Resource Don't Use That, Use This (V2)

[Magnemite]

Don't Use That, Use This
Original thread in BW RU by DittoCrow
OP stolen from no one because I'm not lazy like everyone
else who makes these forum projects n_n
Logo by anundeadboy
​

The RU ladder is a strange, strange place. It is filled to the brim with players using bad, outclassed, or flat-out unviable sets or Pokemon such as Assault Vest Whimsicott, Hitmonchan, and Cosmic Power Sigilyph. This thread aims to remedy this disturbing trend by showiing newer players which Pokemon and sets are bad, why they are bad, and which Pokemon or sets can perform a similar role to a much better effect.

Here is an example of how you should format your responses:

Don't use that:

Hitmonchan @ Assault Vest
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Drain Punch
- Ice Punch
- Mach Punch
- Rapid Spin

Why it's bad:

To put it bluntly, Hitmonchan is one of the worst choices for an RU team. It is hopelessly outclassed by every other Fighting-type in the RU tier thanks to its lack of Knock Off, horrifically low power for a Fighting-type, inability to scratch the most common Pokemon in the entire tier, Doublade (this also makes the fact that it gets Rapid Spin completely moot, as it is hard countered by the best and most common spinblocker in the tier), and absolute lack of any niche whatsoever over its Fighting-type bretheren. However, there are (many) better options available.

Instead, use this:

Gurdurr @ Eviolite
Ability: Guts
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Drain Punch
- Bulk Up / Ice Punch
- Knock Off
- Mach Punch

Why it's better:
Luckily, there exists a Pokemon that is not only both much stronger and bulkier than Hitmonchan, but has access to the coveted Knock Off to let it easily beat Doublade (and ghosts in general, all of them laugh at Hitmonchan). Gurdurr is a terrific Pokemon in RU that entirely outclasses Hitmonchan in every way besides access to Rapid Spin (however as previously stated, Hitmonchan is an awful spinner, use Hitmontop if you want a bulky spinner or Hitmonlee if you want an offensive one). With Bulk Up, Gurdurr also has the ability to become a fearsome bulky setup sweeper. Finally, Gurdurr's fantastic ability in Guts lets it not only be a great status absorber but also lets it set up on Pokemon that laugh at Hitmonchan, such as Alomomola and Jellicent.

RULES:

-Make sure the set / Pokemon that you're talking about is actually decently common; anyone with a brain can tell that Shedinja isn't a viable choice in RU, but Pokemon that actually get usage such as Claydol are the type of thing that this thread is meant to inform about.

-Please don't just bash certain Pokemon, the point is of this thread is to inform players why the set / move / Pokemon they're using is bad, something which is undermined if all you do is hate on it without explaining to them why they shouldn't use it.

ru ladder irl

 

[Magnemite]

Archive

Doing this because Ambipom has been in the top 5 in raw usage for a while now despite being absolute gutter trash that is even worse than usual in a metagame that's as horribly unkind to it as this one. There have already been posts about it, but they were just looking at Ambipom sets that were even worse than the standard one (lol).

Don't Use This:

Ambipom @ Life Orb
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- Return
- U-Turn
- Knock Off

Why It's Garbage:
I really don't get the appeal of Ambipom, especially in this metagame. While at first glance STAB Fake Out seems like it makes Ambipom a good choice because muh free damage, it actually just gives a free switch to two of the most common and best Pokemon in the entire tier, Doublade and Rhyperior, both of which take essentially nothing from Fake Out and take pathetic damage from Ambipom's other moves, even a super effective Knock Off in Doublade's case. It is also walled by basically any physical or mixed wall such as the common Registeel and Alomomola. As if this weren't bad enough, Ambipom's laughable bulk means that it struggles to take any form of priority, something which is quite common in RU, and is easily taken care of by basically anything that can take a hit from it. On top of this, Ambipom's bland typing and lack of any sort of bulk means that it offers absolutely nothing in terms of synergy as it cannot switch in on anything with any sort of offensive presence.

Instead, Use This:

Cincinno @ Life Orb
Ability: Skill Link
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Tail Slap
- Rock Blast
- Bullet Seed
- Knock Off / U-Turn

Why It's Better:

While Cinccino still suffers from some of the same issues that Ambipom does, it is a much better choice for a few reasons. In addition to being able to hit harder in general thanks to its high base power moves, Cinccino has access to a strong Bullet Seed to prevent Rhyperior from walling it. Its access to Rock Blast also lets it OHKO important Pokemon such as Moltres and Tinted Lens Yanmega, something which Ambipom falls short of doing. Additionally, Cinccino is adorable, while Ambipom is sadly far from it.

Even if Cinccino isn't your cup of tea, there are still many better choices for an offensive Normal-type than Ambipom, such as Braviary, Zangoose, Tauros, and Exploud.

Also if you're wondering how I order the sets in the OP, I try put entries that talk about more common Pokemon / sets closer to the top, so if your entry is closer to the bottom than more recent ones that's why

Covering this because it needs to be covered, oml:

DON'T USE THIS:

Doublade) (M) @ Eviolite
Ability: No Guard
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Iron Head
- Sacred Sword
- Shadow Sneak

Why it's terribad:

Sacred Sword hits two things; Registeel and Cobalion. Guess what you can do to those two things? Set up to +4 or +6. Basically, Sacred Sword is that move everybody seems to think is good on Doublade, but in practice, it really sucks. Iron Head hits Rhyperior harder and Sacred Sword is maybe only ever really useful against Lickilicky, but Iron Head does a ton to that anyway.

INSTEAD, USE THIS:

Doublade (M) @ Eviolite
Ability: No Guard
EVs: 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Iron Head
- Shadow Claw
- Shadow Sneak

Why it's ubergood:

Shadow Claw is so much better on Doublade. With the strong Ghost-type STAB, Doublade now fully stops the likes of Cresselia, Reuniclus, and Slowking before they get a chance to do anything back. Also, thanks to the Steel nerf, Doublade is able to hit Cobalion and Registeel for more than enough damage after a boost or two and it only really fears a possible HP Ghost from the super rare (but pro af) CM Cobalion. Oh, and Speed EVs are necessary so Rhyperior can't take a complete dump on you with its powerful Earthquakes, though you may want to add a few more if you're wanting to creep past other Doublades to beat them 1v1.

Don't use that:

Hitmonchan @ Assault Vest
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Drain Punch
- Ice Punch
- Mach Punch
- Rapid Spin

Why it's bad:

To put it bluntly, Hitmonchan is one of the worst choices for an RU team. Every single set or role Hitmonchan can fill is done much better by another Fighting-type. Hitmonchan finds itself completely unable to get past any of RU's spinblockers, particularly the ever-common Doublade, Banette, Cofagrigus, and Jellicent. This is mainly due to its low power and lack of a strong Ghost- or Dark-type move. Outside of Rapid Spinning, Hitmonchan isn't quite is bad, however it is still hopelessly outclassed by several other Pokemon.

Instead, use this:

Hitmonlee @ Life Orb
Ability: Reckless
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- High Jump Kick
- Knock Off
- Mach Punch
- Rapid Spin

Why it's better:

With Knock Off, Hitmonlee is able to get past all of the Pokemon that laugh in the face of Hitmonchan and then proceed to Rapid Spin the hazards from its side of the field. Additionally, unlike the weak Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee is a deadly powerhouse thanks to its incredibly powerful Reckless-boosted STAB 130 base power High Jump Kick, which allows it to tear through anything that does not resist it. Despite the fact that Hitmonchan has wider coverage, it is to weak to make effective use of it. Hitmonlee, on the other hand, has better coverage overall thanks to Knock Off.

Even outside of Hitmonlee, many Pokemon hopelessly outclass Hitmonchan. Hitmontop is a much better bulky Rapid Spinner thanks to greater bulk and power, Intimidate, and the ability to Rapid Spin against Ghost-types thanks to Foresight. Finally, if one is looking for a bulky Fighting-type that does not have Rapid Spin, Gurdurr is much better than Hitmonchan in every way as it is stronger and bulkier than Hitmonchan and has access to the ever-important Knock Off as well as every move Hitmonchan commonly runs. For these reasons, there is absolutely no reason to ever use Hitmonchan in the RU tier.

Don't use this:

Meloetta @ Life Orb / Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
- Charge Beam
- Psychic
- Hyper Voice
- Focus Blast / Thunderbolt / Shadow Ball

Why it's terrible:

Every time i start a new alt i see sets like this a lot. I can see that Charge Beam has the appealing 100% Special Attack boost but, like Power Up Punch it is outclassed by a boosting move if your name is not Mega Kangaskhan. Not to mention that it can miss.

Use this instead:

Meloetta @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 188 Def / 24 SpA / 44 Spe
Modest Nature
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
- Hyper Voice
- Shadow Ball

-OR-

Meloetta @ Life Orb
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid / Modest Nature
- Calm Mind
- Hyper Voice
- Psychic / Focus Blast
- Shadow Ball / Focus Blast

Why it's better:

Meloetta is a terrifying weapon against defensive teams if she uses Calm Mind who also boosts her fantastic Special Defense to terrifiying level to gain free Substitutes and to be harder to revenge kill. The first set has advantages in matchups against balance and Stall as it can avoid status and the second is more useful overall against offensive teams.

Don't Use This:

Clawitzer @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Mega Launcher
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Water Pulse
- Dark Pulse
- Ice Beam / Aura Sphere
- U-turn

Why It's Bad:

19:24Molk!usage clawitzer items
19:24TIBotChoice Specs 44.387% | Life Orb 17.883% | Assault Vest 17.162% | Expert Belt 9.895% | Choice Scarf 5.898% | Other 4.775%

It's just too slow to make good use of the item really. Base 59 Speed x1.5 Modest doesn't even get you past positive natured base 100s when it comes to Speed, leaving you below all kinds of relevant offensive threats such as Delphox, Cobalion, Virizion, and Zoroark. Even with a Timid Nature (if you're dead set on using Choice Scarf Clawitzer, at the very least run this nature instead of Modest), you still only get to just below base 115s such as Cinccino, which isn't really *terrible*, but there are most certainly better options for a revenge killer out there, especially when you could be using Clawitzer for...

Instead, Use This:

Clawitzer @ Choice Specs
Ability: Mega Launcher
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Scald / Water Pulse
- Dark Pulse
- Ice Beam / Aura Sphere
- U-turn / Ice Beam

Why It's Better:

The best way to use Clawitzer imo is as a wallbreaker that break break through the majority of RU's common defensive Pokemon and pave the way for something else to clean up. Coming equipped with a massive base 120 Special Attack stat, and effectively 3 spammable STAB moves thanks to its Mega Launcher ability (it basically gives a STAB boost to Dark Pulse and Aura Sphere lol), Choice Specs Clawitzer has no problem just blowing through common defensive Pokemon and cores. Not even Aromatisse, a very very solid specially bulky sponge is safe: if it takes ANY kind of prior damage, it gets cleanly 2HKO'd by Water Pulse, not to mention the risk of being burned by Scald. As an extra, U-turn along with Clawitzer's ability to force switches makes it quite good at gaining momentum for its teammates even if the opponent does have one of the few things that can easily wall it. So all in all, how would you rather use Clawitzer? As a mediocre revenge killer that's still a tad slow even with maximum Speed investment and a boosting nature? Or as a devastating wallbreaker with access to U-turn to boot?

