Metagame [SPOILERS] ULTRA SM - Speculation & Discussion

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Gary

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*Picture stolen from RU version*


With ULTRA SUMO about a week away from release, I think it's time to start talking about what OU might look like with all the new move tutors, Ultra Beasts, level up moves, egg moves, etc. The moderation on this thread will be generally relaxed, but here are some important rules that you need to still follow:

  • Keep one liners at a minimum, meaning try to post something somewhat informative and not just like "Naganadel will be banned to Ubers" or anything along those lines.
  • Keep the discussion OU related only. As of now, UU, RU and NU have their own speculation threads, so all lower tier talk needs to go there, not here. If other tiers follow suite, I'll link them here as well.
  • Also don't talk about dropping Ubers down to OU. This is not the place for that. Both Necrozma forms will be rightfully banlisted because of them being cover legends.
  • No trolling or flaming other users, much like any other thread
  • Avoid blatant spoilers. Obviously this thread is a spoiler on its own, but try avoid posting pictures of new Pokemon, or anything storyline related, as they are unrelated to the actual competitive scene. Keep discussion metagame related only.
Move Tutors: https://pastebin.com/CeZcXs7n
Base Stats: https://pastebin.com/j8CnVgCc
New Level up/Egg Moves: https://pastebin.com/dFCXVEv0
New Moves: https://pastebin.com/i83MBkQQ

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804 - Naganadel - 804
======
Base Stats: 073.073.073.127.073.121 (BST: 540)
EV Yield: 0.0.0.3.0.0
Abilities: Beast Boost (1) | Beast Boost (2) | Beast Boost (H)
Type: Poison / Dragon
Item 1 (50%):
Item 2 (5%):
Item 3 (1%):
EXP Group: Slow
Egg Group: Undiscovered
Hatch Cycles: 120
Height: 03.6 m, Weight: 150.0 kg, Color: Purple
Move Tutors: Signal Beam, Gunk Shot, Uproar, Dragon Pulse, Iron Tail, Snore, Heat Wave, Tailwind, Sky Attack, Shock Wave, Gastro Acid, Helping Hand, Outrage, Snatch, Ally Switch, Throat Chop, Laser Focus

======
805 - Stakataka - 805
======
Base Stats: 061.131.211.053.101.013 (BST: 570)
EV Yield: 0.0.3.0.0.0
Abilities: Beast Boost (1) | Beast Boost (2) | Beast Boost (H)
Type: Rock / Steel
Item 1 (50%):
Item 2 (5%):
Item 3 (1%):
EXP Group: Slow
Egg Group: Undiscovered
Hatch Cycles: 120
Height: 05.5 m, Weight: 820.0 kg, Color: Gray
Move Tutors: Iron Head, Magic Coat, Block, Gravity, Magnet Rise, Iron Defense, Superpower, Zen Headbutt, Bind, Snore, Role Play, Magic Room, Wonder Room, Recycle, Stealth Rock, Skill Swap, Telekinesis, Ally Switch, Stomping Tantrum

======
806 - Blacephalon - 806
======
Base Stats: 053.127.053.151.079.107 (BST: 570)
EV Yield: 0.0.0.3.0.0
Abilities: Beast Boost (1) | Beast Boost (2) | Beast Boost (H)
Type: Fire / Ghost
Item 1 (50%):
Item 2 (5%):
Item 3 (1%):
EXP Group: Slow
Egg Group: Undiscovered
Hatch Cycles: 120
Height: 01.8 m, Weight: 013.0 kg, Color: White
Move Tutors: Uproar, Foul Play, Last Resort, Snore, Knock Off, Heat Wave, Pain Split, Spite, After You, Trick, Recycle

======
807 - Zeraora - 807
======
Base Stats: 088.112.075.102.080.143 (BST: 600)
EV Yield: 0.0.0.0.0.3
Abilities: Volt Absorb (1) | Volt Absorb (2) | Volt Absorb (H)
Type: Electric
Item 1 (50%):
Item 2 (5%):
Item 3 (1%):
EXP Group: Slow
Egg Group: Undiscovered
Hatch Cycles: 120
Height: 01.5 m, Weight: 044.5 kg, Color: Yellow
Move Tutors: Dual Chop, Bounce, Low Kick, Thunder Punch, Fire Punch, Superpower, Electroweb, Iron Tail, Snore, Knock Off, Drain Punch, Focus Punch, Shock Wave, Endeavor, Outrage, Snatch, Throat Chop, Laser Focus


