Resource Guide to the ORAS OU metagame

Shadow_Sneak · Dec 10, 2014

approved by alexwolf and Haunter

Overused has almost always been Smogon's most popular tier. It is sometimes seen as a tier with overpowered Pokemon and few viable strategies, but in fact it is quite a balanced tier with lots of diversity, most of the time.

THE RULES

Swagger Clause: Swagger is banned
Baton Pass Clause: Limited to one Pokémon knowing Baton Pass
Sleep Clause Mod: Limited to one foe put to sleep
Species Clause: Limited to one of each Pokémon
OHKO Clause: OHKO moves are banned
Moody Clause: Moody is banned
Evasion Moves Clause: Evasion moves are banned
Endless Battle Clause: Forcing endless battles is banned

THE BASICS

While a very competitive meta, OU is still a very fun and very diverse meta. Many Pokémon can be used and others have potential that hasn't been discovered yet.

But anyways, there are a few common team archetypes in OU right now.

Balance: Classic bread and butter style consisting of a team made up of a few defensive Pokémon and a few offensive Pokémon.
Stall: Made of mostly, if not entirely, defensive Pokémon and usually includes Toxic stalling, PP stalling, phazing, etc.
Hyper Offense: Made up entirely of Pokémon with offensive capabilities. Usually has hit-and-run tactic such as VoltTurn and usually consists of lots of sweepers and suicide leads.
Bulky Offense: Slightly altered version of balance where each Pokémon has both good offensive power and tanking ability.

Tressed · Dec 10, 2014

You may also want to help out with the community; new members are always appreciated on Smogon!

Please read the rules first though. Please.

http://www.smogon.com/forums/thread...ff-required-reading-updated-14-10-13.3489308/

Nice work Shadow_Sneak, wish I had had something like this when I joined.

Shadow_Sneak · Dec 11, 2014

Alright so I updated the OP with ORAS Good Cores by Henry and this post will be mainly used for updates on this thread.

Updated the OP with Banlist. Added Mega Manectric, Mega Gardevior, Mega Gyarados, Mega Manectric, Zard X, Zard Y, and Mega Taria

Added pokemon of the week to the thread

boltsandbombers · Dec 11, 2014

In my opinion, mega pidgeot really shouldn't be in the list of common threats. Don't get me wrong, it's a great mega, but it faces a ton of competition from the other Megas and really doesn't get enough usage to justify being there.

Cogito · Dec 11, 2014

boltsandbombers said:
In my opinion, mega pidgeot really shouldn't be in the list of common threats. Don't get me wrong, it's a great mega, but it faces a ton of competition from the other Megas and really doesn't get enough usage to justify being there.

Agreed. Though it is powerful, the lack of coverage moves really hurts it. It has defog which is nice but the problem is that it is way too frail with dual 80 defences to be able to switch into other pokes in OU. It can run support with tailwind but that just isn't viable enough for the OU tier. The tier is hyper offensive and has several pokemon that tank hits, so four turns isn't enough.

With things like Rotom-W, Landorus-T, Greninja, M-Manectric, M-Tyranitar and Mamoswine this thing will have a lot of trouble getting in safely and doing damage.

Jin White · Dec 11, 2014

I don't even understand how there can be an ORAS threatlist w/ no mention of M-Sableye.

It generally outclasses M-Slowbro as a bulky pivot, a wall, and a CM sweeper. It's not a 'mon that can be dealt with off-hand; it literally requires a dedicated answer while building or it dismantles teams on its own. Because its checks are fairly limited - fairies, select fire-types, special nukes, and ofc M-Lopunny - it's not hard for full stall teams to pack on answers to these 'mons without sacrificing much, if any utility, making M-Sableye a hugely potent win condition. It's single-handedly made stall not only viable again, but powerful. Overlooking it as a threat is like forgetting to prep for that +1 Zard X at the end of XY: it's gg.

alexwolf EDIT: Added Mega Sableye.

michaeloche · Dec 11, 2014

Suggestion: Put the OU banlist in the OP. It can be hard for new players (and even old players sometimes) to tell what is Uber, especially regarding items.

sunny004 · Dec 11, 2014

Shadow_Sneak a small and insignificant nitpick, but in the bans list mention AG as well as Ubers in the banned pokemon.

