Metagame NP: NU Stage 4 - A Whole New World (Bans on post #160)

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Sadly scrafty is not in the best situation rn, as a bulky fighting breaker pangoro outclasses it, as a Dragon Dance sweeper tyrantrum and flygon outclasses it due to their natural speed tier and overall mienshao is the dominant fighting type so is hard to find a slot for it.
Ah, I see. Hopefully it will be halfway decent if it falls to PU. I enjoy using this set I made that baits status then sets up. Maybe someone can find a better use for it. Hopefully it won't get hard walled by any fairies down there. Until the tier drops happen though, I'll be trying to make it work in NU

Scrafty @ Leftovers
Ability: Shed Skin
EVs: 252 HP / 64 Atk / 192 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Knock Off
- Drain Punch
- Stone Edge/Head Smash/whatever
 
Therefore, Lucario, Arctozolt, Durant, Indeedee-M, Heracross, and Drought have been banned from NU! (Tagging Marty and The Immortal, thank you!)

:Indeedee: Specs Indeedee is unbearably strong, and facilitates insane synergy with other mammoth threats in the tier courtesy of Psychic Terrain either boosting their coverage, activating unburden, or shielding them from priority. Indeedee also had good flexibility in what items it could run to throw off checks by surprising them with it's coverage options, not to mention it's fantastic utility as a revenge killer with Choice Scarf. Overall Indeedee was deemed too strong, flexible, and potent for the tier.
Does this mean both forms of Indeedee are banned or only the male one?

If both are banned I foresee a potential huge issue with Linoone as there will be basically no further priority control.
 

Fragmented

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I suck at metagame posts.

:copperajah:
Been using this mon, and it's honestly pretty good. Smack an AV and you got a decent sponge to special attackers like Indeedee-F and Teapot. Attack stat and coverage options are really good too. Hates that Fighting types exist tho, but other than that, it's a really good mon and more people should try it.

:polteageist:
Busted teapot. Either have priority, run a dark type that can take +2 Giga Drain (or Indeedee-F), or win Sucker Punch mind games. Weak Armor on this thing means that if you don't kill it on the first hit, you're unlikely to kill it ever since whatever you sent out is probably dead the next turn.

:raichu-alola:
Had mixed success with this, but it's honestly stupid to play around. Electric+Psychic STAB + coverage in Surf/Grass Knot pretty much hits everything you need. If you let this get to +2, you basically lose the game. Either run priority, or pray the opponent chokes. Busted rabbit.

:indeedee-f:
Psychic terrain is broken imo. Either get a decent Psychic resist, or run a faster scarfer. They'll just switch out anyway. Stupid rat. Also supports and/or checks the aforementioned teapot (just don't give it the Weak Armor boost).
+2 252 SpA Polteageist Stored Power (140 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Indeedee-F in Psychic Terrain: 194-229 (69 - 81.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

:sigilyph:
Speaking about borderline broken mons, this thing is in the tier. Life Orb All-Out Attacking sets or 3 Attacks + Roost are probably still good, but the set I've used so far is Flame Orb Stored Power, which just punishes more passive mons like Cress. Pair it with a Fighting type to break through those Dark types that would wall it otherwise.

:comfey:
Underrated atm. With all the Fighting types around, Steel types are a rare sight, and Comfey thrives in the chaos. Not being able to do anything in Psychic Terrain sucks for sure, but it's like the one thing that can revenge 99% of the Fighters.

:sharpedo:
Busted shark, don't think I can add much to the discussion that hasn't already been said. Great coverage, great attacking stats, great ability, stupid design. Spike stack probably helps enable the lategame Shark sweep against bulkier teams.

:mienshao:
Personally I think it's okay, but I can see why some people might find it broken. Scarf w Rock Slide is probably the best set atm, rkilling Scarf Indeedee, Scyther, Charizard and a bunch of other stuff. It actually has 125 base attack, which is like a fast Pangoro. Personally prefer Regenerator so that you can switch in more times and be a bigger nuisance than you already are, but Reckless HJK works too in nuking non-resists.

Tiny notes:
- Run a Ground type. Between Tyrantrum Head Smashing and Alolan-Pancake Rising Voltaging, you are going to want something that can at least take one hit.
- Linoone/Slurpuff seem broken, even if Psychic Terrain neuters Linoone a bit.
- Psychic/Ghost switch ins are necessary. Umbreon is literally the mon holding everything together at this point.
- We actually got several First Impression uses now, good to use against the Pancake. :flygon::sirfetchd::golisopod:
- Celebi checks Pancake decently, but struggles to RKill w/o Leaf Storm or Earth Power
 

G-Luke

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What Slow Fighting type don't like with this is that those bans (especially Indeedee which was more threatening than him on the special side and Drought that made it less effective) makes Inteleon (which is often played with Air Slash) a lot better
Short list I put together on the fly. Besides the usual fighting types, Air Slash over Ice Beam hits including, but not limited to:
  • Virizion (for better effectiveness)
  • Ludicolo (if you want to use it up here)
  • Golisopod
  • Centiskorch (who is krumped by water STAB anyway, but just in case you need to play safe)
  • Araquanid (despite the high special defense, yeah, it hits)
  • Abomasnow
Half of the list is already taken care of by Ice Beam and Water STAB, and the rest just get Uturned on. Again, why is Aor Slash being talked about here?
 

Rabia

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Half of the list is already taken care of by Ice Beam and Water STAB, and the rest just get Uturned on. Again, why is Aor Slash being talked about here?
last month Air Slash was cool on Sub + Focus Energy sets because it gave the best overall coverage alongside Snipe Shot; I would guess Air Slash nowadays is being used to hit Virizion a bit harder and target Araquanid
 

EonX

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Finally had a chance to play some games tonight post-bans, so figured I'd share some quick initial thoughts on some Pokemon I'm using / have played against:

Galar Slowbro: I'm surprised I haven't seen much about this, but it's really good. Although the Fighting types generally have Knock Off to get around it, Galar Bro is still a meaty deterrent to their Fighting STAB thanks to good Defense and a 4x Fighting resist. With PhysDef investment, it can slap Calm Mind on in the last slot to become a wincon against fatter teams. Alternatively, it can go the AV route and pivot into all kinds of special attackers and either retreat to a better response or use the point of entry to generate its own offense. AV definitely got much better with Indeedee-M leaving along with Drought while the PhysDef CM set still has STAB Sludge Bomb to threaten Poison against most switch ins.

Goodra: This was already brought up, but this thing is A LOT of fun right now. Specs has to predict some, but it's a natural offensive pivot into just about any special attacker that can't hit for super effective damage. Dragalge is also a lot of fun, but I feel Goodra's Speed for the likes of CB Tyrantrum (not that you're ever switching in, but you can at least get a KO back potentially) Machamp, and Bewear is great. Also, the lack of a Poison subtyping can also come in clutch against Alolan Raichu should it not have a boost yet.

Sharpedo: Yeah, this one is kind of dumb. Pretty much all the bans helped it, and while there's stuff like Toxicroak, bulky Waters, and random Colbur Berry Psychics, there's still not a lot that reliably stops this from running over teams once they're worn down by the likes of Goodra, Machamp, and Tyrantrum. While coverage from CC or Psychic Fangs to nulify certain already limited switch ins can be nice, Flip Turn + Spikes is brutally difficult to deal with. And Flip Turn even lets Shark get away with running Mystic Water so you can't even use LO recoil to slowly take it out.

Mienshao: The unquestioned best Scarfer in the tier. While I haven't used it post-bans myself, the speed tier is absolutely incredible in conjunction with Regenerator and spammable moves in CC Knock and U-Turn. It can also probably get away with a Life Orb attacker set to take advantage of strong coverage and a still great Speed tier, though I haven't run into or used that yet to know for sure.

