History HighTierScrappy / PokemonScarletAndViolet

* '''Iron Hands''' is already a decent Pokémon in Smogon singles, but suffers from several issues, most notably its Ground weakness and low speed and special defense, which makes Iron Hands a prime target for being run over by Pokémon such as Great Tusk and Iron Valiant, causing it to end up stuck in UUBL with only fringe viability in OU. However, VGC is where Iron Hands rule with an iron fist thanks to its Fake Out support combined with its impressive bulk and monstrous high attack. Additionally, any issues that plagued Iron Hands in Singles can be easily patched up in VGC, such as holding Assault Vest to take special hits better and speed control such as Trick Room or Tailwind. And like premier Fake Out users like Incineroar and Rillaboom before it, it isn't the only trick up its sleeves, either; Iron Hands could function as a Swords Dance set-up attacker to take advantage of its high attack, with Follow Me/Rage Powder to redirect most moves or Terastallize to avoid super-effective hits or falling asleep from Spore if it's not holding Safety Goggles. The advent of The Indigo Disk did see Iron Hands fall off considerably, though, due to the reintroduction of fellow HighTierScrappy Incineroar and a more hostile metagame to it in general.

[-[[https://eltehh.tumblr.com/post/725733976575295488/chi-yu-used-overheat Image]] by eltehh. Used with permission.-]]]

** Rounding out the Paradox Legendary Beasts is '''Raging Bolt''', Raikou's past cousin. Rather than being a quick attacker like Raikou, Raging Bolt is a MightyGlacier instead, sacrificing Speed for a huge increase in bulk, at 125/91/89, letting it comfortably tank attacks and respond back thanks to its insane base 137 Sp. Atk., and even with its mediocre base 75 Speed, it circumvents this thanks to its SecretArt, [[ActionInitiative Thunderclap]], being an Electric-type clone of Sucker Punch. Electric/Dragon is a fairly respectable typing which few Pokémon can resist, and the high amount of resistances it provides complement its bulk well. Its moveset outside of STAB is also notable, with sun-boosted Solar Beam and Weather Ball[[note]]It doubles in power and becomes a Fire move in sun[[/note]] pairing well with Protosynthesis, Volt Switch letting it pivot out slowly to bring another dangerous mon, and even [[StatusBuff Calm Mind]] to boost. With all of its options in mind, Raging Bolt has already [[HistoryRepeats garnered comparisons to Kingambit]], from its strengths and the necessity for HighlySpecificCounterplay (with Iron Treads even moving up in usage precisely because it's [[SituationalSword the best Pokémon to handle it]] despite being widely considered worse than Great Tusk) down to the very same detriments (slow Speed, exploitable weaknesses and lack of recovery), proudly earning its spot as one of the most destructive and common Pokémon to face. Raging Bolt also made a big impact in Doubles, with it being a near perfect counter to the infamous Urshifu-Rapid Strike and Tornadus Incarnate core, with its priority move being able to slam and OHKO any non bulky Urshifu-Rapid Strike set.
* '''Iron Boulder''', Terrakion's future sibling, is yet another Future Paradox mon that proves to be even stronger than its original counterpart. Unlike its fellow Paradox Swords of Justice, it doesn't change that much from Terrakion, with the most noticeable change being a moderate loss in Attack and Defense in exchange for higher Sp. Def. and Speed; the latter is even all the difference, as its base 124 Speed outruns many a threat like Roaring Moon and Iron Valiant. Its 120 Attack is still awesome, pairing well with its SecretArt, Mighty Cleave[[labelnote:*]]A 95 base power, physical Rock move that [[ArmorPiercingAttack bypasses protection moves]][[/labelnote]]; the best part is, unlike the PowerfulButInaccurate Stone Edge, Mighty Cleave is ''fully'' accurate, and combined with its Protect-lifting effect, can beat Pokémon like Toxapex and Gouging Fire. Its options outside of Rock STAB aren't too shabby either, with moves like Zen Headbutt, Close Combat and Earthquake. With a single turn of setup with Swords Dance and Quark Drive active thanks to Booster Energy, Iron Boulder can thus clear teams like no one's business. It still has drawbacks though, as its Rock/Psychic typing is abysmal defensively, giving it ''[[KryptoniteIsEverywhere seven]]'' [[KryptoniteIsEverywhere weaknesses]], many of which pack a [[ActionInitiative priority move]] in Aqua Jet, Bullet Punch, Grassy Glide, Shadow Sneak and Sucker Punch. Still, Iron Boulder's good points can't be ignored, and it says something that it managed to be such an upgrade to its original form, it memetically power crept Terrakion in its debut month so much that it punted its ancestor all the way down to '''''PU''''' in the first month after its release[[note]]Needless to say, Terrakion was swiftly banned from PU, and is staying in RU at the moment[[/note]].

** Arguably the most annoying of the three Paldean starters is '''Skeledirge'''. Despite having a somewhat underwhelming defensive typing (which often forces it to carry Heavy-Duty Boots to not get nailed by hazards), it has great physical Defense and HP, a fairly meaty Special Attack stat, and access to Slack Off for reliable recovery. But the two tools that turn Skeledirge from a relatively average starter to an utter menace are its SecretArt Torch Song and its hidden ability Unaware. Torch Song is a fairly powerful Fire-type move that is guaranteed to raise the user's Special Attack and can't be avoided via Substitute due to being a sound-based move. Meanwhile, Unaware [[HistoryRepeats brings back memories of Clefable]], as Skeledirge ignores pretty much any setup sweeper and defensive boosts in the game. It's also an excellent defensive abuser of Terastallization, often transforming into a Fairy-type to become what is the aforementioned Clefable, but ''[[BrokeTheRatingScale on steroids]]''. Even when the very first month post-''HOME'' update briefly dropped Skeledirge into UU (where it became a despised presence due to the reasons listed above being complemented by the lower power level), it rose back to OU a few months later, and it became a vital asset in Ubers due to it stopping Legendary powerhouses like Koraidon and Arceus in their tracks, proving just what a defensive juggernaut it is.

Multiple [[MyFutureSelfAndMe Paradox Pokémon]] have found themselves as prominent and disliked as soon as the generation started. They tend to have more [[MinMax optimized stat spreads]] compared to regular Pokémon, and (with the exception of Koraidon and Miraidon, who have ''even stronger'' abilities) they all share powerful [[SecretArt signature abilities]]: [[ThePowerOfTheSun Protosynthesis]] for past Paradoxes, and [[LightningCanDoAnything Quark Drive]] for future ones. These abilities boost the Pokémon's most proficient stat by 30% (50% if the stat is Speed) in the Sun or under Electric Terrain respectively, and can be activated once per battle with the Booster Energy item. This allows the strongest Paradox Pokémon to become deadly sweepers in the right circumstances, though many are groan-inducing enough to face without needing to rely on their abilities.

Multiple [[MyFutureSelfAndMe Paradox Pokémon]] have found themselves as prominent and disliked as soon as the generation started. They tend to have more [[MinMax optimized stat spreads]] compared to regular Pokémon, and (with the exception of Koraidon and Miraidon, who have ''even stronger'' abilities) they all share powerful [[SecretArt signature abilities]]: [[ThePowerOfTheSun Protosynthesis]] for Past Paradoxes, and [[LightningCanDoAnything Quark Drive]] for future ones. These abilities boost the Pokémon's most proficient stat by 30% (50% if the stat is Speed) in the Sun or under Electric Terrain respectively, and can be activated once per battle with the Booster Energy item. This allows the strongest Paradox Pokémon to become deadly sweepers in the right circumstance, though many are groan-inducing enough to face without needing to rely on their abilities.

Multiple [[MyFutureSelfAndMe Paradox Pokémon]] have found themselves as prominent and disliked as soon as the generation started. They tend to have more [[MinMax optimized stat spreads]] compared to regular Pokémon, and they all share powerful [[SecretArt signature abilities]]: [[ThePowerOfTheSun Protosynthesis]] for Past Paradoxes, and [[LightningCanDoAnything Quark Drive]] for future ones. These abilities boost the Pokémon's most proficient stat by 30% (50% if the stat is Speed) in the Sun or under Electric Terrain respectively, and can be activated once per battle with the Booster Energy item. This allows the strongest Paradox Pokémon to become deadly sweepers in the right circumstance, though many are groan-inducing enough to face without needing to rely on their abilities.

