then why is it in the viability list then?
even jolteon is better in OU than this pokemon, and I don't recall seeing it in viability list(it is not that good so it is not like I care).
anyway, thank you for your answers to the rest of my comment.
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Metagame SV OU Metagame Discussion v4 [Volcarona Suspect]
- Thread starter TPP
- Start date
even jolteon is better in OU than this pokemon, and I don't recall seeing it in viability list(it is not that good so it is not like I care).
anyway, thank you for your answers to the rest of my comment.
Where does the +1 SpA come from?
It got hit with Flatter, clearly. Someone was cooking with the t-wave + confuse ray team and excadrill switched in
because I like cinccino next question
we have togekiss, dragapult is cringe and not hax while togekiss is hax incarnate and contributes more to the flinch turbo playstyle
Lovely.
So set of Steel Beam, Flash Cannon,
I feel I've accessed some forbidden knowledge and my brain is about to melt
What in the 5.67 billion worlds is this, man
Now that 
has fallen off hard, I decided to take a look at how good old 
performs as a knock off spammer, and it seems to have some merit as a support mon and a rain pokemon, whether it would be assault vest or hdb it seems pretty good at spamming knock off without risking Zapdos static procs all the time. Something notable is that one of the top 5 rain teams used Tornadus-T in a tournament which is pretty notable. Knock Off + U-Turn and Regenerator will never not be good, especially with the recent fall of Zapdos and the fall of the Knock Off absorbing Waterpon and Rockpon that made it hard to justify sometimes in Teal Mask OU. Tornadus-T still has to worry about the soon to likely be banned 
, as well as 
and 
, but it can threaten knock off on a lot of other pokemon and get it's health back to keep doing it thanks to Regen.
I'm wondering if could make a comeback in this dlc meta, as assault vest and boots utility sets could be very good in this meta with less ogerpons and Zapdos and more pokemon that fear item removal throughout a game in this meta.
I also feel like people forgot what Tornadus-T did even when it got Knock off back since it was genuinely not that great of a pokemon without it, but people really sleep on the Knock Off support that Tornadus-T provides thanks to Regenerator U-Turn. Sure it may not have defog and toxic like last gen, but Knock off Regen is Tornadus-T's whole identity as a pokemon, and a very unique support pokemon with Knock off, U-Turn, Regen, and a usable offensive stat even without the moves it lost. If Tornadus-T comes back to OU, will it reach the same heights it did in gen 8? Probably not. But could Tornadus-T make a comeback within the next couple of months? Absolutely.
has fallen off hard, I decided to take a look at how good old performs as a knock off spammer, and it seems to have some merit as a support mon and a rain pokemon, whether it would be assault vest or hdb it seems pretty good at spamming knock off without risking Zapdos static procs all the time. Something notable is that one of the top 5 rain teams used Tornadus-T in a tournament which is pretty notable. Knock Off + U-Turn and Regenerator will never not be good, especially with the recent fall of Zapdos and the fall of the Knock Off absorbing Waterpon and Rockpon that made it hard to justify sometimes in Teal Mask OU. Tornadus-T still has to worry about the soon to likely be banned , as well as and , but it can threaten knock off on a lot of other pokemon and get it's health back to keep doing it thanks to Regen.I'm wondering if
could make a comeback in this dlc meta, as assault vest and boots utility sets could be very good in this meta with less ogerpons and Zapdos and more pokemon that fear item removal throughout a game in this meta. I also feel like people forgot what Tornadus-T did even when it got Knock off back since it was genuinely not that great of a pokemon without it, but people really sleep on the Knock Off support that Tornadus-T provides thanks to Regenerator U-Turn. Sure it may not have defog and toxic like last gen, but Knock off Regen is Tornadus-T's whole identity as a pokemon, and a very unique support pokemon with Knock off, U-Turn, Regen, and a usable offensive stat even without the moves it lost. If Tornadus-T comes back to OU, will it reach the same heights it did in gen 8? Probably not. But could Tornadus-T make a comeback within the next couple of months? Absolutely.
Petaya Berry
you're all missing the obvious: clearly the most likely scenario is that their own specially bulky weavile attempted to setup calm mind, only to get hit with that flash cannon from Great tusk, which got the spdef drop, then Weavile used baton pass as tusk attempts to use sleep talk anticipating that metronome hypnosis from weavile, which sends out excadrill, who then can tera steel and kill the max hp tusk! Cmon, these situations come up all the time and you're telling me NOBODY got it? Do you even play the tier?
It was just specs Calc disguised. To test if anybody plays the meta. U forgot Baton pass and hypnosis are banned. Haven't heard of specs great tusk and excadrill?
I literally saw tera bug lunge gliscor last game
I think it was something like this:
Noob's set (Gliscor) (F) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Hyper Cutter
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Bug
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Tailwind
- Lunge
- Quick Attack
Like man, they took damage from toxic! What the heck is going on here.
lore accurate gliscorI literally saw tera bug lunge gliscor last game
I think it was something like this:
Noob's set (Gliscor) (F) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Hyper Cutter
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Bug
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Tailwind
- Lunge
- Quick Attack
Like man, they took damage from toxic! What the heck is going on here.
Everything below 1300 is a lawless wasteland, where the only "usually useless" moves are the ones found in high-rated RMT.
Trying to engage the locals in a game of chicken is like trying to win a breath-holding contest against a brick wall.
I remember long time ago running into someone using Slaking and when I sent my Clefable out I was hit by a Gunk Shot. Felt like Terrakion using double kick.
but i can keep my specially defensive glis- wait a minute
However mid ladder gliscor goes harder, some guy kept preaching about double dance gliscor, and didn’t even use any bulk investment for set up
Council get this man on your teamFurret
View attachment 596551
"Despite its short limbs, Furret is very quick and agile. This allows Furret to escape even when in the arms of a human."
- Bulbapedia
"Furret deserves more than just a mere quote, so I brought it to OST and made an OU theme song representative of
Furret's destructive ferocity."
- Morkal
In the realm of battle, the creatures clash,
Furret rises from the ashes with a vicious gnash.
With its quick feet and sharp claws,
It strikes fear into the hearts of all.
With every move, Furret's domination grows,
Overwhelming Kingambit and Darkrai's darkest blows.
Furret scurries, swift like the wind,
Leaving its opponents trembling from within.
Furret's reign, unstoppable and fierce,
Its power on the battlefield, crystal clear.
In the depths of fear, its enemies quake,
Furret's victory, no one can take.
