Introduction
Let me begin by saying that this team has been the most successful team I've ever used. This team has lasted me almost a month through a metagame that has been changing greatly. This team has also brought me to my peak score of 1478 on Pokemon Online's Beta server and 1402 on Smogon University's server. After having a lot of trouble making even half-decent teams, I could barely get past 1100 without struggling.
This team is offensive-minded. The goal is to get down screens with deoxys-s, giving my team the bulk it needs to set up and sweep. After the opposing team has been worn down to a certain extent, either Scizor or Infernape can clean up house. The title of this team goes along with a lot of my clan I was apart of. Some of you have probably seen or battled me while I was under the TSS or Draco tags. Because of this, I named my Pokémon appropriately after all my clans.
Team Building Process
As stated in the introduction, the team was built on having screens. Once I get screens up, my team has little problems setting up and sweeping. Using Superpower > Taunt. However, pokes started to set up on it, decreasing my sweep chances, so I had to use taunt. It was a good move on my part.
At First, I wanted to use a NP set that has great coverage with Grass Knot. However, this put a big wall in my team, as I have no way to get out of trouble other than switching, in most cases a skilled opponent either screws over the switch or does a double switch, stalling out screens. So, I tried out a CB set. Another good idea. While in HO the idea is to use random sweepers, this team is to abuse the boost from screens as much as possible, so U-turn spam is great for this. It will do damage, breaking sturdy’s/sashes if I can’t get rocks up, and sending out a set-up sweeper to wreak hell. Plus, it gets a strong Priority in Mach Punch, which is great in cleaning up games for me.
When I first made this team, it was supposed to be a Physical HO team, so I tried an SD set. This was horrible, as Lucario’s bad speed makes it an easy kill, and the point of the team is to abuse screens. So, I tried an Agility set. While adamant is the best way to go with a set like that, when Exca was OU , Jolly made me out speed it in sand, though it is very weak power wise. But it did go well with Ape, used as my dragon resist, and gets good coverage as well.
My first team went from physical to mixed very soon after walls like skarm screwed my team over. Zoroark was a poke I wanted to use since the game came out, so as you see, first two pokes both can learn NP, and therefore are good covers for the shadow fox. That, and Dark Pulse has great coverage in OU, and any steel that resists eats a Focus Blast/Flamethrower.
Those stats above made me REALLY want to use him.
Thudurus was by far my favorite sweeper in all the metagame. 111 base speed outspeeds all major threats to this team lik Latios/Latias and Espeon, and with a NP, his Sp.Attack gets near 700. 7 ****ing hundred. That, and he helped me to hit water types, which were very annoying. Plus, with screens and No LO recoil every turn with the Lum set, he pooped on everything. I had so much sweeps it’s not funny. He was broken, but I will miss you in OU.
Rain Check, and he was Specs, to flow with the offensive role. Very easily the weakest link in the team, he had to go. But he did help me beat rain teams, which was a plus.
Suicune. Put to UU because we now had jelli, and bulky waters like cune weren’t needed. But in this HO team, he is a bulky sweeper. Offensive Calm Mind is ****ing awesome, he outspeeds most things that outspeed the ChestoRest set, that and I get to run Hidden Power, which finished up the coverage on this poke. And w/o defensive EVs, still bulky enough to take numerous hits, even more with Screens up. When Water Absorb is out, he’ll be a better rain check by absorbing HP, before sweeping (not even gay burns w/ scald screw up my sweep).
After My Fav Sweeper got banned, I had to use another Electri Type, so I decied to use zapdos, and he will never replace Thundurus. He cant hit Gasto the way he did, or outspeed and wreck with NP like He did. But he does have a good 125 base Special Attack, and Agility, so I was like , why not use that instead. And unlike him, he gets Heat Wave, so I can hit Ferro, which I couldn’t do with Thundurus.
Lucario was great, but after Exca ban, I needed more power since I didn’t need the speed boost to kill the mole anymore. I always wanted to try out Terra, so I used a double boosting set, which gives me great momentum in my favor as I can use RP to gain speed, or SD to put holes in everything. Really good poke w/ sand too, as he gets a SP.Def boost, even better when setting up for the sweep.
Zoroark was fun for a kill here and there w/ NP, but I wanted to get serious about winning. So, I used a Scizor for a Dragon Resist and more Priority, and he checks Latios/Latias/Espeon really well, which I like about him the much.
The Team
First Impact (Deoxys-S) (M) @ Light Clay
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def/ 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Stealth Rock
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Taunt
This is a Standard HO lead, and we see why. This thing, even with 50/90/90 defenses, with Screens up, he turns into a champ.
Detailed Result: 252 Atk Choice Band Scizor U-turn vs 252 HP/4 Def Deoxys-S: 68.09% - 80.92% 2 hits to KO
Detailed Result: 40 Atk Tyranitar Crunch vs 252 HP/4 Def Deoxys-S: 41.45% - 49.34% 3 hits to KO
252 Atk Choice Band Tyranitar Crunch vs 252 HP/4 Def Deoxys-S: 78.95% - 93.75% 2 hits to KO
252 SpAtk Choice Specs Latios Draco Meteor vs 252 HP/0 SpDef Deoxys-S: 61.51% - 73.03% 2 hits to KO
252 Atk Choice Band Haxorus Outrage vs 252 HP/4 Def Deoxys-S: 63.49% - 75% 2 hits to KO
All of these are with screens up. It outspeeds all of these pokes, and sets up a screen in its face, while I either get up the other while I die, or just get rocks. The only thing to stop this thing from setting up is Prankster mons, though they aren’t as common, so I usually have fun screwing around with screens. At times I was thinking using Deoxys-D for the job, but this guy hasn’t failed me yet.
