Metagame DPP Draft

[EndlessGadgets]

DPP Draft ​

Smogon's first DPP draft is here! Unlike other formats that have had guides written for them, DPP draft is a more unexplored metagame. Due to this, there are many, many things still to be discovered about the format. In this post, I will give a comprehensive introduction to the format, including mechanical changes, and important roles and things to consider while drafting. In a second post, I will cover many relevant Pokemon in DPP draft (mostly the high tiers, but also some relevant low tiers).

Rules
To see the full rules, reference the announcement post linked here: https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/dpp-i-signups.3758432/

Additional Resources
I will be referencing the Distortion Draft Tournament (DDT) frequently in this guide. It is the major DPP draft tournament hosted by myself and jeronis . I will link the Discord server and the doc from the last edition here. There you can find replays as well as team compositions on the doc itself.
https://discord.gg/3DdgVvs2aa
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rvAeTJm5k4UrD7BgYsXSQ0g9vpaAh5KnKhAnu7JQc4U/edit?usp=sharing

Mechanical Changes
There are many mechanical changes between SV and DPP. I will cover as many relevant ones below as possible:

Mechanics

• There is no team preview. The first Pokemon in your teambuilder will be sent out as your lead Pokemon. The lead is one of the most important aspects of DPP so make sure you have the right Pokemon in the first spot.
• Fairy type does not exist.
• Steel resists Dark and Ghost.
• Grass types are NOT immune to powder moves.
• Electric types are NOT immune to paralysis.
• Ghost types are NOT immune to trapping.
• Paralysis reduces speed by 75% instead of 50%.
• Explosion and Self-Destruct halve the opponent’s Defense stat, and thus essentially have 500 and 400 base power, respectively.
• Defog DOES NOT remove hazards from your side of the field, ONLY your opponent’s side of the field.
• Storm Drain and Lightning Rod DO NOT provide an immunity.
• Magic Guard prevents you from being poisoned by Toxic Spikes and being immobilized for a turn by full paralysis.
• Knock Off is only 20 base power, and is thus only used for removing items and not for damage output.
• Oblivious and similar abilities do not negate Intimidate.
• ExtremeSpeed and Fake Out only have +1 priority.
• Thunder Wave has 100% accuracy. Will-O-Wisp has 75% accuracy. Toxic has 85% accuracy and can miss even when used by a Poison type Pokemon.
• Burn does 12.5% HP per turn.
• Sturdy DOES NOT act as a Focus Sash equivalent.
• All of Rotom’s forms are Electric/Ghost type.
• Weather abilities cause permanent weather. The only ones legal in this format are Sand Stream and Snow Warning, as Drought and Drizzle are exclusive to Groudon and Kyogre, respectively, in DPP.
• Magic Coat DOES NOT reflect the vast majority of the relevant moves it reflects in later generations.
• Hazards deal damage BEFORE Healing Wish/Lunar Dance heal their targets.
• Taunt lasts a random number of turns, with the minimum being 3 and the maximum being 5.
• Encore lasts a random number of turns, with the minimum being 4 and the maximum being 8.
• Special moves nerfed in XY still have their original base powers, such as 140 BP Draco Meteor, 95 BP Ice Beam, 120 BP Fire Blast, etc.
• Wish heals the recipient by 50% of the recipient’s HP, as opposed to the user’s HP.
• Mental Herb only cures infatuation and not Encore/Taunt.
• Knock Off removes your ability to use an item - cannot be tricked an item or use Trick (will fail), steal item with Thief, etc
• Pokemon do not take Life Orb recoil when hitting a Substitute.
• Rapid Spin is 20 base power and does not boost speed.

Roles and Drafting Considerations
Drafts in DPP have some similarities to modern generations, but there are numerous important differences. In this section, I will cover the main things I look for when drafting in the format.

