New additions in SV Balanced Hackmons

By Tea Guzzler. Released: 2023/03/20
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Art by Albatross

Art by Albatross.

Introduction

Balanced Hackmons (BH) is an Other Metagame where (subject to balancing restrictions) any Pokémon can use any move, have any ability, and be sent out in any forme. As you can use any of these that aren't banned, there's naturally a lot of room for expression and experimentation, and so new tools from a new generation naturally have a big impact. This article will go through all of the SV additions relevant to BH, including the ones that have already been deemed too much.

Pokémon

SV has a wide array of unreleased Pokémon which are inaccessible at the time of writing (Pokémon HOME support has not arrived yet) but are legal in BH. Even amongst the list of returning Legendary Pokémon, there are some new faces (both released and unreleased) that have made a name for themselves in the metagame. We start with by far the most important:

Unrestricted Arceus

Arceus in past generations of BH has, well, not really been relevant. Its main issue was that it needed Multitype and a held Plate or Z-Crystal to access any forme other than Normal - naturally, being forced into an item and a near-useless ability didn't play out well for a Pokémon that doesn't specialize in anything, and even on Normal-type Arceus, it faced pretty heavy competition from the harder-hitting Regigigas and Slaking. Sword and Shield changed this with a rework to Silvally's mechanics, which meant that Silvally formes other than Normal could be accessed without the need for RKS System and a held Memory, and this was carried over to Arceus in BDSP and SV. It should therefore be no surprise that Arceus is on basically every team - the highest BST in the game, any single type, and an unremovable Plate are nearly impossible benefits to pass up. Arceus does literally anything you need - wall, pivot, bulky booster, entry hazard removal, Choice Band attacker, sweeper - and it often does multiple at once. Some examples are below:

Arceus-Ghost
  • Arceus-Ghost @ Spooky Plate
  • Ability: Simple
  • Tera Type: Ghost
  • EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
  • Rash Nature
  • - No Retreat
  • - Triple Arrows
  • - Judgment
  • - Strength Sap
Arceus-Fire
  • Arceus-Fire @ Covert Cloak
  • Ability: Fur Coat
  • Tera Type: Fairy
  • EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
  • Impish Nature
  • - V-create
  • - Toxic
  • - Morning Sun
  • - Tidy Up
Arceus-Water
  • Arceus-Water @ Covert Cloak
  • Ability: Fur Coat
  • Tera Type: Flying
  • EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
  • Bold Nature
  • IVs: 0 Atk
  • - Scald
  • - Flip Turn
  • - Ceaseless Edge
  • - Morning Sun
Arceus-Fairy
  • Arceus-Fairy @ Pixie Plate
  • Ability: Pixilate
  • Tera Type: Fairy / Fire
  • EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
  • Rash Nature
  • - Boomburst
  • - Rapid Spin
  • - Extreme Speed / V-create
  • - Strength Sap

Dialga-O and Palkia-O

Released in Pokémon Legends: Arceus but available in SV, both of these formes are upgrades over the base formes. Dialga-O gains Special Defense in exchange for Attack - this combined with a neutrality to Dragon, resistance to Water and Electric, and a Draco Meteor that OHKOes Miraidon and Palkia-O makes Dialga-O a premier choice for a special wall. It most commonly runs RegenVest or Ice Scales sets, allowing it to act as a bulky pivot that enjoys using utility moves like Knock Off and Nuzzle. On the other hand, Palkia-O is a lethal offensive presence - increased Speed and Beads of Ruin give it absurd wallbreaking power, capable of OHKOing even special walls like RegenVest Dialga-O at +1 after minor chip. In addition, Palkia-O excels at exploiting Terastallization - Tera Water removes the weakness to Pixilate + Extreme Speed, allowing it to beat would-be checks like Pixilate Arceus-Fairy, whereas Tera Dragon lets unboosted Dragon Energy 2HKO Ice Scales Dialga-O. Both also benefit from the new Adamant Crystal and Lustrous Globe (respectively) which provide the same damage boost as the Adamant and Lustrous Orbs but cannot be removed.