View attachment 596569 BASE STATS View attachment 596569 View attachment 596569 LEVEL 100 STAT RANGE View attachment 596569 HP:
85Defense:
64Sp. Atk:
45Sp. Def:
55Speed:
90
Abilities
Run Away, Keen Eye, Frisk (Hidden Ability)
Notable Moves
Offensive - Body Slam, Brick Break, Double Edge, Facade, Fire Punch, Focus Punch, Ice Punch, Knock Off, Last Resort, Play Rough, Quick Attack, Seed Bomb, Shadow Claw, Sucker Punch, Tera Blast, Thunder Punch, Trailblaze, U-Turn, Zen Headbutt
Utility - Agility,Baton Pass, Chilling Water, Coil, Endeavor, Protect, Rest, Sleep Talk, Substitute, Super Fang, Tidy Up, Trick
Introduction
View attachment 596580
Furret's competitive history is... well, it doesn't have much of one. Furret is an early-game Pokemon that most people generally view as more of a cute Pokemon to be looked at and adored rather than to be used in any serious competitive battle. Even down in ZU it's considered a low viability threat alongside pre-evolved Pokemon like Gloom and Vullaby. So, given that this is the the single lowest viability Pokemon I've ever worked with, why did I bring it with me to OST and why is it my second favorite Pokemon in the OU tier behind Archaludon? It's simple, Furret gained access to a swathe of incredible new tools in a metagame that thrives on Pokemon that can use those tools. In addition, its workable speed hits critical benchmarks and it provides incredible role compression to teams that need to be able to identify and disrupt threats in a way that not a single other Pokemon in the OU metagame can do. With that out of the way, let's dive into why Furret has been a fixture on a number of my OU teams.
Disclaimer: Furret cannot be carelessly placed onto a team and be expected to function effectively; Furret thrives on team compositions where its disruptive utility tactics actively benefit its partners such as Pokemon like Great Tusk, and careful teambuilding is required. I highly recommend looking through the excellent SV OU Speed Tiers thread by Mada to see exactly what benchmarks your team has difficulty with, and how Furret can help your team flow better synergistically. If you prepare properly, Furret can disrupt and potentially take two to three Pokemon out of commission in a single match (sometimes more). I'd like to give a special thanks to 1LDK alkazoth kd458 Sp0oN1oRd Nickos and Overshoc for helping me with team building, research, observations, and meta-analysis to bring Furret to life in OU.
View attachment 596593
Furret Competitive Summary
This is a "too long, didn't read" for people who want a quick summary of Furret's positive traits in OU without reading the essay-length post
- Furret occupies a heavy role compression niche in OU as a Pokemon that occupies roles of scouting, clearing hazards, utility pivot, and scarf disruptor into a single team slot thanks to its unique access to Frisk, Tidy Up, and Trick - a combination that no other Pokemon in the metagame gets, in addition to having some of the best utility moves in the game like Knock Off and U-Turn.
- Furret's newfound access to Tidy Up means that not only can it clear hazards along with boosting both its attack and speed (even after Tricking Scarf away), but it is one of the few hazard-clearing mons that Gholdengo cannot block.
- Frisk is a phenomenal ability that allows Furret to scout the opponent's moveset ahead of time by showing the item your opponent is using - this gives you an extra cushion and layer of security when making turn-by-turn decisions, especially against balance, hyper offense, and stall teams.
- Furret is the second fastest Pokemon to have access to the Frisk + Trick combination and only lags behind Munkidori; Munkidori cannot clear hazards, has a Dark + Ghost weakness instead of neutrality and immunity respectively and does not have access to Knock Off like Furret.
- Furret's base 90 speed, while being a little frustrating, allows it to reach critical benchmarks both with and without Choice Scarf. These benchmarks allow it to outpace some of the most problematic threats in the metagame like Specs Dragapult, Gholdengo, Great Tusk, Scarf Rillaboom, and more.
- Furret's ability to decide the best time when to pivot out, clear hazards, knock an opponent's item off, or steal an opponent's item is unparalleled thanks to Frisk and further allows you to cripple problematic threats such as Heavy-Duty Boots Skeledirge, Swords Dance Iron Boulder, Nasty Plot Darkrai, and more.
- Furret has great synergy with some of OU's most notable threats - in particular, Archaludon, Darkrai, Galarian Slowking, and Great Tusk have proven themselves to be Furret's most consistently reliable partners on multiple archetypes.
- Furret's Normal-typing alongside newfound access to Terastallization in conjunction with Tera Fairy allows it a surprisingly usable defensive profile that can flip matchups in a pinch - such as anything from locking in Choice Specs Draco Meteors to surviving a Close Combat while having the benefit of a very handy natural Ghost immunity.
Utility Disruptor/Hazard Control/Pivot/Scout
Multiple Role Compression
Set #1 - First Choice (Preferred)
View attachment 596617
Furret @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Frisk
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Tidy Up
- Trick
- Knock Off
- U-turn
Set #2 - Second Choice (EV Tech, Niche)
View attachment 596658
Furret @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Frisk
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 24 HP / 100 Atk / 144 Def / 240 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Tidy Up
- Trick
- Knock Off
- U-turn
Due to Furret's stats, it doesn't have a lot of wiggle room in terms of EV allotment. The majority of this analysis will revolve around Set #1 as it has proven to be the more consistent of the two sets, but I wanted to include a little tidbit here about this second variant as well due to some of its surprisingly effective defensive capabilities. The main disadvantage to this set is that you lose out on the speed tie with neutral 252 Deoxys-Speed and some of the OHKOs and 2HKOs that Furret can get at +1 in exchange for some surprising defensive utility including the ability to live a super effective 40 Atk EV Life Orb Deoxys-Speed's Superpower and have a 75% chance to OHKO in return.
40 Atk Life Orb Deoxys-Speed Superpower vs. 24 HP / 144 Def Furret: 265-312 (83.5 - 98.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
100 Atk Furret Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. -1 0 HP / 0- Def Deoxys-Speed: 230-272 (95.4 - 112.8%) -- 75% chance to OHKO
The choice of whether you value more natural power on Furret's attacks and keeping that neutral Deoxys-Speed tie or whether you value the defensive utility is up to you. I recommend Set #1, but Set #2 has put in some work for me as well albeit to more inconsistent results.
252 Atk Choice Band Dragapult Dragon Darts (2 hits) vs. 24 HP / 144 Def Furret: 272-324 (85.8 - 102.2%) -- approx. 12.5% chance to OHKO
252+ Atk Supreme Overlord 4 allies fainted Kingambit Kowtow Cleave vs. 24 HP / 144 Def Furret: 259-306 (81.7 - 96.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Great Tusk Headlong Rush vs. 24 HP / 144 Def Furret: 232-274 (73.1 - 86.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Speed + Benchmark Analysis + Utility Explanation
View attachment 596618
With 252 EVs invested and a Jolly nature, Furret reaches a solid 306 speed. This specific speed tier is just enough to scurry past a sizeable chunk of OU's pervasive mid-speed offensive/bulky threats and some semi-speedier ones as well. Additionally, with Choice Scarf, Furret blitzes to 459 speed - which speed ties neutral-natured Deoxys-Speed. So let's look at some of the OU threats that Furret outpaces both with and without its Choice Scarf so we have an idea of where Furret has room to operate.
