Project SS OU - Victim of the Week - Not hosted anymore

[myself12]

reserving crawdaunt


Crawdaunt @ Choice Band
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Crabhammer
- Knock Off
- Aqua Jet
- Close Combat

Crawdaunt is a check to alolan marowak. If trick room is up, aqua jet KOs after stealth rock. If it isn't up for some reason, knock and crabhammer OHKO. You can't switch in tho because EQ + Rocks leaves you at really low HP.

Calcs

252+ Atk Choice Band Adaptability Crawdaunt Crabhammer vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Marowak-Alola: 628-740 (194.4 - 229.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Adaptability Crawdaunt Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Marowak-Alola: 608-716 (188.2 - 221.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Adaptability Crawdaunt Aqua Jet vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Marowak-Alola: 252-300 (78 - 92.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Thick Club Marowak-Alola Flare Blitz vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Crawdaunt: 177-208 (66.2 - 77.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Thick Club Marowak-Alola Poltergeist vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Crawdaunt: 162-191 (60.6 - 71.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Thick Club Marowak-Alola Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Crawdaunt: 197-232 (73.7 - 86.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

 

[Vengeance417]

No Item Slowbro as a COUNTER

hecc, I left my boots at home :(

Slowbro
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Scald
- Future Sight
- Slack Off
- Teleport

No Item Slowbro was an old experiment when the Isle of Armor DLC released and everyone was scared of the prospect of Poltergeist. You run no item so that Poltergeist always fails, and thanks to Slowbro's titanic physical defense and Fire resistance, it can stand up very well to Marowak-A. Wak needs a Swords Dance boost to 2HKO with either Flare Blitz or EQ, and even if Trick Room is up, you still win the 1v1 because Slowbro's naturally slower and 2HKOes with Scald. Naturally, no item makes you weaker to entry hazards, but every good OU team worth their salt carries hazard control.

 

[blooclipse]

reserving kommo

 

[SunCooled]

reserving thickie

 

[Iceman8911]

For the offensive calcs remember that Marowak has 248 hp 8 spdef

lol didn't notice.
I guess I should completely re-edit my post.
Thanks for pointing it out

 

[H momento]

Toxapex @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Knock Off
- Recover
- Haze
- Toxic Spikes

Minimizing your speed to the minimum comes at a tradeoff of being slower than stuff like Melmetal, but if you're looking to improve your Trick Room MU-- Toxapex excels since it's slower than Alolan marowak and can Knock Off its Thick bone off, this leaves Alolan Marowak quite literally useless for the rest of the match since it'll go back to having 80 base attack. Toxapex being toxapex can absolutely survive a STAB Poltergeist or an Earthquake from Alolan Marowak-- Even after Stealth Rock damage:

252+ Atk Thick Club Marowak-Alola Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Toxapex: 184-218 (60.5 - 71.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Thick Club Marowak-Alola Poltergeist vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Toxapex: 153-180 (50.3 - 59.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

I'd say with confidence that this is a counter unless you misplay extremely badly
And now, a message from our sponsor. This post was sponsored by stal-

 

[SetsuSetsuna]

Hi everyone, I just updated the archive to reflect the last cycles as well as their respective winners. Please let me know if you find any issues.

Also remember today is the last day to make submissions for this cycle! Remember to specify if your submission is either a counter or a check.

Tagging Bluecliqse and SunCooled so you can finish your submission c:

 

[fatBatman]

Rotom-Wash
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spdef
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Volt Switch
- Pain Split
- Thunder Wave/Trick

Itemless wash is sometimes ran in teams that are weak to weavile to soften the knock off damage. Rotom-wash is a mon that can run a multitude of items i.e scarf, specs, lefties but it doesn't mind the lack of one a lot either.
Without an item rotom is either immune or resists an attack by alolan marowak.

Even with rocks up on your side of the field it can easily switch into alolan wak on a flare blitz at full health.
252+ Atk Thick Club Marowak-Alola Flare Blitz vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Rotom-Wash: 106-126 (34.8 - 41.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Stealth Rock.
Sometimes the marowak might even click poltergiest if it sees a rotom at the back and you get a free switch, while also living the flare blitz into shadow bone from some of the rarer sets carrying it.

While its a guaranteed ohko on alolan wak with hydro pump, without any spatk. investment.( guaranteed if you hit)
0 SpA Rotom-Wash Hydro Pump vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Marowak-Alola: 296-350 (113.4 - 134%) -- guaranteed OHKO.

Rotom-Wash is a great alolan marowak Counter who can easily switchin and KO marowak, while also providing great utility and longevity.

