After much ado in my team building process I finally built a balanced team that felt like it could handle top threats in the metagame while being solid and consistent enough to handle surprises well. The team's theme is closest to balance but could also probably be called bulky offense. I'm getting more experience with the team but I'm always looking to find improvements!
Proof of peak/current record:
Team at-a-glance:
After seeing Mega Metagross holding strong in its high position in the viability ranking thread I thought I would try it myself. I'd been having a very hard time making teams that fit it well but there was no harm in trying again.
I added Clefable because I wanted to build a fantasy core using Mega Metagross. I chose Magic Guard Clefable over Unaware because Magic Guard is highly reusable even with entry hazards present and also soaks status well for my team.
To finish my fantasy core I chose to add Hydreigon. I chose to run a Scarf Hydreigon to act as a revenge killer. I chose it over Latios because I liked Hydreigon's coverage options much better than Latios - especially as a Scarfer.
Landorus-Therian is incredibly good. It has a great movepool, has very solid damage even with defensive investment, and has solid bulk. I wanted a Stealth Rock setter, a pivot, and additional coverage types that I was missing. Landorus-T did them all.
No team should be without a check to birdspam. Rotom-W was my favorite check to add to my team because of its access to Will-o-Wisp and useful coverage types. It acts as a secondary pivot and forms a VoltTurn core with Lando-T. It soaks hits well and cripples most physical attackers.
At first I wasn't so hot on adding a second steel type to the team. Scizor proved its worth immediately. I felt that my team had a hard time dealing with Mega Diancie and was lacking in hazard control. Scizor provided the ability to threaten Mega Diancie with an OHKO while also providing hazard control for the team.
After considering my weaknesses for a little bit longer I decided to swap out Clefable for Azumarill. My team was weak to both Keldeo and Mega Gyarados and both of those are fairly common. Azumarill also kept my fantasy core intact and can still do considerable damage to the threats that Clefable handled.
One poster brought up that my team could probably use some cleric support. Clefable could have done that role, but I think Sylveon does the job better. I chose to replace Rotom because I increased Lando's defensive investment so it can better check birdspam. I also found myself pivoting infrequently and not often scoring useful burns with Rotom.
The last change I made was to switch Scizor with Skarmory. Skarmory also brings Defog but is much more resilient. Skarmory also has access to Roar which was an important asset my team was lacking. Azumarill provided the priority that Scizor once did and can take a few hits too.
Team Detail
Metagross-Mega @ Metagrossite
Ability: Tough Claws
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Meteor Mash
- Zen Headbutt
-Ice Punch Earthquake
- Pursuit / Grass Knot
Mega Metagross has a high viability ranking for a reason. Between its two STAB attacks it punches holes in a massive number of Pokemon. I chose Meteor Mash over Iron Head for the slight increase in base power and the ability to potentially snowball from a stat boost. Meteor Mashing on a switch can sometimes provide an Attack boost which oftentimes turns their advantage seeking switch in my favor. Zen Headbutt is the obligatory secondary STAB which nails common threats like Rotom-W hard. I felt Ice Punch was a necessity on this set because my team has a hard time beating Lando-T. If I predict well and Ice Punch on the switch or scout and find it has no Scarf I can remove it easily. My last slot was the hardest choice. I could run Pursuit, Hammer Arm, or Earthquake. All three have great value on Metagross. Hammer Arm muscles past Ferrothorn and Earthquake shatters Heatran. I chose Pursuit in order to trap the ever-so-common Lati twins because otherwise they make a mess of my team. I chose this standard EV spread because it is important not to lose speed ties to other base 110s and to maximize damage output.
Edit Notice: I have switched Ice Punch with Earthquake to make Heatran easier to deal with. My matchup versus Landorus-Therian is already acceptable without it. I've also slashed Grass Knot next to Pursuit because Grass Knot makes Mega Slowbro much easier to deal with. If I run Grass Knot I will change the nature and adjust the EVs as needed.
