Team Building For OU

[RabidChipmunk]

All right, let's get to work.

(Physical Wall)

Hippowdon @ Leftovers
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 Def / 252 HP / 4 Atk
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Slack Off
- Whirlwind/Ice Fang
- Earthquake

With this admittedly unimaginative stat-spread, Hippowdon becomes the physically bulkiest Pokemon in OU (even bulkier than Skarmory!). Physical attackers not named Breloom, Kyurem-B, Gyarados, Mamoswine or Terrakion with a Choice Band simply can't push past Hippowdon's great bulk, and attempts to set up on it will be met with a Whirlwind, which racks up entry hazard damage and sandstorm damage. Hippowdon's Ground-typing may not bestow upon it the largest amount of resistances, but it does come with an immunity to Electric and a resistance to Stealth Rock, and Hippowdon's more than capable of eating up most neutral Physical hits and Slacking Off the damage anyway.

Good Teammates: Special walls are excellent partners to Hippowdon. Celebi is first in line: she handles some of Hippowdon's greatest special threats, like Keldeo and Rotom-W, with ease, while also dealing with some of the phyiscal threats Hippowdon can't handle, like Gyarados and Breloom; Amoongus fits the same bill. Specially Defensive Jellicent can also be an effective partner, and can also preserve Hippowdon's entry hazards, but both can have issues dealing with Rotom-W and Grass-types. Speaking of Rotom-W, it is a good partner for Hippowdon as well, as Rotom-W can take care of Gyarados and Mamoswine for Hippowdon, but as with Jellicent, the compounded Grass weakness can be an issue. Rapid Spin support isn't a huge deal to Hippowdon, thanks to his Stealth Rock resistance and reliable recovery, but Starmie can still be used as a decent partner, as it's able to check Mamoswine and Gyarados with Water-STAB and Thunderbolt, respectively. Ferrothorn or Forretress are also good partners, laying down Spikes so Hippowdon can rack up entry hazard damage by spamming Whirlwind.

What Counters It: Special Attackers, basically. Many of Hippowdon's greatest allies are it's most feared enemies as well. Celebi is probably the biggest one, as it resists Earthquake, takes pittance from Ice Fang, and can maul Hippowdon with Giga Drain. Rotom-W also can deal with Hippowdon easily, burning it with Will-O-Wisp or just straight murdering it with Hydro Pump. Gyarados is immune to Earthquake and can do a hefty chunk with Waterfall, but without a boost or entry hazards it's only a 3HKO, and Gyarados won't like switching into Stealth Rocks and then being Whirlwind-ed back out. Kyurem-B is in a similar boat, although he can take out Hippowdon with Ice Beam. Many other Water-types, like Keldeo, Politoed and Starmie, can do massive damage to Hippowdon, but they need to be careful switching in. Xatu bounces back anything Hippowdon throws at it, is immune to Earthquake and takes little from Ice Fang, making it a solid counter. Overall, the best way to deal with Hippowdon is to set up your hazards, hit it with a status condition like Burn or Toxic, and keep it from gaining an opportunity to recover. Eventually, you'll wear it down to the point where it won't be able to stomach hits anymore.

 

[Dr Ciel]

@RabidChipmunk, I would definitely put Xatu in there as a counter, as it is immune to Earthquake & bounces back SR, Toxic & Whirlwind, while taking little damage from Ice Fang, thus rendering Hippo useless.

 

[RabidChipmunk]

@Dr Ciel Good call, I've added Xatu.

 

[Princess Bubblegum]

I might also have Rotom-W as a solid partner for Hippowdon, checking the mentioned Gyarados and Mamoswine.

Also, have you guys ever successfully run Hippowdon without Ice Fang in BW? I have always needed Ice Fang personally, and in my head the option is between Whirlwind and Stealth Rock, and I tend to have other Pokemon to use Stealth Rock so that Hippowdon has access to both Whirlwind and Ice Fang. Just an open question really, it just seems odd that Stealth Rock is a given on Hippowdon.

 

[Alter]

Xatu @ Leftovers / Rocky Helmet
Trait: Magic Bounce
EVs: 248 HP / 200 Def / 60 Spe
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Psychic / Heat Wave
- Roost
- Toxic
- U-turn

Role: Support

What It Does: Xatu is an amazing support Pokemon due to its specific access to a combination of moves with its ability. Magic Bounce is the crux of the set which not only bounces back entry hazards but also allows Xatu to reflect any status attempts from Pokemon such as Breloom right back at the opponent. Xatu utilises its useful set of resistances to types such as Fighting, Grass and Ground to stop physical attackers from shining and can recover any damage it takes with the reliable Roost. Toxic allows Xatu to beat more defensive Pokemon that it almost stops completely with Magic Bounce and wears down any other type of attacker not immune to it. This set is great at maintaining momentum as it completely halts entry hazards from going up and be used in tandem with U-Turn to get the perfect switch-ins to your opponent's retaliations to Xatu. Furthermore, Xatu is a huge annoyance to stall teams and one of the best checks to Technician Breloom available.

Good Teammates: Trapping Pokemon such as Dugtrio love Xatu as it can safely get them in with U-Turn. Dugtrio also complements Xatu very well as they both fit on Drought teams easily due to the support they provide while Dugtrio traps Tyranitar. On the topic of Drought teams, Ninetales also makes a good teammate as it boosts Xatu's Heat Wave in exchange for Xatu keeping hazards at bay. Rotom-Wash, particularly scarf sets, are excellent partners as they can hit Xatu's counters nicely.

