Don't Use This, Use That: NU Edition

[Lasagne]

Approved by Raseri
Stolen from the RU One

Don't Use This, Use That

The purpose of this thread is to discuss common sets that are seen as overrated and suggest better alternatives. There are a lot of Pokemon and sets in the usage stats that are ineffective, and we should raise awareness that these sets are not optimal. Furthermore, there are a few Pokemon that don't even deserve to be in the tier because they simply do not work effectively. There are certain Pokemon being used on the ladder in a way that reduces their viability. For example, Defensive Armaldo is not effective in the metagame, though that doesn't mean Armaldo is bad as a whole, as it does have viable offensive sets that it can use, as it's a very good Swift Swim sweeper. You can also suggest alternative Pokemon that outclass another in a certain role, such as suggesting Wartortle or Torkoal for Rapid Spinning instead of the aforementioned Armaldo. If you think a Pokemon or set is wrongfully being accused of being ineffective, you are encouraged to discuss why you think that way.

*Please do not use this thread to bash Pokemon, try to educate the playerbase and teach them what not to use. Any offensive posts will be deleted/edited.​

Some things that we would like discussed to begin:

• Stoutland
• Defensive Armaldo
• Pikachu
• Can't think of any more so please post whatever you can think of

 

[Lasagne]

Hall of Fame

Pikachu - scorpdestroyer

Hide

Don't use:
Pikachu @ Light Ball
Trait: Lightningrod
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Substitute
- Hidden Power Ice
- Encore / Nasty Plot

Pikachu is frail and can be revenged by pretty much every single piece of priority and every single Choice Scarf user out there. It has trouble setting up at all. Its base Speed is decent, but falls short of the base 95 speed benchmark. While Pikachu is powerful with a Light Ball equipped, it still can't accomplish as much as most other Electric-types in NU. Zebstrika and Electrode are fast enough to actually revenge kill non-Scarfed opponents and have something to differentiate themselves: Zebstrika has Lightningrod and Overheat, while Electrode is one of the fastest in the tier and has access to Taunt and Foul Play. Electabuzz is bulky enough to take hits with an Eviolite and can somewhat switch into Lovely Kiss from Jynx with Vital Spirit, outspeed and dent it, as well as becoming a decently powerful Choice Scarf user. Ampharos may not be as fast, but is extremely powerful. Eelektross can function as a bulky Electric-type wallbreaker. Meanwhile, Rotom-S can wield a Choice Scarf as well as have enough power to do significant damage, while Rotom-F can become a decent wallbreaker with its SubSplit set. Even Raichu can do better than Pikachu as it is nearly as powerful, while not dying instantly and possessing a higher Speed. Pikachu is pretty much outclassed by almost all the other Electric-types in the tier (bar Emolga, Pachirisu, Plusle and Minun), is as frail as a leaf and doesn't have good enough speed to accomplish anything.

If you really want to use something like Pikachu...

Raichu @ Life Orb
Trait: Lightningrod
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Encore
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power Ice

Not saying this is that great since Raichu isn't very bulky either, but... This set hits almost as hard, is faster (has a faster Encore too!), and can actually live something.

Food for thought:
252+ Atk Life Orb Kangaskhan Fake Out vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Pikachu: 183-216 (86.72 - 102.36%) -- 93.75% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Life Orb Kangaskhan Fake Out vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Raichu: 121-144 (46.18 - 54.96%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
--and while Pikachu has to speed tie with Kanga, at least Raichu can outspeed and Encore it into Fake Out (or Sucker Punch!) :/

So don't use Pikachu, use Raichu, Zebstrika, Electrode, Electabuzz, Eelektross, Ampharos, Rotom-S OR Rotom-F instead. They're all better.

Armaldo (Offensive Spinner) - MQJinx

Hide

Don't use

Armaldo @ Leftovers / Lum Berry
Trait: Battle Armor
EVs: 4 Def / 128 HP / 252 Atk / 124 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Swords Dance
- Stone Edge
- X-Scissor / Earthquake

Armaldo may seem appealing with base 125 Attack, keep in mind that's 125 Attack that's about to get halved by Misdreavus, the premiere spinblocker of NU. It is slow with only 45 Speed, meaning Missy and Golurk always outspeed you and will either burn, Taunt, or just wear you down with their bulk. It also suffers from being weak to common Water and Rock attacks. Swords Dance is easily shut down by Foul Play users like Missy, Mandibuzz, and Liepard. Samurott and Seismitoad can opt to lead and drown you with a Hydro Pump/Scald, Carracosta can Shell Smash on any non-EQ set, Alomomola walls it, and if you want to use Armaldo, use it in rain, because it has Swift Swim that's pretty much its only niche as a spinner.

Use this instead

Torkoal @ White Herb
Trait: Shell Armor
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid / Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Rapid Spin
- Shell Smash
- Fire Blast
- Earth Power / Hidden Power Grass

Think Missy can just come in safely? Nope. With a Fire typing to absorb Will-O-Wisp, Shell Smash, low Attack, and high Defense, Foul Play is not as effective and Torkoal can destroy Missy (and Golurk if running HP Grass), while still boasting power to dispose of other mons. It's Toxic weak, but no one puts Toxic on their Missy. Torkoal Smashes on the switch, and can get another free Smash against defensive ghosts like Missy. With all these aspects, Torkoal should be your first consideration if you want a spinner that can also hit hard.

Gardevoir (Choice Scarf) - Dat Blast

Hide

Don't use this:

Gardevoir @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Trace
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Modest Nature
-Psychic
-Focus Blast
-Signal Beam
-Trick

Scarf Gardy is really outclassed in this metagame. Yes, it has solid natural power without the need to boost, which is nice, but it's still a pretty terrible choice for the job. This is mainly due to its bad Speed for a Scarfer, with base 95 being pretty much the benchmark and Gardevoir nowhere near that number. It gets revenge killed by pretty much every opposing Scarfer in the tier, and I really don't get what people see in Gardevoir nowadays. It's really lackluster in the current meta, particularly when compared to the Pokémon I'm about to tackle.

