Project The Top 5 CAP Titans of the Gen 8 CAP Metagame

[dex]

CAP Titans
shamelessly stolen from OU Titans
Approved by quziel
​

Gen 8 CAP has seen it’s fair sure of ups and downs. From the weirdness of the launch meta to the Clefable-less DLC 1 meta to the book-infested land we currently call home, CAP has been wild throughout all of Sword and Shield. Due to this, many CAPs saw their viability rise and fall dramatically between months, which was only exacerbated by CAP adding new Pokemon to the game twice a year, making this generation truly unique. With this in mind, ranking the top 5 CAPs of the generation is a monumental challenge!

In this thread, we are looking to talk about the most influential CAPs, not necessarily the best CAPs, from throughout the generation and its multiple metas.

From May 31 to June 14, we will be accepting nominations for the the top 5 CAP titans. After this, they will be voted upon via a 1-5 ranked vote. Of course, all the nominations will count as long as they're reasonable and fit the criteria. Please keep in mind that we're not ranking CAPs based on how good they are, but we're ranking CAPs based on how influential they've been. When nominating a CAP, consider their influence not just in the current Crown Tundra format, but in the Isle of Armor, Home, and Pre-Home metagames as well (if they were there, of course)!

Please use this format when nominating:

Format

Enter your nominee's sprite here.
:ss/pokemon: (or an image if it does not have a sprite yet)

What effect did this CAP have on the metagame?

Explain how the CAP effected the metagame as whole, and how the metagame adapted around it. A brief description of which CAP it countered and which CAP it did well against would be good here as well. Be sure to consider their impact in previous iterations of SS CAP as well if they weren't removed.

In what main roles was this CAP used?

Explain why this CAP was used on a team more often then most other CAPs, and what was it particularly used for? What made it so good at this role?

What caused it to have a significant impact?

What exactly made this CAP have such a large impact on the metagame? Was it its stats, ability, useful resistances, amazing synergy, or the ability to sweep most of the metagame very easily? Did a certain CAP cause it to become that much better when it was partnered with it?

How do/did you deal with this CAP?

What are the best checks/counters to this CAP? How does the metagame adapt to this CAP?

Example Submission

What effect did Fidgit have on the metagame?

Fidgit enabled Trick Room to a large degree, making the playstyle much more viable. Its general excellence as a utility option provided the archetype with an invaluable resource.

In what main roles was Fidgit used?

Fidgit was mainly used to set up Persistent Trick Room, lending itself nicely to those teams.

What caused it to have a significant impact?

Fidgit made snake do bad things to many people.

How do/did you deal with Fidgit in OU?

Bring Slowbro.

You're allowed to reserve nominations, but make sure to finish them in 24 hours, or they will be back up for grabs! Also, you can only reserve one nomination at a time. This is to make sure that your reservation gets done before you finish another. If you pick a CAP that has more than one form, be sure to clarify which it is.

 

[dex]

All Nominees:


Top 5 CAP Titans of the Generation 8 CAP Metagame:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

 

[Brown4Sides]

What effect did this CAP have on the metagame?

When it was first introduced at the time of the Isle of Armor, Astrolotl was dummy good. In fact, it was so polarizing that it had to be nerfed twice. Notably, it could just spam utility moves like Toxic and Knock Off without any consequences, and they turned the tables on its C&C. These two moves were eventually removed over the course of not one but two nerfs, alongside the removal of Trick, Explosion, and Wish. The combination of Heavy-Duty Boots and Regenerator also gave it very good longevity, which is still true today.

In what main roles was this CAP used?

Astrolotl currently has two primary sets, offensive utility like it was created for, but also Choice Scarf.

Offensive utility sets can not only provide hazard control but also status infliction, as Will-O-Wisp fucks up physically offensive switch-ins like Landorus-Therian. Fire Lash and Stomping Tantrum are the offensive moves of choice for this set, Fire Lash does a good job of wearing down opposing mons and Stomping Tantrum prevents it from being Heatran and Toxapex bait. Before the nerfs, it had several other options it could use for this set, such as Toxic, Knock Off, and Wish.

Alternatively, Astrolotl can run Choice Scarf to allow it to check mons like Weavile and Cawmodore. It forgoes Fire Lash for the stronger nuke Flare Blitz, and it now runs another strong nuke in Draco Meteor. The speedy arsenal of Fire/Dragon/Ground coverage is very good and makes quite the offensive threat. This set also provides Healing Wish support.

What caused it to have a significant impact?

Astrolotl's good offensive typing and variety of support options allowed it to find its way onto teams. It provides a Ferrothorn check, and can also provide Spikes support and hazard removal, making it a good utility option for offensive teams. Pre-nerfs, Knock Off and Toxic were even better support options that totally screwed with its C&C.

How do/did you deal with this CAP?

Honestly, before the nerfs, you didn't. Pretty much every switch-in hated Toxic, and Knock Off and Fire Lash fucked everything up too. Pretty much the only option was Toxapex, and even Toxapex hated certain sets such as those with Taunt. Everything else was worn down by the combination of Knock Off, Toxic, and Fire Lash. Tomohawk? Hates Toxic. Hydreigon? Also hates Toxic. Hippowdon? I think you see the pattern here. Kommo-o? Has no recovery, also hates Toxic and Spikes damage. Even removing Toxic proved to not be enough, as Knock Off + Fire Lash was also quite a pain to deal with.

Fortunately, Astrolotl has a more consistent C&C after its second nerf. Bulky Water types such as Slowbro and Arghonaut are very effective against it. Slowbro is immune to Spikes damage with HDB, is physically bulky, resists Fire Lash, and you can't cripple it with Knock Off or Toxic like you could earlier. Most of this is true for Arghonaut as well, except that it doesn't run Heavy-Duty Boots, meaning that can be worn down by Spikes, but is still an effective switch-in regardless. Air Balloon Heatran is problematic for standard utility sets, completely blocking Astrolotl's attacks, though if the balloon is popped Heatran isn't an issue. Offensive checks to utility sets include Dragapult, Stratagem, or if you wanna be like me, Choice Scarf Pajantom works too (though Choice Band is also effective against it).

Ironically, though it once terrorized the tier with Knock Off and Toxic, it hates taking those moves itself. After a Knock Off, it is weak to Stealth Rock, cutting down its longevity even with Regenerator, and it is why it can't switch into Ferrothorn as you might think. Toxic is also a pretty big detriment to its longevity, and makes it go down quicker.

 

[Da Pizza Man]

What effect did Venomicon-Epilogue have on the metagame?