Landorus-T: Defog
Toxapex: Knock Off
Magearna: Heal Bell
Battle Bond Greninja: Gunk Shot
Tapu Koko: Defog
Kartana: Knock Off, Tailwind (this Pokemon does not get Superpower)
Tapu Bulu: Iron Defense, Synthesis
Rotom-W: Defog
Tapu Fini: Knock Off
Serperior: Defog
Tornadus-T: Defog
Thundurus: Defog
Azumarill: Liquidation
Gliscor: Defog
Hydreigon: Defog
Araquanid: Sticky Web
Ribombee: Sticky Web
Buzzwole: Swords Dance Drain Punch
 
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Well , I'd like to start off my prediction with Gliscor jumping in Viability. There is no way with poison heal and defog that this mon can remain where it is (C Ranking). It can knock off Items , take on Toxapex , Ferro , and lots of other rockers in the tier. I would say it wouldn't be too far fetched for this mon to enter B or B+ ranking within the first few months of the release of USUM.
 

Gary

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Focus Punch isn't in significant new tutor moves, hello?
Apart from that, maybe Tornadus-T will raise as the tier's new premiere defogger.
I wonder though what EV spread would run.
Max HP Timid? Offensive? What are your thoughts?
Focus Punch isn't really used on anything relevant in OU anyway outside of Mega Mawile, which is still rare. Nothing significant got it that would benefit enough to use it.
 
To start this off, I don't see Stakataka being viable in OU. super powerful Gyro Ball is nice, and that mammoth defense looks cool... but that low HP and defensive typing KILLS it. Lando-T, the most common mon in the tier, is going to make life hell for it, and just all the fighting and ground moves (and water to a lesser extent) means I see this thing dropping.

Blacephalon... looks scary on paper, and CAN be scary with proper support... but the lack of a fighting move means Tyrannitar is going to be its worst nightmare. Get rid of Spacegodzilla the Pursuit trapper early, and try to preserve the UB for late game, or hope you don't deal with it, and I can see it being pretty scary. Wouldn't be surprised if it drops to BL, though.

Zeraora... I need time to think on this one. On the one hand, Tapu Koko is everywhere, and this thing is a decent stop to it, but... I don't really know. It has potential and can be scary...

Naganadel is terrifying, and THE best of these four mons without a doubt. Revenge killing it is an uphill task with Beast Boost raising its speed after every kill, and +2 Devastating Drake murdering all non resists, even decking Chansey hard, and any fairies that would normally be switchins for that get melted by Sludge Wave or Flamethrower/Fire Blast if a steel type not named Heatran ... Anyone got anything that can reasonably stop this nightmare?
 
If it hasn't been said already, i'll say it again.

Landorus-T with Defog.

That is all.

But that aside, I noticed something about base Necrozma. It has Heat Wave, that is a big game changer to be honest because it means it no longer has to rely on Hidden Power Fire to dish out damage on steel types that resist him. Also gives his movepool a boost and frees up a Hidden Power slot.

Assuming because of *Ultra* that he's able to learn Draco Meteor or Dragon Pulse means he could not worry about hidden power ice too.
 
Also lando is gonna be even crazier then usual with access to defog, im kind of hoping that they will drop down mons like pheromosa and mega gross, see how they fare in the new meta
There's no chance of such thing happening.

On the other hand, while yeah, Lando now has defog, most likely it will be seen as a rocker most of the times imho, maybe only on some offensive builds Defog Lando will se use.
Idk though, I'm curious.
I also agree on the Gliscor point. I can see it used on stall somewhat, but wouldn't you prefer skarm or zapdos most of the times?
 

Gary

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I kind want to point some stuff out I think is/will be super overhyped on intial release.

Defog Lando-T: Cool addition, but not game breaking idk why people are freaking out about this. Defog Gliscor will give it a ton of competition on balance builds, and it can't really get away with running both Defog + SR on the same set without dropping a crucial move. I can see it being used on like certain builds with like SR Heatran or Clefable, and possibly as a filler on Scarf. It really wont make Lando-T broken or anything, just makes it more versatile but doesn't add anything unhealthy to it.

Gunk Shot Battle Bond Greninja: I already know everyone is going to be like HOLY FUCK BROKEN but you gotta remember how weak pre Ash Gren Gunk Shot is. While it can hit Fini, it does significantly less damage to Tangrowth than Ice Beam does, and while it does OHKO Bulu, so does Ice Beam (unless AV but still 2HKOed on switch). I still think Spikes will be by far the best 4th move option on it. Fini isn't really common enough to give up Spikes for Gunk either. Choiced locked Specs Gunk Shot is really bad in general.

