Other Metagames [BH] UNBEARABLY WHITE [Peak #1 w/ 92.8% GXE]

[a loser]

("art" put together by myself, inspired by the album you'll see by clicking the picture)
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A loser here, checking in with my first RMT of Gen 8! Building is one of my favorite parts of Pokemon, other than battling, and Balanced Hackmons is by far my favorite metagame to build for and play. The team you're about to see is a pretty good representation of the current BH meta; not a lot of diversity and lots of high powered attackers. While teambuilding has been more challenging this generation, I've still stayed busy and built around 15 teams myself along with helping other build because I just like it that much. This team was not the only team I used with this account, but it did all of the legwork at the end to get my GXE up from 90.8% to 92.8% and get #1 on the ladder.

Raising my GXE by 2% might not sound like much of an accomplishment, but the tumbleweeds in the BH ladder lately made this much more difficult and time consuming than it sounds. Over the span of 20+ games, with one loss toward the middle, I gained an average of 0.12% GXE per win. And since I was ranked higher on the ladder for all of these games, wait times were often several minutes. So those two percentage points were not easy to come by but this team helped me through it and earned me the current record for GXE in Gen 8 BH.

Peak

One thing that I find worth pointing out about this team is the lack of pivoting moves. This isn't super common in BH, since mons have their choice of almost any move in the game, but I've found that a number of teams I build just end up without U-turn, Teleport, etc. Pivot moves definitely have their benefits, especially slow ones that safely bring in teammates like Teleport, but playing without them is kind of thrilling. Without having the comfort of gaining momentum off a slow pivot, when I play with this team I have to make sure I'm fully aware of what's going on in the game at all times so that, when I need to make a prediction, I'll be more likely to predict correctly. This is out of a lot of players' comfort zones, but can be a fun, different style of playing.

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Quick Description of Team Building

I started out with the funny snowman because I wanted to abuse it like everyone else was doing. I actually started with two of them, with different abilities and movesets, to better check would-be walls.

I added Flash Fire Steelix to serve as an improof and check opposing snowmen and Zekrom.

Zamazenta came next, mainly cause I like this mon a lot and also because it went extremely well with the moveset I gave Steelix.

Next I added two Eternatus, which is a defensive core I've had success with in the past. This mon is just so bulky and versatile it is kinda ridiculous.

After a while of really only using one snowman in my battles, I decided that Scarf Imposter would be more beneficial to the team and added Wobbuffet.

Darmanitan-Galar-Zen @ Life Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
V-create + Icicle Crash + Wood Hammer + Bolt Beak

Darmanitan-Galar-Zen (DGZ or snowman) is the team's main breaker and it is a dang good one. I decided against the common Choice Band/Scarf sets and went with Life Orb Magic Guard to give more freedom while keeping some power. Magic Guard is mainly chosen for the field effects rather than the moveset and protects DGZ from pesky entry hazards and Rocky Helmets that normally wear it down. V-create and Icicle Crash are DGZ's best STAB moves and are really hard to switch in to. Wood Hammer removes Seismitoad and Rhydon thinking they can come in on V-create and Bolt Beak provides insanely strong coverage to zap Toxapex. I've used choiced variants of DGZ on other teams and they are really good, but I've enjoyed the freedom of changing moves this set provides and it keeps it from being forced out as much. I also like how, unlike choice items, the Life Orb boost is retained while Dynamaxed to increase the power of Max Moves.

Calc Discussion

The loss of power compared to Choice Band is not as significant as you'd think, as seen in the below comparison against Fur Coat Eternatus. Max Hailstorm is a guaranteed 2HKO with Life Orb as well.
252 Atk Life Orb Darmanitan-Galar-Zen Icicle Crash vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Fur Coat Eternatus: 159-190 (32.8 - 39.2%) -- 99.8% chance to 3HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Darmanitan-Galar-Zen Icicle Crash vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Fur Coat Eternatus: 182-216 (37.6 - 44.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

The power loss is notable in a few situations, like the one below that also is seen in action in the replays.
252 Atk Life Orb Darmanitan-Galar-Zen V-create vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Snorlax: 460-542 (87.7 - 103.4%) -- 25% chance to OHKO
252 Atk Choice Band Darmanitan-Galar-Zen V-create vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Snorlax: 529-624 (100.9 - 119%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Eternatus @ Black Sludge
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid / Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
Haze + Encore + Scald + Roost

