Project Top 10 Titans of Generation 8 OM Metagames

[in the hills]

Top 10 Titans of Gen 8 OM Metagames
stealing op from other iterations of this project​

Sword and Shield metagames have been through major ups and downs with the delayed releases of Pokemon essentially creating 3 separate metagames for many tiers. Throughout all of it, there have been clear winners and losers in each tier. We've seen once dominant Pokemon fall to the side as new threats enter the tier, and some rise up to take the throne.

The big question that we will try to answer with this thread is, which of all the Pokemon were the 10 most influential throughout Gen 8?

We'll be looking at the top 10 titans for our major metagames that have held through this entire generation: Almost Any Ability, Balanced Hackmons, Mix and Mega, NFE, and STABmons. The schedule for this project will be as follows:
Schedule:
Balanced Hackmons: May 29th-June 22nd
Almost Any Ability: June 26th-July 20th
Mix and Mega: July 24th-August 17th
STABmons: August 21st-September 14th
NFE: September 18th-October 12th

From May 29th to June 12th, you will nominate Pokemon that will be voted on for the top 10 most influential Pokemon throughout Gen 8 BH. After that, you will all evaluate all the nominations and individually rank the Pokemon from 1-10 by 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 Pokemon based on how good they are, but we're ranking Pokemon based on how influential they've been. When nominating Pokemon, 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 the format below to frame your posts or we won't count them!

Format

Enter your nominee's sprite here.
:ss/pokemon:

What effect did Pokemon have on the metagame?

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

In what main roles was Pokemon used?

Explain why this Pokemon was used on a team more often then most other Pokemon, 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 Pokemon 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 Pokemon cause it to become that much better when it was partnered with it?

How do/did you deal with this Pokemon in AAA?

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

Format Example

What effect did Pokemon have on the metagame?

It's been around for a while and been a strong Adaptability Choice Specs sweeper.

In what main roles was Pokemon used?

It clicked Blue Flare and Astral Barrage/Moongeist Beam and shit died

What caused it to have a significant impact?

See above

How do/did you deal with this Pokemon in BH?

Fat walls and resists

please format your suggestions more seriously than this one it's just an example to show off the format

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 Pokemon that has more than one form, be sure to clarify which it is. Happy posting!

 

[in the hills]

Balanced Hackmons
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
8. 9. 10.

Almost Any Ability
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

10.

Mix and Mega
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

STABmons:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

NFE
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

 

[in the hills]

First up is BH! Happy posting!

Submissions so far:
Eternatus
Xerneas
Zacian-Crowned
Regigigas
Chansey
Giratina
Cramorant-Gorging
Darmanitan-Galar-Zen
Calyrex-Shadow
Reshiram
Zamazenta-Crowned
Lunala
Zekrom

 

[Tea Guzzler]

reserving eternatus for bh

 

[The Dragon Master]

Reserving xern

 

[Ren]

gonna do zac-c

 

[Tea Guzzler]

What effect did Pokemon have on the metagame?

Eternatus is a defining presence in BH8 due to it's phenomenal base stats, great typing and immense versatility. Most teams require a solid Eternatus answer due to the massive set variety it can handle and, even with known and predictable sets, still poses a massive threat that can easily spiral out of control. Specialist movesets to destroy it's checks have appeared constantly since it's rise in viability after Zacian-Crowned was banned and have never slowed down, with it's most consistent check in Ho-Oh only seeing upticks in usage as of recently.

In what main roles was Pokemon used?

Eternatus can be mostly anything - Physical wall with Fur Coat, Special wall with Ice Scales, Bulky Pivot with Regenerator, or any number of offensive sets including Adaptability, Dragon's Maw, Sniper, Simple, Mold Breaker, Regenerator and even Flare Boost. It's features as a Dragon not weak to Fairy, a Dragon that can hit Xerneas SE with STAB, lack of vulnerability to most coverage options and the speed all contribute to it being a stellar pick in the majority of roles.

Edit: Sample Sets Here

What caused it to have a significant impact?

Eternatus' base stats are arguably it's most impactful factor, with phenomenal HP, Special Defence, Speed and Special Attack with serviceable defence and a low Attack stat (which is actually good for blocking Strength Sap). These base stats, in combination with it's unique Poison typing, let it pose a threat to almost everything in the tier given the immense choice of movesets you have. Upon launch, Eternatus was mostly overshadowed by Zacian-Crowned due to an immunity to both STABs and overall overbearing presence in the meta - after it's departure, Eternatus became a dominant force due to the lack of checks and it's newfound set freedom, which can accommodate basically any set innovation and still present an extremely powerful mon. Even after the Crown Tundra and the introduction of tier king Xerneas, Eternatus was able to leverage it's immense natural bulk and status as a Dragon not hit SE by Pixilate Boomburst to cement itself as a top pick in the meta and great counter to other top-tier mons - from this expansion, it also gained phenomenal offensive options in Dragon's Maw and Dragon Energy. Additionally, teams are mandated for a Xerneas answer and Eternatus' set variety allows it to minimize overlapping walls, and the lack of high-tier offensive checks also helps it's presence in-game.

How do/did you deal with this Pokemon in BH?

• Initially, Zacian-Crowned was an almost perfect answer, outspeeding and preying on Eternatus' lower Defence and it's inability to hit back with STABs. This is somewhat reflected in Magearna usage, which is able to stop STABs but falls apart to Blue Flare coverage, Earth Power coverage from Simple variants, and isn't very useful into the utility and Regenerator sets that have popped up as of recent.
• RegenVest mons like Kyogre and Dialga can limit it's raw damage output but Spikes variants and Sludge Bomb poisons for the former can help limit these over time.
• The main stopgaps used for Eternatus nowadays are Ho-Oh, whose great Special bulk and tendency to run Magic Guard (thus poisoning it does 0 damage and would be detrimental since you can't paralyze it) hinder Eternatus' progress, and Paralysis, which cuts down on one of Eternatus' most powerful tools in it's Speed.
• A special notice should be given to Primordial Sea Steel types, which heavily limit it's damage output and can single-handedly shut down many offensive sets but have hard fallen out of meta after Eternatus transitioned to Spikes, Volt Switch and Earth Power sets (and other targets like V-create Regigigas started seeing less usage).
• Mewtwo should also be mentioned - it's not really that good in BH8 due to not having megas and Steel types being on almost every team, but matching Eternatus' speed and threatening it with SE STAB is always a factor.

also observe the screenshot in my signature

 

[Ren]

What effect did Pokemon have on the metagame?