Furret - Jolly 252 EVs - 306 Speed
Positive Nature
(284 speed at 252 EVs)
(284 speed at 252 EVs)
(302 speed at 252 EVs)
(293 speed at 252 EVs)
(298 speed at 252 EVs)
(300 speed at 252 EVs)
(295 speed at 252 EVs)
(284 speed at 252 EVs)
(295 speed at 252 EVs)
(298 speed at 252 EVs)
(295 speed at 252 EVs)
Neutral Nature
(303 speed at 252 EVs)
(281 speed at 252 EVs)
(295 speed at 252 EVs)
(281 speed at 252 EVs)
(299 speed at 252 EVs)
(299 speed at 252 EVs)
(279 speed at 252 EVs, 219 speed at 12 EVs)
(301 speed at 252 EVs)
(301 speed at 252 EVs)
(299 speed at 252 EVs)
Furret - Choice Scarf Jolly 252 EVs - 459 Speed
Positive Nature
(408 speed at 252 EVs)
(370 speed at 252 EVs)
(383 speed at 252 EVs)
(421 speed at 252 EVs)
(342 speed at 252 EVs)
(379 speed at 252 EVs)
(381 speed at 252 EVs)
(350 speed at 252 EVs)
(342 speed at 252 EVs)
(364 speed at 252 EVs)
(350 speed at 252 EVs)
(379 speed at 252 EVs)
(348 speed at 252 EVs)
(350 speed at 252 EVs)
(381 speed at 252 EVs)
(370 speed at 252 EVs)
(357 speed at 252 EVs)
(348 speed at 252 EVs)
(383 speed at 252 EVs)
(412 at 252 EVs)
Neutral Nature
(459 speed at 252 EVs)
Furret Functionality
View attachment 596640
So right, Furret hits all these benchmarks, what can it do with these benchmarks? I'm going to share a replay of the third Bo3 OST match against Ghoulish Champ (awesome matches btw dude, your switch game was fantastic and I really liked your teams!) to share a little bit of Furret's functionality with all of you, where Furret was the most effective member of my team alongside Specs Kyurem.
Furret OST - Morkal vs Ghoulish Champ
In this OST match, Furret tricked Choice Scarf onto Skeledirge, used Tidy Up to clear hazards, and then pivoted out of a predicted Gliscor switch. Later Furret was able to Trick away Rotom-Wash's Leftovers, and then Furret lived Rotom-Wash's Hydro Pump to clear hazards once again. In that one match - Furret cleared hazards twice, crippled bulky Dirge, removed Rotom-Wash's passive longevity and repeatedly scouted multiple sets. Furret put in more work than almost the entire rest of the team (including Zapdos, who was about as functional as a weightless paperweight) - what's even cooler about this whole scenario is that this is generally the bare minimum of what Furret pulls off in OU matches.
View attachment 596639
Another common scenario revolves around Furret's "item passing" as demonstrated here. Furret tricks Choice Scarf onto Glimmora locking it into Stealth Rock, the opponent switches out to Hatterene while I Tidy Up to clear the hazards + give Furret a +1 boost to its attack and speed. From there, I use Trick again to take Hatterene's Leftovers and take a Draining Kiss, gaining its now lost passive recovery - then I use Knock Off to get rid of that Focus Sash and tank a Psyshock (which would have had a damage-range chance to kill me if it were not for that newfound passive recovery). I then pivot out into Glowking on a predicted Draining Kiss and chip Hatterene down further. This is what Furret does - it fumbles multiple of your opponent's threats, clears hazards, scouts set variants, and opens up opportunities for you to switch and play the field. So that's fine and dandy, right? What else can Furret do? Let's take a look at another interaction with two setup sweepers - Volcarona and Kingambit.
View attachment 596641
Furret comes in after I kill Roaring Moon with Zapdos - my opponent brings in Volcarona and attempts to set up with Quiver Dance, so I trick Scarf onto them which results in them having to switch, I then Tidy Up to get a boost expecting a potential switch from a faster Pokemon but I'm instead met with Kingambit. In this situation, things could get dicey, so I decided to do another Trick in case of a Sucker Punch and steal Kingambit's Leftovers, crippling its longevity and ability to switch into my future hazards.
View attachment 596643
The same thing applies to Defensive/Stall cores as well in the lead meta. I lead with Furret and trick Choice Scarf onto Ting-Lu while my Furret comfortably tanks its STAB Earthquake, I then pivot out predicting a switch or another Earthquake (with it being a switch) and safely bring in Great Tusk, allowing me to immediately apply pressure to his Glowking.
This is why those previously listed speed benchmarks are so important and why Furret's base 90 speed is quite scary with Trick + Scarf. Furret outpaces almost everything unboosted while still outpacing some monstrous threats even without its Choice Scarf. You hold the ability to turn a Pokemon that was once a poor matchup for your team into fodder material or even a liability with the correct prediction. Furret's attack and damage output is scant, only reaching 376 after a +1 boost from Tidy Up - but that can be surprisingly handy in a pinch. Let's take a quick look at what Furret can do at +1 to some of OU's notable threats.
Damage Calculations
( Knock Off [+1] + U-Turn [+1] )
+1 252 Atk Furret U-turn vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Darkrai: 176-208 (62.6 - 74%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+1 252 Atk Furret Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Deoxys-Defense: 114-136 (37.5 - 44.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
+1 252 Atk Furret Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Deoxys-Speed: 242-286 (100.4 - 118.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+1 252 Atk Furret Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Dragapult: 282-332 (88.9 - 104.7%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO
+1 252 Atk Furret Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Gholdengo: 232-274 (73.6 - 86.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+1 252 Atk Furret Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 196+ Def Gholdengo: 174-206 (46 - 54.4%) -- 53.1% chance to 2HKO
+1 252 Atk Furret U-turn vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Iron Boulder: 192-228 (59.8 - 71%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+1 252 Atk Furret Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 32 HP / 0 Def Iron Crown: 222-262 (67.4 - 79.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+1 252 Atk Furret U-turn vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Meowscarada: 428-508 (146 - 173.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+1 252 Atk Furret U-turn vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Ogerpon-Wellspring: 186-220 (61.7 - 73%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+1 252 Atk Furret U-turn vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Rillaboom: 174-206 (51 - 60.4%) -- 89.1% chance to 2HKO after Grassy Terrain recovery
+1 252 Atk Furret U-turn vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Roaring Moon: 214-252 (60.9 - 71.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+1 252 Atk Furret U-turn vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Samurott-Hisui: 192-228 (59.8 - 71%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+1 252 Atk Furret U-turn vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Serperior: 168-198 (57.7 - 68%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
+1 252 Atk Furret Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 16 Def Slowking-Galar: 262-310 (66.4 - 78.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+1 252 Atk Furret U-turn vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Weavile: 228-270 (81.1 - 96%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Defensive Profile + Terastallization + Teammates
View attachment 596660
Furret very clearly isn't winning any awards for its bulk - 85 HP is nice, but a full defensive profile of 85/64/55 is lacking, to say the least. That doesn't mean that Furret can't provide a defensive backbone to your team composition. Thanks to a natural Ghost-type immunity + the ability to Terastallize into Tera Fairy (far and away the preferred Tera-type for Furret based on testing) for a handy Dark/Fighting resistance + Dragon-immunity, Furret can survive some surprisingly powerful blows with no investment. It's thanks to this inherent matchup quality that Furret can contribute to its team's bulk synergy despite its meager defensive profile by capitalizing on two (with Tera) phenomenal immunities and predicted hits. Let's take a quick look at some defensive calculations, and then we'll look at teammates who bring out the best qualities of Furret and vice versa.