Drafting

• Leads
  • This is, bar none, the most important thing to consider when drafting. Although DPP is the generation famous for dedicated leads, especially Focus Sash suicide leads, in draft it is important to have at least 2 Pokemon on your draft that can viably lead every game. If you have 1, or even 0, Pokemon that are effective in the lead spot, your team will be very predictable and you will likely begin the game on the back foot very early.
• Stealth Rock
  • Going hand-in-hand with leads, Stealth Rock is the most important move to have at your disposal in DPP. You will win and lose games by setting it up and preventing your opponent from doing the same, or failing to do so. Stealth Rock does have quite good distribution in DPP, so getting at least 2 viable rockers is very doable, and highly recommended.
• Rapid Spin
  • Rapid Spin is the only form of hazard removal in DPP. With Stealth Rock and Spikes (I'll touch on the latter next) being very prevalent in the metagame, getting a spinner is of paramount importance on the vast majority of team compositions. With only 15 fully evolved spinners in the game, and not all of them being particularly viable, make sure to keep it in mind while drafting and don't wait too long to grab yours. This role is not completely mandatory, but I have seen very few spin-less drafts succeed in DPP.
• Spikes
  • Spikes are another great asset to have. Forcing further chip damage is fantastic in this metagame and forcing spins that you can take advantage of is a good way to advance your gamestate. Keep in mind that there are only 9 fully evolved spikers in the game, plus one viable NFE spiker in Roselia. If you want Spikes on your draft, grab them early as they tend to go quickly in the draft.
• Speed
  • Most generations have a speed tier you look to hit at minimum in your draft, and DPP is no different. In my opinion, you should get at least one Pokemon with a base speed of 108 or higher. Infernape is one of the biggest threats in this format, and not being able to outspeed it is a death sentence in most matchups. This speed tier also outspeeds numerous other top Pokemon. If possible, getting something at 115+ is nice for Starmie and Raikou, but 108 is the bare minimum your team should cap out at.
• Recovery
  • DPP games oftentimes go long, so having a couple Pokemon with good sustainability, even if its just being able to use Rest reliably, can help significantly into more defensive opponents. This also helps mitigate the strong effect of hazard stack into your draft.
• Typings
  • While no typing is mandatory per se, there are a number of them I want to touch on in terms of their uses in DPP specifically and how they differ from modern draft gens.
    • Steel: The best type in the game, bar none. The huge swath of resistances shores up many defensive holes in drafts, and notably this is the only type that resists Dragon. With full power Outrages and Draco Meteors being thrown around, steel is the one mandatory type, as you will get run over by offensive dragons without it.
    • Water: Important for checking top threats such as Infernape, Metagross, and Heatran, while generally being sturdy defensively and having spammable STAB in Surf.
    • Ghost: The ability to block Rapid Spin is very helpful to keep your hazards up. The ghost typing is very rare in DPP, so if your team composition benefits from a spinblocker, consider drafting it relatively early in the draft.
    • Electric or Grass: With bulky waters being everywhere, I highly recommend having either an electric or grass type on your draft. Being sat on by waters is not where you want to be.
    • Fighting: One of the best wallbreaking types in DPP, Close Combat is a very spammable move and being able to provide strong offensive pressure is important as this format can become very defensive in many matchups.
    • Fighting resists: Just as fighting types themselves are very strong, having a way to switch into them is important as well. This usually is a flying or psychic, but other options exist depending on your team.
    • Dragon: Dragons are at their strongest in DPP (and BW), so it is a good idea to pick one up if you are running a more offensive team style. There are very few available however, and once they are gone it is generally not worth resorting to cheap ones such as Dragonair as alternative options.
    • Poison: With hazard removal being very limited, having a grounded poison is generally a good idea to combat Toxic Spikes. If your team composition is offensive enough, you can probably afford to skip on this though.
    • Ground and Dark: Both of these typings have their uses in DPP and have great users. The main reason I mention these here is that unlike in many modern generations, these typings are not near-mandatory. There aren't many strong electrics outside Zapdos, Raikou, and Rotom-A, so the main purpose of grounds outside checking those is setting Stealth Rock. Psychics are quite strong but with how prevalent steels are, dark is not needed to check them. Remember that steel resists ghost in DPP, meaning darks aren't as important to check them.

