Project Don't Use That, Use This! (Closed)

[Tuthur]

Don't Use That, Use This!
(Approval from Xayah and 5gen)​

ZU, being the lowest tier, contains every Pokemon that isn't in a higher tier. Therefore a Pokemon listed as ZU isn't necessarily viable in the tier, but it doesn't prevent some players (mainly beginners) from using them. This thread's goal is to provide a viable alternative to these Pokemon to help these players build better teams.
Every week a new noob-trap Pokemon will be suggested, and during several days you can each submit one viable alternative to this Pokemon. The submitted Pokemon must be ranked in the ZU Viability Ranking. Furthermore, every submission must come with a short paragraph explaining why the submitted Pokemon is better than the suggested one. Then it will be followed by a voting stage from a couple of days for you to vote for your favorite replacement (self votes are allowed). A winner list can be found under this post.

Example

Ariados @ Focus Sash
Ability: Insomnia
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Sticky Web
- Lunge
- Sucker Punch / Poison Jab
- Toxic Thread / Toxic Spikes

Ariados attracts several beginners thanks to its access to Sticky Web, its average bulk, its correct attack, and its well-provided movepool. However, Ariados has a mediocre typing and Speed, letting it lose against most leads and hazard removers.

Submission example:
Masquerain @ Focus Sash
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Sticky Web
- Quiver Dance
- Air Slash
- Hydro Pump

In contrary to Ariados, Masquerain can beat most of the leads thanks to Hydro Pump, dealing at least neutral damages on most hazard setters. Moreover, thanks to Quiver Dance, Masquerain can keep a great offensive presence, preventing most hazard removers from removing Sticky Web against Masquerain. Also, despite its quad-weakness to Stealth Rock, Masquerain keeps a decent defensive utility thanks to its ability Intimidate.

 

[Tuthur]

Hall of Fame

Ariados

Smeargle @ Focus Sash
Ability: Own Tempo
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Sticky Web
- Spore- Nuzzle
- Toxic Spikes / Spikes / Stealth Rock / Magic Coat

Smeargle outdoes Ariados as a Sticky Web lead thanks to the variety of tricks it can pull with its diverse movepool. Spore puts slower Pokémon out of commission to create free turns for Smeargle or a partner. Nuzzle is not blocked by Taunt, and gives Smeargle an option to break and opposing lead's Focus Sash, slow down potential sweepers, and impede the efforts of anything that avoids Spore. Smeargle's last slot is a toss up of whether you wanted Ariados' Toxic Spikes, (which aren't particularly viable thanks to the presence of absorbers and removers like Swanna, Komala, Mareanie, and Altaria), Stealth Rock, or Spikes. Magic Coat is personally preferable because it gives Smeargle a way to deal with Taunt users and can deflect opposing leads' hazards, which Ariados cannot do.

by missangelic

Bastiodon

Physical Wall

Golem @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 32 Atk / 224 Def
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic

Golem is just better when it comes to physical defense. Bastiodon may be able to take a few more than Golem, but Golem doesn't have the 4x weakness to Fighting, just a 2x and unlike Bastiodon, Golem can reliably fight back since Metal Burst is not a guaranteed thing.

by Oathkeepre

Special Wall

Bronzor @ Eviolite
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Toxic
- Psywave
- Stealth Rock
- Rest

Bronzor shares similar resistances with Bastiodon but has less weakness which allows it to better handle Bouffalant, Swanna, Servine just to name a few. It may have weaknesses to Dark, Fire and Ghost that Bastiodon doesn't have. However there is no common Dark special attacker in the tier, Fire types all carry a Ground or Fighting move, so Bastiodon isn't a threat to them, for Ghost-types Misdreavus already beats Bastiodon, Drifblim often carries Hidden Power [Fighting], so the only real Pokémon Bronzor misses over Bastiodon is Ghostvally. That makes Bronzor beat far more Pokémon than Bastiodon, but also thanks to Psywave Bronzor is far less passive than Bastiodon.

by Tuthur1

Curse

Muk @ Leftovers
Ability: Sticky Hold
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Poison Jab
- Curse
- Rest
- Sleep Talk

Muk is just an overall better user of Curse + RestTalk. It only has 2 weaknesses in Psychic and Ground and once it gets going with Curse, it is practically eating up both types of moves. It has a resistance to Fighting unlike Bastiodon and once again, reliably hits with Poison Jab. Not much else to say!

by Oathkeepre

Delibird

Lead

Cacturne @ Focus Sash / Life Orb
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Mild Nature
- Spikes
- Dark Pulse
- Giga Drain
- Sucker Punch

Cacturne is a good niche Spike setter that has a notably good match-up against the premier rocker of the tier, Golem. Cacturne's mixed attack stats are similar to Shiftry, but its access to Spikes are what give it its niche as an offensive setter. This gives it much more pressure than Delibird, who can hardly fire off an attack - let alone take one - as it tries to set Spikes.

by missangelic

Physical Wallbreaker

Fraxure @ Choice Band
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Outrage
- Dragon Claw
- Stomping Tantrum
- Low Kick