Dialga-Origin
  • Dialga-Origin @ Assault Vest
  • Ability: Regenerator
  • Tera Type: Poison
  • EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD
  • Sassy Nature
  • IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
  • - Draco Meteor
  • - U-turn
  • - Knock Off
  • - Revelation Dance / Nuzzle
Palkia-Origin
  • Palkia-Origin @ Lustrous Globe
  • Ability: Beads of Ruin
  • Tera Type: Water / Dragon
  • EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
  • Modest Nature
  • IVs: 0 Atk
  • - Quiver Dance
  • - Dragon Energy
  • - Steam Eruption
  • - Strength Sap

(Note: In the process of writing this article, Quiver Dance has been banned from BH. Palkia-O still retains its destructive power with similar sets like Simple + Nasty Plot, but it now lacks the ability to outrun the entire tier.)

Miraidon

Miraidon is one of the very few Pokémon in BH that uses its native ability by choice, sharing this trait with Kyurem-Black in SS - Hadron Engine hugely benefits Miraidon thanks to both the Special Attack boost and Electric Terrain, which turn Dragon Energy and Rising Voltage into wrecking balls. Miraidon usually uses Choice Specs to heavily threaten special walls, who can only really switch in once to scout the attack and switch to an immunity, aided by no viable Pokémon resisting both Dragon and Electric. Solid Speed also ensures Miraidon gets the jump on Arceus and Eternatus. Miraidon is mostly held back by its lack of recovery, ensuring entry hazards dig into Dragon Energy's Base Power, which it relies on heavily due to almost all special walls being immune or resistant to Electric.

Miraidon
  • Miraidon @ Choice Specs
  • Ability: Hadron Engine
  • Tera Type: Electric / Dragon / Water
  • EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
  • Timid / Modest Nature
  • - Dragon Energy
  • - Rising Voltage
  • - Volt Switch
  • - Steam Eruption

Ursaluna and Enamorus

These two are grouped together as both are relatively frail offensive threats that offer some additional utility. Ursaluna's main niche comes through its typing and good Attack, which making it a terrifying wallbreaker with the new Population Bomb and Headlong Rush. An incredibly strong Extreme Speed also allows Ursaluna to chase out many faster threats (especially after Tera Normal) like Palkia-O and Miraidon. Enamorus excels as a mixed attacker, with Pixilate Boomburst's massive power allowing it to draw in and destroy special walls with Headlong Rush while also having the niche of a Spikes-immune Rapid Spin user. Enamorus also benefits from being a Pixilate Boomburst user that doesn't occupy the Arceus slot (as BH has Species Clause). Both are held back by their hatred of Knock Off and comparative frailty, so they only really fit on more offensive teams.

Ursaluna
  • Ursaluna @ Choice Band
  • Ability: Gorilla Tactics
  • Tera Type: Normal
  • EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
  • Adamant Nature
  • - Population Bomb
  • - Headlong Rush
  • - Extreme Speed
  • - U-turn
Enamorus
  • Enamorus (F) @ Life Orb
  • Ability: Pixilate
  • Tera Type: Ground
  • EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
  • Rash Nature
  • - Boomburst
  • - Rapid Spin
  • - Headlong Rush
  • - Strength Sap

Dondozo, Ting-Lu, and Hisuian Goodra

These three mounds of bulk are used as defensive tools thanks to their base stats. Dondozo is the most common, using its massive physical bulk to ward off common physical attackers like Groudon and Slaking and boasting a valuable resistance to V-create. Ting-Lu is most useful for its Electric immunity, allowing it to handily check Miraidon, and for beating many Quiver Dance Arceus fomes thanks to its bulk and Ghost resistance. Hisuian Goodra plays similarly to Dialga-O but offers slightly higher bulk and lower Speed (useful for slow U-turn) in exchange for lower Special Attack and no access to an unremovable item. These three are mostly limited by how passive they are, the competition they face from other options, and that they often have to rely on Tera to check common threats.

