To keep myself engaged in Gen 8's postgame offerings, similar to Repto, I've entertained a Randoms style of play for Battle Tower Doubles! A key difference is that because I'm developing my roster largely from scratch, often there's as least one new Mon to catch/breed for every roll made. This suits me fine however, as a sizeable battle-ready collection is a long term goal I don't mind working towards - the DLC only serves to facilitate this endeavour.
Since I haven't assigned specific numbers or Boxes yet, the conduction process for Random rolls is very basic, as follows (all I use is an online RNG site):
- 50/50 roll to decide format; 1 = TR, 2 = 'not TR'
- If TR, proceed to roll 2 setters, then 5 abusers; pick 1 setter, 3 abusers
- If 'not TR', proceed to roll 6 abusers; pick 4 abusers
For the abusers, I essentially include the entirety of Mons available in SwSh (no restricted Legendaries/Mythicals rolled yet but I'm open to using them!) to keep things open-ended; as you could probably surmise, re-rolls for the TR spectrum especially are common, even with Iron Ball granting viability to candidates as speedy as Gardevoir. For setters I haven't bothered to exclude the "horrid, wouldn't touch with a 10 foot stick" users yet and simply include everything that learns the move - I just re-roll such instances until I get two with any semblance of redeemable traits.
Currently, I play 20 battles with one team before advancing to the next. Early on this was to help fund item purchases and to spend more time in the Tower before returning to the Daycare; however, the former is now a non-issue, and the latter will become progressively so to the point where I'd definitely consider the more quickfire 10 battles per team. I've also been Dynamaxing whatever, whenever, so a enforcing a couple additional restrictions wouldn't be out of the question, either.
For now, I'll detail the 10 teams I've used for a total 200 consecutive battles. Each session was recorded and uploaded to YouTube in single round doses, but since I'm allowed no more than 15 videos in a single post, I'll link the first round playthrough of each team in their corresponding summaries, behind spoiler tags. Otherwise, the full playlist can be viewed here.
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The first of several 'centralized Dynamaxer' instalments. Ninetales formed the crux of this lineup, providing pivotal lead support in Light Clay-extended Aurora Veil. Though not the primary beneficiary, Cloyster was able to Shell Smash sweep a handful of times and wasn't as expendable as I initially thought! Despite having Freeze-Dry on board, the leads were still lacking in type diversity, but that's where the backline came in to save the day, particularly Sandaconda - opportunities to engorge were plentiful, whether via lead sac or taking resist switch initiative to preserve Cloyster's Sash. Thanks to Weakness Policy (and D-Max in general), I figured max Atk/Spe wasn't necessary and opted to beef the snake up for taking attacks more comfortably. My ideal setup of AV + Ice Shard self proc was granted pretty frequently, but in its absence, Sandaconda's D-Max bulk proved a fine alternative for sponging enemy SE hits, especially with access to Steelspike as well.
I used G-Max for added flavour here, but looking back the Sandblast chip was largely inconsequential and did little to disable Sturdy/Sashes during the run. For future runs I'd definitely go the vanilla route for Max Quake SpD boosts instead, as I could only see G-Max making a noticeable impact in PvP for abusing the lock-in effect (Sand Spit with Binding Band as well?). Haxorus saw limited use which was kinda expected, though the occasional Drake debuffs were welcome.
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Selecting CobaCott upon rolling them among the 6 was basically a no brainer, making an Ultra Space detour first necessary for Cobalion to join its alternate colour Musketeer brethren. While Beat Up --> Justified might traditionally be considered an unreliable gimmick, with the power of D-Max it certainly wasn't here! 95% of battles were brainless +4 (or more) Cobalion sweeps - mostly with a T1 D-Max to ensure survival since all that power could be harnessed for just one slot - but at times a boosted Sacred Sword/Iron Head was sufficient to deal with a threat, deny TR etc. Close Combat I definitely felt wasn't needed with such a capable partner in Whimsicott, while Stone Edge was excellent for handling Leon's Charizard.
Specs Wailord came along for the ride as backup, also benefitting from Tailwind, while Mandibuzz was included as a catch-all bulky annoyance and secondary setter.
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This marked my first proper experience trying out Golisopod, safe to say I wasn't disappointed! Her usefulness as a lead was certainly more apparent than the potential awkwardness that arises with Emergency Exit; Life Orb Impressions are especially potent and were used liberally T1 to chunk stuff or KO Bug-weaks outright, even to bypass Speed to guarantee damage for a follow-up attack. I haven't rewatched every battle, but iirc EEs were largely a non-issue when they occurred; it would've mostly been once TR was already set, allowing Vileplume/Tyranitar to dish out some pain while resetting another Impression for later. However, enemy Rock Slides were a thing for the leads and one such instance happened early on that almost prevented me from setting - Unnerve Haxorus with the flinch and disabling Sitrus Berry simultaneously :grr:
In a similar fashion to Foul Play nicely rounding out movesets for the offensively lacking, so too does Body Press for Cofagrigus - achieving Ghost/Fighting coverage without having to invest in SpA is quite the boon for a setter, and it increased his usefulness beyond T1 as a legitimate attacker. Vileplume was an unexpected Shiny that hatched with imperfect Speed, causing me to tunnel vision into a pseudo Iron Ball After You support set; Tyranitar didn't require this aid too much as the primary Dynamaxer, but the two performed well enough with Strength Sap adding some welcome reliable recovery.
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I believe I was putting this team together prior to the HA starters being released, but only finished after the fact - I took advantage and replaced Torrent Sash Inteleon with a Sniper Scope Lens variant.
After an annoying first run-in with Attract Vespiquen, my confidence in this arrangement wasn't great, and I was concernced with the team's capacity for synergy/dealing heavy damage. Both leads have their shortcomings, which was likely made more apparent by the team's general lack of cohesion; Inteleon is fast but isn't a truly hard hitter, neither is Goodra...Inteleon still likes to D-Max to ensure a KO or grant an Airstream boost, but that frailty can become a liability compared to bulkier D-Maxers...which Goodra can be but...this cycles back to the damage issue. Seaking was also difficult to get going due to safe switches basically only existing in the form of Electric attacks, and requiring Airstream to truly feel ready for a sweep. Slurpuff sadly didn't get to shine a whole lot either as her main draws in After You and Fake Tears hinged on outspeeding her pals with Electric Seed activated through Goodra's Max Lightning (lol) - very niche and hard to engineer. The wiser, albeit less fun choice was probably Sitrus Berry there. Still, the squad weathered the storm and prevailed against two Leons.
