Gen V OU Threatlist

AccidentalGreed · Feb 17, 2011

Generation V OU Threatlist

Maintained by Aerrow and AccidentalGreed.

Guys, please read all of the following rules before reserving and/or posting a submission. Not to be harsh or anything, but for the sake of organization, I will put certain limits on your reserving rights if you break any of the following rules (seriously, these rules will just make the creation of this article as smooth as possible, so please read them!):

Only bite off what you can chew! Please don’t reserve too many analyses, if you know you will not be able to complete them in a timely fashion; reserving 2 Pokemon at a time is a good benchmark, so this will be the limit for everyone; however, if you have a good reputation in C&C, I’ll allow you to reserve a couple more Pokemon at a time
Also, only reserve Pokemon here, if you have a good understanding of the OU metagame! Although contributions are welcome, they will only be valued if they have some thoughtful insight within them, so if you have never played in OU, chances are that you won’t be able to provide resourceful contributions, here. We reserve the right to reject anyone from reserving Pokemon, if the need ever arises
Do not expect me to know if you have edited your placeholder post with the completed submission; please contact me in some way (through IRC or PM would be fine) when you edit your post, or post again with your submission (note that this only applies if someone has posted between the time you posted your placeholder and the time when you completed your submission)
Refrain from posting grammar checks before all of the (completed) submissions have been compiled; this will simply cause a lot of unnecessary confusion, and anyways, the submissions can be checked when the article is in the GP phase (however, you’re expected to read over your own submissions before posting them)
The Pokemon that can be reserved are listed below; if you have any suggestions for the list, feel free to contact me through IRC or the forum’s PM system, and I’ll try to get back to you as soon as I can (although, only suggest additional Pokemon, if you have the proper support to back your suggestion up ; also, I know that lot of other Pokemon are threats, but if we would compiled all of them, we would have about 150 Pokemon in the list, so only suggest something if you really think it should be on the list)

List of Pokemon which can be reserved (the name of the person who has reserved the Pokemon will be put in bold next to the Pokemon’s name; a “ [DONE] “ will also be put next to the name, if the submission has been completed, and reviewed; also I'll put a '★' beside an entry after I have gone over it, and fixed any problems):

Offensive
Abomasnow - zdrup15 [DONE] ★
Alakazam - TrollFreak [DONE]★
Arcanine - Benlisted [DONE] ★
Azumarill - masterful [DONE] ★
Bisharp - Calm Pokemaster [DONE] ★
Bouffalant - Dr. Alpha [DONE] ★
Breloom - Aerrow [Done] ★
Celebi - New World Order [RESERVED]
Chandelure - religiousjedi [DONE] ★
Cloyster - Athenodros [DONE] ★
Conkeldurr - Dr. Alpha [DONE] ★
Darmanitan - masterful [DONE] ★
Deoxys-S - Aerrow [DONE] ★
Dragonite - elDino [DONE] ★
Espeon - Dummy007 [DONE] ★
Excadrill - zdrup15[DONE] ★
Gengar - Calm_Pokemaster[DONE] ★
Gliscor - IcyMan28 [DONE] ★
Gyarados - guddagudda [DONE] ★
Gorebyss - zdrup15 [DONE] ★
Haxorus - Dr. Alpha [DONE] ★
Heatran - elDino [DONE] ★
Hydreigon - Calm_Pokemaster[DONE] ★
Infernape - Calm_Pokemaster[DONE] ★
Jirachi - AccidentalGreed[DONE] ★
Jolteon - sirndpt [DONE] ★
Kingdra - AccidentalGreed[DONE] ★
Kyurem - Calm Pokemaster [DONE] ★
Landorus - Calm_Pokemaster [DONE] ★
Latias - IcyMan28 [DONE] ★
Latios - Aerrow [DONE] ★
Lucario - elDino [DONE] ★
Magnezone - Calm_Pokemaster[DONE] ★
Mew - NatGeo [DONE] ★
Mienshao - Dr. Alpha[DONE] ★
Nidoking - religiousjedi [DONE] ★
Ninetales - Dummy007[DONE] ★
Politoed - Dummy007 [DONE] ★
Reuniclus - badalcristiano [DONE] ★
Rotom-W - elDino[DONE] ★
Salamence - Dummy007[DONE] ★
Sawsbuck - Benlisted [DONE] ★
Scizor - Dummy007[DONE] ★
Scrafty - Calm_Pokemaster [DONE] ★
Starmie - elDino [DONE] ★
Terrakion - Athenodros [DONE] ★
Thundurus - elDino [DONE] ★
Tornadus - capefeather [DONE] ★
Togekiss - sirndpt [DONE] ★
Toxicroak - chanazn [DONE] ★
Tyranitar - Dr. Alpha [DONE] ★
Vaporeon - yee[DONE] ★
Venusaur - Paradoxus [DONE] ★
Victini - chanazn [DONE] ★
Virizion - Calm_Pokemaster [DONE] ★
Volcarona - chanazn [DONE] ★
Whimsicott - elDino[DONE] ★
Zoroark - IcyMan28 [DONE] ★

Defensive
Blissey - masterful [DONE] ★
Bronzong - elDino[DONE] ★
Chansey - Calm Pokemaster [DONE] ★
Deoxys-D - Calm Pokemaster [DONE] ★
Ferrothorn - badalcristiano [DONE] ★
Forretress - masterful [DONE] ★
Gastrodon - yee [DONE] ★
Gliscor - Athenodoros [DONE] ★
Gyarados - eaglehawk[DONE] ★
Hippowdon - elDino [DONE] ★
Jellicent - Dr. Alpha [DONE] ★
Jirachi - IcyMan28 [DONE] ★
Latias - NatGeo[DONE] ★
Mew - NatGeo [DONE] ★
Porygon2 - masterful [DONE] ★
Quagsire - Don Honchkrorleone [DONE] ★
Rotom-W - masterful [DONE] ★
Sableye - Yee [DONE] ★
Skarmory - Calm Pokemaster [DONE] ★
Slowbro - guddagudda [DONE] ★
Spiritomb - Don Honchkrorleone [DONE] ★
Starmie - masterful [DONE] ★
Tentacruel - masterful [DONE] ★
Vaporeon - yee [DONE] ★
Wobbuffet - Athenodros [DONE] ★
Xatu - Dummy007 [DONE] ★

Also, because of recent requests for revamps, I am adding a List of Pokemon which are available for revamps. Like the previous list, Pokemon that are done will be indicated so with a tag and a ★. If you feel a Pokemon needs checking over, please say so in a post with good reasons.

[title]
BW OU Threat List
[head]
<meta name="description" content="A list of top threats in the BW OU metagame, courtesy of AccidentalGreed." />
[page]
<div class="author">By <a href="/forums/member.php?u=35107">AccidentalGreed</a> and various contributors.</div>

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/465.png" alt="Abomasnow" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Abomasnow">Abomasnow</a> 
Base Stats: 90 HP / 92 Atk / 75 Def / 92 SpA / 85 SpD / 60 Spe 
Abilities: Snow Warning / Soundproof (Unreleased)

Abomasnow is unique in standard play as the only fully evolved Pokemon that can summon permanent hail. It is somewhat limited by its only decent offenses and mediocre Speed; therefore, it is often seen running a Choice Scarf set to make up for the latter, to take on the role of a revenge killer. It typically carries Blizzard and either Grass Knot or Wood Hammer, as well as Hidden Power Fire or Earthquake to deal with the Steel-types that resist its STABs. Abomasnow also makes for an annoying SubSeed user, as Leech Seed works in tandem with hail damage to slowly chip away at the opponent's health; it also has STAB Blizzard to severely punish any Grass-type that tries to nullify this strategy. The last move on this set is usually a choice between Focus Punch to smash Rock- and Steel-types, and Wood Hammer to demolish bulky Water-types.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/65.png" alt="Alakazam" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Alakazam">Alakazam</a> 
Base Stats: 55 HP / 50 Atk / 45 Def / 135 SpA / 85 SpD / 120 Spe 
Abilities: Synchronize / Inner Focus / Magic Guard

Alakazam, having been denied OU status for numerous generations, was finally given it in part thanks to a new ability, Magic Guard. Now that it gained OU status, Alakazam is here to showcase its immense power. Packing base 135 Special Attack as well as base 120 Speed, and a move called Psyshock to hit the two blobs Chansey and Blissey, Alakazam is one tough cookie to break. It also runs plenty of sets; ranging from Sub + 3 Attacks to Offensive Calm Mind to All-Out Focus Sash sets, it will be difficult to predict what exactly Alakazam is doing. It is also hard to decide what item it could be holding due to Magic Guard making Alakazam take no recoil from Life Orb. Coverage wise, Alakazam strives for coverage with moves such as Focus Blast and Shadow Ball. However, some even run Hidden Power Fire, especially on the Focus Sash set to deal with one of Alakazam's biggest checks, Scizor. All in all, Alakazam is a Pokemon of immense power, and if you ever see one in battle, have a game plan for it, or else you'll be in trouble.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/184.png" alt="Azumarill" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Azumarill/ou">Azumarill</a> 
Base Stats: 100 HP / 50 Atk / 80 Def / 50 SpA / 80 SpD / 50 Spe 
Abilities: Thick Fat / Huge Power / Sap Sipper

Although BW has not brought anything new for Azumarill, it still has a niche in the metagame. With the onslaught of many fast, powerful attackers and frail setup sweepers, powerful priority is virtually a must for any team, and Azumarill certainly provides this. With the combination of Huge Power and Choice Band, Azumarill can OHKO many of the top threats in the metagame with STAB Aqua Jet, as well as smack defensive threats such as Ferrothorn and Blissey with Superpower. The advent of Drizzle Politoed in OU makes it all the more difficult to deal with Azumarill, as few can stand up to a boosted Waterfall in rain. Azumarill also has coverage options, such as Ice Punch, to fall back on, and its great Water typing and above average defenses allow it to take the odd hit or two with ease. Overall, Azumarill is a great choice for any team lacking a solid revenge killer, and should always be played against carefully.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/286.png" alt="Breloom" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Breloom">Breloom</a> 
Base Stats: 60 HP / 130 Atk / 80 Def / 60 SpA / 60 SpD / 70 Spe 
Abilities: Effect Spore / Poison Heal / Technician

A top tier threat in DPP OU, Breloom returns in BW largely unchanged. With access to Swords Dance, Poison Heal, a fantastic status move in Spore that eases setup, and two powerful STAB moves in Focus Punch and Seed Bomb, it is no wonder that Breloom remains such a dangerous threat. The new sleep mechanics make Breloom all the more difficult to deal with, as Spore will now more often than not incapacitate a Pokemon for the rest of the match. This punching mushroom can run a number of effective sets, ranging from an all-out offensive set with Substitute, Spore, Focus Punch, and a coverage option, to a highly annoying SubSeed set. Aside from the abovementioned moves, Breloom also has coverage options, such as Stone Edge, and a useful priority move in Mach Punch to surprise unsuspecting opponents. Though Breloom sports a nasty 4x weakness to Flying-type moves, do not underestimate it.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/251.png" alt="Celebi" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Celebi">Celebi</a> 
Base Stats: 100 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 100 Spe 
Abilities: Natural Cure

Celebi is a Pokemon that has always shined in the OU environment. It is easy to see why, as a typing that grants in 6 resistances, base 100 stats across the board, and a useful ability in Natural Cure, make Celebi a huge threat to look out for in OU. Also, thanks to its well-balanced stats, Celebi is a great team supporter and defensive pivot for offensive teams as it possesses great defensive qualities such as resisting Water-, Ground-, Fighting-, and Electric-type attacks that are common in OU, as well as sporting moves such as Thunder Wave, Stealth Rock, Leech Seed, Recover, Dual Screens and Heal Bell. Sporting two great boosting attacks in Nasty Plot and Calm Mind, as well as coverage moves in Earth Power and Hidden Power Fire or Ice, offensive Celebi can rip through unprepared teams with ease. Celebi can also run choice sets, as it has Trick and U-turn, allowing it to cripple a potential check or keep up the momentum. Finally, to top of the great Pokemon which is Celebi, it can also use Baton Pass to pass along Substitutes, boosts from Nasty Plot, Calm Mind, or even Swords Dance, and with that great bulk, it's easy to see why Celebi has little difficulty doing that. However, it isn't all fun and games for the pixie. Since Celebi doesn't gain Psyshock, it can't get past Blissey or Chansey, two Pokemon which will give Celebi trouble. Celebi also sports a 4x weakness to Bug-type moves, meaning it can't handle Scizor without Hidden Power Fire. Speaking of Scizor, it can also trap Celebi with Pursuit due to Celebi's Psychic typing. Other Pursuit users such as Tyranitar and Weavile can also trap Celebi. Lastly, Dragon-type Pokemon give Celebi without Hidden Power Ice, though Thunder Wave will keep them at bay. All in all, Celebi is a Pokemon with many uses in the OU metagame and is definitely a Pokemon to look out for.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/639.png" alt="Chandelure" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Chandelure/ou">Chandelure</a> 
Base Stats: 60 HP / 55 Atk / 90 Def / 145 SpA / 90 SpD / 80 Spe 
Abilities: Flash Fire / Flame Body / Shadow Tag (Unreleased)

One of the newest Ghost-types to grace the BW OU metagame, Chandelure has more than enough to set itself apart from its ghostly brethren. A gigantic base 145 Special Attack, two powerful STABs, and decent defensive stats make Chandelure a massive threat and a fantastic Choice Scarf user. Through Dream World, it is destined to gain the ability Shadow Tag: the reason for Wobbuffet's ban from standard play in previous Generations. Its movepool includes useful coverage options, such as Energy Ball, to deal with troublesome Water-types, as well as the boosting moves Calm Mind and Flame Charge. Access to useful support moves, such as Will-O-Wisp, means it is not bereft of support options either. Though Chandelure has a sub-par base 80 Speed, and sports weaknesses to Stealth Rock, as well as common Water-, Rock-, Dark-, Ghost-, and Ground-type attacks, do not underestimate Chandelure; one wrong step will spell doom for your chances of victory.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/91.png" alt="Cloyster" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Cloyster">Cloyster</a> 
Base Stats: 50 HP / 95 Atk / 180 Def / 85 SpA / 45 SpD / 70 Spe 
Abilities: Shell Armor / Skill Link / Overcoat (Unreleased)

Cloyster has traditionally relied on its massive Defense stat and solid support movepool , consisting of Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and Rapid Spin, to snag it a place on teams in previous generations. However, it hit the jackpot in BW, gaining one of the the best boosting moves in the game: Shell Break. This makes Cloyster a very dangerous mixed attacker, capable of tearing through entire teams without breaking a sweat. With just a single turn of setup, Cloyster's offensive stats skyrocket to massive heights, enabling it to OHKO or 2HKO most of the metagame while still outspeeding many threats. Skill Link also gives Icicle Spear and Rock Blast maximum Base Power, meaning that not even Focus Sash, Substitute, Multiscale, or Sturdy can stop Cloyster's rampage. However, Shell Break lowers Cloyster's defenses by one stage each. While Cloyster's Special Defense is awful as it is, Fighting-type priority users, such as Conkeldurr, can prey on Cloyster's lowered Defense and weakness to their attacks. Overall though, Cloyster is definitely a Pokemon to watch out for, as it can rip teams to shreds if not met with a check.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/562.png" alt="Conkeldurr" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Conkeldurr">Conkeldurr</a> 
Base Stats: 105 HP / 140 Atk / 95 Def / 55 SpA / 65 SpD / 45 Spe 
Abilities: Guts / Sheer Force / Iron Fist (Unreleased)

Another slow, bulky, and very powerful Fighting type, Conkeldurr is not a clown to joke about. Conkeldurr packs a massive 140 base Attack, a great ability in Guts, and a fantastic boosting move in Bulk Up, making it one of the most potent threats in the metagame. Conkeldurr's good HP and Defense stats allow it to take the odd hit or two when setting up; STAB Drain Punch complements this well, significantly boosting its survivability. Powerful priority in Mach Punch also adds to its utility, letting it revenge kill threatening sweepers such as Cloyster. Its physical movepool isn't half bad either, it includes coverage options, such as Stone Edge and Payback, to complement its abovementioned STABs. However, its ability is what lets it stand out from the pack; Guts lets Conkeldurr scoff at the Achilles heel of many other physical attackers, enabling it to set up on walls that beat many of its fellow physical sweepers with status or Scald's burn chance. Aside from traditional Bulk Up and Choice Band sets, Conkeldurr can also abuse Guts directly with Flame Orb or Toxic Orb. Though common Psychic-types, such as Latios and Reuniclus, can dispose of Conkeldurr without too much trouble, dare not fool around with it, or its powerful fists will be the last thing you will ever see.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/584.png" alt="Darmanitan" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Darmanitan/ou">Darmanitan</a> 
Base Stats: 105 HP / 140 Atk / 55 Def / 30 SpA / 55 SpD / 95 Spe 
Abilities: Sheer Force / Zen Mode

With a colossal Attack stat, a devastating STAB move in Flare Blitz, and a great ability in Sheer Force, Darmanitan has the power to blast its way through its opponents, including those that resist its attacks. With a Sheer Force-boosted Flare Blitz under sun, Darmanitan can power its way through just about all Pokemon who aren't outright immune to Fire-type attacks. Those who are immune face the threat of a similarly boosted Rock Slide or Superpower, or a quick U-turn to a counter. Although Darmanitan excels at dealing large amounts of damage in short periods of time, its biggest fault is its vulnerability to all forms of entry hazards, as well as recoil damage, which will ultimately be its downfall. Its poor defenses, and unfortunate base 95 Speed also mean that faster threats can revenge kill it easily. Nonetheless, Darmanitan is indeed a dangerous threat: underestimate its raw power at your own peril.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/196.png" alt="Espeon" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Espeon">Espeon</a> 
Base Stats: 65 HP / 65 Atk / 60 Def / 130 SpA / 95 SpD / 110 Spe 
Abilities: Synchronize / Magic Bounce

At first glance, Espeon appears to be outclassed by other Psychic-types, most notably Alakazam, who has higher Special Attack and Speed stats, as well as Focus Blast to beat Tyranitar. However, Espeon's saving grace comes not in the form of typing, stats, or moves, but in its Dream World ability: Magic Bounce. Its ability to deflect entry hazards, phazing moves, status moves, and Taunt not only gives it a niche on standard teams, but also allows it to set up on many defensive Pokemon, including Jellicent, Blissey without Seismic Toss, and Skarmory. Despite this incredible ability, Espeon's Psychic typing and poor Defense limit its ability to set up. Tyranitar and Scizor can come in and threaten Espeon with super effective STAB moves, forcing Espeon to switch or be KOed. Still, with the ability to pass Calm Mind boosts, reflect entry hazards, as well as set up and sweep itself, Espeon is an excellent support choice for any team.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/94.png" alt="Gengar" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Gengar">Gengar</a> 
Base Stats: 60 HP / 65 Atk / 60 Def / 130 SpA / 75 SpD / 110 Spe 
Abilities: Levitate

With its Ghost typing, high base 110 Speed, and massive base 130 Special Attack, Gengar remains a dangerous threat four generations after its introduction. Convenient immunities to common Normal-, Fighting-, and Ground-type attacks make Gengar a great pivot, giving it a wealth of opportunities to switch in and wreak havoc. Along with a powerful STAB Shadow Ball, Gengar has fantastic coverage options in Thunderbolt, Focus Blast, Energy Ball, and Hidden Power . As Shadow Ball and Focus Blast achieve perfect neutral coverage together, Gengar can simultaneously make use of its multitude of support options, including Substitute, Disable, and Pain Split, making it an effective check to threats such as Conkeldurr, and even walls such as Blissey, Ferrothorn, and Jellicent. Despite these amazing perks, the fact remains that Gengar has poor defensive stats, and can be revenge killed by faster threats, such as Alakazam and Starmie, as well as by priority, unless it is safely tucked away behind a Substitute. Pursuit users, such as Tyranitar and Scizor, wreck Gengar too, and have the bulk to take a Focus Blast most of the time. Still, tread carefully, else Gengar will be truly frightening to deal with.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/477.png" alt="Gliscor" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Gliscor">Gliscor</a> 
Base Stats: 75 HP / 95 Atk / 125 Def / 45 SpA / 75 SpD / 95 Spe 
Abilities: Hyper Cutter / Sand Veil / Poison Heal

Despite being thought of as a primarily defensive threat, Gliscor's stats, movepool, and typing lend themselves to effective offensive sets as well. With its bulk and decent Speed, it is easily able to switch into top threats, such as Tyranitar and Lucario, and threaten them with its STAB Earthquake. It can then use Swords Dance to boost its Attack as the opponent switches out, activating its Poison Heal ability at the same time. Such a setup allows Gliscor to protect itself from status, gradually restore its health, and threaten the opposing team at the same time. Gliscor will typically supplement its powerful boosted STAB Earthquake with some combination of Stone Edge, Taunt, and Ice Fang. A lesser-seen alternative is Flying Gem, which enables Gliscor to effectively use a full-powered Acrobatics alongside Earthquake and, in doing so, score super effective hits on 8 of the 17 types with its boosted STAB attacks alone. In this metagame, a check to offensive Gliscor is mandatory for any successful team, as any unprepared team will quickly be decimated by it.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/368.png" alt="Gorebyss" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Gorebyss/ou">Gorebyss</a> 
Base Stats: 55 HP / 84 Atk / 105 Def / 114 SpA / 75 SpD / 52 Spe 
Abilities: Swift Swim / Hydration

Since its appearance, Gorebyss has consistently wallowed in the depths of NU. This generation, however, it received one of the best boosting moves, Shell Smash, enabling Gorebyss to sweep despite its otherwise average stats. However, sweeping isn't the most dangerous thing Gorebyss can do: it, Huntail, and Smeargle are the only Pokemon that can Baton Pass said Shell Smash boosts. This turns Gorebyss into an unparalleled support Pokemon that, in a single turn, can set up a sweep for one of its more dangerous teammates, such as Haxorus, Nidoking, and mixed Jirachi. Gorebyss does have some problems: its defenses are average at best,which makes it difficult to find setup opportunities, and Prankster users can prevent it from passing its boosts. To solve the first problem, Gorebyss is almost always paired with dual screens Deoxys-S, which means it'll survive all but the most powerful hits; White Herb also serves to nullify the drop to its defenses. The second is easier to fix: since all Prankster users are weak to Ice Beam, Gorebyss can OHKO them while they Taunt, and attempt to Baton Pass later. All in all, if Gorebyss can successfully pass Shell Smash, you will certainly be in huge trouble.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/642.png" alt="Haxorus" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Haxorus">Haxorus</a> 
Base Stats: 76 HP / 147 Atk / 90 Def / 60 SpA / 70 SpD / 97 Spe 
Abilities: Rivalry / Mold Breaker / Unnerve (Unreleased) 

Haxorus was a vastly overhyped threat in the early stages of BW, and is not quite the terror that its massive base 147 Attack might make it seem. However, it is still a very dangerous threat. Outside of its powerful STAB Outrage, Haxorus has coverage options in Earthquake, Rock Slide, and Brick Break, allowing it to surprise unsuspecting opponents which switch in expecting Outrage. Access to boosting moves, such as Dragon Dance and Swords Dance, makes Haxorus a dangerous setup sweeper too, as it can be hard to stop after just a single turn of setup. It is also one of the few Dragon-types with access to Taunt, which means that phazing walls, such as Skarmory, won't be stopping Haxorus in a hurry. It can also utilize Choice Band to smash its way through teams with just the raw power of its STAB Outrage, which can power through even the likes of Steel-types, such as Ferrothorn and Skarmory! Choice Scarf Haxorus also happens to be one of the only reliable checks to Dragon Dance Dragonite in the metagame. What does keep our axe-faced dragon from being a top-tier threat, however, is its odd base 97 Speed, which means it is outsped by a huge number of threats who can exploit its average defenses and weakness to common Dragon- and Ice-type attacks. Still, be sure to pack a Steel-type or two, or Haxorus will be a massive pain for your team.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/490.png" alt="Heatran" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Heatran">Heatran</a> 
Base Stats: 91 HP / 90 Atk / 106 Def / 130 SpA / 106 SpD / 77 Spe 
Abilities: Flash Fire / Flame Body (Unreleased)

