The Naganadel arguments are running in circles yet again; I feel like I'm on a Suspect Test thread, not a Metagame Discussion Thread.
In this case, at least from what I've seen, the Pro-Ban arguments seem to be holding more water while the Anti-Ban ones are grasping at, as I predicted before, semantics arguments. Honestly hope this thread gets locked if nonsensical Naganadel conversations continues.
Instead of talking about how one has to treat Naganadel like DPPt Garchomp (Garchomp, two sweepers that go well with Garchomp, two checks to Garchomp, likely a Hazard Setter or Rapid Spinner to support Garchomp), I'm going to focus on something that has caught my eye:
Blacephalon.
I remember reading about this Pokemon on Serebii to confirm what this thing can do; it gets a stellar Special Attack, Good Attack, and usable Speed, yet its bulk is to be desired (as would be the average sweeper). It's an Ultra Beast, so it gets Beast Boost to snowball its Special Attack. The real problem? Poor Explodey Pennywise here has a movepool about as shallow than Klinklang; two repeatedly usable moves in Fire Blast and Shadow Ball, only Psychic and Knock Off as coverage, and then Mind Blown as the STAB nuke not unlike Head Smash (can we just be happy that this is an Ultra Beast, preventing it from receiving Magic Guard?). Finally, it does get Trick, meaning it can cripple common switch-ins with a neat little pair of Choice Specs while it takes away Tyranitar's Choice Band, Chansey's Eviolite, etc.
Everything else this Clown From Beyond The Grave receives is not worth the moveslot; Will-O-Wisp is done better by bulky Pokemon and Gengar (which is actually bulkier(!) and faster), Calm Mind would be done better by Pokemon like Delphox due to higher bulk, better coverage, and utilizing a Salac Berry much better (Reuniclus, Manaphy, Latios and Latias, Mew, etc. otherwise), and as for every Dark-Type move? This is a Ghost-Type, so its coverage would be compromised. Not to mention, thanks to its IVs as an Ultra Beast, it cannot learn Hidden Power Fighting. Shame, really.
So what sets could Blacephalon actually run? Well, the first two to come to mind are Choice Specs and Choice Scarf. Specs allows the internet meme (its signature move, I must reiterate, is called MIND BLOWN) to punch giant holes in the opponent's team to its already high Special Attack and access to a couple powerful moves. The true downside is that Tyranitar and Specially Defensive Heatran can come in on any move short of Trick and immediately threaten it with their own sets. Not to mention, Chansey is THE Special Sponge. It's also easy to Revenge Kill, since multiple Choice Scarf Pokemon carry either a Super-Effective move or a powerful STAB to threaten it out. Plus, multiple Pokemon naturally outspeed it like Tapu Koko, Greninja, Alakazam, and...Gengar. Starting to sound like the original Ghost might be slightly better.
Choice Scarf turns the decently paced juggler into a swift Revenge Killer, allowing it to outspeed opposing Choice Scarf Pokemon like Landorus-T and Garchomp while still threatening anything on the field with its naturally high Special Attack. The problems for this set are similar, but different; Blacephalon holding Scarf is now weaker to walls than Revenge Killers (though faster Choice Scarf Pokemon...i.e. Greninja and potentially Gengar, as well as Shadow Sneak and Aqua Jet, still scare it) since it now doesn't have the additional power to create holes, rather than just picking opponent's off. The niche that makes Choice Scarf Zombie Clown here scary, though, is Beast Boost; thanks to Blacephalon's Stat Spread, Special Attack is sure to be increased when it gets a kill, meaning your power can easily snowball to incredible levels just from picking off one foe. The catch is doing just that, since its most common switch-ins are currently all over the place (a trend that will likely fall slightly once Naganadel is removed).
There is one set I have yet to see, however. It's surprising, but I actually see a Z-Sunny Day set working.
Hear me out.
The main draw to this set is the ability to set up a Sunny Day AND a Speed Boost all in one turn; you get one shot at it, though. First, your team need to weaken or remove Tyranitar or entirely remove Heatran and Chansey. Why WEAKEN Tyranitar?
252 SpA Blacephalon Fire Blast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Tyranitar in Sun: 150-177 (43.9 - 51.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
As you can see, a foolish Tyranitar staying in while it's weakened will not survive even this resisted hit.
This also allows for much more snowballing and move freedom since you'll no longer be stuck on a single move. Problem here is that it's still weak to Water Priority and Shadow Sneak and MUST have its counters removed before it can even consider switching in, since just one of them showing up will kill the sweep, no question.
I'm going to try more of Stakataka (looks promising), so let's see how that does.
Also if somebody could please make a picture of Gumshoos and Stakataka together like Donald Trump and his wall, that will make me a happy man.
