Metagame Linked

[Champion Leon]

Snorlax @ Aguav Berry
Ability: Gluttony
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 HP / 4 SpD
Jolly Nature
- Belly Drum
- Recycle
- Return
- Crunch

Saves you a Normalium-Z Crystal Move.

Snorlax @ Lum Berry
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Rest
- Recycle
- Curse
- Crunch

Heal up and continue to set up.

When Custap Berry Gets released:

Snorlax @ Custap Berry
Ability: Gluttony
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Return
- Recycle
- Belly Drum
- Crunch

Belly Drum, activating Custap Berry next turn, then use Return and Recycle next turn to hit hard and basically go first each turn.

 

[Talpr0ne]

Pelipper @ Damp Rock
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def/ 8 SpD
Bold Nature
-Roost
-U-turn
-Scald
-Defog/Hurricane

In standard metas Pelipper has problems staying healthy and maintaining momentum at the same time. Linking Roost and U-turn remedies this by giving it a pseudo-Regenerator and allowing it to support its rain sweeper teammates for longer. Something that can benefit from Pelipper's rain is for example Power-Up Punch+Waterfall Mega Swampert, which can actually 2HKO Ferrothorn under rain.
In general U-turn and Volt Switch are great when linked to moves that make you lose momentum, like V-Create or Fleur Cannon, or even moves with common immunities like Earthquake, although this is less good since it doesn't work with choice items.
Another interesting combination is Smack Down+Earthquake, which works as a pseudo-Thousand Arrows.

 

[DrPumpkinz]

Assurance seems like a pretty good move in this meta, since if you link it to go after another attacking move, it will be powered up unless the target dodged or is immune to the first move.

How do Focus Punch and Beak Blast work?

Does using a linked move while asleep use up two sleep turns?

What happens when Slaking using a linked move?

 

[Yahooboo]

BEHOLD!

Aron @ Salac Berry
Ability: Sturdy
Level: 1
EVs: 116 Atk / 36 Spe
Jolly Nature
IVs: 0 HP
- Endeavor
- Iron Head
- Autotomize
- Endure

pls ban priority
(all the speed boosts are pointless btw it won't outspeed anything)

 

[sin(pi)]

BEHOLD!

Aron @ Salac Berry
Ability: Sturdy
Level: 1
EVs: 116 Atk / 36 Spe
Jolly Nature
IVs: 0 HP
- Endeavor
- Iron Head
- Autotomize
- Endure

pls ban priority
(all the speed boosts are pointless btw it won't outspeed anything)

...you just get hit twice and die. At least have berry juice to avoid that; either way you're trading 1 for 1 mostly and are still invalidated by any hazards (which are pretty good in this meta since you can double shuffle).

 

[wadusher]

BEHOLD!

Aron @ Salac Berry
Ability: Sturdy
Level: 1
EVs: 116 Atk / 36 Spe
Jolly Nature
IVs: 0 HP
- Endeavor
- Iron Head
- Autotomize
- Endure

pls ban priority
(all the speed boosts are pointless btw it won't outspeed anything)

That would rather run a berry juice to take double attacks better or the classic shell bell. You can also use Togedemaru for the task.

Aron 2.0 (Togedemaru) @ Berry Juice / Shell bell
Ability: Sturdy
Level: 1
- Endeavor
- Iron Head / Nuzzle / U-turn / etc
- Spiky Shield
- Fake Out/ Encore / filler

Obviously you need extremely reliable hazard removal for this to work, and if you're shell bell, you'll want to scout for double attacks with either spiky shield or a teammate.

 

[Ivy]

Assurance seems like a pretty good move in this meta, since if you link it to go after another attacking move, it will be powered up unless the target dodged or is immune to the first move.
How do Focus Punch and Beak Blast work?
Does using a linked move while asleep use up two sleep turns?
What happens when Slaking using a linked move?

Good thinking with Assurance; it's a pretty nice strong, new STAB for many Dark-types.
Focus Punch and Beak Blast should still show the charging animation with positive priority but delay everything in the link to the negative priority bracket (and Punch can still be interrupted during this time).
That's a good question that I just plumb don't know the mechanics to. With paralysis/confusion being separate for each move, this has the precedent to make sense, and the sleep counter is incremented on each attempted move iirc. It may be wise to hard-code it to only increment once per turn, though.
Slaking is another subjective matter; as it stands, it would probably work like Hyper Beam with the cooldown only killing a link when applicable. This is another contender to hard-code into a more classic turnwise behavior.
I'm not sure how a lot of these worked last gen and a bunch of the main mechanics have changed anyways, so this is basically being concocted from scratch!

 

[Talpr0ne]

Tyranitar @ Black Glasses
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 HP
Adamant Nature
-Pursuit
-Assurance
-Stone Edge
-Earthquake
The combination of Pursuit and Assurance is pretty powerful at maintaining momentum, but it has a quirk: unless Spikes and/or Stealth Rocks are up, the Pokémon switching in after the Pursuit would take only a 60 BP Assurance. Still, it isn't exactly an hard condition to maintain, and even then in order to take a 60 BP Assurance the opponent would still have to get one of their Pokemon Pursuit trapped, so it puts insane amounts of pressure on the opponent regardless.

