Metagame SWSH RU Alpha - Metagame Thread

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EviGaro

is a Member of Senior Staffis a Community Contributoris a Tiering Contributoris a Battle Simulator Staff Alumnus
RU Leader
Welcome to SWSH RU Alpha! phantom and I are very excited to see the beginning of RU's fourth official gen with you all, and what will come out of it in terms of gameplay and who will establish themselves across the site. First off, here are the stats we will work with in Alpha:

Code:
Combined usage for UU (1630 stats)
+ ---- + ------------------ + ------- +
| Rank | Pokemon            | Percent |
+ ---- + ------------------ + ------- +
| 1    | Gengar             | 25.770% |
| 2    | Kommo-o            | 24.705% |
| 3    | Obstagoon          | 22.036% |
| 4    | Mamoswine          | 19.395% |
| 5    | Weezing-Galar      | 16.004% |
| 6    | Mew                | 14.313% |
| 7    | Noivern            | 13.684% |
| 8    | Doublade           | 12.864% |
| 9    | Polteageist        | 12.098% |
| 10   | Ribombee           | 10.964% |
| 11   | Crawdaunt          |  9.877% |
| 12   | Hippowdon          |  9.430% |
| 13   | Haxorus            |  8.591% |
| 14   | Espeon             |  8.156% |
| 15   | Braviary           |  8.076% |
| 16   | Chandelure         |  7.944% |
| 17   | Coalossal          |  7.852% |
| 18   | Copperajah         |  7.735% |
| 19   | Cloyster           |  7.436% |
| 20   | Diggersby          |  7.436% |
| 21   | Frosmoth           |  7.221% |
| 22   | Inteleon           |  7.188% |
| 23   | Milotic            |  7.100% |
| 24   | Avalugg            |  7.063% |
| 25   | Sylveon            |  6.816% |
| 26   | Araquanid          |  6.610% |
| 27   | Arcanine           |  6.534% |
| 28   | Durant             |  6.519% |
| 29   | Sirfetch'd         |  6.499% |
| 30   | Duraludon          |  6.372% |
| 31   | Weavile            |  6.094% |
| 32   | Umbreon            |  6.078% |
| 33   | Gardevoir          |  5.991% |
| 34   | Drapion            |  5.975% |
| 35   | Charizard          |  5.642% |
| 36   | Rotom-Mow          |  5.409% |
| 37   | Lucario            |  5.269% |
| 38   | Claydol            |  5.214% |
| 39   | Bronzong           |  5.049% |
| 40   | Reuniclus          |  5.043% |
| 41   | Flygon             |  5.042% |
| 42   | Indeedee           |  5.019% |
| 43   | Rhyperior          |  4.883% |
| 44   | Centiskorch        |  4.739% |
| 45   | Cramorant          |  4.709% |
| 46   | Morpeko            |  4.697% |
| 47   | Heliolisk          |  4.635% |
| 48   | Tsareena           |  4.631% |
| 49   | Golisopod          |  4.619% |
------ above is UU, below is RU -------
| 50   | Jellicent          |  4.193% |
| 51   | Galvantula         |  4.168% |
| 52   | Torkoal            |  4.065% |
| 53   | Dhelmise           |  4.061% |
| 54   | Sigilyph           |  4.035% |
| 55   | Steelix            |  3.910% |
| 56   | Boltund            |  3.868% |
| 57   | Mantine            |  3.785% |
| 58   | Runerigus          |  3.777% |
| 59   | Whimsicott         |  3.682% |
| 60   | Roserade           |  3.657% |
| 61   | Eldegoss           |  3.648% |
| 62   | Salazzle           |  3.644% |
| 63   | Goodra             |  3.440% |
| 64   | Snorlax            |  3.300% |
| 65   | Passimian          |  2.961% |
| 66   | Vaporeon           |  2.853% |
| 67   | Hitmontop          |  2.812% |
| 68   | Xatu               |  2.801% |
| 69   | Falinks            |  2.778% |
| 70   | Appletun           |  2.753% |
| 71   | Vanilluxe          |  2.651% |
| 72   | Gastrodon          |  2.616% |
| 73   | Alcremie           |  2.615% |
| 74   | Rillaboom          |  2.580% |
| 75   | Shiftry            |  2.558% |
| 76   | Bewear             |  2.552% |
| 77   | Cursola            |  2.331% |
| 78   | Shuckle            |  2.327% |
| 79   | Pyukumuku          |  2.288% |
| 80   | Arctozolt          |  2.281% |
| 81   | Quagsire           |  2.256% |
| 82   | Hitmonlee          |  2.198% |
| 83   | Flapple            |  2.154% |
| 84   | Eiscue             |  2.122% |
| 85   | Machamp            |  1.955% |
| 86   | Barbaracle         |  1.953% |
| 87   | Orbeetle           |  1.872% |
| 88   | Cinccino           |  1.815% |
| 89   | Sandaconda         |  1.773% |
| 90   | Rapidash-Galar     |  1.768% |
| 91   | Rotom-Fan          |  1.756% |
| 92   | Accelgor           |  1.744% |
| 93   | Mr. Rime           |  1.737% |
| 94   | Froslass           |  1.726% |
| 95   | Escavalier         |  1.669% |
| 96   | Vikavolt           |  1.651% |
| 97   | Jolteon            |  1.600% |
| 98   | Gigalith           |  1.555% |
| 99   | Ninetales          |  1.521% |
| 100  | Lanturn            |  1.491% |
| 101  | Turtonator         |  1.440% |
| 102  | Sableye            |  1.355% |
| 103  | Vileplume          |  1.352% |
| 104  | Dubwool            |  1.347% |
| 105  | Arctovish          |  1.332% |
| 106  | Butterfree         |  1.203% |
| 107  | Silvally-Steel     |  1.108% |
| 108  | Cofagrigus         |  1.064% |
| 109  | Aromatisse         |  1.008% |
| 110  | Drednaw            |  0.940% |
| 111  | Lapras             |  0.903% |
| 112  | Leafeon            |  0.877% |
| 113  | Malamar            |  0.875% |
| 114  | Toxicroak          |  0.861% |
| 115  | Hitmonchan         |  0.851% |
| 116  | Grapploct          |  0.805% |
| 117  | Togedemaru         |  0.803% |
| 118  | Perrserker         |  0.798% |
| 119  | Mudsdale           |  0.736% |
| 120  | Gallade            |  0.729% |
| 121  | Ferroseed          |  0.686% |
| 122  | Crustle            |  0.675% |
| 123  | Silvally-Fairy     |  0.659% |
| 124  | Mawile             |  0.658% |
| 125  | Mr. Mime-Galar     |  0.638% |
| 126  | Pincurchin         |  0.637% |
| 127  | Kingler            |  0.600% |
| 128  | Drifblim           |  0.572% |
| 129  | Silvally-Ghost     |  0.551% |
| 130  | Scrafty            |  0.538% |
| 131  | Abomasnow          |  0.514% |
| 132  | Pangoro            |  0.502% |
| 133  | Rotom              |  0.500% |
| 134  | Indeedee-F         |  0.486% |
| 135  | Stunfisk-Galar     |  0.480% |
| 136  | Thievul            |  0.453% |
| 137  | Qwilfish           |  0.445% |
| 138  | Klinklang          |  0.439% |
| 139  | Greedent           |  0.422% |
| 140  | Shedinja           |  0.407% |
| 141  | Glalie             |  0.407% |
| 142  | Ludicolo           |  0.403% |
| 143  | Rotom-Frost        |  0.377% |
| 144  | Dusclops           |  0.376% |
| 145  | Gurdurr            |  0.367% |
| 146  | Unfezant           |  0.345% |
| 147  | Golurk             |  0.339% |
| 148  | Trevenant          |  0.319% |
| 149  | Stonjourner        |  0.303% |
| 150  | Garbodor           |  0.294% |
| 151  | Ninjask            |  0.286% |
| 152  | Skuntank           |  0.284% |
| 153  | Slurpuff           |  0.278% |
| 154  | Type: Null         |  0.277% |
| 155  | Shiinotic          |  0.274% |
| 156  | Drampa             |  0.270% |
| 157  | Gourgeist-Super    |  0.266% |
| 158  | Sawk               |  0.265% |
| 159  | Morgrem            |  0.249% |
| 160  | Vullaby            |  0.238% |
| 161  | Silvally           |  0.234% |
| 162  | Trapinch           |  0.227% |
| 163  | Beartic            |  0.218% |
| 164  | Maractus           |  0.203% |
| 165  | Dusknoir           |  0.203% |
| 166  | Glaceon            |  0.200% |
| 167  | Bellossom          |  0.189% |
| 168  | Rhydon             |  0.185% |
| 169  | Octillery          |  0.181% |
| 170  | Silvally-Dark      |  0.180% |
| 171  | Musharna           |  0.179% |
| 172  | Piloswine          |  0.177% |
| 173  | Flareon            |  0.172% |
| 174  | Manectric          |  0.161% |
| 175  | Mareanie           |  0.159% |
| 176  | Silvally-Ground    |  0.151% |
| 177  | Swirlix            |  0.143% |
| 178  | Silvally-Water     |  0.142% |
| 179  | Mr. Mime           |  0.132% |
| 180  | Wishiwashi         |  0.131% |
| 181  | Silvally-Fire      |  0.118% |
| 182  | Basculin           |  0.104% |
| 183  | Raichu             |  0.101% |
+ ---- + ------------------ + ------- +
New mechanics relevant to RU:

  • Terrain boosts nerfed from 50% to 30%
  • Rapid Spin buffed to 50 BP, increases Speed by one Stage
  • Pinch Berries now only heal 33% (Down from 50%)
  • Multi-Attack buffed to 120 BP
  • Inner Focus - Prevents Intimidate, normal stat changes still apply
  • Own Tempo - Prevents Intimidate, normal stat changes still apply
  • Scrappy - Prevents Intimidate, normal stat changes still apply
  • Oblivious - Prevents Intimidate, normal stat changes still apply
Pursuit
Return
Frustration
Hidden Power
Psywave
Refresh
Punishment
All Z Moves
-Eject Pack An item to be held by a Pokémon. When the holder’s stats are lowered, it will be switched out of battle.
-Heavy-Duty Boots These boots prevent the effects of traps set on the battlefield.
-Blunder Policy Raises Speed sharply when a Pokémon misses with a move because of accuracy.
-Room Service An item to be held by a Pokémon. Lowers Speed when Trick Room takes effect.
-Utility Umbrella An item to be held by a Pokémon. This sturdy umbrella protects the holder from the effects of weather.

This thread will serve as to discuss the metagame as a whole, be it Pokemons, builds, ideas and sets that seem to have potential in the current metagame. However, as it is still an Alpha tier, remember that bans will not occur during this month, the newly formed Council will get to those issues next month during the Beta stage of the tier. Therefore, discussions on what should be banned should be very much avoided, although obviously pointing out how good some sets and mons are is obviously encouraged.
 
Quick and dirty move availability, for reference:

Entry Hazards:

Stealth Rock:
Sudowoodo, Steelix, Shuckle, Mawile, Torkoal, Lunatone, Solrock, Gigalith, Crustle, Galarian Stunfisk, Mudsdale, Drednaw, Sandaconda, Runerigus, Stonjourner

Spikes:
Qwilfish, Delibird, Glalie, Roserade, Froslass, Maractus, Crustle, Garbodor, Accelgor, Pincurchin

Toxic Spikes:
Qwilfish, Roserade, Vespiquen, Cofagrigus, Garbodor, Accelgor, Runerigus, Pincurchin

Sticky Web:
Shuckle, Galvantula, Slurpuff, Vikavolt, Orbeetle

Hazard Removal:

Rapid Spin:
Delibird, Hitmontop, Torkoal, Turtonator, Dhelmise, Eldegoss, Mr. Rime

Defog:
Noctowl, Shiftry, Drifblim, Unfezant
 

Yung Dramps

awesome gaming
lightning round first impressions


I have no idea why more people aren't using Gallade. Swords Dance sets on this absolutely FUCK, +2 LO Knock nukes Jellicent right out of orbit and coverage it has in general is just nuclear especially with no Medicham to compete with. One of the old kings of RU may be back boys and girls, just give him some testing for optimal sets


I absolutely love this mon as a rocker. It straight up does not die to physical attacks, Scarf Passimian Close Combat just barely 2HKOes lmao. Unlike Steelix it can actually do notable damage outside of literally one move, STAB EdgeQuake is as good as ever and it has some neat coverage like Megahorn too. Don't forget Rock Blast in conjunction with the type to totally screw over Sub Salazzle.


Now for mainstream stuff, Sigilyph is crazy as a special attacker, it can run so many different variations with lots of interesting moves. No matter what, you take damage in some form when Sigilyph gets out safely.

One thing I am noticing is that there is a severe lack of hazard removal. There's some potential options like Torkoal, Mr. Rime and Hitmontop but they're all underexplored. And as for Defoggers... I guess we got Gurdurr? Yeah no it won't cut it, so I feel like Heavy Duty Boots and hazard spam could become very prevalent with time.
 

Yoshi

IT'S FINK DUMBASS
Hey guys, I've been playing around with RU a bit since it dropped today and I thought it would be nice to drop some sets that I think are going to be pretty great in this meta.

:indeedee:(f) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Psychic Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Hyper Voice
- Energy Ball / Aromatherapy
- Healing Wish

I think Indeedee-F will definitely be one of the better, if not the best Choice Scarf users in this meta. Having Psychic Surge is a huge bonus and it sort of makes up for the slightly mediocre Special Attack stat. Also, being Base 85 Speed makes it faster than Choice Scarf Passimian, which I'd imagine will become common too. It gets several support moves like Aromatherapy (a scarce resource, especially with no Heal Bell), and Healing Wish, which are obviously going to be useful. I think the only downside to Indeedee as a scarfer is that it isn't super strong, although it makes up for that by being able to take a hit or two.

In the event we get the male version, though, I could see Indeedee being much better than it already is.

:sigilyph:@ Life Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Psyshock
- Heat Wave
- Roost

Sigilyph is a Pokemon people have been talking a lot about already, and for very good reason too. The biggest thing is that it has a really great Speed tier and fantastic Special Attack for this tier, and with near-perfect coverage, it isn't hard to see why some people are already calling out this Pokemon to be quick banned. I think the above set will be the best one (Choice Specs is a great option too), and you'd be surprised how often Sigilyph can manage to get up a Calm Mind.

In general, there's also very few solid checks and counters to Sigilyph. The best options we have currently are Gigalith, Snorlax, and Silvally-Dark, which aren't even super reliable at checking Sigilyph, especially Calm Mind variants (Silvally-Dark loses to Choice Specs Air Slash). Therefore, I think it's sheer power and speed tier, paired with its slight unpredictability, could definitely lead to some problems with Sigilyph, even this early on in the meta, and even without Dynamax to get a Speed boost.

Oh yeah, and of course the lack of Pursuit always helps here.

:pangoro:@ Life Orb
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Drain Punch
- Darkest Lariat
- Bullet Punch

Similar to Sigilyph, Pangoro also has a few options in terms of it sets. Unlike Sigilyph, I'm not exactly sure what the best one might be just yet. I think Choice Band is a really great option, but I've been using Swords Dance so that's the one I'll talk about. So far, Pangoro has worked wonders for me, and I can say it's definitely already proven to be one of the better wallbreakers of the tier. Iron Fist + Drain Punch means you don't have to worry about Life Orb recoil too much, and paired with Swords Dance, Drain Punch can be a really detrimental move to take.

