Exactly, Kyurem is not common and dying to garchomp, lando and other physical attackers is not a good idea.
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Metagame SS OU Metagame Discussion Thread v7 (Usage Stats in post #3539)
- Thread starter TPP
- Start date
A reminder that this is the current SS OU metagame discussion thread, not the "let's theorymon about once Urshifu is banned" metagame discussion thread.
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!
Usage stats are up. We got two in Regieleki and G-Zap not that it matters too much cause OU and also not too surprising.
https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/usage-based-tier-update-for-january-2021.3675567/#post-8701946
https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/usage-based-tier-update-for-january-2021.3675567/#post-8701946
Genuinely surprised that Lando is still number one, I feel like it's outclassed by garchomp right now as both a setup sweeper and a physical tank. Intimidate feels a lot less valuable than the chip damage rough skin gives to physical attackers, and even with intimidate there's plenty of physical attackers that either ohko it or do like 60%+
No,
No, landorus has flying typing which means it is inmune to groud, resist fighting, has the disgusting knock off, u turn, more atack and intimidate
I think Landorus-T and Garchomp are both great options that bring unique things to the table. Landorus-T has U-turn, Ground immunity, and Intimidate whereas Garchomp has a bit more speed, mixed attacking capabilities, resistnce to Fire to check Heatran, Rocky Helmet+Rough Skin, etc.
While comparison is inevitable as there is some role overlap as premier Ground types, there is still a lot unique to each Pokemon that allows for both to be used plenty.
While comparison is inevitable as there is some role overlap as premier Ground types, there is still a lot unique to each Pokemon that allows for both to be used plenty.
It's also very prone to getting chipped down, absolutely hates grassy terrain because it weakens it's earthquakes without getting the passive healing, has a harder time fitting SD in its moveslots, and has a pretty unimpressive speed tier
Edit to avoid spamming
Lando is not a bad pokemon, but I feel it's strengths aren't as useful in this metagame. Its a fair bit slower than nearly every offensive pokemon in the tier, and also faces a lot of competition from the defensive birds, as they have reliable recovery and better abilities. It's still a pretty good glue mon, but I feel it's shortcomings are really emphasized in this meta
Last edited:
Well
Well, garchomp is vulnerable to spikes and is weak to fairy
Not to mention the weaknesses u mentioned for landot also applies to chomp too.So ur argument favouring chomp over landot doesn't works
No? Garchomp gets grassy terrain recovery, has a very easy time fitting SD on nearly every set, 102 speed is way better than 91, rough skin is much more punishing to physical attackers than intimidate is right now, and chomp can actually threaten to sweep with its sd life orb set. Chomp is prone to chip, but having your pokemon take 12.5/25% damage on contact is really strong right now. I just don't think Lando is good enough to be #1 in usage.
First of all, Happy New Year to everyone! I hope you all enjoy the new year and hope it goes well :)
December usage stats are here. Credit to Kalalokki for the visual below:
Notable increases:
#26 (8.404%) > #17 (10.404%)
This one's a smaller increase, but Hydreigon is getting a bit more common, most likely for its Defog set. Hydreigon can switch into Spectrier and Heatran, threaten both with Dark Pulse and Earth Power respectively, and provide hazard removal. It's also able to switch directly into Slowbro and prevent it from using Teleport after it uses Future Sight.
Notables decreases:
#20 (9.486%) > #31 (6.822%)
Moltres is beginning to fall off with Pheromosa being banned and it's not as effective at handling physical threats and forcing them out while using Defog. Flame Body is still nice, but Moltres is also only capable of switching into a few physical threats, which mainly includes Cinderace, Rillaboom, Kartana, and Melmetal. Unfortunately, there's a problem with each one, as Cinderace might 2HKO with Gunk Shot should it get the Poison chance or if Moltres is slightly chipped. Rillaboom and Kartana use Knock Off, which means that Moltres will struggle to actively remove Stealth Rock if it loses Heavy-Duty Boots. Finally, Melmetal has access to Toxic and Rock Slide, both of which can be threatening to Moltres. As a Defog user, it's also in a competition with Zapdos, which is less threatened by Knock Off as it only loses 25% health to Stealth Rock as opposed to Moltres losing 50%.
Rising to OU:
#41 (4.438%) > #37 (5.544%)
#42 (4.047%) > #41 (4.549%)
After missing the cutoff earlier in December, Regieleki and Zapdos-Galar made it into OU this time. Given how we're in a suspect test right now, it's likely that enough people wanted to use Regieleki as their Screen setting on hyper offense teams that it ended up rising to OU. Zapdos-Galar on the other hand likely rose due to hyper offense wanting to punish Defog users like Hydreigon.
I'll leave a few questions below:
1) Was there anything I didn't cover that you believe to be worth discussing? By this I mean are there any increases or decreases you saw and wanted to discuss?
2) Do you have any new sets or mons that you've been liking that you'd be willing to share?
3) Favorite sets on Lando-T, Clefable and Magearna?
4) Are there any mons you believe will rise up to OU next month?
5) If you used Regieleki or Zapdos-Galar recently, how well did they perform for you, and what sets did you run on them?
Happy New Year and I hope you all have a wonderful first day of the year!
