I was suddenly compelled to write a post on what I think about the current state of this metagame, so here goes.
Overall, this tier remains as enjoyable as ever. I really have little to complain about with the current state of the metagame. Nothing feels too powerful, and the tier is diverse in options. It still rewards good play, team building, risk taking and hax optimisation. With that out of the way, here are some general metagame thoughts.
Teams
I have drifted away from many of the more "basic" structures from the past. Your basic Nidoqueen / Slowbro / Hypno offenses are still good, but they feel flawed both offensively and defensively in some ways. These teams feel pigeonholed into using certain Pokemon to avoid poor matchups against certain threats. If you try cheat defensively, like if you drop Haunter, then that opens you up to threats such as Curse Hypno and Chansey, and makes Granbull a much bigger danger. These teams tend to struggle with HO teams, Shuckle teams, and Belly Drum Quagsire teams.
Ampharos + Piloswine teams I also don't use as much nowadays. I do think they work better than the previously mentioned teams, though. Again, they have problems I dislike both offensively and defensively. Some Ampharos + Piloswine teams remain very good. Here are two I would recommend:
- This one is less defensively stable but has serious offensive power.
- This one is more well-rounded. Feraligatr is a nice addition to these teams.
Teams that employ Pokemon with a lot defensive role compression are in a good spot. Pokemon like Magneton and Rest + Sleep Talk Quagsire really do help teams out defensively. Using these Pokemon can let you get away with using the tiers most deadly offensive Pokemon. Spikes + Magneton teams are some of the better Spikes using teams in this current metagame. Again, they have a lot of freedom, and they are able to at least soft-check most threats. Here's another style of Magneton team I have been using:
This set of five Pokemon is incredible from a defensive standpoint. The five of them combined can stand up to most of the threats in this tier. They are especially nasty when Blastoise successfully removes Spikes. For sets, I reccomend Curse + Rest on Aerodactyl, Curse + Sleep Talk on Hypno, and Hidden Power Water on Magneton. For Rest + Sleep Talk Quagsire, any of Sludge Bomb, Body Slam, or Ice Beam work. I don't think Rock moves are needed with Aerodactyl. It feels like you can really throw whatever in that last slot. I have used everything ranging from Curse + Hidden Power Ground Granbull...to Ariados.
If you want to mess around with Ariados, then go have fun. Unfortunately, this team, as well as this team structure as a whole, struggle greatly against Belly Drum Quagsire teams. Unless you land a crit on Quagsire, or you try win first with your big offensive piece, its hard to stop Quagsire. The freedom and defensive power of this team structure is ultimately superb though. I ultimately think the variant with Curse + Lovely Kiss Granbull last is the easiest to use.
I don't have much new to say about both the Heal Bell + Belly Drum Quagsire teams nor hard Shuckle stall. They are both powerful, you should use them. With Belly Drum Quagsire, I generally prefer using Chansey over Bellossom. Recently, Omastar has been brought back and tried on these teams, and I do like it on these teams. It counters Curse Hypno and Swords Dance Bellossom. Its also one of the better answers to Curse + Ground Granbull.
With Shuckle, I wouldn't stray away from the basic Granbull + Electabuzz six that's been used for years now. Its really got it all and feels nearly unbeatable for certain teams. I've seen BeeOrSomething use Curse + Lovely Kiss Granbull + Curse Chansey, and I think this is fine, but I still much prefer the basic sets.
I believe we should be more open to loading HO teams. Yes, they suck against certain threats (Aerodactyl, Shuckle). To make up for it, they shred certain structures. Most Hypno offenses in particular struggle to take HO on. If you are really scared of Aerodactyl, you can customise. Belly Drum Quagsire is not a bad pick on these teams, assuming you support it well. Curse + Hidden Power Ground Granbull, Scyther and Pinsir are still three of the deadliest Pokemon in this tier. It feels like many teams cheat against Scyther in particular. I recently made a HO team with lead Porygon that I really enjoy using. Its different from usual HO teams, dropping Scyther and Electrode in favour of running slower setup sweepers (Sandslash), alongside Curse Chansey.
