Clauses and banlist

The following rules, that govern the USM Overused tier, have been established by Smogon.

Clauses

• Species Clause : each Pokémon in the team must have a unique Pokedex number. It is for example impossible to use Rotom-Wash and Rotom-Heat in the same team because they both are 479th in the national Pokedex.
• Sleep Clause : it is impossible to put more than one opposing Pokémon to sleep at a time (Pokémon that used Rest do not count).
• Evasion Clause : moves (Double Team and Minimize) and items (Bright Powder and Lax Incense) that boost evasion are forbidden.
• OHKO Clause : Fissure, Guillotine, Horn Drill and Sheer Cold are forbidden.
• Endless Battle Clause : if players find themselves in an infinite battle situation, the match ends on a tie. An example of this is when Slowbro is played with Leppa Berry and Recycle, Slack Off, Block and Heal Pulse. Thus, one can prevent the target from being switched out thanks to Block, heal it with Heal Pulse while never running out of PP with the combination of Leppa Berry and Recycle.

Banlist

Forbidden Pokémon

• Arceus
• Blaziken
• Darkrai
• Deoxys
• Deoxys Attack
• Deoxys Defense
• Deoxys Speed
• Dialga
• Genesect
• Giratina
• Giratina Origin
• Groudon
• Ho-oh
• Kyogre
• Kyurem White
• Landorus Incarnate
• Lugia
• Lunala
• Naganadel
• Necrozma-Dawn Wings
• Necrozma-Dusk Mane
• Marshadow
• Mewtwo
• Palkia
• Pheromosa
• Rayquaza
• Reshiram
• Shaymin Sky
• Solgaleo
• Xerneas
• Yveltal
• Zekrom
• Zygarde

Forbidden items

• Gengarite
• Kangaskhanite
• Lucarionite
• Metagrossite
• Salamencite

Forbidden abilities

• Arena Trap - prevents opposing Pokémon from being switched out unless it is a Flying-type or Ghost-type Pokémon or has the ability Levitate.
• Moody - randomnly boosts a user's stat by 2 stages and lowers another by 1 stage at the end of each turn (included accuracy and evasion).
• Power Construct - allows Zygarde 10% and 50% to take their Complete Forme when they have 50% of their max HP or less.
• Shadow Tag - prevents opposing Pokémon from being switched out unless it is a Ghost-type Pokémon.

Forbidden moves

• Baton Pass - the user switches out, passing all stats changes and potential substitute, confusion and Leech Seed to the Pokémon that replaces it.

Banlist history

Click here to display the banlist history since the game's release: