Resource Simple Questions, Simple Answers Thread (read the op before posting a thread)

Finchinator

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Can someone give me the z move defog latios set?
There really is no true cookie-cutter outline for a set like this seeing as Latios is a versatile Pokemon that can run multiple viable Defog Z variants, but I suppose the most common would likely be:

Latios (M) @ Psychium Z
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Defog
- Psyshock / Psychic
- Roost

This set was probably a bit better when Clefable (on Stall and as an SR setter) was a bit more common, but it is still viable. I have seen some others tinker with Z-Draco Meteor for Tyranitar and Z-Surf for Heatran, Tyranitar, and some other random Steel types. Those sets can either drop Roost or the Psychic type coverage for their respective coverage move and Z crystal.
 
Can someone point me in the direction of a good, recent primer for OU? I have mained RU for a while but the lack of usage stats this month has pushed me in the direction of OU.
 

Finchinator

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is a Tournament Directoris a Top Social Media Contributoris a Community Leaderis a Community Contributoris a Smogon Discord Contributoris a Top Tiering Contributoris a Contributor to Smogonis a Top Smogon Media Contributoris a Top Dedicated Tournament Hostis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnusis a Past WCoP Championis the defending OU Circuit Championis a Two-Time Former Old Generation Tournament Circuit Champion
OU Leader
Can someone point me in the direction of a good, recent primer for OU? I have mained RU for a while but the lack of usage stats this month has pushed me in the direction of OU.
Not entirely sure what you specifically need, but the entire guide to the OU forum, including every single available resource, can be found here -- feel free to PM or VM me if you want anything more specific or ask again here if the criteria for your question fits the thread.

Is Expert Belt worth using nowadays? Or I should stick with Life Orb/Z-Moves for sweeping shenanigans?
More often than not, no. It is not a totally unviable option and in various tiers, there are viable users that take advantage of it to bluff Choice items, such as Keldeo in BW OU, but there simply are no specifically great users of it atm and the opportunity cost of using it generally is the benefits of using the alternative items, which all seem to provide more to the Pokemon that use them atm, so it is best to stick with the conventional options that you listed until you have a deeper grasp on teambuilding or form a newer, creative idea you wish to try that might involve an Expert Belt pokemon!
 
Im new to competitive pokemon and if I steal teams I can hover around 1700-1800 elo but any time I try to make my own team it's shit tier, is there a place I can find a mentor to help me with this or can somebody please point me towards a resource to help me get my teams out of 1400? Help a brother out
 
Im new to competitive pokemon and if I steal teams I can hover around 1700-1800 elo but any time I try to make my own team it's shit tier, is there a place I can find a mentor to help me with this or can somebody please point me towards a resource to help me get my teams out of 1400? Help a brother out
Smogon has a subforum dedicated to tutoring for battling (building included)---though I'll admit they have some strange criteria for choosing tutors at times.

If you mainly want to improve your building, I would look at solid teams (from somewhere like the RMT archive or Team Showcase) and ask yourself why they made certain building decisions. You don't even necessarily need to look at SM OU teams; reading the building process sections of RMTs from other formats and generations can help improve your building skills as well. As a builder, you'll need to understand the fundamentals of how to build with a certain goal in mind (something like using breakers that hate Steels alongside Magnezone to put pressure on your opponent) while maintaining a good sense of how to cover metagame threats and fill roles needed on a team.
 
Why is Defog Thundurus bad? I haven't seen any discussion on it but on paper it seems like Prankster Defog would be an invaluable asset for offense. Locking a scarfer into Defog is obviously an accepted part of the metagame at this point but it is easy to take advantage of and it'd be nice to have fast fog without lock. It's blocked by Darks, but Tar, Bisharp and the like obviously can't switch in when it manditorily carries Superpower or Focus Blast.

Is it just kind of the influx of foggers giving it competition? I know Koko is better in like every conceivable way, but viewed as a support mon does it have a tiny niche?

edit: Jord-e I don't mean scarf Thundy, I mean probably LO Thundy, but it competes with like scarf Kartana as a "fast defogger"
 
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Why is Defog Thundurus bad? I haven't seen any discussion on it but on paper it seems like Prankster Defog would be an invaluable asset for offense. Locking a scarfer into Defog is obviously an accepted part of the metagame at this point but it is easy to take advantage of and it'd be nice to have fast fog without lock. It's blocked by Darks, but Tar, Bisharp and the like obviously can't switch in when it manditorily carries Superpower or Focus Blast.

Is it just kind of the influx of foggers giving it competition? I know Koko is better in like every conceivable way, but viewed as a support mon does it have a tiny niche?
Thundurus in general is bad as a scarfer to begin with, furthermore as u alrdy mentioned the competition from koko and other defoggers is simply too big to ever actually seriously consider it as they will do 99% what thundurus does do better.
 