Choice Band Fraxure wastes no time with Dragon Dance by using a devastating and nasty +1 Outrage at the very start. Fraxure's main advantage as a breaker over Delibird is (besides its obviously greater Attack stat) the pleasure of using such a powerful STAB, as the ZU metagame lacks many Steels or Fairies to switch in on Fraxure. Mold Breaker helps Fraxure to make up for its STAB, as it can allow Fraxure's Stomping Tantrum to hit Bronzor and allowing for nearly perfect coverage between it and Outrage. Delibird in comparison hardly can make a dent in opposing teams even with Hustle, as its STAB moves are weak and don't have the greatest coverage.

by missangelic

Dedenne

Drifblim @ Petaya Berry
Ability: Unburden
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid/Modest Nature
- Substitute
- Will-O-Wisp/Calm Mind
- Shadow Ball
- Air Cutter
Petaya Drifblim may not be the most consistent set in the world, but it is leagues better than anything Dedenne can hope to accomplish. Drifblim has superior SpA to the pika-clone and thanks to its ability Unburden reaches a blistering 568 speed after its berry has been consumed. Drifblim's colossal HP stat also make its substitutes deceptively difficult to break, especially because the ghost blimp can burn physical attackers with Will-O-Wisp or boost itself with Calm Mind.

by underwhellming

Emolga

Silvally-Electric @ Electric Memory
Ability: RKS System
EVs: 252 HP / 120 SpD / 136 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam
- Defog
- U-turn
The criminally underrated Silvally-Electric is a much better Electric-type pivot than Emolga. Because of Elecvally's solid defenses it can come in on dangerous mons like Swanna or Shiftry and immediately threaten to KO them in return. Access to defog allows it to use the switches it forces to clear hazards. While the spread that I put above is more defensive, it can very easily be customized with more SpA to exceed Emolga's pitiful offenses.

by underwhellming

Heatmor

Choice Scarf

Rapidash @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Flare Blitz
- High Horse Power
- Wild Charge
- Will-O-Wisp / Toxic / Megahorn

Rapidash is a better Choice Scarf user than Rapidash due to better damage outputs and mainly a far better speed tier, which allows Rapidash to revenge kill Z-Celebrate Leafeon, Z-Rain Dance Swanna and Scarf Electivire just to name a few. Rapidash is also more reliable due to its move not having a chance to miss and having higher BP and also a better offensive coverage.

by Tuthur1

Tank

Monferno @ Eviolite
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 100 HP / 252 Atk / 156 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Close Combat
- Slack Off
- U-turn

Monferno is just a pinch less bulky than Heatmor with this spread thanks to its Eviolite, but is a better pivot than Heatmor due to its access to U-turn and neutrality to Stealth Rock. BDespite having a lower raw Attack stat, Monferno is scarier due to its Fighting STAB and better speed tier forcing out Pokemon such as Golem, Komala or Shiftry that don't mind staying on Heatmor.

by Tuthur1

All Out Attacker

Rapidash @ Firium-Z
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Flare Blitz
- High Horse Power / Will-O-Wisp
- Wild Charge / Will-O-Wisp
- Morning Sun

Rapidash does everything Heatmor does but better. First thanks to its higher speed tier it doesn't rely on Sucker Punch to deal with half of the tier (like it can deal with Swanna), second it hits far harder thanks to its move better BP. Also unlike Heatmor it doesn't faint quickly thanks to its access to Morning Sun. Rapidash also brings defensive utility with Flame Body+Will-O-Wisp allowing it to check Pokemon such as Pawniard, Shiftry or Leafeon.

by Tuthur1

Hypno

Specially Defensive

Lickilicky @ Leftovers
Ability: Oblivious
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Seismic Toss
- Wish
- Protect
- Heal Bell

Lickilicky is one of the best special wall in ZU meta. Its great SpecialDef and more than decent HP allow it to counter dangerous mons, such as Swanna, Special attacker Shiftry (whitout being weak to Knock off like Hypno) , Electivir etc.

by Winkata

Belly Drum

Leafeon @ Normalium Z
Ability: Leaf Guard
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Celebrate
- Swords Dance
- Leaf Blade
- Knock Off
Although Leafeon has a harder time finding setup opportunities due to its lower special bulk, it packs superior physical bulk, allowing it to set up with Z-Celebrate + Swords Dance on stuff such as Shiftry, Pawniard, and Mawile. At the same time, Leafeon's speed tier is much better, which makes it harder to revenge kill at +1 Speed, and it also packs more immediate power, giving it an easier time KOing bulkier threats such as Bronzor.

by SteelixPrismGX

Luxray

Electivire @ Life Orb
Ability: Motor Drive
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
IVs: 29 HP
Lonely / Hasty Nature
- Wild Charge / Thunderbolt
- Flamethrower
- Ice Punch
- Cross Chop

For one, Electivire has a much better speed tier than Luxray, allowing it to take on Pokemon such as Mr. Mime and Gabite far easier than Luxray can. And Electivire has better coverage overall. Ice Punch can't miss and still hits the same targets as Ice Fang, Cross Chop, while it can miss, doesn't leave E-Vire quite as vulnerable as a Luxray that just used Superpower, and Electivire's good Special Attack stat allows it to run Special attacking moves like Thunderbolt and Flamethrower, which notably doesn't allow it to be at the mercy of walls Luxray simply has trouble with like Gourgeist-XL. Electivire also the luxury of an Electric immunity and not having to wait a full turn to reach its max wallbreaking potential.

