Project OU Weekly Research | v2 hosted by Terrakion. coming soon!

[RedxThree]

Farewell and adieu, chief

Mega Sharpedo - Water / Dark
​

Strategies Used

Mega Sharpedo is a shiny new toy that falls into the ancient relic role known as the late-game cleaner. Though known for paper thin defenses, it's equally known for decent Speed and attacking stats and useful abilities in Speed Boost and Strong Jaw, combining for dangerous sweeping potential. Additionally, Water/Dark dual-STAB offers good neutral coverage in the OU metagame and its movepool complements this coverage nicely. Mega Sharpedo is best suited to wait in the wings while its counters are weakened/eliminated and bring home the win for its team.

Sets Used

I've seen a wide variety of sets for Mega Sharpedo and after testing its options extensively, I feel these are the most optimal, which will require a lot of explaining in the Sub set's case. But as far as other options, mixed Mega Sharpedo sounds really cool but I've found little reason to use it over physical, since the only benefits are better dealing with Hippo and Bisharp with Hydro Pump and dodging chip damage from defensive Lando-T and Tank Chomp with Ice Beam. Special is in a similar vein, as it only nukes MSlowbro, Cofag and Cress and receives no boosts to its moves. Physical also give you more coverage options over both sets.

Substitute

E F - E F (Sharpedo-Mega) @ Sharpedonite
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Nature: Adamant / Jolly
- Substitute
- Crunch
- Ice Fang / Poison Jab / Zen Headbutt
- Waterfall

Strong Jaw-boosted Crunch is your main STAB and is pretty spammable. The boost to Ice Fang is enough for Mega Sharpedo to OHKO Garchomp, Landorus-T, Gliscor and Breloom as well as guaranteeing an OHKO on Serperior after SR, which is preferred for cleaning late-game. Crunch's damage is similar to Ice Fang's on other Ice-weaks; chip damage on these targets can be enough to make either Poison Jab or Zen Headbutt a weak, but decent alternative to hit Azu and Clef or Keldeo, MVenusaur and MLopunny, respectively. Waterfall is preferred to hit Rock-types, Talon and Heatran, though Earthquake is worth a mention. It offers similar coverage while trading a few targets for hitting Electric-types harder, Bisharp and Klefi.

Jolly is worth a strong mention. Mega Sharpedo generally appreciates the power Adamant brings, but Jolly's speed can be pretty clutch, outspeeding ScarfChomp and everything slower at +1. This means the average Scarfer can't come in and break Sharpedo's Sub and revenge kill/cripple it with a teammate. Also since Mega Sharpedo is usually on HO teams, the goal of passive damage these teams aim for can often make Jolly a better option in the long run.

Classic Cleaner

Chiefy (Sharpedo-Mega) @ Sharpedonite
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Nature: Adamant / Jolly
- Protect
- Crunch
- Ice Fang
- Waterfall

Though it's lost a lot of its luster in this meta, the classic cleaning set can still function, though I'm not sure I'd recommend it. There's just so many ways of halting this set's sweep these days, but it is the best way to guarantee a Speed Boost if it's paramount. Zen Headbutt is decent for Keldeo and MLopunny but I wouldn't recommend the coverage moves from the Sub set too strongly either because even with an Adamant nature, the moves are so weak that you still need a Sub to beat their respective targets consistently unless they're severely weakened. I guess Hydro Pump could be of more use on this set if you desire a mixed attacker.

How I Went About Building with Mega Sharpedo

HO

Sharpedo-Mega @ Sharpedonite
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Substitute
- Crunch
- Ice Fang
- Waterfall

Klefki @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Spikes
- Thunder Wave
- Flash Cannon
- Foul Play

Landorus-T @ Lum Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Stone Edge

Talonflame @ Leftovers
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Brave Bird
- Roost
- Will-O-Wisp

Hydreigon @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Dark Pulse
- Fire Blast
- Roost

Thundurus @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 Def
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Grass Knot
- Taunt

A HO mon like Mega Sharpedo screams for hazard stacking, so I went for Klefki and Lum SD Lando as suitable HO hazard setters. I added Bulky SD Talon to threaten the tier's common priority users, Keldeo and also act as a secondary wincon. I then added LO Hydreigon as a stupid powerful wallbreaker that weakened Sharpedo's checks and counters via Dark spam. Finally, I chose Taunt Thundurus to break down bulky Waters, Hippo and stallbreak a bit.

Findings

(+)
Sharpedo definitely surprised me in many instances with its power and sweeping ability when it gets an opportunity. Crunch is very spammable and it does some neat things like OHKO Mega Latias, Excadrill, Thundurus, Raikou and Tornadus-T. Substitute definitely makes Mega Sharpedo much more usable in this meta as it covers a lot of its flaws. It's a more useful move in Mega Sharpedo's moveset in case it is forced to Mega-evolve, making it less reliant on Speed Boost. This means it can still afford to protect itself and be used as a hit and run attacker in a worst case scenario better than a Protect set can. Substitute shields Mega Sharpedo from Prankster Thunder Wave and Intimidate, two of the biggest threats to its success, and offers away around bulkier foes such as Kyurem-B and Rotom-W, priority revenge-killers such as Talonflame and Breloom and status-reliant defensive foes such as Mew, Mega Sableye and Slowbro. Though situational, Sub is also a feasible way to acquire multiple speed boosts if needed against high Speed weather sweepers without having to go for a double Protect.

