Kiyo
the cowboy kid
If you need an update on what's new in NU thanks to USUM check out this thread: http://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/usum-nu-speculation-thread.3620212/unread
Maybe refer to my post, I used Silvally-Steel on two bulky offense teams to great effect, peaked #5 on the ladder. I feel like if you use it on stall you're relying on it taking too many hits as the games will naturally be longer. On bulky offense or balance teams you're simply using it to pivot and bring in your set up sweepers or wallbreakers to dent your opponents team, while still checking Vanilluxe and Whimsicott which tbh is so helpful on balance and offense since these teams normally struggle with those mons. Note my reasoning for using flamethrower too otherwise you're completely stopped in your tracks by Klinklang, and Steelvally doesn't really need a stab move to do it's job well.
Silvally-Steel @ Steel Memory
Ability: RKS System
EVs: 252 HP / 240 SpD / 16 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Defog
- Flash Cannon
- Toxic
- Parting Shot / Grass Pledge
Lastly, here's Steelvally. I think it's a good stall pokemon that would probably not fit anywhere else. This typing is great because it's able to check Whimsicott and Vanilluxe while being able to remove hazards and use Parting Shot, which are all utilities that Stall teams appreciate a lot. I personally don't think that it's the best forme since I struggle to find any use for it outside of stall teams but it's still one of the best types. Grass Pledge can be used to lure and beat Seismitoad, but usually Parting Shot is a better option.
These three Silvally formes are my favorites, and what's interesting is that they all fit on different teamstyles. The addition of Defog to their movepool made teambuilding a lot more diverse and creative which I really like.
Honestly, I'd rather use Defog Sigilyph if I wanted an offensive Defogger. Magic Guard and Flying typing means it's immune to all hazards, it's slightly faster than Silvally and hits harder thanks to higher Special Attack and free Life Orb courtesy of Magic Guard. I would not use Scarf Normal Silvally at all tbh - it's very weak, can't scratch most Rock and Steel-types and being locked into Defog is very exploitable.any thoughts on Silvally-Normal in this Meta. It can hold different items and got Hyper Voice as move tutors? Maybe something like this:
Silvally@Choice Scarf
Timid
252 Spe/252 Spa/4 SpD
- Parting Shot
- Defog
- Hyper Voice
- Flashcannon/Flamethrower?
Landorus-Therian isn't in NU it's in OU unfortunately, but you're not wrong in saying hazard stacking would support Tauros. The main disadvantage of this set is being unable to hurt Steelix too much which is why in ORAS Tauros commonly ran Fire Blast:Any thoughts on Tauros? Tauros is a good powerhouse for NU. I think Sheer Force and Life Orb really help it out.
I thought through of a set that might work out for Tauros even though bulky Pokemon such as Rhydon, Musharna, and Mega Audino really put Tauros at a disavantage.
Maybe this set:
Tauros @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Iron Tail
- Body Slam
- Zen Headbutt
- Earthquake
I thought Stone Edge could help out for coverage also and pursuit if Ghost or Psychic types would want to switch out. I also thought of Iron Head due to Sheer Force however Mega Audino and Regirock really take the hits. However I think Body Slam and Iron Tail could put some Pokemon at a disadvantage. Also spikes and stealth rocks from Garbordor or Landorus-Theiram could help with some damage to the opponents Pokemon.
Let me know what you think.
where the fuck is staryu???hello eternally bullied me into posting here so ill drop some quick thoughts on the meta since ive been playing a bit more recently
ive recently been laddering a bit with more bulkier oriented teams as i feel they could be cool atm, and also bc i wanted an excuse to use block pyuku + silvally forms.
let me first go over the stall team ive been using quite a bit
https://pokepast.es/7d154c703520ab7b
i basically started w/ wanting to use block pyuku which i feel is basically mandatory @ this point on stall. you are also forced to run shed shell as i learnt from watching disj flail vs a xatu that managed to bounce it back. sneasels also something i feel should always be welcome on a stall build mainly bc of how useful pursuit is in terms of removing slower offensive / defensive threats that are forced out. being able to remove non-tect xatu opens up the path for muds to get up rocks which just helps end games that much easier. the original stall build had seis > muds, but i realized that w/ usm and sr muds its a much better option for stall to use. stamina basically means you dont need to run even close to as much defense to check emboar (the current spread avoid the 2hko after rocks from flare blitz with the +1 def). it also has a stronger eq + is better at walling threats all around due to the higher spdef + def and stamina. overall idk how good muds is on non stall builds but i think it def fits on this one. audino is basically mandatory on stall as well, and on this build i can afford to run cm since i have heal bell on cuno and i dont rlly need flame for anything. i originally had xatu on this build over sigi but psycho shift is so nice combined with magic guard. cuno was the last and originally also had defog, but ive been playing around with other options like roar / haze / toxic in that slot. im still not sure which one is best and i think it requires some testing.
