Unblockable* and pressuring. You can't spam Defog or Rapid Spin against Hamurott since Ceaseless Edge does damage. You pretty much have to run Rocky Helmet on your hazard remover. Which is partially why I think Mixed will be the best option for Hamurott.
It took a while, but I'm glad it is getting the respect it deserves now, sadly we will see a lot of trick with the new Home mons since most of them got it this gen, hope it doesn't hurt it as much.
imo the ideal set should look something like this
luckily it only has rest, no reliable recovery.
I mean yes but this hasn't exactly stopped it from doing what it's supposed to do, and very well at that.
Just wait until it gets strenght sap on DLCs.
Chesnaught in my opinion, while still in experimental phase, has been quite nice as a pseudo-Ferrothorn not vulnerable to Great Tusk. While it may sound stupid, I feel the his special attacking options have been slept on. I particular I feel Leaf Storm is a much better option than Wood Hammer, as the two major targets of grass coverage, Great Tusk and Dondozo, are hit much harder by it, with the latter in particular even ignoring the Spa drop due to Unaware.
Mystic Water is a pretty good idea to both get those KO margins and make Samurott-H's Water STAB hit neutral targets harder. However, I'd still rather run Hasty because I intend on mainly switching Samurott-H into special attackers (and Enamorus checks) such as Heatran, Gholdengo, and Skeledirge (and Slowking-G in an emergency, I guess). Naive's biggest benefit is being able to switch into Kingambit more easily.
wait wut
1. I think Webs is absolutely horrid. The Webs setters this generation are honestly useless paper dolls of pokemon, on top of this you have so many predators to the playstyle, magic bounce hat, court change cinderace, the vast majority of the meta also either doesn't care about speed, is flying or uses HBD. I think on the other hand Spikes are honestly pretty decent, most of the mons who can learn them are viable outside of having spikes and it lets you get the important chip on mons like tusk, kingambit and gholdengo to support stuff like bellydrum azu or other threats.
1. I've actually been skipping Rocks on my last few teams for Spikes. The mons I most want Rocks for chip damage run HDB very consistently, so I've been finding getting a full 1/8th on Pokemon that don't fear Rocks like most of the Fighting-types is getting me more mileage. The huge Spikes distribution uptick has been instrumental in that.
I haven't tested with many Chesnaught sets yet, but the one set I've been using a lot on a bulky HStack team has Giga Drain. It can sit on Great Tusk, set up Spikes in its face, eat up hits and damage with Rocky Helmet, and deal great damage with Giga Drain while healing itself. Even if Tusk switches out, Chesnaught still gains some health with Giga Drain and gives it more longevity.
0- SpA Chesnaught Giga Drain vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Great Tusk: 188-224 (50.6 - 60.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO 0- SpA Chesnaught Giga Drain vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Great Tusk: 186-222 (42.8 - 51.1%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
0- SpA Chesnaught Giga Drain vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Dondozo: 162-192 (32.1 - 38%) -- 93.8% chance to 3HKO1. With how common Cinderace and Hatterene are, webs are not ideal. If anything, if you run webs, pair it with Defiant Kingambit as a failsafe. Webs are not entirely unviable thanks to Gholdengo making removal pretty annoying when combined with other Ghosts. As for spikes, I would argue that they are better than rocks in the current meta. There aren't enough Pokemon punished by rocks, and most of them run boots (barring Torkoal and most Iron Moth sets). On the other hand, spikes chip away at the most common Pokemon in the meta that would otherwise be difficult to break. Great Tusk does not want to take 12.5 - 25% of its health every time it comes on the field in order to remove those hazards. Webs are super niche and Spikes are great.
Me, the standard set is great just because it is so consistent, from the start of the gen to now it has worked very well for me. The rest set seems like is trying to punish popular stuff, while it may work rn, just like it is an adaptation to certain sets in other mons other mons are going to run sets to exploit it too soon, at least that is the impression I got.
I feel like in some ways the only reason anyone should ever run this is because of the spammability of Sharpness Ceaseless Edge.
Rest has grown on me a lot. I made this set recently for a stall team, and it has been putting in great work:
| BASE STAT | LEVEL 100 STAT RANGE |
|---|---|
| HP: 78 | 266 - 360 |
| Attack: 107 | 197 - 344 |
| Defense: 75 | 139 - 273 |
| Sp. Atk: 100 | 184 - 328 |
| Sp. Def: 100 | 184 - 328 |
| Speed: 70 | 130 - 262 |
Quick guide on what to do when you see a Morkal post
I don't know about Choice Band. Since Ceaseless Edge is a contact move, and Stone Axe/Ceaseless Edge fail to set hazards if the user is knocked out by Rocky Helmet, it is good to switch your moves around. Mixed sets also have the massive advantage of hitting all Great Tusks and Glimmora, who otherwise troll Samurott-H.
