Resource BDSP OU Role Compendium

Xilefi

Xilefi

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OP stolen from the OU Thread

Welcome to the BDSP OU Role Compendium! The purpose of this thread is to provide a visual list to see what a certain Pokémon can do, organized by roles. This will help new and experienced players alike in finding Pokémon that fit their teams when looking for specific roles. Each Pokémon that is here is viable in the metagame, and as such it will change as the Viability Rankings get updated. If you feel there is a Pokémon viable for the roles mentioned below and it hasn't been added to the group, then recommend it in your post with solid explanations. Niche Pokemon that are B- or less will now be separated by a |.
The order of roles will be organized in the following way:
  1. Utility (hazard setters, hazard control and other forms of utility)
  2. Offensive roles (wallbreakers, Choice item users, setup sweepers)
  3. Defensive roles (walls and pivots)
  4. Weather (manual rain and sun)
  5. Trick Room

Utility

Entry Hazards
Stealth Rock -:azelf::blissey::celebi::clefable::donphan::garchomp::gliscor::heatran::infernape::jirachi::mew::skarmory:| :aerodactyl: :empoleon: :shuckle: :smeargle::torkoal: :tyranitar:
Spikes -:roserade::skarmory:| :cloyster:
Toxic Spikes -:roserade:| :cloyster: :weezing:
Sticky Web -:shuckle::smeargle:
(Note that Sticky Web is considered a niche playstyle, and therefore all of its setters are considered niche options)

Hazard Control
Defog -:dragonite::gliscor::latias::mew::salamence::scizor::skarmory: :togekiss: | :empoleon: :zapdos:
Rapid Spin -:starmie:| :blastoise: :donphan: :cloyster::torkoal:
Magic Bounce -:espeon:
Spinblockers -:mismagius:|:shedinja:

Clerics
Heal Bell / Aromatherapy - :blissey::celebi::clefable::roserade: |:shaymin:
Healing Wish / Lunar Dance -:celebi::jirachi::latias: | :gardevoir::cresselia: :shaymin:
Wish -:clefable::jirachi:

Item Removal
Knock Off -:crawdaunt::gliscor::tangrowth:| :donphan: :shuckle:
Trick / Switcheroo -:crawdaunt::rotom-wash: | :rotom-mow:

Other
Screen setters - :azelf::espeon::latias:
Taunt - :alakazam: :azelf: :gliscor: :heatran::mismagius: :skarmory: | :aerodactyl: :gyarados:
Toxic - :mew: :quagsire: | :shuckle:

Offensive

Wallbreakers
Physical -:azumarill::breloom::crawdaunt::dragonite::entei::garchomp::gliscor::heracross::infernape::lucario::mamoswine::scizor::staraptor::weavile:| :aggron: :medicham: :tyranitar:
Special -:alakazam::azelf::heatran::infernape::latias::lucario::magnezone::mew::nidoking::raikou::roserade::rotom-wash::salamence::starmie::togekiss:| :gardevoir: :kingdra: :rotom-mow: :yanmega:
Mixed - :crawdaunt::garchomp::infernape::feraligatr: :mamoswine: :mew: :nidoking::salamence:|:tauros::tyranitar:

Choice Item Users
Choice Band -:azumarill::breloom::crawdaunt::dragonite::entei::garchomp::infernape::scizor::staraptor::weavile:| :tyranitar:
Choice Specs -:heatran::latias::magnezone::mismagius::raikou::rotom-wash:| :gardevoir: :rotom-mow: :yanmega:
Choice Scarf - :breloom: :celebi::garchomp::heracross::infernape::latias::mamoswine::mismagius::rotom-wash::salamence::staraptor::togekiss:| :gardevoir: :medicham: :rotom-mow: :shaymin::tyranitar:

