To make a long story short, this thread has been development for months, and only now have I had the time to finish it! To participate in this bizarre metagame, just hop on the Pokemon Showdown! ladder!
Introduction
In the Smogon community, bans are an important part of our metagames. We spent years on building a process just to figure out which things to ban in the Overused and Underused metagames. We have Little Cup, a metagame that’s based around banning Pokemon that are evolved. Even Ubers does not escape the importance of bans, because Moody ended up being banned, and clauses such as Evasion, Species, OHKO, and Sleep Clause are still important parts of the metagame.
A common misconception most people have is that clauses are needed for an enjoyable game, thinking that a metagame with no clauses will mean that you can mindlessly use Spore and getting lucky with Sheer Cold to win. While these moves certainly big factors in such a metagame, not only do all of them have match changing flaws, they are also not needed for many teams to work the best they can! What really makes a metagame without any bans insanely intriguing is the mimic glitch from the early copies of the Japanese Diamond and Pearl. If a Pokemon has Mimic, Metronome, Transform, Copycat, or Assist in generation 4, it can learn every single move in generation 4 plus one generation 5 move via Sketch! This gigantic movepool upgrade to 408 Pokemon makes this metagame radically different from any other metagame in generation 5!
Sadly, despite being the “purest” form of Pokemon, the metagame hasn’t been explored much because of the somewhat of a pain in the ass way of getting to play it (Thats being fixed though!) and the stigma of having no bans whatsoever. This thread aims to change that, and to organize a group effort into exploring the Glitchmon metagame! We will do this by battling each other, posting sets, ideas, and other such things so we can understand this crazy and unexplored metagame! Before you get started though, please read the rules!
Rules
1. LEGALITY IS VERY IMPORTANT! SETS THAT ARE ILLEGAL MAY BE DELETED! A good rule of thumb to prevent this easy mistake is to look up what learns Mimic, Assist, Copycat, Metronome, and Transform in gens 3 and 4. Also note that unless the Pokemon learns it naturally, you can only have one gen 5 move due to needing Sketch for it. Gen 5 abilities are illegal with the mimic glitch as well. Finally, note that if a Pokemon from gen 3 doesn’t have a pre evo and needs mimic from the gen 3 tutor to do the glitch, then it won’t be able to have a gen 4 ability. For example, No Guard Machop with Sheer Cold and Scrappy Miltank with Rapid Spin are illegal, but No Guard Machoke with Sheer Cold and Skill Link Cloyster with Bone Rush are legal!
2. DO NOT MAKE ANY KIND OF PROPOSAL FOR A BAN! The whole point of this metagame is for it to be Pokemon at its purest, so that means no bans! The only reason a ban should EVER be suggested is if its for a game crashing glitch.
3. Please don’t whine about how “broken” something is. If you don’t like this metagame, then just don’t post in the thread, because this thread is focused on developing the metagame, NOT whining about it!
4. PLEASE actually test the sets you propose, I don’t want this to become a dumping ground for silly ideas that no one will test!
5. While dreamworld doesn’t have too much of an effect on this metagame, it is still noticeable enough that you must mention if your set to test is for dream world. This is mostly because of Chandelure and Ditto.
The metagame so far
Here, we’ll discuss the current metagame. Note that since the metagame is still VERY young, it could dramatically change later!
Spore and the lack of Sleep Clause
The first thing most people think of for this metagame is “LOL SPAM SPORE AND WIN!” As it turns out, things are not so simple. While Spore is certainly a good move, most teams are so insanely prepared for it that it becomes a high risk, high reward move. For example, Most sweepers will have either a Lum berry or a Chesto berry. Since almost anything can use Shell Smash, a lot of Pokemon will actually turn the tables on a Spore attempt, and sweep you instead! Again, this doesn’t mean Spore is bad, as it can still shut down nasty Pokemon like Machoke who might not expect a random Spore. At the moment, Spore is particularly good on Sturdy Pokemon such as Magnezone, as they can shut down either shut down Machoke and set up, or get rid of an annoying Lum or Chesto Berries on the switch from Machoke (just watch out for Magic Coat!). Spore is also good on Pokemon that only need two moves to have good coverage, such as Groudon and Gengar.
The top 5 threats
These are the top 5 threats of this metagame so far. If you want to make a Glitchmons team, you MUST take these threats into account! Not doing so will often result in failure!
Machoke @ Evolite
Trait: No Guard
IVs: 0 Spe
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Relaxed Nature (+Def, -Spd)
- Trick Room
- Sheer Cold
- DynamicPunch / Gastro Acid
- Gastro Acid / Magic Coat
Machoke is one of the most fearsome and influential threats in the entire metagame that MUST be prepared for in some form! The execution here is simple: set up Trick Room, and then destroy teams that have lost their Sturdy Pokemon with a never missing Sheer Cold. Thanks to Machoke’s lackluster Speed, there isn’t much that will outspeed it under Trick Room. Dynamic Punch is mainly here for Magnezone, the most common sturdy Pokemon. Gastro Acid is great for catching sturdy Pokemon like Skarmory on the switch, potentially forcing the opposing team to lose one Pokemon if that’s their only Sturdy Pokemon. Magic Coat is there in case you predict a Spore, a risky move, but this can be very game changing!