 

[EndlessGadgets]

In this post I will discuss the Pokemon themselves. Each one will have a basic rundown of what they can do and their place in the metagame. I will cover every Pokemon from 18 to 14 points. Afterwards I will briefly cover other commonly drafted Pokemon that cost 13 points or less.

18 pointers

18 Pointers

Dragonite
Dragonite is the premier Dragon type in the metagame. Its raw power is nearly unmatched and it will shred any team without a solid steel type. Dragonite is a fantastic pick to start off a draft, however it lacks utility and requires teammates to make it truly shine. Hazard support, especially Rapid Spin, is paramount with Dragonite to keep it healthy to successfully get off its sweep.

Infernape
Infernape is one of the top two Pokemon in the metagame. It is a top-tier wallbreaker, offensive pivot, revenge killer, setup sweeper, and even a good lead in certain matchups. Infernape is centralizing to the point of 108 being a baseline speed tier every team needs to tie or surpass. The versatility of Infernape is nearly unmatched and can fit onto virtually any team, allowing you to draft flexibly if you get it as your round 1 pick.

Metagross
Metagross is the other of the top two Pokemon in the metagame. It is fantastic at wallbreaking, revenge killing with priority, setting up rocks, and sweeping with Rock Polish. Notably, DPP's pre-nerf Explosion makes Metagross able to OHKO almost the entire format, even Pokemon such as Skarmory after hazard damage. Metagross's versatility enables it to fit on any team, and getting your steel type early is incredibly valuable. Make sure to get speed options with your Metagross, as it is one of the slower top tiers in the format.

Zapdos
Zapdos is the top defensive Pokemon in the metagame. Zapdos has great bulk for DPP standards while not being passive due to its strong Thunderbolts. It also can grab momentum with U-turn and heal with Roost, fixing its primary issues from ADV draft formats. Zapdos also has the ability to run strong offensive sets, leveraging its natural bulk to obtain opportunities to fire off Thunderbolt and other attacks freely. Like most of the other top tiers, Zapdos's versatility allows it to work well on many team compositions, but it does mandate Rapid Spin support to be as effective as possible. I do want to mention that rain is a viable archetype in DPP draft despite the lack of Drizzle users, and Zapdos is one of the best top tiers to have for that team style.

17 pointers

17 pointers
Heatran
Heatran is a top-tier stallbreaker and utility Pokemon, with many other sets at its disposal as well. It is a fantastic lead and rocker in general, while also being valuable in other roles in the mid- and late-game. Heatran provides a ton of role compression on a team and its value as a steel type that can nuke other steels is paramount. One important thing to note is Magma Storm has 120 base power with 70% accuracy in DPP. Heatran can fit on many team styles, but it is important to get good speed with it and a strong Infernape check, as Infernape has decent entry points on Heatran.

Scizor
Scizor is one of the more unique top tiers. While it doesn't have the utility or raw bulk of many others, it is one of the best revenge killers, cleaners, and momentum grabbers available. Its typing and access to Roost give it longevity, especially with bulk investment. Scizor loves being paired with strong offensive Pokemon which it can enable with its incredibly strong U-turns. Scizor also appreciates Rapid Spin support as it gets worn down quickly by Stealth Rock with its repeated pivoting.

Skarmory
Skarmory is the best defensive utility Pokemon in the metagame. It is extremely reliable as both a Stealth Rock and Spikes setter and its physical bulk is very difficult to break through in DPP. Skarmory is able to fit on many defensive or balanced team compositions, and appreciates being paired with a strong special wall or pivot. Skarmory teams should generally try to get a spinblocker if possible, to allow Skarmory's support to be used to the fullest.

Tyranitar
The king of DPP OU is here, and while it isn't an absolute max point behemoth, it is still a menace. Tyranitar is great at many roles, including but not limited to wallbreaking, setup cleaning, defensive pivot, Pursuit trapper, and utility rocker. In DPP, weather abilities do not wear off after 5 or 8 turns, so sandstorm will stay up for the entire game after Tyranitar is sent in unless the opponent uses a turn to set up a different weather (or they have an Abomasnow). This does make Tyranitar a bit harder to fit onto certain team styles, but it is nonetheless an amazing Pokemon. Tyranitar needs to be paired with strong fighting resists and good speed to be at its best. It also works well with partners such as Machamp and Lucario that take advantage of its ability to Pursuit trap their checks.

