Old Pokémon in SS OU

« Previous Article

Next Article »

Introduction

Everybody is talking about the Pokémon that were lost moving into Pokémon Sword and Shield, but does anyone actually care about the Pokémon from previous generations that are still in the game? OU most certainly does. In this article, we'll go over some of those Pokémon and their place in SS OU.

---

Aegislash

With the shift from SM to SS, Aegislash has finally found its way back into OU as one of the premier offensive threats. Within the current OU metagame, there are few Pokémon that are able to resist Aegislash's STAB combination; it can easily pressure Ghost-resistant Pokémon such as Mandibuzz and Steel-resistant Pokémon like Toxapex. On top of that, Aegislash can provide a lot of utility to a team as well, as it's capable of taking advantage of very prominent Pokémon, such as Clefable and Corviknight, and can often break down teams once it gets an opportunity to switch into them. Aegislash's unique typing also gives it a great matchup against Cloyster and Hawlucha, giving it great utility against hyper offensive teams.

Clefable

Clefable is one of, if not the, single best Pokémon in the current OU metagame. It's one of the very few reliable checks to Pokémon such as Kyurem, Dragapult, Hydreigon, and Terrakion that's available in SS, depending on its EV spread. While being able to check those threats, Clefable is also an incredible defensive pivot with Teleport; Clefable can easily create opportunities for wallbreakers like Kyurem, Hydreigon, and Conkeldurr to switch in with Teleport and safely keep them healthy with Wish thanks to Teleport's negative priority. Clefable also serves as an incredible wincon with Calm Mind, being particularly hard to overwhelm thanks to its immunity to status, great bulk, and wide array of coverage moves. On top of that, it can provide teams with a lot of utility through Wish to keep Pokémon such as Rotom-H, Kommo-o, and Seismitoad healthy while also being able to provide various other forms of utility with Knock Off, Thunder Wave, and Stealth Rock.

Conkeldurr

• Conkeldurr @ Flame Orb
• Ability: Guts
• EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
• Adamant Nature
• - Close Combat
• - Mach Punch
• - Knock Off
• - Facade

Thanks to a much slower OU metagame compared to previous generations, Conkeldurr has managed to solidify its position as one of the strongest wallbreakers in the tier. Conkeldurr's ability to take advantage of incredibly prominent passive Pokemon such as Toxapex, Ferrothorn, and Seismitoad and 2HKO the vast majority of the defensive metagame at the very least, barring Galarian Weezing, is very valuable in matchups against bulkier teams. The usefulness of Mach Punch also can't be understated; it allows Conkeldurr to offensively deal with strong sweepers, such as Excadrill, Hydreigon, Terrakion, and Cloyster, which can be very hard to deal with through other means.

Excadrill

Despite the introduction of Corviknight, Excadrill is still one of the best Pokémon in SS OU. Excadrill is a very good check to the omnipresent Clefable. What is particularly notable is the buff to Rapid Spin, which has breathed new life into Mold Breaker variants. Now that Rapid Spin gives +1 Speed to the user, Excadrill is no longer reliant on Sand Rush to turn into a very threatening potential sweeper and entry hazard remover while maintaining the ability to hit Levitate Pokémon with Earthquake, such as Rotom-H, Hydreigon, and Rotom-W. Continuing the trend from previous generations, Excadrill is also often paired with sand setters like Tyranitar and Hippowdon to take full advantage of Sand Rush, which can be very hard to deal with offensively. Of course, this does come at the cost of not hitting Rotom-H and Rotom-W with Earthquake, which Mold Breaker variants can do. Lastly, just like in previous generations, Excadrill is also one of the best Stealth Rock leads in SS OU; it can keep entry hazards from other Pokémon off the field with Rapid Spin and set its own Stealth Rock. However, there's a twist; Excadrill has gained access to a new move: Steel Beam. Steel Beam turns it into a consistent Stealth Rock lead, as it can now deter Defoggers like Corviknight and Mandibuzz.

Ferrothorn

• Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
• Ability: Iron Barbs
• EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
• Impish Nature
• - Spikes / Stealth Rock
• - Body Press
• - Leech Seed
• - Knock Off

While it can struggle against common Pokémon such as Rotom-H and Conkeldurr, Ferrothorn has retained a very solid niche in the SS OU metagame as the only viable Spikes user. What's more, Ferrothorn can easily take advantage of the omnipresent Seismitoad to generate opportunities to set Spikes for itself. Beyond that, Ferrothorn can also check Pokémon like Excadrill and Clefable lacking Flamethrower thanks to its relatively solid bulk.