SPIKES
Over the course of this year, I have used fewer teams with Qwilfish. That's mostly because I feel the teams without Spikes are in a solid metagame spot. I think HO, Belly Drum Quagsire, and Shuckle teams all work better without Qwilfish. I also think the Hypno / Belly Drum Quagsire / Blastoise teams I shared earlier don't need Spikes. There's some teams that don't fall into any of the mentioned categories I like (I haven't revealed them in tours, and won't here), that don't use Spikes.The teams that most traditionally use Spikes I think are worse off nowadays. With Blastoise at the peak of its power, its much less common you have games where you set up Spikes and that's it. When Blastoise can wear Curse Qwilfish down, and Blastoise is so often paired with Qwilfish counters (Quagsire or Slowbro), the Spike vs Spin war is harder to win.
I would still rate Qwilfish highly, likely still in the top three. Certain top Pokemon (Nidoqueen namely) need Qwilfish to function at their best. Spikes is still the best move in the game, and a very suffocating one at that. I disagree with it being the "best" Pokemon. I also disagree that dropping Qwilfish, and using the very usable Spikeless teams, is a meme. We should be more open to the idea.
CURSE USERS (who aren't Granbull)
If you have watched GSC UU games in the past year and a half, you have likely seen a lot of Curse Hypno. More recently, you may have seen Curse Chansey and even Porygon. Its no secret that Curse Hypno is good. Hypno provides much of its natural defensive utility while doubling as a sweeper. A sweeper with limited counterplay. With that said, I think Curse Hypno is often misused. I've often seen it used on teams that are otherwise shaky against Haunter, leading them to be Haunter weak. I've also seen teams that use Curse Hypno, yet rely on Slowbro for Granbull. That is asking for trouble. Not only with Granbull, but also Chansey and Porygon. I think Curse Hypno needs to be either supported by reliable Haunter answers (Quagsire, Magneton) or be paired with Pursuit.
We have seen more Curse Granbull, a threat to Curse Hypno. In matchups where the opponent has Curse Granbull, or Pokemon like Curse Aerodactyl, its hard to get much done. We have even seen some Omastar. Magneton is not that great of answer, but Hypno does still need some luck to beat it. Overall, I think Curse Hypno is sometimes used on teams where it shouldn't be. I don't think every team can slap Curse on Hypno and be fine.
Curse Chansey I don't have much of note to say about, other than to say its good. Like Hypno, it carries much of Chansey's natural defensive ability while doubling as a sweeper. Counter is a game changer, though. Not only does this let it snipe physical attackers, but also possibly win Curse wars, Curse wars it would normally lose. Chansey does fix some of Curse Hypno's issues, though it comes with some new ones. Its weaker and has a bigger problem with status inflictions. Here is a team with Chansey I like using. It is a Spikes team that doesn't use any of Nidoqueen / Piloswine / Quagsire, something you rarely see.
(or
)
Now for Curse Porygon. This thing is no joke. Its far from the C rank garbage it was ranked as on the VR. Porygon runs the set it does in NU (Curse + Thunder Wave) and poses a big threat. Against many threats, it can paralyse them, Recover to stay healthy, Curse when it gets the chance, and then smash them. Porygon's biggest tool is Thunder Wave. When Haunter, Magneton, and Aerodactyl inevitably switch into it, it can paralyse them. This is huge for sweepers like Granbull and Pinsir. Porygon won't sweep instantly threaten most teams, but it provides valuable support and is a major threat when its checks are gone. I like Porygon as a lead. Its able to immediately spread paralysis and makes the opposing team reveal information. Nothing is better at forcing paralysis for Granbull and Pinsir. This is definitely a Pokemon you should try out. Don't dismiss it because its an NU Pokemon with bad stats. Curse / Double-Edge / Recover / Thunder Wave is no joke.
