Entry Hazards

[Birkal]

-Approved by Genny the Generous-

Hello! Since there seems to be a lot of great discussion going around DST about various items and playstyles, I figured it might be beneficial to start up a topic about entry hazards. Hopefully we can all contribute unique and thoughtful insights and learn more about our metagame through each other. If you feel that you already have a complete knowledge of entry hazards, feel free to skip to the last section of this OP to the questions that discuss today's metagame. But if you're looking for inspiration in terms of entry hazards or a better understanding, feel free to use this topic as a tool to better your knowledge of today's metagame. PM me if you have any suggestions or questions about this topic. Thanks for reading!


What are entry hazards?
Entry hazards are an attack that do damage to opponents as they switch in. It essentially punishes switching in and out continuously throughout the match. There are three categories of entry hazards in fifth generation:

• Stealth Rock - Upon activation of this Rock-type move, a set amount of damage is done every time the opponent switches Pokemon, as opposed to the layered mechanics of Spikes and Toxic Spikes. The damage of the chart is based on the switching Pokemon's weakness to Rock-type attacks:
  
  
  • x.025 Effective = 3.125% HP (e.g. Lucario)
  • x.5 Effective = 6.25% HP (e.g. Hippowdon)
  • x1 Effective = 12.5% HP (e.g. Tyranitar)
  • x2 Effective = 25% HP (e.g. Gyarados)
  • x4 Effective = 50% HP (e.g. Volcarona)
  
  With Stealth Rock on the field, some Pokemon can take massive amounts of damage simply for switching in (Ninjask only gets two switch-ins at full HP (without recovery) before it faints). A deciding factor when choosing a member of your team might be how resistant they are to Stealth Rock to grant them more switch ins. Another advantage is to prevent Pokemon with a Focus Sash or Sturdy from surviving what would normally be a OHKO move, making sweeps much more reliable. Overall, Stealth Rock is a very effective move that is wildly popular in any competitive tier you play.
  
  
  Notable Users of Stealth Rock

  
  

  

  Sandslash
  

  

  Nidoqueen
  

  

  Nidoking
  

  

  Clefable
  

  

  Wigglytuff
  

  

  Dugtrio
  

  

  Golem
  

  

  Cloyster
  

  

  Marowak
  

  

  Chansey
  

  

  Pinsir
  

  

  Omastar
  

  

  Kabutops
  

  

  Aerodactyl
  

  

  Mew
  

  

  Sudowoodo
  

  

  Forretress
  

  

  Dunsparce
  

  

  Steelix
  

  

  Shuckle
  

  

  Macargo
  

  

  Corsola
  

  

  Skarmory
  

  

  Donphan
  

  

  Miltank
  

  

  Blissey
  

  

  Tyranitar
  

  

  Celebi
  

  

  Swampert
  

  

  Aggron
  

  

  Camerupt
  

  

  Torkoal
  

  

  Lunatone
  

  

  Solrock
  

  

  Claydol
  

  

  Cradily
  

  

  Armaldo
  

  

  Kecleon
  

  

  Relicanth
  

  

  Metagross
  

  

  Regirock
  

  

  Registeel
  

  

  Jirachi
  

  

  Deoxys (All Formes)
  

  

  Torterra
  

  

  Infernape
  

  

  Empoleon
  

  

  Bibarel
  

  

  Rampardos
  

  

  Bastiodon
  

  

  Wormadam
  

  

  Bronzong
  

  

  Hippowdon
  

  

  Rhyperior
  

  

  Gliscor
  

  

  Mamoswine
  

  

  Probopass
  

  

  Uxie
  

  

  Mesprit
  

  

  Azelf
  

  

  Ferrothorn
  

  

  Bisharp
  
  
  
• Spikes - Once used, Spikes lays a field of entry hazards on the ground of your opponent's Pokemon. Unlike Stealth Rock, the amount of damage done by Spikes is set by the amount of times the move is used (measured in layers):
  
  
  • 1 Layer = 12.5% Maximum HP
  • 2 Layers = 16.6% Maximum HP
  • 3 Layers and Up = 25% Maximum HP
  
  As you can tell, a lot of damage can be added up via Spikes. However, it should be noted that it is a Ground-type move, and as such, Flying-type Pokemon (e.g. Skarmory) and Pokemon with the ability Levitate (e.g. Latias) don't take any damage from Spikes. This immunity can temporarily be alleviated when Gravity is in effect and the immune Pokemon switches in. Spikes can be especially useful on teams that incorporate phazing (forcing the opposing Pokemon out via Whirlwind, Roar, Dragon Tail, or other such moves) to rack up lots of damage on the opposing team.
  