[[folder:Smogon Singles]]

* Intially, '''Baxcalibur''' didn't garner enough traction compared to its forefathers like Garchomp due to the high-risk nature of its [[SecretArt signature move]], Glaive Rush[[labelnote:*]]A 120 base power, physical Dragon-type move [[DeathOrGloryAttack that's fully accurate, but will make all incoming moves always hit and deal double damage until the next time it acts]][[/labelnote]] and defensively underwhelming Dragon/Ice typing. It even fell to UU soon after Gen IX went live, partially due to the fact that [[OlympusMons Chien-Pao]], OU at the time, filled its niche as a physical Ice-type better. After Chien-Pao was banned, players begin taking the risk and realize how absurd the icy {{kaiju}} can be if played right, as its mind-melting ''145'' base Attack stat, fantastic offensive typing, and access to [[StatusBuff Dragon Dance]] and high-powered moves like a Loaded Dice boosted Icicle Spear and the aformentioned Glaive Rush meant that if it got onto the field, ''something'' on the opposing side of the field would drop, and thanks to its impressive 115/92/86 bulk and Thermal Exchange Ability[[labelnote:*]]It {{no|sell}}-sells burns and raises the user's Attack stat 1 level if it's hit by a Fire-type move[[/labelnote]], it became clear that it was much easier to do so than many previously expected. With such an incredible offensive might and longevity that could be enhanced with Terastallization or abusing Snow[[labelnote:*]]Which boosts its defense by 50% and allows its Ice Body ability to steadily heal it, and it so happens that the popular pivoting move Chilly Reception's only user, Galarian Slowking, is also a well-liked teammate for it[[/labelnote]], Baxcalibur could set itself up as a win condition. The ''Teal Mask'' DLC was even kinder to it, gifting it with another useful teammate in Alolan Ninetales (who can set up snow and also Aurora Veil) as well as access to Scale Shot, the same move that made Garchomp scary in Gen VIII and which it can abuse thanks to, again, a Loaded Dice, turning it into a team-destroying rampage sweeper that doesn't particularly have to worry about the Defense drop from Scale Shot as long as snow is up; with Aurora Veil and/or Ice Body, there is virtually nothing an opposing team can do to keep it from setting up and splattering everything in its way. The dragon once seen as a disappointing pseudo-legendary would soon be quickbanned to Ubers just four days later, in a decision that was so unanimous as to take just ''10 minutes'' total, and was so hated that it remained banned with the release of ''The Indigo Disk''. While too weak to compete in regular Ubers, it found a place in the emerging [=UUbers=] tier as one of its best sweepers.
* Multiple [[MyFutureSelfAndMe Paradox Pokémon]] have found themselves as prominent and disliked as soon as the generation started.
** '''Great Tusk''' is viewed by many as [[HistoryRepeats Paldea's answer to Landorus-Therian]] by virtue of being a physically strong Ground-type with a variety of viable sets and being ''[[ComplacentGamingSyndrome very]]'' [[ComplacentGamingSyndrome common in the metagame]], to the point where [[https://twitter.com/SmogonU/status/1620837004698161161 it is by far one of the most used Pokémon in OU]], being used on ''over half'' of all teams (even higher than ''Landorus-Therian'' at its peak!) at several points, is only rivaled by Kingambit in OU usage, and even sees enough usage in ''Ubers'' to be banned from Ubers UU. Its Protosynthesis ability boosts the highest stat of its wielder whenever it's either under Sunny weather or is holding a Booster Energy; with an Attack boost, it can take on an offensive role, turning its STAB attacks into nukes. Even though it lacks Intimidate, its base 115 HP and 131 physical Defense stat allows it to tank hits well and its decent base 86 Speed stat lends it to a powerful support Pokémon role with moves like Stealth Rock, Knock Off and Rapid Spin. It can also patch up its lackluster Special Defense with Assault Vest, letting it tank even most Special attacks. Great Tusk is a ''very'' reliable and useful Pokémon, considered one of OU's premier defensive Ground-types, and is actually ''appreciated'' by many players for filling in so many holes in their teams and keeping strong threats like Gholdengo in check, all while ''not'' being overwhelming thanks to a combination of LimitedMoveArsenal, poor Sp. Def and defensive typing, mediocre speed without Rapid Spin, and being kept in check by other common Pokémon like Iron Valiant.
** Within 0.5 milliseconds of becoming playable, '''Flutter Mane''', the ancient form of Misdreavus, became the bane of many players' existence. Its Special Attack, Special Defense and Speed stats are all at an absurd base 135 and it has a decent movepool with coverage options like Mystical Fire and Thunderbolt. But what really pushed Flutter Mane over the edge was its ability, Protosynthesis, with either Booster Energy or Sun to boost Flutter Mane's already sky-high Speed stat to absurd levels, making it nigh-impossible to outrun outside of either Speed tying or priority and lets it sweep most teams with ease. And that's to say nothing of its ability to abuse [[SuperMode Terastallization]]. Unsurprisingly, it was quickbanned from OU in less than a week after release. To quote the tier's leaders, it's "one of the most broken presences to ever grace an Overused metagame".
** '''Iron Bundle''' is what happens when a LethalJokeCharacter has way too much emphasis placed on the "Lethal" part. Despite being the descendant of infamous LowTierLetdown Delibird, it has a high base 124 Special Attack and an absurd 136 Speed stats, outspeeding even Flutter Mane. This meant that only Dragapult could outspeed it naturally (Electrode notwithstanding) and that was unlikely to happen since it almost always held a Booster Energy to give it an instant 50% boost to its Speed stat. Its access to Freeze Dry lets it hit Water-types for super-effective damage, so its STAB combination is effectively ''unresisted'', letting it punch massive holes in anything not named Blissey. Shortly after Flutter Mane was banned, Iron Bundle quickly took its place as the dominant fast Special Attacker, and unsurprisingly it got the boot to Ubers as well.
** Dreadful dragon '''Roaring Moon''' harkens back to the glory days of its descendant Salamence. Unlike fellow Dark/Dragon types Hydreigon[[labelnote:*]]a special attacking JackOfAllStats[[/labelnote]] and Guzzlord[[labelnote:*]]an underwhelming MightyGlacier[[/labelnote]], Roaring Moon has stats optimized to make it a true LightningBruiser. Boasting a very high base 139 Attack and 119 Speed stats and with Protosynthesis and Dragon Dance to boost either stat, it's either [[MortonsFork an unstoppable force that happens to outspeed most things, or a blazing-fast annihilator that happens to hit hard too]]. In an unintentional throwback to Mega Salamence's playstyle, it's an incredibly effective Acrobatics abuser with Booster Energy,[[note]]Mega Salamence did something similar with Return made into a powerful Flying-type STAB via Aerilate[[/note]] as it instantly gets a drawback-free 110-power nuke of a move to splatter Fighting and Bug-types who might otherwise give it pause after it uses a Booster Energy up. It even gets U-turn to help it preserve momentum when using a Choice item set. While Roaring Moon doesn't even ''need'' a Dragon-type STAB move most of the time, it can still use it for added unpredictability, with Outrage being its second-strongest STAB move[[note]]behind full-power Knock Off[[/note]] and Scale Shot being its best answer to Multiscale Dragonite. Terastallization-wise, it has multiple options, including Ground or Flying (to give it an additional STAB on Earthquake or Acrobatics) or Steel (to overcome and counter its Fairy weakness); this unpredictability makes it difficult to counter, especially since Flying and Steel each resist at least one of its prior weaknesses. While Roaring Moon ended up dropping several months after the HOME update (as it doesn't have a deep movepool, it's reliant on setup and its allergy to Fairy makes it easy to manage by mons like Iron Valiant or even things packing Fairy-type coverage), it proved to be strong enough to be banned from National Dex formats, and the DLC giving it access to the infamous [[ThatOneAttack Knock Off]] as a superior Dark STAB option combined with its main competition in Baxcalibur being banned to Ubers sent it flying back to terrorize OU with a vengeance. Sure enough, it got suspected and [[KickedUpstairs banned to Ubers]] just like both forms of Salamence did at some point... [[HereWeGoAgain only to be unbanned and retested]] following the release of ''The Indigo Disk'' DLC, which at least introduced Raging Bolt as a check to its infamous Tera Flying set.
** '''Iron Valiant''', Roaring Moon's ''Violet'' counterpart, packs an impressive Fairy/Fighting STAB combination, a base 116 Speed stat that can be amped up further with Booster Energy and [[MagicKnight high base Attack]] ''[[MagicKnight and]]'' [[MagicKnight Special Attack stat]] (130 and 120 respectively), it already has the makings of a GlassCannon, but it quickly proved to be even more than that with its rich offensive movepool, with options like Close Combat, Moonblast, Thunderbolt, Psyshock, or Knock Off. ConfusionFu doesn't even begin to cover the amount of headaches it can cause, as it can be running any offensive set imaginable and the player will have no way of knowing until it does anything; and sometimes not even then, if it's using mixed sets. And this is all before Terastallization and held items comes into play either. Its frailty and large number of weaknesses has at least allowed players to give it some pause, along with its lack of a very strong physical Fairy STAB or consistent special Fighting STAB, but it's still proven itself to be a very notable and consistent metagame threat.
** '''Walking Wake''', Suicune's past counterpart, is a (pardon the terrible {{Pun}}) walking force of nature in the metagame. It sports an excellent typing in Water and Dragon, a great base 125 Special Attack, good 109 Speed stat and solid defenses for an offensive threat. Its movepool is good enough, with options in STAB Draco Meteor and Dragon Pulse, alongside Flamethrower or Hurricane for coverage. What takes it above merely being a great special attacker, however, is [[ThePowerOfTheSun its synergy under sunny weather]]. Thanks to being a Paradox Pokémon, its Protosynthesis ability, under sunny weather, boosts its Special Attack stat (or Speed via an EliteTweak). While sunny weather normally weakens Water-type moves, Walking Wake's SecretArt in Hydro Steam is instead boosted from a commendable 80 base power to a staggering 120, giving it a great STAB option in both sunny and rain weathers, with Flamethrower also being powered up by sun. Or (though rarely) if it's under rain, access to Hurricane that makes up for Flamethrower's power drop. And adding in the raw power of a Choice Specs and/or Flip Turn for keeping up momentum, Walking Wake can become more fearsome than its present counterpart ever could. In just shy of a week after its introduction, Smogon's OU Council suspect tested Walking Wake -- though it ended up staying in OU after the fact, it still remains a massive threat, in either rain or sun.
** Following Walking Wake is '''Gouging Fire''', Entei's past form. Compared to the Volcano Pokémon, it sacrifices HP, Sp. Atk. (which it doesn't even need), Speed, and access to Sacred Fire and Extreme Speed for higher overall bulk (at 105/121/93), a Fire/Dragon typing that's fantastic both offensively and defensively, and a much broader movepool besides Flare Blitz[[labelnote:*]]With options like Dragon STAB (Dragon Claw, Outrage and ''Scale Shot''), Heat Crash, [[StatusBuff Dragon Dance]], [[HealThyself Morning Sun]] and, most importantly, ''Earthquake''[[/labelnote]] that includes its SecretArt, [[DeflectorShields Burning Bulwark]][[labelnote:*]]A clone of Protect that additionally burns opponents on contact[[/labelnote]]; in the end, its playstyle has more in common with the equally powerful Mega Charizard X than with Entei itself. Overall, it's a very adaptable offensive mon, firing off powerful attacks while being able to patch up its passable base 91 Speed (though even unboosted, it still outspeeds threats like Great Tusk and Gholdengo) and heal recoil from Flare Blitz thanks to Morning Sun; plus, as a Paradox Pokémon, it benefits from Protosynthesis, which since it can be activated via [[ThePowerOfTheSun sun]], its Fire moves hit like a freight train, heavily denting [[ScissorsCutsRock even bulky Water-types]] like Dondozo. Though ocassionally, it can also take on a defensive role thanks to its recovery, reliable protection and lack of passivity. Gouging Fire does come with some drawbacks, like weaknesses to Ground and Rock moves and requiring Heavy-Duty Boots to offset hazard damage. Regardless, its strengths and [[ConfusionFu unpredictability in what sets it can run]] makes it worthy of a top spot, being extremely dangerous -- in fact, enough to eventually get a suspect test, though it wasn't banned from it.
** Rounding out the Paradox Legendary Beasts is '''Raging Bolt''', Raikou's past cousin. Rather than being a quick attacker like Raikou, Raging Bolt is a MightyGlacier instead, sacrificing Speed for a huge increase in bulk, at 125/91/89, letting it comfortably tank attacks and respond back thanks to its insane base 137 Sp. Atk., and even with its mediocre base 75 Speed, it circumvents this thanks to its SecretArt, [[ActionInitiative Thunderclap]], being an Electric-type clone of Sucker Punch. Electric/Dragon is a fairly respectable typing which few Pokémon can resist, and the high amount of resistances it provides complement its bulk well. Its moveset outside of STAB is also notable, with sun-boosted Solar Beam and Weather Ball[[note]]It doubles in power and becomes a Fire move in sun[[/note]] pairing well with Protosynthesis, Volt Switch letting it pivot out slowly to bring another dangerous mon, and even [[StatusBuff Calm Mind]] to boost. With all of its options in mind, Raging Bolt has already [[HistoryRepeats garnered comparisons to Kingambit]], from its strengths and the necessity for HighlySpecificCounterplay (with Iron Treads even moving up in usage precisely because it's [[SituationalSword the best Pokémon to handle it]] despite being widely considered worse than Great Tusk) down to the very same detriments (slow Speed, exploitable weaknesses and lack of recovery), proudly earning its spot as one of the most destructive and common Pokémon to face. Raging Bolt also made a big impact in Doubles, with it being a near perfect counter to the infamous Urshifu-Rapid Strike and Tornadus Incarnate core, with its priority move being able to slam and OHKO any non bulky Urshifu-Rapid Strike set.
** '''Iron Boulder''', Terrakion's future sibling, is yet another Future Paradox mon that proves to be even stronger than its original counterpart. Unlike its fellow Paradox Swords of Justice, it doesn't change that much from Terrakion, with the most noticeable change being a moderate loss in Attack and Defense in exchange for higher Sp. Def. and Speed; the latter is even all the difference, as its base 124 Speed outruns many a threat like Roaring Moon and Iron Valiant. Its 120 Attack is still awesome, pairing well with its SecretArt, Mighty Cleave[[labelnote:*]]A 95 base power, physical Rock move that [[ArmorPiercingAttack bypasses protection moves]][[/labelnote]]; the best part is, unlike the PowerfulButInaccurate Stone Edge, Mighty Cleave is ''fully'' accurate, and combined with its Protect-lifting effect, can beat Pokémon like Toxapex and Gouging Fire. Its options outside of Rock STAB aren't too shabby either, with moves like Zen Headbutt, Close Combat and Earthquake. With a single turn of setup with Swords Dance and Quark Drive active thanks to Booster Energy, Iron Boulder can thus clear teams like no one's business. It still has drawbacks though, as its Rock/Psychic typing is abysmal defensively, giving it ''[[KryptoniteIsEverywhere seven]]'' [[KryptoniteIsEverywhere weaknesses]], many of which pack a [[ActionInitiative priority move]] in Aqua Jet, Bullet Punch, Grassy Glide, Shadow Sneak and Sucker Punch. Still, Iron Boulder's good points can't be ignored, and it says something that it managed to be such an upgrade to its original form, it memetically power crept Terrakion in its debut month so much that it punted its ancestor all the way down to '''''PU''''' in the first month after its release[[note]]Needless to say, Terrakion was swiftly banned from PU, and is staying in RU at the moment[[/note]].