I suppose the only notable nerf to Pangoro from last generation is the lack of Knock Off, but it'll get that back whenever Home releases. There are also a few offensive checks that Pangoro needs to worry about, so it'll oftentimes have a difficult time staying in the field to sweep, especially because it isn't super fast, unlike Sigilyph (Bullet Punch isn't a super strong priority move).

:flapple:@ Wide Lens
Ability: Hustle
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Outrage
- Grav Apple
- Sucker Punch

The last Pokemon I want to talk about is Flapple. This is pretty much going to be one of the better set-up sweepers of the tier, and for good reason. Having access to Hustle means it's actually really strong, and in conjunction with a Base 110 Attack stat, it's hard to switch into this thing after a boost. Its two STABs, Grass and Dragon, are also put to great use thanks to Outrage and Grav Apple (Seed Bomb but it always lowers the target's defense).

Although Flapple's defenses aren't horrible (70/80/60), I sometimes find it hard to get an opportunity where Flapple would be able to get a Dragon Dance off. It isn't super fast at Base 70 either, so even after a +1 boost, it isn't difficult to revenge kill either. I think those are Flapple's biggest problems. However, I don't see them as super detrimental to Flapple's effectiveness. I've loved using Flapple so far and I predict that it'll be a mainstay in this meta.
 

Mavis

Banned deucer.
Hello! I'm bkdrew, a contributor for the RarelyUsed tier. Building for the new alpha format can be tough, so I've taken it upon myself to make a handy role compendium for all of you out there who might be struggling with what to use to fill your teamslots. This post originated in the alpha speculation thread, and I'm glad it gets its own time to shine.

BANLIST: :gengar:, :kommo-o:, :obstagoon:, :mamoswine:, :weezing-galar:,:mew:,:noivern:, :doublade:, :polteageist:, :ribombee:, :crawdaunt:, :hippowdon:, :haxorus:, :espeon:, :braviary:, :chandelure:, :coalossal:, :copperajah:, :cloyster:, :diggersby:, :frosmoth:, :inteleon:, :milotic:, :avalugg:, :sylveon:, :araquanid:, :arcanine:, :durant:, :sirfetchd:, :duraludon:, :weavile:, :umbreon:, :gardevoir:, :drapion:, :charizard:, :rotom-mow:, :lucario:, :claydol:, :bronzong:, :reuniclus:, :flygon:, :indeedee: (male), :rhyperior:, :centiskorch:, :cramorant:,:morpeko:, :heliolisk:, :tsareena:, :golisopod:

WEATHER SETTERS AND ABUSERS
SUN: :ninetales:, :torkoal:, :shiftry:, :vileplume:, :leafeon:
SAND: :gigalith:, :drilbur:
HAIL: :vanilluxe:, :abomasnow:

STATUS INDUCERS
PARALYSIS: :sandaconda:, :lanturn:, :qwilfish:, :ferroseed:, :xatu:
POISON: :vileplume:, :salazzle:, :roserade:, :garbodor:
SLEEP: :roserade:, :butterfree:, :vileplume:, :eldegoss:, :vaporeon:, :torkoal:
BURN: :jellicent:, :torkoal:, :ninetales:, :rotom:, :rotom-fan:, :sableye:, :drifblim:, :froslass:

PIVOTING
U-TURN: :togedemaru:, :xatu:, :rillaboom:, :flapple: :silvally:(Steel-, Fairy-, Dark-, Ghost-, Ground-, Water-, Poison-, Dragon-type), :unfezant:, :whimsicott:, :cinccino:, :passimian:
VOLT SWITCH: :rotom:, :rotom-frost:, :rotom-fan:, :lanturn:, :galvantula:

ENTRY HAZARDS
STEALTH ROCK: :rhydon:, :gigalith:, :piloswine:, :steelix:, :cursola:, :torkoal:, :ferroseed:, :mudsdale:, :sandaconda:, :runerigus:
STICKY WEB: :galvantula:, :vikavolt:, :orbeetle:, :shuckle:, :slurpuff:
SPIKES: :froslass:, :garbodor:, :qwilfish:, :roserade:, :ferroseed:, :accelgor:
TOXIC SPIKES: :roserade:, :garbodor:, :qwilfish:, :accelgor:

HAZARD CONTROL
Rapid Spin: :dhelmise:, :hitmonlee:, :hitmontop:, :mr. rime:, :mr. mime-galar:, :torkoal:, :eldegoss:
Defog: :gurdurr:, :drifblim:
Magic Bounce: :xatu:

PHYSICAL SETUP SWEEPERS
SWORDS DANCE: :toxicroak:, :bewear:, :pangoro:, :gallade:, :escavalier:, :rapidash-galar:, :silvally: (Fairy-, Steel-, Ground-, Water-, Ghost-, Dark-, Poison-type), :rillaboom:
BULK UP: :scrafty:, :gurdurr:, :passimian:
DRAGON DANCE: :scrafty:, :flapple:, :steelix:
CURSE: :snorlax:, :steelix:
OTHER: :barbaracle: (Shell Smash), :falinks: (No Retreat)

SPECIAL SETUP SWEEPERS
NASTY PLOT: :rotom-fan:, :salazzle:, :mr. mime-galar:, :ninetales:, :skuntank:, :rotom-frost:, :rotom:
CALM MIND: :sigilyph:
GROWTH: :vileplume:
SHELL SMASH: :turtonator:
QUIVER DANCE: :butterfree:

MIXED SETUP SWEEPERS: :shiftry:

FAIRY-TYPES: :silvally-fairy:, :aromatisse:, :alcremie:, :rapidash-galar:, :whimsicott:, :slurpuff:

GHOST-TYPES: :rotom:, :runerigus:, :haunter:, :silvally: (Ghost-type):, :dhelmise:, :cursola:, :jellicent:, :froslass:

WATER-TYPES: :jellicent:, :vaporeon:, :quagsire:, :gastrodon:, :mantine:

FIGHTING-TYPES: :bewear:, :toxicroak:, :pangoro:, :machamp:, :passimian:, :gurdurr:, :scrafty:, :falinks:

CHOICE SCARF USERS: :passimian:, :rillaboom:, :togedemaru:, :rotom-frost:, :indeedee:, :flapple:, :goodra:, :arctozolt:, :salazzle:, :rotom:, :toxicroak:, :unfezant:, :cinccino:

SPECIAL WALLBREAKERS: :sigilyph:, :ninetales:, :vanilluxe:, :goodra:, :indeedee:, :rotom:, :haunter:, :jolteon:, :abomasnow:, :accelgor:

PHYSICAL WALLBREAKERS: :passimian:, :bewear:, :pangoro:, :rillaboom:, :rapidash-galar:, :machamp:, :unfezant:, :escavalier:, :hitmonlee:, :cinccino:, :boltund:

PHYSICAL DEFENSIVE THREATS: :steelix:, :vaporeon:, :quagsire:, :bewear:, :runerigus: :gurdurr:, :garbodor:, :jellicent:, :vileplume:, :torkoal:, :aromatisse:, :drifblim:, :mudsdale:, :sandaconda:, :sableye:

SPECIAL DEFENSIVE THREATS: :gigalith:, :vaporeon:, :gastrodon:, :mantine:, :alcremie:, :lanturn:, :appletun:

Special thanks to Sensei Axew helping me edit the google doc for this!
 
Last edited:

Hogg

grubbing in the ashes
is a Tournament Director Alumnusis a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Top Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Staff Alumnusis an Administrator Alumnus
Some thoughts after looking at the list of RU 'mons:

Vanilluxe looks absolutely disgusting. Offensive AVeil sets (Blizzard/Freeze Dry/Aurora Veil/Taunt) have been amazing for me in UU, and that's with really strong checks like Doublade available. Without that, I feel like it's downright oppressive.

