Lower Tier Threats

[RedsCharizard]

Sigilyph @ Flame orb
Trait: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP 16 Def 240 SpD
Calm Nature(+SpD, -Atk)
- Cosmic Power
- Psycho Shift
- Roost
- Stored Power

Sigilyph has a movepool that gives it fantastic coverage for offensive teams. Cosmic power will negate a lot of damage from threats such as Gyarados and Starmie. Psycho shift with the flame orb allows it to break a lot of physical sweepers, roost allows it to regain health, as well as take away super-effective damage from moves such as stone edge(as long as it's in the same turn) and stored power allows it to strike hard after 4 or more cosmic powers, at least 2HKO-ing special walls.
Tactic:
Send it on the field when there is a wall on the other side. Your opponent will probably switch, because the flame orb will prevent status effects like toxic, and it has magic guard anyway. When this happens, set up a cosmic power. This will prevent an OHKO from common threats like Gyarados. If your opponent sends in a physical sweeper, use a psycho shift to pass down the burn and negate damage from physical attacks. If your opponent sends in a special wall, set up another cosmic power. By now, you should have the stat boosts you need, so roost off any damage taken. Keep setting up cosmic power, and roosting off again. When you feel like you have enough cosmic powers up, start using stored power. This will do VERY high damage, despite the lack of offensive EVs.

Things to watch out for:
Skarmory, Hippowdon, and other Pokemon likely to have dragon tail, whirlwind or roar. This will phase out your sigilyph and make it useless, so make sure these Pokemon are down before using Sigilyph.

To sum it up: Sigilyph is a massively threatening wall when it has a few cosmic powers up, and destroys physical sweepers. However, it does require a good amount of prediction to be used properly.

 

[Flaming Facepalm]

Say, what is the reason Mienshao is UU instead of OU again? I heard from quite a few people it was here to stay, but it got booted.

 

[dwarfstar]

Tiering is decided based on usage, and Mienshao's usage dropped in favor of other fast Fighting-types (read: Terrakion and Keldeo).

 

[Ronnie the Bear]

Lanturn @ Leftovers
Trait: Volt Absorb
EVs: 40 HP / 216 Def / 252 SDef
Nature: Calm (+SDef, -Atk)

-Surf/Hydro Pump
-Thunderbolt/Thunder
-Thunder Wave/Toxic
-Heal Bell/Ice Beam

What does he do?
Say hello to one of the best low-tier checks to Rain offense. He possesses a fantastic lineup of resistances: Water, Ice, Flying, Fire, a 4x Steel resistance, and an Electric immunity! Because of this he finds favorable matchups against many common specially-based Rain abusers. He can take Water attacks all day; even Specs Keldeo Hydro Pump in Rain (the most powerful Water move you're likely to encounter) won't 2HKO. He soaks up Hurricanes without breaking a sweat; Specs Tornadus won't even 3HKO. He laughs at Scizor Bullet Punches (13.46% max from the Banded version) and Jirachi Iron Heads; in fact, Lanturn is of the few Pokemon who can reliably switch in against Jirachi, no matter what the set. Most Electric-types (think Thundurus-T and Rotom-W) aren't touching this set; Lanturn actually heals if you manage to switch him into an oft-spammed Thunder. Lastly, even if you aren't facing a Rain team, Lanturn can still act as a competent special sponge in other environments too!

How does he work?
The moveset is fairly simple and takes advantage of some of his unique perks. Surf and Thunderbolt make reliable STAB options, and you can upgrade to their more powerful versions (Thunder in particular helps combat Rain). The third slot is dedicated to a status of your choice; does your team want slower opponents or damage over time? In the final slot, it is recommended that you make use of Lanturn's unique bulky-Water/cleric capabilities with Heal Bell; however, if status isn't an issue for your team, then Ice Beam is a fine alternative to combat any Ice-weak Dragons (though you'll need to catch physical ones on the switch, as Lanturn usually crumples under physical pressure). The rest of Lanturn's movepool doesn't disappoint either, with goodies such as Scald and Discharge (alternative status spreaders), Confuse Ray (parafusion opportunities), or Volt Switch (momentum preservation). Mix and match to find what suits your team best; I, however, have used the set Surf/Thunderbolt/Thunder Wave/(Heal Bell or Ice beam... I can't decide), and that's what I advise.

