The subs keep on coming in so I guess it's time for one last round of comments (remember that these are just comments, u don't have to follow them).
Flaaffy looks great btw
Subs close in 6-7 hours so finish up your subs and wips
I like this quite a bit, makes an interesting offensive pivot with little bulk but many opportunities to pivot and pressure due to chip immunity. However I don't think Play Rough is necessary (Cofag should wall physical variants, ends up chipping him a good amount). Nice sub
Name of the Pokemon: Raichu
Role(s): Offensive Pivot
Type:
Abilities: Static / Lightning Rod | HA: Magic Guard
Stat Distribution:
HP 55
ATK 105
DEF 40
SPA 100
SPD 70
SPE 125
BST 495
Movepool Additions: Ice Shard, Icicle Spear, Ice Punch, Hail, Ice Beam, Blizzard, Icy Wind, Play Rough
Movepool Removals: - -
Custom Elements: none
Justification: BoltBeam STAB combo for a fast part in a VoltTurn core. With its new STAB it can have some offensive presence, it can use a Choice Band or Choice Specs set, and also has a secret weapon, Happy Hour, that can let it sweep some opponents before being OHKOed by a Mach Punch or an unexpected Earthquake.
And second viewing, this is looking a bit Toxapex-y, with plentiful recovery, good bulk+typing, and plenty of utility. Removal of recovery would probably force it to be less of a immortal wall and more of a pivot. Also 90ish special defense would probably be more in line with the bulk we have atm
Name of the Pokemon: Jellicent
Role(s): Defensive Pivot, Defogger, TR Setter, Cleric, Annoyer
Type:
Abilities: Cursed Body / Storm Drain | HA: Regenerator
Stat Distribution:
HP 120
ATK 50
DEF 70
SPA 90
SPD 100
SPE 50
BST 480
Movepool Additions: Soak, Shadow Sneak, Destiny Bond, Thunderbolt, Thunder, Psyshock, Calm Mind, Magic Coat, Knock Off, Heal Bell, Wish, Defog, Encore, Disable
Movepool Removals: - -
Custom Elements: none
Justification: It can help with its high bulkiness tanking some hits from opponents, thanks also to all its 6 resistances and its 2 immunities. It can pass a consistent Wish and heal the team or phaze away the hazards, while it takes some hits, but also inflict statuses and conditions like Disable or Encore. An annoyer.
As this stands, complete lack of pivoting moves (not necessary but helpful) and a typing that aims to wall specific typings with ease (Water, Grass, Psychic, etc) this is much more a wall than a pivot. Removing Shore Up and instead granting it (a very weak) Volt Switch will allow it to generate momentum more easily and act less as a wall than as a utility pivot. Also remove Dragon Dance just in case.
Name of the Pokemon: Bastiodon
Role(s): Defensive Pivot, Hazard setter, TR Sweeper
Type:
Abilities: Sturdy / Heavy Metal | HA: No Guard
Stat Distribution:
HP 85
ATK 100
DEF 120
SPA 40
SPD 95
SPE 50
BST 490
Weight: 620.0 kg
Movepool Additions: Dragon Hammer, Dragon Tail, Dragon Pulse, Draco Meteor, Dragon Dance, Spikes, Shore Up
Movepool Removals: Rock Blast, Smack Down
Custom Elements: none
Justification: Another defensive pivot, physical this time. With a not-explored-yet type combo, a very strong one, it can function as many roles as setup sweeper, hazard setter, TR sweeper, tank. I gave it some strong STABs and No Guard to take advantage of them, but it can also use its two other abilities, of which Sturdy may be useful for a hazard setter set and Heavy Metal for a set with Heavy Slam (warning: any Low Kick can OHKO it).
