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Oathkeeper

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who is the best spiker rn? is accelgor the new best spiker, garbo is still the best, or qwilfish somehow got good?
IMO, I don't think there is 1 designated spiker right now. Accelgor definitely makes its case as a good one. Like you said, you have Qwilfish, Garb, Ferroseed (if your team has a rocker), and Froslass of course!
 
Why are some Pokemon (like Ferroseed and Cramorant) ranked high on the viability rankings when very few people use them? Why are some other Pokemon (like Hitmontop and Basculin) used so much when you guys apparently think they're unviable?
 

Corthius

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Why are some Pokemon (like Ferroseed and Cramorant) ranked high on the viability rankings when very few people use them? Why are some other Pokemon (like Hitmontop and Basculin) used so much when you guys apparently think they're unviable?
A pokemon's viabability isnt measured in how many people use them, but in how good the pokemon performs in the current meta game.
E.g. Cherrim is not a good mon even if we all start using it.
 

Oathkeeper

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Is bulky Rotom-A ever worth running?

also any heat Rotom-A sets that aren’t specs or scarf?
If you're talking about Rotom-Fan with the A being Air, then yes the bulky set is a common one since it functions as a way to deal with Ninjask and Cramorant while being a defogger for teams.

Rotom-Fan @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Volt Switch
- Air Slash
- Will-O-Wisp
- Defog
 
If you're talking about Rotom-Fan with the A being Air, then yes the bulky set is a common one since it functions as a way to deal with Ninjask and Cramorant while being a defogger for teams.

Rotom-Fan @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Volt Switch
- Air Slash
- Will-O-Wisp
- Defog
No regular Rotom. Ghost/Electric

Thought fan was Rotom-F. New to lower tiers, this is for a draft league
 

Expulso

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No regular Rotom. Ghost/Electric

Thought fan was Rotom-F. New to lower tiers, this is for a draft league
For a draft league you probably shouldn't ask for advice here, draft leagues use plenty of uncommon techs you would rarely see in competitive play.

However, Rotom-N (regular rotom, the Ghost-type one) has a few different viable sets in NU. It can run:
- Choice
- Sub+NP (either using max HP + max Speed or max Special Attack + max Speed)
- Wisp+Hex

Rotom @ Choice Specs / Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Shadow Ball
- Volt Switch
- Trick
- Thunderbolt / Nasty Plot / Defog

Rotom @ Colbur Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe OR 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Nasty Plot
- Shadow Ball
- Thunderbolt

Rotom @ Colbur Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Will-O-Wisp
- Hex
- Volt Switch
- Defog / Nasty Plot
 
exploud.PNG

Why is the most-used EV spread on Exploud missing 4 EV? I can't think of any reason why it wouldn't want an extra point in a defensive stat, but maybe I'm missing something? Also lol at 100% Boomburst usage, I'm only used to seeing that on Ditto's Transform.
 

Finchinator

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I forgot the email and password I used to register for my main Smogon account: JT Yao. Who should I contact about this? Any help would greatly be appreciated.
Any super moderator listed here. For future reference, try not to make multiple accounts.

Why is the most-used EV spread on Exploud missing 4 EV? I can't think of any reason why it wouldn't want an extra point in a defensive stat, but maybe I'm missing something? Also lol at 100% Boomburst usage, I'm only used to seeing that on Ditto's Transform.
Likely a few people using the same team/set repeatedly without noticing. Smaller sample sizes lead to things like this.
 

quziel

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Without Wide Lens there is a 72.9% chance to hit all three Triple Axel hits, as it requires a 90% Accuracy hit 3 times (0.9^3=0.729).

With wide lens this instead requires a 90*1.1=99% accuracy hit 3 times, making it a 97% chance to have a full power Triple Axel.

This means the effective base power (averaged) goes from 94.14 to 117, in addition to being a vastly more consistent move.
 

Oathkeeper

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Is passimian getting any use, I mean if it will rise to NU
With Mienshao in the NUBL, Passimian should easily become the best scarf Fighting type we have. It may be PU by usage, but expect that to change with Mienshao gone. There are other scarfers like Flygon, but scarf Fighters are just nice to have and Pass will fit nicely!
 
With Mienshao in the NUBL, Passimian should easily become the best scarf Fighting type we have. It may be PU by usage, but expect that to change with Mienshao gone. There are other scarfers like Flygon, but scarf Fighters are just nice to have and Pass will fit nicely!
Also defiant is nice for hyper offense
 

Corthius

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¿Is vanilluxe worth using by itself? (AKA outside of full hail teams, no arctovish or a-sandslash)
Unfortunately Vanilluxe lacks a good way to hit the defensive Steel types that are so good at the moment, namely Copperajah and Bronzong (it also can't beat Escavalier). On top of that, with the ban of Cresselia a lot of Fighting types got better and are more frequently used which doesn't help either.
I think you can still use Vanilluxe but don't expect it to be outstandingly good.

