Metagame SM Monotype Metagame Discussion

[iLlama]

Let's take a look at a massive threat that's hiding in plain sight.

Kartana @ Life Orb
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Leaf Blade
- Sacred Sword
- Smart Strike
- Psycho Cut / Night Slash / X-Scissor / Swords Dance
As if Steel wasn't already starting out with a hell of a lot of buffs, it gets the UB with the highest Attack stat with an incredible Speed tier with pretty decent coverage for its typing. Sure, Kartana is limited in the strength of its moves, but the it has reliable dual-STAB options, built-in Moxie, and access to a move that ignores stat changes in Sacred Sword. With regards to Grass, Kartana helps give the type an opportunity to move away from mainly balanced, very defensive builds and gives it a powerful Pokemon to use against Ice, Poison, and many neutral match-ups. And for both types, if Kartana has a typing advantage, it's basically game over. Nothing is going to stop this monster from just cleaning up. Add on a Life Orb or even Swords Dance, and this Pokemon is one of the most dangerous set-up sweepers in the meta.

Kartana @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Leaf Blade
- Sacred Sword
- Smart Strike
- Psycho Cut / Night Slash / X-Scissor
Kartana also has immense potential in a Choice Scarf variant. Although it doesn't have pivot options, with access to 181 Base Attack + Moxie, it doesn't really make much of a difference. With its incredible speed tier as well, there aren't many practical threats that can switch into or even just manage this Pokemon. Plus, if it gets +1 Attack and you don't have something that can OHKO/Outspeed/Resist/Can survive a hit and phase/revenge kill it, you might as well click 'x' because there is basically nothing you can do to stop it. This is definitely a Pokemon that should be ready for the chopping block when the Gen 7 mechanics are implemented into Monotype.

Speed Tiers

525 / Latios, Espeon / 110 / +Spe / 252 / +1
522 / Kartana / 109 / +Spe / 252 / +1
522 / Gyarados, Mega Gyarados / 81 / Neutral / 252 / +2
519 / Terrakion, Keldeo / 108 / +Spe / 252 / +1
518 / Dragonite / 80 / Neutral / 252 / +2
508 / Mega Sharpedo / 105 / +Spe / 252 / +1
504 / Deoxys-Speed / 180 / +Spe / 252 / 0

 

[Inwhale]

I am also of the opinion that calling for bans before the ladder is actually released on anything not blatantly broken is ridiculous. That being said, i do believe that there is no need for waiting to see if pheromosa is broken in the new meta on ladder, and can be banned before release. With the others though, I would definitely hold my horses, as there are some, often glaring problems with most of them.

 

[nv]

While I have only really dabbled in Monotype throughout XY/ORAS, I do plan on trying to learn / engage more in SM Monotype because quite a few new Pokemon look really interesting for certain types (

in particular looks like the first type I might try since it has a few new tools to mess around with) plus quite a lot of old Pokemon gained buffs that could potentially give them niches in their respective types.

Bug Monotype looks FUN!!!

Araquanid

Stats: 68/70/92/50/132/42
Abilities: Water Bubble / Water Absorb

This little guy brings so much to the table for Bug Mono as it finally gives them a solid Fire resist, a burn absorber, AND a powerful Water-type attacker all thanks to its wonderful ability, Water Bubble. Furthermore, its defensive stats are pretty decent considering its lack of offenses outside of its Water STAB. Lack of recovery outside of STAB Leech Life hurts it, but for the most part, Araquanid will definitely become a staple on Bug Mono teams as they won't have to use Volcarona as their sole Fire resist any more, allowing them to have more breathing room vs. Fire Mono teams and giving them what is sure to be a top mon for the Bug type.

Ribombee

Stats: 60/55/60/90/75/124
Abilities: Honey Gather / Shield Dust / Sweet Veil

Ribombee will probably be potent on both Bug and Fairy Monos just because of its blazing 124 Speed. Sweet Veil can allow it to act as a sleep absorber while Shield Dust can help set up on more passive things such as Scald users. It can be good on Bug Mono as it is one of the fastest Bug types (faster than Scolipede!!!), has access to U-turn to give it pivoting abilities, and helps vs. Dragon a lot easier since they now have a way to stop them from spamming their main STAB. That being said, it is fairly frail and tends to stack a lot of weaknesses with already good Bug Pokemon such as Scizor, Mega Pinsir, and so on which means it may be hard to fit on a team.

Old Mons, New Buffs

Stats: 60/50/100/95/70/65
Abilities: Keen Eye/Drizzle/Rain Dish

Pelipper will become the new Drizzle user for Water Monotypes because it is better than Politoed in so many ways. It has access to Roost for reliable recovery, it has U-turn to pivot into threats that Water Monorain tend to run especially since Pelipper is somewhat slow with base 65 Speed. Furthermore, it got a Special Attack boost in Sun and Moon, allowing it to hit hard with 100% accurate Hurricanes and boosted Hydro Pumps.

Hail is bound to be very potent now in Monotype due to Ice being such a good offensive typing. With Slush Rush being introduced, as well as new weather setters, Hail Offense is bound to allow Ice Monos to hopefully thrive in the Monotype metagame. Particularly Alolan Ninetales and Alolan Sandslash will be really interesting as they bring new secondary types to Ice Monos with Fairy and Steel respectively. In fact, with its secondary Steel typing, Alolan Sandslash can become the premier hazard remover as it is immune to TSpikes and takes neutral damage from Stealth Rock, potentially opening up avenues for the type that haven't been used before.

I am pretty sure I missed out on a few things (not knowing the ORAS Mono meta doesn't help lol) but I saw these and had to comment on them because they seem like important points to note whenever the SM Mono meta settles down.

 

[Eien]

I want to share another great team that I created and have been loving recently: Sticky Web HO Grass. People have already started discussing Kartana's power, and with Sticky Web, Kartana can outspeed just about everything in the metagame except for Alolan Raichu, Kingdra, and Excadrill in their respective weathers. Obviously, this is a problem given the current state of the metagame, but I'm expecting certain things to change regarding those three, and I think Kartana's got the potential to just run through teams even right now. The name of the game is simple: setup your support and go to town.

The key to the team is pretty obvious: Sticky Web. Unfortunately, Sticky Web can only be set up by Leavanny, which is really not a good Pokemon at all. It does have Knock Off utility, and I've actually added Toxic on it just to punish Defoggers. Leaf Blade is the best STAB move because it's boosted by Grassy Terrain and hits Ground- and Water-types for a lot. Sure, Grass teams beat those types naturally, but honestly X-Scissor does like 0 to anything relevant right now. Leavanny's job is really just to set up Sticky Web and disappear. Poor thing doesn't even get Taunt.

Backing up the speed control, Tapu Bulu's rocking that "wonderful" Terrain Extender I talked about in my last post. Tapu Bulu really gives Kartana a run for its money, as Wood Hammer actually outdamages non-Life Orb Kartana's Leaf Blade. Tapu Bulu's just taking names with Swords Dance and coverage in Stone Edge and Superpower. With Sticky Webs reducing Speed, Tapu Bulu's Grassy Terrain boosts damage. We basically gave a free Choice Scarf and a free Choice Band to every Pokemon on our team. Tapu Bulu's really got great natural bulk, so using Swords Dance isn't that painful at all, especially with Sticky Web slowing down a lot of potential threats. Even without Terrain Extender, Tapu Bulu's no slouch. We just added another offensive, stand-alone threat with Life Orb or Choice Band.

