Hey everyone, I've been kind of distant from UU for a while since I wasn't really too big on the metagame, but these shifts are really fantastic and have really revitalized my interest in the tier; in a vacuum, nothing feels overtly broken and every drop, to me, feels like a healthy addition to the tier that are all really exciting to play with. Let me share some observations I've had thus far about UU's new toys:
Latias
Latias coming back was a major surprise to me, but definitely not an unwelcome one. So far from my testing it's been incredible, operating greatly with a wealth of really cool sets. I've had a ton of success with Choice Specs, which has a Draco Meteor that melts 90% of the tier, and a Psyshock, Aura Sphere, Mystical Fire, and Trick that checks most of everything else. Although a bit prediction reliant against Steel-type cores (especially those including Celesteela and Jirachi), it's criminally hard to switch into. Choice Scarf Healing Wish is fantastic on BO cores and VoltTurns too, and its access to Defog provides the tier with even more removal options. I haven't tested Calm Mind yet, but I'd imagine it will likely be running 3 attacks since it needs at least 3 moveslots to hit everything in the tier neutrally, and will likely be pretty strong. Latias feels to me like it will be an easy top tier pick, but it hasn't felt broken from my testing, so good intuition from the UU council!
Excadrill
This thing is pretty cool; I recall a couple of my friends thinking it would be too much. Even with Buzzwole gone, I actually quite like what Excadrill brings to the table. Excadrill brings a viable Rapid Spin user into the tier, which is crucial given that removal options were mostly limited to Rotom appliances and Salamence, and due to the wide array of Excadrill checks available such as Celesteela, Tangrowth, and the new Skarmory and Mandibuzz, (and Rotom-W if it runs Sand Rush), it's not really difficult to check at all, thankfully. That being said, Excadrill to me is bar none the strongest win condition that's currently available. Access to a speed-boosting Rapid Spin, Swords Dance, a fantastic defensive typing (or even Sand Rush) let it blank teams that let their checks get too chipped. Outside of the cleaning department, it's a superb Stealth Rock setter, extra removal option, and serviceable Latias check that looks to find a very comfortable spot on bulky offenses, and potentially some balances. Sand Rush is also a solid option, but needs Rock Slide if it expects to do anything against Rotom appliances and even chipped Celesteela/Skarmory.
As far as partners go, SubToxic Aegislash has been my favorite. Aegislash's ability to exploit Excadrill checks like Skarmory which can't touch it for Toxic-spreading opportunities against Mandibuzz and Swampert is invaluable for helping it to prepare an endgame, and both Pokemon together provide a good backbone on Sand cores to check Latias and Nihilego variants. I highly recommend giving it a shake if you haven't tried it already.
Hydreigon
Hydreigon is good; not quite the tier-defining menace I expected it to be, but that might be in part to the fact Latias has been freed, giving it heavy competition. Latias's greater speed, access to Healing Wish, and stronger coverage combinations make potential Choiced sets harder to justify. However, Hydreigon shines with its access to Nasty Plot and its defensive typing allowing it to pivot into Knock Off and Shadow Ball, while still checking Rotom appliances and the newly dropped Slowking well. Hydreigon, like in OU, is a balance buster capable of exploiting Tangrowth and Aegislash, boasting Nasty Plot, a spammable Dark Pulse, and good coverage options to check Dark Pulse switch-ins. Hydreigon is best paired with strong Steel-types that can pivot into revenge killers, such as the aforementioned Latias.
Swampert
This provides the tier with a cool special pivot, Electric-type immunity that isn't blanked by Rotom-Wash, and an option to replace Seismitoad on more offensive teams that are naturally weaker to Rotom-Heat. It's been a very solid Stealth Rock setter from my experience, and Seismitoad doesn't give it as much competition now that Water-type immunities are less valuable with Rain out of the tier. It's a cool glue mon on offenses, but nothing too flashy or spectacular in a vacuum.
