Research Week: SM Edition [Done]

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Shoutouts to Mazz, Kitten Milk and King UU for hosting the previous editions of this project, and for the OP!
Hosted by Ark and eht

Hey there UUsers and welcome to Research Week: SM edition! In this project, participants research suggested Pokemon every week and share their experience. Whoever has the highest ladder score at the end of the week will be declared the winner. For details, see below.



Keep the following things in mind during every Research Week:

  • Be open-minded. Don't just say something is terrible and walk away; look at its stats, typing and movepool and think something up!
  • Feel free to theorymon early in the research period, but make it clear you're doing so. Later in the period, however, you will be expected to back up your posts with hard evidence like logs, actual sets, perhaps even teams.
  • Just because an analysis has been done for a Pokemon doesn't mean there isn't more to explore; it's very likely that something has gone unnoticed.
  • Do not post in this thread complaining about the Pokemon or movesets I choose and / or suggesting ones we should do for future weeks. Feel free to VM / PM me these suggestions, but don't expect me to always listen to you.


A few things to clarify:

  • Sign-ups can be as late as you want, but the week will always end on Friday.
  • Early period means the first three days of the Research Week, so let's keep the theorymoning to a minimum after this period. The late period refers to the last four days of the research week, where raw evidence and discussion should become the basis of the thread.
  • Discussion is mandatory in order to be considered as a winner of Research Week. If you do not post one somewhat-coherent post that describes the Pokemon that you're using, their roles, and their niche in the metagame, you will be disqualified from winning this week. Please post about your experiences regardless of whether you think you've got a chance to win or not.
  • Finally, I'd like to implore you to all please remember to post and save your replays. Often, these replays are the most informative sources of information about RW Pokemon - you can write a full two paragraphs about the role of a Pokemon, but often that can all be summed up with a video and an explanation of it. How useful are these Pokemon in SMUU? What gives them trouble? What advantages do they have over other Pokemon? How well do they work in the metagame? If you have anything to say about any of these Pokemon, please post about them! Remember, discussion is not limited to this topic, you are encouraged to talk about these Pokemon in the UU chat on Pokemon Showdown, in the official UU Discord, and in the Viability Ranking Thread.



This Week's Selection

Kommo-o @ Choice Specs
Ability: Bulletproof
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
filler nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Clanging Scales
- Focus Blast
- Flash Cannon
- Flamethrower

Hydreigon @ filler item
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
filler nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Tailwind
-
-
-

Flygon @ filler item
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
-
-
-



In order to participate you must do the following:

  • Post here with a fresh RW alt (such as RW GrilledClawitzer or RW King UU) and the name(s) of the Pokemon you will be using.
  • Use at least one of the Pokemon being researched.
  • Post your experiences with the Pokemon you're using, participate in the discussion!
  • Post logs of this Pokemon in action against other teams - don't just tell us, show us
  • The winner of the challenge will be the person who has the highest ladder ranking on the Pokemon Showdown UU ladder with their RW alt at the time the challenge ends. Winners will also receive a permanent spot in the SMUU Hall of Fame.

Week 16 deadline: Saturday, Sunday, June 4th at 11:59pm GMT+2
 
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This Archive will feature every week's winner as well as the researched Pokemon.

Snorlax
Ability:
EVs:
filler Nature
-
-
-
-

Metagross
Ability:
EVs:
filler Nature
-
-
-
-

Arcanine
Ability:
EVs:
filler Nature
-
-
-
-

Heliolisk
Ability:
EVs:
filler Nature
-
-
-
-

Swampert @ Choice Band
Ability:
EVs:
filler Nature
- Waterfall
- Superpower
-
-

Ribombee @ Choice Specs
Ability:
EVs:
filler Nature
- Moonblast
- Bug Buzz
- U-turn
-

Silvally @ Normalium Z
Ability: RKS System
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Explosion
- Flame Charge
- Return

Alomomola @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs:
Filler Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Healing Wish
- Scald
- Wish
- Protect

