Plain Jane: Normal-types in NU

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The Type Itself in NeverUsed

Normal-types in NeverUsed have been a solid choice in the tier thanks to their abilities to coexist on the same team and break down one another's checks and counters. This idea of Normal spam is a common archetype that makes it essential for every team to have a check, possibly two, to beat these beasts. Each of these following Normal-types serves their own niche despite having the same, or similar, typing.

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The Main Normal-types

Tauros

The most prominent of these Normal-types, Tauros is an absolute threat in the tier. Currently sitting at S rank, Tauros boasts an amazing ability in Sheer Force, a base 110 Speed tier, and beautiful coverage. It can even become more of a threat with Work Up, boosting the power of its moves.

Common Set:

This is Tauros's only set, but it is a very potent set nonetheless. The idea behind this set is that Tauros's access to Sheer Force and its ability to switch between its moves leave almost nothing that wants to switch in. That being said, there are common Pokémon such as Steelix and Ghost-types with Levitate such as Rotom and Mismagius that can play around it and proceed to cripple it with status. The most threatening thing about Tauros is its ability to easily run other coverage moves or even a boosting move with Work Up, potentially getting rid of Tauros's common checks.

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Kangaskhan

Kangaskhan is one of the few bulky Normal-types in the tier that also has great offensive presence. Its Scrappy ability and decent coverage means that you can't just slap a Ghost-type onto a NU team to check all Normal-types. Since most of NU's Ghost-types are frail, Rock- and Steel-types are the go-to checks for this behemoth, which can hinder a lot of teams because most of them are slow. It also is the main component of the KangaSpikes archetype, since it has access to STAB Fake Out to rack up Toxic damage on the opponent's team, whittling them down a lot easier than other Normal-types.

Common Set:

Kangaskhan's ability Scrappy allows it to hit Ghost-types, meaning it doesn't necessarily have to run coverage for them. That being said, Sucker Punch still provides Kangaskhan with powerful priority against fast and frail Pokémon to pick them off. Earthquake rounds off Kangaskhan's coverage to hit the Rock- and Steel-types that resist its STAB moves.

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Pyroar

Pyroar is one of the few Normal-types that have a secondary STAB to take advantage of. Thanks to its secondary typing, Fire, it can nail Steel-types a lot easier than other Normal-types, which may struggle with the same foes. Pyroar also has a nice base 106 Speed, allowing to outspeed quite a few offensive Normal checks such as Rotom and Mismagius.

Common Set:

Thanks to Pyroar's dual typing, it has good coverage with the first three moves. A Fire-type STAB move allows Pyroar to destroy Steel- and Grass-types a lot easier than the other Normal-types. Will-O-Wisp serves as a deterrent to Assault Vest Hariyama, a common switch-in to Pyroar, and other physical attackers that can threaten Pyroar, while Taunt deters Calm Mind Pokémon such as Musharna from setting up on it.

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Swellow

Swellow is not only the fastest Normal-type, but also the fastest unboosted Pokémon in the tier, making it a pretty popular option on any team that needs a fast attacker. It can also run a physical Guts set, allowing it to break down walls and special walls, while its special set can utilize its hidden ability, Scrappy, to bypass Ghost-types such as Rotom that may check the physical attacking set.

Common Sets:

This is Swellow's most common set in the current metagame, as it allows Swellow to have great cleaning capabilities late-game. Boomburst is a very powerful STAB 140-BP move that can blow past anything not Rock- or Steel-type. Heat Wave can hit Steel-types if need be, although Swellow will most likely be clicking U-turn early- to mid-game and spamming Boomburst late-game. This set in particular allows Swellow to better handle most Normal-type checks due to their special bulk being considerably lower than their physical bulk.

Guts Swellow can serve as a pretty fast wallbreaker in a similar vein to Tauros. STAB Facade and Brave Bird offer decent coverage to take on a lot of frailer threats, while Quick Attack allows this set to function as a late-game cleaner. That being said, this set just isn't as common as the Specs set, since it fails to do anything against the common Steel- and Rock-types in NU as well as wearing itself down with self-inflicted status + Brave Bird recoil.

