Project SV OU - Victim of the Week (Week 50: Choice Band Dragapult) [OPEN FOR SUBS!]

[kd458]

Voting is now open! Thank you everyone who participated in this cycle, sorry for voting going up a little later than usual this week!

Checks

from chartung17
from Lectrys
from NotDaProGamer
from Unmasked
from Mugenman88
from nines!
from InvisibleWater
from Ehmcee
from Wooloomax
from Anchor9
from AvaluggVGC

Counters

from chartung17
from NotDaProGamer
from Unmasked
from Admiral_Stalfos19
PhysDef from Ehmcee
from Wooloomax
from Anchor9

Voting will end on January 17th at 11:59pm EST!
You may vote for up to 2 checks and 2 counters.​

 

[Mugenman88]

Hot damn, lots of submissions this week, is this a new record for submitted checks? Perhaps total submissions?

Checks:
Counters:

 

[NotDaProGamer]

Hot damn, lots of submissions this week, is this a new record for submitted checks?

Checks:
Counters:

Going to echo this sentiment with:
11 checks!
7 counters!
Hard to pick two of each... but
Checks: and (I like creativity)
Counters:

 

[Lectrys]

Checks:
Counters:

 

[Unmasked]

Checks:
Counters:

 

[InvisibleWater]

Checks:
Counters:

 

[Ehmcee]

Checks: ,

Counters:

 

[AvaluggVGC]

Checks:
Counter:

 

[kd458]

Thanks for voting everyone! Due to the larger number of submissions (Currently giving us a 4-way tie for the counter) we will be extending the voting deadline to tonight, January 18th at 11:59pm EST! Thank you again for your patience!

 

[1LDK]

Checks: and

Counters: and

 

[Anchor9]

Checks:

Counters:

 

[viivian]

Checks: ,

Counters: ,

 

[NotDaProGamer]

Thanks for voting everyone! Due to the larger number of submissions (Currently giving us a 4-way tie for the counter) we will be extending the voting deadline to tonight, January 18th at 11:59pm EST! Thank you again for your patience!

I think bozo wins unless we're extending it more for some reason.

 

[kd458]

Apologies for the further delay - due to some unforseen circumstances, I will also be hosting this next week! Thank you everyone for voting and for your patience, this week's winners are...

Checks
by Mugenman88
by nines!

Counter
by chartung17​

Congratulations, your sets will be added to the hall of fame! This week, we'll be looking at a new evolution that joined us in DLC2, a powerful Dragon-type with incredible bulk and the raw power to match. No, I'm not talking about Hydrapple... look out for Assault Vest Archaludon!

Archaludon @ Assault Vest
Ability: Stamina
EVs: 200 HP / 252 SpA / 56 Spe
Tera Type: Fairy
Modest Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Flash Cannon
- Body Press
- Electro Shot

AV Archaludon is a monster with few switch-ins and even fewer with the ability to take it down without being traded off of the field, with a powerful Draco Meteor that combines with Body Press to target potential walls on both their physical and special sides. Flash Cannon is a good neutral STAB option that also gives you coverage against Fairy-types, while Electro Shot is a two-turn move that boosts your Special Attack on the first turn and more importantly is reduced to a single turn in the rain. This, along with Tera Fairy to flip your Fighting weakness while gaining a generally good neutral typing, lets even an Assault Vest set rapidly snowball out of control with both these SpAtk boosts and Defense boosts from Stamina, while its AV patches up its naturally low SpDef stat. With the rain up, this mon is incredibly hard to handle in a way that doesn't take down at least one of your Pokemon - are you up to the challenge?

Submissions are open until Tuesday, January 23rd at 11:59PM EST
You may submit up to 1 check and 1 counter!​

 

[Anchor9]

Counter



Ting-Lu @ Leftovers
Ability: Vessel of Ruin
Tera Type: Poison
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Spikes
- Earthquake
- Whirlwind
- Ruination

Ting-Lu can swap in and absorb the Electro shot and precede to at least 3HKO Archaludon. Ting-Lu can also Whirlwind Archaludon and its boosts away and survive nearly anything. To avoid being 3HKOed by Body Press, Ting-Lu can Tera Poison.

