OU SPL XVI BW Discussion Thread

[peng]

FIRSTLY I think it is incredibly lame that meessm got subbed out. First time SPLer goes 1-2 in close, high variance games vs actual hall-of-fame BW players and then gets subbed out... its sort of wild, talk about being blindly results-oriented! I think he showed he has what it takes to go toe-to-toe with some of the best players in the field and deserved the chance to keep going, especially when he was finding his feet more with each ongoing week. Stop the kneejerking!

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A few of my favourite teams so far:


Week 1 by Rewer / Brine (support)

A weird-looking composition, if only for the Ferrothorn slot. The back 5 have now become a pretty standard dragon-spam offense backbone, with the final slot traditionally dedicated to Magnezone. Only 1) triple dragon generally won't have problems breaking steels and 2) Magnezone is super abusable post-trap and can open more weaknesses than it fixes. More recently we've seen people swapping the Magnezone slot out for more varied options, among them Abomasnow for weather control + hail chip + starmie check. Here, Rewer and his teambuilding support Brine opt for an offensive lead Ferrothorn, which looks like a pace mismatch for this archtype but actually fits really well.

We don't get to see the full set, but I am assuming its Lum, lots of Atk investment, and a movest of Stealth Rock, Power Whip, Gyro Ball (all revealed) and either Spikes or Explosion in the final slot. Getting Stealth Rock off of Garchomp/Jirachi opens them up to use their scarier SD+coverage and Choice Scarf sets, respectively - getting a second steel into the team means Lefties-less Jirachi feels less soft, too. These teams always a bit feel rough into opposing Starmie, and to a lesser extent, Rotom-W, so Lum Ferrothorn is clearly helping there as well. Unsure if the final slot uses Spikes or Explosion, but either look super viable and ensure Ferrothorn isn't a momentum sink - whilst we rarely see Spikes + SD Garchomp or Spikes + DD Dragonite, they both clearly appreciate the extra chip into bulky waters, opposing Ferrothorn etc. Explosion, on the other hand, denies Thundurus-T and Volcarona set-up, and also gives you a one-off pivot move when Ferrothorn has outlasted its usefulness. As the icing on top, Attack-invested Ferrothorn is potent offensively in its own right, and into teams without Ferrothorn/Skarmory (which you just Spike on anyway, if you have it) it is pretty reliable at trading health with the likes of Landorus-T and Excadrill, all to the benefit of the Dragons in the back.

I know a lot of people unfamiliar with the tier will have seen this team preview and not thought it was anything special - hurr durr another Ferrothorn, so boring - but Ferrothorn in places where you don't expect it *is* innovation, and this is definitely a non-standard take on HO in BW.



Week 3 by the madhouse (Monai, LUCK>SKILL, Raiza, chomp29, mad dawg, whoever the fuck else is involved)

[Segue: back when BW OU was current gen, the forums used to host a Community Create-a-Team (CCAT), where community members would submit and vote to build by committee. These were without fail, completely unviable. in 2012 we tried to build SubPass Gliscor + Keldeo Sand, which felt busted on paper but ended up being absolute garbage because Torn-T was dominant, forced you to run bad steels like Bronzong, and it would still beat you anyway. For another slice of Smogon history, click here to see the 2009 DPP CCAT community convince themselves CB Head Smash Aggron was going to take the metagame by storm.]

Back on topic, many years later the metagame is a bit more generous to the SubPass Gliscor + Keldeo concept that looked so good on paper all those years ago. I believe we've seen it twice this tournament, with the rain "stall" used by SoulWind tending to use that Gliscor set too. The 6 above looks unsuspecting, until you realise its Monai that's brought it and he famously believes Gliscor is dogshit and unironically puts Lando-T #1 in his viability ranking - he would legit use Sub Protect Toxic Earthquake Lando-T and would refuse to acknowledge Gliscor does it better. The only way you could ever convince Monai to use Gliscor is if you find one of the very few moves in its arsenal that were not given to Landorus-T - Struggle Bug, Dream Eater... or Baton Pass.

The concept looks solid. Baton Pass Substitute into Keldeo on bulky waters, get free clicks. Baton Pass Ferrothorn on bulky waters, get free Leech Seeds. Baton Pass Substitute to Tyranitar on Reuniclus. Easier entries for Alakazam also. The concession is that Ferrothorn needs to become dual hazards AND leech seed which is an actual BW2 release day garbo set but its fine. Kinda impossible for this 6 to be unviable regardless of sets, but this was an interesting take on an archetype that appears to have endless potential for innovation. Maybe Gliscor could creep into B rank on Monai's next VR?


Week 3 by watashi / Harshest

I've been yapping a lot on discord this week about how big a fan I am of Latias currently, and how I think you can regularly just take Latios teams and swap it in for the improved Keldeo security. This bring from watashi looks incredibly similar to a dice team from two years ago (Hippowdon / LeechTect Ferro / Balloon Magnezone / Scarf Excadrill / Specs Latios / BoltBeam CM Reuniclus) with a couple of significant changes. Scarf Excadrill -> Gliscor (with Magnezone support this is likely Swords Dance?), and the aforementioned Specs Latios -> Support Latias.

I think I like this one a lot. At preview I would have assumed the Latias was kept as a Specs set, gaining HWish which can be busted with Leech Ferrothorn and Hippo, and that would probably be pretty functional. But instead we see something closer to what Mega Latis do in XY-onwards, Ice Beam Latias with support moves. Losing the speed control of Scarf Excadrill puts greater emphasis on punishing set-up turns from the likes of Volcarona, which this team achieves with Thunder Wave + Roar Latias and Leech Ferrothorn.

The team makes a lot of sense especially when considering watashi was up against SoulWind this week, who is more likely than most to crack out some unique fat 6 and aim to play a war of attrition. Magnezone + SD Gliscor + CM Reuniclus + Twave support is a pretty broken combination into that type of team, and he gets a dream MU for it. The trade-off is a relative weakness into LO Alakazam (0% SW usage mon), and I guess if you can't guarantee Spikes then your Ice Roar Latias + Ice Reuniclus are simply never breaking it? There's possibly other variations of this that accept being a bit less strong into fat in order to improve MU spread elsewhere, but regardless I really liked this team and thought it was a smart risk to take into this specific opponent.

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Smaller general thoughts:


Garchomp usage has been p solid, we've seen more ChainChomp this year than most years, it feels like? LO getting used on that set obviously, but we've seen a couple of Draco Plate too, which trades off the EQ power for a bit of survivability + can bluff Physical Yache/Sash in some situations.


Jirachi's SPL usage has been insane for a few years now but its currently #4 usage at 40% which is absurdly high for a Pokemon that most people consider like 12th-15th in their VR, historically. Scarf has seen a bit uptick in the last couple of years, making a good makeshift check into the offensive Psychics especially LO Alakazam, and also being a good HWish supporter for not only HO threats like Conk/Volc/Dnite, but now also Thundurus-T and Keldeo on rain offenses. Mixed Rachi is having a big year as well, with Finchinator of all people bringing it twice. On top of all that, it is a serviceable rocker if you need to free up your Ground-type and the SDef Wish set still finds its way into the odd balance team. The mon is just super versatile, and while every set has specific very clunky MUs, it consistently enables super powerful 6s that you could never make work with other Steels.


I'm not the biggest Conk fan but you can't argue with the usage stats. The guy is an incredibly efficient trader and particularly when paired with HWish support its a mega threat. I think its potency will wane as the playerbase gets better at optimising how to build and play into it, much as we did with the TWave + Reuniclus spam that was everywhere for parts of last year and then fell back a bit. If you mess up the sequencing even a little bit, Conk has an incredibly strong punish from just being that 1 turn ahead, but I'm thinking we'll get better vs it as the year goes on

 

[Cow]

Whats up guys, as we are heading into the final stretch of the tournament I thought i'd try and breathe some new life into the thread and discuss some trends and difference's we are seeing between this season of SPL and the last iteration.

Firstly, I would like to take a look at the current top 10 in usage mons as of week 7 compared to all of last years.

This year so far
+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| Rank | Pokemon | Use | Usage % | Win % |
+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| 1 | Tyranitar | 27 | 47.37% | 51.85% |
| 2 | Landorus-Therian | 23 | 40.35% | 47.83% |
| 3 | Jirachi | 23 | 40.35% | 56.52% |
| 4 | Ferrothorn | 20 | 35.09% | 50.00% |
| 5 | Latios | 20 | 35.09% | 60.00% |
| 6 | Rotom-Wash | 18 | 31.58% | 55.56% |
| 7 | Starmie | 16 | 28.07% | 56.25% |
| 8 | Excadrill | 15 | 26.32% | 40.00% |
| 9 | Gliscor | 12 | 21.05% | 50.00% |
| 10 | Garchomp | 12 | 21.05% | 66.67% |

Last Year
+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| Rank | Pokemon | Use | Usage % | Win % |
+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| 1 | Latios | 45 | 46.88% | 53.33% |
| 2 | Tyranitar | 41 | 42.71% | 48.78% |
| 3 | Excadrill | 36 | 37.50% | 44.44% |
| 4 | Ferrothorn | 32 | 33.33% | 56.25% |
| 5 | Jirachi | 24 | 25.00% | 50.00% |
| 6 | Landorus-Therian | 22 | 22.92% | 50.00% |
| 7 | Skarmory | 22 | 22.92% | 45.45% |
| 8 | Gliscor | 19 | 19.79% | 47.37% |
| 9 | Scizor | 16 | 16.67% | 37.50% |
| 10 | Alakazam | 15 | 15.63% | 40.00% |

The first thing that interests me is Jirachi consistently over the past 2 SPL's consistently being in the top 5 and this usage is only climbing, already seeing 23 Jirachi's this year heading into week 8 compared to the 24 we saw last year. It's wide move pool allows for very customisable sets, EV spreads and even item slot with Sitrus Berry, Expert Belt, Shucca Berry and even Eject Button from Meessm, which is ideal in the BO1 format. This year we've seen a high amount of 4 attack MixRachi which is great at attacking scouts and putting on a lot of offensive pressure. Monai's Grass Knot Jirachi is perfect example of this, a less explored option which worked perfectly into the Hippowdon team he faced.

