RicePigeon

Couldnt resist

The only things the Tutors affect are the new Pokemon and previously illegal egg move + tutor combinations, otherwise the tutors are exactly the same as in B2W2

Pretty much what Dumanios said. Normally they do tier updates every three months, but they're going to do another tier update in January before resuming the three-month schedule. The data loss was part of the reason why they did this, the other was the fact that ORAS was released so close to the scheduled tier update, that they needed to weed out as many broken Pokemon from the lower tiers as quickly as possible (remember when XY UU had Keldeo, Terrakion, and Black Kyurem sitting in there for like 5 months before they finally moved up?) Besides, if the November usage was any indication, Altaria, Gallade, Sceptile, and Lopunny will be moving up to OU next month. The fact that all four of these Pokemon currently occupy the A+, A, and A- ranks in OU is a testament to this. EDIT: Looks like Mega Salamence is getting banned from Doubles OU as well

Managed to find the time to write this up real quick, considering this thing is literally the most threatening Pokemon right now, it had to take this week's Ubers PotW spotlight: Groudon & Primal Groudon Tier Status (Normal): Ubers Tier Status (Primal): Ubers Type (Normal): Ground Type (Primal): Ground/Fire Base Stats (Normal): 100 / 150 / 140 / 100 / 90 / 90 Base Stats (Primal): 100 / 180 / 160 / 150 / 90 / 90 Abilities (Normal): Drought: Summons Intense Sun for 5 turns (8 turns with Heat Rock) as soon as this Pokemon switches in. Abilities (Primal): Desolate Land: Summons Extremely Harsh Sun as soon as this Pokemon switches in, which lasts until the Pokemon switches out. In addition to the effects of Intense Sun, Extremely Harsh Sun cannot be overwritten except by Heavy Rain and Strong Winds, and also causes all Water-type attacks to fail. Table of Contents Singles Ubers Overview Singles Ubers Overview ORAS Singles Ubers Viability (Normal): B+ Viability changes from X&Y Singles Ubers: A -> B+ ORAS Singles Ubers Viability (Primal): S+ Viability changes from X&Y Singles Ubers: N/A When Groudon was first introduced in Ruby & Sapphire for the GBA over 12 years ago, it has always sat in the shadow of its water sea counterpart, Kyogre. For starters, while Kyogre's Drizzle boosted its STAB Water attacks to dangerous levels, allowing Kyogre to easily dominate the Ubers tier as an S-rank threat for 3½ generations, Groudon got shafted as the sun could only boost its non-stab Fire attacks, most of which depended on Groudon's inferior Sp.Attack stat, and only dampened its weakness to water attacks. Despite these shortcomings, Groudon saw itself as a reliable A rank Pokemon in XY Ubers, as both a reliable setter of Stealth Rock and as a powerful bulky physical sweeper with Rock Polish. With ORAS, the tables have finally turned in Groudon's favor as it received a massive buff in the form of Primal Reversion. Not only did Primal Groudon increase Groudon's already high Attack and Defense stats, but also gave it a massive buff to its Sp.Attack as well as a secondary Fire typing, so that it can now not only fully take advantage of the sun, but is now immune to both Burn and Paralysis, status conditions that could easily cut Groudon's sweeps short. Speaking of sun, Primal Groudon's Desolate Lands now summons a buffed version of sun that now not only lasts until Primal Groudon switches out, emulating the effects of infinite weather that Drought once summoned prior to X&Y, but also rendering it immune to Water, a type that would otherwise crush Groudon with its newfound 4x weakess. If that wasn't enough, the sun summoned by Desolate Lands cannot be overwritten by other weathers except for those summoned by Primal Kyogre and Mega Rayquaza, the latter of which has been banned from Ubers. Unlike Mega Evolution, which must be manually activated, Primal Reversion occurs automatically as soon as Groudon is sent out. Primal Reversion does not count as Mega Evolution, meaning that Primal Groudon not only has a much lower opportunity cost than the rest of the Ubers tier, but can also be used alongside Mega Evolutions on the same team. Outside of the Primal form, Groudon also received a signature move in the form of Precipice Blades, a stronger, albeit less accurate, version of Earthquake. All of these traits makes Primal Groudon the most threatening Pokemon in Ubers currently, usurping Kyogre's throne after its long 12 year reign. Fangasming aside, Primal Groudon is perhaps one of the best checks to Xerneas and Kyogre in the tier, and is singlehandedly responsible for the decrease in viability of both Choice Scarf Kyogre and Choice Specs Kyogre. However, Groudon's Primal Reversion did nothing to buff its mediocre Sp.Defense, so it must invest towards this stat in order to effectively check the above mentioned threats. Primal Groudon is very versatile, able to fit on both offensive or defensive teams. ORAS Ubers Singles Moveset: Defensive Primal Support Ability: Drought (Desolate Lands) / Item: @Red Orb Nature: Relaxed or Impish w/ EVs: 252 HP / 56 Defense / 200 Sp.Defense Moves: Stealth Rock / Earthquake or Precipice Blades / Lava Plume or Stone Edge / Roar or Thunder Wave Tips: Primal Groudon is an excellent setter of Stealth Rocks due to its sheer offensive presence The second moveslot is dedicated to Primal Groudon's Ground STAB. Earthquake or Precipice Blades can be used, as this moveset does not invest toward Primal Groudon's Attack, so the difference in power is minimal. The choice between Earthquake or Precipice Blades comes down to power versus accuracy. For the third moveslot, Lava Plume is Primal Groudon's secondary STAB, as Primal Groudon does have an excellent 150 base Sp.Attack to abuse it with, along with the 50% base power boost from Harsh Sun, as well as the ability to spread burns. Stone Edge, however, gives Primal Groudon an option to use against Ho-oh, who walls this set otherwise. The last moveslot is dedicated to further support options, and Roar and Thunder Wave are Groudon's best options, especially against Xerneas. Roar is useful for two reasons; one is to stop setup sweepers by forcing them out, which is especially useful against Geomancy Xerneas as this forces it to waste its Power Herb. The second is to rack up entry hazard damage from Stealth Rock. Thunder Wave can also stop sweepers in their tracks by cutting their speed, and also makes Latios, Latias, and Lugia easier to handle. The above EV spread with a Relaxed nature makes Primal Groudon as bulky as possible against the Pokemon this moveset is meant to check, allowing it to avoid an OHKO from a +2 Xerneas's Focus Blast and opposing Primal Groudon's Precipice Blades, while also avoiding a 2HKO from Modest Specs Kyogre's Ice Beam, Adamant Zekrom's Outrage, and Jolly Mega Salamence's Double-Edge. Relaxed should be used if running Lava Plume, to avoid cutting into Primal Groudon's Sp.Attack, otherwise Impish should be used. If needed, alternate EV spreads of Impish + 252 HP / 252 Defense and Careful + 252 HP / 252 Sp.Defense can be run instead. The former gives Primal Groudon an easier time against Extremekiller Arceus-Normal, Ho-oh, Mega Salamence, and Zekrom, while the latter gives better longevity against special attackers. Since this set lacks Leftovers, avoid being too reckless as it can get worn down, especially with a Ground weakness. Your first priority should be to set up Stealth Rock as soon as possible. Recommended Teammates: Latios and Latias both give Primal Groudon trouble, as not only are they immune to Ground and resist Lava Plume, but can also remove Primal Groudon's Stealth Rocks with Defog. Mega Scizor and Aegislash are both good users of Pursuit, coming in and KOing them whether they switch out or not. These two can also do the same against Lugia, another Pokemon that gives Primal Groudon trouble. Klefki, Arceus-Ghost, Arceus-Dark, Yveltal, Darkrai, Zekrom, and Primal Kyogre are all good Pokemon that can handle Lugia quite well. Arceus-Rock, Mega Salamence, and Zekrom can all check Ho-oh if Primal Groudon isn't running Stone Edge. Arceus-Rock also has the benefit of being able to check opposing Mega Salamence. Fairy types such as Xerneas, Mega Diancie, Arceus-Fairy, and Sylveon all keep Yveltal and Origin Giratina in check, especially since the former can hit Primal Groudon hard with STAB Dark Aura boosted Dark Pulse, while the latter can Defog while being immune to Ground while resisting Lava Plume. These Fairy types all appreciate having Primal Groudon as a teammate as it can check the Steel types that threaten them. Wish support from Blissey and Sylveon is appreciated, as Primal Groudon lacks any form of recovery. Primal Groudon works as an excellent check to Fairy types, so Dragon types appreciate having Primal Groudon as a partner for this purpose. Arceus-Ground easily threatens Primal Groudon, so a check to Arceus-Ground is recommended. Latias and Ho-oh can handle special variants running Judgement, while Origin Giratina and Lugia can check physical variants that run Earthquake. ORAS Ubers Singles Moveset: Defensive Non-Primal Support Ability: Drought / Item: @Leftovers Nature: Impish w/ EVs: 252 HP / 4 Attack / 252 Defense Moves: Stealth Rock / Earthquake or Precipice Blades / Stone Edge / Roar or Thunder Wave Tips: Although generally inferior, this set functions identical to the Primal Support moveset. The biggest niche this set has over its Primal counterpart is the ability to better check Mega Salamence, Normal-Arceus, and opposing Primal Groudon due to its lack of Ground weakness and passive recovery from Leftovers. Recommended Teammates: Same as Defensive Primal Support ORAS Ubers Singles Moveset: Offensive Primal Support Ability: Drought (Desolate Lands) / Item: @Red Orb Nature: Adamant w/ EVs: 224 HP / 240 Attack / 32 Sp.Defense / 12 Speed Moves: Stealth Rock / Precipice Blades / Dragon Tail, Dragon Claw or Stone Edge / Fire Punch or Stone Edge Tips: Primal Groudon is an excellent setter of Stealth Rocks due to its sheer offensive presence Because this set invests towards Attack, Precipice Blades is the Ground STAB of choice as this moveset aims to hit as hard as possible. Dragon Tail not only racks up entry hazard damage from Stealth Rock, but is also useful for