Just like VaporeonIce, while working on my SPOILER team streak, I got bored and decided to construct a list of Pokemon that are threatening to multiple archetypes of Singles teams. You'll notice that I split the list in two parts: Returning threats, and new threats. The first part is shamelessly stolen from VaporeonIce's original post, with edits to cover the changes to old sets. Note that this list will only cover Singles Pokemon, and Pokemon that you will only encounter before battle 50 will not appear on this list. My comments on his threatlist will be in blue.
Do be warned that a lot of Pokemon that VaporeonIce listed have become less effective or obsolete in the Tree, especially Mega Kangaskhan.
This does not cover every team possible, but it will be what a lot of new players may have trouble with. I know for a fact I missed some because my fingers were aching typing this out. I'm going to get back to my mystery streak now, cya when I've hit 500.
Any Super Singles team you can imagine is more vulnerable to some threats than others. But there are a handful of Pokemon that seem to frequently cause problems for both new and experienced Battle Maison players. Not every team will be weak to all of these threats, but you want to be sure you consider all of them when making your team. I note a few common checks or counters for each one; that’s not to say that those are all the counters that are out there, just that they’re the more conventional methods. I encourage everyone to try to find new Pokemon that do really well in the Battle Maison and can handle these threats. I love seeing new and creative Singles strategies. That said, if you just throw together a team of three novel Pokemon for the sake of being creative, you need to be prepared. After all, you’d hate to lose to…
Tyrantrum 4 (@ Choice Band, Adamant, Atk/Spd EVs: Crunch/Dragon Claw/EQ/Head Smash): Ignore every move but the last one. The reason you fear this thing is Head Smash, which is outrageously powerful with the Choice Band boost. Tyrantrum can avoid the recoil damage with its hidden ability as well, but you don’t care about its recoil; you care about how much damage it does to your team. It’s bulkier than you’d expect (takes only 84% max from Mega Scizor’s Bullet Punch) and faster than you’d expect as well. Suicune would need 148 speed EVs to outspeed, which is more than it can invest. If you’re considering using a Pokemon on your Singles team, consider what happens if that Pokemon KOs something and Tyrantrum 4 comes in (or, if it’s your lead, what happens if the opponent leads with Tyrantrum 4). Can you outspeed and OHKO? Can you afford to sacrifice that Pokemon knowing that an unknown third Pokemon might be waiting? Can you switch in something that can survive the hit? One of the biggest draws Aegislash has over Suicune is that it can safely come in on Head Smash and drop Tyrantrum’s attack with King’s Shield. Don’t get too cocky, though; if Tyrantrum hits twice and the second hit is a crit, Aegislash goes down. Common answers are Aegislash, Dragonite (needs Outrage to OHKO), Haxorus (also needs Outrage to OHKO), Garchomp and Greninja. Just don’t get cute and try to set up; Tyrantrum OHKOs most of these Pokemon.
Walrein 4 (@ Lax Incense, Bold, Def/SpDef EVs: Sheer Cold, Fissure, Rest, Sleep Talk): OHKO users have been a source of complaints for as long as Battle facilities have existed, and Walrein is the #1 culprit in X/Y. Nothing is immune to Sheer Cold except for Sturdy users, making it particularly annoying. You can try to beat it with brute force, but good luck if Lax Incense triggers on you. It also has huge bulk, surviving a +1 Dragonite Outrage 100% of the time. If you try to beat it with Toxic stall or something like that, it will Rest on you and use Sleep Talk to make up for the loss of Sheer Cold (and Fissure’s) PP. As far as I can tell, the most common strategy for facing this thing is “Attack with hugely powerful moves and hope Walrein misses.” My own personal strategy was “Smash its face in with Air Slash and hope I hax it more than it haxes me.” That said, Substitute is a great answer to this set, allowing you to stall out the terrible PP of OHKO moves. Suicune gets special mention, as Pressure makes PP go down even faster. Of course, you can also use Destiny Bond with Gengar.
Terrakion 3 (@ Sitrus Berry, Jolly, Atk/Spd EVs: Swords Dance, Sacred Sword, Rock Slide, Earthquake): In general, Terrakion is a powerful but manageable foe. You switch in a resist on its move, hit it with a super-effective attack, watch it faint. That all goes out the window when Terrakion uses Swords Dance on the switch. The good news is that this set runs Sacred Sword instead of Close Combat, limiting its damage output and helping bulky monstrosities like Suicune handle it better. The bad news is that it runs Rock Slide, and its high speed, it can outspeed and flinch most of your team. This is the most annoying thing about Terrakion; you never really know for sure if it’s going to attack or Swords Dance. If it Swords Dances, Dragonite can DD and KO next turn with Outrage. But if it uses Rock Slide, Dragonite could flinch and be vulnerable to fainting from Rock Slide next turn. Oh, and it survives an unboosted Aegislash Sacred Sword, with Sitrus Berry bringing it up to enough health to survive the Shadow Sneak next turn. Suicune takes it hits pretty well, but does barely over 50% with Scald. Good answers include Haxorus (assuming you avoid a Rock Slide flinch), Mega Scizor, Azumarill (again, watch out for flinches), and Greninja (who can survive a Rock Slide) and it does pretty poorly against most Pokemon who have already set up (Suicune, Dragonite, Haxorus, Aegislash). Scarf Tapu Fini checks it pretty well, as it can switch in to a +2 Earthquake and have a high chance to OHKO back with Moonblast. This set is Mega Kangaskhan’s mortal enemy (MegaKhan hates all Terrakion sets, but especially this one). Be sure you have a plan for Terrakion 3, though, especially in the lead spot. In the tree, eight trainers can use this set, making it as common as the other Terrakion sets. Make sure that you know which sets you have the possibility of facing.
