np: SS UU Stage 8 - Highway to Hell

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kumiko

formerly TDK
is a Tournament Director Alumnusis a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Top Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Four-Time Past WCoP Champion

Hello again all, welcome to the Crown Tundra! With the release of the second DLC expansion pack, we have gotten a ton of new toys, and now a bunch of Pokemon have now found their way down to UU. To see the full list of tier changes, check this:



As Hogg mentioned a few days ago, due to how many crazy Pokemon we're getting, we're basically going to be approaching tiering as if we're back in beta. As such, all of UUBL is now freed. To check out more, take a look at Hogg's post here

Things have been a bit quiet as everyone has been focused on DLC2's release, but I wanted to provide an update. For those who have not been following the announcements forum, we will be seeing a turboshift on November 1 based on post-DLC2 usage, followed by a standard shift on November 15.

From a preliminary look at usage, DLC2 looks to be by far the largest shakeup UU has seen this gen, to exceed even what we saw during Home and DLC1's releases. While we obviously can't know for sure, it's reasonable to expect some really major shifts, with everything from A(egislash) to Z(ygarde-10%) likely to drop.

After discussing this with TDK and the council, we have decided that based on the sheer magnitude of the coming shift, we will essentially treat the period between November 1 and November 15 as a return to Alpha. In other words, on November 1, we will be freeing all of UUBL. In addition, our plan is to hold off on suspect tests and council votes until the mid-November shift. Once the mid-month shifts happen, we will assess the tier fresh from there.
Lastly, I'd like to remind everyone we'll be getting more shifts in two weeks (November 15th)! After that, December 1st we'll be getting shifts again based off of the second half of the month. Then things should be mostly back to normal. To check out more information, take a look at Marty's post here:

Hi! DLC pack 2 will be released this week and the above plan worked fairly well so it'll happen again, but with some adjustments after. Here's how the rest of this year will look:

November 1st - usage stats for the purposes of tiering will be based on the last ~9 days of October, after DLC pack 2 is implemented on Pokemon Showdown.

Dropping from OU will be more complex:​
OU to UU -> below the 4.52% cutoff​
OU to RU -> below 1/15th of 4.52%​
OU to NU -> below 1/30th of 4.52%​
OU to PU -> below 1/60th of 4.52%​
Rises and drops from tiers other than OU will behave as usual. Also, NFEs from DLC pack 2 will start untiered.​

November 15th - normal tier update treating November 1-14 as a full month.

December 1st - normal tier update treating November 15-30 as a full month.

Going into 2021 we'll see how things are going and actually start up the normal 3-month shift process at some point, assuming there are no more surprise announcements.
That's all for now! Enjoy the new metagame.
 
It’s here. Just as the phenomenon of the DLC Cascade had reached its nadir last month, a second wave comes washing over the Galar region from the cold front on the Crown Tundra. This front is even more drastic, both bringing more mons to the tier than the front from Isle of Armor and shifting the power level to an extent not really seen following that last cascade. Once solid OU mons now find themselves down in the lower altitude environment, and a few mons returning to UU aren’t quite as stellar as they were before. With the sheer amount of mons dropping, we will likely see many who cannot adapt to the new tier/could be good if they didn’t have so much competition or force themselves out as their presence is simply too disruptive to the ecosystem. While this new meta will probably be as coherent as a dumpster fire in its initial stages, I have tried my best to give a rough analysis of each mon falling this month. The sheer amount of drops means that I’ve had to change up the format of this analysis to not overwhelm my dear readers with a massive wall of text. Given the length of everything, I think it best we just get started. Edit: Apparently I might have forgotten to change a few things; a few drops didn't completely match my expectations, so I had to make a bunch of changes. Obviously, any serious mentions of mons that didn't end up dropping are not applicable right now.

Approximate Ratings (These rankings aren’t proper viability rankings, but are simply my approximate guess as to how good each mon is in terms of what’s dropping).

S++: Obviously broken.
S+: Broken, but I can see an argument about it being fine (or it’s not as blatantly broken).
S: Great, but I can see arguments about it being broken.
A: Overall great/good.
B: Decent, but has significant flaws.
C: Niche, can fit on some teams.
D: Trash.

Amoonguss once again looks to be the same annoying Regen blob it always is. While it won’t be quite as annoying as Toxapex can be in OU, its solid bulk and ability will make killing it a pain to any team that is unprepared. The fungus’ other major asset is guaranteed sleep in Spore, which can be key in shutting down terrifying set-up sweepers before they get going or creating an opening for an ally sweeper to exploit; Spore is simply a must have for this mon. Other notable tools are Foul Play to prey on sleeping physical sweepers, Sludge Bomb to spread poison and take on most Grasses foolish enough to intercept its Spore, Giga Drain or Synthesis for added sustain and Stomping Tantrum just so it has something for Steels. As much as I hate to say it, this thing looks to be pretty damn good. A+


While it likely won’t be a top tier in UU, I think Garticuno does have some serious potential. This thing has potential as a late-game Calm Mind sweeper, using its STABs and either Shadow Ball for extra coverage or Recover for longevity. It’s access to U-turn means it could also function as a Specs user, using Competitive in order to deter opposing Defog or Intimidate users. This thing can definitely hit hard, but with certain other drops it can be walled without too much hassle. B+


The removal of Pursuit is a dream come true for Azelf, who finally has the ability to run non-lead sets again. That’s not to say lead Azelf is bad, though; it’s fast Stealth Rock and Taunt alongside solid utility like Knock Off or Explosion to KO itself before Rocks can be removed makes it a great lead for HO teams. That said, non-HO teams can utilize it as a fast Nasty Plot sweeper, with solid coverage like Dazzling Gleam and Fire Blast. With its Speed, U-turn and solid attacking sets, it can also function as a solid Choice user; Specs is easy to explain, Scarf makes it a fast AF revenge killer and I think even Band could be viable due to unpredictability and now getting Play Rough for Dark types. Overall, Azelf suddenly has a lot more freedom in what it can do, and looks to be an interesting addition to the tier. A


Compared to last gen, I think Azumarill will be a bit more manageable as 1) this shift is providing a lot of mons it can’t switch in on and 2) it lost access to Z-Belly Drum, so it no longer gets to automatically be at half. Azu’s Belly Drum set is a very all or nothing mon; sometimes you’ll sweep, other times you find something that can live a +6 Aqua Jet and stomp you back, especially with Drum’s self-inflicted damage, a burden which also prevents Azu from switching into anything unless you know it’s a Dragon move. Choice Band has an easier time getting in, but we’re getting several new Grass types that don’t care too much about Jet like Bulu and easily KO back. Don’t get me wrong, this thing is still terrifying with adequate support; I just don’t think it belongs in the broken section. Of course if Drizzle stays unbanned, that could potentially push it over the edge, but I have my doubts about that. S


Buzzwole’s great physical bulk and Attack stat make it something to be feared. It also gets a really diverse movepool, allowing it to potentially smack any answers; it has Darkest Lariat for Ghost types, Poison Jab for Fairies, Ice Punch/Thunder Punch/Stone Edge for Flying types, and has several forms of recovery. Finally, Beast Boost can allow it to snowball once various checks have been removed. I can picture several viable sets, mainly Choice Band to just smack everything, Choice Scarf to fix its mediocre Speed, or tanky sweeper with Bulk Up + Roost. That said, it does have its downsides: as I mentioned, its Speed is rather unimpressive without Scarf and its special bulk is very underwhelming. A+


With Electric spam in OU reaching critical mass, Celesteela takes refuge in the more inviting environment of UU. With well-rounded stats and a fairly diverse movepool, Steela has quite a few sets to choose from: Leech Seed + Protect/Substitute, Autotomize sweeper with Weakness Policy, and Specs are just some of your options. Beast Boost is a particularly great tool for a mon with Steela’s stats, as it can easily get the boost in either attacking stat or even invest in a defensive stat on bulkier sets. While Steela fills the swiss-army-knife role pretty well, none of its stats are that great and its low speed leaves it vulnerable to a whole army of revenge killers, even if it only sports two weaknesses. Not having any recovery outside Leech Seed is also a tad annoying. Still, that variety means you can easily trick Steela out to fit whatever role your team needs. A


The Claw comes back to UU, although it might have a harder time than before. As powerful as its Adaptability STAB still is, we also got a bunch of mons that resist those meaty STABs like Tapu Bulu and Kommo-o, as well as generally buff mons like Buzzwole and Skarmory that can shrug off a hit or two. It’s speed and special bulk is just as miserable as ever, too. That said, STAB still hits pretty hard, especially when boosted by the newly unbanned Drizzle, so I think it might just work out for ol’ Crawdaunt. A


While I was initially hesitant to welcome Diggersby back, I think it could actually be fine given some drops I was not anticipating. The big one is obviously Tapu Bulu, whose Grassy Terrain neuters Digger’s EQ, meaning Normal-resistant mons can stand up to it more easily and bulkier defensive mons become even harder to break. This shift also gave us a bevy of new Flying types and fast offensive mons, both of which make Digger more reliant on Quick Attack to get damage. It still gets a lot of damage if your opponent lacks these checks, but the checks aren’t too difficult to slot on a team. S/A+


I already went into this guy when I discussed the possibility of returning BL mons, but I think Durant looks to be one of the most manageable returns. The sheer amount of physically bulky mons that can stand in its way means Ant can no longer slot everything it needs onto one set; no matter what you drop, something will be there to stop you. I think Durant will switch to a Hone Claws set over Band since without a +1 it struggles to take out mons like Suicune, although that comes with a turn of vulnerability, especially with paper-thin special bulk. With 4MSS now a very real concern for Ant, I think it will be strong but not overwhelming. A


Entei got several small buffs in the gen shift, between Boots to alleviate its hazard struggles, buffed Inner Focus to prevent intimidation and the ability to use Flare Blitz without being nature locked. With dual STAB, Stone Edge for coverage and priority in E-Speed, Entei looks to be solid AoA. However, needing Boots means it can’t run Life Orb or Band for added power, which may not leave it the most useful physical attacker in practice, especially since its Attack isn’t the highest of the new drops. That said, high burn chance in Sacred Fire and revenge killing via priority does give it a solid role, albeit not one every team has room for. B/B-


Glastrier may be a mon with 145 Attack and a Moxie clone, but I feel it is sufficiently balanced out by its bottom-tier Speed and abysmal defensive typing (with no recovery). That typing, in addition to lacking- any resists, also makes it weak to Rocks, meaning without Boots it can be whittled down easily despite its naturally good bulk; of course, running Boots means you’re not running an offensive item, so without a SD boost it isn’t completely taxing offensively. That said, Chilling Neigh means this thing can still snowball (get it?) late-game once the mons that immediately threaten it are out of the way, plus unlike its ghostly counterpart it actually gets coverage. Glastrier may need support for you to get the most out of it, but those rewards are definitely worth it. S/A+


Hatterene will likely go back to her old witchy tricks, whether that be as a bulky CM sweeper, Trick Room setter or possible Specs/AV user. However, Hatt will probably not be as good as she was before as her once solid bulk now looks considerably less impressive with the mid-gen power creep, which intrinsically makes all her flaws more apparent than before. The main thing that still justifies her usage in UU is that terrific ability in Magic Bounce, as even in the age of Boots the ability to protect your side from hazards is potentially game-changing. Hatt’s definitely still useful, but the new level of power will make her a bit fringe. B


As intimidating as that axe may seem (or- unnerving, I guess?), Haxorus’ meaty Attack stat isn’t enough to invalidate the tier on its own; it needs STAB to consistently break the new bulky Waters, needs Close Combat as Hax’s strongest anti-Steel option, needs EQ since it otherwise flails against Nidos, Metagross and Doublade, without Poison Jab/Iron Head it loses to Fairies like Tapu Bulu and Geezing, and on top of that needs boosting to consistently break through tougher walls. Much like Durant, Hax ends up falling short of broken this time thanks to 4MSS. Still, if you can get rid of whatever your coverage fails to hit, Hax is a pure BEAST, demolishing weakened teams or tearing big holes if your opponent can’t predict right. This dude is going to be a premier offensive Dragon (that isn’t banned). A


With OU preferring the Special bulk and/or respectable power of Tyranitar, Hippowdon finds itself as the de facto face of UU Sand. Hippo serves as a great physical wall, setting Rocks, keeping itself healthy with Slack Off, throwing off consistent EQs and either spreading Toxic or phasing out threats before they can get out of control. Most importantly, though, Hippo’s Sand transforms Dracozolt into a terrifying menace, and this core will easily claim some lives before Zolt inevitably gets banned. Even without Dracozolt, though, Hippowdon looks primed to be a solid support mon in its own right. A+


Hydreigon is another mon that borders on being broken, but I think it’s common weaknesses to Fairy, Fighting and U-turn alongside many faster threats (unless it’s Scarf) should keep it in check with the new higher power level. Hydreigon has a few viable roles- going all in on its great special power with either NP or Specs, becoming a solid revenge-killer with Scarf or even adopting a stallbreaker set w/Roost like the one it used to moderate success in USUM OU. It definitely has exploitable weaknesses, but Hydra is shaping up to be a great new addition. S


The flinch god is back, although his signature flinch antics probably won’t be so dominant. The influx of bulky mons like Suicune and Volcanion, among others, naturally suffocate the old physical Scarf set, which outside of Trick has little to handle them besides praying to RNGesus. As such, I predict that CM Rachi and support/Rocker Rachi may become the new default sets. Of course, you can never be entirely sure about what Jirachi will do thanks to its expansive movepool, with solid coverage on both sides and excellent support options like U-turn, Rocks, Wish and Healing Wish. That versatility, while not as broken as before, is more than enough to keep Rachi near the top of the pack. S/A+


Another previously banned mon that I’ve softened on a bit, my main worry with Kommo-o was Clangorous Soul, which with an additional +1 from Throat Spray could decimate teams without one of a few Fairy types. However, we ended up getting a few drops I wasn’t expecting, which do include several solid checks like Primarina, which isn’t OHKOed by +1 Poison Jab unless you’re +Attack nature. I still think Soul Kom can be terrifying in the right circumstances, but it’s not complete overkill. You can also run the more defensive set it uses in OU, but I feel the lower power level allows offensive sets to put in more work, making it the better option. Still, both routes are perfectly viable. A


Kyurem was probably one of the most obvious drops this shift, since there’s not really much reason to use it over the unbanned Kyurem-Black. While it may have been dumped rather unceremoniously, Kyurem will likely set out to remind us why it was one of the most feared UU mons when it first dropped. Specs is just as terrifying as ever, packing IceDry, dropping Dracos and firing off either Earth Power or Focus Blast for Steels. Equally as threatening is SubRoost, which keeps up the offensive pressure while applying its literal Pressure and Sub-stalling to deplete vital PP. However, the power-creep also makes Rem’s speed tier a bit less special, as we now have more threats that can force it out. Such is the way of Rem: switching into it is a pain, but once you’re in revenging it isn’t too difficult. A-


Duskroc comes back to its prime hunting ground, ready to just spam attacks and open up holes for its teammates. The AoA set it utilized before its ban will probably return as the dominant set due to Duskroc’s noted difficulty in safely setting up: STAB priority Accelerock, CC, Crunch and Psychic Fangs/Iron Head hits most of the meta pretty hard. That said, the increased bulk level means that, while Duskroc still hits as hard as ever, bulkier teams now have greater ease in playing around it- what I mean is that UU has a lot more mons that can shrug off a hit if it’s not SE, allowing to to rack up LO recoil on the wolf. Admittedly, I’m a bit more on the fence about this guy than some of the other unbans, but I think it could work. S


Whenever Steel types seek to block your assault, Magnezone is there to help. With a decent offensive STAB combo, hitting Waters and Fairies hard, Volt Switch to retain momentum and Body Press to take advantage of Magnet Pull. Zone probably wishes it could just use a Special attack for anti-Steel coverage instead of having to invest separately for Press, but given the new plethora of Steels and respectably powerful Tbolt it will probably be solid albeit unspectacular. A-


While Metagross would probably prefer to still have Pursuit, it still seems set as a solid attacker. With strong Steel STAB in Meteor Mash and solid priority in Bullet Punch it tears through Fairies, alongside solid attacking options like Zen Headbutt, EQ, Hammer Arm, Thunder Punch and Explosion, among others. Its great physical bulk allows it to take hits on a powerful Band set, reliably set Rocks or even run a gimmicky but fun Agility + Weakness Policy set. Of course, it still has several notable type weaknesses like Ground and Dark, but any unprepared team will get smacked hard. A


It’s no longer a myth: UU Mew is back! With a movepool that puts all other Pokemon to shame (which I can say since Smeargle isn’t around) and decent stats across the board, it’s less a question of what Mew can do and more about what it can’t. If I was to really list every set Mew could potentially run in UU, with all its boosting options, strong coverage and superb utility, we’d probably be here another hour. For now, let’s just leave it at- despite having common weaknesses and a mediocre ability, Mew is easily one of the most interesting drops this shift. A+


Goltres may be a fairly one-dimensional offensive threat, but with Berserk it can potentially rack up its only okay 100 SpA. With Nasty Plot, dual STAB and Agility, Goltres is capable of becoming a potent late game sweeper. You can just go STABs + RestTalk and leverage your bulk for multiple Berserk boosts, but RestTalk is a lot more RNG reliant and can leave you vulnerable to powerful physical attackers when relying on that Sleep Talk roll. Those are really the only 2 options, as Specs sets are unviable due to lack of coverage (seriously, why does this thing not get Heat Wave?) or even Defog for utility. Its lack of recovery outside Rest and inability to hit things that resist its STABs unless it can rack up multiple boosts mean that Goltres has serious flaws both offensively and defensively. Ultimately, I think it will barely hold onto its UU rank, if it even does. B


Sheer Force go brrr. You’d probably never think that 85 SpA would be too impressive, but Nidoking has been running with it for 3 generations already so why stop now? With the extra kick from LO, King becomes a deceptively strong attacker, between its STABs and key coverage in BoltBeam and Fire Blast it has a SE hit for most of the tier (at least potentially). Of course, you can also drop your choice of coverage for Substitute to ensure any mon the outspeeds you can’t just take you out, considering that King is not exactly the bulkiest mon. That only okay speed and bulk is what keeps it from being a meta-defining threat, but it still gets the job done. A-


Nihilego has quite a decent movepool, packing solid coverage like Grass Knot, Thunderbolt and Psychic, as well as hazards in Rock and TSpikes. Its SpA and Speed, alongside Beast Boost, allow it to run an effective Specs, Scarf or AoA set, with the aforementioned hazards providing it some valuable utility. However, Nihilego did get one significant blow via the loss of Hidden Power, meaning it now gets walled by most Steel types, which isn’t too great considering the influx of Steels we see this drop. That’s not to say Nihil is bad now, but I can see struggling a lot more than last gen. B+


You might be just as surprised I’m putting Omastar on the main list as I am that it even landed in UU at all, but Omastar has several great qualities in UU. Swift Swim allows it to be decently speedy and boost the STAB off its already okay 115 SpA, Shell Smash + Hydro Pump/Earth Power/Ice Beam allows it to be a potent late-game sweeper in and out of rain (although it still prefers with) and laying Spikes or Rocks alongside its Armors allows it to also serve as an HO lead or a setter who can come in multiple times. Granted, there are some mons who outspeed even after the smash and its awful defensive typing leaves it vulnerable to multiple metagame superstars, but I can see this guy having some decent usage. B if rain stays, C if it leaves.


