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Resource SV OU Viability Ranking Thread [ UPDATE: POST #751 ]

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:sv/ting-lu:

A->B

Unpopular opinion: Ting Lu is GARBAGE

It’s main purpose is to set up hazards and eat hits. While this seems good, here’s the reason why it’s bad: it lacks recovery.

Here’s how you can ruin any ting user with :Dragapult: and :great tusk: (a core you probably have).
1: Add wisp to Pult (or status it with poison somehow)
2: Wisp ting-lu. If they absorb the wisp with another mon, wisp again or attack the mon trying to absorb the wisp.
3: Use shadow ball when ting switches in, then switch to tusk. If they attack, now you threaten them. If they switch, you can either knock their spin blocker or spin the hazards if they set up hazards. If they double switch, just switch into a check of their double.
4: Repeat this process until ting is in Draco meteor range. Then kill it.

Ting-Lu is basically a bastion: Massive bulk without recovery and it’s main purpose is to die. Except by using this method, you can easily beat ting-Lu.
 
Lobby Eeveee said:
:sv/ting-lu:

A->B

Unpopular opinion: Ting Lu is GARBAGE

It’s main purpose is to set up hazards and eat hits. While this seems good, here’s the reason why it’s bad: it lacks recovery.

Here’s how you can ruin any ting user with :Dragapult: and :great tusk: (a core you probably have).
1: Add wisp to Pult (or status it with poison somehow)
2: Wisp ting-lu. If they absorb the wisp with another mon, wisp again or attack the mon trying to absorb the wisp.
3: Use shadow ball when ting switches in, then switch to tusk. If they attack, now you threaten them. If they switch, you can either knock their spin blocker or spin the hazards if they set up hazards. If they double switch, just switch into a check of their double.
4: Repeat this process until ting is in Draco meteor range. Then kill it.

Ting-Lu is basically a bastion: Massive bulk without recovery and it’s main purpose is to die. Except by using this method, you can easily beat ting-Lu.
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Except ting-lu can simply run rest and have recovery, countering mons like wisphex pult without the need to tera and soaking up salt cure damage, laying down spikes, and whirlwinding garg at your leisure. There are at least 2 successful teams in the OU room sample teams using rest tinglu as well, so this is more than conjecture
https://pokepast.es/6d82a616c8146785
https://pokepast.es/08e51af0cc840de7

Ting lu's massive bulk and ability to lay hazards creates entire hstack archetypes around it, and I find myself needing more than a defensive tusk these days when I fight ting-lu hstack teams with my balance or BO squads. When I do have hatt/cinderace, I feel the team is overall more consistent vs common and dangerous hstack offense teams. As proof of this, here's a very successful BO team with cinderace that was on the RMT forum recently.

Ting lu should stay right where it is imo.
 
Here's a laugh, for the longest time I assumed that it simply couldn't learn Rest because I literally never see it. It seems like such a good option on it, too. It has Whirlwind and Ruination to make use of Sleep Talk. Can it learn Sleep Talk?
 
pika pal said:
Probably because Slowking already being famous for its Special Bulk means it won't lure anything with AV, compared to Slowbro picking up a few extra things it can tank with the item and its existing Physical Bulk. No one is really going to special attack into Slowking so the idea seems to be feigning Slowbro being threatened out to bait a switch-in and hitting them with a Lure move rather than exiting on a potential set-up turn like Gholdengo's NP for example, which leaves it weak for revenge kill and momentum sink rather than starting a Wall Break streak (Slowbro outdamaging Recover means Gholdengo can't really make healing progress and its safest move is to KO and simply stay at lower health).

Not sure how viable this is because the calcs don't feel like they're very practical occurrences but I see the idea at least.
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Just A Shroom God said:
I want to echo pika pal's statement about these calcs not being very practical. No Tusk is going to stay in on a Slowbro, Cinderace will just switch out with U-Turn into something that can handle it, and Garganacl is nearly always tera'd and can make progress whatever it does. The only calcs I could see that are actually common are Kingambit Kowtow Cleave and Gholdengo Shadow Ball. This set really loses both the advantages of Slowbro and Slowking, because now Bro can't check big physical threats normal Slowbro would check or wall like SD Valiant (OHKOs with +2 Knock with this set while regular Bro can stay in, tank the Knock, and Thunder Wave or Psychic), Acrobatics Roaring Moon (Similar story to Valiant but it can't check it even if it Teras), Offensive Tusk (2HKOs this set with HLR), SD Bax, etc. Slowking checks all of the special threats this set does but better and it gets its item slot and Chilly Reception as well.