While it was unrestricted, Zacian-Crowned warped the entire metagame around it. That isn't an exaggeration - there was no role this Pokemon could not fulfill. After being forced to hold a Rusted Sword, Zacian-Crowned was a master of all trades, being the premier offensive Pokemon in the metagame while also being able to check other offensive Pokemon such as Eternatus, Xerneas, and Regigigas with its stellar defensive typing and excellent bulk, whilst also having the offenses to KO them in return. A blistering speed tier meant that there weren't many Pokemon who could outpace it, and as a result, it quickly rose to be the best Pokemon in the metagame for the longest time. There wasn't really a Pokemon that could successfully counter all Zacian-C sets, and as a result, you'd see this Pokemon on almost every team.

In what main roles was Pokemon used?

Zacian-Crowned was able to fulfill a phenomenal amount of roles. This was back before Regigigas ran coverage as frequently as it did and before the rise of paralysis to its current extent, so it compressed the role of a Xerneas check, Eternatus check, and Regigigas check just by being on a team. On top of that, it was one of the best hazard setters in the tier due to Magic Bounce users not being the safest option to handle it. This was all supplemented by the rise of the Imprisonform set after it was discovered that Zacian-C could get away with running just Anchor Shot as an attack. To be honest, the better question is what main roles Zacian-C wasn't used in, just because with all of its traits, you could get away with using a Zacian-C designed for almost anything.

What caused it to have a significant impact?

This Pokemon had absolutely god given traits. Incredible stats, an incredible ability, amazing typing and the staggering amount of Pokemon that just appreciated having it around were insane. There wasn't a team which would have hated having Zacian-C on it just because of the sheer role compression it provided. Intrepid Sword being brought into the metagame because of Zacian-C was also incredible for offensive Pokemon while it was still allowed. Zacian-C had a significant impact because there was nothing it didn't have that it would have needed to be one of the best Pokemon in Generation 8.

How do/did you deal with this Pokemon in BH?

You didn't. You had to hope that you had the ability to beat its set. But assuming you'd like to pretend that you're able to check Zacian-C with any semblance of reliability...

• Imposter was probably the best check to Zacian-C, solely because it received another attack boost upon switching in and Zacian-C was typically at +1 whenever it was out, meaning that Imposter had a +2 boost to break through another team with. Zacian-C's biggest weakness was that it was difficult to Imposterproof, and Imposter as a check aimed to exploit that. Imposter did have to be wary of being chunked by coverage, though.
• Seismitoad was a very popular pick against it, because the only way Zacian-C could break past it was Grav Apple. Yeah, you read that right. The only reason Seismitoad was viable was because of Zacian-C. Keep in mind that Ground-types were important in this meta because of Bolt Beak still being around, and the Steel resist provided by Seismitoad was too invaluable. It would later be more or less replaced by Palkia, as Zacian-C didn't find itself running Fairy-type STAB very often, but Fairy-type STAB was definitely more common than Grav Apple.
• Reshiram and Zekrom were Pokemon that resisted Steel-type attacks and were able to either threaten it back with Fire-type STAB moves or setting up on it and OHKOing it with Bolt Beak, respectively. However, Zekrom had to be wary of Fairy-type STAB and Glacial Lance, and both of these Pokemon had to be wary of Precipice Blades.
• Zygarde-Complete deserves a mention for its incredible bulk, but it still did take a reasonable amount from Sunsteel Strike and had to be incredibly wary of Glacial Lance.
• Ho-Oh resists Steel, but was weak to Bolt Beak and Fishious Rend, two of Zacian-C's most common attacks, so it had to rely on immunity abilities and just hope that it got the right one in the matchup.
• Shed Shell was a good item to put on Pokemon in case you were worried about Imprisonform sets from Zacian-C, and the item found its way onto quite a few walls.

 

[Tea Guzzler]

reservation expired, bored and no-one else is remembering this thread exists so i shall do xern


What effect did Pokemon have on the metagame?

Xerneas is a massively influential mon in BH8 and is easily the strongest mon in the current meta. Great base stats, Great typing and great usefulness of 2 brutal abilities in Pixilate and Poison Heal make this an absolute monster that MUST be prepped for in the builder and is present in basically every high-level game. Similar to Eternatus above, Xerneas also possesses the ability to mix up it's coverage options and destroy it's checks. These all combine to make an absolute monster.

In what main roles was Pokemon used?

Xerneas runs 2 sets - Pixilate and Poison Heal. Each has it's advantages over the other and both need to be prepped for - Pixilate is the more offensive option, carrying absurd damage output with Pixilate Boomburst, complimented by the best hazard removal in the tier with Pixilate Rapid Spin. Often runs Strength Sap as recovery - however, Boomburst is the only necessity, as basically any move is fair game (on either set), such as Volt Switch, Quiver Dance, Diamond Storm, Fishious Rend, V-create, Blue Flare, Extreme Speed, Knock Off, Nuzzle the list goes on. Poison Heal often takes a more gradual approach to breaking, making use of Moonblast, Thunder Cage, Quiver Dance, Spikes, Knock Off, Lava Plume and Rapid Spin. Overall, Xerneas can be used as a Breaker, Hazard Control, Utility Mon, Pivot, Trapper and Sweeper all in one slot.

What caused it to have a significant impact?

As stated above, Xerneas' main boons are it's phenomenal offensive presence, role compression and base stats - the sheer damage output of Boomburst being a 2HKO on basically every non-resist means that teams need dedicated answers to it in order to not get run over. It's excellent role compression makes it useful on every kind of team, further contributing to it's overwhelming presence. It's base stats also give it high natural bulk, a pretty fast speed tier of 99 and the ability to run mixed - overall, these 3 factors mean that Xerneas is a compression monster with no true counter. Xerneas was introduced in CT meta, but was limited for quite a while due to Calyrex-Shadow and Rusted Sword Zacian-Crowned - after these departed, it became very clear that this was the new #1, and it has never really been in contest since.

How do/did you deal with this Pokemon in BH?

It's important to note that none of these below are true counters - they can limit the majority of Xerneas variants, but all can crumple to specific coverage/utility options. The majority are also often Volt Switch fodder, which is common on Pixilate.