What problems does he have?
Lanturn does have its shortcomings, though. Weaknesses to Ground and Grass (the latter of which sees use on Rain teams) and mediocre physical bulk can hinder its performance. Also, as with many defensive Pokemon, there exists the risk of being set up on (particularly by Kyurem-B). You're also unfortunately not doing anything of note to Ferrothorn (paralyze it? big deal...). He also doesn't get any reliable healing; I wouldn't exactly call Volt Absorb reliable. Of course, no Pokemon can do everything, and if you can account for these problems, then Lanturn will certainly be an asset as a team supporter, general special sponge, and excellent Rain check.

 

[Torterragatr]

View attachment 1353
Sigilyph @ Flame orb
Trait: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP 16 Def 240 SpD
Calm Nature(+SpD, -Atk)
- Cosmic Power
- Psycho Shift
- Roost
- Stored Power

This set is actually a little overrated, since the sheer amount of boosts you need and Sigilyph's pretty average defenses mean a single critical hit will end it. Calm Mind is better for that sort of thing. Just my two cents.

 

[Scorpiopt]

Having used a similar set with Lanturn he is great at walling things and supporting the team definitely recommend giving it a try

 

[Arcticblast]

Lanturn @ Leftovers
Trait: Volt Absorb
EVs: 40 HP / 216 Def / 252 SDef
Nature: Calm (+SDef, -Atk)

-Surf/Hydro Pump
-Thunderbolt/Thunder
-Thunder Wave/Toxic
-Heal Bell/Ice Beam

Personally, I've found that Gastrodon outperforms Lanturn in OU by a lot. Going by stats alone, it can run an EV spread that gives it defenses identical to Lanturn's while having 20 EVs left over, and it has higher SpA (occasionally boosted further by Storm Drain). While it misses Heal Bell and Volt Switch, Recover is a huge asset that Gastrodon has over Lanturn, as well as Gastrodon's typing making it resist SR - it can switch in on Terrakion in a pinch. It also isn't trapped by Dugtrio on a revenge kill or on a predicted Electric move. Lanturn only does better than Gastrodon against Hurricane users like Tornadus or Moltres (Dragonite too, although I wouldn't switch either into a Dragonite unless I know it's special Dragonite...).

What does he do?
Say hello to one of the best low-tier checks to Rain offense. He possesses a fantastic lineup of resistances: Water, Ice, Flying, Fire, a 4x Steel resistance, and an Electric immunity! Because of this he finds favorable matchups against many common specially-based Rain abusers. He can take Water attacks all day; even Specs Keldeo Hydro Pump in Rain (the most powerful Water move you're likely to encounter) won't 2HKO. He soaks up Hurricanes without breaking a sweat; Specs Tornadus won't even 3HKO.

252 SpA Choice Specs Keldeo Hydro Pump vs. 40 HP / 216+ SpD Lanturn in rain: 195-229 (48.62 - 57.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
Lanturn loves Secret Sword too!
252 SpA Choice Specs Tornadus Focus Blast vs. 40 HP / 216+ SpD Lanturn: 170-200 (42.39 - 49.87%) -- 46.88% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock
It can take Hurricane, yes, but Tornadus can still beat it as it switches in. Hurricane also has that nasty Confusion chance, making Lanturn less reliable.

He laughs at Scizor Bullet Punches (13.46% max from the Banded version) and Jirachi Iron Heads; in fact, Lanturn is of the few Pokemon who can reliably switch in against Jirachi, no matter what the set.

Lanturn is still vulnerable to Body Slam paralysis and Trick, and can't beat SubCM versions with Psychic STAB.

Most Electric-types (think Thundurus-T and Rotom-W) aren't touching this set; Lanturn actually heals if you manage to switch him into an oft-spammed Thunder. Lastly, even if you aren't facing a Rain team, Lanturn can still act as a competent special sponge in other environments too!

Gastrodon's only shortcoming is the 4x Grass weakness; otherwise it completely beats Lanturn here. Gastrodon is vulnerable to a burn from Rotom-W, yes, but Recover can alleviate this somewhat, whereas Lanturn's lack of healing may leave it too vulnerable to use Heal Bell without taking massive damage.

In summary, Lanturn's only real perks over Gastrodon are the less-relevant Hurricane resist, Volt Switch, and Heal Bell - Gastrodon otherwise is a much better choice.

