Top 10 Titans of the 6th Gen Doubles OU metagame (Final Voting Stage)

ryo yamada2001

ryo yamada2001
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Top 10 Titans of Doubles OU
Since Generation 6 Doubles is an official Smogon metagame and ever since Doubles' playerbase grew significantly. We saw a metagame reshape entirely, our room and subforum grow, and we saw many great tournaments and games in this generation. We have seen many powerful and viable Pokemon get used in Doubles, but which Pokémon were the most influential? Which Pokémon was the most significant in the metagame? Consider the impact these Pokemon had on the metagame. The list isn't meant to rank how good the Pokemon are, but rather how influential these Pokemon were to Doubles in generation 6.

We will follow a rather simple format: starting from [whenever this thread goes up] until [a week after the thread was up] potential titans can be posted in the thread. Afterwards, there will be voting stages from #1 to #10 in periods of three days to determine which Pokemon were the most influential to Doubles.

Feel free to nominate Pokemon that were previously allowed in Doubles but are now banned (Salamencite, Shaymin-Sky)! Also please don't nominate "memes" or Pokemon that aren't realistic titans for the metagame.

I would also very much appreciate it if you'd post according to the following format:
Nominating [Pokemon]
Enter sprite or animated model here.

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.

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


The Top 10 Titans:
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.
 
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Nominating Jirachi


What effect did [Pokemon] have on the metagame?
Jirachi is one of the most common and meta-defining pokemon of the last few stages of ORAS DOU. It's role as a redirector with great defensive typing and good stats along with access to multiple forms of speed control make it incredibly versatile and can fit on a variety of teams. It shuts down Amoonguss and Metagross, Gardevoir and Sylveon while actings as a solid check to Kangaskhan.

In what main roles was [Pokemon] used?
Jirachi mainly acted as a defensive support pokemon that fit well on more offensive teams, but could also fit on more defensive oriented teams. It was used for its ability to redirect attacks, and with the aid of safety goggles, redirect Spore.

What caused it to have a significant impact?
What really pushed Jirachi over the "edge" making it the subject of a Suspect Test was how well it partners with Azumarill and even other pokemon like Kangaskhan, Diancie and Volcanion. Specifically, Jirachi and Azumarill's amazing synergy and bulk make it very easy for Azumarill to fire off a Belly Drum and sweep teams while Jirachi was able to provide free turns for Power up punches and substitutes or just attacks for its other notable partners.

How do/did you deal with this Pokemon in Doubles?
Volcanion was notable for its ability to take on both Jirachi and Azumarill while pokemon like Heatran, Aegislash, Hydreigon and Hoopa were all able to deal with Jirachi on its own. Taunt was able to shut down its ability to redirect and knocking off its safety goggles made Jirachi a lot less effective against Amoonguss or Breloom which it would otherwise wall.
 
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emma

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DPL Champion

Nominating Landorus-Therian

What effect did Landorus-T have on the metagame?

Landorus-T shaped the meta around itself. It made certain pokemon or even archetypes unviable (see Excadrill / Sand) and gave certain sets nice since they beat Lando-T (see Milotic). Lando-T checked some of the most prominent pokemon in the tier, mainly Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Diancie, with its fantastic Intimidate Ability and being able to do big damage back, and potentially OHKO with either Superpower or Earthquake. With Speed from a potential Choice Scarf, it's also able to out speed and OHKO other Tier 1 threats such as Mega Charizard Y and Heatran, while doing a lot of damage to Volcanion, Aegislash, and Jirachi.

In what main roles were Landorus-T used?
Lando-T easily takes the role of best scarfer as a pivot with Intimidate and U-Turn. You would see Lando-T being used more often as an Intimidate pokemon over Scarfty or Arcanine since Lando-T matches up better against more of the meta, namely Mega Diancie and opposing Lando-T. Furthermore, with the Choice Scarf's Speed Boost you can now safety U-Turn off previous threats, such as Life Orb Latios, or straight up OHKO such as Meha Charizard Y (without factoring in Intimidate). You can also see if holding the Assault Vest, which allows it to better switch in on fires like Mega Charizard Y and Heatran, and lets you abuse Intimidate more with the added Special Defense. Lastly, power boosting items such as Life Orb, and Expert Belt are finding it's way into the meta as it allows Lando-T to OHKO Mega Kangaskhan, Mega Charizard Y (factoring in intimidate), and Volcanion with neither Choice Scarf or Assault Vest can do.

