New Gen, Same CAPs
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Art by in the hills.
Introduction
CAP is a metagame based off of OU with added community-made Pokémon called CAPs. Every time a new generation rolls around, it is exciting to see which CAPs benefit from the new mechanics and metagame and which ones fall behind. Scarlet and Violet has taken this to a whole other level, introducing a metagame-defining gimmick, Terastallization, that can make even the most unviable Pokémon of the past into true threats. To further add to the insanity of the early-generation metagame, CAP hosted updates for each of the CAPs, giving out new Generation 9 moves and potentially buffing a few CAPs along the way. With SS CAP ending with a bang in the $1,000 CAP Money Tournament, many people were excited to see just how broken the new generation would be for CAP. This article will look at the biggest winners and losers of the generational shift, and some might just surprise you.
Winners
Caribolt
Caribolt was thought for much of SS CAP to be completely unviable. With a typing that was completely walled by the ever-viable Dragon-types, Astrolotl and Dragapult, and the ever-present Ferrothorn, Sword and Shield was not initially kind to CAP's Grass starter. However, this paradigm completely changed during the end-of-generation CAP money tournament, where player talah leverage Caribolt's Swords Dance and access to Galvanize-boosted Rapid Spin to make the electric stag into a dangerous wincon on hyper offense teams. Caribolt's stock has only kept increasing in SV CAP, as Terastallization has turned Caribolt from a dangerous sweeper into an absolutely terrifying nuke, capable of wiping the floor with foes via Tera Electric and Galvanize-boosted Double-Edge. Given its positive matchup against the tier's many Unaware Pokémon like Skeledirge, Arghonaut, and Dondozo due to its sheer power, Caribolt is better than ever, and it is an excellent choice for hyper offense teams.
Jumbao
Jumbao has had a bumpy history in CAP, to say the least. In SM, when it was introduced, it completely defined the metagame: Trace sets were incredibly difficult to punish, and Drought sets had few safe switch-ins due to Jumbao's access to Flame Burst. CAP's resident tree lost Flame Burst in Generation 8, and with the introduction of Venomicon, a complete counter to Jumbao's coverage, it lost a ton of viability. Without the threat of its Drought-backed Fire-type coverage, Jumbao just was not what it used to be. Enter: Terastallization. Terastallization has breathed new life into Jumbao, giving it back Fire-type coverage with Tera Blast while making it even stronger than it ever was. Add on that Jumbao is a much, much better Drought user than Torkoal (Walking Wake is banned in CAP due to just how much better Jumbao sets sun for it!) and that there are tons of Pokémon like Great Tusk, Iron Moth, and Roaring Moon that excel in the sun, and I would say Jumbao is about as good as it ever has been; it is one of the biggest winners of the generation.
Krilowatt
Krilowatt is an odd case of a Pokémon. It was quite bad in SS CAP, as it was simply not powerful enough to make any sort of progress. If a Krilowatt lost its Life Orb to Knock Off, it became perhaps the most useless Pokémon to ever exist. Considering how common Knock Off was in Generation 8, it is a miracle that Krilowatt saw any use at all. Well, Generation 9 fixed that up quickly, decimating access to Knock Off across the board while cutting Krilowatt's biggest counter, Ferrothorn. Without the threat of Knock Off and the multiple dex cuts that have occurred, Krilowatt is now able to leverage its fast, strong Volt Switch to generate easy momentum. Its bulk is incredibly handy as well, letting it tank hits from big threats like Gholdengo and Dondozo with ease, all while backing up its Surf with Tera Water. Welcome back to the meta, little shrimp.
Plasmanta
Plasmanta has, flatly, never been viable. It saw niche usage in early SS CAP, but outside of that, it was a troll pick at best and a complete throw at worst. In the CAP updates, people had finally had enough, and they gifted Plasmanta with the move it had desired since its inception: Surf. Now that it can actually pressure Ground-types, Plasmanta's terrifyingly high Special Attack is put on full display. The role of Terastallization is also important: Tera Flying circumvents its largest weakness while allowing it to run support options like Taunt over Magnet Rise, while Tera Water empowers its Surf to OHKO unsuspecting foes like Great Tusk. Terastallization also gives it exceptionally good matchups against many of the tier's most stalwart defensive options like Arghonaut, Equilibra, and Great Tusk. For the first time in its life, Plasmanta is seeing usage, and I, for one, could not be happier to see it finally good.