Dondozo
  • Dondozo @ Covert Cloak
  • Ability: Prankster
  • Tera Type: Fire
  • EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD
  • Bold Nature
  • IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
  • - Haze
  • - Recover
  • - Glare
  • - Parting Shot / Flip Turn
Ting-Lu
  • Ting-Lu @ Ability Shield
  • Ability: Ice Scales
  • Tera Type: Poison
  • EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD
  • Sassy Nature
  • IVs: 0 Spe
  • - Knock Off
  • - U-turn
  • - Salt Cure
  • - Moonlight
Goodra-Hisui
  • Goodra-Hisui @ Assault Vest
  • Ability: Regenerator
  • Tera Type: Poison
  • EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD
  • Sassy Nature
  • IVs: 0 Spe
  • - Dragon Tail
  • - Nuzzle
  • - Knock Off
  • - U-turn

Flutter Mane, Palafin-Hero, and Koraidon

Despite what the base stat totals suggest, these three just aren't quite up to par. Flutter Mane is probably the best of these but suffers from a number of issues - namely, its sets face fierce competition (Normalize is almost objectively better on Arceus-Ghost and Choice Specs does not stand out from any other Choice Item user) and its immense physical frailty means it severely struggles to switch in. Palafin-Hero has massive Attack but doesn't really get to use it, as it lacks a good Water-type STAB move (Surging Strikes has low PP and makes contact three times, whereas Wave Crash has recoil) and also has to contend with Water-resistant foes like Dondozo and Fur Coat Eternatus being common. Koraidon is probably the most shocking, especially given the new additions in Triple Arrows and Glaive Rush, however it has a comparatively mediocre Attack stat and a STAB combination of little value which ensure it consistently struggles to break past anything with even moderate physical bulk. Following Zacian-C's recent ban, Flutter Mane and Koraidon's Speed tier is much more valuable, which means they might pick up usage in the future.

Flutter Mane
  • Flutter Mane @ Spooky Plate
  • Ability: Normalize
  • Tera Type: Ghost
  • EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
  • Modest Nature
  • IVs: 0 Atk
  • - Entrainment
  • - Judgment
  • - Quiver Dance
  • - Strength Sap
Palafin
  • Palafin-Hero @ Protective Pads
  • Ability: Sniper
  • Tera Type: Water / Dark
  • EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
  • Adamant Nature
  • - Surging Strikes
  • - Wicked Blow
  • - Toxic
  • - Strength Sap
Koraidon
  • Koraidon @ Life Orb
  • Ability: Mold Breaker
  • Tera Type: Dragon
  • EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
  • Adamant Nature
  • - Victory Dance
  • - Triple Arrows
  • - Glaive Rush
  • - Strength Sap

Abilities

Compared to the Pokémon introductions, not a lot of relevant abilities have been introduced, and all but one of the new abilities are offensive. A decent majority of teams will be using at most one, since these abilities only fit on specific Pokémon.

Orichalcum Pulse

Orichalcum Pulse is arguably the most impactful of all the new abilities, and it can be pretty much summed up in one move: V-create. Already the strongest move commonly used in BH, V-create effectively has its power doubled by Orichalcum Pulse, resulting in mind-boggling damage such as Choice Band Tera Fire Arceus-Fire OHKOing Dondozo after Spikes. The sun also provides additional benefits, such as boosting the recovery of Morning Sun, Synthesis, and Moonlight (which, due to other recovery moves' nerfed PP, are now the best options) and allowing Solar Beam on attackers like Arceus-Fire to remove would-be checks in Fur Coat Dondozo and Groudon. Thanks to V-create's presence alone, Orichalcum Pulse entirely outclasses Sword of Ruin.

Arceus-Fire
  • Arceus-Fire @ Covert Cloak / Earth Plate
  • Ability: Orichalcum Pulse
  • Tera Type: Fire
  • EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
  • Naughty Nature
  • - Growth
  • - V-create
  • - Solar Beam / Judgment
  • - Synthesis

Hadron Engine and Beads of Ruin

These 2 abilities are excellent as a way to bolster special attackers - most notably, Miraidon adores Hadron Engine and Palkia-O prefers Beads of Ruin to the next-best thing in Adaptability now that it isn't a mixed attacker like Palkia was last generation. These are better than Adaptability for two reasons, being that they benefit every special attack and they work after Terastallization (whereas, if you were to use Adaptability Palkia-O with Tera Dragon, you'd lose the Adaptability boost on Water) - the same applies for Orichalcum Pulse. These also aren't directly outclassing each other like the above, as Hadron Engine provides a nice boost to Volt Switch whereas Beads of Ruin doesn't have to worry about the Terrain timer. The main issue with these abilities is that they can be hard to justify over bulky setup enablers like Fur Coat and Ice Scales, as Electric is not valuable as a coverage option, so everything other than Miraidon is only having Volt Switch benefit from the Terrain.