What Counters It: Hazard setters that can force Xatu out with mind games are particularly troublesome. Even though it runs defensive EVs, Xatu still takes quite a hefty amount of damage from attacks like Landorus-T / Terrakion's Stone Edge or Tyranitar's Crunch. Other powerful special attackers like Thundurus-Therian can take down Xatu with relative ease.

Any Additional Info: Heat Wave is best used with Sun Teams and allows Xatu to kill common hazard setters like Ferrothorn, Forretress as well as beating Scizor whilst allowing it to still defeat Breloom. Thunder Wave may be used over Toxic if such support is needed.

 

[ShootingStarmie]

Here's an example of a bad hazards setter

Infernape @ Focus Sash
Trait: Blaze
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 SAtk
Hasty Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Close Combat
- Overheat
- Fake Out / Taunt

Lead Infernape should have died out back in gen 4. But here we at, at the end of gen 5, and people are still using this set. This set is terribly outclassed by other leads. Custap Berry Skarmory can get up both SR and at least one layer of Spikes pretty easily thanks to Sturdy and Custap Berry. Terrakion has a much better dual STAB, and hits much harder than Infernape, meaning Terrakion puts more pressure on your opponent than Infernape does. So you still want to use Infernape after hearing that? Well, okay. Stealth Rock is the best move in the game, and should be on every team. Close Combat offers "nice" STAB, hitting leads like Terrakion very well. Overheat allows Infernape to hit from the special side as well, but when both of it's attacking stats are a mere base 104, there isn't much reason not to use Terrakion. Fake Out has priority, and allows you to get rid of Sash Leads like Terrakion, or Skarmory's Sturdy.

Good team mates: You're still not put off? Okay if you're that desperate to use Lead Infernape I guess I might as well list some Pokemon that Infernape does well with. Infernape is generally being walled by bulky Water and bulky ground types that can take an Overheat. This list includes bulky Starmie, Tentacruel, Hippowdon, Politoed, Garchomp, and Landorus-T. Therefore, Pokemon such as Celebi and Rotom-W make very good partners. SpDef Celebi easily beats Starmie, Tentacruel, Hippowdon and Politoed. Rotom-W can also take on Starmie, Politoed, and Hippowdon easily. Celebi + Rotom-W also form a great Volt-turn core (in Celebi's case, Baton Pass), allowing you to control momentum through out the match.

What counters Infernape: Starmie, Gyarados, Dragonite, Tentacruel, Lati@s, Jellicent, and Salamence are Pokemon that resist Infernapes STAB's while easily forcing Infernape out. Starmie can spin away hazards, of threaten to hit Infernape with a Hydro Pump for an OHKO (as well as out speeding Infernape). Gyarados can set up a Dragon Dance in Infernape's face pretty easily. The same story is for Dragonite. Tentacruel is in the same boat as Starmie, resisting Infernape's STAB while also being able to spin rocks away. Lati@s can take a hit easily and OHKO back with their STAB Psychic moves. CM Latias uses Infernape as set up fodder. Jellicent is immune to both of Infernape's STABs, allowing it to easily switch into Infernape without any fear. Salamence usually out speeds (since most sets are Scarf), and Salamence can easily tank a hit from Infernape.

Additonal comments: Infernape's power was simply outclassed as gen 5 can around. Blaziken (before it was banned) hit harder, and was a better mixed attacker. Due to Politoed being so popular in this metagame, basically every Fire type has suffered this generation, as their Fire STAB hinders most Pokemon rather than benefits them (this is due to an SR weakness, and Drizzle being so popular). Infernape's base 108 speed just isn't as amazing as it once was in generation 4. So many more Pokemon out speed and threaten Infernape, like Starmie, Latias, and Keldeo (who speed tie). Infernape is also pretty much out classed in every role that it could possibly fill. As a mixed attacker you're better off using Keldeo. As an SR lead you should use Terrakion. As an SD sweeper you might as well use Terrakion or Breloom. And finally, as a Choice Band user, it's out classed by Scizor, or Terrakion.

When using Infernape, you should be asking yourself "Could I be using Terrakion?". Most of the time, the answer is yes, so use it.

 

[PDC]

(Rapid Spinner)
Starmie @ Life Orb
Trait: Analytic
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Psyshock / Thunderbolt
- Rapid Spin
- Ice Beam

What It Does: This Starmie is basically a common sight nowadays in many tournaments, especially this past World Cup, and it is for a right reason. When you think of Starmie you think of a powerful fast Spinner, which can be bulky or offensive. But no matter what it causes a lot of switches, and thanks to its ability Analytic, it gets a healthy 1.3x boost if it hits a target on the switch. This can turn even a resisted hit into a very deadly move, and under Rain you basically don't miss any 2HKOs with Hydro Pump outside of things like the blobs and Specially Defensive Celebi. Even Ferrothorn takes a heavy hit of 45.17 - 53.12% on a 252 HP / 168 SDef spread under Rain. Although fragile, Starmie is a very hard hitter, and it can usually get the first hit off due to its amazing speed. It doesn't directly counter too much as it lacks Natural Cure and it is rather fragile, but it can come in easier than you would think. Once its on the field, the enemy will almost be guaranteed to switch out, and most likely you'll walk out with another Pokemon down on your opponents team, that is if you get lucky with Hydro Pump.

