I gotta agree with Incineroar being a usable mon. Down in UU it’s considered one of the most splashable mons for any team and it’s a ridiculously good intimidate pivot. Up here, it gives a lot of teams a hard time because it can switch into an attack and pressure the opponent into either having their item knocked off or becoming weaker with Parting Shot. In this meta it actually checks a lot of mons on the special side. Spectrier is a huge one obviously. Gives rillaboom a really hard time with intimidate and can do a ton with Flare Blitz or pivot out again. Blacephelon isn’t the most common mon atm but hates seeing this thing. Dragapult can somewhat dent it but also OHKOed with knock off. It’s really got a lot of utility in one slot and I can totally see myself sneaking it on to a team or two. It’s bulky as shit and intimidate is one of the best ability in the games, even if you’re not checking everything you can use it as a last ditch effort to switch in and lower another mon’s attack.
Sample set:
Incineroar @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP / 200 SpD / 60 Spe
Careful Nature
- Knock Off
- Flare Blitz
- Parting Shot
- Toxic
Pretty fun and easy set to use. A really cool thing about Incineroar is that it’s main STAB, Knock Off, has great utility and actually still hits pretty hard simultaneously, almost to the point where it’s annoying for really any mon to switch into this thing. I also really like Parting Shot on this thing - if you’re running it on more offensive builds, it opens up SO many opportunities for a breaker to come in and wreck havoc or if it’s later in the game for a setup sweeper to start setting up. In terms of actually using it, Id think about using it just like you would Lando-T - switching into mons that really don’t want to deal with it or don’t want their attack lowered. Spam Knock Off as much as you can, like I said with STAB it does respectable damage and removing items is a huge key to winning really any game. If your opponent has a mon like Spectrier sitting in the back don’t give this thing up too early because it has no recovery and really makes spectriers life hard. The speed EVs creep corvi btw. Overall a fun set that does so much in one slot.
Incine has huge competition from the aforementioned Lando-T and understandably - lando-t has rocks, STAB EQ, a better offensive presence, and also intimidate. When it comes to trying to justify using incineroar you really primarily need to be evaluating your weakness to spectrier aegi etc. as well as smaller things like emergency checking Kyu-B and dragapult. It’s a situational niche mon, but it can definitely be plugged in sometimes for Lando-T and be a solid pivot.
Incine also obviously has fantastic synergy with the Pex, as pex can switch into its fighting/water weaknesses and incine can pivot back in for psychic attacks (although they do share a ground weakness). The only real issue I have with it is no recovery is really annoying so you have to pair it with like teleport clef or something, which can make your team a little stally if you’re running Pex too. But overall a niche, usable mon in this metagame where offensive pokemon are running rampant.
Sample set:
Incineroar @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP / 200 SpD / 60 Spe
Careful Nature
- Knock Off
- Flare Blitz
- Parting Shot
- Toxic
Pretty fun and easy set to use. A really cool thing about Incineroar is that it’s main STAB, Knock Off, has great utility and actually still hits pretty hard simultaneously, almost to the point where it’s annoying for really any mon to switch into this thing. I also really like Parting Shot on this thing - if you’re running it on more offensive builds, it opens up SO many opportunities for a breaker to come in and wreck havoc or if it’s later in the game for a setup sweeper to start setting up. In terms of actually using it, Id think about using it just like you would Lando-T - switching into mons that really don’t want to deal with it or don’t want their attack lowered. Spam Knock Off as much as you can, like I said with STAB it does respectable damage and removing items is a huge key to winning really any game. If your opponent has a mon like Spectrier sitting in the back don’t give this thing up too early because it has no recovery and really makes spectriers life hard. The speed EVs creep corvi btw. Overall a fun set that does so much in one slot.
Incine has huge competition from the aforementioned Lando-T and understandably - lando-t has rocks, STAB EQ, a better offensive presence, and also intimidate. When it comes to trying to justify using incineroar you really primarily need to be evaluating your weakness to spectrier aegi etc. as well as smaller things like emergency checking Kyu-B and dragapult. It’s a situational niche mon, but it can definitely be plugged in sometimes for Lando-T and be a solid pivot.
