Metagame Trademarked

[SamHPL]

It's not like I didn't enjoy contributing and doing most of the VR structure with Funbot, but I would appreciate not being forgotten and seeing SamHPL being thanked for a couple meaningless things, you know.

Also if it isn't clear enough, buzzwole completely outclasses conkeldurr and actually checks landorus and garchomp. Also has many more useful resists, better bulk, better speed. Don't use it in TR it 's not strong enough and has to predict too much, unlike sub marowak-alola which totally outclasses it there. Try it out first before ranking it where it doesn't belong at all, besides it's not even better than buzzwole on paper, so I really don't understand what is not obvious in my statement.

Nice of you to mention me for no reason lol. And why are you assuming I haven't tried Conk out? The whole reason I suggested Conk getting ranked (I didn't even suggest placement) is because I found a lot of success using it in a TR balance team (the team I used for Hoopa reqs). Now, if you're using a terrible set like LO FPunch-less Conk I can understand why you would think it's bad. Here's the set:

Conkeldurr @ Leftovers
Ability: substitute
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Drain Punch
- Focus Punch
- Earthquake
- Knock Off

I used it alongside Will-o-Wisp Mew on my team, so whenever they brought in something that could wall (like Fini, Pex, etc.) I'd knock them off then get them burned with Mew. Most mons simply don't enjoy getting Focus Punched without lefties and burned, so that combo really helped me break through stuff.

 

[Clefable]

I wanted to share another team I've been working on. A while ago I posted an SD Lucario set that I think is one of the tier's best cleaners. Here it is again:

Lucario @ Life Orb
Ability: Swords Dance
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Extreme Speed
- Close Combat
- Bullet Punch
- Bone Rush

Extremespeed + SD is incredibly strong in every OM that it's allowed in, so why not try it in Trademarked? Lucario does 70%+ to almost everything in the tier with its strong priority attacks while also beating Sub Exca/TTar/Marowak/Tran with Bone Rush. Its biggest weaknesses are Toxapex and Sub fighting types like Buzzwole. That's why I pair it with this Hoopa set:

Hoopa @ Leftovers
Ability: Substitute
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hyperspace Hole
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
- Nasty Plot

Like Hoopa-U, little Hoopa is the Sub mon that beats other Sub mons. Hyperspace Hole allows Hoopa to switch in on all the stuff that bothers Lucario. What I like about the Luc + Hoopa core is the fact that both mons take advantage of Chansey and both fit well on a hazard stacking team. Because I rely on Hoopa for grindy matchups, Lefties is the preferred item.

I built a full team around this core which ended up pretty interesting I think, so here's a mini RMT.

Importable

Lucario @ Life Orb
Ability: Swords Dance
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Close Combat
- Extreme Speed
- Bullet Punch
- Bone Rush

Hoopa @ Leftovers
Ability: Substitute
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hyperspace Hole
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
- Nasty Plot

Aerodactyl-Mega @ Aerodactylite
Ability: Stealth Rock
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Pursuit
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- Ice Fang

Roserade @ Eject Button
Ability: Spikes
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Toxic Spikes
- Leaf Storm
- Sleep Powder
- Hidden Power [Ground]

Magearna @ Fairium Z
Ability: Heal Bell
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Protect
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Fleur Cannon

Alomomola @ Eject Button
Ability: Wish
EVs: 248 HP / 16 Def / 240 SpD / 4 Spe
Impish Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Toxic
- Protect
- Healing Wish

Set Details

Lucario + Hoopa: See above

Lucario's home is on Spikestack Offense, and Rocks Maero is half of the spike stacking core. I chose Mega Aero because I wanted a speedy Pursuit user to pick off ghosts who would stop a Lucario sweep that could also set rocks. Edgequake is for general coverage, Ice Fang is for Lando/Chomp, Fire Fang for Kartana would also be reasonable to run but idk where it'd go.

Roserade's purpose is to set Spikes and absorb Toxic Spikes, which is important so that Hoopa doesn't lose to Chansey + Pex or other obnoxious cores like that. Eject Button allows it to function as a one-time "volt switch immunity". Leaf Storm + HP Ground let Rade hit pretty hard while not being total Tran fodder. Toxic Spikes and Sleep Powder can sometimes win games, but most of the time you'll be foddering Rade for free spikes and switches.

Random Will-O-Wispers really irritate most of the mons on this team, and Heal Bell Magearna is an easy to use cleric that ensures your Lucario sweep stays alive. I didn't have a Z-user so I went for Modest Fairium here, but I'm sure the set can be improved somehow. The team so far is somewhat soft to TR, so I added Protect to help run down the turns.

It's so hard to build a successful team without a Wish user, even on HO, so here's Mola. Alomomola + Magearna + MAero is a known core and Mola does an ok job blanket checking physical attackers. Eject Button + Healing Wish prevent it from being a total momentum black hole. For a cooler option that deals with Heatran and Kartana a bit better, you could try out Wish Mence, but I haven't found a set that works for me yet.

Replays

These are from a room tour that I ended up winning. In both games the plan was very similar: set up spikes and win with Lucario.