(-)
Substitute does an ample job covering Mega Sharpedo's flaws, but it can't cover all of them, and the biggest one is just in the Mega's design. While Speed Boost is a great ability, its only available before Mega-evolving, essentially meaning you only have one window to boost your Speed before attempting a sweep. Its low defenses and a good, not great speed tier further heap the pressure on Mega Sharpedo to pull off a flawless setup. And this is really the only reason Protect sets have any merit because its a sure +1. Sharpedo's even worse pre-Mega defenses and base 95 Speed can also leave it outpaced and KO'd in some situations where its not safe to set up a Substitute, especially with an Adamant nature. Even successful setups can be thwarted by offensive teams that naturally carry a few ways of dealing with Mega Sharpedo, including Scarfers, Prankster and Intimidate mons, priority users and bulky threats that a given Mega Sharpedo set misses coverage on. Obviously these threats being present late in a game is dictated by game flow and match-up but it's not always possible to kill everything that threatens Mega Sharpedo before it's forced in. Match-up--while we're on the subject--is also an issue: it fairs better against offensive teams, whereas fat teams really give it trouble as I quickly found out playing on the suspect ladder. Dark resists and naturally bulky Pokemon can often prey on Mega Sharpedo's lack of power behind its coverage moves and wall it, use it as setup fodder or just outright KO it. This is even more prevalent when you don't get/lose hazards on your opponent's side of the field.

Is the Meta in Favor of Mega Sharpedo?
Overall, no it's not. It's more match-up based than Volcarona and the sheer number of things that can cut its sweep short just a lot to deal with, no matter how skilled a player you are. But I was really surprised how well it cleaned and functioned in such a fast paced meta with its flaws and is definitely niche. It does shine when it pulls it off, but it's just not necessary to run dedicated cleaners these days. The very things that threaten it the most can do a comparable clean up job without dealing with Mega Sharpedo's issues or needing a Mega Stone. This mon is really fun to use though and can be a terror if not prepared for.

 

[Infernal]

​

Overview

Nido is a cool Pokemon and a personal favorite of mine. I think it's one of the most potent lower-ranked Pokemon in OU and has several nice traits that make it stand out from other lesser used threats. The main one is its ability to pressure fatter builds well. The nature of these teams lends themselves towards the slower side, with Pokemon like Amoonguss, Skarm, Tran, Clef, and several others making frequent appearances. With Sheer Force and great coverage between EP, Sludge, IB, and Flame, Nido does a great job placing pressure on teams using the previously mentioned Pokemon. There are definitely numerous amounts of Pokemon that can threaten fatter builds just as well as Nido. However, one thing separating Nido from the pack is its ability to offensively check Clefable. This is huge if you consider how big of a threat Clef is in OU. A variety of wall breakers are neutered by Clef's Thunder Wave, and being able to switch in on that with impunity gives Nido a noteworthy niche. Lastly, Nido has the ability to soft check offensive electrics like Mega Manec, Raikou, and Thund-I "better" than other ground types like Lando-T and offensive Chomp. This is because Nido lacks a 4x weakness to ice, allowing survival from HP Ice after switching in on a predicted Volt Switch, unlike the other two.

Despite its pros, Nido isn't without flaws. It's frail and has weaknesses to several common types, including water, ice, and ground. A weakness to priority from Azu and Weavile hurts too. Because of this, getting Nido on the field can prove difficult without proper support. Additionally, its lackluster speed leaves Nido susceptible to being revenge killed by numerous dangerous threats. These include Mega Zam, Keld, Latios, and many others. These Pokemon aren't exactly easy to deal with, and once they come in, the Nido user is put on the defensive and forced to react. Although this can make Nido a liability against more offensive teams, it's not completely dead weight against these styles. This is because of its ability to check offensive electrics as stated earlier, in addition to things like non-EP Mega Diancie and Loom. Nonetheless, teams with Nido are usually built in a way that mitigates its problems. For example, Rotom-W and Torn-T are two of the best partners alongside Nido. They deal with a number of threats Nido struggles with and also provide free switch in opportunities with Volt Switch and U-turn, respectively. Considering how well Nido exploits common switch-ins to Rotom-W's Volt Switch, such as Clef, Ferro, and Amoonguss, this assistance is very noteworthy.

Nido has other tools like SR and TS at its disposal, but isn't really a Pokemon that can afford wasting time setting up hazards over dishing damage. This role is better left to bulkier ground types and general hazard setters. Physical options like Poison Jab and Superpower are also on the list of things Nido can experiment with. However, they aren't too effective overall and Nido is usually better off running an all-special set with the classic Earth Power / Sludge Wave / Ice Beam / Flamethrower coverage.

Building

When building with Nido, one of the most important things to consider is how you will get it on the field. As mentioned earlier, this is why pivots like Rotom-W and Torn-T pair excellently. Instead of sharing a team of my own, I am going to take a different approach this time and show 2 replays where Nido is used in high level play: SPL. The teams Nido was used on in this tournament are good examples of the support it appreciates.

Replay #1 - The team using Nido here has some classic ways of supporting it. For example, Lando-T and Jirachi are both packing U-turn. If you consider their tendency to draw in Pokemon Nido can threaten heavily, such as Skarm and Tran, it's easy to see how U-turn support is beneficial here to provide key switch in opportunities. Tar is another cool partner to consider with Nido to trap annoying things like Mega Latias and Latios. I like how this replay showcases Nidoking vs. Clef balance, as these are the builds Nido shines most against. Nido was able to place a good deal of pressure on the opposing team when brought in, demonstrating how hard it can be to switch into at times.

Replay #2 - This one showcases Nido paired with Rotom-W and Torn-T as discussed earlier. Mega Sciz is also seen here with U-turn, adding another way to bring Nidoking in for free on common switch ins to the bug, like Tran, Skarm, and defensive Lando-T. I don't know if the Mega Sciz here had Pursuit, but it's a cool option to use with Nido to eliminate things like Latios and Mega Zam. In this match, nothing could switch in too reliably on Nido, further showing how difficult Nido can be to respond to when it's in. Although it didn't put in as much work as you may think after watching, it did something very important in eliminating Jirachi, paving the way for Latios to clean up later on.

