Definitely not stealing this idea from Celestiial
Part 1/x
ORAS Draft 
I wonder what this post's about, perhaps it's a thread outlining what top metagame threats in ORAS are capable of. Yes, it may in fact be that. Jokes aside, I'll try highlight what most of the top threats in the format are capable of so that newer players do not feel completely lost in a no Boots metagame. I'll also highlight noticeable differences in Pokémon between ORAS and future generations, they'll be called "missing moves"; please note that despite these, the Pokémon are still good in the metagame as the metagame has evolved without those movepool additions existing.
It'll follow a similar structure to Celeste's post, ideally I'll cover the 13pt and better Pokémon but I might get bored, who knows. Some notable metagame notes:
I'll split Pokémon roughly by the round they're drafted in, this isn't me telling you that you can't grab other round x picks, just that these are either the most optimal, or tend to be open around then.
Future Nyx here. Initially I'd planned to write a lot more, going down to every 13 point Pokémon, as well as highlighting key cheaper picks such as Roselia and Granbull which are amazing value. Sadly I've become plagued with schoolwork so I won't be able to finish this prior to the start of ORAS II so I figured I'd post it in its current form in the hope that it helps a couple of y'all. Big thanks to Hacker, TPP, and abriel for their help with writing this, they all contributed a bunch of ideas/meta knowledge/mechanic differences that are relevant to ORAS.
Part 1/x
ORAS Draft I wonder what this post's about, perhaps it's a thread outlining what top metagame threats in ORAS are capable of. Yes, it may in fact be that. Jokes aside, I'll try highlight what most of the top threats in the format are capable of so that newer players do not feel completely lost in a no Boots metagame. I'll also highlight noticeable differences in Pokémon between ORAS and future generations, they'll be called "missing moves"; please note that despite these, the Pokémon are still good in the metagame as the metagame has evolved without those movepool additions existing.
It'll follow a similar structure to Celeste's post, ideally I'll cover the 13pt and better Pokémon but I might get bored, who knows. Some notable metagame notes:
- ORAS is noticeably slower compared to future generations, a speed tier of 100 in ORAS is better than a speed tier of 100 in any future generation. This makes certain breakers and sweepers inherently better as they end up outspeeding more of the opponent's team than they would in future generations.
- It's for this reason that speed control, especially Pokémon faster than base 100, are significantly more valuable than they are in future generations. It's also a big reason why the otherwise legacy complex ban on Greninja remains to this day; its speed tier is too valuable for the format to remove now that its an old gen.
- Hazard removal is incredibly limited. Due to the lack of Heavy-Duty Boots and the USUM Defog move tutor, ORAS is prone to being the draft tier most impacted by hazards. Games tend to be quicker due to that, as it forces people to play more aggressively.
- Hidden Power, Pursuit, Return, and many other moves that were cut in SS/SV are in the tier, this heavily affects the viability of numerous Pokémon. For example, even though Gengar has Levitate in ORAS, it's still only a 12 point Pokémon, in part due to the existence of Pursuit.
- Recovery moves like Rest, Recover, Roost, Shore Up, Soft-Boiled, and Slack Off have 16 PP instead of 8.
- Snow does not exist; instead, Hail exists which deals non-Ice-types 1⁄16 of their maximum HP as damage at the end of each turn. Hail also does not boost the Defense of Ice-types by 50%. Accordingly, Snow Warning summons Hail instead of a Snowstorm.
- Rapid Spin is 20 BP and does not increase Speed by 1 stage.
- Burn damage is 12.5%.
- Sucker Punch has a base power of 80.
- Destiny Bond does not fail in consecutive uses.
- Many Defog users cannot use their Hidden Ability in conjunction with it, e.g Defog is incompatible with Static on Zapdos, and with Poison Heal on Gliscor.
- Mega evolving does not grant speed changes before attacking.
- Mega Sableye maintains both of its abilities during its first turn after Mega evolving.
- Pixilate and sibling abilities yield a damage multiplier of 1.3.
- Gale Wings will activate at any HP, not just at full.