• Ice Scales is probably the simplest overall check - most Scales mons aren't phased by Boomburst/Moonblast damage output and often have some way to threaten it back, such as Anchor Shot, Thousand Waves, Poison Fang or Entrainment/Worry Seed. Scales Eternatus is notable here since you can offensively check it with Sludge Bomb. These tend to lose if Xerneas is able to accrue multiple Metronome stacks.
• Ho-Oh is able to limit Pixilate Xerneas' damage output and heavily cripple it with Paralysis or threaten it with V-create if it's not sapped to hell and back. Magic Bounce sets lose to DStorm and FRend, Desolate Land sets lose to DStorm and Sap. PH Xerneas sets are mostly threatened by the V-create but otherwise can beat Ho-Oh with Thunder Cage.
• Steel Types are often good counters - Magic Bounce variants can limit Sap, Primordial Sea variants can limit Fire coverage, both resist Fairy and neither beats both except for PSea Magearna/Registeel (which aren't very good). Most also can sponge a +1 Thunder Cage reasonably well.
• Eviolite Imposter can 1v1 most Pixilate sets and can grab recovery with Sap/spin away hazards, but needs a high-Attack improof for any meaningful Sap recovery which can be exploited. Has a fair chance against PH Xerneas but if it's at the HP disadvantage it will lose to Thunder Cage chip.
• Toxic Orb Imposter doesn't pose much of a threat to Pixilate Xerneas but can almost always 1v1 PH Xerneas.
• Soundproof removes any damage threat from Boomburst and the most common users (Groudon and Zygarde-Complete) block Volt Switch, but does little to stop PH, is often ran by mons that give high Sap healing and can be beaten with coverage.
• Low Attack Fairy Resists, such as Nihilego or Darmanitan-Zen, are good at limiting Xerneas but often either drop to coverage or aren't massively useful outside of checking Xerneas.

 

[Darkrai Retribution]

What effect did Pokemon have on the metagame?

Regigigas and its STAB 140 BP Facades have been a major shaping factor in Balanced Hackmons, leading to every team being forced to have a Pokemon with the ability to soak this hit, lest they get blasted away. This Pokemon forces a check to it on every single relevant BH team, since it will run away with the game without it. The variance in its various movesets making accounting for it a real issue as it can slot moves like Avalanche, Knock Off, Spikes and Nuzzle to destroy its checks Due to it's great bulk and good offensive typing, It sees very high usage in tournaments and ladder both.

In what main roles was Pokemon used?

Poison Heal has been the face of physical offense teams for a bit now, since it has fantastic longevity, good bulk and many switchin opportunities which allows it to launch extremely hard-hitting Facades that put a charge in most Pokemon that dont resist or are immune to it. It finds easy setup on many common passive Pokemon like Fur Coat and the many special walls used to check Pokemon like and . With either Dragon Dance or Swords Dance, it becomes a huge threat that can either break huge holes even against Fur Coat Pokemon with moves like Swords Dance Glacial Lance/Precipice Blades in conjunction with Nuzzle. and get paralyzed and destroyed by huge hits.

The increasing usage of Spikes on Regigigas means that even if it doesnt have the proper way to deal with the opponents Fur Coat or Unaware wall, it can simply wear them down while remaning healthy because of Poison Heal and its many free switchins.

Regigigas is also a great team player since it can pair really well with options that enjoy it breaking down opposing Physical Walls or stacking Spikes, like and , since it helps them bypass their checks, and it can also support these Pokemon with Nuzzle, while they provide breaking or cleaning power to complement Regigigas.

Finally, a Tough Claws Regigigas set has popped up as an unmatched wallbreaker because of its insane V-Creates and Facades boosted by Life Orb, Tough Claws and Swords Dance

What caused it to have a significant impact?

As said before, its ability to wallbreak and clean easily got it a spot on most offensive teams, and bulky teams loved to have the offensive-defensive nature of Regigigas, since it could switch into most, if not all neutral attacks and fire off huge attacks. Bulkier teams love its ability to get uncontested spikes since it threatened top Magic Bounce users , , and with strong STAB or boosted SE hits. These Spikes are easily abusable and exploitable by offensive teammates.

It's excellent ability to spread paralysis and create abusable holes consistently make it excellent role compression as a defensive Pokemon made it almost mandatory to count it's impact on the field.

How do/did you deal with this Pokemon in BH?

Regigigas can always potentially beat your check with a combination of attacks, but I'll go over the most common ones:

• Fur Coat users like and , as well as , and more take little from even boosted Facades and threaten back hard with Core Enforcer or Trapping. However, these Pokemon are very vulnerable to Nuzzle Swords Dance Regigigas, as well as regular Regigigas with Spikes, since they get worn down fast. However, these can wall the standard Poison Heal set.
• Poison Heal users like and can take boosted Facades and are immune to Nuzzle. However, these sets can easily lose to Swords Dance + Coverage or Spikes, since they get worn down fast.
• Celesteela with either Primoridial Sea, Fur Coat or Triage can try to stop Regigigas with their Precipice Blades immunity and resistance to Facade. However, any Celesteela without PSea loses to V-Create and even Primoridial Sea Celesteela takes far too much damage from Swords Dance Facades and is vulnerable to Nuzzle.
  +2 252+ Atk Regigigas Facade (140 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Celesteela: 206-243 (51.7 - 61%) -- 94.9% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
• Imposter : Against Swords Dance sets, Imposter tends to have a fine time pivoting in on a setup move and threatening Regigigas, however, Dragon Dance Regigigas can abuse its 140BP Facades compared to the Imposter's 70 to self-imposter proof. Since Regigigas is free to pick it's checks, it is not a difficult Pokemon to imposter-proof.
• Magic Bounce users like and despise boosted STAB or SE attacks, but can deter Spikes Nuzzle utility sets.
• Faster Pokemon like and are deathly scared of Regigigas, especially since it can almost always take 1 hit and OHKO them back.

Usually one beats Regigigas by scouting the set and assigning a suitable Pokemon for the role of walling it.

 

[shadowpea]

(yes i was reserving impostor)
(not sure if i have to reserve chansey specifically but mostly impostor's pretty much the same regardless of the pokemon youre using)

Mod edit: it does need to be a Pokémon specifically, so yes do Chansey

 

[shadowpea]

What effect did Pokemon have on the metagame?

Impostor Chansey has been a centralizing aspect of BH since its introduction in BW. Impostor's ability to copy any opposing Pokemon, along with all their moves, stats, and abilities, forces every team to be able to have counterplay against their own Pokemon. This is further compounded by the fact that Impostor retains the base Pokemon's HP and item effects, allowing Impostor to have unreal amounts of bulk when copying Pokemon with actual defensive stats (which, in Balanced Hackmons, is pretty much all of them). Impostor is the single most constraining factor in teambuilding, as players are forced to tailor sets to lose to at least one of their Pokemon or to render Impostor harmless should it ever switch in.