Pre-Terastallization (Normal Type)
0 Def Archaludon Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Furret: 208-246 (66.8 - 79%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Def Corviknight Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Furret: 238-280 (76.5 - 90%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
160+ Def Skarmory Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Furret: 274-324 (88.1 - 104.1%) -- 25% chance to OHKO252+ SpA Archaludon Flash Cannon vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Furret: 225-265 (72.3 - 85.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
32 Atk Cinderace Pyro Ball vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Furret: 217-256 (69.7 - 82.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 Atk Corviknight Brave Bird vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Furret: 166-196 (53.3 - 63%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 Atk Dondozo Liquidation vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Furret: 132-156 (42.4 - 50.1%) -- 0.4% chance to 2HKO
76 Atk Dragapult Dragon Darts (2 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Furret: 194-230 (62.3 - 73.9%) -- approx. 2HKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Dragapult Flamethrower vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Furret: 197-232 (63.3 - 74.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Dragonite Extreme Speed vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Furret: 141-167 (45.3 - 53.6%) -- 41% chance to 2HKO
+1 252+ Atk Dragonite Extreme Speed vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Furret: 211-249 (67.8 - 80%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Enamorus Moonblast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Furret: 256-303 (82.3 - 97.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Tera Stellar Enamorus Tera Blast (100 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Furret: 216-254 (69.4 - 81.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Excadrill Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Furret: 243-286 (78.1 - 91.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 SpA Gholdengo Make It Rain vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Furret: 265-313 (85.2 - 100.6%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO
252 SpA Glimmora Earth Power vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Furret: 158-186 (50.8 - 59.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Glimmora Power Gem vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Furret: 211-249 (67.8 - 80%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 Atk Gliscor Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Furret: 148-175 (47.5 - 56.2%) -- 82.8% chance to 2HKO
+2 0 Atk Gliscor Facade (140 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Furret: 277-326 (89 - 104.8%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO
252+ Atk Gouging Fire Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Furret: 158-186 (50.8 - 59.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Gouging Fire Flare Blitz vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Furret: 283-334 (90.9 - 107.3%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO
252 Atk Great Tusk Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Furret: 237-279 (76.2 - 89.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Great Tusk Ice Spinner vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Furret: 126-149 (40.5 - 47.9%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
0 SpA Heatran Earth Power vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Furret: 130-154 (41.8 - 49.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
0 SpA Heatran Magma Storm vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Furret: 217-256 (69.7 - 82.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after trapping damage
252 Atk Iron Boulder Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Furret: 148-175 (47.5 - 56.2%) -- 84.8% chance to 2HKO
252 Atk Iron Boulder Mighty Cleave vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Furret: 211-249 (67.8 - 80%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+1 252+ SpA Iron Crown Stored Power (60 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Furret: 247-292 (79.4 - 93.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Iron Valiant Psyshock vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Furret: 119-140 (38.2 - 45%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 SpA Iron Valiant Moonblast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Furret: 237-279 (76.2 - 89.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Supreme Overlord 4 allies fainted Kingambit Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Furret: 261-307 (83.9 - 98.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Supreme Overlord 5 allies fainted Kingambit Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Furret: 279-328 (89.7 - 105.4%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO
252 Atk Kyurem Scale Shot (4 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Furret: 232-280 (74.5 - 90%) -- approx. 2HKO
252 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (4 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Furret: 232-280 (74.5 - 90%) -- approx. 2HKO
252 Atk Kyurem Icicle Spear (5 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Furret: 290-350 (93.2 - 112.5%) -- approx. 68.8% chance to OHKO
252 Atk Meowscarada Flower Trick vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Furret on a critical hit: 220-261 (70.7 - 83.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Meowscarada Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Furret: 204-240 (65.5 - 77.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Protean Meowscarada Triple Axel (40 BP) (3 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Furret: 252-300 (81 - 96.4%) -- approx. 2HKO
252+ SpA Raging Bolt Dragon Pulse vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Furret: 255-301 (81.9 - 96.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Raging Bolt Thunderbolt vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Furret: 270-318 (86.8 - 102.2%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Raging Bolt Thunderclap vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Furret: 211-249 (67.8 - 80%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Protosynthesis Roaring Moon Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Furret: 214-252 (68.8 - 81%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 SpA Rotom-Wash Hydro Pump vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Furret: 198-234 (63.6 - 75.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 SpA Rotom-Wash Volt Switch vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Furret: 127-150 (40.8 - 48.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 SpA Serperior Leaf Storm vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Furret: 237-279 (76.2 - 89.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
8 SpA Skeledirge Torch Song vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Furret: 151-178 (48.5 - 57.2%) -- 92.6% chance to 2HKO
0 SpA Slowking-Galar Future Sight vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Furret: 225-265 (72.3 - 85.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 SpA Slowking-Galar Sludge Bomb vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Furret: 169-199 (54.3 - 63.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 Atk Ting-Lu Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Furret: 169-199 (54.3 - 63.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
8 SpA Torkoal Lava Plume vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Furret in Sun: 184-217 (59.1 - 69.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 SpA Volcarona Fiery Dance vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Furret: 178-211 (57.2 - 67.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Volcarona Fiery Dance vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Furret: 216-255 (69.4 - 81.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Weavile Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Furret: 216-255 (69.4 - 81.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Weavile Triple Axel (40 BP) (3 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Furret: 270-318 (86.8 - 102.2%) -- approx. 12.5% chance to OHKO
So Furret can survive some pretty gnarly moves (aka, more switch-in opportunities if you aren't able to facilitate a switch-in with something like Glowking) right? Now let's see some calculations against Furret once it terastallizes and gains the Fairy-type, as it pulls off some impressive feats including surviving a +2 Close Combat from Iron Boulder (and having a 93.7% chance to survive a +2 Tera Fighting Close Combat from Iron Boulder as well).