So far this year we have seen only 2 defensively oriented Jirachi sets, the rest being a mix of either Choice Scarf or the aforementioned MixRachi set compared to the 8 defensive Jirachi's we saw last year. Although this is one Pokemon in the tier, it sort of reflects the trend we are currently seeing with the metagame getting faster and faster.

A lot more Starmie and Garchomp this year which are common Hyper Offence staples (And Rain Offence for Starmie) as opposed to the influx of Skarmory we saw last year most typically seen on Fat/slower teams demonstrates this well too. Jirachi being an ideal fit for these offensive structures, for Hyper Offence being able to grab easy momentum with U-Turn and Healing Wish to bring another offensive piece back and for Rain being able to temporarily fend of against Alakazam and Latios is crucial to this archetype, and in such a fast paced meta it slots into these teams very well.

The speed of the meta is also reflected by the the previously mentioned Skarmory usage as well as the 36 Excadrill's we saw last year, mostly being Sword Dance with a small amount of Substitute being sprinkled in. Sword Dance Excadrill being used so much to combat the high amount of Clefable/Blissey stalls we were seeing last year using only a Skarmory to fend it off. With these archetypes seeing less and less usage its obvious that Sword Dance Excadrill would also have a dip in usage.

There's a lot more to talk about and I hope to see more people pick up some trends and write about their thoughts (and hopefully word it better than I can). Thank you for reading and goodnight!

 

[Monai]

Whats up guys, as we are heading into the final stretch of the tournament I thought i'd try and breathe some new life into the thread and discuss some trends and difference's we are seeing between this season of SPL and the last iteration.

Firstly, I would like to take a look at the current top 10 in usage mons as of week 7 compared to all of last years.

This year so far
+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| Rank | Pokemon | Use | Usage % | Win % |
+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| 1 | Tyranitar | 27 | 47.37% | 51.85% |
| 2 | Landorus-Therian | 23 | 40.35% | 47.83% |
| 3 | Jirachi | 23 | 40.35% | 56.52% |
| 4 | Ferrothorn | 20 | 35.09% | 50.00% |
| 5 | Latios | 20 | 35.09% | 60.00% |
| 6 | Rotom-Wash | 18 | 31.58% | 55.56% |
| 7 | Starmie | 16 | 28.07% | 56.25% |
| 8 | Excadrill | 15 | 26.32% | 40.00% |
| 9 | Gliscor | 12 | 21.05% | 50.00% |
| 10 | Garchomp | 12 | 21.05% | 66.67% |

Last Year
+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| Rank | Pokemon | Use | Usage % | Win % |
+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| 1 | Latios | 45 | 46.88% | 53.33% |
| 2 | Tyranitar | 41 | 42.71% | 48.78% |
| 3 | Excadrill | 36 | 37.50% | 44.44% |
| 4 | Ferrothorn | 32 | 33.33% | 56.25% |
| 5 | Jirachi | 24 | 25.00% | 50.00% |
| 6 | Landorus-Therian | 22 | 22.92% | 50.00% |
| 7 | Skarmory | 22 | 22.92% | 45.45% |
| 8 | Gliscor | 19 | 19.79% | 47.37% |
| 9 | Scizor | 16 | 16.67% | 37.50% |
| 10 | Alakazam | 15 | 15.63% | 40.00% |

The first thing that interests me is Jirachi consistently over the past 2 SPL's consistently being in the top 5 and this usage is only climbing, already seeing 23 Jirachi's this year heading into week 8 compared to the 24 we saw last year. It's wide move pool allows for very customisable sets, EV spreads and even item slot with Sitrus Berry, Expert Belt, Shucca Berry and even Eject Button from Meessm, which is ideal in the BO1 format. This year we've seen a high amount of 4 attack MixRachi which is great at attacking scouts and putting on a lot of offensive pressure. Monai's Grass Knot Jirachi is perfect example of this, a less explored option which worked perfectly into the Hippowdon team he faced.

So far this year we have seen only 2 defensively oriented Jirachi sets, the rest being a mix of either Choice Scarf or the aforementioned MixRachi set compared to the 8 defensive Jirachi's we saw last year. Although this is one Pokemon in the tier, it sort of reflects the trend we are currently seeing with the metagame getting faster and faster.

A lot more Starmie and Garchomp this year which are common Hyper Offence staples (And Rain Offence for Starmie) as opposed to the influx of Skarmory we saw last year most typically seen on Fat/slower teams demonstrates this well too. Jirachi being an ideal fit for these offensive structures, for Hyper Offence being able to grab easy momentum with U-Turn and Healing Wish to bring another offensive piece back and for Rain being able to temporarily fend of against Alakazam and Latios is crucial to this archetype, and in such a fast paced meta it slots into these teams very well.

The speed of the meta is also reflected by the the previously mentioned Skarmory usage as well as the 36 Excadrill's we saw last year, mostly being Sword Dance with a small amount of Substitute being sprinkled in. Sword Dance Excadrill being used so much to combat the high amount of Clefable/Blissey stalls we were seeing last year using only a Skarmory to fend it off. With these archetypes seeing less and less usage its obvious that Sword Dance Excadrill would also have a dip in usage.

There's a lot more to talk about and I hope to see more people pick up some trends and write about their thoughts (and hopefully word it better than I can). Thank you for reading and goodnight!

I thought this was a super insightful post. Just wanted to add onto the Excadrill point. We've seen an absolute ton of Scarf Excadrill this year, which ties into the much lower Skarmory, Magnezone, and general fat this year that Cow alluded to. With Swords Dance being less necessary and games being much less grindy, spinning multiple times or breaking down defensive cores just isn't worth the amazing compression and great cleaning power scarf brings.

 

[LuckOverSkill]

I find item choices the main indicator of how aggressive the meta is right now.

Lots of unlocked Latios to punish structures that rely on resists rather than walling it. You don't need to Trick into a blob anymore. Just mash HP Fire and Surf on whatever is in front of you, not much can survive this combination anymore.

Skarmory has been running Rocky Helmet the vast majority of the times this SPL. Popular spinners right now have 0 survivability and pose a serious offensive threat. Punishing them and U-Turns matters more than passive recovery.

Plus, it helps into the big physical dragons. You can't afford to let them Outrage and switch out, you want them to suicide into your Rocky Helmet. If you let them leave the field unscathed you'll have to survive a second assault, courtesy of Healing Wish.

Jirachi is the perfect Pokémon when scouting is involved, no surprises here. Fire Ice coverage smashes a lot of Sand structures. Rain is in its worst state ever, so you don't have to dance around Politoed + Ferrothorn. Heatran's usage has been low for a while. Ideal conditions for everyone's favorite lucky little star.

Rotom-Wash also sees more play as a TrickScarf and ChestoRest user than the typical Pain Split variants. If my senile dementia isn't hitting me too hard, that's typical for SPL because of the surprise effect. Still, it feels more prevalent this year.

Big Psychic pulled off yet another successful heist this year. Look at that Latios winrate (and it's got 2 more wins this week so far). Beautiful.

 

[leoperi]

I find item choices the main indicator of how aggressive the meta is right now.

Also i thought would be interesting to note but cool to see Mix LO chomp variants rising up aswell as a year prior felt like was in a much worse state than is now

 

[peng]

Something I found interesting has been the big changes in the lead metagame from 2023 to present. All %s below are normalised to the Pokemon's total usage, indicating how often a Pokemon was led when it was brought. Remember this is all small sample sizes, so trying to only stick to the examples where things change approx 2-fold or more, and even then some of this can just be variance.

Losers:
30% -> 17%
40% -> 25%
38% -> 13%

Winners:
18% -> 45%
17% -> 30%
16% -> 46%

Looks like there's been a decrease in lead ground/flyers over the last two years - maybe you wouldn't feel a drop from 30% to 17% based only on feel, but the stats are showing that lead Landorus-T and Gliscor are declining a bit over time. Gliscor sort of makes sense, as 2021-2023 saw more SR pivot sets and now its used in other ways a bit more often, but its still interesting to see that top players do not go for the safe lead Toxic Orb activation anywhere near as often as you would expect - possibly highlighting the pace of the current meta and how you cannot afford a t1 protect momentum throw into opposing teams currently. The uptick in Air Balloon Starmie as hazard control may have a role in their small decline also - something like lead Garchomp + Starmie is pretty consistent at setting its own SR, damaging the lead ground, and Starmie spinning midgame, so its likely people are looking into other lead options on their teams to counteract this.