dealing with Latios, Latias, Mega Salamence, and Origin Giratina, all Pokemon that Primal Groudon has trouble with otherwise. If phazing out threats isnt needed, then Dragon Claw can be run instead, as it OHKOs both Latios and Latias, while hitting Origin Giratina hard. If hitting Lugia and Ho-oh is more of a concern, Stone Edge can be used instead. Fire Punch is Primal Groudon's only physical STAB Fire move, but does hit quite hard under the Sun, taking care of non-grounded Ground types as well as Arceus-Grass, Skarmory, and Yveltal. Again, Stone Edge can be used in this slot instead if Ho-oh and Lugia are a concern to you. The above EV spread makes Primal Groudon hit as hard as possible while simultaneously avoiding an OHKO from both Soul Dew Latios's Draco Meteor and +2 Xernea's Focus Blast. The 12 EVs in speed allows Primal Groudon to outspeed Timid Diancie before it Mega Evolves. This moveset is best suited to more offensive teams, as its offensive presence will force many switches, giving you time to set up Stealth Rock. Unlike the Defensive Support set, this set isn't as good at checking Xerneas due to its lower bulk and lack of Roar, so either try to preserve its HP or run another Xerneas check on your team. Recommended Teammates: Latios and Latias both give Primal Groudon trouble, as not only are they immune to Ground and resist Fire Punch, but can also remove Primal Groudon's Stealth Rocks with Defog. Mega Scizor and Aegislash are both good users of Pursuit, coming in and KOing them whether they switch out or not. These two can also do the same against Lugia, another Pokemon that gives Primal Groudon trouble. Klefki, Arceus-Ghost, Arceus-Dark, Yveltal, Darkrai, Zekrom, and Primal Kyogre are all good Pokemon that can handle Lugia quite well. Arceus-Rock, Mega Salamence, and Zekrom can all check Ho-oh if Primal Groudon isn't running Stone Edge. Arceus-Rock also has the benefit of being able to check opposing Mega Salamence. Fairy types such as Xerneas, Mega Diancie, Arceus-Fairy, and Sylveon all keep Yveltal and Origin Giratina in check, especially since the former can hit Primal Groudon hard with STAB Dark Aura boosted Dark Pulse, while the latter can Defog while being immune to Ground while resisting Fire Punch. These Fairy types all appreciate having Primal Groudon as a teammate as it can check the Steel types that threaten them. Wish support from Blissey and Sylveon is appreciated, as Primal Groudon lacks any form of recovery. Primal Groudon works as an excellent check to Fairy types, so Dragon types appreciate having Primal Groudon as a partner for this purpose. Arceus-Ground easily threatens Primal Groudon, so a check to Arceus-Ground is recommended. Latias and Ho-oh can handle special variants running Judgement, while Origin Giratina and Lugia can check physical variants that run Earthquake. Klefki, Mega Scizor, Ho-oh, Aegislash, and Arceus-Normal can all check Xerneas, which this variant has greater difficulty. Due to this Primal Groudon's ability to soften up physical tanks, physical attackers such as Mega Salamence, Arceus-Ground, and Arceus-Normal all appreciate having this Primal Groudon as a teammate. ORAS Ubers Singles Moveset: Primal Rock Polish Sweeper Ability: Drought (Desolate Lands) / Item: @Red Orb Nature: Adamant w/ EVs: 104 HP / 252 Attack / 96 Sp.Defense / 56 Speed Moves: Rock Polish / Precipice Blades / Dragon Claw or Swords Dance / Stone Edge or Overheat Tips: Rock Polish doubles Primal Groudon's Speed, allowing it to become a fast and threatening sweeper with its monstrous base 180 Attack. Precipice Blades is the Ground STAB of choice as this moveset aims to hit as hard as possible. For the third slot, Dragon Claw is primarily a coverage move to OHKO Latios and Latias while 2HKOing Origin Giratina. Swords Dance can be used instead if you want to transform Primal Groudon into a double boosting sweeper, giving it a boosting move to use in situations against both Offensive teams (Rock Polish) and Defensive teams (Swords Dance) alike. For the last slot, Stone Edge gives great neutral coverage with Precipice Blades, and used primarily for hitting Ho-oh, Lugia, and Yveltal. Although it doesn't use Primal Groudon's fully invested attack, Overheat is Primal Groudon's best option for getting past Landorus-Therian, Skarmory, and Gliscor, all of which can tank Primal Groudon's hits otherwise. The above EV spread maximizes Primal Groudon's monster attack stat, while the HP and Sp.Defense EVs allow it to survive a +2 Xerneas's Focus Blast as well as Defensive Primal Groudon's Precipice Blades. 56 Speed EVs allow it to outspeed most Choice Scarf users after a single Rock Polish. As a sweeper, this Primal Groudon is best used late game. As such, don't waste its health by switching it in to check your opponent's Pokemon. It is best to set up against Steel and Fairy types, or defensive Pokemon who can't do much to you in general. Another scenario that is best to set up a Rock Polish is on a predicted switch, as Primal Groudon's offensive presence tends to cause a lot of them. Recommended Teammates: If this moveset doesn't run Overheat, Landorus-Therian, Skarmory, and Gliscor can simply come in and tank your attacks with ease. Yveltal can easily smack all three of them for their lower Sp.Defense stat, while Ho-oh can KO Skamory with Sacred Fire and cripple Landorus-Therian & Gliscor with a burn. or Toxic Without Swords Dance, Lugia can be quite annoying, even if you run Stone Edge. Dark types such as Darkrai, Yveltal, and Arceus-Dark can all handle Lugia, as can Arceus-Ghost. Toxic can also put Lugia on a timer, limiting the amount of turns it can stay in for, while also breaking its Multiscale. Mixed Rayquaza can take on many general checks to physical attackers, including those that check Primal Groudon. If using Swords Dance, Primal Groudon can double as a wallbreaker for other physical sweeper, such as Mega Salamence or Arceus-Normal. As is the case with any sweeper, Stealth Rock support makes Primal Groudon's sweeping job easier, especially when it helps check Lugia and Ho-oh. Deoxys-Speed, Deoxys-Attack, and Dialga are all good choices for offensive Stealth Rockers. ORAS Ubers Singles Moveset: Primal Paralysis Swords Dancer Ability: Drought (Desolate Lands) / Item: @Red Orb Nature: Adamant w/ EVs: 252 HP / 100 Attack / 144 Sp.Defense / 12 Speed Moves: Swords Dance / Precipice Blades / Thunder Wave / Stone Edge Tips: Swords Dance doubles Primal Groudon's already monstrous Attack even further. Precipice Blades is the Ground STAB of choice as this moveset aims to hit as hard as possible. Thunder Wave is used primarily for Xerneas, Lugia, Latios, and Latias, all of which become significantly easier for Primal Groudon to handle once paralyzed. Stone Edge is used for hitting the aforementioned Lugia and Lati twins, and has great neutral coverage with Precipice Blades. The above EV spread allows Primal Groudon to OHKO Lugia with a +2 Stone Edge after Multiscale is broken, while outspeeding Diancie prior to Mega Evolving and surviving a +2 Xerneas's Focus Blast. This set is mostly a lure for Lugia, Latios, and Latias, paralyzing them on the switch-in and KOing them. This moveset also attempts to turn Primal Groudon into a hybrid sweeper and support Pokemon, allowing it to check Geomancy Xerneas while still posing a threat to bulkier teams. Unlike this Rock Polish Sweeper, this moveset works better on balanced and bulky offense teams. Recommended Teammates: Pokemon that dislike the presence of Lugia, Latios, and Latias appreciate this moveset's ability to cripple them. Examples of such Pokemon include Mega Salamence, Arceus-Normal, and Primal Kyogre. Because it cannot be paralyzed by Thunder Wave, Arceus-Ground can pose problems. Latias and Ho-oh can handle special variants running Judgement, while Origin Giratina and Lugia can check physical variants that run Earthquake. As is the case with the Rock Polish set, Stealth Rock support makes Primal Groudon's sweeping job easier, especially when it helps check Lugia and Ho-oh. Because this Primal Groudon set works better on bulkier teams, bulkier Stealth Rock setters such as Dialga, Tyranitar, and Diancie are preferred. Singles Ubers Checks & Counters to Groudon & Primal Groudon Entry Hazards & Status Because Primal Groudon lacks any form of recovery, it is prone to being worn down over time, especially since as Primal Groudon, it loses its resistance to Stealth Rock. Lugia is perhaps the best check to Primal Groudon, setting up Reflect to sponge Primal Groudon's attacks while cutting into its lifespan with Toxic, while Recovering off damage and reactivating Multiscale. Once Multiscale is broken, Stone Edge will do a number to it and it also hates being Paralyzed. (Ground) Arceus-Ground can survive a hit from Primal Groudon and easily outspeed and KO with either Earthquake or Judgement, depending on whether Arceus-Ground is physical or special based, and then Recover off the damage. Bulkier Primal Groudon sets can live an unboosted hit, however. Origin Giratina is immune to Primal Groudon's Ground STAB and only fears Dragon Claw, but can otherwise hit hard with Draco Meteor or Shadow Force, phaze Primal Groudon out with Dragon Tail, or remove its Stealth Rocks with Defog. Latios, Latias, and Rayquaza resist Primal Groudon's STAB combo and outspeed, while the former two can deal a number with Soul Dew-boosted Draco Meteor, with Latios potentially scoring an OHKO. All of them fear Dragon Claw and +2 Stone Edge, however, and Rayquaza hates getting burned by Lava Plume. Bulky variants of Mega Salamence can pose problems for Primal Groudon for similar reasons as Rayquaza. Primal Kyogre's Primordial Sea is the only weather in Ubers that can override Primal Groudon's Desolate Lands, turning its Water immunity into a x4 Weakness and threatening it with Origin Pulse. Physically Defensive Yveltal can handle the Rock Polish set, while offensive Yveltal can hit hard with Dark Aura-boosted Dark Pulse, though the latter dislikes being hit by Stone Edge and Fire Punch. Any Primal Groudon not carrying Stone Edge is instantly walled by Ho-oh. One of Primal Groudon's checks is, ironically, normal Groudon, who does not sport the Primal forme's Ground weakness, allowing it to hit back harder with its own Precipice Blades or Earthquake.