The two stars are Kartana and Serperior. Thanks to Beast Boost and Contrary, both of them absolutely excel at sweeping teams. With Grassy Terrain, they both get a solid kickstart to their damage and Sticky Web makes it incredibly difficult to revenge kill them. I've been playing around with a ton of different sets here, and if you all want to give this core a try, I'd definitely love your feedback. Swords Dance Kartana can just devastate some teams from the get-go, but I've dabbled in Choice Scarf Kartana as well Yes, in spite of the Sticky Web! Kartana cannot beat the weather abusers or Choice Scarf Pheromosa without Choice Scarf and being able to outspeed without Sticky Web active is huge. It doesn't help that, even though its movepool is garbage, it's actually pretty hard to choose the coverage you want. Serperior is also quite difficult to figure out. SubSeed with Grassy Terrain is actually hilariously ridiculous, but it's a set that's definitely not going to work without Terrain Extender. Glare is the support move I prefer on my 3 attacks sets, just because if I can Glare fast checks that Serperior can't beat, Kartana can probably just finish the job, but I'm sure Substitute is great as well. Unless you happen to have Charizard or defensive Aegislash, have fun defensively stopping a Grassy Terrain-boosted Serperior racking up those boosts.

Just to show you how powerful these Pokemon are, check this out:
Even without a damage-boosting item, Tapu Bulu has a 75% chance to OHKO Zapdos with Stone Edge or with +2 Wood Hammer. Life Orb Tapu Bulu always 2HKOes bulky Zygarde-Complete with Wood Hammer. It's not even super effective. Don't sleep on this monster 'cause Zygarde's not waking up.(For other related fun, +2 Superpower is a 2HKO on Skarmory even after the stat drop)

Serperior almost always 2HKOes fast Zapdos (every Electric Zapdos is fast) with Leaf Storm, starting at +0 and without any prior damage. It also 2HKOes Aegislash if it lacks Special Defense investment all the time.

Kartana at +2 always OHKOes Zapdos and can even OHKO bulky Zygarde-Complete while never being 2HKOed by +1 Thousand Arrows. +2 Night Slash can OHKO Mega Charizard Y and Aegislash, while +2 Smart Strike can actually beat Magearna and Mega Venusaur.

But wait, there's more! I've been experimenting a lot with Silvally, and I think it's a godsend for this team. Silvally has very respectable 95 / 95 / 95 bulk that barely falls short of the likes of Mew and Jirachi. Furthermore, Silvally gets Parting Shot, which is pretty much the best pivoting move in the game. Parting Shot is especially good because it lets Silvally not just pivot into Kartana and Serperior, they've basically got a free turn with the foe at -1 / -1. Silvally also comes with Thunder Wave and Toxic support, letting you cripple basically any threat whether it's offensive or defensive.

I definitely wouldn't miss the chance to play a few games with this fun and very different style. Let me know your thoughts! This team challenges Ground, Water, and Fairy, three of the best types, while only losing to Fire and Steel (not even all the time too).

 

[readyletsgo]

Serperior almost always 2HKOes fast Zapdos (every Electric Zapdos is fast) with Leaf Storm, starting at +0 and without any prior damage. It also 2HKOes Aegislash if it lacks Special Defense investment all the time.

Define "fast"?

Also who is the 6th poke for your team?

 

[Eien]

Define "fast"?

Also who is the 6th poke for your team?

Fast Zapdos is the 252 HP / 148 SpD / 108 Spe EV spread with a Calm nature. It's the standard spread with Heat Wave that hits 263 to Speed creep Jolly Breloom and Bisharp.

The 6th is really something I've been changing a lot, so I wanted to leave it open for people to decide. Right now the team lacks Stealth Rock, so pretty much the only options are Ferrothorn, Cradily, and Celebi. The first two are incredibly slow and lose a lot of momentum, so I've been mainly using Celebi. Some people have mentioned trying this awesome suicide Ferrothorn set with Focus Sash + Explosion, but honestly I'm not that wild lol. Stealth Rock Celebi is really nice. I was using LO when I had Choice Scarf Kartana on the team. Hilariously, I'm now using this absolutely ugly Choice Scarf Celebi set with Stealth Rock, so maybe I am actually that wild.

As the current metagame stands, in most current matchups, Stealth Rock isn't actually vital and I found myself not using it very often even when I was using LO Celebi. (It's not very useful vs Ground, Electric, Water, Steel, or Fairy) I tested Mega Sceptile in the final slot, which means not having Stealth Rock at all, because it does barely outspeed Surge Surfer Alolan Raichu thanks to Sticky Web. It's interesting because it can carry Hidden Power Fire + Focus Blast to check Steel-types, leaving Serperior open to using Hidden Power Rock to check Mega Charizard Y and it's not shabby at all itself, able to take out Mega Charizard X with Dragon Pulse. But voluntarily not having Stealth Rock feels wrong as a builder, so I've dropped it. I might revisit it, though. Mega Sceptile was also nice because Lightning Rod really messes up Electric teams. Mega Venusaur was another option I've been recommended, but I think it's way too slow to fit.

 

[Dece1t]

Fast Zapdos is the 252 HP / 148 SpD / 108 Spe EV spread with a Calm nature. It's the standard spread with Heat Wave that hits 263 to Speed creep Jolly Breloom and Bisharp.

The 6th is really something I've been changing a lot, so I wanted to leave it open for people to decide. Right now the team lacks Stealth Rock, so pretty much the only options are Ferrothorn, Cradily, and Celebi. The first two are incredibly slow and lose a lot of momentum, so I've been mainly using Celebi. Some people have mentioned trying this awesome suicide Ferrothorn set with Focus Sash + Explosion, but honestly I'm not that wild lol. Stealth Rock Celebi is really nice. I was using LO when I had Choice Scarf Kartana on the team. Hilariously, I'm now using this absolutely ugly Choice Scarf Celebi set with Stealth Rock, so maybe I am actually that wild.

As the current metagame stands, in most current matchups, Stealth Rock isn't actually vital and I found myself not using it very often even when I was using LO Celebi. (It's not very useful vs Ground, Electric, Water, Steel, or Fairy) I tested Mega Sceptile in the final slot, which means not having Stealth Rock at all, because it does barely outspeed Surge Surfer Alolan Raichu thanks to Sticky Web. It's interesting because it can carry Hidden Power Fire + Focus Blast to check Steel-types, leaving Serperior open to using Hidden Power Rock to check Mega Charizard Y and it's not shabby at all itself, able to take out Mega Charizard X with Dragon Pulse. But voluntarily not having Stealth Rock feels wrong as a builder, so I've dropped it. I might revisit it, though. Mega Sceptile was also nice because Lightning Rod really messes up Electric teams. Mega Venusaur was another option I've been recommended, but I think it's way too slow to fit.

For the last slot, you could always try Dhelmise! Why am I suggesting that? Well, there's a couple things you can benefit from with using this guy: a Spin-blocker, and you also get a trapper. This can really help against teams that don't rely on Defog as much, primarily Fire and Bug (which Grass is weak to). The ability to completely trap a specific threat with Anchor Shot as well may be useful to have; for example I can see this being a good answer to Aegislash since you mentioned that was a threat to your team. Otherwise, I think your idea is brilliant, and I may give it a whirl myself to see what else I can come up with! :)

 

[zolaski]

yea, SM start "meta" is pretty fun, indeed. With new mons Steel gets, Steel Stall/Semi-Stall/Cancer (or call it as u like) seems rly cool and kinda broken.