Instead, use this:

Jynx @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Dry Skin
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
-Ice Beam
-Psychic
-Lovely Kiss
-Trick

Jynx is an infinitely better Scarfer due to several factors: higher Speed, Ice STAB, immunity to Water, and Lovely Kiss. Thanks to these, Jynx is so much better at revenge killing than Gardevoir (which is obviously the main goal of a Scarfer on a team), and has so much better tools to choose from that can even deviate it from just revenge killing. Lovely Kiss, for example, makes Jynx into a really fast sleep inducer and lets Jynx threaten stall as well as offense. Dry Skin is also a godsend to it, letting it revenge kill Carracosta and Samurott with no worry, something Gardevoir can't do. SR weakness sucks, but honestly, that still is no excuse to use Gardy over Jynx. There are only a few roles Gardy can pull off better, and this isn't one of them.

Stoutland - Treecko

Hide

Don't use this:

Stoutland @ Choice Band
Trait: Sand Rush
252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Return
- Superpower
- Crunch
- Wild Charge

Sand Rush Stoutland sounds like a really cool Pokemon, and once sand has been set up, it has potential to do a lot of damage to opposing teams. There are, however, a lot of things holding Stoutland back from being really effective. The main thing is that it doesn't learn Sandstorm. This one flaw is a major one, as it means that Stoutland needs support from a teammate in order to set up and sweep later on in a game. On top of this, sand does not power up any of Stoutland's moves. This means that while it does still can handle offensive teams pretty well, Stoutland is going to struggle to beat most of the bulkier walls in NU. In order to get Stoutland to succeed as a weather sweeper, you need to make a team dedicated to Stoutland sweeping. There aren't even any other Pokemon in NU—bar something like Drilbur which I always theorymon but never use—that can make good use of the weather than Stoutland needs to succeed.

If you're looking for a weather sweeper, you should use this instead!

Ludicolo @ Life Orb
Trait: Swift Swim
252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Surf / Hydro Pump
- Giga Drain
- Ice Beam
- Rain Dance

But alas, there are better alternatives! Ludicolo is a much more effective weather sweeper because all of the things that hold Stoutland back are things that Ludicolo has going for it. Ludicolo can set its own rain, which means that it is a valuable sweeper inside of dedicated rain teams and outside of them. Rain does power up Ludicolo's main STAB as well, which means that Ludicolo has an effective +1 SpA and +2 Speed boost for five turns. Meanwhile, it also has Life Orb to power up its moves even further. Finally, other Pokemon can benefit from the rain that Ludicolo sets as well!

Another Stoutland set that struggles to succeed is the following:

Stoutland @ Life Orb
Trait: Scrappy
252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Return
- Crunch
- Superpower
- Thunder Wave / Toxic

This set is technically an ok set. It is a decent offensive Pokemon, and it can even hits Ghost-types that try to switch in with its STAB! Unlike the previous set, there are no huge faults with this one outside of its Speed which is decent at best. However, there's really not much reason to use this set when you could be using a more effective Pokemon.

Instead, use this.

Kangaskhan @ Silk Scarf
Trait: Scrappy
252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Speed
Adamant / Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- Double-Edge
- Sucker Punch
- Earthquake

Kangaskhan is a much better user of Scrappy for a lot of reasons. First off, while its Attack is slightly inferior, it has access to a higher Base Power STAB move, Double-Edge. This more than makes up for 5 less base Attack. Meanwhile, Double-Edge recoil will be around the same, if not less than the recoil from Life Orb. Kangaskhan also slightly better Speed and access to two priority moves to take out faster threats.

The only thing that Stoutland can do more effectively than most other Pokemon is run a bulky attacker set with Intimidate, but even then, it has to win out over the much faster Tauros. Stoutland is one of the coolest Pokemon in NU because it's a dog, but it's also one of the least effective ones.

Bulky boosting Altaria - Punchshroom

Hide

Don't use this:
Altaria @ Leftovers
Trait: Natural Cure
252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Dragon Claw
- Dragon Dance
- Cotton Guard
- Roost
This is a set I have seen too much whenever I see an Altaria. They amass all the boosts they can so they can go on an "unstoppable" rampage. I mean it works right? A bulky booster with great mono-coverage and Natural Cure to cure status sounds neat right? The loophole is in the concept itself: Natural Cure only works when switching out, meaning you throw all your boosts away, rinse and repeat. The worst part is Altaria needs to boost at least twice before presenting itself as a remote threat, because Altaria is seriously weak otherwise. This may work against the occasional opponent who hesitates to status you, but really what have they got to lose, seeing as Altaria is crippled by literally every status if it does not get rid of it?

Instead, use this:
Dragonair @ Eviolite
Trait: Marvel Scale
252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Outrage
- Dragon Dance
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Know what's a good bulky booster? One that does not care for status (see: Heal Bell Musharna and SubBU Braviary). While it cannot skyrocket its defense like Altaria does, Eviolite + Marvel Scale can pick up the slack, while its special bulk surpasses Altaria. Outrage can pack a punch too, especially when boosted, and doesn't lock Dragonair in when used via Sleep Talk. Between DD, Rest, and Outrage, there is a 2/3 chance that Sleep Talk would pick a favorable move.
The EV spread is customisable, even able to shift to an offensive spread if using Shed Skin and replacing Sleep Talk with Extreemespeed.

Banette - Treecko

Hide

Don't use this:

Banette @ Focus Sash
Trait: Insomnia
252 Atk
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpD / 0 Spe
- Trick Room
- Shadow Claw
- Taunt / Will-O-Wisp
- Destiny Bond

Banette is a really cool Pokemon, but it's also really not that great. However, this post isn't just to bash Banette and tell you what a better Trick Room setter is. Instead, it's about Trick Room teams in general. While Trick Room is a really cool strategy, dedicating entire teams to it simply isn't very effective. The reason for this is that you only have five turns after setting Trick Room to do anything notable to the opponent. If the Pokemon that you are using to set up Trick Room can't utilize it themselves, they burn a turn switching out as well. Probably the most important factor here is that Trick Room teams are very matchup reliant. Against frail offense, if you're able to set up Trick Room, you'll probably do well. But there are a number of very effective offensive Pokemon that can also take a hit. Golurk is the most prominent example of this. In general, bulky offense, balanced, and stall teams can all usually take care of Trick Room teams moderately easily.

As for this specific set, it just isn't reliable enough to get the job done game after game. It's literally the only set on the analysis (and one of the few it can run to decent effect), so it can't even provide much surprise factor. Any Taunt user that can take a hit from Banette can handle it. Skuntank absolutely dominates it. Many Stealth Rock users can use Rock Blast to break its Sash as well. Golem, for example, can KO it with 3-4 hits. The worst part about the set is that it relies on the opponent KOing it in two turns to be really effective. If you can't manage this, typically Banette will not be dead weight, but also a general waste of a teamslot.

