ORAS OU March of the Martyrs

[Of Moose & Men]

The Devil may care but I don't

​

Welcome everyone, to yet another RMT by yours truly. Before we begin, we're gonna go into a little back story on why this team came to be. The truth is, I've grown extremely tired of the ORAS metagame. OU has become nearly unplayable to me, and the fact Aegislash may be dropping (at the time of me making this) only exacerbates this. With that said, I decided to have some fun and make a team that made the doldrums of OU seem enjoyable. Turns out, not only is it fun to use, but it's quite usable. With the help of Omegasization we managed to get a really fun team together while also being relatively viable. As I've stated, I've grown excessively exhausted with the metagame, and quite frankly, don't see that changing anytime soon with how some people have decided to do things. I don't forsee myself making another one of these for a very, very long time. So, with that said, let's get on with it shall we?

#####Team Building Process#####​

So, as I stated previously, I wanted to do something different, something fun. I decided to start with Meloetta, at the time of this teams creation was the beginning of the Aegislash meta, essentially a meta filled with Mega Lopunny and Aegislash. As much as I love Mega Lopunny, I've grown tired of her use, and now it feels like more of a chore, so, I decided to go with something somewhat close, who happens to be a pretty decent Aegislash check on her own.

Next, as Omegasization put it, there is a certain mega our not quite Mega Lopunny would appreciate being around to break through dedicated walls, and all in all destroy homes. That Pokemon just so happened to be Mega Garchomp, capable of leaving many Pokemon severely injured or flat out dead.

With the team as it is, there was a pretty glaring weakness to. . . a majority of the S rank mons and some As, so there had to be a blanket check introduced. My deep hatred of Aegislash prevented me from adding Aegislash, but my sudden love for Slowking REALLY seemed to fit taking care of many top tier threats thanks to its amazing bulk with Assault vest and relatively hard hitting. Slowking has proven to be a very appreciated lower tiered 'mon in OU.

Now, with any balance team, ya need a way to remove hazards. With Aegislash being fairly prominent in the current metagame, Rapid spin is slightly less than desirable. So, with that, a defogger seemed to fit the bill best. Skarmory is an amazing Pokemon being REALLY bulky capable of taking damage and recovering, as well as dealing damage thanks to a very nice move in counter. Mega Diancie and Landorus are also very big problems, problems Skarmory can deal with.

Next, Thundurus easily bent this team over, killing Chomp, Skarm, and Slowking if given the chance, and severely hindering Meloetta with a timely Thunder Wave. So, Hippowdon seemed very fitting while also helping Mega Garchomp by setting sand so that its STAB Earthquake and Stone Edge can get an added boost. Hippowdon also carries Stealth Rock, removing pressure from Skarmory allowing it to have an open moveslot.

Next up, water proved to be water type, which translates to "be obnoxiously annoying". Once Slowking went down, things such as Keldeo could simply click STAB Hydro Pump and absolutely destroy this team. So, a Water Absorber alleviated this. An offensive Water Absorber fit the bill the best, Unfortunately, there are only a small portion of those, but Cacturne fits while also walling the CM Water types not named Keldeo. It's ability to come in on Azumarill as it Jets or Belly Drums is always fun too.

#####A Closer Look#####​

/

Mannequins

Mannequins (Meloetta) @ Life Orb
Ability: Serene Grace | EVs: 132 Atk / 196 SpA / 180 Spe | Nature: Naive
Psychic / Close Combat / Knock Off / Relic Song

So, I wanted to build around Meloetta, it was about as simple as that. I happened to !dt Meloetta in the Overused room when Omegasization told me he had a really cool set he was willing to give me to start with. The 132 Atk EVs allow Meloetta to OHKO Latios 100% of the time while in Pirouette form which also means an 81% chance to OHKO Latias after Rocks. The 180 speed allows Meloetta to outspeed up to base 118s, mustering past that 115 mark is a very coveted attribute with the benchmark speed tier being 110. That speed investment also allows Meloetta to outspeed Adamant Mega Lopunny, so with a bit of scouting, that can come in handy. 196 SpA guarantees an OHKO on Amoonguss after Rocks which by default includes the ever threatening Keldeo. Meloetta really is a good Ghost switch in, avoiding Shadow Balls and being able to hit back with Knock Off or Psychic, depending on which Ghosty it is. Surprise factor alone allows Meloetta to perform very well in the current metagame, and I feel should at least get a glance from time to time as a somewhat similar version of Mega Lopunny.

