Project Doubles OU Next Best Thing: Cycle 13: Landorus-I (Submission)

[|Powerman|]

Amazing Banner by royalfluxh
Approved by Yoda2798 | Hosted by |Powerman|


What is Next Best Thing?
Next best thing is a project aimed at finding undiscovered sets that are shunned in favor of their main ones! Explain how this set works and why it should be used over is more mainstream sets!

How does this work?
Each cycle introduces a new Pokemon just waiting to be experimented with! The submission period will last 5 days, while the voting period lasts for 2. Sets that are already in the stratadex will be banned. Pokemon will be selected based on there leves of innovation, for example, Genesect is usually seen either as a Choice Scarf user, or a Assault Vest user. But what if it was a Band user, or a Specs user, or a Expert belt user? The possibilities are endless! Once a Cycle is completed, the winner will have their set added to the hall of fame!

Rules and Info.​

• Feel free to be creative as possible! All you have to do is show that your set is usuable and your good to go! Just 2 sentences are good.
• Plagarism is allowed under no curcumstance and if seen even only once, the person that employed it is under a permanat blacklist from submission or voting.
• Do not change your set after the submission cycle is complete, doing so will cause automatic Disqualification.
• After 24h if someone has reserved a set but not posted it, you can reserve it.
• If a tie occures, a tibreaker vote will occur so that the next set voted for wins.

 

[|Powerman|]

Hall Of Fame:
Cycle 1: Weakness Policy Bulky Zygarde by talkingtree
Cycle 2: Simple Beam by GenOne
Cycle 3: Assault Vest by fespy
Cycle 4: Sub-Seed by Grandmas Cookin
Cycle 5: Swords Dance by Platinum God n1n1
Cycle 6: Choice Scarf by talkingtree
Cycle 7: Choice Band by Actuarily
Cycle 8: Kart Bait by Mack Knife
Cycle 9: Mixed Vest by fespy
Cycle 10: Beat Up by Memoric
Cycle 11: Agility by talkingtree
Cycle 12: Taunt by KyleCole

Leaderboard

1st Fespy - 3 points
2nd. talkingtree - 3 points
3rd. GenOne - 1 point
4th Grandma's Cookin - 1 point
5th Platinum God n1n1 - 1 point
6th. Actuarily - 1 point
7th. Mack Knife - 1 point
8th. Memoric - 1 point
9th. KyleCole - 1 point

 

[|Powerman|]

Cycle 1: Zygarde

Zygarde has been one of the best Pokemon in SS DOU for a number of reasons, First its signature move in Thousand Arrows is incredibly spammable as nothing is immune to it thanks to smaking down flying types, and its only resisted by Grass and Bug types. Alongside its good Attack and great 108/121/95 bulk allows it to slot nicely into a CB or Dragon Dance sweeper. But its not about those 2 sets, its about Innovation, and its your job to make a new set!
Banned Sets​

 

[RelicanthPrimal]

Zygarde @ Leftovers
Ability: Aura Break
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Impish Nature
- Thousand Waves
- Glare/Toxic
- Dragon Tail
- Protect

Trap stuff and then status it or remove annoying stuff with dragon tail. Tect to stall a trapping turn.

weird trapping support

 

[Crunchman]

https://pokepast.es/fbddf1d7fa049d0f
hey. you guys remember gothitelle? how fun it was to trap pokemon and just dragon dance with zygarde?
Well actually, you can run thousand arrows and trap stuff.
This set runs coil over dragon dance because A. its in the rules and B. the meta is very physical, and coil helps abuse that. The presence of critshifu and kartana make this task more difficult, but it is managable.
Scale shot benefits from boosted accuracy and can make use of zygarde's dragon type stab to snipe targets. Paired with redirection, it makes for a fearsome combo. Scale shot also gives you enough speed to outspeed dragapult. This has a downside of completely whiffing against targets like togekiss, but this can be managed with proper support; you can also run thousand arrows.
Protect allows for zygarde to pivot in proper support; Substitute can also be run with the downside of being more fake out vulnerable, at least until you set up a sub.
Support with healing moves such as life dew or pollen puff in addition to grassy terrain support help this set recoup any HP it loses.
The speed EVs allow it to outspeed Dragapult and Zeraora at +1 (and effectively most pokemon in the tier). The attack evs... do something and the HP is just dumped for bulk.

 

[Actuarily]

Fun idea! Here’s a zygarde set I’ve used earlier in this meta that I’ve meant to revisit: Soft Sand Zygarde!