Rotom-Wash is a really big loser in the lead trends. Traditionally it would have good lead MUs into Gliscor/Landorus-T/Ferrothorn/Politoed, but for one reason or another it no longer finds itself in the lead position as often. Rain is seeing far less usage nowadays than 2023 (Politoed 24% -> 11%), whilst Ferrothorn more often runs Lum/Rawst on offense.

So who is picking up the slack? Well lead Ferrothorn is everywhere, buffed by the discovery of the aforementioned Lum/Rawst tech to counter opposing Wisp/Scald and retaliate with strong Power Whips. Its gone from leading ~1 in 6 games, to now almost every other game. Even just the threat of Lum Berry has massively hit lead Rotom-W, meaning even non-Lum Ferrothorn makes a better lead again, too.

Latios lead usage is also on the up. Leading Latios into Rain has always been good, but we're seeing here Latios lead spiking even as Rain declines. Latios, especially Hidden Power [Fire] with Colbur, makes a really strong lead that threatens Ferrothorn, Landorus-T, Garchomp whilst not being immediately removed by Tyranitar.

The surprise pick from this year, though, has been Keldeo. Keldeo has gone from being a fringe lead in 2023-2024 (~10%) to now leading almost half the time it is brought, which is a massive change from last year's lead meta. Some of this will be from declining Rain+Keldeo usage, which predominantly leads Politoed/Ferrothorn/Thundurus-T - Keldeo's usage has never been more skewed towards Sand teams where it has always been a better lead anyway, but even then the jump of lead Keldeo this year has been stark. The theory behind it is strong - firstly, a healthy Keldeo is actually incredibly difficult to remove in 1 hit (notably surviving both Latios DM and uninvested Ferrothorn PWhip without chip), and secondly, through STABs alone it directly threatens some of the main hazard setters in the tier (Lando, Ferro, and so on). The result is that lead Keldeo denies hazards whilst encouraging your opponent to trade valuable pieces early game, before hazards are able to go up. Lead Ferrothorn may have attack investment and be able to OHKO Keldeo, but does it really want to trade 60% of its health and compromise its own role? Latios can take the STAB attacks but does it really want to go to -4 to remove Keldeo, then get easily trapped with no hazards up? Lead Keldeo has become a potent mixup that counterstyles a lot of the "set hazards and go" offensive strategies we see and I think this trend will continue.

Honourable mention goes to Volcarona, an actual 0% lead until recently, now its lead 20-30% of the time (small sample). LO Volcarona is a potent breaker even pre-QD and much like lead Keldeo, far more effective at trading when you guarantee hazards aren't up i.e. on turn 1.

 

[Cow]

Probably my last post until SPL is over but one last thing i'd like to note is how much Calm Mind Reuniclus we are seeing this year compared to last year and more importantly where we are seeing it used compared to where we saw it last year.

Where Calm Mind Reuniclus was used this year:







Where Calm Mind Reuniclus was used last year:











Last year we see Reuniclus was paired with Blissey 3 times and Clefable twice. With a vast majority of these teams aiming to play a slow game and win a battle of attrition with a lot of residual damage combining Hail/Sand, Spikes, Knock Off, and a lot of Status support. While this is still true to today and how Calm Mind Reuniclus has basically functioned since the beginning of time, we are seeing a slight shift in where this set is implemented.

This year Reuniclus has only seen one usage with Hippowdon, most players opting for Tyranitar to presumably check the Life Orb Alakazam set that recently picked up in popularity which destroys the common Hippowdon Clefable/Blissey stalls we saw last year once the conditions are met. The two Weatherless Reuniclus teams were seen with either Bronzong and Gliscor which together cover both Hidden Power Ice Alakazam and Hidden Power Fire Life Orb Alakazam and the other has its own Alakazam which at minimum can force a speed tie between the two Alakazam's if the Reuniclus cant get set up before Alakazam comes in as well as a Specially Defensive Gliscor.

With a lot more Choice Scarf Jirachi we are seeing Reuniclus paired more with Contact Abilities/Items too. With all the Skamory's apart from one being Rocky Helmet, Iron Barbs Ferrothorn and in Elodin's case Rough Skin Garchomp and Helmet Skarmory. As Luck>Skill mentioned previously this also alludes to a more aggressive metagame. You cant afford to only be passive when playing these teams and the contact items and abilities are the perfect way to punish these momentum hungry teams.

Is this revolutionary metagame development? No. This is simply the cycle of Reuniclus and I'm sure sometime this year or the next we'll be screaming broken again. But i thought this was a cool minor adjustment we're currently seeing to how this set is played that was worth talking about.

Again this will probably be my last post in this thread until SPL is finished. Goodluck to all the players going into this week and playoffs.

 

[elodin]

since my season has ended id like to take the opportunity to drop the teams i used throughout the tournament. i plan on making another post in the future expressing my thoughts on the current metagame, which i'm not so happy about.

week 1: https://pokepast.es/be0793c79b5c9ccd
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen5ou-815024?p2

hella standard. soulwind's teams looked kinda weak to lo zam in general. since rotom wasnt leftovers/chesto we went with shift latios to be a status absorber. shoutouts river for the team and shift latios tech. i wanted to bring something different, mainly a sub kyuremblack team to abuse his rotom-w and gliscor usage. i opted out of that other team after a starmaster veto. i actually think the team i ended up bringing had a pretty decent matchup, but the game didnt work out in my favor. that's how it goes sometimes.

week 2: https://pokepast.es/70dfab471027d7ac
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen5ou-816206?p2

again hella standard. the 6 ho mons. i had timid max volc because i noticed the modest volc trend and wanted to be sure i wouldnt lose to a speed tie in a mirror matchup, which was looking like a very real possibility given how much people were spamming this team. won via disconnect vs sergio which sucked.

week 3: https://pokepast.es/6c32e1b23af16845
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen5ou-817605

probably the weirdest team i used all season. forretress lead is a blast from the past and i thought it'd be a nice mon vs dice given his teambuilding trends. jolly might seem like a weird choice but it allows forretress to outspeed skarm, politoed and jellicent, which seemed important in theory. game didnt work out in my favor as he outplayed me pretty heavily by leading dragonite and dragon dancing turn 1. it was somewhat close in the end because i got some lucky turns with kyurem vs starmie. if using this (or any sub kyurem-b team) in the future i'd definitely recommend eving kyurem to always eat mie ice beam under sub.

week 4: didnt play vs monai, had to sub in for dpp. i also didnt help zokuru much in prep. if i were playing i wouldve probably reused the week 2 ho or brought the hippo ferro drill rotomw zam team i used in classic playoffs.

week 5: https://pokepast.es/1216fd648b05f6cc
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen5ou-820000?p2

soon after the early weeks the conk ho team started to pop up everywhere. i realized wata would probably capitalize on the trend or bring some standard sand w seis/gastro to abuse my rotomw usage. ferro makes sense against those, so does hp grass tran (also can ko mie on switch after flame charge). balloon tran is great into ho and flame charge is a nice 4th move when u have some liberty in that slot. shoutouts crucify for this set idea. slowbro is also a great mon into ho, so is leech ferrothorn. i had psychic on slowbro and 0 speed with relaxed for conkeldurr.

week 6: https://pokepast.es/40b9166c7745037b
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen5ou-821575

garythegengar never brings rocks tyranitar and usually defaults to ferrothorn to set up layers. i think his most common rockers were landorus-t and gliscor. xatu seemed like a good call into him considering all of this. turns out my matchup was quite shit and i needed immense luck to win. i think i played well but i got some extremely bullshit luck this game. i think xatu is underexplored in the meta right now. it's definitely awful vs the chomp hos, spike-less sand and rain, but it's extremely useful in the other matchups. being able to freely switch into ferrothorn and skarmory and prevent sr/spikes enables u to run teams like this, with 3 spikes weak mons, without being completely owned by hippo zam reun skarm type teams. i liked this team but i definitely didnt get the matchup i wanted. the rotom-w was hidden power grass for opposing rotom-w, gastrodon, and seismitoad, which looked like huge threats.

week 7: https://pokepast.es/d2f98daf14fa8869
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen5ou-822323

decided to bring an old ojama team vs finch. all his teams looked quite weak to sd garchomp and i was pretty sure i could capitalize on that with a bulkier sd set. this spread actually allows you to live lo volcarona at +1 so that sort of helps in that regard (i think modest is a roll to kill though). garchomp has a very high attack stat so you dont really need a lot of attack investment unless you're expecting to face skarm, which i was not because finch never brings sand vs me in official tournaments. again scarf rotomw for speed control, ev'd specifically to 100% guarantee the ohko on starmie after sr dmg and 1 turn of sand. i actually think i played this game quite well apart from not going for draco meteor on turn 3. not clicking draco led me to the sequence of getting rocks up and keeping ttar as a sac to prevent spin, which ended up being huge. i also should've gone to rotom-w instead of garchomp vs starmie the turn after i sacked tyranitar.

week 8: https://pokepast.es/c1e766dd659a3af1
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen5ou-824181?p2

vs justfranco i wanted to bring a team that could cover the bigs' fat tendencies while also being safe vs the conk ho. i think celebi with heal block actually helps quite a lot vs fat, preventing skarmory and clefable from healing in key turns. shoutouts crucify for this set idea. cm grass keld is also great in those matchups, as you can force progress vs jellicent and things like latios can be trapped by tyranitar. i did end up facing the conk ho but unfortunately got crit turn 2 on my keldeo and it died. i think i could've gone heatran instead but i didn't wanna get my balloon broken because of his own heatran in the back. if i don't get crit there i think i could win that matchup, but that's how the game goes sometimes. also tbf i could've probably still won if i kept celebi alive for conkeldurr, but i wasn't expecting timid heatran from them.