Okay.

Don't Use This:

Typhlosion @ Choice Specs
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Eruption
- Focus Blast
- Hidden Power Rock / Hidden Power Grass
- Fire Blast

Why it's bad:

Well plenty of things. Firstly, Typhlosion is simply inferior to the plethora of other Fire-types in RU, such as Delphox and Moltres. Delphox and Moltres both provide far more utility than Typhlosion and are faster (Delphox) or stronger (Moltres, Delphox too). The other problems lie in Typhlosion itself. While Eruption is an incredibly powerful move, Typhlosion needs to be at full health to be able to spam it effectively. The only time this will realistically be the case is on Turn 1, because Stealth Rock is almost always up in every match, sometimes Spikes. Typhlosion is terribly weak to hazards, as its Rock weakness means it will be losing 1/4 of its health every turn in the best case scenario. This means that it can rarely effectively spam Eruption at full power, and it will get weaker each turn. You could give Defog or Rapid Spin support, but you will not always be able to apply that to the battle. Typhlosion can also be revenge killed by faster Pokemon, and even a missed KO will mean a lot, because Eruption will be weakened substantially. This is especially the case with priority such as Sucker Punch or Fletchinder's Acrobatics. Typhlosion's coverage is also not that good. While it hits Rhyperior hard with Focus Blast, it isn't going to reliably bypass things like Slowking, DRUDDIGON, and other Dragon- and Water-types. Basically, Typhlosion can be quite easy to defeat.

Instead, Use This:

Delphox @ Choice Specs
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Psyshock
- Grass Knot
- Switcheroo

Why it's better:

Delphox is simply far more useful than Typhlosion in this metagame. It has more power behind its Fire Blast, and that is also more consistent than Eruption. Delphox also has more base Special Attack and Speed than Typh, albeit not by a huge amount. Delphox also has somewhat better coverage than Typhlosion, since Psyshock can cleanly 2HKO Druddigon for one thing, and it also allows Delphox to hit some other Pokemon who resist Fire Blast, such as Dragalge, Clawitzer, and Gastrodon, rather reliably. Grass Knot is also cool since it hits Rhyperior and Slowking more reliably than Typhlosion ever could. One of the real big draws to Specs Delphox is Switcheroo, which allows it to cripple walls like Alomomola and Aromatisse, which can be super clutch to allow them to be much easier to take down by your teammates. In addition, even though Delphox is an amazing nuke with this set, it can also run a Life Orb+Calm Mind set which also wrecks souls and has more freedom of moves, and a Scarf set is viable as well to make Delphox a good revenge killer, unlike Typhlosion who is basically stuck with a Specs set.

And why is the Delphox sprite shiny lol.

I know this has been posted before but I'll do it again because 3 out of 5 delphoxes I see in the ladder use it.

DON'T USE THIS:

Delphox @ Power Herb
Ability: Magician
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Fire Blast
- Psychic / Psyshock
- Shadow Ball
- Solar Beam

Why it's ohgodsofuckingterrible:
short answer: DON'T USE MAGICIAN ITS TERRIBLE

slightly longer answer: Power Herb magician completely cancels out what Delphox does best: wallbreaking. Without Choice Specs or Calm Mind + Life Orb, Delphox loses out on a lot of power and for what? for slightly hurting Slowking a bit more than Grass Knot and taking away their item. That might sound appealing, but it's not worth it for a number of reasons. For one, Solar Beam is only a 1 turn move for just 1 turn, and then it becomes a move that requires a charging turn like Fly, Dig, etc. which will cripple Delphox a lot since it can no longer like, use Grass Knot to kill Rhyperior. For another, Slowking can simply switch out and you would 1: use Solar Beam on the other Pokemon that switched in and then no longer can use it on Slowking and 2: have yourself a pretty weak Delphox without Grass coverage, which is honestly a big reason that makes Delphox so good.

Instead, use this:

Delphox @ Life Orb
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Fire Blast
- Psychic / Psyshock
- Grass Knot
- Calm Mind

OR this:

Delphox @ Choice Specs / Choice Scarf
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Fire Blast
- Psychic / Psyshock
- Grass Knot
- Switcheroo

Why they're better:

These two sets (CM and Specs) focus on wallbreaking which, as I said before, is what Delphox does best. With Calm Mind, Life Orb, and Grass Knot, Delphox can actually do a lot more to Slowking than it could with Solar Beam:

+1 252 SpA Life Orb Delphox Grass Knot (80 BP) vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Assault Vest Slowking: 190-226 (48.2 - 57.3%) -- 91.8% chance to 2HKO
252 SpA Delphox Solar Beam vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Assault Vest Slowking: 146-174 (37 - 44.1%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

Even though you shouldn't really set up unless Slowking is at like 48% HP or less but thats very unlikely thanks to Regenerator and everything. Additionally, Grass Knot allows you to freely damage all the Pokemon weak to Grass like Seismitoad, Slowking, Rhyperior, and Gastrodon, without having to depend on grass coverage that's only really usable for 1 turn only. If you really want to cripple Slowking that much then you can use Switcheroo to give it a Specs or Scarf on the switch which will cripple it for the rest of the match.

raiding this thread with another AV user i see that i just dont understand at all...

Don't Use This:

Amoonguss @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
Modest Nature
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Foul Play

Why It's Bad:

Admittedly AV Amoonguss doesn't look that bad on paper, it has one of the best abilities for an AV mon in the form of Regenerator and some pretty important special resistances to things such as Water- and Electric-type moves, but there's one very important reason why AV Amoonguss is subpar, and that's Assault Vest's Drawback. By running Assault Vest, Amoonguss forfeits Spore, which is by far the most threatening move in Amoonguss's arsenal and one of the main reason's you'd use Amoonguss in the first place. I really really don't understand why you'd forfeit a move that important for a Special Defense buff, it's just not worth it imo. Especially when Amoonguss doesn't exactly have the biggest offensive presence to get away with using 4 attacking moves...

Instead, Use This:

Amoonguss @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Spore
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Foul Play

Why It's Better:

Without the burden of Assault Vest Amoonguss can run what's by far its most important move in the form of Spore with no issue at all, and with the extra Special Defense investment Amoonguss ends up being around as bulky on the special side as its Assault Vest counterpart regardless, especially when taking into account Leftovers recovery. This Amoonguss varient might not hit nearly as hard as the Assault Vest counterpart, but being completely honest here: Amoonguss is not a tank, and is not meant to be used that way. Even Assault Vest max Special Attack Amoonguss's power is disappointing, so you're really not gaining much by slapping an Assault Vest onto it and investing there, especially when, as mentioned before you're losing access to whats by far Amoonguss's most important move. Amoonguss is a defensive pivot that supports its team with the threat of Spore and its ability to repeatedly switch into all manner of attacks, it's not meant to be hitting things. The given EV spread is specially defensive, but it can be customized depending on what hits you need Amoonguss to take. For example, if you need a better Hitmonlee check a more physically defensive Amoonguss will serve you better.

Okay, I'm going to post something that makes me IRRATIONALLY UPSET.

DON'T USE THIS:

Alomomola @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 Def / 252 HP / 4 Atk
Impish Nature
- Knock Off
- Wish
- Protect
- Toxic

OML, PLEASE, DON'T USE THIS SET. I know, I know, the Knock Off buff gave you boner burning with the passion of 1000 raging suns, but Alomomola did not benefit in any way from the buff, as a non-STAB attack of an univested 75 base attack STAT is not actually going to do that much, even to Super Effective targets. While its true that Knock Off does have a lot of Utility, it had the same Utility last Generation, and it was still never used. Unless your Alomomola is on full stall (and even then) there will likely be another user of Knock Off on your team, that wants to hit their target with 97.5 BP, instead of 65 BP. This set also loses to Cobalion, and like every Steel type in the tier. Another major flaw with this Alomomola, is the spread, contrary to what PS! suggests, Alomomola really likes some investment in SpD, as moving some EVs from HP to SpD reduces Specially based damage by almost 20% in some cases while only having like a 2% decrease in physical bulk. And even without max HP, its wishes will still replenish well over half of a teammates health.

DO USE:

Alomomola @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 120 HP / 252 Def / 136 SDef
Bold Nature
- Wish
- Protect
- Scald
- Toxic

This set is better, partially for the reasons listed above (way more SpD bulk, only slightly less Phy bulk). But Scald has way more utility than knock off, as you can spam Scald all day, and fish for burns, then protect and pivot to wear them down even more. Also Scald lets you beat non-sub Cobalion, and like 9000 more things.

Another AV user that kinda makes me just facepalm every time I see it just due to how outclassed it is:

DO NOT USE:

Clawitzer @ Assault Vest
Ability: Mega Launcher
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Nature: Modest
- Water Pulse
- Ice Beam
- Dark Pulse
- U-turn

Why it sucks:

Clawitzer seems like a perfect Pokemon to use an Assault Vest. With that high Special Attack, Mega Launcher providing some extra power, and even access to U-turn to be a pivot, Clawitzer seems perfect.... except for the fact that Slowking exists and Clawitzer should be breaking down walls. Slwoking completely outclasses Clawitzer as an Assault Vest user as it has Regenerator, better overall bulk, and a phazing move to prevent setup. U-turn also kills the coverage that makes Clawitzer so hard to switch into in the first place, as the lack of Aura Sphere or a power boost to its STAB move gives Registeel ample opportunity to wall it for days while Aromatisse isn't threatened nearly as much by the power level of this set. You shouldn't use Clawitzer to tank hits. You should use it to dish out pain.

USE THIS INSTEAD:

Clawitzer @ Life Orb
Ability: Mega Launcher
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Nature: Modest / Timid
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Dark Pulse
- Aura Sphere

Why it works well:

With a Life Orb equipped and full coverage, Clawitzer suddenly becomes one of the hardest wallbreakers to switch into in the entire tier. USE SCALD OVER WATER PULSE. My god, the 10 extra BP does nothing and the potential chance to burn shit like Virizion, Slowking, and Aromatisse is super cool for the extra GUARANTEED passive damage. Ice Beam smacks Grasses and the god known as Druddigon, and Dark Pulse tears a new one against bulky Ghosts and Psychics. Aura Sphere is 100000% better than U-turn as it seriously dents Registeel, allowing Clawitzer to be one of the few Pokemon that single-handedly destroys the Slowking + Registeel backbone used on quite a few balanced and bulky offense teams. With maximum Speed, Clawitzer gets ahead of most walls in the tier, including Gligar, Cresselia, and Golbat. Modest gives more power while Timid can be used if you give Clawitzer Sticky Web support. You could use Choice Specs as well, but why give up on the ability to utilize this amazing coverage? Oh, and DON'T USE DRAGON PULSE. Ice Beam is so much better.