- Thunder Wave is 100% accurate.
- Paralysis quarters a paralyzed Pokémon's speed.
- Prankster does affect Dark-types.
- The odds of Protect working on consecutive tries go down by 50% each time, not 66%.
- The base critical hit rate is 1/16, not 1/24.
- Bottle Caps do not exist. If a Pokémon wants to use a specific Hidden Power type, it will need to drop certain IVs to achieve this.
- Oblivious, Own Tempo, Inner Focus, and Scrappy do not allow a Pokémon to avoid Intimidate.
- Teleport does not switch the user out.
- Pelipper does not have Drizzle, Torkoal does not have Drought, Gigalith does not have Sand Stream, Zygarde does not have Thousand Arrows nor Thousand Waves.
- Water Shuriken is a Physical attack.
- Iapapa Berry and it’s clones heal 1/8 and activate at 1/2 health.
- Luster Purge and Mist Ball are both 70 BP moves.
- Leech Life is 20 BP and has 15 (24) PP.
- Qwilfish has 75 Defense, instead of 85.
- Dugtrio has 80 Attack, instead of 100.
19 Points
Landorus-T
He is him. Landorus-T has established itself over the past few years as a contender for the number one Pokémon in the tier, it offers phenomenal role compression, acting as a great offensive threat and defensive pivot. It can run a wide variety of sets from SD, RP, Scarf, Rocks pivot and so many others. It also comes with the positive of pairing well with a large variety of round two options, it's not the single best at any individual role, but it does so many to an incredibly high standard. Landorus-T's most notable weakness/drawback is its quad weakness to Ice-type moves. When coupled with the existence of Hidden Power, it becomes significantly easier for even physical attackers to beat it. That being said, its natural bulk does allow it to live at least 1 in nearly all scenarios, and hit the foe back incredibly hard.
Notable "missing" moves: Defog, Taunt.
Mega Gardevoir
and she is her. Mega Gardevoir is the other clear contender for best Pokémon. With access to a demonically strong STAB, Pixilate-boosted Hyper Voice, and a 12.% burn Will-O-Wisp, it greatly benefits from the lack of speed control in the tier. Couple this with the prevalence of hazards, very little can safely switch into Mega Gardevoir. It is noticeably more one dimensional than Landorus-T, but makes up for that with its sheer wallbreaking power. It too can pair well with a large variety of round two picks, making it an equally viable first pick option. Mega Gardevoir isn't without counterplay though, it suffers from having pitiful physical bulk, making it susceptible to a combination of Scarfers in the early game, and priority in the late game.
Notable "missing" moves: Mystical Fire.
18 Points
Garchomp
In a similar vein to Landorus-T, Garchomp is able to fulfil a large number of roles on its team, with sets ranging from Scarf, to SD, to TankChomp, It's able to these all incredibly effectively, while also boasting a speed tier that allows it to just barely outspeed the other top tier threats. Even within these sets, it has a large diversity of what it can run, allowing for Garchomp to be relatively hard to predict in the right hands. Similarly to Landorus-T, it's main weakness is its quad weakness to Ice, while also being susceptible to both Spikes and Toxic Spikes due to its lack of a Flying typing. It does make up for this by resisting Stealth Rock, but it does make it noticeably easier to chip down.
Notable "missing" moves: Scale Shot, Spikes.
Landorus
After being finally freed into the tier during DCL, Landorus has shown itself to be far more manageable than originally perceived. It still hits incredibly hard with LO Sheer Force Earth Powers, and can be a threatening cleaner with Rock Polish. In a vacuum, it is arguably a better Pokémon than any other in the tier. However, due to its lack of role compression, drafting around it can be incredibly challenging, Furthermore, it maintains the quad Ice weakness, which it is even more prone to since it can't reliably run as much bulk as Landorus-T. This all said, it's absolutely still a top tier threat, just harder to draft around than other Pokémon of a similar cost.
Notable "missing" moves: Defog, Taunt.
