Hello friends, it's me once again with another team for my favorite format. For the last two weeks, I have been testing this team on the ladder, and you can see proof of its rankings later in the post. With that, let's get cooking!
Rationale for choosing each member:
I was talking with my friend Veecy about Mega Scizor and its place in the metagame after she had just posted her RMT on her main ladder team, The Ultimate Scizdown. I was intrigued by the workings of the Scizor/Fini/Zygarde core, which have excellent synergy, and decided to have my own go at building my own Scizor team. Tapu Fini sets up Misty Terrain, which protects Zygarde and Scizor from nasty burns, as well as weakening dragon moves aimed at Zygarde. Fini also fends off the fire types that annoy Scizor. Scizor's bug stab allows it to fend off Grass types that annoy Fini and resist Thousand Arrows, while Zygarde's Thousand Arrows hit Flying and Fire types that that Scizor has trouble with, as well as the Steel types that annoy both Scizor and Fini. The level at which these three Pokemon support one another is quite amazing, and so the last three team members are meant to support this core even further. Zapdos was chosen for its ability to hit bulky water types and set up tailwind for speed control. Incineroar was chosen for its all around excellence as an intimidate pivot, and it's probably something that all of you reading this know about. Finally, Aegislash was chosen as a Pokemon that could bring a unique blend of offensive and defensive utility to the team, as it brings an excellent defensive typing compounded with its great offensive matchups against certain key threats that the team can otherwise struggle with, as well the general excellent neutral coverage of Ghost.
The sets:
Crest (Zygarde) @ Choice Band
Ability: Aura Break
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 64 HP / 240 Atk / 28 SpD / 176 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Thousand Arrows
- Extreme Speed
- Thousand Waves
- Superpower
Choice Banded Zygarde is an excellent physical attacker, along with its access to probably one of the best Doubles moves of all time: Thousand Arrows, which hits flying types and levitators and generally makes it able to hit many Pokemon neutrally. This is the move it is most likely to click. Extreme Speed was chosen because of its +2 priority allowing it to move before many Pokemon, letting it pick off weakened targets. This set deviates from the sample set with the addition of Thousand Waves, which has the same power as Thousand Arrows, but trades its ability to hit flying types for the ability to trap its targets. This move is fundamentally better than Thousand Arrows if the opposing team has no ground immunes, or if they have all been removed, because losing the ability to switch can spell doom for the Pokemon trapped on the field. It is especially useful against certain passive leads, such as those used by certain trick room teams because it disrupts their ability to get their abusers on the field while also trapping a trick room setter that can be worn down.
Spike (Zapdos) @ Wiki Berry
Ability: Static
EVs: 244 HP / 80 Def / 64 SpA / 56 SpD / 64 Spe
Calm Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Heat Wave
- Tailwind
- Roost
A generic Zapdos set. Thunderbolt is for reliable stab, Roost is for restoring health in conjunction with the berry, while Heat Wave is good coverage for hitting certain steel and grass types. Static threatens paralysis on contact attackers, while Tailwind is the set's main draw for speed control.
Excalibur (Aegislash) @ Ghostium Z
Ability: Stance Change
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 212 HP / 252 SpA / 44 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Shadow Ball
- Flash Cannon
- Wide Guard
- King's Shield
A specially offensive Aegislash set, Shadow Ball and Flash cannon are excellent stab moves, while King's Shield is required on pretty much every set. Wide Guard was chosen to keep Aegislash and its partner safe from spread moves, and is a rarer option to be used on the mon. It can protect itself and Scizor from Mega Charizard-Y's Heat Wave, Zygarde from Icy Wind, itself from Earthquake, and many other things. Ghostium Z is used to power up Shadow Ball into a powerful Never-Ending Nightmare, which blows through some neutral bulky targets that Aegislash might not be able to OHKO normally. Furthermore, the item's immunity to knock off can help Aegislash live the move from Pokemon like Incineroar. It also helps to shore up this team's matchup against Tapu Lele, which can temporarily disable Scizor's bullet punch with Psychic Terrain.
Notable Calcs:
252+ SpA Aegislash-Blade Never-Ending Nightmare (160 BP) vs. 236 HP / 84 SpD Gastrodon: 340-402 (80.5 - 95.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Aegislash-Blade Shadow Ball (or Flash Cannon) vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Tapu Lele: 284-336 (101 - 119.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ SpA Aegislash-Blade Never-Ending Nightmare (160 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Milotic: 262-310 (66.4 - 78.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Aegislash-Blade Never-Ending Nightmare (160 BP) vs. 216 HP / 16 SpD Volcanion: 342-403 (96.3 - 113.5%) -- 75% chance to OHKO
Clamshell (Tapu Fini) @ Wiki Berry
Ability: Misty Surge
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 32 Def / 224 SpA
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Moonblast
- Calm Mind
- Protect
Generic Calm Mind Tapu Fini set. Per Veecy's suggestion, I used Scald over Muddy water for accuracy and ability to bypass Wide Guard, as well as its ability to possibly burn non grounded Pokemon or when the terrain is down.
