SPOILERS! Pokemon Sword and Shield Datamine Thread

[Kadabrium]

is f.e.a.r usable/ viable in max raids? otmh swinub and cottonee are among thepotential users that didnt get restru'ed

 

[Siggu]

Out of curiosity, is there any datamine of the Pokédex/Pokémon Center sprites, like there was in Sun and Moon?

 

[Obstagod]

How are people feeling about Gorilla Tactics vs. Zen Mode on G-Darm? The former basically lets it stack Choice items which is GREAT, yet I'm also drawn towards the latter for the ridiculous sweeping potential and Fire-type STAB. Really excited to see how it synergizes with other Gen 8 mons.

 

[Yung Dramps]

So correct me if I'm wrong, but these are basically the current metagame-favorite new mons this gen.

Zacian, Zamazenta, Eternatus, G-Darmanitan, Cinderace, Rillaboom, Dragapult, Polteageist and Corviknight.

Did I miss anyone or added someone who doesn't belong?

Pretty accurate I'd say! Only issue is that it seems like starter HAs won't be available off the bat, so knock off Cinderace and Rillaboom for now. Meanwhile I've seen some hype for Appletun, Cursola/Galarian Corsola and Grimmsnarl.

How are people feeling about Gorilla Tactics vs. Zen Mode on G-Darm? The former basically lets it stack Choice items which is GREAT, yet I'm also drawn towards the latter for the ridiculous sweeping potential and Fire-type STAB. Really excited to see how it synergizes with other Gen 8 mons.

Gorilla Tactics is certainly the more reliable option. Haven't really seen Zen Mode being used.

 

[VCrakeV]

How are people feeling about Gorilla Tactics vs. Zen Mode on G-Darm? The former basically lets it stack Choice items which is GREAT, yet I'm also drawn towards the latter for the ridiculous sweeping potential and Fire-type STAB. Really excited to see how it synergizes with other Gen 8 mons.

Zen mode requires you to be weakened below half health, which is hard with a bad defensive typing and low defenses. You'd probably need sash and heavy hazard control. Meanwhile, gorilla tactics allows you to sweep without setup if you have scarf, or punch holes with band.

 

[zferolie]

Looking forward to see Dynamax Wailord

View attachment 205577

Wait... is that legit?

 

[Worldie]

Wait... is that legit?

It's exactly same as previous games, is this surprising you?

 

[Plasmaster09]

Meanwhile they put in a Pokemon with effectively 250 base attack, 148 speed, almost perfect coverage, 92/115/115 bulk, and the best defensive typing in the game. And also let it hit for 200 base power vs opposing Dynamaxes, just for good measure.

The only reason Zamazenta's power matters is that Zacian will be banned to AG within about five seconds of the new metas existing.

There's a chance Zacian will manage to stay in Ubers by virtue of needing an item to be in Legend form.
Then again, it's not all that worse without the item.

 

[lace_flye]

How are people feeling about Gorilla Tactics vs. Zen Mode on G-Darm? The former basically lets it stack Choice items which is GREAT, yet I'm also drawn towards the latter for the ridiculous sweeping potential and Fire-type STAB. Really excited to see how it synergizes with other Gen 8 mons.

Personally I prefer the sound of Zen Mode because Ice/Fire is a fun unique type combo and I like the idea of reverse Defeatist. I'd imagine both will see play

 

[zferolie]

It's exactly same as previous games, is this surprising you?

I dont remember seeing wailord that small haha. I must not have faught many wailords last gen

 

[qways]

Corviknigth doesnt learn Whitlwind and doesnt seem to have another way to punish setup sweepers. I guess it will have to run mental herb (depending on how many setup sweepers use taunt) + reflect + u-turn to stop setup sweepers.

 

[Kami42]

Corviknigth doesnt learn Whitlwind and doesnt seem to have another way to punish setup sweepers. I guess it will have to run mental herb (depending on how many setup sweepers use taunt) + reflect + u-turn to stop setup sweepers.

Corviknight can set up Tailwind, at least.

 

[Obstagod]

Zen mode requires you to be weakened below half health, which is hard with a bad defensive typing and low defenses. You'd probably need sash and heavy hazard control. Meanwhile, gorilla tactics allows you to sweep without setup if you have scarf, or punch holes with band.

Hazards are definitely an issue, but the fact that it got to keep Belly Drum is so tantalizing to me. If you can get the opportunity to set up, you can pop Dynamax to effectively return to full HP and then go ham.