Mew
Jack of all trades, master of none. Mew can fulfil almost any role on a team, from sweeper, to wall, to pivot, to stallbreaker. What it benefits the most from compared to future generations is the 12.5% burn Will-O-Wisp, and 75% speed drop Thunder Wave. This makes its support sets significantly more impactful. Furthermore, its 100 across the board stat line is just better due to the lack of power creep, 100 offenses are relatively speaking stronger, and 100 defenses are relatively speaking bulkier. This all being said, it's still a Mew, it'll never be amazing at any one role, always being outclassed by something, but its the sheer role compression that justifies its cost. Each Mew set will have glaringly different counterplay, but ultimately defensive sets can be overwhelmed, and offensive sets can tend to struggle against fatter teams. It's also worth noting that Mew has access to Roost and Soft Boiled in ORAS, both of which it loses in SV.
Notable "missing" moves: Close Combat, Dragon Dance, Poltergeist, Triple Axel.
17 Points
Clefable
Clefable excels in ORAS, primarily due to the lack of power creep that hurts it in future generations, but also because it is naturally immune to both hazards and burn. This makes it a great bulky switchin to numerous Pokémon, both on the physical and special side. It's an equally potent special attacker, thanks to Magic Guard Life Orb sets being relatively hard to switch in to. Finally, it has access to great support options in moves like Knock Off, Stealth Rock, and Thunder Wave. The combination of this role compression makes it a great Pokémon to build a draft around. Clefable's easiest counterplay is similar to future generations, its defensive statline isn't amazing, and it can be overwhelmed by the strongest of attackers.
Notable "missing" moves: Stored Power; also note that Unware + Soft Boiled does not validate.
Latios
Sadly no Soul Dew for this wannabe Mega Evolution, it's still a great Pokémon though, sporting a great speed tier and strong special attacks. The fewer number of viable Steel-, Fairy-, and Dark- types mean that Latios has a significantly easier time wallbreaking and cleaning. The biggest factors keeping it in check are Pursuit, as well as being reliant on the rather weak Hidden Power to hit a lot of opposing Steel types. By no means does this make it a bad Pokémon, it pairs incredibly well with a large variety of the other late round 1/early round 2 Pokémon and can be incredibly devastating into slower teams.
Notable "missing" moves: Agility, Aura Sphere, Flip Turn, Mystical Fire.
Mega Lopunny
Welcome to one of the fastest viable Pokémon in the tier. While it's fallen off from its 18 point pedestal of days gone by, Mega Lopunny is far from a slouch. The combination of Return + High Jump Kick, in conjunction with its ability Scrappy, make it a hard Pokémon to switch in to. Furthermore, given its blistering Speed, it's a very valuable revenge killer, being able to outspeed nearly the entire tier bar Scarfers. To top this all off, it also has great support options in Encore, Heal Bell, Healing Wish, and Thunder Wave, as well as STAB priority in Fake Out and Quick Attack. That all being said, it's far from perfect. Rocky Helmet on fatter Pokémon, coupled with hazards chip and a Scarfer, can hurt Mega Lopunny's longevity. It's incredibly threatening across all states of the game, but it can struggle to be useful in all of them in a single game, as it either has to be preserved for an end game, or used earlier as a breaker with hazard support.
Notable "missing" moves: Close Combat, Triple Axel, U-turn.
Mega Scizor
Dying? Never heard of it. An apt summary of Mega Scizor, so long as the opponent lacks Fire-type attacks. Boasting an amazing defensive profile, strong Technician boosted STAB Bullet Punch, and being one of the handful of Defoggers in the tier, Mega Scizor is both a great supportive element to a team, as well as an amazing cleaner. It's able to act as a safe pivot throughout the game, coming in on attacks and U-turning safely into its teammates. SD sets can leverage its strong Bullet Punch and turn into a monstrous cleaner against a lot of chipped teams. If only it wasn't quad weak to Fire, and incredibly vulnerable to Scald burns, it would be unstoppable. Thankfully, it is, meaning that you don't have to completely run for the hills when you see it. Its other key drawback is that it can tend to get overwhelmed on the special side, especially when it is not carrying any SpD investment. Just like the other round one picks, it can pair amazingly with a large variety of round two options, making it a great options for later picks.
