Format Discussion Pokemon Sword & Shield Random Battle Sets

[Annika]

Now that Gen 8 has had a little time to settle, let's start accepting suggestions or reports on sets for the new iteration of Random Battles!

What should be posted here?
- Accurate reports or screenshots of objectively bad movesets, ability synergy, items, et cetera.
- Suggestions on moves or items to add to (or remove from) Pokemon, backed by good reasoning.

Please do not post:
- One-liners. This includes suggestions without any backup reasoning.
- Complaints of illegal Pokemon or sets.
- Requests to add the National Dex.
- Posts complaining about unfairness, demanding certain Pokemon should be "banned" from the format, or complaining about hax.
- Screenshots of movesets that are not actually bad.
- Doubles suggestions, which should instead go here: https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/pokemon-sword-shield-random-doubles-battle-sets.3663063/

Important details about Random Battles that affect set effectiveness and generation!
- All Pokemon have 85 EVs in every stat with a neutral nature, unless 0 Atk EVs/IVs and 0 Spe EVs/IVs would be beneficial. In these cases, the rest of the EVs are still 85 and the nature is still neutral.
- The set generation is random and runs on an algorithm. Sets will not be identical from match to match, and some sets may be slightly better than others; this thread is only for reporting unviable/undesirable sets. If you want the same few sets every time, you should play Battle Factory instead!
- Unreleased Pokemon and abilities and illegal move combinations are allowed in Random Battles.

You can find all Pokemon info here: https://dex.pokemonshowdown.com/
You can find all Random Battle movepools here: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/smogon/pokemon-showdown/master/data/formats-data.ts

 

[RSB]

Can Zacian be banned from Gen 8 Random Battle? Even if it's the 1st slot it just wins most of the time due to the nature of Zacian and most randomized Pokemon not being Ubers. (Obviously.) For example, even if it was his 1st party member, I would've lost die to the fact my team isn't prepared to fight the 2nd or 3rd best Pokemon in the game.

 

[RSB]

SD/Acrobatics/CC/Stone Edge Hawlucha.

I mean, I'm not complaining -- it did win me the match -- but it seems like Belly Drum would be a better fit here.

But it doesn't get Belly Drum?

 

[Mega-Pokebattlerz]

But it doesn't get Belly Drum?

Okay, I'm dumb. For some reason I thought it learned Belly Drum, but I was clearly mistaken.

 

[breh]

Would it be possible to set level balance on everything based on what it was in the previous gen while there are no tiers? l78 dogs and eternatus is absolutely stupid compared to l82 everything else. dynamaxable last gen box legends / some ubers in general should also be lower as dd zekrom that can dynamax is bullshit to face

if a pokemon has a setup move, has [swift swim / slush rush / chlorophyll / sand rush] in its ability pool, and has a [water / ice / fire / rock] move in its moveset, give that ability (so as to force sand rush for excadrill that spawns with sand rush and so on).

PETITION TO GIVE CHERRIM SOLAR BLADE / PLAY ROUGH / SWORDS DANCE / SUNNY DAY

also jelli gets strength sap now which is... worth running over recover?

on the topic of jellicent and continuing gen 7's issues with bad LO pokemon, maybe if the pokemon has a healing move raise the speed cap for LO? LO jellicent loses you games you could win by recover stalling

 

[Chrus is nub]

Can we remove the Maractus set with Sunny Day/Solar Beam/Weather Ball/Synthesis?
It never gets the chance to set it up and there are much better alternatives.
I propose something like:

Maractus @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
- Leech Seed
- Spikes
- Spiky Shield
- Sucker Punch

 

[Blitz]

Echoing the above post - please get rid of Zacian. That thing singlehandedly murders every team.

If not, a hefty nerf of like -10 levels and no SD would work too. Just... please.

 

[A Cake Wearing A Hat]

Echoing the above post - please get rid of Zacian. That thing singlehandedly murders every team.

If not, a hefty nerf of like -10 levels and no SD would work too. Just... please.

nothing will be done about zacian until the formats are more polished and established. it will not be arbitrarily nerfed by removing moves from its set. its level may be nerfed, or it may be removed in the future, but complaints about zacian in this thread will do nothing to increase the likelihood of these events, as these decisions would entirely be up to The Immortal.