Conclusion

Thumbs up! Nido is definitely an interesting Pokemon to use in OU. Although faced with competition from faster, bulkier, and more powerful wall breakers, it has a couple of things going for it that make it worth giving a try. It has its flaws, but if you build in such a way as to mitigate them and maximize its strengths, you may find yourself being impressed with Nido's performance.

 

[blank]

posting phase is over !

the posts being added to the archive are this post on nidoking by Infernal, this post on mega sharpedo by StarBomber109, and this post on mew by BrandonBeast.

thanks p2 for helping me decide on the posts to archive. remember: the archived posts are simply the posts that best summarize the pokemon for future reference. not every post needs to summarize the pokemon; some people may just want to center their posts around one aspect, and that's totally okay. you don't need to follow the guidelines perfectly to post here; they're just there to guide you a bit if you're unsure of what to post.

~​

week #12

scolipede | mega slowbro | zygarde
​

REMEMBER: you simply pick 1 one of these 3 (or 2 / 3 of them if you want :p) and post here saying which one you're taking. also, you can use any set you want!

the discussion period will start on 4/8 (at night in EST); those of you who want to participate have between now and then to play around with one of these pokemon.

enjoy :3c

 

[ethanlol]

slowbro is so good tbh

 

[Cheryl.]

Man I love all of those Pokes ;-;, I'll choose my boy Zygarde though

 

[StarBomber109]

I love scoilopede! I'll pick that one.

 

[flowsociety]

zygardes just a worse garchomp.. ill pick scolipede

 

[urban]

I'll derp around with bad garchomp some for you starry blanket

 

[Dr Ciel]

Yes, I'll take The Human Scolipede please..

 

[Reverend]

I'll take my boy Zygarde. I was convinced it was the best pokemon in the game like the week after X and Y came out because sub Coil was BrOkEn.

 

[Ramses]

zygarde is awesome

 

[BlueLobster]

Scolipede

 

[heritage]

Y'know, I have some free time this weekend, I'll do Slowbro :)

 

[SaberSeven]

I'll be doing Zygarde for this project.

 

[blank]

so i decided that from now on, i'm gonna start the posting period on thursdays instead of fridays. i originally had it set up so people would research (battle, build, etc.) during the week and then post on the weekends, but that doesn't really make sense when you can still do all that stuff during the posting period. lengthening the posting period makes it easier for those who don't necessarily need to full-on research the pokemon to post while still giving the same amount of time to research the pokemon for the less experienced (with that pokemon). i might change it to be from friday to tuesday instead of from thursday to monday, as mondays tend to be a bit more hectic :p

anyways, closing this now. if you didn't sign up you can still post ofc n_n

ethanlol BrandonBeast StarBomber109 flowsociety theurbandear Dr Ciel Reverend -Magic- s0me1 b0red Recreant Dallasboi1992
​

thanks everyone that signed up! you guys have between now and monday (4/11) night EST to write up your posts about whichever pokemon you took (scolipede / mega slowbro / zygarde). as a reminder:

If you take a test subject, it is expected that you'll post. Your posts don't need to be super lengthy & detailed, but they shouldn't be super short and simple. I'm not gonna put some arbitrary regulation on how many sentences you should have, but you should have at least a small paragraph.

and as a reminder to those unsure of what to post:

Things you can post include (but are not limited to):

• strategies used
• how you went about building with this Pokemon
• general strengths / weaknesses you noticed about the Pokemon
• if the meta is in favor of the Pokemon or not
• sets you used with the Pokemon

remember: you aren't limited to these guidelines; they're just here to help in case you aren't sure what to post. if you'd prefer to focus on 1 specific aspect of the pokemon you selected rather than a broad overview, that's totally okay! if you're still lost, try checking out this post by Infernal.

if you didn't sign up but you'd like to post, feel free to do so, but just don't post if you haven't used the pokemon in awhile / at all. also, if you signed up, but you cannot find the time to post, don't worry about it! just please don't do it regularly :x

feel free to give feedback on the changes to scheduling, and happy posting everyone !_!

 

[Dr Ciel]

Scolipede - The Megapede Pokemon
​

• strategies used

While looking at Scolipede, one would notice two things right off the bat. The first is Speed Boost, which allows it to out-speed the majority of the meta after just one or two boosts, which can make it very threatening. Secondly, Scolipede gets both Spikes & Toxic Spikes, while also having access to Endeavor. These combintion of moves allow Scolipede to be one of the best hazard stackers for offensive teams in the meta, & it can wear down the opponent with either regular Spikes, or Toxic Spikes, depending on which Spikes affect them the most. Despites all these positives, Scolipede has many downsides to it as well. Outside of it's fantastic speed, Scolipede has mediocre stats at best. In addition, its easily worn down by hazards and residual damage & if it loses its item, its effectiveness goes down drastically. Its fraility lets it down as well, as even neutral hits will do tons of damage to it.

• how you went about building with this Pokemon

Once again, when looking at Scolipede, its stats clearly indicate that it belongs on full out Hyper Offense teams. Scolipede's partners fall into two categories. Those who can remove Magic Bouncers and those who can deter the opponent from using Defog, making all of Scolipede's hard work useless. Partners to deal with Mega Sableye include offensive Fairy types, most notably Mega Gardevoir, which can eviscreate it with Hyper Voice, while Talonflame can set up Bulk Ups in Mega Sableye's face with little to no effort. Partners to take care of Mega Diancie include Scizor & Metagross, which can OHKO it with their STAB moves. As for partners that deter the opponent from removing hazards, Bisharp and Thundurus can make use of Defiant extremely well as both can switch into a Defog and do heavy damage with their powerful STAB moves. Finally, Gengar can't directly switch in on the two common spinners in OU, but it can deter them from using Rapid Spin.