Azumarill @ Assault Vest
Ability: Huge Power
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Waterfall
- Play Rough
- Aqua Jet
-Knock Off Superpower
I replaced Clefable with Azumarill to better handle the top threats to my team - Keldeo and Mega Gyarados. Azumarill resists both of their STABs and isn't worried about their coverage options. It also hits many of the threats I used Clefable to hit before. Namely Mega Sableye and Fighting types like Conkeldurr. Waterfall is obligatory STAB to hit common threats like Lando-T, Heatran, and Gliscor. Play Rough is necessary to deal with the stuff that Clefable did before it was replaced. Aqua Jet was important because I also replaced Scizor which was my only other priority user. Aqua Jet makes it easier to remove Rock Polish Mega Diancie. Knock Off is probably Azumarill's best coverage move because most of the stuff that resists Azumarill's STABs hates receiving a Knock Off. Knock Off also provides useful utility it its item removal. I chose an Assault Vest set to promote Azumarill's longevity so I can switch it into specially oriented attackers and either force a switch or hit them hard. The EV spread is fairly standard to optimize bulk and offense because Azumarill isn't going to reach any particularly useful speed tiers with a speed investment except for maybe outspeeding uninvested Tyranitar which doesn't really bother my team anyway.
Edit Notice: I have switched Knock Off for Superpower to improve my matchup versus Ferrothorn and Bisharp.
Hydreigon (F) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 32 HP / 224 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Dark Pulse
- Fire Blast
-Earth Power Flash Cannon
This is probably the most controversial member of my team; however, I think it was the right choice. I wanted a fast revenge killer with strong coverage but with good typing and enough bulk to take resisted hits. Latios came to mind but Hydreigon seemed the play the part of revenge killer better. Its Draco Meteor deals almost as Latios and its Dark type STAB was a useful addition because it deals very high damage to Mega Metagross. The ability to clean out an opposing Mega Meta was a very attractive idea. Access to Fire Blast was useful for destroying Ferrothorn and other Steel types. I put Earth Power in the last slot because I needed to be able to remove Heatran which my previous two team members struggled to do. My EV spread was chosen to at the very least outspeed Scarfed Kyurem-B while maximizing damage. It also conveniently reaches an odd HP value. One small bonus to Hydreigon over Latios that I didn't think about until after I chose it was that it doesn't fear Bisharp quite as much as Latios does.
Edit: I've replaced Earth Power with Flash Cannon to better deal with predicted Fairy switch-ins. Adding Earthquake to Metagross has alleviated my Heatran problem somewhat.
Landorus (Landorus-Therian) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
IVs: 30 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- U-turn
Lando-T is one of the most common Pokemon in OU for good reason. It has an incredibly wide movepool, an intimidating base 145 Attack stat, and reliable bulk coupled with Intimidate. I intially chose it for two reasons - the first was to set Stealth Rock to deter the ever present Charizard and Talonflame and the second was to act as a pivot using U-turn to provide safe opportunities for my heavy hitters to get in without taking big hits. Combining Stealth Rock with U-turn provides solid residual damage which makes for easier cleanup later in the game. Earthquake is a necessity on Lando-T but is notably useful on the team for hitting Heatran hard. Stone Edge is the Rock type attack that my team sorely needed. It helps decisively smash quite a few common threats like Talonflame and Charizard while also doing notable damage to Mandibuzz and Zapdos. I chose this EV spread to be just fast enough to outspeed an uninvested base 100 like Tentacruel or Mew while picking up as much physical bulk as possible.
Edit Notice: I've reduced Lando's Speed IVs by one in order to ensure I get the slower U-turn in a mirror.
Sylveon @ Leftovers
Ability: Pixilate
EVs: 252 HP / 220 Def / 36 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hyper Voice
- Wish
- Protect
- Heal Bell
A team in need of cleric support doesn't have many places to look. Sylveon was the best fit because it can reliably tank hits from both sides of the attacking spectrum (with the right investment) and fight back using a powerful Hyper Voice. I chose this standard set from Smogon's Strategy Pokedex. Hyper Voice is by far Sylveon's strongest attack and has the advantage of hitting through Substitutes and many Substitute users are weak to Fairy (Keldeo and Mega Sceptile come to mind.) The holy cleric trinity of Wish, Protect, and Heal Bell is hard to deviate from. Wish can provide healing to Sylveon and its team members. Protect is used to guarantee Wish's healing on Sylveon in a pinch or to scout enemy moves. Heal Bell is status removal support which is useful now that I don't have Clefable to soak burns and poison. This EV spread was chosen because I liked the ability to switch safely into any attack from Latios safely. Metagross can also switch in to Latios but doesn't appreciate taking excessive residual damage.