Instead of using Banette or a dedicated Trick Room team, try one of these out!

Musharna @ Life Orb
Trait: Synchronize
248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature
- Trick Room
- Psychic
- Signal Beam
- Moonlight

Beheeyem @ Life Orb
Trait: Analytic
252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Quiet Nature
- Trick Room
- Psychic
- Signal Beam
- Hidden Power Ground / Nasty Plot / Recover

Trick Room is still a really cool move and a really deadly strategy when used properly. But it's much better to use self-sufficient Trick Room sweepers, as they can take full advantage of the five turns of Trick Room and are generally very powerful on their own. Musharna is a far bulkier option that has far fewer problems setting up Trick Room and hitting hard while it's up than what Beheeyem does. However, Beheeyem is still a really effective Pokemon as well, as it is a more powerful alternative that can make better use of Trick Room once it has been set. Some people like to use Synchronize on Beheeyem, but I personally prefer Analytic. Yes, you go first in Trick Room almost every time, but think of it like Analytic Starmie in OU. If the opponent switches, the move Beheeyem uses is boosted. This is really cool, as the most common way of dealing with Trick Room is to switch around until the turns waste away. Analytic punishes this form of defense against it. The last move on the Beheeyem set is totally up to you, as they all work. I personally don't care for Nasty Plot, as Beheeyem is already strong enough to hit really hard without a boost. I personally prefer Recover, as it gives a chance for Beheeyem to heal up on predicted Protects, but Hidden Power Ground hits Steel-types, such as Metang and Probopass, far harder than the other moves on this set.

Gigalith - ScraftyIsTheBest

Hide

Don't Use This:

Gigalith @ Custap Berry
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 196 HP / 252 Atk / 60 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Rock Blast
- Earthquake
- Explosion

Gigalith is very cool (and kinda manly too), but unfortunately it's not a Pokemon I recommend using. Gigalith hits hard, but it's also really slow. Its typing isn't that great defensively, so it does get hit super effectively by a lot of things. While Gigalith has a lot of power, it doesn't have the utility of other Rock-types available, and Gigalith really finds itself badly outclassed. Gigalith is a Pokemon that struggles to find much of a niche to be honest. Now why am I telling you not to use Gigalith when it looks very appealing? Well, it's not complete garbage, but...

Instead, Use this:

Golem @ Custap Berry
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Explosion
- Rock Blast
- Earthquake

When talking a SR Custap Lead, Golem is infinitely better than Gigalith. The extra Ground typing is a pretty huge deal compared to Gigalith, and provides it a STAB Earthquake that will hit harder then Gigalith's EQ, and also provides it the Electric immunity that is really good. Golem's Rock Blast and Explosion certainly don't hit as hard as Gigalith's, but they still deliver enough power to suffice. Golem also has slightly better Speed (not sure if matters much but lol), which helps to set up the Rocks against Pokemon such as Tangela and Alomomola. If you're looking for a SR Lead, use this thing instead of Gigalith.

Swagger Liepard - Yeah Galo Sengan

Hide

Don't Use This:

Liepard @ Leftovers
Trait: Prankster
EVs: 80 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD / 168 Spe
Timid Nature
~ Swagger
~ Thunder Wave
~ Foul Play
~ Substitute

We've all seen this on the ladder, sighed and then either killed it (but not before it parafuses half our team) or got swept by its sheer uncompetitive bullshit factor. People who use Swagpard are A) awful and B) not using cat to her full potential.

Instead, Use this:

Liepard @ Blackglasses because cool cat
Trait: Prankster
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 SpD
Jolly Nature
~ Encore
~ Pursuit
~ U-Turn
~ Sucker Punch/Foul Play/whatever utility you want, hell she can set up weather/status or knock off an item.

Momentumpard is where it's at. Works especially well on volt-turn teams where you can pass on a setup move and totally deny the opponent, shifting all the momentum back to your side, forcing a switch and racking up hazards. Also works especially well as a trapper, stuff like Gardevoir/Haunter get shrekt and even Mushy gets a large chunk taken out of it on the switch. Use this set please, it's so much better than swagpard!

Swagger Liepard (again) - Punchshroom

Hide

Don't Use This:

Trait: Prankster
EVs: 80 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD / 168 Spe
Timid Nature
~ Swagger
~ Thunder Wave
~ Foul Play
~ Substitute

We've all seen this on the ladder, sighed and then either killed it (but not before it parafuses half our team) (it doesn't even get that far against me) or got swept by its sheer uncompetitive bullshit factor. People who use Swagpard are A) noobs and B) not using cat to her full potential.

Instead, Use this:

Liepard @ Leftovers
Trait: Prankster
EVs: 80 HP / 140 Def / 120 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
~ Encore
~ Substitute
~ Foul Play
~ Toxic / Knock off / Yawn...whatever utility move you want really, so long as it screws over bulky dudes

Now this Liepard may share 2 moves with the bad set, but it does play differently. While Swagpard tries to hax everything to death (including itself), it cannot deal with its primary bulky switch-ins like Tangela, Alomo, Torkoal, Mandibuzz and friends. This Liepard aims to cripple these walls while still threatening sweepers, because STAB Foul Play on its own is good enough to trouble offense if Mandibuzz has taught you anything. EVs are a bit weird, but the SDef EVs are enough for the Sub to survive Missy's Shadow Ball and Alomo's Scald, whereas the physical defense means Liepard fares better against multi-hit moves and priority.

SubSeed Serperior - Punchshroom

Hide

Don't Use This:

Serperior @ Leftovers
Trait: Overgrow
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Spe / 4 SpD
Timid Nature
~ Substitute
~ Leech Seed
~ Taunt / Glare / Mean Look
~ Giga Drain

Serperior looks to have the makings of a good SubSeeder: good bulk, high speed, a slew of support options. Surely it can harass the opponent a good deal, right? The problem with most SubSeeders is that they can't threaten opposing Grass-types who are immune to Leech Seed; Serperior is one of those SubSeeders. There's also the general consensus that SubSeeding....doesn't really accomplish anything, especially if the Seeded pokemon has leftovers or something. The only SubSeeder that is actually worthwhile is Exeggutor, mainly because of its ability but also because it has alternate STAB for opposing Grass-types and actually hits hard.

