Generation 7 OU, Singles Format Reference
Gen 7 OU is the only generation where Z-Moves and Mega Evolution coexisted. Each Pokémon's item slot was a strategic decision, channel a Z-Crystal, hold a Mega Stone, or run a standard offensive/defensive item. The Tapu quartet's terrain effects shaped every match.
Cartridge
Sun & Moon / USUM
Type
6v6 Singles
Status
Frozen tier
Patch
Ultra Sun & Moon final
Z-Moves are once per battle. Megas are once per team. The format's defining decision was which Pokémon got which slot, and almost no team carried both.
At a glance
Gen 7 OU sits between two structural eras. Mega Evolution from Gen 6 still works; Z-Moves arrived as Sun & Moon's new mechanic. The two coexisted competitively for the entire generation.
The Tapu quartet's terrain-setting abilities, Tapu Lele's Psychic Terrain (blocks priority), Tapu Koko's Electric Terrain (prevents sleep), Tapu Bulu's Grassy Terrain (boosts Grass moves + 1/16 HP recovery), Tapu Fini's Misty Terrain (blocks status), defined the format's terrain layer in ways no later generation reproduced.
- Format type6v6 Singles, all six brought to battle
- MechanicsZ-Moves (one per team) + Mega Evolution (one per team), both legal
- StatusFrozen, meta stable since Gen 8 succession
- Where it's playedPokémon Showdown ladder + retro tournaments. Live tier page: /sm/ou.
- Sister formatsUbers (above), UU (below)
Format rules
Gen 7 OU applies the standard Smogon Singles clauses. Z-Moves and Mega Evolution are both fully legal as mechanics; specific Pokémon-paired bans handle the threats.
| Clause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Sleep Clause | Only one opposing Pokémon may be put to sleep at a time. |
| Species Clause | Each team can only carry one of any given species. |
| Evasion Clause | Evasion-boosting moves and abilities are banned. |
| OHKO Clause | Sheer Cold, Fissure, Horn Drill, Guillotine are banned. |
| Endless Battle Clause | Battle states that cannot end are forbidden. |
| Moody Clause | Moody is banned outright. |
| Z-Move Clause | Z-Moves are LEGAL, one per team, per battle. |
| Mega Clause | Mega Evolution is LEGAL, one per team, per battle. |
Banlist
Gen 7 OU's banlist split between standard Pokémon bans and Mega-form bans. Several Megas were banned to Ubers (Mega Mawile, Mega Lucario), and the Z-Move-amplified threats (Marshadow, Greninja-Ash) followed.
Notable Gen 7 OU bans
| Pokémon | Why it was banned |
|---|---|
| Mawile | Mega form, Huge Power + 105 Atk = effective 210. Banned to Ubers from Gen 6 onward. |
| Lucario | Mega form, Adaptability + Close Combat + Bullet Punch + Swords Dance. Permanent Ubers. |
| Greninja-Ash | Battle Bond + Spikes lead + Specs Hydro Pump. Outsped most of the format with no reliable check. |
| Marshadow | Spectral Thief stole boosts; Z-Spectral Thief as Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike one-shot. 125 Spe + Technician. |
| Pheromosa | 137 SpA / 137 Spe + Beast Boost. Frail but uncatchable. |
| Kartana | 181 Atk + Beast Boost. Suspect-tested multiple times; banned in some sub-cycles. |
| Blacephalon | USUM addition. 151 SpA + Mind Blown + Z-Move support. |
| Naganadel | USUM addition. 121 Spe + Beast Boost + Specs Draco Meteor. |
| Zygarde | Power Construct earned a permanent Ubers ban, 50% form transforms into Complete Forme below half HP. |
| Blaziken | Speed Boost. Permanent Ubers from Gen 6 onward. |
Z-Moves & Mega Evolution coexistence
Gen 7 is the only competitive Singles format where two distinct once-per-battle gimmicks were legal simultaneously. Each team chose one Mega slot AND one Z-Move slot, almost always on different Pokémon.
The trade-off was structural. A Pokémon Mega-Evolves OR holds a Z-Crystal, not both. Most teams carried one Mega (the team's offensive or defensive cornerstone) plus a Z-Crystal user (a wallbreaker that needs single-shot burst), with the remaining four Pokémon running standard offensive / defensive items.
Mechanics, refer to Era pages
- For Z-Move mechanics, refer to the Z-Moves section of the Gen 7 Era guide.
- For Mega Evolution mechanics, refer to the Mega Evolution section of the Gen 6 Era guide.
The Tapu terrain layer
Beyond Z + Mega, Gen 7 OU is defined by the Tapus. The four Tapu Pokémon all set their corresponding terrain on switch-in:
- Tapu Lele, Psychic Terrain. Blocks priority moves on grounded Pokémon AND boosts Psychic moves by 50%. Defining wallbreaker.
- Tapu Koko, Electric Terrain. Prevents sleep on grounded Pokémon AND boosts Electric moves by 50%. Defining offensive pivot.
- Tapu Bulu, Grassy Terrain. Boosts Grass moves by 50% AND restores 1/16 HP per turn to grounded Pokémon. Defining defensive support.
- Tapu Fini, Misty Terrain. Prevents status conditions on grounded Pokémon AND halves Dragon-type damage. Defining stall option.
