CAP meta viability ranking thread

[jas61292]

Since we are on the topic of Cawmodore, I actually have to say I agree with wh0sy0urpapa that it is overrated. Now, I won't go so far as he did to saw something like B-, but I have never really been very impressed with it in the metagame, and the lower end of the A rankings is what I would deem far more appropriate. As people already mentioned, it is hard to wall, but those few things that do wall it are everywhere. What's more, it is arguably the hardest Pokemon to set up in the meta. Sure, it is a monster once set up, but 90% of the good Pokemon in the tier can hit it hard enough to stop that from happening. It can never set up on a special attacker. Even defensive ones that can only hit NVE, such as Sylveon, put it easily into revenging range (and can even KO with said NVE move if it is a more offensive build). Speaking of which, it is super easy to revenge. In my experience, the best scarfers in the meta all resist Bullet Punch and can easily OHKO. Additionally, there is a ton of other priority flying around, and a few other fast Pokemon that can take a hit and finish it off, like Greninja.

Overall, I think the biggest reason people think it is better than it is is because of the way people play against it. Against many set up Pokemon, people take the time that it sets up to switch to a counter. While that can work if you have Cyclohm or Skarm or whatnot, if you do not, then it is folly. People switch to the closest thing they have to a counter, and it causes them to lose. When you see Caw, you need to attack it. It is very frail, and only hurts its own bulk more setting up. If played right, there will be very few situations where it sweeps you that you would not already be swept by other powerful set up sweepers.

With that said, it is still a major threat. Because it is such a strong set up sweeper, the way you have to play against teams that have it is definitely more conservative. However, its actual individual threat level is not something I would put at the very top of the meta.

 

[Empress]

I will admit that I was being kinda harsh by asking to move Caw to B-. You have given me enough good points about it to make me think of it as more B+.

 

[Gerard]

I wouldn't dismiss Knock off right away, otherwise Aegislash is a hard counter and a better hit on Cyclohm can be very deadly. It's not like you can trap Aegislash anyway and I've found Aegis + Chansey are a deadly core. Though I agree, It's overrated. Against both Stall & Balanced it will have trouble being walled by something or just not being able to do anything if you just attack it, Cawmodore is WEAK, it's Bullet Punch won't KO stuff weak to it without set up, neither will Acrobatics unless he consumes it's berry, which he can't unless he uses Belly Drum or if he does without setting up then he won't be able to (the loss of Flying Gem did hurt it). He is one of the most extreme cases where the mon NEEDS to set up in order to do anything. Cawmodore is a huge Risk / Reward mon, without setting up he's useless, but after setting up is gg if you managed to take out / weaken his counters.

Landorus is ridiculous, I would put it on S actually, as many of it's common checks in OU are really uncommon in here, he gains 3 more though but none is really common (Even though Stratagem is amazing in this meta)