Mandibuzz
Mandibuzz is insane role compression, though has some yucky caveats. It provides the tier with an Excadrill, Aegislash, Amoonguss, Tangrowth, and Krookodile pivot that has a stand-out immunity to powder moves, and even provides removal. I don't believe, though, that it will be an incredible removal option in spite of this. From my experience it gets blanked hard by Knock Off and status, very much like in OU, and most of the tier's Stealth Rock setters not named Excadrill will find a way to take advantage of it, typically with Knock Off, status, or momentum. Mandibuzz may need to use Toxic in place of U-turn in order to find a way to punish Stealth Rock setters more consistently, since it is startlingly passive against them otherwise; this may give it a snuggly place on fat, where Knock Off and status switch-ins are far more wide-spread, and momentum is less valuable. Regardless of how it pans out, it's a cool addition to the tier nonetheless.
Skarmory
Skarmory is a very welcome wall that checks very similar things to Mandibuzz, trading off a good Aegislash matchup, U-turn, and an innate powder immunity in exchange for better resilience against Knock Off, Spikes, and a Toxic immunity. Skarmory, however, will definitely be a stronger option than Mandibuzz in a vacuum, though I believe both are going to be viable in their own rights. The tier has been aching for another Spikes-setter, so much so that Roserade rose to prevalence, rising astonishingly to A after languishing in mediocrity for months. With Skarmory back in the tier, I can see hazard stacks becoming a decently popular option due to Skarmory's great role compression and ability to pair very well with the tier's Stealth Rock-setters, though this remains to be seen with Excadrill looking to become a metagame staple, and the tier now having access to more removal options.
Slowking
I've not really seen any Slowking honestly, but either way I don't expect this thing to have the room to pull off Future Sight shenanigans with Latias and Hydreigon in to play. Although it's a phenomenal special pivot with the highly coveted ability to pivot into the aforementioned Latias, Primarina, and Nidoking; let's face it, it will need status if it expects to take advantage of the former two in any capacity. Thunder Wave is a very promising option that also dissuades Aegislash and Celesteela from taking advantage of it, but Toxic may also be serviceable, too; though, we may see Substitute rise as an option from these Pokemon to check this, so I'm admittedly not sure how well Slowking is going to fare in the grand scheme of things. It may be alright on bulky offenses though for its superb pivoting abilities, but aside from that Slowking's future seems extremely contingent on how what it checks respond to it and the metagame as things stabilize.
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Aside from these drops, I very quickly wanted to mention a couple Pokemon already available in the tier that, I feel, have benefited from the climate of this new metagame.
Aegislash, to me, is the biggest winner of these drops. Not only does it take extreme advantage of Skarmory, Slowking, and some Latias variants, but it is a crazy good partner to both the aforementioned Latias and Excadrill as an option that takes advantage of each of their respective checks superbly with its SubToxic set and wicked valuable defensive typing. Although we saw a decrease in usage this month, I expect this to rectify itself as we discover more unique and powerful Aegislash interactions in such an interesting metagame.
One word: Excadrill. Gigalith's newfound viability in my opinion roots hugely in new blood to enable, but aside from that, its specially defensive variant is a great Stealth Rock setter and a solid wall against Moltres, Tornadus, Rotom-Heat, and Galarian Slowbro that can even take some heat from Aegislash and Nihilego in a pinch. Despite being a mere Sandstorm bot on paper, it still brings some solid utility to Sand cores.
Rotom-Wash was already pretty great, but I think it's benefited quite a bit from the eclipse of Sand Rush Excadrill, Seismitoad losing some value due to Rain rising to OU, and more new blood to safely Volt Switch around. It pairs phenomenally with the newly dropped Latias as a Pokemon capable of blowing away Dragon- and Grass-types that tend to pivot into Rotom-Wash, and it's pretty cool with things like Sneasel and Hydreigon as well.
And lastly, if you guys wanna try a team that uses a conglomeration of what I was talking about above, here's something that's been a lot of fun:
All in all, though, this metagame has been a blast to play so far. I'm really looking forward to getting back into the tier and seeing where the road leads us next!
