EDIT: Post basically finished. If you have any questions that weren't addressed, or think anything is missing, let me know.
Figured I'd write a short guide on CAP mons + the metagame since there will be some new players for CAPPL. I'll add stuff when I have time, going to go through the CAP mons B+ and above, then give some metagame thoughts.
I'll probably do something like this for the rest of the CAP mons in the context of CAP UU.
CAP's premier anti-offense mon. The standard set is Twave/Scald/Moonblast/Recover with Multiscale + HDB though it has some interesting options in Encore/Taunt. Teras are usually Steel/Poison/Ghost, though you only tera this in emergencies.
Biggest weakness is that it doesn't do a lot into fatter teams. Often, it gets a Thunder Wave into Mollux/Slowking-G or a burn into Shox and gets forced out. I have been thinking about Wish sets to be better into these structures (Wish/Recover/Thunder Wave/STAB) but have not tested it much.
An alternative set is Rocky Helmet + Rough Skin. This type of set can really punish contact moves (primarily Rapid Spin). I think this fits best on HO, where it can also provide Healing Wish support. It also offers a solid switch-in to Dragapult/Kitsunoh, since it punishes U-turn and does not care much about burn, unlike Multiscale sets.
Example teams:
https://pokepast.es/683b5cb5eaae4fd0
https://pokepast.es/d0452eeccbfa6231
https://pokepast.es/6ffc16c7e9f14cae (Moon is banned but idea is there)
Broken Spikes guy. The standard set is Spikes/Knock Off/Circle Throw/Recover. MU is quite solid into most spinners in the tier (eg. Equilibra, Great Tusk, Mollux) because Knocking off HDB on these mons puts them on a timer, and Recover gives Arghonaut the ability to outlast them. Honestly, the only alternative to the standard set is slotting Foul Play over Knock Off. This lets you actually beat SD Gliscor (which will otherwise break with repeated Facades). Various Tera types are used, mostly Fairy/Dark afaik but anything to make Hemogoblin/Ogerpon-Wellspring MUs relatively neutral is good.
A very popular core with this Pokemon is Slowking-G/Arghonaut/SD Gliscor. Standard EV spread is PhysDef, which works well in this core primarily due to its ability to switch in to Great Tusk, and also working well paired with SpDef Equilibra. On some teams, where Arghonaut is your primary Equilibra/Darkrai switch-in, SpDef should be better.
Example teams:
https://pokepast.es/4d31f8e16663fd2c
https://pokepast.es/0893027c53b9e03f
https://pokepast.es/a7f977811155e816 (Rage Fist is banned but this team was broken)
Broken spinner. Every set runs Doom Desire/Earth Power/Rapid Spin. Last move has flexibility between Pain Split/Protect/Flash Cannon. First two moves give a lot more longevity, while Flash Cannon pressures Gliscor and Kitsunoh harder (as well as the mirror, though usually you do not want to be stuck in an Equilibra mirror). Note that PS! setss Equilibra to 31Atk IVs due to presence of Rapid Spin, but you want to set it manually to 0IVs to let Kitsunoh heal less with Strength Sap.
Equilibra has really broken typing and stats, so it trades super well into a lot of attackers. Equilibra is really good at checking Kyurem and Darkrai, and is a temporary check to Dragapult. However, Equilibra really wants teammates to absorb Knock Off for it, eg. Shox, Snaelstrom, Clefable, Gliscor (to an extent). You also really need an answer to Ogerpon-Wellspring.
Equilibra is also a pretty solid Rapid Spin user. primarily due to its resilience to hazards. It takes minimal damage from SR and is immune to Spikes, which lets it use Leftovers for longevity. Equilibra's Rapid Spin MUs vs hazard setters and spinblockers are:
Good:

OK:

Bad:
Techs include Healing Wish and Trick Room. This Pokemon is so strong that it feels fine to slot it on offense.
Example teams:
https://pokepast.es/3dab6db813313287 (Only 1 standard build, since Equilibra will show up a lot in this post most likely)
https://pokepast.es/7c10609bb182e387 (DD is crucial here to pressure Gliscor)
https://pokepast.es/3160609d5b1fd364 (It's BiS on rain imo)
Pixiespeed spam guy. Standard set is Extreme Speed/Flare Blitz/Moonlight/Bulk Up with HDB, to make it a solid revenge killer as well as a very reliable Dragapult switch-in (and generically good into other Will-o-wisp ghosts). Often 252Spe which hits 199, though I greed a lot with 60Spe to creep min Speed Equilibra. Tera Fairy is standard to extend Espeed kill range, but sometimes Tera Ground Tera Blast is used for some extra coverage into Mollux/Heatran (rare).