BRUTAL VASECTOMY (Scizor-Mega) @ Scizorite
Ability: Light Metal
EVs: 252 HP / 132 Atk / 40 SpD / 84 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch
- Bug Bite
- Swords Dance
- Protect
This is the sample Scizor set from Smogon. Technician Bullet Punch has been Scizor's claim to fame for many years, and is used here. Swords Dance allows Scizor to boost its attack, and even allows it to have a net gain of attack in the face of an intimidator switching in. Bug Bite is technician boosted and steals berries, a very good bit of utility in this berry-laden metagame. Though Incineroar might seem like a hopeless matchup for it, Scizor can Bug Bite it on the switch, crippling Incineroar's recovery while potentially healing itself. Without the berry, Incineroar can come in a lot less during the game, especially with the number of threats Incineroar is already tasked with handling.
Hit and Run (Incineroar) @ Mago Berry
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 242 HP / 100 Def / 144 SpD / 24 Spe
Careful Nature
- Fake Out
- Flare Blitz
- Knock Off
- U-turn
Generic Incineroar set with just a little extra speed to outrun most Incineroar. Not much to say here.
Replay links that demonstrate how the team functions:
A replay demonstrating the utility of Aegislash's Wide Guard, as well as showcasing the team's ability to handle faster threats, including weather teams.
A replay demonstrating the team's longevity and ability to slowly break down opposing bulky teams. Bonus: Scizor steals Incineroar's berry and cripples it for the rest of the game. Scizor's Swords Dance allows it to come out on top despite two intimidators pivoting around.
A replay against a similarly structured team. The team manages to pivot around intimidate and the opposing team's threats, while Scizor's bug bite helps it twofold; it heals Scizor to allow it to keep trying to hit Fini, while also making it easier for my Fini to break the opposing Fini.
Proof of ladder rankings:
Ryan5374 is my main account which I use on the ladder with multiple teams. This ranking was achieved through using this team on its most recent few ladder sessions.
Ryanlikeszyg is my alt account that I once used for a Mix and Mega team, but its games on the DOU ladder have solely been played using this team.
Summary:
This team is built around the excellent core of Scizor, Tapu Fini, and Zygarde, and aims to support these Pokemon offensive and defensively so they are able to maintain their longevity while also being able to utilize their unique offensive talents.
Team Paste: https://pokepast.es/4de3e1f3ee921245
Rationale for choosing each member:
I was talking with my friend Veecy about Mega Scizor and its place in the metagame after she had just posted her RMT on her main ladder team, The Ultimate Scizdown. I was intrigued by the workings of the Scizor/Fini/Zygarde core, which have excellent synergy, and decided to have my own go at building my own Scizor team. Tapu Fini sets up Misty Terrain, which protects Zygarde and Scizor from nasty burns, as well as weakening dragon moves aimed at Zygarde. Fini also fends off the fire types that annoy Scizor. Scizor's bug stab allows it to fend off Grass types that annoy Fini and resist Thousand Arrows, while Zygarde's Thousand Arrows hit Flying and Fire types that that Scizor has trouble with, as well as the Steel types that annoy both Scizor and Fini. The level at which these three Pokemon support one another is quite amazing, and so the last three team members are meant to support this core even further. Zapdos was chosen for its ability to hit bulky water types and set up tailwind for speed control. Incineroar was chosen for its all around excellence as an intimidate pivot, and it's probably something that all of you reading this know about. Finally, Aegislash was chosen as a Pokemon that could bring a unique blend of offensive and defensive utility to the team, as it brings an excellent defensive typing compounded with its great offensive matchups against certain key threats that the team can otherwise struggle with, as well the general excellent neutral coverage of Ghost.
The sets:
Crest (Zygarde) @ Choice Band
Ability: Aura Break
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 64 HP / 240 Atk / 28 SpD / 176 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Thousand Arrows
- Extreme Speed
- Thousand Waves
- Superpower
Choice Banded Zygarde is an excellent physical attacker, along with its access to probably one of the best Doubles moves of all time: Thousand Arrows, which hits flying types and levitators and generally makes it able to hit many Pokemon neutrally. This is the move it is most likely to click. Extreme Speed was chosen because of its +2 priority allowing it to move before many Pokemon, letting it pick off weakened targets. This set deviates from the sample set with the addition of Thousand Waves, which has the same power as Thousand Arrows, but trades its ability to hit flying types for the ability to trap its targets. This move is fundamentally better than Thousand Arrows if the opposing team has no ground immunes, or if they have all been removed, because losing the ability to switch can spell doom for the Pokemon trapped on the field. It is especially useful against certain passive leads, such as those used by certain trick room teams because it disrupts their ability to get their abusers on the field while also trapping a trick room setter that can be worn down.
