I’m sitting at this beautiful greek restaurant looking at the sunset, thinking nothing could make this evening better. Only to read news that I’ve yearned for 4 years ago. Thank you our dear council.Gholdengo is now banned! Finally, the tier will be able to diversify outside of hazard offense spam. I am glad only Gholdengo got banned too. Rain answers such as Mega Venusaur and Mega Chesnaught got so much better without having to deal with constant Spikes damage.
-
Follow our Instagram!
-
Welcome to Smogon! Take a moment to read the Introduction to Smogon for a run-down on everything Smogon, and make sure you take some time to read the global rules.
Metagame Champions OU Metagame Discussion
- Thread starter dhelmise
- Start date
Beautiful gorgeous pile of coins, you will be missed 
I was wondering how high its usage could've been since it basically debuted at #6 with just half of the month but I guess I'll never know.
I was wondering how high its usage could've been since it basically debuted at #6 with just half of the month but I guess I'll never know.
Mega Metagross is bound to become a top threat in Champions OU now that Hitl... I mean, Gholdengo is gone. Gone are the days of Gholdengo forcing you to enjoy a sauté of Spikes every time you switch in, just for it to be Scarf anyway and KO with Shadow Ball. Since I have heard this mon was allegedly already in the talks for potential action in the future (and because that mon is just plain dumb, what is this statline), welcome to my tutorial on which defensive answers to pick to handle a mon that will see its usage multiply by 10 overnight.
Presented, of course, in everyone's favorite format: a Tier List!
Here are the informations to note:
- This is a defensive answer list. Scarf Hamurott does work, yes. But that's not the point of this list because technically, anything can run Scarf, not die to one of Metagross's moves, and threaten something...
- We consider that Mega Metagross has access to the best move to hit our unfortunate target. In this case it has access to all of: Meteor Mash, Psychic Fangs, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch, and Earthquake.
- All Pokemon on this list are not necessarily "counters" by definition
- Where a Pokemon lands is determined both by how well it handles Metagross, and how viable it is in general.
A:
B:
C:
D:
S is for Pokemon that are truly stalwart against Mega Metagross while being great mons in general.
A is for Pokemon that are strong into Mega Metagross, but are more niche and/or less viable in general.
B is for Rotom. And Corviknight. :)
C is for Pokemon that are extremely niche and need you to know what you are doing. Or you want to make me happy and run physdef Regenerator Reuniclus... thank you...
D stands for Do Not Use. Do Not Use stands for "You're throwing, stop using Incineroar in Singles. No, Houndstone is not a good mon."
Let's have a quick round of explanations on some of these picks.
Our sole resident of S tier, due to it being both the best switch-in period, in addition to actually being a strong pick, being super reliable, and being able to threaten Mega Metagross back with Knock Off of just setting up with Swords Dance. It only needs 32 points in HP to accomplish its duty. Regular Scizor works too, though the Mega is naturally better at it.PhysDef Umbreon can switch into Mash and threaten with Foul Play while healing itself and its team with Wish. A nice way to turn Mega Metagross into an opportunity to heal teammates. Oh hey, here's your answer to Mega Swampert too! Look, idk how viable this thing is, but threatening a guaranteed burn on any click that isn't Earthquake sounds like great anti-Mega Metagross tech. Most likely one of the best tools offense teams have, physically defensive Volcarona variants threaten a Flame Body burn on Meteor Mash clicks. Not a surefire way to get by (you really do need that full physdef investment and Psychic Fang HURTS), but a decent way of at least making the Mega Metagross player think twice before clicking. Also a good mon in general to send in after a KO to threaten a Quiver Dance and a sweep. While it can indeed switch into Mega Metagross Thunder Punch, it's already most likely tasked with handling half of the opponent's team in some way, leading to it easily getting overwhelmed. That's why it's not in S tier. While bro is NOT switching into Psychic Fangs, it does have the merit of being comfortable into everything else and can Will-O-Wisp. Or immediately Overheat I guess. Do not rely only on them to handle Mega Metagross. Please. Regular Gyarados does get sent into oblivion by Thunder Punch, yes. But switching into a Meteor Mash, then Mega evolving into a Dragon Dance can turn games around. Very risky though... This is where I ask you to run the low tier special PhysDef Regenerator Reuniclus. Switch into Meta, threaten a Thunder Wave, heal with Regenerator. Trust. Immunity to Psychic Fangs is nice, but the kicker here is naturally to use the base form to threaten a priority Will-O-Wisp, then, you can tank sometimes once in a while even if you didnt get that Will-O-Wisp off and threaten Foul Play.