All we know this mon is pretty good, I saw people running it with 3 Attacks plus King Shield or Weakness Policy, but what about SpDef SubToxic? It's a great wall and can mindblow ur opponent with King Shield, Subsitute and Toxic, the 4th Move is filler (Shadow Ball, Shadow Sneak or Pursuit), run Leftovers as item. This thing can do something in every matchup, Electric, Fairy (lol click x), Bug (yea only Volcarona can deal with this thing), Ground (help with scouting and toxic gastrodon and hippodown, lando-t can't OKHO) and even Fire. Try it before it gettin' banned oml.

I have a Skarmory, I have a Ferrothorn, Uh! Celesteela!

Steel/Flying solid double-type, BS 100 in 5 stats, Leech Seed, rly gud coverage and you have Celesteela. You can run it with many sets thanks to his movepool, but in Stall you will run Leech Seed + Sub/Protect/3 attacks, with Defensive Spread and EVs to outspeed 0 Spe Heatran and OKHO it with EQ. With Specially Defensive Spread it walls most ground types, which helps so much.

huh, doesn't this just 6-0 Dark?

It gets a gud double type (isn't everything with Steel good?) and cool support/pivot movepool : Pain Split, Yellow Magic, Heart Swap (steals boost), Volt Switch and Dual Screen. This Pokemon is mostly for checking Dark types and Special Wallbreakers.

Classic core, lazy to explain.

(any filler bulky steel mon)

Scizor Defogs + Momentum U-Turn + Priority. Steelix brings Electric immunity, ground stab and great physical tanks. Magnezone + Weakness Policy beats Cancer Water or Scarf/Specs it, check electric. Jirachi can Wish, setup SR, Momentum and haxx. Empoleon checks Fire, Defogs, utility. (I'd rather Steelix here)

gj u wall almost the meta now.

"Aegislash is gettin' banned soon" hey try doublade resttalk and come back.

I try'd a build and it's actually good, the only things that beat Stall Steel are Fire (you still can run Protect on Heatran and mindgame, lol!), Ground (click gravity = gg), Cancer Water (Azu + Empoleon f) and Electric if no Shed Shell Ferro (shoutouts dusk raimon), that is it.

2 mins sample

Celesteela @ Leftovers
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 240 HP / 128 SpD / 140 Spe
Careful Nature
- Leech Seed
- Heavy Slam
- Flamethrower
- Earthquake

Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 244 HP / 24 Atk / 240 SpD
Calm Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Lava Plume
- Stone Edge
- Earth Power

Aegislash @ Leftovers
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute
- King's Shield
- Toxic
- Shadow Ball

Ferrothorn @ Shed Shell
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 80 Def / 176 SpD
Impish Nature
- Protect
- Thunder Wave
- Power Whip
- Leech Seed

Magearna @ Leftovers
Ability: Soul-Heart
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Heart Swap
- Thunder Wave
- Fleur Cannon
- Pain Split

Scizor @ Scizorite
Ability: Light Metal
EVs: 248 HP / 60 Def / 200 SpD
Impish Nature
- Defog
- Roost
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn

(many sets could be changed here, Fast Stallbreaker Heatran, SR on ferro, mixed wall magearna, sd scizor, ect.)

[inserting random replays here, soon]
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7pokebankou-481109946 mirror matchup #1
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7pokebankanythinggoes-481160107 cancer water

 

[Wanka]

So yeah steel is like REALLY fucking good after the release and I built this dippity dope squad that I will now bless you all with XD.

throw hands nigga

Excadrill @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Rock Slide
- Rapid Spin

Aegislash @ Ghostium Z
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 248 HP / 56 Def / 204 SpA
Quiet Nature
- King's Shield
- Shadow Ball
- Shadow Sneak
- Sacred Sword

Metagross-Mega @ Metagrossite
Ability: Tough Claws
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Meteor Mash
- Ice Punch
- Thunder Punch
- Zen Headbutt

Heatran @ Air Balloon
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 248 HP / 180 SpD / 80 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Lava Plume
- Toxic
- Earth Power

Skarmory @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 232 Def / 24 Spe
Impish Nature
- Brave Bird
- Roost
- Whirlwind
- Spikes

Kartana @ Choice Band
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Leaf Blade
- Smart Strike
- X-Scissor
- Sacred Sword

so yeah steel has access to so many good mons, you really have to try not to build a good team lmao. I wanted to use kartana really badly because the speed and base 181 attack was very attractive. I think it is one of the worst out of the Ultra beasts, but it's still really good and pretty strong. It doesn't learn a move over 100bp, which makes it kinda weak so I thought throwing a choice band on it to give it initial power would help out a bit. One minor note is that im running sacred sword to hit shit like coba and heatran because I have mega gross so I don't need psycho cut. I still like using skarm over cele because roost and spikes are hard for me to pass up. Aegi has been the one pokemon I've found that I can actually afford to use its z move item, which is p cool. I just tossed max spA on it and then gave it ghostium so I could have a physical nuke in the back. Bolt beam mega gross is nice for the coverage and a fast mon that helps vs fighting. Scarf drill is there to give me a good chance against the most prevalent type rn being elecritc.


Balance bug is also lit af now.

your gf's booty

Pheromosa @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- U-turn
- High Jump Kick
- Ice Beam
- Bug Buzz

Armaldo @ Leftovers
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 248 HP / 240 Atk / 20 SpD
Careful Nature
- Stone Edge
- Knock Off
- Rapid Spin
- Stealth Rock

Volcarona @ Lum Berry
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Quiver Dance
- Fire Blast
- Bug Buzz
- Giga Drain

Scizor-Mega @ Scizorite
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 44 Def / 200 SpD
Impish Nature
- Swords Dance
- Bullet Punch
- Roost
- Bug Bite

Araquanid @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Bubble
EVs: 248 HP / 84 Def / 176 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Scald
- Toxic

Forretress @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Gyro Ball
- Volt Switch
- Rapid Spin
- Toxic Spikes

Yung Clearly helped me make dis and I actually really like using it and it's not bad tbh. araquanid is the mon that this type has been wanting and needing for 92469 gens. Water bubble lets is check victini/stall out its v creates and it also checks zard Y. Double spin core takes it from there and sets and keeps off hazards. Bulky mega zor also helps out the backbone with as it can check a decent amount of threats with access to roost. All the haters out there are gunna say scarf phero is bad, but with a slow ass team like this u gotta have something to check set up sweepers and weather now that the rocks are unbanned. The main goal is too just kinda wear shit down with hazards, status, and u turn to a point where either volc or scizor is gunna clean. Kinda nice that bug got to use a whole new archetype.

Edit: Armaldo evs are fucked up e.e It should have 216+ spD


I look like an african child at birth.

scp edit: fixed a typo.

 

[Misaka Mikoto]

Well, I'm nervous in posting this. It's still under development and I'm constantly doing modifications on this team.