16 pointers

16 pointers
Azelf
Azelf is a Pokemon that greatly benefits from the draft format compared to OU. In OU, Azelf is almost exclusively used as a suicide lead, but in draft it can do many other roles effectively. Of course the suicide lead set is still strong, but there are many ways to counter it with smart prep. In draft Azelf is able to be used as a very strong offensive threat, similar to how Deoxys-Speed is used in SV. It can be run physical or special, with boosting items or Choice Scarf, and also has setup sets that are very potent with Nasty Plot. Azelf forces a lot of prep for the lead set, and as such a large skill check with it is knowing when to use that set vs. when to use certain offensive sets. Azelf fits on many team styles, but really shines on offensive teams with a compact defensive core. It likes strong partners to U-turn into that can weaken opposing teams for the endgame, and also those strong partners can provide pressure to keep its hazards up from the lead set.

Clefable
Clefable is a fantastic defensive Pokemon in DPP draft, and provides immense utility to a team between Thunder Wave and Stealth Rock, among other moves. Note that Clefable is a normal type in DPP, so it does not have its resistances provided by the fairy typing in XY and beyond. Clefable can also be a potent win condition with Calm Mind or Cosmic Power due to its Toxic immunity from Magic Guard. Clefable fits very well on defensive teams and those looking to play a long game. It is a great partner for Skarmory and Tyranitar (just patch up the fighting weakness they share).

Gengar
Gengar is the best offensive ghost in the format. It is a strong wallbreaker and cleaner, and fits very well onto offensive teams looking to keep up their hazards. With Levitate as its ability in DPP, it has numerous opportunities to switch in with good predictions on its three immunities. Gengar is also great at spreading status with access to all 3 major status conditions. Gengar likes partners with consistent hazard setting capabilities as well as a strong fighting type to double into to protect it from Pursuit.

Raikou
Raikou is a potent win condition in DPP draft. With ground types being less common, Calm Mind sets are immensely threatening, as are Substitute + Toxic sets. Raikou is one of the more limited Pokemon discussed so far but it is incredibly effective and must be respected in prep and drafting. Raikou likes being paired with a good water type to break past the grounds that are available as well as wallbreakers to weaken the opposing team for its endgame.

Rotom-Appliance
In DPP draft, the 16 point Rotom is allowed to use any of its forms, except the base form. Rotom-Appliance is the best spinblocker in the metagame, bar none. It is great defensively and at spreading status while staying healthy with Pain Split. It is also potent offensively with good STABs and coverage. Rotom-Appliance fits on most drafts very well, with the one requirement it wants is good hazard setters as partners.

Starmie
Starmie is the best spinner in the metagame, and as such tends to be drafted very early. Its speed enables it to revenge kill a large portion of the format and its good coverage makes it a potent offensive threat in its own right. While its bulk isn't fantastic, it is sufficient to make bulky sets with Recover very effective as well. Starmie works on almost any draft and doesn't need many particular partners. Instead, it is the preferred partner of many other top tiers.

Suicune
Suicune is similar to Raikou as a top-tier win condition, however it trades in Raikou's great speed for immaculate bulk. Calm Mind sets are the most common, and can get out of hand quickly without sufficient counterplay in prep. This does not mean other sets, such as Substitute + Toxic and offensive sets should be discounted. 85 is also a solid speed tier for a Pokemon as bulky as Suicune. Suicune provides very little utility to a team outside its win condition status and ability to switch into threats as a bulky water, so it needs partners to support its team in the early and mid-game to open up a Suicune sweep. As a result, Suicune is difficult to draft around but the payoff for doing so effectively is unmatched.