Whelp, please go back to never using Decidueye-H in OU.
Wait is Delphox actually moving devious? I thought bro was tuff but not him you know what I mean? It's got a bad MU into hamurott and is weak to almost all the relevant priority. Priority thing applies to Raichu Y too.
I'm washed tbh.
Anyway, the true best answer to Mega Metagross is Rocky Helmet. We are waiting for our hero to return.
Also Phys Def Mega Delphox WALLS? Hmm? It's these kinds of innovations that DRIVE our future!!!
Not an answer because Mega Metagross has body press which is not only naturally boosted by tough claws but can also be boosted further with iron defense (which I think is very likely going to be a real set). This fact also invalidates all dark and steel types that aren't part flying (and even then iron defense plus body press might be able to muscle through Corviknight and Skarmory) bug or ghost.
Other than that I think this list is pretty good aside from not including Aegislash which has the same defensive type that Gholdengo has with better defenses and better protect that lowers attack on contact.
I know light clay is banned in lower tiers sometimes but unlike shed tail it's not usually banned in ou tiers is it? Also I kinda understand the logic....but if the concern is making hyper offense meta...so? If the concern was hyper offense being broken id understand but just being meta doesn't seem like that is a good reason to ban it. I still find it odd it got banned before some other things in the tier at the very least
Fact or cap?
I feel like Mega Gross will still be a bit vulnerable to Spikes. Synergy with Hazard removers is a bit awkward since nearly all of them will leave it vulnerable to Mega Delphox who is already impossible to switch into as is. I suppose its best partner will be scarf Dreigon to handle that (and the various Ghosts + Darks) but ehhhh. More broadly, I also don't really like how it is competing with a decent swash of good Pokémon like Gambit, Aegislash, etc which can provide a similar enough offensive profile while not eating up a mega slot. Sure you can run Metagross with these Pokemon, but I feel you'd get more bang for your buck by running other megas that are better able to cover these Pokemon's weak points, like Dragalge, Delphox, Lopunny, etc.
Mega Metagross is bound to become a top threat in Champions OU now that Hitl... I mean, Gholdengo is gone. Gone are the days of Gholdengo forcing you to enjoy a sauté of Spikes every time you switch in, just for it to be Scarf anyway and KO with Shadow Ball. Since I have heard this mon was allegedly already in the talks for potential action in the future (and because that mon is just plain dumb, what is this statline), welcome to my tutorial on which defensive answers to pick to handle a mon that will see its usage multiply by 10 overnight.
Presented, of course, in everyone's favorite format: a Tier List!
Here are the informations to note:
S:
- This is a defensive answer list. Scarf Hamurott does work, yes. But that's not the point of this list because technically, anything can run Scarf, not die to one of Metagross's moves, and threaten something...
- We consider that Mega Metagross has access to the best move to hit our unfortunate target. In this case it has access to all of: Meteor Mash, Psychic Fangs, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch, and Earthquake.
- All Pokemon on this list are not necessarily "counters" by definition
- Where a Pokemon lands is determined both by how well it handles Metagross, and how viable it is in general.
A:
B:
C:
D:
S is for Pokemon that are truly stalwart against Mega Metagross while being great mons in general.
A is for Pokemon that are strong into Mega Metagross, but are more niche and/or less viable in general.