Zygarde @ Soft Sand
Ability: Aura Break
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Thousand Arrows
- Thousand Waves
- Dragon Dance
- Protect

The idea behind the set is simple, throw out zygarde early, and determine what your opponent’s counter is. Zygarde’s first turn it clicks thousand waves as you switch into an ally that beats your opponent’s counter, and they’ll switch it in and their counter will be trapped! From there you can eliminate the counter and then begin the dragon dance sweep.

This set works well with Pokémon that are good into grass/fairy/ice types, as those are the main types that make up Zygarde counters. Soft Sand is a great item for zygarde as it feels like it hits like Choice Band, but offers the flexibility of being able to run a dragon dance set.

 

[GenOne]

Zygarde is a weird pick because DD and Band are literally the only good sets, but here's my next best thing:

Zygarde @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Aura Break
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Thousand Arrows
- Superpower
- Scale Shot
- Glare

Dunk on unsuspecting Zeraoras. Revenge kill chipped down Kartanas and Dragon-types. Turbo Glare stuff if this mon has nothing better to do.

 

[Darkmalice]

Zygarde @ Leftovers
Ability: Aura Break
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Thousand Arrows
- Coil
- Substitute / ExtremeSpeed / Scale Shot
- Protect

Coil Zygarde. Essentially Dragon Dance Zygade with Coil instead of Dragon Dance. Recommended with Sticky Web support, which indirectly provides a Speed boost and lets Zygarde outspeed the entire unboosted metagame. And if Zygarde does so automatically, may as well grab a Defence boost instead of Speed. Substitute is copy + paste from the DD set, but ExtremeSpeed and Scale Shot are alternatives that function both as additional coverage and as methods to circumvent the Speed difference. Scale Shot is interesting in that it benefits from the accuracy boost and Coil negates the Def drop, encouraging a Coil --> Scale Shot --> spam Thousand Arrows gameplan. Scale Shot, however, discourages the pairing of Zygarde with Fini, which means alongside the lack of Substitute, you are vulnerable to status.

 

[Deleted User 465389]

(edit 1; got rid of the awful hyper beam for sludge wave)
Specsgarde;

Zygarde @ Choice Specs
Ability; Aura Break
EV’s; 4 HP/ 252 SPA/252 SPE
Modest Nature
-Draco Meteor
- Scorching Sands
-Sludge Wave
-Shock Wave​

Zygarde has a decent 81 base attack, and good stab moves with draco meteor and scorching sands(with a nice burn chance for sands). Shock Wave is to catch urshifu’s off guard, and sludge wave is for fairies.

scorching calcs

252+ SpA Choice Specs Zygarde Shock Wave vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Urshifu-Rapid-Strike: 238-280 (69.7 - 82.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ SpA Choice Specs Zygarde Draco Meteor vs. 248 HP / 92 SpD Blastoise: 223-264 (61.7 - 73.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ SpA Choice Specs Zygarde Scorching Sands vs. 248 HP / 160+ SpD Incineroar: 230-272 (58.5 - 69.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ SpA Choice Specs Zygarde Draco Meteor vs. 252 HP / 60 SpD Landorus-Therian: 285-336 (74.6 - 87.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 SpA Choice Specs Zygarde Sludge Wave vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Tapu Fini: 180-214 (52.4 - 62.3%) -- 99.6% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

 

[talkingtree]

Weakness Policy Bulky Zygarde

Zygarde @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Aura Break
EVs: 240 HP / 200 Atk / 36 SpD / 32 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Thousand Arrows
- Extreme Speed / Substitute
- Dragon Dance
- Protect

I stole this idea from SMB (though I'm not sure of SMB's spread), but it seems like the only good way to use Zygarde that isn't in the banned sets. With these EVs, Zygarde takes a non-LO Latias Ice Beam and outruns it after a DD. I've paired it with Tapu Fini for Heal Pulse support + Misty Terrain; with Misty Terrain up, Zygarde can take a Draco Meteor from Dragapult fairly easily. SMB used Comfey instead, since its priority healing and TW support can enable this set in a different way. Although Zygarde can take non-STAB Ice Beams from Mew, Tyranitar, non-LO Latias, or a +0 Genesect or Porygon2, it's not going to take any Kyurem-B's Ice Beam and any Ice Beam user with a boost from its item or ability is still going to OHKO no matter what. In addition, in order to bump up Zygarde's bulk, you have to cut pretty heavily into its Speed, so this Zygarde definitely appreciates Fake Out support to set up multiple times and reliable speed control. You can shift around the balance of Attack and Speed (for example, 116+ Atk / 116 Spe outruns Modest Heatran at +0 and Naganadel/Ribombee at +1, and going all the way to 104 Atk / 128+ Spe outruns Zeraora at +1); however, I think investing heavily in Attack is the best way to take advantage of Weakness Policy.