Volcarona 4 (@ Leftovers, Bold, HP/Def EVs: Hurricane, Quiver Dance, Bug Buzz, Heat Wave): For a Pokemon with no Special Attack EVs, this thing is incredibly threatening. The problem lies in its combination of bulk, ability, and set-up move. Volcarona is very hard to OHKO; Mega Kangaskhan can’t take it out with Earthquake at +2. Obviously, it dies to Rock-type moves, but because of their imperfect accuracy, they’re generally a bad choice for Singles. That means most physical attackers rely on Earthquake or contact moves. Because very few Pokemon that are effective in Singles get STAB on Earthquake, most physical sweepers rely on their STABs to beat Volcarona, and most of those STABs are contact moves. Then you run into the risk of Flame Body. This (stupid) ability burns attackers 30% of the time on contact, meaning your physical sweeper just got a whole lot less threatening unless it was holding a Lum Berry (or has Guts). You can switch to a special sweeper, but it’s likely to Quiver Dance on the switch. Volcarona’s excellent special bulk just got a lot better, and it has a surprising amount of power at +1 with its strong STABs and Hurricane, but it will often keep boosting past +1 into truly frightening territory. On top of that, Bug Buzz hits through Substitutes. Fortunately, the common Dragon Dancers used in the Maison like Dragonite, Haxorus, and Gyarados are pretty good against Volcarona. Garchomp can take a hit at +1 and hit back with a +2 Earthquake, but it can’t OHKO unless it risks a burn and uses Outrage. If you’re not using a Dragon, good luck; this thing can be a nightmare for unprepared teams. Or you can be like me and spam Air Slash with Togekiss, crossing your fingers and hoping that you don’t miss and that it doesn’t feel all that interested in setting up a bunch of Quiver Dances.
Starmie 4 (@ King’s Rock, Timid, SpAtk/Spd EVs: Surf/Psychic/Thunderbolt/Ice Beam): With a “normal” item, this set would be a threat. Great speed, power, andcoverage, along with annoying secondary effects on TBolt and Ice Beam, make Starmie a real threat. The fact that they gave it a King’s Rock means that your counters just got 10% less reliable. Cool leads like Lum Berry Dragonite, who would typically only have to worry about an Ice Beam crit, now have to be concerned about a flinch as well. LikeJynx, Starmie is pretty bad against sweepers who have already set up. But if you choose to sacrifice a Pokemon, consult the trainer lists and see if they might have a Starmie waiting in the wings; if so, that sacrifice could cost you the game. Good answers to Starmie include Greninja, Ferrothorn, Aegislash, and Mega Kangaskhan (note: this is a really good reason to run Sucker Punch on MegaKhan) rip Sucker Punch Kangaskhan. Note that defensive checks like Aegislash and Ferrothorn can get screwed by freeze/paralysis or flinches, so don’t get too greedy if you’re trying to set those Pokemon up. With my Tapu Fini team, I would use Tapu Fini to get free turns of status immunity, and set Aegislash up with the three free turns I got. If I got flinched, I wouldn't even bother with getting to +6 and would just OHKO it at +4 or +2.
Tornadus 1 (@Life Orb Flyinium Z, Timid, SpAtk/Spd EVs: Hurricane/Grass Knot/Focus Blast/Dark Pulse): Kind of like Starmie 4, but a little slower and a lot stronger. Supersonic Skystrike makes this a monster to deal with; and even without the Z-move Hurricane’s damage output is incredible. Handling its amazing coverage is no easy feat. On top of that, Hurricane’s 30% confusion rate can be incredibly annoying. Because it’s a Set 1 Legendary, it appears much more often than Terrakion 3, so you definitely want to have a plan for what to do it Tornadus 1 comes out in the lead spot. Tornadus1 is slightly less common than Terrakion3 in the Tree. One of the most common leads on the leaderboard, Lum Berry Dragonite, is an amazing answer to Tornadus 1, easily tanking a Hurricane, setting up Dragon Dance, and getting rid of confusion thanks to its Lum Berry. Other good answers include Greninja, Azumarill (if you can avoid confusion), Mega Scizor (same), and Starmie. Tornadus 2 won’t get its own post, but it can also be a big threat with priority Double Team and Substitute and the excellent coverage of Hurricane and Focus Blast. Fortunately, that set doesn’t have speed EVs. But when you come up with a plan for Tornadus 1, make sure you know what to do if it turns out to be Tornadus 2 instead; you won’t know which set it is until the first move has been made (and sometimes not even then, if the first move is a Hurricane/Focus Blast miss).
Aerodactyl 4 (@ Choice Band, Jolly, Atk/Spd EVs: Stone Edge/Aerial Ace/Earthquake/Crunch): Tyrantrum Lite. Aerodactyl doesn’t hit nearly as hard as Tyrantrum, but its speed still makes it a huge threat, particularly against weakened teams. Adamant Dragonite won’t outspeed it at +1, meaning that leaving Dragonite in against it is a really bad idea. You respond to it the same way as you would to Tyrantrum, except you’re not going to try to outspeed it (unless you’ve already set up Dragon Dances/Shell Smash). Its lower damage output greatly increases the number of good checks, but most of these Pokemon don’t want to switch in against it. These include Azumarill (can be OHKO’d by a crit, but works well otherwise), Suicune (can be 2HKOd if one hit is a crit, but usually won’t be), and Scizor, along with Tapu Fini and Aegislash.