by Melons-N-Soda

Magcargo

Defensive

Golem @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 32 Atk / 224 Def
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake

Golem makes for a much better rocker than Magcargo, due to it's strong physical bulk, it's ability in sturdy allowing it to avoid ohko while at full health, and it's STAB EdgeQuake, making for incredible offensive coverage.

by SBPC

Shell Smash

Crustle @ White Herb or Rockium Z
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Shell Smash
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
Magcargo has also trouble with sweeping shell smash because at +2 it hits 319 speed which is quite slow for whats it supposed to(like SS magcargo can be revenge killed by positive speed nature swanna and simipour which is disappointing) and not even mention that it has weak to priority such a jet and mach punch not as strong as crustle because of its 90 base attacking stats(crustle s 125 atk vs magcargo s 90 spa).First crustle has also problems with being weak to rocks and revenged by a jet and scarf evire.It hits much better speed tier at 378 which allows to outspeed threats such as rapidash,kadabra and jumpluff.Second with the ability sturdy it can find much more oppurtinity to use SS something that magcargo wishes to have because of its typing.Third It has more raw power than it and also not weak to mach punch/wacuum wave.For this reason crustle is outright superior option mag as a SS user.Just stay away from these fellows

and you will be fine.

by Sacrificed

Marill

Perish Trapper

Pyukumuku @ Ghostium Z
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
- Recover
- Spite
- Block
- Rest

While it takes far more time for Pyukumuku to remove a Pokemon with the combination of Block+Spite than Marill with Whirlpool+Perish Song, Pyukumuku is a more reliable Pokemon thanks to better bulk, better ability and better recovery. Pyukumuku can therefore trap several foes during a game unlike Marill which gets quickly weakened by the first Pokemon it traps.

by Tuthur1

Belly Drum

Bibarel @ Life Orb
Ability: Simple
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Liquidation
- Return
- Quick Attack / Aqua Jet

After a SD Bibarel is slighly less powerfull than Marill at +6 (+4 252+ Atk Life Orb Bibarel Aqua Jet vs. 0 HP / 0- Def Abomasnow: 148-175 (46.1 - 54.5%) -- 58.6% chance to 2HKO, vs +6 252+ Atk Huge Power Marill Aqua Jet vs. 0 HP / 0- Def Abomasnow: 156-184 (48.5 - 57.3%) -- 94.1% chance to 2HKO). However Bibarel has a far better speed tier which allows it to outspeed Pokemon such as Exeggutor, Toucannon, Pawniard, ... and therefore beat them. Moreover, unlike Marill, Bibarel keeps some bulk after a SD which allows it to survive weak moves such as Mawile's Play Rough or defensive Golem's STAB, which gives Bibarel far more set up opportunities.

by Tuthur1

Meganium

Defensive

Gourgeist-Super @ Leftovers
Ability: Frisk
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Synthesis
- Leech Seed
- Foul Play

So, here the first set.
As a special and physical wall Gourgeist is clearly better thanks to one move : will O Wisp it becomes a great special and physical wall.
It can also do a lot damage to strong attacker like Electivire whit Foul Play.
The absence of Aromatherapy is easily compensated whit Licky which more forms a excellent core whit gourg and its Ghost/Grass double type.

by Winkata

Swords Dance

Shiftry @ Darkinium Z
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Seed Bomb
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch

Shiftry is very dominant in the current ZU metagame for good reason: few things want to switch in on it, and few things want to stay in on it. Many physical walls in the tier, such as Bronzor and Mareanie, are reliant on their Eviolites to function, giving Shiftry ample opportunities to break down defensive cores. Many Pokémon also don't enjoy losing their items, which puts pressure on Silvally forms and Z-Crystal users to function as switch-ins, which reduce their longevity and can pose risks to the stability of a team when their Defog pivot or Z-Move user aren't in good health. Shiftry's Attack stat is notably much better than Meganium, but what gives it a much greater advantage is its access to priority in Sucker Punch. Through this, Shiftry can compensate for its rather average Speed to deal heavy damage to faster threats that may try to revenge kill it. Electivire, Rapidash, and Swanna are fast threats that commonly run choice items to act as revenge killers, but none of them can stomach a +2 Sucker Punch after rocks, even from Darkinium Jolly Shiftry. Life Orb can be run to increase damage, but running Darkinium Z instead can keep Shiftry healthy for longer while giving it a fearsome nuke. Almost paradoxically, Shiftry is able to find more opportunities to set up than Meganium because it pressures so much of the current ZU metagame, and can quickly proceed to dismantle teams that lack good checks to Shiftry, such as Silvally-Fighting, Combusken, and Silvally-Dark.

by missangelic

Minun

Raichu @ Life Orb
Ability: Lightning Rod
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Thunderbolt
- Focus Blast
- Hidden Power Ice / Ground

Raichu is a really good Nasty Plot user in ZU (even though being outclassed by Electivire as an electric pokemon). It has a good SpeA and a decent speed , its ability allow it to come over Volt Switch and gain a speatk boost which is pretty interesting.
(it is also better in all way than plusle and minus).

by Winkata

Mothim

Quiver Dance

Butterfree @ Buginium Z
Ability: Tinted Lens
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Quiver Dance
- Bug Buzz
- Sleep Powder
- Substitute