December usage stats are here. Credit to Kalalokki for the visual below:
Code:
Combined usage for OU (1695 stats)
+ ---- + ------------------ + ------- +
| Rank | Pokemon | Percent |
+ ---- + ------------------ + ------- +
| 1 | Landorus-Therian | 34.872% |
| 2 | Urshifu | 28.083% |
| 3 | Magearna | 25.401% |
| 4 | Clefable | 23.548% |
| 5 | Garchomp | 19.642% |
| 6 | Cinderace | 19.393% |
| 7 | Toxapex | 18.612% |
| 8 | Ferrothorn | 17.981% |
| 9 | Rillaboom | 17.525% |
| 10 | Heatran | 16.615% |
| 11 | Zapdos | 15.905% |
| 12 | Spectrier | 15.426% |
| 13 | Mandibuzz | 12.960% |
| 14 | Tapu Fini | 12.558% |
| 15 | Tapu Koko | 10.651% |
| 16 | Slowbro | 10.539% |
| 17 | Hydreigon | 10.404% |
| 18 | Slowking-Galar | 10.342% |
| 19 | Kartana | 9.206% |
| 20 | Blissey | 9.135% |
| 21 | Melmetal | 9.020% |
| 22 | Excadrill | 8.891% |
| 23 | Dragapult | 8.230% |
| 24 | Nidoking | 7.936% |
| 25 | Tyranitar | 7.630% |
| 26 | Tornadus-Therian | 7.560% |
| 27 | Corviknight | 7.475% |
| 28 | Pelipper | 7.455% |
| 29 | Swampert | 7.284% |
| 30 | Buzzwole | 7.219% |
| 31 | Moltres | 6.822% |
| 32 | Hippowdon | 6.587% |
| 33 | Volcarona | 5.992% |
| 34 | Hawlucha | 5.958% |
| 35 | Tapu Lele | 5.796% |
| 36 | Dragonite | 5.561% |
| 37 | Regieleki | 5.544% |
| 38 | Barraskewda | 5.050% |
| 39 | Urshifu-Rapid-Strike | 4.982% |
| 40 | Latios | 4.850% |
| 41 | Zapdos-Galar | 4.549% |
| 42 | Slowking | 4.273% |
| 43 | Kyurem | 4.197% |
| 44 | Skarmory | 4.032% |
| 45 | Azumarill | 3.425% |
| 46 | Victini | 2.922% |
| 47 | Magnezone | 2.843% |
| 48 | Tangrowth | 2.832% |
| 49 | Crawdaunt | 2.824% |
| 50 | Seismitoad | 2.634% |
| 51 | Shuckle | 2.364% |
| 52 | Suicune | 2.315% |
| 53 | Blaziken | 2.295% |
| 54 | Mamoswine | 2.227% |
| 55 | Zarude | 2.027% |
| 56 | Pheromosa | 1.955% |
| 57 | Kommo-o | 1.878% |
| 58 | Mew | 1.749% |
| 59 | Aegislash | 1.659% |
| 60 | Quagsire | 1.607% |
| 61 | Dracozolt | 1.588% |
| 62 | Togekiss | 1.583% |
| 63 | Grimmsnarl | 1.565% |
| 64 | Gastrodon | 1.541% |
| 65 | Thundurus-Therian | 1.535% |
| 66 | Obstagoon | 1.529% |
| 67 | Latias | 1.508% |
| 68 | Ninetales-Alola | 1.500% |
| 69 | Diggersby | 1.455% |
| 70 | Ditto | 1.379% |
| 71 | Torkoal | 1.340% |
| 72 | Scizor | 1.314% |
| 73 | Krookodile | 1.302% |
| 74 | Weavile | 1.212% |
| 75 | Chansey | 1.181% |
| 76 | Nihilego | 1.174% |
| 77 | Venusaur | 1.161% |
| 78 | Zeraora | 1.156% |
| 79 | Celesteela | 1.146% |
| 80 | Cloyster | 1.120% |
| 81 | Jirachi | 1.118% |
| 82 | Volcanion | 1.116% |
| 83 | Bisharp | 1.102% |
| 84 | Rhyperior | 1.098% |
| 85 | Moltres-Galar | 1.090% |
| 86 | Weezing-Galar | 1.085% |
| 87 | Porygon2 | 1.041% |
| 88 | Keldeo | 1.031% |
| 89 | Arctozolt | 1.016% |
| 90 | Rotom-Wash | 1.012% |
| 91 | Marowak-Alola | 0.999% |
| 92 | Kingdra | 0.989% |
| 93 | Blacephalon | 0.984% |
| 94 | Amoonguss | 0.946% |
| 95 | Shedinja | 0.830% |
| 96 | Tapu Bulu | 0.803% |
| 97 | Salamence | 0.790% |
| 98 | Reuniclus | 0.780% |
| 99 | Gyarados | 0.732% |
| 100 | Snorlax | 0.643% |
| 101 | Gengar | 0.642% |
| 102 | Rotom-Heat | 0.642% |
| 103 | Alakazam | 0.624% |
| 104 | Terrakion | 0.608% |
| 105 | Raichu-Alola | 0.601% |
| 106 | Hatterene | 0.600% |
| 107 | Klefki | 0.506% |
| 108 | Nidoqueen | 0.495% |
| 109 | Cresselia | 0.485% |
| 110 | Exploud | 0.476% |
| 111 | Slowbro-Galar | 0.472% |
| 112 | Conkeldurr | 0.464% |
| 113 | Umbreon | 0.457% |
| 114 | Ribombee | 0.419% |
| 115 | Zygarde-10% | 0.418% |
| 116 | Primarina | 0.400% |
| 117 | Lycanroc-Dusk | 0.390% |
| 118 | Vanilluxe | 0.377% |
| 119 | Toxtricity | 0.373% |
| 120 | Darmanitan | 0.347% |
| 121 | Thundurus | 0.340% |
| 122 | Regidrago | 0.332% |
| 123 | Glastrier | 0.299% |
| 124 | Azelf | 0.294% |
| 125 | Charizard | 0.262% |
| 126 | Omastar | 0.258% |
| 127 | Haxorus | 0.255% |
| 128 | Stakataka | 0.247% |
| 129 | Blastoise | 0.229% |
| 130 | Metagross | 0.228% |
| 131 | Porygon-Z | 0.227% |
| 132 | Mimikyu | 0.225% |
| 133 | Polteageist | 0.222% |
| 134 | Scolipede | 0.215% |
| 135 | Politoed | 0.214% |
| 136 | Incineroar | 0.210% |
| 137 | Regigigas | 0.202% |
| 138 | Lucario | 0.197% |
| 139 | Tornadus | 0.194% |
| 140 | Arctovish | 0.192% |
| 141 | Espeon | 0.183% |
| 142 | Druddigon | 0.179% |
| 143 | Poliwrath | 0.170% |
| 144 | Araquanid | 0.163% |
| 145 | Accelgor | 0.162% |
| 146 | Indeedee | 0.161% |
| 147 | Vaporeon | 0.154% |
| 148 | Mantine | 0.154% |
| 149 | Entei | 0.147% |
| 150 | Zoroark | 0.144% |
| 151 | Uxie | 0.137% |
| 152 | Mienshao | 0.137% |
| 153 | Chandelure | 0.136% |
| 154 | Meowstic | 0.132% |
| 155 | Milotic | 0.131% |
| 156 | Lycanroc | 0.125% |
| 157 | Diancie | 0.125% |
| 158 | Whimsicott | 0.124% |
| 159 | Heracross | 0.124% |
| 160 | Altaria | 0.121% |
| 161 | Aerodactyl | 0.121% |
| 162 | Tentacruel | 0.120% |
| 163 | Tyrantrum | 0.115% |
| 164 | Starmie | 0.114% |
| 165 | Audino | 0.113% |
| 166 | Corsola-Galar | 0.111% |
| 167 | Pyukumuku | 0.109% |
| 168 | Slurpuff | 0.106% |
| 169 | Sandslash-Alola | 0.106% |
| 170 | Drapion | 0.102% |
+ ---- + ------------------ + ------- +Notable increases:
This one's a smaller increase, but Hydreigon is getting a bit more common, most likely for its Defog set. Hydreigon can switch into Spectrier and Heatran, threaten both with Dark Pulse and Earth Power respectively, and provide hazard removal. It's also able to switch directly into Slowbro and prevent it from using Teleport after it uses Future Sight.
