Metagame [Spoilers] Monotype Generation 8 Pre-Release Discussion

[Moosical]

Now that we have sufficient information about Generation 8, please use this thread to discuss the upcoming metagame for Monotype Generation 8!

All data mined information so far is presented in this thread: https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/pokemon-sword-and-shield-datamine-thread.3656143/

Pokemon Datamine Part 1 https://pastebin.com/raw/Cyg8Rp53
Pokemon Datamine Part 2 https://pastebin.com/raw/c6EFsDjr
Move description https://pokemon-project.com/espadaescudo/datamine/movimientos.txt
Ability description https://pokemon-project.com/espadaescudo/datamine/habilidades.txt

Go ahead and use this information for the basis of your discussion, stay civil, and have fun!

 

[Wincon]

I'm gonna kick this off with some of the things I found out while discussing in mono discord and just scrolling through the list:

Excadrill is literally one of the, if not the best pokemon in the metagame, with the ability to summon it's own sand with max rockfall, as well as boost speed with rapid spin
Kommo'o gets clangurous soul, that basically boosts all its stats at the cost of some of its hp
Kyurem-B now gets access to icicle spear, dragon dance and freeze dry. It doesn't have roost now, but it will when we get Pokemon Home
Frosmoth gets quiver dance on top of basically a multiscale on the special side
Hydreigon get nasty plot
Pincurchin gets electric surge, access to spikes/t spikes + Alolan Raichu is in the game
Aegislash gets close combat and also got a slight nerf in its defenses (-10 def + -10 spdef), as well as a nerf to king's shield. Only reduces attack by -1, rather than -2.
Ice looks fantastic with the addition of heavy duty boots, Kyurem, Alolan Ninetails, and Nasty Plot Mr. Rime
Zeraora gets play rough
Appletun gets access to recycle + its ability, curse, as well as recover (thick fat is nice too with its typing)
If you don't quad resist Galarian Darmanitans stab, YOU'RE LITERALLY GETTING OHKOED. It's new ability is basically a choice band boost for locking into a move + the use of a choice band + potentially dropping your max move
Water has basically their full stall core with toxapex, quagsire, lanturn, and mantine. Might be harder to break with restricted dex.
Dragapult's movepool is pretty horrible lol. It does get access to dragon dance and a new signature dragon move that hits twice (50bp twice). Other than that there's not much to say, hell it's best ghost type move is phantom force. It does get u-turn, but no access to earthquake, fire punch, or superpower. It's best move to hit fairies is what steel wing?
Electric's only ground immunity is rotom-fan? but you'd probably be using rotom-wash anyway, so balloons everywhere may be the wave
Pursuit and Hidden Power are not in the games. As well as knock off being significantly less distributed.
Jirachi gets Life Dew, which is basically recover in singles.
Cinderace basically has protean and a sizable physical movepool (U-turn, pyro ball, high jump kick, gunk shot, and even zen headbutt to hit toxapex)

*Gonna add more as I discover them*

If ya'll don't ban Eternatus day 1, I'm climbing to 2000+ elo and none of you can stop me. Those base stats are out of this world, especially when it gigantamaxes. I still don't know what I'm looking at
Eternatus Base form (Base Stats: 140.85.95.145.95.130) (BST: 690)
Eternatus Gigantamax form (Base Stats: 255.115.250.125.250.130) (BST: 1125)

 

[readyletsgo]

Hello,
I played a lot of ORAS and SM monotype, mainly as electric, then kinda skipped out on USUM. But I am excited to try monotype again this gen! First thing I have noticed given the small pool of Pokemon each type has, and some of the new moves learned by returning threats - Excadrill is a huge problem for almost all types, and Kyurem-B apparently learns Icicle Spear along with DDance, so I wonder how long it will take before we suspect a few mons like that.

Also, given almost all weather setters return, and a new series of Terrain setters is here, seems like those effects are going to prominent again, especially since certain Max Moves also set these effects. I'm looking forward to seeing all the crazy stuff players come up with!

 

[Conflux]

To add on to Wincon's list:

Gengar gets Nasty Plot
Mew is basically Smeargle. Some notable moves right off the bat include Spikes and Toxic Spikes. Indeedee gets Psychic Surge so more good news for Psychic.
Defog and Rapid Spin isn't as widely spread as before so some types will be left without hazard removal.
Cinderace is Greninja 2.0. Gets an ability that's basically Protean, is really fast and gets good coverage. Apparently it also has a move that doesn't just get rid of hazards but sends them to the opponent's field.

 

[Entei]

Fuck gigadynaflexximaxing

 

[Eien]

Defog and Rapid Spin isn't as widely spread as before so some types will be left without hazard removal.

We're gonna really need PokeHome ASAP tbh. Bug is still fucked even with it because its best Defogger is (probably?) Ribombee of all things and it gets 0 spinners to keep up its webs, but better types like Electric can transfer over a Defog Rotom-W, which will be a great help. Boots will help, but you aren't about to run around with 5 boots and a Choice Scarf user who takes 25% from Stealth Rock lol

 

[BlueRay]

Ice looks pretty dangerous right now. I don't see Kyurem-B stay in monotype with Dragon Dance and Icicle Speer. Also, dynamax Kyurem-B sounds frightening. Remember its signature move? Technically, you could use it for three turns without any repercussions.

Then, there's Galarian Darmanitan's zen-mode, which is ICE/FIRE. It probably needs the Boots to not suffer from Stealth Rock, but its Attack stat (160!) is impressive, and speed (135) is great. It will likely have a niche in ice teams, especially with ita access to Flareblitz.

Then, there's Eiscue. Use it against a physical Pkm and set up Belly Drum. After that, you're going to threaten your opponent with 6+ and 130 Speed Stat if it doesn't have its ice block anymore.

