Hi everyone ! It's been a long time, basically since the beginning of gen 9 I haven't really tried climbing the ladder because this metagame was too chaotic (still is in my opinion), like Garganacl still hovering in OU while Chien-Pao which was not even that broken imo got removed from OU. Right now, the meta being more balanced made it easier for me to understand the tier and build something with which I had fun climbing the ladder and was able to peak 1851 ELO #70 on the ladder. Any opinion or suggestion is always welcome. Without further ado, let me introduce to the team.
TEAM
PokePaste : Chi-Yu at home (pokepast.es)
1- Proof of the peak
2- Teambuilding Process
3- The Pokémon
4- Threat List
5- Replays
6- Conclusion
1. Proof of peak
Top 70 on my alt (Im Arnold)
2. Teambuilding Process
At first, I wanted to build the team around Specs Iron Moth and Banded Baxcalibur because these two synergizes so well offensively : Baxcalibur being able to come on Iron Moth switch-ins (Ting-Lu, Clodsire and Slowking mainly) and nuke them, and Iron Moth being able to come on Baxcalibur switch-ins (Corviknight, Gholdengo and Tera Fairies mainly) and also nuke them.
After that, I needed a hazard setter, which would greatly help this core to apply pressure on opposing teams. I also needed something that could that take special hits from the likes of Dragapult and Gholdengo, which are very popular in this metagame. That's why I went for Ting-Lu, which could do both.
I also needed a check to the likes of Great Tusk, Meowscarada, Quaquaval, Breloom, Dondozo, etc. Amoongus was the perfect fit for that role, also being able to cripple opposing Pokémon with Spore.
Next, I needed a spinner (because of the prominence of hazards in this metagame), and also a safe switch-in for Cinderace, Kingambit, Ting-Lu and opposing Tusks. That's why I chose Tusk, who could do both while also being able to serve as a late win condition in certain matchups.
Finally, I needed a speed control given the speed tiers have drastically increased compared to gen 8 OU. Iron Valiant was very interesting, as it could outspeed Dragapult, OHKO it, and revenge kill some +1 Boosted Pokémon like Dragonite or Baxcalibur.
3. The Pokémon
Iron Valiant @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Fighting
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Close Combat
- Spirit Break
- Knock Off
- Trick
Iron Valiant, the speed control of the team. With Choice Scarf, Iron Valiant outspeeds and kills Dragapult and Meowscarada, which are very popular leads in this metagame. With its good Fighting/Fairy typing, Valiant can hit a lot of things effectively. Close Combat is used as the main Fighting Stab and it is Valiant's strongest physical Fighting move. With 120 BP, it hits hard anything that do not resist it and kills in most cases anything that is weak to it. Spirit Break is his main physical Fairy move ; being able to lower opposing Pokémon special attack stat like Gholdengo is not something to take for granted. Knock Off allows to remove the opposing Pokémon items and is its main move to hit Gholdengo. Trick helps crippling defensive Pokémon like Toxapex and Dondozo. Finally, Tera Type is Fighting to be able to power up Close Combat when it's necessary.
Amoonguss @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Regenerator
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 HP / 168 Def / 88 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Spore
- Grass Knot
- Sludge Bomb
- Foul Play
Amoongus serves like I said earlier as a Tusk, Quaquaval, Meowscarada, Breloom, Dondozo, etc. switch-in. Rocky Helmet allows Amoongus to chip any Pokémon that touches it. Spore lets Amoongus cripple opposing an opposing with sleep status. Grass Knot is the main Grass Stab to hit Tusk and Garganacl. Sludge Bomb is the main Poison Stab to hit the likes of Hatterene and Iron Valiant and it can help crippling the opposing team with a 30 % chance to poison the target. Foul Play helps dealing with setup Pokémon as the more attack the opposing Pokémon got, the harder it hits. Finally, Regenerator allows Amoongus to heal 33% every time it switches out and Water Tera to surprise Fire type Pokémon. EVs are 252 HP, 168 Def and Bold nature for good defense while retaining a little bit of special bulk with an investment of 88 EVs in SpD.