Instead, Use this:

Serperior @ Life Orb
Trait: Overgrow
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
~ Substitute / Taunt
~ Calm Mind
~ Giga Drain
~ Hidden Power Rock

This Serperior gets shit done; instead of using its unique combination of bulk and speed to stall opponents, Serperior utilises those traits to become one of the most effective bulky boosters in NU. Its high speed allows it to use Substitute or Taunt to block status, as well as revenge killing & crits / phazing, healing and opposing boosting, respectively. Then its decent 2-move coverage do the rest, Giga Drain being especially potent with CM + LO boosts to offset a lot of damage.

 

[Punchshroom]

Don't use:
Alomomola @ Leftovers / Damp Rock
Trait: Hydration
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish / Bold Nature
- Rain Dance
- Rest
- Waterfall / Scald
- Toxic
So you're giving up Wish and Regenerator, 2 things that make Alomo a fantastic Wishpasser...for this? As far as I can tell this set is meant to survive, but that's not even Alomo's main concern. While this set can shrug off status, it does nothing to solve its issue with setup sweepers and offers no support to its teammates that other Rain setters cannot (without stacking weaknesses) while outright killing momentum.

Instead use:
Alomomola @ Leftovers
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 120 Def / 136 SpD
Impish Nature
- Wish
- Protect
- Waterfall
- Toxic
Just stick with the tried-and-true Alomo if you want to use it at all: it does that job well enough on its own. If you insist on using a HydraRester...

Lapras @ Leftovers / Damp Rock
Trait: Hydration
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Rain Dance
- Rest
- Surf / Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam / Thunder
Now I'm not advocating that this set is brilliant, but it certainly accomplishes more than whatever Hydration Alomo can pull off. Aside from the "Full Restore" gimmick, Lapras can actually fight back, and has the moves and sufficient power to capitalize on Rain. You could even forgo Water STAB and go BoltBeam, which works too. Way better than using 2 moveslots in RainRest just to Toxic stall when you could use up a single slot in Heal Bell/Aromatherapy from a teammate to do the same.

 

[Shuckleking87]

That first alomomola set is stupid and not common at all, I've honestly never seen rain dance rest alomomola. That lapras set is also kinda strange and really not that effective where there are just flat out better strategies. Maybe explaining with calcs why the SpD ev's in alomomola as opposed to just the 252HP/252D set is superior would be a good post.

 

[scorpdestroyer]

Might as well talk about something on the list

Don't use:
Pikachu @ Light Ball
Trait: Lightningrod
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Substitute
- Hidden Power Ice
- Encore / Nasty Plot

Pikachu is frail and can be revenged by pretty much every single piece of priority and every single Choice Scarf user out there. It has trouble setting up at all. Its base Speed is decent, but falls short of the base 95 speed benchmark. While Pikachu is powerful with a Light Ball equipped, it still can't accomplish as much as most other Electric-types in NU. Zebstrika and Electrode are fast enough to actually revenge kill non-Scarfed opponents and have something to differentiate themselves: Zebstrika has Lightningrod and Overheat, while Electrode is one of the fastest in the tier and has access to Taunt and Foul Play. Electabuzz is bulky enough to take hits with an Eviolite and can somewhat switch into Lovely Kiss from Jynx with Vital Spirit, outspeed and dent it, as well as becoming a decently powerful Choice Scarf user. Ampharos may not be as fast, but is extremely powerful. Eelektross can function as a bulky Electric-type wallbreaker. Meanwhile, Rotom-S can wield a Choice Scarf as well as have enough power to do significant damage, while Rotom-F can become a decent wallbreaker with its SubSplit set. Even Raichu can do better than Pikachu as it is nearly as powerful, while not dying instantly and possessing a higher Speed. Pikachu is pretty much outclassed by almost all the other Electric-types in the tier (bar Emolga, Pachirisu, Plusle and Minun), is as frail as a leaf and doesn't have good enough speed to accomplish anything.

If you really want to use something like Pikachu...

Raichu @ Life Orb
Trait: Lightningrod
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Encore
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power Ice

Not saying this is that great since Raichu isn't very bulky either, but... This set hits almost as hard, is faster (has a faster Encore too!), and can actually live something.

Food for thought:
252+ Atk Life Orb Kangaskhan Fake Out vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Pikachu: 183-216 (86.72 - 102.36%) -- 93.75% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Life Orb Kangaskhan Fake Out vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Raichu: 121-144 (46.18 - 54.96%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
--and while Pikachu has to speed tie with Kanga, at least Raichu can outspeed and Encore it into Fake Out (or Sucker Punch!) :/

So don't use Pikachu, use Raichu, Zebstrika, Electrode, Electabuzz, Eelektross, Ampharos, Rotom-S OR Rotom-F instead. They're all better.

 

[Lasagne]

I have to agree with with shuckleking on this one. I've never seen rain dance rest Alomomola, so I don't think its really a suitable set for this project. Remember this is meant to target Pokemon or sets that people use on the ladder and explain something better to use in its place. Since no one uses that set, it's not something we need to discourage.

 

[Punchshroom]

That first alomomola set is stupid and not common at all, I've honestly never seen rain dance rest alomomola. That lapras set is also kinda strange and really not that effective where there are just flat out better strategies. Maybe explaining with calcs why the SpD ev's in alomomola as opposed to just the 252HP/252D set is superior would be a good post.

I know it isn't common, but I have seen Rain Dance Alomo pop up from time to time (as well as stuff like Life Orb Illumise). I also said myself that Lapras isn't brilliant, which is why I listed it as an alternative if they want to use HydraRest so much.
I'll be honest, I can't remember the last time I saw Pikachu, much less Stoutland.

 

[Lasagne]

It's true that Stoutland and Pikachu aren't very common, but I was struggling to come up with ideas for the OP, so I just put things that I do still see from time to time, and are outclassed by many other Pokemon in NU.

 

[Fuzznip]

This is likely going to be one of the more controversial "Don't use this, use that!" posts.