B is for Rotom. And Corviknight. :)
C is for Pokemon that are extremely niche and need you to know what you are doing. Or you want to make me happy and run physdef Regenerator Reuniclus... thank you...
D stands for Do Not Use. Do Not Use stands for "You're throwing, stop using Incineroar in Singles. No, Houndstone is not a good mon."
Let's have a quick round of explanations on some of these picks.
This isn't to say mega Metagross will be bad, but I also do not see why it would warrant more immediate action over other unwallable megas like Delphox, Floette, etc.
These all have answers found for bulkier teams is the thing. Slash is great but its low speed and no recovery offers those teams a means to play around it. And gambit depending on sucker punch vs faster foes and having a type that’s somewhat vulnerable (good don’t get me wrong but it’s vulnerable to common attacking types) can make it more palatable even for these bulkier teams.
Metagross can pretty easily solo bulky teams depending on what moves it picks, and this is made even easier if it snags a Mash attack boost. It’s all around great stats, especially it’s good speed making revenging it hard for those teams. In short, slash and gambit have great qualities but they can be limited easier by defensive teams (slash’s main stab can be shut off by item less mons). Metagross has very few true good checks, and the best of them is a high B+ or low A- Mon (mega scizor) at best right now which also suffers from hazards and a weakness to Delphox.
It’s easy to justify because it compresses good defensive utility and a powerhouse offensive profile that can flatten bulkier teams, leaving you free to build with more slots.
it's any click in general, Spicy Spray does not require contact in order to procc
I don't think it's ranked on the VR but like Mega Scovillain is still pretty cool right
IG you can pair it with hex users
Morning everyone,
I've been thinking about writing this for a while now, but whether it was work or thinking it wasn't necessary/that deep, turns out the latter is that deep, at least for me in terms of the quality of this metagame discussion thread. We've had great posts/posting quality from users that know who they are, but for the rest and specifically some, there's just been too many one-liners and poor quality posts that kinda just make this thread not look that serious. I don't want to discourage people from posting, Champions is going to be stick for the foreseeable future and this is the place to get that 6v6 fix that Champions in-game will not add, but I think there has to be some sort of standard moving forward, and I'm going to make sure that the consistency of quality stays in this thread.
So here's what is gonna happen. No more one-liners and make sure to think before you click "Post reply" that your post is something that you think isn't bad. Posts that aren't up to standard will get deleted and if there are no sign of improvement, infractions may be the worst-case scenario. Thanks.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In other news, how are we feeling about the Gholdengo ban? I felt it was an inevitable thing that was going to happen and as long as we have this modern day hazard game of having too many mons that set up hazards, and less removal options equal to like DPP/BW, it just will never be a healthy presence in standard play.
I've been thinking about writing this for a while now, but whether it was work or thinking it wasn't necessary/that deep, turns out the latter is that deep, at least for me in terms of the quality of this metagame discussion thread. We've had great posts/posting quality from users that know who they are, but for the rest and specifically some, there's just been too many one-liners and poor quality posts that kinda just make this thread not look that serious. I don't want to discourage people from posting, Champions is going to be stick for the foreseeable future and this is the place to get that 6v6 fix that Champions in-game will not add, but I think there has to be some sort of standard moving forward, and I'm going to make sure that the consistency of quality stays in this thread.
So here's what is gonna happen. No more one-liners and make sure to think before you click "Post reply" that your post is something that you think isn't bad. Posts that aren't up to standard will get deleted and if there are no sign of improvement, infractions may be the worst-case scenario. Thanks.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In other news, how are we feeling about the Gholdengo ban? I felt it was an inevitable thing that was going to happen and as long as we have this modern day hazard game of having too many mons that set up hazards, and less removal options equal to like DPP/BW, it just will never be a healthy presence in standard play.