Of course, all this is just my thoughts, and I'm not the greatest player in the world. If I missed something crucial about this set that gives it a niche, I'd love it if you could explain!
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cinderace uturning out is why i didnt provide a calc agaisnt it. You'd be surprised how many will stay in with lead tusk though because:
0 SpA Slowbro Surf vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Great Tusk: 320-378 (73.7 - 87%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
The main lure here isnt the big special bulk its the max spa. you're dishing out way more damage than anyone expects from a slowbro. Why not use offensive slowking? well it still has access to a pivot move and as boring as that set is, its still a great combo with regen and slowbro would run it as well if it could. Gotta work with what youve got, thats why this slowbro set is realistically a B- at best. Its better than C though

offensive slowking doesnt work as well because against things like cinderace youre taking 75%+ from a u turn and thats not ideal if regen is only healing half that. you also have a better matchup against azumarill, baxcalibur and ceruledge in a pinch, and you have the mixed bulk to scout a dragapult set if needed.
 
Ryomathekillers said:
Flamigo to Unranked.

When was the last time you saw a Flamigo in ou?
doodoo fart mon. It was theorised as useful due to scrappy CC and a decent attack stat but the mon is honestly just flat, there is not a single OU team or archetype which Flamigo is worth using over other alternatives for a band/scarf mon and I am not too sure why this mon remains ranked, Cloyster has a niche on psyspam, Abomasnow Aura Veil teams while not good are at least playable, same for webs. Maybe I am really dumb and I'm missing something, if so please let me know but I do not see a reason why Flamigo should be ranked on the OU VR.
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I believe Flamigo has some merit to stay ranked if not rise a sub-rank.

Flamigo’s STAB combination + Scrappy hits most of the top threats super effectively from Tusks to Gambit to Ghold to Ting-Lu. Its decent Atk stat is compensated by strong STABS in CC and Brave Bird. What is interesting is Flamigo not only has a good offensive presence but also has defensive merit. It is the only Pokemon that resists Tusk’s STABs that also doesn’t take 25% from rocks. Flamigo also has a valuable resistance to Dark, Fighting, Grass, and an immunity to Ground + a Spikes Immunity. Also gets reliable recovery in Roost. Long term checks to Tusk are rare and the fact that it accomplishes this while also being a solid offensive presence is worth noting.
 
658Greninja said:
I believe Flamigo has some merit to stay ranked if not rise a sub-rank.

Flamigo’s STAB combination + Scrappy hits most of the top threats super effectively from Tusks to Gambit to Ghold to Ting-Lu. Its decent Atk stat is compensated by strong STABS in CC and Brave Bird. What is interesting is Flamigo not only has a good offensive presence but also has defensive merit. It is the only Pokemon that resists Tusk’s STABs that also doesn’t take 25% from rocks. Flamigo also has a valuable resistance to Dark, Fighting, Grass, and an immunity to Ground + a Spikes Immunity. Also gets reliable recovery in Roost. Long term checks to Tusk are rare and the fact that it accomplishes this while also being a solid offensive presence is worth noting.
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Issue is with 82/74/64 defences it's not far off being as sturdy as a paper towel. It's not taking hits any time soon and certainly not more than fighting/flying twin hawlucha. Great tusk isn't really bothered by the fact a flimsy Pokémon that resists one stab and is immune to the other with its beefy attack stat.
 
malomyotismon said:
Issue is with 82/74/64 defences it's not far off being as sturdy as a paper towel. It's not taking hits any time soon and certainly not more than fighting/flying twin hawlucha. Great tusk isn't really bothered by the fact a flimsy Pokémon that resists one stab and is immune to the other with its beefy attack stat.
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A very notable amount of Tusk isn't even running Fighting STAB, instead going for Ground + Knock, in which case Rapid Spin is quite literally the hardest hitting move against Flamigo. Even if we're talking offensive CC Tusk, Flamigo dodges the 2HKO from that, meaning you can PP stall that out with Roost whereas Choice variants of Flamigo themselves can still serve as a one-time switchin (technically twice since you outspeed but idt putting your Brave Bird mon at like 15% is a good idea).

