Disclaimer: This is a not a serious team. This is a joke team that has been used for serious purposes. Use at your own risk.
Introduction
It took me a ladder tournament and two suspect tests to realize the dream had died. No matter what we did or how much we tried to educate the playerbase, the Ubers ladder was doomed to be a cesspool of NU Pokemon, Baton Pass OU teams + Genesect, and Ubers with terrible sets. No one seemed to enjoy it anymore - all anyone ever did was complain about Baton Pass and hax. Even I wasn't having much fun laddering. But the lower ladderers continued to duel, blissfully unaware of the metagame around them, yet they never complained.
In fact, they seemed...happy.
Have we forgotten something? Have we, in our quest for competitive perfection and shiny trophies, forgotten how to have fun? Did we lose our way somewhere? Maybe there was a reason why the Ubers ladder was in a perpetual state of Flash Cannon Xerneas and Defog Arceus-Normal. Maybe this was how things were meant to be.
So I took the plunge. I joined them. This team was my gateway into their world, so I could truly see what all the fuss was about. And I, too, remembered what it was like to have fun on the ladder as I cruised up to 1600 and beat people with my innovative sets that did not suck at all. Perhaps the Ubers ladder is not something to be fixed, but rather something to appreciate as art. Perhaps we were the ones who were wrong to not let them express themselves as they so desperately needed.
Or maybe I'm just crazy.
I am ext_id.
Accomplishments
I realized I needed to teambuild like the Ubers Ladder, so I picked 6 random Pokemon that loosely worked together:
Specs Zekrom/SubToxic Arceus-Fire/AV Excadrill/Scarf Gengar/Chesto Rest SDef Ogre/Power Herb Yveltal
Gengar was too easy to Pursuit trap and the team was really weak to Blaziken so I replaced it with Giratina:
Specs Zekrom/SubToxic Arceus-Fire/AV Excadrill/Scarf Giratina/Chesto Rest SDef Ogre/Power Herb Yveltal
My team was really weak to Ground-type sweepers such as Excadrill and I needed SR so I changed it to:
Specs Zekrom/Defog Arceus-Ground/Chople Heatran/Scarf Giratina/Chesto Rest SDef Ogre/Power Herb Yveltal
Then I put Rock Tomb on Heatran over Toxic so I could beat last mon GeoXern.
Done!
At a Glance
Convince yourself this team helps support a Yveltal sweep by taking out things such as bulky Grounds and support Arceus it has no business losing to. It's primary function is to just have fun though, lol.
Sets
Zekrom @ Choice Specs
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunder
- Draco Meteor
- Flash Cannon
- Volt Switch
Physical Zekrom has problems with Bolt Strike missing and burns so I decided to use a special one instead. I usually lead this unless my opponent has Deoxys. If my opponent has a Groudon, Landorus-T, or Gliscor and no Deoxys, I always lead this. They usually stay in expecting free Stealth Rock and then find themselves down their Ground-type as this manly glasses-toting dragon turns the foe's hapless Pokemon into a crater. I don't care if this isn't viable (I know it's not), it's hilarious to use and surprisingly does a lot of work. I'm running a physical Yveltal and it hates bulky Ground-mons that can tank a hit and Stone Edge my poor bacon bird, so Specs Zekrom baits them in to help ensure they won't live long enough to see it. Running a special Zekrom actually has a couple advantages over physical - mainly that, as mentioned before, it doesn't care about burns. You can fearlessly switch it into defensive Kyogre/Ho-Oh (this team kinda hates those guys otherwise) and cut through support Arceus formes that want to chance a Will-O-Wisp with Specs Thunder, both of which are surprisingly handy! It also still does typical Zekrom stuff like check Yveltal, Water Arceus, Lugia, and the like. Even though its STAB moves are far less reliable and weaker than their physical counterparts, they're still strong, and Choice Specs Zekrom is surprisingly good at getting kills...mostly because no one sane expects this set.
Definitely do not use this on a serious team - Tailwind is better. Really.
