Metagame SV OU Metagame Discussion v4 [Volcarona Banned]

[Professor Suicune]

I'm a little buzzed so forgive my ramblings

@ Choice Scarf
Ability: Protean
Tera Type: Grass / Ghost / You tell me
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Flower Trick / Knock Off /Coverage move of choice (Leaf Storm? I dunno Low Kick figure it out)
- U-turn
- Triple Axel
- Trick

I've been reading the recent talks about Meowscarada's recent fall from grace. It's mostly about how she's simply outdone in any one area. Grassers outdue her in power and utility, Weavile is better than she is at the Ice/Knock game with better speed + priority, without a scarf her impressive speed tier falls just short of what she wants to hit without the power to do anything major.

Lots of reasonable defenders has pointed out her strengths, still a great pivot, great AF knocker, hits hard with the right item, and can make excellent use as a Scarfer (like a perfect assassin).

I think her biggest flaw is 4MSS. Everything I see kinda leads up to that. Then I thought "Trick is great, but I'm tired of Knocking Off my own effect like a goon". So then it hit me...

get rid of Knock Off like srsly.

If you still want it, I guess Flower Trick is the most expendable, but I like Flower Bombs and I'm utilizing GT. This has utility, pivoting, revenge murder and all that, all wrapped in one. If you really, really want Knock Off, just give it to something else Jesus it's a tm now it's everywhere and nowhere in OU at the same time.

tl;dr: trade Knock for Trick outright. I'm still in the very early resting phase but I'm liking the results.

EDIT: It just hit me that if you have better speed control on your team you can probably use Band instead with he same set for more power.

knock off isnt just a way to remove items, its a 97.5 bp 100% accurate stab dark move thats very hard to switch into. it can also be used reliably multiple times per game unlike trick. i agree that meow suffers from 4mss but i dont think forgoing knock is very sensible.

 

[sims796]

knock off isnt just a way to remove items, its a 97.5 bp 100% accurate stab dark move thats very hard to switch into. it can also be used reliably multiple times per game unlike trick. i agree that meow suffers from 4mss but i dont think forgoing knock is very sensible.

Hey, take your pick. It is a very powerful option for her but it's predictable, she hits hard, but not that hard, Darks are still a plenty and with Protean she still has a lof of hard hitting moves, so I find its about what you want out of it. Trick Meow is good, I shouldn't need to do any convin5of that, but if you're gonna a use Trick, I think KO is the most expendable move. It's usually a 97.5 bp move once per target as well but I'm splitting hairs.

That means relying on Triple which is scary, but can take out a Roaring Moon +1 DD, Dragapult (Focus Sash isnt in favor it seems but it does a better job than Knock), Gliscor, Riombee, etc. Rillaboom can handle Knock. I'm knot saying it's as good, but I rarely see CB Rilla without it. And Ogre also loves it.

 

[Moyashi]

arks are still a plenty and with Protean she still has a lof of hard hitting moves, so I find its about what you want out of it.

Not particularly honestly. Outside stabs+Triple Axel, Meow actually is very lacking in hard hitting moves. The next best thing is Play Rough but that's best used to amplify its stabs as coverage. Dropping Knock Off just isn't desirable.

 

[sims796]

Not particularly honestly. Outside stabs+Triple Axel, Meow actually is very lacking in hard hitting moves. The next best thing is Play Rough but that's best used to amplify its stabs as coverage. Dropping Knock Off just isn't desirable.

For what I've been using it for, U-Turn is the move I have the hardest time with ditching. With Scarf, I want to take out what I want to take.out with it. Ice for Draga, Roaring, Lando, Enamorous and dents quite a few others, so I consider it mandatory despite the game losing accuracy. Fighting for King if it's that much of an issue for my team. Play Rough for Dragons, but Ice does that better imo. Zamanzenta is Zamandonzo with Trick. I mean she has Protean she's literally nothing but STABs. And fuck stall entirely, it's literally "who do I want to fuck over the most".

Like I'm not hating on Knock. Keep it if you want a hard hitting Meow. Maybe use a different item if that's the case? But for this particular item, she kinda lacks power. Again, I'm not gonna avouch for Trick cause I shouldn't have too, but I think just focusing on what utility you want has merits. And hey, Trick + Knock Off is still a 97.5 crippling combo when it isn't used against you. If you're going to use Trick Scarf Meow, I'd say trading power for more crippling utility is worth a look.

This is still in the testing phase, I'm not claiming success or anything. Just a lot of utility I think needs exploring, and a lot of people going "mid, UU" without doing any exploring, so...