Miraidon
  • Miraidon @ Draco Plate / Life Orb
  • Ability: Hadron Engine
  • Tera Type: Electric / Dragon
  • EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
  • Modest Nature
  • - Nasty Plot
  • - Judgment / Dragon Energy
  • - Rising Voltage
  • - Strength Sap
Flutter Mane
  • Flutter Mane @ Choice Specs
  • Ability: Beads of Ruin
  • Tera Type: Ghost
  • EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
  • Modest Nature
  • IVs: 0 Atk
  • - Astral Barrage
  • - Moonblast
  • - Volt Switch
  • - Trick

Well-Baked Body

Historically, Flash Fire and defensive Primordial Sea have never been particularly good options unless you really need the immunity - this is because they offer next to nothing for the bearer outside of the immunity, with the most you'd be getting out of it being a Flip Turn that does 12% instead of 8%. Well-Baked Body breaks this trend with its +2 Defense boost upon blocking a Fire-type move, which hugely benefits any defensive Pokémon but none more than bulky Zacian-C. While it may seem weird to have a bulky Zacian-C, it was actually a great late-game cleaner with Substitute + Victory Dance or support piece with Ruination + Taunt, as Well-Baked Body turned threats like Arceus-Fire and Eternatus into a free opportunity and could be incredibly useful with Imposter-proofing. Zacian-C's departure leaves this ability in limbo as nothing else really used it all that much, but Zamazenta-C is likely to become a second user.

Zacian-Crowned
  • Zacian-Crowned @ Covert Cloak
  • Ability: Well-Baked Body
  • Tera Type: Flying
  • EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
  • Jolly Nature
  • - Magical Torque
  • - Ruination
  • - Taunt
  • - Strength Sap

Moves

Moves are typically both the most impactful additions and the most numerous, and SV is no exception. Many of these moves have wide-reaching and metagame-defining impacts that completely shift the power dynamics of the tier, and many of these are also usable on a wide variety of Pokémon to great effect.

Rage Fist and Last Respects

Annihilape is banned from many tiers mostly due to the ease with which it can stack up Rage Fist and break past everything after a Bulk Up or two. It should thus be unsurprising that a tier with full EVs, many weak utility attacks, virtually infinite recovery, and Pokémon with absurd Base Stats banned Rage Fist. When you have bulky demons like Arceus-Ghost, Giratina, and basically anything with Tera Ghost, it becomes impossible to prevent Rage Fist from causing chaos, especially given that there is one defensive Normal-type and no defensive Dark-types in the tier. Last Respects is slightly weaker but still banworthy, as it has an equally high damage celing and a team's strategy being "leave Zacian-C until last and click the purple button" doesn't create the best of metagames.

Arceus-Ghost
  • Arceus-Ghost @ Life Orb
  • Ability: Fur Coat
  • Tera Type: Ghost
  • EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
  • Adamant Nature
  • - Rage Fist
  • - Collision Course
  • - Victory Dance
  • - Strength Sap
Giratina
  • Giratina @ Toxic Orb
  • Ability: Poison Heal
  • Tera Type: Ghost
  • EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
  • Jolly Nature
  • - Victory Dance
  • - Last Respects
  • - Thunderous Kick
  • - Will-O-Wisp

Revival Blessing

Who knew that Revive as a move would be broken? BH completely bypasses Game Freak's intended balancing factor of giving it only to mediocre Pokémon and adds in all of the infinite PP exploiting techniques like Imposter and Harvest + Leppa Berry. The massive amounts of progress that resurrection undoes means that, even on teams with only one potential Revival Blessing, the game becomes an unimaginable slog as the revived Pokémon heals to full and undoes the past 40-or-so turns of gameplay. Stacking multiple Revival Blessing users also wasn't uncommon and led to some very fun games indeed.