Impostor Chansey has pretty much stayed constant this generation, or really, through every generation where it was present. It makes use of its scouting abilities, massive bulk, blanket checking abilities, and revenge killing abilities to be an influential force in almost every BH metagame with it in it, and SS is no exception.

In what main roles was Pokemon used?

Impostor Chansey is mainly used as a way to scout opposing sets, checking opposing Pokemon with its titanic bulk, and threaten the opposing team with their own Pokemon. It is the single most important aspect in BH that keeps otherwise broken set-up sweepers in check.

Chansey is also sometimes seen as a Fur Coat wall, taking advantage of its Eviolite- and Fur Coat-boosted bulk to wall a great amount of threats.

What caused it to have a significant impact?

First, Impostor Chansey's scouting ability, in a metagame where every Pokemon can potentially be many sets, is extremely valuable. Its ability to learn the moves and abilities of opposing Pokemon is a large part of what makes it so good. In addition, Impostor's enormous amounts of HP, and more often than not, Eviolite, allows it to switch into almost any Pokemon in the metagame at least once to either perform its scouting ability or to check what was in front of it. Impostor's ability to check opposing Pokemon is simply superb, as it can easily tank hits with its titanic bulk after transforming and threatening the opponent right back with their own Pokemon, for example threatening opposing Eternatus with their own Dragon STAB while easily soaking up incoming hits thanks to its bulk. Finally, Impostor Chansey isn't limited to one Eviolite set, as it has a very nice range of items to choose from and perform more specific roles. Choice Scarf Impostor is possibly the best revenge killer in the entire meta while still retaining amazing bulk (Blissey exist, but Chansey is usually better since keeping the opponent in the dark about your item usually outweighs 5 base HP), Shed Shell lets Impostor escape trappers like Zamazenta-C, Toxic Orb specifically targets opposing Poison Heal Pokemon such as Regigigas, and Lucky Punch can break past Quiver Dance sweepers like Xerneas and Eternatus. It is also worth mentioning that if Impostor for some reason fails to activate, such as when an opposing Impostor is active, it is still useful thanks to Chansey's raw special bulk.

Fur Coat Chansey...did not have a significant impact on the metagame, but it always existed as a wall that's a pain in the ass to break through, though its passive and can be easily taken advantage of.

How do/did you deal with this Pokemon in BH?

Impostor is easily the most prepared-for threat in the entire meta because every good team packs answers to their own Pokemon simply due to its presence. Answers to Impostor vary depending on what Pokemon you're using/they're copying, but here is a non-exhaustive list of answers to Impostor:

• Most commonly, Pokemon are Improofed (the term for countering Impostors copying your own Pokemon) by teammates that are not threatened by the Pokemon that is copied. For example, this Pixilate Xerneas set can be Improofed by this lovely Nihilego which can easily tank Boombursts, threaten Impostor with Nuzzle or Sludge Bomb, and block Strength Sap thanks to its ridiculously low Attack.
• Trappers, like Zamazenta-C (one of a million Zama sets), can take advantage of Impostor's limited 20 PP and force it to Struggle to death. These sets can usually self-Improof themselves but gets nullified by Shed Shell Impostor.
• Status lowers the threat of Impostor greatly. Toxic limits its longetivity, paralysis opens it up to attacks from mons in front of it as well as parahax, and burns can cripple its ability to answer physical attackers.
• Knock Off removes a large chunk of Eviolite Impostor's bulk or remove the utility Impostor's item offers should it be holding something else.
• Some Pokemon can threaten Impostor even with its ridiculous amounts of bulk, such as Dragon Maw Eternatus and CB V-Create Kartana, although they have to risk speed ties if they wish to stay in.
• Poison Heal Pokemon, such as Xerneas and Regigigas, have access to healing that Impostor don't and can make progress against them. In Xerneas's case, it can trap Impostor with Thunder Cage to force large amounts of damage, while Regigigas can simply hit Impostor with 140 BP Facades that Impostor don't have. Weak to Toxic Orb Impostor (and Lucky Punch in Xern's case).
• Unburden gives the user double speed, allowing Belly Drum+Sitrus Berry sweepers or Shell Smash+White Herb sweepers (wait no this is SS) to outspeed even Choice Scarf Impostor and KO it with their bloated offenses.
• Multi-Attack + a memory can let you hit Impostor super-effectively while Impostor is stuck with a Normal-type move. Users include Fighting Memory Zamazenta-Crowned, Ghost Memory Dragapult, and Dragon Memory Zekrom. Memories can also allow another Pokemon to Improof you when they normally can't. For example, prior to its ban, Galarian Darmanitan-Zen commonly ran Ice Memory to let bulky Dragon-types improof it.
• Drives + Technoblast (rip Judgement) can be used similarly to memories, although it's restricted to 4 types. One of the sample teams feature a Shock Drive Celesteela used for this purpose.
• Other item-dependent abilities like Guts, Flare Boost, or Quick Feet gives the user boosts that Impostor don't have access to.
• Imprison can render Impostor harmless but requires the Impostor Imprisoned before it can move

As for Fur Coat Chansey, it is usually quite passive and a target for hazard setters, hazard removers, status, etc.. Some attackers like CB Steely Spirit Kartana can also straight up cancel Chansey with obscenely powerful attacks.

 

[in the hills]

From May 29th to June 22nd, you will nominate Pokemon that will be voted on for the top 10 most influential Pokemon throughout Gen 8 BH.

Apologies for the error, the deadline for nominations is June 12th. Voting will occur from then until the 22nd, so be sure to get your submissions in!

 

[hayedenn]

What effect did Pokemon have on the metagame?

Since the drop of Crown Tundra, Giratina (in my eyes at least) is the epitome of a fat, physical wall. Its amazing 150/120/120 bulk is perhaps the most balanced spread of any of the walls in Balanced Hackmons (at least this generation) and gives Giratina a niche that other walls in the tier bar maybe Zygarde-Complete do not have. Its presence in the tier makes fairies seemingly mandatory (a moderate exaggeration, but Xerneas and Magearna have a combined 63% usage this OMPL) and has likely led to the omnipresent RegiXern cores we see now. Giratina's important role in acting as a Regigigas wall has also led to more coverage and momentum-based sets being used, with Glacial Lance and Wicked Blow sets being in and out of vogue depending on Giratina (and other wall's) usage, as well as more pivot sets with hazards being used to gain momentum versus non-Bounce sets. In my opinion, Giratina is one of those mons that may not see the premier usage as it once did, but it is always in the back of any builder's mind, and has definitely shaped the metagame to be more warped around how to beat it.

In what main roles was Pokemon used?

