SPOILERS! Pokemon Sword and Shield Datamine Thread

[Kami42]

Such as who? +2 Flash Cannon removes pretty much all of them bar Unaware Clefable.

Once it sets up, yes, you can't switch in many mons without getting 2HKOed (one unlucky quote from my side).
On the other hand - every choice scarfed fairy, like Togekiss or Gardevoir, can take it out.
I don't say it's bad. I really love the tripple headed dragon and it got some love with NP.
I'm just saying I don't see it ending up in UBER, with Zacian, Zamazenta, Marshadow, Zeraora, Three Musketeers and other hard-hitting, fast mons in the game.
But I could be wrong, tho.
I would like to have it in OU, at least for a while, because I'm not that much a fan of UBERs in general. ^^"

 

[grizord]

gyarados and excadrill are pretty broken !!!!!

 

[Rarycaris]

I wonder if there are any gimmicky counters for Zacian, like a Wobbuffet or Dusknoir with Counter?

Wobbuffet can only reliably tank a hit if it takes *zero* prior damage (Crunch can OHKO after SR over 80% of the time), and if Zacian has SD, it can just use that. Wobbuffet can force Zacian out by Encoring it into SD, or counter the right moveset if it clears hazards, but that's all. And Zacian can just Dynamax for the guaranteed KO -- it will be the strongest member of any team it's on, so it'll be worth it just to preserve it.

Ditto will work really well, since Sword Zacian can't be scarfed. Depends on how it interacts with Dynamax, and whether or not it copies the boost *and* activates Zacian's ability again. (How does Imposter interact with Download?) You can reliably kill their Zacian and then just sweep their team with an even stronger one.

I can't see Hydreigon that high, honestly, because it'll get smacked down by most of the threats we're sure about to become UBERs

A Pokemon's viability in ubers doesn't matter for whether it gets banished there. Ubers membership is defined by it being OU's banlist.

Having said that, it probably won't have to deal with Zacian if it does get the boot, because Zacian is almost certainly going to be banned to AG.

 

[Crimson Chris]

Man....I was hoping Duraludon would be much better...I love that thing so much. I just hope it can make it to UU....

 

[Kami42]

Sure hydreigon won't be your setup sweeper that can 6-0 due to that speed but I can see it being a very strong wallbreaker after +2. It has an amazing coverage. Not sure about UBER.

Dragapult, indeed, doesn't have a good physical movepool. However, I think it's sufficient enough for a DD and CB set. For instance, Dragon Dance/Dragon Darts/Steel Wing/Baton Pass and Dragon Darts/Steel Wing/U-Turn/Sucker Punch (?????), respectively. IMHO, Dragapult is a definitely OU at least even with such a poor physical movepool...

Yes, that's one thing I love about Hydreigon. <3
in terms of coverage and wallbreaking capabilities, it is great. But as you said, I'm not sure about UBER.

It's my favorite Mon from this gen, together with Zacian and Corviknight, so I would love to see it viable.
I may feel a bit disappointed, because of it's movepool (Kommo-o syndrome, again), so I might be a bit overly cautious about predicting Dragapults tier.

 

[earl]

I think people are overreacting to stuff like Nasty Plot Hydreigon, we’ve had faster and stronger swords dancers in the past and they stay. Revenge killing is a powerful tool

 

[doipy hooves]

(How does Imposter interact with Download?)

If you Transform after they activate Download/get the boost (being slower), you do copy their stat boost and activate the ability again for another boost.

 

[lordkira]

Yes, that's one thing I love about Hydreigon. <3
in terms of coverage and wallbreaking capabilities, it is great. But as you said, I'm not sure about UBER.

It's my favorite Mon from this gen, together with Zacian and Corviknight, so I would love to see it viable.
I may feel a bit disappointed, because of it's movepool (Kommo-o syndrome, again), so I might be a bit overly cautious about predicting Dragapults tier.

I think it's very understandable to be disappointed with Dragapult's physical movepool. I am with you on that matter, definitely. However, with its stats and DD and Baton Pass, I can kind of see Dragapult doing what Blaziken did in previous gens with speed boost, SD, and baton pass (before the baton pass policy changes).

I think people are overreacting to stuff like Nasty Plot Hydreigon, we’ve had faster and stronger swords dancers in the past and they stay. Recent killing is a powerful tool

It could be similar to what SD garchomp was, I suppose. I'm still very iffy of it being in UBER but I don't doubt it's been buffed significantly...just not quite sold on the massive hype it's getting at the moment either.

edit: much of what I said probably should be taken aside. I don't believe baton pass policy changed since last gen so DD+Baton pass is still not a thing. Sorry.

 

[Kami42]

Man....I was hoping Duraludon would be much better...I love that thing so much. I just hope it can make it to UU....

I can see it being a thing in monotype, actually. In the actual meta ... hard to say right now, it depends so much on speed tiers and special attackers Duraludon just can't handle that well. Maybe Assault Vest good be a thing, or running a physical/mixed tanky set ...?
We'll see, I guess.

 

[Rarycaris]

If you Transform after they activate Download/get the boost (being slower), you do copy their stat boost and activate the ability again for another boost.

Sweet. Probably the same for Intrepid Sword, then, which makes even sending in Zacian a liability against anyone with a Ditto.