Good Teammates: Starmie works very well with a variety of things. It can be placed on virtually every weather and do well in every environment it is placed in. But most of its best teammates are those that prefer a spinner that doesn't give up momentum, and because of that Starmie is given a crucial place in most of today's offensive teams. Volcorona, Dragonite, Ninetails, Kyurem-B, and Scizor are some of Starmie's best partners, as they all benefit from hazard removal and appreciate a fast spin going off to give them an easy switch in. Starmie can work amazingly with Politoed, as under Rain you basically can OHKO any offensive team in today's metagame straight up, and out-speed the majority of it too. In fact, some teams barely have a way to beat it outside of a Scarfer, and that can usually lead to their demise anyway.

What Counters It: Basically only 3 things actually straight up "counter" Starmie. Chansey, Blissey, and Specially Defensive Celebi. Rotom-W can work, but if it takes a Analytic Psyshock it is placed in a very bad position, way to weak to switch in again. Specially Defensive Celebi can easily be Starmie, as even an Analytic Ice Beam does somwhere around 55% max, and if Rocks are not on the field you won't be able to KO it. Other than that, the pool is very shallow for Starmie counters, but usually it can end up bring its own demise by wearing itself down too quick, or one Hydro Pump miss can cost it its life early on.

Any Additional Info: Thunderbolt can be used over Psyshock, but then it will lose against Calm Mind Keldeo, and it is really only there for hitting other Starmie, Jellicent, and Politoed harder. I prefer Psyshock.

 

[Spinda]

I might also have Rotom-W as a solid partner for Hippowdon, checking the mentioned Gyarados and Mamoswine.

Also, have you guys ever successfully run Hippowdon without Ice Fang in BW? I have always needed Ice Fang personally, and in my head the option is between Whirlwind and Stealth Rock, and I tend to have other Pokemon to use Stealth Rock so that Hippowdon has access to both Whirlwind and Ice Fang. Just an open question really, it just seems odd that Stealth Rock is a given on Hippowdon.

I rarely run ice fang on hippo, and I actually have great success with it, especially now landorus-i is banned I don't feel a huge need for it

 

[Dr Ciel]

( Late Game Sweeper )

Salamence @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SAtk / 252 Spe
Naive Nature (+Spe, -SpD)
- Outrage
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Fire Blast

Salamence has an extremely checkered past, being thrust into Ubers sometime time in the DPP OU metagame, Salamence returns in BW, this time into the OU meta, the Bahamut is here to stay. Salamence was already blessed with a sky high base Attack stat of 135, which is third highest among OU Dragon types, only rivaled by Kyurem-B & Haxorus. In Gen V, Salamence got a gift that really put it over the edge, by giving it Moxie as a dream world ability, which grants an Attack boost every time Salamence nets a KO.

Good Teammates: Rapid Spin support is extremely vital to Salamences success, so Pokémon such as Starmie & Forretress are excellent choices. Entry Hazard support is also vital for his success, so Pokémon such as Skarmory & the after-mentioned Forretress can provide not only Stealth Rock, but Spikes support as well. Finally, an excellent partner is Magnezone, which takes out every Steel type not named Heatran so Salamence can simply spam Outrage & sweep the entire opposition clean.

What Counters It: A counter to Choice Scarf Salamence? Well, haha, there practically is none with all the destruction it brings to the OU meta. I'd say such Physical walls such as Hippowdon, Slowbro & Donphan, but each are KO'd if he gets enough Attack boosts. However, Salamence has several checks. Choice Scarfers faster than Salamence, such as Terrakion, Keldeo, Latios & Garchomp can KO Salamence with their STAB of choice ( HP Ice in Keldeo's case ). Finally, Pokémon that carry Ice Shard, such as Weavile & Mamoswine make for great checks as well.

 

[Ryanor]

Spin Blocker (Support)

Jellicent @ Leftovers
Trait: Water Absorb
EVs: 240 HP / 172 Def / 96 Spd
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Taunt
- Will-O-Wisp
- Recover
- Night Shade / Scald

What It Does: Jellicent is the best defensive spin blocker in OU and this is the main reason for adding it to your team, but not the only one. Jellicent also performs as a kind of stallbreaker, crippling Pokemon with Will-O-Wisp while keeps them from recovering health, set up entry hazards or whatever thanks to Taunt. In fact, Jellicent can win the 1vs1 against stuff like Ferrothorn and overall is an acceptable check to Keldeo, something truly valuable nowadays. 96 Speed EVs allow Jellicent to outspeed standard CB Tar, Politoed, CB Scizor and Skarmory (bar Custap Lead) among others. In the fourth slot you have to chose between Scald, which is a great move with a high chance of burn, and Night Shade. The latter is a reliable option to deal with SubCroack, defensive Starmie and such. It's always good having a move that deals fixed damage.

Good Teammates: The most known teammate is Ferrothorn. They have a really good sinergy and make a excellent defensive core. Plus, Ferrothorn can set up both Stealth Rock and Spikes while Jellicent fulfill with his duty as spin blocker. Skarmory works in the same way, albeit has a worse sinergy. Another one is Heatran since he can switch into a grass-type and lay down SR or just strike back.

What Counters It: Jellicent becomes a sitting duck against sun teams because that kind of teams usually have dangerous fire-type Pokemon such as Volcarona which are inmune to WoW, and Scald is simply too weak when the sun is up. Celebi is an excellent counter due to Natural Cure. Tyranitar menaces to hit hard with Pursuit or Crunch but must be aware of WoW.