Hydreigon

With the shift to SS, Hydreigon got a massive buff in Nasty Plot, which has made it one of the premier wallbreakers in SS OU. Hydreigon can consistently take advantage of Pokémon such as Toxapex and Rotom-H and set up with Nasty Plot to start breaking down teams from there. Because of how immensely powerful it is, it can overwhelm even the bulkiest Fairy-types, namely Clefable. Besides being a very good wallbreaker, Hydreigon's also found a niche for itself as a Choice Scarf user; its resistance to Ghost is very notable in particular, as it allows Hydreigon to check Pokémon such as Aegislash, Dragapult, and Gengar.

Jirachi

• Jirachi @ Choice Scarf
• Ability: Serene Grace
• EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
• Jolly Nature
• - Iron Head
• - U-turn
• - Trick
• - Healing Wish

Jirachi has established itself as a solid Choice Scarf user in SS OU. To add onto its typical flinching shenanigans through the combination of Iron Head and Serene Grace, Jirachi also provides teams with a lot of utility; it's one of the better defensive checks to common Pokémon like Clefable, can offensively check threatening Pokémon like Terrakion, and can bring back teammates with Healing Wish. Its access to Trick allowing it to cripple checks like Corviknight and Toxapex also contributes to this; without any Mega Stones or Z-Crystals around to cancel out Trick, Trick has become far harder to punish in SS compared to previous generations.

Kyurem

• Kyurem @ Choice Specs
• Ability: Pressure
• EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
• Timid Nature
• IVs: 0 Atk
• - Ice Beam
• - Draco Meteor
• - Earth Power
• - Freeze-Dry

Kyurem stands out as a powerful wallbreaker among the lackluster pool of Pokémon in SS. It's got an incredible matchup against rain teams now that it has access to Freeze-Dry, and the fact that it can overwhelm Ice-resistant Pokémon like Toxapex and Rotom-W with its Ice-type STAB move is also great. Its coverage is essentially impossible to deal with defensively; SS OU lacks Ice-resistant Pokémon as is, and those that do, such as Rotom-H, Aegislash, and Rotom-W, can be overwhelmed by Kyurem's other moves. Kyurem can easily take advantage of Pokémon like Seismitoad, Rotom-W, and Toxapex, giving it many opportunities to switch into play against typical balance and bulky offensive teams.

Kommo-o

• Kommo-o @ Leftovers
• Ability: Bulletproof
• EVs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 56 Spe
• Impish Nature
• - Body Press
• - Earthquake
• - Stealth Rock
• - Taunt

Although it took a while for people to pick up on Kommo-o in SM, it certainly did not take long for people to pick up on it in SS. Kommo-o has some incredible utility as an excellent check to Pokemon such as Rotom-H, Excadrill, and Bisharp. The sheer usefulness of Bulletproof also certainly can't be understated, as Pokemon capable of switching into Shadow Ball from Pokemon like Gengar and Aegislash are quite hard to come by in the current metagame. Thanks to the combination Body Press and Taunt, it's also one of the best Stealth Rock users, capable of beating the most common entry hazard removers in Corviknight, Mandibuzz, and Excadrill.

Mandibuzz

• Mandibuzz (F) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
• Ability: Overcoat
• EVs: 252 HP / 160 SpD / 96 Spe
• Careful Nature
• - Foul Play / Knock Off
• - Roost
• - U-turn
• - Defog / Taunt / Knock Off

With Ghost-types such as Aegislash and Dragapult in the tier, Mandibuzz can provide many teams with incredible utility with its resistance to Ghost. On top of that, Mandibuzz can also act as an entry hazard remover. Mandibuzz is also very annoying to deal with for slower teams that may struggle to overwhelm it immediately, as it can wear down relatively passive Pokémon like Corviknight, Ferrothorn, and Hippowdon when used in combination with Taunt.