Copperajah: This mon is super fun right now. AV I feel is easily its best set as it not only affords Copper extra special bulk to handle Draco Meteors, Hyper Voices, and weaker Flamethrowers, but it still breaks open holes thanks to the extra entry points AV provides it. Even though it CAN run Stealth Rock, I feel that's a waste of Copper's great coverage and much higher Attack stat when compared to Bronzong, the tier's other main Steel-type Rocker. And I know that Zong has Levitate to help against a team's potential Ground weakness, but it's not like Grounds appreciate coming into Copperajah since Power Whip can basically KO any of them on the switch and I feel there's good alternative ways to switch into Ground types (Mowtom, Mantine, Golisopod, Flygon, etc.)
 
Anyone got some good EV spreads or techs to use
with? I made a team where Dhelmise fits pretty well, but it feels like it doesn't know if it wants to be an offensive spinner or a defensive spin blocker. Which side should I lean to? I also wanted to give it boots for longevity but it feels like it needs Colbur Berry, which sucks because now it can't switch in for free to get the spin off. Help would be much appreciated.
 
Hey NU, resident lurker and occasional ladder tryhard here. You might remember me as the dude that was hyping up Ninjask like a year ago during the RU Beta. NU is really cool right now IMO and I wanted to share a set that's been working pretty well for me, getting to the mid-1500's or so as of now.

Talonflame @ Choice Specs
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid/Modest Nature
- Hurricane
- U-turn
- Overheat
- Fire Blast/Flamethrower

Now I know what you're thinking; 4x rock weak in a meta where HDB exist, but hear me out. Talonflame manages to be one of those rare cases where running dedicated removal actually turns out to be worth the effort more often than not, similar to Acrobatics Ninjask. On top of that, hazard control has never been easier, with tons of great options in Starmie, Steelvally, Mowtom, Dhelmise, Mantine, Flygon, 2 Magic Bouncers, etc. The list goes on and on quite frankly, so losing the hazard game should never be a factor if you take Talon into consideration when building.

Why go through the effort though? Before talking about the obvious, IE Gale Wings Hurricane, I want to emphasize first and foremost the fact that Specs Talon is not a one trick pony that becomes useless the second it takes any kind chip. It's much better to think of it as a high-speed Specs attacker in a similar vein to Swellow from ORAS NU/USUM RU. Assuming a Timid nature, Talonflame itself is likely to be the fastest unboosted mon in any given game bar the rare Aerodactyl, so more often than not Gale Wings is just a nice bonus. However, should you manage to keep Talon healthy, several quite frankly hilarious interactions become available. Speed Boost? Nope. Sucker Punch? Not happening. Choice Scarf? Shell Smash? Unburden? Never heard of em. There's very little that the offensive metagame fears more right now than STAB Specs possibly priority Hurricane, to say the least.

Of course none of that matters if Talonflame is weak as an attacker, right? Fortunately, that isn't the case at all. Fire/Flying is pretty great offensively, hitting a large majority of the meta for neutral damage at worst, and even frailer resists will have to think twice about switching in. I'll tl;dr the calcs at the end, but I'm tryna be thorough.

252+ SpA Choice Specs Gale Wings Talonflame Hurricane vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Tyrantrum: 156-183 (50.9 - 59.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252 SpA Choice Specs Gale Wings Talonflame Hurricane vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Tyrantrum: 142-168 (46.4 - 54.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

252+ SpA Choice Specs Gale Wings Talonflame Hurricane vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Milotic: 169-199 (42.8 - 50.5%) -- 44.9% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Choice Specs Gale Wings Talonflame Hurricane vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Milotic: 153-181 (38.8 - 45.9%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

252+ SpA Choice Specs Gale Wings Talonflame Hurricane vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Gastrodon: 238-282 (55.8 - 66.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Choice Specs Gale Wings Talonflame Hurricane vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Gastrodon: 219-258 (51.4 - 60.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

252+ SpA Choice Specs Gale Wings Talonflame Hurricane vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Mantine: 153-180 (41 - 48.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Gale Wings Talonflame Hurricane vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Mantine: 139-165 (37.2 - 44.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

252 SpA Choice Specs Gale Wings Talonflame Hurricane vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Omastar: 124-147 (44.1 - 52.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ SpA Choice Specs Gale Wings Talonflame Hurricane vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Omastar: 136-161 (48.3 - 57.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

252+ SpA Choice Specs Gale Wings Talonflame Hurricane vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Barbaracle: 115-136 (40.3 - 47.7%) -- 57.4% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252 SpA Choice Specs Gale Wings Talonflame Hurricane vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Barbaracle: 105-124 (36.8 - 43.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Stealth Rock

Spd.Def Rhyp

252+ SpA Choice Specs Talonflame Overheat vs. 236 HP / 160 SpD Rhyperior: 153-180 (35.5 - 41.8%) -- 86.5% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Choice Specs Talonflame Overheat vs. 236 HP / 160 SpD Rhyperior: 139-164 (32.3 - 38.1%) -- 1.6% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

Offensive Rhyp

252 SpA Choice Specs Talonflame Overheat vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Rhyperior: 177-208 (47.7 - 56%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ SpA Choice Specs Talonflame Overheat vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Rhyperior: 194-228 (52.2 - 61.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

252+ SpA Choice Specs Gale Wings Talonflame Hurricane vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Cresselia: 162-192 (36.4 - 43.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Choice Specs Talonflame Overheat vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Cresselia: 192-226 (43.2 - 50.9%) -- 53.1% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

252 SpA Choice Specs Gale Wings Talonflame Hurricane vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Cresselia: 148-175 (33.3 - 39.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Choice Specs Talonflame Overheat vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Cresselia: 175-207 (39.4 - 46.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

252+ SpA Choice Specs Gale Wings Talonflame Hurricane vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Dragalge: 171-202 (51.3 - 60.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Gale Wings Talonflame Hurricane vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Dragalge: 156-184 (46.8 - 55.2%) -- 70.7% chance to 2HKO

252 SpA Choice Specs Gale Wings Talonflame Hurricane vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Umbreon: 111-132 (28.1 - 33.5%) -- 0.2% chance to 3HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Choice Specs Gale Wings Talonflame Hurricane vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Umbreon: 123-145 (31.2 - 36.8%) -- 77.4% chance to 3HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

Diancie, Regirock, Coalossal, P2 and Gigalith aren't worth talking about. They beat you.

The main takeaway is that although there are certainly enough common responses to the bird out there, there are also many who find themselves only a minor amount of chip away from being 2HKO'd. Now of course, because you're dealing with Hurricane in many cases (especially against fat waters), it would be a great idea to have other means of beating the above threats. Rotom-C for instance is a great partner that handles all the waters and completes a nice Volt-Turn core as well. Still, the point stands that brute force can also be an option.

Of course, the real reason you use Talon is to be a menace towards offensive threats. For the sake of time, just know that if Talon hits an offensive mon with the appropriate SE move, said mon is dead.