Great Tusk @ Leftovers
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Close Combat
- Bulk Up
- Rapid Spin
- Earthquake
Great Tusk is the hazard removal of the team, it serves as a switch-in to Cinderace, Kingambit, Ting-Lu and a second switch-in to opposing Tusks. Leftovers helps it recover at the end of each turn as it has no reliable recovery otherwise. With its Fighting/Ground dual typing, this Pokémon can it pretty much hit anything effectively as very few Pokémon can deal with its type coverage. Close Combat is his main Fighting Stab and its strongest Fighting move physically. Bulk Up lets it setup and become a late win condition with Rapid Spin. Earthquake is the main Ground stab and is better for this set in my opinion than Headlong Rush because it doesn't lower defenses. Finally, EVs are 252 HP and 252 Def with Impish nature for maximum physical bulk and 4 SpD for some special bulk. Tera type is Water to help deal with Baxcalibur which is very problematic for this team otherwise and it can help tank attacks that would be deadly against his Fighting/Ground dual typing.
Iron Moth @ Choice Specs
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Overheat
- Sludge Wave
- Energy Ball
- U-turn
The main element of the team, Iron Moth. I like to call this Chi-Yu at home, and you'll shortly understand why. With Choice Specs and Tera Fire, this Pokémon hits insanely hard on Overheat. It's pretty simple : anything that does not resist Fire type gets at least 2 HKO'd by Overheat and even the resists can take a lot of damage.
Overheat is the main Fire Blast Stab. Taking advantage of Choice Specs and Tera Fire, it allows Moth to punch holes in opposing teams. Sludge Wave is its strongest Poison Stab and it allows Moth to get rid of Fairies limiting Baxcalibur wallbreaking capabilities. Energy Ball allows Moth to 2HKO Garganacl and Slowking on the switch and U-Turn provides momentum and it helps to bring Baxcalibur in very easily on Moth's checks (Ting-Lu and Clodsire for example). Finally, Modest nature is for maximum damage output and Tera Fire for the nuke. This thing hits so hard on Overheat, it kinda reminds me of Chi-Yu. Calcs will blow your mind.
Calcs :
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Iron Moth Overheat vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Clodsire : 354-418 (76.4 - 90.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Iron Moth Sludge Wave vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Dondozo : 382-450 (75.7 - 89.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Iron Moth Overheat vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Skeledirge : 213-251 (51.8 - 61%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Iron Moth Overheat vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Skeledirge : 309-364 (75.1 - 88.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Iron Moth Overheat vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Vessel of Ruin Ting-Lu : 306-362 (59.5 - 70.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Iron Moth Overheat vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Dragapult : 311-366 (98.1 - 115.4%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Iron Moth Overheat vs. 252 HP / 116 SpD Garganacl : 238-280 (58.9 - 69.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Iron Moth Overheat vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Garchomp : 281-331 (66.9 - 78.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Iron Moth Overheat vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Rotom-Wash : 232-273 (76.3 - 89.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
Now you understand better why I call this Chi-Yu at home.
Baxcalibur (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Thermal Exchange
Tera Type: Dragon
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Glaive Rush
- Icicle Crash
- Ice Shard
- Earthquake
Choice Band Baxcalibur is the main physical wallbreaker of the team. Its dual Dragon/Ice typing makes it in my opinion the best physical wallbreaker in the metagame, because Glaive Rush + Icicle Crash + Earthquake cannot be walled (look at the picture below) and this Pokémon cannot be burned thanks to his ability Thermal Exchange. Glaive Rush is its main Dragon Stab and the best physical Dragon move ever in my opinion. 120 BP physical Dragon move combined with its huge 145 Base Attack Stat and the power boost provided by Choice Band and Dragon Terastallization makes it deadly for opposing teams. Basically anything that does not resist it is most likely dead, and even the resists can take a lot of damage. Iron Moth being able to lure its checks (Clodsire, Ting-Lu and Slowking mainly) and get rid of Fairies helps Baxcalibur punch holes in the opposing team and vice-versa. That's why this core works so well. Icicle Crash is its main Ice Stab, flinch is always appreciated. Ice Shard is its main priority move : it helps to get rid of weakened faster Pokémon. Earthquake completing this moveset helps deal with Steel Pokémon that resist its dual Dragon/Ice typing. Adamant Nature for maximum power output and Tera Dragon to power up Glaive Rush. Just look at the calcs and you will realize how absurdly strong this Pokémon is.