Don't use this:

Golurk @ Leftovers
Trait: Iron Fist
EVs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Shadow Punch
- Ice Punch

Use this:

Golurk @ Leftovers
Trait: No Guard
EVs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- DynamicPunch
- Ice Punch

Personally, I don't understand why one wouldn't want to use this version of Stealth Rock Golurk. The fact that you have access to a perfectly accurate, powerful Fighting-type attack that will always confuse the target (aside from Own Tempo Pokemon, but Ludicolo and Lickilicky don't like taking DynamicPunch anyway) is huge in this metagame. Not only will Golurk be able to potentially prevent the opposing lead from getting Stealth Rock up, but it can seriously mess up Golurk's common counters, such as Mandibuzz, Alomomola, and Tangela, to an extent where Golurk can do serious damage by either forcing them to use recovery as you bring in your own counter or even coming out on top in clutch situations. Confusion is seriously one of the best status effects out there because you have a 50% of making your opponent do absolutely nothing for not just one turn, but for several turns if you're lucky. Using Confuse Ray on its own is bad because you have to manually apply the confusion and you don't do any damage in the process, but with Golurk's DynamicPunch backed up by a fully invested base 124 Attack stat, it hits hard and leaves the opposition with chirping chicks.

Also, I'd like to bring up this from the analysis:

"No Guard with DynamicPunch can be considered, allowing Golurk to mess with opposing leads and prevent them from setting up Stealth Rock. However, this makes dangerous moves from opposing Pokemon fully accurate, such as Will-O-Wisp from Misdreavus and Weezing and Hydro Pump from Samurott and Ludicolo."

Do you not see what's wrong with the bolded sentence? Indeed No Guard does make perfectly accurate moves on both sides, but why would Golurk have the bright idea of staying in against Weezing waiting to burn it or Samurott to obliterate it? If you switch out, the opposition no longer has the No Guard effect, so that Misdreavus's Will-O-Wisp is still 75% accurate and Ludicolo's Hydro Pump is still 85% accurate. Furthermore, it's not like Iron Fist changes the scenario against the mentioned Pokemon in the quote. Golurk is not staying in against any of them regardless of ability, so having that point stated in an analysis is faulty and should thus be removed.

The only thing Iron Fist helps with is giving Golurk a decent secondary STAB attack to hit Pokemon resistant or immune to Earthquake, particularly Misdreavus; however, I don't necessarily find this to be particularly helpful because I'd rather have the ability to fire off accurate, confusion-inducing Fighting hits, which has excellent coverage with Ground to boot, than catching Misdreavus or Musharna on the switch with Shadow Punch. Misdreavus can still burn you and Musharna takes hefty damage from Earthquake already, anyway (I've actually beaten Musharna a few times with DynamicPunch confusion and repeated Earthquake hits).

 

[MQJinx]

Don't use

Armaldo @ Leftovers / Lum Berry
Trait: Battle Armor
EVs: 4 Def / 128 HP / 252 Atk / 124 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Swords Dance
- Stone Edge
- X-Scissor / Earthquake

Armaldo may seem appealing with base 125 Attack, keep in mind that's 125 Attack that's about to get halved by Misdreavus, the premiere spinblocker of NU. It is slow with only 45 Speed, meaning Missy and Golurk always outspeed you and will either burn, Taunt, or just wear you down with their bulk. It also suffers from being weak to common Water and Rock attacks. Swords Dance is easily shut down by Foul Play users like Missy, Mandibuzz, and Liepard. Samurott and Seismitoad can opt to lead and drown you with a Hydro Pump/Scald, Carracosta can Shell Smash on any non-EQ set, Alomomola walls it, and if you want to use Armaldo, use it in rain, because it has Swift Swim that's pretty much its only niche as a spinner.

Use this instead

Torkoal @ White Herb
Trait: Shell Armor
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid / Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Rapid Spin
- Shell Smash
- Fire Blast
- Earth Power / Hidden Power Grass

Think Missy can just come in safely? Nope. With a Fire typing to absorb Will-O-Wisp, Shell Smash, low Attack, and high Defense, Foul Play is not as effective and Torkoal can destroy Missy (and Golurk if running HP Grass), while still boasting power to dispose of other mons. It's Toxic weak, but no one puts Toxic on their Missy. Torkoal Smashes on the switch, and can get another free Smash against defensive ghosts like Missy. With all these aspects, Torkoal should be your first consideration if you want a spinner that can also hit hard.

 

[watashi]

This is likely going to be one of the more controversial "Don't use this, use that!" posts.

Don't use this:

Golurk @ Leftovers
Trait: Iron Fist
EVs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Shadow Punch
- Ice Punch

Use this:

Golurk @ Leftovers
Trait: No Guard
EVs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- DynamicPunch
- Ice Punch

Personally, I don't understand why one wouldn't want to use this version of Stealth Rock Golurk. The fact that you have access to a perfectly accurate, powerful Fighting-type attack that will always confuse the target (aside from Own Tempo Pokemon, but Ludicolo and Lickilicky don't like taking DynamicPunch anyway) is huge in this metagame. Not only will Golurk be able to potentially prevent the opposing lead from getting Stealth Rock up, but it can seriously mess up Golurk's common counters, such as Mandibuzz, Alomomola, and Tangela, to an extent where Golurk can do serious damage by either forcing them to use recovery as you bring in your own counter or even coming out on top in clutch situations. Confusion is seriously one of the best status effects out there because you have a 50% of making your opponent do absolutely nothing for not just one turn, but for several turns if you're lucky. Using Confuse Ray on its own is bad because you have to manually apply the confusion and you don't do any damage in the process, but with Golurk's DynamicPunch backed up by a fully invested base 124 Attack stat, it hits hard and leaves the opposition with chirping chicks.

Also, I'd like to bring up this from the analysis:

"No Guard with DynamicPunch can be considered, allowing Golurk to mess with opposing leads and prevent them from setting up Stealth Rock. However, this makes dangerous moves from opposing Pokemon fully accurate, such as Will-O-Wisp from Misdreavus and Weezing and Hydro Pump from Samurott and Ludicolo."

Do you not see what's wrong with the bolded sentence? Indeed No Guard does make perfectly accurate moves on both sides, but why would Golurk have the bright idea of staying in against Weezing waiting to burn it or Samurott to obliterate it? If you switch out, the opposition no longer has the No Guard effect, so that Misdreavus's Will-O-Wisp is still 75% accurate and Ludicolo's Hydro Pump is still 85% accurate. Furthermore, it's not like Iron Fist changes the scenario against the mentioned Pokemon in the quote. Golurk is not staying in against any of them regardless of ability, so having that point stated in an analysis is faulty and should thus be removed.