Bisharp @ filler item
Ability: Defiant
EVs:
filler nature
- Taunt
- Knock Off
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch

Amoonguss @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs:
Filler Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Spore
- Stun Spore
-
-

Mew @ filler item
Ability: Synchronize
EVs:
filler nature
- Volt Switch / U-turn
-
-
-

Cresselia (F) @ filler item
Ability: Levitate
EVs:
filler nature
-
-
-
-

Gastrodon @
Ability: Storm Drain
EVs:
filler nature
- Curse
- Recover
-
-

Haxorus @ filler item
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs:
filler nature
- Dual Chop
-
-
-

Celebi @ Grassium Z / Psychium Z
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs:
filler Nature
- Leaf Storm
- Psychic
-
-

Absol @ Absolite
Ability: Justified
EVs:
Naive Nature
- Knock Off
-
- Blizzard / Ice Beam
- Fire Blast

Primarina @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs:
filler Nature
- Scald
- Moonblast
- Rest
- Sleep Talk

Slowking @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs:
filler Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Future Sight
-
-

Chesnaught @ Eject Button
Ability: Bulletproof
EVs:
Impish Nature
- Drain Punch
- Synthesis
- Spikes
-

Venomoth @ Buginium Z
Ability: Tinted Lens
EVs:
filler Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Bug Buzz
- Quiver Dance
-
-

Suicune @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 40 SpD / 216 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
- Protect

Kyurem @ filler item
Ability: Pressure
filler evs
filler nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Roost
-
-

Clefable @ filler item
Ability: filler
filler evs
filler nature
- Stored Power
-
-
-

Swampert @ filler item
Ability: filler ability
filler evs
- Mirror Coat
-
-
-

Bronzong @ filler item
Ability: Levitate
EVs: filler evs
Brave Nature
- Trick Room
- Gyro Ball
-
-

Tornadus (M) @ filler item
Ability: filler ability
filler evs
filler nature
-
-
-
-

Cofagrigus @ Ghostium Z
Ability: Mummy
filler evs
filler nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Shadow Ball
- Nasty Plot
- Trick Room
-

Minior-Meteor @ filler item
Ability: Shields Down
filler evs
filler nature
- Shell Smash
-
-
-

Feraligatr @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
filler evs
filler nature
-
-
-
-

Nidoqueen @ filler item
Ability: filler
filler evs
filler nature
- Toxic Spikes
-
-
-

Shuckle @ filler item
Ability: Sturdy
filler evs
filler nature
- Sticky Web
-
-
-

Jellicent @ filler item
Ability: Water Absorb
filler evs
filler nature
-
-
-
-

Talonflame @ Flyinium Z
Ability: Gale Wings
filler EVs
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz
-

Persian-Alola @ filler item
Ability: Fur Coat
filler EVs
filler Nature
-
-
-
-

Mienshao @ Choice Band
Ability: Reckless
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
-
-
-
-

Honchkrow @ filler item
Ability: Moxie
filler EVs
filler nature
-
-
-
-

Azelf @ filler item
Ability: Levitate
filler EVs
filler nature
- Nasty Plot
-
-
-

Empoleon @ filler item
Ability: Torrent
252 SpA / filler
filler nature
-
-
-
-

Heracross @ filler item
filler ability
filler evs
filler nature
-
-
-
-

Ninetales @ filler item
Ability: Drought
filler evs
filler nature
-
-
-
-

Swellow @ Choice Specs
Ability: Scrappy
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid nature
- Boomburst
-
-
-

Crawdaunt @ filler item
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
filler nature
-
-
-
-

Terrakion @ Salac Berry
Ability: Justified
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Substitute
- Stone Edge
- Swords Dance

Crobat @ Choice Band
Ability: Inner Focus
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
-
-
-

Porygon2 @ Eviolite
filler ability
filler evs
filler nature
-
-
-
-

Lucario @ filler item
filler ability
filler evs
filler item
-
-
-
-

Rotom-Mow @ filler item
Ability: Levitate
filler evs
filler nature
-
-
-
-

Kommo-o @ Choice Specs
Ability: Bulletproof
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
filler nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Clanging Scales
- Focus Blast
- Flash Cannon
- Flamethrower