  
  Notable Users of Spikes

  

  Cloyster
  

  

  Omastar
  

  

  Forretress
  

  

  Qwilfish
  

  

  Skarmory
  

  

  Cacturne
  

  

  Glalie
  

  

  Deoxys (All Formes)
  

  

  Roserade
  

  

  Froslass
  

  

  Scolipede
  

  

  Maractus
  

  

  Garbador
  

  

  Crustle
  

  

  Ferrothorn
  

  

  Accelgor
  
  
  
• Toxic Spikes - Within the same vein of Spikes, Toxic Spikes only works on Pokemon who are ground-ward bound (those who lack a Flying-type or Levitate). But instead of dealing damage like Spikes do, Toxic Spikes affects the opponents with a "Poisoned" condition. The degree of toxicity is determined by the amount of layers used:
  
  
  • 1 Layer = Poisons Opponent (Opponent loses 12.5% HP per turn)
  • 2 Layers and Up = Badly Poisons Opponent (Opponent loses X/16 HP per turn, where X equals the amount of consecutive turns that Pokemon has been in battle)
  
  This gives Toxic Spikes the power to be very deadly when used in the correct situations. However, Steel-type Pokemon (e.g. Scizor) join the ranks of Flying-type and Levitating Pokemon as immune to this hazard as they are immune to Poison-type moves altogether. Furthermore, opposing Poison-type Pokemon not only aren't Poisoned by them, but absorb them off the battlefield upon switching in. Toxic Spikes are only effective in some situations, but can provide a steep advantage to the team utilizing them in those times.
  
  
  Notable Users of Toxic Spikes

  
  

  

  Beedrill
  

  

  Nidoqueen
  

  

  Nidoking
  

  

  Venomoth
  

  

  Tentacruel
  

  

  Cloyster
  

  

  Omastar
  

  

  Ariados
  

  

  Forretress
  

  

  Qwilfish
  

  

  Roserade
  

  

  Drapion
  

  

  Scolipede
  

  

  Garbador
  

 

[Birkal]

So now that you know of entry hazards and their effects, you might ask, "What can I do about them?" Entry hazards appear in the majority of fifth generation battles, so it is often a smart idea to take precautions for preventing their appearance on your side of the field. Or even if they find their way onto the field, there are tactics that can be used to prevent their effects. The following passage will be split into two sections: abilities that deal with entry hazards and moves that deal with entry hazards.


Abilities

• Magic Bounce - Introduced in fifth generation, Magic Bounce has become one of the primary methods of keeping entry hazards off your side of the field. The ability not only prevents entry hazards from landing, but it bounces them back onto the opponent's field. Even more impressive is the fact that Magic Bounce reflects almost all secondary effects, from Toxic to Leech Seed. It's an incredibly effective ability that has a variety of purposes, especially in terms of stopping entry hazards. On the downside, Magic Bounce has only two plausible users:
  
  
  • 
    Xatu
    [*]
    
    Espeon
    
  
  Unfortunately, these two don't have the best defenses and can't hold up against super-effective attacks for long. However, Xatu gets Roost to help its longevity while Espeon can hit back hard with its impressive 130 base Special Attack. On the whole, Magic Bounce plays an important part in today's metagame that's filled with entry hazards.
  
  
  
• Magic Guard - This unique ability grants its holder from any passive form of damage, including damage inflicted by entry hazards. In generation four, the only Pokemon to have Magic Guard was the underrated Clefable. However, this new generation has brought us some capable new users of the ability:
  
  
  • 
    Clefable
  • 
    Alakazam
  • 
    Sigilyph
  • 
    Reuniclus
  
  This diverse list can switch in scotch-free against entry hazards and punish their opponents effectively. Clefable is still the swiss-army knife of Pokemon; capable of filling many roles, while Sigilyph can set up Cosmic Power to become a defensive base. Alakazam can take advantage of full health by holding a Focus Sash to make it an excellent revenge killer. Reuniclus is well know for its two sets of terror, Calm Mind and Trick Room, that make it a large threat in today's metagame. While Magic Guard can't prevent hazards from being laid, they couldn't care less about if they present or not.
  
  
  
• Levitate - While Levitate isn't as effective at dealing with entry hazards as Magic Bounce or Magic Guard, it gives the user immunity to damage from Spikes and Toxic Spikes (and Ground-type attacks). And unlike Flying-type Pokemon, Levitate users don't take super effective damage from Stealth Rock. As you can see, it's a pretty nifty ability to have in order to avoid entry hazard damage. Furthermore, Levitate has a wide pool of viable Pokemon who can take advantage of its benefits.
  
