Status Spikes


approved by The Eevee General
Introduction:
Wouldn't it be cool if there were Toxic Spikes variants for nearly every status condition, like Burn or Freeze? Well, welcome to Status Spikes!

This is an OU based metagame that introduces some new moves and mechanics. Status Spikes introductions new types of spikes that inflict status upon switch-in.
Poison - Toxic Spikes
Burn - Fiery Spikes
Freeze - Frosty Spikes
Sleep - Drowsy Spikes
Paralysis - Static Spikes


Rules and Mechanics:
Status Spikes cannot be stacked on top of different spikes, so you cannot have a layer of both Frosty Spikes and Drowsy Spikes.

Types remove their respective spikes, similar to how Poison types remove Toxic Spikes. Fire types remove Fiery Spikes, Ice types remove Frosty Spikes, and Electric types remove Static Spikes. Drowsy Spikes are removed by Grass-type Pokemon.

Like Toxic Spikes, two layers of each status spikes can be stacked. One layer of Frosty/Fiery/Static/Drowsy will inflict a "drowsy" effect. Two layers will automatically inflict the status condition upon switch-in. Toxic Spikes work like usual (one layer poisons, a second layer toxics).

Certain Pokemon will be given the spikes based off of a list that the Pet Mod owner will create.



~~

In a Nutshell:
  • OU banlist and OU clauses in play (including Sleep and Freeze Clause)
  • Toxic Spikes variants made for Burn, Freeze, Paralyze, and Sleep
  • Pokemon get Status Spikes if their primary types are compatible (Fire gets Fiery, Ice gets Frosty, Paralyze gets Static, Grass gets Drowsy Spikes)
~~

Strategy and Predictions:
Defog: Since hazards will most likely be everything in this metagame, Defog will probably be one of the most reliable ways to get rid of hazard stacking, not to mention most Defogers are immune to Spikes/Toxic Spikes already.
Magic Guard: Magic Guard will probably be a very effective strategy against teams that rely on pressure and wearing down their opponent with various hazard and status moves.
Flying Types: Flying-types in general will most likely be effective in this metagame, as their immunity to Spikes and Status Spikes with their typing will allow them to be great Pokemon in this metagame, as they can be worn down much slower.
Fast Physical Attackers: May lose some viability. With Static Spikes and Fiery Spikes around, Banded and Scarfed Pokemon may feel more pressured during a game. Physical and/or fast flying types (such as MegaXard, Gliscor, Talonflame) may find a much easier time with their physical and/or speedy prowess.
Rapid Spinners: In general, will not be as good as Defog, as most Rapid Spinners are grounded and risk being inflicted by some type of status condition upon switch in. Could still be viable in keeping your own hazards up, though.
Clerics: Might be better in this metagame, however most Clerics can be worn down by hazards as well. Clerics with a Flying-type (Togekiss) or Magic Guard (Clefable) may be the best types of clerics in this metagame.

This isn't just it though, as multiple strategies exist out there, and new Pokemon may find a rise to power or even fall further to the bottom of the barrel. There's a lot to explore in this metagame, so let's get to it!
 
Last edited:

MZ

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Am I reading this wrong or can you automatically freeze any grounded Pokemon you want to. Hell, even sleep and paralysis are disgusting. I think the meta is just "don't run grounded mons or ur bad". I've never looked at a meta and thought it'd be so broken
 
Am I reading this wrong or can you automatically freeze any grounded Pokemon you want to. Hell, even sleep and paralysis are disgusting. I think the meta is just "don't run grounded mons or ur bad". I've never looked at a meta and thought it'd be so broken
Hm, not necesarilly. Yes you can freeze any grounded Pokemon - any single one, and that's if you can manage to get up two layers of it. Same goes for Sleep. Paralysis is meh, can be annoying but enough grounded Pokemon can deal with it I think. I think everything is in moderation imo, I took a look at distribution and it isn't amazing for things like Freeze or Sleep.

I think the most annoying thing will be Paralysis and Burn, but there's many different ways to deal with those types of things.
 

MZ

And now for something completely different
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Top Team Rater Alumnusis a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Community Leader Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Top Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Top Smogon Media Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
Hm, not necesarilly. Yes you can freeze any grounded Pokemon - any single one, and that's if you can manage to get up two layers of it. Same goes for Sleep. Paralysis is meh, can be annoying but enough grounded Pokemon can deal with it I think. I think everything is in moderation imo, I took a look at distribution and it isn't amazing for things like Freeze or Sleep.