Zapdos 2 (@ Bright Powder, Bold, HP/SpDef EVs: Charge Beam/Heat Wave Ancient Power/Double Team/Roost): The fact that Zapdos has Static means it causes the same problems as Volcarona; physical attackers often don’t want to use their best moves against it for fear of paralysis. At least Zapdos lets you know whether it has Static or not (Zapdos’s alternate ability, Pressure, telegraphs; Volcarona’s Swarm does not); unfortunately, knowing that it has Static doesn’t always mean you can do anything to avoid it. This Zapdos doesn’t have any particularly strong moves, although Heat Wave will make short work of Pokemon who are weak to it like Scizor and Ferrothorn. It can then proceed to set up Double Teams in your face, gleefully Roosting off any damage you inflict. If you’re hitting it, you want to be shooting for a KO. Unfortunately, not even Life Orb Protean Greninja Ice Beam can manage that, and a single miss means you’re sitting there as an Ice-type, waiting to get roasted by Heat Wave. Like Walrein, the typical strategy for this thing appears to be “boost up sweepers and try to take it out really fast before it gets too many Double Teams.” Its low initial power makes that easier, but be warned; Charge Beam makes it a threat VERY quickly. A big problem is that it’s highly unpredictable; if your Pokemon isn’t weak to any of its moves, you never know for sure which one it will use. If, when planning your team, you notice that you’ll lose if you miss Zapdos 2 once, or that you’re relying on Mega Kangaskhan to set up Power-Up Punch (since unboosted Return doesn’t OHKO) while avoiding Static on three or four separate hits, you might need to think of a better way to beat it. Suicune does decently, using Pressure to stall out Charge Beam, but it has to be careful because it’s outsped. Dragons (especially Garchomp) and Ground types can do quite well against it; most other Pokemon are running a real risk. You can try to take it out with Destiny Bond Gengar; just be ready for the AI to miss on your Destiny Bond turns.
Latios 2 (@ White Herb, Timid, SpAtk/Spd EVs: Draco Meteor, Thunderbolt, Psychic, Protect) and 3 (@ Choice Specs, Timid, SpAtk/Spd EVs: Draco Meteor, Psychic, Thunder, Energy Ball); Thundurus 2 (@ Choice Specs, Timid, SpAtk/Spd EVs: Thunderbolt, Dark Pulse, Focus Blast, Grass Knot): These all fall into the same category; they’re massively powerful special attackers with great speed and rarely-resisted STABs. Many teams lack an Electric-resist, which is fine, but be sure you have a plan to deal with Thundurus 2 throwing Choice Specs TBolts at you. Going without a Steel- or Fairy-type is risky because of these two Latios sets; nothing else besides Chansey and Blissey can really take Choice Specs Draco Meteor all that well. Latios 2 is the weaker of the two, but don’t underestimate it; the freedom to switch moves can prove fatal for your switch-in. Even very good switch-ins like Aegislash don’t want to be paralyzed by Thunderbolt (and yes, Aegislash absolutely hates paralysis, because it relies on a priority move that exposes its weak Sword Forme; one “fully paralyzed” turn = fainted Aegislash). It’s essential to consider these Pokemon when choosing a lead. What are you going to do if the opponent leads with Thundurus? Can you beat a team of three legendaries if Latios outspeeds and OHKOs your lead?
Cresselia 2 (@ Leftovers, Bold, HP/SpDef EVs: Double Team/Moonlight/Toxic/Protect): I’ve seen a lot of newer Maison players having trouble with this set, and it really can be incredibly annoying if you’re not prepared for it. It’s also completely walled by every Steel-type, Poison-type, Poison Heal, and Magic Guard Pokemon in the game, along with anything that has Rest. Oh, and any faster Pokemon with Substitute, as well as any slower Pokemon with Substitute that have a way to get rid of status. If you’re not running something that’s immune to Cresselia 2’s strategy, having a set-up sweeper is pretty important; it’s generally just too bulky to try to take it out through other methods (though Greninja can manage it if it can connect enough Dark Pulses).
Darmanitan 4 (@ Choice Scarf, Impish, Atk/Spd EVs: Flare Blitz, Stone Edge, U-Turn, Superpower): Most teams on the leaderboard don’t have too much of a problem with this, because bulky Pokemon that resist Flare Blitz have become commonplace on Maison teams (Dragonite, Suicune, Azumarill, Garchomp, Gyarados, Tapu Fini), while my own 543 team sacrificed Togekiss to put it to sleep with Yawn, giving MegaKhan a free turn of set-up (trading Togekiss for a full-health +2 MegaKhan was usually a pretty good trade). But if you don’t want to use those Pokemon, Darmanitan can be a real threat to watch out for. Its nuclear-powered Sheer Force boosted Flare Blitz enables it to do heavy damage to many Pokemon, if your team is fast and frail, you want to know what you’re going to do if Darmanitan 4 comes in when your Fire-resist has taken some damage (if you have a Fire-resist, which not all teams do). Thankfully, its damage output is just low enough that non-resistant bulky sweepers can often survive Flare Blitz, but watch out for crits. If your whole team faints if Darmanitan gets a single crit, you may need to change things up a bit.
Barbaracle 4 (@ Razor Claw, Adamant, Atk/Def EVs: Stone Edge/Razor Shell/Cross Chop/Shadow Claw): Barbaracle isn't a very good Pokemon in competitive battles, so it's easy to underestimate it. But don't be fooled; this set is extremely dangerous. The problem lies in its Defense EVs and its high crit rate moves, which have their crit rate boosted to an insane 50% thanks to Razor Claw. Crits from this thing will already hit pretty hard, but when you add in the chance that it has the Sniper ability, you're facing a Pokemon that can dismantle your team if given the chance. You can use King's Shield to reduce its attack, but because crits ignore attack drops, it's unlikely that strategy will work too well (and Sacred Sword + Shadow Sneak won't take it out). Its Defense EVs make it difficult to OHKO; an unboosted Mega Kangaskhan Earthquakeonly has a 50% chance of cannot take it out and Dragonite only has a 62.5% chance to OHKO at +1, leaving them at risk to one of Barbaracle's super-effective moves. Dragonite can only survive a crit Stone Edge if Barbaracle doesn't have Sniper; Mega Kangaskhan has almost a 50% chance of fainting to a crit Cross Chop even without Sniper. Good answers include Suicune (especially with Substitute; without Sub, Stone Edge crits are a big problem for it), Garchomp (it actually survives a Sniper crit Razor Shell), Greninja with Grass Knot, and getting lucky with coin flips. My own 543 team used Yawn with Togekiss, let Togekiss faint (if it died to a Stone Edge crit on turn 1, switch in Aegislash to bait Shadow Claw and immediately switch to Mega Kangaskhan), then set up to +4/KO it with Power-Up Punch while it sleeps; baiting moves can be important part of a strategy for beating Barbaracle 4. Seriously, this thing can be really hard to handle despite its crummy speed, and you really don't want to have to sacrifice a Pokemon to beat a freaking Barbaracle. But just remember that, in some cases, you might have to.
