Resource 1v1 Sword and Shield Viability Rankings

[Mubs]

I haven't made VR noms in a hot min.

C+ -> B-/B

Chople

Ferrothorn @ Chople Berry
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Power Whip
- Leech Seed
- Body Press
- Iron Defense

This was nommed before by zio who passed me the set, but my god I love this shit. Beats a lot of the S/A tiers such as Primarina, Snorlax, Zygarde, Rillaboom, Registeel, both Urshifus (with chople), alongside most Fairies and Physical mons that don't run fire moves.

B -> B-
Yeah, I know Vic is gone, but this mon is pretty much outclassed by Avalugg these days. Sure, AV and Custap are nice in a vacuum, but like you lose out on mirror coat mindgames and the LRXC clout points that come with using Avalugg.

 

[The Official Glyx]

(warning: long)
I did a minipoll and apparently you guys like Smogon VR noms more than Discord noms, so ig I'll drop my janky stuff here instead:

Spectrier

Quixotic (Spectrier) @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Grim Neigh
EVs: 252 HP / 24 Def / 48 SpD / 184 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Taunt
- Will-O-Wisp
- Calm Mind
- Hex

• Spe outpaces Naganadel
• HP + Def withstands 2 hits from Band Garchomp Outrage after using Will-O-Wisp
• HP + SpD withstands Specs Prismatic Laser from Necrozma after using Calm Mind

Probably the most well known of the noms, Spectrier's had a gradual rise as time progresses, which is well warranted imo. Killer speed, killer special attack, and excellent resources between Calm Mind, Taunt, and Will-O-Wisp. This set alone is pretty great at blanket checking a solid brunt of the lower ranks, albeit struggling with some big names between the likes of Urshifu, Snorlax, Moltres-Galar, and Rillaboom. In addition to this strong set, Spectrier also has access to Disable, which it can use to reverse check some of the mons that would have threatened it prior, which would be brutal to deal with in a metagame without Species Clause, and makes Spectrier more unpredictable, albeit this set is generally the one you'd want to go for a vast majority of the time while Disable would be better off as a surprise for tours or something.

I've been saying it since I made Quixotic: it should be A rank; its metagame coverage simply cannot be understated, even if it is a smidge one-dimensional.

Tapu Koko

Cortez (Tapu Koko) @ Electric Seed
Ability: Electric Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 84 SpD / 176 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Taunt
- Eerie Impulse
- Roost
- Thunderbolt

• HP gives generally sufficient physical bulk to withstand jabs from Urshifu and Sawk
• SpD creeps Genesect's Download and also does its best at withstanding attacks from Regieleki
• Spe outspeeds Adamant Scarf Dracovish, as well as Raikou and other 115s

I can imagine many were relieved (or disappointed) to see that Tapu Koko never picked up Rising Voltage as many had anticipated. Despite this setback, Koko has still carved out a decent niche for it, not as an offensive presence, but rather a defensive one! With tools like Roost, Taunt, Iron Defense, Electric Seed, and Eerie Impulse/Calm Mind/Charge at its disposal, Tapu Koko makes a strong name for itself as an anti-stall that simultaneously does quite well at stalling, itself. My set above in particular forgoes Iron Defense in the interest of having Taunt, a tremendously useful tool for blocking many of the pesky status/setup users there are, since the Defense boost provided by the Electric Seed generally does a well enough job at dealing with what it needs to. Of course, stally sets aren't the only thing Tapu Koko is capable of; it is gifted with a wide arrangement of attacks and setup moves that allow it to work well in just about any niche it wants to, as well as both sides of physical and special offense. While it will sadly always struggle with the perennial issue that are Ground and Grass types, it still does a plenty well enough job against everything else.

Tapu Koko is a pretty great Pokemon, arguably the best Electric type in the metagame, in my opinion. While it doesn't really have much that it can do to come back against its prominent checks like Spectrier, it still does a pretty great job against everything else. That said, its other sets are mostly all theorycraft, so it wouldn't really be too fair to place it super high without results to back it up, so I feel B+ Rank is appropriate until it really starts becoming more prominent, if ever.

Zapdos-Galar

Raptor (Zapdos-Galar) @ Life Orb
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 HP / 48 Def / 52 SpD / 156 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Close Combat
- Brave Bird
- Bulk Up
- Taunt

• HP + Def bulks Band Kartana Giga Impact
• HP + SpD bulks Specs Naganadel Draco Meteor
• Adamant Nature is enough to OHKO uninvested Naganadel with Brave Bird
• Spe outpaces Dracovish and other base 75 mons

It's definitely hard to nominate Fighting types when big bad Urshifu is running about, but Zapdos-Galar manages to find a niche through being a Fighting type to beat Urshifu, in addition to the many other added benefits of being a Flying type. In addition to what this set already offers, Zapdos-Galar also has plenty of other tools at its disposal, between the likes of Reversal, Thunderous Kick, Counter, Blaze Kick if you're really sick of Genesect, and plenty of item options that all give it uniquely different niches from one another.

Zapdos-Galar is a very powerful and versatile Pokemon that can be built to cater towards beating mostly anything it wants, short of types like Cresselia, Sylveon, and Tapu Koko; however, in doing so, it may sometimes experience notable opportunity cost for not running more general sets like the one provided above. With this in mind, I feel that B Rank is likely appropriate for it, with the potential to make B+ if it becomes notably prominent and more fleshed out in the future.

Aromatisse

Therapy (Aromatisse) @ Leftovers
Ability: Aroma Veil
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 1 Spe
- Encore
- Disable
- Moonblast
- Trick Room

• HP + Def are for the sake of giving Aromatisse as reliable of a chance at surviving the combination of multiple Double Edge and Struggle from Snorlax as best as it can, as well as hits from Zygarde
• Spe is slow enough to underspeed minimum Speed Snorlax (since those apparently have usage), and catch the occasional Aromatisse mirror by surprise by not being absolute minimum Speed
• Leftovers is used over the berries since multiple of its matchups often have the battle lasting over 5 turns anyhow, meaning Leftovers is doing more restoring than either of the berries would

Aromatisse is a Pokemon whose usage was always rather complex, though I don't entirely get why people are so keen on underselling it after DLC 2; a lot of its niche still remains about the same, albeit being somewhat forced towards the physically bulky side for the sake of retaining matchups against Snorlax and Zygarde, which does complicate some of the special matchups it used to thrive in. Despite this, it still does its job well enough, threatening a good portion of the top mons between the likes of Urshifu, Primarina*, Snorlax, Zygarde, Cresselia, Moltres, Garchomp, Haxorus, etc.

While of course Aromatisse is pretty one-dimensional with any potential other sets being theorycraft at best, it still manages to carve out a strong niche for itself, so I feel that at least B Rank is appropriate.