 

[mushamu]

Bug seems to be one of the borderline unviable types this generation. Losing its Rapid Spin, mega evolutions, Volcarona, along with Scizor is huge as they were all reasons it was viable in SM. I think Ground, Dark, Ghost, Water, and Dragon all have potential in this generation as they all have a decent pool of nice Pokemon to work with. Ground gets Hippowdon and Excadrill, Dark gets a bunch of things including Weavile and Tyranitar, while Ghost gets Cursola, Polteageist Mimikyu, Gigantamax Gengar, and Dragapult. Water is good in like Monotype anything because it always gets a lot of good Pokemon to work with like Toxapex. Dragon eventually gets Kyurem-B as well as Dragapult, Kommo-o, Duraladon and Hydreigon. Ice could probably be good because of new Pokemon and returning ones like Kyurem-B but I'm skeptical because it's stuck with a really bad defensive typing as per usual.

Now onto invidual Pokemon, I think Polteagiest has really good potential with Shell Smash because of Weak Armor patching up its poor Speed, although it'll have to work to find setup opportunities because of that not amazing bulk. On the other hand, its very unfortunate that Dragapult doesn't get any good Ghost physical moves, not even Shadow Claw. Ghost STAB hits a ton of Pokemon neutrally, and Dragapult not getting a good move on its physical side is a huge roadblock to success, though I believe the Pokemon will still find a way to be good. Toxapex is looking absolutely dreadful this generation too, the dex cut meant that a lot of its checks and counters aren't in the game anymore, as well as Z-moves. Even with them, it was a top 3 Pokemon in SM so who knows what it'll be in SS. Frosmoth probably isn't that great even if it gets a cool ability considering it's awful defensive typing and lackluster speed making it hard to actually setup and sweep.

 

[Perish Song]

EDIT : I apparently cant read and bdrum espeed is not on galarian form, I confused it with regular Linoone. Sorry for inconvenience. These would still apply to standard Linoone, but wont be as effective since you are missing crucial guts boost along with the increase in Attack stat.

Greetings, I wanna share one of my fun insights that I hope be effective in this metagame.

Obstagoon Linoone is confirmed to be the only Pokemon that naturally learns both Belly Drum and Extremespeed, which is something we all tried to use at some point after realizing how stupid +2 Priority spam is with boosted Attack. I've been thinking about the possible interactions of Belly Drum with Dynamax since Max-moves change the way moves work. Basically you cannot abuse Extremespeed under Dynamax effects since it will be a 0 priority attack. So, you may ask me what is the point of this, I simply want to benefit from the healing effect of the Dynamax. We will set Belly Drum, then use Dynamax to regain our entire HP. The only solution here seemed to be to stall your own Dynamax out and try to stay healthy while doing that.

Let's analyze the Pokemon properties first

Obstagoon comes with an interesting typing that provides 2 important immunities in Psychic and Ghost. On the other hand, it is very vulnerable to some of the most spammable types in Bug, Fairy, and Fighting and it can only resist Dark-type attacks so its defensive properties are quite weak.
Obstagoon comes with 95/90/101/60/81/95 as its stats. This looks enough to achieve many things I think, the first thing being safely setting up Belly Drum vs most Physical Attackers in the tier because it yields a good physical bulk. The second thing is 95 speed may come in handy to use 0 priority Protects during Dynamax. This is essentially easier than usual, because Dynamax doubles your HP and makes you extremely bulky to deal with.

Now let's see how this would actually work

Use Belly Drum > Use Dynamax to recover your HP fully > Use Belly Drum on the same turn which serves as Protect > Use Max Strike ( Dyna Extremespeed which reduces opposing Pokemon Speed by 1, the reason why we do is we can get second protect safer incase they outspeed us.) > Use Belly Drum again (Protect) . At this point, your Dynamax is over and you should be able to get away with nearly full HP and somewhere near 1116 attack, which can be further enhanced by status (Guts Flame Orb?), allowing you to reach very bullshit Attack stat of 1600+, which I believe is very deadly.

Some interesting calcs I ran with this thing to see the level of bullshittery myself.

+6 252 Atk Guts Linoone Stomping Tantrum vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Dialga: 676-796 (240.5 - 283.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO (This is duraladon)
+6 252 Atk Guts Linoone Extreme Speed vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Toxapex: 324-382 (106.5 - 125.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+6 252 Atk Guts Linoone Extreme Speed vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Hippowdon: 390-460 (92.8 - 109.5%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO after Leftovers recovery
+6 252 Atk Guts Linoone Stomping Tantrum vs. 252 HP / 72 Def Ferrothorn: 284-335 (80.6 - 95.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
+6 252 Atk Guts Linoone Extreme Speed vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Excadrill: 460-542 (127 - 149.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+6 252 Atk Guts Linoone Extreme Speed vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Reuniclus: 526-621 (124 - 146.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+6 252 Atk Guts Linoone Extreme Speed vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Mew: 438-516 (108.4 - 127.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+6 252 Atk Guts Linoone Extreme Speed vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Jirachi: 304-358 (75.4 - 88.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

 

[Namranan]

Gonna just do a general overview for fighting and how it's shaping up:

Kommo-o - Still has its zmove in clangourous soul, which is quite bonkers. Obviously it's gonna be good and prolly needed on fighting. Although it should be noted that clangorous soul might make things weird when it comes to choosing kommo-o's moves.
Terrakion - Is in the game (yeehaw). Also got the move Megahorn slight buff to his x-scissor but it is needed more than ever now that fighting does not have Heracross or Buzzwole.
Keldeo - Is also in the game (woohoo). Gained Air Slash and is slightly hurt by no Hidden Power but we should be fine w/o it.
Cobalion - Is in the game, got the previously mentioned moves and some more but nothing blowing it out of the water.
Virizion - its in the game and is still useless
Falinks - New fighting mon with an omni boosting move in No retreat, however, it disables you from switching out when it is used. It also has Megahorn, First Impression (why?), Close Combat, Rock Tomb, Rock Slide, Iron head, Poison Jab, and Zen Headbutt. Good movepool and moves but unfortunately might be held back by its mono fighting typing and meager 100 attack stat paired with a 75 Speed stat. Might have a niche, who knows (defiant attacker???), but rn it looks underwhelming.
Grapploct - New fighting mon with a really good trapping move in Octolock as it lowers both defenses after each turn it's active. However, this move doesn't excuse its pretty lackluster movepool. It gets Close combat, Waterfall/Liquidation, Drain Punch, Ice Punch, and Taunt as its most notable moves, and while it has a decent 118 attack stat, its average defenses and awful speed along with no recovery move makes this mon pretty unusable on fighting. But who knows, it might be good too as the meta progresses.
Toxicroak - Still in the game and has most of the same stuff, gained Mega kick and Mega Punch but those aren't noteworthy. It also got Cross Poison but its 10BP less than Poison Jab so unless you want to go for crits its just inferior.
Lucario - Gains mega punch and Mega Kick, nothing else noteworthy.
Pangoro - This mon might still be irrelevant but for what it's worth it gets Close Combat now as well as Darkest Lariat which is important as it lost knock off. It also gains Mega Kick and Punch fwiw.
Scrafty - Same as Pangoro but it gets Close Combat (no more hjk risk but it's still an option), also gained Darkest Lariat in the absence of Knock Off.
Hawlucha - Is gonna be a fun mon to dynamax with because of elec punch + elec seed. But ignoring that it got Close combat and Brave Bird along with the Mega Attacks.
Bewear - Gains Mega attacks, Close Combat, Darkest Lariat (why?), and Body Press. Will prolly stay irrelevant on Fighting but I'm sure this is big for normal.