Skarmory @ Shed Shell
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
-Roar Whirlwind
- Brave Bird
- Roost
- Defog
Skarmory was chosen to replace Scizor for a couple of reasons. I originally chose Scizor to handle Mega Diancie but I added Azumarill who could also do that. The need for priority was alleviated. My Scizor's other role was to provide hazard control. Skarmory does that job better. It has significantly more defense and has access to Roar to provide phazing support which my team lacked. I run Brave Bird to allow Skarmory to deal damage if caught in a Taunt or to hit stuff like Conkeldurr or Amoonguss. Roost is mandatory to keep Skarmory alive to continue tanking hits. Defog is necessary for hazard control. I chose a fully defensive investment to ensure it can tank heavy unresisted physical hits. I run Shed Shell so it can run away from Magnezone.
Edit Notice: I've switched Roar for Whirlwind because Soundproof exists.
- I can try to tank it with Skarmory but that's about it. It hits most of my team members quite hard. Mispredicting a Belly Drum or Choice Band set can also really rip my team to bits. I just mispredicted a Belly Drum Azumarill and had to forfeit Landorus, my own Azumarill, and 80% of Meta's HP to remove it. I really need a better way to handle this monstrosity.
- After changing my team around this guy has become more a tad bit more manageable. It still hurts like hell though. If I play the prediction game wrong with its set or even in just the Pursuit/Sucker Punch mindgame it blows holes in my team. Hydreigon can switch in relatively safely because it survives +2 Sucker Punch but can't switch repeatedly. Very hard to fight.
- Mega Lopunny's unresisted coverage hurts my team. Even my toughest physical tanks have a hard time with it. If it comes down to it I can try to revenge kill using Metagross or Azumarill because they can safely take a single hit. Hydreigon can possibly OHKO it after SR damage.
- I handled this better before when I had Clefable. A well played Mega Sableye will give my team huge trouble. If Azumarill gets burned then I have a hard time removing it. Sylveon does acceptable damage to it too but Calm Mind sets aren't really bothered by Sylveon either. I have to play carefully against it.
- I have a hard time with almost all variants of this. Hydreigon can hit it for a hefty sum of damage and doesn't fear taking a Fire Blast or Scald. However, teams that run Mega Bro generally are fairly stall heavy and have an answer for Hydreigon. Azumarill's Knock Off helps a little bit and some opponents will switch a low HP Mega Bro away from Mega Meta and take a Pursuit in response.
- After changing my team around this guy has become more manageable. Skarmory can take hits from it fairly comfortably and Azumarill isn't as afraid of Iron Head as Clefable was. I think I lied. This guy still punches holes in my team.
- It wasn't a terribly large threat before but it could hit my Metagross and Scizor pretty hard if it was running Flamethrower or Fire Blast and predicted well. Now Azumarill can take any hit from it no problem and hit back pretty hard. Metagross still destroys it with Meteor Mash too.
- Adding in Azumarill helped with this guy quite a bit. Azumarill resists both of its STABs and isn't bothered by its coverage moves and hits it back for massive damage. Sylveon is a decent secondary check but doesn't like taking Specs or Life Orb boosted Hydro Pump.
- Azumarill was a valuable addition to handle this. Azumarill resists both of its STABs and has no problem taking hits from its coverage moves while hitting back hard. Skarmory can also tank hits from it. Taunt + Dragon Dance variants can use Skarmory as setup bait though.
Clefable (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 144 Def / 112 SpA
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Soft-Boiled
- Moonblast
- Flamethrower
Among Fairy types, Clefable stands out as one of the most useful. Clefable provides reliable defense, a potential win condition, and a wide movepool full of useful stuff. I chose Magic Guard over Unaware because boosters aren't terribly dangerous to my team. Most common ones like Clefable and Mega Sableye can be handled without Unaware. I immediately decided that a Calm Mind set was the most optimal set for my team. A Calm Mind set doesn't rely on setting up multiple boosts like a Cosmic Power + Stored Power set does and is thus useful without boosting but can similarly become a win condition when it is safe to accumulate boosts. It goes without saying that Clefable should run a healing move and Soft-Boiled is the optimal choice when running Magic Guard. It gives Clefable extra staying power and reusability to continue checking threats to my team. Moonblast is obligatory STAB that does a considerable amount of damage to Sableye, the Lati twins, Conkeldurr, and more. Flamethrower gets past the Steel types that would otherwise wall Clefable. I've chosen this EV spread to minimize the damage taken from common priority attacks while also dealing a considerable amount of damage.