Terastallized (Fairy Type)
0 Def Archaludon Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tera Fairy Furret: 52-61 (16.7 - 19.6%) -- guaranteed 6HKO
252+ Def Corviknight Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tera Fairy Furret: 59-70 (18.9 - 22.5%) -- possible 5HKO
252 SpA Darkrai Dark Pulse vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Tera Fairy Furret: 108-127 (34.7 - 40.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 SpA Darkrai Focus Blast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Tera Fairy Furret: 108-127 (34.7 - 40.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 SpA Life Orb Darkrai Dark Pulse vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Tera Fairy Furret: 140-165 (45 - 53%) -- 31.3% chance to 2HKO
252 SpA Life Orb Darkrai Focus Blast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Tera Fairy Furret: 140-165 (45 - 53%) -- 33.6% chance to 2HKO
252 SpA Life Orb Deoxys-Speed Focus Blast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Tera Fairy Furret: 110-130 (35.3 - 41.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 SpA Gholdengo Focus Blast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Tera Fairy Furret: 107-126 (34.4 - 40.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
4 Atk Great Tusk Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tera Fairy Furret: 117-138 (37.6 - 44.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
+2 4 Atk Great Tusk Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tera Fairy Furret: 234-276 (75.2 - 88.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Great Tusk Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tera Fairy Furret: 76-90 (24.4 - 28.9%) -- 99.7% chance to 4HKO
252 Atk Iron Boulder Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tera Fairy Furret: 89-105 (28.6 - 33.7%) -- 0.3% chance to 3HKO
+2 252 Atk Iron Boulder Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tera Fairy Furret: 177-209 (56.9 - 67.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 252 Atk Tera Fighting Iron Boulder Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tera Fairy Furret: 266-313 (85.5 - 100.6%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO
252 Atk Iron Valiant Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tera Fairy Furret: 141-166 (45.3 - 53.3%) -- 35.5% chance to 2HKO
+2 252 Atk Iron Valiant Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tera Fairy Furret: 282-332 (90.6 - 106.7%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO
252+ Atk Supreme Overlord 4 allies fainted Kingambit Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tera Fairy Furret: 130-153 (41.8 - 49.1%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252+ Atk Supreme Overlord 5 allies fainted Kingambit Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tera Fairy Furret: 139-164 (44.6 - 52.7%) -- 24.2% chance to 2HKO
+2 252+ Atk Supreme Overlord 4 allies fainted Kingambit Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tera Fairy Furret: 259-306 (83.2 - 98.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 252+ Atk Supreme Overlord 5 allies fainted Kingambit Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tera Fairy Furret: 278-327 (89.3 - 105.1%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO
252 Atk Meowscarada Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tera Fairy Furret: 102-120 (32.7 - 38.5%) -- 98.8% chance to 3HKO
252 Atk Sharpness Samurott-Hisui Sacred Sword vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tera Fairy Furret: 93-109 (29.9 - 35%) -- 19.2% chance to 3HKO
252 Atk Samurott-Hisui Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tera Fairy Furret: 100-118 (32.1 - 37.9%) -- 95.4% chance to 3HKO
160+ Def Skarmory Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tera Fairy Furret: 68-81 (21.8 - 26%) -- 4.9% chance to 4HKO
252 Atk Weavile Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tera Fairy Furret: 108-127 (34.7 - 40.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
+1 88 Def Zamazenta Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tera Fairy Furret: 114-134 (36.6 - 43%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
+2 88 Def Zamazenta Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tera Fairy Furret: 151-178 (48.5 - 57.2%) -- 94.1% chance to 2HKO
+3 88 Def Zamazenta Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tera Fairy Furret: 189-222 (60.7 - 71.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+4 88 Def Zamazenta Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tera Fairy Furret: 226-267 (72.6 - 85.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Furret, despite being so frail, can survive powerful hits in a pinch if it needs to. Combine this unexpected ability to take hits with the defensive utility of both Normal and Fairy-type's immunities to Dragon/Ghost and the newfound resistance to Dark and Fighting-types (the latter of which Furret can bait quite easily), and you've got a comparatively frail Pokemon with some underestimated and unexpectedly potent defensive utility.
Teammates
Glowking has proven to be far and a way the best teammate choice in OU for Furret thanks to Regenerator, fantastic bulk, and Future Sight + Chilly Reception pairing well with Furret's ability to cripple threats. The two keep the momentum going with a combination of fast and slow pivots that allow you to completely control the flow of battle at your own pace. Frisk combines fantastically with the natural scouting of Glowking's glacially slow pivots so you'll likely have a much easier time uncovering your opponent's team loop + set variants with these two.
Great Tusk has far and away proven to be Furret's second most consistent OU teammate. Not only do the two of them pair well for double hazard control, but the two most common priority moves in OU (Sucker Punch and Thunderclap) are resisted/immune respectively by Great Tusk courtesy of its fantastic Ground/Fighting defensive typing. Do I need to say more? It's Great Tusk, he's a beast.
Zamazenta's excellent bulk, speed, power, and defensive utility are fantastic - it heavily appreciates Furret's ability to lock opponents into a single move, giving it opportunities to fire off powerful banded strikes or to set up with Iron Defense or get behind a Substitute. Providing opportunities to avoid being status'd is something that Zamazenta appreciates more than most other OU Pokemon due to its critically vital speed tier.
I've found that Dragapult (Choice Specs in particular) has way more opportunities to come in thanks to the opponent's propensity to fire off Fighting-type moves at Furret, allowing you to somewhat look past Dragapult's decidedly sketchy bulk and launch powerful Draco Meteors or Shadow Balls in your opponent's direction.
If your opponent can take down your Furret after being tricked, having a Pokemon with unaware to cushion a boosted blow and capitalize on whichever move the opponent's mon is locked into is a blessing. Skeledirge ironically enough makes a great partner for Furret thanks to its synergistic typing and natural Fighting-type immunity. Clefable and Clodsire both resist Fighting-type moves as well, while Dondozo in general is just a great Unaware mon with the ability to fit on a wide variety of teams.
Conclusion
View attachment 596675
Furret is adorable, and he deserves a break from the escalator (he's been building up those muscles for years). For real though, I was honestly shocked at how much work Furret was putting into so many games in OU - I'm generally an advocate for finding a small niche for almost any Pokemon, but I didn't expect Furret's niche to function this well. The more I played with Furret, the more I realized that its unique utility and newfound surroundings have been an absolute blessing for it. I'm going to continue using Furret in the OU tier, and I hope you consider giving him a try as well. Thank you for reading.