  
  Notable Users of Levitate

  
  

  

  Gengar
  

  

  Weezing
  

  

  Unown
  

  

  Flygon
  

  

  Lunatone
  

  

  Solrock
  

  

  Claydol
  

  

  Chimecho
  

  

  Latias
  

  

  Latios
  

  

  Mismagius
  

  

  Bronzong
  

  

  Carnivine
  

  

  Rotom (All Formes
  

  

  Uxie
  

  

  Mesprit
  

  

  Azelf
  

  

  Cresselia
  

  

  Eelektross
  

  

  Cryogonal
  

  

  Hydreigon
  
  
  
  
• Flying-types - Pokemon with Flying-type have unique advantages and disadvantages against entry hazards from other types. While they avoid the effects of Spikes and Toxic Spikes, the all take super effective damage from Stealth Rock (with the exception of Gliscor, Skarmory, and Landorus). When building any team, you'll have to consider the pros and cons of Flying-types and how they handle entry hazards.
  
  
  Notable Flying-types

  
  

  

  Charizard
  

  

  Butterfree
  

  

  Pidgeot
  

  

  Fearow
  

  

  Farfetch'd
  

  

  Dodrio
  

  

  Gyarados
  

  

  Aerodactyl
  

  

  Articuno
  

  

  Zapdos
  

  

  Moltres
  

  

  Dragonite
  

  

  Noctowl
  

  

  Ledian
  

  

  Crobat
  

  

  Xatu
  

  

  Jumpluff
  

  

  Murkrow
  

  

  Skarmory
  

  

  Beautifly
  

  

  Swellow
  

  

  Pelipper
  

  

  Masquerain
  

  

  Ninjask
  

  

  Altaria
  

  

  Tropius
  

  

  Salamence
  

  

  Staraptor
  

  

  Mothim
  

  

  Vespiquen
  

  

  Drifblim
  

  

  Honchkrow
  

  

  Chatot
  

  

  Togekiss
  

  

  Yanmega
  

  

  Gliscor
  

  

  Rotom-Air
  

  

  Unfezant
  

  

  Swoobat
  

  

  Sigilyph
  

  

  Archeops
  

  

  Swanna
  

  

  Emolga
  

  

  Braviary
  

  

  Mandibuzz
  

  

  Tornadus
  

  

  Landorus

 

[Birkal]

Moves that Hinder Entry Hazards
Furthermore, there are a variety of moves that can prevent the harmful effects of entry hazards. While some are widely used, some are more obscure and rather risky to use.

• Rapid Spin - One of the most coveted moves in competitive Pokemon is Rapid Spin, and it's not hard to see why: it completely removes entry hazards from your side of the field! As an added bonus, Rapid Spin is an attacking move, and as such, it isn't impeded by Taunt. However, that's about where the move's benefits end. First and foremost, it is a Normal-type move, so it will not work against Ghost-type Pokemon, and therefore not remove hazards (some Rapid Spinners do learn Foresight to circumvent this). Also, there is a limited pool of Pokemon who learn Rapid Spin, making it tough to find a viable user to fit into your team. Although it has disadvantages, Rapid Spin is widely considered the best way to remove entry hazards.
  
  
  Notable Users of Rapid Spin

  
  

  

  Blastoise
  

  

  Sandslash
  

  

  Cloyster
  

  

  Hitmonlee
  

  

  Hitmonchan
  

  

  Starmie
  

  

  Kabutops
  

  

  Forretress
  

  

  Donphan
  

  

  Hitmontop
  

  

  Torkoal
  

  

  Spinda
  

  

  Claydol
  

  

  Armaldo
  

  

  Crygonal
  
  
  
• Magic Coat - As an incredibly underrated move, Magic Coat can be a nasty surprise for any opponent hoping to set up entry hazards. With +4 priority, Magic Coat works like a one-time Magic Bounce in that if sends entry hazards in boomerang fashion onto the opponent's field. However, Magic Coat only works for one turn, so prediction is required. When used effectively, this move can give your opponent quite a shock.
  