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Mr. Rime was something I hadn't used yet, and while he doesn't have any particularly worthwhile TR traits, I figured Clefable paired decently and could assist with the setting. Fortunately Follow Me did the thing, and LO Magic Guard packed a solid punch with Fairy/Fire coverage. Not much to add apart from Bewear being the most popular D-Max for easily accessible bulk, power and desirable side effects (though Max Strike was generally to be avoided in this state). Sassy Curse Quagsire also impressed me the few times she got going, who didn't care necessarily about operating outside TR.
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This Comfey developed cabin fever back in Alola and was hankering for some battle exposure; lucky for her that Eisen's Battle Tree streak was egging me on! Talonflame didn't disappoint in spite of nerfed Gale Wings and got plenty of mileage out of Tailwind, Airstream & 120 BP STABs, as did Triage Comfey. The bird attracted a healthy share of attacks, making Protect + Calm Mind a commoun scouting T1 play. Drednaw was also a star with easy methods of making speedy and powerful, whether via TW, Airstreams or Geyser self-activating the rain. This sadly made Milotic pretty redundant, though.
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> on further reflection :rotathunk: this is absurdly synergistic pseudo rain
> the 2 I didn't pick among the 6 rolled were tsareena/gardevoir
Well that's an adequate summary for this roll! I was excited to try Rillaboom's new toys in Grassy Surge, Grassy Glide and G-Max form, and what better way to support an Assvest variant than Intimidate Gyara. Dual Grass + Knock Off was something I appreciated quite a bit, providing Rillaboom with strong priority to bypass his middling Speed. Like Drednaw, Seismitoad could Geyser himself for the Swift Swim boost but often benefited excellently from Gyara's hole punching instead.
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Another roll which afforded an oddly synergistic rain team, heh. Pelipper/Togedemaru did a rather good job in supporting each other - between Fake Out, LRod, protecting and spammable Modest Hurricanes, the AI probably wasn't having a good time. Pelipper preferred to let Bewear engorge himself (Max Strike now a good option, score), and Starmie, while not really getting to shine much with Power Herb, was an ok backup that was plenty speedy to not require TW.
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> the most recent one with dragapult/sharpedo leads was fun but ridiculous
> when dragapult wasn't dmaxing to snipe something with phantasm, sharpedo would instead boost it with LO max knuckle
Courtesy of more Discord self-musings, it's no secret these leads were sickeningly good, almost on the same page as CobaCott. Both very capable D-Maxers depending on matchup, each benefiting from the other's coverage. When the privilege was given to Sharpedo, outspeeding Dragapult T2 to gift Max Knuckle boosts to Dragon Darts was also a sight to behold. Chandelure/Ferrothorn naturally weren't part of the main attraction, but they still formed a welcome FWG core.
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Taking the cake for my most offensively inclined TR lead arrangement yet, and my first taste of PsyTerrain spam - so good it hurts! TR + Follow Me was the T1 go-to and worked great; it took me a little bit to acclimatize, but Expanding Force turning my setter into an absolute machine was refreshing to say the least. I mean..
148+ SpA Life Orb Reuniclus Helping Hand Expanding Force (120 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Dynamax Charizard in Psychic Terrain: 220-261 (96 - 113.9%) -- 75% chance to OHKO (75% chance to OHKO after accuracy)
Indeedee's uninvested Expanding Forces were by no means weak either, and were a welcome accompaniment when double attacking was the best option. Reuniclus's desire to not D-Max also enabled Copperajah the pleasure, and in conjunction with Octillery, helped offset Dark/Steel-types putting a dampener on the leads' fun.
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Since I haven't assigned specific numbers or Boxes yet, the conduction process for Random rolls is very basic, as follows (all I use is an online RNG site):
- 50/50 roll to decide format; 1 = TR, 2 = 'not TR'
- If TR, proceed to roll 2 setters, then 5 abusers; pick 1 setter, 3 abusers
- If 'not TR', proceed to roll 6 abusers; pick 4 abusers
For the abusers, I essentially include the entirety of Mons available in SwSh (no restricted Legendaries/Mythicals rolled yet but I'm open to using them!) to keep things open-ended; as you could probably surmise, re-rolls for the TR spectrum especially are common, even with Iron Ball granting viability to candidates as speedy as Gardevoir. For setters I haven't bothered to exclude the "horrid, wouldn't touch with a 10 foot stick" users yet and simply include everything that learns the move - I just re-roll such instances until I get two with any semblance of redeemable traits.
Currently, I play 20 battles with one team before advancing to the next. Early on this was to help fund item purchases and to spend more time in the Tower before returning to the Daycare; however, the former is now a non-issue, and the latter will become progressively so to the point where I'd definitely consider the more quickfire 10 battles per team. I've also been Dynamaxing whatever, whenever, so a enforcing a couple additional restrictions wouldn't be out of the question, either.
For now, I'll detail the 10 teams I've used for a total 200 consecutive battles. Each session was recorded and uploaded to YouTube in single round doses, but since I'm allowed no more than 15 videos in a single post, I'll link the first round playthrough of each team in their corresponding summaries, behind spoiler tags. Otherwise, the full playlist can be viewed here.