Butterfree can take advantage of Tinted Lens and pair it more effectively with Quiver Dance than Mothim. Sleep Powder enables Butterfree to generate the free turns needed to set up Quiver Dance and actually start doing some damage. Though they have the same terrible typing defensively, rolling well on sleep turns is what differentiates Butterfree and makes it a potent, if delicate, Bug/Flying setup sweeper.

by missangelic

Choice Band

Ninjask @ Choice Band
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- U-turn
- Aerial Ace
- Leech Life
- Night Slash / Facade

Same verse as the first with Ninjask sharing the terrible Bug/Flying typing, but Ninjask specializes in the role of fast physical Bug/Flying wallbreaker much more with its incredible Speed Boost ability. With naturally high speed, Ninjask can afford to run an Adamant nature and still outspeed a good majority of the unboosted (and even boosted) metagame. Leech Life gives Ninjask a great STAB recovery move if it isn't clicking U-Turn. In comparison, Mothim suffers with its barely even mediocre speed stat, which allows Ninjask to figuratively and literally keep up better with the threats in the ZU metagame. If you've got a niche itch to use a Bug/Flying physical breaker (for some reason), Ninjask is a better fit for the role.

by missangelic

Choice Specs

Chatot @ Choice Specs
Ability: Tangled Feet
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Boomburst
- Chatter / Hidden Power Water
- Heat Wave
- U-turn

Though not Bug type nor able to take advantage of Tinted Lens, Chatot fits the bill of flimsy part Flying special Choice wallbreaker with a destructive STAB. There's little need for Tinted Lens when Boomburst hits for so much damage. Chatot can also run U-Turn, and while it can't take advantage of STAB boost on the move, Chatot is noticeably faster than Mothim, which works to its benefit when wallbreaking. Chatot's coverage for its Normal typing is also done through Heat Wave, and options like Chatter, HP Water, or HP Fighting. Mothim's inability to use a powerful Bug STAB move is what makes Chatot a much better pick as a frail special attacker that can pivot with U-Turn.

by missangelic

Octillery

Trick Room Attacker

Wishiwashi @ Life Orb
Ability: Schooling
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- U-turn
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Grass] / Hidden Power [Fire]

Really simple, Wishiwashi is just a better Octillery. It's lower speed makes it a better TR sweeper, it has WAY WAY better offensive stats, it is a pivot with U-Turn, and is also more bulky. It's coverage may not be superb compared to Octillery, but like I said, the change in offensive stats and bulk always makes Wishiwashi a better option.

by DirtyPenguin

Tank

Silvally-Water @ Water Memory
Ability: RKS System
EVs: 248 HP / 24 Def / 100 SpA / 136 Spe
Bold Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Surf / Ice Beam
- Defog
- U-turn

Silvally-Water, while hitting less hard than Octillery and having a less coverage options, has better defensive stats, Speed and utility movepool. This allows Silvally-Water to act as a better tank, with this spread Silvally-Water outspeeds Shiftry and OHKO it with U-turn after SR, and do heavy damages with Thunderbolt to every Water-types, even Mareanie and Swanna which are neutral to Octillery's Energy Ball, while maximazing Silvally-Water overall bulk and ability to take on Fire-types such as Combusken and Rapidash.

by Tuthur1

All Out Attacker

Simipour @ Life Orb
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Superpower
- Knock Off

Simipour's movepool has nothing to be envious of Octillery's one. Also Simipour while having slighly lower offense, has a far higher speed, allowing it to namely outspeed Silvally, Swanna and Leafeon. With this set Simipour can at least 2HKO with some prediction every Pokémon not nammed Silvally-Water, Pyukumuku or Mareanie (the latter doesn't come safely once Knocked Off), which makes this set a far more effective breaker than Octillery.

by Tuthur1

Persian

Anti-Lead

Marowak @ Thick Club
Ability: Rock Head
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Bonemerang
- Knock Off
- Double-Edge / Stone Edge
- Stealth Rock

Marowak is a great anti-lead since it can defeat every Steath Rock setter not nammed Cradily (Persian doesn't beat Cradily after all) and can even even OHKO Golem with Bonemerang. Also unlike Persian it has access to Stealth Rock which makes it a better lead.

by Tuthur1

Offensive Pivot

Purugly @ Silk Scarf
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Return
- Sucker Punch / Knock Off
- Fake Out
- U-turn

Poke-Garfield here has roughly the same physical movepool as Kanto Persian, but notably is slightly stronger, has access to Sucker Punch, and has an extremely useful ability in Defiant. The speed tier is roughly the same as well. Simple as that, really.

by Melons-N-Soda

Nasty Plot

Raichu @ Fightinium Z
Ability: Lightning Rod
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Thunderbolt
- Focus Blast
- Hidden Power Ice

Raichu is a much more proficient user of Nasty Plot thanks to its excellent Electric/Fighting coverage. Most specially defensive walls such as Lickilicky, Altaria, or Mareanie struggle with taking Raichu's moveset. Raichu's high speed tier but better Special Attack make it much more effective as a late-game cleaner.

by missangelic

Pachirisu

Rotom-Fan @ Iapapa Berry / Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Air Slash
- Volt Switch
- Will-O-Wisp / Pain Split
- Defog / Pain Split