I'll post more later for a different type

 

[Meta]

Here's some types that look fun to try out

Psychic- Losing Victini kinda sucks but psychic still has mew, celebi, and rachi. Not to mention mew can pretty much learn almost every move now it's gonna be one insane mon. Not only that but psychic also seems to have some new cool mons. First off you got orbeetle which has webs. Then there's Hatterene which has magic bounce, recovery, 136 sp atk, and fairly bulky. It also has mystical fire I believe which is neat. Then there's indeedee which has psychic surge. Psychic looking super good this gen like usual

Ice- Ice has always been a rather meme like type but looks pretty fun and decent this gen. It obvi won't be like a top tier type but it totally has some fun and unique stuff. Kyu B now has d dance and icicle spear which is nuts and maybe even banworthy. Pretty much every hail user has aurora veil now which is cool for ice. Mr. Rime looks like a neat and dangerous nasty plot user under aurora veil. You also got big boy darmanitan. With it's new ability it's attack is boosted but your locked into a move(basically choice band) but you can still have an item meaning... you can have choice band and this ability coupled with like 145 base atk, this thing will be hard to switch into. Only thing that sucks is pure ice typing but it still looking like a threat. Eiscue's another unique mon with a unique ability which is like disguise for physical moves but it also gets restored in hail which is insane. Also has belly drum with 130 base speed :eyes:. Again, only thing that sucks is pure ice type. There's also arctozolt which is elec ice so boltbeam stab and slush rush sooo yea.

Electric- When koko was released electric became a great type but now koko is gone. However I think elec will still be good. It has pincurchin as an elec terrain setter. Alolan Raichu is still in this game too which means that with surge surfer, it's still gonna be a beast. Elec also has the zolt's which seem to be pretty decent mons. As for returning mons it still has zera, which gets play rough now as well. Rotom is also still in the game and gets nasty plot.

Ghost- Ghost also looks like a fun type with shell smash Polterigeist and Dragapult. Unfort tho their movepools don't look that great. Poltergeist can barely touch dark mons and dragapult lacks a good physical ghost move. Luckily Mimikyu is still in the game. Cursola also looks like a cool mon with it's perish body ability. Pretty sure this gets whirpool too so that's fun. Gengar has a dynamax that can trap mons :).

Also why does gyarados get power whip :/. Looks like rotom can't check it now

 

[BlueRay]

Gonna just do a general overview for fighting and how it's shaping up:

Kommo-o - Still has its zmove in clangourous soul, which is quite bonkers. Obviously it's gonna be good and prolly needed on fighting. Although it should be noted that clangorous soul might make things weird when it comes to choosing kommo-o's moves.
Terrakion - Is in the game (yeehaw). Also got the move Megahorn slight buff to his x-scissor but it is needed more than ever now that fighting does not have Heracross or Buzzwole.
Keldeo - Is also in the game (woohoo). Gained Air Slash and is slightly hurt by no Hidden Power but we should be fine w/o it.
Cobalion - Is in the game, got the previously mentioned moves and some more but nothing blowing it out of the water.
Virizion - its in the game and is still useless
Falinks - New fighting mon with an omni boosting move in No retreat, however, it disables you from switching out when it is used. It also has Megahorn, First Impression (why?), Close Combat, Rock Tomb, Rock Slide, Iron head, Poison Jab, and Zen Headbutt. Good movepool and moves but unfortunately might be held back by its mono fighting typing and meager 100 attack stat paired with a 75 Speed stat. Might have a niche, who knows (defiant attacker???), but rn it looks underwhelming.
Grapploct - New fighting mon with a really good trapping move in Octolock as it lowers both defenses after each turn it's active. However, this move doesn't excuse its pretty lackluster movepool. It gets Close combat, Waterfall/Liquidation, Drain Punch, Ice Punch, and Taunt as its most notable moves, and while it has a decent 118 attack stat, its average defenses and awful speed along with no recovery move makes this mon pretty unusable on fighting. But who knows, it might be good too as the meta progresses.
Toxicroak - Still in the game and has most of the same stuff, gained Mega kick and Mega Punch but those aren't noteworthy. It also got Cross Poison but its 10BP less than Poison Jab so unless you want to go for crits its just inferior.
Lucario - Gains mega punch and Mega Kick, nothing else noteworthy.
Pangoro - This mon might still be irrelevant but for what it's worth it gets Close Combat now as well as Darkest Lariat which is important as it lost knock off. It also gains Mega Kick and Punch fwiw.
Scrafty - Same as Pangoro but it gets Close Combat (no more hjk risk but it's still an option), also gained Darkest Lariat in the absence of Knock Off.
Hawlucha - Is gonna be a fun mon to dynamax with because of elec punch + elec seed. But ignoring that it got Close combat and Brave Bird along with the Mega Attacks.
Bewear - Gains Mega attacks, Close Combat, Darkest Lariat (why?), and Body Press. Will prolly stay irrelevant on Fighting but I'm sure this is big for normal.

I'll post more later for a different type

Something interesting to mention: There's an item that boosts your SpA if you use a sound based move. If it activates after Clangorous Scales, great. If it activates after Clangorous Soul, even better! Something to keep in mind.

 

[Tyke]

Ice is looking kinda great.

It doesn't lose any of it's existing heavy hitters like Mamoswine, Weavile, Kyurem-B, (Kyurem-B gets dragon dance and icicle spear, which is insane.)
and huge threats such as Scizor are no longer in the metagame, and Steel's presence could be greatly reduced with the loss of Heatran.

Not to mention all the new pokemon...

Arctozolt and Arctovish are two versatile slush rushers that trade some speed for much better typing, bulk, and coverage than Alola Sandslash.
Mr. Rime offers psychic coverage and works as a Spinners.
Eiscue has a ban-worthy ability that makes it immune to physical attacks while in hail,
Frosmoth is a strong quiver dancer whose ability acts as Fur Coat for special attacks.
Galarian Darmanitan is an amazing physical attacker that could serve as a very strong scarfer. It has outstanding coverage with flare blitz, earthquake and superpower.

Hard to say how all this will shake out obviously, but it's interesting how well supplied the type seems.

 

[LordHelix]

Fairy seems to be one of the bigger losers thanks to the dex cut

Tapu bulu, fini, lele, koko, azu, klefki, diancie are all gone. Basically all the good mons

On the other hand we gain a new few interesting options

I think our biggest new addition is our fast physical fairy in Galarian Rapidash, it gets play rough, zen headbutt and ground coverage in high horsepower which is a first for a fairy. Outspeeds key threats which can annoy fairy such as lucario, hydreigon, darmanitan..etc

Hatterene provides fairy with a otr sweeper and some hazard control thanks to magic bounce, its unique niche makes it stand out from gardevoir and rapidash so its gonna see good usage i feel

Grimsnall provides some interesting support in prankster screens and emergency twave and taunt which is pretty similar to klefki, which means screens playstyle will still be a thing. Its also a strong bulky physical attacker with an unresisted type combo so yay for that. This will probably be a staple

Alcremie gets one turn recovery and a nastyplot + swords dance clone so yay? Has horrible stats though. i dont see this mon getting use

Galarian weezing grants fairy access to essentially mold breaker tspikes + willowisp user. Typing provides poison neutrality and levitate grants ground immunity so thats nice. Gonna be a decent mon but not a staple because lack of recovery and passiveness

Primarina gets calm mind and semi recovery in life dew. With excellent offensive and defensive typing i can see this becoming a staple

Togekiss loses roost and heal bell so thats gonna suck big time vs fatter teams, still does what it does with its flinching scarf sets though.

Clefable is still clefable, it still the dedicated rocker for fairy but now it has to rely on moonlight for the time being. Gonna be a staple this time due to less competition for slots and power level decreased overall

Ribombee doesnt really provide anything notable offensively but provides a much needed speed control in webs which is really helpful, especially since most fairies this gen are really slow.

Nothing changed for Mimikyu except it has less competition and less checks so its gonna be ran much more. Does what mimikyu always does (about to be swept by hydreigon, gyarados or gengar? Mimikyu says hello)

 

[mushamu]

https://prnt.sc/pvlp3t

To my amazement it turns out Cinderace actually gets an ability that changes it's typing based on the move its going to use, Libero, which is basically Protean. As we know from our good but disincluded friend Greninja, Protean like abilities are extremely good when it comes down to offensive Pokemon because getting the STAB boost on everything is just so amazing. Cinderace has the necessary Speed and Attack to back it up too, as well as a decent physical movepool, while not having a secondary typing is not painful at all now. Although chances are it won't be as good as Greninja because its worse movepool wise and only being on Fire sucks, I think it's definitely one of the Pokemon that have potential this generation. Here's a set I could see working:

Cinderace @ Choice Band
Ability: Libero
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- U-turn
- High Jump Kick
- Zen Headbutt
- Pyro Ball

U-Turn is great for generating momentum against anything you can't kill and really pressures Psychic. High Jump Kick is good coverage for Dark and Rock types, Zen Headbutt hits Toxapex, Kommo-o and Keldeo for good damage, while both greatly appreciate the STAB boost. Pyro Ball is Cinderace's Fire coverage, and hits pretty hard with a chance to burn as the raw power could be especially good under sun. It's most likely interchangable though, since getting STAB on everything makes your moveslots flexible. Overall, I'm excited to see how this Pokemon performs on Fire teams especially since this is the first time the type gets a Pokemon that can naturally outspeed and beat Keldeo, while Greninja has put up extremely good results in the past.

 

[readyletsgo]

Electric overview in my opinion, starting with the Returnees.

Galvantula: No new tools to work with that I see, but webs could be a decent option as a playstyle since the new fossils and Toxtricity have middling speed. Grass/bug coverage is always useful and it still has compound-eyes Thunder.

Heliolisk: I wasn't too excited about this 'Mon returning at first, but the more I look, the more I could see it having a niche as a scarf user. Glare is nice to hit ground opponents, and the coverage with Surf/Focus blast is nice, plus the new TM Weather Ball. Dry Skin is a helpful water immunity.

Jolteon: Unfortunately not a lot of new tools to work with, which seems to be a common theme. It too gets Weather Ball, which could have some use as coverage with all the weather flying around. It has some fun tools that it can't really make use of such as Wish, Yawn, and Stored Power. Still, it is quite fast so if speed becomes the most valuable asset it could have some use.

Lanturn: Again, no new tools that I can see. Bulky but needs to rely on rest since Z-stockpile is gone. Has great coverage but not so great SpA. Water Absorb but doesn't levitate like Rotom. Not really sure it will have a use for Electric, but will be problematic to beat when on Water teams.

Manectric: No stat buffs and no new moves. I don't really see a home for this Pokemon without its Mega Stone. I don't think fire coverage is enough to save it, since Boltund has Fire Fang and Dracozolt has Flamethrower.

Raichu: Before the datamine, I was honestly looking at plain Raichu as an attacking option for Electric since 90 attack was about as good as it got from their Pokemon pool. However, with Zeraora supposedly returning and Boltund/Dracozolt being a thing, we can focus on A-Raichu. Once more I don't see any new moves for A-Raichu but given we have another terrain setter, and Max Electric moves set terrain too, this could be a great late game sweeping option.