Heatran is a very versatile Pokemon that can run a variety of sets, ranging from all-out offensive ones to defensive ones. With great balanced stats, a unique and effective typing, as well as a useful ability in Flash Fire, Heatran can run a fantastic offensive set , which, when backed by a Life Orb or a Choice Specs, has the power to rip through whole teams. Slapping a Choice Scarf on Heatran makes it a great revenge killer too, as it can then outspeed many popular unboosted sweepers, while simultaneously being able to finish off most threats with a powerful STAB Fire Blast. It also has the ability to clean up weakened teams late-game with any its offensive set. Finally, Heatran has a variety of support options, and its respectable defenses allow it to sponge most neutral and resisted attacks. With a great support movepool including Stealth Rock, Sunny Day, Roar, Taunt, Toxic, Protect, and Torment, the only thing that stops Heatran from being a top mixed wall is its lack of reliable recovery, which nonetheless can be somewhat remedied by Leftovers. Despite having a nasty weakness to common Ground-, Water-, and Fighting-type attacks, Heatran is still quite a threat, and makes a great addition to any team looking for a bulky, powerful attacker.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/665.png" alt="Hydreigon" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Hydreigon">Hydreigon</a> 
Base Stats: 92 HP / 105 Atk / 90 Def / 125 SpA / 90 Def / 98 Spe 
Abilities: Levitate

A high base 125 Special Attack, a unique typing, and decent defensive stats, along with a massive movepool and a wonderful ability in Levitate, give this new dragon a niche in the metagame, making it a very dangerous threat indeed. Hydreigon's wide movepool, which includes Fire Blast, Surf, Dark Pulse, Draco Meteor, and Focus Blast, allows it to check a large range of threats. Levitate and its decent defenses also give Hydreigon the ability to switch in with ease and take the odd hit or two. Hydreigon can also surprise its normal would-be counters by running physical moves ,such as Earthquake and Outrage, thanks to its good base 105 Attack. Unfortunately, Hydreigon's odd base 98 Speed leaves it outpaced by a large number of threats who can hit it hard with their STAB attacks, Dragon-types in particular. While Hydreigon's defenses are decent, they are not spectacular, and it can't stomach powerful attacks from the likes of Conkeldurr and Latios. Its Dark part-typing also bestows on it unfortunate weaknesses to common Fighting- and Bug-type attacks. Offensively, special walls such as Blissey wall Hydreigon unless it runs Outrage. Still, Hydreigon is a dangerous threat that, thanks to its sheer offensive power and wide movepool, can raze unprepared teams easily if given the chance.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/395.png" alt="Infernape" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Infernape">Infernape</a> 
Base Stats: 76 HP / 104 Atk / 71 Def / 104 SpA / 71 Def / 108 Spe 
Abilities: Blaze / Iron Fist

Although Infernape received a massive amount of competition from all the new Fighting-types introduced in Black and White, do not make the mistake of overlooking it, for it is as great a threat as ever. Sporting great balanced offensive stats and a high base 108 Speed, Infernape can function effectively as a wonderful mixed attacker. Infernape also has adiverse movepool to back it up, with its powerful physical and special STAB moves, complemented by good coverage options in Earthquake, Stone Edge, Grass Knot, ThunderPunch, U-turn, and Hidden Power, and priority in the form of Mach Punch and Vacuum Wave. This allows it to deal with threats ranging from the ubiquitous Blissey and Ferrothorn to even the likes of Jirachi and Tyranitar. Access to boosting moves, such as Nasty Plot, Swords Dance, and Work Up, also makes Infernape one of the most dangerous set-up sweepers around. Unfortunately, our flaming ape has its fair share of problems. Although it is not by any means slow, offensive threats such as Latios and Gengar outspeed it; this is compounded by the fact that Infernape has poor defensive stats. Despite these flaws, Infernape is easily a top-tier threat that can run away with the game if you are not careful.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/385.png" alt="Jirachi" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Jirachi">Jirachi</a> 
Base Stats:100 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 100 Spe 
Abilities: Serene Grace

It's not a stretch to say that Jirachi is one of the most versatile and useful Pokemon in the BW OU metagame. With a number of classic and new threats thriving in OU, including but not limited to Ferrothorn, Latios, Latias, Reuniclus, and Tyranitar, Jirachi's well-rounded combination of offense and defense is sorely needed on many teams. Jirachi has many things going for it: in addition to its Steel / Psychic typing, which grants Jirachi a whopping eight resistances and only two weaknesses, it is also gifted with the amazing ability, Serene Grace, along with many options with which to abuse it. Jirachi is quite the force to be reckoned with, as its versatility allows it to play physically or specially, and each set has different checks from the others. On the special side, Jirachi can utilize Calm Mind to lure in and eliminate a number of physically defensive threats with ease. Physically, too, Jirachi poses a massive threat with the notorious Iron Head, which, thanks to Serene Grace, has a massive 60% flinch chance, complemented with coverage options in the elemental Punches to check the likes of Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Gliscor. More often than not, Jirachi requires minimal support to function, as its wonderful bulk and typing allow it to set up easily on various types of teams. Once its counters and checks have been eliminated, Jirachi can break through most teams in a metagame heavily reliant on defensive Pokemon – still with that ever-serene smile on its face.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/230.png" alt="Kingdra" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Kingdra/ou">Kingdra</a> 
Base Stats:75 HP / 95 Atk / 95 Def / 95 SpA / 95 SpD / 85 Spe 
Abilities: Swift Swim / Sniper / Damp (Unreleased)

Kingdra often faces huge competition from its Dragon-typed brethren for a team slot. While its stats seem merely mediocre, Kingdra does have a number of traits that allow it to destroy various types of teams in OU. One thing that sets it apart is its unique Water / Dragon typing; with resistances to three common attacking types, only one weakness to Dragon-type moves, and decent defensive stats, Kingdra can set up easily on a regular basis. This typing also grants Kingdra good offensive dual STAB coverage, resisted only by the common Ferrothorn, as well as the less popular Empoleon and Shedinja. Kingdra may also threaten teams in numerous ways. While Dragon Dance can be used on many builds of Kingdra, Rain Dance sets also have the power to immediately break through teams, especially popular weather-oriented ones. In rain, Kingdra can take advantage of its ability, Swift Swim, to outrun just about the whole metagame, making it especially difficult to revenge kill. You may be very tempted to pair Kingdra with a Drizzle Politoed; however, the combination of Swift Swim and Drizzle is banned, so Kingdra will have to resort to the classic methods it used last generation. Nonetheless, this doesn't stop it from being a significant offensive threat.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/676.png" alt="Kyurem" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Kyurem/ou">Kyurem</a> 
Base Stats:125 HP / 130 Atk / 90 Def / 130 SpA / 90 SpD / 95 Spe 
Abilities: Pressure

At first glance, Kyurem appears to be a very mighty attacker , capable of tearing through even the bulkiest of walls. Excellent base stats, along with high-powered mixed dual STAB attacks in Outrage, Draco Meteor, and Blizzard also back up this claim. However, Kyurem is almost completely let down by an average base 95 Speed, a small movepool with no boosting moves outside of Hone Claws, and a defensively atrocious Dragon / Ice typing, which gives it weaknesses to common Fighting- and Steel-type priority attacks, in addition to a Stealth Rock weakness. As rarely seen as it is, Kyurem is not to be underestimated. Kyurem achieves perfect neutral coverage with just Focus Blast and its STAB attacks, and this, in conjunction with its equally outstanding offenses, allow it to function as an effective mixed stallbreaker. With excellent 125 / 90 / 90 defenses, Kyurem is certainly durable enough to take the odd neutral hit or two, allowing it to hang around for a while. Despite having several crippling disadvantages, Kyurem should not be taken lightly, and is an offensive threat which every team should be prepared to deal with, especially in hailing conditions.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/675.png" alt="Landorus" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Landorus">Landorus</a> 
Base Stats:89 HP / 125 Atk / 90 Def / 115 SpA / 80 SpD / 101 Spe 
Abilities: Sand Force / Sheer Force

Under sandstorm, Landorus is one of the biggest threats in the metagame. Access to Swords Dance and Rock Polish, as well as above average defenses , allow Landorus to set up and demolish both defensive and offensive teams with ease. Its mixed offensive stats make it especially tough to counter, as physical walls, such as Gliscor, are destroyed by Hidden Power Ice. Sand Force additionally boosts the power of Earthquake and Stone Edge in sandstorm, giving Landorus the ability to run both Swords Dance and Rock Polish on the same set to rip teams to shreds. Landorus' base 101 Speed is a mixed blessing, it enables Landorus to outspeed many base 100 Pokemon, but leaves it outsped by threats, such as Latios, Latias, Starmie, and Gengar, who can all send it to a quick death by exploiting its 4x Ice-type weakness. Despite this glaring flaw, do watch out for this sand genie; the raw power of its attacks in sandstorm makes it a top-tier offensive threat.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/380.png" alt="Latias" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Latias">Latias</a> 
Base Stats:80 HP / 80 Atk / 90 Def / 110 SpA / 130 SpD / 110 Spe 
Abilities: Levitate

The transition to BW has seen Latias once again allowed into standard play, with the sole stipulation that it may not hold its signature item, the banned Soul Dew. Nonetheless, Latias is capable of putting its high Speed, power, access to instant recovery, and formidable bulk to good use. While certain offensive sets are viable, it is generally outclassed offensively by its brother Latios, and as such finds itself using sets that take advantage of its higher bulk. These include the mono-attacking Calm Mind set, dual screen sets that utilize Wish, and various other incarnations of the aforementioned Calm Mind set. By running these sets, Latias functions as an excellent answer to various sweepers, such as Heatran and Jolteon, and is a first-rate switch-in to specially based weather inducers Ninetales and Politoed, easily healing off any damage with Recover. With the metagame centered largely around Fighting- and Dragon-type threats, both of which Latias handles well thanks to its resistance to the former and ability to outspeed and KO nearly all of the latter, it fits very nicely into the metagame.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/381.png" alt="Latios" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Latios">Latios</a> 
Base Stats:80 HP / 90 Atk / 80 Def / 130 SpA / 110 SpD / 110 Spe 
Abilities: Levitate

It's no mystery as to why Latios is one of the most feared Pokemon out there: with its massive base 130 Special Attack and base 110 Speed stats, as well as passable bulk, Latios is one of the most effective attackers in the metagame. Draco Meteor, perhaps its most common attack, has enough power to heavily dent even the likes of Ferrothorn, and the ability to take Latios' Choice Specs Draco Meteor has become the standard by which all special walls in OU are judged. Latios is able to run a variety of sets ranging from Choice Specs to Calm Mind to even Dragon Dance. However, it's not all sunshine for Latios, as its secondary typing, Psychic, cripples it in many ways. Scizor in particular can utilize its resistance to Draco Meteor to come in almost unscathed and trap Latios with Pursuit; specially defensive Tyranitar also works magnificently in this role. Overall, Latios is a massive offensive threat, but like all others, it is not without its weaknesses.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/467.png" alt="Magnezone" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Magnezone">Magnezone</a> 
Base Stats:70 HP / 70 Atk / 115 Def / 130 SpA / 95 SpD / 60 Spe 
Abilities: Magnet Pull / Sturdy / Analytic

With the abundance of Steel-type defensive walls in the metagame, it is no wonder that Magnezone is such a common threat. Magnet Pull gives Magnezone the ability to trap virtually any pesky Steel-type, and either promptly KO it with its powerful STAB attacks, or set up on it with Charge Beam thanks to its wonderful physical bulk. Even though Magnezone doesn't have the largest movepool, Hidden Power Fire and its STAB moves give it all the coverage it needs; its huge base 130 Special Attack also makes up for its lack of coverage options. Magnezone can also deal with the common Ferrothorn + Jellicent defensive core, making it a great choice for just about any team that needs the removal of walls—Steel-types in particular—for a teammate to sweep. Ironically, Magnezone itself is also a Steel-type, meaning it suffers from the same flaws that its Steel-type brethren have to contend with. A painful 4x weakness to common Ground-type attacks is probably the most exploitable. Magnezone is also slow, meaning that speedy Pokemon with Fighting- and Fire-type attacks can KO it with ease. Despite these flaws, Magnezone can make unprepared teams pay, since it can remove entire defensive cores without so much as blinking an eye.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/151.png" alt="Mew" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Mew/ou">Mew</a> 
Base Stats:100 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 100 Spe 
Abilities: Synchronize

Mew is one of the growing number of legendary pixie Pokemon with base 100 stats across the board; however, what sets it apart is its access to every TM and non-exclusive tutor move in the game, making Mew unparalleled in its versatility. It can run a great number of sets, all of which capitalize on its fantastic defensive, offensive, and supportive capabilities. Swords Dance, Nasty Plot, Calm Mind, and Amnesia are literally the tip of the iceberg when it comes to boosting moves that can be Baton Passed to more dangerous threats. With its great Special Attack and Speed, however, it can just as easily sweep on its own with Nasty Plot, utilizing STAB Psyshock to take down even special walls, such as Blissey and Jellicent. It can also run a more defensive Calm Mind set which still packs quite a punch; this places more emphasis on its bulk and access to an instant recovery moves, such as Roost, Recover, and Softboiled. Additionally, a stallbreaker set sporting Will-O-Wisp, Taunt, and Recover can beget great results if given the proper support. Overall, be very wary of Mew, as behind its pink pixie exterior lies immense versatility and power.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/650.png" alt="Mienshao" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Mienshao/ou">Mienshao</a> 
Base Stats:65 HP / 125 Atk / 60 Def / 95 SpA / 60 SpD / 105 Spe 
Abilities: Inner Focus / Regenerator / Reckless

One of the many new Fighting-types introduced in BW, Mienshao stands out of the pack in several unique ways. First, it is one of the fastest Fighting-types in the game with base 105 Speed; this enables it to outrun the many Pokemon sitting at the base 100 Speed benchmark. Its offenses—a high 125 base Attack and a usable base 95 Special Attack—aren't bad either, and give it a fair amount of versatility. Though its movepool is relatively shallow, it nonetheless contains lots of useful moves such as U-turn, Hi Jump Kick, Fake Out, Calm Mind, Swords Dance, Work Up, Hidden Power Ice, and even Grass Knot. Access to Regenerator is the icing on the cake, as with it, Mienshao need not worry about residual damage from Life Orb, sandstorm, entry hazards, and status, as well as recoil from Hi Jump Kick, enhancing its longevity by leaps and bounds. However, Mienshao is frail and can't take too many hits, and also struggles greatly against Ghost-types due to a lack of any decent Dark- or Ghost-type moves. Even with these flaws, Mienshao is still a solid Pokemon to use, and even with its small movepool, it can run surprisingly diverse sets.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/34.png" alt="Nidoking" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Nidoking/ou">Nidoking</a> 
Base Stats:81 HP / 92 Atk / 77 Def / 85 SpA / 75 SpD / 85 Spe 
Abilities: Poison Point / Rivalry / Sheer Force

Overlooked in past generations due to its middling stats, Nidoking received a blessing in the form of its Dream World ability, Sheer Force. This allows Nidoking to make full use of its fantastic movepool with a very efficient Life Orb set. Nidoking's useful typing protects it from paralysis and poison, and also allows it to remove Toxic Spikes upon switching in. It has access to powerful STAB moves, such as Earth Power and Sludge Wave, as well as the elemental trio of Flamethrower, Thunderbolt, and Ice Beam, all which gain a Sheer Force boost. If you find the number of Sheer Force-boosted physical moves disappointing, Nidoking also received a way to boost its decent Attack and raise its Accuracy with Hone Claws, making moves such as Stone Edge, Fire Blast, Thunder, and Blizzard feasible on a mixed set. Though middling Speed and so-so defenses may hold Nidoking back, its ability to counter even the threatening Conkledurr speaks volumes of Nidoking's newfound power.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/186.png" alt="Politoed" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Politoed">Politoed</a> 
Base Stats:90 HP / 75 Atk / 75 Def / 90 SpA / 100 SpD / 70 Spd 
Abilities: Water Absorb / Damp / Drizzle

Outclassed by other Water-types in previous generations, Politoed shot to instant stardom with the arrival of Gen V: Politoed received Drizzle from the Dream World, turning the OU metagame on its head. In fact, Politoed's infinite rain provided such an exceptional boost to Swift Swim that the two were banned together on the same team. Although perhaps its best abusers are gone, Politoed's rain still contributes to rain stall teams and teams that need other weathers removed. Politoed itself functions well both as a bulky Water-type and a Choice Scarf user, as its reasonable bulk and moderate Speed allow it to revenge kill many sweepers, particularly those that depend on another weather, mainly Chlorophyll sweepers, as well as threats such as non-Choice Scarf Jirachi. Politoed isn't perfect, though, as its low Defense and Speed make it easy to wear down. Ferrothorn and Jellicent make excellent counters too, as neither takes much damage from any of Politoed's attacks, and can cripple it with a status move. Despite these flaws, Politoed is an excellent choice to base a weather team around or to check opposing weather.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/503.png" alt="Rotom-W" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Rotom-W">Rotom-W</a> 
Base Stats:50 HP / 65 Atk / 107 Def / 105 SpA / 107 SpD / 86 Spe 
Abilities: Levitate

With only one weakness thanks to its ability , Levitate, as well as two great offensive STABs, Rotom-W makes a great tank in today's metagame. This, in conjunction with good bulk and a solid Special Attack stat, allows Rotom-W to both take hits and dish out damage equally well. STAB Thunderbolt, Volt Switch, and Hydro Pump hit hard when backed by Choice Specs, enabling Rotom-W to counter the rain and sand teams so common in the current metagame. This affable washing machine also has Hidden Power to surprise walls that resist its STAB moves, such as Ferrothorn and Gastrodon, thus providing great coverage. Its low base HP further allows Rotom-W to make good use of its semi-reliable recovery move in Pain Split; that this hurts walls such as Blissey at the same time is a bonus. Though Rotom-W is not a game-breaking offensive force, its ability to both take hits and retaliate is what makes it a Pokemon to look out for. 

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/373.png" alt="Salamence" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Salamence">Salamence</a> 
Base Stats:95 HP / 135 Atk / 80 Def / 110 SpA / 80 SpD / 100 Spe 
Abilities: Intimidate / Moxie

This controversial DPP Uber continues to be a major threat in the BW OU metagame. Its high offenses are a major reason for this: base 135 Attack and base 110 Special Attack are nothing to scoff at, even with the power creep this Generation. Dragon Dance allows it to run roughshod over entire teams with just a single turn of setup; what's more, Salamence's large movepool and two abilities makes it unpredictable, as it works equally well as a mixed wallbreaker, a fast Choice Scarf user, and as a bulky phazer with Wish and Dragon Tail. However, Salamence's throne as the best Dragon-type in OU has become much less secure. Latias and Latios dropped down from Ubers this generation; both which outspeed Salamence and can easily OHKO it with their STAB Dragon-type attacks. Dragonite gained a valuable asset in Multi Scale, while Haxorus boasts a higher base Attack stat. Still, there are few true counters to Salamence, making it a great choice as a physical or mixed sweeper on a team in need of its services. Even walls such as Ferrothorn only check it at best, and only the very rare Cresselia counters it fully. Despite the introduction of other powerful Dragon-types, and new threats looking to usurp its throne, Salamence is still a very solid threat and should never be overlooked when building a team.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/616.png" alt="Sawsbuck" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Sawsbuck/ou">Sawsbuck</a> 
Base Stats:80 HP / 100 Atk / 70 Def / 60 SpA / 70 SpD / 95 Spe 
Abilities: Chlorophyll / Sap Sipper / Serene Grace

Though a rarer sight than the omnipresent Venusaur as a Chlorophyll sweeper, Sawsbuck is nonetheless a deadly offensive threat with its dangerous Swords Dance set. With its unique dual STAB, and Jump Kick or Nature Power (Earthquake in WiFi battles) for coverage, Sawsbuck can hit a wide range of threats very hard. If given the opportunity to set up, it can easily sweep entire teams that lack the Fighting-type priority it hates. A little less threatening is the four attacks set, which is an excellent revenge killer available to sun teams, as it outspeeds almost the entire metagame, while still being able to switch moves. It should be noted, however, that this set lacks the power to carry out a clean sweep, and is therefore generally less of a threat. Megahorn will typically be used in the fourth slot in order to revenge kill Latios and Latias, as well as to hit opposing Grass-types harder, making Sawsbuck very hard to stop.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/212.png" alt="Scizor" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Scizor">Scizor</a> 
Base Stats:70 HP / 130 Atk / 100 Def / 55 SpA / 80 SpD / 65 Spe 
Abilities: Swarm / Technician / Light Metal (Unreleased)

Despite the arrival of many new threats in BW, Scizor continues to be a powerhouse and is a staple on many teams. Its standard set in DPP, the Choice Band set is still seen everywhere, while the Swords Dance set is no less effective. Both pack quite the punch, and can blow holes in the opposing team regardless of the situation: U-turn coming off of Scizor's base 130 Attack deals plenty of damage, and also allows Scizor to be an effective scout and pivot. With Swords Dance and a Life Orb, there isn't much that can handle Scizor's STAB- and Technician-boosted priority Bullet Punch. However, as with all Pokemon, the metal bug has its drawbacks. The newly introduced Chandelure resists all of Scizor's common moves barring Pursuit, and can easily dispose of Scizor with its STAB Fire-type attacks. Volcarona is also an excellent Scizor slayer, sporting STAB Fire-type moves, a resistance to most of Scizor's moves, and Flame Body to burn Scizor when it attacks. Although itmust push on in light of these new threats, Scizor is still a powerful threat in the OU metagame, and will likely remain a staple for generations to come.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/590.png" alt="Scrafty" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Scrafty/ou">Scrafty</a> 
Base Stats:65 HP / 90 Atk / 115 Def / 45 SpA / 115 SpD / 58 Spe 
Abilities: Shed Skin / Moxie / Intimidate (Unreleased)

With wonderful defensive stats, a decent base 90 Attack, and access to fantastic boosting moves in Bulk Up and Dragon Dance, Scrafty makes an excellent setup sweeper. Its STABs achieve near-perfect neutral coverage, allowing Scrafty to score many KOs with just these two moves. Scrafty also has two wonderful abilities in Shed Skin and Moxie. The former not only protects it from status, but also allows it to abuse Rest effectively, giving it a form of recovery to go along with Drain Punch, and allowing it many more boosts. The latter, on the other hand, makes it more difficult to stop each time it scores a KO, and can be devastating in conjunction with Speed boosts from Dragon Dance. Scrafty's offensive movepool also includes options such as Ice Punch to hit switch-ins, such as Gliscor, hard, and Dragon Tail can be used to phaze boosting opponents and rack up residual damage. It also has support options such as Taunt and Counter to stop opposing set-up sweepers and surprise physical attackers respectively. Unfortunately, Scrafty is let down by its poor base 58 Speed and Fighting-type weakness, which allows faster Fighting-types, such as Infernape, to outspeed and pummel Scrafty with STAB Fighting-type attacks. Trick also shuts down Scrafty, forcing it to switch or become locked thanks to a Choice item. Still, Scrafty can break open the game in a matter of a few turns, and is a threat which every team should be prepared for.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/121.png" alt="Starmie" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Starmie">Starmie</a> 
Base Stats:60 HP / 75 Atk / 85 Def / 100 SpA / 85 SpD / 115 Spe 
Abilities: Illuminate / Natural Cure / Analytic

This long-time OU veteran of all four previous generations has a tried-and-tested combination of blistering Speed, fantastic Special Attack, great coverage, and devastating high-powered moves. With Hydro Pump, Thunderbolt, and Ice Beam in its arsenal, Starmie can rip apart unprepared teams easily with a Life Orb set, with Recover making it much more difficult to take down than its mediocre defenses may suggest. Starmie is also blessed with the fairly exclusive Rapid Spin and the useful Natural Cure to thwart the efforts of opposing defensive teams. Although Starmie is equipped with the perfect tools for a special sweeper, it is sorely let down by its lack of a boosting move, and it is also walled by common rain counters, such as Ferrothorn and Gastrodon, as well as classic special walls, such as Blissey and Chansey. Just be sure to carry a check to Starmie, or it will sweep unhindered.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/669.png" alt="Terrakion" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Terrakion">Terrrakion</a> 
Base Stats:91 HP / 129 Atk / 90 Def / 72 SpA / 90 SpD / 108 Spe 
Abilities: Justified