This certainly isn’t a comprehensive list of all the threats out there, and certain teams will have idiosyncratic weaknesses or opponents that become huge threats if one of their three Pokemon is weakened. But it’s a starting point of some potentially dangerous sets that you need to be ready for. Hopefully this will help people avoid unexpected losses at battle #200 to one of these dangerous Pokemon!
Tyrantrum 4 (@ Choice Band, Adamant, Atk/Spd EVs: Crunch/Dragon Claw/EQ/Head Smash): Ignore every move but the last one. The reason you fear this thing is Head Smash, which is outrageously powerful with the Choice Band boost. Tyrantrum can avoid the recoil damage with its hidden ability as well, but you don’t care about its recoil; you care about how much damage it does to your team. It’s bulkier than you’d expect (takes only 84% max from Mega Scizor’s Bullet Punch) and faster than you’d expect as well. Suicune would need 148 speed EVs to outspeed, which is more than it can invest. If you’re considering using a Pokemon on your Singles team, consider what happens if that Pokemon KOs something and Tyrantrum 4 comes in (or, if it’s your lead, what happens if the opponent leads with Tyrantrum 4). Can you outspeed and OHKO? Can you afford to sacrifice that Pokemon knowing that an unknown third Pokemon might be waiting? Can you switch in something that can survive the hit? One of the biggest draws Aegislash has over Suicune is that it can safely come in on Head Smash and drop Tyrantrum’s attack with King’s Shield. Don’t get too cocky, though; if Tyrantrum hits twice and the second hit is a crit, Aegislash goes down. Common answers are Aegislash, Dragonite (needs Outrage to OHKO), Haxorus (also needs Outrage to OHKO), Garchomp and Greninja. Just don’t get cute and try to set up; Tyrantrum OHKOs most of these Pokemon.
Walrein 4 (@ Lax Incense, Bold, Def/SpDef EVs: Sheer Cold, Fissure, Rest, Sleep Talk): OHKO users have been a source of complaints for as long as Battle facilities have existed, and Walrein is the #1 culprit in X/Y. Nothing is immune to Sheer Cold except for Sturdy users, making it particularly annoying. You can try to beat it with brute force, but good luck if Lax Incense triggers on you. It also has huge bulk, surviving a +1 Dragonite Outrage 100% of the time. If you try to beat it with Toxic stall or something like that, it will Rest on you and use Sleep Talk to make up for the loss of Sheer Cold (and Fissure’s) PP. As far as I can tell, the most common strategy for facing this thing is “Attack with hugely powerful moves and hope Walrein misses.” My own personal strategy was “Smash its face in with Air Slash and hope I hax it more than it haxes me.” That said, Substitute is a great answer to this set, allowing you to stall out the terrible PP of OHKO moves. Suicune gets special mention, as Pressure makes PP go down even faster. Of course, you can also use Destiny Bond with Gengar.
Terrakion 3 (@ Sitrus Berry, Jolly, Atk/Spd EVs: Swords Dance, Sacred Sword, Rock Slide, Earthquake): In general, Terrakion is a powerful but manageable foe. You switch in a resist on its move, hit it with a super-effective attack, watch it faint. That all goes out the window when Terrakion uses Swords Dance on the switch. The good news is that this set runs Sacred Sword instead of Close Combat, limiting its damage output and helping bulky monstrosities like Suicune handle it better. The bad news is that it runs Rock Slide, and its high speed, it can outspeed and flinch most of your team. This is the most annoying thing about Terrakion; you never really know for sure if it’s going to attack or Swords Dance. If it Swords Dances, Dragonite can DD and KO next turn with Outrage. But if it uses Rock Slide, Dragonite could flinch and be vulnerable to fainting from Rock Slide next turn. Oh, and it survives an unboosted Aegislash Sacred Sword, with Sitrus Berry bringing it up to enough health to survive the Shadow Sneak next turn. Suicune takes it hits pretty well, but does barely over 50% with Scald. Good answers include Haxorus (assuming you avoid a Rock Slide flinch), Mega Scizor, Azumarill (again, watch out for flinches), and Greninja (who can survive a Rock Slide) and it does pretty poorly against most Pokemon who have already set up (Suicune, Dragonite, Haxorus, Aegislash). Scarf Tapu Fini checks it pretty well, as it can switch in to a +2 Earthquake and have a high chance to OHKO back with Moonblast. This set is Mega Kangaskhan’s mortal enemy (MegaKhan hates all Terrakion sets, but especially this one). Be sure you have a plan for Terrakion 3, though, especially in the lead spot. In the tree, eight trainers can use this set, making it as common as the other Terrakion sets. Make sure that you know which sets you have the possibility of facing.
