Hey Howdy Hey Everyone!
With Sun and Moon coming out, I was not really sure how I felt about Pokemon anymore. I had my doubts about it all, but I looked into the game. I saw the final battle between the protagonist and Lusamine, and immediately realized that I needed to get a copy of this game. I have not made it very far into the game, but I wanted to get back into the Meta and hopefully increase my skill level as a competitive Pokemon player. I know there are some problems and weaknesses with this team, but that is what this thread is for. I have made a few adjustments to this team compared to what it started out as, but hopefully, with a little bit of help, I can improve the quality of this team.
When going over the team, forgive me if I sound like a total idiot. I played very competetively in the past with ORAS, but it has been a while, so I am a bit rusty. I have played with this team several times on the Showdown Ladder, so I am getting used to the Sun and Moon OU Metagame. However, while I do not know the terminology that well, I want to improve as much as possible, so if I made a mistake in my explanation, then I sincerely apologize.
Tapu Koko @ Magnet
Ability: Electric Surge
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Thunderbolt
- U-turn
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Taunt
I started building this team off the notion of, "What is a good offensive Pokemon that I can stick on this team." and Tapu Koko is what came to mind. This is easily one of the hardest hitting, and most diverse members of this team, due to its move set, and EV's. It's EV's allow it to outspeed some of the fastest Pokemon in the OU tier, such as Greninja, Gengar, and Dugtrio. It's high special attack allows it to 1-2HKO opponents such as Tapu Fini, Landorus-T, and Mega Gyarados. The first, and most obvious move, I added, was Thunderbolt. This move hits hard, especially in the Electric Terrain and boosted by the Magnet. It does massive damage to most opponents, and while there are some opponents that it can't hit with that move, the other moves cover those Pokemon that Thunderbolt will not effect as much. U-turn was added for diversity. With the increase in ground types in the new meta, Volt Switch is not as effective as U-turn in my opinion. With U-turn, it is easier to get the switch in advantage over Pokemon such as Lando-T, Dugtrio, and Zygarde. HP-Ice was added to counter threats such as Lando-T, (as you can clearly see, Tapu Koko, was made to mainly counter Lando-T) and Garchomp. Finally, Taunt was added to get the edge on the increasing threat of Set-Up Pokemon.
Toxapex (F) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 64 Def / 192 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Haze
- Recover
- Toxic Spikes
The next main thing I wanted to get on my team, was a decent amount of bulk. Without a decent supporter Pokemon to set up Hazards and take attacks from hard hitting Pokemon, it becomes very difficult to win. I decided to go with Toxapex for a couple of reasons. First reason being for Regenerator. With the amount of Switching I personally do, this will come in handy when I need to switch out my Pokemon. The first move I chose was Scald. I went with this, opposed to Sludge Bomb, because of the presence of steel types such as Celesteela, Ferrothorn, and Kartana, while Scald hits all of them, despite it being ineffective. The added burn effect is also helpful to cripple down defensive threats that may be sent my way. Haze was added to remove the constant boosts in attack by the U-B's in the OU meta. Recover explains itself. I finally chose Toxic Spikes because a status ailment constantly setting a timer on the opposing threat, would honestly be more beneficial than doing constant damage each time. Poison can't be removed unless the opponent is running Aromatherapy, and the chances of that is very low. While there are flying Pokemon that can avoid Toxic Spikes, Tapu Koko will most likely deal with them in one or two hits.
