just a friendly heads up, there's established sets in the post containing the two mons. Might wanna recalc using those sets; i'm not sure if this Moltres set 2HKOs SpD Lando(albeit you don't need to worry about stone edge anymore :)
Moltres @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 52 HP / 200 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Flamethrower
- Hurricane
- U-turn
- Roost
Very simple and self-explanatory. Ferrothorn is absolutely useless to fire, and Lando can't hit him.
However, Moltres must be wary of Stone Edge from Lando - but if they're running a hazard core, I doubt they're running offensive Lando.
Knock Off from Ferrothorn is another thing to be wary of, as Moltres hates losing its boots.
Calcs:
200 SpA Moltres Hurricane vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Landorus-Therian: 204-240 (53.4 - 62.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
200 SpA Moltres Flamethrower vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Ferrothorn: 360-424 (102.2 - 120.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO
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Project OU Break This Core! - Not hosted anymore
- Thread starter Tysonslayer
- Start date
- Status
Hello everyone! We are closing this week's submission phase soon, so I'm pinging Niftyyyy agslash23 and smokeyinferno so they can complete their submissions.
Round 13 is officially over! Let's go through the best sumbissions for this week!
Threats of the Round
Galarian Zapdos has enjoyed an uptick in usage in the recent weeks thanks to its ability to threaten double Steel cores made popular because of Hail and take advantage of Landorus-T's dominant presence in the OU tier, so it comes to no surprise that it's a premier threat to this week's core. Being immune to Spikes and able to take advantage of Defog, this jacked bird isn't phased at all about what Ferrothorn and Landorus-T do with their first slot. Immunity to Earthquake and resistance to Power Whip and Body Press give Galarian Zapdos chances to enter the field and threaten the opposing teams with its powerful STABs, although it hates losing its Choice Band to Knock Off. It does take a lot of damage between Brave Bird recoil and Iron Barbs, but the destruction it creates is well worth it.
Exchanging a fancy bandana for some boxing gloves, Urshifu-R becomes a massive threat to this core: usually, it has to carefully choose which STAB to click since Landorus-T can pivot into Close Combat and Ferrothorn into Surging Strikes, but this set trades Choice Band's power with Protective Pads' flexibility to switch moves and taking no passive damage from Ferrothorn's Iron Barbs which is especially relevant when clicking Surging Strikes. It has slightly more trouble switching into either than Galarian Zapdos has and really hates getting its item knocked off, but, if it manages to switch in safely, it becomes a massive threat to the core.
Definitely less viable than the previous two, Xatu takes a different approach when dealing with this core: it prevents any progress being made, be it hazards or Landorus-T's Toxic (which gets reflected back at it) and Ferrothorn's ever-annoying Leech Seed. The best they can do is removing its item with a super-effective Knock Off, but, without Attack investment and Xatu's access to reliable recovery, Xatu can easily stomach Knock Offs and keep blocking the core from working properly. Heat Wave puts the nail in the coffin for Ferrothorn as well, having a 50% chance to 2HKO.
Additional Notes
Another off-beat pick, Conkeldurr packs more than enough power to absolutely pummel the core with STAB Close Combat for Ferrothorn and Facade for Landorus-T. However, not only does it suffer from overall lack of viability outside Trick Room realistically (which means Landorus-T is faster than it), it gets worn down pretty quickly thanks to the constant burn damage from the required Flame Orb and it requires a lot of prediction to land the correct move against the correct Pokémon: Landorus-T's Intimidate and Ferrothorn's Iron Barbs are quite troublesome for Conkeldurr to predict against, which makes this pick much less reliable than the previous ones.
With a STAB combination that evicerates both Landorus-T and Ferrothorn and enormous power backing them, Volcanion stands out as a massive offensive threat to the core. However, running Choice Specs with a Modest nature leaves it exposed to many risks when handling the core in battle. First of all, Volcanion doesn't switch in at all, but it is also required to predict correctly because it will not have many chances to attack, due to being extremely vulnerable to both Stealth Rock and Spikes. Depending on Landorus-T's spreads, Modest Volcanion may also be slower than it, and while the chance of it happening has reduced since Landorus-T now prefers maximun investment, it is still there and needs to be accounted for. These flaws hinders Volcanion's reliability when handling this core.
Kartana once again makes it into this section, being an important threat to the core but with some glaring flaws. With base 181 Attack, Life Orb + Swords Dance and good attacking options in Knock Off and Sacred Sword and STAB Leaf Blade, it doesn't have any trouble in overpowering the core on paper, but Life Orb recoil and, once again, the need to predict correctly in order to take as little chip damage as possible makes it less reliable, especially when taking into account its vulnerability to Spikes and necessity to be already boosted to threaten a KO on either. In a pinch it can get one easily, but then it becomes even more prone to killing itself against smart pivoting by the opponent.
Round 14: Galarian Zapdos + Regieleki 
Gen VIII takes over this time around, with a powerful offensive core popularized by metagame changes and the efforts of Pinkacross and Storm Zone (more insight here). Galarian Zapdos, as already mentioned, has risen in popularity for its ability to effortlessly plow through double Steel cores and abuse Landorus-T's presence. The latter is the main reason why its partnership with Regieleki has been very successful recently, but their sinergy extends beyond just Landorus-T. Last week's core of Landorus-T + Ferrothorn is not only destroyed by Galarian Zapdos, but they are also its best teammate, setting Stealth Rock and Spikes for it to abuse the opponent's Defog. Regieleki rounds out this team structure by not only beating the best viable Defogger to have against Galarian Zapdos, Tornadus-T, but also providing Rapid Spin support, a very valuable asset for SpikeStacking teams that obviously can't run Defog.
As usual, we pose the same questions for this week: how do you think you can stop this offensive onslaught? How do you think you can break through this core?
