Project OU Next Best Thing: Cycle 87 - Not hosted anymore

[Xenocide88]

Originally I was looking to make a Blissey lure, but basically because of how good Volcanion's coverage is, any of the options I looked at pretty much only helped with Blissey which was disappointing. So I decided if it's not worth luring Blissey, let's just lure and destroy everything else. I present to you:

Volcanion @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Flame Charge
- Flamethrower/Fire Blast
- Steam Eruption
- Earth Power

248 HP EVs and Volcanion's natural bulk mean you live a surprising amount of hits in the tier. This set can be used as a normal breaker albeit a bit less powered initially, can Flame Charge against more offensive teams, and has the Weakness Policy back plan to go buck wild. Incoming wall of fun and random things you can survive to proc Weakness Policy:

252+ Atk Buzzwole Earthquake/Stone Edge vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Volcanion: 216-256 (59.5 - 70.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252 SpA Choice Specs Dragapult Thunderbolt vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Volcanion: 266-314 (73.2 - 86.5%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
+1 252 Atk Dragonite Earthquake vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Volcanion: 286-338 (78.7 - 93.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Garchomp Earthquake vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Volcanion: 282-332 (77.6 - 91.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 SpA Heatran Earth Power vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Volcanion: 214-252 (58.9 - 69.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Choice Band Kartana Leaf Blade vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Volcanion: 243-286 (66.9 - 78.7%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
0 Atk Landorus-Therian Earthquake vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Volcanion: 254-302 (69.9 - 83.1%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
0 SpA Magnezone Thunderbolt vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Volcanion: 264-312 (72.7 - 85.9%) -- 75% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Melmetal Earthquake vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Volcanion: 220-260 (60.6 - 71.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
0 Atk Tyranitar Rock Blast (3 hits) vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Volcanion: 186-222 (51.2 - 61.1%) -- approx. 2HKO after sandstorm damage
252 Atk Victini Bolt Strike vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Volcanion: 204-240 (56.1 - 66.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Volcanion Earth Power vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Volcanion: 234-276 (64.4 - 76%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 SpA Zapdos Discharge vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Volcanion: 228-270 (62.8 - 74.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Zeraora Plasma Fists vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Volcanion: 254-300 (69.9 - 82.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

If there is something you may have noticed, it's how close many of these come to being KO's after rocks, which means this set absolutely needs good hazard control, and if you determine that you will need to indeed Weakness Policy sweep you need to be careful about maintaining Volcanion's HP. Screen Support facilitates much easier boosts into sweeps.

 

[Smashburn]

Oops lol

Fire Spin Volcanion

Volcanion @ Mystic Water
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Steam Eruption
- Fire Spin
- Earth Power
- Sludge Wave​

Volcanion has coverage that is nigh impossible to wall for most teams barring its most consistent answers (i.e. Blissey, Slowking, Gastrodon, etc.), however, switches that can manage the majority of its STABs are annoying and can leave it prediction reliant when attempting to make progress. Fire Spin eases some of these problems by allowing Volcanion to trap and remove a small pool of- albeit common- checks such as Toxapex and Tapu Fini, among others, with eased prediction reliance. This makes it easier to break teams, and is in some cases a game winner.

Mystic Water and a Modest Nature allow you to bluff Choice Specs Steam Eruption, making switches feel more confidence that you are choice-locked.

Reserving fire spin trapper

Snapteryx my bad, the page hadn't updated for me since the stage announcement post. Just saw this. I'll try to figure something else out, feel free to use what I have here though!

Solar Beam Volcanion

Volcanion @ Power Herb
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Steam Eruption
- Flamethrower
- Earth Power
- Solar Beam​

This set is fairly simple. Volcanion usually has trouble getting by bulky Water-types, though with Solar Beam this problem is alleviated. This is intended to specifically lure and remove SpD Swampert and Gastrodon, which are otherwise study answers to Volcanion that prevent it from ripping apart defensive cores.

 

[InvisibleWater]

Defog + 3 Attacks


Volcanion @ Heavy-Duty Boots / Shuca Berry
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Defog
- Steam Eruption
- Flamethrower
- Sludge Bomb / Earth Power

Volcanion has a good matchup against a lot of the tier's hazard setters, making it an effective user of Defog. Many of them are weak to at least one of Volcanion's STABs, and aren't particularly fond of burns, giving you plenty of predicted switches to remove hazards on.

The fourth moveslot can be customized based on your team's needs and what's expected of Volcanion. Sludge Bomb is your strongest option against most Fairy-types, most notably Clefable and Tapu Fini. In addition, a lot of potential Volcanion switch-ins don't like being Poisoned. Earth Power, meanwhile, is your strongest option against Toxapex, who is otherwise able to sit on you for all eternity.

Heavy-Duty Boots is the obvious choice for an item, since it nullifies hazard damage and Volcanion itself is weak to Stealth Rock. Shuca Berry allows you to Defog against some hazard setters more comfortably, most notably Landorus-Therian.

 

[Hatternity]

Normal Gem Explosion

Volcanion @ Normal Gem
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 108 Atk / 216 SpA / 184 Spe
Rash Nature
- Steam Eruption
- Flamethrower
- Sludge Bomb / Earth Power
- Explosion

Volcanion does an excellent job at forcing the opponents special walls (i.e., Blissey, Slowking, Gastrodon, etc.) to switch in and take a Steam Eruption/Flamethrower. They'll feel more than comfortable enough to stay in to Future Sight/Status/etc., where you can take them out with a Normal Gem boosted Explosion, clearing the path for a special sweeper. The spread is enough to guarantee KOing Slowking after Steam Eruption, and having a really good chance of doing so after flamethrower, whereas Blissey requires some average rolls - although Blissey can have a harder time recovering the health back anyways. We have enough speed to still out-speed max speed neutral nature Tyranitar.

Calcs

108 Atk Normal Gem Volcanion Explosion vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Slowking: 334-394 (84.7 - 100%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO
108 Atk Normal Gem Volcanion Explosion vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Blissey: 506-596 (70.8 - 83.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
108 Atk Normal Gem Volcanion Explosion vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Gastrodon: 380-448 (89.2 - 105.1%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO

 

[nameless90]

Toxic Volcanion

Volcanion @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Flamethrower
- Steam Eruption
- Earth Power
- Toxic

Fire + Water + Ground moves are a really good asset, but leaves you generally walled/checked by bulky Waters...but Toxic fixes this problem by putting a timer onto these threats.
Simple, linear, but effective.

 

[blooclipse]

24hr left for submissions!
i forgot to add the deadline to the submissions announcement thing so I'm just making sure everyone remembers to get their sub done.

nvm not anymore

 

[Snapteryx]

Based on the sheer amount of submissions, I don't think an extra day is too necessary tbh
holy shit i spelt necessary right first try without autocorrect

 

[blooclipse]

Based on the sheer amount of submissions, I don't think an extra day is too necessary tbh
holy shit i spelt necessary right first try without autocorrect

fair enough
i just forgot to add a deadline so I don't want anyone to miss their sub if they would have wanted to do one

 

[blooclipse]

I was forced to willingly changed my mind, voting go brr

Cycle 76 Submissions Phase is over!
Time to vote!

This Cycle's Featured Pokemon

volcano thing that can't learn eruption >:(

LO Flame Charge by GiyuForPresident
Bulky Status Spreader by Bluecliqse (yours truly)
Fire Spin Trapper by Snapteryx
Weakness Policy Flame Charge by Xenocide88
Solar Beam by Smashburn
/ Defog + 3 Attacks by InvisibleWater
Normal Gem Explosion by Hatternity
Toxic + 3 Attacks by nameless90

You must vote for 2 sets, in no particular order.
You have 48 hours to vote!
Voting ends on Monday, June 13th.

Please do not vote for your own set, and make sure to vote for 2 sets. ​

 

[blooclipse]

WP flame charge by Xenocide88
solar beam by Smashburn

 

[Snapteryx]

Weakness Policy flame charge
Solar Beam

 

[Xenocide88]

Solar Beam by Smashburn
/ Defog by InvisibleWater

 

[Giyu]

Solar Beam
Defog

 

[nameless90]

• LO Flame Charge by GiyuForPresident
• Fire Spin Trapper by Snapteryx

 

[InvisibleWater]

LO Flame Charge by GiyuForPresident
Solar Beam by Smashburn

 

[Smashburn]

Weakness Policy Flame Charge by Xenocide88
Fire Spin Trapper by Snapteryx

 

[Hatternity]

Bulky Status Spreader by Bluecliqse
Weakness Policy Flame Charge by Xenocide88

Can’t believe no one did Choice Scarf

 

[jonago]

Fire Spin Trapper by Snapteryx
Defog + 3 Attacks by InvisibleWater

 

[Firest0rm]

flame charge and solar beam
edit: WP Flame Charge not LO

 

[Xenocide88]

flame charge and solar beam

There's two flame charge sets by the way, one by myself and the other by GiyuForPresident.

 

[Firest0rm]

There's two flame charge sets by the way, one by myself and the other by GiyuForPresident.

oops, im voting for weakness policy flame charge my bad

 

[Snapteryx]

Is cycle 76 gonna be moved to next monday?

 

[Xenocide88]

Bluecliqse Has voting concluded?

 

[blooclipse]

Honestly, I don't know
I asked BT89 to do it and he's been busy so I haven't been able to confirm whether I should go through with the next cycle. I haven't been able to ask him to confirm the next mon we're doing. I think I'm just going to post later today. Thank you for reminding me lol

 

[blooclipse]

Voting is up!



The winner is…
Smashburn again with their Solar Beam Power Herb Volcanion! !

votes

LO Flame Charge: 2
Bulky Status Spreader: 1
Fire Spin Trapper: 3
Weakness Policy Flame Charge: 4
Solar Beam: 6
/ Defog + 3 Attacks: 3
Normal Gem Explosion: 0
Toxic + 3 Attacks: 0

Week 74:


Crawdaunt: The Rogue Pokemon. It has a sky-high attack stat combined with Adaptability and STAB Aqua Jet to create a fearsome wallbreaker. It even has swords dance to boost its attack to monstrous levels. It is an absolute truck of a stallbreaker that cleaves through slower teams. It can either don a Choice Band or a Life Orb (or Mystic Water) to slice its way through the opposition. It is only really held back by its middling bulk and low speed. This crawfish is actually UU by usage, but it is one of the better UU mons to use in OU. I can't wait to see what you guys come up with using Crawdaunt's less than stellar movepool!

Banned Sets
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The deadline is Sunday, June 26th at 12 PM EST​