With the banning of Booster Energy, Terastallization, Palafin, and Houdstone, the metagame has become a bit more stable. That being said, I do feel as though there are overbearing Pokémon within the current metagame that need to be discussed. Cannot thank
Neko enough, you really did so much for this analysis.
Santa Claus needs to be put on the naughty list, as he is the worst offender. With base 124 special attack, and 136 speed, it doesn't take a genius to see that the mon is extremely fast and strong. It's speed tier is insane, being able to outspeed Flutter Mane and tie with non-rain boosted Barraskewda. It can run a variety of sets which include the common Choice Specs, Heavy Duty Boots, and Choice Scarf. Hydro Pump, even though not always reliable, hits extremely hard and is the main move you will be clicking for power. Ice Beam is a hard hitting ice-type STAB, and Freeze-Dry is used to hit water types. Flip Turn or U-Turn can be used as a final move to pivot out of what it cannot immediately KO. While its movepool is underwhelming at first glance, Hydro Pump/Freeze Dry/Ice Beam still provides basically unresisted coverage, and being able to pivot is very useful. Bundle is able to live most priority moves, and the only special priority in the meta being vacuum wave, is seldom used. The only way to truly defeat Iron Bundle is to outspeed it with a scarfer, and KO it that way, but even then options are few.
Saint Nick is no glass cannon. While its Special Defense stat is low, it is still respectable enough to live common scarfers that are able to outspeed it, and its Physical Defense is a more than respectable base 114.
In terms of matchups, its able to nearly invalidate the Ground matchup on both Ice and Water. What's truly concerning is how the mon is able to dominate neutrally-effective or even resisted type matchups such as Grass, Steel, and Dragon.
I've gone back and forth on whether I think Flutter Mane is broken or not, and although this post is mainly about Bundle, I'd like to touch upon why I've concluded about why I think Mane is unhealthy. Flutter Mane and Iron Bundle have some elements in common. Both mons have extremely high speed and SpA (Flutter Mane has 135 base SpA and Speed), and are found on some of the premier types in the metagame. Mane, just like Iron Bundle, can run a variety of sets which lead to its unpredictability (Sub/CM, Specs, Scarf). Both also gain access to screens in some capacity, Iron Bundle on Ice and Flutter Mane on both Ghost and Fairy, further increasing their bulk, and allowing them to sweep, clean, or break more effectively.
The common sets right now include Choice Specs, Choice Scarf, and Sub-CM. If Santa was quite predictable in a sense that it will usually be outsped by Scarf, Choice Scarf Flutter Mane is a legitimate option for both of its types due to its insane cleaning potential. On the other hand, Choice Specs Flutter Mane was the delete button its team mate in Hatterene sorely needed, allowing it to pave the way for a sweep late-game.
Additionally, Flutter Mane can use mind games with its substitute set to potentially beat common mons who use Sucker Punch, and potentially can win on the spot. It can even run Heavy-Duty Boots, so that it can come in and out to revenge-kill a slower threat, then come back later to CM up and win on the spot.