week 9: https://pokepast.es/64dad89d7d319930
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen5ou-825335

last week vs rewer i decided to bring a spike stack team with clefable. originally i wanted to bring a skarmory jellicent ho team, but i was vetoed by starmaster. i couldn't find a way to build a skarmory ho team that was successful vs both hippo clef teams and the conk ho team, so i gave up on that idea. i did however try with a plethora of different variations, all of them including skarm + jelli + zam, but with varying slots. i was kind of locked in on using zebstrika as one of the other 3 mons, so that's when starmaster intervened. after giving up on that idea we brought a defensive spike stack team, but i ended up facing a mirror matchup. in this particular mirror he had specs tios + alakazam while i had offensive gliscor and colbur tios. this would prove to be quite bad. i did, however, have quite a nice clefable set, which could maybe win on its own late-game. some key paras and some missplays on my end (not healing clefable vs skarmory and tanking hp fire with bronzong) ended up making me get swept by specs latios. i also had hasty latios because of a building error, which completely fucked me. i had hasty because i was considering waterfall latios pre-game, to be able to 2hko volc even after a draco on something else. not a good idea though, and not noticing hasty after i changed back to surf ended up being costly as hell.

 

[Raiza]

we're out so I will be posting some of the teams and ideas I had during SPL, you can click on the images for the import although some of the teams won't be complete:


HO with Spikes is something I started experimenting with. Main idea of spikes is that they synergize very well with Specs Latias + help putting everything in your sweepers / prio range. You can now also run timid orb volc as spikes should be putting all of volcs targets in range. Something else cool is spikes putting things like jellicent in tbolt mie range so you don't have to run thunder. I'm not a big fan of rocks Mamoswine however it felt a bit forced here, you could go CB and doublehazards ferro or even doublehazards ferro and a completely different mon > mamo however you'll still need something with prio. You might feel the lack of no choice scarf on this but Mamoswine + Dnite prios and twave ferro is still reasonable speed control.

This is a different adaptation of the specs Latias HO we've seen going around. I didn't feel like Jirachi here was super needed as Latias provides Healing wish, so I decided it to replace it with SD Scizor for more breaking / wincons. You lose raw speed but you still gain a priority and team is still fast. Need ESpeed Dnite for priority so you can't run the original set which had Ice Punch; I like espeed more anyways.



I was messing around with Wish Jirachi since I think wish passing is underrated as it can make some in-game lines more trivial / lessen need for prediction if you you have a heal in the back for whatever you're switching in. Jirachi is pretty hard to build with on sand as in my opinion it almost always requires hazard control otherwise it gets pressured too much and you'll have to start using wishes to heal your own rachi instead of your other mons. The first team is pretty straightforward, sd drill, subpunch loom and specs latios are the main breakers; wish rachi allows us to drop pain split on scarf rotom and run hp ice which is really nice to rk stuff like dnite and reliable way to hit glisc/lando, and to use choiced lati without roost; double trick provides solid breaking vs fatter builds, sd drill jirachi and double trick also are good reuniclus deterrents, one of the main breloom answers. The team is not without faults as stuff like Gliscor and Lando are probably not pleasant to play against, but not unloseable. Might want Toxic / Ice Fang on Hippo. Second team is more established as it's a very known team already that originally runs Gliscor > Drill; however whenever I played this team I found hazards to be a pain as hippo and jirachi kept getting pressured by spikes and even rocks arent pleasant for stuff like helmet skarm and latios so I decided to run excadrill > gliscor; excadrill retains good breaking properties vs fat builds and I didn't feel like there were too many drawbacks in making that change, that said I haven't tested it a lot so there may be something I'm missing. The team gains a bit more speed as drill is able to outspeed things like mamo which gliscor doesn't + iron head is good with para support the team has.


Very known 6. Issue has always been what kind of speed control to fit as an alternative to Scarf Latios (set in the original 6), which is fine but a bit outdated + better to change sets so opponent doesn't already know them. I wanted to fit both Scarf lando and Rocks on this team while not compromising the ferro set and not using shit sr ttar, then I realized I can just drop spikes on ferro and that is what I did on the first team. The Ferrothorn set is busted as the combination of Leech and TWave make ferro very longeve + hard to switch into (magic guarders that are usually the leech switch in dont want to take twave, and viceversa with grounds). Knock is also dropped and fit on lando. The other interesting thing here is modest Keldeo, doesn't really have a switch in with 4 atks and hits really hard, gives a really good mu vs fat teams while retaining leftovers, so you dont die to sand / lock into a move; this team has such good speed control (plenty of twaves + scarfer + latios) that it allows you to fit this kind of set.

Later in the tour I believe I perfected this concept but didn't bother finishing the team. Here we use Spdef Rocks Lando, which allows us to use the busted ferro set while fitting spikes on it. The issue would be that without knock the helmet on skarmory cannot be removed and so it's annoying for excadrill to deal with. I solve this by going SD Rock Slide on it to beat Skarmory. This would probably be the strongest team that I built if I actually bothered finishing it. Need speed control maybe but if you fit another twave and naturally fast mons in the last 2 slots you might not even have need to run choice scarf on anything.


The idea here is that Spdef landorus gives us an extra pivot into things like latwins zam, it even eats hits from starmie and can slowturn out to your threats, in general making the job easier for Jirachi as the secondary pivot into those mons. The team fishes for no Heatran as it runs both no HP Ground Volcarona and Fire Punch Dnite, however the payoff is huge as they're both great vs anything else. If you're scared you can go Superpower on Dnite but you will suffer more vs other steels like Skarm. Conkeldurr does really well vs Heatran teams; in general it's a great breaker forcing at least a 1 for 1 trade in every game, especially with this set that drops mach to get damage vs both psychics / ghosts (payback) and grounds like Lando and Hippowdon (Ice Punch). We experimented with a lot of different conkeldurr spreads, going from the standard one to max spdef to max def to spdef with atk nature, all can be good in different matchups; with this set I suggest to run spdef with atk nature, if you go max def (really good set to snowball your bulk ups as after 2 bulk ups you start taking no phys damage at all and you can outheal with drain punch) I suggest to drop Ice Punch as you 1v1 things like Gliscor (bar taunt sd) and Landorus anyway.

Little funny idea that makes use of double Healing Wish with Specs Latias and Scarf Rachi + Chesto Rest Volcarona which means your Volcarona has essentially 4 lives. Also Rest Volcarona should 1v1 Blissey which is good, and maybe it 1v1s Heatran as well. Conkeldurr is the obvious choice for the secondary wincon as it also makes great use of the double healing wish. Lando for the same reason as the previous team but you could always fit a different lead.


This is an adaptation of the Scarf Healing Wish Jirachi Rain. Specs Latias allows us to drop Jirachi while still having an Healing Wish with the bonus of now having a Latwin on our team, which means we don't lose 6-0 to opposing ThundT anymore and have great synergy with spikes and our own ThundT. To make up for the loss of Scarf Rachi we go Scarf Keldeo instead of Specs, this in turn also gives the team a Volcarona revengekill which it didnt have before with Scarf Jirachi. You lose a bit in breaking power but specs trick latias + spikes + np thundt with hwish support should still be good enough. If needed could go offensive Politoed but I would probably still run defensive here to have something else that can tank Alakazam since we dropped Rachi. ThundT should also heavily invest in bulk here to eat a hit from zam.



This team was built to beat fat and not get cheesed by Magnezone, while at the same time being solid vs other teams as well. When I want to use something with those credentials I usually default to one of my Mamoswine sands; but then a lightbulb went off in my mind, what if I drop Mamoswine and just use Tyranitar as my main breaker to free up a slot? That is what I did by putting CB on TTar and fitting Heatran last. Heatran gives us a second steel type which helps switching into stuff like meteors since Tyranitar is now offensive, and depending on sets it's our secondary breaker as well. You can use a bunch of different sets on this team. Magma Toxic Taunt, as long as it hits, is a really strong wincon vs fat, with the added synergy of Worry Seed Amoonguss potentially getting rid of unsuspecting Toxic'd Magic Guard users. SR defensive Heatran frees up our Landorus set, which means you can go scarf on it and then fit SD Drill. Viceversa SR Lando gives us another spdef pivot so you can afford to run a more offensive heatran set, at the cost of having to go scarf excadrill (so a bit more vulnerable to zone if you get trapped on a locked spin / ihead / slide). Heatran also gives us a good Ferrothorn switchin which means we can drop HP Fire on Amoonguss for HP Ice which is needed to hit a plethora of things starting from ThundT. Another cool synergy is voltturn core + cb ttar. Monai ended up using this 6 vs Zokuru with his own twist, as he went Trick Scarf Rotom and SD Drill to maximize the mu vs fat. Rotom on his own, even without a choice scarf, is pretty annoying to deal with for fat due to volt switch and pain split, and same goes for amoong as you're guaranteed to get a para off on something.

 

[Finchinator]

This post I will share some creative sets I built with this SPL. Next post (TBD when) will include all of my teams.

