SV OU My First Competitve Team

[Yeetus435]

This was the first proper competitive team I made for OU. I decided I wanted to run zoroark hisui and light clay grimmsnarl, which I've had a lot of success with in the past as my support and threatening pokemon. From their I build out and tried to add a lot of coverage, and specific pokemon to counter very common threats, such as hyper voice zoroark and gholdengo. Hopefully this team will see some more success after the early days, and with a bit more knowledge.

Thanks for any help

Zoroark-Hisui @ Throat Spray
Ability: Illusion
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Normal
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hyper Voice
- Flamethrower
- Shadow Ball
- Will-O-Wisp

I put Hisuian Zoroark onto the team to give provide some early pressure and get the drop on a lot of unsuspecting players. It usually gets knocked out first or second, but the whole point of it is to neutralise a wide variety of pokemon with at least neutral damage from one of three moves, or take them out of commission with will-o-wisp. I did a little bit of messing around with giving it some bulk but ultimately decided that just going for pure damage output was more worth it.

Gholdengo @ Choice Specs
Ability: Good as Gold
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Make It Rain
- Shadow Ball
- Power Gem
- Focus Blast

Of course, gholdengo is on this team. Gholdengo, just like zoroark is my special sweeper with tera steel make it rain that has the capability to OHKO some pokemon. I also tried using a nasty plot life orb set, but it was too frail and could only get one or two attacks in before being knocked out. Purely offensive output can also catch some more inexperienced players off guard. Focus blast, is while inaccurate, able to give a much better check to kingambit.

Dragonite @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Multiscale
Tera Type: Normal
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Extreme Speed
- Dragon Claw
- Thunder Wave
- Protect

Dragonite is here to act as the team janitor, with tera normal extreme speed, which i've noticed can output a shocking amount of damage as a revenge killer. Either dragon claw or extreme speed can usually hit for neutral, and protect as well as t wave for variety and stall. I also decided to run multiscale instead of inner focus in case I needed a defensive pivot for something I thought I could save for a later point. I also ran normal gem earlier, but it was too inconsistent when it came to damage output, and boots protect it from stealth rocks, spikes and other hazards was more important.

Grimmsnarl @ Light Clay
Ability: Prankster
Tera Type: Electric
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Light Screen
- Reflect
- Thunder Wave
- Spirit Break

Grimmsnarl is my setup pokemon, and with light clay screens it can usually last for nearly the entire game. He has come in clutch, and being able to cripple pokemon with wave, and halving damage output can also make switching a lot less scary. Spirit break was the only attack I decided to run, mainly for the sp.atk drop, but also for stab and widely neutral damage. Tera electric is just for defensive output, giving him only a weakness to ground types.

Hydreigon @ Expert Belt
Ability: Levitate
Tera Type: Dark
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Dark Pulse
- Flamethrower
- Draco Meteor
- Earth Power

I've put hydreigon here just to give a better counter to gholdengo, as timid nature and STAB dark pulse can do a lot of damage quickly. Flamethrower can also be good for amoongus and kingambit. Draco meteor could also be subbed for dragon pulse, which might be a better choice in the long run, and give it more consistent pressure on the field. I put this one in over quaquaval so that I have a more effective counter to gholdengo, and quaquaval didn't add much to the team.

Ceruledge @ Focus Sash
Ability: Weak Armor
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Bitter Blade
- Poison Jab
- Shadow Claw

Ceruledge with weak armor was a sub in I played as a little experiment. I saw this idea on another team and thought I might give it a go. Sash is to give ceruledge better durability, and bitter blade should be able to recover all the health it needs after a turn 1 swords dance. Poison jab and shadow claw are also there to provide more well rounded coverage to the team.


Pokepaste - https://pokepast.es/564a21f892143653

 

[Meme Account]

I would first replace shadow claw with shadow sneak on ceruledge because it is easily revenge killed by faster threats or priority. I would also replace Power Gem with trick on Gholdengo. It can cripple opposing physical sweepers and walls with ease.

 

[DifferentDimensionVanessa]

You speak of swapping Draco Meteor for Dragon Pulse but you shouldn't. Two DMeteors in a row is more damage than two Dragon Pulse's, and if you don't want to lower your SpA, just use another attack and follow up with STAB Draco Meteor for attack #2. Hydreigon has multiple heads for a reason.

What exactly are you trying to hit with Poison Jab on Ceruledge? Hatterene? Shadow Claw is already a strong STAB for it. If you do not know what to use as your 4th move, may as well use both of Shadow Claw and Shadow Sneak, or more traditionally, Taunt or Close Combat. Only thing I think you are trying to do with Poison Jab is go for that Poison chance against a bulky Pokemon, when you could instead try Taunt.

What is the intended purpose of Protect on Dragonite? You can use something else.

 

[Motor Hawk]

Ditto what everyone else already said. To add, I would say run roost instead of protect of dragonite so you can abuse multiscale, since you're not running ddance.

 

[SirSly720312]

Ditto what everyone else already said. To add, I would say run roost instead of protect of dragonite so you can abuse multiscale, since you're not running ddance.

Speaking of not running dragon dance, why? It would boost your damage output even further with Tera Espeed.