Also, maybe try adding a couple words to mention why each mega/item was banned, to clarify things.

Celticpride · Dec 11, 2014

Shadow_Sneak said:
From now on if you want to get a pokemon removed-added to or from the banlist you have to give me a description of why or why not it belongs there as the threatlist is getting long.

I don't really think it's needed to argue over the exact threatlist tbh. The viability thread already does a good enough job with what to look out for, the S and A ranks are basically an OU threatlist.

AM · Dec 12, 2014

Use hide tags to hide threat list and other pertinent information so it doesn't get too long in the OP.

252+ SpA Mega Charizard Y Fire Blast vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Latios in Sun: 159-187 (52.6 - 61.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Mega Charizard Y Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 104+ SpD Mew in Sun: 282-333 (69.8 - 82.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Mega Charizard Y Fire Blast vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Mega Gardevoir in Sun: 267-315 (96.3 - 113.7%) -- 75% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Mega Charizard Y Fire Blast vs. 232 HP / 4 SpD Thick Fat Mega Venusaur in Sun: 296-350 (82.4 - 97.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Are we really debating Char-Y for being on a threat list? lol

HolyAvatar · Dec 12, 2014

Gengar is a huge threat, nothing likes to switch into it especially in balance. Ghost+fighting+poison is a pain to deal with. It even wins against chansey with taunt.

You should mention rain as a whole. If you don't have an answer you basically auto-lose.

Shadow_Sneak · Dec 15, 2014

HolyAvatar said:
Gengar is a huge threat, nothing likes to switch into it especially in balance. Ghost+fighting+poison is a pain to deal with. It even wins against chansey with taunt.

You should mention rain as a whole. If you don't have an answer you basically auto-lose.

Added Gengar

ThePack · Dec 16, 2014

Another threat that is rising in usage in the OU tier due to its ability to check Mega Sableye so well is Sylveon, more specifically, Choice Specs Sylveon. That thing is quite the threat, as it functions as an amazing wallbreaker in the ORAS OU meta, and nothing really appreciates a Specs Hyper Voice from Sylveon, even its resists. A couple of calcs listed below taken from the Sylveon thread (Credit to Vengeance417 for the calcs).

252+ SpA Choice Specs Pixilate Sylveon Hyper Voice vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Slowbro: 334-394 (84.7 - 100%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO

252+ SpA Choice Specs Pixilate Sylveon Hyper Voice vs. +1 252 HP / 4 SpD Slowbro: 223-264 (56.5 - 67%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ SpA Choice Specs Pixilate Sylveon Hyper Voice vs. +1 252 HP / 0 SpD Mega Sableye: 332-392 (109.2 - 128.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252+ SpA Choice Specs Pixilate Sylveon Hyper Voice vs. +2 248 HP / 0 SpD Mega Latias: 198-234 (54.5 - 64.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ SpA Choice Specs Pixilate Sylveon Hyper Voice vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Skarmory: 186-219 (55.6 - 65.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

252+ SpA Choice Specs Pixilate Sylveon Hyper Voice vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Excadrill: 198-234 (54.8 - 64.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ SpA Choice Specs Pixilate Sylveon Hyper Voice vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Bisharp: 375-442 (137.8 - 162.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252+ SpA Choice Specs Pixilate Sylveon Hyper Voice vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Mega Altaria: 390-462 (110.4 - 130.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252+ SpA Choice Specs Pixilate Sylveon Hyper Voice vs. 28 HP / 80 SpD Gengar: 160-189 (59.7 - 70.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Black Sludge recovery

252+ SpA Choice Specs Pixilate Sylveon Hyper Voice vs. 172 HP / 0 SpD Magnezone: 153-180 (47.2 - 55.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

AM · Dec 16, 2014

After thinking about it do we really need a threat list for everything? Like Celticpride said the viability ranking already does this which is pretty much used as a general threat list anyways. I'd probably just put Viability Rankings (Threat List) if anything.