Thunder and Draco Meteor are STAB - both of them hit quite hard with 120 Special Attack and a pair of Choice Specs. Thunder also has perfect accuracy in rain and a nice 30% paralysis rate which has saved my butt in a few games. Volt Switch is for usual pivoting shenanigans, but thans to the spectacles it actually hurts Kyogre/Ho-Oh brave enough to stay in which is a refreshing change of pace. Flash Cannon is another neat perk of Choice Specs Zekrom as it can be used to troll teams that rely on physically bulky Grounds + Fairy to beat it - it wrecks most Fairies and can 2HKO Gliscor/offensive Landorus-T. It also made the one guy on the ladder running Diancie very sad.
I went Timid because it helps get the jump on Mild Yveltal/Modest Xerneas and Adamant Landorus-T. Being able to outrun Modest Specs Kyogre is also quite useful in a pinch. EVs should be obvious.
Arceus-Ground @ Earth Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 248 HP / 80 Def / 180 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Toxic
- Recover
- Defog
Arceus pretending to be Gliscor. Actually, I'd love to be able to run this set on Gliscor, but Defog is illegal with Poison Heal so that idea can rest in pieces. Basically I needed hazard control, an Electric check for everything else on my team, a Dialga check, and some way to handle Ground sweepers like Excadrill. This isn't the solution normal people think of, but it kind of works for some reason! Probably because this is Arceus and Arceus can do pretty much anything you need it to, even if its something it really shouldn't be doing.
This biggest problem with using Arceus-Ground as a support Pokemon is you can only pick two of Defog, Will-O-Wisp, and Stone Edge. No Will-O-Wisp means you don't have a way to passively hurt/stall stuff, no Defog is just weird, and no Stone Edge means Ho-Oh eats you for lunch. Toxic is a compromise that allows me to mess with Ho-Oh while giving me a way to stall out other Ground-types passively. Arceus can actually beat quite a few Pokemon simply by Toxic stalling them - it seems like a waste but it works better than expected on the ladder. Stalling out Giratina-O that expect to beat you is also hilarious. The other moves are fairly straightforward: Earthquake is STAB, Defog and Recover are things you would expect to see on support Arceus formes that are, you know, good. To be honest though, this isn't actually a bad Defogger. It destroys Klefki and Dialga, and support Groudon gets Toxic stalled. It also helps a lot against Hyper Offense because many of those teams run Scarf Zekrom - come in on Bolt Strike and all their hazards magically disappear!
Speed EVs outrun Mega Lucario, everything else goes toward bulk for switching into Zekrom and Dialga.
Kyogre @ Chesto Berry
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Calm Mind
- Rest
This Kyogre set is the closest thing I have to a check for Yveltal and Palkia, but its bigger purpose is to lure and kill Gastrodon who destroys everything else on this team except Yveltal. Yes, this team would be weak to Gastrodon otherwise. Ubers teams should not be weak to Gastrodon. This is also the closest thing I have to a stallbreaker save playing perfectly with Zekrom. It usually only ends up beating stall teams who have no Kyogre checks outside of Gastrodon, but it's still better than beating no stall teams, right? At least I can use it to burn Ferrothorn. This also tends to lead if my opponent has Darkrai as I can absorb the Void and than hit back with Scald for about 80% damage - if I get the burn then Darkrai will be dead the next turn. Although not the optimal set, Calm Mind Kyogre acts as a decent win condition versus more balanced teams, with Yveltal being there for the more offensive ones.
I actually only needed Hidden Power Grass rarely during my ladder trek. In the ~150 games I played with this team, I ran into exactly two Gastrodon, a Water Absorb Quagsire, and a Seismitoad. That being said, being able to whack other Kyogre and conserve Scald PP has its uses. Sleep Talk is probably better and would allow me to run Leftovers, but then this would be a good set and we can't have those on this team. Calm Mind allows Kyogre to actually do something to Palkia, with the heavy Special Defense investment allowing it to Calm Mind against even Thunder Palkia. Scald is for burning Ferrothorn. Rest + Chesto Berry is cool, Kyogre can get a Calm Mind or two and then then instantly get all its HP back. If the foe doesn't have a Zekrom, this usually translates into one or two enemy Pokemon going down.
Running this many Special Defense EVs is probably a bad idea with Calm Mind, but I need Kyogre to be able to switch into Palkia and Yveltal.
