Erased (Peaked #86)

Adamant Zoroark

Adamant Zoroark

catchy catchphrase
is a Contributor Alumnus
ladderpeak_zps55a3f722.png

Yo, what's up Smogon? So, I got bored and decided to build a new team from scratch. Now, my problem is that I hadn't built a new team completely from scratch in quite a while (since January I think, my most recent RMT was of a team I tweaked for the current metagame but I had built the first form of that team shortly before the Tornadus-T ban).

I randomly decided I wanted to use Swords Dance Lucario... but I didn't have any teams for the current metagame that used SD Luke. So, I put something together that I thought would work (Custap Skarm for hazards support, Gengar for spinblocking / Pursuit baiting, etc.) and gave it a go. When I tested it, the team worked incredibly well, even being able to take down a sun team, which my teams have historically struggled against. However, since I haven't built a team from scratch in such a long time, I'm naturally pretty rusty, so I came here.

The title comes from a song off of Dead by April's self-titled debut album, which is one of my favorite albums from one of my favorite bands.

So, now let's get into the team!

[youtube]EjGMLoj4PKc[/youtube]

227.png


Skarmory @ Custap Berry
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 Def
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Spikes
- Brave Bird
- Taunt

"Now reverse this enormous pain,
For this life to remain!
I am walking through,
What you are too!"

At first I had my doubts that Skarmory could in any way pull off a lead set. But, a few matches later and I had proven myself wrong. After the banning of Deoxys-D, Skarmory is the second-fastest Pokemon allowed in OU that can run Stealth Rock and Spikes at the same time; only the mediocre and uncommon Smeargle is faster. With Sturdy, Skarmory can survive any attack (except for Kyurem-B's Fusion Bolt and shit like that thanks to Teravolt, but I'm not THAT stupid) so it can get up Stealth Rock, and it's almost guaranteed to also get up at least one layer of Spikes thanks to Custap Berry. Even with the Attack investment Brave Bird still doesn't do that much from my experience, so I really only use it to prevent Skarmory from being complete Taunt bait. Speaking of Taunt, I can use it to stop shit like fuckin' Swords Dance Scizor from setting up, or preventing hazards from slower Pokemon like Forretress.

94.png


Gengar @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
Timid Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Trick

"I can't put back,
What is now fading black!
I can't replace,
What is being erased!"

This was my first time giving Choice Scarf Gengar a serious run, and I have already fallen in love with it. It serves as a good enough spinblocker; however, unlike other Gengar sets, with the right prediction, this set can beat Starmie much more easily. Trick helps with crippling opposing Pokemon and potentially giving Lucario more setup opportunities. My only real problem is that it's serious Pursuit bait, but that helps Lucario set up so I think that's a pretty good trade-off. Gengar can also revenge kill opposing Lucario (excluding Bullet Punch, in which case Dragonite with Multiscale intact wins - Oh wait I also got rid of Dragonite), while also functioning as a great revenge killer for Dragonite and Salamence; In fact, Choice Scarf Gengar outspeeds even +2 Dragonite, so even in that extremely rare scenario, I'm not fucked.

453.png


Lucario @ Life Orb
Trait: Justified
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- ExtremeSpeed
- Bullet Punch

"Give me a sign, light my path, take me higher!
I am walking through fire!
Standing alone,
Abandoned by fate!"

Here it is. The one and only Swords Dance Lucario. Your opponent just locked themselves into Pursuit? Well that's their problem. The idea with all the Pursuit bait is to basically encourage my opponent to go for Pursuit, so Lucario can get a set-up opportunity. Even if I don't, LO Close Combat is still reasonably powerful, while ExtremeSpeed can pick off some weakened Pokemon if Dragonite is down. I run Bullet Punch because I feel I really need Lucario to be able to muscle through Gengar, Terrakion, etc. more than the likes of Jellicent, Gliscor, Landorus-T, or whatever. Skarmory's hazards also help weaken Pokemon such as Keldeo into +2 ExtremeSpeed killing range

380.png


Latias (F) @ Life Orb
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 Spd / 72 HP / 184 SAtk
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Psyshock
- Surf
- Recover

"This is what I see,
Emptiness in me!
This is how I feel,
This is what is real!"