Iron Treads is mentioned as a good mon, opinion invalid. (/s)
Why not Leaf Storm for mons like GlimmoraDecidueye
Type: View attachment 516356/View attachment 516357
View attachment 516355
"Decidueye is a tall, avian Pokémon that resembles an owl. The backs of its wings and torso are dotted with many white spots, there are six on each wing. The inside of each wing has a line of upside-down, reddish-orange triangles across the top." - Bulbapedia
"Great Tusk? More like Dead Husk amirite?" - Morkal
BASE STAT LEVEL 100 STAT RANGE HP:
78Attack:
107Defense:
75Sp. Atk:
100Sp. Def:
100Speed:
70
One of the most criminally underrated starters of all time (putting Incineroar in Smash Bros Ultimate instead of Decidueye? Come on Sakurai why would you do this to us?), Decidueye is an interesting Pokemon that can seem a little awkward at first with an interesting but awkward typing, movepool, and stat spread. However, Decidueye is more primed for OU now than it has ever been thanks to the advent of Tera, a more hospitable environment, and a uniquely unmatched defensive profile. So let's make like Decidueye's Robin Hood inspirations and steal opportunities from OU titans to redistribute openings to our team members.
Disclaimer: Decidueye has some very notable weaknesses to Ghost, Ice, Fire, Dark, and Flying-type attacks that can be taken advantage of if you're not prepared and as such it cannot be plopped on a team without preparation beforehand. I highly recommend researching tri-core team compositions, and common meta movesets before using Decidueye. If you take the time to build around Decidueye, it can be an absolutely monstrous member of your team's squad!
Decidueye's Summarized OU Advantages
"This is a "too long; didn't read" for people who don't want to read through the whole post and just want a quick, summarized glance at Decidueye's OU advantages."
- Decidueye's defensive profile is stellar in OU's current climate, giving it crucial immunities to Normal (Extremespeed) and Fighting-type attacks, along with vital resistances to Electric, Grass, Ground, and Water-type attacks. Additionally, it is one of the few defensive Grass-types that has a neutrality to both Bug and Poison-type attacks rather than a weakness to them.
- Decidueye's access to reliable recovery in Roost along with a solid defensive stat spread of 78/75/100 makes Decidueye deceptively hard to take down without status.
- Decidueye's role compression means it can act as a bulky boosting Pokemon that exerts offensive pressure, defensive prowess, and trapping utility, utilizing Swords Dance (or Nasty Plot) in tandem with its great STAB combination and the previously mentioned Roost.
- Decidueye is one of the few Pokemon that can effectively counter most Garganacl variants and can also check/counter a multitude of common sets of frightening OU staples such as Great Tusk, Hatterene, Iron Treads, Clodsire, Slowking, Dragonite, Rotom-Wash, Dondozo, Ting-Lu, Iron Valiant, and Azumarill.
- Decidueye's signature move Spirit Shackle is a powerful physical Ghost STAB move that traps your opponent's Pokemon and prevents them from switching out - this can not only allow you to trap some pesky, slower threats and use them as set-up fodder. Additionally, its main grass STAB Leaf Blade is powerful, spammable, and (while situational) has a high critical hit ratio that can come in handy in a pinch.
- Decidueye's ability Long Reach means that using Leaf Blade won't trigger the effects of pesky abilities like Flame Body or moves like Toxapex's Baneful Bunker (please note that Glimmora's Toxic Debris is still activated even with Long Reach).
- Decidueye's Grass-typing gives it a useful immunity to both Spore and Leech Seed while Decidueye's Ghost-typing gives it an immunity to Rapid Spin, giving it inherent role compressed tech utility as both a spin blocker and spore blocker by virtue of its almost entirely unique type combination (only shared by Brambleghast).
- Decidueye's 70 base speed is solid, and with merely 4 EVs invested outspeeds a multitude of common bulky OU threats.
- Decidueye matches up very well against common stall team builds/cores and excels against slower matchups or bulky Pokemon variants without speed investment.
Swords Dance Bulky Trapper Decidueye
View attachment 516368
Decidueye @ Leftovers / Lum Berry / Covert Cloak
Ability: Long Reach
Tera Type: Grass or Ghost
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Impish Nature
- Spirit Shackle
- Roost
- Swords Dance
- Leaf Blade
My Personal Preferred Set Variant
Decidueye @ Leftovers
Ability: Long Reach
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Impish Nature
- Spirit Shackle
- Roost
- Swords Dance
- Leaf Blade
Offensive Pressure and Boosting Potential
Before we go into any analysis - I'd like to stress something very important before we go over each facet of Decidueye individually:
If you have Decidueye in on a Pokemon you feel comfortable staying in on, you should almost always use Spirit Shackle first unless you are very sure that using one of your other moves will be more beneficial at that moment. The trapping utility + pressure is more important than the immediate damage.
Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's start by looking at Decidueye's offensive potential thanks to its neat combination of Grass/Ghost STAB offense. Decidueye's function is meant to be that of a bulky offensive trapper that can set up and wear down teams over time (with the looming threat of punching holes with Swords Dance being a constant fear). Leaf Blade is a powerful base 90 physical Grass-type attack with a heightened critical hit chance (useful in a pinch) - additionally, thanks to Decidueye's signature ability Long Reach, Leaf Blade does not have any of the drawbacks of being a contact move. Let's take a look at just how much damage Leaf Blade can do with some damage calculations both with Swords Dance boosts and without. Even with 0 attack EV investment, Decidueye can hit some surprising benchmarks for its damage output.
Leaf Blade Damage Calculations (With and Without Swords Dance)
View attachment 516356
0 Atk Decidueye Leaf Blade vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Azumarill: 246-290 (60.8 - 71.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 0 Atk Decidueye Leaf Blade vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Azumarill: 492-578 (121.7 - 143%) -- guaranteed OHKO
0 Atk Decidueye Leaf Blade vs. 248 HP / 8 Def Clodsire: 153-181 (33 - 39%) -- 11.4% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
+2 0 Atk Decidueye Leaf Blade vs. 248 HP / 8 Def Clodsire: 306-361 (66 - 77.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery (for Water Absorb variants, Unaware will ignore Decidueye's Swords Dance Boosts)
0 Atk Decidueye Leaf Blade vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Dondozo: 182-216 (36.1 - 42.8%) -- 94.8% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 Atk Decidueye Leaf Blade vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Dondozo: 134-162 (26.5 - 32.1%) -- guaranteed 4HKO (Dondozo almost always runs Unaware so we don't need Swords Dance calculations here, but most Dondozo sets are countered by Decidueye regardless)
0 Atk Decidueye Leaf Blade vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Garchomp: 108-127 (30.2 - 35.5%) -- guaranteed 4HKO after Leftovers recovery
+2 0 Atk Decidueye Leaf Blade vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Garchomp: 214-253 (59.9 - 70.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 Atk Decidueye Leaf Blade vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Garganacl: 164-194 (40.5 - 48%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 Atk Decidueye Leaf Blade vs. 252 HP / 156+ Def Garganacl: 134-158 (33.1 - 39.1%) -- 8.6% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
+2 0 Atk Decidueye Leaf Blade vs. 252 HP / 156+ Def Garganacl: 264-312 (65.3 - 77.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
+2 0 Atk Decidueye Leaf Blade vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Garganacl: 326-386 (80.6 - 95.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 Atk Decidueye Leaf Blade vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Glimmora: 112-133 (36.4 - 43.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
+2 0 Atk Decidueye Leaf Blade vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Glimmora: 223-264 (72.6 - 85.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 Atk Decidueye Leaf Blade vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Great Tusk: 164-194 (44.2 - 52.2%) -- 14.5% chance to 2HKO
+2 0 Atk Decidueye Leaf Blade vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Great Tusk: 324-384 (87.3 - 103.5%) -- 25% chance to OHKO
0 Atk Decidueye Leaf Blade vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Great Tusk: 122-146 (28.1 - 33.6%) -- 94.7% chance to 4HKO after Leftovers recovery
+2 0 Atk Decidueye Leaf Blade vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Great Tusk: 246-290 (56.6 - 66.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 Atk Decidueye Leaf Blade vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Iron Treads: 88-105 (27.4 - 32.7%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
+2 0 Atk Decidueye Leaf Blade vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Iron Treads: 175-207 (54.5 - 64.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 Atk Decidueye Leaf Blade vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Iron Valiant: 112-133 (38.7 - 46%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
+2 0 Atk Decidueye Leaf Blade vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Iron Valiant: 225-265 (77.8 - 91.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 Atk Decidueye Leaf Blade vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Rotom-Wash: 194-230 (63.8 - 75.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
+2 0 Atk Decidueye Leaf Blade vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Rotom-Wash: 390-458 (128.2 - 150.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
0 Atk Decidueye Leaf Blade vs. 252 HP / 244+ Def Rotom-Wash: 144-170 (47.3 - 55.9%) -- 18.8% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
+2 0 Atk Decidueye Leaf Blade vs. 252 HP / 244+ Def Rotom-Wash: 284-336 (93.4 - 110.5%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO
0 Atk Decidueye Leaf Blade vs. 248 HP / 8 Def Slowking: 246-290 (62.5 - 73.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 0 Atk Decidueye Leaf Blade vs. 248 HP / 8 Def Slowking: 488-576 (124.1 - 146.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
0 Atk Decidueye Leaf Blade vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Ting-Lu: 168-200 (32.6 - 38.9%) -- 6.5% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
+2 0 Atk Decidueye Leaf Blade vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Ting-Lu: 338-398 (65.7 - 77.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 Atk Decidueye Leaf Blade vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Toxapex: 72-85 (23.7 - 28%) -- 89.9% chance to 4HKO
+2 0 Atk Decidueye Leaf Blade vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Toxapex: 144-169 (47.5 - 55.7%) -- 78.1% chance to 2HKO
0 Atk Decidueye Leaf Blade vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Walking Wake: 111-132 (32.7 - 38.9%) -- 99.3% chance to 3HKO
+2 0 Atk Decidueye Leaf Blade vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Walking Wake: 222-262 (65.4 - 77.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 Atk Decidueye Leaf Blade vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Zoroark-Hisui: 156-184 (62.1 - 73.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 0 Atk Decidueye Leaf Blade vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Zoroark-Hisui: 310-366 (123.5 - 145.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Combined with the luck value of Leaf Blade's nasty critical hit ratio, this can help wear down quite a few threats on your opponent's team - and unless they want to be trapped, they'll be switching out of Decidueye quite a bit. Trapped, you say? Decidueye's signature move Spirit Shackle is a base 80 physical Ghost-type move with the added benefit of trapping any Pokemon that gets hit by it (we'll get more into why this trapping utility is vital and the crux of Decidueye's utility later). Let's take a gander at some damage calculations for Spirit Shackle against various threats both with and without Swords Dance boosts.