Gorilla Tactics definitely seems powerful though; wonder what kind of offensive sets people are gonna run on it cuz it doesn't have the best coverage. I guess locking into Icicle Crash or Ice Punch isn't too too bad, surprised it didn't get Ice Hammer tbh.

 

[VCrakeV]

Corviknigth doesnt learn Whitlwind and doesnt seem to have another way to punish setup sweepers. I guess it will have to run mental herb (depending on how many setup sweepers use taunt) + reflect + u-turn to stop setup sweepers.

Corviknight seems more like anti-hazards than anti-setup. That said, it can use iron defense and body press to check physical sweepers.

 

[MrHands]

Corviknigth doesnt learn Whitlwind and doesnt seem to have another way to punish setup sweepers. I guess it will have to run mental herb (depending on how many setup sweepers use taunt) + reflect + u-turn to stop setup sweepers.

Or just aggressively pivot with U-turn. At least it has that.

Or even boost alongside with Bulk Up and counter-sweep.

 

[Yung Dramps]

If you can get the opportunity to set up, you can pop Dynamax to effectively return to full HP and then go ham.

Just so you know, Dynamax doesn't heal HP, that's a misconception. Unless you're referring to how the HP boost will effectively get you back to what would be full health in base form, in which case I retract my statement

 

[Obstagod]

Just so you know, Dynamax doesn't heal HP, that's a misconception. Unless you're referring to how the HP boost will effectively get you back to what would be full health in base form, in which case I retract my statement

Yeah, that's what I meant! Since with max Dynamax Candy Dynamax increases your max HP by 100%, G-Darm would effectively have its full, un-Max'd HP back after using Belly Drum. Definitely not the BEST use of Dynamax since mons like Gyarados and Excadrill can steamroll through other teams with the increased bulk, but it'd go a long way towards mitigating BD's principal downside (especially if you gave Darm a Sitrus or pinch berry to hold).

 

[Plasmaster09]

They really went overboard with Zacian. At the minimum, they should have given Zamazenta the Fairy/Steel typing instead, and Zacian Fighting/Steel so that not only could Zamazenta be a good check to Zacian, but Zacian would have a few more weaknesses. Giving one of the most offensive mons in the game one of the best defensive typings... is laughable.

Would you rather give Fenrir-with-a-freaking-greatsword an offensive typing like Ice/Fighting?
Go ahead. While you're at it, change Behemoth Slash or whatever to Ice type and give it a chance to freeze.
Defensive typing on an offense GOD may be weird, but it's better than taking Crabrawler's type and making it AG-worthy.

 

[Plasmaster09]

Based on the Dex descriptions, it makes perfect sense that the elder sister is more OP than her younger brother.

well looks like I picked the right version
But seriously. Zacian has ONE THING keeping it out of AG, and that's the fact that it needs the special sword item or whatever to have its better stats.

 

[BlueRay]

Zen mode requires you to be weakened below half health, which is hard with a bad defensive typing and low defenses. You'd probably need sash and heavy hazard control. Meanwhile, gorilla tactics allows you to sweep without setup if you have scarf, or punch holes with band.

However, if you don't want to be choice locked, Zen Mode is the way to go, especially with those nice 160 Attack and 130 Speed stats.
I don't think it's that hard to activate Zen Mode. Flareblitz, Life Orb, and/or Stealth Rock damage, and it should be fine. Darmanitan will one-shot or two-shot many Pkm with Flareblitz anyway, which will affect its health to the point where it should activate Zen Mode anyway. Of course, it's all theory, and we have to wait and see how it fars in practice.

I think generally hazards shouldn't be too much of a problem since you will often want to just wallbreak or sweep in one swoop.

Gorilla Tactics is definitely alluring. It's been a long time since we had an Ice Pkm that is truly terrifying on the offensive side. The only Pkm that comes to my mind is Kyurem-B and, maybe, Shell Smash Cloyster.

- - -

On Body Press. This is such a great coverage move for many defensive Pkm. Avalugg, for example, one-shots Excadrill and two-shots standard Ferrothorn with an Impish nature, which is especially nice in monotype if you want to use it. Too bad Shuckle doesn't learn it, but theoretically, it could one-shot Terrakion.

On another note, I've often seen people using dynamax in an offensive way, but what about a defensive approach? I assume Stall teams would likely resort to avoid being overwhelmed.