  
  Notable Users of Magic Coat

  
  

  

  Clefable
  

  

  Ninetales
  

  

  Wigglytuff
  

  

  Golduck
  

  

  Primeape
  

  

  Alakazam
  

  

  Machamp
  

  

  Tentacruel
  

  

  Slowbro
  

  

  Gengar
  

  

  Hypno
  

  

  Electrode
  

  

  Hitmonlee
  

  

  Hitmonchan
  

  

  Starmie
  

  

  Mr. Mime
  

  

  Jynx
  

  

  Tauros
  

  

  Mew
  

  

  Meganium
  

  

  Noctowl
  

  

  Xatu
  

  

  Sudowoodo
  

  

  Espeon
  

  

  Slowking
  

  

  Girafarig
  

  

  Dunsparce
  

  

  Corsola
  

  

  Houndoom
  

  

  Porygon2
  

  

  Stantler
  

  

  Hitmontop
  

  

  Celebi
  

  

  Gardevoir
  

  

  Hariyama
  

  

  Sableye
  

  

  Medicham
  

  

  Grumpig
  

  

  Spinda
  

  

  Cacturne
  

  

  Lunatone
  

  

  Solrock
  

  

  Claydol
  

  

  Milotic
  

  

  Kecleon
  

  

  Banette
  

  

  Chimecho
  

  

  Absol
  

  

  Latias
  

  

  Latios
  

  

  Jirachi
  

  

  Deoxys (All Formes)
  

  

  Infernape
  

  

  Bastiodon
  

  

  Ambipom
  

  

  Drifloon
  

  

  Lopunny
  

  

  Mismagius
  

  

  Chatot
  

  

  Lucario
  

  

  Toxicroak
  

  

  Abomasnow
  

  

  Magnezone
  

  

  Togekiss
  

  

  Porygon-Z
  

  

  Gallade
  

  

  Probopass
  

  

  Uxie
  

  

  Mesprit
  

  

  Azelf
  

  

  Cresselia
  

  

  Musharna
  
  
  
• Taunt - As another prevalent move of today's metagame, Taunt prevents the opponent from using non-attacking moves, including entry hazards. While it is effective, it require both speed and prediction to work well. Also, its effects only work for three turns, so the opponent can still set up its hazards at a later time. A very wide array of Pokemon can learn Taunt, with notable examples including
  
  Gliscor and
  
  Heatran.
  
  
  
• Heal Bell (And other status-curing moves) - While they don't prevent entry hazards, the moves like Heal Bell can negate the effects of Toxic Spikes on your team. It also hold viability of curing your team of paralysis, burn, and sleep statuses. It's certainly worth considering some "cleric-like" move on your competitive team. The move Safeguard can give your team five turns of no status affliction, with
  
  Wobbuffet being an notable user of the move. Heal Bell can be utilized by the beefy
  
  Chansey, while
  
  Celebi can use Aromatherapy to support your team.
  
  
  
• Defog - While being an incredibly quirky tactic, Defog can have some ridiculous rewarding results. Defog removes entry hazards from your opponent's side of the field. While this is disadvantageous, it is notable that Defog is reflected by Magic Bounce. So if you have the guts to predict Espeon or Xatu switching in, you can use Defog to remove entry hazards from your side of the field. Even though it is a gimmicky tactic, it still works when used properly. Pokemon like
  
  Scizor and
  
  Crobat can utilize this move.

Moves that Aid Entry Hazards
On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are also moves and items that aid the effects of entry hazards. In a metagame where laying hazards is almost necessary, it is important to consider these moves when creating a team.

• Whirlwind / Roar - One of the most efficient ways of racking up residual damage via entry hazards is through shuffling the opponent's team (often called phazing). Whirlwind and Roar force the opponent to switch Pokemon, which automatically does damage to whatever comes in via entry hazards. It also has the nice advantage of hitting through Substitutes that the opponent may have set up. On the downside, these moves have a priority of -6, so the user of these moves it hit first before it is forced out. Also, Magic Bounce and Magic Coat reverse the effects of these moves, so your Pokemon could end up getting forced out.
  
  Skarmory has the advantage of being able to lay Spikes and use Whirlwind, while
  
  Suicune is a defensive force that can take a hit before getting off a Roar.
  
  
  
• Dragon Tail / Circle Throw - Created in fifth generation, Dragon Tail and Circle Throw work almost identically to Whirlwind and Roar except with a few key differences. While it still has a -6 priority, it deals damage like an attacking move before the opponent is switched out. As a result, these moves cannot be hindered by Taunt, Magic Coat, or Magic Bounce. On the opposite end, they cannot force out a Pokemon who has thrown out a Substitute. These are just another tactic that can be used to phaze opponents to win free hazard damage. Notable users include the fierce
  
  Dragonite and the powerful
  
  Lucario, both of which can utilize these STAB moves to hit hard.
  
  
• 
  Red Card - For a unique option to phaze your opponent's team, the item Red Card can be used. When attacked, Red Card activates and switches out the opponent's Pokemon (unless that attack is a OHKO), where the next Pokemon can be subject to damage from entry hazards. When used in conjunction the move Recycle, it can seriously annoy any opponent.
  
  
• 
  Mental Herb - In order to assure that your hazards hit the opponent's field, a Mental Herb can be utilized. It prevents the user from being subjected to Taunt one time, so hazards can be lain without fear of being taunted. However, it is limited to a one-time usage, so its effectiveness is limited.