What caused it to have a significant impact?
The combination of Intimidate, U-Turn, a typing that leaves it with only two weakness, and its sufficient bulk allowing it take hits from powerful pokemon leaves it with a job no other pokemon can do, check almost the entire meta. If Lando-T were to leave the meta, we would see a big rise in Talonflame to check physical attackers and fast threats that Lando-T checked, such as Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Metagross, but Talonflame is a lot frailer and can't check both Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Diancie at the same time due to not being able to fit in Steel Wing and Will-o-Wisp on the same set. Physical Attackers would increase since like I mentioned before, Lando-T is the best intimidator, which might lead to bans of like Mega Kangaskhan or Mega Diancie. Mega Kangaskhan because the lack of viable intimidators and bulk (since without Lando-T, the meta becomes a lot more Hyper Offense with the need for speed), and Mega Diancie since it keeps the Intimidators in check that would make Mega Kangaskhan unviable, such as Scrafty, Salamence, and Arcanine. Landorus-T is what keeps the metagame in check which allows it to have such a signifigant impact in the 6th Gen Doubles OU Metagame.

How do you deal with this Pokemon in Doubles?
The best check to Landorus-T (and the easiest to use) is an opposing Landorus-T due to Intimidate and Earthquake immunity. Bulky Waters, such as Rotom-W and Suicune, also check and threaten the OHKO with a potential Ice Beam or strong Water STAB, but then again, Landorus-T can easily U-Turn out. Faster offensive pokemon such as Deoxys-Attack, Choice Scarf Kyurem-B, and Ludicolo / Kingdra in the Rain threaten the OHKO with their respectable STAB attacks, and if Landorus-T isn't running a Choice Scarf, it must watch out for Keldeo and Latios. Defiant and Competitive Pokemon such as Bisharp and Milotic also check Lando-T as they get a free +2 in their respective offensive stats when Intimidate hits. However, Bisharp can not OHKO with Sucker Punch after the +1 boost factoring in Intimidate and Defiant, but on the other hand, Milotic can easily OHKO with Ice Beam and can typically sit in front of it. Lastly, if it is Choice Scarfed, generally finding out what move it is locked into and then switching to the appropriate check generally works.
 
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Reserving Mega Saladmence

Nominating


What effect did Mega-Salamence have on the metagame?
For the short time Mega-Salamence was legal in the DOU metagame, it had a huge effect on the metagame because of Intimidate, very powerful attacks, and solid bulk and speed. Many powerful pokemon such as Azumarill and Keldeo had a very hard time adapting to the ORAS meta at first due to Mega-Salamence killing them with powerful Aerilate boosted Returns and Double Edges. Suicune and Rotom-Wash were used on many teams since they were some of the few pokemon that could take its +1 attacks. Teambuilding was polarized by teams being designed to have 1 Salamence counter as well as multiple checks. Mega-Salamence’s presence also made steels better than they were before, since they could wall Dragon dance sets if they did not have Earthquake.

In what main roles was Mega-Salamence used?
Mega-Salamence had a ton of roles in the metagame, but the main ones were Bulky Dragon Dance or the Fast Dragon Dance sets, which both had different checks and counters, making it very hard to beat. Bulky Dragon Dance capitalized on Mega-Salamence’s 90/135/90 bulk, allowing it to set-up easily on weak attackers. Fast Dragon Dance aimed to outspeed Fast threats such as Skymin and Deoxys-Attack at +1 to ensure that it wasn’t easily revenge killed. In addition, there were a plethora of other sets, ranging from Sub Attacker, to bulky roost sets, to Fully Special Sets capitalising on its powerful Hyper Voice and good coverage.

What caused it to have a significant impact?
There were a plethora of factors that made Mega-Salamence a very powerful threat in the doubles metagame, these including Intimidate as a pre-mega ability, Aerilate as a post-mega ability to make its normal attacks flying attacks, solid 145/120 Offensive stats with great 90/130/90 bulk, Great coverage, Recovery, Dragon Dance as set-up, and finally a typing that made it pair perfectly with Jirachi as support. When Salamence was around it was the premier set-up mon, since redirection was rife at the time with both Amoonguss and Jirachi being very good.

