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Metagame SV OU Metagame Discussion v2 [Update on Post #5186]
- Thread starter TPP
- Start date
- Status
If only Milotic got Scald and not every generic water type is a win in my book #NoScaldForToxapex
I expect all the Scald-return Welcomers to go out there and embrace a Scald to the Face. Not their team, you get it if you missed it so much.
Real talk though if they're going to massively trim down Defog distribution, I would hope they also show some judgement in Scald reintroduction.
Real talk though if they're going to massively trim down Defog distribution, I would hope they also show some judgement in Scald reintroduction.
I could see them reintroducing Defog as well since it was a TM in BDSP.
If Scald returns, it may make the recovery PP nerf more significant. IDK how others feel about it, but I haven't found Recover's PP nerf to make too much of a difference in real battles barring against Stall teams, setup wars, or when the opponent only has one Pokemon remaining. Part of the reason for this is that Toxic, Knock Off, and Scald no longer have as wide distribution, so stuff like Dragonite doesn't need to Roost as often since it isn't getting chipped by Status / Hazards as much. Granted, I think Toxic & Knock Off were the bigger contriibuting factor to needing to recover so frequently last gen, but potential chip caused by Scald could still overlap with other forms of chip to put various Pokemon like Dragonite and Corviknight in worse positions where they need to Roost, espicially since they will be hitting like a wet noodle and will require double the attacks to actually beat their targets. In a Tera metagame, status moves are very good since they require very specific Tera types to beat (i.e. Kingambit needs Tera Fire to evade Wisp). Because Scald is hitting Fire-types super effectively, Tera isn't really an option as counterplay to it barring some sussy strategies like Weakness Policy Tera Fire.
AnimaticLunatic
I COULD BE BANNED!
What do you people have against grass? Make it resist dragon or something.
I ahve nothing else to add. I am happy somewhat with the state of the meta. Maybe the iron valiant could be looked at because its kind of hard to predict which moves, much less set, it is running. But everything else? Its cool.
Is Samurott still in use in 1800+ ladder or has new toy syndrome finally faded?
Dude it's okay to say you want it to stop being used because you find it annoying to face. You keep going back and forth complaining about it. (And you can watch WCoP replays and see its being used there too so it's not going anywhere)
I'm genuinely gonna be sad if they put Scald on every Water type again. The move is so brainless and easy to use with very little downside for clicking it, and Water super does not need a buff this generation. Hopefully they're more judicious with its distribution. For the love of god just do not put it on Pex at bare minimum.
To be fair, Defog was a TM in BDSP primarily for the foggy weather that the Sinnoh games had in various parts of the region. Defog needed to be a part of the remake and ended up being just as accessible as in the originals.
I would like to think that we are beyond "new toy syndrome" at this point (implying that his usage was merely due to that and not because he's genuinely a solid mon). At this point he's staying for a good while.
New tm moves are a guarantee imo, since the addition of new Pokémon will mean new materials to craft with. Adding new tms seems justified with the machine and all.
I also recommend making Water weak to Poison
I can see a few users who it might be a fair tool for but we do not need it back at "every Water with TMs" levels.
Bro is seething
Yeah I'm not even denying it. Scald for everything was a mistake and I trust players who want it back on everything less than I trust players who think Unrestricted Tera is good.
One of the best things about this meta is that it effectively removed Scald. It’s only on Volcanion, but Volcanion also has no use for Scald when it has Steam Eruption.
Scald as a move is something majority of people are not a fan of, from at least tolerating it to loathing it. The 2 main issues with Scald in previous Gens are;
1. It being distributed to so many Pokemon who really don’t need it. Even if it makes no sense thematically.
2. Fact that it’s a burn inducing move that’s Water type on mostly Water type Pokemon, so only real counterplay is to use something with specific abilities like Magic Guard or Water Absorb.
Basically unless you’re facing Lapras or something, every Bulky Water type had a chance to burn you, or deal a lot of damage for a bulky Water type because you’re a Fire type switching into a Water move. And because they are bulky Waters, they can fish for burns multiple times, increasing the likelyhood of getting a burn thoughout the game.
With Lava Plume, you could at least reliably send in any Fire type and was distributed sparingly. Scorching Sand was fine since you can send a Flying type out, and most Pokemon who got had better Burn options or better Ground moves, making only Palossand and Charizard the only real users of the move.
Let’s hope that Scald isn’t distributed to 99% of Water types, possibly gets a mid-gen nerf/rework, or better yet is one of those Blaziken used Ice Punch scenarios.
Scald as a move is something majority of people are not a fan of, from at least tolerating it to loathing it. The 2 main issues with Scald in previous Gens are;
1. It being distributed to so many Pokemon who really don’t need it. Even if it makes no sense thematically.
2. Fact that it’s a burn inducing move that’s Water type on mostly Water type Pokemon, so only real counterplay is to use something with specific abilities like Magic Guard or Water Absorb.
Basically unless you’re facing Lapras or something, every Bulky Water type had a chance to burn you, or deal a lot of damage for a bulky Water type because you’re a Fire type switching into a Water move. And because they are bulky Waters, they can fish for burns multiple times, increasing the likelyhood of getting a burn thoughout the game.
With Lava Plume, you could at least reliably send in any Fire type and was distributed sparingly. Scorching Sand was fine since you can send a Flying type out, and most Pokemon who got had better Burn options or better Ground moves, making only Palossand and Charizard the only real users of the move.
Let’s hope that Scald isn’t distributed to 99% of Water types, possibly gets a mid-gen nerf/rework, or better yet is one of those Blaziken used Ice Punch scenarios.
I've certainly learned that Distribution. Is. Everything. Even the most braindead, wtf move or ability can be balanced by poor distribution.
That poster 2 above me says they're glad Scald took a hit? I feel the same way about Toxic. You'd think they would have special, extreme measures against poison in the Pokemon World given how everything can be venomous at a moments notice. With super venom at that!
That poster 2 above me says they're glad Scald took a hit? I feel the same way about Toxic. You'd think they would have special, extreme measures against poison in the Pokemon World given how everything can be venomous at a moments notice. With super venom at that!
i think scald, knock off, & toxic were positive influences with their full distribution
I’ll vote to ban Tera if we ban scald, how’s that for a deal?