Okay so...I've been doing a bunch of testing for the last couple of days and:

Trick Room Ghost
​

I've always had a soft spot for Ghost-types even if they weren't much of a "great" type to begin with since I joined Monotype. I grew accustomed to playing and fiddling with the type here and there to somehow make it work for my own benefit. I'm not used to sharing teams in front of a bunch of people so here goes:
__________________________
Why use Trick Room Ghost?
__________________________
Well, with a bunch of players are using faster Pokemon right now. Actually...they've always been and the majority of Ghost-types are slow besides Gengar, the irrelevant Mismagius, Oricorio-Sensu with no Defog, and the mediocre 80 base Speed Chandelure. It has always been a thing but more as so underrated because let's face it, Trick Room is such a gimmicky move to function with because it lacks consistency compared to a more balanced or offensive build for Ghost-types. For singles, you basically have 4 turns to do whatever you want after setting up the move itself, which is why it works better in Doubles because the partner benefits off it. But anyway, I wanted to separate myself from more simple and standard builds and trying to input EVs to outspeed others so I just wanted to use something that's much more fun and that I can use to my advantage.
_________________________
Short introduction to the team?
_________________________
The main job is to set Trick Room so that your offensive teammates can start dealing damage. You have two Trick Room setters, which are Cofagrigus and Jellicent both of which are nice bulky Pokemon in tanking attacks. Hoopa is your wallbreaker. Alolan Marowak is also your wallbreaker and Stealth Rock user. Mega Sableye is your utility Pokemon (not Calm Mind sweeper. I see that set as outclassed right now because of all the new threats). Aegislash is your wallbreaker or it can be your ToxicStall teammate as well.
_________________________
In depth explanation of the team?
_________________________

Cofagrigus is one of your Trick Room setters of course. Despite its low health stat, it has excellent Defense and Special Defense stat, being able to tank from both attackers alike. Its ability also comes in handy because any contact that's made changes their ability. Say...Scizor Bullet Punches. Mummy activates and it loses Technician. It's often proven to be a reliable Toxic Spikes setter to shorten longevity and put your opposing team into KO range from its teammates. Of course Shadow Ball will be your main option for attacking. You can go for either Custap Berry to guarantee a Destiny Bond before fainting or run Leftovers (thinking of replacing it with Gourigest instead). I recommend maximum HP and Defensive EVs and a Relaxed nature.

Hoopa is my wallbreaker providing great coverage moves such as Focus Blast, Thunderbolt and Energy Ball to check several types in the metagame. You would want to run Psyshock for things such as Calm or Careful Mega Venusaur (which is able to OHKO after Stealth Rock damage with Life Orb + Quiet nature) and Shadow Ball to beat Psychic- and opposing Ghost-types both reliable STAB moves. Focus Blast mainly targets Dark- and Steel-types and OHKOes Hydreigon. Energy Ball mainly for annoying Ground-types that start to become annoying and deals with Water-types a bit easier.

Jellicent is my special wall and second Trick Room setter. I sometimes switch between Cursed Body to disable their attack and Water Absorb for water immunity to replenish any loss health or absorb any Scald spams that could possibly burn me. I beginning to consider Cursed Body now because of burns only dealing 6% damage now and you're holding Leftovers to recover it back then again, I like building an immunity core and Jellicent helps with not only the other teammates but most importantly to keep Alolan Marowak from taking any damage too. I also run Toxic on it just in case I'm unable to set up Toxic Spikes or my opponent has Defog them away. Scald being useful for burning physical attackers or those with no recovery whatsoever. Lastly, Recover to gain back any health I lost

Alolan Marowak is another one of my wallbreakers on the team. I was kind of bummed out that it still retains the same stats as regular Marowak but oh well I can make use of its awful Speed then. Originally, I used to utilize Rock Head because you know, Flare Blitz + Thick Club + Adamant / STAB dealing a lot of damage to anything that don't resist the move with a burn chance. Then I realized I have no Electric immunity after removing Golurk from my team. So I replaced Rock Head with Lightning Rod instead and this still benefits Jellicent from taking any damage dealt towards it and Alolan Marowak gets a free switch-in. I kind of like Alolan Marowak over Golurk because Lightning Rod surprises your opponents or they often forget that's one of its abilities in the first place. Alolan Marowak is my Stealth Rock supporter over Golurk to wear down opposing teams and get them towards KO range. I don't like using Flare Blitz because that just shortens your longevity, especially if entry hazards are on your field or the fact you'll need it later-game so I choose Fire Punch. Shadow Bone is good for getting a possible Defense drop on the foe. With how hax has been when I'm using Ghost teams, it's pretty effective to say the least and it has no contact. Earthquake being a useful check to Fire- and Poison-types as well. Overall, you still have one Pokemon immune to Electric-type attacks and equipped with a Thick Club to deal double the damage on other foes.

Mega Sableye is pretty much my way of keeping entry hazards off my field. It's just so great in providing support for Ghost-type teams with its movepool and Magic Bounce ability. I'm not 100% on what'll happen to Mega Sableye when the metagame settles in because it loses a lot of utility with Prankster after Mega Evolving because Pokemon get their speed boost and their ability changes after doing so, burn isn't 12% anymore, Prankster not affecting Dark-types anymore, and much more. Anyway, I prefer the Foul Play set over Calm Mind because after several tries, Mega Sableye just doesn't have the time to set up and with a lot of threats / new Fairy-types and nerfs for Generation 7, there will need to be some time to wait for the metagame to relax. Foul Play is really helpful in checking threats that tend to set up Swords Dance or just those that have a great Attack stat. Recover to gain loss damage back, Will-O-Wisp to cripple physical attackers and just stall against those that can't recover, and I'm making some good use of Taunt when I haven't Mega Evolved yet. Its bulk is too great to ignore. It's a Battle Spot Singles set I used a while back and it's still doing well for me.

Lastly, Aegislash. It felt like it has been forever since I used this Pokemon on Ghost teams and really enjoy the role it offers to the team. One of them being the Substitute + Toxic set I used earlier, which really comes in handy when you're running that along with Mega Sableye and Jellicent. Plus the immunity core is pretty good, which keeps Aegislash alive for a later game. Leftovers + Kings Shield to recover 12% of your health. Substitute to utilize as a way to protect yourself from any incoming attack or non-damaging move. Then you have Shadow Ball for STAB. I began to use Weakness Policy on Aegislash so it can retaliate to opposing Pokemon when hit by a super effective move. I realized I need a Fairy check so I decided to update on Aegislash by giving it Flash Cannon. I'm still fiddling around with it too because both sets are really good on it. I'll be abusing it as much as I can before it gets banned.

Overall, you have Jellicent and Alolan Marowak having an immunity core with Alolan Marowak switching into Electric-type attacks because of Lightning Rod and Jellicent having Water immunity thanks to Water Absorb, Alolan Marowak setting Stealth Rock and still can hit hard with Thick Club as its item, Jellicent being your bulky special wall and utilizing Trick Room, Aegislash immune to Poison and a switch-in to Fairy-types along with other types that its Steel typing resists along with utilizing its typing for Substitute + Toxic, Mega Sableye being your Psychic immunity Pokemon and provide support for the team with Will-O-Wisp, Taunt, and Magic Bounce, Cofagrigus setting up Trick Room and providing Toxic Spikes support along with a chance to defeat a potential threat with Destiny Bond, and Hoopa just making great use of its coverage moves. Trick Room is just not as consistent but I still manage to use it well in a way I guess.

____________________
Honorable mentions:
____________________

Dhelmise was enjoyable to use. I just slapped a Choice Band on it, gave it Brave nature, and lastly Gyro Ball, Power Whip, Shadow Claw, and Anchor Shot. I managed to almost beat Czim with it under Trick Room and swept a poison team with it.


http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7pokebankubers-481001316 I managed to have one replay but I don't think it was good (tour replay). I should have saved the others but I thought about that while making this post. This was all before I made use of Custap Berry Cofag.

I was close to beating steel finals if the guy didn't burned Aegi with Flamethrower Genesect (was in KO range for a Shadow Sneak after Shadow Ball hit).



Thank you Clearly for lending me that ghost team a month ago. It really inspired me while I laddered a lot with the team to try something underrated with the type and put a lot of effort into testing to see what functions better as of early Gen 7.