* '''Koraidon''' and '''Miraidon''' made their mark as one of the most overpowered cover legendary duos in the series' history. After the heavily lopsided duo of Zacian and Zamazenta, both [[DragonRider bike dragons]] dominated the Generation IX Ubers metagame since its inception and consistently remained in the top 2 usage spots. While more balanced than Zacian was in Generation VIII, this only ensured that the Paradox duo would remain "reasonable" enough to stay in Ubers and continue terrorizing the tier for months to come.
** '''Koraidon''' is the ultimate JackOfAllTrades MasterOfAll, having all the tools it needs to excel in offensive and support roles. This is mostly thanks to its Ability of Orichalcum Pulse, which sets up sun as soon as it enters the field and boosts its Attack while in that weather. While always considered a great Pokémon, the big ol' [[VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1 dinobeast]] was initially overlooked in favor of its robotic descendant due to its [[AchillesHeel crippling Fairy weakness]], its less reliable Dragon-type STAB options, and its other STAB of Fighting not being boosted by its Ability like with Miraidon's Electric STAB. However, Koraidon proved over time to be just as threatening as its other half, if not more. If Koraidon Terastallizes into a Fire-type, its Fairy weakness becomes a ''resistance'' and with its new third STAB it can use its many Fire-type moves to devastating effect, most notably Flare Blitz and the normally weak Flame Charge. This is without mentioning its other positive traits, like access to the popular Close Combat and its SecretArt of Collision Course as Fighting-type STAB options, the option to use its secondary Dragon-type STAB to hit opposing Dragons and access to [[StatusBuff Swords Dance]] to set up a sweep. Being a sun setter, it also acts as a great team supporter for both its fellow Ancient Paradox Pokémon and other Fire-type attackers and Chlorophyll abusers, being an even bigger threat than (regular) Groudon because of Orichalcum Pulse being a straight upgrade over Drought. In particular, its ability helps Ho-Oh, Flutter Mane and Skeledirge, three of the other best and most used Pokémon in Ubers. The ''Teal Mask'' DLC also gave Koraidon a new toy in Scale Shot, making it even scarier as a sweeper (especially with the Loaded Dice item[[note]]The same item/move combination that caused Baxcalibur to be banned from OU[[/note]]) and causing it to surpass its future counterpart in usage for the first time, leading some people to label it as ''the'' best Pokémon in Ubers. The added sweeping power Scale Shot gave it was ultimately enough to push the Winged King over the edge in National Dex, causing it to join its counterpart Miraidon in [=NatDex=] AG.[[labelnote:*]]The seventh Ubers ban since Mega Rayquaza, Gen IV Arceus, both forms of Zacian, Shadow Rider Calyrex and Miraidon (in National Dex only)[[/labelnote]]
** '''Miraidon''' stood out from the very beginning due to the insane synergy between its typing, stats, movepool and Ability, similar to pre-Gen VI Kyogre. While it's a bit more predictable than its ancient counterpart, it makes up for it with the raw power of its Electric-type damage multipliers. Miraidon's Ability, Hadron Engine, sets up electric terrain when it hits the field and both increases its Special Attack stat and boosts its Electric moves while in said terrain, letting it hit insanely hard even with moves like Volt Switch and Parabolic Charge while also boosting its Future Pokémon teammates. But Miraidon's SecretArt, Electro Drift, is the best special Electric attack in the game, being almost as powerful as Thunder while having perfect accuracy and dealing more damage with a super-effective hit -- anything that isn't Ground-type gets vaporized by this [[CyberneticMythicalBeast mechanical menace]]'s all-powerful lightning, and Pokémon that ''do'' resist or are immune to Electric are taken care of by Draco Meteor or Overheat, the latter of which addresses one of the biggest flaws of previous Dragon/Electric OlympusMons Zekrom.[[note]]For context, Zekrom was considered a great Pokémon in Gen VIII Ubers, mostly being held back by its lack of reliable coverage for Steel-types. Not only does Miraidon have an even stronger offensive prowess than Zekrom (albeit on the special side) does, but has access to the move Overheat as an extremely strong Fire-type coverage option to better handle Pokémon that wall its STAB moves.[[/note]] Its held item makes it even more unpredictable, being able to abuse Choice Specs, Choice Scarf or Life Orb (with Calm Mind[[note]]Unlike Koraidon with Swords Dance, Miraidon doesn't have access to Nasty Plot; not that it needs it, though...[[/note]]) all to devastating effect with its different movesets. It also has many viable Tera Type options; Electric lets its attacks hit ''like a Boeing 747'', Dragon lets its Dragon-type STAB catch up to its Electric-type STAB in terms of power and there are multiple defensive options it can use such as Fairy or Water. The Electric Terrain that it sets up also helps some uncommon Pokémon in the tier such as Zekrom, Iron Treads and Iron Bundle, though none are as prevalent as the mons that benefit from Koraidon's sun. While it's consistently been a top 2 threat in normal Ubers along with Koraidon and it did go through a suspect test (ultimately remaining in Ubers), Miraidon was outright banned from National Dex Ubers early on[[labelnote:*]]The fifth Ubers ban since Mega Rayquaza, Gen IV Arceus and both forms of Zacian[[/labelnote]], with proponents arguing that the Iron Serpent was even scarier than '''Mega Rayquaza''' in that format and was essentially the new Zacian-Crowned.