GMars

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Anyone have a good evs spread for a mixed Kommonium Z Kommo-O
Didn't want to leave you without an answer, so I made up a spread for you to test out, but heads up that Kommo-o isn't considered to be viable in OU rn:

Kommo-o @ Kommonium Z
Ability: Bulletproof
EVs: 248 Atk / 16 SpA / 244 Spe
Naughty Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Clanging Scales
- Close Combat
- Poison Jab

Borderline OHKO chances with Clangorous Soulblaze only go down by about 6.25% if you'd rather max out your speed

Kommo-o @ Kommonium Z
Ability: Bulletproof
EVs: 248 Atk / 8 SpA / 252 Spe
Naughty Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Clanging Scales
- Close Combat
- Poison Jab

16 SpA lets you ohko Kart with Clangorous Soulblaze after SR so you can use it to boost up and gives you 93.8% to ohko Blacephalon with Clangorous Soulblaze, you can bump this up to 20 to guarantee the ohko on Blace, but then you go to 93.8% chance to ohko 40 hp mega mawile after rocks instead of guaranteed, and you should have some hazard on the field before you attempt to sweep with kommo-o anyway, so you're better off with the 248-16 split imo. 244 Speed EVs let you outpace Ash-Gren at +1. PJab over EQ for Lele and Bulu, most EQs targets are covered well enough by CC + hazards.

S to A- rank Pokemon on the VR:
Landorus-T: 156 SpA OHKOs offensive with Clangorous Soulblaze after SR, not a hard mon to chip though
Toxapex: SpDef Pex, +1 252+ Atk EQ only does 72.5-85.8, +2 252+ does 97-114.1, +2 128+ Atk EQ for OHKO after rocks, but this mon will haze you - have something on your team to lure it.
Ferrothorn: Stat of +1 298 (60+ EVs) for CC ohko against 252/88+ Def spread
Greninja-Ash: 267 speed at +1 to outspeed, 244 EVs
Heatran: +1 0 atk cc kills 212/44 spread
Kartana: 16 SpA EVs for clangorous to ohko, +1 CC ohkos at with 0 evs as well
Magearna: +1 252+ EV CC has 37.5% chance to ohko no investment after rocks, 81.3% after 1 spike, eq has 93.8% chance to ohko after rocks
Tapu Koko: +1 EQ is a guaranteed kill after rocks with no investment, poison jab needs
Tyranitar: CC guaranteed ohko
Zygarde: Clangorous Soulblaze guaranteed ohko
Celesteela: The more attack the better; +1 252+ CC 2hkos past lefties + protect
Clefable: Nope. Have something on your team to lure it.
Greninja: 184 Speed EVs to outspeed at +1
Kyurem-B: CC or CS are enough
Mawile (Mega): +1 248+ CC needed to OHKO 40 HP variant after rocks
Scizor (Mega): +1 144+ EVs to 2HKO after rocks
Tapu Bulu: Desparately need poison jab - +1 0 investment ohkos AV variant
Tapu Lele: EQ doesn't cut it, need +1 ~100+ evs Poison Jab
Volcarona: Can't really OHKO but it doesn't do much to you in return, just play carefully around flame body with clangorous/clanging
Blacephalon: 20 SpA EVs to OHKO with CS
Hoopa-U: +1 0 EVs OHKOes
Keldeo: +1 208+ CC ohkoes after rocks
Latios: Clangorous takes care of it
Lopunny (Mega): CC fodder
Magnezone: CC fodder
Pinsir (Mega): 0 EVs clangorous will OHKO if base form takes SR damage,
Sableye (Mega): Can potentially break through it with clangorous in exchange for getting burned, would need more than 100 SpA EVs though
Tyranitar (Mega): CC Fodder
Venusaur (Mega): Bulletproof to block sludgebomb, can boost up on

I haven't tried it yet, but I would generally try to go about this set by forcing a switch with Kommo-o, probably most often into a fairy, using the forced switch to Dragon Dance (probably pop Clangorous Soulblaze if opp lacks a fairy), then clicking the right move against what's in front of it, getting off a Clangorous Soulblaze boost if I could for the additional power and bulk. Definitely needs at least SR support before it attempts to go off.

Let me know if it works out for you!
 
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Kommo-o @ Kommonium Z
Ability: Bulletproof
EVs: 248 Atk / 16 SpA / 244 Spe
Naughty Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Clanging Scales
- Close Combat
- Poison Jab

Kommo-o @ Kommonium Z
Ability: Bulletproof
EVs: 248 Atk / 8 SpA / 252 Spe
Naughty Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Clanging Scales
- Close Combat
- Poison Jab
Does Kommo-O need both dragon dance and clangorous soulblaze? Also, why is poison jab better than iron head?
 