Setup Sweepers
Agility/Rock Polish - :feraligatr: | :aggron::empoleon::kingdra::tyranitar:
Belly Drum -:azumarill:| :poliwrath:
Calm Mind -:clefable: :jirachi::latias::mew::mismagius::raikou::slowbro: :slowking::suicune:| :cresselia:
Cosmic Power -:clefable::jirachi:
Dragon Dance -:crawdaunt::dragonite::feraligatr::salamence:| :gyarados:
Focus Energy - :kingdra:
Growth -:victreebel:
Nasty Plot -:alakazam::azelf::infernape::lucario::mew::mismagius::rotom-wash::slowbro: :slowking::togekiss:| :rotom-mow:
Shell Smash -:blastoise::cloyster:
Swords Dance -:breloom::crawdaunt::garchomp::gliscor::heracross::lucario::scizor:

Priority
Aqua Jet -:azumarill::crawdaunt:
Bullet Punch -:scizor:
Extreme Speed -:dragonite::entei::lucario:
Ice Shard -:mamoswine::weavile:| :cloyster: :donphan:
Mach Punch -:breloom::infernape:
Prankster - :volbeat:
Quick Attack -:scizor::staraptor:
Vacuum Wave -:lucario:

Defensive

Walls
Physical - :clefable::garchomp::gliscor::heatran: :mew: :milotic::quagsire::rotom-wash: :salamence: :scizor::skarmory::slowbro::tangrowth::togekiss: | :cresselia: :donphan: :poliwrath: :shaymin: :weezing::zapdos:
Special -:blissey::gastrodon::gliscor::heatran::jirachi::quagsire: :scizor::slowking:| :cresselia: :empoleon: :tyranitar:
Mixed -:clefable::gliscor::heatran::milotic::scizor::tangrowth::togekiss: | :cresselia: :shaymin:

Pivots
Offensive -:azelf::celebi::infernape::magnezone::mew::raikou::rotom-wash::scizor::staraptor:| :rotom-mow:
Defensive - :celebi::gliscor::infernape::jirachi::mew::rotom-wash::scizor::slowbro: :slowking: :tangrowth:|:zapdos:

Other
Unaware -:clefable: :quagsire:
Phazing -:skarmory: | :empoleon: :poliwrath: (circle throw)
Hazing - :milotic: :gastrodon:(clear smog) | :weezing:


Weather

Manual Rain :
Rain Dance - :jirachi: :mew: :scizor: :volbeat:
Swift Swim - :kingdra: | :poliwrath:
Rain Utilizers - :azumarill: :crawdaunt: :raikou:

Sun
Drought -:ninetales::torkoal:
Chlorophyll -:victreebel:
Sun Utilizers -:clefable::entei::heatran::infernape:|:rotom-heat::typhlosion:

(Note that all weather-based teams are considered a niche playstyle, and therefore all of their setters and abusers are considered niche options in weather-based playstyles)

Other

Trick Room
Setter - :bronzong::cresselia::jirachi::mew:
Abusers - :aggron::azumarill::breloom::crawdaunt::heracross: :nidoking::machamp::rhyperior::slowbro::slowking::tyranitar: :ursaring:
(note that Trick Room is considered a niche playstyle, and therefore all of its setters and abusers are considered niche options)

30/07/2023 - I took over (Xilefi ). World has changed, a new full revamp. Niche pokemon are now separated. Addition of the categories 'taunt', 'unaware', 'toxic', 'phasing', 'hazing' and 'manual rain'.
25/02/2022 - I (Lalaya) took over - completely revamped
06/05/2022 - Removed all instances of Latios
 
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Even though Drizzle is banned, Mantine IMO still deserves a spot as a hazard remover/defensive wall (mixed/special). Losing Toxic sucks, but some important things that could Toxic it also can't now (Heatran is a big one), and hazard removal is harder to come by. The decreased prevalence of Knock Off and Trick also helps (of course no HDB hurts) and while yes Mantine is rather passive, it also simultaneously checks Rain and Sun which is quite nice for fatter squads.
 