Notables decreases:
Moltres is beginning to fall off with Pheromosa being banned and it's not as effective at handling physical threats and forcing them out while using Defog. Flame Body is still nice, but Moltres is also only capable of switching into a few physical threats, which mainly includes Cinderace, Rillaboom, Kartana, and Melmetal. Unfortunately, there's a problem with each one, as Cinderace might 2HKO with Gunk Shot should it get the Poison chance or if Moltres is slightly chipped. Rillaboom and Kartana use Knock Off, which means that Moltres will struggle to actively remove Stealth Rock if it loses Heavy-Duty Boots. Finally, Melmetal has access to Toxic and Rock Slide, both of which can be threatening to Moltres. As a Defog user, it's also in a competition with Zapdos, which is less threatened by Knock Off as it only loses 25% health to Stealth Rock as opposed to Moltres losing 50%.
Rising to OU:
After missing the cutoff earlier in December, Regieleki and Zapdos-Galar made it into OU this time. Given how we're in a suspect test right now, it's likely that enough people wanted to use Regieleki as their Screen setting on hyper offense teams that it ended up rising to OU. Zapdos-Galar on the other hand likely rose due to hyper offense wanting to punish Defog users like Hydreigon.
I'll leave a few questions below:
1) Was there anything I didn't cover that you believe to be worth discussing? By this I mean are there any increases or decreases you saw and wanted to discuss?
2) Do you have any new sets or mons that you've been liking that you'd be willing to share?
3) Favorite sets on Lando-T, Clefable and Magearna?
4) Are there any mons you believe will rise up to OU next month?
5) If you used Regieleki or Zapdos-Galar recently, how well did they perform for you, and what sets did you run on them?
Happy New Year and I hope you all have a wonderful first day of the year!
I just wanted to point out that how good a Pokemon is isn't necessarily directly tied to its usage. A big reason why Lando is the most used Pokemon is because it is very versatile and can be used on various different team structures to fill the roles needed. Obviously Lando is also very good, otherwise it wouldn't be used so much, but versatility and role compression, along with viability, goes a long way towards influencing usage.
For Landorus-T, it would have to be its Physdef set. Pretty standard but sets that I mostly find consistent are the ones I like to spam the most on teams, and considering that my most used team archetype is Balance and Bulky offense Physdef is usually my cup of tea. Intimidate + Rocky Helmet is such a great combo of defensive utility, chipping stuff down while also still being a handy pivot and rocks setter is such a great trait on teams and Lando-T shows that I feel. So yeah pretty straightforward but Physdef Landorus-T is my favourite set.
For Clefable it would have to be just the standard utility Clef. It fits on basically every single balance imaginable and my favourite thing about it is how many options you can go with it. Knock Off is my most used because Clef is probably the best user of it in the tier I feel, its always going to make some sort of progress with Knock Off alone and that's why I love using it the most for its last move, but outside of that, Thunder Wave is pretty nice Speed control and making fast stuff like Spectrier and Cinderace significantly less effective for the rest of the game, Aromatherapy for stuff like Urshifu and Suicune because of just how weak they are to status. Utility Clef is just great, so many options you can use on it and because of it I don't think it will ever get bad.
For Magearna, I would have to say Choice Specs. Not only because its the most consistent set on Magearna but also the most fun, at least to me. It's such a hard Pokemon to consistently switch into and Fleur Cannon + Volt Switch alone is going to be doing massive work. Its really only defensive cores that can really play around it and even then 1 turn of prediction is going to be amazing for Magearna and its pretty insane how easy it can make progress in the right hands. I feel a skilled player using Magearna is going to get multiple kills in a game however the thing is how the Pokemon can be prediction reliant still considering with something like Toxapex + Landorus-T, pivoting around it is not that hard however the fun about it is how rewarding it is.
Galarian Zapdos is okay I would have to say, I don't think its anything too special right now considering it suffers fierce competition with Urshifu unfortunately considering that I feel Choice Band is its best set currently. I feel it might get better in the future especially with Urshifu's suspect coming to a close but as of right now it simply isn't what I would call all that good.
Regieleki is still only using screens since its terrible at everything else, and I have to say it's still an amazing screens setter. Being the fastest Pokemon in the game is a huge plus for this mon and this combined with the fact that it has access to Explosion, and you got yourself a very reliable HO pick. Its pretty straightforward so I will not go too in-depth with it but Regieleki is a great screens setter despite it only being good at that.
=====
First post of the year, and happy new year to all of you by the way!
Landorus is good at its job. There is a reason why it's number one, and thats because it IS good. It can run so many unique sets, and is fairly splashable.