 

[Subject 18]

What to use

Skarmory @ Custap Berry
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Spikes
- Brave Bird
- Taunt / Whirlwind

Role: Hazards Settler

With the ban of Deoxys defense Hyper Offensive lost it's main component. However Skarmory stepped up and became a very effective hazards settler in the place of Deoxys Defense. The set is very straight forward using stealth rocks and spikes to rack up damage for the sweepers of the team. Using max attack is to combat faster taunters like lead Focus Sash Terrakion and Tornadus-I without being complete taunt bait to these two. Max speed allows it to outspeed common lead pokemon. The use of Custap berry gives you the opportunity to use one last move before dying to either get up a last layer of hazards or brave bird to get off some damage on something. Whirlwind is slash with taunt as a way to beat set up sweepers who try and set up on you and potential shuffling to rack up damage before you die.

Good Teammates

Due to the Skarmory being a suicide lead it really appreciates a spin blocker such as Jellicent and Gengar. Though since this set is generally used on offensive teams Gengar is the better option. Sweepers really appreciate the hazards support as it allows them to turn 2HKOs to OHKOs and weakens would be counters/checks for them to be able to muscle past them. Examples of such sweepers include Lucario, Keldeo, Dragonite, Salamence, Scizor, Kyurem-black and more. Lastly, you should also have a way to beat other Custap Skarmory lead like Taunt Gengar and Kyurem-B who can stop it from setting up to many spikes and putting yourself at risk of being easily swept.

What counters it:
Spinners makes Skarmory job in vain as if it dies and your opponent is able to rapid spin hazards are gone and you lose valuable support. Magic Bouncers are a huge problem as they can switch on and bounce back all hazards thus turning Skarmory useless until they are gone. Last one is Magnezone carrying Magic Coat. If you are trapped by it Skarmory is done for. Hazards aren't going to be put up and magnezone traps it and is able to kill it while not fearing Brave Bird in the slightest.

Additional Comments: If you are in Custap berry range (under 25% of HP) don't use Whirwind as you will still go last because Custap add +1 priority to a move and since Whirlwind is -6, it will now be -5.

 

[Shurtugal]

Hmm. I'd mention partners that can defeat other Skarm leads -- like Taunt Gengar or KyuB. Granted, I'd mention how WhirlWind is a great slash on Taunt if you have an anti-Skarm lead since Skarm can WW Pokemon that will try to set up on it (which is not uncommon).

 

[ShootingStarmie]

(Special wall)

Celebi @ Leftovers
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 40 Spd / 216 SDef
Calm Nature
- Giga Drain / Nasty Plot
- Psychic / Stealth Rock
- Baton Pass
- Recover

Giga Drain is STAB and allows Celebi to recover off some damage it may have taking from switching in, without having to resort to Recover. Giga Drain hits a lot of threats in this metagame, including Politoed, Gastrodon, Keldeo, and Jellicent. Psychic is also STAB and keeps Fighting types like Scarf Terrakion, Keldeo, and Breloom at bay. Baton Pass is used to gain momentum and switch advantage, while also allowing Celebi to escape from Tyranitar and Scizor. Recover is used to keep Celebi around for the majority of the match. I've slashed Nasty Plot over one of it's STABs if you'd like to maybe baton pass the boosts to one of your sweepers. Good candidates include Scarf Keldeo and Thundurus-T. Stealth Rock can be used, as it is an incredible move if you can't find room for it anywhere else on your team. Celebi also offers support in the form of Perish Song, bad has pretty bad synergy with Baton Pass. However, it can be used if your team needs it.

Good team mates: Heatran is the number one partner for Celebi, as the two form a solid defensive core known as Celetran. Together, they resist every attack bar Rock. Heatran also counters most of Celebi's switch ins, like Scizor and Jirachi, while Celebi can easily switch into Water type attacks aimed at Heatran, mainly Rotomw-W, Politoed, and Keldeo. It can also switch into Fighting types like Breloom and Scarf Terrakion (provided it doesn't use X-scissor). Rotom-W is also a great partner, as the two form a Volt-turn core, gaining momentum and controlling the pace of the game. Rotom-W provides a second check to powerful rain teams, and Rotom-W can take on Fire types aimed at Celebi, while Celebi can take the Grass types aimed at Rotom-W.

What counters Celebi: Even though it's probably it's best team mate, it's also one of Celebi's best counters. Heatran. Heatran resists Grass and Psychic type attacks, while it can also Roar out any Celebi who try to Baton Pass boosts. Heatran can also threaten Celebi with Lava Plume, or a Fire Blast if it's an offensive set. Scizor isn't afaird of anything this Celebi can throw at it, while Scizor can gain momentum in to form of U-turn. Scizor can also trap Celebi is Scizor is scarfed, or if Celebi isn't running Baton Pass. The same story is with Tyranitar. Although Tyranitar is weak to Giga Drain, it really doesn't take much from it at all when you factor in the SpDef boost that Sandstorm gives to Rock types. Tyranitar forces Celebi out easily. Skarmory can switch into Celebi easily, and start setting up Spikes, while also phazing Celebi out with Whirlwind.

Additional comments: Celebi is incredible in this metagame, and has been a stable on many teams for a while. It was one of the only viable checks to Landorus-I, as well as being a great check to any Keldeo bar HP Bug. It also takes on Scarf Thundurus-T pretty well, but it needs to watch out for U-turn variants which are becoming pretty popular recently following the Landorus-I ban. Celebi also isn't Pursuit bait from Banded Tyranitar, because Celebi out speeds and Baton Pass avoids Pursuit's trapping abilities. Regardless, Celebi will always have a place in OU, because it's one of the best Pokemon to switch into boosted Water type attacks, mainly because of it's great stats, and Natural Cure to not worry about Scald burning Celebi.

