ORAS OU Don't Forget About Dragonite

[chronofreak]

OVERVIEW
​

Thanks for viewing my Rate My Team thread! I'm returning to Pokemon after a four-year hiatus and I'm trying the best I can to get back up to speed on the current OU meta. I aimed to create a balanced team comprised mainly of bulky Pokemon with significant offensive presence. The title of this RMT is a word of advice for opponents -- after giving all they got to bring down the rest of this team, opponents will often be caught defenseless when a Dragon-Dancing Dragonite comes in for the endgame sweep.

My success has been mixed with this lineup. I've tweaked and altered my sets, but I feel I can do better! Please let me know what you think of my team. I'm all ears when it comes to suggestions!

TEAM BUILDING PROCESS​

To start my team, I needed a solid core. Rotom-W has great typing for both offense and defense and it complements many other Pokemon nicely, so it was my first choice.

Scizor and Rotom-W form a great defensive pair, and taking advantage of the VoltTurn combo is a powerful strategy. A tried-and-true duo.

Heatran forms the third leg of this defensive core, as it has great synergy with both Rotom-W and Scizor. It can also use Stealth Rock, so that's a plus.

Three-times resistance to Ice? Might as well take advantage of it! Enter Dragonite, the not-so-sleeper powerhouse. Synergy with each of the other three Pokemon, yada yada. You know the drill.

At this point, I realized I needed a Mega. After perusing the list of OU Megas, Mega-Venusaur caught my eye. Excellent defensive stats and resistances, decent attacking stats, and utility options? Yes please.

Last slot was mainly for filler. While my defenses were alright, I noticed a lack of super-effective moves to deal with Dragons and Fighting types. Sylveon can deal with some of these threats and can easily go 2-for-1 if it gets some Calm Minds up. It can also Wish support, which is invaluable with a bulky team.

THE LINEUP

Iron Man (Scizor) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Defog
- Roost​

I want Scizor to be my revenge killer, and the selected moveset shows this. U-Turn does reliable damage and keeps allows for easy switch-ins. Bullet Punch is a given. Superpower helps to take down Steel- and Dark-types. Pursuit guarantees damage on Psychics and Ghosts.

I have mixed feelings about Choice Band. Too often do I find myself trapped using Bullet Punch on a switch-in that could have been taken care of by another of Scizor's moves. (Such is the way of the Choice Band.) I tried Life Orb for a time, but the damage drop was noticeable and the recoil was too much for Scizor to handle.

Maximum Attack EV's and an Adamant nature are used to make the most of every hit. The remaining EV's go into HP and Special Defense to let Scizor tank more hits.

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Kenmore (Rotom-Wash) @ Chesto Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Thunder Wave
- Rest​

Rotom-W is my go-to defensive tank. Volt Switch does decent damage and eases switching. Hydro Pump is Rotom-W's obligatory heavy-hitting move. Will-O-Wisp neuters any physical sweepers up against Rotom-W and applies damage over time to opponents Rotom-W can't hit with Volt Switch and Hydro Pump. Rest is a great healing option and gets rid of any status ailments.

Chesto Berry instantly wakes Rotom-W up after the first Rest, essentially doubling its lifespan. Opponents often don't expect it, and keeping Rotom-W alive as long as possible hugely benefits the team.

As the team's primary physical tank, all EV's are spent in HP and Defense to give Rotom-W as much physical bulk as possible. Rotom-W's typing alone allows it to handle most special attacks as well.

__________________________________________________​

Acrophobic (Heatran) (M) @ Air Balloon
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Earth Power
- Stone Edge
- Stealth Rock​

Heatran's job is to burn through any foes that don't resist it. Fire Blast is the STAB move of choice. Earth Power is to counter enemy Heatran and other Fire-types that stand in its way. Taunt can be used to prevent leads from setting up entry hazards or to stop any sweeping or stalling shenanigans before they can begin. Stealth Rock is deployed as early as possible to start racking up damage on the opponent's team.

The extra turn gained by making the foe pop Heatran's Air Balloon allows Heatran to stay in on and beat Pokemon it normally couldn't, like Excadrill and Mega Metagross.

Max EV's into Special Attack ensures that Heatran packs a punch. A Timid nature and 200 Speed EV's brings Heatran's speed to 264, which is high enough to outspeed any positive base 70's and neutral base 80's.