Terrakion's good bulk, incredible base 129 Attack, base 108 Speed , which even unboosted, outpaces a significant proportion of the metagame, and access to both Swords Dance and Rock Polish, make it a fantastic setup sweeper. Its STAB moves are resisted only by a handful of uncommon Pokemon, such as Claydol, Toxicroak, and Golurk, enabling it to run a double-boosting set with both Rock Polish and Swords Dance to tailor its boostsdepending on the team it is facing. Terrakion also functions brilliantly with Choice sets with its high Attack and Speed, which makes it a versatile threat. Its ability, Justified, further allows it to snatch an Attack boost by switching in on Dark-type moves, such as Tyranitar's Crunch or Pursuit. Though Terrakion sports weaknesses to common Ground-, Water-, and Fighting-type attacks, and is outsped by common threats, such as Starmie, the Lati siblings, and Gengar, underestimate it at your own peril.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/671.png" alt="Tornadus" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Tornadus">Tornadus</a> 
Base Stats:79 HP / 115 Atk / 70 Def / 125 SpA / 80 SpD / 111 Spe 
Abilities: Prankster / Defiant

Tornadus is one of the most threatening sweepers on rain teams. The one trait that really separates it from other rain-oriented Pokemon is its powerful Flying-type STAB, Hurricane, which rivals Latios' Draco Meteor in power and comes without any drawback in rain. This alone allows Tornadus to run an extremely threatening Choice Specs set, which generally only Tyranitar, as well as defensive Steel- and Electric-types, such as Jirachi andRotom-W, can check reliably, and even then, the 30% probability of confusion may prove problematic. Tornadus can also run an effective mixed set, a Bulk Up set, or even a Rain Dance support set to bypass the Drizzle + Swift Swim combination ban. However, a vulnerability to priority moves, as well as an overreliance on rain, let Tornadus down, as it is effectively neutered once its weather is removed. Still, Tornadus makes a great addition to any rain team, and should always be handled carefully.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/459.png" alt="Toxicroak" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Toxicroak/ou">Toxicroak</a> 
Base Stats:83 HP / 106 Atk / 65 Def / 86 SpA / 65 SpD / 85 Spe 
Abilities: Anticipation / Dry Skin / Poison Touch (Unreleased)

Toxicroak has always been an odd Pokemon. With middling stats all across the board, it may, at first glance, seem like nothing more than a mediocre Pokemon. However, Toxicroak's viability in OU lies in its highly coveted ability, Dry Skin, which restores 12.5% of its health in rain, and recovers health when hit by Water-type attacks. This, along with Toxicroak’s Poison typing, allows it to completely wall nearly every bulky Water-type , and set up in their faces. Toxicroak also has an interestingly wide physical and special movepool, as well as access to both Swords Dance and Nasty Plot, to increase its clout as a setup sweeper significantly. Its large movepool includes useful priority options, such as Fake Out and Sucker Punch, and gives it great coverage. It goes without saying that Toxicroak is a great fit on rain teams, as it can deal with Ferrothorn, a huge pain for any rain team. Overall, Toxicroak is an extremely underrated threat that should not be taken lightly.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/248.png" alt="Tyranitar" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Tyranitar">Tyranitar</a> 
Base Stats:100 HP / 134 Atk / 110 Def / 95 SpA / 100 SpD / 61 Spe 
Abilities: Sand Stream / Unnerve

The mighty sand tyrant returns to take the BW OU metagame by storm – and for good reason too. Tyranitar sports many impressive traits , such as fantastically balanced stats overall, great typing that grants it excellent dual STAB, a surprisingly diverse movepool, and of course, Sand Stream. With fantastic Attack and access to boosting moves, such as Curse and Dragon Dance, as well as the ability to make good use of Choice Band or Choice Scarf, Tyranitar can effectively run a large variety of sets. It can also serve as a lure, surprising common switch-ins with excellent special moves, such as Fire Blast and Ice Beam, or assist its team with support moves, such as Roar, Dragon Tail, Stealth Rock, Taunt, and even Thunder Wave. Probably the main reason to use Tyranitar, though, is that its everlasting sandstorm greatly powers up Pokemon,including Landorus and Terrakion. However, Tyranitar packs many weakness to common types, such as Ground, Water, Bug, Steel, and most especially Fighting, has a somewhat underwhelming Speed stat, and also suffers from four-moveslot syndrome: it can do a lot, but not everything at once. Due to Tyranitar's popularity, there also exist many threats that easily stop Tyranitar's fun: Drizzle Politoed; various Fighting-types—both old and new—such as Conkeldurr, and Infernape; bulky Water-types; Scizor; and ironically opposing Landorus and Terrakion. Even with these setbacks, this tyrant is still a solid threat to be overlooked at your own peril.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/3.png" alt="Venusaur" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Venusaur">Venusaur</a> 
Base Stats:80 HP / 82 Atk / 83 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 80 Spe 
Abilities: Overgrow / Chlorophyll

You will probably be most familiar with this overgrown plant monster as the undisputed king of DPP UU. Do not be fooled by its failure to achieve OU glory, however, for Venusaur received a massive boost in the generation shift, vastly increasing its sweeping potential. First and foremost, it received the ability Chlorophyll through the Dream World; this combines perfectly with the buff to Growth in sun to transform Venusaur into an unstoppable monster with just one turn of setup. It is the premier Chlorophyll sweeper due to its large movepool, but there are generally only two variants of Venusaur one needs to prepare for. The specially based set works off Venusaur's higher offensive stat, but access to powerful physical moves such as Return and Earthquake, also allows Venusaur to run an effective mixed set that easily lures in and destroys its usual counters. Venusaur also has the options of Synthesis for recovery and Sleep Powder to buy it a free turn of setup, compensating somewhat for its underwhelming defenses, though it should be noted that Venusaur may not always be able to spare the necessary moveslots. Finally, Chlorophyll is incompatible with Venusaur's egg moves, most notably Power Whip; nonetheless, Venusaur on a dedicated sun team is a threat one should definitely be prepared for.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/522.png" alt="Victini" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Victini/ou">Victini</a> 
Base Stats:100 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 100 Spe 
Abilities: Victory Star

The newest addition to the pool of pixie-like Pokemon with 600 BST, Victini possesses a unique Psychic / Fire typing that is both a blessing and a curse. Its Psychic typing grants it a rather annoying Pursuit weakness, and its Fire typing confers on it a Stealth Rock weakness. However, do not be put off by Victini's poor defensive typing. Its stat spread makes it extremely bulky all around even without investment. Victini's movepool is likewise impressive on both the physical and special sides, and it furthermore enjoys access to a multitude of signature moves, including Fusion Bolt, Fusion Flare, and Searing Shot, of course, the 180 base power V-Create. Victini also gets powerful coverage moves, including Focus Blast, Shadow Ball, Energy Ball, Brick Break, and even Thunder, as well as the support moves Thunder Wave, Will-O-wisp, Taunt, and Trick Room. Perhaps Victini's most devastating set is its Choice Band set, as a sun-boosted V-create decimates all but Flash Fire Pokemon. Victini can also run an effective Choice Scarf set to revenge kill faster threats. Lastly, Victini is one of the select few Pokemon to receive the move Final Gambit, which finds great utility thanks to Victini's large base HP. Underestimate this cute little Pokemon mascot at your peril.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/670.png" alt="Virizion" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Virizion">Virizion</a> 
Base Stats:91 HP / 90 Atk / 72 Def / 90 SpA / 129 SpD / 108 Spe 
Abilities: Justified

Being a member of the newest musketeer trio, Virizion certainly packs quite a punch. Although its Attack and Special Attack stats appear underwhelming for a supposed offensive threat, Virizion can boost these effectively with Swords Dance, Calm Mind, and Work Up, giving it a fair amount of versatility. However, what sets Virizion apart from its many Fighting-type counterparts is its fantastic base 129 Special Defense and wonderful Grass / Fighting typing, which makes it an excellent check to sand and rain teams alike. STAB Grass moves are particularly useful, as they let Virizion break through Unaware Quagsire, a full stop to many other Fighting-types. Virizion is no slow customer either, as it boasts one of the highest base Speeds of all Fighting types. Though Virizion has a small movepool with only Hidden Power and Stone Edge to rely upon outside of its STAB attacks, it still gets the job done very well. Access to Taunt also allows it to check slower setup sweepers, and boost up against walls with ease, strengthening its clout as a top-tier threat. However, Virizion's poor base 72 Defense prevents it from taking powerful physical attacks, despite useful resistances such as to the EdgeQuake and VoltTurn combo. Base 108 Speed, while fast, leaves Virizion outsped by Pokemon such as Latios and Tornadus. Opposing Calm Mind users with Psyshock, such as Latias and Reuniclus, can set up alongside it and ultimately come out victorious. Virizion's typing also grants it weaknesses to common Fire- and Ice-type attacks in addition to a nasty 4x Flying-type weakness. Still, Virizion is a dangerous threat that can make unprepared teams pay heavily.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/667.png" alt="Volcarona" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Volcarona">Volcarona</a> 
Base Stats:85 HP / 60 Atk / 65 Def / 135 SpA / 105 SpD / 100 Spe 
Abilities: Flame Body / Swarm (Unreleased)

Volcarona was perhaps one of the most underhyped threats of the new metagame. However, people quickly realized that with just one turn of set up, this seemingly underwhelming moth Pokemon could wreak absolute havoc on unprepared teams. With an excellent stat distribution and a unique typing, Volcarona can destroy most threats with its STAB Bug Buzz and Fire Blast / Fiery Dance combination alone. The remaining Pokemon who resist this formidable combination can be taken care of with a coverage move of choice, ranging from Psychic to Hurricane, to most typically a Hidden Power. Alternatively, Volcarona can forgo a coverage move for other useful options, such as Rest, Morning Sun, or even Substitute. Quiver Dance is one of the most dangerous set-up moves in the game, making Volcarona not only a fast and hard-hitting sweeper, but also very difficult to take down with special attacks. Revenge killers that would prey on Volcarona's poor Defense stat instead have to contend with its ability, Flame Body, which gives it a nice 30% chance to burn the user of a contact move. Despite Volcarona's crippling weakness to Stealth Rock, if used with the proper support, Volcarona can sweep nearly any team.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/242.png" alt="Blissey" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Blissey">Blissey</a> 
Base Stats: 255 HP / 10 Atk / 10 Def / 75 SpA / 135 SpD / 55 Spe 
Abilities: Natural Cure / Serene Grace / Healer

Despite receiving no new toys from BW, and in fact facing greater competition thanks to the huge buff to Chansey, the (original) pink blob proves frustratingly resilient. With a near-unmatched ability to wall just about any special attacker in the game, Blissey can find a place in any team hurting for a bit more special bulk. With a wide array of support moves, including Toxic, Thunder Wave, Heal Bell, and the newly buffed Wish that allows her to fully revitalize almost all Pokemon in the game, Blissey can be a fantastic team supporter, cleric, or status-spreader on stall and offensive teams alike. Despite being somewhat outclassed defensively by Eviolite Chansey, Blissey maintains some advantages of its own that account for its greater usage. First, her usable base 75 Special Attack stat means that Blissey can run Ice Beam or Flamethrower to take advantage of her surprising physical bulk—largely due to her fantastic HP stat; secondly, Leftovers negates residual damage Blissey may take from weather, and also helps offset whatever more damage she would take than Chansey. With massive Special Defense, decent physical Defense, a usable Special Attack and a good movepool, Blissey yet again proves that if something isn't broken, you need not fix it.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/442.png" alt="Bronzong" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Bronzong">Bronzong</a> 
Base Stats: 67 HP / 89 Atk / 116 Def / 79 SpA / 116 SpD / 33 Spe 
Abilities: Levitate / Heatproof / Heavy Metal

With fantastic mixed defenses, and a combination of typing and choice of abilities that gives it only one weakness, Bronzong is a fantastic mixed wall that can take on a multitude of threats without breaking a sweat. Thanks to its Steel typing, Bronzong is one of the few reliable checks to the ferocious Dragon-types that roam OU, including Latios and Haxorus. Bronzong functions brilliantly in a support role, as it can reliably set up Stealth Rock, as well as provide dual screens and Trick Room support. Bronzong also has the ability to go on the offense as a tank that can both take hits and deal damage; such a set commonly sports Earthquake, Gyro Ball, and Hidden Power Ice to take on as many different Pokemon as possible. However, Bronzong isn't completely invulnerable. Its low HP stat and lack of reliable recovery means that it will easily be whittled down over the course of the match. All in all, Bronzong is a competent Pokemon that when used rightly, will be a very effective use of a teamslot.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/113.png" alt="Chansey" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Chansey">Chansey</a> 
Base Stats: 250 HP / 5 Atk / 5 Def / 35 SpA / 105 SpD / 50 Spe 
Abilities: Natural Cure / Serene Grace / Healer

In previous generations, Chansey found itself overshadowed by its evolution, Blissey, who had better stats both offensively and defensively. However, with the advent of BW came a new item, the Eviolite, which increases the defenses of NFE Pokemon by 50%. This instantly transformed Chansey into an enormously bulky Pokemon, who can wall a huge number of threats with defenses that now far surpass Blissey's, as well as reliable recovery in the form of Softboiled. BW also brought about a change in the mechanics of the move Wish; Chansey can now pass enormous 352 HP Wishes to its teammates. It can thus contribute to its team in many ways: aside from Wish, it gets access to status moves such as Toxic and Thunder Wave, as well as Aromatherapy and Heal Bell. It can alternatively be a pure wall that focuses on walling threats and forcing switches with its huge defensive stats, chipping away at the opponent's health mainly through residual damage. However, Chansey remains completely outclassed by Blissey when it comes to offense. Despite having a fantastic special movepool, Chansey cannot put it to good use with its deplorable base 35 Special Attack and thus has to resort to Seismic Toss; this leaves Chansey without any form of direct offense against Ghost-types. Having to hold Eviolite also deprives Chansey of Leftovers recovery, a disadvantage particularly in unfavorable weather. Despite these flaws, Chansey shines as one of the best special walls in the metagame and is one defensive threat which every team should be prepared for.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/388.png" alt="Deoxys-D" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Deoxys-D">Deoxys-D</a> 
Base Stats: 50 HP / 70 Atk / 160 Def / 70 SpA / 160 SpD / 90 Spe 
Abilities: Pressure

With enormous equal base 160 defenses, a gigantic support movepool that includes a reliable recovery move, and the ability Pressure, Deoxys-D appears tailor-made for defensive playstyles. Access to Cosmic Power and Recover, as well as a wide variety of support moves such as Toxic, Taunt, Magic Coat, and Protect, Deoxys-D can stall out a large number of threats. It is hardly limited to stalling, though: it can utilize its fantastic defensive stats to lay entry hazards such as Spikes, or support a frail sweeper by setting up Reflect and Light Screen. However, Deoxys-D's stalling capabilities are undermined by its poor base 50 HP stat and a weakness to Pursuit courtesy of its Psychic typing, which also gives Deoxys-D weaknesses to common Ghost- and Dark-type attacks. This means that Pokemon such as Chandelure and Hydreigon can easily break through Deocys-D's defenses with their powerful STAB attacks. Deoxys-D is also prone to being Taunt bait for the likes of Sableye and Mew, unless it carries Magic Coat. Despite these flaws, Deoxys-D stands out as one of the most potent stallers in the metagame that can stall out entire unprepared teams.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/149.png" alt="Dragonite" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Dragonite">Dragonite</a> 
Base Stats: 91 HP / 134 Atk / 95 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 80 Spe 
Abilities: Inner Focus / Multiscale


Despite Dragonite's excellent natural bulk, it has usually been outclassed in one way or another in attempts to run defensive sets. Multiscale changed everything for Dragonite, making bulky Dragon Dance sets much harder to take down and creating new sets. In early BW, a set of Thunder Wave / Substitute / Roost / Dragon Tail began to catch on, its ability to paralyze hard hitters and wait for a full paralysis with Substitute and Roost made it a very tough wall to overcome and a very useful phazer. A Fire-type attack over Thunder Wave also catches a lot of normal counters, such as Skarmory, Forretress, and Tangrowth, off guard. Dragon Dance over Thunder Wave and Dragon Claw over Dragon Tail has become a bulky set-up sweeper famous for cleaning defensive teams as the last Pokemon. Lastly, Dragonite can run defensive sets in the rain with Hurricane posing a huge threat to Pokemon like Celebi and Virizion, which naturally trouble rain teams. Whether relentlessly setting up with Dragon Dance or phazing endlessly with Dragon Tail, Dragonite can be one of the greatest annoyances defensively if you don't prepare for it.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/628.png" alt="Ferrothorn" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Ferrothorn">Ferrothorn</a> 
Base Stats: 74 HP / 94 Atk / 131 Def / 54 SpA / 116 SpD / 20 Spe 
Abilities: Iron Barbs

With 74 / 131 / 116 defenses and a typing which gives it useful resistances to common Dragon-, Water-, and Electric-type attacks, it is little wonder that Ferrothorn is one of the best walls in the game. In a metagame dominated by weather, Ferrothorn is an extremely useful check to rain-based teams, easily absorbing powerful attacks from the likes of Rotom-W, Starmie, and Kingdra. Ferrothorn's unique ability, Iron Barbs, also adds greatly to the headaches of physically based Pokemon and Rapid Spinners, and is an especially great way to pick off weakened Pokemon by just switching in. Ferrothorn's movepool is equally impressive: it can set up entry hazards such as Spikes and Stealth Rock, cripple the opponent with Thunder Wave and Toxic, mitigate its lack of a reliable recovery move with Leech Seed, Substitute, and Protect, and even set up with Curse. Ferrothorn is not invincible, though: a neutrality to Ground and a weakness to Fighting greatly hamper its physical walling capabilities. Powerful Fire-types such as Heatran and Infernape can easily incinerate Ferrothorn with their STAB attacks. This glaring quadruple weakness is also an invitation for many special sweepers that are otherwise helpless against Ferrothorn, such as Latios and the aforementioned Starmie and Rotom-W, to surprise it with Hidden Power Fire.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/205.png" alt="Forretress" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Forretress">Forretress</a> 
Base Stats: 75 HP / 90 Atk / 140 Def / 60 SpA / 60 SpD / 40 Spe 
Abilities: Sturdy / Overcoat (Unreleased)

Forretress, the premier spinner of DPP, may have gained little this generation outside of a buffed Sturdy, but he still retains a very useful niche in the BW OU metagame. Access to all entry hazards and the ability to Rapid Spin go a long way toward making Forretress a virtual necessity for any stall team; an impressive physical Defense and salvageable Special Defense allow him to find a place on many balanced and even offensive teams as a reliable wall and pivot as well. Indeed, Forretress has far more on his resume than mere hazards work. With his colossal Defense, Forretress can tank most physical sweepers, and retaliate with his surprisingly usable base 90 Attack stat. STAB Gyro Ball along with his dismal Speed allows Forretress to counter many speedy sweepers, most frequently Outrage-locked Dragon-types. Whether one needs an unbreakable staller, a Rapid Spinner, a clutch counter, or a catch-all defensive giant, look no further than Forretress.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/428.png" alt="Gastrodon" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Gastrodon">Gastrodon</a> 
Base Stats: 111 HP / 83 Atk / 68 Def / 92 SpA / 82 SpD / 39 Spe 
Abilities: Sticky Hold / Storm Drain / Sand Force

In the massive pool of bulky Water-type Pokemon, Gastrodon has finally received a niche above the others with Storm Drain, which now gives an immunity to Water-type attacks and a +1 boost to Special attack when hit by one. All of the previous benefits of its Water / Ground typing remain, like an immunity to sandstorm damage, and the added bonus of Storm Drain makes it an excellent special wall. Powerful attackers like Rotom-W and Starmie will need to run Hidden Power Grass to leave any lasting damage on this slug. The combination of the new move Scald and Toxic makes bulky Gastrodon fairly hard to switch into. Gastrodon is not only a strong check to rain-abusing sweepers; with Choice Specs it can be a sturdy cannon itself. If your opponent makes the mistake of hitting that type of Gastrodon with a Water-type attack, even Blissey is looking at a potential 2HKO.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/477.png" alt="Gliscor" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/gliscor">Gliscor</a> 
Base Stats: 75 HP / 95 Atk / 125 Def / 45 SpA / 75 SpD / 95 Spe 
Abilities: Hyper Cutter / Sand Veil / Poison Heal

Gliscor needs no introduction: it is one of the most common sights in the OU metagame simply because it is able to counter and check prominent threats. Terrakion, which general consensus holds as one of the greatest threats in OU, is conditionally countered by it, and Landorus is also beaten unless it has Hidden Power Ice, making it a top-tier counter to offensive sandstorm-based teams. Indeed, perhaps the greatest testament to defensive Gliscor's effectiveness is the sheer number of physical Pokemon that run an Ice move solely for Gliscor: Tyranitar, Mienshao, and Virizion are just a few examples. While Gliscor's Dream World ability is incompatible with Roost, the combination of Toxic Orb + Poison Heal, and possibly even Substitute and Protect, is more than enough for it to last through the game.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/130.png" alt="Gyarados" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/gyarados">Gyarados</a> 
Base Stats: 95 HP / 125 Atk / 79 Def / 60 SpA / 100 SpD / 81 Spe 
Abilities: Intimidate / Moxie

Since the release of RSE, when Gyarados recieved Intimidate, Gyarados has been a particularly tough Pokemon to take down. With 95 / 79 / 100 defenses, five resistances, and only two weaknesses, Gyarados can tank a vast amount of Pokemon. Throughout the DPP era, Gyarados was one of the best Fighting-resists in the game, lowering the opponent's Attack just by coming in, and then either setting up with Dragon Dance or simply tanking them with the combination of Rest and Sleep Talk. However, with Terrakion and Virizion becoming the more popular Fighting-types in BW OU, the RestTalk set has lost a bit of its luster. It is still a threat through its raw defenses and the new move Dragon Tail, which gives it approximately a 2/3 chance to phaze in it's sleep; Gyarados is one the very few Pokemon that can afford to run a RestTalk set with the new sleep mechanics, resetting the sleep timer every time a Pokemon switches out. Substitute + Dragon Dance sets are also good for tanking hits and turn BW's standard bulky Water-types into set-up bait

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/455.png" alt="Hippowdon" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Hippowdon">Gyarados</a> 
Base Stats: 108 HP / 112 Atk / 118 Def / 68 SpA / 72 SpD / 47 Spe 
Abilities: Sand Stream / Sand Force

The generation shift has not been especially generous to Hippowdon; however, its value as a physical wall has only increased with the plethora of new physical attackers introduced to the metagame, such as Terrakion and Landorus. With huge HP and Defense stats, Hippowdon is nigh impossible to take down with a physical attack, and its respectable Special Defense coupled with its great HP allow it to take several special hits with the right investment. A decent support movepool, with options such as Stealth Rock, Roar, Yawn, and Slack Off, further enables Hippowdon to help out its teammates with ease. Hippowdon's ability, Sand Stream, not only allows it to add more residual damage to the tally, but also makes it the perfect partner to a multitude of sand abusers, letting it find a place on all kinds of teams.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/623.png" alt="Jellicent" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Jellicent">Jellicent</a> 
Base Stats: 100 HP / 60 Atk / 70 Def / 85 SpA / 105 SpD / 60 Spe 
Abilities: Water Absorb / Cursed Body / Damp

BW introduced a very welcome 2-in-1 Pokemon: Jellicent, simultaneously both a bulky Water and spinblocker. Along with Jellicent's unique Water / Ghost typing comes plenty of key resistances and immunities, two usable abilities in Water Absorb and Cursed Body, solid 100 / 70 / 105 defenses, instant recovery, a surprisingly decent offensive movepool, as well as support moves like Taunt, Will-O-Wisp, and Trick Room; in other words, all you could ask for. Jellicent's primary role on a team is typically to render Rapid Spin useless, which is why it is often found paired with a entry hazard layer, most commonly Ferrothorn. The FerroCent core is BW's answer to SkarmBliss: not only do their typings complement perfectly, Ferrothorn also sets up hazards which Jellicent then prevents the opponent from removing. Thanks to these traits, Jellicent can go toe-to-toe with some of the metagame's biggest threats, such as Heatran, Volcarona, Infernape, Mienshao, Terrakion, Swords Dance Lucario lacking Crunch, and Choice Band Scizor, just to name a few. Access to Toxic and Taunt also allow it to fare well against opposing bulky Water-types and walls. Jellicent does suffer from being setup bait for Pokemon such as ChestoRest variants of Volcarona, Nasty Plot Celebi, is largely shut down by faster Taunter users, and cannot stand up to the sheer power of the likes of Choice Specs Latios and Choice Band Haxorus. Nonetheless, if you need a solid defensive spinblocker and utility counter, this is the jellyfish for you.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/385.png" alt="Jirachi" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Jirachi">Jirachi</a> 
Base Stats: 100 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 100 Spe 
Abilities: Serene Grace