Why the Tapus centralised Gen 7 OU
Archetypes
Gen 7 OU's archetypes cluster around terrain choice and Mega slot allocation. The terrain decides offensive boosts and defensive immunities; the Mega slot decides the team's offensive ceiling.
Aggressive
Hyper Offense
Six offensive Pokémon. Common Mega slot: Mega Pinsir (Aerilate), Mega Charizard X (Tough Claws Dragon Dance). Z-Move slot frequently on a setup sweeper or Z-Hypnosis lead.
Balance
Tapu Balance
Tapu Lele (Specs Psychic Terrain) + Tapu Fini (defensive Calm Mind) + Mega cornerstone. Defining Gen 7 OU balance pattern.
Bird Spam
Mega Pinsir / Mega Charizard Y
Mega Pinsir (Aerilate Return) or Mega Charizard Y (Drought Fire Blast) as the team cornerstone, paired with hazard support and removal. Defining offensive shape.
Defensive
Stall
Toxapex + Chansey + Mega Sableye (Magic Bounce) + Skarmory + Mega Slowbro (Shell Armor) + a wincon (Calm Mind Suicune / Iron Defense + Body Press Skarmory).
Specialty
Sand · Rain · Sun
Weather still viable. Sand: Tyranitar + Mega Tyranitar + Excadrill (Sand Rush). Rain: Pelipper Drizzle + Greninja Ash. Sun: Mega Charizard Y Drought.
Specialty
Trick Room
Mega Mawile (banned) opened bulky-offense TR; Mega Camerupt(Sheer Force) became the format's premier TR Mega-slot wallbreaker post-ban.
The seven team roles
The seven structural roles defined in the Gen 9 OU guide apply identically to Gen 7 OU. The Pokémon filling them are different.
Defining setters: Landorus-Therian, Heatran, Skarmory, Greninja (suicide lead). Sticky Web rare; Smeargle Sticky Web leads niche.
Defining removers: Excadrill (Rapid Spin), Mega Scizor (Defog), Tornadus-Therian (Defog). Spinblockers: Gengar, Mega Sableye.
Defining options: Tapu Koko Specs / Scarf, Mega Lopunny Scrappy Fake Out, priority via Mega Scizor Bullet Punch and Mimikyu Shadow Sneak.
Defining absorbers: Clefable Magic Guard, Chansey Natural Cure, Toxapex Regenerator.
Defining pivots: Tapu Koko Volt Switch, Tornadus-Therian U-turn, Landorus-Therian U-turn defensive, Mega Scizor U-turn.
Defining breakers: Specs Tapu Lele, Banded Tapu Bulu, Specs Heatran, Magearna Calm Mind, Greninja Specs.
Defining wincons: Mega Charizard X Dragon Dance, Volcarona Quiver Dance, Manaphy Tail Glow, Mimikyu Swords Dance + Disguise.
What makes Gen 7 OU different
Gen 7 OU is structurally distinguished by three things: the Z + Mega coexistence, the Tapu terrain layer, and the centralisation around the Tapu/Mega cornerstone slot.
2
Gimmick slots
Z-Crystal + Mega Stone, coexisting
4
Tapus
One per terrain, defining 4 archetypes
↑
Setup pressure
Z-Move + Mega + setup move = burst potential
- Two gimmick slots, two distinct decisions, every team-build decided which Pokémon Mega-Evolved, which held a Z-Crystal, and which ran standard items. The trade-offs produced more team-building variance than any prior or later generation.
- Tapu auto-set terrain, Tapus set their terrain unconditionally on switch-in, no item or setup move required. Later gens removed this; Gen 9 only has terrain via dedicated abilities tied to specific Pokémon (and few of them auto-set).
- Z-Status, Z-Crystals on status moves grant a stat boost (Z-Sleep Talk = +1 SpA, Z-Memento = +2 to all). The mechanic produced setup options no other gen has.
- Mega Mawile / Mega Lucario / Mega Salamence stayed banned, the Mega banlist inherited from Gen 6 carried into Gen 7. Mega Garchomp legal but rarely used; Mega Charizard X / Y, Mega Scizor, Mega Pinsir, Mega Venusaur all OU-staple.
How to get started
Gen 7 OU is a frozen tier with deep tournament history. Smogon's analysis archives are extensive, most decision-making has been worked out by the community over a decade.
- Read Smogon's Gen 7 OU tier page, the banlist is locked, the Pokémon analyses are final.
- Choose your terrain, Tapu Lele balance, Tapu Fini stall, Tapu Bulu / Tapu Koko offense. Each Tapu commits the team to a structural orientation.
- Pick the Mega slot, Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, Mega Scizor, Mega Pinsir, Mega Venusaur, Mega Mawile (banned, skip). The Mega is usually the team's offensive or defensive cornerstone.
- Allocate the Z-Crystal, typically a setup wallbreaker or a Z-Hypnosis lead.
- Copy a sample team, Smogon's vetted Gen 7 OU samples are stable and well-documented.
Where to go from here
The above is the static reference for Gen 7 OU. Live frozen-tier data lives in the rest of Pokékipe.
- Live tier data, /sm/ou for Gen 7 OU usage and Pokémon stats.
- Mechanics, Gen 7, Sun & Moon covers Z-Moves, Alolan forms, abilities and items.
- Mega mechanic, Gen 6, X & Y covers the original Mega Evolution mechanic carrying into Gen 7.
- Adjacent formats, Gen 8 OU covers the Sword & Shield format that succeeded Gen 7.