__________________________________________________​

Ray (Dragonite) (M) @ Lum Berry
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 24 HP / 252 Atk / 232 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Extreme Speed
- Dragon Dance​

Dragonite is my endgame sweeper. Packing Dragon Claw and Fire Punch, only Diancie, Heatran, and Azumarill resist it. Once these three and any physically bulky Pokemon have been handled, Dragonite can usually finish off the rest of the opponent's team by itself. Dragon Dance is required setup to sweep. Roost is useful for healing up from both residual and Stealth Rock damage and restoring Multiscale.

Lum Berry allows Dragonite to soak up a status effect and get off one more Dragon Dance, helping to ensure OHKO's.

252 Attack EV's and an Adamant nature make Dragonite hit like a truck. With 232 Speed investment, one Dragon Dance lets Dragonite outspeed base 123 foes (Noivern). More Speed EV's only allow it to beat Pokemon that either need a speed boost themselves (Dragonite, Mega Altaria, Gyarados) or commonly have priority moves to use against Dragonite (Talonflame, Weavile).

__________________________________________________​

Mary Jane (Venusaur) (F) @ Venusaurite
Ability: Chlorophyll -> Thick Fat
EVs: 200 HP / 252 SpD / 56 Spe
Calm Nature
- Leech Seed
- Sludge Bomb
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Synthesis​

Specially-defensive Mega Venusaur with Thick Fat can tank special attacks like nobody's business. Unfortunately, Mega Venusaur is a predictable Pokemon and is easily countered by switching in a Steel-type. This is why I decided to deviate from the norm and use a moveset that was a little more effective. Putting a foe to sleep with Sleep Powder can have a huge impact on the flow of battle. Leech Seed improves Mega Venusaur's survivability and helps chip away at a foe's HP regardless of how tanky it is. The unexpected Knock Off is useful in a variety of situations, especially to get rid of Leftovers when Leech Seed is up. Hidden Power [Fire] devastates Ferrothorn, Forretress, and Scizor and hurts other Grass-types that would normally think switching into Mega Venusaur was safe.

Maximum EV's in special defense and a Calm nature boost Mega Venusaur's special bulk significantly. 56 Speed EV's allows it to outspeed Rotom-W, Altaria, Azumarill, Gyarados, and other Venusaur with no speed investment.

__________________________________________________​

Fabulous (Sylveon) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Cute Charm
EVs: 252 HP / 244 Def / 12 Spe
Bold Nature
- Toxic
- Substitute
- Wish
- Baton Pass
​

Running support for the team is Sylveon. Hyper Voice is a reliable source of damage, while Toxic is a tank-killer. Wish can be used to restore Sylveon's or a teammate's HP, and using Baton Pass ensures that a teammate is healed.

Leftovers helps Sylveon stay healthy as it supports. Yup.

Putting EV's into Defense makes Sylveon more of an all-around defensive Pokemon. 252 EV's in HP lets it pass large Wishes to teammates in need, and 4 EV's in Speed lets Sylveon outspeed uninvested Tyranitar, Clefable, and other Sylveon.

THOUGHTS AND CONSIDERATIONS​

• My team has no way to deal with entry hazards, especially Stealth Rock. This can break Dragonite's Multiscale and put its late sweeping at risk.
• I lack an Ice move. Though Rotom-W can handle Gliscor, Landorus(-T), and Garchomp, it is the only Pokemon on my team that can.
• I was considering a Roost and Swords Dance moveset for Scizor, but I haven't yet tried it.
• Sylveon's moveset has changed constantly. Calm Mind, Heal Bell, and Substitute have been great, and I even tried running Hidden Power [Ground] to counter the Steel-, Poison-, and Fire-types that like to switch in on Sylveon. But I haven't yet nailed down a solid set. Definitely suffering from Four Move Slot Syndrome.
• I'd like Heatran to be a little more reliable. It doesn't survive as long as I'd like it to, and there's always a foe that can wall it. With Fire Blast and Earth Power, some Flying-types and all the Dragons can switch in and laugh. Running Hidden Power [Ice] can be good, but then Heatran can't hurt Fire-types. I've run Toxic over Taunt before, but I didn't notice an improvement in effectiveness.