Rotom: Let's be honest, this thing is gonna be S+ tier for Electric with its defensive set. Using scarf/specs/or any other forms will leave Electric with a gaping hole defensively, though I could see Mow/Heat having some Niche for their STAB coverage.
- 252 Atk Mold Breaker Excadrill Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 200+ Def Rotom-Wash: 240-284 (78.9 - 93.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
- 0 SpA Rotom-Wash Hydro Pump vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Excadrill: 350-414 (96.9 - 114.6%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO

Silvally: Multiattack getting a power buff and having access to Defog could provide a home for Silvally on Electric teams. It also have ever-useful Flamethrower, Ice Beam and parting shot. Solid stats all around, you know the drill. However, even with the Multi-Attack buff, the other physical options aren't so great. It has Swords Dance, but the coverage Electric needs is only found with Fang moves. Unsure if this will find use.

Togedemaru: Magnezone is gone, leaving us with this Pika clone as the steel type. However, being a decently fast attacker isn't nearly as useful as trapping and eliminating threats. I didn't see much new in terms of movepool and its attacking nice is likely to be filled by someone else, but I can't rule it out yet.

Vikavolt: This gained access to Sticky Webs in gen 8, but I think Galvantula is better suited for that. However, I was looking at the bulk stats and it's actually similar to Rotom defensively, albeit with a worse defensive type. It is a Levitate pokemon, which automatically makes it worth a look given there are no Flying mons for Elec this gen. Even given Mold Breaker/similar abilities, it is neutral to ground. It has massive SpA, recovery, can boost speed/defensive and has great coverage with Grass/Bug/Flying moves. I think this could very well have a place on Electric teams simply because not much else can do those things.

Zeraora: If this gets released again, Electric will have quite the boon. I see Aura Sphere, Blaze Kick and Play rough are new moves listed, which are fun options. Knock off would be gone, but without Chansey and Porygon2 to worry about, that could be offset.

Last but not least
STUNFISK AKA THE GREAT PANCAKE: I wish they would give this guy volt switch, that would be amazing. As is, Stunfisk remains pretty bulky and the only Rocks setter on Electric. No great recovery options, but pain split is there. Static + discharge paras a lot of stuff, Foul Play is nice for the multitudes of set up sweepers, and STAB earth power, even uninvested, is great coverage and something Electric otherwise lacks. I think Stunfisk will have lots of use for Elec teams!

I'll do a second post for the new guys!

 

[Ivy]

Electric is probably the biggest loser when it comes to the removal of Hidden Power. Rest in peace all those HP Ices.

 

[Tyke]

https://prnt.sc/pvlp3t

To my amazement it turns out Cinderace actually gets an ability that changes it's typing based on the move its going to use, Libero, which is basically Protean. As we know from our good but disincluded friend Greninja, Protean like abilities are extremely good when it comes down to offensive Pokemon because getting the STAB boost on everything is just so amazing. Cinderace has the necessary Speed and Attack to back it up too, as well as a decent physical movepool, while not having a secondary typing is not painful at all now. Although chances are it won't be as good as Greninja because its worse movepool wise and only being on Fire sucks, I think it's definitely one of the Pokemon that have potential this generation. Here's a set I could see working:

Cinderace @ Choice Band
Ability: Libero
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- U-turn
- High Jump Kick
- Zen Headbutt
- Pyro Ball

U-Turn is great for generating momentum against anything you can't kill and really pressures Psychic. High Jump Kick is good coverage for Dark and Rock types, Zen Headbutt hits Toxapex, Kommo-o and Keldeo for good damage, while both greatly appreciate the STAB boost. Pyro Ball is Cinderace's Fire coverage, and hits pretty hard with a chance to burn as the raw power could be especially good under sun. It's most likely interchangable though, since getting STAB on everything makes your moveslots flexible. Overall, I'm excited to see how this Pokemon performs on Fire teams especially since this is the first time the type gets a Pokemon that can naturally outspeed and beat Keldeo, while Greninja has put up extremely good results in the past.

It's a shame it's pure fire then, because Fire looks like it's in a worse spot than ever. It didn't get much of anything this gen, and lost great pokemon like Victini, Mega Zard, Volcarona, etc.

Cinderace is fast, but slower than a lot of the faster pokemon on the scene now, and it's coverage isn't as good as Greninjas. It'll definitely be a staple of fire but I don't see Fire succeeding this gen.

 

[readyletsgo]

Alright, new Electric pokemon. Not as exciting as Sun/Moon but some stuff we can work with.

• 881 - Arctozolt
• Base Stats: 90HP. 100ATK. 90DEF. 90SPA. 80SpD. 55 Speed. (BST: 505)
• Abilities: Volt Absorb (1) | Static (2) | Slush Rush (H)
• Type: Electric / Ice

The speed is yikes, but the coverage is something Electric teams really long for. Not having to rely on Blizzard separates it form Rotom-F, as well as not taking away a defensive staple from your team. The abilities are OK - Static is fine, slush rush could have some niche counterplay against Ice. Offensively, this has a lot to work with, including the amazing Freeze Dry, which can help IMMENSELY against Ground/Water types, almost all of which are in the Galar dex. The new Bolt Beak move doubles power if it is faster than the opposing pokemon, which won't happen much with base 55 speed. It has a worse physical movepool than Dracozolt IMO, but still has Rock Slide/Stone Edge, Low Kick, Stomping Tantrum, Avalanche. On the special side, really only Hydro Pump/Surf is notable outside its STABS.

A potential problem I see is no access to Volt Switch. Perhaps some kind of AV set, maybe even mixed will be useful. On the other hand, it has no recovery and no setup. One of the only good status moves it gets is Taunt, something not found on electric very frequently. Overall, I think this will find a spot on some teams purely due to the offensive moves it can bring.

