To address EQ before snake or cbrevan wrap this thread up. Specfic to our threat lists, let's consider the most extreme example of an offensive coverage set
Moveset Submission
Name: Rando Bando
Move 1: Sleep Talk
Move 2: Spirit Shackle
Move 3:
Outrage / Dragon Rush
Move 4: Earthquake
Ability: Comatose
Item: Choice Band
EVs: 252 Attack / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Nature: Jolly
- Sleep Talk makes this set highly unpredictable, defends against Sucker Punch, and since it selects randomly there will never be a "good" switchin on CAP. If it calls Spirit Shackle CAP can keep fishing for an effective attack, if it calls Outrage, it will do massive damage without Outrage's drawbacks. CB Earthquake on the other hand can maul some of our checks.
- Spirit Shackle is good STAB and can trap opponents.
Outrage with Choice Band is massively powerful and the drawbacks against directly selecting Outrage are minimized by having a viable trapping move to wither down opposing Fairies. Dragon Rush has some acc issues, but that flinch chance is maddening and it has the most immediate power.
- Earthquake gives the set Dragon + Ground coverage, which is highly desirable and Earthquake is the most powerful, reliable coverage move.
- Max Offensive EVs because Band Set.
Some EQ calcs:
(I have also supplied the Tectonic Rage Calc for each target in case one were to specifically use a Groundinum-Z Lure Set)
Threaten and Dismantle List:
Toxapex:
252 Atk Choice Band Salamence Spirit Shackle vs. 252 HP / 192+ Def Toxapex: 111-132 (36.5 - 43.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Choice Band Salamence Outrage vs. 252 HP / 192+ Def Toxapex: 166-196 (54.6 - 64.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Choice Band Salamence Dragon Rush vs. 252 HP / 192+ Def Toxapex: 138-163 (45.3 - 53.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Choice Band Salamence Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 192+ Def Toxapex: 184-218 (60.5 - 71.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Salamence Tectonic Rage (180 BP) vs. 252 HP / 192+ Def Toxapex: 222-262 (73 - 86.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
Pressure List:
Excadrill:
252 Atk Choice Band Salamence Spirit Shackle vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Excadrill: 300-354 (83.1 - 98%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Choice Band Salamence Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Excadrill: 498-588 (137.9 - 162.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Salamence Tectonic Rage (180 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Bisharp: 398-470 (146.8 - 173.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Naviathan:
DD:
252 Atk Choice Band Salamence Outrage vs. 48 HP / 0 Def Naviathan: 163-192 (45.4 - 53.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and burn damage
252 Atk Choice Band Salamence Spirit Shackle vs. 48 HP / 0 Def Naviathan: 219-258 (61 - 71.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Choice Band Salamence Earthquake vs. 48 HP / 0 Def Naviathan: 362-428 (100.8 - 119.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Salamence Tectonic Rage (180 BP) vs. 48 HP / 0 Def Naviathan: 436-514 (121.4 - 143.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Checks List:
Bisharp:
252 Atk Choice Band Salamence Outrage vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Bisharp: 149-176 (54.9 - 64.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Choice Band Salamence Dragon Rush vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Bisharp: 124-147 (45.7 - 54.2%) -- 94.9% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Choice Band Salamence Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Bisharp: 332-392 (122.5 - 144.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Salamence Tectonic Rage (180 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Bisharp: 398-470 (146.8 - 173.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO
(EQ directly KOs, any Sleep Talk comination of
Outrage Dragon Rush or Earthquake usually KOs with rocks down)
Colossoil:
252 Atk Choice Band Salamence Outrage vs. 0 HP / 36 Def Colossoil: 373-439 (91.6 - 107.8%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Choice Band Salamence Dragon Rush vs. 0 HP / 36 Def Colossoil: 312-367 (76.6 - 90.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Choice Band Salamence Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 36 Def Colossoil: 208-245 (51.1 - 60.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Salamence Tectonic Rage (180 BP) vs. 0 HP / 36 Def Colossoil: 249-294 (61.1 - 72.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
(EQ scrapes by with a 2HKO, but nothing else really threatens Soil even with CB
unless you're crazy and use Band Outrage.)
Mega Diancie:
252 Atk Choice Band Salamence Spirit Shackle vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Diancie-Mega: 184-217 (76.3 - 90%) -- 18.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Choice Band Salamence Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Diancie-Mega: 306-362 (126.9 - 150.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Salamence Tectonic Rage (180 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Diancie-Mega: 368-434 (152.6 - 180%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Magearna:
TR:
252 Atk Choice Band Salamence Spirit Shackle vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Magearna: 177-208 (48.6 - 57.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Choice Band Salamence Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Magearna: 294-348 (80.7 - 95.6%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Salamence Tectonic Rage (180 BP) vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Magearna: 352-416 (96.7 - 114.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
Shift Gear:
252 Atk Choice Band Salamence Spirit Shackle vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Magearna: 178-210 (59.1 - 69.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Choice Band Salamence Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Magearna: 294-348 (97.6 - 115.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Salamence Tectonic Rage (180 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Magearna: 354-418 (117.6 - 138.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Counters List:
Earthquake is weaker than Spirit Shackle against Ferrothorn, Mega-Scizor, and Tapu Fini. Most of our hard counters are actually immune to it.
In Summary, EQ may be good coverage, and it's probably going to supplant Dragon Claw normally. Lets be honest though, Dragon STAB of the non-nuking variety is almost never good because of it's low-ish Base Power. Most of the Dragon Pulse users are CMers who don't want Draco Meteor's drops, and Dragon Claw only tends to get used when it's the only reliable STAB available. Dragon Rush has Acc issues but most mons would run it with Dragonium-Z were it not for Outrage.
CB vs. LO
Choice Band represents the strongest possible calcs. Against most checks and counters, the drop in damage from Life Orb will take them out of the 2HKO range on neutral targets. Bisharp and Mega Diancie will still be KO'd by LO EQ, whereas Naviathan and Shift Gear Magerna require high rolls (TR Magearna drops to a 2HKO). 2 Choice Band Shackles are also more damaging than an unboosted Shackle followed by Never-Ending Nightmare.
In short, while EQ is good coverage and will combine well with other STABs, its closeness in damage to Outrage on neutral targets will make it have to fight for a slot, as Tectonic Rage is nowhere close in power to STAB Devastating Drake. As expected though, Super-Effective Tectonic Rage crushes checks and counters weak to Ground. It doesn't appreciably threaten our checks more than existing options like Devastating Drake or Never-Ending Nightmare, with the sole exception of Bisharp which really hates being outsped by anything with a strong neutral or SE hit. Sub + Tectonic Rage or a Sleep Talk CB EQ will do in Bisharp, but otherwise it has the upper hand with Sucker Punch.
EDIT: So snake and I did a Custom Game with the Outrage version of the set and its... got some weird mechanics. If Sleep Talk selects Outrage, you'll be forced to select Outrage again, but it will fail. You will then be able to select Sleep Talk again. Also, you do not necessarily get confused when your Outrage gets cut short, presumably it confuses you when the game would select an Outrage duration of 2, but not a duration of 3.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7customgame-652818219
TL;DR Comatose Sleep Talk is wack and don't use it with Outrage.