Calcs :
252+ Atk Choice Band Tera Dragon Baxcalibur Glaive Rush vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Rotom-Wash : 320-378 (105.2 - 124.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Tera Dragon Baxcalibur Glaive Rush vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Garganacl : 280-330 (69.3 - 81.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Tera Dragon Baxcalibur Glaive Rush vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Dondozo : 306-360 (60.7 - 71.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Tera Dragon Baxcalibur Glaive Rush vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Skeledirge : 336-396 (81.7 - 96.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Tera Dragon Baxcalibur Glaive Rush vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Great Tusk : 278-328 (64 - 75.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Tera Dragon Baxcalibur Glaive Rush vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Corviknight : 163-192 (40.8 - 48.1%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Tera Dragon Baxcalibur Glaive Rush vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Ting-Lu : 384-452 (74.7 - 87.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Tera Dragon Baxcalibur Glaive Rush vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Toxapex : 248-294 (81.5 - 96.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Tera Dragon Baxcalibur Icicle Crash vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Corviknight : 172-204 (43.1 - 51.1%) -- 54.3% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Tera Dragon Baxcalibur Earthquake vs. 112 HP / 0 Def Kingambit : 332-392 (89.9 - 106.2%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO
Ting-Lu @ Leftovers
Ability: Vessel of Ruin
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Ruination
- Earthquake
- Whirlwind
At last, we have Ting-Lu, the special punching bag of the team, the hazard setter and a solid check to Gholdengo, Dragapult, Iron Moth, etc. As this defensive Pokémon has no reliable recovery, leftovers helps increasing its longevity. Stealth Rock chips the opposing Pokémon everytime they come on the field. Ruination allows Ting-Lu to put mid-life Pokémon it can't damage with Earthquake, Earthquake is its main Ground Stab and it prevents Ting-Lu from being passive. Whirlwind allows Ting-Lu to get setup Pokémon out of the field. It's extremely helpful especially against Protosynthesis and Quark Drive Pokémon which can get the boost only one time over the course of a game. Vessel of Ruin reduces opposing Pokémon special attack, which helps Ting-Lu tank better. Finally, Tera type is Water to help against Dragon Dance/Swords Dance Baxcalibur when it's necessary and EVs are 252 HP, 4 Def and 252 SpD for maximum tanking ability on the special side.
4. Threat list
Opposing Baxcaliburs are easily the biggest threat. In most cases, we have to sack a Pokémon then revenge kill it with Iron Valiant, but it can be complicated if it decides to Terastallize. The best course of action would be to Terastallize Amoongus/Ting-Lu/Great-Tusk depending on who's on the field to beat them. Opposing Choice Band Baxcaliburs completely rips this team apart. There's not much we can do about it, besides maybe try Corviknight/Dondozo instead of Ting-Lu/Amoongus which I have thought about but I don't know. You let me know if that's better. Against opposing Baxcaliburs, gameplan is basically kill them before they kill us.
At the second place, we have Calm Mind Hatterene. It is also very threatening as there is no clear switch-in to it in the team. Often, we have to go directly to Iron Moth as it does OHKO it with Sludge Wave even at +1. Against it, you just need to watch out, maybe play around it, force it to use its Tera and just find a way to beat it as we have no reliable way to beat it consistently.
Great Tusk generally isn't a problem, but Banded Tusk/Protosynthesis Tusk is because it 2 HKO's Amoongus and even our own Great Tusk takes a lot from Headlong Rush. Banded/Protosynthesis Tusk is unplayable, you'll have to make sacrifices, you'll have to kill them before they kill you. Unless we replace Ting-Lu/Amoongus core by Dondozo/Corviknight core, I don't really see what we can do but you let me know if that's a change I should consider making.
Usually, Amoongus is a safe switch-in as Psyshock doesn't 2 HKO. But when it's Specs, you need to play around it because Amoongus get 2 HKO'd byPsyshock and Ting-Lu takes a lot from Moonblast. You just need to think about how to play around it. Otherwise, regular Iron Valiant and Band Iron Valiant are beaten by Amoongus.