Don't use that:

Reuniclus @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
- Psychic / Psyshock
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
- Hidden Power Fire

Why it's bad:
While Reuniclus's good bulk, power, and access to Regenerator may seem to make it a good Assault Vest user, this is not the case. Reuniclus is a Pokemon that relies on its status moves to be useful. With Assault Vest, it cannot heal itself with Recover, be a huge threat to offensive teams with Trick Room, or obliterate stall with Calm Mind. Additionally, this set gives up Magic Guard, another one of the best traits of Reuniclus. If you want to use an AV Psychic-type in RU, Meloetta and Slowking are much better choices.

Instead, use this:

Reuniclus @ Leftovers / Life Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Psychic / Psyshock
- Focus Blast
- Recover

Why it's better:
With Calm Mind, Reuniclus can act as a terrifying sweeper that is a nightmare for defensive teams to deal with. Unlike the AV set, this set utilizes all of Reuniclus's fantastic traits effectively: amazing ability, great bulk, reliable recovery, and access to setup moves. With Magic Guard, Reuniclus is impossible to wear down, especially for defensive teams, while offensive teams have trouble switching into its powerful attacks and can often have trouble breaking through it as well.

okay i guess I'll go first

Don't use this:

Hitmonlee (M) @ Normal Gem
Ability: Unburden
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 HP
Adamant Nature
- Close Combat
- Knock Off
- Mach Punch
- Fake Out

Why it's bad:

Fake out hitmonlee is bad because though reliable it will be much weaker without any boosting item and is just overall inferior to the unburen sweeping set below. Since lee needs to boost 1st turn its in with this set it cant set up its sweep if any opposing ghosts are on the opponents team. Also it has to rely on its weakest stab option if it wants a consistent attack whereas endure can utilize a frighteningly powerful reversal with no drawbacks. Also you will find your mach punches will be a tad too weak to do the job they need to do without +1 attack. I mean this isn't awful but we all can do better.

Instead, use this:

Hitmonlee (M) @ Liechi Berry
Ability: Unburden
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk
Adamant Nature
- Reversal
- Knock Off
- Mach Punch
- Endure

Why it's better:

Endure leichi gives hitmonlee a way to boost its attack and a ridiculously strong STAB move to abuse once it reaches 1 HP. +1 reversal reaches jaw dropping power on its own and also this set gives hitmonlee a much more powerful mach punch due to +1 attack. Overall this set packs more power and is highly superior to the set listed above

Archive

Don't use this:

Golbat @ Eviolite
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Impish Nature
- Confuse Ray
- Roost
- Taunt
- Brave Bird

Why it's terribad:

I've been seeing this set a lot on the ladder and I have one word to respond: WHY? Using Confuse Ray removes Golbat's niche in RU which is Defog and Infiltrator Toxic. It might sound appealing to use Confuse Ray to hax opponents since Golbat has respectable bulk and roost, but no. Confuse Ray is taking a moveslot thats very crucial since Golbat suffers from severe 4 moveslot syndrome. Toxic, Defog, and hell even Super Fang are much better moves to use in that slot.

Instead, use this:

Golbat @ Eviolite
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Impish Nature
- Defog
- Roost
- Toxic
- Brave Bird

Why its better:
This set takes complete advantage of Golbat's potential with its bulk, ability [infiltrator], typing, and supportive movepool. It's got Toxic which goes well with Infiltrator to punish Sub users such as SubBU Braviary and SubCM Cresselia, and uses Defog, which is Golbat's biggest niche in the RU metagame.

Don't Use This Ever:

Jellicent @ Assault Vest
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
Modest Nature
- Scald
- Shadow Ball
- Giga Drain
- Ice Beam

22:16Molk!usage jellicent items
22:16TIBotLeftovers 93.142% | Assault Vest 1.861% | Other 4.997%

Why It's Bad:

Despite its Special Bulk, Jellicent isn't a good user of Assault Vest for two reasons. Firstly, by holding an Assault Vest, Jellicent loses out on two very very important moves in its arsenal: Will-O-Wisp, Taunt, and Recover. No Jellicent should be caught dead not using these moves honestly, as these are what let it seperate itself from the competition and effectively perform its job as a bulky Water-type, respectively. Secondly, there's pretty much absolutely no reason to use Assault Vest Jellicent over Assault Vest Slowking, who has a similar stat spread and typing, but hits harder, has arguably better coverage options, and one of the best possible abilities for an Assault Vest user in the form of Regenerator, which lets it sport the item so much better than Jellicent can (before anyone mentions checking Yanmega better, Jellicent still isn't too well off vs it since Speed Boost varients often run Giga Drain or Shadow Ball, and Tinted Lens varients ignore its Bug-type resistance anyway, combine this with having pretty much no recovery outside of an unstabbed Giga Drain and Jellicent is getting worn down into KO range fast). Why would you run Assault Vest Jellicent when you can use that o_O.

Instead, Use This:

Jellicent @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 212 SpD / 44 Spe
Calm Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Taunt
- Scald
- Recover

Why It's Better:

Instead of running Jellicent as a mediocre and outclassed Assault Vest user, Jellicent works best as a bulky Water-type. Even in this case Jellicent recieves some major competition from Slowking, however its access to Will-O-Wisp and Taunt helps it seperate itself enough in this case to make it a viable option. Although Scald on its own has a decent burn rate, having a more consistent method of burning things is very nice for Jellicent, considering it lets it shore up its poor physical bulk without relying on the RNG, and lets it cripple all manner of Knock Off users and general physical attackers that'll be trying to get in on the thing. Meanwhile, Taunt lets Jellicent stop slower Pokemon from using any kind of support move against it, letting it become an annoyance to some defensive Pokemon/cores. (the given evs here let it outpace 0 Speed Alomomola, ensuring Jellicent can stop it cold 1v1 and eventually stall it out, you can go a bit faster if you want but it starts cutting into your bulk a bit). Overall this is pretty much the best way to use Jellicent in the current metagame: it ensures it pulls its weight, makes the most out of its stat spread, and helps it seperate itself from its competition as a bulky Water-type the best it possibly can.

Don't use that:

Slurpuff @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Unburden
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Play Rough
- Return
- Belly Drum
- Thief
Why it's bad:

I have seen Thief too many times on the ladder and honestly i don't get why it has 14% usage on Surpuff. If you didn't already know THIEF REMOVES THE UNBURDEN BOOST completely crippling Slurpuff and making it prone to anything faster, which is a lot of stuff

Instead, Use This:

Slurpuff @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Unburden
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Play Rough
- Return
- Belly Drum
- Substitute

Why it's better:

While not providing additional coverage Substitute is actually situationally useful because it lets Slurpuff set up on Alomomola without the fear of a burn or Toxic (as 4 SpA Alomomola Scald vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Slurpuff: 55-66 (17.9 - 21.5%) -- possible 5HKO) giving Slurpuff a shield against priority that is certainly more useful than damaging Doublade while it kills you or killing a weakened one while removing your precious Speed boost. Hell, even Aromatherapy, Flamethrower, and Yawn are better options!

Posting because I 100% agree with Cherub Agent's post above, and that I've actually used Claydol extensively for a while and I can say there is definitely a better set than the one I see all of the time.
Don't use that:

Claydol @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Earthquake
- Toxic / Stealth Rock
- Protect / Ice Beam

Why it's bad:

This commonly seen Claydol set and its variations depends upon three popular misconceptions. The first is that Earthquake should be Claydol's STAB because it has the highest base power of all of Claydol's Ground-type moves. However, this is wrong, because Earthquake's #1 target, Doublade, has a FAR higher defense stat than special defense, so Earth Power is a much better move. A 10 base power drop is a great price for a much harder hit on Doublade (it does more than twice the damage than Earthquake). The second misconception is that because Claydol has a higher Special Defense stat, it should run a specially defensive set. This is, once again, wrong. With a specially defensive set, Claydol becomes far more vulnerable to Doublade, falling to an unboosted Shadow Claw + Shadow Sneak and preventing it from beating Doublade should it mispredict its switch-in. The last misconception is that Ice Beam is a good move on Claydol. Yes, it has great neutral coverage with Earthquake, but Claydol's not meant to be an attacker, and its pitiful attacking stats mean it's not doing serious damage anytime soon (it barely 2HKOs Gligar).

Instead, use this:

Claydol @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 248 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Earth Power
- Toxic
- Protect

Why it's better:

This Claydol set is exponentially better than the previous one, although the differences may seem minor. A spread of 252 HP / 248 Def / 8 SpD ensures that Claydol will never be OHKO'd by Life Orb Moltres, Choice Specs Exploud, Life Orb Sharpedo, Life Orb Zoroark, Adamant Zangoose, Mega Banette, Shiftry, and many other powerful attackers, making it very hard to deter Claydol even with heavy offensive pressure, as only Yanmega and Clawitzer can both outspeed and OHKO Claydol. As mentioned before, Earth Power is now the STAB of choice, as it destroys any spinblocking Doublade, and thanks to the better EV spread, is barely even hurt by Shadow Sneak and takes a Shadow Claw easily. Meanwhile, Toxic + Protect really screws with all of Jellicent, Banette, and Mismagius, as the former can no longer wall things, and the latter two can no longer rely on Destiny Bond. Ice Beam is also gone from this set, as Claydol's pitiful attacking stats means it's usually far better off running Toxic.

Gonna post here cause why not, ppl really need to know that some mons/sets they spam really aren't all they're cracked up to be =/.

Don't Use This:

Hitmontop (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Fake Out
- Close Combat
- Rapid Spin
- Stone Edge

Why It's Bad:

The fact that this is being used at all amazes me: Hitmontop is a very, very poor user of Assault Vest for multiple reasons. Firstly and most importantly, the main reason any battler would be using Hitmontop in the first place is to do one thing: Rapid Spin. However, without being able to use Foresight, this Hitmontop set has absolutely no way around the various spinblockers in the tier, and can't accomplish its main role at all as long as a Ghost-type is alive, most notably it's completely walled by whats by far the most common Ghost-type in the tier: Doublade, which just laughs at it and uses it as set up bait. If you need an offensive Rapid Spin user, just use Hitmonlee or Kabutops, they provide much more of an offensive presence than Hitmontop ever could and can actually hurt spinblockers, even Doublade gets annoyed by Knock Off in the case of the former. On top of this, the main STAB move that people are using on this Hitmontop set is Close Combat, which because of its defense lowering side effects is completely and utterly counterproductive with Assault Vest in the first place. All in all, i would never, ever use Assault Vest Hitmontop on any form of team.