Relevant Calcs:
Santa is so fat he needs to be enrolled in gym class:
252+ Atk Technician Breloom Mach Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Iron Bundle: 194-230 (76.6 - 90.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Life Orb Lokix First Impression vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Iron Bundle: 160-188 (63.2 - 74.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+1 252+ Atk Dragonite Extreme Speed vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Iron Bundle: 131-155 (51.7 - 61.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Iron Treads Stone Edge vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Iron Bundle: 176-208 (69.5 - 82.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO [Makes it mandatory that Ground teams have Scarfed Great Tusk to kill it]
252 SpA Gholdengo Shadow Ball vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Iron Bundle: 202-238 (79.8 - 94%) -- guaranteed 2HKO [Needs Focus Miss, which is sad because Water has switchins to that]
252+ Def Corviknight Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Iron Bundle: 148-176 (58.4 - 69.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Ceruledge Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Iron Bundle: 228-270 (90.1 - 106.7%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO
Santa hates poor kids:
252 SpA Choice Specs Iron Bundle Freeze-Dry vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Clodsire: 240-284 (51.7 - 61.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO [unswitchable in Ground]
252 SpA Choice Specs Iron Bundle Hydro Pump vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Assault Vest Iron Hands: 160-189 (31.2 - 36.9%) -- 73.6% chance to 3HKO [You can come in from a sack, but remember that Water has 5 other members + Dondozo to deal with, aside from Gastrodon laying spikes]
252 SpA Choice Specs Iron Bundle Ice Beam vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Corviknight: 171-202 (42.8 - 50.6%) -- 46.9% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery [Even the tamest corviknight is in danger]
Fluttershy:
252 Atk Life Orb Toxicroak Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Flutter Mane: 139-165 (55.3 - 65.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Chien-Pao Ice Shard vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Flutter Mane: 126-148 (50.1 - 58.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO [Adjusted to Sword of Ruins]
252+ Atk Life Orb Lokix Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Flutter Mane: 224-265 (89.2 - 105.5%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Iron Bundle Hydro Pump vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Flutter Mane: 202-238 (80.4 - 94.8%) -- 50% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
Common Scarfers in the meta these days include Chi-Yu, Meowscarada, Iron Valiant, Chien Pao, and Dragapult. Aside from Meowscarada, neither of these OHKO both of the said threats:
252 Atk Chien-Pao Sacred Sword vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Iron Bundle: 206-244 (81.4 - 96.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Dragapult Shadow Ball vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Flutter Mane: 168-200 (66.9 - 79.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (kills bundle w/Thunderbolt)
252 SpA Iron Valiant Shadow Ball vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Flutter Mane: 128-152 (50.9 - 60.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Iron Valiant Knock Off vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Flutter Mane: 115-136 (45.8 - 54.1%) -- 50.8% chance to 2HKO
So, how does one deal with
?
Dark: Scarf Meowscarada OHKOes it, one of the instances that Scarf Chien is worse. Take note that Meow has to predict if Toxapex is switching in as locking into Flower trick lets it setup Toxic Spikes on Dark teams.
Ghost: Outspeeding it with Scarf Flutter Mane and OHKOing it with Energy Ball/Thunderbolt. Mimikyu can help get a hit on it, but Drain Punch only deals ~60%. Specs Hydro Pump will 2HKO Dragapult.
Fairy: Scarf Flutter Mane / Iron Valiant deals with it, though nothing still switches into those. Note that these mons can be walled by its team mates and in turn provide momentum for Santa to do it all over again.
Fighting: Choice Scarf Iron Valiant can revenge kill it, but it may be walled by Slowking and Toxapex. Assault Vest Iron Hands can 1v1 it, but its unlikely that Santa is staying in.
Fire: Scovillain and Scarf Chi-Yu both outspeed and OHKO it.
Water: Assault Vest Slowking isn't 2HKO'ed (252 SpA Choice Specs Iron Bundle Freeze-Dry vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Assault Vest Slowking: 152-180 (38.5 - 45.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO) and its able to OHKO it with Focus Blast. However, Bundle can take advantage of this forced sequence by using Flip turn...to Gastrodon and set more entry hazards
Poison: Scarf Glimmora revenge-kills it, but nothing switches in on it. Worth noting that Slowking can take on Glimmora and use Chilly Reception to restart the sequence over and over.
Steel: Last Mon Standing Kingambit OHKOes with sucker punch after a Swords Dance boost, or pick it off if it has incurred stealth rock damage without boosts
Ground: Scarf Great Tusk is the only one that outspeeds and OHKOs it.
Conclusion
:
While the SV metagame has become a lot less volatile since the first wave of bans, Flutter Mane and Iron Bundle are mons that I believe are problematic in Monotype.