I'll settle for Scald on Team Preview /j
So I think we can all agree Morkal is our resident cook, yes?Calyrex
View attachment 528518
"Calyrex is said to have ruled Galar in ancient times as a merciful king. Despite its delicate and slight appearance, it can move with grace and dignity." - Bulbapedia
"There are Kingambit, Scald, Tera, and Volcarona talks going in circles again? No problem; here's Calyrex in OU." - Morkal
BASE STATS LEVEL 100 STAT RANGE HP:
100Attack:
80Defense:
80Sp. Atk:
80Sp. Def:
80Speed:
80
Ability
Unnerve
Notable Moves
Physical - Body Press, Facade, Seed Bomb, Zen Headbutt
Special - Draining Kiss, Energy Ball, Future Sight, Giga Drain, Grass Knot, Leaf Storm, Pollen Puff, Psychic, Psyshock, Stored Power, Tera Blast
Utility - Agility, Baton Pass, Calm Mind, Encore, Leech Seed, Light Screen, Protect, Reflect, Rest, Sleep Talk, Substitute, Trick, Trick Room
It's no secret that I love Calyrex-Base's design, even more so than his two horseback forms; there's just something regal and imposing about it in a quiet, subtle manner that I respect. Unfortunately, however, this doesn't tell us anything about Calyrex's competitive prowess. So what does the deer king have going for it? Surprisingly, quite a bit more than I expected when I started slotting him onto several of my teams right after the Pokemon Home update. Calyrex is one of the most unique Pokemon I've used in any competitive metagame and has some of the most distinct role compression I've ever seen in a niche pick in any OU meta; I'm getting ahead of myself here, let's just dive in and see what Calyrex has to offer!
Disclaimer: Calyrex fits onto several types of teams, but absolutely requires knowledge of common movesets due to exploitable weaknesses (notably a 4x weakness to U-Turn). Please do not carelessly place Calyrex on a team without synergy consideration or without understanding the specific traits needed for Calyrex to fit the archetype your team is going for. I highly recommend checking out the awesome SV OU speed tiers thread by AtraX Madara to get a good understanding of common speed thresholds that Calyrex is specifically tech'd to hit, and how you can use its unique traits most aptly. If you go into fights prepared, you'll be able to watch Calyrex feast on Stall, Kingambit, and multiple other threats that many OU mainstays could only dream of. I'd also like to give a special thanks to Athyestic for help with the EV tinkering and help with Trick functionality for Calyrex.
View attachment 528531
Calyrex Competitive Summary
This is a "too long, didn't read" for people who want a quick summary of Calyrex's positive traits in OU without reading the essay-length post
- Calyrex is the only Pokemon in the Gen 9 meta to get access to the unique combination of Future Sight and Leech Seed, allowing it to not only exert pressure but capitalize on stall archetypes as well as sit on Pokemon like Dondozo and Garganacl with ease.
- Calyrex's 100/80/80 bulk is solid with its Psychic/Grass typing granting it some key resistances to Ground and Fighting (Great Tusk STABS), in addition to resisting Water, Grass, Electric, and Psychic-type attacks.
- Calyrex's Grass typing additionally gives it immunity to Spore, allowing it to threaten Pokemon like Breloom and Amoonguss with Future Sight, and additionally allows it to pair well with and against Rain teams.
- Calyrex's access to Tera further boosts its offensive and defensive capabilities and allows it to act as a lure for many notable threats thanks to STAB Body Press with Tera Fighting.
- Calyrex having access to both Body Press and Trick combined with Future Sight and Leech Seed effectively allows it to go mixed with very little investment, using Red Card to force a Pokemon out (particularly boosted Pokemon) also allows you to steal an opponent's item using Trick as a sort of "diet Thief" option post-Red Card or set up a Future Sight or Leech Seed easier as well.
- Calyrex is a solid lure for Kingambit and the set provided with 16 EVs in speed outspeeds all Kingambit variants except for Jolly 252 Spe EVs; additionally, Pre-Tera-Fighting Calyrex with this set's defensive EV spread 100% lives an Adamant 252 EV STAB Sucker Punch Kingambit up to three allies fainted from Supreme Overlord.
- Calyrex's ability to harass stall cores while checking powerful and slow OU attackers is further role compression not shared by any other Pokemon to the same degree, thanks to the ease of switching in with its solid bulk and Red Card pivoting work.
- Calyrex has a multitude of other support options at its disposal such as Encore, Dual Screens, Trick Room, and more depending on your team's specific needs.
- Calyrex's ability Unnerve is situationally useful for preventing your opponent's Chople Berry from activating when Body Press is used.
We're going to be looking at one Calyrex set, as this has been the aptest Calyrex set for the current OU meta. We will go over Defensive prowess along with Red Card + Trick Pivoting work, why we've chosen this specific EV spread, along with types of threats that Calyrex handles and we will be looking at damage calculations to back up these numbers as well. Since this is a pretty off-kilter set, we'll be structuring this differently regarding analysis of the specific traits of the set as we go along.
Red Card Pseudo-Thief Future Seed
Anti-Stall/Anti-Boost Shuffler
Calyrex @ Red Card
Ability: Unnerve
Tera Type: Fighting
EVs: 252 Def / 236 SpA / 20 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Future Sight
- Leech Seed
- Trick
- Body Press
Defensive Prowess (Pre-Tera) + Red Card/Trick Pivoting
View attachment 528619
Before we dive into the specifics of why Calyrex works the way it does, we need to talk about its defenses, its typing, and what OU Pokemon it can stomach hits from. Thanks to a usable 100/80/80 defensive stat spread, 252 EVs in Defense with a Bold nature brings Calyrex up to a respectable defensive stat spread of 341/284/196. This may not seem like a lot at first... until you consider Calyrex's Psychic/Grass typing and the specific threats that it resists. To give you an idea of the types of hits Calyrex can take before we jump into the utility of Red Card (a powerful option when you have Trick in your moveslot), let's look at some damage calculations!
