dropping my initial thoughts here after playing a couple hours
Mewtwo-Mega-X @ Life Orb
Ability: Sword of Ruin
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Photon Geyser
- Close Combat
- Magical Torque
- Strength Sap
geyser broken to basically nobody's surprise. outside of specifically fc yveltal there aren't really any consistent answers to it, and this mmx set always poses a threat thanks to doing ~40 to imp, having recovery, and not being choice locked. there's also some download stuff you can do, which gives even the "lesser" psychics like deo-n basically free 2hkoes across the board, and this adds to the already notable problem of raw coverage fish being the best way to handle geyser attackers. this isn't likely to stay legal very long.
Lugia @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Fur Coat
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Magma Storm
- Psychic Noise
- Topsy-Turvy
- Roost
started off as copium for geyser attackers but then saw a window to use psychic noise. this move isn't actually very good, at least in this context; being blocked by cloak means trapping defensive mons really doesn't happen all that much, and only lasting 2 turns means you can't even really apply this and sod off to scare the opponent out, so you basically have to be faster and able to outlive them (which lugia often can't do). using a fur coat psychic is also guaranteed to magnetize all frogs and wicked blow yveltals to your location within 3 minutes of queueing for games, so even with topsy you are always bricking it in fear of random power trip stuff you'd normally handle just fine. watching triage stuff being trapped in and forced to struggle because they only have triage attacks is funny though.
maybe this move is better on a more aggressive mon that readily encourages sap, such as mmx, but finding the moveslot to fit this over geyser just 2hkoing everything / a different coverage move to just remove the target is a challenge. 75 bp is also not spectacular; anything weaker than unecro needs a boosting item to actually 2hko fc arc-psn without hazards (thus it needs a boosting item to basically do its job as psychic coverage).
Ho-Oh @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Triage
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Bitter Blade
- Brave Bird
- Head Smash?
triage bitter blade works but i don't really see it being too relevant. unlike gen 8 triage owing, which had multiple different users each with their own talents (ray was strongest and had stab core enforcer, celesteela could self-proof and wasn't rocks weak, yveltal was the bulkiest), bitter blade only really has 2 users in ho-oh and mblaze; ho-oh essentially being forced into boots is a death sentence, mblaze is very frail, and neither have a particularly comfortable imp matchup (they can only win if imp switches in on the sd + they win a tie). mdiancie also exists as an offensive check to both, psychic surge also being as common as it is also makes these want to cry, and prank largely doesn't exist so the benefit of out-prioritizing it is also absent. if either of these get use, i'd hedge my bets on blaziken.
Mewtwo-Mega-X @ Life Orb
Ability: Sword of Ruin
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Photon Geyser
- Close Combat
- Magical Torque
- Strength Sap
geyser broken to basically nobody's surprise. outside of specifically fc yveltal there aren't really any consistent answers to it, and this mmx set always poses a threat thanks to doing ~40 to imp, having recovery, and not being choice locked. there's also some download stuff you can do, which gives even the "lesser" psychics like deo-n basically free 2hkoes across the board, and this adds to the already notable problem of raw coverage fish being the best way to handle geyser attackers. this isn't likely to stay legal very long.
Lugia @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Fur Coat
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Magma Storm
- Psychic Noise
- Topsy-Turvy
- Roost
started off as copium for geyser attackers but then saw a window to use psychic noise. this move isn't actually very good, at least in this context; being blocked by cloak means trapping defensive mons really doesn't happen all that much, and only lasting 2 turns means you can't even really apply this and sod off to scare the opponent out, so you basically have to be faster and able to outlive them (which lugia often can't do). using a fur coat psychic is also guaranteed to magnetize all frogs and wicked blow yveltals to your location within 3 minutes of queueing for games, so even with topsy you are always bricking it in fear of random power trip stuff you'd normally handle just fine. watching triage stuff being trapped in and forced to struggle because they only have triage attacks is funny though.
maybe this move is better on a more aggressive mon that readily encourages sap, such as mmx, but finding the moveslot to fit this over geyser just 2hkoing everything / a different coverage move to just remove the target is a challenge. 75 bp is also not spectacular; anything weaker than unecro needs a boosting item to actually 2hko fc arc-psn without hazards (thus it needs a boosting item to basically do its job as psychic coverage).
Ho-Oh @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Triage
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Bitter Blade
- Brave Bird
- Head Smash?
triage bitter blade works but i don't really see it being too relevant. unlike gen 8 triage owing, which had multiple different users each with their own talents (ray was strongest and had stab core enforcer, celesteela could self-proof and wasn't rocks weak, yveltal was the bulkiest), bitter blade only really has 2 users in ho-oh and mblaze; ho-oh essentially being forced into boots is a death sentence, mblaze is very frail, and neither have a particularly comfortable imp matchup (they can only win if imp switches in on the sd + they win a tie). mdiancie also exists as an offensive check to both, psychic surge also being as common as it is also makes these want to cry, and prank largely doesn't exist so the benefit of out-prioritizing it is also absent. if either of these get use, i'd hedge my bets on blaziken.