Weird question: Isn't Motor Drive Electivire a big threat against teams having Raikou/Magnezone?

I mean, an Electivire can switch in, get the +1 Speed boost from Motor Drive, OHKO with Earthquake and possibly proceed to dent the opposing team, as it can also OHKO Garchomp with Ice Punch after the Motor Drive boost (unless Scarfed or Yache'd). Might not be that good otherwise, but if Raikou and Magnezone become too much popular, Electivire gets the opportunity to shine and compromise the opposing team.
 
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Feraligatr already got mentioned previously for Dragon Dance, but I’d also like to see it in the Swords Dance section, too. It also deserves a spot in the priority section under Aqua Jet as well as the Physical Wallbreakers section. With two useful boosting moves and the dreaded Sheer Force + Life Orb combo (and the movepool to abuse it) it’s definitely a force to be reckoned with.
 
I feel like Metagross should be put under setup sweeper with Agility/Rock polish as a late game cleaner. Its the strongest unboosted steel type in OU and has the coverage to really make a sweep work especially if its roadblocks are weakend/KOed before hand. With the removal of threats like Landerous , Excadrill, Ferrothorn and other problem matchups from the game, the banning of Drizzle and lack of bulky water types, Metagross no longer needs ice punch/thunderpunch/hammer arm on top of its standard meteor mash+ Eq to threaten a majority of the metagame once set up. It can now run Zen headbutt and lose nothing, making walling it with mons that resist steel & ground much harder.
 
:entei: under Choice Band users:

viable set, which could be used:
Entei @ Choice Band
Ability: Inner Focus
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature / Adamant Nature
- Sacred Fire (hard hitting STAB with burn chance)
- Extreme Speed (revengekills weakened stuff)
- Stone Edge (helpful against moltres, as example)
- Bulldoze (hits Heatran for 4x dmg)

Also Entei under Physical Wallbreakers
 
Zé Capáu said:
Does Sableye deserve a mention due to the fact that it now has the Prankster monopoly?
Click to expand...

It’s not obvious to me that Sableye is the only viable prankster Pokémon. Illumise, Volbeat, and Murkrow all have a higher BST and interesting movepools. All three have access to TWave (and Sableye doesn’t), and Murkrow and Volbeat both have access to Roost for priority recovery. Murkrow has the only priority hazard removal in the game too.
 
StellaAthena said:
It’s not obvious to me that Sableye is the only viable prankster Pokémon. Illumise, Volbeat, and Murkrow all have a higher BST and interesting movepools. All three have access to TWave (and Sableye doesn’t), and Murkrow and Volbeat both have access to Roost for priority recovery. Murkrow has the only priority hazard removal in the game too.
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Sableye is more viable for his typing,which has only 1 weakness and 1 immunity than can be helpful with some cores, and instead of twave u can use WOW to be more annoying and more difficult to kill, perhaps u also have night shade to deal consistent damage + o have foul play to deal with some setuppers like a scizor or dnite. BST doesn't mean that much since u have to look at defense stats + recover is generally preferred over roost. Sableye has also knock off and taunt, even tho illumise has encore which is nice along with prankster. Overall i would say Sableye is better, but also Illumise can be interesting
 
Would like to add Garchomp as a rocker and Heracross as a Swords Dance user on Guts sets. Might be a weird take but Dragonite makes a good choice bander too, with a 70% OHKO on Calm Mixed Wall Clefable via Iron Tail and Espeed to revenge kill the likes of scarf latis if it came in on an attack, while anything not resisting outrage would just get eviscerated; I wanna echo the Feraligatr dd role too though it does compete with Crawdaunt and to an extent belly drum Azumarill.

There is also a complete lack of sucker punch for the priority session. Off the top of my head would be Absol and Honchkrow.