I called for a ban the nanosecond we knew Gholdengo would be there and I'm glad it's gone quite early. We can now go back to using mons susceptible to Spikes without accepting that Gholdengo is an instant ff. Ceaseless Edge is still the move of all time though, but at least Defog actually works.
Defog being back makes Rain more manageable since mons that Swampert hates like Mega Venusaur, Mega Scovillain, Mega Slowbro, and Sinistcha have much better longevity now. Even Vileplume, for all the shitmon accusations it receives, is probably pretty decent thanks to Sap Sipper keeping it healthy and Effect Spore potentially crippling Corviknight on U-turn clicks. edit: it also works on ceaseless edge!!
Rain's still like, veeeery strong though and you have to respect it in all of the team building process. Between Mega Swampert, Archaludon, Basc-F (yes. Basc-F, not Basc-M) and even Overqwil which has a niche by virtue of absorbing Toxic Spikes which Rain otherwise struggles with, it has all the breakers it needs to be a top threat. We might see a Damp Rock ban in the near future imo, but I'd like to see where the meta goes before action is taken.
For now, I predict we will see a shift to Balance builds, with Corviknight/Mega Dragalge/Hamurott/Garchomp as a top tier archetype, and Rain will keep evolving and branch into different archetypes, like HO builds with Glimmora/Hatterene/Hamurott finding their place, and bulkier builds focusing on Archaludon and a 2nd Steel trying to set up for a clean Swampert or Basc-F sweep.
I'll make a longer post with my thoughts on various mons in this new Defog meta soon, but for now, that's the big picture stuff.
Last edited:
Should have been a suspect at worst. Ghold's grand impact was making a top 3 mon a top 5 mon and & frankly - I found it a lot worse than SV OU as well given that no Tera + Balloon & its poorer MUs into some of the top tiers like Samu & Chomp. Certainly wasn't a higher priority than other Pokemon like Mega Barbaracle, Swampert, etc.
This whole idea it makes "balance unviable" or "Corv Garbage" is the same bullshit we saw peddled for years in SV as well. I was using balance the entire time I laddered & Ghold was never the mon I was struggling with - compared to the Megas / mixed Garchomp / Samu / Annihilape / Rain that is. Most of these balance teams' big win condition is Hazard spam as well & against those, Ghold's performance can be a bit iffier due to no boots. Mega also make it easier to stop trick scarf from crippling a check as well.
Hazard stack is still broken too. Fact is, if most of the hazard setters WILL stop Corv if they want to - whether it be stuff like Taunt Samu-H, Life Orb Fire Blast Garchomp, etc.
But w/e people found it broken. I can only hope they'll target Samurott-H next, which is invalidating 2 hazard control options in Mega Clef / Hatterene & still has key options to bully Corv.
Guys I made a post on the sample teams thread that I think you should check out. This is the first viable stall(semi-stall but u can consider Maltaria a stall mon if you want) I've made since Champions came out in May. It's really fun to use gliscor the way I'm using it now. Go check it out. Hit 1600 with it on the ladder :)
I finally managed to make a viable stall team in this current meta. The meta is super volatile and there's still super strong mons that will make your life hell. But I found these mons can best take advantage of current top mons in the meta and give you a good chance into a lot of matchups.
Here's the paste: https://pokepast.es/5d0e181bcda05a33
First off, we have
-
This mon is the backbone of the team. I think if you're building stall you need this because the utility it provides is astounding. It was the inspiration for this team, as I was trying to find ways to utilize...
Here's the paste: https://pokepast.es/5d0e181bcda05a33
First off, we have
-This mon is the backbone of the team. I think if you're building stall you need this because the utility it provides is astounding. It was the inspiration for this team, as I was trying to find ways to utilize...
I mean, it felt inevitable mostly because of the fact cinderace wasn't in the game to be a guaranteed answer to ghold hazard stack
I know mega delphox loses to scarf hamurott and gambit sucker punch but i'm still not a fan of its presence since its extremely hard to switch anything into it, and can just create dynamics where you lose on the spot if your answers are gone which isn't a fun or healthy dynamic honestly
its good that its answers are really good but still not a fan of how restrictive it can feel at times
Video regarding the Gholdengo ban and the fact that Mega Falinks is a Pokémon that you can use.