Alternate moveset is Choice Band. Spoo outlined the benefits of CB, basically crippling the standard checks that rely on HDB (Moltres, Mollux) and having more immediate power into offense. CB is always Extreme Speed/Flare Blitz/Trick, last move can be Explosion/Spikes/BU/Moonlight depending on preference. A bit hard to fit on teams though, as HO has difficulties pivoting it out after getting a kill, and it needs hazard removal so can't fit on boots-spam.
Example teams:
https://pokepast.es/208efa5f171b122b (Balance)
ngl I don't have a lot of good Hemo teams for some reason.
https://pokepast.es/b34db964107d51ef (RIP Gouging Fire...)
The ultimate Equilibra bully, due to its ability to block Rapid Spin and dodge Earth Power by tracing Levitate. Standard set is Will-o-wisp/Strength Sap/U-turn/Shadow Strike, which is quite solid at making progress into offense and has solid longevity (trolls Zama forever even if Tera Fire). It has a very wide offensive movepool (CC, Knock, Poltergeist, Ice Punch) but post-nerf offensive sets are not nearly as potent. Knock is notable because it punishes Fire-types that want to switch in on Wisp (Hemo, Moltres, Mollux) and Garg.
Since it's a solid spinblocker into the most common spinner, it is most commonly seen on Spikes-stack balance teams (very good Arghonaut teammate).
Alternate moveset is Choice Band but it is definitely bad atm. I'd expect it to be ~1% of players coping from pre-nerf. I know post-buff, CB Poltergeist 2HKO'd PhysDef Moltres but at this point I think it doesn't (also underspeeding Darkrai/Weavile/Cresceidon etc. kinda ruins the set).
Example teams:
https://pokepast.es/11d169d79a20ac5f
https://pokepast.es/6cb2d2c9f814ffe4
https://pokepast.es/40b702b8c4a5c534

Revenankh is a powerful set-up sweeper that matches up well into opposing offense. The standard set is Moonlight/Drain Punch/Shadow Claw/Moonlight. Generally runs 252Atk with Adamant Nature, Speed is optional, usually investing in HP/SpDef is the best (84Spe outspeeds min Speed Arghonaut, which is useful if you are using Poltergeist + Spell Tag since it allows for 2HKO, but that is not the most common set). Revenankh generally has some flexibility in item; Leftovers is of course powerful, and HDB allows for more free switch-ins. It is very likely that Revenankh is knocked over the course of the game so item is not super important. Tera Ghost is alright if you are using Shadow Sneak, but Tera Fire/Poison are solid for Fairy resist + status resistance. Tera Fairy is of course generically good.
Revenankh is very good at dismantling offense teams, due to its powerful priority Fighting move and trading ability. It also fits quite well on offense teams, by being a foolproof answer to Zamazenta. Revenankh can also act as a spinblocker, boasting a reasonablle MU into both Great Tusk and Equilibra thanks to its considerable mixed bulk and access to recovery. Revenankh is vulnerable to status, however, and requires Tera to muscle past Moltres/Dragapult/etc. It also has a difficult time against fairies without Tera, though Tera Fire can flip those MUs hard in Revenankh's favor. Arghonaut is Rev's biggest stop, due to Rev''s low bast Attack; you will need to play patiently around it, especially if you are not HDB.
Alternate moves include Poltergeist, Shadow Sneak, Earthquake, Knock Off. Rarely, this Pokemon can use Glare. These options are generally less consistent than the standard set. CB is also an option for nuclear Poltergeists, but that is not as consistent and sacrifices longevity that Revenankh wants to spinblock over a long game. Note that Poltergeist + Drain Punch is hard-walled by Chuggalong.
https://pokepast.es/f84fa58ed53e3873
https://pokepast.es/ba4789b3daa1fc90
Mollux is a powerful defensive Pokemon with a unique Fire/Poison typing and Water immunity provided by Dry Skin. This gives it a niche as a Hemogoblin counter, Ogerpon-Wellspring check, and solid defensive pivot. The standard set is (SR or Rapid Spin)/Lava Plume/Clear Smog/Recover. Mollux can either lean into SpDef to better answer Gholdengo/Darkrai/etc. or PhysDef for Ogerpon-W, Samu-H, Hemogoblin.Note that Knock Off is very annoying for this Pokemon, as is random Ground coverage (Tantrum on Oger, Tera Blast Ground on Iron Moth/Hemogoblin).
