Why Everyone Hates the New #1 Pokemon

Sneasler, 2024

[demi-femme]

Smogon players: "Hey, I've seen this one! I've seen this one! It's a classic!"

[雪者]

Dire Claw be like:

"Let's go gambling!"

[Alo-is-io]

“a full fledged mean girl bully pop star, a cheerleader, with a side pony tail”

[vicctretamaj]

Incineroar: Flirting
Sneasler: Harassment

[banditrests]

As Nails put it, Pokémon are allowed to break one rule maximum, and Urshifu breaks two rules- ignoring protect and ignoring stat drops. Sneasler is good, but it’s manageable, it has a 4x weakness and is a lot frailer generally, and it has to respect intimidate. I was theory crafting gliscor as a Sneasler check because it resists both stabs, is immune to status, had good natural physical bulk and stab dual wingbeat to break sash. Someone then actually brought a similar set to the last EU regionals and day 2ed with it lol

[michaelkarim]

One thing I believe the video forgot to mention, there aren’t a lot of great fighting types in this format while many of the best Pokémon are weak to fighting like Arch, Gambit, Incin, P2, Ursa, Ttar, etc. Fighting is such a great typing right now Flamigo was popular at one stage.

[treeninja]

For me it’s definitely Urshifu being worse. Sneasler has strong counteplay against it - Lum berry, electric types, covert cloak, PROTECT, intimidate etc.

Urshifu bypasses protect (the easiest way to stop damage) and bypasses stat drops (the second easier way to stop damage), and even bypasses damage halving berries, since you’d have to be water weak, get hit by surging strike and NOT Tera beforehand.

[shanoc]

Which is worse? Easily Urshifu for one simple fact, Sneasler will not stay relevant. As stated, Sneasler had all these same tools and options back in Regulation D but it just couldn't keep up with the power level that was going around. If Sneasler gets too unhealthy for the VGC format then all they have to do is up the power level enough for the next regulation and it will become either manageable or maybe even irrelevant. Sneasler is a temporary problem within the current generation, Urshifu however is a looming threat that will eventually be let back into the game and once Urshifu is no longer banned it *is* the powercreep, and the only way to keep it out of a format is to either ban it (which as they've typically shown that overtime the rules tend to expand to let more powerful pokemon in) or wait until the next generation. No matter how bad or unhealthy Sneasler is, it cannot maintain it's hold over VGC long-term and those who think Sneasler is worse will be free from worrying about it, the same cannot be certain of Urshifu.

[فنكجَلِيدٍ]

In walks! In walks! Bipedally walks! A full grown adult woman! Who's this entrepreneur, this cheerleader, this popstar?

[Nameless_mixes]

I’m going to still go with Urshifu being worse for the game. Protect is so essential in helping to keep the pace of the game from being too overwhelming for players. It’s such a key, defensive move to prevent the game from becoming all-out offense. Invalidating Protect is way too dangerous. Even measures to bypass Protect in the past (mainly Feint) are restricted in being weak attacks. Urshifu can just go straight through a Protect with a full powered Close Combat.

And Sneasler may have coverage, but at least Ghost types are immune/resistant to both of its STABs. No single type resists both of Urshifu’s. Countering it becomes far more niche because of that.

[captaincanterberrystudios]

I really liked Sneasler when I first saw it, even more when I started using it on Showdown, and I was absolutely through the roof when I found out Regulation H would give it a chance to be great.

Still amazed at how well it is doing. Sorry I wished for this.

[jacksonbranby]

I meet someone

I am sneased to meet them

There isn't enough evidence to make the charges stick

The case goes cold

I meet someon-

[NoDandyManOnRoblox]

"Did your favorite mon become viable?"

"Yes."

"What did it cost?"

"Everything."

[noobslayer]

Sometimes a little competition for number 1 is a healthy thing and leads to more variety. Comps, counter comps and counter-counter comps are sure to make their rounds which could make things really interesting

[Lumpfriend]

Dire Claw is a TCG attack like oh flip 3 coins to determine which status condition to apply!

[Worst_Casts]

Urshifu 100 percent, ignoring protect is just such a fundamental disregard for how the game is supposed to function. Sneasler is just super rng which sucks ass but isn’t disregarding the fundamentals of VGC

[TheCoder]

Chansey: Oops I used skill swap and gave Sneasler the ability Serene Grace; I hope nothing goes wrong!

[CoalFirE_]

0:16 THATS MY KING GARCHOMP BACK FROM UU TO THE TOP ONCE MORE YOU WITNESS A KING’S REVIVAL AND IT IS GLORIOUS!!!

[Elleander]

Sneasler is just good, you've listed several counterplay options. Urshifu is the trouble child

[emmanuel]

Did not expect sneasler to have the highest usage rate