Know Your Niche - Round 19 (see: page 12, post 279)

[BM]

Protean Ninja makes me hard, reserving

Spikes (Greninja) @ Life Orb
Ability: Protean
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Spikes
- Gunk Shot
- Dark Pulse/Ice Beam/Hidden Power [Fire]

Greninja is arguably one of the best pokemon in the tier, and pairs up really well with Mega Medicham. Being able to set up spikes enables Medicham to have an easier time acheiving OHKOs, and in a meta where most of the hazard removal is seen as somewhat lackluster, pressuring teams with spikes is overall astounding. Coupled with the fact that Greninja is a massive pain for Offense to deal with, due to the combination of its coverage + spikes, which Mega-Medicham tends to struggle vs, due to its average speed. An AoA set with LO Greninja can be used ahead of spikes, but there's a sacrifice of hazards in order to gain extra coverage, which I personally don't see as helpful when paired with Mega Medicham. U-turn could be an option on this set as well, but the extra chip + the lack of targets that you hit with it overall makes it a bit redundant, as another volt-turner would be more optimal, in order to get both greninja and Medicham in at several points in the match

With Hydro Pump, it is able to 2hko mixed Mega Sableye after Rocks damage(most Mega Sableyes on stall should tend to run mixed spreads in order to relieve the pressure that Mega-Medi exerts vs stall) , and stands a ~60% chance to 2hko it without rocks up, albeit you have to hit for it do to so. Apart from that, with the coverage of Hydro/Gunk/Dark Pulse, it is able to blow past all of the listed M-Medi counters, though you lose out on hitting ferrothorn for more damage due to the lack of HP Fire, and having Ice Beam as coverage is vital for greninja since Zygarde is running around everywhere. This set is also able to check threats such as Mega Metagross, Garchomp, Latios, Thundurus(both formes) and Gengar, bar choice scarfed sets for most of these pokes.

 

[Nuked]

I'll try one.

Tyranitar @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Pursuit
- Crunch
- Stone Edge
- Ice Punch

Choice Scarf Tyranitar can handily deal with and pursuit trap Gengar, Cofagrigus (weakened), Alolan Marowak, Latios, Mega Pinsir, Mega Metagross (weakened), Reuniclus, Tapu Lele locked into a Psychic move, and Ice Punch has a very, very good chance to OHKO Garchomp, guaranteed with any kind of chip damage. Tyranitar also has decent type synergy with Medicham, resisting Flying and Ghost while being able to handle both of those types so Medicham can blow holes in teams. The given EV spread allows Tyranitar to outspeed Latios, Mega Pinsir, Gengar, etc so Tyranitar can pursuit trap or just attack with Stone Edge or Crunch.

 

[Futatsuiwa of Sado]

Bisharp @ Life Orb / Lum Berry
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly / Adamant Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Knock Off
- Iron Head
- Pursuit / Swords Dance

While Bisharp is not the threat it was last gen, it still retains the excellent synergy it had with Medicham. Medicham really appreciates Ghost-types being gone so it can freely click HJK without the fear of losing half of its health. Bisharp is able to switch into and Pursuit trap these Ghost-types so Medicham can break down opposing walls more comfortably. It also traps bulky Psychics and can break troublesome Fairies like Clefable and Choice Locked Lele. Sucker Punch allows Bisharp to threaten Offense creating a basic Wallbreaker+Offense breaker duo that can clean teams since the two of them can wear down common Offensive checks to them such as Keldeo and Thundurus. Lum Berry can also be used on Bisharp to SD on a Sableye Will-O-Wisp and beat it if it's been slightly weakened.

 

[Aragorn the King]

Hydreigon @ Choice Specs
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Dark Pulse
- Draco Meteor
- Flash Cannon / U-turn
- Fire Blast / U-turn

By virtue of its powerful STAB moves, coverage, and good bulk and defensive typing, Hydreigon is able to make Mega Medicham's life a lot easier.

Thanks to its STAB Dark Pulse, Hydreigon is able to OHKO Reuniclus and physically defensive Mew and 2HKO Cresselia and specially defensive Mew, all while being immune to their Psychic STAB moves.