NU Rankings update S Rank (old) S Rank (new) None A+ Rank (old) A+ Rank (new) A Rank (old) A Rank (new) A- Rank (old) ​ A- Rank (new) B+ Rank (old) B+ Rank (new) B Rank (old) B Rank (new) B- Rank (old) ​ B- Rank (new) (Small)(XL) C+ Rank (old) (Small)(XL) C+ Rank (new) C Rank (old) C Rank (new) C- Rank (old) ​ C- Rank (new) D+ Rank (old) D+ Rank (new) D Rank (old) D Rank (new) D- Rank (old) ​ D- Rank (new)

Considering that the closest official equivalent of Ground Wire, which is Scrappy, doesn't have any complications like that, my assumption is that Ground Wire does not bypass Lightning Rod, Volt Absorb, and Motor Drive.

RU Ranks update. Again, because there are so many significant changes, I'll be posting the old and new lists for comparison. S Rank (old) S Rank (new) A+ Rank (old) A+ Rank (new) A Rank (old) A Rank (new) A- Rank (old) A- Rank (new) B+ Rank (old) B+ Rank (new) B Rank (old) B Rank (new) B- Rank (old) B- Rank (new) C+ Rank (old) (Small)(XL) C+ Rank (new) (Small)(XL) C Rank (old) C Rank (new) C- Rank (old) C- Rank (new) (M) D Rank (old) D Rank (new) E Rank (old) (aka "Don't use these") E Rank (new) (aka "Don't use these")

Smogon has quickbanned Mega Gallade from RU: http://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/np-ru-stage-5-gods-and-monsters-galladite-is-bl2-read-post-115.3522572/page-5#post-5898998

Singles UU Update: Rises: : A+ ---> S : A+ ---> S : A+ ---> S : A+ ---> S : A ---> S : A- ---> A+ : A ---> A+ : A- ---> A : A- ---> A : B- ---> A- : B+ ---> A- : B+ ---> A- : B ---> B+ : B ---> B+ : B ---> B+ : B ---> B+ : B ---> B+ : B ---> B+ : C ---> B- : C ---> B- Drops: : A ---> A- : A ---> A- : A ---> A- : A- ---> B : A- ---> B : B+ ---> B : B+ ---> B : B ---> B- : B- ---> C : C ---> F (Unranked) : C ---> F (Unranked) New Additions: : A- : B- : B- : C

Official timeline reveal: Basically its everything that we already knew aside from the fact that X&Y takes place simultaneously with B2W2.

