Black/White OverUsed Metagame Primer

• Composition
• Play Restrictions

Composition

OU (OverUsed) is Smogon's fundamental usage-based tier. With the exception of Pokémon banished to the Uber tier, every Pokémon can be used in OU, including Pokémon from UU, RU, and NU. While all non-Uber Pokémon can be used in OU, only those Pokémon that make up at least ~3.41% of total weighted usage in the tier are designated 'OU.' A Pokémon is truly 'OU' if a typical competitive player is more than 50% likely to encounter that Pokémon at least once in a given day of playing (20 battles).

A list of the current OU Pokémon and those with OU analyses for the BW era are found on the dex page.

Play Restrictions

Players cannot use Pokémon from the Uber tier.

Players must abide by the following clauses:

• Species Clause: A player cannot have two of the same species of Pokémon on their team, based on the National Pokédex number. For example, a player cannot have two Koffing on their team.
• Evasion Clause: Players cannot use Double Team or Minimize in any of their Pokémon's movesets.
• OHKO Clause: Players cannot use Horn Drill, Guillotine, Sheer Cold, or Fissure in any of their Pokémon's movesets.
• Timer Clause: If a player exhausts the timer, he/she loses.
• Moody Clause: Players may not start a battle with the ability Moody on their team.
• Baton Pass Clause: Teams may not have more than one Pokémon with Baton Pass in its moveset. Additionally, Speed + another stat may not be passed.
• Weather + Speed Ability Clause: Teams are not permitted to include Pokémon with the abilities Drought and Drizzle with Pokémon with the abilities Chlorophyll and Swift Swim. They may enter a battle with one or the other.

Players cannot use the following abilities:

• Arena Trap
• Sand Rush
• Sand Veil
• Shadow Tag
• Snow Cloak

Players cannot use the following moves:

• Dark Void
• Grass Whistle
• Hypnosis
• Lovely Kiss
• Sing
• Sleep Powder
• Spore
• Swagger
• Yawn

Players cannot use the following items:

• Soul Dew