How do/did you deal with this Pokemon in Doubles?
When Mega-Salamence was around, the best way to deal with it were with very bulky pokemon that could actually take +1 hits from it, such as Suicune and Rotom-Wash, as most pokemon easily crumbled to its powerful attacks. There was also the issue of the fact that Mega-Salamence had Jirachi being its best partner, meaning that most Ice Beams would hit Jirachi while Salamence dealt with the Ice Beamer or its partner. This meant that many people relied on fast blizzards from Greninja or Abomasnow under Trick Room to hit it and Jirachi. If Jirachi was taken out. Powerful Ice-type priority users such as Weavile and Mamoswine could easily deal with a Salamence even if it had set up. If it is not set up, people had to rely on faster pokemon such as Deoxys-Attack and Mega-Gengar to take it out. Besides those pokemon mentioned above, very little had the ability to take it out, which eventually led to its ban.
 
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Nominating Amoonguss



What effect did Amoonguss have on the metagame?
Amoonguss is one of the few Pokemon that hardly has any offensive presence but a truly terrifying supportive presence. Simply put, its weaknesses to niche STAB moves and its amazing bulk to survive some of such threats make it a hard Pokemon to eliminate in one go. (No wonder its a great Redirector). Furthermore, its capability to use Spore, a 100% accuracy sleep move, makes it just as terrifying; it causes each team to have at least one Pokemon that can switch into Spore.

In what main roles was Amoonguss used?
Amoonguss is mainly used as a Redirector and a bulky pivot. Not surprisingly, it provides good synergy with most Pokemon, allowing any team to grab some momentum as well as a chance to improve its match up. At times, its usage of Rocky Helmet acts as punishment to Pokemon that tries to physically attack it and it's further encouraged to do so thanks to its ability, Regenerator. It also acts as a check to opposing Spore, Rain, Trick Room, and just about anything that doesn't straight out eliminates it.

What caused it to have a significant impact?
You really can't go wrong by including Amoonguss to your team. As stated earlier, "its stats, ability, useful resistances, amazing synergy, or the ability to Spore most of the metagame" makes it too significant to be ignored.

How do/did you deal with this Pokemon in Doubles?
Most of the time, I would switch in (if possible) a Pokemon (Ex. Jirachi) that has Safety Goggles, an item that is only used due to Amoonguss. Switching in my own Amoonguss or another Grass types works just as well. Otherwise, I bring out a Pokemon that actually has a chance to OHKO it (Ex. Talonflame), check it with Taunt (Ex. Thundurus), or Sub against it (Ex. Kyurem-B).
 
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n10siT

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so yall just not gonna nominate mega kang?


What effect did [Pokemon] have on the metagame?
haha well! we only suspected it 3 or 4 times. Mega Kangaskhan had such a profound impact on pokemon - not just doubles - that i feel that it will be the thing people remember most about generation 6 mons. with the ability to set up and hit hard as hell or not set up and still hit hard as hell, as well as support your team with fake out and strong priority, kangaskhan quickly became the best mega in doubles ou, and she has remained on her throne.

In what main roles was [Pokemon] used?
Mega Kangaskhan is used as an attacker with the option to set up. it is unique as a set up mon as it is one of the few that does not rely on getting boosts, and often times it never needs to. It is also used to provide Fake Out support, as it has one of the fastest and strongest fake outs in all of pokemon.

What caused it to have a significant impact?
Parental Bond is broken, as it allows Kangaskhan to have a free choice band that breaks focus sashs while allowing her to switch moves. Its sheer power, combined with the ability to set up with Power-Up Punch, a move that deals damage, by the way. Combine THAT with its great bulk, and you have one terrific pokemon. Kangaskhan has great stats and a broken ability. What more do you need to know?

How do/did you deal with this Pokemon in Doubles?
Mega Kangaskhan basically says "hey, try and use slow mons that die to return" and while a few slip through the cracks, like breloom, it puts a stop to a lot of them. Mega Kangs Return is one of the most popular benchmarks in the metagame, as its one of the most common attacks. that being said, you teambuild with two things in mind: how bad is this vs kang, and how do i beat kang. Pokemon like Keldeo and landorus-therian all get a huge boost in their viability just because of how well they deal with mega kangaskhan. Keldeo used to be tier 1! anyway im kind of rambling but u basically deal with kang with either a: intimidate or b: a fast fighting or a bulky fighting or i guess c: will o wisp
 

Pocket

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I'd say people also use Rocky Helmet Amoonguss, Steel-types (Jirachi), and Ghost-types (Aegislash) to limit/circumvent Kangaskhan's powerful STAB and priority. But yea, Kangaskhan is probably one of the main reasons why bulky Charizard Y is so much more popular than a sweeper spread.