 

[SetsuSetsuna]

Hi, I think we've waited enough so it might be time to start the voting process. Everyone can vote for 1 counter and 1 check

Counters:

PhysDef by Iceman8911
Itemless by Vengeance417
Relaxed Nature Knock Off by H momento

Checks:

Curse Earthquake Thick Fat by yeshahar
Choice Band Aqua Jet by myself12
Itemless PhysDef by fatBatman

Note that I listed Rotom-Wash as check and not counter cause without the investment you don't always OHKO Max HP Marowak-Alola (the set I posted) 0 SpA Rotom-Wash Hydro Pump vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Marowak-Alola: 294-348 (91 - 107.7%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO

Please vote before Sunday July 3rd at 23:59 EST​

 

[InvisibleWater]

Counter: Itemless
Check:

 

[Red Raven]

 

[Smashburn]

Counters
No Item Slowbro by Vengeance417

Checks
No Item (PhysDef) Rotom-W by fatBatman

 

[Ruparajan]

Hydreigon
Rotom-w

 

[H momento]

Itemless slowbro and Ajet Craw

 

[Weaselfie]

Hydreigon as counter and rotom wash as a check

 

[yeshahar]

Counter
Check

 

[SetsuSetsuna]

Ty to everyone who voted. The winners this time are

Counter: Itemless by Vengeance417
Check: Itemless PhysDef by fatBatman


Now for the next Victim of the Week we have... Gastrodon!



Gastrodon @ Leftovers
Ability: Sticky Hold/Storm Drain
EVs: 252 HP / 84 Def / 172 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Scald
- Recover
- Earthquake/Earth Power
- Protect/Clear Smog/Toxic​

Gastrodon has recently picked up usage on fat teams, which can be seen by it's usage on WCoP, ladder and particularly on high ladder, as well as it's recent placement of A- on the viability rankings. Grass types such as Kartana and Rillaboom are scared of switching into a potential Scald burn while Heatran and Volcanion drop to repeated hits of Earthquake or Earth Power. Recover and Protect allow it to stay healthy throughtout the game while scouting for potential moves on choice users such as Blacephalon, Dragapult, Lele and Barraskewda. Clear Smog helps it's team deal with Calm Mind Clefable and Tapu FIni, amongst others set up sweepers, and Toxic provides a way to permanently cripple Rotom-Wash and Tornadus-Therian. Sticky hold provides a Trick blocker as well as a Knock Off absorber vs pokemon such as non toxic Clefable and Toxapex, while Water Absorb helps deal with attacks such as Steam Eruption, Surging Strikes and opposing Gastrodon's Scald. With all of that, how can we stop this pokemon?

Submissions end on Saturday July 9th at 23:59 EST
Please specify if your submission is a counter or a check ​

 

[Ruparajan]

Lum Berry Rillaboom

Rillaboom @ Lum Berry
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Grassy Glide
- Knock Off
- Superpower

Rillaboom is a good check to gastrodon but it fears the toxic/ burn. Lum berry gives it a way to overcome this. It is the regular sd set with lum berry over life orb. I do not know what to explain more about this.
It is a counter .
(I choose rilla over kart because kart has extremely low s.def and being unable to switch into earth power)

 

[Vengeance417]

Reserving Among Us Amoonguss



Amoonguss @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 184 Def / 72 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Spore
- Foul Play

You don't see Amoonguss much these days, but against Gastrodon, it's a solid counter. Resist Scald, doesn't mind being Burned all that much, (although Foul Play does do less damage) immune to Toxic, and takes very little from Earthquake or Earth Power. Meanwhile, Giga Drain 2HKOes back.

As for the set itself, Boots allows it to dodge hazards, giving it much better survivability against hazard-stack teams when combined with Regenerator and Giga Drain. This also allows it, with the given EV spread, to tank a Modest Hurricane from unboosted Moltres-Galar and hit it with a Spore. The rest of the EVs go into physical bulk to better take on Urshifu-R, Barraskewda, Rillaboom, Kartana, Zeraora, and +1 Dragonite's Jolly Dual Wingbeat is only a 37% chance to OHKO from full. Foul Play gives it something to do vs Kartana.

 

[InvisibleWater]

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

Kartana is a check. It can't switch in on Earth Power and absolutely despises Scald burns, but it's also immune to Toxic and Clear Smog, giving it something to switch in on. Once Kartana's in, Leaf Blade is a guaranteed 1HKO, even if it's burned. If you can get a Swords Dance boost somehow, Kartana can 1HKO with just about anything.

Calcs

252 Atk Life Orb Kartana Leaf Blade vs. 252 HP / 84 Def Gastrodon: 1201-1419 (281.9 - 333%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Life Orb burned Kartana Leaf Blade vs. 252 HP / 84 Def Gastrodon: 601-710 (141 - 166.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Life Orb Kartana Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 84 Def Gastrodon: 216-255 (50.7 - 59.8%) -- 85.9% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
+2 252 Atk Life Orb Kartana Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 84 Def Gastrodon: 432-508 (101.4 - 119.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Life Orb burned Kartana Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 84 Def Gastrodon: 108-127 (25.3 - 29.8%) -- 0.1% chance to 4HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Life Orb Kartana Sacred Sword vs. 252 HP / 84 Def Gastrodon: 200-237 (46.9 - 55.6%) -- 17.6% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
+2 252 Atk Life Orb Kartana Sacred Sword vs. 252 HP / 84 Def Gastrodon: 400-472 (93.8 - 110.7%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO
252 Atk Life Orb burned Kartana Sacred Sword vs. 252 HP / 84 Def Gastrodon: 100-118 (23.4 - 27.6%) -- possible 5HKO after Leftovers recovery


