ORAS OU I don't know what I'm doing but I'm 1500+ elo

[CQso]

I'm relatively new to pokemon and dont actually understand what makes a good team so I've just been pulling sets from smogon dex and tinkering until it works. I recently got to 1500 with this team; can you suggest improvements or explain why it works?

Diana C. (Diancie) @ Diancite
Ability: Clear Body
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 8 Atk / 248 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Moonblast
- Diamond Storm
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Protect

Usually leads unless their potential leads can OHKO her (then it goes to either Conk or Lando-T). Is fun because she prevents rocks from getting set down (though rocks really only hurts v Dragonite) and sometimes I'll let her die to an enemy Lando-T so I can stop rocks and switch into Dnite. I've also found she wins vs Bulky Lando-T. Diamond Storm is good vs Chansey or CM Clefable and sometimes their only threat to her is Scizor in which case HP Fire on a predicted switch-in wins me the game.

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

Usually cleans up at the end but if rocks aren't down I'll try to catch a stone edge with him. If Diana C. dies vs an offensive Lando I'll switch in to him and Dragon Dance to catch a stone edge and then sweep. (though the confusion from outrage has stopped those sweeps short a lot)

bisharp please (Bisharp) @ Life Orb
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- Swords Dance
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch

The go-to switch vs a Scizor/Jirachi opening against Diana C.

stronkeldurr (Conkeldurr) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Guts
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Drain Punch
- Knock Off
- Ice Punch
- Mach Punch

Switch in vs SpA threats and if I predict a Wisp/Scald/Toxic. Knock Off and Ice Punch OHKO or OHKO with guts his most common switch-ins (Lando-T and Latios) and a lot of times I'll predict the switch and grab the 1/2HKO

cool hat guy (Breloom) @ Life Orb
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Spore
- Bullet Seed
- Mach Punch
- Swords Dance

Gets a free sleep vs a lot of the slower mons that can do work vs this team (Clefable/Slowbro). While it's rare I use his SD, when they don't have threats that can tank mach punch left he can sweep with it.

Calrissian (Landorus-Therian) @ Earth Plate
Ability: Intimidate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Explosion
- Stealth Rock

Standard offensive set. Switches into physical threats I have problems with and Explosion on threats I have no other way of dealing with,

The biggest "threat" I have is Mega Venusaur, literally lose every match vs one, but it's uncommon enough that it's only happened 2x on both climbs and that was before I gave Landorus-T explosion(I just climbed to 1530 on a smurf using this team again)

 

[DoctorPhrog]

Hi CQso! Fun team; you have some huge offensive threats. I especially like the quad priority you have and the fact that your team doesn't mind hazards (a nice build since you only have magic bounce to deal with them). Sounds like you've had some success with it already for being relatively new to competitive battling, so here are just a couple suggestions/things to consider:

-Your team is very weak to fairies right now. You could consider running a bulky scizor in this slot to maintain the steel-type coverage but gives you a more reliable way to tank those fairy type attacks. If you really want to keep bisharp and use it more as a revenge killer than a switch in, you could try AV on bisharp. You have two other pokemon with set up moves already and I think you'd be ok with shifting bisharps role to a bit.

-Personally, I would move 32 EVs in speed to defense on Landorus-T. This lets you just outspeed everything up to jolly/timid base 75s (including M-heracross). This gives you a better chance to like an ice punch from Lopunny after stealth rocks or a brave bird from SD talonflame after it has set up. It doesn't drastically change the damage calcs, but it does put some rolls in your favor and there isn't much point in having the extra points in speed in my opinion. As a side note, I would try to conserve health on Lando if you are up against M-Venu teams (which you stated you had a problem with). Offensive rocks with earth plate is a great lure for venu and can 2HKO it if it tries to come in on you with stealth rocks up.