Walking-Wake coming at the fifth place. Do I even need to tell you how this 6-0s our team ? Our best course of action is playing around it with Ting-Lu/Amoongus/Baxcalibur. When it's choiced locked, it's usually easy to force out. But the gameplan against it is to kill them before they kill you once again.
Theoretically, this Pokémon is also a huge threat to our team (it basically 6-0s the team), but I very rarely encounter it. I feel like it's not that much of a threat since I almost never see it.
Finally, Kingambit. The more Pokémon you kill, the stronger it gets. It gets very scary late game with Swords Dance and Sucker Punch. Our best course of action usually is to trick with Iron Valiant, as it can beat Tusk with Terastallization. Once tricked, it becomes very easy to beat.
5. Replays
Feel free to check out some of the replays below to grab and understand the playstyle needed in order to use this team effectively.
Against Garganacl Balanced : [Gen 9] OU replay: Skrublax vs. 2(H2O) - Pokémon Showdown (pokemonshowdown.com)
Against Bulky Offense/Hazard Stack : [Gen 9] OU replay: 2(H2O) vs. torontosfinalboss - Pokémon Showdown (pokemonshowdown.com)
Against Clodsire + Rotom + Corviknight Balanced : [Gen 9] OU replay: 2(H2O) vs. pu1t - Pokémon Showdown (pokemonshowdown.com)
Against Slowking + Amoongus Balanced : [Gen 9] OU replay: Daniel Gaming 234 vs. 2(H2O) - Pokémon Showdown (pokemonshowdown.com)
Against Shed Tail Hyper Offense : [Gen 9] OU replay: 2(H2O) vs. Ciro Napoli - Pokémon Showdown (pokemonshowdown.com)
Against Garganacl + Gastrodon + Corviknight Fat : [Gen 9] OU replay: ArianaBlonde vs. 2(H2O) - Pokémon Showdown (pokemonshowdown.com)
Against Toxapex + Clodsire + Skeledirge Balanced : [Gen 9] OU replay: Im Arnold vs. wolatuszka - Pokémon Showdown (pokemonshowdown.com)
Against Hazard Stack HO : [Gen 9] OU replay: Ploutinue vs. Im Arnold - Pokémon Showdown (pokemonshowdown.com)
Against Corviknight + Skeledirge Balanced : [Gen 9] OU replay: Ploutinue vs. Im Arnold - Pokémon Showdown (pokemonshowdown.com)
Against Dondozo + Corviknight + Hatterene Fat : [Gen 9] OU replay: Im Arnold vs. Little Wizard - Pokémon Showdown (pokemonshowdown.com)
Against Stall # 1 : [Gen 9] OU replay: Hugme123 vs. Im Arnold - Pokémon Showdown (pokemonshowdown.com)
Against Stall # 2 : [Gen 9] OU replay: 2(H2O) vs. Ultra_rudy - Pokémon Showdown (pokemonshowdown.com)
Against Sticky Web HO : [Gen 9] OU replay: wiglett's revenge vs. Im Arnold - Pokémon Showdown (pokemonshowdown.com)
Against Walking-Wake Sun Offense : [Gen 9] OU replay: oufr 911 vs. 2(H2O) - Pokémon Showdown (pokemonshowdown.com)
Against Greninja Hazard Stack Offense : [Gen 9] OU replay: DonDadaMixtape vs. 2(H2O) - Pokémon Showdown (pokemonshowdown.com)
Game that made us peak to 1851 ELO : [Gen 9] OU replay: Im Arnold vs. Coach Jones 6fifth - Pokémon Showdown (pokemonshowdown.com)
6. Conclusion
Overall, this team generally matches up well against common Pokémon cores in OU. Banded Baxcalibur and Specs Iron Moth work so well, both being able to lure their respectives checks and each being to beat/force out the checks of the other. Moth being able to get rid of Fairies and Steels is so beneficial for Baxcalibur as it allows it to freely click Glaive Rush, which does a huge chunk of damage thanks to its high base Attack, Choice Band item and Tera Dragon. That being said, in the threats sections, I've enumerated some Pokémon that can be problematic for the team and I am not sure if I should replace Amoongus/Ting-Lu by Corviknight/Dondozo core, which would help dealing with some the threats listed above. So what do you guys think ? Give me your thoughts, opinions or suggestions on the team. All things considered, if you made is this far in the post, thank you, I really appreciate it ! See you next time !