Thanks to its large HP and balanced defensive stats, which are some of the most impressive in standard play, as well as its excellent defensive typing, Jirachi easily presents an insurmountable roadblock to thwart many an impending sweep. Jirachi is far from a passive sponge, however: its wide movepool allows it to be an extremely dynamic Pokemon. Jirachi is often seen spreading paralysis using either Thunder Wave or Body Slam, the latter of which has a 60% chance of paralysis thanks to Serene Grace. As a Normal-type attack, this gives Jirachi a niche ability to paralyze Ground-types. Jirachi is also an excellent team supporter with dual screens, Trick Room, or even Gravity, as it has U-turn to conserve momentum after setting up. Its Steel typing and immense special bulk further lets it check Dragon types, particularly Latios, sponging even Choice Specs Draco Meteors with ease. However, the main draw of defensive Jirachi is Wish. A multitude of resistances, great bulk, and the ability to outspeed a variety of threats even without investment lets Jirachi replenish its own health or that of a teammate reliably throughout the match. This variant of Jirachi often maximizes investment on its already large base HP stat to further enhance its capabilities, as with the new Wish mechanics, Jirachi's 202 HP Wishes can often revitalize a teammate worn down by hazards, Life Orb recoil, or an untimely misprediction. Jirachi's ability to render damage to the rest of its team null and void is what makes it such a defensive threat: be sure to pack powerful Fire- or Ground-type attacks to deal with the star, as it is notoriously difficult to 2HKO otherwise.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/380.png" alt="Latias" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Latias">Latias</a> 
Base Stats: 80 HP / 80 Atk / 90 Def / 110 SpA / 130 SpD / 110 Spe 
Abilities: Levitate

Despite losing Soul Dew in the generation shift, Latias still functions excellently as a special wall in standard play with her massive base 130 Special Defense, as well as neat resistances to Water-, Fire-, Electric-, Psychic-, and Fighting-type attacks. Wish Latias in particular partners very well with Ferrothorn: each covers the other's resistances almost flawlessly. Besides being able to pass Wish, Latias has access to Recover and Roost as well, allowing it to regain health in a single turn rather than two. This makes a bulky Calm Mind set an excellent choice for Latias, letting her boost her impressive Special Defense to outstanding levels and enabling her to hit very hard with STAB Dragon Pulse; Substitute, Wish, Roar, and Refresh all have good utility on this set for a variety of reasons. Finally, Latias can also be more of a team player by running an effective dual screens support set, making use of her great bulk and multitude of resistances to come in repeatedly during the match to perform her job.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/151.png" alt="Mew" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Mew/ou">Mew</a> 
Base Stats: 100 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 100 Spe 
Abilities: Synchronize

While Mew is sometimes seen packing an offensive punch with Nasty Plot, it can also go in the completely opposite direction as a very defensive Pokemon. With balanced base 100 defenses and access to an instant recovery move, it will not knuckle down easily. The ability to pass any type of boost—offensive as well as defensive—such as Amnesia, Calm Mind, and Bulk Up makes it perhaps the premier Baton Passer in existence. Dedicated Baton Pass variants typically carry moves that boost both an offensive stat and Speed, instantly making the recipient a true juggernaut. Mew is also a first-rate choice for a dual screens support on offense-oriented teams, as its excellent bulk and access to a speedy Taunt virtually guarantees protection for frail, high-powered sweepers. Finally, Mew's support set functions just as well on defensive teams, easily spreading status, denying its unfortunate opponent of recovery with Taunt, and stalling it out with Roost. In short, be wary of Mew, and the almost limitless options it brings to the table.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/233.png" alt="Porygon2" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Porygon2/ou">Porygon2</a> 
Base Stats: 85 HP / 80 Atk / 90 Def / 105 SpA / 95 SpD / 60 Spe 
Abilities: Trace / Download / Analytic

With the advent of Eviolite, what was once a niche OU counter has become a very intimidating tank capable of coming in on some of the top threats of OU and forcing them out. With Eviolite equipped, the range of attacks that can reliably KO Porygon2 shrink immensely, mostly leaving only powerful STAB Fighting attacks. Immense bulk, a fantastic ability in Trace, and reliable recovery enables Porygon2 to easily come in on many threats, such as Heatran, Gliscor, and Intimidate Salamence and Gyarados, and use their abilities against them. Ice Beam and Thunderbolt give it great coverage, Thunder Wave lets it provide paralysis support, Recover offsets the loss of Leftovers healing. All in all, don't underestimate this strange duck, for it is an incredibly bulky tank capable of halting your sweeps and crippling your team

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/195.png" alt="Quagsire" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Quagsire/ou">Quagsire</a> 
Base Stats: 95 HP / 85 Atk / 85 Def / 65 SpA / 65 SpD / 35 Spe 
Abilities: Damp / Water Absorb / Unaware

After spending three entire generations being overshadowed by Swampert, Quagsire finally got his chance to shine in the OU metagame thanks to the magnificent gift he received from Dream World: Unaware. With the ability to ignore an opponent's stat boosts, a respectable amount of bulk, and Recover, Quagsire can easily check even the most dangerous physical sweepers such as Infernape, Cloyster, and Lucario. Quagsire can even run Curse to attempt to sweep, or Stockpile to become even harder to take down. However, as with any Pokemon, Quagsire isn't flawless. He's unable to touch Ferrothorn, often being setup fodder for Spikes and Stealth Rock. He also fears Toxic, cannot handle special sweepers as well as he can physical ones, and has a crippling weakness to Grass-type moves. Finally, he can be muscled through by sheer brute force such as a Choice Band Haxorus's Outrage. Nonetheless, these reasons should not put you off from giving Quagsire a chance, because this cute clueless blue blob can save you from many a tight spot.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/503.png" alt="Rotom-W" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/rotom-w/ou">Rotom-w</a> 
Base Stats: 50 HP / 65 Atk / 107 Def / 105 SpA / 107 SpD / 86 Spe 
Abilities: Levitate

While the loss of its Ghost typing (and thus its role as a spinblocker) has hurt Rotom-W as a defensive Pokemon, it still possesses a few important characteristics that make it worthy of a defensive role. Its changed typing, in addition to its ability, Levitate, allows it to resist a multitude of attacks in OU with only one true weakness (excluding Mold Breaker Earthquake). Additionally, its access to status moves such as Will-O-Wisp and Thunder Wave makes Rotom-W quite hard to play around, especially when considering it has offensive utility as well. Perhaps what differentiates Rotom-W from other Pokemon besides its unique typing is Volt Switch; by using this move, Rotom-W is able to escape from switch-ins and counters, and thus maintain the momentum of the battle within its user's favor. Volt Switch, in combination with U-turn from another teammate (most commonly Scizor), has earned Rotom-W quite a reputation as one of the top Pokemon in the metagame.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/302.png" alt="Sableye" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Sableye/ou">Sableye</a> 
Base Stats: 50 HP / 75 Atk / 75 Def / 65 SpA / 65 SpD / 50 Spe 
Abilities: Keen Eye / Stall / Prankster

Throughout previous generations and a fair chunk of BW, Sableye has been one of the weakest Pokemon in the game. However, the release of its Dream World ability, Prankster, has turned it into a legitimate threat. This ability, combined with the classic combination of a status move, Taunt, and a recovery move gives Sableye a unique defensive niche. Fast, powerful sweepers that would normally be able to pummel a slow wall or throw up a Substitute for status protection are swiftly burned by Will-O-Wisp, and will have trouble finishing off a weakened Sableye with its priority Recover. Stall-based teams are also heavily annoyed by Sableye, as it is a very effective stallbreaker with the aforementioned combo and a solid spinblocker at the same time. Starmie and Tentacruel are the only common Rapid Spin users with a good match-up against Sableye and both get blocked well by Rocky Helmet Ferrothorn, with burn support in the case of Tentacruel. Sableye's priority moves are useful in many more ways that are fun to discover when using it.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/227.png" alt="Skarmory" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Skarmory/ou">Skarmory</a> 
Base Stats: 65 HP / 80 Atk / 140 Def / 40 SpA / 70 SpD / 70 Spe 
Abilities: Keen Eye / Sturdy / Weak Armor

In a metagame dominated by powerful physical attackers such as Tyranitar and Conkeldurr, Skarmory stands out as a fantastic physical wall, courtesy of its unique Steel / Flying typing and huge base Defense stat. The generation shift also brought a useful buff to Skarmory's ability Sturdy, in effect giving it a Focus Sash whenever it is at full health. Reliable recovery in the form of Roost, a multitude of resistances thanks to its Steel typing, as well as a valuable Ground-type immunity help Skarmory wall a large number of threats, including but not limited to Landorus, Haxorus, and Conkeldurr. Skarmory can also utilize its physical bulk and typing to lay entry hazards such as Spikes and Stealth Rock; furthermore, it has Whirlwind and Taunt in its arsenal to phaze stat boosters, cause residual damage, and shut down slower walls such as Ferrothorn and Hippowdon. As far as attacking goes, Skarmory also has a powerful STAB Brave Bird to dent weak opponents. Despite all these positive characteristics, Skarmory's defensive capabilities are undermined by its poor Special Defense and weaknesses to common Electric- and Fire-type attacks, which means that Skarmory can easily be brought down by powerful special attackers such as Infernape, Rotom-W, Starmie, Magnezone, and Heatran. Still, its physical bulk and typing make Skarmory a very reliable physical wall and a great asset to any team.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/80.png" alt="Slowbro" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Slowbro/ou">Slowbro</a> 
Base Stats: 95 HP / 75 Atk / 110 Def / 100 SpA / 80 SpD / 30 Spe 
Abilities: Oblivious / Own Tempo / Regenerator

Slowbro has been a superb choice for the role of physical bulky Water-type ever since he made his first appearance in RBY. BW has given Slowbro a significant boost with the ability Regenerator, which restores 1/3 of his HP when switching out. With a great typing, good defenses, and decent Special Attack, Slowbro can serve many roles; however, he is commonly first and foremost a physical wall. With his natural bulk and a choice of STAB moves such as Scald, Surf, Psychic, and Psyshock, he is a great counter to the many hard-hitting Fighting-types and physical sweepers that abound in OU, in particular Conkeldurr and Terrakion. This makes Slowbro one of the best anti-metagame Pokemon, as both these offensive threats are very common. Slowbro has a large support movepool, containing moves such as Yawn, Thunder Wave, and Toxic, as well as Slack Off for instant recovery. He can also support his team by setting up dual screens or Trick Room. Sets running Calm Mind increase Slowbro's walling prowess, making him not only a physical wall, but very hard to break specially as well. After a few boosts, he may also be able to go on the offensive and put quite a large dent in the opposing team, with good coverage options like Fire Blast, Flamethrower, and Ice Beam. There are also Choice Specs Slowbro variants, which—don't laugh—can be surprisingly hard to counter due to his impressive coverage and good base Special Attack, not to mention access to Trick to instantly cripple any unsuspecting defensive Pokemon.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/73.png" alt="Tentacruel" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Tentacruel/ou">Tentacruel</a> 
Base Stats: 80 HP / 70 Atk / 65 Def / 80 SpA / 120 SpD / 100 Spe 
Abilities: Clear Body / Liquid Ooze / Rain Dish

While at first glance Tentacruel may appear to be just another run-of-the-mill bulky Water, it possesses a few qualities that let it stand out from the pack. First is its interesting Water / Poison typing, which bestows on Tentacruel resistances to many common attacking types, as well as the ability to absorb Toxic Spikes upon entering the field. Along with its ability to use Rapid Spin, as well as set up its own Toxic Spikes, this goes a long way towards earning it a spot on most stall or defensively-orientated teams. Its Rain Dish ability in particular works excellently on rain-based stall, giving it phenomenal recovery and alleviating perhaps its greatest weakness: its lack of a reliable recovery move. Liquid Ooze, on the other hand, has the niche of letting it counter the few Pokemon that use health-draining moves, particularly special Virizion, Conkeldurr, and Ferrothorn. In short, Tentacruel, although an uncommon Pokemon, is capable of many great things if used correctly.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/134.png" alt="Vaporeon" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Vaporeon/ou">Vaporeon</a> 
Base Stats: 130 HP / 65 Atk / 60 Def / 110 SpA / 95 SpD / 65 Spe 
Abilities: Water Absorb / Hydration

Vaporeon still plays mostly the same way as it has since ADV, a bulky Water-type that can pass Wish and packs a punch with an above average base 110 Special Attack stat. Vaporeon certainly got its fair share of gifts through the Black & White release though; Wish now heals any recipient's HP by half of the user's, letting Vaporeon really take advantage of its base 130 HP stat. The new move Scald is also useful for a potential burn, making it easier to wall physical attacks and wear down opposing tanks. The biggest boost Vaporeon received though is Drizzle Politoed; Hydration gives it a complete immunity to status under rain, meaning it has nothing to fear from bulky status-inducing Pokemon; it is one of the very few tanks that isn't annoyed by stallbreaker Mew. This ability also lets it Rest and recover all of its health instantly; you're essentially using a Full Restore on it.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/202.png" alt="Wobbuffet" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Wobbuffet/ou">Wobbuffet</a> 
Base Stats: 190 HP / 33 Atk / 58 Def / 33 SpA / 58 SpD / 33 Spe 
Abilities: Shadow Tag / Telepathy

Most Pokemon can be classed into a few broad categories: sweeper, wall, tank, etc. Wobbuffet cannot, however, because it is completely unique in what it does, thanks to its ability, Shadow Tag. With the opponent unable to switch, Wobbuffet can use Counter and Mirror Coat together with its colossal HP stat to KO almost anything, especially if said opponent is Choice-locked. It can also use Encore against Pokemon which try to set up against it, and Tickle against Pokemon like Blissey, who can then be smacked by a teammate's Pursuit for an easy KO. Its tiny movepool also contains Safeguard, which can stop Encored status moves from harming incoming sweepers, and Destiny Bond, which can hopefully help Wobbuffet take down one more Pokemon with it, or at least after the Custap Berry is released. Unfortunately, these last two are not used much because of Wobbuffet's poor Speed, and it literally has no other moves available to it but Splash. Nonetheless, it does not need anything more to become the ultimate anti-metagame Pokemon that it is. Team Preview has made preparing for Wobbuffet slightly easier, but it is as uncounterable as ever, and a definite threat in the OU tier.

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/178.png" alt="Xatu" /> 
<a href="/bw/pokemon/Xatu/ou">Xatu</a> 
Base Stats: 65 HP / 75 Atk / 70 Def / 95 SpA / 70 SpD / 95 Spe 
Abilities: Synchronize / Early Bird / Magic Bounce

Thanks to the emergence of its new Dream World ability, Magic Bounce, Xatu can finally make the cut for BW OU. Its new ability works as an automatic Magic Coat, allowing the Aztec bird to reflect entry hazards, status moves, and phazing moves aimed at its team. Couple this with a 4x resistance to Fighting-type moves, a Ground- immunity, as well as resistances to Grass- and Psychic-type moves, and you have the makings of a good defensive switch-in to Blissey, Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Gastrodon. Additionally, Xatu isn't just a sitting duck; it has several helpful support moves to use during its time on the field, such as Featherdance, Light Screen, Reflect, Toxic, and even Thunder Wave. When taking its natural immunity to Taunt and Encore into consideration, Xatu is pretty much guaranteed to gain momentum and support its team before fainting in nearly any match. Although Xatu may falter in battle due to its multiple common weaknesses and only decent defensive stats, one can still count on it as a reliable answer against many opposing defensive Pokemon.

AccidentalGreed · Feb 18, 2011

Compendium of Completed Submissions:

Offensive:

Abomasnow
Type: Grass / Ice
Base Stats: 90 HP / 92 Atk / 75 Def / 92 SpA / 85 SpD / 60 Spe
Abilities: Snow Warning / Soundproof (Unreleased)

Abomasnow is unique in standard play as the only fully evolved Pokemon that can summon permanent hail. It is somewhat limited by its only decent offenses and mediocre Speed; therefore, it is often seen running a Choice Scarf set to make up for the latter, to take on the role of a revenge killer. It typically carries Blizzard and either Grass Knot or Wood Hammer, as well as Hidden Power Fire or Earthquake to deal with the Steel-types that resist its STABs. Abomasnow also makes for an annoying SubSeed user, as Leech Seed works in tandem with hail damage to slowly chip away at the opponent's health; it also has STAB Blizzard to severely punish any Grass-type that tries to nullify this strategy. The last move on this set is usually a choice between Focus Punch to smash Rock- and Steel-types, and Wood Hammer to demolish bulky Water-types.

Alakazam
Typing: Psychic
Base Stats: 55 HP / 50 Atk / 45 Def / 135 SpA / 85 SpD / 120 Spe
Abilities: Synchronize / Inner Focus / Magic Guard
Alakazam, having been denied OU status for numerous generations, was finally given it in part thanks to a new ability, Magic Guard. Now that it gained OU status, Alakazam is here to showcase its immense power. Packing base 135 Special Attack as well as base 120 Speed, and a move called Psyshock to hit the two blobs Chansey and Blissey, Alakazam is one tough cookie to break. It also runs plenty of sets; ranging from Sub + 3 Attacks to Offensive Calm Mind to All-Out Focus Sash sets, it will be difficult to predict what exactly Alakazam is doing. It is also hard to decide what item it could be holding due to Magic Guard making Alakazam take no recoil from Life Orb. Coverage wise, Alakazam strives for coverage with moves such as Focus Blast and Shadow Ball. However, some even run Hidden Power Fire, especially on the Focus Sash set to deal with one of Alakazam's biggest checks, Scizor. All in all, Alakazam is a Pokemon of immense power, and if you ever see one in battle, have a game plan for it, or else you'll be in trouble.

Arcanine
Type: Fire
Base Stats: 90 HP / 110 Atk / 80 Def / 100 SpA / 80 SpD / 95 Spe
Abilities: Intimidate / Flash Fire / Justified

Arcanine received notable buffs this generation in the form of Close Combat and Wild Charge, as well as a now +2 priority ExtremeSpeed. It is most commonly seen as a Life Orb or Choice Band attacker under sun, which provides it with both a boost to its STAB attacks as well as a 66% recovery move in Morning Sun to heal off recoil from Flare Blitz. Close Combat lets it deal with Rock-type checks, such as Tyranitar, and finishes off any meddling Heatran, Wild Charge or Crunch may also be used for added coverage, and lastly, ExtremeSpeed makes Arcanine a great check to fast, frail sweepers. Good abilities that enable it to either absorb Fire-type attacks or cushion physical hits, as well as decent bulk mean Arcanine can also be seen in a defensive role, with access to support options such as Will-O-Wisp, Toxic, and Roar, though these sets are in general much less threatening than its offensive ones.

Azumarill
Type: Water
Base Stats: 100 HP / 50 Atk / 80 Def / 50 SpA / 80 SpD / 50 Spe
Abilities: Thick Fat / Huge Power / Sap Sipper

Although BW has not brought anything new for Azumarill, it still has a niche in the metagame. With the onslaught of many fast, powerful attackers and frail setup sweepers, powerful priority is virtually a must for any team, and Azumarill certainly provides this. With the combination of Huge Power and Choice Band, Azumarill can OHKO many of the top threats in the metagame with STAB Aqua Jet, as well as smack defensive threats such as Ferrothorn and Blissey with Superpower. The advent of Drizzle Politoed in OU makes it all the more difficult to deal with Azumarill, as few can stand up to a boosted Waterfall in rain. Azumarill also has coverage options, such as Ice Punch, to fall back on, and its great Water typing and above average defenses allow it to take the odd hit or two with ease. Overall, Azumarill is a great choice for any team lacking a solid revenge killer, and should always be played against carefully.

Breloom
Type: Grass / Fighting
Base Stats: 60 HP / 130 Atk / 80 Def / 60 SpA / 60 SpD / 70 Spe
Abilities: Effect Spore / Poison Heal / Technician (Unreleased)

A top tier threat in DPP OU, Breloom returns in BW largely unchanged. With access to Swords Dance, Poison Heal, a fantastic status move in Spore that eases setup, and two powerful STAB moves in Focus Punch and Seed Bomb, it is no wonder that Breloom remains such a dangerous threat. The new sleep mechanics make Breloom all the more difficult to deal with, as Spore will now more often than not incapacitate a Pokemon for the rest of the match. This punching mushroom can run a number of effective sets, ranging from an all-out offensive set with Substitute, Spore, Focus Punch, and a coverage option, to a highly annoying SubSeed set. Aside from the abovementioned moves, Breloom also has coverage options, such as Stone Edge, and a useful priority move in Mach Punch to surprise unsuspecting opponents. Though Breloom sports a nasty 4x weakness to Flying-type moves, do not underestimate it.

Celebi
Typing: Grass / Psychic
Base Stats: 100 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 100 Spe
Abilities: Natural Cure

Celebi is a Pokemon that has always shined in the OU environment. It is easy to see why, as a typing that grants in 6 resistances, base 100 stats across the board, and a useful ability in Natural Cure, make Celebi a huge threat to look out for in OU. Also, thanks to its well-balanced stats, Celebi is a great team supporter and defensive pivot for offensive teams as it possesses great defensive qualities such as resisting Water-, Ground-, Fighting-, and Electric-type attacks that are common in OU, as well as sporting moves such as Thunder Wave, Stealth Rock, Leech Seed, Recover, Dual Screens and Heal Bell. Sporting two great boosting attacks in Nasty Plot and Calm Mind, as well as coverage moves in Earth Power and Hidden Power Fire or Ice, offensive Celebi can rip through unprepared teams with ease. Celebi can also run choice sets, as it has Trick and U-turn, allowing it to cripple a potential check or keep up the momentum. Finally, to top of the great Pokemon which is Celebi, it can also use Baton Pass to pass along Substitutes, boosts from Nasty Plot, Calm Mind, or even Swords Dance, and with that great bulk, it's easy to see why Celebi has little difficulty doing that. However, it isn't all fun and games for the pixie. Since Celebi doesn't gain Psyshock, it can't get past Blissey or Chansey, two Pokemon which will give Celebi trouble. Celebi also sports a 4x weakness to Bug-type moves, meaning it can't handle Scizor without Hidden Power Fire. Speaking of Scizor, it can also trap Celebi with Pursuit due to Celebi's Psychic typing. Other Pursuit users such as Tyranitar and Weavile can also trap Celebi. Lastly, Dragon-type Pokemon give Celebi without Hidden Power Ice, though Thunder Wave will keep them at bay. All in all, Celebi is a Pokemon with many uses in the OU metagame and is definitely a Pokemon to look out for.

Chandelure
Type: Ghost / Fire
Base Stats: 60 HP / 55 Atk / 90 Def / 145 SpA / 90 SpD / 80 Spe
Abilities: Flash Fire / Flame Body / Shadow Tag (Unreleased)

One of the newest Ghost-types to grace the BW OU metagame, Chandelure has more than enough to set itself apart from its ghostly brethren. A gigantic base 145 Special Attack, two powerful STABs, and decent defensive stats make Chandelure a massive threat and a fantastic Choice Scarf user. Through Dream World, it is destined to gain the ability Shadow Tag: the reason for Wobbuffet's ban from standard play in previous Generations. Its movepool includes useful coverage options, such as Energy Ball, to deal with troublesome Water-types, as well as the boosting moves Calm Mind and Flame Charge. Access to useful support moves, such as Will-O-Wisp, means it is not bereft of support options either. Though Chandelure has a sub-par base 80 Speed, and sports weaknesses to Stealth Rock, as well as common Water-, Rock-, Dark-, Ghost-, and Ground-type attacks, do not underestimate Chandelure; one wrong step will spell doom for your chances of victory.