Giratina @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Shadow Ball
- Will-O-Wisp
- Destiny Bond
I kid you not, this is the best set on the team. It is mediocre, but I love it. You would not believe how easy it is to kill Palkia with this team - just send this in and click Draco Meteor. Even if you switch Giratina into Palkia somehow and Leftovers doesn't show up, click Draco Meteor, because they usually will assume you're just stupid and go for Spacial Rend anyway.
Anyway...I needed a way to beat EKiller, Mega Kangaskhan, and Blaziken, but I also needed something that could revenge dragons like Palkia and Swords Dance Rayquaza, Mewtwo, and generally frail stuff. This is what happened. Choice Scarf Giratina is a beyond terrible set - even with a Modest nature, it is really weak against anything it cannot hit for super-effective damage - but it does everything I needed this slot to fill with the added bonus of making your opponent really upset and calling you garbage. There is also something pretty useful about having a really bulky Scarfer - even with no investment, Giratina can still tank some pretty hefty blows (still lives +2 Shadow Claw from Jolly Life Orb EKiller and +2 Flare Blitz from Mega Blaziken), and it has a useful array of resistances to switch in on. Scarf Giratina also beats Stalltwo through Shadow Ball spam, helpful because, sadly, physical Yveltal will usually succumb to Will-O-Wisp and Taunt.
Draco Meteor is Giratina's strongest attack so I pretty much have to use it. It is just powerful enough to OHKO most of the dragons in the tier while also stripping about 75% off of Blaziken (which is good enough to kill it usually) and Darkrai. It also manages about half to Jolly EKiller, giving me a way to kill it without resorting to suicide if I can get it weakened enough. Shadow Ball is needed for Mewtwo and Gengar, 2HKOing the former and OHKOing the latter. Ghost also has pretty good neutral coverage, so Shadow Ball can be used to clean up when everything on the opposing is about 30% or so (this has happened a few times). Will-O-Wisp can be used to cripple Arceus and Kangaskhan that want to stay in and go for Shadow Ball/Crunch, after which point you can go to Arceus-Ground to stall and save Giratina for later. Destiny Bond is probably the reason why this set even works at all, mostly being cool for killing stuff like Refresh EKiller, Calm Mind Arceus, and Specs Kyogre that think they've backed me into a corner. It is oftentimes a "get out of sweep free" card for stuff that is slower than Giratina because everyone seems to forget it gets Destiny Bond. I wonder why...
I need a Modest nature to kill Pokemon so that explains that. 4 SDef gives Genesect an Attack boost so it can't revenge me with Ice Beam. This is mostly useful in case I need to conserve Heatran for Xerneas.
Heatran @ Chople Berry
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Lava Plume
- Roar
- Rock Tomb
- Stealth Rock
This Heatran set is the one that most resembles anything halfway decent or standard. Too bad it has Rock Tomb.
Heatran sets up Stealth Rock and checks Xerneas and Steel-types. It also provides a Dragon resistance. That's pretty much all I need it to do, so if the opponent doesn't have a deer or a Ferrothorn, it tends to be somewhat expendable. If they do have deer, then I try to conserve Heatran as best as I can because it is literally my only check to Xerneas. Because Heatran is my only check, I run Chople Berry which makes sure it can beat Focus Blast variants of Geomancy Xerneas. Aside from that, it is mostly standard Heatran. That is, with the exception of Rock Tomb. Normally, Heatran can only beat Xerneas by phazing it with Roar, but this obviously does not work if Xerneas is the last Pokemon on the enemy team. Rock Tomb allows me to drop Xerneas's Speed as it sets up or as Heatran takes a hit, usually just enough to where Giratina can finish it off with Scarf Destiny Bond as Xerneas normally doesn't run enough Speed to beat neutral Scarf base 90's at only +1. It's a super janky way to handle last mon Geomancy Xerneas, but it works often enough and this entire team is pretty janky so I see no problem with it. Rock Tomb also has utility against Ho-Oh and other last mon situations like versus Stalltwo or something since the Speed drops do come in handy.
Sassy nature is used because Rock Tomb actually nails Ho-Oh for pretty solid damage. Everything else is typical of Heatran.