TEAM
PokePaste : Chi-Yu at home (pokepast.es)
1- Proof of the peak
2- Teambuilding Process
3- The Pokémon
4- Threat List
5- Replays
6- Conclusion
1. Proof of peak
Top 70 on my alt (Im Arnold)
2. Teambuilding Process
At first, I wanted to build the team around Specs Iron Moth and Banded Baxcalibur because these two synergizes so well offensively : Baxcalibur being able to come on Iron Moth switch-ins (Ting-Lu, Clodsire and Slowking mainly) and nuke them, and Iron Moth being able to come on Baxcalibur switch-ins (Corviknight, Gholdengo and Tera Fairies mainly) and also nuke them.
After that, I needed a hazard setter, which would greatly help this core to apply pressure on opposing teams. I also needed something that could that take special hits from the likes of Dragapult and Gholdengo, which are very popular in this metagame. That's why I went for Ting-Lu, which could do both.
I also needed a check to the likes of Great Tusk, Meowscarada, Quaquaval, Breloom, Dondozo, etc. Amoongus was the perfect fit for that role, also being able to cripple opposing Pokémon with Spore.
Next, I needed a spinner (because of the prominence of hazards in this metagame), and also a safe switch-in for Cinderace, Kingambit, Ting-Lu and opposing Tusks. That's why I chose Tusk, who could do both while also being able to serve as a late win condition in certain matchups.
Finally, I needed a speed control given the speed tiers have drastically increased compared to gen 8 OU. Iron Valiant was very interesting, as it could outspeed Dragapult, OHKO it, and revenge kill some +1 Boosted Pokémon like Dragonite or Baxcalibur.
3. The Pokémon
Iron Valiant @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Fighting
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Close Combat
- Spirit Break
- Knock Off
- Trick
Iron Valiant, the speed control of the team. With Choice Scarf, Iron Valiant outspeeds and kills Dragapult and Meowscarada, which are very popular leads in this metagame. With its good Fighting/Fairy typing, Valiant can hit a lot of things effectively. Close Combat is used as the main Fighting Stab and it is Valiant's strongest physical Fighting move. With 120 BP, it hits hard anything that do not resist it and kills in most cases anything that is weak to it. Spirit Break is his main physical Fairy move ; being able to lower opposing Pokémon special attack stat like Gholdengo is not something to take for granted. Knock Off allows to remove the opposing Pokémon items and is its main move to hit Gholdengo. Trick helps crippling defensive Pokémon like Toxapex and Dondozo. Finally, Tera Type is Fighting to be able to power up Close Combat when it's necessary.
Amoonguss @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Regenerator
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 HP / 168 Def / 88 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Spore
- Grass Knot
- Sludge Bomb
- Foul Play
Amoongus serves like I said earlier as a Tusk, Quaquaval, Meowscarada, Breloom, Dondozo, etc. switch-in. Rocky Helmet allows Amoongus to chip any Pokémon that touches it. Spore lets Amoongus cripple opposing an opposing with sleep status. Grass Knot is the main Grass Stab to hit Tusk and Garganacl. Sludge Bomb is the main Poison Stab to hit the likes of Hatterene and Iron Valiant and it can help crippling the opposing team with a 30 % chance to poison the target. Foul Play helps dealing with setup Pokémon as the more attack the opposing Pokémon got, the harder it hits. Finally, Regenerator allows Amoongus to heal 33% every time it switches out and Water Tera to surprise Fire type Pokémon. EVs are 252 HP, 168 Def and Bold nature for good defense while retaining a little bit of special bulk with an investment of 88 EVs in SpD.