Instead, Use This:

Hitmontop (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
- Foresight
- Close Combat / High Jump Kick
- Rapid Spin
- Toxic / Stone Edge

Why It's Better:

This Hitmontop set is by far the best way to use it in the current metagame imo. Considering there are two significantly better options for Rapid Spinning on offensively leaning teams, Hitmontop's real niche shines as a defensive Rapid Spinner to be used on stall and balance teams, using its Intimidate bolstered bulk, resistances, and good matchup vs Stealth Rock setters such as Rhyperior to keep entry hazards off the field before they pile up too much. Unlike the former Assault Vest set, this Hitmontop can use both Foresight and Toxic to bypass annoying Ghost-types that might try to block its Rapid Spin, preventing them from blocking it with the former and wittling them down over the course of the game with the latter. Also, i added in a slash of High Jump Kick onto this set, High Jump Kick might do damage upon missing, but its both more powerful than Close Combat and doesn't drop both of its defensive stats after attacking, which lets Hitmontop preserve its bulk while being able to damage opponents if it needs to, which imo works much better with the role Hitmontop should be used in.

TL;DR: Hitmontop should be used as a defensive spinner, not a bulky offensive one, the below set accomplishes the role of defensive spinner (and spinner in general 10 times better than the Assault Vest set.

Well, if we're up for AV mons, here's my weigh-in.

Don't Use This:

Drapion @ Assault Vest
Ability: Sniper
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Pursuit
- Knock Off
- Poison Jab
- Earthquake / Aqua Tail

Why it's bad:

Drapion is great, but this set isn't. Now I can see why one would be intrigued to run an Assault Vest on Drapion; it looks like a good user on paper, as it has a wide offensive movepool, access to Pursuit, good physical bulk, and a great set of specially oriented resistances. However, Drapion suffers immensely from its lack of power. Base 90 Attack is really weak without any boosts, and Drapion isn't going to be doing serious damage without Swords Dance, nor will it be able to make good use of its great support movepool. It also can't heal itself, so it cannot repeatedly come in on things like Mismagius, Aromatisse, Slurpuff, and Rotom-C since it's getting worn down. This set is a waste of a teamslot and of Drapion's potential, hitting like a wet paper bad and not actually accomplishing anything worthwhile.

Instead, Use This:

Drapion @ Lum Berry
Ability: Sniper
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Knock Off
- Poison Jab / Taunt
- Earthquake

-OR-

Drapion @ Black Sludge
Ability: Battle Armor
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Toxic Spikes
- Taunt
- Whirlwind
- Knock Off

Why it's better:

Again, Drapion is pretty great in RU, but the two above sets are the true ways to make effective use of Drapion and comprise its main niches in RU. Swords Dance Drapion actually can afford to sweep, and uses its nice coverage and good bulk to become a great stallbreaker. It can also afford to sweep on a Sticky Web team if possible (and it's good at that). It's a much better way to use Drapion. In addition, the specially defensive set is a reliable Toxic Spikes setter and does just what AV Drapion aims to do; check special threats, and can also support its team with Toxic Spikes, Knock Off, and Whirlwind, while Taunt is neat too. So if you want to use Drapion, use one of the two above sets; AV Drapion is ineffective and is just something that tries too hard to be a hybridization of SD and Specially Defensive Drapions.

Just my two cents.

DON'T use this:

Sceptile @ Red Card
Ability: Unburden
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Acrobatics
- Swords Dance
- Leaf Blade
- Earthquake

Why it's terrible:

Without his flying gem Sceptile is one of the most mediocre SD sweepers that RU even with a high speed stat it won't sweep an experienced player and with mediocre 85 base attack it won't be a good wallbreaker also there are tons of better physical sweepers in the tier that don't rely on gimicks like Red Card to have a successful sweep.

Instead use this:

Virizion @ Lum Berry / Life Orb
Ability: Justified
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Leaf Blade
- Swords Dance
- Stone Edge

Why its better:

With better stats (except speed) and a secondary STAB move Virizion outclasses Sceptile in almost every aspect. Close Combat and Leaf Blade are reliable STAB moves while SD makes Virizion a powerful sweeper and Stone Edge is there to hit things like Golbat and Moltres who otherwise wall Virizion's entire moveset. Not only Virizion is bulkier but it also hits harder and can set up in Alomomola's face thanks to his Lum Berry but Life Orb is another option to make Virizion hit even harder.

Half of all Ludicolo are running AV this is so messed up

Don't use:

Ludicolo @ Assault Vest
Ability: Rain Dish
EVs: 104 HP/ 108 Def / 252 SAtk / 44 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Giga Drain
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Focus Blast

An AV set may seem appealing for Ludicolo, since it has access to Giga Drain, decent special bulk, Rain Dish, and good coverage. However, it faces notable problems. Running AV means that you kill the purpose of using Ludicolo in the first place. It is relatively weak in terms of power and it cannot utilize the amazing Swift Swim. It is also extremely reliant on team support to set up rain to increase its longevity. It's also vulnerable to all hazards and status as they can quickly wear it down. If you want to use a Water-type AV user, Slowking is a far better option because of Regenerator and access to Psyshock, Fire Blast, and Dragon Tail. Tangrowth is a better Grass-type AV user as it still has solid physical defense and also has more offensive presence (and it gets Regenerator as well!)

Use this instead:

Ludicolo @ Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump / Surf
- Giga Drain
- Ice Beam
- Rain Dance

Ludicolo's use in RU is to be a rain sweeper, and with its solid typing and wide coverage, it executes it very well. It has enough bulk to be able to set up its own rain and possibly free a moveslot for a teammate. Its 4x water resistance helps it switch in on mons like special Sharpedo, Gorbyss, and non-Psyshock Slowking. Rain-boosted Hydro Pump hits a lot of stuff hard while Swift Swim allows it to outspeed a ton of threats, and Giga Drain is still useful to heal it allow it to take down more mons. Make sure that all checks are removed before attempting to sweep, as Ludicolo lacks any form of recovery outside of Giga Drain.

Hi i am posting so Molk can post again!! I am truly a great guy >(:3E

do not use dis kthx:

Moltres @ Wide Lens
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Hurricane
- Roost
- Hidden Power [Grass]

y bad??!?!?!!?:

Honestly this set is extremely stupid and in most cases wide lens is a stupid item. The 1.1 boost barely helps hurricane spam become anymore reliable than it is boosting it to around a still underwhelming 77% (still less accurate than Stone Edge). That being said the accuracy boost Wide Lens gives is too small for it to be anything other than just a wasted item slot that can be used on an actually useful item!!!!?!? Also stop using 4HP noobs,,, that 1HP after two rocks switchins is a REAL life saver!!!!!!!!!!

use dis cuz not suk!!!!!!!:

Moltres @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Hurricane
- Roost
- Hidden Power [Grass]

iz gud cuz:

The extra boost from Life Orb helps Moltres a lot when breaking walls nd shit. Plus as a true role model of a user by the name of Calloflochie once stated: "IF I DO NOT HIT 100% OF THE TIME I WOULD MUCH RATHER HAVE THE EXTRA POWER WHEN I HIT!" A truly inspirational quote from a man full of insight :)!

ITT: Molk talks about bad ladder sets

Anyways, here's another AV mon people shouldnt use but use anyway.

Don't Use This:

Qwilfish @ Assault Vest
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Waterfall
- Poison Jab
- Aqua Jet
- Explosion

Why It's Bad:

Oh my god no, this is honestly one of the worst AV mons i've seen, and the fact that it recieves enough usage to show up in the usage stats in some of RU/NU's usage stats baffles me to no end. Qwilfish is much too frail to use an Assault Vest effectively, even with HP investment 65/55 just isn't up to par for a Pokemon thats supposed to be using an item to take hits (for reference, Zoroark's bulk is 60/60, thats something you'd never consider AV on. Doublade's special bulk is *sort of* workable with Eviolite slapped onto a similar level of bulk, but it still folds to most neutral special attacks, the reason it can get away with taking special hits at all is because of its resistances, not to mention it doesn't have to give up Swords Dance to get the boost), even with the item held, its still going to be 2HKO'd/OHKO'd by most special attacks, especially since it has common weaknesses to moves such as Psychic and Thunderbolt for opponents to prey on. Sheer lack of bulk isn't the real reason Assault Vest Qwilfish is bad though: its the fact that you sacrifice its entire support movepool to use it. When you run AV on Qwilfish you're giving up all of Spikes, Toxic Spikes, Taunt, Haze, Pain Split, Thunder Wave, and all kinds of other goodies. The former two are (or at least should be) a lot of the reason you'd consider using Qwilfish in the first place, so i don't see why you'd willingly drop those for a buff on a stat that still isn't up to par in the end.

EDIT: proof Qwilfish still cant switch in on special attackers with AV.

252 SpA Life Orb Virizion Giga Drain vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Assault Vest Qwilfish: 134-160 (40.1 - 47.9%) -- 51.6% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock

Not really the best example when it comes to playing in practice but unboosted Virizion doesnt even hit that hard...

Instead, Use This:

Qwilfish @ Black Sludge
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 212 Def / 44 Spe
Impish Nature
- Spikes
- Waterfall
- Pain Split
- Taunt

Why It's Better:

Being a physically defensive Spiker is best at, and what it should stick to doing. This set is exceptionally good at racking up multiple layers of Spikes throughout the game, and even outside of that has a pretty solid niche as a physically defensive buffer thanks to its typing and Intimidate ability, which lets it effectively check Fighting-types such as Hitmonlee and further support its team. This Qwilfish doesn't take special attacks as well as the Assault Vest varient (which doesnt take special attacks well to begin with), but its not really meant to in the first place (you really shouldn't be trying to stay in on those with a Qwilfish...), so it's not a real problem, and because this Qwilfish varient has Black Sludge recovery, it often ends up actually lasting longer than the Assault Vest varient overall. If a defensive spiker isn't up your ally, Qwilfish can also run a suicide lead set of Spikes/Toxic Spikes or Taunt/Waterfall/Explosion to get some Spikes early game and stop the opponent from removing them immediately, which it does pretty well. Either way though, both of these sets are many times better than the Assault Vest set, which in reality is just shoehorning Qwilfish into a role it's not meant to take: Qwilfish is a support Pokemon, suicide lead and physical wall, not something that can run a "bulky" all out attacker set and call it a day.

OMG why are people still using this? This sucked in BW RU and it still sucks now.

Don't use:

Sigilyph @ Flame Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 16 Def / 240 Spe
Timid Nature
- Cosmic Power
- Stored Power
- Psycho Shift
- Roost

All of you RU veterans should know why this set is bad. Cosmic Power Sigilyph hits like a kitten before it sets up CP, and is completely walled by Dark-types as well as Psychic-types like Reuniclus, Slowking, and Delphox. While it seems appealing to try to make Sigilyph an "unbreakable wall," too many things in RU force it out or set up on it. It takes too long to set up before it can pose a threat to the opponent, and is also massive Taunt, Haze, phazing, and Knock Off bait. Haze Cofagrigus and Taunters are common in RU, and some of them even have SE STAB!