Calyrex Calculations
(Pre-Tera Defensive)
View attachment 528596/View attachment 528597
Defense
Resisted Hits
252+ Atk Choice Band Huge Power Azumarill Liquidation vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 105-124 (30.7 - 36.3%) -- 61% chance to 3HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Basculegion Wave Crash vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 120-142 (35.1 - 41.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Basculegion Wave Crash vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex in Rain: 181-213 (53 - 62.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Technician Breloom Bullet Seed (3 hits) vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 84-99 (24.6 - 29%) -- approx. 100% chance to 4HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Technician Breloom Bullet Seed (3 hits) vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 126-147 (36.9 - 43.1%) -- approx. 3HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Breloom Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 134-158 (39.2 - 46.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
0 Atk Clodsire Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 36-42 (10.5 - 12.3%) -- possible 9HKO
0 Atk Dondozo Liquidation vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 38-45 (11.1 - 13.1%) -- possible 8HKO
252+ Def Dondozo Body Press vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 36-43 (10.5 - 12.6%) -- possible 8HKO
252+ Atk Dragonite Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 51-60 (14.9 - 17.5%) -- possible 6HKO
+1 252+ Atk Dragonite Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 76-90 (22.2 - 26.3%) -- 14.9% chance to 4HKO
4 Atk Enamorus Superpower vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 40-48 (11.7 - 14%) -- possible 8HKO
0 Atk Garchomp Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 56-66 (16.4 - 19.3%) -- possible 6HKO
252 Atk Garchomp Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 68-81 (19.9 - 23.7%) -- possible 5HKO
+2 252 Atk Garchomp Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 135-160 (39.5 - 46.9%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
0 Atk Garganacl Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 30-35 (8.7 - 10.2%) -- possibly the worst move ever
0- Atk Goodra-Hisui Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 27-32 (7.9 - 9.3%) -- possibly the worst move ever
252 Atk Great Tusk Headlong Rush vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 82-97 (24 - 28.4%) -- 97.2% chance to 4HKO
252 Atk Great Tusk Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 82-97 (24 - 28.4%) -- 97.2% chance to 4HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Great Tusk Headlong Rush vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 123-145 (36 - 42.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Great Tusk Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 123-145 (36 - 42.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
0 SpA Hatterene Psyshock vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 46-55 (13.4 - 16.1%) -- possible 7HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Hoopa-Unbound Drain Punch vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 59-70 (17.3 - 20.5%) -- possible 5HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Hoopa-Unbound Zen Headbutt vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 95-112 (27.8 - 32.8%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
200+ Atk Choice Band Iron Hands Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 137-162 (40.1 - 47.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
200+ Atk Choice Band Iron Hands Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 76-90 (22.2 - 26.3%) -- 14.9% chance to 4HKO
200+ Atk Choice Band Iron Hands Wild Charge vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 102-121 (29.9 - 35.4%) -- 28.9% chance to 3HKO
252 Atk Iron Leaves Leaf Blade vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 61-72 (17.8 - 21.1%) -- possible 5HKO
252 Atk Iron Leaves Psyblade vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 54-64 (15.8 - 18.7%) -- possible 6HKO
0 Atk Iron Treads Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 49-58 (14.3 - 17%) -- possible 6HKO
252 Atk Iron Treads Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 61-72 (17.8 - 21.1%) -- possible 5HKO
4 Atk Iron Valiant Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 67-80 (19.6 - 23.4%) -- possible 5HKO
252 SpA Iron Valiant Psyshock vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 34-41 (9.9 - 12%) -- possible 9HKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Iron Valiant Psyshock vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 51-61 (14.9 - 17.8%) -- possible 6HKO
+2 252 Atk Quark Drive Iron Valiant Liquidation vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 100-118 (29.3 - 34.6%) -- 6.6% chance to 3HKO
252 Atk Kleavor Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 56-66 (16.4 - 19.3%) -- possible 6HKO
0 Atk Landorus-Therian Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 62-73 (18.1 - 21.4%) -- possible 5HKO
252 Atk Landorus-Therian Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 74-87 (21.7 - 25.5%) -- 0.7% chance to 4HKO
252 Atk Hustle Lilligant-Hisui Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 105-124 (30.7 - 36.3%) -- 61% chance to 3HKO
252 Atk Hustle Lilligant-Hisui Leaf Blade vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 79-93 (23.1 - 27.2%) -- 66.5% chance to 4HKO
252 Atk Meowscarada Flower Trick vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex on a critical hit: 64-76 (18.7 - 22.2%) -- possible 5HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Meowscarada Flower Trick vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex on a critical hit: 95-112 (27.8 - 32.8%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Roaring Moon Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 78-92 (22.8 - 26.9%) -- 49% chance to 4HKO
252 Atk Sharpness Samurott-Hisui Razor Shell vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 67-79 (19.6 - 23.1%) -- possible 5HKO
252 Atk Sharpness Samurott-Hisui Sacred Sword vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 53-63 (15.5 - 18.4%) -- possible 6HKO
252+ Atk Sneasler Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 89-105 (26 - 30.7%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Sneasler Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 122-144 (35.7 - 42.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252+ Atk Tera Ground Sneasler Tera Blast vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 60-71 (17.5 - 20.8%) -- possible 5HKO
+2 252+ Atk Tera Ground Sneasler Tera Blast vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 119-141 (34.8 - 41.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
0 Atk Ting-Lu Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 48-57 (14 - 16.7%) -- possible 6HKO
252+ Atk Guts Ursaluna Headlong Rush vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 141-167 (41.3 - 48.9%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Zamazenta Wild Charge vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 58-68 (17 - 19.9%) -- guaranteed 6HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Zamazenta Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 115-136 (33.7 - 39.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
80 Def Zamazenta Body Press vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 43-51 (12.6 - 14.9%) -- possible 7HKO
+3 80 Def Zamazenta Body Press vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 108-128 (31.6 - 37.5%) -- 89.9% chance to 3HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Zapdos-Galar Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 118-140 (34.6 - 41%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Zapdos-Galar Thunderous Kick vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 89-105 (26 - 30.7%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
Neutral Hits
252+ Atk Dragonite Extreme Speed vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 82-97 (24 - 28.4%) -- 97.2% chance to 4HKO
252+ Atk Tera Normal Dragonite Extreme Speed vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 123-145 (36 - 42.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
+1 252+ Atk Dragonite Extreme Speed vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 122-144 (35.7 - 42.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
+1 252+ Atk Tera Normal Dragonite Extreme Speed vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 183-216 (53.6 - 63.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 Atk Garchomp Dragon Tail vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 67-81 (19.6 - 23.7%) -- possible 5HKO