Here are some options that I believe are underrated in the current meta, and you should try them out if it happens to fit into a team you're building.
PhysDef Vileplume does a lot of cool stuff: Effect Spore punishes both Corviknight U-turn and Hamurott Ceaseless/Flip Turn, which could just OHKO them depending on if you roll Effect Spore. Strength Sap is the move of all time keeping you happy and healthy, esp combined with Leech Seed. It has a playable MU into Mega Swampert as well. It's not revolutionizing the meta, but just being able to pressure those 2 aforementioned clicks just by existing is huge in Hamurott/Corviknight meta.
Basically, you play Hippowdon when you want a Rocks Garchomp who can always go the long run, plus it has the added benefit of resetting the weather against Rain. It's good into many threats: Mega Metagross, Garchomp, Rain, Mega Barbaracle, Mega Staraptor... phazing is not huge in Champions OU as most Garchomps don't run Dragon Tail, but it's strong against a lot... especially if you set Spikes with something else.
Altaria-Mega @ Altarianite
Ability: Natural Cure
Level: 50
EVs: 32 HP / 31 Def / 3 Spe
Bold Nature
- Roost
- Defog
- Moonblast
- Will-O-Wisp
Garchomp/Hamurott is very strong and popular, so Mega Altaria can help against that by having a great matchup into both and Defogging away hazards. Its usefulness does not stop there, being solid into many Dragons and various random threads that happen to not be able to hit a Dragon/Fairy type. Will-O-Wisp is huge for Mega Altaria, giving a way to actually reliably chip at stuff it can't hit (all Steels and Poisons).
Calling this underrated might be reaching. However, Basculegion-M is rated OU while Basculegion-F is rated UU... despite Basculegion-F being the better mon. I don't necessarily want to give advice to Rain players, but come on guys... at least use the better clone.
One of the best megas currently in my honest opinion. The added bulk is insanely good as this set is meant to switch in and take hits all day. If something does not learn Flamethrower or Fire Punch, it's most likely not getting past it. It does suffer from mild 4MSS as you really really want Knock Off + Close Combat for coverage, but you can only fit 1. Anyway, this mon singlehandedly counters 90% of the tier and is good anti-cheese thanks to Bullet Punch. Definitely deserves more play, instead of teetering the line between proper OU and OU by technicality.
This is an excellent anti-Rain mon, and I don't think I need to explain why. Corviknight is a problem, but Mega Venusaur actually allows you to run more exotic picks like Rotom-Heat as it synergizes well with random stuff... If you're a nostalgic of the XY/ORAS days, it should feel natural to build with it and you'll have a taste of the good ol' days.
Slowbro-Mega @ Slowbronite
Ability: Regenerator
Level: 50
EVs: 32 HP / 2 Def / 32 SpD
Bold Nature
- Iron Defense
- Slack Off
- Scald
- Body Press / Psychic Noise
Click Iron Defense once. Now, if the opponent does not have a strong special attacker, you win. Which happens a lot more that you might think in the current meta. Just pair it with ways to deal with Mega Raichu Y and Hydreigon and enjoy the free wins. Even if you don't believe in the magic, Iron Defense Mega Slowbro is an immovable wall against the likes of Mega Lopunny, Mega Metagross, Blaziken, Mega Falinks, Mega Barbaracle, Mega Charizard X... you name 'em. This is, in my opinion, the most underrated mon currently in Champions OU.
