Resource SS OU Good Cores

Zneon

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Offensive Core




Not sure if anyone posted this one already, but Choice Band Urshifu and Choice Specs Spectrier is a pretty potent core. The reason why I feel its potent is because of the fact that Urshifu-S and Spectrier will be able to beat their opposing checks and counters. Spectrier gets walled by Tyranitar, Hydreigon and Blissey, aka stuff that Urshifu just bops with ease, and with Mandibuzz, it cannot switch into Urshifu especially if its in Close Combat range, and that be huge for Spectrier, as with Mandibuzz killed or at least weakened it can do its work more easily. Meanwhile, Clefable, Tapu Fini, Galarian Weezing and Buzzwole can while into it pretty reliably check it, however with Spectrier in the picture, those mons can be crippled so heavily to the point they cannot really deal with Urshifu anymore long term, which is a huge boon considering how punishing these 2 Pokemon are and how they can get multiple kills or in Spectrier's case, sweeps from this.

Possible Partners



These are all Pokemon that can pair this core pretty well. Slowbro's Future Sight support is always hella useful, for Urshifu specifically I would say because with a Future Sight up it has virtually 0 checks so it's very useful, and also Scald burns can be useful for Spectrier as well due to the threat of Hex. Galarian Slowking, similar to Slowbro is useful for both Urshifu and Spectrier due to Future Sight and Sludge Bomb, making Urshifu harder to deal with in the process and potential Sludge Bomb poisons obviously being a boon to Spectrier. Toxapex also, with its support in spreading status and knocking off items is a valuable to both Urshifu and especially Spectrier due to all of these factors, lastly Clefable which is a reliable Urshifu check, which is what this core needs since it is so easily beaten by it, combined with rocks support, status support with Twave and Knock Off, it is a very good utility option for it.
 
Offensive Core

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

Cinderace @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Libero
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Pyro Ball
- U-turn
- Gunk Shot
- Sucker Punch/ High Jump Kick / Zen Headbutt

Garchomp and Cinderace form a very potent offensive core that both aid each of their opposing counter and checks. Garchomp struggles in dealing against Buzzwole eating all of its hits , while mons such as Clefable, Tapu Fini , and Slowbro can switch into Garchomp , however, have to worry of being 2HKOed after a Swords Dance boost, Cinderace has the right coverage to handle against them with Pyro Ball hitting Buzzwole and non ground weak steels, Gunk Shot against the fairies , and U-Turn heavily denting against Slowbro as well as providing momentum and bringing in Garchomp in safely. With the first three moves that Cinderace provides and partnering with Garchomp , it can afford to drop moves like High Jump Kick/ Zen Headbutt for Heatran and Toxapex with the corresponding move as it lures both of them and can bring in Garchomp who can easily break past them, either forcing them out and getting a free opportunity to set up or hazards if you opt to run Stealth Rock.

Defensive Core


Hydreigon @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 164 HP / 92 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Dark Pulse
- Earth Power
- Defog
- Roost

Zapdos @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Static
EVs: 248 HP / 220 Def / 40 Spe
Timid Nature
- Discharge
- Heat Wave/ Hurricane
- U-turn
- Roost


These two have really great defensive synergy after trying out for a while now , covering notable tier threats and aiding each other in handling each of their checks. In this case for this core Zapdos can afford to drop Defog here in favor for U-Turn instead of Volt Switch gaining momentum against Heatran and Ground types it doesn't wanna stay in against , where it can bring in Hydreigon that checks Heatran and Nidoking for Zapdos, while Zapdos checks Melmetal , Buzzwole , and Hawlucha for Hydreigon. Another cool thing in this core is that they can soft check Urshifu with Zapdos being able to stomach a banded Wicked Blow and potentially crippling with Static , where Hydreigon can then takes advantage of choice locked Wicked Blow forcing where it has to be careful with the moves it clicks, though it can be somewhat tricky to play around with Future Sight Support, despite Hydreiogn's immunity towards it , so it would be recommended in bring another check to Urshifu-S for safety measure.
 
Double Rill
:azumarill: :rillaboom:

This core is a bit wierd. You might be wondering why Azumarill would work great with Rillaboom. Let me elaborate. This Azumarill set is completely unorthodox. It's Whirlpool + Perish Song. This Azu flat out removes Ferrothorn completely, alongside many other annoying walls such as Toxapex or Tangrowth. What makes this set work well with Rillaboom specifically is Sap Sipper: with this ability, Azumarill completely stone walls Power Whip Ferrothorn and many other miscellaneous Grass type (including opposing Rillaboom itself) that could theoretically switch into Rillaboom, removing them completely by luring them in, trapping them with Whirlpool and then assuring the KO with Perish Song + Protect combo. The set is rounded off with Draining Kiss, a pathetically weak move on Azumarill that lets it beat Urshifu (both Urshifus actually), since this is conveniently a very bulky Fairy type. Also keep it healthy. This goes along the turns of Grassy Terrain provided by Rillaboom. These two alongside something to handle the demon Zapdos also completely blocks Rain teams while providing extra utilities in many areas.

About Rillaboom, you know what it does. I think the best set here is Choice Band. Imagine having the freedom to click Wood Hammer without Ferrothorns around. Also having a Terrain may disrupt opposing terrain strategies. Rillaboom is always Rillaboom.

Azumarill @ Leftovers
Ability: Sap Sipper
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Whirlpool
- Perish Song
- Protect
- Draining Kiss

Rillaboom @ Choice Band
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Grassy Glide
- Wood Hammer
- Knock Off
- High Horsepower



It's worth noting that this core is heavily hindered by Zapdos, Poison types and Freeze Dry users such as Kyurem. I think a great partner here might be Stone Edge Garchomp or something that lures and KOs the birds. Conversely, for a more defensive approach, Tyranitar is arguably the best non-Blissey answer to Rain Zapdos and ofc Moltres, provides Stealth Rock and paralsys support, while also being a Spectrier counter. It also sponges hits from the aforementioned Kyurem and resists Poison.
 