15 pointers

15 pointers
Cresselia
Cresselia is similar to Suicune as a bulky win condition. It is not as effective but still quite potent, especially with dark types not being as common as in future generations. Cresselia fits well on defensive teams as a form of inevitability to give them an actual win condition to build towards. It can also work well on certain offensive team compositions, especially ones that appreciate the support it provides with Thunder Wave and Lunar Dance. One thing to note is Lunar Dance and Healing Wish heal the recipient after hazard damage in DPP, and also that they cannot be stored like they can be in SV. Cresselia requires a lot of support to be effective, but on the right team it can be devastating.

Flygon
Flygon is a fantastic Pokemon in the format, as one of the few viable dragon types. Its speed makes it a great scarfer to revenge threats or wallbreaker with Choice Band. It is a great pivot with fast U-turns to get in your other pieces and can also work defensively with Roost and its immunity and resistance to most forms of passive damage. Flygon fits on many types of drafts, and especially appreciates partners to eliminate steels and ground immunities to allow it to spam its STABs easily. These include Pokemon such as Tyranitar for trapping Rotom-Appliance and Gengar and electric types to remove Skarmory.

Hippowdon
Hippowdon is not drafted as frequently as the other Pokemon discussed so far, but on defensive teams it can be a very valuable Pokemon to add. Hippowdon is virtually a staple on stall, with its supreme bulk and Sand Stream adding additional passive damage to those teams, as well as providing a reliable rocker and phazer. Hippowdon is not recommended on hyper offense or bulky offense teams, but if you are looking to build a more defensive draft, it should definitely be in consideration for a spot.

Kingdra
Kingdra is the face of rain in DPP, and for very good reason. It is immensely threatening both in and out of rain, but with rain up it is nearly impossible to stop defensively. Outside of rain it also has other potent sets such as Dragon Dance, especially with Lum Berry or Rest + Chesto Berry. Its STABs on both sides are very difficult to switch into. While Kingdra provides virtually zero utility to its team, its a very strong build-around that has a huge payoff if done correctly. I recommend pairing it with rain setters who are bulky to set it up multiple times but fast enough to not be easily Taunted, such as Zapdos, Azelf, and Uxie.

Shaymin
Shaymin stocks have risen astronomically recently, and it has had repeated top finishes in various DPP tournaments. In the most recent Distortion Draft Tournament (the largest DPP draft tournament in the scene), 3 Shaymin made semifinals, and the finals was a Shaymin mirror. Multiple other Shaymin were also knocked out of the tournament in other Shaymin mirrors earlier in the bracket. Shaymin is the best grass type in the format, and this is incredibly valuable to answer opposing waters and other strong Pokemon such as Tyranitar and Raikou. Seed Flare is a great wallbreaking tool, to the point where Shaymin doesn't need many coverage moves in most matchups. Its longevity with Synthesis or Rest + Natural Cure is also fantastic and makes it a good status absorber, something hard to come by in DPP. Shaymin fits on many draft styles, and pairs well with Pokemon such as Infernape and Heatran that hate bulky waters.

Swampert
Swampert is a great defensive tank that provides solid role compression with Stealth Rock, phazing, and decent damage output with its strong STABs and usable offensive stats. It is important to note that Swampert does not have access to Flip Turn or Knock Off in DPP but it still has plenty of utility to work well on many teams. While Swampert is truly at home on balance builds, it can work on offense or stallier teams if drafted correctly. Swampert is a simple Pokemon but that does not limit its ability to be very effective.

Uxie
Uxie is a great support Pokemon with its extreme reliability in setting up rocks and pivoting into many top threats. It is also a premier rain setter and commonly paired with Kingdra or other Swift Swim users for this reason. Uxie can also be a solid win condition in certain matchups with Calm Mind sets. Uxie is another Pokemon that doesn't do much outside of what it says on the tin, except for the occasional Calm Mind set, but once again it is very splashable on any team looking for a defensive pivot and reliable rocker.

14 pointers

14 pointers
Celebi
Celebi is similar to a cross between Shaymin and Uxie. It's not as specialized at either of their roles, but it's still a potent setup sweeper, pivot, and utility Pokemon. As long as you can get a good way to punish U-turn with bug resists and hazard setters, Celebi is a great addition to many teams.

