OU Theorymon (CHALLENGE FORMAT ON PS)

[xJownage]

I am suprised nobody mentioned protean goodra yet; now with either an assault vest or leftovers it becomes a really intriguing tank. It is quite bulky (especially with AV) and can abuse type changes if you invest in speed, and if you don't it just sits there. It will hit much harder, which is one of its highest drawbacks (along with mono-dragon typing).

Moxie weavile is scary good. Swords dance would be so good on weavile but it doesn't get it, however moxie is a nice replacement. With a sash or LO (LO especially), this thing lights up a good portion of the OU meta (sash can ensure multiple moxie boosts if played right) and has ice shard for priority to beat out potential revenge killers. Ice shard OHKOs most of them too, many of them weak to ice, such as lant, garchomp, etc.

Mega Absol just got really good with the addition of parting shot and fairy typing. Its a great offensive magic bouncer and stallbreaker, having tons of coverage, power, and it adds momentum. Would be amazing if we could use this with mega steelix. The stab knock off is great enough, but allowing it to pivot and adding stab to play rough just makes it really good.

Cradily is very bulky, but the recovery could be a problem. It also has a meh typing, while certainly not bad, it really is eaten up by a good portion of the physical OU meta.

How about Mantine? It has defog and roost, as well as a unique typing. 4x weak to electric and 2x weak to rock, it has a boatload of resists and a nice ground and water immunity. Roost allows it to be a great specially defensive defogger, and with access to scald, we all know how hard bulky waters with reliable recovery are to take down. Could be a staple on stall teams (maybe).

Technician Mega Abomasnow is actually interesting because its ice shards hit noticeably harder. Early in XY there were people using it in OU because it was anti-meta, but its matchup reliance let it slip into the low rankings. Well, it has swords dance, and let me tell you that is a recipe for sweeping hyper offensive teams. It also has nice coverage, so I am really looking forward to using it.

 

[GlassVeins]

Well, if you're looking for a buffed/non-buffed core, there's this:

+

and/or

pure offensive power there!
mega-meta can absorb any special type moves directed at m-meta, who can annihilate fairies that the other two hate. absol can help him set up agility with parting shot, and everyone knows how sweet mmeta is at +2 speed.

 

[skies]

xJownage small nitpick, but Weavile actually can learn Swords Dance.

 

[Sun King]

Alright hello!

Just got the word from The Immortal ; OU Theorymon is now playable on PS. It's under a challenge format, so you have to challenge someone in order to play the meta. Happy battling!

Once again, a MAAAAAAJOR thank you to The Immortal :D

 

[astroboy]

hooray for cores

+

so uh this is a cool core which is basically alternate birdspam (except its theorymon but yeah)
chops is a cool wallbreaker with a great movepool, offensive stats, and now a not-totally-trash ability! it's able to soften up walls with its high BP stabs and ability to pretty much beat all rock setters (lol except garchomp, but i can't see it it being too used in this meta) and potentially set up that of its own. basically just head smash until you get in sitrus range, get some health back, and spam acrobatics till you faint.
pidgeot is super good in this... focus blast makes it even better of a wallbreaker than it was, getting amazing coverage that doesn't really have any resistances aegislash lol, and acts as a cleaner once chops has weakened walls with its great speed, good special attack with high base power moves with no downside to use it with. hazard removal is great with this core cause of the obvious rock weakness. lightningrod empoleon in particular is a great partner, as it resists electric moves that can put this core, whereas the birds can handle its ground weakness and get the KO on most fighting types

sets

Archeops @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Vital Spirit
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Acrobatics
- Heat Wave
- Taunt/Roost/Stealth Rock
- Head Smash

Pidgeot-Mega @ Pidgeotite
Ability: No Guard
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: NaN Atk
- Focus Blast
- Hurricane
- Roost
- Work Up/U-Turn

also

Cradily is very bulky, but the recovery could be a problem. It also has a meh typing, while certainly not bad, it really is eaten up by a good portion of the physical OU meta.

it learns recover?

this is really cool, glad theorymon's programmed now :)

 

[Isa Simple]

I'm thinking that Hidden Power Ice could actually be a decent option on Archeops. It has 112 SpA, so it isn't piss weak, and it allows Archeops to 2HKO things that would otherwise be strong checks to it such as physically defensive variants of Garchomp, Landorus-T and Gliscor.

Anyway, here is a sort of Hyper Offense Core I was thinking about.

Mega Absol + Scizor

+

This is a pretty simple concept really. Together they form a pseudo Volt-Turn core with Parting Shot and U-turn. Scizor resists all 3 of Mega Absol's weaknesses, meaning Mega Absol can Parting Shot on any incoming Steel, Fairy or Poison type moves out to Scizor, allowing for as easy free switch in and Swords Dance. The two are also a couple of the strongest Priority users in the game, putting immense pressure on the opponent.

