XY OU Balanced Team

[MrSnowBro]

My team isn't doing well and I need help in figuring common weaknesses and how to fix them.

The Team:

Gardevoir(F) @Gardevoirite
Ability: Synchronize/Pixilate
EV Spread: 252 Speed 252 Sp.Attack 4 Sp.Def
Timid Nature
Moves:
-Focus Blast
-Will-O-Wisp
-Psyshock
-Hyper Voice

I chose Gardevoir because my team needed a special attacker to deal with physical walls such as Zapdos, Klefki and Sylveon. Gardevoir can come in early game and path the way towards a sweep for another teammate such as Dragonite or Conkeldurr or come in mid to late game when her threats are gone and clean up the match with her powerful STAB moves. Hyper Voice is the chosen Fairy STAB being that after her Pixilate boost and STAB boost, it turns into a hard hitting move that can KO or heavily damage anything that doesn't resist it, Psyshock is Gardvoir's Psychic STAB move of choice being that it hits special walls such as Chansey on their defensive stats. Will-O-Wisp is to weaken physical attackers so Gardevoir doesn't get KOed by hard hitting physical attacks, Focus Blast is to hit Steel Types for hard damage if it hits.

Dragonite(M) WeaKness Policy
Ability: Multiscale
EV Spread: 200 HP 56 Attack 252 Speed
Adamant Nature
Moves:
-Fire Punch
-Extreme Speed
-Dragon Claw
-Earthquake

Dragonite faired well on this team because it begins to form a core with Gardevoir and it is a physical attacker being it has priority and hard hitting Dragon Type STAB moves. Dragonite plays a role similar to Gardevoir, being that it can come in early game and make a path for another teammate or come in mid to late game and clean up. Dragon Claw is the STAB move of choice being that it hits most things for hard damage and it is used over Outrage or Dragon Rush due to Outrage being able to be countered by Fairy Types and Dragon Rush has somewhat bad accuracy unlike Dragon Claw, Fire Punch is used to hit Ice Types after Dragonite's Multiscale is gone, Extreme Speed is used to pick off anything low on HP and is used as a form of priority. Earthquake is to hit Heatran and other Steel Types that are immune to Fire Punch or take neutral damage from it for super effective damage.

Heatran(M) Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EV Spread:252 Sp.Def 252 Speed 4 Sp.Attack
Calm Nature
Moves:
-Flamethrower
Roar
-Protect
-Earth Power

Heatran was the chosen Sp Wall of the team due to it being able to be immune to Will-O-Wisp and having a 4x resistance to Fairy Type attacks, it also forms a Dragon, Fairy and Steel core with Dragonite and Gardevoir. Heatran can take down set up sweepers such as Mega Altaria and Dragonite, hit other Fire Types with Earth Power and also wall Talonflame. Roar is used to cause switches to stop set up sweepers or roaring out pokemon that are low enough on HP to be defeated by Stealth Rocks, Flamethrower is used a Fire STAB to hit Ice Types that Dragonite doesn't like and hits Steel Types that Gardevoir doesn't like either. Earth Power is used to counter Skarmory and Talonflame on the turn they roost. Protect is used to regain a bit of Leftover recovery and gain some momentum.

Sableye(M) Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EV Spread: 252 Def 252 HP 4 Sp.Attack
Bold Nature
Moves:
-Calm Mind
-Will-O-Wisp
-Shadow Ball
-Recover

Sableye is the chosen physical wall being that it has priority in all status moves with Prankster and can burn opposing physical attackers that threaten a good portion of my team such as Mega Lopunny. Sableye is to stop physical attackers with Will-O-Wisp and heal up the damage then set up and take them down with STAB Shadow Ball. Shadow Ball is the chosen STAB move being that it hits most things and hits them hard when Sableye is done setting up. Recover is a form of recovery and gains priority when Sableye uses it. Calm Mind is used to bulk up both Sableye's special attack stat and special defense stats to high levels. Will-O-Wisp is to burn physical attackers and render their attacks useless against Sableye.

Conkeldurr(M) @Assault Vest
Ability: Guts
EV Spread: 22 Speed 234 HP 252 Attack
Adamant Nature
Moves:
-Poison Jab
-Rock Slide
-Mach Punch
-Drain Punch

Conkeldurr is used because it deals with Mega Absol which can sweep my whole team. He also forms a good attacking core with Gardevoir and he can also soak up burns with his Guts ability and deal massive damage. Conkeldurr is used when Dragonite is unable to switch in or is threatened if he comes out being that Conkeldurr deals with Dragonite and Heatran's best counter Weavile with a STAB Mach Punch or Drain Punch. Drain Punch is used as a form of recovery being that it gains STAB and hits things hard even without Iron Fist, Mach Punch is used for priority to pick things off but also as a form of STAB. Poison Jab hits Fairy Types for super effective damage which would threaten both him and Dragonite. Rock Slide is used to hit Flying Types for super effective damage especially Talonflame.