Golem's not really that relevant in competitive battling, as least in the tiers Mega Raichu X&Y will be in (predicting UU usage here). The only relevant Rock/Ground type is Rhyperior and even in that case, you still 2HKO: 252 SpA Ground Wire Mega Raichu Y Thunderbolt vs. 212 HP / 0 SpD Rhyperior: 252-297 (59.4 - 70%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery 252 SpA Mega Raichu Y Focus Blast vs. 212 HP / 0 SpD Solid Rock Rhyperior: 334-394 (78.7 - 92.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

Okay so Mega Zapdos didn't much much discussion but hopefully this one will: Don't you find it kind of odd that with Mega Evolutions that the series mascot didn't get one? Or two for that matter? + Mega Raichu X & Mega Raichu Y Raichu base stats: 60 / 90 / 55 / 90 / 80 / 110 Mega Raichu X base stats: 60 / 140 / 75 / 100 / 100 / 110 Mega Raichu Y base stats: 60 / 90 / 105 / 140 / 80 / 110 Mega Raichu X type: Electric -> Electric Mega Raichu Y type: Electric -> Electric/Ground Mega Raichu X Ability: Static / Lightning Rod (HA) -> Electrilate* Mega Raichu Y Ability: Static / Lightning Rod (HA) -> Ground Wire* Ability Name: Electrilate Effect: Normal-type moves become Electric-type moves. Description: Electrilate causes all Electric-type moves used by this Pokemon to become Electric-type. In addition to the type change, these attacks also receive a 30% base power increase. Ability Name: Ground Wire Effect: Makes Electric-type moves hit Ground-type Pokemon. Description: Ground Wire causes the effectiveness of damage dealing Electric-type moves against Ground-type Pokemon to change from x0 to x1. Mega X: Raichu's best option for a physical Electric move is its signature move Volt Tackle, which doesn't see alot of use due to Raichu's frailty and subpar attacking stats. However, Raichu does get access to Extremespeed as an event move, and getting the stab boost on this move would be a blessing. With Electrilate turning Extremespeed from an 80 Base Power Normal-type move into a 104 Baser Power STAB Electric type move backed by 140 Attack, Raichu can easily outspeed anything, including priority users, and smack them hard, and can even revenge kill some of OU's sweepers with it. Even better is that Electrilate boosts Return into a 135.2 STAB Base Power attack, surpassing Volt Tackle in damage. Raichu does got other interesting physical attacks as well, including Knock Off, Focus Punch, and even Fake Out. Brick Break, although weak, can be used as an alternative to Focus Punch if Substitute isn't used. If pivoting is necessary, Raichu can still make use of Volt Switch. Sample moveset: Mega X Attacker Ability: Static (Electrilate) / Item: @Raichunite X Nature: Jolly or Naive w/ EVs: 252 Attack / 4 Defense / 252 Speed Moves: Return / Extremespeed / Knock Off / Brick Break or Volt Switch Sample moveset: Mega X SubPunch Ability: Static (Electrilate) / Item: @Raichunite X Nature: Jolly w/ EVs: 252 Attack / 4 Defense / 252 Speed Moves: Substitute / Focus Punch / Extremespeed / Knock Off 252 Atk Mega Raichu X Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Latios: 270-318 (89.4 - 105.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock 252 Atk Electrilate Mega Raichu X Extreme Speed vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Talonflame: 476-564 (132.5 - 157.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO 252 Atk Electrilate Mega Raichu X Extreme Speed vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Thundurus: 240-283 (80.2 - 94.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock 252 Atk Electrilate Mega Raichu X Extreme Speed vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Mega Gallade: 187-222 (67.5 - 80.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock 252 Atk Electrilate Mega Raichu X Extreme Speed vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Mega Gyarados: 332-392 (100.3 - 118.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO 252 Atk Mega Raichu X Focus Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Heatran: 328-388 (101.5 - 120.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO 252 Atk Mega Raichu X Focus Punch vs. 252 HP / 88+ Def Ferrothorn: 232-274 (65.9 - 77.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery 252 Atk Electrilate Mega Raichu X Return vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Skarmory: 266-314 (79.6 - 94%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock 252 Atk Electrilate Mega Raichu X Return vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Mega Slowbro: 218-260 (55.3 - 65.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock Mega Y: Remember that one instance in the anime where Ash's Pikachu was commanded to "Aim for the horn!", thus enabling it to KO Rhydon despite it being immune to electric attacks? Even Raichu's Pokedex entry in Ruby states that "If the electrical sacks become excessively charged, Raichu plants its tail in the ground and discharges." With this in mind, perhaps "aiming for the horn" isn't so ridiculous after all, as now with Ground Wire, essentially an electric type version of Scrappy, Raichu's electric attacks are no longer blocked by incoming Ground types. This is significant as Landorus-Incarnate and Landorus-Therian, both S and A rank Pokemon in OU respectively, are now hit super effectively by Thunderbolt due to their secondary Flying type. Now that Raichu actually has the ability to "cause an indian elephant to faint", its special attack sees an increase from a meager base 90 to base 140. Although its newfound Electric/Ground typing doesn't offer anything offensively, it does allow Raichu to block incoming Volt Switches and other electric moves, allowing it to emulate the effects of Lightning Rod, albeit without the Sp.Attack increase. Since ground types tend to have some bulk to them, Raichu's pathetic 55 base Defense was increased to 105. Sample moveset: Mega Y Pivot Ability: Lightning Rod (Ground Wire) / Item: @Raichunite Y Nature: Timid w/ EVs: 4 Defense / 252 Sp.Attack / 252 Speed Moves: Thunderbolt / Focus Blast / Hidden Power Ice / Volt Switch Sample moveset: Mega Y Sweeper/Wallbreaker Ability: Lightning Rod (Ground Wire) / Item: @Raichunite Y Nature: Timid w/ EVs: 4 Defense / 252 Sp.Attack / 252 Speed Moves: Thunderbolt / Focus Blast / Hidden Power Ice / Nasty Plot Hidden Power Ice, although no longer necessary to hit Ground types, Raichu still has problems getting past the Dragon types that resist its Thunderbolt without it. 252 SpA Ground Wire Mega Raichu Y Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Landorus-T: 374-444 (97.9 - 116.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock 252 SpA Mega Raichu Y Hidden Power Ice vs. 0 HP / 0- SpD Garchomp: 356-420 (99.7 - 117.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock +2 252 SpA Mega Raichu Y Hidden Power Ice vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Latios: 256-302 (84.7 - 100%) -- 75% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock +2 252 SpA Mega Raichu Y Hidden Power Ice vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Multiscale Dragonite: 276-326 (85.4 - 100.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock +2 252 SpA Mega Raichu Y Focus Blast vs. 248 HP / 220+ SpD Heatran: 392-462 (101.8 - 120%) -- guaranteed OHKO

As it turns out, after Mega Salamence was banned many of the OU ranks were reverted back to the last XY ranks. Including the changes from that list, here are the current ORAS OU Singles updates: Rises: : A+ ---> S : A+ ---> S : A+ ---> S : A+ ---> S : A ---> A+ : B ---> A+ Drops: : S ---> A+ : S ---> A+ : A+ ---> A : A+ ---> A : A+ ---> A : A+ ---> A New Additions: : Unranked ---> C : Unranked ---> C- : Unranked ---> D Dragalgae and Pangoro were added to the list due to their increased viability in OU as a result of the new tools they received from ORAS (Dragalgae finally having access to Adaptability and Pangoro getting several move tutors). Flygon was added for its niche of being a Defog user that is both immune to Spikes and resistant to Stealth Rock, and is capable of taking on many of OU's most notable Stealth Rock users, including those that give Latios problems (namely Ferrothorn, Landorus-Therian, Heatran, Hippowdon, and Skarmory), as well as access to Roost and can check Mega Scizor and Excadrill to an extent.

He actually dropped one subrank from X&Y UU (from B+ to B). But then again, that drop occurred before Volcarona, Staraptor, Mega Diancie, Mega Altaria, and Togekiss got banned from UU, so there's a chance he might go back up. If a Pokemon's viability changes drastically or the metagame has changed significantly, then a Pokemon thats already been covered is eligible to be looked at again. For example, Mega Charizard X dropped from S to A+ because of ORAS, so featuring Charizard as PotW again will outline those changes and why its not as viable as it used to be.

Removed mentions in the UU section of the Six Pokemon that got banned from UU today.