Initial Roll:-
Cloyster | Haxorus | Mandibuzz | Sandaconda | Sigilyph | Ninetales
Lineup:-
Alolan Ninetales (F) @ Light Clay
Nature: Timid
Ability: Snow Warning
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/31
EVs: 228 HP / 28 Def / 252 Spe
- Aurora Veil
- Freeze-Dry
- Ice Shard
- Protect
Cloyster (F) @ Focus Sash
Nature: Jolly
Ability: Skill Link
IVs: 31/31/31/x/31/31
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
- Shell Smash
- Icicle Spear
- Liquidation
- Protect
G-Max Sandaconda (F) @ Weakness Policy
Nature: Adamant [Minted from Bashful]
Ability: Shed Skin
IVs: 31/31/31/31/31/31
EVs: 252 HP / 124 Atk / 28 Def / 44 SpD / 60 Spe
- High Horsepower
- Rock Slide
- Iron Head
- Protect
Haxorus (M) @ Lum Berry
Nature: Jolly
Ability: Mold Breaker
IVs: 31/31/31/x/31/31
EVs: 4 HP / 236 Atk / 4 Def / 12 SpD / 252 Spe
- Dragon Dance
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Protect
Cloyster | Haxorus | Mandibuzz | Sandaconda | Sigilyph | Ninetales
Lineup:-
Alolan Ninetales (F) @ Light Clay
Nature: Timid
Ability: Snow Warning
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/31
EVs: 228 HP / 28 Def / 252 Spe
- Aurora Veil
- Freeze-Dry
- Ice Shard
- Protect
Cloyster (F) @ Focus Sash
Nature: Jolly
Ability: Skill Link
IVs: 31/31/31/x/31/31
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
- Shell Smash
- Icicle Spear
- Liquidation
- Protect
G-Max Sandaconda (F) @ Weakness Policy
Nature: Adamant [Minted from Bashful]
Ability: Shed Skin
IVs: 31/31/31/31/31/31
EVs: 252 HP / 124 Atk / 28 Def / 44 SpD / 60 Spe
- High Horsepower
- Rock Slide
- Iron Head
- Protect
Haxorus (M) @ Lum Berry
Nature: Jolly
Ability: Mold Breaker
IVs: 31/31/31/x/31/31
EVs: 4 HP / 236 Atk / 4 Def / 12 SpD / 252 Spe
- Dragon Dance
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Protect
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The first of several 'centralized Dynamaxer' instalments. Ninetales formed the crux of this lineup, providing pivotal lead support in Light Clay-extended Aurora Veil. Though not the primary beneficiary, Cloyster was able to Shell Smash sweep a handful of times and wasn't as expendable as I initially thought! Despite having Freeze-Dry on board, the leads were still lacking in type diversity, but that's where the backline came in to save the day, particularly Sandaconda - opportunities to engorge were plentiful, whether via lead sac or taking resist switch initiative to preserve Cloyster's Sash. Thanks to Weakness Policy (and D-Max in general), I figured max Atk/Spe wasn't necessary and opted to beef the snake up for taking attacks more comfortably. My ideal setup of AV + Ice Shard self proc was granted pretty frequently, but in its absence, Sandaconda's D-Max bulk proved a fine alternative for sponging enemy SE hits, especially with access to Steelspike as well.
I used G-Max for added flavour here, but looking back the Sandblast chip was largely inconsequential and did little to disable Sturdy/Sashes during the run. For future runs I'd definitely go the vanilla route for Max Quake SpD boosts instead, as I could only see G-Max making a noticeable impact in PvP for abusing the lock-in effect (Sand Spit with Binding Band as well?). Haxorus saw limited use which was kinda expected, though the occasional Drake debuffs were welcome.
Initial Roll:-
Whimsicott | Mandibuzz | Seaking | Cobalion | Wailord | Rapidash
Lineup:-
Whimsicott (M) @ Focus Sash
Nature: Timid
Ability: Prankster
IVs: 31/18/31/31/31/31
EVs: 228 HP / 4 Def / 36 SpA / 4 SpD / 236 Spe
- Tailwind
- Energy Ball
- Beat Up
- Encore
Cobalion @ Lum Berry
Nature: Jolly
Ability: Justified
IVs: 31/HT/31/31/HT/HT
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Sacred Sword
- Iron Head
- Stone Edge
- Protect
Wailord (F) @ Choice Specs
Nature: Modest
Ability: Oblivious
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/31
EVs: 12 HP / 4 Def / 236 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
- Water Spout
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Weather Ball
Mandibuzz (F) @ Leftovers
Nature: Calm
Ability: Overcoat
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/31
EVs: 252 HP / 68 Def / 4 SpA / 124 SpD / 60 Spe
- Tailwind
- Foul Play
- Snarl
- Roost
Whimsicott | Mandibuzz | Seaking | Cobalion | Wailord | Rapidash
Lineup:-
Whimsicott (M) @ Focus Sash
Nature: Timid
Ability: Prankster
IVs: 31/18/31/31/31/31
EVs: 228 HP / 4 Def / 36 SpA / 4 SpD / 236 Spe
- Tailwind
- Energy Ball
- Beat Up
- Encore
Cobalion @ Lum Berry
Nature: Jolly
Ability: Justified
IVs: 31/HT/31/31/HT/HT
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Sacred Sword
- Iron Head
- Stone Edge
- Protect
Wailord (F) @ Choice Specs
Nature: Modest
Ability: Oblivious
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/31
EVs: 12 HP / 4 Def / 236 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
- Water Spout
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Weather Ball
Mandibuzz (F) @ Leftovers
Nature: Calm
Ability: Overcoat
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/31
EVs: 252 HP / 68 Def / 4 SpA / 124 SpD / 60 Spe
- Tailwind
- Foul Play
- Snarl
- Roost
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Selecting CobaCott upon rolling them among the 6 was basically a no brainer, making an Ultra Space detour first necessary for Cobalion to join its alternate colour Musketeer brethren. While Beat Up --> Justified might traditionally be considered an unreliable gimmick, with the power of D-Max it certainly wasn't here! 95% of battles were brainless +4 (or more) Cobalion sweeps - mostly with a T1 D-Max to ensure survival since all that power could be harnessed for just one slot - but at times a boosted Sacred Sword/Iron Head was sufficient to deal with a threat, deny TR etc. Close Combat I definitely felt wasn't needed with such a capable partner in Whimsicott, while Stone Edge was excellent for handling Leon's Charizard.
Specs Wailord came along for the ride as backup, also benefitting from Tailwind, while Mandibuzz was included as a catch-all bulky annoyance and secondary setter.