GMars

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Does Kommo-O need both dragon dance and clangorous soulblaze? Also, why is poison jab better than iron head?
The most instinctual counterplay to Kommo-o is to hard switch into a fairy to block Clangorous Soulblaze, so you need DD to provide you with some measure of threat before you’re able to get CS off. It’s also nice for abusing passive mons that would otherwise wall you like MVenu.

PJab hits Koko super effectively for the the OHKO at +1 and is able to OHKO Bulu at +1, which Iron Head can’t
 
Does Kommo-O need both dragon dance and clangorous soulblaze? Also, why is poison jab better than iron head?
Poison Jab does more to Tapu Koko, Bulu, and Fini, as well as Azumarill. Iron Head is only better against Diancie, which only actually matters if it hasn't Mega Evolved yet, because Close Combat at +1 OHKO.

I got ninja'd.
 

Colonel M

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What would be a good set for non mega scizor in OU? Defensive wise.
I would advise against using regular Scizor in OU. Mega Scizor's defensive stats and not being as phazed by Knock Off is way too good to pass up on. Most teams don't really have a huge Mega slot competition as well, so there's almost no reason to use regular Scizor in OU - especially defensive.
 
How do we feel about Specs Pelliper as a breaker on non-rain (generally BO) builds? Few mons in OU wants to switch into rain boosted Hurricane/Scald/Pump, as even Spd Pex is at risk after rocks and risks being confused if it recover stalls. It has access to pretty powerful moves such as rain boosted hydro pump and accurate Hurricane as well as scouting with U-turn and reducing fire damage to the team. Is it just not worth running over ash-ninja as a water breaker because of the speed tier and rocks weakness?
 
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How do we feel about Specs Pelliper as a breaker on non-rain (generally BO) builds? Few mons in OU wants to switch into rain boosted Hurricane/Scald/Pump, as even Spd Pex is at risk after rocks and risks being confused if it recover stalls. It has access to pretty powerful moves such as rain boosted hydro pump and accurate Hurricane as well as scouting with U-turn and reducing fire damage to the team. Is it just not worth running over ash-ninja as a water breaker because of the speed tier and rocks weakness?
I believe Pelipper does have a place on certain bulky offense teams as it can be a really threatening force, especially when paired with smth like Ash Greninja and Mega Medicham, which arent rarely seen on BO.
 
How do we feel about Specs Pelliper as a breaker on non-rain (generally BO) builds? Few mons in OU wants to switch into rain boosted Hurricane/Scald/Pump, as even Spd Pex is at risk after rocks and risks being confused if it recover stalls. It has access to pretty powerful moves such as rain boosted hydro pump and accurate Hurricane as well as scouting with U-turn and reducing fire damage to the team. Is it just not worth running over ash-ninja as a water breaker because of the speed tier and rocks weakness?
I think it definetely has a niche over ash greninja. First off, its hydro pumps are stronger than even ash greninjas, and it doesnt have to “earn” its power but rather has it immediately. Hurricane in the rain is also an extremely spammable move, as very few pokemon want to switch in to it while also risking confusion.
I’d say the major niche it has over ash greninja is its team support options. Contrary to Politoed from last gen, Pelliper is actually not a bad option on non-rain builds, as its support for fire weak pokemon and pokemon such as ash-greninja that want strong water moves are enough to warrant a spot on a team.
All in all, i think its a very viable pokemon, both off and on rain
 
I think it definetely has a niche over ash greninja. First off, its hydro pumps are stronger than even ash greninjas, and it doesnt have to “earn” its power but rather has it immediately. Hurricane in the rain is also an extremely spammable move, as very few pokemon want to switch in to it while also risking confusion.
I’d say the major niche it has over ash greninja is its team support options. Contrary to Politoed from last gen, Pelliper is actually not a bad option on non-rain builds, as its support for fire weak pokemon and pokemon such as ash-greninja that want strong water moves are enough to warrant a spot on a team.
All in all, i think its a very viable pokemon, both off and on rain
Neat, I think it’s underexplored outside of rain and I intend to build with it. It even gets knock off for Chansey, it really is quite customizable.
 

INSANE CARZY GUY

Banned deucer.
Is there an app for the damage calculator? I wanna play with an ev spread for koko and on my phone the site is a struggle if I can even get one cal

Koko skuaca berry
Taunt
Roost
Hp ice
Volt turn

Just sounds fire beating on all other pivots, eating e-quake, stall breaker and way to keep hazards up/prevent but idk if it has the bulk for offensive lando and the power for bulky lando

Scarf users would crap on it tho
 
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