 

[Platinum God n1n1]

all the good ideas are taken so here is the crap I came up with

calcs

132+ SpA Porygon2 Ice Beam vs. +1 220 HP / 252+ SpD Zygarde: 168-200 (40.7 - 48.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

252+ SpA Volcanion Steam Eruption vs. +1 220 HP / 252+ SpD Zygarde: 99-117 (24 - 28.3%) -- 94.7% chance to 4HKO

+2 8 Atk Zygarde Superpower vs. 252 HP / 16 Def Eviolite Porygon2: 248-294 (66.3 - 78.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

+1 8 Atk Zygarde Superpower vs. 252 HP / 16 Def Eviolite Porygon2: 188-222 (50.2 - 59.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

This mon is bulky and can out run Kartana after an Icy Wind/Webs. And easily 2HKO at +1 with super power.
Pain Split is sometimes the most powerful move due to low attack. Its a bulky mon

full team
https://pokepast.es/fc8528ebfaa2f757

replays

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8doublesou-1358277372
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8doublesou-1358897298
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8doublesou-1358899913

 

[|Powerman|]

Voting Time, we got 8 people for our first cycle, which is great! Also just vote for your favorite one.

Status Trapper by RelicanthPrimal
Coil Trapper by Crunchman
Dragon Dance Trapper by The_Bandit
Choice Scarf by GenOne
Coil Sweeper by Darkmalice
Choice Specs by Xaviere
Weakness Policy Bulky Zygarde by talkingtree
Misty Seed Coil by Platinum God n1n1

 

[emma]

talkingtree

 

[Actuarily]

Talkingtree

 

[GenOne]

talkingtree

 

[SingleThunder]

talkingtree

 

[RelicanthPrimal]

n1n1

 

[Deleted User 465389]

talkingtree

 

[fespy]

bandit / actuarily

 

[Darkmalice]

n1n1

 

[Toxigen]

Tree

 

[|Powerman|]

Congrats to our wonderful talkingtree for winning our first cycle as a landslide! Your set will be added to the hall of fame! Now to our next set!

Cycle 2: Genesect


Genesect has been one of the best offensive threaths in DOU. Its Choice Scarf set is able to outspeed mons such as Kartana, Landorus-I, and a boosted Kommo-o, and its Assault Vest set allows it to act as a pivot. These 2 sets, while the norm, aren't the only sets that are able to be used effectivly, and your job is to find the best of it!
Banned Sets​

 

[Actuarily]

Doing the epic choice band set first because I know I’m not the only one thinking it:

Genesect @ Choice Band
Ability: Download
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Iron Head
- U-turn
- Explosion
- Extreme Speed

This set relies more on the surprise factor than anything. Extremely powerful u-turns and extremespeeds (especially if you get the attack boost from download) can be devastating as you reposition or revenge kill. But the real key to this set is explosion. A well timed explosion can win games, possibly koing both your opponent’s Pokémon while your ally protects or switches into a ghost type. Lastly iron head is chosen for STAB and to hit threats like Diancie and Kyu-b, but if you don’t need the steel move you can absolutely swap this for your favorite tech of choice such as Ice Beam, Flamethrower, etc.

Here’s some calcs to show you just how hard explosion hits - but admittedly it is reliant on getting the attack boost from download:

+1 252 Atk Choice Band Genesect Explosion vs. 248 HP / 104+ Def Tapu Fini: 318-375 (92.7 - 109.3%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO

+1 252 Atk Choice Band Genesect Explosion vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Zygarde: 368-433 (103 - 121.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO

 

[Platinum God n1n1]

Importable

Genesect @ Silver Powder
Ability: Download
EVs: 112 HP / 252 Atk / 144 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Shift Gear
- Leech Life
- Iron Head
- Protect

This is my genesect. There is not much to say other than it is EV'd to out run modest kingdra in the rain at +2speed from Shift Gear.
You could run a 3rd physical attack instead of protect or even Ice Beam. But with the right mons built around this Genesect you can increase its longevity with the Leech Life recovery boosted by Silver Powder

 

[Grandmas Cookin]

i bring you, the weather genesect set!

Genesect @ Douse Drive / Burn Drive
Ability: Download
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- U-turn
- Techno Blast
- Thunder / Solar Beam
- Ice Beam

lack of abusers for your weather team is no longer an issue as this genesect can take advantage of its 120 base power signature move with a 1.5x boost as well as 100% accurate thunder or a 1 turn solar beam in their respective weather conditions.