Miscellaneous Thoughts on Random Sets and Pokemon
I still believe Haunter is the best Pokemon in this tier. I think all of the other "contenders" for the number one spot have flaws. Haunter does too, but what it provides is invaluable. It has an incredible Normal immunity. It is the only top Pokemon with access to Explosion. It can steal Leftovers with Thief. It does all of this while outpacing much of the tier, and being a respectable special attacker. Haunter feels very consistently useful and dominant. Nothing can replicate what this thing does, and what it does is highly useful. Haunter is always there with its fast Explosion, ready to save a team. Its customizable too. You can run Shadow Ball, Hypnosis, Mean Look, and more.
I don't have much of note to say about Blastoise, other than its a top 5 Pokemon. Yeah its kinda passive, but the utility it provides is both unique and invaluable. Many of the teams I think work best use Blastoise. Plus, if you wanna use a more offensive Blastoise, use this set:
Blastoise @ Leftovers
Ability: No Ability
- Surf
- Rapid Spin
- Earthquake
- Zap Cannon
It lacks longevity, but when Zap Cannon or Earthquake land on the right targets, its devastating. Its better at getting Spikes off for good, since Qwilfish fears Zap Cannon and Earthquake.
I also don't have much to say about Granbull, but I do want to highlight the Curse + Hidden Power Ground set. Its a monster.
Granbull @ Leftovers
Ability: No Ability
Happiness: 0
IVs: 14 HP / 24 Atk
- Curse
- Frustration
- Hidden Power [Ground]
- Lovely Kiss
Little can stand up to this. Boosted Frustration and Hidden Power Ground tears through most of the tier. Lovely Kiss lets you sleep an important target too. It gives you a better time setting up. This set feels easier to slot onto teams than other big sweepers (Scyther, Pinsir, Girafarig). Its probably the single scariest set in the tier when you support it right. Paralysis and Rapid Spin support makes it way better.
Nothing new to say about Granbull's other sets. Curse + RestTalk and Heal Bell are fine for what they are. They work great on the teams designed around them.
I think Girafarig is a good Pokemon, but I think its being overrated. Its usage in tours is higher than it should be. Using Girafarig often means using defensively flawed teams. Its frail and other things can replicate its effectiveness as a sweeper (Granbull for example). Curse / Earthquake / Return / Thunder is a good set, and it can tear through some teams. Even more AoA sets are usable enough. As I said though, overused for what it is.
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That is the end. Looking forward for GSC PL!
Overall, this tier remains as enjoyable as ever. I really have little to complain about with the current state of the metagame. Nothing feels too powerful, and the tier is diverse in options. It still rewards good play, team building, risk taking and hax optimisation. With that out of the way, here are some general metagame thoughts.
Teams
I have drifted away from many of the more "basic" structures from the past. Your basic Nidoqueen / Slowbro / Hypno offenses are still good, but they feel flawed both offensively and defensively in some ways. These teams feel pigeonholed into using certain Pokemon to avoid poor matchups against certain threats. If you try cheat defensively, like if you drop Haunter, then that opens you up to threats such as Curse Hypno and Chansey, and makes Granbull a much bigger danger. These teams tend to struggle with HO teams, Shuckle teams, and Belly Drum Quagsire teams.
Ampharos + Piloswine teams I also don't use as much nowadays. I do think they work better than the previously mentioned teams, though. Again, they have problems I dislike both offensively and defensively. Some Ampharos + Piloswine teams remain very good. Here are two I would recommend:
Teams that employ Pokemon with a lot defensive role compression are in a good spot. Pokemon like Magneton and Rest + Sleep Talk Quagsire really do help teams out defensively. Using these Pokemon can let you get away with using the tiers most deadly offensive Pokemon. Spikes + Magneton teams are some of the better Spikes using teams in this current metagame. Again, they have a lot of freedom, and they are able to at least soft-check most threats. Here's another style of Magneton team I have been using:
This set of five Pokemon is incredible from a defensive standpoint. The five of them combined can stand up to most of the threats in this tier. They are especially nasty when Blastoise successfully removes Spikes. For sets, I reccomend Curse + Rest on Aerodactyl, Curse + Sleep Talk on Hypno, and Hidden Power Water on Magneton. For Rest + Sleep Talk Quagsire, any of Sludge Bomb, Body Slam, or Ice Beam work. I don't think Rock moves are needed with Aerodactyl. It feels like you can really throw whatever in that last slot. I have used everything ranging from Curse + Hidden Power Ground Granbull...to Ariados.