 

[SittinGamer]

Not particularly honestly. Outside stabs+Triple Axel, Meow actually is very lacking in hard hitting moves. The next best thing is Play Rough but that's best used to amplify its stabs as coverage. Dropping Knock Off just isn't desirable.

I feel like at the very least Low Kick competes more for the coverage slot than Play Rough. So many other relevant threats either are strong fairies in their own right or have coverage like Oger, while Low Kick let's you act as a Gambit lure and also chunk a lotta big heavy guys like Kyurem, Garg pre Tera, Heatran

 

[Bold School]

It's really out there, but there is the possibility of Acrobatics on Meow. Unfortunately, this requires running no item or a consumable. Meow kinda needs their item. And I hardly think getting rid of choice items would be worth it. But if you were thinking of running HDB anyways, maybe you could fit the hazard support.

Run some idiotic set like...

Meowscarada @ Normal Gem
Ability: Protean
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Quick Attack
- Acrobatics
- Low Kick
- Knock Off

Proc the Normal Gem for a surprise Adamant revenge kill and then pull out the Tera Flying Acro. Low kick hits the Steel and Rock types that get in your way. Knock Off hits everything else. Why not just run Sucker Punch? Because your mom, that's why. Yeah... There is a reason why nobody runs Acro Meow. But I feel like it's legit good coverage with Low Kick and Dark STAB. Maybe a Fling set would be better?

On a more serious note, has anyone tried Expert Belt on Meow? It could be better than Band if you run 4 attacks since you might be forced to switch out less. Grass/Dark/Ice/Fighting or maybe even a Tera would hit a lot of the meta super effectively.

 

[viivian]

running anything on meowscarada besides HDB or choice scarf just doesn't sound very good to me. having to take hazard chip (which would basically force you to run great tusk on your team) without the extra boost in speed feels hard to work with. you could definitely run expert belt but i'm not sure how big of a deal the damage boost actually is, and if that boost makes running expert belt genuinely worthwhile

 

[Rekka's Backend]

On a more serious note, has anyone tried Expert Belt on Meow? It could be better than Band if you run 4 attacks since you might be forced to switch out less. Grass/Dark/Ice/Fighting or maybe even a Tera would hit a lot of the meta super effectively.

While CB is my personal favorite, I was using this for awhile with Tera Fire Blast/Lowkick/Knock/Triple Axel. It felt like amazing coverage due to the sheer range you got, and it was honestly pretty fire. You need to be careful with water mons faster than you but long as Wake isn't around you typically can deal with a lot. Sure, fire on it might not sound the most interesting but it lets you deal with a lot of common switch in's against it ala the metal birds and Rillaboom. Which for the teams I usually use, are the most annoying piece of shits for them

 

[SittinGamer]

It's really out there, but there is the possibility of Acrobatics on Meow. Unfortunately, this requires running no item or a consumable. Meow kinda needs their item. And I hardly think getting rid of choice items would be worth it. But if you were thinking of running HDB anyways, maybe you could fit the hazard support.

Run some idiotic set like...

Meowscarada @ Normal Gem
Ability: Protean
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Quick Attack
- Acrobatics
- Low Kick
- Knock Off

Proc the Normal Gem for a surprise Adamant revenge kill and then pull out the Tera Flying Acro. Low kick hits the Steel and Rock types that get in your way. Knock Off hits everything else. Why not just run Sucker Punch? Because your mom, that's why. Yeah... There is a reason why nobody runs Acro Meow. But I feel like it's legit good coverage with Low Kick and Dark STAB. Maybe a Fling set would be better?

On a more serious note, has anyone tried Expert Belt on Meow? It could be better than Band if you run 4 attacks since you might be forced to switch out less. Grass/Dark/Ice/Fighting or maybe even a Tera would hit a lot of the meta super effectively.

Expert Belt is my preferred item, actually. Knock will force progress regardless but you can utilize its extensive coverage while not being locked or taking Life chip. Being able to Knock a Protecting Glisc and then they stay in on a OHKO Triple Axel feels very very nice

 

[Alternator]

running anything on meowscarada besides HDB or choice scarf just doesn't sound very good to me. having to take hazard chip (which would basically force you to run great tusk on your team) without the extra boost in speed feels hard to work with. you could definitely run expert belt but i'm not sure how big of a deal the damage boost actually is, and if that boost makes running expert belt genuinely worthwhile

252 Atk Expert Belt Meowscarada Flower Trick vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Dondozo on a critical hit: 240-283 (47.6 - 56.1%) -- 81.3% chance to 2HKO

252 Atk Expert Belt Protean Meowscarada U-turn vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Ogerpon-Wellspring: 283-334 (94 - 110.9%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO

Breaking Dondozo without needing a Choice Band is something, but I'd still favor the Choice Scarf overall. Retaining the favorable roll to OHKO Ogerpon-W is nice, but who's switching an Ogerpon into Meowscarada in the first place? The only safe-ish entry would be a Knock Off from the Choice Scarf set, and that's just not a good enough lure to consider.