1. Moltres always been overrated a dropoff was comingFirst of all, Happy New Year to everyone! I hope you all enjoy the new year and hope it goes well :)
December usage stats are here. Credit to Kalalokki for the visual below:
Code:Combined usage for OU (1695 stats) + ---- + ------------------ + ------- + | Rank | Pokemon | Percent | + ---- + ------------------ + ------- + | 1 | Landorus-Therian | 34.872% | | 2 | Urshifu | 28.083% | | 3 | Magearna | 25.401% | | 4 | Clefable | 23.548% | | 5 | Garchomp | 19.642% | | 6 | Cinderace | 19.393% | | 7 | Toxapex | 18.612% | | 8 | Ferrothorn | 17.981% | | 9 | Rillaboom | 17.525% | | 10 | Heatran | 16.615% | | 11 | Zapdos | 15.905% | | 12 | Spectrier | 15.426% | | 13 | Mandibuzz | 12.960% | | 14 | Tapu Fini | 12.558% | | 15 | Tapu Koko | 10.651% | | 16 | Slowbro | 10.539% | | 17 | Hydreigon | 10.404% | | 18 | Slowking-Galar | 10.342% | | 19 | Kartana | 9.206% | | 20 | Blissey | 9.135% | | 21 | Melmetal | 9.020% | | 22 | Excadrill | 8.891% | | 23 | Dragapult | 8.230% | | 24 | Nidoking | 7.936% | | 25 | Tyranitar | 7.630% | | 26 | Tornadus-Therian | 7.560% | | 27 | Corviknight | 7.475% | | 28 | Pelipper | 7.455% | | 29 | Swampert | 7.284% | | 30 | Buzzwole | 7.219% | | 31 | Moltres | 6.822% | | 32 | Hippowdon | 6.587% | | 33 | Volcarona | 5.992% | | 34 | Hawlucha | 5.958% | | 35 | Tapu Lele | 5.796% | | 36 | Dragonite | 5.561% | | 37 | Regieleki | 5.544% | | 38 | Barraskewda | 5.050% | | 39 | Urshifu-Rapid-Strike | 4.982% | | 40 | Latios | 4.850% | | 41 | Zapdos-Galar | 4.549% | | 42 | Slowking | 4.273% | | 43 | Kyurem | 4.197% | | 44 | Skarmory | 4.032% | | 45 | Azumarill | 3.425% | | 46 | Victini | 2.922% | | 47 | Magnezone | 2.843% | | 48 | Tangrowth | 2.832% | | 49 | Crawdaunt | 2.824% | | 50 | Seismitoad | 2.634% | | 51 | Shuckle | 2.364% | | 52 | Suicune | 2.315% | | 53 | Blaziken | 2.295% | | 54 | Mamoswine | 2.227% | | 55 | Zarude | 2.027% | | 56 | Pheromosa | 1.955% | | 57 | Kommo-o | 1.878% | | 58 | Mew | 1.749% | | 59 | Aegislash | 1.659% | | 60 | Quagsire | 1.607% | | 61 | Dracozolt | 1.588% | | 62 | Togekiss | 1.583% | | 63 | Grimmsnarl | 1.565% | | 64 | Gastrodon | 1.541% | | 65 | Thundurus-Therian | 1.535% | | 66 | Obstagoon | 1.529% | | 67 | Latias | 1.508% | | 68 | Ninetales-Alola | 1.500% | | 69 | Diggersby | 1.455% | | 70 | Ditto | 1.379% | | 71 | Torkoal | 1.340% | | 72 | Scizor | 1.314% | | 73 | Krookodile | 1.302% | | 74 | Weavile | 1.212% | | 75 | Chansey | 1.181% | | 76 | Nihilego | 1.174% | | 77 | Venusaur | 1.161% | | 78 | Zeraora | 1.156% | | 79 | Celesteela | 1.146% | | 80 | Cloyster | 1.120% | | 81 | Jirachi | 1.118% | | 82 | Volcanion | 1.116% | | 83 | Bisharp | 1.102% | | 84 | Rhyperior | 1.098% | | 85 | Moltres-Galar | 1.090% | | 86 | Weezing-Galar | 1.085% | | 87 | Porygon2 | 1.041% | | 88 | Keldeo | 1.031% | | 89 | Arctozolt | 1.016% | | 90 | Rotom-Wash | 1.012% | | 91 | Marowak-Alola | 0.999% | | 92 | Kingdra | 0.989% | | 93 | Blacephalon | 0.984% | | 94 | Amoonguss | 0.946% | | 95 | Shedinja | 0.830% | | 96 | Tapu Bulu | 0.803% | | 97 | Salamence | 0.790% | | 98 | Reuniclus | 0.780% | | 99 | Gyarados | 0.732% | | 100 | Snorlax | 0.643% | | 101 | Gengar | 0.642% | | 102 | Rotom-Heat | 0.642% | | 103 | Alakazam | 0.624% | | 104 | Terrakion | 0.608% | | 105 | Raichu-Alola | 0.601% | | 106 | Hatterene | 0.600% | | 107 | Klefki | 0.506% | | 108 | Nidoqueen | 0.495% | | 109 | Cresselia | 0.485% | | 110 | Exploud | 0.476% | | 111 | Slowbro-Galar | 0.472% | | 112 | Conkeldurr | 0.464% | | 113 | Umbreon | 0.457% | | 114 | Ribombee | 0.419% | | 115 | Zygarde-10% | 0.418% | | 116 | Primarina | 0.400% | | 117 | Lycanroc-Dusk | 0.390% | | 118 | Vanilluxe | 0.377% | | 119 | Toxtricity | 0.373% | | 120 | Darmanitan | 0.347% | | 121 | Thundurus | 0.340% | | 122 | Regidrago | 0.332% | | 123 | Glastrier | 0.299% | | 124 | Azelf | 0.294% | | 125 | Charizard | 0.262% | | 126 | Omastar | 0.258% | | 127 | Haxorus | 0.255% | | 128 | Stakataka | 0.247% | | 129 | Blastoise | 0.229% | | 130 | Metagross | 0.228% | | 131 | Porygon-Z | 0.227% | | 132 | Mimikyu | 0.225% | | 133 | Polteageist | 0.222% | | 134 | Scolipede | 0.215% | | 135 | Politoed | 0.214% | | 136 | Incineroar | 0.210% | | 137 | Regigigas | 0.202% | | 138 | Lucario | 0.197% | | 139 | Tornadus | 0.194% | | 140 | Arctovish | 0.192% | | 141 | Espeon | 0.183% | | 142 | Druddigon | 0.179% | | 143 | Poliwrath | 0.170% | | 144 | Araquanid | 0.163% | | 145 | Accelgor | 0.162% | | 146 | Indeedee | 0.161% | | 147 | Vaporeon | 0.154% | | 148 | Mantine | 0.154% | | 149 | Entei | 0.147% | | 150 | Zoroark | 0.144% | | 151 | Uxie | 0.137% | | 152 | Mienshao | 0.137% | | 153 | Chandelure | 0.136% | | 154 | Meowstic | 0.132% | | 155 | Milotic | 0.131% | | 156 | Lycanroc | 0.125% | | 157 | Diancie | 0.125% | | 158 | Whimsicott | 0.124% | | 159 | Heracross | 0.124% | | 160 | Altaria | 0.121% | | 161 | Aerodactyl | 0.121% | | 162 | Tentacruel | 0.120% | | 163 | Tyrantrum | 0.115% | | 164 | Starmie | 0.114% | | 165 | Audino | 0.113% | | 166 | Corsola-Galar | 0.111% | | 167 | Pyukumuku | 0.109% | | 168 | Slurpuff | 0.106% | | 169 | Sandslash-Alola | 0.106% | | 170 | Drapion | 0.102% | + ---- + ------------------ + ------- +
Notable increases:
#26 (8.404%) > #17 (10.404%)
This one's a smaller increase, but Hydreigon is getting a bit more common, most likely for its Defog set. Hydreigon can switch into Spectrier and Heatran, threaten both with Dark Pulse and Earth Power respectively, and provide hazard removal. It's also able to switch directly into Slowbro and prevent it from using Teleport after it uses Future Sight.
