Resource Creative and Underrated Sets

[UT]

Creative and Underrated Sets
Generation IX Ladders Megathread
approved by people, probably
heavily/completely stolen from in the hills’s Gen8 version​

Hello everyone! This thread is for posting creative and underrated sets in Generation 9 Other Metagames, which encompasses all metagames in this subforum. This post will contain tips on how to make a good, well-structured post in this thread, so if you're lost you can refer to it or just ask around on PS/Discord.

First of all, it's important to note what constitutes a viable creative or underrated set.

• The set cannot already be widely used or common in the metagame.
• The set cannot be 100% outclassed by another set. For example, Mewtwonite Y in Mix and Mega is nearly always inferior to other Mega Stones.
• The set must fill a role that is viable in the metagame. For example, Cosmic Power + Power Trip sets in BH may not be completely outclassed, but in practice they underperform against any decent team.

"Bad gimmick" sets that are created for novelty or humor rather than winning games will be deleted.

Posts in this thread typically have up to three parts: the set description, the calcs, and the replays.

Description:

• The description is the backbone of the post. It should include an explanation of how the set functions, and which things it accomplishes that common equivalents cannot.
• Something that helps is providing examples of how the set functions in teambuilding and battling. For example, you can talk about how you typically use this Pokemon to make progress in a game, or which good Pokemon pair well with it.
• Being realistic about a set's weaknesses can actually help you against criticism. If your set is hard walled by a common Pokemon but you can successfully pair it with Pokemon that can take advantage of this, you can strengthen your case for the set being viable.
• In a similar vein, be realistic about how viable you think the set is. It's okay if some of your sets aren't that good, but referring to all of them as meta-breaking menaces is just asking for unproductive arguments.
• Since description is so important for really conveying the idea of a set, posts of sets without adequate descriptions will be deleted. Anything above a couple sentences should be fine to ensure your post stays up.

Calcs:

• Calcs are used to emphasize points made in the description by providing a clearer picture of a Pokemon's matchup against common threats.
• For example, if the role of an AAA set is to switch into Choice Specs Aerilate Noivern repeatedly to scout its move, showing that the set only takes 45% from Boomburst and can recover most of that off with Regenerator can help others understand how that matchup would play out in an actual game.
• That being said, calcs are not always necessary with good replays, and should only be used to enhance the description, not replace it.

Replays:

• Replays are the best way to prove that the set really works in practice, not just on paper.
• Good replays show the set performing its intended role to significantly help the team. For example, the set could get several KOs, maintain hazards throughout the game, wall out an otherwise threatening Pokemon, or set up and sweep lategame.
• Additionally, replays should be against at least competent opponents. It doesn't say much about the set if the opponent lets several of their Pokemon faint to it instead of bringing in their hard counter. Replays against great players or tournament opponents are obviously preferable if you have them, but if you don't, mid-high Elo ladder replays will suffice.
• I recognize that finding replays can be difficult in some situations and is significantly more effort than just writing up a decent description. Even if it has no replays, your post will not be deleted as long as it has adequate descriptions. However, because of the extra layer that it provides, only sets with good replays will be eligible for Hall of Fame consideration.

Something that should also be addressed is the practice of criticizing others' sets. While criticism can be a great thing if done well, it can lead to unproductive arguments and an unwelcoming environment if done poorly. It's okay to post bad sets, but at the same time continuous improvement should be emphasized. Also, keep the global rules in mind here.

Happy posting!

 

[UT]

Hall of Fame ​

The Hall of Fame is meant for sets that prove to be exceptionally good. These sets are usually marked by their success, achieving consistency on ladder or wins in big tournaments. While I don't plan on being extremely selective with which sets are let in, understand that not every set has the potential to reach this point.

I will consult multiple players that are active in the metagame for deciding which sets get let in, similar to the "representative" system from last generation. However, this will not be in the form of a list; instead, I will just talk to the best active players at the time based on my own discretion.

(No sets are here yet.)