Venomicon-Epilogue, despite being released only 6 months ago, has cemented itself as one of the most threatening sweepers in the whole metagame. When it was released, Venomicon-Epilogue quickly became the most threatening Pokemon in the entire tier thanks to its blistering fast speed and nearly unwallable attacks. This lead many players too believe that there wasn't enough counterplay readibly available, and that Venomicon-Epilogue was broken and needed to be nerfed into a more manageable state. After recieving a nerf in the form of losing access to Swords Dance and having a slight drop in its base Attack, Venomicon-Epilogue has become more manageable for players, but it remains a threat that must be considered when playing.

In what main roles was Venomicon-Epilogue used?

Venomicon-Epilogue is primarily used as a Set-Up Sweeper, using Swords Dance and/or Coil (The former being removed after said nerf) to boost its Attack. While Venomicon-Epilogue is primarily viewed as an offensive Pokemon for this reason, it has also found moderate success taking on more utility-based roles such as a Hazard Setter or an Offensive Pivot.

What caused it to have a significant impact?

The main factor that leads to Venomicon-Epilogue's success is its access to the ability Tinted Lens. Venomicon-Epilogue's ability to ignore single resistances meas that Brave Bird deals neutral damage against every single Pokemon in the tier bar Magnezone. While Tinted Lens alone is enough to make Brave Bird deal a large amount of damage to a variety of different Pokemon, its unique item, the Vile Vial, boosts the power of its Poison-Type and Flying-Type attacks even further, which is further compounded with its access to moves that can increase its already good Attack Stat. All of these factors mean that Venomicon-Epilogue is able to at least 2HKO that vast majority of Pokemon in the metagame, and thanks to its access to reliable recovery in the form of Roost, it is able to heal off the excessive recoil damage it takes from using Brave Bird. Other factors that contribute to Venomicon-Epilogue's success include a great defensive typing that lets it set-up on a large variety of different Pokemon, a very high Speed Stat of 120, and a large movepool, featuring moves such as Gunk Shot, U-Turn, Knock Off, and Stealth Rock.

How do/did you deal with Venomicon-Epilogue in CAP?

Before Venomicon-Epilogue was nerfed, it was almost impossible to deal with defensively. Its power combined with Tinted Lens meant after a boost, it could very easily defeat any Pokemon that either tried to switch in on it or was outspeed by it. The only options you really had in terms of reliably walling it were Quagsire and Magnezone, the former of which just barely avoided a 2HKO thanks to Unaware and the later of which being one of the very few Pokemon in the entire game that could not have its resistance to Flying be completely negated by Tinted Lens. The nerf has added a couple more defensive Pokemon that are able to defeat it after setting-up, the biggest one of these being Zapdos, but even after this, Venomicon-Epilogue is still quite a challenge to deal with defensively.

Offensively, counterplay to Venomicon-Epilogue namely exists in the form of revenge killing it with Pokemon that can take advantage of its typing such as Zeraora, Tapu Koko, and Choice Scarf Tapu Lele. The caveat is that most of these Pokemon are unable to switch-in to a direct attack from Venomcion-Epilogue as Tinted Lens Brave Bird is just too powerful for them to take head on, meaning that defeating Venomicon-Epilogue often requires either a smart prediction or for you to sacrifice a Pokemon. Venomcion-Epilouge is also rather easy to wear down thanks to its main attack causing it to take recoil damage. This is only made even further apparent with its weakness to Stealth Rock and its inability to circumvent this weakness to Heavy-Duty Boots, as it is forced to hold its signature item, the Vile Vial. This means that Venomicon-Epilogue often has too use Roost to keep itself healthy during a battle, giving players a free opportunity to bring in a Pokemon that can force it out.

 

[Scizivire]

Revenankh @ Spell Tag
Level: 100
Adamant Nature
Ability: Triage
EVs: 112 HP / 144 Atk / 252 SpD
- Poltergeist
- Drain Punch
- Bulk Up
- Shadow Sneak / Moonlight

What effect did this CAP have on the metagame?

Revenankh saw an explosive boost in usage during and after CAPPL VII and the first CAP Ladder Tournament after it was rediscovered as a threat against the predominantly bulky offense and balance teams that defined the metagame at the time, which caused it to gradually rise up the viability rankings for a few months.

In what main roles was this CAP used?

Revenankh mostly saw play as a bulky breaker and/or lategame cleaner depending on the opposing team structure and how a match played out over time. Even though Revenankh's immediate power is below average for a breaker or sweeper, it leveraged its great bulk and access to strong priority STAB draining moves to outlive and threaten the opposing team.

What caused it to have a significant impact?

Revenankh's strength comes from a combination of qualities it posesses:
- Its potent, unresisted STAB combo meant switching into Revenankh is always a gamble if you didn't have a select subset of Pokémon (see below) on your team. Particularly, Revenankh gained access to a strong Ghost STAB in Poltergeist during the Isle of Armor tutor move update, raising its power level drastically from the previous Shadow Claw.
- Its ability Triage turned Drain Punch into a big threat to some of the strongest Pokémon in the meta at the time, notably Weavile, Kyurem, Colossoil, Heatran and Ferrothorn to an extent by straight up KOing, doing massive damage or forcing switches while keeping Revenankh healthy over the course of a match. Additionally, Revenankh would sometimes run Moonlight in its last slot in order to keep its health high much more consistently at the cost of KOing certain Pokémon with Shadow Sneak.
- Revenankh high natural bulk with investment allowed it to set up easily with Bulk Up on a forced switch or against weaker opponents like Clefable, Slowbro/king and Galarian Slowking, non-Brave Bird Corviknight and Ferrothorn. If Revenankh was fully healthy, it was hard to force out even with stronger super-effective threats like Zapdos' or Tornadus-Therian's Hurricane or non-Choice Specs Tapu Lele, because it could tank a hit and KO back with a boosted Poltergeist + Shadow Sneak combo.

These factors made Revenankh into a well-rounded Pokémon suited for the mostly balance-focused metagame at the time.

How do/did you deal with this CAP?

Offensively, Tapu Lele was a great answer to Revenankh so long as it didn't switch into a Poltergeist, because the Psychic Terrain it summons prevents it from being hit by Drain Punch or even the super effective Shadow Sneak. Choice Specs variants were especially effective because it was able to knock out Revenankh from full with Psychic, Psyshock even at +1 or Moonblast. Another strong offensive counter was Galarian Zapdos, which could KO Revenankh with Brave Bird. If Revenankh was ever low, Pokémon like offensive Tornadus-Therian, Zapdos, Jumbao, Tapu Koko or a fully healthy Dragapult could take advantage and knock it out with strong super-effective STAB moves of their own.