Dugtrio
Dugtrio is banned in OU but isn't great in draft. On certain team compositions it can be appreciated for trapping Pokemon like Tyranitar, Heatran, and Infernape but outside of that it doesn't do much. Note that it only has a base attack stat of 80 before USUM so it does not hit as hard as in modern generations.

Empoleon
Empoleon is a unique Pokemon that compresses the roles of bulky water, steel type, and rocker into one package and does those pretty well outside of not checking fires. It also has very potent offensive sets with Agility or just bulky attacker sets. No Roost hurts its longevity but it's still a very solid choice.

Gyarados
Gyarados is a fantastic offensive win condition. It is very hard to stop once it gets going and has numerous setup opportunities thanks to Intimidate. If paired with ways to remove bulky waters, Gyarados is a great Pokemon to have in the mid- and late-game.

Lucario
Lucario is a solid offensive piece. It lacks the utility of most other steels, but its combination of priority, various setup options, and strong raw power with Close Combat makes it a great fit on offensive teams. If you want to use Lucario on a more balanced build, I would recommend having a second steel type on the team if possible.

Machamp
Machamp is a good option for a wallbreaker and lead. It's a strong choice to trade one-for-one and works well on paraspam archetypes. Don't discount Guts sets with Close Combat as a possible option as well. Machamp appreciates paralysis support but that is not completely necessary for it to function.

Mamoswine
Mamoswine is a wallbreaker and decent rocks setter. Its speed isn't bad as it can outspeed defensive Pokemon, but it is not great into opposing offensive teams outside of Ice Shard priority. The lack of real ice STAB hurts it significantly.

Snorlax
Snorlax is another Pokemon on the rise after winning the last edition of DDT. Snorlax is a solid win condition that can also function as a wallbreaker with Choice Band. It can check many opposing Pokemon with its sheer bulk and power. Snorlax appreciates having good fighting checks paired with it, and fits well on bulky offense and balance drafts.

Other commonly drafted Pokemon

Other commonly drafted Pokemon

Aerodactyl (13)
Aerodactyl is one of the fastest Pokemon in the metagame. Its high speed and access to Taunt and Stealth Rock make it a fantastic lead and it can also work as a revenge killer or cleaner in certain matchups.

Bronzong (13)
Bronzong is a good defensive steel type and rocker. If you don't get one of the top-tier steels, its a great option to fall back on.

Crobat (13)
Like Aerodactyl, Crobat's speed is nearly unparalleled in DPP. Its access to Taunt, Super Fang, Roost, and solid bulk makes it a great stallbreaker, with the ability to go offensive with strong Brave Birds or Nasty Plot boosted Sludge Bombs and Air Slashes.

Gliscor (13)
Gliscor is a good defensive Pokemon and rocker. It's defensive typing is very effective, even without Poison Heal. It also can threaten teams offensively with Swords Dance sets.

Nidoqueen (13)
Nidoqueen is primarily used as a pivot and hazard setter. It is one of the best Toxic Spikes setters in the format and can set rocks well too. Its unique resistance profile and bulk allow it to fit on many teams as a glue Pokemon.

Roserade (13)
Roserade is a fantastic spiker and toxic spiker. It can be used offensively but isn't great with the lower base power of Energy Ball and Giga Drain in this generation. Its speed and access to other utility moves such as Stun Spore and Aromatherapy give it a solid place on many teams.

Donphan (12)
Donphan has an important place in the metagame as one of the rare spinners. It is an okay ground type and rocker but its primary purpose is spinning, which is valuable enough for it to be drafted in most draft pools.

Nidoking (12)
Nidoking works similarly to Nidoqueen, just with slightly better speed and offense but worse bulk. It fits better on hyper offense teams than Nidoqueen and saving the point in budget from picking it over Nidoqueen can come up quite a bit in drafting.

Registeel (12)
Registeel is similar to Bronzong. It trades in the better abilities of Bronzong for other utility options such as Thunder Wave. A good steel type on many teams outside hyper offense.