I faced throat spray articuno while trying out a new cresselia + magnezone team), clearly this guy was a competitive player with a soft spot for articuno, shame my cress proceeded to set up on turthurs strongest solider and then shatter the entire team (including a kingambit!!111)
however the roaring spray gimmick is interesting on pokemon that aren’t mid can could be utilised on match up fish teams
for a lack of a funnier photo
Fly me to the moon (Cobalion) @ Throat Spray
Ability: Justified
Tera Type: fighting/ fairy
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Roar
- Aura Sphere
- Flash Cannon
cobalion learns roar and as the main representative of OU cobalion, i know you most certainly saw this coming
Idk the next lyric (Latias) @ Throat Spray
Ability: Levitate
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 HP / 80 SpA / 176 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Mist Ball
- Roar
- Recover
- Aura Sphere
so double dance may not be latias’s only trick, but a defensive tera type is most certainly needed on this
however the roaring spray gimmick is interesting on pokemon that aren’t mid can could be utilised on match up fish teams
for a lack of a funnier photo
Fly me to the moon (Cobalion) @ Throat Spray
Ability: Justified
Tera Type: fighting/ fairy
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Roar
- Aura Sphere
- Flash Cannon
cobalion learns roar and as the main representative of OU cobalion, i know you most certainly saw this coming
Idk the next lyric (Latias) @ Throat Spray
Ability: Levitate
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 HP / 80 SpA / 176 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Mist Ball
- Roar
- Recover
- Aura Sphere
so double dance may not be latias’s only trick, but a defensive tera type is most certainly needed on this
Today I would like to share a segment I like to call
Oops! All Dragons!
Ever since DLC2, dragons have invadedDave and Busters the OU tier. Some of them are even candidates for suspect like Gouging Fire and Roaring Moon, or in Kyurem’s case, currently being suspected. Today though I wanna look at some underrated dragons/underrated sets so others might consider flesh out their teambuilding options.
Underrated Set: Walking Wake
Walking Wake @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Scald
- Knock Off
- Draco Meteor
- Flip Turn/Roar
Walking Wake being considered good is a no brainer. It is a cornerstone of Sun teams, however I believe it is unexplored on non-Sun builds. Wake received Scald, Knock, and Flip Turn from DLC1, but never made use of those tools because of Wogre’s popularity. With Boots spam’s rise since December and Wogre no longer being the meta defining force it once was, this set has seen usage on Boots spam. It threatens the two big Knock absorbers in Skarm and Gliscor while it could 2HKO standard Clef with Tera Water Scald. Since most of its checks, Clodsire, Gking, and Blissey hate losing their Boots, Wake can make use of Spikes to break through them. The most underrated aspect though is its dual resistance to Water, making it a solid anti-Rain measure, along with its ability to check Volcarona, and Heatran. Another option I considered over Flip Turn is Roar to force Spikes damage and make it more effective as a Volc check. Yep, we’re back to Roarcune strats, but there is more.
Walking Wake @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 12 HP / 244 SpA / 252 Spe or 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hydro Steam
- Knock Off
- Draco Meteor
- Sunny Day
This set has been putting in work for me around the mid ladder. For 5 turns, you get to play Specs Wake Sun simulator. Wake under Sun is hard to switch into, now imagine trying to switch into it, and there are Spikes up. I prefer Speed Proto to clean up in the lategame, but SpA Proto is another option for the breaking power. I wouldn’t go Modest since outrunning Kyurem and Volc is more important imo. The Sun also has extra benefits like removing Rain or aiding would-be partners like Volcarona.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2043327728
(Sunny Day Wake tearing apart a Balance team)
Underrated Dragon: Hydrapple
Hydrapple @ Rocky Helmet/Heavy Duty Boots
Ability: Regenerator
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Fickle Beam
- Giga Drain/Leaf Storm
- Earth Power
This is the second time I make a post about Hydrapple, but it is still an underrated Dragon. A shame that it dropped to UU due to its competition. Hydrapple is what would happen if you took Tangrowth, gave it better special bulk, and then gifted it Nasty Plot.
When paired with Gking and Ting-Lu/Treads, they form the ultimate anti-Weather core. Hydrapple counters Barraskewda while making use of its Dual Water resistance to tank a Modest Proto Tera Water boosted Hydro Steam from Specs Wake, while Ting-Lu/Treads checks Rbolt and Archaludon. It also helps teams with other matchups like Rillaboom, Boulder, and SD Gliscor, the latter of these is very difficult for Balance structures to maneuver around. As a wallbreaker, Hydrapple has easy entry from bulky ground types like Ting-Lu and its fantastic bulk + Regen. I prefer Leaf Storm over Giga since you ensure you can OHKO Tera Water Wake, Speed Booster Tusk, Boulder, and have a shot at OHKOing Clef after a Nasty Plot. With Rain’s increased popularity, Hydrapple’s defensive value becomes more appreciated, and it will only get better once Kyurem inevitably gets banned.
[Gen 9] OU (Rating: 1653) Double Dart Pult vs. guard arc
(Vs Guard Arc)
[Gen 9] OU (Rating: 1514) Double Dart Pult vs. OUOUG MG
(Vs Balance)
Underrated Set: Raging Bolt
Raging Bolt @ Leftovers/Booster Energy
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 56 HP / 220 Def / 232 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 20 Atk / 20 SpA
- Calm Mind
- Thunderclap/Taunt
- Discharge
- Dragon Pulse
A couple people have shared this set. With Booster or under the Sun, Raging Bolt gets a defense boost, making it very difficult to one-shot after a CM, even living a Proto boosted Headlong Rush from Tusk.
252 Atk Protosynthesis Great Tusk Headlong Rush vs. 56 HP / 220+ Def Protosynthesis Raging Bolt: 312-368 (77 - 90.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
Taunt has been an option players are exploring on it lately to shut down Toxic from Gliscor, Clod, and Gking while shutting down Blissey. Unlike the other two, this set is specifically for HO and Weather, using its increased physical bulk to get up multiple CM boosts, especially with Tera.
Noivern?
Noivern @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Infiltrator/Frisk
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor/Hurricane
- Flamethrower
- Defog/Taunt/Super Fang/Whirlwind
- Roost
This one is more of a theorycraft, but Noivern has a few specific qualities that might give it a small niche. A small one mind you. Noivern is one of the few Pokemon on the game that retained Defog and it’s the only Dragon besides Altaria and Giratina that gets it. Noivern can also threaten a 2HKO vs defensive Gholdengo with Flamethrower while also having good matchups into Skarm and Ting-Lu.
252 SpA Noivern Flamethrower vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Gholdengo: 174-206 (46 - 54.4%) -- 53.1% chance to 2HKO
I’ve also noticed Noivern has access to other utility moves such as Taunt, Super Fang, and Whirlwind. With Whirlwind it becomes a temporary check to Volcarona. You might also notice that it has a couple good/decent matchups into Heatran, Rillaboom, Keldeo, Volcanion, while outspeeding every Dragon minus Dragapult. In a nutshell it is a hybrid of Dragapult and Torn-T that gets Defog.
Anyone saying that banning Kyurem would be bad for the tier, just letting you know that we have plenty of dragons to go around. Dragons like Latios, Walking Wake, and Hydrapple could easily replace Kyurem once it leaves.