Rotom-Wash @ Chesto Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 212 SpD / 44 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Will-O-Wisp
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Rest
Rotom-Wash is a great team member for most teams for a few reasons. It provides burn support to cripple physical attackers, it has solid defenses, it has excellent typing combined with a useful ability, and the ability to act as a pivot. Rotom-Wash was an important addition to this team to help stop birdspam. Lando-T does a fair job of it but still takes considerable damage from most birds. Rotom-W has the typing to switch in on most birds and perform some useful task. It can threaten physical attackers with a burn, deal solid damage to anything that doesn't resist its attacks, or it can pivot into a heavy hitter. Will-o-Wisp cripples physical attackers. Volt Switch provides a useful pivoting tool that also deals solid damage to anything weak to it. Hydro Pump deals strong damage to common threats like Heatran and Lando-T. My only real optional choice was either Pain Split + Leftovers or Chesto Berry + Rest. Chesto Rest was the superior choice, in my opinion, because it allows Rotom to recover a considerable amount of HP in a single turn, making it able to check threats it needs to multiple times. My EV spread was chosen in order to outspeed fully invested base 50s like Azumarill while maximizing special bulk, which my team needed sorely.
Scizor (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 HP / 124 Atk / 132 Def
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch
- Defog
- Roost
- U-turn
One threat to my team that I noticed was Mega Diancie. It could deal incredible damage to all of my team members and there wasn't much I could do to it except for letting Metagross try to bulk a hit and land a Meteor Mash. Scizor was my first choice to help remove it because of its potent Bullet Punch. Bullet Punch helps clean up faster threats, especially weakened ones. U-turn allowed me to have a third momentum-grabber while doing much more damage than the other two VoltTurners. My team was also lacking hazard control which Scizor could provide in the form of Defog. Roost maximizes Scizor's longevity and allows it to check physical threats multiple times. I honestly don't even know why I chose this EV spread. I thought I calc'd to score an OHKO on +1 Defense Mega Diancie (after a Diamond Storm boost) but it doesn't even reliably get KO'd after Stealth Rock damage. I'm thinking I ought to reinvest fully into Defense since uninvested Scizor still nabs an OHKO on +0 Mega Diancie.
Thanks for reading. Criticism would be appreciated! I haven't faced anything that really pulled my team apart but I'm hoping I can build my team a little better so I can improve my chances against against them later. I know some of my descriptions are a little wordy so tell me if there's something I can do to help improve readability for you guys!
Proof of peak/current record:
Team at-a-glance:
After seeing Mega Metagross holding strong in its high position in the viability ranking thread I thought I would try it myself. I'd been having a very hard time making teams that fit it well but there was no harm in trying again.
I added Clefable because I wanted to build a fantasy core using Mega Metagross. I chose Magic Guard Clefable over Unaware because Magic Guard is highly reusable even with entry hazards present and also soaks status well for my team.
To finish my fantasy core I chose to add Hydreigon. I chose to run a Scarf Hydreigon to act as a revenge killer. I chose it over Latios because I liked Hydreigon's coverage options much better than Latios - especially as a Scarfer.
Landorus-Therian is incredibly good. It has a great movepool, has very solid damage even with defensive investment, and has solid bulk. I wanted a Stealth Rock setter, a pivot, and additional coverage types that I was missing. Landorus-T did them all.
No team should be without a check to birdspam. Rotom-W was my favorite check to add to my team because of its access to Will-o-Wisp and useful coverage types. It acts as a secondary pivot and forms a VoltTurn core with Lando-T. It soaks hits well and cripples most physical attackers.
At first I wasn't so hot on adding a second steel type to the team. Scizor proved its worth immediately. I felt that my team had a hard time dealing with Mega Diancie and was lacking in hazard control. Scizor provided the ability to threaten Mega Diancie with an OHKO while also providing hazard control for the team.
After considering my weaknesses for a little bit longer I decided to swap out Clefable for Azumarill. My team was weak to both Keldeo and Mega Gyarados and both of those are fairly common. Azumarill also kept my fantasy core intact and can still do considerable damage to the threats that Clefable handled.
One poster brought up that my team could probably use some cleric support. Clefable could have done that role, but I think Sylveon does the job better. I chose to replace Rotom because I increased Lando's defensive investment so it can better check birdspam. I also found myself pivoting infrequently and not often scoring useful burns with Rotom.
The last change I made was to switch Scizor with Skarmory. Skarmory also brings Defog but is much more resilient. Skarmory also has access to Roar which was an important asset my team was lacking. Azumarill provided the priority that Scizor once did and can take a few hits too.