Facing Mega Sableye, Draco Meteor can do up to 86%, which is enough to kill Mega Sableye with some prior damage. Dark Pulse is also able to 2HKO after Stealth Rocks, so assuming you get one flinch or crit you're also able to 2HKO. Dark Pulse does have more PP than Recover though, so if Sableye stays in you'll win if you're locked into DPulse. Additionally, Hydreigon is immune to Prankster via its typing, so it can switch into Prankster Will-o-wisps aimed at Mega Medicham.

Against Clefable, Hydreigon is able to lure and 2HKO it nearly 100% of the time (the worst case scenario is against 252/252 Calm Clefable; Hydreigon has a 74.2% chance to 2HKO after leftovers from full). Hydreigon is, however, unable to switch in, as Moonblast obliterates it.

Hydreigon is actually one of the best offensive switch-ins to Alolan Marowak, avoiding the 2HKO from Adamant Shadow Bone and Fire Punch and OHKOing in response with Dark Pulse or Draco Meteor.

Hydreigon also OHKOs Cofagrigus and can switch into its Shadow Ball with ease.

Regarding revenge killers, Hydreigon is able to abuse its defensive typing and ability. Many of Mega Medicham's revenge killers are choice locked, thus the move they use to revenge kill Mega Medicham is predictable and, conveniently, is often resisted by Hydreigon.

Ash Greninja would most likely revenge kill Medicham using Dark Pulse; Hydreigon resists Dark Pulse and can either OHKO Ash-Gren in response or pivot out with U-turn, gaining momentum. The only issue would be if the Ash-Gren user uses U-turn or Hydro Pump, which both have a shot at 2HKOing Hydreigon.

Assuming choiced variants of these, Hydreigon is able to switch into the move most likely used to revenge kill Mega Medicham (Earthquake and Scald) and threaten back with a strong STAB move. Garchomp and Keldeo do both have super effective STAB moves, however, so you do have to be careful switching in.
[URL='http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-sm/778.shtml'][/URL]Assuming choiced Gengar, Hydreigon can switch into a Shadow Ball (what Gengar would use vs. Medicham) and OHKO Gengar/gain momentum. Mimikyu is shakier, since it'll probably use Shadow Claw to revenge kill Medicham, in which case Hydreigon can switch in, but if it uses Play Rough Hydreigon is destroyed. Once in, if Disguise is broken Hydreigon can OHKO with Flash Cannon. If it isn't, Hydreigon can break it with U-turn and send something else in.
Thanks to its ability, Levitate, Hydreigon cannot be trapped by Dugtrio. If Duggy's sash isn't broken, Hydreigon is free to switch out, avoiding the Reversal. But if its sash is broken and it's still at relatively high health, Hydreigon can OHKO Dugtrio, taking little from a Reversal not at full power.

 

[Duck Chris]

Muk-Alola @ Assault Vest
Ability: Poison Touch
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Atk / 16 SpD
Brave Nature
- Knock Off
- Pursuit
- Poison Jab
- Fire Blast

Standard muk, nothing special. Helps out Medicham a lot by switching into and trapping several of medicham's potential switch ins / revenge killers, notably Gengar, Tapu Lele, Latias, and Alakazam but also isn't bad against protean Greninja.

Removing ghosts is super key for Medicham as then you can just click high jump kick and win (albeit 90% of the time). Muk / Medi is a sick core try it out

 

[Colonel M]

Martin will be back shortly. We'll look over the mons later.

On the other hand let's start another round of Know Your Niche!

==========

You feel like packing your boy Mega Metagross on your team this week, but there's one issue - you don't feel cool enough to be like ABR and run Hidden Power Fire to bypass Mega Metagross's #1 counter:

This bug is blocking your Metagross's sweep! You feel the best course of action is to outsmart your opponent with another Pokemon instead of using the standard boring Magnezone... which brings us to this week's niche!

Find a Pokemon that can lure and either OHKO or severely damage Mega Scizor to allow Mega Metagross to sweep.

Rules

Hide

- Stick to Pokemon (and to an extent sets) that are viable within the OU tier.
- The Pokemon supporting Mega Metagross cannot be Magnezone.
- Bonus points if the Pokemon can synergize with Mega Metagross and / or beat some of Mega Metagross's other checks and counters.

