi 56.5% of the time after SR. So, do you think that Sheer Force would allow Moltres to compete with monstrous powerhouses of OU such as Terrakion, Landorus, and Keldeo, or it would just make it a viable OU choice.

Now on to the second ability... What if Moltres got Adaptability?

This ability is all about power and would ensure that you would never want to give a free switch-in to Moltres. Here are some calcs for your entertainment:
  • 252+ SpA Choice Specs Adaptability Moltres Hurricane vs. 248 HP / 232+ SpD Rotom-W: 147-173 (48.51 - 57.09%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
  • 252+ SpA Choice Specs Adaptability Moltres Hurricane vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Heatran: 145-171 (37.66 - 44.41%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
  • 252+ SpA Choice Specs Adaptability Moltres Hurricane vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Jellicent: 402-474 (99.75 - 117.61%) -- 93.75% chance to OHKO
  • 252+ SpA Choice Specs Adaptability Moltres Hurricane vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Eviolite Chansey: 268-316 (38.06 - 44.88%) -- 6.64% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock
  • 252+ SpA Choice Specs Adaptability Moltres Hurricane vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Thundurus-T: 252-297 (84.28 - 99.33%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
  • 252+ SpA Choice Specs Adaptability Moltres Hurricane vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Latias: 334-394 (91.75 - 108.24%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
  • 252+ SpA Choice Specs Adaptability Moltres Fire Blast vs. 4 HP / 252+ SpD Blissey in sun: 366-432 (56.13 - 66.25%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
While this ability would certainly make Moltres one of the hardest Pokemon to switch into in OU, be it in sun or in rain, it wouldn't prevent LO recoil and make Moltres even more prone to passive damage and priority (where with Sheer Force Moltres could sweep even with SR up as long as it is able to take one weak resisted hit + priority). So, which ability you think would make Moltres more viable in OU and why?

EDIT: Damn you Chou, ruining my dreams even when we are theorymoning ):
 
^Sheer Force Moltres doesn't work flavor-wise, because as mentioned, Sheer Force is a physical type ability from a flavor perspective and every single one of its users has ATK > S.ATK
 
alexwolf said:
Kinda late, but i felt the need to address this. Personally, i feel that Regenerator would easily be the best ability for Metagross, although the less realistic one for it to have. With Regenerator, Metagross could become one of the best offensive and defensive pivots ever, as well as one of the best Steel-types around. When you think of Metagross's faults as a defensive and tankish Pokemon, lack of reliable recovery is probably the first thing that comes to mind, leaving Metagross very easy to wear down and usually unable to check more than 1 Pokemon. Let's take a look at some popular Pokemon that Metagross counters and then some Pokemon that it checks very well (assuming a set of 252 HP / 252 Def+ and a moveset of Meteor Mash / Bullet Punch / Ice Punch / Earthquake). It counters SubDisable Gengar, non-HP Fire Latias, Alakazam, Tyranitar, Cloyster, non-Earth Power Kyurem-B, non-CB Terrakion, Jirachi, OTR Reuniclus, Lucario, Toxicroak. All those are threatening offensive Pokemon that usually give troubles to many kind of teams. As for what Metagross checks the list will be huge so i will list the most important of them: every Outraging Dragon, Lati@s, Celebi, Hydreigon, Breloom (after Sleep Clause has been activated) being the most significant. Now just imagine if Metagross could take repeated punishment from all those Pokemon, in addition to having excellent offensive presence, resistance to SR, immunity to Toxic, Toxic Spikes, and sand, Pursuit, Bullet Punch, and Stealth Rock.

Btw i though of some other ways to make Moltres more viable, but instead of making it more balanced like some other abilities suggestions have tried (Magic Guard, Regenerator) the abilities i will propose would make Moltres even more of a double-edged sword that destroys when SR is off the field but often becomes a liability when it is up. Here we go:

What if Moltres got Sheer Force?