Use this instead:

Sigilyph @ Flame Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 16 Def / 240 Spe
Timid Nature
- Calm Mind
- Air Slash
- Psycho Shift
- Roost

Bulky CM is a better choice for dealing with offensive threats, and it can even set up on some of stall's mons like Alomomola, Amoonguss, Aromatisse, and Registeel. It also becomes a threat way faster than CP since CM both softens special attacks and increases its offensive presence at the same time and thanks to burns and Roost, it can wear down physical attackers and stall mons. It's also not as easily shut down by Taunt, Knock Off, and Haze because a +1 Air Slash can inflict serious damage on several mons, and it can even function if phazed because Air Slash has immediate power. Sigilyph can also run a more offensive CM set to sweep and break through stall or 3 attacks + Roost to wear down offense.

Don't Use This:

Dragalge @ Assault Vest
Ability: Poison Point
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
Modest Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Sludge Bomb
- Scald
- Hidden Power [Fire]

Why It's Bad:

It might have the raw bulk and resistances, but what it doesn't have is either the power or access to recovery options that all good Assault Vest Pokemon should have. Draco Meteor is a pretty powerful STAB option, ngl, but the Special Attack drop side effect and the fact that Dragalge's secondary STAB option isn't of the best offensive type really puts a damper on things without a boosting item such as Choice Specs. Dragagle's Special Attack might be only slightly lower than Slowking's, but the thing that really seperates the two in effectiveness is the access to recovery. Slowking can easily stay alive through the course of the match simply by switching out, surviving throughout the game as a bulky offensive answer to the vast majority of Special Attackers. However, Dragagle's reliance on Draco Meteor means its FORCED out after one turn quite a bit, and between having no recovery options, switching in to take attacks constantly, and taking neutral damage from Stealth Rock and possibly Spikes every time it switches in, it gets worn down pretty fast compared to its competition. Other Assault Vest mons such as Escavalier and Druddigon can only get away with it because of their high Attack stats and powerful, consistent STAB moves. I've gotta admit, AV Dragalge isn't exactly the *worst* thing in the world compared to other things i've seen AV on, but the lack of raw power and/or passive recovery is a big turnoff for me, and i think there are better options out there in the form of Slowking and Druddigon in particular. Maybe with Adaptability...

Instead, Use This

Dragalge @ Leftovers
Ability: Poison Touch
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpDef
Sassy Nature
- Toxic Spikes
- Dragon Pulse
- Scald
- Dragon Tail

Why It's Better:

If you want to use Dragalge to be the defensive backbone of your team, this is probably the best way to do it. This set doesn't hit as hard as Assault Vest Dragalge, but what it does have is Leftovers as passive recovery, making it just a little harder to wear down, as well as two excellent options in Toxic Spikes and Dragon Tail to effectively support its team. The former is especially excellent for defensive teams, quickly wearing down grounded offensive threats and putting them all on a timer, making them that much easier to stall out. Not to mention the best Rapid Spin users in RU all happen to be vulnerable to the move, while the latter lets Dragalge phaze out Special Attackers that might try and set up a sweep on Dragalge, possibly even poisoning them in the process thanks to Poison Touch. Overall a pretty good option on bulkier teams and probably the best way to run a defensive Dragalge in the current meta.

OR THIS:

Dragalge @ Choice Specs
Ability: Poison Point
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
Modest Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Sludge Bomb
- Scald
- Hidden Power [Fire]

Why Its Better:

A simple change of item to Choice Specs actually fixes a lot of the problems that AV Dragalge has: mainly in the power department. With a Choice Specs equipped over AV, Dragalge actually starts to pack a punch. That Draco Meteor becomes something to really be feared, and its secondary STAB move in Sludge Bomb as well as its coverage options go from being sort of weak to actually having some decent power behind them. Meanwhile, Dragalge still has more than enough bulk to take advantage of its resistances and check some of RU's special attackers, most notably Electric-, Water- and Grass-type Pokemon, so there's no real harm done in the end. Now just imagine this thing with Adaptability released...

and if you're dead set on using an Assault Vest mon these two would be happy to help...

This really needs be done gdi .__.

Don't Use This:

Ambipom @ Life Orb
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- Last Resort

Why It's Bad:

Just.....no. I know that the appeal of a 140 BP STAB move with 100% accuracy might look appealing at first, but it really just isn't worth it on Ambipom. By using the Fake Out Last Resort set on Ambipom you're forfeiting literally every coverage option Ambipom could run to get past the various Steel- Rock- and Ghost-types in the tier, making sure that while this set might have a stronger STAB move than the standard, that it's NEVER sweeping against a competent opponent. Especially in RU: a tier filled to the brim with things such as Rhyperior, Doublade, and Cobalion, as well as powerful priority moves such as Fletchinder's Acrobatics and Zoroark's Sucker Punch that force Ambipom out. On top of this, the fact that Ambipom can't even use Last Resort until after its used Fake Out makes Ambipom even more predictable than usual, and essentially gives the opponent a free turn to act accordingly. At least all out attacker Ambipom can hit a Fake Out resist with a coverage move on the switch, this set literally has no other options.

Instead, Use This:

Ambipom @ Life Orb
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- Return
- Knock Off
- Low Kick

Why It's Better:

Disregarding the fact that Ambipom is a sort of overrated Pokemon in general, this set performs far better than the Fake Out Last Resort set ever could as an all out attacker and/or revenge killer You're losing some raw power by using Return over Last Resort, but in the end this Ambipom set is actually much better at inflicting damage on things thanks to its ability to actually run coverage moves. Do you see a Registeel or Rhyperior coming in? predict the switch and use Low Kick to deal massive damage instead of having your Last Resort simply laughed at. Doublade, Mega Banette, or generically physically bulky Pokemon coming in? Use Knock Off to smack them hard on the switch, remove the former's Eviolite, and the Leftovers of anything that fits into the classification of the latter. If you're gonna use Ambipom as an offensive Pokemon, this is your best bet.

Don't use this:

Cinccino @ King's Rock
Ability: Skill Link
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Tail Slap
- Bullet Seed
- Rock Blast
- Knock Off / U-Turn

Why it's bad:

Surely King's Rock may sound good at first sight, with Cincinno's Skill Link ability you have around a 41% chance to flinch the opponent. With that flinch chance it would even be possible to take out some of it's counters like Gligar if it gets a bit of luck. However King's Rock Cincinno has quite a few flaws. Having to rely on a 40% chance to get past your counters is rather unreliable and can cost you matches at times. Most of the time you won't flinch the opponent making it a waste of an item slot. King's Rock Cincinno also lacks in power. With Cincinno's already average base 95 attack and no boosting item it won't do a lot of damage even with strong coverage options thanks to Skill Link. All in all King's Rock Cincinno is more an annoyance than a real thread and Cincinno has better items to use.

Instead, use this:

Cinccino @ Choice Band / Life Orb
Ability: Skill Link
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Tail Slap
- Bullet Seed
- Rock Blast
- Knock Off / U-Turn

Why it's better:

Both Choice Band and Life Orb are more reliable Cincinno sets and should be used over King's Rock. Surely the ability to flinchhax opponents to death is gone but this Cincinno set is more reliable in the fact that it doesn't have to rely on luck in order to be threatening. With Choice Band or Life Orb Cincinno has a much better damage output which really helps the otherwise lacking in power Cincinno. Choice Band makes Cincinno a strong and fast attacker with the downside of being locked into a move. Meanwhile Life Orb gives you the ability to switch up moves at the cost of a bit of HP every turn. Both are good options and can be used depending on what you prefer.

I think this one must be done

Don't use this:

Dusclops @ Eviolite
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SDef / 252 HP / 4 Def
Calm Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Night Shade
- Rest
- Sleep Talk

Why it's bad:

I met this thing twice while laddering for my reqs and I just don't understand why people keep using it. I thought the Eviolite hype was over last gen and with the buff of Knock Off there is simply no reason to use this thing over other bulkier ghosts types. Why? Because its passive as fuck especially in a tier where bulk set up sweepers such as Meloetta, Reuniclus and Braviary are a thing and powerfull wallbreakers such as Exploud and Yanmega apply too much offensive pressure to this thing. Finally, the fact that toxic and burn cripple Dusclops and you are forced to run Restalk sets utterly suck.

Instead use this:

Cofagrigus @ Leftovers
Ability: Mummy
EVs: 4 SDef / 252 HP / 252 Def
Bold Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Shadow Ball
- Pain Split / Toxic Spikes
- Haze / Rest

Why it's better:

Cofagrigus makes a better bulky Ghost type than Dusclops for several reasons. First the ball base 95 Special Attack is awesome for a wall making this thing not a sitting duck, second he has a bigger movepool allowing King Tut to be a much more versatile Pokémon with options such as NP sweeper, TR setter, bulky spinblocker, etc. Cofagrigus can even use his newest tool in the form of T-spikes to support its team even more especially on fullstall teams where Cofagrigus can use Rest to heal all its HP and wait until the cleric heals the sleep status (Pain Split and Toxic Spikes aren't legal together which sucks). Cofagrigus last and most underrated point its the ability Mummy, anyone who has played RU knows that there are a lot of physical attackers that often relie or are heavily benefited by their abilities such as Zangoose, Braviary, Swellow, Sharpedo and a lot more. Cofagrigus can often switch in, take a hit and forced the opposing burned Swellow out or cut Sharpedo's boosts. Overall a much better Pokémon who isn't a sitting duck and with an arsenal of other options making it a superior choice over Dusclops.

 

[Magnemite]

Archive 2

Don't Use This:

Jolteon (M) @ Air Balloon / Choice Scarf
Ability: Volt Absorb / Quick Feet
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Signal Beam
- Shadow Ball

Choice Specs 58.539% | Life Orb 22.356% | Leftovers 5.911% | Choice Scarf 5.477% | Air Balloon 2.913% | Other 4.805%

Why it's bad:

Having a Pokemon that literally outspeeds everything with choice scarf or has no weakness to anything with Air Balloon sounds appealing at first, especially if said Pokemon is a bulky one, but sadly it's not. For one, Jolteon is already really, really fast (the fastest relevant offensive threat in RU, in fact) and would really like the power from Life Orb or Choice Specs instead of the speed from Choice Scarf. Moreover, Quick Feet sucks for the same reason, since it depends on being burned/paralyzed/poisoned to work, and Jolteon would like a power bost rather than a speed boost. Now, on Air Balloon, the same thing applies in that it's weak without the respective item, and Air Balloon shouldn't be used on a Pokemon as frail as Jolteon which can die from any strong physical move.. even if it means Jolteon has no weaknesses with it. If you want an Electric-type with no weakness (but is a lot less slower lol), use Eelektross. Finally, Shadow Ball is mostly useless coverage that hits no significant Pokemon harder than Thunderbolt does, and Jolteon would rather coverage from Hidden Power over Shadow Ball.