Big Bad Wolf

BigBadWolf (Garchomp) (M) @ Garchompite
Ability: Rough Skin | EVs: 144 Atk / 112 SpA / 252 Spe | Nature: Naive
Earthquake / Draco Meteor / Stone Edge / Fire Blast

As stated above, Meloetta really appreciates a wall breaker to make her job of cleaning up much easier. Mega Garchomp does this with ease. Garchomp is one of the few Pokemon in OU with the ability to hit hard on both the Physical and Special sides. With very capable 170 Atk and 120 SpA, Mega Garchomp proves to be a very difficult Pokemon to switch into. STAB Earthquake in the sand hits hard as crap, and with Stone Edge, not only is it great coverage wise, but it's boosted by Sand Force which can come in handy. Draco Meteor is the obligatory Dragon STAB, and Fire Blast is for those annoying Steel types that can be problematic otherwise. 252 Speed allows Garchomp to be as fast as possible, and with the rather unfortunate Speed drop that Mega Evolution bestowed onto it, it really needs it. 112 Special Attack allows Mega Garchomp to OHKO Bulky SD Mega Scizor with Fire Blast, which includes Ferrothorn, thanks to the investment, Draco Meteor also really hurts anything that isn't a fairy. 144 Atk was sumpl a dump, however, the 144 Atk investment allows for Stone Edge to OHKO Mandibuzz in sand after Rocks and guarantee a 2HKO without sand.

Schism

Schism (Slowking) (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator | EVs: 248 HP / 164 SpA / 96 SpDef | Nature: Modest
Scald / Psyshock / Dragon Tail / Fire Blast | Future Sight | Ice Beam

Oh, Slowking, how I love thee. This thing has been one of my favorite Pokemon to use ever since the great people of Smogon decided to keep Mega Metagross OU (I was on the fence at the time like an idiot). Regardless, this thing is a very good check/counter to a lot of the top tier threats currently in OU. Just to list a few; Mega Metagross, Keldeo, Landorus I, Latios, Latias, Heatran, Mega Slowbro, and Mega Diancie. Slowking unlike Slowbro, does more than just annoy the ever living hell out of the opponent, it also makes sure to leave whatever is in or decides to come in with a decent sized scar. 248 HP allows Slowking to avoid most 2HKOs from the Pokemon mentioned above, namely Mega Metagross, Landorus, Keldeo, and the lati twins. 96 SpDef helps Slowking in living many of the special moves those Pokemon decide to go for. 164 SpA is invested to allow Slowking to put the hurt in on its opponent. Fire Blast easily KOs Mega Metagross, Scald OHKOs Mega Diancie with rocks up, as well as Landorus I. Psyshock hits things such as Amoonguss if they decide to come in, and STAB is always nice, it also hits specially defensive mons for respectable damage. Thanks to Regenerator, Slowking can live for a very long time, the only thing is to watch out for Pursuit trappers.

Spiders

Spiders (Skarmory) (M) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sturdy | EVs: 252 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD | Nature: Careful
Defog / Roost / Counter / Iron Head

Next up, by far one of the most bulky Pokemon to ever hit OU, Skarmory. Skarmory is almost a necessity on balance and stall teams. Its absolutely amazing typing and out right ridiculous Def stat make this Pokemon a real pain in the ass. However, the route we decided to go here was with SpDef and a Rocky Helmet. Defog gets rid of hazards, which can be problematic since only a couple Pokemon have any way of recovering damage. Roost keeps Skarmory healthy and capable of switching in more often. Iron Head gives me a way to damage special mons, as well as being a pretty decent switch into Clefable and deal damage. Counter is for the Pokemon who get greedy and try to set up in Skarmory's face, you'd be surprised how often it happens. Over all, Skarmory is an amazing Pokemon, capable of taking down many offensive threats if not annoy them to the point of switching out. It's also a pretty decent switch into Landorus I, though coming in on a Focus Blast will really hurt, making it only a bit of a check.