Zneon

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Unfort that I posted this after the update. Oh well. Anyway.



First 3 Pokemon core that I've done yet but this is a very good one. First of all its a FWG core which is already pretty handy but the reason why this is so good is how these Pokemon can compliment each other outside of covering their weaknesses. Suicune's goal is to setup with Calm Mind and Rillaboom and Heatran are very helpful in allowing Suicune to let that happen. Rillaboom gives both Heatran and Suicune Grassy Terrain recovery and coupled with Leftovers they are gonna be healing a lot in just 1 and especially 2 turns. Magma Storm Heatran can get rid of Toxapex pretty reliably which is a huge boon for Suicune as that's the biggest roadblock out of the way. This core has really good synergy and deserves more attention.

Rillaboom @ Choice Band
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Wood Hammer
- Grassy Glide
- U-turn
- Knock Off

Suicune @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
- Protect
- Scald

Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 216 SpD / 40 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Magma Storm
- Taunt
- Protect
- Earth Power



This is a hyper offensive core using 2 leads, Landorus-T and Regieleki. I find these two to be the best at what they do, Landorus-T being a great suicide lead and Regieleki being the best screens setter. They work in really nice ways, both of them have Explosion so they can bring momentum for their teammates once they do their roles, which is very useful for stuff like Magearna, Nasty Plot Spectrier and Rillaboom. It's pretty straightforward so I'm not going to go too in-depth with this one compared to the core above, but overall Landorus-T and Regieleki have very good synergy on hyper offense.

Landorus-Therian (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Rock Tomb
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Explosion

Regieleki @ Light Clay
Ability: Transistor
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Light Screen
- Reflect
- Explosion
- Rapid Spin
 
Unfort that I posted this after the update. Oh well. Anyway.



First 3 Pokemon core that I've done yet but this is a very good one. First of all its a FWG core which is already pretty handy but the reason why this is so good is how these Pokemon can compliment each other outside of covering their weaknesses. Suicune's goal is to setup with Calm Mind and Rillaboom and Heatran are very helpful in allowing Suicune to let that happen. Rillaboom gives both Heatran and Suicune Grassy Terrain recovery and coupled with Leftovers they are gonna be healing a lot in just 1 and especially 2 turns. Magma Storm Heatran can get rid of Toxapex pretty reliably which is a huge boon for Suicune as that's the biggest roadblock out of the way. This core has really good synergy and deserves more attention.

Rillaboom @ Choice Band
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Wood Hammer
- Grassy Glide
- U-turn
- Knock Off

Suicune @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
- Protect
- Scald

Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 216 SpD / 40 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Magma Storm
- Taunt
- Protect
- Earth Power



This is a hyper offensive core using 2 leads, Landorus-T and Regieleki. I find these two to be the best at what they do, Landorus-T being a great suicide lead and Regieleki being the best screens setter. They work in really nice ways, both of them have Explosion so they can bring momentum for their teammates once they do their roles, which is very useful for stuff like Magearna, Nasty Plot Spectrier and Rillaboom. It's pretty straightforward so I'm not going to go too in-depth with this one compared to the core above, but overall Landorus-T and Regieleki have very good synergy on hyper offense.

Landorus-Therian (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Rock Tomb
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Explosion

Regieleki @ Light Clay
Ability: Transistor
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Light Screen
- Reflect
- Explosion
- Rapid Spin
The first core is pretty nasty, I'm building a team around it for sure.
Just some thoughts. I think Toxic Spikes are important to consider both in your team and in the opponent's team. You want a reliable way to remove them (Heatran can trap Pex but isn't always able to prevent it from laying tspikes), because they invalidate Suicune completely. Conversely, tspikes on the opponents field make this Suicune set even more deadly, which also goes a long way since the opponent's Pex will be even more pressured to come in to remove them, which makes it easier for Heatran to trap it. One of the nidos looks pretty nice in that spot since they both stop Electric moves, which are very troublesome, absorb and lay tspikes while scaring the hell outta pex. You don't necessarily need a Poison type, let alone a tspikes user, but if you want a Defogger / rapid spinner grab yourself a reliable one. You also wanna trap Blissey w/ Heatran because that thing is mad annoying to setup on even with 101 HP Subs because you aint killing that blob even at +6 and it will consume your Scalds. Also, something to smack Ferro (or any Grass type for that matter) by surprise is going to be useful. My Perish Trap Azumarill set just two posts above is hilariously good at removing pex and ferrothorn, while covering suicune's grass weakness thanks to sap sipper and heatran's fighting weakness.
 

Finchinator

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On the topic of Rillaboom cores...

+

Rillaboom @ Choice Band
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 56 HP / 252 Atk / 200 Spe
Serious Nature
- Grassy Glide
- Wood Hammer
- Knock Off
- U-turn

Kartana @ Life Orb
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Leaf Blade
- Knock Off
- Giga Impact / Sacred Sword / Synthesis

The concept is pretty straight forward: Rillaboom sets up Grassy Terrain so that both it and Kartana can force some super dangerous situations thanks to the strengthened Grass STAB. While building with these two does lead to some limitations, especially in a metagame where you are strapped for team slots, it is still very possible due to the inherent defensive utility of Rillaboom, checking things with strong STAB Grassy Glide priority.

These two are able to compliment each other a bit as well. Rillaboom has priority and the ability to generate momentum with U-turn whereas Kartana has a bit more speed and the ability to annihilate certain Pokemon that would handle both with coverage. A +2 LO Knock Off is already coming close to a KO on Zapdos and Moltres, but Giga Impact can remove them and so many more Pokemon with a boost. This opens up games for Rillaboom to clean up later on, especially when facing bulky offense. Regardless of the filler coverage option on Kartana though, the extra strength and recovery go a long way for both Pokemon. They form a potent offensive core because of this.
 
