With that, please, enjoy!
#####Team Building Process#####
Now, I know I said I started with my sweeper, and I did, however, I already had that Zard X in mind, so I decided to work on supporting it first. Now, no Offensive team is complete without a Stealth Rock setter, so, Tyranitar was very fitting. It also provides support for our spinner considering this team is relatively offensive.
Excadrill is easily one of the best spinners in the tier, and thanks to Tyranitar giving it +2 thanks to Sand Rush, it also becomes a fearful offensive presence. Excadrill removes hazards for Charizard, giving it a much safer switch in to certain threats. It also provides some immediate power capable of dealing a large amount of damage to many troublesome Pokemon.
Now, I'm still looking to support Charizard X, and something it really wants is free switch-ins. Wobbuffet can guarantee this with ease. With Encore and Safeguard it can prevent status that can severely hinder my sweepers. This also deals with Keldeo relatively well, which every team greatly appreciates, it can also take care of Choice Scarf Landorus T with the right plays.
Oh. . . Oh Charizard X you monster. This is by far one of the most difficult Pokemon to switch into because of its insane power thanks to Tough Claws, amazing base power STAB attacks and Dragon Dance. I decided to go with Bulky DD Charizard X to make sure it will be staying around as long as possible while also being a major problem for all teams alike. Quite easily, one of the best set-up sweepers in OU.
This doesn't take much to see why Dugtrio was added to this team. I decided to go with STAB on Charizard X to hit everything as hard as possible, so, that means Heatran outright walls Charizard X. So, Dugtrio deals with Heatran quite simply, leaving way for Charizard X to sweep as well as, my second sweeper who was otherwise walled by Heatran.
Alright, Serperior, I'll admit, when it was first released I didn't think it'd be nearly as great as it ended up being. However, after using it and creating this team I've realized Serperior is a HUGE threat in the right hands. Thanks to Dugtrio, Serperior is given the red carpet to sweep through teams with little to no effort.
#####A Closer Look#####
Ability: Sand Stream | EVs: 252 HP / 92 SpA / 164 Spe | Nature: Rash
Stealth Rock / Pursuit / Stone Edge / Fire Blast
Now, every team needs a Hazard setter, and this team is no different. Removing sturdy or Focus sashes can come in handy quite a bit for the sweepers. With Sand Stream, not only can it also take of small but purposeful bits of health, but it also helps Excadrill, making it one hell of a force to deal with. Tyranitar is also a very good switch in to some Pokemon that could otherwise be very bothersome to the rest of my team, such as Talonflame, and most bird spammers. Pursuit, along with tickle Wobbuffet can make quite a horrendous couple. You tickle the opponent down to -6 and proceed to pursuit them, and remove a potential thorn in this teams side. Stone Edge is simply for the aforementioned bird running around in OU at this time. Fire blast allows for some surprise holes that can get punched into Scizor and Ferrothorn. Max HP is ran for relatively obvious reasons, however the 164 SpA allows Tyranitar to OHKO bulky SD Mega Scizor after Stealth Rocks, removing a huge pain in the butt and in many cases making the game easier. It also allows me to net an easy 2HKO on Ferrothorn, and at minimum giving it a hard time of ever getting the chance to switch in again. The SpA investment also gives Tyranitar a chance to OHKO Bisharp upon the switch, which is always much appreciated. 92 Speed allows it to be as fast as possible while also outspeeding up to neutral base 80s. All in all, Tyranitar is an amazing Pokemon for this team, and I feel at times is the main Pokemon that makes this team so easy to use, removing would be trouble makers and supporting the entire team.