Team Importable

Rev. 2 (Current)

Iron Man (Scizor) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
IVs: 0 SpA
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Defog
- Roost

Kenmore (Rotom-Wash) @ Chesto Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Thunder Wave
- Rest

Acrophobic (Heatran) (M) @ Air Balloon
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Fire Blast
- Earth Power
- Stone Edge
- Stealth Rock

Ray (Dragonite) (M) @ Lum Berry
Ability: Multiscale
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 24 HP / 252 Atk / 232 Spe
Adamant Nature
IVs: 0 SpA
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Extreme Speed
- Dragon Dance

Mary Jane (Venusaur) (F) @ Venusaurite
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 200 HP / 252 SpD / 56 Spe
Calm Nature
- Leech Seed
- Sludge Bomb
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Synthesis

Fabulous (Sylveon) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Cute Charm
EVs: 252 HP / 244 Def / 12 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Toxic
- Substitute
- Wish
- Baton Pass

Rev. 1

Iron Man (Scizor) (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- U-turn
- Bullet Punch
- Superpower
- Pursuit

Kenmore (Rotom-Wash) @ Chesto Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Will-O-Wisp
- Rest

Acrophobic (Heatran) (M) @ Air Balloon
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 56 HP / 252 SpA / 200 Spe
Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Earth Power
- Taunt
- Stealth Rock

Ray (Dragonite) (M) @ Lum Berry
Ability: Multiscale
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 24 HP / 252 Atk / 232 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Claw
- Fire Punch
- Dragon Dance
- Roost

Mary Jane (Venusaur) (F) @ Venusaurite
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 200 HP / 252 SpD / 56 Spe
Calm Nature
- Sleep Powder
- Leech Seed
- Knock Off
- Hidden Power [Fire]

Fabulous (Sylveon) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Pixilate
EVs: 252 HP / 244 Def / 12 Spe
Bold Nature
- Hyper Voice
- Toxic
- Wish
- Baton Pass

Battle Replays

Battle 1
Battle 2

 

[Repeater1947]

The first thing I suggest is to run Earthquake > Fire Punch on Dragonite. Earthquake allows you to hit Mega Diancie, Heatran, Mega Altaria, and Azumarill who laugh at Dragonite's Dragon Claw + Fire Punch coverage. Earthquake also allows you to hit Mega Metagross, Tyranitar, Excadrill Bisharp, and Mega Gardevoir for higher damage as well as being able to grab better neutral coverage. Also, the Fire coverage is already covered by your Heatran. An optional suggestion is to run Extreme Speed > Roost on Dragonite. The thing that sets Dragonite apart from other DD sweepers is the +2 priority it gets access to, allowing it to avoid being revenge killed by priority attackers, as well as picking off weakened foes. You become more vulnerable to SR breaking your Multiscale as well as having Dragonite's longevity cut shorter though, given that you lack a hazard remover though we'll get there later.

For Heatran, I suggest running Stone Edge > Taunt. This allows you to properly check Mega Charizard-Y, Talonflame, and Volcarona, all who ironically wall you otherwise.

I'm not really a fan of Mega Venusaur's current set, as it's kinda passive, relying on outstalling the opponent with residual damage, lacks any reliable form of offensive pressure, and misses out on running its dual STABs. I suggest running an Offensive Synthesis + 3 Attacks (Giga Drain / Sludge Bomb / HP Fire) Mega Venusaur. This provides a better answer to Water-types (such as Azumarill, SubCM Keldeo, Rotom-W, etc.), Fairy-types including Mega Diancie (it kinda sucks to get walled by something that you normally check) without having to rely on residual damage from Leech Seed.

For your hazard remover you can run a Bulky Defog Scizor. This gives you Defog support while still retaining momentum with U-turn, as well as having Roost for longevity. The bulk also allows you to check physical attackers such as Mega Lopunny and Mega Metagross, too.

Sets

Dragonite @ Lum Berry
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Extreme Speed / Roost

Venusaur @ Venusaurite
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 232 HP / 252 SpA / 24 Spe
Modest Nature
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Synthesis

Scizor @ Leftovers
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Defog
- Roost

Edit (May 15, 2015): Fixed an error on Scizor's set, had accidentally put Light Metal. Fixed to Technician now. ^_^

 

[chronofreak]

The first thing I suggest is to run Earthquake > Fire Punch on Dragonite. Earthquake allows you to hit Mega Diancie, Heatran, Mega Altaria, and Azumarill who laugh at Dragonite's Dragon Claw + Fire Punch coverage. Earthquake also allows you to hit Mega Metagross, Tyranitar, Excadrill Bisharp, and Mega Gardevoir for higher damage as well as being able to grab better neutral coverage. Also, the Fire coverage is already covered by your Heatran. An optional suggestion is to run Extreme Speed > Roost on Dragonite. The thing that sets Dragonite apart from other DD sweepers is the +2 priority it gets access to, allowing it to avoid being revenge killed by priority attackers, as well as picking off weakened foes. You become more vulnerable to SR breaking your Multiscale as well as having Dragonite's longevity cut shorter though, given that you lack a hazard remover though we'll get there later.