SR Mollux is decent since, although it can't stay in against Great Tusk or Equilibra, they do not want to switch in on a potential Lava Plume. Rapid Spin Mollux has an interesting MU spread in that it loses to every hazard setter, but beats most spinblockers. This makes the play pattern a bit different, and
Good:
OK:
Bad:
Alternatively, Mollux can use Sludge Bomb over Clear Smog to push more progress. You can also run Scarf + Eruption (hilarious) or CM if you don't need SR/spin utility. Mollux also has Thunder Wave (not bad), Toxic (kinda bad), or Will-o-Wisp (Just use Plume...) as status options but these are definitely fake..,
https://pokepast.es/9ce6ba2e584006c3
https://pokepast.es/3b89872ae6652467
https://pokepast.es/cddb217f0cf80a51
[WIP below]
Chuggalong is a HO sweeper whose primary draw is priority immunity. The standard set is Clangorous Soul with 3 of Surf, Clanging Scales, Sludge Bomb, Stored Power. Common Teras include Psychic (to guarantee Stored Power OHKO on Argh) or Tera Water (to get Surf kill on Equilibra).
Chuggalong is a straightforward HO sweeper, so it goes on HO. It pressures a lot of teams that rely on priority (eg. Hemogoblin) to revenge-kill sweepers. It is otherwise relatively average, with relatively average defensive/offensive typing and stats.
Occasionally this Pokemon will see play with Choice Specs/Choice Scarf, but I think this is largely irrelevant after the Speed nerf.
Krilowatt is an offensive pivot with below-average offensive stats but above-average bulk and strong coverage. The standard set is Surf/Ice Beam/Volt Switch/Thunderbolt. Tera type is usually an offensive one (Electric or Water) but defensive ones like Steel or Fairy may be used as well. Tera Blast Fairy saw some use to snipe Roaring Moon, but I don't think it is worth giving up coverage at base currently. It also gets Earth Power to snipe Mollux and deal more chip to Slowking-G, but it is hard to give up any moves on its primary set.
Krilowatt is largely unable to OHKO any Pokemon, but can usually 2HKO with appropriate coverage. Thus, it needs time to chip the opposing team down, making Spikes-stack teams the obvious fit for it. Krilowatt is a powerful tool for Spikes teams in the mirror, due to the momentum it generates and its immunity to Spikes damage. The general play pattern with Krilowatt is to spam Volt Switch throughout the game, and threaten to trade with key threats utilizing Krilowatt's above-average bulk. Against teams with SpDef Ground types (Equilibra, Ting-Lu), Krilowatt will be more pressured to hard-switch or click Surf, which can be annoying.
An additional tech is Heart Swap. This allows Krilowatt to muscle past CM sweepers like Clefable or Hatterene, steal boosts from SD Gliscor, or occasionally snipe Chuggalong omniboost. For this set, I like going mixed with Liquidation, since Krilowatt appreciates the ability to pressure Slowking-G when it is unable to do so by Volt Switching. Note that this is an uncommon tech that only I use, but you can try fitting it on a team sometime if you are interested in what it brings to a team.
https://pokepast.es/58065afebbd855d5
https://pokepast.es/1b3648ef160fba44 (Need to update lol)
Miasmaw is an HO sweeper whose primary draw is muscling past Unawares. Standard set is Swords Dance/Scale Shot/Earthquake/(Substitute or Gunk Shot) with Loaded Dice. Tera Ghost is best to dodge Extreme Speed, both from Dragonite and Hemogoblin (non-Ability Shield variants at least). Tera Poison is an option as well, or Tera Electric/Fire, but more niche.
This Pokemon is basically only on HO, since it needs to preserve HP for sweep. Generally you want a team that can break Cresceidon so Miasmaw can actually click Scale Shot to boost, otherwise it is very awkward. You also want to keep hazards off, as Miasmaw has workable SpDef, but taking chip is very annoying for its setup.
There is another set some people like which is HDB/CB with First Impression/U-turn/(2 of Dragon Hammer, Earthquake, Close Combat, Gunk Shot). Honestly this is kinda OK as a pivot but non-Tinted Lenes Fimp feels a bit sad into the meta. NGas letting you click without fearing Moltres is very nice though, and speed tier beating Gliscor and Kyurem is epic.
I don't have a lot of teams with this guy, ngl, kinda scraping bottom of barrel here.
https://pokepast.es/785a819a412f7828 (Teambuilding lab team, replace the Cawmodore with a real mon please.)
https://pokepast.es/14615446f3737b32
https://pokepast.es/ef9a0243451ad5e8 (ngl I don't remember building this, it might have never been tested)
GOD
Somehow we buffed this guy to have insane bulk. Milk Drink/Knock Off/Ice Beam/(Discharge or Volt Switch) is very annoying to switch into, and makes progress vs. almost everything (except mirror). Sets can be either Physdef of SpDef, though PhysDef feels better into annoying Knock Off users so that is preferred for me.
Shox is basically best on Boots-spam teams due to its ability to absorb Knock Off. Notably, it takes Knock Off from Ogerpon-W, Samurott-H, Weavile, Darkrai, Walking Wake, which are annoying for its most common partner Gliscor (Great Tusk is annoying still...). The general difficulty with fitting Shox on a team is that it does little other than trading HP and using Knock Off. This makes it a bit hard to fit hazards + removal + Knock Off + speed control, which is why just using Boots-spam is easiest with respect to teambuilding.