 

[david0895]

Garchomp @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 240 HP / 176 Def / 92 Spe
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Dragon Tail
- Fire Blast

TankChomp is outclassed by Landorus-T, as Stealth Rock setter, but it has a very powerful Fire nuke to shoot at the bulky Steel types that take neutal damage from Mega Metagross coverage moves.
It also completely counter all the Mega Scizor sets and even if it tries to attack, it will pay 1/8 of its HP, thanks to the combo Rough Skin + Rocky Helmet

calcs

0- SpA Garchomp Fire Blast vs. 248 HP / 128 SpD Scizor-Mega: 208-248 (60.6 - 72.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

+2 0 Atk Technician Scizor-Mega Bullet Punch vs. 240 HP / 176+ Def Garchomp: 147-174 (35.2 - 41.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Stealth Rock

+2 0 Atk Scizor-Mega U-turn vs. 240 HP / 176+ Def Garchomp: 171-202 (41 - 48.4%) -- 10.5% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock

 

[zbr]

A lure, by definition, is a set that deviates from the norm to catch an opponent off-guard in order to benefit the rest of the team. While these sets deviate from the norm, they do not compromise the effectiveness of the mon as a whole. A lure is also a mon manages to draw out (or "lure") and eliminate an opponent's mons which serves as a potential roadblock to the sweeper of your choice.

For a lure to be effective, it has to both lure the troublesome mons in and deal significant damage back, or cripple it in some way to open up the sweep for your sweeper of choice; the latter case is often accomplished via paralysis support to nullify the effects of an opponent's Choice Scarf or other Speed boosts. To lure in a mon, your opponent must be led to believe that they have a safe switch-in. Thus, lures usually have some element of surprise on their side.

Just a heads up for those who are unsure of what a lure is.

Tldr - Lure may or may not have sets that deviate from the norm, but they do not compromise the effectiveness of the mon as a whole.

 

[Virizain]

Doing Tapu Koko

Tapu Koko @ Magnet
Ability: Electric Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- U-turn
- Hidden Power Ice/ Hidden Power Fire
- Volt Switch/ Taunt

Tapu Koko has always been one of the best partners for Mega Metagross, dealing with bulky water and steel types and giving it free switches with Volt Switch and such, but it can also do this:

252 SpA Magnet Tapu Koko Thunderbolt vs. 248 HP / 128 SpD Scizor-Mega in Electric Terrain: 187-222 (54.5 - 64.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

It basically exterminates anything that gives Metagross trouble, from Celesteela to ferrothorn to Mega Scizor, it can taunt anything that walls it and Metagross, and Electric surge almost doubles the power of thunder punch and lets Metagross steam Amoongus and Breloom without fearing spore. It can't always get Scizor to come out, but if it tries to flee you can get some momentum anyway.

 

[GnralLao]

Kyurem-Black @ Life Orb
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Rash /Naive Nature
- Ice Beam
- Fusion Bolt
- Earth Power
- Hidden Power Fire

HP Fire aside, Kyurem-B has no way of seriously harming M-Scizor (CB Fusion 2HKOes after SR though, but being locked into an Electric-type move sucks), giving it an almost guaranteed free switch-in. However, with a specially based spread and HP Fire, Kyurem-B easily lures in M-Scizor before OHKOing after SR (50% chance of doing so at full if Rash).

Kyurem-B is often overlooked in teambuilding due to the presence of faster and more powerful threats, but it doesn't prevent it from being a nice partner to MegaGross. Indeed, in addtion of luring M-Scizor, it takes care of other Steel-types like Ferrothorn, Celesteela and Skarmory, deals with Ground-types like Zygarde and Landorus-T, and destroys Rotom-W (more of an added bonus, really, but still) for MegaGross. In return, MegaGross can weaken / take out troublesome Fairy-type mons for Kyurem-B.

In overall, these two make a great pair, but just make sure the rest of the team can handle faster threats like Tapu Koko or ScarfChomp, and you'll be fine.