Ting-Lu
  • Ting-Lu @ Leppa Berry
  • Ability: Prankster
  • Tera Type: Poison
  • EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD
  • Relaxed Nature
  • IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
  • - Haze
  • - Recover
  • - Revival Blessing
  • - Parting Shot

Shed Tail

Similar to Revival Blessing, Game Freak's balancing method for Shed Tail was giving an incredibly broken move to mediocre Pokémon, and yet again BH breaks it. Passing a Substitute in one turn is bad enough, but when you have donors like Chansey and Blissey to pass to nuclear setup threats and wallbreakers, it becomes an almost impossible offensive tool to both manage in-game and balance around. Substitute + Baton Pass teams are already monotone and binary to play around, and Shed Tail makes that playstyle both easy and overcentralizing, so it didn't take too long to get banned.

Chansey
  • Chansey (F) @ Eviolite
  • Ability: Regenerator
  • Tera Type: Fire
  • EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
  • Calm Nature
  • IVs: 0 Atk
  • - Shed Tail
  • - Glare
  • - Recover
  • - Ceaseless Edge

Ceaseless Edge and Stone Axe

Ceaseless Edge and Stone Axe have done nothing short of blowing the entry hazard game out of the water. It wasn't enough to be able to set unblockable Spikes, so Game Freak also made sure the moves could be used with Assault Vest, which has the effect of almost invalidating Spikes, Stealth Rock, and Magic Bounce. These moves have had a monumental impact on the metagame as now literally anything with a free moveslot can set entry hazards, creating significantly more pressure on walls and entry hazard removers to stay healthy in order to cope. Ceaseless Edge is significantly more common thanks to Spikes being stackable and there being few relevant Rock-weak Pokémon, however Stone Axe sees use on hazard-stacking balance teams with moveslots to spare on Pokémon like Regenerator Eternatus.

Ting-Lu
  • Ting-Lu @ Assault Vest
  • Ability: Regenerator
  • Tera Type: Poison
  • EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD
  • Sassy Nature
  • IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
  • - Ceaseless Edge
  • - Knock Off
  • - Dragon Tail / Nuzzle / Poison Fang
  • - U-turn
Eternatus
  • Eternatus @ Heavy-Duty Boots
  • Ability: Regenerator
  • Tera Type: Fairy
  • EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
  • Timid Nature
  • IVs: 0 Atk
  • - Dragon Energy
  • - Volt Switch
  • - Final Gambit
  • - Stone Axe

Tidy Up and Mortal Spin

On the other side of the entry hazard coin, Tidy Up and Mortal Spin are here to help cope with the barrage of Spikes. In past generations, entry hazard removal was basically limited to -ate ability + Rapid Spin, as Normal-type Rapid Spin was easy to spinblock and the hazardless offense teams that used Defog were uncommon at best. These new options help bypass those issues and have effectively removed the need for -ate Spin: Mortal Spin poisons the target, which is very useful in a metagame as bulky as SV BH, and the type the users get spinblocked by (Steel-types) are easy to remove or deter with Ground-type coverage. Tidy Up's Attack and Speed boosts are excellent at ensuring the user isn't a sitting duck while clearing entry hazards, and with how easy Ceaseless Edge and Stone Axe make entry hazard setting, it's generally not a bad trade removing your own.

Arceus-Fire
  • Arceus-Fire @ Covert Cloak
  • Ability: Fur Coat
  • Tera Type: Fairy
  • EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
  • Impish Nature
  • - V-create
  • - Toxic
  • - Morning Sun
  • - Tidy Up
Arceus-Ground
  • Arceus-Ground @ Earth Plate
  • Ability: Ice Scales
  • Tera Type: Ground
  • EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
  • Modest Nature
  • IVs: 0 Atk
  • - Quiver Dance
  • - Judgment
  • - Mortal Spin
  • - Strength Sap