Some people like SpA invested Shox, possibly with Electromorphosis. This makes Shox a good trading Pokemon, able to dish out significant damage with boosted Discharge. I do not have a team with this set, but I'm sure you can ask Steam Buns for this.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9cap-2290849575-yjxy0ofsg2bb51atx1p0max4w8a8bvrpw
https://pokepast.es/f708370cf9bc3dca
https://pokepast.es/93c4a52941f91140
Snaelstrom is a flexible Pokemon that can either go for a utility set or a SD sweeper set. For SD, it uses Swords Dance/Spiky Shield/Razor Shell/(Facade or Toxic). For utility, it uses Spiky Shield/(3 of Toxic, Stealth Rock, Surf, U-turn). It has flexibility in either PhysDef or SpDef based on team composition. Infestation is a niche option that combos well with Toxic, but can blank into teams that have Slowking-G or equivalent slow pivots.
Even though Snaelstrom has a similar profile to Gliscor, it has different teambuilding demands due to its hazard weakness. You need hazard control alongside this Pokemon if you want to switch it in repeatedly. However, Snaelstrom also provides a lot of defensive utility, and using it alongside Gliscor is definitely a war crime.
Do not use Rapid Spin on this Pokemon. It simply doesn't switch into hazards enough times to effectively spin, and even though you beat most setters, it is relatively easy to spinblock.
https://pokepast.es/a617f1b0993bdad1 (Repeat team, but SD Snael is primary progress-maker here)
https://pokepast.es/c70fb3b67f71271b (Utility Snael to support SD Glisc)
https://pokepast.es/b49eb5b7e4e98842 (Moon is banned, but this team is cool imo, really like Iron Hands)
Venomicon is a defensive Pokemon with a solid typing and powerful Stamina ability, which allows it to snowball against unprepared teams. The standard sets are Stealth Rock/Roost/Sludge Bomb/Body Press and Nasty Plot/Roost/Hurricane/Body Press with HDB. Tera types are standard defensive ones, mainly Water/Dragon with occasional Fighting (kinda cope imo).
Honestly, I have found it difficult to fit Venomicon on teams as of late. I think NP is the most viable set, as defensive SR is simply too abusable. NP is kinda awkward to teambuild with, but it is definitely strong when you can get it set up.
Venomicon (especially SR sets) has aged quite poorly in the current metagame, giving free turns to Gholdengo, Kitsunoh, Slowking-G, SD Gliscor, among others. Inclusion of Knock Off or Thunder Wave as utility can alleviate some of these MUs, though it is difficult to decide which move to drop. For NP sets, relying on Hurricane (lol) and Body Press is not ideal, as Body Press can be crippled by Burns and relies on the opponent to hit Venomicon to boost its SpA. Running Dark Pulse over Body Press is quite a solid option, as it hits Kitsunoh, Gholdengo, Slowking-G for super-effective damage.
https://pokepast.es/fe0e820d467409af (ngl looks bad.)
https://pokepast.es/03ba5e0257f9f0d2 (I hate ID BP Zama in CAP now.)
https://pokepast.es/3f876235324bab43 (credits to poopidoopi/earthflax/Galarian Blades)
General Metagame Comments:
- CAP is a lot more balance-oriented than OU, thanks to the presence of Equilibra and Arghonaut (and Cresceidon).
- Balance-spam means SD Gliscor is very broken. Similarly, Curse Garganacl is crazy strong.
- Slower pace means you can get away with some greedy low-tempo strats. Examples include: Corrosion Toxic Glimmora (see example teams lol) and Trick Ring Target Slowking-G. Of course, you will be sad if you load these into offense.
- Ursaluna kinda 6-0s fat teams where primary offensive pressure is hazards + Pult/Kit. A lot of boots Zama recenly though, which is quite annoying for a lot of Ursa builds.
- Offense needs solid answers to Hemogoblin and Cresceidon. These mons make Iron Valiant and Dragapult a lot less powerful in this meta (Darkrai is still broken though).
- Offense best answers to Cresc are probably... Caribolt and Hatterene? Otherwise, Tera Elecric and pray. That mon is evil.
- Ogerpon-W is broken into a lot of CAP cores, but vulnerable to hazard spam.
- Moltres is definitely HIM.
- Kyurem is a funny Pokemon. It always feels so hard to build with it, and half the time it does nothing, but the other half it goes crazy and farms.
- Hazard game is really centralized around Argh/Ting and Equilibra. I think being able to abuse these is very important.
- Doom Desire/Future Sight strategies are really strong. Having ways of handling this (easiest way is Protect Equilibra) is pretty important for Balance/Fat.