On the topic of Rillaboom cores...

+

Rillaboom @ Choice Band
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 56 HP / 252 Atk / 200 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Grassy Glide
- Wood Hammer
- Knock Off
- U-turn

Kartana @ Life Orb
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Leaf Blade
- Knock Off
- Giga Impact / Sacred Sword / Synthesis

The concept is pretty straight forward: Rillaboom sets up Grassy Terrain so that both it and Kartana can force some super dangerous situations thanks to the strengthened Grass STAB. While building with these two does lead to some limitations, especially in a metagame where you are strapped for team slots, it is still very possible due to the inherent defensive utility of Rillaboom, checking things with strong STAB Grassy Glide priority.

These two are able to compliment each other a bit as well. Rillaboom has priority and the ability to generate momentum with U-turn whereas Kartana has a bit more speed and the ability to annihilate certain Pokemon that would handle both with coverage. A +2 LO Knock Off is already coming close to a KO on Zapdos and Moltres, but Giga Impact can remove them and so many more Pokemon with a boost. This opens up games for Rillaboom to clean up later on, especially when facing bulky offense. Regardless of the filler coverage option on Kartana though, the extra strength and recovery go a long way for both Pokemon. They form a potent offensive core because of this.
Why serious on rilla?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
why so serious
Here's a core I really enjoyed using:

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1609543388236.png


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


Jirachi @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Iron Head
- U-turn
- Trick/Ice Punch/Toxic
- Healing Wish


LO Garchomp is a pretty lethal wallbreaker/sweeper, so why not give it two lives? Rather than use Latias (type redundancy :v) I went for Scarf Jirachi, which is a bit niche but has impressed me a lot. Having Healing Wish support lets you play a lot more recklessly with Garchomp early-game and not feel a part of your soul die when you switch in on a stray Scald (ahem Pex) and get burned. In terms of type synergy they do alright, with Jirachi covering Garchomp's Fairy, Dragon and Ice weaknesses, and Garchomp being a decent Fire type switch in, though Jirachi can be a bit lacking in longevity since I'm running Scarf as opposed to SpDef, so a bulkier Steel type is perhaps warranted as a teammate.
Jirachi also provides good speed control, which Garchomp without a Scale Shot boost appreciates. Jirachi's 3rd move is super flexible; I use Trick because crippling Corviknight, Mandibuzz, and Tapu Fini makes me very happy, but Ice Punch is lots of fun if you want to make Landorus-T have a bad day. I haven't experimented much with Toxic, but in theory it works pretty well on bulky Ground types, though Trick does a better job imo (except you lose your scarf :< )
Iron Head hax is also fun. :D
As for completing the DFS core, both Clefable and Tapu Fini make for good choices -- I've only really used Clefable, since I need a Stealth Rocker and also there's a certain bear that I really hate, but I could see the rationale for Fini.
 
:sm/crawdaunt: :sm/sandaconda:

This core is definitely wierd just by looking at it, but trust me... it gets even more crazy.
Now, I got the inspiration from seeing Blunder's video on YouTube about special attacking Crawdaunt, which as I said sounds completely crazy at first, but once you take a deeper look into it you discover that it packs a serious punch even on the special side. However, I went full drugs and replaced Close Combat for Nasty Plot because the calcs on this thing are absolutely ridiculous. Even Blissey is not technically a counter. Of course as you know, speed is a major flaw for this demon, otherwise it would terrorize everything. Sandaconda is here because Zygarde is no more (thankfully), Glare is broken because it paralyzes Ground types as well, Stealth Rocks help with rolls and with an appropriate spread, it can cover Electric type attacks from the likes of Tapu Koko and Alolan Raichu.

Before I analyze the sets it's important to mention the obvious. This core is far from being the most viable on this thread, it might be bad/difficult to build a good team around this, but I wanted to showcase the hidden power of this crab and maybe with the insight of whoever is interested, we can find a way to make this actuallty work. For example, maybe a more viable Ground type (arguably with SpDef investment OR Def with Blissey?) could be run instead of Sandaconda, but I just put the snake in because it's obscure and fun, plus it has Glare, thus showcasing everything that Crawdaunt needs.

Crawdaunt @ Life Orb
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Hydro Pump
- Dark Pulse
- Sludge Wave

Sandaconda @ Leftovers
Ability: Shed Skin
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Glare
- Rest

:crawdaunt: nasty plot is for set-up of course, makes Crawdaunt's laughable base 90 Special Attack into a sneakily powerful weapon. Hydro Pump is for STAB, accuracy is bad but Crawdaunt either KOs or gets KO'd, so going for power is always better. Also, at +0, Hydro Pump's power is very useful. Dark Pulse is for Dark STAB and it breaks through Ferrothorn and Toxapex, while nailing Tank Chomp for a 100% accurate KO. Sludge Wave rounds off this set purely as coverage for Fairy types, especially Tapu Fini.

:sandaconda: pretty standard I would say, Glare is the n°1 to even consider Sandaconda, maybe alongside Sand Spit, Stealth Rock help with rolls as I said and as you'll see, EQ for powerful STAB and the last slot is very customizable. Rest + Shed Skin can be extremely clutch, Protect helps scouting and racks up Leftovers recovery, Stone Edge helps against birds, especially Zapdos.