On another note, Hyper Beam and similar moves are probably still bad. For Greninja, the combination of Hydro Pump and Scald, and even of Surf and Scald, is stronger than Hydro Cannon, even if the Hydro Cannon set is running Life Orb instead of Wave Incense. Even something like Mega Pinsir will hit significantly harder with Swords Dance+Return than with Giga Impact. The only Pokemon on which Giga Impact would be viable is Slaking because it's forced to skip the second move in the link regardless.

 

[Yahooboo]

That would rather run a berry juice to take double attacks better or the classic shell bell. You can also use Togedemaru for the task.

Aron 2.0 (Togedemaru) @ Berry Juice / Shell bell
Ability: Sturdy
Level: 1
- Endeavor
- Iron Head / Nuzzle / U-turn / etc
- Spiky Shield
- Fake Out/ Encore / filler

Obviously you need extremely reliable hazard removal for this to work, and if you're shell bell, you'll want to scout for double attacks with either spiky shield or a teammate.

Berry Juice doesn't work because it makes it too hard to kill after the endeavour afaik

 

[wadusher]

Berry Juice doesn't work because it makes it too hard to kill after the endeavour afaik

Berry juice works better against pokemon that link two attacks, while shell bell works well against setup moves linked into one attack. Either one works with this set, and you can alleviate that problem with the berry juice set with passive damage like sand and tspikes.

 

[Yahooboo]

Berry juice works better against pokemon that link two attacks, while shell bell works well against setup moves linked into one attack. Either one works with this set, and you can alleviate that problem with the berry juice set with passive damage like sand and tspikes.

i think this should be used on TR tbh

 

[SaturnZelda]

Finally, a good meta got approved. I’ll post some things regarding this later

 

[Akumeoy]

Last gen, the meta was characterized by chip damage from Rocky Helmet, Iron Barbs, and Rough Skin. This gen, with Life Orb and Choice items being undesirable, I think Protective Pads will be the item of choice for most contact move-using attackers, unless they're using a Z-move.

Kartana @ Protective Pads / Fightinium Z / Darkinium Z
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 4 Def / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Leaf Blade
- Sacred Sword
- Night Slash

Think of it like getting a free +2 for being in a position where you need to Leaf Blade whatever's in front of you, AND getting a free Leaf Blade if you get an opening to set up.

Mienshao @ Protective Pads
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 4 Def / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- U-Turn
- High Jump Kick
- Stone Edge

It's free damage and a free pivot, if you outspeed. Even hazards can't stop you. This was kept in check last gen by chip damage, but now Mienshao doesn't have to give a shit about that. It does have to give a shit about faster mons, though.

Staraptor @ Protective Pads
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Endeavor
- Final Gambit
- Brave Bird
- Close Combat

Another strat that is no longer ruined by contact chip. Should be pretty obvious -- guaranteed to take out any one non-Ghost-type, in case you need that. Staraptor still hits like a truck if you don't.

Victini @ Normalium Z
Ability: Victory Star
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
- Stored Power
- Focus Blast / Searing Shot
- Searing Shot / Focus Blast
- Celebrate

Z-Celebrate sadly does not work as a linked move, but you can still use this to stunt on anyone who expects you to be using V-Create + U-Turn or Fusion Bolt + Fusion Flare.

I'll add more later if I think of anything. But these are the things that stand out immediately.

Greninja @ Focus Sash
Ability: Protean
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Spikes
- Toxic Spikes
- Ice Beam
- Dark Pulse

A good offensive Spikes stacking lead. Last two moves are kinda filler, you get the premise though. Not much will be faster than you so it should be simple enough to click Spikes once.

Pineco @ Berry Juice
Ability: Sturdy
Level: 1
EVs: 156 Atk / 156 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Spikes / Toxic Spikes
- Stealth Rock / Toxic Spikes
- Pain Split
- Explosion

Similar to the above, but exclusively a suicide lead that will always survive two linked attacks & set up two hazards. Probably a gimmick, but what else in this meta is guaranteed a turn of life?

Zygarde @ Groundium Z / Leftovers / Rocky Helmet
Ability: Aura Break
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Tail
- Thousand Arrows
- Coil
- Substitute / Extreme Speed

Last gen, I remember having fun making my Garchomp use Dragon Tail on a hard counter and then OHKOing whatever hapless mon gets dragged in. This is a lot like that, except when shit like Skarmory ends up coming in, it doesn't ruin your day. Probably great on hazard stacking teams.