Hydreigon @ filler item
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
filler nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Tailwind
-
-
-

Flygon @ filler item
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
-
-
-
 
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omg i remember doing these when oras was first being developed :O

probs won't have time to ladder for this, but i know metagross can serve as an offensive clef check that can also set up rocks and surprise check scizor and other threats with random coverage like HP fire

Calc seems to be down but with life orb and a -spdef nature it can do a significant chunk if not 0hko offensive variants with some investment
 

HotFuzzBall

fuzzy-chan \(ㆁヮㆁ✿)
is an Artist
This is the Heliolisk set I'm testing


Heliolisk @ Normalium Z
Ability: Dry Skin
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hyper Beam
- Volt Switch
- Thunderbolt
- Grass Knot

One of Heliolisk's biggest flaws for me was its 4MSS situation back in ORAS. Volt Switch and Normal-STAB are mandatory while the last 2 slots can be filled with either Thunderbolt or a coverage move through HP Ice, Grass Knot, Signal Beam, Focus Blast, or Surf. Now with the addition of Z-Crystals, Heliolisk no longer has that problem of "it walls one thing with this move but, gets bodied without another move" (idk what to call it, hope that makes sense). Z-Hyper Beam allows Heliolisk to either knock out or severely chunk Pokemon such as Celebi, Gliscor, Hippowdon, Nidoqueen, Amoonguss, and etc. once they are able to scout Heliolisk's last slot, in this case for me it is Grass Knot. Z-Hyper Voice can be used instead but it misses out on chances to KO certain Pokemon.

I'll make a formal post (or edit this one) once I actually get some nice replays since Heliolisk hasn't done much so far (and I'm also low ladder atm).
 
In as RW CFal

Testing Metagross and Arcanine

This is the Metagross set I've been using:

Metagross @ Expert Belt
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 220 Atk / 112 SpA / 176 Spe
Naughty Nature
- Meteor Mash
- Earthquake
- Grass Knot
- Hidden Power Fire

It's designed to lure in the bulky Ground types Metagross normally struggles with and hit them hard. Meteor Mash is the STAB move, which can also boost Attack. Earthquake hits opposing Steel-types hard, and 2HKOes defensive Arcanine on the switch. Grass Knot 2HKOes physically defensive Hippowdon and OHKOes Swampert after it's switched into Earthquake. I use it alongside SubCM Raikou - it lures in and weakens the Pokemon it struggles with like Swampert, Hippowdon and Quagsire.

Here's a Replay:

http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7uu-532298023
 
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Sylveon.

Penny saved is still a fucking penny
Tho for some reason I always forget to save replays(I'll do from now on also I am fairly low ladder rn)

Metagross @ Life Orb
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naughty Nature
- Meteor Mash
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Explosion

Since I am running volt-turn HO, main purpose of this set is to lure in fat stuff which tend to annoy such builds, and basically blow through them using powerful life orb boosted explosion, KOing most stuff and weakens things like cresslia, suicune etc. Hidden Power fire can be used on an unsuspecting forretress and scizor, life orb makes up for no investment in special attack and max speed is chosen to outspeed most variants of mega blastoise and KO them if necessary. It's an decent option for offensive teams in general, as metagross's typing allows it to soak some random hit and in turn it basically hits something or tries to break through conventional fat stuff.
Will post replays as soon as I get some good ones, and I am still trying different sets on heliolisk.
 
I was secretly hoping someone would bring back MixGross lol

Anyway, I don't profess to being an amazing battler, and with a new job I don't have a lot of time to ladder...and I'm not very good at team building either but let me tell you about Snorlax.



Snorlax @ Choice Band
Thick Fat
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 SpD
Brave nature
- Return
- Facade
- Earthquake
- Pursuit

I was intrigued by the sheer power of STAB 110 Atk CB Returns, so thought I'd give this set a try. Of course, one of Snorlax's biggest problems is that 30 base Spe. The remedy? Try a Trick Room team!