Cloyster
Type: Water / Ice
Base Stats: 50 HP / 95 Atk / 180 Def / 85 SpA / 45 SpD / 70 Spe
Abilities: Shell Armor / Skill Link / Overcoat (Unreleased)

Cloyster has traditionally relied on its massive Defense stat and solid support movepool , consisting of Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and Rapid Spin, to snag it a place on teams in previous generations. However, it hit the jackpot in BW, gaining one of the the best boosting moves in the game: Shell Break. This makes Cloyster a very dangerous mixed attacker, capable of tearing through entire teams without breaking a sweat. With just a single turn of setup, Cloyster's offensive stats skyrocket to massive heights, enabling it to OHKO or 2HKO most of the metagame while still outspeeding many threats. Skill Link also gives Icicle Spear and Rock Blast maximum Base Power, meaning that not even Focus Sash, Substitute, Multiscale, or Sturdy can stop Cloyster's rampage. However, Shell Break lowers Cloyster's defenses by one stage each. While Cloyster's Special Defense is awful as it is, Fighting-type priority users, such as Conkeldurr, can prey on Cloyster's lowered Defense and weakness to their attacks. Overall though, Cloyster is definitely a Pokemon to watch out for, as it can rip teams to shreds if not met with a check.

Conkeldurr
Type: Fighting
Base Stats: 105 HP / 140 Atk / 95 Def / 55 SpA / 65 SpD / 45 Spe
Abilities: Guts / Sheer Force / Iron Fist (Unreleased)

Another slow, bulky, and very powerful Fighting type, Conkeldurr is not a clown to joke about. Conkeldurr packs a massive 140 base Attack, a great ability in Guts, and a fantastic boosting move in Bulk Up, making it one of the most potent threats in the metagame. Conkeldurr's good HP and Defense stats allow it to take the odd hit or two when setting up; STAB Drain Punch complements this well, significantly boosting its survivability. Powerful priority in Mach Punch also adds to its utility, letting it revenge kill threatening sweepers such as Cloyster. Its physical movepool isn't half bad either, it includes coverage options, such as Stone Edge and Payback, to complement its abovementioned STABs. However, its ability is what lets it stand out from the pack; Guts lets Conkeldurr scoff at the Achilles heel of many other physical attackers, enabling it to set up on walls that beat many of its fellow physical sweepers with status or Scald's burn chance. Aside from traditional Bulk Up and Choice Band sets, Conkeldurr can also abuse Guts directly with Flame Orb or Toxic Orb. Though common Psychic-types, such as Latios and Reuniclus, can dispose of Conkeldurr without too much trouble, dare not fool around with it, or its powerful fists will be the last thing you will ever see.

Darmanitan
Type: Fire
Base Stats: 105 HP / 140 Atk / 55 Def / 30 SpA / 55 SpD / 95 Spe
Abilities: Sheer Force / Zen Mode

With a colossal Attack stat, a devastating STAB move in Flare Blitz, and a great ability in Sheer Force, Darmanitan has the power to blast its way through its opponents, including those that resist its attacks. With a Sheer Force-boosted Flare Blitz under sun, Darmanitan can power its way through just about all Pokemon who aren't outright immune to Fire-type attacks. Those who are immune face the threat of a similarly boosted Rock Slide or Superpower, or a quick U-turn to a counter. Although Darmanitan excels at dealing large amounts of damage in short periods of time, its biggest fault is its vulnerability to all forms of entry hazards, as well as recoil damage, which will ultimately be its downfall. Its poor defenses, and unfortunate base 95 Speed also mean that faster threats can revenge kill it easily. Nonetheless, Darmanitan is indeed a dangerous threat: underestimate its raw power at your own peril.

Espeon
Type: Psychic
Base Stats: 65 HP / 65 Atk / 60 Def / 130 SpA / 95 SpD / 110 Spd
Abilities: Synchronize / Magic Bounce

At first glance, Espeon appears to be outclassed by other Psychic-types, most notably Alakazam, who has higher Special Attack and Speed stats, as well as Focus Blast to beat Tyranitar. However, Espeon's saving grace comes not in the form of typing, stats, or moves, but in its Dream World ability: Magic Bounce. Its ability to deflect entry hazards, phazing moves, status moves, and Taunt not only gives it a niche on standard teams, but also allows it to set up on many defensive Pokemon, including Jellicent, Blissey without Seismic Toss, and Skarmory. Despite this incredible ability, Espeon's Psychic typing and poor Defense limit its ability to set up. Tyranitar and Scizor can come in and threaten Espeon with super effective STAB moves, forcing Espeon to switch or be KOed. Still, with theability to pass Calm Mind boosts, reflect entry hazards, as well as set up and sweep itself, Espeon is an excellent support choice for any team.

Gengar
Type: Ghost / Poison
Base Stats: 60 HP / 65 Atk / 60 Def / 130 SpA / 75 SpD / 110 Spe
Ability: Levitate

With its Ghost typing, high base 110 Speed, and massive base 130 Special Attack, Gengar remains a dangerous threat four generations after its introduction. Convenient immunities to common Normal-, Fighting-, and Ground-type attacks make Gengar a great pivot, giving it a wealth of opportunities to switch in and wreak havoc. Along with a powerful STAB Shadow Ball, Gengar has fantastic coverage options in Thunderbolt, Focus Blast, Energy Ball, and Hidden Power . As Shadow Ball and Focus Blast achieve perfect neutral coverage together, Gengar can simultaneously make use of its multitude of support options, including Substitute, Disable, and Pain Split, making it an effective check to threats such as Conkeldurr, and even walls such as Blissey, Ferrothorn, and Jellicent. Despite these amazing perks, the fact remains that Gengar has poor defensive stats, and can be revenge killed by faster threats, such as Alakazam and Starmie, as well as by priority, unless it is safely tucked away behind a Substitute. Pursuit users, such as Tyranitar and Scizor, wreck Gengar too, and have the bulk to take a Focus Blast most of the time. Still, tread carefully, else Gengar will be truly frightening to deal with.

Gliscor
Type: Ground / Flying
Base Stats: 75 HP / 95 Atk / 125 Def / 45 SpA / 75 SpD / 95 Spe
Abilities: Hyper Cutter / Sand Veil / Poison Heal

Despite being thought of as a primarily defensive threat, Gliscor's stats, movepool, and typing lend themselves to effective offensive sets as well. With its bulk and decent Speed, it is easily able to switch into top threats, such as Tyranitar and Lucario, and threaten them with its STAB Earthquake. It can then use Swords Dance to boost its Attack as the opponent switches out, activating its Poison Heal ability at the same time. Such a setup allows Gliscor to protect itself from status, gradually restore its health, and threaten the opposing team at the same time. Gliscor will typically supplement its powerful boosted STAB Earthquake with some combination of Stone Edge, Taunt, and Ice Fang. A lesser-seen alternative is Flying Gem, which enables Gliscor to effectively use a full-powered Acrobatics alongside Earthquake and, in doing so, score super effective hits on 8 of the 17 types with its boosted STAB attacks alone. In this metagame, a check to offensive Gliscor is mandatory for any successful team, as any unprepared team will quickly be decimated by it.

Gorebyss
Type: Water
Base Stats: 55 HP / 84 Atk / 105 Def / 114 SpA / 75 SpD / 52 Spe
Abilities: Swift Swim / Hydration

Since its appearance, Gorebyss has consistently wallowed in the depths of NU. This generation, however, it received one of the best boosting moves, Shell Smash, enabling Gorebyss to sweep despite its otherwise average stats. However, sweeping isn't the most dangerous thing Gorebyss can do: it, Huntail, and Smeargle are the only Pokemon that can Baton Pass said Shell Smash boosts. This turns Gorebyss into an unparalleled support Pokemon that, in a single turn, can set up a sweep for one of its more dangerous teammates, such as Haxorus, Nidoking, and mixed Jirachi. Gorebyss does have some problems: its defenses are average at best,which makes it difficult to find setup opportunities, and Prankster users can prevent it from passing its boosts. To solve the first problem, Gorebyss is almost always paired with dual screens Deoxys-S, which means it'll survive all but the most powerful hits; White Herb also serves to nullify the drop to its defenses. The second is easier to fix: since all Prankster users are weak to Ice Beam, Gorebyss can OHKO them while they Taunt, and attempt to Baton Pass later. All in all, if Gorebyss can successfully pass Shell Smash, you will certainly be in huge trouble.

Haxorus
Type: Dragon
Base Stats: 76 HP / 147 Atk / 90 Def / 60 SpA / 70 SpD / 97 Spe
Abilities: Rivalry / Mold Breaker / Unnerve (Unreleased)

Haxorus was a vastly overhyped threat in the early stages of BW, and is not quite the terror that its massive base 147 Attack might make it seem. However, it is still a very dangerous threat. Outside of its powerful STAB Outrage, Haxorus has coverage options in Earthquake, Rock Slide, and Brick Break, allowing it to surprise unsuspecting opponents which switch in expecting Outrage. Access to boosting moves, such as Dragon Dance and Swords Dance, makes Haxorus a dangerous setup sweeper too, as it can be hard to stop after just a single turn of setup. It is also one of the few Dragon-types with access to Taunt, which means that phazing walls, such as Skarmory, won't be stopping Haxorus in a hurry. It can also utilize Choice Band to smash its way through teams with just the raw power of its STAB Outrage, which can power through even the likes of Steel-types, such as Ferrothorn and Skarmory! Choice Scarf Haxorus also happens to be one of the only reliable checks to Dragon Dance Dragonite in the metagame. What does keep our axe-faced dragon from being a top-tier threat, however, is its odd base 97 Speed, which means it is outsped by a huge number of threats who can exploit its average defenses and weakness to common Dragon- and Ice-type attacks. Still, be sure to pack a Steel-type or two, or Haxorus will be a massive pain for your team.

Heatran
Type: Fire / Steel
Base Stats: 91 HP / 90 Atk / 106 Def / 130 SpA / 106 SpD / 77 Spe
Abilities: Flash Fire / Flame Body (Unreleased)

Heatran is a very versatile Pokemon that can run a variety of sets, ranging from all-out offensive ones to defensive ones. With great balanced stats, a unique and effective typing, as well as a useful ability in Flash Fire, Heatran can run a fantastic offensive set , which, when backed by a Life Orb or a Choice Specs, has the power to rip through whole teams. Slapping a Choice Scarf on Heatran makes it a great revenge killer too, as it can then outspeed many popular unboosted sweepers, while simultaneously being able to finish off most threats with a powerful STAB Fire Blast. It also has the ability to clean up weakened teams late-game with any its offensive set. Finally, Heatran has a variety of support options, and its respectable defenses allow it to sponge most neutral and resisted attacks. With a great support movepool including Stealth Rock, Sunny Day, Roar, Taunt, Toxic, Protect, and Torment, the only thing that stops Heatran from being a top mixed wall is its lack of reliable recovery, which nonetheless can be somewhat remedied by Protect and Leftovers. Despite having a nasty weakness to common Ground-, Water-, and Fighting-type attacks, Heatran is still quite a threat, and makes a great addition to any team looking for a bulky, powerful attacker.

Hydreigon
Type: Dark / Dragon
Base Stats: 92 HP / 105 Atk / 90 Def / 125 SpA / 90 Def / 98 Spe
Ability: Levitate

A high base 125 Special Attack, a unique typing, and decent defensive stats, along with a massive movepool and a wonderful ability in Levitate, give this new dragon a niche in the metagame, making it a very dangerous threat indeed. Hydreigon's wide movepool, which includes Fire Blast, Surf, Dark Pulse, Draco Meteor, and Focus Blast, allows it to check a large range of threats. Levitate and its decent defenses also give Hydreigon the ability to switch in with ease and take the odd hit or two. Hydreigon can also surprise its normal would-be counters by running physical moves ,such as Earthquake and Outrage, thanks to its good base 105 Attack. Unfortunately, Hydreigon's odd base 98 Speed leaves it outpaced by a large number of threats who can hit it hard with their STAB attacks, Dragon-types in particular. While Hydreigon's defenses are decent, they are not spectacular, and it can't stomach powerful attacks from the likes of Conkeldurr and Latios. Its Dark part-typing also bestows on it unfortunate weaknesses to common Fighting- and Bug-type attacks. Offensively, special walls such as Blissey wall Hydreigon unless it runs Outrage. Still, Hydreigon is a dangerous threat that, thanks to its sheer offensive power and wide movepool, can raze unprepared teams easily if given the chance.

Infernape
Type: Fire / Fighting
Base Stats: 76 HP / 104 Atk / 71 Def / 104 SpA / 71 Def / 108 Spe
Abilities: Blaze / Iron Fist

Although Infernape received a massive amount of competition from all the new Fighting-types introduced in Black and White, do not make the mistake of overlooking it, for it is as great a threat as ever. Sporting great balanced offensive stats and a high base 108 Speed, Infernape can function effectively as a wonderful mixed attacker. Infernape also has adiverse movepool to back it up, with its powerful physical and special STAB moves, complemented by good coverage options in Earthquake, Stone Edge, Grass Knot, ThunderPunch, U-turn, and Hidden Power, and priority in the form of Mach Punch and Vacuum Wave. This allows it to deal with threats ranging from the ubiquitous Blissey and Ferrothorn to even the likes of Jirachi and Tyranitar. Access to boosting moves, such as Nasty Plot, Swords Dance, and Work Up, also makes Infernape one of the most dangerous set-up sweepers around. Unfortunately, our flaming ape has its fair share of problems. Although it is not by any means slow, offensive threats such as Latios and Gengar outspeed it; this is compounded by the fact that Infernape has poor defensive stats. Despite these flaws, Infernape is easily a top-tier threat that can run away with the game if you are not careful.

Jirachi
Type: Steel / Psychic
Base Stats: 100 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 100 Spe
Ability: Serene Grace

It's not a stretch to say that Jirachi is one of the most versatile and useful Pokemon in the BW OU metagame. With a number of classic and new threats thriving in OU, including but not limited to Ferrothorn, Latios, Latias, Reuniclus, and Tyranitar, Jirachi's well-rounded combination of offense and defense is sorely needed on many teams. Jirachi has many things going for it: in addition to its Steel / Psychic typing, which grants Jirachi a whopping eight resistances and only two weaknesses, it is also gifted with the amazing ability, Serene Grace, along with many options with which to abuse it. Jirachi is quite the force to be reckoned with, as its versatility allows it to play physically or specially, and each set has different checks from the others. On the special side, Jirachi can utilize Calm Mind to lure in and eliminate a number of physically defensive threats with ease. Physically, too, Jirachi poses a massive threat with the notorious Iron Head, which, thanks to Serene Grace, has a massive 60% flinch chance, complemented with coverage options in the elemental Punches to check the likes of Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Gliscor. More often than not, Jirachi requires minimal support to function, as its wonderful bulk and typing allow it to set up easily on various types of teams. Once its counters and checks have been eliminated, Jirachi can break through most teams in a metagame heavily reliant on defensive Pokemon – still with that ever-serene smile on its face.

Kingdra
Type: Water / Dragon
Base Stats: 75 HP / 95 Atk / 95 Def / 95 SpA / 95 SpD / 85 Spe
Abilities: Swift Swim / Sniper / Damp (Unreleased)

Kingdra often faces huge competition from its Dragon-typed brethren for a team slot. While its stats seem merely mediocre, Kingdra does have a number of traits that allow it to destroy various types of teams in OU. One thing that sets it apart is its unique Water / Dragon typing; with resistances to three common attacking types, only one weakness to Dragon-type moves, and decent defensive stats, Kingdra can set up easily on a regular basis. This typing also grants Kingdra good offensive dual STAB coverage, resisted only by the common Ferrothorn, as well as the less popular Empoleon and Shedinja. Kingdra may also threaten teams in numerous, unexpected ways. While Dragon Dance can be used on many builds of Kingdra, Rain Dance sets also have the power to immediately break through teams, especially popular weather-oriented ones. In rain, Kingdra can take advantage of its ability, Swift Swim, to outrun just about the whole metagame, making it especially difficult to revenge kill. You may be very tempted to pair Kingdra with a Drizzle Politoed; however, the combination of Swift Swim and Drizzle is banned, so Kingdra will have to resort to the classic methods it used last generation. Nonetheless, this doesn't stop it from being a significant offensive threat.

Kyurem
Type: Dragon / Ice
Base Stats: 125 HP / 130 Atk / 90 Def / 130 SpA / 90 SpD / 95 Spe
Ability: Pressure

At first glance, Kyurem appears to be a very mighty attacker , capable of tearing through even the bulkiest of walls. Excellent base stats, along with high-powered mixed dual STAB attacks in Outrage, Draco Meteor, and Blizzard also back up this claim. However, Kyurem is almost completely let down by an average base 95 Speed, a small movepool with no boosting moves outside of Hone Claws, and a defensively atrocious Dragon / Ice typing, which gives it weaknesses to common Fighting- and Steel-type priority attacks, in addition to a Stealth Rock weakness. As rarely seen as it is, Kyurem is not to be underestimated. Kyurem achieves perfect neutral coverage with just Focus Blast and its STAB attacks, and this, in conjunction with its equally outstanding offenses, allow it to function as an effective mixed stallbreaker. Kyurem's signature move, Glaciate, also allows it to slow down the opponent and force switches. With excellent 125 / 90 / 90 defenses, Kyurem is certainly durable enough to take the odd neutral hit or two, allowing it to hang around for a while. Despite having several crippling disadvantages, Kyurem should not be taken lightly, and is an offensive threat which every team should be prepared to deal with.

Landorus
Type: Ground / Flying
Base Stats: 89 HP / 125 Atk / 90 Def / 115 SpA / 80 SpD / 101 Spe
Abilities: Sand Force / Sheer Force (Unreleased)

Under sandstorm, Landorus is one of the biggest threats in the metagame. Access to Swords Dance and Rock Polish, as well as above average defenses , allow Landorus to set up and demolish both defensive and offensive teams with ease. Its mixed offensive stats make it especially tough to counter, as physical walls, such as Gliscor, are destroyed by Hidden Power Ice. Sand Force additionally boosts the power of Earthquake and Stone Edge in sandstorm, giving Landorus the ability to run both Swords Dance and Rock Polish on the same set to rip teams to shreds. Landorus' base 101 Speed is a mixed blessing, it enables Landorus to outspeed many base 100 Pokemon, but leaves it outsped by threats, such as Latios, Latias, Starmie, and Gengar, who can all send it to a quick death by exploiting its 4x Ice-type weakness. Despite this glaring flaw, do watch out for this sand genie; the raw power of its attacks in sandstorm makes it a top-tier offensive threat.

Latias
Type: Dragon / Psychic
Base Stats: 80 HP / 80 Atk / 90 Def / 110 SpA / 130 SpD / 110 Spe
Ability: Levitate

The transition to BW has seen Latias once again allowed into standard play, with the sole stipulation that it may not hold its signature item, the as- of-yet-unreleased Soul Dew. Nonetheless, Latias is capable of putting its high Speed, power, access to instant recovery, and formidable bulk to good use. While Choice Scarf, Life Orb, and Choice Specs sets are viable, it is generally outclassed offensively by its brother Latios, and as such finds itself using sets that take advantage of its higher bulk. These include the mono-attacking Calm Mind set, dual screen sets that utilize Wish, and various other incarnations of the aforementioned Calm Mind set. By running these sets, Latias functions as an excellent answer to various sweepers, such as Heatran and Zapdos, and is a first-rate switch-in to specially based weather inducers Ninetales and Politoed, easily healing off any damage with Recover. With the metagame centered largely around Fighting- and Dragon-type threats, both of which Latias handles well thanks to its resistance to the former and ability to outspeed and KO nearly all of the latter, it fits very nicely into the metagame.

Latios
Type: Dragon / Psychic
Base Stats: 80 HP / 90 Atk / 80 Def / 130 SpA / 110 SpD / 110 Spe
Ability: Levitate

It's no mystery as to why Latios is one of the most feared Pokemon out there: with its massive base 130 Special Attack and base 110 Speed stats, as well as passable bulk, Latios is one of the most effective attackers in the metagame. Draco Meteor, perhaps its most common attack, has enough power to heavily dent even the likes of Ferrothorn, and the ability to take Latios' Choice Specs Draco Meteor has become the standard by which all special walls in OU are judged. Latios is able to run a variety of sets ranging from Choice Specs to Calm Mind to even Dragon Dance. However, it's not all sunshine for Latios, as its secondary typing, Psychic, cripples it in many ways. Scizor in particular can utilize its resistance to Draco Meteor to come in almost unscathed and trap Latios with Pursuit; specially defensive Tyranitar also works magnificently in this role. Overall, Latios is a massive offensive threat, but like all others, it is not without its weaknesses.

Magnezone
Type: Electric / Steel
Base Stats: 70 HP / 70 Atk / 115 Def / 130 SpA / 95 SpD / 60 Spe
Abilities: Magnet Pull / Sturdy / Analytic (Unreleased)

With the abundance of Steel-type defensive walls in the metagame, it is no wonder that Magnezone is such a common threat. Magnet Pull gives Magnezone the ability to trap virtually any pesky Steel-type, and either promptly KO it with its powerful STAB attacks, or set up on it with Charge Beam thanks to its wonderful physical bulk. Even though Magnezone doesn't have the largest movepool, Hidden Power Fire and its STAB moves give it all the coverage it needs; its huge base 130 Special Attack also makes up for its lack of coverage options. Magnezone can also deal with the common Ferrothorn + Jellicent defensive core, making it a great choice for just about any team that needs the removal of walls—Steel-types in particular—for a teammate to sweep. Ironically, Magnezone itself is also a Steel-type, meaning it suffers from the same flaws that its Steel-type brethren have to contend with. A painful 4x weakness to common Ground-type attacks is probably the most exploitable. Magnezone is also slow, meaning that speedy Pokemon with Fighting- and Fire-type attacks can KO it with ease. Despite these flaws, Magnezone can make unprepared teams pay, since it can remove entire defensive cores without so much as blinking an eye.

AccidentalGreed · Feb 18, 2011

Mew
Type: Psychic
Base Stats: 100 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 100 Spe
Ability: Synchronize

Mew is one of the growing number of legendary pixie Pokemon with base 100 stats across the board; however, what sets it apart is its access to every TM and non-exclusive tutor move in the game, making Mew unparalleled in its versatility. It can run a great number of sets, all of which capitalize on its fantastic defensive, offensive, and supportive capabilities. Swords Dance, Nasty Plot, Calm Mind, and Amnesia are literally the tip of the iceberg when it comes to boosting moves that can be Baton Passed to more dangerous threats. With its great Special Attack and Speed, however, it can just as easily sweep on its own with Nasty Plot, utilizing STAB Psyshock to take down even special walls, such as Blissey and Jellicent. It can also run a more defensive Calm Mind set which still packs quite a punch; this places more emphasis on its bulk and access to an instant recovery moves, such as Roost, Recover, and Softboiled. Additionally, a stallbreaker set sporting Will-O-Wisp, Taunt, and Recover can beget great results if given the proper support. Overall, be very wary of Mew, as behind its pink pixie exterior lies immense versatility and power.

Mienshao
Type: Fighting
Base Stats: 65 HP / 125 Atk / 60 Def / 95 SpA / 60 SpD / 105 Spe
Abilities: Inner Focus / Regenerator / Reckless (Unreleased)

One of the many new Fighting-types introduced in BW, Mienshao stands out of the pack in several unique ways. First, it is one of the fastest Fighting-types in the game with base 105 Speed; this enables it to outrun the many Pokemon sitting at the base 100 Speed benchmark. Its offenses—a high 125 base Attack and a usable base 95 Special Attack—aren't bad either, and give it a fair amount of versatility. Though its movepool is relatively shallow, it nonetheless contains lots of useful moves such as U-turn, Hi Jump Kick, Fake Out, Calm Mind, Swords Dance, Work Up, Hidden Power Ice, and even Grass Knot. Access to Regenerator is the icing on the cake, as with it, Mienshao need not worry about residual damage from Life Orb, sandstorm, entry hazards, and status, as well as recoil from Hi Jump Kick, enhancing its longevity by leaps and bounds. However, Mienshao is frail and can't take too many hits, and also struggles greatly against Ghost-types due to a lack of any decent Dark- or Ghost-type moves. Even with these flaws, Mienshao is still a solid Pokemon to use, and even with its small movepool, it can run surprisingly diverse sets.