Initial Roll:-
{Setters} Cofagrigus | Mimikyu
{Abusers} Vileplume | Tyranitar | Weezing | Golisopod | Coalossal
Lineup:-
Golisopod (F) @ Life Orb
Nature: Brave
Ability: Emergency Exit
IVs: 31/31/31/x/31/0
EVs: 252 HP / 196 Atk / 60 SpD
- First Impression
- Liquidation
- Leech Life
- Protect
Cofagrigus (M) @ Sitrus Berry
Nature: Relaxed
Ability: Mummy
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/0
EVs: 252 HP / 196 Def / 60 SpD
- Trick Room
- Shadow Ball
- Body Press
- Protect
Vileplume (F) @ Iron Ball
Nature: Quiet
Ability: Effect Spore
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/15
EVs: 244 HP / 212 SpA / 52 SpD
- Energy Ball
- Sludge Bomb
- Strength Sap
- After You
Tyranitar (M) @ Weakness Policy
Nature: Brave
Ability: Sand Stream
IVs: 31/31/31/x/31/0
EVs: 236 HP / 204 Atk / 68 SpD
- Crunch
- Rock Slide
- Low Kick
- Protect
{Setters} Cofagrigus | Mimikyu
{Abusers} Vileplume | Tyranitar | Weezing | Golisopod | Coalossal
Lineup:-
Golisopod (F) @ Life Orb
Nature: Brave
Ability: Emergency Exit
IVs: 31/31/31/x/31/0
EVs: 252 HP / 196 Atk / 60 SpD
- First Impression
- Liquidation
- Leech Life
- Protect
Cofagrigus (M) @ Sitrus Berry
Nature: Relaxed
Ability: Mummy
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/0
EVs: 252 HP / 196 Def / 60 SpD
- Trick Room
- Shadow Ball
- Body Press
- Protect
Vileplume (F) @ Iron Ball
Nature: Quiet
Ability: Effect Spore
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/15
EVs: 244 HP / 212 SpA / 52 SpD
- Energy Ball
- Sludge Bomb
- Strength Sap
- After You
Tyranitar (M) @ Weakness Policy
Nature: Brave
Ability: Sand Stream
IVs: 31/31/31/x/31/0
EVs: 236 HP / 204 Atk / 68 SpD
- Crunch
- Rock Slide
- Low Kick
- Protect
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This marked my first proper experience trying out Golisopod, safe to say I wasn't disappointed! Her usefulness as a lead was certainly more apparent than the potential awkwardness that arises with Emergency Exit; Life Orb Impressions are especially potent and were used liberally T1 to chunk stuff or KO Bug-weaks outright, even to bypass Speed to guarantee damage for a follow-up attack. I haven't rewatched every battle, but iirc EEs were largely a non-issue when they occurred; it would've mostly been once TR was already set, allowing Vileplume/Tyranitar to dish out some pain while resetting another Impression for later. However, enemy Rock Slides were a thing for the leads and one such instance happened early on that almost prevented me from setting - Unnerve Haxorus with the flinch and disabling Sitrus Berry simultaneously :grr:
In a similar fashion to Foul Play nicely rounding out movesets for the offensively lacking, so too does Body Press for Cofagrigus - achieving Ghost/Fighting coverage without having to invest in SpA is quite the boon for a setter, and it increased his usefulness beyond T1 as a legitimate attacker. Vileplume was an unexpected Shiny that hatched with imperfect Speed, causing me to tunnel vision into a pseudo Iron Ball After You support set; Tyranitar didn't require this aid too much as the primary Dynamaxer, but the two performed well enough with Strength Sap adding some welcome reliable recovery.
Initial Roll:-
Orbeetle | Inteleon | Goodra | Butterfree | Slurpuff | Seaking
Lineup:-
Goodra (M) @ Assault Vest
Nature: Modest
Ability: Sap Sipper
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/31
EVs: 236 HP / 132 Def / 68 SpA / 4 SpD / 68 Spe
- Dragon Pulse
- Thunderbolt
- Flamethrower
- Sludge Bomb
Inteleon (M) @ Scope Lens
Nature: Timid
Ability: Sniper
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/31
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
- Snipe Shot
- Air Slash
- Dark Pulse
- Protect
Slurpuff (F) @ Electric Seed
Nature: Timid
Ability: Unburden
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/31
EVs: 252 HP / 68 Def / 4 SpA / 44 SpD / 140 Spe
- Dazzling Gleam
- After You
- Fake Tears
- Cotton Spore
Seaking (M) @ Life Orb
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Lightning Rod
IVs: 31/31/31/x/31/31
EVs: 12 HP / 236 Atk / 4 Def / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
- Waterfall
- Megahorn
- Drill Run
- Protect
Orbeetle | Inteleon | Goodra | Butterfree | Slurpuff | Seaking
Lineup:-
Goodra (M) @ Assault Vest
Nature: Modest
Ability: Sap Sipper
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/31
EVs: 236 HP / 132 Def / 68 SpA / 4 SpD / 68 Spe
- Dragon Pulse
- Thunderbolt
- Flamethrower
- Sludge Bomb
Inteleon (M) @ Scope Lens
Nature: Timid
Ability: Sniper
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/31
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
- Snipe Shot
- Air Slash
- Dark Pulse
- Protect
Slurpuff (F) @ Electric Seed
Nature: Timid
Ability: Unburden
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/31
EVs: 252 HP / 68 Def / 4 SpA / 44 SpD / 140 Spe
- Dazzling Gleam
- After You
- Fake Tears
- Cotton Spore
Seaking (M) @ Life Orb
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Lightning Rod
IVs: 31/31/31/x/31/31
EVs: 12 HP / 236 Atk / 4 Def / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
- Waterfall
- Megahorn
- Drill Run
- Protect
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I believe I was putting this team together prior to the HA starters being released, but only finished after the fact - I took advantage and replaced Torrent Sash Inteleon with a Sniper Scope Lens variant.
After an annoying first run-in with Attract Vespiquen, my confidence in this arrangement wasn't great, and I was concernced with the team's capacity for synergy/dealing heavy damage. Both leads have their shortcomings, which was likely made more apparent by the team's general lack of cohesion; Inteleon is fast but isn't a truly hard hitter, neither is Goodra...Inteleon still likes to D-Max to ensure a KO or grant an Airstream boost, but that frailty can become a liability compared to bulkier D-Maxers...which Goodra can be but...this cycles back to the damage issue. Seaking was also difficult to get going due to safe switches basically only existing in the form of Electric attacks, and requiring Airstream to truly feel ready for a sweep. Slurpuff sadly didn't get to shine a whole lot either as her main draws in After You and Fake Tears hinged on outspeeding her pals with Electric Seed activated through Goodra's Max Lightning (lol) - very niche and hard to engineer. The wiser, albeit less fun choice was probably Sitrus Berry there. Still, the squad weathered the storm and prevailed against two Leons.