Z Move Kommo-O: Going to be the new low ladder Porygon Z, but worse. It's so weak even after set up, being unable to OHKO relevant Fairies like Clefable or Tapu Koko, and being outsped by stuff like Scarf Lele. I think PZ will still be better because of stronger STAB move, Nasty Plot, and Recover. Don't see it being viable.
 
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I think that Ribombee can revive webs as a playstyle because of its ability to threaten out mega diancie, mega sableye and ignore fake out's flinches from pokemon like Mega Lopunny with shield dust, which can be really useful to get webs up, dk how itll be with the new defoggers tho.

(fuck defog lando-t)
Gliscor with poison heal defog will probably be one of the best defoggers in the tier as it basically beats every single passive rocker besides clef, furthermore it can gain momentum with u-turn and provide utility for its team with Knock Off, it can also run Ice Fang to potentially lure in lando-t.

[imagine a Naganadel sprite]
Naganadel.. yeah the 1 that evolves from UB Adhesive, the one we thought would be trash, its main check is Heatran, as it takes nothing from both its STABs and Fire-coverage, but Naganadel with the proper support can easily blast through it with Spikes support for example because a +1 Z-Draco Meteor can easily OHKO trapper tran after 2 Spikes and Stealth Rock. I could potentially see it getting banned.
 
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Leo

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MPL Champion
some thoughts on p much everything, both new mons and tutor moves:
  • Naganadel looks like a solid mon with a cool dual typing in Poison/Dragon and not much seems to stop it after a Nasty Plot boost outside of Chansey or SpD Heatran. Just a solid breaker with amazing speed, the most promising new mon imo
  • Stakakataka is bastiodons retarded brother lol
  • Fire Clown has an awkward speed tier which reduces its offensive potential but that high af spatk really makes up for it, a decent B mon imo
  • New Defog users are so good in this spikes and tspikes filled meta, specially Gliscor which should make an impact, though I don't expect it be a top tier mon, maybe somewhere in the B ranks
  • Defog Lando is overrated lol, its hard to fit on both offensive and defensive sets but should still see some use on the latter in some situations. I heard Scarf could run it as an emergency Defog but we'll see
  • Defog Rotom-W is another godsend despite giving up on pain split, being immune to spikes and tspikes is a huge asset for a fogger
 

GMars

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Stakataka probably won't end up on the VR in the long run, but it could be a fun option on Trick Room due to its Base 131 Attack, extremely powerful Gyro Ball, and ability to set up TR. It doesn't need a Speed reducing nature to be viable in the archetype because of its base 13 Speed, so it can run Lonely (+Atk -Def) with 15 Defense IVs to allow for Beast Boost to raise its Attack (Beast Boost ties prioritize Attack raises). Cutting so far into its Defense doesn't leave it as bad off as Timid Kartana, because its Attack is able to reach high enough to leave it with a 397 Defense stat to pair with 326 HP, still giving it reasonably good bulk (+Def Bronzong is 338 HP / 364 Def for reference, albeit with a much better typing/defensive ability). It's weak to Ash Gren's Priority like a good number of TR mons and it has its fair share of typing-based flaws, but I'm definitely going to give it a shot when ULTRA SUMO drops. I'm still unsure on the item - any suggestions?

Stakataka
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Lonely Nature
IVs: 15 Def / 0 Spe
- Gyro Ball
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Trick Room
 

Leo

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MPL Champion
Stakataka probably won't end up on the VR in the long run, but it could be a fun option on Trick Room due to its Base 131 Attack, extremely powerful Gyro Ball, and ability to set up TR. It doesn't need a Speed reducing nature to be viable in the archetype because of its base 13 Speed, so it can run Lonely (+Atk -Def) with 15 Defense IVs to allow for Beast Boost to raise its Attack (Beast Boost ties prioritize Attack raises). Cutting so far into its Defense doesn't leave it as bad off as Timid Kartana, because its Attack is able to reach high enough to leave it with a 397 Defense stat to pair with 326 HP, still giving it reasonably good bulk (+Def Bronzong is 338 HP / 364 Def for reference, albeit with a much better typing/defensive ability). It's weak to Ash Gren's Priority like a good number of TR mons and it has its fair share of typing-based flaws, but I'm definitely going to give it a shot when ULTRA SUMO drops. I'm still unsure on the item - any suggestions?