I'm having mixed results. Reeeally wish there was an item that extended Trick Room's duration :( But sometimes it works out, like in this battle:

http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7uu-531631677

CB Snorlax claims two kills while dropping Golisopod low enough to die to rocks. It's a very strong mon...I'm just too scared to use it outside of a gimmick lol

CurseLax paired with Bisharp to trap Ghosts is on the drawing board. I'm also running a Drizzle-less Rain team for Heliolisk and it's kinda dumb but wins somehow :V
 
Managed to hit 1350 today, not sure how much higher I'll get - I'm not a great battler, and in these early stages the ladder's full of people running random shit. Found someone running Calm Mind Entei the other day, which was a thing back in BW RU, but it hasn't been viable for a long time.
 
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Hey everyone! Now that around half the week is over, I just wanted to take a short time to review what I have learned from either you posting, or me talking to you all.

As someone who has used Snorlax in the beta, albeit in its AV set to take on Raikou better, I am glad to hear you guys are enjoying it. I believe what has changed for Snorlax is the fact that there are a lot more Pokemon that can threaten it, especially after it has set up. As such, sets with immediate power like Choice Band or Assault Vest seem best to me. Facade is a nifty tool to take advantage of scaldburns and toxic spikes, but it comes at the cost of wearing Snorlax down faster. I have heard good things about such sets, and I am glad it seems to work somewhat for you, Rawbi. I do encourage you to try it outside of Trick Room, though, as it can still switch into many Pokemon like Clefable and Mantine, which lets it fire off strong Returns or Facades. Since these Pokemon are commonly found with Scizor, Fire Punch may be worth running over Earthquake, or even over Pursuit if you are using another trapper.

I was sure Metagross was still great, as its typing lets it pivot into some scary threats like Latias (although it has to watch out for HP Fire). It's one of the mons that allow for a lot of customization, and can be customized to help its team out better. I am not surprised to see its mixed sets return, and I like what I have seen from you ChrystalFalchion and darksylvion. Hidden Power Fire seems like a really good option on Metagross right now, given how common Scizor is and how easily it deals with other Metagross sets. However, I believe there is still merit to Banded sets for wallbreaking, or Assault Vest sets with Pursuit to trap Latias. Metagross still has a lot of untapped potential.

Arcanine has been a bit disappointing, or so I have heard. Sadly, no one here has shared their results publicly yet, but I know that Cynde has not been enjoying it. While it does take on Fire-types like Entei and this week's special guest, Victini, it is pressured by Stealth Rock very heavily. On top of that, Hippowdon is omnipresent and stops it from recovering up properly. With coverage options like Wild Charge, it is a defensive Pokemon weak to water that does not let Primarina in for free, so I guess that's something, but I have not heard many positive things about Arcanine. What do the rest of you think? Maybe you will have a bit more of a positive experience. Also, do not feel pressured into sharing your exploits now, as there is still half a week left and so long you share your thoughts before the deadline, everything is fine!

The last of the 4 Pokemon being researched this week is Heliolisk. Originally, I wanted to use it because we had just lost Thundurus, and I thought that it would be cool to have another Electric-type that can pressure Hippowdon. I have not seen or heard too much on it, but the set HotFuzzBall posted seems cool. I have been wondering how Choice Specs and Life Orb sets fare in the current meta, as I see some merit to them, but I sadly have not gotten around to testing them yet. Forgive me for this bit of theorymonning, but Signal Beam Heliolisk + Keldeo also seems like it would be a cool combination, as it allows Heliolisk to remove one of the more common Keldeo checks in Celebi. I wonder what the end results on Heliolisk will be after this week as I am really curious about this mon's viability.

There is still half a week left, and I hope all of you are enjoying your time. I know ladder can not always be the kindest place, and will sometimes surprise you with coverage you did not expect or items that seem rather random, but as long as all of you are having fun, everything is fine. I'm looking forward to results from each and every one of you! Happy testing!
 