 

[Ronnie the Bear]

252 SpA Choice Specs Keldeo Hydro Pump vs. 40 HP / 216+ SpD Lanturn in rain: 195-229 (48.62 - 57.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

Yeah... some of us don't remember to put SR in our calcs... >_<
However, I was using 252+ SDef in the calcs (the spread I use), not the 216+ SDef spread given in its RU analysis (doesn't change the 2HKO, unfortunately... I'm just saying)

252 SpA Choice Specs Tornadus Focus Blast vs. 40 HP / 216+ SpD Lanturn: 170-200 (42.39 - 49.87%) -- 46.88% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock

The extra SDef EVs make a difference here imo, reducing the 2HKO chance to a fairly safe 14.88% (and that, of course, is if Focus Blast hits twice in a row). Meanwhile, Lanturn can strike back with Thunderbolt (18.75% to OHKO chance after Rocks) or a Rain-boosted Surf if you think he'll switch (and he'll take 49-58% if he stays in).

I've often compared Gastrodon to Lanturn myself (both are specially bulky Water types with an Electric immunity), and I feel that Lanturn's access to Heal Bell and paralysis support differentiate it enough from Gastrodon to merit some use. Yes, the lack of recover is kind of a buzzkill, but that can be alleviated somewhat by Wish-passing or spreading Leech Seed healing (even some defensive OU Pokes like Landy-T appreciate such things). Also, I feel like a Hurricane resist is quite relevant. I think you should consider Gastro first in most cases, but Lanturn is there if you need his unique blend of attributes, and he performs perfectly well from my experience.

 

[Dr Ciel]

So, I was messing around with my old Rain team & I found this little gem that reminded me to post here.

Rotom-Mow @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
252 HP / 68 Def / 188 SpD
- Volt Switch / Thunderbolt
- Leaf Storm
- Will-O-Wisp
- Pain Split

Rotom-C is an extremely EXTREMELY underrated Pokémon in the current metagame. Despite his tiering, which puts him in OU, Rotom-C can do 2 things that it's more popular brother, the washing machine can. The first of those things is that he can beat Volt Turn teams, destroying Rotom-W itself with a STAB Leaf Storm while possibly crippling Scizor with a well timed Will-O-Wisp. The second thing that Rotom-C can do is beat Gastrodon, a rather uncommon, but annoying nuisance to Rain teams, is swiftly eliminated with a STAB Leaf Storm as well. There are several reasons why Rotom-C is an excellent support Pokémon to use on Rain teams. His high Defenses & access to an excellent move in Pain Split allows him to stay on the field for as long as possible while supporting his team throughout the course of an entire battle. A unique typing that gives him useful resistances to common moves, including specially-oriented Special Attackers, including Thundurus-T & Jolteon, as he resists both of their main STAB moves. Speaking of Thundurus-T, the lawnmower can check the giant serpent if he's locked into an undesirable Electric move, allowing him to cripple whatever switches in next. Rotom-C also provides a solid Check to Breloom, crippling it with a well-timed Will-O-Wisp.

 

[august]

but you don't mention the part where even though you resist thund-t's stab move you still get wrecked because it can just double dance in front of you and eventually ohko with hp ice cause thats what they run. inconsistent recovery in pain split means you can get worn down pretty easily and won't be around to counter stuff for too long... burned scizor still does like 60% with cb u turn and you can only switch in on breloom if its bullet seeding and even then its a risk... you miss out on talking about rotom-c best qualities like the part where its a bulky grass mon with access to will o wisp that isnt weak to pursuit and retains momentum thanks to stab volt switch + the ability to threaten most every ground type

 

[Kingler]

So, I was messing around with my old Rain team & I found this little gem that reminded me to post here.

Rotom-Mow @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
252 HP / 68 Def / 188 SpD
- Volt Switch / Thunderbolt
- Leaf Storm
- Will-O-Wisp
- Pain Split

Rotom-C is an extremely EXTREMELY underrated Pokémon in the current metagame. Despite his tiering, which puts him in OU, Rotom-C can do 2 things that it's more popular brother, the washing machine can. The first of those things is that he can beat Volt Turn teams, destroying Rotom-W itself with a STAB Leaf Storm while possibly crippling Scizor with a well timed Will-O-Wisp. The second thing that Rotom-C can do is beat Gastrodon, a rather uncommon, but annoying nuisance to Rain teams, is swiftly eliminated with a STAB Leaf Storm as well. There are several reasons why Rotom-C is an excellent support Pokémon to use on Rain teams. His high Defenses & access to an excellent move in Pain Split allows him to stay on the field for as long as possible while supporting his team throughout the course of an entire battle. A unique typing that gives him useful resistances to common moves, including specially-oriented Special Attackers, including Thundurus-T & Jolteon, as he resists both of their main STAB moves. Speaking of Thundurus-T, the lawnmower can check the giant serpent if he's locked into an undesirable Electric move, allowing him to cripple whatever switches in next. Rotom-C also provides a solid Check to Breloom, crippling it with a well-timed Will-O-Wisp.