Mega Altaria, Mega Diancie, Klefki, Staraptor, Togekiss, and Volcarona all removed from the Singles UU viability list in light of their recent bans.

http://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/np-oras-uu-stage-1-changes.3522744/page-9#post-5902261 Mega Altaria, Mega Diancie, Klefki, Staraptor, Togekiss, and Volcarona have all been Quickbanned from ORAS Singles UU. Volcarona is easily among the most threatening setup sweepers in the game, being exceedingly difficult to stop due to Quiver Dance boosting all of its Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed at the same time, making even revenge killing it very difficult. It finds setup opportunities almost every game due to its great set of resistances which include Fighting-, and Steel-, two very common types to be Choice-locked into in UU. Its Base Speed is also high enough that only two of the common Choice Scarf users in the tier can outspeed and revenge kill (Mienshao and Infernape) and even then, its not guaranteed since they need to rely on the inaccurate Stone Edge to do so. While you would think its 4x weakness to Stealth Rock severely hinders its sweeping potential, the fact of the matter is that hazard removal is extremely easy in UU, given the fact that the tier is home to two of the fastest Defog users in the game (Crobat and Aerodactyl) and literally all but one of the Rapid Spin users in the game, including Starmie and Mega Blastoise, which have nice synergy with Volcarona and are extremely effective at removing hazards. Mega Altaria holds even more sweeping potential than Volcarona, possesses better typing than Togekiss, and is nearly as strong as Staraptor (jk Staraptor is WAY stronger, but still) due to its Pixilate boosted Return / Body Slam / Hyper Voice backed by 110 Attack / Special Attack. Mega Altaria also packs more than enough bulk to set up multiple Dragon Dances with its 75 / 110 / 105 Defenses and can run a variety of sets ranging from mono-attacking Dragon Dance to full Special Attacker, making it very dangerous to face on the first turn it comes out. However, don't confuse my words, this doesn't mean the threat has been neutered once the set is discovered, even knowing, for example, that you're facing a Dragon Dance Altaria with Roost, Return, and Earthquake, there's not much you can do to stop it, since even Pokemon that resist its Pixilate boosted Returns take a huge chuck of damage from it and can rarely actually do much damage in return. Staraptor's sheer power is what makes it such a threat. Despite the fact that its main attacking moves come with a steep price of 1/3 recoil and its notable Stealth Rock weakness, Staraptor still tears wholes into all kinds of teams. To give you an idea of its power, here's how much damage a resisted Brave Bird does to a Choice Scarf Jirachi coming from Jolly Choice Band Staraptor: 48.6 - 57.4%. This means that Jirachi can only come into that attack a single time before succumbing to it. Also, much like Volcarona, the Stealth Rock weakness is easily neutered in this tier, due to the fact that there are so many efficient ways of removing hazards here. Togekiss is a Pokemon who has the perfect typing, ability, and stat combination to pretty much beat anything in the game 1 on 1, which is absolutely insane. Between its nice set of resistances, courtesy of its Fairy-typing, access to paralysis inducing moves (Thunder Wave and Body Slam), and Serene Grace to boost its main STAB attack's chance of flinching the opposing Pokemon to an absurd 60%, Togekiss is an absolute nightmare to face. The fact that it can boost its Special Attack to absurd levels with Nasty Plot is just the icing on the cake. These qualities alone disqualify any Pokemon slower than Togekiss as a check, since they run the risk of simply getting flinched to death, and given the fact that it can, and usually does, use its bulk to tank any hit from any Pokemon in order to paralyze them and make them slower, one comes to the conclusion that checking Togekiss is just too difficult in this tier. Mega Diancie is an absolute terror. Between its twin 160 attacking stats, its above average 110 Speed, Magic Bounce to deflect any attempt to stop it from setting up, access to both STAB Moonblast and Diamond Storm, and excellent coverage in the form of Earth Power, Mega Diancie has proven to be absurdly difficult for UU to handle. It can run Calm Mind to plow through defensive teams with ease or Rock Polish to decimate offensive teams. It can even forego a boosting move and simply run Hidden Power Fire as coverage to get past its only decent check--Bronzong. There's really not much more; if you've faced a Mega Diancie, you know what it can do. Back when Klefki was banned the first time around, people complained a whole lot because no one really saw how it could be broken. Then [smogon] decided to unban it when ORAS was released and just a single short week later, people could not stop complaining about how absolutely ridiculous its support capabilities are. Between its ability Prankster, which gives all non-damaging moves +1 priority, and access to Spikes, Reflect, Light Screen, Thunder Wave, Magnet Rise, and Magic Coat, Klefki is one of the few Pokemon in the game that never fail to do its job. Its most dangerous set is Thunder Wave, Light Screen, Reflect, and a filler move, while holding a Light Clay. This allows Klefki to both aid in setting up any of the wide array of dangerous setup sweepers that reside in UU (try and stop Cloyster from setting up two Shell Smashes behind Screens, I dare you) and also mitigate the risk or running heavy offense with insurance against most sweepers due to priority Thunder Wave. There's also a few people who believe access to prankster Thunder Wave promotes bad and careless playing, which is a small part of the reason Klefki is getting the boot again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKvZzo5PZ5U&feature=youtu.be http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2bthfd_street-fighter-5-teaser_videogames EDIT: Alternate link for the video seeing as Capcom issued a copyright takedown: https://www.sendspace.com/file/8wtv74

I'll admit the Big Rigs posts made me chuckle, but could we stay on topic of the character? Besides, it's not like other authors haven't released public alphas before.