• general strengths / weaknesses you noticed about the Pokemon

As I said inthe first bullet point, one of Scolipedes main selling points is its Ability, Speed Boost, which allows it to become so much more threatening & allows it to stack hazards relatively well. Another strength that Scolipede has it its ability to set both regular Spikes and Toxic Spikes depending on the opponent's team. These moves, while also having Endeavor, allows Scolipede to perform its role as a lead for spike stacking HO teams perfectly. Unfortunately, outside of its amazing speed, the rest of its stats are etremely mediocre. It's also worn down relatively fast as it's quite vulnerable to all formes of residual damage.

• if the meta is in favor of the Pokemon or not

I think so, yes. Hyper Offense is one of the top playstyles right now & hazard stacking HO is somewhat common.

• sets you used with the Pokemon

Scolipede @ Focus Sash
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Spikes
- Toxic Spikes
- Endeavor
- Megahorn

Anyway, 2k shout-outs below.

Snobalt, Creator of Chaos, Recreant, FrozenCold, Ransei, Sobi

Plus a bunch of other people I'm too lazy to tag. Just pretend you all have nice words next to your names.

 

[SaberSeven]

With Zygarde, I did a little bit of testing around with a couple of sets. First off, I worked with the Parashuffler set.

• how you went about building with this Pokemon

When looking at the Parashuffler set, I took a glance at some of the partners this Zygarde set had. Some partners included a Heatran for Rocks and Clefable to help deal with levitating electrics. What do they have in common? They cause status. What did I do? I paired them up with the Hex Gengar set. Objective of the team was to spread as much status as possible for Gengar to pick off the weakened opponents. I had SubCM Raikou as a partner as it handled the flying types that Zygarde had problems with flying types such as Talonflame or Thundurus-I. Keldeo rounded out the team as something to handle Mega Lopunny & Weavile (but Clef could have done that itself) and as a scarfer. Unfortunately, the team didn't turn out as successful as I would have liked. I probably could have had some better partners for the team, but I did get a battle where the team did its job.

http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/oususpecttest-354971081

• general strengths / weaknesses you noticed about the Pokemon

Zygarde's immense physical bulk helps buffer attacks from mons such as Landorus-T and Mega Scizor. Glaring one of Zygarde's checks while it's behind a substitute is also a great boon. However, this Zygarde set is rather outclassed by both Garchomp and Landorus-T with their ability to set up Rocks and better movepools. Glare is a great niche for Zygarde to have, but it foregos the ability to Coil (we'll get to that later) and an unboosted Earthquake with an uninvested base 100 attack doesn't quite cut it.

• if the meta is in favor of the Pokemon or not

Sadly, the meta is way too offensive for the Parashuffler Zygarde to be completely successful. While speed control is great, Zygarde doesn't get too much of an opportunity to make it work.

• sets you used with the Pokemon

Zygarde @ Leftovers
Ability: Aura Break
EVs: 200 HP / 252 Def / 56 Spe
Impish Nature
- Glare
- Earthquake
- Dragon Tail
- Substitute

The other set I used with Zygarde was the Sub-Coil set

• how you went about building with this Pokemon

With this Zygarde set, I opted to go for a more offensive approach using Bisharp and Azumarill as offensive partners for how well they deal with some of this Zygarde's set's checks. Mega Lopunny paired up very nicely with what I had going on with Zygarde's partners, then I added Heatran once again for some Stealth Rock support and Serperior to help out with my Slowbro weakness.

• general strengths / weaknesses you noticed about the Pokemon

Unlike the Parashuffler Zygarde set, this set packs in a little bit more extra umph with the ability to boost not only its attacking stats, but its defense and accuracy as well. In this tour game that I had, Zygarde had an early game shuffle going on in its favor heavily hindering Landorus-T and Mega Beedrill (and haxing the living daylights out of his Tornadus-T).

http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-355011502

• if the meta is in favor of the Pokemon or not

The meta is more in favor with this Zygarde set than the parashuffler. This Zygarde has the ability to do some damage to bulkier teams that could see a rise depending on how the Hoopa-U suspect test goes. Still, the meta is a bit too fast for this Zygarde to completely thrive in, but the future looks bright.

• sets you used with the Pokemon

Zygarde @ Leftovers
Ability: Aura Break
EVs: 200 HP / 252 SpD / 56 Spe
Careful Nature
- Substitute
- Coil
- Earthquake
- Dragon Tail

 

[Ramses]

Zygarde

Overview

Zygarde is a cool Pokemon and a personal favorite of mine. I honestly believe it's quite possibly the most potent of the lower ranked Pokemon in OU and for good reason. It fits on a variety of teams, but it fits the best on bulky offense as it offers itself as a semi-reliable check to things like Mega Charizard Y and Talonflame without Will-O-Wisp. Zygarde has numerous positive traits that put it several notches above other others. The main draw of Zygarde is how well it's Dragon Dance applies pressure to common offensive teams. The frequent nature of these teams often use things like Mega Lopunny, Heatran, Jirachi, and numerous others which all fall prey to Zygarde with its impressive overall bulk, above average power, and access to the coveted Extreme Speed. With such bulk, it can often secure multiple boosts and sweep very efficiently.

