Choice Scarfed Tyranitar (OU)

[falconj]

I've been running this team with different variations for some time now. Recently, I've added Lucario and now it's dominating the standard ladder. Although it seems fairly generic, I've played around 20 games and lost a grand total of 3, with one because of extreme hax. My central theme is speed, as 5 of my pokemon outspeed the majority of standard ladder play. Please look it over and tell me how to improve it!

Azelf @ Focus Sash
Ability: Levitate
Naive
EV: 4 HP/252 Speed/252 Spc. Attack
Explosion
Fire Blast
Psychic
Stealth Rock

IMO the best starter there is. Unless I'm up against Jirachi, I find it often best to attack while the opponent sets up stealth rock or taunts, because Azelf almost always 2HKOs standard leads. Then while they switch away to preserve their lead, I set up stealth rock. I then switch out to a potential counter. I usually try not to explode until near death, as Azelf is one of the fastest exploders and a great Infernape counter if Infernape doesn't run fake out. It is important that I do not use Azelf as a suicide lead, as people don't expect Azelfs coming back to absorb choiced EQs and whatnot.

Scarftar @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Sand Stream
Jolly
EV: Attack 252/Defence 4/Speed 252
Fire Punch
Earthquake
Stone Edge
Crunch

The best pokemon on my team, and the biggest (and maybe only) surprise factor. Scarftar comes in all big and slow looking, but outspeeds even Starmie to OHKO with crunch. Fire punch catches Scizors switching in Scarftar in the face, and can actually be used to kill Choice banded scizors if Tyranitar is at full health. Earthquake is for those annoying Infernapes and Heatrans, as well as Steel types. Once they find out Tyranitar is scarfed, they've usually one key counter to him, and may try to switch in people that either resist Dark or Rock. I try to scout out their team before revealing Scarftar, and using Crunch for great neutral coverage and punishing whoever switches in. Pesky Latias with CM boosted surf is no match for Scarftar!

Heatran @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Flash Fire
Naive
EV: HP 6/Speed 252/Spc. Att 252
Fire Blast
Earth Power
HP Ice
Explosion

It seems that the amount of people prepared for Scarftar are getting less and less. The biggest counter i see for this is Blissey, and Fire Blast hurts enough for the rest of my physical sweepers to rip it brutally to shreds. People retarded enough to switch in Swampy feels the wrath of HP grass, and a quick explosion near the end of the game never hurts. Seeing as I already have Scarftar, I'm considering making this Heatran a substitute Heatran, but I'll sure miss the awesomeness of Scarftran. More surprise factor may be great though.

Lucario @ Life Orb
Ability: Inner Focus
Adamant
EV: 252 Att/4 Def/252 Spd
Close Combat
Extremespeed
Crunch
Swords Dance

My late game sweeper, and the first of my priority users. I never had that high of an opinion of Lucario until my ass was handed to me several times in a row by SD Lucario. Lucario comes in and sets up late game when rotom-h is either dead or dying. He also sets up on Blissey's protects and wishes, and doesnt mind Twave that much due to Extremespeed. Close Combat is amazing, as attack doesn't drop, as with superpower. Ice punch maims Gliscor, Salamence, and Flygon.

Scizor @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
Adamant
EV: 252 Att/4 Def/252 Spd
Superpower
Bullet punch
U-turn
Pursuit

Scizor is my second priority user, rounding out my team with 5 blindingly fast attackers. People may complain that Scizor is overused, but he's just that good. Coming in on someone that he counters forces switches, and U-turns scout for potential counters. When Scizor is out again, the opponent is in a dilemma. Switch in the same counter and eat an unresisted choiced attack that I would probably choose? Or try something else? Scizor hits way hard, and uglyfies almost anything that comes in with the right attack. Rotom-h still sucks though.

Celebi @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
Bold
EV: 252 HP/220 def/36 SpcAtt
Thunderwave
Perish Song
Grass Knot
Recover

In a team filled with sweepers, I felt that I needed a wall that could sponge attacks. Celebi is a great pokemon to switch in to anything that walls my pokemon. I Twave that pokemon, perish song, and play mind games with him. If the opponent switches first, I can recover while he switches and pull in a counter. If I switch first, they'll be forced to switch next turn no matter what (perish song) so I can make a slightly accurate prediction about what move I should be using, especially late game. Whatever pokemon comes in usually eats two attacks due to how fast my team is. I'm also able to set up with Lucario if I want. Grass knot kills Gyarados, one of the most annoying pokemon around, and natural cure allows me to go toe to toe with status inducers.

Well, thats it! Rate away!!

