Building Hyper Offense in OU

Introduction

OU is known for being a tier where many playstyles are viable. The (arguably) best, most effective playstyle in the current metagame is hyper offense, often abbreviated to HO. This is because this playstyle performs excellently against most opposing playstyles with the variety of options available on a team, as well as its ability to consistently pressure the opponent until their team has been weakened enough to be cleaned up. Hyper offense is also generally easy to use; the main idea of the playstyle is to set up entry hazards, continuously pick at the opposing team with sweepers and wallbreakers, and, once the opposition is weakened enough, send in a cleaner to finish off the opposing team. Hyper offense also focuses on generating a lot of momentum—for the uninformed, momentum is the act of creating ideal matchups for the player to increase their chances of winning. In this article, I will be listing the main functions of an HO team and listing Pokémon that fit these conditions (do note that these are not the sole viable Pokémon for each slot), easing the process of making teams. Without further ado, let's get to it.

The Lead	The Wallbreakers	The Sweepers	The Cleaners / Revenge Killers
Click on the Pokémon sprite to show/hide the information about it.
The main purpose of leads on hyper offense teams is to set up an entry hazard and gain momentum. The main way of doing this, as seen in the examples above, is by setting up an entry hazard while sacrificing the lead or by pressuring the foe enough by moving first. Some hyper offense leads may also use Taunt to make the foe unable to set up its own entry hazards. Azelf, Skarmory, Scolipede, and Garchomp all execute the role of a hyper offense lead very well due to their ability to set up entry hazards as well as generate large amounts of momentum.	The purpose of wallbreakers on hyper offense teams is to soften up the foe with obscenely powerful attacks that ultimately cripple the opposing team as the opponents are pressed to find a good switch-in to such powerful Pokémon. Most hyper offensive teams run two wallbreakers, and it's best to keep it at this number to effectively soften up the opposing team and make it easier to finish the game. In terms of wallbreakers, OU is absolutely riddled with them, and it is not hard at all to find one that accommodates your team's needs. For instance, Keldeo, Mega and non-Mega Heracross, Diggersby, and Mega Gardevoir are all functional wallbreakers on hyper offense teams. However, the above wallbreakers are some of the most common ones in the tier and are ultimately some of the best that the tier has to offer.	The idea of sweepers is to provide a wincon (for the uninformed, a Pokémon that can be used as the path to victory) or mid-game breaker both in one. Sweepers rely completely on setting up, and after they have done so, they are able to wreak havoc during a game. The above four sweepers are not objectively the best in OU; however, they are very commonly seen and are excellent sweepers and Pokémon in their own right.	Cleaners and revenge killers take advantage of the weakened opposing team and finish them off with their high-powered STAB attacks and coverage moves. Most cleaners excel in having a high Speed stat (or, in certain cases, enough Speed to utilize Choice Scarf) and high attacking stats. The listed Pokémon above all qualify as good cleaners.

Azelf

Azelf is arguably one of the best hyper offense leads in OU. With a base Speed stat of 115, Azelf outpaces almost every opposing lead and is able use Taunt on them to prevent them from setting up their own entry hazards. Then, Azelf can set up its own Stealth Rock, and once it's brought down to its Focus Sash, it can use Explosion to KO itself and give the player an ideal matchup. Because of this, Azelf is one of the most common leads on hyper offense teams and should always be considered when teambuilding.

Skarmory

Skarmory doesn't pack an incredible Speed stat like Azelf does—its utility lies in its ability and item. Because Sturdy takes the place of a Focus Sash, Skarmory can afford to run a Custap Berry instead. Thanks to this combination, Skarmory is always guaranteed at least one layer of entry hazards unless it gets hit by Taunt. When it's brought down to Sturdy, Skarmory can utilize Custap Berry to either set up another layer of Spikes, use Brave Bird to KO itself and block Rapid Spin and Defog, or use Iron Head to hit Mega Diancie, which would otherwise counter this set.

Scolipede

Scolipede may seem to be an odd choice for a hyper offense lead, especially given how it used to be stereotyped to be the face of the infamous QuickPass. The truth lies in Scolipede's access to Spikes and Speed Boost; thanks to Speed Boost, Scolipede can outpace the opposition and continue to set up Spikes. When it's brought down to its Focus Sash, Scolipede can use Endeavor to cripple the foe enough for a teammate to come in and take advantage of this. However, Scolipede suffers from not being able to set up the superior Stealth Rock, so it sees somewhat less usage due to this.

Garchomp

Garchomp finds itself to be one of the most common hyper offense leads due to its combination of bulk, power, and speed, it is very reliable at setting up Stealth Rock because it outspeeds most opposing entry hazard setters. However, the main draw to using Garchomp is its utility outside of being a lead Pokémon. Garchomp's high Attack and Speed allow it to have a large offensive presence in a match, as it outspeeds the crowded base 100 Speed tier and can damage many foes with its huge base 130 Attack stat. Furthermore, Garchomp is the only hyper offense lead that can beat Mega Sableye; the combination of Lum Berry and Swords Dance allows Garchomp to heavily dent it and subsequently set up Stealth Rock. Because of this, Garchomp is known to be one of the most common Pokémon on hyper offense teams simply because of how much utility it brings outside of setting up entry hazards.