If you're wondering why you should use this over any other Dragon Dancer, Zygarde can't be paralyzed from Thunder Wave. This is huge, as most teams rely on "emergency checking" most Dragon Dancers with Thunder Wave, especially on the aforementioned offensive builds I touched on with Klefki, Thundurus, and other Thunder Wave users. This gives it the capacity to run Life Orb with little to no drawback, except for retracting it's bulk. It could also use Lum Berry effectively as the second most common form of status, Burn, is often used to end it's sweep early. Many teams just aren't prepared to stomach a fast +1 Life Orb Earthquake followed by relatively powerful Extreme Speeds, which gives it a nice degree of surprise factor from the power behind it's attacks. A prime example is Weavile, whose Ice Shard is "outsped" by Extreme Speed and KO'ed after Stealth Rock. Zygarde also has access to Coil, which could make it a defensive behemoth, but it's generally lackluster in today's metagame as the slower and more passive route of setting up leaves it liable to be picked off before it can even get going, but it can dismantle a large amount of common balance builds. The obsolete Parashuffler set is also very lackluster for similar reasons as the Coil set, except there are better ways to use Zygarde aside from being a mediocre spreader of paralysis.

Zygarde isn't without any flaws however, although they are minimal. The first of which is its ability, Aura Break, which reverses the effect of Fairy and Dark Aura, two abilities exclusive to Xerneas and Yveltal respectively, who are both in Ubers. So it's ability has no use whatsoever in OU, leaving it relying solely upon itself rather the passive support most abilities provide such as Tough Claws or Mold Breaker. The second is that it finds itself weak to common types of Ice, Dragon, and Fairy which often troubles it when setting up. It's speed tier is also not up to snuff in today's metagame. Base 95 is by no means terrible, but it leaves it outran by faster threats such as Mega Medicham, Latios, and Keldeo. However most of these threats are severely weakened through boosted Extreme Speed. Zygarde is also hopelessly walled by Skarmory and it struggles to break past the likes of Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn, unless it has already boosted and in that case it easily overwhelms the latter two if it is equipped with a Life Orb.

It's movepool is quite lacking as it only has a few viable options such as Outrage, Stone Edge, and obviously Earthquake and Extreme Speed, Crunch is an option as well since it hits things like Latios, Talonflame, and Gengar for solid damage when boosted instead of locking itself into Outrage. Finally and most commonly, Zygarde is often compared to Garchomp and deemed as an "inferior Garchomp", but this is just not the case. Zygarde functions as a capable sweeper and cleaner with Dragon Dance, while Garchomp instead functions as a wallbreaker with Swords Dance. This gives them some similar checks, but the way they're handled are completely different depending upon the defending check. So Zygarde is usually built with teammates that support its ultimate goal of sweeping or cleaning up what's left. I posted a core "here" a while back which is an excellent representation of trying to reach said goal through the support of a powerful wallbreaker. Another tactic is specifically removing what troubles it, usually through Magnezone trapping those pesky Steel-types, and use Zygarde early on to pressure the opposition for another sweeper to get through later.​

Despite the "colorful" options Zygarde has its best Dragon Dance set consists of Dragon Dance / Extreme Speed / Earthquake / and usually in the final slot Outrage, but it can be tailored to your team's needs whether it be Crunch, Stone Edge, or even Superpower to lure Ferrothorn.

Building

sets

Zygarde @ Life Orb
Ability: Aura Break
EVs: 8 HP / 248 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- Extreme Speed
- Dragon Dance

Jirachi @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Soe
Jolly Nature
- Iron Head
- U-Turn
- Heart Stamp
- Healing Wish

Landorus-T @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 240 HP / 232 Def / 38 SpD
Impish Nature
- Swords Dance
- Smack Down
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock

Gyarados @ Gyaradosite
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Waterfall
- Crunch
- Substitute
- Dragon Dance

Manaphy @ Leftovers
Ability: Hydration
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Tail Glow
- Rain Dance
- Scald
- Psychic

Bisharp @ Life Orb
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Naughty Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
- Knock Off
- Grass Knot

If you haven't noticed this is a variation of a team made by GH[O]ST in his RMT. The main difference is the use of TG + RD Manaphy to efficiently break Stall, Defensive SD Landorus-T instead of Offensive Garchomp, Grass Knot Bisharp, U-Turn Jirachi, and Life Orb Zygarde. Two influential members to Zygarde's success are Bisharp and Jirachi Quagsire is usually a hard stop to Zygarde, however Outrage has a small chance of 2HKOing it. So Grass Knot Bisharp lures in Quagsire and severely weakens it or even remove it from play. U-Turn Jirachi helps Zygarde get into play. Despite its bulk it despises being worn down and Life Orb recoil and inevitably Hazards are going to wear it down fairly quickly. However Healing Wish is an awesome boon for Zygarde, as it allows you to play more recklessly with it and other teammates early on to wear down the opposition. The overall goal of the team is for either Zygarde or Gyarados to lead early on and maintain the offensive pressure advantage and wear down their shared check so one or the other can initiate a clean. Jirachi, Landorus-T, Manaphy, and Bisharp all support this goal by the specific jobs they do for the team in Manaphy's case break down Stall teams and Landorus-T to work as a supplementing Attack and defensive pivot. FYI: I've created my own team, I'm just not ready to share it just yet :p

Conclusion
Zygarde has a decent standing in the metagame, the only downfall being the prevalence of Defensive Landorus-T and Steel-types not heavily affected by Earthquake such as the aforementioned Mega Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Skarmory. Fairy-types such as Mega Diancie, Azumarill, and Clefable also being omnipresent hurt it's viability just a bit. Despite that it has a relatively solid standing with the popularization of heavily offense, as well as bulky offense that usually runs the core of Tornadus-T + Rotom-W becoming more common, it is becoming more of a threat. It's also worth noting that the Defensive Landorus-T popularization isn't exactly that bad, as it's usually overloaded fairly quickly with what it's usually forced to check on common Zygarde teams, for example with the combined prowess of Smack Down Landorus-T, Jirachi, Bisharp, and Zygarde Landorus-T gets worn down very fast leaving it helpless to a +1 Outrage from Zygarde when it reaches ~50%. The decline of fast Electric-types such as Mega Manectric and Raikou also amp up it's viability as the less of these there are, the easier it is for it to setup and start wreaking havoc. So all in all, Zygarde has had a slow start, but it may just become a very legitimate threat yet.