Instead, Use This:

Jolteon (M) @ Life Orb / Choice Specs
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Signal Beam
- Hidden Power Water / Hidden Power Grass

Why it's better:

This set utilizes what Jolteon does best and that is sweeping with its high speed. With Thunderbolt, you have a decent STAB that can be used to clean late-game with decent power thanks to Life Orb or Choice Specs. Volt Switch grants momentum for when you're not sure what the opponent's next move will be. Signal Beam is Jolteon's only way of touching Grass-types such as Rotom-C and Tangrowth, and finally, Hidden Power Water or Grass allow Jolteon to get past some of the Ground-types that can switch freely into it such as: Rhyperior, Gligar, and Gastrodon, hitting them decently hard with the respective move 2HKOing all of them.

 

[Molk]

Don't Use This Ever:

Jellicent @ Assault Vest
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
Modest Nature
- Scald
- Shadow Ball
- Giga Drain
- Ice Beam

22:16Molk!usage jellicent items
22:16TIBotLeftovers 93.142% | Assault Vest 1.861% | Other 4.997%

Why It's Bad:

Despite its Special Bulk, Jellicent isn't a good user of Assault Vest for two reasons. Firstly, by holding an Assault Vest, Jellicent loses out on three very very important moves in its arsenal: Will-O-Wisp, Taunt, and Recover. No Jellicent should be caught dead not using these moves honestly, as these are what let it seperate itself from the competition and effectively perform its job as a bulky Water-type, respectively. Secondly, there's pretty much absolutely no reason to use Assault Vest Jellicent over Assault Vest Slowking, who has a similar stat spread and typing, but hits harder, has arguably better coverage options, and one of the best possible abilities for an Assault Vest user in the form of Regenerator, which lets it sport the item so much better than Jellicent can (before anyone mentions checking Yanmega better, Jellicent still isn't too well off vs it since Speed Boost varients often run Giga Drain or Shadow Ball, and Tinted Lens varients ignore its Bug-type resistance anyway, combine this with having pretty much no recovery outside of an unstabbed Giga Drain and Jellicent is getting worn down into KO range fast). Why would you run Assault Vest Jellicent when you can use that o_O.

Instead, Use This:

Jellicent @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 212 SpD / 44 Spe
Calm Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Taunt
- Scald
- Recover

Why It's Better:

Instead of running Jellicent as a mediocre and outclassed Assault Vest user, Jellicent works best as a bulky Water-type. Even in this case Jellicent recieves some major competition from Slowking, however its access to Will-O-Wisp and Taunt helps it seperate itself enough in this case to make it a viable option. Although Scald on its own has a decent burn rate, having a more consistent method of burning things is very nice for Jellicent, considering it lets it shore up its poor physical bulk without relying on the RNG, and lets it cripple all manner of Knock Off users and general physical attackers that'll be trying to get in on the thing. Meanwhile, Taunt lets Jellicent stop slower Pokemon from using any kind of support move against it, letting it become an annoyance to some defensive Pokemon/cores. (the given evs here let it outpace 0 Speed Alomomola, ensuring Jellicent can stop it cold 1v1 and eventually stall it out, you can go a bit faster if you want but it starts cutting into your bulk a bit)Overall this is pretty much the best way to use Jellicent in the current metagame: it ensures it pulls its weight, makes the most out of its stat spread, and helps it seperate itself from its competition as a bulky Water-type the best it possibly can.

 

[aVocado]

Don't Use This:

Jolteon (M) @ Air Balloon / Choice Scarf
Ability: Volt Absorb / Quick Feet
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Signal Beam
- Shadow Ball

Choice Specs 58.539% | Life Orb 22.356% | Leftovers 5.911% | Choice Scarf 5.477% | Air Balloon 2.913% | Other 4.805%

Why it's bad:

Having a Pokemon that literally outspeeds everything with choice scarf or has no weakness to anything with Air Balloon sounds appealing at first, especially if said Pokemon is a bulky one, but sadly it's not. For one, Jolteon is already really, really fast (the fastest relevant offensive threat in RU, in fact) and would really like the power from Life Orb or Choice Specs instead of the speed from Choice Scarf. Moreover, Quick Feet sucks for the same reason, since it depends on being burned/paralyzed/poisoned to work, and Jolteon would like a power bost rather than a speed boost. Now, on Air Balloon, the same thing applies in that it's weak without the respective item, and Air Balloon shouldn't be used on a Pokemon as frail as Jolteon which can die from any strong physical move.. even if it means Jolteon has no weaknesses with it. If you want an Electric-type with no weakness (but is a lot less slower lol), use Eelektross. Finally, Shadow Ball is mostly useless coverage that hits no significant Pokemon harder than Thunderbolt does, and Jolteon would rather coverage from Hidden Power over Shadow Ball.

Instead, Use This:

Jolteon (M) @ Life Orb / Choice Specs
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Signal Beam
- Hidden Power Water / Hidden Power Grass

Why it's better:

This set utilizes what Jolteon does best and that is sweeping with its high speed. With Thunderbolt, you have a decent STAB that can be used to clean late-game with decent power thanks to Life Orb or Choice Specs. Volt Switch grants momentum for when you're not sure what the opponent's next move will be. Signal Beam is Jolteon's only way of touching Grass-types such as Rotom-C and Tangrowth, and finally, Hidden Power Water or Grass allow Jolteon to get past some of the Ground-types that can switch freely into it such as: Rhyperior, Gligar, and Gastrodon, hitting them decently hard with the respective move 2HKOing all of them.

 

[Punchshroom]

I hate to break it to you Magnemite, but the sets in the archive cannot actually be seen.

 

[aVocado]

I hate to break it to you Magnemite, but the sets in the archive cannot actually be seen.

yeah, that's an issue, you have to go to the original post to see it fully.

Maybe remove the quotes?

 

[Molk]

Why not just remove the quotes and replace them with links to all the original posts? that should work out and saves a bit of text space

 

[Punchshroom]

Obviously the links should be accompanied by the respective Pokemon's sprites (both if the recommended mon =/= the rejected mon) for easier directory.

 

[Magnemite]

Not sure why it was doing that, but the "click to expand" button should be working now.

 

[EonX]

Not sure why it was doing that, but the "click to expand" button should be working now.

Nope, still failing for me ;-;

 

[aVocado]

It's working for me.

edit: archieve 2 however, isn't

 

[Magnemite]

Nope, still failing for me ;-;

;_;

w/e, i'll post a bug report about it and if it still doesn't work I'll work on the long, arduous task of linking all of the posts e.e

 

[Molk]

Don't Use This:

Durant @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Truant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
IVs: 0 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpD
- Entrainment
- X-Scissor
- Iron Head
- Stone Edge (not used on this set but also part of the post)

17:23Molk!usage durant moves
Iron Head 94.447% | X-Scissor 93.309% | Hone Claws 67.476% | Superpower 40.403% | Crunch 28.197% | Rock Slide 23.958% | Stone Edge 21.881% | Entrainment 5.680% | Thunder Fang 5.142% | Other 19.506%

Why It's Bad Part 1:
I know, i know, the Entrainment a Pokemon to give them Truant and then send in a trapper with Protect to set up to +6 Trick. But honestly even though this might work against the occasional new player, its pretty dumb against anyone competent in practice. Once the opponent sees Entrainment in the first place, they simply won't leave their Pokemon in long enough for you go to your trapper, rendering the entire strategy pretty much moot, and an entire teamslot wasted. They don't even need to scout, since both Durant and a trapper in the team preview pretty much gives the whole strategy away from the start. Shadow Tag is banned in UU too, which means that Arena Trap Dugtrio is really your only option as a trapper, and that not just Ghost-types, but Ghost-types and literally everything immune to EQ can't be trapped by this at all. Even if you somehow get a +6 Dugtrio set up, it still struggles with either priority or faster Pokemon if it doesn't have Sucker Punch, or gets stalemated by literally any Earthquake immunity with a non attacking move if it does carry Sucker Punch, and some physically bulky Pokemon such as Alomomola, Tangrowth, and Gligar can still take a +6 EQ/coverage move...

Why It's Bad Part 2:
Stone Edge Durant doesn't seem bad on paper since it at least hits say Moltres on the switch, but in practice its actually a pretty bad option. Hustle lowers Stone Edge's already poor accuracy to abysmal levels, and Durant runs into quite a bit of 4mss in the current metagame, meaning it might not even be able to fit it in the first place. Even if for some reason you absolutely do need Rock-type coverage on Durant, Rock Slide can still get pretty much every relevant KO Durant needs, while having slightly better accuracy. Hell even Thunder Fang hits Moltres while also hitting Jellicent.


Instead, Use This:

Durant @ Lum Berry / Life Orb
Ability: Hustle
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Hone Claws
- Iron Head
- Crunch
- Superpower

Why It's Better:

If you're going to use Durant in XY RU, either a Hone Claws set like the one above or some kind of Choice Band set is the way to go. Not just is this Durant set a threatening sweeper/solid wallbreaker if holding a Life Orb, but it still works the same way whether the opponent knows your set or not. Meanwhile the Entrainment set only really functions if the opponent isn't paying attention to team preview/screws up. The given coverage moves give Durant pretty much perfect neutral coverage. A lot of X-Scissor's targets are hit hard by Crunch anyway so the Bug-type STAB isn't really needed compared to Iron Head, which smacks around Aromatisse, Crunch hits Doublade and Jellicent too, who give Durant trouble otherwise. Other varients of this Hone Claws set are viable (just don't use Stone Edge), but this is the one that worked best for me overall.

 

[Magnemite]

Just when i thought the RU ladder couldn't possibly be any worse, I had the pleasure of discovering this legendary set. I honestly don't know how people are so bad and why they refuse to improve, but I guess I shouldn't expect so much out of people.

proof: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/rususpecttest-148760650

252+ Atk Doublade Iron Head vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Ambipom: 180-213 (50.9 - 60.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Please, No Matter How Bad You Are At This Game Or How Bad You Want To Be, DON'T USE THIS:

Ambipom @ Air Balloon
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Spe / 8 SpD
Impish Nature
-Foul Play
-???
-???
-???

Why It's Garbage:

Seriously, this set has probably shortened my life by several weeks just because of how stupid it is. The fact that this set exists makes me question why anyone can enjoy this game. Ambipom is one of the frailest Pokemon in the entire tier, has a bad defensive typing, and is already an awful Pokemon. For these reasons, using a defensive set on it is possibly the worst idea you could possibly have relating to this game. Furthermore, using an Air Balloon on a Pokemon that is neutral to Ground is also a garbage idea. Seriously, if you're using this set, please do yourself and everyone else a favor and actually learn how to play this game.

Instead, Use This:

Alomomola @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 120 HP / 252 Def / 136 SDef
Bold Nature
- Wish
- Protect
- Scald
- Toxic

Why It's Better:

Would you look at that. A set that makes use of a Pokemon's good traits, rather than making its flaws be slightly less prominent and ruining all of its positives. Now was that so hard, RU ladder? Was it?

