35 Pokes February 2024 metagame is a household favourite due to team flexibility, unique options and balanced meta. Ceruledge and Serperior are the two pokemon that are deemed as S rank. Ceruledge has insane moveset variety and sheer power with its base 125 attack. Flash fire sets are commonly used with Air Balloon to provide great defensive utility by providing 4 immunities to help switch in safely and provide multiple opportunities to set up. Weak Armor can be used with Focus Sash or Endure Weakness Policy to roll through most non Quagsire builds (unless Power Herb Solar Blade lol). Serperior is well known for its Leaf Storm + Contrary combination. Serp offers also great utility in Glare, Defog, and Knock Off for assisting teammates. General movesets will involve moves like Leech Seed, Substitute, Toxic, Protect and coverage in Dragon Pulse (highest non stab BP coverage move). Common defensive pokemon include Quagsire, Skarmory, Snorlax. These three are a common core that can cover the metas most potent threats. Quagsire with Unaware can shut down most physical attacking set up users commonly running Sitrus Berry to wall Poltergeist Ceruledge. Skatmory can use its Iron Defense + Body Press combination to outlast most physical attacking mons. Also in great utility with Defog and Roar (be careful of Whirlwind into Wind Rider Shiftry lol). Skarmory and Quagsire are also the tiers best hazard setters. Snorlax is the premier Special Defense Tank, great into builds with Nidoqueen/Primarina. Thick Fat Lax can also potentially wall non CC Ceruledge as well. Special Attacking threats such as Nidoqueen and Primarina can be very hard to defend with little great counterplay. Nidoqueen tends to run 2 Stabs + Flame + Stealth Rock/Superpower. Primarina has a wide set variety - being a great switchin to Paldean Tauros, Calm Mind, Momentum, Choice Scarf, and great coverage. Paldean Tauros is commonly running Choice Band or Bulk Up + 3 Attacks. Choice Band be very hard to switch in if you predict wrong. Zebstrika is the tiers most surprising viable pick, normally Untiered but a Top 10 threat in this meta. Most notably being a perfect Serperior counter - Sap Sipper + Electric Type (Glare Immunity). It also has great coverage in Electric Stab, High Horsepower, Trailblaze, Overheat, Low Kick etc. Also notable speed tier. Clodsire can be a great option as well, being overshadowed by Quagsire but similar in movepool, some teams prefer the non Serp weakness. Wish passers include Aromatisse and Lickilicky, Aromatisse being a Phys Def wall and Lickilicky sponging most Special Attackers. These pokemon are both quite passive which can be their downside. Rapid Spinners include Mr Rime and Morpeko, both pokemon have great offensive coverage in the meta but lack in firepower. Coming into the cheese picks - Screens Vanilluxe commonly paired with Maushold (actually good mon into non Skarmory builds), Tyrantrum (Dragon Dance Rock Head Head Smash + Earthquake goes crazy into non Quagsire builds), Magnet Pull Alolan Golem (only good at removing Skarmory, useless if opponent brings no Skarmory). Psychic Terrain is also another cheese pick that honestly does quite well into most builds. Gothitelle or Mr Rime setting up Psychic Terrain into Scarf Jynx with Expanding Force. Expanding Force in terrain can destroy through Spdef Pokemon like Snorlax and even resists like Skarmory. It may be deemed a viable strategy as the Month’s winner used it to his advantage to get through the semi finals and grand finals to take the crown. Some other niche picks that can be somewhat viable include Scrappy Pangoro, Nasty Plot + 3 Attacks Raichu, Wind Rider/Chlorophyll Shiftry and Hazard Lead Sandslash.
Written by Shoota
/challenge gen9nationaldex35pokes @@@ -All Pokemon, +tauros-paldea-blaze, +ceruledge, +klinklang, +houndstone, +gothitelle, +snorlax, +sandslash, +morpeko, +sawk, +nidoqueen, +lickilicky, +shiftry, +vanilluxe, +jynx, +wormadam-trash, +vigoroth, +mr. rime, +skarmory, +tyrantrum, +aromatisse, +primarina, +golem-alola, +maushold, +pangoro, +malamar, +clodsire, +klawf, +meganium, +quagsire, +toxicroak, +wugtrio, +walrein, +raichu, +serperior, +zebstrika
Klinklang
Houndstone
Gothitelle
Sandslash
Sawk
Lickilicky
Shiftry
Jynx
Wormadam-T
Vigoroth
Mr. Rime
Skarmory
Tyrantrum
Aromatisse
Primarina
Golem-A
Maushold
Pangoro
Malamar
Clodsire
Klawf
Meganium
Toxicroak
Wugtrio
Walrein
Raichu
Serperior
Zebstrika
Want to write an analysis for February 2024?