:blissey:
+2 252 SpA Life Orb Adaptability Crawdaunt Hydro Pump vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Blissey: 372-439 (52.1 - 61.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 252 SpA Life Orb Adaptability Crawdaunt Hydro Pump vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Blissey in Rain: 559-658 (78.2 - 92.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
This is nuts considering Crawdaunt has only base 90 SpAtk! Adaptability is frightening

:tapu fini:
+2 252 SpA Life Orb Crawdaunt Sludge Wave vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Tapu Fini: 335-395 (97.6 - 115.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock

:toxapex:
+2 252 SpA Life Orb Adaptability Crawdaunt Dark Pulse vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Toxapex: 260-307 (85.5 - 100.9%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO
+2 252 SpA Life Orb Adaptability Crawdaunt Dark Pulse vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Toxapex: 260-307 (85.5 - 100.9%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

:ferrothorn:
+2 252 SpA Life Orb Adaptability Crawdaunt Dark Pulse vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Ferrothorn: 309-367 (87.7 - 104.2%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

:clefable:
252 SpA Life Orb Adaptability Crawdaunt Hydro Pump vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Clefable: 265-312 (67.2 - 79.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Life Orb Crawdaunt Sludge Wave vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Clefable: 229-270 (58.1 - 68.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

:garchomp:
+2 252 SpA Life Orb Adaptability Crawdaunt Dark Pulse vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Garchomp: 406-478 (96.6 - 113.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock

:magearna:
+2 252 SpA Life Orb Adaptability Crawdaunt Hydro Pump vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Assault Vest Magearna: 286-338 (78.5 - 92.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

:zapdos: this Pokémon comes to mind pretty quickly as it helps dealing with Rillaboom + Kartana (which completely dominates this core), acts as a Defogger, deals good damage to Tapu Fini and helps spread paralysis between Discharge and Static. Be careful because this is yet another Pokémon weak to Specs Kyurem, which may rise even more in popularity if Urshifu-S gets banned and Magearna right after him.

:slowking-galar: helps Crawdaunt with Future Sights and can actually switch into Freeze Dry users because it's so damn fat on the special side.

:dragapult: can spread paralysis with Thunder Wave, Hex sinergyzes pretty well with para spam, can pressure Blissey with Dragon Darts, outspeed and hits Spectrier hard, gives the team good Speed control overall.

:blissey: This goes even more in balance's direction, but Blissey is the premier one pack special sponge, even though it's super passive, but has the added benefits of switching into Specs Kyurem, having Teleport to bring Crawdaunt in safely and having Thunder Wave itself.
 

Zneon

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Offensive Core


Very iconic core that has not been added yet so I might as well suggest it here. KokoLucha is great right now, Tapu Koko is a pretty nice pivot and wallbreaker with Specs, even though it cannot bop stuff with HP Ice like it did before, it can still overwhelm grounds with Dazzling Gleam, and combined with their lack of recovery Tapu Koko can win the 1v1s pretty consistently against Landorus-T and Garchomp. Once Koko pivots into Hawlucha its ready to get going. Stone Edge is better than Substitute right now due to how common Zapdos is and how Moltres, while declining is still seeing usage in the metagame. KokoLucha is just great right now and warrants being added to the bunch.

Tapu Koko @ Choice Specs
Ability: Electric Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Dazzling Gleam
- Grass Knot

Hawlucha @ Electric Seed
Ability: Unburden
EVs: 132 HP / 252 Atk / 124 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Acrobatics
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge
 
:sm/crawdaunt: :sm/sandaconda:

This core is definitely wierd just by looking at it, but trust me... it gets even more crazy.
Now, I got the inspiration from seeing Blunder's video on YouTube about special attacking Crawdaunt, which as I said sounds completely crazy at first, but once you take a deeper look into it you discover that it packs a serious punch even on the special side. However, I went full drugs and replaced Close Combat for Nasty Plot because the calcs on this thing are absolutely ridiculous. Even Blissey is not technically a counter. Of course as you know, speed is a major flaw for this demon, otherwise it would terrorize everything. Sandaconda is here because Zygarde is no more (thankfully), Glare is broken because it paralyzes Ground types as well, Stealth Rocks help with rolls and with an appropriate spread, it can cover Electric type attacks from the likes of Tapu Koko and Alolan Raichu.

Before I analyze the sets it's important to mention the obvious. This core is far from being the most viable on this thread, it might be bad/difficult to build a good team around this, but I wanted to showcase the hidden power of this crab and maybe with the insight of whoever is interested, we can find a way to make this actuallty work. For example, maybe a more viable Ground type (arguably with SpDef investment OR Def with Blissey?) could be run instead of Sandaconda, but I just put the snake in because it's obscure and fun, plus it has Glare, thus showcasing everything that Crawdaunt needs.

Crawdaunt @ Life Orb
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Hydro Pump
- Dark Pulse
- Sludge Wave

Sandaconda @ Leftovers
Ability: Shed Skin
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Glare
- Rest

:crawdaunt: nasty plot is for set-up of course, makes Crawdaunt's laughable base 90 Special Attack into a sneakily powerful weapon. Hydro Pump is for STAB, accuracy is bad but Crawdaunt either KOs or gets KO'd, so going for power is always better. Also, at +0, Hydro Pump's power is very useful. Dark Pulse is for Dark STAB and it breaks through Ferrothorn and Toxapex, while nailing Tank Chomp for a 100% accurate KO. Sludge Wave rounds off this set purely as coverage for Fairy types, especially Tapu Fini.

:sandaconda: pretty standard I would say, Glare is the n°1 to even consider Sandaconda, maybe alongside Sand Spit, Stealth Rock help with rolls as I said and as you'll see, EQ for powerful STAB and the last slot is very customizable. Rest + Shed Skin can be extremely clutch, Protect helps scouting and racks up Leftovers recovery, Stone Edge helps against birds, especially Zapdos.