 

[Tea Guzzler]

where posts lol


Enamorus (F) @ Life Orb
Ability: Pixilate
Tera Type: Fire / Ground
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Rash Nature
- Boomburst
- Rapid Spin
- V-create / Headlong Rush
- Strength Sap

enamorus is heavily slept on in this meta. whilst it requires specific structures to work on (due to its frailty), not taking the arceus slot is terrific and life orb is also useful over arceus-fairy's (basically mandatory) pixie plate. fairy/fire and fairy/ground coverage is about as broken as you'd expect, v-create hits neutral things harder and tera fire grants a better imposter matchup in a pinch, whereas tera ground unironically lets enamorus vaporize every special wall in the meta rn. being an -atespinner is always great too.

March of Death (Hoopa-Unbound) @ Life Orb
Ability: Tough Claws
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Dark
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Lonely Nature
- Shift Gear
- Wicked Blow
- V-create
- Grass Knot

i would say that this is my child, but i do not think i would like such an aggressive child. this mon's offensive power is unmatched, cleaving through common defensive cores and OHKOing basically everything that isn't fur coat, with grass knot invalidating common physical blankets like prank dozo and fc arc-water. being dark type is also huge since, unlike other offensive threats, prank mons don't have the glare-to-sack option against you. annoying to set up thanks to the unboosted speed and u-turn weakness, but if you get this set up then only one kill is an unlucky outcome. smashing fc arc-ghost is also huge


Zacian-Crowned @ Covert Cloak
Ability: Well-Baked Body
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Magical Torque
- Ruination
- Knock Off / Taunt
- Strength Sap

i first came up with this then looking through old SS OU replays from one of the 6,000 tours that OU runs, and i realized that stallbreaker fini (whirlpool/nature's madness/taunt/filler) is probably replicable in BH to good effect. i also realized that, because the fur coat stuff this gen is unreasonably fat, doing fixed damage to them is broken. so, here you go: ruination zac-c is an excellent blend of offense and utility, largely because it's a zacian-c that has both busted stats and a busted move. ruination cuts the HP of ultra-fats, like dozo and arc, in half - taunt then lets you prevent these from healing back up, so cleaning through with either zacian or another cracked physical attacker becomes significantly easier. alternatively, knock removes annoying stuff like helmet and lefties, and because of ruination you have realistic chances of PP stalling recover anyway.


Chi-Yu @ Choice Scarf
Ability: No Guard
Tera Type: Dark
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Inferno
- Dark Pulse
- Overheat
- Ruination

reliable ways to spread status in the meta are really good given how many ghosts there are and how they all want to run hex but don't want to commit 2 moveslots. no guarders like chi-yu are great for this purpose (rip zap cannon, NG shocks anyone?), since it both makes its teammates' hexes stronger and also serves as a really good mon in its own right. fire/dark is already chasing out pretty much every offensive threat, and most defensive mons hate switching in on burns, so this does a very good job of harassing the opponent whilst keeping offensive stuff in check.

 

[in the hills]

i'll post some fun stab ideas ive had

Armarouge @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Flash Fire
Tera Type: Fighting
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Magma Storm
- Lumina Crash
- Focus Blast
- Taunt
I was looking for something to abuse Magma Storm this gen and unfort there's really not much good until heatran comes around again (houndoom gets ceaseless edge lol...) but Armarouge is definitely passable at it since Lumina Crash+Taunt can pretty much ensure any defensive switchin dies and Focus Blast gets Tyranitar easily. Another Armarouge set that seems fun is Torch Song+Esper Wing which sounds very threatening on paper but takes a few turns to set up


Tinkaton @ Leftovers
Ability: Mold Breaker
Tera Type: Steel / Electric
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Gigaton Hammer
- Magical Torque / Tera Blast
- Swords Dance
- Moonlight
i wanna draw similarities to scizor as a bulky-ish steel with sd and recovery but faster and a mostly better typing that lets it check stuff like weavile better and resists flying which is nice, but really they function quite differently and honestly i dont think tinkaton would be great right now with how fast everything else is, stuff like iron valiant and garchomp are much faster and more immediately threatening. I like the idea of it on paper though so i wanna bookmark it for later, also Tera electric is because physdef pex shits on you otherwise and also you can hit corv


Brambleghast @ Leftovers
Ability: Wind Rider
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Rage Fist
- Grav Apple
- Spikes
- Strength Sap
There's a lot of discussion around Rage Fist in STAB right now, but nobody ever posts any actual rage fist users... Brambleghast seems like a fun one since decent typing, solid speed, spikes, strength sap, etc.