Wtf I just had my revamp of this thing uploaded. I never knew people actually USED this in OU o.0

 

[Scorpiopt]

Wtf I just had my revamp of this thing uploaded. I never knew people actually USED this in OU o.0

I used it in the past to deal with certain rain treats

 

[DoABarrelRoll]

\

Heracross @ Choice Band
Trait: Guts
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SpA)

- Megahorn
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge
- Sleep Talk / Night Slash

This heracross set is in my opinion the best one. Choice band boosted megahorn and close combat already hurt like hell, and when Heracross is statused...

252+ Atk Choice Band Guts Heracross Close Combat vs. 224 HP / 252+ Def Skarmory: 267-315 (81.65 - 96.33%) -- 56.25% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
Indeed.

Megahorn and Close Combat are two 120 base power moves that heracross makes great use of. They severly hurt even some Pokemon that resist it (such as espeon on a close combat or even jellicent on a megahorn) and together they have pretty good coverage. For example, megahorn beats psychic-types that think they can absorb a close combat, while the latter smashes Steel-types that try to absorb Megahorn. Stone Edge is for some flying-types like dragonite and salamence. Sleep Talk can be used to let heracross absorb a spore from breloom or something and turn him into a killing machine. Night Slash, however, can be used over it to ko Jellicent and Gengar without relying on Stone Miss.

252+ Atk Choice Band Guts Heracross Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Salamence: 283-333 (85.49 - 100.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Choice Band Guts Heracross Close Combat vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Garchomp: 492-579 (137.43 - 161.73%) -- guaranteed OHKO
-1 252+ Atk Choice Band Guts Heracross Stone Edge vs. 248 HP / 172 Def Landorus-T: 159-188 (41.73 - 49.34%) -- 30.47% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Choice Band Guts Heracross Megahorn vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Jellicent: 212-249 (52.6 - 61.78%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Choice Band Guts Heracross Close Combat vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Scizor: 471-555 (137.31 - 161.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Guts Heracross Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Celebi: 235-277 (58.16 - 68.56%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Choice Band Guts Heracross Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Espeon: 353-416 (105.68 - 124.55%) -- guaranteed OHKO

This are just a few examples of how powerful can heracross be when statused. Even without status Heracross is still a huge threat, though. This Pokemon is easily one of the most underrated in existence.

 

[mizore_chan]

Hi mates, this is my first post here. I have been reading smogon articles since 2012.

I was wandering about using Articuno in OU. Here go:

Articuno @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252Spa, 252Spe, 4Hp
Timid Nature
- Ice Beam/Blizzard
- Hurricane/Air Slash
- Hidden Power Ground/Hidden Power Fire/Hidden Power Grass
- Roost/U-Turn

Articuno have an amazing STAB combination for OU, hitting a lot of threats for super effective damage (4x in some of them). With Choice Scarf, Articuno is a good revenge killer or a late game cleaner.

The EV spread is the classic for a special sweeper and timid nature to maxime Articuno's average speed. Ice Beam is the main STAB of the set, hitting Salamance, Dragonite, Garchomp, Gliscor, Landorus-T and others for 4x super effective, also it can OHKO Breelom, Thundurus-T and Tornadus. Hurricane is the secondary STAB, OHKOing fighting types like Infernape, Toxicroak, Breelom, Heracross, Virizion and most of Conkerdurr sets, also, deals good damage to Terrakion outside of the sand and grass types like offensive variants of Celebi. Hidden Power Ground its for additional coverage for Steel types, allowing a 2HKO in offensive variants of Heatran and OHKOes Magnetzone (with spikes damage). Hidden Power Fire in other hand hits Scizor, Ferrothorn and Forretress hard, outside of rain. Hidden Power Grass could be used if you fear Gastrodon, Quagsire and the rare Rhyperior. For the last slot, Roost gives a reliable recovery and U-Turn gives momentum for team.