Questions about Entry Hazards in Today's Metagame
Now that we've discussed many aspects of entry hazards in the competitive world of Pokemon, this topic is open to their discussion. I'll keep this segment of the post continuously edited with questions that have been presented throughout this topic that I believe are worth pursuing. I hope that this topic can house some serious discussion that can provide a much better understanding of today's metagame.

• How necessary are entry hazards? Are they required to have an effective team? How much of an advantage do they give to any specific team?
  
• Which entry hazard is the most effective in today's metagame? Which do you prefer to use? Why?
  
• What tactics do you utilize to prevent becoming victim to entry hazards? Do you like to bounce them back or model teams that resist their effects?
  
• Do entry hazards restrict the amount of viable Pokemon in OU or expand it? Why do you think so?
  
• What creative and effective movesets/Pokemon do you utilize in terms of entry hazards? What is advantageous about them?

Again, these are just launch-point questions to get some conversation started. If you posters have any suggestions for me to add to the original post or any questions that you'd like to pose to the public, I'd be happy to hear them! Thanks again for reading, and I hope we can have some great discussion!

 

[Mario With Lasers]

Magic Coat, not Magic Mirror. Magic Mirror is Magic Bounce's Japanese name.

 

[Birkal]

Magic Coat, not Magic Mirror. Magic Mirror is Magic Bounce's Japanese name.

Thank you! I must be stuck in the past, I s'pose. That bring up one question that I've been wondering: why isn't Magic Coat not more popular? It is essentially entry hazard support for your own team, since they are so popular and usually easy to predict. Furthermore, they can prevent status effects and Leech Seed. Why the lack of love?

 

[AfroThunderRule]

I don't know if my post is okay to post here but I've noticed that just SR and a single layer of Spikes can fuck up a team pretty quickly.

 

[haunter]

Thank you! I must be stuck in the past, I s'pose. That bring up one question that I've been wondering: why isn't Magic Coat not more popular? It is essentially entry hazard support for your own team, since they are so popular and usually easy to predict. Furthermore, they can prevent status effects and Leech Seed. Why the lack of love?

However, Magic Coat only works for one turn, so prediction is required.

I think that you gave a pretty solid answer to your own question here. Magic coat is really situational and can't reliably prevent your opponent from setting up hazards.

 

[Showsni]

Thank you! I must be stuck in the past, I s'pose. That bring up one question that I've been wondering: why isn't Magic Coat not more popular? It is essentially entry hazard support for your own team, since they are so popular and usually easy to predict. Furthermore, they can prevent status effects and Leech Seed. Why the lack of love?

Simply because you do need to predict it properly, and you can't use it every single turn. If they SR and you Magic Coat turn one, fine. What about turn two? Are you going to Magic Coat again? Eventually, you'll be opening yourself up for a set up Pokémon to take advantage of you. Case in point, my lead Bronzong pretty frequently gets the opponent either switching in Espeon or using Magic Coat. Whilst I Trick Room, and then proceed to outspeed and hit for major damage.

 

[jessifer]

A plus about Magic Bounce is that the hazards are bounced to your opponents side of the field. Which means you don't need to waste moveslot(s) on hazard moves.
Of course, prediction is the key.

 

[Ningildo]

From my view, the more a team focuses on speed over power, the more effective hazards become. Pokemon such as Agility Lucario actually NEED the support in order to function well. But even when focusing on power, the hazard support can still be helpful in securing key KO's.

As for what hazards are more effective, I find Stealth Rick being the most effective one.
Sure, it sometimes may barely scratch some pokemon, but not being reliant on the opponent's team being grounded or not is a huge plus. Not to mention it keeps loads of pokemon in check who would otherwise run rampant, but this isn't the thread for that discussion.

Props for a well (and how!) made opening post(s), btw.

 

[Spenstar]

Hazards don't influence the metagame. Hazards ARE the metagame. A given Pokemon's relationship with hazards, more often that not, determines how it places on the OU totem pole. It's part of the reason why fire and ice are awful defensive types, and fighting and steel are really good ones. Hazards are why ghost types are important, why phasing can be a strategy all by itself, why a move with 20 base power is worth a second glance, and why pokemon with that move are that much more important. Last generation, Aerodactyl owed its entire success to being able to devote its entire existence to Stealth Rocks. Ferrothorn's popularity in part comes from being able to set up Spikes like a pro, and Skarmory is in the same boat. Foretress is all about hazards, getting them up and blowing them away. Tentacruel absorbs Toxic Spikes and lays them down, Reuniclus and Alakazam are immune to them, Espeon bounces them right back, et cetera. Hazards are why volcarona was never taken seriously as a suspect during the tests.