Bitches Brew

Bitches Brew (Hippowdon) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream | EVs: 240 HP / 148 Def / 120 SpD | Nature: Impish
Stealth Rock / Slack Off / Earthquake / Stone Edge | Toxic

This fat monster has always been a go to Pokemon for me when it comes to over all voltturn checks. This team had a pretty decent sized problem with Mega Manectric and Thundurus, and unfortunately a lot of pokemon typically do. So, Hippo only seemed fitting since it easily comes in on said Pokemon and avoids the 2HKO from HP Ice, though, LO Thundurus gets really close, and can 2HKO if Leftovers have been knocked off. Regardless, Hippowdon is such a fat Pokemon it can be a decent check to a lot of things. Stealth Rocks are obligatory removing sashes, as well as wearing things down for Mega Garchomp and Meloetta. Slack Off keeps Hippowdon healthy and capable of switching in numerous times. Earthquake is the necessary STAB that also allows Hippowdon to deal with Mega Manectric when ever they are face to face. Stone Edge is simple, something to hit Thundurus and other flying types that may decide to switch in. Toxic can be ran as well, however it turns Hippowdon into more of a stall Pokemon and sort of kills momentum more than Hippowdon already does, but it can be helpful for wearing things down for Mega Garchomp and Meloetta, so it's always an option.

Clown

Clown (Cacturne) (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Water Absorb | EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Speed | Nature: Jolly
Swords Dance / Sucker Punch / Seed Bomb / Drain Punch

Here it is, the one you've been waiting for, the one you saw and wondered what the hell was wrong with me. Well, it wasn't exactly my idea. With that said, Cacturne is an amazing Team Member, and thanks to Omegasization, we have a surprisingly effective Pokemon. It's an amazing switch into CM Mega Slowbro since they can't touch it, at all, and just become set up bait. Swords Dance allows Cacturne to hit surprisingly hard. Sucker Punch makes up for Cacturne's less than favorable speed, and is a very hard hitting STAB when at +2. Seed Bomb, much like Sucker Punch hits very hard at +2, and allows Cacturne to also do some damage if the opponent chooses to do what I call the "Sucker's Dance". The one where they avoid using attacks to avoid the Sucker Punch. Drain Punch is for recovery, and at +2 that can give Cacturne a lot of health back that Life Orb recoil has done. Drain Punch combined with Sucker Punch has quite good coverage only resisted by what Seed Bomb hits. All in all, Cacturne is a surprisingly respectable Pokemon, that deserves a bit of respect. Cacturne works amazing as an Azumarill check. If the Azumarill has set up a Belly Drum in hopes it's going to sweep, Cacturne comes in, is immune to the Aqua Jet and Outspeeds and kills with Seed Bomb. That in and of itself is awesome.

#####Threats#####​

Seriously, fuck this thing. Rotom isn't a huge Offensive threat, but my lack of safe switch-ins runs really thin thanks to will-o-wisp. In order to get rid of this thing, I just have to get the absolutely perfect switch in.

If this thing sets up on anything other than a Full Health Skarmory, it can be GG. Heatran has a decent chance to take one hit and hit back with an Earthquake, that unfortunately doesn't kill so, I have to pick it off with Cacturne which is a mind game on its own.

Honestly, outside of Skarmory, I don't have much for this. So, if it is DD, I, like Charizard, have to have a full health Skarmory to kill with counter since any damage Iron Head does can just be roosted off.

See the above. . . I really have a problem with set up Pokemon. Relying on Skarmory sucks, but luckily there's usually only one per team, so from turn one I know Skarmory's main objective. Though Cacturne does decently against non-ice fang variants.

This thing can run train with little to no trouble, however, with rocks up it has a hard time switching in, and Hippowdon can come in on a Solarbeam aimed at Slowking, and kill on the turn it's now required to stay in on. However, it's still incredibly hard to switch into.

Draco Meteor

5 130 90
Missing this shit. . . Seriously, this has lost me more games than I'd like to admit. How do you even miss a 90% accurate move this often?