 

[Princess Bubblegum]

To be completely honest Shooting Starmie, I am not a fan of Nast Plot as the primary support of SpD Celebi, I know for example on my teams, Nasty Plot Celebi would be almost useless. I am thinking more of a slashing more like this for a specially inclined set:

-Giga Drain / Psychic
-Nasty Plot / Stealth Rock / Perish Song
-Baton Pass
-Recover

 

[ShootingStarmie]

To be completely honest Shooting Starmie, I am not a fan of Nast Plot as the primary support of SpD Celebi, I know for example on my teams, Nasty Plot Celebi would be almost useless. I am thinking more of a slashing more like this for a specially inclined set:

-Giga Drain / Psychic
-Nasty Plot / Stealth Rock / Perish Song
-Baton Pass
-Recover

Well, it was slashed if you don't both STAB's, but you're right in that Celebi can also run SR and P Song. I'll edit my post now, thanks

 

[Princess Bubblegum]

Role: Revenge Killer

Scizor @ Choice Band
Trait: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Superpower
- Pursuit / Quick Attack

What it does: Choice Band Scizor primarily is a check to a whole host of threats, thanks to Technician which boosts the power of its Bullet Punch. With Bullet Punch, Scizor can nicely check many of the Dragon-type Pokemon of the metagame, after a little prior damage, and other dangerous Pokemon like Terrakion. Secondarily, Scizor can trap many Pokemon with Pursuit, removing threats or opening a way up for a sweep. Thanks to it's ability to check or trap Pokemon, Scizor makes an excellent check to special Pokemon such as Latios, Latias, and Alakazam. Scizor can hit them hard with Bullet Punch or Pursuit them if they attempt to switch. Finally, Scizor is the most powerful user of U-turn, doing large chunks of damage even on resists, while still maintaining momentum. Choice Band Scizor is a great multi-purpose Pokemon, there is a reason it is one of the most used sets in the metagame.

Good teammates: Choice Band Scizor can find a home on many types of teams thanks to its general ability to check and trap things. Rotom-W is Scizor's primary partner in crime, Rotom-W resists incoming Fire-type attacks for Scizor, and slices through many of Scizors usual checks. Together they form the infamous Volt-turn combo which can abuse Volt Switch and U-turn to wrack up damage and maintain momentum. In general, Pokemon which can take Fire-type attacks are great checks to Scizor. Heatran and Tyranitar are good teammates, who also set up Stealth Rock, which secure Scizor's KOs and further punish incoming checks, wearing them down. Starmie or Tentacruel make decent team mates, taking Fire-type attacks and spinning away hazards, increasing Scizor's longevity. Keldeo appreciates Scizor's ability to Pursuit-trap its checks such as Celebi and Latias. Blissey, interestingly, is not a half bad partner, supporting Scizor and taking Fire-type moves, while Scizor can dispatch problematic Pokemon for Blissey, like Latios, Alakazam, and Reuniclus.

Additional Information: Superpower makes Heatran and Ferrothorn wary to switch in, Pokemon which otherwise could check Scizor. 248 HP lessens the damage Scizor takes from Stealth Rock, making sure it can switch in at least 8 times. Quick Attack enables Scizor to check weakened Pokemon which resist Bullet Punch, such as Keldeo, Volcarona, Gyarados, and Infernape, use it if your team needs Scizor to check them.

What counters it: Choice Band Scizor has quite a few counters, but it is a good idea to scout that it is Choice Band first, by checking on how much damage it does for example. Swords Dance Scizor can be game ending if one plays around it thinking it has Choice Band. Skarmory, Jellicent, Zapdos, Tentacruel, Landorus-T and Gyarados are all solid checks to Scizor in general. Gliscor and Forretress are decent counters once you know for sure it is holding a Choice Band. Offensively, Fire-types can easily check Scizor like Heatran, Volcarona and Ninetales, or anything with a Fire-type move really. Anything faster that resists Bullet Punch is a good check: Keldeo, Jirachi, Politoed. Magnezone can trap and kill Scizor if it can catch it on a Bullet Punch or Pursuit.

 

[Subject 18]

Hmm. I'd mention partners that can defeat other Skarm leads -- like Taunt Gengar or KyuB. Granted, I'd mention how WhirlWind is a great slash on Taunt if you have an anti-Skarm lead since Skarm can WW Pokemon that will try to set up on it (which is not uncommon).

Done and added to the OP. Also the OP should be updated up to this post.

 

[ShootingStarmie]

(Wall Breaker)

Breloom @ Fighting Gem
Trait: Technician
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Spore
- Focus Punch
- Bullet Seed
- Mach Punch


Okay so this guy is insane. Fighting Gem Focus Punch + Spore basically guarantees 2 kills in a game. Breloom just does such a good job in luring out it's own checks (Latios, Gyarados, Skarmory etc) and just out right KOing them. Fighting Gem Focus Punch is so powerful, after SR you're KOing Skarmory after Mach Punch. Same with Latios. EVs are pretty standard, but I prefer Adamant over Jolly mainly because I want as much power as possible behind Focus Punch. Spore is one of the best moves in the game, allowing Breloom to easily Spam Focus Punch with no risk at all. Focus Punch is the wall breaking move itself, and allows Breloom to remove threats early in the game (or severely weaken them). Mach Punch is priority and hit's decently with Fighting Gem, while Bullet Seed is also STAB as beats Tentecruel, Jellicent, and other bulky water types that Fighting types (Terrakion, Keldeo, and Infernape) generally have a hard time getting past.