Notables decreases:
#20 (9.486%) > #31 (6.822%)
Moltres is beginning to fall off with Pheromosa being banned and it's not as effective at handling physical threats and forcing them out while using Defog. Flame Body is still nice, but Moltres is also only capable of switching into a few physical threats, which mainly includes Cinderace, Rillaboom, Kartana, and Melmetal. Unfortunately, there's a problem with each one, as Cinderace might 2HKO with Gunk Shot should it get the Poison chance or if Moltres is slightly chipped. Rillaboom and Kartana use Knock Off, which means that Moltres will struggle to actively remove Stealth Rock if it loses Heavy-Duty Boots. Finally, Melmetal has access to Toxic and Rock Slide, both of which can be threatening to Moltres. As a Defog user, it's also in a competition with Zapdos, which is less threatened by Knock Off as it only loses 25% health to Stealth Rock as opposed to Moltres losing 50%.
Rising to OU:
#41 (4.438%) > #37 (5.544%)
#42 (4.047%) > #41 (4.549%)
After missing the cutoff earlier in December, Regieleki and Zapdos-Galar made it into OU this time. Given how we're in a suspect test right now, it's likely that enough people wanted to use Regieleki as their Screen setting on hyper offense teams that it ended up rising to OU. Zapdos-Galar on the other hand likely rose due to hyper offense wanting to punish Defog users like Hydreigon.
I'll leave a few questions below:
1) Was there anything I didn't cover that you believe to be worth discussing? By this I mean are there any increases or decreases you saw and wanted to discuss?
2) Do you have any new sets or mons that you've been liking that you'd be willing to share?
3) Favorite sets on Lando-T, Clefable and Magearna?
4) Are there any mons you believe will rise up to OU next month?
5) If you used Regieleki or Zapdos-Galar recently, how well did they perform for you, and what sets did you run on them?
Happy New Year and I hope you all have a wonderful first day of the year!
2. Not new but dont think there's a need for Taunt on Nidoking. It isn't particular great in practice and Superpower better on 4th slot for Blissey.
3. Scarf, Trick, Bulky Double Dance with latter used on xtrashine offense which might be second best team after IPF screens this gen. Kind of a shame Ursh probably leaving since it'll need a replacement mon. Calm Mind Clefable might be viable again.
4. Mew and Reuniclus even with Spectrier in tier.
5. I use both on webs team I have with these sets.
Zapdos-Galar @ Protective Pads
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Brave Bird
- Taunt
- Bulk Up
Regieleki @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Transistor
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Ancient Power
- Explosion
- Rapid Spin
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Brave Bird
- Taunt
- Bulk Up
Regieleki @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Transistor
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Ancient Power
- Explosion
- Rapid Spin
My 2 favorite Sets of Lando-T are the Sash Suicide Lead and the Choice Scarf-Set as both of these Sets are really potent in the mtagame. Landorus-T gives Hyper Offense a great electrc- and ground-immunity and a necessary tool to set-up Stealth Rocks reliably which Hyper Offense teams really appreciate in having. Furthermore the Choice Scarf Set gives a great speed control with the option to U-turn out and to dish out damage. I really like how Landorus-T is able to fullfill many roles. Another Set which I didn't try yet, but I see is very potent, is the Substitute variant. Landorus-T behind a Sub isn't easy to kill especially after a boost.
Definitely the Choice Specs Set and right after the Dual Dance-Sets for Hyper Offense in my experience Dual Dance-Maggy is really scary to deal with after a couple of boosts on Screens/Veil, which only furthens Magearnas potential to sweep, the set I've been running is the following:
Magearna @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Soul-Heart
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Shift Gear
- Thunderbolt
- Draining Kiss
- Aura Sphere
Thunderbolt hits Flying-type Pokemon such as Moltres and Corviknight, and it also hits Toxapex for super effective damage. Draining Kiss gives back some recovery as well while hitting Hydreigon, Garchomp, and Urshifu (both) and Aura Sphere rounds the set up with hitting Heatran for super effective damage.
Due to Urshifu-S being so prevelant in the current metagame, I run the defensive Stealth Rocks-Set the most as this Set is the most reliable currently and can check Urshifu-S pretty well.
As for
I think it fits best on Sticky Web teams as it can punish Defog with its amazing ability in Defiant, which lets it act like a Defog deterrent and Sticky Web teams really do appreciate it and with Zapdos-G's 125 Attack base it can fullfill its role on such team structures perfectly as its base Attack is really high from the get go. 
Screens! I don't think it is great at anything else honestly, so Screens support is all it does.
Thank you for reading everyone and have a Happy New Year!
I'm actually surprised Spectrier was only #12 in usage. It is so extremely good and can fit on multiple archetypes. I think its because the tier quickly adapted to it, with Hydreigon rising in usage and people running Timid (/Jolly) Dragapult. Even Mandibuzz has such a big usage for the ability to check spectrier and blanket check multiple threats.
Also why is HO so prevalent? Like I feel like I play vs. HO 1 out of 3 matches on the ladder. Are there not enough Unaware Clefables around to deter HO?
Also why is HO so prevalent? Like I feel like I play vs. HO 1 out of 3 matches on the ladder. Are there not enough Unaware Clefables around to deter HO?
Unaware clefable is bad because it either has to give up leftovers to negate hazard damage, or runs leftovers and gets 2hkod by a lot of offensive threats thanks to stealth rocks, as well as being weak to posion
I already mentioned this in the Urshifu suspect test thread but I have used this Zapdos G set for the suspect test reqs-
Zapdos-Galar @ Leftovers
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Bulk Up
- Taunt
- Thunderous Kick
- Brave Bird
It is actually quite good. I feel it is underrated because outside of Zapdos K and Tapu Koko it matches up very well against the rest of the meta game. This set does actually defeat Pex and Clef 1v1. It can set up for free against most Lando, Defog Hydreigon, Mandibuzz, Ferro and Hippo. This set is actually a very big headache if you don't have Zapdos K. Here are some replays where it just auto won against slower balances- here, here and here.