​

#####Conclusion#####
​

So, I've been having a lot of fun, and I'm very thankful for Omegasization and his guidance on this team. I was looking to make a fun team, and boy did I find it. It may not be game breaking and the next best thing, but boy is it fun, and the fact it's actually pretty viable is the cherry on the top of this shitstorm sundae. I've gotten tired of the meta, and this is a nice way to spice it up. I've had fun and hopefully you can too. Don't tear into us too bad, thanks for giving this a look.

#####Importable#####​

Importable

Mannequins (Meloetta) @ Life Orb
Ability: Serene Grace
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 132 Atk / 196 SpA / 180 Spe
Naive Nature
- Psychic
- Close Combat
- Knock Off
- Relic Song

BigBadWolf (Garchomp) (M) @ Garchompite
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 144 Atk / 112 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Earthquake
- Draco Meteor
- Stone Edge
- Fire Blast

Schism (Slowking) (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 164 SpA / 96 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Psyshock
- Ice Beam
- Dragon Tail

Spiders (Skarmory) (M) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sturdy
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Defog
- Roost
- Counter
- Iron Head

Bitches Brew (Hippowdon) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 240 HP / 148 Def / 120 SpD
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Slack Off
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge

Clown (Cacturne) (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Sucker Punch
- Seed Bomb
- Drain Punch

#####Replays#####
​

Replays

http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/oususpecttest-229998850

http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/oususpecttest-229379514
Seriously, this is the shit that has been happening to me throughout the entire suspect.

 

[RaffaeleKing]

i would used if this team doesnt lose to dd Zard x or M-altaria D: cacturne Innovation pure, Mega Garchomp. it destroys souls. Slowking just for fun because slowbro is boring. Meloetta. CUTE AS FUCK! i love meloetta so much. and then 2 standard mons. and your team lose to Zard y to.-.

 

[Invok3r]

Hey man, really cool and innovative team you have haha. Just wondering, but why does hippo have 120 speed evs? o_o

 

[Of Moose & Men]

Hey man, really cool and innovative team you have haha. Just wondering, but why does hippo have 120 speed evs? o_o

Uhm, speedy Hippo of course.
Lol, nah, I just copied and pasted the format of one of my other teams and forgot to change that.
Fixed.

i would used if this team doesnt lose to dd Zard x or M-altaria D: cacturne Innovation pure, Mega Garchomp. it destroys souls. Slowking just for fun because slowbro is boring. Meloetta. CUTE AS FUCK! i love meloetta so much. and then 2 standard mons. and your team lose to Zard y to.-.

Shit, thanks, meant to add ZardY, it can be a problem if I don't play around it correctly.

 

[AM]

Psyshock hits things such as Amoonguss if they decide to come in, and STAB is always nice, it also hits specially defensive mons for respectable damage.

Which ones exactly? You have a Rotom-W weakness so it seems more logical to run Psychic on Slowking to not allow Rotom-W access to such easy switch-ins. You have Future Sight and Ice Beam slashed on Slowking but might as well stick with Ice Beam seeing as how M-Altaria is dominant enough threat to warrant the slot. I'd probably consider keeping Dragon Tail on Slowking your team is massively weak to Mega Latias right now and it'll stop you from getting floored by Calm Mind / 2 attack variants from the get go to allow you some breathing room for later game to handle it. Your matchup against Mega Latias is kind of worse than the one you have against M-Metagross since you're actually equipped enough to tackle it on while having Fire coverage from M-Garchomp to help with Ferrothorn and Scizors. Could also throw a single 4 EV on Slowking if you want to hit Amoonguss with Psychic before it hits you with w/e, just a little thought.

Don't even bother considering Toxic with Hippowdon on this team. With Charizard-Y being a big threat against this team along with Volcarona and bulkier Talonflame variants it's even more important that you have Stone Edge ready.

I'd considering allocating one of the lesser used offenses on Meloetta towards speed. Weavile kind of just has a field day with this team as well but beefing up the speed so that pirouette can take advantage of should reduce Weaviles effectiveness against your team. By virtue of outspeeding Weavile you also outpace Life Orb Alakazam and Tornadus-T, two threats that sort of grab momentum a bit more easier than they should be. Spread of 80 Atk / 196 SpA / 232 Spe with 29 IVs in HP for Life Orb number also gives you 301 speed on Meloetta (normal form I forget the names ._.) allowing you to net hits on Modest Char-Y and neutral base 100s and sort of circumvents this silly speed tie you have with Gyarados before a Dragon Dance. You lose approximately 20% on the OHKO benchmarks for Knock Off against the Latis although Latios is still an OHKO with Knock Off on rocks and Latias just goes down to 60% assuming bulky variants.