Primarina has had a fairly controversial track record in UU, whether by its free reign during the USUM days or its ban this gen. While Prima has lost Z moves and HP compared to last gen, it also gained CM to serve as a bulky sweeper and pivoting in Flip Turn, which greatly benefits Choice sets. However, I feel that the power level has increased by a margin where Prima is no longer overwhelming. The CM set that got it banned now has to compete with the infamous CroCune, which backs superior bulk and a better defensive ability in Pressure. There are generally a lot more mons that resist Water STAB now, including scary Grass types like Bulu and Venusaur. In addition the return of Venu will undoubtedly promote Sun again in the upcoming weather wars, which further weakens Prima. Not too scary without a boost, Prima may end up falling back on its Specs and Scarf sets utilizing Flip Turn, where it’ll be good but not overwhelming (we already have stronger Choice attacks like Chandelure in the mix). A+


Raikou would probably still like HP, but the addition of Scald means that it’s not helpless against opposing Ground types; it also likes that Aura Sphere is no longer nature locked. Rai has the option to utilize either a fast CM set (possibly paired with Substitute) or go for a speedy Specs set packing Tbolt/Scald/Aura/Volt Switch. However, weather wars allow it to go even further, trading in for more powerful STAB in Thunder and using the now-unlocked Weather Ball for an even harder hit against Ground types (it should be noted that any Raikou users should keep an eye on Seismotoad, who could easily pop up again in a weather-heavy meta). Even if Drizzle is taken away again, Rai still has what it needs to be a good offensive Electric. A


Dragon SPAM- er, I mean Regidrago utilizes its absurd ability in Dragon’s Maw to fire off super-strong STAB attacks. Drago will most likely lean physical since that route gives it some coverage, namely Hammer Arm to hit Steels. Much like its brother Regieleki in OU, Drago is obviously held back by its terrible movepool, having little to hit opposing Fairies unless it KOs itself with Explosion (which doesn’t even work on Mimikyu). It’s stats are also not much to write home about, with a meh speed stat and terrible defenses which betray its hefty HP stat. Still, the sheer power of STAB is probably enough that you have to run a Fairy type just in case in bites its way into battle. S/A+


Having 3 Rotom-A’s in the tier may take a bit of getting used to, but Heattom is definitely no slouch compared to the Washer or Mower. With Boots it serves as either a reliable defensive pivot or late-game NP cleaner, while Choice sets with the requisite Trick prove a nuisance in its right. The return of weather wars also means more Sun to boost its already strong Overheat. However, non-Choice sets are restricted a bit since they need Boots to bypass that Stealth Rock weakness, meaning they lack the luxury of Leftovers that Washtom and Mowtom have. Still, the dominance Heattom has displayed this gen against the other Rotoms is unlikely to dissipate so easily. A


Scizor is quite the versatile menace; you’ve got the SD or Curse sweeper, powerful Bander and defensive Defogger to worry about. All sets utilize Scizor’s signature claim to fame in Technician Bullet Punch, which can cleave through mons that don’t resist it and is especially great considering the influx of Fairies, making it a great partner for Regidrago. It also packs notable tools in STAB U-turn, powerful Knock Off, recovery in Roost and notable coverage in Superpower and Technician-boosted Dual Wingbeat. It does have flaws thanks to its low speed and 4x Fire weakness, but this is gonna be an easy top tier. S


If its brief stint in UU following the IoA drop is anything to go by, Skarmory will be a mighty fine addition to the tier. With great physical bulk and Roost, it walls some of the most dangerous breakers in the tier, including Duskroc, Haxorus and Bulu. It mainly makes its name through the hazard game, reliably Defogging and packing both Spikes and Rocks (I find that Spikes is usually better). It also got a great new attack in Body Press, which operates off of its great Defense stat, has Toxic for most of the Ghosts in the tier and occasional Whirlwind to phase out sweepers and rack up hazard damage. Granted, the return of Rain, rise of Sun and presence of multiple strong Electrics mean it's a bit easier to crack now, but Steel bird will keep on chugging. A+


Glowking packs several advantages over its Johto counterpart, with higher SpA and fewer weaknesses (not being weak to U-turn). Granted, it does lack Teleport, but Glowking still functions as a bulky Regen user, especially with Assault Vest (which notably outclasses Glowbro); AV will basically just be Glowbro’s AV set, but possibly with Eerie Spell for Psychic STAB. It also still has the NP set with dual STAB and Fire Blast available. Speaking of Eerie Spell, its great secondary effect of PP drainage can be useful against STALL, but is limited by low PP and only okay BP- you need to use Spell very selectively. Of course, its typing also gives it an EQ weakness, so Bulu’s Grassy Terrain is greatly appreciated. Like all Regen users, it is also vulnerable to being relied on too heavily, as even that level of healing can only go so far. Glowking may not be flashy or as great as Slowbro, but if you need a bulky RegenVest user, he’s your guy. A-


Guess who’s back. Back again. CroCune’s back. Tell a friend. Yessir, Suicune is back and uses its good bulk and Pressure to be a rare effective RestTalker, the epitome of a bulky CM sweeper. Cune also has some other variants of this role such as SubProtect and a rare CM + 3 attacks, although the latter isn’t too great since it doesn’t capitalize on its great bulk as much. Sure, there are a few new UU mons, most notably Bulu, who give Cune a hard time, but once those nuisances are gone, CroCune can show why it is one of the longest lasting sets in all of singles. A


Yep, totally didn't miss that Tangrowth dropped. Tangrowth uses its great physical bulk and Regenerator to be a premier physical wall, especially with Rocky Helmet. Growth packs respectable Grass STAB alongside solid coverage in EQ, Focus Blast and Sludge Bomb, plus good support options in Sleep Powder and Knock Off. Growth differentiates itself from Amoonguss thanks to Knock and being resistant to EQ as opposed to only neutral. Scared that special attackers will take your Growth down due to low SpD? Not to worry, because AV is an equally valid item for Growth, as even with your investment focusing on special bulk its Defense still proves sufficient. No matter which item you run, bulkier teams can't go wrong with Growth easily. A


While Bulu may have been cast from its OU throne by upstart Rillaboom, UU proves a much different story. Simply put, I can easily see this guy being one of the best new options for the tier. Thanks to its terrain, Bulu’s Wood Hammer hits like a truck while its STAB Horn Leech provides ample recovery. More impressive than its raw power, though, is the great amount of set variety Bulu possesses: as I already discussed on the speculation thread, Bulu can go for a power Band set, a bulky & cheeky AV set, a powerful cleaner with SD, a bulky sweeper with- er, Bulk Up, a surgical stallbreaker thanks to Nature’s Madness or a bulky SubSeeder with a highly flexible fourth slot (it may also be able to go Scarf, but there’s better options for super-strong Scarfer). So, why is this guy not deemed broken? Well, without Scarf his speed is rather mediocre, allowing him to be taken down by the horde of faster offensive mons, many of which have a way to hit him SE. Weather Wars are also not that great for him, as Sun teams have no shortage of answers while Rain enables a good deal of Hurricane spam (also Hail has an advantage over him, I guess?). Bulu also has a bit of 4MSS, as it wants dual Grass STAB but also CC for Steels, Stone Edge for Flying, Darkest Lariat to hit Doublade and Latias, Zen Headbutt for Geezing and Amoonguss (which is otherwise a thoroughly mediocre option)- you get the idea. While I wouldn’t say Bulu is too much, I have no illusion he won’t be great despite those issues. A+


Thundurus-T has been in a bit of a bind in singles, not as good as its Incarnate form but too strong for UU. However, gen 8 brought a major nerf with the loss of HP, denying it special Flying STAB and HP Ice to complement its Electric spam. The loss of Ice is especially crucial as Thundy now has to get separate coverage for Ground and Grass types: without Grass Knot or Weather Ball (Rain) it gets walled by Ground types, and also can’t do much to most Grass types without Sludge Bomb/Wave. This makes its potentially scary NP set somewhat predictable. Still, Thundurus is still no slouch offensively, having the choice between NP, Scarf to patch its only okay Speed and possibly Specs for sheer power (Choice sets slap on Volt Switch). No matter which set it chooses, it has to deal with predictability and/or a host of fast revenge killers. It’s powerful, but it’s not too much worse than Chandelure- at least, until you factor Drizzle into the equation. Rain allows Thundy to run Weather Ball (Rain), a more consistent option than Knot, and slap on stronger STAB Thunder. Predictability is still an issue under rain, but this factor may be enough to push it over the edge. I was a bit hesitant to put Thundy in the main section mainly because of its ability to be UU Zapdos, but if Drizzle is rebanned I don’t think he’ll be too bad. I can see a meta with Drizzle being balanced, I can see a meta with Thundy being balanced, but it gets harder to see the meta being balanced with both of them. S


Togekiss packs a surprising amount of variety into its- omletty?- wings. With decent bulk, reliable recovery and Boots, Kiss packs quite a lot of support between Defog, Heal Bell and TWave. Of course, we all know what this mon truly does best- “Air Slash flinch go brrrr”. This ability to ratchet up the annoyance against slower teams is bolstered by its access to NP, making this inherently gimmicky shit into something that tears teams apart with ease if the RNG lines up. Kiss also has solid anti-Steel coverage in Aura Sphere and Flamethrower/Fire Blast, meaning a double attacker set is possible and can get the jump on those who don’t expect it. Kiss has a few flaws, but nothing too major. A-/B+


Toxtricity was another of the inevitable drops considering that OU Electrics now have the likes of Koko, Zapdos and Regieleki running around. Tox definitely still has a unique niche thanks to Punk Rock STAB and Boomburst, but it will likely struggle a lot more considering the power creep that has set in; its power is still good, but its subpar speed and almost non-existent defensive utility make it a breaker one can’t just slap onto any team. Tox finds its main usage against STALL, where its lack of speed isn’t so debilitating and it may be able to use a powerful Specs set. Its best set for the whole meta will probably be Shift Gear, which allows Tox the speed to actually be a scary offensive threat. Still, Tox will often find itself wanting Web support; sadly, its days in the spotlight are probably over. B


Having been booted from the tier twice already this gen, the upcoming weather wars may be what makes third time the charm. Venusaur is an immeasurable asset to Sun, becoming fast AF and firing off Sun-boosted Solar Beam and Weather Ball, alongside good anti-Fairy STAB in Sludge Bomb. These three moves are all givens (unless you want weaker but more reliable STAB in Energy Ball), but that fourth slot gives you some options; Growth turns Venu from cleaner to sweeper, Sleep Powder or Knock Off helps provide utility for the team while softening Venu’s checks, and Earth Power allows you to go AoA and get the jump on the likes of Tentacruel and maintain anti-Steel coverage outside of Sun. Speaking of, Venu actually wants Drizzle to stay, as Rain being a serious option for the tier means that Sun, and by extension itself, won’t be consistently overwhelming considering rain tends to be the best check to sun (given that its the weather that tends to dominate a weather war). Honestly, I think power creep will prevent Venu from being too powerful this time around regardless, but there’ll be no reason for another ban if Venu has other weathers to keep it down. A+


Another bulky Defogger with newfound hazard immunity, Volcanion stands out from the other such Defoggers thanks to Water Absorb, which combined with boosted Steam Eruption makes it a great check to many rain abusers. It also packs good physical bulk, proving a nuisance to otherwise terrifying physical breakers (it is the reason Durant needs Rock coverage now). Its movepool is also nothing to scoff at, with powerful Fire STAB complementing Steam Eruption, on top of useful coverage in Earth Power and Sludge Bomb. However, being a bulky mon with no recovery is always annoying, especially when any non-Choice set basically has to run Boots over Leftovers. Speaking of, a Specs set does have some moderate potential, but you need hazard support since Volc is vulnerable to all hazards. B+


Triple Axel might seem like enough to make Weavile broken, but upon closer examination of what’s dropping it might not be so bad. Weavile would probably love to just spam STAB, but without Low Kick it struggles to take on bulky Steels and lacking Poison Jab means Fairies, especially Primarina and Fini, just set up in your face if unboosted. Furthermore, the drop also includes several great priority users like Scizor, Duskroc and Zygarde 10%, making revenging Weavile a bit easier; finally, it has to watch for Rocks since its pitiful bulk prevents Boots from being good on it. Of course, its power is nothing to be laughed off, especially with its terrific Speed tier; Triple Axel and Knock Off bring the power, especially backed by SD + LO or Band, and STAB priority in Ice Shard never hurts. Weavile is a very all or nothing mon, with any player needing to decide if those benefits make up for some notable weaknesses. S


One of several Electric types to fall down here, Zeraora is unique thanks to its physical orientation (besides Zolt, but we all know that’s getting banned). With blazing Speed and strong STAB in Plasma Fists, Zer tears through many mons that can’t resist Electric. It will often try to run CC and Knock Off, with the last move depending on what set you run: Bulk Up if you want a sweeper, Volt Switch if you go for the Boots pivot set, Grass Knot if you absolutely want to hit Ground types, Toxic for walls, or maybe Play Rough if you wanna go Band (not recommended). You can also go for a Special pivot with Tbolt, Knot and Aura Sphere, but other Electric types already fill that Special pivot role (ie I find it a bit boring). That speed alone is probably gonna make it a great UU mon. A+


As promising as Dragon Dance and actually decent Flying STAB may seem, Aerodactyl simply isn’t cut out for UU. It’s not good at setting up due to its frailty and lacks the raw power for a Band revenge killer (Zygarde 10% does this better since its STABs are most reliable, plus a little priority goes a long way). Any UU Aero is probably best off as a suicude Rocks lead, with blazing Speed and Taunt; however, since Rocks aren’t enough to win you the game anymore, you generally want a hazard setter who can set multiple times if need be. Aero isn’t completely unusable, but it just doesn’t do enough to justify a team slot for most playstyles. C-


While Cresselia is not exactly the most impressive threat coming to UU, it does hold a few small but useful roles. It’s great overall bulk and recovery in Moonlight means that it can take a few hits, and its signature move Lunar Dance, a clone of Healing Wish, is a great support asset alongside Thunder Wave. It also still has its great Trick Room support set, which can enable dangerous mons like Alolawak; however, it is now outclassed a bit by the Slow twins and occasional Porygon2 as a setter since they have the buffed Teleport to bring in teammates safely. Cress is also kept from being a true mainstream mon by its thoroughly lackluster attacking stats and the low PP of its recovery. Still, its talents can be of more help than harm for certain teams. C+


Diancie did get a few new assets; Play Rough means it now has dual STAB on the physical side, pairing up nicely with Diamond Storm, while Mystical Fire gives some new depth to its Special/CM sets. Diancie still has solid bulk thanks to even 150 defenses, giving it some use as a Rocker, Heal Bell cleric or Trick Room setter, even having the bulk to sometimes make use of Weakness Policy to patch its otherwise okay attacking stats. That said, Diancie has 3 big things holding it back: its initial lack of power, its low speed and an awful defensive typing that leaves it weak to some fairly potent offensive types. These issues are just too great for Diancie to run with UU, so best to just let it fall to a tier that can better appreciate it. C


The hype is real: after 4 generations, Regigigas finally has the basic moves of Protect and Rest that it needs to stall out Slow Start, becoming a true titan for once. That still doesn’t mean it’s gonna make it in UU. While Gigas can stall out the charge turns now, it still needs to waste 5 turns before it can actually do something, and there are still a bounty of mons that can force it out either through powerful Fighting moves or occasionally phasing. Those charge turns are also very predictable, potentially allowing dangerous offensive threats to boost on your turns of inactivity. Gigas also has a bit of 4MSS since it needs Protect or Rest, and with its support allowing it use even during charge it will usually only get two attacks to work with (especially since Rest requires either Sleep Talk or Chesto). It could do damage if only it got literally any other ability or more reliable recovery or actual boosting, but as much as I love this guy, its presence here is all hype. D


Registeel can serve as an adequate Rocker in UU thanks to its titanic (get it?) bulk, Steel typing and newfound access to Body Press for a better offensive presence. Toxic whittles down checks, Seismic Toss serves as an alternative to Press for consistent damage and gives you more freedom for EV spreads, and Iron Head if you really want STAB. That said, Steel’s lack of recovery outside Rest, which it usually doesn’t have the luxury to run, is just as much a pain as always, and so greatly appreciates support from Wish or Bulu’s Grassy Surge. As such, Steel mainly makes its home on STALL teams, where its teammates can play around its weaknesses and keep it healthy. The more specific role, alongside competition from overall better Steels like Skarmory, Doublade, Cobalion, Metagross and Jirachi mean that Steel will likely be niche at best, but it will perform that niche admirably. C+


Staktaka may have been hampered by the loss of Z power, but it still packs a solid Attack stat and monstrous physical bulk, alongside being a demon under Trick Room, which it can also set. Body Press may seem appealing, but investing in the bulk to use it means Beast Boost will boost Defense instead of Attack, so you can’t snowball. It still has meaty STABs and good coverage like EQ and Superpower, but its bulk becomes a bit less intimidating given those crippling weaknesses to Fighting and Ground. Staka probably won’t be more than niche, but any serious UU player should keep the wall in mind given just how sturdy it can be. B-/C+


Uxie’s problem is simply because of how thoroughly outclassed it is. Why run Uxie when much better Psychic types are available? Uxie has KnockTurn, but so do a lot of other mons with actual offensive presence. As a Psychic Rocks setter, it has neither the Speed and power of Azelf nor the Prism Armor and variety of Necrozma. Defensively, even the niche Cresselia outdoes it since she has recovery and can potentially provide a full restore to a teammate. Uxie’s one role is as a suicude Rocker/Trick Room setter, using Memento to allow a sweeper to come in- the problem is that this strat is easily countered, namely by just Taunting it. Thoroughly underwhelming in UU, let the lower tiers take it. C-


It’s all fun and games until you remember this thing’s stats are functionally 60/140/140/140/140/60. Whether it’s applying the ever irritating SubToxic, sweeping with SD or serving as a Choice user you need to be very careful about, this thing is simply too strong and too unpredictable to be healthy long-term, especially with strong STAB Shadow Sneak and the always-useful CC. You can never be sure of what this thing is running, and unlike something like Bulu its different sets require drastically different answers, meaning few mons can counter every Aegis set. Yeah, still broken. S++


Let’s see: great Special Attack + Magic Guard-LO and it gets Plot now, not to mention its great speed tier and the fact you can’t even punish it with Pursuit anymore. Yeah, no way this thing isn’t broken. S++


Ahem. .. 157 SpA, with Beast Boost for each KO. A solid speed tier. Powerful dual STAB. Sun is a thing. Pursuit is not. Other than a Rocks weakness, there’s nothing seriously holding this thing back. I think I’ve made my point. S++


For all the bulky new mons UU has, none of them really switch into Guts Conkeldurr that well. According to the calcs I ran in my previous theorymoning about the BL drops, Conk can easily 2HKO otherwise stalwart defensive mons like Suicune. CC is insane with Guts, and is shored up by solid coverage like Knock Off, Stone Edge, Poison Jab and neutral but meaty Facade. Its speed should be a hindrance at lea- wait, no! It gets STAB priority in Mach Punch, too, meaning it will always get off at least some damage in battle. No way it stays. S++


Even if we only had Gigalith to provide Sand, Sand Rush + Bolt Beak would still give Dracozolt a 170 BP move before STAB. Now that it can reliably outspeed things, Zolt basically requires a Ground type on every team, as even resists can be quickly worn down if they switch in. That’s also not to ignore powerful Dragon STAB, Zolt’s own EQ for Steels and Fire Blast for a few select checks like Doublade. While Sand Rush may sacrifice the sheer power of Hustle, it also means Zolt isn’t constantly losing the game on unlucky misses, and its 100 Attack still hits decently hard when boosted by Band or LO (I also think Expert Belt could be an option, but it doesn’t seem like that’s catching on yet). Of course, you could try using weather wars to disrupt this thing, but you’re probably sacrificing your setter to do so. This thing naturally restricts teambuilding, and unlike certain new mons it actually has a decent movepool. Maybe Zolt can run in OU, but down here it’s a bit much. S++


Gengar stands out as a NP sweeper due to its ability to threaten most mons with only 2 or 3 moves. Shadow Ball is a must, and from there you use some combo of Sludge Wave/Focus Blast/Substitute, depending on whether you want to be an all-out attacker or want security to patch up Gengar’s lackluster bulk. Unlike Alakazam, Geng also has the option to effectively run Choice sets, which can cripple walls with Trick, or tack on extra coverage like Thunderbolt or Energy Ball. Specs hits fairly hard, while Scarf allows it to effectively outspeed the whole tier, barring a few gimmicky faster Scarfers. It doesn’t even stop there: while not as useful, you can utilize Black Sludge sets with Pain Split or WispHex. Hex in general can also be useful when paired with TSpike support. Gengar is a very potent offensive mon, especially against any team lacking priority, and so may need to be banned a third time. S+


Even with Boots over a boosting item, Gyarados is still plenty strong after just one Dragon Dance, and outspeeds all but the faster Scarfers with max Speed Jolly. What truly makes this thing scary is Moxie, meaning you often can’t afford to lose even one mon to this thing. In terms of moves, it actually smacks everything it needs to with just STABs and Power Whip, as Bounce deals with Mowtom and is actually stronger against Volcanion than EQ. Of course, you can also drop Whip or Bounce for Substitute to protect against status and live an Electric hit. Sure, fast Electric types like Zeraora can easily take Gyara out before it has a chance to sweep, but most can’t switch in. And so Gyara is yet another sweeper that just snowballs too easily. S++


When you delete your blurb on a guy, only to realize he did actually drop off. You know, I was initially willing to give Hawlucha a chance in UU. Surely, with only Bulu’s terrain and unimpressive initial power we could keep Hawk in check now, right? Then Lele dropped, and I realized what an idiot I am. Pass. S+


Latias was already a great mon in USUM UU, but this gen gave it the two coverage options it always dreamed of in Aura Sphere and Mystical Fire, which more than make up for the loss of HP. Thanks to these two moves, Latias can effectively run a copy of its brother’s offensive sets in OU, as Specs still hits pretty hard while Scarf makes it blazing fast; Scarf also allows it to make good use of Healing Wish. Latias’ better bulk means it can afford to run bulkier sets, whether those be CM, 3 attacks + Roost, Cosmic + Stored Power or defensive utility via Defog and Healing Wish. Whether it's becoming an offensive powerhouse in its own right or enabling other dangerous sweepers with support, especially with HW, Latias is gonna run the tier ragged trying to counter it. S+


Alolatales does one thing, but does that one thing well: Aurora Veil. With its good Speed tier and useful support options like Encore and Hypnosis, it reliably sets Veil and allows its sweeper teammates to go wild. It’s the weird thing about Tales compared to most other suspect-worthy mons: Tales isn’t really that strong in its own right with only 81 SpA, but is questionable because of how it enables other problematic mons. And between the influx of offensive powerhouses and weather wars starting up again, Alolatales stands to be even more useful this time around, especially since it also disrupts opposing weather. Maybe Alolatales works when the meta settles into something not as focused on HO, but now’s not really a good time for it to come back. S+


