'Sup, folks. Well, let me tell you, I value originality a lot. There's nothing more boring then fighting a generic (sand/rain) OU team with Pokemon including Gliscor, Ferrothorn, Rotom-W, Tyranitar, Breloom, Heatran, Skarmory, Politoed, Tentacruel, Magnezone... All the generic guys that you've seen so many countless times in OU. And granted, popularity is often well-deserved-- they're effective, when used properly. But not everything that's popular is effective, and not everything that's effective is necessarily popular.
I didn't think myself terribly original when I constructed this team a while back, but as the metagame grew onward I began to realize that it was a bit more unusual and anti-metagame than I thought. It's by no means perfect and I wouldn't even go so far as to so that it's a great team, but it is surprisingly effective and has served me reasonably well, and I do think it's accurate to say that this is certainly one of the best teams I've ever constructed entirely myself. (I'm not particularly good at team-building, so take that with a grain of salt, haha.) So, I hope you enjoy hearing about the unusual tactics I've been running.
Teralith
Aerodactyl @ Focus Sash
[Pressure] Jolly Nature
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Taunt
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
Summary: 'Lead' Pokemon are considered to be pretty much dead in the 5th Gen. Old Aerodactyl here was one of the top leads in Gen 4 for his ability to get rocks out quickly and prevent opponents from getting theirs up. He still does that as well now as he did then, so what's changed? Why isn't anyone using this guy? After trying out a bulky spread, I reverted to the classic sweeper EVs. Unlike the traditional suicide lead Aero, I actually go out of my way to keep this guy around if I can possibly switch him out after setting SR and/or Taunting, and he often does a great job of cleaning up weakened teams or revenging fast mons like the Genies/Therians. I have Rock Slide over Stone Edge for accuracy and flinch chance, and it works well against opposing leads to wear them down if not KO outright (especially Ninetales). Aero is mainly here to reliably set up Stealth Rock as well as prevent it going up on our side, and when saved for later, he makes a good revenger as well.
Palanock
Forretress @ Leftovers
[Sturdy] Sassy Nature
252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
- Spikes
- Rapid Spin
- Volt Switch
- Counter
Summary: Forretress fills many valuable roles on my team-- first and foremost, he clears out hazards from my side of the field, ensuring that Aero's Focus Sash stays intact and that Volcarona comes in safely. Secondly, he sets up Spikes on anything that's unable to do significant damage to him, especially other spikers (whose hard work he can easily get rid of while setting up alongside them). And thirdly, he sponges powerful Outrages and Draco Meteors aimed at the likes of Milotic and the team's more fragile members. Forretress' usefulness isn't relegated to just that, however; Volt Switch allows it to be an effective pivot, and to escape Magnezone on a predicted switch-in, forcing more switches onto the hazards he helps lay. Counter is a weird, very situational, very underappreciated skill on Forretress... Its primary use is for stopping the rampage of physical setup sweepers, or other wall breakers with powerful attacks, like CB Haxorus and the like, at which it excels, surviving due to Sturdy (or even just on the merit of its bulk) and KOing back. Forretress can even set up hazards alongside boosting sweepers like Conkeldurr and Scizor, then simply Counter for the KO when they reach +6 (or on a predicted hit beforehand). If all else fails and I Counter too early, spamming it forces opponents to choose between KOing themselves on Forretress' counter, or switching out and losing the boosts-- a win either way. Forry rarely finds himself needing to use it, but after trying out other moves in that slot, nothing else quite works on this team like Counter does.
Regalacida
Milotic @ Leftovers
[Marvel Scale] Bold Nature
252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
- Scald
- Dragon Tail
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Summary: The all-purpose wall and unabashed star of the team. Milotic is the all-purpose glue that holds the entire team together. Seriously, why don't more people run Milotic?! THIS THING NEVER DIES except to crits and the like. I've had her take +2 Outrages from Salamence WITHOUT Marvel Scale and survive before. Specs Jolteon/Rotom-W is the only foe this regal serpent fears, taking all else with impunity, Resting it off, shuffling foes around, and scalding physical attackers left and right. If she falls, it's likely that the rest of them will soon follow-- which is good, because Milotic is really, really, really hard to eliminate. A year or so ago, Milotic was all over the place in OU, so I have to wonder what exactly happened...? Why are people so surprised when Milotic is so difficult to bring down? Aero and Forry set the hazards, and this beauty makes sure everyone on the opposing team gets his face slung into them time and time again.