• 880 - Dracozolt
• Base Stats: 90HP. 100ATK. 90DEF. 80SPA. 70SpD. 75 Speed (BST: 505)
• Abilities: Volt Absorb (1) | Hustle (2) | Sand Rush (H)
• Type: Electric / Dragon

The other new fossil abomination, Dracozolt might be a bit more useful due to trading 10 in each special category for 20 speed. The movepools are similar, but the ice coverage is gone in exchange for Dragon, Fire, and even Ground. The stats, in addition to Hustle, make me think this could have usefulness as a Choice Scarf/Band user rather than AV, maybe even run a different item if you have Sticky Web support. I suppose Sand Rush could have some Niche as well to counteract Ground to an extent. Earthquake, Outrage, Stone Edge, and Bolt Beak can hit hard of Hustle, while running mixed with Fire Blast/Earth Power could have use as well.

This Pokemon suffers the same lack of setup and recovery moves as all the fossils, however. It will be interesting to see how this one fits in with various team types.

• Morpeko
• Base Stats: 58HP. 95ATK. 58DEF. 70SPA. 58SpD. 97 Speed. (BST: 436)
• Abilities: Hunger Switch (1) | Hunger Switch (2) | Hunger Switch (H)
• Type: Electric / Dark

Here comes the Pika clone...and honestly, if not for some stat issues, it could have some use. It has a unique typing in the game and some good moves, but honestly it will be hard to include. The defenses are horrible, and the ability is a gimmick. Reducing some of the Special stats and increasing either speed or attack would have been more useful.

That said, it has Rapid spin, being the first ever Electric type to have access. It also has Parting Shot, Power Trip/other dark STAB, Seed Bomb, Stomping Tantrum, Fake Out, Super Fang, you name it. I'm just not sure how you can make it work.

• Pincurchin
• Base Stats: 48 HP. 101ATK. 95 DEF. 91SpA. 85SpD. 15 Speed (BST: 435)
• Abilities: Lightning Rod (1) | Lightning Rod (2) | Electric Surge (H)

Still torn on this one. On the one hand, it has horrible base stats including a very low HP, has no secondary typing for defense and is slower than pretty much everything and doesn't get volt switch. On the other, Electric finally has access to spikes and toxic spikes, alongside recover, and the 101/90 attacking stats mean even uninvested (and I can't see investing much there) you aren't dead weight. It has Sucker Punch, Self-Destruct, Memento, Scald, heck even Curse and Charge Beam. I'm not quite certain on what do here yet, but the fact that it has hazards and Electric Surge means it could very well have a role, especially if we want to bring back A-Raichu for wall breaking/late game sweeping.

• 836 - Boltund
• Base Stats: 69HP. 90 ATK. 60 DEF. 90SpA. 60SpD. 121 Speed (BST: 490)
• Abilities: Strong Jaw (1) | Strong Jaw (2) | Competitive (H)

While I hate the design execution, a 121 base speed 90 attack/special attack with two good abilities is nothing to sneeze at. This fits the mold of the fast/frail electric type and I was hopeful that Strong Jaw would be a boon, but then I found out it lacks Ice Fang. Having Fire, Thunder and Psychic fangs alongside Crunch is nice but the Ice coverage would have been clutch. Aside from that, it does have Play Rough, Flame Charge and, I am only now realizing as I type this, Bulk Up. This could led to some nice setup scenarios if screens are run on the team, or just a nice revenge killer.

The other ability Competitive looks good on paper, but going through the move list, it basically only has Electric special moves now that Hidden Power is gone. Snarl and Hyper voice won't suffice, so I don't see special sets working at all unless more moves are introduced.

• 849 - Toxtricity
• Base Stats: 75HP. 98ATK. 70Def. 114SpA. 70SpD. 75 Speed (BST: 502)
• Abilities: Punk Rock (1) | Plus (2) | Technician (H)
• Type: Electric / Poison

To me, this is the new pokemon with the most potential for Electric teams. The new ability Punk Rock boosts the power of sound type moves (what percentage, I don't know) while taking half damage from opposing sound based moves. While the second half of this won't come in to play too often (most common: Clanging Scales (Kommo-O, Bug Buzz, Hyper Voice (Sylveon/Gardevoir), the power boost surely will. Alongside a new signature electric special move called Overdrive, Tox has access to Boomburst, which will hit neutrally against ground types and the like. Other toys include Shift Gear, Sludge Wave, Acid Spray, Stored Power, Hex, and Nuzzle. With 98 attack, mixed or physical could also be considered: Drain Punch, Power up Punch, Fire Punch, Gunk Shot and more. However, technician doesn't boost much at all, and Punk Rock does nothing for physical moves.

While the defensive stats are nothing special and it has a 4x weakness to ground attacks, it also resists Bug, Fairy, Poison, Grass, and Fighting, which can compliment Rotom-W. A middling 75 base speed can be patched with Shift Gear, Sticky Web support or a choice scarf. Another fun option could be the new Throat Spray option, which when using a sound based move, it will be consumed to increase special attack by one stage. This could result in some ridiculously good non-choiced wall breaking that Electric teams will greatly appreciate. I look forward to seeing this one in action!

 

[Ronman5]

So my first opinion is "Bug is screwed like normal"

Also I just looked through leaked abilities... Dear god Barraskewda looks pretty damn good

Essentially it also gets an ability that looks like Mold Breaker... but what does it mean by "Draw moves" too?

Anyways it looks like an incredibly strong Basculin sporting 123 attack and 136 speed, and the ability Swiftswim
Looking at its moves it gets CC, Crunch, Liquidation, psychic fangs... in a non swamp game this probally could be a fairly decent mon... even if its defenses arent that hot it still looks pretty strong and can cause some good damgage


Also Ice looks incredibly deadly this gen thanks to one of my personal favorite pokemon in Darmanitan... I especially like how they even made his Zen mode useful too... though i think more people will stick to its ability that essentially gets it a "Choice band" effect... I wonder if it stacks with a choice band... if so that sounds incredibly deadly... might have that ability banned if you can stack Choice band with his powerful ability

 

[readyletsgo]

Essentially it also gets an ability that looks like Mold Breaker... but what does it mean by "Draw moves" too?

For example in Doubles, it can ignore "Follow Me", "Rage Powder" etc

 

[BlueRay]

So my first opinion is "Bug is screwed like normal"

Also I just looked through leaked abilities... Dear god Barraskewda looks pretty damn good

Essentially it also gets an ability that looks like Mold Breaker... but what does it mean by "Draw moves" too?