Defensively, Pokémon like Toxapex, Arghonaut and to a lesser extent Hippowdon and Landorus were able to deal with Revenankh by ignoring its boosts with Unaware or Haze, hitting it with Toxic and outliving it, dropping its attack with Intimidate or phazing it out with Roar/Whirlwind. Also, itemless Slowbro became a makeshift counter during the CAP Ladder Tour and some tournament games by preventing Revenankh from using its strongest move against it.

Revenankh has recently fallen off the radar for a bit, which many users attribute to the release of both formes of Venomicon, another very strong CAP that quad resists Drain Punch and either tanks repeated hits with Roost and Stamina (Prologue) or outspeeds and kills Revenankh with Brave Bird (Epilogue). In addition, the presence of Toxic in the metagame has increased since then, meaning Revenankh has more trouble setting up safely and sweeping.

 

[spoo]

Clefable

edit: Also dwebble

double edit: I didnt realize this shit was only caps so im taking libra

TRIPLE EDIT i dont have time to do this lol Zetalz take it

 

[Lasen]

Pajantom @ Choice Band
Ability: Comatose
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly/Adamant Nature
- Spirit Shackle
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- Toxic / Ice Punch / Brave Bird

What effect did this CAP have on the metagame?

Pajantom has been one scary wallbreaker from the start of the gen all the way until today. The early metagame of Pre-DLC was very much dominated by fat teams, as one can see from the OU replays of the time (I am not posting replays from the ghosting tour no matter how much I need them). Pajantom comes in at the very first Viability Rankings ranked B+ due to the existence of fat Fairy-types such as Jumbao and Clefable, Dark-types that can check it in either defensively (Mandibuzz) or offensively (Hydreigon and Colossoil), as well as Corviknight and Arghonaut who could take everything not named Adamant Choice Band like a champ. It falls a bit further down as CAP adapts into Tomohawk being seen on practically every single scene, falling into B rank. As the metagame stabilizes, it finds itself on a sample team by Jho. With the release of Isle Of Armor, more threats become avaialble and CAP now has a new tool to play with: Astrolotl. Despite sharing a typing, the two Pokemon had almost nothing in common. In fact, Astrolotl had such a chokehold on the metagame, that Heavy-Duty Boots pivots such as Slowking and Blissey became very common to pair with it. Enter: Pajantom, the mon that ignores all of them and FORCES progress for its own team no matter what. As such, it rises all the way to A- again! With more bans coming through for problematic mons such as Cinderace and Magearna, Pajantom found itself as one of the top dogs when it came to busting it down, sexual. One could even say it was GOATERED with the sauce.
But then, something good happened. Nay! Something amazing happened. In January of 2021, a sample was created. Double Spookies. Quziel, with this team, showed the world just how busted stacking Ghost-types could be. And you know what I did? I added a PAJANTOM and made double spookies give everyone a taste of what true fear tasted like . Pajantom from here on out enjoyed the fall of physically defensive walls not named Slowbro which meant it always had a decent match-up against balance and fat. Arghonaut eventually came back as a super solid wall and more and more insane wallbreakers got added to CAP (cough Venoms cough) so Pajantom is retired in a ranch at A- rank because Weavile is running around grabbing OHKOs.

In what main roles was this CAP used?

Honestly, the moment one sees Pajantom on team preview, they can figure out 3/4 moves and on a good day the 4th move as it's quite straight forward. When delayed moves were king, you could force something to take a hit it hated by trapping it with Spirit Shackle and now you get a free switch to whatever you wish by trapping the opponent. It's also a status absorber of all time because of Comatose making it invulnerable to any status move, further enchancing its stall breaking prowess.

What caused it to have a significant impact?

The real impact of Pajantom could be felt around mid 2021 when physical Ghost-type switchins were limited to exactly Intimidate Tomohawk; most physical walls had to compete with Tomohawk directly so it was basically hunting season to force the metagame to adapt to it. When Rillaboom was eclipsed by how unfriendly the metagame was towards it, Zeraora and Weavile rose up to demolish Tomohawk, which in return let Pajantom run around pretty freely. Another big event was how it had insane synergy with Dragapult; the double spookies core could, by themselves, beat any wall that stood in their way, especially so with hazard support. Problematic Arghonauts and Tomohawks were Toxic-ed by Paj and then subsequently Hex-ed by Dragapult. Its Speed tier was also fantastic, as Tapu Lele and Urshifu-R's rise to power meant a wallbreaker that could outspeed it was necessary. Pajantom's base 101 Speed was perfect to deal with the two of them. It even resisted everything Urshifu-R threw at it!

How do/did you deal with this CAP?

Defensively, bulky Fighting-types like Buzzwole and Arghonaut to this day can give it trouble if it's not running Brave Bird, tanking all of its hits (even if they hate being badly poisoned). Landorus-T can Intimidate it to make it bearable for its team, while max Def Corviknight can tank it up if it's not Adamant.
Offensively, it's easy to deal with! ....on paper, that is, as it's super reliant on its Choice Band so a well timed Knock Off basically removes it from play. There's also a ton of strong Dark-types likes Galatres/Colossoil that send it packing and of course stuff like Zeraora, Pult, and Weavile don't just outspeed, but consistently OHKO it. Melmetal also tanks it up then calls DIBs on killing it.


this took too long, spoo and I are marrying next month and I haven't even picked up my tuxedo.

 

[reachzero]

Reserving base forme Venomicon

 

[Brambane]

i'll bite the bullet (punch)

reserving cawmodore

 

[adem]

What effect did this CAP have on the metagame?

Pyroak to my knowledge was initially quite horrible in the metagame, and wasnt something you’d really consider as a threat to teams. No offensive options, interesting utility but nothing that made it stand out. Until, well…

Anyways, with it being quick-nerfed less than a month after the new buffs, and it still being (arguably) broken as shit currently, and a hugely important meta threat right now in SS, I would say its a pretty strong contender for top 5. It was also quite mediocre in past gens, IIRC had a stint in DPP when it ran a DD set utilising now-reverted buffs. Otherwise, up until now its been a mediocre - bad Pokemon in terms of the meta. Right now this Pokemon is a monster, tearing through unprepared teams and being a pain in the ass to deal with regardless as it is still relatively bulky. Consistent defensive checks to this Pokemon barely existed, and some, like Dragonite, was very easily pressured and chipped to where Roak could beat it.


In what main roles was this CAP used?

This CAP was used as an offensive utility Pokemon / Wallbreaker, with sets like Rocks 3a, Rocks 2A, 3A Synth being used. Overheat was pretty much a given on all Roak sets, but the fact that it could run Earth Power to beat non-Air Balloon Heatran, Aromatheraphy to be much less crippled by the likes of Toxapex or Landorus's Toxic, or Lava Plume / Toxic even to punish its switch ins that it couldnt just muscle through, as well as having a STAB option with more PP. Synthesis also made is extremely hard to outlast in the long run, especially for its checks which lack proper recovery.