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Mega Audino

Being the only Mega in NU, Mega Audino doesn't have to worry about the opportunity cost of not running another Mega Pokémon. Its Normal / Fairy typing also means it one of the only Normal-types able to fight back against the Fighting-types that normally plague Normal-types. Its 103 / 126 / 126 bulk means it can easily tank even super effective hits and fire back with its wide movepool.

Common Sets:

While this set doesn't necessarily capitalize on Mega Audino's bulk, it uses it to its advantage by giving it setup opportunities. Calm Mind allows Mega Audino to become more specially bulky while also boosting its Special Attack. Dazzling Gleam is the preferred STAB move, as Fairy-type coverage is better than Normal-type coverage. Fire Blast nails the Steel-types that resist Dazzling Gleam. The last slot can be flexible, with Psychic nailing Poison-types, Surf hitting Fire-types, and Grass Knot hitting Rhydon and Gastrodon, which can set up on or cripple Mega Audino.

While not the most used, mono-attacking Mega Audino can use its bulk to tank hits as well as set up. Rest and Sleep Talk allow it to keep healthy while not being setup fodder itself. Calm Mind allows Mega Audino to beef up its special bulk, making it even more difficult to take down. The EVs secure the 3HKO on Malamar, unboosted, so it can't Rest off the damage it takes.

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Miltank

One of the only defensive Normal-types in NU, Miltank is a nice option for more defensively minded teams that appreciate the bulk. Miltank further carves out its niche thanks to its great abilities, Thick Fat and Sap Sipper. Thick Fat allows Miltank to gain resistances, which is valuable because the Normal type itself lacks any resistances, while Sap Sipper lets Miltank absorb Sleep Powder and Grass-type moves in general.

Common Sets:

This set takes advantage of Miltank's higher defensive stat, being able to tank even strong super effective hits from the common Fighting-types such as Hariyama and proceed to put them on a timer with Toxic or cripple them with paralysis from Body Slam. The 16 Speed EVs are specifically used to allow Miltank to outspeed neutral-natured base 70 Speed Pokémon such as Samurott and Ludicolo.

This set makes Miltank a great mixed wall and allows its to take better advantage of the resistances that its abilities offer. It can more easily switch into the Fire-types in the tier as well, since most of them are special attackers. While powerful physical attackers are more of an issue with this particular set, Miltank can still threaten slower ones with status.

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Zangoose

While not the most popular, Zangoose is arguably the most powerful Normal-type in the tier. Its STAB Facade backed by Toxic Boost means the opponent must have a sturdy Normal-resistant Pokémon or otherwise this thing can plow through a lot of teams. Sadly, it is stuck with subpar bulk and the fact that it wears itself down pretty quickly with the self-inflicting Toxic poison status, meaning it can only stay in for a couple of turns at most.

This set allows Zangoose to effectively wallbreak as easily as it can. Facade is the go-to move, as other than Pokémon that resist it, most targets will be taking a lot. Close Combat is for the Rock- and Steel-types that do resist Zangoose's STAB type, while Knock Off gives it the ability to hit Ghost-types. Quick Attack is for priority, which can allow Zangoose to clean up, while Protect guarantees that it gains the Toxic poison status from its Toxic Orb.

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Less Used Normal-types in NeverUsed

While the Normal-types previously mentioned hold a solid spot in the NU tier, these Normal-types aren't used as much because they either are outclassed or serve only specific roles.

Smeargle

Smeargle just recently joined NU and it hasn't been able to stand out as much as the other Normal-types because it is only relegated to one thing and that is being a lead. Smeargle's main niche as a lead is sadly not all that good, as it cannot reliably place entry hazards with a lot of teams having access to hazard control in the form of Magic Bounce Xatu or Defog and Rapid Spin users such as Mantine, Pelipper, and Hitmonchan.

Bouffalant

While Bouffalant has two really nice abilities in Soundproof, which makes it a potential Specs Swellow check, and Sap Sipper, which allows it to switch into Lilligant's or Vivillon's Sleep Powder and other Grass-type moves, it has nothing to truly make it stand out from the other Normal-types in NU, as they have similar bulk while sporting a better Speed tier or similar abilities in terms of power and utility.

Kecleon

Kecleon is very unique thanks to its access to Protean, allowing it to play mind games with the opponent. It also gets STAB on every move it runs, which gives it a significant power boost. Sadly, Kecleon has a paltry base 40 Speed and is forced to run a Life Orb because it is still underwhelming despite getting pseudo-STAB on every move.