Incine also obviously has fantastic synergy with the Pex, as pex can switch into its fighting/water weaknesses and incine can pivot back in for psychic attacks (although they do share a ground weakness). The only real issue I have with it is no recovery is really annoying so you have to pair it with like teleport clef or something, which can make your team a little stally if you’re running Pex too. But overall a niche, usable mon in this metagame where offensive pokemon are running rampant.
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is genuinely worth discussion right now, considering that it's actually got quite a few upsides in this meta?
This thing dies to one uninvested Spirit Break, Wicked Blow is super resisted, and CC doesn't ever OHKO, nor 2HKO (lets say you click Prankster Reflect) on a physically invested Grimm. Iron Head hurts, but that never stopped Clef, and also doesn't OHKO. I would not suggest ever making this your primary shifu switch-in or anything, but its definitely not bad at it, and will indeed force the mon out while never dying to Wicked Blow + Coverage move, so I thought it's worth mentioning. What I really wanted to get at was...
This thing hates snarl. Prankster taunt invalidates all its set mixes cept' specs. Burning snarl on the switch also isn't a big deal, since Spirit Break will still -1 your Spec and chip it even if its not hitting at full, and can do that more than once throughout the game, and its not like they can just hide behind a sub not to deal with that, either. Dark Pulse means nothing here as well, and we don't even need to talk about Disable, since Grimm gets to simply choose whether or not to deal with that junk by clicking Taunt. What this also means is that if you're using Screens Grimmsnarl, Spectrier is literally a free opening to get up screens, as you don't care about it at all, and if you feel like you do, you just click taunt first and shrug it's unboosted clicks off like nothing.
Prankster Taunt means gets a shout-out here for shutting down screens in a way most of the meta cannot. Prankster Light Screen gets a shout-out too I guess, but like in most cases you can use the same turn gaining momentum by switching into your ground type so like why? I guess if you really wanted your offensive ground mon to come in under a light screen.... anyway
If this comes in, that lets Grimmsnarl in. It has nothing to click, you're immune to both stabs, Spirit Break hurts and neuters. Gives you another free pair of screens. Clicking Spirit Break into this also limits what you allow in after it.
lost Zygarde as a check. With how potent this pokemon is, only 4mms can hold it back. SD Blaziken is brutal, and it's checks and counters fall to one of its coverage moves, depending on the choice. The only upside is its sheer fragility and survivability. Flare blitz and life orb take its toll on the walking KFC, but you have generally traded blaziken for at least 1 of your opponent's pokemon. I feel that this could get out of hand. Even the for mat's best walls would be fearing the chicken. It's best counterplay in the format are strong aqua jet users, like Azumarill and Crawdaunt. 
we all know the strength of magearna. To be fair, I don't feel its boosting set is as strong as it was during the Isle of Armour, however, it could still be a potent threat. Strong STABs paired with a fantastic defensive typing and bulk, it's extremely strong. I feel we will need to see more of this prior to any ban, but I feel it's got some brokenness, especially with one check leaving. 
is just a strong glass cannon. It excels at pivoting, and abusing weakness. It gained a new niche as a hard hitting hazard removing pivot. It's physical pool received a nice boost with triple axel and close combat, but I feel its fairly well kept in check. It might need checking as, like with Cinderace from IoA, pivots are in a fantastic spot thanks to HDB, and phero has high speed and STAB U-turn. We will have to keep an eye on it. 
is a tanky CB menace. It's bulk, for some, is too much to handle along side the offensive power it can exude. STAB double iron bash and iron fist, coupled with CB is just dirty. Add in a phenominal physical move pool, and a couple of other sets, and we have a winner for the scariest thing to stare down in the format. It does have drawbacks though: low SpDef and speed can be taken advantage of, and a lack of reliable recovery hurts the tankiness (alleviated by wish passers somewhat).
who know lost one of its checks/counters in Kyurem-B. Teravolt ignored Mulitscale and even if it didn't Icicle Spear would still defeat it. Dragonite can know run a defensive and offensive more effectively with Kyurem-B being gone.