Yveltal @ Power Herb
Ability: Dark Aura
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Acrobatics
- Sky Attack
- Hone Claws
Inspired somewhat by Hawlucha in lower tiers, we have Power Herb Yveltal. Hone Claws is Yveltal's only boosting move, but it allows it to potentially sweep more offensive teams and get the jump on a lot of its usual checks. Stuff like Kyogre, Ho-Oh, and specially bulky Fairies such as Xerneas and Sylveon come in expecting Dark Pulse only to get bopped by +1 Sky Attack, leaving the enemy vulnerable to getting swept. And Hone Claws Yveltal is actually a pretty decent win condition against offense - instead of Unburden, it has Sucker Punch, which gets lots of OHKOes at +1, such as against Kyogre and Palkia, and the Flying STAB destroys stuff that are slower. Although I try to save it for late game, Yveltal often has defensive utility by being a decent check to Deoxys and Mewtwo and revenging stuff with Sucker Punch which is cool. The team supports it pretty well too, as Zekrom lures and kills stuff like Groudon and the team can beat Will-O-Wisp Arceus pretty consistently through Scarf Destiny Bond, Toxic, or just by hitting it.
To use this set, you basically just get Yveltal in on something it normally scares off like Mewtwo, Deoxys, or Giratina-O. You can even bring it in on Groudon or something if you're feeling ballsy. Scare it off, Hone Claws up, kill their specially bulky check with +1 Sky Attack, then sweep with Sucker Punch. Sky Attack also has a high crit ratio and a cool 30% flinch rate, so you can potentially still try to cheese your way past Groudon or Gliscor if you're feeling skillful enough. Acrobatics becomes your Flying STAB once Power Herb is used up, and is still quite strong on its own.
I like max Speed to help ensure Yveltal will be faster than Geomancy Xerneas before it sets up. Max Attack and Adamant is needed for power. There's no real point in running a Speed boosting nature on Yveltal given that it has Sucker Punch.
Replays
Some of these are with older versions of the team, but they're still entertaining so I'm including them:
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ubers-166370228 vs Haruno
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ubers-166603159 vs GRB1
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ubers-167506678 vs hyw
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ubers-168157808 vs ogasian
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ubers-168235574 vs Piexplode
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ubers-169469813 vs hyw again (yes hyw lost to this team twice)
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ubers-172569705 vs Kebabe (almost won, after this battle I put Rock Tomb on Heatran so this situation wouldn't happen again)
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/uberssuspecttest-179071087 vs WreckDra
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ubers-179117831 vs Lady Gaga (disclaimer: our first battle I got bopped by SD Mega Lucario on Sticky Web lol)
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/uberssuspecttest-179145617 vs based n bad
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/uberssuspecttest-179152488 vs based n bad (again)
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/uberssuspecttest-179161097 vs The_steve_man
Weaknesses
Choice Specs Kyogre - Full HP Water Spout is killing something. I can use Zekrom and Kyogre somewhat but I have to try and weaken Spout first. Giratina's Destiny Bond works since most of them usually stay in once they see they can 2HKO with Water Spout.
Hidden Power Ground Geomancy Xerneas - 6-0es this team. I guess the Volcarona on that one guy's team who had this should have tipped me off.
Life Orb Yveltal - If Kyogre dies it becomes really annoying.
Well-built Stall teams - As long as you aren't dumb and have a Kyogre check other than Gastrodon, you will probably win.
Conclusion
I think this is a good example of why the ladder is not a good representation of the Ubers metagame, suspect tests or otherwise, but I think you all knew that already. Aside from that, lol.
Thanks for reading! Shoutouts to Jibaku, Rock Tomb Heatran was his idea. :]
Introduction
It took me a ladder tournament and two suspect tests to realize the dream had died. No matter what we did or how much we tried to educate the playerbase, the Ubers ladder was doomed to be a cesspool of NU Pokemon, Baton Pass OU teams + Genesect, and Ubers with terrible sets. No one seemed to enjoy it anymore - all anyone ever did was complain about Baton Pass and hax. Even I wasn't having much fun laddering. But the lower ladderers continued to duel, blissfully unaware of the metagame around them, yet they never complained.
In fact, they seemed...happy.