 

[GummyRowlets]

Random Mon of the Week
Hi! I'm starting a weekly upload mini-series (while still posting my thoughts in this discussion throughout) on a random mon I will be testing on the ladder and giving my thoughts and opinions. Since this is my first one, I chose a mon I had always wanted to use. A Pokemon I always used but changed now something massive about it. IT IS:

AV Slowking-Galar
Description: In the OU metagame, Slowking-Galar is a god among men. Slowking holds together balance and even some offense together having the busted regenerator, decent typing, and most of all, chilly reception. Chilly reception is what stands out most about glowking in my opinion. Due to its slow speed, it abuses this pivoting to the best and is much better than the typical u-turn, stopping the hopes and dreams of every sun team in existence since it changes the weather. Chilly on glowking is just busted and makes it better than others more like Toxapex for example, permitting offensive threats much easier. But what if I hated happiness? What if I wanted to get rid of its best tool and instead, make it even more dam bulky? ASSAULT VEST IT IS. With AV, it's better able to 1v1 threats much more. Shadowball , , , , or all quiver in their heavy-duty boots knowing they can't win 1v1 nearly as easily. AV also doesn't just make you more bulky. Due to not needing to use all your EVs in bulk now, Glowking can now afford can go much more offensive than usual. This may seem irrelevant, but becoming more offensive punishes switch in more. No longer can , , or come in for free and destroy you nearly as easily.

With Offensive stats:
- 144+ SpA Slowking-Galar Psyshock (80 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Great Tusk: 186-222 (50 - 59.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

- 144+ SpA Slowking-Galar Flamethrower (90 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Kingambit: 202-238 (50 - 58.9%) -- 71.9% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

144+ SpA Slowking-Galar Surf (90 BP) vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Heatran: 168-198 (43.6 - 51.4%) -- 8.2% chance to 2HKO

Without:
- 0 SpA Slowking-Galar Psyshock (80 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Great Tusk: 150-176 (40.3 - 47.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

- 0 SpA Slowking-Galar Flamethrower (90 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Kingambit: 160-190 (39.6 - 47%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

- 0 SpA Slowking-Galar Surf (90 BP) vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Heatran: 136-160 (35.3 - 41.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

AV Glowkign does seem to have some promise compared to it boots variant? Does it hold up though?

My Use/ Opinions on it

Discussion: When using Glowking, I chose to build purely a balanced team with great tusk. Due to now being vulnerable to hazards, that added bulk means almost nothing if they have rocks or spikes on the field to chip you down anyway. Utilizing Tusk meant I could reduce this overall issue, and having glowking/Tusk already has some great synergy with one hating to take special hits while the other hates physical hits. When using Slowking-Galar AV, it worked out surprisingly well. I was able to tank many more attacks and be a much more consistent check to special threats. Renegn AV worked just as well as I thought it would. HO and offense teams hated mean as I laughed with glee as I destroyed every hope and dream they had of their special attackers beating me. This variant also did much better in sun than I had thought initially. Although it can't change the weather, AV still makes poor walking wake cry and makes Torkoal run away to hatterne for help. This matchup I was worried about for most was much better than I thought, which makes me happy :)

Overall Thoughts: Now having used AV, would I ever use it again? DEAR LORD NO. Although AV is better mostly into HO/ offense, chilly is a big selling part of glowking. Chilly being able to bring offensive threats on balance/ offense is a huge sell point, and losing it just sucks. Chilly allows for Glowking to not be a burden all by itself and bring in it big bad friends that deal with its typically switch-ins, like :kingkambit:, (if they're crazy), and meaning you don't even need offensive stats. AV may fit onto teams with major issues into special attacks and need a great offensive wall, but this is generally hyperspecific and boots are more consistent. I still did like AV glowking in the end and hope to revisit it one day

Voting:
I want you guys to choose my next pokemon :D
Just some things I wanna say.
1. These sets are considered to change but the main idea will remain. Meaning I may replace Ice spinner on tusk with temper flare but still keep it banded.
2. To vote each pokemon will be assigned an emote (wow, haha, sad, etc.) said right after there title with a colon. You will emote with the one you want next on the post next week. By the end of tomorrow of this time, whoever receives the most, will become a team and I will make a post like this one once again like.