Speaking of, Doublade singlehandedly shutting down almost every viable Rapid Spin user in UU has meant that they've pretty much all fallen to here, where they seem way more likely to succeed.

Xatu has been fantastic in both OU and UU, and I can't imagine it won't be great here as well. It's a great way to shut down more passive hazard setters, it has good coverage, and it's pretty much the only viable user of Teleport, which is an amazing move. I've been using Tailwind Teleport sets a lot in other tiers, and I've seen Screens and Future Sight Teleport sets used well also.

I suspect the boost to Multi-attack will make Silvally a surprisingly decent pick, especially with base 95 Speed being quite good in this meta. There's not a lot that's going to like taking +2 Multi-attack, even if its physical coverage is a bit minimal.
 
Hey guys, let's not ignore who (based on usage as well) will most likely be the king of RU. Dhelmise

Dhelmise

Dhelmise @ Choice Band
Ability: Steelworker
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Anchor Shot
- Liquidation
- Power Whip
- Switcheroo / Earthquake / Shadow Claw / Phantom Force / Rock Slide​

Dhelmise (A Grass / Ghost type Pokemon) somehow got access to the coveted Water type Physical move - Liquidation. With a base Attack stat of 131, a Choice Band, and under rain, this hits like an absolute truck. Steelworker essentially gives Anchor Shot (a base 80 power trapping move) STAB, while also preventing double switching tactics and allowing you to regain momentum from an opponent's switch-in. STAB Power Whip also handles numerous would-be switch ins. The last moveslot is mostly filler depending on the specific coverage needs of your team, tailor it to how you need it. Unless you feel like running Switcheroo to get rid of your Choice Band.

Dhelmise also has access to a few new tools not mentioned in this set, and also buffed tools as well. Dhelmise has access to the newly buffed Rapid Spin to take care of hazards and speed creep certain bulky mons with the +1 boost. Along with this, Dhelmise has access to both Swords Dance (for a boosting set under Trick Room), and Switcheroo for tricking an item onto a specific Pokemon. So why would you use Dhelmise right now? Here's the tl;dr simplified version.

  • Access to new tools such as Liquidation, Switcheroo, and a buffed Rapid Spin
  • Pursuit is no longer in the game, and Knock Off has vastly lowered distribution
  • 70 / 100 / 90 Bulk along with 131 Base Attack is much more impressive in this regional metagame, many of the options used to handle it were nuked with Dexit
  • Access to a third STAB with a high powered trapping move is absolutely critical in this fast paced metagame
I have success with this thing in OU and UU. In RU it's going to be bonkers.
 

earl

(EVIOLITE COMPATIBLE)
is a Community Contributor
:drifblim:
Drifblim @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Aftermath
EVs: 252 Def / 120 SpD / 136 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Defog
- Will-O-Wisp
- Hex
- Strength Sap

This thing is so good as a defogger in our defog-starved meta, checks Bewear, non-banded Pangoro, Machamp, most fightings that aren't Passimian really (and even then that monkey fears the burn). Also blanket checks most physical attackers akin to how Vileplume does. Beats most of our rockers easily too. EVs have no HP investment because less HP=More Sap heal, speed is to outspeed Arctovish and adamant Bewear.

This thing is just fantastic, my team with it has gone like 11-0 with it and I've peaked the virgin ladder, try it out
 

Feliburn

is a Community Leaderis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Top Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
RU Leader
Been laddering for a while so some opinions:


Honestly thanks to the boots, Salazzle feels kinda nice in the current meta despite Jellicent being in the tier now. I've been using NP, STABs and Toxic but you can probably get away with using Knock Off over NP since Salazzle doesn't really get too many chances to set up due to the fat waters that check it, and you don't really have Z Moves anymore to get past them. Honestly one of the best mons to use for certain speed control imo.


Yo Steelix has been hella fire so far. I've been experimenting w/ so many sets, including: Curse, SR, EQ and Body Press, I started using this set to completely get past CurseLax since you curse up alongside it and beat it with Body Press, however I've found myself cursing up along so many mons and beating them, including the already mentioned Dhelmise and the such, p fun. Another one I've been using is SR + 3 attacks (EQ, Heavy Slam and Head Smash). Rock Head makes it so you don't take recoil from Head Smash and with it you can get rid of mons like broken ass Sigilyph and Mantine.


Idk how to feel about this one, cause like yeah there are way more ghost types and they are more relevant but at the same time, lax got darkest lariat so it threatens them most of the time, but even then I still dont find Snorlax that threatening. Maybe I'm like too overprepped for it (I rlly only use lix to check it) but from other games I've seen it struggles to be as annoying as it was the previous gens. I personally believe lax has the potential to be a top tier threat but so far it's been awkward while performing.


I feel like Jelli is currently struggling between trying to fit Wisp, Hex and Taunt in the same moveslot while keeping Scald and Recover. It's really good tho, forces so many switches and handles a big part of the tier. I've seen ppl using Strength Sap but idk the purpose of using it when you get more utility from the other moves.


Other key mentions: Webs and screens are everywhere jfc


Rose is lookin better now that the tier is formed, does really good as a Spikes + Sleep Powder user in general.

That's p much it so far, meta is honestly really really fun and better now without Gardevoir.
 

TTK

Narmaya. That's it.
is a Community Contributor
Hello people! SS RU is p fun rn imo. There's a lot of mons to use and experiment with so I thought I'd share some of the mons I've had fun testing with and share my opinions on them.

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Dhelmise

I can see Dhelmise being a solid mon as the metagame continues to develop. With the Rapid Spin buffs and lack of defoggers, Dhelmise is one of the viable spinners and potentially one of the best this tier has. Not only is it a spinner, it can stop opposing spinners and with its high damage output, it can be a really threatening wallbreaker.
Dhelmise @ Assault Vest
Ability: Steelworker
EVs: 172 HP / 252 Atk / 84 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Anchor Shot
- Power Whip
- Earthquake

AV Dhelmise is a cool set utilising Dhelmise's good natural bulk in order to take on some of the tier's special attackers like Mr Rime, Roserade and Vikavolt. 84 Speed lets you outrun base 50s and stuff slightly below that like Piloswine and Rhydon and beat them down with Power Whip. Max attack to just hurt things badly and the rest in HP to increase bulk. Lefties is probably another item people are gonna run but I'm really liking AV atm.

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Butterfree aka New Vivillon

Butterfree was blessed this gen with Hurricane, giving it the role of the new Vivillon, which didn't make it thanks to Dexit. We all know how Vivillon worked; Compound Eyes Sleep powder into QD hurricane. Now there's a difference here. Heavy-Duty Boots exist now which nullify Butterfree's Stealth Rock weakness, making it a much more reliable sweeper. Being the only viable Quiver Dance user (Bell isn't gonna be viable in RU imo), I believe Butterfree is going to have an amazing niche as the tier goes forward. Compound Eyes is the ability of choice but if you really want to make this mon high risk, high reward, then go Tinted Lens, which enables it to break through steels much easier after boosts.

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Escavalier

Following the Bug-type trend, Escavalier is another slow wallbreaker and is relatively bulky enough to tank hits and hit back even harder, base 135 attack is no joke and this mon can definitely run SD sets or even Assault Vest sets and do work. Escavalier also appreciates the lack of fires in the tier (there's really only Ninetales, Salazzle and Torkoal and none of them bar Torkoal wants to switch in to Knock/Drill Run) and it does a good job at checking mons like Rhydon, which is getting some usage.
Escavalier @ Leftovers
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Megahorn
- Iron Head
- Knock Off

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Boltund

I thought Boltund would be slightly average thanks to its average 90 base attack but Strong Jaw alongside coverage with Fire Fang, Psychic Fangs and Crunch in addition to that amazing speed tier make Boltund a good offensive mon. It can get the jump on pretty much the whole unboosted metagame outside of Ninjask and Accelgor (Jolteon is unmon) and who doesn't appreciate a spammable Electric STAB that is near 100 bp and doesn't give recoil and also has the chance to paralyse and or flinch? Crunch deals with Ghost and Psychic types, Psychic Fangs beats the fightings running around and Fire Fang ohkos the likes of Escavalier and gets Grass types like Eldegoss.
Boltund @ Life Orb
Ability: Strong Jaw
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Thunder Fang
- Fire Fang
- Crunch
- Psychic Fangs

Thanks for reading all. Can't wait to see how this tier is going to develop. It's been a lot of fun!
 