A thank you to MiyoKa for using a Trick Room Ghost team so I can brush up upon what I should use and encouraging me a little bit to post this. I'll try Gourigest though.

Lastly, thank you to Fírnen Zarif Oberyn terrors czim Tyke Izaya. Mateeus_1 and many others (too many people I tested this team with) who accepted my challenges or challenged for me to test my team, I appreciate it!

Hide

Cofagrigus @ Custap Berry
Ability: Mummy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Trick Room
- Destiny Bond
- Shadow Ball
- Toxic Spikes

Hoopa @ Life Orb
Ability: Magician
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Shadow Ball
- Psyshock
- Energy Ball
- Focus Blast

Jellicent @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Trick Room
- Recover
- Scald
- Toxic

Marowak-Alola @ Thick Club
Ability: Lightning Rod
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
IVs: 0 Spe
Brave Nature
- Fire Punch
- Shadow Bone
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock

Sableye @ Sablenite
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 204 Def / 52 SpD
Impish Nature
- Recover
- Foul Play
- Taunt
- Will-O-Wisp

Aegislash @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Stance Change
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Shadow Ball
- Flash Cannon
- Shadow Sneak
- King's Shield

Apologies if some things I said seem out of...place. Rushed this so I can get back on homework! x.x

 

[Hammy]

Well, I'm nervous in posting this. It's still under development and I'm constantly doing modifications on this team.

Okay so...I've been doing a bunch of testing for the last couple of days and:

Trick Room Ghost
​

I've always had a soft spot for Ghost-types even if they weren't much of a "great" type to begin with since I joined Monotype. I grew accustomed to playing and fiddling with the type here and there to somehow make it work for my own benefit. I'm not used to sharing teams in front of a bunch of people so here goes:
__________________________
Why use Trick Room Ghost?
__________________________
Well, with a bunch of players are using faster Pokemon right now. Actually...they've always been and the majority of Ghost-types are slow besides Gengar, the irrelevant Mismagius, Oricorio-Sensu with no Defog, and the mediocre 80 base Speed Chandelure. It has always been a thing but more as so underrated because let's face it, Trick Room is such a gimmicky move to function with because it lacks consistency compared to a more balanced or offensive build for Ghost-types. For singles, you basically have 4 turns to do whatever you want after setting up the move itself, which is why it works better in Doubles because the partner benefits off it. But anyway, I wanted to separate myself from more simple and standard builds and trying to input EVs to outspeed others so I just wanted to use something that's much more fun and that I can use to my advantage.
_________________________
Short introduction to the team?
_________________________
The main job is to set Trick Room so that your offensive teammates can start dealing damage. You have two Trick Room setters, which are Cofagrigus and Jellicent both of which are nice bulky Pokemon in tanking attacks. Hoopa is your wallbreaker. Alolan Marowak is also your wallbreaker and Stealth Rock user. Mega Sableye is your utility Pokemon (not Calm Mind sweeper. I see that set as outclassed right now because of all the new threats). Aegislash is your wallbreaker or it can be your ToxicStall teammate as well.
_________________________
In depth explanation of the team?
_________________________

Cofagrigus is one of your Trick Room setters of course. Despite its low health stat, it has excellent Defense and Special Defense stat, being able to tank from both attackers alike. Its ability also comes in handy because any contact that's made changes their ability. Say...Scizor Bullet Punches. Mummy activates and it loses Technician. It's often proven to be a reliable Toxic Spikes setter to shorten longevity and put your opposing team into KO range from its teammates. Of course Shadow Ball will be your main option for attacking. You can go for either Custap Berry to guarantee a Trick Room set up (or if you set up Trick Room already and under 25% you could also use Destiny Bond) before fainting or run Leftovers (thinking of replacing it with Gourigest instead). I recommend maximum HP and Defensive EVs and a Relaxed nature.

Hoopa is my wallbreaker providing great coverage moves such as Focus Blast, Thunderbolt and Energy Ball to check several types in the metagame. You would want to run Psyshock for things such as Calm or Careful Mega Venusaur (which is able to OHKO after Stealth Rock damage with Life Orb + Quiet nature) and Shadow Ball to beat Psychic- and opposing Ghost-types both reliable STAB moves. Focus Blast mainly targets Dark- and Steel-types and OHKOes Hydreigon. Energy Ball mainly for annoying Ground-types that start to become annoying and deals with Water-types a bit easier.

Jellicent is my special wall and second Trick Room setter. I sometimes switch between Cursed Body to disable their attack and Water Absorb for water immunity to replenish any loss health or absorb any Scald spams that could possibly burn me. I beginning to consider Cursed Body now because of burns only dealing 6% damage now and you're holding Leftovers to recover it back then again, I like building an immunity core and Jellicent helps with not only the other teammates but most importantly to keep Alolan Marowak from taking any damage too. I also run Toxic on it just in case I'm unable to set up Toxic Spikes or my opponent has Defog them away. Scald being useful for burning physical attackers or those with no recovery whatsoever. Lastly, Recover to gain back any health I lost

Alolan Marowak is another one of my wallbreakers on the team. I was kind of bummed out that it still retains the same stats as regular Marowak but oh well I can make use of its awful Speed then. Originally, I used to utilize Rock Head because you know, Flare Blitz + Thick Club + Adamant / STAB dealing a lot of damage to anything that don't resist the move with a burn chance. Then I realized I have no Electric immunity after removing Golurk from my team. So I replaced Rock Head with Lightning Rod instead and this still benefits Jellicent from taking any damage dealt towards it and Alolan Marowak gets a free switch-in. I kind of like Alolan Marowak over Golurk because Lightning Rod surprises your opponents or they often forget that's one of its abilities in the first place. Alolan Marowak is my Stealth Rock supporter over Golurk to wear down opposing teams and get them towards KO range. I don't like using Flare Blitz because that just shortens your longevity, especially if entry hazards are on your field or the fact you'll need it later-game so I choose Fire Punch. Shadow Bone is good for getting a possible Defense drop on the foe. With how hax has been when I'm using Ghost teams, it's pretty effective to say the least and it has no contact. Earthquake being a useful check to Fire- and Poison-types as well. Overall, you still have one Pokemon immune to Electric-type attacks and equipped with a Thick Club to deal double the damage on other foes.

Mega Sableye is pretty much my way of keeping entry hazards off my field. It's just so great in providing support for Ghost-type teams with its movepool and Magic Bounce ability. I'm not 100% on what'll happen to Mega Sableye when the metagame settles in because it loses a lot of utility with Prankster after Mega Evolving because Pokemon get their speed boost and their ability changes after doing so, burn isn't 12% anymore, Prankster not affecting Dark-types anymore, and much more. Anyway, I prefer the Foul Play set over Calm Mind because after several tries, Mega Sableye just doesn't have the time to set up and with a lot of threats / new Fairy-types and nerfs for Generation 7, there will need to be some time to wait for the metagame to relax. Foul Play is really helpful in checking threats that tend to set up Swords Dance or just those that have a great Attack stat. Recover to gain loss damage back, Will-O-Wisp to cripple physical attackers and just stall against those that can't recover, and I'm making some good use of Taunt when I haven't Mega Evolved yet. Its bulk is too great to ignore. It's a Battle Spot Singles set I used a while back and it's still doing well for me.