Stakataka
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Lonely Nature
IVs: 15 Def / 0 Spe
- Gyro Ball
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Trick Room
Theres been some hype about cb gyro because it hits hard af but I think being locked into a move is ass on a TR abuser so a zmove to get the snowball started could be a fine option, though theres other mons on tr that would really appreciate the z
 
As NJNP and Gary said on youtube, AV Tyranitar will surely have a surge in usage, as the thing just eat so much hits, is more or less the only mon in the tier to be able to reliable check Naganadel and Blacephalon and in general can stop Volcarona at +1, (even if Z-Bug if I remember correctly).
Also, I am not too sure about sticky webs on Araquanid and Ribombee, while it is definitely cool and it ads viability to these mons, the huge amount of new mons with defog clearly won't allow the webs to sato on the field.
Finally, Low Kick and Gunk Shot on Ash Gren seems really cool on paper as it allows him to bypass several of its big counter being Chansey and Ferrothorn and fat grasses not being M-Venu. But, on the other hand, it does not bring any real solution to Toxapex and Megearna, and in general, spikes seems generally more valuable in order to add some long term pressure to its switch-ins.
 
UB Burst seems interesting: it's weirdly in between being a breaker and a cleaner. Here are some calcs, with Chandelure's stats changed and Overheat as Mind Blown with 150 BP:

For a cleaner set with Scarf:

252 SpA Chandelure Shadow Ball vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Zygarde: 153-181 (42.7 - 50.5%) -- 2% chance to 2HKO
252 SpA Chandelure Overheat vs. 200 HP / 252+ SpD Assault Vest Magearna: 240-284 (68.3 - 80.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Chandelure Overheat vs. 252 HP / 24 SpD Landorus-Therian: 321-378 (84 - 98.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Chandelure Overheat vs. 252 HP / 228+ SpD Assault Vest Tangrowth: 408-480 (100.9 - 118.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO

It gets some nice KO's, but it can't really break anything bulky without SE hits, especially considering you only get 2 uses of Mind Blown before you die and you're weak to Stealth Rock.

Specs seems if anything more viable, considering you outspeed base 100's, but then you lose to anything faster than you or most scarfers (Kartana being excepted), which in OU is a lot of mons. It does give fat mons not named Chansey a really hard time:
252 SpA Choice Specs Chandelure Shadow Ball vs. 252 HP / 64 SpD Toxapex: 154-183 (50.6 - 60.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Chandelure Shadow Ball vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Quagsire: 309-364 (78.4 - 92.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Choice Specs Chandelure Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 228+ SpD Assault Vest Tangrowth: 446-528 (110.3 - 130.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Chandelure Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Clefable: 327-385 (82.9 - 97.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Choice Specs Chandelure Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 124 SpD Celesteela: 528-624 (132.6 - 156.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Chandelure Shadow Ball vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Tapu Fini: 175-207 (51 - 60.3%) -- 89.1% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

Chansey doesn't care:
252 SpA Choice Specs Chandelure Fire Blast vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Eviolite Chansey: 192-226 (27.3 - 32.1%) -- guaranteed 4HKO


I think Specs or LO seem like way more viable sets, but the thing to keep in mind is that it's going to struggle against entry hazards, so it can't really wear down checks before it gets worn down itself unless you have a lot of support.
 
Magearna gets Heal Bell, which is a nifty little treat that might see use on fat builds that need a Heal Bell user. Buzzwole gets Drain Punch which is nice, but I don't know if that's enough to rank it (although it might make for a decent E-rank defensive set).

Gliscor getting Defog is huge with Poison Heal, Rotom getting it is nice, Tapu Koko getting it is actually pretty cool since it pairs well with Volcarona and can even go a full "support the Volc" build with Roost/Thunderbolt (to kill Mantine/Pex)/Defog/U-Turn or Taunt.

Naganadel is quite possibly/probably broken, but we'll see. If not broken it absolutely will be a top-ranked threat. +2 Drake OHKOs fully SpDef Pex/Mantine, and OHKOs offensive Heatran after SR (even without SR, it's a 50% shot). Chansey can't Toxic you, and you aren't Pursuit trapped even by BandTar after Rocks+Sand. You have Fire coverage and Nasty Plot letting you roast Celesteela and Ferrothorn, and Thunderbolt....which hits the same things.

Volcarona is going be nuts I think.
 
We're actually going to get some good hazard removal again! Gliscor is surely going to surge in viability, as it really will be a better defogger than defensive lando will due to reliable recovery, and in general should give it the buff it needed to stay relevant. Rotom and Torn-T will be pretty interesting as well, defog + regen sounds really nice despite SR weakness (spikes immunity lessens the importance of that as well), and rotom should be a pretty good defogger too. Only issue I see with rotom is it has to drop pain split (or wisp I guess), which is going to make it far easier to wear down. Aside from Naganadel, I don't see the new mons being as good as they should be, they seem decent but no where near A/A+ level. Naganadel might actually be amazing, but I feel like it will be like volc was early this gen, overhyped and easy to handle once the meta settles a bit more (except it should be quite a bit better than volc). I guess only time will tell if I'm wrong on that though, as it looks extremely threatening but I'm not sure if it will be as amazing as it appears.
 