- Heavy Duty Boots Utility Walking Wake
: Emote Wow

- Choice Band Break Great Tusk
: Emote Sad

- Offensive Calm Mind Kledo
: Emote Angry

Thank you for all reading this far and let me know what I can do to make this any better for next time :D.

 

[Heatranator]

Random Mon of the Week
Hi! I'm starting a weekly upload mini-series (while still posting my thoughts in this discussion throughout) on a random mon I will be testing on the ladder and giving my thoughts and opinions. Since this is my first one, I chose a mon I had always wanted to use. A Pokemon I always used but changed now something massive about it. IT IS:
View attachment 634137View attachment 634138
AV Slowking-Galar
Description: In the OU metagame, Slowking-Galar is a god among men. Slowking holds together balance and even some offense together having the busted regenerator, decent typing, and most of all, chilly reception. Chilly reception is what stands out most about glowking in my opinion. Due to its slow speed, it abuses this pivoting to the best and is much better than the typical u-turn, stopping the hopes and dreams of every sun team in existence since it changes the weather. Chilly on glowking is just busted and makes it better than others more like Toxapex for example, permitting offensive threats much easier. But what if I hated happiness? What if I wanted to get rid of its best tool and instead, make it even more dam bulky? ASSAULT VEST IT IS. With AV, it's better able to 1v1 threats much more. Shadowball , , , , or all quiver in their heavy-duty boots knowing they can't win 1v1 nearly as easily. AV also doesn't just make you more bulky. Due to not needing to use all your EVs in bulk now, Glowking can now afford can go much more offensive than usual. This may seem irrelevant, but becoming more offensive punishes switch in more. No longer can , , or come in for free and destroy you nearly as easily.

With Offensive stats:
- 144+ SpA Slowking-Galar Psyshock (80 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Great Tusk: 186-222 (50 - 59.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

- 144+ SpA Slowking-Galar Flamethrower (90 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Kingambit: 202-238 (50 - 58.9%) -- 71.9% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

144+ SpA Slowking-Galar Surf (90 BP) vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Heatran: 168-198 (43.6 - 51.4%) -- 8.2% chance to 2HKO

Without:
- 0 SpA Slowking-Galar Psyshock (80 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Great Tusk: 150-176 (40.3 - 47.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

- 0 SpA Slowking-Galar Flamethrower (90 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Kingambit: 160-190 (39.6 - 47%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

- 0 SpA Slowking-Galar Surf (90 BP) vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Heatran: 136-160 (35.3 - 41.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

AV Glowkign does seem to have some promise compared to it boots variant? Does it hold up though?

My Use/ Opinions on it

View attachment 634139
Discussion: When using Glowking, I chose to build purely a balanced team with great tusk. Due to now being vulnerable to hazards, that added bulk means almost nothing if they have rocks or spikes on the field to chip you down anyway. Utilizing Tusk meant I could reduce this overall issue, and having glowking/Tusk already has some great synergy with one hating to take special hits while the other hates physical hits. When using Slowking-Galar AV, it worked out surprisingly well. I was able to tank many more attacks and be a much more consistent check to special threats. Renegn AV worked just as well as I thought it would. HO and offense teams hated mean as I laughed with glee as I destroyed every hope and dream they had of their special attackers beating me. This variant also did much better in sun than I had thought initially. Although it can't change the weather, AV still makes poor walking wake cry and makes Torkoal run away to hatterne for help. This matchup I was worried about for most was much better than I thought, which makes me happy :)

Overall Thoughts: Now having used AV, would I ever use it again? DEAR LORD NO. Although AV is better mostly into HO/ offense, chilly is a big selling part of glowking. Chilly being able to bring offensive threats on balance/ offense is a huge sell point, and losing it just sucks. Chilly allows for Glowking to not be a burden all by itself and bring in it big bad friends that deal with its typically switch-ins, like :kingkambit:, (if they're crazy), and meaning you don't even need offensive stats. AV may fit onto teams with major issues into special attacks and need a great offensive wall, but this is generally hyperspecific and boots are more consistent. I still did like AV glowking in the end and hope to revisit it one day

Voting:
I want you guys to choose my next pokemon :D
Just some things I wanna say.
1. These sets are considered to change but the main idea will remain. Meaning I may replace Ice spinner on tusk with temper flare but still keep it banded.
2. To vote each pokemon will be assigned an emote (wow, haha, sad, etc.) said right after there title with a colon. You will emote with the one you want next on the post next week. By the end of tomorrow of this time, whoever receives the most, will become a team and I will make a post like this one once again like.