Nidoking
Type: Poison / Ground
Base Stats: 81 HP / 92 Atk / 77 Def / 85 SpA / 75 SpD / 85 Spe
Abilities: Poison Point / Rivalry / Sheer Force

Overlooked in past generations due to its middling stats, Nidoking received a blessing in the form of its Dream World ability, Sheer Force. This allows Nidoking to make full use of its fantastic movepool with a very efficient Life Orb set. Nidoking's useful typing protects it from paralysis and poison, and also allows it to remove Toxic Spikes upon switching in. It has access to powerful STAB moves, such as Earth Power and Sludge Wave, as well as the elemental trio of Flamethrower, Thunderbolt, and Ice Beam, all which gain a Sheer Force boost. If you find the number of Sheer Force-boosted physical moves disappointing, Nidoking also received a way to boost its decent Attack and raise its Accuracy with Hone Claws, making moves such as Stone Edge, Fire Blast, Thunder, and Blizzard feasible on a mixed set. Though middling Speed and so-so defenses may hold Nidoking back, its ability to counter even the threatening Conkledurr speaks volumes of Nidoking's newfound power.

Politoed
Type: Water
Base Stats: 90 HP / 75 Atk / 75 Def / 90 SpA / 100 SpD / 70 Spd
Abilities: Water Absorb / Damp / Drizzle

Outclassed by other Water-types in previous generations, Politoed shot to instant stardom with the arrival of Gen V: Politoed received Drizzle from the Dream World, turning the OU metagame on its head. In fact, Politoed's infinite rain provided such an exceptional boost to Swift Swim that the two were banned together on the same team. Although perhaps its best abusers are gone, Politoed's rain still contributes to rain stall teams and teams that need other weathers removed. Politoed itself functions well both as a bulky Water-type and a Choice Scarf user, as its reasonable bulk and moderate Speed allow it to revenge kill many sweepers, particularly those that depend on another weather, mainly Chlorophyll sweepers, as well as threats such as non-Choice Scarf Jirachi. Politoed isn't perfect, though, as its low Defense and Speed make it easy to wear down. Ferrothorn and Jellicent make excellent counters too, as neither takes much damage from any of Politoed's attacks, and can cripple it with a status move. Despite these flaws, Politoed is an excellent choice to base a weather team around or to check opposing weather.

Rotom-W
Type: Electric / Water
Base Stats: 50 HP / 65 Atk / 107 Def / 105 SpA / 107 SpD / 86 Spe
Ability: Levitate

With only one weakness thanks to its ability , Levitate, as well as two great offensive STABs, Rotom-W makes a great tank in today's metagame. This, in conjunction with good bulk and a solid Special Attack stat, allows Rotom-W to both take hits and dish out damage equally well. STAB Thunderbolt, Volt Switch, and Hydro Pump hit hard when backed by Choice Specs, enabling Rotom-W to counter the rain and sand teams so common in the current metagame. This affable washing machine also has Hidden Power to surprise walls that resist its STAB moves, such as Ferrothorn and Gastrodon, thus providing great coverage. Its low base HP further allows Rotom-W to make good use of its semi-reliable recovery move in Pain Split; that this hurts walls such as Blissey at the same time is a bonus. Though Rotom-W is not a game-breaking offensive force, its ability to both take hits and retaliate is what makes it a Pokemon to look out for.

Salamence
Type: Dragon / Flying
Base Stats: 95 HP / 135 Atk / 80 Def / 110 SpA / 80 SpD / 100 Spe
Abilities: Intimidate / Moxie

This controversial DPP Uber continues to be a major threat in the BW OU metagame. Its high offenses are a major reason for this: base 135 Attack and base 110 Special Attack are nothing to scoff at, even with the power creep this Generation. Dragon Dance allows it to run roughshod over entire teams with just a single turn of setup; what's more, Salamence's large movepool and two abilities makes it unpredictable, as it works equally well as a mixed wallbreaker, a fast Choice Scarf user, and as a bulky phazer with Wish and Dragon Tail. However, Salamence's throne as the best Dragon-type in OU has become much less secure. Latias and Latios dropped down from Ubers this generation; both which outspeed Salamence and can easily OHKO it with their STAB Dragon-type attacks. Dragonite gained a valuable asset in Multi Scale, while Haxorus boasts a higher base Attack stat. Still, there are few true counters to Salamence, making it a great choice as a physical or mixed sweeper on a team in need of its services. Even walls such as Ferrothorn only check it at best, and only the very rare Cresselia counters it fully. Despite the introduction of other powerful Dragon-types, and new threats looking to usurp its throne, Salamence is still a very solid threat and should never be overlooked when building a team.

Sawsbuck
Type: Normal / Grass
Base Stats: 80 HP / 100 Atk / 70 Def / 60 SpA / 70 SpD / 95 Spe
Abilities: Chlorophyll / Sap Sipper / Serene Grace (Unreleased)

Though a rarer sight than the omnipresent Venusaur as a Chlorophyll sweeper, Sawsbuck is nonetheless a deadly offensive threat with its dangerous Swords Dance set. With its unique dual STAB, and Jump Kick or Nature Power (Earthquake in WiFi battles) for coverage, Sawsbuck can hit a wide range of threats very hard. If given the opportunity to set up, it can easily sweep entire teams that lack the Fighting-type priority it hates. A little less threatening is the four attacks set, which is an excellent revenge killer available to sun teams, as it outspeeds almost the entire metagame, while still being able to switch moves. It should be noted, however, that this set lacks the power to carry out a clean sweep, and is therefore generally less of a threat. Megahorn will typically be used in the fourth slot in order to revenge kill Latios and Latias, as well as to hit opposing Grass-types harder, though Synthesis maybe utilized for recovery instead.

Scizor
Type: Bug / Steel
Base Stats: 70 HP / 130 Atk / 100 Def / 55 SpA / 80 SpD / 65 Spe
Abilities: Swarm / Technician / Light Metal (Unreleased)

Despite the arrival of many new threats in BW, Scizor continues to be a powerhouse and is a staple on many teams. Its standard set in DPP, the Choice Band set is still seen everywhere, while the Swords Dance set is no less effective. Both pack quite the punch, and can blow holes in the opposing team regardless of the situation: U-turn coming off of Scizor's base 130 Attack deals plenty of damage, and also allows Scizor to be an effective scout and pivot. With Swords Dance and a Life Orb, there isn't much that can handle Scizor's STAB- and Technician-boosted priority Bullet Punch. However, as with all Pokemon, the metal bug has its drawbacks. The newly introduced Chandelure resists all of Scizor's common moves barring Pursuit, and can easily dispose of Scizor with its STAB Fire-type attacks. Volcarona is also an excellent Scizor slayer, sporting STAB Fire-type moves, a resistance to most of Scizor's moves, and Flame Body to burn Scizor when it attacks. Although itmust push on in light of these new threats, Scizor is still a powerful threat in the OU metagame, and will likely remain a staple for generations to come.

Scrafty
Type: Dark / Fighting
Base Stats: 65 HP / 90 Atk / 115 Def / 45 SpA / 115 SpD / 58 Spe
Abilities: Shed Skin / Moxie / Intimidate (Unreleased)

With wonderful defensive stats, a decent base 90 Attack, and access to fantastic boosting moves in Bulk Up and Dragon Dance, Scrafty makes an excellent setup sweeper. Its STABs achieve near-perfect neutral coverage, allowing Scrafty to score many KOs with just these two moves. Scrafty also has two wonderful abilities in Shed Skin and Moxie. The former not only protects it from status, but also allows it to abuse Rest effectively, giving it a form of recovery to go along with Drain Punch, and allowing it many more boosts. The latter, on the other hand, makes it more difficult to stop each time it scores a KO, and can be devastating in conjunction with Speed boosts from Dragon Dance. Scrafty's offensive movepool also includes options such as Ice Punch to hit switch-ins, such as Gliscor, hard, and Dragon Tail can be used to phaze boosting opponents and rack up residual damage. It also has support options such as Taunt and Counter to stop opposing set-up sweepers and surprise physical attackers respectively. Unfortunately, Scrafty is let down by its poor base 58 Speed and Fighting-type weakness, which allows faster Fighting-types, such as Infernape, to outspeed and pummel Scrafty with STAB Fighting-type attacks. Trick also shuts down Scrafty, forcing it to switch. Still, Scrafty can break open the game in a matter of a few turns, and is a threat which every team should be prepared for.

Starmie
Type: Water / Psychic
Base Stats: 60 HP / 75 Atk / 85 Def / 100 SpA / 85 SpD / 115 Spe
Abilities: Illuminate / Natural Cure / Analytic

This long-time OU veteran of all four previous generations has a tried-and-tested combination of blistering Speed, fantastic Special Attack, great coverage, and devastating high-powered moves. With Hydro Pump, Thunderbolt, and Ice Beam in its arsenal, Starmie can rip apart unprepared teams easily with a Life Orb set, with Recover making it much more difficult to take down than its mediocre defenses may suggest. Starmie is also blessed with the fairly exclusive Rapid Spin and the useful Natural Cure to thwart the efforts of opposing defensive teams. Although Starmie is equipped with the perfect tools for a special sweeper, it is sorely let down by its lack of a boosting move, and it is also walled by common rain counters, such as Ferrothorn and Gastrodon, as well as classic special walls, such as Blissey and Chansey. Just be sure to carry a check to Starmie, or it will sweep unhindered.

Terrakion
Type: Rock / Fighting
Base Stats: 91 HP / 129 Atk / 90 Def / 72 SpA / 90 SpD / 108 Spe
Ability: Justified

Terrakion's good bulk, incredible base 129 Attack, base 108 Speed , which even unboosted, outpaces a significant proportion of the metagame, and access to both Swords Dance and Rock Polish, make it a fantastic setup sweeper. Its STAB moves are resisted only by a handful of uncommon Pokemon, such as Claydol, Toxicroak, and Golurk, enabling it to run a double-boosting set with both Rock Polish and Swords Dance to tailor its boostsdepending on the team it is facing. Terrakion also functions brilliantly with Choice sets with its high Attack and Speed, which makes it a versatile threat. Its ability, Justified, further allows it to snatch an Attack boost by switching in on Dark-type moves, such as Tyranitar's Crunch or Pursuit. Though Terrakion sports weaknesses to common Ground-, Water-, and Fighting-type attacks, and is outsped by common threats, such as Starmie, the Lati siblings, and Gengar, underestimate it at your own peril.

Tornadus
Type: Flying
Base Stats: 79 HP / 115 Atk / 70 Def / 125 SpA / 80 SpD / 111 Spe
Abilities: Prankster / Defiant (Unreleased)

Tornadus is one of the most threatening sweepers on rain teams. The one trait that really separates it from other rain-oriented Pokemon is its powerful Flying-type STAB, Hurricane, which rivals Latios' Draco Meteor in power and comes without any drawback in rain. This alone allows Tornadus to run an extremely threatening Choice Specs set, which generally only Tyranitar, as well as defensive Steel- and Electric-types, such as Jirachi andRotom-W, can check reliably, and even then, the 30% probability of confusion may prove problematic. Tornadus can also run an effective mixed set, a Bulk Up set, or even a Rain Dance support set to bypass the Drizzle + Swift Swim combination ban. However, a vulnerability to priority moves, as well as an overreliance on rain, let Tornadus down, as it is effectively neutered once its weather is removed. Still, Tornadus makes a great addition to any rain team, and should always be handled carefully.

Toxicroak
Type: Poison / Fighting
Base Stats: 83 HP / 106 Atk / 65 Def / 86 SpA / 65 SpD / 85 Spe
Abilities: Anticipation / Dry Skin / Poison Touch (Unreleased)

Toxicroak has always been an odd Pokemon. With middling stats all across the board, it may, at first glance, seem like nothing more than a mediocre Pokemon. However, Toxicroak's viability in OU lies in its highly coveted ability, Dry Skin, which restores 12.5% of its health in rain, and recovers health when hit by Water-type attacks. This, along with Toxicroak’s Poison typing, allows it to completely wall nearly every bulky Water-type , and set up in their faces. Toxicroak also has an interestingly wide physical and special movepool, as well as access to both Swords Dance and Nasty Plot, to increase its clout as a setup sweeper significantly. Its large movepool includes useful priority options, such as Fake Out and Sucker Punch, and gives it great coverage. It goes without saying that Toxicroak is a great fit on rain teams, as it can deal with Ferrothorn, a huge pain for any rain team. Overall, Toxicroak is an extremely underrated threat that should not be taken lightly.

Tyranitar
Type: Rock / Dark
Base Stats: 100 HP / 134 Atk / 110 Def / 95 SpA / 100 SpD / 61 Spe
Abilities: Sand Stream / Unnerve

The mighty sand tyrant returns to take the BW OU metagame by storm – and for good reason too. Tyranitar sports many impressive traits , such as fantastically balanced stats overall, great typing that grants it excellent dual STAB, a surprisingly diverse movepool, and of course, Sand Stream. With fantastic Attack and access to boosting moves, such as Curse and Dragon Dance, as well as the ability to make good use of Choice Band or Choice Scarf, Tyranitar can effectively run a large variety of sets. It can also serve as a lure, surprising common switch-ins with excellent special moves, such as Fire Blast and Ice Beam, or assist its team with support moves, such as Roar, Dragon Tail, Stealth Rock, Taunt, and even Thunder Wave. Probably the main reason to use Tyranitar, though, is that its everlasting sandstorm greatly powers up Pokemon,including Landorus and Terrakion. However, Tyranitar packs many weakness to common types, such as Ground, Water, Bug, Steel, and most especially Fighting, has a somewhat underwhelming Speed stat, and also suffers from four-moveslot syndrome: it can do a lot, but not everything at once. Due to Tyranitar's popularity, there also exist many threats that easily stop Tyranitar's fun: Drizzle Politoed; various Fighting-types—both old and new—such as Conkeldurr, and Machamp; bulky Water-types; Scizor; and ironically opposing Landorus and Terrakion. Even with these setbacks, this tyrant is still a solid threat to be overlooked at your own peril.

Venusaur
Type: Grass / Poison
Base Stats: 80 HP / 82 Atk / 83 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 80 Spe
Abilities: Overgrow / Chlorophyll

You will probably be most familiar with this overgrown plant monster as the undisputed king of DPP UU. Do not be fooled by its failure to achieve OU glory, however, for Venusaur received a massive boost in the generation shift, vastly increasing its sweeping potential. First and foremost, it received the ability Chlorophyll through the Dream World; this combines perfectly with the buff to Growth in sun to transform Venusaur into an unstoppable monster with just one turn of setup. It is the premier Chlorophyll sweeper due to its large movepool, but there are generally only two variants of Venusaur one needs to prepare for. The specially based set works off Venusaur's higher offensive stat, but access to powerful physical moves such as Return and Earthquake, also allows Venusaur to run an effective mixed set that easily lures in and destroys its usual counters. Venusaur also has the options of Synthesis for recovery and Sleep Powder to buy it a free turn of setup, compensating somewhat for its underwhelming defenses, though it should be noted that Venusaur may not always be able to spare the necessary moveslots. Finally, Chlorophyll is incompatible with Venusaur's egg moves, most notably Power Whip; nonetheless, Venusaur on a dedicated sun team is a threat one should definitely be prepared for.

Victini
Type: Psychic / Fire
Base Stats: 100 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 100 Spe
Ability: Victory Star

The newest addition to the pool of pixie-like Pokemon with 600 BST, Victini possesses a unique Psychic / Fire typing that is both a blessing and a curse. Its Psychic typing grants it a rather annoying Pursuit weakness, and its Fire typing confers on it a Stealth Rock weakness. However, do not be put off by Victini's poor defensive typing. Its stat spread makes it extremely bulky all around even without investment. Victini's movepool is likewise impressive on both the physical and special sides, and it furthermore enjoys access to a multitude of signature moves, including Fusion Bolt, Fusion Flare, and Searing Shot, of course, the 180 base power V-Create. Victini also gets powerful coverage moves, including Focus Blast, Shadow Ball, Energy Ball, Brick Break, and even Thunder, as well as the support moves Thunder Wave, Will-O-wisp, Taunt, and Trick Room. Perhaps Victini's most devastating set is its Choice Band set, as a sun-boosted V-create decimates all but Flash Fire Pokemon. Victini can also run an effective Choice Scarf set to revenge kill faster threats. Lastly, Victini is one of the select few Pokemon to receive the move Final Gambit, which finds great utility thanks to Victini's large base HP. Underestimate this cute little Pokemon mascot at your peril.

Virizion
Type: Grass / Fighting
Base Stats: 91 HP / 90 Atk / 72 Def / 90 SpA / 129 SpD / 108 Spe
Ability: Justified

Being a member of the newest musketeer trio, Virizion certainly packs quite a punch. Although its Attack and Special Attack stats appear underwhelming for a supposed offensive threat, Virizion can boost these effectively with Swords Dance, Calm Mind, and Work Up, giving it a fair amount of versatility. However, what sets Virizion apart from its many Fighting-type counterparts is its fantastic base 129 Special Defense and wonderful Grass / Fighting typing, which makes it an excellent check to sand and rain teams alike. STAB Grass moves are particularly useful, as they let Virizion break through Unaware Quagsire, a full stop to many other Fighting-types. Virizion is no slow customer either, as it boasts one of the highest base Speeds of all Fighting types. Though Virizion has a small movepool with only Hidden Power and Stone Edge to rely upon outside of its STAB attacks, it still gets the job done very well. Access to Taunt also allows it to check slower setup sweepers, and boost up against walls with ease, strengthening its clout as a top-tier threat. However, Virizion's poor base 72 Defense prevents it from taking powerful physical attacks, despite useful resistances such as to the EdgeQuake and VoltTurn combo. Base 108 Speed, while fast, leaves Virizion outsped by Pokemon such as Latios and Tornadus. Opposing Calm Mind users with Psyshock, such as Latias and Reuniclus, can set up alongside it and ultimately come out victorious. Virizion's typing also grants it weaknesses to common Fire- and Ice-type attacks in addition to a nasty 4x Flying-type weakness. Still, Virizion is a dangerous threat that can make unprepared teams pay heavily.

Volcarona
Type: Bug / Fire
Base Stats: 85 HP / 60 Atk / 65 Def / 135 SpA / 105 SpD / 100 Spe
Abilities: Flame Body / Swarm (Unreleased)

Volcarona was perhaps one of the most underhyped threats of the new metagame. However, people quickly realized that with just one turn of set up, this seemingly underwhelming moth Pokemon could wreak absolute havoc on unprepared teams. With an excellent stat distribution and a unique typing, Volcarona can destroy most threats with its STAB Bug Buzz and Fire Blast / Fiery Dance combination alone. The remaining Pokemon who resist this formidable combination can be taken care of with a coverage move of choice, ranging from Psychic to Hurricane, to most typically a Hidden Power. Alternatively, Volcarona can forgo a coverage move for other useful options, such as Rest, Morning Sun, or even Substitute. Quiver Dance is one of the most dangerous set-up moves in the game, making Volcarona not only a fast and hard-hitting sweeper, but also very difficult to take down with special attacks. Revenge killers that would prey on Volcarona's poor Defense stat instead have to contend with its ability, Flame Body, which gives it a nice 30% chance to burn the user of a contact move. Despite Volcarona's crippling weakness to Stealth Rock, if used with the proper support, Volcarona can sweep nearly any team.

AccidentalGreed · Feb 18, 2011

Defensive:

Blissey
Type: Normal
Base Stats: 255 HP / 10 Atk / 10 Def / 75 SpA / 135 SpD / 55 Spe
Abilities: Natural Cure / Serene Grace / Healer

Despite receiving no new toys from BW, and in fact facing greater competition thanks to the huge buff to Chansey, the (original) pink blob proves frustratingly resilient. With a near-unmatched ability to wall just about any special attacker in the game, Blissey can find a place in any team hurting for a bit more special bulk. With a wide array of support moves, including Toxic, Thunder Wave, Heal Bell, and the newly buffed Wish that allows her to fully revitalize almost all Pokemon in the game, Blissey can be a fantastic team supporter, cleric, or status-spreader on stall and offensive teams alike. Despite being somewhat outclassed defensively by Eviolite Chansey, Blissey maintains some advantages of its own that account for its greater usage. First, her usable base 75 Special Attack stat means that Blissey can run Ice Beam or Flamethrower to take advantage of her surprising physical bulk—largely due to her fantastic HP stat; secondly, Leftovers negates residual damage Blissey may take from weather, and also helps offset whatever more damage she would take than Chansey. With massive Special Defense, decent physical Defense, a usable Special Attack and a good movepool, Blissey yet again proves that if something isn't broken, you need not fix it.

Bronzong
Type: Steel / Psychic
Base Stats: 67 HP / 89 Atk / 116 Def / 79 SpA / 116 SpD / 33 Spe
Abilities: Levitate / Heatproof / Heavy Metal

With fantastic mixed defenses, and a combination of typing and choice of abilities that gives it only one weakness, Bronzong is a fantastic mixed wall that can take on a multitude of threats without breaking a sweat. Thanks to its Steel typing, Bronzong is one of the few reliable checks to the ferocious Dragon-types that roam OU, including Latios and Haxorus. Bronzong functions brilliantly in a support role, as it can reliably set up Stealth Rock, as well as provide dual screens and Trick Room support. Bronzong also has the ability to go on the offense as a tank that can both take hits and deal damage; such a set commonly sports Earthquake, Gyro Ball, and Hidden Power Ice to take on as many different Pokemon as possible. However, Bronzong isn't completely invulnerable. Its low HP stat and lack of reliable recovery means that it will easily be whittled down over the course of the match. All in all, Bronzong is a competent Pokemon that when used rightly, will be a very effective use of a teamslot.

Chansey
Type: Normal
Base Stats: 250 HP / 5 Atk / 5 Def / 35 SpA / 105 SpD / 50 Spe
Abilities: Natural Cure / Serene Grace / Healer (Unreleased)

In previous generations, Chansey found itself overshadowed by its evolution, Blissey, who had better stats both offensively and defensively. However, with the advent of BW came a new item, the Eviolite, which increases the defenses of NFE Pokemon by 50%. This instantly transformed Chansey into an enormously bulky Pokemon, who can wall a huge number of threats with defenses that now far surpass Blissey's, as well as reliable recovery in the form of Softboiled. BW also brought about a change in the mechanics of the move Wish; Chansey can now pass enormous 352 HP Wishes to its teammates. It can thus contribute to its team in many ways: aside from Wish, it gets access to status moves such as Toxic and Thunder Wave, as well as Aromatherapy and Heal Bell. It can alternatively be a pure wall that focuses on walling threats and forcing switches with its huge defensive stats, chipping away at the opponent's health mainly through residual damage. However, Chansey remains completely outclassed by Blissey when it comes to offense. Despite having a fantastic special movepool, Chansey cannot put it to good use with its deplorable base 35 Special Attack and thus has to resort to Seismic Toss; this leaves Chansey without any form of direct offense against Ghost-types. Having to hold Eviolite also deprives Chansey of Leftovers recovery, a disadvantage particularly in unfavorable weather. Despite these flaws, Chansey shines as one of the best special walls in the metagame and is one defensive threat which every team should be prepared for.

Deoxys-D
Type: Psychic
Base Stats: 50 HP / 70 Atk / 160 Def / 70 SpA / 160 SpD / 90 Spe
Ability: Pressure

With enormous equal base 160 defenses, a gigantic support movepool that includes a reliable recovery move, and the ability Pressure, Deoxys-D appears tailor-made for defensive playstyles. Access to Cosmic Power and Recover, as well as a wide variety of support moves such as Toxic, Taunt, Magic Coat, and Protect, Deoxys-D can stall out a large number of threats. It is hardly limited to stalling, though: it can utilize its fantastic defensive stats to lay entry hazards such as Spikes, or support a frail sweeper by setting up Reflect and Light Screen. However, Deoxys-D's stalling capabilities are undermined by its poor base 50 HP stat and a weakness to Pursuit courtesy of its Psychic typing, which also gives Deoxys-D weaknesses to common Ghost- and Dark-type attacks. This means that Pokemon such as Chandelure and Hydreigon can easily break through Deocys-D's defenses with their powerful STAB attacks. Deoxys-D is also prone to being Taunt bait for the likes of Sableye and Mew, unless it carries Magic Coat. Despite these flaws, Deoxys-D stands out as one of the most potent stallers in the metagame that can stall out entire unprepared teams.