If you want to mess around with Ariados, then go have fun. Unfortunately, this team, as well as this team structure as a whole, struggle greatly against Belly Drum Quagsire teams. Unless you land a crit on Quagsire, or you try win first with your big offensive piece, its hard to stop Quagsire. The freedom and defensive power of this team structure is ultimately superb though. I ultimately think the variant with Curse + Lovely Kiss Granbull last is the easiest to use.
I don't have much new to say about both the Heal Bell + Belly Drum Quagsire teams nor hard Shuckle stall. They are both powerful, you should use them. With Belly Drum Quagsire, I generally prefer using Chansey over Bellossom. Recently, Omastar has been brought back and tried on these teams, and I do like it on these teams. It counters Curse Hypno and Swords Dance Bellossom. Its also one of the better answers to Curse + Ground Granbull.
With Shuckle, I wouldn't stray away from the basic Granbull + Electabuzz six that's been used for years now. Its really got it all and feels nearly unbeatable for certain teams. I've seen BeeOrSomething use Curse + Lovely Kiss Granbull + Curse Chansey, and I think this is fine, but I still much prefer the basic sets.
I believe we should be more open to loading HO teams. Yes, they suck against certain threats (Aerodactyl, Shuckle). To make up for it, they shred certain structures. Most Hypno offenses in particular struggle to take HO on. If you are really scared of Aerodactyl, you can customise. Belly Drum Quagsire is not a bad pick on these teams, assuming you support it well. Curse + Hidden Power Ground Granbull, Scyther and Pinsir are still three of the deadliest Pokemon in this tier. It feels like many teams cheat against Scyther in particular. I recently made a HO team with lead Porygon that I really enjoy using. Its different from usual HO teams, dropping Scyther and Electrode in favour of running slower setup sweepers (Sandslash), alongside Curse Chansey.
SPIKES
Over the course of this year, I have used fewer teams with Qwilfish. That's mostly because I feel the teams without Spikes are in a solid metagame spot. I think HO, Belly Drum Quagsire, and Shuckle teams all work better without Qwilfish. I also think the Hypno / Belly Drum Quagsire / Blastoise teams I shared earlier don't need Spikes. There's some teams that don't fall into any of the mentioned categories I like (I haven't revealed them in tours, and won't here), that don't use Spikes.The teams that most traditionally use Spikes I think are worse off nowadays. With Blastoise at the peak of its power, its much less common you have games where you set up Spikes and that's it. When Blastoise can wear Curse Qwilfish down, and Blastoise is so often paired with Qwilfish counters (Quagsire or Slowbro), the Spike vs Spin war is harder to win.
I would still rate Qwilfish highly, likely still in the top three. Certain top Pokemon (Nidoqueen namely) need Qwilfish to function at their best. Spikes is still the best move in the game, and a very suffocating one at that. I disagree with it being the "best" Pokemon. I also disagree that dropping Qwilfish, and using the very usable Spikeless teams, is a meme. We should be more open to the idea.
CURSE USERS (who aren't Granbull)
If you have watched GSC UU games in the past year and a half, you have likely seen a lot of Curse Hypno. More recently, you may have seen Curse Chansey and even Porygon. Its no secret that Curse Hypno is good. Hypno provides much of its natural defensive utility while doubling as a sweeper. A sweeper with limited counterplay. With that said, I think Curse Hypno is often misused. I've often seen it used on teams that are otherwise shaky against Haunter, leading them to be Haunter weak. I've also seen teams that use Curse Hypno, yet rely on Slowbro for Granbull. That is asking for trouble. Not only with Granbull, but also Chansey and Porygon. I think Curse Hypno needs to be either supported by reliable Haunter answers (Quagsire, Magneton) or be paired with Pursuit.
We have seen more Curse Granbull, a threat to Curse Hypno. In matchups where the opponent has Curse Granbull, or Pokemon like Curse Aerodactyl, its hard to get much done. We have even seen some Omastar. Magneton is not that great of answer, but Hypno does still need some luck to beat it. Overall, I think Curse Hypno is sometimes used on teams where it shouldn't be. I don't think every team can slap Curse on Hypno and be fine.