Brute Bonnet @ Choice Band
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Fighting
EVs: 152 HP / 252 Atk / 104 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Grav Apple / Power Whip
- Ceaseless Edge / Knock Off
- Close Combat
- Switcheroo / Sucker Punch
Band Brute Bonnet seems fun to abuse its randomly really high Attack stat, speed investment allows you to outspeed corviknight. Moves are pretty flexible since dark types have a lot of options, and its really down to preference on grav apple vs power whip


Rotom-Heat @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Levitate
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Torch Song
- Volt Switch
- Freeze-Dry
- Strength Sap
This isn't a particularly inventive set or anything, but Rotom-Heat just hasn't seen much use this gen due to power creep which is honestly a shame bc it got a great tech this gen in Torch Song, which completely negates the need for Apple Acid that most rotoms ran last gen and allows you to run Freeze-Dry, which can threaten non-Tera'd Dragonite and Garchomp


Braviary @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Defiant
Tera Type: Fighting
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Ascent
- Close Combat
- Shadow Claw
- Tidy Up
HO could really use some hazard control tbh and Tidy Up is a great way to do that since you don't clear screens and screens generally doesn't use hazards, plus it applies pressure. Unfortunately there's no fantastic user of Tidy Up for HO right now, but Braviary is probably the best attempt at it since it's really strong and has coverage to deal with stuff like Gholdengo and Tyranitar


Wo-Chien @ Leftovers
Ability: Tablets of Ruin
Tera Type: Poison
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Fiery Wrath
- Apple Acid
- Nasty Plot
- Strength Sap
idk... ive used this a bit now bc Wo-Chien has a lot going for it right now since it's able to check DD Garchomp and Houndstone pretty well, but it's hard to justify this over the Cotton Guard Body Press Ceaseless Edge set because the breaking power is just a bit low. It's not bad but I think it requires too much setup to be a big threat.

 

[Tanny89k]

Godly Gift:
(Spe)
Garganacl @ Leftovers
Ability: Purifying Salt
Tera Type: Fairy / Water
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Iron Defense
- Salt Cure
- Body Press
- Recover

Purifying Salt is very silly. Garganacl can come in on almost any defensive mon and either force them out with Salt Cure or set up with Iron Defense. After an Iron Defense boost, it also beats plenty of offensive threats. Status and hazards help Garganacl wear down defensive threats faster. Weaknesses include breaking past Bulky Ghosts, walling offensive mons without burning Tera, and walling Special attackers.

Replays

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9godlygift-1785174892-agbez337rbsd0qfmkb5ccndq2feme32pw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9godlygift-1785938768-yq85sje66ys26cel97czvrkedj9s3a5pw

Calcs

Offensive Calcs

4 Def Garganacl Body Press vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Iron Treads: 124-148 (32.2 - 38.5%) -- 98.2% chance to 3HKO
4 Def Garganacl Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Maushold: 194-230 (67.1 - 79.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
4 Def Garganacl Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Meowscarada: 194-230 (66.2 - 78.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
4 Def Garganacl Body Press vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Koraidon: 64-76 (18.7 - 22.2%) -- possible 5HKO
4 Def Garganacl Body Press vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Ting-Lu: 120-142 (23.3 - 27.6%) -- possible 5HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 Atk Garganacl Salt Cure vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Volcarona (100 HP): 168-196 (41.6 - 48.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

Defensive Calcs

0 Atk Clodsire Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Garganacl: 134-162 (33.1 - 40%) -- 24.5% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Orichalcum Pulse Koraidon Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Garganacl: 426-504 (105.4 - 124.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Orichalcum Pulse Koraidon Flare Blitz vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Garganacl in Sun: 107-126 (26.4 - 31.1%) -- 11.5% chance to 4HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Technician Maushold (135 Atk) Population Bomb (10 hits) vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Garganacl: 210-240 (51.9 - 59.4%) -- approx. 94.1% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 SpA Volcarona Giga Drain vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Garganacl: 154-182 (38.1 - 45%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

 

[dehzao]

Almost Any Ability

Ceruledge @ Assault Vest
Ability: Orichalcum Pulse
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 184 Atk / 176 Def / 124 SpD / 24 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Flame Charge
- Bitter Blade
- Close Combat
- Solar Blade

It's a perfect option to switch-in when you're up against a Grass or a Bug Type or even one defensive mon like Blissey. With two Flame Charges you are incredibly fast and Orichalcum Pulse sets up the sun so fire moves get higher and also raises you attack. If you lose some HP while trying to build your speed, Bitter Blade does the job of recovering.