This game shows how Heal Bell Mag can save a sweep:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7trademarked-915025770

Here's an example of how Bone Rush Lucario can break through Chansey/Heatran cores:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7trademarked-915033196

I think this tier is far from fully explored and there are a lot of creative sets waiting to be discovered and put to good use. Shoutout to SamHPL who took the Sub Tran + TSpikes idea and turned it into an absolute powerhouse of a team. Even if Sub and Wish end up staying, I think Trademarked will still be fun to build and play.

 

[LordHelix]

Heyo i heard yall hate fat mons and screech pursuit trappers, well here is a set that annoys alot of fatter core and gets rid of any dark types

I present to u, mini gothitelle

Klefki @ Choice Band
Ability: fairylock
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Play Rough
- Switcheroo
- Spikes
- Thunder Wave​

"But wait lordhelix, choice band klefki really?"

So how does it work? fairy lock forces you and the opponent to stay in for two turns for if u lead with it or uturn into it for some reason, but if u hard switch it in you trap them in for one turn only (not sure if its oversight or not but i dont really care tbh)

This set enables u to cripple iron defense Skarm, spikes Ferrothorn, and Chansey (altho u dont trap it reliably unless u catch it on a uturn cause it can protect on switchin) by hard switching and tricking to neutralize a threat. Obviously goes without saying it traps annoying ass darks like Hoopa ass-bound and Greninja and screech Tyranitar

So.. yea that basically it, its one dimensional, it traps, it tricks, it sets up a spike

Replays:

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7trademarked-902271110
Klefki traps porygon which stops it from healing or setting trick room as easily

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7trademarked-903922966
Tricks zapdos which is really hard for my team to wear down or switch into and after klefki dies it actually forces hoopa to stay in for two turns for it to get revenged by kartana

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7trademarked-902263806
Neutralizes togekiss to make it easier to switch in, also annoys with spikes throughout games

I wish i saved more replays, there was this notable stall match where it crippled Chansey on a double and trapped screech pursuit Ttar after it killed my mew which made breaking through the stall so much easier

Hide

Also shoutouts to imposter mew, with whirlwind it doubles as a phaser vs sub users and a emergency check to set up sweepers AND annoys fat teams by switching in constantly. It just puts in so much work

Also zhoutouts to sub Heatran and Chansey core that makes me wanna gouge my eyes out as well

 

[Alucs]

Requisites

(Gosh laddering has been awful)

I'm feeling fairly conflicted about Substitute.
I feel like it has been integral to the metagame as a whole and in this laddering session I have had close to no problems with it, since I made changes to my team and (particularly) added a counter to almost all viable substitute users, while having a substitute Alolan-Maroak of my own to with Bonemerang keep them in check.

Primarina @ Leftovers
Ability: Reflect
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Moonblast
- Sparkling Aria
- Psychic/Ice Beam/Psyshock
- Toxic

It is able to deal with Alolan-Maroak, Buzzwole, Conkeldurr, Tyranittar and beats or strongly pressures Heatran, while getting a toxic off on Chansey the opponent might use as an answer after protecting with Heatran, for example. It is not a certain counter to Kommo-o but in principle it should 1v1 it. Note it used under Trick Room, explaining the quiet nature and the 0 speed IV's. I would very much enjoy hearing your opinions.

Here is the team I went 28-2 with (and one of the losses was due to a double misclick.): https://pokepast.es/6a549efe6e409f62
(Gender's set to female against the incredibly rare attract TM and enjoy the fear-based nicknames)

There is no way of denying Substitute has been immensely centralising. Not having one on your team is strictly worse than including it. While I feel Hoopa-Unbound was unfun to both use and play against, I don't feel the same about substitute. As multiple people have said, P-don is incredibly centralising in the Ubers tier, and that is not necessarily problematic. Substitute has a whole lot of viable users and in that sense it promotes variety. However, the Ubers tier has a lot of ways to deal with Primal-Groudon and Trademark is not in the same situation; Primarina is a very good Pokemon, being able to run Rain Dance, Reflect and Light Screen, for example; Hoopa-Confined is a fairly good option if paired with sub but looses to any non-fighting substitute users; Meloetta, Noivern, Swellow, Chandelure (and god sake) Chatot are all incredibly subpar. Not to mention absolutely all of these lose to Alolan-Maroak (especially under TR), Tyranitar and even harder to Heatran. The fact that Primarina is not even sure to beat Heatran and Kommo-o goes to show how overpowered substitute can be. The best way to deal with substitute is to have a user of the trademark yourself. As referred, that makes some matches dependent on the matchup of sub users. It is also exactly the situation which defines over-centrality.

It it hard for me to let Substitute go. It is fun to play with, if frustrating to play against. However, I think the tier is not only centralised around it, but unhealthily so. There are very few non-sub pokemon that can deal with it and it constraints team building too much on that front. I have to vote ban, even though I don't know how to build without substitute; that's probably a good thing for the tier, as Mengy said. For the time being I'm easily swayed, however. I expect to hear your opinion.