Part of what makes Machoke so fearsome is its surprising bulk thanks to Evolite. To give you a picture on how bulky Machoke is, even a +2 Life Orbed Adamant Groudon Earthquake will only OHKO Machoke 41% of the time after Stealth Rock damage! In fact, with this ev spread, Machoke is as physically bulky as an Impish Metagross with maximum HP and Defense, and almost as specially bulky as a maximum HP Reuniclus. This bulk lets Machoke set Trick Room up against physical foes that lack Sheer Cold, and also means that Machoke will rarely get sniped by the large amount of priority in this metagame. This isn't normally an amazing achievement for an evolite user, but unlike other evolite users, Machoke is able to OHKO anything that can get hit by Sheer Cold, making Machoke an unmatched combination of bulk and power!
Machoke does have two flaws though: its so fearsome that people will over prepare for it by putting Sheer Cold or Spore on Pokemon just for it! Because of this, make sure you play carefully with Machoke. Machoke is especially deadly on Trick Room teams, since then it doesn't have to risk facing over prepared Pokemon as much! The second flaw is that Machoke's Special Defense, while decent with evolite, leaves a lot to be desired for when facing very strong special attackers. Although unboosted neutral Special Attacks will rarely KO Machoke, Machoke can't set up on extremely powerful special attackers such as Kyogre without taking a huge amount of damage, unless using a specially defensive spread. While a specially defensive Machoke can be a nasty surprise for people who attempt to deal with Machoke via strong special attacks, it becomes more vulnerable to priority. Despite these flaws, Machoke is still a huge force in this metagame that must always be prepared for!
Ursaring @ Toxic Orb / Flame Orb
Trait: Guts
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Def / 4 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Fake Out
- ExtremeSpeed
- V-create / Facade
- Mach Punch / Shadow Sneak / Low Kick
Despite possibly being the most common Pokemon in Glitchmons, Ursaring tends to confuse people who are new to this metagame, as at first glance, most people don't get the point of Ursaring. However, Ursaring is such a huge and influential threat that it's the reason Mewtwo and Rayquaza are very rare in this metagame! The reason for Ursaring's dominance in this metagame is because it may be the best priority abuser in the game! Fake Out may seem weak, but its extremely important to this set. One use of Fake Out allows Ursaring to activate Toxic Orb or Flame Orb, not only making Ursaring immune to sleep, but also powering up its already monstrous 130 base attack by 50% thanks to Guts. After Guts is activated, Guts boosted STAB Fake Out + ExtremeSpeed coming from 130 base attack makes Ursaring one hell of a revenge killer. Remember when I said that Rayquaza and Mewtwo are rare because of Ursaring? That's because Fake Out + ExtremeSpeed will actually KO both of them unless they make heavy defensive investments! Even Groudon has to be careful, because a Shell Smashed Groudon will take 90% minimum from Fake Out + ExtremeSpeed! Fake Out is also handy for basicly inflicting free damage, which may not seem like much, but the metagame is so fast paced that even a small amount of damage can change the game! Ursaring is part of the reason why Life Orb is uncommon in this metagame. With Ursaring's priority always around the corner, the recoil from Life Orb can be very dangerous! Another intresting thing to note about Ursaring is that it may be the most common abuser of the lack of species clause at the moment. With Shell Smashers being such huge threats, many teams opt to carry 2 Ursaring because of its useful revenge killing utility.
Because Ursaring causes so many switches due to its priority abuse, it has another very nasty tool to punish people trying to wear it down: V-create. In the sun, V-create is Ursaring's strongest attack. To give you a picture of its power, it deals 89-100% to max HP Groudon! To make this move even more appealing, Trick Room is a dangerous strategy in this metagame, and Ursaring's slow Speed and V-create make it very hard to defeat under Trick Room! For teams that have Kyogre, you may prefer Facade, which still deals a massive amount of damage to even Pokemon that resist it. Finally, the last move is mostly filler. Mach Punch is there to hit Magnezone and Tyranitar harder, Shadow Sneak allows Ursaring to revenge Gengar, and Low Kick allows Ursaring to hit Rock-types that may attempt to switch into it. Something that should also be noted is Ursaring's EV spread. Maxing defense on an offensive Pokemon may seem strange, but its very important for Ursaring. This is because priority is very common in this metagame, and the max Defense lets Ursaring take it as well as it possibly can while still maximizing its Attack. This may not seem like much, but Ursaring can actually survive stuff like +2 ExtremeSpeeds from a lum Groudon, and while it does a ton of damage, max Defense lets you possibly catch stuff like that with their pants down!
Like Machoke, Usraring is not without it's flaws. Ursaring's biggest problem is residual damage. With Toxic Orb or Flame Orb wearing it down. This means that Ursaring always is always on a timer, and people WILL take advantage of this! Ursaring also isn't exactly that bulky. When its not using priority attacks, it risks being OHKOed by stuff like V-create. Because of these factors, Ursaring doesn't usually last too long on the battlefield. Despite these issues, Ursaring is one of the biggest threats in the mimic streetpokemon metagame that must ALWAYS be accounted for!
Groudon @ Lum Berry
Trait: Drought
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- V-create
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Sheer Cold / Spore
Groudon @ Lum Berry
Trait: Drought
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Shell Smash
- Earthquake
- Spore / Sheer Cold
- Sacred Fire / ExtremeSpeed / Stone Edge
Groudon really hit the jackpot in this metagame. Unlike most Ubers, Groudon wasn't nerfed in this metagame, it got boosted! This is due to two very threatening sets, V-create and Shell Smash Groudon. Something to note is that because Groudon is so common in this metagame, Sun is actually the dominant weather here!