While Salamence is inherently outclassed by Dragonite due to the latter’s additional defensive usage, the DDance- Moxie combo is still as scary as ever. Furthermore, Mence actually gets a decent Flying STAB now in Dual Wingbeat, allowing it dual STAB alongside EQ. Of course, that set has some drawbacks- which is where mixed mence comes in. With Fire Blast and possibly Hurricane or another special move, Mence can effectively go for an AoA set while still picking up Moxie boosts. A full Special set might be useful too, although it's a tad more predictable considering Special Mence will always run Intimidate over Moxie. Still hits hard, can attack from either side of the spectrum- no thanks. S++


Scolipede may not be as overwhelming a Speed Boost sweeper as Blaziken, but that doesn’t mean it's to be underestimated. With strong STAB Megahorn and a STAB Poison Jab that strategically hits Fairies, alongside good coverage in EQ, Rock Slide and Aqua Tail, depending on which checks you want to hit hardest, +2 Scoli still doesn’t have that many defensive answers. Sure, Bulu can weaken EQ, but you cannot bring Bulu into this thing. Sure, Skarmory is a good check, but it’s one check (plus it can’t really do that much in return without Brave Bird, which many Skarm don’t run anymore). It may need a SD boost to get going, but it's pretty hard to stop once it does. S+


How the hell did Lele drop before Fini? Initially poised to be the most insane thing in OU, Lele was denied Expanding Force, then denied its OU placement. Despite the fact that it’s still kind of insane to expect UU to handle this. With great dual STAB, terrific coverage in Focus Blast/Shadow Ball/Thunderbolt, the ability to run a powerful Specs set or CM sweeper or decently powerful Scarf set, utility in Trick and Nature’s Madness, and the ability to block priority, making fast sweepers or revenge killers impossible to block, Lele provides a lot. Too much, many would say, including myself. Bulu can remove Lele’s terrain, but other than that there’s nothing to seriously stopping Lele and co from wrecking the place. S++


So, why do I think Thundurus will be more busted than Therian form? Two reasons. First, that extra 10 points of Speed may seem small, but it enters a new Speed tier where it becomes intrinsically harder to revenge-kill without a fast Scarfer or priority user. NP, meanwhile, ensures Thundy still hits hard even with the lower SpA. Thundy-I also has more depth to its game thanks to Prankster, allowing nearly-unblockable Defog and good speed control in TWave, alongside KnockTurn. Finally, Defiant means that a physical Thundy-I is a possibility, or at least Superpower and KnockTurn are. With more versatility and superior Speed, alongside a decent movepool (albeit one that would like a good Flying STAB), Thundy edges out its Therian counterpart for being broken. S+


With Boots to accompany its Fire typing and U-turn, Victini gets a boost to take the place of the loss of Z-Celebrate. While 100s across the board may not be the best, V-Create. … Guess I need to say more. V-Create is a nuke that scorches anything that fails to resist it. Think your Waters will save you? Bolt Strike smashes all but Water/Ground types. However, Water/Ground types fall with little difficulty to special Victini and its Grass Knot/Energy Ball. Special Victini also still possesses powerful STAB Blue Flare, better Psychic STAB and other coverage like Thunderbolt and Focus Blast. And of course, U-turn ensures Vic can always just switch out of anything it doesn’t beat 1v1. Of course, that’s if you’re not stocked up on removal; if you are, Victini can viably run any Choice item and take advantage of Trick to cripple its walls. Band ratchets up the power of V-Create an extra few notches, Scarf makes revenging it hard without the V drop and Specs, while not as spectacular, still packs a nasty surprise factor. Walling Vic is still overly difficult for UU, and so it should probably go. S+


One drop I certainly wasn’t expecting given its pre-Tundra dominance, UU has one key difference from OU for Volcorona: no Toxapex or Heatran. Who are easily its two best checks. Boots mean it doesn’t care about Rocks anymore, and it got banned from UU in past gens despite being Rocks weak. Especially with the power of Sun, Quiver Dance Volc is basically unstoppable, even having Hurricane in case opposing teams try to weaken it with rain. Hell to the no. S++


Well, looks like we’re gonna have to wait for Xurkitree to get banned from RU first. Did not see this coming. Xurkitree may only have one major set, but Scarf still terrorizes with its 173 SpA. That SpA also ensures that Beast Boost will always go to SpA, making it effectively special Moxie (or just Grim Neigh, I guess). While the loss of HP Ice is annoying, Xurk still packs Energy Ball to hit Ground types and Dazzling Gleam for Dragons, so it can still manage to hit those who can switch into Tbolt or Volt Switch pretty damn hard. While Xurk isn’t the fastest Scarfer (which it normally needs to patch its lackluster 83 Speed), it can be fast enough that it becomes a pain to take out after a SpA boost. Granted, its meh bulk means it can’t switch in too well, but with this kind of power that becomes a bit negligible. Of course, Web teams have the luxury of running a Specs or CM Xurk; if you don’t have Eviolite Chansey, slower teams just lose outright. Xurkitree is yet another mon that’s just too good at snowballing, even with the loss of Tail Glow. S++


Um, did you miss your stop?
For as many mons that just got swept down to UU, the hype effect involved with certain mons meant that a few species, despite being perfectly functional in UU, ended up getting pushed down even farther. Assuming these picks aren’t quickly banned from the lower tiers, we will probably have to wait until December before some of them rise up. Still, I’ll just leave this info on these mons in the meantime.

Gen 8 gave support-Crobat the one thing it's wanted for generations: a way to bypass Rocks. With the newfound aid of Boots, Crobat uses its base 130 Speed to become the new faster hazard remover in UU (besides Prankster). Bat’s ability to bypass Rocks means it doesn’t have to spam Roost as often (although Roost is still a must have) and also greatly benefits its speedy U-turn. From there, you have your choice of Defog for that fast hazard removal I mentioned, Taunt to shut down stall, Super Fang to whittle down bulkier threats or Brave Bird for a strong STAB attack. Crobat’s main issue is that it is limited to a support role due to its fairly unimpressive attacking stats (let’s face it, NP sets are never going to make it long-term off 70 SpA). Still, if you need a faster mon on support duties, Crobat is the new go-to for that role. A-/B+


Nidoqueen, meanwhile, uses the Poison/Ground typing’s defensive qualities to fend off powerful Electric and Fairy types, among others. Most importantly, the added bulk compared to her King allows Queen to more reliably set Rocks or Toxic Spikes. Its own Sheer Force shenanigans are still strong enough to threaten out several terrifying additions like Tapu Bulu and Duskroc. It even has the potential to run a more defensive set with Poison Point so that it can spread status with its Sludge Bomb and new Scorching Sands, although this makes it normally mediocre SpA more apparent. B+


Tornadus got a pair of really good buffs in NP and Boots, which allow it to function as a speedy NP sweeper with STAB Hurricane and Focus Blast/Heat Wave for Steels, alongside several other coverage options, both special and physical. Mixed may not be as threatening, but it could work considering Torn’s solid offensive stats. A more serious alternative set is a speedy support, which packs Prankster Defog alongside good support in KnockTurn to take on a more utility role. It’s defenses are lacking, meaning any SE hit can take it out, but with Plot up this thing can be a bit scary. The upcoming Weather meta also makes it scary, fixing STAB accuracy and giving it a strong WBall, but at the cost of having to use Focus Miss for anti-Steel coverage, and- I believe the nickname says why that might be an issue. Again, whether it gets the boot may depend on how we rule on rain. S/A+


Cell doggo comes to rain speedy destruction on any who dare not stand on the ground. Zygarde 10% is a fairly straight forward revenge killer- with the added power of Band, it fires Thousands Arrows for immunity-free STAB, Outrage for when the Fairies are all gone, Extreme Speed for the handful of faster threats and either EQ for stronger STAB or Iron Tail to hit Fairies. You also have the option to drop Outrage or slot 4 for Toxic for whittling, although Choice-Toxic has a fairly obvious trade off. Zyg can also be a set up sweeper with Coil or DDance, but its lackluster bulk compared to its Semiperfect- I mean 50% form can make that set-up a pain. Zyg will be first in foremost an unspectacular but satisfactory revenger. B


And that is all I have for you this month. We also got some mons coming up from the lower tiers, but this article has already gone on long enough and most of them probably aren’t staying anyways; maybe I’ll do another article on them when I’m not completely sapped. Still, with UU set to become a whole other tier, one wonders what migrations, upwards or downwards, we’ll see in the next few weeks and which species will truly make UU a home. I’m guessing more than a few of my blurbs will be wrong, and that’s okay. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be recovering my energy for the next week or so.
 
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It’s all fun and games until you remember this thing’s stats are functionally 60/140/140/140/140/60. Whether it’s applying the ever irritating SubToxic, sweeping with SD or serving as a Choice user you need to be very careful about, this thing is simply too strong and too unpredictable to be healthy long-term, especially with strong STAB Shadow Sneak and the always-useful CC. You can never be sure of what this thing is running, and unlike something like Bulu its different sets require drastically different answers, meaning few mons can counter every Aegis set. Yeah, still broken. S++


Let’s see: great Special Attack + Magic Guard-LO and it gets Plot now, not to mention its great speed tier and the fact you can’t even punish it with Pursuit anymore. Yeah, no way this thing isn’t broken. S++


Ahem. .. 157 SpA, with Beast Boost for each KO. A solid speed tier. Powerful dual STAB. Sun is a thing. Pursuit is not. Other than a Rocks weakness, there’s nothing seriously holding this thing back. I think I’ve made my point. S++


For all the bulky new mons UU has, none of them really switch into Guts Conkeldurr that well. According to the calcs I ran in my previous theorymoning about the BL drops, Conk can easily 2HKO otherwise stalwart defensive mons like Suicune and Swampert. CC is insane with Guts, and is shored up by solid coverage like Knock Off, Stone Edge, Poison Jab and neutral but meaty Facade. Its speed should be a hindrance at lea- wait, no! It gets STAB priority in Mach Punch, too, meaning it will always get off at least some damage in battle. No way it stays. S++


Even if we only had Gigalith to provide Sand, Sand Rush + Bolt Beak would still give Dracozolt a 170 BP move before STAB. Now that it can reliably outspeed things, Zolt basically requires a Ground type on every team, as even resists can be quickly worn down if they switch in. That’s also not to ignore powerful Dragon STAB, Zolt’s own EQ for Steels and Fire Blast for a few select checks like Doublade. While Sand Rush may sacrifice the sheer power of Hustle, it also means Zolt isn’t constantly losing the game on unlucky misses, and its 100 Attack still hits decently hard when boosted by Band or LO (I also think Expert Belt could be an option, but it doesn’t seem like that’s catching on yet). Of course, you could try using weather wars to disrupt this thing, but you’re probably sacrificing your setter to do so. This thing naturally restricts teambuilding, and unlike certain new mons it actually has a decent movepool. Maybe Zolt can run in OU, but down here it’s a bit much. S++


Gengar stands out as a NP sweeper due to its ability to threaten most mons with only 2 or 3 moves. Shadow Ball is a must, and from there you use some combo of Sludge Wave/Focus Blast/Substitute, depending on whether you want to be an all-out attacker or want security to patch up Gengar’s lackluster bulk. Unlike Alakazam, Geng also has the option to effectively run Choice sets, which can cripple walls with Trick, or tack on extra coverage like Thunderbolt or Energy Ball. Specs hits fairly hard, while Scarf allows it to effectively outspeed the whole tier, barring a few gimmicky faster Scarfers. It doesn’t even stop there: while not as useful, you can utilize Black Sludge sets with Pain Split or WispHex. Hex in general can also be useful when paired with TSpike support. Gengar is a very potent offensive mon, especially against any team lacking priority, and so may need to be banned a third time. S+


Even with Boots over a boosting item, Gyarados is still plenty strong after just one Dragon Dance, and outspeeds all but the faster Scarfers with max Speed Jolly. What truly makes this thing scary is Moxie, meaning you often can’t afford to lose even one mon to this thing. In terms of moves, it actually smacks everything it needs to with just STABs and Power Whip, as Bounce deals with Mowtom and is actually stronger against Volcanion than EQ. Of course, you can also drop Whip or Bounce for Substitute to protect against status and live an Electric hit. Sure, fast Electric types like Zeraora can easily take Gyara out before it has a chance to sweep, but most can’t switch in. And so Gyara is yet another sweeper that just snowballs too easily. S++


When you delete your blurb on a guy, only to realize he did actually drop off. You know, I was initially willing to give Hawlucha a chance in UU. Surely, with only Bulu’s terrain and unimpressive initial power we could keep Hawk in check now, right? Then Lele dropped, and I realized what an idiot I am. Pass. S+


Latias was already a great mon in USUM UU, but this gen gave it the two coverage options it always dreamed of in Aura Sphere and Mystical Fire, which more than make up for the loss of HP. Thanks to these two moves, Latias can effectively run a copy of its brother’s offensive sets in OU, as Specs still hits pretty hard while Scarf makes it blazing fast; Scarf also allows it to make good use of Healing Wish. Latias’ better bulk means it can afford to run bulkier sets, whether those be CM, 3 attacks + Roost, Cosmic + Stored Power or defensive utility via Defog and Healing Wish. Whether it's becoming an offensive powerhouse in its own right or enabling other dangerous sweepers with support, especially with HW, Latias is gonna run the tier ragged trying to counter it. S+


Alolatales does one thing, but does that one thing well: Aurora Veil. With its good Speed tier and useful support options like Encore and Hypnosis, it reliably sets Veil and allows its sweeper teammates to go wild. It’s the weird thing about Tales compared to most other suspect-worthy mons: Tales isn’t really that strong in its own right with only 81 SpA, but is questionable because of how it enables other problematic mons. And between the influx of offensive powerhouses and weather wars starting up again, Alolatales stands to be even more useful this time around, especially since it also disrupts opposing weather. Maybe Alolatales works when the meta settles into something not as focused on HO, but now’s not really a good time for it to come back. S+


While Salamence is inherently outclassed by Dragonite due to the latter’s additional defensive usage, the DDance- Moxie combo is still as scary as ever. Furthermore, Mence actually gets a decent Flying STAB now in Dual Wingbeat, allowing it dual STAB alongside EQ. Of course, that set has some drawbacks- which is where mixed mence comes in. With Fire Blast and possibly Hurricane or another special move, Mence can effectively go for an AoA set while still picking up Moxie boosts. A full Special set might be useful too, although it's a tad more predictable considering Special Mence will always run Intimidate over Moxie. Still hits hard, can attack from either side of the spectrum- no thanks. S++


Scolipede may not be as overwhelming a Speed Boost sweeper as Blaziken, but that doesn’t mean it's to be underestimated. With strong STAB Megahorn and a STAB Poison Jab that strategically hits Fairies, alongside good coverage in EQ, Rock Slide and Aqua Tail, depending on which checks you want to hit hardest, +2 Scoli still doesn’t have that many defensive answers. Sure, Bulu can weaken EQ, but you cannot bring Bulu into this thing. Sure, Skarmory is a good check, but it’s one check (plus it can’t really do that much in return without Brave Bird, which many Skarm don’t run anymore). It may need a SD boost to get going, but it's pretty hard to stop once it does. S+


How the hell did Lele drop before Fini? Initially poised to be the most insane thing in OU, Lele was denied Expanding Force, then denied its OU placement. Despite the fact that it’s still kind of insane to expect UU to handle this. With great dual STAB, terrific coverage in Focus Blast/Shadow Ball/Thunderbolt, the ability to run a powerful Specs set or CM sweeper or decently powerful Scarf set, utility in Trick and Nature’s Madness, and the ability to block priority, making fast sweepers or revenge killers impossible to block, Lele provides a lot. Too much, many would say, including myself. Bulu can remove Lele’s terrain, but other than that there’s nothing to seriously stopping Lele and co from wrecking the place. S++


So, why do I think Thundurus will be more busted than Therian form? Two reasons. First, that extra 10 points of Speed may seem small, but it enters a new Speed tier where it becomes intrinsically harder to revenge-kill without a fast Scarfer or priority user. NP, meanwhile, ensures Thundy still hits hard even with the lower SpA. Thundy-I also has more depth to its game thanks to Prankster, allowing nearly-unblockable Defog and good speed control in TWave, alongside KnockTurn. Finally, Defiant means that a physical Thundy-I is a possibility, or at least Superpower and KnockTurn are. With more versatility and superior Speed, alongside a decent movepool (albeit one that would like a good Flying STAB), Thundy edges out its Therian counterpart for being broken. S+


With Boots to accompany its Fire typing and U-turn, Victini gets a boost to take the place of the loss of Z-Celebrate. While 100s across the board may not be the best, V-Create. … Guess I need to say more. V-Create is a nuke that scorches anything that fails to resist it. Think your Waters will save you? Bolt Strike smashes all but Swampert. However, Swampert falls with little difficulty to special Victini and its Grass Knot/Energy Ball. Special Victini also still possesses powerful STAB Blue Flare, better Psychic STAB and other coverage like Thunderbolt and Focus Blast. And of course, U-turn ensures Vic can always just switch out of anything it doesn’t beat 1v1. Of course, that’s if you’re not stocked up on removal; if you are, Victini can viably run any Choice item and take advantage of Trick to cripple its walls. Band ratchets up the power of V-Create an extra few notches, Scarf makes revenging it hard without the V drop and Specs, while not as spectacular, still packs a nasty surprise factor. Walling Vic is still overly difficult for UU, and so it should probably go. S+


One drop I certainly wasn’t expecting given its pre-Tundra dominance, UU has one key difference from OU for Volcorona: no Toxapex or Heatran. Who are easily its two best checks. Boots mean it doesn’t care about Rocks anymore, and it got banned from UU in past gens despite being Rocks weak. Especially with the power of Sun, Quiver Dance Volc is basically unstoppable, even having Hurricane in case opposing teams try to weaken it with rain. Hell to the no. S++


Well, looks like we’re gonna have to wait for Xurkitree to get banned from RU first. Did not see this coming. Xurkitree may only have one major set, but Scarf still terrorizes with its 173 SpA. That SpA also ensures that Beast Boost will always go to SpA, making it effectively special Moxie (or just Grim Neigh, I guess). While the loss of HP Ice is annoying, Xurk still packs Energy Ball to hit Ground types and Dazzling Gleam for Dragons, so it can still manage to hit those who can switch into Tbolt or Volt Switch pretty damn hard. While Xurk isn’t the fastest Scarfer (which it normally needs to patch its lackluster 83 Speed), it can be fast enough that it becomes a pain to take out after a SpA boost. Granted, its meh bulk means it can’t switch in too well, but with this kind of power that becomes a bit negligible. Of course, Web teams have the luxury of running a Specs or CM Xurk; if you don’t have Eviolite Chansey, slower teams just lose outright. Xurkitree is yet another mon that’s just too good at snowballing, even with the loss of Tail Glow. S++
 

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It’s here. Just as the phenomenon of the DLC Cascade had reached its nadir last month, a second wave comes washing over the Galar region from the cold front on the Crown Tundra. This front is even more drastic, both bringing more mons to the tier than the front from Isle of Armor and shifting the power level to an extent not really seen following that last cascade. Once solid OU mons now find themselves down in the lower altitude environment, and a few mons returning to UU aren’t quite as stellar as they were before. With the sheer amount of mons dropping, we will likely see many who cannot adapt to the new tier/could be good if they didn’t have so much competition or force themselves out as their presence is simply too disruptive to the ecosystem. While this new meta will probably be as coherent as a dumpster fire in its initial stages, I have tried my best to give a rough analysis of each mon falling this month. The sheer amount of drops means that I’ve had to change up the format of this analysis to not overwhelm my dear readers with a massive wall of text. Given the length of everything, I think it best we just get started.

Approximate Ratings (These rankings aren’t proper viability rankings, but are simply my approximate guess as to how good each mon is in terms of what’s dropping).
S++: Obviously broken.
S+: Broken, but I can see an argument about it being fine (or it’s not as blatantly broken).
S: Great, but I can see arguments about it being broken.
A: Overall great/good.
B: Decent, but has significant flaws.
C: Niche, can fit on some teams.
D: Trash.