 

[SamHPL]

It it hard for me to let Substitute go. It is fun to play with, if frustrating to play against. However, I think the tier is not only centralised around it, but unhealthily so. There are very few non-sub pokemon that can deal with it and it constraints team building too much on that front. I have to vote ban, even though I don't know how to build without substitute but that's probably a good thing for the tier, as mengy said. For the time being I'm easily swayed, however. I expect to hear your opinion.

It's crazy how well this sums up my feelings about Sub too. As I talked about how fun Clefable's team was, there was the implication of how fun using Sub can be, too. I can see how it's by nature too strong, but sometimes it feels like only a few sub users (Tran, Maro-A) with proper support (TSpikes, Defog) really feel like too much. I have already voted pro ban, but maybe if there's a good enough point my opinion could change. Still, regardless of it all, it's clear that Sub is at the very least extremely centralizing. I'm curious for what possibilties would open up in a Sub-less metagame, not that it necessarily matters for the suspect tho.

 

[Im Texas Tough]

Hi everybody. Although I've been playing PS for 6 years, this is my first time posting in Smogon. Ever. The debate on banning sub really got me into this. I personally enjoy sub. I dislike Wish Chansey more. This is why I built this team:

This team has evolved step by step, first being anti-TrickRoom, then anti-Chansey, and now currently trying to be anti-stall. It has elements that work against all three. It's not perfect, but it's been my most successful Trademarked team so far. (1415 rating, 68 W/ 60L (not all with this team, but I've easily played 40+ games with all the iterations of this team))

Primarina @ Leftovers
Ability: substitute
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Sparkling Aria
- Moonblast
- Toxic
- Protect
​

Primarina is almost always the lead. For me it is the best sub-user (great bulk + typing + power), and the best anti-sub (great sound move + tanks hits + good lure for counters). Sparkling Aria hits Kartana hard, with a 80% chance to OHKO if Kartana used sub. 2HKO's Victini even under the Sun, before the V-Create SpDef drop. Sub-Heatran, Excadrill, Buzzwole, and my personal favorite, Kommo-o, fall prey to it. **It used to have Ice Beam**, but I swapped it for Toxic so I can hurt Chansey. Like I said, this team is made for Chanseys, and since Primarina is such a good lure for Chanseys...

Gengar @ Black Sludge
Ability: trick
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Destiny Bond
- Shadow Ball
- Sludge Wave
- Taunt
​

Once Chansey takes a SA or a Moonblast, she'll try to Toxic me or break my sub with Seismic Toss. In comes Gengar, swapping out her Eviolite for some nasty Black Sludge. Outside of rare T-Wave variants, Chansey does SQUAT to Gengar. So she'll have to switch, giving Gengar a free shot to do some damage, Taunt, or set up a Destiny Bond. **It used to have Sticky Barb, so it could also hurt Toxapex right off the bat**, but I realize that with the shenanigans that Gengar causes, Gengar will have some other item by the time I switch into a Toxapex. Imperator Romanum is right when he says that Trick is great in this meta. Gengar is a great spinblocker & Toxic Spikes remover as well. My favorite plays are made with this guy. I once gave an AV to a Chansey and it was hilarious. Black Sludge is a low key poison that allows me to stall out A-Marowak and other threats. Gengar is a good revenge killer against Scarf Manaphy/Xurki/Victini, as you take their Scarf in the switch-in. Gengar attracts a lot of Magearnas, so in comes...

Claydol @ Leftovers
Ability: trickroom
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 5 Spe
- Rapid Spin
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic
​

Trick Room Claydol. Yeah, that's right. It's special bulk is nothing to laugh at, as it is 3HKO'd by Magearna's Ice Beam and has even survived Shadow Balls from Blacephalons. Trick Room as an ability was chosen not to make this a Trick Room team, but after losing so much to teams featuring TR Magearna or Stakataka, I figured this out; Claydol can take a hit from them, shut down their TR, and either hurt them with a solid EQ, setup my own hazards, or clear up the opponent's. **I have swapped places with SR and TR** after facing once particular stall team, in which I realized I needed more hazards to beat stall with this team. However, at the end of the day, since I only have two fast pokemon, TR is what saves me from being swept by fast set up and Scarfed pokemon. The 5 speed IVs are so it outspeeds Mega Mawile under TR. Toxic is there so I can also hurt Chansey, EQ hits Toxapex, but I got nothing for Ferrothorn, so in comes...

Chesnaught @ Leftovers
Ability: spikes
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Leech Seed
- Spiky Shield
- Drain Punch
- Earthquake
​

One of the most recent additions, Chesnaught was the wake up call to my lack of hazards (**he used to be a Curse Mega Heracross with 4 multi-hit moves. Sadly the weakest link back then**). He can reliably switch in, set up Spikes, and take a hit. Resists all of Ferro's moves and forces him out. **He used to be a Sub-Puncher,** but I realized that setting up that Sub was kinda slow and unreliable, especially against things like Ice Punch Mega Swampert. Spiky Shield + Drain Punch is more reliable and gives me more longevity. Having now two Protect moves on the team allows me to stall out a burned, Black Sludge'd 6+ Linoone better than before (recently lost to this). Also allows me to stall out Alolan Marowaks under TR and Victinis under the sun better. At 64 Base Speed, it sits just below's Magearna's speed tier, so under TR this boy can hit Maggy with a nasty surprise EQ. I am vulnerable now to Scald burns against Toxapex though, which was also a reason to have subs. I cant have it all, though. So I needed someone to take burns (and dish out some as well)...