Bonus: If you feel like using an offensive Ice type I would recommend trying out Rotom-Frost which basically offers similar breaking power + the ability to have a really threatening dual STAB combo.
 

wooper

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most vaporeon spreads i see are max hp max def, but ive been seeing some alternative ones with 216 def 44 spdef with calm nature. any insight on what this allows it to do specifically?
 
most vaporeon spreads i see are max hp max def, but ive been seeing some alternative ones with 216 def 44 spdef with calm nature. any insight on what this allows it to do specifically?
It mainly improves match-up vs shell smash blastoise.
+4 dark pulse (2x shell-smashs) will only 3hko vaporeon. (and small odds to 2hko with rocks up)

+4 252+ SpA Blastoise Dark Pulse vs. 252 HP / 44+ SpD Vaporeon: 195-230 (42 - 49.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
 

Pokeslice

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most vaporeon spreads i see are max hp max def, but ive been seeing some alternative ones with 216 def 44 spdef with calm nature. any insight on what this allows it to do specifically?
I've exclusively used 40+ SpDef spreads for the past two months or so and I think it's the necessary spread at the moment because, without it, you can't reliably wall what you need to. Like Elias Psy said, the SpDef spreads originated to wall Blastoise reliably, even accounting for one Dark Pulse flinch, but SpDef variants have extra benefit even outside of just Stoise. The best examples are Life Orb Analytic Starmie and Rotom-Mow, both of which can break PhysDef variants but lose out to SpDef Vaporeon. There are a ton more matchups where the SpDef helps, but those are the most prominent.

+4 252+ SpA Blastoise Dark Pulse vs. 252 HP / 40+ SpD Vaporeon: 196-231 (42.2 - 49.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
vs.
+4 252+ SpA Blastoise Dark Pulse vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Vaporeon: 225-265 (48.4 - 57.1%) -- 41% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

252 SpA Life Orb Starmie Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 40+ SpD Vaporeon: 195-231 (42 - 49.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
vs.
252 SpA Life Orb Starmie Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Vaporeon: 224-265 (48.2 - 57.1%) -- 36.3% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

252 SpA Life Orb Analytic Starmie Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 40+ SpD Vaporeon: 252-299 (54.3 - 64.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
vs.
252 SpA Life Orb Analytic Starmie Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Vaporeon: 291-343 (62.7 - 73.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
(Analytic T Bolt into normal T Bolt now KO's, even after a Protect)

252 SpA Rotom-Mow Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 40+ SpD Vaporeon: 234-276 (50.4 - 59.4%) -- 76.6% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
(you WishTect stall T Bolts)
vs.
252 SpA Rotom-Mow Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Vaporeon: 266-314 (57.3 - 67.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
(can't WishTect stall)

252 SpA Rotom-Mow Leaf Storm vs. 252 HP / 40+ SpD Vaporeon: 336-396 (72.4 - 85.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
(you WishTect stall Leaf Storm)
vs.
252 SpA Rotom-Mow Leaf Storm vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Vaporeon: 384-452 (82.7 - 97.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
(still WishTect, but can KO after SR)
 

quziel

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Is a more defensive Braviary set viable?
Generally speaking you'd prefer Talonflame for that role thanks to Flame Body being legitimately overpowered, the ability to check some Copperajah sets, greater speed letting you check stuff like Salazzle a bit easier, and better support options like Will-o-Wisp and Taunt. You do miss the Normal typing letting you check stuff like Dhelmise, but considering the advantages Talon offers elsewhere.
 

Pokeslice

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Is a more defensive Braviary set viable?
99% of the time, Sub BU Braviary's run a defensive spread that works really well in letting you set up on meta threats like Vaporeon. Alternatively, 2 Attack Defog Roost Brav has been one of my favorite underrated sets to run over the past month or two and well worth a slot for a still offensive Defogger that's bulky, although I usually run max attack with some speed and Def rather than a full defensive spread.
 

Corthius

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What is Steelvally’s niche? Is a fast Parting Shot/U-turn & Defog enough to make it rise to NU next shift?
Its main niche is being a defensive steel that has the ability to pivot against common steel type answers like Talonflame and Arcanine to get in breaker that abuses those like Starmie. Having Defog is also a niche if you already have a Stealth Rock user but no hazard removal but its overal not that great because the only Stealth Rocker it wins against is Diancie so Copperajah and espeically Mudsdale force it out and get up Stealth Rock again.
As for it is rn, I doubt that it will rise to NU in the near future, its niche just isnt that big atm.
 

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