Amoonguss once again looks to be the same annoying Regen blob it always is. While it won’t be quite as annoying as Toxapex can be in OU, its solid bulk and ability will make killing it a pain to any team that is unprepared. The fungus’ other major asset is guaranteed sleep in Spore, which can be key in shutting down terrifying set-up sweepers before they get going or creating an opening for an ally sweeper to exploit; Spore is simply a must have for this mon. Other notable tools are Foul Play to prey on sleeping physical sweepers, Sludge Bomb to spread poison and take on most Grasses foolish enough to intercept its Spore, Giga Drain or Synthesis for added sustain and Stomping Tantrum just so it has something for Steels. As much as I hate to say it, this thing looks to be pretty damn good. A+


While it likely won’t be a top tier in UU, I think Garticuno does have some serious potential. This thing has potential as a late-game Calm Mind sweeper, using its STABs and either Shadow Ball for extra coverage or Recover for longevity. It’s access to U-turn means it could also function as a Specs user, using Competitive in order to deter opposing Defog or Intimidate users. This thing can definitely hit hard, but with certain other drops it can be walled without too much hassle. B+


The removal of Pursuit is a dream come true for Azelf, who finally has the ability to run non-lead sets again. That’s not to say lead Azelf is bad, though; it’s fast Stealth Rock and Taunt alongside solid utility like Knock Off or Explosion to KO itself before Rocks can be removed makes it a great lead for HO teams. That said, non-HO teams can utilize it as a fast Nasty Plot sweeper, with solid coverage like Dazzling Gleam and Fire Blast. With its Speed, U-turn and solid attacking sets, it can also function as a solid Choice user; Specs is easy to explain, Scarf makes it a fast AF revenge killer and I think even Band could be viable due to unpredictability and now getting Play Rough for Dark types. Overall, Azelf suddenly has a lot more freedom in what it can do, and looks to be an interesting addition to the tier. A


Compared to last gen, I think Azumarill will be a bit more manageable as 1) this shift is providing a lot of mons it can’t switch in on and 2) it lost access to Z-Belly Drum, so it no longer gets to automatically be at half. Azu’s Belly Drum set is a very all or nothing mon; sometimes you’ll sweep, other times you find something that can live a +6 Aqua Jet and stomp you back, especially with Drum’s self-inflicted damage, a burden which also prevents Azu from switching into anything unless you know it’s a Dragon move. Choice Band has an easier time getting in, but we’re getting several new Grass types that don’t care too much about Jet like Bulu and easily KO back. Don’t get me wrong, this thing is still terrifying with adequate support; I just don’t think it belongs in the broken section. Of course if Drizzle stays unbanned, that could potentially push it over the edge, but I have my doubts about that. S


Buzzwole’s great physical bulk and Attack stat make it something to be feared. It also gets a really diverse movepool, allowing it to potentially smack any answers; it has Darkest Lariat for Ghost types, Poison Jab for Fairies, Ice Punch/Thunder Punch/Stone Edge for Flying types, and has several forms of recovery. Finally, Beast Boost can allow it to snowball once various checks have been removed. I can picture several viable sets, mainly Choice Band to just smack everything, Choice Scarf to fix its mediocre Speed, or tanky sweeper with Bulk Up + Roost. That said, it does have its downsides: as I mentioned, its Speed is rather unimpressive without Scarf and its special bulk is very underwhelming. A+


With Electric spam in OU reaching critical mass, Celesteela takes refuge in the more inviting environment of UU. With well-rounded stats and a fairly diverse movepool, Steela has quite a few sets to choose from: Leech Seed + Protect/Substitute, Autotomize sweeper with Weakness Policy, and Specs are just some of your options. Beast Boost is a particularly great tool for a mon with Steela’s stats, as it can easily get the boost in either attacking stat or even invest in a defensive stat on bulkier sets. While Steela fills the swiss-army-knife role pretty well, none of its stats are that great and its low speed leaves it vulnerable to a whole army of revenge killers, even if it only sports two weaknesses. Not having any recovery outside Leech Seed is also a tad annoying. Still, that variety means you can easily trick Steela out to fit whatever role your team needs. A


The Claw comes back to UU, although it might have a harder time than before. As powerful as its Adaptability STAB still is, we also got a bunch of mons that resist those meaty STABs like Tapu Bulu and Kommo-o, as well as generally buff mons like Buzzwole and Skarmory that can shrug off a hit or two. It’s speed and special bulk is just as miserable as ever, too. That said, STAB still hits pretty hard, especially when boosted by the newly unbanned Drizzle, so I think it might just work out for ol’ Crawdaunt. A


While I was initially hesitant to welcome Diggersby back, I think it could actually be fine given some drops I was not anticipating. The big one is obviously Tapu Bulu, whose Grassy Terrain neuters Digger’s EQ, meaning Normal-resistant mons can stand up to it more easily and bulkier defensive mons become even harder to break. This shift also gave us a bevy of new Flying types and fast offensive mons, both of which make Digger more reliant on Quick Attack to get damage. It still gets a lot of damage if your opponent lacks these checks, but the checks aren’t too difficult to slot on a team. S/A+


I already went into this guy when I discussed the possibility of returning BL mons, but I think Durant looks to be one of the most manageable returns. The sheer amount of physically bulky mons that can stand in its way means Ant can no longer slot everything it needs onto one set; no matter what you drop, something will be there to stop you. I think Durant will switch to a Hone Claws set over Band since without a +1 it struggles to take out mons like Suicune and Swampert, although that comes with a turn of vulnerability, especially with paper-thin special bulk. With 4MSS now a very real concern for Ant, I think it will be strong but not overwhelming. A


Entei got several small buffs in the gen shift, between Boots to alleviate its hazard struggles, buffed Inner Focus to prevent intimidation and the ability to use Flare Blitz without being nature locked. With dual STAB, Stone Edge for coverage and priority in E-Speed, Entei looks to be solid AoA. However, needing Boots means it can’t run Life Orb or Band for added power, which may not leave it the most useful physical attacker in practice, especially since its Attack isn’t the highest of the new drops. That said, high burn chance in Sacred Fire and revenge killing via priority does give it a solid role, albeit not one every team has room for. B/B-


Glastrier may be a mon with 145 Attack and a Moxie clone, but I feel it is sufficiently balanced out by its bottom-tier Speed and abysmal defensive typing (with no recovery). That typing, in addition to lacking- any resists, also makes it weak to Rocks, meaning without Boots it can be whittled down easily despite its naturally good bulk; of course, running Boots means you’re not running an offensive item, so without a SD boost it isn’t completely taxing offensively. That said, Chilling Neigh means this thing can still snowball (get it?) late-game once the mons that immediately threaten it are out of the way, plus unlike its ghostly counterpart it actually gets coverage. Glastrier may need support for you to get the most out of it, but those rewards are definitely worth it. S/A+


Hatterene will likely go back to her old witchy tricks, whether that be as a bulky CM sweeper, Trick Room setter or possible Specs/AV user. However, Hatt will probably not be as good as she was before as her once solid bulk now looks considerably less impressive with the mid-gen power creep, which intrinsically makes all her flaws more apparent than before. The main thing that still justifies her usage in UU is that terrific ability in Magic Bounce, as even in the age of Boots the ability to protect your side from hazards is potentially game-changing. Hatt’s definitely still useful, but the new level of power will make her a bit fringe. B


As intimidating as that axe may seem (or- unnerving, I guess?), Haxorus’ meaty Attack stat isn’t enough to invalidate the tier on its own; it needs STAB to consistently break defensive Moltres and the new bulky Waters, needs Close Combat as Hax’s strongest anti-Steel option, needs EQ since it otherwise flails against Nidos, Metagross and Doublade, without Poison Jab/Iron Head it loses to Fairies like Tapu Bulu and Geezing, and on top of that needs boosting to consistently break through tougher walls. Much like Durant, Hax ends up falling short of broken this time thanks to 4MSS. Still, if you can get rid of whatever your coverage fails to hit, Hax is a pure BEAST, demolishing weakened teams or tearing big holes if your opponent can’t predict right. This dude is going to be a premier offensive Dragon (that isn’t banned). A


With OU preferring the Special bulk and/or respectable power of Tyranitar, Hippowdon finds itself as the de facto face of UU Sand. Hippo serves as a great physical wall, setting Rocks, keeping itself healthy with Slack Off, throwing off consistent EQs and either spreading Toxic or phasing out threats before they can get out of control. Most importantly, though, Hippo’s Sand transforms Dracozolt into a terrifying menace, and this core will easily claim some lives before Zolt inevitably gets banned. Even without Dracozolt, though, Hippowdon looks primed to be a solid support mon in its own right. A+


Hydreigon is another mon that borders on being broken, but I think it’s common weaknesses to Fairy, Fighting and U-turn alongside many faster threats (unless it’s Scarf) should keep it in check with the new higher power level. Hydreigon has a few viable roles- going all in on its great special power with either NP or Specs, becoming a solid revenge-killer with Scarf or even adopting a stallbreaker set w/Roost like the one it used to moderate success in USUM OU. It definitely has exploitable weaknesses, but Hydra is shaping up to be a great new addition. S


The flinch god is back, although his signature flinch antics probably won’t be so dominant. The influx of bulky mons like Suicune, Swampert and Volcanion, among others, naturally suffocate the old physical Scarf set, which outside of Trick has little to handle them besides praying to RNGesus. As such, I predict that CM Rachi and support/Rocker Rachi may become the new default sets. Of course, you can never be entirely sure about what Jirachi will do thanks to its expansive movepool, with solid coverage on both sides and excellent support options like U-turn, Rocks, Wish and Healing Wish. That versatility, while not as broken as before, is more than enough to keep Rachi near the top of the pack. S/A+


Another previously banned mon that I’ve softened on a bit, my main worry with Kommo-o was Clangorous Soul, which with an additional +1 from Throat Spray could decimate teams without one of a few Fairy types. However, we ended up getting a few drops I wasn’t expecting, which do include several solid checks like Primarina, which isn’t OHKOed by +1 Poison Jab unless you’re +Attack nature. I still think Soul Kom can be terrifying in the right circumstances, but it’s not complete overkill. You can also run the more defensive set it uses in OU, but I feel the lower power level allows offensive sets to put in more work, making it the better option. Still, both routes are perfectly viable. A


Kyurem was probably one of the most obvious drops this shift, since there’s not really much reason to use it over the unbanned Kyurem-Black. While it may have been dumped rather unceremoniously, Kyurem will likely set out to remind us why it was one of the most feared UU mons when it first dropped. Specs is just as terrifying as ever, packing IceDry, dropping Dracos and firing off either Earth Power or Focus Blast for Steels. Equally as threatening is SubRoost, which keeps up the offensive pressure while applying its literal Pressure and Sub-stalling to deplete vital PP. However, the power-creep also makes Rem’s speed tier a bit less special, as we now have more threats that can force it out. Such is the way of Rem: switching into it is a pain, but once you’re in revenging it isn’t too difficult. A-


Duskroc comes back to its prime hunting ground, ready to just spam attacks and open up holes for its teammates. The AoA set it utilized before its ban will probably return as the dominant set due to Duskroc’s noted difficulty in safely setting up: STAB priority Accelerock, CC, Crunch and Psychic Fangs/Iron Head hits most of the meta pretty hard. That said, the increased bulk level means that, while Duskroc still hits as hard as ever, bulkier teams now have greater ease in playing around it- what I mean is that UU has a lot more mons that can shrug off a hit if it’s not SE, allowing to to rack up LO recoil on the wolf. Admittedly, I’m a bit more on the fence about this guy than some of the other unbans, but I think it could work. S


Whenever Steel types seek to block your assault, Magnezone is there to help. With a decent offensive STAB combo, hitting non-Swampert Waters and Fairies hard, Volt Switch to retain momentum and Body Press to take advantage of Magnet Pull. Zone probably wishes it could just use a Special attack for anti-Steel coverage instead of having to invest separately for Press, but given the new plethora of Steels and respectably powerful Tbolt it will probably be solid albeit unspectacular. A-


While Metagross would probably prefer to still have Pursuit, it still seems set as a solid attacker. With strong Steel STAB in Meteor Mash and solid priority in Bullet Punch it tears through Fairies, alongside solid attacking options like Zen Headbutt, EQ, Hammer Arm, Thunder Punch and Explosion, among others. Its great physical bulk allows it to take hits on a powerful Band set, reliably set Rocks or even run a gimmicky but fun Agility + Weakness Policy set. Of course, it still has several notable type weaknesses like Ground and Dark, but any unprepared team will get smacked hard. A


It’s no longer a myth: UU Mew is back! With a movepool that puts all other Pokemon to shame (which I can say since Smeargle isn’t around) and decent stats across the board, it’s less a question of what Mew can do and more about what it can’t. If I was to really list every set Mew could potentially run in UU, with all its boosting options, strong coverage and superb utility, we’d probably be here another hour. For now, let’s just leave it at- despite having common weaknesses and a mediocre ability, Mew is easily one of the most interesting drops this shift. A+


Goltres may be a fairly one-dimensional offensive threat, but with Berserk it can potentially rack up its only okay 100 SpA. With Nasty Plot, dual STAB and Agility, Goltres is capable of becoming a potent late game sweeper. You can just go STABs + RestTalk and leverage your bulk for multiple Berserk boosts, but RestTalk is a lot more RNG reliant and can leave you vulnerable to powerful physical attackers when relying on that Sleep Talk roll. Those are really the only 2 options, as Specs sets are unviable due to lack of coverage (seriously, why does this thing not get Heat Wave?) or even Defog for utility. Its lack of recovery outside Rest and inability to hit things that resist its STABs unless it can rack up multiple boosts mean that Goltres has serious flaws both offensively and defensively. Ultimately, I think it will barely hold onto its UU rank, if it even does. B


Sheer Force go brrr. You’d probably never think that 85 SpA would be too impressive, but Nidoking has been running with it for 3 generations already so why stop now? With the extra kick from LO, King becomes a deceptively strong attacker, between its STABs and key coverage in BoltBeam and Fire Blast it has a SE hit for most of the tier (at least potentially). Of course, you can also drop your choice of coverage for Substitute to ensure any mon the outspeeds you can’t just take you out, considering that King is not exactly the bulkiest mon. That only okay speed and bulk is what keeps it from being a meta-defining threat, but it still gets the job done. A-


Nihilego has quite a decent movepool, packing solid coverage like Grass Knot, Thunderbolt and Psychic, as well as hazards in Rock and TSpikes. Its SpA and Speed, alongside Beast Boost, allow it to run an effective Specs, Scarf or AoA set, with the aforementioned hazards providing it some valuable utility. However, Nihilego did get one significant blow via the loss of Hidden Power, meaning it now gets walled by most Steel types, which isn’t too great considering the influx of Steels we see this drop. That’s not to say Nihil is bad now, but I can see struggling a lot more than last gen. B+


You might be just as surprised I’m putting Omastar on the main list as I am that it even landed in UU at all, but Omastar has several great qualities in UU. Swift Swim allows it to be decently speedy and boost the STAB off its already okay 115 SpA, Shell Smash + Hydro Pump/Earth Power/Ice Beam allows it to be a potent late-game sweeper in and out of rain (although it still prefers with) and laying Spikes or Rocks alongside its Armors allows it to also serve as an HO lead or a setter who can come in multiple times. Granted, there are some mons who outspeed even after the smash and its awful defensive typing leaves it vulnerable to multiple metagame superstars, but I can see this guy having some decent usage. B if rain stays, C if it leaves.


Primarina has had a fairly controversial track record in UU, whether by its free reign during the USUM days or its ban this gen. While Prima has lost Z moves and HP compared to last gen, it also gained CM to serve as a bulky sweeper and pivoting in Flip Turn, which greatly benefits Choice sets. However, I feel that the power level has increased by a margin where Prima is no longer overwhelming. The CM set that got it banned now has to compete with the infamous CroCune, which backs superior bulk and a better defensive ability in Pressure. There are generally a lot more mons that resist Water STAB now, including scary Grass types like Bulu and Venusaur. In addition the return of Venu will undoubtedly promote Sun again in the upcoming weather wars, which further weakens Prima. Not too scary without a boost, Prima may end up falling back on its Specs and Scarf sets utilizing Flip Turn, where it’ll be good but not overwhelming (we already have stronger Choice attacks like Chandelure in the mix). A+


Raikou would probably still like HP, but the addition of Scald means that it’s not helpless against opposing Ground types; it also likes that Aura Sphere is no longer nature locked. Rai has the option to utilize either a fast CM set (possibly paired with Substitute) or go for a speedy Specs set packing Tbolt/Scald/Aura/Volt Switch. However, weather wars allow it to go even further, trading in for more powerful STAB in Thunder and using the now-unlocked Weather Ball for an even harder hit against Ground types (it should be noted that any Raikou users should keep an eye on Seismotoad, who could easily pop up again in a weather-heavy meta). Even if Drizzle is taken away again, Rai still has what it needs to be a good offensive Electric. A


Dragon SPAM- er, I mean Regidrago utilizes its absurd ability in Dragon’s Maw to fire off super-strong STAB attacks. Drago will most likely lean physical since that route gives it some coverage, namely Hammer Arm to hit Steels. Much like its brother Regieleki in OU, Drago is obviously held back by its terrible movepool, having little to hit opposing Fairies unless it KOs itself with Explosion (which doesn’t even work on Mimikyu). It’s stats are also not much to write home about, with a meh speed stat and terrible defenses which betray its hefty HP stat. Still, the sheer power of STAB is probably enough that you have to run a Fairy type just in case in bites its way into battle. S/A+


Having 3 Rotom-A’s in the tier may take a bit of getting used to, but Heattom is definitely no slouch compared to the Washer or Mower. With Boots it serves as either a reliable defensive pivot or late-game NP cleaner, while Choice sets with the requisite Trick prove a nuisance in its right. The return of weather wars also means more Sun to boost its already strong Overheat. However, non-Choice sets are restricted a bit since they need Boots to bypass that Stealth Rock weakness, meaning they lack the luxury of Leftovers that Washtom and Mowtom have. Still, the dominance Heattom has displayed this gen against the other Rotoms is unlikely to dissipate so easily. A


Scizor is quite the versatile menace; you’ve got the SD or Curse sweeper, powerful Bander and defensive Defogger to worry about. All sets utilize Scizor’s signature claim to fame in Technician Bullet Punch, which can cleave through mons that don’t resist it and is especially great considering the influx of Fairies, making it a great partner for Regidrago. It also packs notable tools in STAB U-turn, powerful Knock Off, recovery in Roost and notable coverage in Superpower and Technician-boosted Dual Wingbeat. It does have flaws thanks to its low speed and 4x Fire weakness, but this is gonna be an easy top tier. S


If its brief stint in UU following the IoA drop is anything to go by, Skarmory will be a mighty fine addition to the tier. With great physical bulk and Roost, it walls some of the most dangerous breakers in the tier, including Duskroc, Haxorus and Bulu. It mainly makes its name through the hazard game, reliably Defogging and packing both Spikes and Rocks (I find that Spikes is usually better). It also got a great new attack in Body Press, which operates off of its great Defense stat, has Toxic for most of the Ghosts in the tier and occasional Whirlwind to phase out sweepers and rack up hazard damage. Granted, the return of Rain, rise of Sun and presence of multiple strong Electrics mean it's a bit easier to crack now, but Steel bird will keep on chugging. A+


Glowking packs several advantages over its Johto counterpart, with higher SpA and fewer weaknesses (not being weak to U-turn). Granted, it does lack Teleport, but Glowking still functions as a bulky Regen user, especially with Assault Vest (which notably outclasses Glowbro); AV will basically just be Glowbro’s AV set, but possibly with Eerie Spell for Psychic STAB. It also still has the NP set with dual STAB and Fire Blast available. Speaking of Eerie Spell, its great secondary effect of PP drainage can be useful against STALL, but is limited by low PP and only okay BP- you need to use Spell very selectively. Of course, its typing also gives it an EQ weakness, so Bulu’s Grassy Terrain is greatly appreciated. Like all Regen users, it is also vulnerable to being relied on too heavily, as even that level of healing can only go so far. Glowking may not be flashy or as great as Slowbro, but if you need a bulky RegenVest user, he’s your guy. A-


Guess who’s back. Back again. CroCune’s back. Tell a friend. Yessir, Suicune is back and uses its good bulk and Pressure to be a rare effective RestTalker, the epitome of a bulky CM sweeper. Cune also has some other variants of this role such as SubProtect and a rare CM + 3 attacks, although the latter isn’t too great since it doesn’t capitalize on its great bulk as much. Sure, there are a few new UU mons, most notably Bulu, who give Cune a hard time, but once those nuisances are gone, CroCune can show why it is one of the longest lasting sets in all of singles. A


While Bulu may have been cast from its OU throne by upstart Rillaboom, UU proves a much different story. Simply put, I can easily see this guy being one of the best new options for the tier. Thanks to its terrain, Bulu’s Wood Hammer hits like a truck while its STAB Horn Leech provides ample recovery. More impressive than its raw power, though, is the great amount of set variety Bulu possesses: as I already discussed on the speculation thread, Bulu can go for a power Band set, a bulky & cheeky AV set, a powerful cleaner with SD, a bulky sweeper with- er, Bulk Up, a surgical stallbreaker thanks to Nature’s Madness or a bulky SubSeeder with a highly flexible fourth slot (it may also be able to go Scarf, but there’s better options for super-strong Scarfer). So, why is this guy not deemed broken? Well, without Scarf his speed is rather mediocre, allowing him to be taken down by the horde of faster offensive mons, many of which have a way to hit him SE. Weather Wars are also not that great for him, as Sun teams have no shortage of answers while Rain enables a good deal of Hurricane spam (also Hail has an advantage over him, I guess?). Bulu also has a bit of 4MSS, as it wants dual Grass STAB but also CC for Steels, Stone Edge for Flying, Darkest Lariat to hit Doublade and Latias, Zen Headbutt for Geezing and Amoonguss (which is otherwise a thoroughly mediocre option)- you get the idea. While I wouldn’t say Bulu is too much, I have no illusion he won’t be great despite those issues. A+


Thundurus-T has been in a bit of a bind in singles, not as good as its Incarnate form but too strong for UU. However, gen 8 brought a major nerf with the loss of HP, denying it special Flying STAB and HP Ice to complement its Electric spam. The loss of Ice is especially crucial as Thundy now has to get separate coverage for Ground and Grass types: without Grass Knot or Weather Ball (Rain) it gets walled by Ground types, and also can’t do much to most Grass types without Sludge Bomb/Wave. This makes its potentially scary NP set somewhat predictable. Still, Thundurus is still no slouch offensively, having the choice between NP, Scarf to patch its only okay Speed and possibly Specs for sheer power (Choice sets slap on Volt Switch). No matter which set it chooses, it has to deal with predictability and/or a host of fast revenge killers. It’s powerful, but it’s not too much worse than Chandelure- at least, until you factor Drizzle into the equation. Rain allows Thundy to run Weather Ball (Rain), a more consistent option than Knot, and slap on stronger STAB Thunder. Predictability is still an issue under rain, but this factor may be enough to push it over the edge. I was a bit hesitant to put Thundy in the main section mainly because of its ability to be UU Zapdos, but if Drizzle is rebanned I don’t think he’ll be too bad. I can see a meta with Drizzle being balanced, I can see a meta with Thundy being balanced, but it gets harder to see the meta being balanced with both of them. S


