with some lucky egg and exp. share switching and some rare candies, I managed to evolve both Vanillish and Fraxure right before the E4. This does mean that Liepard, Simisage and Crustle are a little bit underleveled here, at least compared to what level they could have had, but I don't think it's that big of a deal overall.
Shauntal
- Liepard (44): with a rawst berry equiped to make Cofagrigus waste a turn, Liepard can set up three hone claw boosts. With those three boosts, Liepard outspeeds and OHKO's Shauntals entire team with night slash. You might need one healing item to get rid of burn, but other than that it's a great matchup for Liepard.
- Simisage (43): Simisage can't set up on cofagrigus in the same way as Liepard because Cofagrigus' shadow ball is a 2HKO. Without set-up, Chandelure beats Simisage as well. Simi 2HKO's both Jellicent and Golurk though, and it's a OHKO with a work up boosts. If you boost up on either Jellicent or Golurk, you can also put heavy damage on Chandelure with dig, but not enough to OHKO. Overall, decent matchup.
- Crustle (44): even with two shell smashes, Crustle fails to OHKO Cofagrigus with shadow claw, so there is no way to set up here. Golurk and Jellicent can be set up on thanks to sturdy, but Crusle still fails in OHKO'ing either of them. He comes close though, so with some better IV's or an extra level or two, it mightbe possible to OHKO Golurk and Jellicent with shadow claw. With sturdy active, Crustle memes on Chandelure though with shell smash + rock slide. For me, it was a below average matchup, but I can see how other people might have more success with Crustle here.
- Vanilluxe (47): Cofagrigus is cleanly 2HKO'd by ice beam. Shauntal then sends out Chandelure, which Vanilluxe has no way of beating, so you have to switch. Golurk is outsped and OHKOd by ice beam, and Jellicent can be 2HKO'd by mirror coat. You might need one healing item against Jellicent if you already took a shadow ball from Cofagrigus. Overall, pretty good matchup.
- Haxorus (48): Haxorus can set up two swords dances on Cofagrigus, again with a rawst berry to make Haxorus waste a turn. At plus 4, Haxorus just outspeeds and OHKO's everything with dragon claw. You might need a healing item to get rid of the burn. Overall, great matchup.
Grimsley
- Liepard (45): It's useless... Fails to kill anything, or even deal damage at all. Dies to everything as well. The opposing Liepard is the only somewhat OK matchup. Terrible
- Simisage (43): Simisage can't set up on Scrafty because poison jab is a 2HKO. Against the three other pokemon, Simisage can do a lot of damage, but all of the three matchups are risky, to put it lightly. It can 2HKO Bisharp with brick break at full HP. It also can beat Liepard and Krook if it outspeeds. Mine didn't outspeed either Liepard or Krook, so it could only deal heavy damage before going down. Overall, it's an iffy, but not totally bad matchup, similar to Crustle vs Shauntal.
- Crustle (44): This matchup is not as great as it looks at first. It can't beat Scrafty reliably. It needs two shell smashes to 2HKO Scrafty, but Crustle is already dead before getting that 2HKO because of the defense drops. Krook and Liepard are both OHKO'd after a boost (taking Krooks intimidate into acount), but Bisharp survives and deals heavy damage with metal claw. Overall, it's still a good matchup for Crustle, but it's not as good as I had hoped.
- Vanilluxe (47): Scrafty is not actually very strong, so Vanilluxe can set up acid armour on it. After three acid armours, Vanilluxe takes minimal damage from Grimsleys entire team. After the setup, it's just a matter of spamming ice beam. Bisharp is annoying because he takes long to take down with ice beam, but he can't break through Vanilluxe without a crit. Overall, great matchup. You do need one to two healing items, and I recommend an x Sp. Atk to speed things up.
- Haxorus (48): use taunt to shut down sand attack on Scrafty. You should then set up one or two dragon dances and two swords dances. Crunch is only a 4HKO, so you have plenty of time to set up. After the setup, you rampage though everything but Bisharp, who can't do much damage back anyway. Good matchup
Caitlin
- Liepard (45): Reuniclus OHKO's Liepard with focus blast after taking a night slash. Sigilyph is outsped, so you can get one boost and barely OHKO it with night slash. After that, Caitlin sends out Gothitelle. At plus one, Liepard fails to OHKO Gothitelle, but it comes close. Musarna doesn't pose much of a threat to Liepard, so setup is possible here if you can lure it out. Overall, decent matchup.