LO Latias serves as my Keldeo check, and as just a general powerhouse. DRACO METEOR!!!!! Just.... Have fun breaking through Latias with your Keldeo, unless you have Specs Icy Wind or something (but I can always use Starmie as a back-up.... wait I got rid of that too) If I'm at full HP, I can also use this as a back-up check to Venusaur, though that's kind of iffy. That's why I have had Dragonite, though. Latias tends to be my go-to Pokemon for dealing with Rain, I mean, unless they have Specs Keldeo or something (which I don't seem to run into much) EDIT: I went back to Surf because I felt that HP Fire made Rain teams more of a headache than they needed to be, especially since I kind of need Latias to check them

450.png


Garchomp @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Claw
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge

"Here is no one
left to trust,
Raise a light,
One that I can see!"

I don't really like Choice Scarf Garchomp. On paper, it's a useful back-up revenge killer in case Gengar goes down. However, it's extremely weak, easily walled, and simply does not check Volcarona as effectively as Dragonite did. Sure, I have Stone Edge and Scarf to also check Volcarona, but that's the problem. I'm relying on Stone Edge to beat Volcarona, and with my luck that never works out. The more I send out Garchomp, the more I miss having Dragonite and Starmie, especially since using Garchomp instead of Dragonite isn't exactly helping against Sun teams. ScarfChomp really has been pathetic. I don't like it and will happily replace it with almost any suggestion. (preferably with a Water resist and a good Sun check)

212.png


Scizor @ Choice Band
Trait: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Superpower
- Pursuit

"I crawl my way through every day,
Raise your light,
One that glows for me!"

Scizor's only real role on this team is to... Well, pick off Latios, get my 'mons in safely with U-turn, and maybe pick off some Pokemon like Terrakion with Bullet Punch.. It's also really nice against Ferrothorn as it resists both of its moves, and Ferrothorn won't enjoy taking a Superpower. However, I'm a bit conflicted. While Scizor plays a small role, it's still very useful for the team. At the same time, my desire to place Dragonite back on the team also jeopardizes Scizor's placement on the team as running Dragonite again will force me to once again run a spinner. Regardless, Scizor is a pretty useful Pokemon on this team.

-----------------

Well, that's the team. Hope you liked this team, and any advice is greatly appreciated (But remember, I built this team with the mindset of using SD Luke)

EDIT: More changes & team entered top 100 on the OU ladder (though I was already 1800+ and climbing with the team's original form)

Flaws I can for sure identify:
-With no spinner, team is now more vulnerable to Spikes (especially since half of my team is grounded and two of my three Spikes-immune Pokemon are easily trapped by Tyranitar)
-Only one Water resist, so there's too much pressure put on Latias to combat Rain
-With Garchomp > Dragonite, Sun teams are slightly harder to beat

Code: 
Skarmory @ Custap Berry
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 Def
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Spikes
- Brave Bird
- Taunt

Gengar @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
Timid Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Trick

Lucario @ Life Orb
Trait: Justified
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- ExtremeSpeed
- Bullet Punch

Latias (F) @ Life Orb
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 Spd / 72 HP / 184 SAtk
Timid Nature
IVs: 30 Atk / 30 SAtk / 30 Spd
- Draco Meteor
- Psyshock
- Surf
- Recover

Garchomp @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Claw
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge

Scizor @ Choice Band
Trait: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Superpower
- Pursuit
 
This is an incredibly solid team, but yeah, Jirachi has to be an utter bitch to handle. Trick is definitely a solid option for Gengar and will help deal with SubCM Jirachi, so I definitely recommend you use it. It can also let you cripple a wall and thus provide setup bait for Lucario. I wouldn't worry about Toxicroak all that much; you definitely have enough to handle it. My game plan against it would be to keep Dragonite and Lucario ready so that they can kill it with priority. Tricking it a Choice Scarf with Gengar would also render it useless. Dragonite only has to worry about Ice Punch, so if Toxicroak doesn't carry it, you have yourself a perfect counter right there. Your team definitely has a lot of trouble against repeated Dragon-type attacks, but you have the necessary checks in place to deal with it. I'd also suggest fitting Earthquake onto Dragonite to have a better move to hit Jirachi with. Replacing Fire Punch or Dragon Claw is the best modus operandi here; it's your preference. I find Surf on Latias being absolutely useless; instead, I recommend Hidden Power Fire to hit common Ferrothorn switch-ins, which is a Pokemon your team struggles to hit. Surf does almost nothing for you, and I think you'll find that Hidden Power Fire has much great overall utility. Again, incredibly solid team here, just a few nitpicks~

Destiny Bond -> Trick on Gengar

Fire Punch / Dragon Claw -> Earthquake on Dragonite

Surf -> Hidden Power Fire on Latias
 
Thanks for the rate, Jukain!