Good teammates: Generally Breloom should be paired up with Pokemon that appreciate the removal of physical walls like Skarmory, Hippowdon, and Fighting type resists in general (like Latios). Scizor is a great team mate, as a weakened Hippowdon can no longer wall SD Scizor. Scizor also checks most of Breloom's counters, like Celebi, Latias, and sleep talk Latios. Feraligatr is also a great partner, as Breloom can remove it checks (Jellicent, Latios, Rotom-W) from the game pretty easily. Jirachi is also a pretty good team mate, as it's a solid switch in to most of Breloom's counters, like Latias and Celebi, while Breloom does decently to most of Jirachi's switch ins, like Hippowdon and Heatran.

What counters Breloom: Bulky Psychic types that resist Grass type attacks are excellent switch in's to Breloom. Latias, Celebi, and Sleep talk Latios are all great switch in's to most Breloom. Reuniclus, Mew, and other bulky Psychic types aren't bad either, as they aren't taking much from Bullet Seed. Dragonite, Salamence, and Volcarona are Pokemon that resist Breloom's STAB attacks and can easily force Breloom out. Volcarona also has Flame Body as an ability, which with a bit of luck could burn Breloom as it uses an attack, crippling Breloom for the rest of the game. Pokemon immune to Focus Punch are also great switch in's to Breloom. Gengar and Sableye come to mind, and both deal with Breloom excellently. Flying types like Zapdos and Skarmory are also pretty good switch ins, as Breloom without Fighting Gem can't touch these two.

Additonal comments: Breloom is just a fantastic Pokemon in general. Fighting type is insanely good, and having a nice Grass typing isn't bad either. What makes me think Breloom is so amazing is that it's so good against a lot of weather teams. With Breloom's STAB's alone, it's hitting 4 of the 5 weather starters in OU for super effective damage. Breloom also offers great utility in checking top threats with it's powerful Mach Punch (Kyurem-B and Terrakion mainly). Overall Breloom is fantastic, and you need to use this set

 

[Dr Ciel]

@ShootinStarmie,

 

[ShootingStarmie]

@ShootinStarmie,

Erm, I did list it as a counter, but I didn't want to go into detail about why every Pokemon is a counter, as it would become tl;dr. I'll add that small description though, thanks.

 

[PDC]

(Physical Sweeper)
Landorus-Therian (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 148 Spd / 252 Atk / 108 HP
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Polish
- Stone Edge
- Swords Dance

What It Does: This Landorus-T set has become a flagship sweeper for many Bulky Offensive teams as of recent, and for a good reason. It does a fantastic job at being a rather reliable sponge against Physical attackers like Terrakion thanks to Intimidate, while also being a fantastic sweeper with Swords Dance and Rock Polish. Landorus-T specifically does a great job at being an amazing opportunistic sweeper, as double dance allows it to adjust its set up depending on the situation it is in, and the team it is facing. If its a weakened team or a more offensive one, you can set up your Rock Polish and sweep and hopefully grab an advantage due to it's rather strong attack stat. Swords Dance is more useful for breaking up stall or more defensive and bulky teams, and because of that you can break them down over time and use other sweepers to help you accomplish this goal. Landorus-T can use its decent bulk to set up on a myriad of physical threats that otherwise would threaten it during setting up, and it definitely can put work in against many threats.

Good Teammates: As the OU CCAT shows, things like LureJirachi work amazingly with this set as it lures its counter so easily. Things like Skarmory, Rotom-W, Gliscor, and other strong physical walls get broken up easily by Jirachi. Other strong trappers like Gothitelle are amazing partners as it can trap all of its counters with ease and take them out so Landorus-I gets an easier chance to sweep. Secondary strong sweepers like SD Lucario, SD Scizor, and Terrakion work well with this set specifically because they can break up its counters while still keeping offensive pressure and sharing solid synergy. Dragon Dance Gyarados with Normal Gem takes out Rotom-W and also can do a heavy amount to Hippowdon and Gliscor.

What Counters It: Nothing really likes switching into a +2 Landorus-T, but for the most part bulky Rotom-W, Skarmory, Hippowdon, and Gliscor get the job done, but usually Landorus-T can live and come back for Round 2, as Hippowdon can only do so much with Ice Fang, which goes the same for Skarmory and Gliscor, who otherwise have trouble beating it straight up without weakening it. Landorus-T is also a little weak if it doesn't get an Attack boost beforehand, making it harder for it to break through things like Kyurem-B, Latias, and Latios without residual damage. It usually can't automatically sweep teams because it is too weak too automatically, and many common offensive threats like Keldeo can force it out if it chooses to set up.

 

[Princess Bubblegum]

Role: Rapid Spinner

Forretress @ Leftovers
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spd
- Rapid Spin
- Spikes / Stealth Rock
- Gyro Ball
- Volt Switch / Hidden Power Ice

What it does: Forretress is one of the main defensive Rapid Spinners in the BW metagame, found at the core of many defensive teams. Thanks to Forretress's high physical bulk, it can set up hazards or Rapid Spin on a variety of physical Pokemon such as Scarf Terrakion, defensive Landorus-T, Mamoswine, Gliscor, and Specially Defensive Jirachi. Forretress in addition, is also a pretty solid general check to many Dragon-types, dispatching them if locked into Outrage, as well as checking a other Physical Pokemon thanks to its sheer bulk. And well, that's pretty much it, it might not seem like a lot, but if you need a Spinner, something to set up hazards, and a general physical check, Forretress is your man.