Volcanion @ Assault Vest
Ability: willowisp
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Steam Eruption
- Fire Blast
- Sludge Wave
- Earth Power
​

The reliable tank without reliable recovery. Or, he doesn't have recovery at all. That doesnt matter to me, at least; by the time he's dead, he's soaked up several Will-o-Wisp's and, in return, burnt several Swords Dancers such as Kartana & Lando-T, and also Toxapex's as I can't Toxic them. Volcanion has great natural bulk, so with AV and Will-o-Wisp, he can take all sorts of hits and live. Great switch in against Victini, Kartana, Magearna, Primarina, etc. Its powerful, varied movepool forces lots of switches, which is good for me if I have my spikes and rocks set up. Once Chansey is dead, Volcanion is free to hit hard. It synergizes great with the rest of the team, so it is a good lure for many walls, and its team members can take hits for him. 70 base speed is the awkward middle stage of Pokemon; however, in a half TR, half normal team, its great, as under the right conditions,it can sweep both sweepers or walls. It's typing makes it the most vulnerable against SR however, and so far I have no Flying types...

Aerodactyl @ Aerodactylite
Ability: honeclaws
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- Fire Fang
- Defog
​

The rookie. **After its previous iteration, SD Acrobatics Talonflame** fell time and time again to many bulky Zapdos', I realized I needed something to kill Zapdos, but can also take in a Heat Wave, only take SR damage, and be faster than things like Greninja. After seeing that the only other fast, physical Flying-type was Aerodactyl, I swapped in my team's second burn immunity for an arguably better pokemon. Better bulk, a Mega with better natural offensive stats (after Maggy takes the boosts away with Heart Swap), an actual ability, better coverage (for Skarm, Toxa, Ferro, Maggy), a speed tier only rivaled by Mega Zam (bye bye Zeraora), a Normal resistance (tho Linoone one-shots Mega Aero anyway), a slot to use Defog when hazards get out of hand and only 25% taken from SR, Aero is proving to be a worthy replacement. Haven't gotten the chance to Stone Edge a Zapdos to death tho.

Threats include heavy stall cores such as Chansey+Toxa+Ferro, as they can wear me down hard using hazards. That's why I recently added Defog to Aerodactyl. To me, Sub can be worn down, so I wouldn't say to ban. However, my sub alt is still underway, so I'll be back when I got the requirements.

I post a lot of replays in case evidence. My last few matches were losses, I'm finally facing people in the 1500's and I'm finally seeing some new strategies.

Yes I like Migos, in case you're wondering. Yes, I know I have some lyrics wrong.

Importable

Primarina @ Leftovers
Ability: substitute
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Sparkling Aria
- Moonblast
- Toxic
- Protect

Gengar @ Black Sludge
Ability: trick
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Destiny Bond
- Shadow Ball
- Sludge Wave
- Taunt

Claydol @ Leftovers
Ability: trickroom
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 5 Spe
- Rapid Spin
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic

Chesnaught @ Leftovers
Ability: spikes
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Leech Seed
- Spiky Shield
- Drain Punch
- Earthquake

Volcanion @ Assault Vest
Ability: willowisp
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Steam Eruption
- Fire Blast
- Sludge Wave
- Earth Power

Aerodactyl @ Aerodactylite
Ability: honeclaws
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- Fire Fang
- Defog

 

[Clefable]

Not many posts recently so I wanted to share a fun idea I've been toying with.

Webs + Gravity Groundspam

We all know how dangerous Sticky Web HO can be, but it has some serious flaws in Inheritance:

- Many of the tier's threats boost Speed upon switching in (Volcarona, Kartana, Lando)
- Fast flying type mons roam the tier (Mega Aerodactyl, Archeops ... Lando)
- The tier is filled with autodefoggers, many of which are also flying type (Zapdos, Skarmory, and, you guessed it, Lando)
- Trick Room is very, very strong (Phew, no Lando here)

One fun way to patch these flaws is with the move Gravity, set by Landorus. Webs + Gravity work together quite nicely. Landorus appreciates the guaranteed speed drop from webs, which allows us to spam EQ without worrying as much about getting revenged. SD Garchomp is an awesome abuser of both webs and gravity, and double ground spam gives us a good matchup versus TR, which tends to stack ground-weak mons. Plus, autofoggers can't switch into EQ when gravity is up.

This still leaves us weak to speed boosting mons, but oh well.