Vileplume @ Leftovers
Ability: Effect Spore
Level: 50
EVs: 32 HP / 32 Def / 2 SpD
Bold Nature
- Strength Sap
- Leech Seed
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb / Toxic
Ability: Effect Spore
Level: 50
EVs: 32 HP / 32 Def / 2 SpD
Bold Nature
- Strength Sap
- Leech Seed
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb / Toxic
Hippowdon @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream
Level: 50
EVs: 32 HP / 24 Def / 10 SpD
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Slack Off
- Whirlwind
Ability: Sand Stream
Level: 50
EVs: 32 HP / 24 Def / 10 SpD
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Slack Off
- Whirlwind
Altaria-Mega @ Altarianite
Ability: Natural Cure
Level: 50
EVs: 32 HP / 31 Def / 3 Spe
Bold Nature
- Roost
- Defog
- Moonblast
- Will-O-Wisp
Garchomp/Hamurott is very strong and popular, so Mega Altaria can help against that by having a great matchup into both and Defogging away hazards. Its usefulness does not stop there, being solid into many Dragons and various random threads that happen to not be able to hit a Dragon/Fairy type. Will-O-Wisp is huge for Mega Altaria, giving a way to actually reliably chip at stuff it can't hit (all Steels and Poisons).
Basculegion-F (F) @ Metronome
Ability: Swift Swim
Level: 50
EVs: 18 HP / 2 Def / 32 SpA / 14 Spe
Modest Nature
- Substitute
- Surf
- Shadow Ball
- Ice Beam
Ability: Swift Swim
Level: 50
EVs: 18 HP / 2 Def / 32 SpA / 14 Spe
Modest Nature
- Substitute
- Surf
- Shadow Ball
- Ice Beam
Scizor-Mega @ Scizorite
Ability: Technician
Level: 50
EVs: 32 HP / 26 Atk / 8 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Bullet Punch
- Knock Off / Close Combat
- Roost
Ability: Technician
Level: 50
EVs: 32 HP / 26 Atk / 8 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Bullet Punch
- Knock Off / Close Combat
- Roost
Venusaur-Mega @ Venusaurite
Ability: Chlorophyll
Level: 50
EVs: 32 HP / 17 Def / 14 SpD / 3 Spe
Bold Nature
- Synthesis
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Wave
- Earth Power
Ability: Chlorophyll
Level: 50
EVs: 32 HP / 17 Def / 14 SpD / 3 Spe
Bold Nature
- Synthesis
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Wave
- Earth Power
Slowbro-Mega @ Slowbronite
Ability: Regenerator
Level: 50
EVs: 32 HP / 2 Def / 32 SpD
Bold Nature
- Iron Defense
- Slack Off
- Scald
- Body Press / Psychic Noise
Click Iron Defense once. Now, if the opponent does not have a strong special attacker, you win. Which happens a lot more that you might think in the current meta. Just pair it with ways to deal with Mega Raichu Y and Hydreigon and enjoy the free wins. Even if you don't believe in the magic, Iron Defense Mega Slowbro is an immovable wall against the likes of Mega Lopunny, Mega Metagross, Blaziken, Mega Falinks, Mega Barbaracle, Mega Charizard X... you name 'em. This is, in my opinion, the most underrated mon currently in Champions OU.
Last edited:
Why moonblast over hyper voice on altaria? Surely the Sp. atk drop isn't worth giving up the stronger power move that bypasses subHere are some options that I believe are underrated in the current meta, and you should try them out if it happens to fit into a team you're building.
