Idk how to put replays and teams like everyone else did (so if someone could teach me that would be great). Also sry this is a bit late but here is my research (mostly lycanroc, not much sandaconda after all)
My Research:
Week 1:
My plan this week is to use 2 somewhat standard teams and one unconventional team to test these mons usefulness for standard play and its usefulness for changing standard play.
Lycanroc
Team 1: Sand Team
Hypothesis: This team will get worn down by grass and water, but will excel if there aren’t late game Lycanroc answers
Game 1:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9pu-2046324674-hjw2k9tihd9l1lr7r0f3v3xf4mivzj2pw, Team Here:
https://pokepast.es/2c050518582b890e, Notes: (Idk why yellow) Played ok there imo for my first game. Wasn’t rly a showcase on Lycanroc, more of a fun Vespiquen game
Game 2: Changes:
https://pokepast.es/f004299b089cfaa9 Knock on Wrath, +Spdef On Rotom so that Electrode outspeeds on volt switch. Will maybe change this in case taunt. Game:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9pu-2046334821-pd5slf0ohy7my5nm61nbubx6naqp2sfpw
Game 3: Made no changes besides knock off > iron head on sandslash to beat steel types:
https://pokepast.es/8985547e3512a4a0, Game:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9pu-2046340660-bahn3ykigq333gri538iw6xgydrm3cnpw FINALLY WE WIN THESE!!!!!, I’ll analyze the others a bit later. Tricking scarf on lilli TURN 1 was so big. It really limited this demon from popping off vs my team. As you can see in the other replays grass can be a problem is vespiquen is low/goes down with 3 weaknesses to it. I forgot that bug was neutral on ground, and the crit made me feel worse but I was still confident. A Sandslash switch was easy, and while the 1 hit triple axel on the switch after rapid spin sucked the opposing Masq didn’t have stun spore so it was ok. Poli switch was easy, and the double into slash to test non-choice claw worked out as I was able to be 1v1 vs krow. Triple into knock on lanturn worked well since that was the mon I was most scared of for the roc endgame. Triple axel as a mid ground for honch as I sac slash to lantern. Storm on my part worked nice on claw as I expected lantern on a volt. I later figure out it was prob w absorb from how they play. My biggest blunder of the whole game as I allowed the tera blast rock midground to ohko vespiquen, wp on my opponents part. Click drain here bc lanturn water absorb switch is obvious. tera here to live brave bird, as I dont have accelrock since sand rush this works out the best since I can live 2 birds. I opt to switch out for lilligant endgame where it might be locked into a grass move and sack the hippo. I kill lilli and do good dmg with roc on condo. Leaf storm wins the game, if I miss I most die to edge and lose to eq, so I really needed that hit.
Game 4:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9pu-2046895167-1u15id9p9zrk2sjfvwosajzmnbv9b5hpw, lycanroc did stuff even if it doesnt look like it. While roc still wasnt the mvp in this game (game 3 rotom mow for its insane leaf storms, game 4 here was hippopotas for getting sand up and picking up kills imo), it still rly threatened the opponent team and forced certain plays that allowed it to win in the end. If it missed the 80%, poliwrath always wins with liquidation. Trick on arboliva was big for the rest of the game. While I am scared about water as said in my hypothesis, poliwrath is an answer so grass is the primary type that I am scared of. Lycanroc’s 2hko on indeedee was also nice, my opponent most likely expected choice band accelrock. So it performed much better here, would say this is lycanroc’s best game so far.
Bonus Game Bc I Forgot To Go On Alt :( but still crazy roc sweep:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9pu-2046940721-y74bg8efvznqzddo0kjgtgw94ww5ap0pw
Bonus Game 2 Bc Turn 3 Throw:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9pu-2046946563-bg0o3fgnjqk28e1ln30pghzoh0qzjjxpw
Game 5:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9pu-2046948142-1080huaop27yv9wjybuuitfo9h1huc4pw they played way better than I did not much to say
Overall, grass and water (mainly grass) were scary but my team dealt with them better than I expected. Will generally talk about Lycanroc after Team 3, but in this case being faster than everything at 2x speed did not really matter too much in my games, but it was a nice safety net to have.
