Project OU Break This Core! - Not hosted anymore

Status
Not open for further replies.
Round 17 is officially over! Let's go through your submissions!

:ss/pelipper::ss/seismitoad:

:master ball: Threats of the Round :master ball:

:Gastrodon: Specially defensive Storm Drain Gastrodon is one of the premier threats that any Rain team needs to respect: its ability to repeatedly shrug off hits from many special attackers under Rain (such as Tornadus-T, Zapdos and obviously Seismitoad) is invaluable when coupled with its immunity to Barraskewda's Liquidations and Flip Turns, which are usually how Water resists get broken down. Access to reliable recovery in Recover allows our beloved slug to stick around for long enough time to wear down Ferrothorn with Scald and crippling the rest of the team with Toxic.

:tapu bulu: As the least used Alola Guardian during this generation, Tapu Bulu does have a unique blend of traits that makes it particularly annoying for Rain teams. And by annoying I mean that it can threaten to KO every staple Pokémon on Rain teams with the coverage provided by Horn Leech, Close Combat and Stone Edge, coupled with its surprising bulk and access to Swords Dance to boot. It isn't as durable as Gastrodon, but it makes up for it with its sheer destructive potential against Rain and the ability to abuse its typing and bulk to position itself correctly in order to do so.

:ferrothorn: Since BW and BW2, Ferrothorn has always been both an invaluable asset and an incredible annoyance to the Rain archetype. Its amazing Grass Steel typing and remarkable bulk lets it shrug off repeated Rain boosted attacks and threaten big damage to this core and also many other Rain staples such as Barraskewda and, to an extent, Zapdos. Its Leech Seed also mitigate its lack of reliable recovery and also adds up to the chip damage already generated by its Iron Barbs, while its access to Spikes and Stealth Rock and good matchup versus Pelipper helps it wear down Rain teams even more quickly.

:premier ball: Additional Notes :premier ball:

:rillaboom: Having outclassed Tapu Bulu throughout the majority of this generation, Rillaboom's flaws are catching up to it and its matchup against Rain is one of those areas where it experiences more difficulties than its fellow Grassy Surge competitor. Worse defensive typing, less bulk due to fulfilling a different role and lack of good, powerful and reliable supereffective coverage against Rain's mandatory Flying type and Ferrothorn make its Rain matchup comprehensively worse than Tapu Bulu, as the Rain player can pivot either one into Choice Band Rillaboom to scout what moves it locks itself into. However, it can perform a great revenge killing role against every Swift Swimmer (especially Seismitoad who can't survive even a burnt Rillaboom) without fail thanks to its signature Grassy Glide + Grassy Surge combo, something Tapu Bulu can only dream of. Also, with proper prediction and team support, it can potentially break through its common counterplay and proceed to decimate the core structure of Rain teams.

:ninetales-alola: Having the unique ability to change weather and threaten to OHKO both Pelipper and Seismitoad seemingly puts Ninetales-A in a strong position against Rain teams. While this is partially correct due to Hail obviously reducing the overall effectiveness and threat level of the Rain abusers backing Pelipper, Ninetales-A has no hope of breaking through Ferrothorn and also doesn't switch into any Rain abusing Pokémon without risking severe consequences for it and for its most common partner, Arctozolt. Requiring precise positioning against such a n aggresive archetype with specific checks is going to make any Pokémon an unreliable threat to this specific core and Rain in general, even if it had every tool to be one when positioned correctly.

:blissey: As a blanket special defensive sponge, Blissey can take on pretty much every special attacking Rain abuser out there, including Seismitoad. However, Blissey suffers from two big flaws: first, Rain is an aggressive playstyle which already leaves it with few opportunities to wall and make progress at the slow pace Blissey operates under. This means it can be consistently chipped by repeated hits since the only slow Rain staples, Pelipper and Ferrothorn, will just pivot out and Leech Seed it, respectively. Secondly, Rain also utilizes physical attacking behemoths such as Barraskewda and Crawdaunt who Blissey has no chance against. While Blissey does wall Seismitoad and Pelipper indefinitely, it struggles against the whole archetype and its relentless offense.