Giratina had four major sets throughout DLC2 that all had some significant impact on the meta. Poison Heal, both fast and slow sets took advantage of Giratina's bulk and paired it with passive recovery that gave it longevity throughout games. Prankster allowed Giratina to check many physical threats that other Prankster users such as Ho-oh struggled versus such as Zamazenta-C and Regigigas. Fur Coat and the rarer Ice Scales magnified Giratina's bulk and made it a fearsome wall, while Magic Bounce took advantage of Giratina's great typing into common hazard setters such as Regigigas and Ho-oh in order to make sure that opposing hazards never went up. There is also the much more rare Final Gambit set which takes advantage of its monstrous HP stat.

What caused it to have a significant impact?

Although it is less en vogue now than it was at this time last year, Giratina's typing and bulk have kept it in relevance and make it something that must always be prepared for. Its fantastic, unique typing along with superior bulk to other defensive Ghost-types in the meta such as Lunala made it a premier defensive wall that matched up well into many common offensive threats. This, along with its STAB Core Enforcer and STAB Spectral Thief gave it a unique role compared to other Fur Coat walls. Giratina also had the niche of having access to Griseous Orb, which allows it, when held, to never be Knocked or Tricked. This meant that Pokemon such as Knock Off Regigas and Trick Groudon (and other Trick wallbreakers) struggle much more heavily to make progress vs it.

How do/did you deal with this Pokemon in BH?

The easiest way to deal with Giratina is by using the omnipresent Fairy-type. Xerneas and Magearna have great matchups into Giratina and are almost always able to threaten it out. They can struggle into Worry Seed / Entrainment variants, but Moonblast variants of both will always be able to threaten it out. Although they cannot switch in, Dragon-types such as Eternatus and Kyurem-Black as well as Dark- and Ghost-types such as Yveltal and Lunala, if carrying STAB, are also able to threaten Giratina out.

 

[stephen78548]

Intro

Next up is Cramorant first introduced in generation 8 this blue pelican (without spoiling too much) shook up the meta game of Balanced hackmons in more ways then one so today we ask ourselves how GREAT was Cramorant-gorging actually

What effect did Cramorant (Satan) have on the metagame?

Cram's ability Gulp Missile provided chip damage and a form of speed control in paralysis, every time something wanted to attack and gain tempo. Cram. provided utility unseen in the format, with its ability to win the war of attrition act as hazard control, a pivot for regen-vesters, whatever the team needed it could do.

In what main roles was Pokemon used?

it could use any item really, but ran rocky helmet for extra chip, boots for safer hazard counter-play, or even choice items on the niche trick to further allow it to shut down teams just by existing. Or the even rarer still eject button to take a hit set para and switch out to do it all over again. the sets you could see it run most often was
- Flip Turn
- Strength Sap
- Court Change
- Encore/Taunt
Cramorant is often known as being the current meta in one Pokemon. It could set hazards by "stealing" it from the opponent and making it that much harder to gain tempo. It reliably set para, could provide a good pivot and chip with flip turn. Had good longevity and disruption with strength sap provided it could live a hit which it most often did if it didn't get it for free due to parahex. Could stop the opposing player from setting up with taunt or locked them into set up with encore. The list only goes on for what it could do, it'd be far easier to list what it couldn't do.

What caused it to have a significant impact?

as mentioned above it could do anything. A more in depth look into this question would be the fact it caused a 50/50 just by existing in team preview. The opposing player was never sure whether they could safely attack until cram was dead much like illusion except a slightly more fair version of it. Cram just by existing made set-up sweepers that much worse as they could just switch into the attack cripple its speed stat and let you come in with a light ball pikaposter and clean up the game which was a favorite partner to Cram at the time. The opposing player could also bring in their prank mon and topsy-turvy the set up mon and further cripple it, or haze it, they could even throw in a spectral thief mon and steal the stats. TLDR Cram severely crippled set up strats. With the banning of bolt beak it was really able to shine as players needed a dedicated electric mon to actually deal with it and no longer had a fast strong mon able to abuse an easily accessible electric move.

How do/did you deal with Satan in BH?

One of the only few ways to deal with this, nothing short of having an electric type or poison heal mon (seeing as PH Gigas was already talked about refer to that post) could stop this from snowballing. At the time we had two good electric types in the form of mold braker regieleki and adaptability zekrom. Eleki could reliably set up spore and hazards while also threatening an ohko with fusion bolt. Zekrom could set up a dragon dance and also ohko it with fusion bolt and just carry the game from there. XxsavagexX also recommended the use of misty surge but I didn't see that too often so I can't really talk about it's usefulness.

Conclusion

So all and all Cramorant had a fantastic debut generation and warped an entire meta around itself forcing players to play it or a way to counter it. Cram started and ended its short lived legacy in BH and most players will fear the mention of its name. And that's it so how great was Cram actually? Well for a Pokemon with only one generation under it's belt to date it had fearsome success in a wide array of teams from stall to hyper offense. it started out as an elite meta defining threat and ended its stay in Balanced hackmons as a pivot, speed control menace, with more than enough utility than any mon should ever have. All and all Cramorants legacy has been short and bittersweet so far IF it returns to BH again it's sure to get itself banned all over again.

(please feel free to correct me on anything i may have misspoke about or if you have something to add)

(credit to Champion Leon for discovering this menace)

 

[a loser]

What effect did Pokemon have on the metagame?

For years in BH, people have been slapping V-create onto movesets when they don't know what else to choose and want a silly nuke button to click. Darmanitan-Galar-Zen, DGZ, or the funny snowman, came along as a new STAB user of this move in Gen 8. In previous generations, people were able to check V-create STAB users like Groudon and Mega Blaziken somewhat reliably with fat Dragon-type Pokemon like Giratina and Zygarde-C. This all changed due to DGZ's secondary Ice-type STAB which could threaten or outright eliminate them.

DGZ had a massive impact on the metagame as one of the premier physical attackers, making abilities like Fur Coat and Fire immunity almost mandatory and helped Ice-neutral Bolt Beak checks like Seismitoad, Swampert, and Reshiram popular picks throughout the generation. DGZ thrived in every iteration of BH this generation, picking on Zama-C, Eternatus, Giratina, Zyg-C, and anything else that couldn't stomach its coverage moves.

In what main roles was Pokemon used?