The only thing Iron Fist helps with is giving Golurk a decent secondary STAB attack to hit Pokemon resistant or immune to Earthquake, particularly Misdreavus; however, I don't necessarily find this to be particularly helpful because I'd rather have the ability to fire off accurate, confusion-inducing Fighting hits, which has excellent coverage with Ground to boot, than catching Misdreavus or Musharna on the switch with Shadow Punch. Misdreavus can still burn you and Musharna takes hefty damage from Earthquake already, anyway (I've actually beaten Musharna a few times with DynamicPunch confusion and repeated Earthquake hits).

while dynamicpunch golurk might be better as a stealth rock setter, this post doesn't really correspond with the idea of this thread, which is to weed out overrated and ineffective sets or pokemon. iron fist golurk is by no means bad or outclassed by dynamicpunch golurk since it has a few advantages over it like you listed. it's simply a matter of preference since dynamicpunch doesn't bring anything notable except for confusion.

 

[Fuzznip]

while dynamicpunch golurk might be better as a stealth rock setter, this post doesn't really correspond with the idea of this thread, which is to weed out overrated and ineffective sets or pokemon. iron fist golurk is by no means bad or outclassed by dynamicpunch golurk since it has a few advantages over it like you listed. it's simply a matter of preference since dynamicpunch doesn't bring anything notable except for confusion.

I'm sure my post corresponds to this thread's objective. As a Stealth Rock setter, I'm stating my observation that DynamicPunch Golurk should be used rather than Iron Fist Golurk. I've listed reasons why that should be the case because Iron Fist Golurk is "overrated and ineffective" when compared to DynamicPunch Golurk as a Stealth Rock setter. Perhaps this is a little subjective, but there are going to be opinion-based posts in here anyway, mine included. If this isn't what you are looking for I'll humbly take down my post.

 

[Blast]

Don't use this:

Gardevoir @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Trace
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Modest Nature
-Psychic
-Focus Blast
-Signal Beam
-Trick

Scarf Gardy is really outclassed in this metagame. Yes, it has solid natural power without the need to boost, which is nice, but it's still a pretty terrible choice for the job. This is mainly due to its bad Speed for a Scarfer, with base 95 being pretty much the benchmark and Gardevoir nowhere near that number. It gets revenge killed by pretty much every opposing Scarfer in the tier, and I really don't get what people see in Gardevoir nowadays. It's really lackluster in the current meta, particularly when compared to the Pokémon I'm about to tackle.

Instead, use this:

Jynx @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Dry Skin
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
-Ice Beam
-Psychic
-Lovely Kiss
-Trick

Jynx is an infinitely better Scarfer due to several factors: higher Speed, Ice STAB, immunity to Water, and Lovely Kiss. Thanks to these, Jynx is so much better at revenge killing than Gardevoir (which is obviously the main goal of a Scarfer on a team), and has so much better tools to choose from that can even deviate it from just revenge killing. Lovely Kiss, for example, makes Jynx into a really fast sleep inducer and lets Jynx threaten stall as well as offense. Dry Skin is also a godsend to it, letting it revenge kill Carracosta and Samurott with no worry, something Gardevoir can't do. SR weakness sucks, but honestly, that still is no excuse to use Gardy over Jynx. There are only a few roles Gardy can pull off better, and this isn't one of them.

 

[Lasagne]

as flcl said, and as you said yourself, that choice is a bit too subjective. There are advantages to each set, and both can be argues to be the better set.

I will not be including posts into the hall of fame that have subjective opinions or sets that are never seen.

 

[ryan]

Don't use this:

Stoutland @ Choice Band
Trait: Sand Rush
252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Return
- Superpower
- Crunch
- Wild Charge

Sand Rush Stoutland sounds like a really cool Pokemon, and once sand has been set up, it has potential to do a lot of damage to opposing teams. There are, however, a lot of things holding Stoutland back from being really effective. The main thing is that it doesn't learn Sandstorm. This one flaw is a major one, as it means that Stoutland needs support from a teammate in order to set up and sweep later on in a game. On top of this, sand does not power up any of Stoutland's moves. This means that while it does still can handle offensive teams pretty well, Stoutland is going to struggle to beat most of the bulkier walls in NU. In order to get Stoutland to succeed as a weather sweeper, you need to make a team dedicated to Stoutland sweeping. There aren't even any other Pokemon in NU—bar something like Drilbur which I always theorymon but never use—that can make good use of the weather than Stoutland needs to succeed.

If you're looking for a weather sweeper, you should use this instead!

Ludicolo @ Life Orb
Trait: Swift Swim
252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Surf / Hydro Pump
- Giga Drain
- Ice Beam
- Rain Dance

But alas, there are better alternatives! Ludicolo is a much more effective weather sweeper because all of the things that hold Stoutland back are things that Ludicolo has going for it. Ludicolo can set its own rain, which means that it is a valuable sweeper inside of dedicated rain teams and outside of them. Rain does power up Ludicolo's main STAB as well, which means that Ludicolo has an effective +1 SpA and +2 Speed boost for five turns. Meanwhile, it also has Life Orb to power up its moves even further. Finally, other Pokemon can benefit from the rain that Ludicolo sets as well!

Another Stoutland set that struggles to succeed is the following:

Stoutland @ Life Orb
Trait: Scrappy
252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Return
- Crunch
- Superpower
- Thunder Wave / Toxic

This set is technically an ok set. It is a decent offensive Pokemon, and it can even hits Ghost-types that try to switch in with its STAB! Unlike the previous set, there are no huge faults with this one outside of its Speed which is decent at best. However, there's really not much reason to use this set when you could be using a more effective Pokemon.

Instead, use this.

Kangaskhan @ Silk Scarf
Trait: Scrappy
252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Speed
Adamant / Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- Double-Edge
- Sucker Punch
- Earthquake

Kangaskhan is a much better user of Scrappy for a lot of reasons. First off, while its Attack is slightly inferior, it has access to a higher Base Power STAB move, Double-Edge. This more than makes up for 5 less base Attack. Meanwhile, Double-Edge recoil will be around the same, if not less than the recoil from Life Orb. Kangaskhan also slightly better Speed and access to two priority moves to take out faster threats.

The only thing that Stoutland can do more effectively than most other Pokemon is run a bulky attacker set with Intimidate, but even then, it has to win out over the much faster Tauros. Stoutland is one of the coolest Pokemon in NU because it's a dog, but it's also one of the least effective ones.