Tapu Lele @ Choice Specs
Ability: Psychic Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Psychic
- Moonblast
- Psyshock
- Hidden Power [Fire]
Before anyone gives me crap for putting to Guardian Deities on my team, hear me out, because I actually had a good reason for it. The primary reason that I put Tapu Lele on my team, was to not only provide another type of terrain for when Tapu Koko gets knocked out, but to also allow me to cancel out priority attacks. This does weaken one Pokemon on my team, but I will get to that later in the post. When it comes to the moveset, I wanted another hard hitting Special Attacker, so I decided to go all out with Choice Specs. First, I went with Psychic. Obviously, this move is not only STAB, but is also one of the strongest psychic type attacks in the game, so this allows me to hit pretty hard against opponents such as Nihilego, Toxapex and A-Marowak. Next, I went with Moonblast, mainly for the same reasons as Psychic. One of the strongest Fairy Type moves, STAB, etc. Next I went with Psyshock. Since I currently have no hard hitting Physical moves, and my Special attack was already sky high, I decided that I would add psyshock to break down those specially defensive pokemon with a physically defensive move. Finally, since Tapu Lele is a Fairy type, there would be the threats of Steel Types. With HP-Fire combined with Choice Specs, most Steel Pokemon get 1-2HKO'ed on a switch in. I could see Lele getting replaced, but I don't think it will happen.
Venusaur (M) @ Venusaurite
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 248 HP / 156 Def / 88 SpD / 16 Spe
Bold Nature
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Synthesis
- Hidden Power [Fire]
Next, I noticed that I had too much offense. 2 special attackers, would allow opponents to come in with Physical attacks and take down my special wall without issue. I decided that I would go with Mega Venusaur, since it would not only put a mega on my team, but it would also provide a decent amount of physical bulk. There is not much I can really say about its moveset, since it is pretty standard. Giga Drain would do a lot of damage, and allow me to restore my health. Sludge Bomb is a good special attacking, STAB poison type move that has a chance to inflict poison. Synthesis would allow me to stall out the game, if absolutely nessecary. Finally, HP-Fire allows me to hit Pokemon like Celesteela, Kartana, and Tapu Bulu, if the opponent decides to swap out and bring one of those in. Since Mega Venusaur is a pretty standard mega, there is not much more explaining that I could do. I do however, see MV getting replaced if needed with a better Mega.
Celesteela @ Flyinium Z
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Autotomize
- Air Slash
- Flash Cannon
- Giga Drain
The next Pokemon I chose originally started out as a more personal choice, but quickly turned into an essential asset to this team. I had been hearing about these, "Ultra Beasts" and decided that Celesteela looked the coolest. (I know, it's a retarded reason to pick a Pokemon) However, I quickly learned that its diverse movepool, made it an unpredictable threat to the other team. The coverage of moves that were used commonly in the metagame, made me realize that this Pokemon had a much larger purpose than just looking cool. I decided to give it as much of a diverse movepool as I could. I began with Autotomize, because if I predict a switch correctly, I can easily set up, and take lives with the increased speed, and Beast Boosts. Next, I chose Air Slash. I picked this because it was really the only STAB flying move that it got that fit the meta. Next is Flash Cannon. I originally had Fire Blast on it, because I thought it covered a lot, but when I took a closer look, Flash Cannon covered a lot more than Fire Blast did, simply because no Player would be stupid enough to leave a Grass or Steel type in on a Celesteela. With Flash Cannon, I can catch Pokemon like Nihilego off guard. Finally, I added Giga Drain, so in case Pokemon like Tapu Fini, Keldeo, or Greninja came in, I would have some sort of way to stop them from causing too much trouble. I have my doubts about Celesteela on this team, but hey, that is what this thread is for isn't it? :P
Crawdaunt @ Choice Band
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Waterfall
- Aqua Jet
- Crunch
Finally, I wanted another hard hitter. While I have plenty of offensive Pokemon on my team, I noticed that they were all special attackers. I needed some sort of physical attacker to deal with special defensive Pokemon such as Tapu Fini, Latios, and Hoopa-O. I decided to go with Crawdaunt, because while this Pokemon is in the UU tier, it hits like a f***ing truck in most cases with Adaptability and its massive attack stat. Most of the moves I chose, have rather obvious reasons. Knock off is to get rid of the opponents item. Aqua Jet is for a priority move. The 2 strange moves I picked, are Crunch and Waterfall. I chose Crunch over Superpower, because most people would expect you to have Superpower over an other move, so this is to catch the opponent off guard more than anything. I chose Waterfall over Crabhammer, because I want the chance to flinch. Sure, there are some cases, where having the extra 10 base power would come in handy, but I personally think that the 20% chance to flinch will come in handy when you least expect it. Crawdaunt is easily the most controversial member of this team, simply because there are a lot of better options.
