Overused Leads (July 2009)

[X-Act]

Here's an updated list of the Overused Leads in each metagame. The overused leads for June shall be listed next to the overused leads for January, February, March, April and May, to compare the differences:

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Standard Ladder Overused Leads                                              |
+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+
| January    | February   | March      | April      | May        | June       |
+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+
| Aerodactyl | Aerodactyl | Aerodactyl | Abomasnow  | Abomasnow  | Aerodactyl |
| Azelf      | Azelf      | Azelf      | Aerodactyl | Aerodactyl | Azelf      |
| Bronzong   | Bronzong   | Bronzong   | Azelf      | Azelf      | Bronzong   |
| Gengar     | Gengar     | Gengar     | Bronzong   | Bronzong   | Heatran    |
| Gyarados   | Heatran    | Heatran    | Heatran    | Heatran    | Hippowdon  |
| Heatran    | Hippowdon  | Hippowdon  | Hippowdon  | Hippowdon  | Infernape  |
| Hippowdon  | Infernape  | Infernape  | Infernape  | Infernape  | Jirachi    |
| Infernape  | Jirachi    | Jirachi    | Jirachi    | Jirachi    | Metagross  |
| Jirachi    | Metagross  | Metagross  | Metagross  | Metagross  | Ninjask    |
| Metagross  | Ninjask    | Ninjask    | Ninjask    | Ninjask    | Roserade   |
| Ninjask    | Swampert   | Swampert   | Swampert   | Swampert   | Smeargle   |
| Swampert   | Tyranitar  | Tyranitar  | Tyranitar  | Tyranitar  | Swampert   |
| Tyranitar  |            |            |            |            | Tyranitar  |
+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+

Abomasnow is out, while Smeargle and, interestingly, Roserade are in.

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Uber Ladder Overused Leads                                                  |
+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+
| January    | February   | March      | April      | May        | June       |
+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+
| Darkrai    | Darkrai    | Darkrai    | Darkrai    | Darkrai    | Darkrai    |
| Deoxys-A   | Deoxys-A   | Deoxys-S   | Deoxys-S   | Deoxys-S   | Deoxys-S   |
| Deoxys-S   | Deoxys-S   | Groudon    | Groudon    | Groudon    | Groudon    |
| Kyogre     | Kyogre     | Kyogre     | Kyogre     | Kyogre     | Kyogre     |
| Mewtwo     |            |            |            |            |            |
+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+

No changes.

+----------------------------------------------------------------+------------+
| Underused Ladder Overused Leads                                             |
+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+
| January    | February   | March      | April      | May        | June       |
+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+
| Abomasnow  | Abomasnow  | Ambipom    | Ambipom    | Ambipom    | Ambipom    |
| Ambipom    | Ambipom    | Arcanine   | Arcanine   | Arcanine   | Arcanine   |
| Crobat     | Arcanine   | Electrode  | Crobat     | Cloyster   | Electrode  |
| Electrode  | Crobat     | Hippopotas | Electrode  | Crobat     | Hippopotas |
| Froslass   | Electrode  | Hitmontop  | Hippopotas | Electrode  | Mesprit    |
| Mesprit    | Froslass   | Mesprit    | Lopunny    | Hippopotas | Moltres    |
| Roserade   | Hippopotas | Nidoqueen  | Moltres    | Moltres    | Regirock   |
| Staraptor  | Roserade   | Roserade   | Nidoqueen  | Regirock   | Roserade   |
| Typhlosion | Smeargle   | Smeargle   | Persian    | Roserade   | Steelix    |
| Uxie       | Typhlosion | Steelix    | Roserade   | Uxie       | Typhlosion |
|            | Uxie       | Swellow    | Smeargle   | Yanmega    | Uxie       |
|            |            | Typhlosion | Steelix    |            | Yanmega    |
|            |            | Uxie       | Swellow    |            |            |
|            |            |            | Typhlosion |            |            |
|            |            |            | Uxie       |            |            |
|            |            |            | Yanmega    |            |            |
+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+

Crobat is obviously out, but Cloyster is out too. Mesprit, Steelix and Typhlosion are in.

+----------------------------------------------------------------+------------+
| Suspect Ladder Overused Leads                                               |
+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+
| January    | February   | March      | April      | May        | June       |
+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+
| Aerodactyl | Azelf      | Abomasnow  | Abomasnow  | Bronzong   | Azelf      |
| Azelf      | Bronzong   | Azelf      | Azelf      | Deoxys-S   | Bronzong   |
| Heatran    | Infernape  | Bronzong   | Heatran    | Jirachi    | Heatran    |
| Infernape  | Jirachi    | Jirachi    | Jirachi    | Metagross  | Jirachi    |
| Jirachi    | Metagross  | Metagross  | Metagross  | Shaymin-S  | Mamoswine  |
| Metagross  | Swampert   | Swampert   | Roserade   | Tyranitar  | Metagross  |
| Swampert   |            |            |            |            | Shaymin-S  |
|            |            |            |            |            | Tyranitar  |
+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+

Interestingly, last month saw the most diverse leads in Suspect for this year so far. Deoxys-S is obviously out, and it's replaced by Azelf, Bronzong and Mamoswine. Mamoswine was actually the second-most common lead in June for the Suspect ladder. Coincidence?

 

[jackO]

thanks xact.

what caused abamasnow to stop being used?

 

[Objection]

Probably the fact that hail teams are so hard to maintain in OU with Hippowdon and Tyranitar running rampant.

 

[Zeromus EG]

Probably the fact that hail teams are so hard to maintain in OU with Hippowdon and Tyranitar running rampant.

What so you're saying that in the last month Tyranitar and Hippowdon suddenly started running rampant? They'd always been overused anyway.

I'd say that seeing as Roserade runs HP Fire and the fact that Smeargle outspeeds and Spores him would mean that Abomasnow would see a decrease in usage, seeing as they both are in this month.

I don't see why Shaymin-S isn't used as a lead so much in Ubers, it outspeeds everything with a Scarf (even with Modest it still beats max Deoxys) and can Seed Flare the common Groudon and Kyogre leads into the ground. Even if the enemy sees this and switches, the possibility of -2 SpDef means even his counters can be defeated after they switch in. Darkrai and Deoxys can be 2HKOd by Timid Air Slash, often preventing Deoxys setting anything up at all.

 

[MarcusFenix]

I'm suprised Weavile isn't up there. It has some good lead-off weapons.

 

[Objection]

What so you're saying that in the last month Tyranitar and Hippowdon suddenly started running rampant? They'd always been overused anyway.

I think the two-month spike in Aboma's usage was probably because Aboma went to BL so people who used to use hail teams in UU but still wanted to use him tried their hand at hail teams in OU. It's just a theory though, and I'm not sure why Abomasnow was being used so much as a lead in the first place.

 

[MetaNite]

I added up the top 100 leads that use Stealth Rock's usage for the month and it is: 56.050000000000004

So this means that about 56% of all leads carry Stealth Rock. Interesting to know. A lot of people seem to think Stealth Rock is always on the field, first thing. Not true.

 

[charmander6000]

56% is still high plus there are teams that have a Stealth Rock user, but not as a lead pokemon.

 

[lightfist10]

i havent ran into a rosezerade lead in some time