BW OU Final Metagame Analysis

While BW OU is a "dead" metagame, it still sees some life in tournaments (notably in SPL, WCoP, and Smogon Tour, but also in other smaller tournaments) and on the ladder. The metagame will most likely remain the same as it is today, and I thought that now would be a good time to delve deeper into the strategies employed in BW. This won't be a typical metagame analysis; we will cover team archetypes and big threats, and I will use a log of a good battle to illustrate some points. Let's get to it!

Common Team Archetypes

Sand Offense

Sand offense rarely relies on sand, but instead uses Tyranitar's ability to neutralize opposing weather and trap problematic Pokémon, such as Latios, Latias, Celebi, Jellicent, and many other Pursuit-weak Pokémon. These teams are usually based on momentum and pack a U-turn user or two, and rarely switch. Usually, they will lead with a Stealth Rock user, which will typically be a lead Terrakion, Garchomp, or Jirachi. Then they'll use high-powered wallbreakers and sweepers to plow through the opposing team.

Scizor will almost always be equipped with a Choice Band, as its primary assets are momentum and trapping. However, Swords Dance with Acrobatics is also a viable option as it kills off Jellicent and Tentacruel, which normally counter Scizor. You will sometimes see a Life Orb trapper Scizor with Roost, but this is fairly rare. Latios sets don't have much variety, but you will have to discover whether or not it is equipped with a Choice item early on in the game. Keldeo is often a Choice Scarf variant, and it will only come out once the opposing team is sufficiently weakened, unless revenge killing is necessary.

When playing against these types of teams, it is important to remember that Tyranitar can come in and trap an important Pokémon a lot of the time. Most teams will carry an essential Pokémon that is Pursuit-weak, and opponents will have to tread lightly, as one false move can cost them the match. Careful play and entry hazard control can do a number as well, especially because opponents will be even less likely to switch when their Pokémon are taking irreparable damage from simply switching in.

Sand Stall

Unlike sand offense, sand stall does not have much room for replacement or creativity. This combination of Pokémon deals best with the largest amount of Pokémon. It contains a great stall FWG core in Celebi, Heatran, and Jellicent that checks both opposing sun and sand. Between those three Pokémon, almost every special attacker is covered, and Heatran provides a great Dragon resistance, while Jellicent gives the team a spinblocker. Forretress isn't a great Pokémon by any means, but it provides useful Spikes and Rapid Spin support, and with Celebi, it forms a VoltTurn core if need be. Most variants of this team carry physically defensive Hippowdon and a Choice Scarf Tyranitar. Tyranitar ensures that Latios and Latias have to be played carefully, and having two sand inducers makes the team much more durable when it comes to dealing with opposing weather.

In order to beat this kind of team, you'll have to control hazards and passive damage from the moment the match starts. You'll need to threaten whichever Pokémon carries Stealth Rock (Celebi, Hippowdon, and Heatran are all viable options) and Forretress (as it carries Spikes) from early on, and then you'll need to remove walls to whatever Pokémon will serve as your win condition. Terrakion, Kyurem-B, Keldeo, and Breloom can all serve as huge threats if used correctly.

While I stated that there isn't a ton of room for creativity earlier, you can choose to use other Pokémon; however, I truly believe other builds are less effective. Tangrowth, Gliscor, Landorus-T, Rotom-W, Slowbro, Slowking, Amoonguss, Rotom-W, Alomomola, and other similar defensive Pokémon are all options on sand stall teams, and you can shuffle the team around to fit some of these Pokémon in. It's effective to catch your opponent off guard, as the common BKC stall team is now known to most BW players.

Rain Offense

Rain offense is one of the more solid archetypes in the metagame. It focuses on breaking down walls and eventually cleaning with a high-powered Pokémon. Such cleaners include Choice Scarf Keldeo, double dance Thundurus-T, and Choice Specs Tornadus, though you might also see an end-game dictated by a Choice Scarf Politoed, Life Orb Starmie, Latios, or SubCM Jirachi. There are quite a few offensive Pokémon that work well on rain offense, which is why it is such a solid archetype.