Rotom-Fan is superior to Pachirisu due to not being super passive. Thanks to its good Special Attack even if not invested, Rotom is able to strike with powerful Volt Switch and Air Slash. Rotom-Fan also checks more Pokemon than Pachirisu such as Pinsir, Shiftry and Leafeon, thanks to its Flying-type and better stats. Also Rotom-Fan brings far more utility than Pachirisu thanks to its access to Will-O-Wisp, Defog and Pain Split.

by Tuthur1

Pikachu

Electivire @ Choice Band / Choice Scarf / Life Orb / Z fight
Ability: Motor Drive
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Wild Charge
- Ice Punch
- Earthquake
- Volt Switch
(or cross chop if you run the z fight set)

Well as long as Electivire exists you have no reasons to use Pikachu. Electivire just surpasse pikachu everywhere.
Better movepool. Better stats.
Where Pikachu needs to be used whit its light ball you can run a tons of Electivire set which allow it to surprise the opponent.
Whit its movepool it can manage to deal whit the most part of the meta. (depending on the mu)
Here I presented a physical based set but thanks to its good special attack you can also use move like Flamethrower (to pass over Abomasnow or Avalugg).

by Winkata

Plusle

Raichu @ Life Orb
Ability: Lightning Rod
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Thunderbolt
- Focus Blast
- Hidden Power Ice / Ground

Raichu is a really good Nasty Plot user in ZU (even though being outclassed by Electivire as an electric pokemon). It has a good SpeA and a decent speed , its ability allow it to come over Volt Switch and gain a speatk boost which is pretty interesting.
(it is also better in all way than plusle and minus).

by Winkata

Contrary Shuckle

Vigoroth @ Eviolite
Ability: Vital Spirit
EVs: 252 HP / 164 SpD / 92 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Bulk Up
- Facade
- Slack Off
- Taunt

Unlike Shell Smash Shuckle, Vigoroth can break through defensive teams after several boosts. Moreover, it isn't weak to Taunt due to its Speed and can be threatening before boosting being able to 2HKO Pokemon such as Pinsir and Floatzel. It also has access to reliable recovery in Slack Off.

by Tuthur1

Sudowoodo

Lead

Relicanth @ Custap Berry
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Head Smash
- Earthquake
- Waterfall

Ok maybe your looking for something fresh and new outside of the typical Custap Berry Golem, but if thats the case you can do better than Sudowoodo. Lead Golems will always out speed you and activate their Berries before you. Enter Relicanth. Its higher speed means your Custap Berry will activate before Golems. Waterfall gives you a 20% chance to flinch Golem, meaning your opponent has to waste his berry on Stealth Rocks or breaking your sturdy. Overall Relicanth provides far more in being a suicide lead than Sudowoodo in almost every category.

by Calucha

Choice Band

Rampardos @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Rock Slide / Head Smash
- Fire Blast
- Superpower
- Zen Headbutt

Rampardos while being super stylish is also a very good user of choice band thanks to its attack.
Superpower + Rock Slide + Zen Headbutt allow it to inflict super effective damage or neutral damage to the biggest part of the meta. Fire Blast is here to deal whit grass type which are a pain for Rampardos.

by Winkata

Rock Polish

Lycanroc-Midnight @ Lycanium Z / Life Orb
Ability: No Guard
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stone Edge
- Rock Polish
- Iron Tail
- Crunch

Lycan does everything Polish Woodo does better. It has a custom Z-Move, has better Attack and speed. Has a 100% accurate Stab Move. It can run Adamant for even more power and so on. Not to mention Lycan only needs a single Rock Polish to be faster than the whole tier, including scarf Rapidash.

by Calucha

Torkoal

Defensive

Sandslash @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Rush
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Knock Off

Sandslash is just a better spinner than Torkoal in general, due to a better defensive typing, a resitance to stealth rock, while also having acces to knock off to do something against spin blockers like Gourgeist XL and Silvally Ghost. Its defense stat, while not as high as Torkoal, is high enough to tank enough physical attacks and theatens physical attackers like Combusken and Electivire with a stab Earthquake.

by 275p

Shell Smash

Crustle @ Rockium Z
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Shell Smash
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- Knock Off

Crustle is a better shell smash sweeper due to its higher attack stat and ability to threaten pokemon like Swanna with its rock type moves. It also has a similar defense stat like Torkoal and has a slightly higher speed tier, thus outspeeding after a shell smash boost pokemon like Floatzel.

by 275p

Double Dance

Vigoroth @ Eviolite
Ability: Vital Spirit
EVs: 252 HP / 164 SpD / 92 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Bulk Up
- Facade / Return
- Slack Off
- Taunt / Substitute

So that Double Dance set is a bulky physical attacker/sweeper of sorts? Well, the closest thing to that in this tier is fellow Hoenn Pokemon Vigoroth. Vigoroth has better offensive prescence, isn't weak to Rocks, has access to Taunt screwing over stuff like Pyukumuku and Haze users that crap all over Double Dance Torkoal, has reliable recovery, and all in all is just a lot easier to use and a lot more effective than the steam turtle.

by Melons-N-Soda

Tropius

Dragon Dance

Fraxure @ Dragonium Z
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Outrage
-Stomping Tantrum
- Superpower / Poison Jab / Aqua Tail

