And how is silvally?It's not
And how is silvally?It's not
still noAnd how is silvally?
How is claydol this meta?
Tinted Lens is sadly unavailable on Noctowl at this point in time :(So if we're talking about shitmons does Noctowl have a place on sticky web teams?
It occured to me it has a combination of Nasty Plot + Tinted Lens + "unresisted" flying move (i think there's no 4x resists to flying attacks this gen) so it could happily spam Hurricanemiss or Air Slash without worrying about coverage. It has some special bulk to help it set up too.
Ok thanksIt has a teensy niche in teleport/rapid spin (levitating ground types don't mind hazards much)/stealth rocks (not on the same set), but ultimately the lack of recovery and weakness to several of the premiere OU players (pult, gdarm, gcorsola, Aegislash, etc) hold it back too much to actually perform well.
I think the problem is that it's still outclassed by Excadrill, Avalugg, Cinderace, Corviknight & Mandibuzz for hazard removal, whereas Xatu can provide the slow pivot role while still helping with hazard control.It has a teensy niche in teleport/rapid spin (levitating ground types don't mind hazards much)/stealth rocks (not on the same set), but ultimately the lack of recovery and weakness to several of the premiere OU players (pult, gdarm, gcorsola, Aegislash, etc) hold it back too much to actually perform well.
I think the problem is that it's still outclassed by Excadrill, Avalugg, Cinderace, Corviknight & Mandibuzz for hazard removal, whereas Xatu can provide the slow pivot role while still helping with hazard control.
Alternatively, lead scarf Hydreigon and OHKO it with Draco turn 1 while they stay in.Just lead with your own Darm and click Flare Blitz turn 1 against the Darm your opponent inevitably led off with turn 1. If you're gonna lose to your opponent's Darm at least you can blame bad luck.
EDIT: Please don't actually do this.
Biggest problem with Claydol is its typing. A lot of ground types are hard to use this meta due to the presence of G-Darm, Dracovish, other water types, and even grass coverage moves for Seismitoad. So ground types that are actually useful defensively like Seismitoad are rare. The additional ghost and dark weaknesses make it even worse. I had a similar issue with Runerigus, except it is even worse on Claydol because that gets wrecked by U-turn and has no immunity to normal or fighting moves.
It's a shame because Claydol actually gets some amazing support moves. It's also a decent check to Excadrill. I tried to make it work but it just has very bad typing.
Oh I definitely agree that it has unique advantages, but I think it's overshadowed by the other hazard removers both offensively (except for Xatu) and defensively (except for Excadrill). Maybe if the metagame shifts away from absurd wallbreakers and more towards setup sweepers and bulky offense it'll have more of a niche. Like you mentioned though I really wish it had recovery!Well, of those, Claydol doesn't take spikes (exca, avalugg, cinderace)/tspikes (cinderace/avalugg), isn't weak rocks (Cinderace/Avalugg/Mandibuzz), is much bulkier than exca/cinderace/xatu, and doesn't have to clear all the hazards on the field (Mandibuzz/Corviknight).
If it had some real recovery it would actually be really useful for teams that rely on having hazards up for pressure. Without it, it can only clear hazards once or twice, which is a role outclassed by exca.
Do not think it is worth using. Unlike the other eeveelutions, it does not play a standout role defensively. Xatu is superior when it comes to MBounce rn due to how well it handles some common hazard setters like Seismitoad and Ferrothorn.Any thoughts on Espeon?
It's really a shame that Espeon wasn't granted Mystical Fire. l I think Specspeon is still somewhat usable since it hits a lot harder than Xatu, but it really faces competition from Hatterene who hits even harder, isn't nearly as frail, and has Mystical Fire to fuck Ferrothorn's shit up. Espeon is still much faster (and it gets Grass Knot to deal with the toad, although Ferrothorn admittedly walls it to hell and back if it's not running Trick to cripple it). It also slightly suffers from 4MSS as it obviously needs Psychic/Psyshock as a STAB, it wants Dazzling Gleam to hit Darks like Hydreigon, it wants Shadow Ball for opposing Psychics like Hatterene, Mew, and Reuniclus, it wants Grass Knot mostly for Seismitoad, but also for things like Hippowdon and Tyranitar, it wants Trick to cripple things like Ferrothorn, and Wish isn't a bad option either for pivoting against more passive hazard users. It also doesn't help that it gets completely fucked by Excadrill (whereas I believe Xatu beats Excadrill if it's not packing Rock Slide or some Sp.Def Swords Dance bullshit).
I wouldn't call it outright unusable, but the other Magic Bounce users are just better in the current metagame. Espeon is missing some key coverage that it really needs to succeed. Another potential thing to explore would be a Gen 5 style Screens set on HO teams, but with Excadrill being the tier's premiere hazard setter, I don't think it would be particularly effective.
:D nice postWith December almost over, I'm sure many of us are eagerly awaiting this month's usage stats to drop. December is no doubt going to be a wonky month, since half of it was dedicated to the Dynamax suspect, so some Pokemon's usage are bound to be a bit more inflated than others. Despite this, I would like to take a crack at my future-gazing, prophet skills to see if I can predict what I expect to be the top 10 most used Pokemon.
#10) Rotom-Heat
I have a feeling Rotom-Heat is going to bake right through the usage stats, climbing up to the #10 spot. This 'mon has kinda been everywhere lately. Its one of the best stops to Galarian Darmanitan right now, but even beyond that, its just a really good Pokemon. Electric + Fire STAB is pretty wild, letting it rock typical defensive cores containing Pokemon like Ferrothorn, Toxapex, Corviknight, Clefable and Aegislash. Levitate is huge, too, letting it avoid being trapped by Dugtrio. Combine that with some utility with Will-o-wisp and potential offensive sets with Nasty Plot, and you have a fairly versatile and interestingly powerful threat. I've done a few RMTs lately, and I feel like Rotom-Heat has been the Pokemon I recommend the most. It just adds a lot to a team if played correctly, and I would not be surprised if it becomes to first Rotom form to eclipse Wash in usage, atleast since I can remember.
#9) Seismitoad
Toad has found its place on bulky offensive teams looking for a capable stealth rocker and reliable check to Dracovish all in one. I've used Seismitoad quite a bit, but I will admit I've been starting to lose the taste for it. Its pretty passive and easily worn down, but, I see it a hell of a lot, and dealing with it has become a key part of winning battles. #9th may seem pretty high considering its coming from ~16th, but its solid usage both before and after the Dynamax ban can definitely push it up.
#8 Aegislash
A notable improvement for the once Uber, Aegislash has greatly appreciated not having to deal with Dynamaxed threats anymore. One of the most competent offensive Pokemon right now, I definitely expect this thing to rise to the top as the meta continues to develop around it.
#7 Clefable
Clefable wass fairly low last month, being sandwiched between shinier Fairy-types in Hatterene and Grimmsnarl. However, since then (and especially after the Dynamax ban) Clefable has really come into its own. LO Clef is a set that every team needs to be prepared for, because its coverage is fantastic and its hard to wear down. Not to mention the bulkier sets which have been making a comeback as of late. I hate to say it because I've been loving using Sylveon, but Clefable's defensive Magic Guard set sometimes seems like just a straight-up improvement. Clefable was around ~#13 last month, but I can definitely see it hitting the top 10. It seems like everyone is running this thing.
#6 Toxapex
Its Toxapex.
#5 Ferrothorn
Its Ferrothorn.
#4 Corviknight
Already Top 5 before Dynamax got the boot, I think Corviknight is bound to maintain its high usage. A great pivot and check to big name threats, Corviknight seems like an inevitability on most teams in most team archetypes.
#3 Excadrill
Its Excadrill.
#2 Darmanitan-Galar
It was a tough decision trying to decide whether or not this should take the #1 spot from Dragapult. While Darmanitan-Galar is certanly the more powerful of the duo, I think Dragapult's speed, coverage and versatility of sets will help it maintain the #1 spot. That said, we all know how incredible Darmanitan-G, and how dominate it has been both before and after the Dynamax ban.
#1 Dragapult
Yes
Honorable Mentions:
Ditto: Obviously, Ditto is going to see a huge drop in usage. I still like Ditto and consider adding it to my team if I'm worried about set-up sweepers, like Dragapult, but its definitely no longer the absolute necessity that it was earlier this month. Its Dec. usage will definitely be inflated due to the suspect, but its definitely going to lose its #3 spot in favor of something more consistent.
Dugtrio: has been a real contentious threat lately, unsurprisingly. Now that Dynamax is gone it can much more reliably trap its targets, which is a huge boon for both offense and stall. For a Pokemon who, last month, was teetering on the edge, Dugtrio will dig its way comfortably into OU, and will probably hit the top #10 by the end of the month... provided its not banned by then.
Hydreigon: Hydreigon is big big threat, but I'm not sure it will break the top #10. Definitely will hover around there, though.
Bisharp has been coming up since the Dynamax ban, with less Pokemon to absorb its Steel + Dark coverage. It was fairly low on the usage stats last month, teetering on the edge right there with Togekiss, but I am definitely expecting a large jump at the turn of the decade.
Anyone else have any predictions? Would like to hear your thoughts. I'll probably revisit this post in a few weeks when the usage stats drop, hopefully I'm not too off the mark.