Dragapult has picked up some steam again and Garchomp has had quite a huge increase as well. I do think these are worth discussing as well.
Landorus-Therian (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Swords Dance
- Earthquake
- Explosion
Magearna @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Soul-Heart
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Shift Gear
- Draining Kiss
- Stored Power
- Aura Sphere
Clefable (F) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpA
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Soft-Boiled
- Wish
- Aromatherapy
The first 2 are obviously the screens sets. Most of the screens team I saw do make use of these 2 and for good reason. Lando is the best suicide rocker IMO and nothing can match the setup capabilities of Mag. This Clef I use on balance teams. Swampert really appreciates wish support. I really like using it with this.
Exeggutor-Alola (M) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Frisk
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Mild Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Leaf Storm
- Flamethrower
- Earthquake
I have still just testing this mon in mid ladder but this mon is an absolute savage. The only mons that are safe against it in OU are Blissey and Mandibuzz.
Some Calcs-
252+ SpA Choice Specs Exeggutor-Alola Leaf Storm vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Clefable: 369-435 (93.6 - 110.4%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Exeggutor-Alola Draco Meteor vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Toxapex: 250-295 (82.2 - 97%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rocks
252+ SpA Choice Specs Exeggutor-Alola Draco Meteor vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Zapdos: 372-438 (96.8 - 114%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Exeggutor-Alola Draco Meteor vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Moltres: 390-459 (101.5 - 119.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Exeggutor-Alola Flamethrower vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Melmetal: 446-526 (94 - 110.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ SpA Choice Specs Exeggutor-Alola Flamethrower vs. 252 HP / 228+ SpD Corviknight: 258-304 (64.5 - 76%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
4 Atk Exeggutor-Alola Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Slowking-Galar: 180-214 (45.6 - 54.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
4 Atk Exeggutor-Alola Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Heatran: 288-340 (74.6 - 88%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
Blissey also has to be somewhat careful against it-
252+ SpA Choice Specs Exeggutor-Alola Draco Meteor over 2 turns vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Blissey: 394-465 (55.1 - 65.1%) -- not a KO
It can't switch in at 60% and survive 2 hits.
Mandibuzz also takes a lot but it survives and is faster so can always roost before. But switching at lower healths is a death to it too-
252+ SpA Choice Specs Exeggutor-Alola Draco Meteor vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Mandibuzz: 253-298 (59.6 - 70.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Honestly, I was actually surprised to see it's damage potential. When I OHKOed a Pex, I double checked in the calc if my opponent had a weird pex but it is actually able to do it against defensive ones. This mon is an absolute killing machine but is extremely slow and requires heavy prediction but it has 3 quad resists with decent bulk which help it to throw out attacks. I find it's power to be worth the effort to make a team with it and support it with paralysis and Pivot moves. It can almost always get a KO when it comes out. Seriously, I would really encourage you guys to try out this demon. It is definitely a fun mon if you are looking to experiment with.
Diggersby (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Huge Power
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Spikes
- Ice Punch
- Earthquake
- Wild Charge
This set is nothing too spectacular but it is able to get up reliable spikes. I personally used it a couple times but ran it on exclusively webs. It can bait in and 2HKO every single defogger in the tier as well as get up Spikes to make your team even scarier. It had important role compression of checking both Regieleki and Spectrier which were very problematic for Webs. It is still really very strong and even if you encounter a hard wall like Buzzwole, you can just spikes so it was always useful.
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1. I don't see that much else to talk about
2. Occasionally I've been using Choice Band Tapu Bulu, which brings a better defensive typing than Rillaboom allowing it to resist dark and fighting and not be weak to U-turn, and Stone Edge to hit Zapdos, Moltres, Volcarona, Dragonite, Mandibuzz, and bulky Tornadus-Therian, especially the first 3 since Rillaboom is threatened with paralysis and even worse, a burn on contact. I will admit though that generally CB Rillaboom is superior, but that doesn't mean Tapu Bulu is actually bad it at either.
3. I personally don't like to use Landorus-T a lot, but when I do use it my favorite set on it is Toxic + Protect, which wears Pokemon, including threats like Zapdos, Mandibuzz, Hippo, Rillaboom, and Buzzwole fast while squeezing as much Leftovers recovery as possible and scouting moves from Choiced attackers except from a certain panda bear. The Toxic also aids in helping a certain horse in the back achieve a breakthrough.
My favorite Clefable set is Phys Def Calm Mind utilizing Focus Blast to hit steel types, most importantly, Heatran, which can otherwise cause serious problems for CM sets using Fire coverage. Unfortunately I haven't had too many chances to use it because CM Clefable running a coverage move sorely misses out on utility such as Thunder Wave, Knock Off, Stealth Rock, Cleric moves, etc.
Specs Magearna is easily my favorite set. Anything not named Chansey and Blissey or a solid resist is taking massive damage from Fleur Cannon. Focus Blast has a chance to straight up 2HKO Blissey and also dealing catastrophic damage Steel types including even the most specially defensive Heatran sets (you even have a 25% chance to OHKO a max/max SpDef Heatran after Stealth Rock damage!) Volt Switch gains momentum and chunks Toxapex really hard, and the last slot could literally be anything you want to combat anything that your team struggles against. It's very versatile and has absurd strength.
4. It's hard for me to say what may rise to OU, since an Urshifu ban could possibly change the tier in so many ways that we can't predict. Nonetheless, I think Kyurem and Aegislash have a shot at OU.
5. Ever since it's release I have refused to use Regieleki: I have always hated the prospect of playing 5 v 6 against a team with a ground type, so I can't say much about it. As for Zapdos-Galar I have used it like once recently, and I don't think it's a bad Pokemon at all, but just struggles with common threats like Clefable, Zapdos, Tapu Koko, and Slowbro, as well as some opportunity cost over regular Zapdos due to species clause.