:blissey:
+2 252 SpA Life Orb Adaptability Crawdaunt Hydro Pump vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Blissey: 372-439 (52.1 - 61.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 252 SpA Life Orb Adaptability Crawdaunt Hydro Pump vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Blissey in Rain: 559-658 (78.2 - 92.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
This is nuts considering Crawdaunt has only base 90 SpAtk! Adaptability is frightening

:tapu fini:
+2 252 SpA Life Orb Crawdaunt Sludge Wave vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Tapu Fini: 335-395 (97.6 - 115.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock

:toxapex:
+2 252 SpA Life Orb Adaptability Crawdaunt Dark Pulse vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Toxapex: 260-307 (85.5 - 100.9%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO
+2 252 SpA Life Orb Adaptability Crawdaunt Dark Pulse vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Toxapex: 260-307 (85.5 - 100.9%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

:ferrothorn:
+2 252 SpA Life Orb Adaptability Crawdaunt Dark Pulse vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Ferrothorn: 309-367 (87.7 - 104.2%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

:clefable:
252 SpA Life Orb Adaptability Crawdaunt Hydro Pump vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Clefable: 265-312 (67.2 - 79.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Life Orb Crawdaunt Sludge Wave vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Clefable: 229-270 (58.1 - 68.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

:garchomp:
+2 252 SpA Life Orb Adaptability Crawdaunt Dark Pulse vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Garchomp: 406-478 (96.6 - 113.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock

:magearna:
+2 252 SpA Life Orb Adaptability Crawdaunt Hydro Pump vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Assault Vest Magearna: 286-338 (78.5 - 92.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

:zapdos: this Pokémon comes to mind pretty quickly as it helps dealing with Rillaboom + Kartana (which completely dominates this core), acts as a Defogger, deals good damage to Tapu Fini and helps spread paralysis between Discharge and Static. Be careful because this is yet another Pokémon weak to Specs Kyurem, which may rise even more in popularity if Urshifu-S gets banned and Magearna right after him.

:slowking-galar: helps Crawdaunt with Future Sights and can actually switch into Freeze Dry users because it's so damn fat on the special side.

:dragapult: can spread paralysis with Thunder Wave, Hex sinergyzes pretty well with para spam, can pressure Blissey with Dragon Darts, outspeed and hits Spectrier hard, gives the team good Speed control overall.

:blissey: This goes even more in balance's direction, but Blissey is the premier one pack special sponge, even though it's super passive, but has the added benefits of switching into Specs Kyurem, having Teleport to bring Crawdaunt in safely and having Thunder Wave itself.
Wtf. These Crawdaunt calcs are ridic lol. I have to try this
 

AM

is a Community Leader Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnusis a Past WCoP Champion
LCPL Champion
Rain Core: Pelipper + Keldeo

:ss/pelipper: :ss/keldeo:
Pelipper @ Damp Rock
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Hurricane
- Roost
- Defog

Keldeo-Resolute @ Choice Specs
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Secret Sword
- Hydro Pump
- Scald
- Focus Blast

Played around with rain Keld a bit since I was inspired for once by the extremely mega sweaty tier called BW and it seemed pretty strong under rain. Rain tough to run/build cause Rillaboom almost invalidates it entirely cause the good checks to it are really passive but you can get some pretty good matchups here and there. I guess last move on Keldeo is up for debate, some people run flip turn but I'm not big on it personally since whole point of Keld is to spam Hydros I feel. Idk. Couple replays of it testing on dummy account. (and yes that is custap explosion ferro in second replay).

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1258977358-kldb1mmjw6dlygdnxvs1xxqo210b7edpw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1258733457-i3rafh6ra5dqyjxrguo2fw231knhpulpw
 
Greetings! This will be my first post on the forums and I’ve started playing showdown for only a couple months, so if you have any criticisms feel free to tell me. (:

In my opinion, Tapu Lele might be one of the best mons in OU at the moment, and now that Urshifu-S is gone we might see more Tapu Lele. Now I’ll explain why Heatran is the perfect mon for Lele. This is quite the classic core that was introduced in gen 7 so I was surprised no one has posted this yet.

Firstly, they have great defensive typings for each other, with heatran removing Steels for Lele and Lele using both of its STABs for Fighting types. Heatran can also check Magearna, Leles best counter, and can hit it super effectively. Speaking of things Heatran can check, it can out-stall walls like Blissey and Toxapex with Taunt and Magma Storm. Heatran appreciates Lele checking Tyranitar with Focus Blast and removing Fighting types such as Urshifu-R and Zapdos-G if you’re using Scarf Lele.

In order for this to function well, hazard control is essential, in my opinion. Zapdos can be a decent teammate as it can Volt Switch into Lele or Heatran and can paralyze physical attackers and of course Defog.

SETS:
Tapu Lele @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Psychic Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Moonblast
- Focus Blast
- Thunderbolt/Energy Ball

Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 128 SpD / 128 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Magma Storm
- Earth Power
- Taunt
- Stealth Rock
 
Last edited:
Greetings! This will be my first post on the forums and I’ve started playing showdown for only a couple months, so if you have any criticisms feel free to tell me. (:

In my opinion, Tapu Lele might be one of the best mons in OU at the moment, and now that Urshifu-S is gone we might see more Tapu Lele. Now I’ll explain why Heatran is the perfect mon for Lele. This is quite the classic core that was introduced in gen 7 so I was surprised no one has posted this yet.

Firstly, they have great defensive typings for each other, with heatran removing Steels for Lele and Lele using both of its STABs for Fighting types. Heatran can also check Magearna, Leles best counter, and can hit it super effectively. Speaking of things Heatran can check, it can out-stall walls like Blissey and Toxapex with Taunt and Magma Storm. Heatran appreciates Lele checking Tyranitar with Focus Blast and removing Fighting types such as Urshifu-R and Zapdos-G if you’re using Scarf Lele.

In order for this to function well, hazard control is essential, in my opinion. Zapdos can be a decent teammate as it can Volt Switch into Lele or Heatran and can paralyze physical attackers and of course Defog.