Sawsbuck

Sawsbuck has a wonderful secondary STAB type in Grass, which allows it to wear down the Rock-types that normally plague most Normal-types. It also is somewhat unique in that it also has decent coverage in Jump Kick, allowing it to nail Steel-types that will try to switch into its STABs. Sawsbuck also has a solid base 95 Speed stat, allowing it to outspeed some very common Pokémon such as Rotom, Magmortar, and Vivillon. While Sawsbuck has gotten better recently, it still suffers from being bait to faster threats such as Charizard, Archeops, Mismagius, and so on due to its common weaknesses to Flying, Fighting, Fire, and Ice.

Linoone

Linoone makes for one of the only viable Belly Drum Pokémon in NU thanks to its access to STAB priority in Extreme Speed. It also has some weird coverage in Play Rough, Seed Bomb, and Shadow Claw, allowing it to pick and choose what it wants to be walled by and making it very customizable for a team. The problem is that Linoone doesn't find too many setup opportunities, as it has below average bulk and no resistances to take advantage of.

Dodrio

Dodrio is one of the faster Normal-types in the "Less Used" category. It has a good Flying STAB move in Brave Bird, has decent coverage in Knock Off, and can stay in a lot easier than Guts Swellow because it doesn't get worn down by staying in; however, it is heavily overshadowed by Guts Swellow because the latter can outperform once it has been statused despite the lack of Knock Off. Dodrio also suffers from a lack of a decently viable ability, as it only has Keen Eye, Early Bird, and Tangled Feet, none of which help it set itself apart from the other Normal-types. Dodrio also lacks U-turn, which makes Swellow outclass it even further.

Vigoroth

Vigoroth is the only viable Normal-type that has access to Bulk Up, allowing it to become a really nice bulky wincon. It also has access to Taunt, giving it a role in stallbreaking. That being said, it lacks the initial power that most Normal-types have to offer, so it is often passed up for Pokémon such as Mega Audino and Kangaskhan, as they can offer up the bulk a team may want while also providing more power, and similar Speed in the latter's case.

Chatot

The only relevant Normal-type in NU to use Nasty Plot, Chatot also has one of the more controversial moves in the game, Chatter, which, with its 100% confusion chance, can provide Chatot with potential setup opportunities or the ability to hax its way through its checks and counters. That being said, Chatot has absolutely pitiful bulk and also suffers from the lack of powerful coverage, only being able to reliably use Heat Wave and Hidden Power. Chatot can also run a Choice Scarf to be faster and slightly stronger than Swellow, the only other Normal-type with access to Boomburst, but Chatot lacks Scrappy to hit Ghost-types, making this set less than ideal. Chatot also has a somewhat average base 91 Speed, leaving it outsped by a plethora of threats, meaning it is easily revenge killed.

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How to Counter Normal-types

There are quite a few viable defensive checks to Normal-types, with each one serving a specific purpose. Regirock is the most reliable Normal-type check, since it has the ability to invest in its Special Defense stat to take on the special Normal types thanks to its base 200 Defense. Rhydon is another good Normal check, but has bigger problems with Grass and Water coverage due to its primary Ground typing. Aggron is a more offensive check, 4x resisting Normal, but gets bodied by common coverage such as Earthquake or special attacks from the likes of Pyroar. Lastly, Steelix loses out to Tauros, due to Sheer Force-boosted Fire Blast, and Choice Specs Swellow, but it can serve as a reliable check to the other physical Normal-types thanks to its massive Defense stat. However, offensive checks rely moreso on outspeeding Normal-types and hitting them with a powerful Fighting-type move. Hitmonchan and Primeape have the ability to hit hard thanks to their super effective STAB, while Mach Punch, in Hitmonchan's case, can help pick off weakened Normal-types. Choice Scarf Kabutops and Barbaracle resist Normal-type moves thanks to being part Rock-type while having access to a Fighting-type move in Superpower. Sadly, these offensive checks have a hard time against Mega Audino thanks to its immense bulk and secondary Fairy typing.

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Conclusion

The Normal-types in NU each have their own unique niche in the tier, allowing for more than one to be used effectively on a team and still provide offensive pressure for the team. This idea of "spamming" Normal-types on a team is the reason why there are so many decent Normal-types in NU.

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