Deildegast
Gengar @ Leftovers
[Levitate] Timid Nature
4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
- Substitute
- Disable
Summary: The spin blocker and other sweeper-stopper. Sub-Disable Gengar is hands-down Gengar's best set this generation, and no team could be better suited to its talents than this one. Gengar utterly shuts down the likes of (Poison Heal) Breloom, Gliscor, and Conkeldurr, and Toxicroak that foolishly dare to run only 2 attacking moves. The combination of Gengar's offensive power, his ability to wall certain sweepers, and his propensity to force switches around makes him an extremely valuable offensive and defensive threat, and anyone not sufficiently prepared to deal with him can potentially be swept away by the subtle power of his trickery. As far as spinblocking goes, he can deal with most spinners sufficiently, though Tentacruel can be problematic due to how long it takes Gengar to KO it, and if Tentacruel runs Water/Ice coverage, then Gengar's survival is not always guaranteed.
Ulgamoth
Volcarona @ Leftovers
[Flame Body] Modest Nature
252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpDef
- Quiver Dance
- Fiery Dance
- Giga Drain
- Hidden Power [Rock]
Summary: Forget Reuniclus. Forget Conkeldurr. Volcarona is one of the most deadly sweepers in all of OU. True, that power comes at quite a high price, but the results are well worth the risk, as anyone without Rain support or Scarf Terrakion / Landorus / Tyranitar (or other fast Rock-attack user) is instantly swept away by the overwhelming might of this solarian insect. I switch this guy in on Scizor or any special attacker without a super-effective attack and boost like mad, and its great physical bulk often allows it to take several priority attacks (many of which it resists) and persist with its thorough and deadly sweep. Now, I know what you're thinking... 'You don't use Bug Buzz? What are you, an idiot?' Well, maybe, but that's beside the point. Fire/Grass/Rock is better neutral coverage in OU than anything else Volcarona could run, to be perfectly frank. Yes, it struggles against Psychic-types like Reuniclus and Lati@s without STAB Bug Buzz, but frankly, Volcarona just likes to set up in their faces anyway (though it does need to watch out for Psyshock, but unless I get into a boosting war with them, Volcarona's physical bulk is usually enough to take it. The real draw of this set is the ability to land surprise KOs on Pokemon that would normally counter Volcarona, like Politoed, Gastrodon, and Terrakion (after two boosts if it's scarfed), many of whom don't care about Volcarona's STABs and can threaten its survival in one way or another. Giga Drain's healing is extremely useful as well, since Volcarona usually takes a bit of a beating setting up-- devouring a big, tasty Hippowdon or something fixes that right up. HP Rock is utilized to gain maximum neutral and super-effective coverage, hitting Fire-types and Dragons super-effectively, and getting a neutral hit on Heatran, Hydreigon, and the Lati-twins. Blissey/Chansey and specially-defensive Heatran tend to give Volcarona the most trouble; the latter can take its hits with ease and cripple it via Thunder Wave or Toxic, and Heatran can take HP Rocks all day and just Roar it out or Toxic it.
Myrmeleon
Flygon @ Choice Scarf
[Levitate] Jolly Nature
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- U-Turn
- Fire Blast / Superpower
Summary: Ahhh, Flygon... The has-been of the century. For all the good it has in it, in typing, movepool, and ability, it just doesn't pack enough speed or power to compete with the OU dragons anymore, does it? As much as I love Flygon (which is a lot, it's actually my favorite Pokemon), I'll be the first to admit that Flygon's offensive capabilities are pretty underwhelming. However, after Garchomp was banned (as he previously occupied this spot on the team), I realized that I still needed a revenger with a ground immunity and the STAB coverage of a Dragon-- thus, Flygon got the job. Even as offensively-weak as Flygon is compared to everything else in OU, especially when running Scarf instead of Band, I found him to be very useful on my team, combining the Dragon STAB attacks of Garchomp with Landorus' ability to switch in on Earthquakes and scout with U-turn (albeit in a slightly weaker package). Ultimately, the fact that he's so weak didn't matter too terribly much, and Flygon still does a great job of revenging threats that my team needs taken out, especially when they've been weakened by so many layers of hazards. Unless Garchomp were to be unbanned, I can't see anyone else doing Flygon's job quite like he can.
I do, however, have trouble choosing his fourth move. Fire Punch does jack-all to Ferrothorn and Skarmory, so I've been trying out Fire Blast as well... I hate its accuracy, but at least it works better on those two. Bulky mons like Togekiss give the whole team trouble, and with Aero gone, only Flygon's Stone Edge seems up to the task, so that's one option... I haven't tried out Superpower yet, though I think I'm going to try that next, as it would at least get a decent hit on any wise-ass, Balloon-carrying Heatran, in addition to Ferrothorn. Gotta test it out to see how it is.