Magical Torque

My guess with this one is that Game Freak felt bad about nerfing Zacian-C, so they decided to give it the most infuriating move known to man. Magical Torque is everything Zacian-C could ever want - strong, perfectly accurate, has good PP, and even has a secondary effect (which, because it's the same chance as a Scald burn, is guaranteed to occur when used by the opponent). It's a significant step up from the move you'd think would be broken (Gigaton Hammer) due to the much better typing and actually functioning with some Zacian-C's most common sets. Every single Zacian-C bar Pixilate runs this move without fail, and this one move is the main reason for almost every physical wall using Covert Cloak. The pool of viable Fairy-types was already pretty shallow prior to Zacian-C's ban, and so it seems like the most use Magical Torque will see will be on defensive Arceus-Fairy and any stray Zacian holding Rusted Sword (which allows you to legally access Zacian-C, you just can't choose the item or ability).

Zacian-Crowned
  • Zacian-Crowned @ Leftovers
  • Ability: Levitate
  • Tera Type: Fairy / Fire
  • EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
  • Jolly Nature
  • - Substitute
  • - Taunt
  • - Victory Dance
  • - Magical Torque

Headlong Rush

Ground-type coverage has always been desirable in BH, as it removes Steel-types reliant on a Fire-type immunity to check wallbreakers and Ground-resistant foes really aren't common. However, the options have never really been good, as Precipice Blades has imperfect accuracy and Earth Power has relatively low Base Power. Headlong Rush at least fixes the former issue, finally providing a consistent Ground-type option for physical wallbreakers. It's especially useful in SV due to the absence of Fishious Rend, meaning that Ground is the default type for hitting Fire-types.

Groudon
  • Groudon @ Choice Band
  • Ability: Gorilla Tactics
  • Tera Type: Ground
  • EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
  • Adamant Nature
  • - Headlong Rush
  • - Extreme Speed
  • - Power Whip
  • - Flip Turn

Population Bomb

Population Bomb completes the trifecta of "overpowered moves balanced by mediocre learners", however it isn't as broken as Revival Blessing or Shed Tail. Population Bomb's main draw is being a 200 Base Power Normal-type move, which means both Normal-types and Pixilate Zacian-C can (or could) deal massive damage with it. Boosters generally follow a similar set structure - a way to boost Attack, a way to boost Accuracy, and a way to ignore Rocky Helmet - so will usually be Coil + Protective Pads or Magic Guard. Choice Band users, such as Gorilla Tactics Ursaluna and Slaking, use Population Bomb as a nuclear option that can remove troublesome targets like Fur Coat Arceus-Water with enough hits - these mandate team support to remove Rocky Helmets, however.

Slaking
  • Slaking @ Life Orb
  • Ability: Magic Guard
  • Tera Type: Normal
  • EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
  • Adamant Nature
  • - Coil
  • - Population Bomb
  • - V-create
  • - Strength Sap

Victory Dance

At a glance, Victory Dance seems terrifying, especially given SV BH's plethora of physical attackers and lack of Spectral Thief and Topsy-Turvy. However, Victory Dance is generally easier to handle than Quiver Dance and isn't typically problematic for many teams. A key reason for this is that Victory Dance has half the PP of Quiver Dance, making it much more feasible to PP stall with Haze users. Imposter users are also generally better at checking physical attackers than special attackers, as the latter have access to Judgment. Victory Dance is still very powerful however, and many physical threats like Slaking and Groudon enjoy using it to clean up late-game or punch through walls.

Groudon
  • Groudon @ Earth Plate
  • Ability: Mold Breaker
  • Tera Type: Ground
  • EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
  • Adamant / Jolly Nature
  • - Victory Dance
  • - Precipice Blades
  • - Toxic
  • - Strength Sap

Gigaton Hammer

Gigaton Hammer, to say the least, doesn't live up to the hype. Probably the biggest issue is being a physical Steel-type move, which means only Zacian-C could use it effectively - this is unfortunate, as Gigaton Hammer is incompatible with Choice Band, which Zacian-C most commonly ran (with Choice Band, you're forced to Struggle on the cooldown turn). Even on non-Choice Band sets, Zacian-C rarely used Gigaton Hammer, as Magical Torque largely outclassed it and running both is often redundant. The primary niche Gigaton Hammer had was heavily damaging other Zacian-C without having to play an immunity ability lottery, but this is basically it and most other sets were gimmicks at best. No other Steel-type wants to run Gigaton Hammer (whether it be due to low Attack or to simply wanting other moves more), so the chances of it seeing further use after the Zacian-C ban are unlikely.