Togekiss packs a surprising amount of variety into its- omletty?- wings. With decent bulk, reliable recovery and Boots, Kiss packs quite a lot of support between Defog, Heal Bell and TWave. Of course, we all know what this mon truly does best- “Air Slash flinch go brrrr”. This ability to ratchet up the annoyance against slower teams is bolstered by its access to NP, making this inherently gimmicky shit into something that tears teams apart with ease if the RNG lines up. Kiss also has solid anti-Steel coverage in Aura Sphere and Flamethrower/Fire Blast, meaning a double attacker set is possible and can get the jump on those who don’t expect it. Kiss has a few flaws, but nothing too major. A-/B+


Toxtricity was another of the inevitable drops considering that OU Electrics now have the likes of Koko, Zapdos and Regieleki running around. Tox definitely still has a unique niche thanks to Punk Rock STAB and Boomburst, but it will likely struggle a lot more considering the power creep that has set in; its power is still good, but its subpar speed and almost non-existent defensive utility make it a breaker one can’t just slap onto any team. Tox finds its main usage against STALL, where its lack of speed isn’t so debilitating and it may be able to use a powerful Specs set. Its best set for the whole meta will probably be Shift Gear, which allows Tox the speed to actually be a scary offensive threat. Still, Tox will often find itself wanting Web support; sadly, its days in the spotlight are probably over. B


Having been booted from the tier twice already this gen, the upcoming weather wars may be what makes third time the charm. Venusaur is an immeasurable asset to Sun, becoming fast AF and firing off Sun-boosted Solar Beam and Weather Ball, alongside good anti-Fairy STAB in Sludge Bomb. These three moves are all givens (unless you want weaker but more reliable STAB in Energy Ball), but that fourth slot gives you some options; Growth turns Venu from cleaner to sweeper, Sleep Powder or Knock Off helps provide utility for the team while softening Venu’s checks, and Earth Power allows you to go AoA and get the jump on the likes of Tentacruel and maintain anti-Steel coverage outside of Sun. Speaking of, Venu actually wants Drizzle to stay, as Rain being a serious option for the tier means that Sun, and by extension itself, won’t be consistently overwhelming considering rain tends to be the best check to sun (given that its the weather that tends to dominate a weather war). Honestly, I think power creep will prevent Venu from being too powerful this time around regardless, but there’ll be no reason for another ban if Venu has other weathers to keep it down. A+


Another bulky Defogger with newfound hazard immunity, Volcanion stands out from the other such Defoggers thanks to Water Absorb, which combined with boosted Steam Eruption makes it a great check to many rain abusers. It also packs good physical bulk, proving a nuisance to otherwise terrifying physical breakers (it and Moltres are the reason Durant needs Rock coverage now). Its movepool is also nothing to scoff at, with powerful Fire STAB complementing Steam Eruption, on top of useful coverage in Earth Power and Sludge Bomb. However, being a bulky mon with no recovery is always annoying, especially when any non-Choice set basically has to run Boots over Leftovers. Speaking of, a Specs set does have some moderate potential, but you need hazard support since Volc is vulnerable to all hazards. B+


Triple Axel might seem like enough to make Weavile broken, but upon closer examination of what’s dropping it might not be so bad. Weavile would probably love to just spam STAB, but without Low Kick it struggles to take on bulky Steels and lacking Poison Jab means Fairies, especially Primarina and Fini, just set up in your face if unboosted. Furthermore, the drop also includes several great priority users like Scizor, Duskroc and Zygarde 10%, making revenging Weavile a bit easier; finally, it has to watch for Rocks since its pitiful bulk prevents Boots from being good on it. Of course, its power is nothing to be laughed off, especially with its terrific Speed tier; Triple Axel and Knock Off bring the power, especially backed by SD + LO or Band, and STAB priority in Ice Shard never hurts. Weavile is a very all or nothing mon, with any player needing to decide if those benefits make up for some notable weaknesses. S


One of several Electric types to fall down here, Zeraora is unique thanks to its physical orientation (besides Zolt, but we all know that’s getting banned). With blazing Speed and strong STAB in Plasma Fists, Zer tears through many mons that can’t resist Electric. It will often try to run CC and Knock Off, with the last move depending on what set you run: Bulk Up if you want a sweeper, Volt Switch if you go for the Boots pivot set, Grass Knot if you absolutely want to hit Ground types, Toxic for walls, or maybe Play Rough if you wanna go Band (not recommended). You can also go for a Special pivot with Tbolt, Knot and Aura Sphere, but other Electric types already fill that Special pivot role (ie I find it a bit boring). That speed alone is probably gonna make it a great UU mon. A+


As promising as Dragon Dance and actually decent Flying STAB may seem, Aerodactyl simply isn’t cut out for UU. It’s not good at setting up due to its frailty and lacks the raw power for a Band revenge killer (Zygarde 10% does this better since its STABs are most reliable, plus a little priority goes a long way). Any UU Aero is probably best off as a suicude Rocks lead, with blazing Speed and Taunt; however, since Rocks aren’t enough to win you the game anymore, you generally want a hazard setter who can set multiple times if need be. Aero isn’t completely unusable, but it just doesn’t do enough to justify a team slot for most playstyles. C-


While Cresselia is not exactly the most impressive threat coming to UU, it does hold a few small but useful roles. It’s great overall bulk and recovery in Moonlight means that it can take a few hits, and its signature move Lunar Dance, a clone of Healing Wish, is a great support asset alongside Thunder Wave. It also still has its great Trick Room support set, which can enable dangerous mons like Alolawak; however, it is now outclassed a bit by the Slow twins and occasional Porygon2 as a setter since they have the buffed Teleport to bring in teammates safely. Cress is also kept from being a true mainstream mon by its thoroughly lackluster attacking stats and the low PP of its recovery. Still, its talents can be of more help than harm for certain teams. C+


Diancie did get a few new assets; Play Rough means it now has dual STAB on the physical side, pairing up nicely with Diamond Storm, while Mystical Fire gives some new depth to its Special/CM sets. Diancie still has solid bulk thanks to even 150 defenses, giving it some use as a Rocker, Heal Bell cleric or Trick Room setter, even having the bulk to sometimes make use of Weakness Policy to patch its otherwise okay attacking stats. That said, Diancie has 3 big things holding it back: its initial lack of power, its low speed and an awful defensive typing that leaves it weak to some fairly potent offensive types. These issues are just too great for Diancie to run with UU, so best to just let it fall to a tier that can better appreciate it. C


The hype is real: after 4 generations, Regigigas finally has the basic moves of Protect and Rest that it needs to stall out Slow Start, becoming a true titan for once. That still doesn’t mean it’s gonna make it in UU. While Gigas can stall out the charge turns now, it still needs to waste 5 turns before it can actually do something, and there are still a bounty of mons that can force it out either through powerful Fighting moves or occasionally phasing. Those charge turns are also very predictable, potentially allowing dangerous offensive threats to boost on your turns of inactivity. Gigas also has a bit of 4MSS since it needs Protect or Rest, and with its support allowing it use even during charge it will usually only get two attacks to work with (especially since Rest requires either Sleep Talk or Chesto). It could do damage if only it got literally any other ability or more reliable recovery or actual boosting, but as much as I love this guy, its presence here is all hype. D


Registeel can serve as an adequate Rocker in UU thanks to its titanic (get it?) bulk, Steel typing and newfound access to Body Press for a better offensive presence. Toxic whittles down checks, Seismic Toss serves as an alternative to Press for consistent damage and gives you more freedom for EV spreads, and Iron Head if you really want STAB. That said, Steel’s lack of recovery outside Rest, which it usually doesn’t have the luxury to run, is just as much a pain as always, and so greatly appreciates support from Wish or Bulu’s Grassy Surge. As such, Steel mainly makes its home on STALL teams, where its teammates can play around its weaknesses and keep it healthy. The more specific role, alongside competition from overall better Steels like Skarmory, Doublade, Cobalion, Metagross and Jirachi mean that Steel will likely be niche at best, but it will perform that niche admirably. C+


Staktaka may have been hampered by the loss of Z power, but it still packs a solid Attack stat and monstrous physical bulk, alongside being a demon under Trick Room, which it can also set. Body Press may seem appealing, but investing in the bulk to use it means Beast Boost will boost Defense instead of Attack, so you can’t snowball. It still has meaty STABs and good coverage like EQ and Superpower, but its bulk becomes a bit less intimidating given those crippling weaknesses to Fighting and Ground. Staka probably won’t be more than niche, but any serious UU player should keep the wall in mind given just how sturdy it can be. B-/C+


Uxie’s problem is simply because of how thoroughly outclassed it is. Why run Uxie when much better Psychic types are available? Uxie has KnockTurn, but so do a lot of other mons with actual offensive presence. As a Psychic Rocks setter, it has neither the Speed and power of Azelf nor the Prism Armor and variety of Necrozma. Defensively, even the niche Cresselia outdoes it since she has recovery and can potentially provide a full restore to a teammate. Uxie’s one role is as a suicude Rocker/Trick Room setter, using Memento to allow a sweeper to come in- the problem is that this strat is easily countered, namely by just Taunting it. Thoroughly underwhelming in UU, let the lower tiers take it. C-


It’s all fun and games until you remember this thing’s stats are functionally 60/140/140/140/140/60. Whether it’s applying the ever irritating SubToxic, sweeping with SD or serving as a Choice user you need to be very careful about, this thing is simply too strong and too unpredictable to be healthy long-term, especially with strong STAB Shadow Sneak and the always-useful CC. You can never be sure of what this thing is running, and unlike something like Bulu its different sets require drastically different answers, meaning few mons can counter every Aegis set. Yeah, still broken. S++


Let’s see: great Special Attack + Magic Guard-LO and it gets Plot now, not to mention its great speed tier and the fact you can’t even punish it with Pursuit anymore. Yeah, no way this thing isn’t broken. S++


Ahem. .. 157 SpA, with Beast Boost for each KO. A solid speed tier. Powerful dual STAB. Sun is a thing. Pursuit is not. Other than a Rocks weakness, there’s nothing seriously holding this thing back. I think I’ve made my point. S++


For all the bulky new mons UU has, none of them really switch into Guts Conkeldurr that well. According to the calcs I ran in my previous theorymoning about the BL drops, Conk can easily 2HKO otherwise stalwart defensive mons like Suicune and Swampert. CC is insane with Guts, and is shored up by solid coverage like Knock Off, Stone Edge, Poison Jab and neutral but meaty Facade. Its speed should be a hindrance at lea- wait, no! It gets STAB priority in Mach Punch, too, meaning it will always get off at least some damage in battle. No way it stays. S++


Even if we only had Gigalith to provide Sand, Sand Rush + Bolt Beak would still give Dracozolt a 170 BP move before STAB. Now that it can reliably outspeed things, Zolt basically requires a Ground type on every team, as even resists can be quickly worn down if they switch in. That’s also not to ignore powerful Dragon STAB, Zolt’s own EQ for Steels and Fire Blast for a few select checks like Doublade. While Sand Rush may sacrifice the sheer power of Hustle, it also means Zolt isn’t constantly losing the game on unlucky misses, and its 100 Attack still hits decently hard when boosted by Band or LO (I also think Expert Belt could be an option, but it doesn’t seem like that’s catching on yet). Of course, you could try using weather wars to disrupt this thing, but you’re probably sacrificing your setter to do so. This thing naturally restricts teambuilding, and unlike certain new mons it actually has a decent movepool. Maybe Zolt can run in OU, but down here it’s a bit much. S++


Gengar stands out as a NP sweeper due to its ability to threaten most mons with only 2 or 3 moves. Shadow Ball is a must, and from there you use some combo of Sludge Wave/Focus Blast/Substitute, depending on whether you want to be an all-out attacker or want security to patch up Gengar’s lackluster bulk. Unlike Alakazam, Geng also has the option to effectively run Choice sets, which can cripple walls with Trick, or tack on extra coverage like Thunderbolt or Energy Ball. Specs hits fairly hard, while Scarf allows it to effectively outspeed the whole tier, barring a few gimmicky faster Scarfers. It doesn’t even stop there: while not as useful, you can utilize Black Sludge sets with Pain Split or WispHex. Hex in general can also be useful when paired with TSpike support. Gengar is a very potent offensive mon, especially against any team lacking priority, and so may need to be banned a third time. S+


Even with Boots over a boosting item, Gyarados is still plenty strong after just one Dragon Dance, and outspeeds all but the faster Scarfers with max Speed Jolly. What truly makes this thing scary is Moxie, meaning you often can’t afford to lose even one mon to this thing. In terms of moves, it actually smacks everything it needs to with just STABs and Power Whip, as Bounce deals with Mowtom and is actually stronger against Volcanion than EQ. Of course, you can also drop Whip or Bounce for Substitute to protect against status and live an Electric hit. Sure, fast Electric types like Zeraora can easily take Gyara out before it has a chance to sweep, but most can’t switch in. And so Gyara is yet another sweeper that just snowballs too easily. S++


When you delete your blurb on a guy, only to realize he did actually drop off. You know, I was initially willing to give Hawlucha a chance in UU. Surely, with only Bulu’s terrain and unimpressive initial power we could keep Hawk in check now, right? Then Lele dropped, and I realized what an idiot I am. Pass. S+


Latias was already a great mon in USUM UU, but this gen gave it the two coverage options it always dreamed of in Aura Sphere and Mystical Fire, which more than make up for the loss of HP. Thanks to these two moves, Latias can effectively run a copy of its brother’s offensive sets in OU, as Specs still hits pretty hard while Scarf makes it blazing fast; Scarf also allows it to make good use of Healing Wish. Latias’ better bulk means it can afford to run bulkier sets, whether those be CM, 3 attacks + Roost, Cosmic + Stored Power or defensive utility via Defog and Healing Wish. Whether it's becoming an offensive powerhouse in its own right or enabling other dangerous sweepers with support, especially with HW, Latias is gonna run the tier ragged trying to counter it. S+


Alolatales does one thing, but does that one thing well: Aurora Veil. With its good Speed tier and useful support options like Encore and Hypnosis, it reliably sets Veil and allows its sweeper teammates to go wild. It’s the weird thing about Tales compared to most other suspect-worthy mons: Tales isn’t really that strong in its own right with only 81 SpA, but is questionable because of how it enables other problematic mons. And between the influx of offensive powerhouses and weather wars starting up again, Alolatales stands to be even more useful this time around, especially since it also disrupts opposing weather. Maybe Alolatales works when the meta settles into something not as focused on HO, but now’s not really a good time for it to come back. S+


While Salamence is inherently outclassed by Dragonite due to the latter’s additional defensive usage, the DDance- Moxie combo is still as scary as ever. Furthermore, Mence actually gets a decent Flying STAB now in Dual Wingbeat, allowing it dual STAB alongside EQ. Of course, that set has some drawbacks- which is where mixed mence comes in. With Fire Blast and possibly Hurricane or another special move, Mence can effectively go for an AoA set while still picking up Moxie boosts. A full Special set might be useful too, although it's a tad more predictable considering Special Mence will always run Intimidate over Moxie. Still hits hard, can attack from either side of the spectrum- no thanks. S++


Scolipede may not be as overwhelming a Speed Boost sweeper as Blaziken, but that doesn’t mean it's to be underestimated. With strong STAB Megahorn and a STAB Poison Jab that strategically hits Fairies, alongside good coverage in EQ, Rock Slide and Aqua Tail, depending on which checks you want to hit hardest, +2 Scoli still doesn’t have that many defensive answers. Sure, Bulu can weaken EQ, but you cannot bring Bulu into this thing. Sure, Skarmory is a good check, but it’s one check (plus it can’t really do that much in return without Brave Bird, which many Skarm don’t run anymore). It may need a SD boost to get going, but it's pretty hard to stop once it does. S+


How the hell did Lele drop before Fini? Initially poised to be the most insane thing in OU, Lele was denied Expanding Force, then denied its OU placement. Despite the fact that it’s still kind of insane to expect UU to handle this. With great dual STAB, terrific coverage in Focus Blast/Shadow Ball/Thunderbolt, the ability to run a powerful Specs set or CM sweeper or decently powerful Scarf set, utility in Trick and Nature’s Madness, and the ability to block priority, making fast sweepers or revenge killers impossible to block, Lele provides a lot. Too much, many would say, including myself. Bulu can remove Lele’s terrain, but other than that there’s nothing to seriously stopping Lele and co from wrecking the place. S++


So, why do I think Thundurus will be more busted than Therian form? Two reasons. First, that extra 10 points of Speed may seem small, but it enters a new Speed tier where it becomes intrinsically harder to revenge-kill without a fast Scarfer or priority user. NP, meanwhile, ensures Thundy still hits hard even with the lower SpA. Thundy-I also has more depth to its game thanks to Prankster, allowing nearly-unblockable Defog and good speed control in TWave, alongside KnockTurn. Finally, Defiant means that a physical Thundy-I is a possibility, or at least Superpower and KnockTurn are. With more versatility and superior Speed, alongside a decent movepool (albeit one that would like a good Flying STAB), Thundy edges out its Therian counterpart for being broken. S+


With Boots to accompany its Fire typing and U-turn, Victini gets a boost to take the place of the loss of Z-Celebrate. While 100s across the board may not be the best, V-Create. … Guess I need to say more. V-Create is a nuke that scorches anything that fails to resist it. Think your Waters will save you? Bolt Strike smashes all but Swampert. However, Swampert falls with little difficulty to special Victini and its Grass Knot/Energy Ball. Special Victini also still possesses powerful STAB Blue Flare, better Psychic STAB and other coverage like Thunderbolt and Focus Blast. And of course, U-turn ensures Vic can always just switch out of anything it doesn’t beat 1v1. Of course, that’s if you’re not stocked up on removal; if you are, Victini can viably run any Choice item and take advantage of Trick to cripple its walls. Band ratchets up the power of V-Create an extra few notches, Scarf makes revenging it hard without the V drop and Specs, while not as spectacular, still packs a nasty surprise factor. Walling Vic is still overly difficult for UU, and so it should probably go. S+


One drop I certainly wasn’t expecting given its pre-Tundra dominance, UU has one key difference from OU for Volcorona: no Toxapex or Heatran. Who are easily its two best checks. Boots mean it doesn’t care about Rocks anymore, and it got banned from UU in past gens despite being Rocks weak. Especially with the power of Sun, Quiver Dance Volc is basically unstoppable, even having Hurricane in case opposing teams try to weaken it with rain. Hell to the no. S++


Well, looks like we’re gonna have to wait for Xurkitree to get banned from RU first. Did not see this coming. Xurkitree may only have one major set, but Scarf still terrorizes with its 173 SpA. That SpA also ensures that Beast Boost will always go to SpA, making it effectively special Moxie (or just Grim Neigh, I guess). While the loss of HP Ice is annoying, Xurk still packs Energy Ball to hit Ground types and Dazzling Gleam for Dragons, so it can still manage to hit those who can switch into Tbolt or Volt Switch pretty damn hard. While Xurk isn’t the fastest Scarfer (which it normally needs to patch its lackluster 83 Speed), it can be fast enough that it becomes a pain to take out after a SpA boost. Granted, its meh bulk means it can’t switch in too well, but with this kind of power that becomes a bit negligible. Of course, Web teams have the luxury of running a Specs or CM Xurk; if you don’t have Eviolite Chansey, slower teams just lose outright. Xurkitree is yet another mon that’s just too good at snowballing, even with the loss of Tail Glow. S++


Um, did you miss your stop?
For as many mons that just got swept down to UU, the hype effect involved with certain mons meant that a few species, despite being perfectly functional in UU, ended up getting pushed down even farther. Assuming these picks aren’t quickly banned from the lower tiers, we will probably have to wait until December before some of them rise up. Still, I’ll just leave this info on these mons in the meantime.

