>>54724023There are way more viable Pokemon in a Smogon format (about 50 - 60 viable Pokemon per tier unless it's super overcentralized) so you can't easily gear your stats to counter the 15 - 20 relevant meta threats a la VGC. Sets that work fine against Urshifu, Rillaboom, Ogerpon, and Landorus exclusively can work well in VGC because those are all top 'mons. You don't have to prepare as heavily for off-meta picks because off-meta picks are rather uncommon.
Meanwhile, there are Pokemon with niche uses in OU all the way down into RU or even NU. You have to take the 50 or 60 Pokemon you'll see commonly into consideration + an additional 40 to 50 Pokemon that can impact the tier, like Floatzel, Tauros-PF, Pawmot, Pincurchin, Heracross, Mimikyu, Magnezone, or Indeedee. It's better to go with the safe option of 4/252/252 because that's going to be the most generally helpful against the 100-odd Pokemon you'll encounter playing ladder or tournament.