Here's the core in a bit more detail:

Ribombee Set

Ribombee @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Sticky Web
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- U-turn
- Moonblast
- Bug Buzz
- Hidden Power [Ice]

Ribombee is the only viable Webs setter in my opinion. It's not total deadweight with a momentum move, a spammable STAB, and a move that hits through Sub. I run Scarf since Ribo is fast enough to outpace some -1 spe Tailwind users. With Gravity, Ribombee can end up being our only EQ switchin, so HP Ice is for enemy Landos, but Aromatherapy/Defog/Trick/anything else could work in that slot.

Landorus Set

Landorus-Therian @ Choice Band
Ability: Gravity
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Stone Edge
- Knock Off

With Gravity up, Landorus is free to spam strong Ground moves and take lives. I prefer Choice Band to something like Groundium just to maximize immediate damage output. Soft Sand + SD could be another idea, but why settle for 1.2x damage when you are clicking EQ 9000% of the time?

edit: I've been playing with another Lando set, not for the faint of heart:

Landorus-Therian @ Choice Specs
Ability: Gravity
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Earth Power
- Sludge Bomb
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- U-turn

Why Specs? Well, lots of defensive teams have Willo Cofag or Mew as their main Lando switchin, and both of those get blown back by EPower. I wouldn't say this set is better than the Band set (Lando walled by Chansey lol), but it gets the 2HKOs it needs, and if the rest of your team ends up being a bunch of physical attackers it could be a reasonable choice.

Garchomp Set

Garchomp @ Lum Berry
Ability: Swords Dance
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dual Chop
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Fire Fang

I was surprised when I started testing this how incredibly effective this Garchomp set is. It hits really hard thanks to SD, but no Heart Swap/Haze users can switch into it, nor can Willo users thanks to Lum. It has the bulk to take a neutral hit, the speed to outpace QD Volcarona, and unlike choiced sets, it can switch moves freely to take advantage of its good coverage. Dual Chop lets it muscle past some Sub users.

What I like about this core is that it's aggressive and easy to build around. It gives you a game plan and two win cons but leaves open your choice of Sub mon, Z user, and Mega. The core doesn't provide everything (no hazards, buzzwole/prima weak, dies at the thought of an ice move) but it's a good starting point. I threw together a team really quickly that I think is fun and works well, though it can definitely be improved.

Importable

Ribombee @ Choice Scarf
Ability: stickyweb
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Bug Buzz
- Moonblast
- U-turn
- Hidden Power [Ice]

Landorus-Therian @ Choice Band
Ability: gravity
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Stone Edge
- Knock Off

Garchomp @ Lum Berry
Ability: swordsdance
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dual Chop
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Fire Fang

Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: substitute
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Magma Storm
- Earth Power
- Toxic
- Taunt

Ferrothorn @ Eject Button
Ability: spikes
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Protect
- Bullet Seed
- Gyro Ball
- Knock Off

Gardevoir-Mega @ Gardevoirite
Ability: willowisp
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Heal Bell
- Healing Wish
- Hyper Voice
- Psyshock

Replays

Here's a battle where the wincon was just clicking EQ in Gravity:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7trademarked-916922715

Was having some fun on a joint account. Sub Buzzwole is tough but can be overwhelmed by the squad:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7trademarked-918279169

Replay showing how Specs Lando can break through Will-O-Wisp cores:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7trademarked-919791338

Specs Lando still gets the necessary damage on Ferrothorn:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7trademarked-918548463

 

[Clefable]

Quick post, sorry for double post:

The month is over, the metagame is done, and the Substitute test is about to wrap up. I'm changing my vote to DO NOT BAN.

Yes, Substitute is busted. But the meta is still fun to play, and every single one of my teams has a Sub user. I don't want to lose all of my teams right when the month ends.

It's not just my teams – all the competitive teams I've seen on the ladder have a Sub user. If we invalidate all competitive teams right when the month ends, Trademarked will never become an established OM. There will be no way to reintroduce it in OM tours because nobody will have a legal team or have any grasp on the metagame.

I think that's a sad future for a meta as fun as this one. Alucs, SamHPL, alephgalactus, Imperator Romanum, Whitephoenixace, I hope you see this and consider making a pragmatic decision to let Sub stay.

 

[tzop]

worst argument ever

 

[alephgalactus]

Quick post, sorry for double post:

The month is over, the metagame is done, and the Substitute test is about to wrap up. I'm changing my vote to DO NOT BAN.

Yes, Substitute is busted. But the meta is still fun to play, and every single one of my teams has a Sub user. I don't want to lose all of my teams right when the month ends.

It's not just my teams – all the competitive teams I've seen on the ladder have a Sub user. If we invalidate all competitive teams right when the month ends, Trademarked will never become an established OM. There will be no way to reintroduce it in OM tours because nobody will have a legal team or have any grasp on the metagame.

I think that's a sad future for a meta as fun as this one. Alucs, SamHPL, alephgalactus, Imperator Romanum, Whitephoenixace, I hope you see this and consider making a pragmatic decision to let Sub stay.

Really? I doubt that will happen. If your worry is that “nobody will have a legal team or a grasp on the metagame”, remember that that’s the way every OM starts out. Trademarked won’t be in any worse of a position than it was at the very beginning of its lifetime. Besides, people can still make and test teams on other servers after the end of the month. This meta is coming back eventually, one way or another.