Team Detail
Metagross-Mega @ Metagrossite
Ability: Tough Claws
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Meteor Mash
- Zen Headbutt
-
- Pursuit / Grass Knot
Mega Metagross has a high viability ranking for a reason. Between its two STAB attacks it punches holes in a massive number of Pokemon. I chose Meteor Mash over Iron Head for the slight increase in base power and the ability to potentially snowball from a stat boost. Meteor Mashing on a switch can sometimes provide an Attack boost which oftentimes turns their advantage seeking switch in my favor. Zen Headbutt is the obligatory secondary STAB which nails common threats like Rotom-W hard. I felt Ice Punch was a necessity on this set because my team has a hard time beating Lando-T. If I predict well and Ice Punch on the switch or scout and find it has no Scarf I can remove it easily. My last slot was the hardest choice. I could run Pursuit, Hammer Arm, or Earthquake. All three have great value on Metagross. Hammer Arm muscles past Ferrothorn and Earthquake shatters Heatran. I chose Pursuit in order to trap the ever-so-common Lati twins because otherwise they make a mess of my team. I chose this standard EV spread because it is important not to lose speed ties to other base 110s and to maximize damage output.
Edit Notice: I have switched Ice Punch with Earthquake to make Heatran easier to deal with. My matchup versus Landorus-Therian is already acceptable without it. I've also slashed Grass Knot next to Pursuit because Grass Knot makes Mega Slowbro much easier to deal with. If I run Grass Knot I will change the nature and adjust the EVs as needed.
Azumarill @ Assault Vest
Ability: Huge Power
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Waterfall
- Play Rough
- Aqua Jet
-
I replaced Clefable with Azumarill to better handle the top threats to my team - Keldeo and Mega Gyarados. Azumarill resists both of their STABs and isn't worried about their coverage options. It also hits many of the threats I used Clefable to hit before. Namely Mega Sableye and Fighting types like Conkeldurr. Waterfall is obligatory STAB to hit common threats like Lando-T, Heatran, and Gliscor. Play Rough is necessary to deal with the stuff that Clefable did before it was replaced. Aqua Jet was important because I also replaced Scizor which was my only other priority user. Aqua Jet makes it easier to remove Rock Polish Mega Diancie. Knock Off is probably Azumarill's best coverage move because most of the stuff that resists Azumarill's STABs hates receiving a Knock Off. Knock Off also provides useful utility it its item removal. I chose an Assault Vest set to promote Azumarill's longevity so I can switch it into specially oriented attackers and either force a switch or hit them hard. The EV spread is fairly standard to optimize bulk and offense because Azumarill isn't going to reach any particularly useful speed tiers with a speed investment except for maybe outspeeding uninvested Tyranitar which doesn't really bother my team anyway.
Edit Notice: I have switched Knock Off for Superpower to improve my matchup versus Ferrothorn and Bisharp.
Hydreigon (F) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 32 HP / 224 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Dark Pulse
- Fire Blast
-
This is probably the most controversial member of my team; however, I think it was the right choice. I wanted a fast revenge killer with strong coverage but with good typing and enough bulk to take resisted hits. Latios came to mind but Hydreigon seemed the play the part of revenge killer better. Its Draco Meteor deals almost as Latios and its Dark type STAB was a useful addition because it deals very high damage to Mega Metagross. The ability to clean out an opposing Mega Meta was a very attractive idea. Access to Fire Blast was useful for destroying Ferrothorn and other Steel types. I put Earth Power in the last slot because I needed to be able to remove Heatran which my previous two team members struggled to do. My EV spread was chosen to at the very least outspeed Scarfed Kyurem-B while maximizing damage. It also conveniently reaches an odd HP value. One small bonus to Hydreigon over Latios that I didn't think about until after I chose it was that it doesn't fear Bisharp quite as much as Latios does.
Edit: I've replaced Earth Power with Flash Cannon to better deal with predicted Fairy switch-ins. Adding Earthquake to Metagross has alleviated my Heatran problem somewhat.