Team 2: Band Late Game Accelrock
Hypothesis: Any bulky def mon can wall lycanroc
Bonus Game 1 Because Registeel Wins Easily:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9pu-2047486256-1a9g9g4ylbyup179m266h0mz0z0ffq5pw
Bonus Game 2 Because No Lycanroc:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9pu-2047487090-qv9z7p5ervbyk9jkdp1z8ew6mpfkhnnpw
Game 1:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9pu-2047487090-qv9z7p5ervbyk9jkdp1z8ew6mpfkhnnpw, Luck kinda messed me up but eh I still played kinda bad anyways, Team Here:
https://pokepast.es/c50ada78cf885d76
Game 2:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9pu-2047492681-pqr4ylb0ps0rv506za9zpklvfor4wacpw, Weird disconnect, they prob won here and I hope it wasn’t a wifi thing. They def win here with body press registeel. 2 (I would count game 2 as a loss) losses makes me not like band that much.
Game 3:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9pu-2047496979-w9kh5wsxve5kv2caf8x7bpzhsfpf3v9pw, So I def shouldve lost here but they thought I was + speed. This is why you finish your games people.
Game 4:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9pu-2047501571-l73a0j8n00xgtphxagcjxemvqvhohvlpw, Changed Team To:
https://pokepast.es/fb3580cba05030ef Finally a win I deserved. Made the opponent think I was volt absorb lanturn which helped weaken stuff for the lycanroc endgame if need be. Lycanroc accelrock was CRUCIAL for killing raichu a and making sure that glastrier had enough health to wall sceptile in the endgame.
Game 5:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9pu-2047505641-pdk5k2hc61ltvd9zlr2kbistoet0tudpw, Win here didn’t involve roc here but its kill on malamar was helpful since I was worried everything on my team was outsped after webs stayed up. Band most likely mattered for the kill.
Team 3: Scarf on PTerrain
Hypothesis: Bulky Teams With Good Dark/Bug Types Can Decimate Me
Bonus Game 1 Bc Team Not Made Well:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9pu-2047514350-hadlc5ofiok2eqnevorz680xv3bxtx5pw, Team 1:
https://pokepast.es/94701c3aa4fa3aa9
Bonus Game 2 bc main I forgot again:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9pu-2048630465, Fixed Team:
https://pokepast.es/87261dd176a7b015 Almost won but didn’t bc acro didnt do enough, wonder if stone edge wouldve won me the game tho.
Bonus Game 3 bc main I FORGOT AGAIN AHH:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9pu-2048635228 Sceptile 6-0
Game 1:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9pu-2048638213-cvbe7e5d99ut3m7fwxyxqhosklaq732pw Had the win con with the stone edge scarf being kinda big here but I missed ofc. Then my opponent forfeited for no reason again.
Bonus Game 4 Bc They Forgot How Aura Wheel Works:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9pu-2048642508-pr6bpl867vztxollp9wd8l0w3nb23e9pw
Game 2:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9pu-2048643621 dk how I won this one but scarf lycanroc is just not expected at all. It helped me win here.
Game 3:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9pu-2049397588-bkk5fc4q5c9498igp31epdyv1wsem3epw threw wrath for no reason but terrain was important here to get the kill on tera steel hitmonchan. Shouldve tricked turn 1 as well, but I thought they’d go into morpeko. Still won tho on a forfeit, but I count this game bc lycanroc was important here.
Game 4:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9pu-2049401253-nde87capdldek6iu1p0mfzs5etkvilapw so many misplays yet again and yet I still won. Shouldve been more passive with indeedee. Shouldve clicked healing wish into sceptile. And having no hazard control is another big weakness I spotted here in this game, but my team is so offensive that it doesn’t really matter.
Game 5:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9pu-2049415108-qegmwb154ngcgmgdf5nbhlrlhcyb1uqpw finally my misplays catch up to me. Not going for a 2nd sd lost me the game.
Sandaconda
Team 1: Snow AV Team With Loaded Dice Icicle Spear Lapras:
https://pokepast.es/5718b25805c4001d
Bonus Game 1 bc dumb air slash hax:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9pu-2049927006-2m6e1dzt4ssy503znls3vsnorkwjgmppw
Bonus Game 2 bc not enough sandaconda action since loaded dice lapras got a lucky sweep:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9pu-2049931624-73rn2u2jtevw1pv0mrge6ezavlgu1k0pw. Updated Team After this With Air Slash:
https://pokepast.es/8b7a9000955c6384
Game 1:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9pu-2049943724-vj1ce3axfzllvgp9zjqiewqb1eiu6tppw played really bad, opponent had better team. Not much sandaconda usage but that’s mostly my fault and not the snake’s
Game 2:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9pu-2051014319-vq3q8aaxikzlk5ogtrkmxzfp1lkmpl2pw Just played bad here. I’m guessing band medicham faced against me