Spike (Zapdos) @ Wiki Berry
Ability: Static
EVs: 244 HP / 80 Def / 64 SpA / 56 SpD / 64 Spe
Calm Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Heat Wave
- Tailwind
- Roost
A generic Zapdos set. Thunderbolt is for reliable stab, Roost is for restoring health in conjunction with the berry, while Heat Wave is good coverage for hitting certain steel and grass types. Static threatens paralysis on contact attackers, while Tailwind is the set's main draw for speed control.
Excalibur (Aegislash) @ Ghostium Z
Ability: Stance Change
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 212 HP / 252 SpA / 44 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Shadow Ball
- Flash Cannon
- Wide Guard
- King's Shield
A specially offensive Aegislash set, Shadow Ball and Flash cannon are excellent stab moves, while King's Shield is required on pretty much every set. Wide Guard was chosen to keep Aegislash and its partner safe from spread moves, and is a rarer option to be used on the mon. It can protect itself and Scizor from Mega Charizard-Y's Heat Wave, Zygarde from Icy Wind, itself from Earthquake, and many other things. Ghostium Z is used to power up Shadow Ball into a powerful Never-Ending Nightmare, which blows through some neutral bulky targets that Aegislash might not be able to OHKO normally. Furthermore, the item's immunity to knock off can help Aegislash live the move from Pokemon like Incineroar. It also helps to shore up this team's matchup against Tapu Lele, which can temporarily disable Scizor's bullet punch with Psychic Terrain.
Notable Calcs:
252+ SpA Aegislash-Blade Never-Ending Nightmare (160 BP) vs. 236 HP / 84 SpD Gastrodon: 340-402 (80.5 - 95.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Aegislash-Blade Shadow Ball (or Flash Cannon) vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Tapu Lele: 284-336 (101 - 119.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ SpA Aegislash-Blade Never-Ending Nightmare (160 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Milotic: 262-310 (66.4 - 78.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Aegislash-Blade Never-Ending Nightmare (160 BP) vs. 216 HP / 16 SpD Volcanion: 342-403 (96.3 - 113.5%) -- 75% chance to OHKO
Clamshell (Tapu Fini) @ Wiki Berry
Ability: Misty Surge
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 32 Def / 224 SpA
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Moonblast
- Calm Mind
- Protect
Generic Calm Mind Tapu Fini set. Per Veecy's suggestion, I used Scald over Muddy water for accuracy and ability to bypass Wide Guard, as well as its ability to possibly burn non grounded Pokemon or when the terrain is down.
BRUTAL VASECTOMY (Scizor-Mega) @ Scizorite
Ability: Light Metal
EVs: 252 HP / 132 Atk / 40 SpD / 84 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch
- Bug Bite
- Swords Dance
- Protect
This is the sample Scizor set from Smogon. Technician Bullet Punch has been Scizor's claim to fame for many years, and is used here. Swords Dance allows Scizor to boost its attack, and even allows it to have a net gain of attack in the face of an intimidator switching in. Bug Bite is technician boosted and steals berries, a very good bit of utility in this berry-laden metagame. Though Incineroar might seem like a hopeless matchup for it, Scizor can Bug Bite it on the switch, crippling Incineroar's recovery while potentially healing itself. Without the berry, Incineroar can come in a lot less during the game, especially with the number of threats Incineroar is already tasked with handling.
Hit and Run (Incineroar) @ Mago Berry
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 242 HP / 100 Def / 144 SpD / 24 Spe
Careful Nature
- Fake Out
- Flare Blitz
- Knock Off
- U-turn
Generic Incineroar set with just a little extra speed to outrun most Incineroar. Not much to say here.
Replay links that demonstrate how the team functions:
A replay demonstrating the utility of Aegislash's Wide Guard, as well as showcasing the team's ability to handle faster threats, including weather teams.
A replay demonstrating the team's longevity and ability to slowly break down opposing bulky teams. Bonus: Scizor steals Incineroar's berry and cripples it for the rest of the game. Scizor's Swords Dance allows it to come out on top despite two intimidators pivoting around.
A replay against a similarly structured team. The team manages to pivot around intimidate and the opposing team's threats, while Scizor's bug bite helps it twofold; it heals Scizor to allow it to keep trying to hit Fini, while also making it easier for my Fini to break the opposing Fini.
Proof of ladder rankings:
Ryan5374 is my main account which I use on the ladder with multiple teams. This ranking was achieved through using this team on its most recent few ladder sessions.
Ryanlikeszyg is my alt account that I once used for a Mix and Mega team, but its games on the DOU ladder have solely been played using this team.
Summary:
This team is built around the excellent core of Scizor, Tapu Fini, and Zygarde, and aims to support these Pokemon offensive and defensively so they are able to maintain their longevity while also being able to utilize their unique offensive talents.
Team Paste: https://pokepast.es/4de3e1f3ee921245
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