Please do not complain about Zacian in this thread in the future, folks. Won't help.

 

[Kalalokki]

It's not like that's unprecedented to do, Mega Rayquaza was gotten rid of and Xerneas was forever plagued by shit sets like AV to keep it reasonable.

But not to make this post completely off the rails, AV regular Stunfisk is bad and don't give me it, please and thank you.

 

[The Immortal]

We only have level 82 Pokémon right now. At least wait for when these are level 86 to complain about overpowered Pokémon.

 

[breh]

boltund @ competitive is bad, it got forced it cause it got volt switch?

heavy duty boots delibird is pretty bad because the sash will matter much more for delibird than dying to SR damage 90% of the time

sandaconda frequently gets life orb (whenever it spawns with one of glare or coil I think) which is bad for what is ultimately a defensive pokemon that wants to set up coils and not die to its own LO recoil instead of living with leftovers

 

[bugzinator]

got a sash mimikyu set the other day which seems pointless since you take 10% when disguise is broken in this gen anyway

 

[A Cake Wearing A Hat]

got a sash mimikyu set the other day which seems pointless since you take 10% when disguise is broken in this gen anyway

this'll be fixed as soon as possible.

 

[duck]

I got a misty surge galarian weezing with will o wisp, it doesnt' seem optimal to me

 

[breh]

I got a misty surge galarian weezing with will o wisp, it doesnt' seem optimal to me

Ah, thanks for reminding me of this; misty surge is absolutely the worst fucking ability for galarian weezing. You can't poison with your sludge bomb (important because weezing is pretty anemic and benefits a lot from random sludge bomb poisons racking up damage), you can't get use out of your tspikes, you can't use wow.

Also clanging scales is pretty bad and most of the time you get it it blocks out what could be an otherwise nice slot to put pjab in. Without the z move, it is pretty mediocre and (notably) not boosted by DD.

duraludon should be stalwart in randubs.

is acro flapple actually good? losing your item kind of sucks

is physical zard actually preferable over special? atm it can only spawn with dd acro, meaning no item (no boots or no LO). dd everything is nice but zard really wants to not die to rocks. solar power could also be fun with the threat of hazards removed. hurricane is also a fun meme move outside of sun or while dynamaxed.

 

[CoolMan6001]

Why does Arctozolt have Bulldoze when It can learn Stomping Tantrum which has a higher base power?

 

[Rabia]

View attachment 208417
Why does Arctozolt have Bulldoze when It can learn Stomping Tantrum which has a higher base power?

i'd assume the idea is that since arctozolt is pretty slow, you wanna optimize your chances of getting the boost in power to bolt beak

 

[breh]

liquid voice primarina @ no normal type moves?

also no QD butterfree is the literal worst, I don't know how to fix this

synchronize gardevoir?

 

[TheFranklin]

Chlorophyll > storm drain makes more sense on this set:

Maractus

 

[Rarycaris]

I just got an itemless Charizard:

I guess the point is Acrobatics, but why is physical Charizard a thing when it takes 50% from entry hazards?

 

[HerpaDerkpa]

I had a Beartic with rain dance but the ability slush rush. I assume this should be swift swim?

 

[breh]

Mayical: how am i suppose to use the white herb on a hawlucha with close combat acrobatics substitute and stone edge? so bad set -.-

?_?

Also are there any plans to add evio corsola (galarian) to rands?

Jolteon with quick feet??????

 

[A Cake Wearing A Hat]

etc

you use the white herb on close combat to proc unburden.
galarian corsola is in.
that'll be fixed.

 

[breh]

Moody is still stupid and uncompetitive, even without evasion boosts. It is still the same game plan (fish for speed, usually) albeit amplified by not getting evasion or accuracy to slow it down. The pokemon that get it don't seem to get subprotect (only normal Protect) so they're not as efficient at fishing for a couple turns til they get what they want, but they're still pretty good at what they do.

 

[Rarycaris]

I got a Bulk Up/Shadow Sneak/Ice Punch/Close Combat Marshadow earlier. Marshadow's whole gimmick is unresisted STAB, so it should never not be carrying Spectral Thief, especially in a meta where Dynamax and other setup sweepers are extremely common.