SETS:
Tapu Lele @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Psychic Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Moonblast
- Focus Blast
- Thunderbolt/Energy Ball

Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 128 SpD / 128 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Magma Storm
- Earth Power
- Taunt
- Stealth Rock
I think Scarf Lele can forgo Thunderbolt or Energy Ball and actually run Nature's Madness. Usually you want Scarf Lele clean late game when its checks are worn down or outright KOed. Nature's Madness helps withh this and it puts a huge dent on opposing Heatran, Magearna and Ferrothorn, and you can force Corviknight to Roost as you switch out, meaning you can re-gain momentum back easily with something that pressures Corviknight like Heatran. In general, Nature's Madness is a great way to wear down checks and counters, especially those which doesn't have reliable recovery, and you can adapt your team to pressure those who has it like Corviknight. Others like G-Slowking and Blissey can be dealt with Heatran with Magma+Taunt combo.
It is a solid core for sure though ^^
 
Now that Urshifu is gone, I wanted to bring up a good core that emphasizes the good old Volt-Turn archetype.
–
–


Cinderace @ Heavy-Duty Boots / Life Orb
Ability: Libero
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- U-turn
- Gunk Shot
- Sucker Punch
- Pyro Ball

Magearna @ Choice Specs
Ability: Soul-Heart
EVs: 144 HP / 252 SpA / 112 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Fleur Cannon
- Flash Cannon
- Trick
- Volt Switch



Pretty standard sets, but are so efficient in keeping momentum and provide offensive output against many teams that rely on fat walls. Specs Mag hits incredible hard on stuff that are not Blissey or Heatran, and even if you sense a Blissey coming in, you can always Trick it and render it useless. It also hits Toxapex and Mandibuzz, common walls that Cinderace has a hard time with unless it runs Zen but then you have 4MSS. Cinderace can help Mag deal with stuff like Ferrothorn, opposing Magearna, Excadrill, and Melmetal. While Heavy Duty Boots on Ace provides longevity, one can go for either Choice Band or Life Orb for favorable damage. Since this mons are weak to fat waters, you can insert Rillaboom or Kartana as good offensive partners that can provide them some defensive leeway.
 
Slowking-Galar @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 176 SpA / 80 SpD
Calm Nature
- Future Sight
- Sludge Bomb
- Flamethrower
- Earthquake

Slowbro @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Scald
- Slack Off
- Future Sight
- Teleport

Bro twins provide crucial resistances to each other and are able to stand in the way of their checks for ex. slowbro gets wrecked by specs fleur cannon but slowking can tank them for days. While slowking struggles to deal with garchomp and lando t, Slowbro can come in and tank the earthquakes thrown at slowking. They mostly cover each others weaknesses and provide support via its defensive utility, future sight, scald/sludge bomb.
 
1610539196912.png1610539302509.png

Cinderace @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Libero
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- U-turn
- Pyro Ball
- High Jump Kick
- Gunk Shot

Tapu Lele @ Choice Specs
Ability: Psychic Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Moonblast
- Focus Blast
- Psyshock

The goal of this core is rather simple, ace brings tapu lele on mons like pex via u-turn allowing him to break very easily.
In return, Ace breaks the steel types for Lele, stuff like av melmetal, magearna.
The only "flaw" is that cinderace can't use sucker punch under psychic terrain but still it's a very good core.
You can use scarf lele but specs lele is preferred for its wallbreaking power.


1610539363281.png
1610539396244.png
Cinderace @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Libero
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- U-turn
- Pyro Ball
- High Jump Kick
- Gunk Shot

Tapu Koko @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Electric Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Dazzling Gleam
- U-turn
- Roost

OR

Tapu Koko @ Choice Specs
Ability: Electric Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Dazzling Gleam
- Grass Knot

Classic and very powerful volturn core, Cinderace deals with mons like ferro, excadrill, av mag for Koko and koko take cares of bulky water types like slowbro and pex for Cinderace.
You can play freely Adamant Cinderace cause u can outspeed life orb Kartana with Koko.
Koko is great for dealing with Tornadus-t too which is a threat that revenge kill Ace.
This core likes spikes, momentum and defensive pivots so mons like Ferro and teleport slowbro are good partners.



1610539638119.png1610539693350.png

Garchomp @ Bright Powder
Ability: Sand Veil
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Substitute
- Swords Dance
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge

Tyranitar @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 216 SpD / 40 Spe
Careful Nature
- Crunch
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic
- Earthquake
The idea is to abuse sand veil, and what better partner than Ttar for that?
Sub for set-up on mons like pex or heatran, avoid status and abuse of sand veil evasiveness.
In addition, to provide sand storm Ttar can also weaken things like landorus-t, rillaboom and slowbro with toxic making easier time sweeping for Chomp.

1610539781080.png1610539852487.png

Spectrier @ Leftovers
Ability: Grim Neigh
EVs: 112 HP / 20 Def / 172 SpA / 20 SpD / 184 Spe
Timid Nature
- Substitute
- Hex
- Calm Mind
- Will-O-Wisp

Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Magma Storm
- Earth Power
- Taunt
- Toxic

Heatran weakens dark types (mandibuzz, hydreigon, ttar) with magma storm and toxic making a very good teammate for Spectrier.
Spectrier can revenge kill fighting types for Tran.
When playing these two you need to cover the weakness to rain teams so mons like rillaboom and pex are very cool here.



1610539960612.png1610540147310.png
Hydreigon @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 164 HP / 92 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Defog
- Dark Pulse
- Earth Power
- Roost

Aegislash @ Spell Tag
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Rash Nature
- Flash Cannon
- Shadow Ball
- Close Combat
- Shadow Sneak

OR

Aegislash @ Leftovers
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
- Substitute
- Toxic
- Shadow Ball
- King's Shield
They cover their mutual weaknesses, aegislash beats fairy types and hydreigon take care of spectrier, heatran and nidoking a bit for aegi.
Overall a pretty nice core.
 