Curse Chansey I don't have much of note to say about, other than to say its good. Like Hypno, it carries much of Chansey's natural defensive ability while doubling as a sweeper. Counter is a game changer, though. Not only does this let it snipe physical attackers, but also possibly win Curse wars, Curse wars it would normally lose. Chansey does fix some of Curse Hypno's issues, though it comes with some new ones. Its weaker and has a bigger problem with status inflictions. Here is a team with Chansey I like using. It is a Spikes team that doesn't use any of Nidoqueen / Piloswine / Quagsire, something you rarely see.
Now for Curse Porygon. This thing is no joke. Its far from the C rank garbage it was ranked as on the VR. Porygon runs the set it does in NU (Curse + Thunder Wave) and poses a big threat. Against many threats, it can paralyse them, Recover to stay healthy, Curse when it gets the chance, and then smash them. Porygon's biggest tool is Thunder Wave. When Haunter, Magneton, and Aerodactyl inevitably switch into it, it can paralyse them. This is huge for sweepers like Granbull and Pinsir. Porygon won't sweep instantly threaten most teams, but it provides valuable support and is a major threat when its checks are gone. I like Porygon as a lead. Its able to immediately spread paralysis and makes the opposing team reveal information. Nothing is better at forcing paralysis for Granbull and Pinsir. This is definitely a Pokemon you should try out. Don't dismiss it because its an NU Pokemon with bad stats. Curse / Double-Edge / Recover / Thunder Wave is no joke.
Miscellaneous Thoughts on Random Sets and Pokemon
I still believe Haunter is the best Pokemon in this tier. I think all of the other "contenders" for the number one spot have flaws. Haunter does too, but what it provides is invaluable. It has an incredible Normal immunity. It is the only top Pokemon with access to Explosion. It can steal Leftovers with Thief. It does all of this while outpacing much of the tier, and being a respectable special attacker. Haunter feels very consistently useful and dominant. Nothing can replicate what this thing does, and what it does is highly useful. Haunter is always there with its fast Explosion, ready to save a team. Its customizable too. You can run Shadow Ball, Hypnosis, Mean Look, and more.
I don't have much of note to say about Blastoise, other than its a top 5 Pokemon. Yeah its kinda passive, but the utility it provides is both unique and invaluable. Many of the teams I think work best use Blastoise. Plus, if you wanna use a more offensive Blastoise, use this set:
Blastoise @ Leftovers
Ability: No Ability
- Surf
- Rapid Spin
- Earthquake
- Zap Cannon
It lacks longevity, but when Zap Cannon or Earthquake land on the right targets, its devastating. Its better at getting Spikes off for good, since Qwilfish fears Zap Cannon and Earthquake.
I also don't have much to say about Granbull, but I do want to highlight the Curse + Hidden Power Ground set. Its a monster.
Granbull @ Leftovers
Ability: No Ability
Happiness: 0
IVs: 14 HP / 24 Atk
- Curse
- Frustration
- Hidden Power [Ground]
- Lovely Kiss
Little can stand up to this. Boosted Frustration and Hidden Power Ground tears through most of the tier. Lovely Kiss lets you sleep an important target too. It gives you a better time setting up. This set feels easier to slot onto teams than other big sweepers (Scyther, Pinsir, Girafarig). Its probably the single scariest set in the tier when you support it right. Paralysis and Rapid Spin support makes it way better.
Nothing new to say about Granbull's other sets. Curse + RestTalk and Heal Bell are fine for what they are. They work great on the teams designed around them.
I think Girafarig is a good Pokemon, but I think its being overrated. Its usage in tours is higher than it should be. Using Girafarig often means using defensively flawed teams. Its frail and other things can replicate its effectiveness as a sweeper (Granbull for example). Curse / Earthquake / Return / Thunder is a good set, and it can tear through some teams. Even more AoA sets are usable enough. As I said though, overused for what it is.
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That is the end. Looking forward for GSC PL!