Initial Roll:-
{Setters} Gardevoir | Mr. Rime
{Abusers} Quagsire | Frosmoth | Clefable | Stonjourner | Bewear
Lineup:-
Mr. Rime (M) @ Sitrus Berry
Nature: Relaxed
Ability: Ice Body
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/0
EVs: 252 HP / 212 Def / 44 SpD
- Trick Room
- Freeze-Dry
- Psychic
- Protect
Clefable (F) @ Life Orb
Nature: Quiet
Ability: Magic Guard
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/0
EVs: 252 HP / 60 Def / 196 SpA
- Moonblast
- Flamethrower
- Follow Me
- Helping Hand
Quagsire (F) @ Leftovers
Nature: Sassy
Ability: Unaware
IVs: 31/31/31/31/31/0
EVs: 212 HP / 28 Atk / 44 Def / 4 SpA / 220 SpD
- Curse
- High Horsepower
- Liquidation
- Protect
Bewear (M) @ Assault Vest
Nature: Brave
Ability: Fluffy
IVs: 31/31/31/31/31/0
EVs: 100 HP / 220 Atk / 188 SpD
- Double-Edge
- Drain Punch
- Darkest Lariat
- Thunder Punch
{Setters} Gardevoir | Mr. Rime
{Abusers} Quagsire | Frosmoth | Clefable | Stonjourner | Bewear
Lineup:-
Mr. Rime (M) @ Sitrus Berry
Nature: Relaxed
Ability: Ice Body
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/0
EVs: 252 HP / 212 Def / 44 SpD
- Trick Room
- Freeze-Dry
- Psychic
- Protect
Clefable (F) @ Life Orb
Nature: Quiet
Ability: Magic Guard
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/0
EVs: 252 HP / 60 Def / 196 SpA
- Moonblast
- Flamethrower
- Follow Me
- Helping Hand
Quagsire (F) @ Leftovers
Nature: Sassy
Ability: Unaware
IVs: 31/31/31/31/31/0
EVs: 212 HP / 28 Atk / 44 Def / 4 SpA / 220 SpD
- Curse
- High Horsepower
- Liquidation
- Protect
Bewear (M) @ Assault Vest
Nature: Brave
Ability: Fluffy
IVs: 31/31/31/31/31/0
EVs: 100 HP / 220 Atk / 188 SpD
- Double-Edge
- Drain Punch
- Darkest Lariat
- Thunder Punch
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Mr. Rime was something I hadn't used yet, and while he doesn't have any particularly worthwhile TR traits, I figured Clefable paired decently and could assist with the setting. Fortunately Follow Me did the thing, and LO Magic Guard packed a solid punch with Fairy/Fire coverage. Not much to add apart from Bewear being the most popular D-Max for easily accessible bulk, power and desirable side effects (though Max Strike was generally to be avoided in this state). Sassy Curse Quagsire also impressed me the few times she got going, who didn't care necessarily about operating outside TR.
Initial Roll:-
Milotic | Drednaw | Talonflame | Comfey | Mantine | Mandibuzz
Lineup:-
Talonflame (F) @ Life Orb
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Gale Wings
IVs: 31/31/31/x/31/31
EVs: 44 HP / 236 Atk / 4 Def / 12 SpD / 212 Spe
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz
- Tailwind
- Protect
Comfey (F) @ Pixie Plate
Nature: Modest
Ability: Triage
IVs: 31/0/HT/31/31/31
EVs: 164 HP / 252 SpA / 92 Spe
- Calm Mind
- Draining Kiss
- Giga Drain
- Floral Healing
Milotic (M) @ Mago Berry
Nature: Modest
Ability: Competitive
IVs: 31/0/HT/31/31/31
EVs: 236 HP / 20 Def / 172 SpA / 4 SpD / 76 Spe
- Scald
- Icy Wind
- Recover
- Protect
Drednaw (M) @ Weakness Policy
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Swift Swim
IVs: 31/31/31/31/31/31
EVs: 76 HP / 228 Atk / 20 Def / 4 SpD / 180 Spe
- Liquidation
- Rock Slide
- High Horsepower
- Protect
Milotic | Drednaw | Talonflame | Comfey | Mantine | Mandibuzz
Lineup:-
Talonflame (F) @ Life Orb
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Gale Wings
IVs: 31/31/31/x/31/31
EVs: 44 HP / 236 Atk / 4 Def / 12 SpD / 212 Spe
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz
- Tailwind
- Protect
Comfey (F) @ Pixie Plate
Nature: Modest
Ability: Triage
IVs: 31/0/HT/31/31/31
EVs: 164 HP / 252 SpA / 92 Spe
- Calm Mind
- Draining Kiss
- Giga Drain
- Floral Healing
Milotic (M) @ Mago Berry
Nature: Modest
Ability: Competitive
IVs: 31/0/HT/31/31/31
EVs: 236 HP / 20 Def / 172 SpA / 4 SpD / 76 Spe
- Scald
- Icy Wind
- Recover
- Protect
Drednaw (M) @ Weakness Policy
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Swift Swim
IVs: 31/31/31/31/31/31
EVs: 76 HP / 228 Atk / 20 Def / 4 SpD / 180 Spe
- Liquidation
- Rock Slide
- High Horsepower
- Protect
---------------------------
This Comfey developed cabin fever back in Alola and was hankering for some battle exposure; lucky for her that Eisen's Battle Tree streak was egging me on! Talonflame didn't disappoint in spite of nerfed Gale Wings and got plenty of mileage out of Tailwind, Airstream & 120 BP STABs, as did Triage Comfey. The bird attracted a healthy share of attacks, making Protect + Calm Mind a commoun scouting T1 play. Drednaw was also a star with easy methods of making speedy and powerful, whether via TW, Airstreams or Geyser self-activating the rain. This sadly made Milotic pretty redundant, though.
Initial Roll:-
Gyarados | Gardevoir | Rillaboom | Aegislash | Tsareena | Seismitoad
Lineup:-
G-Max Rillaboom (M) @ Assault Vest
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Grassy Surge
IVs: 31/31/31/x/31/31
EVs: 60 HP / 196 Atk / 4 Def / 36 SpD / 212 Spe
- Fake Out
- Grassy Glide
- Wood Hammer
- Knock Off
Gyarados (F) @ Lum Berry
Nature: Jolly
Ability: Intimidate
IVs: 31/31/31/31/31/31
EVs: 12 HP / 212 Atk / 28 Def / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
- Dragon Dance
- Waterfall
- Bounce
- Protect
Seismitoad (M) @ Life Orb
Nature: Modest
Ability: Swift Swim
IVs: 31/0/HT/31/31/31
EVs: 4 HP / 20 Def / 196 SpA / 36 SpD / 252 Spe
- Surf
- Earth Power
- Sludge Bomb
- Protect
Aegislash (M) @ Leftovers
Nature: Quiet
Ability: Stance Change
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/0
EVs: 252 HP / 212 SpA / 44 SpD
- King's Shield
- Shadow Ball
- Flash Cannon
- Wide Guard
Gyarados | Gardevoir | Rillaboom | Aegislash | Tsareena | Seismitoad
Lineup:-
G-Max Rillaboom (M) @ Assault Vest
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Grassy Surge
IVs: 31/31/31/x/31/31
EVs: 60 HP / 196 Atk / 4 Def / 36 SpD / 212 Spe
- Fake Out
- Grassy Glide
- Wood Hammer
- Knock Off
Gyarados (F) @ Lum Berry
Nature: Jolly
Ability: Intimidate
IVs: 31/31/31/31/31/31
EVs: 12 HP / 212 Atk / 28 Def / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
- Dragon Dance
- Waterfall
- Bounce
- Protect
Seismitoad (M) @ Life Orb
Nature: Modest
Ability: Swift Swim
IVs: 31/0/HT/31/31/31
EVs: 4 HP / 20 Def / 196 SpA / 36 SpD / 252 Spe
- Surf
- Earth Power
- Sludge Bomb
- Protect
Aegislash (M) @ Leftovers
Nature: Quiet
Ability: Stance Change
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/0
EVs: 252 HP / 212 SpA / 44 SpD
- King's Shield
- Shadow Ball
- Flash Cannon
- Wide Guard
---------------------------
> on further reflection :rotathunk: this is absurdly synergistic pseudo rain
> the 2 I didn't pick among the 6 rolled were tsareena/gardevoir
Well that's an adequate summary for this roll! I was excited to try Rillaboom's new toys in Grassy Surge, Grassy Glide and G-Max form, and what better way to support an Assvest variant than Intimidate Gyara. Dual Grass + Knock Off was something I appreciated quite a bit, providing Rillaboom with strong priority to bypass his middling Speed. Like Drednaw, Seismitoad could Geyser himself for the Swift Swim boost but often benefited excellently from Gyara's hole punching instead.