I can't imagine that will be enough to save it, because it relies on you having a Ditto (though Ditto has always been a nice catch-all answer to setup bullshit in ubers, and lots of Dragon Dance/NP users who are weak to their own STABs will make it even better), but it's a reliable hard check that will probably win you the game if you can send it in safely -- unless Dynamax messes with this somehow.

Edit: Even then, Zacian's own move's special effect hits itself neutrally and deals double damage to Dynamax, so the only way Dynamax saves it is if it stops Imposter working entirely.

 

[Crimson Chris]

Overall, this Gen has introduced some interesting mons and have made some real big changes to movepools.....This metagame will be something alright.

 

[Kami42]

I think it's very understandable to be disappointed with Dragapult's physical movepool. I am with you on that matter, definitely. However, with its stats and DD and Baton Pass, I can kind of see Dragapult doing what Blaziken did in previous gens with speed boost, SD, and baton pass (before the baton pass policy changes).

Tbf., I'm not that much of a Baton Pass fan. ^^"
But I see your point, if Baton Pass will be a thing, then Daragpult will become pretty dangerous.
As I mentioned before, it still seems to be the "perfect" Dynamax Sweeper with high stats, set up and the pure power of moves like Phantom Force.

 

[ArcticFire]

their data seems to still be in the game models stats etc

They don't have sprites and they are not in the list of Pokémon.

 

[Cataclyptic]

ok why do you need agility with 140 speed base stat ;/

if 140 doesn't satisfy you for speed nothing will lol
zacian is a really really fast boi or girl if you read it's pokedex entry

it also can't hold items unless you use the inferior base form

My mistake, I thought its speed stat was 128. Turns out that was Zamazenta instead. I reread the documents and it has 148 speed- outspeeding everything except for Ninjask In the galar dex. Because this is fair given everything else it has.

So yeah, nevermind. Axe agility and put a coverage move onto it, then kill everything.

EDIT: And with all this talk of Ditto being an answer, put Substitute in its place. Either get a free hit in if Ditto switches in, or prevent Imposter shenanigans entirely. Bonus: free status immunity since it can’t hold another item.

More importantly, did we confirm it has to hold a sword for it to transform? If so, does the sword do anything besides enable the transformation?

 

[Rarycaris]

More importantly, did we confirm it has to hold a sword for it to transform? If so, does the sword do anything besides enable the transformation?

Yes and no respectively.

 

[Crimson Chris]

If that sword did anything else besides enable the transformation, Zacian would be even more disgusting. These Doggos aren't messing around.

 

[Kami42]

If that sword did anything else besides enable the transformation, Zacian would be even more disgusting. These Doggos aren't messing around.

Wolfs are great animals and I'm so happy seeing two of them as Legendaries <3
Maybe my favorite covers so far, especially Zacian (design-wise, it's just cool and holy Daddy Arceus ... she'll (she, because "big sister" Zamazenta) slaughter a lot o.o

 

[Olijolly]

I think it's very understandable to be disappointed with Dragapult's physical movepool. I am with you on that matter, definitely. However, with its stats and DD and Baton Pass, I can kind of see Dragapult doing what Blaziken did in previous gens with speed boost, SD, and baton pass (before the baton pass policy changes).



It could be similar to what SD garchomp was, I suppose. I'm still very iffy of it being in UBER but I don't doubt it's been buffed significantly...just not quite sold on the massive hype it's getting at the moment either.

edit: much of what I said probably should be taken aside. I don't believe baton pass policy changed since last gen so DD+Baton pass is still not a thing. Sorry.

bp clause still stands I think so dd with baton pass wouldn't be allowed. if it was allowed, i can see it going to ubers. thankfully bp clause still stands (i hated bp before the clause few years ago)

 

[Rarycaris]

Wolfs are great animals and I'm so happy seeing two of them as Legendaries <3
Maybe my favorite covers so far, especially Zacian (design-wise, it's just cool and holy Daddy Arceus ... she'll (she, because "big sister" Zamazenta) slaughter a lot o.o

Do we know if they actually have genders ingame? I know Solgaleo and Lunala didn't, despite being explicitly gendered by the Pokedex.

 

[Kami42]

Do we know if they actually have genders ingame? I know Solgaleo and Lunala didn't, despite being explicitly gendered by the Pokedex.

They're genderless, as seen on the screenshots of Zamazenta (94 percent sure about this).
It would be nice, tho. c:

 

[Crimson Chris]

Do we know if they actually have genders ingame? I know Solgaleo and Lunala didn't, despite being explicitly gendered by the Pokedex.

I don't think they do. Only Zacian has a implied gender as being Female with Zamazenta more than likely being the Male one.

 

[Giga Man]

Can someone give me a rundown on how to earn Watts and what the limitations are? It's been the most confusing thing for me so far.

 

[Kami42]

Can someone give me a rundown on how to earn Watts and what the limitations are? It's been the most confusing thing for me so far.

As far as I know, which might not be everything, you're getting 200 from spots in the Wild Area and 2000 from spots in the Wild Area with a Dyna Raid inside. Not sure if that are the only two methods.

 

[BlueRay]

BlueRay spotlight is no more iirc.

Sigh, there it went, my ideal set for Shiinotic...
But at least, it has Pollen Puff and Spore to be annoying in VGC. If that is enough remains to be seen.
Anyway, thanks for letting me know!

 

[Ryser]

Is there any other OU prediction other than Zacian, Hydreigon , Dracapult at this point?