I began this team with the mindset that I wanted to create a hard hitting team that was still fat and could take a punch. After watching Blunder's videos I really liked his style of volt turn bulky offense and I wanted to try my hand at creating something just as bulky without making a complete carbon copy by using volt turn as well.
Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Lava Plume
- Stealth Rock
- Taunt
- Toxic
I started off this build with Heatran because of two main reasons. The first is that Heatran can set up Stealth Rocks. With Rocks being one of the best moves in the meta right now, I felt that it was mandatory to have a hazard setter on the squad. With Smogon's OU Stallbreaker set, Heatran also has the added benefit of switching into Clefable, which is one of the most prominent pokemon in the meta right now. To be able to switch in without penalty and get free rocks up is a tremendous incentive to use Heatran. Furthermore, not only can it set up rocks on Clef, but it will also win in a 1v1. Since Clefable is slapped on many teams as a glue/wincon, Heatran is a strong option for the team as it completely negates Clefable with Taunt and resistance to Clefable's STAB move, Moonblast. Toxic is used to put a timer on bulky waters that like to switch in to Heatran, and Lava Plume is used so that Heatran is not fully walled by Taunt itself.
Tornadus-Therian @ Life Orb
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 76 Atk / 180 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Hurricane
- U-turn
- Knock Off
- Superpower
The second mon I elected to put on this team was Life Orb Tornadus-T. This functions primarily as a reliable lead and pivot. An amazing speed stat of 375 allows me to comfortably lead against most teams and get off a Life Orb-boosted U-Turn if the lead matchup is unfavorable. This is even more appetizing once you consider that with Regenerator, these little pivot moves will gain you more HP than you lose. If the lead matchup is favorable, Knock Off is used most often to reduce the effectiveness of the counter that my opponent chooses to send out. The best feeling is when the opponent sends out a Choice Scarfed counter that no longer outspeeds Tornadus-T after Knock Off. Hurricane is the primary STAB move that hits everything hard after Life Orb boost and Superpower is a coverage move that I use almost every battle given the prevalence of mons such as Heatran and Tyranitar.
Slowbro @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 232 Def / 28 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunder Wave
- Scald
- Psyshock
- Grass Knot
The next pokemon I chose to include was a physically defensive wall in Slowbro. This pokemon is used to switch into big physical attacks from virtually anything. I most often find myself switching it in to take High Jump Kicks from Mega Lopunny and Earthquakes from Excadrill. It also serves as a viable Keldeo counter, as even with primarily physical defensive investments, the HP bulk allows Slowbro to eat up any special attack from Keldeo and hit hard back with Psyshock. Although the most popular Smogon set runs Slack Off, I felt that Leftovers + Regenerator + HP investment was sufficient, and put on Grass Knot to hit opposing Water types. Thunder Wave needs no justification.
Garchomp @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- Dragon Claw
- Outrage
Scarfchomp catches everyone off guard. With the current meta experiencing a surge in slow, bulky special Garchomps, nobody expects the 499 Speed Scarfchomp. The speed control of this pokemon is absolutely invaluable. Earthquake and Dragon Claw are the two standard STAB moves. Stone Edge is used to hit faster Flying types that think they can kill with HP Ice, namely Torn-T and Thundurus variants, and Outrage is usually reserved as a late game sweep move. The utility of such a fast ground type is tremendous. It stops Volt-turn momentum dead in its tracks. Scarfchomp can switch into a predicted Volt Switch from Mega Manectric and OHKO first with Earthquake, as the opponent will always assume Tank Garchomp and stay in to get off an HP Ice. Again, this pokemon serves primarily as speed control and a fast revenge killer.
Scizor-Mega @ Scizorite
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 60 Def / 200 SpD
Impish Nature
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Defog
- Roost
At this point in the teambuilding, I realized I didn't have a Mega nor did I have any form of hazard removal. One Mega that could serve both purposes was Mega Scizor. Although other Mega Scizor sets are probably better, I chose the Defog set because Stealth Rocks hurt my team a reasonable amount (think Heatran, Tornadus-T and later, Thundurus-T). Furthermore, the priority in Bullet Punch proved to be extremely useful. This set will OHKO lead Mega Diancie even with no Attack investment, and can still bluff the damage against Fairies such as Clefable. U-Turn was used to form a momentum conserving core with Tornadus-T. Although the lack of Swords Dance hurts, I still felt that Defog was much more necessary.