Entei

Bonfire (Entei) @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 12 Def / 248 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Protect
- Substitute
- Sacred Fire
- Laser Focus

• HP makes a Substitute withstand a Moonblast from common Primarina spreads
• Spe outpaces 99s; generally there's not a lot of 100s that run max Spe, though if they do you lose anyways, so not really a huge dealbreaker to not be maxed

Entei, and more specifically Pressure stall strats in general, are things that I feel are generally slept on in the metagame, despite their clear dominance in strikingly similar old gen metagames like ADV, DPP, and BW. While, of course, a lot of additions have happened from BW to now, one very important thing in favor of Pressure stallers is that the Dragon Dancers that plagued ORAS and SM are gone, meaning that Pressure users can safely Sub again without having to second guess themselves. Entei in particular is a Pokemon that I feel is actually quite versatile in how it can be used, with its last two move slots being generally flexible between things like Calm Mind/Snarl, Will-O-Wisp, Flame Charge, Fire Spin, Toxic, etc, that each have their own uses. Sacred Fire and Laser Focus are the two I went with since I feel they have the widest range of coverage, between koing pesky mons like Rillaboom, Darmanitan-Galar, and Registeel, in addition to Laser Focus giving Entei a huge extra supply of PP that makes it much more effective at stalling, in addition to conveniently busting through defense boosters.

Entei is a Pokemon whose strengths show best when teambuilding and partnering it alongside other things; while it understandably isn't amazingly reliable against types like Urshifu, Zygarde, and Zeraora due to the unreliabiltiy of its burn chance with Sacred Fire, it still manages to cover a surprising variety of threats among all the differing ranks. At the very least you should try it, and you might see why I feel it belongs in B Rank, with even the capacity to hit B+ if it really takes off.

Zarude

Canned Heat (Zarude) @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Leaf Guard
EVs: 196 Atk / 80 Def / 232 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Bulk Up
- Darkest Lariat
- Power Whip
- Encore

• Def ensures Zarude survives Band Outrage from Garchomp with enough HP to use Power Whip twice
• Spe outpaces Garchomp
• Atk is generally enough to reliably KO Primarina with Power Whip, as well as Zygarde with +4 Power Whip

Zarude actually seemed interesting to me, namely since I was just running through ideas for teambuilding and looking through each legendary mon is bacially the first thing I do a lot of the time. Weakness Policy seemed like an interesting idea, since this thing has weaknesses aplenty, in addition to the bulk to actually semi-reliably survive them, as well! To my surprise, this thing can actually somewhat reliably deal with non-Choice Band Urshifu, and has a solid niche against other top mons like Primarina, Zygarde, Cresselia, Rillaboom, Registeel, Tapu Fini, Garchomp, etc. Unfortunately it can't really bulk 252+ SpA Specs Heat Wave from Necrozma without sacrificing basically all of its Atk.

While I do feel that this is probably the best set Zarude has going for it, it's plain to see with Joker's nomination post that it's got more than just this going for it; something with this much metagame coverage and raw potential I feel deserves B+ Rank, with the potential to make A- if it really starts to pop off.

Regice

Fahr Outpost (Regice) @ Leftovers
Ability: Clear Body
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Rest
- Amnesia
- Frost Breath / Ice Beam
- Toxic

• SpA KOs specially defensive Zygarde with Toxic followed by its Ice move
• Spe is cranked up to outspeed Volcanion to the best of its ability
• HP provides more special bulk than SpD itself, in addition to making sure Regice withstands Band Outrage from Garchomp

Regice was something I saw in the VR sheet despite not having a proper nom post anywhere and figured why the heck not. To my surprise, Regice actually does seem to put up a decent fight, albeit running into a lot of the issues you'd expect from an Ice type without Sturdy or absurd physical bulk. While normally I hate feeling like I'm just slapping Toxic onto things for the hell of it, it really does seem like Regice's best move here, covering threats like Stored Power Necrozma and Chansey, as well as ensuring matchups against pesky mons like Primarina and Zygarde. Frost Breath vs Ice Beam is basically a matter of preference, though Frost Breath's niche is that it bypasses Spectrier's SpD boosts, flipping that matchup from a loss to a win. If you'd prefer to have a move that doesn't miss in every other matchup that the difference really doesn't matter for, I can't blame you.

Regice is a very nice Pokemon for coverage many of the powerful special attackers in the metagame, as well as a handful of the prominent dragons at the top, between the likes of Primarina, special Genesect, Moltres-Galar, Necrozma, Togekiss, Sylveon, Zygarde, Garchomp, and Naganadel. While its weaknesses are pretty prominent and generally unavoidable, its niche in covering everything else more than makes up for it, which warrants placement in B- Rank at the very minimum, in my opinion.

Buzzwole

Steel (Buzzwole) @ Occa Berry
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 HP / 84 Atk / 56 SpD / 116 Spe
Impish Nature
- Taunt
- Lunge
- Roost
- Low Sweep

• Spe outspeeds Garchomp and slower after Low Sweep
• HP + SpD lives Heatran Overheat (non Specs)
• Physical stats are a bit of a loose balance between retaining as reliable of a 2HKO against Heatran as possible as well as withstanding an onslaught of Band Outrage from Garchomp for generally long enough for it to hit itself and get you the win before the slight chips add up to KO you

Figured I'd give Buzzwole a shot since I didn't like my extremely basic custap set I made earlier. Basic premise is that Taunt and Roost lock down a ton of matchups while Lunge is basically a two in one deal for STAB + Bulk Up. Low Sweep seems like the best 4th move since it didn't really have much else particularly amazing to choose from, netting it vastly more reliable wins vs Garchomp and Water Urshifu, as well as coincidentally 2HKOing max HP Heatran. I was actually quite surprised at how good Buzzy is, locking down a good handful of top mus like Urshifu, Snorlax, Zygarde, Rillaboom, Darmanitan-G, Registeel, Garchomp, etc. As a general Pokemon from a VR sense, this is only one of many potential sets between things like Custap/Reversal, AV, Band, etc that all make use of its large movepool and beefy stats.

As much as I love Buzzwole, a lot of its other potential sets are really only theorycraft at this point, and have generally not been seen as of yet. With this in mind, this set alone is pretty much all there is to go off of, which, while I do feel is Buzzwole's best set, still holds it back in the long term. Until it can start putting forth other sets and strategies to keep from becoming overly one-dimensional, I feel B Rank will have to suffice for Buzzwole, with it only being capable of making B+ after this happens, if ever.

Regidrago

New Age (Regidrago) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Dragon's Maw
EVs: 216 Def / 140 SpA / 40 SpD / 112 Spe
Modest Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Scale Shot
- Breaking Swipe
- Dragon Energy

• Def bulks 2 Double Edge from Snorlax and even has a decent chance against non-Band Garchomp
• SpD bulks Specs Prismatic Laser from Necrozma
• Spe outpaces Nihilego after Scale Shot
• SpA is leftover to preserve KOs against non-AV Urshifu as reliably as possible without needing to use Scale Shot and risk being Sucker Punched

I was toying around with ideas for Regidrago which eventually led to me coming up with the idea of Assault Vest. The basic idea here was to survive hits from annoying mons like Moltres-Galar, Necrozma, Porygon-Z, etc. After some experimentation, I came to this moveset; Draco Meteor is the general move of choice, followed by Scale Shot being an excellent speed control move, Breaking Swipe being a safe chip move for threats like Crustle, and Dragon Energy being an absurd breaking move that allows it to deal with Snorlax. While I'm uncertain as to whether or not this is Regidrago's best set, I am very much a fan of it, myself, with how it's capable of handling several big threats between the likes of Urshifu, Snorlax, Zygarde, Cresselia, Moltres-Galar, Necrozma, Rillaboom, Aggron, Kartana, Landorus-Therian, Porygon-Z, Regieleki, Rhyperior, Spectrier, Suicune, Volcanion, Zeraora, etc.

