Playing Anti-Metagame (A Gen 5 OU Team)

[Click]

INTRODUCTION
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Usually I'd start off a RMT with something catchy that makes you laugh, or something that guilts you into rating it...well it's late, and I got nothing. So how 'bout we just start this thing right away. Cool. So what is this team trying to accomplish? Honestly, it's one and only purpose is to act as a counter to the greatest -and even the smallest- threats/concepts that have risen from Gen 5. Despite the many pokemon a given person can potentially use, there are only so many ideas and concepts that can be used with these combination. I've taken a good piece of my time evaluating the different forms of teams that have made an appearance in Gen 5, and from my observations this team was born. As I was pulling together this team, what I realized was that a lot of pokemon -even if they gained nothing from the new generation- came out amazingly well. Sets that we used to laugh at are now the epicenter of the metagame, since their once-useless potential has now reached the extreme. This team is made of the ashes of pokemon who never got to show their true colors until now, and even new pokemon who have impacted the metagame incredibly. Well is the perfect? Absolutely not! However it has worked out amazing and its FAR from retirement. So lets go on to the team...and the chart thingy which i'm really proud of and HAD to show off.

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Type Chart

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A Closer Look
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Azelf @ Focus Sash

• Levitate
• 252 SpAtk | 4 SpDef | 252 Spe
• Naive Nature [+Speed, -SpDef ]
• Moveset:

• • 
    
    
    - Flamethrower: I love this move simply because it has the potential to hit so many pokemon for an amazing amount of damage, and the amount of coverage it gives me against steel types who may resist the rest of Azelf's moveset allows azelf to stop annoyances like Scizor and Natorrie.
  • 
    - Grass Knot: With about 20% of teams being sandstorm teams, and about 50% of those teams leading with Hippowdon, Grass Knot immediately gets rid of the hippo that could otherwise cause quite a few problems for my team.
  • 
    - Psychic: As I'm sure you've noticed by now, this is an offensive Azelf, and STAB Psychic is definitely a must as it hits anything for extraordinary power that may resist the rest of Azelf's moveset.
  • 
    - U-Turn: Seeing as my team resists every type (bar ice) at least 2 times, Azelf has the ability on this team to switch out whenever needed so another team member can come in and take a hit with ease. U-turn, as with any other pokemon, lets Azelf switch out of the field on most threats, while atleast doing some damage to the opponent.
  
  .....
  Why this Pokemon?:
  The new gen has introduced some amazing new pokemon to us, many of which could make some remarkable leads. So why use an old Gen 4 pokemon that is growing outdated? While its true that Offensive Azelf is quite an old trick, the new metagame has actually allowed my friend to show its true colors once again. Honestly, who expects their Burungeru to be 2HKO'd by Grass Knot, or for the Nattorie to be dead from one Flamethrower? Not to mention all the new fighting type pokemon who just LOVE being pelted down by Psychic. When my opponent sees that I'm leading with an Azelf -which I do in most situations- they ultimately decide that I'm going to set up one them, and then I watch as Azelf does its thing. The choice of item on Azelf is one that just sort of stuck as it lets me do a lot more with the (somewhat) poor defenses I'm provided with. A scizor, for example, may come in for the Bullet Punch only to find that I live with my sash, leaving them fainted from the Flamethrower. I go by the idea that being able to attack just one more time in a match is a lot better than a 30% boost from life orb, or a 50% boost from choice specs making a Focus Sash the ultimate choice for me.
  .....
  EVs & Nature:
  252 Speed and a Naive nature is pretty self explanatory. I needed speed, so I gave it speed.
  252 Special Attack, again, is a pretty basic concept in a SPECIAL ATTACK Azelf, as it allows Azelf to do what's it's meant to do.
  4 Attack is there mostly because of U-Turn and you never know when it may help in the long run!
  
  .....
  Considered Changes
  Completely open to other options, but Azelf's special movepool isn't THAT great so I think I chose the most effective moveset.
  
