A Journey Through LC's Banlist (Part 2)

By DC. Released: 2021/11/14.
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A Journey Through LC's Banlist 2 art

Art by Zephyri.

Introduction

In Part 1 of the series, we explored the suspect tests and bans from the start of SS LC to the post-Home metagame. From a swirl of cotton candy and a ball of vines to two colorful foxes and a ghostly balloon, many different characters managed to make their way into the banlist. For Part 2, this article will cover the bans from Post-Home to the current metagame without a deadly bird. Now, let's dive deep into some of the individuals that made it onto the banlist!

Chlorophyll

Bulbasaur Cherubi

The first ban of the post-Home metagame was Chlorophyll, a surprising but expected ban that stemmed from shifts in the pre-Home metagame. After Vulpix's ban, sun was expected to be an average archetype. Theoretically, with the loss of the only automatic sun setter in SS LC, sun teams would lack the consistency to maintain enough sun turns for Chlorophyll sweepers to set up with Growth and start attacking. However, the new sun archetype, often referred to as manual sun, utilized multiple setters such as Heat Rock + Sunny Day Onix and Diglett to maximize the amount of turns for sun sweepers like Bulbasaur and Cherubi to wreak havoc. Their Fire + Grass coverage devastated the metagame, as even checks like Vullaby and Munchlax could not handle multiple Growth-boosted attacks. To deal with manual sun teams, the LC community chose to ban Chlorophyll over Heat Rock or Bulbasaur, as it directly tackled the issue and targeted all the problematic Pokémon. Sadly, as a result of the Chlorophyll ban, Cherubi was once again send to the banlist because it had no other ability.

DLC 1 (The Isle of Armor) Metagame

The Isle of Armor DLC brought back many familiar faces from SM LC, including staples like Mienfoo, Abra, Foongus, and Staryu. These Pokémon had a tremendous effect on the metagame, revitalizing both offensive and defensive cores. The LC metagame also became more dynamic, as the introduction of these Pokémon opened up more team archetypes and playstyles, which contributed to some Pokémon ending up on the banlist.

Rufflet

Rufflet

Rufflet was initially banned during the post-Home metagame, where it dominated and was perceived as unhealthy by many people. The sheer power provided by Hustle counteracted the 20% decrease in accuracy, allowing Choice item Rufflet to OHKO or 2HKO a majority of the tier with Brave Bird. It also created many 50/50 scenarios for opposing players, as they were forced to predict whether or not to switch in a Flying-resistant Pokémon like Onix or Pawniard. If they predicted incorrectly, Rufflet could use Close Combat to eliminate the Brave Bird answer or pivot with U-turn into a trapper that could also remove it. Often, the best counterplay to Rufflet was relying on it to miss due to Hustle. However, Bulk Up Rufflet stopped teams from exploiting this, taking advantage of passive Pokémon to acquire multiple boosts and power through defensive cores with its accurate Aerial Ace. Even after DLC 1 introduced more checks to Rufflet and it was given another suspect test, it was ultimately still too strong for the metagame and did not manage to get released from the banlist.

DLC 2 (The Crown Tundra) Metagame

The Crown Tundra DLC released less changes than the Isle of Armor DLC, but it still managed to have a substantial impact on the SS LC metagame. The return of fossil Pokémon like Tyrunt, Omanyte, and Tirtouga brought new sweepers and entry hazard setters for people to try out. However, the biggest change was the release of Grassy Surge for Grookey, turning it into a top-tier threat in LC by empowering its Grassy Glide and providing a supportive tool for other Pokémon.

Woobat

Woobat

Woobat was the biggest beneficiary of Grookey's Grassy Surge, becoming a threatening setup sweeper with Grassy Seed and Calm Mind. Its ability Simple doubled the boosts it acquired, letting it snowball incredibly easily. The +2 Defense boost from Grassy Seed prevented checks like Pawniard and Onix from easily revenge killing it, while Calm Mind boosted Stored Power's damage output and made it difficult for special attackers like Magnemite and Abra to handle it well. Woobat was especially devastating on Sticky Web or dual screens teams, where it could either outspeed checks or get more setup opportunities. The metagame was forced to adapt to Woobat's rise and teams had to pack multiple counterplay options, like Thunder Wave or Encore Abra and Choice Scarf Magnemite, to have a shot at containing it. Overall, Woobat was too consistent at setting up and powering through teams and ultimately sent to the LC banlist.