Scorching Switch seems supremely annoying and powerful, a 100% accurate burn+switch is just too much utility IMO. A pivoting move isn't required on something like Bulu anyhow, with Grassy Surge+good bulk allowing it to pack an assualt vest/SpD investment and switch into a wide range of attacks and attack back with boosted STAB Wood Hammer, chip with Nature's Madness, or set up a Swords Dance which makes it a fine defensive pivot as is (and make sure to list it as a wallbreaker too). TLDR remove Scorching Switch
Pokemon: Tapu Bulu
Roles: Defensive Pivot
Type:
Abilities: Grassy Surge / Telepathy
Stat Distribution: 85 / 85 / 115 / 75 / 80 / 70 (BST: 510)
Movepool Additions: Flamethrower, Fire Punch, Flare Blitz, Scorching Switch*
Movepool Removals: Superpower, Stone Edge, Rock Slide, Rock Tomb, Focus Blast
Custom Elements: Scorch Switch — Fire type Parting Shot clone that burn instead of lowering stats and that isn't sound-based.
Justification: I desinged this mon to be the perfect Nihilego partner: Their typing complements each other, so that they don't hold any common weaknesses. Nihilego can protect Bulu from poison and flying moves, while Bulu can go against water, steel and ground. Also, about ground, Bulu goes really well with Unaware Nihilego since it can provides Grassy Terrain, reducing Nihi's crippling weakness. Bulu can also burns opponent before passing to Nihilego, which can be really helpful when we know how low is its physical bulk. In return, Nihi can provide Hazard Control to Bulu, something it really needs, and a reliable answer against set-up abusers — as long as Stored Power isn't implicated.
Flaaffy looks great btw
Speed tier and power alongside decent bulk and good survivability makes me a bit hesitant on whether this would be balanced, outside of Cofagrigus what future submissions would really check this? Also Drain Kick seems a bit unecessary as it's just a buffed Drain Punch and makes this thing even harder for balance to effectively kill. An overall stat reduction would probably be a good idea here.
Name of the Pokemon: Mienshao
Role(s): Offensive Pivot, Cleaner, Swords Dance, Stallbreaker, Hazard Remover
Type:
Abilities: Inner Focus | Regenerator
Stat Distribution: 80/125/70/45/70/120 | 510 (+15 HP, +10 Def, -50 SpA, +10 SpD, +15 Spe)
Movepool Additions: Defog
Movepool Removals: High Jump Kick
Custom Element: Drain Kick: 100 BP 95 Accuracy, Fighting-type, Physical, Leeches 50% of the damage dealt.
Justification: Thanks to Regenerator and Drain Kick Mienshao can heal itself and come many time through the game to pivot. Thanks to high speed tier and U-Turn it can pivot and scout. It can also bring utility to the team thanks to its access to Taunt and Defog. Finally its access to Swords Dance make it a potent Cleaner or Stallbreaker if paired with Taunt. This Pokémon main faults are its average 80/70/70 bulk and the fact the best physical wall: Cofagrigus is immune to its STAB and the best way for Mienshao to touch it is neutral Knock Off.
Strength Sap has always been a risky move, and especially with psuedo-status immunity this thing will be very difficult to kill with anything outside of Ice-type attackers or special attackers with a type advantage, and this furthered by access to a consistent and powerful Flying STAB. I think less powerful flavor abilities (so no prankster or Cotton Guard) and less BP on Cotton Wind would probably bring this more in line of being a very annoying utility pivot rather than a blanket physical wall. (and maybe remove Swords Dance just in case of some weird-ass Acrobatics+SD subseed stallbreaker set surfaces). You could also just remove Strength Sap to solidify its role as an offensive pivot and not as a defensive one with a really good speed tier.
Name of the Pokemon: Jumpluff
Role(s): Offensive Pivot, Hazard Remover
Type:
Abilities: Chlorophyll, Prankster | Cotton Guard
Stat Distribution: 75/55/70/95/95/130 | 520 (+40 Spa, +20 Spe)
Movepool Additions: Defog, Cotton Wind
Movepool Removals: none
Custom Element: Cotton Wind: 100 BP 100 Accuracy, Flying-type, Special, lowers opponent speed by one stage.
