The combination of Zard Y and Venusaur is something I've felt comfortable using this entire season and it has never really fallen out of meta despite being some people regarding it as sort of a "cheese" lead concept akin to Khan Artist, and now that a major event has popped up near my area I finally took the time to breed the team from scratch in my game cart after peaking at 1612 Elo and #23 on the Pokemon Showdown! VGC14 ladder with the team.
I'm mainly looking for advice on EV spreads on a couple Pokemon since I want to avoid 252/252 spreads but any other advice is welcome while I still have time to rebreed and stuff.
Charizard @ Charizardite Y
Ability: Solar Power
Level: 50
EVs: 92 HP / 100 Def / 148 SpA / 4 SDef / 164 Spe
Modest Nature
- Overheat
- Heat Wave
- Protect
- Solar Beam
The centerpiece of the team, which I feel is especially good right now at the end of the season in which the meta is becoming bulkier and slower. The team is designed around allowing Charizard to show off it's absolutely crushing wallbreaking power.
The EVs allow it to survive Jolly Mega Khan's Return (before OHKOing it with Overheat) and unboosted non STAB Rock Slides from the likes of Mamoswine and Garchomp while speed creeping Smeargle, standard Hydreigon, other Charizard and any other Pokemon that typically won't run more than 140 Speed, as well as hitting as hard as possible. Timid Mega Manectric only has a 6.3 % chance of OHKOing this Zard Y with Thunderbolt, and this spread will always survive Adamant 252 Banded Talonflame Brave Bird, meanwhile Overheat has a small chance to OHKO it from full, and will almost always do so after any kind of recoil it takes.
Venusaur @ Venusaurite
Ability: Chlorophyll
Level: 50
EVs: 156 HP / 244 SpA / 108 Spe
Modest Nature
- Sleep Powder
- Sludge Bomb
- Leaf Storm
- Protect
Another great asset to the team that can shift roles according to the matchup. Usually, Venusaur will remain in normal form and spam Sleep Powder or Leaf Storm to neutralize threats that are faster than Charizard.
In matchups that are much less favorable for Zard Y, I can use Venusaur as my Mega Pokemon instead as more of a tank and as my main check to Rain.
Mega Venusaur is also my ace in the hole for best of 3 matches in which the opponent may overprepare for Zard Y in game 2 and perhaps not account for the possibility of Venusaurite. In matches consisting of only one game, such as ladder matches, typically Mega Venusaur will not see the field unless its a hardcore Rain team or Zard Y does poorly against more than half of the opposing team and Fire weak nuisances like Mawile, Aegislash and Ferrothorn happen to be completely absent.
The EVs allow normal Venusaur to take Hydro Pump in the rain + Ice Beam from 252 SAtk Politoed 100% of the time and take 2 Ice Beams from AV Ludicolo while speed tying with Scarf Modest Salamence in the sun, and outspeeding everything slower.
Leaf Storm is chosen over Giga Drain to OHKO most Tyranitar (not in the sand), Rotom-W and Azumarill as normal Venusaur and 2HKO Garchomp and Tyranitar in the sand as Mega Venusaur. Sludge Bomb hits Ludicolo, Gardevoir, and Aromatisse hard and has decent neutral coverage for things like Rotom-H.
Aegislash @ Leftovers
Ability: Stance Change
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 176 SpA / 76 SDef
Quiet Nature
- Flash Cannon
- Substitute
- King's Shield
- Shadow Ball
My main Mega Khan check, Gardevoir check and Rock Slide spam check. Also forces mind games with Talonflame outside of the sun and is all around an excellent bulky offensive Pokemon that can do well as a glue on any team. I don't run 0 Spe IVs so I can outspeed Trick Room Gothitelle turn one but I still run Quiet to be slower than standard Mawile and Azumarill. Typically my endgame win condition once I eliminate anything that can touch it with Zard Y, Salamence, or Tyranitar early in the game. SubSlash is a good fit on this highly offensive team that can put great pressure or force out most of Aegislash's better checks, therefore setting up a Sub is never an especially hard feat and once I do it can really seal up a lot of games, again, great glue Pokemon. This spread survives Overheat from any Rotom-H as well as most Zard Y Heat Waves in the sun.