Kyurem-B

Kyurem-B is an effective wallbreaker for a plethora of reasons. For one, its base 170 Attack and base 120 Special Attack allow it to viably run both physical and special moves on the same set. This dwindles the number of Pokémon that can safely switch into it—especially for a Pokémon with such a potent offensive typing. Furthermore, Kyurem-B's expansive movepool further heightens its potential as a wallbreaker—with a set of Fusion Bolt, Ice Beam, Earth Power, and Outrage, Kyurem-B hits every single Pokémon in the entire game for neutral damage and destroys almost every balanced core in the metagame, which is extremely beneficial to offensive teams.

Azumarill

Azumarill may not look like much at first—however, with an Adamant nature, Huge Power, and full investment, Azumarill hits an Attack stat of 436. Coupled with a Choice Band, Azumarill hits an Attack stat of 654. With two great STAB moves in Waterfall and Play Rough complemented by Superpower, just about nothing can switch into this strong bunny, with much of the metagame risking being OHKOed. Furthermore, one of the best things about using Azumarill on a hyper offense team is that it provides a check to Mega Charizard X and Keldeo, two enormous threats to hyper offense teams under the right conditions, via its typing alone, which further adds to Azumarill's use on these teams.

Gengar

Gengar is an effective wallbreaker due to its excellent offensive movepool—Shadow Ball and Focus Blast have perfect neutral coverage together, and Sludge Wave is an excellent STAB attack—and its access to Taunt. Because of this, Gengar is able to stop many bulkier Pokémon in their tracks with Taunt while dealing heavy damage to more frail targets. Thanks to its base 130 Special Attack stat, similarly to Kyurem-B, Gengar does not have a large number of switch-ins, as most either are crippled by Taunt or are 2HKOed with the appropriate move.

Hoopa-U

The newly released Hoopa-U is a dangerous Pokémon in the current metagame and has skyrocketed to the A+ Rank on the OU viability rankings, and it's not hard to see why. Hoopa-U simply takes all the good traits of wallbreakers excluding Speed and combines them into one huge package; with a great STAB combination, off-the-charts mixed attacking stats, and a widespread coverage movepool including moves such as Gunk Shot and Drain Punch, Hoopa-U is just about the hardest Pokémon to switch into and fully counter. Conventional counters to special wallbreakers get hit hard with Hyperspace Fury, and counters to most physical wallbreakers are hit hard with Psychic. However, the downside to using Hoopa-U compared to Gengar is its abysmal Speed, which leaves it vulnerable if the opponent predicts correctly with their switch-in, and while it is incredibly hard to switch into, it is easily stopped with heavy offensive pressure.

Mega Charizard Y

Mega Charizard Y is the most powerful Mega wallbreaker in the entire game under sun. Thanks to Drought, Mega Charizard Y will essentially always be using a Choice Specs-boosted Fire Blast backed by a base 159 Special Attack. Kyurem-B was earlier noted to have no switch-ins if it predicts correctly—however, Mega Charizard Y does not have any switch-ins regardless, as it will always be able to launch a Fire Blast under sun and do enormous damage, 2HKOing even a good portion of the Pokémon that resist Fire. Mega Charizard Y's coverage is not as spread out as Kyurem-B's, but it has all the tools it needs; Fire Blast and Solar Beam (which is essentially a risk-free 120-Base Power Grass-type move under sun) are the bread and butter, while Focus Blast rounds out the coverage. However, the downside to using Mega Charizard Y as a wallbreaker is that it takes up the Mega slot, which, by virtue, gives it large competition from Kyurem-B, which functions very similarly as a wallbreaker to Mega Charizard Y. Despite this, Mega Charizard Y's wallbreaking potential should not go unnoticed, and it should always be considered on hyper offense teams.

Talonflame

Talonflame,is easily one of the most recognizable Generation 6 Pokémon and is an excellent physical attacker thanks to Gale Wings, which gives it priority on STAB Brave Bird—a very powerful combination when used correctly. Talonflame's access to Swords Dance, two high-powered STAB moves, and Gale Wings makes it very dangerous after a boost, OHKOing or 2HKOing the majority of opposing Pokémon. Pokémon that resist Brave Bird are hit hard by Flare Blitz—with the exception of Rock-types, which are not very prevalent in OU apart from Tyranitar and the rare Rhyperior.

