Christmas is coming early to Monotype, and the council's gift to the community is the fourth quick ban wave that they have impatiently been waiting for ! As a reminder, the threshold for a quick is 6/8 in our case.
As a result of our most recent discussion, the following are
banned from Monotype:
Annihilape, Iron Bundle, Chi-Yu
Tagging
Kris to implement
The fighting and ghost combination proves once again to be too much to last in Monotype. Last wave, we banned Houndstone due to the overwhelming power of its signature move Last Respects, and we find ourselves again removing a Ghost-type Pokemon due to a new signature move that hits unprecedented BP. In the case of Annihilape's move Rage Fist, it maxes out at a staggering 350 BP which is even greater than Last Respects. Moreover, this damage doesn't even include STAB boosts and is Annihilape has a good ATK stat to take advantage of this power. While Rage Fist is less convenient than Last Respects to power up, Annihilape boasts solid bulk that allows it to take the hits necessary. It also can take advantage of the great utility moves it has such as Bulk Up, Taunt - forcing it to be hit, and Rest. All these moves bolster Annihilape's longevity which in change increases the power of Rage Fist. In addition, it has STAB Drain Punch which gives it an alternative form of recovery to once again increase longevity, while also giving it a way to super effectively hit the Normal-Type Pokemon that would be immune to Rage Fist, as well as the Dark-Types that would resist it. The combination of Rage Fist + Drain Punch gives it an imposing unresisted STAB pair, alongside a plethora of utility options that elevates its imposing presence. This Pokemon also doesn't have a very linear existence as it has a good speed tier which allows it to even use a more aggressive set like Choice Scarf - and it's support from Pawmot's Revival Blessing on Fighting enables that set to abuse Rage Fist. The existence of this Pokemon essentially invalidates bulkier builds. Furthermore, it's great bulk that is enhanced by Bulk Up makes it difficult to revenge kill; most physical attackers cannot take it out and even the best special attackers can struggle to beat it without a super effective STAB move. In many situations, it will soak up a hit and heal back up with Drain Punch - or remove them with Rage Fist which leaves the opponent without a way to kill it. Overall, the access to Rage Fist in cohesion with good bulk, a good typing and movepool has made Annihilape too overwhelming for Monotype.
Keeping up the tradition of banning a Water-Type Pokemon alongside a Ghost-Type, Iron Bundle is also being banned from Monotype. While it be hard to believe a Delibird variant could be a threat, Iron Bundle has incredible speed and special attack, unresisted STAB due to Freeze Dry, and a good DEF stat to allow it to eat attempts of being revenge killed by the most common priority moves; the latter is particularly important as Bundle is among the fastest Pokemon in the tier. The combination of Hydro Pump + Ice Beam + Freeze Dry make it essentially impossible for a majority of types to switch in or even counter this Pokemon without very specific checks that can be handled by its team support. With not all Pokemon being included, many types suffer from a lack of options, especially defensively and Iron Bundle highlights that problem. For types like Water, Ground, Dragon, Grass and more, when Iron Bundle comes in they simply need to accept that they are losing a Pokemon. With Choice Specs, this Pokemon can be an oppressive presence and with boots it can have greater longevity and pivoting capabilities all while still being difficult to take a hit from. Moreover, Iron Bundle has excellent, support as it is a Water-Type which gives it defensive support, pivoting and hazard removal. Essentially, Iron Bundle's insane offensive stats that are enhanced due to its unresisted STAB and its amazing support from teammates.
Last ban of this wave is Chi-Yu, who shares many of the issues of Iron Bundle; it has a great special attack stat and a good speed tier which is combined with an unresisted STAB combination. The most notable thing about this Pokemon is its ability Beads of Ruin which drops special defence of the Pokemon it faces - further enhancing its offensive presence. This essentially gives it a consequence-less Life Orb boost while still being able to run an item like Choice Scarf or Choice Specs to make it more imposing. It's power as a breaker places a chokehold on multiple types which have no option besides making a sack anytime it enters the field. In terms of support, on Fire-type teams its power only gets increased with Sun and on Dark it has good pivoting and Screens. On Dark with Screens, it is paired with a plethora of alternative breakers that make it difficult for too many types to handle. Also, while rare, it has the option taking advantage of Nasty Plot and even speed boosting with Flame Charge, paired with its STAB and already good stats to be a threat. Overall, Chi-Yu has many aspects that make it an overwhelming offensive Pokemon in the metagame.
A breakdown of all the votes:
| | | | | | | | | | |
|---|
| Annihilape | Flutter Mane | Iron Bundle | Revival Blessing | Roaring Moon | Baxcalibur | Iron Valiant | Gholdengo | Chi-Yu | Chien-Pao |
| Kev | Ban | Do Not Ban | Ban | Do Not Ban | Do Not Ban | Do Not Ban | Do Not Ban | Do Not Ban | Do Not Ban | Do Not Ban |
| Zap | Ban | Do Not Ban | Do Not Ban | Do Not Ban | Do Not Ban | Do Not Ban | Do Not Ban | Do Not Ban | Do Not Ban | Do Not Ban |
| Attribute | Ban | Do Not Ban | Ban | Ban | Do Not Ban | Do Not Ban | Do Not Ban | Do Not Ban | Ban | Do Not Ban |
| Chaitanya | Ban | Ban | Do Not Ban | Do Not Ban | Do Not Ban | Do Not Ban | Do Not Ban | Ban | Ban | Do Not Ban |
| Floss | Ban | Do Not Ban | Ban | Ban | Do Not Ban | Do Not Ban | Do Not Ban | Do Not Ban | Ban | Do Not Ban |
| DugZa | Ban | Do Not Ban | Ban | Do Not Ban | Do Not Ban | Do Not Ban | Do Not Ban | Do Not Ban | Ban | Do Not Ban |
| maroon | Ban | Ban | Ban | Do Not Ban | Do Not Ban | Do Not Ban | Do Not Ban | Do Not Ban | Ban | Do Not Ban |
| Shiba | Ban | Ban | Ban | Do Not Ban | Do Not Ban | Do Not Ban | Do Not Ban | Do Not Ban | Ban | Do Not Ban |
Following this, our watch list is:
- Pawmot vs Revival Blessing: A lot of the no ban votes are due to Rabsca not really showing to take advantage of the move unlike Pawmot. Due to the philosophy of not banning move vs Pokemon, it is difficult to determine where to draw the line here. It would be nice to see some input on this discussion.
- Dondozo: Incredible bulk paired with Unaware and Curse makes it a potent threat
- Cyclizar vs Shed Tail: There was nothing since the last slate to push us to make a decision on that previous topic, so we will continue watching it closely and hope to see some more debates regarding it
- Everything that received a no ban verdict
Have fun with the new metagame everyone, looking forward to more posts! (and stream SZA's new album)