Spirit Shackle Damage Calculations (With and Without Swords Dance)
View attachment 516357
0 Atk Decidueye Spirit Shackle vs. 252 HP / 172+ Def Amoonguss: 91-108 (21 - 25%) -- 0% chance to 4HKO
+2 0 Atk Decidueye Spirit Shackle vs. 252 HP / 172+ Def Amoonguss: 180-213 (41.6 - 49.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
0 Atk Decidueye Spirit Shackle vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Baxcalibur: 99-117 (26.6 - 31.5%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
+2 0 Atk Decidueye Spirit Shackle vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Baxcalibur: 195-231 (52.5 - 62.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 Atk Decidueye Spirit Shackle vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Breloom: 109-130 (41.7 - 49.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
+2 0 Atk Decidueye Spirit Shackle vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Breloom: 220-259 (84.2 - 99.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 Atk Decidueye Spirit Shackle vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Ceruledge: 218-260 (61.5 - 73.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 0 Atk Decidueye Spirit Shackle vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Ceruledge: 440-518 (124.2 - 146.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
0 Atk Decidueye Spirit Shackle vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Cinderace: 117-138 (38.8 - 45.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
+2 0 Atk Decidueye Spirit Shackle vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Cinderace: 231-273 (76.7 - 90.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 Atk Decidueye Spirit Shackle vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Dragapult: 234-276 (73.8 - 87%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 0 Atk Decidueye Spirit Shackle vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Dragapult: 462-546 (145.7 - 172.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
0 Atk Decidueye Spirit Shackle vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Dragonite: 96-114 (29.7 - 35.2%) -- 20.6% chance to 3HKO (Post-Multiscale)
+2 0 Atk Decidueye Spirit Shackle vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Dragonite: 190-225 (58.8 - 69.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (Post-Multiscale)
0 Atk Decidueye Spirit Shackle vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Gholdengo: 192-228 (60.9 - 72.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 0 Atk Decidueye Spirit Shackle vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Gholdengo: 380-450 (120.6 - 142.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
0 Atk Decidueye Spirit Shackle vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Gholdengo: 134-162 (35.4 - 42.8%) -- 93.5% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
+2 0 Atk Decidueye Spirit Shackle vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Gholdengo: 270-320 (71.4 - 84.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 Atk Decidueye Spirit Shackle vs. 252 HP / 204+ Def Hatterene: 144-170 (45.2 - 53.4%) -- 1.2% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
+2 0 Atk Decidueye Spirit Shackle vs. 252 HP / 204+ Def Hatterene: 284-336 (89.3 - 105.6%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO
0 Atk Decidueye Spirit Shackle vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Iron Moth: 138-163 (45.8 - 54.1%) -- 50.8% chance to 2HKO
+2 0 Atk Decidueye Spirit Shackle vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Iron Moth: 276-325 (91.6 - 107.9%) -- 50% chance to OHKO
0 Atk Decidueye Spirit Shackle vs. 0 HP / 124 Def Iron Moth: 115-136 (38.2 - 45.1%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
+2 0 Atk Decidueye Spirit Shackle vs. 0 HP / 124 Def Iron Moth: 229-271 (76 - 90%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 Atk Decidueye Spirit Shackle vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Skeledirge: 186-218 (45.2 - 53%) -- 25% chance to 2HKO
0 Atk Decidueye Spirit Shackle vs. 252 HP / 40+ Def Skeledirge: 162-192 (39.3 - 46.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO (Skeledirge exclusively runs Unaware so Swords Dance calculations are irrelevant)
0 Atk Decidueye Spirit Shackle vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Torkoal: 52-63 (15.1 - 18.3%) -- possible 6HKO
+2 0 Atk Decidueye Spirit Shackle vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Torkoal: 103-123 (30 - 35.8%) -- 35.4% chance to 3HKO
0 Atk Decidueye Spirit Shackle vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Volcarona: 130-154 (41.8 - 49.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
+2 0 Atk Decidueye Spirit Shackle vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Volcarona: 259-306 (83.2 - 98.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 Atk Decidueye Spirit Shackle vs. 248 HP / 108 Def Volcarona: 112-133 (30 - 35.6%) -- 34% chance to 3HKO
+2 0 Atk Decidueye Spirit Shackle vs. 248 HP / 108 Def Volcarona: 223-264 (59.7 - 70.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Given that +2 is just one boost from Swords Dance, and that you can potentially get +4 or even +6 if you trap a Pokemon that can't do anything against Decidueye, you could potentially bulldoze through your opponent's weakened team in the mid-late game (or at the very least punching huge holes in your opponent's team composition).