Also, with the Sun on you can OHKO any Water/Ground/Rock mon with Solar Blade right away and Close Combat counters the Dark weakness. The only job is to sent him out in the right time so it can Flame Charge and gain advantage.

 

[Hiusi guy]

AAA

Cinderace @ Life Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Flare Blitz
- High Jump Kick
- U-Turn / Swords Dance
- Sucker Punch / Gunk Shot

I like being able to wallbreak without hazard damnge and a 10% chance to skrew me over ignoring gunk and jump accuarcy. The build is kinda just O pulse but weaker but after the ban it can be more viable seeing how its a little more relaible than the d land set,hits harder with other attcaks, and can set up infront of garg and corv with Swords Dance and sucker can help with well baked ghold and cleaner hound.

Calcs:
+2 252 Atk Life Orb Cinderace High Jump Kick vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Fluffy Garganacl: 204-240 (50.4 - 59.4%) -- 82.4% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery (OHKO's otherwise)
+2 252 Atk Life Orb Cinderace High Jump Kick vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Corviknight: 237-279 (59.3 - 69.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 252 Atk Life Orb Cinderace Sucker Punch vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Gholdengo: 273-322 (72.2 - 85.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery (Walled by the defensive build recomened unfort)
252 Atk Life Orb Cinderace Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Houndstone: 185-218 (64.9 - 76.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (spikes stack helps)

 

[Tanny89k]

Kingambit @ Black Glasses
Ability: Tinted Lens
Tera Type: Dark
EVs: 112 HP / 252 Atk / 144 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Kowtow Cleave
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head

Kingambit loves being able to surprise squishy resists like Greninja, Meowscarada, and Roaring Moon with a clean OHKO after a Swords Dance. Can also break through a sufficiently chipped Great Tusk or defensive Slither Wing.

Calcs

+2 252+ Atk Black Glasses Tinted Lens Kingambit Sucker Punch vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Great Tusk: 184-216 (42.3 - 49.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
+2 252+ Atk Black Glasses Tinted Lens Kingambit Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Greninja: 430-506 (150.8 - 177.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252+ Atk Black Glasses Tinted Lens Kingambit Sucker Punch vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Roaring Moon: 410-484 (99 - 116.9%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO

Replays

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9almostanyability-1808913833
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9almostanyability-1809654362
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9almostanyability-1809659720

 

[JesskyKhemically]

STABmons

Pleasant Teeth (Great Tusk) @ Booster Energy
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Fighting
EVs: 188 HP / 252 Atk / 68 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Bulk Up
- Headlong Rush
- Mach Punch
- Ice Spinner
Mach Punch certainly feels like one of the lesser seen options on Great Tusk, and it lets Tusk invest more heavily into bulk as speed becomes less of an issue. 68 Spe EVs are for outspeeding Gliscor, but you can also invest 124 Spe to outspeed max speed Sylveon if need be. Excellent Gliscor check and works well on screens ho.

 

[squedward]

Iron Jugulis @ Choice Specs
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Dark
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Aeroblast
- Fiery Wrath
- Fire Blast
- Parting Shot

this iron jugulis set functions as both a good lead against slower teams, and an excellent mid-game wallbreaker against faster teams. aeroblast and fiery wrath do huge amounts of damage to any pokemon you come up against and can use. tera-dark means you can avoid a KO from many common priority moves, and fire off disgusting fiery wraths which clear most non-resists. i've tried it with scarf, but specs works best to ensure you get damage off. fire blast is there for coverage, and parting shot allows you a good pivoting move. it's also just really fun to use!