252+ SpA Choice Specs Gale Wings Talonflame Hurricane vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Noivern: 244-288 (78.4 - 92.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Gale Wings Talonflame Hurricane vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Noivern: 222-262 (71.3 - 84.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Talonflame Fire Blast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Noivern: 111-131 (35.6 - 42.1%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

252+ SpA Choice Specs Talonflame Flamethrower vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Duraludon: 288-339 (102.4 - 120.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252 SpA Choice Specs Gale Wings Talonflame Hurricane vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Salazzle: 279-328 (100.7 - 118.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Talonflame Fire Blast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Salazzle: 139-164 (50.1 - 59.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 SpA Choice Specs Talonflame Overheat vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Tauros: 292-345 (100.3 - 118.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Talonflame Fire Blast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Tauros: 247-292 (84.8 - 100.3%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

252 SpA Choice Specs Talonflame Overheat vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Sigilyph: 262-310 (91.9 - 108.7%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Talonflame Overheat vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Sigilyph: 288-340 (101 - 119.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252 SpA Choice Specs Gale Wings Talonflame Hurricane vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Sharpedo: 376-444 (133.8 - 158%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252 SpA Choice Specs Talonflame Fire Blast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Dry Skin Toxicroak: 325-384 (105.8 - 125%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252 SpA Choice Specs Talonflame Fire Blast vs. 0 HP / 0- SpD Toxtricity: 277-327 (95.1 - 112.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 SpA Choice Specs Gale Wings Talonflame Hurricane vs. 0 HP / 0- SpD Toxtricity: 138-163 (47.4 - 56%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

252 SpA Choice Specs Gale Wings Talonflame Hurricane vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Starmie: 211-250 (80.8 - 95.7%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ SpA Choice Specs Gale Wings Talonflame Hurricane vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Starmie: 232-274 (88.8 - 104.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock

252 SpA Choice Specs Gale Wings Talonflame Hurricane vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Inteleon: 262-309 (93.2 - 109.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 SpA Choice Specs Talonflame Fire Blast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Inteleon: 131-154 (46.6 - 54.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

252 SpA Choice Specs Talonflame Fire Blast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Zoroark: 279-328 (106.8 - 125.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Talonflame Flamethrower vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Zoroark: 229-270 (87.7 - 103.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock

252 SpA Choice Specs Talonflame Overheat vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Porygon-Z: 277-327 (89 - 105.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 SpA Choice Specs Talonflame Fire Blast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Porygon-Z: 234-276 (75.2 - 88.7%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ SpA Choice Specs Talonflame Fire Blast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Porygon-Z: 256-303 (82.3 - 97.4%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

252 SpA Choice Specs Talonflame Overheat vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Indeedee-F: 211-249 (75 - 88.6%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 SpA Choice Specs Talonflame Fire Blast vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Indeedee-F: 178-210 (63.3 - 74.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

252 SpA Choice Specs Gale Wings Talonflame Hurricane vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Flygon: 222-262 (73.7 - 87%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ SpA Choice Specs Gale Wings Talonflame Hurricane vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Rotom-Mow: 193-228 (80 - 94.6%) -- 50% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 SpA Choice Specs Gale Wings Talonflame Hurricane vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Rotom-Mow: 175-207 (72.6 - 85.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

252 SpA Choice Specs Gale Wings Talonflame Hurricane vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Charizard: 211-250 (71 - 84.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 SpA Choice Specs Gale Wings Talonflame Hurricane vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Slurpuff: 235-277 (76.7 - 90.5%) -- 25% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

252 SpA Choice Specs Gale Wings Talonflame Hurricane vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Polteageist: 166-196 (63.6 - 75%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

252 SpA Choice Specs Gale Wings Talonflame Hurricane vs. -1 0 HP / 0 SpD Barbaracle: 158-186 (55.4 - 65.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

252 SpA Choice Specs Talonflame Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Assault Vest Slowbro-Galar: 166-196 (42.1 - 49.7%) -- 88.3% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock

I'm sure there are other relevant calcs, but you get the idea. Specs Talon slams basically every offensive mon in the tier, and does so from one of the highest speed tiers around. On top of that, most common scarfers want nothing to do with Hurricane, except for like Indeedee I guess.

The only other thing I'll touch on is Timid vs. Modest. Timid is definitely overall the better choice since you can outspeed Noivern even with GW down, but Modest definitely has it's place in more easily breaking down the fat waters that will likely switch into you. Additionally, you're still pretty fast even without the +speed nature. Coming in at 351 speed unboosted, you still outpace everything up to and including base 110s. Modest can also afford to run Flamethrower, since lord knows a 100% accurate move is great for this type of set, but it seemed like whenever I tried Modest I was 500x more likely to load into Noivern, so take that as you will.

All in all Smogonbird has done very well for me, and I feel like it's one of those mons that stands to get better with potential bans/rises assuming RU doesn't steal it. Hurricane can be a let down sometimes, but overall I'm pretty satisfied that Talonflame has a place as a solid, if occasionally risky anti-offense tool. Plus, there's nothing quite like your opponent switching in a catch-all physical wall like Mudsdale into a Specs Cane or Fire Blast, so there's always that as a nice bonus.

In conclusion, ban Barbaracle.
 
Anyone got some good EV spreads or techs to use
with? I made a team where Dhelmise fits pretty well, but it feels like it doesn't know if it wants to be an offensive spinner or a defensive spin blocker. Which side should I lean to? I also wanted to give it boots for longevity but it feels like it needs Colbur Berry, which sucks because now it can't switch in for free to get the spin off. Help would be much appreciated.
Dhelmise @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Steelworker
EVs: 252 HP / 16 Atk / 156 Def / 84 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Power Whip
- Earthquake
- Synthesis

84 EVs in speed let you outspeed the plethora of base 50s in the tier, and 16 EVs alongside an Adamant nature let you OHKO max HP Rhyperior and 2HKO defensuve Mudsdale. The rest goes into HP and Defense. I prefer Boots for longevity and another Fighting-type check that can switch into Knock Off.

Power Whip is STAB, Earthquake hits most Grass resists and let's you beat Steel-type hazard setters, and Synthesis it's use as a from of recovery.
 

S1nn0hC0nfirm3d

aka Ho3nConfirm3d
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VoltTurn Dominance?

Now that a lot of the offensive powerhouses of the shift are banned, what's left on top are a bunch of super powerful pivots that have an edge on most of the tier. I recently laddered to the 1630s with a VoltTurn I made of what I thought were some of the best abusers. Let talk about what they are, as well as good support for these teams, and what the meta has in store for checks. Consequently, wether the checks are enough for the strat is something I'm uncertain of, as there's still so much to explore. Nonetheless, I wanted to get the discussion rolling and see what else the community has to say about this playstyle, and if it is as unhealthy as HO was pre-bans.

Offensive Pivots:
:sharpedo: :scyther: :mienshao: :noivern: :ninjask: :rotom-mow: :heliolisk:

Sharpedo and Scyther are the real stars here imo, as they have a power level to them that just feels a league above the rest. The other pivots I mention here are still great too of course, with Choice Scarf Mienshao being great for general utility and speed control. It helps that the power of Sharpedo and Scyther–along with Swords Dance of course–almost make them sudo wallbreakers from the get-go, whereas pivots from yester-metas where a little weaker in comparison. They also compliment eachother as Sharpedo's main Water-type attacks in Liquidation and Flip Turn are resisted mainly by bulky Grass- and Water-types, so Dual Wingbeat from Scyther has no issue hurting most of those types besides a handful of very bulky Waters.

Defensive Support:
:slowbro-galar: :sylveon: :mudsdale: :bewear: :dragalge: :porygon2: :rhyperior: :silvally: :xatu: :decidueye:

Beyond offensive pivots, VoltTurn still needs a good defensive backbone to rely on. One of my favorites is AssVest Galarian Slowbro, which is a great general special wall for the most part, and Regenerator + Future Sight is always a great combo. Future Sight is also deadly with Fighting-types like Mienshao and Machamp, as Poison-types are unreliable switch-ins to CC if they'll just go down to Future Sight the turn of. I really like Mudsdale in this meta because Stamina lets it function as a physical wall to almost everything, and Sylveon is less on-par as a general special sponge but still works together. Dragalge for Toxic Spikes is something pretty deadly VoltTurn can entertain as well.