View attachment 516368
Speed Tier, Move Utility, Terastallizing, and Item Choice
Now that we've seen the potential of Decidueye's offensive capabilities, let's take a quick look at Decidueye's speed; with base 70 speed and 4 EVs, Decidueye reaches a respectable speed stat of 177. For a bulky attacker focused on trapping slower threats and dismantling cores, this is a great speed tier that allows Decidueye to naturally outspeed Pokemon such as Amoonguss, Azumarill, Breloom (uninvested), Clodsire, Corviknight (uninvested, needs 32 EVs on neutral nature to outspeed Decidueye), Dondozo, Garganacl, Hatterene, Iron Hands, Kingambit, Orthworm, Skeledirge (most variants are outsped, including the 28 speed EV Substitute variant which only reaches a speed stat of 175), Slowking, Ting-Lu, Torkoal, and Toxapex. By virtue of this speed tier alone, Decidueye can force out a multitude of Pokemon lest they risk being trapped by Spirit Shackle.
Speaking of Spirit Shackle, beyond the offensive capabilities that we discussed earlier, you might be thinking "Why is this move so crucial in the current meta?" It's simple - it forces switches in disadvantageous situations. Let's take a look at Garganacl (without Covert Cloak) - Garganacl is always forced to switch when Decidueye comes in; if it doesn't switch (let's say it uses Salt Cure), it becomes trapped by Spirit Shackle and allows Decidueye to easily set up Swords Dance boosts while recovering damage off with Roost. Iron Defense won't work for Body Press boosts as Decidueye is immune, Leaf Blade additionally has a heightened critical hit rate which can cut right through Iron Defense boosts in a pinch alongside Swords Dance boosts. PP stalling with Curse or Iron Defense also won't work as Decidueye can PP stall with Swords Dance which has 8 more PP than Iron Defense, Swords Dance can additionally rack up offensive boosts faster than Curse can which can leave Garganacl feeling overwhelmed without any recourse.
Garganacl isn't the only defensive Pokemon invalidated by Spirit Shackle's trapping capabilities. If hit by Spirit Shackle; Regenerator Pokemon such as Amoonguss can't switch out to regain HP (Amoonguss additionally can't use Spore on Decidueye), Rest users such as Dondozo can't switch out after regaining health, Choice Locked users are stuck spamming one move, and various Pokemon that would dip in and out to serve specific functions are now forced to stay in on Decidueye. Spirit Shackle's utility is further aided by access to Roost (or Synthesis if you're running a sun team), a wonderful reliable recovery move. Spirit Shackle also has another benefit - preventing double-switching on Pokemon that your opponent sends in, relieving some of your own prediction pressures when going against troublesome team cores. Leaf Blade's power and Roost's longevity are made more threatening because of Spirit Shackle's ability to force matchups unfavorable for your opponent.
So now you're probably wondering - what Tera type should I choose for Decidueye? It depends entirely on the threats you want Decidueye to be able to turn the tables on. Personally, I prefer Tera Grass as it alleviates my biggest issue with Decidueye - its Knock Off weakness, and further powers up Leaf Blade's strikes to astronomical levels with a Swords Dance boost(s). However, Tera Ghost has additional utility as well - being able to instantly neutralize Decidueye's weaknesses to Fire, Ice, and Flying-type attacks while also gaining resistances to Poison and Bug-type attacks (instead of just being neutral to them) while boosting the power of Spirit Shackle. For more specific defensive options, Tera Poison, Tera Water, and Tera Steel all have situational usage - but the power boost for your Grass/Ghost moves can be sorely missed, so choose wisely.