Have we forgotten something? Have we, in our quest for competitive perfection and shiny trophies, forgotten how to have fun? Did we lose our way somewhere? Maybe there was a reason why the Ubers ladder was in a perpetual state of Flash Cannon Xerneas and Defog Arceus-Normal. Maybe this was how things were meant to be.
So I took the plunge. I joined them. This team was my gateway into their world, so I could truly see what all the fuss was about. And I, too, remembered what it was like to have fun on the ladder as I cruised up to 1600 and beat people with my innovative sets that did not suck at all. Perhaps the Ubers ladder is not something to be fixed, but rather something to appreciate as art. Perhaps we were the ones who were wrong to not let them express themselves as they so desperately needed.
Or maybe I'm just crazy.
I am ext_id.
Accomplishments
- Peaked #10 on Suspect Ladder
- Used to make Requirements for Shadow Tag Suspect Test
- Has beaten several known Ubers players
- Has won a roomtour
- Almost beat kebabe
I realized I needed to teambuild like the Ubers Ladder, so I picked 6 random Pokemon that loosely worked together:
Specs Zekrom/SubToxic Arceus-Fire/AV Excadrill/Scarf Gengar/Chesto Rest SDef Ogre/Power Herb Yveltal
Gengar was too easy to Pursuit trap and the team was really weak to Blaziken so I replaced it with Giratina:
Specs Zekrom/SubToxic Arceus-Fire/AV Excadrill/Scarf Giratina/Chesto Rest SDef Ogre/Power Herb Yveltal
My team was really weak to Ground-type sweepers such as Excadrill and I needed SR so I changed it to:
Specs Zekrom/Defog Arceus-Ground/Chople Heatran/Scarf Giratina/Chesto Rest SDef Ogre/Power Herb Yveltal
Then I put Rock Tomb on Heatran over Toxic so I could beat last mon GeoXern.
Done!
At a Glance
Convince yourself this team helps support a Yveltal sweep by taking out things such as bulky Grounds and support Arceus it has no business losing to. It's primary function is to just have fun though, lol.
Sets
Zekrom @ Choice Specs
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunder
- Draco Meteor
- Flash Cannon
- Volt Switch
Physical Zekrom has problems with Bolt Strike missing and burns so I decided to use a special one instead. I usually lead this unless my opponent has Deoxys. If my opponent has a Groudon, Landorus-T, or Gliscor and no Deoxys, I always lead this. They usually stay in expecting free Stealth Rock and then find themselves down their Ground-type as this manly glasses-toting dragon turns the foe's hapless Pokemon into a crater. I don't care if this isn't viable (I know it's not), it's hilarious to use and surprisingly does a lot of work. I'm running a physical Yveltal and it hates bulky Ground-mons that can tank a hit and Stone Edge my poor bacon bird, so Specs Zekrom baits them in to help ensure they won't live long enough to see it. Running a special Zekrom actually has a couple advantages over physical - mainly that, as mentioned before, it doesn't care about burns. You can fearlessly switch it into defensive Kyogre/Ho-Oh (this team kinda hates those guys otherwise) and cut through support Arceus formes that want to chance a Will-O-Wisp with Specs Thunder, both of which are surprisingly handy! It also still does typical Zekrom stuff like check Yveltal, Water Arceus, Lugia, and the like. Even though its STAB moves are far less reliable and weaker than their physical counterparts, they're still strong, and Choice Specs Zekrom is surprisingly good at getting kills...mostly because no one sane expects this set.
Definitely do not use this on a serious team - Tailwind is better. Really.
Thunder and Draco Meteor are STAB - both of them hit quite hard with 120 Special Attack and a pair of Choice Specs. Thunder also has perfect accuracy in rain and a nice 30% paralysis rate which has saved my butt in a few games. Volt Switch is for usual pivoting shenanigans, but thans to the spectacles it actually hurts Kyogre/Ho-Oh brave enough to stay in which is a refreshing change of pace. Flash Cannon is another neat perk of Choice Specs Zekrom as it can be used to troll teams that rely on physically bulky Grounds + Fairy to beat it - it wrecks most Fairies and can 2HKO Gliscor/offensive Landorus-T. It also made the one guy on the ladder running Diancie very sad.
I went Timid because it helps get the jump on Mild Yveltal/Modest Xerneas and Adamant Landorus-T. Being able to outrun Modest Specs Kyogre is also quite useful in a pinch. EVs should be obvious.
Arceus-Ground @ Earth Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 248 HP / 80 Def / 180 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Toxic
- Recover
- Defog
Arceus pretending to be Gliscor. Actually, I'd love to be able to run this set on Gliscor, but Defog is illegal with Poison Heal so that idea can rest in pieces. Basically I needed hazard control, an Electric check for everything else on my team, a Dialga check, and some way to handle Ground sweepers like Excadrill. This isn't the solution normal people think of, but it kind of works for some reason! Probably because this is Arceus and Arceus can do pretty much anything you need it to, even if its something it really shouldn't be doing.
This biggest problem with using Arceus-Ground as a support Pokemon is you can only pick two of Defog, Will-O-Wisp, and Stone Edge. No Will-O-Wisp means you don't have a way to passively hurt/stall stuff, no Defog is just weird, and no Stone Edge means Ho-Oh eats you for lunch. Toxic is a compromise that allows me to mess with Ho-Oh while giving me a way to stall out other Ground-types passively. Arceus can actually beat quite a few Pokemon simply by Toxic stalling them - it seems like a waste but it works better than expected on the ladder. Stalling out Giratina-O that expect to beat you is also hilarious. The other moves are fairly straightforward: Earthquake is STAB, Defog and Recover are things you would expect to see on support Arceus formes that are, you know, good. To be honest though, this isn't actually a bad Defogger. It destroys Klefki and Dialga, and support Groudon gets Toxic stalled. It also helps a lot against Hyper Offense because many of those teams run Scarf Zekrom - come in on Bolt Strike and all their hazards magically disappear!
Speed EVs outrun Mega Lucario, everything else goes toward bulk for switching into Zekrom and Dialga.
Kyogre @ Chesto Berry
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Calm Mind
- Rest
This Kyogre set is the closest thing I have to a check for Yveltal and Palkia, but its bigger purpose is to lure and kill Gastrodon who destroys everything else on this team except Yveltal. Yes, this team would be weak to Gastrodon otherwise. Ubers teams should not be weak to Gastrodon. This is also the closest thing I have to a stallbreaker save playing perfectly with Zekrom. It usually only ends up beating stall teams who have no Kyogre checks outside of Gastrodon, but it's still better than beating no stall teams, right? At least I can use it to burn Ferrothorn. This also tends to lead if my opponent has Darkrai as I can absorb the Void and than hit back with Scald for about 80% damage - if I get the burn then Darkrai will be dead the next turn. Although not the optimal set, Calm Mind Kyogre acts as a decent win condition versus more balanced teams, with Yveltal being there for the more offensive ones.
I actually only needed Hidden Power Grass rarely during my ladder trek. In the ~150 games I played with this team, I ran into exactly two Gastrodon, a Water Absorb Quagsire, and a Seismitoad. That being said, being able to whack other Kyogre and conserve Scald PP has its uses. Sleep Talk is probably better and would allow me to run Leftovers, but then this would be a good set and we can't have those on this team. Calm Mind allows Kyogre to actually do something to Palkia, with the heavy Special Defense investment allowing it to Calm Mind against even Thunder Palkia. Scald is for burning Ferrothorn. Rest + Chesto Berry is cool, Kyogre can get a Calm Mind or two and then then instantly get all its HP back. If the foe doesn't have a Zekrom, this usually translates into one or two enemy Pokemon going down.
Running this many Special Defense EVs is probably a bad idea with Calm Mind, but I need Kyogre to be able to switch into Palkia and Yveltal.
Giratina @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Shadow Ball
- Will-O-Wisp
- Destiny Bond
I kid you not, this is the best set on the team. It is mediocre, but I love it. You would not believe how easy it is to kill Palkia with this team - just send this in and click Draco Meteor. Even if you switch Giratina into Palkia somehow and Leftovers doesn't show up, click Draco Meteor, because they usually will assume you're just stupid and go for Spacial Rend anyway.