  
  
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  Heatran @ Balloon
  
  • Flash Fire
  • 4 HP | 252 SpAtk | 252 Spe
  • Timid (+Speed, -Attack)
  • Moveset:
  • • 
      
      
      - Nitro Charge: Gen 5 gave Heatran this new toy which can give Heatran the speed of a Scarfed set, while still leaving the rest of my movepool open.
    • 
      - Dragon Pulse: Not many dragons can manage to outspeed Heatran after a Nitro Charge, not to mention take the hit. And lets face it, there aren't many attacks in Heatran's arsenal that can hit the dragons of OU.
    • 
      - Fire Blast: While it may seem a bit repetitive with Nitro Charge, nothing gives you quite the same power of a STAB Fire Blast, plus its not like we're expecting Nitro Charge to do any real damage.
    • 
      - Earth Power: This move is almost a requirement on any standard Heatran today, as its the best way to dispose of any fire types and -perhaps most importantly- any opposing Heatrans.
  
  .....
  Why this Pokemon?:
  So Heatran in itself filled in for several weaknesses in my team, especially my Fire weaknesses that my two walls unfortunately shared. But I felt as if I was wasting a perfectly good Heatran by only putting it on the team so that it could fill up my weaknesses. At the same time, taking a fully offensive Heatran seemed to break through the style of the team, and it just wasn't flowing well. Yet by taking out Heatran all together from the team, I was left with these massive gaps that left my team pretty vulnerable to some very common threats. I decided to take a risk, and take on the task of maintaining a Nitro Charge Heatran. When I came into this set, I was looking for something fast but flexible and thats just what I got. Nitro Charge gave me to speed but more options than a Scarf, and I could still switch in or out anytime I felt as if I could be threatened. Yet Nitro Charge still left me vulnerable to the biggest threat that any Heatran may ever face...an opposing Heatran. Yet thank goodness, Gen 5 provided me with a tool that -in my opinion- is an indirect blessing sent down to all the Heatrans of the world. The BALLOON! (seriously though, you'd think someone would of invented this 3 generations ago.) Putting any kind of Choiced item on Heatran is virtually pointless on top of Nitro Charge, and keeping a Life Orb on me just wasted my health with Every Nitro Charge since it wouldn't do much anyways. While leftovers seemed tempting, they didn't stop me from being OHKO'd by another Heatran's Earth Power, or a Doryuzzu's deadly Earthquake. Thus the balloon was put on Heatran, establishing a solid yet powerful Heatran.
  .....
  EVs & Nature:
  Huh, I'm wondering if this EV section is even worth doing on sets as obvious as Heatran's...
  252 Special Attack EVs lets me hit my opponent for max damage.
  252 Speed and a Timid Nature is so that I can match a Choice Scarf's set with Nitro Blast.
  4 HP is there because someone is gonna yell at me if I don't max out my EVs, and I'm sure one day I'll live by only 1HP, and i'll be very happy I put it on there. (Seriously though, never EVER think that 4 EVs won't help ya somewhere in life)
  
  .....
  Considered Changes
  Well there have been times Hidden Power Grass seems superior over Dragon Pulse, but I think Dragon Pulse has helped me moreover.
  
  
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  Skarmory @ Leftovers
  
  • Sturdy
  • 252 HP | 236 Sp.Def | 20 Spe
  • Careful Nature (+SpDef, -SpAtk)
  • Moveset:
    • 
      - Spikes: Well I don't need to say why Skarmory has Spikes as part of its moveset (don't most of them have it?), but Spikes itself can rack up an amazing amount of damage on the opponent. Spikes has a newly found benefit since, now that you're able to see your opponent's team pre-battle, I can determine whether or not it's worth spending 3 turns setting my Spikes up.
    • 
      - Stealth Rocks: I'm not expecting Skamory to set up everything, but -again- I can often times determine what entry hazards are of most use against the given team, therefor eliminating a lot of unnecessary work that was needed in the past generations.
    • 
      - Whilwind: Well this is perhaps the greatest way to abuse the shear power of my hazards, but if anything it'll let me get rid of any major stat boosts my opponent has been getting while I've been setting up myself.
    • 
      - Roost: Skarmory has quite a few things that other Spikers don't, but an ability to heal is perhaps the greatest of them all. With Roost, I can prolong Skarmory's ability to set up Spikes, bring myself back to Sturdy, or just loose my flying typing for a turn to act as a makeshift scouter for any electric moves that Nidoking can switch into.
  