Ok so obvious stuff is defog everywhere cool cool cool.

What I like about that is it makes it so much easier to fit on a team. No longer will we have to use the mostly-garbage fini in order to not have our whole team constantly worn down. Lots of the mons that got it are gonna be super commonplace. I think the best ones will be rotom, gliscor, tornadus, lando, and some other ones I think will be totally usable include florges, Tapu koko, serperior, and hydreigon

Araquanid and some others got webs so that's neat but like they're all bad

That poison dragon thing is absurdly strong
UB Burst (the fire ghost) seems really cool
UB Assembly (the wall) seems so bad
That super fast electric thing could go either way idk I don't know about it

Knock off on toxapex is a thing now so that's something. Same with Kartana so that's neat

AV tar has been mentioned a lot as the best thing ever
 

Blazenix

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Looking at the new mons introduced to us first:

Naganadel seems rather overwhelming at first. With 121 speed and 127 spatk which is pretty good, it has poison dragon typing along with coverage options in heat wave able to hit almost every steel type that would otherwise take it on. It also gets nasty plot turning it into a deadly sweeper since with 252+ speed it can turn into a speed boosting monster and quickly overwhelm offensive teams quite easily as it has passable bulky to go alongside its offensive stats. It seems to lack draco meteor in its move pool ? Which is a shame rather since dragon pulse isnt particularly a strong move. Scarf sets may be viable as well with modest nature to boost special attack. Really excited to see how this mon works out.

Stakataka is probably not gonna be OU for too long, its defensive typing is horrible and altho it has massive 211 def its hp stat is lackluster with only 61 points and as well as 101 spdef which is not really impressive as it takes around around high thirtys to forty percent from specs tapu lele which a steel type is supposed to check. Even on trick room i doubt it would be a good option either.

Blacephelon is interesting to say the least. Massive spatk and great offensive typing with what im assuming, good move pool as well thanks to fire blast and shadow ball being TMs, perhaps even SUB and CM which to use vs pokemon like chansey as set up bait altho its just speculation. Its speed at 107 seems nice but is rather awkward, getting outsped by the likes of keldeo kartana and lati@s all of which can easily check it due to its horrible defensive stats and arguably just as worse defensive typing. I dont think its signature move has a place on its competitive moveset since it deals recoil damage equal to 50% of its maximum hp limiting it from spamming it and not to mention it is already weak to rocks.

Zeraora is my favorite mons out of all the new mons we have gotten. Its design is sick but looking at a competitive stand point its stats are above average, insane speed, decent attack and decent enough spatk to make use of hidden power ice to lure in the likes of landorus and gliscor since it doesn't seem to have a move to hit them and the latter of which will likely rise in usage thanks to the eligibility of defog with pheal. Super power being able to hit the likes of tyranitar and heatran is also very interesting. Plasma fist is a great physical attack with no draw back unlike most of the commonly available physical electric type attacks which we have very few of to begin with, it also has a secondary effect working like 'Electrify' I assume? which is pretty nifty in certain situation in conjuction with volt absorb allowing it to check tapu koko since it also possesses decent bulk for a fast and offensive mon. Knock off is also never a bad move to have as it gets rid of the targets item which is always nice and progressive in a battle tho im not sure if it will take a place on its standard movesets or not, yet.

For the new tutor moves, despite the hype I dont think defog lando is gonna be the best option, it does defog on the likes of heatran and opposing landorus ( as it can threaten them out with hidden power ice ) i think its a job better done by gliscor since it has reliable recovery and other utility options while lando IMO is better as a rocker than a defogger thanks to its offensive presence. Rotom however i think is a good option since its usage has kinda died down entirely cos it couldnt do the job of really checking common ground types thanks to zmoves and thats not even all of the issues it has. It has volt switch to keep up momentum and hydro pump to take care of common rockers in landorus and heatran while wisp can also cripple mons like ferrothorn and being immune to tspikes and spike is always good, altho a lot of the defoggers have that ability. I dont think i need to talk about gunk shot BB gren as gary explained above, its completely worthless and does not deserve a spot in ash grens moveset at all. Thundurus doesnt seem like a good option as it has severe longevity issues and has to give up a slot on its offensive moveset which i dont think it can afford on the kinds of teams it fits on. Tornadus t might be a good fogger since it has regen to compensate for rocks damage every time and clear them away for next time while also having a great offensive movepool being able to pressure landorus t and heatran and ferrothorn all in one moveset is really nice esp with a good speed stat like it has. Koko seems like a good option for a fast defogger but it doesnt really beat many rockers consistently but interested to see how it will turn out.