-You have lando and diancie to check bird spam, but they are both worn down relatively easily on your team. You may want to consider a focus sash on breloom and change SD into rock tomb. The sub toxic heal set may also put in a little more work against birds (threatening to sleep them if they come in on your substitute. This also allows breloom to not be as easily worn down, which can be really important against fatter teams with dedicated physical walls. If you're not having problems playing around these builds though, then you can ignore this.

That's pretty much it. Like I said, it's a cool team. The only really pressing flaw, in my opinion, is to make sure you can handle fairies a little bit better.

 

[DoctorPhrog]

Also, just noticed this, but you are crazy weak to Mega Medicham. This is a big enough issue in the current meta that I would recommend replacing something with a counter. Conk could be switched out for clefable or slowbro... There's a few other options, but I would make sure you address this in some way.


Edit: Been playing around with it some more. I think clef is the way to go and I have preferred the sub toxic heal set on breloom. Also, I think fire punch in more useful than earthquake on your dragonite set and change HP fire to earth power for Diancie.

Importable to my changes here:

Importable

Diana C. (Diancie) @ Diancite
Ability: Clear Body
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 8 Atk / 248 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Moonblast
- Diamond Storm
- Earth Power
- Protect

@dragoniteite (Dragonite) @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Outrage
- Extreme Speed
- Fire Punch

bisharp please (Bisharp) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 76 SpD / 180 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- Pursuit
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch

Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Thunder Wave
- Calm Mind
- Soft-Boiled

cool hat guy (Breloom) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 12 HP / 244 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Spore
- Seed Bomb
- Focus Punch
- Substitute

Calrissian (Landorus-Therian) @ Earth Plate
Ability: Intimidate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 32 Def / 224 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Explosion
- Stealth Rock

Side note: I decided to try this team out with one of my OLT alts. Only dropped one game out of the first 22. Granted that's against low ladder teams, but I will says it's been pretty consistent for me. Playing with it, I will say I sometimes thing dragonite would be better with choice band or lum. Always sort of a toss up/situational on what is going to help you the most I guess. But really fun team to ladder with.

 

[CQso]

I like the Lando-T change and have added it in!

I have tried the Earth Power Diancie set but at least for my playstyle HP Fire feels a lot more consistent as it punishes a lot of her more common switch-ins (though sometimes I think that it might be better if I had a coin flip rather than straight up lose vs other Diancies and Latios). With HP Fire I don't need fire punch as much but I do feel my team is lacking in fire and ice, two really strong damage types in the meta imo. I just feel like after a dance the most common wall I experience is more susceptible to EQ since Diancie mostly attracts and trades with the ones that eat HP fire.

I've also considered choice band on Dnite but I think weakness policy is the way to go, esp. since I don't really have switchout options vs ice and fairy.

Fairies can be annoying but outside of Bisharp I still have options: Breloom gets a free sleep vs Clefairy/Azu, a full HP DNite gets his weakness policy activated and can go ham, and Klefki loses to HPfire Diancie (I almost always lead with Diancie vs a Klefki). Mega Gardevoir has been a nuisance though but it's rarer to see her. Other Diancie can be troublesome too if Lando is gone or Dnite's multiscale is broke

I like the clefable change as it creates a more well-rounded team while filling a similar role and makes my team less weak vs fairy but I love durr too much.

I've also found that Mega Medi is not as huge of a threat. Bisharp's priority beats him and Mega Diancie outspeeds and OHKOs him. As a bonus multiscaled Dragonite can tank an Ice punch so I can switch into Dnite after a sac. I will usually have to sac someone to get them in but it's not unwinnable like mega-V (whom I have beaten now that I've added in Explosion to Lando).

 

[DoctorPhrog]

I have tried the Earth Power Diancie set but at least for my playstyle HP Fire feels a lot more consistent as it punishes a lot of her more common switch-ins (though sometimes I think that it might be better if I had a coin flip rather than straight up lose vs other Diancies and Latios). With HP Fire I don't need fire punch as much but I do feel my team is lacking in fire and ice, two really strong damage types in the meta imo. I just feel like after a dance the most common wall I experience is more susceptible to EQ since Diancie mostly attracts and trades with the ones that eat HP fire.