View attachment 634151
- Heavy Duty Boots Utility Walking Wake
: Emote WowView attachment 634158








View attachment 634152
- Choice Band Break Great Tusk
: Emote SadView attachment 634159







View attachment 634153
- Offensive Calm Mind Kledo
: Emote AngryView attachment 634160

Thank you for all reading this far and let me know what I can do to make this any better for next time :D.

For AV Glowking specifically, snarl is a good option on it in order to take way more hits then it should, as you take little damage from most hits.
I have also used the other sets you have shown, but I'll let you figure out how they work on your own :)

 

[DaddyBuzzwole]

Random Mon of the Week
Hi! I'm starting a weekly upload mini-series (while still posting my thoughts in this discussion throughout) on a random mon I will be testing on the ladder and giving my thoughts and opinions. Since this is my first one, I chose a mon I had always wanted to use. A Pokemon I always used but changed now something massive about it. IT IS:
View attachment 634137View attachment 634138
AV Slowking-Galar
Description: In the OU metagame, Slowking-Galar is a god among men. Slowking holds together balance and even some offense together having the busted regenerator, decent typing, and most of all, chilly reception. Chilly reception is what stands out most about glowking in my opinion. Due to its slow speed, it abuses this pivoting to the best and is much better than the typical u-turn, stopping the hopes and dreams of every sun team in existence since it changes the weather. Chilly on glowking is just busted and makes it better than others more like Toxapex for example, permitting offensive threats much easier. But what if I hated happiness? What if I wanted to get rid of its best tool and instead, make it even more dam bulky? ASSAULT VEST IT IS. With AV, it's better able to 1v1 threats much more. Shadowball , , , , or all quiver in their heavy-duty boots knowing they can't win 1v1 nearly as easily. AV also doesn't just make you more bulky. Due to not needing to use all your EVs in bulk now, Glowking can now afford can go much more offensive than usual. This may seem irrelevant, but becoming more offensive punishes switch in more. No longer can , , or come in for free and destroy you nearly as easily.

With Offensive stats:
- 144+ SpA Slowking-Galar Psyshock (80 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Great Tusk: 186-222 (50 - 59.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

- 144+ SpA Slowking-Galar Flamethrower (90 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Kingambit: 202-238 (50 - 58.9%) -- 71.9% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

144+ SpA Slowking-Galar Surf (90 BP) vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Heatran: 168-198 (43.6 - 51.4%) -- 8.2% chance to 2HKO

Without:
- 0 SpA Slowking-Galar Psyshock (80 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Great Tusk: 150-176 (40.3 - 47.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

- 0 SpA Slowking-Galar Flamethrower (90 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Kingambit: 160-190 (39.6 - 47%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

- 0 SpA Slowking-Galar Surf (90 BP) vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Heatran: 136-160 (35.3 - 41.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

AV Glowkign does seem to have some promise compared to it boots variant? Does it hold up though?

My Use/ Opinions on it

View attachment 634139
Discussion: When using Glowking, I chose to build purely a balanced team with great tusk. Due to now being vulnerable to hazards, that added bulk means almost nothing if they have rocks or spikes on the field to chip you down anyway. Utilizing Tusk meant I could reduce this overall issue, and having glowking/Tusk already has some great synergy with one hating to take special hits while the other hates physical hits. When using Slowking-Galar AV, it worked out surprisingly well. I was able to tank many more attacks and be a much more consistent check to special threats. Renegn AV worked just as well as I thought it would. HO and offense teams hated mean as I laughed with glee as I destroyed every hope and dream they had of their special attackers beating me. This variant also did much better in sun than I had thought initially. Although it can't change the weather, AV still makes poor walking wake cry and makes Torkoal run away to hatterne for help. This matchup I was worried about for most was much better than I thought, which makes me happy :)

Overall Thoughts: Now having used AV, would I ever use it again? DEAR LORD NO. Although AV is better mostly into HO/ offense, chilly is a big selling part of glowking. Chilly being able to bring offensive threats on balance/ offense is a huge sell point, and losing it just sucks. Chilly allows for Glowking to not be a burden all by itself and bring in it big bad friends that deal with its typically switch-ins, like :kingkambit:, (if they're crazy), and meaning you don't even need offensive stats. AV may fit onto teams with major issues into special attacks and need a great offensive wall, but this is generally hyperspecific and boots are more consistent. I still did like AV glowking in the end and hope to revisit it one day

Voting:
I want you guys to choose my next pokemon :D
Just some things I wanna say.
1. These sets are considered to change but the main idea will remain. Meaning I may replace Ice spinner on tusk with temper flare but still keep it banded.
2. To vote each pokemon will be assigned an emote (wow, haha, sad, etc.) said right after there title with a colon. You will emote with the one you want next on the post next week. By the end of tomorrow of this time, whoever receives the most, will become a team and I will make a post like this one once again like.