the team lacks a flying resist which means bu brav can be a bit annoying, but generally playing well to knock it off / annoying it with recoil / pp stalling with pyuku is the way to go. pyuku can run taunt > something in order to handle it better as well. or you could do rhydon > muds but its a bit harder to switch into emboar @ that point so im not sure what the best way to get around it is.
i think stall has a really defined place in this meta and it is probably @ the highest point it has been since beta. it obviously does still have its fair share of weaknesses, but i still think its at a great place. ive noticed some interesting sets popping up like sub bu power trip incin in order to get around pyuku once muds is a bit weakened, as are any set up sweepers that can get around pyuku. i passed this team to joey as well who ended up laddering w/ it a bit if you wanted to see his analysis of the build / his games here. i also have a few replays, though i am not usually one to save them so there arent as many as i would like.
vs eternally https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7nu-666677505
vs tr https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7nu-665832503
vs flame orb yama https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7nu-665705211
also wanted to drop my quick thoughts on zangoose since ive seen quite a few ppl calling for a ban for what seems like a complete overreaction to a mon that is completely handlded by the tools we have atm. for one i think scarf rotom is @ the top form it can be in the meta since it gained defog allowing it to act as an emergency button with mons that are weak to rocks in the back / just getting rid of spikes after removing a garb / qwil. its also really hard to set up w/o memento support (even with memento its kinda dix) due to it having 75 / 60 / 60 defenses which lets just about any defensive attack ship it into something like sneasel ice shard / rocky helm / missy dazzle. many of the games i encountered zangoose / used it myself it kind of either did a little mid game / was completely useless / managed to sweep once every single condition was met. theres also been a lot more adapting to zangoose with a few more scypther popping up / haunter becoming a threat again (after eternally innovated it) and just generally ways to keep up the pressure so that zangoose can never really do anything. https://pokepast.es/ec8cd2cd1b41156f this is the main zangoose team ive been using if ppl havent had a chance to use it yet, but i do think the calls to ban it are completely reactionary and in reality its a high b+ / low a- threat.
overall theres a lot of really fun things to use in this meta, briefly touching on what i think r the top new dogs with usm include: defog z grass rotom / iron defense null / defog sigi are some of the few that i think were already near the top in sm and are just really fun to use right now with all the buffs they got. ive also been having fun with dual dance sawsbuck as it has the ability unlike virizion to put more pressure on offensive builds with agility, while retaining pressure vs balance with sd. here are some fun replays where it just goes ham, though its not as often as i would like it to be. 1 2
i prob wont post until eternally bullies me again, but i rlly like the state of the tier atm and i hope the shifts we have coming doesnt completely ruin it.
Yeah, i want to echo this thought too. Zangoose seemed extremely busted at first, but i think we all have done a decent job adapting to it, and treating it as ‘just another set-up sweeper you need to somewhat prepare for’. I think the addition of Belly Drum Zangoose has been relatively healthy for the metagame, as it has forced players to quickly adapt their teams accordingly, not only to prepare for zangoose, but for many other new threatening Pokémon that have joined the tier or that had been around, but were fairly unexplored. The adaptation to Pokémon like SD Samurott, a plethora of different Toxicroak sets, etc. has made the meta develop at a high speed since the release of USUM NU. I hope to see the meta move on and develop even more throughout SPL and the following months.also want to disagree to an extent, re: zangoose. i initially thought it was very broken, but was willing to give it time and now i am not 100% sold anymore. with that said, it is clearly more restricting than anything else in the tier right now and it does contribute a bit to the centralization of the standards in the metagame rn, which does not necessarily equate it to being broken, but can be a symptom depending on the situation itself. when it comes to zangoose, there is counterplay -- it cannot run knock and return, so either some defensive pokemon will be able to stomach a +6 hit or ghost types will hard wall it. pursuit support is nice and so is memento support, but you have to keep in mind that being in need of support does detract from the broken nature of a pokemon. ultimately, i would say it is at least an A rank pokemon, but probably A+ -- :cwl: @ thought of it being B+. we should not consider a suspect until after drops happen and we can at least settle for a little bit just bc of our current situation in a limbo of sorts, but i do think that it would be very realistic to suspect it after we reach a point of settling unless more means of counterplay or more measures that punish zangoose usage pop up in new metagame trends or the drops themselves.