Notable "missing" moves: Close Combat, Curse, Dual Wingbeat, Sand Tomb.
Tornadus-T
While at a glance, Tornadus-T may seem like a shell of its current self, its 121 Speed and Regenerator allow it to be great LO attacker, with a very hard to switch into Hurricane, as fewer viable Electric- and Steel-types exist, making resists harder to come by. It can also be a great support pivot, utilising its wide support move of moves such as Knock Off, Taunt, and Toxic, as well as enhance its solid natural bulk with the use of Assault Vest. It does obviously have its glaring Stealth Rock weakness, which hampers the effectiveness of Regenerator, but when paired with solid removal, Tornadus-T can be a great option for the end wheel.
Notable "missing" moves: Bleakwind Storm, Defog, Nasty Plot.
Landorus-T He is him. Landorus-T has established itself over the past few years as a contender for the number one Pokémon in the tier, it offers phenomenal role compression, acting as a great offensive threat and defensive pivot. It can run a wide variety of sets from SD, RP, Scarf, Rocks pivot and so many others. It also comes with the positive of pairing well with a large variety of round two options, it's not the single best at any individual role, but it does so many to an incredibly high standard. Landorus-T's most notable weakness/drawback is its quad weakness to Ice-type moves. When coupled with the existence of Hidden Power, it becomes significantly easier for even physical attackers to beat it. That being said, its natural bulk does allow it to live at least 1 in nearly all scenarios, and hit the foe back incredibly hard.
Notable "missing" moves: Defog, Taunt.
Mega Gardevoir and she is her. Mega Gardevoir is the other clear contender for best Pokémon. With access to a demonically strong STAB, Pixilate-boosted Hyper Voice, and a 12.% burn Will-O-Wisp, it greatly benefits from the lack of speed control in the tier. Couple this with the prevalence of hazards, very little can safely switch into Mega Gardevoir. It is noticeably more one dimensional than Landorus-T, but makes up for that with its sheer wallbreaking power. It too can pair well with a large variety of round two picks, making it an equally viable first pick option. Mega Gardevoir isn't without counterplay though, it suffers from having pitiful physical bulk, making it susceptible to a combination of Scarfers in the early game, and priority in the late game.
Notable "missing" moves: Mystical Fire.
18 Points
Garchomp In a similar vein to Landorus-T, Garchomp is able to fulfil a large number of roles on its team, with sets ranging from Scarf, to SD, to TankChomp, It's able to these all incredibly effectively, while also boasting a speed tier that allows it to just barely outspeed the other top tier threats. Even within these sets, it has a large diversity of what it can run, allowing for Garchomp to be relatively hard to predict in the right hands. Similarly to Landorus-T, it's main weakness is its quad weakness to Ice, while also being susceptible to both Spikes and Toxic Spikes due to its lack of a Flying typing. It does make up for this by resisting Stealth Rock, but it does make it noticeably easier to chip down.
Notable "missing" moves: Scale Shot, Spikes.
Landorus After being finally freed into the tier during DCL, Landorus has shown itself to be far more manageable than originally perceived. It still hits incredibly hard with LO Sheer Force Earth Powers, and can be a threatening cleaner with Rock Polish. In a vacuum, it is arguably a better Pokémon than any other in the tier. However, due to its lack of role compression, drafting around it can be incredibly challenging, Furthermore, it maintains the quad Ice weakness, which it is even more prone to since it can't reliably run as much bulk as Landorus-T. This all said, it's absolutely still a top tier threat, just harder to draft around than other Pokémon of a similar cost.
Notable "missing" moves: Defog, Taunt.
