First post here, and on this website too.
- Which mons do you think benefited the most from Cinderace(
) and Magearna(
) being banned? - I'll mention the more obvious answers to this question first. The metal birds - Corviknight(
), and Skarmory (
) seem to be mons that have highly benefited from the Cinderace and Magearna bans, since the threats of the insanely strong Pyro Ball and the Choice Specs powered Volt Switch from Magearna are now gone. This has allowed Corviknight to return to the metagame to reclaim its position as the premier defogger. The entry of Skarmory into the metagame has shown that Heavy Duty Boots does not make hazards completely obsolete, and Spikes can be seen putting in the work against several teams, especially when supported with Knock Off to make the opposition more prone to taking hazard damage. - Other clear winners of the bans include prominent Grass mons such as Rillaboom (
), Amoonguss(
), Tangrowth(
) and especially Ferrothorn(
). They were offensively pressured by Cinderace and had difficulty breaking down the powerful, yet bulky Magearna. Seeing these go has been a treat for the Grass types in general. - Other mons that benefited from the bans include Kyurem(
), Hatterene(
), Blissey(
), Magnezone(
), Tyranitar(
) and to some extent Volcarona (
). - One Pokemon that I feel has highly benefited from these bans, but has been a bit ignored in this discussion due to its already sky-high usage is the ever-reliable Clefable(
). Seeing Cinderace go means that it does not need to worry about being KO'd by a Gunk Shot, and it also appreciates not having to take a Choice Specs powered Flash Cannon from Magearna. On the offensive side of things, Clefable now has two less mons that resist its STAB Moonblast. This has manifested within the metagame with an increase in the usage of offensive Clef sets utilizing Calm Mind+Life Orb. Other Fairies such as Togekiss(
), and Primarina(
) appreciate these bans for similar reasons.
- I'll mention the more obvious answers to this question first. The metal birds - Corviknight(
- Which mons suffered the most from Cinderace() and Magearna() being banned?
- Rotom-Heat (
) acted as a check to both Magearna and Cinderace during their stay in OU, and has now lost that position with these bans. I feel like it's still a pretty good mon in the current metagame due to its great offensive presence against the metal birds and the upcoming Grass mons, and taking advantage of healthy mons like Blissey() with Pain Split. It's just not as good as it used to be. - Mandibuzz (
) usage has taken a hit with the bans of Cinderace and Magearna as it opened up the spots for the metal birds, that can do the task of pivoting and hazard removal much more reliably. However, I feel like Mandibuzz may still have some use in the current metagame with access to Foul Play, which can take on many Pokemon in the metagame that like to boost their Attack stat such as Rillaboom(), Dragapult(
), Azumarill(
), and some other fringe picks such as Scolipede(
) and Haxorus(
).
- Rotom-Heat (
- Among the mons that rose, do you think they will stay in OU, or do you think they will fall right back down next month?
- I can see Aegislash(
), Gengar(
), Hatterene(), Tyranitar(), Kyurem(), and Skarmory() staying in OU for the forseeable future. Each of them provides something unique, be it in the form of typing, weather control, stall breaking capabilities, hazards/hazard control or some combination of these, that would be helpful to multiple teams. - I don't see Toxtricity(
), and Necrozma(
) staying in OU for long, as these seem to fit only on (sometimes specific) HO builds. The same goes for DItto(
), which only really seems to fit on Stall teams. Knowing that most of the ladder has a hatred for stall teams, Ditto will probably go back to the depths of the lower tiers as soon as the OLT cycles end, and the ladder goes back to its usual, balance-loving self.
- I can see Aegislash(
- What mons do you believe will continue to see high usage?
- Urshifu(
), Clefable(), Corviknight(), Dragapult() and Blissey() will continue to see high usage, in my opinion.
- Urshifu(
- What mons do you believe will continue to see low/lower usage?
- Alakazam(
) seems to be a hard mon to use in the current metagame, with physical priority attacks on the rise and its abysmal physical bulk. Psychic Terrain is helpful to deal with it, but there are still options that can deal with its boosted moves and stall out the terrain. Removing Indeedee (
) from the match is not too hard either, as its bulk is pretty bad too. It's amazing speed tier and Magic Guard seems to be its saving grace as of now.
- Alakazam(
- What mons do you think are underrated and may see higher usage in the future?
- Aegislash() for providing both defensive and offensive capabilities to the team and doing what it has always been doing since the generation it was introduced. It is only going to get better this generation with the removal of Pursuit.
- Hatterene() usage has recently shot up, and for good reason. It can act as a wincon using CM, can keep other boosting special attackers such as Volcarona() in check with Mystical Fire (this also gives it an offensive option against steels), and has a recovery option in the form of Draining Kiss. It also has a useful and rare ability in the form of Magic Bounce making it an all around solid mon to use.
- Aegislash(
- What mons do you think are overrated and may see less usage in the future?
- None that immediately come to mind as of now.
- How do you feel about team building? Does it feel like there are too many things to cover, or are there certain mons that restrict building?
- Disclaimer: I do not teambuild much, so I'll be talking from a place of limited experience. It does not feel that there are too many things to cover. Most threats that can't be outright handled can usually be revenge killed with the support of a partner. Urshifu () can be restrictive in the teambuilder, but is much easier to handle in games.
- Disclaimer: I do not teambuild much, so I'll be talking from a place of limited experience. It does not feel that there are too many things to cover. Most threats that can't be outright handled can usually be revenge killed with the support of a partner. Urshifu (
- What is your favorite mon that saw increased usage this month?
- Gengar().
- Gengar(
- How do you feel about the new metagame?
- The post DLC metagame is the first Smogon (and competitive Pokemon) metagame I've ever played, so I don't really have much experience as reference. Metagame seems fine.