Sure, it doesn't wall Band/Booster Atk Tusk, but like what does lol, those sets aren't super common and for Band you at the very least force it to predict without getting outright oneshot on the wrong prediction.

Don't really think Roost Flamigo is the greatest use of the mon myself though, but it does take it on better than you give it credit for.
 
Esca D. Sulphate said:
Even if we're talking offensive CC Tusk, Flamigo dodges the 2HKO from that, meaning you can PP stall that out with Roost
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Dawg you will not be PP stalling CC after you lose your flying type from roost. Though tbf you just click brave bird instead. Flamigo is fun to use, scrappy is maybe the best is has ever been with all the bulky ghosts getting folded by a neutral STAB close combat.
 
Skirmish said:
Dawg you will not be PP stalling CC after you lose your flying type from roost. Though tbf you just click brave bird instead. Flamigo is fun to use, scrappy is maybe the best is has ever been with all the bulky ghosts getting folded by a neutral STAB close combat.
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I think if for some reason you want to run Roost on Flamigo (unless we're talking these funky Choice Roost sets where your point would admittedly hold up), you're probably running at least some bulk and not max speed, meaning offensive Tusk will outrun you. Even for fast Roost Flamigo (which also dodges the 2HKO, but barely), you can probably threaten the Tusk out with the threat of Brave Bird and Roost on that--more risky but your opponent is probably not very eager to risk losing their Tusk in a trade with Flamigo of all things.

Then again bulky Roost Flamigo doesn't really sound like a set worth running to me in the first place (someone is free to prove me wrong on this if they find great success with it somehow) so probably pointless to debate it any further.
 
Not sure if it's all that worth nomming anything when HOME could drop at any point, but I'm gonna do it anyways (and because I'm bored and)

934.pngA+ -> S-
Post shed tail we've already seen Garg start creeping back up in usage and especially performance, and with stuff like Block Garg now seeing more use and being obnoxious and really tough to handle (good luck if you're running stall or any fat team without phasing). Garg itself is probably one of the biggest considerations in the builder because of how disruptive it is, the way if forces progress making it something you have to really specifically account for. Still dangerous Mon and definitely a really important one.

911.png A- -> A
Skeledirge is one of the better defensive mons in the tier atm, with being able to answer so many variants of top mons like Valiant, Volcarona, Moth, Cinderace, Dragonite, and being able to spread burns and put on pressure itself with Torch Song which makes it such a nice active presence. Tera being able to increase the scope of what it checks just makes it better. And it's not one note in set either. It's just a great reliable Mon and I think its rank should reflect it.
 
:sv/scream tail:
A->B+

In terms of OU usage I dont ever see this mon. In terms of OU viability I could see it having a niche on fat teams such as wish passing to mons without reliable recovery.

I just dont think this warrants an A- OU viability grade. Its too passive and can get taken advantage of pretty easily.
 
:azumarill: B+ -> A-

I was planning on writing about Azumarill earlier, but forgot to save my draft so I’ll give it a try now again.

Azumarill has arguably one of the best defensive typings in SV OU. Having the valuable fairy type means that it can check common key threats in dark or ghost types such as Walking Wake, Dragapult and Roaring Moon. Azumarills water type also helps it immensely against other common typings. Being able to tank a lot of hits resisted is always a good trait for pokémon, but Azumarill also has tons of other traits that makes it stand out more.

Having huge power as an ability makes Azumarill a lot more powerful with its miserable 50 base atk. Additionally, with how huge power is calculated, instead of having a base effective attack stat of 100, it rather has an effective attack stat of around 150 which is amazing for OU standards.
For anyone wondering how it’s calculated. It takes the total attack stat of a pokémon, (not base attack) and doubles it. Azumarill hits 218 total attack (Max atk EVs and adamant), which is 436 if you double it. With a base 150 atk pokémon hitting 438 atk stat. (Max atk EVs, adamant)