Also Protect Kanga is strong
 
[20:03:39] Tymano: In the titans thread
[20:03:46] Tymano: Can I reserve multiple mons?
[20:03:51] Tymano: I already did Mence
[20:03:53] Elise: its dead so go ahead
[20:04:01] Tymano: thx

Reserving Thundurus-I.
 

talkingtree

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Nominating Heatran


What effect did Heatran have on the metagame?
Heatran's Flash Fire ability and solid bulk grant it a solid matchup against the quite common Fire-types of Doubles OU. Not only that, but a high Special Attack stat and Heat Wave meant that Heatran couldn't be ignored as an offensive threat. Heatran's ability to clean many teams from behind a Substitute ushered in the rise of Ground-types including Landorus-T and Pokemon with Ground-type coverage, such as Earth Power Hydreigon and Hidden Power Ground Mega Gardevoir and Sylveon. It also allowed many team builders an emergency button to fix a team's sun weakness as one of the few Pokemon that could ignore many of Mega Charizard Y's most common moves, only fearing the somewhat rare Hidden Power Ground.

In what main roles was Heatran used?
Checking Sun is one of Heatran's primary roles, but it also serves as a fantastic wincon for many teams, chipping the opposition with Heat Wave from behind the safety of its Substitute. As a notoriously difficult set to break, SubTran takes on Steel-, Fire-, and Grass-types with ease, and rarely ends up deadweight in its matches. Setting up a substitute puts a large amount of pressure on the opponent as it prevents a possible revenge KO, and Heatran's substitutes are also often difficult to break, so it can even serve as a check to Trick Room teams. Alternatively, ErupTran sets provided Trick Room teams with a huge amount of damage potential to take advantage of limited Trick Room turns, providing 150 power spread damage if Heatran is able to preserve its health.

What caused it to have a significant impact?
Large attacking and defensive stats, combined with an immunity to both Fire- and Poison-types and many great resistances to common types including Normal, Flying, Psychic, and Fairy were the main contributors to Heatran's effectiveness.

How do/did you deal with this Pokemon in Doubles?
Heatran's 4x weakness to Ground is fairly easily exploited, especially with the prevalence of Landorus-T. Aside from that, Hoopa-U is able to circumvent a potential Substitute, bulky Water-types such as Rotom-W and Suicune wall its two most common attacks fairly easily, and Wide Guard prevents the use of its best move. Sometimes, a Shuca Heatran set is used to counter opposing Heatran, as it is able to take the Earth Power and retaliate with one of its own.
 
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Platinum God n1n1

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What effect did Cresselia have on the metagame?
CHALK
- the C stands for Cresselia.
CHALK was the standard basic team that seemingly everyone was using and to beat CHALK you require a CM cress check. CM cress created THALK because T for Thundorus is great for taunting. CHALK also reinforced Heatran, Hydreigon, Aegislash, and other mons as top tier. If you come unprepared for CM cress it will destroy you. So bulky, great recovery, and psychic/moonblast + ice beam/icy wind gives good coverage.

In what main roles was [Pokemon] used?
Cress is obviously more than just great Calm Mind user but also arguably the most reliable Trick Room setter. It threatens Amoonguss with safety googles or can run mental herb. It is also one of CharY greatest teammates because it gives a soft lando check with icy win/ice beam and gets that extra moonlight boost form the Sun. Other sets have been proven useful including Expert Belt, Skill Swap with Heatran, helping hand, and Lunar Dance.

What caused it to have a significant impact?
Unmatched bulk, indestructible if you let it get CMs, fabulous support and synergy, the best TR setter.

How do/did you deal with this Pokemon in Doubles?
The absolute best way is Hoopa and Bisharp and Taunt. Secondly Hydregion, Aegislash, and Steal types do a good job.
 
Nominating Diancie-Mega


What effect did Diancie-Mega have on the metagame?
The addition of the Fairy-type was one of the biggest changes from Gen 5 to Gen 6, given it weakened the strength of most of the dominant typings in the B2W2 metagame. In my opinion Diancie-Mega is the strongest Fairy-type in the Doubles OU metagame, making it the go to pick when it comes to abusing this new typing in Gen 6. Add in the fact that with Defense boosts from Diamond Storm, Diancie is an effective check to Mega-Kangaskhan, and it is very clear that Diancie brought about huge changes in the metagame (I mean Kangaskhan-Mega was pretty much the undisputed best Mega until ORAS, and while Salamence-Mega also helped make that happen, after its ban it has become clear that Diancie is the biggest Mega standing in the kangaroo's way in Salamencite's absence).