Kingdra @ Splash Plate
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Surf
- Draco Meteor
- Rain Dance

funny Kingdra do a 2HKO

252+ SpA Splash Plate Kingdra Hydro Pump (200 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Toxapex in Rain: 145-171 (47.6 - 56.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Splash Plate Kingdra Hydro Pump vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Latias-Mega in Rain: 183-216 (50.2 - 59.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Splash Plate Kingdra Hydro Pump vs. 248 HP / 156+ SpD Venusaur-Mega in Rain: 177-209 (48.7 - 57.5%) -- 94.9% chance to 2HKO

use life orb if you're alpha

 

[chartung17]

Here's a meme set:

Azelf @ King's Rock
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fling
- Recycle
- Filler
- Filler

It's too slow to work against fast teams unless you have sticky web support, and it's too weak to do much to bulky teams (especially if they have leftovers), but if you can pull it off, you have 16 turns in which your opponent can't do anything.

252 Atk King's Rock Azelf Fling (30 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Manaphy: 33-39 (9.6 - 11.4%) -- possible 9HKO

 

[wadusher]

Here's a meme set:

Azelf @ King's Rock
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fling
- Recycle
- Filler
- Filler

It's too slow to work against fast teams unless you have sticky web support, and it's too weak to do much to bulky teams (especially if they have leftovers), but if you can pull it off, you have 16 turns in which your opponent can't do anything.

252 Atk King's Rock Azelf Fling (30 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Manaphy: 33-39 (9.6 - 11.4%) -- possible 9HKO

Toxic would work well in a filler slot there - you get to rack up as many turns of residual damage as you like against anything slower.

 

[LordHelix]

Isnt kings rock banned though?

Bans

• Items:
  • King's Rock, Razor Fang
    • Flinch abuse. Beat Up + any additional attack = 52% flinch chance, for example.

 

[Ivy]

Isnt kings rock banned though?

Hah, yeah. A shame it can't be complex banned just to allow the silly Fling set.

 

[SadisticMystic]

So I had these powerful dreams... (Komala) @ Silk Scarf
Ability: Comatose
Adamant Nature
EVs: 252 Atk / whatever
- Sleep Talk
- Last Resort
- empty
- empty

Obviously pretty slow, and can't compete with "gotta go fast" sets like Fake Out+U-turn, nor can it damage ghosts at all. But two Last Resorts in a row is obscene, KOing stuff like offensive Jirachi, bulky Zygarde, even some weird Alakazam set that runs a link of Reflect+Barrier for some reason? Hey, dreams can be weird.

 

[wadusher]

So I had these powerful dreams... (Komala) @ Silk Scarf
Ability: Comatose
Adamant Nature
EVs: 252 Atk / whatever
- Sleep Talk
- Last Resort
- empty
- empty

Obviously pretty slow, and can't compete with "gotta go fast" sets like Fake Out+U-turn, nor can it damage ghosts at all. But two Last Resorts in a row is obscene, KOing stuff like offensive Jirachi, bulky Zygarde, even some weird Alakazam set that runs a link of Reflect+Barrier for some reason? Hey, dreams can be weird.

Its better to run work up over sleep talk for the snowballing potential.

 

[Akumeoy]

Its better to run work up over sleep talk for the snowballing potential.

You mean Swords Dance? Anyways, Diggersby pulls this off better. Higher damage output.

+2 252+ Atk Life Orb Huge Power Diggersby Last Resort vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Skarmory: 218-257 (65.4 - 77.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 252+ Atk Life Orb Komala Last Resort vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Skarmory: 170-200 (51 - 60%) -- 89.1% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

 

[wadusher]

Didn't think it got Swords Dance ^^;
And yeah I figured something would outclass it.

Diggersby also gets Agility which helps that set a lot.

 

[PonStefon]

Diggersby also gets Agility which helps that set a lot.

No actually that would make it worse. Last Resort only works if every other move has been used. More moves means more turns to use up first and less Last Resort spam. Even an Agility + Last Resort link wouldn't work because you'd miss out on a lot of damage.

 

[wadusher]

No actually that would make it worse. Last Resort only works if every other move has been used. More moves means more turns to use up first and less Last Resort spam. Even an Agility + Last Resort link wouldn't work because you'd miss out on a lot of damage.

Its kind of a double edged move in that you have to use it and spend a turn not attacking, but at the same time it does put you at +2 speed, which makes it harder to revenge kill diggersby. If you just want to wallbreak with it then its obviously not mandatory.

 

[Champion Leon]

(Lopunny) @ Lopunnite
Ability: Limber
Jolly Nature
EVs: 252 Atk / whatever
- Endeavor
- Flail/
- Endure
- High Jump Kick / Filler

Endure as you Mega, Then next turn With Scrappy, use Endeavor on any type and Flail to finish them off.
Slot 4 is if they use a non attacking move during Endure and you need to hit them hard while Flail isn’t powered up (Endure may fail if used 2x in a row).

Basically a guaranteed kill!

In this OM, Priority is reduced, and Lopunny doesn’t worry about resistances because it deals flat damage. At 405 Speed not much will Outspeed.

 

[wadusher]

Endeavor seems hella busted in this meta. I wonder if it'll get banned from linking after the meta gets coded.