I'm gonna be frank, this thing destroys way too many mons, both high and low, to warrant being anything lower than B+ Rank. I could very reasonably even see this thing taking A- or higher rank if it catches on, but that might be a bit overzealous for now, considering its current placement in C+.

​

Thanks for reading-

 

[death dreigon]

Pardon but if noivern is ur according to changelog,why it is still d rank in vr. not complaining just found it weird

 

[Murm]

Set

Toxicroak @ Life Orb
Ability: Dry Skin
EVs: 8 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def / 16 SpD / 224 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- Gunk Shot
- Low Kick
- Swords Dance / Taunt / Sucker Punch / Encore

Now this set isn't really finalized, but I think it is a decent example of what it can do. The evs are jank. The main reason I think this mon is good is just because it's high tier mu's. It beats Primarina, both Urshifus, Snorlax (chople beats non-sd), non scarf Togekiss, most Rillaboom, Sylveon, Registeel, Tapu Fini, Aggron, Suicune, and much more. I would personally say this mon is C- to C rank from my testing. It's stats aren't the best but it is a really nice anti-meta pick.

 

[Here Comes Team Charm!]

Set

Toxicroak @ Life Orb
Ability: Dry Skin
EVs: 8 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def / 16 SpD / 224 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- Gunk Shot
- Low Kick
- Swords Dance / Taunt / Sucker Punch / Encore

Now this set isn't really finalized, but I think it is a decent example of what it can do. The evs are max attack, bulk for Tapu Koko tbolt and nonbanded Dracovish outrage (yes I know psychic fangs exists), while having a good life orb HP amount. The main reason I think this mon is good is just because it's high tier mu's. It beats Primarina, both Urshifus, Snorlax (chople beats non-sd), non scarf Togekiss, most Rillaboom, Sylveon, Registeel, Tapu Fini, Aggron, Suicune, and much more. I would personally say this mon is C- to C rank from my testing. It's stats aren't the best but it is a really nice anti-meta pick.

This has an unfavorable roll against grassy seed high horsepower/acrobatics rillaboom (you're dealing between 94.1 to 111.7 against the 16/88 spread, but it functionally has 106% HP and you have to hit gunk shot so you'll usually lose).

That said, it's a cool set and I agree on the rating.

 

[Murm]

This has an unfavorable roll against grassy seed high horsepower/acrobatics rillaboom (you're dealing between 94.1 to 111.7 against the 16/88 spread, but it functionally has 106% HP and you have to hit gunk shot so you'll usually lose).

That said, it's a cool set and I agree on the rating.

yeah i noticed that when i was making the set but I completely forgot to mention it. It should beat every other rilla tho.

 

[Ginger Princess]

Mini-Announcement

In an effort to improve the quality of the 1v1 VR, we have begun implementing a new standard.

Anyone who votes for a Pokemon to be above or below 3 or more rankings than where it currently is (i.e. voting C or A for a Pokemon currently at B) is now required to include an in-depth explanation as to their reasoning in the VR spreadsheet. This should make it easier to address the reasoning of other council members in VR, and either change their minds or have them change everyone else's.

This will have a few days of grace period for the currently affected VR council members to include explanations, if necessary.

 

[Rellia]

GM I would like to nom some pokemon. I have been really enjoying the dlc2 meta, and even more now that victini has been banned! This is also my 100th post but more on that later :)


nomming Tapu Fini to A. I think this got a lot better after Victini got banned because it couldn't reliably counter it. Taunt and Calm Mind is such a great combo, especially considering Fini's great bulk and surprisingly fast speed stat. The Iron Defense + Draining Kiss set is also quite nice and has a better matchup against Snorlax and other strong physical mons. Another option is Trick + Rest with Telepathy which works well to lure stall mons. My personal favorite set is Taunt CM with Sitrus because you outspeed most stall mons and are free to set up on them, and Fini really appreciates the recovery from Sitrus. This set can beat both Urshifus, Primarina, Togekiss (barring scarf flinches), Sylveon, Moltres-G, and the various other Fire/Fighting types in the tier.


nomming Sawk to B+. Sawk also got a lot better now that Victini can't burn it/Quick Attack on it. Custap is so great on it, it has the power to 2hko/ohko a lot of mons. Poison Jab is nice for Fairy types, Earthquake and Ice Punch are pretty great too. I also like Endure for Pokemon that try to finesse the Custap/have a Custap of their own, but Counter is not bad. In my opinion, Sawk is great vs the lower tiered mons but struggles vs the top tier mons. Definitely a cool pick, and I like how all of its moves are 100% accuracy so you don't miss :3


nomming Chansey to B-. There's not too much to say about this one considering it only has one set (seismic toss/counter/soft-boiled/toxic), but it beats a surprising amount of pokemon. Many teams are unprepared for it, and it also wins vs teams who have a special mon as their stall answer. It looks better than every other mon in C+ and even some mons in B- imo so it should be discussed!

ok so this is the end of the viability rankings part, since this is my 100th post i wanted to write some things. you really don't have to read this so i put it in a hide thing.

words

So I've been in this community since 2018, I honestly didn't think I'd still be playing Pokemon and have it be such a big part of my life. Until around June/July of this year I didn't really talk to anyone on PS/Smog/Discord, but that was just because I never really had time to socialize, I was always super busy irl or had other things I preferred doing, mainly League of Legends haha. I would play in individual tours with decent results, but I wasn't too involved in the community which definitely is one of the reasons that I don't have many team tour results. Then, Covid hit and I had to spend my entire summer at home. My school finished right before World Cup started, so I was hoping to get picked although I saw that we had gained so many good players compared to last year when we finished at the bottom. I also wanted to leave mons bc I didn't want the commitment of it during college, so I told myself that if I wasn't picked to the roster, I was going to quit mons completely.

So the roster was released, and obviously I wasn't picked. I was kinda sad but ready to quit, then smely socks tagged me to tell me I had a nice profile picture on Smogon. I had also begun talking to LRXC about irl stuff, which was nice. (i first met him when i helped him prep for his insane classic run) These two users being super kind and really caring about me made me realize that there are some quality people in 1v1, so I ended up deciding to help the team. Central ended up winning the tour which was great, but I didn't truly feel like I had won due to not being on the team and not contributing much in my opinion.