Last edited:

Katy

Banned deucer.
balanced core

:garchomp: :ferrothorn:
Garchomp @ Life Orb
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Earthquake
- Fire Blast
- Stealth Rock

Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 80 Def / 176 SpD
Careful Nature
- Spikes
- Knock Off
- Leech Seed
- Power Whip
garchomp and ferrothorn build a nice balanced core as they cover up each others weaknesses with garchomp checking heatran with its great typing and its resistance to its fire-type attacks. it can also set-up stealth rocks for the rest of the team and helps out with its strong coverage to hit buzzwole, nidoking, and toxapex for super effective damage.
ferrothorn can act as the spikes-setter and helps versus slowbro, rillaboom, and strong fairy-types such as tapu fini and tapu koko with its great typing. ferrothorn and garchomp can also build up a nice dual-hazard-core with garchomp having stealth rocks and ferrothorn having spikes in their respective arsenal, therefore threats offensive and defensive ones alike getting wordn down over the course of the game.

defensive core

:slowking-galar: :corviknight:
Slowking-Galar @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 176 SpA / 80 SpD
Calm Nature
- Future Sight
- Sludge Bomb
- Flamethrower
- Scald

Corviknight @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 168 Def / 88 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Defog
- Roost
- U-turn
- Brave Bird
galarian slowking and corviknight can forme a formidable core for defensive teams, galarian slowking can tank attacks directed at corviknight such as attacks from tapu koko, latios, moltres and volcarona. corviknight can help versus ground-types such as garchomp, landorus-t, and hippowdon as it can switch into their ground-type attacks comfortably. furthermore galarian slowking can help the team wearing pokemon down with future sight and its great coverage options in sludge bomb, flamethrower, and scald and therefore threatening the opposing pokemon with status such as poison or burn. furthermore corviknight can defog annoying entry hazards such as stealth rocks or spikes away for galarian slowking and the rest of the team.
 
Hippowdon @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 8 Atk / 248 Def
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Slack Off
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic

Corviknight @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 168 Def / 88 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Defog
- Roost
- U-turn
- Brave Bird

A good defensive core of corv + hippo. They cover each others weaknesses, hippo takes on attacks that would be directed at corv from cinderace, zapdos, and attacks from mixed chomp. It is also able to spread toxic, do residual damage in rocky helmet to punish u turn, prevent volt switch, and set up stealth rocks to further pressure the opponent. Corviknight takes attacks directed at hippo from kartana, latios' stabs, magearnas stabs, rillaboom and more. It has good bulk in 98/105/85 and recovery in roost + leftovers. Also, it has an excelent ability it pressure which gives it the ability to PP stall stealth rocks and is able to reliable keep rocks off the field. It also is immune to toxic which gives it that extra longetivity. It has a pivot move in u turn which allows it to get out of unfavorable situations and get a teammate in as well.
 
7780D45F-D976-4759-8C83-3C304E8F1A07.png
B81FEB5F-6753-4426-B063-D347E91E4562.png

Offensive core
Magearna @ Choice Specs
Ability: Soul-Heart
EVs: 144 HP / 252 SpA / 112 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Fleur Cannon
- Flash Cannon
- Volt Switch
- Trick

Spectrier @ Leftovers
Ability: Grim Neigh
EVs: 112 HP / 20 Def / 172 SpA / 20 SpD / 184 Spe
Timid Nature
- Substitute
- Hex
- Calm Mind
- Will-O-Wisp

or

Spectrier @ Choice Specs
Ability: Grim Neigh
EVs: 72 Def / 252 SpA / 184 Spe
Timid Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Hex
- Mud Shot/Hyper Beam
- Will-O-Wisp

This core is self-explanatory. Two broken mons that complement each other. Mag brings in Spectrier via Volt Switch, handles Ttar, Hydreigon, Pult, Goon, and Zarude while Tricking Blissey it’s Specs which lets Spectrier clean late game. Spectrier checks most of the stuff Mag is checked by most notably Glowking and Drill.

F3E5A53A-3208-4806-BCD9-C5F2E53D914A.png
86199CF7-8F72-4796-A049-ACED68306AB0.png
D1A0252C-A55A-4809-9196-FD37A3D04E92.png

Defensive core
Reuniclus @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 212 Def / 44 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Psyshock
- Focus Blast
- Recover

Zarude-Dada @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Leaf Guard
EVs: 252 Atk / 24 Def / 232 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Bulk Up
- Power Whip
- Darkest Lariat
- Jungle Healing

Toxapex @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 144 Def / 112 SpD
Bold Nature
- Knock Off
- Recover
- Haze
- Toxic Spikes

The two wincons form a solid core. Together they can pick apart balance teams, and not give a care in the world about status alongside Pex who takes U-Turns while setting TSpikes for the team. Zarude handles Spectrier, Azumarill, Hydreigon, Vinecune, and Daunt while Reuniclus beats mons Zarude has a hard time with like CM Clef, Ferro, Skarm/Corv, and Moltres. Add in a Lando/Chomp or Rilla check followed by a special sponge and it’s all set.
 
Last edited:

Zneon

uh oh
is a Community Contributoris a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Smogon Discord Contributor Alumnus
Offensive Core


Cinderace and Magearna make a really strong offensive core, a VoltTurn core might add. Cinderace is a powerful presence and it pairs very well with Magearna, its able to offensively pressure stuff that Magearna can struggle with such as Galarian Slowking and Blissey with Pyro Ball and High Jump Kick respectively, whereas Magearna can pressure stuff that Cinderace sucks against, like Slowbro, Mandibuzz and Zapdos. Because of how they pressure each others checks and counters so well, it's pretty easy for people to get trapped in the VoltTurn pressure of Cinderace and Magearna, which also leaves stuff heavily worn down throughout the course of the game.