Initial Roll:-
Pelipper | Lilligant | Bewear | Starmie | Luxray | Togedemaru
Lineup:-
Pelipper (M) @ Focus Sash
Nature: Modest
Ability: Drizzle
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/31
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
- Hurricane
- Scald
- Tailwind
- Protect
Togedemaru (F) @ Air Balloon
Nature: Jolly
Ability: Lightning Rod
IVs: 31/31/31/x/31/31
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
- Fake Out
- Zing Zap
- Iron Head
- Spiky Shield
Bewear (M) @ Assault Vest
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Fluffy
IVs: 31/31/31/x/31/31
EVs: 12 HP / 220 Atk / 44 Def / 76 SpD / 156 Spe
- Double-Edge
- Drain Punch
- High Horsepower
- Darkest Lariat
Starmie @ Power Herb
Nature: Timid
Ability: Natural Cure
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/31
EVs: 4 HP / 4 Def / 244 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
- Scald
- Expanding Force
- Meteor Beam
- Protect
Pelipper | Lilligant | Bewear | Starmie | Luxray | Togedemaru
Lineup:-
Pelipper (M) @ Focus Sash
Nature: Modest
Ability: Drizzle
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/31
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
- Hurricane
- Scald
- Tailwind
- Protect
Togedemaru (F) @ Air Balloon
Nature: Jolly
Ability: Lightning Rod
IVs: 31/31/31/x/31/31
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
- Fake Out
- Zing Zap
- Iron Head
- Spiky Shield
Bewear (M) @ Assault Vest
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Fluffy
IVs: 31/31/31/x/31/31
EVs: 12 HP / 220 Atk / 44 Def / 76 SpD / 156 Spe
- Double-Edge
- Drain Punch
- High Horsepower
- Darkest Lariat
Starmie @ Power Herb
Nature: Timid
Ability: Natural Cure
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/31
EVs: 4 HP / 4 Def / 244 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
- Scald
- Expanding Force
- Meteor Beam
- Protect
---------------------------
Another roll which afforded an oddly synergistic rain team, heh. Pelipper/Togedemaru did a rather good job in supporting each other - between Fake Out, LRod, protecting and spammable Modest Hurricanes, the AI probably wasn't having a good time. Pelipper preferred to let Bewear engorge himself (Max Strike now a good option, score), and Starmie, while not really getting to shine much with Power Herb, was an ok backup that was plenty speedy to not require TW.
Initial Roll:-
Mantine | Dragapult | Ferrothorn | Chandelure | Sharpedo | Gengar
Lineup:-
Dragapult (M) @ Dragon Fang
Nature: Jolly
Ability: Clear Body
IVs: 31/31/31/x/31/HT
EVs: 12 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 4 SpD / 236 Spe
- Dragon Darts
- Phantom Force
- Fly
- Protect
Sharpedo (M) @ Life Orb
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Speed Boost
IVs: 31/31/31/31/HT/31
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
- Protect
- Liquidation
- Crunch
- Close Combat
Ferrothorn (M) @ Leftovers
Nature: Sassy
IVs: 31/31/31/x/31/0
EVs: 252 HP / 132 Def / 124 SpD
- Iron Defense
- Body Press
- Leech Seed
- Protect
Chandelure (F) @ Weakness Policy
Nature: Modest [Minted from Timid]
Ability: Flash Fire
IVs: 31/0/HT/31/31/HT
EVs: 28 HP / 4 Def / 196 SpA / 28 SpD / 252 Spe
- Flamethrower
- Shadow Ball
- Energy Ball
- Ally Switch
Mantine | Dragapult | Ferrothorn | Chandelure | Sharpedo | Gengar
Lineup:-
Dragapult (M) @ Dragon Fang
Nature: Jolly
Ability: Clear Body
IVs: 31/31/31/x/31/HT
EVs: 12 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 4 SpD / 236 Spe
- Dragon Darts
- Phantom Force
- Fly
- Protect
Sharpedo (M) @ Life Orb
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Speed Boost
IVs: 31/31/31/31/HT/31
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
- Protect
- Liquidation
- Crunch
- Close Combat
Ferrothorn (M) @ Leftovers
Nature: Sassy
IVs: 31/31/31/x/31/0
EVs: 252 HP / 132 Def / 124 SpD
- Iron Defense
- Body Press
- Leech Seed
- Protect
Chandelure (F) @ Weakness Policy
Nature: Modest [Minted from Timid]
Ability: Flash Fire
IVs: 31/0/HT/31/31/HT
EVs: 28 HP / 4 Def / 196 SpA / 28 SpD / 252 Spe
- Flamethrower
- Shadow Ball
- Energy Ball
- Ally Switch
---------------------------
> the most recent one with dragapult/sharpedo leads was fun but ridiculous
> when dragapult wasn't dmaxing to snipe something with phantasm, sharpedo would instead boost it with LO max knuckle
Courtesy of more Discord self-musings, it's no secret these leads were sickeningly good, almost on the same page as CobaCott. Both very capable D-Maxers depending on matchup, each benefiting from the other's coverage. When the privilege was given to Sharpedo, outspeeding Dragapult T2 to gift Max Knuckle boosts to Dragon Darts was also a sight to behold. Chandelure/Ferrothorn naturally weren't part of the main attraction, but they still formed a welcome FWG core.