If you want to use Articuno in Hail, you could run Blizzard and Air Slash, but this set will miss a lot of KOs against Fighting types. You also could run a Kingdra-esque moveset with Blizzard/Ice Beam/Hurricane/Air Slash for more weather independence, but this cost coverage.

Team mates:

Politoed is the best team mate, because rain fix Hurricane's accuracy and weakens fire attacks. He also threatens other weather induces, like Tyranitar and Ninetails.

Lucario is also a good team mate, with a 4x rock resistance and he beats Tyranitar.

Hazard support is important to transform 2HKOs in OHKOs and rapid spin support to maintain Articuno healthy. Tentacruel is a good option, it can setup toxic spikes and uses rapid spin. Forretress in the same boat + spikes and stealth rock.

Also, team mates that can beat other weather induces are very welcome.

Counters:

Tyranitar is the ultimate counter. Fears nothing from Articuno and brings Sandstorm, which decreases Hurricane Accuracy, and OHKO with Stone Edge or setup Stealth Rock. Ninetails in same boat, but the defensive set can't OHKO with flamethrower. Abomasnow also can change the weather, but he can't threaten Articuno. Hippowdon can phaze out, but its 2HKOed by Ice Beam.

Rotom-W, Rotom-F and Rotom-H resists Articuno's STABs and are immune to HP Ground.

Most of Steel types are troublesome. Jirachi and Metagross take little from HP Ground and easily OHKO or 2HKO. Choice Band Scizor OHKOes with Bullet Punch. Ferrothorn takes anything (Hurricane only 3HKO) and can OHKO with Gyro Ball, setup hazards or cripple with Thunder Wave. Specially Defensive Heatran fears nothing and could OHKO.

Bulky water types like Gastrodon and Suicune walls Articuno.

Choice Scarf uses that outpaces Articuno are a problem, especially if carring a rock type attack, like Stone Edge. But most of them needs to watch out for Articuno STABs, which 2HKO.

Also, with a glaring 4x weakness to Rock, setting Stealth Rock is one of best ways of defeating Articuno.

That's it.

 

[Arash]

Also, with a glaring 4x weakness to Rock, setting Stealth Rock is one of best ways of defeating Articuno.

That sums up why you never see Articuno around. If you're gonna use a 4x rock weak pokemon in rain, why not use Volcarona which isn't weak to Bullet Punch, can boost stats with Quiver Dance and has Flying / Bug / Fire coverage? (even in rain you will OHKO any non-heatran steel types after a boost)

By the way, Ice / Flying is not great coverage by itself, and the counters you listed aren't exactly rare in OU.

 

[SJCrew]

I have no new information, but I just want to get out there that Weavile is my choice for the reigning king of lower tier threats in OU. If you know what you are doing, he can dismantle entire offensive cores by himself with, by my count, 22 OU Pokemon total he can threaten for super effective damage with his STABs alone. Counting 10 more he can severely damage or kill with Low Kick, you'll find that Weavile pulls a surprising amount of weight for teams that just need a couple of threats trapped.

 

[Numera]

\

Heracross @ Choice Band
Trait: Guts
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SpA)

- Megahorn
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge
- Sleep Talk / Night Slash

This heracross set is in my opinion the best one. Choice band boosted megahorn and close combat already hurt like hell, and when Heracross is statused...

252+ Atk Choice Band Guts Heracross Close Combat vs. 224 HP / 252+ Def Skarmory: 267-315 (81.65 - 96.33%) -- 56.25% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
Indeed.

Megahorn and Close Combat are two 120 base power moves that heracross makes great use of. They severly hurt even some Pokemon that resist it (such as espeon on a close combat or even jellicent on a megahorn) and together they have pretty good coverage. For example, megahorn beats psychic-types that think they can absorb a close combat, while the latter smashes Steel-types that try to absorb Megahorn. Stone Edge is for some flying-types like dragonite and salamence. Sleep Talk can be used to let heracross absorb a spore from breloom or something and turn him into a killing machine. Night Slash, however, can be used over it to ko Jellicent and Gengar without relying on Stone Miss.