Calcs

0 Atk Technician Scizor-Mega Bullet Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Kyurem-Black: 186-218 (47.5 - 55.7%) -- 75.8% chance to 2HKO

Without HP Fire:
252+ Atk Choice Band Teravolt Kyurem-Black Fusion Bolt vs. 248 HP / 116+ Def Scizor-Mega: 137-162 (39.9 - 47.2%) -- 43.4% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock

With HP Fire:
252 SpA Life Orb Teravolt Kyurem-Black Hidden Power Fire vs. 248 HP / 128 SpD Scizor-Mega: 286-338 (83.3 - 98.5%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ SpA Life Orb Teravolt Kyurem-Black Hidden Power Fire vs. 248 HP / 128 SpD Scizor-Mega: 312-369 (90.9 - 107.5%) -- 50% chance to OHKO (guaranteed OHKO after SR)

 

[6ft Torbjorn]

Serperior @ Grassium Z
Ability: Contrary
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Leaf Storm
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Dragon Pulse
- Substitute

• 252 SpA Serperior Leaf Storm vs. 248 HP / 128 SpD Scizor-Mega: 32-38 (9.3 - 11%) -- possible 8HKO after Stealth Rock
• +2 252 SpA Serperior Hidden Power Fire vs. 248 HP / 128 SpD Scizor-Mega: 320-380 (93.2 - 110.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock

Simple as... is what I would say if we can get Scizor to come out. Luckily, that's quite easy, as A) You're a grass type that Scizor can supposedly wall, and B) Fire resists such as Manaphy; Terrakion and Tyranitar make good partners for Sciz-M, but likely get blown up by Serperior LS. The latter allows you to check the likes of Manaphy and Tapu Fini, find a +2 from Leaf Storm (or set up a Sub, dependent on the situation and interpretation), and then snipe Scizor with the +2 HP Fire.

Oh and Grassium Z is there for softer answers like Toxapex / non-Scarf Nihilego.

• +2 252 SpA Serperior Bloom Doom (195 BP) vs. 252 HP / 24 SpD Toxapex: 321-378 (105.5 - 124.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
• +2 252 SpA Serperior Bloom Doom (195 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Nihilego: 349-412 (97.2 - 114.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock

Probably means nothing, but it's something I have had fun with before. LS + HP Fire is literally all you need there though.

That's all folks!

EDIT: accidentally put Overgrow instead of Contrary LOL

 

[Leo]

Taking Alolan-Muk altho FBlast is mentioned on its analysis

Muk-Alola @ Assault Vest
Ability: Poison Touch
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Knock Off
- Poison Jab
- Pursuit
- Fire Blast

Muk is a very annoying mon to switch into thanks to Poison Touch+Knock Off, basically knocking off items and threatening to poison a lot of mons. Scizor would in theory make for a perfect switchi for the standard set or even the Rock Slide set because it's immune to Posion STAB, can't be poisoned and takes very little from Knock Off. However, Fire Blast is a cool tech to catch it off guard and severely weaken it thus forcing it out and with hazards pressure it won't be able to switch into Metagross anymore. As an added bonus more offensive Muk variants can pursuit Skarmory for at least 20% meaning it will be 2hkod by T-Punch on the switchin. It also beats Tangrowth 1v1 and can Knock Off Rotom's Lefties+poison it making it tougher for it to switch into Metagross
e: Unfortunately Fire Blast is mentioned in its analysis so a good opponent would scout for it first meaning you'll have to bluff non-Fire Blast before boping it, but hey at least it's not Alolan Marowak

 

[Random Passerby]

Keldeo @ Choice Specs
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Secret Sword
- Focus Blast
- Icy Wind / Surf

Mega Metagross and Keldeo is a well-known core from ORAS and it also works well in SM. The point is, Keldeo can freely switch into Mega Scizor and force it out with the threat of Specs Hydro Pump. With Choice Specs, Keldeo is also capable of severely weakening (if not OHKO-ing) Tangrowth, Skarmory, Landorus-T and Rotom-W which Mega Metagross dislikes. In return, Mega Metagross can take care of Fairy-types and Toxapex for Keldeo. You can use the Choice Scarf set here if you really hate Greninja but the reduction in damage output of Keldeo is very noticeable.

