A few nominations for mons that appear on the VR, some of these are very niche options on these mons though others I definitely think should be included. Sets within square brackets
[ ] denote those which I am less confident on nominating.
Also adding a couple noms for mons outside the VR that I'll justify here:
is not good but not completely unviable, with its wide array of support options and ability to run Scarf Trick with Iron Head and U-turn.
is questionable at best but loads well into the bird types in the meta and has recently
peaked as high as #4 on ladder.
Healing Wish: [] |
Both Jirachi and Alomomola have access to Healing Wish, with HWish arguably being optimal on support Jirachi sets although a much more niche option on Alomomola that I only mention due to it being an option that Fogbound Lake brought (along with Custap HWish Jirachi)
during a SCL Semifinals match. Rachi should definitely have this added if it's deemed worthy of making the ranks in the niche section, though the actual viability of this on Alo is debatable.
Knock Off: []
With the DLC, Wake and Thundy got access to Knock Off; although much less-used options, these may have potential on pivot sets to make progress on Sp.Def mons like Slowking-G and Blissey that typically run Heavy-Duty Boots, with Knock Off Specs Thundy used in a
peak #1 RMT by Pinkacross.
Encore: []
Encore Clefable isn't common but it's not terrible and can help vs setup Garganacl, with slow Encore not being a terrible option into setup that wants to take advantage of Clef. Not an often-used or strictly optimal pick but usable for sure, arguably more so than Azu.
Taunt: []
Weavile made it to B+ on the VR with the recent shifts and can opt to use a Taunt 3 Attacks set to break through bulkier teams by denying recovery and making progress with Knock, although most Weavile instead run SD 3 Attacks. This is still an option though and might be worth listing.
Trick: [] |
Scarf Rachi should always run Trick imo, so this should be added if it ends up being considered as a niche option from the mons outside the VR. Tricky Barb Clefable has been usable for a while, it's a nice option to deal with mons like Gking and Heatran that try to switch into Clef for free although with the bans of Roaring Moon and Sneasler this set has lost a lot of steam and may no longer be worth considering.
Physical Wallbreaker/Extreme Speed: |
Arc-H is a niche pick for sure but, as I mentioned before, it has proven itself usable in OU and has arguably better viability than some of the other listed mons such as Pawmot and Slither Wing, with access to Extreme Speed for strong priority.
Choice Band: [] |
Banded Samu is a rarer set but does see some usage and may be a reasonable inclusion here, arguably a more common sight in OU than Choice Band Hands or Val. For Crawdaunt, Choice Band is one of two sets that ever really see usage, the other being SD; this is a little niche but Craw is included elsewhere on the niche sections of the VR (Physical Wallbreaker, Aqua Jet) and so might be worth including here.
Choice Specs/Scarf: | []
This seems like an oversight on Gholdengo as these are two of its more commonly used items, with Scarf Trick in particularly being one of its most popular sets. Dreigon is still clinging to the VR in C+ and it usually sees use with Substitute + Nasty Plot but Scarf / Specs may be worth debate, although inclusion is not strictly necessary as yeah Hydreigon has a pretty limited role in OU right now.
Nasty Plot: []
Hoopa-U's not the greatest right now, but Nasty Plot is one of its best options on non-Choiced sets and so should probably be included although I don't think Plot Hoopa has much of a place in OU outside of as a stallbreaker.
Shell Smash: | []
Polteageist is really pretty terrible but it's at least at the same ranking on the VR as Torterra and Shell Smash is the only thing it does, so either this is worth considering or Torterra may not be (although I'd argue that Tort is actually better right now so I'd understand leaving off the teapot).