For Heatran, I suggest running Stone Edge > Taunt. This allows you to properly check Mega Charizard-Y, Talonflame, and Volcarona, all who ironically wall you otherwise.

I'm not really a fan of Mega Venusaur's current set, as it's kinda passive, relying on outstalling the opponent with residual damage, lacks any reliable form of offensive pressure, and misses out on running its dual STABs. I suggest running an Offensive Synthesis + 3 Attacks (Giga Drain / Sludge Bomb / HP Fire) Mega Venusaur. This provides a better answer to Water-types (such as Azumarill, SubCM Keldeo, Rotom-W, etc.), Fairy-types including Mega Diancie (it kinda sucks to get walled by something that you normally check) without having to rely on residual damage from Leech Seed.

For your hazard remover you can run a Bulky Defog Scizor. This gives you Defog support while still retaining momentum with U-turn, as well as having Roost for longevity. The bulk also allows you to check physical attackers such as Mega Lopunny and Mega Metagross, too.

Sets

Dragonite @ Lum Berry
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Extreme Speed / Roost

Venusaur @ Venusaurite
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 232 HP / 252 SpA / 24 Spe
Modest Nature
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Synthesis

Scizor @ Leftovers
Ability: Light Metal
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Defog
- Roost

Thanks for the input, Repeater1947! I'll try your suggestions and give you my feedback soon.

Would you say that the Pokemon being used make up a good team? I can change movesets all day, but I worry that this lineup isn't optimal. I just want to make sure there isn't a fundamental flaw in my team selection.

 

[blank]

Hey! Nicely formatted RMT :]
A few suggestions:

-I would run a speedier Magma Storm Heatran because it would allow you to trap stuff that Dragonite can easily setup on.

Magma Storm Heatran

Heatran @ Air Balloon
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Magma Storm
- Stone Edge
- Taunt
- Stealth Rock

As, Repeater1947 mentioned, Stone Edge is very useful for checking Talonflame/birdspam, Volcarona, and Mega Charizard Y. I feel that the utility Taunt provides is very useful, and I would personally run that > Toxic. However, you could run Toxic > Taunt if you feel necessary.

-On Scizor, I would run a spread of 200 HP / 252 Atk / 56 speed so you can outspeed most common Azumarill sets (AV, BD, and Band sets on Smogdex) and hit Azumarill with a Bullet Punch before it hits you with an Aqua Jet. This helps to cut some of the pressure of checking Azu off of Venusaur.

-On Mega Venusaur, I would change the spread to something with more mixed bulk (set below). Also, on the set I would consider running Leech Seed + Synthesis. Synthesis provides more healing for Venu itself, but Leech Seed helps the team a bit (especially Dragonite).

Mega Venusaur

Venusaur-Mega @ Venusaurite
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 HP / 104 Def / 136 SpD / 16 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Synthesis
- Leech Seed

-On Sylveon, I would run Heal Bell > Toxic. You really don't need Toxic that much, and some full cleric support would be appreciated. Another option here (if you're okay with replacing Sylveon) is to run Clefable > Sylveon(set below). Clefable has better mixed bulk which is more desirable for a cleric, and it has Magic Guard, meaning it doesn't have to worry about wasting a Heal Bell on itself, and it doesn't worry about entry hazards. Another option here is to simply run Healing Wish + Defog Latias > Sylveon(set below). It would provide enough cleric support for Dragonite, and it would be able to remove the entry hazards that Dragonite hates. At the end of the day, you have to decide whether you want to keep Sylveon, replace Sylveon with a somewhat more mixed bulk cleric in Clefable, or replace Sylveon with a one-time cleric that gets access to Defog in Latias.

Clefable / Latias

Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 172 Def / 84 SpD
Calm Nature
- Wish
- Moonblast
- Protect
- Heal Bell

Latias @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 72 HP / 184 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Defog
- Draco Meteor
- Psyshock/HP Fire
- Healing Wish

I could probably elaborate more on cleric options with this team TBH. However, the stuff I have in mind would probably mean changing this team around a little bit more than you may be okay with, so just reply here/PM me if you want to go over that stuff ^.^

-Finally, I agree with Repeater1947's idea of Extremespeed > Roost on Dragonite.