Fraxure is surely the best dragon dance user in the current metagame thanks to a correct attack, a pretty good talent and an insane movepool which allows it to pass the biggest threat of the meta. Its dragon type is near non-resisted in the metagame due to the absence of good fairy and steel type.
Outrage is a powerful move which helps Fraxure to clean the game once steel type have been remove (most part of time Bronzor)
Stomping Tantrum may help Fraxure to kill mon like Electivire or Rapidash and especially Bronzor.
The last move depends of what you need and is mostly here in case you are facing a Mon that Fraxure can't pass whit the 2 others moves.

by Winkata

Sub Seed

Jumpluff
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Substitute
- Leech Seed
- Strength Sap
- Acrobatics

Jumpluff may have overall worse stats than tropius but it has access to a far higher speed tier than Tropius, allowing it to force more switches and having a easier time using Substitute. This better speed tiers also allows it to revenge kill Pokemon that Tropius can't such as Silvally-Fighting, Shiftry and Monferno.

by Tuthur1

Unfezant

Wallbreaker

Toucannon @ Life Orb
Ability: Skill Link
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
IVs: 29 HP
Adamant / Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- Bullet Seed
- Knock Off
- U-turn / Brick Break / Overheat

As a Flying-type wallbreaker in ZU, Toucannon is better than its fellow regional bird by a country mile. Unlike Unfezant, Toucannon's coverage is actually really good. It actually gets Brave Bird, can beat Golem via Skill Link Bullet Seed which Unfezant has no chance of doing (Steel Wing does rather paltry damage), it can remove items with Knock Off, and also has a solid Special Attack stat to utilize Overheat, which can beat Pokemon such as Mawile that Unfezant struggles against. It is slower, but it is much stronger, and much less of a dead weight against Rock and Steel-types.

by Melons-N-Soda

Z-Tailwind

May I present to you: The O.G. badass birb.

Fearow @ Flyinium Z
Ability: Sniper
Happiness: 0
EVs: 252 Atk / 156 Def / 4 SpD / 96 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Tailwind
- Drill Peck
- Drill Run
- Frustration

I've actually found that this set is a lategame cleaner almost on par with (and sometimes exceeding) Z-Me First Pinsir.

Not only do you get more than enough speed with this investment to outspeed scarfed base 95s (you could put more speed if you're concerned about scarf Rapidash/Kadabra/etc), but you also actually have more overall power than Unfezant due to guaranteed superpowered crits on your Drill Run and 50% chance of crit on your other moves. Let me show you some basic math regarding the base power of some of Fearow's moves:

Lots of Math

Drill Run: 80 Base Power * 2 (guaranteed crit due to high crit rate on the move + 2 stages from Tailwind) * 1.5 (Sniper) = 240 Base Power
240 BP * 0.95 (accuracy) = 228 Base Power. Note that this is on a move that hits all of Fearow's walls except Bronzor for Super-Effective damage and has overall excellent neutral coverage (see: Electivire EQ Spam, Golem).

Drill Peck v Aerial Ace

The math is a bit complicated, but the value of Sniper at a 50% chance to crit is actually equivalent to the power of guaranteed crits. Basic math is:

80 BP (example, assuming no STAB or anything besides 50% Sniper Crit)
80 * (0.5) - the value of not critting; 50% of the time, you will end up with 80 value
Plus
80 * 3 * 0.5 - the value of critting 50% of the time (the calculation for 3 can be confirmed with an example: 80 * 2 (crit) * 1.5 = 240. 240/80 = 3)
The result of adding these together is 160, which is the same as simply doubling the base power with a guaranteed crit.

Drill Peck: 80 BP * 1.5 STAB * 2 (the value of a 50% chance to Sniper Crit) = 240 BP
Aerial Ace: 60 BP * 1.5 STAB * 2 (guaranteed crit) = 180 BP

Return/Frustration
This is the only move where Unfezant is the same BP as Fearow due to equivalent BP.
102 BP * 1.5 * 2 = 306
102 BP * 1.5 * 2 = 306

Here are some calcs to show that the difference in BP makes up for the lower attack stat of Fearow (assuming crit) - note these are not meant to represent common switchins, just the difference in power.

Calcs

252+ Atk Sniper Fearow Drill Peck vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Eviolite Bronzor on a critical hit: 94-112 (29.5 - 35.2%)
252+ Atk Sniper Fearow Drill Run vs. 252 HP / 120+ Def Silvally-Water on a critical hit: 142-168 (36 - 42.6%)
252+ Atk Fearow Frustration vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Eviolite Bronzor on a critical hit: 80-95 (25.1 - 29.8%)

252+ Atk Unfezant Aerial Ace vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Eviolite Bronzor on a critical hit: 57-67 (17.9 - 21%)
252+ Atk Unfezant Return vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Eviolite Bronzor on a critical hit: 95-112 (29.8 - 35.2%)

As you can see, even though Unfezant is guaranteed to crit on every move, the reliability of Fearow's Drill Run crit and the value provided by Sniper give it an edge as a cleaner (specifically allowing it to bypass Golem, Mawile, and other Rock or Steel types aside from Bronzor). You're better vs Gourgeist at the expense of losing the ability to KO Bronzor with Night Slash, but Drill Run + Drill Peck provide almost perfect neutral or SE coverage vs the entire metagame which Fearow is able to outspeed after Tailwind.

