Since Im not playing either scl or lcwc its time to make this post. Shellder is broken and should be banned from SV LC. The fact that this thing has got away from being suspect tested even tho it has been the focus of several discussions among great players throughout different metagames blows my mind.
There is this post from Scottie,
this one from tazz or
this one from Eric (there are A LOT more).
The stupid thing about shellder is that it has so many different sets and none of them is better than other, it just depends on what you are facing. In other words: each set is better for each scenario. The player has absolutely no way to setguess which set the shellder player is using and each shellder set should be countered differently. Sets that shellder might use: Tera Water, Tera Rock, Tera Fairy, Tera Ghost, Sub Tera Steel, TB Grass, TB ground, Special Tera electric…
In addition to this, it has a decent movepool: Liquidation, Rock Blast, Icicle Spear, Tera Blast, Ice Beam, Hydro Pump, Protect, Substitue. Enough moves to hit the whole tier and defensive moves to scout for defensive teras. Furthermore, it set ups on the most used mons in the tier (vullaby and mienfoo). And honestly thanks to tera and support from partners (memento, trick, taunt…) it can set up in basically anything.
Do you know any other mon in the tier (or honestly any tier) that has so many equally viable sets ? Because I don’t. And honestly I probably forgot some teras that are also viable.
It creates so many 50/50s, guessing games, being lucky in the builder that it clearly favors the worse player to use it. It reduces the skill.
Some replays that support my opinion:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9lc-887776
Starsama vs Wail Wailord, SCL Semifinals
In this replay Im using Tera Steel Sub Shellder. In turn 22 Starsama should have gone for HJK against Shellder, but he didn't because he was afraid of Tera Ghost/Fairy Shellder, which explains why he went for the U-turn. Some turns after that I Subbed in his Vullaby roosting which let me win the game. Starsama had no way to figure out my set and lost because of it.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9lc-891689
Greedy vs Agera, LCWC Quarterfinals
Even tho Agera got kinda lucky with some rolls and hitting hydros, and Greedy probably misplayed as well the fact that set even exists is ridiculous.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9lc-881752?p2
bbb vs Always Edgy LCWC Week 1
In this replay bbb expertly sacks Vullaby, taunting the tinkatink and making it set up fodder. Then bbb tera ghosts his shellder to be able to set up in mare as well as being immune to Fake Out.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9lc-883616
Rarre vs nashrock, LCWC Week 2
Even tho this is a lose, Nashrock could have won if he clicked Liquidation (assuming he had liquidation). The 50/50 shellder creates on rarre to wether or not tera its another reason to ban it.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9lc-884579
rarre vs greedy, LCWC Week 3
Rarre doesnt even need to tera his shellder. Memento glimm allows shell to set up in mare (kinda similar to the previous bbb replay). Tect helps for pinch/foo priority, allowing the sweep to happen.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9lc-886931
Nashrock vs Stories LCWC Week 4
This game shows how early teraring against shellder might be easily punished. X probably had defensives teras to deal with shell in both foo and vull but without those X just lost.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9lc-885906
Loki vs Vulpix LCWC Week 4
Loki could have won this game if he attacked the pinch instead of smashing again. Pix had no way to know that the shell was Tera Ghost.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9lc-887989
teamo vs Hoennspetile LCWC Week 5
Uses tera ghost to make the drifloon set up fodder
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9lc-2486777461-3e1tecpjn2f0yai0kapj40rbsccfionpw
Fernanch vs Corck LCWC Week 6
Tera Rock lets shellder set up, kill chinchou and also reduces the damage of a possible fake out / feint from scarf foo. Hail is a hard mu for shellder but it doesnt even matter. Tect helps a lot to scout defensive teras. If that shellder had any other tera it might have hard a harder time dealing with chinchou. But it had the right tera in the right place.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9lc-889521
seraph vs rarre LCWC Week 6
Shell set ups in vull and wins.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9lc-2489840957-3n67bngfej9j3rvtbiir0wadaaypgkipw
Always Edgy vs Octperlover LCWC Week 7
Tera Rock lets set up in meowth and resist fake out / Feint. In addition to this it has tect to scout for defensive teras.
I probably could have came up with even more replays, and maybe will edit this in the future to add some more if i have the time.
Im aware that it not might be the best timing, as LCWC hasnt ended, but I strongly believe that Suspect testing Shellder after LCWC is what the LC Council should do.