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Welcome to Smogon! Take a moment to read the Introduction to Smogon for a run-down on everything Smogon, and make sure you take some time to read the global rules.
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Congrats to the winners of the 2023 Smog Awards!
Project Top 10 Titans of Generation 8 OM Metagames
- Thread starter in the hills
- Start date
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Zapdos-Galar wins the #9 spot! Time to vote for our final titan of the generation!
Aegislash
Dracovish
Dragonite
Gengar
Landorus-Therian
Magearna
Obstagoon
Seismitoad
Tornadus-Therian
Dracovish
Dragonite
Gengar
Landorus-Therian
Magearna
Obstagoon
Seismitoad
Tornadus-Therian
Landorus-Therian.
DRAGONITE
Landorus-Therian wins the 10th and final spot! Here are the Top 10 Titans of Generation 8 STABmons:
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9. 
10. 
Thanks everyone for participating! NFE will start on Sunday, be ready for our last featured metagame!
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2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Thanks everyone for participating! NFE will start on Sunday, be ready for our last featured metagame!
It's time for our last format, NFE!
Please use the format below to frame your posts or we won't count them!
What effect did Pokemon have on the metagame?
It dominated the metagame for a long time with its wide array of sets and bulk
In what main roles was Pokemon used?
It was a great defogger and had some good offensive sets too
What caused it to have a significant impact?
See above
How do/did you deal with this Pokemon in NFE?
you mostly didnt but just finding a way to break it with pilo or duosion worked somewhat well
please format your suggestions more seriously than this one it's just an example to show off the format
You're allowed to reserve nominations, but make sure to finish them in 24 hours, or they will be back up for grabs! Also, you can only reserve one nomination at a time. This is to make sure that your reservation gets done before you finish another. If you pick a Pokemon that has more than one form, be sure to clarify which it is. Happy posting!
Submissions close October 2nd.
Please use the format below to frame your posts or we won't count them!
Enter your nominee's sprite here.
:ss/pokemon:
What effect did Pokemon have on the metagame?
Explain how the Pokemon effected the metagame as whole, and how the metagame adapted around it. A brief description of which Pokemon it countered and which Pokemon it did well against would be good here as well. Be sure to consider their impact in previous iterations of SS NFE as well if they weren't removed.
In what main roles was Pokemon used?
Explain why this Pokemon was used on a team more often then most other Pokemon, and what was it particularly used for? What made it so good at this role?
What caused it to have a significant impact?
What exactly made this Pokemon have such a large impact on the metagame? Was it its stats, ability, useful resistances, amazing synergy, or the ability to sweep most of the metagame very easily? Did a certain Pokemon cause it to become that much better when it was partnered with it?
How do/did you deal with this Pokemon in NFE?
What are the best checks/counters to this Pokemon? How does the metagame adapt to this Pokemon?
:ss/pokemon:
What effect did Pokemon have on the metagame?
Explain how the Pokemon effected the metagame as whole, and how the metagame adapted around it. A brief description of which Pokemon it countered and which Pokemon it did well against would be good here as well. Be sure to consider their impact in previous iterations of SS NFE as well if they weren't removed.
In what main roles was Pokemon used?
Explain why this Pokemon was used on a team more often then most other Pokemon, and what was it particularly used for? What made it so good at this role?
What caused it to have a significant impact?
What exactly made this Pokemon have such a large impact on the metagame? Was it its stats, ability, useful resistances, amazing synergy, or the ability to sweep most of the metagame very easily? Did a certain Pokemon cause it to become that much better when it was partnered with it?
How do/did you deal with this Pokemon in NFE?
What are the best checks/counters to this Pokemon? How does the metagame adapt to this Pokemon?
What effect did Pokemon have on the metagame?
It dominated the metagame for a long time with its wide array of sets and bulk
In what main roles was Pokemon used?
It was a great defogger and had some good offensive sets too
What caused it to have a significant impact?