 

[Plasmaster09]

View attachment 205387

Reading these leaks as an AG player

I'm with you on this one.
Man, I love having a freaking god as a box legend.

Ransei

Am I ready for Hackmons yet?​

First off, love the username. POKEMON CONQUEST FOREVER!
Second off... no way in hell Eternamax is even going to be allowed on Smogon in any way ever.

It's likely to synergize with it's ability, mimicry, which acts as an automatic Camoflage (changing it's type based on it's surroundings). Since it's mouth now looks like a pokeball, it's to punish players finding items in the grass with STAB snap trap (since it would be grass type, due to mimicry)

Okay, that's really clever.
Glad they finally abandoned the "voltorb/foongus lines look like pokeballs lel" crap and went for a overworldtrap mon that actually has any semblance of reason to be an itemtrap.

I'm probably the only one thinking about how promising Rillaboom looks, but I'm extremely excited for that mon. Strong atk, workable speed, good bulk and a great movepool. Drum beating lowering speed is just an awesome effect on top of the fact he'll be able to power it up with terrain(if or when it gets it). It's no Cinderace, but it shows promise. I could see a solid life orb attacker set used for Walllbreaking, or something a little tankier.

Yeah, I see where you're coming from.
Personally, I'm team Sobble.
Sad water bean -> BADASS SPY CHAMELEON.

That's completely crazy yeah, it will be banned from Ubers for sure.
The only thing that make it manageable is that his two STABs are resisted by the same two types (Fire and Steel), and it doesn't have great coverage like Mega-Rayauqaza's V-Create and Earthquake to make up for this.
This means that it's going to have checks depending on his coverage moves.

welp good thing cinderace is the OTHER broken thing in gen 8

A Jolly 170 Atk Pokemon at +1 with 252 EVs and 31 IVs is equivalent to base 279.75 ATK

HOLY HELL
THIS GUY IS KARTANA SQUARED AND THEN SOME

Both “non-nude” zacian and zamazenta are steel types, so isn’t that basically even?

No, the steel types are the types they GAIN with weapon forms.
Without items, Zacian is even BETTER against Zamazenta.

Something not previously mentioned: Inteleon's signature Snipe Shot doesn't just ignore redirection, it also gets +1 criticals to better play into its Sniper HA after that releases. If you can find time to set up Focus Energy, it becomes 100% criticals without needing to hold Scope Lens, so you can use the item slot for something else.

okay that is damn good
this is like the one time focusing on crits is at all useful

My mistake, I thought its speed stat was 128. Turns out that was Zamazenta instead. I reread the documents and it has 148 speed- outspeeding everything except for Ninjask In the galar dex. Because this is fair given everything else it has.

So yeah, nevermind. Axe agility and put a coverage move onto it, then kill everything.

EDIT: And with all this talk of Ditto being an answer, put Substitute in its place. Either get a free hit in if Ditto switches in, or prevent Imposter shenanigans entirely. Bonus: free status immunity since it can’t hold another item.

More importantly, did we confirm it has to hold a sword for it to transform? If so, does the sword do anything besides enable the transformation?

Jeez.
148.
The only thing that outspeeds Zacian in the Galar Dex... is the second fastest Pokemon in existence.

Is there any other OU prediction other than Zacian, Hydreigon , Dracapult at this point?

Zacian?
OU?!
Wolfboi's going in Ubers. If not Anything Goes.

MOD EDIT: Please don't double post - CRoll

 

[UniqueStrategies]

Zacian?
OU?!
Wolfboi's going in Ubers. If not Anything Goes.

Thanks for flooding the thread...

 

[VCrakeV]

How can I copy the move data paste bin so I can paste it to a spread sheet? It seems impossible to select all of the text.

 

[FlinchMachine]

Unfezant finally got Brave Bird. Yaaay! And got Agillity as well. Things like this will be possible:
Unfezant @ Scope Lens
Ability: Super Luck
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Agility/ Tailwind
- Brave Bird
- Facade/ U-turn/ Roost
- Night Slash
Night Slash is basically 100% crit ratio. Not OU stuff but much better than what he used to be.

 

[Plasmaster09]

Unless it got changed, Cursed Body actually triggers 30% of the time, and can trigger when hit with ANY attack, not just ones that make contact.

Also, don't underestimate Pressure. It's a mighty fine ability on pretty much anything that's bulky.

And then there's Perish Body.
Also known as "whoever's down to 1 first is f*cked".