I agree its not #1 worthy and some points i also agree w but saying it benefits from grassy terrain is false when it doesn't even gets to use its best stab which is the same reason why u called g terrain lando's weakness. That recovery doesn't really helps much when its fodder for rilla
Landorus-Therian is just the ultimate utility-compresser mon in the metagame. Almost every team needs a ground immunity, an electric immunity and a scarf user/something very fast which Lando can all do in one slot. On top of that, with U-Turn and Knock it's gonna be useful in every game, it can revenge kill most fast threats (Dragapult, Spectrier and Latios with Knock Off, Koko and Cinderace with EQ, Stone Edge for Tornadus, and can even run Superpower for Kartana). With Intimidate it functions fairly well as a check to Cinderace, Drill, and helps against Garchomp (though it lacks an effective way of killing it) as well as Blaziken. If you don't have room for a defogger on your Offense, Lando can take care of that as well, as long as you're not too weak to hazards. The bulky set is also pretty good, as it's even stronger against the aforementioned physical attackers, while providing and effective way of getting up rocks. The only defoggers that can safely come in on bulky lando are Corviknight and Fini, as the others can't threaten it much and get poisoned in return. Its resistances can be really useful for its teammates, for example if you pair it with Heatran, it can take care of Focus Blast and Volt Switch from Magearna (which Heatran dislikes), it can also cover EQ and Thunder Punch from Melmetal or Blaziken for Toxapex, and can help in so much more situations.
My favorite set has to be the bulky scarf one:
Landorus-Therian (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 236 HP / 40 Atk / 232 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Knock Off
- Toxic
With 232 Speed it outspeeds Excadrill after a rapid spin boost, and being slower as other Scarf Landoruses can be quite useful to get the slower U-Turn. With 40 Attack it kills Spectrier after rocks:
40 Atk Landorus-Therian Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Spectrier: 300-354 (87.7 - 103.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
The high HP investment allows it tank a -1 Iron Head and a +1 Iron Head from Excadrill without rocks, a 2HKO from Pyro Ball from Cinderace after rocks, a CB Double Iron Bash from Melmetal (100% without rocks and 50% with) and a 3 Hits Scale Shot after rocks..
If you're weak to NP Tornadus or Dragapult I'd suggest 252 Atk, because 40 misses out on the Stone Edge and Knock Off OHKO chances.
Landorus-Therian is very deserving of the #1 spot in usage and I'm pretty sure it's gonna reflect in the SPL usage stats with around 50% usage.
My favorite set has to be the bulky scarf one:
Landorus-Therian (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 236 HP / 40 Atk / 232 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Knock Off
- Toxic
With 232 Speed it outspeeds Excadrill after a rapid spin boost, and being slower as other Scarf Landoruses can be quite useful to get the slower U-Turn. With 40 Attack it kills Spectrier after rocks:
40 Atk Landorus-Therian Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Spectrier: 300-354 (87.7 - 103.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
The high HP investment allows it tank a -1 Iron Head and a +1 Iron Head from Excadrill without rocks, a 2HKO from Pyro Ball from Cinderace after rocks, a CB Double Iron Bash from Melmetal (100% without rocks and 50% with) and a 3 Hits Scale Shot after rocks..
If you're weak to NP Tornadus or Dragapult I'd suggest 252 Atk, because 40 misses out on the Stone Edge and Knock Off OHKO chances.
Landorus-Therian is very deserving of the #1 spot in usage and I'm pretty sure it's gonna reflect in the SPL usage stats with around 50% usage.
As much as I love Garchomp, I have to say that Landorus Therian is still easier to put on teams and I would wager that's the only reason it's the first in the usage, or at the very least, the main reason. Garchomp has always been a better overall offensive pokemon thanks to higher speed and really, Landorus gets outsped by nearly every relevant attacker. Its utility is also unmatched like really, the only one that gets toxic, defog, rocks, u turn, knock off with the same immunities is Gliscor, which isn't in the game right now. For as long as Landorus has got all these utility moves in its belt, I don't see it dropping from number one in usage anytime soon. That's my take on those two anyway with Garchomp taking on the offensive role while Landorus goes full utility or revenge killer
I will say this tho, there is something inspirational at how for over a decade, the only thing Garchomp got was a new ability and a mega where the only thing that was improved was design and still remained not only as an ou mon, but as an actual threat
And here's my answers to the questions
1) Was there anything I didn't cover that you believe to be worth discussing? By this I mean are there any increases or decreases you saw and wanted to discuss?
Not really. The top ten are just what I expected to be honest, not exact but it didn't surprise me one bit
2) Do you have any new sets or mons that you've been liking that you'd be willing to share?
Yeah on
I've been using this set
Buzzwole @ Leftovers
Abiltiy: Beast Boost
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def
Impish Nature
- Roost
- Substitute
- Ice Punch
- Leech Life
This started when I wanted to do something retarded with
and I just finished watching BKC's substitute video. I used Volcanion as some sort of pseudo Nidoking that switches in to Tapu Fini all day with a sludge wave, steam eruption, flamethrower and substitute with 248 hp / 180 spa / 80 spd set. It was really stupid and it ended up netting me a bunch of hilarious kills thanks to the enemy being forced to attack and me just counter attacking. At that point, I was tired of Buzzwole being far too passive so I tried using the same idea and it was even more hilarious than Volcanion. The psychic types are suddenly forced to attack it instead of just scaring it out and setup mons suddenly have to attack or they'll get slowly chipped. This set even turned my Buzzwole into a pseudo sweeper because it's still difficult to overpower with physical attacks and I just ended racking up beasts boost. It was just downright hilarious
3) Favorite sets on Lando-T, Clefable and Magearna?
I don't really use these that much but I have used them before, just not now
On, I usually go with a bulky stealth rocker set. I can't exactly remember the details but its job was simply to harass with knock off and toxic while setting up stealth rocks. I don't wanna use this as an offensive mon because really, I feel like it is outclassed by Garchomp as an offensive ground type
I don't use at all. I have a special rule not to use a pokemon that I absolutely despise and Clefable is one of them
I don't really use that much as well. I prefer my steel types to be defensive rather than offensive. The one time I did use it was an assault vest set with the same ev spread as my Volcanion story in the previous question. It was still good enough but still, nothing special. I just don't really like Magearna that much because well, ground types are a thing and it takes a very long time for me to actually start concentrating on a battle
4) Are there any mons you believe will rise up to OU next month?