You have 5 days to post submissions, happy posting! :)
Threats of the Round Galarian Zapdos has enjoyed an uptick in usage in the recent weeks thanks to its ability to threaten double Steel cores made popular because of Hail and take advantage of Landorus-T's dominant presence in the OU tier, so it comes to no surprise that it's a premier threat to this week's core. Being immune to Spikes and able to take advantage of Defog, this jacked bird isn't phased at all about what Ferrothorn and Landorus-T do with their first slot. Immunity to Earthquake and resistance to Power Whip and Body Press give Galarian Zapdos chances to enter the field and threaten the opposing teams with its powerful STABs, although it hates losing its Choice Band to Knock Off. It does take a lot of damage between Brave Bird recoil and Iron Barbs, but the destruction it creates is well worth it. Exchanging a fancy bandana for some boxing gloves, Urshifu-R becomes a massive threat to this core: usually, it has to carefully choose which STAB to click since Landorus-T can pivot into Close Combat and Ferrothorn into Surging Strikes, but this set trades Choice Band's power with Protective Pads' flexibility to switch moves and taking no passive damage from Ferrothorn's Iron Barbs which is especially relevant when clicking Surging Strikes. It has slightly more trouble switching into either than Galarian Zapdos has and really hates getting its item knocked off, but, if it manages to switch in safely, it becomes a massive threat to the core. Definitely less viable than the previous two, Xatu takes a different approach when dealing with this core: it prevents any progress being made, be it hazards or Landorus-T's Toxic (which gets reflected back at it) and Ferrothorn's ever-annoying Leech Seed. The best they can do is removing its item with a super-effective Knock Off, but, without Attack investment and Xatu's access to reliable recovery, Xatu can easily stomach Knock Offs and keep blocking the core from working properly. Heat Wave puts the nail in the coffin for Ferrothorn as well, having a 50% chance to 2HKO. Additional Notes Another off-beat pick, Conkeldurr packs more than enough power to absolutely pummel the core with STAB Close Combat for Ferrothorn and Facade for Landorus-T. However, not only does it suffer from overall lack of viability outside Trick Room realistically (which means Landorus-T is faster than it), it gets worn down pretty quickly thanks to the constant burn damage from the required Flame Orb and it requires a lot of prediction to land the correct move against the correct Pokémon: Landorus-T's Intimidate and Ferrothorn's Iron Barbs are quite troublesome for Conkeldurr to predict against, which makes this pick much less reliable than the previous ones. With a STAB combination that evicerates both Landorus-T and Ferrothorn and enormous power backing them, Volcanion stands out as a massive offensive threat to the core. However, running Choice Specs with a Modest nature leaves it exposed to many risks when handling the core in battle. First of all, Volcanion doesn't switch in at all, but it is also required to predict correctly because it will not have many chances to attack, due to being extremely vulnerable to both Stealth Rock and Spikes. Depending on Landorus-T's spreads, Modest Volcanion may also be slower than it, and while the chance of it happening has reduced since Landorus-T now prefers maximun investment, it is still there and needs to be accounted for. These flaws hinders Volcanion's reliability when handling this core. Kartana once again makes it into this section, being an important threat to the core but with some glaring flaws. With base 181 Attack, Life Orb + Swords Dance and good attacking options in Knock Off and Sacred Sword and STAB Leaf Blade, it doesn't have any trouble in overpowering the core on paper, but Life Orb recoil and, once again, the need to predict correctly in order to take as little chip damage as possible makes it less reliable, especially when taking into account its vulnerability to Spikes and necessity to be already boosted to threaten a KO on either. In a pinch it can get one easily, but then it becomes even more prone to killing itself against smart pivoting by the opponent. Round 14: Galarian Zapdos + Regieleki Gen VIII takes over this time around, with a powerful offensive core popularized by metagame changes and the efforts of Pinkacross and Storm Zone (more insight here). Galarian Zapdos, as already mentioned, has risen in popularity for its ability to effortlessly plow through double Steel cores and abuse Landorus-T's presence. The latter is the main reason why its partnership with Regieleki has been very successful recently, but their sinergy extends beyond just Landorus-T. Last week's core of Landorus-T + Ferrothorn is not only destroyed by Galarian Zapdos, but they are also its best teammate, setting Stealth Rock and Spikes for it to abuse the opponent's Defog. Regieleki rounds out this team structure by not only beating the best viable Defogger to have against Galarian Zapdos, Tornadus-T, but also providing Rapid Spin support, a very valuable asset for SpikeStacking teams that obviously can't run Defog.
As usual, we pose the same questions for this week: how do you think you can stop this offensive onslaught? How do you think you can break through this core?
Zapdos-Galar @ Choice Band
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Drill Peck / Thunderous Kick
- Brave Bird
- U-turn
Regieleki @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Transistor
EVs: 56 HP / 24 Def / 252 SpA / 172 Spe
Timid Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Electro Ball
- Volt Switch
- Ancient Power
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Drill Peck / Thunderous Kick
- Brave Bird
- U-turn
Regieleki @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Transistor
EVs: 56 HP / 24 Def / 252 SpA / 172 Spe
Timid Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Electro Ball
- Volt Switch
- Ancient Power
You have 5 days to post submissions, happy posting! :)
Zeraora
Zeraora @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Jolly Nature
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
- Bulk Up
- Plasma Fists
- Knock Off
- Close Combat
Zeraora comes in with HDB,which makes hazard support a non-issue.It can switch in on Regieleki freely due to Volt Absorb,and uses it to set up Bulk Up.
252 SpA Regieleki Ancient Power vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Zeraora: 66-78 (20.8 - 24.6%) -- guaranteed 5HKO
it can't come in directly on Gapdos.However,if it can get in safely,then it destroys Gapdos.
252 Atk Zeraora Plasma Fists vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Zapdos-Galar: 320-380 (99.6 - 118.3%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO
Zeraora @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Jolly Nature
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
- Bulk Up
- Plasma Fists
- Knock Off
- Close Combat
Zeraora comes in with HDB,which makes hazard support a non-issue.It can switch in on Regieleki freely due to Volt Absorb,and uses it to set up Bulk Up.
252 SpA Regieleki Ancient Power vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Zeraora: 66-78 (20.8 - 24.6%) -- guaranteed 5HKO
it can't come in directly on Gapdos.However,if it can get in safely,then it destroys Gapdos.
252 Atk Zeraora Plasma Fists vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Zapdos-Galar: 320-380 (99.6 - 118.3%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO
Zapdos @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Static
EVs: 252 HP / 100 Def / 156 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Heat Wave
- Volt Switch
- Roost
zapdos can check both pokemon, although it has more trouble checking regieleki but it can deal with galar zapdos pretty well. static allows zapdos to threaten galar zapdos even further, as it can paralyze it and it helps zapdos tremendously. this spread allows zapdos to not get 2HKOed upon switchin to both regieleki and galar zapdos. the mixed defense here is very reasonable to help zapdos emergency check both pokemon ina pinch. zapdos can also help in general against galar zapdos and KOes it with thunderbolt. volt switch helps zapdos to get out of regieleki if it needs to and bring in an appropiate partner. roost allows for the much needed longevity in this matchup.
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Thundurus-Therian (M) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Thunder
- Weather Ball
- Focus Blast
Thundurus-T’s good typing and Volt Absorb lets it be resistant or immune to the core’s STAB coverage. It’s just 1 Speed tier higher than Galarian Zapdos is great since it forces it out or gets OHKOed by Thunder. Regieleki also does not even want to switch into Thundurus-T due to its frailty. However, it comes with some flaws. Galarian Zapdos is still very powerful, even 2HKOing Thundurus-T with Brave Bird or Close Combat. Regieleki’s Ancient Power is also a problem, but at least it has an unfavorable roll to 2HKO.