 

[DeeJ]

Buzzwole @ Fightinium Z
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 24 HP / 252 Atk / 232 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Superpower
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch / Poison Jab
- Bulk Up

Diving into the C Ranks. Metagross+Buzz is a pretty known combination but not used a whole lot. Usually people opt for Sub+Focus but the draw this set has is being able to demolish / heavily dent most things immediately or @ +1. Beast Boost+Z move is a classic & efffective combo as shown by Mosa / Steela

Calcs for reference;

Hide

252+ Atk Buzzwole All-Out Pummeling (190 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Metagross-Mega: 252-297 (83.7 - 98.6%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Buzzwole All-Out Pummeling (190 BP) vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Celesteela: 348-409 (87.4 - 102.7%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Buzzwole All-Out Pummeling (190 BP) vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Magearna: 318-375 (87.6 - 103.3%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
+1 252+ Atk Buzzwole All-Out Pummeling (190 BP) vs. 248 HP / 116+ Def Scizor-Mega: 334-394 (97.3 - 114.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
+1 252+ Atk Buzzwole All-Out Pummeling (190 BP) vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Tangrowth: 331-390 (82.1 - 96.7%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Buzzwole All-Out Pummeling (190 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Volcarona: 255-300 (81.9 - 96.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
+1 252+ Atk Buzzwole All-Out Pummeling (190 BP) vs. 248 HP / 192 Def Tapu Fini: 201-237 (58.6 - 69%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
+1 252+ Atk Buzzwole All-Out Pummeling (190 BP) vs. 232 HP / 0 Def Venusaur-Mega: 225-264 (62.6 - 73.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Buzzwole All-Out Pummeling (190 BP) vs. 248 HP / 240+ Def Rotom-Wash: 247-292 (81.5 - 96.3%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
^Some are even opting for less Def in favor of more SpDef so has a better chance of dying
+1 252+ Atk Buzzwole All-Out Pummeling (190 BP) vs. 252 HP / 240+ Def Hippowdon: 348-409 (82.8 - 97.3%) -- 25% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

The majority of Metagross' checks Ie; Scizor, Tangrowth, Rotom, Hippowdon get crushed by this and the two do a great job of overwhelming Landorus together. Defensive synergy between them is nice as well considering Gross can punish mons like Lele w Pursuit and Buzz automatically provides a Dark+Ground resist. Z Focus can be used for more damage but I'm not that real+it's probably not worth

Enjoy friends [:

 

[playerW17]

Magneton seemed like way too much of a cop-out so I tried this instead

Zygarde @ Choice Band
Ability: Aura Break
EVs: 252 Atk / 6 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Thousand Arrows
- Extreme Speed
- Outrage
- Earthquake

While running Earthquake on a mon that has Thousand Arrows sounds really stupid, the extra power of Earthquake is able to apply pressure on a few thing that would ordinarily be able to handle CB Zygarde such as Clefable.

For the purposes of this thread, its able to threaten a 2hko on Scizor that would otherwise counter Choice Band Zygarde with Stealth Rock support or a small amount of chip.

252+ Atk Choice Band Zygarde Earthquake vs. 248 HP / 116+ Def Scizor-Mega: 141-166 (41.1 - 48.3%) -- 69.5% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock

If Scizor attempts to switch into CB Zygarde with Stealth Rock up (fairly likely, as it is a common defogger), it cannot stay in for fear of the 2HKO and is forced it out, which means that Metagross is able to apply pressure with a weakened Scizor not being a reliable answer.

PS: Although this set is not a truly effective lure, other solutions I thought of were either pretty bad, commonly scouted out for lures or pokemon that Scizor would never stay in to check.

 

[pika pal]

Reserving Salamence

Salamence @ Flyinium Z
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Fly
- Outrage
- Fire Blast

0- SpA Salamence Fire Blast vs. 248 HP / 128 SpD Scizor-Mega: 272-324 (79.3 - 94.4%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

Apologies if this isn't considered enough of a deviation. It wasn't slashed on the set but is still mentioned as an option in the description.

It's a fairly straightforward idea. Bulky Scizor walls the standard EQ-coverage Z-Fly set, taking less than 25% from any spammable move and even SSSS with a reasonable margin left to Roost

252 Atk Salamence Supersonic Skystrike (175 BP) vs. 248 HP / 116+ Def Scizor-Mega: 184-217 (53.6 - 63.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

This Salamence set works two-fold, luring and roasting Scizor without needing to set up so that Metagross can run rampant on the opposing team, and also having the potential to sweep itself with Scizor out of the way, thanks in part to not needing to expend its Z-move nuke for luring and (if the lure time is ideal) still gaining the +1 from Moxie in doing so. Salamence's designation as a mid to late game sweeper using Z-Fly inclines Scizor to switch in to prevent it from snowballing too early with a fast breaker/cleaner like Metagross in the back. Keeping up the pressure with Metagross can overload Scizor, forcing it to Roost more often to stay out of SSSS range and assuaging concerns of Bullet Punch.