 

[aVocado]

Don't Use This:

Drapion @ Scope Lens / Razor Claw
Ability: Sniper
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant / Jolly Nature
- Night Slash
- Cross Poison
- Confuse Ray
- Aqua Tail

Why It's Bad:
Black Sludge 55.293% | Scope Lens 8.082% | Assault Vest 7.683% | Life Orb 7.556% | Leftovers 5.811% | Choice Band 3.385% | Razor Claw 2.985% | Shuca Berry 1.788% | Lum Berry 1.700% | Rocky Helmet 1.574% | Other 4.143%

The idea of always critting 50% when using 2 of Drapion's STABs along with Sniper might sound good at first, but it's not really, for various reasons. For one, Night Slash is a very inferior move to Knock Off, which has more Base Power and a very useful effect of removing the target's item, and that honestly makes it one of the best moves ever. Secondly, Drapion is weak without boosts with a modest 90 base attack only, which means it hits wont hurt much especially considering Night Slash and Cross Poison have low BP compared to Knock Off if the opponent is holding an item (70 vs. 97.5). Finally, Confuse Ray is a bad move to have on Drapion because Confuse Ray in general is just bad, and takes a valuable move slot that can otherwise be used for something better like Swords Dance or whatever. It's not normally used on this set but I included it because I have seen a lot of Pokemon that use Confuse Ray even though there are much better options (like on Golbat which I have written about before, and Banette)

Instead, Use This:

Drapion @ Black Sludge
Ability: Battle Armor
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant / Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Knock Off
- Poison Jab
- Earthquake / Aqua Tail

Why It's Better:
This set is the one you should use if you want an offensive Drapion. With Swords Dance, Drapion manages to boost its attack to respectful levels and with Knock Off it can hurt a lot of things hard, and unlike the Scope Lens set it doesn't depend on a 50% chance to work. The last slot depends on if you wanna hit Rhyperior/Gligar or Cobalion harder.

 

[Magnemite]

sigh, I figured this would happen, but not quite to the extent it did.

Don't Use This:

Fletchinder @ Eviolite / Life Orb / Literally any item
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 HP / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Aerial Ace
- Flame Charge
- Flamethrower / Overheat
- U-turn

(This probably isn't an actual set, but it's just (almost) everything that's wrong with the sets on those stats

Why It's Bad:
To be anywhere near effective in the RU metagame, Fletchinder absolutely needs to not use an item so that it can always have a fully powered Acrobatics. Aerial Ace is simply too weak, even with Life Orb. Flame Charge is just laughable, it's way too weak, especially coming from Fletchinder. Furthermore, the Speed boost is entirely useless on Fletchinder because of Gale Wings. Using Special moves on Fletchinder is also silly, despite the fact that they get STAB and have high base power, they are laughably weak coming from an uninvested base 56 Special Attack. Finally, while U-turn isn't /that/ bad, Fletchinder is much better off burning its counters on the switch as opposed to U-turning out of them.

Finally, DON'T USE JOLLY MAX SPEED FLETCHINDER. EVER. The Speed is completely and utterly useless when your only attacking move gets priority, and without Adamant, Fletchinder is far too weak, and without bulk investment, it is far too frail to set up on anything. The fact that this is used at all, let alone the most used spread, deeply concerns me.

Instead, Use This:

NOW YOU LOSE (Fletchinder) @ No Item
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 252 Atk / 160 HP / 4 Def / 92 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Acrobatics
- Swords Dance
- Will-O-Wisp
- Roost
Why It's Better:
This is the only set Fletchinder should ever be running, aside from minor variations in the EV spread. No item Acrobatics with an Adamant Nature lets Fletchinder actually deal damage, Swords Dance lets it sweep weakened teams, Will-O-Wisp lets it burn its counters on the switch, and Roost lets it stay healthy throughout the match and set up on burned physical attackers. This EV spread lets it avoid the 2HKO from AV Escavalier's Knock Off 100% of the time while being able to outspeed uninvested Drapion.

 

[aVocado]

Don't Use This:

Claydol @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Stealth Rock
- Earth Power
- Toxic

Why It's Bad:
Claydol in general is the laughing stock of RU because it has a terrible typing with a total weaknesses to 6 relatively common attacking types in Water, Grass, Dark, Ghost, Bug, and Ice. It also has no way of damaging spinblockers whatsoever except for Doublade which it can 2HKO with Earth Power. It can't touch any other spinblocker however, and has laughable offensive presence in general and is often deadweight outside of spinning and setting up SR which might sound like a lot on paper but it really isn't. There are many better Pokemon that set up Stealth Rock better like Rhyperior and Gligar, and speaking of Gligar, it completely outclasses Claydol since it can also both remove hazards with defog and set SR up while being immune to everything but SR, like Claydol is, as well as walling relevant threats such as Cobalion and Hitmonlee, something that Claydol can't do.

Instead, Use This:

Sandslash @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Veil
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe (or a defensive spread of 252 hp / 252 def / 4 spe impish)
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock / (Swords Dance if no need for SR and going offensive)
- Rapid Spin
- Knock Off
- Earthquake

Why It's Better:
If you absolutely want a dedicated spinner, then Sandslash is a better choice simply because of its access to Knock Off. With Knock Off, it can beat most spinblockers such as Doublade, Jellicent, Mismagius, and if using Swords Dance then also Spiritomb. The only spinblocker it struggles to get past is Cofagrigus which all spinblockers struggle against as well. Using Soft Sand will ensure it always kills both Spiritomb and Doublade, with +2 EQ and Knock Off + EQ respectively. Sandslash also has pretty neat defense which can let it check some Pokemon like Hitmonlee and Cobalion.

 

[aVocado]

double posting, don't care.

Don't Use This:

Cacturne @ Assault Vest
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Seed Bomb
- Drain Punch
- Poison Jab

Why It's Bad:
This is a set that has been used lately by BlameTruth, which is the root of all evil when it comes to Assault Vest on Pokemon that shouldn't use it. There are a lot of reasons why this set is bad. First of all, it has pretty bad Special Defense and is frail in general, with only 70 HP and 60 SpD, so that means it's not that good of a user of Assault Vest. Secondly, it would prefer using Spikes or Swords Dance and Assault Vest takes that away. Lastly, it's just.. it's just bad. Why would you ever use Assault Vest on this thing? If you really want a tanky Grass-type so bad, use Assault Vest Tangrowth which isn't as bad, or a defensive Gourgeist or some shit, BUT NOT ASSAULT VEST CACTURNE.

Instead, Use This:

Cacturne @ Life Orb / Focus Sash
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Seed Bomb
- Sucker Punch
- Drain Punch / Low Kick

-OR-

Tangrowth @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Quiet Nature
- Giga Drain
- Knock Off
- Hidden Power Fire
- Earthquake

Why It's Better:
With this Cacturne set, it can boost its attack with Swords Dance to better use its offensive capabilities rather than its defensive ones, which don't even exist outside of switching into predicted Water-type moves as it is frail as shit. Seed Bomb is a good STAB, Sucker Punch is a good priority, and the choice between Drain Punch and Low Kick depends on your item choice. If you choose Life Orb, then Drain Punch is better to heal off the LO recoil, while Focus Sash and Low Kick work better since you won't be needing Drain Punch, and Low Kick hits some targets (registeel mainly) harder. Assault Vest Tangrowth is better because it has access to Giga Drain (a STAB that regains health is cool), a much better overall bulk with 100/125/50 overall bulk and access to Regenerator as well as Knock Off.

 

[Terrakion.]

double posting, don't care.

Don't Use This:

Cacturne @ Assault Vest
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Seed Bomb
- Drain Punch
- Poison Jab

Why It's Bad:
This is a set that has been used lately by BlameTruth, which is the root of all evil when it comes to Assault Vest on Pokemon that shouldn't use it. There are a lot of reasons why this set is bad. First of all, it has pretty bad Special Defense and is frail in general, with only 70 HP and 60 SpD, so that means it's not that good of a user of Assault Vest. Secondly, it would prefer using Spikes or Swords Dance and Assault Vest takes that away. Lastly, it's just.. it's just bad. Why would you ever use Assault Vest on this thing? If you really want a tanky Grass-type so bad, use Assault Vest Tangrowth which isn't as bad, or a defensive Gourgeist or some shit, BUT NOT ASSAULT VEST CACTURNE.

Instead, Use This:

Cacturne @ Life Orb / Focus Sash
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Seed Bomb
- Sucker Punch
- Drain Punch / Low Kick

-OR-

Tangrowth @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Quiet Nature
- Giga Drain
- Knock Off
- Hidden Power Fire
- Earthquake

Why It's Better:
With this Cacturne set, it can boost its attack with Swords Dance to better use its offensive capabilities rather than its defensive ones, which don't even exist outside of switching into predicted Water-type moves as it is frail as shit. Seed Bomb is a good STAB, Sucker Punch is a good priority, and the choice between Drain Punch and Low Kick depends on your item choice. If you choose Life Orb, then Drain Punch is better to heal off the LO recoil, while Focus Sash and Low Kick work better since you won't be needing Drain Punch, and Low Kick hits some targets (registeel mainly) harder. Assault Vest Tangrowth is better because it has access to Giga Drain (a STAB that regains health is cool), a much better overall bulk with 100/125/50 overall bulk and access to Regenerator as well as Knock Off.

Don't use anything of BT where he uses AV. Most of the time it's a random Pokemon w. AV. Thought I'd throw that out there.

 

[Molk]

double posting, don't care.

Don't Use This:

Cacturne @ Assault Vest
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Seed Bomb
- Drain Punch
- Poison Jab

Why It's Bad:
This is a set that has been used lately by BlameTruth, which is the root of all evil when it comes to Assault Vest on Pokemon that shouldn't use it. There are a lot of reasons why this set is bad. First of all, it has pretty bad Special Defense and is frail in general, with only 70 HP and 60 SpD, so that means it's not that good of a user of Assault Vest. Secondly, it would prefer using Spikes or Swords Dance and Assault Vest takes that away. Lastly, it's just.. it's just bad. Why would you ever use Assault Vest on this thing? If you really want a tanky Grass-type so bad, use Assault Vest Tangrowth which isn't as bad, or a defensive Gourgeist or some shit, BUT NOT ASSAULT VEST CACTURNE.

Instead, Use This:

Cacturne @ Life Orb / Focus Sash
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Seed Bomb
- Sucker Punch
- Drain Punch / Low Kick

-OR-

Tangrowth @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Quiet Nature
- Giga Drain
- Knock Off
- Hidden Power Fire
- Earthquake

Why It's Better:
With this Cacturne set, it can boost its attack with Swords Dance to better use its offensive capabilities rather than its defensive ones, which don't even exist outside of switching into predicted Water-type moves as it is frail as shit. Seed Bomb is a good STAB, Sucker Punch is a good priority, and the choice between Drain Punch and Low Kick depends on your item choice. If you choose Life Orb, then Drain Punch is better to heal off the LO recoil, while Focus Sash and Low Kick work better since you won't be needing Drain Punch, and Low Kick hits some targets (registeel mainly) harder. Assault Vest Tangrowth is better because it has access to Giga Drain (a STAB that regains health is cool), a much better overall bulk with 100/125/50 overall bulk and access to Regenerator as well as Knock Off.