(I do not have any definitive Damage Calcs for any of these mons, because I am going off experience in prior battles.)
The only MAJOR weakness that I can currently see with my team, is that it gets COMPLETELY destroyed by an Earthquake or Thunderbolt, and seeing as how most mons in the OU teir run these moves, I have a very large weakness to this. Other minor weakness that I see, are Scarfed Lando-T, the fact that I run priority on a team with Tapu Lele, and the fact that I do not have enough bulk on my team.
Now I know there is one person asking, "If you know your weaknesses, then why ask for help on fixing them?" Well I am not very experienced in the OU meta, so I have no idea how to counter these looming threats.
Please feel free to comment! I love getting feedback, and it will most likely be beneficial to helping me climb the OU ladder on Showdown. I will probably make a variety of adjustments and different teams depending on the suggestions you all give, so feel free to give your opinion! I am very friendly, so I will not at all attack you for your view on this team!
Have a great day everyone!
With Sun and Moon coming out, I was not really sure how I felt about Pokemon anymore. I had my doubts about it all, but I looked into the game. I saw the final battle between the protagonist and Lusamine, and immediately realized that I needed to get a copy of this game. I have not made it very far into the game, but I wanted to get back into the Meta and hopefully increase my skill level as a competitive Pokemon player. I know there are some problems and weaknesses with this team, but that is what this thread is for. I have made a few adjustments to this team compared to what it started out as, but hopefully, with a little bit of help, I can improve the quality of this team.
When going over the team, forgive me if I sound like a total idiot. I played very competetively in the past with ORAS, but it has been a while, so I am a bit rusty. I have played with this team several times on the Showdown Ladder, so I am getting used to the Sun and Moon OU Metagame. However, while I do not know the terminology that well, I want to improve as much as possible, so if I made a mistake in my explanation, then I sincerely apologize.
Tapu Koko @ Magnet
Ability: Electric Surge
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Thunderbolt
- U-turn
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Taunt
I started building this team off the notion of, "What is a good offensive Pokemon that I can stick on this team." and Tapu Koko is what came to mind. This is easily one of the hardest hitting, and most diverse members of this team, due to its move set, and EV's. It's EV's allow it to outspeed some of the fastest Pokemon in the OU tier, such as Greninja, Gengar, and Dugtrio. It's high special attack allows it to 1-2HKO opponents such as Tapu Fini, Landorus-T, and Mega Gyarados. The first, and most obvious move, I added, was Thunderbolt. This move hits hard, especially in the Electric Terrain and boosted by the Magnet. It does massive damage to most opponents, and while there are some opponents that it can't hit with that move, the other moves cover those Pokemon that Thunderbolt will not effect as much. U-turn was added for diversity. With the increase in ground types in the new meta, Volt Switch is not as effective as U-turn in my opinion. With U-turn, it is easier to get the switch in advantage over Pokemon such as Lando-T, Dugtrio, and Zygarde. HP-Ice was added to counter threats such as Lando-T, (as you can clearly see, Tapu Koko, was made to mainly counter Lando-T) and Garchomp. Finally, Taunt was added to get the edge on the increasing threat of Set-Up Pokemon.