Groudon may not get STAB on V-create, but thanks to Drought, it becomes a 270 base power move, FAR stronger than Groudon's actual STAB! This coming off of base 150 Attack is very frightening! Groudon's other big selling point is that awesome 140 base Defense, which allows it to take Ursaring ExtremeSpeeds and smash it with V-create. Thanks to Groudon's bulk and fire power, it'll cause a lot of switchs, making it a great user of Stealth Rock. For the last move, you have a lot of options. Sheer Cold and Spore are for Machoke, Power Whip is to hit Kyogre harder, and ExtremeSpeed is nice for extra priority. Feel free to expariment with the last two slots, you may find something awesome! Another nice thing about this set its an excellent Pokemon to use on Trick Room teams. Groudon's sun makes V-create way more scary under Trick Room conditions, and Groudon can carry an Iron Ball to underspeed Machoke!
Groudon's other set focuses more on sweeping than punching holes in teams. After a Shell Smash, Groudon is very hard to stop! +2 Earthquake smashes most offensive mons, except for Machoke. Because of this, Groudon must carry a move to deal with Machoke. Spore is usually the best option here. With this, not only do you shut down most Machoke, but you can also set up on Pokemon that have lost their lum berry! If your team has serious problems with Machoke, Sheer Cold can be a better option. The last slot can be a bit tricky. With ExtremeSpeed, you can prevent Ursaring from destroying you if Ursaring is in the KO range of ExtremeSpeed, and its always handy to have some extra priority. If you are worried about the rare Skarmory or Balloon Steel-types, Sacred Fire is a nice option thats actually as strong as Earthquake. Finally, if you want to have almost flawless coverage, you can use Stone Edge.
Machamp@ Choice Scarf
Trait: No Guard
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Sheer Cold
- DynamicPunch
- Trick
- Shift Gear / V-create
Machoke may be one of the biggest threats in the metagame, but that doesn't mean that Machamp is outclassed at all. In fact, Machamp is still a huge threat it just plays a different role than Machoke!
Because Machamp is speedier than Machoke, most Machamp sets equip a Choice Scarf. Machamp isn't nearly as bulky as Machoke, but the immedite speed Choice Scarf provides should never be underestimated. Even with that sluggish 55 base Speed, Machamp is still able to outspeed even base 105 Speed Pokemon. Since Choice Scarf is otherwise rare in mimic Street Pokemon, Machamp can threaten to easily destroy anything that's slower than it with no need to set up! Dynamic Punch is still here to deal with Magnezone, while Trick is great for cripling other sturdy Pokemon that may attempt to switch in. The last moveslot is filler, Shift Gear if you want to attempt a sweep after Tricking, or V-create if you want a powerful move to use when you are unsure what the opponent is going to switch in. Feel free to toy with the last two moveslots, there really isn't a standard for Choice Scarf Machamp beyond the first two moves!
Choice Scarf isn't the only thing Machamp can do, but its the most explored. Machamp is notable for being able to equip an Iron Ball, and score an unexpected KO on Machoke under Trick Room. You can also use a lum berry to defeat Spore, a common way of dealing with Machoke. Just be warned, Machamp's bulk isn't nearly as good as Machoke's! Machamp may be also able to use some sort of Speed boosting set, but I have never tested this. User Espyowner has tested such a set however, so expect to see him post details about that!
Magnezone @ Lum Berry
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Shell Smash
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam / Weather Ball
- Spore / Sheer Cold
Magnezone @ Lum Berry
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SAtk
IVs: 0 Spd
Quiet Nature (+SAtk, -Spd)
- Tail Glow
- Thunderbolt
- Weather Ball / Ice Beam
- Trick Room
I'm sure this will cause some head scratching, but Magnezone is a very important Pokemon in Mimic Street Pokemon at the moment, and it's all because of Sturdy! With Machoke and Machamp being huge threats, having a Pokemon with sturdy is highly recommended. While Dynamic Punch may 2HKO Magnezone, it can switch into Sheer Cold, outspeed both Machoke and non Scarfed Machamp, and threaten to set up on them via Spore or use Sheer Cold. Sturdy's boost this generation is also very nice for Magnezone, and is a very good reason to carry a Stealth Rock user. For example, if Stealth Rock isn't up, Shell Smash Groudon will actually lose to a full HP Magnezone without Bonemerang!
The ability to sometimes check Machoke and Machamp is more of a bonus though, because it's still an excellent Shell Smasher. Thanks to its Steel typing, Ursaring will not be able to easily revenge kill a healthy Magnezone without Mach Punch (be warned though, two Ursaring are going to destroy it), and Magnezone can really hurt stuff with +2 Thunderbolts and Ice Beams! Weather Ball is also an option, because it will hit opposing Magnezone harder, and is actually more powerful than Thunderbolt. Just note that max HP Groudon has a small chance of living through Weather Ball (deals 88.4% - 104% after a Shell Smash).
Trick Room teams also like to use Magnezone, because its one of the few sweepers under Trick Room that doesn't need to carry Iron Ball to defeat Machoke! Tail Glow and Trick Room on the same set may seem excessive, but +3 Thunderbolts really hurt, and this set is to be used on a team where many other Pokemon can set up Trick Room.
Just a note, Magnezone is not the only viable sturdy user. However, Magnezone is the most common sturdy Pokemon and is also the only one with an established set. As the metagame evolves, there may be more common sturdy Pokemon to watch out for!
Less common but dangerous threats
Kyogre @ Lum Berry
Trait: Drizzle
EVs: 252 HP / 196 Def / 60 Spd
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Quiver Dance
- Surf / Weather Ball
- Grass Knot
- Fire Blast / Power Gem
Kyogre isn't nearly as common in this metagame as it is in Ubers, and that's all because of the massive amount of priority (especially from Ursaring). That doesn't mean Kyogre is bad though, because its still a threat that you should keep your eye on! Kyogre's biggest selling point by far is Drizzle. Thanks to Drizzle and resisting Fire-type attacks, it's easily the best switch into V-creates in the game!
