RU Metagame Analysis

Introduction

RU has been a turbulent tier as of late due to Nidoqueen's rise to UU and the resultant gap created. The dynamics of the tier shifted from a focus on offense to one where all teams now have a better chance. Nidoqueen usually beat down defensive Pokémon with her great coverage and power from Sheer Force and recoil-less Life Orb; now with that threat gone, defensive Pokémon don't have to worry as much. A recent trend is the increased use of hazards, namely Spikes. Offensive teams take advantage of the damage it does to counters, whereas defensive teams utilize the gradual chip damage that accumulates.

The placement stats are obtained from the May 1850 stats, although the specific percentages about the attacks, EV spreads, items, and partners are from the regular metagame stats.

The Top 5

Slowking - (24.58%) (-2.67%)

Top 5 teammates:

Tangrowth
Druddigon
Steelix
Escavalier
Amoonguss

Slowking secured its place as the literal 'king' of RU after Nidoqueen rose up, as it is number one by a significant margin over the second most used Pokémon, Druddigon. Slowking is so high thanks to its sheer versatility. It can act as a defensive buffer, special or physical, against attackers and can hold its own with Slack Off and the residual recovery from Regenerator. Slowking can also take an offensive route with an offensive Trick Room set that flips the table of the entire RU metagame, because there are many sweepers that excel thanks to their Speed, such as Sceptile, Swellow, and Cincinno. The Choice Specs set is becoming increasingly popular because of Slowking's ability to easily switch into many threats like Entei, Emboar, or Glaceon, surprise the switch-in with a boosted Surf, Psychic, Psyshock, or any other attack it has, and switch out unscathed while also being healed by Regenerator. These are the most popular Slowking variants being used, but there is definitely more that the king can do. With so many options on the table for Slowking, it's no mystery why it's at the top; however, with all the variety that's available to Slowking, the top players are all using the relatively same set. A defensively-oriented set with Leftovers is used 78% of the time, whereas an offensively-minded set (Choice Specs and Life Orb) is used about 17-18% of the time. The most common EV spread is 248 HP / 144 Def / 116 SpD with a Calm nature that was used 18% of the time, and the other spreads were about evenly utilized: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD with Modest was 13%, 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD with Modest was 10%, and 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA with Bold was used 10% of the time. The Trick Room EV spread, 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD, was used about 5% of the time.Slowking is so widely used because it can handle so many offensive and defensive threats just by itself. Dangerous Fire-type threats such as Emboar, Entei, and Moltres are all handled relatively well by Slowking alone; the powerful Fighting-types like Gallade, Medicham, and Hitmonlee are all handled well too. Finally, hail teams have a hard time taking out Slowking because it resists Blizzard and can switch into Pokémon like Glaceon and Jynx, but they do have a way around Slowking with Rotom-F, which can take it out with Thunderbolt. Defensive Pokémon don't get a break either from Slowking as Pokémon like Poliwrath, Cryogonal, and Steelix are all scared off. The ability to handle so many threats in one slot can sometimes be a heavy burden to bear. Overzealous players that try to have Slowking be a 'catch-all' for all the overlooked threats during teambuilding will find Slowking becoming quickly overwhelmed even with Regenerator; however, the top players utilize Slowking really well because they designate Slowking to counter only a few of the threats, while the rest are handled aptly by the rest of the team. Slowking's vast movepool means that it has a lot of options, but the top players only utilize what is needed for his or her team. For example, if Grass-type Pokémon like Tangrowth and Ferroseed aren't a problem, then either Psyshock or Toxic might be used to take out Cryogonal or other Slowking more effectively, respectively.

Nidoqueen's departure from RU was a mixed bag for Slowking. On the bright side, Slowking doesn't have to worry about being run over by Nidoqueen, and with her gone, Slowking became the head of the metagame. However, with Nidoqueen's absence, slower, bulkier Pokémon are starting to flourish, so now Pokémon like Escavalier and Ferroseed are gaining in popularity, which doesn't bode well for Slowking. Escavalier can easily pierce through with Megahorn or chase Slowking down with Pursuit, and it can Speed creep to insure that it's faster than Slowking, although it does need to watch out for Fire Blast or a Scald burn. Ferroseed is in a similar boat with its ability to set up Spikes and Stealth Rock, deter spinners with Iron Barbs, and suck away Slowking's health with Leech Seed, but it also needs to watch out for Fire Blast. Unfortunately, Slowking lost a great partner that could switch into the Pokémon that gave Slowking a hard time, namely Electric- and Grass-types like Rotom-C, Lanturn, Tangrowth, and Sceptile.