Turn 1: 0 Atk Ting-Lu Earthquake vs. 200 HP / 0 Def Archaludon: 186-222 (50.1 - 59.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Turn 2: 0 Atk Ting-Lu Earthquake vs. +1 200 HP / 0 Def Archaludon: 126-150 (33.9 - 40.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

Turn 3: 0 Atk Ting-Lu Earthquake vs. +2 200 HP / 0 Def Archaludon: 96-114 (25.8 - 30.7%) -- guaranteed 4HKO

Things Ting-Lu can survive and then Whirlwind away:

+4 252+ SpA Archaludon Draco Meteor vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Vessel of Ruin Ting-Lu: 424-499 (82.4 - 97%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

+5 0 Def Archaludon Body Press vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Ting-Lu: 414-488 (80.5 - 94.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

 

[InvisibleWater]

Clodsire @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Tera Type: Water
Careful Nature
- Toxic
- Stealth Rock / Spikes
- Recover
- Earthquake

Clodsire is a counter. Unaware allows Clodsire to ignore both the Special Attack boosts from Electro Shot and the Defense boosts from Stamina. This means that, barring a lucky Special Defense drop from Flash Cannon, Archaludon has no way to boost its damage against it, and Clodsire's typing and bulk ensure that none of its attacks do much damage on their own. While Clodsire doesn't deal much damage on its own, Earthquake is a guaranteed 3HKO thanks to how Unaware interacts with Stamina. Archaludon can avoid this by Terastalizing, but that makes it vulnerable to Toxic.

Calcs

0 Atk Clodsire Earthquake vs. 200 HP / 0 Def Archaludon: 134-162 (36.1 - 43.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
0 Atk Clodsire Earthquake vs. 200 HP / 0 Def Tera Fairy Archaludon: 67-81 (18 - 21.8%) -- possible 5HKO


252+ SpA Archaludon Draco Meteor vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Clodsire: 163-193 (35.2 - 41.6%) -- 82.8% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Archaludon Flash Cannon vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Clodsire: 102-120 (22 - 25.9%) -- possible 5HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 Def Archaludon Body Press vs. 248 HP / 8 Def Clodsire: 53-63 (11.4 - 13.6%) -- possibly the worst move ever

 

[Lectrys]

Check


Gholdengo @ Choice Specs
Ability: Good as Gold
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Make It Rain
- Shadow Ball
- Trick
- Focus Blast / Nasty Plot / Recover

While an uncommon item choice, Gholdengo can still use Choice Specs and tear holes into anything slower than it. This includes AV Archaludon.

252 SpA Choice Specs Gholdengo Shadow Ball vs. 200 HP / 0 SpD Assault Vest Archaludon: 189-223 (50.9 - 60.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Archaludon Draco Meteor vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Gholdengo: 122-144 (38.7 - 45.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252+ SpA Archaludon Electro Shot vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Gholdengo: 163-192 (51.7 - 60.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+1 252+ SpA Archaludon Electro Shot vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Gholdengo: 244-288 (77.4 - 91.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

 

[Unmasked]

Check:


Look who's back again.

Sylveon @ Choice Specs
Ability: Pixilate
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hyper Beam
- Tera Blast
- Psyshock
- Shadow Ball


Archaludon can try what it wants, but Sylveon will not fall, even after after Archaludon KO'ed a previous mon with Electro Shot.
+1 252+ SpA Archaludon Flash Cannon vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Sylveon: 332-392 (84.2 - 99.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO


Sylveon can then proceed to grab a KO.
252+ SpA Choice Specs Pixilate Sylveon Hyper Beam vs. 200 HP / 0 SpD Assault Vest Archaludon: 408-480 (109.9 - 129.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Counter:


Deoxys-Defense @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
Tera Type: Poison
EVs: 236 HP / 252 SpD / 20 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Amnesia
- Recover
- Night Shade
- Teleport