I think the most annoying thing will be Paralysis and Burn, but there's many different ways to deal with those types of things.
what do you mean single one? I couldn't find anything in the OP about the spikes losing effectiveness after freezing one thing. And I can't imagine it's too hard to lay spikes with things like mamoswine and frosslass both having primary ice typing. Speaking of mamoswine (moving into theorymon rather than complaining about broken things), immune to para, most viable OU mon with primary ice typing (not kyube or weavile) and can remove freeze spikes, seems kinda good now. Also about sleep moves having poor distribution, there are still enough number of things that can throw them out like Crobat, Sigilyph (seems good now because not grounded), gardevoir, gengar, breloom, mega altaria, chansey, azumarill, empoleon, etc. that I think they'll definitely have a place.
 
what do you mean single one?
Sleep Clause and Freeze Clause.

I also predicted Mamoswine would be pretty good as well, if not better as I predict he'll be the best Frosty Spikes setter.

As for Sleep, I think Sigilyph might be one of the best setters, but Whimsicott is pretty insane as well (priority) so we'll have to look out for things like that.
 
Yeah i don't see anything about a freeze clause either. The meta doesn't really seem playable without one. Being able to freeze any grounded pokemon is just degenerate.
 
Freeze Clause automatically falls under clauses in OU doesn't it? I'll specify that in the OP to make it clearer.
 
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Mega Glalie just got the move he needed. Also, Breloom, Alakazam Mega Gardevoir, and Serperior can all rekt stall harder with drowsy spikes, as can others. Overall, I feel that Burning spikes were needed. I didn't need the rest, but their cool.
 
One thing that I think will be pretty good is this:


I think Zapdos will be one of the best Defogers in the metagame, as it is already bulky and is a good Defoger in normal OU. However in here, his typing is amplified as a Flying-type, and he gets his own Status Spikes as well (Static Spikes).
 
Freeze Clause automatically falls under clauses in OU doesn't it? I'll specify that in the OP to make it clearer.
Freeze Clause is not with OU

This meta game seems pretty interesting. I'm looking forward to things like Freeze Spikes and Burn Spikes and (oh yes) Static Spikes : )
 

xJownage

Even pendulums swing both ways
With Sleep and Freeze clause, I think that those spikes actually become a lot less relevant. When you think about this, Sleeping and Freezing one mon seems relatively insignificant in comparison to burning or paralyzing most of your opponents team. Stealth Rock will be REALLY important in this meta, since ground immune pokemon are always going to be at least neutral to it with the exception of levitate abusers. And again, Levitate is a really good tool, making Latios the premier offensive defogger in the meta. Mamoswine is notable because it can set freeze spikes and Stealth Rock, but again, Freeze spikes aren't going to be that useful with Freeze/Sleep Clause in comparison to the others. My personal favorite is the Electric variant, due to there being several viable setters such as raikou and THUNDURUS (HI PRANKSTER) that give your team tremendous speed control against grounded foes.

Maybe something where mons of the same type absorb rocks would be smart? Fire types absorb burn rocks, etc. would probably help balance all the rocks, although how sleep rocks would be absorbed is beyond me (INSOMNIA)
 
With Sleep and Freeze clause, I think that those spikes actually become a lot less relevant. When you think about this, Sleeping and Freezing one mon seems relatively insignificant in comparison to burning or paralyzing most of your opponents team. Stealth Rock will be REALLY important in this meta, since ground immune pokemon are always going to be at least neutral to it with the exception of levitate abusers. And again, Levitate is a really good tool, making Latios the premier offensive defogger in the meta. Mamoswine is notable because it can set freeze spikes and Stealth Rock, but again, Freeze spikes aren't going to be that useful with Freeze/Sleep Clause in comparison to the others. My personal favorite is the Electric variant, due to there being several viable setters such as raikou and THUNDURUS (HI PRANKSTER) that give your team tremendous speed control against grounded foes.

Maybe something where mons of the same type absorb rocks would be smart? Fire types absorb burn rocks, etc. would probably help balance all the rocks, although how sleep rocks would be absorbed is beyond me (INSOMNIA)
I definitely agree, when making this OM I actually thought Freeze and Sleep would be the weakest. However I do think teams can still keep up some serious pressure if they can play smartly with Freeze or Sleep Spikes.

Also, in the OP, you'll see that types remove their respective Spikes (Drowsy Spikes are removed by Sleep immune abilities though, haha).
 