I dont think either araquanid or ribombee will have too big of an impact on the meta as both of them lack rocks which webs would really want and struggle to beat Mega Diancie unless you decide to run some random ass hp steel ribombee which then lets scizor defog on you freely, araquanid on the other hand is painfully slow altho its water stabs are strong its still not enough to beat pokemon like mew which it barely misses out the 2hko on and just gets wisp'd and it also doesnt fit the role of an fast lead that a hyper offensive play style such as webs would want.

Im honestly not so excited for USUM outside of the new mons. We have gotten some of the most random move tutor additions which dont make me too happy but im still willing to see how it turns out n_n
 

power

uh-oh, the game in trouble
Gunk Shot Battle Bond Greninja: I already know everyone is going to be like HOLY FUCK BROKEN but you gotta remember how weak pre Ash Gren Gunk Shot is. While it can hit Fini, it does significantly less damage to Tangrowth than Ice Beam does, and while it does OHKO Bulu, so does Ice Beam (unless AV but still 2HKOed on switch). I still think Spikes will be by far the best 4th move option on it. Fini isn't really common enough to give up Spikes for Gunk either. Choiced locked Specs Gunk Shot is really bad in general.
You are far too kind.

Gunk Shot will not be competitively viable on Ash Greninja. Not only did Tapu Fini have a grand total of four uses in all of Smogon Snake Draft, Gunk Shot doesn't even do half to it from Battle Bond Greninja. Instead of getting to Spike on your most common counter in Toxapex, you instead are completely walled. While it lures AV Bulu, this Mon is paired with Toxapex enough to the point where Gunk Shot Battle Bond Greninja won't be competitively viable. Plus being specs locked into Gunk Shot absolutely sucks.

Please remove this from the Significant Moves section - it is not significant and it's misleading for it to be there.
 
Because everyone like ignores this I wanna talk about Zeraora. At first glance it seemed pretty bad to me but it can actually be a pretty cool Mon and after writing this it is heavily underrated imo. It has acces to Calm Mind, Bulk Up and Work-Up and has a very good speed stat which allows it to run adamant (speed would be 385). Having a better physical STAB than Koko (100BP>90BP and recoil) and being potentially able to fire off stronger HP-Ices also help it. It's move pool is actually pretty dope. It has Knock-Off for Alolan Marowak, Drain Punch/Close Combat for TTar/Chansey, Iron Tail for Diancie/Clef and even Flynium-Z for M-Venu/Tang.

It can also potentially beat Stall having acces to Grass Knot (for Quag) and Taunt. Here just some randoms calcs:

Stall:
252+ Atk Manectric Close Combat vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Eviolite Chansey: 344-406 (48.9 - 57.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
0- SpA Manectric Grass Knot (80 BP) vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Quagsire: 296-352 (75.1 - 89.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Zeraora Plasma Fists vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Skarmory: 186-218 (55.8 - 65.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Zeraora Plasma Fists vs. 252 HP / 192+ Def Toxapex: 182-216 (59.8 - 71%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Zeraora Plasma Fists vs. 248 HP / 8 Def Sableye-Mega: 133-157 (43.8 - 51.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Life Orb Zeraora Plasma Fists vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Clefable: 185-218 (46.9 - 55.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Life Orb Zeraora Plasma Fists vs. 248 HP / 240+ Def Zapdos: 172-203 (44.9 - 53%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

Other:
0- SpA Zeraora Hidden Power Ice vs. 252 HP / 24 SpD Landorus-Therian: 184-220 (48.1 - 57.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Zeraora Supersonic Skystrike (160 BP) vs. 248 HP / 88 Def Venusaur-Mega: 268-316 (73.8 - 87%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Life Orb Zeraora Plasma Fists vs. 240 HP / 156 Def Mew: 181-214 (45.1 - 53.3%) -- 89.1% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

Note: I didn't even use an item were it wasn't necesarry^^

Tbh i can see this potentially getting into B+/B rank maybe even A-.
 
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MANNAT

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Some musings about old Pokemon:


I don't think that Lando's gonna run defog very much, only as a filler on Scarf sets running like EQ/HP Ice/U-turn/Defog, people really need to stop overreacting to this thing getting Defog. The main reason why I don't think that defensive Lando will be an effective Defogger is because many common rockers atm like HP Ice Lando-T and Heatran do massive damage to it and it lacks the reliable recovery to stay healthy throughout the match and get off a Defog multiple times, in contrast to the following Defogger. Obviously Lando-T will probably still be the overlord of OU, but I don't think Defog sets will be very good.