Slowking finds itself mainly on slower offensive teams or balanced teams from looking at its partners, as all of them are slow and powerful. It really shines when another Pokémon effectively covers up its weaknesses, which is why all five resist Slowking's popular weaknesses, Fire- and Grass-type attacks. Additionally, between Slowking and the two Grass-types (Tangrowth and Amoonguss) a 'Regen Core' is made, which is incredibly hard to take down due to the constant recovery. 'TanKing' is not as effective as it once was because there are Pokémon like Escavalier which can take them both out with Megahorn, or Rotom-F on hail teams that can take out Tangrowth with Blizzard and blast Slowking with Thunderbolt. Amoonguss is similar to Tangrowth, but it has an easier time taking out opposing Grass-types like Lilligant with STAB Poison attacks like Sludge Bomb and has a bit more leeway thanks to its higher Special Defense, which lets it take down Lilligant with Hidden Power Fire, for example. Slowking and the two Grass-types also form a status trio between Sleep Powder/Spore and Scald or Thunder Wave to cripple opposing defensive and offensive Pokémon alike. Balanced teams like to control the pace of the match, which is what each partner helps to maintain. Tangrowth and Amoonguss maintain it with status and constant pressure from the recovery that Regenerator provides. Druddigon takes advantage of its mono-Dragon typing and resistances to set up Stealth Rock and also maintains the pace by KOing set-up sweepers with its powerful Outrage or Dragon Claw and Sucker Punch. Escavalier pairs really well with Slowking type-wise and holds back the troublesome Grass-types. Steelix pairs really well thanks to Slowking covering all of its weaknesses; the biggest reason for this pairing's success is Steelix's ability to check Pursuit users such as Spritomb, Drapion, and non-Fire Blast Absol. Additionally, Steelix has plenty of time to set up Stealth Rock for support and takes advantage of Trick Room with its low Speed. Escavalier is a great partner for Trick Room Slowking because Trick Room makes it faster than almost anything. As stated, the top players all take advantage of the type synergy of Slowking and its respective partners to wreck havoc.

Druddigon - 21.79% (+4.513)

Top 5 teammates:

Qwilfish
Slowking
Rotom-C
Kabutops
Cryogonal

Druddigon's usage raised greatly between last month and this month, and it has only recently been recognized for its incredible potential. Similar to Slowking, Druddigon has many different options such as a tank, Choice Band user, Life Orb user, or even a pure support Pokémon. Additionally, it can be EVed to take physical or special attacks depending on the team's structure. The mono-Dragon typing is its biggest asset because with its resistances, it can easily switch into many threatening Pokémon like Lilligant, Sceptile, or Entei. The Stealth Rock set is the most popular thanks to its ability to easily fit onto many teams, and it provides valuable priority with Sucker Punch to discourage setup sweepers. Choice Band Druddigon works so well because there are only a few Steel-types in RU like Steelix, Ferroseed, and Klinklang, and they can easily be circumvented with team support. A mixed set that is designed to lure out physically defensive Pokémon like Tangrowth and Steelix isn't too popular but is dangerously effective thanks to Flamethrower and Sheer Force; the lure set can only work if it isn't popular, as is the case right now. A pure defensive set is effective with Rough Skin and Rocky Helmet to quickly wear down anything, which is further augmented with attacks like Glare and Dragon Tail. Among the top players, the Stealth Rock tank set is the most popular, although the rest of the sets are used to an extent, which is a testament to how good even the lesser-used sets are. A defensively-oriented set was used 56% of the time with Leftovers, Choice Band was used 17.7% of the time, the infuriatingly difficult defensive set with Rocky Helmet was used 15.9% of the time, and a Life Orb attacker was used 7.5% of the time. The most common EV spreads were almost identical, except one was meant to outspeed Tangrowth. The spread of 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD with Adamant was used about 22% of the time, and 236 HP / 252 Atk / 20 Spe with Adamant was used about 14% of the time.

