Gonna bump the thread with some cool sets and mons, hopefully this will help revive Middle Cup a bit because this is really a fun tier and it shouldn't die off.
Trumbeak @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Skill Link
Level: 50
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- Bullet Seed
- U-turn
- Return / Rock Blast
Trumbeak is probably the best Generation 7 middle evolution Middle Cup got this gen. Being a strong Flying-type that can't be checked by Rhydon thanks to Bullet Seed is a godsend, and while it would normally run a AoA set with EBelt/Firium Z, I actually really like Trumbeak as a Choice Scarf user, as its a pretty damn good revenge killer. With a Choice Scarf equipped, it outspeeds the unboosted metagame, and can outspeed and revenge kill +2 Rhydon (Rock Polish) and +1 DD Fraxure, which are very good attributes for a Scarfer to have in this meta. Trumbeak can also function as a late-game cleaner with its strong STABs once its checks are gone. Another neat attribute Trumbeak has over other Scarf users is in Skill Link, as it allows it to get around Sash Kadabra, who could normally eat a hit with Sash and kill Trumbeak, but now it can't thanks to Bullet Seed breaking the Sash and OHKOing Kadabra afterwards. For the last slot, Return is my preferred option for a secondary STAB that doesn't cause recoil and hits stuff like Electabuzz really hard. Rock Blast is still an option, however, to revenge kill Fire-types like Magmar easier and also hits Togetic for decent damage. Overall, Trumbeak is a really great Choice Scarf user in my opinion because it revenge kills a good chunk of the offensive metagame while also being very strong on it's own, and more people should use it! (Just remember to bring Doublade answers because Trumbeak can't really touch it without Flame Charge!)
Gurdurr @ Flame Orb
Ability: Guts
Level: 50
EVs: 172 HP / 252 Atk / 84 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Drain Punch
- Mach Punch
- Façade
- Knock Off
Yep, a Flame Orb Guts user is in this metagame. Oh boy. So here's Flame Orb Guts Gurdurr, which is basically a direct upgrade from the Life Orb Gurdurr sets of last gen. With the burn nerf, Gurdurr takes only 6% from burn damage and still gains the Guts boost, turning Gurdurr into an absolutely fearsome wallbreaker. Boosted Facade is incredibly powerful and spammable, and to show how powerful it is, here's some calcs:
252+ Atk Guts Gurdurr Facade (140 BP) vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Togetic: 90-107 (55.9 - 66.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Guts Gurdurr Facade (140 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Golbat: 102-120 (56 - 65.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Black Sludge recovery
Yep, Guts Facade cleanly 2HKOs both physically defensive Togetic and Golbat (both decent-ish Gurdurr checks otherwise), which is absolutely insane. Drain Punch is very powerful with the Guts boost as well, smashing through Steel- and Rock-types while also healing Gurdurr back up so he can put more pain on the opponent. Mach Punch is as useful as ever, picking off frailer opponents even easier with the Guts boost. While this Gurdurr would love to use Bulk Up to become an insanely bulky and powerful monster, it has to use Knock Off as otherwise, it is completely walled by the prominent Ghost-types of the tier, mainly Doublade. Although this is a minor setback, Knock Off still is quite powerful, 2HKOing Doublade easily with the Guts boost. Basically, what I'm trying to get at here is that Guts + Flame Orb Gurdurr has literally no safe switch-ins, and the best way to get rid of it is to bombard it with strong attacks to kill it before it maims your entire team with its insanely powerful attacks. (Which is not a super easy thing to do all the time, as Gurdurr is pretty bulky and Drain Punch heals it.) Overall, this Gurdurr set will definitely be it's main set in Gen 7, and is arguably one of the best wallbreakers in Middle Cup, if not the best.
PS: The Speed EVs are to outspeed uninvested base 50s, like Piloswine.
Kadabra @ Focus Sash
Ability: Magic Guard
Level: 50
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Psyshock / Psychic
- Dazzling Gleam
- Shadow Ball
-
Counter
Focus Sash Kadabra is already one of the best checks to set-up sweepers in the tier with its guaranteed Focus Sash, but with the RBY Virtual Console being compatible with Poke Bank, it gained a new toy, as if it needed one in the first place. Counter Kadabra is an incredibly effective blanket check to pretty much any physical attacker in the tier not named Trumbeak, as it can eat the physical hit with the Sash, and with Kadabra's paper-thin Defense, it basically guarantees a kill with Counter. This makes Kadabra an even more effective revenge killer than before, as physical Choice Scarf users such as Fraxure and Monferno can't really attack it anymore unless it's Sash is broken, lest they want a kill from Counter. (In Monferno's case, if Monferno U-turns on Kadabra, leaving it to it's Sash, the Pokémon that comes in next will die to Counter). While there are some counterplay to this set, mostly multi-hit moves like Bullet Seed from Trumbeak or (lol) Dual Chop from Fraxure, it's still a great upgrade to Kadabra's already-amazing Sash set.
There are still some sets and mons I'd like to talk about, so maybe I'll edit them in later, but for now, these are just some mons/sets that I find pretty damn good in the current Middle Cup metagame, and I hope MC becomes more active in the future, as it's a really fun tier to play!