- Simisage (44): Sigilyph is a problem because it OHKO's Simisage, though it does take heavy damage from rock slide if you have that. All of the others 2HKO with psychic, while Simisage 3HKO's all of them with shadow claw. In other words, Simisage can't kill anything before going down. It can't set up anywhere either. bad matchup.
- Crustle (45): Crustle OHKO's everything with its STABs after a shell smash. Great matchup
- Vanilluxe (47): Reuniclus OHKO's it with focus blast, so that's a no go. Sigilyph is OHKO'd by ice beam. Gothitelle can be memed on by mirror coat, but this is a bit inconsistent thanks to calm mind. I tested it twice, and Goth used calm mind just once before using psychic, which resulted in her own demise. You also have the option of light screen to make things easier for your teammates. Overall, pretty good matchup.
- Haxorus (48): with just one swords dance, Haxorus runs through Caitlins entire team. Great matchup.
Marshal
- Liepard (46): gg
- Simisage (44): because the AI is stupid, Troh only uses either stone edge or buldoze. So, setting up is actually possible here, but you do need some potions. Using an x def. is adviced here, because all of Marshals pokemon will outspeed after a couple of bulldozes. I also recommend using a sitrus berry as item to easy the setup, but also because acrobatics is the optimal attacking move so you need to not have an item. After three work ups, you can start to attack, healing whenever necessary. Overall, Simisage can sweep but it is not effecient. Without setup it is wholly uninpressive, though you have a chance to OHKO Mienshao with acrobatics even without setup.
- Crustle (45): aerial ace is not strong enough to OHKO Throh and Conkeldurr, even after a shell smash. Sawk survives thanks to sturdy. All three of these retaliate with stone edge, which does heavy damage. Crustle does have a chance against Mienshao, but you might need the expert belt. Overall, poor matchup.
- Vanilluxe (47): again, the AI doesn't realise that storm through has a 100% crit chance. Because of this, Vanilluxe can actually set up three acid armours, after which it takes minimal damage even from SE hits. The only problem is that three of Marshals pokemon have stone edge, which can kill Vanilluxe if it crits. That said, Vanilluxe is pretty bulky, so it can actually live a non-STAB crit stone edge at full health. The matchup is not really good or bad, just risky.
- Haxorus (48): Once again, Haxorus runs through the entire team with just one swords dance. It even memes on sturdy Sawk with mold breaker. Great matchup.
Shauntal
- Liepard (44): with a rawst berry equiped to make Cofagrigus waste a turn, Liepard can set up three hone claw boosts. With those three boosts, Liepard outspeeds and OHKO's Shauntals entire team with night slash. You might need one healing item to get rid of burn, but other than that it's a great matchup for Liepard.
- Simisage (43): Simisage can't set up on cofagrigus in the same way as Liepard because Cofagrigus' shadow ball is a 2HKO. Without set-up, Chandelure beats Simisage as well. Simi 2HKO's both Jellicent and Golurk though, and it's a OHKO with a work up boosts. If you boost up on either Jellicent or Golurk, you can also put heavy damage on Chandelure with dig, but not enough to OHKO. Overall, decent matchup.
- Crustle (44): even with two shell smashes, Crustle fails to OHKO Cofagrigus with shadow claw, so there is no way to set up here. Golurk and Jellicent can be set up on thanks to sturdy, but Crusle still fails in OHKO'ing either of them. He comes close though, so with some better IV's or an extra level or two, it mightbe possible to OHKO Golurk and Jellicent with shadow claw. With sturdy active, Crustle memes on Chandelure though with shell smash + rock slide. For me, it was a below average matchup, but I can see how other people might have more success with Crustle here.
- Vanilluxe (47): Cofagrigus is cleanly 2HKO'd by ice beam. Shauntal then sends out Chandelure, which Vanilluxe has no way of beating, so you have to switch. Golurk is outsped and OHKOd by ice beam, and Jellicent can be 2HKO'd by mirror coat. You might need one healing item against Jellicent if you already took a shadow ball from Cofagrigus. Overall, pretty good matchup.
- Haxorus (48): Haxorus can set up two swords dances on Cofagrigus, again with a rawst berry to make Haxorus waste a turn. At plus 4, Haxorus just outspeeds and OHKO's everything with dragon claw. You might need a healing item to get rid of the burn. Overall, great matchup.