Druddigon is highly used thanks to its ability to easily fit on most teams. Its typing lets it take many attacks with ease, and this can be augmented by Rough Skin and / or Rocky Helmet. Druddigon's claim to fame is its ability to take on many of the prominent attackers like Lilligant, Sceptile, and Entei. Offensive Pokémon need to watch out for Druddigon's powerful Outrage or any other powerful coverage attacks; however, frail sweepers need to be careful of Sucker Punch. Defensive Pokémon aren't safe either as Outrage hurts that much if it's not a Steel-type, and Druddigon can even phaze with Dragon Tail, so directly switching in isn't too great of an option either. Druddigon is fairly self-sufficient and doesn't need too much assistance from the team except recovery. Similarly to Slowking, getting overzealous with switching in can easily overwhelm Druddigon, especially with a lack of recovery. The top players utilize Druddigon well by taking advantage of its mono-Dragon typing, Rough Skin, and wide movepool. Every attack on Druddigon is specially picked based on the team; for example, Glare is used if the team has trouble with fast Pokémon and / or is a slow team that needs the extra'Speed'.

Nidoqueen's rise from RU means that Druddigon doesn't need to worry about being hit by her powerful attacks; Nidoqueen could pack Ice Beam for taking out Druddigon. Additionally, her rise gave a chance to slower, bulkier Pokémon, and their increased usage meant that there are more Pokémon capable of taking Druddigon's attacks. When Nidoqueen was in the tier, outspeeding her was a big deal; however, that Speed usually came at the cost of bulk, which Druddigon took advantage of. Now Pokémon like Steelix, Amoonguss, and Tangrowth have an easier time, which makes Druddigon's life difficult because they can take a few hits. Druddigon also lost a valuable partner; Nidoqueen helped take down counters with her coverage attacks. Pokémon like Steelix and Escavalier often were a roadblock, but Nidoqueen could easily bulldoze them over with Fire Blast.

Looking at the teammates, Druddigon often finds itself on balanced offensive or defensive teams. It often functions as an offensive support Pokémon that sets up Stealth Rock and can take and dish out a few hits. In particular, offensive teams really like Druddigon with its multitude of resistances and ability to switch in when momentum is lost and regain that momentum with Sucker Punch or a KO with Outrage. First off, Qwilfish is the most used teammate; it can easily set up Spikes to help Druddigon phaze more effectively with Dragon Tail, and all of the latter's switch-ins are grounded, like Steelix and Rhydon, so they are repeatedly worn down. Intimidate helps buffer against really powerful physical attackers like Medicham and Choice Band Aggron. Thunder Wave support helps make up for Druddigon's poor Speed, and Taunt helps with opposing teams that might be looking to set down their own hazards, which would hinder Druddigon's ability to take multiple hits. In return, Druddigon can take special attacks aimed at Qwilfish from Rotom or Slowking, for example. It's no surprise that Slowking is a great partner as well, with its great utility; it can take Ice attacks, help deal with hail teams, and make up for Druddigon's Speed with Thunder Wave or whittle down defensive Pokémon with Toxic. Trick Room is there so Druddigon can sweep on its own. In return, Druddigon can take the super effective attacks aimed at Slowking and also check Pursuit users like Spiritomb and Absol with its powerful attacks. Rotom-C is another good teammate; it is a good revenge killer if a Pokémon has already set up, and it helps take down defensive Pokémon with Trick. Volt Switch helps to maintain the pace of the match and retains the momentum. Thunder Wave or Will-O-Wisp is used to either make up for Druddigon's Speed or make it easier to take physical attacks. Druddigon can handle the bulkier Pokémon that Rotom-C has a problem with, like Roselia and Amoonguss, and can take super effective attacks aimed at Rotom-C. Kabutops is a great partner for its ability to spin away hazards, which improves Druddigon's ability to switch in greatly. Together, they form a 'priority duo' with Aqua Jet and Sucker Punch to take out fast and powerful Pokémon like Swellow. Conversely, Druddigon takes on the Grass-types that trouble Kabutops and can spread paralysis with Glare to help Kabutops 'outspeed' some threats. Similarly, Cryogonal can spin too and also sponge Ice attacks and general special attacks that might overwhelm Druddigon, like Sigilyph's boosted Psychic. The top players utilize Druddigon's unique movepool by picking and choosing which attacks a team needs or assigning a move to another Pokémon, highlighting the fact that great partners need to have more than just good typing synergy.