252 Atk Garchomp Dragon Claw vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 109-129 (31.9 - 37.8%) -- 91% chance to 3HKO
+2 252 Atk Garchomp Dragon Claw vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 217-256 (63.6 - 75%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 Atk Garganacl Salt Cure vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 36-43 (10.5 - 12.6%) -- possible 8HKO
252 Atk Iron Treads Iron Head vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 99-117 (29 - 34.3%) -- 2.5% chance to 3HKO
252+ Atk Kingambit Iron Head vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 123-145 (36 - 42.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
+2 252+ Atk Kingambit Iron Head vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 246-289 (72.1 - 84.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Sharpness Kleavor Stone Axe vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 135-160 (39.5 - 46.9%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 Atk Landorus-Therian Stone Edge vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 99-117 (29 - 34.3%) -- 3.2% chance to 3HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Zamazenta Heavy Slam (120 BP) vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 154-182 (45.1 - 53.3%) -- 35.5% chance to 2HKO
Super Effective Hits
0 Atk Ceruledge Shadow Sneak vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 86-104 (25.2 - 30.4%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
252 Atk Ceruledge Shadow Sneak vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 108-128 (31.6 - 37.5%) -- 82.5% chance to 3HKO
252+ Atk Dragonite Fire Punch vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 154-182 (45.1 - 53.3%) -- 31.3% chance to 2HKO
+1 252+ Atk Dragonite Fire Punch vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 228-270 (66.8 - 79.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 Atk Great Tusk Knock Off vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 100-118 (29.3 - 34.6%) -- 4.8% chance to 3HKO
4 Atk Great Tusk Ice Spinner vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 122-144 (35.7 - 42.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
116+ Atk Iron Hands Ice Punch vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 146-172 (42.8 - 50.4%) -- 1.2% chance to 2HKO
252 Atk Iron Treads Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 158-188 (46.3 - 55.1%) -- 64.5% chance to 2HKO
252+ Atk Kingambit Kowtow Cleave vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 260-308 (76.2 - 90.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Kingambit Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 216-254 (63.3 - 74.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Supreme Overlord 3 allies fainted Kingambit Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 282-332 (82.6 - 97.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Hustle Lilligant-Hisui Ice Spinner vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 188-222 (55.1 - 65.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Meowscarada Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 170-204 (49.8 - 59.8%) -- 99.6% chance to 2HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Sneasler Fire Punch vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 204-242 (59.8 - 70.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 Atk Zamazenta Crunch vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Calyrex: 112-134 (32.8 - 39.2%) -- 99.7% chance to 3HKO
Special Defense
0 SpA Amoonguss Giga Drain vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Calyrex: 42-51 (12.3 - 14.9%) -- possible 7HKO
252 SpA Enamorus Earth Power vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Calyrex: 61-72 (17.8 - 21.1%) -- possible 5HKO
252+ SpA Life Orb Garchomp Draco Meteor vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Calyrex: 265-312 (77.7 - 91.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Glimmora Power Gem vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Calyrex: 159-187 (46.6 - 54.8%) -- 64.5% chance to 2HKO
252 SpA Glimmora Earth Power vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Calyrex: 59-70 (17.3 - 20.5%) -- possible 5HKO
252 SpA Glimmora Energy Ball vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Calyrex: 59-70 (17.3 - 20.5%) -- possible 5HKO
252+ SpA Goodra-Hisui Draco Meteor vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Calyrex: 250-295 (73.3 - 86.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Goodra-Hisui Fire Blast vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Calyrex: 282-334 (82.6 - 97.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 SpA Hatterene Draining Kiss vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Calyrex: 85-102 (24.9 - 29.9%) -- 100% chance to 4HKO
0 SpA Heatran Earth Power vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Calyrex: 49-58 (14.3 - 17%) -- possible 6HKO
252 SpA Heatran Earth Power vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Calyrex: 59-70 (17.3 - 20.5%) -- possible 5HKO
252 SpA Iron Valiant Thunderbolt vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Calyrex: 56-66 (16.4 - 19.3%) -- possible 6HKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Iron Valiant Thunderbolt vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Calyrex: 83-98 (24.3 - 28.7%) -- 99.2% chance to 4HKO
252 SpA Iron Valiant Moonblast vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Calyrex: 178-210 (52.1 - 61.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Meowscarada Leaf Storm vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Calyrex: 93-110 (27.2 - 32.2%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
+1 4 SpA Mew Stored Power (100 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Calyrex: 97-115 (28.4 - 33.7%) -- 0.5% chance to 3HKO
0 SpA Rotom-Wash Hydro Pump vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Calyrex: 74-87 (21.7 - 25.5%) -- 0.7% chance to 4HKO
0 SpA Rotom-Wash Volt Switch vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Calyrex: 47-56 (13.7 - 16.4%) -- possible 7HKO
0 SpA Slowking Future Sight vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Calyrex: 78-92 (22.8 - 26.9%) -- 41% chance to 4HKO
0 SpA Slowking Surf vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Calyrex: 59-69 (17.3 - 20.2%) -- possible 5HKO
120 SpA Slowking-Galar Future Sight vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Calyrex: 94-111 (27.5 - 32.5%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
120 SpA Slowking-Galar Surf vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Calyrex: 47-56 (13.7 - 16.4%) -- possible 7HKO
0 SpA Toxapex Surf vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Calyrex: 35-42 (10.2 - 12.3%) -- possible 9HKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Volcanion Earth Power vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Calyrex: 97-114 (28.4 - 33.4%) -- 0.1% chance to 3HKO
244 SpA Choice Specs Walking Wake Hydro Steam vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Calyrex: 114-135 (33.4 - 39.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 SpA Zapdos Thunderbolt vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Calyrex: 86-102 (25.2 - 29.9%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
So now you might be thinking "Okay so Calyrex can take some pretty neat hits and its typing is actually not bad, but why Red Card?" This is where Calyrex's utility role compression starts to come in real handy. A lot of the hits that Calyrex can take are not only common but more importantly, safer options for your opponent to click. Red Card forces out boosted mons or powerful mons, which will (especially with hazards up for additional passive damage) put you in an advantageous position. While Calyrex is itemless, this also allows you to better stomach super-effective Knock Off hits. Trick acts as a sort of pseudo-Thief here that allows you to remove an opposing Pokemon's item post-Red Card. This means on just a single turn most of the time, Calyrex will have forced out a problematic Pokemon simply by switching in and absorbing a hit, forced racked up hazard damage or status (Glimmora Toxic Spikes), then put itself into position to either set up Leech Seed, Future Sight, or use Trick to steal an opposing user's item. A common post-red card switch-in is Heatran; since Heatran commonly runs Leftovers on both Offensive and Defensive variants, it's generally easy to get free Leftovers upon that switch, taking away Heatran's passive recovery and allowing it to be worn down fairly quickly.