Dumb Sir

Banned deucer.
I might start playing RU this gen, ngl this tier has a lot of potential, especially compared to the offense dumpster fire that is UU rn. Here are just some of my thoughts on some of the mons of this tier I've been playing around with and seeing.

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The Ground Types: These mons are fire rn, packing sr in the currently hazard removal starved meta, mixed bulk to take on most of the offensive threats of the tier, and their own unique sets of tricks. Steelix in particular is super fire, being able to tank any hit as well as packing Taunt, Dragon Tail, and Body Press as options to annoy the enemy team. Rune is also lowkey a threat, being able to pretty much halt any fighting type with it ghost typing, Wandering Spirit + Will-O to burn through Guts, and Memento. Lastly, Muds gets a special mention for being the tankiest pos alive with Stamina + Body Press + Rest. Protect is also a fantastic option for these mons in order to completely stuff the plethora of choice locked mons and take greater advantage of Lefties.

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Sun. This archetype as a whole is looking really solid. Torkoal is bulky af, packing both Stealth Rock and the ever coveted Rapid Spin, Lava Plume to fish for burns, and Yawn/Clear Smog to beat set up. Ninetails can really do a lot, it can run Scarf to function as a revenge killer, Specs to nuke even resists, and even a Heavy Duty Boots set with Encore, Disable, Will-O, or even Nasty Plot. Vileplume is absolutely vile, patching up its subpar speed with Chlorophyll, its average SpA with Growth, unleashing an unholy barrage from its Boosted STABS. Shiftry is a potent mixed attacker that can threaten even the mighty Sigilyph (though mind the Heat Wave) and packed Defog for additional Utility. Maractus and Cherim I don't really see being too useful, but unlike Vileplume, they pack Weather Ball and in Maractus' case, Spikes.

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Salazzle. Honestly, this thing is disgusting. Losing Hidden Power and Z-Moves kinda blows, but with Heavy Duty Boots, a resistance to fighting, Nasty Plot, and 366 Speed, this mon can becoming a snow balling monster very quickly and safely. Even better yet imo is Sub + Disable, which coupled with Corrosion and the lack of things that would enjoy being Badly Poisoned (save maybe Sigilyph, Machamp/Gurdurr?, etc.) makes this set an actual menace.

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Miscellaneous Meta Staples. People have already beat this topic to death, so I'm not going to elaborate further individually. These are what I think will be the defining mons of the meta, though Sigilyph and some Silvally forms (Steel, Fairy, Ground?) might be broken.

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Underrated Threats. LO/AV Goodra has every move to hit its resists. Rillaboom does insane levels of damage with Banded Wood Hammer and Knock Off/U-Turn. Golurk is like Rune but with coverage and 100% accurate Dynamic Punch. Sableye is the most heinous support mon of all time. First Impression Eviolite Trapinch + Teleport Xatu is an insane combo that I'm gonna abuse until Arena Trap is banned. Don't sleep RU.

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Jolteon. It is a beyond terrible Pokémon. Do not use it.
 

atomicllamas

but then what's left of me?
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Top Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
What makes Jolteon so bad in this tier? Sounds like he should be good on paper, what am I missing?
Without hidden power Jolteon’s special coverage consists of Electric / Ghost / Normal. The Ghost and Normal moves are relatively low bp too, meaning they won’t do much to anything that isn’t hit super effectively by them (so the normal coverage is useless). Because of this Jolteon is a free switch in for basically every ground type, and the majority of electric resists in the tier. Aside from being marginally faster than Heliolisk or Galvantula it’s generally outclassed by both of them, as Heliolisk has a 2nd STAB and Surf to deter ground types from coming in, while dry skin provides it with more defensive utility (free switch in to bulky waters is extremely useful for electrics), and Galvantula also has a second STAB and energy ball, while providing offensive utility with Sticky Web (which can also be used to mitigate the speed differences between it and Jolteon). Galvantula can also get away with running Thunder thanks to compound eyes making it the strongest of the three in spite of the fact it has the lowest SpA. To some extent jolteon has always been kind of a newb trap in RU (gen 6 and 7), because it’s fast and cute and an eeveelution, but Gamefreak removing hidden power, the changes to bp clause, and heal bell no longer being in the game have really removed every niche jolteon could dream of having. Jolteon went from a viable (but overused) niche pick to literal garbage due to the nerfs it’s received.

Edit @ below: I missed that helio stayed UU (was used to pre alpha), thanks for pointing that out .-.
 
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Jolteon just suffers from the fact that the only set it could run viably is a raindance, thunder, weatherball, shadowball set with max speed and special attack, but it needs to live a hit in order to set up its rain so it probably could hold a focus sash, but almost every other pokemon is better than it especially with the fact that weather ball can be ruined by a torkoal switch
 

Yung Dramps

awesome gaming
Without hidden power Jolteon’s special coverage consists of Electric / Ghost / Normal. The Ghost and Normal moves are relatively low bp too, meaning they won’t do much to anything that isn’t hit super effectively by them (so the normal coverage is useless). Because of this Jolteon is a free switch in for basically every ground type, and the majority of electric resists in the tier. Aside from being marginally faster than Heliolisk or Galvantula it’s generally outclassed by both of them, as Heliolisk has a 2nd STAB and Surf to deter ground types from coming in, while dry skin provides it with more defensive utility (free switch in to bulky waters is extremely useful for electrics), and Galvantula also has a second STAB and energy ball, while providing offensive utility with Sticky Web (which can also be used to mitigate the speed differences between it and Jolteon). Galvantula can also get away with running Thunder thanks to compound eyes making it the strongest of the three in spite of the fact it has the lowest SpA. To some extent jolteon has always been kind of a newb trap in RU (gen 6 and 7), because it’s fast and cute and an eeveelution, but Gamefreak removing hidden power, the changes to bp clause, and heal bell no longer being in the game have really removed every niche jolteon could dream of having. Jolteon went from a viable (but overused) niche pick to literal garbage due to the nerfs it’s received.
Just a quick correction: Heliolisk is UU, so Jolteon doesn't really have to compete with it in all fairness. Everything else you've said is still valid
 
I played quite a few RU matches now, with a decent amount of teams. I ended up trying some odd memes on an alt and it came to me that Noctowl got Nasty Plot this gen. So i slapped on Noctowl and it ended up being a damn demon at +2 with Hurricane and Hyper Voice stabs. Literally obliterating all of its resistances due to tinted lens. Not saying it is the most viable thing out there cause it's pretty slow at base 70 but it's funny to catch people off guard with this dumb mon.

This is the set i used.

Noctowl @ Life Orb
Ability: Tinted Lens
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Hurricane
- Hyper Voice/Heat Wave
- Hypnosis

You could probably trade life orb for heavy duty boots if you really wanted to, but Life Orb helps pick up some cool KOs. Heat Wave deals more damage to steel types that want to switch in. Hypnosis when it hits allows for a free nasty plot. Could probably pair this with webs to outspeed other mons and just click hurricane and kill it.