 

[Imperator Romanum]

Quick post, sorry for double post:

The month is over, the metagame is done, and the Substitute test is about to wrap up. I'm changing my vote to DO NOT BAN.

Yes, Substitute is busted. But the meta is still fun to play, and every single one of my teams has a Sub user. I don't want to lose all of my teams right when the month ends.

It's not just my teams – all the competitive teams I've seen on the ladder have a Sub user. If we invalidate all competitive teams right when the month ends, Trademarked will never become an established OM. There will be no way to reintroduce it in OM tours because nobody will have a legal team or have any grasp on the metagame.

I think that's a sad future for a meta as fun as this one. Alucs, SamHPL, alephgalactus, Imperator Romanum, Whitephoenixace, I hope you see this and consider making a pragmatic decision to let Sub stay.

you're going to lose all your team regardless lmao, it wont be eligible for omotm again until after Sword and Shield is out my man

 

[Nuclearstomp]

LOL fair enough. Even so, what's the point of banning something in a metagame nobody will be able to play?

There's a chance one day it will come back. Also there are potentially other servers for people to play Other Metas on if they want, so it's not pointless to ban something broken.

 

[Clefable]

Yeah, I see I'm in the minority here, and I see your points. I'll enjoy the craziness while it lasts. Maybe we'll enjoy a post-ban renaissance of new Trademarked ideas.

Also, last chance to get reqs in!

 

[Ransei]

you're going to lose all your team regardless lmao, it wont be eligible for omotm again until after Sword and Shield is out my man

Despite not having a ladder for at least another four months, we all still have access to this metagame on https://rom.psim.us, and trademarked tournaments can / will be be hosted there, especially for those who would like to play after this suspect's outcome.

Won't be the end of the world without a ladder.

 

[SamHPL]

End of the month coming, so I'm gonna share the other team I built after sharing my old one. It's kind of my take on stall in Trademarked, it's based around putting pressure with hazards and status, and that comes which its pros and cons.

Import

Chansey @ Eviolite
Ability: Wish
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Seismic Toss
- Soft-Boiled
- Heal Bell
- Protect

Tyranitar @ Choice Band
Ability: dragondance
EVs: 76 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 176 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Pursuit
- Crunch
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake

Excadrill @ Leftovers
Ability: Substitute
EVs: 172 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 80 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Protect
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Rapid Spin

Toxapex @ Black Sludge
Ability: Haze
EVs: 252 HP / 188 Def / 68 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Toxic Spikes
- Scald
- Recover
- Baneful Bunker

Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Spikes
EVs: 252 HP / 72 Def / 184 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Leech Seed
- Knock Off
- Protect

Mew @ Leftovers
Ability: willowisp
EVs: 252 HP / 232 Def / 24 Spe
Bold Nature
- Psychic
- Soft-Boiled
- U-turn
- Knock Off

The theme of the team was always supposed to be me setting hazards and then winning the hazards war by having a reliable spinner. Sub Exca with enough HP investment has a Sub that can't be broken in 1 hit by Chansey and has a decent typing, making it a very good choice for the spinner. For compression, I use Spikes Ferro with Rocks in the moveset. Again, instead of running a TSpiker, I use Haze Pex with TSpikes in the moveset because it fits a defensive team better. I knew I needed either Reflect and Will-o-Wisp and each one has its pros and cons: Reflect doesn't miss (lol) and doesn't care about Sub, making it potentially the more reliable choice. Wisp, on the other hand, is permanent (unless they have Heal Bell) and deals damge (!) and that's what makes it the better choice for this team. While when dealing against offense Reflect may be better, spamming burns with Mew is what gives me an edge against many fatter teams, and it does that while still being able to keep physical attackers in check. Chansey is Chansey and TTar is my Pursuit user of choice.

Anyone reading this or checking the team is probably asking themselves "but how do you deal with X?" and chances are you're gonna have to figure out how to deal with X on the run. Yes, chosing Wisp over Reflect makes the team weaker to Sub users and like pretty much all teams, it doesn't have a Sub Tran counter. This team is not as straighfoward to use as my old team (by a longshot) and that may be one of the reasons I actually enjoy using it. I also love that it looks like someone was bulding a SM OU Sand team and just decided to make it a tad too fat lol. There's not much point listing the threats to the team, but "Cleric Offense" (aka Offensive teams that run Defog TM + Heal Bell) are extremely annoying.

If you're still unsure if the team is actually viable (I'm SUB is ez DUB):

Ladder

(Granted I used Mengy's MF + MM team for the first 30 games, after a loss using a TR team I saw in this thread I only used my team for the rest of the games).

You can also check SUB is ez DUB replays if you want.

I wanna thank Whitephoenixace for trusting me as a council member and Clefable for making and sharing cool teams and ideas. It was a fun month as OMotM, guys!