Yeah I'm definitely going to try Trick on Gengar, especially since Destiny Bond only really helps me against specific spinners (and even then it's not required in order to beat them). Plus, giving Lucario extra set-up opportunities would definitely be awesome.

As for the others, I'll definitely try HP Fire on Latias and test to see if I'd be better off with replacing Fire Punch or Dragon Claw on Dragonite.
 
Although your team is a Custap Skarmory Hyper Offensive team, I find that having a check to Lati@s and other special threats makes the team ideal. The quintessential Deoxys-D team, before it was banned, often had a Scizor, Jirachi, or Genesect for pesky Special Attackers. Latios and Gengar in particular cause major havoc against you due to the former getting a practically free kill every time it switches in, and the latter causing Dragonite to come out and lock itself into a move or relying on a speed tie from Latias. Starmie, in fact, does not OHKO if the Gengar runs very little bulk or holds a Focus Sash. Alakazam outspeeds several Pokemon on your team, but you can lure it with Scarf Gengar and you have two priority moves, I suppose. Opposing DD Dragonite avoid the OHKO from your Gengar if it can somehow retain its Multiscale and practically 6-0 you. Scarf Scizor causes problems since it outspeeds your primary check in Lucario. Opposing Jirachi give you a major headache due to the fact that you lack a strong Ground move to take it out. Scarf Tyranitar is actually a weakness since it can trap and/or revenge kill EVERY Pokemon on your team sans your Suicide Lead. A simple Rotom-W + Tyranitar core is just devestating to your momentum. Lastly, opposing Terrakion are troublesome as well since you have nothing to switch into them reliably. The way that your team was built would require several fixes to mitigate all the issues at large. For starters, defensive Starmie on such an offensive team just opens too many holes and barely checks anything. Your team already had two decent Water and Fighting-type and having Starmie purely for Dragonite is simply ludicrous. Starmie is simply wasting a team slot and I highly recommend you replace it with a Scizor. Scizor can do a few cool things for your team like revenge kill Gengar, Alakazam Terrakion, etc. with Bullet Punch and switch into the Lati@s twins. You can test around with whatever set you want as decisions like that are typically garnered toward playstyle and not utility. Lastly, I'm never a huge fan of running two Dragon-types, but whatever floats your boat I guess. The biggest problems this opens up is opposing Dragons and Jirachi to an extent. To mitigate this problem, try out a Garchomp instead of Dragonite. Once again, the set is totally optional; however, you still retain the ability to soft-check Volcarona while you gain a great Jirachi switch-in. I personally recommend a SubSalac set since the team, as it stands, is rather weak to DragMag which the SubSalac set excels at. Landorus is another option as well, but you already have two other Fighting-type resists/immunities so Garchomp seemed to fit better. Garchomp is also cooler looking anyways... shark x) Lastly, I'd definitely try out Hidden Power Fire instead of Surf on Latias to make your team less reliant on Lucario to kill Scizor. This opens the door for Gengar feel more free to revenge kill without being worried about the incoming Pursuit Trap. Although these changes seem drastic, I feel like the aesthetic of your team remains while you gain a much more solid offensive core that can check opposing threats with greater ease. Good luck.

Well, good luck!
 
Holy shit text wall @ Bri. Oh well, thanks for the rate!

Starmie does seem rather weak, so I can give Scizor a spin. However, my only real problem with your rate is the Garchomp suggestion. Garchomp is no doubt a good Pokemon, but my only gripe is that factoring in the removal of Starmie, that'd give me only one Water resist, which I think would put just a bit too much pressure on Latias to switch in on Rain-boosted Water attacks. But maybe that's just me. I've already tested HP Fire on Latias, and that's working out quite well.

I'm not opposed to replacing Dragonite, though if I do I want to replace it with something that also resists Water to make sure there's not too much pressure put on Latias to tank Water attacks.
 
Hey man, nice looking team.

I run the same offensive core with Latias and Lucario, and I'm curious if you find yourself having trouble with jellicent/ttar on sandstall teams since you lack crunch.
 
Jellicent / T-tar hasn't really been a problem in my experience. I just have to get rid of Jellicent (Dragonite's Outrage does quite a huge chunk so Jellicent probably won't want to stay in, while their Steel isn't switching in on Earthquake/Fire Punch depending on the Steel).