Shuckle(M) Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sturdy
EV Spread: 252 Def 252 HP 4 Sp.Def
Sassy Nature
Moves:
Sticky Web
Stealth Rock
Encore
Infestation

Shuckle is used to successfully lay down rocks and webs and to also lock lead pokemon into Stealth Rock or Sticky Web and trap them with Infestation. Shuckle can successfully lay down hazards and prevent multiple from happening. Sticky Web and Stealth Rock are Shuckle's main purpose stopping Volcarona, Vivillion and Talonflame from sweeping and to also help Dragonite, Gardevoir and Conkeldurr in lowering the opponent's speed. Encore is used to stop common leads such as opposing Shuckle or Galvantula. Infestation deals damage over time and traps the opponent allowing a safe switch after hazards are laid down.

 

[Yoda2798]

Hi there! Most RMTs use sprites of the Pokemon being used to make the team easier to rate (sprites are found here, FYI).

Gardevoir should run 24 Def/232 SpA/252 Spe as this allows it live two Life Orb Psyshocks from Latios, which is quite important for it. Also, running Taunt over Will-o-Wisp helps Gardevoir to better handle Stall team members such as Chansey, and so maintain offensive pressure.

Latios > Dragonite for Defog, speed and power. Latios doesn't need to rely on WP to hit hard, as it has LO Draco at the ready. Dragonite's Multiscale and WP can also be ruined by SR, which the team has no way to get rid of. Latios also gets recovery and is not as weak to Clef.

Heatran should run 248 HP/192 SpD/68 Spe with a Calm nature as this allows it to outspeed Mega Venusaur, while also giving it a great ability to tank Special hits. Lava Plume > Flamethrower for the 30% Burn chance, while Stealth Rock > Protect as it gets a lot of free opportunities to set them.

Rotom-W > Sableye as it has far greater bulk, while also having a better typing and ability. Rotom pairs fantastically with Heatran typing wise, and together the two can cover most offensive threats in OU. Rotom-W can also pivot into Gardevoir on many mons so that Gardevoir gets a free hit, while also being able to burn Physical attackers. Rotom-W also helps immensely against Talonflame, which the team is weak to.

CB Scizor > Conkeldurr as it is far more powerful, while having better typing synergy with Mega Gardevoir. Bullet Punch adds strong Priority, while a slow U-Turn helps Gardevoir to come in unscathed. Scizor also pairs well with Rotom as they form a volt-turn core. Scizor also helps the team against Fairies such as Clef and Mega Alt.

Scarf Lando-T > Shuckle as it is far too passive, while Lando-T can threaten and beat most faster threats which Gardevoir worries about such as Mega Lop.


Edit: Less drastic changes: same as above for Garde; Dnite to CB or DD; with max speed (Jolly for DD); Heatran same as above; Sableye to purely defensive set (only Mega is good for CM); Ice Punch + Knock Off > Poison Jab + Rock Slide on Conk (Tflame will never switch in, and Heatran beats Clef; these give better utility and coverage); Starmie > Shuckle to Rapid Spin rocks away, while forming a defensive core with Heatran, while also having the option to go offensive.

 

[Perennial]

the strategy you appear to base your team around is the use of Shuckle to lay down Sticky Web to help Dragonite, Gardevoir and Conkeldurr do their thing. this is an okay basis for a first team and I will try to make some suggestions to help your build function better.

Shuckle - to help Shuckle perform her job better, consider using Mental Herb over Rocky Helmet. the reason for this is to ensure Shuckle can perform her main job of laying down at least one of Sticky Web or Stealth Rock without being prevented from doing so by common users of Taunt like Heatran, Gardevoir and Gengar.

Dragonite - one of the main reasons to use Dragonite in OU is for her prowess as a Dragon Dancer and I would highly recommend changing her to one. with DD, you will find Dragonite to be all the more threatening. coupled with Weakness Policy, you have the potential to grab a large amount of boosts in a very short time and pose a significant threat. a change of EVs here would also be beneficial and I will include this towards the end of my rate.

Gardevoir - consider Taunt in place of Will-O-Wisp. this lets you perform better against a style you currently struggle to break, stall, by preventing things like Chansey from healing or hitting you with status. furthermore, Taunt works well on a team centered around Sticky Web, preventing pokémon like the Zapdos you mentioned in Gardevoir's description from removing your hazards with Defog, letting you maintain the offensive pressure provided by Sticky Web.