As for your choice of item, I highly recommend either Leftovers or Covert Cloak - Leftovers is what I use predominately as the additional HP recovery I've found to be a lifesaver in high-stress situations. However, Covert Cloak has the benefit of protecting Decidueye from certain rogue status effects of nasty moves like Sludge Bomb, and since Decidueye has Roost/Synthesis I would consider Covert Cloak another great item choice for Decidueye. A third more fringe option that I've had some success with is Lum Berry to turn the tables on specific nasty utility threats such as Hex Gholdengo/Hex Dragapult (especially with Tera Grass as my listed preferred Tera type for Decidueye). Heavy-Duty Boots is technically an option as well, but I recommend running a Rapid Spin user instead as Decidueye's item should directly benefit its defensive prowess universally rather than just against certain types of teams (I'll recommend some Rapid Spin partners for Decidueye later in the post).
View attachment 516368
Defensive Prowess and Resistance Profile
Speaking of defensive prowess; now that we've gone over just how much offensive pressure Decidueye can exert with and without boosts (along with the various aspects of its utility options), I'd like us to take a gander at Decidueye's defensive prowess. With this set's EV spread, Decidueye has 360 HP, 273 Defense, and 236 Special Defense. This may not seem impressive on its own, but then we remember that Decidueye's not meant to be a wall, but a bulky longevity-focused attacker with a defensive profile that allows it to resist/be immune to some of the most powerful attacks in OU. So let's take a look at calculations so you can see the types of attacks that Decidueye can take in stride and, in some cases, entirely shrug off.
Defensive Calculations
View attachment 516356/View attachment 516357
Physical Calculations
252+ Atk Huge Power Azumarill Liquidation vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Decidueye: 73-87 (20.2 - 24.1%) -- possible 6HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Huge Power Azumarill Play Rough vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Decidueye: 154-183 (42.7 - 50.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
+6 252+ Atk Huge Power Azumarill Aqua Jet vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Decidueye: 137-162 (38 - 45%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery (Belly Drum)
252+ Atk Technician Breloom Bullet Seed (3 hits) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Decidueye: 87-102 (24.1 - 28.3%) -- approx. possible 5HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Technician Breloom Bullet Seed (5 hits) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Decidueye: 145-170 (40.2 - 47.2%) -- approx. 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 Atk Clodsire Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Decidueye: 37-44 (10.2 - 12.2%) -- possibly the worst move ever
0 Atk Dondozo Liquidation vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Decidueye: 39-47 (10.8 - 13%) -- possibly the worst move ever
252+ Atk Dragonite Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Decidueye: 53-63 (14.7 - 17.5%) -- possible 9HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Dragonite Fire Punch vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Decidueye: 160-190 (44.4 - 52.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Garchomp Dragon Claw vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Decidueye: 114-135 (31.6 - 37.5%) -- 0% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 Atk Garchomp Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Decidueye: 59-69 (16.3 - 19.1%) -- possible 8HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 Atk Garganacl Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Decidueye: 31-37 (8.6 - 10.2%) -- possibly the worst move ever
0 Atk Garganacl Salt Cure vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Decidueye: 39-46 (10.8 - 12.7%) -- possibly the worst move ever (If Garganacl makes the mistake of using Salt Cure on Decidueye instead of switching and gets trapped by Spirit Shackle, it becomes setup fodder)
252 Atk Great Tusk Headlong Rush vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Decidueye: 85-101 (23.6 - 28%) -- possible 5HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Great Tusk Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Decidueye: 184-218 (51.1 - 60.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 Atk Great Tusk Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Decidueye: 59-69 (16.3 - 19.1%) -- possible 8HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 Atk Great Tusk Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Decidueye: 152-180 (42.2 - 50%) -- 0.4% chance to 2HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Great Tusk Headlong Rush vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Decidueye: 127-150 (35.2 - 41.6%) -- 83.4% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Choice Band Great Tusk Ice Spinner vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Decidueye: 228-270 (63.3 - 75%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
116+ Atk Iron Hands Ice Punch vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Decidueye: 150-178 (41.6 - 49.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