See above
How do/did you deal with this Pokemon in NFE?
you mostly didnt but just finding a way to break it with pilo or duosion worked somewhat well
please format your suggestions more seriously than this one it's just an example to show off the format
You're allowed to reserve nominations, but make sure to finish them in 24 hours, or they will be back up for grabs! Also, you can only reserve one nomination at a time. This is to make sure that your reservation gets done before you finish another. If you pick a Pokemon that has more than one form, be sure to clarify which it is. Happy posting!
Submissions close October 2nd.
Corsola-Galar
Duosion
Electabuzz
Golbat
Gurdurr
Hattrem
Haunter
Ivysaur
Kadabra
Klang
Machoke
Magmar
Mr. Mime-Galar
Pawniard
Pikachu
Piloswine
Raboot
Roselia
Rufflet
Tangela
Thwackey
Vullaby
Wartortle
Duosion
Electabuzz
Golbat
Gurdurr
Hattrem
Haunter
Ivysaur
Kadabra
Klang
Machoke
Magmar
Mr. Mime-Galar
Pawniard
Pikachu
Piloswine
Raboot
Roselia
Rufflet
Tangela
Thwackey
Vullaby
Wartortle
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What effect did Pokemon have on the metagame?
Before it was banned, it would show up on almost every team. It served as glue for many team types, was the poster child for good removal, was bulky even when eviolite was removed, and had multiple options for preventing overly stall reliant teams. It overall outclassed its nearest equivalent in Vullaby and prevented it (as well as other flying type defoggers) from having much of a place in the metagame simply by opportunity cost. Its overuse paved the way for a metagame where some of the most important attack types were Psychic, Ice, and Electric, which paved the way for Elebuzz, Piloswine, and, at various points of time, Pikachua, Kadabra, Galarian Mr. Mime, and Duosion to be important to the metagame.
In what main roles was Pokemon used?
The most common role it served is being a solid defogger (and pivot). But it also had other important sets such as stallbreaker with Super Fang and Taunt and Nasty Plot sweeper, both which can push an opponent expecting a defog or U-Turn.
What caused it to have a significant impact?
The versatility of moveset, amazing bulk with eviolite, and amazing typing which makes it immune to toxic and grounded hazards as well gives it an important immunity to Ground-type moves. Especially after Kadabra and Galarian Mr. Mime were banned, it could very safely U-Turn out on most of its threats barring Electabuzz.
How do/did you deal with this Pokemon in NFE?
One of the most important ways before most of these were banned was finding opportunities to get Kadabra, Galarian Mr. Mime, Piloswine, or Electabuzz in to threaten Golbat out. Over time, you can wear down the portions of your opponent's team which cannot recover to remove their ability to easily switch out Golbat. Of course, Knock Off was helpful, although with occasional Thief Golbats, that wasn't always helpful. In terms of hazards, it was helpful to stick with Stealth Rocks, as any other hazards made it very safe for Golbat to set up on. But ultimately, taking down a Golbat was frequently a struggle even for prepared teams.
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Jettrem takes 
What effect did Pokemon have on the metagame?
Throughout SS NFE, Hattrem remained as one of the best utility Pokemon playing a pivotal role in the hazards metagame. Its Magic Bounce changed how players had to play around/build around their hazards, or more specifically you wouldn't be able to get your hazards up until you removed Hattrem. It completely stopped strategies like Sticky Web from ever really seeing much use. Its solid coverage also let it decide which hazard setters the team wanted to stop, Mystical Fire stopped Ferroseed, Giga Drain stopped the various Ground-types, Psychic hit Roselia. Healing Wish and Nuzzle meant you could support a plethora of bulky offense and balance teams super easily with it.
In what main roles was Pokemon used?