Good Teammates: Forretress is a target for a Fire-type attacks, or just a special attacker in general, due to its weak special defense. Jellicent is a solid parnter, taking taking Fire and Water-type attacks for Forretress, and blocking attempts to spin away its hazards. Tyranitar is a good option, taking special attacks for Forretress, and trapping bothersome Pokemon like Starmie, Latios, and potentially even opposing Jellicent. Heatran, Latias, Chansey, and Blissey are solid partners, taking a variety of special hits for Forretress, Chansey and Blissey in addition can support Forretress with Wish. Outside of its special weakness, Forretress does not fair well at all against boosting physical attackers, so Hippowdon, Skarmory, Landorus-T, and Gyarados are good partners defensively, offensively Forretress can Volt Switch out to a Choice Scarf Pokemon.

Additional information: If running Hidden Power Ice, have an ev spread of 252 HP / 212 Def / 44 SpA, which allows Forretress to 2HKO Gliscor and Landorus. Outside of the mandatory Rapid Spin and hazards, Forrtress has a lot of moves to play with in the last 2 slots, even though the listed set is generally superior. Earthquake allows Forretress to hurt incoming Magnezone, Toxic Spikes or another hazard are valid options if you need them, Pain Split gives Forretress recovery so Skarmory or Ferrothorn can never beat it one-on-one, and finally Toxic can cripple incoming spin-blockers like Jellicent.

What counters it: Forretress isn't really that hard to combat overall, being actually a bit set up bait, even Pokemon like Landorus-T can outlast Forretress, however it really isn't advisable to let it Spikes stack or get free spins on you. Magnezone crushes Forretress, trapping it easily unless it has Shed Shell or Earthquake, both of which are uncommon. Tentacruel and Starmie can both spin away Forretress's hazards easily, and eventually kill it off with their Water-type attacks. Jellicent on the other hand can block its Rapid Spin and shut it down with Taunt, Gengar can also block Forretress's Rapid Spin. Espepon and Xatu reflect any hazards Forretress sets up. Heatran, Ninetales, Volcarona or Fire-types in general scare Forretress out, threatening to 1HKO it, anything with a Fire-type attack can also threaten to fry it. Raw special attacks from the likes of Keldeo, Alakzam, Latios, and Specs-Politoed can send Forretress running.

 

[MCBarrett]

What To Use

Mamoswine @ Life Orb
Trait: Thick Fat
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly/ Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Ice Shard
- Icicle Spear/ Icicle Crash
- Superpower/ Stone Edge

Role: Wall Breaker/ Revenge Killer

What It does: Mamoswine does a fantastic job at Offensively checking a ton of fearsome sweepers in OU thanks to it's sky-high attack and STAB Ice Shard. He also boasts the ability to 2HKO many defensive threats with his powerful combination of Earthquake and Icicle Crash. Icicle Spear can be used to break the subs of things like Gliscor and Gengar, and also break the Sash off of Lead Breloom which can be very handy. Superpower provides the best coverage to round out the set and also allows it to hit Rotom-W for some solid damage on the switch since it is a common switch-in to Mamoswine. Stone Edge can be used to hit things like Gyarados, Kyurem-B and Volcarona for more damage if your team needs that particular coverage. Jolly nature gives you an edge over things like Tentacruel that try to speed creep Adamant Mamo . It also gives you the edge over Jolly Breloom since your Ice Shard will outspeed its Mach Punch, however, Adamant is definitely appreciated for its ability to nab the 2hko on Ferrothorn amongst other things.

Good Teammates: Mamoswine is appreciated on a plethora of teams but there are a few Pokes that he works especially well with. Defensively, anything that can cover most of its weaknesses such as the Lati Twins or Celebi are quite effective. However Steel Types such as Scizor and Skarmory are still very threatening and difficult to take out. Offensively, anything that can deal with Skarmory, Bronzong and Bulky Water Types such as Thundurus-T, Magnezone and Heatran (especially the Storm Trapping Variant) are very much appreciated. Each of these can take Bullet Punch from Scizor very well so that is also very helpful to Mamoswine. Breloom also makes a great Priority Core which is able to Revenge Kill/ Break through a good portion of the tier. Breloom can revenge kill things like Terrakion and Kyub and Break through Bulky Waters that usually give Mamoswine trouble.

What Counters It: Skarmory and Bronzong are the two that can really take hits for days from Mamoswine with no trouble at all. Bulky Rotom-W is decent since it has an Immunity and Resistance to its STABs and can threaten with Will-o-Wisp but Adamant LO Superpower is going to be doing a solid chunk. Bulky waters like Gastrodon, Jellicent and Politoed can take one or two hits depending on Adamant or Jolly and can threaten with Scald. Offensively, Scizor can revenge kill with Bullet Punch, Terrakion and Keldeo both outspeed and OHKO. Keldeo gets special recognition for being able to resist both STABs.

Additional Comments: Overall Mamoswine is a fantastic offensive Pokemon and with proper team support it can do a number on opposing teams. Perhaps the greatest thing about Mamoswine though is that it doesn't really need too much support to work effectively since it can simply be used to revenge kill Dragons, Thundurus-T, Tornadus, Venusaur and other weakened sweepers which is definitely a trait worth using a team slot for.