View attachment 634151
- Heavy Duty Boots Utility Walking Wake
: Emote WowView attachment 634158








View attachment 634152
- Choice Band Break Great Tusk
: Emote SadView attachment 634159







View attachment 634153
- Offensive Calm Mind Kledo
: Emote AngryView attachment 634160

Thank you for all reading this far and let me know what I can do to make this any better for next time :D.

i'm angry-reacting this both because i want to see keldeo and because i'm angry that you created a voting format that makes it impossible to express my true appreciation of the post with a love react

 

[RS25802580]

Society if Meowscarada got Swords Dance

So this isn’t just a meme… has anyone tried using Hone Claws Meowscarada?

 

[Rekka's Backend]

So this isn’t just a meme… has anyone tried using Hone Claws Meowscarada?

Actually no. But having seen this I will build a team around it and report back later.

 

[RS25802580]

Actually no. But having seen this I will build a team around it and report back later.

The more I think about it the more I think it might work.

Something like
@ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Overgrow
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Hone Claws
- Flower Trick
- Triple Axel / Knock Off
- Tera Blast / Low Kick

Or

@ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Protean
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Hone Claws
- Knock Off
- Triple Axel
- Tera Blast / Low Kick

Triple Axel has nice synergy with Hone Claws since it becomes a 120 BP move with no drawbacks after the accuracy buff.

Tera Blast Fire seems ideal to hit Gambit and the Iron Birds in one slot. The Fire typing also gives a surprise burn immunity and Ice/Fairy/U-turn resist.

Protean will turn you to a pure Dark Type after a Hone Claws, so it’s best paired with Knock Off. Alternatively, Flower Trick pairs with Overgrow and helps muscle through fat waters like Dondozo. The Flower Trick set might be better since beating Dozo gives you a niche over other fast physical sweepers like Weavile.

I think the value in this set is that it’s unexpected. Once you reveal Hone Claws, you bait in revenge killers like Weavile and Booster Valiant. Then you Tera Fire and bop them.

Unfortunately, the damage output does fall a little short even after a boost, so multiple layers of hazards are appreciated:
+1 252 Atk Meowscarada Flower Trick vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Iron Valiant on a critical hit: 252-297 (86.8 - 102.4%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

I also see Zama giving this set some trouble, so Moltres might be a good teammate to check it. Once Zama is burned, Meow can win the 1v1 with Tera and Flower Trick.

Overall, I think it’s a good concept that’s worth exploring.

 

[Rekka's Backend]

Overall, I think it’s a good concept that’s worth exploring.

The Protean set is actually the one I ended up using! Tera Fire included, it worked impressively strong and due to the nature of its STABS nothing really felt like it *wanted* to come in on Tera Fire/Grass/Dark/Ice. Need to plan around it team wise but was wayyy more impressive to me... The Birds and Gambit are the biggest walls for me usually, but the extra power from Hone Claws is great.

Biggest thing is going I think Flower Trick/TB-F/Knock though. Threatening Tusk and Dozo is a big deal, as after you reveal Tera Fire they are either close to follow or will be looking for a snipe opportunity. I paired it with Zapdos for switchin's and Para chance, felt pretty good. The biggest thing is surprise factor, as Gambits come in cocky and so do Weavil's. Then by the time they reveal whats going on they try to bring in Tusk--But eating a flower Trick either deals enough to massively chip it or borderline OHK's. I was able to get two Hone Claws off during one match after they tried to Wisp and it felt downright vicious.

I'll need to tinker with this more, way more open than CB and the lack of LO chip or similar is huge. Need to experiment with Triple Axel more but I think its mostly a blind team building thing I didn't feel it working right for me just yet.

EDIT: I'm writing this on very little sleep but Samu-H and Lando were my hazard duo for this. The unique mixture of defensive and offensive profiles meant suddenly throwing up Tera-F put a huge screw in peoples teams.