DGZ's power, speed and STAB combination made it a great addition to most teams. Its ability to threaten the likes of Eternatus, Zama-C, Melmetal, Imposter, and almost everything really was just hard to pass up on. Before any DLC came out, DGZ primarily used V-create, Icicle Crash, and Bolt Beak with abilities such as (Gorilla Tactics lol) Intrepid Sword, Mold Breaker, Desolate Land, and Magic Guard. Each of these abilities helped it counter potential checks that could use abilities like Fur Coat, Flash Fire, or Primordial Sea. While certain DGZ checks could be similar to one another, it had enough set variety to go along with super powerful coverage moves to punish them anyway, like when Fishious Rend bonks PrimSea users.

When Isle of Armor was released, DGZ got a new, stronger but less reliable Ice-type move in Triple Axel. Not much else changed as far as potential checks other than better Imposter users Chansey and Blissey replacing Wobbuffet, so DGZ remained a potent threat. Then Crown Tundra was released and made things even better for DGZ with a newer, stronger, more reliable Ice-type move: 130 BP Glacial Lance. It also had a pretty strong Ice-type option in Ice Memory Multi-Attack that could help with Imposter-proofing at the expense of some power.

What caused it to have a significant impact?

As mentioned above, DGZ's great Attack, nice Speed, and incredible offensive typing allowed it to threaten a majority of the metagame. It also took advantage of very busted abilities, moves, and mechanics such as Intrepid Sword, V-create, Bolt Beak, Glacial Lance, Fishious Rend, and Dynamax. Its frail defensive stats also made bulky Imposter users Blissey and Chansey less of a threat when coming in on these strong attacks. Being immune to burn via its Fire typing was icing on the cake for a physical attacker. For more insight on its impact and fun reading, you can check this post out.

Toward the end of its run, DGZ paired immensely well with the short-lived Calyrex-Shadow, as the two formed formidable offensive cores that people would have to dedicate more than half their team to keep in check. Before that, DGZ was really just good enough to run on its own but it didn't mind having partners such as Zacian-C and Eternatus to fill in the gaps.

How do/did you deal with this Pokemon in BH?

Early on in SwSH BH, all the fat dragons weren't around and we mainly had the likes of Eternatus, Melmetal, Shedinja, and Zama-C (and Imposter Wobb...) to deal with the snowman. Each of these could viably run Fur Coat (or Fire immune for Steel-types) to help stomach DGZ's STAB moves of V-create and Icicle Crash while taking advantage of its frailty to at least 2HKO it in return. Shed was obviously a different case here running Sturdy, but it still had to watch out for Mold Breaker, Max Hailstorm pelting it with hail, or even random things like Sunsteel or Pyro Ball burns. Seismitoad also became a very solid check to DGZ thanks to resisting V-create and being neutral to Icicle Crash and most importantly being immune to the insane coverage option of Bolt Beak. In a similar vein, Fur Coat Reshiram worked to check DGZ although both it and Seismitoad crumbled to moldy sets or MGLO Wood Hammer in toad's case.

Offensively, it is hard to ask for a better typing in BH than Ice / Fire but it comes with a major drawback of being 4x weak to Stealth Rock. It also brings weaknesses to Fighting and Water, which could be used by faster threats with STAB like Zamazenta and Barraskewda as well as coverage from Zacian-C. Hero forme of Zama was in its prime at this time, still running around with Cotton Guard Body Press to bully DGZ and squash it after tanking V-creates.

Later on in the generation, up until the snowman was banished from the metagame, offensively checking it with faster threats was still one of the best options. Shadow Rider was insanely fast and strong and could kill it first and Pheromosa also offensively pressured it with Fighting STAB, although everyone was still on their toes in these situations due to Dynamax being a thing. Things didn't get much better for checking this mon defensively, outside of running Baneful Bunker on almost every teammate. So yeah, you didn't really deal with DGZ. It dealt with you.

 

[Tea Guzzler]

(note: i did not play when caly-s was legal, so just going off of forums, but no-one else is posting to this bloody thread so someone has to do it)

What effect did Pokemon have on the metagame?

Calyrex-Shadow was an obscenely powerful threat in the very brief time it was allowed in the tier. Great Typing and Absurd base stats made this a completely overbearing force in the tier. All of it's sets used entirely different checks and running into the wrong one basically meant you had no answers, similar to Zacian-Crowned - also similar in this regard is that sometimes your checks just got busted through and there was nothing you could do. Unlike Zacian, however, Calyrex was not only the fastest (highly viable) mon in the tier but also could hold an item, letting it pull even more whacky shit.

In what main roles was Pokemon used?

Calyrex-Shadow ran 3 primary sets - Choice Specs Adaptability (which took advantage of the absurd Sp. Atk, 3 superpowered STABs in Astral Barrage, Moongeist Beam and Photon Geyser and busted base stats), Normalize + Techno Blast (abusing it's unmatched speed tier to be immune to non-priority attacks and, unlike Dragapult, dealing actual damage) and Lightningrod + Electrify (similar to Normalize). All 3 were used as offensive menaces, with the latter 2 being fully self-improofed (Setup / Techno Blast / Focus Blast or Boomburst / Electrify or Entrainment), and the former being used similar to modern-day Spectrier sets but significantly stronger.

What caused it to have a significant impact?

Calyrex-S's base stats are such a massive enabler for it's godsend typing and absurd Sp. Atk to start causing havoc on the field - once it's on the field, it's massive damage output is almost guaranteed to either get a kill or make you drain all momentum in containing it. The lack of overlapping walls for it's sets also helps it's offensive presence as simply running into the wrong Calyrex can immediately spell trouble (which no other mon currently in BH can replicate). In addition, the set variety was just enough to the point where even one of the 3 "standard" sets isn't guaranteed to pop up - you could run into QD sets that completely invalidate your scarfers. You could run into Life Orb variants that end any counterplay dependent on the choice lock. The point i'm trying to get across is that you were never truly safe from Caly-S, regardless of the measures you took against it, unless you molded your whole team around Calyrex counterplay (at which point you probably have a bad team). Calyrex's immunity sets also excel at eliminating any counterplay through Knock Off or Spectral Thief. Furthermore, you don't even have to use up a team slot for these sets in order to improof - it does that itself.

How do/did you deal with this Pokemon in BH?

Simply put: there is no 100% answer. The fact is that it's sets all use vastly different counters, and even running if you ran into the correct counter you'd have a very decent chance of beating it through either a moveset mix-up or simply with raw strength.