Cinderace @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Libero
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Pyro Ball
- U-turn
- High Jump Kick
- Zen Headbutt

Magearna @ Choice Specs
Ability: Soul-Heart
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Fleur Cannon
- Volt Switch
- Flash Cannon
- Trick

Defensive Core


If you guys saw week 1 of SPL then this isn't too surprising, this defensive core is ridiculous. I listed Cinderace + Magearna already and I said that it is one of the most potent offensive cores in the metagame right now, well Slowbro and Galarian Slowking is probably the best way to deal with that core, they have insane amounts of longevity due to Regenerator and they perform so well when it comes to their defensive qualities. Rocky Helmet Slowbro has seen much more usage which is great with how it punishes Cinderace's U-turn, while Galarian Slowking can easily stuff out Magearna. On top of this, the Toxic Spikes absorption that Galarian Slowking can provide for Slowbro is exactly why Slowbro can afford Rocky Helmet over Heavy-Duty Boots when paired with it.

Slowbro @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Scald
- Slack Off
- Future Sight
- Teleport

Slowking-Galar @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 176 SpA / 80 SpD
Calm Nature
- Psychic
- Sludge Bomb
- Flamethrower
- Scald
 
Last edited:

Batzi

“I’m Cosmo Kramer, the Assman!”
is a Tiering Contributor
Offensive Core



I feel like Tapu Lele is definitely overlooked in this meta because holy shit is it an amazing breaker. Most of its "switchins" like Magearna are all getting chipped while Heatran, Melmetal and Ferrothorn can all take heaps/die from focus blast depending on the EV spread and nature. Another "switchin" could be Blissey or Slowking Galar however these also doesn't appreciate Psyshock. From what I've observed so far, Corv is the best check to it however specs Tbolt is nice but I usually don't run it because it means giving up Psyshock. Now while all these can potentially switchin, why not pair it with a pokemon that covers all these Pokemon with just Pyro Ball and High Jump Kick, as well as access to U Turn. As you'll see below however, I don't run Cinderace with Sucker Punch when paired with Lele due to Psychic Terrain so I've opted for Gunk.

Tapu Lele @ Choice Specs
Ability: Psychic Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Psyshock/Thunderbolt
- Focus Blast
- Moonblast

Cinderace @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Libero
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Pyro Ball
- Gunk Shot
- U-turn
- High Jump Kick
 
:sm/tyrantrum: :sm/zeraora:

This core is built around the absolute unit that is Tyrantrum. With its recoil-free Head Smash coming off of a very respectable 121 base Attack, plus Choice Band, this lower tier demon is capable of smashing holes in enemy teams if brought in safely. Of course it has myriad of faster checks and is annoyed mainly by bulky Ground and Steel types that resists Rock, for example Hippowdon, Rhyperior, Ferrothorn or even TankChomp. In OU, however, many relevant Ground and especially Steel types don't actually resists Rock (Landorus-T, Corviknight, Skarmory, Heatran) while others just take too much damage (uninvested Magearna and Garchomp are comfortably 2HKO'd by Head Smash).
For these reasons, I paired it up with Zeraora. With the Urshifu ban and maybe a Magearna ban sooner or later, mons like Kyurem and Dragapult are bound to rise in popularity and they annihilate Tyrantrum. Zeraora can notoriously check them, sporting the highest unboosted speed tier in the game and also quite the sinergy with Tyrantrum. They both lure in certain mons, especially Ground types, and they can soften them up for each other. Also, with Protective Pads, Zeraora surgically removes annoying Rocky Helmets and can freely utilize Grass Knot (which, as a reminder, is a contact move) without fear of taking chip damage from things like Iron Barbs or yet intact Rocky Helmets.

Tyrantrum @ Choice Band
Ability: Rock Head
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Head Smash
- Dragon Claw
- Close Combat
- High Horsepower

Zeraora @ Protective Pads
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Plasma Fists
- Knock Off
- Close Combat
- Grass Knot

:tyrantrum: I think this is self explanatory. Head Smash is the move you want to click, it has no immunity and is going to deal massive damage to pretty much everything. Dragon Claw has very good neutral coverage and doesn't lock you into it like Outrage does. Close Combat and High Horsepower are coverage moves you mostly want to use as a prediction for a Steel type to come in or in certain late game scenarios. Both these moves annihilate Excadrill that thinks it's safe because of its x4 resistance to Rock (still gets 3HKO'd for reference). I put High Horsepower because of the abundance of Grassy Terrain and since you ain't clicking this move very often at all, you want to be sure you can use it in every possible situation. Jolly outspeeds Timid Magearna and things EV'd to outspeed it (hits 265 speed).

:zeraora: This is a bit more interesting. It might be dangerous not to have HDB on you speed control mon with the danger of Sticky Web, but Pads are just so extremely functional to the purpose of Zeraora. Rocky Helmets are flying everywhere in this current meta, plus Zeraora also tends to lure in Garchomp and Ferrothorn, two mons that happen to threaten Tyrantrum and chip it down with their ability. Removing their item without taking damage and chipping them down is very useful as they both lack reliable recovery. Grass Knot deals significant damage to bulky Ground types like Hippowdon, Swampert and Rhyperior.

The last core I posted was the wild NP Daunt + Sandaconda and a while back, in the Dracovish meta, I posted a Whimsicott + Terrakion core. I know my cores are a bit wierder than the usual (and maybe are a bit off from the topic of this thread "GOOD OU cores"), but I think it's fun to showcase these more obscure, maybe unorthodox combos and receive opinions about it. Plus, this one is arguably more solid and usable than the other two ones.
 
Last edited:

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