Dragonite
Type: Dragon / Flying
Base Stats: 91 HP / 134 Atk / 95 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 80 Spe
Abilities: Inner Focus / Multiscale

Despite Dragonite's excellent natural bulk, it has usually been outclassed in one way or another in attempts to run defensive sets. Multiscale changed everything for Dragonite, making bulky Dragon Dance sets much harder to take down and creating new sets. In early BW, a set of Thunder Wave / Substitute / Roost / Dragon Tail began to catch on, its ability to paralyze hard hitters and wait for a full paralysis with Substitute and Roost made it a very tough wall to overcome and a very useful phazer. A Fire-type attack over Thunder Wave also catches a lot of normal counters, such as Skarmory, Forretress, and Tangrowth, off guard. Dragon Dance over Thunder Wave and Dragon Claw over Dragon Tail has become a bulky set-up sweeper famous for cleaning defensive teams as the last Pokemon. Lastly, Dragonite can run defensive sets in the rain with Hurricane posing a huge threat to Pokemon like Celebi and Virizion, which naturally trouble rain teams. Whether relentlessly setting up with Dragon Dance or phazing endlessly with Dragon Tail, Dragonite can be one of the greatest annoyances defensively if you don't prepare for it.

Ferrothorn
Type: Grass / Steel
Base Stats: 74 HP / 94 Atk / 131 Def / 54 SpA / 116 SpD / 20 Spe
Ability: Iron Barbs

With 74 / 131 / 116 defenses and a typing which gives it useful resistances to common Dragon-, Water-, and Electric-type attacks, it is little wonder that Ferrothorn is one of the best walls in the game. In a metagame dominated by weather, Ferrothorn is an extremely useful check to rain-based teams, easily absorbing powerful attacks from the likes of Rotom-W, Starmie, and Kingdra. Ferrothorn's unique ability, Iron Barbs, also adds greatly to the headaches of physically based Pokemon and Rapid Spinners, and is an especially great way to pick off weakened Pokemon by just switching in. Ferrothorn's movepool is equally impressive: it can set up entry hazards such as Spikes and Stealth Rock, cripple the opponent with Thunder Wave and Toxic, mitigate its lack of a reliable recovery move with Leech Seed, Substitute, and Protect, and even set up with Curse. Ferrothorn is not invincible, though: a neutrality to Ground and a weakness to Fighting greatly hamper its physical walling capabilities. Powerful Fire-types such as Heatran and Infernape can easily incinerate Ferrothorn with their STAB attacks. This glaring quadruple weakness is also an invitation for many special sweepers that are otherwise helpless against Ferrothorn, such as Latios and the aforementioned Starmie and Rotom-W, to surprise it with Hidden Power Fire.

Forretress
Type: Bug / Steel
Base Stats: 75 HP / 90 Atk / 140 Def / 60 SpA / 60 SpD / 40 Spe
Abilities: Sturdy / Overcoat (Unreleased)

Forretress, the premier spinner of DPP, may have gained little this generation outside of a buffed Sturdy, but he still retains a very useful niche in the BW OU metagame. Access to all entry hazards and the ability to Rapid Spin go a long way toward making Forretress a virtual necessity for any stall team; an impressive physical Defense and salvageable Special Defense allow him to find a place on many balanced and even offensive teams as a reliable wall and pivot as well. Indeed, Forretress has far more on his resume than mere hazards work. With his colossal Defense, Forretress can tank most physical sweepers, and retaliate with his surprisingly usable base 90 Attack stat. STAB Gyro Ball along with his dismal Speed allows Forretress to counter many speedy sweepers, most frequently Outrage-locked Dragon-types. Whether one needs an unbreakable staller, a Rapid Spinner, a clutch counter, or a catch-all defensive giant, look no further than Forretress.

Gastrodon
Typing: Water / Ground
Base Stats: 111 HP / 83 Atk / 68 Def / 92 SpA / 82 SpD / 39 Spe
Abilities: Sticky Hold / Storm Drain / Sand Force

In the massive pool of bulky Water-type Pokemon, Gastrodon has finally received a niche above the others with Storm Drain, which now gives an immunity to Water-type attacks and a +1 boost to Special attack when hit by one. All of the previous benefits of its Water / Ground typing remain, like an immunity to sandstorm damage, and the added bonus of Storm Drain makes it an excellent special wall. Powerful attackers like Rotom-W and Starmie will need to run Hidden Power Grass to leave any lasting damage on this slug. The combination of the new move Scald and Toxic makes bulky Gastrodon fairly hard to switch into. Gastrodon is not only a strong check to rain-abusing sweepers; with Choice Specs it can be a sturdy cannon itself. If your opponent makes the mistake of hitting that type of Gastrodon with a Water-type attack, even Blissey is looking at a potential 2HKO.

Gliscor
Type: Ground / Flying
Base Stats: 75 HP / 95 Atk / 125 Def / 45 SpA / 75 SpD / 95 Spe
Abilities: Hyper Cutter / Sand Veil / Poison Heal

Gliscor needs no introduction: it is one of the most common sights in the OU metagame simply because it is able to counter and check prominent threats. Terrakion, which general consensus holds as one of the greatest threats in OU, is conditionally countered by it, and Landorus is also beaten unless it has Hidden Power Ice, making it a top-tier counter to offensive sandstorm-based teams. Indeed, perhaps the greatest testament to defensive Gliscor's effectiveness is the sheer number of physical Pokemon that run an Ice move solely for Gliscor: Tyranitar, Mienshao, and Virizion are just a few examples. While Gliscor's Dream World ability is incompatible with Roost, the combination of Toxic Orb + Poison Heal, and possibly even Substitute and Protect, is more than enough for it to last through the game.

Gyarados
Type: Water / Flying
Base Stats: 95 HP / 125 Atk / 79 Def / 60 SpA / 100 SpD / 81 Spe
Abilities: Intimidate / Moxie

Since the release of RSE, when Gyarados recieved Intimidate, Gyarados has been a particularly tough Pokemon to take down. With 95 / 79 / 100 defenses, five resistances, and only two weaknesses, Gyarados can tank a vast amount of Pokemon. Throughout the DPP era, Gyarados was one of the best Fighting-resists in the game, lowering the opponent's Attack just by coming in, and then either setting up with Dragon Dance or simply tanking them with the combination of Rest and Sleep Talk. However, with Terrakion and Virizion becoming the more popular Fighting-types in BW OU, the RestTalk set has lost a bit of its luster. It is still a threat through its raw defenses and the new move Dragon Tail, which gives it approximately a 2/3 chance to phaze in it's sleep; Gyarados is one the very few Pokemon that can afford to run a RestTalk set with the new sleep mechanics, resetting the sleep timer every time a Pokemon switches out. Substitute + Dragon Dance sets are also good for tanking hits and turn BW's standard bulky Water-types into set-up bait.

Hippowdon
Type: Ground
Base Stats: 108 HP / 112 Atk / 118 Def / 68 SpA / 72 SpD / 47 Spe
Abilities: Sand Stream / Sand Force

The generation shift has not been especially generous to Hippowdon; however, its value as a physical wall has only increased with the plethora of new physical attackers introduced to the metagame, such as Terrakion and Landorus. With huge HP and Defense stats, Hippowdon is nigh impossible to take down with a physical attack, and its respectable Special Defense coupled with its great HP allow it to take several special hits with the right investment. A decent support movepool, with options such as Stealth Rock, Roar, Yawn, and Slack Off, further enables Hippowdon to help out its teammates with ease. Hippowdon's ability, Sand Stream, not only allows it to add more residual damage to the tally, but also makes it the perfect partner to a multitude of sand abusers, letting it find a place on all kinds of teams.

Jellicent
Type: Water / Ghost
Base Stats: 100 HP / 60 Atk / 70 Def / 85 SpA / 105 SpD / 60 Spe
Abilities: Water Absorb / Cursed Body / Damp (Unreleased)

BW introduced a very welcome 2-in-1 Pokemon: Jellicent, simultaneously both a bulky Water and spinblocker. Along with Jellicent's unique Water / Ghost typing comes plenty of key resistances and immunities, two usable abilities in Water Absorb and Cursed Body, solid 100 / 70 / 105 defenses, instant recovery, a surprisingly decent offensive movepool, as well as support moves like Taunt, Will-O-Wisp, and Trick Room; in other words, all you could ask for. Jellicent's primary role on a team is typically to render Rapid Spin useless, which is why it is often found paired with a entry hazard layer, most commonly Ferrothorn. The FerroCent core is BW's answer to SkarmBliss: not only do their typings complement perfectly, Ferrothorn also sets up hazards which Jellicent then prevents the opponent from removing. Thanks to these traits, Jellicent can go toe-to-toe with some of the metagame's biggest threats, such as Heatran, Volcarona, Infernape, Mienshao, Terrakion, Swords Dance Lucario lacking Crunch, and Choice Band Scizor, just to name a few. Access to Toxic and Taunt also allow it to fare well against opposing bulky Water-types and walls. Jellicent does suffer from being setup bait for Pokemon such as ChestoRest variants of Volcarona, Nasty Plot Celebi, is largely shut down by faster Taunters like Whimsicott, and cannot stand up to the sheer power of the likes of Choice Specs Latios and Choice Band Haxorus. Nonetheless, if you need a solid defensive spinblocker and utility counter, this is the jellyfish for you.

Jirachi
Type: Steel / Psychic
Base Stats: 100 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 100 Spe
Ability: Serene Grace

Thanks to its large HP and balanced defensive stats, which are some of the most impressive in standard play, as well as its excellent defensive typing, Jirachi easily presents an insurmountable roadblock to thwart many an impending sweep. Jirachi is far from a passive sponge, however: its wide movepool allows it to be an extremely dynamic Pokemon. Jirachi is often seen spreading paralysis using either Thunder Wave or Body Slam, the latter of which has a 60% chance of paralysis thanks to Serene Grace. As a Normal-type attack, this gives Jirachi a niche ability to paralyze Ground-types. Jirachi is also an excellent team supporter with dual screens, Trick Room, or even Gravity, as it has U-turn to conserve momentum after setting up. Its Steel typing and immense special bulk further lets it check Dragon types, particularly Latios, sponging even Choice Specs Draco Meteors with ease. However, the main draw of defensive Jirachi is Wish. A multitude of resistances, great bulk, and the ability to outspeed a variety of threats even without investment lets Jirachi replenish its own health or that of a teammate reliably throughout the match. This variant of Jirachi often maximizes investment on its already large base HP stat to further enhance its capabilities, as with the new Wish mechanics, Jirachi's 202 HP Wishes can often revitalize a teammate worn down by hazards, Life Orb recoil, or an untimely misprediction. Jirachi's ability to render damage to the rest of its team null and void is what makes it such a defensive threat: be sure to pack powerful Fire- or Ground-type attacks to deal with the star, as it is notoriously difficult to 2HKO otherwise.

Latias
Type: Dragon / Psychic
Base Stats: 80 HP / 80 Atk / 90 Def / 110 SpA / 130 SpD / 110 Spe
Ability: Levitate

Despite losing Soul Dew in the generation shift, Latias still functions excellently as a special wall in standard play with her massive base 130 Special Defense, as well as neat resistances to Water-, Fire-, Electric-, Psychic-, and Fighting-type attacks. Wish Latias in particular partners very well with Ferrothorn: each covers the other's resistances almost flawlessly. Besides being able to pass Wish, Latias has access to Recover and Roost as well, allowing it to regain health in a single turn rather than two. This makes a bulky Calm Mind set an excellent choice for Latias, letting her boost her impressive Special Defense to outstanding levels and enabling her to hit very hard with STAB Dragon Pulse; Substitute, Wish, Roar, and Refresh all have good utility on this set for a variety of reasons. Finally, Latias can also be more of a team player by running an effective dual screens support set, making use of her great bulk and multitude of resistances to come in repeatedly during the match to perform her job.

AccidentalGreed · Feb 18, 2011

Mew
Type: Psychic
Base Stats: 100 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 100 Spe
Ability: Synchronize

While Mew is often seen packing an offensive punch with Nasty Plot, it can also go in the completely opposite direction as a very defensive Pokemon. With balanced base 100 defenses and access to an instant recovery move, it will not knuckle down easily. The ability to pass any type of boost—offensive as well as defensive—such as Amnesia, Calm Mind, and Bulk Up makes it perhaps the premier Baton Passer in existence. Dedicated Baton Pass variants typically carry moves that boost both an offensive stat and Speed, instantly making the recipient a true juggernaut. Mew is also a first-rate choice for a dual screens support on offense-oriented teams, as its excellent bulk and access to a speedy Taunt virtually guarantees protection for frail, high-powered sweepers. Finally, Mew's support set functions just as well on defensive teams, easily spreading status, denying its unfortunate opponent of recovery with Taunt, and stalling it out with Roost. In short, be wary of Mew, and the almost limitless options it brings to the table.

Porygon2
Type: Normal
Base Stats: 85 HP / 80 Atk / 90 Def / 105 SpA / 95 SpD / 60 Spe
Abilities: Trace / Download / Analytic

With the advent of Eviolite, what was once a niche OU counter has become a very intimidating tank capable of coming in on some of the top threats of OU and forcing them out. With Eviolite equipped, the range of attacks that can reliably KO Porygon2 shrink immensely, mostly leaving only powerful STAB Fighting attacks. Immense bulk, a fantastic ability in Trace, and reliable recovery enables Porygon2 to easily come in on many threats, such as Heatran, Gliscor, and Intimidate Salamence and Gyarados, and use their abilities against them. Ice Beam and Thunderbolt give it great coverage, Thunder Wave lets it provide paralysis support, Recover offsets the loss of Leftovers healing. All in all, don't underestimate this strange duck, for it is an incredibly bulky tank capable of halting your sweeps and crippling your team.

Quagsire
Type: Water / Ground
Base Stats: 95 HP / 85 Atk / 85 Def / 65 SpA / 65 SpD / 35 Spe
Abilities: Damp / Water Absorb / Unaware

After spending three entire generations being overshadowed by Swampert, Quagsire finally got his chance to shine in the OU metagame thanks to the magnificent gift he received from Dream World: Unaware. With the ability to ignore an opponent's stat boosts, a respectable amount of bulk, and Recover, Quagsire can easily check even the most dangerous physical sweepers such as Infernape, Cloyster, and Lucario. Quagsire can even run Curse to attempt to sweep, or Stockpile to become even harder to take down. However, as with any Pokemon, Quagsire isn't flawless. He's unable to touch Ferrothorn, often being setup fodder for Spikes and Stealth Rock. He also fears Toxic, cannot handle special sweepers as well as he can physical ones, and has a crippling weakness to Grass-type moves. Finally, he can be muscled through by sheer brute force such as a Choice Band Haxorus's Outrage. Nonetheless, these reasons should not put you off from giving Quagsire a chance, because this cute clueless blue blob can save you from many a tight spot.

Rotom-W
Type: Water / Electric
Base Stats: 50 HP / 65 Atk / 107 Def / 105 SpA / 107 SpD / 86 Spe
Ability: Levitate

While the loss of its Ghost typing (and thus its role as a spinblocker) has hurt Rotom-W as a defensive Pokemon, it still possesses a few important characteristics that make it worthy of a defensive role. Its changed typing, in addition to its ability, Levitate, allows it to resist a multitude of attacks in OU with only one true weakness (excluding Mold Breaker Earthquake). Additionally, its access to status moves such as Will-O-Wisp and Thunder Wave makes Rotom-W quite hard to play around, especially when considering it has offensive utility as well. Perhaps what differentiates Rotom-W from other Pokemon besides its unique typing is Volt Switch; by using this move, Rotom-W is able to escape from switch-ins and counters, and thus maintain the momentum of the battle within its user's favor. Volt Switch, in combination with U-turn from another teammate (most commonly Scizor), has earned Rotom-W quite a reputation as one of the top Pokemon in the metagame.

Sableye
Type: Dark / Ghost
Base Stats: 50 HP / 75 Atk / 75 Def / 65 SpA / 65 SpD / 50 Spe
Abilities: Keen Eye / Stall / Prankster

Throughout previous generations and a fair chunk of BW, Sableye has been one of the weakest Pokemon in the game. However, the release of its Dream World ability, Prankster, has turned it into a legitimate threat. This ability, combined with the classic combination of a status move, Taunt, and a recovery move gives Sableye a unique defensive niche. Fast, powerful sweepers that would normally be able to pummel a slow wall or throw up a Substitute for status protection are swiftly burned by Will-O-Wisp, and will have trouble finishing off a weakened Sableye with its priority Recover. Stall-based teams are also heavily annoyed by Sableye, as it is a very effective stallbreaker with the aforementioned combo and a solid spinblocker at the same time. Starmie and Tentacruel are the only common Rapid Spin users with a good match-up against Sableye and both get blocked well by Rocky Helmet Ferrothorn, with burn support in the case of Tentacruel. Sableye's priority moves are useful in many more ways that are fun to discover when using it.

Skarmory
Type: Steel / Flying
Base Stats: 65 HP / 80 Atk / 140 Def / 40 SpA / 70 SpD / 70 Spe
Abilities: Keen Eye / Sturdy / Weak Armor

In a metagame dominated by powerful physical attackers such as Tyranitar and Conkeldurr, Skarmory stands out as a fantastic physical wall, courtesy of its unique Steel / Flying typing and huge base Defense stat. The generation shift also brought a useful buff to Skarmory's ability Sturdy, in effect giving it a Focus Sash whenever it is at full health. Reliable recovery in the form of Roost, a multitude of resistances thanks to its Steel typing, as well as a valuable Ground-type immunity help Skarmory wall a large number of threats, including but not limited to Landorus, Haxorus, and Conkeldurr. Skarmory can also utilize its physical bulk and typing to lay entry hazards such as Spikes and Stealth Rock; furthermore, it has Whirlwind and Taunt in its arsenal to phaze stat boosters, cause residual damage, and shut down slower walls such as Ferrothorn and Hippowdon. As far as attacking goes, Skarmory also has a powerful STAB Brave Bird to dent weak opponents. Despite all these positive characteristics, Skarmory's defensive capabilities are undermined by its poor Special Defense and weaknesses to common Electric- and Fire-type attacks, which means that Skarmory can easily be brought down by powerful special attackers such as Infernape, Rotom-W, Starmie, Magnezone, and Heatran. Still, its physical bulk and typing make Skarmory a very reliable physical wall and a great asset to any team.

Slowbro
Type: Water / Psychic
Base Stats: 95 HP / 75 Atk / 110 Def / 100 SpA / 80 SpD / 30 Spe
Abilities: Oblivious / Own Tempo / Regenerator

Slowbro has been a superb choice for the role of physical bulky Water-type ever since he made his first appearance in RBY. BW has given Slowbro a significant boost with the ability Regenerator, which restores 1/3 of his HP when switching out. With a great typing, good defenses, and decent Special Attack, Slowbro can serve many roles; however, he is commonly first and foremost a physical wall. With his natural bulk and a choice of STAB moves such as Scald, Surf, Psychic, and Psyshock, he is a great counter to the many hard-hitting Fighting-types and physical sweepers that abound in OU, in particular Conkeldurr and Terrakion. This makes Slowbro one of the best anti-metagame Pokemon, as both these offensive threats are very common. Slowbro has a large support movepool, containing moves such as Yawn, Thunder Wave, and Toxic, as well as Slack Off for instant recovery. He can also support his team by setting up dual screens or Trick Room. Sets running Calm Mind increase Slowbro's walling prowess, making him not only a physical wall, but very hard to break specially as well. After a few boosts, he may also be able to go on the offensive and put quite a large dent in the opposing team, with good coverage options like Fire Blast, Flamethrower, and Ice Beam. There are also Choice Specs Slowbro variants, which—don't laugh—can be surprisingly hard to counter due to his impressive coverage and good base Special Attack.

Starmie
Type: Water / Psychic
Base Stats: 60 HP / 75 Atk / 85 Def / 100 SpA / 85 SpD / 115 Spe
Abilities: Illuminate / Natural Cure / Analytic

While Starmie may be famous for its fantastic Life Orb set of the DPP era, it is also valued highly this generation for its ability to function as a defensive Rapid Spinner and glue for a team. As the fastest Rapid Spinner (and the only one with reliable recovery to boot), Starmie functions very well in the metagame. Starmie can use its famously great coverage and good Special Attack stat to overwhelm common spinblockers, such as Jellicent, Dusclops, and Spiritomb. Also on Starmie's defensive resume are key resistances to Water-, Ice-, Fire-, and Fighting-type moves, which let it come in comfortably on a wide range of attacks to perform its duty despite its underwhelming defenses. These advantages, as well as a great ability in Natural Cure, which removes status such as from the likes of Toxic Spikes, makes Starmie a very useful defensive Pokemon, and noteworthy even outside of its many offensive sets.

Tentacruel
Type: Water / Poison
Base Stats: 80 HP / 70 Atk / 65 Def / 80 SpA / 120 SpD / 100 Spe
Abilities: Clear Body / Liquid Ooze / Rain Dish

While at first glance Tentacruel may appear to be just another run-of-the-mill bulky Water, it possesses a few qualities that let it stand out from the pack. First is its interesting Water / Poison typing, which bestows on Tentacruel resistances to many common attacking types, as well as the ability to absorb Toxic Spikes upon entering the field. Along with its ability to use Rapid Spin, as well as set up its own Toxic Spikes, this goes a long way towards earning it a spot on most stall or defensively-orientated teams. Its Rain Dish ability in particular works excellently on rain-based stall, giving it phenomenal recovery and alleviating perhaps its greatest weakness: its lack of a reliable recovery move. Liquid Ooze, on the other hand, has the niche of letting it counter the few Pokemon that use health-draining moves, particularly special Virizion, Conkeldurr, and Ferrothorn. In short, Tentacruel, although an uncommon Pokemon, is capable of many great things if used correctly.

Vaporeon
Type: Water
Base Stats: 130 HP / 65 Atk / 60 Def / 110 SpA / 95 SpD / 65 Spe
Abilities: Water Absorb / Hydration

Vaporeon still plays mostly the same way as it has since ADV, a bulky Water-type that can pass Wish and packs a punch with an above average base 110 Special Attack stat. Vaporeon certainly got its fair share of gifts through the Black & White release though; Wish now heals any recipient's HP by half of the user's, letting Vaporeon really take advantage of its base 130 HP stat. The new move Scald is also useful for a potential burn, making it easier to wall physical attacks and wear down opposing tanks. The biggest boost Vaporeon received though is Drizzle Politoed; Hydration gives it a complete immunity to status under rain, meaning it has nothing to fear from bulky status-inducing Pokemon; it is one of the very few tanks that isn't annoyed by stallbreaker Mew. This ability also lets it Rest and recover all of its health instantly; you're essentially using a Full Restore on it.

Wobbuffet
Type: Psychic
Base Stats: 190 HP / 33 Atk / 58 Def / 33 SpA / 58 SpD / 33 Spe
Abilities: Shadow Tag / Telepathy

Most Pokemon can be classed into a few broad categories: sweeper, wall, tank, etc. Wobbuffet cannot, however, because it is completely unique in what it does, thanks to its ability, Shadow Tag. With the opponent unable to switch, Wobbuffet can use Counter and Mirror Coat together with its colossal HP stat to KO almost anything, especially if said opponent is Choice-locked. It can also use Encore against Pokemon which try to set up against it, and Tickle against Pokemon like Blissey, who can then be smacked by a teammate's Pursuit for an easy KO. Its tiny movepool also contains Safeguard, which can stop Encored status moves from harming incoming sweepers, and Destiny Bond, which can hopefully help Wobbuffet take down one more Pokemon with it, or at least after the Custap Berry is released. Unfortunately, these last two are not used much because of Wobbuffet's poor Speed, and it literally has no other moves available to it but Splash. Nonetheless, it does not need anything more to become the ultimate anti-metagame Pokemon that it is. Team Preview has made preparing for Wobbuffet slightly easier, but it is as uncounterable as ever, and a definite threat in the OU tier.