Initial Roll:-
{Setters} Bronzong | Reuniclus
{Abusers} Blastoise | Gardevoir | Octillery | Copperajah | Indeedee
Lineup:-
Reuniclus (F) @ Life Orb
Nature: Quiet
Ability: Magic Guard
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/0
EVs: 28 HP / 156 Def / 148 SpA / 176 SpD
- Trick Room
- Expanding Force
- Shadow Ball
- Protect
Indeedee-F @ Psychic Seed
Nature: Relaxed
Ability: Psychic Surge
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/0
EVs: 244 HP / 196 Def / 68 SpD
- Follow Me
- Expanding Force
- Helping Hand
- Heal Pulse
Copperajah (M) @ Weakness Policy
Nature: Brave
Ability: Sheer Force
IVs: 31/31/31/x/31/0
EVs: 236 Atk / 124 Def / 148 SpD
- Iron Head
- Rock Slide
- High Horsepower
- Protect
Octillery (F) @ Expert Belt
Nature: Quiet
Ability: Sniper
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/0
EVs: 252 HP / 36 Def / 220 SpA
- Water Spout
- Scald
- Flamethrower
- Energy Ball
{Setters} Bronzong | Reuniclus
{Abusers} Blastoise | Gardevoir | Octillery | Copperajah | Indeedee
Lineup:-
Reuniclus (F) @ Life Orb
Nature: Quiet
Ability: Magic Guard
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/0
EVs: 28 HP / 156 Def / 148 SpA / 176 SpD
- Trick Room
- Expanding Force
- Shadow Ball
- Protect
Indeedee-F @ Psychic Seed
Nature: Relaxed
Ability: Psychic Surge
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/0
EVs: 244 HP / 196 Def / 68 SpD
- Follow Me
- Expanding Force
- Helping Hand
- Heal Pulse
Copperajah (M) @ Weakness Policy
Nature: Brave
Ability: Sheer Force
IVs: 31/31/31/x/31/0
EVs: 236 Atk / 124 Def / 148 SpD
- Iron Head
- Rock Slide
- High Horsepower
- Protect
Octillery (F) @ Expert Belt
Nature: Quiet
Ability: Sniper
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/0
EVs: 252 HP / 36 Def / 220 SpA
- Water Spout
- Scald
- Flamethrower
- Energy Ball
---------------------------
Taking the cake for my most offensively inclined TR lead arrangement yet, and my first taste of PsyTerrain spam - so good it hurts! TR + Follow Me was the T1 go-to and worked great; it took me a little bit to acclimatize, but Expanding Force turning my setter into an absolute machine was refreshing to say the least. I mean..
148+ SpA Life Orb Reuniclus Helping Hand Expanding Force (120 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Dynamax Charizard in Psychic Terrain: 220-261 (96 - 113.9%) -- 75% chance to OHKO (75% chance to OHKO after accuracy)
Indeedee's uninvested Expanding Forces were by no means weak either, and were a welcome accompaniment when double attacking was the best option. Reuniclus's desire to not D-Max also enabled Copperajah the pleasure, and in conjunction with Octillery, helped offset Dark/Steel-types putting a dampener on the leads' fun.
: Awful. Snipes with Accelrock, phazes Avalugg with Roar so no +6 defense, and sets up Stealth Rock which really screws me over if Avalugg needs to switch out. My plan is switch in on Accelrock, Iron Defense as it uses SR, then Body Press as it tries to Roar. Bleh.
: One part I miss about my hail team: switching between Ninetales and Sandslash forever, then SDing as its health was low from hail. This sucks because Toxic is unavoidable. I let Avalugg take it, bait out Red Card with Icicle Spear which prompts a pathetically weak Counter (reflects 1 hit), then go back to Avalugg and Body Press/Recover, switching out as needed to reset Toxic. I actually considered replacing one of Frosmoth's STABs with Safeguard for this, but it seemed like it would make sweeping with it much less consistent.
: Not even KOd by sun Max Flare, I hate this thing. It also has Circle Throw, so I can't set up Iron Defense on it. Dynamic Punch can potentially be an ass, too - I almost considered Own Tempo on Avalugg. This is where Rocky Helmet shines though - it helps weaken it (switch in+Circle Throw at least) for Darm or Frosmoth to get rid of. Still doesn't put me in a great position, but it's something.
: This is at least KOd in the sun, though it can have Drizzle to negate that. Frosmoth doesn't take all that much damage, but Politoed uses Perish Song and while I can KO it in time, obviously then I have to switch out which is problematic if it's a special mon.
: Dead with sun up, but otherwise it's a 50/50 and I'm pretty sure I just lose if I miss it and it uses Shell Smash.
: Only an 81% KO even with sun up if it rolls Intimidate, and I can't switch in to this at all.
: If this gets Solid Rock, even Darm-Z's Hailstorm only KOs 30% of the time. And just lol at trying to switch into a Rock Wrecker.
: I can't switch into this at all, and it can snipe Darm with Bullet Punch. It doesn't seem to use if if not a KO, though.
Can potentially snipe with Aqua Jet, I can't OHKO it, and it uses Belly Drum. The good news is that if I'm not in KO range I think it always uses Belly Drum so I can cause it to waste its turn by attacking.
: Sturdy...at least it only appears 1/3 of the time. I can't switch into this at all, so I just have to hope. If Darm's at full at least it might go for Flash Cannon instead, but this is always a fingers-crossed Pokemon. Magnezone isn't as bad since I can potentially bait out Steel Beam with Protect/Max Guard.
: I can't OHKO thiis unless I have sun up and even then only it's only 43%, and it blows itself up if I switch in Avalugg preventing me from setting up Iron Defenses. Not inherently problematic, but likely to cause one.
: :quickclaw: I've considered switching in Frosmoth vs this, since it wins if no Quick Claw and if it does proc dead Frosmoth isn't as bad as dead Darm. But it's a bad position even when I "win" (+0 Frosmoth), so I've just risked the claw.
@ Leftovers
@ Life Orb
@ Assault Vest
@ Sitrus Berry
Leon's special one can OHKO Hatterene, while Scrafty can't fake out it
Dmax kills Hatterene before TR is set up, leaving team very vulnerable.