Ability: Sand Rush | EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe | Nature: Adamant
Earthquake / Iron Head / Rock Slide / Rapid Spin
What offensive team doesn't have Excadrill and Tyranitar nowadays? Ever since Generation 6 and its weather nerf, these two have gone together like Peanut butter and Jelly. Thanks to Sand Stream on Tyranitar and Sand Rush on Excadrill, this combo can be hell to deal with. Excadrill outspeeds everything unboosted and damn near everything even after a single boost, and with a monstrous base 130 attack backed by Life Orb, you have a serious problem on your hands. This may seem like it's a lot to take in, and these two should be looked into, but, that isn't even where it ends. It also removes hazards that REALLY can be a pain in the ass for Charizard and Serperior over time. Life Orb STAB EQ from an adamant base 130 Attack is nothing to scoff at, it does a shit ton, even if resisted. Iron Head makes dealing with annoying fairies much easier, and really comes in handy with Flinches, but hoping for hax is for scrubs
Ability: Shadow Tag | EVs: 28 HP / 232 Def / 248 SpDef | IVs: 0 Atk | Nature: Bold
Encore / Counter / Mirror Coat / Tickle
This is by far one of my favorite Pokemon in the game. Wobbuffet is an AMAZING support Pokemon when paired with a Sweeper. People just have no idea how great it can be. I put up a core not too long ago expressing how amazing Wobbuffet and Charizard X can be together, that I feel didn't quite get the point across. Wobbuffet is a dick in the right hands, picking what it traps, typically problematic Pokemon such as Keldeo, Scarf Landorus T, set up sweepers, choice locked Pokemon for the most part. Thanks to Encore, Wobbuffet can trap a Pokemon thinking they can set up, lock them into setting up, and switch into the appropriate check and proceed to set up. Tickle allows Wobbuffet to after locking the opponent into moves that do no damage, such as setting up hazards, or in some cases removing hazards, give Tyranitar a free switch in giving it the ability to Pursuit away, which, in many cases removes a threat completely. Wobbuffet also has amazing bulk with base 194 HP it can take hits relatively well. With that, of the 6 moves it can possibly learn, Counter and Mirror Coat can score some amazing kills on troublesome Pokemon. Wobbuffet can come in on any variation of Keldeo, trap it, and kill it with ease. It also traps Landorus T if it is locked into Earthquake, Stone Edge or any move other than U-Turn, for relatively obvious reasons. However, Landorus T can be very problematic to Charizard X and with it gone, has a pretty good time of sweeping. Wobbuffet supports Charizard X almost flawlessly, and trust me, Charizard X really appreciates it.
Ability: Blaze | EVs: 144 HP / 252 Atk / 112 Spe | Nature: Adamant
Dragon Dance / Roost / Dragon Claw / Flare Blitz
Charizard has admittedly been one of my favorite Pokemon ever since its creation, however, since about Gen 4 Charizard has been absolute garbage, being weak to the ever present Stealth Rocks and just over all not having a very easy time of sweeping. However, Generation 6 changed all of that with Mega Evolutions. Charizard really thrived off of this by gaining not only two Megas, but two amazing Megas. Charizard X has proven to be a huge thorn in damn near any playstyle's side with amazing typing and defensive and offensive stats to boot. Tough Claws boosts it's already pretty great base power attacks to sky high levels capable of dealing large amounts of damage to many if not all of the Pokemon willing to switch into this behemoth. Dragon Dance pushes that offensive feat even further, shooting its already ground shattering stats even further. At +1 Tough Claws STAB boosted Dragon Claw and Flare Blitz ruin lives, making tearing through teams extremely easy. Roost allows Charizard X to keep itself nice and healthy to finish the game strong. Thanks to both Wobbuffet and Dugtrio Charizard X's usual checks have been dealt with to include many of its would be counters. After the proper support has been laid out, Charizard X can leave entire teams on their backs, and you with a win.
Ability: Arena Trap | EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe | Nature: Jolly
Earthquake / Stone Edge / Reversal / Memento
Dugtrio, this thing doesn't get the love it deserves in my opinion. Much like Wobbuffet it it is an amazing support Pokemon. Capable of removing the number one counter to both Charizard X and Serperior named Heatran. It also can be very helpful in checking opposing Charizard X after they have switched into rocks and before they have begun to set up thanks to Focus Sash ensuring Dugtrio gets off an Earthquake and kills. There really isn't much to say about Dugtrio, it is here for one reason, and one reason only to remove Heatran. It can also remove opposing Sand Rush Excadrill that can be problematic for Serperior and Charizard X if it hasn't set up yet. However, it does have some extremely useful tools at its disposal. Much like Excadrill it has the beautiful EdgeQuake combo in its arsenal to get some great neutral coverage. Reversal lets Dugtrio do a good chunk of damage when dropped down to its sash, in many instances killing Pokemon that don't resist it. Memento is another amazing supportive feature Dugtrio comes stocked with. Not only can Dugtrio trap things, but the things it traps can also be severely hindered by memento, making set up extremely easy for Serperior and Charizard X. Dugtrio's EVs are pretty self explanatory, hit as hard as you can while moving as fast as you can. Dugtrio does what it is meant to do, and a much appreciated member of the team, further proving why trappers are amazing supportive Pokemon.