Hazard control is often key when playing against this type of team, especially if you have your own weather. Note that in the above example, very few of the Pokémon will have recovery options (though if the Jirachi happened to be a specially defensive variant, you would need to limit its ability to pass Wishes). You also do not want to give Thundurus-T or SubCM Jirachi opportunities to set up, as the results can be devastating.

These teams will often carry a pivot Pokémon—Celebi, Garchomp, and specially defensive Jirachi are the most common picks, though you might encounter a Ferrothorn as well. Getting rid of the pivot as soon as possible is important because you will be limiting the opponent's ability to switch into your own high-powered attacks, and will in turn, have the momentum.

Rain Stall

Rain stall has very little room for creativity, but it's still an extremely effective strategy in the metagame. While teams don't want to be overly reactive in BW, rain stall can afford to be because Tentacruel beats every common spinblocker in the metagame, essentially guaranteeing that hazards are off the field with proper play. The Politoed + Ferrothorn + Tentacruel core is almost ubiquitous on rain stall; Tentacruel can use a Substitute + Toxic set to help stall out Pokémon with ease, and Ferrothorn provides an Electric-type resistance and Spiker for the team.

While you will see a lot more variation in the last three Pokémon on rain stall, most people prefer adding an extra Steel-type, and Jirachi works best because it provides the team with a win condition with the SubCM set. Latias provides the team with a solid answer to Electric-type attackers, as many carry Focus Blast for Ferrothorn, and Hidden Power Ice won't do too much damage thanks to Latias's huge base Special Defense. Landorus-T is more or less interchangeable with Gliscor, but it does have the added utility of Intimidate, higher base Attack, and a far less severe four moveslot syndrome.

To beat rain stall, you'll want to limit Tentacruel's switch-ins, as it's generally the most threatening Pokémon earlier in the match, and you don't want it firing off Toxic and then recovering its health with Rain Dish. You also need to watch out for Jirachi, as one little mistake can lead to a paralysis, or even a sweep. Controlling entry hazards and pressuring Ferrothorn is crucial, and maintaining hazards on the opposing side of the field is key because you want to punish reacting as much as you possibly can.

Some rain stall builds follow M Dragon's build and use Chansey and specially defensive Dragonite, and though these builds are solid, they are admittedly far less common in the metagame. Gliscor can also be seen, as SubToxic shenanigans and better healing in Landorus-T's spot can be useful, though Gliscor does not provide the benefit of U-turn.

Sun Offense

Sun offense is all about momentum, and it's probably one of the most matchup influenced teams. While they have a sort of predictability to them, there are many question marks to be answered as well. For one, if you see a Heatran, you can't be sure whether it's a Flame Charge setup sweeper, an offensive Heatran used as a pivot, or even a Magma Storm Heatran to get rid of other weather inducers. Additionally, you'll notice the team is Calm Mind Latias-weak, but you cannot safely setup because Dugtrio might carry Toxic.

There are a lot of different variants of sun offense teams. Some carry Volcarona as a sweeper, some carry Starmie to ensure Rapid Spin, some carry Wobbuffet to beat Politoed; I've even seen Wobbuffet and Dugtrio on the same team, with Tickle on Wobbuffet aimed solely at beating Hippowdon. Venusaur can be many different sets; you'll sometimes see them carrying Sleep Powder or Sunny Day, relegated to a more support-oriented role, or you might see them carrying Growth, aimed at a late-game sweep.

If you carry opposing weather, make sure you take out Ninetales and sun as soon as possible. Sun sweepers are deadly if they are given a free turn. Stealth Rock is extremely effective against these teams; granted, Dugtrio does take out a lot of common Stealth Rock users, though Pokémon such as Landorus-T or Garchomp have an easier time doing so against it, and in turn, Ninetales is weakened significantly every time it switches in. As mentioned earlier, Calm Mind Latias is a key threat that beats a vast majority of sun teams, though many Dragon-types have a relatively easy time against sun. Remember that sun lives and dies off of momentum, so be sure to snag a favorable position early in the match and force the opponent to switch as much as possible.