Feel free to ask questions about any of my suggestions :]

 

[Soulz]

Hey fren great RMT overall but i recommend if trying to go for dragonite sweeps you're gonna need a fairy killer ( I know Bandzor is a nice fairy killer) but it could receive more help with Mega Venasaur's STAB Sludge Bomb > Knock off. At the end looking at your team from a defensive view i dont see any huge errors but there is always space for tiny nitpicks. :] hope this helped

 

[rob.]

Well, everyone covered most of what I was going to offer so here's a few nitpicks. I recommend using a 248 Hp / 16 SpA / 240 Spe EV spread with a Timid Nature on Heatran. The increase in Hp value allows Heatran to alleviate the defensive burden on Rotom-W, so it's easier to check threats like Bisharp. The increase in speed EVs is mainly for Offensive Mega Scizor, something your team struggles to deal with; 200 Spe EVs aren't enough to outpace Jolly Mega Scizor. Dragonite should really be used in an endgame / cleaning role since your team is highly defensive, therefore there's no need to carry roost. Extremespeed > Roost would be much better because it ensures that Dragonite cannot be easily revenged and also provides some insurance against speed boosting threats. Threats like Mega Charizard X can just switch in on anything besides Dragonite, DD and sweep. You could try Thunder-Wave > Will-O-Wisp on Rotom-W, there's also the option of replacing Sylveon with Choice Scarf Landorus-Therian. I would suggest Unaware Clefable to deal with setup sweepers but it's easily 2HKOed by Mega Charizard X. Mega Venusaur's set should be Sludge Bomb / Giga Drain / Leech Seed / Synthesis. It can provide great support while being able to increase its longevity with both Synthesis and Leech Seed.

LandoT Set

Landorus-Therian @ Choice Scarf | Intimidate
Timid Nature | 248 Atk / 24 Def / 236 Spe
U-turn | Earthquake | Knock Off | Stone Edge

 

[YUNG GOAT]

If you were looking for a defog user you could always switch the band on scizor for a bulkier set with defog. Since dragonite is your main sweeper it is always good to keep his multiscale intact as you have no way for him to get his multiscale back apart from sylveon. Bulky scizor also gives you a better switch in to the lati twins and the ability to swich up moves could help in late game situations.

scizor

Scizor @ Leftovers
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 HP / 24 Atk / 100 Def / 132 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Defog
- Roost

 

[chronofreak]

Hi, guys. Thanks for all of the input! I'm hearing a lot about using a bulky Defog Scizor, so I went ahead and did that. YUNG GOAT, the EV spread you proposed in interesting - can you explain the reasoning behind it? I also made the suggested adjustments to Dragonite, Heatran, and Mega Venusaur's sets. I'm not at the point of switching out Pokemon yet, but I haven't ruled that option out yet, either.

One thing I realized is that I have no way to deal with stall or setup teams. With Dragonite as my only boosting Pokemon, I can't stop bulky foes with recovery moves, and no Taunt, Encore, Roar, etc. means that I can't stop an opponent from setting up on my team if they get the right switch-in. Overall, I'm finding that my current lineup is mediocre when it comes to both power and speed. I do fine against other balanced teams, but super defensive or super offensive teams rip me apart! Any further suggestions?

 

[DennisEG]

Hey man actually i didnt find a huge threat for ur team barring CharY which is a threat for every build, is pretty solid in term of sinergy and coverage, but i like to suggest some changes in ur evs spreads / sets.

• I think u should run Magma Storm > Fire Blast on heatran to trap annoying bulky mons or cleric mons for an easy sweep for Dragonite. and put Taunt > Stealth Rock too, Magma Storm + Taunt destroy every single fairy around there and this help with another suggest i will make.
• The other suggestion is replace Clefable > Sylveon, Clefable is also a great cleric/ support mon, capable of set up rocks too and has the enough bulk in both defense u need.

I leave also a few Change of ur sets here

sets

Scizor @ Leftovers
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 HP / 16 Def / 240 SpD
Careful Nature
- U-turn
- Roost
- Defog
- Bullet Punch

SpeDef is a better switch ins against strong fairies like Diancie and Mega Gardevoir.

Clefable (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 160 Def / 96 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Heal Bell / Thunder Wave
- Moonblast
- Stealth Rock
- Soft-Boiled

Hope i help u man