Hi everyone! Been playing competitively for awhile now but not very active on the forums so this is my first post. This team is super fun and super different then everything else in OU right now so thought I would share and get everyone's thoughts! Did very well with it peaking at 1900 and 56th on ladder (wadata89). The team was centered around trying to bring back webs which is basically extinct with the addition of heavy duty boots (which is an item I like by the way). The meta is pretty stale right now which makes for easier predicting and strategy recognition imo. The team is meant to be played aggressively so is naturally fragile. there will be a slight learning curve on it but once you recognize the right time to strike you'll see there are plenty of ways to win. the key is to keep momentum and when you have it apply pressure!
Excadrill @ Focus Sash
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Rapid Spin
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
Exadrill suicide lead - amazing at keeping rocks on your opponents side of the field and keeping them off yours. primary goal is to faint with opponent rocks up and yours clear. Rapid spin buff is incredible. only time I don't lead exadrill is if there is an urshifu on the other team (see threats) or against rain. often lead with rapid spin knowing I have the sash and can get rocks up before it faints anyway. lando will almost always stay in or lead which is what you want. get rocks up, iron head chip as much as possible (maybe you get a flinch or two along the way) and then rapid spin before you die. Some people on high ladder get smart and switch to ghost or ferro on an expected rapid spin particularly with 1 hp. Can often read this and punish but worst case is that both teams have rocks up.
Urshifu-Rapid-Strike @ Choice Band
Ability: Unseen Fist
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Surging Strikes
- Close Combat
- U-turn
- Aqua Jet
Band Urshifu RS comes in after when lando is a sitting duck. Seriously often a ground or ferro in after exadrill does its thing so the panda often comes in next. Early game most often scout with uturn on pex or bros but can also catch ferro with CC who comes in to catch a surging strike with iron barbs and rocky helmet. be better. with a band urshifu RS is fantastic. most importantly it beats the metal birds who think they can wall it with rocky helmet. it can't. depending on the opponents team I sometimes keep urshifu RS around and use kartana to break the birds but def muscle through them with the panda just as much. The thing is just hard to wall with decent prediction. we all have gotten to know the kung fo panda
252 Atk Choice Band Urshifu-Rapid-Strike Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Corviknight: 204-241 (51 - 60.2%) -- 89.1% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Choice Band Urshifu-Rapid-Strike Surging Strikes (3 hits) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Corviknight on a critical hit: 198-234 (49.5 - 58.5%) -- approx. 57% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
Vikavolt @ Focus Sash
Ability: Levitate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Bug Buzz
- Energy Ball
- Sticky Web
ahh the star of this show and a straight up undervalued mon. Vikavolt comes in on pex bro and fini from urshifus uturn and gets a free webs up. after reading if you want to catch a defog with zapdos just fire off surprising powerful attacks. 145 max SpA hits like a truck and with levitate, energy ball and bug buzz has great coverage and staying power. EQ immune is incredible to chip ground types that often come in and sit on vika with knock off or toxic. you need to play the defiant game but I often find myself just sitting in with vika and getting as many attacks in as possible. SpD lando is a little annoying but is often already chipped by the iron head exadrill lead to keep firing with energy ball. bug buzz does very nice damage to ferro and automatically keeps webs up if it stays in until it faints. Lead vika against rain and catch the ground/water type with energy ball every time. the shiny version is sweet btw.
Zapdos-Galar @ Life Orb
Ability: Defiant
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- Close Combat
- U-turn
- Agility
bad as$ high flying risk taking bird and necessary defiant user for the team. pretty straight forward breaker trying to catch an intimidate or defog to break early game. I was using band version for awhile but couldn't afford the loss of momentum from a wrong choice and wasted defiant boost. agility is a bit of a gimmick but does work well if you are at full health and +attack. it often allows you to pick off two Pokemon instead of one before recoil gets you and you come crashing down. puts a lot of pressure on with urshifu and have to read the other team on which is more important late guy because one of them usually has to tank a hit for you to get rid of a threat on the other team
Kartana @ Adrenaline Orb
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Leaf Blade
- Knock Off
- Sacred Sword
Kartana is OP anyways but is amazing with webs support. If webs stays up its basically gg. webs is mainly for pult and recommend getting katana on the field as soon as possible with webs up. adrenaline orb may seem like an odd choice but it effectively acts as an insurance to sticky webs. in webs is lost. work to time an intimidate with zeraora. With no life orb recoil katana bluffs a choice set fantastically so after knock off or sacred sword, in comes lando. Sword dance in its face and win with the speed boost. very satisfying. can work as breaker or cleaner depending on Webs and opposing team.
Zeraora @ Choice Band
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Plasma Fists
- Knock Off
- Close Combat
- Play Rough
last but not least. the ever looming shadow in the background. this team puts a TON of pressure on grounds with exadrill chip and vika chip so opt to run band to clean late game once ground is gone. Sometimes you have to use knock off first to finish off the ground but it is usually in striking distance especially if rocks are up. the band power boost is notable and often picks up OHKOs or THKOs it otherwise wouldn't so don't be afraid to stay in and muscle through. Play rough is for dragons like chomp or hydregon. Zeraora also pairs well with zap often being an alternative way early game to grab momentum and hit the gas.
Threats:
1. lead chomp. one of like three mons that exadrill doesn't outright win the hazards battle with . (other is lead urshifu and ferro) Therefore, attack. chip chomp on the lead every time with no ice attack on the team. usually don't even bother to get rocks off as the two eq is better. something else can usually take him from there.