In what main roles was Diancie-Mega used?
Diancie-Mega has become a very potent offensive sweeper that can obliterate unprepared teams with the right support. The moveset used for Diancie has pretty much remained static since its inception, which consists of Diamond Storm, Moonblast, Earth Power, and Protect. It does have some utility moves such as Helping Hand, Safeguard, Skill Swap, and Dual Screens, but the three attacks in combination have such great coverage that it really isn't worth giving any of them up (and of course Protect is basically required on an offensive threat; especially one with the weaknesses of Diancie).

What caused it to have a significant impact?
While Diancie was initially not used much at all, upon the release of ORAS it became a top-tier threat due to its Mega Stone. Diancie went from a slow bulky Pokemon that had way too many weaknesses to do much of anything to an offensive menace that now is the strongest Fairy-type in the metagame. While threats like Gardevoir-Mega and Sylveon were also very powerful Fairy-types, Diancie-Mega's base 110 Speed, unique Diamond Storm attack, Magic Bounce ability allowing it to avoid getting paralyzed or burned easily, and access to Ground-type coverage in Earth Power for Steel-types really established it as the prime Fairy-type to watch out for.

How do/did you deal with this Pokemon in Doubles?
The most popular option to beat Diancie is most likely Aegislash, given Earth Power on most sets cannot consistently 2HKO it in its shield form and Flash Cannon can consistently OHKO. Landorus-T (especially with Scarf) is probably the other popular option, though Moonblast does a lot to it. This being said its large number of weaknesses allow it to be KOed by a lot of Pokemon, it is simply a matter of not getting KOed first, which given Diancie-Mega's speed and coverage is often a difficult task to achieve.

~Footnote~
If anyone else wants to add something to contribute to Diancie's entry I am happy to edit it in <3
 
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kamikaze

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here are some suggestions for other good mons that have had a place in the gen 6 metagame at some point or another but havent been reserved yet. If anyone is willing to both nominate and do a good write up for it then go for it. It wouldnt be fun if we didnt have over 10 mons vying for the slots.

1. Mega Charizard Y (shaian did)
2. Mega Gardevoir (shaian did)
3. Volcanion
4. Azumarill
5. Aegislash
6. Talonflame (qsns is handling it)
7. Hoopa-U
8. Hydreigon
9. Keldeo
10. Kyurem-B
11. Rotom-W
12. Sylveon
 
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What effect did Thundurus have on the metagame?
Thundurus basically forces your team to use either Trick Room, or two Pokemon immune to Thunder Wave to not be overwhelmed by paralysis. Thundurus (in part) defined what doubles players think of when building or preparing for a "standard team". Thundurus was also the Pokemon that caused Swagger to be banned.
In what main roles was Thundurus used?
Thundurus is most often used as an offensive support Pokemon, but it frequently uses builds that drift more towards support or offense on a variety of teams. One of the things that makes Thundurus so powerful is that no matter what set it uses, Thundurus is consistent and threatening.
What caused it to have significant impact?
Prankster stands out as the most significant tool that Thundurus has, but priority Thunder Wave (and at one time Swagger) are not all Thundurus has going for it. Thundurus has excellent typing, a solid move pool for offense or support, and very strong base stats. I've said in the past that no matter what your team build is, there is a Thundurus set that threatens it. Thundurus has an unmatched combination of versatility and consistency, and even after the Swagger ban (which Thundurus instigated) Thundurus is till unarguably one of the best Pokemon in the format.
How do you deal with this Pokemon in doubles?
There really isn't a Pokemon that can deal with all of Thundurus' viable sets. The best way to prepare is to scout the set carefully, and pack some Pokemon immune to Thunder Wave. This sounds like a solid strategy, but before the swagger ban Thundurus could easily get around your efforts to check or counter it, and with sets like Phys/Sky Drop and Discharge becoming more common, it still can.
 
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shaian

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What effect did Charizard-Y have on the metagame?