PhysDef Vileplume does a lot of cool stuff: Effect Spore punishes both Corviknight U-turn and Hamurott Ceaseless/Flip Turn, which could just OHKO them depending on if you roll Effect Spore. Strength Sap is the move of all time keeping you happy and healthy, esp combined with Leech Seed. It has a playable MU into Mega Swampert as well. It's not revolutionizing the meta, but just being able to pressure those 2 aforementioned clicks just by existing is huge in Hamurott/Corviknight meta.Vileplume @ Leftovers
Ability: Effect Spore
Level: 50
EVs: 32 HP / 32 Def / 2 SpD
Bold Nature
- Strength Sap
- Leech Seed
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb / Toxic
Basically, you play Hippowdon when you want a Rocks Garchomp who can always go the long run, plus it has the added benefit of resetting the weather against Rain. It's good into many threats: Mega Metagross, Garchomp, Rain, Mega Barbaracle, Mega Staraptor... phazing is not huge in Champions OU as most Garchomps don't run Dragon Tail, but it's strong against a lot... especially if you set Spikes with something else.Hippowdon @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream
Level: 50
EVs: 32 HP / 24 Def / 10 SpD
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Slack Off
- Whirlwind
Altaria-Mega @ Altarianite
Ability: Natural Cure
Level: 50
EVs: 32 HP / 31 Def / 3 Spe
Bold Nature
- Roost
- Defog
- Moonblast
- Will-O-Wisp
Garchomp/Hamurott is very strong and popular, so Mega Altaria can help against that by having a great matchup into both and Defogging away hazards. Its usefulness does not stop there, being solid into many Dragons and various random threads that happen to not be able to hit a Dragon/Fairy type. Will-O-Wisp is huge for Mega Altaria, giving a way to actually reliably chip at stuff it can't hit (all Steels and Poisons).
Calling this underrated might be reaching. However, Basculegion-M is rated OU while Basculegion-F is rated UU... despite Basculegion-F being the better mon. I don't necessarily want to give advice to Rain players, but come on guys... at least use the better clone.Basculegion-F (F) @ Metronome
Ability: Swift Swim
Level: 50
EVs: 18 HP / 2 Def / 32 SpA / 14 Spe
Modest Nature
- Substitute
- Surf
- Shadow Ball
- Ice Beam
One of the best megas currently in my honest opinion. The added bulk is insanely good as this set is meant to switch in and take hits all day. If something does not learn Flamethrower or Fire Punch, it's most likely not getting past it. It does suffer from mild 4MSS as you really really want Knock Off + Close Combat for coverage, but you can only fit 1. Anyway, this mon singlehandedly counters 90% of the tier and is good anti-cheese thanks to Bullet Punch. Definitely deserves more play, instead of teetering the line between proper OU and OU by technicality.Scizor-Mega @ Scizorite
Ability: Technician
Level: 50
EVs: 32 HP / 26 Atk / 8 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Bullet Punch
- Knock Off / Close Combat
- Roost
This is an excellent anti-Rain mon, and I don't think I need to explain why. Corviknight is a problem, but Mega Venusaur actually allows you to run more exotic picks like Rotom-Heat as it synergizes well with random stuff... If you're a nostalgic of the XY/ORAS days, it should feel natural to build with it and you'll have a taste of the good ol' days.Venusaur-Mega @ Venusaurite
Ability: Chlorophyll
Level: 50
EVs: 32 HP / 17 Def / 14 SpA / 3 Spe
Bold Nature
- Synthesis
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Earth Power
Slowbro-Mega @ Slowbronite
Ability: Regenerator
Level: 50
EVs: 32 HP / 2 Def / 32 SpD
Bold Nature
- Iron Defense
- Slack Off
- Scald
- Body Press / Psychic Noise
Click Iron Defense once. Now, if the opponent does not have a strong special attacker, you win. Which happens a lot more that you might think in the current meta. Just pair it with ways to deal with Mega Raichu Y and Hydreigon and enjoy the free wins. Even if you don't believe in the magic, Iron Defense Mega Slowbro is an immovable wall against the likes of Mega Lopunny, Mega Metagross, Blaziken, Mega Falinks, Mega Barbaracle, Mega Charizard X... you name 'em. This is, in my opinion, the most underrated mon currently in Champions OU.
Moonblast has 16 PP over Hyper Voice's 12. This is actually relevant if Corviknight drains your PP over time with Pressure, + it's your only attacking option.
Yall what do we be running on dragalge? I've been going 4 attacks with stab, flip turn and tbolt for evil corv.
In a metagame centralized around powerful game ending megas, Toxapex's left cousin is not him. Also doesn't seem great into the current offensive metagame. Farms Raichu though.