252+ Atk Choice Band Guts Heracross Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Salamence: 283-333 (85.49 - 100.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Choice Band Guts Heracross Close Combat vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Garchomp: 492-579 (137.43 - 161.73%) -- guaranteed OHKO
-1 252+ Atk Choice Band Guts Heracross Stone Edge vs. 248 HP / 172 Def Landorus-T: 159-188 (41.73 - 49.34%) -- 30.47% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Choice Band Guts Heracross Megahorn vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Jellicent: 212-249 (52.6 - 61.78%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Choice Band Guts Heracross Close Combat vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Scizor: 471-555 (137.31 - 161.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Guts Heracross Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Celebi: 235-277 (58.16 - 68.56%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Choice Band Guts Heracross Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Espeon: 353-416 (105.68 - 124.55%) -- guaranteed OHKO

This are just a few examples of how powerful can heracross be when statused. Even without status Heracross is still a huge threat, though. This Pokemon is easily one of the most underrated in existence.

Indeed, this pokemon can do absolutely amazing as a clean up sweeper in OU, though I prefer to use Moxie with the scarf rather then Guts. It's also my personal favourite pokemon.

Sawsbuck

Sawsbuck @ Life Orb
Trait: Chlorophyll
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Horn Leech
- Nature Power
- Return/Jump Kick
- Swords Dance

In Sun, this Chlorophyll sweeper becomes near unstoppable with its awesome coverage. It indeed has some flaws, but I don't see why it's NU. It can even one shot ferro, something disreable. Plus, the STAB hp recovery horn leech fixes up the life orb damage, so you can sweep for a long time if you have to. Being faster than most scarf pokemon is very useful. It can even sweep without SD if it has to.

 

[DoABarrelRoll]

Nidoqueen @ Life Orb
Trait: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 HP / 36 SpA / 220 SDef OR 252 HP / 220 Def / 36 SpA
Modest Nature

- Stealth Rock
- Earth Power
- Fire Blast
- Ice Beam

The EV spread might seem weird, but it allows nidoqueen to 2HKO sp.def Jirachi and ohko Terrakion with Earth Power and provide it with plenty of bulk. This Nidoqueen is basically a defensive Stealth Rock user for bulky offense or sun offense. You can use it as a physically defensive tank if you have problems with Terrakion or as a specially defensive tank to handle sun threats better. Even with only 36 Special Attack EVs, Earth Power still deals decent damage to anything that does not resist it. Fire Blast strikes at ferrothorn, skarmory, forretress and venusaur, OHKOing them all unless it's raining. Ice Beam takes down Dragonite (with SR), Salamence, Garchomp and Haxorus and deals solid damage to the lati twins. It can also OHKO thundurus-t after stealth rock damage.

252 Atk Choice Band Terrakion Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 220 Def Nidoqueen: 130-153 (33.85 - 39.84%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 Atk Tyranitar Crunch vs. 252 HP / 220 Def Nidoqueen: 120-142 (31.25 - 36.97%) -- 80.69% chance to 3HKO
252 Atk Garchomp Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 220 Def Nidoqueen: 290-344 (75.52 - 89.58%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+1 252+ Atk Dragonite Outrage vs. 252 HP / 220 Def Nidoqueen: 294-346 (76.56 - 90.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Latios Draco Meteor vs. 252 HP / 220 SpD Nidoqueen: 310-366 (80.72 - 95.31%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Politoed Surf vs. 252 HP / 220 SpD Nidoqueen in rain: 330-390 (85.93 - 101.56%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO

36+ SpA Life Orb Sheer Force Nidoqueen Earth Power vs. 252 HP / 236+ SpD Jirachi: 218-257 (53.96 - 63.61%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
36+ SpA Life Orb Sheer Force Nidoqueen Earth Power vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Terrakion: 328-385 (101.23 - 118.82%) -- guaranteed OHKO
36+ SpA Life Orb Sheer Force Nidoqueen Earth Power vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Tyranitar in sand: 198-237 (57.89 - 69.29%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
36+ SpA Life Orb Sheer Force Nidoqueen Fire Blast vs. 224 HP / 252+ SpD Skarmory: 239-283 (73.08 - 86.54%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
36+ SpA Life Orb Sheer Force Nidoqueen Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 208 SpD Ferrothorn: 390-463 (110.79 - 131.53%) -- guaranteed OHKO
36+ SpA Life Orb Sheer Force Nidoqueen Ice Beam vs. 128 HP / 0 SpD Thundurus-T: 252-299 (76.13 - 90.33%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
36+ SpA Life Orb Sheer Force Nidoqueen Ice Beam vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Haxorus: 281-333 (95.57 - 113.26%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
36+ SpA Life Orb Sheer Force Nidoqueen Ice Beam vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Latias: 169-200 (55.96 - 66.22%) -- guaranteed 2HKO


Try to pair Nidoqueen with something which can easily dispose of Jellicent and Starmie (Tyranitar is a good option).