Great Tusk @ Leftovers
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Close Combat
- Bulk Up
- Rapid Spin
- Earthquake
Great Tusk is the hazard removal of the team, it serves as a switch-in to Cinderace, Kingambit, Ting-Lu and a second switch-in to opposing Tusks. Leftovers helps it recover at the end of each turn as it has no reliable recovery otherwise. With its Fighting/Ground dual typing, this Pokémon can it pretty much hit anything effectively as very few Pokémon can deal with its type coverage. Close Combat is his main Fighting Stab and its strongest Fighting move physically. Bulk Up lets it setup and become a late win condition with Rapid Spin. Earthquake is the main Ground stab and is better for this set in my opinion than Headlong Rush because it doesn't lower defenses. Finally, EVs are 252 HP and 252 Def with Impish nature for maximum physical bulk and 4 SpD for some special bulk. Tera type is Water to help deal with Baxcalibur which is very problematic for this team otherwise and it can help tank attacks that would be deadly against his Fighting/Ground dual typing.
Iron Moth @ Choice Specs
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Overheat
- Sludge Wave
- Energy Ball
- U-turn
The main element of the team, Iron Moth. I like to call this Chi-Yu at home, and you'll shortly understand why. With Choice Specs and Tera Fire, this Pokémon hits insanely hard on Overheat. It's pretty simple : anything that does not resist Fire type gets at least 2 HKO'd by Overheat and even the resists can take a lot of damage.
Overheat is the main Fire Blast Stab. Taking advantage of Choice Specs and Tera Fire, it allows Moth to punch holes in opposing teams. Sludge Wave is its strongest Poison Stab and it allows Moth to get rid of Fairies limiting Baxcalibur wallbreaking capabilities. Energy Ball allows Moth to 2HKO Garganacl and Slowking on the switch and U-Turn provides momentum and it helps to bring Baxcalibur in very easily on Moth's checks (Ting-Lu and Clodsire for example). Finally, Modest nature is for maximum damage output and Tera Fire for the nuke. This thing hits so hard on Overheat, it kinda reminds me of Chi-Yu. Calcs will blow your mind.
Calcs :
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Iron Moth Overheat vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Clodsire : 354-418 (76.4 - 90.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Iron Moth Sludge Wave vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Dondozo : 382-450 (75.7 - 89.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Iron Moth Overheat vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Skeledirge : 213-251 (51.8 - 61%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Iron Moth Overheat vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Skeledirge : 309-364 (75.1 - 88.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Iron Moth Overheat vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Vessel of Ruin Ting-Lu : 306-362 (59.5 - 70.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Iron Moth Overheat vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Dragapult : 311-366 (98.1 - 115.4%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Iron Moth Overheat vs. 252 HP / 116 SpD Garganacl : 238-280 (58.9 - 69.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Iron Moth Overheat vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Garchomp : 281-331 (66.9 - 78.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Iron Moth Overheat vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Rotom-Wash : 232-273 (76.3 - 89.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
Now you understand better why I call this Chi-Yu at home.
Baxcalibur (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Thermal Exchange
Tera Type: Dragon
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Glaive Rush
- Icicle Crash
- Ice Shard
- Earthquake
Choice Band Baxcalibur is the main physical wallbreaker of the team. Its dual Dragon/Ice typing makes it in my opinion the best physical wallbreaker in the metagame, because Glaive Rush + Icicle Crash + Earthquake cannot be walled (look at the picture below) and this Pokémon cannot be burned thanks to his ability Thermal Exchange. Glaive Rush is its main Dragon Stab and the best physical Dragon move ever in my opinion. 120 BP physical Dragon move combined with its huge 145 Base Attack Stat and the power boost provided by Choice Band and Dragon Terastallization makes it deadly for opposing teams. Basically anything that does not resist it is most likely dead, and even the resists can take a lot of damage. Iron Moth being able to lure its checks (Clodsire, Ting-Lu and Slowking mainly) and get rid of Fairies helps Baxcalibur punch holes in the opposing team and vice-versa. That's why this core works so well. Icicle Crash is its main Ice Stab, flinch is always appreciated. Ice Shard is its main priority move : it helps to get rid of weakened faster Pokémon. Earthquake completing this moveset helps deal with Steel Pokémon that resist its dual Dragon/Ice typing. Adamant Nature for maximum power output and Tera Dragon to power up Glaive Rush. Just look at the calcs and you will realize how absurdly strong this Pokémon is.