Gliscor's going to be a fantastic defogger for Balanced and Bulky Offensive teams alike because it gets off a Defog on practically every Stealth Rock setter in the tier, and crippling the ones that it doesn't beat 1v1 with Knock Off outside of Mega Swampert. Obviously this thing is gonna run Specially Defensive to eat HP Ices from Landorus-T and switch into Heatran easier. If you don't mind giving Clefable free switch ins, you can run Ice Fang>Knock Off to discourage Rocks Cont Crush Lando-T, but I'm going to lean towards Knock Off. Additionally, Gliscor's access to roost will allow it to remain healthy throughout the game and Defog multiple times, making it a really solid option overall.


Sticky Webs Ribombee is gonna be really nice as a Sticky Webs user as a mon on Webs that can actually do shit other than set webs and blow past Magic Bounce. Moonblast allows it to smack past Mega Sableye, Hidden Power Steel allows it to shit on Mega Diancie, and Shield Dust protects it from Fake Out along with random flinch nonsense. However, the recent influx in alternative methods of hazard control are going to be really annoying for Sticky Webs teams to deal with consistently. One in particular I think that Webs is gonna find annoying is Gliscor.


Gunk Shot and Low Kick don't do shit because this thing literally runs Timid Choice Specs. Please don't use them, Gunk Shot literally hits AV Tangrowth weaker than Choice Specs Dark Pulse does. I guess that physically oriented sets with like Waterfall/Gunk Shot/Low Kick/Spikes or something like that could be used, but Greninja prior to transforming is laughably weak and kinda relies on STAB moves to net KOs.


I can see Choice Band sets gaining usage now with CB Knock Off being a solid, spammable move that's going to hit like a truck coming off of 181 Attack along with the 3 moves that it usually runs on standard SD sets as is. Obviously Swords Dance sets are gonna be cool to use and your Dark-type move on Darkium Z sets is actually gonna be usable when you're not clicking the Z move which is cool. Sets with Z-Tailwind are going to be neat because they allow Leaf Blade to crit every time and let Kartana annoy offense a lot, but it's not going to be more than a gimmick imo because it's just too situational.


Let's snuggle forever is going to make this thing a good bit more effective in its role at being an emergency check to setup sweepers; although, a Ghost-type Z move would've been 10x more useful because of its lack of good resistances in this metagame. Swords Dance sets are going to become a lot more potent now since this thing can bust through Defensive Landorus-T and other similar blanket checks; although, Toxapex is gonna be a good bit more annoying.


Knock Off is a huge boon for Toxapex, allowing it to cripple opposing Pokemon and stop offensive Psychics like Choice Specs Tapu Lele and Choice Scarf Latios from switching in as freely as they do. This think will be able to drop Toxic Spikes due to the influx of new Defoggers stopping the effectiveness as entry hazards as a whole. Also, I think that Spite could be a funny tech for PP stalling opposing bulky teams, but not usable in most scenarios.
 
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Albacore

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I don't think Naganadel will be broken per se, but it's definitely going to be one hell of a threat. Balance and BO especially are going to have real problems dealing with it and will probably have to resort to either running SpD EPower Heatran or something really stupid like Scarf Weavile to revenge kill it. Normally a Pokemon like this wouldn't really be any kind of threat to offensive teams, but Beast Boost really changes that, and if anything put it into broken territory it's definitely that. Once it manages to get a KO vs offense (which is not too hard thanks to Z crystals) it's probably over. HO is going to need to be built specifically so as to not let any breathing room for this thing.
The reason I don't think it'll be broken is its bulk combined with its relative lack of initial power. As long as balance can prevent it from setting up, and as long as offense can stop it from switching in, it should be manageable. However, its typing is good enough to let it take advantage of stuff like Tapu Bulu and Keldeo. The tier is definitely going to have to adapt to this thing, whether or not it's going to be able to do that in a healthy way has yet to be seen though.

I'm actually REALLY excited for Zeraora. I know it's probably not going to be a top-tier meta-defining mon, but I do think it's going to be at least pretty good, especially with that crazypants speed tier and the distinction of being the only physical Electric type that doesn't have to rely on a Z move. Plasma Fists's strength really makes up for its not-too-impressive base Attack, and Fire Punch/CC coverage sets it apart from Tapu Koko by giving it the ability to hit Ferrothorn, Tangrowth, Tapu Bulu and Excadrill pretty hard. Oh, and it's pretty good at taking advantage of Tapu Koko itself, so there's that too. It's definitely going to have trouble dealing with bulkier teams, but it seems like it'll be pretty effective vs offense, and besides, Work Up seems like it could really mess with SteelaPex balance. In any case, I feel really sorry for Mega Manectric, which basically lost every niche it used to have at this point.

