Don't Use That, Use This: Outclassed Pokémon in OU

Introduction

Sometimes, the reason you shouldn't use a certain Pokémon isn't because it's necessarily bad, but because its job is much better done by some other Pokémon. Whether it be a better movepool, better stats, or a certain flaw one has, there are many Pokémon that simply just don't get to shine because one of the aforementioned is better used by other Pokémon. A good example of this would be how hard it is to justify using Jolteon over Raikou. Sure, Jolteon's high Speed makes it seem very appealing, but its overall low bulk makes it a bad choice, and Raikou is able to perform different roles such as being a special tank with an Assault Vest. As you may be able to tell, this article will feature various examples of Pokémon that are simply outclassed by others.

Don't Use This:

Umbreon @ Leftovers

Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Foul Play
- Wish
- Protect
- Heal Bell

Umbreon is not necessarily a bad Pokémon. Amazing 95 / 110 / 130 bulk and access to Wish and Heal Bell make it an amazing cleric, and its access to Foul Play lets it hit opposing physical attackers for good damage. Furthermore, it becomes incredibly hard to wear down with status due to Synchronize passing on status and it having the ability to heal itself with Heal Bell. However, Umbreon suffers from being able to do just about nothing in a match except for heal its teammates, and it easily becomes setup bait for a lot of sweepers due to the fact that it can't do anything but hit with Foul Play, which isn't always helpful due to the fact that sweepers such as Mega Gyarados and Azumarill either resist it or can hit Umbreon with a super effective attack. To top this all off, Umbreon's typing is very bad defensively, only resisting Dark-, Ghost-, and Psychic-type attacks and being weak to Fighting- and Bug-type attacks, and the latter even gives it a weakness to U-turn.

Instead, Use This:

Clefable @ Leftovers

Ability: Unaware
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Moonblast
- Wish
- Protect
- Heal Bell

While Clefable's relatively lower bulk may discourage you from using it over the much bulkier Umbreon, Clefable is just about everything Umbreon wishes it could be. For one, it has one of the best defensive typings in the entire game, resisting Fighting-, Dark-, and Dragon-type attacks while being weak to the very rare Steel- and Poison-type attacks, which are both horrible offensively. Furthermore, Clefable is far from being setup fodder for opposing Pokémon, as its ability Unaware ignores any stat changes that the opponent makes, meaning that no matter how many boosts the foe accumulates, they will not amount to anything with Clefable in play. Clefable, unlike Umbreon, also has a good offensive presence as well, as a STAB Moonblast coming off of a decent base 95 Special Attack means that it will be able to deal some decent damage.

Don't Use This:

Darmanitan @ Choice Scarf

Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Superpower
- U-turn
- Rock Slide

At first glance, Darmanitan seems like a huge package of qualities. Base 140 Attack, access to the combination of Flare Blitz and Sheer Force that deals huge damage, and high enough Speed to outspeed every relevant Choice Scarf user? Well, sign me up! However, while Darmanitan may pack enough firepower to OHKO whatever can't resist it, it also has multiple flaws that make it a high-risk, low-reward Pokémon. For one, Darmanitan will usually end up fainting from the heavy recoil of Flare Blitz and Stealth Rock, and it can be easily picked off of with priority. Furthermore, it is usually outperformed by other physical Fire-types due to their better stats and better sturdiness, as they generally won't kill themselves with recoil. To top it all off, Darmanitan struggles to dent bulky Water-types, which means that it usually is dead weight against bulkier teams with them.

Instead, Use This:

Victini @ Choice Scarf

Ability: Victory Star
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- V-Create
- Bolt Strike
- U-turn
- Zen Headbutt

Victini outperforms Darmanitan in literally every way possible. First off, Victini's V-Create is much more reliable than Darmanitan's Flare Blitz. While it may have a miniscule lower damage output, it does not take away up to half of Victini's health after it is used. Furthermore, Victini is able to somewhat touch Water-types with Bolt Strike, something Darmanitan can't do, as it usually is forced to use U-turn. This is also complimented by a great STAB combination, missing out on only a handful of Pokémon. On top of all of this, Victini is much bulkier and sturdier than Darmanitan, as it has solid 100 / 100 / 100 bulk and can take most neutral hits.