Anyway...I needed a way to beat EKiller, Mega Kangaskhan, and Blaziken, but I also needed something that could revenge dragons like Palkia and Swords Dance Rayquaza, Mewtwo, and generally frail stuff. This is what happened. Choice Scarf Giratina is a beyond terrible set - even with a Modest nature, it is really weak against anything it cannot hit for super-effective damage - but it does everything I needed this slot to fill with the added bonus of making your opponent really upset and calling you garbage. There is also something pretty useful about having a really bulky Scarfer - even with no investment, Giratina can still tank some pretty hefty blows (still lives +2 Shadow Claw from Jolly Life Orb EKiller and +2 Flare Blitz from Mega Blaziken), and it has a useful array of resistances to switch in on. Scarf Giratina also beats Stalltwo through Shadow Ball spam, helpful because, sadly, physical Yveltal will usually succumb to Will-O-Wisp and Taunt.
Draco Meteor is Giratina's strongest attack so I pretty much have to use it. It is just powerful enough to OHKO most of the dragons in the tier while also stripping about 75% off of Blaziken (which is good enough to kill it usually) and Darkrai. It also manages about half to Jolly EKiller, giving me a way to kill it without resorting to suicide if I can get it weakened enough. Shadow Ball is needed for Mewtwo and Gengar, 2HKOing the former and OHKOing the latter. Ghost also has pretty good neutral coverage, so Shadow Ball can be used to clean up when everything on the opposing is about 30% or so (this has happened a few times). Will-O-Wisp can be used to cripple Arceus and Kangaskhan that want to stay in and go for Shadow Ball/Crunch, after which point you can go to Arceus-Ground to stall and save Giratina for later. Destiny Bond is probably the reason why this set even works at all, mostly being cool for killing stuff like Refresh EKiller, Calm Mind Arceus, and Specs Kyogre that think they've backed me into a corner. It is oftentimes a "get out of sweep free" card for stuff that is slower than Giratina because everyone seems to forget it gets Destiny Bond. I wonder why...
I need a Modest nature to kill Pokemon so that explains that. 4 SDef gives Genesect an Attack boost so it can't revenge me with Ice Beam. This is mostly useful in case I need to conserve Heatran for Xerneas.
Heatran @ Chople Berry
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Lava Plume
- Roar
- Rock Tomb
- Stealth Rock
This Heatran set is the one that most resembles anything halfway decent or standard. Too bad it has Rock Tomb.
Heatran sets up Stealth Rock and checks Xerneas and Steel-types. It also provides a Dragon resistance. That's pretty much all I need it to do, so if the opponent doesn't have a deer or a Ferrothorn, it tends to be somewhat expendable. If they do have deer, then I try to conserve Heatran as best as I can because it is literally my only check to Xerneas. Because Heatran is my only check, I run Chople Berry which makes sure it can beat Focus Blast variants of Geomancy Xerneas. Aside from that, it is mostly standard Heatran. That is, with the exception of Rock Tomb. Normally, Heatran can only beat Xerneas by phazing it with Roar, but this obviously does not work if Xerneas is the last Pokemon on the enemy team. Rock Tomb allows me to drop Xerneas's Speed as it sets up or as Heatran takes a hit, usually just enough to where Giratina can finish it off with Scarf Destiny Bond as Xerneas normally doesn't run enough Speed to beat neutral Scarf base 90's at only +1. It's a super janky way to handle last mon Geomancy Xerneas, but it works often enough and this entire team is pretty janky so I see no problem with it. Rock Tomb also has utility against Ho-Oh and other last mon situations like versus Stalltwo or something since the Speed drops do come in handy.
Sassy nature is used because Rock Tomb actually nails Ho-Oh for pretty solid damage. Everything else is typical of Heatran.
Yveltal @ Power Herb
Ability: Dark Aura
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Acrobatics
- Sky Attack
- Hone Claws
Inspired somewhat by Hawlucha in lower tiers, we have Power Herb Yveltal. Hone Claws is Yveltal's only boosting move, but it allows it to potentially sweep more offensive teams and get the jump on a lot of its usual checks. Stuff like Kyogre, Ho-Oh, and specially bulky Fairies such as Xerneas and Sylveon come in expecting Dark Pulse only to get bopped by +1 Sky Attack, leaving the enemy vulnerable to getting swept. And Hone Claws Yveltal is actually a pretty decent win condition against offense - instead of Unburden, it has Sucker Punch, which gets lots of OHKOes at +1, such as against Kyogre and Palkia, and the Flying STAB destroys stuff that are slower. Although I try to save it for late game, Yveltal often has defensive utility by being a decent check to Deoxys and Mewtwo and revenging stuff with Sucker Punch which is cool. The team supports it pretty well too, as Zekrom lures and kills stuff like Groudon and the team can beat Will-O-Wisp Arceus pretty consistently through Scarf Destiny Bond, Toxic, or just by hitting it.
