Competitive play without stealth rock

[Ninja Dewott]

How would Volcarona be Ubers? It's still destroyed by any rock moves, walled by the likes of Heatran (who also phases it out) and Jellicent.

 

[Zachmac]

How would Volcarona be Ubers? It's still destroyed by any rock moves, walled by the likes of Heatran (who also phases it out) and Jellicent.

Well, it can hurt Heatran with HP ground...

What could jellicent do in return? Will-o-Wisp? Scald? Those won't put a dent in it.

Even if it doesn't go to ubers, gyarados will probably be seen a lot more.

 

[Dragonicwari]

Just saying about dnite without stealth rock, we completely forgot about burns/paralysis. A burn would completely kill it; it's attack would be halfed and it's multiscale would be broke every turn. Or paralysis which would half its speed and cause it to miss a few turns

 

[heiiumzz]

Just saying about dnite without stealth rock, we completely forgot about burns/paralysis. A burn would completely kill it; it's attack would be halfed and it's multiscale would be broke every turn. Or paralysis which would half its speed and cause it to miss a few turns

Which is why i run a lum dd nite.. Dd when people tries to status me..

If wow misses, dd again..

Caught lota people off guard lol..

 

[Ilan]

Well, it can hurt Heatran with HP ground...

What could jellicent do in return? Will-o-Wisp? Scald? Those won't put a dent in it.

Even if it doesn't go to ubers, gyarados will probably be seen a lot more.

most volcaronas run HP rock to hit everything neutral except terrakion (which need to be removed before volcarona is out anyway but I think ditto would make volcarona regret that.
and yep bulky waters are one of the lots of safe switch ins of volcarona with 1 quiver dance scald don't do nothing to him and with stealth rock not there he would have more opportunities that would mean every team would have a choice scarf terrakion or blissey

 

[Pichu47]

Stealth rocks is awesome. I actaully don't have it on my team, but i still can deal with nite/volcarona/charazard. Focus sash wouldn't be broken even if SR didn't exist.

 

[Eranu™]

Moltres, Articuno, Volcarona, Dragonite and all others with 25% or more weak to SR and decent stats would go up in usage statistics.

 

[kaiser soze]

Moltres, Articuno, Volcarona, Dragonite and all others with 25% or more weak to SR and decent stats would go up in usage statistics.

Dragonite's currently the #1 mon used in Smogon OU

Volcarona was 25th for October and made the Uber suspect list

Moltres could possibly make UU (or at least bumped to BL2) but with its shallow movepool Charizard would be the superior Fire/Flyer for most sweeping roles.

Articuno has nothing but Ice and Flying moves however. Still not enough of an incentive to use it.

 

[Zachmac]

Moltres, Articuno, Volcarona, Dragonite and all others with 25% or more weak to SR and decent stats would go up in usage statistics.

Articuno will suck even without stealth rock. It has absolutely terrible typing. It would probably be...NU.

Gyarados would benefit alot, especially defensive sets.

 

[Triple Z]

Dragonite's currently the #1 mon used in Smogon OU

I heard that was for only those with less than 1300(ish?) rating. Above that, it was Toed, iirc. So, to put it pluntly, Dnite is for n00bz

 

[irock245]

^Good Thing I don't use dragonite.

Any good flying or fire type will increse in usage.

 

[Triple Z]

^Good Thing I don't use dragonite.

Any good flying or fire type will increse in usage.

I do

And yeah, I agree. Generally, anything with a weakness to SR will.

 

[3.14kachu]

Stealth Rock is, IMO, one of the most important aspects in competitive play nowadays. Without it, hazards would be a gimmick, not really taken seriously. Stealth Rock has made some pokemon that used to be somewhat respectable (Charizard, Scyther, Ninjask even) comparatively useless, while making Rapid Spin (one of the worst moves in existance that would never be used if not for SR because it's not worth the effort for just Spikes) necessary on Rock-weak teams. Without SR, Donphan and Claydol would never see the light of day, and all of them would be shunted into NU. They would never be able to compete with the new UU hazard-layer, Forretress.

If Gamefreak wanted to balance this hazard metagame, they would provide a more common move to get rid of hazards. A move that moves hazards to the opponent's side, but only one at a time, seems fair to me, or they could make other rapid spin-equivalent moves that more common pokemon can learn.

 

[Pichu47]

^That's a good idea to make another rapid spin move. I think it should be an electric type move called Break Dance. Jk, it should be called Thunder Spin.

 

[3.14kachu]

What does spinning have to do with removing hazards anyway? I feel like moves like Surf and Heat Wave clear the field much better than spinning would. Of course, giving those moves the power to remove hazards would break the hazards metagame.

 

[Zachmac]

What does spinning have to do with removing hazards anyway? I feel like moves like Surf and Heat Wave clear the field much better than spinning would. Of course, giving those moves the power to remove hazards would break the hazards metagame.

Not just spinning, spinning rapidly. It blows them away.

Bronzong needs rapid spin...

 

[ParaChomp]

How about this: what if Stealth Rock was removed but Spikes was able to harm airborne Pokémon?

Now for a song!
♪You spin me right round, baby, right round♪
♪Like a record baby, right round, downtown♪

 

[kaiser soze]

How about this: what if Stealth Rock was removed but Spikes was able to harm airborne Pokémon?

Kinda too late for GF to do something like that, however.

 

[ParaChomp]

Kinda too late for GF to do something like that, however.

I know but that wast the point of my post!

 

[Simipour]

Competitive battling without stealth rock is tantamount to a world without lawyers.