Other Tiers No Lax GSC

I should start by making it clear that this is not a suspect test of any sort. Rather, this is an opportunity for us to examine one of the most common "what if" scenarios to pop up over the years. While there have been several small tours featuring the format, a ladder is a whole different ballgame assuming enough peeps give it a shot. We'll be getting usage stats to check out at the end of the month, which could give us a decent glimpse of what a Laxless metagame would look like.

For now, I'm wondering how you all feel about GSC without the queen. What do you find benefits most from Lax's absence, and what's in decline? Are there any creative sets you've toyed around with that Lax would otherwise render unviable? After the first week or so, what are your general impressions of the format?
 

Typhlito

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If you wanted me to make this a what if, you could have asked!

Anyway, I played a few games on the ladder and I noticed an increase of fire pokemon as well as zapdos/zapdos being a bit harder (moltres is so good) to wall. So to compensate, I saw a few people starting to run bliss more often to tank their hits. As for different pokemon that I decided to run, I've been using porygon 2 as my lax replacement. Its not as bulky or as fearless of status but it does have recover which could allow it to set up quicker as well as having a nice sp atk for coverage. I am enjoying the change of pace so I'm interested in seeing how the meta develops throughout the month.
 

Funbot28

Banned deucer.
Borat here u go, the meta is much better without Lax and we will obvi never ban it but tbh having no Lax GSC OU in tours would be p neat.

Playing a while on ladder, Electrics are rlly strong (like so much better without Lax constantly checking them). Also I have been Zam a lot and its p heat. No Lax means that it can spam Psychic much easier now and Fire Punch roasts Forre and Skarm.
 

Mr.E

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Porygon2 is a respectable Curse sweeper, but it's no Snorlax replacement since it still takes about 50% more damage than Snorlax from special attacks. Thunder's PAR rate makes it unfortunately mediocre at just switching directly into and handling the Electrics, also highlighting why Recover is not strictly better than Rest.

Snorlax was always the stop to my good ol' Mono Electric. Obviously to an extent all special attackers get a lot better but Zap-Kou especially get really scary, as other special attackers still get somewhat tempered by their traditional counters (e.g. Ttar bops both Zam and Moltres) but Electrics don't actually have other weaknesses RE: Hidden Power. Blissey usage should logically rise out of sheer defensive necessity, but it poses relatively little direct offensive threat and some specialmons have tricks to beat it that don't work on Snorlax.
 
Porygon2 is a respectable Curse sweeper, but it's no Snorlax replacement since it still takes about 50% more damage than Snorlax from special attacks. Thunder's PAR rate makes it unfortunately mediocre at just switching directly into and handling the Electrics, also highlighting why Recover is not strictly better than Rest.

Snorlax was always the stop to my good ol' Mono Electric. Obviously to an extent all special attackers get a lot better but Zap-Kou especially get really scary, as other special attackers still get somewhat tempered by their traditional counters (e.g. Ttar bops both Zam and Moltres) but Electrics don't actually have other weaknesses RE: Hidden Power. Blissey usage should logically rise out of sheer defensive necessity, but it poses relatively little direct offensive threat and some specialmons have tricks to beat it that don't work on Snorlax.
Out of curiosity, what was that "good ol' Mono Electric"?
 

Mr.E

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is raikou better than zapdos in said meta? like is top dog really top dog now?
In the sense that Zapdos is weaker with other grounded Electrics running about, so Raikou might be better since it's the best grounded Electric? Mind, Zapdos still handles Ground-types much better because it isn't necessarily forced out immediately if they switch into its Thunder(bolt). That will always be a big advantage entirely unique top Zapdos as an Electric-type, and the option of Drill Peck ain't bad either (pressures Blissey and maintains Grass coverage with alternate Hidden Power types). I don't think Raikou takes the lead just because Electrics as a whole become increasingly common, other grounded Electrics don't have Raikou's bulk and can't get away with running Rest.
 
From what I saw it wasn't really about replacing Snorlax but taking advantage of his absence, meaning you could bowl people over with the same stall comps and they'd be hard-pressed for a good answer without the threat of lax. Saw a lot of unsuccessful charizard attempts and way more skarmbliss. I think the biggest winner next to bliss is probably Nidoking who I thought was already the safest lead, and the biggest loser... Miltank? All the remaining curse users seem to have roar and bliss is awesome now

Edit: Also no lefties whennnn
 
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Jorgen

World's Strongest Fairy
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Wouldn't more Roar cursers take a bigger bite out of Skarm than Miltank? The former needs to Phaze, the latter handles them fine with Growl.

idk if Raikou is actually better. imo he takes on a Suicune-like importance in terms of his defensive strength, but that doesn't translate into him being "better" so much as it translates into him being the main thing catalyzing the meta by being the main thing you need to be able to beat. Zapdos is still tops b/c its strength was and still is the fact that it can stay in on whatever it wants (even Raikou to go for paralysis on it).
 

Plague von Karma

Banned deucer.
Big Momma Kangaskhan and Lil Momma Miltank skyrocket in usage if Snorlax is gone, but at least they aren't eye-wateringly bulky. Plus, I like my kangaroo mom. Pretty sure Miltank edges it out thanks to Milk Drink, though.

I like the idea of this meta a lot.
 

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