Mew Jack of all trades, master of none. Mew can fulfil almost any role on a team, from sweeper, to wall, to pivot, to stallbreaker. What it benefits the most from compared to future generations is the 12.5% burn Will-O-Wisp, and 75% speed drop Thunder Wave. This makes its support sets significantly more impactful. Furthermore, its 100 across the board stat line is just better due to the lack of power creep, 100 offenses are relatively speaking stronger, and 100 defenses are relatively speaking bulkier. This all being said, it's still a Mew, it'll never be amazing at any one role, always being outclassed by something, but its the sheer role compression that justifies its cost. Each Mew set will have glaringly different counterplay, but ultimately defensive sets can be overwhelmed, and offensive sets can tend to struggle against fatter teams. It's also worth noting that Mew has access to Roost and Soft Boiled in ORAS, both of which it loses in SV.
Notable "missing" moves: Close Combat, Dragon Dance, Poltergeist, Triple Axel.
17 Points
Clefable Clefable excels in ORAS, primarily due to the lack of power creep that hurts it in future generations, but also because it is naturally immune to both hazards and burn. This makes it a great bulky switchin to numerous Pokémon, both on the physical and special side. It's an equally potent special attacker, thanks to Magic Guard Life Orb sets being relatively hard to switch in to. Finally, it has access to great support options in moves like Knock Off, Stealth Rock, and Thunder Wave. The combination of this role compression makes it a great Pokémon to build a draft around. Clefable's easiest counterplay is similar to future generations, its defensive statline isn't amazing, and it can be overwhelmed by the strongest of attackers.
Notable "missing" moves: Stored Power; also note that Unware + Soft Boiled does not validate.
Latios Sadly no Soul Dew for this wannabe Mega Evolution, it's still a great Pokémon though, sporting a great speed tier and strong special attacks. The fewer number of viable Steel-, Fairy-, and Dark- types mean that Latios has a significantly easier time wallbreaking and cleaning. The biggest factors keeping it in check are Pursuit, as well as being reliant on the rather weak Hidden Power to hit a lot of opposing Steel types. By no means does this make it a bad Pokémon, it pairs incredibly well with a large variety of the other late round 1/early round 2 Pokémon and can be incredibly devastating into slower teams.
Notable "missing" moves: Agility, Aura Sphere, Flip Turn, Mystical Fire.
Mega Lopunny Welcome to one of the fastest viable Pokémon in the tier. While it's fallen off from its 18 point pedestal of days gone by, Mega Lopunny is far from a slouch. The combination of Return + High Jump Kick, in conjunction with its ability Scrappy, make it a hard Pokémon to switch in to. Furthermore, given its blistering Speed, it's a very valuable revenge killer, being able to outspeed nearly the entire tier bar Scarfers. To top this all off, it also has great support options in Encore, Heal Bell, Healing Wish, and Thunder Wave, as well as STAB priority in Fake Out and Quick Attack. That all being said, it's far from perfect. Rocky Helmet on fatter Pokémon, coupled with hazards chip and a Scarfer, can hurt Mega Lopunny's longevity. It's incredibly threatening across all states of the game, but it can struggle to be useful in all of them in a single game, as it either has to be preserved for an end game, or used earlier as a breaker with hazard support.
Notable "missing" moves: Close Combat, Triple Axel, U-turn.
Mega Scizor Dying? Never heard of it. An apt summary of Mega Scizor, so long as the opponent lacks Fire-type attacks. Boasting an amazing defensive profile, strong Technician boosted STAB Bullet Punch, and being one of the handful of Defoggers in the tier, Mega Scizor is both a great supportive element to a team, as well as an amazing cleaner. It's able to act as a safe pivot throughout the game, coming in on attacks and U-turning safely into its teammates. SD sets can leverage its strong Bullet Punch and turn into a monstrous cleaner against a lot of chipped teams. If only it wasn't quad weak to Fire, and incredibly vulnerable to Scald burns, it would be unstoppable. Thankfully, it is, meaning that you don't have to completely run for the hills when you see it. Its other key drawback is that it can tend to get overwhelmed on the special side, especially when it is not carrying any SpD investment. Just like the other round one picks, it can pair amazingly with a large variety of round two options, making it a great options for later picks.
Notable "missing" moves: Close Combat, Curse, Dual Wingbeat, Sand Tomb.