Mega Altaria

Mega Altaria is easily one of the most effective Pokémon in the metagame. The combination of one of the best defensive typings in OU, Pixilate, and Dragon Dance makes it an incredibly effective sweeper. At +1, Mega Altaria's incredibly powerful Pixilate-boosted Return can OHKO almost every Pokémon in the metagame that it hits neutrally, as well as some resists Pokémon that resist Fairy after Stealth Rock. Coupled with Earthquake, Mega Altaria has incredible coverage. However, the true beauty to using Mega Altaria is how easily it sets up on most Pokémon thanks to its typing. In fact, there are times where leaving Keldeo, Mega Charizard X and Y, and Mega Gyarados on the field can be a liability, as Mega Altaria can come in, set up Dragon Dance, and continue to sweep.

Serperior

Serperior is a special case for a sweeper. Serperior does not require a turn to set up; thanks to Contrary, it gains a +2 boost to its Special Attack every time it uses Leaf Storm, which allows it to deal damage and set up simultaneously. Because Leaf Storm has a high Base Power, Serperior can begin sweeping teams instantly. Serperior's base 113 Speed allows it to outspeed the crowded base 110 Speed tier, making it much more effective against offensive teams. However, the drawback to using what may seem to be a perfect Pokémon is that Serperior has horrible coverage. It relies on Grass / Dragon / Fire, which is not enough to break through common Pokémon such as Heatran, Mega Venusaur, and Talonflame. Because of this, it's best used as a late-game sweeper.

Manaphy

Manaphy, a Pokémon that has been gaining popularity recently, is an excellent sweeper, especially against balance teams. Manaphy's access to Tail Glow and extensive movepool allow it to dent many balance teams with STAB Scald at +3 or with a coverage move such as Ice Beam or Shadow Ball. However, while Manaphy may excel against slower and fatter teams in general, it struggles greatly against offensive teams due to its meagre base 100 Speed, leaving it often pressured and easy to revenge kill. However, despite this, Manaphy is still an effective sweeper and is very useful for breaking fat teams that offense can struggle with.

Mega Lopunny

Mega Lopunny is known to be one of the biggest threats in the entire metagame thanks to how effortlessly it cleans up with its perfect Normal / Fighting coverage, very high base 136 Attack, and base 135 Speed that allows it to outpace the majority of the metagame. Very few Pokémon can switch into its High Jump Kick, while those that can are very vulnerable to its Return. Mega Lopunny and Spikes form a very common form of hyper offense that constantly picks at the opposing team enough for Mega Lopunny to come in and finish off everything with almost no effort.

Alakazam

Alakazam is one of the only special cleaners in the entire tier—with base 120 Speed, it outpaces a large majority of the metagame, and it hits incredibly hard thanks to its high Special Attack and ability to hold Life Orb. Furthermore, Alakazam's excellent coverage allows it to hit a good portion of the metagame very hard. Alakazam also comes has Magic Guard, which allows it to negate entry hazard damage and Life Orb recoil, making it significantly less prone to being worn down. Mega Alakazam is also an option over regular Alakazam.

Weavile

Weavile, a Pokémon that has gained more popularity recently, is one of the best Pokémon in general that can be found on offensive teams. Weavile's incredibly spammable STAB attacks in Knock Off and Icicle Crash have great offensive coverage and allow it to inflict huge damage on almost any target. Weavile's access to Ice Shard also allows it to attack the few foes that outspeed it provided that they're weakened enough. Weavile can run Swords Dance as well to secure the OHKO on most foes.

Landorus-T

Landorus-T is a good Scarfer, as it packs a very good STAB move and great coverage. Landorus-T's Intimidate pressures opposing physical attackers in case it can't OHKO them. Furthermore, Landorus-T also functions as a good pivot, as it can gain momentum early in the match by spamming U-turn.

Return to menu ^

Conclusion / Sample Team

One of the worst misconceptions that one can take away from this article is that these are the only Pokémon usable on hyper offense teams. This is completely untrue; hyper offense teams have many different options that can be put to use. Many of these options can be explored using resources such as the OU Teambuilding Compendium and the OU Viability Ranking Thread. The options listed are simply to showcase the different types of Pokémon that can be used in each role.

That being said, here's a sample team to aid you in utilizing and possibly creating your own hyper offense team.

This is a homemade hyper offense team centered around Mega Altaria. The main core is Mega Altaria + Magnezone + Weavile; Magnezone traps and KOes Ferrothorn and Skarmory, which are huge problems for Mega Altaria, while Weavile adds a bit of additional Speed while crippling opposing Pokémon with Knock Off. This core struggles with stall, so Hex Gengar was added to be the be-all and end-all answer to stall on this team. Celebi fits well, as it lets the player use Mega Altaria a bit more recklessly and provides Healing Wish support, which is very helpful also because Weavile gets worn down very easily. It also provides a check to a multitude of physical attackers, most notably Mega Lopunny, which is very important because Mega Lopunny walks all over hyper offense teams. Lastly, Cobalion, while a very team-specific option, was added, as it provides many things for the team, such as Stealth Rock, which is a given on any competent team, a Bisharp and Weavile counter, and a Mega Gardevoir check.

Hopefully this guide has helped you learn how to build a hyper offense team and consider exploring other options in terms of Pokémon to aid you in understanding this playstyle better.

« Previous Article

Home