Because Kyogre's 100 / 90 Defense isn't too good, it's forced to max out its HP and invest in a lot of Defense to ensure that Ursaring won't eat it alive. Thanks to the rain though, Kyogre can get away with the bulky ev spread while still being able to cause a lot of damage! Quiver Dance is the prefered meathod of setting up. With 60 Speed evs, Kyogre will outspeed Choice Scarf Machamp after a Quiver Dance, and smash it with either a +1 Weather Ball or a +1 Surf. Note that Kyogre has two different attacking set ups here. If you don't care about accuracy, the best attacks to use are Surf (or Hydro Pump if you have balls!), Grass Knot, and Fire Blast. Fire Blast may seem really silly on Kyogre, but it's important because of how fast paced this metagame is. Without it, Groudon can set up the sun to ruin your chances of sweeping! If you don't like Fire Blast's miss chance, then Weather Ball / Grass Knot / Power Gem (for Fire mons in the sun lol) is your best bet.
If you want, you can use White Herb + Shell Smash to make Kyogre a more threatening sweeper. Just be warned, you only have one shot or else priority is going to maul it!
Jirachi @ Lum Berry
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly / Naive Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Shell Smash
- Iron Head
- Sacred Fire / Earthquake
- Power Whip / Zen Headbutt / Psycho Boost
Oh boy, if you thought Choice Scarf Jirachi was annoying, wait till you see this thing in action! After one Shell Smash, Jirachi is actually pretty powerful. Iron Head can actually 2HKO maximum HP Groudon after Stealth Rock damage! With that power and 60% chance of flinching AND the lack of priority weakness, Jirachi can be a real pain in the ass to stop! Sacred Fire is also pretty annoying, because with it, Jirachi will always get a burn when it hits!
Physical Jirachi's biggest problem is the fact that you have to choose between hitting Groudon and Kyogre hard or Machoke hard. While Zen Headbutt can destroy Machoke after an Iron Head flinch, its not going to help much with Kyogre, and it forces you to flinch Groudon to death. Because of this, I have started to use a Naive nature and Twisted Spoon to OHKO Groudon with a +2 Psycho Boost after Stealth Rock damage, and OHKO Machoke without the boost. I actually prefer this set, but I haven't seen any other Jirachi try this yet!
Gengar @ Spooky Plate
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Tail Glow/Shell Smash
- Spore
- Judgment
- Vacuum Wave / Aura Sphere
Gengar may be frail as hell, but it has one trick up it's sleeve that makes it a HUGE threat: immunity to ExtremeSpeed. Because of this, Gengar is actually one of the most threatening Special sweepers in the game if it can set up!
After one Tail Glow, Gengar's Spooky Plate boosted Judgment (so it can be a ghost type Judgment) is EXTREMELY powerful. To give you a picture of it's power, +3 Judgment OHKOs both Kyogre and Magnezone after Stealth Rock damage! To make it even more threatening, Gengar's +3 Vacuum Wave can destroy Ursaring after Stealth Rock, and thanks to that Ghost typing, Gengar doesn't have to worry about Fake Out and ExtremeSpeed's higher priority! Although currently somewhat uncommon, anything faster than Gengar will destroy it, so you can opt to use Shell Smash and Aura Sphere instead for a less powerful but still threatening sweeper!
Gengar's biggest problem lies in actually setting up. Gengar's defenses really suck, so you either have to rely on Sporeing Pokemon that aren't carrying Lum Berry or pairing it with Wobbuffet. This is probably why Gengar isn't as common as it was in the beginning of the metagame. Despite this, I recommend preparing for Gengar, because if it gets a turn to set up, it's very difficult to stop!
Slaking @ Lum Berry
Trait: Truant
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Skill Swap
- Swords Dance
- ExtremeSpeed
- V-create
Slaking has always been a disapointing Pokemon. It's stats are excellent, but Traunt is such a terrible ability that it's rarely used. Mimic Street Pokemon is a far different story, as thanks to Skill Swap, Slaking can finally be used to its fullest potential!
After a Skill Swap, Slaking will have time to set up a Swords Dance, and with that 160 base attack, ExtremeSpeed will deal a ton of damage! Even if the opponent switches into Skill Swap, they will only have once chance to attack before Traunt kicks in. This means if the opponent is foolish enough to stay in after that, you get 2 Swords Dances! Slaking is also good at V-creating Pokemon on the switch, having a V-create thats even more powerful than Groudon's.
Slaking does have one really annoying flaw though. It is possibly the easiest Pokemon to metagame ever. Any Pokemon with Protect will beat this set one on one, it hates the rare Arceus or Shedinja, and worst of all, it actually has trouble with other Slaking because Skill Swap! Regardless, don't let these flaws make you think Slaking is easy to prepare for. It's not very viable to put Protect on every Pokemon, and Slaking has a knack for being really mean to face for unprepared teams!
Tyranitar is last on the list, because unlike the other Pokemon, Tyranitar doesn't actually have an established set yet! I'm not basing Tyranitar's usefulness on papermon though, because we know it works! We just haven't found it's best set yet. The main reasons Tyranitar is good in this metagame are resisting ExtremeSpeed , V-create, and most of all, Sand Stream. With Sand Stream, it can really screw up Ursaring, giving it more residual damage to worry about! It even makes Excadrill one of the few 5th generation Pokemon viable in this metagame!