 

[Chou Toshio]

I actually saw a Heracross the other day and it did a number on my team. It's so hard to get at its weaknesses, and it's not exactly easy to one shot. Unless you are running one of its (admittedly many) specific counters, it is incredibly difficult to check. The team I was using had Tornadus and Celebi as its fighting resistances-- obviously, that match did not go so well (though I actually won with a Keldeo + Tailwind ass-pull).

I would agree that while Guts is nice, Moxie is just far more destructive and terrifying. Heracross is frail enough that it doesn't really attract status the way other Pokemon do. Guts can let it get past Jellicent, which is kind of nice-- but considering the high Choice Item use of Heracross (and how hard it is to land a Pursuit or Night Slash on Jellicent correctly), its utility is extremely situational.

 

[ShootingStarmie]

Sorry for not updating this for a few days, but everything is up to date now. I'm really not sure if I should include Articuno, mainly because it's generally out classed by Kyurem-B. Of course it has Hurricane and more Speed, but I just wouldn't consider it a lower tier "threat". If anyone has any other insight about Articuno, it'd be nice to hear, but for now, it will not be included in the OP.

 

[Kaifi]

I made a whole thread about NU Pokemon that function in OU: http://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/never-used-or-are-they-a-top-10-list.3492205/

But anyway, here is one Lower Tier threat from it:

Ludicolo
When countering rain teams, most people look to Gastrodon, or Rotom-W. But, hidden in the dirt of NU, a gem emerges, Ludicolo. With two awesome abilities that can take advantage of auto rain (Sadly, one is banned, but can be used against Rain teams.) With great Special Defense, 4x Resistance to Water, and neutrality to electric, and leech seed, Ludicolo is a rain destroying behemoth that can choose to smite rain both offensively and defensively.

Ludicolo @ Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 HP
Modest Nature
- Giga Drain/Energy Ball
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Focus Blast/Hidden Power Electric

Ludicolo @ Leftovers
Ability: Rain Dish
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 SDef
Calm Nature
- Leech Seed
- Toxic
- Scald
- Giga Drain

Both sets are made to capitalize on the opponent's rain. The offensive set is designed to be able to out speed and KO most Pokemon on rain teams, with a powerful Hydro Pump. While the best grass move Ludicolo has is energy ball, Giga Drain is worth the power loss in order to recover Life Orb recoil. Ice beam can destroy opposing Grass types, and Focus Blast or HP Electric depends on if you want to hit Ferrothorn or Gyrados for big damage.

 

[Bedschibaer]

I was using a Sandslash in gen 5 alot lately, and it's incredibly good.
pokemonshowdown.com/replay/ou-50033139

Sandslash (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Sand Rush
EVs: 172 HP / 252 Atk / 84 Spd or 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature or Jolly Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Swords Dance


This thing is basically mini Excadrill and has a niche on sand teams. The idea behind this is to get it in and swords dance on a switch. Your opponent will very often predict a rapid spin and gets his ghost type in. After one swords dance every spinblocker is OHKOed (unless you miss that Stone Edge on Gengar). Then you can either rapid spin, or just go straight for the sweep. Very often i planned the first and ended up doing the latter. Great Spinner, great revenge killer in sand, great lategame sweeper.

 

[Brawlfest]

Carracosta is a Monster in OU Under Rain, still utilizing the threatening shell smash set it utilizes in lower tiers. You need 1 or 2 tweaks to make it more effective in OU, but it is very possible, and I've found it to be a strong sweeper under rain.

Carracosta @ Life Orb
Ability: Solid Rock
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 HP
Jolly Nature
- Waterfall / Earthquake / Aqua Tail
- Aqua Jet
- Stone Edge
- Shell Smash

It's very much the exact same set that is used in NU. We do choose Jolly over Adamant, as the extra speed helps out a lot in Higher Tiers. The reason that waterfall is our filler space, is that Aqua Jet is just as powerful as a standard waterfall if Under Rain, thus negating reason to have it. Of course, it is still nice to pack. The other two options are of preferance for some people. Earthquake helps you Super-Effectively hit the ever so common Steel Types of the tier, but under rain, Waterfall almost always does more damage. Aqua Tail is interesting, but the lower accuracy in tangent with a lack of ability to flinch the opponent makes it in general the worse option compared to Waterfall.