We'll come back to defensive prowess for Tera Fighting + Body Press in a moment; for now, let's detour and detail why Future Sight and Leech Seed are such a dangerous combination along with an analysis of Calyrex's speed EVs.
Future Sight/Leech Seed Role Compression + Speed Tier Analysis
Calyrex's base 80 speed is decently fast for a bulkier Pokemon. With 20 EVs in speed and a neutral nature, Calyrex reaches a respectable 201 speed stat. This critical threshold allows Calyrex to outspeed Adamant nature Kingambit/Ursaluna with 252 EVs in speed (capped at 199) and Defensive Heatran with 0 or 40 EVs in speed (190 and 200 respectively). In addition, this 201 benchmark allows Calyrex to outspeed Azumarill/Iron Hands that have 252 speed + a neutral nature and Pokemon like Breloom/Volcanion need at least 104 EVs on a neutral nature to outspeed this Calyrex benchmark. All Pokemon with base 50 Speed and below are getting outsped by this minuscule 20 EV allotment unless they run a Jolly nature with heavy investment. So now that we've established this, let's jump into Future Sight and Leech Seed and why this puts many stall teams in an extremely uncomfortable position.
First; Future Sight isn't meant to strike fear from its power directly (although it does hit some notable benchmarks, which we'll get to), it's meant to do just enough damage to bring potentially huge threats into KO range while simultaneously pressuring previously safe switches or forcing uncomfortable switches just to block/tank a Future Sight hit. With 236 EVs and a neutral nature, Calyrex reaches 255 SpA - this may not seem like much, but with Future Sight's base 120 power + STAB, this can hit some pretty surprising thresholds and 2HKO a huge portion of the OU metagame. Let's take a look at some damage calculations to show just what kind of Pokemon Calrex can heavily chunk, force out, or even OHKO with Future Sight in some specific cases. Afterward, we'll explain why Leech Seed is so potent in tandem with Future Sight to show how Pokemon such as Dondozo and Garganacl feel insane pressure simply staying in on Calyrex.
Future Sight
Damage Calculations
View attachment 528596
Super Effective Hits
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 252 HP / 84 SpD Amoonguss: 306-360 (70.8 - 83.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Breloom: 420-494 (160.9 - 189.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Clodsire: 204-240 (44 - 51.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Glimmora: 332-392 (108.1 - 127.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Great Tusk: 464-548 (106.9 - 126.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 56 HP / 0 SpD Iron Hands: 384-452 (82.9 - 97.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 0 HP / 252 SpD Iron Hands: 282-332 (62.8 - 73.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Iron Moth: 258-306 (85.7 - 101.6%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Iron Valiant: 422-498 (146 - 172.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. +1 4 HP / 0 SpD Iron Valiant: 282-332 (97.2 - 114.4%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Lilligant-Hisui: 354-416 (125.9 - 148%) -- guaranteed OHKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Sneasler: 672-792 (223.2 - 263.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 252 HP / 64 SpD Toxapex: 198-234 (65.1 - 76.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Assault Vest Toxapex: 138-164 (45.5 - 54.1%) -- 42.2% chance to 2HKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Zamazenta: 248-294 (76.3 - 90.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Zamazenta: 248-294 (63.9 - 75.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Zapdos-Galar: 306-360 (95.3 - 112.1%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO
Neutral Hits
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Alomomola: 259-306 (48.5 - 57.3%) -- 91.8% chance to 2HKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Arcanine-Hisui: 168-198 (50.7 - 59.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 116 HP / 0 SpD Azumarill: 169-199 (45.6 - 53.7%) -- 44.9% chance to 2HKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Basculegion: 178-210 (46.7 - 55.1%) -- 66.8% chance to 2HKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Baxcalibur: 157-186 (42.3 - 50.1%) -- 0.4% chance to 2HKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Ceruledge: 139-165 (47.7 - 56.7%) -- 86.3% chance to 2HKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Cinderace: 177-208 (58.8 - 69.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 224 HP / 0 SpD Cinderace: 178-210 (49.8 - 58.8%) -- 99.6% chance to 2HKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Dondozo: 196-232 (38.8 - 46%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Dondozo: 132-156 (26.1 - 30.9%) -- 4.7% chance to 4HKO after Leftovers recovery
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Dragapult: 177-208 (55.8 - 65.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Dragapult: 178-210 (46.8 - 55.2%) -- 69.5% chance to 2HKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 0 HP / 0- SpD Enamorus: 187-222 (64.7 - 76.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Garchomp: 160-189 (38 - 45%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 252 HP / 100 SpD Garganacl: 136-162 (33.6 - 40%) -- 30.8% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 124 HP / 0 SpD Houndstone: 144-169 (45.5 - 53.4%) -- 37.1% chance to 2HKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Kleavor: 186-220 (66.1 - 78.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 0 HP / 0- SpD Landorus-Therian: 187-222 (58.6 - 69.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Landorus-Therian: 169-199 (44.2 - 52%) -- 16.4% chance to 2HKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Pelipper: 186-220 (71.2 - 84.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Pelipper: 186-219 (57.5 - 67.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Rotom-Wash: 132-156 (43.4 - 51.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 252 HP / 244+ SpD Rotom-Wash: 97-115 (31.9 - 37.8%) -- 0.3% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 252 HP / 188 SpD Skeledirge: 142-168 (34.4 - 40.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Skeledirge: 121-144 (29.4 - 35%) -- 14.6% chance to 3HKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Slowking-Galar: 129-153 (32.7 - 38.8%) -- 99.1% chance to 3HKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Torkoal: 187-222 (54.5 - 64.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Tornadus-Therian: 153-180 (51.1 - 60.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 116 HP / 0 SpD Ursaluna: 169-199 (39.3 - 46.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after burn damage
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Volcanion: 153-180 (50.8 - 59.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 12 HP / 0 SpD Walking Wake: 163-193 (47.6 - 56.4%) -- 85.9% chance to 2HKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Zapdos: 153-180 (47.6 - 56%) -- 80.9% chance to 2HKO
236 SpA Calyrex Future Sight vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Zapdos: 153-181 (39.8 - 47.1%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
So now that you've seen both the types of hits Calyrex can dish out with Future Sight along with the previous defensive calculations, we can put into context the terror of Leech Seed against slower/stall-based threats. Not only does Leech Seed rack up passive damage (which turns many potential 2HKOS, 3HKOs, and 4HKOs into OHKOs, 2HKOS, and 3HKOS respectively), it heals Calyrex. Leech Seed healing will outpace Garganacl's Salt Cure damage and (combined with Future Sight + Body Press pressure) force healing or a switch - the same can be said with Pokemon such as Alomomola or Dondozo as well. The point is that Calyrex can force switches, steal items, and passively heal while capitalizing on slow, bulky threats; something is always being worn down by Calyrex through direct damage, passive damage, or forced switches. Ironically enough, this allows Calyrex itself to work quite well on stall teams itself thanks to the ability to force your opponent into a stall loop. This leads us back to our defensive calculations once again to talk about Body Press and Tera Fighting.