 

[Betticus IV]

Scrolling through the OMs threads and see 'creative and underused sets' and thought this would be the perfect space to post some of the more inventive sets I used during AAA Open



Great Tusk @ Leftovers
Ability: Mold Breaker
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 232 HP / 168 Atk / 4 SpD / 104 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Close Combat
- Headlong Rush
- Bulk Up
- Rapid Spin

Although mold breaker is in for this mon, it is usually CB and this bulk up spin set can be a great unexpected win condition. I think the more 'creative' aspect of this set also comes from its spread. +1 in attack lets you 2HKO fluffy and intim corv variants after leftovers. 168 adamant is the bare minimum, but why not go higher? It was because I wanted to maintain as much bulk as possible, and there weren't any guaranteed OHKO's in going to 252+, just a bunch of 88-100whatever rolls and I thought its not worth esp if this is going to be a late game win con when the other team should be theoretically chipped down. 104 speed also lets you outspeed a scream tail at +1. The rest is invested into bulk. The worst mu for this mon is balloon ghosts, as it is completely walled by those, and due to this will need team support by having the balloon popped earlier. It can also take a bit to get rolling/never fully set up for the sweep and in turn not do as much as you want it to. Although the extra hp is nice when paired with bulk up, it missing out on key OHKO's can be a bit annoying against healthier teams.

calcs

+1 168+ Atk Mold Breaker Great Tusk Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Corviknight: 213-252 (53.2 - 63%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
+1 168+ Atk Mold Breaker Great Tusk Headlong Rush vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Scream Tail: 309-364 (83.2 - 98.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
+1 168+ Atk Mold Breaker Great Tusk Headlong Rush vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Pecharunt: 314-372 (82.6 - 97.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Black Sludge recovery
+1 168+ Atk Mold Breaker Great Tusk Headlong Rush vs. 252 HP / 228+ Def Gholdengo: 464-548 (122.7 - 144.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Although many of these are missing out on the 100% mark, I want to emphasize this mon is a late game wincon, and assumes there is at least some chip and/or rocks up. I also did not feel it necessary to go to 252+ for 25% chance OHKOs when I wanted as much bulk as possible.

Replay: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9almostanyability-754406?p2

Full Team: https://pokepast.es/6cebee1267c43975


Ting-Lu @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
Tera Type: Dark
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD or 248 HP / 96 Def / 164 SpD
Careful Nature or Impish Nature
IVs: 29 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Protect
- Earthquake
- Ruination

Also featured on the above team, I have been using spdef mg ting lu since ladder tour and have found it to be a great spdef partner for mana or other non-pert regens. Will say this set is underrated because anytime a non-regen lu set is brought up more times than not it is said to be 'unviable' or at the very least whack, which I think is not true at all. It takes a bit more work to use and get health back than regen, but can provide different utility and longevity to a team due to its typing, hazard, and status immunities. It provides key immunities to electric and psychic, two common types that are able to wear down/beat mana. 29 speed IVs let you underspeed corviknight and annoy it a lot more with ruin + eq on the roosts. This set is not without its caveats however. It is 'walled' by flyings, never able to get the KO even on roosts (unless there is a crit), though it is able to chip them significantly, waste roosts, and keep rocks up. It is hindered significantly if it is knocked. However this mon being so bulky this allows it to be a general nuisance that sits on the field, wastes healing pp, and keeps rocks up.

Replay (second spread on list, it is to allow one to live a ceru cc): https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9almostanyability-760879?p2


Meowscarada @ Life Orb
Ability: Adaptability
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Knock Off
- Flower Trick
- Dark Pulse
- Play Rough

Came up with this set with Cumps because I wanted a special dark mon that could clear out the physical ghosts/psychics/corviknight so my strong fighting type (Zamazenta) can come in and clean easier. Boingk has also been posting ab this so it's kind of funny we all came to this independently lol. Meow acts as an excellent lure for corviknight, a mon that usually walls it, and is able to cleanly pick up the 2HKO if rocks are up. It also threatens mana/pert/tusk greatly without the atk investment which is nice as you really do need all the special investment you can get. Meow also has the added benefit of being faster than non-scarf moon and is able to OHKO with play rough with no boosts/investment, which is really nice. This set struggles with LO chip + helmet + hazards, all compounding its longevity issue. This set is also heavily prediction reliant, as the LO chip means it can't really afford to get the turns wrong. Due to meows frailty and typing if it isn't getting the OHKO it is probably dying itself. However, its surprise factor and breaking ability are great and due to this can cause a great amount of damage in the one or two times it is on the field. I prefer max speed on this set as you will outspeed adamant zams and speed tie with other meow, but I understand boingk's set where it just outspeeds moon for a little bit of atk investment.