Heatran - aligning with the theme of Sticky Web and maintaining offensive pressure to keep them on the field, consider a more offensive Heatran with Magma Storm. with Magma Storm and a more offensive spread, Heatran can not only take advantage of Sticky Web itself, but also support your teammates by trapping/wearing down pokémon like Slowbro, paving the way for your Dragonite to sweep or Conkeldurr to have free reign. teams with Sticky Web prefer as much offensive pressure as possible and for this reason, I think defensive Heatran is the inferior choice here. the inclusion of Magma Storm Heatran also goes a long way with helping you versus stall.

Sableye - in all honesty, regular Sableye is very mediocre in OU. she is rather passive and interrupts the offensive flow that your team is attempting to build up. in terms of threat coverage, regular Sableye doesn't offer much and in my opinion, her slot could be put to better use. a change you can consider is offensive Starmie in her place. benefits include some much needed speed for the team assuming you fail to lay down Sticky Web and a method of hazard removal to help your Dragonite. you can even use HP Fire on her to lure in the likes of Ferrothorn and further help your Dragonite sweep, although Ice Beam works fine as well to lessen the opportunities the Lati twins have to Defog away your hazards and for threats like Altaria to set up a dance.

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Shuckle @ Mental Herb
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Sticky Web
- Stealth Rock
- Encore
- Infestation

Mental Herb to bypass Taunt and Bold to maximize defenses.

Dragonite @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Dragon Claw
- Extreme Speed
- Earthquake

DD for boosting and providing a win condition, modified EVs for added power.

Gardevoir @ Gardevoirite
Ability: Trace
EVs: 24 Def / 232 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hyper Voice
- Psyshock
- Focus Blast
- Taunt

Taunt to help with the things I mentioned and the modified EVs to allow her to avoid a 2HKO from Latios' Psyshock.

Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Magma Storm
- Flash Cannon
- Taunt
- Toxic

trapper Heatran for more offensive pressure and stall breaking power, which better suits your team over defensive variants. also helps remove/weaken certain pokémon to help Dragonite sweep. you may consider using more bulk to better take on threats like Talonflame, which you now have Toxic to handle more easily, and non-invested Scald's from some of the bulky waters you will be trying to trap. as an aside, feel free to mess around with Power Herb + Solar Beam to remove bulky waters in one go instead of slowly whittling them down with Toxic and Magma Storm.

Starmie @ Life Orb
Ability: Analytic
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam / Hidden Power [Fire]
- Psyshock
- Rapid Spin

over Sableye, gives your team added speed outside of Sticky Web and SR removal for Dragonite. Ice Beam is self explanatory and an alternative to the move is HP Fire to lure things like Ferrothorn with HP Fire to help Dragonite sweep.

 

[Salad.]

Hey there, interesting team, but there are quite a few glaring weaknesses to it. For one, your way of beating Mega Altaria does not exist, this is due to Heatran not carrying a move to actually hit it, besides Roar, meaning it can easily be worn down everytime M-Alt comes in. If it has Earthquake, your entire team loses to that pokemon. To slightly amend that, I would say, run Scarf Heatran, and pray that it isn't Jolly EQ. This also acts as a decent Clefable check, rather than relying on AV Conk to beat it, which is fairly shaky, especially since you aren't guaranteed your Sticky Web the entire match, as the Lati twins are so common and defog on 4/6 of your pokemon. I would also recommend you to run a secondary check to it, due to it being a such a common threat in the meta, such as Choice Band Scizor, in place of Sableye, as mentioned above, it isn't really that great of a pokemon. Scizor functions well in this team as it also gives you something for the underrated threat that is Reuniclus, which could be a big problem for your team due to a lack of Sableye funnily enough, and is a pursuit trapper, due to the Sticky Web drawing in pokemon in Lati and Starmie.

Another thing I'd like to say is to change WP Dragonite to CB Dragonite, as the former is now relatively well known and generally easily played around, and the fact you are actually relying on boosts every time considering you don't run max atk ev's and no Dragon Dance is not great. CB Dragonite is a great cleaner with Priority E-speed, and an equally great Wall breaker, and the Sticky Web complements it well. It also give you a slightly more reliable secondary check to Talonflame, alongside Heatran, as that's another pokemon you seem to struggle against, especially since Heatran is something that gets easily worn down.

Sets:

Scizor @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Superpower
- Pursuit

Heatran @ Choice Scarf
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Overheat
- Flash Cannon
- Earth Power
- Stone Edge

Dragonite @ Choice Band
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Outrage
- Extreme Speed
- Fire Punch
- Earthquake