Some good sets to test would be Shell Smash, some sort of priority abuser with Fake Out (to wear stuff down with Sandstream), and a Trick Roomer.
Introduction
In the Smogon community, bans are an important part of our metagames. We spent years on building a process just to figure out which things to ban in the Overused and Underused metagames. We have Little Cup, a metagame that’s based around banning Pokemon that are evolved. Even Ubers does not escape the importance of bans, because Moody ended up being banned, and clauses such as Evasion, Species, OHKO, and Sleep Clause are still important parts of the metagame.
A common misconception most people have is that clauses are needed for an enjoyable game, thinking that a metagame with no clauses will mean that you can mindlessly use Spore and getting lucky with Sheer Cold to win. While these moves certainly big factors in such a metagame, not only do all of them have match changing flaws, they are also not needed for many teams to work the best they can! What really makes a metagame without any bans insanely intriguing is the mimic glitch from the early copies of the Japanese Diamond and Pearl. If a Pokemon has Mimic, Metronome, Transform, Copycat, or Assist in generation 4, it can learn every single move in generation 4 plus one generation 5 move via Sketch! This gigantic movepool upgrade to 408 Pokemon makes this metagame radically different from any other metagame in generation 5!
Sadly, despite being the “purest” form of Pokemon, the metagame hasn’t been explored much because of the somewhat of a pain in the ass way of getting to play it (Thats being fixed though!) and the stigma of having no bans whatsoever. This thread aims to change that, and to organize a group effort into exploring the Glitchmon metagame! We will do this by battling each other, posting sets, ideas, and other such things so we can understand this crazy and unexplored metagame! Before you get started though, please read the rules!
Rules
1. LEGALITY IS VERY IMPORTANT! SETS THAT ARE ILLEGAL MAY BE DELETED! A good rule of thumb to prevent this easy mistake is to look up what learns Mimic, Assist, Copycat, Metronome, and Transform in gens 3 and 4. Also note that unless the Pokemon learns it naturally, you can only have one gen 5 move due to needing Sketch for it. Gen 5 abilities are illegal with the mimic glitch as well. Finally, note that if a Pokemon from gen 3 doesn’t have a pre evo and needs mimic from the gen 3 tutor to do the glitch, then it won’t be able to have a gen 4 ability. For example, No Guard Machop with Sheer Cold and Scrappy Miltank with Rapid Spin are illegal, but No Guard Machoke with Sheer Cold and Skill Link Cloyster with Bone Rush are legal!
2. DO NOT MAKE ANY KIND OF PROPOSAL FOR A BAN! The whole point of this metagame is for it to be Pokemon at its purest, so that means no bans! The only reason a ban should EVER be suggested is if its for a game crashing glitch.
3. Please don’t whine about how “broken” something is. If you don’t like this metagame, then just don’t post in the thread, because this thread is focused on developing the metagame, NOT whining about it!
4. PLEASE actually test the sets you propose, I don’t want this to become a dumping ground for silly ideas that no one will test!
5. While dreamworld doesn’t have too much of an effect on this metagame, it is still noticeable enough that you must mention if your set to test is for dream world. This is mostly because of Chandelure and Ditto.
The metagame so far
Here, we’ll discuss the current metagame. Note that since the metagame is still VERY young, it could dramatically change later!
Spore and the lack of Sleep Clause
The first thing most people think of for this metagame is “LOL SPAM SPORE AND WIN!” As it turns out, things are not so simple. While Spore is certainly a good move, most teams are so insanely prepared for it that it becomes a high risk, high reward move. For example, Most sweepers will have either a Lum berry or a Chesto berry. Since almost anything can use Shell Smash, a lot of Pokemon will actually turn the tables on a Spore attempt, and sweep you instead! Again, this doesn’t mean Spore is bad, as it can still shut down nasty Pokemon like Machoke who might not expect a random Spore. At the moment, Spore is particularly good on Sturdy Pokemon such as Magnezone, as they can shut down either shut down Machoke and set up, or get rid of an annoying Lum or Chesto Berries on the switch from Machoke (just watch out for Magic Coat!). Spore is also good on Pokemon that only need two moves to have good coverage, such as Groudon and Gengar.
The top 5 threats
These are the top 5 threats of this metagame so far. If you want to make a Glitchmons team, you MUST take these threats into account! Not doing so will often result in failure!
Machoke @ Evolite
Trait: No Guard
IVs: 0 Spe
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Relaxed Nature (+Def, -Spd)
- Trick Room
- Sheer Cold
- DynamicPunch / Gastro Acid
- Gastro Acid / Magic Coat
Machoke is one of the most fearsome and influential threats in the entire metagame that MUST be prepared for in some form! The execution here is simple: set up Trick Room, and then destroy teams that have lost their Sturdy Pokemon with a never missing Sheer Cold. Thanks to Machoke’s lackluster Speed, there isn’t much that will outspeed it under Trick Room. Dynamic Punch is mainly here for Magnezone, the most common sturdy Pokemon. Gastro Acid is great for catching sturdy Pokemon like Skarmory on the switch, potentially forcing the opposing team to lose one Pokemon if that’s their only Sturdy Pokemon. Magic Coat is there in case you predict a Spore, a risky move, but this can be very game changing!
Part of what makes Machoke so fearsome is its surprising bulk thanks to Evolite. To give you a picture on how bulky Machoke is, even a +2 Life Orbed Adamant Groudon Earthquake will only OHKO Machoke 41% of the time after Stealth Rock damage! In fact, with this ev spread, Machoke is as physically bulky as an Impish Metagross with maximum HP and Defense, and almost as specially bulky as a maximum HP Reuniclus. This bulk lets Machoke set Trick Room up against physical foes that lack Sheer Cold, and also means that Machoke will rarely get sniped by the large amount of priority in this metagame. This isn't normally an amazing achievement for an evolite user, but unlike other evolite users, Machoke is able to OHKO anything that can get hit by Sheer Cold, making Machoke an unmatched combination of bulk and power!