252 Atk Choice Band Zapdos-Galar Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Thundurus-Therian: 190-224 (63.5 - 74.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Zapdos-Galar Brave Bird vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Thundurus-Therian: 190-224 (63.5 - 74.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Zapdos-Galar Drill Peck vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Thundurus-Therian: 127-150 (42.4 - 50.1%) -- 0.4% chance to 2HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Zapdos-Galar Thunderous Kick vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Thundurus-Therian: 144-169 (48.1 - 56.5%) -- 87.5% chance to 2HKO
252 SpA Thundurus-Therian Thunder vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Zapdos-Galar: 422-500 (131.4 - 155.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Choice Band Zapdos-Galar Brave Bird vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Thundurus-Therian: 190-224 (63.5 - 74.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Zapdos-Galar Drill Peck vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Thundurus-Therian: 127-150 (42.4 - 50.1%) -- 0.4% chance to 2HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Zapdos-Galar Thunderous Kick vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Thundurus-Therian: 144-169 (48.1 - 56.5%) -- 87.5% chance to 2HKO
252 SpA Thundurus-Therian Thunder vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Zapdos-Galar: 422-500 (131.4 - 155.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Regieleki Ancient Power vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Thundurus-Therian: 132-156 (44.1 - 52.1%) -- 13.3% chance to 2HKO
252 SpA Thundurus-Therian Weather Ball (100 BP Water) vs. 56 HP / 0 SpD Regieleki in Rain: 308-363 (97.7 - 115.2%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO
252 SpA Thundurus-Therian Thunder vs. 56 HP / 0 SpD Regieleki: 169-199 (53.6 - 63.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 252 SpA Thundurus-Therian Weather Ball (100 BP Water) vs. 56 HP / 0 SpD Regieleki in Rain: 614-723 (194.9 - 229.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252 SpA Thundurus-Therian Thunder vs. 56 HP / 0 SpD Regieleki: 337-397 (106.9 - 126%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Thundurus-Therian Weather Ball (100 BP Water) vs. 56 HP / 0 SpD Regieleki in Rain: 308-363 (97.7 - 115.2%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO
252 SpA Thundurus-Therian Thunder vs. 56 HP / 0 SpD Regieleki: 169-199 (53.6 - 63.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 252 SpA Thundurus-Therian Weather Ball (100 BP Water) vs. 56 HP / 0 SpD Regieleki in Rain: 614-723 (194.9 - 229.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252 SpA Thundurus-Therian Thunder vs. 56 HP / 0 SpD Regieleki: 337-397 (106.9 - 126%) -- guaranteed OHKO
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Latios @ Life Orb Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Psychic
- Mystical Fire
- Roost
252 SpA Life Orb Latios Psychic vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Zapdos-Galar: 416-494 (129.5 - 153.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Choice Band Zapdos-Galar Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Latios: 171-202 (56.8 - 67.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Transistor Regieleki Volt Switch vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Latios: 66-78 (21.9 - 25.9%) -- 1.6% chance to 4HKO
252 SpA Life Orb Latios Draco Meteor vs. 56 HP / 0 SpD Regieleki: 480-565 (152.3 - 179.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Life Orb Latios Psychic vs. 56 HP / 0 SpD Regieleki: 331-391 (105 - 124.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Choice Band Zapdos-Galar Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Latios: 171-202 (56.8 - 67.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Transistor Regieleki Volt Switch vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Latios: 66-78 (21.9 - 25.9%) -- 1.6% chance to 4HKO
252 SpA Life Orb Latios Draco Meteor vs. 56 HP / 0 SpD Regieleki: 480-565 (152.3 - 179.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Life Orb Latios Psychic vs. 56 HP / 0 SpD Regieleki: 331-391 (105 - 124.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO
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Hippowdon @ Rocky Helmet/Leftovers
Level: 100
Impish Nature
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
- Earthquake
- Slack Off
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic
While most hippos have been specially defensive in the crown tundra, physically defensive hippo is a pretty decent answer to this core. The reasons are following:
252 Atk Choice Band Zapdos-Galar Brave Bird vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Hippowdon: 184-217 (43.8 - 51.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Choice Band Zapdos-Galar Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Hippowdon: 184-217 (43.8 - 51.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
, or you can go rocky helmet, in which case there is only 10% chance for a 2HKO, but between the helmet and sandstorm chip, gapdos will have a very hard time pressing bb, not helped at all by the fact that its a rocker that easily beats regieleki, and can also rack up chip on it with helmet as it goes for a spin, which puts even more residual damage on gapdos as rocks are almost guaranteed here
sidenote, thunderous kick is also not a 2HKO, but you can't tank it forever, but with helmet you probably dont need to, also you can replace toxic with a rock move to hit gapdos, especially if it gets cc drops, but toxic is more useful in general
Level: 100
Impish Nature
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
- Earthquake
- Slack Off
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic
While most hippos have been specially defensive in the crown tundra, physically defensive hippo is a pretty decent answer to this core. The reasons are following:
252 Atk Choice Band Zapdos-Galar Brave Bird vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Hippowdon: 184-217 (43.8 - 51.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Choice Band Zapdos-Galar Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Hippowdon: 184-217 (43.8 - 51.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
, or you can go rocky helmet, in which case there is only 10% chance for a 2HKO, but between the helmet and sandstorm chip, gapdos will have a very hard time pressing bb, not helped at all by the fact that its a rocker that easily beats regieleki, and can also rack up chip on it with helmet as it goes for a spin, which puts even more residual damage on gapdos as rocks are almost guaranteed here
sidenote, thunderous kick is also not a 2HKO, but you can't tank it forever, but with helmet you probably dont need to, also you can replace toxic with a rock move to hit gapdos, especially if it gets cc drops, but toxic is more useful in general
Rough Skin
EVs: 252 HP / 176 Def / 72 SpD / 8 Spe
Impish Nature
- Toxic
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Endure / Flamethrower
Click brave bird. I dare you. Fucking click brave bird, or any god damn move. Just do it
Anyway, if there is one mon that makes Galarian Zapdos regret ever clicking brave bird, it is rocky helmet Garchomp. Yes, Galarian Zapdos can't do anything to its regular form but tank Garchomp straight up makes it regret life choices. Regieleki can't touch Chomp at all, punishes it for spinning, and is destroyed by earthquake
This ev spread is one that I personally use. I dunno what others use on rocky helmet Garchomp. The 9 spe evs is to outspeed 92 speed Landorus, if those still exist anyway, while the 72 spd is to ensure that Koko's specs gleam won't kill you after rocks. The rest is put into defense and hp. Endure is an option if one wants to make Galarian Zapdos, along with mons like Urshifu and Weavile, as miserable as possible while flamethrower burns Ferrothorn, kinda. I've always talked shit about tank Garchomp and how it was pointless to use. However, with Galarian Zapdos being back, I think it just gave tank Garchomp some viability
Dragapult @ Choice Specs Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Draco Meteor
- Thunder
- U-turn
Dragapult counters this core very well, spinblocking Regieleki while resisting its Electric STABs, while also immune to Zapdos-G's Fighting STABs.
