#1: Choice Specs Salamence
Salamence @ Choice Specs
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Nature: Timid / Naive
Ability: Intimidate
- Draco Meteor
- Dragon Pulse
- Hydro Pump
- Fire Blast / Earthquake
Yeah, this set may appear dangerous at first glance, and it actually IS dangerous. 110 Special Attack is nothing to scoff at, and Choice Specs only raises it further. Draco Meteor is absurdly powerful, and Dragon Pulse is a consistent attack to use when the opponent's team is weakened. Hydro Pump may look hilarious but it can strike Rock-types such as Terrakion hard(and with a little prediction, Terrakion thinks it can come in for free only to get OHKOed by Hydro Pump). Finally, Fire Blast and Earthquake both hit Steel-types very hard, with the former also mangling grass-types.
So what went wrong? There is no reason to use SpecsMence over Hydreigon. The latter has higher Special Attack, access to U-turn to keep momentum, and most of all, Focus Blast. Yes, it is inaccurate, but so is Hydro Pump, and the former actually has a lot of coverage. SpecsMence also gets a lot of competition from Latios, and some of you can say that the former is outclassed by the latter, too.
Salamence is used for his ability to sweep with Scarf Moxie or DD Moxie, or wallbreak by using his mixed set, so basically his Specs set becomes obsolete.
#2: Choice Band Weavile(OU)
Weavile @ Choice Band
EVs: 252 Atk / 32 Def / 224 Spe
Nature: Jolly
Ability: Pressure
- Pursuit
- Ice Shard
- Ice Punch / Night Slash
- Low Kick
Weavile is the fastest Pursuiter in the game. Pursuit is unique, punishing predicted switches and OHKOing frail Ghosts and Psychics even if they stay in. Ice Shard and Ice Punch turn Weavile into a perfect dragon slayer, outclassing Mamoswine in this regard due to it outspeeding most dragons, while KOing Choice Scarfers such as Salamence with Ice Shard. Low Kick rounds Weavile's coverage, OHKOing Tyranitar, 2HKOing Ferrothorn and most other steel-types, and almost 2HKOing Scizor. With all these assets, most battlers think the Choice Band set is amazing.
However, I will tell you the truth: Choice Band Weavile sucks. There is no reason not to use Life Orb. If it uses the wrong move, CB Weavile becomes setup fodder, while Life Orb Weavile can stay in and strike most sweepers for good damage. CB Weavile also faces a lot of competition from Scizor, who also has access to priority, is bulkier on the physical side, and can also checkmate things that run away with Pursuit.
Weavile with a Life Orb is awesome, because it appreciates the freedom to switch attacks. Choice Band Weavile is crap.
#3. Swords Dance Heracross (OU/Uber)
Heracross @ Life Orb
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Nature: Jolly
Ability: Guts
- Swords Dance
- Megahorn
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge
This set may appear to be amazing at first glance, since Heracross has a great base 125 Attack, access to two powerful STABs, and Stone Edge to hurt Flying-types. Swords Dance only boosts Heracross's attack to horrifying levels, and it is supposed to allow it to sweep easily. Additionally, if Heracross is burned or poisoned, it becomes even stronger. Heracross also has decent bulk. All these facts may lead battlers into thinking that Swords Dance is a godsend to Heracross.
However, Swords Dance Heracross sucks only because it is too slow. 85 Speed is no longer good in OU, where the average speed is around 100. Most Flying-types, Heracross's greatest fear, are faster than it and can OHKO it unless it is holding something stupid like a Coba Berry. More than that, Heracross's bulk, while decent, is not enough for it to go for a sweep. A bulky sweeper needs to have at least 100 HP and 100 defenses(Mew is an example) and to have a recovery move.
Things only get worse in the Uber tier, where Heracross is slower than all Ubers other than Blaziken, who can simply Protect to get the speed boost. SubSD can be used, but not all Pokemon are feared of Heracross.
