Talonflame is an example of why I like battlespot singles over 6v6. Talonflame isn't nearly as dangerous in 3v3, Politoad, Macargo, Rotom H, Rhyperior, Heatran, Hippowdon, Kabutops, Omastar, defensive Garchomp and defensive T-tar, are all great answers to Talonflame and plenty more answers are out there. Its just they aren't all elite S++ rank on smogon 6v6, so people never run them on 6 Pokemon teams, since they are typically dead weight. But thats why 3v3 is beautiful, you can have a core team that's weak to smogonbird and just throw one of those in your line up and only use it if you see smogonbird in team preveiw. 6v6 just isn't a balanced meta, and while smogon does it best to fix that, it can't be done. The powercreep has ensured that, so short of banning 75% of OU the 6v6 meta is gonna be over centralised. Add in that more powerful stuff you ban, the more unstoppable the less powerful good stuff becomes, see Talonflame. Just priority swagger was an answer to smogonbird, not on just trollkeys but even Liepard can play around that fool bird with T-wave, Encore, Knock off and swagger. But in the name of balance these answers and more are gone, so Talonflame becomes way better then it has any right to be.
Doubles is another matter entirly, gale wings truly screwa up that meta.