Grimsley
- Liepard (45): It's useless... Fails to kill anything, or even deal damage at all. Dies to everything as well. The opposing Liepard is the only somewhat OK matchup. Terrible
- Simisage (43): Simisage can't set up on Scrafty because poison jab is a 2HKO. Against the three other pokemon, Simisage can do a lot of damage, but all of the three matchups are risky, to put it lightly. It can 2HKO Bisharp with brick break at full HP. It also can beat Liepard and Krook if it outspeeds. Mine didn't outspeed either Liepard or Krook, so it could only deal heavy damage before going down. Overall, it's an iffy, but not totally bad matchup, similar to Crustle vs Shauntal.
- Crustle (44): This matchup is not as great as it looks at first. It can't beat Scrafty reliably. It needs two shell smashes to 2HKO Scrafty, but Crustle is already dead before getting that 2HKO because of the defense drops. Krook and Liepard are both OHKO'd after a boost (taking Krooks intimidate into acount), but Bisharp survives and deals heavy damage with metal claw. Overall, it's still a good matchup for Crustle, but it's not as good as I had hoped.
- Vanilluxe (47): Scrafty is not actually very strong, so Vanilluxe can set up acid armour on it. After three acid armours, Vanilluxe takes minimal damage from Grimsleys entire team. After the setup, it's just a matter of spamming ice beam. Bisharp is annoying because he takes long to take down with ice beam, but he can't break through Vanilluxe without a crit. Overall, great matchup. You do need one to two healing items, and I recommend an x Sp. Atk to speed things up.
- Haxorus (48): use taunt to shut down sand attack on Scrafty. You should then set up one or two dragon dances and two swords dances. Crunch is only a 4HKO, so you have plenty of time to set up. After the setup, you rampage though everything but Bisharp, who can't do much damage back anyway. Good matchup
Caitlin
- Liepard (45): Reuniclus OHKO's Liepard with focus blast after taking a night slash. Sigilyph is outsped, so you can get one boost and barely OHKO it with night slash. After that, Caitlin sends out Gothitelle. At plus one, Liepard fails to OHKO Gothitelle, but it comes close. Musarna doesn't pose much of a threat to Liepard, so setup is possible here if you can lure it out. Overall, decent matchup.
- Simisage (44): Sigilyph is a problem because it OHKO's Simisage, though it does take heavy damage from rock slide if you have that. All of the others 2HKO with psychic, while Simisage 3HKO's all of them with shadow claw. In other words, Simisage can't kill anything before going down. It can't set up anywhere either. bad matchup.
- Crustle (45): Crustle OHKO's everything with its STABs after a shell smash. Great matchup
- Vanilluxe (47): Reuniclus OHKO's it with focus blast, so that's a no go. Sigilyph is OHKO'd by ice beam. Gothitelle can be memed on by mirror coat, but this is a bit inconsistent thanks to calm mind. I tested it twice, and Goth used calm mind just once before using psychic, which resulted in her own demise. You also have the option of light screen to make things easier for your teammates. Overall, pretty good matchup.
- Haxorus (48): with just one swords dance, Haxorus runs through Caitlins entire team. Great matchup.
Marshal
- Liepard (46): gg
- Simisage (44): because the AI is stupid, Troh only uses either stone edge or buldoze. So, setting up is actually possible here, but you do need some potions. Using an x def. is adviced here, because all of Marshals pokemon will outspeed after a couple of bulldozes. I also recommend using a sitrus berry as item to easy the setup, but also because acrobatics is the optimal attacking move so you need to not have an item. After three work ups, you can start to attack, healing whenever necessary. Overall, Simisage can sweep but it is not effecient. Without setup it is wholly uninpressive, though you have a chance to OHKO Mienshao with acrobatics even without setup.
- Crustle (45): aerial ace is not strong enough to OHKO Throh and Conkeldurr, even after a shell smash. Sawk survives thanks to sturdy. All three of these retaliate with stone edge, which does heavy damage. Crustle does have a chance against Mienshao, but you might need the expert belt. Overall, poor matchup.
- Vanilluxe (47): again, the AI doesn't realise that storm through has a 100% crit chance. Because of this, Vanilluxe can actually set up three acid armours, after which it takes minimal damage even from SE hits. The only problem is that three of Marshals pokemon have stone edge, which can kill Vanilluxe if it crits. That said, Vanilluxe is pretty bulky, so it can actually live a non-STAB crit stone edge at full health. The matchup is not really good or bad, just risky.
- Haxorus (48): Once again, Haxorus runs through the entire team with just one swords dance. It even memes on sturdy Sawk with mold breaker. Great matchup.