Notable Calcs:
252 SpA Choice Specs Dragapult Draco Meteor vs. 56 HP / 0 SpD Regieleki: 459-541 (145.7 - 171.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Dragapult Thunder vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Zapdos-Galar: 326-384 (101.5 - 119.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Transistor Regieleki Electro Ball (60 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Dragapult: 78-92 (24.6 - 29%) -- 99.7% chance to 4HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Zapdos-Galar Brave Bird vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Dragapult: 360-424 (113.5 - 133.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Just like most breakers, Dragapult cannot directly switch into this core because of its poor defenses - most notably against Zapdos-G, which Dragapult get's OHKO'd by because of Brave Bird. Dragapult requires a pivot such as Corviknight, Slowking, or Blissey to be safely brought in. There are probably pivots with better synergy, those are just some from off the top of my head.
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avg and smokeyinferno finish your submissions as we will be closing the round soon.
sorry for the late submission, hopefully this still counts...
Mudsdale by Yaoi-N0-Marik on DeviantArt
Mudsdale@Leftovers
Ability: Stamina
252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
-Iron Defense
-Body Press
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
So pretty simple, Mudsdale is built to tank anything Zapdos wants to throw at it thanks to Stamina, ID, and Rest, and whittle it down with Body Press. And as the ongoing joke goes, Regieleki can't touch ground types. Mudsdale can switch in on a banded Zapdos' Brave Bird/CC, tank it, get the Stamina boost, and then depending on the damage can choose to either ID or rest the next turn, and roll from there with sleep talk. After one ID your basically impenetrable from the physical side save a crit (and after an ID and 2 stamina boosts Body Press is effectively an 80 BP non-stab move coming off a 100 base adamant atk after 2 swords dances). Obviously don't expect to do much while a ghost type is still alive, but that's what the rest of your team is for, right?
Calcs:
252 Atk Choice Band Zapdos-Galar Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Mudsdale: 205-243 (50.7 - 60.1%) -- 86.7% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Choice Band Zapdos-Galar Close Combat vs. +1 252 HP / 252+ Def Mudsdale: 138-163 (34.1 - 40.3%) -- 42% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Choice Band Zapdos-Galar Close Combat vs. +4 252 HP / 252+ Def Mudsdale: 69-82 (17 - 20.2%) -- possible 7HKO after Leftovers recovery
(so even assuming a max roll on each hit, so long as leftovers are intact, you can tank the first two hits to Rest it off, and if they're lower rolls you could even risk an ID, although I wouldn't advise it).
+4 252+ Def Mudsdale Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Zapdos-Galar: 130-154 (40.4 - 47.9%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
+6 252+ Def Mudsdale Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Zapdos-Galar: 174-205 (54.2 - 63.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Mudsdale by Yaoi-N0-Marik on DeviantArt
Mudsdale@Leftovers
Ability: Stamina
252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
-Iron Defense
-Body Press
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
So pretty simple, Mudsdale is built to tank anything Zapdos wants to throw at it thanks to Stamina, ID, and Rest, and whittle it down with Body Press. And as the ongoing joke goes, Regieleki can't touch ground types. Mudsdale can switch in on a banded Zapdos' Brave Bird/CC, tank it, get the Stamina boost, and then depending on the damage can choose to either ID or rest the next turn, and roll from there with sleep talk. After one ID your basically impenetrable from the physical side save a crit (and after an ID and 2 stamina boosts Body Press is effectively an 80 BP non-stab move coming off a 100 base adamant atk after 2 swords dances). Obviously don't expect to do much while a ghost type is still alive, but that's what the rest of your team is for, right?
Calcs:
252 Atk Choice Band Zapdos-Galar Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Mudsdale: 205-243 (50.7 - 60.1%) -- 86.7% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Choice Band Zapdos-Galar Close Combat vs. +1 252 HP / 252+ Def Mudsdale: 138-163 (34.1 - 40.3%) -- 42% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Choice Band Zapdos-Galar Close Combat vs. +4 252 HP / 252+ Def Mudsdale: 69-82 (17 - 20.2%) -- possible 7HKO after Leftovers recovery
(so even assuming a max roll on each hit, so long as leftovers are intact, you can tank the first two hits to Rest it off, and if they're lower rolls you could even risk an ID, although I wouldn't advise it).
+4 252+ Def Mudsdale Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Zapdos-Galar: 130-154 (40.4 - 47.9%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
+6 252+ Def Mudsdale Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Zapdos-Galar: 174-205 (54.2 - 63.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Sorry for the slight delay, but Round 14 is officially over! Let's go through the best sumbissions for this week!
Threats of the Round
TankChomp stands out from the other submissions as a potent deterrent for everything that Galarian Zapdos and Regieleki try to accomplish. The VoltTurn core they create gets completely stuffed by Garchomp's Electric immunity and Rocky Helmet + Rough Skin combination to punish contact. This latter aspect also creates a vicious cycle where Regieleki can't reliably use Rapid Spin since it takes 23% damage for free and Garchomp will just set Stealth Rock back immediately. This quickly becomes an issue for Galarian Zapdos, which gets worn down immensely by potential Brave Bird recoil, Stealth Rock and Garchomp's deadly combination of passive chip damage. To add insult to injury, TankChomp with Toxic and Flamethrower is very annoying for the Landorus-T + Ferrothorn SpikeStacking core that usually accompanies Galarian Zapdos and Regieleki.
While it crumbles to Brave Bird and thus isn't a reliable switchin to Galarian Zapdos, Dragapult holds great defensive utility against this core despite being an offensively minded Pokémon. Fighting and Normal immunity with Electric resistance means that Dragapult will find a way to enter the field more often than not and, from this position, it can fire off Draco Meteors to threaten an OHKO on both or - even better - Shadow Ball. Galarian Zapdos isn't outright OHKO'd by Shadow Ball, but can fall into range very quickly anyway due to Brave Bird recoil and the Stealth Rock facilitated by its aforementioned immunity to Regieleki's Rapid Spin.