Calcs :
252+ Atk Choice Band Tera Dragon Baxcalibur Glaive Rush vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Rotom-Wash : 320-378 (105.2 - 124.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Tera Dragon Baxcalibur Glaive Rush vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Garganacl : 280-330 (69.3 - 81.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Tera Dragon Baxcalibur Glaive Rush vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Dondozo : 306-360 (60.7 - 71.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Tera Dragon Baxcalibur Glaive Rush vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Skeledirge : 336-396 (81.7 - 96.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Tera Dragon Baxcalibur Glaive Rush vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Great Tusk : 278-328 (64 - 75.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Tera Dragon Baxcalibur Glaive Rush vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Corviknight : 163-192 (40.8 - 48.1%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Tera Dragon Baxcalibur Glaive Rush vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Ting-Lu : 384-452 (74.7 - 87.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Tera Dragon Baxcalibur Glaive Rush vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Toxapex : 248-294 (81.5 - 96.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Tera Dragon Baxcalibur Icicle Crash vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Corviknight : 172-204 (43.1 - 51.1%) -- 54.3% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Tera Dragon Baxcalibur Earthquake vs. 112 HP / 0 Def Kingambit : 332-392 (89.9 - 106.2%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO
Ting-Lu @ Leftovers
Ability: Vessel of Ruin
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Ruination
- Earthquake
- Whirlwind
At last, we have Ting-Lu, the special punching bag of the team, the hazard setter and a solid check to Gholdengo, Dragapult, Iron Moth, etc. As this defensive Pokémon has no reliable recovery, leftovers helps increasing its longevity. Stealth Rock chips the opposing Pokémon everytime they come on the field. Ruination allows Ting-Lu to put mid-life Pokémon it can't damage with Earthquake, Earthquake is its main Ground Stab and it prevents Ting-Lu from being passive. Whirlwind allows Ting-Lu to get setup Pokémon out of the field. It's extremely helpful especially against Protosynthesis and Quark Drive Pokémon which can get the boost only one time over the course of a game. Vessel of Ruin reduces opposing Pokémon special attack, which helps Ting-Lu tank better. Finally, Tera type is Water to help against Dragon Dance/Swords Dance Baxcalibur when it's necessary and EVs are 252 HP, 4 Def and 252 SpD for maximum tanking ability on the special side.
4. Threat list
Opposing Baxcaliburs are easily the biggest threat. In most cases, we have to sack a Pokémon then revenge kill it with Iron Valiant, but it can be complicated if it decides to Terastallize. The best course of action would be to Terastallize Amoongus/Ting-Lu/Great-Tusk depending on who's on the field to beat them. Opposing Choice Band Baxcaliburs completely rips this team apart. There's not much we can do about it, besides maybe try Corviknight/Dondozo instead of Ting-Lu/Amoongus which I have thought about but I don't know. You let me know if that's better. Against opposing Baxcaliburs, gameplan is basically kill them before they kill us.
At the second place, we have Calm Mind Hatterene. It is also very threatening as there is no clear switch-in to it in the team. Often, we have to go directly to Iron Moth as it does OHKO it with Sludge Wave even at +1. Against it, you just need to watch out, maybe play around it, force it to use its Tera and just find a way to beat it as we have no reliable way to beat it consistently.
Great Tusk generally isn't a problem, but Banded Tusk/Protosynthesis Tusk is because it 2 HKO's Amoongus and even our own Great Tusk takes a lot from Headlong Rush. Banded/Protosynthesis Tusk is unplayable, you'll have to make sacrifices, you'll have to kill them before they kill you. Unless we replace Ting-Lu/Amoongus core by Dondozo/Corviknight core, I don't really see what we can do but you let me know if that's a change I should consider making.
Usually, Amoongus is a safe switch-in as Psyshock doesn't 2 HKO. But when it's Specs, you need to play around it because Amoongus get 2 HKO'd byPsyshock and Ting-Lu takes a lot from Moonblast. You just need to think about how to play around it. Otherwise, regular Iron Valiant and Band Iron Valiant are beaten by Amoongus.
Walking-Wake coming at the fifth place. Do I even need to tell you how this 6-0s our team ? Our best course of action is playing around it with Ting-Lu/Amoongus/Baxcalibur. When it's choiced locked, it's usually easy to force out. But the gameplan against it is to kill them before they kill you once again.
Theoretically, this Pokémon is also a huge threat to our team (it basically 6-0s the team), but I very rarely encounter it. I feel like it's not that much of a threat since I almost never see it.