Lastly, Aegislash. It felt like it has been forever since I used this Pokemon on Ghost teams and really enjoy the role it offers to the team. One of them being the Substitute + Toxic set I used earlier, which really comes in handy when you're running that along with Mega Sableye and Jellicent. Plus the immunity core is pretty good, which keeps Aegislash alive for a later game. Leftovers + Kings Shield to recover 12% of your health. Substitute to utilize as a way to protect yourself from any incoming attack or non-damaging move. Then you have Shadow Ball for STAB. I began to use Weakness Policy on Aegislash so it can retaliate to opposing Pokemon when hit by a super effective move. I realized I need a Fairy check so I decided to update on Aegislash by giving it Flash Cannon. I'm still fiddling around with it too because both sets are really good on it. I'll be abusing it as much as I can before it gets banned.

Overall, you have Jellicent and Alolan Marowak having an immunity core with Alolan Marowak switching into Electric-type attacks because of Lightning Rod and Jellicent having Water immunity thanks to Water Absorb, Alolan Marowak setting Stealth Rock and still can hit hard with Thick Club as its item, Jellicent being your bulky special wall and utilizing Trick Room, Aegislash immune to Poison and a switch-in to Fairy-types along with other types that its Steel typing resists along with utilizing its typing for Substitute + Toxic, Mega Sableye being your Psychic immunity Pokemon and provide support for the team with Will-O-Wisp, Taunt, and Magic Bounce, Cofagrigus setting up Trick Room and providing Toxic Spikes support along with a chance to defeat a potential threat with Destiny Bond, and Hoopa just making great use of its coverage moves. Trick Room is just not as consistent but I still manage to use it well in a way I guess.

____________________
Honorable mentions:
____________________

Dhelmise was enjoyable to use. I just slapped a Choice Band on it, gave it Brave nature, and lastly Gyro Ball, Power Whip, Shadow Claw, and Anchor Shot. I managed to almost beat Czim with it under Trick Room and swept a poison team with it.


http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7pokebankubers-481001316 I managed to have one replay but I don't think it was good (tour replay). I should have saved the others but I thought about that while making this post. This was all before I made use of Custap Berry Cofag.

I was close to beating steel finals if the guy didn't burned Aegi with Flamethrower Genesect (was in KO range for a Shadow Sneak after Shadow Ball hit).



Thank you Clearly for lending me that ghost team a month ago. It really inspired me while I laddered a lot with the team to try something underrated with the type and put a lot of effort into testing to see what functions better as of early Gen 7.

A thank you to MiyoKa for using a Trick Room Ghost team so I can brush up upon what I should use and encouraging me a little bit to post this. I'll try Gourigest though.

Lastly, thank you to Fírnen Zarif Oberyn terrors czim Tyke Izaya. Mateeus_1 and many others (too many people I tested this team with) who accepted my challenges or challenged for me to test my team, I appreciate it!

Hide

Cofagrigus @ Custap Berry
Ability: Mummy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Trick Room
- Destiny Bond
- Shadow Ball
- Toxic Spikes

Hoopa @ Life Orb
Ability: Magician
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Shadow Ball
- Psyshock
- Energy Ball
- Focus Blast

Jellicent @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Trick Room
- Recover
- Scald
- Toxic

Marowak-Alola @ Thick Club
Ability: Lightning Rod
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
IVs: 0 Spe
Brave Nature
- Fire Punch
- Shadow Bone
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock

Sableye @ Sablenite
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 204 Def / 52 SpD
Impish Nature
- Recover
- Foul Play
- Taunt
- Will-O-Wisp

Aegislash @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Stance Change
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Shadow Ball
- Flash Cannon
- Shadow Sneak
- King's Shield

Apologies if some things I said seem out of...place. Rushed this so I can get back on homework! x.x

I really dig the team but you may want to change custap berry because it actually doesn't give you a suicide trick room but if you want to keep it as a suicide destiny bond or something thats fine. Unfortunately trick room is -7 priority so it doesn't trigger from custap berry which is dumb but I definitely think your teams cool and I will be using this team!

 

[Misaka Mikoto]

I really dig the team but you may want to change custap berry because it actually doesn't give you a suicide trick room but if you want to keep it as a suicide destiny bond or something thats fine. Unfortunately trick room is -7 priority so it doesn't trigger from custap berry which is dumb but I definitely think your teams cool and I will be using this team!

Then you can pretty much change it to Leftovers what I originally used for it.

e: I'll keep that in mind btw. Should have tested Custap with Trick Room. Managed to get it in once for Dbond.

 

[adjustments]

I personally focus on Psychic and Ghost, and I have tried Mimikyu on a Ghost monotype team and here's what I put on it.

Mimikyu @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Disguise
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Shadow Claw
- Swords Dance
- Play Rough
- Shadow Sneak

You set up with 1 SD for the +2 Attack because then your disguise will fall, then, if you out speed, you go for play rough or shadow claw, but if you don't, and you know you are going to faint, try a Shadow Sneak. It will easily take Dark types like Hydreigon down or Honchkrow (if it outspeeds). Weakness Policy helps if you are hit with a Gyro Ball or another Ghost move.

 

[Gengarzilla]

What's the thought on Porygon-Z with Z-Conversion in a Normal mono team? Changing to almost any type it wants mid-battle could be very useful here. Psychic type with Psyshock/Psychic to beat Fighting?

 

[Misaka Mikoto]

Weakness Policy helps if you are hit with a Gyro Ball or another Dark move.

Ghost/Fairy:
Weaknesses: Ghost, Steel
Resistances: Bug
Immunities: Dragon, Fighting, Normal

 

[Dece1t]

I gotta say I'm pretty psyched for Poison this gen, it got a few really good buffs that allows it to stand much stronger against a good number of top tier teams. I've managed to make finals twice now with solely a Poison Team (won once, lost another due to hax). Despite a lot of the broken elements around right now (like Pheromosa, Aegislash, Tapu Lele, Terrain Extender, ect.) it's been holding up surprisingly well. With that said I want to talk about some of the most influential things introduced this gen that benefited this once underused anti-meta type the most!

Nihilego to start off with is a monster of a Special Sweeper. To start it has a pretty good speed tier, sitting just above Garchomp and Landorus-I. Along with that it's got a very plausible Special Attack stat, and solid Special Bulk. This allows it to not only be a reliable pivot to most Special Attacks, it can hit back pretty hard (especially with Beast Boost functioning as a Special Moxie). It also includes a pretty decent movepool that allows it to be able to hit everything at least neutrally (a set of moves I've been running includes Power Gem, Sludge Wave, Thunderbolt, and HP Ice). I've noticed Choice Specs to be a really good set to run, as it further multiplies its already great Special Attack stat, and allows it to immediately have a +1 boost without having to even kill anything. Choice Scarf is also a good set considering it can outpace Scarf Victini and Scarf Landorus-T, being able to check them both. With its part Rock typing, it helps substantially against Flying, Bug, and Fire, being able to easily threaten those types that Poison tends to struggle with. This is probably one of the best buff the type got, if not the best.

Toxapex I was really excited for when I saw it get leaked, and it really did deliver! It's basically a slower, bulkier Tentacruel with Protect that guarantees poisoning on contact! Going back to its defenses though, 50/152/142 is no joking around, and with access to Scald its able to check threats that normally would threaten Poison teams significantly, such as Mega Scizor, Hawlucha, and Terrakion (yes, Scarf EQ does 3KO). Utility wise, its a reliable Toxic Spikes setter (which is handy for breaking stall) and it has access to both Recover and Regenertor (even though Merciless + Venoshock sounds fun, it isn't very reliable in practice). I've found the Air Balloon to be a handy set to run, due to having the temporary immunity to Ground + Scald being a pain in the backside for Ground teams to handle if played smart. All in all, its a defensive monster and an extremely reliable defensive pivot.