Additional Notes
While Thundurus-T is heavily flawed by lack of reliable recovery and viability exclusively restricted to Rain teams, it does beautifully break this week's core thanks to its unique niche of resisting both of Galarian Zapdos' STABs and being immune (healed actually) by Regieleki's. Having a small chance to being 2HKO'd by Ancient Power is not amazing, but forcing Regieleki to click it against Rain is quite remarkable and you will most likely have Ferrothorn backing it in Rain teams. From this advantageous position and by leveraging enough Speed to outpace Galarian Zapdos, Thundurus-T is able to swiftly OHKO the bird with 100% accurate Thunder and Regieleki with Rain-boosted Weather Ball.
Despite being less reliable than its bulkier sibling Latias, the blue jet Pokémon stands out as a powerful offensive threat to the core thanks to its ability to outspeed and destroy Galarian Zapdos, while having typing and acceptable bulk to take a hit from Regieleki before OHKOing it with either STAB. Switching in ether can be problematic, with the only move it can survive from Galarian Zapdos still dealing a lot of damage and Regieleki chipping it with Electro Ball into Volt Switch + potential Stealth Rock, but Latios can somewhat manage with Roost on one of the many switches it would force against the team structure that this week's core finds itself into.
Much like Thundurus-T, Zeraora is an Electric immunity that can outspeed and swiftly OHKO Galarian Zapdos, but trades Thundurus-T's better defensive matchup against Galarian Zapdos with overall more viability and thus higher usage. These factors make Zeraora a slightly shakier check to the core overall, especially because unlike Thundurus-T in Rain it notably falls short against Landorus-T which, as stated multiple times already, is a common partner to the core.
Round 15: Flame Body Heatran + Dragon Dance Kyurem 
As Kyurem is currently getting suspected, we figured it would be appropriate to feature it in this Round, alongside its trusted partner Heatran. However, this week we wanted to showcase a newly discovered way in which they can work together: Flame Body Heatran supporting Dragon Dance Kyurem. The latter is very hard to reliably check due to the combination of bulk, Pressure and power, and Flame Body Heatran can quickly incapacitate its few checks with just a bit of luck. Scizor, Melmetal and Ferrothorn are prime examples of Pokémon that can hault Kyurem's sweep, but a timely burn on their Steel STABs can turn the tides of the matchup. Flame Body coupled with Heatran's usual shenanigans of Magma Storm, Toxic and Stealth Rock makes for a deadly combination to cripple and chip the opposing team down for a Kyurem sweep, especially because usual offensive checks to Dragon Dance Kyurem (e.g. Urshifu-R, Kartana, Weavile and Volcarona) really hate getting crippled by a Flame Body burn or a Toxic.
As usual, how would you break this core?
You have 5 days to post submissions, happy posting! :)
Threats of the Round TankChomp stands out from the other submissions as a potent deterrent for everything that Galarian Zapdos and Regieleki try to accomplish. The VoltTurn core they create gets completely stuffed by Garchomp's Electric immunity and Rocky Helmet + Rough Skin combination to punish contact. This latter aspect also creates a vicious cycle where Regieleki can't reliably use Rapid Spin since it takes 23% damage for free and Garchomp will just set Stealth Rock back immediately. This quickly becomes an issue for Galarian Zapdos, which gets worn down immensely by potential Brave Bird recoil, Stealth Rock and Garchomp's deadly combination of passive chip damage. To add insult to injury, TankChomp with Toxic and Flamethrower is very annoying for the Landorus-T + Ferrothorn SpikeStacking core that usually accompanies Galarian Zapdos and Regieleki. While it crumbles to Brave Bird and thus isn't a reliable switchin to Galarian Zapdos, Dragapult holds great defensive utility against this core despite being an offensively minded Pokémon. Fighting and Normal immunity with Electric resistance means that Dragapult will find a way to enter the field more often than not and, from this position, it can fire off Draco Meteors to threaten an OHKO on both or - even better - Shadow Ball. Galarian Zapdos isn't outright OHKO'd by Shadow Ball, but can fall into range very quickly anyway due to Brave Bird recoil and the Stealth Rock facilitated by its aforementioned immunity to Regieleki's Rapid Spin. Additional Notes While Thundurus-T is heavily flawed by lack of reliable recovery and viability exclusively restricted to Rain teams, it does beautifully break this week's core thanks to its unique niche of resisting both of Galarian Zapdos' STABs and being immune (healed actually) by Regieleki's. Having a small chance to being 2HKO'd by Ancient Power is not amazing, but forcing Regieleki to click it against Rain is quite remarkable and you will most likely have Ferrothorn backing it in Rain teams. From this advantageous position and by leveraging enough Speed to outpace Galarian Zapdos, Thundurus-T is able to swiftly OHKO the bird with 100% accurate Thunder and Regieleki with Rain-boosted Weather Ball. Despite being less reliable than its bulkier sibling Latias, the blue jet Pokémon stands out as a powerful offensive threat to the core thanks to its ability to outspeed and destroy Galarian Zapdos, while having typing and acceptable bulk to take a hit from Regieleki before OHKOing it with either STAB. Switching in ether can be problematic, with the only move it can survive from Galarian Zapdos still dealing a lot of damage and Regieleki chipping it with Electro Ball into Volt Switch + potential Stealth Rock, but Latios can somewhat manage with Roost on one of the many switches it would force against the team structure that this week's core finds itself into. Much like Thundurus-T, Zeraora is an Electric immunity that can outspeed and swiftly OHKO Galarian Zapdos, but trades Thundurus-T's better defensive matchup against Galarian Zapdos with overall more viability and thus higher usage. These factors make Zeraora a slightly shakier check to the core overall, especially because unlike Thundurus-T in Rain it notably falls short against Landorus-T which, as stated multiple times already, is a common partner to the core. Round 15: Flame Body Heatran + Dragon Dance Kyurem As Kyurem is currently getting suspected, we figured it would be appropriate to feature it in this Round, alongside its trusted partner Heatran. However, this week we wanted to showcase a newly discovered way in which they can work together: Flame Body Heatran supporting Dragon Dance Kyurem. The latter is very hard to reliably check due to the combination of bulk, Pressure and power, and Flame Body Heatran can quickly incapacitate its few checks with just a bit of luck. Scizor, Melmetal and Ferrothorn are prime examples of Pokémon that can hault Kyurem's sweep, but a timely burn on their Steel STABs can turn the tides of the matchup. Flame Body coupled with Heatran's usual shenanigans of Magma Storm, Toxic and Stealth Rock makes for a deadly combination to cripple and chip the opposing team down for a Kyurem sweep, especially because usual offensive checks to Dragon Dance Kyurem (e.g. Urshifu-R, Kartana, Weavile and Volcarona) really hate getting crippled by a Flame Body burn or a Toxic.