Don't Use This:

Steelix @ Steelixite

Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Roar
- Heavy Slam

Mega Steelix may look like a very nice choice for defensive and bulkier teams. A solid base 230 Defense stat with a solid base 95 Special Defense and a great defensive typing in Steel / Ground with a multitude of a resistances and immunities make it seem like an ideal physically based mixed tank. Access to Stealth Rock makes it a very reliable setter of the move and STAB Earthquake and full-power Heavy Slam off a base 125 Attack stat allow it to deal decent damage. Unfortunately, while Mega Steelix may have a very decent defensive typing that gives it loads of resists, Mega Steelix's typing leaves it weak to the omnipresent Water-type, and its added Ground-typing compared to mono-Steel-types gives it an unfortunate neutrality to the Ice- and Grass-type, the former being very easily encountered. To add insult to injury, while Mega Steelix can sponge many physical attacks, most super effective attacks will bring it to its knees (or middle-tail, if you're that kind of person), and it can easily be worn down due to its lack of reliable recovery. On top of this all, Mega Steelix does not hit ridiculously hard due to its unboosted and uninvested base 125 Attack stat, which means its lacking power can leave you in unfavorable positions most of the time.

Instead, Use This:

Aggron @ Aggronite

Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 16 Def / 240 SpD
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Thunder Wave
- Roar
- Heavy Slam

Mega Aggron just outright outclasses Mega Steelix. They both share the base 230 Defense stat, but Aggron has a much better base 140 Attack stat, better typing in mono-Steel, and even has Filter just to add to its enormous bulk. Mega Aggron also has access to full-power STAB Heavy Slam, and it even has enormously beneficial utility in Thunder Wave, which Mega Steelix lacks. Furthermore, Mega Aggron fits as a decent answer to physical setup sweepers in the OU tier, thanks to the fact that it does have high enough bulk to stomach most physical attacks and can utilize Filter to offset most of the damage from super effective attacks, thus making physical setup sweepers such as Mega Scizor and Mega Gyarados struggle to bypass Mega Aggron, both of which can dispose of Mega Steelix through either +2 Superpower or +1 Earthquake, respectively. Simply put, Mega Aggron completely eclipses Mega Steelix, and the only things that Mega Steelix actually has over Mega Aggron is STAB Earthquake and a marginally higher Special Defense stat, which doesn't make all the difference in the long run.

Don't Use This:

Machamp @ Assault Vest

Ability: No Guard
EVs: 172 HP / 252 Atk / 84 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dynamic Punch
- Stone Edge
- Knock Off
- Bullet Punch

Machamp's access to a completely accurate, confusion-inducing attack with a Base Power of 100 coupled with a very high Attack stat easily makes it appear to be a very powerful attacker. Furthermore, Machamp's somewhat usable bulk may make it appear that, when coupled with an Assault Vest, it turns into a bulky tank that deals decent damage with a perfectly accurate Dynamic Punch and Stone Edge. However, Machamp's good points stop there. Machamp is easily worn down as a bulky attacker due to its lack of reliable recovery and lack of access to Drain Punch. Furthermore, due to its over-reliance on No Guard to stand out, it is very susceptible to burns and being crippled. To add insult to injury, Machamp lacks Speed, and un-STAB Bullet Punch is usually weak.

Instead, Use This:

Conkeldurr @ Assault Vest

Ability: Guts
EVs: 252 Atk / 236 SpD / 20 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Drain Punch
- Knock Off
- Ice Punch
- Mach Punch

While Conkeldurr is certainly not the best Pokémon in OU, it serves as a much better alternative or outright replacement to Machamp for a number of reasons. At first glance, Conkeldurr has a significantly higher Attack stat, as well as much more concrete bulk that allows it to function much better as an Assault Vest tank. Conkeldurr does not struggle with being worn down as much as Machamp does thanks to its access to a powerful STAB Drain Punch, which lets it recovery a good portion of its health while simultaneously dealing decent damage. Furthermore, since Conkeldurr is not reliant on an ability to give it its niche, it can reliably run Guts, which discourages opposing status inducers from burning, poisoning, or paralyzing Conkeldurr, as it gives a significant boost to Conkeldurr's Attack stat, allowing it to do even more damage. Although Conkeldurr is a bit slower than Machamp, it does boast a STAB Mach Punch that can deal decent damage and allow it to somewhat remedy its poor Speed. Apart from being an Assault Vest tank, Conkeldurr can also outclass Machamp in being an offensive physical attacker due to it having the combination of Sheer Force + Life Orb, which boosts a good portion of its moves such as Ice Punch and Poison Jab, an ability Machamp lacks.