To use this set, you basically just get Yveltal in on something it normally scares off like Mewtwo, Deoxys, or Giratina-O. You can even bring it in on Groudon or something if you're feeling ballsy. Scare it off, Hone Claws up, kill their specially bulky check with +1 Sky Attack, then sweep with Sucker Punch. Sky Attack also has a high crit ratio and a cool 30% flinch rate, so you can potentially still try to cheese your way past Groudon or Gliscor if you're feeling skillful enough. Acrobatics becomes your Flying STAB once Power Herb is used up, and is still quite strong on its own.
I like max Speed to help ensure Yveltal will be faster than Geomancy Xerneas before it sets up. Max Attack and Adamant is needed for power. There's no real point in running a Speed boosting nature on Yveltal given that it has Sucker Punch.
Replays
Some of these are with older versions of the team, but they're still entertaining so I'm including them:
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ubers-166370228 vs Haruno
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ubers-166603159 vs GRB1
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ubers-167506678 vs hyw
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ubers-168157808 vs ogasian
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ubers-168235574 vs Piexplode
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ubers-169469813 vs hyw again (yes hyw lost to this team twice)
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ubers-172569705 vs Kebabe (almost won, after this battle I put Rock Tomb on Heatran so this situation wouldn't happen again)
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/uberssuspecttest-179071087 vs WreckDra
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ubers-179117831 vs Lady Gaga (disclaimer: our first battle I got bopped by SD Mega Lucario on Sticky Web lol)
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/uberssuspecttest-179145617 vs based n bad
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/uberssuspecttest-179152488 vs based n bad (again)
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/uberssuspecttest-179161097 vs The_steve_man
Weaknesses
Choice Specs Kyogre - Full HP Water Spout is killing something. I can use Zekrom and Kyogre somewhat but I have to try and weaken Spout first. Giratina's Destiny Bond works since most of them usually stay in once they see they can 2HKO with Water Spout.
Hidden Power Ground Geomancy Xerneas - 6-0es this team. I guess the Volcarona on that one guy's team who had this should have tipped me off.
Life Orb Yveltal - If Kyogre dies it becomes really annoying.
Well-built Stall teams - As long as you aren't dumb and have a Kyogre check other than Gastrodon, you will probably win.
Conclusion
I think this is a good example of why the ladder is not a good representation of the Ubers metagame, suspect tests or otherwise, but I think you all knew that already. Aside from that, lol.
Thanks for reading! Shoutouts to Jibaku, Rock Tomb Heatran was his idea. :]
Zekrom @ Choice Specs
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunder
- Draco Meteor
- Flash Cannon
- Volt Switch
Arceus-Ground @ Earth Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 248 HP / 80 Def / 180 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Toxic
- Recover
- Defog
Kyogre @ Chesto Berry
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Scald
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Calm Mind
- Rest
Giratina @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Shadow Ball
- Will-O-Wisp
- Destiny Bond
Heatran @ Chople Berry
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Lava Plume
- Roar
- Rock Tomb
- Stealth Rock
Yveltal @ Power Herb
Ability: Dark Aura
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Acrobatics
- Sky Attack
- Hone Claws
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunder
- Draco Meteor
- Flash Cannon
- Volt Switch
Arceus-Ground @ Earth Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 248 HP / 80 Def / 180 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Toxic
- Recover
- Defog
Kyogre @ Chesto Berry
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Scald
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Calm Mind
- Rest
Giratina @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Shadow Ball
- Will-O-Wisp
- Destiny Bond
Heatran @ Chople Berry
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Lava Plume
- Roar
- Rock Tomb
- Stealth Rock
Yveltal @ Power Herb
Ability: Dark Aura
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Acrobatics
- Sky Attack
- Hone Claws
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