Entei - 20.78% (+2.45)

Top 5 teammates:

Rotom-C
Druddigon
Qwilfish
Slowking
Sceptile

Entei is a metagame-defining threat and even though the two most-used Pokémon can counter Entei, it is still a dangerous physical threat. Entei doesn't have the versatility of Slowking, but its few sets are so effective that it doesn't need anything else. The Choice Band set is used more than half the time with 53% usage, and it's one of the most feared physical attackers in RU. The combination of Flare Blitz and ExtremeSpeed serves to wallbreak and revenge offensive threats, respectively. Other options like Hidden Power Grass, Sleep Talk, and Toxic are options to hit various Pokémon that can handle Entei. Another less used but not obscure set is a special attacker set that takes advantage of Calm Mind to take down the switch-ins to an expected Choice Band set; the special set works well due to the threat of the Choice Band set. A Choice Band set was used 53% of the time, whereas similar physical sets with Flame Plate (9.7%) and Expert Belt (2.2%) were used to feign a Choice Band. The overwhelming majority of the sets seen were EVed physically as the top two were basically 252 Atk / 252 Spe with Adamant, which accounted for about 62%.

Entei might be the more linear of the most used, but it's linear because it's that good. The Choice Band set can even 2HKO Pokémon that resist it like Druddigon with a little bit of hazard support. In addition to wallbreaking with Flare Blitz, Entei also has ExtremeSpeed to take out Pokémon that are faster than it like Sceptile and Swellow, which could otherwise take Entei out. ExtremeSpeed also helps against offensive teams because of Entei's nature restriction with Flare Blitz by making up for its Speed, whereas Flare Blitz threatens slower teams with its power. Like I said, the special set works so well because of the ubiquity of the Choice Band set. Entei can be more self-sufficient with Hidden Power Grass to take out its own counters like Rhydon and Kabutops or support its team with Sleep Talk. Entei's vulnerability to all forms of hazards is the easiest to exploit. Its Fire typing means it loses 25% per switch in to Stealth Rock, and braving its attacks for a few turns means it'll get worn down, especially with chip damage from Flare Blitz, hail, and extra hazards. Entei's relative linearity can be exploited by switching in physically bulky Pokémon like Qwilfish and Rhydon; however, some switch-ins are taken out by Hidden Power Grass or the special set. The top players prevent hazards from going down or utilize a Rapid Spin user to make sure Entei doesn't go down too quickly, and can also take advantage of various switch-ins like Qwilfish to get Pokémon like Rotom-C in to Volt Switch.

Nidoqueen didn't directly threaten Entei because Entei was faster than her and could take her out with Flare Blitz; however, her presence increased the usage of faster offensive Pokémon like offensive Cryogonal. This is a two-sided coin, because Entei can still hit them with ExtremeSpeed, but it couldn't use Flare Blitz as readily, and if they lived ExtremeSpeed, then Entei would be gone. Nidoqueen was a great partner for her ability to take out defensive Pokémon that could have braved a few attacks from Entei, and Entei could handle faster threats with ExtremeSpeed if needed.