Machoke does have two flaws though: its so fearsome that people will over prepare for it by putting Sheer Cold or Spore on Pokemon just for it! Because of this, make sure you play carefully with Machoke. Machoke is especially deadly on Trick Room teams, since then it doesn't have to risk facing over prepared Pokemon as much! The second flaw is that Machoke's Special Defense, while decent with evolite, leaves a lot to be desired for when facing very strong special attackers. Although unboosted neutral Special Attacks will rarely KO Machoke, Machoke can't set up on extremely powerful special attackers such as Kyogre without taking a huge amount of damage, unless using a specially defensive spread. While a specially defensive Machoke can be a nasty surprise for people who attempt to deal with Machoke via strong special attacks, it becomes more vulnerable to priority. Despite these flaws, Machoke is still a huge force in this metagame that must always be prepared for!
Ursaring @ Toxic Orb / Flame Orb
Trait: Guts
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Def / 4 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Fake Out
- ExtremeSpeed
- V-create / Facade
- Mach Punch / Shadow Sneak / Low Kick
Despite possibly being the most common Pokemon in Glitchmons, Ursaring tends to confuse people who are new to this metagame, as at first glance, most people don't get the point of Ursaring. However, Ursaring is such a huge and influential threat that it's the reason Mewtwo and Rayquaza are very rare in this metagame! The reason for Ursaring's dominance in this metagame is because it may be the best priority abuser in the game! Fake Out may seem weak, but its extremely important to this set. One use of Fake Out allows Ursaring to activate Toxic Orb or Flame Orb, not only making Ursaring immune to sleep, but also powering up its already monstrous 130 base attack by 50% thanks to Guts. After Guts is activated, Guts boosted STAB Fake Out + ExtremeSpeed coming from 130 base attack makes Ursaring one hell of a revenge killer. Remember when I said that Rayquaza and Mewtwo are rare because of Ursaring? That's because Fake Out + ExtremeSpeed will actually KO both of them unless they make heavy defensive investments! Even Groudon has to be careful, because a Shell Smashed Groudon will take 90% minimum from Fake Out + ExtremeSpeed! Fake Out is also handy for basicly inflicting free damage, which may not seem like much, but the metagame is so fast paced that even a small amount of damage can change the game! Ursaring is part of the reason why Life Orb is uncommon in this metagame. With Ursaring's priority always around the corner, the recoil from Life Orb can be very dangerous! Another intresting thing to note about Ursaring is that it may be the most common abuser of the lack of species clause at the moment. With Shell Smashers being such huge threats, many teams opt to carry 2 Ursaring because of its useful revenge killing utility.
Because Ursaring causes so many switches due to its priority abuse, it has another very nasty tool to punish people trying to wear it down: V-create. In the sun, V-create is Ursaring's strongest attack. To give you a picture of its power, it deals 89-100% to max HP Groudon! To make this move even more appealing, Trick Room is a dangerous strategy in this metagame, and Ursaring's slow Speed and V-create make it very hard to defeat under Trick Room! For teams that have Kyogre, you may prefer Facade, which still deals a massive amount of damage to even Pokemon that resist it. Finally, the last move is mostly filler. Mach Punch is there to hit Magnezone and Tyranitar harder, Shadow Sneak allows Ursaring to revenge Gengar, and Low Kick allows Ursaring to hit Rock-types that may attempt to switch into it. Something that should also be noted is Ursaring's EV spread. Maxing defense on an offensive Pokemon may seem strange, but its very important for Ursaring. This is because priority is very common in this metagame, and the max Defense lets Ursaring take it as well as it possibly can while still maximizing its Attack. This may not seem like much, but Ursaring can actually survive stuff like +2 ExtremeSpeeds from a lum Groudon, and while it does a ton of damage, max Defense lets you possibly catch stuff like that with their pants down!
Like Machoke, Usraring is not without it's flaws. Ursaring's biggest problem is residual damage. With Toxic Orb or Flame Orb wearing it down. This means that Ursaring always is always on a timer, and people WILL take advantage of this! Ursaring also isn't exactly that bulky. When its not using priority attacks, it risks being OHKOed by stuff like V-create. Because of these factors, Ursaring doesn't usually last too long on the battlefield. Despite these issues, Ursaring is one of the biggest threats in the mimic streetpokemon metagame that must ALWAYS be accounted for!
Groudon @ Lum Berry
Trait: Drought
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- V-create
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Sheer Cold / Spore
Groudon @ Lum Berry
Trait: Drought
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Shell Smash
- Earthquake
- Spore / Sheer Cold
- Sacred Fire / ExtremeSpeed / Stone Edge
Groudon really hit the jackpot in this metagame. Unlike most Ubers, Groudon wasn't nerfed in this metagame, it got boosted! This is due to two very threatening sets, V-create and Shell Smash Groudon. Something to note is that because Groudon is so common in this metagame, Sun is actually the dominant weather here!