by Graceclaw

Choice Scarf

Electivire @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Motor Drive
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Volt Switch
- Wild Charge
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch

If we are talking about Revenge Killers here with access to Volt-Turn, Electivire has much better type coverage and STAB than Unfezant as well as a greater Attack Stat. While Ground-Types threaten Electivire, it can pressure them with Ice Punch, whereas Unfezant is immune to Ground but doesn't provide much pressure with Ground-Types also tend to pack Rock-Type coverage moves (E.x. Golem).

by Wugus

Wailord

Floatzel @ Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 30 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Electric]
- Focus Blast

Floatzel (both LO and Specs) completely outclasses Scarf Wailord because it outputs similar damage while maintaining higher speed and versatility. Floatzel outspeeds scarf Wailord by 1 point and can switch moves with Life Orb (if you choose that over Specs)

Calcs

252 SpA Choice Specs Floatzel Hydro Pump vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Whiscash: 267-315 (73.9 - 87.2%)
252 SpA Life Orb Floatzel Hydro Pump vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Whiscash: 231-273 (63.9 - 75.6%)
252+ SpA Wailord Water Spout (150 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Whiscash: 276-325 (76.4 - 90%)
252 SpA Wailord Water Spout (150 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Whiscash: 252-297 (69.8 - 82.2%)

The above calcs assume Wailord is at 100% HP, which it almost never is (especially after rocks), and I even included a Modest Wailord calc in there to show how it's really not actually very strong.

Floatzel also has the ability to change moves with the Life Orb set and hit its switchin with a coverage option, while Wailord is forced to switch out and come back in (probably to rocks) and basically just blow up.

Tl;dr: Scarf Wailord doesn't actually hit very hard at all, and Floatzel outspeeds it and beats it in versatility.

by Graceclaw

Whiscash

Fraxure @ Eviolite
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Nature: Jolly / Adamant
- Dragon Dance
- Outrage
- Stomping Tantrum
- Low Kick / Taunt

Simply put, Fraxure has a much better ability that allows it to, for example, hit Bronzor through Levitate with Stomping Tantrum, more useful resistances (and less common weaknesses), and is much stronger overall. Fraxure also has a better speed tier compared to Whishcash, and can run Taunt as well to stallbreak. The fact that it doesn't need a Z-Move in order to hit most things in the tier neutrally is a bonus.

by Melons-N-Soda

 

[Tuthur]

Week 1:

Luxray @ Flame Orb
Ability: Guts
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Wild Charge
- Facade
- Superpower
- Ice Fang / Volt Switch

Luxray due to its high BST, its access to 2 wonderful abilities in Guts and Intimidate and its super design, is often used by beginners. However Luxray has a lot of flaws in the tier such as its mediocre Speed and lack of powerfull coverage move.

 

[Aaronboyer]

Raticate @ Flame Orb
Ability: Guts
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Facade
- Crunch / Sucker Punch
- Stomping Tantrum
- U-turn

Raticate is a much better Guts user than Luxray, reaching a higher Speed tier than it, gaining STAB on Facade, maintaining perfect neutral coverage between its Normal / Dark / Ground coverage, and having a more reliable pivoting option that cannot be blocked. These attributes allow Raticate to actually fit on offensive teams, whereas Luxray is so incredibly slow it finds difficulty doing so.

 

[Melons-N-Soda]

Electivire @ Life Orb
Ability: Motor Drive
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
IVs: 29 HP
Lonely / Hasty Nature
- Wild Charge / Thunderbolt
- Flamethrower
- Ice Punch
- Cross Chop

For one, Electivire has a much better speed tier than Luxray, allowing it to take on Pokemon such as Mr. Mime and Gabite far easier than Luxray can. And Electivire has better coverage overall. Ice Punch can't miss and still hits the same targets as Ice Fang, Cross Chop, while it can miss, doesn't leave E-Vire quite as vulnerable as a Luxray that just used Superpower, and Electivire's good Special Attack stat allows it to run Special attacking moves like Thunderbolt and Flamethrower, which notably doesn't allow it to be at the mercy of walls Luxray simply has trouble with like Gourgeist-XL. Electivire also the luxury of an Electric immunity and not having to wait a full turn to reach its max wallbreaking potential.

 

[Graceclaw]

Granbull @ Choice Band
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 200 HP / 252 Atk / 56 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Play Rough
- Earthquake
- Fire Punch / Close Combat
- Facade / Close Combat

Aaronboyer already took the best guts abuser in the tier (though I'd argue that Guts on defensive Machoke is also great, but doesn't directly compete with Luxray), I'll take the 'offtank' idea.

As the OP mentioned, Luxray has a seemingly useful ability in Intimidate, coupled with good offensive stats; this post is meant to provide an alternative to that.