Not only would Moltres gain a 19% power boost (1.69 = LO * Sheer Force, 1.5 = Specs) it would also gain the ability to switch moves, use Roost, and become a lethal late game sweeper all with one simple set of Hurricane, Fire Blast, Roost, Agility. This is what i really like about Sheer Force. It makes coverage moves almost unnecessary (except from Tyranitar obviously), and so frees up slots for Moltres to use both Roost and Agility, and thus becoming an interesting and potent mix of wallbreaker, offensive tank, and late game sweeper. I am really tempted to post some calcs but i always do this and i guess it is kind of pointless, so just let me tell you this: Fire Blast in rain OHKOes max HP Jirachi 56.5% of the time after SR. So, do you think that Sheer Force would allow Moltres to compete with monstrous powerhouses of OU such as Terrakion, Landorus, and Keldeo, or it would just make it a viable OU choice.

Now on to the second ability... What if Moltres got Adaptability?

This ability is all about power and would ensure that you would never want to give a free switch-in to Moltres. Here are some calcs for your entertainment:
  • 252+ SpA Choice Specs Adaptability Moltres Hurricane vs. 248 HP / 232+ SpD Rotom-W: 147-173 (48.51 - 57.09%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
  • 252+ SpA Choice Specs Adaptability Moltres Hurricane vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Heatran: 145-171 (37.66 - 44.41%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
  • 252+ SpA Choice Specs Adaptability Moltres Hurricane vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Jellicent: 402-474 (99.75 - 117.61%) -- 93.75% chance to OHKO
  • 252+ SpA Choice Specs Adaptability Moltres Hurricane vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Eviolite Chansey: 268-316 (38.06 - 44.88%) -- 6.64% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock
  • 252+ SpA Choice Specs Adaptability Moltres Hurricane vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Thundurus-T: 252-297 (84.28 - 99.33%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
  • 252+ SpA Choice Specs Adaptability Moltres Hurricane vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Latias: 334-394 (91.75 - 108.24%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
  • 252+ SpA Choice Specs Adaptability Moltres Fire Blast vs. 4 HP / 252+ SpD Blissey in sun: 366-432 (56.13 - 66.25%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
While this ability would certainly make Moltres one of the hardest Pokemon to switch into in OU, be it in sun or in rain, it wouldn't prevent LO recoil and make Moltres even more prone to passive damage and priority (where with Sheer Force Moltres could sweep even with SR up as long as it is able to take one weak resisted hit + priority). So, which ability you think would make Moltres more viable in OU and why?
Click to expand...

Oh my god, your addicted to Moltres. Okay, that was hypocritical. I'm addicted to Sharpedo. Regardless, this would be interesting and be deadly. Sun teams would be punished by repeated Fire Blast and Rain teams gth thanks to these Adaptability boosted trash, and i honestly think that an Agility set would actually be suspected. The power behind this things STAB is insane as you pointed out in your calculations and there is also Confusion hax, which is dang piss of. Sheer Force would be intersting to since the free Life Orb double would be awesome. A Choice Specs Sheer Force would hit ridiculously hard, and I would see either one a top threat if released in OU.
 
What if Zen Mode:
-treated all ATK EVs as SATK EVs
-treated -SATK nature as -ATK nature
-Automatically activated 5 turn of Trick Room
-Gave a 30% HP recovery
 
Chou Toshio said:
What if Zen Mode:
-treated all ATK EVs as SATK EVs
-treated -SATK nature as -ATK nature
-Automatically activated 5 turn of Trick Room
-Gave a 30% HP recovery
Click to expand...


Well shit. Darmanitan would be broken as fuck, because someone could just spam Substitute or Flare Blitz to get it down to Zen Mode. Trick Room would make it like a Chandelure on steroids, and the 30% boost in HP would keep it from possibly dying quickly to LO recoil or residual damage. Point is, Darmanitan could potentially become one of the best mixed attackers in the tier if executed correctly.
 
Chou Toshio said:
What if Zen Mode:
-treated all ATK EVs as SATK EVs
-treated -SATK nature as -ATK nature
-Automatically activated 5 turn of Trick Room
-Gave a 30% HP recovery
Click to expand...

lol it needs just about all of that to be good, but it would be an amazing mixed attacker. Just automatic trick room on a slow sweeper would be arguably OP/broken depending no its offensive stats. A Pokemon with the same type of thing but for defensive EVs would be cool as well..
 