116+ Atk Iron Hands Thunder Punch vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Decidueye: 56-66 (15.5 - 18.3%) -- possible 8HKO after Leftovers recovery
200+ Atk Choice Band Iron Hands Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Decidueye: 79-93 (21.9 - 25.8%) -- possible 5HKO after Leftovers recovery
200+ Atk Choice Band Iron Hands Wild Charge vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Decidueye: 106-126 (29.4 - 35%) -- 100% chance to 4HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Iron Treads Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Decidueye: 63-75 (17.5 - 20.8%) -- possible 7HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Iron Treads Iron Head vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Decidueye: 102-121 (28.3 - 33.6%) -- 96.1% chance to 4HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Iron Treads Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Decidueye: 166-196 (46.1 - 54.4%) -- 59% chance to 2HKO
4 Atk Iron Valiant Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Decidueye: 152-180 (42.2 - 50%) -- 0.4% chance to 2HKO
252 Atk Iron Valiant Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Decidueye: 184-218 (51.1 - 60.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Iron Valiant Liquidation vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Decidueye: 40-47 (11.1 - 13%) -- possibly the worst move ever
0 Atk Ting-Lu Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Decidueye: 51-60 (14.1 - 16.6%) -- possible 9HKO after Leftovers recovery
Special Calculations
0 SpA Amoonguss Sludge Bomb vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Decidueye: 84-100 (23.3 - 27.7%) -- possible 5HKO after Leftovers recovery
180 SpA Dragapult Hex (65 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Decidueye: 168-200 (46.6 - 55.5%) -- 73.8% chance to 2HKO (Exclusively for Decidueye's Lum Berry Set Variant)
252+ SpA Life Orb Garchomp Draco Meteor vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Decidueye: 220-259 (61.1 - 71.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 SpA Gholdengo Hex (65 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Decidueye: 180-212 (50 - 58.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (Exclusively for Decidueye's Lum Berry Set Variant)
252 SpA Glimmora Earth Power vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Decidueye: 49-58 (13.6 - 16.1%) -- possibly the worst move ever
252 SpA Glimmora Power Gem vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Decidueye: 132-156 (36.6 - 43.3%) -- 98.6% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Glimmora Sludge Wave vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Decidueye: 156-184 (43.3 - 51.1%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 SpA Hatterene Draining Kiss vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Decidueye: 70-84 (19.4 - 23.3%) -- possible 6HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 SpA Hatterene Mystical Fire vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Decidueye: 142-168 (39.4 - 46.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 SpA Hatterene Psyshock vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Decidueye: 97-115 (26.9 - 31.9%) -- 42.6% chance to 4HKO after Leftovers recovery
0- SpA Iron Treads Volt Switch vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Decidueye: 17-21 (4.7 - 5.8%) -- possibly the worst move ever
252 SpA Iron Valiant Moonblast vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Decidueye: 147-174 (40.8 - 48.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Iron Valiant Psyshock vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Decidueye: 72-85 (20 - 23.6%) -- possible 6HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Iron Valiant Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Decidueye: 46-55 (12.7 - 15.2%) -- possibly the worst move ever
0 SpA Rotom-Wash Hydro Pump vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Decidueye: 62-73 (17.2 - 20.2%) -- possible 7HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 SpA Rotom-Wash Volt Switch vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Decidueye: 39-47 (10.8 - 13%) -- possibly the worst move ever
0 SpA Slowking Future Sight vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Decidueye: 129-153 (35.8 - 42.5%) -- 91.1% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 SpA Slowking Surf vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Decidueye: 48-57 (13.3 - 15.8%) -- possibly the worst move ever
252+ SpA Toxapex Sludge Bomb vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Decidueye: 93-111 (25.8 - 30.8%) -- 4% chance to 4HKO after Leftovers recovery
It's not just the bulk that creates switch-in opportunities, Decidueye has a very useful and rare Grass/Ghost type combination (only shared with one other Pokemon, Brambleghast, which cannot act in a similarly bulky manner because of its more frail 55/70/70 defensive stat spread). Grass/Ghost as a type combination resists Electric, Grass, Ground, and Water-type attacks while having immunities to Fighting and Normal-type attacks. Let's take a look at some OU-type combinations (specifically leaving out Chesnaught and Inteleon, as they likely won't be OU next shift) and how they specifically relate to Decidueye's defensive typing.