Zacian-Crowned
  • Zacian-Crowned @ Iron Plate
  • Ability: Tinted Lens
  • Tera Type: Steel
  • EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
  • Jolly Nature
  • - Substitute
  • - Swords Dance
  • - Gigaton Hammer
  • - Strength Sap

Spectral Thief and Core Enforcer

These move losses are some of the most important things to the tier. In past generations, Spectral Thief was an essential tool in keeping setup threats in check, as the setup users would have their boosts turned against them rather than simply removed. Core Enforcer was also an essential tool in checking Poison Heal and limiting Prankster, Fur Coat, and Ice Scales, dissuading many relevant Pokémon from staying in for too long lest they lose their ability and thus the most important part of their set. The removal of these two creates a climate where bulky setup can go almost unpunished and can easily spiral out of control, and thanks to the advent of unrestricted Arceus and its Plate-holding antics, Imposter users aren't even a near-guaranteed fail-safe anymore.

Items

The general impact of items in SV is comparatively less than other generations, what with SM's Z-Crystals and SS's Heavy-Duty Boots, however one of these items is incredibly effective despite this as it stifles some of the most common moves in the tier. Both of these items need to be considered when building using anything that could be affected by them.

Covert Cloak

Many moves in BH bear a secondary effect - whether that be old moves, such as Nuzzle and Spirit Shackle, or new ones like Magical Torque and Salt Cure. There is a significantly greater emphasis on these moves, and thus Covert Cloak, than in other tiers, as it's the most direct way for defensive Pokémon to make progress. Nuzzle and Magical Torque are the two main culprits here - Heal Bell is notoriously difficult to fit without having Imposter users take advantage of it and the pool of viable Ground- and Electric-types is small, so Nuzzle is typically inconvenient to absorb. Covert Cloak helps patch up this issue and allows many faster Nuzzle targets, such as Arceus and Eternatus, to play more aggressively in the face of unscouted sets. Magical Torque's infuriating 30% confusion can occasionally spell the end for a defensive Pokémon spamming recovery moves, and so Covert Cloak offers an additional safety net if the item slot can be spared.

Slaking
  • Slaking @ Covert Cloak
  • Ability: Fur Coat
  • Tera Type: Fire
  • EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
  • Impish Nature
  • - Victory Dance
  • - Body Slam
  • - Ceaseless Edge / Knock Off / Toxic
  • - Strength Sap

Ability Shield

Ability Shield is normally an incredibly niche item that sees next to no use - its effect simply isn't useful enough to warrant it over the competition. This doesn't translate into BH, as the item has two unique roles. The first and most common is as a Normalize counter: Normalize + Entrainment is a strategy used by Ghost-type Pokémon, where if they use Entrainment before you can attack, they are immune to damaging attacks. As Ability Shield prevents Entrainment, this completely nullifies that strategy. A second and lesser known thing that the shield does is that it prevents your ability from being ignored - any Fur Coat user holding an Ability Shield will nullify Mold Breaker and Neutralizing Gas. This is most commonly seen on bulkier teams that use multiple Fur Coat or Ice Scales users and often no Prankster users, as it helps prevent one setup threat with Mold Breaker running through the entire team.

Groudon
  • Groudon @ Ability Shield
  • Ability: Fur Coat
  • Tera Type: Steel
  • EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
  • Impish Nature
  • - Precipice Blades
  • - Mortal Spin
  • - Strength Sap
  • - Will-O-Wisp

Closer

There have been a lot of changes to SV BH that have significantly changed the landscape of the metagame, and like those before it, it is almost completely unrecognisable from its predecessors. Feel free to test these new additions out in the field on BH's permanent ladder on Pokémon Showdown!, or drop by the main forum to keep up with how they're keeping up with the metagame.

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