Commonly Used but Poor Sets/Pokemon in NU

By Rabia. Released: 2019/10/20.
« Previous Article Next Article »
art

Art by Pyritie.

Introduction

Pokémon is a game all about innovation; players can get very creative with the sets and Pokémon they choose to use, particularly when playing in tournaments. However, there are times where deviating too far from what is standard hurts more than it helps; this is particularly evident in ladder play. In this article, we'll look at some sets as well as Pokémon that simply aren't viable or consistent options in NU.

Assault Vest Incineroar

Incineroar

Incineroar is a Pokémon that comes with a massive amount of utility by virtue of its ability and movepool, and newer players see Incineroar's great physical bulk courtesy of Intimidate and think "hey, let's give its special bulk an equivalent boost!". The problem, however, is longevity. Between entry hazards and strong attacks from Pokémon like Sneasel, Sigilyph, and Whimsicott, Incineroar is prone to being worn down very rapidly, and by using Assault Vest instead of Figy Berry, this issue is compounded upon further. Not to mention that Fake Out is laughably weak and hurts Incineroar more than helps it due to it taking up a moveslot for Earthquake or even Will-O-Wisp.

What to Use Instead

With this set, Incineroar has much more longevity due to the burst of healing from Figy Berry. Additionally, Incineroar is much bulkier and maintains a good offensive presence due to its naturally high Attack.

Toxic + Heal Bell Vaporeon

Vaporeon

One of the hardest decisions to make when using Vaporeon is deciding between Toxic and Heal Bell. Some ladder players have decided to forgo that process entirely by dropping Protect in favor of running both moves. This is ineffective for several reasons. For starters, Protect lets Vaporeon guarantee Wish recovery, which is crucial in keeping it at a high enough amount of HP to check Pokémon like Incineroar and Rhydon. Furthermore, the combination of Toxic + Protect is incredibly potent late-game, as Vaporeon can potentially clutch games itself if the opponent cannot immediately remove Vaporeon.

What to Use Instead

Thanks to the combination of Wish + Protect, Vaporeon has a much more reliable way of recovering its own HP and can potentially stall out foes with Toxic or further support its team with Heal Bell. It's also capable of scouting opposing Choice item users like Passimian and Heliolisk.

Mono-Attacking Comfey

comfey

The appeal to this set is pretty clear: make Comfey as bulky and difficult to KO as possible. However, with no coverage moves or Special Attack investment, Comfey is no longer the potent late-game sweeper it is known and feared as. Without moves like Giga Drain and Hidden Power, Comfey is easily walled by Pokémon like Garbodor, Steelix, and Weezing, meaning it'll never pose an actual threat to the opponent.

What to Use Instead

With maximum Special Attack investment, Life Orb, and coverage moves, Comfey poses a much greater threat late-game as a sweeper. It's capable of working past checks like Garbodor and Steelix and can break special walls like Assault Vest Slowking more reliably.

Flame Orb + Psycho Shift Sigilyph

sigilyph

This is a gimmick that has been tried since Sigilyph's introduction in Generation 5 and has remained inconsistent ever since. What harms this set's potential in USM is the omnipresence of Incineroar; with only Psychic-type coverage, Sigilyph simply can't beat Incineroar. Additionally, Psycho Shift doesn't really let Sigilyph cripple any of its checks because of how telegraphed it is.

What to Use Instead

With this set, Sigilyph poses a threat to a wider variety of teams largely in part to Air Slash's superior coverage. Thanks to Supersonic Skystrike and Calm Mind, Sigilyph is more than capable of working past Incineroar as well as other Dark-types like Sneasel and Pangoro.

Swords Dance Decidueye

Decidueye

Although Decidueye was once known for its good wallbreaking abilities with Swords Dance and its signature Z-Move in Sinister Arrow Raid, those times have passed. Decidueye is simply revenge killed by too many threats like Aerodactyl, Sneasel, and Golbat, and it's completed walled by Incineroar.

What to Use Instead

By boosting its Special Attack instead of its Attack, Decidueye is much more capable of breaking through Incineroar and fares better versus Steelix and Weezing. Additionally, the sheer power of Bloom Doom lets Decidueye surprise Pokémon like Pangoro.

Ambipom

ambipom

Ambipom is simply too weak and vulnerable to revenge killers like Passimian and Aerodactyl to properly function, and it's also a victim to the presence of Stealth Rock setters like Steelix, Rhydon, and Palossand, even with Low Kick to help it out against the former two.

What to Use Instead

Incineroar @ Figy Berry / Incinium Z
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Flare Blitz
- Knock Off / Darkest Lariat
- Earthquake


Heliolisk @ Choice Specs
Ability: Dry Skin
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Hyper Voice
- Volt Switch
- Surf


Aerodactyl @ Choice Band
Ability: Unnerve
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- Pursuit
- Aerial Ace


Pokémon like Swords Dance Incineroar, Choice Specs Heliolisk, and Choice Band Aerodactyl are significantly better wallbreakers than Ambipom. They provide much more defensive utility thanks to their typings and abilities, and they are much harder to switch into due to their raw power and coverage options.

Minior

Minior

Minior is possibly the best example of a "noob trap." On paper, it looks like a devastating sweeper thanks to Shell Smash and its ability in Shields Down, which eases setup somewhat. However, Minior is incredibly weak until its Core forme is activated, meaning bulky Water-types like Slowking, Blastoise, and Vaporeon as well as most other physical walls like Steelix and Rhydon can easily take its hits. Furthermore, it's still not particularly bulky in its Meteor forme, meaning most of the aforementioned threats can simply KO it after Stealth Rock.

What to Use Instead

Aerodactyl

Z-Celebrate Aerodactyl takes advantage of similar Pokémon to Minior, such as Garbodor and Weezing, but it is much stronger and faster right off the bat than Minior. Additionally, if opting for Roost instead of Substitute, Aerodactyl can use its defensive properties to soft check Pokémon like Incineroar and Delphox.

Final Thoughts

There is lots of room to experiment and innovate in NU; however, there are simply some options that aren't worth messing around with. Hopefully you now know some of them and why you should avoid them!

HTML by inactive
« Previous Article Next Article »