styie
Formerly known as Freedom.
Here's the thing. Landorus-I does have checks, yes. It also does have counters, yes. But if you look at it's sheer power and the decent amount of bulk it gets for something so offensive, it gets so many ample opportunities to switch-in and get a kill. And that's the problem. Literally everything it comes in, it gets a kill. Oh, you think that your AV Torn-T is here to save the day? Nope, think again. The opposing Landorus-I used Rock Slide! Tornadus-T fainted. That's gone. Hmm your regular Latias/Latios is checking it? Nope, think again. That thing will get hit harder with a knock off than then a Chuck Norris kick.I feel like people are exaggerating Lando's power even after all this time and everything has been said. Lando is a great wallbreaker and barely has switch-ins. That's true, no denying about that.
However, having no switch-ins doesn't mean broken. Remember BW Hydreigon? No switch-ins either. Why wasn't it broken?
It was easily checked by the offensive mons that ran rampant through the meta. This is the same case. Landorus' presence in the metagame forces team to not be 100% passive as they could or wished that they could, and forces them to run something with some sort of offensive pressure. Yes, Lando excels against balanced team. That's his, and many other wallbreakers, job. Also, before anyone replys "Lando just switches out on that hit" you have to remember that something switches in to take that hit, Lando mostly takes SR damage the next time it gets in AND the another hit on the switch-in as well (unless it switches in to revenge something which could be said on any mon). On the case Landorus carries Rock Polish to outspeed his offensive checks, he lacks important coverage which your balance team can and should abuse. Yes, you have to scout. Yes, your balance team is still at a disadvantage to make that scout. However, again, that's his job, and that's no different than scouting Manaphy's coverage moves or lure moves on Kyurem-Black.
For those reason, I think Landorus presence in the metagame is positive, and shouldn't be banned.
Also, the "Lando stops volt-turn teams due to typing" argument is pretty much bullshit. Besides Magnezone, ALL users of Volt Switch in ou commonly (pretty much the only one that isn't guaranteed is Zapdos) carry a move to hit Landorus for SE damage, and all of them either outspeed Landorus, or can take a hit from it (Landorus has to run max attack (lmao) to even have a chance to KO with Rosk Slide after Stealth rock) and hit Landorus back HARD. Landorus isn't switching in OR staying on none of these threats.
252 Atk Life Orb Sheer Force Landorus Rock Slide vs. 252 HP / 168+ Def Zapdos: 234-278 (60.9 - 72.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Life Orb Sheer Force Landorus Rock Slide vs. 252 HP / 168+ Def Zapdos: 257-304 (66.9 - 79.1%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
Moving on to counters, it has 2. Mega-Latias and Cresselia. Just wait until you hard switch and he doubles to pursuit Tyranitar. There goes both of your counters, gone. But hey, guess what? Lando-I wins now. Now, you're probably thinking. It loses to priority. Well, yes. But the fact he has no reason to sac it gives it many more ample opportunities to get a free switch-in and get a kill. Rinse repeat until all you lose, etc etc.
Landorus-I is the most meta defining Pokemon around. It causes so much hard teambuilding and proper structure just for some skill-less kid to throw on a ttar and call himself good. And there are so many golden opportunities you or your opponent can make to alleviate your Landorus-I's weaknesses. It has the ability to constantly evolve around the meta giving it no counters, after considering the fact they get fucked by pursuit.
I'm going to try and mix things up and state my reasonings on why or why not Landorus-I should/shouldn't be banned. Well to start things off I personally say (probably like every other person that uses this monster would say) this pokemon, is very versatile but very fun to use, if I do say so myself. Thats not the point, the point is when I look further into the metagame and focus on it's sheer power and the damage it can cause, something needs to happen.
For starters, Landorus-I is an extremely broken pokemon, it's also very meta defining and 100% restricting to a proper well thought out build. It has the ability to shape it's way around the metagame giving it no counters except for mega latias and cresselia. It's only counters are fucked by Tyranitar or other pursuit trappers and apparently because you slap those two mons on a team, you're considered good? lol no, this is poor structure with none to very little team support as it can utterly destroy and completely annihilate these teams and so called "checks" or "counters". Just like anyone else would would say and/or agree with me on, it's very easy to click "ez mode" aka rock polish and sweep. Yeah winning, or getting points is fun but you're not looking into how much of a threat this is. Just like Aegislash, this thing restricts team building and it's very unhealthy for the metagame. This monster isn't much healthier for the meta then Greninja was. When teambuilding every thought running through my head was "how do I alleviate the fact that lose to Landorus-I?" Depending on my style of play or what type of style I am building at the time I would say for hyper offense, I'll add Weavile, Mamo, or Azumarill or Balanced, I would say Assault Vest Torn-T, SpDef Zapdos, or Mega-Lati. Stall would be Cresselia or to an extreme degree, skarmory depending on it's set. That's the problem "depending on it's set". I, nor anyone else for that matter should have to run a ice Shard user, or Aqua Jet user just to beat this broken mon. As I previously stated, I mentioned the fact that I would slap on a AV Torn-T or SpDef Zapdos. As aim stated, it gets smacked by a rock slide as that move alone is rising in popularity, so that just makes it worthless. On to calm mind sets. Calm Mind sets isn't nearly as common as Rock Polish or SR sets it's still very unhealthy and in an all-in-all conclusion this thing has no true counters. In my opinion, this mon has no thinking to it, whatsoever. I personally feel that banning this monster would clear the metagame up and give us that fun and balanced or fair metagame that we have been looking for.