Since next week will be busy for me, I decided to do the PotW a little early. Chesnaught Type: Grass/Fighting Tier Status (Singles): UU Tier Status (Doubles): DUU Base Stats: 88 / 107 / 122 / 74 / 75 / 64 Abilities (Normal): Overgrow: If this Pokemon's HP is 33% of its maximum HP or lower, the base power of this Pokemon's Grass-type attacks are increased by 50%. Bulletproof (Hidden Ability): This Pokemon is immune to the following Bullet and Bomb-based attack moves: Acid Spray* (JPN: Acid Bomb) Aura Sphere* (JPN: Wave Bomb) Barrage* (JPN: Ball Throw) Bullet Seed Electro Ball Energy Ball Focus Blast* (JPN: Fighting Spirit Bullet) Gyro Ball Ice Ball Magnet Bomb Mist Ball Mud Bomb Octazooka* (JPN: Octillery Cannon) Rock Wrecker* (JPN: Rock Cannon) Searing Shot* (JPN: Flame Bomb) Seed Bomb Shadow Ball Sludge Bomb Weather Ball Zap Cannon Table of Contents Singles UU Overview Singles OU Overview Singles Ubers Overview Doubles OU Overview Singles UU Overview ORAS Singles UU Viability: B Viability changes from X&Y Singles UU: B+ -> B Meet Chesnaught, the second of the three Kalos starters. As its appearance and base stats suggest, Chesnaught is very bulky on the physical side, and is one of the better utility Pokemon in UU, capable of walling physical attackers with Spiky Shield, a semi-exclusive variation of Protect that deals passive damage to attackers using contact moves, while supporting the team with Leech Seed and Spikes. Its signature ability Bulletproof is a godsend, as it renders it immune to Sludge Bomb, allowing it to wall any Roserade that doesn't carry Hidden Power Fire. However, Chesnaught is quite slow, and its special bulk is nowhere near as good as its physical bulk. UU Singles Moveset: Spikes Ability: Bulletproof / Item: @Leftovers or Rocky Helmet Nature: Impish w/ EVs: 252 HP / 4 Attack / 252 Defense Moves: Leech Seed / Synthesis or Spiky Shield / Spikes / Wood Hammer, Seed Bomb, or Drain Punch Tips: Leech Seed is Chesnaught's primary form of Recovery, allowing it to heal back a good amount of HP in conjunction with Leftovers and Spiky Shield. For the second moveslot, Synthesis provides immediate recovery. Though Spiky Shield leaves Chesnaught vulnerable to status and Taunt, it allows Chesnaught to buy time for Leftovers and Leech Seed recovery, while simultaneously harassing physical attackers that commonly use contact moves with passive damage. Spikes can further support the team with Chesnaught's utility, punishing an opponent's switch and pressuring them to remove your entry hazards sooner. The last moveslot depends on your team's needs. Drain Punch is Chesnaught's secondary form of recovery, and can heal good amounts of HP when backed by STAB and 107 base attack, even when uninvested. Wood Hammer and Seed Bomb provide Grass type STAB that can punish bulky Water types who don't particularly care about Drain Punch. Wood Hammer is more powerful, but cuts into Chesnaught's longevity with recoil, while Seed Bomb is a less powerful but safer alternative. The given EV spread and nature ensures that Chesnaught is as physically bulky as possible. For Chesnaught's item, Leftovers can provide it with additional longevity, and works well in tandem with Spiky Shield and Leech Seed. Rocky Helmet, however, can harass physical attackers and wear them down even when Chesnaught isn't using Spiky Shield. Bulletproof is far superior to Overgrow, granting Chesnaught an immunity to Sludge Bomb, Shadow Ball, and Focus Blast, which are common coverage moves. When switching Chesnaught in, you will generally want to use Leech Seed straight away, as even if Chesnaught is forced to switch out on the next turn, a teammate can still benefit from the healing and passive damage. Don't be afraid to use Spiky Shield if you are unsure of what your opponent is going to do. Don't use Spikes unless you know Chesnaught can wall your opponent, and do so only if its early or mid game. Recommended Teammates: Blissey can easily act as a special wall to compliment Chesnaught's physical bulk, and is one of the more sturdier Special walls in UU. Florges and Umbreon can also act as special walls, while both can provide Wish and Heal Bell support to rid Chesnaught of nasty burns and Toxic. Starmie can switch in to absorb status moves for Chesnaught, and then remove it simply by switching out. Additionally, Starmie can also provide Rapid Spin support, allowing you to remove entry hazards from your side of the field while keeping Chesnaught's Spikes active on the opponent's side, a big advantage over Defog. Bulky water types can provide type synergy with Chesnaught, and can form part of a Fire-Water-Grass core for your team. Suicune is a good win condition for stall and bulky offense teams that Chesnaught tends to find itself on. Swampert and Tentacruel can provide Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes, respectively, while Tentacruel and Mega Blastoise also offer Rapid Spin support. Vaporeon can also be used to pass Wishes to Chesnaught to keep it healthy. Because of Chesnaught's ability to set up Spikes, trying to run Defog as your form of entry hazard control can be detrimental to Chesnaught, so utilizing Rapid Spin as your form of hazrad control is the preferred method, as it does not interfere with Chesnaught's Spikes layers. Mega Blastoise, Tentacruel, and Starmie all provide type synergy with Chesnaught. Donphan and Forretress can also be used, with the latter also being able to set up Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes, but stacks a Fire Weakness. Since Spikes is often used as a secondary entry hazard to compliment Stealth Rock, running a Stealth Rock user may not be a bad idea. Normal Swampert, Mega Aggron, Nidoqueen, Hippowdon, Rhyperior, and Forretress can all provide this. Tentacruel, Forretress, and Nidoqueen can also provide Toxic Spikes if needed. Rhyperior in general can also provide coverage, both offensively and defensively, against the Flying types that like to harass Chesnaught. Mega Aggron also has the ability to phaze the opponent out with Dragon Tail, racking up the entry hazard damage from Chesnaught's Spikes. Singles UU Checks & Counters to Chesnaught Flying types give Chesnaught a headache, not only because Chesnaught is 4x to Flying, but also because of their resistance to Drain Punch. Crobat is notable among these as not only does it wall Chesnaught and threaten to KO with Brave Bird, but can also remove Chesnaught's entry hazards with Defog as it is forced to switch out. Opposing grass types can be a nuisance to Chesnaught as they switch into Leech Seed, blocking it. Celebi, Amoonguss, and Whimsicott also resist Drain Punch, while Trevenant and the Gourgeist formes are immune to it completely as they burn Chesnaught with Will-o-Wisp. Celebi and Mega Sceptile can both hit Chesnaught's lower Special Defense, while Celebi also has an offensive type advantage. Whimsicott can shut down Chesnaught with priority Taunt and Encore. Like Flying, Fairy and Fire types also give Chesnaught problems. Chandelure is notable for being immune to Drain Punch. Special Attackers Due to Chesnaught's lower special bulk, most special attackers in UU have no problems dealing with Chesnaught. Taunt Taunt completely shuts down Chesnaught by cutting off its main forms of recovery and its ability to lay down Spikes. Toxic and Will-o-Wisp Both Toxic and Will-o-Wisp cut into Chesnaught's longevity, with Toxic limiting the number of turns Chesnaught can stay in before Toxic deals too much damage for it to handle, while Will-o-Wisp removes Chesnaught's offensive presence and reduces the amount of HP it can gain back from Drain Punch, while also negating its Leftovers recovery. Singles OU Overview ORAS Singles OU Viability: B Viability changes from X&Y Singles UU: B -> B Though Chesnaught is not an OU Pokemon, it has had a bit of history in OU. Prior to Aegislash's ban in OU, Chesnaught had a significant niche in being able to check Aegislash, being immune to its powerful Shadow Balls and threatening it back with Earthquake. Players eventually adapted to this by running Toxic, which helped lead to Aegislash's ban. Nonetheless, Chesnaught still made its way onto Stall teams as a defensive user of Spikes, though often found competition for the slot of defensive Grass type from Amoonguss and Mega Venusaur. ORAS was kind to Chesnaught as it gave it access to Drain Punch, offering Chesnaught a form of recovery without having to rely on Synthesis. That being said, Chesnaught is still held back by Birdspam teams, and many of the new Mega Evolutions introduced in ORAS either counter or check Chesnaught. Due to its role as a slow support Pokemon, it is also susceptible to fast Taunt users commonly found on Offensive teams. OU Singles Moveset: Tank Ability: Bulletproof / Item: @Leftovers or Rocky Helmet Nature: Impish w/ EVs: 252 HP / 252 Defense / 4 Sp.Defense Moves: Leech Seed / Spiky Shield / Drain Punch / Spikes, Wood Hammer or Seed Bomb Tips: Leech Seed is Chesnaught's primary form of Recovery, allowing it to heal back a good amount of HP in conjunction with Leftovers and Spiky Shield. Spiky Shield is a must on Chesnaught. Though it leaves Chesnaught vulnerable to status and Taunt, it allows Chesnaught to buy time for Leftovers and Leech Seed recovery, while simultaneously harassing physical attackers that commonly use contact moves with passive damage. Drain Punch is Chesnaught's secondary form of recovery, and can heal good amounts of HP when backed by STAB and 107 base attack, even when uninvested. The last moveslot depends on your team's needs. Spikes can be used so that Chesnaught can further support the team with its utility, punishing an opponent's switch and pressuring them to remove your entry hazards sooner. Wood Hammer and Seed Bomb provide Grass type STAB that can punish bulky Water types who don't particularly care about Drain Punch. Wood Hammer is