Cotton Guard (based on Wonder Skin): this Pokémon can't be affected by status move (works like Dark-type immunity to Prankster).
Justification: Jumpluff thanks to Strenght Sap and decent bulk can take many hits through a game. It has a lot of switch opportunities thanks to its immunity to status move and ground. It has a wide choices of option between Strenght Sap, Cotton Wind, Sleep Powder, U-Turn, Leech Seed, Memento, Defog and Encore. Its to ability are really usefull, one gives it priority healing, sleep, encore and defog while the other gives it an immunity to status move which is really usefull. Because it has a lot of tools Jumpluff may have a 4MSS but we'll. Imo the best set will be: Cotton Guard, Cotton Wind, Strenght Sap, U-Turn, Sleep Powder. But other moves can work to.
Offensive presence for a defensive pivot seems a bit high, especially with strong STABs and a strong Explosion for suicide leading. Tone the attacking stats down a bit and it'll be fine. Custom trapping move is cool for momentum, I like it.
Name of the Pokemon: Uxie
Role(s): Defensive Pivot, Hazard Setter, Trick Room Lead, Calm Minder, Stall Breaker
Type:
Abilities: Levitate
Stat Distribution: 75/95/130/95/130/50 | 500 (+20 Atk, +20 SpA, -45 Spe)
Movepool Additions: Wise Ball, Moonblast, Play Rough, Heal Bell, Explosion
Movepool Removals: Futur Sight, Psychic, Psyshock, Zen Headbutt
Custom Element: Wise Ball: 80 BP, 100 Accuracy, Fairy-Type, Special, traps the opponent ala Anchor Shot
Justification: With that level of bulk Uxie looks more like a wall than a Pivot. However it has no way besides leftovers to get its health back meaning it will be overwhelmed by small damages through the game. Wise ball is a nice tool for suppressing prediction on your side. Levitate means Uxie doesn't care about Spikes and Toxic Spikes. Its low speed allows it to bring slow voltturn support to its team. It has access to a lot of support move such as SR, Thunder Wave, U-Turn, Heal Bell, Knock Off and the majority of fields. It can also run a defensive Calm Mind set ala Suicune/Snorlax which can break through some defensive core but can break through unaware/haze nihilego. Finally thanks to the combination of low speed, trick room, stealth rock, bulk and explosion/memento it can perform as a Trick Room lead.
I wouldn't call its defensive typing weak- physically, Steel is an uncommon coverage type and Electric and Fire attacks are typically special, making this a very, very potent physical wall. Also the Ability isn't legal in the first place due to their being no ability that it's really a clone of (maybe Levitate, but its a stretch). Unorthodox way to deal with the Rocks weakness without completely pushing it over the edge would be giving it Regenerator in place of mountain cloak, it gives it resilience to Rocks damage and has nice utility, while also easing the burden of coding new abilities. Would kind of be like Torn-T in OU. Also list it as an Offensive Pivot in addition to a defensive one due to powerful STABs and decent SpA+Spe.
Name of the Pokemon: Articuno
Role(s): Defensive Pivot, Hazard Remover, Choice Scarf
Type:
Abilities: Pressure | Mountain Cloak
Stat Distribution: 90/85/100/95/125/85 | 580 (unchanged)
Movepool Additions: Air Slash
Movepool Removals: Agility
Custom Element: Mountain Cloak: Grants immunity to Rock-type and Stealth Rock.
Justification: Articuno is now one of the best switch-in to Ground Pokémon and Rock-type since its immune to EdgeQuake and is neutral to Ice their most common coverage. Articuno has access to recovery with Roost, and utility through Heal Bell, Haze and Defog. It's also one of the best Defoger because it's immune to every hazard. It can pivot thanks to U-Turn and has strong STAB move in Freeze-Dry and Hurricane. It's main weakness are vulnerabelity to status and poor defensive typing with 3 common weaknesses to electric, fire and steel despite 2 immunities and 2 resistances.
Subs close in 6-7 hours so finish up your subs and wips