  .....
  Why this Pokemon?:
  IT'S A SKARMORY. IT'S GOOD AT WHAT IT DOES, AND FORRETRESS ANNOYS ME TOO MUCH TO USE AS A SPIKER. There. Summary done. Lets move on...no? Fine. So when you looked at my team, it probably looked seriously repetitive between Nattorei and Skarmory, who both are known to do the same thing(put out Spikes), but only in different styles. So why use Skarmory for this? Well the truth is, I feel as if Nattorei simply has more options. Now I'm not at all saying that Skarmory is bad, but -for what I want this team to do- Nattorei's time can be better spent. Being able to switch in and out at will, Skarmory has an amazing number of chances to set up its Spikes, heal, etc., and that's all it needs to do. Doryuzu, for example, can only dream to beat Skarmory through Rock Slide flinches, and any attempt it makes to set up Swords Dance will be countered by Whirlwind. If there is one thing I may regret in my move set, it's my lack of actual attacking moves in it, making me extremely vulnerable to Taunt. However predicting a Taunt is fairly easy since very few movesets remain secrets these days, and usually I'll switch a more appropriate member of my team in for these situations.
  ....
  EVs & Nature:
  252 HP enchances Skarmory's already killer defenses, increasing my overall time on the field
  236 Spc. Def and a Careful nature brings my Special Defense almost to where my Defense should be, creating an all around great wall to cover both ends of the offensive spectrum.
  20 Speed gives Skarmory only 4 EVs more than the "average" Skarmory, but its just enough to beat their Whirlwind with my own. Yeah it's unlikely, but it's also possible and extremely helpful.
  .....
  Considered Changes
  N/A
  
  
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  Nidoking @ Choice Scarf
  
  • Encourage
  • 4 HP | 252 SpAtk | 252 Spe
  • Timid (+Speed, -Attack)
  • Moveset:
    • 
      - Flamethrower: No more Skarmory, Nattorei, Lucario, Fottetress, Abamosnow, Breloom, (the list goes for like 2 more hours...)
    • 
      - Ice Beam: Just great coverage with the rest of my moveset, allowing me to hit pokemon (namely Dragons) that resist the rest of my moveset.
    • 
      - Thunderbolt: Helps me beat any bulky waters, though Nidoking may not be the best choice for them anyways...
    • 
      - Earth Power: Perhaps a risky move to use if there are any flying type survivors, but I'm not going to let that stop me from using Nidoking's most powerful STAB move of the century.
  
  .....
  Why this Pokemon?:
  Gimmicky? Probably. Original? Most likely. Absolutely astounding? Yes. So you see a choice Scarf Nidoking. Or well i guess if you're my opponent, then all you see is a fat dinosaur that looks like it can't outspeed a thing...but off topic. Nidoking always struck me as one of those pokemon that looks the part, but simply couldn't play the part with what it was given. However Gen 5 gave it a new toy to play with. Encourage. Giving up a 10% chance of status or Spc. Def. Drop is certainly worth the (say it with me) THIRTY PERCENT increase of encourage. Having access to each of the elemental (blasts?) attacks may seem a little old school all things considered, but it's simply...amazing. But here was the problem. While it now had the power to do what I needed it to do, Nidoking was...slow. I mean, not REALLY slow, just...slow. Putting on a Scarf was risky, and I new that. But when I tested it out, I was amazed. Having so many resistances on my team (will i ever shut up about that), Nidoking can always switch out if I'm locked into an un-ideal move. Through the Choice Scarf, I can revenge kill almost all the Dragons of OU with Ice Beam, and actually just about anything else now that you mention it. And while I'm not entirely sure how much longer Skymin is going to be in OU, Choice Scarf allows Nidoking to outspeed Skymin by just 0.5, which is more than enough for me.
  ....
  EVs & Nature:
  4 HP is here because...well not quite sure where else I may want to put it, but 1 HP may always come in handy at some point
  252 Special Attack could never have been provided more usefully, allowing me to KO many pokemon after accumulated Entry Hazard Damage
  252 Speed...well its a revenge killer, right?
  .....
  Considered Changes
  None as of now.
  