At this point, I was quite motivated to learn SS and become more involved in the community thanks to the cool people I had met on Central. I remember I first started talking in the main 1v1 cord when I finished at the top of the monthly leaderboard, and pazza said I wouldn't do well in a high level tour. Then, I received an invite to [redacted] where I was able to meet and become friends with a ton of great users. This brings us to today, I became voice in the 1v1 room a few weeks ago, and I'd like to think that I'm helping to improve 1v1. I think that Premier League is my next big challenge, now that I'm known by people there will be a lot of pressure on me to do well/not be on the last place team again. However, I'm really motivated to succeed and prove myself. I've sincerely enjoyed my time on Smogon/PS/Discord, so here's to 100 more posts!

Finally, I could not write this huge essay without thanking the amazing users I have met throughout the years, even if I didn't include you just know that you have been a part of this journey too!

shoutouts

smely socks ily
pqs goat
Felucia DEG LittleRunnerXC ExplodingDonkey zio STABLE Nalei SiceXV Akumajou leil Rosa PA Le Creme Brule D2TheW Peary Mishlef Downcoming3 bea Waylaid Bopher dogknees Squirtell 1v1 crucify bird poop Whaleeeee Mubs Krytocon tears Ango
dom Ron...5 pazza

Thanks for reading, and have a nice day!

 

[Here Comes Team Charm!]

Everyone is making nomposts so why not. I'll mostly be focusing on pokemon that haven't been mentioned earlier yet (though I agree with most of Rosa's/Relia's noms or at least the direction those mons should move in), as well as a few pokemon that aren't currently ranked. A lot of this is just me drawing attention to stuff I think is fun to use, so I highly encourage people to try the sets for themselves (some but not all are mine).

Rises:

Nihilego

B- to B/B+
Nihilego @ Power Herb
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 96 HP / 164 SpA / 248 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Meteor Beam
- Acid Spray
- Light Screen
- Mirror Coat
(set outspeeds lando-I, ohkos 4 spd gene with meteor beam, runs bulk for specs prim and maximum chance to beat specs zone/necro/bulky heatran)

Unique stab combination, great speed and special bulk, the ability to punish the few special hits that actually threaten it with mirror coat/light screen, and great pseudo-setup in acid spray. Even specs necrozma is an unreliable counter at best here (50-60% winrate if it photon geysers t1, loss if it clicks laser). This is way more than a quirky victini check: if anything it loves the fairy-centric meta that victini's ban created.

I'm suggesting this raise because I believe recent meta shifts (greater sylveon/spectrier/volcanion prominence, more fairies, more fires, more eleki) have all favored nihilego greatly.

Zapdos

C+ to B-/B
Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 88 Def / 116 SpD / 56 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Agility
- Substitute
- Roost
- Thunderbolt

Using Gym Socks!'s set as an example here, but there's so much else this can run. Eerie Impulse, Metal Sound stallbreaking, Heat Wave, Hurricane, screens pressure stall, toxic, probably some twave set that's comparable to agility but with extra hax (don't run that one please).

It's got great stats, good speed, and a solid ability, letting it beat most top-rated mons except zygarde (edit: apparently zyg loses to toxic stall, thx socks) and scarf cress. Flyings are super antimeta right now, especially if they beat the increasingly popular regieleki.

Torkoal

C to C+
Torkoal @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Shell Armor/White Smoke
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Body Press
- Iron Defense
- Rest
- Amnesia/Overheat/Clear Smog/Burning Jealousy
(Max HP/Def for the best roll vs unnerve eq band hax)

Fire is a really solid defensive typing right now, and torkoal doubles down on it with two great anti-stallbreak abilities, one of the craziest defense stats in the game, and a variety of viable moves for its last slot. It's been used with good results in tournaments, beats urshifu where most stall gets annihilated, and has a decently powerful body press (or fire stab) to fall back on if taunted or tricked.

Drops:

Aggron

B+ to B
Aggron hits hard and that's about it: anything that sets up on it, has a degree of physical bulk or otherwise isn't a dumb straightforward attacker is probably going to win versus it (Head Smash breaking its own sturdy doesn't help). Metal Burst is cool on paper but doesn't let it ohko a ton of the stuff that 2hkos it, and ultimately I just feel like this fits in the same niche as avalugg but with crippling double weaknesses and better stabs.

Garchomp

B+ to B
Zygarde exists, and chomp's niche over it is... choice sets with fire coverage? Cheesing 1-2 things with Endure Rough Skin? The base speed matters less than it has in the past, and overall I don't see why you'd use this aside from bulkable band sets or gimmicky (and even more bulkable) scarf sets. It's not necessarily bad, just really not B+ material.

Rank:

Bewear

UR to C/C+
Bewear @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Fluffy
EVs: 40 HP / 216 Atk / 252 Def
Adamant Nature
- Close Combat
- Ice Punch
- Bulk Up
- Taunt

I got to explore this mon while building for Itchy's secret santa team and it has a lot of untapped potential. It feels kind of like a more offensive buzzwole, having solid physical bulk but no reliable recovery. It uses fluffy to tank some hits that'd drop buzzwole (mostly physical fairy/flying/psychic moves), and its normal type lets it beat Spectrier.

The above set is probably suboptimal (the item especially), but it deals with Sawk, Zygarde, Garchomp and frankly most physical attackers who aren't incredibly stallbreak-focused themselves.

Turtonator

UR to C/C-
Turtonator @ Kee Berry
Ability: Shell Armor
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Iron Defense
- Body Press
- Taunt
- Overheat/Rest

Bulky turtle, very similar to Torkoal but distinguishes itself through the ability to resist electric, the water neutrality, and Taunt. The secondary typing is probably a liability overall, but I believe it has a noteworthy niche over its monotyped brother. It also outspeeds a few things (base 30s, mostly) that Torkoal lags behind, which is nice for not autolosing to stuff like encore bdrum snorlax. Shoutout to 5luke for bringing my attention to this, the set is mine but based on something I've seen him run.

 

[Gym Socks!]

Zapdos C+ —> B+
Hello! Zapdos is extremely underrated atm so I thought i’d make a nom for it! S/o’s Here Comes Team Charm! for beating me to it ; ). I’ve been using Zapdos to great success lately; getting reqs with it, using it in ssnl, and getting 80+ gxe alts on ladder recently while using it. Honestly, I feel like Zapdos is very much capable of rising to above B+ in the future but I think this is a good start. I put together the main sets it can run below.

Agility Zapdos

Maranga Berry / Leftovers / Yache Berry
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 88 Def / 116 SpD / 56 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Agility
- Substitute
- Roost
- Thunderbolt / Toxic / Eerie Impulse

Set Explanation

The Ev’s tank a Modest Choice Specs Thunder from Regieleki while also outspeeding after Agility, securing the matchup. (252+ SpA Choice Specs Transistor Regieleki Thunder vs. 248 HP / 116+ SpD Zapdos: 324-382 (84.5 - 99.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery)

Maranga Berry helps beat Sylveon as they are forced into spamming Hyper Voice after a Substitute which you can stall out. Leftovers helps with the general goal of pp stalling. Yache beats fast Ice Types like Darmanitan-Galar.