I didn't think myself terribly original when I constructed this team a while back, but as the metagame grew onward I began to realize that it was a bit more unusual and anti-metagame than I thought. It's by no means perfect and I wouldn't even go so far as to so that it's a great team, but it is surprisingly effective and has served me reasonably well, and I do think it's accurate to say that this is certainly one of the best teams I've ever constructed entirely myself. (I'm not particularly good at team-building, so take that with a grain of salt, haha.) So, I hope you enjoy hearing about the unusual tactics I've been running.
Development:
The team was conceived as a hazard-shuffling team with Restalk Milotic as the central focus, and little has changed in that regard. Other members of the team have come and go until I found what I needed to suit my needs.
Final Lineup:
Team Breakdown:
The team was conceived as a hazard-shuffling team with Restalk Milotic as the central focus, and little has changed in that regard. Other members of the team have come and go until I found what I needed to suit my needs.
Final Lineup:
Team Breakdown:
Teralith
Aerodactyl @ Focus Sash
[Pressure] Jolly Nature
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Taunt
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
Summary: 'Lead' Pokemon are considered to be pretty much dead in the 5th Gen. Old Aerodactyl here was one of the top leads in Gen 4 for his ability to get rocks out quickly and prevent opponents from getting theirs up. He still does that as well now as he did then, so what's changed? Why isn't anyone using this guy? After trying out a bulky spread, I reverted to the classic sweeper EVs. Unlike the traditional suicide lead Aero, I actually go out of my way to keep this guy around if I can possibly switch him out after setting SR and/or Taunting, and he often does a great job of cleaning up weakened teams or revenging fast mons like the Genies/Therians. I have Rock Slide over Stone Edge for accuracy and flinch chance, and it works well against opposing leads to wear them down if not KO outright (especially Ninetales). Aero is mainly here to reliably set up Stealth Rock as well as prevent it going up on our side, and when saved for later, he makes a good revenger as well.
Palanock
Forretress @ Leftovers
[Sturdy] Sassy Nature
252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
- Spikes
- Rapid Spin
- Volt Switch
- Counter
Summary: Forretress fills many valuable roles on my team-- first and foremost, he clears out hazards from my side of the field, ensuring that Aero's Focus Sash stays intact and that Volcarona comes in safely. Secondly, he sets up Spikes on anything that's unable to do significant damage to him, especially other spikers (whose hard work he can easily get rid of while setting up alongside them). And thirdly, he sponges powerful Outrages and Draco Meteors aimed at the likes of Milotic and the team's more fragile members. Forretress' usefulness isn't relegated to just that, however; Volt Switch allows it to be an effective pivot, and to escape Magnezone on a predicted switch-in, forcing more switches onto the hazards he helps lay. Counter is a weird, very situational, very underappreciated skill on Forretress... Its primary use is for stopping the rampage of physical setup sweepers, or other wall breakers with powerful attacks, like CB Haxorus and the like, at which it excels, surviving due to Sturdy (or even just on the merit of its bulk) and KOing back. Forretress can even set up hazards alongside boosting sweepers like Conkeldurr and Scizor, then simply Counter for the KO when they reach +6 (or on a predicted hit beforehand). If all else fails and I Counter too early, spamming it forces opponents to choose between KOing themselves on Forretress' counter, or switching out and losing the boosts-- a win either way. Forry rarely finds himself needing to use it, but after trying out other moves in that slot, nothing else quite works on this team like Counter does.
Regalacida
Milotic @ Leftovers
[Marvel Scale] Bold Nature
252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
- Scald
- Dragon Tail
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Summary: The all-purpose wall and unabashed star of the team. Milotic is the all-purpose glue that holds the entire team together. Seriously, why don't more people run Milotic?! THIS THING NEVER DIES except to crits and the like. I've had her take +2 Outrages from Salamence WITHOUT Marvel Scale and survive before. Specs Jolteon/Rotom-W is the only foe this regal serpent fears, taking all else with impunity, Resting it off, shuffling foes around, and scalding physical attackers left and right. If she falls, it's likely that the rest of them will soon follow-- which is good, because Milotic is really, really, really hard to eliminate. A year or so ago, Milotic was all over the place in OU, so I have to wonder what exactly happened...? Why are people so surprised when Milotic is so difficult to bring down? Aero and Forry set the hazards, and this beauty makes sure everyone on the opposing team gets his face slung into them time and time again.