Anyways it looks like an incredibly strong Basculin sporting 123 attack and 136 speed, and the ability Swiftswim
Looking at its moves it gets CC, Crunch, Liquidation, psychic fangs... in a non swamp game this probally could be a fairly decent mon... even if its defenses arent that hot it still looks pretty strong and can cause some good damgage


Also Ice looks incredibly deadly this gen thanks to one of my personal favorite pokemon in Darmanitan... I especially like how they even made his Zen mode useful too... though i think more people will stick to its ability that essentially gets it a "Choice band" effect... I wonder if it stacks with a choice band... if so that sounds incredibly deadly... might have that ability banned if you can stack Choice band with his powerful ability

Draw moves refer to moves like Follow Me.

On another note, Drednaw is, possibly, also a viable swift swim user for rain teams. With gigamax, it can set up Stealth Rock if you want to compress roles.

 

[BlueRay]

One final note before I go to bed.
It doesn't look very good for Rock, it seems. They lost Mega Diancie, Cradily, and Alolan Golem. While something like Dynamax Tyrannitar or Rhyperiour could be pretty terrifying due to their defensive and offensive stats, especially with Ground moves raising your SpD and Rock moves summoning Sandstorm to increase your SpD as well, it doesn't look like as if we gained any new, viable Rock Pkm to replace old roles.
On the other hand, Dynamax Terrakion looks pretty scary with Fighting moves giving you +1.

 

[readyletsgo]

One final note before I go to bed.
It doesn't look very good for Rock, it seems. They lost Mega Diancie, Cradily, and Alolan Golem. While something like Dynamax Tyrannitar or Rhyperiour could be pretty terrifying due to their defensive and offensive stats, especially with Ground moves raising your SpD and Rock moves summoning Sandstorm to increase your SpD as well, it doesn't look like as if we gained any new, viable Rock Pkm to replace old roles.
On the other hand, Dynamax Terrakion looks pretty scary with Fighting moves giving you +1.

Terrakion gives them a bit of hope, but behind that, everyone is so slow. Silvally is the fastest Rock pokemon at 95 base speed, then its..Stonejourner at 70? TTar after that....Shuckle webs might mitigate this a bit, but combined with no Cradily to resist water, it's real bleak.

 

[Kev]

Wanted to give my opinion on the state of all the types in the coming gen. Taking too long so I'll split it in two parts, maybe three if part 2 is too long. It should be noted that someone of the Pokemon listed as available might not be in the game from the start (event pokemon) or will be banned automatically (Zekrom, Reshiram, Zamazenta, etc..)

BUG
​

This awful type doesn't deserve a positive/negative list because its all bad.

Fully evolved available Pokemon:
Butterfree (Gigantamax), Shuckle, Ninjask, Shedinja, Vespiquen, Escavalier, Galvantula, Accelgor, Durant, Vikavolt, Ribombee, Araquanid, Golisopod, Silvally-Bug, Orbeetle (Gigantamax), Centiskorch (Gigantamax), Frosmoth

Already being in the worst types of USUM, Bug looks like it will be completely helpless in SWSH. The biggest hit is without a doubt the fact that it has no hazard removal (edit: Frosmoth has Defog). This will probably force the type to run multiple Heavy Duty Boots for a team to last more than a couple turns. Moreover, it doesn't even have that great of an offensive presence to abuse of Sticky Web. The type lost 4 it's best offensive pokemon: Scizor, Mega-Pinsir, Heracross, and Volcarona. The new additions are far from impressive, with Frosmoth being bad Volcarona. Centiskorch is kinda cool but it can't do anything to make up for all the losses.

DARK
​

Dark is looking like it is gonna be one of the best types in SWSH despite some big losses.

Fully evolved available Pokemon:
Persian-Alola, Umbreon, Tyranitar, Shiftry, Sableye, Crawdaunt, Skunktank, Drapion, Weavile, Liepard, Bisharp, Mandibuzz, Hydreigon, Pangoro, Malamar, Incineroar, Silvally-Dark, Thievul, Grimmsnarl (Gigantamax), Obstagoon, Morpeko

Negatives:
- Losing Muk-Alola, thus having to use Skunktank/Drapion/Bisharp to beat fairies
- Losing Pursuit (not that big of a loss for Dark Monotype)
- Losing Mega-Sableye
- Kind of disappointing new Pokemon
- Relies on Hydreigon as Electric resist, and it does not have Roost
- Losing Greninja

Positives:
- Hydreigon gains access to Nasty Plot
- Mandibuzz provides the type with Hazard Control and a defensive presence
- Not strictly restricted to 6 Pokemon
- Fairy falling off from its USUM glory makes the Muk-Alola loss less painful

DRAGON
​

Originally, I thought Dragon was gonna be one of the greatest types of SWSH. Looking at the below list, I'm not as convinced that it will be so dominant.

Fully evolved available Pokemon: Flygon, Haxorus, Hydreigon, Reshiram, Zekrom, Kyurem, Kyurem-Black, Kyurem-White, Goodra, Noivern, Silvally-Dragon, Turtunator, Drampa, Kommo-o, Flapple (Gigantamax), Appletun (Gigantamax), Dracozolt, Dracovish, Duraludon, Dragapult, Eternatus (Gigantamax)

Negatives:
- No Latis and Dragonite
- Dragapult got cools stats but an awful move pool, with no good ghost stab and inexistent coverage, the other new dragons aren't that inspiring either
- Losing Salamence who could've been a ridiculous Dynamax abuser
- Its biggest gain, Kyurem-Black, will probably be banned shortly after its release

Positives:
- Dragon Dance Kyurem-Black with access to Icicle Spear is absolutely ridiculous, the loss of Roost doesn't even damage it much if the rumor about Dynamax fully recovering is true
- Nasty Plot Hydreigon
- Kommo-o still has omniboosting thanks to the new move Clangorous Soul.
- Goodra gets a recovery move

The type could end up being great, but I'm not really sold on the contributions of the apples, fossils and Duraludon

ELECTRIC
​

While Electric seems like it has fallen off greatly from USUM, I think it can be a decent type in the tier when it gets Zeraora and Raichu-Alola.