For teammates, Entei likes partners that can provide an offensive presence while still supporting it, so the momentum isn't lost. Rotom-C is an incredible partner. It can easily take care of bulky Water-types with either of its STABs and can utilize Volt Switch to slowly wear down the opposing team. On the other hand, the Pokémon that can handle Rotom-C are handled by Entei, such as Amoonguss, and Entei doesn't even fear Spore thanks to Sleep Talk. Druddigon is another great partner because it can support with Stealth Rock; spread paralysis with Glare to help Entei catch some threats, which it couldn't otherwise; and forms a priority duo to take out annoying sweepers like Substitute Sceptile or Aerodactyl. Qwilfish allows Entei to beat its would-be counters thanks to Spikes. With Spikes down, there are only a few Pokémon that can avoid the 2HKO from Flare Blitz; even defensive Slowking is taken down with 3 layers down. It could further help Entei by preventing hazards from being laid with Taunt or spreading paralysis against offensive teams. Slowking is a good partner for its utility and ability to take down Qwilfish, which is a big counter to Entei. Slowking can spread paralysis or poison depending on the the type of team that is troubling Entei. In return, Entei can handle Grass-types that try to take out Slowking, like Lilligant. Lastly, Sceptile is a great offensive partner that can weaken the opponent's core with either a special or physical set and make up for Entei's Speed restriction. All the teammates help to make a F/W/G core (except Druddigon), which is still effective in RU.

Spiritomb - 20.16% (+3.89)

Top 5 teammates:

Rotom-C
Druddigon
Smeargle
Hitmonchan
Kabutops

Spiritomb is a Pokémon that plays few roles, but it does them really well. It's a great Pursuit user thanks to no weaknesses and its ability to put Psychic-types in a 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' position with Pursuit, Sucker Punch, and Shadow Sneak. The most popular set is a physical attacker set that takes advantage of the three moves just mentioned and commonly either Trick or Return. Trick is used with Choice Band to cripple an opposing Pokémon and power up Spiritomb's attacks. BlackGlasses also powers up its attacks but gives it the comfort of additional coverage with Return, so it isn't a sitting duck against Pokémon like Crawdaunt or Absol. A defensive set is also used to take advantage of Spiritomb's bulk and typing and supports the team with Will-O-Wisp, although its poor HP does hold it back defensively. Looking at the stats, a defensive set is used the most with Leftovers (63.8%) and the spread 252 HP / 196 Def / 64 SpD with Impish (13.9%). Offensive spreads like 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD with Adamant have a total of about 20% usage.

Spiritomb works so well because it only plays a few roles, and compared to Slowking and Druddigon, Spiritomb has a small movepool, so it only has a few options; however, this isn't a bad thing because Spiritomb's role is primarily being a spinblocker that can trap Psychic-types. Additionally, the added priority helps overcome dangerous set-up sweepers. Spiritomb's small movepool means it isn't too difficult to counter. Also, a Choice Band set is better used by defensive teams that can afford facing a set-up sweeper, whereas BlackGlasses is better geared for offensive teams that can't afford facing set-up sweepers. A Pokémon that resists Dark-type attacks can easily take out Spiritomb, so Pokémon like Escavalier and Steelix can take advantage of this situation, although physical attackers need to watch out for Will-O-Wisp. Spiritomb is still favored over other Pursuit-users like Absol and Drapion for its bulk and additional priority.

Nidoqueen didn't directly affect Spiritomb besides being another threat to watch out for. Like I said before, Nidoqueen's absence means bulkier Pokémon are more widely used, and their increase in usage is a problem for Spiritomb because they can take any of its attacks and take advantage of Sucker Punch by inflicting a status or setting up a Substitute. Bouffalant and Klinklang are good examples as they can both boost and set up Substitutes to negate Sucker Punch, and they were both threatened by Nidoqueen. When Nidoqueen was in RU, she was a good partner thanks to her amazing coverage to hit defensive Pokémon that could take Spiritomb's attacks.

Looking at teammates, Spiritomb is usually on offensive teams. Rotom-C is a good partner that can scout with Volt Switch and offers insurance against sweepers that might set up, like Crawdaunt. Also, with Trick from Rotom-C, a Pokémon can be forced into a Pursuit from Spiritomb. Druddigon is an interesting partner because of its ability to take attacks with its bulk and revenge threats with an additional Sucker Punch; it can also set up Stealth Rock to help wear down the opposing team. Smeargle is one of the best offensive Spikes-setters in RU, and Spiritomb can spinblock reliably against Cryogonal, but needs to be careful of Kabutops. Hitmonchan can take on Dark-types with Mach Punch so that set-up Crawdaunt or Klinklang can be taken down. Additionally, Hitmonchan has difficulty with Ghost-types, which Spiritomb has no problems with. Finally, Kabutops is a great spinner but can't do so with Ghost-types around, which is why Spiritomb is a good partner.