 

[sims796]

The Protean set is actually the one I ended up using! Tera Fire included, it worked impressively strong and due to the nature of its STABS nothing really felt like it *wanted* to come in on Tera Fire/Grass/Dark/Ice. Need to plan around it team wise but was wayyy more impressive to me... The Birds and Gambit are the biggest walls for me usually, but the extra power from Hone Claws is great.

Biggest thing is going I think Flower Trick/TB-F/Knock though. Threatening Tusk and Dozo is a big deal, as after you reveal Tera Fire they are either close to follow or will be looking for a snipe opportunity. I paired it with Zapdos for switchin's and Para chance, felt pretty good. The biggest thing is surprise factor, as Gambits come in cocky and so do Weavil's. Then by the time they reveal whats going on they try to bring in Tusk--But eating a flower Trick either deals enough to massively chip it or borderline OHK's. I was able to get two Hone Claws off during one match after they tried to Wisp and it felt downright vicious.

I'll need to tinker with this more, way more open than CB and the lack of LO chip or similar is huge. Need to experiment with Triple Axel more but I think its mostly a blind team building thing I didn't feel it working right for me just yet.

EDIT: I'm writing this on very little sleep but Samu-H and Lando were my hazard duo for this. The unique mixture of defensive and offensive profiles meant suddenly throwing up Tera-F put a huge screw in peoples teams.

I am very interested in seeing the team that you used to support this, even if it is a tester.

 

[RS25802580]

The Protean set is actually the one I ended up using! Tera Fire included, it worked impressively strong and due to the nature of its STABS nothing really felt like it *wanted* to come in on Tera Fire/Grass/Dark/Ice. Need to plan around it team wise but was wayyy more impressive to me... The Birds and Gambit are the biggest walls for me usually, but the extra power from Hone Claws is great.

Biggest thing is going I think Flower Trick/TB-F/Knock though. Threatening Tusk and Dozo is a big deal, as after you reveal Tera Fire they are either close to follow or will be looking for a snipe opportunity. I paired it with Zapdos for switchin's and Para chance, felt pretty good. The biggest thing is surprise factor, as Gambits come in cocky and so do Weavil's. Then by the time they reveal whats going on they try to bring in Tusk--But eating a flower Trick either deals enough to massively chip it or borderline OHK's. I was able to get two Hone Claws off during one match after they tried to Wisp and it felt downright vicious.

I'll need to tinker with this more, way more open than CB and the lack of LO chip or similar is huge. Need to experiment with Triple Axel more but I think its mostly a blind team building thing I didn't feel it working right for me just yet.

EDIT: I'm writing this on very little sleep but Samu-H and Lando were my hazard duo for this. The unique mixture of defensive and offensive profiles meant suddenly throwing up Tera-F put a huge screw in peoples teams.

Thanks for the writeup. Glad to see Meow putting in some work!

Something worth noting is that if you’re Protean, clicking Hone Claws will cause you to lose STAB on Flower Trick (I could be wrong on this though). So I think Overgrow may be the better ability. Plus I can see many situations where the grass power boost at low HP could come in clutch.

 

[Rekka's Backend]

I am very interested in seeing the team that you used to support this, even if it is a tester.

https://pokepast.es/43779ef99a756615

This is the team I put together late last night, now of course I did this at like 5AM so you could prolly tool it more interestingly/syngeristically but for a team I slapped together on little sleep it felt like it was doing a great job of handling a lot of threats at once while also not uber losing to stall immediately. The one I'm most dubious on is Iron Crown, but I felt like I needed some Future Sight support to force out select threats due to the fact its a very physical focused team. Could prolly fit in another source of Ice attacks to force out Gilscor more consistently as well, but thats the only one that was a huge concern

Otherwise, felt very solid. I'll do a few iterations this week and see how consistent I can get it going.

Thanks for the writeup. Glad to see Meow putting in some work!

Something worth noting is that if you’re Protean, clicking Hone Claws will cause you to lose STAB on Flower Trick (I could be wrong on this though). So I think Overgrow may be the better ability. Plus I can see many situations where the grass power boost at low HP could come in clutch.

That's a very good point, I'll have to test the Overgrow side more. It felt pretty solid even with the mono-dark weakness so I was a little afraid of being outright destroyed with U-Turns I think.