This is the last Pokemon I want to bring up, and actually the only one I have not tried, this is pretty much theory-monning if anything. The pros of it are its bulkier than Skuntank and Drapion, it has access to Knock Off + Priority in Shadow Sneak, and it can abuse Curse. To me its a middle ground between Skunk and Drap, with Knock Off, Priority, and Bulk, the only thing separating it being coverage options, Drapion's superior boosting abilities/overall set versatility, and Skuntank's stronger priority, Defog, and mixed Fire coverage. That should be no reason, not to consider it, however! With Poison Touch it can easily spread poisoning without the use of a move with a Poison chance (i.e. Poison Jab), so its other moves will always have a 30% chance to spread the status on contact. It's pretty interesting least to say, I'm excited to see how other people will use this.

In conclusion, Poison got a couple really good buffs that I believe has made it stand out as a solid type coming into this generation.

 

[czim]

This is the last Pokemon I want to bring up, and actually the only one I have not tried, this is pretty much theory-monning if anything. The pros of it are its bulkier than Skuntank and Drapion, it has access to Knock Off + Priority in Shadow Sneak, and it can abuse Curse. To me its a middle ground between Skunk and Drap, with Knock Off, Priority, and Bulk, the only thing separating it being coverage options, Drapion's superior boosting abilities/overall set versatility, and Skuntank's stronger priority, Defog, and mixed Fire coverage. That should be no reason, not to consider it, however! With Poison Touch it can easily spread poisoning without the use of a move with a Poison chance (i.e. Poison Jab), so its other moves will always have a 30% chance to spread the status on contact. It's pretty interesting least to say, I'm excited to see how other people will use this.

I've been having a lot of fun with Alola-Muk with the Choice Band set which imo is the best right now. Shadow Sneak + Pursuit works as an alternative to Skuntank as a trapper that has much better STAB moves in Gunk Shot/Poison Jab and Knock Off. It also has Rock Slide to punish Volcarona, so it can act as a bulky check to it, similarly to how Eelektross worked on Electric last gen. Other than that it really lacks on the elemental punches, which regular Muk has access to, but I hope this will be fixed once we have move tutors.

Muk-Alola @ Choice Band
Ability: Poison Touch
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Shadow Sneak
- Knock Off
- Gunk Shot/Poison Jab
- Pursuit

 

[Zmeeed]

I don't see much discussed about the Dragon-type in Gen 7, so here are my thoughts on Pokemon I waited the most - the theropod dinosaur and Komodo dragon-based Dragon-and-Fighting-type Pokemon Kommo-o!

In general: Kommo-o is pretty similar to many other Dragon-types. It's a pseudo-legendary Pokemon with all-around stats who fares better against defensive Pokemon rather than against offensive threats. Sadly, it cannot utilize its Fighting typing offensively well due to lacking a Close Combat-esque move, which also amplifies its Fairy weakness in the age of Fairy-type Pokemon lurking in every corner (this is where Roseli Berry came in clutch, but I'll tell about it later), while it faces very strong competition from Dragonite (overall), Mega Garchomp (Steel destroyer, Swords Dance), Haxorus (overall similarity) or Zygarde (Dragon Dance while being able to take a serious hit). But good news: it has unmatched boosting potential, having Autotomize/Rock Polish, Bulk Up, Dragon Dance, Swords Dance and even Belly Drum, while Kommo-o's solid 75/125/105 defenses combined with resistances to Dark (resists Foul Play!), Rock (only 6% from Stealth Rock, plus using some Rock-types as complete set-up baits) and Bug let the thick-scaled beast set them up easier than the rest of Dragon-types usually do. Hell, it even has Taunt to prevent set up disruption.

Sets: Here's the set I had the most fun with. It also seemed to be the most effective on Dragon-type at the moment I was writing this:

The Lord (Kommo-o) (M) @ Dragonium Z
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Outrage
- Brick Break
- Poison Jab
- Swords Dance

Alternative items: Fightinium Z, Lum Berry, Roseli Berry. Alternative abilities: Bulletproof, Soundproof. Alternative moves: Sky Uppercut over Brick Break.

Hide

Works better than it looks. Dragonium Z combined with Outrage is a very solid option due to providing a one-time 190 power Dragon-type attack, which is comparable to almost 2.5x more powerful Dragon Claw. I compared it to that because it lets you obliterate your target without locking yourself into Outrage when you need a strong hit (not to mention it cannot be even fully blocked with Protect-esque moves), and it's quite devastating enough even without a boost!

252+ Atk Kommo-o Devastating Drake (190 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Mega Sableye: 186-220 (61.1 - 72.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO. No wall wants to see a Swords Danced Kommo-o giving it a bullet train ticket to Distortion World.

Fightinium Z could be used instead for 140-160 powerful All-Out Pummeling, arrelevating its issue with lacking a strong or reliable Fighting-type attack, but Dragonium Z provided more of success at wallbreaking in average run. Lum Berry is a classic option on setting up Pokemon, while Roseli Berry lets Kommo-o take a modest Fairy-type attack, like Mimikyu's unboosted Play Rough or Tapu Koko's Dazzling Gleam and retaliate hard enough to make a threat more managable at worst. Don't expect it to take something like Tapu Lele's Moonblast, though.

I usually prefer Brick Break over Sky Uppercut for former's ability to remove Klefki's screens and unsuspecting Alolan Ninetales' Aurora Veil. And for abilities, Soundproof turned out to be much less useful despite being so hyped for, as Roar is the only common sound move now. Bulletproof was actually neat for blocking Shadow Ball, Sludge Bomb, Gyro Ball and Focus Blast. I'm currently trying out Overcoat, which made me no longer run 263 Speed on bulky Garchomp because Kommo-o takes on Bisharp and Spore Breloom (yes, this thing being able to Spore me first always bothered me) already; avoiding Tyranitar's sand or Aurorus/A-Ninetales/Abomasnow's hail damage was nice for preserving health.

I spent less time with this set, but it's a decent special attacker:

Kommo-o (M) @ Fightinium Z
Ability: Bulletproof
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Clanging Scales
- Focus Blast
- Flamethrower
- Taunt

Alternative items: Dragonium Z. Alternative moves: Flash Cannon over Flamethrower or Taunt. Alternative natures: Modest.

Hide

Clanging Scales is an awesome middle ground between Dragon Pulse and Draco Meteor, while the next two moves let Kommo-o hit everything on Steel supereffectively, but Flash Cannon in place of Flamethrower is always welcome. Taunt stops bulky Pokemon from statusing your Kommo-o or spamming recovery; not letting something like Cloyster set up on you is also a good thing. I opted for Timid nature on this set to get a jump on Smeargle, but it's far from necessary. Fightinium Z turns semi-reliable Focus Blast into one-time, but perfectly reliable 190 power Fighting-type attack. This set is not quite dependent on its item, so many other stuff can be tried.

Life Orb and Choice Specs might seem like obvious alternative item options, but I personally didn't like the former's HP draining effect, making the Komodo dragon easier to stall out, while Choice Specs can be awkward against good balanced builds, plus forcing you to risk landing two consecutive Focus Blasts sometimes.