 

[fleurdyleurse]

Indeed, this pokemon can do absolutely amazing as a clean up sweeper in OU, though I prefer to use Moxie with the scarf rather then Guts. It's also my personal favourite pokemon.

Sawsbuck

Sawsbuck @ Life Orb
Trait: Chlorophyll
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Horn Leech
- Nature Power
- Return/Jump Kick
- Swords Dance

In Sun, this Chlorophyll sweeper becomes near unstoppable with its awesome coverage. It indeed has some flaws, but I don't see why it's NU. It can even one shot ferro, something disreable. Plus, the STAB hp recovery horn leech fixes up the life orb damage, so you can sweep for a long time if you have to. Being faster than most scarf pokemon is very useful. It can even sweep without SD if it has to.

That's already on first post.
Talking about sun sweepers, here's something:

Exeggutor @ Life Orb
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 212 Spd / 156 Atk / 140 SAtk
Hasty Nature
- Leaf Storm/Psychic
- Sleep Powder/HP Fire
- Wood Hammer
- Nature Power

This is really underrated. With paralysis support and some effective prediction, this can be the star of the game.

Going mixed, Exeggutor here has a few tricks up its sleeve. Psychic can kill Breloom, Keldeo, and paralysed Infernape. Leaf Storm, on the other hand, can be used for hit-and-run.
Sleep Powder can put a threat to sleep but HP Fire can also be used so as to not get utterly walled by Steel-types. Wood Hammer and Nature Power can be used to net easy kills but the recoil from Wood Hammer can sometimes be undesirable.

Preferable teammates
Ninetales, obviously, is Exeggutors best friend, since it can't survive without sun.
Some paralysis support from Jirachi or Togekiss is also great. Darmanitan or Infernape can also help to remove Steel-types.

Checks and Counters
As I have emphasised, paralysis support is really important to Exeggutor because of it's 55 Base Speed. Also, Air Balloon Heatran utterly walls this as well as Skarmory if you're running Sleep Powder instead of HP Fire. Also, as with most weather sweepers, changing the weather means that Exeggutor is dead weight. Lastly, Exeggetor can sometimes be Pursuit trapped by Scizor or be OHKOed by U-turn.

So there you have it: a potent Mixed Chlorophyll sweeper. Also, to say it is outclassed will be going too far: it is one of the only mixed Chlorophyll sweepers.

 

[Jexulus]

I am floored by the lack of Nidoking after 7 pages. Also, I like using Mew like a Ditto for the increased health and overall versatility to combat offensive, defensive, and Megas alike.

Nidoking @ Life Orb / Choice Scarf
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 Spd / 4 SpD / 252 SAtk
Timid/Modest Nature
- Earth Power
- Fire Blast
- Ice Beam / Thunderbolt / Surf
- Sludge Wave / Focus Blast / Shadow Ball

The slashes are there just to show how versatile this guy actually is; you can run almost any special attacking move you want to suit your team's needs. With that lovely Sheer Force ability and Life Orb, he is always at more than +1, so he can always hit like a truck. Or, if you need more speed, give him a Choice Scarf to put that base 85 speed to good use. I personally get the best of both worlds on my team with Life Orb and Tailwind support, but to each his own, you know.

Nidoking @ Life Orb / Choice Scarf / Choice Band
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Jolly / Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Poison Jab
- Megahorn / Stone Edge / Sucker Punch
- ThunderPunch / Fire Punch / Ice Punch

With its newly buffed Attack stat and the elemental punches from 5th Gen, Nidoking can go physical to defeat its typical checks and counters and still function to a similar effect. Earthquake, Megahorn, and Sucker Punch suffer since they have no secondary effect, but his Attack stat and STAB on Earthquake make up for it.

Now for my Mew set:
Mew @ Choice Scarf / Leftovers
Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Spe / 4 Atk
Jolly Nature
- Transform
- Hypnosis
- Taunt
- Trick / Explosion

Self-explanatory set: Transform into an opposing Pokemon of your choice, preferably a Mega or a bulky attacker, after crippling with your choice of Taunt, Hypnosis, or Trick (if you carry it). If you don't find anything worth copying and you need a threat eliminated fast, Explosion can serve as a fail-safe to quickly destroy a threat.