I have been a bit burnt out of BW since the end of SPL, so I apologize for procrastinating these, but do not let the delay disguise itself as indifference -- I really enjoy the metagame, I loved my prep/games this year, and I am excited to play more in the future. It was really fun to be back in BW for SPL, which I did not think I would have said going into the season.

I really enjoy SV and SS still, but BW always has a special place in my heart and I hope to keep competing at a high level. Being a big player among the pantheon of greats who have graced BW OU over the years is one of the biggest honors for me. 6-3 was fine and I think my teams were among the best in BW this tournament, but I am definitely not at my old peak in the tier. I do not know if I will ever return to the point when I was sweeping the circuit, winning multiple BW live tours, tryharding around the clock, etc. simply because the playerbase around me is better than ever and I have an actual life now. While the BW field was a mix of historic staples and fresh faces this SPL, I expect there to be more and more newer talent in the coming years. I hope all of the passionate BW players keep on working at their craft; if Monai can do it, you definitely can.

Metagame Sticking Power


Skarmory @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 16 Def / 240 SpD
Impish Nature
- Drill Peck
- Spikes
- Roost
- Counter

Used? Yes, W4 vs Rewer (W)

I wanted to change it up this week by using a bulkier team as I feel very comfortable in longer games and expected Rewer/brine to prepare for the offenses I have been using thus far. However, I could not quite perfect the team without cutting a corner I was not comfortable with until I made my Skarmory this set.

One of the biggest issues with HippoClef teams is they are going to be weak to Choice Specs Latios, especially if it is Dragon Pulse. You frequently use Skarmory over Ferrothorn, you cannot fit Jirachi ever, and you are never able to fit Pursuit ever. Clefable is a good check to Choice Scarf and Colbur Berry variants of Latios, but Choice Specs and even White Herb Latios can be a huge problem, My solution to this was making Skarmory specially defensive, which also helped with limiting Life Orb or Focus Sash Grass Knot Alakazam, which is typically something we have to trade with. I love specially defensive Skarmory, but it mandates Leftovers over Rocky Helmet to actually check Latios, Focus Sash Alakazam, and even the rare Hurricane Tornadus. If you lose Rocky Helmet, then you are passive into Swords Dance Excadrill, which is already enabled by choiced Latios and Clefable, so I was back in a pickle!

I was not comfortable fishing against Choice Specs or White Herb Latios. I was even less comfortable fishing against Swords Dance Excadrill. I refused to drop an attack as you need to be able to damage Alakazam and being fodder to last Pokemon or Taunt users can have horrendous ripples. The only way to solve this puzzle? Counter. Counter allows for you to surprise OHKO Excadrill if you sequence well, which is very possible so long as you do not reveal it too early as they fear Whirlwind, and also actually defeat things that you otherwise may need to exhaust Focus Sash on Alakazam for like Dragonite, Garchomp, Scizor, and Mamoswine.

The only issue here is Counter is not compatible with Brave Bird, so I went Drill Peck, which actually helps against Focus Sash Alakazam due to recoil anyway. I actually think this is not much of a drawback at all and it saved me on a few occasions, but the damage output is lower. I think this set has sticking power on these types of Hippo balance teams and I feel it is underexplored on fat teams in general. Role compression is mandatory in a metagame like BW OU, so finding practical ways to do it on the fly is something I take pride in.


Latias (F) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunder Wave
- Dragon Pulse
- Recover
- Reflect

(Note: Can run Ice Beam over Thunder Wave or Dragon Pulse, but not advised as only attacking move unless you are ok fishing Substitute Keldeo and Mamoswine)

Used? Yes, W9 vs watashi (W)

While I refuse to give credit to a certain loud-mouthed, small-resumed BW up-and-comer, many of those who are in BW circles recognize this premise from the other Lati twin. This concept was indeed borrowed from my own BWPL loss from last year, but I do feel Latias is the superior of the two when it comes to this strategy. Rocky Helmet triggers on far more than just Tyranitar, setting up so much helpful, frequently permanent chip on checks to other Psychic types like Alakazam. Imagine running into a Choice Scarf Jirachi, Swords Dance Scizor, or Dragon Dance Dragonite -- Jirachi is going to get chipped into submission while barely denting Latias, Scizor will frequently be put into Focus Blast range after just hazards, Rocky Helmet, and Life Orb or Dragon Pulse chip, and Dragonite will lose Multiscale even if it has Leftovers for Sand, assuring HP Ice finishes the job.

With this all said, the main concept is geared towards disposing of Tyranitar. You Reflect before they Crunch or Pursuit and their chance to even get one kill against DualPsychic, where you need at a minimum to trap one Pokemon and fodder to reset tempo later, is out the window. It is a complete match-up flip and game-wrecker against standard. It is also a plus match-up into physically heavy HO teams, who now struggle to KO Latias and are put into awkward positions switching around against Thunder Wave + Dragon Pulse. This set deserves a lot more play in general, including application outside of Hippowdon teams or even balance altogether.


Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 24 Def / 232 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Pain Split
- Thunder Wave

(Note: EVs can be whatever for the most part -- this is just taken from the team I used it on, where I wanted to get the jump on Swords Dance Gliscor, Adamant Excadrill, Mamoswine, and Adamant Kyurem-Black)

Used? Yes, W9 vs watashi (W)

While this is not a novel set or move by any stretch of the imagination, it is safe to say 99% of Rotom-Wash are not Thunder Wave. This number should not drastically change, but on teams with Clefable or Reuniclus to sit on Ferrothorn and safety nets like Focus Sash on Alakazam, you often benefit from Thunder Wave support more than Will-O-Wisp. In my game against watashi, I was able to Thunder Wave a Reuniclus, but you also have chances to land against Clefable or Latias/Latios when you do not have Pursuit in the back to punish them off of Volt Switch. This also enables you to use non-Thunder Wave Clefable as a partner, which gives you different match-up coverage at times.


Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 60 Def / 196 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Seismic Toss
- Soft-Boiled
- Ice Beam / Knock Off
- Encore
(Note: Ice Beam is mandatory if you are not strong into Gliscor. Knock Off is better otherwise, but has negative synergy with teammates that have Trick or on Knock Off Ferrothorn teams at times)

Used? Yes, W4 vs Rewer (W) and W9 vs watashi (W)

Speak of the devil, here we are. Encore is a great option on Clefable, which is one of the most misunderstood Pokemon in the metagame. Everyone around me speaks like it NEEDS Thunder Wave, which is simply wrong. They speak like it NEEDS Knock Off, which is closer to reality, but not really true if you pair it with a Trick Pokemon as then you have negative synergy and the risk of undoing progress. The reality is Clefable's only mandatory move is Soft-Boiled with Seismic Toss being a close second -- anything else can be shifted on the right team and even Seismic Toss can be ditched in very specific circumstances. I had some pretty eye-opening discussions among BW moderators when discussing Sample Teams and BW community members throughout multiple discords. I honestly came to the conclusion that Clefable is just not fully explored in the metagame and I shall share my own experiences/findings here.

Clefable's second best trait, trailing behind Magic Guard enabling it to soft-check a ton and ignore hazards, is utility. Encore allows for you to pressure and close the gap on Reuniclus and synergizes a ton with Thunder Wave, which we see a lot on teammates. You are able to force awkward maneuvers from the opponent when you frequently have hazards up, you are able to stop a lot of set-up threats, and you are able to use it as a get-out-of-jail-free card before initially revealing it in tight sequences against HO if they do not play with it in mind. Encore has been a great match-up equalizer for me when piloting a style that is imperfect like HippoClef balance. I find that the experience (and somewhat, but less so, skill) gap really shows with things like Encore Clefable coming out at the right times from the right players -- picking spots and conditioning sequences can be rewarded for someone who has a ton of experience using balance styles like this when they are up against the strongest Pokemon and strategies in the tier that pose a threat normally.


Landorus-Therian (M) @ Yache Berry
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 160 HP / 88 Def / 8 SpD / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- U-turn

Used? Yes, W6 vs Sergio Aguero (W)

Touched on this set here and multiple others, including GaryTheGengar first, used it, so I do not think my thought process was unique or anything out of the ordinary even. Just think it deserves more awareness and play overall.


Starmie @ Air Balloon
Ability: Analytic
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Psychic
- Thunderbolt
- Rapid Spin

Used? Yes, W2 vs dice (W)

My team lost week 1, so did I. Week 2 was already a struggle with prep and being paranoid I would not get back to my normal BW form. Poor Vileman had to listen to me complain until I essentially forced myself to change course until I found a pick to click for the match-up with dice. Week was close and my team was at risk of falling 0-2. I was the final game and all signs pointed towards me needing a clutch win to save a tie or win. Sure enough, it was 5-6 when I played, so it was as close to season being on the line for a January game as we were going to get. The next two sets (and the Tyranitar in the following section) were the result of these circumstances and probably my favorite win of the campaign.

This one itself is not flashy and I am probably not the only/first person to use it -- Ice Beam is nice, but far from needed if you are good into Latios, which I was fine into. Psychic was big as it threatened Kyurem-Black, which I expected and ultimately faced, and was able to force a ton of damage onto Conkeldurr, which was a very scary match-up otherwise. You also threaten Gastrodon a ton, chip Rotom-Wash, can KO Keldeo, have a midground option for a lot of situations, and can use a STAB move with perfect accuracy. I would argue >25% of Air Balloon Starmie should be Psychic right now, but we maybe see it 5% of the time if even. I expect us to not see it for a bit as Conkeldurr is beginning to bottom out again, but these things are cyclical and I expect people to respect Conkeldurr somewhat still.