In short, hazards have influenced the metagame like no other mechanic except the stats and types themselves.

PS: in your OP, you forgot to include Skarmory to the list of flying types who arent weak to Stealth Rocks. And Sigilyph for what its worth, though I guess thats cheating a little.

 

[Matthew]

http://tinyurl.com/4yy8yp7

and it's hard to say that Stealth Rock isn't the most defining thing of the metagame since 4th gen. It's actually funny when people say "weather is centralizing" when people are still trying to use one of their 24 available moveslots to one move. You can almost guarantee that your opponent's first goal of the game, if not setting up weather, is to get hazards down. Most likely the first hazard that's coming down to is Stealth Rock. I've accepted that Stealth Rock is the most important move in the game though. Without it many 2HKOes would cease to exist, and that's the opposite of what most offensive players want. Stall wants Stealth Rock around too, since it is the only hazard which can effectively harm levitate pokemon and Flying-type pokemon. The move itself is so ingrained in every single playstyle it's funny.

However the best use of spikes + sr is a heavy offense team that has a suicide lead (deo-s) and that can just die and lead the way for your five other pokemon to demolish your opponent. Well that's the fastest way to get your use out of the moves, the slowest, but still effective, way is to stall. As I've said in a previous thread, however, stall is just something I cannot do as a player.

 

[Pureterror]

http://tinyurl.com/4yy8yp7

and it's hard to say that Stealth Rock isn't the most defining thing of the metagame since 4th gen. It's actually funny when people say "weather is centralizing" when people are still trying to use one of their 24 available moveslots to one move. You can almost guarantee that your opponent's first goal of the game, if not setting up weather, is to get hazards down. Most likely the first hazard that's coming down to is Stealth Rock. I've accepted that Stealth Rock is the most important move in the game though. Without it many 2HKOes would cease to exist, and that's the opposite of what most offensive players want. Stall wants Stealth Rock around too, since it is the only hazard which can effectively harm levitate pokemon and Flying-type pokemon. The move itself is so ingrained in every single playstyle it's funny.

However the best use of spikes + sr is a heavy offense team that has a suicide lead (deo-s) and that can just die and lead the way for your five other pokemon to demolish your opponent. Well that's the fastest way to get your use out of the moves, the slowest, but still effective, way is to stall. As I've said in a previous thread, however, stall is just something I cannot do as a player.

For deoxys my choice would rather be screens that hazards
anyways on topic
I find magic bounce a crucial check to stall teams
especially since they only set up hazards and usually use status moves or phaze moves
but if you are able to set up hazards that could be a key factor of winning and stopping sweepers (mostly volc and those others)

 

[NatGeo]

An interesting thing to note is that an effective way to stop quite a few defensive users of entry hazards is the combination of Rotom-W + Choice Band Scizor, since it puts so much offensive pressure on the opponent so that they either have to dispatch one of them via switching out or constant recovery, etc. etc. I've used it before in the past and a lot of others have (look at ToF's new RMT for a great example). Just a note.

 

[Honus]

For deoxys my choice would rather be screens that hazards
anyways on topic
I find magic bounce a crucial check to stall teams
especially since they only set up hazards and usually use status moves or phaze moves
but if you are able to set up hazards that could be a key factor of winning and stopping sweepers (mostly volc and those others)

Magic Bounce isn't as reliable as having a good spinner, any smart stall player will devise a plan to beat Espeon before laying hazards, or only lay hazards that are on Pokemon that don't use hazards on their standard set, such as SR on Blissey. Having a Rapid Spinner is a much better check to stall, especially if the Spinner can lay spikes themselves, like Forretress, so that spinblockers take a nice 12.5+ damage on the switch, and possibly Poison Damage, wearing them down quickly. Stall can have offensive members, though, it isn't limited to moves other than attacks, Choice Band/Choice Scarf Tyranitar is a huge asset to stall teams, and many stall teams used Excadrill before it was banned.

An interesting thing to note is that an effective way to stop quite a few defensive users of entry hazards is the combination of Rotom-W + Choice Band Scizor, since it puts so much offensive pressure on the opponent so that they either have to dispatch one of them via switching out or constant recovery, etc. etc. I've used it before in the past and a lot of others have (look at ToF's new RMT for a great example). Just a note.

I always lead Forretress and play suicidally with it unless I see a Haxorus/Mamoswine on their team as well, since I know that getting the hazards up against those types of teams are vital to stopping them.

 

[Princess Bubblegum]

If your including pokemon like Maractus and Glalie to the list, you might as well mention some notable NFE's like Ferroseed.