What caused it to have a significant impact?

Its solid bulk and amazing offensive prowess with Contrary synergising amazingly with Overheat, and Fire / Grass / Ground coverage was amazing, and extremely hard to deal with defensively. Its ability to force trades with certain Pokemon, and break down its checks made it extremely annoying to deal with both in the builder and in the game. It wasnt uncommon for ut to sweep a team if the AV Torn misses 1 Hurricane, or if the Dnite is Tox-ed / Chipped.

How do/did you deal with this CAP?

Higher prevalence of Balloon Tran and AV Torn being more popular overall, Dual Wingbeat being a much more popular move on Dragonite. The likes of Tyranitar being quite popular right now also make it less annoying to deal with.

 

[FluffyZergling]

Nominating Stratagem

What effect did Stratagem have on the metagame?

During the era of SS, I feel new threats have arrived and Stratagem can check those threats. Any form of Venomicon or Astrolotl would rather switch than take a knockout. Pyroak wouldn't want to keep setting up if Stratagem can take the first overheat. Equilibra, Corviknight, and Ferrathorn don't want to risk a KO when a fire blast can KO it. The ability to beat back common defensive walls with earth power such as Toxipex and Slowking-Galar is pivotal as those are typically seen as special walls to most special sweepers. If you are unable to take the hit of boosted 120 STAB Paleowaves and take regular hits from coverage then sacrifices must be made until you can bring out a pokemon with faster moves that will break through to a KO or a pokemon with the ability to absorb hits without allowing it to have a turn to sit on another boost for Meteor beam. If you didn't have a scarfer, a pokemon faster than 130 base speed timid, or the ability to take special hits and recover then you are going to be swept.

In what main roles was Stratagem used?
Set up with Meteor beam and punch as many holes as possible in unprepared teams. An end-game sweeper if there ever was one. Although it has slid into one role during SS. A fast, frail wall breaker with rarely resisted moves that boosts itself is only seen in Nihilego. Where Stratagem does not have beast boost, it does have levitate that makes a common coverage ground moves into a switch in opportunity.

What caused it to have a significant impact?
The ability to have STAB Meteor Beam, a backup Special rock move, fire and ground coverage for steel, speed stat of 130 and Levitate to remove a ground weakness makes this pokemon a threat to any team unprepared or too damaged to return any pressure upon this hyper assault bolder. The ability to switch in on ground type EQ's then set up with a meteor beam and start punching holes makes one scary opponent. If you do not cover the possibility of a Stratagem living to KO most of your team then the allies it has in the back are going to seal the deal. Stratagem doesn't need to survive with recovery, but it does need to make sure the other team suffers enough loss to open pressure points for other wall breakers.

How do/did you deal with Stratagem in CAP?
Do you have anything faster? Did your Special walls have no weakness and have not been damaged before taking on Stratagem? Does any pokemon on your team have super effective priority? If you said yes to any of the questions above your points are safe until Stratagem returns.

 

[Binacle Pinnacle]

Reserving Malaconda

 

[Scizivire]

Common Sets

Jumbao @ Choice Scarf
Level: 100
Timid Nature
Ability: Trace
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Leaf Storm
- Focus Blast / Shadow Ball
- Healing Wish

Jumbao @ Life Orb
Ability: Trace
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Leaf Storm
- Moonblast
- Focus Blast
- Shore Up

What effect did this CAP have on the metagame?

After its reign of terror during the SM era of CAP battling, Jumbao started off in SS as a solid answer to some of the new meta's top contenders, like Dragapult, Tyranitar, Tomohawk and even Dracovish. Even after the Isle of Armor expansion dropped, Jumbao continued to be relevant as it was a solid answer to most variants of the newly introduced Urshifu twins, as well as Slowbro and Slowking. Over time though, more and more counters made it (back) into the game, and as such Jumbao has not seen as much success recently as it did during the early days of SS CAP.

In what main roles was this CAP used?

Jumbao was mostly used as a Choice Scarfer, able to pivot into or revenge kill a lot of threats in the metagame like the aforementioned Dragapult, Tomohawk and Urshifu, as well as a plethora of other Dragon-, Dark-, Fighting-, and Water type Pokémon. Later on, Life Orb wallbreaker sets also became popular as with its massive special attack stat and access to the most reliable healing move in the game in Shore Up it could punch holes into unprepared teams for an extended period of time. Additionally, access to Trace gave it a great matchup into the Rain or Sand teams that saw play during the generation provided it copied Swift Swim or Sand Rush, regardless of its intended role on a given team.

What caused it to have a significant impact?

Jumbao's excellent stats across the board and great ability combined allowed it carve a strong niche in the SS CAP metagame, and become a Pokémon worthy of respect from both its user and opponent.

• Jumbao's has a very middle-of-the-road typing in Grass/Fairy, both offensively and defensively. On the offense, it has strong STAB moves in Moonblast and Leaf Storm which hit a variety of relevant Pokémon hard super-effectively and can punch holes on neutral targets, but struggle into Poison-, Fire- and Steel-type answers on their own. Fortunately, Jumbao has access to Focus Blast, allowing to hit Pokémon like Heatran, Ferrothorn, Melmetal and post-nerf Equilibra hard on a predicted switch, as well as Shadow Ball to situationally hit Aegislash. Defensively, it has common weaknesses in Fire, Ice, Flying and Steel and a big quad weakness to Poison, but through copying certain abilities with Trace and its natural bulk it was able to manage to survive in a hostile metagame, all the while resisting the STABs of certain common Pokémon like the Urshifu twins, Hydreigon, Garchomp, Colossoil and Zeraora.
• Speaking of Trace, this ability would come in handy in a multitude of situations for Jumbao over the course of the generation. Particularily, nabbing Regenerator from Slowbro or Slowking allowed it to heal back some chip damage and switching into Heatran allowed it to fully wall most sets at the time, only really having to worry about Toxic. As mentioned before, it would match up well into weather teams by grabbing a speed-boosting ability off the likes of Barraskewda, Kingdra, Excadrill or Dracozolt.
• On the stats side, Jumbao is exceptionally bulky on both sides, allowing it to pivot into a plethora of Pokémon. Complimenting that, its big special attack stat meant it would deal massive damage on correct predictions, and its good speed tier let it function as a great Choice Scarfer or wallbreaker for an extended period of time.
• Its access to Healing Wish meant it could break teams open first, and then sacrifice itself in order to bring another potent threat on the team back to full, which many teams were not prepared to deal with. Particularily, Pokémon like Urshifu, Dragapult, Melmetal and later on Garchomp andSpectrier really appreciated a second chance at breaking or sweeping.

How do/did you deal with this CAP?