I'd also add that another alternative option to Cacturne is Shiftry. It doesn't hit quite as hard as Cacturne and doesn't have access to Water Absorb, but what it does have over Cacturne is significantly more Speed, which makes it less reliant on Sucker Punch a little more bulk to take resisted hits with, access to STAB Knock Off, and possibly most importantly, access to the move Defog, giving it a niche as a hazard clearer all while sharing the same typing with Cacturne. Personally i'd consider using SD Shiftry BEFORE SD Cacturne, but the extra power, ability to fit on Drain Punch/Low Kick to hit Cobalion on the switch, and immunity to Water-type moves (especially Scald) are pretty nice for Cactus i guess. Still though, i'd consider Cacturne for its access to Spikes before anything else (which is a big reason why AV Cacturne is bad, why would you give up an important support move such as this for a boost on a stat thats still mediocre even with the item held? it just doesn't make sense). Sets for both Shiftry and Spikes Cacturne in the hide tags below.

Sets

Shiftry @ Life Orb
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant / Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Seed Bomb

Shiftry @ Life Orb
Ability: Early Bird
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Naughty Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Knock Off
- Leaf Storm
- Defog

Cacturne @ Leftovers / Focus Sash
Ability: Sand Veil / Water Absorb (Encore is illegal with water absorb ;-;).
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Spikes
- Sucker Punch
- Seed Bomb
- Encore / Substitute / Drain Punch / Destiny Bond

 

[aVocado]

hi

Don't use this:

Hitmontop (M) @ Life Orb / Leftovers
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
- Fake Out
- Bullet Punch
- Mach Punch
- Rapid Spin / Close Combat

Why It's Bad:
There was a time where Technitop (the name used to call technician hitmontop) used to be somewhat okay in past generations-mostly in gen 4 uu-, but now is not that time. Technitop is used as a priority (ab)user that gets a decent 50% boost to all its priority moves which are fake out, bullet punch, and mach punch. Now that might sound pretty cool, but it's notو in reality. First of all, Technitop has low base attack (95) and it's not really all that strong. Fake Out and Bullet Punch are still weak even after the Technician boost, and Mach Punch, while it can be kinda strong, like Scizor's bullet punch in OU, is still not that strong because of Hitmontop's low base attack. Technitop also takes away Hitmontop's natural bulk that it can have with Intimidate and some investment.

Instead, Use This:

Hitmontop (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
- Foresight
- Rapid Spin
- Close Combat
- Toxic / Mach Punch

Why It's Better:
This takes advantage of all of Hitmontop's niches as a spinner/pivot. First of all, it has the wonderful ability Intimidate, which allows it to switch in on a lot of physical attackers and not be intimidated by them thanks to the ability and the defense investment. It also uses Foresight + Rapid Spin which no ghost can block, and in the last slot, priority can be used if you absolutely need it, but Toxic is overall a lot better as it can cripple a lot of Pokemon/walls/ghost-types that Hitmontop can't really hurt for a lot.

 

[Molk]

Don't Use This:

Skuntank @ Leftovers
Ability: Aftermath
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Poison Jab
- Pursuit
- Crunch

14:37 Molk !usage skuntank moves
14:37 TIBot Sucker Punch 80.831% | Poison Jab 79.473% | Defog 78.659% | Pursuit 40.193% | Crunch 31.402% | Taunt 30.434% | Foul Play 11.494% | Toxic 7.991% | Fire Blast 6.522% | Flamethrower 5.940% | Haze 4.685% | Roar 3.315% | Other 19.061%

15:09Molk!usage skuntank spreads
15:09TIBotAdamant:252/252/0/0/4/0 27.774% | Impish:252/4/252/0/0/0 4.049% | Careful:252/4/0/0/252/0 3.761% | Careful:252/0/0/0/252/0 3.235% | Adamant:0/252/0/0/4/252 2.805% | Adamant:4/252/0/0/0/252 2.486% | Other 55.890%


Why It's Bad:

Simply put, The only real reason to use Skuntank in RU is because of its access to Defog to remove entry hazards. If you aren't using Skuntank for its ability to Defog, you really shouldn't be using it at all, and there are much better options for Dark-type Pursuit trappers in the tier than the emo skunk. Also, as far as i know the current EV spread being used on the set above is inefficent, despite being what's by far the most used spread.

Instead, Use This:

Skuntank @ Leftovers
Ability: Aftermath
EVs: 252 Atk / 244 SpD / 12 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Poison Jab / Taunt
- Pursuit / Crunch / Poison Jab
- Defog

Why It's Better:

As mentioned before, The only real reason to use Skuntank over the other Dark-types available in RU is because of its access to Defog. Any Skuntank set worth its salt absolutely needs it to not end up outclassed by something else really :/. As for the EV spread, because of Skuntank's stat spread, investing in Special Defense instead of HP actually gives Skunk more bang for its buck, letting it take special hits from the Psychic-type Pokemon etc that it needs to check and counter, Skuntank outright loses to many of RU's physical attackers regardless. Correct me if i'm wrong on this though.


Or At Least Use These:

Why They're Better:

If you don't need Defog support, one of the two Pokemon above probably fits your team better than Skuntank can. Outside of Sucker Punch, Drapion gets every single relevant move Skuntank gets. Need a Dark-type that can hit Aromatisse? Drapion can do that! Need a Pokemon with Pursuit? Drapion can do that too! Drapion also has access to some important moves that Skuntank CANT learn. Including Toxic Spikes, Whirlwind, KNOCK OFF, Swords Dance, Earthquake, and Aqua Tail, making it by far the superior option over Defogless Skuntank overall. If you absolutely need Sucker Punch, Spiritomb still overshadows Skuntank in this role, being just as good as if not better than Skuntank at checking dangerous Psychic-types (being immune to Meloetta's Hyper Voice is pretty big), while having some other nifty tools such as the ability to spinblock, an immunity to both Normal- and Fighting-type moves, and access to Will-O-Wisp to cripple Pokemon that would otherwise take advantage of it, such as Cobalion. Why would you ever use Defogless Skuntank when you can just use one of these ._.

 

[Leer]

Don't use this:

Claydol @ Light Clay
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Light Screen
- Reflect
- Stealth Rock
- Earth Power

Why it's bad:
As was previously said, Claydol overall is a bad Pokemon in RU. Its semi-bulk is worthless when compared with its whopping six weaknesses, leaving it 2HKO'd by quite a lot of Pokemon., which isn't good if you need 2 turns to set up and Claydol isn't exactly fast. It also has trouble with coverage, as Earth Power leaves it helpless against flying types and levitate users (and the almighty Magnet Rise Cobalion).There are only a few other Pokemon that set Screens, but even then there are far better options, including Cresselia, Meowstic, Uxie, and Bronzong. Out of the four of those, there is bound to be one that will do what you want it to and more far better than Claydol can.

Instead, use this:

Cresselia @ Light Clay
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Lunar Dance
- Moonblast

Why it's better:
First things first, Cresselia is bulkier than Claydol by a long shot. Cresselia carries 120/120/130 defenses, which outclasses Claydol's 60/105/120 in every field. Second, Cresselia can help its team in a big way by using Lunar Dance when it is no longer needed/screens are up, as it heals the next Pokemon completely; restoring HP/PP and curing any status. Cresselia lacks weaknesses to Grass, Water, and Ice types, all three of which are very common types in this meta. It can even bulk most super-effective moves, as its bulk allows it to survive most hits, which cannot be said about Claydol due to its HP. Moonblast is a great move, as Fairy typing has great coverage and it has a 30% chance to lower Special Attack (the same as a Scald burn chance). It's also worth noting that Cress is ten points higher than Claydol in speed, which isn't that important but it does outspeed/tie with a couple mons Claydol doesn't.

OR, use these:

Why they're better
Along with Cress, Bronzong also has better bulk, as it had 67/116/116 defenses, only being beaten in Special Defense (but only by a few points). Bronzong's typing is also better defensive-wise, as Steel is great defensive typing. Both it and the aforementioned Cress have Levitate, so if you still want a ground immunity then you still satisfy that need. On top of that, it also carries Stealth Rock, so if you chose Claydol because of its access to Screens and SR then Bronzong is an easy replacement. Meowstic is a good Screener because of Prankster, which guarantees at least one screen up via Priority. It also has Thunder Wave in its arsenal (Cresselia can learn this move as well), so you can paralyze your opponent's Pokemon and use the oppurtunity to set up Screens. Uxie is another bulky screener, with 75/13/130 defenses (which, like Cress, outclasses it in every field). Uxie also carries a huge support movepool, including Stealth Rock (so you still wont miss it), Trick, Thunder Wave, Heal Bell, weather moves, and most importantly Memento and U-turn. The last too allow Uxie to either cut the opponent's attack stats in half and allow a clean switch or stay alive (for later), bulk a hit, and allow for a clean switch.

ScraftyIsTheBest Uxie is now included

 

[ScraftyIsTheBest]

Leer Uxie is also a much better Dual Screens user, because it also has Memento and/or U-turn.

I occasionally see this Pokemon on the ladder, and I am baffled that people even use this thing:

Don't Use This:

Malamar @ Assault Vest
Ability: Contrary
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Superpower
- Night Slash
- Psycho Cut
- Rock Slide

Why it's bad:

I know, Malamar seems good because it has Contrary Superpower. But really, Malamar is a very poor Pokemon that should not at all be seeing more usage than things like Mesprit, Barbaracle, and Togetic. It hits like a wet paper bag, because 92 Attack is really not that good, especially when Malamar relies on low Base Power moves beyond Superpower. It's not even that bulky either, and is pretty slow. What's worse is that Malamar has a really bad defensive typing. It has no resists at all barring a Psychic immunity, which is okay but not that good because a lot of the good Psychic-types in the tier have a way to hit Malamar hard. It's also weak to Bug and Fairy, so it basically gets wrecked by Escavalier and the soon to be banned Yanmega, not to mention U-turn basically owns it. Aromatisse and to a lesser extent Slurpuff and Togetic can also hit it pretty hard. And again, it has no resistances at all, so everything can overwhelm it with repeated attacks since it doesn't resist anything barring Psychic. Basically, this Pokemon is more often than not a liability instead of an asset, and is a waste of a teamslot.

Instead, Use This:

Uhhhh...This Pokemon isn't really as much outclassed as it is outright garbage. Seriously, just use a different Pokemon altogether. Malamar, as I said, is more of a liability than an asset, so it's not good at all. Basically, use something actually good at sweeping, something like Delphox, or to some extent things like Barbaracle, Slurpuff, and Tyrantrum do at least decently at sweeping. If you really want to screw with stat drops I'd much sooner use Pawniard over this thing, lol. And Pawniard is pretty mediocre anyways. Again, please do not use Malamar ever.