** '''Miraidon''' stood out from the very beginning due to the insane synergy between its typing, stats, movepool and Ability, similar to pre-Gen VI Kyogre. While it's a bit more predictable than its ancient counterpart, it makes up for it with the raw power of its Electric-type damage multipliers. Miraidon's Ability, Hadron Engine, sets up electric terrain when it hits the field and both increases its Special Attack stat and boosts its Electric moves while in said terrain, letting it hit insanely hard even with moves like Volt Switch and Parabolic Charge while also boosting its Future Pokémon teammates. But Miraidon's SecretArt, Electro Drift, is the best special Electric attack in the game, being almost as powerful as Thunder while having perfect accuracy and dealing more damage with a super-effective hit -- anything that isn't Ground-type gets vaporized by this [[CyberneticMythicalBeast mechanical menace]]'s all-powerful lightning, and Pokémon that ''do'' resist or are immune to Electric are taken care of by Draco Meteor or Overheat, the latter of which addresses one of the biggest flaws of previous Dragon/Electric OlympusMons Zekrom.[[note]]For context, Zekrom was considered a great Pokémon in Gen VIII Ubers, mostly being held back by its lack of reliable coverage for Steel-types. Not only does Miraidon have an even stronger offensive prowess than Zekrom (albeit on the special side) does, but has access to the move Overheat as an extremely strong Fire-type coverage option to better handle Pokémon that wall its STAB moves.[[/note]] Its held item makes it even more unpredictable, being able to abuse Choice Specs, Choice Scarf or Life Orb (with Calm Mind[[note]]Unlike Koraidon with Swords Dance, Miraidon doesn't have access to Nasty Plot; not that it needs it, though...[[/note]]) all to devastating effect with its different movesets. It also has many viable Tera Type options; Electric lets its attacks hit ''like a Boeing 747'', Dragon lets its Dragon-type STAB catch up to its Electric-type STAB in terms of power and there are multiple defensive options it can use such as Fairy or Water. The Electric Terrain that it sets up also helps some uncommon Pokémon in the tier such as Zekrom, Iron Treads and Iron Bundle, though none are as prevalent as the mons that benefit from Koraidon's sun. While it's consistently been a top 2 threat in normal Ubers along with Koraidon and it's currently under a suspect test, Miraidon was outright banned from National Dex Ubers early on[[labelnote:*]]The fifth Ubers ban since Mega Rayquaza, Gen IV Arceus and both forms of Zacian[[/labelnote]], with proponents arguing that the Iron Serpent was even scarier than '''Mega Rayquaza''' in that format and was essentially the new Zacian-Crowned.

** Following Walking Wake is '''Gouging Fire''', Entei's past form. Compared to the Volcano Pokémon, it sacrifices HP, Sp. Atk. (which it doesn't even need), Speed, and access to Sacred Fire and Extreme Speed for higher overall bulk (at 105/121/93), a Fire/Dragon typing that's fantastic both offensively and defensively, and a much broader movepool besides Flare Blitz[[labelnote:*]]With options like Dragon STAB (Dragon Claw, Outrage and ''Scale Shot''), Heat Crash, [[StatusBuff Dragon Dance]], [[HealThyself Morning Sun]] and, most importantly, ''Earthquake''[[/labelnote]] that includes its SecretArt, [[DeflectorShields Burning Bulwark]][[labelnote:*]]A clone of Protect that additionally burns opponents on contact[[/labelnote]]; in the end, its playstyle has more in common with the equally powerful Mega Charizard X than with Entei itself. Overall, it's a very adaptable offensive mon, firing off powerful attacks while being able to patch up its passable base 91 Speed (though even unboosted, it still outspeeds threats like Great Tusk and Gholdengo) and heal recoil from Flare Blitz thanks to Morning Sun; plus, as a Paradox Pokémon, it benefits from Protosynthesis, which since it can be activated via [[ThePowerOfTheSun sun]], its Fire moves hit like a freight train, heavily denting [[ScissorsCutsRock even bulky Water-types]] like Dondozo. Though ocassionally, it can also take on a defensive role thanks to its recovery, reliable protection and lack of passivity. Gouging Fire does come with some drawbacks, like weaknesses to Ground and Rock moves and requiring Heavy-Duty Boots to offset hazard damage. Regardless, its strengths and [[ConfusionFu unpredictability in what sets it can run]] makes it worthy of a top spot, being extremely dangerous -- in fact, enough to eventually get a suspect test.

** Within 0.5 milliseconds of becoming playable, '''Flutter Mane''', the ancient form of Misdreavus, became the bane of many players' existence. Its Special Attack, Special Defense and Speed stats are all at an absurd base 135 and it has a decent movepool with coverage options like Mystical Fire and Thunderbolt. But what really pushed Flutter Mane over the edge was its ability, Protosynthesis, which in sunny weather boosts Flutter Mane's already sky-high Speed stat to absurd levels, making it nigh-impossible to outrun outside of either Speed tying or priority and lets it sweep most teams with ease. And that's to say nothing of its ability to abuse [[SuperMode Terastallization]]. Unsurprisingly, it was quickbanned from OU not even a week after release. To quote the tier's leaders, it's "one of the most broken presences to ever grace an Overused metagame". Its dominance also extend to VGC where it is by far the most popular Special threat, pushing out any other Special attacker not named Landorus Therian and Raging Bolt.

* '''Dondozo''' is a force to reckoned with in Doubles thanks to '''Tatsugiri'''. When a Tatsugiri with Commander is on the field with Dondozo, it'll hop into Dondozo's mouth and give it +2 in every stat. With the right speed investment, Dondodzo is able to outspeed both Chi-Yu and Palafin with the Commander boosts. The catch is Tatsugiri cannot act and neither of them can switch out (including phazing moves and Red Card) for the duration of it, but Dondozo has numerous tricks up its sleeves to make up the disadvantage of being one against two. In addition to its Unaware ability ensuring that trying to beat Dondozo at its own game with stat boosts won't work without Mold Breaker, Dondozo has Order Up to raise its stat further, depending on Tatsugiri's form. Before that got patched, a glitch causes Order Up's effect to activate even if the move didn't hit. Dondozo also happens to be a fantastic recipient of Terastallization, being able to Tera into Steel-type to block [[StatusBuffDispel Clear Smog]] and being poisoned or Grass-type to block Spore. Despite not receiving STAB from it, Dondozo runs [[HerdHittingAttack Earthquake to hit multiple foes]] since the stat boosts more than make up for the spread damage reduction and any moves that target Tatsugiri will always miss. Even if Dondozo goes down, Tatsugiri itself is no slouch with its high 120 Special Attack, hitting hard with its Draco Meteor and [[HerdHittingAttack Muddy Water]], or Icy Wind for speed control. While it's not without checks such as [[StatusBuffDispel Haze]] or Flower Trick, Dondozo and Tatsugiri have quickly became one of the most loathed core in VGC because of how demanding they are.