Bug Battalion (Scizor) (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Technician
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- Bug Bite
- Bullet Punch
- Brick Break
After Latios/Latias/Espeon taking a **** on my team, finally decide to use Scizor, and it has helped me out a lot since. After a SD, Atk is over 700, Bullet Punch is a Easy KO on Latios and Espeon
252 +2 Atk Life Orb Scizor Bullet Punch vs 4 HP/0 Def Latios: 111.59% - 131.46% 100% chance to OHKO
252 +2 Atk Life Orb Scizor Bullet Punch vs 252 HP/80 Def Espeon: 112.28% - 132.34% 100% chance to OHKO
252 +2 Atk Life Orb Scizor Bullet Punch vs 252 HP/4 Def Latias: 84.07% - 98.9% Entry hazards damage: 45 After entry hazards: 351 - 405 (96.43% - 111.26%) 75% chance to OHKO
Not only that, it easly comes in on Dragons Atk with it’s great Def Stat or Draco Meteors thanks to Light Screen.
Aquatic Abyss (Suicune) @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spe
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Ice Beam
- Surf
Since the 5th gen power drop and the more powerful sweepers in OU, Suicune now reaps around in the UU tier. However, with 100/110/110 Defenses, decent Special Attack and Speed, and Calm Mind, this thing fits perfectly with my team. Not only that, but with screens intact, Suicune can get several Calm Minds up before going for the sweep. Also, with Thundurus being banned, pokemon with super effective STAB’s, including Rotom-W, who lacks the power of Thundurus, and all it usually does is Volt Switch, so I can set up on that. Also, most Celebii are defensive, so I can outspeed and set up on it.
The Offensive Suicune set works very well in OU, because it runs the Hidden Power, which makes me hit Jellicent, Vaporeon, Politoed, Gastrodon, Cloyster, Swampert, Slowbro, among others. He also outspeed most things like Breloom, Dragonite, and speed ties with Toxicroak with Timid and Max Speed. Using Calm Mind to boost its Special Attack to 418, Suicune can use its 95 Base Power STAB attack to destroy teams. Perfect coverage, and when it’s DW is out, it will be used over pressure because it can switch in on water attacks, even scald, gain HP, then start using Calm Mind.
Triumvirate (Infernape) @ Choice Band
Trait: Iron Fist
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Flare Blitz
- Close Combat
- Mach Punch
- U-Turn
No, no I will not take CB of Infernape. CB Ape works really well with it’s 108 base speed, which speed ties with Terrakion, Virizion, and is only outspeed by Lati@s and Espeon. U-turn is allows Infernape to bypass its checks and counters, while also helping to build up momentum, and put constant pressure on the opponent's team. It helps be bring out any of the other set-up sweepers and start wrecking teams. It also gets Mach Punch, which is a great priority with Iron Fist, Choice Band and STAB, hurts just as hard as Conkeldurr’s Mach Punch. Flare Blitz and Close Combat are only used when I know I can get the sweep using CB boosted STAB attacks, or when I need to kill something.
Dracaena (Terrakion) @ Air Balloon
Trait: Justified
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge
- Swords Dance
- Rock Polish
Another powerhouse. To give you a rough idea of how strong Double Boosting Terrakion is, his Close Combat can 2HKO Skarmory and his Stone Edge can 2HKO some Gliscor after a SD. It’s no easy feat to beat the most popular defensive pivots in the game. Not only that, but Terrakion can fill a whole multitude of roles, from wall-breaker to late-game sweeper to revenge killer. Because of this, Terrakion is also my usual choice for blind switches. Another neat thing is that in Sandstorm Terrakion gets the +50% special defense boost, which means I can come in on attacks that might rattle him a bit more than usual in sand and set up.
The EVs, again, are basic and standard. They're really only there for the need to outspeed / speed tie with threats like Infernape, Mienshao, Terrakion, and Virizion. Consideration goes to a bulkier spread, but even taking out one Speed EV means I can always lose the speed tie to fellow base 108's.
Close Combat and Stone Edge are the main moves used for attacking. They both wreck the house, like seriously. Almost nothing can come in without being 2HKO'd after a SD. Rock Polish is usually the move I use, as I get the speed to sweep pokes, and SD is used when I’m 100% sure all faster threats are killed, so I proceed to using an attack of 714 to wreck everything.
Airbourne Aces (Zapdos) (F) @ Life Orb
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Agility
- Thuderbolt
- Heat Wave
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Why, oh why did Thundurus get banned. I would never use Zapdos as long as he was OU, but he’s uber now, so here’s the best thing.
As you can see, this is my other sweeper that uses a Speed Boosting move (other is Terra) and the other Special Sweeper on the team. I need an Electric Type as it was one of the few things that hits Water for SE STAB damage, and Toxicroak, which resist/absorbs the STAB’s of the other pokes on my team (other than Scizor).
Thuderbolt is the main STAB, and with 125 Base Attack and LO, it hits hard un-boosted. Heat Wave is to hit steels which could take this thing on, like Ferro, something my Thundurus could’nt hit. However, it loses the power to hit Heatran hard, and same with Lati@s, who can take a HP Ice, even with Max Special Attack and LO. However, it does does it job very well, and so far I have no complaints.
One Last Look
Conclusion
This team is my pride and joy and I'll remember it as one of my favorite and most effective team to date. I really hope you've taken the time to read through this rate my team thoroughly, and establish an understanding of how it works. Below includes a comprehensive threat list, which may give you an even better explanation of the play-style this team offers. That's really all I have left to say, so thanks for reading!