Looking at stats, Luxray appears to be slightly faster and better bulk-wise and equivalent offense-wise, but there are several important things that make Granbull superior

• Typing: Luxray may have slightly better bulk, but Electric is a horrible defensive typing, especially PhysDef, since it gets bopped by all Earthquake users (notably Electivire, which Luxray can't hit with its STAB). On the flipside, Fairy is a "fair"ly good defensive typing, having very few weaknesses.
• STAB Move: While Play Rough's 90% accuracy is infuriating, it is also preferable to taking untold amounts of recoil from your primary STAB. There is no power difference between these moves, so this is the only factor. On a slow mon (both of them will almost always take a move before doing damage), this is extremely important
• Coverage: Granbull has perfect neutral coverage between Play Rough and Earthquake, which allows you to tailor the last two slots to your needs (Fire Punch for Bronzor, Close Combat for bulky Normals that you don't want to risk missing with Play Rough, Facade to turn you into a status absorber). By contrast, Luxray really only has Superpower for coverage, which isn't spammable, only hits certain things, and weakens you defensively. The elemental fangs are completely outclassed by the punches, which Granbull has access to.

tl;dr: If you're tempted to use Luxray for Intimidate, Granbull is a much better choice because of superior typing and moveset.

 

[BP]

Flex Offender (Machoke) (M) @ Eviolite
Ability: Guts
EVs: 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Close Combat
- Knock Off
- Bullet Punch
- Toxic

Aaronboyer already took the best guts abuser in the tier (though I'd argue that Guts on defensive Machoke is also great

Machoke acts a solid offensive status absorber while fulfilling some of the same roles that Luxray attempts to fill. What sets Machoke apart from Luxray is its sheer bulk thanks to Eviolite and its access to both priority and a high Base Power STAB move. Machoke's only real issue is in the Speed department, but this isn't too much of a setback thanks to its access to Bullet Punch. In addition, Guts further boosts its already substantial attack stat. I more so prefer this set over the others submitted because it has room to run Toxic which can cripple its switch-ins. This allows it to pressure physically defensive pokemon as well.

 

[Tuthur]

Voting are now open.
You can vote for one of:
Raticate
Electiviré
Granbull
Machoke

 

[BP]

Graceclaw's Granbull

 

[love chants]

Machoke

 

[85percent]

Granbull

 

[Xayah]

Electivire

 

[Graceclaw]

Raticate

 

[5gen]

Electivire

 

[Aaronboyer]

Electivire

 

[TerrickTerran]

Granbull

 

[DuoM2]

Electivire

 

[Sacrificed]

Of course ELECTIVIRE because of their similarities but other explanations were good too

 

[Rav3]

Raitcate

 

[SBPC]

Electivire

 

[Tuthur]

Results:
Raticate: 2
Electivire: 6
Granbull: 3
Machoke: 1

So the winner is Melons-N-Soda with its Electivire.

Electivire @ Life Orb
Ability: Motor Drive
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
IVs: 29 HP
Lonely / Hasty Nature
- Wild Charge / Thunderbolt
- Flamethrower
- Ice Punch
- Cross Chop

For one, Electivire has a much better speed tier than Luxray, allowing it to take on Pokemon such as Mr. Mime and Gabite far easier than Luxray can. And Electivire has better coverage overall. Ice Punch can't miss and still hits the same targets as Ice Fang, Cross Chop, while it can miss, doesn't leave E-Vire quite as vulnerable as a Luxray that just used Superpower, and Electivire's good Special Attack stat allows it to run Special attacking moves like Thunderbolt and Flamethrower, which notably doesn't allow it to be at the mercy of walls Luxray simply has trouble with like Gourgeist-XL. Electivire also the luxury of an Electric immunity and not having to wait a full turn to reach its max wallbreaking potential.

Next slate is opening asap.

 

[Tuthur]

Week 2.
In some European countries we name April Fools April fish. So here is our new slate with fish Pokemon. This time there are two Pokemon in order to get more submissions.

Whiscash @ Flyinium Z
Ability: Oblivious
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Earthquake
- Waterfall
- Bounce

Whiscash is the only fully evolved Water-Ground type in ZU, has a high bulk, and is one of the few Pokemon that have access to Dragon Dance. However it lacks support moves as well as good offense.

Wailord @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Water Veil
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Water Spout
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Electric] / Self-Destruct

Wailord looks like Kyogre and has a movepool similar to Kyogre (without Thunder). However its stats outside of HP are very poor and it has to compete with the several other Water-types in ZU.

 

[Graceclaw]

Can users submit alternatives to both for each week, or only one per week?

 

[Tuthur]

Can users submit alternatives to both for each week, or only one per week?

For both, but only one set for each.

 

[BP]

------->

Floatzel @ Fightinium Z
Ability: Water Veil
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Bulk Up
- Waterfall
- Low Kick
- Aqua Jet

Floatzel is essentially the same as the Whiscash set as it has tremendous speed and access to an attack boosting move. In addition, Float is able to pressure a lot of the metagame thanks to its ability to run both a physical and special set. To make up for Dragon Dances speed boost, Floatzel boasts one of the best speed tiers in the meta.

------->

Jesus (Swanna) @ Waterium Z
Ability: Hydration
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hurricane
- Surf
- Rain Dance
- Roost

This Swanna set is almost synonymous with the Wailord set. The only difference is Swanna has to choose between the speed boost or the Nuke. This however, does not hinder Swanna from being a better choice over Wailord. With access to one of the best flying STAB in the game, Swanna can pressure loads of teams. With access to Roost, Swanna can maintain its longevity and stay a threat throughout the match while Wailord can easily be taken advantage of once chip comes into play.