* While the Hearthflame version floundered in Doubles due to the presence of Incineroar - another great support Fire type, the Wellspring form of '''Ogerpon''' found itself thriving in Doubles. It's got access to excellent support moves such as Follow Me for redirection that other Grass types are not immune to, and Spiky Shield to punish physical attackers. Its good bulk complements this, and its Ivy Cudgel allows it to put out some high damage for a support Pokémon (that also slams super-effectively the three most prominent Intimidate Pokémon in the format: Incineroar, Landorus-Therian and Hisuian Arcanine). This has allowed Ogerpon-Wellspring to become the premier support Pokémon for Water and Grass-types, even dethroning Amoonguss, whose Spore would kept getting redirected by Follow Me from Ogerpon itself.

** Following Walking Wake is '''Gouging Fire''', Entei's past form. Compared to the Volcano Pokémon, it sacrifices HP, Sp. Atk. (which it doesn't even need), Speed, and access to Sacred Fire and Extreme Speed for higher overall bulk (at 105/121/93), a Fire/Dragon typing that's fantastic both offensively and defensively, and a much broader movepool besides Flare Blitz[[labelnote:*]]With options like Dragon STAB (Dragon Claw, Outrage and ''Scale Shot''), Heat Crash, [[StatusBuff Dragon Dance]], [[HealThyself Morning Sun]] and, most importantly, ''Earthquake''[[/labelnote]] that includes its SecretArt, [[DeflectorShields Burning Bulwark]][[labelnote:*]]A clone of Protect that additionally burns opponents on contact[[/labelnote]]; in the end, its playstyle has more in common with the equally powerful Mega Charizard X than with Entei itself. Overall, it's a very adaptable offensive mon, firing off powerful attacks while being able to patch up its passable base 91 Speed (though even unboosted, it still outspeeds threats like Great Tusk and Gholdengo) and heal recoil from Flare Blitz thanks to Morning Sun; plus, as a Paradox Pokémon, it benefits from Protosynthesis, which since it can be activated via [[ThePowerOfTheSun sun]], its Fire moves hit like a freight train, heavily denting [[ScissorsCutsRock even bulky Water-types]] like Dondozo. Though ocassionally, it can also take on a defensive role thanks to its recovery, reliable protection and lack of passivity. Gouging Fire does come with some drawbacks, like weaknesses to Ground and Rock moves and requiring Heavy-Duty Boots to offset hazard damage. Regardless, its strengths and [[ConfusionFu unpredictability in what sets it can run]] makes it worthy of a top spot, being extremely dangerous. Gouging Fire would eventually get a Suspect Test due to its power.
** Rounding out the Paradox Legendary Beasts is '''Raging Bolt''', Raikou's past cousin. Rather than being a quick attacker like Raikou, Raging Bolt is a MightyGlacier instead, sacrificing Speed for a huge increase in bulk, at 125/91/89, letting it comfortably tank attacks and respond back thanks to its insane base 137 Sp. Atk., and even with its mediocre base 75 Speed, it circumvents this thanks to its SecretArt, [[ActionInitiative Thunderclap]], being an Electric-type clone of Sucker Punch. Electric/Dragon is a fairly respectable typing which few Pokémon can resist, and the high amount of resistances it provides complement its bulk well. Its moveset outside of STAB is also notable, with sun-boosted Solar Beam and Weather Ball[[note]]It doubles in power and becomes a Fire move in sun[[/note]] pairing well with Protosynthesis, Volt Switch letting it pivot out slowly to bring another dangerous mon, and even [[StatusBuff Calm Mind]] to boost. With all of its options in mind, Raging Bolt has already [[HistoryRepeats garnered comparisons to Kingambit]], from its strengths and the necessity for HighlySpecificCounterplay (with [[JackOfAllStats Excadrill]] threatening a KO with Earthquake but [[RocketTagGameplay taking major damage from its coverage]], and Iron Treads being [[SituationalSword the best Pokémon to handle it]] but [[CripplingOverspecialization unviable in OU otherwise]]) down to the very same detriments (slow Speed, exploitable weaknesses and lack of recovery), proudly earning its spot as one of the most destructive and common Pokémon to face. Raging Bolt also made a big impact in Doubles, with it being a near perfect counter to the infamous Urshifu-Rapid Strike and Tornadus Incarnate core, with its priority move being able to slam and OHKO any non bulky Urshifu-Rapid Strike set.

* '''Gholdengo''', coinciding with being the [[MilestoneCelebration 1000th Pokémon]]. The Coin Entity pairs Aegislash's fantastic Steel/Ghost typing with Landorus-Therian's role diversity, then combines them with an excellent base 133 Special Attack stat, its SecretArt Make It Rain[[labelnote:*]]A 120 base power, special Steel-type move that has only a minor downside of lowering its Special Attack by one stage and can even hit multiple foes[[/labelnote]], good 87/95/91 bulk with reliable [[HealThyself recovery]] and [[ConfusionFu a wide movepool]], already making it a powerful Pokémon. But one trait that sets Gholdengo apart from the rest is its signature ability, Good as Gold[[labelnote:*]]Blocks any status moves that target it[[/labelnote]] which makes it impossible to remove entry hazards when Gholdengo's present as it completely blocks Defog while being immune to Rapid Spin and Mortal Spin, short of Court Change or [[HighlySpecificCounterplay Mold Breaker Defog Hawlucha]]. As a result, it is [[ComplacentGamingSyndrome seen on a staggering number of teams]], [[SwissArmyWeapon be in offense, balance, or stall]]; consequently, hazards stacking has become incredibly good due to its hazard removal denying capability. This, combined with it not being suspect tested even ''once'' as of this writing despite the bans of a large number of Pokémon viewed as less dominent or only dominent due to Gholdengo's presence, made it a massive sore spot for many players. That being said, it has been on the radar for tiering action to be taken against it multiple times, and in National Dex OU, it was banned after a suspect test.

** '''Miraidon''' stood out from the very beginning due to the insane synergy between its typing, stats, movepool and Ability, similar to pre-Gen VI Kyogre. While it's a bit more predictable than its ancient counterpart, it makes up for it with the raw power of its Electric-type damage multipliers. Miraidon's Ability, Hadron Engine, sets up electric terrain when it hits the field and both increases its Special Attack stat and boosts its Electric moves while in said terrain, letting it hit insanely hard even with moves like Volt Switch and Parabolic Charge while also boosting its Future Pokémon teammates. But Miraidon's SecretArt, Electro Drift, is the best special Electric attack in the game, being almost as powerful as Thunder while having perfect accuracy and dealing more damage with a super-effective hit — anything that isn't Ground-type gets vaporized by this [[CyberneticMythicalBeast mechanical menace]]'s all-powerful lightning, and Pokémon that ''do'' resist or are immune to Electric are taken care of by Draco Meteor or Overheat, the latter of which addresses one of the biggest flaws of previous Dragon/Electric OlympusMons Zekrom.[[note]]For context, Zekrom was considered a great Pokémon in Gen VIII Ubers, mostly being held back by its lack of reliable coverage for Steel-types. Not only does Miraidon have an even stronger offensive prowess than Zekrom (albeit on the special side) does, but has access to the move Overheat as an extremely strong Fire-type coverage option to better handle Pokémon that wall its STAB moves.[[/note]] Its held item makes it even more unpredictable, being able to abuse Choice Specs, Choice Scarf or Life Orb (with Calm Mind[[note]]Unlike Koraidon with Swords Dance, Miraidon doesn't have access to Nasty Plot; not that it needs it, though...[[/note]]) all to devastating effect with its different movesets. It also has many viable Tera Type options; Electric lets its attacks hit ''like a Boeing 747'', Dragon lets its Dragon-type STAB catch up to its Electric-type STAB in terms of power and there are multiple defensive options it can use such as Fairy or Water. The Electric Terrain that it sets up also helps some uncommon Pokémon in the tier such as Zekrom, Iron Treads and Iron Bundle, though none are as prevalent as the mons that benefit from Koraidon's sun. While it's consistently been a top 2 threat in normal Ubers along with Koraidon, Miraidon was banned from National Dex Ubers early on[[labelnote:*]]The fifth Ubers ban since Mega Rayquaza, Gen IV Arceus and both forms of Zacian[[/labelnote]], with proponents arguing that the Iron Serpent was even scarier than '''Mega Rayquaza''' in that format and was essentially the new Zacian-Crowned.