While Jumbao has many strengths, it was held back by being quite prediction-reliant and the increasing number of counters that would appear in the metagame. Early on, Pokémon like Corviknight and Toxapex could manage their own into the common Choice Scarf sets with their resists to Jumbao's STABS and Pressure, and high natural bulk respectively, but with the Isle of Armor dropping, other potent special walls like Blissey and Scizor returned and life became more difficult for Jumbao. Furthermore, the Crown Tundra DLC introduced us to Galarian Slowking, which could be considered the greatest counter to Jumbao, possibly only being rivaled by the inclusion of the Venomicons, all of which resist both of Jumbao's STABs and Focus Blast and are dangerous to be left alone, leaving Jumbao to drop down the viability rankings, where it now sits in B-.

 

[boo836]

Reserving Pajantom

 

[Voltage]

Look, if we're talking about influence, we have to talk about Tomohawk, one of the two Pokemon that defined the metagame in early-to-middle Gen 8



Tomohawk @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 92 Def / 28 SpA / 136 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hurricane
- Heat Wave / Toxic
- Stealth Rock
- Roost

What effect did this CAP have on the metagame?

Tomohawk was one of the most influential CAPs at the start of Generation 8, having access to a plethora of utility options, offensive potential with Hurricane, and the perfect partner in Equilibra. While its influence has since decreased tremendously, there was a time back in late 2019, early 2020 where TomoLibra was THE core in CAP. With fewer answers in the base Sword and Shield metagame, Tomohawk was one of the few Pokemon that had access to hazards (Stealth Rock), Hazard removal (Rapid Spin), objectively good bulk when running intimidate, reliable recovery in Roost, not always dying to a Cinderace, and strong offensive stab as desired. Oh and you could also run Prankster Haze, which in itself was a way to ice games right then and there for anyone looking to set up and win the game.

The metagame was absolutely forced to shift around this Pokemon, as it was the perfect glue with Equilibra. Tomohawk was able to handle a majority of the threats to Equilibra, while Equilibra could resist the Psychic type attackers that threatened Tomohawk. It wasn't until Crown Tundra when old and new threats alike entered the metagame that forced Tomohawk down the ladder (thanks Heatran, Zapdos, and Tapu Fini). But prior to these mons, Tomohawk was able to run the previously pasted set with little to no concern, perhaps opting for Rapid Spin over Rocks, or Focus Blast over Heat Wave. All while still being able to get rocks up and threaten Corviknight at the same time. Essentially, Tomohawk was THE Landorus-T until Landorus-T was reintroduced to the game.

In its prime Tomohawk was an S-tiered threat alongside Equilibra, this being the case shortly after we banned Clefable (which in hindsight lol). At the end of Base SS and the start of Isle of Armor, Tomo sat atop the viability rankings alongside Equilibra and Astrolotl, two CAPs which were later nerfed quite significantly. There was no question that it was an S tier threat by anyone playing, as there were very few reliable means of reliably doing huge chunks of damage to it, the closest being Rotom-H and Slowking. And it wasn't until Crown Tundra was finally launched that Tomohawk fell from S to A and then back up to A+ before falling from grace.

In what main roles was this CAP used?

Tomohawk was a common physically defensive mon that also maintained an offensive presence throughout its time in a match. You could use it to set up rocks; stop common physical attackers like Rillaboom, Urshifu-S, and Astrolotl; be one of two necessary ground immunities, etc. I said it before and I'll say it again, Tomohawk was Landorus-Therian before Landorus-Therian was reintroduced, and with Equilibra, you had a near perfect core.

This isn't to also forget that there were those who chose to run Haze Hawk, which saw a huge resurgence during Isle of Armor as a means of handling the ever-present Cawmodore, as well as other common boosting sweepers looking to clean up games. you essentially could not set up a sweeper while a Tomohawk was present if you were certain it was HazeHawk, and while HazeHawk wasn't the most reliable presence in tournaments, it was always a possibility.

What caused it to have a significant impact?

TomoLibra was THE core to use. Equilibra sets up Doom Desires, Tomohawk sits on any threats to Equilibra. Tomohawk has Intimidate + 50% recovery allowing to last forever in matches, and it can set up rocks while being able to handle a lot of the hazard removers of the time. You got a balance-y or offensive-y team that needs rocks and hazard removal? TomoLibra is there for you. All you gotta do is switch some EVs around on Tomo to decide what you wanted to live, and what on Libra you wanted to kill, and bada-bing bada-boom you were set. It's how to express just how well this core acted as glue in the meta at the time.

How do/did you deal with this CAP?

Prior to the release of Galarian Slowking and other common previous CAP staples (Tapus, Heatran, forcing Tomo's 4MSS, Clefable again) in Crown Tundra, Tomohawk was mainly handled with Clefable, which could shrug off anything Tomo sent its way. When Clefable was banned, Tomo reigned supreme, being handled mainly with either strong special attackers that had Super Effective STAB (Jumbao, Kerfluffle, Rotom-Heat, Rotom-Wash), or generally bulkier mons that could Toxic the Tomohawk. In general, putting tomohawk on a timer was an incredibly reliable way of handling it, but one couldn't brazenly click Toxic without the potential for Equilibra to have a free switch in and then command the field with its powerful STABs.

Nowadays tomohawk hardly sees any use because of the aforementioned common fairy types that it simply cannot do anything to, as well as Landorus-T's return to the game. The Tapus (sans Bulu) are all considerable answers to it and are commonplace in today's metagame, being faster than it and hitting hard with super effective STABs. And Landorus-Therian does everything Tomohawk does, but better, with its two immunities, Intimidate, ability to set and clear hazards, and having Knock Off. The only edge that Tomo has over Landorus-T is the ability to have reliable recovery, but even then Landorus-T still wins nearly every other category.

(Also someone PLEASE nominate Equilibra and also Mollux for its random dominance back in base SS)

 

[dex]

Reserving Pajantom

Pajantom has already been reserved and completed. You are free to pick another CAP that has not been, however

Also, spoo adem Brambane reachzero, please get your write ups up today or I will release those mons back into the pool

 

[boo836]

Pajantom has already been reserved and completed. You are free to pick another CAP that has not been, however

That's because Lasen edited their post minutes after I made the reservation. All that time, wasted.

 

[Da Pizza Man]

That's because Lasen edited their post minutes after I made the reservation. All that time, wasted.

Lasen had the reservation since he made the post, he just had it as "Pogchamp-ton" originally, which granted is kinda confusing but not too hard to figure out what he meant.