My idea is using Scizor over Latias instead of over Starmie to help more against Tyranitar (Bri suggested using it over Starmie; I want to keep Starmie + Dragonite if possible since Dragonite's basically the reason I can beat Sun teams) while making Starmie run an offensive set with Thunderbolt to help more against Jellicent, and just hit harder in general, though that creates a new problem in having a Keldeo check that doesn't last long, while running Scizor > Latias increases problems against Keldeo. Any thoughts?
 
Sorry for the double post / really late bump / whatever, buuuuuut I made some changes to the team:

Dragonite -> Garchomp
Starmie -> Scizor
HP Fire back to Surf on Latias

I really don't like ScarfChomp on this team, though, so I'd like some more suggestions.
 
Hey man, i see you are having problems with volc, it doesnt have a specific counter after all, but the best check to it in my opinion is terrakion, since it resist both of its stab moves and can hit a nice 4x effective STAB move (and its a nice sun check), plus, i recomend scarf keldeo over lucario, i always used that core and always worked nice for me. It also outspeeds volc at +1 and can hit effetive with surf/hydro pump (when sun is not up). I also recomend Destiny Bond on gengar as well, since it can also outspeed after a +1.

i_terakion.gif

Terrakion @ Salac Berry
Trait: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge
- Swords Dance
- Substitute

i_kerudhio_itumonosugata.gif

Keldeo @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Justified
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 Spd/4 HP
Timid Nature
- Secret Sword
- Hydro Pump
- Surf
- Hidden Power [Ice]

You have a nice team, wish you the best of luck :]
 
Thanks for the rate War Nerve!

I'll look into your suggested changes, but as I built this team wanting to use SD Lucario, Lucario is staying. Thanks regardless, though.
 
Hi.

For Garchomp replacement, how about Wallbreaking Kyurem-B? A set of

Kyurem-Black @ Life Orb
Trait: Teravolt
EVs: 32 HP / 232 SAtk / 244 Spd
Mild Nature
- Ice Beam
- Fusion Bolt
- Earth Power
- Roost

should work fine. Thanks to it's great coverage, it can deal with weather teams decently (it does better vs Rain than Sun, but Venusaur won't like taking Ice Beam and Firemon won't enjoy an EP to the face). This also helps break through walls. The combination of Kyu-B + Hazards should soften a team up easily to allow a Lucario sweep. I figured, looking at the team, you'd appreciate a wallbreaker more than another revenger, since you already have a good amount of priority and ScarfGar.

If you do use this, I'd put HP Fire over Surf on Latias again, since Kyu-B can deal with Rain teams better than Latias, and Latias can focus more on dealing with Sun.

So yeah

Kyu-B > Garchomp
HP Fire > Surf on Latias
 
Actually, Kyurem-B sounds pretty awesome. While I've never been a big fan of it myself, having a wallbreaker would be awesome. The SR weakness does bug me, though I suppose Roost does mitigate that. I'll be sure to try it out. Thanks!
 
hi ryuu dis team sucks go to hell and die

Anyway, I always love seeing these kinds of offensive teams, but however, like I noticed, this team doesn't appreciate strong dragon attacks and I seem to notice that you might be Keldeo's little slave if they can bring it in safely...or if some strong offensive water type fires their stab water attack in the rain. I personally think Lucario is the least useful member if you're going against someone a little bit far more skilled and I think another offensive water resisting Poke like a banded Dragonite might do. Why? Because it can take water attacks, you still have priority and you can launch a bigger damage than how Lucario can't do. It also helps deal with Volcaronas well enough. Dragon Dance Nite seems like a fine option too.

I'm not that good at rating like last time, but hope that helps. Cheers.
 
Thanks for the rate, but I'm still completely opposed to replacing Lucario. He is by far from the least useful member (Garchomp is the least useful in my opinion; 9 times out of 10 he does little to no work). Also, Dragonite without a spinner just... Doesn't work for me.
 
Nice team, If your having trouble with Volcarona you could try running an offensive heatran, give it an air balloon and you should be able to handle it pretty well, he can also check sun teams pretty well.

Heatran @ Air Balloon
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs:4 HP/ 252 SpA/ 252 Spe
Nature: Modest
-Fire Blast
-Earth Power
-Hidden Power Ice/Rock
-Taunt/Roar/Substitute
 
What is the point on using offensive latias ?
since life orb destroys its bulk why don't you use latios instead, oh and if you have problem with sun teams and things like volcanora and venosaur use haxorus or dragonite with lum.
Haxorus is an amazing anti sun lead, lum berry + taunt it usally manages to get the double dance and if the opponent doesn't have sciz or forry its gg.
nice team btw, what is your lead skarmory or 9tales ?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top