The last pokemon I chose was initially Clefable, as it was the only S-Rated pokemon in the OU Tier at the time. I figured I could shoehorn it into a glue role and my team would instantly be formidable. However, with Clefable on my team, I was only able to peak around 1350-1400. After about a month of laddering with it, I realized that the team had a very glaring weakness in that it had no answer to opposing bulky water types. Twice I lost to lead Mega Slowbro who simply Calm Minded up against my own Slowbro's pathetic attempts at Grass Knot, and laughed at the repeated U-turns of Mega Scizor and Tornadus-T. As a result, I decided to swap Clefable for...
Thundurus @ Life Orb
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunder Wave
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Focus Blast
Life Orb Thundurus. STAB Electric attacks was just what my team needed to survive against Water types such as Manaphy and Keldeo. As another form of speed control, Thundurus could keep the pressure on against my opponent. Priority Thunder Wave is a great move so I decided to keep it, although I realize that it is slightly redundant to have two TWave users in Slowbro and Thundurus. HP Ice is used to hit the ever-common Landorus-T, and Garchomp.
Major Problems for this team:
This team struggles greatly against bulky water types. If I see a Rotom-W and a Suicune, or Rotom-W and Azumarill, I know that I'm going to have a hard time. Pain Split Rotom-W absolutely walls everything. Scizor gets burned, Thundurus's Electric STAB is negated by Rotom-W's Electric typing, Garchomp's EQ is negated by Levitate, and Slowbro and Heatran are both weak to Rotom-W's STAB Volt Switch and Hydro Pump. If I am lucky enough to get a decent amount of damage done on it, it will just Pain Split and negate all of that hard work.
Opposing Thundurus are also difficult to deal with. I have to play smart with Stealth Rocks and not rely too heavily on Garchomp. Although Garchomp outspeeds with Scarf and OHKO's with Stone Edge, this is only 80% accurate and my speed control is greatly hampered if I lose it to HP Ice.
Weavile is also a counter to almost the entire team. Weavile counters 4 of the pokemon on this team (5 if it is Low Kick Weavile, which has a 68% chance to OHKO Heatran), leaving only Scizor. If I see any opposing Weavile, I am forced to lead Scizor. This is a big problem that is hard to play around if I lose Scizor.
After laddering with this for about a month, I peaked at 1550 and want to know if this team is at a dead end or if I can push it through 1600 with some alterations. Thanks!
Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Lava Plume
- Stealth Rock
- Taunt
- Toxic
I started off this build with Heatran because of two main reasons. The first is that Heatran can set up Stealth Rocks. With Rocks being one of the best moves in the meta right now, I felt that it was mandatory to have a hazard setter on the squad. With Smogon's OU Stallbreaker set, Heatran also has the added benefit of switching into Clefable, which is one of the most prominent pokemon in the meta right now. To be able to switch in without penalty and get free rocks up is a tremendous incentive to use Heatran. Furthermore, not only can it set up rocks on Clef, but it will also win in a 1v1. Since Clefable is slapped on many teams as a glue/wincon, Heatran is a strong option for the team as it completely negates Clefable with Taunt and resistance to Clefable's STAB move, Moonblast. Toxic is used to put a timer on bulky waters that like to switch in to Heatran, and Lava Plume is used so that Heatran is not fully walled by Taunt itself.
Tornadus-Therian @ Life Orb
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 76 Atk / 180 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Hurricane
- U-turn
- Knock Off
- Superpower
The second mon I elected to put on this team was Life Orb Tornadus-T. This functions primarily as a reliable lead and pivot. An amazing speed stat of 375 allows me to comfortably lead against most teams and get off a Life Orb-boosted U-Turn if the lead matchup is unfavorable. This is even more appetizing once you consider that with Regenerator, these little pivot moves will gain you more HP than you lose. If the lead matchup is favorable, Knock Off is used most often to reduce the effectiveness of the counter that my opponent chooses to send out. The best feeling is when the opponent sends out a Choice Scarfed counter that no longer outspeeds Tornadus-T after Knock Off. Hurricane is the primary STAB move that hits everything hard after Life Orb boost and Superpower is a coverage move that I use almost every battle given the prevalence of mons such as Heatran and Tyranitar.