 

[Darek]

Nominating Miasmaw

 

[boo836]

Lasen had the reservation since he made the post, he just had it as "Pogchamp-ton" originally, which granted is kinda confusing but not too hard to figure out what he meant.

f

it's not a big deal lol, it's pretty similar to what i had anyways

 

[Lasen]

 

[JayHeaven]

Common Sets

Utility :
Colossoil @ Leftovers
Ability: Guts
EVs: 56 HP / 252 SpD / 200 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Earthquake
- Toxic
- Rapid Spin

Guts Breaker :
Colossoil @ Flame Orb
Ability: Guts
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly/Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- Earthquake
- Facade
- Sucker Punch

What effect did this CAP have on the metagame?

At the start of Sword and Shield, it establishes itself as one of the better ghost resists as well as being one of the better spinners. It can also go on the offensive with a flame orb guts set. It has a very unique typing that is only shared by the Sandile line. Being able to switch into psychic moves such as scarf/specs Lele's psychic stabs and blocking volt switches from Rotom when needed is very useful. During the Crown Tundra meta, it was one of the best checks to the broken horse because it tanked shadow balls and didn't care about status as much due to guts unlike Ttar and Mandibuzz. Even after the horse was banned, it still can perform rather well because it can either remove a mon's item or cripple it with toxic. Its ability guts also let Colossoil be a decent status absorber since it has great moves for stabs. Colossoil is a good mon that can provide a lot for the team since it comprise a lot of roles. It is a very versatile mon and can fit onto most teams.

In what main roles was this CAP used?
Utility Set - This set lets Colossoil do a lot of roles. It can remove a mon's item, cripple a mon with toxic, or spin away hazards. This set fits perfectly on teams that need a hazard remover while keeping one's own hazards such as spike stacking teams. It can also be used to pivot around shadow balls from Dragapult, Blacephalon, etc. It also has a very high hp stat, which lets it run speed for pokemon such as nidoking and excadrill while still being specially bulky.

Guts Breaker - This set is mainly used to break fatter teams. Guts Colossoil is a very strong breaker with 2 great stab moves. Most of the common physical walls are 2hkoed after stealth rocks. Even the ones that can take on Colossoil, such as physdef Corv, Buzzwole, and the occasional Tomohawk, don't like their helmets or lefties getting knocked off. Colossoil also has a very strong priority in sucker punch which can be used to revenge kill and do heavy chip before dying. A jolly nature is prefered since you want to at least speed tie with lele, but adamant also lets Colossoil 2hko more mons and do more damage with sucker punch.

What caused it to have a significant impact?
Its great typing, versatility, and great natural bulk allows Colossoil to be an effective mon that has an impact on a game to game basis. It provides a lot for the team that it fits on and has good role compression. Its dark typing lets it pivot around one of the biggest threats in dragapult and also ghost attacks when needed. Its ground typing is also amazing for providing an electric immunity. Finally, it is one of the few viable spinners which helps hazard stacking teams a lot.

How do/did you deal with this CAP?
Most people deal with Utility Colossoil by constantly chipping it whether it is by moves or by hazards. Colossoil doesn't have reliable recovery outside of just leftovers, so the more damage it takes, the more switchins to things it have left. Although, colossoil can be a status absorber, it has to be careful not to get wittled down too quickly because of it. Although Colossoil is not a bad spinner, it has to be careful of the best hazard setter ferrothorn's iron barbs while spinning. Colossoil is also not too bulky physically without any investment, so strong physical attacks can ko it. For the breaker set, most people deal with it by switching around its 2 stabs. For example, you can pivot lando on eq to get intimidate off and threaten it out. Revenge killing Colossoil is also an option if your mon is out of sucker punch range or resists sucker punch.

 

[shnowshner]

Nominating Arghonaut


What effect did this CAP have on the metagame?

Arghonaut didn't have much of an impact in earlier iterations of the SS metagame, largely being outclassed by Tomohawk as a defensive Fighting-type with anti-setup options and hazard support, and facing heavy competition from various other bulky waters like Toxapex, Slowbro, and Tapu Fini. Many of the Physical attackers it could match up well against in theory it failed to beat in practice, either due to offensive combos like Future Sight + Wicked Blow, or as a byproduct of Physical attackers needing a way around Tomohawk.

Following the bans of Cinderace, Urshifu-S, Spectrier, and Magearna, Physical Setup gained a lot of popularity. Swords Dance Garchomp was beginning to pick up steam thanks to its threatening STAB combo and the volatility of Scale Shot, and Weavile was seeing more usage to punish the common bulky cores of the meta while also retaining good matchups versus offensive threats like Dragapult. As OU was struggling to deal with these, the CAP metagame looked to Arghonaut and realized just how excellent it was at dealing with this new trend. Argh went on to become a defining physical wall within the metagame after having lived in obscurity for a long while, establishing itself as the number 1 CAP in the metagame due to how easy and effective it was to use. The main set was Circle Throw/Knock Off/Spikes/Recover, running Leftovers or the occasional Rocky Helmet in the item slot, and maxing out HP and Defense investment. Although predictable, this set was no less effective, able to rack up chip damage quickly and weaken its checks as they came in, or punish the Pokemon it was required to beat until they were worn down.

Arghonaut would continue to succeed in the metagame until the end of 2021, where significant shifts in Kyurem's OU ban and the introduction of Venomicon led to a more hostile environment. As things stand now, Arghonaut retains a significant niche in the metagame, but is no longer the staple for balanced builds like it once was.

In what main roles was this CAP used?

Put simply, Arghonaut was one of the best all-around defensive and utility Pokemon available during its peak, having good or workable matchups against a long list of Pokemon or specific sets, and only needing its bread-and-butter moves to make progress or force out the opponent between matches. A unique defensive typing paired with Recovery and an excellent combination of good bulk and Unaware allows Arghonaut to blanket check a large variety of mons, mainly Physical attackers that fail to hit it SE like Landorus-Therian, Garchomp, Weavile, Astrolotl, and Colossoil, though it's also bulky enough to situationally withstand strong neutral STAB or SE coverage hits from the likes of Melmetal or Urshifu, and scout their intentions while using Recover. Unaware also makes it excellent at stopping a variety of dangerous setup sweepers or boosted attackers in a pinch, like SD Weavile, Volcarona, even having enough bulk to eat a boosted Acrobatics from Cawmodore, and phaze them out with Circle Throw. Finally, though not typically investing much into SpDef outside of the complimentary HP, Argh's Water-typing let it naturally handle a couple Special Attackers like Heatran and Equilibra, mons a lot of Pokemon often struggle to deal with safely, and it could situationally annoy things like Galarian Slowking or Ferrothorn that it didn't exactly match well into on paper, depending on their sets or if they were switching in.