 

[Ryfi110]

I would almost consider Azumarril over Cacturne, specifially the Band variety. It takes out a lot of the threats on your list, and also takes water moves quite well, similar to cacturne.

Banded Aqua Jet does a nice job revenging many of the threats you have trouble with.
As long as Altaria is not at +4, it cannot OHKO Azumarril, whereas Azumarril can Play Rough. Double Dance Altaria is beaten by Skarmary okay (no Fire blast or EQ) and cotton guard is beaten by a couple of your other mons.

Against Zard X:

252+ Atk Choice Band Huge Power Azumarill Waterfall vs. 144 HP / 0 Def Mega Charizard X: 219-258 (65.7 - 77.4%) -- 18.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
Zard cannot 1HKO after one DD, and only has a chance to OHKO after two. It servers as a decent check to it, if you do not let it blindly set up in front of you.
Aqua Jet does ~32% at least, so it can revenge it after taking some prior damage.

Against Zard Y

Aqua Jet has an 82% chance to OHKO after rocks.

It obviously beats Gyarados...

It loses to Rotom-w, so you would be weaker to that, but it would get rid of a lot of the problems your team has.

 

[Of Moose & Men]

Which ones exactly? You have a Rotom-W weakness so it seems more logical to run Psychic on Slowking to not allow Rotom-W access to such easy switch-ins. You have Future Sight and Ice Beam slashed on Slowking but might as well stick with Ice Beam seeing as how M-Altaria is dominant enough threat to warrant the slot. I'd probably consider keeping Dragon Tail on Slowking your team is massively weak to Mega Latias right now and it'll stop you from getting floored by Calm Mind / 2 attack variants from the get go to allow you some breathing room for later game to handle it. Your matchup against Mega Latias is kind of worse than the one you have against M-Metagross since you're actually equipped enough to tackle it on while having Fire coverage from M-Garchomp to help with Ferrothorn and Scizors. Could also throw a single 4 EV on Slowking if you want to hit Amoonguss with Psychic before it hits you with w/e, just a little thought.

Don't even bother considering Toxic with Hippowdon on this team. With Charizard-Y being a big threat against this team along with Volcarona and bulkier Talonflame variants it's even more important that you have Stone Edge ready.

I'd considering allocating one of the lesser used offenses on Meloetta towards speed. Weavile kind of just has a field day with this team as well but beefing up the speed so that pirouette can take advantage of should reduce Weaviles effectiveness against your team. By virtue of outspeeding Weavile you also outpace Life Orb Alakazam and Tornadus-T, two threats that sort of grab momentum a bit more easier than they should be. Spread of 80 Atk / 196 SpA / 232 Spe with 29 IVs in HP for Life Orb number also gives you 301 speed on Meloetta (normal form I forget the names ._.) allowing you to net hits on Modest Char-Y and neutral base 100s and sort of circumvents this silly speed tie you have with Gyarados before a Dragon Dance. You lose approximately 20% on the OHKO benchmarks for Knock Off against the Latis although Latios is still an OHKO with Knock Off on rocks and Latias just goes down to 60% assuming bulky variants.

I've been playing with Psychic over Psyshock, and it's actually been playing out pretty well for me so far, haven't seen much trouble in the change over, dealing more damage to Rotom-W has been really nice though.

I only put the toxic statement for people that may come in saying to put it on for a, not so honorable mention.

I'll also give that spread on Meloetta a try, if not at the very least change the IVs. Outspeeding Weavile will be helpful however. I'll give it a try, and see how it goes.

I would almost consider Azumarril over Cacturne, specifially the Band variety. It takes out a lot of the threats on your list, and also takes water moves quite well, similar to cacturne.

Banded Aqua Jet does a nice job revenging many of the threats you have trouble with.
As long as Altaria is not at +4, it cannot OHKO Azumarril, whereas Azumarril can Play Rough. Double Dance Altaria is beaten by Skarmary okay (no Fire blast or EQ) and cotton guard is beaten by a couple of your other mons.