Deildegast
Gengar @ Leftovers
[Levitate] Timid Nature
4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
- Substitute
- Disable
Summary: The spin blocker and other sweeper-stopper. Sub-Disable Gengar is hands-down Gengar's best set this generation, and no team could be better suited to its talents than this one. Gengar utterly shuts down the likes of (Poison Heal) Breloom, Gliscor, and Conkeldurr, and Toxicroak that foolishly dare to run only 2 attacking moves. The combination of Gengar's offensive power, his ability to wall certain sweepers, and his propensity to force switches around makes him an extremely valuable offensive and defensive threat, and anyone not sufficiently prepared to deal with him can potentially be swept away by the subtle power of his trickery. As far as spinblocking goes, he can deal with most spinners sufficiently, though Tentacruel can be problematic due to how long it takes Gengar to KO it, and if Tentacruel runs Water/Ice coverage, then Gengar's survival is not always guaranteed.
Ulgamoth
Volcarona @ Leftovers
[Flame Body] Modest Nature
252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpDef
- Quiver Dance
- Fiery Dance
- Giga Drain
- Hidden Power [Rock]
Summary: Forget Reuniclus. Forget Conkeldurr. Volcarona is one of the most deadly sweepers in all of OU. True, that power comes at quite a high price, but the results are well worth the risk, as anyone without Rain support or Scarf Terrakion / Landorus / Tyranitar (or other fast Rock-attack user) is instantly swept away by the overwhelming might of this solarian insect. I switch this guy in on Scizor or any special attacker without a super-effective attack and boost like mad, and its great physical bulk often allows it to take several priority attacks (many of which it resists) and persist with its thorough and deadly sweep. Now, I know what you're thinking... 'You don't use Bug Buzz? What are you, an idiot?' Well, maybe, but that's beside the point. Fire/Grass/Rock is better neutral coverage in OU than anything else Volcarona could run, to be perfectly frank. Yes, it struggles against Psychic-types like Reuniclus and Lati@s without STAB Bug Buzz, but frankly, Volcarona just likes to set up in their faces anyway (though it does need to watch out for Psyshock, but unless I get into a boosting war with them, Volcarona's physical bulk is usually enough to take it. The real draw of this set is the ability to land surprise KOs on Pokemon that would normally counter Volcarona, like Politoed, Gastrodon, and Terrakion (after two boosts if it's scarfed), many of whom don't care about Volcarona's STABs and can threaten its survival in one way or another. Giga Drain's healing is extremely useful as well, since Volcarona usually takes a bit of a beating setting up-- devouring a big, tasty Hippowdon or something fixes that right up. HP Rock is utilized to gain maximum neutral and super-effective coverage, hitting Fire-types and Dragons super-effectively, and getting a neutral hit on Heatran, Hydreigon, and the Lati-twins. Blissey/Chansey and specially-defensive Heatran tend to give Volcarona the most trouble; the latter can take its hits with ease and cripple it via Thunder Wave or Toxic, and Heatran can take HP Rocks all day and just Roar it out or Toxic it.
Myrmeleon
Flygon @ Choice Scarf
[Levitate] Jolly Nature
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- U-Turn
- Fire Blast / Superpower
Summary: Ahhh, Flygon... The has-been of the century. For all the good it has in it, in typing, movepool, and ability, it just doesn't pack enough speed or power to compete with the OU dragons anymore, does it? As much as I love Flygon (which is a lot, it's actually my favorite Pokemon), I'll be the first to admit that Flygon's offensive capabilities are pretty underwhelming. However, after Garchomp was banned (as he previously occupied this spot on the team), I realized that I still needed a revenger with a ground immunity and the STAB coverage of a Dragon-- thus, Flygon got the job. Even as offensively-weak as Flygon is compared to everything else in OU, especially when running Scarf instead of Band, I found him to be very useful on my team, combining the Dragon STAB attacks of Garchomp with Landorus' ability to switch in on Earthquakes and scout with U-turn (albeit in a slightly weaker package). Ultimately, the fact that he's so weak didn't matter too terribly much, and Flygon still does a great job of revenging threats that my team needs taken out, especially when they've been weakened by so many layers of hazards. Unless Garchomp were to be unbanned, I can't see anyone else doing Flygon's job quite like he can.
I do, however, have trouble choosing his fourth move. Fire Punch does jack-all to Ferrothorn and Skarmory, so I've been trying out Fire Blast as well... I hate its accuracy, but at least it works better on those two. Bulky mons like Togekiss give the whole team trouble, and with Aero gone, only Flygon's Stone Edge seems up to the task, so that's one option... I haven't tried out Superpower yet, though I think I'm going to try that next, as it would at least get a decent hit on any wise-ass, Balloon-carrying Heatran, in addition to Ferrothorn. Gotta test it out to see how it is.