Thunderbolt is also typically recommended as it avoids Zapdos from getting shut down by Taunt. Toxic However, is still very useful and needed on some teams to beat Cm mons which can otherwise Cm up and pressure your Sub until you need to roost (They OKHO). Eerie Impulse also helps vs CM mons. Better vs Steels.

EDIT: Alternatively, you can run less Spd, more speed if you want a more consistent mu vs AV Urshifu Rapid.

VR Matchups (S -> C+)

S Rank

S- Rank
Snorlax L
Urshifu-S W

A+ Rank
Genesect W
Primarina W
Togekiss W
Zygarde L

A Rank
Cresselia W/L (Win vs Specs and with Toxic you win vs Stored Power variants. L vs Scarf)
Jirachi W
Moltres-G W
Necrozma W
Rillaboom W
Sylveon W (Maranga)

A- Rank
Darmanitan-Galar W/L (Win vs Scarf with Yache)
Registeel L
Spectrier L
Tapu Fini W
Urshifu-R W/L (L vs fast AV)

B+ Rank
Aggron W
Dragapult W/L (L vs sub variants)
Garchomp L
Haxorus W/L L vs Band
Kartana W
Landorus-T W
Naganadel W
Porygon-Z L
Regieleki W
Suicune W
Volcanion W
Zeraora W/L (Loses to Taunt)

B Rank
Arcanine W/L (Loses to Band)
Blaziken W
Crustle L
Diancie L
Glastrier L
Heatran W
Kyurem L
Latios L
Pheromosa L
Raikou W
Rhyperior W/ L (L vs Rock Blast)
Sawk W
Tapu Koko W
Tapu Lele W
Zapdos-G W

B- Rank
Aegislash W
Archeops L
Avalugg L
Azumarill W
Buzzwole W
Dracovish W
Dracozolt W
Hydreigon W/L (L vs NP)
Metagross W
Nihilego W
Regidrago W
Volcarona L
Zarude W/L (Bad mu for both parties; need Toxic)

C+ Rank
Blacephalon L
Celesteela W
Chansey W
Clefable W
Durant W
Ferrothorn W
Gastrodon W
Goodra W
Incineroar W
Landorus W
Latias W/L (Depends if Trick)
Magnezone W
Rotom- Heat W/L (L vs Scarf Trick)
Swampert W
Tyranitar L
Zapdos

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Fast Toxic Protect

Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 192 HP / 64 Def / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Protect
- Substitute
- Roost
- Toxic

Set Explanation

The HP allows it so you can get an extra Sub off with Sub + Tect spam. Max speed, rest in Def.

This sets primary function is in beating Zygarde. The speed allows you to outspeed any Zygarde to which after, they can’t really touch you.

VR Matchups S -> C+

S Rank

S- Rank
Snorlax W/L (L vs Encore)
Urshifu-S W

A+ Rank
Genesect W
Primarina W
Togekiss W
Zygarde W

A Rank
Cresselia W/L (L vs Scarf)
Jirachi L
Moltres-G W
Necrozma W
Rillaboom W
Sylveon L

A- Rank
Darmanitan-Galar L
Registeel L
Spectrier L
Tapu Fini W/L (L vs Taunt)
Urshifu-R L

B+ Rank
Aggron W/L (L vs Taunt)
Dragapult L
Garchomp L
Haxorus W/L (L vs Band)
Kartana W/L (L vs Giga Impact)
Landorus-T W
Naganadel L
Porygon-Z L
Regieleki L
Suicune W
Volcanion W
Zeraora W/L (L vs Taunt)

B Rank
Arcanine W
Blaziken W
Crustle L
Diancie L
Glastrier L
Heatran L
Kyurem L
Latios L
Pheromosa L
Raikou L
Rhyperior W/L (L vs Rock Blast)
Sawk W
Tapu Koko W
Tapu Lele W
Zapdos-G W

B- Rank
Aegislash L
Archeops L
Avalugg L
Azumarill W
Buzzwole W/L (L vs Taunt)
Dracovish W/L (L vs Scarf)
Dracozolt W
Hydreigon W
Metagross W
Nihilego L
Regidrago W
Volcarona L
Zarude W/L (Bad mu for both parties)

C+ Rank
Blacephalon L
Celesteela W
Chansey W
Clefable W
Durant L
Ferrothorn W
Gastrodon W
Goodra W
Incineroar W/L (L vs Taunt)
Landorus W
Latias W/L (Depends if Trick or not)
Magnezone W
Rotom- Heat W/L (L vs Scarf Trick)
Swampert W
Tyranitar L
Zapdos

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Specs Zapdos

Zapdos @ Choice Specs
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 220 HP / 12 Def / 24 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Hurricane
- Heat Wave
- Thunder

Set Explanation

This set is tanked for Modest Specs Dragapult, Max speed, and enough SpAtk to OKHO Haxorus.
(252+ SpA Choice Specs Dragapult Draco Meteor vs. 220 HP / 0 SpD Zapdos: 318-375 (84.5 - 99.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO)
(24 SpA Choice Specs Zapdos Hurricane vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Haxorus: 294-346 (100.3 - 118%) -- guaranteed OHKO)

While not my favorite set, Specs Zapdos does offer up an offensive presence the other two sets don’t (aided by it’s move pool). Alternatively, you might be able to try a move like Hyper Cutter if you want better chances vs Volcarona. I haven’t run calcs however.

VR Matchups S -> C+

S Rank

S- Rank
Snorlax W/L (Not reliable)
Urshifu-S W

A+ Rank
Genesect W
Primarina W
Togekiss W
Zygarde L

A Rank
Cresselia W/L (L vs Stored Power variants)
Jirachi W
Moltres-G W
Necrozma L
Rillaboom W
Sylveon L

A- Rank
Darmanitan-Galar L
Registeel L
Spectrier W/L (Loses to Disable)
Tapu Fini W
Urshifu-R W

B+ Rank
Aggron L
Dragapult L
Garchomp L
Haxorus W
Kartana (Loses to Giga Impact)
Landorus-T W
Naganadel L
Porygon-Z L
Regieleki L
Suicune W
Volcarona W
Zeraora L

B Rank
Arcanine W
Blaziken W
Crustle L
Diancie L
Spectrier L
Heatran W
Latios L
Pheromosa W
Raikou L
Rhyperior L
Sawk W
Tapu Koko L
Tapu Lele W
Zapdos-G W

B- Rank
Aegislash L
Archeops L
Avalugg L
Azumarill W
Buzzwole W
Dracovish L
Dracozolt L
Hydreigon L
Metagross W
Nihilego L
Regidrago W
Volcarona L
Zarude W

C+ Rank
Blacephalon L
Celesteela W
Chansey L
Clefable L
Durant W
Ferrothorn W
Gastrodon L
Goodra L
Incineroar W
Landorus L
Latias L
Magnezone L
Rotom- Heat L
Swampert L
Tyranitar L
Zapdos

 

[Snowjy]

Behold.. the next slightly worse Whimsicott..
Eldegoss!
Nom: UR -> D/C-​

huge s/o to leil for making such amazing art!!​

In this nomination I’ll be going over a quintet of Eldegoss sets that have a respectable niche in the current metagame. Before I get into individual sets, I’ll explain a few tools that Eldegoss has access to that gives it any niche whatsoever against the likes of Whimsicott. For one, Eldegoss has a very interesting signature ability in Cotton Down. Cotton Down lowers the speed of your opponent by 1 stage if they use any type of attacking move. This allows Eldegoss to somewhat overcome it’s very middling speed stat of 60, outspeeding prevalent mons with little investment. It also has Sleep Powder as part of it’s arsenal. This gives Eldegoss a distinct niche of Whimsicott, being able to put opponents to sleep as opposed to stalling them out. Granted, relying on a 75% accurate move isn’t always the best strategy. However, with all of Eldegosses tools combined it has quite the frightening stall capability.