Against Zard X:

252+ Atk Choice Band Huge Power Azumarill Waterfall vs. 144 HP / 0 Def Mega Charizard X: 219-258 (65.7 - 77.4%) -- 18.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
Zard cannot 1HKO after one DD, and only has a chance to OHKO after two. It servers as a decent check to it, if you do not let it blindly set up in front of you.
Aqua Jet does ~32% at least, so it can revenge it after taking some prior damage.

Against Zard Y

Aqua Jet has an 82% chance to OHKO after rocks.

It obviously beats Gyarados...

It loses to Rotom-w, so you would be weaker to that, but it would get rid of a lot of the problems your team has.

To be quite honest, I've been trying to find something else to also fit that last slot, I've just been having too much fun sweeping with Cacturne. I'll give Azumarill a try and see how that works out for me. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Ryfi110]

I've been playing with Psychic over Psyshock, and it's actually been playing out pretty well for me so far, haven't seen much trouble in the change over, dealing more damage to Rotom-W has been really nice though.

I only put the toxic statement for people that may come in saying to put it on for a, not so honorable mention.

I'll also give that spread on Meloetta a try, if not at the very least change the IVs. Outspeeding Weavile will be helpful however. I'll give it a try, and see how it goes.




To be quite honest, I've been trying to find something else to also fit that last slot, I've just been having too much fun sweeping with Cacturne. I'll give Azumarill a try and see how that works out for me. Thanks for the tip.

Reconsidering my previous statement, consider BD Azu as well... without Cacturne, you lose a win condition.

 

[TheEnder]

Hey there MuhFugginMoose, this is a cool looking team, definitely. Balance is hard to build these days, but the team seems to do a good job against most threats. As you mentioned yourself, though, it has some weak spots. Some of the current weaknesses are not that hard to patch up, while others require more drastic changes. To better handle Calm Mind Clefable, Latios, and Dragon Dance Mega Altaria, running Taunt > Counter and Leftovers > Rocky Helmet on Skarmory is a possibility. While it is not listed in your threat list, Calm Mind + Flamethrower Clefable is a huge thorn is the team's side, seeing as how you have to sack multiple Pokemon to deal with it. Taunt also allows Skarmory to beat Ferrothorn, which can prove to be annoying if it gets to Leech Seed and set hazards freely. However, making these changes makes Skarmory unable to deal with Mega Gyarados and Mega Metagross. Bisharp and Mega Gallade also become much more threatening, as you lose one of your options to damage them. While you stated how much you liked Cacturne, I think there are some viable options over it. Tangrowth comes to mind an option to continue to check Mega Slowbro and Azumarill, but also offer an option against Gyarados and Metagross. The Sleep Power version in particular seems to fit the bill nicely, as it as capable of crippeling almost any physical attacker. Running Tangrowth also allows the team to better handle Rotom-W, of which you mentioned in your threat list. To further improve the matchup against Mega Metagross, you could run some investment in Defense on Slowking, and run Fire Blast > Ice Beam. In between Hippowdon and Skarmory you deal with most Dragon-types fine, and Fire Blast allows you to actually check Metagross.

At this point your team efficiently deals with nearly every threat in the tier, which is quite the feat, but it is still incredibly weak to Mega Charizard Y. Manaphy, Gengar, and Mega Scizor are also hard to deal with, the latter becuase Skarmory can no longer deal with it. However, the team is fine, and I think it would be really hard to cover these wallbreakers without changing the nature of the team. An optional change, however, would be Will-O-Wisp Mega Charizard X > Mega Garchomp. Yes, you do lose you wallbreaker, which is why I'm kind of iffy about this change. The benefit of it, though, is that you have a switch-in to Mega Charizard Y and Mega Scizor, but also Clefable, Mega Sableye, Rotom-W, and most Electric-types. I still do not know whether or not I prefer the team without Mega Garchomp, as it kind of is the team's main offensive weapon, but both versions have their merits. In the end these changes are all optional, and you are the one to choose what you implement, but and I just wanted to shed some light on some of the possibilties. Hope I helped, either way n_n

Summary:

Counter → Taunt + Rocky Helmet → Leftovers

→

Ice Beam → Fire Blast

→

[optional]

Possible Sets

Skarmory (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 240 HP / 16 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Defog
- Roost
- Taunt
- Iron Head

Tangrowth @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 228 Def / 28 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Sleep Powder
- Giga Drain
- Knock Off
- Hidden Power [Ice]

Slowking (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 44 Def / 160 SpA / 56 SpD
Modest Nature
- Fire Blast
- Scald
- Psychic
- Dragon Tail

Charizard @ Charizardite X
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 216 HP / 16 Atk / 100 SpD / 176 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Flare Blitz
- Roost
- Earthquake / Dragon Claw

 

[Of Moose & Men]

Hey there MuhFugginMoose, this is a cool looking team, definitely. Balance is hard to build these days, but the team seems to do a good job against most threats. As you mentioned yourself, though, it has some weak spots. Some of the current weaknesses are not that hard to patch up, while others require more drastic changes. To better handle Calm Mind Clefable, Latios, and Dragon Dance Mega Altaria, running Taunt > Counter and Leftovers > Rocky Helmet on Skarmory is a possibility. While it is not listed in your threat list, Calm Mind + Flamethrower Clefable is a huge thorn is the team's side, seeing as how you have to sack multiple Pokemon to deal with it. Taunt also allows Skarmory to beat Ferrothorn, which can prove to be annoying if it gets to Leech Seed and set hazards freely. However, making these changes makes Skarmory unable to deal with Mega Gyarados and Mega Metagross. Bisharp and Mega Gallade also become much more threatening, as you lose one of your options to damage them. While you stated how much you liked Cacturne, I think there are some viable options over it. Tangrowth comes to mind an option to continue to check Mega Slowbro and Azumarill, but also offer an option against Gyarados and Metagross. The Sleep Power version in particular seems to fit the bill nicely, as it as capable of crippeling almost any physical attacker. Running Tangrowth also allows the team to better handle Rotom-W, of which you mentioned in your threat list. To further improve the matchup against Mega Metagross, you could run some investment in Defense on Slowking, and run Fire Blast > Ice Beam. In between Hippowdon and Skarmory you deal with most Dragon-types fine, and Fire Blast allows you to actually check Metagross.

At this point your team efficiently deals with nearly every threat in the tier, which is quite the feat, but it is still incredibly weak to Mega Charizard Y. Manaphy, Gengar, and Mega Scizor are also hard to deal with, the latter becuase Skarmory can no longer deal with it. However, the team is fine, and I think it would be really hard to cover these wallbreakers without changing the nature of the team. An optional change, however, would be Will-O-Wisp Mega Charizard X > Mega Garchomp. Yes, you do lose you wallbreaker, which is why I'm kind of iffy about this change. The benefit of it, though, is that you have a switch-in to Mega Charizard Y and Mega Scizor, but also Clefable, Mega Sableye, Rotom-W, and most Electric-types. I still do not know whether or not I prefer the team without Mega Garchomp, as it kind of is the team's main offensive weapon, but both versions have their merits. In the end these changes are all optional, and you are the one to choose what you implement, but and I just wanted to shed some light on some of the possibilties. Hope I helped, either way n_n

Summary:

Counter → Taunt + Rocky Helmet → Leftovers

→

Ice Beam → Fire Blast

→

[optional]

So, I've tried out Tangrowth over Cacturne, and it's been quite the helpful Pokemon I must admit though I have gotten beat out by speedy BD azu who, surprisingly, still exists. I have also went with Taunt on Skarmory to alleviate a bit of trouble with CM Clefable, and although it does provide a bit more of a problem with the Pokemon you mentioned, Slowking takes on MegaGross, who I gave Fire Blast to deal with it much easier, and Tangrowth takes on mega Gyarados with a bit of ease as well. I'll look into possibly making some changes to deal with those wall breakers, but that may be difficult to do just because of who they are, ya know, the assholes of the meta lol.
Thanks for the help! I'll be making some changes in the near future.