 

[termi]

Don't use this:

Stoutland @ Choice Band
Trait: Sand Rush
252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Return
- Superpower
- Crunch
- Wild Charge

Sand Rush Stoutland sounds like a really cool Pokemon, and once sand has been set up, it has potential to do a lot of damage to opposing teams. There are, however, a lot of things holding Stoutland back from being really effective. The main thing is that it doesn't learn Sandstorm. This one flaw is a major one, as it means that Stoutland needs support from a teammate in order to set up and sweep later on in a game. On top of this, sand does not power up any of Stoutland's moves. This means that while it does still can handle offensive teams pretty well, Stoutland is going to struggle to beat most of the bulkier walls in NU. In order to get Stoutland to succeed as a weather sweeper, you need to make a team dedicated to Stoutland sweeping. There aren't even any other Pokemon in NU—bar something like Drilbur which I always theorymon but never use—that can make good use of the weather than Stoutland needs to succeed.

If you're looking for a weather sweeper, you should use this instead!

Ludicolo @ Life Orb
Trait: Swift Swim
252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Surf / Hydro Pump
- Giga Drain
- Ice Beam
- Rain Dance

But alas, there are better alternatives! Ludicolo is a much more effective weather sweeper because all of the things that hold Stoutland back are things that Ludicolo has going for it. Ludicolo can set its own rain, which means that it is a valuable sweeper inside of dedicated rain teams and outside of them. Rain does power up Ludicolo's main STAB as well, which means that Ludicolo has an effective +1 SpA and +2 Speed boost for five turns. Meanwhile, it also has Life Orb to power up its moves even further. Finally, other Pokemon can benefit from the rain that Ludicolo sets as well!

Another Stoutland set that struggles to succeed is the following:

Stoutland @ Life Orb
Trait: Scrappy
252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Return
- Crunch
- Superpower
- Thunder Wave / Toxic

This set is technically an ok set. It is a decent offensive Pokemon, and it can even hits Ghost-types that try to switch in with its STAB! Unlike the previous set, there are no huge faults with this one outside of its Speed which is decent at best. However, there's really not much reason to use this set when you could be using a more effective Pokemon.

Instead, use this.

Kangaskhan @ Silk Scarf
Trait: Scrappy
252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Speed
Adamant / Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- Double-Edge
- Sucker Punch
- Earthquake

Kangaskhan is a much better user of Scrappy for a lot of reasons. First off, while its Attack is slightly inferior, it has access to a higher Base Power STAB move, Double-Edge. This more than makes up for 5 less base Attack. Meanwhile, Double-Edge recoil will be around the same, if not less than the recoil from Life Orb. Kangaskhan also slightly better Speed and access to two priority moves to take out faster threats.

The only thing that Stoutland can do more effectively than most other Pokemon is run a bulky attacker set with Intimidate, but even then, it has to win out over the much faster Tauros. Stoutland is one of the coolest Pokemon in NU because it's a dog, but it's also one of the least effective ones.

While it is true that Stoutland is painfully outclassed in anything he does in nu, I can't recall seeing him in nu. I guess he'll get more attention now that he has a nu analysis, but I have yet to meet a Stoutland player in nu.

What Punchshroom said about Pikachu being uncommon is false, by the way. I have seen many Pikachu players around, they might not be the most common sight, but it seems very unlikely to me that you wouldn't have met a single one of them.

 

[Punchshroom]

Well yeah, I have seen a Pikachu...3 months ago. In that period I've seen Sandshrew pop up a couple of times. (Like seriously? It sucks even more than Armaldo!)

The problem with this version of "Don't use this, use that" is that other tiers have boundaries, where they can draw the line between relevant but bad sets to completely obscure mons. NU is comprised of so many pokemon at the bottom of the barrel that it is hard to say which sets are bad or downright unheard of (Stoutland is such an example of pokemon caught in this crossfire). The ladder doesn't justify this either, we'll be caught off guard by some crazy moveset from time to time, like physical Exploud. We can tell that the set is inferior on that pokemon, even though the pokemon in question is hardly worth mentioning.

So how would this work? Would there be a cutoff point so people don't make silly comparisons like Ivysaur/Vileplume or something that, you know, isn't worth discussing?

 

[Lasagne]

I was thinking try to concentrate on mons in the top 100, unless its a Pokemon that would be good/decent if it wasn't badly outclassed. Stoutland is an excellent example of this latter option.

 

[scorpdestroyer]

Why not we see this thread as one to help newer players weed out the bad sets and identify the good ones? So this thread should be tackling not only the common ones that are bad/outclassed, but also tackle those that new players might consider using, due to a misconception / past popularity of the Pokemon, etc. For example, Stoutland is a Pokemon that players new to NU might consider using, since it has amazing abilities and is successful in OU, while they might consider Pikachu due to its Light Ball or simply because it's the symbol for Pokemon!

On the other hand, I don't see how HydraRest Alomomola is common, nor do I see a reason why a new NU player would use it over the WishPasser set. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think we can use this criterion to judge whether a particular set is worth posting, or simply too obscure.

 

[Lasagne]

scorp hit the nail bang on the head. Basically read what he said, and you'll realize the primary purpose of this thread. Thanks for wording it a lot better than I can scorp

 

[Punchshroom]

Newer players may either be tired of getting status (mainly Toxic) on Alomo while stalling, or think "ermahgerd HydraRest on such a bulky pokemon why does no one use this". I do get that this set is pretty obscure, so yeah.

However...
Don't use this:
Altaria @ Leftovers
Trait: Natural Cure
252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Dragon Claw
- Dragon Dance
- Cotton Guard
- Roost
This is a set I have seen too much whenever I see an Altaria. They amass all the boosts they can so they can go on an "unstoppable" rampage. I mean it works right? A bulky booster with great mono-coverage and Natural Cure to cure status sounds neat right? The loophole is in the concept itself: Natural Cure only works when switching out, meaning you throw all your boosts away, rinse and repeat. The worst part is Altaria needs to boost at least twice before presenting itself as a remote threat, because Altaria is seriously weak otherwise. This may work against the occasional opponent who hesitates to status you, but really what have they got to lose, seeing as Altaria is crippled by literally every status if it does not get rid of it?