Mark my words, however. He may be lurking in the shadows, but years from now in a more advanced metagame this guy WILL be considered a war criminal. How can you be a mega and have regenerator? Some things just aint right.
In a metagame centralized around powerful game ending megas, Toxapex's left cousin is not him. Also doesn't seem great into the current offensive metagame. Farms Raichu though.
Mark my words, however. He may be lurking in the shadows, but years from now in a more advanced metagame this guy WILL be considered a war criminal. How can you be a mega and have regenerator? Some things just aint right.
Tier is in a bad state right now. Initial outlook of the meta is that unninteractive balance teams with Samu / GKing / Dragalge spamming Chilly / Flip turn for 100s of turns to the eventual ID Corv sweep have become the new normal. Corv is engaging in very unhealthy PP stalling antics as well in many end-games - reminiscent of Subtect Kyurem in SV OU. Despite Ghold's ban, these hazard stack teams are more popular and viable than ever, creating unhealthy gameplay loops vs many other styles. I can only hope that counterplay to these uninteractive styles is discovered soon otherwise the tier is COOKED bro.
Last edited:
Not sure if I missed it but with all this talk about hazard stack, the biggest menace right now has to be annihilape hazard stack with webs. This strategy is so thoughtless, I’ve honestly considered dropping champions OU until some sort of change is made.
the current bulk up set with taunt/rest, drain punch, rage fist, is unbareable, running max hp and spdef makes it so you survive at least one super effective attack from the tier’s strongest non-mega attackers, you can’t rapid spin the webs away due to the ghost typing, you can mortal spin it away using glimmora but that 1. Adds a stack on rage fist and gives a free bulk up 2. Even then with its sky high spdef bulk combined with annihilape natural resistance to its stabs, glimmora feeds free rage fist buffs and free bulk ups. You already know what happens when you try to defog.
Yes you can out play annihilape with strong attackers but it’s setup is so incredibly easy and it’s incredibly dominate into all forms of hazard removal that once it comes in on one, it wins the game. Even if annihilape doesn’t come out to sweep it’s mere presence makes it incredibly difficult to remove hazards and your team slowly gets worn down until you try your luck and get immediately punished. Maybe it’s not so much of an issue for the high ladder but in the 12-1500 range I’m running into it non-stop and it’s infuriating.
I don’t think the nerf actually did all that much to annihilape it only take one attack for rage fist to become the second strongest legal ghost move in the game and while taking that hit you have likely bulked up/ drain punched to get bulkier or heal, still leaving you in a good spot to switch out and try again especially if your running a chesto rest set or sitrus berry.
the current bulk up set with taunt/rest, drain punch, rage fist, is unbareable, running max hp and spdef makes it so you survive at least one super effective attack from the tier’s strongest non-mega attackers, you can’t rapid spin the webs away due to the ghost typing, you can mortal spin it away using glimmora but that 1. Adds a stack on rage fist and gives a free bulk up 2. Even then with its sky high spdef bulk combined with annihilape natural resistance to its stabs, glimmora feeds free rage fist buffs and free bulk ups. You already know what happens when you try to defog.
Yes you can out play annihilape with strong attackers but it’s setup is so incredibly easy and it’s incredibly dominate into all forms of hazard removal that once it comes in on one, it wins the game. Even if annihilape doesn’t come out to sweep it’s mere presence makes it incredibly difficult to remove hazards and your team slowly gets worn down until you try your luck and get immediately punished. Maybe it’s not so much of an issue for the high ladder but in the 12-1500 range I’m running into it non-stop and it’s infuriating.
I don’t think the nerf actually did all that much to annihilape it only take one attack for rage fist to become the second strongest legal ghost move in the game and while taking that hit you have likely bulked up/ drain punched to get bulkier or heal, still leaving you in a good spot to switch out and try again especially if your running a chesto rest set or sitrus berry.