Don't Use This:

Vaporeon @ Leftovers

Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 200 HP / 252 Def / 56 SpD
Calm Nature
- Wish
- Protect
- Scald
- Toxic

Vaporeon has several good traits that, in past generations, allowed it to hold its own as a bulky WishPasser. Very high HP in tandem with respectable Defense and Special Defense stats are definitely ideal stats for a WishPasser, and a great defensive typing in Water leaving it with only 2 weaknesses (one of them being horrible offensively while the other can easily be handled with Ground-types who work well with Vaporeon) topped with an immunity to Water-type attacks make it a very sturdy Pokémon. Furthermore, Vaporeon also happens to have a high Special Attack stat, which lets it hit hard with STAB Scald. At the end of it all, Vaporeon is not a horrible Pokémon by any means,—it just finds itself outclassed by a certain Pokémon, seen below.

Instead, Use This:

Alomomola @ Leftovers

Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 32 HP / 224 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Wish
- Protect
- Scald
- Toxic / Knock Off

Alomomola is simply a better Vaporeon without a Water-type immunity. While Alomomola has a higher Defense stat and a significantly lower Special Defense stat, Alomomola has a ridiculously higher HP stat that is one of the highest in all Pokémon. Because of this, Alomomola can pass much bigger Wishes to teammates. A much higher HP stat than Vaporeon actually allows Alomomola to have much larger overall bulk, sponging certain attacks much better than Vaporeon. Furthermore, in trade of a Water-type immunity, Alomomola has a much better ability in Regenerator, which allows it to not only function as a WishPasser, but as a reliable pivot, as it regains a third of its health simply by switching out. To top this all off, Alomomola has access to the coveted Knock Off, which allows it to provide some decent utility other than passing Wishes.

Don't Use This:

Nidoking @ Life Orb

Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Earth Power
- Sludge Wave
- Fire Blast
- Ice Beam

Nidoking is easily one of the most seen Pokémon on the lower ladder and is one of the most commonly used Pokémon by less experienced players. Nidoking can actually be a functional wallbreaker thanks to its decent Special Attack, wide movepool, and most importantly its access to the coveted Sheer Force + Life Orb combination, which allows it to deal ridiculous damage at times. Unfortunately, Nidoking has an underwhelming Speed stat without having access to any way of boosting it, letting it be outsped by the very fast-paced OU metagame. Because of this, it can be very easy to exploit Nidoking's many weaknesses to Ground-, Psychic-, Water-, and Ice-type attacks, all of which are commonly found in the OU metagame. To top this off, Nidoking struggles to beat Chansey as a wallbreaker, which means it can be stalled out against stall teams. Aside from the fact that Nidoking has these notable flaws, it is completely outclassed by the Pokémon below, which makes it an absolutely useless Pokémon to put on teams.

Instead, Use This:

Landorus @ Life Orb

Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Earth Power
- Knock Off / Sludge Wave
- Focus Blast
- Psychic

Landorus literally is better than Nidoking in everything—stats, typing, and movepool. Landorus, one of the best Pokémon in the entire metagame, has a much higher Speed stat and Special Attack stat, allowing it to not only function against slower teams, but well against balanced teams while being able to score many more OHKOs than Nidoking due to its significantly higher damage output; STAB Sheer Force Life Orb-boosted Earth Power blatantly OHKOes anything that does not resist it or is not heavily invested. Furthermore, Landorus can beat Chansey due to its access to Knock Off and Focus Blast, which finish it off with ease. Aside from all of the above, Landorus can also potentially do well against any type of archetype or playstyle depending on its set; Rock Polish cleans offense and Calm Mind destroys stall, and Nidoking lacks both of these moves.

Conclusion

Undeniably, these are all mistakes and faulty Pokémon that newer players use when starting OU, and at some point or another, you may have been one of these players or have seen another player using these lackluster and outclassed Pokémon. In the end, this article may have helped you understand why certain Pokémon are just not worth it.

« Previous Article

Home