Vullaby

Vullaby

Vullaby had a long and controversial history in SS LC. It was initially suspected and not banned during the first suspect test. Vullaby regularly saw over 80% usage in tournaments and was a staple on many teams, serving as a glue Pokémon. Its sheer versatility was unmatched, letting it run many different but effective sets. The two sets showcased were Vullaby's two most common sets: Offensive Pivot and Nasty Plot. To truly understand the context behind its ban, it is important to understand the metagame trends. As the metagame shifted to strong special attackers like Choice Scarf Porygon, Abra, and Galarian Ponyta, Pawniard became the preferred Stealth Rock setter over Onix. Heat Wave Vullaby was able to handle Pawniard very effectively, which made checking the aforementioned special attackers difficult; this was an incredibly surprising development, since Pawniard was considered a check to Vullaby. For its part, Nasty Plot Vullaby benefitted from the rise of hyper offense teams in the metagame. It was an excellent setup sweeper on Sticky Web and dual screens teams, serving as both a threatening wallbreaker and late-game wincon. Nasty Plot Vullaby was especially hated for its ability to make foes flinch with Air Slash and Dark Pulse. Often, a well-timed flinch was disastrous for the opponent, as it often meant the loss of a check. All of the aforementioned traits, along with the unpredictability of its sets, landed Vullaby a spot on the LC banlist.

Scraggy

Scraggy

One of the two latest additions to the banlist, Scraggy was a setup sweeper that snowballed incredibly easily with Moxie. It took advantage of prominent Stealth Rock setters like Onix and Pawniard, as well as weak offensive threats like Foongus, to boost with Dragon Dance and sweep with its potent STAB combination. Scraggy's fourth moveslot was flexible and could be customized to defeat its checks. Substitute blocked Spore from Foongus and Will-O-Wisp from Koffing, Protect made playing around Mienfoo easier, and Dual Chop, later Beat Up, helped bypass Focus Sash Abra. Some Scraggy sets even went Eviolite + Shed Skin with Drain Punch to beat foes that expected Berry Juice Scraggy and carried Protect to handle High Jump Kick. Scraggy was an offensive juggernaut that could fit on any team style, as it excelled on hyper offense Sticky Web and dual screens teams as well as traditional balance teams. It often forced teams to carry multiple checks to it, ranging from doubled priority users in Timburr and Grookey to creative options like Bulldoze Diglett and Play Rough Ponyta. Scraggy was quickbanned along with the next entry on the LC banlist.

Sticky Web

It is often rare to see a move banned in LC, but Sticky Web is a good exception to that rule. It was initially suspect tested after the Rufflet re-test and was not banned. So what changed? The simple answer is Vullaby. After Vullaby was banned from LC, entry hazard control became very weak and was relegated to three options: Defog Timburr, Rapid Spin Staryu, and Natu. Sticky Web teams were able to exploit this to wreak havoc in the metagame. The primary Sticky Web setter, Dewpider, had a great matchup against Defog Timburr and could trade effectively with it, as well as forcing Natu to predict whether it would use Sticky Web or take it out on the switch with Surf. Rapid Spin Staryu was handled by the other members of the hyper offense playstyle, with Pumpkaboo-S and Frillish being able to spinblock and Grookey being able to force it out. Many Pokémon shined on Sticky Web offense, notably Rufflet, Grassy Seed Woobat, Nasty Plot Vullaby, and Dragon Dance Scraggy. Overall, the lack of reliable entry hazard control post-Vullaby made Sticky Web teams too difficult to handle, and it was ultimately relegated to the banlist.

Conclusion

This brings Part 2 of the Journey through LC's Banlist to a close. Be sure to check out the LC room on PS, where you can try some of these Pokémon out in LC Ubers tours. The removal of Vullaby has completely flipped the metagame and will potentially lead to a couple of bans that will be featured in Part 3 of this series!

HTML by Ryota Mitarai | Script by scpinion.
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