calcs

252 SpA Life Orb Adaptability Meowscarada Dark Pulse vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Gholdengo: 359-426 (94.9 - 112.6%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO
252 SpA Life Orb Adaptability Meowscarada Dark Pulse vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Pecharunt: 369-437 (97.1 - 115%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO
4 Atk Life Orb Adaptability Meowscarada Flower Trick vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Manaphy on a critical hit: 426-504 (105.4 - 124.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
4 Atk Life Orb Adaptability Meowscarada Flower Trick vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Great Tusk on a critical hit: 265-312 (61 - 71.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Life Orb Adaptability Meowscarada Dark Pulse vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Corviknight: 190-224 (47.5 - 56%) -- 19.1% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

Replay: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9almostanyability-757905?p2

Full Team: https://pokepast.es/55e9816215eb8971


Gengar @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Adaptability
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Will-O-Wisp
- Knock Off
- Hex
- Toxic Spikes

The final mon I will talk about, but one that I think is the coolest. Inspired by a similar set that Isaiah posted in his AAALT team dump, which was will-o/twave/hex/sludge wave adapt with spooky plate, this set aims to maximize breaking potential without using any damage amp item. I switched out twave for tspikes due to the prevalence of pert and wanting to spread status even when gar wasn't on the field. Knock over sludge wave allows it to break regenvest mons further by removing their item, and because poison coverage wasn't really needed since hex was the move I would be clicking 99% of the time. This gar set has great synergy with mana scald, as that allows for status to be spread before it even enters the field. This mon is not perfect, similar to the tusk set above, it can take some time to get set-up, and unlike the tusk it doesn't have the bulk or passive recovery to support itself longterm. However, it doesn't mind taking weaker knocks in the lategame, as boots aren't needed for its raw damage output. 350 speed also leaves much to be desired, letting things such as moon/boulder/any scarfer easily come in to revenge it. This set is still able to put in work once it is in and can at the very least cripple some of its common switch-ins (regenvests, moon) with a burn and/or a knock. Super fun set and gar as a mon feels underrated as a whole rn. This set can be more offensive with a spooky plate or other damage amp item but boots gets the job done and help give it some needed longevity if hazards are on the field.

calcs

252 SpA Adaptability Gengar Hex (130 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Assault Vest Swampert: 146-174 (36.1 - 43%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after burn damage
252 SpA Adaptability Gengar Hex (130 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Swampert: 220-260 (54.4 - 64.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after burn damage
252 SpA Adaptability Gengar Hex (130 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Assault Vest Manaphy: 136-162 (33.6 - 40%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after burn damage
252 SpA Adaptability Gengar Hex (130 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Manaphy: 204-242 (50.4 - 59.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after burn damage
252 SpA Adaptability Gengar Hex (65 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Gholdengo: 308-364 (81.4 - 96.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Adaptability Gengar Hex (130 BP) vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Corviknight: 324-382 (81 - 95.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery and burn damage
252 SpA Adaptability Gengar Hex (130 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Great Tusk: 472-556 (108.7 - 128.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Replay: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9almostanyability-757934

Full Team: https://pokepast.es/50805e9ef9a5dad8

Hopefully this went a bit more in depth than the larger team dump these mons were apart of!

 

[cityscapes]

alright. you want the sauce, heres the sauce

Arceus-Ghost @ Spooky Plate
Ability: Magic Guard
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Judgment
- Secret Sword
- Spikes

let's start off with something relatively easy to understand. this is walled by exactly bounce aud and nothing else (yvel is also annoying but allows hazards), meaning you typically match up extremely well into teams that are too passive into hazardstack. no recovery arc is heretical but most wish users can support it, you don't even need pivoting, just don't let your wish user get exploited by offensive mon losers and remember to switch out your ghostceus at 40. nothing kills ghostceus from 40

ive lost count of how many blisseys ttars etc ive sniped with secret sword after revealing my other 3 moves and having the opponent mistakenly think i must be recover last. and i don't mean that as a figure of speech either, it's at least 5 and might be up to 10.