Charizard-Y is the undisputed king of weather in Doubles OU. Charizard has consistently found itself in the upper-tiers of viability, a frequent contender for top 10 Pokemon in the metagame, and a Pokemon which many would not dispute as being a top-5 Mega. The greatest testament to Charizards dominance is that, in a metagame oversaturated with the likes of Heatran, Landorus-T, Thundurus, and Diancie, Charizard still finds itself, not just surviving, but rather, it's thriving.

Charizard itself has undergone very few changes in how it is used, the transition from XY to ORAS brought with it a bulky set to go along with the conventional fast attacker, but aside from that, the metagame around it has shifted. Teams have always had to find ways to switch in on it, and in kind, Charizard has adjusted. The conventional knowledge of bringing Heatran in on Charizard was met with Charizard running Hidden Power Ground, and now Heatran has to scout. Rock Slide was met with Charizard commonly pairing with Aegislash for Wide Guard support. If teams were not using Heatran, Dragon-type Pokemon became a near requirement in order to safely switch in on Charizard, and even then, most ran both due to the strain opposing Charizards put on board position. Landorus-I began using Rock Slide for Charizard-Y, Stone Edge was used instead of Rock Slide to get around Intimidate or Wide Guard combinations with Charizard. Various small subtleties in the metagame, things which players often overlook or have ingrained in to them, can be attributed to the existence of Charizard-Y.

In what main roles was Charizard-Y used?
Charizard-Y thrived as an offensive presence, relying heavily on its powerful Fire-type moves to carve out large chunks of the opposing team. The overbearing threat of a Sun-backed Heat Wave can often force opposing teams to scramble and reassess board position, and in many cases, determine which Pokemon to sack. Charizard also made a living by anchoring Sun-based offenses, such as the notable BIG Titties team, being the only viable Drought user in the metagame.

What caused it to have significant impact?
Having access to Drought allowed Charizard to define itself from the other staple Fire-type in Doubles OU, Heatran. With Drought, both of Charizards commonly used Fire-type moves, the spread move Heat Wave, and the single-target nuke, Overheat, became a constant threat to OHKO or near-OHKO every non-resistant Pokemon in the metagame, with all but the bulkiest Pokemon unable to withstand the hit.

How do you deal with this Pokemon in doubles?
Charizard is best countered with Rock-type moves, thankfully the existence of Rock Slide means that Charizard is kept in check relatively easily. Diancie, Landorus-T, and Terrakion are amongst the standouts. Other common ways of dealing with Charizard are with offensive Thundurus sets, and with Heatran, though Heatran is required to scout for the Hidden Power Ground variants. Faster Charizard spreads are also susceptible to being KO'd by stronger physical attacks, early in XY Doubles the Charizard vs Kangaskhan matchup came down to whichever one won the speed tie.

What effect did Mega Gardevoir have on the metagame?

Gardevoir comes out of Gen 6 Doubles OU as, arguably, the best Fairy-type Pokemon in the metagame. Earlier in the development of the metagame there were questions as to whether Sylveon was the better Hyper Voice user, the dominance of Azumarill backed by the plethora of "Bunny Rampage" clones, and the release of Mega Diancie all led to challenges to Gardevoirs status as the premiere Fairy-type. What Gardevoir provided over its contemporaries was flexibility. The conventional fast Gardevoir has been a staple of the metagame since XY was first released, and has adapted over time to the fluctuations and development of Doubles, more recently, Trick Room and middling speed varieties have come to the forefront of competitive play.

This flexibility and ability to redefine how the Pokemon is played is amongst Gardevoirs most uniquely powerful qualities. Early on in the metagame Gardevoir primarily ran Focus Blast in order to snipe Kangaskhan, later Hidden Power Ground became the fashion, others ran moves such as Ally Switch, Will-o-Wisp, Encore, Substitute, Imprison, and now, Trick Room. Opponents are required to respect all of these options when seeing Gardevoir in the Team Preview.

In what main roles was Mega Gardevoir used?
As mentioned, Gardevoir started off in Doubles OU as an offensive Pokemon, threatening the majority of the metagame with its Pixilate-backed Hyper Voice. It typically ran standard fast-sets with 2 STAB moves and a tertiary coverage option that patched any notable gaps in its team coverage. More recent variants now utilize Trick Room as a speed control option, though the fast-sets are still used to great effect. Middle speed Gardevoirs also exist, typically hovering around 263 Speed, though those are much less common.