Countermeasures:
:milotic: :vileplume: :mantine: :gastrodon: :rhyperior: :weezing: :druddigon: :copperajah: :centiskorch: :talonflame: :gurdurr:

What I've found to be the best deterrent against VoltTurn are walls with adverse contact effects like Effect Spore and Flame Body, and / or walls carrying Rocky Helmet to also passively punish these attackers. Otherwise, some walls have insane bulk like Flame Orb Milotic that can take all physical attacks and is really only going down to special breakers / stallbreakers. Gastrodon is another big one that comes to mind with an immunity to two pivoting moves, and threatens a Burn through Scald against Scyther. The mons I listed above are mostly defensive countermeasures, but know that offensive ones exist too; for example, without a dedicated counter, Polteageist can outpace most VoltTurn cores and tear right through them.

I'm just scratching the surface here with VoltTurn. I also didn't even mention the ton of wallbreakers that VoltTurn undoubtably supports, but it wasn't a playstyle I've played around with too much so I have no comment here. Already I'm seeing teams look for specific counters to Sharpedo, and others trying out some of the adverse contact effect walls to try and punish Scyther. My opinion if you were to ask me right at this moment is that VoltTurn totally has a lot of checks against it, but having another nerf through whatever means of banning would also be a good idea.

Bonus Team: Regenerator VoltTurn:
:slowbro-galar: :mienshao: :sharpedo: :scyther: :decidueye: :mudsdale:

This team uses that Sharpedo-Scyther core I've been raving about along with more VoltTurn support. Sharpedo is Mystic Water because I've found that the little bulk it has is integral to its success, less it's way too easily removed from stronger attacks or priority. Scyther with SD is imperative as the team relies on it for wallbreaking in many matchups. Choice Scarf Mienshao works for its good coverage, and like I mentioned above, combos really well with Future Sight Galarian Slowbro. Of which, it and Decidueye are the SpD backbone of the team, with ample recovery and good match-ups on anything that doesn't have strong Ghost coverage. Mudsdale provides rocks and takes on physical attackers almost single handedly.
 
Dhelmise @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Steelworker
EVs: 252 HP / 16 Atk / 156 Def / 84 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Power Whip
- Earthquake
- Synthesis

84 EVs in speed let you outspeed the plethora of base 50s in the tier, and 16 EVs alongside an Adamant nature let you OHKO max HP Rhyperior and 2HKO defensuve Mudsdale. The rest goes into HP and Defense. I prefer Boots for longevity and another Fighting-type check that can switch into Knock Off.

Power Whip is STAB, Earthquake hits most Grass resists and let's you beat Steel-type hazard setters, and Synthesis it's use as a from of recovery.
This looks great! I'ma try it out. Thanks!
 
Hi, guys. I wanna give some quick thoughts about the current SS NU metagame. Mainly a few broken pokémon.

:ss/indeedee-f:

Despite being slower and weaker than its male counterpart, this demon is still extremely strong and lacks, in my opinion, solid defensive counterplay.
The only pokémon that can reliably check Indeedee-F are Dark-types (most of which die to coverage moves), defensive Steel-types (again, easily chipped down thanks to the lack of reliable recovery, making them 3HKOed at best) and Assault Vest Slowbro-Galar. All of the aforementioned pokémon are also easily dealt with by clicking the Trick button. I advise strongly to keep an eye on Indeedee-F's shenanigans going forward.

:ss/polteageist: :ss/barbaracle:

The so-called "Shell Smashing Duo" is clearly problematic. Easy opportunity of setup thanks to decent bulk and usual help of screens from teammates such as Inteleon make these two breakers unbearably strong and usually overwhelming to deal with (from a bulkier playstyle perspective). They are very fun to play, though (owo).

Replay vs. top 8 NU ladder player showcasing broken teapot: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8nu-1240608517-iulqbmhxtkvuz6p4vge59xnvy87iqfepw
Replay with spectator draft royalty Pepeduce with, again, broken shell smashing: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8nu-1240591145-yjndvxpjqn59cecuzn0nduc3hvfhytmpw
High level gameplay with Barbaracle ultimately winning the game: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8nu-1240588734-hrp7ccendo283hsr7vdaezhucm7ss32pw
High level gameplay vs. Inteleon screens (of my own creation owo): https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8nu-1240206321-6eprovpcvg5pf4zkaoxwrrehz5nbrkcpw
Broken teapot vs Inteleon screens (Tyrantrum makes a cameo!): https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8nu-1240202470-uj6e8sq3vx7fiy6b1rkv5lfswwaaygqpw


:ss/sharpedo:

Although I really enjoy spamming this shark, I can see where the sentiment that it is broken comes from. Speed Boost always adds a certain brokeness factor to a pokémon. Couple that with extremely powerful 120 and 95 offenses, potent dual STAB and coverage moves to go with it and Sharpedo is a top tier offensive threat. I am not 100% sold on it being broken, though, as we have somewhat reliable defensive answers in Milotic, Weezing and defensive Bewear, for example, and offensive answers in First Impression users, but I'll keep an eye on it.

:ss/raichu-alola:

The only factor holding back Raichu-Alola is the fact that Pincurchin is the only Electric Terrain setter we have access to. Other than that, blazing speed and amazing offense in conjunction with perfect coverage plus Nasty Plot makes the rat an absolutely devastatingly broken breaker.

:ss/mienshao:

Not broken per say, but reaaaally consistent. Easily the best scarfer in the metagame, with access to free healing in Regenerator and a momentum-grabbing move in U-Turn as well as amazing utility options in Knock Off and STAB Close Combat. Definitely try this pokémon out some time.

:ss/golisopod:

I, personally, would like to request this pokémon to be on the next banslate. Outstanding bulk to live any non-super-effective hit coupled with priority First Impression, great Bug/Water defensive typing, access to Spikes and utility options in Knock Off, Close Combat and Aqua Jet make this pokémon extremely menancing to face. Not to mention it ruins the fun of spamming hyper-offense...


EDIT: Just reached 1400s within less than 40 games with an easy-to-play new Inteleon screens team featuring Toxtricity and broken Shell Smashers. If y'all wanna try, here's the paste:
 
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Mariannabelle

chill guy
My picks on stuff you cannot go wrong by using atm:

:Indeedee-F: Not quite the same nuke as her brother, but it doesn't matter when the Terrain is the important part. This mon lets you pack a potent special wallbreaker with Trick, while the Terrain you summon is critical for disrupting the operations of terrain teams, meaning you can build things without instantly being run over by terrain stuff like Alolan Raichu and Hitmonlee. Unless they chose PTerrain to build around, of course. Also proofs your team against lame priority sweepers like Linoone and Comfey.

:Mienshao: Fighting type pivot with Regenerator is already great enough, but it's also great for overall stability because its speed tier means it can use a Scarf to outspeed things like Shell Smashers (Adamant Barbaracle and Omastar, at least) and Hail sweepers that would otherwise matchup you to death.




-----
other random comments:

:Polteageist: Very hard to offensively check this thing, considering that attacking it often just makes it faster if you fail to KO. It's immune to two priority types, and with Pterrain being so important and teapots being able to opt for Substitute right now, even Sucker Punch is hard to guarantee, which sucks when our offensive darks all literally blow up under Giga Drain. That being said, it's by no means unwallable if you use a chunky dark type like Umbreon or the goat Guzzlord.

:Sharpedo: It's just so good. My favorite set is Protect/Flip Turn/Crunch/CC with Life Orb.

:Slurpuff: :Linoone: seem like badmons until they actually succeed in belly drumming behind screens, so its good to carry random fast taunts around
 
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From my experience losing so far after the tier drops, I kinda get a vibe for who the major threats are.

is kinda busted because of how much it supports and keeps in check with Psychic Terrain, even after the male counterpart was banned. It can run Sash or a Choice item and still be largely successful. It even gets Mystical Fire for dealing with
and
in the late game. It can also support Unburden users such as
,
and
way better than it really has any right to.