Azumarill also has a variety of different sets it can run. Belly drum Azumarill abuses its great defensive typing in conjunction with huge power to be able to belly drum and sweep the game with priority aqua jet making up for its bad speed. Huge power allows it to become more of an immediate threat being able to dish out tons of damage or be able to aqua jet revenge kill weakened foes. Assault vest Azumarill has also seen a lot of usage. Being able to practically wall Walking Wake and be able to tank most special hits on the special side, assault vest has been a great option as you can still dish out damage.
244 SpA Choice Specs Walking Wake Hydro Steam vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Assault Vest Azumarill in Sun: 114-135 (28.2 - 33.4%) -- 0% chance to 3HKO

+1 252 SpA Quark Drive Iron Valiant Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Assault Vest Azumarill: 290-342 (71.7 - 84.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

+1 252 SpA Volcarona Giga Drain vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Assault Vest Azumarill: 204-240 (50.4 - 59.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 SpA Choice Specs Dragapult Shadow Ball vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Assault Vest Azumarill: 132-156 (32.6 - 38.6%) -- 98.6% chance to 3HKO

+2 252 SpA Gholdengo Make It Rain vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Assault Vest Azumarill: 321-378 (79.4 - 93.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 SpA Iron Moth Sludge Wave vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Assault Vest Azumarill: 264-312 (65.3 - 77.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

As mentioned before, Azumarill has an incredibly amazing typing for the OU metagame. In the past, it has checked some incredible threats such as Chien-pao, Chi-yu, Palafin, Walking Wake etc. But it still has a good typing for the current metagame. With how few fairies there have been in this generation, dragon and dark types have dominated the metagame. Having a fairy type is extremely important, and having one that can fit for some niche role compression helps a ton. And Azumarills typing helps it act as a defensive check for a lot of key metagame threats such as Baxcalibur.
+1 252 Atk Baxcalibur Earthquake vs. 116 HP / 0 Def Azumarill: 213-251 (57.5 - 67.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

+1 252+ Atk Dragonite Earthquake vs. 116 HP / 0 Def Azumarill: 221-260 (59.7 - 70.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ Atk Kingambit Iron Head vs. 116 HP / 0 Def Azumarill: 178-210 (48.1 - 56.7%) -- 89.1% chance to 2HKO

252 Atk Cinderace Pyro Ball vs. 116 HP / 0 Def Azumarill: 109-129 (29.4 - 34.8%) -- 10% chance to 3HKO

0 Atk Great Tusk Earthquake vs. 116 HP / 0 Def Azumarill: 163-193 (44 - 52.1%) -- 16.4% chance to 2HKO

+2 252 SpA Hydreigon Earth Power vs. 116 HP / 0 SpD Azumarill: 230-271 (62.1 - 73.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

0 Atk Dondozo Liquidation vs. 116 HP / 0 Def Azumarill: 54-65 (14.5 - 17.5%) -- possible 6HKO

Bulk isn’t the only thing Azumarill is good at though, it can still fish out a lot of damage if it’s paired with belly drum or a choice band.
+6 252+ Atk Huge Power Azumarill Aqua Jet vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Great Tusk: 378-446 (87 - 102.7%) -- 18.8% chance to OHKO

+6 252+ Atk Huge Power Azumarill Aqua Jet vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Iron Valiant: 346-408 (119.7 - 141.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO

+6 252+ Atk Huge Power Azumarill Play Rough vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Multiscale Tera Normal Dragonite: 370-436 (114.5 - 134.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO

+6 252+ Atk Huge Power Azumarill Play Rough vs. 252 HP / 244+ Def Rotom-Wash: 492-580 (161.8 - 190.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO

+6 252+ Atk Huge Power Azumarill Liquidation vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Unaware Skeledirge: 338-398 (82.2 - 96.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

+6 252+ Atk Huge Power Azumarill Play Rough vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Unaware Dondozo: 118-139 (23.4 - 27.5%) -- 73.2% chance to 4HKO (Note that if Azumarill has liquidation, it can sometimes try to fish for a defense drop to force Dondozo out as Azumarill isn’t being threatened by any of Dondozos moves)

+6 252+ Atk Huge Power Azumarill Aqua Jet vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Kingambit: 271-319 (79.4 - 93.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

+6 252+ Atk Huge Power Azumarill Play Rough vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Toxapex: 247-291 (81.5 - 96%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