Miasmaw
Miasmaw was quite the star-crossed CAP in Generation 8. Released in a metagame with little-to-no Fairy-type presence, its potential was quickly squandered when the Crown Tundra re-introduced a whole host of Fairy-types (note: Clefable was banned in CAP before Crown Tundra dropped). Its awful typing, its reliance on prediction, and the general saturation of excellent Dragon-types saw Miasmaw become a rarely-used, if at all, CAP in its home generation. However, the CAP updates once again saved a down-on-its-luck CAP, granting Miasmaw Scale Shot. Terastallization let Miasmaw get rid of its much maligned typing, and it could suddenly make use of its staggering base 135 Attack and Swords Dance, unleashing its powerful coverage options like Gunk Shot and Earthquake upon unsuspecting foes. Orthworm's introduction into the tier has also been a huge catalyst for Miasmaw's rapid rise, giving the gaseous dragon the free turns it needs to set up. Miasmaw now has a place in the teambuilder as a devastating sweeper that gives hyper offense teams a chance at breaking through Unaware cores.
Snaelstrom
Snaelstrom's one purpose in life was to check SM Zygarde. Then Zygarde got banned, and the fan favorite CAP quickly dropped out of existence for all intents and purposes. Minor usage as a Swords Dance sweeper in SS could not save Snaelstrom from the depths of unrated jail, and no one really expected much more from it in SV. However, Terastallization once again came through to save a poor CAP. Snaelstrom's main weakness was being a Poison Heal Pokémon that was weak to Stealth Rock, and because it needed to run Toxic Orb over Heavy-Duty Boots, it could never make use of its good bulk and longevity in the face of entry hazards. Terastallization has completely fixed that problem, giving Snaelstrom the ability to shed its Bug typing, letting its bulk shine, especially with its new move, Recover, bowling through foes with Toxic and Swords Dance-boosted attacks. Good luck to any who face the terror that is SV Snaelstrom.
Losers
Cawmodore
Cawmodore is infamous in CAP for its ability to either win or lose on matchup. Speed, Belly Drum, and few weaknesses made it a dangerous threat in SS CAP on hyper offense teams, often paired with Caribolt. The question of "Ok, but do you lose to Cawmodore" was often asked when teambuilding in CAP. One would think in a metagame as offensive and fast-paced as SV CAP, Cawmodore would be right at home; that could not be further from the truth. First and foremost, the faster pace is a double-edged sword; Cawmodore no longer has the easy setup opportunities it once had, and its paltry bulk means that, even if it gets a Belly Drum off, it is easily revenge killed by common Pokémon in the new metagame like Dragapult and Tera Fire Jumbao. Additionally, Generation 9 introduced many new Pokémon like Gholdengo, Skeledirge, and Dondozo that absolutely destroy Cawmodore, even if it gets a Belly Drum off, and many foes can simply Terastallize to resist Cawmodore's attacks, swiftly KOing it due to its awful bulk. Somehow, against all odds, the hyper offense generation is perhaps Cawmodore's worst iteration yet.
Saharaja
Saharaja was the last addition to Generation 8 CAP, and it did not take long for it to dominate the metagame. Superb special bulk, Water Absorb, Rapid Spin, and the disgusting combo of STAB Earthquake + Diamond Storm allowed it to set up one Swords Dance and dismantle teams by itself. Even after its Attack, Speed, and Special Defense were nerfed, it was still a threat to be reckoned with. However, its status as a bulky, offensive, Ground-type spinner was immediately challenged at the onset of Generation 9 by the duo of Great Tusk and Iron Treads, with the former providing way more offensive pressure and the latter providing the coveted Steel type and pivoting. Saharaja simply could not keep up with the competition and fell behind. It is still usable, but you'd be better off with one of the two Paradox elephants than everyone's favorite fancy camel. You had a good run, Saharaja, but SV just isn't the metagame for you.
Pajantom
Pajantom is a pretty terrifying Pokémon, both in design and when facing it in battle. It had the pleasure of having two excellent teammate options in Generation 8, Dragapult and Blacephalon, forming the well-known Ghost-spam core. It was incredibly difficult to play around in SS due to its raw power and access to Spirit Shackle, ensuring that whatever switched in had little choice but to drop to it. However, SV CAP has given Pajantom quite a few problems. The faster pace of the metagame rarely affords Pajantom the opportunity to switch in, and new offensive behemoths like Roaring Moon and Iron Valiant make life difficult for the sleepy dragon in Generation 9, not to mention that a new hard counter, Garganacl, was introduced. While the power is still there, and Tera Ghost Spirit Shackle hits like a truck, Pajantom's low Speed does it in, and it is sadly outclassed at the moment by the aforementioned Roaring Moon and Gholdengo.
Conclusion
Scarlet and Violet has thrown quite the changeup at CAP, bringing historically bad CAPs to the forefront of the metagame while relegating former tier staples to the background. CAP is a great example of how much a generational shift can impact a Pokémon's viability. While the future may look bleak for some CAPs, Generation 9 has taught us that even the dimmest stars can shine brightly, and that the brightest may fade. I hope this article has sparked some new interest in trying out CAP! If you are interested in the process, you can check it out here, and if you want to read up on the metagame to see even more, here is the place for you.
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