+2 252 SpA Life Orb Tinted Lens Noctowl Hurricane vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Gigalith in Sand: 195-231 (52.1 - 61.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
+2 252 SpA Life Orb Tinted Lens Noctowl Hurricane vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Eviolite Rhydon: 439-517 (124.7 - 146.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
(Kinda kills most of the stuff that wants to switch in)
 

Mavis

Banned deucer.
Dear anyone who's stumbled into ladder and lost to this: I'm sorry for accidentally starting a ladder trend last night while I was fucking around in the builder. I wasn't like drunk or anything, promise, but thought "what if it's Venusaur... but... Vileplume." And so my Vileplume Sun team was born.


A sun-setter approach with a defensive set adapted from BW, I ran Encore and Will-o-Wisp on this Ninetales set. Why Encore? See these replays:

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ru-1039796197
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ru-1039811196

I didn't want an all-out approach to this Ninetales, rather a supporting, defensive set that capitalized on Ninetales' ability to shut down status Pokemon like Aromatisse and Vaporeon to give Vileplume ample turns for free setup.


A physically defensive set on this Torkoal is what I decided to use, with Lava Plume, Stealth Rock, and Rapid Spin being great tools to have. Alternative options for the fourth slot include Body Press to really nail Barbaracle and Gigalith, SolarBeam to also fuck over Barbaracle but even moreso, and Will-o-Wisp for physical attackers.


And last but not least in my little showcase, the Unholy Queen herself. After a single growth, essentially the entire tier folds to +2 STABs, with the most bulky widely used resist, Silvally-Steel, taking an average of 65 from SolarBeam. This is a sun team, no way in hell Escav is a relevant threat in warding off sun. A secondary non-sun-dependent Grass move can be used to shit on Gigalith.

I love using sun right now, honestly it feels so rewarding with little risk and the potential for massive reward. Trapinch is worth noting for it's ability to safely dispose of Gigalith without hassle, while Xatu and Shiftry make for additional support and sweeping. Please give sun a shot, I feel like Chlorophyll Vileplume right now is utterly insane without Venusaur to outclass it.
 

Celever

i am town
is a Community Contributor
Wanted to drop my thoughts on some first impressions.

:silvally:
Silvally-Dark @ Dark Memory
Ability: RKS System
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Multi-Attack
- U-turn
- Iron Head

So far Silvally has been fairly neglected in SwSh because it lost Defog and its stats aren't good enough to play in OU or UU. However, I noticed that RU this gen both has very limited options for viable Dark-Types, and also that based on what's popular right now, the Dark-Type should be really good. And with my ladder play so far, this has panned out: Silvally-Dark is a standard setup sweeper but its typing and coverage is excellent. Dark/Steel is perfect coverage, and with Silvally-Dark's speed tier it's worth keeping U-Turn to hit a switch in hard after a Swords Dance. With Multi-Attack's boost in power and the tier's relative lack of bulky Dark-Type resists, this thing is amazing at cleaning late-game. RU has a bevy of fast or bulky Fighting-Type Pokémon that put a stop to this mon, but every team needs answers to those mons anyway, and in spite of that downside I think Silvally-Dark could end up being an enduring and respected threat.

:snorlax:
Snorlax @ Leftovers
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Curse
- Double-Edge
- Rest
- Sleep Talk

Curselax is as good as ever, if not better than before. Given the power decline (what's the opposite of power creep?) Snorlax can handle hits from most mons in the tier easily which helps it set up, and it can snowball quickly. The Recycle set still exists and Snorlax received access to Darkest Lariat to hit Ghost-Type Pokémon hard, but the HP healing berries were nerfed so ResTalk likely wins as its best set despite necessitating team support to remove Ghost-Type Pokémon. The loss of Pursuit from the game hurts it, but it doesn't break it.

:boltund:
Boltund @ Choice Band
Ability: Strong Jaw
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Thunder Fang
- Psychic Fangs
- Crunch
- Fire Fang

This is a serious wallbreaker and shouldn't be underestimated. From what I've seen its standard sets are Life Orb or Choice Scarf, but Choice Band is extremely effective and is something that people should certainly be trying out. Not having Ice Fang is annoying (and dumb), but Runerigus and Steelix being the most prevalent Ground-Types right now is great for Boltund since it 2HKOs Runerigus with Crunch, and 3HKOs Steelix with Fire Fang which is still OK given Steelix's lack of reliable recovery. Thunder Fang being boosted by Strong Jaw makes it a stronger Wild Charge that maintains longevity, and will certainly make it a premier Electric-Type in this tier as times progress.
 

Cheryl.

Celesteela is Life
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Scrafty @ Chople Berry / Life Orb
Ability: Moxie / Shed Skin
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Close Combat
- Crunch
- Zen Headbutt / Drain Punch

Scrafty has been flown under the radar for a while now, but I think this mon is genuinely pretty good in this meta as a sweeper. I initially chose to build with it because it's actually a weirdly nice check to the popular Psyshock/Heat Wave/EBall Sigilyph sets running around since Heat Wave doesn't do too much which allows Scrafty to set up a DDance and become a menace. Dark/Fighting is a great offensive typing as always and it isn't as pressured by Fairies in this meta as in the past because Gardevoir is gone and all the other Fairy-types (Silvally-Fairy, Rapidash-G, Alcremie) aren't super common at the moment. I really like Moxie because even at +1 Scrafty isn't the strongest thing ever so it's really nice to be able to snowball with it late-game to ensure a win. However if you really want to avoid the unfortunate Scald burn or random TWave Galvantula on low ladder, Shed Skin is a good option. Scrafty is also pretty versatile in what item it can pick depending on your team. I personally find Chople Berry to be the best overall pick since it lets Scrafty beat Scarf Passimian, a common revenge killing option against Scrafty, and also lets it survive stuff like Bewear's Close Combat and threaten an OHKO back.

+1 252 Atk Scrafty Close Combat vs. -1 0 HP / 4 Def Fluffy Bewear: 410-486 (107.6 - 127.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO

If you're feeling sufficient against Fighting-types though then I'd recommend Life Orb because Scrafty's main flaw outside of it's crappy Speed stat is that without hazard support it often sucks at landing crucial KOs even at +1 Attack. With Life Orb Scrafty is a different beast with these calcs.

+1 252 Atk Life Orb Scrafty Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Fluffy Bewear: 354-421 (92.9 - 110.4%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock (screw the Defense drop!)
+1 252 Atk Life Orb Scrafty Crunch vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Salazzle: 298-351 (107.5 - 126.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO (relevant if you don't run Zen Headbutt)
+1 252 Atk Life Orb Scrafty Crunch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Roserade: 282-333 (108 - 127.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO

with LO I would prefer running Drain Punch because it isn't weak as shit with the LO boost and helps Scrafty's longevity overall. Without LO, Zen Headbutt is the best coverage option imo for landing crucial OHKOs at +1 against Poison-types like Salazzle and Roserade, while also hitting Garbodor and Vileplume super effectively.

So yeah, Scrafty is a pretty underrated sweeper at the moment in my opinion that can really mess up teams if they're not prepared for it. I've had a lot of fun using it with Spikes support as they help wear it's checks down and help it with securing KOs. It's also a fantastic option on Aurora Veil teams as Veil support allows Scrafty to abuse it's good bulk and gain multiple boosts to become an unstoppable monster lmao.

EDIT: totally forgot to mention Bulk Up + Shed Skin but that set is also pretty great setting up against passive stuff like Gigalith and Curselax and is generally a pretty good fat wincon.
 
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after a good bit of testing the following pokemon/playstyles jumped out to me;

:galvantula: Galvantula is an absolute monster boasting some of the best offense in the tier and one of the highest speed tiers ontop of having 2 dangerous sets in LO 3 attack w webs and specs voltswitch. Both these sets only need to watch out for faster pokemon like scarf passimian, or other faster/choice scarf boosted users while on the defensive side only Gigalith, spD vileplume and Snorlax could come into this. While in no way broke it's just clear to be the best fast special attacker.