Landorus (Landorus-Therian) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
IVs: 30 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- U-turn
Lando-T is one of the most common Pokemon in OU for good reason. It has an incredibly wide movepool, an intimidating base 145 Attack stat, and reliable bulk coupled with Intimidate. I intially chose it for two reasons - the first was to set Stealth Rock to deter the ever present Charizard and Talonflame and the second was to act as a pivot using U-turn to provide safe opportunities for my heavy hitters to get in without taking big hits. Combining Stealth Rock with U-turn provides solid residual damage which makes for easier cleanup later in the game. Earthquake is a necessity on Lando-T but is notably useful on the team for hitting Heatran hard. Stone Edge is the Rock type attack that my team sorely needed. It helps decisively smash quite a few common threats like Talonflame and Charizard while also doing notable damage to Mandibuzz and Zapdos. I chose this EV spread to be just fast enough to outspeed an uninvested base 100 like Tentacruel or Mew while picking up as much physical bulk as possible.
Edit Notice: I've reduced Lando's Speed IVs by one in order to ensure I get the slower U-turn in a mirror.
Sylveon @ Leftovers
Ability: Pixilate
EVs: 252 HP / 220 Def / 36 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hyper Voice
- Wish
- Protect
- Heal Bell
A team in need of cleric support doesn't have many places to look. Sylveon was the best fit because it can reliably tank hits from both sides of the attacking spectrum (with the right investment) and fight back using a powerful Hyper Voice. I chose this standard set from Smogon's Strategy Pokedex. Hyper Voice is by far Sylveon's strongest attack and has the advantage of hitting through Substitutes and many Substitute users are weak to Fairy (Keldeo and Mega Sceptile come to mind.) The holy cleric trinity of Wish, Protect, and Heal Bell is hard to deviate from. Wish can provide healing to Sylveon and its team members. Protect is used to guarantee Wish's healing on Sylveon in a pinch or to scout enemy moves. Heal Bell is status removal support which is useful now that I don't have Clefable to soak burns and poison. This EV spread was chosen because I liked the ability to switch safely into any attack from Latios safely. Metagross can also switch in to Latios but doesn't appreciate taking excessive residual damage.
Skarmory @ Shed Shell
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
-
- Brave Bird
- Roost
- Defog
Skarmory was chosen to replace Scizor for a couple of reasons. I originally chose Scizor to handle Mega Diancie but I added Azumarill who could also do that. The need for priority was alleviated. My Scizor's other role was to provide hazard control. Skarmory does that job better. It has significantly more defense and has access to Roar to provide phazing support which my team lacked. I run Brave Bird to allow Skarmory to deal damage if caught in a Taunt or to hit stuff like Conkeldurr or Amoonguss. Roost is mandatory to keep Skarmory alive to continue tanking hits. Defog is necessary for hazard control. I chose a fully defensive investment to ensure it can tank heavy unresisted physical hits. I run Shed Shell so it can run away from Magnezone.
Edit Notice: I've switched Roar for Whirlwind because Soundproof exists.
After replacing Clefable I feel like my team has a newfound weakness to stall teams. I actually had my first loss recently and it was against a semi-stall team. My team's damage couldn't break through the enemy team because my opponent had an answer to anything I could throw out. Residual damage from status and Stealth Rock adds up if I can't take out any high priority targets.
Clefable (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 144 Def / 112 SpA
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Soft-Boiled
- Moonblast
- Flamethrower
Among Fairy types, Clefable stands out as one of the most useful. Clefable provides reliable defense, a potential win condition, and a wide movepool full of useful stuff. I chose Magic Guard over Unaware because boosters aren't terribly dangerous to my team. Most common ones like Clefable and Mega Sableye can be handled without Unaware. I immediately decided that a Calm Mind set was the most optimal set for my team. A Calm Mind set doesn't rely on setting up multiple boosts like a Cosmic Power + Stored Power set does and is thus useful without boosting but can similarly become a win condition when it is safe to accumulate boosts. It goes without saying that Clefable should run a healing move and Soft-Boiled is the optimal choice when running Magic Guard. It gives Clefable extra staying power and reusability to continue checking threats to my team. Moonblast is obligatory STAB that does a considerable amount of damage to Sableye, the Lati twins, Conkeldurr, and more. Flamethrower gets past the Steel types that would otherwise wall Clefable. I've chosen this EV spread to minimize the damage taken from common priority attacks while also dealing a considerable amount of damage.