Basically the combination of great STABs, Strong priority, U-Shot, Knock Offs, SD and strong Type synergy becomes extremely overwhelming and hard to deal with.

Hide

Absol @ Absolite
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Knock Off
- Play Rough
- Parting Shot

Scizor @ Life Orb
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD (Not certain on EVs)
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch
- Knock Off / Super Power
- Swords Dance
- U-turn

 

[astroboy]

I'm thinking that Hidden Power Ice could actually be a decent option on Archeops. It has 112 SpA, so it isn't piss weak, and it allows Archeops to 2HKO things that would otherwise be strong checks to it such as physically defensive variants of Garchomp, Landorus-T and Gliscor.

eh idrk. heat waves more of a preference to hit ferro, metagross, and scizor on the switch. chops role is to basically stop hazards, weaken walls and die, not to beat everything on its own (if it does thats cool and all but its not too good at that due to its most powerful move trashing its health)

+

why is bird's sprite so big
ok so i was considering this in my first post about cores, but i decided against it....but here we are now! i really love lightningrod emp. its such a good partner to birds, and a great answer to steels. a core of moltres+emp is actually able to handle more defensive teams really well, as both don't really care about status or rocks, while having flawless defensive typing synergy. they handle balance pretty well due to moltres' great offensive presence and immunity to passive damage (ultimate ferro counter y/y) and clean up more balanced teams due to its high BP STABs. emp on the other hand can deal with electrics, roar out or beat things moltres cant touch like cradily or m-amph, and spread burns to via scald. metagross totally trashes this core tho haha

sets

Empoleon @ Leftovers
Ability: Lightning Rod
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: NaN Atk
- Scald
- Roar
- Stealth Rock/Defog
- Toxic/Defog

Moltres @ Life Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Roost
- Hurricane
- Substitute

sorry if this was sloppy im tired

 

[InfernapeTropius11]

Here is another interesting core, featuring Archeops, Goodra, and Mega Ampharos:

+

+

Archeops is one helluva physical wallbreaker. STAB Banded Head Smash hits like a truck. Goodra is there as a special counterpart to Archeops,also hurting pretty much everything. Mega Ampharos is there to make a VoltTurn core with Archeops, and provide Heal Bell and Wish support to the core and in particular Archeops to Heal it and prevent it from killing itself. I think a bulky attacker role would be good for it to take advantage of Mega Ampharos' great 165 SpA stat, and also so it isn't walled and eliminated by MegaLix. Empoleon also works well with this core to take the Fairy and Rock attacks, as well as greatly help solve the DREADFUL Ice weakness of the Core. Overall, it seems like a solid VoltTurn core to build around.

Sets

Ampharos @ Ampharosite
Ability: Static
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Wish
- Focus Blast
- Heal Bell
- Volt Switch

Archeops @ Choice Band
Ability: Vital Spirit
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Head Smash
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
- U-Turn

Goodra @ Life Orb/Assault Vest
Ability: Protean
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD or 8 HP / 252 SpA / 248 SpD (to take advantage of Wishes better/more special bulk)
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor/Dragon Pulse
- Focus Blast
- Fire Blast/Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam/Thunderbolt

VoltTurn offense seems like it could be a dominant playstyle in this metagame.

I'm also really excited that this is coded! Playing it will be one of the first things I do when I get back from vacation ;)

 

[I like donkeys]

As cool as this meta looks, i kinda doubt the logic behind some of the pokemon. Moltres for example. The fact that a pokemon that is not a psychic type gets magic guard seems out-of-place to me, not to mention that only Moltres gets this ability and not Articuno or Zapdos. Howcome Moltres is so special and gets magic guard while tge other two are left with pressure? I think the other 2 burds should get magic guard as well or at least some other new ability.

 

[Isa Simple]

eh idrk. heat waves more of a preference to hit ferro, metagross, and scizor on the switch. chops role is to basically stop hazards, weaken walls and die, not to beat everything on its own (if it does thats cool and all but its not too good at that due to its most powerful move trashing its health)

+

why is bird's sprite so big
ok so i was considering this in my first post about cores, but i decided against it....but here we are now! i really love lightningrod emp. its such a good partner to birds, and a great answer to steels. a core of moltres+emp is actually able to handle more defensive teams really well, as both don't really care about status or rocks, while having flawless defensive typing synergy. they handle balance pretty well due to moltres' great offensive presence and immunity to passive damage (ultimate ferro counter y/y) and clean up more balanced teams due to its high BP STABs. emp on the other hand can deal with electrics, roar out or beat things moltres cant touch like cradily or m-amph, and spread burns to via scald. metagross totally trashes this core tho haha

sets

Empoleon @ Leftovers
Ability: Lightning Rod
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: NaN Atk
- Scald
- Roar
- Stealth Rock/Defog
- Toxic/Defog