OU Type Synergy
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Resists/Immune to all STAB types
Breloom (Grass/Fighting) - Resists Grass, Immune to Fighting
Dondozo (Water) - Resists Water
Great Tusk (Ground/Fighting) - Resists Ground, Immune to Fighting
Iron Hands (Fighting/Electric) - Resists Electric, Immune to Fighting
Rotom-Wash (Electric/Water) - Resists Electric, Resists Water
Resists/Immune to one STAB type
Amoonguss (Grass/Poison) - Resists Grass, Neutral to Poison
Azumarill (Water/Fairy) - Resists Water, Neutral to Fairy
Clodsire (Poison/Ground) - Resists Ground, Neutral to Poison
Garchomp (Dragon/Ground) - Resists Ground, Neutral to Dragon
Iron Leaves (Grass/Psychic) - Resists Grass, Neutral to Psychic
Iron Treads (Ground/Steel) - Resists Ground, Neutral to Steel
Iron Valiant (Fairy/Fighting) - Resists Fighting, Neutral to Fairy
Meowscarada (Grass/Dark) - Resists Grass, Weak to Dark
Slowking (Water/Psychic) - Resists Water, Neutral to Psychic
Ting-Lu (Dark/Ground) - Resists Ground, Weak to Dark
Toxapex (Poison/Water) - Resists Water, Neutral to Poison
Walking Wake (Water/Dragon) - Resists Water, Neutral to Dragon
Zoroark-Hisui (Normal/Ghost) - Immune to Normal, Weak to Ghost
Neutral to all STAB types
Garganacl (Rock) - Neutral to Rock
Glimmora (Rock/Poison) - Neutral to Rock, Neutral to Poison
Hatterene (Psychic/Fairy) - Neutral to Psychic, Neutral to Fairy
Orthworm (Steel) - Neutral to Steel
18 out of 36 Pokemon in OU/BL (exactly 50%) have at least one STAB type resisted by Decidueye's defensive type combination. Additionally, Decidueye's Grass/Ghost type combination resists both STAB types (or in Dondozo's case, its only STAB type) of five of the 18 mentioned OU/BL Pokemon. The majority of the Pokemon listed above do not have a super effective STAB type against Decidueye as well (with the only three exceptions being Meowscarada, Ting-Lu, and Zoroark-Hisui). By comparison, the only Pokemon whose STABS are both super effective (or in Cinderace/Torkoal's cases, their only STAB type) against Decidueye's defensive type combination are Ceruledge, Cinderace, Skeledirge, and Torkoal. This is where the utility of Decidueye's defensive typing comes into play, as there are many predictable switch-in opportunities just by virtue of half of the metagame's STAB combinations being conducive towards Decidueye.
Additionally, some of the more critical Pokemon with STAB types that would be super effective against Decidueye don't run one of their STAB moves as a common option - Dragonite lost access to Dual Wingbeat so it more often runs Fire Punch or Ice Spinner as it has no usable physical Flying-type STAB beyond Aerial Ace (and with bulky sets, it sometimes doesn't even run either of those super effective coverage moves). Ting-Lu's main Dark-type move, Ruination, is fixed at removing 1/2 of the opponent's remaining HP and does not deal super-effective damage, and does not run Throat Chop as often as it should (given that, as stated above by Eeveeto there is a lot of unexplored potential with Ting-Lu's offensive set capabilities). The general point is that more often than not, your opponent will be the one having to find ways to play around Decidueye's defensive profile thanks to the combination of bulk, typing, longevity, and pressure.
Decidueye's defensive-type combination has a couple of small utility benefits as well, allowing some unique role compression only shared by the previously mentioned Brambleghast. Decidueye's Grass-typing gives it immunity to both Spore and Leech Seed, which are both heinous moves for a defensive Pokemon to have to contend with. Immunity to Spore/Leech Seed specifically means that Decidueye is a great switch-in for Amoonguss, Breloom, and Toedscruel (which I wouldn't be surprised if it eventually joins OU as a mainstay at some point). Decidueye's Ghost-typing means that it also blocks Rapid Spin, meaning that opposing spinners such as Great Tusk cannot spin away your hazards and are either forced to attack or switch.
Potential Team Options
Rapid Spin Support + Hazards
View attachment 516456View attachment 516457
Great Tusk and Iron Treads both make fantastic partners for Decidueye due to their powerful/useful STAB combinations, great bulk, and access to Rapid Spin along with their own hazards. Great Tusk is the best glue in OU currently and is incredibly easy to slot onto teams, while Iron Treads has a few unique options and a great speed tier that can also be highly beneficial. Both Great Tusk and Iron Treads can set Stealth Rocks up themselves, providing crucial role compression that can work very well with Decidueye's existing role compression.
Wish Support + Magic Bounce
Hatterene is, in my opinion, one of the best defensive Pokemon in OU currently; having access to Magic Bounce to bounce back hazards or status moves at the drop of a hat is crucial in key match moments and can determine whether or not you win or lose a match through residual damage alone. Additionally, Hatterene's access to moves such as Nuzzle to slow your opponent's team down along with Mystical Fire to weaken some notable Special Attacking threats makes Hatterene one of Decidueye's best partners. Additionally, I would like to recommend Alomomola as a wonderful Wish user that has strong bulk, great mono-water typing, and additional useful moves such as Whirlpool and Chilling Water that can aid in a bind and create more switch-in opportunities.
Conclusion
View attachment 516464
Decidueye is one of the most powerful sub-OU Pokemon that I've used in the tier for a long time, and I feel that it's more powerful now in this current OU climate than it has ever been in previous generations. Its unique type combination, well-rounded stats, and unique movepool (with many options I didn't talk about here such as Nasty Plot) lead to a role-compressed juggernaut that quite a few common team compositions simply aren't prepared for. So if you feel your team needs something unique to occupy multiple roles in a way that no other Pokemon in the metagame can mimic, consider aiming your bow toward Decidueye and marking it down as a target for your next team!
(This post ended up being longer than my Psychology dissertation in college somehow lol; I tried some new formatting with this post, and I hope you all enjoy it and find it a little easier to read than previous posts of mine!)