 

[BlueLobster]

Well, I've been using the following Scolipede set, and the results have been reasonable.

Scolipede @ Focus Sash
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Spikes
- Toxic Spikes
- Baton Pass
- Megahorn

My idea was that I could pass the speed boosts got while laying spikes to another poke (good recipients are varied, including Hoopa-U, Kyu-B), for which I paired it with Manaphy. It was rare I achieved a full sweep like this as I originally intended, but in fact passing boosts to other bulky offensive mons (such as Offensive tran, E-Plate Lando-T, Bisharp and even fast pokes like Latios) could be very useful, and in fact that Scoli became my lead less and less as I climed the ladder, with my intention being to bounce back rocks with MDiancie, or overload the lead so that rocks don't get up, and have Scoli revenge kill with Megahorn and pass a speed boost to a check to whatever my opp brought in to kill Scoli. In games V fatter teams, I tended to use Scoli to get up a layer of spikes/TSpikes on something that couldn't damage it, and BP out after they switched. MDiancie is a problem for Scoli, and would often lead when they see Scoli in team preview, so I mitigated this by leading with Balloon Tran w/ Flash Cannon, who could kill MDiancie without fearing any move, or Manaphy, who has a lot more prediction involved but often successfully forces it out.
The meta is in a good state for Scoli, with many offensive hazard removers fearing megahorn from it and hazard setters such as TTar also lose to it. While playing with it I did notice that, while in principle it is a lead, it can also be useful mid/late game to revenge and get a quick BP off to turn the game in your favour, which was the times I was more likely to pass to Manaphy to clear a weakened team. I conclude my post by conceding that my favourite part of playing with Scolipede was sweeping noobs who let me pass to and set up with Manaphy and 6-0 ing them :p

 

[Cheryl.]

- Triggered

• strategies used

Zygarde's always been a personal favorite of mine since his inception in XY. Sadly, he's been shunned in favor of the faster and more versatile Garchomp, but Zygarde actually has notable niches over Garchomp, like Dragon Dance, Coil, and Extreme Speed. He fits well on bulky offensive and balanced teams that appreciate his power as a win condition but also can use his surprising bulk to advantage as well. While he does have unfortunate weaknesses to Fairy and Ice, and can be walled by some things, Zygarde is a potent underrated threat in the current meta that deserves more exposure.

• how you went about building with this Pokemon

While I prefer DD Zygarde as a set, I decided to build around the SubCoil set this time, as it's able to screw over defensive and balanced teams due to it's ability to set up on a variety of defensive mons, and is a monster with hazards up. I added Scarf Jirachi as a partner due to it's ability to threaten offense and provide a Fairy and Ice check as well, and Healing Wish is awesome as well. I wanted a check to bulky Ground-types, and a proper Weavile check was due as well, so I went with Keldeo as it can wallbreak teams for Zygarde to clean up late-game. SubCoil Zygarde works well with hazard support, and I wanted a good Talonflame check and another Fairy check, so Heatran was added to the team. I noticed the team had a big weakness to offensive Electric types and Fighting types, so I added Mega Venusaur to help check a variety of threats, like Water types, Electric types, Fighting types, etc. Since my Talonflame check was a Heatran, I decided to add an offensive Electric type of my own to help combat this threat, so I chose SubCM Raikou as another win condition and a Talonflame check, and as another Electric check. Overall, it's not the best build with SubCoil Zygarde, but it works.

• general strengths / weaknesses you noticed about the Pokemon

Zygarde has really neat bulk, which lets it set up easier than other Pokemon, and it's pretty damn powerful as well, so it's not passive before setup as well. Sadly, Zygarde really wants set-up moves to unleash it's potential, as it's not really all that strong before set-up compared to other Pokemon like Mamoswine. It also has weaknesses to common types like Fairy and Ice, and it's walled by some mons like Skarmory even after set-up.

• if the meta is in favor of the Pokemon or not

I think the meta's in favor of Zygarde, as it does well with the bulkier builds that are more common nowadays because of the Hoopa-U suspect. DD sets also break offense beautifully as well if it sets up, and it has many opportunities to set up, especially because of the popularity of stuff like Choiced Tyranitar and Terrakion, giving Zygarde easy set-up if they're locked into Stone Edge. Sadly, it's typing weaknesses still come into play, and it still faces competition from other Dragons like Dragonite and other Ground-types like Garchomp. But overall, it's unique attributes make it a good and underrated choice in this meta.

• sets you used with the Pokemon

Sets

Zygarde @ Life Orb / Lum Berry
Ability: Aura Break
EVs: 8 HP / 248 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- Extreme Speed

Zygarde's Dragon Dance set, able to find set-up opportunities and destroy offense with Zygarde's amazing power and Dual STABs, and bypassing Talonflame's Brave Bird with ESpeed and picking off weakened mons in general.

