Kingambit finds itself on yet another survey. Months have passed with this pokemon being a highly discussed topic in the meta, and with the excellent showing of mono-steel in MPL it seemed appropriate to kick off our newest survey with the most controversial threat. Kingambit has had a track record for seemingly stealing back lost games, mainly due to its ability allowing a reward in return for early game mistakes. This paired with its immense bulk, power, and strong priority STAB create a monstrous threat that oftentimes overwhelms opponents. Kingambit can often force uncomfortable counterplay options in battle, and with the right item it can find ways to bypass whatever check it faces. Beyond this, it is supported by fantastic teammates, with both types it resides on packing strong hazard stackers and removal blockers.
Zamazenta's Iron Defense set has proven to be very difficult to find answers for in this metagame for a plethora of types. Interestingly, throughout this MPL we saw its set diversity begin to expand as well, allowing it to prey on even more types with sets like resto-chesto and Choice Band. The latter set showcased a wide variety of coverage, allowing it to beat down the few types that had managed to prepare for the usual iron defense set. Simply speaking, Zamazenta is a pokemon with too little answers, and too many options.
While it isn't the most immediate game-ending presence such as the previous 2 powerhouses on the survey, Gholdengo takes set variety to an extreme level. Gholdengo at its core is a very strong pokemon with solid bulk, immense power, fantastic typing, and an excellent ability that invalidates most hazard removal and prevents status conditions. On top of this, the few weaknesses it does have, it can choose to cover with its dozens of sets. This MPL showcased Choice Specs, Choice Scarf, bulky Thunder Wave sets, Air Balloon sets, Nasty Plot, Heavy Duty Boots, Kasib or Colbur berries, and so on. Gholdengo isn't the sweeping threat most of the other pokemon on the survey are, but its ability to choose what it loses to, paired along with its huge list of strengths, can sometimes feel very overbearing.
Gliscor has felt very centralizing in this current metagame. Its bulk along with poison heal make it very hard to beat down, and it seems to mandate ice coverage on almost every type. Gliscor's options in team support, specifically on Flying, allow it to easily Protect-scout whatever may threaten it, and then switch to something that punishes it. All the while Gliscor is healing itself, and halting progress. Gliscor also manages to find myriad opportunities to enter the field, and its vast variety of tools let it force progress very easily. Gliscor sets are vast and include Hazard options, Substitute-Toxic, Knock Off, and Swords Dance, all of which have made appearances lately. The only real way to cover them is with faster ice coverage, which, as stated earlier, Gliscor can easily take advantage of.
There isn't a ton to say about Espathra. It has one true set; Stored Power, Calm Mind, Dazzling Gleam, and a setup-enabling move of your choice such as Roost, Substitute, or Protect. It requires very small windows of opportunity to setup and will immediately start snowballing. This opportunity widens when screens are factored in. After Espathra sets up, unless you have a Steel-type with the firepower to kill it through its boosts and screens, or a Dark-type that can eat a dazzling gleam, you might find yourself staring at the X button as your next option.
No need to say "who asked to put this mon here?" Flutter Mane has all the key components that could possibly make an offensive pokemon frustrating. A high Special Attack and Speed only eclipsed by about 2 pokemon in the metagame is bad enough of a start, but it only begins there. Its perfect offensive coverage faces zero types that can resist both, and this is only reinforced with its coverage options letting it hit the few pokemon who dare take its STABs (Examples include thunderbolt for Corviknight, Power Gem for Articuno, and Psyshock for Clodsire). Its offensive profile is also backed up with a respectable special defense and when combined with screens support on Fairy-type teams, it becomes very difficult to simply revenge with the few faster options that exist.
Gouging Fire is back again! Despite having been suspected already, some people still find this pokemon quite irritating to handle. Its bulk and typing leave many teams struggling when it comes to offensively checking Gouging, and this issue is only compounded as it starts to stack up Dragon Dances. Both types enable Gouging quite well, Dragon teams in particular have seemingly endless options to support whichever Gouging set you find comfortable to use. Fire teams can provide Gouging with a full 8 turns of sun, allowing the Choice Band set to function as both a devastating sun boosted wallbreaker and speed control due to protosynthesis. On the other hand, sun can also enable setup sets by further boosting attack, speed, or bulk depending on the EV spread. Both types provide Gouging Healing Wish support as well. While Gouging Fires arsenal is not as varied as many others on this list, it has everything it could need and more with the types it is supported by.
Weather rocks like Damp Rock and Smooth Rock have been banned so far, mainly due to powerful abusers like Excadrill and Barraskewda. As such many community members have claimed that Gouging Fire joins the ranks of those abusers, and thus Heat Rock should be banned. Heat Rock, of course, also further boosts all of Fire's options, making the type as a whole oftentimes feel very harsh to deal with. Pokemon like Ogerpon-Hearthflame come to mind, which, without the sun boost, can often feel significantly more manageable. Debates between action on Gouging Fire and Heat Rock have been sprung up for quite some time so we decided to put it on the survey to gauge how you all feel about it now.
Thank you
Azick for fixing my bad grammar....