Prankster Eternatus serves to halt almost any variant of setup sweeper with the combination of Encore and Haze. This keeps the team from being overwhelmed by threats like Unburden Belly Drum or gimmicks like Simple Shell Smash. Scald is chosen over a STAB move or Lava Plume so that it can hit as many targets as possible to spread burns without worrying about type immunities or Flash Fire Steel-types. It comes in handy to hit and burn unsuspecting Zacian-C, who come in counting on being immune to Eternatus's STAB moves. I chose a Timid nature so that Eternatus would always outspeed Zamazenta-C and, even though it can't do much to them with Scald, Speed tie with Mewtwo and opposing Eternatus. There are times when Dynamax Cannon looks really appealing to put on this set, but I like the utility this provides. A Calm nature is a nice option if you don't think the extra Speed is needed, plus it ensures a 2HKO from Timid Specs Reshiram's Dynamax Cannon.

Post Forme Clause Change

Snorlax @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
Haze + Encore + U-turn + Roost

After the Forme Clause got implemented, its no longer allowed to run two Eternatus on the same team. I wanted to keep Eternatus as Fur Coat so I decided to use Snorlax as a replacement in the Prankster slot. It does a solid job at stopping setup threats and also patches up the team's vulnerability to special attackers like Lunala and Reshiram. The moves are mostly the same as Eternatus except U-turn is used over Scald, since Snorlax is super slow and gives the team an appreciated pivot.

Steelix @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
Anchor Shot + Knock Off / Spectral Thief + Poison Fang + Recover

Steelix is mainly here to Imposter-proof (improof) the snowman, as it can trap and remove Imposters of DGZ easily thanks to its massive physical bulk and Flash Fire. It is also a very solid check to most Zekrom and some Zacian-C sets, only falling to rare sets like Mold Breaker V-create from Zekrom or random Fishious Rend. Outside of these roles, Steelix can trap passive walls like Mandibuzz and Umbreon and poison them as they Teleport away. Steelix also can trap and remove its own Imposter, if the opponent is foolish enough to switch into it or stay in to face it. Knock Off is a nice utility move that isn't really expected from a wall as passive as Steelix, and has helped me remove Toxic Orbs from opponents thinking their Poison Heal (PH) user would get free orb activation. Spectral Thief can also be useful to keep Steelix from being overwhelmed by foes like Quiver Dance Dynamax Cannon Reshiram.

Zamazenta @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
Body Press + Cotton Guard + Spectral Thief / Knock Off + Rapin Spin

I've been a fan of defensive PH Zamazenta since Gen 8 started, but since I began running it with Cotton Guard and Body Press it has become my favorite set by far. This set is surprisingly effective and splashable and its great Speed combined with defensive boosts allow it to take on physical threats like DGZ, Barraskewa, and Zamazenta-C. Spectral Thief keeps Zama from being setup on by threats like Poison Heal Reshiram and hits Ghost-types like Aegislash for decent damage. Its also nice for stealing boosts from Imposter users to force them out, especially combined with the Speed boost from Rapid Spin. Knock Off is an alternative method of hitting Ghost-types and punishes Doublade and Dusclops more than Spectral Thief does. I made Zama my spinner since it can pressure Ghost-types with coverage and the Speed boost can help it have an opportunity to sweep. It might be tempting to give it a defensive nature to increase damage from Body Press, but Jolly is absolutely necessary to outspeed the physical threats mentioned above.

Calc Discussion

These calcs demonstrate just how much Zama can tank after one Cotton Guard and then what it can do in return.
+1 252 Atk Choice Band Darmanitan-Galar-Zen V-create vs. +3 252 HP / 252 Def Zamazenta: 222-262 (57.2 - 67.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+3 252 Def Zamazenta Body Press vs. 248 HP / 252 Def Darmanitan-Galar-Zen: 678-798 (164.1 - 193.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Eternatus @ Black Sludge
Ability: Fur Coat
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Bold Nature
Dynamax Cannon + Slack Off + Lava Plume + Spectral Thief

I made the second Eternatus Fur Coat to improve my matchup against physical threats like Barraskewda, Zeraora, Zamazenta, and even some Zekroms. A Bold nature along with Fur Coat means Eternatus is 3HKOed by +Atk Icicle Plate Extreme Speed from Refrigerate Kyurem-B while it is 2HKOed in return by Dynamax Cannon (however, rarer mixed Kyu-B sets can tank a Dynamax Cannon and OHKO Eternatus with Boomburst). Lava Plume further punishes physical attackers like Zacian-C with the threat of burns and keeps non Fire immune Steel-types in check. Spectral Thief again keeps Eternatus from being setup on and potentially overwhelmed. This Eternatus runs Slack Off for recovery so that Imprison gimmicks are not an issue. But it has the same nickname and item as the Prankster Eternatus, mainly to keep the opponent guessing and making scouting more difficult.