Zygarde @ Leftovers
Ability: Aura Break
EVs: 200 HP / 252 SpD / 56 Spe
Careful Nature
- Substitute
- Coil
- Dragon Tail
- Earthquake

SubCoil, making defensive archetypes keel over in the face of the mighty Zygarde, setting up Coils on those defensive mons and phazing out Skarmory before it can phaze Zygarde out. Pair this with hazards and you got a really good balance and stallbreaker.

The Team I Used:

Import

Zygarde @ Leftovers
Ability: Aura Break
EVs: 200 HP / 252 SpD / 56 Spe
Careful Nature
- Substitute
- Coil
- Dragon Tail
- Earthquake

Jirachi @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Iron Head
- Heart Stamp
- U-turn
- Healing Wish

Keldeo @ Choice Specs
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Scald
- Hydro Pump
- Secret Sword
- Hidden Power [Electric]

Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Magma Storm
- Earth Power
- Ancient Power

Venusaur-Mega @ Venusaurite
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 232 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 20 Spe
Modest Nature
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Synthesis

Raikou @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Calm Mind
- Substitute
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]

 

[AM]

Zygarde

I made a team for all of us to give thanks to m00ns for her efforts.

Team

DenseStarry (Steelix-Mega) (F) @ Steelixite
Ability: Sturdy
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 16 Def / 236 SpD / 8 Spe
Impish Nature
- Heavy Slam
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Stealth Rock

FatStarry (Chansey) @ Eviolite
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 72 HP / 252 Def / 184 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Seismic Toss
- Thunder Wave
- Soft-Boiled
- Wish

ShadyStarry (Sableye) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
- Knock Off
- Will-O-Wisp
- Recover
- Taunt

CreepyStarry (Togekiss) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 208 Def / 52 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Air Slash
- Heal Bell
- Roost
- Defog

DerpStarry (Quagsire) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 8 SpD / 8 Spe
Relaxed Nature
- Scald
- Earthquake
- Recover
- Toxic

DemiseOfStarry (Zygarde) @ Leftovers
Ability: Aura Break
EVs: 252 HP / 200 SpD / 56 Spe
Careful Nature
- Dragon Tail
- Earthquake
- Substitute
- Coil

The goal of the team is to be aesthetically pleasing to starry blanket. It's very fat and uses Subcoil Zygarde to be annoying. I named each of them based on m00ns variations of personalities, which has all been portrayed at one point or another during our times where she would attempt to fight King OU. m00ns love for the team can be found here.

[22:41:18] #AM: ★starry: i'm gonna rage quit i already know it
[22:42:16] #AM: starry forfeited.

 

[StarBomber109]

Before I begin, I would like to point out that I'm not very high up on the suspect ladder, and I've run into some weird teams but anyway, lets talk about...

Scolipede

He just wants to baton pass...

read more

What does he do?

Scolipede is a fast poison bug with speed boost and a decent attack but mediocre stats otherwise. He functions either as a lead/support or as a super quick attacker. He actually has quite a number of options but his low stats and a little bit of rules keep him from being OP.

Strengths
+Speed Boost: People have mentioned it, and I've mentioned it, this ability is really powerful. It's part of (but not the only) reason baton pass clause exists, as once your boosts are in place you become very hard to stop. The power to turn a slow pokemon into a fast one should not be underestimated. As well as, for sweeping sets, the longer you're in the harder you become to stop as the only priority Scoli is weak to is brave bird from talonflame.

+Spikes: Though, I guess he also has toxic spikes, which is ok. Spikes fits with his kit a little better since even one layer can really help out offensive teams. Given his speed he's sure to get one layer off at least against most teams, and due to his decent attack it makes him one of the best offensive spikers in the game at the moment...not like 'offensive spiker' is a sought after role, but it's something.

+Megahorn and Poison Jab: Though scolipede's attack stat is noting special, his STAB moves hit hard enough that they're worth mentioning, especially the 120 base power megahorn. These two moves also scare some prominent OU threats like Lati@s and clefable.

Weaknesses
-Poor Defenses: Like many fast mons, he's frail, and is vulnerable to choice scarf pokemon before speed boosts.

-Stealth Rock: While Bug does grant him some sweet resists, he is weak to rock.

-Slightly outdated: during BW this guy was actually one of the better BP abusers. Since we can't abuse BP as much anymore he's lost one of the roles he was best suited for.

-mediocre stat line: Overall his stats are very uninspiring except for speed.

Strategy

Largely it depends on what you want Scolipede to do, but scolipede fits best onto offense teams as they make the most use of all his talents. Mostly you'll want him to come out ASAP or at the very end, when all his counters are gone. There are 3 primary ways to use Scolipede, either as a cleaner/sweeper, a spiker/support, or a baton passer. Each one will have a pretty similar team built around it but keep in mind that he's frail, and while fast, is not the fastest. If he's in against a pokemon that either outruns him or threatens him he should run.

Sets Used

Spikes

Set

Scolipede @ Black Sludge
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Spikes
- Poison Jab
- Megahorn
- Toxic

This is probably the most useful way to use Scolipede. He hits decently hard and can throw out spikes when he's not threatened. I figured actually throwing out toxic would be more useful than toxic spikes but ymmv. Poison Jab and Megahorn hit the hardest out of all his moves, though it does leave him with some terrible lead matchups like VS Lando-T or Ferrothorn. Black Sludge improves his lifespan but focus sash is another option for a suicide type lead. Just get in, setup spikes, and if it's weak to your STAB moves jab it in the face.

Offensive

Set

Scolipede @ Black Sludge
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Substitute
- Swords Dance
- Megahorn
- Poison Jab

This set is only really good against offensive teams. Against Balance or Stall he can't do much as he lacks real power. Also the choice between "sub or coverage?" was hard for me. Most of the things you'd want to hit with a coverage move won't be OHKO'd by it if it's full on defensive. Still, he can sweep unprepared or weakened teams, just make sure you get rid of SR before sending him in as he could get KO'd by Sucker Punch or Bullet Punch. Also lacks the tools to really deal with steel types so you'll have to take care of that as well.