+6 252+ Atk Huge Power Azumarill Play Rough vs. 252 HP / 172+ Def Amoonguss: 351-413 (81.2 - 95.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Huge Power Azumarill Ice Spinner vs. 252 HP / 172+ Def Amoonguss: 314-370 (72.6 - 85.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ Atk Choice Band Huge Power Azumarill Play Rough vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Toxapex: 93-110 (30.6 - 36.3%) -- 55.2% chance to 3HKO

252+ Atk Choice Band Huge Power Azumarill Play Rough vs. 252 HP / 204+ Def Hatterene: 208-246 (65.4 - 77.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

252+ Atk Choice Band Huge Power Azumarill Liquidation vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Great Tusk: 402-474 (108.3 - 127.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252+ Atk Choice Band Huge Power Azumarill Play Rough vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Dondozo: 175-207 (34.7 - 41%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

252+ Atk Choice Band Huge Power Azumarill Liquidation vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Gholdengo: 264-312 (83.8 - 99%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ Atk Choice Band Huge Power Azumarill Liquidation vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Corviknight: 177-208 (44.3 - 52.1%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

252+ Atk Choice Band Huge Power Azumarill Play Rough vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Kingambit: 229-270 (67.1 - 79.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
 
:chesnaught: : UR -> C/C-

a decent defensive wall that can reliably check most :kingambit: 's sets (tera fairy beats on it) and also check :baxcalibur: and :dragonite: especially with tera steel that also gets access to spikes and additionally has an ability that blocks a decent number of meta-relevant moves including :cinderace:'s pyro ball, :toxapex: + :amoonguss:'s sludge bomb (and acid spray lol), :dragapult: + :gholdengo: + :zoroark-hisui:'s shadow ball, focus blast

this mon gets recovery in synthesis, iron defense + body press, spikes, leech seed, belly drum + trailblaze/drain punch is like really shitty but you do have to kind of keep in the back of your head that it is potentially a set??? taunt, super fang, spiky shield, pain split, and ok coverage moves (pjab, crunch, eq) are also moves with some amount of utility for this mon - certainly it's a specific mon and hard to build around and maybe not that worth building around and certainly i am biased because i spammed this mon up ladder but i think it is honestly worth mentioning (like this mon is absolutely better than abomasnow, flamigo, mimikyu, and scovillain although maybe these mons should just be unranked)
 
:froslass: UR -> C

I'm a little surprised froslass is unranked, honestly. there are a lot of good dedicated hazard stack leads this gen but froslass carves out a unique niche as the only hazard setter that can also spinblock, other than... this dweeb? -> :brambleghast:

TLDR: froslass has a unique combination of useful traits that make it a reliable lead. i think a C ranking alongside other solid role players like barraskewda, zard, and blissey is fair.

I've been using a pretty simple, standard set:

Froslass (F) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Cursed Body
Tera Type: Fairy/Steel
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Spikes
- Shadow Ball
- Icy Wind
- Destiny Bond

timid hits a great 350 speed and with a sash you almost always get a spike or two up at the beginning of the game. sball and ice beam are a great stab pair, threatening neutral or SE damage on everything not named kingambit. destiny bond is a great choice - even if you’re outsped, you click dbond turn 1 and you guarantee a spike or a trade turn 2. tera fairy beats dragon darts, which is really the only relevant multi-hit move that'd break your sash, while tera steel stops mortal spin from glimmora.

out of all the dedicated hazard setters, it's got comparatively good matchups against common removers. tusk can’t spin on you and doesn’t want the ice beam/wind smoke, so you can get a spike or two up, destiny bond/sack and keep momentum up to prevent it from getting the opportunity to spin later. corv can defog, but doesn’t really want to 1v1 you with cursed body and dbond. cinderace can be annoying but you can try for a dbond trade against it as well. hatterene obviously doesn't want to take a shadow ball.

froslass works well on offensive teams that can capitalize off the momentum it provides early. mons that also don’t give tusk openings to come in and spin, like iron moth or specs pult, make for good teammates.

1600s-ish replays
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1864578483-yiwutgh3ta097r2v7mch80howwa70rdpw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1872821706-agccdby1csj6rnm6o5xhg53w1k0l6irpw
 
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fly casanova said:
:froslass: UR -> C

I'm a little surprised froslass is unranked, honestly. there are a lot of good dedicated hazard stack leads this gen but froslass carves out a unique niche as the only hazard setter that can also spinblock, other than... this dweeb? -> :brambleghast:

TLDR: froslass has a unique combination of useful traits that make it a reliable lead. i think a C ranking alongside other solid role players like barraskewda, zard, and blissey is fair.