As usual, how would you break this core?
Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 252 HP / 176 Def / 80 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Magma Storm
- Earth Power
- Stealth Rock / Taunt
- Toxic
Kyurem @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 56 HP / 200 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Substitute
- Roost
- Dragon Dance
- Icicle Spear
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 252 HP / 176 Def / 80 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Magma Storm
- Earth Power
- Stealth Rock / Taunt
- Toxic
Kyurem @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 56 HP / 200 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Substitute
- Roost
- Dragon Dance
- Icicle Spear
You have 5 days to post submissions, happy posting! :)
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Tapu Fini @ Leftovers
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 252 HP / 192 Def / 64 Spe
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Taunt
- Draining Kiss
- Scald
Tapu Fini is a great answer to both, as Taunt can help against Heatran so it cannot make use of Stealth Rocks or Taunt itself, as Tapu Fini is faster. Tapu Fini also cancels out Toxic by Heatran due to its Misty Terrain so it blocks status moves entirely and protects Tapu Fini, so its longevity isnt threatened at all. It can also make use of Taunt, in case ist Misty Terrain will run out.
Tapu Fini can also use Taunt to its advantage against Kyurem so it cannot proceed a setup nor can it make use of Substitute or Roost, which makes Tapu Fini a dangerous threat to Kyurem, as Kyurems STAB Icicle Spear will only do a miniscule amount of damage, due to Tapu Finis great defensive typing.
Tapu Fini can be a dangerous threat towards both, as both struggle with breaking past it. Tapu Fini can also threaten Heatran with Scald and it gains health back when using Draining Kiss. With Scald it can also threaten a burn on non-grounded teammates of Heatran and Kyurem, making Tapu Fini a great threat to more than only these two Pokemon. Tapu Fini in overall make for a great offensive answer to both and both struggle to break this Pokemon down.
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Tyranitar @ Choice Band
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Crunch
- Rock Blast
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch
Tyranitar can easily break through this core, since it has powerful Choice Band-boosted attacks to fire off. Rock Blast is chosen over Stone Edge since it can break Kyurem's Substitute and not be PP stalled, unlike Stone Edge. Earthquake over Fire Punch was to find a way to break through Heatran since Rock Blast does nothing.
252+ Atk Choice Band Tyranitar Rock Blast (2 hits) vs. 56 HP / 0 Def Kyurem: 304-360 (75 - 88.8%) -- approx. 2HKO after sandstorm damage
252+ Atk Choice Band Tyranitar Rock Blast (3 hits) vs. 56 HP / 0 Def Kyurem: 456-540 (112.5 - 133.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Tyranitar Rock Blast (4 hits) vs. 56 HP / 0 Def Kyurem: 608-720 (150.1 - 177.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Tyranitar Rock Blast (5 hits) vs. 56 HP / 0 Def Kyurem: 760-900 (187.6 - 222.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (2 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tyranitar: 74-90 (21.7 - 26.3%) -- approx. 2.3% chance to 4HKO
+1 200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (2 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tyranitar: 110-132 (32.2 - 38.7%) -- approx. 99% chance to 3HKO
200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (3 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tyranitar: 111-135 (32.5 - 39.5%) -- approx. 99.8% chance to 3HKO
+1 200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (3 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tyranitar: 165-198 (48.3 - 58%) -- approx. 98% chance to 2HKO
200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (4 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tyranitar: 148-180 (43.4 - 52.7%) -- approx. 4.3% chance to 2HKO
+1 200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (4 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tyranitar: 220-264 (64.5 - 77.4%) -- approx. 2HKO
200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (5 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tyranitar: 185-225 (54.2 - 65.9%) -- approx. 2HKO
+1 200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (5 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tyranitar: 275-330 (80.6 - 96.7%) -- approx. 2HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Tyranitar Rock Blast (3 hits) vs. 56 HP / 0 Def Kyurem: 456-540 (112.5 - 133.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Tyranitar Rock Blast (4 hits) vs. 56 HP / 0 Def Kyurem: 608-720 (150.1 - 177.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Tyranitar Rock Blast (5 hits) vs. 56 HP / 0 Def Kyurem: 760-900 (187.6 - 222.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (2 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tyranitar: 74-90 (21.7 - 26.3%) -- approx. 2.3% chance to 4HKO
+1 200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (2 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tyranitar: 110-132 (32.2 - 38.7%) -- approx. 99% chance to 3HKO
200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (3 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tyranitar: 111-135 (32.5 - 39.5%) -- approx. 99.8% chance to 3HKO
+1 200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (3 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tyranitar: 165-198 (48.3 - 58%) -- approx. 98% chance to 2HKO
200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (4 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tyranitar: 148-180 (43.4 - 52.7%) -- approx. 4.3% chance to 2HKO
+1 200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (4 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tyranitar: 220-264 (64.5 - 77.4%) -- approx. 2HKO
200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (5 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tyranitar: 185-225 (54.2 - 65.9%) -- approx. 2HKO
+1 200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (5 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tyranitar: 275-330 (80.6 - 96.7%) -- approx. 2HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Tyranitar Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 176+ Def Heatran: 544-640 (140.9 - 165.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
0 SpA Heatran Earth Power vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Tyranitar in Sand: 110-130 (32.2 - 38.1%) -- 94.4% chance to 3HKO
0 SpA Heatran Magma Storm vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Tyranitar in Sand: 45-54 (13.1 - 15.8%) -- 0% chance to 4HKO after trapping damage
0 SpA Heatran Earth Power vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Tyranitar in Sand: 110-130 (32.2 - 38.1%) -- 94.4% chance to 3HKO
0 SpA Heatran Magma Storm vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Tyranitar in Sand: 45-54 (13.1 - 15.8%) -- 0% chance to 4HKO after trapping damage
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Mew @ Leftovers
Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Cosmic Power
- Roost
- Stored Power
- Taunt
Mew can use Kyurem as set up fodder after taunting it, and can 1v1 Heatran. Kyurem can try to pressure stall it's Stored power and Roost pp but it will not be able to do so if it's Taunted and is not given room to Dragon Dance. Heatran can be Taunted to prevent it from clicking Taunt or Toxic against Mew, and Mew will eventually pp stall Heatran's Magma Storm and Earth Power PP.