2. dd pult. huge problem without webs or HD boots variants. luckily not all that common but saw more on high ladder. best option is to hard switch to urshifu for chip then use one of the sash's to KO - good luck
3. urshifu RS - threat to every team. usually lead vika and tbolt right away to catch it thinking it can OHKO offensive sash variants with surging strike. I find that teams often lead with urshifu seeing my team is weak so I usually lead vika if I see an urshifu
4. lele - usually can find a way to sac something and KO it but do not let it linger. the longer it sticks around the worse shot you have.
Looking forward to some feedback! thanks everyone!
Excadrill @ Focus Sash
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Rapid Spin
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
Exadrill suicide lead - amazing at keeping rocks on your opponents side of the field and keeping them off yours. primary goal is to faint with opponent rocks up and yours clear. Rapid spin buff is incredible. only time I don't lead exadrill is if there is an urshifu on the other team (see threats) or against rain. often lead with rapid spin knowing I have the sash and can get rocks up before it faints anyway. lando will almost always stay in or lead which is what you want. get rocks up, iron head chip as much as possible (maybe you get a flinch or two along the way) and then rapid spin before you die. Some people on high ladder get smart and switch to ghost or ferro on an expected rapid spin particularly with 1 hp. Can often read this and punish but worst case is that both teams have rocks up.
Urshifu-Rapid-Strike @ Choice Band
Ability: Unseen Fist
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Surging Strikes
- Close Combat
- U-turn
- Aqua Jet
Band Urshifu RS comes in after when lando is a sitting duck. Seriously often a ground or ferro in after exadrill does its thing so the panda often comes in next. Early game most often scout with uturn on pex or bros but can also catch ferro with CC who comes in to catch a surging strike with iron barbs and rocky helmet. be better. with a band urshifu RS is fantastic. most importantly it beats the metal birds who think they can wall it with rocky helmet. it can't. depending on the opponents team I sometimes keep urshifu RS around and use kartana to break the birds but def muscle through them with the panda just as much. The thing is just hard to wall with decent prediction. we all have gotten to know the kung fo panda
252 Atk Choice Band Urshifu-Rapid-Strike Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Corviknight: 204-241 (51 - 60.2%) -- 89.1% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Choice Band Urshifu-Rapid-Strike Surging Strikes (3 hits) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Corviknight on a critical hit: 198-234 (49.5 - 58.5%) -- approx. 57% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
Vikavolt @ Focus Sash
Ability: Levitate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Bug Buzz
- Energy Ball
- Sticky Web
ahh the star of this show and a straight up undervalued mon. Vikavolt comes in on pex bro and fini from urshifus uturn and gets a free webs up. after reading if you want to catch a defog with zapdos just fire off surprising powerful attacks. 145 max SpA hits like a truck and with levitate, energy ball and bug buzz has great coverage and staying power. EQ immune is incredible to chip ground types that often come in and sit on vika with knock off or toxic. you need to play the defiant game but I often find myself just sitting in with vika and getting as many attacks in as possible. SpD lando is a little annoying but is often already chipped by the iron head exadrill lead to keep firing with energy ball. bug buzz does very nice damage to ferro and automatically keeps webs up if it stays in until it faints. Lead vika against rain and catch the ground/water type with energy ball every time. the shiny version is sweet btw.
Zapdos-Galar @ Life Orb
Ability: Defiant
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- Close Combat
- U-turn
- Agility
bad as$ high flying risk taking bird and necessary defiant user for the team. pretty straight forward breaker trying to catch an intimidate or defog to break early game. I was using band version for awhile but couldn't afford the loss of momentum from a wrong choice and wasted defiant boost. agility is a bit of a gimmick but does work well if you are at full health and +attack. it often allows you to pick off two Pokemon instead of one before recoil gets you and you come crashing down. puts a lot of pressure on with urshifu and have to read the other team on which is more important late guy because one of them usually has to tank a hit for you to get rid of a threat on the other team
Kartana @ Adrenaline Orb
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Leaf Blade
- Knock Off
- Sacred Sword
Kartana is OP anyways but is amazing with webs support. If webs stays up its basically gg. webs is mainly for pult and recommend getting katana on the field as soon as possible with webs up. adrenaline orb may seem like an odd choice but it effectively acts as an insurance to sticky webs. in webs is lost. work to time an intimidate with zeraora. With no life orb recoil katana bluffs a choice set fantastically so after knock off or sacred sword, in comes lando. Sword dance in its face and win with the speed boost. very satisfying. can work as breaker or cleaner depending on Webs and opposing team.
Zeraora @ Choice Band
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Plasma Fists
- Knock Off
- Close Combat
- Play Rough
last but not least. the ever looming shadow in the background. this team puts a TON of pressure on grounds with exadrill chip and vika chip so opt to run band to clean late game once ground is gone. Sometimes you have to use knock off first to finish off the ground but it is usually in striking distance especially if rocks are up. the band power boost is notable and often picks up OHKOs or THKOs it otherwise wouldn't so don't be afraid to stay in and muscle through. Play rough is for dragons like chomp or hydregon. Zeraora also pairs well with zap often being an alternative way early game to grab momentum and hit the gas.
Threats:
1. lead chomp. one of like three mons that exadrill doesn't outright win the hazards battle with . (other is lead urshifu and ferro) Therefore, attack. chip chomp on the lead every time with no ice attack on the team. usually don't even bother to get rocks off as the two eq is better. something else can usually take him from there.
2. dd pult. huge problem without webs or HD boots variants. luckily not all that common but saw more on high ladder. best option is to hard switch to urshifu for chip then use one of the sash's to KO - good luck
3. urshifu RS - threat to every team. usually lead vika and tbolt right away to catch it thinking it can OHKO offensive sash variants with surging strike. I find that teams often lead with urshifu seeing my team is weak so I usually lead vika if I see an urshifu
4. lele - usually can find a way to sac something and KO it but do not let it linger. the longer it sticks around the worse shot you have.
Looking forward to some feedback! thanks everyone!
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