Volcarona 4 (@ Leftovers, Bold, HP/Def EVs: Hurricane, Quiver Dance, Bug Buzz, Heat Wave): For a Pokemon with no Special Attack EVs, this thing is incredibly threatening. The problem lies in its combination of bulk, ability, and set-up move. Volcarona is very hard to OHKO; Mega Kangaskhan can’t take it out with Earthquake at +2. Obviously, it dies to Rock-type moves, but because of their imperfect accuracy, they’re generally a bad choice for Singles. That means most physical attackers rely on Earthquake or contact moves. Because very few Pokemon that are effective in Singles get STAB on Earthquake, most physical sweepers rely on their STABs to beat Volcarona, and most of those STABs are contact moves. Then you run into the risk of Flame Body. This (stupid) ability burns attackers 30% of the time on contact, meaning your physical sweeper just got a whole lot less threatening unless it was holding a Lum Berry (or has Guts). You can switch to a special sweeper, but it’s likely to Quiver Dance on the switch. Volcarona’s excellent special bulk just got a lot better, and it has a surprising amount of power at +1 with its strong STABs and Hurricane, but it will often keep boosting past +1 into truly frightening territory. On top of that, Bug Buzz hits through Substitutes. Fortunately, the common Dragon Dancers used in the Maison like Dragonite, Haxorus, and Gyarados are pretty good against Volcarona. Garchomp can take a hit at +1 and hit back with a +2 Earthquake, but it can’t OHKO unless it risks a burn and uses Outrage. If you’re not using a Dragon, good luck; this thing can be a nightmare for unprepared teams. Or you can be like me and spam Air Slash with Togekiss, crossing your fingers and hoping that you don’t miss and that it doesn’t feel all that interested in setting up a bunch of Quiver Dances.
Starmie 4 (@ King’s Rock, Timid, SpAtk/Spd EVs: Surf/Psychic/Thunderbolt/Ice Beam): With a “normal” item, this set would be a threat. Great speed, power, andcoverage, along with annoying secondary effects on TBolt and Ice Beam, make Starmie a real threat. The fact that they gave it a King’s Rock means that your counters just got 10% less reliable. Cool leads like Lum Berry Dragonite, who would typically only have to worry about an Ice Beam crit, now have to be concerned about a flinch as well. Like
Tornadus 1 (@
Aerodactyl 4 (@ Choice Band, Jolly, Atk/Spd EVs: Stone Edge/Aerial Ace/Earthquake/Crunch): Tyrantrum Lite. Aerodactyl doesn’t hit nearly as hard as Tyrantrum, but its speed still makes it a huge threat, particularly against weakened teams. Adamant Dragonite won’t outspeed it at +1, meaning that leaving Dragonite in against it is a really bad idea. You respond to it the same way as you would to Tyrantrum, except you’re not going to try to outspeed it (unless you’ve already set up Dragon Dances/Shell Smash). Its lower damage output greatly increases the number of good checks, but most of these Pokemon don’t want to switch in against it. These include Azumarill (can be OHKO’d by a crit, but works well otherwise), Suicune (can be 2HKOd if one hit is a crit, but usually won’t be), and Scizor, along with Tapu Fini and Aegislash.
Zapdos 2 (@ Bright Powder, Bold, HP/SpDef EVs: Charge Beam/
Latios 2 (@ White Herb, Timid, SpAtk/Spd EVs: Draco Meteor, Thunderbolt, Psychic, Protect) and 3 (@ Choice Specs, Timid, SpAtk/Spd EVs: Draco Meteor, Psychic, Thunder, Energy Ball); Thundurus 2 (@ Choice Specs, Timid, SpAtk/Spd EVs: Thunderbolt, Dark Pulse, Focus Blast, Grass Knot): These all fall into the same category; they’re massively powerful special attackers with great speed and rarely-resisted STABs. Many teams lack an Electric-resist, which is fine, but be sure you have a plan to deal with Thundurus 2 throwing Choice Specs TBolts at you. Going without a Steel- or Fairy-type is risky because of these two Latios sets; nothing else besides Chansey and Blissey can really take Choice Specs Draco Meteor all that well. Latios 2 is the weaker of the two, but don’t underestimate it; the freedom to switch moves can prove fatal for your switch-in. Even very good switch-ins like Aegislash don’t want to be paralyzed by Thunderbolt (and yes, Aegislash absolutely hates paralysis, because it relies on a priority move that exposes its weak Sword Forme; one “fully paralyzed” turn = fainted Aegislash). It’s essential to consider these Pokemon when choosing a lead. What are you going to do if the opponent leads with Thundurus? Can you beat a team of three legendaries if Latios outspeeds and OHKOs your lead?
Cresselia 2 (@ Leftovers, Bold, HP/SpDef EVs: Double Team/Moonlight/Toxic/Protect): I’ve seen a lot of newer Maison players having trouble with this set, and it really can be incredibly annoying if you’re not prepared for it. It’s also completely walled by every Steel-type, Poison-type, Poison Heal, and Magic Guard Pokemon in the game, along with anything that has Rest. Oh, and any faster Pokemon with Substitute, as well as any slower Pokemon with Substitute that have a way to get rid of status. If you’re not running something that’s immune to Cresselia 2’s strategy, having a set-up sweeper is pretty important; it’s generally just too bulky to try to take it out through other methods (though Greninja can manage it if it can connect enough Dark Pulses).
Darmanitan 4 (@ Choice Scarf, Impish, Atk/Spd EVs: Flare Blitz, Stone Edge, U-Turn, Superpower): Most teams on the leaderboard don’t have too much of a problem with this, because bulky Pokemon that resist Flare Blitz have become commonplace on Maison teams (Dragonite, Suicune, Azumarill, Garchomp, Gyarados, Tapu Fini), while my own 543 team sacrificed Togekiss to put it to sleep with Yawn, giving MegaKhan a free turn of set-up (trading Togekiss for a full-health +2 MegaKhan was usually a pretty good trade). But if you don’t want to use those Pokemon, Darmanitan can be a real threat to watch out for. Its nuclear-powered Sheer Force boosted Flare Blitz enables it to do heavy damage to many Pokemon, if your team is fast and frail, you want to know what you’re going to do if Darmanitan 4 comes in when your Fire-resist has taken some damage (if you have a Fire-resist, which not all teams do). Thankfully, its damage output is just low enough that non-resistant bulky sweepers can often survive Flare Blitz, but watch out for crits. If your whole team faints if Darmanitan gets a single crit, you may need to change things up a bit.