Hattrem was the tier's best entry hazard deterrence but would also act as a physical or special wall depending on what was the big threat at the time. When special attackers like G-Mime were at their strongest, Hattrem would serve as a solid enough special wall which threatened to nuzzle these faster threats. Physically defensive always made it difficult for Piloswine to ever get rocks up against Hattrem teams while the specially defensive set nowadays help to soak up the pressure that Roselia and its Spikes can otherwise cause. The rare Calm Mind set was seen only a handful of times but could fish certain matchups and see a bit of success against Duosion teams in particular.
What caused it to have a significant impact?
The only other Pokemon with Magic Guard not in the Hattrem line was Natu which was inferior defensively, so Hattrem was the only way that teams could proactively stop hazards from being set up. This meant that it would always stay relevant no matter the metagame as even when other Psychic-types rose up, its role was unique enough to see usage on other styles of teams.
How do/did you deal with this Pokemon in NFE?
Whirlpool Gorsola was one of the first Pokemon that adapted to Hattrem's rise and punished it switching in. Similarly, Koffing would occasionally rise up as Neutralising Gas could bypass Hattrem's Magic Guard meaning that teams could not solely rely on just Hattrem as their hazard control, which was seen semi-frequently during the earlier stages of the post-Home metagame. As for dealing with Hattrem outright, various Pokemon from different metagames have always been able to deal with it easily, be it Haunter and Linoone-Galar pre DLC 1, to Vullaby in later metagames. Hattrem was also vulnerable to Knock Off and U-turn and its reliance on Rest means it could be easily overwhelmed.
What effect did Pokemon have on the metagame?
Throughout SS NFE, Hattrem remained as one of the best utility Pokemon playing a pivotal role in the hazards metagame. Its Magic Bounce changed how players had to play around/build around their hazards, or more specifically you wouldn't be able to get your hazards up until you removed Hattrem. It completely stopped strategies like Sticky Web from ever really seeing much use. Its solid coverage also let it decide which hazard setters the team wanted to stop, Mystical Fire stopped Ferroseed, Giga Drain stopped the various Ground-types, Psychic hit Roselia. Healing Wish and Nuzzle meant you could support a plethora of bulky offense and balance teams super easily with it.
In what main roles was Pokemon used?
Hattrem was the tier's best entry hazard deterrence but would also act as a physical or special wall depending on what was the big threat at the time. When special attackers like G-Mime were at their strongest, Hattrem would serve as a solid enough special wall which threatened to nuzzle these faster threats. Physically defensive always made it difficult for Piloswine to ever get rocks up against Hattrem teams while the specially defensive set nowadays help to soak up the pressure that Roselia and its Spikes can otherwise cause. The rare Calm Mind set was seen only a handful of times but could fish certain matchups and see a bit of success against Duosion teams in particular.
What caused it to have a significant impact?
The only other Pokemon with Magic Guard not in the Hattrem line was Natu which was inferior defensively, so Hattrem was the only way that teams could proactively stop hazards from being set up. This meant that it would always stay relevant no matter the metagame as even when other Psychic-types rose up, its role was unique enough to see usage on other styles of teams.
How do/did you deal with this Pokemon in NFE?
Whirlpool Gorsola was one of the first Pokemon that adapted to Hattrem's rise and punished it switching in. Similarly, Koffing would occasionally rise up as Neutralising Gas could bypass Hattrem's Magic Guard meaning that teams could not solely rely on just Hattrem as their hazard control, which was seen semi-frequently during the earlier stages of the post-Home metagame. As for dealing with Hattrem outright, various Pokemon from different metagames have always been able to deal with it easily, be it Haunter and Linoone-Galar pre DLC 1, to Vullaby in later metagames. Hattrem was also vulnerable to Knock Off and U-turn and its reliance on Rest means it could be easily overwhelmed.
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What effect did Pokemon have on the metagame?
Pikachu was the premier offensive Pokemon while it was in the tier, being able to apply immense offensive pressure with the combination of Fake Out + ExtremeSpeed, Knock Off, Volt Switch, and other coverage moves such as Surf, Grass Knot, and Brick Break. It's ability to make progress versus any defensive core, act as the perfect revenge-killer (being able to 1v1 sash Kadabra with FakeSpeed) and great coverage, Pikachu was a Pokemon that had to be prepped for no matter the team.