Kurona · Dec 16, 2014

Yeah at this point we're even heading into the B ranks. If anything just put down the 'mon from S and A+.

Taliheim · Dec 17, 2014

This is really just my opinion, but the Threatlist should be the mons you should prepare for, right? In that case, I'd have the threatlist consist of one of two things: All mons that have a ranking of A- or higher AND are in the top 30 usage, or All mons that have a ranking of A- or higher AND/OR are in the top 30 usage. Granted, you'll probably have to split it into an offensive threatlist and a defensive threatlist, but it becomes a good resource.

Shadow_Sneak · Dec 20, 2014

AM said:
After thinking about it do we really need a threat list for everything? Like Celticpride said the viability ranking already does this which is pretty much used as a general threat list anyways. I'd probably just put Viability Rankings (Threat List) if anything.

I am not going to be deleting the threatlist. I was deciding whether or not to do it but then I decided not to remove it. But about the Viability Rankings (Threatlist) part like I said I may do this if I get further request.

Kurona said:
Yeah at this point we're even heading into the B ranks. If anything just put down the 'mon from S and A+.

I may do this if I find quality of the threatlist is starting to go down or I may just do it today if I get a couple more requests.

Talenheim said:
This is really just my opinion, but the Threatlist should be the mons you should prepare for, right? In that case, I'd have the threatlist consist of one of two things: All mons that have a ranking of A- or higher AND are in the top 30 usage, or All mons that have a ranking of A- or higher AND/OR are in the top 30 usage. Granted, you'll probably have to split it into an offensive threatlist and a defensive threatlist, but it becomes a good resource.

Have usage stats been released? if so can you post a link to them?

AM · Dec 20, 2014

Shadow_Sneak said:
I am not going to be deleting the threatlist. I was deciding whether or not to do it but then I decided not to remove it. But about the Viability Rankings (Threatlist) part like I said I may do this if I get further request.

I may do this if I find quality of the threatlist is starting to go down or I may just do it today if I get a couple more requests.

Have usage stats been released? if so can you post a link to them?

Uh no I don't mean delete it I meant just a general list of things such as S an A+. It'll just be a drawn out list if you put the entirety of A rank when the viability list already shows you what's threatening in the tier.

Shadow_Sneak · Jan 14, 2015

Removed threatlist

Kurona · Jan 14, 2015

Shadow_Sneak said:
Removed threatlist

remove greninja picture
add mega meta because arguably the new best mon in the game

Shadow_Sneak · Jan 14, 2015

Kurona said:
remove greninja picture
add mega meta because arguably the new best mon in the game

done

Shadow_Sneak · Mar 11, 2015

Big update coming soon.

MANNAT · Mar 12, 2015

You should probably add the set viability rankings so that newer players know which sets are the most effective and it can make teambuilding for them easier.

dadoux · Mar 12, 2015

I would add smogon tour playoff / spl replays / other major tournament i missed with replays in it threads in OP, it's a really good thing to watch those popular players play because the metagame changes a lot because of them, they are basically the reason some mons made a big trend at some point or some sets that are played a lot more than before.

DarkNostalgia · Mar 12, 2015

You could add my Terminology thread too :)
EDIT: Also maybe the C&C forum? Helps with finding sets and such

Resource Guide to the ORAS OU metagame

Shadow_Sneak

Tressed

Shadow_Sneak

boltsandbombers

i'm sorry mr. man

Cogito

Jin White

michaeloche

sunny004

Celticpride

AM

HolyAvatar

Shadow_Sneak

ThePack

AM

Kurona

Taliheim

Shadow_Sneak

AM

Shadow_Sneak

Kurona

Shadow_Sneak

Shadow_Sneak

MANNAT

Follow me on twitch!

dadoux

DarkNostalgia

Fading in, fading out, on the edge of paradise

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