Toxapex (F) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 64 Def / 192 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Haze
- Recover
- Toxic Spikes
The next main thing I wanted to get on my team, was a decent amount of bulk. Without a decent supporter Pokemon to set up Hazards and take attacks from hard hitting Pokemon, it becomes very difficult to win. I decided to go with Toxapex for a couple of reasons. First reason being for Regenerator. With the amount of Switching I personally do, this will come in handy when I need to switch out my Pokemon. The first move I chose was Scald. I went with this, opposed to Sludge Bomb, because of the presence of steel types such as Celesteela, Ferrothorn, and Kartana, while Scald hits all of them, despite it being ineffective. The added burn effect is also helpful to cripple down defensive threats that may be sent my way. Haze was added to remove the constant boosts in attack by the U-B's in the OU meta. Recover explains itself. I finally chose Toxic Spikes because a status ailment constantly setting a timer on the opposing threat, would honestly be more beneficial than doing constant damage each time. Poison can't be removed unless the opponent is running Aromatherapy, and the chances of that is very low. While there are flying Pokemon that can avoid Toxic Spikes, Tapu Koko will most likely deal with them in one or two hits.
Tapu Lele @ Choice Specs
Ability: Psychic Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Psychic
- Moonblast
- Psyshock
- Hidden Power [Fire]
Before anyone gives me crap for putting to Guardian Deities on my team, hear me out, because I actually had a good reason for it. The primary reason that I put Tapu Lele on my team, was to not only provide another type of terrain for when Tapu Koko gets knocked out, but to also allow me to cancel out priority attacks. This does weaken one Pokemon on my team, but I will get to that later in the post. When it comes to the moveset, I wanted another hard hitting Special Attacker, so I decided to go all out with Choice Specs. First, I went with Psychic. Obviously, this move is not only STAB, but is also one of the strongest psychic type attacks in the game, so this allows me to hit pretty hard against opponents such as Nihilego, Toxapex and A-Marowak. Next, I went with Moonblast, mainly for the same reasons as Psychic. One of the strongest Fairy Type moves, STAB, etc. Next I went with Psyshock. Since I currently have no hard hitting Physical moves, and my Special attack was already sky high, I decided that I would add psyshock to break down those specially defensive pokemon with a physically defensive move. Finally, since Tapu Lele is a Fairy type, there would be the threats of Steel Types. With HP-Fire combined with Choice Specs, most Steel Pokemon get 1-2HKO'ed on a switch in. I could see Lele getting replaced, but I don't think it will happen.
Venusaur (M) @ Venusaurite
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 248 HP / 156 Def / 88 SpD / 16 Spe
Bold Nature
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Synthesis
- Hidden Power [Fire]
Next, I noticed that I had too much offense. 2 special attackers, would allow opponents to come in with Physical attacks and take down my special wall without issue. I decided that I would go with Mega Venusaur, since it would not only put a mega on my team, but it would also provide a decent amount of physical bulk. There is not much I can really say about its moveset, since it is pretty standard. Giga Drain would do a lot of damage, and allow me to restore my health. Sludge Bomb is a good special attacking, STAB poison type move that has a chance to inflict poison. Synthesis would allow me to stall out the game, if absolutely nessecary. Finally, HP-Fire allows me to hit Pokemon like Celesteela, Kartana, and Tapu Bulu, if the opponent decides to swap out and bring one of those in. Since Mega Venusaur is a pretty standard mega, there is not much more explaining that I could do. I do however, see MV getting replaced if needed with a better Mega.