Baton Pass

Set

Scolipede @ Black Sludge
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Substitute
- Baton Pass
- Megahorn
- Poison Jab

I found this set to be surprisingly effective. Max HP is used to give him the biggest Sub possible, while I picked an Adamant nature because I didn't really think any of his other stats were worth investing in and I wanted him to hit slightly harder. There's no math behind this set, but it worked. Passing off +2 speed and a sub to anything can be really hard to stop. Megahorn and Poison Jab still hit pretty hard, and are capable enough moves.

Teambuilding with Scolipede

Your team will depend a little bit on which scolipede set you're using, but it will share some common factors. Generally, you'll want either rapid spin or defog, and rapid spin is really preferred for the spikes set as you wont erase scoli's hard work. Stealth Rocks of your own is a great help too, Lando-T garchomp and Ferrothorn all work well with scolipede as they can lure in things he can setup on. You'll need a solid bird-check as talonflame can really shut down Scolipede. Meanwhile, you'll want some priority of your own for some speed control, and to combat your opponent's priority abusers. Also, a big counter to Scolipede or fast teams in general is Trick Room, so having some priority to fall back on is never a bad idea.

I've got two teams I felt were decent.

HO spikes support

Scolipede @ Black Sludge
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Spikes
- Poison Jab
- Megahorn
- Toxic

Ferrothorn @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Leech Seed
- Stealth Rock
- Gyro Ball
- Power Whip

Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Toxic
- Lava Plume
- Earth Power
- Taunt

Starmie @ Life Orb
Ability: Analytic
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Recover
- Rapid Spin

Espeon @ Light Clay
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Light Screen
- Reflect
- Psyshock
- Dazzling Gleam

Charizard-Mega-X @ Charizardite X
Ability: Tough Claws
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Earthquake
- Dragon Claw
- Flare Blitz

Maybe a bit more on the balanced end of the spectrum, this team was the first one I tried and it performed decently well. Heatran serves as a bird-check while also checking some dangerous special attackers like Lati and clef. Ferrothorn puts up SR and is a better matchup vs Lando-T and Garchomp than Scoli is. Espeon is able to bounce back opponent's hazards and is also able to setup screens which helps out the more frail members of the team. LO analytic starmie is one of my favorite sets as it can hit so hard but still has good utility.

http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/oususpecttest-355948720 <-A replay that maybe emphasises the power of Zard-X more than anything else.

bp team

Scolipede @ Black Sludge
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Substitute
- Baton Pass
- Megahorn
- Poison Jab

Breloom @ Leftovers
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Mach Punch
- Rock Tomb
- Spore
- Swords Dance

Tyranitar @ Chople Berry
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stone Edge
- Fire Punch
- Crunch
- Earthquake

Keldeo @ Choice Specs
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Scald
- Secret Sword
- Icy Wind
- Hidden Power [Electric]

Landorus-Therian (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- U-turn
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Toxic

Latias (F) @ Latiasite
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 28 HP / 228 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Dragon Pulse
- Defog
- Psyshock
- Roost

This was probably the most fun to use team that I built. The team is setup so that any member can benefit from the BP of speed. Keldeo is the real unexpected star here as it's quite hard to stop, if I can get rid of their fighting resist I can sometimes just sweep with secret sword. It's spooky how effective it is.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/oususpecttest-356167127
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/oususpecttest-356169544
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/oususpecttest-356173939

The Meta
It's not all bad news for Scolipede. He can be a solid support, and he's relatively unknown in OU. He has that surprise factor going for him as sometimes people won't know what to do against him. He also wrecks Dark-spam, the only thing is Bisharp is hard for him. Sadly, he struggles against defensive teams as he can't do anything to ferrothorn or skarmory. He also has some really bad matchups against Lando-T, Klefki, Garchomp, and Heatran. Despite these matchups I think OU right now is frail enough that it favors a fast speed-booster like Scolipede, at least if you're planing to build a team that could use any of the roles he provides. If your team needs spikes, consider Scolipede. He has some advantages, and the metagame could be in his favor of offense continues to dominate.

 

[blank]

sadly no mega bro posts ;~;. if someone wants to post one, feel free to do so, and i'll toss it in archive (if there are multiple somehow, i'll pick the best one ofc) n_n.

the posts being added to archive are this post on scolipede by Dr Ciel, and this post on zygarde by -Magic-. also, i'm gonna be including Dallasboi1992's post on zygarde as it mentions a more defensive zygarde set, and it's nice to see variation o:

thanks Infernal and Nedor for helping me decide on the posts to archive. remember: the archived posts are simply the posts that best summarize the pokemon for future reference. not every post needs to summarize the pokemon; some people may just want to center their posts around one aspect, and that's totally okay. you don't need to follow the guidelines perfectly to post here; they're just there to guide you a bit if you're unsure of what to post.

~​

week #13

scizor | mega sceptile| zapdos
note: this is non-mega scizor only!
​

REMEMBER: you simply pick 1 one of these 3 (or 2 / 3 of them if you want :p) and post here saying which one you're taking. also, you can use any set you want!

the discussion period will start on 4/14 (at night in EST); those of you who want to participate have between now and then to play around with these pokemon.

enjoy :D

 

[Eclipse]

YES, one of my faves, taking Zapdos! n_n

And might also write about Sceptile too since I've been playing around with it also recently because screw Rotom

 

[Cheryl.]

I'll do Scizor