Body Press + Tera Fighting
So now we've arrived at Calyrex's meat and potatoes, Body Press (both pre-tera and post-tera). As we mentioned in the speed tiers section, Calyrex gets the jump on some key threats such as 252 EV Spe Adamant Kingambit and 40 EV Spe Neutral Heatran. So why is this important? Simple - Tera Fighting baits Sucker Punch, Knock Off, U-Turn, and other potent moves, and allows Calyrex to check an entirely new roster of threats. Additionally, Tera Fighting gives Body Press STAB bonus and allows it to turn some notable 3HKOs/2HKOs into 2HKOs/OHKOs. Let's first take a look at Body Press calculations Pre-Tera and Post-Tera, then look at some defensive calculations of the types of hits that Calyrex can now survive thanks to its new typing.
Body Press Damage Calculations
View attachment 528638
(Pre-Tera)
252+ Def Calyrex Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Arcanine-Hisui: 168-198 (50.7 - 59.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Def Calyrex Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Baxcalibur: 148-176 (39.8 - 47.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252+ Def Calyrex Body Press vs. 196 HP / 0 Def Goodra-Hisui: 138-164 (39.4 - 46.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252+ Def Calyrex Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Heatran: 132-156 (40.8 - 48.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Def Calyrex Body Press vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Heatran: 132-156 (34.1 - 40.4%) -- 41.2% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Def Calyrex Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Hydreigon: 152-180 (46.7 - 55.3%) -- 14.1% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Def Calyrex Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Hoopa-Unbound: 105-124 (34.8 - 41.1%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252+ Def Calyrex Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Iron Treads: 120-142 (37.3 - 44.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252+ Def Calyrex Body Press vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Kingambit: 236-280 (69.2 - 82.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Def Calyrex Body Press vs. 112 HP / 0 Def Kingambit: 240-284 (65 - 76.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Def Calyrex Body Press vs. 236 HP / 0 Def Kingambit: 240-284 (60 - 71%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Def Calyrex Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Meowscarada: 186-220 (63.4 - 75%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Def Calyrex Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Roaring Moon: 184-218 (52.4 - 62.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Def Calyrex Body Press vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Samurott-Hisui: 166-196 (51.7 - 61%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Def Calyrex Body Press vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Tyranitar: 256-304 (75 - 89.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Def Calyrex Body Press vs. 116 HP / 0 Def Ursaluna: 134-158 (31.1 - 36.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after burn damage
(Post-Tera)
252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Arcanine-Hisui: 252-296 (76.1 - 89.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Baxcalibur: 222-264 (59.8 - 71.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex Body Press vs. 196 HP / 0 Def Goodra-Hisui: 206-246 (58.8 - 70.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Heatran: 198-234 (61.3 - 72.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex Body Press vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Heatran: 198-234 (51.2 - 60.6%) -- 89.8% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Hoopa-Unbound: 157-186 (52.1 - 61.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Hydreigon: 228-270 (70.1 - 83%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Iron Treads: 180-212 (56 - 66%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex Body Press vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Kingambit: 352-420 (103.2 - 123.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex Body Press vs. 112 HP / 0 Def Kingambit: 360-424 (97.5 - 114.9%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO
252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex Body Press vs. 236 HP / 0 Def Kingambit: 360-424 (90 - 106%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO
252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Meowscarada: 278-330 (94.8 - 112.6%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO
252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Roaring Moon: 276-326 (78.6 - 92.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex Body Press vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Samurott-Hisui: 248-294 (77.2 - 91.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex Body Press vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Tyranitar: 384-456 (112.6 - 133.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex Body Press vs. 116 HP / 0 Def Ursaluna: 200-236 (46.5 - 54.8%) -- 98.4% chance to 2HKO after burn damage
So now we've established that over half the current OU metagame doesn't like taking hits from Calyrex's Body Press + Future Sight offensive combination, let alone some of the shakier checks once passive damage + Leech Seed or Trick shenanigans come into play. So we need to ask, what about the hits that Calyrex couldn't take before in its pre-tera Psychic/Grass typing? Let's take a look at the additional defensive utility that Calyrex gains once terastallized.