Spikes on their own need mention here as Arghonaut's impeccable walling capability versus specific Pokemon meant it was given plenty of opportunities to get hazards up, aided by Recovery giving it more time to stay on the field, and thus, more chances to click Spikes. With Astrolotl on the low following its nerfs, and Ferrothorn just not being used for some reason (blame kyurem or smthn), Arghonaut was the premier Spiker during this time. Uniquely, the combination of Spikes and Circle Throw allowed Argh to esseentially be its own mini hazard-stack combo, phazing and cycling through the opponent's team and chipping away at Pokemon that were trying to stay healthy. This allowed Argh to make surprising amounts of progress against Pokemon it wasn't even supposed to beat just by dragging them into its own Spikes. Thus, staying in or switching into Argh was often quite the ordeal, as it was usually able to do something obnoxious to the opponent's gameplan.

What caused it to have a significant impact?

It cannot be understated how Argh's great matchup into Weavile is one of its greatest draws; being one of few durable switch-ins to a +2 or Banded Weavile is huge for a lot of defensive cores, as most other switch-ins lack reliable Recovery, often being overwhelmed by repeated switches, and the general applications of good bulk + resistance to most setup sweepers + Spikes + Phazing + Knock Off made it really easy to slap onto a team outside of just being a Weavile switch-in.

The presence of Arghonaut made a lot of setup attackers worse and was especially bad for a variety of Hyper Offense teams that relied on Attack boosts to win games quickly. Having an Unaware user that was naturally bulky, with good utility options and for some reason 75 Speed to get the jump on most other utility mons, fit into a ton of cores and contributed to strong defensive backbones that could handle some of the most dangerous offensive threats of the time. Although having 5 weakness may sound like an issue, Steels with good Special Defense or just really fat stuff could handle the predominantly Special Fairy, Psychic, and Flying moves coming its way, while Grass, Dragon, Ground, and Flying types could fill in the rest quite easily. Good partners were plentiful, either other defensive pieces like Clefable and Corviknight, bulky attackers that could cover weaknesses and force progress such as Heatran, Galarian Slowking, and Garchomp, or the plentiful strong offensive mons which appreciated Arghonaut's ability to soften up foes and provide a safety net to fall back on. Teams needed a good plan or dangerous offensive threat to break through sturdy Argh cores, and the end result was the metagame slowing down considerably compared to where it was before.

How do/did you deal with this CAP?

Arghonaut's standard set is mostly just utility moves meant to keep it on the field, keep threats off the field, and rack up passive damage. As such, Pokemon that bolster good longevity and resistance to chip (mostly Spikes) are very helpful in dealing with Argh. Although losing their item can be a pain, Clefable and Tornadus-Therian don't have a lot of trouble staying healthy versus it thanks to Magic Guard/Regen + Flying respectively, while Zapdos similarly doesn't fear Spikes and can punish Knock Off/Circle Throw with Static. All three of those also greatly threaten back with their STAB moves. Because Arghonaut's typing isn't perfect for dealing with all physical attackers, such as Urshifu's CB Close Combat, or SE hits from the likes of Kartana and Zeraora, it often relies a lot on Leftovers to help it stick around longer if the opponent predicts properly or it doesn't have time to stay in, so using Knock Off to remove its item or inflicting it with damaging status like Toxic and Burn is often a good way to cripple it long-term.

Certain setup sweepers are also capable of bypassing Unaware, either directly via a move/ability effect (Mold Breaker, Necrozma's Photon Geyser) or through use of Stored Power, which still retains the additional BP increases even though any Special Attack increases are ignored. Some are also strong enough that they can simply 2HKO Argh anyhow, though some support may be needed so that they don't get phazed out too quickly.

By far the biggest meta development against Arghonaut was the introduction of both Venomicon forms, which are massively threatening thanks to their powerful Flying-type moves and only being somewhat bothered by Circle Throw or Knock Off for the Prologue form specifically. Since their introduction, Arghonaut has seen a significant decrease in usage as it often invites them in and doesn't want to eat a Hurricane or let either acquire any free turns, worst case being turned into setup fodder for Substitute variants of Venom-E. Argh remains viable for many of the listed reasons above, but the metagame has adapted to it through both time and new CAPs being introduced.

 

[Zetalz]

Nominating Equilibra

Common Sets

Pre-DLC 1/DLC 1/Pre-Nerf
Equilibra @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate / Bulletproof
EVs: 252 HP / 80 Def / 132 SpA / 44 SpD
Modest Nature
- Doom Desire
- Earth Power
- Rapid Spin / Protect
- Flash Cannon / Pain Split / Aura Sphere

Post DLC 2/Post-Nerf
Equilibra @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 100 Def / 12 SpA / 132 SpD / 12 Spe
Modest Nature
- Doom Desire
- Earth Power
- Rapid Spin
- Flash Cannon / Pain Split / Aura Sphere

What effect did this CAP have on the metagame?

Equilibra was a meta defining powerhouse even before the drop of Gen 8, and continued it's string of meta dominance well throughout it. With the reduced power creep of the initial meta Libra catapulted to the top of the viability rankings alongside Tomohawk. These two alongside a bulky water (Pex then later Slowking) and Clefable formed one of the most prolific cores of the early gen 8 metagame. Defensively synergizing so well with these kinds of cores while still outputting insane offensive pressure through the influence of Doom Desire pushed the tier to it's limit.

After the banning of Clefable and arrival of the new (and busted) Astrolotl, Libra continued to appear on many squads alongside it's new partner in crime, leading to a period in cap with some of the most homogenized teambuilding ever seen. Shortly after Astrolotl went through not 1 but 2 nerfs, Libra was quickly thrown on the chopping block once again for it's second go around of nerfing just before the drop of Crown Tundra. In this nerf Libra lost Bulletproof and had 12 points shaved off it's Special Attack, reducing the volatility of guessing it's ability incorrectly and reigning in the power of Doom Desire. While few had an issue with this nerf at the time, in hindsight several have come to view it as product of it's time and restricted meta, some even calling for it to be undone in some form.

After the release of Crown Tundra Libra saw substantial drop off in it's viability and usage, simply lacking the tools it once had during metas of higher power levels closer to that of USUM that allowed it to flourish. While not unviable by any means, building with Libra had and still is more awkward than during the days of pre-DLC. This has lead to a period of relative meandering for Libra, struggling to find itself on most team structures and not being nearly as difficult to play around as it had been, though still finding some play here and there.

There was one little event involving Libra over this time, however...

Enter; Libraserker
During the first CAP Ladder Tournament, yours truly PIONEERED the glorious combo of Libraserker, going undefeated and leading to my ultimate finish of... not bothering to qualify for Round 1 lmao. For those unaware of this insanity, during this time it had been recently discovered that abilities like Power Spot and Steely Spirit worked with delayed moves in singles, as they affect all allied attacks. This meant if something like say, Perrserker was on the field when Doom Desire landed, it would receive the 50% damage boost from Steely Spirit.