Screens are also a force to be reckoned with. There are so many setup sweepers it's actually sort of ridiculous.
,
,
and
can set up and sweep almost uncontested if you just lead right and get screens up.

I do think there are some slept on Pokemon that could provide valuable counter play as well.

actually can counter most
sets as long as they don't run Strength Sap. I posted my set up above but all you need is full HP and Leftovers and Giga Drain 3HKOs. Shed Skin allows for it to shrug off status if you're into that. If placed on the correct team, you can switch in on the Shell Smash even if there are rocks up (but watch out for spikes). That's basically the full extent of its usefulness lol but I love the idea of a Shed Skin setup sweeper. After a single Dragon Dance it can even outspeed base 110s (the most prominent of which being
and
). It can also use
and bulky
as setup fodder which can totally disrupt the balance of an entire team and leave it vulnerable in the late game. If you run Moxie it can even potentially set up for a sweep but it loses so hard to
unless you run a super effective move with Psychic Terrain support.

is a fast and really bulky defensive pivot. It can either run Competitive to switch in on the common defoggers or even run Marvel Scale and become a super defensive powerhouse. I prefer Marvel Scale just because it can't be Toxic stalled if you run a Flame Orb. It can tank some serious hits from the likes of scarf
, Life-Orb
and
(as long as it isn't banded) even with the burn damage. Scald burns are also appreciated on these physical threats. It can run a bunch of cool moves like Flip Turn for momentum, Toxic for additional status or even Mirror Coat to surprise KO special threats. Dragon Tail can even force out setup sweepers.

is dangerous imo. A Rock Polish can set it up to sweep with its No Guard Poltergeists which sting especially hard if you're not expecting it. Running speed also allows for you to get the jump on
if you're able to switch in (which is easier thanks to Teleport, Flip Turn, U-Turn and Parting Shot being well distributed in the tier right now). You can run Focus Sash for an all-or-nothing lead or a Colbur Berry to mitigate any attempted Knock Offs. It also has valuable fire coverage in Heat Crash and Fire Punch for the occasional
.

has no right to be as valuable as it is in this meta, but we need a way to counter Psychic Terrain. Grassy Glide is amazing at revenge KOs and can U-Turn on the slow defensive steel types with minimal speed investment. It also allows for Unburden to activate, with an emphasis on
just because nothing wants to take a Grassy Terrain boosted Leaf Blade or Giga Drain at the end of the day. If you predict a switch you can Knock Off, which is great at disrupting the opponent's team.

is probably gonna size up to be the premiere Defogger in the tier. It gets U-Turn, recovery, powerful STAB, good coverage, etc. It's one of the fastest threats in the tier and can Taunt the plethora of setup sweepers. Simple.

I think this whole tier is gonna lose its marbles if
gets banned just because of how centralizing it all is, but honestly NU has stayed my favorite tier throughout this generation, even with the DLC drops, so I'm anxiously awaiting what comes next.
 
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Oathkeeper

"Wait!" he says, do I look like a waiter?
is a Tutoris a Forum Moderatoris a Community Contributoris a Contributor to Smogonis a Dedicated Tournament Hostis a Social Media Contributor Alumnus

Alright, I'm going to follow suit with pretty much everyone here and say that this demon shark needs to go. How it was able to get so many DNBs in that most recent council vote is beyond me lol. In my time laddering recently, whether it be via my primary alt or for NU Research Week (go visit it!), Sharpedo has been the bane of my existence. I always seem to lose to it somehow. Regardless of what I bring to beat it, it still manages to find a way to win games. I mean, we all know Speed Boost is one of the best abilities in the game and this doesn't help the struggle. The meta will be much better off with Sharpedo not in it. Not to mention it will make teambuilding less stressful and give you one less thing to add to a team. Another thing is the difficulty in being able to recognize what set and item it has just based off of team preview. Could it be the standard physical, mixed, or a special set? Is it running LO, Boots, a type boosting item? This is the annoying part. All the we know for certain is that it has Protect for Speed Boost and that move alone allows Shark to scout and prevents any First Impression use for stuff like Sirfetch'd or Golisopod. The best checks to it are scarf mons getting in on Shark before a Speed Boost to outspeed it first or physically bulky mons like Mantine, Gastrodon, and Bewear. Not much else can touch it, assuming they get the chance that is.