Set 1: Sitrus Berry/Wide Lens
Stage Name: April

set

Sitrus / Wide Lens (Eldegoss) @ Sitrus Berry / Wide Lens
Ability: Cotton Down
EVs: 120 HP / 148 Def / 12 SpA / 228 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Leech Seed
- Sleep Powder
- Substitute
- Giga Drain

desc

I’d like to think of this as the go-to set if you’re looking to try Eldegoss out. Basic strategy is to click Sleep Powder turn 1 and Leech Seed turn 2. From there on you can set up a Substitute and attack with Giga Drain while putting the target back asleep when they wake up. Sitrus Berry gives a small bit of leniency if Sleep Powder misses, as max roll attacks that do 74% or lower will become 3HKOs as opposed to 2HKOs. Wide Lens exists as an option however less reliable than Sitrus. 228 Speed lets you out speed max speed base 95s after your ability activate ms once. EVs beat every Urshifu-S set on the compendium as well as each Primarina set aside from a shaky matchup with Specs. Has the potential to beat both Custap and Band Snorlax however it is heavily reliant on hitting Sleep Powder and getting good sleep turns. You lose to Stall Snorlax.

Set 2: Electric Boogaloo Yache Berry
Stage Name: Geralyn

set

Yache (Eldegoss) @ Yache Berry
Ability: Cotton Down
EVs: 232 HP / 48 Def / 228 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Leech Seed
- Sleep Powder
- Cotton Guard
- Giga Drain

desc

Yache Eldegoss provides a very niche Avalugg and to some extent Darm-G lure. I’d say this set is most likely the least useful and effective set of the 5 however it’s still somewhat viable so I included it. I included Cotton Guard as it’s the only way to ensure you beat Scarf DarmG and Band Avalugg. There is no way to live a Banded Adamant attack from DarmG so I had to settle for beating Scarf Adamant instead. That being said, Eldegoss can live a Icicle Crash from said Scarf Adamant DarmG and continue to do it’s usual sleep stall. This matchup is extremely reliant on good sleep turns. The Avalugg matchup is 100% however. Both Band and ID Body Press. Funny enough, you don’t need sleep at all in order to win. All you need to do is max your Defense out with Cotton Guard and proceed to either press Giga Drain or Leech Seed + Giga Drain. Do the same for Band as well. Other matchups across the VR are unstable to say the least. While doing infinitely better against physical attackers than special.

Set 3: Occa Berry
Stage Name: Laurence

set

Occa (Eldegoss) @ Occa Berry
Ability: Cotton Down
EVs: 164 HP / 224 SpD / 120 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Leech Seed
- Sleep Powder
- Substitute
- Synthesis

desc

This is in my opinion the second best of the 5 sets that I’m showcasing. It has way too much synergy in FWG cores thanks to it beating Volcanion for it’s teamates. The bulk EVs gives Eldegoss a very good chance to live a 252 non-modest Specs Overheat from Volcanion with at least 26% left so you can put up a Substitute while they are sleeping. Alternatively, if Sleep Powder misses, you have a chance to stall out Overheats with Synthesis thanks to the SpA drops. This spread also beats both forms of notable Heatran sets being Scarf and Metal Sound. Eldegoss semi-comfortably lives a Scarf Eruption, with the max roll being 61.9%. This is one of the matchups where if you don’t hit the t1 Sleep Powder then you lose. If you succeed with the sleep, you can Substitute t2 and Leech Seed t3. Thanks to the Leech Seed health drain, Eruption loses more and more base power every turn. The same strategy can be used for the Metal Sound matchup. Metal Sound itself doesn’t matter even though it can bypass Substitute.

Set 4: Leftovers
Stage Name: Jaren

set

Leftovers (Eldegoss) @ Leftovers
Ability: Cotton Down
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Leech Seed
- Sleep Powder
- Synthesis
- Cotton Guard

desc

This is a solid set that has a very good matchup against physical attackers in general. It may just look like I slid the bars and called it a day but the EVs are for reasons. This set beats both Urshifu forms, Scarf and Custap Chomper, Scarf Haxorus, Zygarde, and has a 50/50 with Rillaboom. It some matchups such as Scarf and Custap mons the best play is most always to Cotton Guard t1 into either another Cotton Guard or a Synthesis. Other than that it’s just a solid set that you can’t really go wrong with.

Set 5: Tanga Berry (half meme)
Stage Name: Christian

set

Tanga (Eldegoss) @ Tanga Berry
Ability: Cotton Down
EVs: 184 HP / 48 Def / 8 SpA / 20 SpD / 248 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Leech Seed
- Sleep Powder
- Sunny Day
- Weather Ball

desc

I call this one a half-meme because it really only especially beats Genesect and Ferrothorn. You live all hits from special Genesect (lorb, scarf, specs) except for a Modest Specs Steel Beam, which is a little more than a 40% chance to 1 shot. Of course this strategy relies on 1 sleep turn for non-scarf (2 turns for scarf) Genesect as the speed EVs allow you to outspeed when they’re at -1 from Cotton Down. This set also beats Ferro

Bonus 6th Set!: Sunny Day (whole meme)

set

Miracle Seed (Eldegoss) @ Miracle Seed / Custap Berry
Ability: Cotton Down
EVs: 48 HP / 252 SpA / 208 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Sunny Day
- Weather Ball
- Growth / Endure
- Solar Beam

desc

Where do I start on this one.. The basic strat is to hopefully live a hit, lower their speed, and either go for a Growth or Weather Ball/Solar Beam. You can alternatively run 252 HP and 252 SpA with a modest nature if you want to run endure Custap. EVs are not optimized, I threw this together last second :^ The speed to outspeed max speed base 105s fsr. This is just a meme set, use at your own risk.

In case you’re wondering about the nicknames, I googled famous wind quintets because Eldegoss are shown in the game floating in the wind, getting carried away by the gust. The name of the quintet is “Orpheus Winds” you should check them out :D

 

[avyrie]

Cradily to C+ rank

Cradily's unique features of a Rock/Grass typing, Water immunity, above average special bulk carves itself a niche in the meta. With access to STAB Meteor Beam, Recover, Amnesia, Mirror Coat, and Grass STAB, it handily beats water types like Primarina, Fini, Volcanion as well as Flying types like Moltres-G and Togekiss. However, its weakness to common types like Fighting and Steel holds it back greatly, as it's unable to beat both Urshifus, most Genesect, Registeel, Rillaboom and more among the top mons rn. It also doesn't hit quite hard enough to beat immediately threatening stuff like Band Snorlax and Darmanitan-Galar (Yache lure set couldn't ohko with Stone Edge, so I opted it out here).