Salamence also synergizes well with Metagross, who takes on and eliminates a significant number of Fairy types and resists Ice Type moves for it, while Salamence can use Metagross's Bulky Grass/Water answers like Tangrowth as set up fodder. Fire Blast lure removes the shared headache of Skarmory if Metagross is not running coverage for it. That said, both appreciate some extra leverage to deal with opposing Celesteela and one or two bulky ground types, so a Tangrowth of your own or one of the Greninjas can do well.

Not the most perfect pair, but Salamence has the means to lure and remove Scizor, and can function beyond doing that alone.

 

[Martin]

Week 9 Winners (MegaCham partners)

by Eden.

by Virizain

by Futatsuiwa of Sado

This was a very solid week; I'm very happy with the quality of submissions on this, as is the rest of the team.

Comments; c/p'd from server we discuss the project on

• Tapu Koko (middling desc; it covers how it deals w/ the listed mons but then forgets to mention ELECTRIC SURGE)
• Ash Greninja (it has a weird EBelt slash which I don't like, but the description is solid)
• Volc (this is a bug buzz set though, and the desc basically amounts to a wall of calcs)
• Tapu Lele (Shed Shell+CM Lele listed, good description, highlights what it does for MegaCham outside of what is listed whilst still playing into the criteria
• Weavile (description is fine, MediVile is dope)
• Spikes Gren (this post is excellent; good job BM)
• ScarfTar (this works and the description is solid, but I think other submissions are better)
• Bisharp (this post is rlly good; very good job Futatsuiwa)
• Hydreigon (another really solid post, although he could highlight what specifically Hydra does beyond breaking these things a bit better in his description)
• Alolan Muk (description is v. minimalist, and I'm not rlly sure that u'd be using Alolan Muk on the types of teams you'd be using Mega Medi on)

Week 10 Winners (Scizor lures for MegaGross)

by GnralLao

by pika pal

Comments again

• Fire Blast TankChomp (solid, but I'm not quite sure why he chose TankChomp as opposed to another, more viable set; also his description is very lacking)
• Tapu Koko (good partner, but not really for the week; noone's switching Zor into Tapu Koko, so it ain't getting lured; also there are a few quality concerns w/ the rest of the description)
• HP Fire KyuB (this post is very good)
• Serperior (I'm not big on the idea of Grassium Serp as idt it's a particularly good set when you can just Leaf Storm past these things or use Z-Hyper Beam instead of Bloom Doom; my other concern is that HP Fire makes up around 90% of Serperiors, so outside of pivoting through it w/o U-turn noone's really getting lured by it)
• Alolan Muk (you aren't rlly using this on the same types of teams as MegaGross tbh; it works nicely as a lure though. Solid description too, and honestly like w/ a 'mon like Alolan Muk idt people really expect something like that when a) people don't rlly see much Muk, and b) a lot run Rock Slide anyway) - Specs Keld (this beats Zor and does well against it, but it sure as hell ain't luring it)
• Fightinium Buzzwole (this beats Scizor, and it's ok for its ability to take advantage of people who try to use Buzzwole for a slow U-turn; my one gripe though is that a lot of people don't bring Zor out on it due to it being Sub bait, and I think Hammer Arm would be better here too just 'cause it's a better move outside of just Pumelling; thank you for not looking at it purely in a vacuum though, and props for the creativity)
• EQ Band Zygarde (this seems like a pretty shaky lure, and you highlighted it in your post. EQ Band Zyggy is a decent set so I'll give it credit there, but for the purpose of the week it really isn't great tbh)
• Fire Blast Salamence (I've used this before and it is solid; if Mence is at +1 it doesn't need that much chip to eliminate Scizor, but this is really nice utility when Mence isn't in a position to sweep due to its ability to remove it in one hit w/o busting your Flyinium whilst also beating a lot of other shit like Ferrothorn, Skarmory etc. which Gross otherwise fails to break without appropriate coverage; the description is excellent too; this is a good submission)

Thank you everyone for your patience with us. Week 11 will be up shortly.