If Duraludon thinks it can use its Flash Cannon Draco Meteor combo, think again.
+1 252+ SpA Archaludon Flash Cannon vs. 236 HP / 252+ SpD Deoxys-Defense: 108-127 (36 - 42.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

Deoxys outspeeds and uses Amnesia right after.
+1 252+ SpA Archaludon Draco Meteor over 2 turns vs. +2 236 HP / 252+ SpD Deoxys-Defense: 133-159 (44.3 - 53%) -- not a KO
Or:
+1 252+ SpA Archaludon Flash Cannon vs. +2 236 HP / 252+ SpD Deoxys-Defense: 54-64 (18 - 21.3%) -- 65% chance to 3HKO

Deoxys can then proceed to use Recover and Amnesia in any way it likes. Since Archaludon is unable to KO Deoxys anymore.
If Archaludon thinks of using Electro Shot, Deoxys can easily react by using Recover or Amnesia before it fires it off.
+2 252+ SpA Archaludon Electro Shot vs. +2 236 HP / 252+ SpD Deoxys-Defense: 78-92 (26 - 30.6%) -- 25.8% chance to 2HKO

You can use Teleport to safely switch in a teammate when needed somehow.

Deoxys can proceed to use Night Shade to slowly chip away Archaludon's HP whenever it wants.
Deoxys-Defense Night Shade vs. 200 HP Archaludon: 100-100 (26.9 - 26.9%) -- guaranteed 4HKO

 

[AvaluggVGC]

View attachment 594815

I forgot this shi was uber lmao

 

[Ehmcee]

Reserving Iron Treads

 

[AvaluggVGC]

So my brain short circuit and it turns out unlike all the other incarnate forms, Lando-I is not in fact OU legal

Counter:

Ursaluna @ Flame Orb
Ability: Guts
Tera Type: Poison
EVs: 252 HP / 64 Atk / 188 Def / 4 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Headlong Rush
- Facade
- Gunk Shot
- Protect

Ursaluna is bulky enough to switch into a draco and survive the next hit, while body press only does max 29.7% unboosted, making it a safe switch. It's ground typing allows it to switch in on electro shots, and flash cannon only does a max of 42.8%. It can then pick up a KO with headlong rush, but it can also scout for tera fairy using protect and allowing itself to activate flame orb before KOing in return, if it switched in for a revenge kill. Even though gunk shot rarely OHKOs tera fairy arch, it turns the body press weakness into a resistance, allowing it to take the incoming body press even better than before, and allowing it to go for a clean 2HKO.

Notable Calcs:

Defensive:
252+ SpA Archaludon Draco Meteor vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Ursaluna: 271-321 (58.4 - 69.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after burn damage
0 Def Archaludon Body Press vs. 252 HP / 188 Def Ursaluna: 116-138 (25 - 29.7%) -- 1.1% chance to 3HKO after burn damage

Offensive:
64+ Atk Guts Ursaluna Headlong Rush vs. 200 HP / 0 Def Archaludon: 476-564 (128.3 - 152%) -- guaranteed OHKO
64+ Atk Guts Ursaluna Gunk Shot vs. 200 HP / 0 Def Tera Fairy Archaludon: 318-376 (85.7 - 101.3%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO

Check: after going on a zinc bulk

Ursaluna @ Flame Orb
Ability: Guts
Tera Type: Poison
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Headlong Rush
- Gunk Shot
- Facade
- Protect

TL;DR:
Switch in on dracos or electro shots, scout for tera fairy with protect, proceed to punish.

