As a glass cannon, Alakazam hates Trick Room and despises this meta for making it so prevalent. However, having the move itself there is something to be said for using Alakazam as early game pressure with the option of counter-setting Trick Room if you see it. Alakazam does have some severe problems with its poor bulk and 4MSS. Overall, I'd say the fact that it hits hard, doesn't take up a mega slot, and can potentially turn off Trick Room if someone tries to pull that on you is a pretty good niche. C+
Absolutely
superb movepools for suicide leads. Uxie and Mesprit are better for their bulk, but Azelf's massive explosions do have their appeal. B+ for Uxie and Mesprit, C+ for Azelf.
Obscenely slow and very bulky, Cofagrigus has historically suffered in standard format due to a lack of reliable recovery. In this meta, it has a great movepool for a lead, notably with Magic Coat, Imprison, Memento, and Destiny Bond. Imprison allows Cofagrigus to prevent opposing Trick Room users from setting or counter-setting while it remains on the field. Mental Herb, Aroma Veil, and Magic Bounce provide no protection against this. Magic Coat provides him with an option against opposing Taunt users and makes him more useful against hazard setters since he can play mind games with them. His biggest flaw is that he lacks Taunt and cannot Imprison that move. Overall, B+
As a magic bounce user, Diancie is as close to Taunt-proof as you can get (no Mold Breaker user can set Trick Room anyways) and has the bulk to live almost any Trick Room setter as it counter-sets on the following turn. This makes it an extremely good choice for offensive teams that are ready to put their mega slot behind stopping Trick Room. It presents all the same threats as it does in standard, plus it can do a whole bunch of field setup or counter-setup, including Gravity, Stealth Rock, Sandstorm, and Sunny Day. However, Diancie isn't perfect as it's OHKO'd by Bronzong's Gyro Ball and as a result cannot counter-set against it. On the other hand, Diancie only needs to run one moveslot to present a very effective counter-setter that also shuts down many hazard setters while presenting a massive offensive threat. You can easily run another slot to handle the few things Diancie can't, and your opponent has to tread carefully since there are so many different ways Diancie can cause him extreme amounts of pain. A+
While regular Diancie is by no means anywhere near the power of its mega, it's still pretty good. The fact that it can potentially bluff a mega stone is particularly useful, since most people won't risk Taunting it on the first turn. It's fairly slow and bulky and gets a great movepool. Overall, a great choice for any team that needs a nice setup option and can bluff their mega stone. B
Highly comparable to Cofagrigus! His big advantage over the other ghost is that he has access to the combination of Taunt, Imprison, and Trick Room. However, he does not have Magic Coat like Cofagrigus. This means a Mental Herb is completely non-negotiable to avoid being Taunt bait, and hazard setters have no problem setting up on him. Overall, Cofagrigus looks to be the superior but access to taunt on its own gives this guy a niche. B-
Magic Bounce and Trick Room without investing a mega slot looks promising, but that movepool and bulk leave a lot to be desired. D
Another offensive Trick Room setter that's comparable to Mega Alakazam in many respects. However, its fairy STAB is highly spammable so it has more room its movepool to run stuff like Taunt and Trick Room, but it suffers many of the same problems plus taking up your mega slot, and also struggles with Bronzong. C+
I have to disagree with his C- ranking. Gengar has the combination of a powerful Ghost STAB, Trick Room, and Taunt that make him a dangerous counter-lead. While he hates Trick Room, most setters are weak to his STABs and aren't strong enough to OHKO him with uninvested attacks. Combined with his offensive presence to scare off Taunt attempts and his ability to 2HKO almost every Trick Room setter, Gengar is not a bad option at all to specifically pressure opposing setters. C+
Jirachi is another offensive pokemon that can counter-set Trick Room. It's a bit bulkier than some of the other ones I've mentioned before this, and doesn't take up a mega slot, but it doesn't get Taunt or any other abilities (barring Tricking a Choice Scarf) that can mess with an opponent's setup. C+
Meowstic-M gets the combination of Prankster, Imprison, and Trick Room. Arguably
the most reliable way to shut down an oppposing Trick Room setter. It can also run moves like Magic Coat to thwart opponents who want to set Hazards or try to Taunt it. However, it's pretty anemic otherwise and doesn't do a whole lot except buy turns until Lockdown while messing with the opponent. B.
Obscenely good support movepool, and your only option for certain combinations of role compression. While mono-psychic isn't the best typing and its bulk isn't
that great, you're picking it for that awesome movepool. A-
Soundproof makes Mr. Mime immune to Taunt, and he's got a really nice movepool with a lot of options. Unfortunately, he has absolutely horrific physical bulk and is mostly outclassed by Aromatisse who also offers Taunt immunity with Trick Room. Many of Mr. Mime's best moves are shared by Aromatisse, including Misty Terrain and Magic Coat. The Mime's speed is much better, but not enough to distinguish it. Overall, its only real niche is that it can Baton Pass Nasty Plot or use Healing Wish to pivot once it has outlived its usefulness. C-
Another good defensive pokemon with Trick Room and Magic Coat to counter-lead with. While it's prediction-dependent, it can run Eviolite thanks to the ability to bounce Taunts if you're willing to play with fire. Overall not a terrible option if you just want something to stall out until Lockdown. C+
Basically everything I just said about P2; nice defensive pokemon that can buy some turns until Lockdown and turn off Trick Room while bouncing hazards. C+
Better movepool and bulk than Espeon, but extremely passive. If you want Magic Bounce on a Trick Room counter-setter, you should probably spring for Mega Diancie. C-