Groudon may not get STAB on V-create, but thanks to Drought, it becomes a 270 base power move, FAR stronger than Groudon's actual STAB! This coming off of base 150 Attack is very frightening! Groudon's other big selling point is that awesome 140 base Defense, which allows it to take Ursaring ExtremeSpeeds and smash it with V-create. Thanks to Groudon's bulk and fire power, it'll cause a lot of switchs, making it a great user of Stealth Rock. For the last move, you have a lot of options. Sheer Cold and Spore are for Machoke, Power Whip is to hit Kyogre harder, and ExtremeSpeed is nice for extra priority. Feel free to expariment with the last two slots, you may find something awesome! Another nice thing about this set its an excellent Pokemon to use on Trick Room teams. Groudon's sun makes V-create way more scary under Trick Room conditions, and Groudon can carry an Iron Ball to underspeed Machoke!
Groudon's other set focuses more on sweeping than punching holes in teams. After a Shell Smash, Groudon is very hard to stop! +2 Earthquake smashes most offensive mons, except for Machoke. Because of this, Groudon must carry a move to deal with Machoke. Spore is usually the best option here. With this, not only do you shut down most Machoke, but you can also set up on Pokemon that have lost their lum berry! If your team has serious problems with Machoke, Sheer Cold can be a better option. The last slot can be a bit tricky. With ExtremeSpeed, you can prevent Ursaring from destroying you if Ursaring is in the KO range of ExtremeSpeed, and its always handy to have some extra priority. If you are worried about the rare Skarmory or Balloon Steel-types, Sacred Fire is a nice option thats actually as strong as Earthquake. Finally, if you want to have almost flawless coverage, you can use Stone Edge.
Machamp@ Choice Scarf
Trait: No Guard
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Sheer Cold
- DynamicPunch
- Trick
- Shift Gear / V-create
Machoke may be one of the biggest threats in the metagame, but that doesn't mean that Machamp is outclassed at all. In fact, Machamp is still a huge threat it just plays a different role than Machoke!
Because Machamp is speedier than Machoke, most Machamp sets equip a Choice Scarf. Machamp isn't nearly as bulky as Machoke, but the immedite speed Choice Scarf provides should never be underestimated. Even with that sluggish 55 base Speed, Machamp is still able to outspeed even base 105 Speed Pokemon. Since Choice Scarf is otherwise rare in mimic Street Pokemon, Machamp can threaten to easily destroy anything that's slower than it with no need to set up! Dynamic Punch is still here to deal with Magnezone, while Trick is great for cripling other sturdy Pokemon that may attempt to switch in. The last moveslot is filler, Shift Gear if you want to attempt a sweep after Tricking, or V-create if you want a powerful move to use when you are unsure what the opponent is going to switch in. Feel free to toy with the last two moveslots, there really isn't a standard for Choice Scarf Machamp beyond the first two moves!
Choice Scarf isn't the only thing Machamp can do, but its the most explored. Machamp is notable for being able to equip an Iron Ball, and score an unexpected KO on Machoke under Trick Room. You can also use a lum berry to defeat Spore, a common way of dealing with Machoke. Just be warned, Machamp's bulk isn't nearly as good as Machoke's! Machamp may be also able to use some sort of Speed boosting set, but I have never tested this. User Espyowner has tested such a set however, so expect to see him post details about that!
Magnezone @ Lum Berry
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Shell Smash
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam / Weather Ball
- Spore / Sheer Cold
Magnezone @ Lum Berry
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SAtk
IVs: 0 Spd
Quiet Nature (+SAtk, -Spd)
- Tail Glow
- Thunderbolt
- Weather Ball / Ice Beam
- Trick Room
I'm sure this will cause some head scratching, but Magnezone is a very important Pokemon in Mimic Street Pokemon at the moment, and it's all because of Sturdy! With Machoke and Machamp being huge threats, having a Pokemon with sturdy is highly recommended. While Dynamic Punch may 2HKO Magnezone, it can switch into Sheer Cold, outspeed both Machoke and non Scarfed Machamp, and threaten to set up on them via Spore or use Sheer Cold. Sturdy's boost this generation is also very nice for Magnezone, and is a very good reason to carry a Stealth Rock user. For example, if Stealth Rock isn't up, Shell Smash Groudon will actually lose to a full HP Magnezone without Bonemerang!
The ability to sometimes check Machoke and Machamp is more of a bonus though, because it's still an excellent Shell Smasher. Thanks to its Steel typing, Ursaring will not be able to easily revenge kill a healthy Magnezone without Mach Punch (be warned though, two Ursaring are going to destroy it), and Magnezone can really hurt stuff with +2 Thunderbolts and Ice Beams! Weather Ball is also an option, because it will hit opposing Magnezone harder, and is actually more powerful than Thunderbolt. Just note that max HP Groudon has a small chance of living through Weather Ball (deals 88.4% - 104% after a Shell Smash).
Trick Room teams also like to use Magnezone, because its one of the few sweepers under Trick Room that doesn't need to carry Iron Ball to defeat Machoke! Tail Glow and Trick Room on the same set may seem excessive, but +3 Thunderbolts really hurt, and this set is to be used on a team where many other Pokemon can set up Trick Room.
Just a note, Magnezone is not the only viable sturdy user. However, Magnezone is the most common sturdy Pokemon and is also the only one with an established set. As the metagame evolves, there may be more common sturdy Pokemon to watch out for!
Less common but dangerous threats
Kyogre @ Lum Berry
Trait: Drizzle
EVs: 252 HP / 196 Def / 60 Spd
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Quiver Dance
- Surf / Weather Ball
- Grass Knot
- Fire Blast / Power Gem
Kyogre isn't nearly as common in this metagame as it is in Ubers, and that's all because of the massive amount of priority (especially from Ursaring). That doesn't mean Kyogre is bad though, because its still a threat that you should keep your eye on! Kyogre's biggest selling point by far is Drizzle. Thanks to Drizzle and resisting Fire-type attacks, it's easily the best switch into V-creates in the game!