Moltres @ Life Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Roost
- Hurricane
- Substitute

sorry if this was sloppy im tired

This is quite a cool core.
You could also make this core even cooler by adding Sand Stream Cradily to the mix. This would make it a solid FWG core and all 3 would be immune to Sand Storm damage.
Cradily doesn't add much in the way of resistances, other than Mold Breaker Electric moves from Mega Amphy, but does add some nice utility to the core and epic special bulk. Leech seed and Sand Stream together get some sweet chip damage without affecting the other two mons. This makes it easier for Moltres to nab kills with its powerful STABs and allows helps sustain Empoleon a bit through Leech Seed. Cradily can also use SR so Empoleon can run Defog and Toxic rather than tossing up between those two and SR.

 

[Kurona]

As cool as this meta looks, i kinda doubt the logic behind some of the pokemon. Moltres for example. The fact that a pokemon that is not a psychic type gets magic guard seems out-of-place to me, not to mention that only Moltres gets this ability and not Articuno or Zapdos. Howcome Moltres is so special and gets magic guard while tge other two are left with pressure? I think the other 2 burds should get magic guard as well or at least some other new ability.

As this is purely for the sake of the metagame, flavour isn't particularly taken into consideration when putting forward nominations. These Pokémon have these moves/abilities/typings now and that's that.
Also it's a game where rats can fire off blizzards and thunders I think we'll be okay

 

[xJownage]

xJownage small nitpick, but Weavile actually can learn Swords Dance.

lies imo. Why don't people use sash sd weavile?

 

[InfernapeTropius11]

lies imo. Why don't people use sash sd weavile?

Idk, but its TM75, so it does get it.

 

[skies]

lies imo. Why don't people use sash sd weavile?

Try out /learn weavile, swords dance on the server, it does because it's a TM.

 

[heritage]

My first two battles on the challenge ladder were really fun. Not only are these Pokémon incredibly fun to use, but seeing these Pokémon in action are really cool.

Absol + Entei is a really good core in my opinion. Absol can bounce back hazards with Magic Bounce and pressure the opponent into Defogging, giving a great switch opportunity into Entei.
Adding on to what everybody else says, Mega Steelix is evil. It was hard to play around after it set up a Curse.
Protean Goodra basically says "screw you" to any sort of switch-in. Its movepool is absolutely insane. Hitting very hard, harder than Greninja, on both sides of the spectrum, with a movepool including Fire Blast, Superpower, Sludge Wave, Power Whip, Muddy Water and Earthquake, it's basically switch in at your own risk.
Sorry for how messy this was, I'm a bit bust at the moment.

Anyways, gg Sun King , I had a lot of fun battling you.


http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/outheorymon-219614104
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/outheorymon-219616776

 

[Sun King]

My first two battles on the challenge ladder were really fun. Not only are these Pokémon incredibly fun to use, but seeing these Pokémon in action are really cool.

Absol + Entei is a really good core in my opinion. Absol can bounce back hazards with Magic Bounce and pressure the opponent into Defogging, giving a great switch opportunity into Entei.
Adding on to what everybody else says, Mega Steelix is evil. It was hard to play around after it set up a Curse.
Protean Goodra basically says "screw you" to any sort of switch-in. Its movepool is absolutely insane. Hitting very hard, harder than Greninja, on both sides of the spectrum, with a movepool including Fire Blast, Superpower, Sludge Wave, Power Whip, Muddy Water and Earthquake, it's basically switch in at your own risk.
Sorry for how messy this was, I'm a bit bust at the moment.

Anyways, gg Sun King , I had a lot of fun battling you.

http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/outheorymon-219614104
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/outheorymon-219616776

Adding on to this, Entei is extremely hard to play around. God save you if it manages to get a Defiant boost. Most teams are going to be carrying "relative answers" to it (in my case, Scarf-Lando), but if it manages to get a boost, you're SOL. +2 or +3 Extremespeed pretty much ggs every offensive threat in the game. I completely overlooked Entei as a threat in my team building, and it shows very clearly in those two replays.

 

[Sun King]

The Immortal Hey we just voted Granbull + Fur Coat into the archive.

 

[The Immortal]

The Immortal Hey we just voted Granbull + Fur Coat into the archive.

Done.

Do I get some likes now?

 

[Sun King]

Just letting everyone know that there's a Theorymon Mini Tour about to happen. If you haven't signed up yet, please do!

http://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/ou-theorymon-mini-tour-sign-ups.3533001/

 

[Patolegend!]