Also perhaps a spin blocker section?

I think stealth rocks is a necessity for more teams outside of maybe baton pass and hyper offense, or else you will get distroyed by Rotom-W and Scizor combos.

 

[orbpom123]

Toxic Spikes is brilliant for stall teams. Magic bounce is one of the best abilities in the game, i normally lead with espeon so nothing can do entry hazards, and as others said brilliant because no reason to waste moveslots. Perhaps mention that rapid spin blockers? Anyways great thread

 

[ginganinja]

How necessary are entry hazards? Are they required to have an effective team? How much of an advantage do they give to any specific team?

Short answer is yes, hazards are necessary in todays metagame. Across all tiers (especially UU, OU and Ubers) Stealth Rock and Spikes are super common. They are used for a reason, they can help build up pressure, weaken "counters" into a KO range for a sweeper, even act as a 'check' or defensive measure for pokemon such as Dragonite and Volcarona. I would pretty much argue that to have a successful team you need hazarsd. Its been done before (using teams without hazards) but its extremely difficult to do and even then, the team im thinking of had sash on 3 pokemon and was Sandstorm weak so im not sure how reliable that is. Even Tofs team, while it 'technically' has no hazards, it had Xatu to reflect them giving him a pseudo way at getting them up. Even then, he listed Volcarona as a threat simply because without hazards certain pokemon are exceptionally hard to counter.

Which entry hazard is the most effective in today's metagame? Which do you prefer to use? Why?

Stealth Rocks easy. it takes one turn to set up and checks Salamence, Gyarados, Dragonite and Volcarona for the rest of the match. Plus it hits pretty much every pokemon in the game so I can still weaken shit for a pokemon to sweep if I want to.

What tactics do you utilize to prevent becoming victim to entry hazards? Do you like to bounce them back or model teams that resist their effects?

Generally ill make sure that I can set up on or force out pokemon that set up Hazards. For example if half my team can either K.O or prevent Skarmory from setting up Spikes then chances are my opponent will struggle to get up hazards fast enough to hurt me. If I am using something like Volcarona or Dragonite however, running a spinner will always be at the back of my mind just so they can be much more threatening.

Do entry hazards restrict the amount of viable Pokemon in OU or expand it? Why do you think so?

I actually love this question cos its frequently used as a pro ban SR argument because it hits so many pokemon for super effective damage. I personally, think that Stealth Rock is not restricting many pokemon from being viable in OU. I am not denying that there are a few, however, mostly, the number of pokemon that could be OU if SR was banned is rather few. Victini, Chandelure, Darmanitan, Kyurem, Yanmega are all "if" pokemon (and even then I think im being generous on a few of those pokemon) and all of these pokemon have other issues as well for not being OU (except maybe Yanmega). So technically hazards do "restrict" viable pokemon in OU but then again, if Hazards were (for the sake of the argument) banned, would common hazard pokemon such as Skarmory, Forretress, Ferrothorn, all drop? Would Tentacruel also drop losing its niche at setting up Toxic Spikes and spinning away hazards? Personally I think the metagame would still have a similar number of pokemon in OU if hazards were banned. Then again, hazards are what we have in this metagame, ifs and buts are pretty much useless and everyone just gets on and adjusts to a hazard full metagame.

 

[NDenizen]

I've used Copycat leads nicely before, expressly to exploit leads that lay down hazards. Their full moveset of hazards can be then copied with just your one move, making it quite an interesting fight. Obviously, packing a Ghost to block a Forry's Rapid Spin and Rapid Spin yourself makes for good support - so there, you have hazards on the opponent's side without devoting any moves or pokemon for it.

It's a peculiar idea, and Copycat could technically apply as a counter to lots of things despite its rare use, but in the case of moves that last an entire match, it's slightly more relevant.

 

[AfroThunderRule]

Since we're talking about Entry Hazards I feel I have to ask this, do you guys (like me) hate putting multiple Hazards on one Pokemon? (Like a Ferrothorn having Stealth Rocks and Spikes on his moveset)

I know it depends on the team and etc but I would prefer having Ferrothorn using Spikes and have someone else using Stealth Rocks. Having both on a single Pokemon is too much for me.

 

[jessifer]

Stealth Rocks has a pretty wide distribution so I agree with not stacking that many hazards on a pokemon. The problem is that hazards can waste a move slot/team slot.

 

[ginganinja]

yep I hate putting double hazards on something. If there is no other option I will but chances are I always feel that there are better moves I could be running and as a result spread out my hazards moves a little.