 

[Martin]

Week 11: Find a Pokemon which can help a stall team in the matchup versus opposing stall

Objective criteria

This is top secret information

You sure you want to see this?

No seriously. I mean it

Right this is your last chance

If you enter there is no turning back

Fine... if you insist...

Just don't blame me for what happens after you find this info out

Actually no; there is too much at stake

You're making a huge mistake

THIS IS A MATTER OF LIFE OR DEATH MAN!!

You will be liable to this information in court

If this is leaked to ANY unauthorised personell you will be heavily punished

FINE!

If you insist

You ready?

Here we go...

ok time to get through secondary security

And teriary

ok here it is

The info you've been waiting for is here!

There is none. It's open to interpretation, and we'll be looking carefully at descriptions to see exactly what these Pokemon provide to stall and how they help the listed matchup.

 

[Futatsuiwa of Sado]

Ditto @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Imposter
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Def
Relaxed Nature
- Transform
-
-
-
(IV this however you want, HP Rock for Ronas with HP for example)

Here's a bit of a more unorthodox mon for stall. Ditto is actually a pretty effective tool against stall due to its basically infinite PP as long as you can switch it out. This allows you to easily win PP stall battles, which pairs especially well with mons with Regenerator such as Alomomola and Amoonguss which can be used to pivot Ditto in and out. Stall teams will almost always carry some way to clear status and/or wish passing, and Ditto really appreciates this as it may find itself transformed into a mon that can status it (although in the stall mirror match, if you transform into say, Clefable, you can use Heal Bell yourself). Another thing to note is that Ditto gives you an easy switch into Knock Off in the stall match-up since it actually benefits from having its Scarf knocked off so it can switch moves/stay in longer, thus stalling more PP. Ditto also acts as a "pseudo unaware" mon, in that it can punish set-up sweepers and its presence alone deters set-up sweepers fearing being RK'd by Ditto meaning that it can pressure more offensive teams which is what Ditto is more known for. A funny interaction is the pressure Scarf Ditto actually puts on Dugtrio. If Dugtrio kills something and it's not sash or its sash is broken, Ditto can come in and trap their Dugtrio. However be cautious as this is a bit of a double edged sword if you transform into something Dugtrio can trap such as Chansey or Toxapex.

 

[dk]

reserving kartana

 

[Scribble]

Reserving Dugtrio

Dugtrio @ Focus Sash
Ability: Arena Trap
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Reversal
- Sucker Punch/Pursuit
- Screech

Dugtrio is a known staple on Stall teams, and is mainly used to target stallbreakers such as Heatran and Hoopa. However, Dugtrio also makes the Stall vs Stall match up a lot easier. Screech Dugtrio is able to trap and kill Chansey and sometimes Toxapex, or vice versa (though Toxapex you have to factor in Scald burns). This lets it effectively remove Stealth Rock and/or Toxic Spikes from the Stall opponent. It can also nab Shedinja with Pursuit if you choose to run that over Sucker Punch. Sucker Punch is better for faster threats, while Pursuit is good particularly for Alola Marowak.

Everyone pretty much knows what it does but I'll leave calcs anyway

252 Atk Dugtrio Earthquake vs. -2 4 HP / 252+ Def Eviolite Chansey: 364-430 (56.6 - 66.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 SpA Toxapex Scald vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Dugtrio: 140-168 (69.6 - 83.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Dugtrio Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 232+ Def Toxapex: 150-176 (49.3 - 57.8%) -- 52% chance to 2HKO after Black Sludge recovery

 

[Leo]

Reserving yung smogbird Talonflame

Talonflame
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 248 HP / 128 SpD / 132 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Acrobatics
- Taunt
- Will-O-Wisp
- Roost