A nice calc

+1 252 Atk Choice Band Zekrom Dragon Darts (2 hits) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Fur Coat Eternatus: 304-364 (62.8 - 75.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Eternatus Dynamax Cannon (100 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252 SpD Zekrom: 282-332 (69.8 - 82.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Wobbuffet @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Imposter
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
Trick + Counter + Baton Pass + Court Change

Choice Scarf Imposter Wobbuffet helps the team to take on or revenge kill threatening offensive opponents like setup sweepers and Choice Specs Kyu-W and Lunala. Since its teammates offer no pivot moves, this mon must be played carefully as to avoid taking big damage when switching into a threat. The moveset is probably not the most optimized choice of moves, but Wobbuffet rarely enters the field without transforming. Wobbuffet made the team after my second snowman didn’t see enough action and I liked how the rest of the team worked well enough to fit in Imposter as an emergency check.

Second Snowman's Set

Darmanitan-Galar-Zen @ Choice Band
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
V-create + Close Combat + U-turn + Trick

Here's the second snowman, who was designed to take on walls that the first snowman would struggle with, like Flash Fire and Fur Coat Steel-types. I gave it an Adamant nature to have better odds at 2HKOing slow walls like Toxapex and Darmanitan-Zen with V-create and Close Combat for Primordial Sea Ferrothorn. U-turn and Trick rounded out the set, serving to gain momentum on switches and punish walls like Eternatus, respectively. I left off Ice STAB so that my Eternatus core could improof this mon. But after a while of playing with this, it really didn't do much for the team that the first DGZ didn't so I decided to swap it out.

If the opponent gets momentum, Kyurem-W is a massive threat to the team. DGZ is really the only mon that can switch in to Choice Specs Refrigerate Boomburst and live to tell the tale. Eternatus and Steelix get smoked, Zamazenta is a coinflip to OHKO if the Kyu-W is Timid, and Wobbuffet is 2HKOed. Fortunately, Kyu-W is slow and is pressured immensely by DGZ and somewhat by Zama and Eternatus, so maintaining momentum is key in this matchup.

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Choice Specs Reshiram is another tough matchup, as Timid Specs Dyanamax Cannon is a coinflip to OHKO Eternatus and 3HKOes Steelix. These are also commonly seen with Earth Power, which has a very high chance of OHKOing Steelix. So Specs Reshiram has to be played around carefully. DGZ 2HKOes it with Max Hailstorm and lives Dynamax Cannon from full and Imposter can pressure it and force it out. Removing its Specs early with Knock Off greatly eases this matchup.

Choice Specs Lunala (are you seeing a trend here?) is also threatening to the team since its Psychic STAB OHKOes half the team and can 2HKO Steelix. Luckily, this means Lunala users are more inclined to use Psychic moves so Imposter can risk coming in to force it out (or die to Max Phantasm on a predicted switch). Lunala is outsped by DGZ and Zamazenta, who can each hit it for big damage with V-create and Knock Off, but neither move OHKOes Lunala. DGZ is able to 1v1 Lunala if they both Dynamax and Zamazenta has a 93.75% chance to survive its Psychic STAB after knocking off its Choice Specs.

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Choice Band Mold Breaker DGZ can be a threat if it gets a free turn, as it OHKOes Steelix while ignoring Flash Fire and 2HKOes each Eternatus with Icicle Crash. However, the opponent still has to predict correctly as spamming V-create can lose momentum if Eternatus comes in to take the hit. Zamazenta pressures opposing DGZ and Imposter Wobbuffet can help keep it in check as well.

Note that some of these replays are on a different account of mine and some are the old version when I had double DGZ

• Zamazenta's utility on display against an offensive team
• Snowman taking care of business, netting five KO's
• Turns 11 through 101 can be skipped unless you like Octolock and para hax. The rest is a decent game, playing around Intrepid Sword Zeraora after my best counter to it was removed early
• More of snowman putting in work, netting another five KO's
• Here's a losing effort against a hard stall team (and I got a little salty about it, sorry about that). PrimSea Doublade put in way more work than it ever should, but this shows how the team can pressure stall teams fairly well. This could have gone the other way had I played a little smarter and not risked the roll vs Snorlax late
• Zamazenta comes in clutch after I fall behind early against random offense
• More against random offense, where DGZ is particularly glad it isn't choice locked

Click here for the original PokePaste
Here's an edited team to use post Forme Clause