Jirachi @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 24 Def / 40 SpD / 192 Spe OR EVs: 192 HP / 68 Atk / 60 SpD / 188 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Iron Head
- Ice Punch
- Fire Punch
- Thunder

(Note: Can run Energy Ball over Thunder or Ice Punch on the right team, which we saw monai do, but you need to be cognizant of the drawbacks when doing so)

Used? Yes, W2 vs dice (W) and W5 vs SoulWind (L)

I could not use Scizor on offense for the millionth time. I had to have a check to Focus Sash Abomasnow and Kyurem-Black. I did not want to be shredded by Life Orb Alakazam either. Choice Scarf Jirachi is cool, but not every offense needs Healing Wish and the lack of survivability can really force you to win quickly with those teams. Enter mixed Jirachi, which I first used W2 and then used again later on -- monai and dice also used it at points with their own applications.

This is not entirey "new" as a set, but I do think running it this fast while maintaining max HP/bulk invtment was novel. The idea is to get the jump on Ground types while still being able to check the big Psychic types. Coverage is superb on this Jirachi, only really missing Hippowdon, Gastrodon, Seismitoad, and that one motherfucker with Lanturn on the ladder. Being this type of glue on offense is really valuable and I rate these Jirachi offenses pretty highly -- at a minimum, new structures and combinations are unlocked. You can see it do work against dice and at least cast a respectable fishing rod against SoulWind in a dire game.

I am eager to see what is next for Jirachi and the evolution of BW "standard" as old archetypes keep on evolving in new ways.


Mamoswine @ Choice Band
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Ice Shard
- Earthquake
- Double-Edge
- Icicle Crash

Used? No, I actually cited Mamoswine as one of the seven losers of SPL BW OU here -- it is harder to use than usual with the reshaping of offense and the musical chairs of threats we see. BW OU is pretty cyclical, however, and Mamoswine will rise again without a doubt.

Double-Edge is able to 2HKO Rotom-Wash and OHKO Air Balloon Starmie, which are the two most common Mamoswine checks in the tier. Locking into it is very challenging, but it is the best fourth move unless your opponent frequents Air Balloon Heatran, which makes Superpower very appealing. I am convinced this is the best way to use Choice Band Mamoswine and it will one day generate a SmogTours "LOL" moment when a Starmie gets evaporated, but until then just know it was my initial thought experiment and I am claiming whatever silly credit exists as I tried to use it the last 3-4 weeks of the season (intellectual property is a meme and anyone can/should use whatever they want without credit being a huge thing beyond basic human respect).

Calcs

252+ Atk Choice Band Mamoswine Double-Edge vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Starmie: 245-289 (93.8 - 110.7%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO (guaranteed OHKO after sandstorm damage)
252+ Atk Choice Band Mamoswine Double-Edge vs. 252 HP / 200+ Def Rotom-Wash: 154-182 (50.6 - 59.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after sandstorm damage and Leftovers recovery

Niche Options


Azelf @ Colbur Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 8 HP / 56 SpA / 192 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 Def
- Stealth Rock
- Thunder Wave
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Grass Knot

Used? Yes, W1 vs GaryTheGengar (L)

I touched on this Azelf set here and truly believe it has some niche as a HO lead outside of the build I used. I know Peng is reading this saying "Azelf without Explosion is a meme" or something along those lines, but it is not until people know the set at least. Thunder Wave is a huge set-up enabler for offense, HP Ice catches Landorus-T as a common counter-lead to Azelf to bait Taunt and click U-turn, and Grass Knot nails Tyranitar for big damage. You can go with Fire Blast, Explosion, Sunny Day, and plenty of other stuff over Thunder Wave or Grass Knot depending on teammates, but the point is that Azelf can lure the right things and set-up the right opening lines for an offensive team from the jump. HO is all about misdirection and finding surprise value off of things or brute forcing through opponents. Being a catalyst of early progress, Azelf has a niche, even if it is limited.


Tyranitar @ Focus Sash
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 16 HP / 216 Atk / 24 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Crunch
- Superpower
- Toxic

Used? Yes, W2 vs dice (W)

I brought Sash Tyranitar on a new-look HO in SPL 2023 here and it was probably closer to the peak of its powers back then. Nowaday, it is less consistent and has some awkward early game match-ups. I reinvented the wheel for W2 against dice and brought it with Toxic, which allows you to cripple things for Iron Head Jirachi. Being able to functuon against a Toxic'd Hippowdon, Gastrodon, or Rotom-Wash is enormous for Jirachi. It helps similarly for Excadrill if you opt to use Scarf Sand Force Excadrill on a team like this, too. I would argue that this is niche and Sash Tyranitar as a whole is niche, but the upside and match-up ripples are there at least.


Garchomp @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Earthquake
- Flamethrower
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Used? No.

I find this way better than Life Orb on 4A Garchomp. If you run 3A with Stealth Rock, Life Orb may be better, but on 4A your entire goal is to force as much damage/chip as possible before heading on out with no real need to cling to survivability to set rocks or check much. In a tier with more priority than ever, a ton of Scarf Jirachi, and physical attackers galore, you do a lot more damage on average with Rocky Helmet chipping opponents than you may do with the extra amount done by Life Orb, especially when you factor in recoil. Yes, you do miss some ranges and this can sting, but I find it worthwhile more often than not. Finally, HP Ice Garchomp is legitimate and deserves more play. You click it a lot and it is not accounted for in how people play quite yet it seems.


Excadrill @ Air Balloon
Ability: Sand Force
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Iron Head

Used? No.

Way better now that Scarf Landorus-Therian exists more, but overall underrated. Sucks to lose Leftovers into Skarmory, but on hard offense it can flip a sequence and force a Rapid Spin or damage in a pinch. Absolutely deserves some mainstream play.


Tyranitar @ Chople Berry
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
Careful Nature
- Crunch
- Superpower
- Dragon Tail
- Pursuit

Used? No, but it was on a final draft of my W3 team vs MeEsSm.

Dragon Tail is dope to force hazard damage on things, but also a slow Dragon Tail on a full health Dragonite, Conkeldurr clicking Bulk Up, Swords Dance Gliscor, or even Reuniclus can open up the game, especially if you force in something weak to entry hazards or Pursuit. The floor is you want Rock Slide for Volcarona and rather than KOing it, you chip it and force it out, too, which is not ideal, but still ok enough usually. Obviously this is niche and seldom can a team fit it, but when it can, you do get some good value and practical lines out of it.


Alakazam @ Life Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Focus Blast
- Signal Beam
- Psyshock

Used? No.

Psyshock is able to nuke Blissey and Clefable while nearly OHKOing Volcarona while Psychic has general strength and spammability. Fitting both is very challenging and means you have to rely on Focus Blast, but this set is a surefire net positive into balance teams at least. Someone will make it work one day.


Blissey (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Seismic Toss
- Flamethrower
- Soft-Boiled
- Toxic

Used? No.

This is simple: if you do not want to use Magnezone or Xatu with Blissey, try fitting Stealth Rock elsewhere and using Flamethrower. It is genuinely quite good. You also own Swords Dance Scizor, which hardly ever clicks Superpower into you initially instead of Swords Dance or the occasional Pursuit. Damage output is still low, but huge chip on Ferrothorn and forcing regular Roost PP usage on Skarmory or threatening it if you have it Thunder Wave'd from a teammate can go a long way. Blissey in general is underrated, but it does not function as well if it needs to set Stealth Rock.

One Off Brings


Volcarona @ Red Card
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 24 HP / 36 Def / 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 192 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 SpD
- Quiver Dance
- Flamethrower
- Bug Buzz
- Hidden Power [Ground]

Used: Yes, W1 vs GaryTheGengar

This one probably stays at home for the rest of forever, but it was a get-out-of-jail-free card at times and generated free set-up turns at other points. LO is easily best on Volcarona irght now and Lum/Sitrus are in the next tier. Red Card is niche/fringe at absolute best, hardly ever being worthwhile. I had GK Azelf to force Tyranitar into range and did not want recoil, so I found this saved some games, but truthfully it is not something I would try again too much. I kind of regret my W1 team choice and think the feedback I received probably had me deviate from my normal process. I should have made some different decisions there and that is ok -- we all live and learn after all. I am proud of my efforts and follow-up after this game nonetheless.


Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 48 Def / 208 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Spikes
- Power Whip
- Swords Dance
- Gyro Ball

Used? Yes, W3 vs MeEsSm (W)

Closer to niche tier than one would imagine, but still a one-off bring in all likelihood. I brought Swords Dance initially for Nasty Plot Celebi as I feared my opponent would run faster than Landorus-Therian Celebi and I did not want to fit Signal Beam on Alakazam this week. It actually ended up really good at forcing hazards and a threat on opposing fat teams, defeating Mold Breaker Excadrill and Xatu with ease while eventually damaging Forretress. I do think Knock Off is usually better, I do think Swords Dance only comes up as useful a fraction of the time, and I do not see myself using it again, but there is some viability if you try hard enough to find the right set of circumstances.

Another post will come sometime soon with teams I used and discussion of the games.

 

[BIHI]

This post I will share some creative sets I built with this SPL. Next post (TBD when) will include all of my teams.