If you prefer this, that's probably fine. I have just found skarmory more annoying than heatran in stopping my sweeps. Do you though.

Fairies can be annoying but outside of Bisharp I still have options: Breloom gets a free sleep vs Clefairy/Azu, a full HP DNite gets his weakness policy activated and can go ham, and Klefki loses to HPfire Diancie (I almost always lead with Diancie vs a Klefki). Mega Gardevoir has been a nuisance though but it's rarer to see her. Other Diancie can be troublesome too if Lando is gone or Dnite's multiscale is broke

Diancie and Gardevoir are primarily what i was talking about when being fairy weak. AV bisharp is such a good way out of this, and with pursuit is a much better switch in to Lati@s (something else you struggle against with your current team). Sure, bish doesn't switch in, but it does take a hit from either when it's packing AV, which makes it a potent lure. I know Dragnite takes 1 with multiscale intact from either, but this can't be your only answer to them, especially when you don't have hazard control.

I like the clefable change as it creates a more well-rounded team while filling a similar role and makes my team less weak vs fairy but I love durr too much.

I've also found that Mega Medi is not as huge of a threat. Bisharp's priority beats him and Mega Diancie outspeeds and OHKOs him. As a bonus multiscaled Dragonite can tank an Ice punch so I can switch into Dnite after a sac. I will usually have to sac someone to get them in but it's not unwinnable like mega-V (whom I have beaten now that I've added in Explosion to Lando).

This is troubling. If you REALLY want conk on a team, I recommend building a team around it or altering this team substantially to allow it to function properly. I'm not saying it's bad at all, but I do think that it is outclassed by Breloom as your fighting type (that spore is so valuable). And you do NOT have even a check to Mega Medicham. It can literally potentially lead against your team and win without switching out. See these calcs.

Sucker punch will never get an OHKO on agaist Mega Medi and easily kills in return.
252+ Atk Life Orb Bisharp Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Mega Medicham: 208-246 (79.6 - 94.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Further bullet punch is extremely common on Medicham, especially adamant ones, which easily picks off your Diancie.
252+ Atk Pure Power Mega Medicham Bullet Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Mega Diancie: 296-352 (122.8 - 146%) -- guaranteed OHKO

And if you're running adamant Dragonite, then you don't outspeed opposing adamant Medichams (which is more common than jolly) and you are most likely going to get OHKOed through multi scale.
252+ Atk Pure Power Mega Medicham Ice Punch vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Multiscale Dragonite: 312-368 (96.5 - 113.9%) -- 75% chance to OHKO

And your offensive Lando set is OHKO'ed as well.
-1 252+ Atk Pure Power Mega Medicham Ice Punch vs. 0 HP / 32 Def Landorus-T: 420-496 (131.6 - 155.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO

And obviously so are your fighting types.
252+ Atk Pure Power Mega Medicham High Jump Kick vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Conkeldurr: 405-477 (115.3 - 135.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Pure Power Mega Medicham Ice Punch vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Breloom: 358-422 (137.1 - 161.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO

I really think a Clef should replace Conk. If you REALLY want to keep it, then you need to probably replace something else with it or find another way to deal with Medicham. It's just too common on the ladder right now not to have an answer to it. If you're dead set on these 6 pokemon, I think you're unfortunately going to be stuck peaking lower than you otherwise could.

 

[CQso]

I like the AV Bisharp change as I do have problems with Lati@s and mostly rely on outpredicting my opponent to take it out.

For Mega Medicham Since I have a lot of priority it feels like sucker punch and extreme speed/mach punch is enough, but it does cost on average almost 2 mons to take him. I guess my playstyle is more around sacrificing mons to remove threats and end on a mon or two that can sweep their team so I really like the priority on durr (and all the otehrs on this team)

You're probably right, Clefable would shore up both these issues. I'll try it out!