:passimian: :bewear: :pangoro: Fighting types are abundant this gen and force a solid amount of checks and counters to be on your team to consistently deal with. Especially Passimian is taking up a pivot role simalar to what it had in last gen's NU where scarf passimian could afford comming into a large number of physical attackers and turn the game around because of it's sheer offensive potential to than pressure with. Bewear/pangoro both buffed this gen around and they both pack the typical wallbreaking punch. I did assume machamp to do the same but I haven't seen a single one of those yet.

:vileplume: :jellicent: Vileplume/Jellicent both have their pro's and con's but both can provide a near unavoidable wall to fight, ground and rock types down to needing a sap sipper mon or Xatu to prevent their recovery. Goodra for example is quite usefull for that, I even see a trend of people blindly trusting it to be a special variant to where a choice band variant could have won the game on the spot with a good prediction with EQ/Power Whip vs for example gigalith(both do over 58% to avoid protect leftover survival).

:slurpuff: :aromatisse: :alcremie: The fat fairy types Slurpuff, Aromatisse and alcremie each have their suposed pros and cons but I prefer slurpuff over all the other ones simply because of flamethrower and having actual bulk that can afford to come into attacks, unlike alcremie. Seriously expected more of alcremie but it's just bad. Aromatisse provides better bulk and hits noticably harder than slurpuff but allowing in roserade, vileplume and steel types like escavalier/ferroseed is a pain. Worst of all is that all of these have issues stopping gigalith/snorlax from comming in for ~free, one of the best ways is to pair it with t-spikes of your own and force decent damage upon one of the grass/poison types comming in.

:xatu: :sigilyph: :mr. rime: These Psychic types boast some of the most notable offensive and defensive pressences with Sigilyph being near impossible to switch in to the same level as Galvantula. Xatu provides a bouncer that can't consistently come into Rock Blast Gigalith, Rhydon or Spikes Roserade, but hey it can stop about anything else including Ferroseed for free. I did mention Indeedee but I never ran into one. Mr. Rime is consisent in it's support being able to come into some notable special attacking pokemon and hit them decently hard. I want to say it comes into vanilluxe but that demolishes it with specs flash cannon.

:Vanilluxe: Vanilluxe or more precisely Aurora Veil is the last thing I wanted to mention as it's the most obvious of the "what is good right now" things. Vanilluxe on it's own is one of the best special attacking wallbreakers only stopped by thicc Snorlax and Gigalith. Aurora Veil augments this to far greater extends as it can just put screens and explode/flashcannon the mr rime to avoid removal. After vanilluxe did it's work you can just send in Barbaracle, Bewear or other typical set up pokemon that abuse the big defense provided. Lastly just a fat wallbreaker like CB Pangoro can also just plow with Veil up.

There's other stuff I could post like Rhydon being a top rocker, Roserade another top top threat, Sun being better than assumed with Vileplumes basically fantastic stats across the board when chloro boosted etc.
 

Katy

Banned deucer.
Hello,

since RU is now out I wanna give my thoughts on some ideas I have for different Pokémon. I think these sets might work well at the moment and they can act like a great support for different archetypes of teams from bulky onwords to more agressive / offensive playstyles.

:sm/Garbodor:
Garbodor @ Black Sludge
Ability: Aftermath
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Toxic Spikes / Toxic
- Spikes
- Gunk Shot
- Haze / Rock Blast / Pain-Split / Drain Punch

Offensive Garbodor can work really well as a reliable and decently fast Hazard-Setter. It can set both Toxic Spikes AND Spikes and it is also one of the most reliable Status spreaders with Toxic in its movepool with hitting it 100% accuracy.
Gunk Short is an offensive move which catches alot of RU-Threats for at least neutral, the last Slot can be optimized for what you need for your team:
-Haze can reset status this its able to help against the multitudes of grass-types
-Rock Blast can hit mons like Xatu and Ninetales and Torkoal for super effective damage and pressures these pkmn so they can't set-up on Garbodor or use it as a Magic Bounce victim
-Pain-Split gives alongside Black Sludge a secondary reliable recovery option whereas
- Drain Punch acts like a damaging recovery option, which hits rocks and steels for super effective damage.

I think this set can work pretty well as a Hazard-Stacking Suicide Lead and its coverage allows it to pressure different types of Pokémon right now.

250px-864Cursola.png
Cursola @ Leftovers

Ability: Perish Body
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Will-O-Wisp
- Strength Sap
- Hex
- Stealth Rock / Destiny-Bond

Specially defensive Cursola is a really nice mon which can act as a WoW + Strength Sap crippler and with Hex it can pressure a lot of
mons which are statused already via Paralysis, Burn or Poison.
Destiny Bond might act well as the last slot to make sure an enemy pkmn is removed from the battle-field.

:sm/Mantine:
Mantine @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Roost
- Haze / Air Slash
- Defog

Because Fire-Types are huge at RU again I think Mantine can really act as a reliable Defogger with Recovery. It can help against the likes of Ninetales, Salazzle and Torkoal and can safely Defog on them while pressuring Salazzle for decent damage even with almost no invest in its SPAttack. Mantine can pressure plenty of grass-types, which act as Sun-Sweepers too with Air Slash to spread necessary damage on these offensive threats.

:sm/Ninetales:
Ninetales @ Choice Specs
Ability: Drought
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Overheat
- Flamethrower
- Solar Beam
- Psyshock / Will-O-Wisp

or

Ninetales @ Heat Rock / Charcoal / Heavy-Duty-Boots
Ability: Drought
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Fire Blast
- Solar Beam
- Psyshock / Will-O-Wisp / Encore / Disable / Memento


1. Set acts like a standalone Wallbreaker, the last slot in its movepool is switchable with other coverage moves or maybe even Will-O-Wisp.
2. Set acts like a supportive version of Ninetales and with access to moves like memento it can give its teammates opportunities to set-up more safely.
WoW, Encore or Disable can give free set-up opportunities as well and Ninetales itself is pretty strong already. Heat Rock can be used here if you really wanna have the longevity of your sun, meanwhile Charcoal gives a boost on its Fire Blast without taking Life Orb recoil.
 
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i havent really consistently played ru since like gen 5 (or my short stint in like xy) but despite the entire dex getting thanos-snapped, i wanted to try the tier again, since i've been fairly happy with how the gen has fared in ou so far. while im garbage, the team i'd like to share i think covers a nice portion of whats good with a defensive backbone of gigalith vileplume and gastrodon, while still having a nice offensive presence between lo 3 atk sigilyph and scarf passimian. the main problem i have with this metagame is the lack of hazard removal there is. there's still some decent ones but the lack of variety really restricts building which can be a pain. however, im actually becoming a fan of mr. rime the more i use it. heavy duty boots is a great item for a spinner, and it has access to slack off for reliable recovery. one thing i have considered is making mr. rime offensive, increasing its damage output and being able to pressure mons and in theory giving it more opportunities to spin if i can overwhelm some teams with sigilyph and passimian. silvally-ghost is a threat to this team but could be played around a bit with chip dmg and faster offensive threats. i once tried to fit silvally-dark over gastrodon but got swept by barbaracle the next game (niggas using lum berry) so switched back. another thing with this team is facing sun is extremely difficult as gigalith's lack of sustain out of scavenging free leftovers turns with protect can easily be overwhelmed by sun team's offensive pressure. i honestly think sun is pretty broken but yeah.