What caused it to have significant impact?
Being able to combine such a potent offensive presence with its exceptional flexibility is what allowed Gardevoir to define itself over the course of 6th gen. The ability to anchor a team offensively due to its access to Pixilate-boosted Hyper Voices, or to characterize a team with Trick Room is something very select Pokemon are capable of, and to do so as effectively as Gardevoir can puts it in rarefied air.

How do you deal with this Pokemon in doubles?
Steel-types are the most surefire way to deal with Gardevoir. Aegislash, Bisharp, Heatran, and early on, Mawile, all worked as efficient ways to deal with Gardevoir. However, Mawile is currently non-existent in the Doubles metagame, Aegislash and Bisharp, are seeing less usage due to the release of Hoopa-U, and Heatran has to scout for Hidden Power Ground in order to safely tackle Gardevoir. Other methods involve the simple solution of using a powerful Fire-type Pokemon, such as Charizard Y, and opting for an Overheat, or a strong physical attack, such as a Return from Kangaskhan or Hyperspace Fury from Hoopa-U.
 

talkingtree

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Nominating Kyurem-B


What effect did Kyurem-B have on the metagame?
With extremely high stats and a fantastic ability in Teravolt, Kyurem-B is only held back by a disappointing movepool that prevents it from taking full advantage of its spectacular Attack stat and a slightly too low Speed stat. Kyurem-B's coverage with only two moves and great matchup against almost all of Tier 1's threats made it a very anti-meta pick, especially thriving during the peak of THALK-style teams.

Substitute Kyurem-B is an enormous threat to the Doubles OU metagame, breaking standard balance Pokemon such as Heatran, Amoonguss, and Rotom-W quite well due to its coverage between Ice Beam and Teravolt-backed Earth Power, which hits Levitate Pokemon. Thanks to its combination of bulk and power, Doubles teams have to be careful to only include one Pokemon seen as "Sub-bait", otherwise risking a flat-out loss.

In what main roles was Kyurem-B used?
As mentioned above, the most prominent and powerful of Kyurem-B's sets was Substitute + 2 attacks, created by former tier leader Arcticblast. With its ability to take on Thundurus, Landorus-T, Amoonguss, Rotom-W, Heatran, and the rain core of Politoed + Ludicolo with ease, this set acted as a wincon, being difficult to take out from behind the safety of its Substitute while dealing major damage to the opposition. Its ability to almost single-handedly take on the once-popular THALK archetype allowed many players some peace of mind in building the remainder of their team. The set also adapted to the rise of bulkier, semiroom archetypes with non-Scarf Landorus-T becoming more popular, adapting a Timid nature to prevent foes from having a chance to break its Substitute.

However, some more niche lure sets also found prominence in the adapting metagame - a Choice Scarf set allows Kyurem-B to fix its unfortunate Speed issues, while also taking on the faster Dragons with Dragon Claw. In addition, Life Orb sets, most of which ran Fusion Bolt > Substitute, capitalized on higher powered attacks and near-perfect coverage while retaining the ability to switch moves that Scarf sets lack.

What caused it to have a significant impact?
Kyurem-B forced the meta to adapt to its presence, nearly invalidating Rotom-W/Heatran/Mega Venusaur cores that were once fairly popular. The two attacks on its Substitute set, when backed by Teravolt, are only resisted by Surskit, and between solid bulk and power, any time a Kyurem-B is on the field, it could not be ignored.

How do/did you deal with this Pokemon in Doubles?
Far and away the best answers to Kyurem-B are the Pixilate Hyper Voice users, Mega Gardevoir and Sylveon. Both ignore any potential Substitute and deal significant damage with a Fairy-type Hyper Voice that cannot be redirected. However, they must be wary of Choice Scarf sets carrying Iron Head, which at worst 2HKO either Pokemon. Hoopa-U also circumvents Substitutes and has lots of Special Defense to withstand its attacks. In general, chipping Kyurem-B down and preventing it from keeping a Sub up is the best way to deal with it, as the only recovery it has is Leftovers, which is often unable to add up to much due to the shortness of Doubles games. In an effort to avoid too much change, some bulkier teams also added Snarl on Pokemon such as Suciune, dropping Kyurem-B's damage output until it could be mostly ignored, even by Pokemon hit super effectively.
 
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posting my reservation for talonflame so i dont blow it off

edit: i swear im not blowing it off im just really busy with homework tonight ;___; i'll have it by friday
 
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