:colbur berry: :ss/slowbro: Round 18: Slowbro + Landorus-T :ss/landorus-therian: :leftovers:

Without the chilling threat of a frozen dragon, Slowbro enjoyed a noticeable uptick in usage thanks to its stellar defensive profile and ability to adapt and lure some of its usual threats with its trademark Colbur Berry + Body Press set. At the same time, tier king Landorus-T shoot up to 50% usage (and even higher in tours), consolidating its place as the undisputed #1 Pokémon in the metagame. As it happened, these two work really well alongside each other, with Slowbro taking on physical behemots such as Urshifu-R and luring Weavile, while Landorus-T takes on Electric and Fire types such as Tapu Koko and Heatran. Their combined efforts also allow them to check other big threats such as Garchomp and Melmetal, creating a dynamic and bulky backbone that's setting a trend in the current SS OU metagame. Thanks to Teleport and U-turn, they are able to keep up momentum and position their offensive partners properly, while fueling them even more with Future Sight and Stealth Rock. Otherwise, Landorus-T's unparalleled versatility allows it to provide Defog support to itself, Slowbro and their teammates to keep their costant pivoting safe from chip damage. Despite this type of core needing other staples Pokémon profiles to complete a defensive backbone, this pair is setting a standard as for what a competent backbone needs.
As such, we ask the same old question: how do you break through this core?

Slowbro @ Colbur Berry
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Teleport
- Future Sight
- Body Press
- Slack Off

Landorus-Therian (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Stealth Rock / Defog
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Knock Off / Toxic


You have 5 days to post submissions, happy posting! :)​
 

agslash23

Banned deucer.
:ss/Dragapult:

Dragapult @ Choice Specs
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Draco Meteor
- U-turn
- Hydro Pump

Dragapult can Spam Shadow Ball for days vs this core, as Slowbro is weak to it, and Lando-T is neutral to Ghost attacks and lacks recovery. The only way Dragapult can lose it if Lando-T tanks a Shadow Ball and retaliates with EQ/Knock. However, Lando gets destroyed if it switches into a Hydro Pump from Specs Pult.

Calcs :

252 SpA Choice Specs Dragapult Shadow Ball vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Slowbro: 390-462 (98.9 - 117.2%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO

252 SpA Choice Specs Dragapult Shadow Ball vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Landorus-Therian: 136-162 (35.6 - 42.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

252 SpA Choice Specs Dragapult Hydro Pump vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Landorus-Therian: 248-294 (64.9 - 76.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
 
Last edited:
:ss/kartana:
Kartana @ Life Orb
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Leaf Blade
- Knock Off
- Sacred Sword

Kartana can easily threaten both members of this core. While both Body Press and Future Sight are 2HKOs, Leaf Blade 1HKOs Slowbro at +2 or after one round of hazard damage. Meanwhile, Landorus doesn't like having its Leftovers knocked off, and Kartana can switch in on any of its attacks once at full, giving it an opportunity to set up and threaten a KO.

252 Atk Life Orb Kartana Leaf Blade vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Slowbro: 330-393 (83.7 - 99.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
-1 252 Atk Life Orb Kartana Leaf Blade vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Landorus-Therian: 177-211 (46.3 - 55.2%) -- 10.9% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Life Orb Kartana Leaf Blade vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Landorus-Therian: 266-316 (69.6 - 82.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
+1 252 Atk Life Orb Kartana Leaf Blade vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Landorus-Therian: 399-472 (104.4 - 123.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
 
Last edited:
reserving taunt fini
:Leftovers: :ss/Tapu-Fini: :Leftovers:
Tapu Fini @ Leftovers
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 252 HP / 116 Def / 140 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Taunt
- Scald
- Draining Kiss
- Calm Mind

Overview:
Fini is an excellent, status-immune, mixed wall. With its combination of Misty Terrain and Taunt, it shuts down any shenanigans to do with status and hazards, making it an incredible annoyance to a great deal of the tier. Slowbro and Landorus are no exception.

While Fini has many viable sets, I've gone with the Calm Mind set as I feel it does the job best.

Move Review:
  • Taunt prevents Slowbro from pivoting and healing, and prevents Landorus from setting up rocks, defogging, and spreading poison.​
  • Scald burns Landorus, stopping it right in its tracks. (FYI: Misty Terrain's status-preventing effect only affects grounded opponents.)​
  • Draining Kiss provides Fini with some recovery, given that it doesn't learn a dedicated recovery move.​
  • Calm Mind allows you to set up. A single Calm Mind boost allows you to virtually ignore a Future Sight and 2HKO Landorus.​
Calcs:
0 SpA Tapu Fini Scald vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Slowbro: 49-58 (12.4 - 14.7%) -- possible 7HKO
0 SpA Tapu Fini Draining Kiss vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Slowbro: 61-73 (15.5 - 18.5%) (13.3 - 15.9% recovered) -- possible 6HKO

+1 0 SpA Tapu Fini Scald vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Slowbro: 74-87 (18.8 - 22.1%) -- possible 5HKO
+1 0 SpA Tapu Fini Draining Kiss vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Slowbro: 93-109 (23.6 - 27.7%) (20.3 - 23.8% recovered) -- 80% chance to 4HKO

0 SpA Slowbro Future Sight vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Tapu Fini: 103-123 (29.9 - 35.7%) -- guaranteed 4HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Def Slowbro Body Press vs. 252 HP / 116+ Def Tapu Fini: 31-37 (9 - 10.7%) -- possibly the worst move ever

0 SpA Slowbro Future Sight vs. +1 252 HP / 0 SpD Tapu Fini: 69-82 (20 - 23.8%) -- possible 6HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 SpA Tapu Fini Scald vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Landorus-Therian: 138-164 (36.1 - 42.9%) -- 96.9% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 SpA Tapu Fini Draining Kiss vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Landorus-Therian: 43-52 (11.2 - 13.6%) (9.3 - 11.3% recovered) -- possibly the worst move ever

+1 0 SpA Tapu Fini Scald vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Landorus-Therian: 206-246 (53.9 - 64.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
+1 0 SpA Tapu Fini Draining Kiss vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Landorus-Therian: 66-78 (17.2 - 20.4%) (14.5 - 17.1% recovered) -- possible 7HKO after Leftovers recovery

4 Atk Landorus-Therian Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 116+ Def Tapu Fini: 109-129 (31.6 - 37.5%) -- 0% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
4 Atk Landorus-Therian U-turn vs. 252 HP / 116+ Def Tapu Fini: 25-30 (7.2 - 8.7%) -- possibly the worst move ever
4 Atk Landorus-Therian Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 116+ Def Tapu Fini: 35-42 (10.1 - 12.2%) -- possible 9HKO

4 Atk burned Landorus-Therian Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 116+ Def Tapu Fini: 54-64 (15.6 - 18.6%) -- possible 8HKO after Leftovers recovery
4 Atk burned Landorus-Therian U-turn vs. 252 HP / 116+ Def Tapu Fini: 12-15 (3.4 - 4.3%) -- possibly the worst move ever
4 Atk burned Landorus-Therian Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 116+ Def Tapu Fini: 17-21 (4.9 - 6.1%) -- possibly the worst move ever

Notes:
  • Slowbro can be difficult to get by, but by playing the long game carefully or acquiring Calm Mind boosts, it won't be much of a problem.
  • Landorus' Knock Off hinders Fini greatly because losing Leftovers is detrimental, and as previously mentioned, Fini doesn't learn a dedicvated recovery move.
 
Last edited:

Red Raven

I COULD BE BANNED!
:ss/rillaboom:
Rillaboom @ Miracle Seed
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- Superpower
- Grassy Glide
- Wood Hammer

Just spam wood hammer until they both die. Easy peasy lemon squeezy
 

Arctozolt @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Slush Rush
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 SpA
Naive Nature
- Bolt Beak
- Blizzard
- Low Kick
- Substitute

252 Atk Arctozolt Bolt Beak (170 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Slowbro: 312-368 (79.1 - 93.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (37.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock)
4 SpA Arctozolt Blizzard vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Landorus-Therian: 364-432 (95.2 - 113%) -- 75% chance to OHKO (guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock)

This one almost feels like cheating.
 
Last edited:

yone

The One.
is a Tiering Contributoris a Past WCoP Champion
:ss/Tapu_bulu:
Tapu Bulu @ Life Orb / Leftovers
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 32 HP / 252 Atk / 224 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Horn Leech
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge

Tapu Bulu benefits a lot from his ability Grassy Terrain, which will raise Horn Leech damages, the recovery from Horn Leech is like ignoring Poison damage, if Landorus hits Toxik and Sword Dance allows Tapu Bulu to not be disturbed by Intimidate.
 
Last edited:
3A Zapdos
:ss/zapdos:
Zapdos @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Static
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Roost
- Heat Wave
- Hurricane​

Zapdos gives quite a bit of trouble to both Slowbro and Landorus, breaking Slowbro with its STABs and pressuring SpD Lando with Hurricane. It has to watch out for Ice Beam from Slowbro, or Smack Down from Landorus, but outside of that it has no issue pressuring this core.

An offensive variant with Heat Wave was chosen to threaten other partners such as Ferrothorn which accompany this core.
Pls vote
 
Round 18 is officially over! Let's go through your submissions!

:ss/slowbro: :ss/landorus-therian:

:master ball: Threats of the Round :master ball:

:kartana: Swords Dance Kartana is a common and massively threatening wallbreaker and this core is only just another victim to its vicious STAB Leaf Blade and spammable Knock Off. Kartana isn't particularly safe at setting up against anything that isn't Tapu Fini or Ferrothorn, as both Slowbro and Landorus-T can critically weaken it through Body Press, Earthquake and even Future Sight, but it's sheer power forces out both members of this core since they are usually tasked with other big threats and can't afford taking even unboosted hits from Life Orb Kartana. This of course can be used as a set-up opportunities, after which both Slowbro and Landorus-T crumble to a boosted Leaf Blade after Intimidate.

:tapu fini: Tapu Fini takes a completely different approach than Kartana. It lacks the overwhelming power to immediately threaten Slowbro and Landorus-T, but it does pack incredible bulk, Taunt and Misty Terrain to easily rack up Calm Mind boost and proceed to KO both as well as threatening a sweep against a weakened team. Slowbro can only use Future Sight and manually switch out, giving the Tapu Fini user either time to boost or an occasion to gain momentum and positioning on the Future Sight. Landorus-T, on the other hand, can remove its Leftovers or try to clear the Terrain through Defog in order to land a crippling Toxic, but a careful Tapu Fini player will have a chance to shut down this unsafe, last-ditch strategy with Taunt.

:premier ball: Additional Notes :premier ball:

:rillaboom: Swords Dance Rillaboom is another dangerous set-up sweeper and wallbreaker with the tools to crack this core open with the sheer power of Wood Hammer. In fact, Rillaboom does even better than Kartana on paper due to resisting and weakening Landorus-T's STAB Earthquake and immediately threatening a OHKO on the king of OU if correctly positioned to avoid Intimidate, even without a Swords Dance boost, 56% of the time. However, as a pure Grass type, Rillaboom is susceptible to both U-turn and Toxic, making it more risky to grab a boost especially because Rillaboom's offensive presence is less feared than Kartana's. Speaking of, Rillaboom is also significantly less common than Kartana, a fact that neuters the overall impact of its threat when compared to it.

:arctozolt: Arctozolt is still a threat to respect, despite Hail's significant drop in usage. With a more powerful version of the coveted STAB BoltBeam, Arctozolt threaten massive damage to both Slowbro and Landorus-T, helped by Hail's chip damage and accuracy buff to Blizzard. In contrast with its offensive potential, Arctozolt has a tough time switching into either and - most importantly - finds one of its STAB completely blanked by either Slowbro and Landorus-T, which allows for a very annoying mindgame of pivoting, wasting Hail's turns and depleting Arctozolt's attack through Intimidate. Even the occasional Substitute can be abused in these mindgames. If Arctozolt had Freeze Dry, however, it would make easy work of this core as the two wouldn't be able to pivot around each other.



:heavy-duty boots: :ss/zeraora: Round 19: Bulk Up Zeraora + Air Balloon Heatran :ss/heatran: :air balloon:

Offensive Air Balloon Heatran has recently emerged as a premier Stealth Rock setter in SS OU, capable of threatening the three most common Defoggers, Tornadus-T, Landorus-T and Corviknight, thanks to the explosive power of its now heavily invested Magma Storms and Eruptions. With Air Balloon allowing it to hover above dangerous Earthquakes, Heatran is now also free to safely damage Landorus-T, Garchomp and the rarer Hippowdon with its Fire STABs. These traits make Heatran a perfect support tool for Bulk Up Zeraora, as it fulfills the duty of keeping Stealth Rock on the opponent's field while also severely weakening the Ground types that plague Zeraora. It also finds avenues to fire off its nuclear attacks against several other Zeraora counters, such as Buzzwole and Tangrowth, while being overall hard to deal with for bulkier teams. Conversely, Zeraora bolsters the team's matchup against more offensive teams thanks to its blazing Speed tier and ability to outlast its checks, utilizing Bulk Up to become a scary late-game win condition.
Now it's your turn, how would you stop this core?

Zeraora @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Bulk Up
- Plasma Fists
- Knock Off
- Close Combat

Heatran @ Air Balloon
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Magma Storm
- Eruption
- Earth Power


You have 7 days to post submissions, happy posting! :)​
 
Last edited:
:ss/seismitoad:
Seismitoad @ Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Hydro Pump / Weather Ball
- Earth Power
- Focus Blast / Sludge Wave
- Stealth Rock

Both parts of this core struggle to deal with Seismitoad in the Rain. Swift Swim allows it to outspeed both of them and threaten a KO with either of its STAB moves. Since Seismitoad uses Water-type attacks, Heatran's Air Balloon is a non-issue.

Seismitoad isn't completely useless outside of Rain, either. While it's slower than both Heatran and Zeraora, and hates Knock Off from the latter, their strongest moves struggle to even 2HKO it, even with LO recoil factored in. Zeraora can try to fix that with Bulk Up boosts, but setting up in front of Seismitoad can be risky.

252 SpA Heatran Eruption (150 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Seismitoad: 154-182 (43.8 - 51.8%) -- 11.7% chance to 2HKO
252 Atk Zeraora Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Seismitoad: 150-177 (42.7 - 50.4%) -- 1.2% chance to 2HKO
 
Last edited:
gastro
:Leftovers: :ss/Gastrodon: :Leftovers:
Gastrodon @ Leftovers
Ability: Sticky Hold
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Scald
- Earthquake
- Recover
- Clear Smog

Overview:
RU? RU? Seriously? With two amazing abilities, a great defensive typing, respectable bulk, reliable recovery, and being one of the best checks to one of the most prominent OU Pokemon, Heatran, Gatrodon may be RU, but it definitely has its spot in OU.

Move Review:
  • Scald burns Zeraora, cutting its Attack in half and inflicting long-term residual damage.
  • Earthquake hits both Zeraora and Heatran for super effective damage, provided Air Ballon is gone.
  • Recover provides Gastrodon with reliable recovery.
  • Clear Smog stops Zeraora from setting up.

Calcs:
0 SpA Gastrodon Scald vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Zeraora: 97-115 (30.5 - 36.2%) -- 54.4% chance to 3HKO
0 Atk Gastrodon Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Zeraora: 236-278 (74.4 - 87.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 Atk Zeraora Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Gastrodon: 130-154 (30.5 - 36.1%) -- guaranteed 4HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Zeraora Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Gastrodon: 161-190 (37.7 - 44.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

252 Atk burned Zeraora Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Gastrodon: 65-77 (15.2 - 18%) -- possible 8HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk burned Zeraora Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Gastrodon: 80-95 (18.7 - 22.3%) -- possible 6HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 SpA Gastrodon Scald vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Heatran: 152-182 (47 - 56.3%) -- 81.3% chance to 2HKO
0 Atk Gastrodon Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Heatran: 352-420 (108.9 - 130%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252 SpA Heatran Magma Storm vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Gastrodon: 67-79 (15.7 - 18.5%) -- guaranteed 5HKO after Leftovers recovery and trapping damage
252 SpA Heatran Eruption (150 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Gastrodon: 100-118 (23.4 - 27.6%) -- possible 5HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Heatran Earth Power vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Gastrodon: 80-95 (18.7 - 22.3%) -- possible 6HKO after Leftovers recovery

Notes:
  • Although rare, Heatran can use Nature Power in tandem with Grassy Terrain for a super effective hit. This also applies if Heatran knows Solar Beam and Zeraora knows Grass Knot.
  • Zeraora and Heatran can use Taunt to shut down Gastrodon, leaving it without reliable recovery or a way to stop Zera from setting up.
Seismitoad here, Gastrodon here, Quagsire here
Swampert where?
 
Last edited:
:ss/garchomp:

Garchomp @ rocky helmet / leftovers
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 HP / 136 Def / 120 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Toxic
- dragon tail

Tankchomp can switch into and threaten out both members of this core. Zeraora's close combat doesn't even 3hko without a bulk up, and if it bulks up on the switch then garchomp can threaten a minimum of 72.5% from earthquake, which KOes zeraora after rough skin and rocky helmet damage. If it tries to knock off the helmet, Zeraora gets the chip regardless.

While heatran is more tricky to deal with, dragon tail into EQ will KO heatran while still being a useful move on garchomp. Any move that hits heatran can be used in the 4th slot, dragon tail just has the best overall utility.

252 Atk Zeraora Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 136 Def Garchomp: 107-127 (25.4 - 30.2%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
+1 252 Atk Zeraora Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 136 Def Garchomp: 160-189 (38 - 45%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
0 Atk Garchomp Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Zeraora: 342-404 (107.8 - 127.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO
0 Atk Garchomp Earthquake vs. +1 0 HP / 0 Def Zeraora: 230-272 (72.5 - 85.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after rough skin and rocky helmet damage.
252 SpA Heatran Eruption (150 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Garchomp: 140-165 (33.3 - 39.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 SpA Heatran Magma Storm vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Garchomp: 93-111 (22.1 - 26.4%) -- 15.4% chance to 3HKO after trapping damage
0 Atk Garchomp Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Heatran: 516-612 (2000.3-3000.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO
 
Last edited:
Well I would have said Garchomp, but a certain someone sniped me lol.

Dragonite
:ss/dragonite:
Dragonite @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Roost
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch​

Dragonite doesn't mind setting up in Heatran's face here, as it lacks Toxic, and Eruption/Magma Storm- even without Multiscale- isn't outside of recovery range. Dragonite's secondary pops Air Balloon and covers possible partners such as Garchomp or Landorus, while Heatran is now vulnerable to Earthquake.

Zeraora can threaten Dragonite if its Multiscale is broken, and/or if Zeraora has accrewed mutliple Bulk Up buffs. However, if none of the conditions are met, Zeraora has an unfavorable chance to beat Dragonite. Earthquake will 2HKO +1 Def from Zeraora, after which it will be a 3HKO. Dragonite can click DD freely for the first turn, outspeeding and threatening Zeraora with a +1 Atk buff.