Stall with Meteor Beam

Cradily @ Power Herb
Ability: Storm Drain
EVs: 252 HP / 36 Def / 72 SpA / 148 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Meteor Beam
- Energy Ball
- Amnesia
- Recover

SpD EVs lets it tank a Max Specs Laser from Necrozma, so you can proceed to stall it out. Def EVs lets it live a Close Combat from Band Arcanine (Analysis spread) and OHKO back with Meteor Beam. Rest dumped in SpA.

vs the vr

S Rank

S- Rank
Snorlax L
Urshifu-S L

A+ Rank
Genesect L, W if they don't have Iron Head nor Specs
Primarina W
Zygarde L

A Rank
Cresselia L
Jirachi L
Moltres-G W
Necrozma W
Rillaboom L
Sylveon W/L, it's a roll for Fake Tears sets
Togekiss W

A- Rank
Darmanitan-Galar L
Registeel L
Spectrier L
Tapu Fini W
Urshifu-R L
Volcanion W

B+ Rank
Aggron L
Dragapult W if Specs
Garchomp L
Haxorus L
Kartana L
Landorus-T L
Naganadel W
Porygon-Z W
Regieleki W
Suicune W
Zeraora L

Replays: vs primarina vs fini vs galarian moltres
I hope I did most of these mus right. It's my first time posting vr noms so feel free to correct any mistakes I have made. Also big shoutout to Akumajou for helping me test! Thanks for reading and have a nice day! <3

 

[Fivestar0987]

Audino: UR—>D

Although Audino looses her mega and lucky chant, I feel she still has somewhat of a niche in PP stalling Certain high tier threats. (Dragpult,Ghost horse, kartana). Although it is just a niche with a handful of counters so I don’t see it being higher than D.
Audino @ Leftovers
Ability: Healer
EVs: 252 HP / 128 Def / 128 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Amnesia
- Baby-Doll Eyes
- Reflect
- Rest

 

[Here Comes Team Charm!]

Audino: UR—>D

Although Audino looses her mega and lucky chant, I feel she still has somewhat of a niche in PP stalling Certain high tier threats. (Dragpult,Ghost horse, kartana). Although it is just a niche with a handful of counters so I don’t see it being higher than D.
Audino @ Leftovers
Ability: Healer
EVs: 252 HP / 128 Def / 128 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Amnesia
- Baby-Doll Eyes
- Reflect
- Rest

Dragapult wins with Curse + Disable, Spectrier wins if it's Taunt, pretty sure any kartana that's not scarf just wins by clicking sacred sword or SD. Additionally, everything you nominally wall gets to fish for crits because this has zero offensive presence.

"Stally normal type" is a niche, but I don't see why I'd pick this over Snorlax, Chansey, or even memier stuff like Bewear and Porygon2.

 

[Fivestar0987]

Dragapult wins with Curse + Disable, Spectrier wins if it's Taunt, pretty sure any kartana that's not scarf just wins by clicking sacred sword or SD. Additionally, everything you nominally wall gets to fish for crits because this has zero offensive presence.

"Stally normal type" is a niche, but I don't see why I'd pick this over Snorlax, Chansey, or even memier stuff like Bewear and Porygon2.

Yeah certain sets beat it. I kinda just made this set to bring light to the for no reason gutted audino. I like playing her in extreme niche situations and hopped someone could improve on something I’ve been missing

 

[Aegicrash]

How can Wishiwashi have the lowest & highest BST at the same time you ask? Well this is because Wishiwashi has the ability Schooling.

Pretty sure everybody knows that.

 

[Here Comes Team Charm!]

Grimmsnarl: UR -> C/C-



As the meta continues to develop, I've become convinced that there's a place for this forgotten early-SS mon. Grimmsnarl's typing alone grants it a wide variety of matchups. It can beat fighting-types like Urshifu and Zapdos-G, psychic-types like Necrozma and Cresselia, and dragon-types like Dragapult and Latios. Additionally, it has powerful priority, useful prankster moves in Bulk Up, Trick, and Taunt, and some situational coverage in Power Whip.

Band

Grimmsnarl (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 200 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Def / 12 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Sucker Punch/Darkest Lariat
- Play Rough
- Power Whip
- Trick

This set's main draw is Prankster Trick, letting Grimmsnarl dissuade faster opponents from setting up on it. HP is to tank 160+ Fini's Moonblast, while Atk is to have the best odds of OHKOing 216/24+ Fini. The speed EVs are to outspeed tyranitar (and, incidentally, some primarina sets), and the defense EVs offer the best odds against band Garchomp's earthquake.

Sucker Punch allows for a 100% reliable dragapult matchup by Tricking t1, and OHKOs Regieleki, while still being useful against targets like Necrozma. Darkest Lariat is an alternative option that's a little more reliable against things like Cresselia and Slowbro.

This set has some issues with Custap Primarina (a 50-50) as well as faster offensive variants. Zygarde is a 50-50 as well.

Some replays of this set in action:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen81v1-1267888899-tt7jeb24eiqa2nbik0pyj0pf24my2ocpw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen81v1-1267889654-jkf49zl069w0kcvneiib4rds4xd2peapw
there has never been a third replay, citizens

Prankster Bulk Up

Bulk Up (Grimmsnarl) (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 80 HP / 164 Atk / 252 Def / 12 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Play Rough
- Sucker Punch
- Bulk Up
- Taunt/Superpower/Power Whip/Substitute

Speed for the same targets as before, attack to OHKO bulkless Galarian Darmanitan with Sucker Punch at +1, bulk to tank a variety of physical mons like the aforementioned Galarian Darmanitan, Jolly Band Haxorus, Urshifu, and Snorlax. Taunt is the most obvious choice for a fourth move, but Superpower means you don't have to predict Snorlax's set (simply always bulk up t1, keep bulking up if it is stall/counter, sucker if you see belly drum, superpower otherwise), and also helps against Ferrothorn. Power Whip is still good for Gastrodon, Fini, and some Primarinas and Rhyperiors. Substitute is a useful tool against opposing status or recharge moves, like Porygon Z's Hyper Beam, and is a bit less risky than Taunt.

In addition to these, Grimmsnarl has a number of other available options. A faster Spirit Break WP set can surprise slow special attackers like Primarina, essentially functioning much like Skitter Smack Zygarde but with compressed moveslots. Babiri Fire Punch can lure Genesect, Frisk Torment can identify and mess with choice users, and even the old-fashioned max defense Sitrus set might make a reappearance. Pickpocket Liechi/WP also seems fun, although I'm not sure how much it'll be able to do in the current metagame.

 

[XSTATIC COLD]

I don't accept you tag one of my game on your post. Delete please.

I don't want my teams to be leaked.