Ability: Contrary | EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Speed | IVs: 0 Atk | Nature: Timid
Leaf Storm / Hidden Power Fire / Dragon Pulse / Substitute | Glare
Ooh Wee Serperior. I'll be honest, never did I think this thing would be such an amazing Pokemon in an OU environment. Serperior has a very easy time of setting up thanks to it's "broken if it was on any other Pokemon" ability Contrary. Contrary allows Serperior to get a free Nasty Plot off while also doing pretty decent damage before setting up, a 130 BP move boosted by STAB is nothing to mess with, especially when using it gives it a free +2. Leaf Storm alone can run teams down, it is so obscenely easy to set up it's not even funny. After enough boosts, Serperior can and usually does reign terror all over OU thanks to its surprisingly effective coverage. With Heatran, one of the few guaranteed Serperior counters, taken care of thanks to Dugtrio, Serperior has very little trouble dealing with many of the OU threats. It's insane speed and power allow it to do a very hefty amount of damage to most if not all teams. Hidden Power Fire kills off Ferrothorn, Scizor and Mega Scizor, Pokemon that can take it's STAB relatively well and threaten it out. Dragon Pulse rounds off Serperiors coverage to the best of its abilities. Although Grass, Fire, and Dragon isn't exactly the best coverage, at +6 it's pretty negligible. Substitute also allows it to not only scout out the opponent, but avoid pesky status from Pokemon faster than it, so pretty much Prankster Thundurus. Serperior has proven me wrong over its short time in OU, and I can't believe I was ever against it being among our higher ranked OU Pokemon. It is well deserving of its spot, thanks to nothing more than its ease of use and power, and with the right support, it can really demolish the competition with little to no effort.
#####Threats#####
Seriously, fuck this thing. If Excadrill or Wobbuffet fail to remove this monstrosity, I can lose quite simply. It flat out walls Charizard X and Serperior, and can set up nearly for free with those two removed. Though, it is managable, it still has a chance of getting past my team.
Much like Mega Altaria, if this isn't removed with the dedicated Pokemon, I can lose pretty easily, especially if it is the Rock Polish set. So, it is very important to remove this Pokemon as soon as possible.
Although this isn't the most common Pokemon in OU, it does have a pretty easy time of running through my teams if rocks manage to stay on my side of the field. However, it has to be played very well to do so because of its curse of losing speed boost upon Mege Evolution. A threat nonetheless.
Now, after setting up, this is little to no problem. However, if the opponent knows what they are doing, I have absolutely 0 switch ins to this, and damn near any time it comes it it either heavily dents something or kills it.
I will be adding more, these are just the two that popped into my head first.
Leaf Storm
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#####
This team has been extremely fun to play with, getting me pretty far on the ladder before goofing off with my previous team. I hope it shows just how amazing Trappers can be as supportive Pokemon in the right hands. This isn't exactly an RMT to show how I believe trapping is broken, it's more so to show how Trapping should be used to the best of its ability. I hope you all enjoy using it, and don't think it's too horrible of a team. In the end, have fun with this team, it's moderately easy to use with a bit of experience, but nonetheless fun to use. Feel free to tell me what could make this team better and I will get around to trying it out. Thanks for the read. Hope you enjoyed!
#####Importable#####
Surface (Tyranitar) @ Smooth Rock
Ability: Sand Stream
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 92 SpA / 164 Spe
Rash Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Crunch
- Stone Edge
- Fire Blast
Dum Dee Dum (Excadrill) (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Sand Rush
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Rock Slide
- Rapid Spin
Wicked Games (Wobbuffet) (M) @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Shadow Tag
EVs: 28 HP / 232 Def / 248 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Encore
- Counter
- Mirror Coat
- Safeguard
Assassin (Charizard) (M) @ Charizardite X
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 144 HP / 252 Atk / 112 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Roost
- Dragon Claw
- Flare Blitz
Puppets (Dugtrio) (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Arena Trap
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Reversal
- Memento
Rotten Chains (Serperior) (F) @ Miracle Seed
Ability: Contrary
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Substitute
- Leaf Storm
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Dragon Pulse
Ability: Sand Stream
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 92 SpA / 164 Spe
Rash Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Crunch
- Stone Edge
- Fire Blast
Dum Dee Dum (Excadrill) (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Sand Rush
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Rock Slide
- Rapid Spin
Wicked Games (Wobbuffet) (M) @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Shadow Tag
EVs: 28 HP / 232 Def / 248 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Encore
- Counter
- Mirror Coat
- Safeguard
Assassin (Charizard) (M) @ Charizardite X
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 144 HP / 252 Atk / 112 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Roost
- Dragon Claw
- Flare Blitz
Puppets (Dugtrio) (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Arena Trap
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Reversal
- Memento
Rotten Chains (Serperior) (F) @ Miracle Seed
Ability: Contrary
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Substitute
- Leaf Storm
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Dragon Pulse
#####Replays#####
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/oususpecttest-233919453
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/oususpecttest-233916571
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/oususpecttest-234710081
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/oususpecttest-235698798
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/oususpecttest-236133672
They're low ladder I know, but I do't have much to choose from right now. They're good games nonetheless.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/oususpecttest-233916571
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/oususpecttest-234710081
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/oususpecttest-235698798
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/oususpecttest-236133672
They're low ladder I know, but I do't have much to choose from right now. They're good games nonetheless.
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