@ Psychic Seed
Unsurprisingly, this was the main sweeper and did most of the work. Despite a lot of weaknesses, I found it to be an excellent Shell Bell sweeper, because it finds a lot of opportunities to get a free +1 Atk on turn 1 with Max Knuckle and steamroll afterwards. I think Zen Headbutt is a must on the moveset, if only because of Sirfetch'd; there is no switch-in to a crit Meteor Assault for any Mono Rock team, but Max Mindstorm has an 88% chance to outright OHKO! Zen Headbutt was also most useful for handling Scizor; I always used Max Mindstorm first on it, removing Bullet Punch as an option. More generally, I used it a lot when any move KOd, as setting Terrain boosts its damage output for the next turns and can open up more options.
Even though I first used Lunatone simply because I really like it, I had the preconception it was not a good option and that I was just forcing it onto the team, so I eventually gave up on it. But then, as I tested other Pokémon, I started to see its real value was much higher than I had thought. Levitate is really big for Mono Rock, and for Terrakion in particular; Palossand was a gigantic pain for my Terrakion-Corsola core (as well as Marowak, as previously mentioned) which worked quite well otherwise. Expert Belt is there because of this calc among others:
I never would have thought I'd find a place to use Corsola in a serious fashion, and I cannot express how happy this makes me. It's always been among my favourite Pokémon, but let's face it, unless you want to meme with subpar picks, there's never any reason to use it competitively. Sadly, there isn't that much to say about it, because the set is such a straightforward Toxic stalling set, with Regenerator as a big help for pivoting. I wasn't sure whether Natural Cure would be better since it commonly found itself statused, but I think Regen ended up helping me way more than curing those statuses would have been; a burn is not that big of a deal, and Toxic is annoying but it can still function with it, for a while at least.
This is the main one, especially if it's a lead. With a bit of luck (I think it depends on rolls), it's possible to get away with Terrakion "only" have to tank one Terrain-boosted Grassy Glide, but if Terrakion can't handle it, gg.
If it wasn't of the stupid Quick Claw, this would be Lunatone food, but after getting QC Skitter Smacked twice, I stopped trying, and now I usually handle it with Corsola instead...
Lives a Max Mindstorm if Terrakion isn't +1 yet, and does a ton in return (unless it luckily Taunts). Ended one of my runs with a Submission crit.
If only it didn't have Energy Ball!! Terrakion needs to handle it, but Analytic Psychic does an insane amount. Encountering it makes me regret removing Megahorn every time, lol.
The biggest issue is definitely Cotton Down, which can put Terrakion is a really bad spot against whatever the AI has in the back.
: The absolute worst. Mimikyu can't KO this at +2, I risk burns from Lava Plume, and with or without Drought Lava Plume hurts. If I don't get burned on the first one, I can 2HKO with Starfall and Phantasm to protect against the second burn chance at least. Dragapult hates this too and is forced to risk a burn, and I can't switch in Decidueye to much effect.
: A range for Mimikyu at +2, and Gear Grind is REALLY bad. Knuckles help here as mentioned earlier, but it's still not great. Shift Gear would be particularly bad vs Mimikyu, but I've never seen it use it. Dragapult also can't OHKO this and takes some damage.
: Lum Berry helps a lot versus this, but it's still bad. Will-o-wisp's burn is obviously bad, and Poltergeist does like 60% even in dynamax. One potentially funny interaction is that if Lum is spent and I have Misty Terrain up, this is actually not very threatening. I never saw that happen though.
: This is pretty similar to Scizor in practice. Dual Wingbeat beats up Disguise for a lot of damage, and while it has no priority it just survives Mimikyu at +2 anyways. But similarily to Scizor it might just waste t1, in this case with Spikes.
: Survives at +2 even without Intimidate. Scald and Icy Wind are both awful for Mimikyu too. Decidueye can switch in and take basically no damage with Giga Drain, but leaves it at -1 speed from Icy Wind, which also prevents it from using Nasty Plot due to Taunt. Not a good situation to be in.
: This does a billion damage with multi-hit moves to Mimikyu and unforunately SD+Drain Punch is just not safe. Immediate dmax into Starfall is the safest play but it's not great. Knuckle is a 75% range and honestly I think it might be worth going for, no Disguise, missing health, dmax started, and no boosts is a terrible position to be in.
: Pretty unfortunate, I can KO it at +2 but it breaks Disguise with Icy Wind which isn't nice. Unlike other Pokemon with these kinds of moves though I don't have a good switch in so I just have to take it.
: This does a lot of damage, or it can waste time with Electrify and then just do that damage anyways. Thinking on it more, I should probably let it break the Diguise and get some health back with Drain Punch, then take advantage of its more consistent AI with no Disguise and go to Dragapult, since both Wild Charge and Electrify should be fine on the switch.
: PP is definitely more of an issue with Ghost than other types I've used, and boy can this waste a lot of it if it gets Pressure, Taunts, and doesn't want to Steel Beam.
Ahhh Shedinja, meme machine extraordinaire, beloved child of low ladders throughout formats and generations, but also, 
/ 
Cramming the worst Dynamax stallers together; Mimikyu gets so much milage from the higher power of max moves, and sweeping outside Dmax is so much riskier, and those make that happen. Not many things trigger me as much as a successful double Endure from the AI...
There's no switch-in for a Poltergeist if it's a lead. But it likes to Scorching Sands on Mimikyu, instead... 30% chance to lose outright. Not fun.
@ 
@ 
@ 
- Heracross needs to be +2 to OHKO and Volcarona doesn't appreciate paralysis or Acrobatics, but unboosted Max Flare is a OHKO.
/ 
gets me to +3, enough to take out :Sirfetch when he comes out 2nd.
: This is too strong and bulky for Bewear to switch in safely, and Braviary can't OHKO it unboosted. I also can't do the safest option of Steelspike+STAB since it doesn't consistently KO. I find setting up Bulk Up is the best option, but Crabhammer still does 50%, and it has 1/8 crit chance which blows. On the upside, it often uses Agility turn 1 so the Crabhammer is taken in dynamax instead.
: This is really similar to Kingler, except I can do instant Steelspike as an option and it only crits 1/24 of the time. That being said I am irrationally annoyed at it because Marowak crits kneecapped two legs of an otherwise promising run.
: Goes down easily with attack buffs, but otherwise a really shitty Gunk Shot has to be taken - strong with a 30% chance of poison.
: Irrelevant with Braviary, but really stupid with Bewear if it rolls Mold Breaker to ignore Fluffy. Close Combat does almost 50% even in dynamax, and then it just swaps out with Eject Pack and I have to see it again. It can just SR, though.