** Following Walking Wake is '''Gouging Fire''', Entei's past form. Compared to the Volcano Pokémon, it sacrifices HP, Sp. Atk. (which it doesn't even need), Speed, and access to Sacred Fire and Extreme Speed for higher overall bulk (at 105/121/93), a Fire/Dragon typing that's fantastic both offensively and defensively, and a much broader movepool besides Flare Blitz[[labelnote:*]]With options like Dragon STAB (Dragon Claw, Outrage and ''Scale Shot''), Heat Crash, [[StatusBuff Dragon Dance]], [[HealThyself Morning Sun]] and, most importantly, ''Earthquake''[[/labelnote]] that includes its SecretArt, [[DeflectorShields Burning Bulwark]][[labelnote:*]]A clone of Protect that additionally burns opponents on contact[[/labelnote]]; in the end, its playstyle has more in common with the equally powerful Mega Charizard X than with Entei itself. Overall, it's a very adaptable offensive mon, firing off powerful attacks while being able to patch up its passable base 91 Speed (though even unboosted, it still outspeeds threats like Great Tusk and Gholdengo) and heal recoil from Flare Blitz thanks to Morning Sun; plus, as a Paradox Pokémon, it benefits from Protosynthesis, which since it can be activated via [[ThePowerOfTheSun sun]], its Fire moves hit like a freight train, heavily denting [[ScissorsCutsRock even bulky Water-types]] like Dondozo. Though ocassionally, it can also take on a defensive role thanks to its recovery, reliable protection and lack of passivity. Gouging Fire does come with some drawbacks, like weaknesses to Ground and Rock moves and requiring Heavy-Duty Boots to offset hazard damage. Regardless, its strengths and [[ConfusionFu unpredictability in what sets it can run]] makes it worthy of a top spot, being extremely dangerous.

* The meme of '''Annihilape''' being "[[UnstoppableRage too angry to die]]" rings true in the competitive scene as well, thanks to its well-distributed stats that include solid bulk. This is complemented by its SecretArt Rage Fist, which starts out weak at 50 base power but gets stronger with each hit Annihilape takes, up to a maximum of 350. Its most notorious set involves boosting with Bulk Up, eating physical hits for breakfast before hitting back with the borderline unresisted STAB combination of Fighting and Ghost-type.[[labelnote:*]]The only type combination that resists both Fighting and Ghost moves is Normal/Ghost, which is exclusive to Hisui Zorua and Zoroark. All ''other'' Pokemon get unresisted STAB damage from either the monstrous-boosting Rage Fist or very strong Fighting moves so it isn't walled by Normal- and Dark-types.[[/labelnote]] It's also decently fast with a base 90 Speed stat and has access to Taunt, so chances are it will Taunt you first before you do. Terastallization even lets it change into a new type to take "would-have-been" super-effective attacks reasonably. Even without reliable recovery, Annihilape proved to be incredibly unkillable after just one boost thanks to its bulk and Drain Punch, resulting in it getting quickbanned to Ubers after a month and a half. And unlike others on this list, it ''DOES'' have a place in Ubers, due to it switching into Loaded Dice multi-attacks and Defog turning it into a potential win condition if supported right. While ''Indigo Disk'' did provide some answers to Annihilape in theory, particularly the introduction of Psychic Noise (which cripples Drain Punch), it's still a universally hated presence with a toxic core concept, and any discussion of reevaluating it for OU has been instantly shot down.

* '''Iron Hands''' is already a decent Pokémon in Smogon singles, but suffers from several issues, most notably its low speed and special defense, which makes Iron Hands a prime target for being run over by Pokémon such as Great Tusk and Iron Valiant, causing it to fluctuate between UU and UUBL. However, VGC is where Iron Hands rule with an iron fist thanks to its Fake Out support combined with its impressive bulk and monstrous high attack. Additionally, any issues that plagued Iron Hands in Singles can be easily patched up in VGC, such as holding Assault Vest to take special hits better and speed control such as Trick Room or Tailwind. And like premier Fake Out users like Incineroar and Rillaboom before it, it isn't the only trick up its sleeves, either; Iron Hands could function as a Swords Dance set-up attacker to take advantage of its high attack, with Follow Me/Rage Powder to redirect most moves or Terastallize to avoid super-effective hits or falling asleep from Spore if it's not holding Safety Goggles. As a result, it's seen on [[ComplacentGamingSyndrome a staggering amount of teams,]] with about half of all VGC teams running it — sometimes, it even supersedes Flutter Mane in usage.

* '''Archaludon''', the evolution of Duraludon, has proven itself to be a tricky bugger to face off against in Singles. Though reliant on rain, it's easily one of the best Pokémon that can abuse it, thanks to its amazing [[SecretArt signature move]], [[ShockAndAwe Electro Shot]][[labelnote:*]]A 130 base power, Electric-type special move that [[ChargedAttack charges on the first turn]] ''and'' [[StatusBuff boosts Sp. Atk by +1]], then fires on the second; under rain, the charge turn is skipped[[/labelnote]]. This move powers up its already great 125 Sp. Atk. ''and'' skips its charge turn in rain, making it very deadly. As for the Ground-types that could stomach it, Archaludon also has great special STAB options in Flash Cannon and Draco Meteor. Defensively, its Steel/Dragon typing is superb, and complementing it is a good base 90 HP and an outstanding 130 Defense stat, the latter of which is [[CastFromHitPoints boosted one stage each time it's hit]] thanks to its Ability, [[StatusBuff Stamina]]. Its access to Body Press is icing on the cake, allowing it to contest any special walls or Steel-types sent to combat it. While it has a mediocre base 65 Sp. Def., Archaludon commonly carries an Assault Vest as its held item to fix that, and its downside isn't much of a detriment seeing how Archaludon's not much of a support/defense Pokémon. The big Terastal button only worsens the deal, usually opting for Tera Fairy as a strong defensive type that changes its Fighting and Ground weaknesses into a resistance/neutrality. And sending Ground-types to defeat it will just lead to it switching out to one of its Rain-boosted Water-type teammates, making it a lose/lose situation. All of this makes it so that Archaludon's one of the biggest pains to deal with when team-building, with any counters usually forced to Tera in order to switch in easily and neutralize it. Granted, outside of Rain teams, Archaludon is more manageable, but the fact that minimal counterplay for the bridge dragon exists in comparison to the ease of letting it set up led to it being suspect tested over strong but more manageable related threats like [[GlassCannon Barraskewda]] or Rain itself.

* The meme of '''Annihilape''' being "[[UnstoppableRage too angry to die]]" rings true in the competitive scene as well, thanks to its well-distributed stats that include solid bulk. This is complemented by its SecretArt Rage Fist, which starts out weak at 50 base power but gets stronger with each hit Annihilape takes, up to a maximum of 350. Its most notorious set involves boosting with Bulk Up, eating physical hits for breakfast before hitting back with the borderline unresisted STAB combination of Fighting and Ghost-type. It's also decently fast with a base 90 Speed stat and has access to Taunt, so chances are it will Taunt you first before you do. Terastallization even lets it change into a new type to take "would-have-been" super-effective attacks reasonably. Even without reliable recovery, Annihilape proved to be incredibly unkillable after just one boost thanks to its bulk and Drain Punch, resulting in it getting quickbanned to Ubers after a month and a half. And unlike others on this list, it ''DOES'' have a place in Ubers, due to it switching into Loaded Dice multi-attacks and Defog turning it into a potential win condition if supported right. While ''Indigo Disk'' did provide some answers to Annihilape in theory, particularly the introduction of Psychic Noise (which cripples Drain Punch), it's still a universally hated presence with a toxic core concept, and any discussion of reevaluating it for OU has been instantly shot down.

* '''Archaludon''' has proven itself to be a tricky bugger to face off against in Singles. Though reliant on rain, it's easily one of the best Pokémon that can abuse it, thanks to its amazing signature move, Electro Shot. This move powers up its already great 125 Special Attack by one stage ''and'' fires off a 130 Electric-type move. Normally a two-turn charge move, Rain turns it into a single-turn move, making it very deadly. It also has great special STAB options in the form of Flash Cannon and Draco Meteor to muscle through threats that can resist Electro Shot. Defensively, it's also a problem, as a 130 Defense stat with 90 HP is hard to break through, and it powers up each time it's hit thanks to Stamina. This also makes sending special walls or Steel-types for it a moot point, as it can just Body Press them to 0 HP. And if you're thinking of hitting its weaker 65 Special Defense, Archaludon's got an answer for that too; an Assault Vest as its held item, which will make special damage laughable, and its downside isn't much of a detriment seeing how Archaludon's not much of a support/defense Pokémon. And this is before hitting the big Tera button; it will usually use Tera Fairy to survive any potential Ground-type & Fighting-type moves and make Poison-type moves a gamble. And sending Ground-types to defeat it will just lead to it switching out to one of its Rain-boosted Water-type teammates, making it a lose/lose situation. All of this makes it so that Archaludon's one of the biggest pains to deal with when team-building, with any counters usually forced to Tera in order to switch in easily and neutralize it. Granted, outside of Rain, it flops and isn't as big of an issue, but the fact that minimal counterplay for the bridge dragon exists in comparison to the ease of letting it set up led to it being suspected in OU over strong but more manageable related threats like [[GlassCannon Barraskewda]] or Rain itself.