Barbaracle 4 (@ Razor Claw, Adamant, Atk/Def EVs: Stone Edge/Razor Shell/Cross Chop/Shadow Claw): Barbaracle isn't a very good Pokemon in competitive battles, so it's easy to underestimate it. But don't be fooled; this set is extremely dangerous. The problem lies in its Defense EVs and its high crit rate moves, which have their crit rate boosted to an insane 50% thanks to Razor Claw. Crits from this thing will already hit pretty hard, but when you add in the chance that it has the Sniper ability, you're facing a Pokemon that can dismantle your team if given the chance. You can use King's Shield to reduce its attack, but because crits ignore attack drops, it's unlikely that strategy will work too well (and Sacred Sword + Shadow Sneak won't take it out). Its Defense EVs make it difficult to OHKO; an unboosted Mega Kangaskhan Earthquake
This certainly isn’t a comprehensive list of all the threats out there, and certain teams will have idiosyncratic weaknesses or opponents that become huge threats if one of their three Pokemon is weakened. But it’s a starting point of some potentially dangerous sets that you need to be ready for. Hopefully this will help people avoid unexpected losses at battle #200 to one of these dangerous Pokemon!
Do be warned that a lot of Pokemon that VaporeonIce listed have become less effective or obsolete in the Tree, especially Mega Kangaskhan.
GG Unit [18:36:40]: rotoms and megas is 90+ % of the new stuff
Salazzle 3 (@ Focus Sash, Timid, SpA/Spe EVs: Fire Blast/Sludge Bomb/Nasty Plot/Fake Out) and Salazzle 4 (@ Firium Z, Modest, SpA/Spe EVs: Overheat, Sludge Wave, Dragon Pulse, Fake Out): Salazzle's defenses leave much to be desired. However, when you give it a Focus Sash and Nasty Plot, it turns into a real threat. Set 3's Sludge Bomb can shorten the life of your sweepers dramatically, and Nasty Plot makes switching into a wall very risky. On the other hand, Set 4 lacks Focus Sash, making it easier to take out. However, it has much higher damage on turn 1 and has better coverage, making setting Garchomp up against it not the best idea. Salazzle 3 can be compared to the former Garchomp 4, as they are both Focus Sash setup Pokemon with naturally high speed. Additionally, they are best dealt with in the same way: Attack them before they have a chance to set up and become dangerous. My Dragonite lead team switched to Tapu Fini on the Fake Out and OHKOed with Surf immediately, knowing that I could survive Fake Out + Sludge Bomb from set 3. Fortunately, set 3 has a tendency to set up when it cannot immediately KO your active mon. This can be used to your advantage, but it can also be very dangerous.
Raichu 3 / Raichu-Alola 2 (@ Focus Sash, Timid, SpA/Spe EVs: Thunderbolt, Psychic, Grass Knot, Nasty Plot): It's like Salazzle 3, but trades the element of surprise for being much nastier at its full potential, albeit it isn't that destructive most of the time because it needs 10% secondaries to trigger. Raichu 3 can use any of three moves on turn 1: Thunderbolt, Psychic, or Nasty Plot. Nasty Plot means your switch-in will have to tank at least one +2 STAB move. Either that or your lead stays in and 2HKOes while taking no damage in return. Psychic can get annoying drops, and suddenly your switch-in is at risk of being KOed next turn. Thunderbolt can Paralyze, and your active mon becomes essentially dead weight. This set is considerably rarer than Salazzle 3(five trainers can use it), but is much deadlier if you don't have bulky Pokemon that can take several STAB Thunderbolts.
Drampa 3 (@ Quick Claw, Modest, HP/SpA EVs: Hyper Voice, Dragon Pulse, Fire Blast, Roost): 6v6 players tend to ignore Quick Claw, as it is too unreliable to work favorably. However, in 3v3, a single Quick Claw activation can mean the loss of a crucial team member. There have always been Quick Claw users in every battle facility, and Drampa 3 is the main culprit in gen 7. Drampa's naturally high base Special Attack allows it to OHKO or 2HKO a lot of common offensive Pokemon, which pairs well with its Quick Claw. Drampa is also a threat to Pokemon that have already set up, since Hyper Voice can hit Pokemon behind a Substitute. Additionally, Drampa 3 has no features that can be used to distinguish it from Drampa 4, which runs Dragonium Z Draco Meteor to hit your switch-in for big damage. Make sure you have a plan for when you have a Pokemon already set up, and Drampa comes out second. Can you handle a mystery Pokemon if Drampa 3 outruns and OHKOes your sweeper?
Rotom-Frost 4 (@ Zoom Lens, Modest, HP/SpA EVs: Blizzard, Thunder, Will-o-Wisp, Shadow Ball): Common leads in the Tree are Dragons with setup moves, and Rotom-F 4 mauls them. All of its high-powered attacks have nasty secondary effects and have elevated accuracy thanks to its Zoom Lens. Switching in on it is also difficult thanks to Will-o-Wisp and Thunder, as well as the 10% freeze chance. Make sure that you have a dedicated gameplan for what happens when Rotom-Frost shows up as the opponent's lead. What happens if your switch-in gets frozen or paralyzed? Can you keep your sacrifices to a minimum? My strategy was to go to Tapu Fini on the Blizzard to gain temporary status immunity, then go to Aegislash and straight up OHKO it with Sword+Sneak, not bothering with setting up at all. This kept damage to a minimum, but left me in a bad position for dealing with the second Pokemon.