252 SpA Heatran Eruption (150 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Multiscale Dragonite: 61-72 (18.8 - 22.2%) -- possible 5HKO
252 SpA Heatran Eruption (150 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Dragonite: 122-144 (37.7 - 44.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

252 SpA Heatran Magma Storm vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Multiscale Dragonite: 40-48 (12.3 - 14.8%) -- guaranteed 5HKO after trapping damage
252 SpA Heatran Magma Storm vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Dragonite: 81-96 (25 - 29.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after trapping damage

252 Atk Zeraora Plasma Fists vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Multiscale Dragonite: 77-91 (23.8 - 28.1%) -- 94.1% chance to 4HKO
252 Atk Zeraora Plasma Fists vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Dragonite: 154-183 (47.6 - 56.6%) -- 91% chance to 2HKO
 
Last edited:
:Kommo-o: @ Leftovers
Ability: Bulletproof
EVs: 252 HP / 148 Def / 40 SpD / 68 Spe
Impish Nature
- Body Press
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic

Zera cannot break through kommo-o as it threatents it with toxic and can 1v2 both pokemon, it can switch in on both pokemon into anything but knock off and constant eruptions as it can threaten heatran with eq and zera with eq and even zera at +1 cannot exactly threaten kommo-o without risking getting toxic'ed or gettting chunked

252 Atk Zeraora Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 148+ Def Kommo-o: 79-93 (22.3 - 26.2%) -- possible 5HKO after Leftovers recovery
+1 252 Atk Zeraora Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 148+ Def Kommo-o: 118-139 (33.3 - 39.2%) -- 12.9% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 Atk Kommo-o Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Zeraora: 198-234 (62.4 - 73.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 Atk Kommo-o Earthquake vs. +1 0 HP / 0 Def Zeraora: 134-158 (42.2 - 49.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 SpA Heatran Earth Power vs. 252 HP / 40 SpD Kommo-o: 91-108 (25.7 - 30.5%) -- 1.1% chance to 4HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Heatran Eruption (150 BP) vs. 252 HP / 40 SpD Kommo-o: 113-133 (31.9 - 37.5%) -- 0.1% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 Atk Kommo-o Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Heatran: 296-352 (91.6 - 108.9%) -- 50% chance to OHKO
 

yone

The One.
is a Tiering Contributoris a Past WCoP Champion
:ss/zygarde-10%:
Zygarde-10% @ Leftovers
Ability: Aura Break
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Thousand Arrows
- Outrage
- Glare

I thought first about a ground Pokemon, because both are weak to Ground type but air balloon is basically a problem, but it's p hard to find something to break the balloon and handle both Pokemon, so I took the only ground who doesn't care about that, thanks to Thousand Arrows, I put the DD set and not the Choice Band because it can't handle +1 zeraora if it get the Choice Band knocked off.

252+ Atk Zygarde-10% Thousand Arrows vs. +1 0 HP / 0 Def Zeraora: 228-270 (71.9 - 85.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

+1 252+ Atk Zygarde-10% Thousand Arrows vs. +1 0 HP / 0 Def Zeraora: 342-404 (107.8 - 127.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO

That's why I prefer a Dragon Dance set.
 

Buzzwole @ Choice Band
Ability: Beast Boost
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Ice Punch
- Earthquake
- Poison Jab

I gave Buzzwole a Jolly nature and radiation poisoning to help temper it against Heatran's nuclear attacks;
now it is Heatran who must watch out for nuclear Buzzwole.
He's all set to give the large-pawed kitten, and any would-be hindrances, a nice firm handshake.
 
:ss/quagsire:

lets put every water/ground we can here. quagsire laughs at zeraora, and the bit of special defense investment means that eruption isn't a 2HKO even without lefties if both quagsire and heatran are full health, and quagsire doesn't have leftovers. SR shouldn't be a problem, since heatran is prolly setting it and you can just come in on it while it sets them

Quagsire
Level: 100
Relaxed Nature
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 252 HP / 224 Def / 32 SpD
- Scald
- Earthquake
- Recover
- Toxic
 
Round 19 is officially over! Let's go through your submissions!

:ss/zeraora: :ss/heatran:

:master ball: Threats of the Round :master ball:

:kommo-o: A bulky variant of Alola's pseudo-legendary works amazingly well as a check to this round's core, thanks to its great all around bulk, auspicious typing and accurate supereffective coverage between Body Press and Earthquake. It can stomach any attack from Zeraora with applombe and threatens either significant damage with Earthquake or a debilitating Toxic. Against Heatran, it does a great job of tanking even fully powered Eruption thanks to a precise Special Defense investment and Leftovers and immediately threatening it out with a supereffective Body Press to neuter Eruption and break Heatran's Air Balloon. Finally, Kommo-O can abuse this switch to set up its own Stealth Rock, which will make Heatran's Eruption progressively weaker and thus easier to handle.