Anyways, next post is the teambuilding guide. So it’ll be a while. See y’all in a few days or a week, or however long this will take.
Oops! All Dragons!
Ever since DLC2, dragons have invaded
Underrated Set: Walking Wake
Walking Wake @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Scald
- Knock Off
- Draco Meteor
- Flip Turn/Roar
Walking Wake being considered good is a no brainer. It is a cornerstone of Sun teams, however I believe it is unexplored on non-Sun builds. Wake received Scald, Knock, and Flip Turn from DLC1, but never made use of those tools because of Wogre’s popularity. With Boots spam’s rise since December and Wogre no longer being the meta defining force it once was, this set has seen usage on Boots spam. It threatens the two big Knock absorbers in Skarm and Gliscor while it could 2HKO standard Clef with Tera Water Scald. Since most of its checks, Clodsire, Gking, and Blissey hate losing their Boots, Wake can make use of Spikes to break through them. The most underrated aspect though is its dual resistance to Water, making it a solid anti-Rain measure, along with its ability to check Volcarona, and Heatran. Another option I considered over Flip Turn is Roar to force Spikes damage and make it more effective as a Volc check. Yep, we’re back to Roarcune strats, but there is more.
Walking Wake @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 12 HP / 244 SpA / 252 Spe or 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hydro Steam
- Knock Off
- Draco Meteor
- Sunny Day
This set has been putting in work for me around the mid ladder. For 5 turns, you get to play Specs Wake Sun simulator. Wake under Sun is hard to switch into, now imagine trying to switch into it, and there are Spikes up. I prefer Speed Proto to clean up in the lategame, but SpA Proto is another option for the breaking power. I wouldn’t go Modest since outrunning Kyurem and Volc is more important imo. The Sun also has extra benefits like removing Rain or aiding would-be partners like Volcarona.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2043327728
(Sunny Day Wake tearing apart a Balance team)
Underrated Dragon: Hydrapple
Hydrapple @ Rocky Helmet/Heavy Duty Boots
Ability: Regenerator
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Fickle Beam
- Giga Drain/Leaf Storm
- Earth Power
This is the second time I make a post about Hydrapple, but it is still an underrated Dragon. A shame that it dropped to UU due to its competition. Hydrapple is what would happen if you took Tangrowth, gave it better special bulk, and then gifted it Nasty Plot.
252+ Atk Supreme Overlord 5 allies fainted Kingambit Kowtow Cleave vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Hydrapple: 159-187 (38.3 - 45%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
+2 252+ Atk Supreme Overlord 5 allies fainted Kingambit Kowtow Cleave vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Hydrapple: 315-372 (75.9 - 89.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Barraskewda Close Combat vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Hydrapple: 140-165 (33.7 - 39.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 Atk Zamazenta Close Combat vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Hydrapple: 126-148 (30.3 - 35.6%) -- 39.5% chance to 3HKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Protosynthesis Tera Water Walking Wake Hydro Steam vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Hydrapple in Sun: 164-193 (39.5 - 46.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
+2 252 Atk Iron Boulder Mighty Cleave vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Hydrapple: 198-234 (47.7 - 56.3%) -- 84.8% chance to 2HKO
+2 252 Atk Tera Fighting Iron Boulder Close Combat vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Hydrapple: 250-295 (60.2 - 71%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 SpA Hydrapple Leaf Storm vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Iron Boulder: 306-362 (95.3 - 112.7%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO
252 Atk Cinderace Pyro Ball vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Hydrapple: 123-145 (29.6 - 34.9%) -- 15.7% chance to 3HKO
+1 4 Atk Great Tusk Ice Spinner vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Hydrapple: 296-352 (71.3 - 84.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 252+ Atk Supreme Overlord 5 allies fainted Kingambit Kowtow Cleave vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Hydrapple: 315-372 (75.9 - 89.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Barraskewda Close Combat vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Hydrapple: 140-165 (33.7 - 39.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 Atk Zamazenta Close Combat vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Hydrapple: 126-148 (30.3 - 35.6%) -- 39.5% chance to 3HKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Protosynthesis Tera Water Walking Wake Hydro Steam vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Hydrapple in Sun: 164-193 (39.5 - 46.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
+2 252 Atk Iron Boulder Mighty Cleave vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Hydrapple: 198-234 (47.7 - 56.3%) -- 84.8% chance to 2HKO
+2 252 Atk Tera Fighting Iron Boulder Close Combat vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Hydrapple: 250-295 (60.2 - 71%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 SpA Hydrapple Leaf Storm vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Iron Boulder: 306-362 (95.3 - 112.7%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO
252 Atk Cinderace Pyro Ball vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Hydrapple: 123-145 (29.6 - 34.9%) -- 15.7% chance to 3HKO
+1 4 Atk Great Tusk Ice Spinner vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Hydrapple: 296-352 (71.3 - 84.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
When paired with Gking and Ting-Lu/Treads, they form the ultimate anti-Weather core. Hydrapple counters Barraskewda while making use of its Dual Water resistance to tank a Modest Proto Tera Water boosted Hydro Steam from Specs Wake, while Ting-Lu/Treads checks Rbolt and Archaludon. It also helps teams with other matchups like Rillaboom, Boulder, and SD Gliscor, the latter of these is very difficult for Balance structures to maneuver around. As a wallbreaker, Hydrapple has easy entry from bulky ground types like Ting-Lu and its fantastic bulk + Regen. I prefer Leaf Storm over Giga since you ensure you can OHKO Tera Water Wake, Speed Booster Tusk, Boulder, and have a shot at OHKOing Clef after a Nasty Plot. With Rain’s increased popularity, Hydrapple’s defensive value becomes more appreciated, and it will only get better once Kyurem inevitably gets banned.
[Gen 9] OU (Rating: 1653) Double Dart Pult vs. guard arc
(Vs Guard Arc)
[Gen 9] OU (Rating: 1514) Double Dart Pult vs. OUOUG MG
(Vs Balance)
Underrated Set: Raging Bolt
Raging Bolt @ Leftovers/Booster Energy
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 56 HP / 220 Def / 232 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 20 Atk / 20 SpA
- Calm Mind
- Thunderclap/Taunt
- Discharge
- Dragon Pulse
A couple people have shared this set. With Booster or under the Sun, Raging Bolt gets a defense boost, making it very difficult to one-shot after a CM, even living a Proto boosted Headlong Rush from Tusk.
252 Atk Protosynthesis Great Tusk Headlong Rush vs. 56 HP / 220+ Def Protosynthesis Raging Bolt: 312-368 (77 - 90.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
Taunt has been an option players are exploring on it lately to shut down Toxic from Gliscor, Clod, and Gking while shutting down Blissey. Unlike the other two, this set is specifically for HO and Weather, using its increased physical bulk to get up multiple CM boosts, especially with Tera.