I have been a bit burnt out of BW since the end of SPL, so I apologize for procrastinating these, but do not let the delay disguise itself as indifference -- I really enjoy the metagame, I loved my prep/games this year, and I am excited to play more in the future. It was really fun to be back in BW for SPL, which I did not think I would have said going into the season.

I really enjoy SV and SS still, but BW always has a special place in my heart and I hope to keep competing at a high level. Being a big player among the pantheon of greats who have graced BW OU over the years is one of the biggest honors for me. 6-3 was fine and I think my teams were among the best in BW this tournament, but I am definitely not at my old peak in the tier. I do not know if I will ever return to the point when I was sweeping the circuit, winning multiple BW live tours, tryharding around the clock, etc. simply because the playerbase around me is better than ever and I have an actual life now. While the BW field was a mix of historic staples and fresh faces this SPL, I expect there to be more and more newer talent in the coming years. I hope all of the passionate BW players keep on working at their craft; if Monai can do it, you definitely can.

Metagame Sticking Power


Skarmory @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 16 Def / 240 SpD
Impish Nature
- Drill Peck
- Spikes
- Roost
- Counter

Used? Yes, W4 vs Rewer (W)

I wanted to change it up this week by using a bulkier team as I feel very comfortable in longer games and expected Rewer/brine to prepare for the offenses I have been using thus far. However, I could not quite perfect the team without cutting a corner I was not comfortable with until I made my Skarmory this set.

One of the biggest issues with HippoClef teams is they are going to be weak to Choice Specs Latios, especially if it is Dragon Pulse. You frequently use Skarmory over Ferrothorn, you cannot fit Jirachi ever, and you are never able to fit Pursuit ever. Clefable is a good check to Choice Scarf and Colbur Berry variants of Latios, but Choice Specs and even White Herb Latios can be a huge problem, My solution to this was making Skarmory specially defensive, which also helped with limiting Life Orb or Focus Sash Grass Knot Alakazam, which is typically something we have to trade with. I love specially defensive Skarmory, but it mandates Leftovers over Rocky Helmet to actually check Latios, Focus Sash Alakazam, and even the rare Hurricane Tornadus. If you lose Rocky Helmet, then you are passive into Swords Dance Excadrill, which is already enabled by choiced Latios and Clefable, so I was back in a pickle!

I was not comfortable fishing against Choice Specs or White Herb Latios. I was even less comfortable fishing against Swords Dance Excadrill. I refused to drop an attack as you need to be able to damage Alakazam and being fodder to last Pokemon or Taunt users can have horrendous ripples. The only way to solve this puzzle? Counter. Counter allows for you to surprise OHKO Excadrill if you sequence well, which is very possible so long as you do not reveal it too early as they fear Whirlwind, and also actually defeat things that you otherwise may need to exhaust Focus Sash on Alakazam for like Dragonite, Garchomp, Scizor, and Mamoswine.

The only issue here is Counter is not compatible with Brave Bird, so I went Drill Peck, which actually helps against Focus Sash Alakazam due to recoil anyway. I actually think this is not much of a drawback at all and it saved me on a few occasions, but the damage output is lower. I think this set has sticking power on these types of Hippo balance teams and I feel it is underexplored on fat teams in general. Role compression is mandatory in a metagame like BW OU, so finding practical ways to do it on the fly is something I take pride in.


Latias (F) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunder Wave
- Dragon Pulse
- Recover
- Reflect

(Note: Can run Ice Beam over Thunder Wave or Dragon Pulse, but not advised as only attacking move unless you are ok fishing Substitute Keldeo and Mamoswine)

Used? Yes, W9 vs watashi (W)

While I refuse to give credit to a certain loud-mouthed, small-resumed BW up-and-comer, many of those who are in BW circles recognize this premise from the other Lati twin. This concept was indeed borrowed from my own BWPL loss from last year, but I do feel Latias is the superior of the two when it comes to this strategy. Rocky Helmet triggers on far more than just Tyranitar, setting up so much helpful, frequently permanent chip on checks to other Psychic types like Alakazam. Imagine running into a Choice Scarf Jirachi, Swords Dance Scizor, or Dragon Dance Dragonite -- Jirachi is going to get chipped into submission while barely denting Latias, Scizor will frequently be put into Focus Blast range after just hazards, Rocky Helmet, and Life Orb or Dragon Pulse chip, and Dragonite will lose Multiscale even if it has Leftovers for Sand, assuring HP Ice finishes the job.

With this all said, the main concept is geared towards disposing of Tyranitar. You Reflect before they Crunch or Pursuit and their chance to even get one kill against DualPsychic, where you need at a minimum to trap one Pokemon and fodder to reset tempo later, is out the window. It is a complete match-up flip and game-wrecker against standard. It is also a plus match-up into physically heavy HO teams, who now struggle to KO Latias and are put into awkward positions switching around against Thunder Wave + Dragon Pulse. This set deserves a lot more play in general, including application outside of Hippowdon teams or even balance altogether.


Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 24 Def / 232 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Pain Split
- Thunder Wave

(Note: EVs can be whatever for the most part -- this is just taken from the team I used it on, where I wanted to get the jump on Swords Dance Gliscor, Adamant Excadrill, Mamoswine, and Adamant Kyurem-Black)

Used? Yes, W9 vs watashi (W)

While this is not a novel set or move by any stretch of the imagination, it is safe to say 99% of Rotom-Wash are not Thunder Wave. This number should not drastically change, but on teams with Clefable or Reuniclus to sit on Ferrothorn and safety nets like Focus Sash on Alakazam, you often benefit from Thunder Wave support more than Will-O-Wisp. In my game against watashi, I was able to Thunder Wave a Reuniclus, but you also have chances to land against Clefable or Latias/Latios when you do not have Pursuit in the back to punish them off of Volt Switch. This also enables you to use non-Thunder Wave Clefable as a partner, which gives you different match-up coverage at times.


Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 60 Def / 196 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Seismic Toss
- Soft-Boiled
- Ice Beam / Knock Off
- Encore
(Note: Ice Beam is mandatory if you are not strong into Gliscor. Knock Off is better otherwise, but has negative synergy with teammates that have Trick or on Knock Off Ferrothorn teams at times)

Used? Yes, W4 vs Rewer (W) and W9 vs watashi (W)

Speak of the devil, here we are. Encore is a great option on Clefable, which is one of the most misunderstood Pokemon in the metagame. Everyone around me speaks like it NEEDS Thunder Wave, which is simply wrong. They speak like it NEEDS Knock Off, which is closer to reality, but not really true if you pair it with a Trick Pokemon as then you have negative synergy and the risk of undoing progress. The reality is Clefable's only mandatory move is Soft-Boiled with Seismic Toss being a close second -- anything else can be shifted on the right team and even Seismic Toss can be ditched in very specific circumstances. I had some pretty eye-opening discussions among BW moderators when discussing Sample Teams and BW community members throughout multiple discords. I honestly came to the conclusion that Clefable is just not fully explored in the metagame and I shall share my own experiences/findings here.

Clefable's second best trait, trailing behind Magic Guard enabling it to soft-check a ton and ignore hazards, is utility. Encore allows for you to pressure and close the gap on Reuniclus and synergizes a ton with Thunder Wave, which we see a lot on teammates. You are able to force awkward maneuvers from the opponent when you frequently have hazards up, you are able to stop a lot of set-up threats, and you are able to use it as a get-out-of-jail-free card before initially revealing it in tight sequences against HO if they do not play with it in mind. Encore has been a great match-up equalizer for me when piloting a style that is imperfect like HippoClef balance. I find that the experience (and somewhat, but less so, skill) gap really shows with things like Encore Clefable coming out at the right times from the right players -- picking spots and conditioning sequences can be rewarded for someone who has a ton of experience using balance styles like this when they are up against the strongest Pokemon and strategies in the tier that pose a threat normally.


Landorus-Therian (M) @ Yache Berry
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 160 HP / 88 Def / 8 SpD / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- U-turn

Used? Yes, W6 vs Sergio Aguero (W)

Touched on this set here and multiple others, including GaryTheGengar first, used it, so I do not think my thought process was unique or anything out of the ordinary even. Just think it deserves more awareness and play overall.


Starmie @ Air Balloon
Ability: Analytic
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Psychic
- Thunderbolt
- Rapid Spin

Used? Yes, W2 vs dice (W)

My team lost week 1, so did I. Week 2 was already a struggle with prep and being paranoid I would not get back to my normal BW form. Poor Vileman had to listen to me complain until I essentially forced myself to change course until I found a pick to click for the match-up with dice. Week was close and my team was at risk of falling 0-2. I was the final game and all signs pointed towards me needing a clutch win to save a tie or win. Sure enough, it was 5-6 when I played, so it was as close to season being on the line for a January game as we were going to get. The next two sets (and the Tyranitar in the following section) were the result of these circumstances and probably my favorite win of the campaign.

This one itself is not flashy and I am probably not the only/first person to use it -- Ice Beam is nice, but far from needed if you are good into Latios, which I was fine into. Psychic was big as it threatened Kyurem-Black, which I expected and ultimately faced, and was able to force a ton of damage onto Conkeldurr, which was a very scary match-up otherwise. You also threaten Gastrodon a ton, chip Rotom-Wash, can KO Keldeo, have a midground option for a lot of situations, and can use a STAB move with perfect accuracy. I would argue >25% of Air Balloon Starmie should be Psychic right now, but we maybe see it 5% of the time if even. I expect us to not see it for a bit as Conkeldurr is beginning to bottom out again, but these things are cyclical and I expect people to respect Conkeldurr somewhat still.