Blastoise (11)
Blastoise provides great role compression as a spinner and bulky water. Its less threatening offensively than Donphan due to lower offensive stats and weaker STAB but its additional special bulk is helpful, as well as its ability to hit most spinblockers for passable damage.

Breloom (11)
Breloom is a fine fighting type wallbreaker and Poison Heal stall mon but the lack of Spore in draft significantly hinders its success. Strong Mach Punch is still valuable enough for Breloom to be a consideration on certain teams.

Hariyama (11)
Hariyama is a good tank and wallbreaker. Although it lacks good resistances, its raw bulk allows it to oftentimes trade one-for-one with whatever threat you need it to in a matchup.

Mismagius (11)
Mismagius is a discount Gengar but its pretty good for it's price. Having Nasty Plot also opens it up to endgame sweeps in certain matchups.

Tentacruel (11)
Tentacruel is another bulky water spinner. The poison typing provides additional resistances and the ability to absorb Toxic Spikes, and the higher speed allows Swords Dance or other offensive sets to sometimes have potential. The ground and psychic weaknesses hold it back from being strictly better than Blastoise.

Claydol (10)
Another role compression spinner and rocker. Its defensive profile is a bit better than Donphan's but it is much more passive.

Jolteon (10)
Jolteon is a fantastic revenge killer and cleaner. It enjoys the lowered prevalence of ground types in DPP draft. It doesn't do much else but it's well worth its price for what it brings to the table.

Cloyster (9)
Yet another spinner, the ice typing holds Cloyster back from being elite despite its good stats. Its access to Explosion and strong STAB moves in Ice Beam and Surf give it offensive capabilities no other spinner has outside Starmie. The Stealth Rock weakness limits its ability to repeatedly spin, so it likes to be on teams that can provide offensive pressure so hazards only need to be spun once or twice.

Hitmontop (9)
Hitmontop is a spinner with Intimidate and priority, plus a strong Close Combat. Its middling stats and lack of useful resistances hold it back significantly, but it's a solid pick for its price.

Steelix (9)
Steelix is a great value steel. It is a good rocker and has Roar for phazing. Its additional ground typing is both a benefit and a detriment, as it helps with checking Raikou and smacking things with a strong Earthquake but the water weakness can be a huge issue.

Cacturne (8)
Cacturne is an okay offensive spiker. It hits decently hard and has a strong Sucker Punch. It doesn't do much else but it's fine for what it is. Also it can cheese opponents in the Tyranitar and Hippowdon matchups, as Sand Veil is its only ability.

Glalie (7)
Glalie is a good lead spiker with Ice Shard, Explosion, and Taunt. It doesn't do anything else but this is good enough to be worth drafting occasionally.

Leafeon (5)
Leafeon is a decent defensive grass type and Wish passer. Its good speed stat opens up extra opportunities for it to perform its role and its good physical bulk allows it to check certain Pokemon such as Tyranitar.

Misdreavus (5)
Misdreavus is a good cheap spinblocker. It's outclassed by others but it has good utility moves and solid speed. If you need a spinblocker and don't have a lot of points left, Misdreavus is a great choice.

Probopass (5)
Probopass is a fine cheap steel. It has rocks and decent bulk, okay coverage, and can trap other steels with scarf Magnet Pull sets occasionally.

There are many other viable Pokemon in DPP that aren't drafted as often. As the metagame is still developing and underexplored, if you see a Pokemon that fits your team and has a niche that benefits you, draft it! There's lots of room for innovation. Don't be afraid to think outside the box and try a Pokemon that isn't a staple of the DPP draft metagame.

I hope these posts have given you a good basic understanding of the DPP draft format. I would like to give a gigantic thank you to Hacker for helping with these guides and running the Smogon Draft DPP Cup with me. I would also like to thank jeronis for being a huge part in the development of the format and my right-hand man in running the Distortion Draft Tournament. Lastly, a big shoutout is in order for Princess Autumn fortunate sun and Celeste for making resources for draft metagames in the past, all of which were huge inspirations for me writing this guide. I'm excited to see what new meta trends come from this tournament and many more people trying DPP draft!