Noivern?
Noivern @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Infiltrator/Frisk
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor/Hurricane
- Flamethrower
- Defog/Taunt/Super Fang/Whirlwind
- Roost
This one is more of a theorycraft, but Noivern has a few specific qualities that might give it a small niche. A small one mind you. Noivern is one of the few Pokemon on the game that retained Defog and it’s the only Dragon besides Altaria and Giratina that gets it. Noivern can also threaten a 2HKO vs defensive Gholdengo with Flamethrower while also having good matchups into Skarm and Ting-Lu.
252 SpA Noivern Flamethrower vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Gholdengo: 174-206 (46 - 54.4%) -- 53.1% chance to 2HKO
I’ve also noticed Noivern has access to other utility moves such as Taunt, Super Fang, and Whirlwind. With Whirlwind it becomes a temporary check to Volcarona. You might also notice that it has a couple good/decent matchups into Heatran, Rillaboom, Keldeo, Volcanion, while outspeeding every Dragon minus Dragapult. In a nutshell it is a hybrid of Dragapult and Torn-T that gets Defog.
Anyone saying that banning Kyurem would be bad for the tier, just letting you know that we have plenty of dragons to go around. Dragons like Latios, Walking Wake, and Hydrapple could easily replace Kyurem once it leaves.
Anyways, next post is the teambuilding guide. So it’ll be a while. See y’all in a few days or a week, or however long this will take.
Cooked up some heat for y'all
Tornadus-Therian @ Mirror Herb
Ability: Regenerator
Tera Type: Fighting
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swagger
- Acrobatics
- Brick Break
- Knock Off
Is it good? Absolutely not.
Does every physical wall in OU wall it? Yes
Is outspeeding and confusing a Cinderace so that it hits itself instead of using court change the best thing I've ever seen? Very likely
Tornadus-Therian @ Mirror Herb
Ability: Regenerator
Tera Type: Fighting
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swagger
- Acrobatics
- Brick Break
- Knock Off
Is it good? Absolutely not.
Does every physical wall in OU wall it? Yes
Is outspeeding and confusing a Cinderace so that it hits itself instead of using court change the best thing I've ever seen? Very likely
my favorite mono-ice dragon type, Kyurem, famed for having unresisted coverage and using freeze-dry, like all dragons do and have.
Also wasn't Roaring Moon falling off
plenty of dragons, of which kyurem is a part of
Not really? You must’ve read something about Roaring Moon knocking off. Common misconception, honestly.
My brother in christ Blimax already did this ages ago
Thanks man! I'm gonna keep trying to win tournaments with Furret and a few other picks like base Calyrex that I've found have longstanding consistency in OU on my teams.
I knew I had to do something special for Furret which is why I made that song for him and for the post (eventually I'll put full competitive videos on that channel as well). Making Furret have a metalcore theme just... felt right, you know? Fully encapsulates its competitive power. Speaking of competitive power...
Eviolite Dusclops
While playing yesterday I ran into 11 Eviolite Dusclops teams on the ladder and decided to tool around with it myself and I've been very pleasantly surprised. Its bulk is astronomical, its low HP works in its favor recovery-wise via Pain Split, and it has incredible tools like Haze, Will-O-Wisp, Night Shade, Memento, Trick Room, Trick, Calm Mind, Taunt, Curse, and more. Originally I wasn't so stoked on the Knock Off weakness, but then I realized that Dusclops had the potential to solo Kingambit (and did several times for me) so I got on the Dusclops hype train. Here's the set I've been running.
Dusclops @ Eviolite
Ability: Frisk
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 160 HP / 96 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Night Shade
- Pain Split
- Haze
- Will-O-Wisp
While playing yesterday I ran into 11 Eviolite Dusclops teams on the ladder and decided to tool around with it myself and I've been very pleasantly surprised. Its bulk is astronomical, its low HP works in its favor recovery-wise via Pain Split, and it has incredible tools like Haze, Will-O-Wisp, Night Shade, Memento, Trick Room, Trick, Calm Mind, Taunt, Curse, and more. Originally I wasn't so stoked on the Knock Off weakness, but then I realized that Dusclops had the potential to solo Kingambit (and did several times for me) so I got on the Dusclops hype train. Here's the set I've been running.
Dusclops @ Eviolite
Ability: Frisk
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 160 HP / 96 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Night Shade
- Pain Split
- Haze
- Will-O-Wisp
As a whole, I'm taking an interest in Eviolite Pokemon a lot more as of late - something ironic is that in so many ways this meta is starting to become similar to Gen 5's OU meta and, given that's tied with this for my favorite OU meta, I'm all for that. I've also been working with other Eviolite Pokemon like
and 
as well, so I'm excited to see which ones have the best results (so far Dusclops and Crocolar have been putting in the most work). Here's an example of Dusclops soloing Iron Boulder even after a critical hit Mighty Cleave.So my question for everyone here is, have any of you been running Eviolite
? Have any of you been running other Eviolite Pokemon? What kinds of defensive utility have your choices been bringing to your teams?
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I really hope to god you can find a good niche for Murkrow. Such a cool little guy. Prankster + decent support movepool, but vulnerability to SR on this guy specifically is iffy. -25% truly fucks it up considering it can't even run lefties for passive recovery. Maybe a stupid tanky anti-lead/support set with Prankster Taunt/Perish Song/Mean Look/U-Turn?Thanks man! I'm gonna keep trying to win tournaments with Furret and a few other picks like base Calyrex that I've found have longstanding consistency in OU on my teams.
I knew I had to do something special for Furret which is why I made that song for him and for the post (eventually I'll put full competitive videos on that channel as well). Making Furret have a metalcore theme just... felt right, you know? Fully encapsulates its competitive power. Speaking of competitive power...
Eviolite Dusclops
View attachment 596812
While playing yesterday I ran into 11 Eviolite Dusclops teams on the ladder and decided to tool around with it myself and I've been very pleasantly surprised. Its bulk is astronomical, its low HP works in its favor recovery-wise via Pain Split, and it has incredible tools like Haze, Will-O-Wisp, Night Shade, Memento, Trick Room, Trick, Calm Mind, Taunt, Curse, and more. Originally I wasn't so stoked on the Knock Off weakness, but then I realized that Dusclops had the potential to solo Kingambit (and did several times for me) so I got on the Dusclops hype train. Here's the set I've been running.
Dusclops @ Eviolite
Ability: Frisk
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 160 HP / 96 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Night Shade
- Pain Split
- Haze
- Will-O-Wisp
As a whole, I'm taking an interest in Eviolite Pokemon a lot more as of late - something ironic is that in so many ways this meta is starting to become similar to Gen 5's OU meta and, given that's tied with this for my favorite OU meta, I'm all for that. I've also been working with other Eviolite Pokemon like
So my question for everyone here is, have any of you been running Eviolite