Edit: Imo there should be mention of taunt and phazing as well, though taunt is not really a defined "role" per se; phazer is more like added utility rather than being mandatory in the modern generations unlike gen 4 (especially in ubers where phazing is very prominent); a good example of both would be Heatran while Gliscor, and certain fast leads are common taunt users. Phazing is really only seen on Skarmory and Hippowdon outside of the offbeat dragon tail sets.
 
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StellaAthena said:
It’s not obvious to me that Sableye is the only viable prankster Pokémon. Illumise, Volbeat, and Murkrow all have a higher BST and interesting movepools. All three have access to TWave (and Sableye doesn’t), and Murkrow and Volbeat both have access to Roost for priority recovery. Murkrow has the only priority hazard removal in the game too.
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Higher BST means nothing, their typing leaves much to be desired and Murkrow's stats are focused on the offensive side while being even frailer than a Sharpedo defensive-wise (not to mention that it also lost its Evolite). Volbeat and Illumise have both priority Encore and the former has priority Tail Glow but, despite their seemingly mediocre to OK'ish BST, they are cursed with their Bug-type, to the point that they can get OHKO'd easily before even making use of a Tail Glow boost in Volbeat's case.

Sableye has priority WoW, has priority Recover, priority TRICK, priority Disable and access to Foul Play and Taunt (sharing these two with Murkrow), as well as Night Shade and Knock-Off. And, despite not having Defog nor Rapid Spin, it is a spinblocker due to its Ghost-type. Additionally, unlike its competition, it isn't weak to SR. From your list, the only one capable to stand is Murkrow due to its priority Defog niche, while Sableye will on the other hand be used on plenty of other stuff, including spinblocking and even defogblocking with priority Taunt (unless it faces a Murkrow, which contributes more to the latter's usage).

AtraX Madara said:
Sableye is more viable for his typing,which has only 1 weakness and 1 immunity...
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Actually, it has 3 immunities: Normal, Fighting and Psychic.
 
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Tentacruel deserves a mention on this list. It compresses Knock Off and Rapid Spin into one slot, has great defensive typing in Water / Poison, has a nice base 100 speed, good bulk, and a solid base 100 speed. It's been good in Ubers and has also been quite good in OU. It's also the second-fastest Rapid Spinner in the game, only behind Starmie (and Starmie can't Knock Off and is weak to Fairy, while Tentacruel isn't). Most spin blockers in OU (such as Gengar) don't like to switch in either.
 
did some of these changes, other changes like adding sableye will require more inner discussion

BlackMalachite said:
Tentacruel deserves a mention on this list. It compresses Knock Off and Rapid Spin into one slot, has great defensive typing in Water / Poison, has a nice base 100 speed, good bulk, and a solid base 100 speed. It's been good in Ubers and has also been quite good in OU. It's also the second-fastest Rapid Spinner in the game, only behind Starmie (and Starmie can't Knock Off and is weak to Fairy, while Tentacruel isn't). Most spin blockers in OU (such as Gengar) don't like to switch in either.
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just did this as you posted lol
 
Zé Capáu AtraX Madara I wasn’t claiming that those pokemon are better than Sableye or something, just that it’s not obvious to me that Sableye is the only viable prankster user. Yes, Sableye is probably going to be the best prankster user in all future metas. No, it’s not obvious to me that the others are completely unviable.

Also, it seems a bit unfair to stress Sableye’s Recover and Trick when Volbeat gets Roost and Trick.

I think you’re overstating the frailness as well:
+2 252+ Atk Life Orb Technician Scizor Bullet Punch vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Volbeat: 242-286 (72.4 - 85.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

240+ SpA Manaphy Surf vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Volbeat: 153-181 (45.8 - 54.1%) -- 52.3% chance to 2HKO

252 SpA Choice Specs Latios Psychic vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Volbeat: 253-298 (75.7 - 89.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (Draco Meter OHKOs, but only with Specs)

+2 252 Atk Garchomp Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Volbeat: 141-166 (42.2 - 49.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO (Outrage OHKOs)

No, this doesn’t mean that I think that Sableye’s other phenomenal moves don’t count for anything. Yes, I’m aware Sableye is a better Pokemon.
 