0 SpA Gastrodon Scald vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Kartana: 96-113 (37 - 43.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
0 Atk Gastrodon Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Kartana: 73-87 (28.1 - 33.5%) -- 0.1% chance to 3HKO
0 SpA Gastrodon Earth Power vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Kartana: 216-255 (83.3 - 98.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

 

[myself12]

reserving ferrothorn


Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
- Spikes
- Knock Off
- Leech Seed
- Power Whip

Not really sure whether this is a check or counter because ferro hates scald burns. Power whip is a OHKO when healthy and 2HKO when burned. You can also leech seed or knock off (if storm drain) if you want to be evil.

0 Atk Ferrothorn Power Whip vs. 252 HP / 84 Def Gastrodon: 600-708 (140.8 - 166.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO
0 SpA Gastrodon Scald vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Ferrothorn: 35-42 (9.9 - 11.9%) -- possibly the worst move ever
0 SpA Gastrodon Earth Power vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Ferrothorn: 79-94 (22.4 - 26.7%) -- possible 5HKO after Leftovers recovery

 

[agslash23]

Tapu Lele @ Choice Specs
Level: 100
Modest Nature
Ability: Psychic Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
- Psyshock
- Moonblast
- Focus Blast
- Psychic

Walls come and go but Tapu Lele still finds a way to break them.

Every STAB move 2HKOes the Sinnoh Slug, and Psyshock has a chance to actually OHKO with Stealth Rock. In return, the only thing that Gastrodon can do is Toxic it. Nothing else bothers Tapu Lele. That's why Tapu Lele is an amazing Check to Gastrodon.

Calcs

252+ SpA Choice Specs Tapu Lele Psyshock vs. 252 HP / 84 Def Gastrodon in Psychic Terrain: 342-403 (80.2 - 94.6%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tapu Lele Moonblast vs. 252 HP / 172+ SpD Gastrodon: 226-267 (53 - 62.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tapu Lele Psychic vs. 252 HP / 172+ SpD Gastrodon in Psychic Terrain: 279-328 (65.4 - 76.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

0 Atk Gastrodon Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tapu Lele: 118-139 (41.9 - 49.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

 

[SunCooled]

Reserving the monkey

Brass Monkey (Zarude) @ Leftovers
Ability: Leaf Guard
EVs: 120 HP / 152 Atk / 236 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Power Whip
- Bulk Up
- Darkest Lariat
- Jungle Healing​

This funky monkey counters non-ice beam Gastrodon. It resists both of its stabs, hits the all-important speed tier of 335 (outspeeding jolly ), has reliable healing, clerics itself from toxic, etc. Even switching in on rocks without lefties it’s a roll to be 5HKO’d by Clear Smog, and of course you can always just heal up. Gastro makes perfect setup fodder for Zarude anyhow.

Defensive Calcs

• 0 SpA Gastrodon Scald vs. 120 HP / 0 SpD Zarude: 42-50 (11 - 13.1%) -- possibly the worst move ever
• 0 SpA Gastrodon Earth Power vs. 120 HP / 0 SpD Zarude: 47-56 (12.3 - 14.6%) -- possibly the worst move ever
• 0 Atk Gastrodon Earthquake vs. 120 HP / 0 Def Zarude: 44-52 (11.5 - 13.6%) -- possibly the worst move ever
• 0 SpA Gastrodon Clear Smog vs. 120 HP / 0 SpD Zarude: 70-84 (18.3 - 22%) -- possible 6HKO after Leftovers recovery

Offensive Calcs

• 152 Atk Zarude Power Whip vs. 252 HP / 84 Def Gastrodon: 840-988 (50000 billion %) (197.1 - 231.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO

And just because I like to cross my I's and dot my T's, I'm including the ice beam calc to show you can still come in on it above 40 on those variants.

Ice beam

0 SpA Gastrodon Ice Beam vs. 120 HP / 0 SpD Zarude: 126-150 (33 - 39.3%) -- 15.1% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

 

[fatBatman]

alolatales is a great, non grass type check to the slug.
It can reliably come in on the slug loosing only 1/3rd of its health in the process while,

0 SpA Gastrodon Earth Power vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Ninetales-Alola: 91-108 (26 - 30.8%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
0 Atk Gastrodon Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Ninetales-Alola: 118-139 (33.7 - 39.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

coming in on gastro allows tales to set up all its hail and veil things as well as still guarantee 2hko on max spdef gastro with just 16 spatk. investment.

16 SpA Ninetales-Alola Freeze-Dry vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Gastrodon: 216-256 (50.7 - 60%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after hail damage and Leftovers recovery

 

[SetsuSetsuna]

Ruparajan myself12 just to make sure what are your submissions, counters or checks?