Xatu
Type: Psychic / Flying
Base Stats: 65 HP / 75 Atk / 70 Def / 95 SpA / 70 SpD / 95 Spe
Abilities: Synchronize / Early Bird / Magic Bounce

Thanks to the emergence of its new Dream World ability, Magic Bounce, Xatu can finally make the cut for BW OU. Its new ability works as an automatic Magic Coat, allowing the Aztec bird to reflect entry hazards, status moves, and phazing moves aimed at its team. Couple this with a 4x resistance to Fighting-type moves, a Ground- immunity, as well as resistances to Grass- and Psychic-type moves, and you have the makings of a good defensive switch-in to Blissey, Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Gastrodon. Additionally, Xatu isn't just a sitting duck; it has several helpful support moves to use during its time on the field, such as Featherdance, Light Screen, Reflect, Toxic, and even Thunder Wave. When taking its natural immunity to Taunt and Encore into consideration, Xatu is pretty much guaranteed to gain momentum and support its team before fainting in nearly any match. Although Xatu may falter in battle due to its multiple common weaknesses and only decent defensive stats, one can still count on it as a reliable answer against many opposing defensive Pokemon.

macle · Feb 19, 2011

as much detail as possible.

examples from 4th gen uu: http://www.smogon.com/dp/articles/uu_threatlist

elDino · Feb 19, 2011

Could I reserve Scizor and Thundurus please?
Also were do we post these when they are finished...
Thanks

EDIT: Thanks Fatecrashers

Scizor
Typing: Bug / Steel
Base Stats: 70 HP / 130 Atk / 100 Def / 55 SpA / 80 SpD / 65 Spe
Abilities: Swarm / Technician / Light Metal (Dreamworld: released)

Scizor's great typing and well placed stats, along with its ability: Technician, make Scizor the great Pokémon that it is today. A colossal 130 base attack stat combined with respectable 70 / 100 / 80 defenses make Scizor the ideal bulky sweeper. With Swords Dance, Technician boosted Bullet Punch and fantastic typing, Scizor can set up on many dangerous threats such as Specs Latios locked into Draco Meteor, and provide to wreak havoc on your opponents team. Its Choice Band set, which is also incredibly strong, is an amazing scout and revenge killer. STAB U-turn coming off base 130 Attack when boosted with a Choice Band is nothing to laugh about, and you don't even get to hit it after its switched out! On the whole, Scizor is an amazing offensive tank and you should be prepared on it for every team you make. If your weak to Scizor, be prepared for hell.

Thundurus
Typing: Electric / Flying
Base Stats: 79 HP / 115 Atk / 70 Def / 125 SpA / 80 SpD / 111 Spe
Abilities: Mischievous Heart / Competitive Spirit (Dreamworld: not released)

Thundurus boast simply incredible offensive stats, along with the holy grail of all special boosting: Nasty Plot. STAB Thunderbolt after a Nasty Plot boost destroys anything that does not resist it, whilst Hidden Power Ice and Focus Blast will clean up everything else. Along with that, Mischievous Heart allows Thundurus to cripple any revenge killers with Thunder Wave, before they get to hit it! Thundurus is also one of the only special attackers not to care about Blissey, as they gave it priority Taunt to stop it using Toxic, and also 115 base attack along with Hammer Arm to KO it. Fortunately, Thundurus is very frail, and can be revenge killed, as long as you don't mind being paralyzed or your revenge killer is immune to Electric-type attacks. Also, an Electric and Flying typing gives Thundurus only two weaknesses to prey on, and it can usually survive one neutral attack. All in all, be sure to pack an electric-type immunity on your team for this fellow, as otherwise is almost always going to be game over for you if you let it set up.

Fatecrashers · Feb 19, 2011

you edit your post

and then you PM Aerrow

guddagudda · Feb 19, 2011

I'd like to write over Gyarados and Slowbro, please.

zdrup15 · Feb 19, 2011

Excadrill
Type: Ground / Steel
Base Stats: 110 HP / 135 Atk / 60 Def / 50 SpA / 65 SpD / 88 Spe
Abilities: Sand Rush / Sand Force / Mold Breaker (Unreleased)

Excadrill is one of the top threats in OU. It has a wonderful Attack stat and decent Speed. However, its ability Sand Rush doubles its Speed when under a Sandstorm, thus letting it outspeed the whole metagame. It has access to Swords Dance to further boost its Attack and to the combination of Earthquake and Rock Slide as its main attacking moves. It can also use Return, Shadow Claw, X-scissor, and Brick Break for coverage, and Rapid Spin for Support. May hold a Balloon for a temporary Ground immunity or a Life Orb to boost its attacks.

Virizion
Type: Grass / Fight
Base Stats: 91 HP / 90 Atk / 72 Def / 90 SpA / 129 SpD / 108 Spe
Ability: Heart of Justice

Virizion is a versatile Pokemon. It has decent offensive stats and can act either as a bulky special sweeper, abusing its huge Special Defense with Calm Mind or as a physical sweeper with access to Swords Dance. If using Calm Mind, it usually has STAB Giga Drain and Focus Blast as its main attacking moves and either Hidden Power Ice for coverage or Taunt for an easier set-up. When it has Swords Dance, a very powerful STAB Close Combat and Stone Edge are staples on its moveset, with Hidden Power Ice or Leaf Blade being the final move. The Calm Mind versions will usually have Leftovers and the Swords Dance ones Life Orb.

Aerrow · Feb 19, 2011

Updated. Sorry about not getting to this earlier; some things came up. Also, I'll soon add an example (Latios), as requested.

Benlisted · Feb 19, 2011

Reserving Sawsbuck and Ninetales please. New post as requested, and should be done in a few hours.

EDIT: Done the above.

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Ninetales
Type: Fire
Base Stats: 73 HP / 76 Atk / 75 Def / 81 SpA / 100 SpD / 100 Spe
Abilities: Flash Fire, Drought

Boosted to OU from the depths of 4th Gen NU by the ability Drought, Ninetales is an unusual offensive threat. Outside of an uncommon Nasty Plot set, the only truly powerful move it will be packing is a Fire STAB strengthened by Sun, with weak coverage options in Energy Ball or HP Fight. Perhaps more common are sets tailored more to simply surviving to setup Sun than cause damage, though almost all will still carry speed to revenge Excadrill safely. Status options are the defensive sets' main weapon, with access to Will-o-Wisp, Hypnosis and Toxic, shutting down most opposing weather pokemon with a combination of them. Power Swap and Overheat may be used to prevent Ninetales being used as the setup fodder it typically is for pokemon like Volcarona, stealing boosts and using them to hit even harder with it's own attacks.

Sawsbuck
Type: Normal / Grass
Base Stats: 80 HP / 100 Atk / 70 Def / 60 SpA / 70 SpD / 95 Spe
Abilities: Chlorophyll, Sap Sipper, Serene Grace (Unreleased)

Though a rarer sight than the omnipresent Venusaur as resident Chlorophyller on Sun teams, Sawsbuck is nonetheless a deadly offensive threat, able to run a Swords Dance set excellently. This achieves immense power and excellent coverage with its dual STABs and Jump Kick or Nature Power (Earthquake in Wifi battles), being walled by a few ghosts for the most part. It is able to sweep entire teams who lack the Fighting type priority it hates if given the opportunity to set up. A little less threatening is the four attacks set, being an excellent revenger available to Sun teams, outspeeding almost the entire meta whilst still being able to switch moves, but lacking the power to carry out a clean sweep. Megahorn will typically be used in the 4th slot in order to better revenge Latios and Latias, as well as hitting opposing Grass types harder, though Synthesis may (rarely) be present for recovery instead.

Aerrow · Feb 19, 2011

Alright guys, I've added an example to the OP; also, a new format ruling was added: Bold the names of your Pokemon, now.

zdrup15 · Feb 19, 2011

Reserving Landorus and Volcarona.

elDino · Feb 19, 2011

Could I now reserve Garchomp and Salamence please?
I'd also like to point out that Gliscor is included in the offensive section, which you probably already knew, and I think that it should be moved to the defensive section as it is mostly used to wall stuff like Excadrill and Conkeldurr. Any feedback?

Garchomp
Typing: Dragon / Ground
Base Stats: 108 HP / 130 Atk / 95 Def / 80 SpA / 85 SpD / 102 Spe
Abilities: Sand Veil / Rough Skin (Dreamworld: Unreleased)

Garchomp has the ideal stats for a physical sweeper: great speed, collosal attack and fantastic bulk. Garchomp also has one of the best offensive typings, as Dragon and Ground has almost perfect coverage, resisted only be Bronzong and Skarmory in OU. Garchomp can use the boosting move Swords Dance, and after a boost, almost everything (bar defensively strong steel types) is 2HKOed with Outrage. Garchomp can also run a very effective Choice Scarf set, as it outspeeds most of the metagame after a boost and it can often revenge weakened threats with its strong base power moves such as Outrage and Earthquake. Garchomp can also run a bulky set as it has defenses equal to Swampert, one of the bulkiest Pokémon in OU along with great support options such as Stealth Rock and Dragon Tail. All in all, if you let Garchomp set up, be in for some pain.

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Salamence
Typing: Dragon / Flying
Base Stats: 95 HP / 135 Atk / 80 Def / 110 SpA / 80 SpD / 100 Spe
Abilities: Intimidate, Moxie (Dreamworld: Unreleased)

Salamence is a huge threat in today's metagame. With its great Speed, amazing Attack and a Special Attack stat that is equal to Latias, it is easily capable of tearing apart teams. It has a great boosting move in Dragon Dance, and the famous Dragon-type move "Outrage", to help deal a huge amount of damage. It is also capable of running a very strong mixed set, with Draco Meteor dealing huge amounts of damage. It's ability Intimidate, allows it to capably run a support set, with a plethora of support options such as Wish and Roar along with its decent defenses and great resistances. Always be prepared for Salamence and overestimate him at you peril.

Thorhammer · Feb 19, 2011

elDino said:
Could I now reserve Garchomp and Salamence please?
I'd also like to point out that Gliscor is included in the offensive section, which you probably already knew, and I think that it should be moved to the defensive section as it is mostly used to wall stuff like Excadrill and Conkeldurr. Any feedback?

Gliscor is in both the offensive and defensive sections. It's primarily a defensive threat, but it can also function as an offensive threat, so it should stay that way.

Athenodoros · Feb 19, 2011

Reserving Blaziken and Cloyster in a new post.

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Blaziken
Type: Fire / Fighting
Base Stats: 80 HP / 120 Atk / 70 Def / 110 SpA / 70 SpD / 80 Spe
Ablities: Blaze / Speed Boost

Blaziken has always been a strong choice held back by its poor base 80 Speed. However, with its release in the Dream World, Speed Boost has given it a new lease on life as a boosting sweeper or mixed wallbreaker. It has excellent offensive stats and a movepool just big enough to do what it needs to do. Its Swords Dance set is currently one of the most threatening setup sweepers in the metagame, because even after one the one turn given to it by the switches it against common faces like Nattorei and Chansey it can be at +2 / +1, outspeeding and OHKOing almost everything in OU with just Flare Blitz and Hi Jump Kick. Its mixed set is equally threatening to stall teams, because it does not require setup to get around walls like Gliscor. Unfortunately, Blaziken's life is often cut short by Life Orb recoil and weather, and its defences are not good enough to take hits before giving them, so it is easily revenge-killed. Nonetheless, Blaziken is a terrifying sweeper in the 5th generation metagame, and teams not prepared for him will suffer a great deal.

----------------------------------------------------

Cloyster
Type: Water / Ice
Base Stats: 50 HP / 95 Atk / 180 Def / 85 SpA / 45 SpD / 70 Spe
Abilities: Shell Armor / Skill Link / (Unreleased) Dust Proof

Cloyster has always leaned on its superior Defense stat and solid supporting movepool of Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and Rapid Spin to function as a reasonable choice in Underused. However, with 5th generation it got possibly the best boosting move in the game for mixed sweepers, Shell Break, which allows it to become a very threatening mixed with only one turn of setup. It has 751 Attack (including a Life Orb) and 500 Speed at +2 / +2, outspeeding everything up to +1 Garchomp and OHKOing or 2HKOing the majority of the metagame. It makes use of STAB Icicle Spear and Rock Blast boosted by Skill Link to break Focus Sashes and Substitutes while still doing good damage, and generally it needs far less than the five attacks it has to kill any of its switch-ins. The only downside of Shell Break is that it lowers both defences, but Cloyster's 180 base Defence will still allow it to survive weak or resisted priority attacks, and it generally moves second, allowing it to take a hit on its great defence before it is loweredand Cloyster tried to sweep.

----------------------------------------------------

Also, will the list be organised into defensive and offensive threats? Because there are overlaps which should not be there if they are not.

guddagudda · Feb 19, 2011

Gyarados
Type: Water/Flying
Base Stats: 95 HP / 125 Atk / 79 Def / 60 SpA / 100 SpD / 81 Spe
Abilities: Intimidate / Moxie

Gyarados has been a fearsome threat for generations due to his large base 125 Attack and bulkiness derived largely from Intimidate. A noteworthy boost this generation has been in the form of Moxie, an ability that increases his Attack by one stage every time he KOs an opponent. Gyarados is a very versatile threat. First, he can be a very bulky RestTalker with a strong STAB Waterfall. This set usually runs Roar to deal with switch-ins who try to set up while he sleeps. Another option is as a bulky Dragon Dancer running Intimidate, usually with either a STAB Waterfall and Bounce, or Ice Fang and Earthquake. It's not unlikely that Stone Edge will be run over Bounce on a bulky variant. An offensively oriented Dragon Dancer with Moxie is another frightening form, having the ability to hit 391 Speed after one DD boost. Offensively oriented Dragon Dancers will usually run Stone Edge, Waterfall, and either Earthquake or Bounce. There is also a possibility of a Choice Banded Gyarados, which has the advantage of possessing a high Attack stat without having to set up. Leftovers is a clear indicator of a bulky Dragon Dancing set, whereas Life Orb is often used on the Offensive Dragon Dance set.

Slowbro
Type: Water/Psychic
Base Stats: 95 HP / 75 Atk / 110 Def / 100 SpA / 80 SpD / 30 Spe
Ability: Regeneration / Oblivious / Own Tempo

Slowbro has been a superb physical bulky water since he was released in the RBY generation. This generation has given Slowbro a palpable boost with the ability Regeneration, restoring 1/3 of his HP when switching out. With good defenses and special attack, Slowbro can serve many roles--though he is a physical wall first and foremost. With his natural bulkiness and the ability to run STAB moves such as Surf and Psychic, he is a great counter for Conkeldurr and Doryuuzu. This makes Slowbro one of the best anti-metagame Pokemon available this generation, as both of these offensive threats are so common. Slowbro has a large support movepool, containing such moves as Yawn, Thunder Wave, and Toxic, while having Slack Off for instant recovery. He can also support his team by setting up dual screens. Sets running Calm Mind increase Slowbro's walling prowess, making him not only a physical wall, but a special wall as well. After a few boosts, he may also be able to put quite a large dent in teams with his STAB Surf, Boil Over, or Psychic. Slowbro also has the ability to run Flamethrower and Ice Beam, giving him great coverage. Due to Slowbro's terrible base Speed he is a prime user of Trick Room. There are also Choice Specs Slowbro sets, which are hard to counter due to their impressive coverage and good base Special Attack.

Dr. Alpha · Feb 19, 2011

Could I reserve Jellicent and Tyranitar?

Athenodoros · Feb 20, 2011

Reserving Wobbuffet and Defensive Gliscor. I assume that Pokemon in both lists are being done twice, but otherwise I will just have Gliscor for both.

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Gliscor
Type: Flying / Ground
Base Stats: 75 HP / 95 Atk / 125 Def / 45 SpA / 75 SpD / 95 Spe
Ability: Hyper Cutter / Sand Veil / Poison Heal

Gliscor is one of the most common threats in the metagame, because it is able to put a full stop to some of the most common Pokemon in it. Doryuuzu, spouted at the launch of BW as the most broken new Pokemon in OU is completely countered by it, and Randorosu is also beaten unless it has Hidden Power Ice. For healing, it runs either Roost or Toxic Orb + Poison Heal, both of which are enough for it to last much of the game. It uses Taunt, Knock Off and Toxic or Fling to beat Stall teams and its passable attacking stats to launch strong STAB Earthquakes and Acrobats at teams, and can support the team using Stealth Rock or Baton Pass with Agility and Swords Dance as well. If you are playing with an offensive (or defensive) Sandstorm team, you will need at least one way to get around Defensive Gliscor, because it will be one of your biggest problems.

-----------------------------------------------

Wobbuffet - No analysis yet.
Type: Psychic
Base Stats: 190 HP / 33 Atk / 58 Def / 33 SpA / 58 SpD / 33 Spe
Abilities: Shadow Tag / Telepathy

Most Pokemon can be classed into a few broad categories: Physical Sweeper, Special Wall and others. Wobbuffet can not, because it is completely unique in what it does, which is because of its ability, Shadow Tag. With the opponent stuck in, Wobbuffet can use Counter and Mirror Coat together with its colossal HP stat to KO almost anything, especially if it is choiced. It can also use Encore against Pokemon which try to setup against it and Tickle against Pokemon like Blissey, who can then be Pursuited for an easy KO. Its tiny movepool also contains Safeguard, which can stop Encored status moves from harming switching in sweepers, and Destiny Bond, which can hopefully help Wobbuffet take down one more Pokemon with it, or at least after the Custap Berry is released. Unfortunately, these last two are not used much because of Wobbuffet's poor speed, and it has no other moves available but Splash, but it does not need anything more to become the ultimate anti-metagame Pokemon which it is. Unfortunately, you can not really prepare for Wobbuffet, it is a definite threat in the OU tier and above.

zdrup15 · Feb 20, 2011

Landorus
Type: Ground / Flying
Base Stats: 89 HP / 125 Atk / 90 Def / 115 SpA / 80 SpD / 101 Spe
Abilities: Sand Force / Sheer Force (Unreleased)

Landorus is a top threat in OU. It has terrific stats for a mixed sweeper and it has access to both Swords Dance and Rock Polish to boost its stats; when it is under a sandstorm, things are even worse as its Earthquake and Stone Edge are even more powerful thanks to Sand Force. The Swords Dance set destroys stall teams while the Rock Polish set hammers offensive teams. It can also make use of that great Special Attack to carry Hidden Power Ice to destroy its best check: Gliscor. In fact, if Gliscor isn't a problem, it can even run a set with both set-up moves to sweep against both types of teams and with decent defenses, it will often find oportunities to set up.

Volcarona
Type: Bug / Fire
Base Stats: 85 HP / 60 Atk / 65 Def / 135 SpA / 105 SpD / 100 Spe
Ability: Flame Body

When a Pokemon has a 4x weakness to Stealth Rock and it is still considered OU, it must be an absolute beast. It has very good stats and access to one of the best boosting moves of the game that let it perform as a special sweeper. It is best used on Sun teams since Quiver Dance raises its best stats and let it set up even on some super effective moves. After only one Quiver Dance, its STAB Bug Buzz and Fiery Dance / Flamethrower / Fire Blast will severely cripple anything that doesn't resist them thanks to a 135 base Special Attack. It can then run a Hidden Power of its choice to get past some of its counters such as Heatran and Gyarados. Its ability Flame Body even gives it a chance to cripple physical attackers that attempt to prevent / stop its sweep!

Aerrow · Feb 20, 2011

Updated. Also, for clarification, Pokemon mentioned in both of the offensive and defensive lists will need to be done twice, each submission geared toward either the Pokemon's offensive or defensive capabilities and qualities.

Dr. Alpha · Feb 20, 2011

Tyranitar
Type: Rock/Dark
Base Stats: 100 HP / 134 Atk / 110 Def / 95 SpA / 100 SpD / 61 Spe
Abilities: Sand Stream / Unnerve (Unreleased)

The mighty Tyranitar storms through the metagame in Gen V with a thunderous roar. Tyranitar sports many worthwhile traits such as fantastically balanced stats overall, great Dark and Rock STAB, the amazing Sand Stream ability, and a very diverse movepool. Tyranitar can effectively run varies roles and sets to severely hurt the opponent via Choice Band, Mix, Choice Scarf, Curse, and Dragon Dance, or support any team with Sandstorm support and niche support moves like Roar, Dragon Tail, Stealth Rocks, Taunt, and Thunder Wave. Probably the biggest thing about Tyranitar though is that it's a great partner for Sandstorm-focused Pokemon like Excadrill and Landorus, notably being able to weaken opposing threats and allowing its partners to set up and sweep. However, Tyranitar is not perfect. Tyranitar packs many weakness to common types such as Ground, Water, Bug, Steel, and Fighting, a somewhat underwhelming speed stat, and suffers somewhat from movepool syndrome; it can do a lot but not everything at once. Tyranitar also has many threats that exist to stop Tyranitars fun, such as Drizzle Politoad, Speed Boost Blaziken, varies new fighting types like Terrakion and Conkeldurr, Water types using Scald, Scizor, and ironically opposing Excadrill and Landorus. Even with these set backs, Tyranitar is still a solid and diverse threat that you should watch out for at all costs.

Jellicent
Type: Water/Ghost
Base Stats: 100 HP / 60 Atk / 70 Def / 85 SpA / 105 SpD / 60 Spe
Abilities: Water Absorb / Cursed Body / Damp (Unreleased)

Gen V introduced its answer to a Bulky Water type and Spin Blocker in the form of Jellicent. Jellicent supports a unique Water/Ghost typing with plenty of key resistances and immunities, its usable abilities Water Absorb and Cursed Body, Solid 100/70/105 defenses, Instant recovery, surprisingly decent offensive movepool, and niche support moves like Taunt, Will-o-wisp, and Trick Room. Jellicent's primary role on a team is to tank hits and render Rapid Spin useless, which is why its often pared up with a entry hazard using Pokemon; most notably Ferrothorn. Ferrothorn and Jellicent form a partnership similar to SkarmBliss, where Ferrothorn sets up hazards while Jellicent Spin Blocks with the bonus of covering each others weaknesses and counters to an extent. Thanks to it's traits, Jellicent can go toe to toe with some of the metagame's biggest threats like Blaziken, Heatran, Mienshao, Sword Dance Lucario lacking Crunch, Volcarona, Terrakion, Choice Band Scizor, opposing Bulky water types ranging from Vaporeon to Slowbro, the Lati@s twins, and even Chansey or Blissey to an extent. Jellicent does suffer from being set up bait for some Pokemon like Suicune, taunt users like Whimsicott, and general power houses like Garchomp, but if you need a solid tank to use that can block Rapid Spin then Jellicent could be your jellyfish.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

I might of got a few details wrong, but I think I got the general basis down via research and experience.

Don Honchkrorleone · Feb 20, 2011

Can I reserve Spiritomb and Quagsire?

masterful · Feb 21, 2011

Azumarill
Typing: Water
Base Stats: 100 HP / 50 Atk / 80 Def / 50 SpA / 80 SpD / 50 Spe
Abilities: Huge Power / Thick Fat / (Unreleased) Sap Sipper

Although Gen V may have not brought anything new for Azumarill to play with, his role as a niche team mate is still very useful. With the onslaught of so many fast, powerful attackers and sweepers who set up, powerful priority is a must in this metagame, and Azumarill certainly provides that. With the combination of Huge Power and a Choice Band, Azumarill gains the ability to knock out many of OU's top threats in a single hit with a STAB Aqua Jet, as well as one-hit knocking out powerful defensive pokemon such as Nattorei with a powerful Superpower. or Waterfall. This, combined with his acceptable defenses and useful typing allow Azumarill to come in on many threats and force them out at risk of being taken down by the blue beast.

Reuniclus
Typing: Psychic
Base Stats: 110 HP / 65 Atk / 75 Def / 125 SpA / 85 SpD / 30 Spe
Abilities: Magic Guard / Regeneration / Overcoat

With a massive 125 base special attack, above-average bulk, and a fantastic ability in Magic Guard, it is no surprise Reuniclus is one of the top threats of this generation. With its dismal speed, a Trick Room and three attacks set can tear holes in offensive teams, and with its good bulk, a defensive Calm Mind set can easily take on the most dedicated of stall teams. All of this, combined with a recoil-free life orb and reliable recovery make Reuniclus a very threatening force, and if your team is not prepared, this pokemon may very well sweep you.

Gen V OU Threatlist

Sweet and bitter as chocolate.

Sweet and bitter as chocolate.

Sweet and bitter as chocolate.

Sweet and bitter as chocolate.

Sweet and bitter as chocolate.

sup geodudes

Deal With It.

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Deal With It.

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