Gen 8 gave support-Crobat the one thing it's wanted for generations: a way to bypass Rocks. With the newfound aid of Boots, Crobat uses its base 130 Speed to become the new faster hazard remover in UU (besides Prankster). Bat’s ability to bypass Rocks means it doesn’t have to spam Roost as often (although Roost is still a must have) and also greatly benefits its speedy U-turn. From there, you have your choice of Defog for that fast hazard removal I mentioned, Taunt to shut down stall, Super Fang to whittle down bulkier threats or Brave Bird for a strong STAB attack. Crobat’s main issue is that it is limited to a support role due to its fairly unimpressive attacking stats (let’s face it, NP sets are never going to make it long-term off 70 SpA). Still, if you need a faster mon on support duties, Crobat is the new go-to for that role. A-/B+


Nidoqueen, meanwhile, uses the Poison/Ground typing’s defensive qualities to fend off powerful Electric and Fairy types, among others. Most importantly, the added bulk compared to her King allows Queen to more reliably set Rocks or Toxic Spikes. Its own Sheer Force shenanigans are still strong enough to threaten out several terrifying additions like Tapu Bulu and Duskroc. It even has the potential to run a more defensive set with Poison Point so that it can spread status with its Sludge Bomb and new Scorching Sands, although this makes it normally mediocre SpA more apparent. B+


Tornadus got a pair of really good buffs in NP and Boots, which allow it to function as a speedy NP sweeper with STAB Hurricane and Focus Blast/Heat Wave for Steels, alongside several other coverage options, both special and physical. Mixed may not be as threatening, but it could work considering Torn’s solid offensive stats. A more serious alternative set is a speedy support, which packs Prankster Defog alongside good support in KnockTurn to take on a more utility role. It’s defenses are lacking, meaning any SE hit can take it out, but with Plot up this thing can be a bit scary. The upcoming Weather meta also makes it scary, fixing STAB accuracy and giving it a strong WBall, but at the cost of having to use Focus Miss for anti-Steel coverage, and- I believe the nickname says why that might be an issue. Again, whether it gets the boot may depend on how we rule on rain. S/A+


Cell doggo comes to rain speedy destruction on any who dare not stand on the ground. Zygarde 10% is a fairly straight forward revenge killer- with the added power of Band, it fires Thousands Arrows for immunity-free STAB, Outrage for when the Fairies are all gone, Extreme Speed for the handful of faster threats and either EQ for stronger STAB or Iron Tail to hit Fairies. You also have the option to drop Outrage or slot 4 for Toxic for whittling, although Choice-Toxic has a fairly obvious trade off. Zyg can also be a set up sweeper with Coil or DDance, but its lackluster bulk compared to its Semiperfect- I mean 50% form can make that set-up a pain. Zyg will be first in foremost an unspectacular but satisfactory revenger. B


And that is all I have for you this month. We also got some mons coming up from the lower tiers, but this article has already gone on long enough and most of them probably aren’t staying anyways; maybe I’ll do another article on them when I’m not completely sapped. Still, with UU set to become a whole other tier, one wonders what migrations, upwards or downwards, we’ll see in the next few weeks and which species will truly make UU a home. I’m guessing more than a few of my blurbs will be wrong, and that’s okay. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be recovering my energy for the next week or so.
Just wanted to note that Swampert didn't drop to UU so a lot of stuff like Magnezone, Victini, and Rachi, which it would check well, are that much better. OU just values Swampert's rocks+Flip Turn combo too much.
 
You have to wonder how many of these will stay or will return to ou once new toy syndrome fades.

Really excited to try out new cores though, even if they only last a month. Bulu seems a solid uu contender, hope enough good partners for it stay around
 

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I gotta say, I'm very excited to use Tapu Bulu. It's presence in the tier reminds me of when we had Rillaboom for a while, before OU snatched it from us. With Tapu Lele also dropping, seems like Terrain spam teams might just dominate UU for good this time around. One thing that Tapu Lele provides to its teammates is immunity to priority moves. This means Pokémon like Volcarona don't have to be afraid of Lycan-D's Accelerock or Azumarill's Aqua Jet. This is huge for the meta right now, allowing Hyper Offense teams to shine like never before (Well, we did see some usage of Indeedee as a Terrain setter, but Lele is basically Indeedee on steroids).

Another toy we'll be getting with the shift is the drop of Alolan Ninetales, and with it, Aurora Veil. Aurora Veil Hyper Offense is freaking crazy. Pokemon like DD Gyarados, SD Lycan-D, SD Scolipede, Necrozma, Mimikyu, CM Jirachi, SD Pangoro, Quiver Dance Volcarona, Belly Drum Azumarill and many, many more setup sweepers have even more chances to setup and destroy opposing teams. Not only did we get new sweepers, we got Alolan Ninetales back, arguably the best Aurora Veil setter, due to its great speed and access to support moves, like Encore, allowing you to lock opposing entry hazard setters or defensive Pokemon to open up an opportunity for your team to wreck havoc.

Lastly, weather is making a return at full force. Sun teams have Venusaur back while also having Pokemon that didn't leave the lower tiers, like Shiftry, Darmanitan and Charizard. And sun got some new toys with the shift: Victini, Blacephalon, Volcarona Rotom-H and Hatterene. I don't think anybody in the tier wants to take a Choice Band V-Create from Victini in the sun. Rain got Politoed back with Drizzle being unbanned in the tier. This means Kingdra, which came to the tier when DLC1 dropped and never got a chance to shine due to having to set its own rain up, finally has a shot at conquering its place in the tier. We also got Tornadus, Crawdaunt, Kabutops, Omastar and both Thundurus forms. This means rain teams are ready once more to sweep the metagame. The last weather setter we got was Hippowdon. Sand teams are not that common, but with the drop of Dracozolt from UUBL and its ability Sand Rush being released, UU is bound to have some shakeups.

I'm personally very excited about the upcoming days and being to use mons in UU that will probably leave us again like Hydreigon, Jirachi, Zeraora, Volcarona and Victini is going to be fun. Sorry if I rambled too much!
 
Ha. It figures that we finally Hippo back from OU at the same time we get like 30+ things that shouldn't be here. It wouldn't surprise me if, just to add insult to injury, Hippo just gets stolen back by OU in a month or two anyway. Sigh.

Also, yeah, the Malamar thing I didn't see coming at all. Even my being more or less gone for two months doesn't explain my surprise since people who were here seemed to be just as surprised as to why it rose or who was actually using it. This reminds me of the time Snorlax rose to UU about two months ago that I don't think ever got "explained" either. Weird. Do we just blame AIM as is standard?

There's not much else to say that wouldn't be obvious, so I'll say that I find this darkly hilarious since it was even worse than I was expecting despite 2020 being 2020.
 
I, for one, welcome our new OP Overlords.

But more seriously, I think this was a great thing for UU, and I find the fights and teambuilding to be much more fun now, and also more intuitive. Before these drops, I was able to get to top 20 ladder with a brainless Pyukmuku HO team. I can't do that anymore with all the new stuff running around. So, I think this is actually a good thing, at least right now.. And it has certainly created a much more variety of things being used. Let me give some examples:

1. I have seen very little from Zarude, Sylveon, and Weezing-G, which dominated the UU metagame for the past month+.
2. Some things that everyone thought would be super broken and OP AF, like Durant, I have actually not really seen much at all.
3. There is definitely some Ninetales-A Veil going on, but it is not even close to as often as many people thought it would be. Especially with all the other weathers going on, it is much more difficult to get a veil placed.
4. Dracozolt, which was supposed to be OP with Hustle, has been primarily without Hustle now that it has a Hippo Sand buddy.
5. The old OP sun teams of Venusaur/Charizard are no longer as OP because of the changing of weather.
6. Defensively, Skarmory and Celesteela help neutralize a substantial portion of the meta, depending on which one suits your team more. And Buzzwole also is a defensive force that not a lot of people are even using yet.

A lot of things will change on Nov 15 when other drops/rises happen, but I think we should all enjoy what we have for now.
 
I honestly feel most people are jumping on the "wtf everything is broken helppppp" when in reality we should dig more deeply into that. Like, shifts have been here for 20 hours and already we are listing an insane number of Pokémon that are broken.
While I do agree with some of those, I feel like we should be focusing on exploring these Pokémon, without the back thought that they were OU last gen, so no way they are balanced right now. What I mean is, probably you all are right, but give every single Pokémon on your "broken" list a chance before jumping on the quickban train.

PS: pls ban Ninetales-Alola, Veil's broken
 

Lily

wouldn't that be fine, dear
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On a break from class so I'm just gonna write something quick to sum up how I feel about Alolan Ninetales and Aurora Veil as a whole. Note that this is just my take and not what the council thinks as a whole.



Aurora Veil has shown to be a pretty powerful strategy thanks to our numerous new excellent setup sweepers like Gyarados, Salamence and Volcarona in addition to old staples like Polteageist, Linoone, and Incineroar. This has naturally made people want to take action against Alolan Ninetales in order to get rid of this playstyle altogether, but I think that's silly. Even if we were to ban Alolan Ninetales, these playstyles would thrive - in fact, they'd be even better, because the fact of the matter is that Alolan Ninetales is absolutely terrible and we have much, much better options for screen setters. Here are a few of those.



Xatu @ Light Clay
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic / Roost
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Teleport

A timeless classic, Xatu is still one of the best options for dual screens. This is due to three key factors - a Ground immunity, Magic Bounce to prevent hazards, Taunt, and Defog attempts, and most importantly its access to Teleport to bring in sweepers safely. Its decent bulk and Speed also help in this role. Not being a momentum suck like Alolan Ninetales or Grimmsnarl is huge in separating it, though it's notable for its weaker Noivern matchup compared to these two Pokemon.



Grimmsnarl @ Light Clay
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 196 SpD / 60 Spe
Careful Nature
- Play Rough
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Taunt

Grimmsnarl has been the go-to screen setter for a while now and it's not really hard to see why. Prankster screens + Taunt is a scary combo, and it provides a lot of role compression to teams through its ability to annoy common defoggers (Noivern) with Play Rough and its good defensive typing. It's unfortunately quite a momentum sink much like Alolan Ninetales because it can be danced around and stalled out pretty easily, which is why Xatu is usually better tbh, but Grimm's got its own set of advantages.



Ribombee @ Light Clay
Ability: Shield Dust
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Moonblast
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- U-turn

There's a solid chance you guys didn't even know Ribombee learns Reflect and Light Screen before reading this post. Now you know that it does! Ribombee combines a lot of the best traits of the other screen setters; it's hard to Defog on outside of Galarian Weezing, it's got U-turn to bring in sweepers, it has a great Noivern matchup, and it's blazing fast. It does struggle with its poor bulk making it hard to set up screens multiple times throughout a game, though.

:ss/azelf:
there's no good azelf gif yet D:

Azelf @ Light Clay
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Taunt
- U-turn / Explosion

Azelf's been a great choice for dual screens since the dawn of DPP, and that holds true nowadays. Unfortunately it struggles to separate itself from the other Pokemon on this list because of its inability to pressure common Defoggers (though it can Taunt most of them) but it's still really fast, pretty strong if it has Explosion, and can often set up screens multiple times throughout a game unlike Ribombee. I admittedly haven't tested it unlike the others on this list but it's probably pretty good so there's that.

---

So what does all this mean? Basically it means that if you think Veil is a problem, then yeah you're probably right but you're not looking at the bigger picture. The issue is not that we have Alolan Ninetales enabling all these bonkers setup sweepers, because that's gonna happen even if the fox is banned. The problem is that we have these sweepers to begin with, and if we want to tackle the issue of screens setup spam strategies being overpowered, then we should start by removing the abusers from the tier and not the setters.

That's not important now, though. For now, enjoy the fact that TonyFlygon and I won since we have finally managed to...

FREE THEM ALL


Hope you guys are having some fun with the chaos! Here's a quick screens team I made and played a little bit with in case anyone wants to give it a try :3
 
I've had the chance to play a fair amount of games now and the tier feels a lot more flexible in terms of the sheer number of stuff you can run. I've been around in the !PS UU room a good deal since the drops and even in yesterday's seminar there was a lot of talk about how multiple things deserve a quickban. The council has already expressed they plan to hold off till the 15th anyways but I would hope we can be more flexible due to the power creep of this generation. There are things that are offensively really powerful but we also got a handful of defensive Pokemon capable of handling a vast majority of them too. The tier is likely to shift a fair amount within these next two tier shifts so I wouldn't be surprised to see many things go back to OU and some things become too much as a result but either way, I do encourage people to view things a little differently than resorting to potentially wanting to ban half the tier.


From my personal experience (30+ odd games), I've found these two to be the most problematic. Volcarona has some defensive counterplay such as Diancie, Gigalith, Gyarados etc. as well as Pokemon capable of revenge killing it like Lycanroc-D or Azumarill. Despite having counterplay I do think it constrains building a good amount. Gyarados on the other hand has near to no defensive answers. STABs + Power Whip hits the whole tier apart from Dracozolt. After a DD it's very easy for it to just snowball out of control with Moxie. I agree with Lilburr's post above because I do also think Alolan Ninetales is fine, it's when you slap one of these behind dual screens that you have an issue (still insane outside of screens).

Aside from these two I've found most things to be fine to play against, granted I obviously haven't faced off against everything (Diggersby, Kyurem, etc. I haven't seen on ladder yet). Weathers are arguably problematic because you're required to have stuff like Latias and Kommo-o to defensively check Venusaur, or Tangrowth, Latias, and Amoong for rain, though priority does help against both Drought and Drizzle teams. Don't have too much opinion on this yet. Hawlucha is really annoying and without Skarmory or Aegislash you probably struggle to beat it reliably.


Diancie @ Leftovers
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Diamond Storm
- Moonblast / Play Rough
- Toxic / Mystical Fire / Earth Power
- Stealth Rock

Diancie is very good right now to compress something that can set up Stealth Rock and check Volcarona, Hydreigon, Latias, Togekiss, etc. I've seen people experimenting with physical Diancie, presumably because Play Rough beats CM Latias more reliably. Mystical Fire is nice for it to hit Scizor but I do think it's a little difficult to fit unless you give up Moonblast and forfeit punishing bulky Water-types.


Slowking @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 72 Def / 4 SpA / 180 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Scald
- Psyshock
- Slack Off
- Teleport

We lost Slowbro but Slowking is a great replacement. SpD sets are much more valuable right now especially because you become an excellent pivot into Tapu Lele. The spread avoids the 2HKO from Choice Specs Moonblast from Lele. It still checks the same stuff like Keldeo but its able to take on Kommo-o, Nidoking/queen for example.

+

Suicune @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Scald
- Rest
- Sleep Talk

Nidoqueen (F) @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 128 HP / 252 SpA / 128 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Sludge Wave
- Earth Power
- Flamethrower
- Toxic Spikes

This is a fun core that has been used in past gens and is still extremely good now. I haven't seen a single Suicune but I have been using it myself and it's still a monster. After a CM you can 1vs1 a large portion of the tier and most of the common Grass- and Electric-types don't appreciate a burn. Nidoqueen is a scary wallbreaker that pairs with it but it's mainly there to pressure bulky Grass-types and check Zeraora + provide Toxic Spikes.


Kommo-o @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Bulletproof
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Belly Drum
- Drain Punch
- Scale Shot
- Poison Jab

A cool set that I have been using and it's something that I had discussed with Donphantastic at some point in the UU discord. In practice, it has put in a lot of work with Scale Shot making it harder to revenge kill Kommo-o. I've primarily been using it outside of screens and it has been fine but its potential under dual screens is likely much higher.


Click the sprites for an importable
Lastly, here is a HO team I've been using. It's been pretty consistent in 1600s though it can probably be tweaked being this early into the new shifts. Mew is an insane suicide lead that pretty much always gets one hazard up. After that, it is more or less 5 sweepers put together. Gyarados alone has relatively poor switchins and thanks to Power Whip stall doesn't have a fun time against it. The Kommo-o set I mentioned above is here and gives me a check to stuff like Blacephalon, Zeraora, and Gengar without relying solely on Mimikyu. Mimikyu is there as an emergency check to most threats with Disguise over other potential choices. Scizor because SD BP and you need a Steel-type for Latias and Tapu Lele etc. Toxtricity provides a fair amount of utility with its typing to pressure Scizor, Celesteela, Thundurus, etc.

That's all I have to add. I do hope people become a bit more open-minded to some of the things I attempted to address at the start of this post. The tier is a lot of fun even with how crazy some of these drops are, definitely interested to see how the tier develops.
 
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ausma

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Hey all, tier shifts have been absolutely crazy, and I hope y'all have been enjoying the maddening chaos as much as I have!

After having made some preliminary builds with all of the metagame's unprecedented shifts, it's fairly easy to say there are a lot of crazy things running around in the tier right now, and I'd like to bring those up: namely, terrain hyper offense.

:ss/tapu-bulu::ss/tapu-lele:

Although these mons by themselves aren't exactly very crazy due to the infestation of Steel-types that don't care about Fighting-type moves, they are fantastic facilitators of terrain since they're still Tapus with fairly solid typings and stat spreads, and most prominently, they provide terrain support that actually opens up the dangerous mons. Psychic Terrain in specific is particularly maddening, as blocking priority is absolutely pivotal in a metagame desperate to check offensive threats, and it opens up Seed abusers/Expanding Force Alakazam. I think this is definitely the most difficult thing to deal with in the tier, especially with the myriad of Screens support options that Lily listed above.

----

As for abusers!

:ss/blacephalon:
Blacephalon

To me, I feel Blacephalon is bar none the greatest issue among the drops. Its dual STABs are completely unresisted in the tier unless your switch-ins are Incineroar, Hydreigon or Sharpedo, the latter two of which are reliable against Choice Scarf variants. Blacephalon is very readily capable of claiming games on the spot with its great speed tier, spammable Shadow Balls, and ability to punish its few possible switch-ins with Knock Off/Toxic. Additionally, I've been experimenting with a Sub CM 2 Attacks set, which I've been using to stunning success; with screens and Psychic Terrain support, it is fucking mad. I think Blacephalon is bar none the most overwhelming Pokemon in the tier currently.

:ss/alakazam:
Alakazam

Nasty Plot Alakazam shreds the tier apart, and boasts a mad speed tier that lets it get the jump on most, if not all relevant non-Scarfing threats. I've mostly seen Focus Sash Plot running around, which does the job pretty well, but with Screens support, Nasty Plot Life Orb is even more nuclear, and a neigh impossibility to switch into, especially with Psychic Terrain support. This is another problem child, in my honest opinion.

:ss/hawlucha:
Hawlucha

Hawlucha is as crazy as ever, and now has two Tapus to facilitate its Seed shenanigans. Taunt works especially well on it right now since Hippowdon, Skarmory, and Steela are running around, giving Lucha a good setup opportunity. However, barring Aegislash, actually defending against it when your Skarmory/Celesteela are chipped is beyond difficult to do, especially with Screens support. Definitely still too much.

:ss/zeraora:
Zeraora

Zeraora is another top Pokemon in my opinion, with an unparalleled speed tier and no real Ground-types to stop its onslaught of Plasma Fists spam. Due to all of the Psychic spam, there is also no use of Amoonguss/Tangrowth that I can see, but that doesn't matter too much, because I believe its best set utilizes Acrobatics to break past Buzzwole and such threats anyway. Plasma Fists + Grass Knot + Acrobatics + Work Up is a cool set combination I definitely did not steal from Eve, and one that runs down a lot of the tier in tandem with your choice of a Terrain seed, healing berry, or a Kee Berry. Zeraora specifically works pretty well with Tapu Bulu the best out of these abusers, being able to smash down Steela/Skarmory to open up Bulu for breaking. Additionally, Zeraora loves the neutrality to Earthquake and the passive recovery the terrain provides. Of course, it's also great as a pivot if you're into that.

:ss/aegislash:
Aegislash

Aegislash does Aegislash things; it also pairs pretty nicely with Grassy Terrain, appreciating the Earthquake neutrality and making particular use out of Weakness Policy for this reason. Physical sets are pretty nice, but mixed Weakness Policy variants take names and punch past a gigantic majority of the tier. Celesteela is the only Pokemon that I see can check it decently well, which is saying something as it has a means to deal with everything else, and is incredibly difficult to prep for in a vacuum unless you have a Celesteela.

:ss/volcarona:
Volcarona

quiver dance go brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrnnnnnnt

Definitely another pretty crazy problem child, and this time, there's no Toxapex or Dragapult to save us. It loves Grassy Terrain quite a bit, and pairs maniacally with Screens. There's not much to say about it, other than it just mows down the tier unless you have a Primarina or Noivern.

:ss/kommo-o:
Kommo-o

Kommo-o with Psychic Terrain to block priority and Screens support dismantles the tier, whether you want to use Clangorous Soul, Dragon Dance, or Belly Drum, all of its setup options are simply great, and are a complete pain to telegraph and actually deal with. Definitely really good, both as a Stealth Rock user and as an offensive wincon.

---

Anyway, these are my preliminary thoughts on most of the crazy offensive things I've seen. I have more thoughts I'll give later, but I really wanted to give my major first impressions on the effectiveness of terrain offense currently. The main team I've been using is one that I posted on the bazaar, which you can check here if you want to try it. Thanks for reading!
 
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If you're having problems with offense, weather, Beast Boosters, psychic terrain, or webs (which, admittedly, I haven't seen much of), then you might consider the usually niche Trick Room.

Conkeldurr is a monster, specs or mixed WP Aegislash will carry games, Hatterene and Crawdaunt are as formidable as ever, and the shiny new Glastrier is terrifying--destroying most non-Waters with Choice Band, and able to nearly OHKO some Suicune variants with SD CC.

Just be sure to run some speed on your Trick Room team, because Trick Room doesn't last that long. Punch a hole or two with your slow guys in TR while the other team's fast offensive threats can't do anything, and then proceed to sweep with your own fast setup guy. Pretty effective in the 1600 range, and likely to stay effective while hyper offense is common.
 
I've been playing in this cluster hell of a meta for a fair bit now, obvious pointers are Pokemon like Volcarona, Victini, Gyarados etc. are just flat out broken. The interesting thing about Veil/Screens is I don't know truly whether it's the abusers that are the problem, or that Veil/Screens is just an unhealthy arch-type that pushes way too many offensive threats over the top. I would like to test some more, but I'm starting to lean on more that Screens is a problem, rather than 'most' of these abusers.