Dragon Dance set didn't seem like anything special, but if you want it, I suggest going with either Dragonium Z or Fightinium Z on it to still pose a threat to bulky Pokemon. Belly Drum was kind of similar to Swords Dance, but not being able to be pulled off twice in one game while risking getting phazed out in the process of setting up was worrying enough. Bulk Up set wasn't tested adequately yet, but without Drain Punch it doesn't look very promising.

In conclusion: I admit Kommo-o is far from the best Dragon-type, but it's not as disappointing as it's seen. Let's just hope for Battle Point Move Tutors giving it Superpower at least...

 

[HappyHorsea]

With the introduction of a cluster of Fairy 'mons in the four island deities giving a potential leg-up to their respective primary typings, I thought it completely necessary to discover the potential of the deity of the under-used grass type; Tapu Bulu.
Here is a rather viable set I have come up with;

Tapu Bulu @ Leftovers
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Leech Seed
- Bulk Up
- Horn Leech
- Stone Edge​

At first glance, this Pokemon has some very respectable stats, in a bulk spread of 70/115/95, and a physical attacking stat of 130. Right off the bat, this Pokemon is seemingly a force to be reckoned with. I found full EV investment in it's Sp. Def and HP was a very important step to take, seeing as how it's speed isn't exactly something to be afraid of at all, at a measly base 76, so out-speeding Fire 'mons that like to spam Flamethrower, Fire Blast, and other dangerous special fire attacks, as well as the likes of Air Slash and Sludge Bomb/Wave isn't the best bet to make with this buff creature. Seeing as how at +1, this Pokemon's Attack and Defense stats reach 445 and 339 respectively with 4 and 0 EVs applied, I felt no/little investment in the two stats was very necessary. It's use of Leftovers, Grassy Terrain, and Leech Seed to stack healing is very important in order to stall ample time for it's setup through Bulk Up, sending it's already high Defense and Attack stats through the roof. The use of Horn Leech is important because, with boosted attack and STAB, it can make up tenfold for the healing lost when Grassy Terrain fades away. Stone Edge is an important coverage move that, when paired with Horn Leech, at least regularly effectively covers mostly every regularly used 'mon that was present in ORAS for the metagame, with the most noticeably threatening exception being Magnezone and it's horrifying special attacking prowess with Flash Cannon.

 

[scpinion]

The Monotype room has started hosting tournaments in the new format. Stop by and join in on the fun if you don't normally visit! Also, many people have been testing the metagame amongst their friends for a while now.

Here's some stuff that has caught the council's immediate attention in these early stages:

1. Power Construct
I don't think much needs to be explained with this. It is completely too strong for the metagame. If you want to debate it, then feel free it initiate some discussion though.

2. Pheromosa
Pheromosa sports ideal stats and a good movepool for an offensive Pokemon. It can reliably function as a wall-breaker, cleaner, and mixed attacker all while generating momentum for its team through a powerful STAB U-turn. Moreover, its offensive capabilities are bolstered by Beast Boost, which makes it difficult to stop in the late game. However, it is exceptionally frail, being unable to take most attacks and losing to a variety of priority attackers. There are also a few sure-fire counters to this Pokemon—most notably Aegislash. Even with these exploitable weaknesses, the team building restrictions in the Monotype metagame leave many teams unable to reliably check Pheromosa.

3. Terrain Extender
The potency of terrain in the early meta is really impressive. Perhaps, this is best exemplified by the Electric teams Eien described in this post. Psychic, Grass, and Fairy teams also look to benefit greatly from the ability to control the terrain. Instead of banning the terrain setters, which add an exciting new element to our metagame, we want to slightly nerf the terrain mechanic by reducing its duration.

4. Blaziken
Vid made a really nice post describing how this is used. Check it out!

5. Aegislash
Aegislash's prominent role in the meta has not changed much since we banned it back in gen6. The incredibly strong Steel-type cores it formed in the early XY meta remain very potent and many types struggle to break through a well-constructed team. Even without team support, it features excellent offensive/defensive stats and an awesome ability, which enables it to run a wide variety of sets. This versatility leaves many types lacking reliable means of dealing with it.

Please keep staying engaged and posting your thoughts/ideas on the metagame in this thread! The council is paying close attention to this thread and we want everyone's feedback.

I also want to point out that the Monotype Team Dump and Sample Teams resource was updated for Sun and Moon. If you have new teams you'd like to share with the community just let a member of the Monotype room staff know. One of the best ways to develop the metagame is giving the community a set of good teams to start preparing for and building from!

 

[readyletsgo]

I'd be fine with all the above going, and also adding Metagrossite and the weather rocks. The tourneys I have been a part of have tons of overpowered stuff running rampant. It's fun, but a bit crazy out there right now

 

[juleocesar]

I made some more testing with other teams (mostly Ice) and found out that Aurora Veil can have its duration increased by Light Clay. That is an amazing addition, allowing Ice teams to halve damage spending only one turn instead of two, when compared to DualScreens, and supporting teammates like Cloyster to setup and dish out damage. The hail-only condition isn't a problem considering one of its few users have access to Snow Warning (Alolan-Ninetales), and it doesn't wear off when hail ends. It behaves perfectly as a screen effect, which makes it dispellable by moves like Brick Break and Defog.

The major downside of carrying Light Clay is to be unable to OHKO Keldeo and Terrakion, two major threats to Ice teams. With a Life Orb, however, it is a possible result, according to those calcs:

252 SpA Life Orb Alolan Ninetales Moonblast vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Terrakion: 322-382 (99.6 - 118.2%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO (*)
252 SpA Alolan Ninetales Moonblast vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Terrakion: 248-294 (76.7 - 91%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (*)

*Calc made considering standard Ninetales with an Ice/Fairy type. Both Alola and regular Ninetales have the same special attack.

Another Ice pokemon that has caught my attention was Alolan-Sandslash. Although Ice/Steel isn't that great of a typing for Ice teams, it has access to Slush Rush, Rapid Spin and decent attack stat, allowing it to act as a reliable attacker with Choice Band or even a set consisting of Swords Dance to break through walls while still keeping respectable speed under hail. The resistances from its secondary Steel typing also allow it to switch into several moves on which Ice pokemon struggle due to Ice being horrible defensively.

I really appreciate the added diversity Ice teams have received in this generation. Crabominale and Silvally further extends that diversity by bringing a brand new typing and coverage, respectively. The latter even gets Parting Shot, enabling more offensive playstyles to Ice teams as well as providing a good pivotting tools which Ice teams lack.

Hopefully we will see more Ice teams being used in this generation!

 

[M BLADE]

Another pokemon that can put some decent work on Ice teams now is Glaceon. With Z-Celebrate raising all of it's stats by 1, it can turn into a really powerful tank spamming Blizzards all over the place. Snow Cloak is a thing too, since casually avoiding Close Combats and Fire Blasts on it's face is always a pleasure.

 

[Josh]

Zygarde complete is still legal? Yea... that needs to go. Unless you're running ice, fairy, or dragon, you're pretty much fucked, and really dragon still loses depending on the team. It's fucking ridiculous. Like, idk what to say, because anybody who's played sm should know it.

Other than that: this gen fairy seems like it'll be a really good type. Tbh ice and grass got their buffs too, they aren't going to be the new psychic but gamefreak did a really good unintentional job of balancing the types. From the little I've played I expect this gen to be very diverse type wise and it seems like it'll be a really good metagame.

 

[6ti]

Zygarde complete is still legal? Yea... that needs to go. Unless you're running ice, fairy, or dragon, you're pretty much fucked, and really dragon still loses depending on the team. It's fucking ridiculous. Like, idk what to say, because anybody who's played sm should know it.

we can't ban anything yet