ORAS OU Homemade OU Boi (RMT)

[Julie Chen]

More often than not I like to look at people's teams, and if I like them, i'll tweak them a bit to my liking and use them, or i'll use the same team i've used since ORAS came out. Well, I wanted to give making my own team a shot, so here it is.

Azumarill, Gallade-M, Landorus-T, Ferrothorn, Magnezone, and Keldeo.

LandoCaltherian (Landorus-Therian) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock

Lando is usually my lead, which is fairly predictable, but has rarely lead me wrong yet. Landorus is strong enough that I can invest it to be bulky and still be able to do a good amount of damage. This Lando is my answer to Talonflame, which would otherwise be a threat. It's a common bulky Lando moveset, Stealth Rocks first turn then EQ/SE the current Pokemon if it'll do a lot or just Knock Off the Pokemon switching in. Even when Lando gets down to low health, I never sack it. Intimidate comes in handy way too often.

ThornyAndSingle (Ferrothorn) @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Spikes
- Leech Seed
- Gyro Ball
- Protect

Honestly the funnest Pokemon to use and the one I do the most on this team. Ferro can take a hit from literally almost anything. It's defense is high enough that I can invest in SpD so it can eat up special attacks too. With the Leftovers, Leech Seed, and Protect combo, I can heal up any damage I do take so I can continue to take hits. Set up Spikes upon switches. Gyro Ball is to take out fast Defoggers that i'll bait to come in like Latios/Latias and deal some damage to threats while their life gets drained from Leech Seed. My usual safest switch-in.

FaceOfMercy (Magnezone) @ Air Balloon
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 232 HP / 252 SpA / 24 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Flash Cannon

Fairly common Magnezone set. Just to easily deal with pesky steel types like Skarmory or Scizor or Ferrothorn. I don't think much explanation is required here. I do invest in HP over Spe because with Magnezone I can survive at least one physical attack most the time.

AlmightyRavioli (Azumarill) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Sap Sipper
EVs: 252 HP / 224 Atk / 16 Def / 16 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Play Rough
- Aqua Jet
- Waterfall
- Superpower

When I first started this team, this Pokemon was a Jirachi. But my team just kept getting messed up by fire types, especially Megazard-Y. Keldeo wasn't cutting it as fire resistance. That's why I added Azumarill. Most Azumarills are Huge Power. I wanted to catch opponents off guard with Sap Sipper. With Assault Vest, I completely counter Megazard-Y and many other special attackers. Sure, it doesn't do as much damage as i'd like, but it is a really good special defender, and takes care of Breloom and it's annoying Spore.

VivaLaFrance (Keldeo) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Justified
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Secret Sword
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Scald

Another fairly basic set. Few Pokemon want to take a Hydro Pump or Secret Sword from a specs Keldeo. If I can take out it's threats beforehand, Keldeo can sweep pretty well as long as I outspeed. Because if I don't, this thing will go down. It's fragile af. I am considering going for Icy Wind over HP Ice now. I originally just went for HP Ice because of it doing slightly more damage.

TrapCard (Gallade) (M) @ Galladite
Ability: Justified
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Zen Headbutt
- Drain Punch
- Ice Punch

And finally, my mega. Same deal with Keldo except it's physical; it's fast, it's strong, and if I can take out it's threats then it can sweep well. With it's speed and power, after a Swords Dance I can just keep healing with Drain Punch if something outpspeeds me or survives the initial hit and dish damage with Zen Headbutt. I go for Ice Punch over Knock Off as I see Ice Punch being way more useful. The only time I can see Knock Off being really useful is for ghosts, and the only really used one in OU is Gengar which Zen Headbutt takes out. I suppose it could be useful to get rid of Scarfs, but i just think as of now Ice Punch is better for coverage.

I seem to be stuck in the 1300's of Showdown's OU ladder, and i'm looking for ways I can maybe improve. What do you guys think?

 

[Scotti]

The problem I see with your team is the lack of synergy between members, so you can't break through certain teams, and the lack of switch ins to important threats.

Firstly, you should run impish nature on defensive lando-t as it helps take on threats, also because you have no attack investment and run adamant nature.
Also change your ev spread to this: 252 hp | 240 def | 8 spdef | 8 spe. This allows you to outspeed rotom-w, adamant azumarill, modest magnezone, and to also live a hp ice from mega manectric.

Next, I recommend you change your ferrothorn ev spread to 252 hp | 168 spdef | 88 def, and then run an impish nature. This allows you to take on more physical threats while taking on special threats. Personally I prefer Power Whip over Protect. This way I can break mega gyarados's sub, take on azumarill better, and prevent sub calm mind keldeo from setting up on me.

You should replace magnezone. Magnezone literally offers nothing to your team. You use it to traps steels, but your team already defeat steels; so having magnzone henders you more than benefiting you. You should consider replacing magnezone with bisharp. Bisharp gives you away to trap psychic with pursuit, who otherwise wall gallade. Pursuit from bisharp also helps keldeo, by getting rid of latias, latios, and celebi(without baton pass).

I find that azumarill set to underwhelming unless played on stall. It lacks the power to be on a offensive team, even though it offers great typing with sip sapper. You should replace azumarill with latios or latias(if you want more bulk, but you cant run scarf which makes you weaker to setup sweepers), as they take on all the thing you needed azumarill to take on. Zard Y, breloom, and even keldeo. I actual prefer you run scarf latios with trick and roost. This allows you to have a potent revenge killer to setup, and allows it to heal. Your team is also not that weak to hazards so not having defog is fine.

I think you should run Sub Calm Mind Keldeo over your current set, because your team lacks the capability to break through stall. You literally had nothing for stall before my changes and running sub calm keldeo would help with this a lot. It also offers and second win condition. Bisharp helps keldeo and gallade get in better positions to sweep, and this set makes it even easier.

Finally run knock off over Zen Headbutt on Gallade. This allows you to hit psychic types that bisharp cannot kill with pursuit. I personally prefer that you run close combat over Drain Punch, because it offers more damage. However substitute pairs well with drain punch, so you could also run substitute over Ice Punch if you want to really run drain punch well.

sets

sets

Bisharp @ BlackGlasses
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 204 Atk / 52 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch
- Pursuit
(the ev spread allows you to live hp fire from life orb latios)

Latios @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Psyshock
- Roost / Defog
- Trick

Keldeo @ Leftovers
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Calm Mind
- Substitute
- Scald
- Secret Sword

I hope I helped.

 

[Julie Chen]

Thanks for all the advice Scotti!
I'll try this updated team out, and get back to you on how it works out.

 

[Julie Chen]

Hey so these changes have helped a lot, i'm currently at around 1450 when before I was around 1320. So I thank you for that.
One thing I have found is that I really don't have anything for a Mega Sableye team. My only real option for it is Keldeo, but Sableye teams usually have something to take care of my Keldeo.
With Gallade I believe I made the right choice running Drain Punch over Close Combat, it's made sweeping pretty easy if i can take out threats first. I am now however really considering your suggestion of Knock Off though for Mews and Slowbros who can burn Bisharp.
I find my Latios going down more often than I find it doing some good damage, but it could just be I haven't adjusted to it quite yet.
Bisharp has been tons better than Magnezone. At first i was worried because of Skarmory, but Keldeo makes short work of it. I've always loved the Sucker Punch/Pursuit combo. I am kinda considering giving it a Life Orb though, so it can better take out Clefable and such. I don't expect Bisharp to live many hits so I don't think Life Orb damage would hinder me too much.
But again, overall this team is MUCH better and i appreciate the help.