* While the Hearthflame version floundered in Doubles due to the presence of Incineroar - another great support Fire type, the Wellspring form of '''Ogerpon''' found itself thriving in Doubles. It's access to excellent support moved such as Follow Me for redirection that other Grass types are not immune to, Spiky Shield to punish physical attacker, as well as all around excellent bulk on both side of the spectrum and the move Ivy Cudgel allow it to put out decent damage for a support Pokemon (that also slam the three most prominent Intimidate Pokemons in the format Incineroar, Landorus Therian and Hisuian Arcanine for super effective damage if they don't Terastallize) has allowed Wellspring to become the premier support Pokemon for Water and Grass type, even dethroning Amoonguss whose Spore would kept getting redirected by Follow Me from Ogerpon.

** '''Iron Boulder''', Terrakion's future sibling, is yet another Future Paradox mon that proves to be even stronger than its original counterpart. Unlike its fellow Paradox Swords of Justice, it doesn't change that much from Terrakion, with the most noticeable change being a moderate loss in Attack and Defense in exchange for higher Sp. Def. and Speed; the latter is even all the difference, as its base 124 Speed outruns many a threat like Roaring Moon and Iron Valiant. Its 120 Attack is still awesome, pairing well with its SecretArt, Mighty Cleave[[labelnote:*]]A 95 base power, physical Rock move that [[ArmorPiercingAttack bypasses protection moves]][[/labelnote]]; the best part is, unlike the PowerfulButInaccurate Stone Edge, Mighty Cleave is ''fully'' accurate, and combined with its Protect-lifting effect, can beat Pokémon like Toxapex and Gouging Fire. Its options outside of Rock STAB aren't too shabby either, with moves like Zen Headbutt, Close Combat and Earthquake. With a single turn of setup with Swords Dance and Quark Drive active thanks to Booster Energy, Iron Boulder can thus clear teams like no one's business. It still has drawbacks though, as its Rock/Psychic typing is abysmal defensively, giving it ''[[KryptoniteIsEverywhere seven]]'' [[KryptoniteIsEverywhere weaknesses]], many of which pack a [[ActionInitiative priority move]] in Aqua Jet, Bullet Punch, Grassy Glide, Shadow Sneak and Sucker Punch. Still, Iron Boulder's good points can't be ignored, and it says something that it managed to be such an upgrade to its original form, it memetically power crept Terrakion in its debut month so much that it punted its ancestor all the way down to '''''PU''''' in the first month after its release[[note]]Needless to say, Terrakion was swiftly banned from PU, and is staying in NUBL at the moment[[/note]].

** '''Chi-Yu''' is perhaps the most infamous of the four, with its average base 100 Speed stat, strained coverage options and [[TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers cute design]] hiding its true power as a nuke in flaming goldfish form. It arguably doesn't ''need'' the coverage since it has a combination of an astounding base 135 Special Attack stat and Beads of Ruin[[labelnote:*]]Cuts the Special Defense of all other Pokémon on the field by 25%[[/labelnote]]. It also gets Nasty Plot for setup, burning anything not named Blissey, Tyranitar, or Ting-Lu to a crisp. Chi-Yu can also patch up its lackluster coverage with Terastallization to take out would-be checks, topped off by partnering up with Torkoal's Drought to unleash full power Overheats in the sun boosted by Tera Fire, which made it memetic for threatening to 2HKO or OHKO even the most dedicated of special walls, ''Blissey'' included. Chi-Yu's overwhelming power got it banned from National Dex formats quickly and a later vote saw it banned from regular OU as well.

** '''Koraidon''' is the ultimate JackOfAllTrades MasterOfAll, having all the tools it needs to excel in offensive and support roles. This is mostly thanks to its Ability of Orichalcum Pulse, which sets up sun as soon as it enters the field and boosts its Attack while in that weather. While always considered a great Pokémon, the big ol' [[VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1 dinobeast]] was initially overlooked in favor of its robotic descendant due to its [[AchillesHeel crippling Fairy weakness]], its less reliable Dragon-type STAB options, and its other STAB of Fighting not being boosted by its Ability like with Miraidon's Electric STAB. However, Koraidon proved over time to be just as threatening as its other half, if not more. If Koraidon Terastallizes into a Fire-type, its Fairy weakness becomes a ''resistance'' and with its new third STAB it can use its many Fire-type moves to devastating effect, most notably Flare Blitz and the normally weak Flame Charge. This is without mentioning its other positive traits, like access to the popular Close Combat and its SecretArt of Collision Course as Fighting-type STAB options, the option to use its secondary Dragon-type STAB to hit opposing Dragons and access to [[StatusBuff Swords Dance]] to set up a sweep. Being a sun setter, it also acts as a great team supporter for both its fellow Ancient Paradox Pokémon and other Fire-type attackers and Chlorophyll abusers, being an even bigger threat than (regular) Groudon because of Orichalcum Pulse being a straight upgrade over Drought. In particular, its ability helps Ho-Oh, Flutter Mane and Skeledirge, three of the other best and most used Pokémon in Ubers. The ''Teal Mask'' DLC also gave Koraidon a new toy in Scale Shot, making it even scarier as a sweeper (especially with the Loaded Dice item[[note]]The same item/move combination that caused Baxcalibur to be banned from OU[[/note]]) and causing it to surpass its future counterpart in usage for the first time, leading some people to label it as ''the'' best Pokémon in Ubers. The added sweeping power Scale Shot gave it was ultimately enough to push the Winged King over the edge in National Dex, causing it to join its counterpart Miraidon in [=NatDex=] AG.[[labelnote:*]]The seventh Ubers ban since Mega Rayquaza, Gen IV Arceus, both forms of Zacian, Sahdow Rider Calyrex and Miraidon (in National Dex only)[[/labelnote]]

* '''Enamorus''', the [[TheSmurfettePrinciple sole female Force of Nature]], has followed in its fellows' footsteps as a notoriously good Pokémon, with its Incarnate form being described by some people as a "better Togekiss". She's got excellent [[MagicKnight mixed attacking stats at base 115/135 Attack/Sp. Atk.]] and a serviceable enough base 106 Speed, which compensates a bit for her [[GlassCannon below average 74/70/80 bulk]]. Both of Enamorus-Incarnate's Abilities see use, with Cute Charm[[labelnote:*]]Contact with the Pokémon has a 30% chance of causing infatuation; a volatile status effect which makes Pokémon of the opposite gender unable to attack ''half of the time''[[/labelnote]] singlehandedly causing people to change their physical attacker's genders to female instead of male just to avoid infatuation (''worse'' if you don't play on battle simulators), and [[OppositeDay Contrary]] transforming stat drops into stat boosts, much like with Serperior in Gen VI onwards. She's got a [[ConfusionFu rich movepool]][[labelnote:*]]Hurricane, Moonblast and Springtide Storm for Special STAB; Play Rough for physical STAB; Earth Power, Focus Blast, Grass Knot, Mystical Fire, Psychic and Sludge Bomb for coverage; Calm Mind to [[StatusBuff boost]]; and Superpower as [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs a coverage/boosting hybrid]] thanks to Contrary[[/labelnote]] to make use of her stats and abilities, too. No Pokémon with Defog wants to dare use it against a team with Enamorus-Incarnate in fear they will accidentally boost her Evasion thanks to Contrary, while no physical attacker wants to attack her simply because of Cute Charm. Similarly to Clefable in previous generations, fighting Enamorus-Incarnate amounts to letting her do something and analyzing set possibilities, then acting accordingly. She got even worse with the release of ''The Indigo Disk'', allowing her to abuse of Stellar Tera Blast much like with Superpower, except it boosts ''both'' of her offensive stats instead of her Defense. She does have some notable flaws, such as her aforementioned mediocre bulk, being forced to run Heavy-Duty Boots to avoid Stealth Rock, and (rather damningly) lacking U-turn unlike the other Forces of Nature, but none of this is of huge issue.

