I'm not too worried about how the metagame changes due to this as I think outside of maybe a little influence from Mega Metagross, Mega Diancie, Mega Latias, and potentially Mega Lopunny and Mega Slowbro, there isn't a whole lot that we got in ORAS that is going to significantly alter the metagame from what it was before the game was released.



My main issue is that Salamencite could not have been suspect tested at a worse time. Literally everything that could possibly go against suspect testing it right now was going against it. It was right before SPL, so none of the more highly touted players were going to show their hand as far as team comp went. It was right after the release and probably rushed a bit because of SPL, so there was very little familiarity with the metagame and very little time to develop that. The ladder being "suspect only" was also really silly imho and regardless of how hard it was to find games on it otherwise, I think it was really counterproductive in general as no one got to see Salamencite, but rather a metagame without it, for the last and arguably most important week of the test.



I originally voted to not ban, but then abstained as I don't think I was convinced either way. I think it would have been a better idea to quickban and revisit after SPL, and I think banning it ultimately is the "lesser of two evils" since it couldn't be quickbanned, but I do think that in a few months it should be revisited and given another shot. This suspect test was really poorly timed and poorly executed, and I think it's unfair to deem this the final result of Salamencite's fate in doubles regardless of whether or not it ends up being stupidly overpowered in a future suspect test or not.