Tornadus-T While at a glance, Tornadus-T may seem like a shell of its current self, its 121 Speed and Regenerator allow it to be great LO attacker, with a very hard to switch into Hurricane, as fewer viable Electric- and Steel-types exist, making resists harder to come by. It can also be a great support pivot, utilising its wide support move of moves such as Knock Off, Taunt, and Toxic, as well as enhance its solid natural bulk with the use of Assault Vest. It does obviously have its glaring Stealth Rock weakness, which hampers the effectiveness of Regenerator, but when paired with solid removal, Tornadus-T can be a great option for the end wheel.
Notable "missing" moves: Bleakwind Storm, Defog, Nasty Plot.
16 Points
Greninja
Greninja is one of the most sought after Pokémon in the tier. Having a phenomenal speed tier, great coverage, solid utility options, and momentum, it's the best form of fast role compression in the format. It's not uncommon to see people reach for it as early as wheel pick of round 1 (I said pick 7 but a certain Hacker held me at gunpoint), as it can pair well with almost anything on the board. It obviously is frail, and since it does end up switching around a lot, it can be chipped down by hazards, but by the time it's within range of common priority, it's usually forced enough progress for its teammates to clean up. It's one of the best Spikers in the tier, which is a big part of why its so synergistic with other top picks, and you shouldn't be worried about dropping coverage to fit Spikes, it will pay off in the long run. Please do remember that Water Shuriken is physical in ORAS.
Notable "missing" moves: Sludge Wave, Swords Dance
Kyurem-Black
He is very strong attacker. He go nukey nuke. Thanks to its monstrous offenses, Kyurem-Black can be a devastating wallbreaker, both on the physical side with Fusion Bolt and Outrage, and on the special side with Draco Misseor and Ice Beam. Kyurem-Black also has an unparalleled ability to trade with almost any attacker in the tier, due to great bulk. It does have many defensive weaknesses, such as a weakness to Stealth Rock, and weaknesses to common offensive types, but when paired with solid removal, and the use of resistance berries to lure said attackers, it can be incredibly threatening.
Notable "missing" moves: Dragon Dance, Freeze Dry, Icicle Spear, Scale Shot
Mega Charizard X
So what if, hypothetically, we gave DD to a Pokémon with strong STABs that ARE boosted by Tough Claws? Now, hypothetically of course, what if we also gave it a solid defensive typing, good bulk, and access to broken Will-O-Wisp? Well, we kinda did, and that's how you get Zard X. Since it's Game Freak's second child, it has an incredibly wide movepool, in not just its physical moves, but also special and status too. It is held back by its rather annoying quad weakness to Stealth Rock prior to Mega Evolution, and while that is neutered after, it does gain a weakness to Ground-type moves, which can make it somewhat easier to revenge kill. It's also prone to faster Pokémon being Scarfers, and is vulnerable to status, making it very reliant on teammates when compared to other Pokémon around this cost. That being said, it also has a significantly higher potential when supported well, and is far from a slouch.
Notable "missing" moves: Scale Shot
Mega Gallade
While originally slept on due to ORAS's awkward Mega Evolution mechanics, Mega Gallade has seen a surge in popularity over the past few years, fulfilling the same wallbreaker and cleaner role that its done in all future generations. It has one of the deepest movepools in the game, sporting access to a vast variety of coverage, strong support options including moves such as Encore, Taunt, and all 3 major status moves. It can be an incredibly threatening setup sweeper, with both its SD and BU sets. Its biggest drawbacks are that it can lack the immediate power that it needs, forcing it to swap out and give the opponent a free turn. It's also rather prone to Scarfers revenge killing it, and when combined with the awkward Mega Evolution mechanics, it can be somewhat hard to pilot well.
Notable "missing" moves: Agility, Triple Axel
Mega Medicham
Take Mega Gallade, remove its ability to hit Psychics, and make it significantly stronger and frailer. That's Mega Medicham. Thanks to one of the hardest hitting attacks in the game, Pure Power boosted High Jump Kick, Mega Medicham is an incredibly threatening wallbreaker. It has a diverse movepool, including 2 forms of priority in Bullet Punch and Fake Out, and is able to punish almost any switch in with super effective coverage, or a deadly unresisted High Jump Kick. Almost is very important though, as it finds itself struggling against the bulkier Psychics in the tier, which can safely pivot into it, dealing chip with Rocky Helmet, and pivot into frailer attackers that can comfortably revenge kill it. It's also susceptible to random Protects, as High Jump Kick will deal 50% recoil if it misses. Even with these flaws, it's still able to be incredibly threatening and shouldn't be slept upon.
Notable "missing" moves: Close Combat, Trailblaze
Weavile
Weavile is one of the fastest wallbreakers in the tier. With its 125 Speed, it's able to reliably hit most Pokémon incredibly strong STAB Knock Off and Icicle Crash. Pair these with Low Kick for the stray Steel-types, and Ice Shard for the faster threats, very little wants to be switching in to Weavile. It has a large variety in sets but all aim to walbreak and sweep, whether that be thanks to CB, LO or SD. Its pitfalls are similar to Greninja's, it's frail and easily revenge killed, but they're worsened by its weakness to Stealth Rock. However, even in spite of this, Weavile remains to be one of the most consistent wallbreakers, it just requires good support from its teammates to be able to switch in to attacks for it, and remove hazards so that it can freely enter the field more often.
Notable "missing" moves: Ice Spinner, Triple Axel
Zapdos
Did someone say Defog? Say hi to the first viable Defogger in the tier. Zapdos uses its strong defensive typing and good natural bulk to be able to safely Defog for teammates, while also spreading status thanks to both Thunder Wave and Discharge. It can be a great pivot to bring in other teammates, but its no slouch in its own right, hitting hard with the combination of Thunderbolt, Heat Wave, and Hidden Power. It's major drawback is that it is obviously weak to Stealth Rock itself, meaning that it is forced to Roost far more often than it would want to otherwise. This can provide the opponent with free turns to try gain control of the match. With this in mind though, a lot of teams can be structured so that they can punish these Pokémon, and allow Zapdos to remove hazards safely.
Notable "missing" moves: Hurricane, Weather Ball
Greninja Greninja is one of the most sought after Pokémon in the tier. Having a phenomenal speed tier, great coverage, solid utility options, and momentum, it's the best form of fast role compression in the format. It's not uncommon to see people reach for it as early as wheel pick of round 1 (I said pick 7 but a certain Hacker held me at gunpoint), as it can pair well with almost anything on the board. It obviously is frail, and since it does end up switching around a lot, it can be chipped down by hazards, but by the time it's within range of common priority, it's usually forced enough progress for its teammates to clean up. It's one of the best Spikers in the tier, which is a big part of why its so synergistic with other top picks, and you shouldn't be worried about dropping coverage to fit Spikes, it will pay off in the long run. Please do remember that Water Shuriken is physical in ORAS.
Notable "missing" moves: Sludge Wave, Swords Dance
Kyurem-Black He is very strong attacker. He go nukey nuke. Thanks to its monstrous offenses, Kyurem-Black can be a devastating wallbreaker, both on the physical side with Fusion Bolt and Outrage, and on the special side with Draco Misseor and Ice Beam. Kyurem-Black also has an unparalleled ability to trade with almost any attacker in the tier, due to great bulk. It does have many defensive weaknesses, such as a weakness to Stealth Rock, and weaknesses to common offensive types, but when paired with solid removal, and the use of resistance berries to lure said attackers, it can be incredibly threatening.
Notable "missing" moves: Dragon Dance, Freeze Dry, Icicle Spear, Scale Shot
Mega Charizard X So what if, hypothetically, we gave DD to a Pokémon with strong STABs that ARE boosted by Tough Claws? Now, hypothetically of course, what if we also gave it a solid defensive typing, good bulk, and access to broken Will-O-Wisp? Well, we kinda did, and that's how you get Zard X. Since it's Game Freak's second child, it has an incredibly wide movepool, in not just its physical moves, but also special and status too. It is held back by its rather annoying quad weakness to Stealth Rock prior to Mega Evolution, and while that is neutered after, it does gain a weakness to Ground-type moves, which can make it somewhat easier to revenge kill. It's also prone to faster Pokémon being Scarfers, and is vulnerable to status, making it very reliant on teammates when compared to other Pokémon around this cost. That being said, it also has a significantly higher potential when supported well, and is far from a slouch.