Fully evolved available Pokemon:
Pikachu (Gigantamax), Raichu, Raichu-Alola, Jolteon, Lanturn, Manectric, Rotoms, Galvantula, Stunfisk, Zekrom, Vikavolt, Silvally-Electric, Zeraora, Togedemaru, Boltund, Toxtricity (Gigantamax), Pincurchin, Morpeko, Dracozolt, Arctozolt

Negatives:
- Stunfisk rock setter
- No Defog, unless they can transfer Rotoms from USUM
- No Tapu Koko, Pincurchin has to be the Electric Terrain setter unless you rely on Dynamax Electric moves
- Loss of Zapdos
- No Hidden Power makes it really hard for the type to kill Ground type Pokemon or Grass type Pokemon

Positives:
- Zeraora sounds insane with Dynamax, it can set electric terrain, boosts its attack and boosts its speed all while doing damage. Also, it gets Play Rough which helps greatly against the hyped up Dragon, Dark and Fighting.
- Electric Terrain can still be set paired with Raichu-Alola still being in the game, it will be hard for many types to switch in as they lack Electric immunities or don't have too impressive resists.
- It got a better sticky web setter in Vikavolt, who is an additional ground immunity. The very offensive type can greatly take advantage of this.
- Toxtricity can be a solid special attacker, but can possibly be threatening as a Physical attacker thanks to Shift Gear. It also profits greatly from Gigantamax, being able to spread status or boosting its stats.
- Access to Toxic Spikes

FAIRY
​

Fairy will definitely not be the top tier type it is. It might be able to function as an anti-meta type "similar" to Grass in USUM thanks to its favourable matchups against Dark, Dragon, and Fighting. It Should also be able to be pretty threatening to Water, another one of the strong types.

Fully evolved available Pokemon: Ninetales-Alola, Rapidash-Galar, Weezing-Galar, Mr.Mime, Clefable, Gardevoir, Mawile, Whimsicott, Aromatisse, Slurpluff, Sylveon, Primarina, Rimbombee, Shiinotic, Silvally-Fairy, Mimikyu, Hatterene (Gigantamax), Grimmsnarl (Gigantamax), Alcremie (Gigantamax), Zacian

Negatives:
- No Tapus
- No Klefki or Mega-Diancie
- Has probably the worst Dynamax move effect
- No Ground/Electric immunity or great resist

Positives:
- Hatterene can be an immense threat under TR
- Aurora Veil might be better
- Mimikyu can drop Defense with Dynamax Ghost and profits from Dynamax recovering HP if that is true
- A few Pokemon gained Mystical Fire to hit Steel-types
- Primarina getting a recovery move

FIGHTING
​

Fighting will be a strong type once it gets Keldeo and the Swords.

Fully evolved available Pokemon: Machamp (Gigantamax), Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan, Hitmontop, Lucario, Toxicroak, Gallade, Conkeldurr, Throh, Sawk, Scrafty, Cobalion, Virizion, Terrakion, Keldeo, Pangoro, Hawlucha, Bewear, Passimian, Silvally-Fighting, Kommo-o, Marshadow, Grapploct, Sirfetch'd, Falinks, Zamazenta

Negatives:
- Needs to wait for its best Pokemon, will be probably be completely awful at the beginning of the gen (super bad options)
- Still poor Hazard removal options
- No Mega Gallade

Positives:
- Fairy not being as good
- Hawlucha sounds insane with Dynamax as it can still abuse Unburden and gets attack & speed boosts from its stabs + the whole HP recovering thing again
- Grapploct being able to trap things
- Falinks' No Retreat, although it apparently cant stack

FIRE
​

Fire, as usual, is simply unimpressive.

Fully evolved available Pokemon: Charizard (Gigantamax), Ninetales, Arcanine, Rapidash, Flareon, Torkoal, Rotom-Heat, Darmanitan, Darmanitan-Galar (Zen Mode), Chandelure, Heatmor, Reshiram, Incineroar, Salazzle, Silvally-Fire, Turtunator, Cinderace, Coalossal (Gigantamax), Centiskorch (Gigantamax)

Negatives:
- Mediocre Pokemon roster
- Losing Mega Charizards
- Turtunator is the only Electric resist

Positives:
- Heavy Duty Boots
- Setting Sun with Dynamax moves can be abused
- Cinderace having Libero (aka Protean)

FLYING
​

Flying is the greatest victim of SWSH. After being a dominant force for multiple generations, it is absolutely awful. It could even be called unplayable, bar the possibility of offensive flying being usable.

Fully evolved available Pokemon: Charizard (Gigantamax), Butterfree (Gigantamax), Gyarados, Xatu, Delibird, Mantine, Pelipper, Ninjask, Vespiquen, Drifblim, Togekiss, Rotom-Fan, Unfezant, Swoobat, Sigilyph, Braviary, Mandibuzz, Hawlucha, Noivern, Silvally-Flying, Corviknight, Cramorant

Negatives:
- No electric immunity
- No stealth rock (rock setter Xatu lmao)
- Less Defog options
- Balance Flying is unplayable
- HO Flying has no hazard setter bar "Spikes Delibird"
- Losing basically all its best Pokemon , offensively and defensively
- Its best offensive Pokemon will be competing for the Gigatamax/Dynamax slot
- No Mega

Positives:
- Gyarados is one of the Pokemon that will benefit immensely from Dynamax. Running a Moxie set, it can basically get Dragon Dance's while attacking by spamming Max Airstream (boosting speed) and getting kills (boosting attack). It can also do more damage by setting its own rain. Not to forget that it can run Dragon Dance to get some boosts before Dynamaxing, and then recovering its health (if true). All this while being able to carry an item.
- Hawlucha should be really good as mentioned before. It should still be a strong threat without Dynamax.

-----

I probably missed a bunch of things for most types because I rushed this, but overall I'm really excited for this generation. I have so many ideas to try out once the games drop. The tier might end up becoming a disaster, or could be super fun. Looking forward to see how the meta evolves and all the ideas everyone comes up with!