If you want more detailed explanations open the spoiler

Wall of Text

Ursaluna can't counter arch, but its a damn good check. The only thing stopping ursaluna is the fact that it relies on protect to bait the tera fairy. Most of the same principles apply from before, now with even more bulk to tank those pesky +1 dracos. If they try to follow up with body press, you tera poison and kill it with headlong rush because you move after it, rendering the defense drops nonexistent. As for -1 flash cannon, it only deals 20%, which is just 1% off of the max roll +1 draco can do. They can of course, draco twice and pick up the K.O., but that leaves them vulnerable to setup from other mons. They cannot safely tera on your headlong rushes for fear of protect, and body press is still only does a max of 8.8% on tera poison. Once again, you can scout for their tera with protect, and then tera poison yourself to OHKO with gunk shot, but if arch has been chipped before, it gets murked by non tera gunk shot as well. The one issue is them using tera on your headlong rush, but that problem should be somewhat mitigated with protect scouting. The main issue is with scouting with protect and working around tera, which ultimately falls down to mind games. Seeing that arch does in fact, have a path to victory, and ursaluna being reliant on its team means that luna cannot be a counter, but it can accomplish much more against arch than most other checks, and so sits in the space between a counter and a check. This is all of course considering that both opponents know each other's set, and considering the fact you switched in on electro shot.

If you switch in on unboosted draco, they have no chance of winning because of tera poison, and you can ohko them with headlong rush, and even if you get -1 drops in both of your defenses, they cannot K.O. you back in any one shot with any of their moves. Even electro shot in the rain will not be enough because it only brings them back to -1 SpA.

Notable Calcs

Offensive:
4 Atk Guts Ursaluna Headlong Rush vs. 200 HP / 0 Def Archaludon: 414-488 (111.5 - 131.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
4 Atk Guts Tera Poison Ursaluna Gunk Shot vs. 200 HP / 0 Def Tera Fairy Archaludon: 414-488 (111.5 - 131.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Defensive:
+1 252+ SpA Archaludon Draco Meteor vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Ursaluna: 282-333 (60.7 - 71.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after burn damage
252+ SpA Archaludon Draco Meteor vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Ursaluna: 189-223 (40.7 - 48%) -- 6.6% chance to 2HKO after burn damage
+1 0 Def Archaludon Body Press vs. -1 252 HP / 0 Def Tera Poison Ursaluna: 77-91 (16.5 - 19.6%) -- guaranteed 5HKO after burn damage
-1 252+ SpA Archaludon Electro Shot vs. -1 252 HP / 252+ SpD Tera Poison Ursaluna: 126-149 (27.1 - 32.1%) -- 71.3% chance to 3HKO after burn damage

Check:

Landorus-Therian (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Intimidate
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 100 Atk / 156 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Stone Edge
- Stealth Rock

EV spread allows for switch in on draco even with rocks damage. Blow it up with eq or pivot with u-turn and force tera.

 

[NotDaProGamer]

Da Toed is here as a Counter.

Toedscruel @ Choice Specs
Ability: Mycelium Might
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 SpD
Modest Nature
- Earth Power
- Giga Drain
- Rapid Spin
- Sludge Bomb
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Ground Toedscruel Earth Power vs. 200 HP / 0 SpD Assault Vest Archaludon: 444-524 (119.6 - 141.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Ground Toedscruel Earth Power vs. 200 HP / 0 SpD Assault Vest Tera Fairy Archaludon: 222-262 (59.8 - 70.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
If it does not tera, it just one shots.
If it teras, Toed outspeeds and just kills it again.
2 draco meteors (one on the switch and one on the turn that it teras) fails to kill the TOED.
252+ SpA Tera Fairy Archaludon Draco Meteor over 2 turns vs. 4 HP / 252 SpD Tera Ground Toedscruel: 238-281 (78.8 - 93%) -- not a KO.
Nope, doesn't work.

Britain's best Special Attacker is here as a check!

Polteageist @ Focus Sash
Ability: Weak Armor
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Shell Smash
- Shadow Ball
- Stored Power
- Giga Drain
Literally just normal Polteageist shenanigans. Tank a hit with sash and get weak armor proc, shell smash and run over teams without priority. But before we can do that...
General, FIRE THE CANNONS!
+2 252+ SpA Tera Ghost Polteageist Shadow Ball vs. 200 HP / 0 SpD Assault Vest Archaludon: 372-438 (100.2 - 118%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Counter

Blissey @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stored Power
- Soft-Boiled
- Heal Bell
- Calm Mind
lmao get rekt
It's literally calm mind stored power lol, screw arch when we tera ghost and we balling.

 

[kd458]

Thank you for the submissions everyone, glad to see some creativity in the checks and counters being discussed!