Because Kyogre's 100 / 90 Defense isn't too good, it's forced to max out its HP and invest in a lot of Defense to ensure that Ursaring won't eat it alive. Thanks to the rain though, Kyogre can get away with the bulky ev spread while still being able to cause a lot of damage! Quiver Dance is the prefered meathod of setting up. With 60 Speed evs, Kyogre will outspeed Choice Scarf Machamp after a Quiver Dance, and smash it with either a +1 Weather Ball or a +1 Surf. Note that Kyogre has two different attacking set ups here. If you don't care about accuracy, the best attacks to use are Surf (or Hydro Pump if you have balls!), Grass Knot, and Fire Blast. Fire Blast may seem really silly on Kyogre, but it's important because of how fast paced this metagame is. Without it, Groudon can set up the sun to ruin your chances of sweeping! If you don't like Fire Blast's miss chance, then Weather Ball / Grass Knot / Power Gem (for Fire mons in the sun lol) is your best bet.
If you want, you can use White Herb + Shell Smash to make Kyogre a more threatening sweeper. Just be warned, you only have one shot or else priority is going to maul it!
Jirachi @ Lum Berry
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly / Naive Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Shell Smash
- Iron Head
- Sacred Fire / Earthquake
- Power Whip / Zen Headbutt / Psycho Boost
Oh boy, if you thought Choice Scarf Jirachi was annoying, wait till you see this thing in action! After one Shell Smash, Jirachi is actually pretty powerful. Iron Head can actually 2HKO maximum HP Groudon after Stealth Rock damage! With that power and 60% chance of flinching AND the lack of priority weakness, Jirachi can be a real pain in the ass to stop! Sacred Fire is also pretty annoying, because with it, Jirachi will always get a burn when it hits!
Physical Jirachi's biggest problem is the fact that you have to choose between hitting Groudon and Kyogre hard or Machoke hard. While Zen Headbutt can destroy Machoke after an Iron Head flinch, its not going to help much with Kyogre, and it forces you to flinch Groudon to death. Because of this, I have started to use a Naive nature and Twisted Spoon to OHKO Groudon with a +2 Psycho Boost after Stealth Rock damage, and OHKO Machoke without the boost. I actually prefer this set, but I haven't seen any other Jirachi try this yet!
Gengar @ Spooky Plate
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Tail Glow/Shell Smash
- Spore
- Judgment
- Vacuum Wave / Aura Sphere
Gengar may be frail as hell, but it has one trick up it's sleeve that makes it a HUGE threat: immunity to ExtremeSpeed. Because of this, Gengar is actually one of the most threatening Special sweepers in the game if it can set up!
After one Tail Glow, Gengar's Spooky Plate boosted Judgment (so it can be a ghost type Judgment) is EXTREMELY powerful. To give you a picture of it's power, +3 Judgment OHKOs both Kyogre and Magnezone after Stealth Rock damage! To make it even more threatening, Gengar's +3 Vacuum Wave can destroy Ursaring after Stealth Rock, and thanks to that Ghost typing, Gengar doesn't have to worry about Fake Out and ExtremeSpeed's higher priority! Although currently somewhat uncommon, anything faster than Gengar will destroy it, so you can opt to use Shell Smash and Aura Sphere instead for a less powerful but still threatening sweeper!
Gengar's biggest problem lies in actually setting up. Gengar's defenses really suck, so you either have to rely on Sporeing Pokemon that aren't carrying Lum Berry or pairing it with Wobbuffet. This is probably why Gengar isn't as common as it was in the beginning of the metagame. Despite this, I recommend preparing for Gengar, because if it gets a turn to set up, it's very difficult to stop!
Slaking @ Lum Berry
Trait: Truant
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Skill Swap
- Swords Dance
- ExtremeSpeed
- V-create
Slaking has always been a disapointing Pokemon. It's stats are excellent, but Traunt is such a terrible ability that it's rarely used. Mimic Street Pokemon is a far different story, as thanks to Skill Swap, Slaking can finally be used to its fullest potential!
After a Skill Swap, Slaking will have time to set up a Swords Dance, and with that 160 base attack, ExtremeSpeed will deal a ton of damage! Even if the opponent switches into Skill Swap, they will only have once chance to attack before Traunt kicks in. This means if the opponent is foolish enough to stay in after that, you get 2 Swords Dances! Slaking is also good at V-creating Pokemon on the switch, having a V-create thats even more powerful than Groudon's.
Slaking does have one really annoying flaw though. It is possibly the easiest Pokemon to metagame ever. Any Pokemon with Protect will beat this set one on one, it hates the rare Arceus or Shedinja, and worst of all, it actually has trouble with other Slaking because Skill Swap! Regardless, don't let these flaws make you think Slaking is easy to prepare for. It's not very viable to put Protect on every Pokemon, and Slaking has a knack for being really mean to face for unprepared teams!
Tyranitar is last on the list, because unlike the other Pokemon, Tyranitar doesn't actually have an established set yet! I'm not basing Tyranitar's usefulness on papermon though, because we know it works! We just haven't found it's best set yet. The main reasons Tyranitar is good in this metagame are resisting ExtremeSpeed , V-create, and most of all, Sand Stream. With Sand Stream, it can really screw up Ursaring, giving it more residual damage to worry about! It even makes Excadrill one of the few 5th generation Pokemon viable in this metagame!
Some good sets to test would be Shell Smash, some sort of priority abuser with Fake Out (to wear stuff down with Sandstream), and a Trick Roomer.