Weatherless Offense

Weatherless offense is generally reliant on breaking holes in opposing teams so that a member can eventually clean up the mess. As you can guess, momentum is key here. These teams usually utilize Focus Sash leads such as Breloom or Terrakion, and they capitalize on momentum from Scizor. Dragonite, Keldeo, and Latios all pose double threats—they might be meant to nuke the opposing team, or they might threaten to sweep at any moment. Careful play is needed against these sorts of teams, as one false move can spell the end of a game.

Generally, these teams will lead with one of the Focus Sash wielders. Terrakion will come out if Stealth Rock is deemed very important, but otherwise, Breloom can simply put an opposing Pokémon to sleep and steal all the momentum. You will see a lot of U-turn to nab momentum, and ultimately, you'll see the game culminate in a sweep if all goes according to plan. Choice Scarf Keldeo, Dragon Dance Dragonite, and Life Orb / Choice Specs Latios are all commonplace, but don't be too surprised if your opponent tricks you by switching up the movesets!

Biggest Threats

Before I begin, I'd like to state that this list is assembled in no particular order. You cannot objectively define the biggest threat in the metagame, especially because one Pokémon might be a threat to one type of team archetype and a non-threat to another.

Scizor

Scizor has always been a top tier threat because of how easily it can sweep and how well it can support. It doesn't support in the usual sense; rather, it gains momentum for the team and acts as a sort of fail-safe. The Choice Band set has an extremely powerful U-turn that forces lots of Pokémon out, while it threatens to revenge kill sweepers with Bullet Punch. It also takes care of fleeing Latios, Latias, and Celebi with a powerful Pursuit, so it keeps opponents on their heels. The rather rare—but still effective—Choice Scarf set aims to bluff a Choice Band and revenge KO threats without relying on Bullet Punch. It packs quite a punch and is very useful when KOing Latios and Latias is essential, such as when the goal is a Keldeo sweep.

Swords Dance Scizor, on the other hand, always threatens to sweep at a moment's notice. There are so many effective variants that it is hard to cover them all without dedicated physical walls. Scizor always runs Bullet Punch, but some choose Bug Bite for a secondary STAB while others choose U-turn to grab momentum, still retaining Scizor's ability to be an effective late-game sweeper. Many opt for Roost in the last slot, though Superpower is an option to KO Heatran and get big damage on Skarmory, while Acrobatics in tandem with a Flying Gem surprises Tentacruel and Jellicent. Fast variants of Heatran and defensive Skarmory are fairly good answers to Scizor, though the former can't always switch in because of the threat of Superpower and the latter needs to stay healthy in order to be a good counter. Other Pokémon such as Rotom-W do decently, though burning Scizor is essential as Rotom-W does not want to eat a boosted Bug Bite or U-turn.

Dragonite

Dragonite is an incredibly potent threat in the BW metagame despite its underwhelming Speed. It has an expansive movepool and can hit nearly every Pokémon for big damage. Dragonite users can pick and choose what they want to beat with the movesets; for instance, if you expect to get two Dragon Dances off every game, you can use a moveset with Fire Punch, Earthquake, and Outrage, as forgoing ExtremeSpeed gives you near-perfect coverage. However, if you plan on simply getting one Dragon Dance to open holes for the rest of the team, you can forgo a coverage move for ExtremeSpeed to weaken Starmie and other faster threats. Dragonite is versatile though, and it can run a Choice Band or SubDD set. Be careful, though, as Dragonite can run a great support set with Thunder Wave and special coverage moves, as well as a rain attacker set with Hurricane, Thunder, and other high Base Power moves.

When playing against Dragonite, be sure you take into account when it was sent out and what kind of team it is on. Rain stall won't be carrying a Dragon Dance Dragonite; it is instead more likely to carry a set with Dragon Tail, Roost, Thunder, and Hurricane. You should send out a check or counter appropriately based on what it is most likely to run. The safest thing to do against Dragonite is to weaken it and then revenge KO it, as it does have a rather low base Speed, but this is not always the optimal choice. Switching a faster Pokémon in on an expected Dragon Dance can pay off dividends, but you need to make sure it is not a Choice Band variant first, as a boosted Outrage will do major damage.