What if Arcanine learned Swords Dance?

Similar to how Lucario was dominant during his era, SD Arcanine could pull off something similar. They both have access to Extremespeed, 110 base ATK, a 120 STAB attack (Flare Blitz/CC), and resistant to the common Bullet Punch. Of course though, Arcanine has its differences with Luc, and many are considered detrimental, but there are some things he has up his sleeve to make him possibly better.

Arcanine has access to 3 powerful abilities, all viable in their own right. Intimidate ensures easier set-up, Flash Fire makes Flare Blitz insanely powerful, and Justify is similar to Luc as they grab even more boosts when hit by Dark attacks. Arcanine also has access to some very powerful attacks for the last slot for coverage. CC is there, essentially taking Luc's main attack as your own and wrecking everything that resists Fire and Normal attacks, Wild Charge for coverage against rain, and Crunch for Jellicent and Chandelure. You could even use Outrage or Morning Sun if you can make use of it.

Of course though, he isn't without weaknesses. Arcanine already has a crippling SR weakness, something Luc has the obvious advantage in, as well as having an obvious weaker defensive typing, being hit for neutral against many more attacks as well as hit by sand. However, I guess it's just something you'd want to take into consideration when picking Arcanine over Lucario. One might say Lucario is universally better, which is mostly true. But I think it's possible to utilize Arcanine's strengths in better coverage and abilities to make a set that works just for him. If anything, giving Arcanine SD would definitely push him into a much bigger threat in the UU tier, or maybe push him to the low OU ranks.

It's almost exactly like SD Luc, only "different".
 
SD-9 would be neat, though it would suffer from similar problems as Lucario did, namely a weakness to fast Ghost, Rock, and Steel pokemon. There's also another problem it has: a weakness to Aqua Jet, which, after factoring in Entry Hazard damage, can make quick work of it.

Having said that, it could prove even more deadly than SDLuke, mainly because of 95 vs 90 Base Spe, 90/80/80 vs 70/70/70 Base Bulk Stats, and access to two powerful 120 Power moves (Flare Blitz and Close Combat) that, although unable to hit Jellicent or Chandelure (Giratina as well but oh well), give it better Super-Effective type coverage than Dark+Fighting or Steel+Fighting or Ground+Fighting, with only Rock+Fighting having better coverage.
 
What if instead of Zen Mode:
a) Darmanitan-Z got Trick Room, Signal Beam and Zen Mode was removed
b) You could just directly start with Darmanitan-Z without transititon and stuff?
Darmanitan-Z would become instant-OU, with 105/105/105 defenses and 140 SpA which would be simply amazing. TR teams would receive a HUGE boost as Darmanitan-Z can not only tank hits but hit like a truck, especially with Sheer Force boosted attacks
555Z.gif

Darmanitan-Z@Life Orb
EVs: 252 HP/252 SpA/4 Def
IVs: 0 Spd
Ability: Sheer Force
- Trick Room
- Fire Blast
- Psychic
- Signal Beam/HP of choice

This set would make Chandelure seems like Sunkern:
252+ SpA Life Orb Sheer Force Darmanitan Fire Blast vs. 4 HP / 252+ SpD Blissey in sun: 337-398 (51.68 - 61.04%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ SpA Life Orb Sheer Force Darmanitan Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Eviolite Chansey in sun: 368-434 (52.27 - 61.64%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
It also takes hits quite well:
252 SpA Choice Specs Keldeo Hydro Pump vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Darmanitan in sun: 278-330 (67.14 - 79.71%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
Considering it OHKOes in return, not bad!
 
klvkboom said:
What if Arcanine learned Swords Dance?
Click to expand...
I think it would be a better Lucario basically. Arcanine really wants SD + ExtremeSpeed

vyomov said:
What if instead of Zen Mode:
a) Darmanitan-Z got Trick Room, Signal Beam and Zen Mode was removed
b) You could just directly start with Darmanitan-Z without transititon and stuff?
Click to expand...


Amazing Trick room attacker with great bulk. Almost definitely OU, where in OU would be hard to say. If not OU, S-rank UU.
 
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