• As mentioned above, Scarfers were some of the most "reliable" Calyrex answers but could run into trouble with QD sets.
• Magic Bounce users were able to at least hit Normalize sets, but Electrify goes through Magic Bounce so they couldn't do much to Lightningrod sets.
• Powerful Priority like Triage Oblivion Wing would usually be sufficient to scare Calyrex out.
• Taunt / Corrosive Gas were useful in limiting Calyrex's impact. Neither runs into Normalize but both run into Lightningrod, so Prankster would be necessary against Electrify sets.
• Yveltal resisted both STABs and could threaten back with powerful priority. It's able to live 2 Specs Adapt Astral Barrages with only a +Sp. Def nature, before Assault Vest or Ice Scales. Other Dark types lived hits fairly well but were often lacking in the offense department and could drop to Focus Blast.

 

[cityscapes]

What effect did Reshiram have on the metagame?

Those familiar with pre-DLC BH will recall how Reshiram was one of a quite small group of legendaries allowed in the format. In a metagame with an extremely high power level featuring threats like Galarian Darmanitan-Zen and Zacian-Crowned, Reshiram's unique typing and ability to hit back with Fire STAB distinguished it as a Pokemon that could counteract these threats, typically with Fur Coat. Reshiram was one of the main reasons for the prevalence of Ground-type attackers (Excadrill, Seismitoad, Earthquake as coverage), as well as the niche Primordial Sea Zacian to stop it from sweeping.

Nowadays, Reshiram is less of a Pokemon that demands unique preparation (if you're prepared for Eternatus and defensive dragons, you're most likely set against Reshiram as well), but in terms of viability it's perfectly fine; its high stats and great typing make it good for fighting against Regigigas/Xerneas structures.

In what main roles was Reshiram used?

Pre-DLC Reshiram was used mainly as a semi-passive Fur Coat wall, often bringing utility moves such as Court Change and Teleport, and always carrying a Fire-type move, typically Lava Plume. Many sets lacked a Dragon-type move and were actually walled by opposing Eternatus not to mention Imposter (though Wobbuffet was terrible). However, one must not overlook the dangerous offensive sets: Reshiram was the single most deadly Shell Smash user and a major reason for the move's ban, and even in the post-Smash era Reshiram was still not a safe Pokemon to switch into. Poison Heal saw some use as a sort of proto-Xerneas, though giving up Fur Coat made the team much weaker to physical attackers.

Modern Reshiram fuses the offensive and defensive roles to create a Pokemon that gets a foothold by walling out an opposing attacker, then does obnoxious things with its STAB moves. One example of this is the Soundproof set (Lava Plume/Core Enforcer/Recover/Stealth Rock), which maintains hazards vs Pixilate Xerneas while spreading burns with Lava Plume, trading damage with PH Regigigas, and being wickedly difficult to force out. Offensive Fur Coat, which puts the prime focus on walling PH Regigigas and acting as a wincon with Quiver Dance, is also a very strong threat. (Eternabeam may not be the best option on it, though.)

What caused it to have a significant impact?

Reshiram kind of does everything. Its typing is arguably on the level of Regigigas and Xerneas, having some annoying weaknesses to Dragon and Ground but bringing along crucial resistances to Fire and Electric, two of BH's most dangerous attacking types. Dragon/Fire also serves Reshiram very well offensively, being unresisted save for Tapu Fini and Fire-immune Fairy- and Steel-types. Reshiram also has great moves to abuse this typing. One example is STAB Core Enforcer, which forces out Poison Heal Regigigas, removes Flash Fire from Zamazenta-C, and does big damage to opposing Dragon-types, all in the space of one slot. On the Fire-type side of things, Reshiram's options are no less bountiful: Lava Plume, Blue Flare, Magma Storm, Fire Lash, Sacred Fire, and V-Create can all be put to good use by Reshiram depending on the role for which it is being used. This is further aided by Reshiram's fantastic all-around stats, which support physical, special, mixed, and defensive sets alike.

How do/did you deal with Reshiram in BH?

Assuming you don't have the good fortune of loading a hard counter into it, the best way to beat Reshiram is by not giving it opportunities to come in and making it miserable with status and, if applicable, hazards. (QD Reshiram teams should run Heal Bell for this reason; huhshrug was kind of ahead of his time lol) Non-aggressive sets have issues with Imposter and PH Xerneas coming in on them, and the pre-DLC passive Fur Coat ones had WORST MON ON TEAM syndrome. I remember seeing Anchor/Fire Lash/Spectral used. It would be easier to list how not to deal with that.

That said, you can also kind of just play against Reshiram. It typically won't be breaking at hyperspeed compared to the opposing team, so even when it has a good position, the other team usually has some sort of counterplay. Even QD Reshiram teams have to implement measures to not auto-lose if they run into a hard counter, resulting in an exploitable team structure.

 

[cityscapes]

doing another cause im bored



What effect did Zamazenta-C have on the metagame?

Zamazenta-C's introduction into the metagame was something completely unprecedented: it was a fat steel that was actually good. If you were unfamiliar with closed games and incremental progress, Zamazenta-C would make you regret that pretty quickly. One could also argue that the entirety of Gen 8 BH (especially before DLC2) revolved around Zamazenta-C and Eternatus finding ways to get an advantage against each other.

Due to Zamazenta-C's universal usage and variety of sets especially with the introduction of Ice Scales, it's difficult to point out any specific impact it made: not everything did get walled by Zama-C, but everything could get walled by it. When building, you had to account for Fur Coat Zamazenta-C against your physical attackers, Ice Scales Zamazenta-C against your special attackers, Magic Bounce Zamazenta-C against your hazard setters, and Flash Fire/Primordial Sea Zamazenta-C against your fire moves.

In what main roles was Zamazenta-C used?

Zamazenta-C is unique among defensive Pokemon in that you almost never see it using Prankster. This is due to a difference that some call "beating something vs not losing to it": non-passive Zamazenta-C sets are much more effective at both actually beating the majority of things (save for Simple setup/Belly Drum/omniboosting) and not immediately ceding momentum to the next mon to come in. Anchor Shot + Spectral Thief + Body Press is surprisingly difficult to switch around, and even on traditionally defensive sets, moves such as Fishious Rend (especially on Primordial Sea), Bolt Beak/Bolt Strike, Glacial Lance, Thunderous Kick, and Knock Off saw varying degrees of usage. Defensive Zamazenta-C was not hard to wall, but it could be very tricky to take advantage of.

Although most defensive Zamazenta-C sets followed this pattern of running several attacks, the Pokemon could definitely get away with running utility moves. Corrosive Gas, Defog, Entrainment, Topsy-Turvy, and Heal Bell were some of the most common examples, typically with the goal of halting opposing progress. These were especially relevant in Cramorant meta due to how hard Cramorant punished Zamazenta-C's attacking moves. Sets with one or more utility moves should nearly always carry Anchor Shot to deal damage, trap Imposter, and threaten to remove sweepers or Poison Heal users.