Gyarados

Gyarados is a lot more one-dimensional than other threats on this list, but underprepared teams can be swept cold by its standard Water / Flying coverage. Most Gyarados will be Substitute + Dragon Dance variants, and if they manage to come in at the right time, you'll be facing a +1 Atk / +1 Spe Gyarados very soon. One of the special things about Gyarados is that it hits most physically defensive Pokémon for good damage despite only running physical moves; Waterfall demolishes Gliscor, and under rain, Skarmory will have a hard time switching in on Gyarados.

That being said, the double STAB coverage can also be Gyarados's downfall. It's very hard to set up when the opponent has a Ferrothorn, as even though +1 Gyarados will do a good chunk of damage, Ferrothorn that carry Protect can ruin Bounce. If they have Gyro Ball, they'll be able to break through Substitute, and Power Whip will do the same provided it doesn't miss. If you try and set up a Dragon Dance in front of a Ferrothorn, it might just use Leech Seed or Thunder Wave and greatly decrease Gyarados's survivability. While it is manageable, Ferrothorn is a problem nonetheless. Rotom-W with Thunderbolt or Thunder are fairly problematic, but those with only Volt Switch can be avoided with Substitute or Bounce. Additionally, at only base 81 Speed, Gyarados won't be fast enough to compete with a lot of Choice Scarf Pokémon, even at +1.

Breloom

Breloom was blessed with two of the most useful abilities in the game; Poison Heal allows it to regain 1/8th of its HP every turn, while Technician boosts its many low Base Power moves so that they do respectable damage. Additionally, Breloom almost always carries Spore, and with BW sleep mechanics, sleep is especially crippling. If you see a Breloom with Poison Heal, you can be sure it is carrying either a SubPunch, SubSeed, or Bulk Up set. SubPunch aims to come in, put a Pokémon to sleep, and either attack the incoming opponent with Focus Punch or set up a Substitute. SubSeed is a more defensive set that aims to harass the opponent by sapping health with Leech Seed. Bulk Up aims to set up a few boosts and then sweep slower teams or teams that cannot outright KO it with ease.

The other set you will see is the one that carries Technician. With Technician, Breloom can use Mach Punch to deal big damage, and it carries Bullet Seed as an alternate attack for a second STAB move. The last move really depends on what the team needs; you might see Low Kick, Focus Punch, or Rock Tomb. These sets will generally either lead to put a Pokémon asleep immediately (this is guaranteed with a Focus Sash) or set up mid-game to try and put holes in the opponent's team. While it's very hard to counter Breloom, Celebi does the job quite well, and Pokémon such as Dragonite that take minimal damage from both STABs are acceptable too. Latios that carry Sleep Talk can essentially counter Breloom, though not being able to choose a move will be a hassle. Just make sure you have a good answer to Spore and you're set!

Landorus-T

Landorus-T is more often than not seen as a defensive pivot, though its massive base 145 Attack grants it a lot of offensive utility. It accomplishes several things in this role—it can set up Stealth Rock while forcing switches, gain momentum through U-turn on forced switches, and do decent damage even with uninvested moves. However, Landorus-T can also run an effective double dance set with Rock Polish and Swords Dance. It can sweep very easily late-game, though the set does depend on the inconsistent Stone Edge to hit what Earthquake does not. Choice Scarf Landorus-T is also seen, though most common Choice Scarf users outpace Landorus-T, so it isn't the biggest offensive threat; however, its cleaning abilities should not be underestimated.

Skarmory and Hippowdon are more or less the best answers to Landorus-T, though Landorus-T can use them as setup fodder if it is in a last Pokémon situation. One thing to keep in the back of your mind is that Landorus-T has access to U-turn, so you need to be extremely careful when switching in, as if you send out Skarmory and the opponent carries Magnezone, you'll be in trouble. Otherwise, most Pokémon can stomach Landorus-T's U-turn quite well, and you should at least have a switch-in or two for Landorus-T on any type of team, be it offensive or defensive.