Bottom line: GET THIS FINSTROSITY OUTTA HERE!!! Eternally
 
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Corthius

diehard hockey fan
is a Site Content Manageris a Forum Moderatoris a Community Contributoris a Tiering Contributoris a Contributor to Smogonis a Top Social Media Contributor Alumnus
Hey y'all, there are a lot of great posts above me that speak about problematic pokemon in the current NU tier. To not beat a dead horse, I wanted to give some thoughts on pokemon that I think are a great addition to NU and will hopefully stay here.
Short disclaimer: My post will include theorizing and I don't know what gets used in RU or higher and what doesn't so please don't write angry posts that pokemon x will never stay NU because it is so good in RU etc.
With that out of the way, lets get started:
In my eyes Toxtricity has a lot of positive traits. Its coverage is really great, but not to the point where its broken; at least in my eyes. Punk Rock (best ability every btw) boosted Boomburst hits every not resisting pokemon bar huge special walls like Porygon2 like a truck. Paired with a great STAB in Overdrive, it allows it to hit most of the ghost types that are immune to Boomburst. Volt Switch is a great way to keep offensive momentum, even tho, most of the time you won't be clicking this anyway. Sludge Bomb/Wave makes for great secondary STAB moves which can be useful to give you more overall neutral coverage in certain matchups. You also have coverage options like Snarl, which gets boosted by Punk Rock, to hit ghost types that have a secondary typing that allows them to shrug of your powerful attacks. Good examples are Palosand and Dhelmise/Decidueye.
Notable niche/other options are Hex, if you try to run Toxtricity with status spam which also allows it to hit Rhyperior for more damage than Boomburst/Snarl & Toxic (s/o to Roxiee), that can, similar to poison STAB moves like Sludge Bomb, ease the prediction against teams that feature immunities for your powerful attacks.
Its best sets are probably Choice Scarf & Choice Specs. I also used a lot of Shift Gear + Throat Spray Toxtricity on dual screens HO, but I doubt that this will be a big thing with some of the more or less busted set up sweeper (hopefully) leaving the tier.
Its bulk is mediocre and its typing isn't necessary good to begin with but I still want to mention that it's a grounded poison type so it absorbs Toxic Spikes and, if that every comes to play, it can 'check' Dig-less Ninjask.
All these things sound like it's probably broken, but from my experience it is quite manageable. Solid checks are Rhyperior/Rhydon, Palosand, Dhelmise/Decidueye and Porygon2. Besides these checks to Toxtricity's most used moves, there is always the risk of a 50/50 when you click Boomburst against e.g. opposing Mudsdale when they have a ghost type in the back and so is staying in and clicking Overdrive. Its medicore-bad speed doesn't really help either since its slower than many common Psychic types like Cresselia, Espeon and most notably Indeedee-F so it is easily revengekilled by faster threats. It also competes with Exploud as a Boomburst user who can freely spam its powerful stab.
Passimian is a neat pivot that is, for now, outclassed by Mienshao in every way. But rumors say that Mienshao will leave the tier which opens up Passimian to come back as an amazing Choice Scarf user. Great speed (for a Choice Scarfer) and a high attack stat with coverage and access to U-turn that hits everything it wants to (Knock Off, Rock Slide, Gunk Shot, Earth Quake) makes this a very potent physical attacker. Its ability Defiant can also become very useful when its paired with hazard support and punishes the attempt of Defog.
It also has great physical bulk in 100/90 which allows it to sponge weaker neutral physical hits and retaliate with a strong Close Combat or pivot out via U-turn.
We finally have access to this Rotom form and I am loving it already. Its STAB combination in conjunction with Volt Switch makes this probably one, if not the best Volt Switch pivot atm. STAB Leaf Storm scares Lanturn and every Ground type not named Stunfisk-Galar so they most likely don't want to switch in directly on a potential Volt Switch.
Rotom-Mow can run quite a plethora of sets, varying from Choice Scarf to defensive Defog to offensive Nasty Plot sets. Due to the aforementioned reasons, I believe Choice Scarf will become one of its best sets and probably one of our best/better scarfers. Defog Rotom-Mow also looks really good since it can beat most of the common rocker. Nasty Plot sets seem very threatening on paper because of its STAB combination but we now have specially defensive answers like Goodra and Dragalge which eat up every hit so I doubt that it'll be broken + it gets easily revengekilled by First Impression and faster threats like Salazzle and Choice Scarf Toxtricity. Still looks like a solid breaker for fatter teams.
With the newly gained Flip Turn and great special bulk and good defensive typing, Dragalge has never let me down when it came to slow pivoting. Access to Toxic Spikes further increases Dragalge's utility. Its typing is a blessing and a curse as you're now weak to Ground and Psychic types.
For offense, Adaptability + strong STABs in Draco Meteor and Sludge Wave to scare fairies & Focus Blast to break through Steel types, Dragalge has all the tools in needs to dismantle defensive cores. It falls under the same category as Drampa and Alolan Exeggutor where your best answer is probably a strong specially defensive sponge like Porygon2 and a lot of offensive pressure. Since the meta got so much faster and Dragalge wishing that Indeedee-F also gets banned I think this pokemon is fine for now, surely would've been broken if we got it like 2-3 months ago.
Hazard stacking is one of my favorite team archetypes. One ingredient that is essential for this type of team is a team member that reliably gets up Spikes throughout the match. Roserade is one of our newest Spikes setter and fulfills his roll perfectly. With utility options in Toxic and Sleep Power, as well as powerful and good STAB attacks & a great support ability in Natural Cure, Roserade fits nicely onto a lot of teams. Furthermore, its special bulk is quite good so its able to check most of the bulky water types that are roaming around.
The loss of Hidden Power is a big F for Roserade since its no longer able to reliably hit Steel type with HP Fire/Ground and can't really touch most of our Steel types and gets walled to high heaven by Escavalier. I still believe that this is a fine addition to the tier.
Another Grass type. Tsareena is like a more offensively orientated Eldegoss that can also pivot. With access to Rapid Spin, Tsareena can serve as a great spinner on e.g. balance teams. Great coverage options in High Jump Kick, Triple Axel and Zen Headbutt + access to U-turn in combination with an 120-base attack stat make Tsareena a potent offensive pivot that can scare a lot of the meta game. It also has utility options like Knock Off, Synthesis and Taunt to ease its matchup against opposing fatter teams. Its ability, Queenly Majesty, makes it an interesting check against Comfey and priority user that might want to revenge it with their priority after Tsareena got speed boosts trough Rapid Spin.
Even tho Tsareena isn't necessarly slow, it still wishes it had a better speed stat which also kinda hinders it from really abusing its ability; the only priority user I can think of Tsareena beats without a speed boost is Piloswine. Good answers against Tsareena are probably defensive Fire types like Arcanine and Talonflame.
This mon is a blessing. I've used SD three attacks and Choice Scarf and both sets turned out pretty good. Its amazing speed stat + the ability to boost via Swords Dance makes Virizion a threatening wallbreaker/sweeper. Its coverage is amazing, just to name prob the three best options: Megahorn/X-Sizzor (mostly for Celebi), Stone Edge (for Flying types) and Zen Headbutt (for Poison types). Its typing also means that it can come in on common rockers and bulky waters and scare them out. One option i haven't tried myself is Calm Mind. On paper, it has great STABs in Focus Blast and Giga Drain with Air Slash as its only coverage option but I think you can totally justify that move or even Substitute + Leftovers.
There is honestly not a lot of bad stuff I can say about Virizion; its attack stat feels a bit underwhelming for a scarfer but you aren't trying to break anything anyway.
With an base 130 attacking stat and two abilities to boost your attacks, Copperajah hits like a truck. With great STAB options in either Iron Head for Sheer Force or Heavy Slam for Heavy Metal and amazing, litterally perfect coverage to choose from in Power Whip, Heat Crash, Earth Quake, Superpower and Stone Edge/Rock Slide, Copperajah can be really threatening under the right circumstances. Additionally, access to Stealth Rock and its great defensive pure steel typing allows Copperajah to be an effective rocker ad its high HP stat makes up for its middling defensive stats to check fairies/dragons and flying types.
That's all for now, there are cool pokemon I didn't mentioned like Goodra or Talonflame but I also didn't want to talk about everything because that would go beyond the scope.
Have a great day and ban Barbaracle.
 
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shiftry.png

I want to use this post to highlight Shiftry, a Pokemon who is still very strong even in the wake of Drought's ban. I have seen basically zero Sun teams since then, but I think people should reconsider this. Personally, I've been using special with Giga Drain and Dark Pulse. I really like Air Slash, because with Life Orb it guarantees an OHKO on the omnipresent Mienshao. It also does massive damage to things like Centiskorch that typically give Sun problems. The fourth slot is very customizable. Heat Wave is nice for the tier's Steel-types and Bewear. Growth takes advantage of some of the switches you force, and Protect is a viable option to neuter the tier's First Impression users. Dedicated Sun teams still have options like Whimsicott and Regirock as dedicated setters that provide extra utility via Encore and Stealth Rocks.

I hesitate to say Shiftry is broken, because the tier does have some very viable counterplay at its disposal. Priority users like Comfey and Talonflame fare well most of the time. First Impression users like Sirfetch'd and Golisopod do the trick vs non-Protect variants. A healthy Noivern or Sylveon can tank one hit and retaliate. Goodra stands out to me as a hard stop to Special variants, although I could see Physically-oriented mixed variants with Knock Off being a problem.

Here's a replay that I think demonstrates how effective Shiftry can be, especially in a meta where people aren't necessarily preparing for Sun at the moment: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8nu-1241469912-0vl2l4k8f7vi9oxmfz3axf92knd6q5vpw
 
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WIP NU Absol Set
Name: Life Orb/Physical Sweeper
Absol @ Life Orb
Ability: Super Luck
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Swords Dance/Iron Tail
- Close Combat
- Sucker Punch

Set Notes:

Absol's sheer offensive capability is one of the highest in its tier. Its also able to outspeed commonly used pokemon in the tier, such as Polteageist. Getting an ability that increases critical hit chances, plenty of Dark-type STAB to choose from and an item that increases attack potency is just icing on the cake for this pokemon. Getting STAB from Knock Off allows it to do more damage to any pokemon running Choice items, boots, etc. Any switches can be read with Swords Dance to increase this Pokemon's offensive capability even more, or Iron Tail can be used to take down Fairy types. Close Combat is one of Absol's strongest moves, which unlike Superpower, won't weaken overtime. With Sucker Punch for priority and good measure, Absol becomes one of the best offensive NU pokemon.