  
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  Gyarados @ Leftovers
  
  • Intimidate
  • 156 HP | 72 Atk | 96 Def | 184 Speed
  • Jolly Nature (+Speed, -Special Attack)
  • Moveset:
    • 
      - Dragon Dance: Having the amazing bulk that it does, Gyarados is given a great opportunity to set up using the one and only Dragon Dance. This gives me the power of a Banded set, and the speed of a Scarfed one, while still having considerable bulk to back me up.
    • 
      - Waterfall: Probably the “standard” on any Gyarados, as it gives me STAB, an occasional flinch, and all-around great power.
    • 
      - Bounce: Bounce has STAB, and it has reliability. Two things Stone Edge just doesn't have. Gyarados' purpose on this team is as both a semi-wall and a sweeper, but if I can't rely on Stone Edge to finish off the opponent due to lack of accuracy, then I feel like I'm putting my Gyarados at too much risk.
    • 
      - Taunt: Since Bounce is going to give opponents like Burungeru a chance to heal up, Taunt is absolutely needed. Even more importantly, Taunt keeps Gyarados safe from Toxic/Burn, and allows me to set up on wall like Nattorei who, instead of stopping me, will be screwed over by their inability to cripple me. Basically, this is just a great way to get past most physical walls.
  
  .....
  Why this Pokemon?:
  *Sigh* So many pokemon have stood in this slot, but this Gyarados easily was the most spectacular of them all, and has just as easily become the MVP of the team. Gyarados on its own has Bulk, Attack, and even considerable Speed. But with Dragon Dance, I can bring Gyarados's attack and speed to inconsiderable heights, creating a nearly perfect sweeper. So why not give Gyarados more bulk, thus allowing it to set up moreover with Dragon Dance, thus allowing it to become one of the best sweepers I have actually seen. Oh, while we're at it lets throw Taunt on it to stop me from becoming the victim of Toxic or Burn. Did I mention that Intimidate only increases its incredible bulk. Even the wretched Doryuzu can't do more than 50% to me with Rock Slide without being OHKO'd by Waterfall. There was a brief while where this Gyarados was completely bulk, but I found that the extra EVs didn't really change whether or not I lived a STAB thunderbolt from Jolteon, and overall it seemed like a waste of one of the best pokemon to ever enter my team. This set literally stops 99% of the walls that were meant to stop other variants of Gyarados, allowing me to have an aggravating surprise if I use it correctly.
  ....
  EVs & Nature:
  56 HP may not seems all too amazing, but it does get me all around bulk without dominating most of the EVs
  72 Atk...I have Dragon Dance, not to mention 125 base Attack. Who cares if I don't max it out? The lack of power is definitely worth the extra playing time on the field I get.
  96 Def, just like for HP, only increases upon my already incredible bulk.
  184 Speed lets Gyarados have a bit more in its only lacking stat (bar spc. attack), and increases the speed I gain from DD.
  *EVs are bound to change in the near future. These were from Generation 4, with Generation 4 calculations. I'll try to change these in the next 24 hours, but if anyone has a better spread then that'd be great!*
  
  .....
  Considered Changes
  Working on EVs, and perhaps a replacement for Bounce though I've been overall satisfied with it.
  
  
  
  
  
  Nattorei @ Rugged Helmet
  • Iron Barbs
  • 252 HP | 160 Def | 96 Spc Def | -31 Speed EVs
  • Relaxed Nature [+Defense, -Speed]
  • Moveset:
  • • 
      
      
      - Leech Seed: Using Rugged Helmet over leftovers was a dangerous choice, so I needed to rely on leech seed's support to make up for any health I would otherwise be gaining from leftovers. However Leech Seed on top of Rugged Helmet Damage can do dangerous damage to the opponent, and if anything it'll force a switch.
    • 
      - Toxic: Combined with Leech Seed, entry hazards, and the occasional Rugged Helmet/Iron Barb damage, Toxic only adds on to the stream of pain that Nattorie is sure to bring. While I don't always expect Nattori to set up both Toxic and Leech Seed, any one of these on its own still keeps the opponent low on health which is really Nattori's main purpose on the team.
    • 
      - Protect: While protect won't give me any leftover damage, it does -atleast- one of several things for me. It can let me scout for the next incoming move. It can suspend Toxic damage. Or it can gain some health back from Leech Seed. Each of these 3 things can be equally helpful to me making protect a move that fits perfectly in the slot.
    • 
      - Gyro Ball: Well given the negative speed nature and the 0 speed IVs, Gyro Ball was a pretty standard choice. I'm obviously not expecting to KO much with this, but it is always nice to get a chunk off of an opponent, and is a good filler in between using Protect.
  