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9balancedhackmons-825789 ren uses my team in bh open and ghostceus kills the blissey and then the structure falls apart (ignore that i forgot to add an etern check)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9balancedhackmons-2322426831-91c3uq4ei2ut1ejopumirtu7x1m2cpvpw opponent mistakenly lets yveltal get chipped because they assume i have recover, ghostceus is able to prevail despite encore mirai being really good at halting progress and spikes providing no help
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9balancedhackmons-2350865016-8la0cnu3or660g6wchr8keqacwiq8k8pw funny short one from yesterday's suspect laddering

Arceus-Steel @ Life Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Steel Beam
- V-create
- Head Smash
- Dragon Tail

speaking of no recovery arcs, here's this guy. this mon is the linchpin of a cirno-like offense structure i developed that works pretty simply: you have ice/fairy/flying clickers, improof them with this, then improof this with a chicken. this mon isn't the best breaker on its own cause you get walled by ting and waters, but the goal isn't to break every team open, it's to not be passive. various other options can be considered including wbb/levi gigaton no recovery (maybe with ruination or even split), glare, heart swap (1 of the most underrated moves in the game), list goes on

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9balancedhackmons-2273816819 sometimes they will have no counters which means you win
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9balancedhackmons-2273824228 see above
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9balancedhackmons-2273880938 steelceus holds off the villains as long as possible then the clickers come in and kill everything
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9balancedhackmons-2273896502 court change is one of two disastrous matchups for this team (the other being eleceus) but despite this steelceus is able to hold the team together long enough for me to get webs online again, this time with deadly consequences

Celesteela @ Covert Cloak
Ability: Aerilate
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Quiet / Brave Nature
- Extreme Speed
- Boomburst
- Strength Sap
- Salt Cure

evil celesteela. no one runs cloak steels anymore so you can click endlessly and you also beat imposter. mg hooh/mirai/steelceus and cloak imp are the only true counterplay, everyone else falls to hazards and/or your attacks. this is also really good into fc zama though you do lose to imp if you let them knock you

see ghostceus replays, sorry i dont have too many

edit: nvm here have two more against qt on ladder. enjoy the continuation of the aerilate steela chronicles
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9balancedhackmons-2317656592-gxq6wlmkh50ihu0y1u2fhndrww78s6qpw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9balancedhackmons-2317667984-dx1mo70yco435xhhtkcn0reb7sbyvatpw

Tentacruel @ Black Sludge
Ability: Volt Absorb
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Leech Seed
- Nuzzle
- Baneful Bunker
- Steam Eruption

i remember seeing this oras tentacruel set that was like "4 best moves in the game" (scald tspikes spin knock iirc), so here's the bh equivalent of that. this looks ridiculous but 80/120 bulk is genuinely enough to counter the majority of special arcs and you beat choice guys cause you have bunker. there is usually at least 1 mon in every game that tentacruel completely shuts down, unless youre facing offense in which case you spam nuzzle. leech seed is a genuinely incredible move, keep this away from knock/salt spammers and it never dies

you might be asking "why the fuck is this a tentacruel", i don't have an answer, the set came fully formed in my brain. i can at least say that the steel and fairy resists are extremely useful. haven't actually used this outside of the forbidden tags team from secret santa so idk how applicable it is to other structures