WIP NU Bewear Set
Name: Attacking Lead/Physical Sweeper/Life Orb
Bewear @ Life Orb
Ability: Fluffy
EVs: 160 Atk / 252 SpD / 96 Spe
Careful Nature
- Drain Punch
- Body Slam
- Swords Dance
- Darkest Lariat

Set Notes:

Bewear is a very offensive mon of the OU tier. While it is often run with the Chople Berry, special moves seem to more often plague the tier. Not to mention, Bewear's ability, Fluffy, already weakens physical attacks. With a higher Special Defense stat, it is able to take special attacks with more ease and retaliate with one of its strong attacks, boosted by the Life Orb. Drain Punch is a nice healing move which Bewear also gets STAB from. Body Slam is also a very nice normal type move without recoil, and it can also paralyze the opponent to lower the speed difference between Bewear and its opponent. Swords Dance is very nice to increase the attack stat while an opponent is setting up, or directly after you take a hit. Darkest Lariat is a perfect move to handle Ghost and Psychic types that may come against this pokemon. With its STAB and high Attack stat, Bewear has a good set to fight its opponents.

WIP NU Decidueye Set
Name: Special Sweeper
Decidueye @ Blunder Policy
Ability: Overgrow
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Energy Ball
- Shadow Ball
- Hurricane

Set Notes:

Decidueye's special attacking stat is pretty good for its tier and can be increased with Nasty Plot, however, it lacks speed and bulk. However, with the Blunder Policy, it can gain speed from missing its Hurricane, making it quite viable as it carries a strong SpAtk stat and high speed stat, which then outspeeds most of the tier. Its versatility combined with its increased speed makes it a dangerous foe for NU.

WIP NU Braviary Set
Name: All-Out Attacker/Attacking Lead/Physical Sweeper
Braviary (M) @ Life Orb/Choice Band
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- Crush Claw
- Iron Head
- Rock Slide

Set Notes:

Braviary's attack stat is one of the highest in its tier. When its attacks are boosted by Sheer Force and the Life Orb, it gains a considerable edge over most Pokemon in the tier. With Sheer Force increasing Crush Claw, combined with its STAB and item, it is a very fear-inducing threat. The flinch percentage as well as Sheer Force and item-boosted Iron Head and Rock Slide give Braviary extra coverage and a nice way to handle threats such as Diancie and Articuno. While Brave Bird is not boosted by its ability, it is still boosted by STAB and its item, giving Braviary a very strong attacking set that handles most pokemon in its way.

WIP NU Flygon Set
Name: Attacking Lead/Physical Sweeper
Flygon @ Choice Scarf
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
Ability: Levitate
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Fire Punch
- Outrage

Set Notes:
Flygon is quite a well-known pokemon at this point, with its highest stats being its Attack and Speed stats. By amplifying both of these stats with EVs, and especially doing so to speed with the choice scarf, it becomes a deadly threat to NU opposition. With its versatile set, choice scarf, and hard-hitting STAB moves, it outspeeds and outpowers most of the NU tier.


Another WIP NU Flygon Set
Name: Dragon Dance (Idk, I'll make a better name later)
Flygon @ Blunder Policy
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Iron Tail

Set Notes:

Flygon has great speed and offensive capabilities. Using the move Dragon Dance, it can further increase these. The moves Dragon Claw and Earthquake provide a strong offense increased by STAB. However, pokemon such as Diancie, Silvally-Fairy, and Sylveon still have prominent places in the NU tier. The move, Iron Tail, provides a nice counter to these types, and using the Blunder Policy, Flygon can benefit off of its lower accuracy, ultimately making this a quick and heavy-hitting pokemon of the tier.

WIP NU Druddigon Set
Name: Life Orb/Physical Sweeper
Druddigon @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Claw
- Gunk Shot
- Fire Punch
- Crunch

Set Notes:

Druddigon's offensive capability is actually quite high and outperforms most of its tier. When it's run, it's usually bearing the ability, Rough Skin, or even Mold Breaker. However, Druddigon has another very viable ability, Sheer Force. With Sheer Force amplifying Gunk Shot's latent power, it's a good fairy counter, with a boosted Fire Punch to handle Ice-types and Crunch for added coverage, and Dragon Claw for physical STAB, Druddigon serves a viable slot in the OU tier. However, that's not all. The item, Life Orb, further boosts all of these attacks, and due to the ability Sheer Force, it will not take any damage from the Life Orb unless its using Dragon Claw, due to it not having a secondary effect. Using this, Druddigon is a viable Life Orb user that demands more respect from the tier

WIP NU Mesprit Set
Name: Choice Specs/Special Sweeper
Mesprit @ Choice Specs
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Tri Attack
- Dazzling Gleam
- Shadow Ball

Set Notes:
(I'll write these later, a bit busy rn)

Tell me if you use any of these sets and what (if anything) I should change
 
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Fragmented

procrastinating...
is a Pokemon Researcher
WIP NU Decidueye Set
Name: Special Sweeper
Decidueye @ Blunder Policy
Ability: Overgrow
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Energy Ball
- Shadow Ball
- Hurricane

Set Notes:

Decidueye's special attacking stat is pretty good for its tier and can be increased with Nasty Plot, however, it lacks speed and bulk. However, with the Blunder Policy, it can gain speed from missing its Hurricane, making it quite viable as it carries a strong SpAtk stat and high speed stat, which then outspeeds most of the tier. Its versatility combined with its increased speed makes it a dangerous foe for NU.
Imo, if you're going for a special sweeping set, you'd want to run max speed and timid for the sole reason that Bewear exist and will absolute mess you up. Otherwise, the set seems pretty fine

WIP NU Braviary Set
Name: All-Out Attacker/Attacking Lead/Physical Sweeper
Braviary (M) @ Life Orb/Choice Band
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- Crush Claw
- Iron Head
- Rock Slide

Set Notes:

Braviary's attack stat is one of the highest in its tier. When its attacks are boosted by Sheer Force and the Life Orb, it gains a considerable edge over most Pokemon in the tier. With Sheer Force increasing Crush Claw, combined with its STAB and item, it is a very fear-inducing threat. The flinch percentage as well as Sheer Force and item-boosted Iron Head and Rock Slide give Braviary extra coverage and a nice way to handle threats such as Diancie and Articuno. While Brave Bird is not boosted by its ability, it is still boosted by STAB and its item, giving Braviary a very strong attacking set that handles most pokemon in its way.
This is the set I have the most problems with. Not that it's bad, but it's better performed by Tauros which also has the speed to back it up. A more standard set would be something along the lines of this:

Braviary (M) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- Close Combat
- Roost
- Bulk Up/Defog/U-turn

Flying + Fighting already hits most of the tier neutrally on 2 moveslots, which free up the other slots for utility options like Roost, Bulk Up, or even U-turn. However, as the meta is quite offensively paced right now, Braviary struggles to do much to teams that aren't slow. The better set would probably by Choice Scarf, which improves Braviary's middling speed and allowing it to revenge kill and pivot around easier:

Braviary (M) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- Close Combat
- U-turn
- Defog/Iron Head

Iron Head does deserve an honorable mention in being the best move to dent Diancie, but without a Sheer Force boost it fails to KO max HP Diancie. However, more often than not, Defiant is the better ability, allowing you to take advantage of Defog or Intimidate to become an immediately more threatening force.
WIP NU Flygon Set
Name: Attacking Lead/Physical Sweeper
Flygon @ Choice Scarf
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
Ability: Levitate
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Stone Edge
- Outrage

Set Notes:
Flygon is quite a well-known pokemon at this point, with its highest stats being its Attack and Speed stats. By amplifying both of these stats with EVs, and especially doing so to speed with the choice scarf, it becomes a deadly threat to NU opposition. With its versatile set, choice scarf, and hard-hitting STAB moves, it outspeeds and outpowers most of the NU tier.
Flygon definitely has seen better days. Main issue here is that Stone Edge doesn't hit anything that Outrage already hits. You could drop Stone Edge for like Dragon Claw to have a secondary STAB, so that you don't get locked into Outrage as your opponent proceeds to switch into their Fairy type. Other options can include Fire Punch/Fire Blast for Bronzong and Escavalier, or Superpower to get more damage on stuff like Porygon 2 and Umbreon. Also, Choice Band Flygon with First Impression.