  .....
  Why this Pokemon?:
  Nattorei is one of those pokemon that you look at and automatically give it a stereotype. You assume that it's gonna set up Spikes, and then just sorta sit there waiting for a Heatran or Shanderaa to finish it off. And yes, Nattorei is indeed one of the best spikers in the current metagame, but obviously I'm not proving this in my move set. What people don't consider is how well defensive Nattorei can be once you've gotten your hazards set up, and how -when played late game- it can actually lead to the end of some very common sweepers. Most physical sweepers will take nearly 30% damage everytime they touch my pretty-little-weed, which isn't even factoring in Leech Seed Damage, Toxic, etc. Now let the record show that I'm not expecting Nattorei to be the primary cause of damage on my team. However it is good at what it does, and I intend to make the best of it. I also must make a point of saying that Nattorei works amazingly with the rest of my team, as any problems Nattorei may face are just as easily fixed by the synergy it has with the other members of my team, mainly Heatran and Gyarados. I needed something to make some major dents in my opponents team before I broke through it, and it seemed as if Nattorei had the equipped means to get this job done the way I wanted it.
  EVs & Nature:
  252 HP has become the standard for almost any wall, as it provides all around coverage against all sorta of moves. Nattorei is no exception.
  160 Defense with a Relaxed Nature lets me take on almost all physical hits, making my item and ability do their jobs all the more better.
  96 Sp Def is there mostly so that it can still take hits from the special side of things, though having 11 resistances means Nattorei doesn't require the full 252 EVs for success.
  0 Speed IVs...GYRO BALL!
  
  .....
  Considered Changes
  None at the moment, though I'm completely open to suggestions.

 

[SilentRevolver]

Hey Click I got your PM!
The team looks good but has a few problems. First why do you use Heatran? Balloon Nitro Charge Tran is awesome but it can almost never switch in for free with out risk of losing it's balloon and even then after a +1 boost Tran will still be out sped by the even common Swift Swimmers and scarfed Dragons (namely Latios, Garchomp, and Salamence). I would replace Tran with an Terakion like this
Terakion
Item-Life Orb
Nature-Adamant
EV's-52Hp 252Atk 204Spe
Moves- Close Combat, Stone Edge, X-Scissor, Rock Polish
The Ev's allow Terakion to out speed max speed Dory in the sand after a boost, add a bit of bulk and Maximum power after proper hazards are laid down Terakion will easily sweep teams. X-Scissor is there to take care of things like Latios and Latias, Rankorosu etc.

Next off I see that your Gyarados is a little out of date. I would keep him on your team but with a more defensive annoying set aimed at taking advantage of entry hazards. Try this set
Gyarados
Item-Leftovers
Nature-Impish
Ev's 248Hp 252Def 8SpDef
Moves-Rest, Sleep Talk, Waterfall, Dragon Tail
The Ev's allow for maximum physical bulk as well as keeping your Hp an odd number. This set will totally screw over offensive teams and stall alike as rest replenishes your Hp and Sleep talk could very well choose Dragon Tail and send your opponents flying back into their pokeballs, thus racking up more hazard damage. This Gyarados set also gets rid of your Roobushin weakness. because once Azelf is gone Roobushin will run through your team.

Also on a side note replace protect and toxic on nattorei instead use Power Whip and Spikes. Oh and even though it's not necessary use Leftovers over rugged helmet because I find it more useful, but that is up to you.