Regarding Drowsy Spikes, wouldn't it make more sense if Grass and/or Normal got them rather than "retyping" Sleep moves into Drowsy Spikes? After all, Grass and Normal get the most relevant Sleep-inducing status moves (Grass Whistle, Sleep Powder and Spore for Grass and Sing, Lovely Kiss and Yawn for Normal), so it would be logic if those types got those moves. Besides, thanks to Sleep Clause, the Sleep status can't be abused and someone can decide whether to use an immediate form of Sleep (Spore Breloom/Amoonguss, for example) or use one that applies more pressure.
 
Regarding Drowsy Spikes, wouldn't it make more sense if Grass and/or Normal got them rather than "retyping" Sleep moves into Drowsy Spikes? After all, Grass and Normal get the most relevant Sleep-inducing status moves (Grass Whistle, Sleep Powder and Spore for Grass and Sing, Lovely Kiss and Yawn for Normal), so it would be logic if those types got those moves. Besides, thanks to Sleep Clause, the Sleep status can't be abused and someone can decide whether to use an immediate form of Sleep (Spore Breloom/Amoonguss, for example) or use one that applies more pressure.
Thing about that is that it would turn this into a Pet Mod, which I kinda don't want. But if I could have it any other way I would (probably give it to Normal or Grass or Psychic types or something like that).
 

DoW

formally Death on Wings
I can imagine something like Swords Dance Zard X supported by Static Spikes being pretty strong, especially given that a Static Spikes setter like Thundurus would be good against the non-grounded pokemon that will inevitably be a large part of the meta.
Also, do poison-types that don't normally have access to Toxic Spikes now get the move? Something like Gengar with Toxic Spikes could become a pretty amazing pokemon to use against stall if that is the case.
 
I can imagine something like Swords Dance Zard X supported by Static Spikes being pretty strong, especially given that a Static Spikes setter like Thundurus would be good against the non-grounded pokemon that will inevitably be a large part of the meta.
Also, do poison-types that don't normally have access to Toxic Spikes now get the move? Something like Gengar with Toxic Spikes could become a pretty amazing pokemon to use against stall if that is the case.
I thought about it but I'm not so sure. If people would prefer that I can make it like that, I just wasn't sure about it at first.

Anyway, here's something I think will also be really good:


While it doesnt get Defog or Rapid Spin, it does get Fiery Spikes, which I think will be a great option for teams with slow and defensive Pokemon. Give it an Air Balloon and it can be really good at avoiding Ground type moves from possibly Mamoswine. Heatran is also immune to Fiery Spikes and Toxic Spikes, and doesn't mind paralysis that much (unless you're a scarfed set).
 
One thing I want to look at is Toxic Spikes. Do you think it'll be any good in this metagame? I feel like Nidoking might be a bit better since it's immune to Static Spikes and could be a good Pokemon against Heatran.
 

InfernapeTropius11

get on my level
This meta seems really interesting! One thing I noticed is that obviously levitating mons are better, but there is also more opportunity cost to using physical attackers, due to the Burn-inducing Spikes. Because of this, people may tend to run Fiery Spikes as their only way of handling physical attackers, so mons such as SD+Tailwind Zard-X (who is Flying-type to start with and then is immune to Fiery Spikes) and Double Dance Lando-T may be good. Magmortar is also interesting as it removes both Drowsy and Fiery Spikes, however this is unlikely to give it a niche in the meta--just something cool to think about :P

/ds vital spirit|insomnia, !flying type, !lc, !nfe, !uber:
Ariados, Banette, Electivire, Gourgeist, Hypno, Magmortar, Primeape, Vigoroth

A pretty meh group overall. Banette w/ Insomnia-->Mega might be interesting, but Mega Banette isn't very good anyway tbh. Maybe Gourgeist as a spinblocker?
 

Lcass4919

The Xatu Warrior
That's only for Drowsy Spikes. All primary Electric-types get Static Spikes. Thunder Wave still exists and does the same thing.
the question is this: HOW do you get the spikes? because creating new moves is out of the question otherwise it turns into a pet mod. same with altering the effects of moves in a "unequalized mannor" basically this metas only saving grace is that "status inflictors(twave glare, spore, but not attacking moves like relic song)" become "spike clones" otherwise i don't see how this meta will make it through without being forced into "pet mod" territory. id like some insight from Eevee General because i'm kinda curious on how he thinks this meta can "avoid" that. since this DOES sound like a interesting meta. but...i just cant think of any possible method. and if we go with this idea i mentioned...maybe you could even consider widening the "Status" to confusion, attraction and other cheap perfectly fine alternatives :^).
 

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