Project Don't Use This, Use That!

[Lasen]

approved by snake_rattler

art by Albinson

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I want to clearly state here that this thread is not meant to bash anyone's teambuilding choices or skills and comments out of line will be deleted by the moderation team. CAP is a beautiful project with a metagame that is blossoming and constantly evolving. Having to mix in OverUsed Pokemon alongside our 29 (and counting!) custom Pokemon means that often, things that are overrated or sub-optimal end up being used; whether that means a set that isn't optimised in the moveslot or EVs department, or a Pokemon's whose job is performed much better by something else. The purpose of this thread is to locate said sets and suggest better alternatives, so that we can create a good resource for newer players to reference when they wanna create a team! You should explain why a Pokemon can be seen as not so good and what makes your suggestion better!

I'll kick the thread off with a couple of examples:

Example #1: Pokemon difference

Don't use: Balance Breaker Smokomodo

Smokomodo @ Charcoal
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Flare Blitz
- Morning Sun
- Toxic / Taunt / Stealth Rock

Why it's bad: While Smokomodo has almost perfect coverage through its STAB combination and it can Toxic walls such as Tomohawk, it simply lacks that extra bit of "oomph" factor, with many of its checks and counters being able to easily recover any lost HP either through a recovery move like Slack Off on the Slowtwins or Roost on Tomohawk, or pack Regenerator if they're Tornadus-T or, again, Slowtwins, making it a medicore breaker. Moreover, physical Fire-types get stopped dead in their tracks by the ever present pivoting the tier has to offer and a good prediction can make its damage output drop off a cliff.

some calcs:
-1 252 Atk Charcoal Smokomodo Flare Blitz vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Tomohawk: 111-132 (26.8 - 31.8%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
252 Atk Smokomodo Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Arghonaut: 112-133 (27 - 32.1%) -- 54.9% chance to 4HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Smokomodo Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Slowbro: 102-121 (25.8 - 30.7%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
252 Atk Smokomodo Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Slowking: 181-214 (45.9 - 54.3%) -- 53.1% chance to 2HKO (huzzah! a potential 2HKO!)


use: Rabia the Garchomp

Garchomp @ Leftovers / Life Orb
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Scale Shot
- Swords Dance
- Fire Fang / Stone Edge / Stealth Rock


Why it's good: Garchomp surpasses Smokomodo in everything, from stats, typing, utility and even power. It can act as both a breaker thanks to its Swords Dance and Scale Shot boosting its speed or a sweeper for... the same reason. It can afford to run Stealth Rock or even a coverage move in its 4th moveslot, ridding itself of any check not named Arghonaut or Slowbro. It's currently at the top of the VR for a good reason, being one of the most splashable Pokemon in the metagame.


+2 252 Atk Life Orb Garchomp Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Clefable: 374-441 (94.9 - 111.9%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO
+1 252 Atk Life Orb Garchomp Scale Shot (3 hits) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Tomohawk: 186-222 (44.9 - 53.6%) -- approx. 20.3% chance to 2HKO
+2 252 Atk Garchomp Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Slowking: 391-462 (99.2 - 117.2%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO

Example #2: Same Pokemon, different sets

Don't use: Special Syclant

Syclant @ Focus Sash
Ability: Mountaineer
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Ice Beam
- Bug Buzz
- Nasty Plot
- Spikes / Earth Power

Why it's bad: Syclant falls victim to wanting to do a lot but not having enough to do so with its special set. Common Water-types not named Slowking or Slowbro will blanket wall it, namely Tapu Fini, Arghonaut and even the occasional Krilowatt have enough power to ignore its STAB (Krill has to be weary of Earth Power). Bulky attackers also can OHKO it because of how frail it is and it simply cannot OHKO many common bulky pivots, even if boosted up by Nasty Plot. Spikes and residual is also very common, so Syclant can almost never guarantee it will be at 100% health so that it can get a free Nasty Plot.


use this: Choice Band

Syclant @ Choice Band
Ability: Mountaineer
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- U-turn
- Icicle Crash
- Earthquake
- Ice Shard

Why it's good: Syclant when equipped with a Choice Band will most likely not grab multiple OHKOs, but the sheer terror that it's U-Turn provides even against the aforementioned Pokemon is large, considering it gives the Syclant user all of the momentum. Moreover, physical Ice resists can be counted in 1 hand and one of the best ones, Slowbro, is weak to your U-Turn! Toxapex will be a problem but that's why you have your teammates. Physical Syclant also gets to run Ice Shard, acting as a cleaner for things that outspeed your team.

I look forward to seeing your submissions!

 

[dex]

Don’t use: Offensive Tomohawk
Tomohawk @ Life Orb
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hurricane
- Aura Sphere
- Nature Power
- Roost

Why it’s bad: Tomohawk is one of the premier physical walls of the tier; however, many newcomers see its high SpA stat and assume that it is to be used as a breaker. Tomohawk’s middling speed and lack of pivot option makes it an undesirable offensive presence on a team. It is easily outdone by Pokémon such as Tornadus-T, which has access to an amazing speed tier, Nasty Plot, pivoting, Knock Off, and Regenerator, and Zappos, which has a much better STAB combination as well as access to pivoting. Perhaps most importantly, Tomohawk has no way of pressuring Slowking, the preeminent special wall in the tier, something the other two don’t struggle with as much.

Use this instead: Nasty Plot Tornadus-Therian
Tornadus-Therian @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Hurricane
- Focus Blast / Heat Wave
- Knock Off / U-Turn

Why it’s good: Tornadus-T has many benefits over Tomohawk as listed above. It’s much better Speed stat allows it to sweep much more easily than Tomohawk ever could, and access to Nasty Plot allows it to muscle past the SpD walls of the tier. Perhaps most importantly, Knock Off and U-Turn give Tornadus-T important utility options when matched against Slowking that Tomohawk does not possess.

 

[dex]

I wanna revive this thread since I love Lasen and his brain

Don't use: Physical Krilowatt
Krilowatt @ Life Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Flip Turn
- Liquidation
- Wild Charge
- Ice Punch

While recoil-less Wild Charge and STAB Flip Turn seem like attractive options, physical Krilowatt ends up not doing any sort of meaningful damage to most of the tier's physical walls. For instance, Ice Punch is not an OHKO on defensive Landorus-T, and with Intimidate, its not even a guaranteed 2HKO. Corviknight can easily eat a Wild Charge and pivot into a check, and Toxapex can tank a Wild Charge and Knock Off Krilowatt's Life Orb, essentially neutering it. Perhaps most notably, Ice Punch is not a guaranteed OHKO on Swords Dance Garchomp, a mon Krilowatt is supposed to easily check.

Use this instead: Special Krilowatt
Krilowatt @ Life Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Volt Switch
- Surf
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam

Special Krilowatt, on the other hand, finds pressuring the walls of the tier a much easier task. Ice Beam does massive damage to even full SpD Landorus-T, and hits Corviknight and Toxapex much harder. Additionally, pivoting with Volt Switch on Toxapex and Corviknight chips them much more than Flip Turn. Ice Beam is a guaranteed OHKO on Garchomp, a vast improvement over the roll Ice Punch has.