Notable "missing" moves: Scale Shot
Mega Gallade While originally slept on due to ORAS's awkward Mega Evolution mechanics, Mega Gallade has seen a surge in popularity over the past few years, fulfilling the same wallbreaker and cleaner role that its done in all future generations. It has one of the deepest movepools in the game, sporting access to a vast variety of coverage, strong support options including moves such as Encore, Taunt, and all 3 major status moves. It can be an incredibly threatening setup sweeper, with both its SD and BU sets. Its biggest drawbacks are that it can lack the immediate power that it needs, forcing it to swap out and give the opponent a free turn. It's also rather prone to Scarfers revenge killing it, and when combined with the awkward Mega Evolution mechanics, it can be somewhat hard to pilot well.
Notable "missing" moves: Agility, Triple Axel
Mega Medicham Take Mega Gallade, remove its ability to hit Psychics, and make it significantly stronger and frailer. That's Mega Medicham. Thanks to one of the hardest hitting attacks in the game, Pure Power boosted High Jump Kick, Mega Medicham is an incredibly threatening wallbreaker. It has a diverse movepool, including 2 forms of priority in Bullet Punch and Fake Out, and is able to punish almost any switch in with super effective coverage, or a deadly unresisted High Jump Kick. Almost is very important though, as it finds itself struggling against the bulkier Psychics in the tier, which can safely pivot into it, dealing chip with Rocky Helmet, and pivot into frailer attackers that can comfortably revenge kill it. It's also susceptible to random Protects, as High Jump Kick will deal 50% recoil if it misses. Even with these flaws, it's still able to be incredibly threatening and shouldn't be slept upon.
Notable "missing" moves: Close Combat, Trailblaze
Weavile Weavile is one of the fastest wallbreakers in the tier. With its 125 Speed, it's able to reliably hit most Pokémon incredibly strong STAB Knock Off and Icicle Crash. Pair these with Low Kick for the stray Steel-types, and Ice Shard for the faster threats, very little wants to be switching in to Weavile. It has a large variety in sets but all aim to walbreak and sweep, whether that be thanks to CB, LO or SD. Its pitfalls are similar to Greninja's, it's frail and easily revenge killed, but they're worsened by its weakness to Stealth Rock. However, even in spite of this, Weavile remains to be one of the most consistent wallbreakers, it just requires good support from its teammates to be able to switch in to attacks for it, and remove hazards so that it can freely enter the field more often.
Notable "missing" moves: Ice Spinner, Triple Axel
Zapdos Did someone say Defog? Say hi to the first viable Defogger in the tier. Zapdos uses its strong defensive typing and good natural bulk to be able to safely Defog for teammates, while also spreading status thanks to both Thunder Wave and Discharge. It can be a great pivot to bring in other teammates, but its no slouch in its own right, hitting hard with the combination of Thunderbolt, Heat Wave, and Hidden Power. It's major drawback is that it is obviously weak to Stealth Rock itself, meaning that it is forced to Roost far more often than it would want to otherwise. This can provide the opponent with free turns to try gain control of the match. With this in mind though, a lot of teams can be structured so that they can punish these Pokémon, and allow Zapdos to remove hazards safely.
Notable "missing" moves: Hurricane, Weather Ball
Future Nyx here. Initially I'd planned to write a lot more, going down to every 13 point Pokémon, as well as highlighting key cheaper picks such as Roselia and Granbull which are amazing value. Sadly I've become plagued with schoolwork so I won't be able to finish this prior to the start of ORAS II so I figured I'd post it in its current form in the hope that it helps a couple of y'all. Big thanks to Hacker, TPP, and abriel for their help with writing this, they all contributed a bunch of ideas/meta knowledge/mechanic differences that are relevant to ORAS.
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