In what main roles was Pokemon used?
Pikachu was primarily an offensive pivot and wallbreaker, being able to make continuous progress with Knock Off + Volt Switch. It had enough coverage moves to catch checks off guard, such as Piloswine (Surf), Marshtomp (Grass Knot), and Ferroseed (Brick Break). It also acted as a very effective revenge-killer with FakeSpeed, providing teams with much needed speed control.
What caused it to have a significant impact?
Light Ball made it ridiculously strong + strong mixed attacker + pivot + Knock Off + FakeSpeed + enough coverage to catch opponents off guard.
How do/did you deal with this Pokemon in NFE?
You really didn't have any great ways to deal with ALL Pikachu sets. Piloswine was good enough to switch in once or twice and threaten it out, Marshtomp was solid but didn't love having its Eviolite removed, and Ferroseed was able to be an alright switch-in due to it resisting Volt Switch and eating a Knock Off fairly comfortably. Tangela was by far its best counter, but took a lot from Volt Switch until people started running SpDef variants. Ghost-types revenge-killed Pikachu well due to them being immune to FakeSpeed but there just aren't really any great Ghost-types bar Haunter (banned) and Scarf Lampent.
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What effect did Pokemon have on the metagame?
Piloswine has been an incredibly centralizing force throughout SwSh NFE due to its access to Stealth Rock, Electric-immunity, offensive capabilities, defensive-typing, and access to Thick Fat. That's a mouthful of pros that Piloswine has going for it, but its hard to put succinctly a single reason why Piloswine is so good. Rather, it has a perfect storm of benefits going for it that make it the fantastic Pokemon that it is in the current metagame. Primarily, its a hazard setter that was actually able to 1v1 Golbat/Vullaby, only stopped by physically-defensive Hattrem when it came to having its hazards blocked. Along with that, its significant bulk and access to priority meant that it filled multiple niches for teams. Piloswine is the perfect mon for the SS NFE metagame, and its consistent presence in the A+/S ranks exemplify that.
In what main roles was Pokemon used?
Piloswines best and most common set was Stealth Rock 3 attacks (High Horsepower or EQ / Icicle Crash / Ice Shard). There were a variety of spreads depending on the metagame, but both offensive and specially-defensive spreads gave it significant utility in either pressuring Golbat harder or being able to check Mime-Galar/Electabuzz more consistently. Choice Band sets were also niche but solid, being an incredibly effective wallbreaker due Piloswine's unwallable STAB combination.
What caused it to have a significant impact?
Simply, its effectiveness as a hazard setter and significant offensive presence. Piloswine's ability to consistently put offensive pressure on the opponent meant that it not only was able to provide significant defensive capabilities with its typing + bulk, but also make progress, a rare combination in NFE.
How do/did you deal with this Pokemon in NFE?
Choice Band sets didn't have any consistent checks defensively outside of just predicting right. Stealth Rock variants had a variety of checks that I'll list below. Defensively, physically-defensive Hattrem was able to wall Piloswine if it didn't get flinched along with blocking its rocks. Physically-defensive Wartortle handled it well, along with Ferroseed and physically-defensive Marshtomp. Piloswine that ran less attack were could actually be walled by Vullaby/Golbat, a funny but also sad occurrence. Tangela that still had their Eviolite were able to sometimes switch into Piloswine and threaten it out with Leaf Storm. Gurdurr, Machoke, and Clefairy were also able to consistently switch into Piloswine. Offensive Piloswine counterplay primarily relied on its Eviolite being removed, after which Raboot/Thwackey/Shell Smash Wartortle were able to beat it. The best Piloswine counterplay was Corsola-Galar, which ate even Choice Band Earthquake comfortably and could easily recover its HP back with Strength Sap.
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