Pokémon Sword and Shield Megathread

[Doppleganger]

Rillaboom is probably the worst for me. It's a huge step back in creativity and aesthetic from the last two generations, taking us back to Unova's mediocre final evolutions.

[Ironthunder]

Tbh they're starters, I struggle to recall them ever being good design-wise. Short of maybe Greninja, everything since about ever's kinda flopped there.

[Doppleganger]

The starters look better to me than some of the other designs like Rolycoly and Duraludon.

Also, I think Centiskorch has two heads. The tail and head look identical.

[Median Dia]

It isn't too uncommon for long insects to have false heads on their back end to fool predators, so making it an actual head makes sense for an aggressive take. The angle they used for both of its formes makes it difficult to tell for certain at the moment, however.

[Doppleganger]

If no-one else gathers the legit leaks before the last episode of SM, I'll do it.

But just to chime in, the average quality of the Galar designs as of this latest leak update is the lowest for any gen ever. I feel even more revulsed than during the announcement of Ruby/Sapphire, possibly the most insulted I'd ever been from Pokemon before these last series of reveals.

Some of these look more out of place than the Ultra Beasts, despite no more to that suggestion.

Real:

Impidimp line
Yamper evo
Coalossus
Galarian Rapidash

[Doppleganger]

https://imgur.com/a/v8tVrPt

[phoopes]

Intelleon really out here looking like Dimitri from the Sly Cooper games

Spoiler: show

[Doppleganger]

Coalossal is supposed to be the pseudo of Galar and it's a Rock/Fire with 40 speed.

No ability or move can salvage something like that. We've found a Pokemon worse than Goodra.

[Median Dia]

40 Speed isn't too high to be useless in Trick Room, so there is some hope there. The Typing doesn't help it any, though. That said, it neither the Speed nor its Typing mesh well with its Steam Engine Ability, and since its other (non-HA) option literally just gives it a 8X Resistance to Fire... it'll definitely be far from the greatest in the 600 Club.

[Emi]

Originally Posted by Doppleganger

Coalossal is supposed to be the pseudo of Galar and it's a Rock/Fire with 40 speed.

No ability or move can salvage something like that. We've found a Pokemon worse than Goodra.

There's so much to unpack here I fucking stg

[Doppleganger]

I don't think about Magcargo much aside from "it would be decent and lore appropriate to have Desolate Land", but a surprising quirk is that Rock/Fire isn't weak to Bullet Punch. Also, Ash-Greninja no longer exists.

If you give Coalossal Melmetal-style stats, that is:

HP-: 135
ATK: 143
DEF: 143
SPA: 80
SPD: 65
SPE: 34

...it's still massively inferior to Tyranitar, who is available in the same game. In no small part due to being Stealth Rock weak on top of incredibly slow at +1 and brutally murdered by the most common move in the game.

[Median Dia]

It does have an Ability that can boost its Speed a whopping 3 Stages when activated, it's just activating it that's tricky. It requires you to get hit by either a Fire move (which you'll gladly take, since you 4X Resist that) or a Water move (which you're unlikely to survive, since you're 4x Weak to that). Base 40 might also be just low enough that a 2.5X multiplier out of nowhere might not even make that much of a difference anyway.

It'd definite be tricky to make work at all, and thus doomed to be below OU, but I wouldn't bank on it being below PU quite yet either.

[Emi]

Originally Posted by Doppleganger

I don't think about Magcargo much aside from "it would be decent and lore appropriate to have Desolate Land", but a surprising quirk is that Rock/Fire isn't weak to Bullet Punch. Also, Ash-Greninja no longer exists.

If you give Coalossal Melmetal-style stats, that is:

HP-: 135
ATK: 143
DEF: 143
SPA: 80
SPD: 65
SPE: 34

...it's still massively inferior to Tyranitar, who is available in the same game. In no small part due to being Stealth Rock weak on top of incredibly slow at +1 and brutally murdered by the most common move in the game.

Stakataka is still good despite being 4x vveak to EQ and Fighting.

Vve don't knovv its stats or movepool, I don't think vve can make judgments just yet.

[Doppleganger]

Originally Posted by Emi

Stakataka is still good despite being 4x vveak to EQ and Fighting.

Vve don't knovv its stats or movepool, I don't think vve can make judgments just yet.

Stakataka gets away with it due to EXTREME min/max speed. The 37 points extra Coalossus has aren't working for it as much as they'd be in SpD, HP or SpA. In Melmetal's case, swapping either SpA or SpD for Spe would be huge buffs for it (since as-is, it's slower than Toxapex).

What makes EQ so threatening is its high power and accuracy, so even as a "coverage" move it'll do over 50% to Ground-weak Pokemon. But that also makes using it predictable, as in the case of Heatran.

All the pseudos and certain legends like Heatran and Lando can dance around a x4 weakness. No Pokemon with two x4 weakness is OU to my knowledge. Especially not a slow, defensive tank with a Stealth Rock weakness.

I'm almost certain this Pokemon is being balanced around its Gigantamax form.

[Doppleganger]

Also, I'm still updating the second imgur link. Galarian Corsola (rip) has been added this hour.

[Emi]

I'm on the position that Spookola is fake, but yeah I guess.

[Missingno. Master]

Alright. Confirmed 100% for my team so far- Cinderace, Barraskewda, Stunfisk, and Cursola.

[Doppleganger]

Gonna tag out for a bit but leave you all with this summary of the starters:

https://i.imgur.com/Gy1fwX9.jpg

"The mid stages are the schoolage rebellious phase, removing the wooden hair pin, eye mascara/long hair, and wearing a headband".

"The final stages are the starters growing up and getting real British jobs. A drummer, a spy, and a footballer."

[Emi]

Spoiler: show

The Dex has leaked

400 Pokemon. Rolycoly is not the psuedo-legend.

[Lady Kuno]

Spoiler: show

That's an absolute garbage number.. rip.

[Doppleganger]

Originally Posted by Emi

Spoiler: show

The Dex has leaked

400 Pokemon. Rolycoly is not the psuedo-legend.

I hope it's baby Barney. I did not like Coalossus reveal at all.

[Doppleganger]

Oh, I guess it's this "Dragapult".

Disappointing, Poison/Electric is such a great typing. Comparable to Heatran.

[Doppleganger]

Our first comprehensive compilation:

Spoiler: show

73 new mons, not counting form changes/regional variants
24 new lines

[Heather]

For those curious to know what my final team looks like, the results are in!

Spoiler: show

Cinderace/Gal-Rapidash/Gal-Darmanitan/(Poison/electric)/Polteageist/Flapple (If the final evo looks bad im not evolving it and using eviolite)

[Doppleganger]

Arctofish is based one one of my favourite prehistoric fish, Dunkleosteus.

I think the concept for the fossil Pokemon this gen is 100% awesome and definitely on-brand for what I think Pokemon is.

Originally Posted by Heather

For those curious to know what my final team looks like, the results are in!

Spoiler: show

Cinderace/Gal-Rapidash/Gal-Darmanitan/(Poison/electric)/Polteageist/Flapple (If the final evo looks bad im not evolving it and using eviolite)

If I were to get this game, I'd roll with:

Spoiler: show

Cinderace
Eldegoss
Alcremie
Salazzle
Hattrem
Indeedee