With that swept aside, I would like to focus on a Pokemon that I've been having really good success with. That Pokemon being Galarian-Moltres:


Moltres-Galar @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Berserk
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Fiery Wrath
- Hurricane / Air Slash
- Agility

Galarian-Moltres - is a offensive powerhouse, I'm very surprised to have only seen it a few times despite how potent it has been for me. It's bulk, typing and boosting capabilities are already fantastic on it's own, but under Screens... This thing is on a whole new ball-park. I honestly argue that Moltres might be a Top 5 Pokemon in the tier right now, especially with how good Screens Offense is. This Pokemon has a lot of match-ups where it just straight 6-0's even without being behind screens due to it's pretty much unresistant STAB combination, with only three Pokemon in the tier resisting. Those Pokemon being Diancie, Klefki and Bisharp, with only one comfortably taking boosted hits, being Diancie.

Iron Head from Adamant Bisharp 2HKO's or 4HKOs (slight chance to even fail at that) Moltres depending whether it's behind Screens or not, whilst +2 Fiery Wrath 2HKO's Bisharp. With Fiery Wrath's 20% to flinch and Moltres out-speeding even with Modest Nature, Bisharp is not a viable check unless it's already in on Moltres as it goes for Nasty Plot. It's also to note that Iron Head doesn't knock Moltres into Black Glasses boosted Sucker Punch range, unless chipped by Stealth Rocks.

As for Klefki, it's literal setup fodder. It can't Toxic nor Thunder Wave Moltres due to it's Dark-typing blocking Prankster, whilst Dazzling Gleam fails to even 2HKO Moltres without Light Screen (it's 5HKO behind Light Screen lmaooo) which would only activate Weakness Policy for Moltres. +4 Hurricane always 2HKO SpDef Klefki and Fiery Wrath has 73% chance to 2HKO while also having the flinch chance.

So that leaves Diancie. Outside of Screens, Diancie reliably beats Moltres but behind Screens it becomes shaky again as SpDef Diancie's Moonblast becomes a 4HKO (which also activates Weakness Policy). Fiery Wrath's flinch chance is much like how Ash-Gren was with it's defensive checks; one or two flinches = game over. Even Chansey, the defensive blob has a good chance to lose via Fiery Wrath flinches with +4 3HKO'ing or Hurricane 2HKO'ing after Stealth Rock.

There are reliable revenge killers in Mamoswine and Lycanroc-Dusk, having super-effective priority. However, without necessary chip (which further exuded behind Reflect), they would ultimately help in Moltres in sweeping with a Weakness Policy boost. Hope this bright some spotlight on this criminally underrated Pokemon.
 
I whole heartedly agree that Moltres-G is amazing. I've been experimenting with a way to get the most use out of her Berserk ability. So here's a more bulky take on the dark phoenix:

(Jean Grey) Moltres-Galar @ Blunder Policy
Ability: Berserk
Bold Nature
EVs:252 hp / 160 Def / 96 Spe
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
-Hurricane
-Fiery Wrath

Sadly Moltres-G does not learn roost. So rest talk is the work around. Berserk is a seriously good ability. Thanks to her great stats and amazing defensive typing, this phoenix can rise from the ashes fully healed and stronger each time via Berserk. The speed EVs let you outspeed neutral base 70 mons with max Ev investment. And that is before Blunder Policy kicks in. However once it does, coupled with a confusion status and 20% flinch from Fiery Wrath, it becomes difficult for opposing mons to keep Moltres-G from stabilizing out of KO range and hoping for another Berserk boost.

You could play around with the EVs and possibly go a couple alternate routes. Dropping the speed EVs completely into Def makes her harder to kill. But then you're really banking on Hurricane to miss to activate a policy speed boost. Another option is to go max SpD. But Idk if you wanna be so specialized with the dark phoenix. Her special Def is already really high.

Anyways, I just love how many options the Galar Moltres has and not being ×4 weakness to rocks is really really nice.
 

Estarossa

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hey all, so Ive been travelling for the first few days since shifts for the most part so didn't have much access to internet until today, but I wanted to make a post about some things I've been enjoying in the tier, as I'm glad to see other people doing, its a great source of inspiration for people to explore some stuff right now in a chaotic tier where you have no idea where to begin.

:ss/tapu-bulu: :ss/conkeldurr:

So Conk is a really dangerous mon right now and i've seen quite a bit of discussion on Flame Orb sets. I wanted to try out Bulk Up Conk, it just happened to look a great answer to stuff like Suicune thanks to Guts for a Toxic + Natures Madness Bulu team I was building, and I wanted to really take advantage of the Grassy Terrain that I had instead of using a Flame Orb set, and realised how dangerous Bulk Up sets could be in Terrain with 12% recovery a turn and then Drain Punch on top of it.

SpD conk is pretty hard to take down tbh and can soft check a lot of dangerous threats like Hydreigon especially with Mach Punch too, Poison Jab doesn't feel too useful rn since people arent really using Prim or Sylveon, but if they do it seems like a worthwhile consideration and can be nice for SD bulu which can boost through you.

Team i was running it on - https://pokepast.es/54e500535b63e849

:ss/golisopod:

Golisopod is a really cool anti-offense option right now. First Impression + Aqua Jet covers a lot of threatening Pokemon that can easily steamroll if their checks are at all weakened likee Blacephalon and Nihilego, CM Latias, NP Hydreigon, QD Volcarona. Knock Off + Spikes support are also great for potential teammates like Keldeo that like Noivern / Slowking being punished way more. Golisopod is like a really nice way to shove on an offensive check to a lot of stuff into a team imo, especially in a metagame where there is so many threats and double priority becomes incredibly valuable.

:ss/keldeo:

I found Keldeo kind of hard to really justify for a lot of the last meta with Slowbro + noivern spam until near the end where Glowbro usage was massive and made Specs Keldeo kinda dangerous again. In this meta Keldeo's speed tier + typing gives it some nice defensive utility still as an offensive check to massive threats like Hydreigon and Scizor.

SpD Slowking is seeing some usage on teams atm for stuff like Lele, but in general I've been seeing a lot more offensive teams which are relying on offensively checking Keldeo now with something like a Latias, which is a bit vulnerable to Icy Wind and can be often forced into recoverying after rocks and a specs attack, Noivern usage has also dropped a bit despite it still being a pretty good mon as Lily as talked about in Disc. I've been trying Specs Keldeo out a bit and i'm just loving how threatening of a breaker it can be with that useful defensive utility mentioned earlier,.

In particular i've been pairing it with Golisopod to really take advantage of Latias with Flip Turn, while being able to provide the spikes support too. Also been pairing it with Nihilego, Keldeo can easily get it in on stuff like Primarina / Celebi / Noivern for set up opportunities with Meteor Beam + Power Herb, while Keldeo is fantastic for checking Scizor for it.

Goli + Keld team - https://pokepast.es/27e39f8a305a3dd8

:ss/nihilego:

This mon was something I was super hyped for to drop, though partly due to an expectation for Moltres to arrive. Today I played around with Meteor Beam + Power Herb a bit, mainly with a Speed Boosting set, its coverage is absolutely fantastic and these sets are dangerous af late game if the opponent doesnt have a Scizor unless they can weaken you into priority range (like 50% hp ish) from Mamo/Lycan, or have certain scarfers like Latias or Keldeo that outspeed you at +1.

Holding onto your power herb also lets you break through a normal Latias after a small bit of chip if you can accrue a boost, which is pretty neat when it otherwise eats up unboosted attacks pretty well. Provides a really nice check to Volcarona too thanks to Power Herb melting it even if its Bulky with multiple QDs, while can safely tank a +1 Psychic in Psychic terrain if you happen to face that sort of playstyle too.

This mon is pretty cool with Jirachi in particular, which can easily get you in on Incineroar / Rotom-Heat etc while having options like throwing Thunders/Body Slams at Latias or Keldeo so that you can thraeten them without a speed boost. Definitely needs pairing with strong Scizor checks like Rotom-Heat.

:ss/slowbro: :ss/slowking: (galar)

I had my concerns that Slowking-Galar might end up dethroning Glowbro completely, but in this new Metagame I definitely still prefer Glowbro for Calm Mind sets on certain teams. The extra defense is useful around stuff like Conk, Dusk Doggo and Scizor that are massive threats in this meta, also takes stuff like a Sun boosted Scarf v-create a decent bit better too, and Sylveon usage is completely out of the window meaning you definitely don't need to worry about stuff like mixed spread as much atm.

Definitely think Glowking has its places, being able to eat a Specs blacephalon hit at +1 for instance is very useful if you are more concerned by it, while the bit better mu vs stuff like Hydreigon and Nidos can also be particularly useful. I wouldnt be surprised to see both of these keep usage for UU based on their different usefulnesses. Psyshock is also a cool option ive seen a few people use on their CM Glows atm to beat Suicune and better threaten Conk among other things, though I do value Scald a lot right now especially for Scizor and Mamo among other things.

:ss/victini: :ss/dracozolt:

Surprise surprise, I played a lot of Sand since shifts. Victini sand was my favourite i've ended up playing, special boots victini has a great ability to lure in some of Dracozolts best answers in Hippowdon and Rhyperior that might be expecting physical, while giving it plenty of opportunities versus typical swich-ins like Slowking to special sets with u-turn. Psychic victini is also cool to lure in some potential switch-ins to Victini like Keldeo or (defensive/offensive) Kommo-o that could potentially really threaten your sand teams with free breaking / setup opportunities.

Victini @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Victory Star
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Blue Flare
- Psychic
- U-turn
- Grass Knot

Dracozolt is definitely an absolute menace from what i've seen so far, versus Hippo-less teams its honestly an insane threat that can outspeed pretty much anything and has crazy power, and it still provides some decent defensive utility in checking stuff like Scizor (run Fire Blast tbh especially if you are scared of them +2 bullet punching to weaken Bolt Beak) and non-EQ Gyara. Definitely struggles a little with weather wars and limited sand turns, making it feel a bit less potent and harder to get into reliably play, but I feel this thing is still on of the biggest threats in the tier atm and will feel a lot more noticeable if stuff like Alotales does eventually get the boot later in the month.

I've in partcular also been enjoying some slightly different Dracozolt sets with a more specially invested mixed sets that can still nuke stuff like latias / hydreigon while having the power to 2hko Hippowdon on switch in, making themselves more self sufficient and not so reliant on their teammates to remove Hippo. These sets definitely don't have as much of a necesarril high damage output ceiling with Bolt beak doing like 20% less damage than on Max Attack sets, but the greater self sufficiency makes these sets feel very potent still to me. Rash nature still has enough speed to outspeed +1 base 100s like Volcarona / Salamence, and I do prefer the higher output on Draco Metor it gives.

Dracozolt @ Life Orb
Ability: Sand Rush
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Rash Nature
- Bolt Beak
- Draco Meteor
- Fire Blast
- Substitute


---

Sorry if I rambled a bit, hope you are all enjoying the new metagame! Make sure to keep an eye out for tour nights in UU room too where we will be doing regular DLC ones, we had a 56 player turnout today so these are sure to be great fun.
 

Luirromen

:]
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OUPL Champion
Hi there, I finally today gave a try to the new meta and I have to say that it is pretty funny, at the point that idk what do I wanna try lol, anyways, I wanna talk about which mons I think are the ones with the best potential, also some pre dlc meta mons that function pretty well.

New additions with huge pottential!

Jirachi
:ss/jirachi:
Months ago Jirachi was simply amazing and pretty splashable on teams, at the same time was threatnig by its own with a ton of offensive options and huge coverage movepool, I tried EBelt Mix Rachi on Psy Terrain, Stealth Rock setter and Wish Passer, and they work pretty good, very splashable on bulky offense, rain and more offensive teams, its capable to check Tapu Lele, Tapu Bulu, Latias, Nihilego... and the list goes on, this thing is amazing and I hope it will remain in the tier for a long time.

Kommo-o
:ss/kommo-o:
Pretty much like Jirachi, clanger shines due to how versatile and good it is, its capable to take a lot of roles and check a huge amount of mons, support options on Stealth rock, Toxic and Dragon Tail/Roar, and a ton of ofensive options on Sword Dance, Dragon Dance, Belly Drum, Scale Shot, Clagorous Soul. Defensively is capable to check a ton of physical attackers, specially Dark Types, 2 pretty good abilitys, Bulletproof making it a solid check to Blacephalon and Gengar, and Soundproof to check opposing CSoul Komoo, Toxtricity and Sylveon that relies on Hyper Voice to damage, also another amazing addition

Skarmory
:ss/skarmory:
The mighty Skarmory comes back to check almost any physical threat and with a ton of support moves on SR, Spikes, Defog, Whirliwind, however comes with the disadvantage that also his biggest nemesis Magnezone also dropped, but this is one of the few mons really capable to constantly check DD Mence, Tapu Bulu and Diggersby. Skarm is a pretty solid pick, but it seems like when OU meta stablish againn might Skarm rise again.

Diancie
:ss/diancie:
Diancie basically completely owns large SS UU king Noivern, just having to fear a rare Toxic or if the Noivern user really wants to hit it steel coverage on Steel Wing. Anyways, Diancie is prob the bulkyest fairy on the metagame rn, has good move options like sr, and can be good on TR offense teams, also as a niche set, it can run CM + Iron Defense + Draining Kiss + Stored Power, however due to the 50 base speed can be rk pretty easy and is not that whrot it. Diancie also check pretty much some of the Dark types on the tier.

Latias
:ss/latias:
Latias on this generation is better that the last one, as it doesnt have to fear Pursuit trap users like Krookodile and Scizor as it used to, I havent played that much with Latias, but is one capable to take a ton of roles and punish defensive threats with stuff like Trick, it has a ton of support options on Defog, Wish and Healing wish and good offensive tools on CM, Bolt Beam coverage and Draco Meteor, prob Latios wont see a ton of usage rn but when the meta stablish is prob going to be top tier.

Old metagame picks that are pretty good!

Incineroar
:ss/incineroar:
Incineroar in my opinion is a pretty valuable pick, as it handles a ton of new mons, some few examples of stuff that Inci can attemp to check are Tapu Bulu, Tapu Lele, Blacephalon, Jirachi and Scizor, and it can cripple his checks with Knock Off and Toxic, also Parting Shot is more valuable to slighly nerf some ofensive pivots and give free switchs on wallbreakers like Tapu Lele

Mamoswine
:ss/mamoswine:
Mamoswine really enjoyed this tier shifts for 2 reasons: 1. Slowbro rising to OU since Slowbro was one of its best checks, 2. New victims of its dual stab combination on Ground and Ice, despite now SKarm being in the tier, Magnezone is a pretty good partner capable to remove Skarm for Mamoswine, also Mamoswine is one of the best rk to DD Mence actually


Happy New Meta :blobwizard: !
 
I'm not a very experienced player, but I'd like share my thoughts on a relatively under-the-radar mon I think can make end up making (Thousand) waves in the metagame (Also this is like my first post despite me being a member since 2017, so sorry for any formatting errors)


Zygarde-10% @ Choice Band
Ability: Aura Break
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Thousand Arrows
- Outrage
- Extreme Speed
- Superpower

This set has been both a great lead AND late-game cleaner in my experience on the ladder. It forces several common leads such as Skarm, Torkoal, or standard momentum mons like the Rotoms into a tough spot: that being, eat a 1 or 2 hit KO or swap into a mon that can handle a banded Thousand Arrows-which it turns out, isn't a lot past Tapu Bulu, Hippo, and Glastrier, and a few niche defensive sets on mons like Kommo-o and Hatt. A lot of the new toys fear this thing like no tomorrow too, like Non-Scarf Lele, G-Slowking, Zera w/o Play Rough (which is most of them), Aegi, Mag, Kyurem, hell, at this point in time I could just list half the tier. As a late-game sweeper, its' combo of spammable STABs, strong priority, and high speed make it prime material for picking off weakened teams. Its Extreme Speed is exceptionally good at shutting down chipped setup sweepers like Volc and Zolt in particular, even Cloyster given heavy damage. And this is all without mentioning how a lot of the meta right now abhors having to switch into this thing, especially over the course of a match.
It has a fair share of flaws, though. If you predict wrong on a move given the opponent makes a great switch or they pack one of the counters I listed earlier, it's an utter momentum sink, as is the fate of quite a few Choice set mons. Its power can also leave a LOT to be desired in several places despite the band, too, and it can find itself coming up short in some crucial times during a match.
I've recently hit the 1500's on ladder using this here, and I feel like I owe a lot of it to this weird planarian-hivemind-land guarding Fenrir expy.
Here's some calcs that I'd thought be relevant to my point
252 Atk Choice Band Zygarde-10% Thousand Arrows vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Primarina: 235-277 (64.5 - 76%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Zygarde-10% Thousand Arrows vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Torkoal: 210-248 (61.2 - 72.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Zygarde-10% Thousand Arrows vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Rotom-Wash: 348-410 (114.4 - 134.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Choice Band Zygarde-10% Extreme Speed vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Volcarona: 154-182 (49.5 - 58.5%) -- 98.8% chance to 2HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Zygarde-10% Extreme Speed vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Dracozolt: 119-141 (37 - 43.9%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
 
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Moutemoute

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Hey there, Moute²'s here. After a couple of days laddering and testing some stuff, I think it's time to give my two cents to the current shifts we got. First of all, it's not a surprise for anyone but this new Alpha UU is definitively a "broken check broken" metagame to the point that I actually don't really know what are the most unhealthy and broken things we have there (even tho some names stand out..). Also I'm gonna do this post in alphabetical order for ease of writing..let's not wait furthermore and dive into it..!


Most dominant stuff
(click sprites for sets)


Blacephalon is probably one of the greatest threat the tier has right now. It's basically a Chandelure on crack with a way better speed tier and an ability which allows it to either boost in special attack or speed. While it's true that it's coverage moves are not the greatest (basically some Psychic-type moves and more obscure things such as Solar Beam) its sheer force allows it to bypass most things in the tier thanks to its Choice Specs set. On the other hand, you can also slap it a Choice Scarf and it becomes really hard to revenge kill by priorities such as Aqua Jet from Azumarill. There isn't a lot of stuff that can check it on the offensive or defensive side. Kommo-o with Bulletproof is a pretty cool answer but it needs to watch-out for Psychic coverage which obliterates it. Chansey is a really solid pick as long as Blacephalon doesn't run Sub+CM. Incineroar is also great but the raw power of the current metagame doesn't help it at all since it will struggle to handle other dominant threats. Last but not least, Blacephalon pairs well with well known archetype such as Psychic Spam teams with Tapu Lele or our 2.0 Sun teams. Overall I think that this Pokemon is way too good for the tier and will probably get banned if it doesn't rise on its own.


Even tho we got so much powerful Pokemon, Dracozolt still stands-out as an insane threat and that's quite amazing when you think about it. However, something change since the last time we got it in the tier and it's the release of its hidden ability : Sand Rush ; which allows it to sacrifice the extra power of Hustle for more speed which allows it to tear apart a lot of teams that lack defensive counterplay to shit Pokemon. I trully think this Pokemon is still way too much for the tier and has only one really good answer at the moment : Hippowdon. Rhyperior and Gastrodon are other viable answers but let's be honest, they're not the greatest tool to use at the moment. What's the result of Hippowdon being the only good defensive answer to Dracozolt ? Well it's simple, if you're not using it, I have always the bad feeling to be weak to it. Even fat things such as defensive Buzzwole (which is the probably the bulkiest Pokemon we have in UU on the physical side) can be 2HKO by Life Orb Naughty Bolt Beak (and it's nuked by Draco Meteor and Fire Blast which are doing at least 60% to over 80% for the second one). I will complete this post about Dracozolt later when I'll talk about weathers in the current metagame..


Another old friend from UUBL.. once again Gyarados can reaaly tears apart a lot of teams that lack the right defensive answer to it. While it's true that without Bounce Gyarados doesn't beat most Grass-types such as Amoonguss, Tapu Bulu or Tangrowth, it's also important to highlight that those Pokemon can be pressured quite easily thanks to all the threats we have at the moment in the tier. Under the Aurora Veil, Gyarados is just a nightmare to handle since it can setup on basically almost anything in the tier and then just snowball the opponent's team. While I do believe that Aurora Veil helps it to be even worst to handle, I think it's a pretty nasty thing on its own.


I don’t think Hawlucha was any better than it is right now. Thanks to Tapu Bulu and Tapu Lele support, Hawlucha can freely abuse of Grassy/Psychic Seed and setup on a lot of Pokemon. After a single Swords Dance it can punish most offensive threats and a lot of defensive threats while being able to bother them thanks to Taunt (to prevent a Toxic or something like Leech Seed from Celesteela). I don't see in which world this insanity could stay in UU, like for real we almost have no answer to it and the few we have (like Aegislash) are pretty easy to chip with teammates. I really don't like this Pokemon and how it's such as low risk really high reward thing.


Disgusting as fuck and able to carve out a place in most teams whether it's ones that are using Grassy/Psychic Terrain or Sun teams. This Pokemon is just a nightmare to handle if you're lacking things such as Nihilego or Diancie which can be weakened by teammates or bopped after a Quiver Dance by a boosted terrain Psychic / Giga Drain (Nihilego is OHKOed by +1 Psychic under Psychic Terrain after Stealth Rock and Diancie take more than 58% with a +1 Giga Drain under Grassy Terrain) which means they always have to stay healthy which isn't easy for them since they often have to check multiple threats. I really hate this Pokemon and how hard it is to revenge kill so yeah I hope it will leave the tier asap.