Yeah I've found Arcanine a major disappointment. Its defensive set is OK, but I'd rather use Rotom-H - it has STAB Volt Switch so it's not a momentum drain, and also packs Electric and Flying resistances, letting it check Honchkrow better. It's also not as weak to hazards thanks to Levitate. As an offensive Fire type, I prefer Victini or Infernape - they both have better movepools and Infernape isn't weak to Stealth Rock. Hopefully it'll find a more forgiving home in RU.

Metagross on the other hand has been surprisingly good. The set I've had the best results with is a suicide lead set with Explosion, but its mixed set has been much more effective than I was expecting.
 
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esche

Frust kommt auf, denn der Bus kommt nicht
is a Tiering Contributor Alumnus
Arcanine hasn't been working out for me either. Defensive just gets U-turned on by Scizor and with Rocks up it's constantly pressured to recover. The recovery option is not even good with Hippo around and being a Fire type that doesn't even check Bisharp does not help its case either since you will have to stack up on checks for it. It just requires way too much support to be worth a slot from my experience. Defensive Infernape does everything better than Arcanine at the moment checking Scizor and Bisharp while providing some extra utility options in Taunt and SR.

Metagross, however, I really like. I too have been messing around with MixGross and opted for a set of Meteor Mash, HP Fire, Grass Knot and Pursuit. I wanted this to be able to reliably trap Latias as well as luring in Hippowdon and Swampert with Grass Knot, and Scizor (and Forretress) with HP Fire. I toyed around with EV spreads for a while and this is what I came up with:

Last Sunray (Metagross) @ Leftovers
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 204 HP / 64 Atk / 192 SpA / 48 Spe
Brave Nature
- Meteor Mash
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Grass Knot
- Pursuit

  • 192 SpA Metagross Grass Knot (120 BP) vs. 248 HP / 184 SpD Hippowdon: 210-248 (50.1 - 59.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
  • 192 SpA Metagross Grass Knot (80 BP) vs. 240 HP / 12 SpD Swampert: 292-344 (72.8 - 85.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
  • 192 SpA Metagross Grass Knot (80 BP) vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Quagsire: 380-448 (96.4 - 113.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
  • 192 SpA Metagross Hidden Power Fire vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Scizor: 168-200 (48.9 - 58.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
  • 192 SpA Metagross Hidden Power Fire vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Scizor: 244-288 (71.1 - 83.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
  • 192 SpA Metagross Hidden Power Fire vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Scizor: 244-288 (86.8 - 102.4%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
  • 192 SpA Metagross Hidden Power Fire vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Forretress: 200-236 (56.4 - 66.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
  • 64+ Atk Metagross Pursuit vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Latias: 96-114 (31.8 - 37.8%) -- 91.7% chance to 3HKO
  • If Lati decides to stay in once on Meta it's basically dead if you spam Pursuit (very miniscule chance to live after it recovers up to full + switches and at that point it dies to Rocks). Be wary of HP Fire!
  • 252 SpA Life Orb Latias Hidden Power Fire vs. 208 HP / 0 SpD Metagross: 166-198 (47 - 56%) -- 19.5% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery


This spread hits the last available Leftovers number, 2HKOs Hippo and Pert, OHKOs Quag after Rocks, 2HKOs max SpDef Forretress and Scizor (the latter after Rocks), has enough speed to outpace uninvested Scizor (+ a little creep) and traps Latias pretty reliably.

I partnered this with SubCM Raikou and have been getting good results.

Edit: Replay Metagross successfully traps Latias (even though I do get a low roll on the turn it switches out, it just dies to Rocks later on), kills Forretress, but unfortunately misses Mash on Araquanid which would have put it in T-bolt range from where Raiko would have just won. Don't mind the end game, I do everything I can to turn the tables around but ultimately don't get rewarded for making the right plays. Oh well it still showcases MixGross, so it's fine I guess.
 
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