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9balancedhackmons-2260555175 catching specs flutter early
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9balancedhackmons-2350947300-q89e2hmh8jqsmnld4u37e9awonnsdtppw (long game) denies progress from both cage + ice beam eleceus and cage etern, allowing me to hold the position together despite getting my buzzwole poisoned and eventually secure the win with kanga
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9balancedhackmons-2350918277-jbwv8e13a7o6ecp8j4v0ic0sb91lsjnpw bullying ghostceus etern and flutter vs stolen identity sample

under the knife (Celesteela) @ Leftovers
Ability: Volt Absorb
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Gigaton Hammer
- Baneful Bunker
- Spikes

another volt absorber, this was put on the team to improof an sd electric move groundceus but i should really have learned my lesson about that mon by now. the steela on its own is mildly interesting though so i'm putting it here. this is mostly worse than the speed boost variant but it definitely has its moments vs shit like eleceus, and you can even consider fur coat with the idea to punish knock zama with bunker. many options

no replays cause the team sucked

its your turn (Lanturn) @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Toxic Spikes / Thunder Cage
- Baneful Bunker / Roost
- Leech Seed
- Salt Cure / Ruination

lanturn is one of the best unawares. this guys kinda like kyogre except you trade some bulk for cage neutrality and can also sapblock. will not help you against mg ghostceus or power trip, but i don't think any unaware should be trying to do that. i have never used this pokemon on an actual good team; i think it's probably about as good as the tentacruel. unfortunately lanturn gets less mileage out of leech seed due to their higher hp but you should still be clicking it at every opportunity.

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9balancedhackmons-2345870711-v0sj7untr4q77o3rgbv7yqgloj6ggnjpw yeah

Overcast Illusion (Arceus-Fairy) @ Pixie Plate
Ability: Regenerator
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Judgment
- Take Heart
- Secret Sword
- Knock Off

on paper this is the coolest mon ever and is always making that incremental progress but in practice i always get a turn wrong and it dies its such a cool mon though rrrrrrrrrr

in general pixie plate chip-resistant fairyceus is extremely good ive known this ever since the days of my bunny superman with the ridiculous judgment/hjk/heart swap/sap mg one. resilience vs knock and having the stronger fairy move is so nice

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9balancedhackmons-2341317780 fairyceus does fucking nothing in this game but it's an extremely funny replay so i wanted to link it

Kyogre-Primal @ Fairy Feather
Ability: Pixilate
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Extreme Speed
- Boomburst
- Rapid Spin
- Explosion

out of all my sets, this one (along with its sister the 4atks refrigerate celesteela) has perhaps elicited the most confusion from opponents and onlookers. the idea is actually pretty simple. defensively you are kyogre, offensively you're a pixilate clicker with stats roughly equivalent to itemless fairyceus (a bit stronger in the case of boomburst). this set might just look like it's for catching people off guard (and indeed it is very fun to do that), but the underlying logic of having an extremely specially bulky mon that can spin off hazards, revenge kill fastmons, and force progress with explosion is surprisingly sober.

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/...80233210-pgqzog5ig5r8hbst2czru3cor3wjsogpw?p2 felt like a bad person for doing this
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9balancedhackmons-2180259021-wp9diy2j2qfuu2l83i1g55sfg01lcqnpw explodes on the dialga, alleviating spikes pressure and allowing me to win a grindy positional midgame
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9balancedhackmons-2249200301-47ke3ufdz6x0qb9z0p8dhjhaq0qlz83pw i go for a speed tie on opposing imposter, hit it, and the game's over. without imposter, opponent can no longer harass my hazard + recover guys

Chansey (F) @ Eviolite
Ability: Imposter
Tera Type: Normal
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Block
- Heal Bell / Haze / Topsy-Turvy
- Transform
- Roost

transform is the best imp. ever since Greybaum suggested it to me ive put it on all my teams. it's the only chansey that gets you a consistent advantage from losing the imp tie on lead while maintaining block to stop them from stealing your heal bell later. the idea is pretty simple, if their imp activates t1 then you spam transform, they have to switch out due to block, and you'll transform into an opposing mon and see what it's up to. very useful.

Arceus-Steel @ Stone Plate
Ability: Levitate
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Take Heart
- Judgment
- High Jump Kick
- Strength Sap

this is the stupidest fucking set ive ever used but it keeps randomly winning endgames and i dont really know why

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9balancedhackmons-2285846406 funny game
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9balancedhackmons-2285861343-4kdeufh8ud9jaehy2etns5vxejmza26pw even funnier game featuring action from the greatest to ever do it mandibuzz and transform imp outright winning an endgame. this is easily in my top 5 svbh replays and its a tough contest

enjoy fun game wacky pocket monster