I've been using a pretty simple, standard set:

Froslass (F) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Cursed Body
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Spikes
- Shadow Ball
- Ice Beam
- Destiny Bond

timid hits a great 350 speed and with a sash you almost always get a spike or two up at the beginning of the game. sball and ice beam are a great stab pair, threatening neutral or SE damage on everything not named kingambit. destiny bond is a great choice - even if you’re outsped, you click dbond turn 1 and you guarantee a spike or a trade turn 2.

out of all the dedicated hazard setters, it's got one of the better matchups against common removers. tusk can’t spin on you and doesn’t want the ice beam smoke, so you can get a spike or two up, destiny bond/sack and keep momentum up to prevent it from getting the opportunity to spin later. corv can defog, but doesn’t really want to 1v1 you with cursed body and dbond. cinderace can be annoying but you can try for a dbond trade against it as well. hatterene obviously doesn't want to take a shadow ball.

froslass works well on offensive teams that can capitalize off the momentum it provides early. mons that also don’t give tusk openings to come in and spin, like iron moth or specs pult, make for good teammates.

1600s-ish replays
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1864578483-yiwutgh3ta097r2v7mch80howwa70rdpw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1872821706-agccdby1csj6rnm6o5xhg53w1k0l6irpw
Click to expand...
Click to collapse...

Small addendum, I believe Icy wind is actually better than ice beam here because it lets you icy wind opposing lead meow twice and have a better matchup there, making it overall less passive and harder to set up on. Dbond is a good option, I personally prefer taunt tho. Thunder wave is also viable, you just want to keep a strong shadow ball to punish hatterene. Consider tera steel to block mortal spin as well.
 
fly casanova said:
:froslass: UR -> C

I'm a little surprised froslass is unranked, honestly. there are a lot of good dedicated hazard stack leads this gen but froslass carves out a unique niche as the only hazard setter that can also spinblock, other than... this dweeb? -> :brambleghast:

TLDR: froslass has a unique combination of useful traits that make it a reliable lead. i think a C ranking alongside other solid role players like barraskewda, zard, and blissey is fair.

I've been using a pretty simple, standard set:

Froslass (F) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Cursed Body
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Spikes
- Shadow Ball
- Ice Beam
- Destiny Bond

timid hits a great 350 speed and with a sash you almost always get a spike or two up at the beginning of the game. sball and ice beam are a great stab pair, threatening neutral or SE damage on everything not named kingambit. destiny bond is a great choice - even if you’re outsped, you click dbond turn 1 and you guarantee a spike or a trade turn 2.

out of all the dedicated hazard setters, it's got one of the better matchups against common removers. tusk can’t spin on you and doesn’t want the ice beam smoke, so you can get a spike or two up, destiny bond/sack and keep momentum up to prevent it from getting the opportunity to spin later. corv can defog, but doesn’t really want to 1v1 you with cursed body and dbond. cinderace can be annoying but you can try for a dbond trade against it as well. hatterene obviously doesn't want to take a shadow ball.

froslass works well on offensive teams that can capitalize off the momentum it provides early. mons that also don’t give tusk openings to come in and spin, like iron moth or specs pult, make for good teammates.

1600s-ish replays
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1864578483-yiwutgh3ta097r2v7mch80howwa70rdpw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1872821706-agccdby1csj6rnm6o5xhg53w1k0l6irpw
Click to expand...
Click to collapse...
I second this, seems to have a good niche.
 
Srn said:
Small addendum, I believe Icy wind is actually better than ice beam here because it lets you icy wind opposing lead meow twice and have a better matchup there, making it overall less passive and harder to set up on. Dbond is a good option, I personally prefer taunt tho. Thunder wave is also viable, you just want to keep a strong shadow ball to punish hatterene. Consider tera steel to block mortal spin as well.
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yeah I can get on board with that. I do like fairy to keep your sash against darts, but beating glimm is nice too. the reality is it won't tera in most games so it's not a huge opportunity cost either way.
 
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