Rotom-H

• Rotom-Heat @ Heavy-Duty Boots
• Ability: Levitate
• EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe
• Timid Nature
• IVs: 0 Atk
• - Discharge
• - Overheat
• - Nasty Plot
• - Toxic

Ever since its introduction, Rotom-W had been considered the best Rotom forme. However, with the prominence of Corviknight and Clefable, both of which Rotom-H can check, Rotom-H has been able to flip that around and is now considered the best Rotom forme in SS OU. That's not all! It's pretty good at breaking through teams as well and gets a lot of opportunities to use Nasty Plot against Pokémon such as Clefable, Corviknight, and Ferrothorn. While there are Pokémon that resist its STAB combination, like Hydreigon, Dragapult, and Seismitoad, Rotom-H can cripple them with Discharge and Toxic. In short, the combination of its good defensive utility and the ability to break through and cripple teams slowly make Rotom-H a great Pokémon in the OU metagame.

Seismitoad

• Seismitoad @ Leftovers
• Ability: Water Absorb
• EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
• Bold Nature
• IVs: 0 Atk
• - Earth Power
• - Stealth Rock
• - Scald>
• - Knock Off / Toxic

Seismitoad has quickly become one of the premier Stealth Rock setters in SS OU after Fishious Rend's mechanics were figured out. Able to check common Pokémon like Rotom-H, Dracovish, and Excadrill and annoy most entry hazard removers, Seismitoad gets plenty of opportunities to set Stealth Rock. On top of that, it's rather hard to take advantage of with Pokémon such as Hydreigon thanks to its access to Knock Off and Toxic.

Terrakion

The shift to SS has been very kind to Terrakion. The previously forgotten Pokémon has lost a lot of the competition it faced from other wallbreakers in SM OU and the metagame is, in a general sense, much slower. These two changes have allowed Terrakion to flourish in the SS OU metagame. Thanks to its great STAB combination, which is resisted by very few Pokémon, backed up by a powerful coverage move in Earthquake, which can take care of Pokémon like Aegislash, it is incredibly hard to deal with Terrakion defensively. It's also a decent Choice Scarf user, capable of dealing with Pokémon like Cloyster, Gyarados, and +1 Excadrill.

Toxapex

• Toxapex @ Black Sludge
• Ability: Regenerator
• EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
• Relaxed Nature
• IVs: 0 Atk
• - Scald
• - Recover
• - Haze
• - Knock Off / Toxic / Baneful Bunker

After being dreaded by many in SM, Toxapex is back yet again in SS. Toxapex is an incredible check to Pokémon such as Kommo-o, Choice Band Aegislash, and Bulk Up Corviknight, and it can also provide a lot of flexibility around other threats like Choice Specs Aegislash thanks to its great bulk and Regenerator. It grants the team quite a lot of utility with Toxic and Toxic Spikes; hitting Seismitoad with Toxic is very valuable, and Pokémon like Dragapult, Seismitoad, and Hippowdon can have difficulty switching into play if Toxic Spikes are set. It's also able to cripple most of its checks with Knock Off, ultimately making it hard to take advantage of Toxapex without getting punished.

Zeraora

Although it was very mediocre in OU all the way through SM, Zeraora is one of the best Pokémon in SS OU. Thanks to its very solid Speed tier, Zeraora is an incredible check to fast Pokémon, capable of even outspeeding Dragapult, as well as other Pokémon like Keldeo and Gengar. Its ability, Volt Absorb, also proves to be useful at times, enabling it to block Volt Switch from Pokémon like Rotom-H and Rotom-W. Zeraora is also incredibly hard to consistently keep in check, partly thanks to its wide array of coverage moves, leaving it rather unpredictable. You may try to keep Zeraora in check with Clefable, only to get overwhelmed by Bulk Up variants, or with Seismitoad and Hippowdon, but they have to be wary of Grass Knot, or maybe Rotom-H, which risks losing its item to Knock Off, leaving it vulnerable to Stealth Rock.

---

Conclusion

If you, for example, wanted to use Terrakion, Conkeldurr, or Zeraora in SM, but simply couldn't because of their lack of viability, you should surely try them out in SS OU, as they are some of the best Pokémon in the tier. Of course, this applies to typical mainstays of the OU tier like Clefable and Ferrothorn as well. Hopefully this article has given you some insight on the viability of old Pokémon in SS OU.

« Previous Article

Next Article »

All guides and strategy information are © 2004 Smogon.com and its contributors. Pokémon is © 1995 Nintendo. Privacy Policy