Kabutops - 17.90% (+2.22)

Top 5 teammates:

Moltres
Druddigon
Uxie
Sceptile
Rotom-C

Kabutops is arguably the best spinner in RU. This alone gives it considerable usage, but the fact is that Kabutops can do much more than just spin; it can also sweep with either a Speed or Attack boost, or just provide constant physical damage. Kabutops's best set is the offensive Rapid Spinner set that can be easily adjusted to fit on any offensive team. For example, Lum Berry is the better item for teams that aren't weak to hazards, whereas Life Orb is the better item for teams that are weak to hazards—it aids in overpowering spinblockers. Weak Armor is the superior ability outside of Rain Dance teams due to its ability to sweep offensive teams after a boost as demonstrated with its 59% usage. The majority of the teams utilized Life Orb (53.5%), whereas Lum Berry was used 16.8% of the time. The offensive spread of 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe with Adamant was used about 51% of the time.

Kabutops is the premier spinner in RU and a dangerous physical threat. Additionally, its typing lets it come in against Entei and immediately threaten it after a Weak Armor boost. If utilizing Swords Dance, then you have a +2/+1 sweeper on your hands that can easily 2HKO the Ghost-types of the tier and sweep RU if its counters aren't present. Aqua Jet makes it even better as a last hit before it goes down or to revenge a sweeper, and Kabutops can thus commonly form a 'priority duo' with Entei. Because it's a physical attacker, Pokémon like Poliwrath and Tangrowth can brave Kabutops's attacks with ease. Grass-types like Lilligant or Sceptile also make quick work of it if they manage to switch in, while bulkier Grass-types such as Amoonguss or Tangrowth can switch in at will. Pokémon such as Entei and Moltres can also carry Hidden Power Grass to quickly surprise and KO Kabutops. The top players carefully plan when they use Rapid Spin. For example, using Rapid Spin when a Sceptile or Lilligant can easily switch in might not be the best move. Timing is key.

Nidoqueen was more of an indirect threat to Kabutops. Nidoqueen were often Modest, so Kabutops would outspeed it and KO with Waterfall. With a more offensive Nidoqueen metagame, Kabutops often found itself outsped by threats like Sceptile or Sigliyph; the bright side to this was that Kabutops could take advantage of the Weak Armor Speed boost to outspeed many of these frailer Pokémon, and Aqua Jet was much more useful to take out these frailer Pokémon. In this more balanced metagame, Kabutops can't KO the defensive Pokémon as easily as it could in the previous offensive metagame, although Kabutops can now afford to boost with Swords Dance and wallbreak. Nidoqueen's presence in the previous metagame had a big effect on how Kabutops functioned as well.

From looking at the teammates, Kabutops naturally belongs on an offensive team. Moltres is a natural fit with Kabutops due to its Stealth Rock weakness, which Kabutops can easily alleviate. All the Pokémon that can switch into Kabutops, such as Tangrowth and Poliwrath, fear attacks from Moltres. To make the deal even sweeter, spinblockers looking to burn Kabutops with Will-O-Wisp will be disappointed when Moltres can switch in scot-free. Druddigon is a great partner that can switch into many auxiliary attacks that Kabutops can't handle, as well as super effective attacks. Druddigon further weakens the opponent with its attacks so Kabutops can clean up after a Speed boost or with Aqua Jet. Uxie is similar to Druddigon except it's more support oriented, as it can set up anything from Stealth Rock to Reflect; a slow U-turn from Uxie ensures that Kabutops can switch in unharmed. Sceptile is a good offensive partner that can take advantage of the bulky Water-types that switch into Kabutops, as well as weaken the opposing team with its various sets. Lastly, Rotom-C is a good partner that can Volt Switch to cause chip damage and, ideally, switch Kabutops into Fire-types looking to counter Rotom-C.

Conclusion

This was an analysis of the five most used Pokémon among the top players of RU, and a brief discussion about why each Pokémon is at the place they are. A lesson to be learned is that every metagame has unseen dynamics between its major Pokémon that becomes evident once that Pokémon is gone.

Credit to Antar for consistently getting the stats up every month and always doing a good job!

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