The other sets seem fine, though I question whether Bewear needs a Life Orb to boost its already monstrous Attack stat. Chople or Lum Berry could work in that place.

Also, second meta post.

:braviary:
Bulk Up sets kind of suck atm with stuff like Rhyperior and Diancie running around, tanking the hits. Scarf is probably better, but is outsped and outclassed by the likes of Mienshao and Rotom-Mow. It's still a good mon, just that the current meta isn't too kind to it.

:talonflame:
It gets stone-walled by Rock types (heh), but I just find this mon so fun to use. I've been running a somewhat bulky SD set, and it still surprises me that it can take hits. It's a decent Fairy check to stuff like Sylveon, Ribombee and Comfey, while also scaring out Grass and Fighting types. Someone above mentioned Specs Talonflame, seems pretty fire (heh). Do try out this bird.

:roserade:
Misses Hidden Power for sure, but the way I see it, this isn't a Grass type that lacks coverage, this is a Poison type that absolutely bonks Rock and Ground types. I've tried about both Specs and bulky SpDef sets to decent success, the former punching holes into the opposing team and the latter functioning as a spike stacking Vileplume with better speed and a Fairy check. The meta is relatively unkind to it at the moment, but it'll carve its niche.

:rhyperior:
Best non-suicide rocker imo. This thing is hard to kill in one hit, and you're almost guaranteed to get up rocks just by the sheer presence of this absolute unit scaring out the Xatus and Espeons. The mix of offense and defense means this thing is rarely ever deadweight in a match, just slap on a Choice Scarf to create the ULTIMATE BEING /s.

:palossand:
No words can express how much I like this mon atm. Tyrantrum + Fighting switch-in in one slot. It can tank Knock Offs easily from most Fighting types, and proceed to just sit on them while healing back up to full. It's hella passive, but if you need something to tank the hits, this is definitely a mon to consider.

:heliolisk:
I often forget that this thing has 109 SpAtk, which is the same as Charizard. Using Scarf atm to at least give me a chance against those Shell Smash Spam Squads, but Boots and Specs are both viable options.
 

Expulso

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WIP NU Bewear Set
Name: Attacking Lead/Physical Sweeper/Life Orb
Bewear @ Life Orb
Ability: Fluffy
EVs: 160 Atk / 252 SpD / 96 Spe
Careful Nature
- Drain Punch/Close Combat
- Body Slam/Double-Edge
- Swords Dance
- Darkest Lariat

Set Notes:

Bewear is a very offensive mon of the OU tier. While it is often run with the Chople Berry, special moves seem to more often plague the tier. Not to mention, Bewear's ability, Fluffy, already weakens physical attacks. With a higher Special Defense stat, it is able to take special attacks with more ease and retaliate with one of its strong attacks, boosted by the Life Orb. Drain Punch is a nice healing move which Bewear also gets STAB from, or Close Combat can be used for more damage. Body Slam is also a very nice normal type move without recoil, and it can also paralyze the opponent to lower the speed difference between Bewear and its opponent. Double-Edge can also be used as a last resort, or as a heavy hitting normal type move. Swords Dance is very nice to increase the attack stat while an opponent is setting up, or directly after you take a hit. Darkest Lariat is a perfect move to handle Ghost and Psychic types that may come against this pokemon. With its STAB and high Attack stat, Bewear has a good set to fight its opponents.

Life Orb is a bad item on Bewear because of its high natural bulk; you want it to take hits well, not waste all of its HP on LO + Double-Edge recoil.

Your concern abt special bulky is fair, and running a little bit of HP / SpDef might be nice to help against mixed attacking threats like Sharpedo. However, Bewear is best used as a strong pokemon with great physical bulk; it should maximize its physical bulk and let its specially bulky teammates (like Sylveon, Mantine, or Copperajah) handle special attacks.

I would suggest this spread if you want to be bulkier than the standard 252 atk/spe:
Bewear @ Chople Berry / Leftovers / Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Fluffy
EVs: 92 HP / 176 Atk / 24 Def / 216 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Double-Edge / Body Slam
- Drain Punch / Close Combat
- Darkest Lariat

Hits 210 speed to outspeed max speed base 55s (iirc), the 176 atk hits a jump point, rest thrown into hp with 24 def so that the ability makes ur hp and def equal (which is a tiny improvement but helps with EVing for physical attacks iirc?)

you should primarily be taking phys attacks, but if u need to take a special attack u can keep it healthy then live 1 late-game
252+ SpA Life Orb Sharpedo Hydro Pump vs. 92 HP / 0 SpD Bewear: 312-368 (77.2 - 91%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
 
:heliolisk:
I often forget that this thing has 109 SpAtk, which is the same as Charizard. Using Scarf atm to at least give me a chance against those Shell Smash Spam Squads, but Boots and Specs are both viable options.
I'd say that this thing's coverage with Surf makes Specs it's best set. It can OHKO
even if it has heavily invested in SpDef. You can also run Grassy Knot if you want to more reliably get rid of it, but then you lose coverage on
. It's faster than everything that isn't scarfed except for
,
,
and
, most of whom aren't even that popular in the format. I think it would also be spectacular with Sticky Web support.
 
Thank you both for your suggestions. Fragmented, I'm about to write revisions. Do you have any advice for Absol? (I've made edits to the other pokemon, except Braviary. I'm kinda just waiting on more input for that.)
 
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etern

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NU Leader
Second batch of council votes for the month incoming! A majority of 5/9 votes is required for something to be banned on a council slate.

council bans 2.PNG


:Linoone: Linoone was banned by the NU Council due to its insane sweeping potential after a Belly Drum. Defensively, not many Pokemon are able to stomach hits from Linoone after a boost, and the few that can are either suboptimal sets like Physdef Bewear, or extremely rare and/or outclassed in the current meta such as Avalugg, Regirock, and Pyukumuku. Revenge killing Linoone is an extremely difficult task, as it is often setting up under the support or Light Screen + Reflect, and also protected by the high priority of ExtremeSpeed. This limits Linoone's pool of counters to such an extent that it was unanimously deemed too strong for NU.

:Polteageist: Polteageist was similarly banned for its insane sweeping potential. While it had a small pool of consistent answers to it, they're mostly passive and uncommon in the current metagame. Polteageist was also often paired with Psychic Terrain or Screens support which made revenge killing it with priority an extremely difficult task.

:Slurpuff: Slurpuff is yet another titanic sweeper that had the ability to break past almost anything after a Belly Drum except the sturdiest of physdef Poison-types. With it's Unburden boosted Speed and resistance to Sucker Punch, Slurpuff was far too consistently good at sweeping teams for the lacking counterplay it had.

:Sharpedo: Sharpedo was banned from NU do to it's insane wallbreaking potential coupled with being arguably the best revenge killer in the tier. Thanks to Speed Boost in conjunction with Protect it can easily scout and outspeed would be revenge killers, and even protect itself from First Impression users. Between Close Combat and Psychic Fangs, Sharpedo was able to tear through any defensive answer it had, and create guessing games which often resulted in it doing massive damage to a team in the process.

Therefore, Linoone, Polteageist, Slurpuff, and Sharpedo have been banned from NU. (Marty The Immortal thank you!)

Stay tuned for more information on tiering for the rest of the month on the 16th, until then enjoy the new meta!
 
Thank you SO much! XD. These are such viable sweepers that I'm sick of being forced to deal with by using overall "meh" pokemon.
252+ SpA Life Orb Sharpedo Hydro Pump vs. 92 HP / 0 SpD Bewear: 312-368 (77.2 - 91%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
Expulso, does this calc still apply then? Also, that's why I had more than 0 SpD.
 
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