You're welcome wolfmirage! If you want to battle some time on ORAS or X/Y, hit me up with your friend code.
like i said, there are much better stealth rockers in ou. the only reason to use shuckle is to sticky web for idk sticky web offense? lol, dont get me wrong shuckle is a cool pokemon, it's just that in ou it's kinda meh even for a niche mon.
anyway ya, you can win a battle without hazards to support your team, but hazards have gotten really important and most successful teams use hazards too (unless u want to be super hipster and run something either super muk or just gimmicky but beats the ladder anyway). shuckle is an ok niche pokemon, that's all, but if you really want to use it then meh, can't force you to use chomp or any other pokemon right?
#1amthoughts
It's definitely challenging and awkward to use Shuckle, and I agree that there are easier and more versatile hazard setters in OU. Also, it would probably take a beginner many frustrating losses to master such a technical Pokemon (you really have to be on top of your prediction game for it to be effective). I've had some good times with it, but I enjoy making gimmicks work.
Swords Dance/protect/HJK/Flare Blitz
+2 252+ Atk Mega Blaziken High Jump Kick vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Mega Salamence: 216-255 (65.2 - 77%) -- 18.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Mega Blaziken High Jump Kick vs. 240 HP / 0 Def Azumarill: 164-193 (40.8 - 48.1%) -- 67.6% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Mega Blaziken High Jump Kick vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Talonflame: 179-211 (60.2 - 71%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Mega Blaziken Flare Blitz vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Talonflame: 165-195 (55.5 - 65.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Mega Blaziken High Jump Kick vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Garchomp: 204-240 (48.5 - 57.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
+2 252+ Atk Mega Blaziken High Jump Kick vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Garchomp: 405-477 (96.4 - 113.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Mega Blaziken High Jump Kick vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Suicune: 178-211 (44 - 52.2%) -- 77.3% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
+2 252+ Atk Mega Blaziken High Jump Kick vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Suicune: 357-420 (88.3 - 103.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
-1 252+ Atk Mega Blaziken Flare Blitz vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Landorus-T: 129-153 (33.7 - 40%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery means it can switch in once with SR up and then its done if Blaze sds later in the match.
None of these checks and counters are able to switch in with like ANY prior damage, plus they are all stupidly easy to wear down.
K. So first off, I really respect your opinion and you're the most respected dude here, probably years and years my senior in competitive battling. But here's my case. Btdubs I run my calcs at level 50.
252+ Atk Choice Band Huge Power Azumarill Aqua Jet vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Blaziken: 320-378 (105.9 - 125.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO
(320, 324, 326, 330, 336, 338, 342, 344, 350, 354, 356, 360, 366, 368, 372, 378)
0+ Atk Talonflame Brave Bird vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Blaziken: 320-378 (105.9 - 125.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO
(320, 324, 326, 330, 336, 338, 342, 344, 350, 354, 356, 360, 366, 368, 372, 378)
I'd pursue that the Mega/Blaziken strategy is super predictable. Protect on the first turn to pick up a Speed Boost, fire off a super effective move if possible and SD otherwise. This is why they're easy to kill. I'm not saying that if you let a Blaziken set up, that it's easy to hard counter (although it can fall to its own HJK if you can bait that out and switch in a Ghost), but it is simple enough to revenge kill.
What you've said about Talonflame assumes that an opponent is going to hard switch into it while rocks are up. I don't know of anyone who Talonflames in such a fashion. How about getting a slow Volt Switch from a defensive Rotom?
I'll take your word on Mega Luc. Once again, I just brought it up because it doesn't see much use in formats where it is legal, so I contest that it over-centralizes the meta in spite of its potential.