Rotom-Wash @ Chesto Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 212 SpD / 44 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Will-O-Wisp
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Rest
Rotom-Wash is a great team member for most teams for a few reasons. It provides burn support to cripple physical attackers, it has solid defenses, it has excellent typing combined with a useful ability, and the ability to act as a pivot. Rotom-Wash was an important addition to this team to help stop birdspam. Lando-T does a fair job of it but still takes considerable damage from most birds. Rotom-W has the typing to switch in on most birds and perform some useful task. It can threaten physical attackers with a burn, deal solid damage to anything that doesn't resist its attacks, or it can pivot into a heavy hitter. Will-o-Wisp cripples physical attackers. Volt Switch provides a useful pivoting tool that also deals solid damage to anything weak to it. Hydro Pump deals strong damage to common threats like Heatran and Lando-T. My only real optional choice was either Pain Split + Leftovers or Chesto Berry + Rest. Chesto Rest was the superior choice, in my opinion, because it allows Rotom to recover a considerable amount of HP in a single turn, making it able to check threats it needs to multiple times. My EV spread was chosen in order to outspeed fully invested base 50s like Azumarill while maximizing special bulk, which my team needed sorely.
Scizor (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 HP / 124 Atk / 132 Def
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch
- Defog
- Roost
- U-turn
One threat to my team that I noticed was Mega Diancie. It could deal incredible damage to all of my team members and there wasn't much I could do to it except for letting Metagross try to bulk a hit and land a Meteor Mash. Scizor was my first choice to help remove it because of its potent Bullet Punch. Bullet Punch helps clean up faster threats, especially weakened ones. U-turn allowed me to have a third momentum-grabber while doing much more damage than the other two VoltTurners. My team was also lacking hazard control which Scizor could provide in the form of Defog. Roost maximizes Scizor's longevity and allows it to check physical threats multiple times. I honestly don't even know why I chose this EV spread. I thought I calc'd to score an OHKO on +1 Defense Mega Diancie (after a Diamond Storm boost) but it doesn't even reliably get KO'd after Stealth Rock damage. I'm thinking I ought to reinvest fully into Defense since uninvested Scizor still nabs an OHKO on +0 Mega Diancie.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-203927296
This is my first game after switching around some team members. This game was low 1400s. Switching is the name of the game in this replay. Mega Metagross and Hydreigon have incredible combined damage and coverage.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-205162880
This one is a while later. This game was upper 1400s and brought me past 1500 for the first time. Hydreigon showcases its powerful coverage. I am also the lord of cheese in this replay and I realistically should have lost.
I hope to have more quality replays to share soon.
This is my first game after switching around some team members. This game was low 1400s. Switching is the name of the game in this replay. Mega Metagross and Hydreigon have incredible combined damage and coverage.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-205162880
This one is a while later. This game was upper 1400s and brought me past 1500 for the first time. Hydreigon showcases its powerful coverage. I am also the lord of cheese in this replay and I realistically should have lost.
I hope to have more quality replays to share soon.
Strongbad (Metagross-Mega) @ Metagrossite
Ability: Tough Claws
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Zen Headbutt
- Earthquake
- Pursuit
- Meteor Mash
The Cheat (Azumarill) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Huge Power
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Waterfall
- Play Rough
- Aqua Jet
- Superpower
Trogdor (Hydreigon) (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 32 HP / 252 SpA / 224 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Dark Pulse
- Fire Blast
- Flash Cannon
Landorus (Landorus-Therian) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
IVs: 30 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- U-turn
Sylveon @ Leftovers
Ability: Pixilate
EVs: 252 HP / 220 Def / 36 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hyper Voice
- Wish
- Protect
- Heal Bell
Skarmory @ Shed Shell
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Whirlwind
- Brave Bird
- Roost
- Defog
Ability: Tough Claws
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Zen Headbutt
- Earthquake
- Pursuit
- Meteor Mash
The Cheat (Azumarill) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Huge Power
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Waterfall
- Play Rough
- Aqua Jet
- Superpower
Trogdor (Hydreigon) (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 32 HP / 252 SpA / 224 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Dark Pulse
- Fire Blast
- Flash Cannon
Landorus (Landorus-Therian) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
IVs: 30 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- U-turn
Sylveon @ Leftovers
Ability: Pixilate
EVs: 252 HP / 220 Def / 36 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hyper Voice
- Wish
- Protect
- Heal Bell
Skarmory @ Shed Shell
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Whirlwind
- Brave Bird
- Roost
- Defog
Thanks for reading. Criticism would be appreciated! I haven't faced anything that really pulled my team apart but I'm hoping I can build my team a little better so I can improve my chances against against them later. I know some of my descriptions are a little wordy so tell me if there's something I can do to help improve readability for you guys!
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