Ok so, Talonflame. The transition from gen6 to gen7 actually killed it due to Gale Wings' nerf. Now it's just another fast bird with below subpar attack and there pretty much isn't any reason at all to use this mon. Its offensive set is pretty mediocre and Wisp+SD/Bulk Up is kinda ded. This set is adapted from the old SpDef Talon from oras and does a pretty decent job on Stall despite the Gale Wings nerf. First of all, its fast Wisps let it threaten some scary breakers such as Mega Mawile, Tapu Bulu, Metagross under e-terrain, Landorus-T and Zygarde before sub. Enough speed for Metagross with the rest bumped into SpDef for Zard-Y because Zard-Y+Dugtrio cores usually shred Stall. While it doesn't really beat most of these threats because they will expect the wisp and switch out, it prevents them from snowballing through Stall and may eventually be more manageable after stacked hazards damage (Taunt prevents Defog too!) and chip. It can also switch into predicted resisted attacks and get some Burn Body action (e.g. Meteor Mash from Meta, Play Rough from Mawile, Horn Leech from Bulu, etc). Now, onto the actual niche, the Stall matchup. The combination of Taunt, Wisp and Acro is pretty annoying for the standard Stall team running around and this makes it really annoying to stop. Sableye can't brun it, Chansey can't Toxic it, Skarm can't touch it, Clef is annoyed, Dug is Dug lol and Pex is pretty much the only thing that can try to stop it from annoying the whole squad with Scald damage (30% lol) and regen, although it will have to switch back and forth to get the regen going and this lets Talon cripple opposing Stall and ease the matchup.

edit: I just found this replay of Talon Stall vs standard Stall so ye here it is: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-567133925

 

[vso]

No one already did this?
Reserving Zapdos

Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 244 Def / 16 Spe
Bold Nature
- Discharge
- Roost
- Heat Wave / Hidden Power Ice
- Defog
Zapdos is a Pokémon that has been primarily used on balances. However, Zapdos stall has risen as well. It's ability in pressure allows it to ppstall Defog, Stealth Rocks, and other moves faster. Even though Zapdos does not completely win stall v stalls 1v1, it can easily change the flow of the game, reliably Defogging on Toxapex, and not fearing any move beside Knock Off at many times. It can sometimes stay in on Chansey, because Chansey fear clicking Stealth Rocks because of Mega Sableye, and Toxic does not do enough, even though it cripples Zapdos, Toxic will only have 8 PP due to pressure, which can be matched with Clefables 8 Heal Bells. Obviously, you don't need want to lose all the Heal Bells but Chansey has a massive risk of Toxiccing Msab on the switch and losing a pp of toxic. Seismic Toss can also be easily stalled out. Defog is chosen over 3 attacks as Defog is key in making up for Skarmorys loss as a second defogger, and having some backup if Stealth Rocks come up in almost any game.

 

[david0895]

Weavile @ Choice Band
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Icicle Crash
- Ice Shard
- Poison Jab

Weavile was one of the best member of the ORAS stall teams as a trapper but now it's replaced by Dugtrio, despite this, it's still a good choice: Choice Band Knock Off has limited switch-ins and Pursuit force the opponent into a mind game.
Also Icicle Crash does 2HKO to Mega Sableye, limiting even more its counters

calcs

252 Atk Choice Band Weavile Icicle Crash vs. 252 HP / 112 Def Sableye-Mega: 148-175 (48.6 - 57.5%) -- 94.9% chance to 2HKO

252 Atk Choice Band Weavile Icicle Crash vs. 252 HP / 112 Def Sableye-Mega: 148-175 (48.6 - 57.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

 

[Nuked]

Reuniclus @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Recover
- Psyshock
- Shadow Ball

Reuniclus is a really underrated Pokemon. If we're talking about what Reuniclus does for stall, it provides a secondary counter to Medicham, (The only way Medicham can break it is getting a crit with Thunder Punch while Electric Terrain is up)
really, really pressures other stall teams (Turns Toxapex, Dugtrio, Chansey, Skarmory, more or less the entire team into setup fodder, which allows it to do some pretty serious damage if Clefable's gone) and the immunity to hazards is so delicious, its good bulk allows it to wall a good amount of physical attackers. I mean you could argue that it makes stall weaker to stuff that it's already weak to, like Gengar and Alolan Marowak, but there's really not that much that viably fits on stall that can counter this anyways. Additionally, it can be really, really hard to break, considering most teams use Dugtrio as their trapper which does pitiful damage to it (28 - 33) and it can be really annoying to deal with. If you get a crit on clef or quagsire at +6, for the standard stall team, the game basically ends unless Skarmory's sturdy is intact, in which case Skarm is at 1%, Clef is dead, and all of a sudden the match looks a lot easier. It is, in general, extremely hard for other stall teams to deal serious damage to it and generally is really annoying and can be pretty difficult to stop.