Being the Libra connoisseur I was I was enthralled with the idea of using Perrserker alongside Libra to form a Deadly Duo of Steely Savagery... and it surprisingly actually worked. Surprise factor can be a killer in mons and it certainly showed here, nobody had any idea of Perrserker did and led to some serious shenanigans. Using moves like Fake Out and Protect, Perrserker allowed itself to bide time to allow DD to land vs mons that immediately threatened it (so most things lol). If it had free turns however, Perrserk itself was capable of putting out big damage with Steely Spirit boosted Gyro Balls (maximized by holding an Iron Ball), famously killing mons like Smokomodo and Cawmodore who thought they were safe from well over 60%. And just to punish Arghonaut and Zapdos, who were very popular at the time, even rocked Metal Sound, reducing their SpDef to force them to take obscene amounts of Doom Desire damage.

Sadly with the knowledge of what it does now spread, on top of the release of the books making life hell for Perrserker, he has since entered the retirement home, never to Gyro Ball a fool again :(, and Libra is left to fend for itself once more.

In what main roles was this CAP used?

Libra was a premiere bulky offensive pivot, utilizing it's fantastic defensive profile to shore up a team's weaknesses, providing removal, and using it's high offensive capabilities, particularly that of the nuke that was Doom Desire, to pressure the opponent. While really only rocking one given EV spread at a time, there was a degree of Ability and Moveslot variance prior to it's second nerf. While Levitate remained it's primary ability of choice, Bulletproof was a valid concern one had to keep in mind, as it dramatically changed the match-up of mons like Specs Pult and Magearna into it. During the peak of DLC 1 when Futureport was everywhere Libra slotted itself in alongside Future Sight user numero uno Slowking to put even more pressure down on the opponent from the combined threat of their delayed strikes alongside scary breakers like Urshifu that were breaking the tier in half.

Post nerf and post DLC 2 Libra fulfills much the same roles it did previously, though with the sharp decline of Futureport as a strategy and the general high power level of the meta keeps Libra from being a universally usable behemoth, notably losing out vs several of the new stars of DLC 2 like Torn-T and the resurgence of Specs Pult, who it could no longer tech Bulletproof for to absorb it's immensely threatening Shadow Balls (not to mention Spectrier's ridiculous ass).

What caused it to have a significant impact?

Simply put, Doom Desire makes Libra work. While it might be a decent pivot without it, Doom Desire grants Libra a way to force progress and maintain pressure in ways few other pivots can. This allows it to use it's stellar defensive typing to come in repeatedly and keep the opponent on their toes, giving your own breakers the opportunity to gun for it. This on top of it's ability to pick and choose various checks to it pre-nerf, and it's crazy good bulk for a lower power meta made it frustratingly easy for teams to be overwhelmed over the course of a match.

How do/did you deal with this CAP?
Primary checks to Libra in early SWSH mainly came in the form of pivots that gave no shits about Earth Power or Doom Desire, mons like Corviknight, Arghonaut and later Slowking could easily soak up it's hits and mitigate DD's impact. But this was easier said than done, as Libra was never alone, with several of it's checks being either weak to Toxic (or just too passive like Corviknight) Libra's partners such as Tomohawk and Astrolotl could overwhelm your Libra checks through combined chipping. With the drop in popularity of teleport strategies and the like and the hit to it's power output, nowadays the most common form of keeping Libra at usually involves just keeping it from coming in through offensive pressure, as Libra can struggle to come in and whittle down the opponent without losing a bunch of it's health.


I swear I didn't do this purely to talk about Perrserker I tried my best ;-;

 

[reachzero]

Venomicon



What effect did this CAP have on the metagame?

Venomicon is unusual in CAP in that it is a clear, cut-and-dry win condition, and one that you know at team preview the specific means that are needed to actually kill it, not unlike Cawmodore. Not only so, the means to kill it are so specific that disincentives certain Pokemon by its very presence--Zeraora, for instance, cannot reliably kill it, forcing the Zeraora user to have an alternative Venomicon answer like AV Slowking or Tapu Lele.

Zapdos is clearly the most efficient answer to Venomicon, and Zapdos usage has gone way up since "book" entered the metagame.

On the other hand, Venomicon is absolutely brutal against Grass and Fairy Pokemon especially, and almost wiped out Rillaboom, Jumbao and the already-beleaguered Kerfluffle. Clefable and Tapu Fini replaced virtually every other Fairy by virtue of being Fairies that have actual solutions to Venomicon (Tapu Koko is a shaky check).

In what main roles was this CAP used?
Venomicon is most effective as a key piece in balance and semi-stall, shutting down Grass types and some Fairies, offering matchup issues for Landorus-T and serving as the rare win condition that is a fully functional defensive threat in the early to middle game.

Two and three Pokemon combinations with Venomicon are numerous and easily conceived of: clear answers to Zapdos, Lele and to a lesser extent Slowking are the major considerations. Colossoil is an obvious partner, for instance.


Explain why this CAP was used on a team more often then most other CAPs, and what was it particularly used for? What made it so good at this role?

Venomicon 's monster defenses, great defensive typing and boosting power to push past slow defensive cores pushed several CAPs right out of the metagame, notoriously Tomohawk and Jumbao, neither of which can threaten book in a significant way. In addition, Venomicon is much better suited that most Flying types to take on Weavile, Zeraora and Dragapult.

What caused it to have a significant impact?

What makes Venomicon great is pretty simple--it is "fast enough" (faster than Clefable), has Earth Power to trade at worst with Tapu Koko and Cyclohm, has monstrous STank that makes it a nightmare to try to OHKO, and can easily snowball beyond the opponent's capacity to kill it Stamina activates. The fact that it is naturally immune to Toxic makes it a particular nightmare to slower teams.

How do/did you deal with this CAP?

Zapdos is far and away the best answer, reliably walling book and killing it--so long as Zapdos has Discharge or Thunderbolt rather than Volt Switch.
Tapu Lele, particularly Specs Lele, is a reliable check, though care must be taken in knowing the calcs against book with the specific Lele set you are using. On the other hand, care must be taken throughout the match because having Lele eat a Thunder Wave, etc could easily mean you just lose to Venomicon on the spot.

Stratagem is a strong offensive solution for book, though taking an unboosted Hurricane on the switch will still hurt somewhat.

Finally and most significantly, Hurricane is an attack with 70% accuracy.

In summary, several months after launch we are still seeing a significant number of Venomicon sweeps, and more near-sweeps lost to Hurricane misses. For sheer metagame impact and pressure on the team builder, I think it takes a back seat only to Astrolotl in Generation 8 CAP.