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I haven't really seen anyone talk about this Pokemon recently, and I feel like I should bring it too attention

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Appletun @ Leftovers
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpDef
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Apple Acid
- Leech Seed
- Recover
-Dragon Pulse / Draco Meteor / Earthquake / Body Slam / Body Press

This thing has several things going for it. Firstly, its typing is very solid defensively, giving it resistances to things like Electric, Water, and Ground. It's ability Thick Fat also lets it resist Fire-type attacks and helps alleviate its weakness to Ice. These qualities make it an amazing check to sun teams, easily beating the setters one-on-one and checking some of the sun sweepers in the tier. Secondly, it can easily force switches because it just refuses to die half the time. If your opponent decides to stay in, you can easily wear them down through the combo of Leech Seed and Apple Acid lowering their SpDef over time. It also isn't too passive; a base 100 Special Attack stat isn't too shabby in this metagame, and it can easily wear down foes or at least make them think twice about staying in.

I think Apple Acid, Leech Seed, and Recover are a must on any Appletun set. Apple Acid can force switches, Recover provides you with longevity, and Leech Seed can give you even more recovery while also wearing down the opponent and potentially supporting your team. The fourth move is up to whatever your team needs. I've been running Dragon Pulse since I want a harder hit on the sun sweepers without being forced out, although Draco Meteor trades this staying power for even more damage. Earthquake could also be used to hit Fire-types, or Body Slam could be used to spread paralysis. A Physical defensive set could also work, notably allowing you to better handle Shiftry. In this case, Body Press could also be used in the fourth slot.

In summary, this goofy-looking apple dinosaur can and will mess up your day if you aren't prepared.
 
The meta has been pretty fun so far imo and I have alot to talk about here.

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Top meta staples?

These mons are what I feel might define the meta granted if they don’t rise to UU or get banned. Boltund 2HKOs/OHKOs anything that isn’t a ground type and is incredibly fast for the tier. Bewear obliterates anything that isn’t Sableye and can check the likes of Boltund, Lix, and the SD Silvallys besides Fairy. Vaporeon is one of the best walls rn and a phenomenal cleric. Sigilyph is fast for the tier and can shred teams rather easily. Rade is the best spike setter in the tier hands down. Lix is the best rocker in the tier imo and an amazing defensive behemoth.

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More potential staples

Sub-Toxic Salazzle is a pest to deal with. Jelly is a good stallbreaker against stuff like Lix and Vaporeon. Dhelmise is a solid spinner and spinblocker with alot of offensive potential. Goodra is a great breaker and Special sponge. I’ve seen alot of Band/Scarf Rillaboom but Taunt + SD is very promising. It keeps bits of its dmg output but also gives it some offensive utility. Gigalith is a great rocker and my usual answer to Sigilyph and Vanilluxe, speaking of which. Vanilluxe is very scary to deal with and is the best Veil setter rn. Vileplume is a solid defensive backbone and functions well in Sun too.

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Anti-meta

Toxicroak sets up on Vaporeon and blasts Sigilyph and Salazzle with Sucker Punch and is an underrated pick. Vullaby can defog on Roserade and could serve as a Sigilyph answer. Manectric is also underrated and way better than whatever trash Jolteon is supposed to be. Electric/Fire coverage is fantastic, add Switcheroo and its a solid specs/scarf user. Drifblim has access to the rare Defog and is one of the safest answers to Bewear. Piloswine can pose a high offensive presence and set rocks. Lass is a great HO lead and beats alot of hazard removers. Sableye might look like a Stall Staple. It’s one of the only mons that can switch into Bewear safely and check Sigilyph.

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Sun is busted

Solar Blade was a blessing to alot of sun abusers. Sun is an absolute pain to deal with this time around with a lot of strong abusers including Vileplume and having two sun setters at the same time. Thank god we don’t have Zard and Venusaur in RU


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Honorable Mentions

This is gonna be rather long. Garbodor might have a niche over toxic spikes thanks to its decent bulk and Explosion letting it keep hazards.

Cursola hits like a truck and provides rocks.

Escavalier appreciates the lack of HP Fire and might find more play once the meta settles.

Mime and Rime are solid scarfers and pose a solid offensive presence with varying strengths over each other.

Eiscue might actually be good in this tier considering the power level. We all know what it does and it might be able to pull it off.

Rotom has nice utility in WoW, Volt Switch, Trick, and its useful typing.

Indeedee has competition with Sigilyph but is bulkier and may even provide more utility thanks to having screens and Healing Wish.

Galvantula is the best sticky web setter in the tier. Nothing else to add.

Xatu helps alot in a tier with little hazard removes by pulling a “no u” on a handful of hazard setters.

Fighting types are very strong in this meta, notably Passimian due to being able to provide teams with U-Turn.

Aromatisse has access to the rare combo of Wish and a status healing move. Its Vaporeon but Fairy.

Hanna Barbaracle is as strong as it was in RU. Its Shell Smash set hasn’t really changed.

Lax is a decent wincon and will only get better as the meta settles down.

Rhydon does the same thing as Rhyperior did last gen.

Whimsicott has a large utility belt and an amazing speed tier for RU standards.

Qwilfish is a solid lead with its combination fo Taunt, Destiny Bond, and both Spikes and TSpikes.

Unicorn Rapidash has a fantastic offensive typing and good speed tier.

Can’t wait to see how the meta develops with a different pool of mons.
 

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Hogg

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Been having fun with the meta so far, even if it’s still a bit unstable. I suspect some of the cheesier strats will settle down after a week or two as people get used to playing around them (though I’m sure things like Veil and sun will still stay decent even if they calm down a bit). Once you look past the webs and Veil spam there are a lot of really cool teams at the moment, and definitely still a lot more to explore (things I plan to try out in the near future include Goodra, offensive Groundvally, Arctovish, Frosttom and Accelgor).

Currently #3 on the ladder with a BO team I threw together. Nothing too fancy but it has been doing well for me as long as I avoid Barbaracle (click for import):

:sigilyph: :roserade: :silvally-ghost: :mudsdale: :passimian: :snorlax:

Pretty straightforward, focuses on breaking down teams with Ghostvally and offensive Rose/Sigi plus tspikes, with Scarf Passim to clean up and MudsLax to cover things defensively.

Ghostvally has been absolutely fantastic. It spinblocks, provides a ton of offensive pressure (seriously, almost nothing likes coming in on a base 120 STAB ghost move) and can break surprisingly well with SD. Psychic Fangs are just there so you have something to do versus Normal types, and so you can bust screens/veil if necessary.

Rose and Sigilyph provide a ton of offensive pressure between them. I decided against running setup set on Sigi, preferring the coverage of Roost + 3 attacks. Rose similarly went with a three attacks set. Extrasensory has been particularly clutch, nailing things that typically have safe switchins such as Salazzle. Toxic Spikes are incredible right now with Defog’s limited distribution and most spinners struggling versus Ghostvally, and also further serves to lure in things like Salazzle to get bopped with a surprise Extrasensory.

Toyed with some different bulky rock setters a bit but every time came back to Mudsdale. Stamina is great and Body Press was an excellent addition to its movepool. I wish I could run tect instead of Rock Slide but even with Snorlax I hate inviting Xatu and Sigilyph in for free.

I’d originally had a Curse set on Snorlax, but the meta was just a bit too fast-paced to allow a couple of free turns while resting. I contemplated a tect 3 attacks set BW UU-style but ended up settling on two attacks resttalk, which has been working out really well. EVs ensure you 2HKO Ghostvally after rocks and always live +2 Liquidation from Barb after rocks, with the rest in SDef for Sigilyph and sun sweepers and Vanilluxe and assorted other goons.

Passim is Passim and does what it’s always done. Knock is pretty nice.

No removal but honestly the team doesn’t care much about webs or rocks and Rose absorbs tspikes, so it hasn’t bugged me much. Spikes can get a bit annoying but it’s not too bad.

The team has been really consistent as long as you don’t run into Barbaracle, at which point lol hope you get lucky and Body Slam para because otherwise it’s going to sweep you. I should probably do something about that. Probably going to try some other stuff out for a bit but figured I'd drop this team here in the meantime in case anyone wants to give it a shot.
 
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