Gyarados 4 (@ Gyaradosite, Jolly, Atk/Spe EVs: Dragon Dance, Waterfall, Stone Edge, Crunch): Gyarados 4 needs only one boost to put the hurt on a lot of teams. There just isn't much else to say about this set, it's just a straightforward extremely powerful boosting mega with good natural bulk. Pokemon that can boost up alongside it while still outspeeding can take this set down with ease, however. Taking this down with minimal damage requires knowledge of the AI's tendencies when choosing moves, and because of that, Aegislash unexpectedly does well against it.
Alakazam 3 (@ Alakazite, Timid, SpA/Spe EVs: Psychic, Focus Blast, Shadow Ball, Grass Knot): Alakazam 3 outspeeds nearly everything and hits like a truck. To make things worse, it could Trace abilities like Intimidate and use them against you. Its perfect coverage means that if it lands a hit on the switch in, that switch will be hurting. The key word here is 'if', as Alakazam is vulnerable to being baited by Normal/Ghost cores. It also can be taken down by Sucker Punch, although that move is no longer as common on leads due to its nerf.
Charizard 3 (@ Charizardite Y, Timid, SpA/Spe EVs: Heat Wave, Air Slash, Solar Beam, Focus Blast) and Charizard 4 (@ Charizardite X, Jolly, Atk/Spe EVs: Dragon Rush, Flare Blitz, Dragon Dance, Rock Slide): These sets are nigh uncounterable in conjunction. It is almost impossible to have a strategy that beats both while still leaving you in a good position afterwards. It's that simple. Fortunately, they can't do much to something that's already set up. But if you are planning a long streak, be sure you know what you will do when you see one of these as a lead and don't know which one it is. Set 4 is prone to Dragon Dancing on turn 1, which can allow you to OHKO it, or it can work against you. Set 3 will hit really hard if you try to stay in and OHKO it with a slower Pokemon. Make sure that the mon you switch to can handle either set, as it may be too late by the time you find out.
Metagross 4 (@ Metagrossite, Jolly, Atk/Spe EVs: Zen Headbutt, Meteor Mash, Brick Break, Bullet Punch): Metagross 4 can be one of the biggest threats to a team if it leads. It has explosive power behind its STAB moves, and these also have 20% effects. It outspeeds a lot of common leads before they boost, and is bulky enough to take a hit from them while threatening them back. It lives the Lum Berry Garchomp's +0 Earthquake, while outspeeding and threatening to OHKO with a crit Meteor Mash. It can 3HKO Suicune with a only one crit, and flinches are a real possibility when stalling out its Zen Headbutts as well. To make matters worse, it can't even be Intimidated prior to Mega Evolving, meaning that something will have to take a very strong hit. Fortunately, its moveset leaves it completely walled by Aegislash, so it isn't uncounterable at all.
Salamence 4 (@ Salamencite, Jolly, Atk/Spe EVs: Dragon Rush, Crunch, Earthquake, Double-Edge): Just like Metagross 4, this is a no-frills hugely powerful mega. Unlike Metagross 4, this isn't walled by Aegislash, meaning that you have to use your brain to take this down. Double-Edge hits harder than Meteor Mash, and Salamence is about as physically bulky as Metagross, even without Intimidate. Fortunately, this isn't going to set up on you while you switch into a resist, and it isn't too fast to be outsped by common Scarfers. Additionally, Salamence 4 is unlikely to use Double-Edge the turn it Mega Evolves, meaning you can switch in a Fairy type for free that turn. Good checks include Ice Beam Tapu Fini(needs full special attack investment to OHKO), Greninja(needs some HP EVs to survive Dragon Rush), Aegislash in conjunction with a Flier, and Intimidate support of your own. Don't try to set up unless you are completely sure you can tank a Double-Edge and outspeed next turn for the KO, otherwise you may lose your only check to a Mega Salamence.
Salazzle 3 (@ Focus Sash, Timid, SpA/Spe EVs: Fire Blast/Sludge Bomb/Nasty Plot/Fake Out) and Salazzle 4 (@ Firium Z, Modest, SpA/Spe EVs: Overheat, Sludge Wave, Dragon Pulse, Fake Out): Salazzle's defenses leave much to be desired. However, when you give it a Focus Sash and Nasty Plot, it turns into a real threat. Set 3's Sludge Bomb can shorten the life of your sweepers dramatically, and Nasty Plot makes switching into a wall very risky. On the other hand, Set 4 lacks Focus Sash, making it easier to take out. However, it has much higher damage on turn 1 and has better coverage, making setting Garchomp up against it not the best idea. Salazzle 3 can be compared to the former Garchomp 4, as they are both Focus Sash setup Pokemon with naturally high speed. Additionally, they are best dealt with in the same way: Attack them before they have a chance to set up and become dangerous. My Dragonite lead team switched to Tapu Fini on the Fake Out and OHKOed with Surf immediately, knowing that I could survive Fake Out + Sludge Bomb from set 3. Fortunately, set 3 has a tendency to set up when it cannot immediately KO your active mon. This can be used to your advantage, but it can also be very dangerous.
Raichu 3 / Raichu-Alola 2 (@ Focus Sash, Timid, SpA/Spe EVs: Thunderbolt, Psychic, Grass Knot, Nasty Plot): It's like Salazzle 3, but trades the element of surprise for being much nastier at its full potential, albeit it isn't that destructive most of the time because it needs 10% secondaries to trigger. Raichu 3 can use any of three moves on turn 1: Thunderbolt, Psychic, or Nasty Plot. Nasty Plot means your switch-in will have to tank at least one +2 STAB move. Either that or your lead stays in and 2HKOes while taking no damage in return. Psychic can get annoying drops, and suddenly your switch-in is at risk of being KOed next turn. Thunderbolt can Paralyze, and your active mon becomes essentially dead weight. This set is considerably rarer than Salazzle 3(five trainers can use it), but is much deadlier if you don't have bulky Pokemon that can take several STAB Thunderbolts.