Finally I would replace Skarmory on your team as it really doesn't offer much, and is basically set up fodder for a lot of pokemon. I would choose something more powerful that can take advantage of switches to set up and oddly enough that pokemon is Garchomp.
Garchomp
Item-Leftovers
Nature-Jolly
EV's-252Hp 60Def 136SpDef 60 Spe
Moves-Stealth Rock, Substitute, Dragon Tail, Earthquake
Alright I know this set looks odd but the real magic is to be told. Garchomp is constantly forcing switches of which you can choose to set up Rocks on the switch or set up a sub and begin dragon tail spamming. The Hp, Def, and SpDef EV's allow Garchomp to take Ice beams, and Hi-jump kicks you name it very well. The rest is thrown into Speed to out speed whatever you can like neutral natured lucario. Use it and see the beast inside.

Other than that the team looks pretty solid and I wish you good luck!

 

[Cooltrainer]

Obviously, with 5th Gen in toe, a lot of the fourth generation threats are now pretty much obsolete. As mentioned above, a lot of the Gyarados' tend to be ResTalkers in order to stop the onslaught of physical attackers.

But a DD Taunt Gyara would wreck your team. Yeah, Nidoking can revenge it, but you cant rely on switching directly to it because most good players attack first turn to check for a Gyara counter. Nattorei can wall it for days, but it can only Gyro Ball it.

Heatran gets dropped, as does Azelf. I suggest you drop toxic or leech seed for Power Whip :)

 

[Jaroda]

Two really quick things. First off, this is by far my favorite format I've seen for a RMT. Please don't be offended if I steal it in the future. :p Also, can you please tell me where to got your resistance chart? I've been dying to find that.

Sorry, now for the rate.

I must say I'm a pretty big fan of this team as the style is a bit similar to mine. Lots of resistances and some bulky offense.

On Heatran I only suggest replace Dragon Pulse for HP Ice. Most of the dragons are 4x weak to it and it is very important for mon like Gliscor and Landlos.

Rain teams seem like the big issue here. Specs Hydro Pump Kingdra will just rip through everything. Even Nattorei in three hits if it insists on it. As such I think you should totally rework Nattorei into something that spreads paralysis, lay hazards and can use Power Whip against Rain Teams and you replace Skarmory for Tentacruel. Tentacruel is VERY anti-meta right now.

Tentacruel@Leftovers
Calm 252 HP / 4 Df / 252 SpD
Toxic Spikes
Rapid Spin
Hail
Barrier/Reflect/Boil Over/Surf/HP Electric

You want to be really anti-meta than there's no bigger monkey wrench right now then Hail. Absolutely ruins Rain and Sand teams, especially after their weather inducer is gone, who they'll be struggling to keep alive when you keep changing the weather on them. Toxic Spikes are hell for Rain teams ans because most are special attacks they can't do anything to Tentacruel. Ludicolo for example is ineffective with Surf, Focus Blast AND Ice Beam and Giga Drain actually hurts it with Liquid Ooze, which is neutral. Just watch out for Draco Meteor and Zapdos. HP Electric and Toxic Spikes let you outstall Politoed who can't poison you. Boil Over is better for Tyranitar though obviously.

 

[PunkWafflezXD]

Also, can you please tell me where to got your resistance chart? I've been dying to find that.

It's marriland's team builder if I'm not mistaken

Also I'll add a rate later, this team seems rather interesting.

 

[elDino]

Hey Click, this is a really great team that you have here, it counters most of the top threats that I can think of off the top of my head. One thing I can say is that Heatran, although it was amazing last generation this time round it lacks the same punch it had before. On the other hand, one pokemon who has now become awesome and would fit well in place of Heatran is Blaziken. With speed boost Blaziken is now a complete boss. Something like this would fit really well over your Heatran:

Blaziken @ Life Orb / Wide Lens (personal preference really...)
Jolly Nature
Ability: Speed Boost
~Swords Dance
~Hi Jump Kick
~Flare Blitz / Blaze Kick
~Stone Edge

This set keeps the fire type that you want and adds a real offensive threat to you team along with a way to fix up your slight weakness to stall. It can also act as a revenge killer if you choose to run protect over any of those moves so you can get the speed boost and then KO your opponent. Anyways, I enjoyed looking at this team and the presentation was really nice - keep up the good work!
Good luck!