Finally, Kingambit. The more Pokémon you kill, the stronger it gets. It gets very scary late game with Swords Dance and Sucker Punch. Our best course of action usually is to trick with Iron Valiant, as it can beat Tusk with Terastallization. Once tricked, it becomes very easy to beat.
5. Replays
Feel free to check out some of the replays below to grab and understand the playstyle needed in order to use this team effectively.
Against Garganacl Balanced : [Gen 9] OU replay: Skrublax vs. 2(H2O) - Pokémon Showdown (pokemonshowdown.com)
Against Bulky Offense/Hazard Stack : [Gen 9] OU replay: 2(H2O) vs. torontosfinalboss - Pokémon Showdown (pokemonshowdown.com)
Against Clodsire + Rotom + Corviknight Balanced : [Gen 9] OU replay: 2(H2O) vs. pu1t - Pokémon Showdown (pokemonshowdown.com)
Against Slowking + Amoongus Balanced : [Gen 9] OU replay: Daniel Gaming 234 vs. 2(H2O) - Pokémon Showdown (pokemonshowdown.com)
Against Shed Tail Hyper Offense : [Gen 9] OU replay: 2(H2O) vs. Ciro Napoli - Pokémon Showdown (pokemonshowdown.com)
Against Garganacl + Gastrodon + Corviknight Fat : [Gen 9] OU replay: ArianaBlonde vs. 2(H2O) - Pokémon Showdown (pokemonshowdown.com)
Against Toxapex + Clodsire + Skeledirge Balanced : [Gen 9] OU replay: Im Arnold vs. wolatuszka - Pokémon Showdown (pokemonshowdown.com)
Against Hazard Stack HO : [Gen 9] OU replay: Ploutinue vs. Im Arnold - Pokémon Showdown (pokemonshowdown.com)
Against Corviknight + Skeledirge Balanced : [Gen 9] OU replay: Ploutinue vs. Im Arnold - Pokémon Showdown (pokemonshowdown.com)
Against Dondozo + Corviknight + Hatterene Fat : [Gen 9] OU replay: Im Arnold vs. Little Wizard - Pokémon Showdown (pokemonshowdown.com)
Against Stall # 1 : [Gen 9] OU replay: Hugme123 vs. Im Arnold - Pokémon Showdown (pokemonshowdown.com)
Against Stall # 2 : [Gen 9] OU replay: 2(H2O) vs. Ultra_rudy - Pokémon Showdown (pokemonshowdown.com)
Against Sticky Web HO : [Gen 9] OU replay: wiglett's revenge vs. Im Arnold - Pokémon Showdown (pokemonshowdown.com)
Against Walking-Wake Sun Offense : [Gen 9] OU replay: oufr 911 vs. 2(H2O) - Pokémon Showdown (pokemonshowdown.com)
Against Greninja Hazard Stack Offense : [Gen 9] OU replay: DonDadaMixtape vs. 2(H2O) - Pokémon Showdown (pokemonshowdown.com)
Game that made us peak to 1851 ELO : [Gen 9] OU replay: Im Arnold vs. Coach Jones 6fifth - Pokémon Showdown (pokemonshowdown.com)
6. Conclusion
Overall, this team generally matches up well against common Pokémon cores in OU. Banded Baxcalibur and Specs Iron Moth work so well, both being able to lure their respectives checks and each being to beat/force out the checks of the other. Moth being able to get rid of Fairies and Steels is so beneficial for Baxcalibur as it allows it to freely click Glaive Rush, which does a huge chunk of damage thanks to its high base Attack, Choice Band item and Tera Dragon. That being said, in the threats sections, I've enumerated some Pokémon that can be problematic for the team and I am not sure if I should replace Amoongus/Ting-Lu by Corviknight/Dondozo core, which would help dealing with some the threats listed above. So what do you guys think ? Give me your thoughts, opinions or suggestions on the team. All things considered, if you made is this far in the post, thank you, I really appreciate it ! See you next time !
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. I know energy ball is good for coverage but listen to my reasoning...
who gets KOed by overheat anyways pretty sure) then you can say goodbye to your shiny new metal Moth with cool glasses.
---> 