Drampa 3 (@ Quick Claw, Modest, HP/SpA EVs: Hyper Voice, Dragon Pulse, Fire Blast, Roost): 6v6 players tend to ignore Quick Claw, as it is too unreliable to work favorably. However, in 3v3, a single Quick Claw activation can mean the loss of a crucial team member. There have always been Quick Claw users in every battle facility, and Drampa 3 is the main culprit in gen 7. Drampa's naturally high base Special Attack allows it to OHKO or 2HKO a lot of common offensive Pokemon, which pairs well with its Quick Claw. Drampa is also a threat to Pokemon that have already set up, since Hyper Voice can hit Pokemon behind a Substitute. Additionally, Drampa 3 has no features that can be used to distinguish it from Drampa 4, which runs Dragonium Z Draco Meteor to hit your switch-in for big damage. Make sure you have a plan for when you have a Pokemon already set up, and Drampa comes out second. Can you handle a mystery Pokemon if Drampa 3 outruns and OHKOes your sweeper?
Rotom-Frost 4 (@ Zoom Lens, Modest, HP/SpA EVs: Blizzard, Thunder, Will-o-Wisp, Shadow Ball): Common leads in the Tree are Dragons with setup moves, and Rotom-F 4 mauls them. All of its high-powered attacks have nasty secondary effects and have elevated accuracy thanks to its Zoom Lens. Switching in on it is also difficult thanks to Will-o-Wisp and Thunder, as well as the 10% freeze chance. Make sure that you have a dedicated gameplan for what happens when Rotom-Frost shows up as the opponent's lead. What happens if your switch-in gets frozen or paralyzed? Can you keep your sacrifices to a minimum? My strategy was to go to Tapu Fini on the Blizzard to gain temporary status immunity, then go to Aegislash and straight up OHKO it with Sword+Sneak, not bothering with setting up at all. This kept damage to a minimum, but left me in a bad position for dealing with the second Pokemon.
Gyarados 4 (@ Gyaradosite, Jolly, Atk/Spe EVs: Dragon Dance, Waterfall, Stone Edge, Crunch): Gyarados 4 needs only one boost to put the hurt on a lot of teams. There just isn't much else to say about this set, it's just a straightforward extremely powerful boosting mega with good natural bulk. Pokemon that can boost up alongside it while still outspeeding can take this set down with ease, however. Taking this down with minimal damage requires knowledge of the AI's tendencies when choosing moves, and because of that, Aegislash unexpectedly does well against it.
Alakazam 3 (@ Alakazite, Timid, SpA/Spe EVs: Psychic, Focus Blast, Shadow Ball, Grass Knot): Alakazam 3 outspeeds nearly everything and hits like a truck. To make things worse, it could Trace abilities like Intimidate and use them against you. Its perfect coverage means that if it lands a hit on the switch in, that switch will be hurting. The key word here is 'if', as Alakazam is vulnerable to being baited by Normal/Ghost cores. It also can be taken down by Sucker Punch, although that move is no longer as common on leads due to its nerf.
Charizard 3 (@ Charizardite Y, Timid, SpA/Spe EVs: Heat Wave, Air Slash, Solar Beam, Focus Blast) and Charizard 4 (@ Charizardite X, Jolly, Atk/Spe EVs: Dragon Rush, Flare Blitz, Dragon Dance, Rock Slide): These sets are nigh uncounterable in conjunction. It is almost impossible to have a strategy that beats both while still leaving you in a good position afterwards. It's that simple. Fortunately, they can't do much to something that's already set up. But if you are planning a long streak, be sure you know what you will do when you see one of these as a lead and don't know which one it is. Set 4 is prone to Dragon Dancing on turn 1, which can allow you to OHKO it, or it can work against you. Set 3 will hit really hard if you try to stay in and OHKO it with a slower Pokemon. Make sure that the mon you switch to can handle either set, as it may be too late by the time you find out.
Metagross 4 (@ Metagrossite, Jolly, Atk/Spe EVs: Zen Headbutt, Meteor Mash, Brick Break, Bullet Punch): Metagross 4 can be one of the biggest threats to a team if it leads. It has explosive power behind its STAB moves, and these also have 20% effects. It outspeeds a lot of common leads before they boost, and is bulky enough to take a hit from them while threatening them back. It lives the Lum Berry Garchomp's +0 Earthquake, while outspeeding and threatening to OHKO with a crit Meteor Mash. It can 3HKO Suicune with a only one crit, and flinches are a real possibility when stalling out its Zen Headbutts as well. To make matters worse, it can't even be Intimidated prior to Mega Evolving, meaning that something will have to take a very strong hit. Fortunately, its moveset leaves it completely walled by Aegislash, so it isn't uncounterable at all.
Salamence 4 (@ Salamencite, Jolly, Atk/Spe EVs: Dragon Rush, Crunch, Earthquake, Double-Edge): Just like Metagross 4, this is a no-frills hugely powerful mega. Unlike Metagross 4, this isn't walled by Aegislash, meaning that you have to use your brain to take this down. Double-Edge hits harder than Meteor Mash, and Salamence is about as physically bulky as Metagross, even without Intimidate. Fortunately, this isn't going to set up on you while you switch into a resist, and it isn't too fast to be outsped by common Scarfers. Additionally, Salamence 4 is unlikely to use Double-Edge the turn it Mega Evolves, meaning you can switch in a Fairy type for free that turn. Good checks include Ice Beam Tapu Fini(needs full special attack investment to OHKO), Greninja(needs some HP EVs to survive Dragon Rush), Aegislash in conjunction with a Flier, and Intimidate support of your own. Don't try to set up unless you are completely sure you can tank a Double-Edge and outspeed next turn for the KO, otherwise you may lose your only check to a Mega Salamence.
This does not cover every team possible, but it will be what a lot of new players may have trouble with. I know for a fact I missed some because my fingers were aching typing this out. I'm going to get back to my mystery streak now, cya when I've hit 500.
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