:garchomp: Dragon Tail TankChomp has a unique bag of tricks that allows it to thwart this core. It obviously fares well against Zeraora thanks to its great physical bulk, immunity to Plasma Fists and infuriating combination of Rocky Helmet and Rough Skin, heavily punishing Knock Offs and Close Combats with crippling chip damage. Dragon Tail and Toxic also add up to make life even more miserable for Zeraora. It does struggle against Air Balloon Heatran, however, as a full HP Eruption from Timid Heatran deals 33.3% at worst thanks to the lack of Special Defense investment and this damage isn't passively healed by Leftovers. This issue is even more glaring if Heatran runs a Modest nature, which is actually the most common scenario. Unlike Kommo-O, it's also incapable of immediately threatening Heatran with its Air Balloon still intact, which means it will take another Eruption or Magma Storm before forcing Heatran out with Dragon Tail, leaving Garchomp too low on health to reliably deal with Zeraora.



:premier ball: Additional Notes :premier ball:

:gastrodon: Specially Defensive Gastrodon is one of the best switch-ins to offensive Air Balloon Heatran, thanks to its great typing and large special bulk, which, in conjunction with reliable recovery and immunity to Zeraora's STAB Plasma Fists, make Gastrodon well poised to handle both at the same time. The ability to threaten damage on an airborne Heatran with Scald is also pretty valuable, since it completely nullifies its niche as a Ground types sniper. However, the set provided has one major flaw. Sticky Hold is an interesting ability that deserves some merit in the context of handling Zeraora; however, it should really be paired with important Defense investment to make it worthwhile over Storm Drain, because choosing Sticky Hold strips Gastrodon of its main niche as a Water-immune bulky Ground type.

:seismitoad: Swift Swim Seismitoad is one of the few Pokémon able to outspeed Zeraora and threaten a clean OHKO with Rain-boosted Weather Ball or Earth Power and it belongs to an archetype that has no issues whatsoever with Heatran, which makes ithe toad a giant threat to the core during humid weather. This caveat is also what makes it unreliable, though. Seismitoad can't switch into either Zeraora or Heatran when Rain isn't up and still struggles to reliably switch into the former even with Rain. This is obviously bad news because Zeraora has a notoriously positive matchup against Rain and having the team's Electric immunity being a shaky switch in to it makes the issue even more glaring.

:dragonite: As Multiscale is hard to keep intact, Plasma Fists easily 2HKOs uninvested Dragonite and Heatran's Fire STABs deal enough damage to force it to Roost or risk a play in order to keep it healthy enough to check either again during the battle. For these reasons, an offensive set isn't as reliable as it may seem at handling this core. However, a Dragonite that switches into the right moves and grabs a Dragon Dance suddenly becomes a scary Pokémon to face for both of them since it outspeeds Zeraora at +1 and destroys it with Earthquake, while Heatran can't do anything significant against Dragonite in the turn it needs to break its Air Balloon, especially if Multiscale is somehow still intact. Even more than Seismitoad, offensive Dragonite is equally devastating and unreliable against this core.



:leftovers: :ss/melmetal: Round 20: Protect + 3 Attacks Melmetal + Aqua Tail Garchomp :ss/garchomp: :leftovers:

If you followed the first three weeks of SPL you knew Melmetal was coming. The mercury Pokémon has enjoyed an important rise in usage with its Protect variants, Toxic + Protect or Protect + 3 Attacks. By ditching the previously used combination of Thunder Wave and Protective Pads, the latter version has made a name for itself as an offensive powerhouse with great longevity and defensive utility thanks to the combination of Protect and Leftovers. It retains defensive prowess against Psychic and Fairy types such as Tapu Lele and Tapu Fini and great utility against any Choiced attackes that might threaten it out, namely Dragapult, Kartana and Galarian Zapdos, while keeping the opponent at bay thanks to its monstrous power. Due to these traits, it partners up really well with Swords Dance Garchomp for a powerful onslaught of physical offense that can work around each other's checks such as Heatran and Weavile, while preserving longevity with Leftovers. Speaking of Garchomp, its Swords Dance variant has been experimenting with its 4th slot itself, with Aqua Tail slowly getting more traction as a tool to lure tier king Landorus-T and hit Air Balloon Heatran immediately. These two also happen to be annoying enemies for Melmetal, showing how their sinergy extends and evolves countinuously.
And now it's your turn once again: show us how you would stop this core!

Melmetal @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 40 HP / 252 Atk / 196 SpD / 20 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Protect
- Double Iron Bash
- Earthquake
- Thunder Punch

Garchomp @ Leftovers
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Aqua Tail


You have 7 days to post submissions, happy posting! :)​
 
Last edited:
reserving ice punch shifu
:Choice Band: :ss/Urshifu Rapid Strike: :Choice Band:
Urshifu-Rapid-Strike @ Choice Band
Ability: Unseen Fist
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Surging Strikes
- Close Combat
- Ice Punch
- U-turn

Overview:
Shifu has always been one of my favorite Pokemon ever since the Isle of Armor. It has an amazing design, a unique ability, a great signature move, and a wide movepool.