Thundurus-T

Thundurus-T boasts a monstrous base 145 Special Attack and a very decent base 101 Speed, so it's not hard to see why this beast is a threat. Thundurus-T is generally seen on rain teams, sporting a double dance set which aims to clean up defensive teams after a Nasty Plot or offensive teams after an Agility; however, if Thundurus-T can get both boosts, the game is practically won. It can set up easily on walls such as Ferrothorn that can only hope to wear it down with Gyro Ball, though with Leftovers, Thundurus-T can stick around with a decent amount of health. Other sets that can be seen are Expert Belt, Nasty Plot + 3 attacks, and Agility + 3 attacks, but double dance is easily the most common, and likely the best, set.

To beat Thundurus-T, you will want to pressure the opponent early with Stealth Rock. He will be extremely cautious and likely won't send Thundurus-T in early or mid-game if you do so, as losing health could cost him a sweeper and win condition. Make the opponent have to spin away hazards, and if he successfully gets his spinner in, force him to lose it in the process. Constant pressure is key to winning these games, as Thundurus-T is very much a momentum-based Pokémon. Be relentless and you'll do well against it!

Volcarona

Volcarona is easily one of the most dangerous Pokémon in BW, though it suffers from a debilitating 4x weakness to Stealth Rock. With access to Quiver Dance, it becomes nearly unbeatable after a few boosts, though. You will normally see Volcarona on sun teams because of the Fire boost granted by Drought, though it can be seen on rain and weatherless teams too. Generally the first three moves are the same; you will always see Quiver Dance, Bug Buzz, and a Fire STAB move that can either be Fire Blast, Flamethrower, or Fiery Dance. However, the last slot is where it gets tricky. Heatran would be a perfect answer to Volcarona if it didn't have the ability to run Hidden Power Ground, but it's simply a sitting duck against these variants of Volcarona. Giga Drain helps Volcarona get around bulky Water-types because it grants a bit of extra recovery and super effective damage. Hurricane is only run in the rain because of the perfect accuracy it gains, but it can do big damage even without a STAB boost after a Quiver Dance or two. Some even choose to run Hidden Power Ice to beat Dragonite and Salamence, though these Pokémon are KOed in the sun at +1 by Fire Blast regardless (after Stealth Rock damage).

When playing against Volcarona, NEVER give it a free turn to set up. This must be stressed because of how quickly it can rack up boosts. You have to pressure the opponent early on with Stealth Rock, as it greatly decreases Volcarona's survivability. Be careful, though, as some people choose to use Roost or ChestoRest sets to lull the opponent into a false sense of security. The only true counters to Volcarona are Pokémon such as Chansey that shrug off its hits, though these special walls give up a lot of momentum. Don't be afraid to sacrifice a Pokémon in order to bring in an answer to Volcarona with full HP, as the trade will be worth not getting swept. Choice Scarf Keldeo is among the best answers to Volcarona because it can outpace and KO Volcarona with a little bit of prior damage, though if you can't get the previous damage in, Volcarona might get a chance to heal with a Giga Drain. The best advice is to be careful around Volcarona and take control of the momentum early on; do this and you will be fine.

Latios

Latios is extremely hard to switch into given its base 130 Special Attack and its powerful Dragon-type STAB. However, most teams will carry a decent check to it such as Tyranitar, Jirachi, Celebi, or Scizor. Latios users often try to weaken these Pokémon by employing double switches with Latios and then forcing favorable match-ups. Note that while I did call Scizor and Tyranitar good checks, only specially defensive Tyranitar and Scizor will enjoy switching in, and Latios has the ability to carry Hidden Power Fighting or Fire, so you have to be sure to scout out these moves.

Once the problematic Pokémon are out of the way, Latios has the ability to nuke opposing teams with boosted Draco Meteors. Life Orb and Choice Specs are its two best sets, and they'll do the most damage, but you can't always assume the opponent has Choice Specs if you do not see Life Orb damage given that Expert Belt is a viable option too. You'll be hard-pressed to keep Latios in check for an entire game, so if you're facing it, make sure you get rid of it as soon as possible!