more powerful, but cuts into Chesnaught's longevity with recoil, while Seed Bomb is a less powerful but safer alternative. The given EV spread and nature ensures that Chesnaught is as physically bulky as possible. For Chesnaught's item, Leftovers can provide it with additional longevity, and works well in tandem with Spiky Shield and Leech Seed. Rocky Helmet, however, can harass physical attackers and wear them down even when Chesnaught isn't using Spiky Shield. Bulletproof is far superior to Overgrow, granting Chesnaught an immunity to Sludge Bomb, Shadow Ball, and Focus Blast, which are common coverage moves. Your first priority with Chesnaught should be to Leech Seed as soon as possible unless your opponent has an opposing Grass type, as the passive damage from Leech Seed can pressure them to switch, especially if they can't hurt Chesnaught, which can be punished by either setting up Spikes or using Leech Seed on the incoming switch. Spiky Shield not only allows Chesnaught to buy time for recovery and harass physical attackers, but also Choice item users, scouting their moves and allowing you respond once they are locked into their move. Spikes should be used on predicted switches, as Chesnaught forces alot of them. If you suspect your opponent to bring in their Rapid Spin or Defog user, go for Leech Seed instead. Don't waste any opportunities to use Drain Punch if you know Chesnaught can KO them, especially if facing Bisharp. Although Spiky Shield works similar to Protect, it does not protect Chesnaught from status moves. Keep in mind that Chesnaught hates Special attackers. Recommended Teammates: Chansey can not only wall the Special attackers that can easily destroy Chesnaught, but also heal status or provide Stealth Rocks, which stacks with Chesnaught's Spikes. Clefable can also work in a similar manner, and can also pass Wishes to Chesnaught. Like Chansey, Heatran can also wall most special attacks and provide Chesnaught with Stealth Rock support, but Heatran can also check Birdspam. Heatran also has great type synergy with Chesnaught in general, as they resist most of the other's type weaknesses, and can form part of a Fire-Water-Grass core for the team. Slowbro and Mega Slowbro are easily two of the bulkier Water types in OU, and can form part of a Fire-Water-Grass core with Chesnaught. Normal Gyarados, Rotom-Wash, and Alomomola are also pretty bulky in their own right, and Alomomola can also provide Wish support. With Spikes, you will easily find yourself having problems with an opponent's Defog and Rapid Spin users. Bisharp handles the former by gaining a free attack boost, while Gengar blocks the latter with its Ghost typing. On Stall teams, Doublade can also provide the same Spinblocking role as Gengar. Singles OU Checks & Counters to Chesnaught Flying types give Chesnaught a headache, not only because Chesnaught is 4x to Flying, but also because of their resistance to Drain Punch. Talonflame and Mega Aerodactyl in particular can OHKO with Brave Bird and Aerial Ace, respectively, while preventing Chesnaught from doing anything with Taunt. Zapdos and Thundurus do not have Flying type STAB moves, but do not care about Drain Punch, and can hit Chesnaught's weaker Special Defense with Heat Wave and Hidden Power Ice. Zapdos can also clear away its Spikes with Defog. Skarmory can't threaten Chesnaught directly unless it runs Brave Bird, but can easily wall it by shutting Chesnaught down with Taunt and removing its hazards with Defog while Roosting off the damage. Mega Sableye completely walls Chesnaught, being immune to Drain Punch while bouncing Leech Seed and Spikes back onto Chesnaught's side of the field, all while burning it with Will-o-Wisp. Mega Diancie works in a similar fashion, and can OHKO with Moonblast. Fairy types in general can also spell doom for Chesnaught. Mega Gardevoir, Sylveon and Mega Altaria can easily OHKO with Pixilate Hyper Voice and Pixilate Return, and Mega Diancie has already been mentioned above. Magic Guard Clefable doesn't care about either Spikes or Leech Seed, resists Drain Punch, and KOs with Moonblast. Togekiss can also threaten an OHKO with Air Slash. Azumarill can also check Chesnaught and threaten to KO with Play Rough, but will not enjoy taking a Seed Bomb or Wood Hammer, especially since Chesnaught can outspeed it. Mega Venusaur and Mega Sceptile can both hit Chesnaught on its weaker special side, and both are immune to Leech Seed. Although Mega Venusaur cannot OHKO with STAB Sludge Bomb due to Bulletproof, both can threaten to KO with Hidden Power Fire. Amoonguss works similar to Mega Venusaur, but cannot touch Chesnaught unless it runs Clear Smog. Fire also gives Chesnaught headaches, especially since most Fire types are special attackers. It should be noted that Heatran risks being KOed by Drain Punch, so it will not be able to safely switch in, but can otherwise threaten Chesnaught. Mega Metagross does not care too much for Drain Punch, and a Tough Claws-boosted Ice Punch will seriously hurt Chesnaught, but Mega Metagross does not enjoy being affected by Leech Seed. Greninja, Black Kyurem, and Mamoswine can all outspeed and KO Chesnaught with their STAB Ice attacks, though none of them will be able to switch into a Drain Punch. Mega Manectric and Raikou easily outspeed Chesnaught and hit with Overheat and Hidden Power Ice, the former scoring an OHKO, though Raikou requires a Calm Mind boost or a Choice Specs to 2HKO with Hidden Power Ice, while Chesnaught can 2HKO Raikou with Drain Punch. (Latias) Latias and Mega Latias can 2HKO Chesnaught with Draco Meteor and Psyshock, while Mega Latias can do the same with Stored Power after a single Calm Mind boost. Latios can easily OHKO Chesnaught with a Life Orb boosted Draco Meteor. Both Latios and Latias resist Drain Punch while also removing Chesnaught's Spikes with Defog. Singles Ubers Overview ORAS Singles OU Viability: F Viability changes from X&Y Singles UU: F -> F There is no reason to use Chesnaught in Ubers. Chesnaught faces competition from Ferrothorn and even Forretress to the point where its considered outclassed. There are much better options for a tank, and many of the top threats easily wall or destroy Chesnaught (, which comprises over 66% of the S and A ranks alone) Doubles OU Overview ORAS Doubles OU Viability: F Viability changes from X&Y Singles UU: F -> F The bulletproof Chestnut fails to make a splash in Doubles. While you might think that Chesnaught may be able to succeed on Trick Room teams where its low speed becomes an asset, being a physical attacker is more of a hindrance than a positive when Intimidate and Will-o-Wisp are so common as a result of many dangerous physical attackers like Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Salamence. Spikes is next to useless in Double battles. Chesnaught does has a niche in being able to survive Fake Out + Return from Mega Kangaskhan while OHKOing it back, but cant do anything to Mega Salamence or Landorus-Therian. It also faces competition from Ferrothorn in the role of a bulky Grass type. Against the top threats in Doubles: S Rank : Avoids the KO from Fake Out + Return while OHKOing back with Hammer Arm, though requires a specific spread to do so. : Cannot touch Landorus-Therian, especially after Intimidate. : Chesnaught OHKOed by Aerialate boosted STAB moves. Total positive matchups: 1/3 A+ Rank : Outspeeds and KOs with Fire STAB, beating Chesnaught 1vs1 : OHKOs Chesnaught with Play Rough : Outspeeds and 2HKOs with Zen Headbutt, while is 3HKOed by Hammer Arm, and 4HKOed by Drain Punch : Chesnaught OHKOs with Wood Hammer, while cannot 2HKO with Ice coverage : Chesnaught OHKOs with Wood Hammer, while Hydro Pump is 5HKO at best. : Resists Chesnaught's STAB attacks, Taunts Chesnaught and 3HKOs with Hidden Power Ice. : Chesnaught is OHKOed by Air Slash. Total positive matchups: 2/7 A Rank : Resists Grass, immune to fighting, 2HKOs Chesnaught with Flash Cannon. : Resists both STABs, but cant do much back. : Chesnaught OHKOs with Fighting STAB while Bisharp can only 3HKO in return. : Offensive variants 2HKO with Ice Beam, while Chesnaught 3HKOs with Wood Hammer. : Traps Chesnaught and either OHKOs with Sludge Wave, or walls Chesnaught while waiting for Perish Song to KO. : Gyarados 3HKOed by Wood Hammer after Intimidate, Icy Wind is a pathetic 8HKO. : Mega Gyarados OHKOed by both STABs while can only 2HKO with Ice Fang. : Doesn't care too much for Chesnaught's Fighting STAB, but can't do much in return, and can redirect Chesnaught's attacks with Follow Me. : OHKOs Chesnaught with Ice Beam : OHKOs Chesnaught with Draco Meteor : OHKOs Chesnaught with Air Slash. : Defensive 2HKOed by Wood Hammer, but outspeeds and 2HKOs Chesnaught with Ice Beam after recoil. Offensive is OHKOed by Wood Hammer. : OHKOs Chesnaught with Brave Bird : 2HKOs Chesnaught with Close Combat, but is OHKOed by either STAB. : Avoids the OHKO with Chople Berry, but only Special attacking variants can 2HKO. Mega loses to Chesnaught. : Normal walls Chesnaught and 2HKOs with Sun boosted Hidden Power Fire. Mega can wall Chesnaught and put it to sleep, but cannot threaten it otherwise. Total positive matchups: 6/20 A- Rank : Outsped by Chesnaught and OHKOed by Wood Hammer. : 2HKOed by Hammer Arm, while can't do anything to Chesnaught in return. : Flare Blitz OHKOs. : Heat Wave and Fire Blast both OHKO. : Assault Vest variants lose 1v1, but variants on Trick Room teams 2HKO with Ice Punch. : Loses to Chesnaught 1v1. : is 2HKOed by Wood Hammer, and cannot 2HKO back. : Misses the 2HKO with Draco Meteor, and loses 1vs1. : OHKOs with Moonblast and Hyper Voice, respectively. : Outspeeds and OHKOs Chesnaught with Fire Blast. : Outspeeds and 2HKOs Chesnaught with Ice Beam. : Both OHKO with Moonblast, but risks being outsped and OHKOed by Wood Hammer prior to Mega Evolving. Total positive matchups: 5/14 Grand Total positive matchups: 14/44