You were expecting this. As soon as you saw the word 'Protect', you knew.

Move Review:
  • Surging Strikes will be Surging Strikes. Just be careful not to click this against Chomp because the Rough Skin damage is big.
  • Close Combat OHKOes Melmtetal and provides a good STAB option. Protect doesn't even save Melmetal because of Unseen Fist. It also threatens to OHKO Garchomp after some chip from Stealth Rock.
  • Ice Punch OHKOes Garchomp and provides a good coverage move. However, running this over Aqua Jet does mean Urshifu loses its priority and ability to revenge kill.
  • U-Turn will be U-Turn, of course.
Calcs:
252 Atk Choice Band Urshifu-Rapid-Strike Surging Strikes (3 hits) vs. 40 HP / 0 Def Melmetal on a critical hit: 207-246 (49.1 - 58.4%) -- approx. 70.7% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Choice Band Urshifu-Rapid-Strike Close Combat vs. 40 HP / 0 Def Melmetal: 432-510 (102.6 - 121.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Choice Band Urshifu-Rapid-Strike Ice Punch vs. 40 HP / 0 Def Melmetal: 45-53 (10.6 - 12.5%) -- possibly the worst move ever
252 Atk Choice Band Urshifu-Rapid-Strike U-turn vs. 40 HP / 0 Def Melmetal: 42-50 (9.9 - 11.8%) -- possibly the worst move ever

252+ Atk Iron Fist Melmetal Double Iron Bash (2 hits) vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Urshifu-Rapid-Strike: 138-162 (40.4 - 47.5%) -- approx. 3HKO
252+ Atk Melmetal Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Urshifu-Rapid-Strike: 128-151 (37.5 - 44.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252+ Atk Iron Fist Melmetal Thunder Punch vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Urshifu-Rapid-Strike: 230-272 (67.4 - 79.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Urshifu-Rapid-Strike Surging Strikes (3 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Garchomp on a critical hit: 288-342 (80.6 - 95.7%) -- approx. 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Choice Band Urshifu-Rapid-Strike Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Garchomp: 306-361 (85.7 - 101.1%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO
252 Atk Choice Band Urshifu-Rapid-Strike Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Garchomp: 306-361 (85.7 - 101.1%) -- 50% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Choice Band Urshifu-Rapid-Strike Ice Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Garchomp: 512-604 (143.4 - 169.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252 Atk Choice Band Urshifu-Rapid-Strike U-turn vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Garchomp: 119-141 (33.3 - 39.4%) -- 18.2% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

252 Atk Garchomp Scale Shot (3 hits) vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Urshifu-Rapid-Strike: 126-147 (36.9 - 43.1%) -- approx. 3HKO
252 Atk Garchomp Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Urshifu-Rapid-Strike: 163-193 (47.8 - 56.5%) -- 86.7% chance to 2HKO
252 Atk Garchomp Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Urshifu-Rapid-Strike: 163-193 (47.8 - 56.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

252 Atk Garchomp Aqua Tail vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Urshifu-Rapid-Strike: 49-58 (14.3 - 17%) -- possible 6HKO

Notes:
  • Be careful directly switching Shifu in. Always try to bring it in safely with Teleport/U-Turn.
 
Last edited:
:ss/quagsire:
Quagsire @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Scald
- Earthquake
- Recover
- Toxic

252 Atk Garchomp Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Quagsire: 132-156 (33.5 - 39.5%) -- 17.3% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Iron Fist Melmetal Double Iron Bash (2 hits) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Quagsire: 110-132 (27.9 - 33.5%) -- approx. 95.8% chance to 4HKO after Leftovers recovery

There's just nothing either pokemon can do against physdef Quagsire, who ignores Garchomp's boosts thanks to Unaware, can burn them with Scald, and recover off the damage with Recover.
 
:dp/Slowbro: @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Scald
- Slack Off
- Future Sight
- Teleport

Slowbro walls both of the mons as it can freely switch in on melm as thunder punch never does enough and threatens garchomp with scald burns that it would not risk the 1v1 on bro
 
SD3A Kartana
:ss/kartana:
Kartana @ Leftovers :leftovers:
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Leaf Blade
- Swords Dance
- Knock Off
- Sacred Sword
Normally Kartana has to be cautious of Melmetal and Garchomp, but in this case it doesn't mind them barring that it is healthy. It outspeeds and can boost in front of both Melmetal and Garchomp, while tanking their STABs and secondaries. Its coverage lends it tools to dismantle the core with ease once set up.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 1, Guests: 0)

Top