Blacephalon is pretty disappointing due to its horrid coverage. It's still probably going to be okay, Specs can probably break really well and Scarf seems like a solid cleaner with Shadow Ball being so spammable. It can also probably run stuff like Sub CM or Taunt CM with Ghostium Z to smash stall. TTar is always, always going to be a problem though, however, it is pretty easy to take advantage of with something like MLop or MMedi so I don't think it's the worst thing ever. Still, this thing is literally begging for Focus Blast. I don't think it'll be OU because wallbreakers tend to be less common than they should be, and if it is OU it'll probably be for its Scarf set.

Stakataka is bad, not sure what else to say, it's just not good at anything besides being outclassed by other OU steels.

As for the new Defog users...
  • Lando-T with Defog seems okay for teams that already have a rocker and need a defogger, but I highly doubt people are going to think of it specifically when they need to pack a Defogger. It'll still be a rocker first and foremost. Defog is nice for it, but it's not exactly a gamechanger or anything
  • I don't really buy Rotom-W? I just find it to be such a mediocre mon in general, although I suppose Defog can change that a bit. It does have some very good hazard resistance which is nice, but overall I'd rather run something like Tapu Fini to be honest
  • Defog Tapu Koko seems cool. Much like Lando, it definitely won't be used for Defog specifically, just as something that can pack it if the team needs it, like Scarf Kartana or Latios. It is vulnerable to Tspikes which isn't ideal, but hey, I often find myself wondering what I should run in the 4th slot, and Defog seems like a nice option at the very least
  • Defog Thundurus could be good if the poor thing wasn't so outclassed, especially with Zeraora on its way. Ditto for Klefki, although I would find a meta where Greninja technically counts as a Defog blocker pretty funny
  • Gliscor seems okay I guess? When it comes to something you'd use for Defog, it definitely fits the bill better than Lando-T, however Lando-T is a much better Pokemon in general. Defog Gliscor also has a pretty bad case of 4MSS, between EQ, Roost, U-Turn, Taunt and Knock Off it's hard to decide what to drop
  • Florges has a niche now!!!! nah jk it still sucks
edit: oh yeah i forgot, gunk shot specs ash-gren is trash it doesnt even 2HKO fini with specs lol, just run spikes.

Also I don't think it's crazy to drop Scald to run Knock Off on Toxapex since Haze stops physical attackers from using it as setup fodder anyway, and generally Toxapex would rather things get poisoned than burnt, especially if it's running Toxic too.
 
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Colonel M

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Toxapex now has access to Knock Off in its repitoire. While there is the sacrifice of Toxic Spikes or Haze (hint - Toxic Spikes is better to sacrifice here). This makes Toxapex frustrating to switch into since there's a chance of being burned by Scald or losing your item by Knock Off. The loss of Toxic Spikes is fairly significant, though, considering it is one of the biggest reasons to use Toxapex right now (outside of being an amazing pivot of course). A significant buff for sure, but thankfully Toxapex really covets a lot of its moves so it faces moveslot competition.

Defog Landorus-T and Gliscor are very big too. Poison Heal Gliscor has amazing defensive qualities without taking up a Mega slot like Mega Scizor. Landorus-T is just one of the best mons to have on a team. What giveth rocks can also taketh away. The biggest issues boil back to how both of these struggle to significantly dent Ferrothorn and are chased out by Greninja. I'll give a small nod to Defog Rotom-W because it is a pivot mon and the pinch berries are pretty nice for it. Koko Thundy-I and Torn-T seem like okayish but I'd rather use them for other things.

The Poison / Dragon UB looks pretty dangerous, though Heatran, Chansey, and Tyranitar seem pretty dangerous for it to face. The best thing about this thing is Specs can massively punish any Fairy-type attempting to switch into Draco Meteor which is fairly significant for it. U-turn also lets it get the hell out of dodge too. Looking to see how this one fits in the metagame if it can.

The UB Burst is odd. I kind of hate how this mon seriously lacks any move for Tyranitar. Seriously - no Signal Beam, no significant physical nor special Fighting-type moves, and no Energy Ball nor Grass Knot. Still, Ghost and Fire are dangerous offensive typings outside of Tyranitar and this thing has a pretty decent Speed tier and access to Mind Blown. Scarf or Specs seems the best course for this mon.

That's about it at the moment that I have. Might bs more tonight, but these are
 
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