Salamence @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
EVs: 20 HP / 92 Def / 252 SpA / 4 SDef / 140 Spe
Modest Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Dragon Pulse
- Fire Blast
- Rock Slide
Originally I had Specs Hydreigon here but I realized I lacked Intimidate or Will o Wisp support and I already had Zard as a wallbreaker so I changed to Scarf Modest Mence for Intimidate support and to check fast, annoying and frail threats like Mega Manectric, Aerodactyl, Talonflame and Gengar. Timid is nice for speed tying opposing Mences but without a Modest nature Salamence is disappointingly weak and even at -1 Mamoswine's Ice Shard will OHKO opposing Salamence. Speaking of which, I designed this spread specifically to survive -1 Adamant Life Orb Mamoswine Ice Shard and be able to OHKO back with Meteor after the Orb recoil while still having enough Speed to outpace Timid Mega Manectric. In addition, this spread will almost always survive Return from 252 Adamant Kangaskhan even without Intimidate, meanwhile Draco Meteor does over 50% to even the bulkiest variants.
Mamoswine @ Life Orb
Ability: Thick Fat
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Ice Shard
- Icicle Crash
- Earthquake
- Protect
Great anti meta Pokemon to check many of the Dragon types that can really trouble this team (including the most popular Pokemon at Worlds this year, Garchomp) and at the same time threaten Klefki, Manectric, Chandelure, Tyranitar, and Mawile with STAB Earthquake and is just an excellent spread move to have overall. It's also to keep other annoying Pokemon for this team like Aerodactyl, Zapdos and Amoonguss at bay, and is my only source of priority. Adamant with Life Orb ensures the OHKO on pretty much all Garchomp with Ice Shard at -0 and on most Salamence at -1, and Icicle Crash will OHKO Talonflame after just about any recoil damage it takes. Definitely looking for a better EV spread here though, I couldn't come up with anything more optimal myself this time.
Tyranitar @ Lum Berry
Ability: Sand Stream
Level: 50
EVs: 36 HP / 252 Atk / 220 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Crunch
- Rock Slide
- Protect
My main way to punish Rotom-H (THE VenuZard counter), Talonflame and Aerodactyl, Lum berry is used to avoid burn, paralysis and sleep while setting up and I opted for a Jolly nature and 220 Spe EVs to outspeed to base 110s (Raichu and Gengar) and Adamant Talonflame at +1, and most Rotom at +0, the rest is invested into Attack and bulk. Also a good way to control weather if I opt out of using Zard Y in a game or am facing opposing Zard Y. Good check to the rare but troublesome Zard X as well. STAB Crunch gives great neutral coverage all around and makes Tyranitar a decent check to Aegislash provided I can predict around King's Shield, and can also threaten two uncommon but amazingly annoying threats: Meowstic and Mega Gengar.
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Main threats I need to address:
Talonflame + Khan is a nightmare even with Intimidate support, I often have to make next level plays with Aegislash in order to get past that.
Garchomp can hurt quite a bit in the late game if I can't dispose of it early game with Mamoswine or Salamence.
Rain teams can be a huge pain if Mega Venusaur gets worn down early (or I lose the weather war), since it's really my only hard check to stuff like Ludicolo, Gyarados and Politoed, everything else struggles greatly against them.
Rain + Talonflame. I don't see it a lot but my lord is it tough on this team.
Talonflame in general is an issue. I have Tyranitar but Talon is usually paired with a hard TTar check and nothing else likes Life Orb Brave Bird even at -1, and some of it's common utility moves such as Tailwind and Taunt can really spell trouble for me. Fuck this thing.
Opposing Tyranitar (especially Scarf or Mega variants) can potentially deal major damage and negates my sun.
Gyarados can be fairly annoying if I don't play Salamence or Venusaur well.
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That's the team. Please do leave constructive criticism and suggestions!
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