 

[FunInDaSun]

Hello everyone, I'd like to nominate Jellicent for C/C- tier on the Viability Rankings!

At first glance, Jellicent's unique Water/Ghost typing lets it naturally wall Pokemon like Urshifu Rapid Strike, Heatran, Darmanitan-Galar, Volcanion and Swampert. However, Jellicent's selling point is its niche of locking down the opponent's moves with the combination of Taunt and Cursed Body.

Example: Setup Necrozma

Setup Necrozma carries Stored Power, Calm Mind, Moonlight and Iron Defense. By using Taunt on T1, 3 of Necrozma's moves are instantly locked, forcing it into Stored Power for the next 3 turns. From here, Jellicent can spam Recover (or damage with Night Shade) until Cursed Body activates, disabling Stored Power. Now that all 4 moves are locked, Necrozma is left with no choice but to struggle, eventually losing to recoil and Night Shade damage.

Almost all Pokemon that carry a moveset of 3 status moves + 1 attacking move will lose to this strategy, mostly stally Pokemon like Gastrodon, Registeel and Chansey. While Jellicent cannot get every Pokemon to struggle, it can still quickly limit the opponent's movepool or prevent an opponent from using a desired move, for example forcing Iron Defense Kommo-o into Body Press or locking AV Primarina from Energy Ball.

Cursed Body is also useful in dealing with choice-locked Pokemon:

Example: Specs Genesect

252 SpA Choice Specs Genesect Thunderbolt vs. 248 HP / 120+ SpD Jellicent: 216-256 (53.5 - 63.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

It looks like Genesect will eventually deal enough damage to take out Jellicent even if Jellicent spams Recover. Assuming a max roll each time, Jellicent can take 3 hits before it faints:

100% - 63.5% + 50% - 63.5% + 50% - 63.5% + 50% = 59.5% (Will die next hit)

Thankfully, Cursed Body can disable Thunderbolt before Jellicent is zapped to death. Accounting for crits (but not the miniscule parahax chance), the chances of this happening is:

T1 Disable: = 0.3
T2 Disable: = 0.7 *(15/16) * 0.3 *(15/16) = 0.185
T3 Disable = 0.7 *(15/16) * 0.7 * (15/16) * 0.3 * (15/16) = 0.121

0.3 + 0.185 + 0.121 = 0.606 = 60.6% chance to beat Genesect (that's more likelier than not!)

Unfortunately, this strategy relies solely on luck and is easily outclassed by moves like Disable and Amnesia. Furthermore, scarfed Pokemon like Jirachi and Togekiss can simply use Trick to shut this strategy down. Fellow fatmons Gastrodon (can't be Tricked), and Corsola-G (learns Disable) do much better in this department.

Jellicent also has plenty of tools available in order to beat physical attackers. Will-O-Wisp is used over Acid Armor to beat Snorlax with Darkest Lariat, meanwhile Acid Armor comes with way more PP, ignores substitute and can be better vs. Fire-types like Blaziken. Strength Sap is another option which can be run with a physically defensive spread to better counter mons like banded Haxorus. Taunt works well in conjunction with all of these as it prevents opponents like Coil/DD Zygarde from setting up to overcome Jellicent's defense raise or burn.

In short, I believe Jellicent is worthy contender of C/C- tier on the VR because of its niche of limiting opponent's choices, beating opposing stallmons, cheesing wins vs. choiced Pokemon and dealing with physical attackers to an extent.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here are two sample sets:

Monopoly Man

Monopoly Man (Jellicent) (M) @ Mental Herb
Ability: Cursed Body
EVs: 248 HP / 140 Def / 120 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Recover
- Will-O-Wisp/Acid Armor
- Taunt
- Night Shade

Mental Herb, Maranga Berry, Sitrus Berry and Leftovers are all viable items that Jellicent can use.

48+ SpA Choice Specs Primarina Energy Ball vs. 248 HP / 120+ SpD Jellicent: 212-250 (52.6 - 62%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (Without hax, has 3 chances to disable)
72+ SpA Primarina Moonblast vs. 248 HP / 120+ SpD Jellicent: 114-135 (28.2 - 33.4%) -- 0.1% chance to 3HKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Necrozma Prismatic Laser vs. 248 HP / 120+ SpD Jellicent: 331-390 (82.1 - 96.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
128 Atk Zygarde Outrage vs. 248 HP / 140 Def Jellicent: 165-195 (40.9 - 48.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 Atk Mold Breaker Haxorus Outrage vs. 248 HP / 140 Def Jellicent: 240-283 (59.5 - 70.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (2 chances to disable, 3 if lucky)

Pringles Man

Pringles Man (Jellicent) @ Maranga Berry
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 248 HP / 188 Def / 72 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Strength Sap
- Recover
- Taunt
- Night Shade

Mental Herb, Maranga Berry, Sitrus Berry and Leftovers are all viable items that Jellicent can use.

252+ Atk Choice Band Haxorus Outrage vs. 248 HP / 188+ Def Jellicent: 340-402 (84.3 - 99.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

From S to A- tier on the VR, Jellicent should be able to beat:

Jellicent Food

S- Rank
Snorlax (must have Will-O-Wisp)

A+ Rank
Genesect (60% chance!)
Primarina (AV and specs only, CM is too overwhelming)
Zygarde (may lose to offensive spreads)

A Rank
Cresselia (non-trick)
Jirachi (non-trick)
Necrozma

A- Rank
Darmanitan-Galar
Registeel
Urshifu-R
Volcanion

And also a bunch of replays:

Bunch of replays

vs. Heatran
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen81v1-1270547930

vs. AV Primarina
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen81v1-1270555667

vs. Kyurem
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen81v1-1270534003

vs. Moltres
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen81v1-1270529401

vs. Gastrodon
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen81v1-1270531561

vs. Azumarill
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen81v1-1270535023

vs. Scarf Porygon
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen81v1-1271182073

vs. Corsola-Galar (Battle of the cursed bodies!)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen81v1-1271168507

 

[XSTATIC COLD]

FunInDaSun I said you yesterday , there is no way jellicent is ranked in vr.

It losts to nearly all S, A+ A, A- and B+ mons + a lot of others mons which are < B

 

[FunInDaSun]

FunInDaSun I said you yesterday , there is no way jellicent is ranked in vr.

It losts to nearly all S, A+ A, A- and B+ mons + a lot of others mons which are < B

I got a few others opinions' too and they seemed content with C/C- :)

I also included a list of mons Jellicent beats from S to A-, it seems like a good chunk of the top tiers if you ask me!

 

[nolenot]

trick recover jellicent is also a thing

 

[Adam3560]

I got a few others opinions' too and they seemed content with C/C- :)

I also included a list of mons Jellicent beats from S to A-, it seems like a good chunk of the top tiers if you ask me!

Wow you wrote this recommendation fast... Gl on getting jellicent to C

 

[FunInDaSun]

Wow you wrote this recommendation fast... Gl on getting jellicent to C

Thanks and thanks for all your help too!

 

[Adam3560]

Thanks and thanks for all your help too!

Ah don't call it help, call it my investment for when jellicent gets famous