 

[Flygonial]

I've thought of dropping a rate by this team several times, but I never really found the motivation until now. Now, MuhFugginMoose, this is quite a solid and fresh team - well presented and quite solid as well. But rates aren't for sucking up, so I'll do my best to help out. The Slowking EV spread is one that I've always found strange, since as of now, this is what the dex states:

"The EV spread and Assault Vest allow Slowking to survive a +6 Energy Ball from Manaphy and force it out."

"With the EV spread presented, Slowking avoids a 2HKO from Mega Charizard Y's Solar Beam."

Except this happens:

+6 252 SpA Manaphy Energy Ball vs. 248 HP / 96 SpD Assault Vest Slowking: 368-434 (93.6 - 110.4%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO
252 SpA Mega Charizard Y Solar Beam vs. 248 HP / 96 SpD Assault Vest Slowking: 172-204 (43.7 - 51.9%) -- 9% chance to 2HKO
252+ SpA Mega Charizard Y Solar Beam vs. 248 HP / 96 SpD Assault Vest Slowking: 188-222 (47.8 - 56.4%) -- 84.8% chance to 2HKO

After tinkering a little with the damage calculator, I came across 248 HP / 60 Def / 192 SpA / 8 SpD as the EV spread for Slowking. Mega Charizard X is a huge threat to your team, and 60 defense EVs allows for Slowking to take a +1 Jolly Dragon Claw after rocks. While this will not fix your problems with Mega Charizard X, it will make it slightly easier to deal with by giving you another option for finishing off a weakened +1 'Zard X at 43% or lower. 8 SpD EVs allow for Slowking to survive a +3 Energy Ball from Manaphy after Stealth Rocks and one layer of Spikes and Dragon Tail it out.

I would also suggest moving the 8 Def EVs -> 8 Spe EVs - for every time the defense saves Skarmory, the Speed will probably have saved it five times, and that's a pretty conservative estimate IMO. 8 Spe EVs allows for you to speed creep things that ironically are speed creeping you - some of them have caught on but hey, it's more useful than the defense.

This isn't really to help the team out, but fast BD Azu is definitely still a thing, and in my opinion, better than one that just chooses to dump most of its EVs in bulk. Additionally, Tangrowth has the same base speed as it - so speed creeping Azumarill is generally not worth it to begin with.

Hope I helped!

 

[Mio Isurugi MM]

I prove u team in ladder 1450. Is not bad, very good work

Replays

http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-231076476

 

[Vengeance417]

Hey there :)

Awesome team, probably one of my new favorites just because of how much I love Meloetta and Master Roshi Slowking and how surprisingly effective Cacturne is as a sweeper in OU (although I'd never ask it to be ranked in the VRs, and even if I did, I wouldn't see it go past D). Also, brownie points for using Mega Garchomp, who's criminally under-appreciated.

After a couple battles on the ladder, one mon that I've noticed who gives this team quite a bit of trouble is Mega Sableye. Nothing really wants to switch in on a Will o Wisp. Even Slowking, who has access to Regenerator to alleviate damage, still doesn't like the residual damage. Not only that, Mega Sableye in general is hard to break down with this team, especially since there is no access to Fairy type moves here or a strong enough special-attacking wallbreaker to break past it. Honestly, Mega Chomp simply doesn't do enough with Draco Meteor to muscle through the fiend.

I haven't tested the set I'm about to share just yet, but I think this set will not only give you a way to easier handle Mega Sableye (although you'll need to come in either before Sableye does or after it has mega evolved) but also give you a solid special-attacking win-con as well. This might not be the best answer possible, but I wanted to give you a set with Meloetta so that at least you're still able to use the beautiful song and dancer <3 :

Meloetta @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 152 Def / 104 SpA
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
- Psyshock/Psychic
- Dazzling Gleam

Modest 104 SpA guarantees that you'll always 2HKO physically defensive Mega Sableye with Dazzling Gleam as long as you have the same stat boosts as your opponent, aka both of you are at either +0 or at +6. Thanks to Meloetta having a base 100 HP stat, a fully invested HP stat of 252 EVs gives you a 101 HP sub, meaning that it takes two Seismic Tosses from a Chansey to break your sub. The rest goes to physical defense. Psyshock lets you get past special walls easier, such as Chansey, while Psychic lets you get past physical walls such as Skarmory much easier.

Hope this helps in any way. Let me know how it goes, and again, awesome team! :]