Slowbro @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 232 Def / 28 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunder Wave
- Scald
- Psyshock
- Grass Knot
The next pokemon I chose to include was a physically defensive wall in Slowbro. This pokemon is used to switch into big physical attacks from virtually anything. I most often find myself switching it in to take High Jump Kicks from Mega Lopunny and Earthquakes from Excadrill. It also serves as a viable Keldeo counter, as even with primarily physical defensive investments, the HP bulk allows Slowbro to eat up any special attack from Keldeo and hit hard back with Psyshock. Although the most popular Smogon set runs Slack Off, I felt that Leftovers + Regenerator + HP investment was sufficient, and put on Grass Knot to hit opposing Water types. Thunder Wave needs no justification.
Garchomp @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- Dragon Claw
- Outrage
Scarfchomp catches everyone off guard. With the current meta experiencing a surge in slow, bulky special Garchomps, nobody expects the 499 Speed Scarfchomp. The speed control of this pokemon is absolutely invaluable. Earthquake and Dragon Claw are the two standard STAB moves. Stone Edge is used to hit faster Flying types that think they can kill with HP Ice, namely Torn-T and Thundurus variants, and Outrage is usually reserved as a late game sweep move. The utility of such a fast ground type is tremendous. It stops Volt-turn momentum dead in its tracks. Scarfchomp can switch into a predicted Volt Switch from Mega Manectric and OHKO first with Earthquake, as the opponent will always assume Tank Garchomp and stay in to get off an HP Ice. Again, this pokemon serves primarily as speed control and a fast revenge killer.
Scizor-Mega @ Scizorite
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 60 Def / 200 SpD
Impish Nature
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Defog
- Roost
At this point in the teambuilding, I realized I didn't have a Mega nor did I have any form of hazard removal. One Mega that could serve both purposes was Mega Scizor. Although other Mega Scizor sets are probably better, I chose the Defog set because Stealth Rocks hurt my team a reasonable amount (think Heatran, Tornadus-T and later, Thundurus-T). Furthermore, the priority in Bullet Punch proved to be extremely useful. This set will OHKO lead Mega Diancie even with no Attack investment, and can still bluff the damage against Fairies such as Clefable. U-Turn was used to form a momentum conserving core with Tornadus-T. Although the lack of Swords Dance hurts, I still felt that Defog was much more necessary.
The last pokemon I chose was initially Clefable, as it was the only S-Rated pokemon in the OU Tier at the time. I figured I could shoehorn it into a glue role and my team would instantly be formidable. However, with Clefable on my team, I was only able to peak around 1350-1400. After about a month of laddering with it, I realized that the team had a very glaring weakness in that it had no answer to opposing bulky water types. Twice I lost to lead Mega Slowbro who simply Calm Minded up against my own Slowbro's pathetic attempts at Grass Knot, and laughed at the repeated U-turns of Mega Scizor and Tornadus-T. As a result, I decided to swap Clefable for...
Thundurus @ Life Orb
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunder Wave
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Focus Blast
Life Orb Thundurus. STAB Electric attacks was just what my team needed to survive against Water types such as Manaphy and Keldeo. As another form of speed control, Thundurus could keep the pressure on against my opponent. Priority Thunder Wave is a great move so I decided to keep it, although I realize that it is slightly redundant to have two TWave users in Slowbro and Thundurus. HP Ice is used to hit the ever-common Landorus-T, and Garchomp.
Major Problems for this team:
This team struggles greatly against bulky water types. If I see a Rotom-W and a Suicune, or Rotom-W and Azumarill, I know that I'm going to have a hard time. Pain Split Rotom-W absolutely walls everything. Scizor gets burned, Thundurus's Electric STAB is negated by Rotom-W's Electric typing, Garchomp's EQ is negated by Levitate, and Slowbro and Heatran are both weak to Rotom-W's STAB Volt Switch and Hydro Pump. If I am lucky enough to get a decent amount of damage done on it, it will just Pain Split and negate all of that hard work.
Opposing Thundurus are also difficult to deal with. I have to play smart with Stealth Rocks and not rely too heavily on Garchomp. Although Garchomp outspeeds with Scarf and OHKO's with Stone Edge, this is only 80% accurate and my speed control is greatly hampered if I lose it to HP Ice.
Weavile is also a counter to almost the entire team. Weavile counters 4 of the pokemon on this team (5 if it is Low Kick Weavile, which has a 68% chance to OHKO Heatran), leaving only Scizor. If I see any opposing Weavile, I am forced to lead Scizor. This is a big problem that is hard to play around if I lose Scizor.
After laddering with this for about a month, I peaked at 1550 and want to know if this team is at a dead end or if I can push it through 1600 with some alterations. Thanks!