Heracross needs to be used as a Choice Scarfer to act in a similar way to Salamence, or as a Choice Bander for wallbreaking. Swords Dance Cross absolutely sucks and has no reason to be used.
#4. Wall Dusknoir(OU)
Dusknoir @ Leftovers
EVs: 252 HP / 28 Atk / 228 Def
Nature: Impish
Ability: Pressure
- Will-o-Wisp
- Pain Split
- Earthquake
- Shadow Sneak / Ice Punch / Fire Punch / ThunderPunch / Rock Slide
Yeah... Dusknoir, the most unnecessary evolution of DPP, returns in BW RU. It can still function in OU, though, but as a tank? Hmmm. It looks great on paper, with enormous defenses, Pain Split(that works perfectly with Dusknoir's low HP stat), and actually decent Attack stat, something most other walls can only dream of. It also has Earthquake to remove Heatran(the 28 Attack EVs are necessary to OHKO it) and a lot of physical moves available to it. In fact, you can use any physical move on the fourth slot to gain coverage or to finish off weakened Pokemon. Shadow Sneak is the rarest priority move in the game, and Dusknoir is one of the few viable users of it, 2HKOing most Starmie and Gengar. Dusknoir becomes therefore the only spinblocker in the game that can beat Starmie reliably(Life Orb Hydro Pump does not OHKO in rain). If you don't need priority, then you can use Ice Punch to destroy Gliscor and Dragonite, Fire Punch to eliminate Ferrothorn and Scizor, ThunderPunch to KO Gyarados and deal with water-types, and Rock Slide to eliminate the likes of Tornadus-T.
However, as a wall, why use Dusknoir when there are Cofagrigus and Jellicent? Cofagrigus has better HP stat, also has access to Pain Split, and can use its 95 special attack and STAB Shadow Ball to deal damage to Taunt users. Jellicent has Recover, Water STAB, and can actually shut down some of its counters with Taunt. As a wall, Dusknoir finds itself outclassed, and there is nothing it can do about it.
Dusknoir has, however, a great set in the form of SubPunch. With this set, it can destroy Blissey and gain superb coverage, while still having Shadow Sneak for priority and Will-o-Wisp to cripple physical sweepers.
#5: Classic Wallbreaker Dragonite(OU)
Dragonite @ Life Orb
EVs: 56 Atk / 252 SpA / 200 Spe
Nature: Mild
Ability: Inner Focus (Yes, I realize that Dragonite received Multiscale from the Dream World, but it may as well simply use Inner Focus, because of Life Orb)
- Draco Meteor
- Fire Blast
- Superpower
- ExtremeSpeed / Roost
Now, the set above was Dragonite's best set in Generation 4, and when gen 5 came out, people thought it will be great even when Terrakion and other choice scarf abusers are everywhere. Draco Meteor is Dragonite's main STAB and hurts everything that doesn't resist it and is not named Blissey, while Fire Blast can KO steel-types, especially with sunlight support. Superpower is here to plow through Blissey (the EV spread let it OHKO the standard one) and Tyranitar, who would otherwise laugh at this set. Finally ExtremeSpeed normally occupies the 4th slot because of this Dragonite's low Speed, but Roost can enhance Dragonite's survability.
So why does this set fail? While I've used this set to decent effect, I have to say that Hydreigon and Salamence exist. Dragonite is outclassed by the latter two in terms of mixed attacking, thanks to them having higher Special Attack and Speed. This set ruins the point of Multiscale (without Life Orb, this Dragonite simply doesn't hit hard enough), which would be the main difference between Dragonite and the other two dragons. While the other two do suffer from Outrage lock, Dragonite in turn suffers from Draco Meteor's and Superpower's stat drops.
If it really wants to use a mixed set, Dragonite should be used on a rain team. Otherwise, simply use a Dragon Dance or a ParaShuffler set. Classic Mixed Nite has finally come to an end.
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