Just had a fun theorymon battle preparing for the tour, and Stall is plenty viable with Mantine and Granbull taking hits for days; my opponent had Jirachi with I guess wish support backing them up and Steelsnake as well; seemed like a pretty interesting team to build.

I thought with all the changes that offense would be more popular, as shown in the above replays some of the new 'mons are really difficult to switch into:

252+ SpA Life Orb Protean Goodra Focus Blast vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Eviolite Chansey: 320-377 (49.8 - 58.7%) -- 99.6% chance to 2HKO

Ouch.

What style do you guys reckon is gonna be most popular?

 

[jamashawalker]

Just had a fun theorymon battle preparing for the tour, and Stall is plenty viable with Mantine and Granbull taking hits for days; my opponent had Jirachi with I guess wish support backing them up and Steelsnake as well; seemed like a pretty interesting team to build.

I thought with all the changes that offense would be more popular, as shown in the above replays some of the new 'mons are really difficult to switch into:

252+ SpA Life Orb Protean Goodra Focus Blast vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Eviolite Chansey: 320-377 (49.8 - 58.7%) -- 99.6% chance to 2HKO

Ouch.

What style do you guys reckon is gonna be most popular?

I say Stall right now. Paired with M-Steelix. Or a more bulkier offense with heavy pivots. Idk I'm just seeing M-steelix being real groundbreaking. (pun intended)

 

[Red Cat]

I thought with all the changes that offense would be more popular, as shown in the above replays some of the new 'mons are really difficult to switch into:

252+ SpA Life Orb Protean Goodra Focus Blast vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Eviolite Chansey: 320-377 (49.8 - 58.7%) -- 99.6% chance to 2HKO

Chansey will always have either HP or SpD EVs maxed out, so that calc is a little misleading. Granted, Goodra can still 2HKO Chansey with SR up and some luck.

252+ SpA Life Orb Protean Goodra Focus Blast vs. 4 HP / 252 SpD Eviolite Chansey: 257-304 (40 - 47.3%) -- 44.5% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock

Of course, this depends on Focus Blast actually doing the 2H part of 2HKO, so it is more like a 22% chance of actually taking Chansey down with SR on the switch. Chansey is guaranteed to avoid the 2HKO if it runs a Calm nature, but it cannot have much prior damage at all to be a truly safe counter.

 

[Sun King]

I definitely don't think Stall is going to be the dominant play style when you've got monsters like Mega Steelix pairing with pretty much half the threats in the tier. I think we're going to see a big shift towards Bulky Offense and Balance thanks to the defensive stuff we've introduced. Granbull is probably going to be the new Landorus-Therian; I suspect it's going to be the new face of Balance. Rotom-Spin will make the Fairies in OU think twice before switching in, making fast and frail things like Mega Diancie really manageable.

Here's the buff that I NEVER thought would rock OU to its core: Defiant Entei. Holy mother of Pearl. This thing is so deceptively hard to take out. If you let that thing get a Defiant boost mid-game, you very well could just lose the game. Recreant posted a replay somewhere showing how absolutely terrifying Entei can be if it gets to +2. While it has separate flaws from Bisharp, it has the one thing it DESPERATELY wants in reliable priority. Extremespeed not only beats other priority but it essentially hits everything relevantly faster aside from Gengar. I'm expecting less casual Defog spam (as if it's casual now…). Prepare your team for Entei or gg.

 

[Hootie]

Just had a fun theorymon battle preparing for the tour, and Stall is plenty viable with Mantine and Granbull taking hits for days; my opponent had Jirachi with I guess wish support backing them up and Steelsnake as well; seemed like a pretty interesting team to build.

Yea that was me you faced. If I actually knew how to play stall I would've been better off lol. I foresee many teams weak to your Pidgeot set since there really isn't much you can do when it has great coverage now.

Also lol at every team being weak to Mega Gardevoir. Seriously tho since everyone is running stall many common wall breakers are too good right now. With Megalix being the most common mega found right now, Mega Gallade in particular finds its time to shine since Mega Sableye isn't seen as much as a result. Another thing to note is that spike stacking HO with Frosslass and Weavile is really deadly even moreso when you pair them with defiant Entei to really discourage defog. Really fun ladder and would love to see how meta further develops.

 

[Sun King]

Gonna post a REALLY good core right now…

+

The basic gist of this core is to lay Spikes with Froslass and then punish the Defog mid-game with Entei. I imagine this would work really well in conjunction with Volt-Turn, so I guess throw Rotom-S or Rotom-W and Scarf Landorus-Therian on your squad. Chip away at the opponent until you can just clean up with Entei. Beaut.