Terrakion

Terrakion is so dangerous because not even dedicated physical walls can put a full stop to it. Skarmory faces danger when switching in because Terrakion can set up a Swords Dance and put a huge dent in it, while it can only Whirlwind back or use Brave Bird for damage that won't matter in the long run. Gliscor is OHKOed by a +2 Stone Edge on the Rock Gem set, and many people have started using Life Orb with Hidden Power Ice to take care of daring Gliscor. Hippowdon is probably the best answer to Terrakion in OU, but as it's grounded, it's easily worn down by entry hazards, and it gives other common Pokémon free switches. Tangrowth and Quagsire work as answers to Terrakion, but those two are rarely seen in OU because outside of walling Terrakion, they accomplish very little.

Most people use offensive checks to Terrakion rather than full-on counters, as it's much easier to fit a Scizor or Breloom on a BW2 team than it is to fit a wall. Walls sacrifice a little too much momentum, whereas Scizor and Breloom force 50/50s between their super effective priority moves and U-turn and Spore respectively. Latios and Latias serve as decent checks, but they fear switching into Terrakion's attacks, as even a resisted Close Combat will do a nice chunk of damage. Terrakion is one of the most feared Pokémon in the OU metagame for a reason.

Keldeo

From its introduction, Keldeo remained a top tier threat in the BW OU metagame, and it was extremely effective. While the most common set was the Choice Scarf cleaner that either functioned as a catch-all revenge killer in the rain or a cleaner when paired with a Pursuit user in sand, you will also see Calm Mind, SubCM, and Choice Specs sets. As I said earlier, Keldeo is often paired with a Pursuit user; Tyranitar and Scizor can take care of the most common Keldeo counters such as Latios, Latias, Celebi, and Jellicent. Most Keldeo switch-ins can also be worn down very easily through pressure, so it is an ideal Pokémon to end games with.

When playing against Keldeo, you want to be rather careful around Pursuit trappers. Double switches are your best friend, but they're also your opponent's, so you really want to limit the amount of times Keldeo can come in. This is easier said than done given its resistance to Stealth Rock, but blasting the opponent with high octane moves, laying Toxic Spikes, or doing other things that will severely cut down its survivability are key. Almost every team will have a check to Keldeo; the deciding factor is how well the Keldeo check is used.

Garchomp

Garchomp has essentially set itself apart as the premier offensive Stealth Rock user. It takes HP away from U-turn users with Rough Skin and has the raw power to threaten nearly every Pokémon. Additionally, Garchomp can run very effective Choice Band, Choice Scarf, mixed, and Swords Dance sets. Don't be shocked if you see a SubSalac set too, as they can grab a sweep against unsuspecting opponents. All Garchomp carry very good coverage in the form of Outrage and Earthquake, and depending on the team composition, you will either see Aqua Tail, Fire Blast, Fire Fang, Dual Chop, Dragon Claw, or even Substitute with Swords Dance.

Garchomp is extremely difficult to play against because of how unpredictable it is early on. You might switch a Gliscor in on it thinking you wall it only to eat a Life Orb-boosted Draco Meteor from a mixed set. Scouting out moves is necessary, though this is obviously easier said than done. Many people run dedicated anti-Garchomp leads such as Shuca Berry Jirachi just to deal with it in the early stages of games, though later on it becomes easier to deal with because it isn't the most powerful Pokémon. Outpacing or outright walling Garchomp are the best ways to deal with it, though locking it into Outrage and then dealing with it with a Steel-type is also a decent solution.

Kyurem-B

Kyurem-B has a monstrous base 170 Attack and base 120 Special Attack; to put it simply, you cannot hope to counter this thing. Every Pokémon can essentially be KOed by a move Kyurem-B might be using. Additionally, it's extremely unpredictable. You can nuke opponents with a Choice Band or run a mixed set to break down walls. You can even use Kyurem-B as with a Choice Scarf to catch opponents off guard and clean up with Outrage. Between Ice Beam, Outrage, Dragon Claw, Earth Power, Fusion Bolt, Hidden Power Fire, Hone Claws, Substitute, Dragon Tail, and Roost, I would say you have plenty of options to keep your opponents on their toes.