Jirachi @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 24 Def / 40 SpD / 192 Spe OR EVs: 192 HP / 68 Atk / 60 SpD / 188 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Iron Head
- Ice Punch
- Fire Punch
- Thunder

(Note: Can run Energy Ball over Thunder or Ice Punch on the right team, which we saw monai do, but you need to be cognizant of the drawbacks when doing so)

Used? Yes, W2 vs dice (W) and W5 vs SoulWind (L)

I could not use Scizor on offense for the millionth time. I had to have a check to Focus Sash Abomasnow and Kyurem-Black. I did not want to be shredded by Life Orb Alakazam either. Choice Scarf Jirachi is cool, but not every offense needs Healing Wish and the lack of survivability can really force you to win quickly with those teams. Enter mixed Jirachi, which I first used W2 and then used again later on -- monai and dice also used it at points with their own applications.

This is not entirey "new" as a set, but I do think running it this fast while maintaining max HP/bulk invtment was novel. The idea is to get the jump on Ground types while still being able to check the big Psychic types. Coverage is superb on this Jirachi, only really missing Hippowdon, Gastrodon, Seismitoad, and that one motherfucker with Lanturn on the ladder. Being this type of glue on offense is really valuable and I rate these Jirachi offenses pretty highly -- at a minimum, new structures and combinations are unlocked. You can see it do work against dice and at least cast a respectable fishing rod against SoulWind in a dire game.

I am eager to see what is next for Jirachi and the evolution of BW "standard" as old archetypes keep on evolving in new ways.


Mamoswine @ Choice Band
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Ice Shard
- Earthquake
- Double-Edge
- Icicle Crash

Used? No, I actually cited Mamoswine as one of the seven losers of SPL BW OU here -- it is harder to use than usual with the reshaping of offense and the musical chairs of threats we see. BW OU is pretty cyclical, however, and Mamoswine will rise again without a doubt.

Double-Edge is able to 2HKO Rotom-Wash and OHKO Air Balloon Starmie, which are the two most common Mamoswine checks in the tier. Locking into it is very challenging, but it is the best fourth move unless your opponent frequents Air Balloon Heatran, which makes Superpower very appealing. I am convinced this is the best way to use Choice Band Mamoswine and it will one day generate a SmogTours "LOL" moment when a Starmie gets evaporated, but until then just know it was my initial thought experiment and I am claiming whatever silly credit exists as I tried to use it the last 3-4 weeks of the season (intellectual property is a meme and anyone can/should use whatever they want without credit being a huge thing beyond basic human respect).

Calcs

252+ Atk Choice Band Mamoswine Double-Edge vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Starmie: 245-289 (93.8 - 110.7%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO (guaranteed OHKO after sandstorm damage)
252+ Atk Choice Band Mamoswine Double-Edge vs. 252 HP / 200+ Def Rotom-Wash: 154-182 (50.6 - 59.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after sandstorm damage and Leftovers recovery

Niche Options


Azelf @ Colbur Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 8 HP / 56 SpA / 192 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 Def
- Stealth Rock
- Thunder Wave
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Grass Knot

Used? Yes, W1 vs GaryTheGengar (L)

I touched on this Azelf set here and truly believe it has some niche as a HO lead outside of the build I used. I know Peng is reading this saying "Azelf without Explosion is a meme" or something along those lines, but it is not until people know the set at least. Thunder Wave is a huge set-up enabler for offense, HP Ice catches Landorus-T as a common counter-lead to Azelf to bait Taunt and click U-turn, and Grass Knot nails Tyranitar for big damage. You can go with Fire Blast, Explosion, Sunny Day, and plenty of other stuff over Thunder Wave or Grass Knot depending on teammates, but the point is that Azelf can lure the right things and set-up the right opening lines for an offensive team from the jump. HO is all about misdirection and finding surprise value off of things or brute forcing through opponents. Being a catalyst of early progress, Azelf has a niche, even if it is limited.


Tyranitar @ Focus Sash
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 16 HP / 216 Atk / 24 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Crunch
- Superpower
- Toxic

Used? Yes, W2 vs dice (W)

I brought Sash Tyranitar on a new-look HO in SPL 2023 here and it was probably closer to the peak of its powers back then. Nowaday, it is less consistent and has some awkward early game match-ups. I reinvented the wheel for W2 against dice and brought it with Toxic, which allows you to cripple things for Iron Head Jirachi. Being able to functuon against a Toxic'd Hippowdon, Gastrodon, or Rotom-Wash is enormous for Jirachi. It helps similarly for Excadrill if you opt to use Scarf Sand Force Excadrill on a team like this, too. I would argue that this is niche and Sash Tyranitar as a whole is niche, but the upside and match-up ripples are there at least.


Garchomp @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Earthquake
- Flamethrower
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Used? No.

I find this way better than Life Orb on 4A Garchomp. If you run 3A with Stealth Rock, Life Orb may be better, but on 4A your entire goal is to force as much damage/chip as possible before heading on out with no real need to cling to survivability to set rocks or check much. In a tier with more priority than ever, a ton of Scarf Jirachi, and physical attackers galore, you do a lot more damage on average with Rocky Helmet chipping opponents than you may do with the extra amount done by Life Orb, especially when you factor in recoil. Yes, you do miss some ranges and this can sting, but I find it worthwhile more often than not. Finally, HP Ice Garchomp is legitimate and deserves more play. You click it a lot and it is not accounted for in how people play quite yet it seems.


Excadrill @ Air Balloon
Ability: Sand Force
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Iron Head

Used? No.

Way better now that Scarf Landorus-Therian exists more, but overall underrated. Sucks to lose Leftovers into Skarmory, but on hard offense it can flip a sequence and force a Rapid Spin or damage in a pinch. Absolutely deserves some mainstream play.


Tyranitar @ Chople Berry
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
Careful Nature
- Crunch
- Superpower
- Dragon Tail
- Pursuit

Used? No, but it was on a final draft of my W3 team vs MeEsSm.

Dragon Tail is dope to force hazard damage on things, but also a slow Dragon Tail on a full health Dragonite, Conkeldurr clicking Bulk Up, Swords Dance Gliscor, or even Reuniclus can open up the game, especially if you force in something weak to entry hazards or Pursuit. The floor is you want Rock Slide for Volcarona and rather than KOing it, you chip it and force it out, too, which is not ideal, but still ok enough usually. Obviously this is niche and seldom can a team fit it, but when it can, you do get some good value and practical lines out of it.


Alakazam @ Life Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Focus Blast
- Signal Beam
- Psyshock

Used? No.

Psyshock is able to nuke Blissey and Clefable while nearly OHKOing Volcarona while Psychic has general strength and spammability. Fitting both is very challenging and means you have to rely on Focus Blast, but this set is a surefire net positive into balance teams at least. Someone will make it work one day.


Blissey (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Seismic Toss
- Flamethrower
- Soft-Boiled
- Toxic

Used? No.

This is simple: if you do not want to use Magnezone or Xatu with Blissey, try fitting Stealth Rock elsewhere and using Flamethrower. It is genuinely quite good. You also own Swords Dance Scizor, which hardly ever clicks Superpower into you initially instead of Swords Dance or the occasional Pursuit. Damage output is still low, but huge chip on Ferrothorn and forcing regular Roost PP usage on Skarmory or threatening it if you have it Thunder Wave'd from a teammate can go a long way. Blissey in general is underrated, but it does not function as well if it needs to set Stealth Rock.

One Off Brings


Volcarona @ Red Card
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 24 HP / 36 Def / 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 192 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 SpD
- Quiver Dance
- Flamethrower
- Bug Buzz
- Hidden Power [Ground]

Used: Yes, W1 vs GaryTheGengar

This one probably stays at home for the rest of forever, but it was a get-out-of-jail-free card at times and generated free set-up turns at other points. LO is easily best on Volcarona irght now and Lum/Sitrus are in the next tier. Red Card is niche/fringe at absolute best, hardly ever being worthwhile. I had GK Azelf to force Tyranitar into range and did not want recoil, so I found this saved some games, but truthfully it is not something I would try again too much. I kind of regret my W1 team choice and think the feedback I received probably had me deviate from my normal process. I should have made some different decisions there and that is ok -- we all live and learn after all. I am proud of my efforts and follow-up after this game nonetheless.


Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 48 Def / 208 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Spikes
- Power Whip
- Swords Dance
- Gyro Ball

Used? Yes, W3 vs MeEsSm (W)

Closer to niche tier than one would imagine, but still a one-off bring in all likelihood. I brought Swords Dance initially for Nasty Plot Celebi as I feared my opponent would run faster than Landorus-Therian Celebi and I did not want to fit Signal Beam on Alakazam this week. It actually ended up really good at forcing hazards and a threat on opposing fat teams, defeating Mold Breaker Excadrill and Xatu with ease while eventually damaging Forretress. I do think Knock Off is usually better, I do think Swords Dance only comes up as useful a fraction of the time, and I do not see myself using it again, but there is some viability if you try hard enough to find the right set of circumstances.

Another post will come sometime soon with teams I used and discussion of the games.