Calyrex Calculations
(Post-Tera Defensive)
View attachment 528638
Newly Resisted Hits
252 Atk Choice Band Arcanine-Hisui Head Smash vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 140-165 (41 - 48.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 Atk Libero Cinderace U-turn vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 44-52 (12.9 - 15.2%) -- possible 7HKO
252 Atk Libero Cinderace Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 44-52 (12.9 - 15.2%) -- possible 7HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Dragapult Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 49-58 (14.3 - 17%) -- possible 6HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Dragapult U-turn vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 49-58 (14.3 - 17%) -- possible 6HKO
252 SpA Glimmora Power Gem vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Tera Fighting Calyrex: 79-93 (23.1 - 27.2%) -- 66.5% chance to 4HKO
252 Atk Great Tusk Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 44-52 (12.9 - 15.2%) -- possible 7HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Great Tusk Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 66-78 (19.3 - 22.8%) -- possible 5HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Hoopa-Unbound Hyperspace Fury vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 118-140 (34.6 - 41%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 SpA Hydreigon Dark Pulse vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Tera Fighting Calyrex: 76-90 (22.2 - 26.3%) -- 18.2% chance to 4HKO
+2 252 SpA Hydreigon Dark Pulse vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Tera Fighting Calyrex: 153-180 (44.8 - 52.7%) -- 27.3% chance to 2HKO
252 Atk Iron Treads Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 39-47 (11.4 - 13.7%) -- possible 8HKO
252+ Atk Kingambit Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 54-63 (15.8 - 18.4%) -- possible 6HKO
252+ Atk Supreme Overlord 5 allies fainted Kingambit Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 80-95 (23.4 - 27.8%) -- 83.6% chance to 4HKO
+2 252+ Atk Kingambit Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 107-126 (31.3 - 36.9%) -- 80.5% chance to 3HKO
+2 252+ Atk Supreme Overlord 5 allies fainted Kingambit Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 161-189 (47.2 - 55.4%) -- 75.8% chance to 2HKO
252+ Atk Kingambit Kowtow Cleave vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 65-77 (19 - 22.5%) -- possible 5HKO
252+ Atk Supreme Overlord 5 allies fainted Kingambit Kowtow Cleave vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 97-115 (28.4 - 33.7%) -- 0.5% chance to 3HKO
+2 252+ Atk Kingambit Kowtow Cleave vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 130-153 (38.1 - 44.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
+2 252+ Atk Supreme Overlord 5 allies fainted Kingambit Kowtow Cleave vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 195-229 (57.1 - 67.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Sharpness Kleavor Night Slash vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 49-58 (14.3 - 17%) -- possible 6HKO
252 Atk Sharpness Kleavor Stone Axe vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 67-80 (19.6 - 23.4%) -- possible 5HKO
252 Atk Kleavor U-turn vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 49-58 (14.3 - 17%) -- possible 6HKO
252 Atk Sharpness Kleavor X-Scissor vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 84-99 (24.6 - 29%) -- 99.6% chance to 4HKO
252 Atk Landorus-Therian Stone Edge vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 49-58 (14.3 - 17%) -- possible 6HKO
0 Atk Landorus-Therian U-turn vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 29-34 (8.5 - 9.9%) -- possibly the worst move ever
252 Atk Landorus-Therian U-turn vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 34-41 (9.9 - 12%) -- possible 9HKO
4 Atk Meowscarada Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 47-56 (13.7 - 16.4%) -- possible 7HKO
252 Atk Meowscarada Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 59-69 (17.3 - 20.2%) -- possible 5HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Meowscarada Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 88-104 (25.8 - 30.4%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
252 Atk Protean Meowscarada U-turn vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 42-51 (12.3 - 14.9%) -- possible 7HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Protean Meowscarada U-turn vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 63-75 (18.4 - 21.9%) -- possible 5HKO
252 Atk Protosynthesis Roaring Moon Crunch vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 74-87 (21.7 - 25.5%) -- 0.7% chance to 4HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Roaring Moon Crunch vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 93-111 (27.2 - 32.5%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Roaring Moon U-turn vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 55-65 (16.1 - 19%) -- possible 6HKO
252 Atk Sharpness Samurott-Hisui Ceaseless Edge vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 58-69 (17 - 20.2%) -- possible 5HKO
252 Atk Samurott-Hisui Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 58-69 (17 - 20.2%) -- possible 5HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Sneasler U-turn vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 48-56 (14 - 16.4%) -- possible 7HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Zamazenta Crunch vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 51-61 (14.9 - 17.8%) -- possible 6HKO
Newly Neutral Hits
0 SpA Amoonguss Sludge Bomb vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Tera Fighting Calyrex: 102-121 (29.9 - 35.4%) -- 27.3% chance to 3HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Arcanine-Hisui Flare Blitz vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 223-264 (65.3 - 77.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Baxcalibur Icicle Crash vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 187-222 (54.8 - 65.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 Atk Ceruledge Bitter Blade vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 99-117 (29 - 34.3%) -- 2.5% chance to 3HKO
252 Atk Ceruledge Bitter Blade vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 118-141 (34.6 - 41.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
32 Atk Cinderace Pyro Ball vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 126-148 (36.9 - 43.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 Atk Cinderace Pyro Ball vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 151-178 (44.2 - 52.1%) -- 16% chance to 2HKO
252+ Atk Dragapult Phantom Force vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 127-151 (37.2 - 44.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Dragapult Phantom Force vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 190-225 (55.7 - 65.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Dragapult Flamethrower vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Tera Fighting Calyrex: 147-174 (43.1 - 51%) -- 4.7% chance to 2HKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Dragapult Shadow Ball vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Tera Fighting Calyrex: 196-232 (57.4 - 68%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Dragonite Fire Punch vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 77-91 (22.5 - 26.6%) -- 26.6% chance to 4HKO
252 SpA Enamorus Mystical Fire vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Tera Fighting Calyrex: 102-120 (29.9 - 35.1%) -- 19% chance to 3HKO
252+ SpA Life Orb Garchomp Fire Blast vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Tera Fighting Calyrex: 148-175 (43.4 - 51.3%) -- 8.2% chance to 2HKO