Instead, use this:
Dragonair @ Eviolite
Trait: Marvel Scale
252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Outrage
- Dragon Dance
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Know what's a good bulky booster? One that does not care for status (see: Heal Bell Musharna and SubBU Braviary). While it cannot skyrocket its defense like Altaria does, Eviolite + Marvel Scale can pick up the slack, while its special bulk surpasses Altaria. Outrage can pack a punch too, especially when boosted, and doesn't lock Dragonair in when used via Sleep Talk. Between DD, Rest, and Outrage, there is a 2/3 chance that Sleep Talk would pick a favorable move.
The EV spread is customisable, even able to shift to an offensive spread if using Shed Skin and replacing Sleep Talk with Extreemespeed.

 

[ryan]

Don't use this:

Banette @ Focus Sash
Trait: Insomnia
252 Atk
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpD / 0 Spe
- Trick Room
- Shadow Claw
- Taunt / Will-O-Wisp
- Destiny Bond

Banette is a really cool Pokemon, but it's also really not that great. However, this post isn't just to bash Banette and tell you what a better Trick Room setter is. Instead, it's about Trick Room teams in general. While Trick Room is a really cool strategy, dedicating entire teams to it simply isn't very effective. The reason for this is that you only have five turns after setting Trick Room to do anything notable to the opponent. If the Pokemon that you are using to set up Trick Room can't utilize it themselves, they burn a turn switching out as well. Probably the most important factor here is that Trick Room teams are very matchup reliant. Against frail offense, if you're able to set up Trick Room, you'll probably do well. But there are a number of very effective offensive Pokemon that can also take a hit. Golurk is the most prominent example of this. In general, bulky offense, balanced, and stall teams can all usually take care of Trick Room teams moderately easily.

As for this specific set, it just isn't reliable enough to get the job done game after game. It's literally the only set on the analysis (and one of the few it can run to decent effect), so it can't even provide much surprise factor. Any Taunt user that can take a hit from Banette can handle it. Skuntank absolutely dominates it. Many Stealth Rock users can use Rock Blast to break its Sash as well. Golem, for example, can KO it with 3-4 hits. The worst part about the set is that it relies on the opponent KOing it in two turns to be really effective. If you can't manage this, typically Banette will not be dead weight, but also a general waste of a teamslot.

Instead of using Banette or a dedicated Trick Room team, try one of these out!

Musharna @ Life Orb
Trait: Synchronize
248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature
- Trick Room
- Psychic
- Signal Beam
- Moonlight

Beheeyem @ Life Orb
Trait: Analytic
252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Quiet Nature
- Trick Room
- Psychic
- Signal Beam
- Hidden Power Ground / Nasty Plot / Recover

Trick Room is still a really cool move and a really deadly strategy when used properly. But it's much better to use self-sufficient Trick Room sweepers, as they can take full advantage of the five turns of Trick Room and are generally very powerful on their own. Musharna is a far bulkier option that has far fewer problems setting up Trick Room and hitting hard while it's up than what Beheeyem does. However, Beheeyem is still a really effective Pokemon as well, as it is a more powerful alternative that can make better use of Trick Room once it has been set. Some people like to use Synchronize on Beheeyem, but I personally prefer Analytic. Yes, you go first in Trick Room almost every time, but think of it like Analytic Starmie in OU. If the opponent switches, the move Beheeyem uses is boosted. This is really cool, as the most common way of dealing with Trick Room is to switch around until the turns waste away. Analytic punishes this form of defense against it. The last move on the Beheeyem set is totally up to you, as they all work. I personally don't care for Nasty Plot, as Beheeyem is already strong enough to hit really hard without a boost. I personally prefer Recover, as it gives a chance for Beheeyem to heal up on predicted Protects, but Hidden Power Ground hits Steel-types, such as Metang and Probopass, far harder than the other moves on this set.

 

[Punchshroom]

I prefer Thunderbolt on Beheeyem to hit Mandibuzz, a major selling point it has over Musharna. But yeah, Trick Room is best used by the setter itself. Even Lampent makes better use of TR than Banette.

 

[ScraftyIsTheBest]

Don't Use This:

Gigalith @ Custap Berry
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 196 HP / 252 Atk / 60 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Rock Blast
- Earthquake
- Explosion

Gigalith is very cool (and kinda manly too), but unfortunately it's not a Pokemon I recommend using. Gigalith hits hard, but it's also really slow. Its typing isn't that great defensively, so it does get hit super effectively by a lot of things. While Gigalith has a lot of power, it doesn't have the utility of other Rock-types available, and Gigalith really finds itself badly outclassed. Gigalith is a Pokemon that struggles to find much of a niche to be honest. Now why am I telling you not to use Gigalith when it looks very appealing? Well, it's not complete garbage, but...

Instead, Use this:

Golem @ Custap Berry
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Explosion
- Rock Blast
- Earthquake

When talking a SR Custap Lead, Golem is infinitely better than Gigalith. The extra Ground typing is a pretty huge deal compared to Gigalith, and provides it a STAB Earthquake that will hit harder then Gigalith's EQ, and also provides it the Electric immunity that is really good. Golem's Rock Blast and Explosion certainly don't hit as hard as Gigalith's, but they still deliver enough power to suffice. Golem also has slightly better Speed (not sure if matters much but lol), which helps to set up the Rocks against Pokemon such as Tangela and Alomomola. If you're looking for a SR Lead, use this thing instead of Gigalith.

 

[Yeah Galo Sengan]

Don't Use This:

Liepard @ Leftovers
Trait: Prankster
EVs: 80 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD / 168 Spe
Timid Nature
~ Swagger
~ Thunder Wave
~ Foul Play
~ Substitute

We've all seen this on the ladder, sighed and then either killed it (but not before it parafuses half our team) or got swept by its sheer uncompetitive bullshit factor. People who use Swagpard are A) awful and B) not using cat to her full potential.

Instead, Use this:

Liepard @ Blackglasses because cool cat
Trait: Prankster
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 SpD
Jolly Nature
~ Encore
~ Pursuit
~ U-Turn
~ Sucker Punch/Foul Play/whatever utility you want, hell she can set up weather/status or knock off an item.

Momentumpard is where it's at. Works especially well on volt-turn teams where you can pass on a setup move and totally deny the opponent, shifting all the momentum back to your side, forcing a switch and racking up hazards. Also works especially well as a trapper, stuff like Gardevoir/Haunter get shrekt and even Mushy gets a large chunk taken out of it on the switch. Use this set please, it's so much better than swagpard!