 

[Scotti]

Role: Wall Breaker

Terrakion @ Choice Band
Trait: Justified
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 HP
Jolly / Adamant Nature
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge
- X-Scissor
- Sacred Sword / Quick Attack

What it does: Terrakion job is to hit opposing physical walls for a ton of damage. Most things have a hard time switching in thanks to its already great attack boosted by Choice Band, which make switching in to this thing almost impossible. Close Combat 2hko's most physical walls who doesn't resist it, and that includes Skarmory and Hippowdon (after 1 layer of spikes). It can also defeat slowbro with X-Scissor after Stealth Rock. It also has access to Stone Edge which can hit flying types who resist Close Combat, and can revenge kill anything weakened with Quick Attack. You can also use Sacred Sword if your worried about the drop in SpDef and Def, and thanks to Choice Band you still pack a punch. This set can destory most physical walls that normally wall the most common Terrakion sets (For some reason this set is not that common).

Good Teammates: Good teammates for Terrakion usually consist of what can take out its counters. The ones that i think work well consist of trapping its counters and also providing very good synergy. For example Gothitelle is a great teammate of Terrakion, because it covers some of Terrakion weaknesses consisting of Fighting and Psychic, while Terrakion resist Dark and Bug to of Gothitelle weaknesses. Gothitelle also has Shadow Tag which allows Gothitelle to trap the opponents pokemon. Well if you run a Modest Choice Scarf Gothitelle you can defeat 2 of Terrakions most common Switch ins which are Landorus-T and Gliscor after stealth rocks with Hp Ice. Another good Teammmate for Terrakion is Tyranitar because it traps the other pokemon that counter or check Terrakion. Tyranitar traps Slowbro, Jellicent, Celebi(if they lack baton pass), Lati@s, and Starmie. Other Team mates consist of Scizor who can trap things with pursuit, Weavile who can also trap with pursuit, and Psychic types who have good synergy with Terrakion such as Celebi, Latias, Starmie, and Alakazam.

What counters it: The best counters to Terrakion who can take it hits fairly easily belong to Landorus-T, Gliscor, and Slowbro. Landorus-T Intimidate which weakens Terrakion attacks and makes it harder for Terrakion to kill though a Choice Band Stone Edge will still do a pretty good amount if you run any other set than offensive piviot. Gliscor does a little bit worse thanks to no Intimidate which make Stone Edge also 2hko Gliscor, though Gliscor has roost which really helps. Slowbro can also take a few hits though an X-Scissor can 2hko after Stealth Rocks, but it can switch into most moves. This Terrakion has more checks than counters. Breloom, Conkelldur, Scizor, Scarf Keldeo, Scarf Terrakion, and Latios all check Terrakion. Though they really can't switch in, but thats why they are checks.

Additional Information:You can also run an Adamant nature though it only allows you to outspeed base 93s and lower, but in return for that you can 2hko most things without Stealth Rock support. Terrakion is a monster, thats why its probably one of the most hardest pokemon to switch into. If you need and excellent wall breaker Terrakion is the way to go, because of how hard it is to switch into this thing. It doesn't need much support to break through walls, but with just little support it can be your best friend who protect and destory any wall in your path.

EDIT: In Additional Information i mentioned Adamant Nature

 

[RabidChipmunk]

What to use (Late-game Sweeper)

Reuniclus @ Life Orb
Trait: Magic Guard
EVs: 192 HP / 64 Def / 252 SAtk
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Spd
- Trick Room
- Psychic
- Focus Blast
- Shadow Ball

Speed is the name of the game in Black/White 2. With new, faster, and more powerful threats being constantly introduced, the ability to outspeed them all is of paramount importance... unless your name happens to be Reuniclus, in which case being slower than molasses in an igloo is a major advantage. Being a Psychic-type is hard, but Reuniclus has the tools to make it work, such as high base Special Attack, an amazing ability that prevents any indirect damage, and a movepool that contains all the options it'll ever need. The idea is simple: once the opponents team has been sufficiently worn down, bring in Reuniclus and set up Trick Room. Inside the twisted dimensions, the only things that can "outspeed" him are priority moves and Ferrothorn with Gyro Ball, who can do little to stop him. There's not many Pokemon that can take the might of Reuniclus' life orb-boosted hits, making him a deadly sweeper that can rip apart offensive teams.

Good Teammates: Tyranitar and Reuniclus make an extremely effective duo. Many of the Pokemon capable of suviving a hit or two from Reuniclus are Psychic-types, such as Celebi and Latias, whom Tyranitar can make mincemeat out of. Tyranitar's sandstorm can also help wear down the opposing team while doing no damage to Reuniclus itself. In addition, Trick Room can "speed up" Tyranitar as well. A Fighting-type like Keldeo or Terrakion also function well with Reuniclus, as they can deal with Chansey and Blissey for Reuniclus, and when joined with Tyranitar, from the formidable Dark/Psychic/Fighting core. Conkeldurr can also make a good partner with Reuniclus, as he enjoys the "speed boost" from Trick Room, but be cautious in putting so many slow Pokemon on a team if Reuniclus is going to be the only Trick Room inducer.

What Counters It: Jirachi is Reuniclus' biggest counter, as it can stomach all of it's hits with ease and flinch Reuniclus to death once Trick Room wears out, all the while not being weak to Tyranitar. Latias, Celebi and Slowking are in a similar boat, each avoiding the 2HKO from Shadow Ball, but these Pokemon need to watch out for Tyranitar. Volcarona and Scizor can also stomach a hit from Reuniclus if they are at high health and finish him off with their Bug-type move of choice, and Scizor can even Pursuit trap him or finish him off with Bullet Punch if he's weakened. Unless Reuniclus is running Psyshock, which they usually don't, Chansey and Blissey wall him consummately, but Reuniclus will almost always carry a partner to deal with these Pokemon for that very reason, and they will need to be wary of them.