Big ORAS Singles Ubers update: For a much easier reference, the viability ranks for the various tiers will be listed here, as seen on Smogon. S+ Rank (new) Additions: Primal Groudon: Up from unranked S Rank (old) S Rank (new) Losses: Kyogre: Drop to B+ Mewtwo: Drop to A+ Mega Mewtwo Y: Drop to A+ Mega Mewtwo X: Drop to A- Additions: Arceus-Normal: Up from A+ Mega Salamence: Up from unranked No Changes: Gengar/Mega Gengar: No change Xerneas: No change A+ Rank (old) (Ghost)(Normal) A+ Rank (new) (Ghost) Losses: Arceus-Normal: Rise to S Blaziken/Mega Blaziken: Drop to A- Landorus-Therian: Drop to A- Palkia: Drop to A- Additions: Darkrai: Rise from A Ho-oh: Rise from A Primal Kyogre: Rise from unranked Latias: Rise from F Latios: Rise from F Mewtwo: Drop from S Mega Mewtwo Y: Drop from S No Changes: Arceus-Ghost: No change Yveltal: No change A Rank (old) A Rank (new) (Dark)(Ground) Losses: Darkrai: Rise to A+ Deoxys-Attack: Drop to A- Deoxys-Speed: Drop to A- Groudon: Drop to B+ Ho-oh: Rise to A+ Zekrom: Drop to B+ Additions: Arceus-Dark: Rise from B- Arceus-Ground: Rise from B+ Origin Giratina: Rise from B Lugia: Rise from A- No Changes: Dialga: No change Klefki: No change A- Rank (old) (Electric)(Poison)(Water) A- Rank (new) Losses: Arceus-Electric: Drop to B Arceus-Poison: Drop to B Arceus-Water: Drop to C+ Gothitelle: Drop to B Lugia: Rise to A Additions: Blaziken/Mega Blaziken: Drop from A+ Deoxys-Attack: Drop from A Deoxys-Speed: Drop from A Mega Diancie: Rise from unranked Gliscor: Rise from B Landorus-Therian: Drop from A+ Mega Mewtwo X: Drop from S Palkia: Drop from A+ No Changes: Rayquaza: No change Scizor/Mega Scizor: No change B+ Rank (old) (Fairy)(Grass)(Ground) B+ Rank (new) (Fairy)(Grass) Losses: Arceus-Ground: Rise to A Additions: Groudon: Drop from A Mega Kangaskhan: Rise from B Kyogre: Drop from S Mega Sableye: Rise from unranked Zekrom: Drop from A No Changes: Arceus-Fairy Arceus-Grass Genesect Sylveon Thundurus Wobbuffet B Rank (old) B Rank (new) (Electric)(Poison) Losses: Deoxys-Defense: Drop to C- Origin Giratina: Rise to A Gliscor: Rise to A- Mega Kangaskhan: Rise to B+ Mega Tyranitar: Drop to F/unranked Additions: Mega Altaria: Rise from unranked Arceus-Electric: Drop from A- Arceus-Poison: Drop from A- Gothitelle: Drop from A- Mega Metagross: Rise from unranked Victini: Rise from unranked No Changes: Aegislash Excadrill Ferrothorn Heatran Lucario/Mega Lucario Sky Shaymin Tyranitar Whimsicott B- Rank (old) (Dark)(Rock)(Steel) B- Rank (new) (Rock) Losses: Arceus-Dark: Rise to A Arceus-Steel: Drop to C+ Additions: Greninja: Rise from F/unranked No Changes: Arceus-Rock Blissey Clefable Cloyster Hippowdon White Kyurem Quagsire Sableye Scolipede C+ Rank (old) (Fire)(Psychic) C+ Rank (new) (Fire)(Psychic)(Steel)(Water) Losses: Charizard: Drop to F/unranked Mawile: Drop to F/unranked Additions: Arceus-Steel: Drop from B- Arceus-Water: Drop from A- No Changes: Arceus-Fire Arceus-Psychic Bronzong Mega Charizard X Mega Charizard Y Diancie Altered Giratina Gyarados/Mega Gyarados Jirachi Mega Mawile Shuckle Skarmory Smeargle Terrakion C Rank (old) (Dragon)(Flying) C Rank (new) (Dragon)(Flying) Losses: None Additions: Tentacruel: Up from F/unranked No Changes: Amoonguss Arceus-Dragon Arceus-Flying Ditto Forretress Gastrodon Reshiram C- Rank (old) (Fighting) C- Rank (new) (Fighting) Losses: Abomasnow/Mega: Drop to F/unranked Additions: Deoxys-Defense: Drop from B No Changes: Arceus-Fighting D Rank (old) (Bug)(Ice) D Rank (new) (Bug)(Ice) Losses: None Additions: None No Changes: Arceus-Bug Arceus-Ice Deoxys-Normal E Rank (old) (a.k.a "Don't use these") E Rank (new) (a.k.a "Don't use these") Losses: None Additions: Mega Latias Mega Latios Metagross No Changes: Chansey

Condensed the Rotom-Wash and Empoleon in Singles OU checks & counters section into just bulky waters, while also adding Alomomola, Normal Gyarados, and Tentacruel. Also since the ORAS Ubers viability ranks got updated, Greninja is now listed at its current B- ranking in ubers.

Mega Swampert requires rain in order to be effective, which isnt that great in UU since Drizzle is banned in UU. That aside, the extra defenses of Mega Swampert isnt quite enough to offset the lack of Leftovers recovery on support Swampert, which is mostly used for Stealth Rock setup, leaving room for another Mega who can use. This doesnt mean Mega Swampert is bad in UU though, its still A- rank. OU is a different story, and Mega Swampert greatly outclasses its regular form in that environment.

RIP childhood

Further changes to the UU Singles viability list. There are too many to list so Ill just post the old list with the new list next to this S Rank (old) S Rank (new) A+ Rank (old) A+ Rank (new) A Rank (old) A Rank (new) A- Rank (old) A- Rank (new) B+ Rank (old) B+ Rank (new) B Rank (old) B Rank (new) B- Rank (old) B- Rank (new) C Rank (old) C Rank (new) D Rank (old) None D Rank (new) EDIT: and no, thats not a typo, regular Swampert IS ranked higher than Mega Swampert.