 

[GummyRowlets]

Random Mon of the Week
Hi! I'm starting a weekly upload mini-series (while still posting my thoughts in this discussion throughout) on a random mon I will be testing on the ladder and giving my thoughts and opinions. Since this is my first one, I chose a mon I had always wanted to use. A Pokemon I always used but changed now something massive about it. IT IS:
View attachment 634137View attachment 634138
AV Slowking-Galar
Description: In the OU metagame, Slowking-Galar is a god among men. Slowking holds together balance and even some offense together having the busted regenerator, decent typing, and most of all, chilly reception. Chilly reception is what stands out most about glowking in my opinion. Due to its slow speed, it abuses this pivoting to the best and is much better than the typical u-turn, stopping the hopes and dreams of every sun team in existence since it changes the weather. Chilly on glowking is just busted and makes it better than others more like Toxapex for example, permitting offensive threats much easier. But what if I hated happiness? What if I wanted to get rid of its best tool and instead, make it even more dam bulky? ASSAULT VEST IT IS. With AV, it's better able to 1v1 threats much more. Shadowball , , , , or all quiver in their heavy-duty boots knowing they can't win 1v1 nearly as easily. AV also doesn't just make you more bulky. Due to not needing to use all your EVs in bulk now, Glowking can now afford can go much more offensive than usual. This may seem irrelevant, but becoming more offensive punishes switch in more. No longer can , , or come in for free and destroy you nearly as easily.

With Offensive stats:
- 144+ SpA Slowking-Galar Psyshock (80 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Great Tusk: 186-222 (50 - 59.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

- 144+ SpA Slowking-Galar Flamethrower (90 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Kingambit: 202-238 (50 - 58.9%) -- 71.9% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

144+ SpA Slowking-Galar Surf (90 BP) vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Heatran: 168-198 (43.6 - 51.4%) -- 8.2% chance to 2HKO

Without:
- 0 SpA Slowking-Galar Psyshock (80 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Great Tusk: 150-176 (40.3 - 47.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

- 0 SpA Slowking-Galar Flamethrower (90 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Kingambit: 160-190 (39.6 - 47%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

- 0 SpA Slowking-Galar Surf (90 BP) vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Heatran: 136-160 (35.3 - 41.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

AV Glowkign does seem to have some promise compared to it boots variant? Does it hold up though?

My Use/ Opinions on it

View attachment 634139
Discussion: When using Glowking, I chose to build purely a balanced team with great tusk. Due to now being vulnerable to hazards, that added bulk means almost nothing if they have rocks or spikes on the field to chip you down anyway. Utilizing Tusk meant I could reduce this overall issue, and having glowking/Tusk already has some great synergy with one hating to take special hits while the other hates physical hits. When using Slowking-Galar AV, it worked out surprisingly well. I was able to tank many more attacks and be a much more consistent check to special threats. Renegn AV worked just as well as I thought it would. HO and offense teams hated mean as I laughed with glee as I destroyed every hope and dream they had of their special attackers beating me. This variant also did much better in sun than I had thought initially. Although it can't change the weather, AV still makes poor walking wake cry and makes Torkoal run away to hatterne for help. This matchup I was worried about for most was much better than I thought, which makes me happy :)

Overall Thoughts: Now having used AV, would I ever use it again? DEAR LORD NO. Although AV is better mostly into HO/ offense, chilly is a big selling part of glowking. Chilly being able to bring offensive threats on balance/ offense is a huge sell point, and losing it just sucks. Chilly allows for Glowking to not be a burden all by itself and bring in it big bad friends that deal with its typically switch-ins, like :kingkambit:, (if they're crazy), and meaning you don't even need offensive stats. AV may fit onto teams with major issues into special attacks and need a great offensive wall, but this is generally hyperspecific and boots are more consistent. I still did like AV glowking in the end and hope to revisit it one day

Voting:
I want you guys to choose my next pokemon :D
Just some things I wanna say.
1. These sets are considered to change but the main idea will remain. Meaning I may replace Ice spinner on tusk with temper flare but still keep it banded.
2. To vote each pokemon will be assigned an emote (wow, haha, sad, etc.) said right after there title with a colon. You will emote with the one you want next on the post next week. By the end of tomorrow of this time, whoever receives the most, will become a team and I will make a post like this one once again like.

View attachment 634151
- Heavy Duty Boots Utility Walking Wake
: Emote WowView attachment 634158








View attachment 634152
- Choice Band Break Great Tusk
: Emote SadView attachment 634159







View attachment 634153
- Offensive Calm Mind Kledo
: Emote AngryView attachment 634160

Thank you for all reading this far and let me know what I can do to make this any better for next time :D.

Thank everyone who responded! Didn't know it would receive so many votes. So an issue has arisen. Walking wake and Keldo has tied so I can one of now things now
1. Flip a coin with head being walking wake and tails being keldo
2. or just do both which I don't really mind