Zé Capáu said:
Higher BST means nothing, their typing leaves much to be desired and Murkrow's stats are focused on the offensive side while being even frailer than a Sharpedo defensive-wise (not to mention that it also lost its Evolite). Volbeat and Illumise have both priority Encore and the former has priority Tail Glow but, despite their seemingly mediocre to OK'ish BST, they are cursed with their Bug-type, to the point that they can get OHKO'd easily before even making use of a Tail Glow boost in Volbeat's case.

Sableye has priority WoW, has priority Recover, priority TRICK, priority Disable and access to Foul Play and Taunt (sharing these two with Murkrow), as well as Night Shade and Knock-Off. And, despite not having Defog nor Rapid Spin, it is a spinblocker due to its Ghost-type. Additionally, unlike its competition, it isn't weak to SR. From your list, the only one capable to stand is Murkrow due to its priority Defog niche, while Sableye will on the other hand be used on plenty of other stuff, including spinblocking and even defogblocking with priority Taunt (unless it faces a Murkrow, which contributes more to the latter's usage).


Actually, it has 3 immunities: Normal, Fighting and Psychic.
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Yeah Volbeat and Illumise are mostly for encore and u-turn (and Sableye's lack of TWave, I guess), priority Tail Glow means nothing because it has no advantage over regular Tail Glow, and even if Volbeat does get it off it wouldn't really be scary as it it very likely to be running monoattack (bug buzz probably) where something like heatran can just come in for free. Sableye is definitely more viable imo, but it doesn't get T-wave and instead gets WoW and Recover, so it depends on the team's needs. I'd definitely be leaning more towards knock off than foul play for sableye though since it's slow and anything FP can dent it can probably KO Sableye (Don't tell me a physical attacker is switching into sableye, it has priority WoW); the only instance where it's useful would be someone setting up on sableye but it had both taunt and diable as options for the 4th slot. Speaking of taunt, Sableye is really good for shutting down Aerodactyl and Azelf leads, threatening them in return unless Azelf carries dazzling gleam (which is rare, because it's either fire blast, u-turn or explosion); while murkrow gets destroyed in exchange for no rocks. Murkrow gets a more usable foul play and t-wave and has tailwind, and most importantly, HAZE. Priority haze is your emergency solution to calm minding menaces, scizor and dragon dancers; I'd probably fit a focus sash on krow though with all the priority flying around. This is something Encore cannot counter, and Volbeat and Illumise are slow to boot. I'd say put Sab and Murk in there, but the bugs can stay out for now. As a side note, Murkrow also gets priority perish song to one-up substitute users, as if it doesn't have enough anti-setup tools already.

Yeah, this tier is *littered* with priority. Espeeds, Mach Punches, Ice Shards, Aqua Jets and BPs flying everywhere. I tried to make a double dance Pory-Z work but it just doesn't because every team has 1~2 or even 3 mons with very strong boosted priority.

Edit: Guys, priority Trick is not a big deal. Trickers are choice scarfers and will outspeed the other poke in question anyways. Prankster mons are not particularly good options to slap trick on anyways since they are prone to die after tricking the scarf away, while a few other options have far better survivability such as Rotom.
 
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On another note, Mence can classify as a special wallbreaker with specs Draco and access to Hydro Pump + Fire Blast, which can 2HKO most Unaware Clefables after Rocks if running Modest / Rash. Ofc, Mence isn't a particularly stellar specs user because of Latis aside from smacking heatran and locking into a less free move on Gliscor and being able to actually 2HKO Clef, but it should be an option to be considered nonetheless. After all, being wildly unpredictable was why Mence was so successful before. Too bad Hurricane isn't an egg move for Mence though.
 
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