Of course, on the other end of the spectrum we have purely offensive Zamazenta-C sets. Although these were never meta-breaking due to Zamazenta-C's lackluster offensive profile compared to other available options and its inability to run Poison Heal, several sets were able to thrive. Typically Fighting STAB would be run alongside two to three of Sunsteel Strike, Bolt Strike, Glacial Lance, and Wicked Blow. The issue with the idea was Zamazenta-C having to choose between breaking power and longevity, both of which it desperately needed; a good example of this is the tough choice between Regenerator and Tough Claws. Offensive Zamazenta-C would also often use setup moves, especially Swords Dance and Belly Drum, which tended to fare better than 4 attacks or 3 attacks + Strength Sap variants.

Also worth noting is the Pressure set with Coil/Baneful Bunker/Substitute/Anchor Shot and Leftovers (though more defensive sets can also be considered), which was criminally unexplored throughout the generation but is by far the best Pressure user BH has ever had. This set can struggle to outlast hazard-centric builds in the long term and requires Lunar Dance support to avoid getting walled out by Prankster, but can do truly disgusting things in some scenarios, such as against Pokemon dependent on V-Create to beat it.

What caused it to have a significant impact?

Nothing too complicated, it just has really good stats. Zamazenta-C's neutrality against Fairy and Flying is a pain and a big reason why other Steel-types see any use at all, but in return the Fighting typing provides it with a pretty useful STAB move. Notably, it matches up well against both Regigigas and Xerneas, though it can't counter both with a single ability and struggles against Nuzzle. Anchor Shot is also just an incredible move in general and Zamazenta-C is the best user of it; there are a lot of Pokemon that don't want to be trapped with it.

How do/did you deal with Zamazenta-C in BH?

Most teams carry several methods of beating Zamazenta-C in case one is nullified by its specific set. A good example of this is PH Regigigas + Pixilate Xerneas, who are individually walled by Fur Coat and Ice Scales respectively but are guaranteed to break through when used together. Zamazenta-C is also typically one of a team's strongest assets, meaning that it taking status, Trick, surprise Imprison + Transform, or even chip damage in general will be particularly impactful to a team. Another good way to get an advantage against Zamazenta-C is with pivots. Teleport users such as Ho-Oh and Giratina can bring in dangerous Pokemon like Groudon while taking Zamazenta-C's hits easily.

 

[in the hills]

Gonna give 48 extra hours since I messed up with the deadline originally. Don't expect extra time for other tiers though this isn't gonna be a regular thing. Get a few more submissions in, I'm sure there's a few deserving Pokemon that haven't been nominated yet!

 

[UT]

What effect did Pokemon have on the metagame?

Pre-DLC and in DLC 1, Lunala was a popular Choice Specs user as Ghost resists were rare and its Speed tier was more beneficial due to the slower pace of the meta. In DLC 2 it fell off hard while Caly-S was legal, cause it's the same thing but way faster. In the Crown Tundra Era, it uses its bulk and good typing, including a key immunity to Normal (gm Regigigas) to make a solid Fur Coat Wall.

In what main roles was Pokemon used?

Again, used to be a Specs nukes, now is mostly a physically defensive wall. The physically defensive set is nice to spread paralysis and check a range of attackers, once you figure out what has Dark coverage. It also has some cheesy options like No Retreat while being able to still switch out, along with STAB Moongiest Beam and Stored Power.

What caused it to have a significant impact?

Ghosts do be broken.

How do/did you deal with this Pokemon in BH?

Back then, you needed to pack Ghost resists with good bulk, and pray that you also didn't guess wrong into a coverage move. Now, physical attackers like Regigigas sometimes equip Wicked Blow to beat it.

 

[XxLazzerpenguinxX]

Enter your nominee's sprite here.


What effect did Pokemon have on the metagame?

Many water pokemon in the tier, such as suicune and Kyogre during its time were inherently invalidated by the presence of Zekrom. However, these pokemon were sometimes seen as electric immune pokemon (but they otherwise did nothing besides checking Zekrom). Melmetal was popular due to its high base defense stat, which allowed it to stomach Zekrom bolt beaks. Many teams needed two defensive pokemon, invested i phy def to try and beat Zekrom.

In what main roles was Pokemon used?

Zekrom was mainly either a sweeper with Adaptability or Transister, long term pheal wincon, or banded on esurge teams / with intrepid sword.
The Adaptability set generally consised of Bolt Beak / Multi-Attack (dragon) / Shift Gear / Strength Sap. At +1 Bolt Beak would KO most non-resists / non-fc pokemon. The long term pheal wincon was generally Bolt Beak / Dragon Darts / Dragon Dance / Wil-o-Wisp. This was the baseline set and could be shuffled around to include Stealth Rocks i.e. Bolt Beak / Sacred Fire / Dragon Dance / Stealth Rocks. Banded Zekroms were usually 4att with broken physical moves. After Bolt Beak's ban, Zekrom is now mainly used as a Magic Guard (Volt Tackle / Dragon Energy / Spikes / Strength Sap)- para immune and Ho-oh check progress maker.

What caused it to have a significant impact?

I think it can be unanimously understood, that what made Zekrom the beast it is, was Bolt Beak. Electric coverage was very strong in the tier, especially when paired with Dragon. Bolt Beak really enabled this, and allowed it to one shot many pokemon or heavily dent them at +1 or even at +0. Zekrom's typing is also very nice for switching into Anchor Shot's and thus would often have free turns to switch in.

How do/did you deal with this Pokemon in BH?

FC melmetal, FC Zama-C, Volt Absorb Primarina, Dialga, Ferrothorn, FC Swampert, FC Seismitoad, and prankster pokemon (to go before bolt beak) were most of the ways to stop Adaptability sets. The Poison Heal sets generally, wouldn't be stopped long term. But it was kept in control by Xerneas, Melmetal and Zacian-Crowned.

 

[in the hills]

Now, we'll move onto voting. Meaning that it's time to vote for #1.

Here's how this will work, we'll start with #1 and move down to #10 from there. Every 24 hours or so we'll move on to the next.

Options (alphabetically ordered)

Calyrex-Shadow
Chansey
Cramorant-Gorging
Darmanitan-Galar-Zen
Eternatus
Giratina
Lunala
Regigigas
Reshiram
Xerneas
Zacian-Crowned
Zamazenta-Crowned
Zekrom

 

[in the hills]

Zacian-Crowned

 

[Tea Guzzler]

#1 - Zacian-Crowned