Kyurem calcs
200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (3 hits) vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Mew: 120-144 (29.7 - 35.6%) -- approx. 4HKO after Leftovers recovery
200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (3 hits) vs. +1 252 HP / 4 Def Mew: 81-99 (20 - 24.5%) -- approx. possible 6HKO after Leftovers recovery
+1 200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (3 hits) vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Mew: 174-210 (43 - 51.9%) -- approx. 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 SpA Mew Stored Power (260 BP) vs. 56 HP / 0 SpD Kyurem: 306-360 (75.5 - 88.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Heatran calcs
0 SpA Heatran Magma Storm vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Mew: 135-160 (33.4 - 39.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery and trapping damage
0 SpA Heatran Earth Power vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Mew: 81-96 (20 - 23.7%) -- possible 6HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 SpA Heatran Magma Storm vs. +1 252 HP / 0 SpD Mew: 91-108 (22.5 - 26.7%) -- guaranteed 4HKO after Leftovers recovery and trapping damage 0 SpA Heatran Earth Power vs. +1 252 HP / 0 SpD Mew: 55-65 (13.6 - 16%) -- possibly the worst move ever
0 SpA Mew Stored Power (260 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Heatran: 132-156 (34.1 - 40.4%) -- 48% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (3 hits) vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Mew: 120-144 (29.7 - 35.6%) -- approx. 4HKO after Leftovers recovery
200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (3 hits) vs. +1 252 HP / 4 Def Mew: 81-99 (20 - 24.5%) -- approx. possible 6HKO after Leftovers recovery
+1 200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (3 hits) vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Mew: 174-210 (43 - 51.9%) -- approx. 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 SpA Mew Stored Power (260 BP) vs. 56 HP / 0 SpD Kyurem: 306-360 (75.5 - 88.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Heatran calcs
0 SpA Heatran Magma Storm vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Mew: 135-160 (33.4 - 39.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery and trapping damage
0 SpA Heatran Earth Power vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Mew: 81-96 (20 - 23.7%) -- possible 6HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 SpA Heatran Magma Storm vs. +1 252 HP / 0 SpD Mew: 91-108 (22.5 - 26.7%) -- guaranteed 4HKO after Leftovers recovery and trapping damage 0 SpA Heatran Earth Power vs. +1 252 HP / 0 SpD Mew: 55-65 (13.6 - 16%) -- possibly the worst move ever
0 SpA Mew Stored Power (260 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Heatran: 132-156 (34.1 - 40.4%) -- 48% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
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Scizor@Protective Pads
Ability: Technician
76 HP / 252 Atk / 180 Spe
Adamant Nature
-Bullet Punch
-Roost
-Sand Tomb
-Swords Dance
Scizor remains a solid check to both of these mons with the addition of protective pads and sand tomb. Sand Tomb does 47.6% minimum to this particular Heatran, and with the trapping damage included its a guaranteed 2HKO even through leftovers. This Scizor set has enough speed to outspeed Heatran, with the rest dumped into HP and attack to maximize bulk and power so it remains a good check to Kyurem.
Calcs: 252+ Atk Technician Scizor Sand Tomb vs. 252 HP / 176+ Def Heatran: 184-220 (47.6 - 56.9%) -- 32.8% chance to 2HKO after leftovers recovery(this is before trapping damage, subtract 6.25% from that percentage for leftovers, then add 12.5% for trapping damage).
252+ Atk Technician Scizor Bullet Punch vs. 56 HP / 0 Def Kyurem: 236-278 (58.2 - 68.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Blaziken @ Life Orb
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Flare Blitz
- Close Combat
- Thunder Punch
Blaziken resists Kyurem's icicle spear, and always wins against it 1v1 due to Speed Boost that makes it win even against boosted kyurem. It can also come in on Heatran's magma storm as it tanks around 2 Magma Storms. Although it hates toxic and earth power from heatran, and Blaziken has a 50% chance to OHKO Physdef Heatran if unboosted, so you have to chip it first.
Kyurem
+1 200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (3 hits) vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Blaziken: 117-141 (38.8 - 46.8%) -- approx. 3HKO
252 Atk Life Orb Blaziken Close Combat vs. 56 HP / 0 Def Kyurem: 530-624 (130.8 - 154%) -- guaranteed OHKO
(In a scenario where Kyurem switched in and forces ur pokemon out, you go Blaziken as they click sub. Icicle spear wont even 3hko you on unboosted, while if they DD they cant stall blaziken due to Speed Boost. Make sure to always click Flare Blitz if kyurem is behind sub, because If they dd and u click cc they will 2hko you due to defense drops)
252 Atk Life Orb Blaziken Flare Blitz vs. 56 HP / 0 Def Kyurem: 265-312 (65.4 - 77%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Life Orb Blaziken Close Combat vs. 56 HP / 0 Def Kyurem: 530-624 (130.8 - 154%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Heatran
0 SpA Heatran Magma Storm vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Blaziken: 90-107 (29.9 - 35.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after trapping damage
0 SpA Heatran Earth Power vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Blaziken: 218-258 (72.4 - 85.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (You can eat tank an earth power in a pinch)
252 Atk Life Orb Blaziken Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 176+ Def Heatran: 354-421 (91.7 - 109%) -- 50% chance to OHKO
Dont risk this roll, you need to chip tran with rocks or any other form of chip damage.
+1 200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (3 hits) vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Blaziken: 117-141 (38.8 - 46.8%) -- approx. 3HKO
252 Atk Life Orb Blaziken Close Combat vs. 56 HP / 0 Def Kyurem: 530-624 (130.8 - 154%) -- guaranteed OHKO
(In a scenario where Kyurem switched in and forces ur pokemon out, you go Blaziken as they click sub. Icicle spear wont even 3hko you on unboosted, while if they DD they cant stall blaziken due to Speed Boost. Make sure to always click Flare Blitz if kyurem is behind sub, because If they dd and u click cc they will 2hko you due to defense drops)
252 Atk Life Orb Blaziken Flare Blitz vs. 56 HP / 0 Def Kyurem: 265-312 (65.4 - 77%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Life Orb Blaziken Close Combat vs. 56 HP / 0 Def Kyurem: 530-624 (130.8 - 154%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Heatran
0 SpA Heatran Magma Storm vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Blaziken: 90-107 (29.9 - 35.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after trapping damage
0 SpA Heatran Earth Power vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Blaziken: 218-258 (72.4 - 85.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (You can eat tank an earth power in a pinch)
252 Atk Life Orb Blaziken Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 176+ Def Heatran: 354-421 (91.7 - 109%) -- 50% chance to OHKO
Dont risk this roll, you need to chip tran with rocks or any other form of chip damage.