This is a great list, I'm also looking forward to seeing the usage stats for this past month. Given that Dynamax wasn't banned until midway Dec, and not implemented on PS for a couple days after that, some mons like Gyarados, Togekiss, Ditto, etc. will likely have their usage inflated a bit still in the monthly stats.With December almost over, I'm sure many of us are eagerly awaiting this month's usage stats to drop. December is no doubt going to be a wonky month, since half of it was dedicated to the Dynamax suspect, so some Pokemon's usage are bound to be a bit more inflated than others. Despite this, I would like to take a crack at my future-gazing, prophet skills to see if I can predict what I expect to be the top 10 most used Pokemon.
#10) Rotom-Heat
I have a feeling Rotom-Heat is going to bake right through the usage stats, climbing up to the #10 spot. This 'mon has kinda been everywhere lately. Its one of the best stops to Galarian Darmanitan right now, but even beyond that, its just a really good Pokemon. Electric + Fire STAB is pretty wild, letting it rock typical defensive cores containing Pokemon like Ferrothorn, Toxapex, Corviknight, Clefable and Aegislash. Levitate is huge, too, letting it avoid being trapped by Dugtrio. Combine that with some utility with Will-o-wisp and potential offensive sets with Nasty Plot, and you have a fairly versatile and interestingly powerful threat. I've done a few RMTs lately, and I feel like Rotom-Heat has been the Pokemon I recommend the most. It just adds a lot to a team if played correctly, and I would not be surprised if it becomes to first Rotom form to eclipse Wash in usage, atleast since I can remember.
#9) Seismitoad
Toad has found its place on bulky offensive teams looking for a capable stealth rocker and reliable check to Dracovish all in one. I've used Seismitoad quite a bit, but I will admit I've been starting to lose the taste for it. Its pretty passive and easily worn down, but, I see it a hell of a lot, and dealing with it has become a key part of winning battles. #9th may seem pretty high considering its coming from ~16th, but its solid usage both before and after the Dynamax ban can definitely push it up.
#8 Aegislash
A notable improvement for the once Uber, Aegislash has greatly appreciated not having to deal with Dynamaxed threats anymore. One of the most competent offensive Pokemon right now, I definitely expect this thing to rise to the top as the meta continues to develop around it.
#7 Clefable
Clefable wass fairly low last month, being sandwiched between shinier Fairy-types in Hatterene and Grimmsnarl. However, since then (and especially after the Dynamax ban) Clefable has really come into its own. LO Clef is a set that every team needs to be prepared for, because its coverage is fantastic and its hard to wear down. Not to mention the bulkier sets which have been making a comeback as of late. I hate to say it because I've been loving using Sylveon, but Clefable's defensive Magic Guard set sometimes seems like just a straight-up improvement. Clefable was around ~#13 last month, but I can definitely see it hitting the top 10. It seems like everyone is running this thing.
#6 Toxapex
Its Toxapex.
#5 Ferrothorn
Its Ferrothorn.
#4 Corviknight
Already Top 5 before Dynamax got the boot, I think Corviknight is bound to maintain its high usage. A great pivot and check to big name threats, Corviknight seems like an inevitability on most teams in most team archetypes.
#3 Excadrill
Its Excadrill.
#2 Darmanitan-Galar
It was a tough decision trying to decide whether or not this should take the #1 spot from Dragapult. While Darmanitan-Galar is certanly the more powerful of the duo, I think Dragapult's speed, coverage and versatility of sets will help it maintain the #1 spot. That said, we all know how incredible Darmanitan-G, and how dominate it has been both before and after the Dynamax ban.
#1 Dragapult
Yes
Honorable Mentions:
Ditto: Obviously, Ditto is going to see a huge drop in usage. I still like Ditto and consider adding it to my team if I'm worried about set-up sweepers, like Dragapult, but its definitely no longer the absolute necessity that it was earlier this month. Its Dec. usage will definitely be inflated due to the suspect, but its definitely going to lose its #3 spot in favor of something more consistent.
Dugtrio: has been a real contentious threat lately, unsurprisingly. Now that Dynamax is gone it can much more reliably trap its targets, which is a huge boon for both offense and stall. For a Pokemon who, last month, was teetering on the edge, Dugtrio will dig its way comfortably into OU, and will probably hit the top #10 by the end of the month... provided its not banned by then.
Hydreigon: Hydreigon is big big threat, but I'm not sure it will break the top #10. Definitely will hover around there, though.
Bisharp has been coming up since the Dynamax ban, with less Pokemon to absorb its Steel + Dark coverage. It was fairly low on the usage stats last month, teetering on the edge right there with Togekiss, but I am definitely expecting a large jump at the turn of the decade.
Anyone else have any predictions? Would like to hear your thoughts. I'll probably revisit this post in a few weeks when the usage stats drop, hopefully I'm not too off the mark.