 

[MegaKick]

Just as a note, you shouldn't run ice punch on an adamant luke (or crunch on a jolly one). This is because ice punch is only for koing gliscor and salamence, which you can't outspeed unless your jolly. And crunch is only for cressy, dusknoir and rotom, but you won't do any real damage without adamant. Therefore, you must choose between jolly/ice punch or adamant/crunch depending on wether your team is better at taking out sala and gliscor or bulky ghosts/psychics.

 

[SoT]

He could always just run Stone Edge, which I'd recommend over both of those regardless.

 

[joshe]

This is a rather nice team, just a few things to work on.

Okay, so now what's the point of having 2 choice scarfers? you only really need one, and I suggest that to be Heatran. The moveset needs to be changed though, as you have an -atk nature on him. You should have a Naive nature on him, just to outspeed jolteon(who is a big threat for any team) and 2HKO(both FB and EP) on him as it switches in. I also suggest you have either HP-Ice/Dragon Pulse over hp-grass, because you already have celebi to take care of swampert. And put those hp evs into atk to slightly boost the power of explosion.

So with heatran your revenge killer what can tyranitar do for this team? He can sweep. change him to a Dragon Dance Babiri Tar. It's sweepyness is amazing and gives you another sweeper for this team. As so many tell me, Your more likely to win when you have more chances to win. Your giving yourself an easier time by having 2 sweepers incase one goes down. Here's what t-tar looks like:

Tyranitar @ Babiri Berry
Sand stream
Evs: 252 Atk/4 Def/252 Spe
Jolly
- Dragon Dance
- Crunch
- Stone Edge
- Fire Punch

He still gives you speed, allowing you to outrun all base 115s and lower, so you still get your KO's on Azelf, Starmie, Latias, Gengar(you have to watch out for scarfgars, as focus blast OHKOs you, but 2DDs and you win). Babiri berry is needed because of the swarm of sczor's around(no pun intended), allowing you to OHKO with fire punch as you take about 47% with BP. You still keep the suprise factor as most think its still CB tar because they don't see any leftovers or Life Orb on it. I really suggest you use this.

I have a problem with Ice Punch on your Lucario, as others previously posted. Ice punch is really...really uneeded as almost all of lucarios counters are made to outspeed even jolly ones...It's a waste of space. Use Crunch on him to kill all those rotom-A after a swords dance.

Scizor doesn't really need all that speed because you only use scizor for his bullet punching and u-turning abilities. So a more bulky spread is needed if you'd like: 248 HP/252 Atk/8 Spe is the common one out there, but if you want to go special defensive too: 176 HP/252 Atk/72 SpDef/8 Spe is good too. You should try to keep him alive as long as possible since a healthy Laitas can give you problems if you predict wrongly.

Celebi is fine, but i don't like you having grass knot as your only atk. therefore I suggest you have Earth Power/hp-ice over perish song as it allows you to take out incoming heatran and hp-Ice helps you take out gliscor who can wall Lucario and Tyranitar pretty badly.

On a final note, You can have problems with Gliscor as your team has Tyranitar, Lucario, and Scizor. Luckily you have heatran with hp-ice to remedy that and Celebi to further sooth yours(and my)worries. Oh, and for a full rate Azelf is fine ^_^

Nice team, Hope I helped, and Good Luck ;)

 

[falconj]

great rate joshe! I took your suggestions for heatran and lucario, but im still sticking with a scarftar, though changes in EV, nature, and moves would help. the main reason im doing this is because of its surprise factor, which usually nets me a kill. dragon dancing needs one turn of set-up, and the enemy can easily switch in an appropriate counter. i might give it a try, but i expect to stick to scarftar. as for perish song, i really find that it helps when the opponent has one last pokemon, and it pseudophazes, which is really important.

keep rating!

 

[roberto22]

I would almost never use 3 choice pokes on one team but if its working for you then i guess you don't need to change it. I would change Heatran to a bulkier set as mentioned in your description.

 

[joshe]

great rate joshe! I took your suggestions for heatran and lucario, but im still sticking with a scarftar, though changes in EV, nature, and moves would help. the main reason im doing this is because of its surprise factor, which usually nets me a kill. dragon dancing needs one turn of set-up, and the enemy can easily switch in an appropriate counter. i might give it a try, but i expect to stick to scarftar. as for perish song, i really find that it helps when the opponent has one last pokemon, and it pseudophazes, which is really important.

keep rating!

NP. All I suggest is that you try it. If it doesn't work, Smogon is always here to help you. Just watch out for Gliscor as I have previously stated in my rate ;)