Counter:

Da Toed is here as a Counter.

Toedscruel @ Choice Specs

Unfortunately, neither of these are true counters as they cannot safely switch in on an attack and 1v1 Archaludon! If Arch opts to Tera Fairy, neither mon can OHKO it while a +1 Draco Meteor can OHKO both in return if you switched in on an Electro Shot, and unboosted Flash Cannon into Draco Meteor is also a roll to kill both trying to switch in.

Defensive Calcs

Ursaluna
+1 252+ SpA Archaludon Draco Meteor vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Ursaluna: 408-480 (87.9 - 103.4%) -- 25% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Archaludon Flash Cannon vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Ursaluna: 168-198 (36.2 - 42.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after burn damage
252+ SpA Archaludon Draco Meteor vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Ursaluna: 271-321 (58.4 - 69.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after burn damage
Toedscruel
+1 252+ SpA Archaludon Draco Meteor vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Toedscruel: 289-342 (96 - 113.6%) -- 75% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Archaludon Flash Cannon vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Toedscruel: 118-141 (39.2 - 46.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252+ SpA Archaludon Draco Meteor vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Toedscruel: 193-228 (64.1 - 75.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

AvaluggVGC Ursaluna doesn't safely 1v1 Arch from a level playing field, since if Arch opts to Tera you only have a 12.5% chance to OHKO it with Gunk Shot and they 2HKO you with Flash Cannon into Draco with Burn damage - perhaps a set with SpDef investment could work here, with Earthquake to prevent Defense drops if they Tera on your hit?

NotDaProGamer Toedscruel does function as a check, though your other check is also a fine submission if a little Tera-reliant - it's up to you which you want to submit or if you'd like to workshop the Toed set into a counter!

 

[NotDaProGamer]

Thank you for the submissions everyone, glad to see some creativity in the checks and counters being discussed!


Unfortunately, neither of these are true counters as they cannot safely switch in on an attack and 1v1 Archaludon! If Arch opts to Tera Fairy, neither mon can OHKO it while a +1 Draco Meteor can OHKO both in return if you switched in on an Electro Shot, and unboosted Flash Cannon into Draco Meteor is also a roll to kill both trying to switch in.

Defensive Calcs

Ursaluna
+1 252+ SpA Archaludon Draco Meteor vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Ursaluna: 408-480 (87.9 - 103.4%) -- 25% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Archaludon Flash Cannon vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Ursaluna: 168-198 (36.2 - 42.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after burn damage
252+ SpA Archaludon Draco Meteor vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Ursaluna: 271-321 (58.4 - 69.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after burn damage
Toedscruel
+1 252+ SpA Archaludon Draco Meteor vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Toedscruel: 289-342 (96 - 113.6%) -- 75% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Archaludon Flash Cannon vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Toedscruel: 118-141 (39.2 - 46.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252+ SpA Archaludon Draco Meteor vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Toedscruel: 193-228 (64.1 - 75.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

AvaluggVGC Ursaluna doesn't safely 1v1 Arch from a level playing field, since if Arch opts to Tera you only have a 12.5% chance to OHKO it with Gunk Shot and they 2HKO you with Flash Cannon into Draco with Burn damage - perhaps a set with SpDef investment could work here, with Earthquake to prevent Defense drops if they Tera on your hit?

NotDaProGamer Toedscruel does function as a check, though your other check is also a fine submission if a little Tera-reliant - it's up to you which you want to submit or if you'd like to workshop the Toed set into a counter!

i used a blob. blob stronk. Tera Ghost blob kill stuffs. Blob Power!

 

[kd458]

Voting is now open! Remember, you can only submit one check and one counter - I'll be accepting Ursaluna over Landorus due to its much better ability to handle Tera'd Archaludon!

Checks

by Lectrys
by Unmasked
by AvaluggVGC
by NotDaProGamer

Counters

by Anchor9
by InvisibleWater
Amnesia by Unmasked
by NotDaProGamer

Voting will end on January 25th at 11:59pm EST!
You may vote for 1 check and 1 counter!​