Why are Houndstone and Palafin banned in Scarlet & Violet?

The competitive Pokémon community faced an unprecedented situation when both Houndstone and Palafin received bans shortly after Scarlet and Violet’s release. These new additions demonstrated such overwhelming power that tournament organizers had to take immediate action to preserve competitive balance.

As players completed the main storyline and mastered the new raid battle systems, attention shifted toward organized competitive play. Both in-game ranked battles and third-party platforms like Pokémon Showdown revealed fundamental balance issues that threatened the health of the emerging metagame.

What makes these bans particularly noteworthy is how quickly they occurred—typically, new Pokémon receive several months of testing before such drastic measures. The community’s rapid analysis uncovered problematic mechanics that demanded swift resolution to maintain fair competition standards.

Why Houndstone Faced Immediate Competitive Removal

Houndstone’s banning stems directly from its signature technique, Last Respects, which created an environment where intentional team sacrifices became the optimal strategy. This move’s scaling mechanics fundamentally disrupted standard competitive principles.

Last Respects operates as a Ghost-type attack starting at 50 base power, but gains 50 additional strength for every fainted Pokémon in your party. When Houndstone remains as the final combatant, the move reaches an astronomical 300 base power that then receives same-type attack bonus amplification to 450 effective power. This establishes it as potentially the most powerful offensive technique across the entire Pokémon franchise when conditions align.

Official Smogon administration statements highlighted how teams constructed around Houndstone with the Sand Rush ability presented nearly insurmountable challenges for opponents. The limited counterplay options—typically requiring Normal-type Pokémon or revenge killing after Houndstone already eliminated at least one team member—created unhealthy metagame dynamics. The voting process resulted in complete unanimity, reflecting how clearly problematic this combination proved for competitive integrity.

Palafin’s Metagame-Defining Ability Challenges

Palafin’s unique Zero to Hero capability escalates its statistical profile into the territory typically reserved for legendary Pokémon. This dramatic transformation warranted swift competitive action during Scarlet and Violet’s early competitive lifecycle.

Beginning as an unremarkable Water-type with merely 457 base stats, Palafin undergoes a complete transformation when switched out and back into battle. Its Hero Form boasts an exceptional 650 base stat total that places it among the game’s most powerful combatants. The most substantial improvement manifests in its attack statistic, which surges from a modest 70 to an overwhelming 160 base power.

This statistical leap establishes Palafin as arguably the premier Water-type attacker currently available. Its signature Jet Punch technique provides priority movement, enabling it to outpace theoretically faster opponents and potentially secure knockouts before countermeasures can be deployed. Smogon OU forum leader ausma specifically identified problematic sets incorporating Bulk Up and Taunt that negated defensive responses while facilitating sweeping scenarios with minimal resource investment.

The switching mechanism enabling this transformation proves more accessible than many competitive players anticipate. The process completes faster than most entry hazard setups can establish field control. Given its extraordinary combat value with negligible opportunity cost, the moderation team reached unanimous agreement to prohibit Palafin from OU tier competition.

While these prohibitions prevent either Pokémon from appearing in Smogon OU competitions, trainers retain complete access throughout Scarlet and Violet’s standard gameplay experiences. This includes unrestricted use in online multiplayer outside sanctioned competitive environments. Only those participating in Smogon-ruled tournaments must observe these competitive restrictions.

Nothing prevents players from leveraging Houndstone or Palafin’s capabilities against the most demanding single-player and multiplayer challenges throughout Paldea.

For those looking to master other competitive aspects, our Class Guide provides essential strategic foundations. Meanwhile, understanding broader game systems through our Complete Guide offers comprehensive system knowledge. Advanced players may also benefit from our Weapons Unlock guide for comprehensive gameplay optimization.

The rapid response from competitive organizers demonstrates their commitment to maintaining balanced gameplay environments. These early bans likely represent just the beginning of metagame adjustments as players continue discovering powerful combinations and strategies throughout Scarlet and Violet’s competitive evolution.

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