 

[Whitephoenixace]

Substitute suspect will end in an hr. Will try to have the results posted as soon as possible as I will also be at work in that time

 

[Whitephoenixace]

SUBSTITUTE SUSPECT OVER

Results
Ban 8 votes
Do not ban 2 votes

So with an 80% towards ban (70% if Clefable meant to truly change to do not ban). Substiute is now banned as a trademarked.

Tagging The Immortal

Thank you guys for all the support this month as we soon draw to a close as omotm. I know this meta got rough in some places but I hope that it can gain more popularity and be more smooth moving forward. I do see that some also wanted wish banned however and sub to be kept. So if in future we ever get to a point where wish is banned I would consider resuspecting sub. But nonetheless thanks to all who helped contribute to trademarked this month (and you Ktütverde ws forgiveness for me forgetting to tag you despite how much you helped on vr and even posted samples in the thread).

I just hope whehter if we are lucky this gen or if get picked for omotm in gen 8 that we can hopefully have a much less toxic and fun meta. I have to get back to work so cant say all I would like to say here but once again yhanks for support anf hope you all have a wonderful day

 

[Nuclearstomp]

It was a pretty fun OMOTM. I don't usually play them as much as I played Trademarked unless they're pretty fun, and I found trademarked pretty enjoyable. I'm glad Substitute is gone, because it was probably the most annoying part of the meta to deal with, although I still have a feeling we'll be seeing Chansey everywhere. Regardless, good luck with the meta as it moves forward!

 

[alephgalactus]

I’ve been waiting to use this

 

[powergo1]

Fun OMOTM that I've enjoyed playing, here is a set I came up with I don't think I've seen before:

Lycanroc-Dusk @ Lycanium Z
Ability: swordsdance
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Accelerock
- Stone Edge
- Stomping Tantrum/Drill Run
- Sucker Punch

Bit of an alternative to SD Weavile, double priority with Accelerock and Sucker Punch allows for revenge killing, especially against TR teams. Lycanium Z means that Lycanroc can OHKO Max Def Skarm and Max Def Eviolite Chansey at +2. Stomping Tantrum or Drill Run depending on if power or accuracy is what you prefer. It should be of note that Drill Run is guaranteed to 2HKO 252HP Magearna. Accelerock is the priority of choice, having a chance to OHKO Alolan-Marowak with SR up, or Sucker Punch could also be used for the guaranteed OHKO. If you want a different Z-user, Band could be used if you want the max Accelerock output, or Life Orb for the ability to chose moves.

This is a replay of the set in action, were it made me go from potentially losing 4-0 to winning, thanks to spikes support.

Calcs

+2 252 Atk Lycanroc-Dusk Splintered Stormshards vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Eviolite Chansey: 753-886 (107.1 - 126%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252 Atk Lycanroc-Dusk Splintered Stormshards vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Skarmory: 322-381 (96.6 - 114.4%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO
252 Atk Tough Claws Lycanroc-Dusk Drill Run vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Magearna: 186-220 (51.2 - 60.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 252 Atk Lycanroc-Dusk Sucker Punch vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Marowak-Alola: 260-306 (80.4 - 94.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
+2 252 Atk Lycanroc-Dusk Accelerock vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Marowak-Alola: 222-264 (68.7 - 81.7%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock


Possible damage amounts: (260, 262, 266, 268, 272, 274, 278, 280, 284, 286, 290, 292, 296, 298, 302, 306)

 

[Arkeis]

This was one of my favorite OMs in recent months, even with Substitute cancer, so here's the team that got me to #1 on the ladder

Watch Your Feet

Since Trademarked involves switching in and out to make use of trademarked moves, entry hazards have a major impact in this metagame. The goal of this team is to set up hazards on the opponent's side while preventing them from being able to get rid of them.​

Set Details

Skarmory @ Leftovers
Ability: spikes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Roost
- Protect
- Brave Bird

Skarmory is my lead and one of the most important Pokemon on the team due to how easily it sets up entry hazards. Since it's the team member that's most vulnerable to Tail Glow Xurkitree and Substitute Heatran, I gave it Protect. Protect scouts for what move Xurkitree will use (since it's almost always Choiced) and wastes Heatran's precious Magma Storm PP.

Cofagrigus @ Leftovers
Ability: willowisp
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Toxic Spikes
- Shadow Ball
- Haze
- Pain Split

Cofagrigus fulfills multiple roles as a spin blocker, Toxic Spikes setter, and a good counter to physical Trick Room sweepers including Stakataka. Minimum speed to underspeed Alolan Marowak and KO it with Shadow Ball after Spikes and Stealth Rock damage. Shadow Ball over Hex since Marowak-A can't be burned and Toxic Spikes aren't always guaranteed to be on the field with Poisons like Toxapex being so common. Haze gets rid of stat boosts and can be used multiple times without switching unlike a trademarked Haze.

Muk-Alola @ Assault Vest
Ability: taunt
EVs: 252 HP / 60 Atk / 192 SpD / 4 Spe
Careful Nature
- Pursuit
- Knock Off
- Poison Jab
- Shadow Sneak

Muk absorbs Toxic Spikes and is a great counter to Psychic and Ghost types like Mega Alakazam and Gengar. But the main reason I use it is for the rather underrated trademark Taunt. It pretty much shuts down Defoggers like Zapdos, Mew, and Skarmory. And they also can't heal themselves or set their own entry hazards, or do anything else other than attack or switch in which case they'll get their items knocked off or Pursuited. Clerics like Chansey and Magearna also fall prey to Muk since they can't use Aromatherapy or Heal Bell to cure Burns and Poison.

Excadrill @ Leftovers
Ability: substitute
EVs: 172 HP / 120 Atk / 216 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Earthquake
- Rapid Spin
- Rock Slide

There are many Substitute users I could choose from, but I chose Excadrill for several reasons. First, I needed a Spinner since I don't want Defog removing entry hazards I set up. I also needed a Pokemon that can create 101 HP Subs that can't be broken with a single Seismic Toss or Night Shade. This gives me a free chance to attack or Swords Dance. Having STAB Earthquake means that the most common Haze and Heart Swap users (Toxapex and Magearna) will take a lot of damage if they try to switch in. And finally, Excadrill's type combination lets it resist both U-Turn and Volt Switch, which are often used to break Subs while switching to a counter.

Chansey @ Eviolite
Ability: wish
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spe
Bold Nature
- Soft-Boiled
- Seismic Toss
- Protect
- Heal Bell

It's Chansey. Not much to say here. Wish is a super useful trademark and is especially important for a defensive team like this. Protect can be used to scout for Banded Pursuit users. If she doesn't switch, Chansey can take a Pursuit even if the opponent has used Swords Dance.

Tapu Fini @ Assault Vest
Ability: trick
EVs: 248 HP / 64 Def / 12 SpA / 176 SpD / 8 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Nature's Madness
- Scald
- Taunt

The sixth slot has changed multiple times, but I settled on Tapu Fini. Originally I gave it a Reflect trademark to take on the likes of Buzzwhole, Conkeldurr, and Kommo-o. But after seeing Imperator Romanum's Trick Vest set, I tried it out and it worked really well. It allows me to shut down Defoggers/clerics without having to switch to Muk every time one appeared.

Keep in mind that Assault Vest only prevents you from selecting a status move, not using it. If Fini tricks Assault Vest on the same turn the opponent has already chosen a status move, they'll still be able to use it for that turn. So Muk's job is still needed if I absolutely don't want the opponent to Defog or heal.

Importable

Cofagrigus @ Leftovers
Ability: willowisp
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Toxic Spikes
- Shadow Ball
- Haze
- Pain Split

Muk-Alola @ Assault Vest
Ability: taunt
EVs: 252 HP / 60 Atk / 192 SpD / 4 Spe
Careful Nature
- Pursuit
- Knock Off
- Poison Jab
- Shadow Sneak

Skarmory @ Leftovers
Ability: spikes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Roost
- Protect
- Brave Bird

Excadrill @ Leftovers
Ability: substitute
EVs: 172 HP / 120 Atk / 216 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Earthquake
- Rapid Spin
- Rock Slide

Chansey @ Eviolite
Ability: wish
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spe
Bold Nature
- Soft-Boiled
- Seismic Toss
- Protect
- Heal Bell

Tapu Fini @ Assault Vest
Ability: trick
EVs: 248 HP / 64 Def / 12 SpA / 176 SpD / 8 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Nature's Madness
- Scald
- Taunt

Threat/Annoyance List

Mega Scizor/Landorus-T with Z-Crystals - They're Defog users that can't be Tricked and since they're physical, Muk won't enjoy switching in. Burning them with Will-o-wisp makes them easier to deal with and they can be walled by Skarmory

Defog Trademarks - There is no way to prevent Defog if it's a trademark. However if the opponent does use this, they won't be able to keep their own entry hazards up, so it's not all bad.

Trick - Getting Tricked a Choice item or Assault Vest can be bad depending on who it's used on. Tapu Fini, Muk, and Excadrill won't mind too much. Cofagrigus can deal with it. It's Skarmory and Chansey that will be affected the most.

Now that Substitute is gone, I might replace Excadrill with Reflect Starmie since stopping Defog means screens also get to stay up. But with Gen 8 around the corner, who knows what new and useful status moves there will be.

 

[Whitephoenixace]

This is entire month overdue lol, but I have edited the vr to show that substitute has been banned. Mons who had it as an option have sub crossed out to show part of reason for its current placement as I cant say where they would be on vr now in a sub less meta, though those who only had it as an option for the most part were still potent with other sets. Those who were up basically only on sub (conk and buzzwole) were sent to unranked until it can be seen if they still have a place in a subless meta. If u feel any placements should be edited feel free state so and why you feel soemthing should rise or fall or may be able to comfortably run a different set (something of that nature may be better saved whenever we may have trademarked as a ladder again which I hope is before gen 8 comes around). Nonetheless thanks for the support once again of the meta last month and I hope we can take a better step with the meta moving forward and welcome a less toxic meta when the time comes. Thanks all and have a Blessed day ;).

 

[VCrakeV]

Which Pokemon should one expect to have spikes/rocks as a trademark?