* '''Terapagos''' was, to the surprise of many, initially deemed as legal in OU, but it didn't remain for very long. Its Tera Shell ability allows it to resist any damaging move it takes at full health, even resisting all hits from a multi-hit move unlike Multiscale, giving it what is effectively a free turn (or multiple if Terapagos manages to heal to full again) to set up or do anything it wants if its opponent isn't packing a PowerNullifier like Mold Breaker ''and'' an attack powerful enough to one-shot it through its decently high bulk. Upon transforming into its Stellar Form by Terastallizing, its stats increase further (notably its health which increases from 90 to a whopping ''160'') to give it a staggering BST of 700, it swaps Tera Shell for Teraform Zero that wipes all weather and terrain to ruin the days of any Pokémon that rely on it, and it gains its own special version of the Stellar type which gives it a 20% power bonus (100% for Normal-type moves) to ''all moves, permanently'', which combined with its broad coverage and access to Calm Mind let it wreak havoc with virtually anything. This is on top of all forms of Terapagos having Tera Starstorm, a 120-power STAB attack with no drawbacks that, if Terapagos is in its Stellar form, hits ''[[ArmorPiercingAttack all types for neutral damage]]'' due to becoming a Stellar attack, on top of hitting all targets in Double Battles and hitting Terastallized foes for supereffective damage. Its only real let-downs are it taking up the Terastallization slot if one wants to use its full power as well as its mediocre 85 base Speed; the former is of little downside considering how much havoc Stellar Form Terapagos can wreak, while the speed issue can easily be sorted with Rock Polish or Rapid Spin, the latter of which also gives it utility for clearing hazards. It wasn't surprising that it got banned from OU shortly after it was introduced, beating out Regieleki's ban (the exact timing as to how quickly it was banned is up for debate, with values ranging from twenty-seven to as low as '''''twenty-three''''' hours) and therefore giving it the current record for the fastest ban. Many question why the thing was even legal in OU in the first place given that it was basically a [[PurposefullyOverpowered Box Legendary]].

* While the Hearthflame version floundered in Doubles due to the presence of Incineroar - another great support Fire type, the Wellspring form of '''Ogerpon''' found itself thriving in Doubles. It's access to excellent support moved such as Follow Me for redirection that other Grass types are not immune to, Spiky Shield to punish physical attacker, as well as all around excellent bulk on both side of the spectrum and the move Ivy Cudgel allow it to put out decent damage for a support Pokemon (that also slam the three most prominent Intimidate Pokemons in the format Incineroar, Landorus Therian and Hisuian Arcanine for super effective damage if they don't Terastallize) has allowed Wellspring to become the premier support Pokemom for Water and Grass type, even dethroning Amoonguss whose Spore would kept getting redirected by Follow Me from Ogerpon.

** Following Walking Wake is '''Gouging Fire''', Entei's past form. Compared to the Volcano Pokémon, it sacrifices HP, Sp. Atk. (which it doesn't even need), Speed, and access to Sacred Fire and Extreme Speed for higher overall bulk (at 105/121/93), a Fire/Dragon typing that's fantastic both offensively and defensively, and a much broader movepool besides Flare Blitz[[labelnote:*]]With options like Dragon STAB (Dragon Claw, Outrage and ''Scale Shot''), Heat Crash, [[StatusBuff Dragon Dance]], [[HealThyself Morning Sun]] and, most importantly, ''Earthquake''[[/labelnote]] that includes its SecretArt, [[DeflectorShields Burning Bulwark]][[labelnote:*]]A clone of Protect that additionally burns opponents on contact[[/labelnote]]. Overall, it's a very adaptable offensive mon, firing off powerful attacks while being able to patch up its passable base 91 Speed (though even unboosted, it still outspeeds threats like Great Tusk and Gholdengo) and heal recoil from Flare Blitz thanks to Morning Sun; plus, as a Paradox Pokémon, it benefits from Protosynthesis, which since it can be activated via [[ThePowerOfTheSun sun]], its Fire moves hit like a freight train, heavily denting [[ScissorsCutsRock even bulky Water-types]] like Dondozo. Though ocassionally, it can also take on a defensive role thanks to its recovery, reliable protection and lack of passivity. Gouging Fire does come with some drawbacks, like weaknesses to Ground and Rock moves and requiring Heavy-Duty Boots to offset hazard damage. Regardless, its strengths and [[ConfusionFu unpredictability in what sets it can run]] makes it worthy of a top spot, being extremely dangerous.

** The '''Wellspring Mask''', though not as extreme of an example, offers Ogerpon [[NoSell an immunity to Water]] via [[HealItWithWater Water Absorb]], which furthers her longevity and makes it easier to switch into opposing Pokémon. Grass/Water is also still good offensively, with Ivy Cudgel covering Fire-types and Power Whip decimating Water-types, while Grass- and Dragon-types are, once again, disposed of with Knock Off and Play Rough. Terastallization even makes her both stronger and harder to kill since her Sp. Def. is boosted, and rain further pushes her power beyond the rating scale. Though she hasn't proven to be as problematic as Hearthflame, Ogerpon-Wellspring is still in the radar for many people, feared and despised alike by those unfortunate to face her unprepared. The prescense of the likes of Serperior and Gouging Fire following the ''Indigo Disk'' introducing them did end up stopping Ogerpon-Wellspring Mask in its tracks a bit, however.
* After Hisuian Ursaluna proved to be more flawed than players expected (in singles at least), '''Bloodmoon Ursaluna''', upon being released alongside ''The Teal Mask'' DLC, became widely feared as the second, stronger coming of resident "[[FanNickname Cocaine Bear]]" Hisuian Ursaluna, particularly after Baxcalibur's ban. Just like its Hisuian counterpart, it's an [[MightyGlacier incredibly powerful and very physically bulky wallbreaker with low speed]], though it's now a special attacker instead of a physical attacker. The Bloodmoon Beast gains a very strong ability in Mind's Eye[[labelnote:*]]The user is immune to its accuracy, ignores the changes to the opponent's evasion, and allows it to hit Ghost-types with Normal- and Fighting-moves[[/labelnote]], which complements incredibly well with its SecretArt, Blood Moon[[labelnote:*]]A 140 base power, Normal-type special move with the only drawback of not being able to select it twice in a row[[/labelnote]]. On top of these, Bloodmoon Ursaluna matches its Hisuian counterpart's [[StatusBuff boosting options]] with Calm Mind, and has access to two perks the former doesn't have: Moonlight for [[HealThyself reliable recovery]], and [[ActionInitiative priority]] in Vacuum Wave. Bloodmoon Ursaluna is thus not only better then its Hisuian counterpart, but also a top tier Pokemon and one of the best Ground-types of all time, as well as ''the'' best Normal-type not named Arceus. It's so strong that as of October 2023, it was suspect tested and banned to Ubers with a near unanimous '''93%''' vote[[labelnote:*]]For context, this is around the same percentage of people who voted to ban Shadow rider Calyrex from Gen IX Ubers, and is the ''second'' highest percentage of pro-ban voters, only falling behind Mega Lucario's mind-boggling 94% ban vote[[/labelnote]].
* '''Terapagos''' was, to the surprise of many, initially deemed as legal in OU, but it didn't remain for very long. Its Tera Shell ability allows it to resist any damaging move it takes at full health, even resisting all hits from a multi-hit move unlike Multiscale, giving it what is effectively a free turn (or multiple if Terapagos manages to heal to full again) to set up or do anything it wants if its opponent isn't packing a PowerNullifier like Mold Breaker ''and'' an attack powerful enough to one-shot it through its decently high bulk. Upon transforming into its Stellar Form by Terastallizing, its stats increase further (notably its health which increases from 90 to a whopping ''160'') to give it a staggering BST of 700, it swaps Tera Shell for Teraform Zero that wipes all weather and terrain to ruin the days of any Pokémon that rely on it, and it gains its own special version of the Stellar type which gives it a 20% power bonus (100% for Normal-type moves) to ''all moves, permanently'', which combined with its broad coverage and access to Calm Mind let it wreak havoc with virtually anything. This is on top of all forms of Terapagos having Tera Starstorm, a 120-power STAB attack with no drawbacks that, if Terapagos is in its Stellar form, hits ''[[ArmorPiercingAttack all types for neutral damage]]'' due to becoming a Stellar attack, on top of hitting all targets in Double Battles and hitting Terastallized foes for supereffective damage. Its only real let-downs are it taking up the Terastallization slot if one wants to use its full power as well as its mediocre 85 base Speed; the former is little of a downside considering how much havoc a Stellar Form Terapagos can wreak, while the speed issue can easily be sorted with Rock Polish or Rapid Spin, the latter of which also gives it utility for clearing hazards. It wasn't surprising that it got banned from OU shortly after it was introduced, beating out Regieleki's ban (the exact timing as to how quickly it was banned is up for debate, with values ranging from twenty-seven to as low as '''''twenty-three''''' hours) and therefore giving it the current record. Many question why the thing was even legal in OU in the first place given that it was basically a [[PurposefullyOverpowered Box Legendary]].

* While the Hearthflame version floundered in Doubles due to the presence of Incineroar - another great support Fire type, the Wellspring form of '''Ogerpon''' found itself to thrive in Doubles. It's access to excellent support moved such as Follow Me for redirection that other Grass types are not immune to, Spiky Shield to punish physical attacker, as well as all around excellent bulk on both side of the spectrum and the move Ivy Cudgel allow it to put out decent damage for a support Pokemon (that also slam the three most prominent Intimidate Pokemons in the format Incineroar, Landorus Therian and Hisuian Arcanine for super effective damage if they don't Terastallize) has allowed Wellspring to become of the premier support Water and Grass type, even dethroned Amoonguss whose Spore would kept getting redirected by Follow Me from Ogerpon.