With Garchomp more threatening than ever and Landorus still common, I'd say
. It will probably take time but Tangrowth as a physically defensive mon, has a lot of utility that Ferrothorn could only dream of, namely regenerator
Another one would probably be
. Once Urshifu gets banned, many fighting types would have lost competition and our fire chicken is no exception. Yes problems for it still exist but Blaziken can brute force its way thru them. I don't think it's gonna be special and it will still be rare but it is a possibility
5) If you used Regieleki or Zapdos-Galar recently, how well did they perform for you, and what sets did you run on them?
Not Regieleki. I literally have no reason to use this thing at all. It's lack of coverage just makes its speed worthless. I might as well use
since even as a defensive pokemon, its discharge still does quite a bit and has a lot more to offer
I have used before but not recently. It was around the time when 
was still around and I loved it. Along with 
, it was my favorite pokemon in the tier. Anything that makes Kyurem regret going for an early dd is always fun and regular Zapdos still wasn't common because, Kyurem is Kyurem. After Kyurem was banned, I pretty much lost any reason to use galarian Zapdos
I will say this tho, there is something inspirational at how for over a decade, the only thing Garchomp got was a new ability and a mega where the only thing that was improved was design and still remained not only as an ou mon, but as an actual threat
And here's my answers to the questions
1) Was there anything I didn't cover that you believe to be worth discussing? By this I mean are there any increases or decreases you saw and wanted to discuss?
Not really. The top ten are just what I expected to be honest, not exact but it didn't surprise me one bit
2) Do you have any new sets or mons that you've been liking that you'd be willing to share?
Yeah on
I've been using this setBuzzwole @ Leftovers
Abiltiy: Beast Boost
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def
Impish Nature
- Roost
- Substitute
- Ice Punch
- Leech Life
This started when I wanted to do something retarded with
and I just finished watching BKC's substitute video. I used Volcanion as some sort of pseudo Nidoking that switches in to Tapu Fini all day with a sludge wave, steam eruption, flamethrower and substitute with 248 hp / 180 spa / 80 spd set. It was really stupid and it ended up netting me a bunch of hilarious kills thanks to the enemy being forced to attack and me just counter attacking. At that point, I was tired of Buzzwole being far too passive so I tried using the same idea and it was even more hilarious than Volcanion. The psychic types are suddenly forced to attack it instead of just scaring it out and setup mons suddenly have to attack or they'll get slowly chipped. This set even turned my Buzzwole into a pseudo sweeper because it's still difficult to overpower with physical attacks and I just ended racking up beasts boost. It was just downright hilarious3) Favorite sets on Lando-T, Clefable and Magearna?
I don't really use these that much but I have used them before, just not now
On
, I usually go with a bulky stealth rocker set. I can't exactly remember the details but its job was simply to harass with knock off and toxic while setting up stealth rocks. I don't wanna use this as an offensive mon because really, I feel like it is outclassed by Garchomp as an offensive ground typeI don't use
at all. I have a special rule not to use a pokemon that I absolutely despise and Clefable is one of themI don't really use
that much as well. I prefer my steel types to be defensive rather than offensive. The one time I did use it was an assault vest set with the same ev spread as my Volcanion story in the previous question. It was still good enough but still, nothing special. I just don't really like Magearna that much because well, ground types are a thing and it takes a very long time for me to actually start concentrating on a battle4) Are there any mons you believe will rise up to OU next month?
With Garchomp more threatening than ever and Landorus still common, I'd say
. It will probably take time but Tangrowth as a physically defensive mon, has a lot of utility that Ferrothorn could only dream of, namely regeneratorAnother one would probably be
. Once Urshifu gets banned, many fighting types would have lost competition and our fire chicken is no exception. Yes problems for it still exist but Blaziken can brute force its way thru them. I don't think it's gonna be special and it will still be rare but it is a possibility5) If you used Regieleki or Zapdos-Galar recently, how well did they perform for you, and what sets did you run on them?
Not Regieleki. I literally have no reason to use this thing at all. It's lack of coverage just makes its speed worthless. I might as well use
since even as a defensive pokemon, its discharge still does quite a bit and has a lot more to offerI have used
before but not recently. It was around the time when was still around and I loved it. Along with , it was my favorite pokemon in the tier. Anything that makes Kyurem regret going for an early dd is always fun and regular Zapdos still wasn't common because, Kyurem is Kyurem. After Kyurem was banned, I pretty much lost any reason to use galarian ZapdosI actually think that this is gonna be the best gen for lando because it doesn has to worry about literally every having an ice move to hit it. So landorus does well what is supposed to do well which can be scarf, phys def, spe def, sub toxic, banded and suicide lead right FinchAs much as I love Garchomp, I have to say that Landorus Therian is still easier to put on teams and I would wager that's the only reason it's the first in the usage, or at the very least, the main reason. Garchomp has always been a better overall offensive pokemon thanks to higher speed and really, Landorus gets outsped by nearly every relevant attacker. Its utility is also unmatched like really, the only one that gets toxic, defog, rocks, u turn, knock off with the same immunities is Gliscor, which isn't in the game right now. For as long as Landorus has got all these utility moves in its belt, I don't see it dropping from number one in usage anytime soon. That's my take on those two anyway with Garchomp taking on the offensive role while Landorus goes full utility or revenge killer
I will say this tho, there is something inspirational at how for over a decade, the only thing Garchomp got was a new ability and a mega where the only thing that was improved was design and still remained not only as an ou mon, but as an actual threat
And here's my answers to the questions
1) Was there anything I didn't cover that you believe to be worth discussing? By this I mean are there any increases or decreases you saw and wanted to discuss?
Not really. The top ten are just what I expected to be honest, not exact but it didn't surprise me one bit
2) Do you have any new sets or mons that you've been liking that you'd be willing to share?
Yeah on
Buzzwole @ Leftovers
Abiltiy: Beast Boost
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def
Impish Nature
- Roost
- Substitute
- Ice Punch
- Leech Life
This started when I wanted to do something retarded with
3) Favorite sets on Lando-T, Clefable and Magearna?
I don't really use these that much but I have used them before, just not now
On
I don't use
I don't really use
4) Are there any mons you believe will rise up to OU next month?
With Garchomp more threatening than ever and Landorus still common, I'd say
Another one would probably be
5) If you used Regieleki or Zapdos-Galar recently, how well did they perform for you, and what sets did you run on them?
Not Regieleki. I literally have no reason to use this thing at all. It's lack of coverage just makes its speed worthless. I might as well use
I have used
There’s little-to-no reason to use SDef LandoT with LandoI now being banned and CB LandoT was never a set, but yes to the others and the occasional SD breaker set and RP sweeper set.