Because Kyurem-B can only run four moves, and because it is rather slow, there are plenty of ways to defeat it. Fast Fighting-types such as Choice Scarf Keldeo and Terrakion can take out every variant of Kyurem-B, while Breloom and Scizor keep it at bay with their high power priority moves. Offensive teams can sac a member to pressure the opponent after Kyurem-B gets a kill, while defensive teams can scout out its moveset and wall it accordingly. Without a Life Orb or other boosting item, Kyurem-B can be deceptively weak against bulky walls, so don't get complacent with base 170 Attack. While it is certainly a monster, Black Kyurem is not without its faults.

Jirachi

Jirachi is both a predictable and unpredictable Pokémon to play against. It has a good distribution of stats and access to great moves, but it also is generally used to cover holes. Most offensive teams with Jirachi will either be using it to set up Stealth Rock as an anti-lead or revenge killer with a Choice Scarf set. However, the uncommon SuperRachi can always prey on unsuspecting opponents and take out key Pokémon. One of the nastier aspects of Jirachi is that it can also run defensive sets that spread paralysis and heal teammates with Wish, so switching into it is always rough.

You should be able to narrow down the set with the team archetype. Generally on rain, you will either see a SubCM set that aims to get up some Calm Mind boosts behind a Substitute and sweep with Thunder and another move that can range between Water Pulse, Psyshock, Psychic, and Flash Cannon, or a specially defensive set that provides Stealth Rock and a sponge for hits from Pokémon such as Latios and Latias. On sand or weatherless offensive teams, you'll likely see either a Choice Scarf or anti-lead variant, though always be wary of a SuperRachi. Because it has such great coverage, you will need to tread carefully, but once you figure out the set, you can play against it accordingly.

Match Analysis

BKC vs. Lohgock - Smogon WCoP VIII

In this match, you'll immediately notice that defense will be the best offense. The player that can out-stall his opponent, or put everything into KO range by entry hazards, wins the match. BKC has a small advantage simply due to the presence of Toxic Spikes on Forretress. To win the match, he wants to poison Gastrodon, Kyurem-B, and Sableye early on. However, he has to be wary of Lohgock's Kyurem-B, which can take over the game at any point if BKC is not careful. BKC does just that; he brings in Forretress on turn 4, and then uses Toxic Spikes, giving him the early advantage.

After that, both teams start stacking entry hazards. BKC's goal is likely to bring in Forretress eventually, as doing so will make Lohgock bring out his Sableye, in turn subjecting it to poison damage. However, Lohgock knows this, and keeps his Sableye away from the field in the early game. BKC gets two layers of Toxic Spikes unpunished, and Lohgock realizes that he needs to get rid of entry hazards as soon as possible. On turn 10, he brings in Starmie, and he has to do so again after BKC uses Roar, subjecting it to a lot of passive damage. Lohgock hits the obvious Jellicent switch-in with a Thunderbolt, but BKC is using the naturally specially bulky Jellicent, meaning that Lohgock will not be able to beat it without a critical hit. Trying to protect his only chance to win, Lohgock uses Recover and then switches out immediately, as getting rid of the entry hazards on his side of the field is essential to winning. Lohgock does have to keep in mind that BKC can simply sacrifice his Jellicent to Starmie in order to pick it off with his Tyranitar, which appears to be a Choice Scarf variant from team preview.

BKC makes an interesting decision in choosing to keep his Jellicent in against Lohgock's Heatran, as a burn on Jellicent might give Lohgock's Starmie an opportunity to switch in and beat it, and in turn, get rid of the dangerous Toxic Spikes. However, BKC's decision pays off, as he sufficiently weakens Heatran and then gets a free switch to his own Heatran, which is the biggest threat to Lohgock's team (it forces Lohgock to switch into either Starmie or Gastrodon). Lohgock does indeed go to Gastrodon, and is poisoned as a result.

