ACCUPRESSURE NEEDS TO BE BANNED!
View attachment 500818
Tsareena @ Leftovers/Covert Cloak
Ability: Queenly Majesty
Tera Type: Water/steel
EVs: 252 HP / 36 Def / 92 SpD / 128 Spe
Impish Nature
- Bullet Seed
- Taunt
- Acupressure
- Synthesis
About the set
This sets main goal is setting up various boost with Acupressure, a move that doubles a random stat INCLUDING EVASION! Typically the game is over once you get an evasion boost since it is +2 evasion, not a +1. However if you happen to get a speed, defense, and special defense boost you typically still have a chance to sweep. The only useless boost are Accuracy and special attack but the odds of getting these useless boost are low as they are a 2/7 chance. Taunt prevents opposing setup sweepers, toxic users, taunt users, and recovery such as roost. Then we have synthesis for self sustain, and finally bullet seed for a general stab move. I specifically use bullet seed for its PP of 48, as opposed to power whip which can be easily stalled out by bulkier unaware Pokémon.
THREATS
It's literally just Hatterene + Dondozo, or Skeledirge (no tera) lol practically any other Pokémon can realistically lose to this given the correct boost (evasion lmfao). Dragons also pose quite a threat, Specs dragapult with draco meteor can be quite scary without the x2 special defense. Roaring Moon, Hydreigon, and Dragonite require quite good RNG to defeat as well but usually with a x2 in defense or special defense or an outright evasion boost can get the job done.
Defensive Utility
This Pokémon hard walls non-tera Breloom, and the general bulk Tsareena has of 72/98/98 is nothing to scoff at as it can avoid most 2 hit ko's from non super effective attacks. With the added typing advantage of tera water or steel depending on which chosen, the array of Pokémon you switch in on becomes far greater.
Matchups
Stall: This set is unbeatable for stall, you can almost always lead Tsareena and start setting up acupressure's, while taunting Clodsire, Dondozo, and Corviknight from setting up or going for a toxic in Clodsires case. The only possible way stall can beat Tsareena is with Skeledirge, but currently stall cannot afford to fit Skeledirge due to meta constraints so this surprise MU is unlikely to occur.
Semi stall: The matchup is similarly favorable in comparison to stall, with the caveat of Skeledirge being more likely as well as Tera-Garganacl being a nuisance unless you are utilizing covert cloak Tsareena.
Balance: Matchups against balance can usually go either way, really its all about opportunism as I have never had a MU vs balance where Tsareena couldn't win unless there was a Roaring Moon or Hydreigon along with shit boost rng. There is high variance in the effectiveness of Acu Tsareena but I'd argue the odds of her having a shot at winning a match vs balance teams is around 60% which is problematic for the tier in my opinion given the luck involved. Although there is luck involved you are quite likely to get a boost that actually matters significantly, and you have a 1/7 chance of straight up winning (evasion) which is the same odds as a scald burn.
Bulky Offense: Identical to balance, but the offensive nature of this archetype typically gives me more MU scenarios where they don't have a Skeledirge or Dondozo + Hatterene to mess me up, and Roaring Moons are quite rare on this archetype.
Offense: This matchup is actually quite good, usually the setup spam on offense is not as great as hyper offense so it gives you breathing room to attempt to get acupressure's without the risk of dealing with Skeledirges, Garganacl's, Dondozo + Hatterene, and Hydreigon on raw offense is not nearly as common compare to balance or bulky offense. Id argue this or balance is the 3rd best archetype to face besides stall and semi stall (both of those being normally AUTO WINS)
Hyper Offense: bad lol, if you get evasion you probably can win given most HO teams don't have the usual Pokémon that give Tsareena trouble, the issue is just getting the positioning to Acupressure in the first place. If you manage to get a +2 speed boost however you are kind of in a really good spot, since bullet seed breaks sashes and taunt can be spammed which is quite useful against HO. It's not unlikely to win with Tsareena once you get an Acupressure but really the problem is getting it in, as well as weighing the odds of "is it worth it to try to get the rng setup vs such a volatile team".
plz ban this from tier its rng sweep mon with minimal counterplay besides Skeledirge which u can beat by forcing its tera xd the odds of a x2 good boost is literally 80% chance lol like cmon hows this allowed.
Replays of this in 1800's through setup or providing general defensive utility
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1824412456-lng0o2ywn8z8z67q118gnkmgistzpmapw
Tsareena sweep 6-0
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1824420924
Tsareena sweep lategame with tera typing.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1824038753
Insane defensive utility of Tsareena winning me the game
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1824443926
I only lost this because I threw by not synthesis vs breloom when I could have lol idk it was 130 turns i had a brainfart i didnt even care anymore, but the entire game just revolved around Tsareena's pressure none of my other mons even got a kill LOL and I was switching Tsareena in on Hatterenes, Dondozo, and Breloom and getting boost pressuring shit I mean its insane that an entire game can revolve around 1 mon for 130 turns lol.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1824431666
General defensive utility of Tsareena clutched me the DUB lowkey, this was close if this thing didn't live on 1 early on I was screwed lowkey.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1798153510-s38bf4nuari8h5shavonydtt13rr9o6pw
Tsareena 6-0 stall from turn 1.
Conclusion
Overall this team where I literally just replaced scream tail with Tsareena so the teams not even specifically optimized for the set LOL, peaked low 1800's with like 6 games of play kekw, can definitely reach 1900's but I don't care enough I just want Acupressure gone before some kids actually make teams AROUND this shit and make ladder even more hell. If I can get 1800 with minimal effort and slapping the mon on a team, imagine someone who is actually trying lmao. TBH anything that can boost evasion should be banned (besides metronome)
Finchinator
EDIT: I forgot to mention, kowtow cleave does not check accuracy, if you don't have defense boost a late game kingambit can be a bit scary but I've yet to lose to 1.