Celesteela @ Flyinium Z
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Autotomize
- Air Slash
- Flash Cannon
- Giga Drain
The next Pokemon I chose originally started out as a more personal choice, but quickly turned into an essential asset to this team. I had been hearing about these, "Ultra Beasts" and decided that Celesteela looked the coolest. (I know, it's a retarded reason to pick a Pokemon) However, I quickly learned that its diverse movepool, made it an unpredictable threat to the other team. The coverage of moves that were used commonly in the metagame, made me realize that this Pokemon had a much larger purpose than just looking cool. I decided to give it as much of a diverse movepool as I could. I began with Autotomize, because if I predict a switch correctly, I can easily set up, and take lives with the increased speed, and Beast Boosts. Next, I chose Air Slash. I picked this because it was really the only STAB flying move that it got that fit the meta. Next is Flash Cannon. I originally had Fire Blast on it, because I thought it covered a lot, but when I took a closer look, Flash Cannon covered a lot more than Fire Blast did, simply because no Player would be stupid enough to leave a Grass or Steel type in on a Celesteela. With Flash Cannon, I can catch Pokemon like Nihilego off guard. Finally, I added Giga Drain, so in case Pokemon like Tapu Fini, Keldeo, or Greninja came in, I would have some sort of way to stop them from causing too much trouble. I have my doubts about Celesteela on this team, but hey, that is what this thread is for isn't it? :P
Crawdaunt @ Choice Band
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Waterfall
- Aqua Jet
- Crunch
Finally, I wanted another hard hitter. While I have plenty of offensive Pokemon on my team, I noticed that they were all special attackers. I needed some sort of physical attacker to deal with special defensive Pokemon such as Tapu Fini, Latios, and Hoopa-O. I decided to go with Crawdaunt, because while this Pokemon is in the UU tier, it hits like a f***ing truck in most cases with Adaptability and its massive attack stat. Most of the moves I chose, have rather obvious reasons. Knock off is to get rid of the opponents item. Aqua Jet is for a priority move. The 2 strange moves I picked, are Crunch and Waterfall. I chose Crunch over Superpower, because most people would expect you to have Superpower over an other move, so this is to catch the opponent off guard more than anything. I chose Waterfall over Crabhammer, because I want the chance to flinch. Sure, there are some cases, where having the extra 10 base power would come in handy, but I personally think that the 20% chance to flinch will come in handy when you least expect it. Crawdaunt is easily the most controversial member of this team, simply because there are a lot of better options.
(I do not have any definitive Damage Calcs for any of these mons, because I am going off experience in prior battles.)
The only MAJOR weakness that I can currently see with my team, is that it gets COMPLETELY destroyed by an Earthquake or Thunderbolt, and seeing as how most mons in the OU teir run these moves, I have a very large weakness to this. Other minor weakness that I see, are Scarfed Lando-T, the fact that I run priority on a team with Tapu Lele, and the fact that I do not have enough bulk on my team.
Now I know there is one person asking, "If you know your weaknesses, then why ask for help on fixing them?" Well I am not very experienced in the OU meta, so I have no idea how to counter these looming threats.
Please feel free to comment! I love getting feedback, and it will most likely be beneficial to helping me climb the OU ladder on Showdown. I will probably make a variety of adjustments and different teams depending on the suggestions you all give, so feel free to give your opinion! I am very friendly, so I will not at all attack you for your view on this team!
Have a great day everyone!
Tapu Koko @ Magnet
Ability: Electric Surge
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Thunderbolt
- U-turn
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Taunt
Tapu Lele @ Choice Specs
Ability: Psychic Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Psychic
- Moonblast
- Psyshock
- Hidden Power [Fire]
Toxapex (F) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 64 Def / 192 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Haze
- Recover
- Toxic Spikes
Venusaur (M) @ Venusaurite
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 248 HP / 156 Def / 88 SpD / 16 Spe
Bold Nature
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Synthesis
- Hidden Power [Fire]
Celesteela @ Flyinium Z
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Autotomize
- Air Slash
- Flash Cannon
- Giga Drain
Crawdaunt @ Choice Band
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Crabhammer
- Aqua Jet
- Crunch
Ability: Electric Surge
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Thunderbolt
- U-turn
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Taunt
Tapu Lele @ Choice Specs
Ability: Psychic Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Psychic
- Moonblast
- Psyshock
- Hidden Power [Fire]
Toxapex (F) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 64 Def / 192 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Haze
- Recover
- Toxic Spikes
Venusaur (M) @ Venusaurite
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 248 HP / 156 Def / 88 SpD / 16 Spe
Bold Nature
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Synthesis
- Hidden Power [Fire]
Celesteela @ Flyinium Z
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Autotomize
- Air Slash
- Flash Cannon
- Giga Drain
Crawdaunt @ Choice Band
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Crabhammer
- Aqua Jet
- Crunch
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