252 SpA Glimmora Sludge Wave vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Tera Fighting Calyrex: 187-222 (54.8 - 65.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Goodra-Hisui Fire Blast vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Tera Fighting Calyrex: 141-167 (41.3 - 48.9%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
4 Atk Great Tusk Ice Spinner vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 61-72 (17.8 - 21.1%) -- possible 5HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Great Tusk Ice Spinner vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 110-130 (32.2 - 38.1%) -- 96.6% chance to 3HKO
0 SpA Hatterene Mystical Fire vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Tera Fighting Calyrex: 85-101 (24.9 - 29.6%) -- 100% chance to 4HKO
0 SpA Heatran Magma Storm vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Tera Fighting Calyrex: 162-192 (47.5 - 56.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after trapping damage
252 SpA Heatran Magma Storm vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Tera Fighting Calyrex: 196-232 (57.4 - 68%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after trapping damage
252 Atk Choice Band Hoopa-Unbound Gunk Shot vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 190-224 (55.7 - 65.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
132 SpA Iron Moth Fiery Dance vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Tera Fighting Calyrex: 153-181 (44.8 - 53%) -- 28.9% chance to 2HKO
252 SpA Iron Moth Flamethrower vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Tera Fighting Calyrex: 187-222 (54.8 - 65.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 SpA Skeledirge Shadow Ball vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Tera Fighting Calyrex: 112-133 (32.8 - 39%) -- 99.8% chance to 3HKO
8 SpA Skeledirge Torch Song vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Tera Fighting Calyrex: 114-135 (33.4 - 39.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
0 SpA Slowking-Galar Sludge Bomb vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Tera Fighting Calyrex: 127-150 (37.2 - 43.9%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
120 SpA Slowking-Galar Flamethrower vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Tera Fighting Calyrex: 95-112 (27.8 - 32.8%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
120 SpA Slowking-Galar Sludge Bomb vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Tera Fighting Calyrex: 142-168 (41.6 - 49.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252+ Atk Sneasler Dire Claw vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 120-142 (35.1 - 41.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Sneasler Dire Claw vs. 0 HP / 252+ Def Tera Fighting Calyrex: 163-193 (47.8 - 56.5%) -- 86.7% chance to 2HKO
8 SpA Torkoal Lava Plume vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Tera Fighting Calyrex in Sun: 138-163 (40.4 - 47.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 SpA Tornadus-Therian Heat Wave vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Tera Fighting Calyrex: 111-131 (32.5 - 38.4%) -- 98.1% chance to 3HKO
252+ SpA Toxapex Sludge Bomb vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Tera Fighting Calyrex: 111-132 (32.5 - 38.7%) -- 98.6% chance to 3HKO
This is simply one Pokemon that can put so many different potential threats through its careful array of tricks and unique role compression. Calyrex has a wonderful niche through virtue of its typing (only shared with Iron Leaves until Exeggutor and Celebi are released), small yet bountiful movepool, solid bulk, and hybrid offensive/defensive pressure with utility. So, if you're considering putting Calyrex on your team, why not look at some of these teammates?
Calyrex Comrades
(Team Partners)
Kingambit
View attachment 528650
Calyrex and Kingambit both cover each other's weaknesses quite well, and Kingambit greatly appreciates the opportunities that Calyrex's utility provides. Whether it be from forcing threats out or bringing them into KO range with Future Sight, or providing passive recovery through Leech Seed to cushion a Kingambit switch-in, the two make a deadly pair.
Glimmora
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Glimmora's ability to set Toxic Spikes passively while also providing offensive pressure or setting its own hazards/scouting is extremely beneficial and pairs quite well with Calyrex. In particular, Spiky Shield is a fantastic move that lightly chips physical attackers to allow for simultaneous scouting and, in some cases, concrete moveset identification. Additionally, access to Mortal Spin to get rid of hazards + poison opposing Pokemon comes in handy for keeping Calyrex healthy.
Skeledirge
View attachment 528653
Skeledirge is one of my favorite Gen 9 Pokemon, and both common variants (Hex + Will-O-Wisp and Substitute) work stupendously with Calyrex. Like with Kingambit, Skeledirge's typing synergizes very well with Calyrex, and Skeledirge's propensity to go specially bulky also pairs well with Calyrex's physical bulk. Additionally, for physical attackers that Calyrex can't quite stomach, Will-O-Wisp can make their hits far more manageable along with accruing further passive damage.
Great Tusk
View attachment 528655
A wonderful all-around Pokemon with so many different functions that it would be improbably time-consuming to list them all here. Great Tusk can go offensive, defensive, utility, rapid spin, and more. Additionally, this is another case where Calyrex's typing synergizes incredibly well (especially on predicted U-Turns).
Conclusion
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I love Calyrex, he's so cool, and in this generation, he's got a pretty neat set of traits not shared by any other Pokemon. Do I think he's got the potential to be an OU staple? Absolutely not. Do I think he has a concrete niche that can take apart specific OU archetypes and wear down specific team cores? Absolutely yes. So if you're having trouble with specific stallmons, boosting mons, or just want the gleeful satisfaction of watching Kingambit get OHKO'd by Calyrex, add him to your team today!
React if you believe me
I would support a spikes ban and will reqs if needed if scald gets banned too. But if scald stays then ban boots and don't touch spikes.
KamenOH
formerly DynamaxBestMeta
Scald was so prominent it made physical attackers less valuably purely off of how often it burned, given that any bulky water could throw out two or three scalds, fishing for a 30% chance to burn. That's how often Focus Blast misses, and those statistics are probably fudged. It was also 80 BP, meaning that even if it didn't burn, you were knocking them into KO range for your other mons.
Knock off, while good utility, was too distributed IMO for its power. Doing 97 base damage AND removing an item is crazy. God if it was 40, even 50 base power normally i wouldn't be shitting myself into a fit. Its good utility especially against walls with lefties, but the fact that everything got it was nuts.
Toxic is weird, because while you are just eviscerating HP long term, it wasn't used by anything but things that shouldn't've got it, like chansey or landorus. Toxapex unironically fits using it, as much as i hate that urchin. Really, fat walls shouldn't've got it since it means they have a no-risk way to deal with anything bar poison or steel, which wasn't common pre-SV.
Basically, they were great moves given to too many Pokemon, and thus had to be overprepared for in the team builder. Needed a toxic absorber or cleric on every team, needed something to handle the scalds that doesnt mind being burned, and needed something that could hit the knock off users while not minding losing their item. Just too meta prevalent to be healthy in the teambuilder imo.
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