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Volcarona @ Heavy Duty Boots
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 48 Def / 228 SpA / 232 Spe
Timid Nature
- Psychic
- Bug Buzz
- Fiery Dance
- Quiver Dance
No flash fire on Heatran? Guess who is happy about that. Volcarona of course. Heatran can only poison it and once it drops to half health, it's a dead frog. Given the set, Kyurem absolutely cannot touch Volcarona at all and can just set up two or three qds in its face and ignores sub thanks to bug buzz, I think. Bug buzz is a key move as while Volc turns Kyurem into setup fodder, without bug buzz, you become setup fodder to opposing Garchomps which is like the worst thing ever in this tier
That ev spread is one that I personally use. The forty eight def evs ensures that Urshifu will not be able to kill you with aqua jet from full, dealing only ninety nine percent damage max, while also being faster than opposing Urshifus if you haven't boosted yet
Keldeo @ Choice Specs Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Secret Sword
- Focus Blast
- Icy Wind
This core is no problem for Keldeo, by virtue of its great offensive typing - which, surprisingly, also works great defensively against this specific core.
Hydro Pump and Secret Sword are its standard STAB moves, OHKO'ing Heatran and Kyurem, respectively. Focus Blast OHKO's both but is less reliable because of its accuracy. Icy Wind is a coverage move which OHKO's switch-ins like Salamence.
Keldeo resists Heatran's STAB Magma Storm and Kyurem's STAB Icicle Spear, while being neutral to Earth Power.
252 SpA Choice Specs Keldeo Focus Blast vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Heatran: 558-656 (144.5 - 169.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Keldeo Hydro Pump vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Heatran: 510-602 (132.1 - 155.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Keldeo Secret Sword vs. 252 HP / 176+ Def Heatran: 306-362 (79.2 - 93.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 SpA Heatran Magma Storm vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Keldeo: 73-87 (22.6 - 26.9%) -- 32.8% chance to 3HKO after trapping damage
0 SpA Heatran Earth Power vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Keldeo: 89-105 (27.5 - 32.5%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Keldeo Hydro Pump vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Heatran: 510-602 (132.1 - 155.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Keldeo Secret Sword vs. 252 HP / 176+ Def Heatran: 306-362 (79.2 - 93.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 SpA Heatran Magma Storm vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Keldeo: 73-87 (22.6 - 26.9%) -- 32.8% chance to 3HKO after trapping damage
0 SpA Heatran Earth Power vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Keldeo: 89-105 (27.5 - 32.5%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Keldeo Focus Blast vs. 56 HP / 0 SpD Kyurem: 638-752 (157.5 - 185.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Keldeo Secret Sword vs. 56 HP / 0 Def Kyurem: 452-534 (111.6 - 131.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Keldeo Hydro Pump vs. 56 HP / 0 SpD Kyurem: 146-172 (36 - 42.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
Best Case Scenario:
200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (2 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Keldeo: 42-52 (13 - 16%) -- approx. possible 7HKO
+1 200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (2 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Keldeo: 66-78 (20.4 - 24.1%) -- approx. 5HKO
+2 200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (2 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Keldeo: 86-102 (26.6 - 31.5%) -- approx. 4HKO
Worst Case Scenario:
200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (5 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Keldeo: 105-130 (32.5 - 40.2%) -- approx. 100% chance to 3HKO
+1 200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (5 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Keldeo: 165-195 (51 - 60.3%) -- approx. 2HKO
+2 200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (5 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Keldeo: 215-255 (66.5 - 78.9%) -- approx. 2HKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Keldeo Secret Sword vs. 56 HP / 0 Def Kyurem: 452-534 (111.6 - 131.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Keldeo Hydro Pump vs. 56 HP / 0 SpD Kyurem: 146-172 (36 - 42.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
Best Case Scenario:
200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (2 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Keldeo: 42-52 (13 - 16%) -- approx. possible 7HKO
+1 200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (2 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Keldeo: 66-78 (20.4 - 24.1%) -- approx. 5HKO
+2 200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (2 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Keldeo: 86-102 (26.6 - 31.5%) -- approx. 4HKO
Worst Case Scenario:
200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (5 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Keldeo: 105-130 (32.5 - 40.2%) -- approx. 100% chance to 3HKO
+1 200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (5 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Keldeo: 165-195 (51 - 60.3%) -- approx. 2HKO
+2 200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (5 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Keldeo: 215-255 (66.5 - 78.9%) -- approx. 2HKO
For the most part, I'll be relieved if Kyurem's banned. The thing is so hard to wall. Part of me will be kinda sad though, because Kyurem was a sign Ice-types were becoming legitimately viable in OU, and if it were to go, then... yeah.
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Cloyster @ White Herb
Ability: Skill Link
EVs: 252 Atk / 112 SpD / 144 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Shell Smash
- Liquidation
- Rock Blast
- Icicle Spear
An old HO staple as although it cant take a Magma Storm from Heatran, can OHKO with rocks chip at +2, and deal a ton of damage even with a sub up on Kyurem with a +2 Rock blast. Kyurem cant touch Cloyster with Icicle spear making setup easy.
+2 252+ Atk Cloyster Rock Blast (5 hits) vs. 56 HP / 0 Def Kyurem: 530-630 (130.8 - 155.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252+ Atk Cloyster Liquidation vs. 252 HP / 176+ Def Heatran: 362-428 (93.7 - 110.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
+6 200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (3 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Cloyster: 69-84 (28.6 - 34.8%) -- approx. 2.5% chance to 3HKO
+2 252+ Atk Cloyster Liquidation vs. 252 HP / 176+ Def Heatran: 362-428 (93.7 - 110.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
+6 200 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (3 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Cloyster: 69-84 (28.6 - 34.8%) -- approx. 2.5% chance to 3HKO
Slowbro @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 80 Def / 4 SpA / 172 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Body Press
- Teleport
- Slack Off
Slowbro with Special defense investement and Body Press is a fantastic check to both Kyurem and Heatran, while having amazing longevity thanks to Regenerator and Slack Off, Body Press allows it to beat heatran, despite it packing Taunt, and it beats Kyurem with Scald, even at +6 a burned kyurem barely breaks 30%, so its a terrific answer to this combination
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Urshifu-Rapid-Strike @ Protective Pads
Ability: Unseen Fist
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 SpD
Jolly Nature
- Surging Strikes
- Close Combat
- Aqua Jet / Thunder Punch / Bulk Up
- U-Turn / Bulk Up
Surprised nobody's taken this one yet. Flame Body Tran lures Band Shifu, but Pads Shifu lures Flame Body Tran. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
252 Atk Urshifu-Rapid-Strike Close Combat vs. 56 HP / 0 Def Kyurem: 428-506 (105.6 - 124.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Urshifu-Rapid-Strike Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 176 Def Heatran: 318-374 (82.3 - 96.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (62.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock)
- Status