If you are keeping up with the users in the chat, you'll notice a lot of preemptive "gg" taunts being thrown around. While anything can happen, BKC is in an extremely advantageous position, as Starmie cannot spin when BKC has a full health Jellicent, and Pokémon on his team are starting to get hit by Toxic Spikes. Baton Pass Celebi gives BKC an even bigger advantage, as he gets momentum every time he switches to his pivot Celebi, as seen in turn 21. Once BKC has Heatran in an advantageous 1v1 matchup, he chooses to use Roar rather than attack, as he would like to poison as many Pokémon as he can. He gets the favorable Roar on turn 22 when Kyurem-B comes out, and only has Sableye left to poison. Kyurem-B looks like a rather large threat to BKC's team, but unfortunately, Lohgock is using a Dragon Tail set to shuffle, as BKC realizes when he uses Protect the next turn. Thus, he won't be able to do too much major damage because BKC can simply chip away at it while it continually eats up Toxic damage. While it has Roost, Kyurem-B's survivability is severely impaired.

A note: Kyurem-B likely has Hone Claws and Substitute, so getting it poisoned was crucial for BKC's chances of winning. Without Toxic Spikes, Lohgock could simply choose to get a Substitute up and start shuffling. Heatran and Hippowdon would not be able to Roar it out because Kyurem-B's Dragon Tail would come out faster, meaning he could just build up passive damage on the two and then sweep later in the game.

On turn 29, Lohgock gets desperate and goes for the Rapid Spin. He might have predicted the Choice Scarf Tyranitar switch-in by BKC, but BKC still wants to poison Sableye, so he chooses the safest option, even if he can't immediately take out the Starmie. On turn 38, Lohgock goes for the Brave Bird on Jellicent to try and take it out, but BKC is safe with his Recover, and he prevents Lohgock from shuffling with a quick Taunt the next turn. At this point, BKC has extended his advantage quite a bit. Kyurem-B cannot come in without a quick spin from Starmie, but BKC's Jellicent won't allow that to happen.

BKC is finally able to poison the Sableye with a clever switch to Forretress on turn 42, and while he cannot get a Rapid Spin off, Forretress has pretty much done its job. BKC grabs the momentum with a Volt Switch against the Sableye, and from then on out, the game is his to lose. The only Pokémon on Lohgock's team that can really switch into Heatran at this point is Gastrodon, but he reveals that he does not have Earth Power after he uses Scald on BKC. While Lohgock finally is able to spin away hazards on turn 50, the damage is already done. Every Pokémon on his team that's susceptible to Toxic on his team has been poisoned. He also loses his Starmie, meaning BKC can later lay hazards down again without any threat of losing them.

With a little bit of luck, BKC gets a double Protect off against Lohgock's Gastrodon, while Lohgock gives BKC a free turn by predicting a switch and using Toxic. Kyurem-B is picked off by Heatran, and Heatran has recovered quite a bit of health, so it won't be 2HKOed by Gastrodon. One by one, Lohgock's Pokémon are getting picked off. BKC makes a good prediction and uses Lava Plume to take out the Skarmory—as Lohgock cannot keep Gastrodon in, he has to switch out to a Pokémon that will take what he assumes is an Earth Power. Knowing that nothing on Lohgock's team can actually switch into an Earth Power, and that Gastrodon cannot KO Heatran, BKC hits the only possible switch-in: Skarmory.

Finally, BKC beats the Gastrodon (with a Heatran of all Pokémon!), and he takes the game with his Heatran. While the game was a 6-0, there were a lot of important Pokémon mental techniques in play, and this game serves as a good illustration of having a strategy and then carrying it out. The score did not do it justice, as the game was far closer than it would appear to be at the end. It also goes to show that Toxic Spikes can still be a major threat in the metagame.

Conclusion

A lot of people are quite vocal about how they hated BW and how much emphasis it put on team matchup. While team matchup was certainly a factor in the metagame, there isn't much you can do to eliminate matchup issues, given that there were 649 Pokémon. Team preview eased the issue, given that you knew what you were dealing with before the battle even started. Some love it, others hate it, but at the end of the day, nobody can deny that Gen V was a revolutionary generation. Hopefully you found this article informative, and if you've never played BW, perhaps this article is exactly what you needed to persuade you to give it a chance!

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