Weathers
Alright let's talk a bit about Weathers in the current metagame. To be honest, I think most of them are viable and while it's true that Rain teams and Sun teams are way more obnoxious that Sand teams, I can't deny that Hippowdon + Dracozolt is an amazing core which can punish a lot of things. Sand teams can also run some threats such as Terrakion or Nihilego which are pretty tough to OHKO with special moves under the Sandstream. On the other hand, Hail teams suck but Aurora Veil teams are as disgusting as usual with even more setup sweepers than before (Aegislash, Azumarill, Blacephalon, Celesteela, Diggersby, Gyarados, Hawlucha, Kommo-o, Latias, Salamence, Scizor etc etc...). Last but not least, I don't think Sun teams and Rain teams have been as powerful than right now. Sun teams have new toys such as Blacephalon, Victini and Volcarona and old ones such as Venusaur and Hatterene while Rain teams have a brand new arsenal to fuck the whole tier thanks to Politoed and its Drizzle ability and the really high number of Rain abusers : Azumarill, Crawdaunt, Keldeo, Omastar, Scizor, Tapu Bulu, Tornadus, Thundurus and Thundurus-Therian... It's really hard to handle those teams on both the offensive and defensive side since things such as Tornadus and Thundurus(-T) can just abuse of Nasty Plot and then spam their STABs Hurricane or Thunder, they also have the coverage to bypass Rock-types and Ground-types thanks to Weather Ball and/or Grass Knot.. Yeah it's clear that those archetypes are pretty dumb right now..

By the way before talking about other powerful things, I know some players asked me the importable of the Sun team I've been using on the ladder/room tournament so there you go (it's not really something out of the ordinary but yet I know some people were looking for it)..



It's pretty much a Sun team that we could have seen in the OUWC a few months ago.. pretty crazy right ? Pretty straightforward, Torkoal set up the Sun for Venusaur, Victini and Volcarona. Chansey and Xatu are there to handle some threats and dump momentum into the breakers thanks to Teleport. Choice Band Victini is just insane under the Sun thanks to V-Create which basically 2HKO almost anything in the tier.. The team need to play around Weavile which is pretty deadly for it but otherwise, it works quite well !


Other powerful stuff
(click sprites for sets)


While Aegislash isn't as dumb as the last time (mostly because we have even more broken stuff such as Blacephalon), it's still a formidable and versatile threat which can punish a lot of Pokemon. Either Swords Dance, Double Dance (Swords Dance + Autotomize), Choice Specs, Mixed Sub or Sub + Toxic.. this Pokemon can really mess around a lot of stuff. Obviously it struggles more because the metagame is really fast and offensive but it's still something you shouldn't sleep on..


Psychic Spam teams are pretty common right now but also pretty good. They have a lot of abusers such as Hawlucha, Volcarona, Latias or Blacephalon but we can't deny that their best abusers are obviously Tapu Lele and Alakazam. Under the Psychic Terrain Life Orb Alakazam is insanely threatening thanks to its speed tier and its access to Expanding Force. On the other hand, Tapu Lele can cover some weakness of Alakazam and they overall weaken each other checks pretty effectively. While I'm not sure that Alakazam is ban-worthy, I can't deny that both Sash + Counter and Life Orb + Nasty Plot sets are really really good and hard to cover.


"Hit like a truck water bunny" is once again in Underused to smack some jaws.. Both Choice Band and Belly Drum are really great at the moment and they also forces people into weird 50/50 when you have to choose if you switch your Pokemon and take the risk to see Azumarill Belly Drum on that switch or stay and eat a Choice Band boosted Liquidation/Play Rough/Knock Off. This Pokemon is for sure great at the moment so do not hesitate to use it ! (by the way, after a Belly Drum there isn't a single defensive threat bar Unaware users which can handle it.. even things like defensive Tangrowth are OHKOed.. insane..)


Weavile is another great Pokemon in the current metagame mostly because of its speed which allows it to pressure a ton of Pokemon such as non-Choice Scarf Blacephalon, Alakazam, Aegislash but also some Dragon Dancer like Salamence. SD + HDB is quite good but AoA with either Choice Band or Life Orb are also great and really tough to switch into. Knock Off is overall great in this metagame and being able to remove some Leftovers from things like Celesteela, Eviolite from Chansey is neat.


Everything else..
I didn't talked about a lot of Pokemon because otherwise this post would be 40k character (and it's already almost 8k..) but there is obviously a lot of great other Pokemon such as DD Salamence or Nasty Plot Hydreigon. I also didn't mentionned Trick Room which can be devasting for offensive teams.. Overall as I said at the beginning of the post, it's trully hard to tell what's going to be too much for the tier since at the moment, we have a ton of broken stuff covering other potent threats. Things like Conkeldurr, Buzzwole, Haxorus and Crawdaunt are quite formidable but not as dominant because of even more greater Pokemon so we can't really assume yet that they would be manageable for the tier. I also think about things such as Primarina, Durant or Scolipede which are not common at all on the ladder, yet probably insane once all the shitty things are gone.

Overall I'm enjoying a lot this new fucked up metagame and while it's true that the council gonna probably have a lot to do to fix Underused, it's really great to see people playing way more on the ladder or on roomtours (like yesterday during Tour Night where we gathered more than 50 players on a tournament). I can't wait to see how the metagame gonna change and if the next shifts in a dozen of days gonna impact the current metagame a lot or not.. we'll see but be sure that we'll try to make the best tier as soon as possible ! Thanks for reading me and once again, enjoy UU !
 

Hogg

grubbing in the ashes
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I feel like most people have hit a lot of the really centralizing threats. What’s amazing to me is that right now I don’t think anything really stands out as absolutely broken except perhaps Dracozolt. There are other threats that are very, very good, of course, and could maybe be considered borderline broken, but other than Zolt I feel like most of them are actually kind of balanced out by each other.

Zolt, though, is pretty ridiculous, and basically any team lacking Hippo/Rhyp feels like it struggles against it. I can’t say that I’m absolutely loving the other weathers, as Drizzle, Drought and Veil teams all do feel a bit swingy and set up some annoying rock-paper-scissors scenarios from preview, but they don’t feel as bad as sand right now, and sand is especially threatening because it doesn‘t really require much special building - Hippo is already really good, and you can build in a wide variety of directions and just slap on a Zolt as cleaner/breaker.

Anyhow, wanted to touch on a few things that haven’t gotten much attention on the thread so far. Not necessarily anything meta-defining, but stuff that I’ve been playing with and felt like talking about.

:sm/celesteela:

OK, no one should be surprised that Steela is good. It’s absurdly bulky and has a really neat movepool. Getting a 100% accurate base 120 STAB attack with no real drawbacks helps to keep even the bulky sets from being too passive. That said, I really wanted to talk about its offensive sets, which have been surprisingly great. I’ve got a couple of teams that use physical Steela with Autotomize - even after an Autotomize, it’s still 500kg, leaving it over 100kg heavier than Mega Aggron and easily able to threaten things with its strong Heavy Slam. My favorite set has been Weakness Policy with Auto/Slam/EQ/Acrobatics, since even uninvested it still has more than enough bulk to stomach an SE hit and activate Weakness Policy, which also gives you a very nice Flying STAB in Acro. Between that and the snowballing that comes from Beast Boost, it’s been a really nice wincon. I’ve also seen some very nice specially offensive sets on the ladder as well, and while they lack the strong STAB in Heavy Slam, they make up for it with better overall coverage and fun things like Power Herb Meteor Beam.

EDIT: And Marty just informed me that Automotive only reduces weight by 100kg, not by half, so even better - that means that even after an Auto it's still a ridiculous 900kg.

:sm/salamence:

Yeah, yeah, everyone has been interested in seeing how DD works now that it actually has something resembling a Flying STAB. Honestly, I’ve been really disappointed with DD sets, and would consider Gyara a much better DDer in this meta. Dual Wingbeat just isn’t that strong and fails to pick up a lot of KOs against things that it seems like it should beat, and it’s overall been really inconsistent. BUT, I took a leaf out of ORAS UU’s book and started running specially offensive Defog, and it’s been much better. A Boots set with Draco/Hurricane, Fire Blast, Defog and Roost has been excellent: consider it a slower but bulkier, harder hitting Noivern. Intimidate in particular is very nice, especially alongside the extra bulk (uninvested it’s the equivalent of an 80 HP Noivern, for comparison), and the extra Special Attack and access to Fire Blast makes it much better than Noivern at revenging things like Tapu Bulu. I haven’t really experimented with bulkier spreads, but I’ve used it on a few teams and it’s really been quite nice.

:sm/slowking: (Galar)

I love physically defensive CM Galar-Bro in this meta, and the combination of pdef Glowbro + sdef Celesteela has been particularly nice for me. That said, I started messing around with AV Glowking, and I’ve got to say, I’m kind of in love. It’s absolutely insane what this thing lives. With a Calm nature it lives ridiculous things like +2 LO Shadow Ball from Gengar, takes under 50% from Specs Blacephelon, and is at best 4HKO’d by +1 Volcarona (and with a small investment in SpA has a 50% chance to 2HKO in return with Psyshock). The excellent SpA and wide coverage keeps it from being passive despite running a Calm nature as well. I still think Glowbro is the superior option most of the time, but AV King definitely has a viable niche.

:sm/omastar:

Surprised this doesn’t seem to be a staple on rain teams atm compared to other threats. The Speed certainly leaves something to be desired, given that it loses to anything base 90+ with a Scarf, but holy crap this thing got a lot better this gen. Power Herb Meteor Beam makes Omastar practically unwallable under rain, essentially giving it both a Specs boost and a super strong secondary STAB to nuke Water resists. Rain still feels like the weakest of the weathers at the moment for me, but Meteor Beam Omastar is definitely a threat against any team that decides to forgo a Scarfer for priority or fast mons like Zera/Noivern.

:sm/zeraora:

Haven’t seen a ton of talk about Zera. Pivot sets have been great as expected, and I’ve also really been loving Bulk Up + 3 attacks with Lefties. I’ve been running the latter on a Bulu team, and with terrain up to weaken EQ and give it some excellent recovery, it can really turn games around. Nothing really surprising here, I just wanted to mention the Bulk Up set for anyone who hasn’t tried it.

:sm/rhyperior:

Getting Rhyperior back is great. It’s an excellent alternative to Hippo, reliably setting rocks and providing tons of defensive utility and even serving as a decent breaker with SD. It also is one of the few things that reliably checks Dracozolt, which as I’ve mentioned is pretty key right now. I’ve been running Rocks/High Horsepower/Rock Blast/SD alongside Tapu Bulu, and like BU Zera it really appreciates both the passive recovery and the weakened EQs.

:sm/haxorus:

I’ve seen like three Haxorus total, but SD Scale Shot is legit and can absolutely thump unprepared teams. Scale Shot in general is a godsend - Hax has enough raw power to make it hurt despite the low BP, and being able to pick something off and simultaneously boost Speed is really scary. Meanwhile, Mold Breaker EQ is still as deadly as ever, and SD lets you punch through things like Hippo (EQ + Scale Shot 2HKOs at +2 - always Scale Shot last so that you live EQ). I don’t think it will be as broken as it was previously with things like Skarmory, Celesteela and Scizor in the tier this time around, but I do think it’s being slept on a bit and is still a top threat.

:sm/incineroar:

Sorry, Zarude, Incineroar has reclaimed its throne as the best U-turn bot of the tier. The typing and access to Intimidate is just really valuable in this meta, making it a top pivot once again. In fact, I’d argue that this is the best Incineroar has been since the Incineroar/Noivern/Bronzong meta we saw around the time of the Mamoswine ban.

:sm/kommo-o:

Starting to feel like this is running too long, but this thing has a million sets and they’re all pretty good. Bulky sets in particular, both physically and specially defensive, have been really splashable. Shout out to SDef Kommo-o in particular as being one of like four ‘mons that can reliably check more or less every Blacephalon set.
 
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I wasn't considering making a state of the metagame post until after shifts happen on the 15th, partly because I have no idea what to make of the powercreep orgy known as the UU tier. However, I don't feel like doing homework, so here I am. This post pretty much details very strong mons in the metagame both offensively and defensively, but also touches on mons I'd like to see banned once we exit alpha. To note, this post assumes we do not get anything from OU nor does anything rise. Most of the stuff that has a chance to rise (hawlucha, lele, aegi, victini) are all banworthy anyway so that doesn't affect the tier long term very much. Anyway, lets get started.
Solid defensive backbones-
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Other than maybe tangrowth, hippowdon, kommo-o and buzzwole, these mons all have a very good chance to stay UU. They provide the tier with stable defensive options to combat fearsome breakers. Celesteela has been talked about a lot, the fact it can go either physical or special and still provide offensive pressure with flamethrower and heavy slam is amazing. Suicune has 2 very popular sets in Vincune and Crocune, and overall provides the tier with a strong bulky water. Amoongus is fearsome with spreading status and racking up damage with rocky helmet. Regenerator makes it very hard to kill, making it a very solid defensive option. Rotom heat is very, very versatile, acting as a offensive pivot, np sweeper, defogger. Skarm does the same thing last time it was here while jirachi is another defensive option that doesn't look to be busted anymore. Togekiss, while offensive, can be great as a healing cleric with heal bell and spread status with thunder wave. Anyway, onto the ones that have a chance to leave us. Tangrowth is a premier physical wall with regenerator, buzzwole and hippo are VERY strong defensive backbones for teams and kommo-o has lots of set versatility, but its standard rocker set is as good as ever. Overall, I'm glad we have so many new and stronger defensive options in the tier
Offensive warriors-
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All of these look to be consistent, powerful offensive threats in the metagame. There are arguably many more, but these are the ones I want to highlight. I think the majority of these mons are not broken (unsure about the last 6) and have staying presence in the tier. Nidoking has a wide diversity of coverage and can spam its sheer force boosted attacks. Metagross is another physical attacker who can utilize sets like SR, CB, mixed, agility, and many more. moltres-galar is SUPER underrated and once it gets up an agility and nasty plot its very hard to wall. Meteor beam nihelgo is nutty, crawdaunt and diggersby are strong attackers that I don't see as too strong for UU, kyurem is nutty with specs but underrated at the moment, lycan-dusk is most definitely not broken and I'm glad to use the murder dog again. Tapu bulu looks to be a UU staple with its SD set and grassy terrain support. Weavile is a strong physical attacker but is he is held back by lots of priority. Zeraora hasn't been seen much for me but once the meta settles till emerge as a top threat. Xurk dropped all the way to RU but he wont be busted like last gen due to the loss of z moves, tail glow, and overall frailty. Glastrier can take and dish hits like no other, buts its low speed, weakness to rocks, and ass defensive typing will likely hold it back from top tier success. Magnezone hits like a truck with specs and hat is a staple for trick room teams and fantastic magic bounce mon. Now, primarina, haxorus, and durant I haven't seen and personally don't see as banworthy, but they are something we should look out for as the dust settles. Hydrei, latias, and scizor are already top threats but I see them more likely to get suspected rather than quickbanned. Lastly, thundurus-t lacks coverage with the removal of hidden power and is only really scary of busted ass rain that deserves a quick ban. Speaking of quick bans....
Nutty broken ass mons that need to get banned or rise pretty quickly-
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These are the most broken mons in the metagame. Most of these are equally banworthy in my eyes, but i know we cant get rid of them all at once so lets see who the council thinks is the worse or who rises. Lele itself is a controversial decision, but the support it enables with psychic terrain is what pushes it over in my eyes. While pokemon like volcarona, blacephalon, and lucha are banworthy even without lele, the blocking of priority boosts so many Pokémon's strengths, especially when priority is a common way of checking them. Dracozolt is super broken, it under sand tears everything apart and it has the movepool to do so. Aegi is extremely versatile and too strong for the tier. Victini and blacephalon are literally nukes and have very little defensive counter play, which can easily be picked apart by a fellow teammate. Gyara I wish wasn't banworthy, but he is broken, being able to snowball very easily and tear through common defensive mons with its coverage. Drizzle is very broken and too strong compared to the tier. Hawlucha, once it gets off an unburden boost AND a swords dance, can clean through teams like no other. Volc is also very powerful, being able to sweep teams once it gets a boost. Priority uses like lycanroc-dusk and crawdaunt have to be wary though, as flame body can neuter them for the rest of the game, making them pretty shaky checks. Aurora veil enables too many set up sweepers to easily clean and its better off once we ban this thing. Lastly, although not on the other levels, Conk is very stupid and tears apart balance and slow teams alike thanks to its fearsome guts boosted attacks. I hope action can be taken on these mons as they clearly have no place in the metagame.

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- while not on the level as the ones above, these mons also have the potential to be quick ban worthy, but it depends on how the meta settles from the above getting banned. Zam and gengar are very similar, being strong NP sweepers. Still, they are vulnerable to priority and have to rely on moves like thunderbolt or focus blast too hit steels. Still, I think these 2 will inevitably be too much. While azu is slow, it's belly drum sets can tear through the meta, although it does not have z belly drum. It might be broken, but I think a suspect is more appropriate for it. venuaur and sun are amplified by volc, victini, and blacephalon being in the tier, so I want to give venu a chance with less busted sweepers. I feel if hippo and latias stays, it has a chance to stay. This is the mon I'm most unsure about tbh. Lastly, scoli and mence are nutty set up sweepers but fall to common priority and have trouble breaking through steel fliers like skarm and celesteela. I think overall the one who is most likely to stay will be venusuar with the others getting banned.
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- all these mons have still shown high usefulness, even in the ultra power crept meta. Its just nice to see some old remnants from UU in the new meta.

That's it, hope y'all enjoyed this long post about the current metagame and my thoughts about it. Imma go to sleep now.
 

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I keep hearing about how many things in this new UU meta are super broken, need to get banned, etc. etc. However, I want to focus on one mon that I think is extremely problematic if we get a little too aggressive on banning the other stuff:

:ss/celesteela:

So Celesteela is a true tank, that also has great offensive presence. Right now it's very difficult to manage due to its decent coverage and multiple sets (Automotize sweeper, leech seed stall, physical, special, or mixed, etc), but I would say it's not so bad because of all the powerful offensive threats we have to check it. However, if you start banning all the big offensive threats (like Blacephalon, Dracozolt, Victini, Volcarona, Venusaur-Sun), this monster of a tank is going to become even more difficult to deal with and, in my opinion, is going to start promoting a gross stall game in the tier.

I'm not saying we need to ban Celesteela (it might even rise on Nov 15th). Some people might even say it's necessary to check Tapu Lele (there are other checks, but this is an easy one, and Lele might also rise on Nov 15th). But I also don't think we need to rush to ban all the hyper offensive mons either. The metagame is going to change, again, in a dramatic way on Nov 15th because we are going to get more reliable data in the tiers for drops and rises. The council has already said that there will likely not be any bans until Nov 15th. But I think we should take some time after Nov 15 to see where the meta stands after the next shifts and see if the meta can function with what we have.

There is no question that the old UU metagame cannot survive with these new drops. But that's the point of the tiers - they are very transformative of the meta, and we should focus on trying to adapt to the powerful things we got and take some time to digest all of it and see if anything really warrants any immediate action. I am sure there will be a couple things that deserve a quickban sometime after November 15, but I doubt we really need to ban more than 2-3 things.
 
I keep hearing about how many things in this new UU meta are super broken, need to get banned, etc. etc. However, I want to focus on one mon that I think is extremely problematic if we get a little too aggressive on banning the other stuff:

:ss/celesteela:

So Celesteela is a true tank, that also has great offensive presence. Right now it's very difficult to manage due to its decent coverage and multiple sets (Automotize sweeper, leech seed stall, physical, special, or mixed, etc), but I would say it's not so bad because of all the powerful offensive threats we have to check it. However, if you start banning all the big offensive threats (like Blacephalon, Dracozolt, Victini, Volcarona, Venusaur-Sun), this monster of a tank is going to become even more difficult to deal with and, in my opinion, is going to start promoting a gross stall game in the tier.

I'm not saying we need to ban Celesteela (it might even rise on Nov 15th). Some people might even say it's necessary to check Tapu Lele (there are other checks, but this is an easy one, and Lele might also rise on Nov 15th). But I also don't think we need to rush to ban all the hyper offensive mons either. The metagame is going to change, again, in a dramatic way on Nov 15th because we are going to get more reliable data in the tiers for drops and rises. The council has already said that there will likely not be any bans until Nov 15th. But I think we should take some time after Nov 15 to see where the meta stands after the next shifts and see if the meta can function with what we have.

There is no question that the old UU metagame cannot survive with these new drops. But that's the point of the tiers - they are very transformative of the meta, and we should focus on trying to adapt to the powerful things we got and take some time to digest all of it and see if anything really warrants any immediate action. I am sure there will be a couple things that deserve a quickban sometime after November 15, but I doubt we really need to ban more than 2-3 things.
I think you've forgotten we have Magnezone. We also have balanced (so far), yet effective, breakers that can muscle through Celesteela, such as Latias (can't believe im putting latias and balanced in the same sentence, smh), Primarina, Terrakion, or even Scizor carrying Superpower on offensive SD sets (needs like 20% chip, which isn't hard to get). We also have an abundance of Trick users, which Celesteela hates. The lack of reliable recovery also keeps Celesteela from consistently coming in at full and switching out at full, like Regenerator mons. You could also try more "lure" type breakers, such as NP Tornadus (carrying Heat Wave), if you consistently find yourself being troubled by Celesteela. I get what you're saying, but theres a lot that can get through it. Hope that helped, best wishes!
 
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