Most of this I guess is down to playstyle choices I feel but (especially in the case of Ferro) I doubt my opponent is going to sit there while Ferrothorn gets up 4 layers. Better to spread them out and have grater chances of getting them up. Plus if something happens I did not prepare for (such as an untimely crit) I still have a back up pokemon to set up hazards.

 

[NDenizen]

Since we're talking about Entry Hazards I feel I have to ask this, do you guys (like me) hate putting multiple Hazards on one Pokemon? (Like a Ferrothorn having Stealth Rocks and Spikes on his moveset)

I know it depends on the team and etc but I would prefer having Ferrothorn using Spikes and have someone else using Stealth Rocks. Having both on a single Pokemon is too much for me.

It really depends on what you're trying to accomplish. Unless you're making use of screens, Forry's going to want all the hazards on hand because it has no other real purpose besides maybe spinning, with moves like Explosion and Volt Switch complimenting that it is either trying to stay alive to lat down hazards or has already laid down hazards.

Hazards are also better the earlier you get them down, too (at least that is the case usually) - assuming you have T/Spikes on one pokemon and Stealth Rock on another, that SR user has to be good enough to achieve other purposes besides SR, and at the same time not find itself in a position where it will find itself facing a KO from a check or counter the instant it does want to use SR.

Of course, looking at SR's availability and the OU pokemon that can utilise it, it probably wouldn't be too difficult to split the task effectively at all. It gives the typical hazard layers room for more utility or an offensive option, too.

On a vaguely related note, I really like using hazards as an option but not necessarily a main purpose. Cloyster with a moveset of [ Toxic Spikes - Spikes - Shell Smash - Icicle Spear ] makes a great lead, with physical defense to lay down hazards, or the tools to make a quick offensive presence if that's not a good idea. People generally expect the offensive option too, so even with the likes of an Espeon on a team, your opponent might not even play it till its too late.

 

[Pocket]

Quality thread, Birkal! nitpick - 2 layers of Spikes = 18.75%

I agree with Gen. Empoleon that Heavy Offense with a Sucide Deoxys-S lead to lay hazards makes great use of SR / Spikes. It's VERY difficult to bring in your Rapid Spinner once Deoxys-S goes down. Offensive Rapid Spinners cannot take hits, whereas defensive ones are set-up bait.

However, Deoxys-S is rather shitty at keeping SR + Spikes up. It's not that difficult to bring in your Starmie and just spin away the hazards right in front of its face. Espeon also shuts Deoxys-S cold. Deoxys-S without Taunt (which are handful), cannot prevent the opponent from setting up entry hazards of their own, either. In these cases, it's usually better to follow ginganinja's advice and initiate the offensive without setting hazards to force them on the defensive.

Toxic Spikes is undoubtedly the most situational entry hazards. Poison types adsorbs them, and TS doesn't hinder Steel and Poison Types, in addition to Flying / Levitating mons. The sluggish build-up of toxic poison damage restricts Toxic Spikes to stalling tactics. It definitely comes in handy to put a timer on how long the opponent can stay in, encouraging switches (which synergizes well with other entry hazards laid). It's ability to cripple walls is uncontested, too, so I shouldn't bash it too much :x

 

[Aerodactyl Legend]

I have to disagree on Suicide leads being the most effective users of entry hazards, even on an Offensive team. It is a fast method, but there is no guarantee that you will be able to keep the hazards out, even considering a player's skill. Honestly, I think suicide leads in general are a waste, as it essentially means you only have five Pokemon on your team, if you have no way to block Rapid Spin (or have other members of your team with SR/Spikes). Sure, you can lead with a Pokemon that has an entry hazard, but it's a shame that all it's there for is to set them up and die. I couldn't count the number of times I faced an Aerodactyl who taunted, then died after using Stealth Rocks, then get hit with Rapid Spin on the very next turn (of course, that could just be an example of facing poor players).

Having Stealth Rock lingering on a Pokemon's movepool, for example, may be annoying when that moveslot could be used for something else, but in BW, it's not that hard to remove them from the field or prevent them from entering the field (even against pure Offensive teams, but this is what I've experienced). This means that you may be forced to use the move continuously in order to keep the extra damage piling up. So with that in mind, it would be best to play smartly and not let your SR/Spiker dying so early.

I'll tread lightly because I don't want to mention a "Balanced" team (the original point was a suicide entry hazard lead on an Offensive team). However, I will say that an Offensive team can work in one Pokemon that can be relied on multiple times to lay down hazards. A well built Offensive team can still hold on to its momentum while doing so. You don't have to be considered stall if you make good predictions and well timed switch-ins to preserve the one setting it.

I'm an Offensive minded player too, but that's how I've found it to be in regards of the most effective use of entry hazards (primarily Stealth Rock).