Hyper Offense (Peaked at #11)

[PTJon7]

The Team

After growing tired of my last team, which I posted an RMT on a little while ago, I decided to create a new team. I like to go through the process of starting with throwing together some pokemon I like and gradually make adjustments until I think the team is worthwhile to ladder with. I ended up with the team you see here, and I gotta say using it was a lot of fun. I managed to reach #11 on the ladder, completely surpassing any expectations I had for myself. My spot was short lived however, as I suddenly hit a bad losing streak. None the less however I was very happy that I had climbed that high. This team used some fairly odd sets, which probably caused my downfall. Well, here it is:
​

Escavalier

Item: Lum Berry
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Nature: Adamant

• Substitute
• Swords Dance
• Megahorn
• Iron Head

I had been interested in trying out Escavalier, as it has pretty nice stats and typing. I wanted to try a set of my however, and thought that a sub-swords dance set could work. Turns it out it can work pretty well. The lum berry helped make this set work, as Escavalier could shrug off a status move and get up a free sub. The worst thing about this set is Escavalier's poor moves, as its stabs are resisted by fire types and Zapdos. But if neither of those factors stood in Escavalier's way then it could do very well against teams. I personally chose Overcoat for Escavalier's ability due to my dread of hail stall, but in general Swarm would be a better ability for this set.​

Chandelure

Item: Choice Scarf
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 Spd / 252 Spe
Nature: Modest

• Flamethrower
• Shadow Ball
• Energy Ball
• Trick

Just a regular standard scarfed Chandelure. I'm quite paranoid, and for good reason if you ask me, of moves without perfect accuracy which is why I prefer to use Flamethrower of Fire Blast. Trick was one of the best aspects of this set, as many people switched their special walls in on Chandelure without thinking, and would then get Tricked a scarf. Chandelure acted as a great revenge killer, and even if it lost it scarf it was still very threatening without it.​

Heracross

Item: Leftovers
Ability: Guts
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Nature: Adamant

• Substitute
• Focus Punch
• Megahorn
• Stone Edge

I had the idea of a Sub-Punch Heracross a while ago, and I found it to be a pretty nice part of this team. Heracross will cause a lot of switches, especially when people think it has a choice scarf, so Heracross getting a sub up usually wasn't too hard. Focus Punch would then do massive damage on pretty much anything. Guts mostly helped to counteract burns that would be coming Heracross' way, but really any of this abilities would work for the set. Stone Edge could also have been replaced with Night Slash, so that ghosts types could be beaten easier.​

Honchkrow

Item: Life Orb
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Nature: Adamant

• Brave Bird
• Sucker Punch
• Super Power
• Pursuit

I had never used a Honchkrow until this team, and it is definitely my favorite sweeper in the tier. It is extremely underrated, and extremely deadly, I have sweeped so many teams with Honchkrow. One of the best aspects of the set is Pursuit, which for some reason a lot of people don't seem to expect. The fear of a Sucker Punch can provoke a lot of switches, and if I predict right I could start off a sweep with Honchkrow very easily with Pursuit.​

Nidoqueen

Item: Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 100 HP / 252 SpA / 156 Spe
Nature: Modest

• Earth Power
• Flamethrower
• Ice Beam
• Stealth Rock

Nidoqueen is so good in UU, leading with it was almost always a guaranteed way to get up Stealth Rocks. Nidoqueen also does very well against most common leads, barring Darmanitan and Flygon. Nidoqueen is pretty much completely superior to Nidoking, as I found Nidoking being just too frail to do much. Nidoqueen's decent bulk went a long way in most battles, and Nidoqueen almost always net me multiple kills in a battle, with atleast one being a wall. Having something that walled fighting types was also a big asset.​

Flygon

Item: Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Nature: Jolly

• Outrage
• Earthquake
• U-Turn
• Fire Punch

Standard scarfed Flygon was another great revenge killer and sweeper. Outrage and Earthquake were great at cleaning up weakened teams at the end of a game. Having two scarfed pokemon on my team turned out to be really nice for me, I believe greatly in the importance of speed on a team. U-Turn was always useful as a way to gain momentum, and Fire Punch was useful in dealing with Bronzong.​

I would love any opinions on this team, and I would appreciate any advice on what to change. Of everything on the team, I think Escavalier would be the best thing to go, but I'll definitely keep an open mind to whatever anyone has to say. Thanks!​

 

[Pkn range6]

Hey there nice team and congratz on the peak! I have a few suggetions that may help you out. I have never used Escavalier but I just don't see it doing well with such low speed common threats such as Arcanine, Zapdos, Empoleon, and Chandelure walling your Dual stabs. I would recommend replacing it with choice specs Slowbro it helps out with your team Azumarill weakness even thought it's not very common but slowbro hits hard against unexpected foes thinking it's the defensive set. I don't like your heracross sub punch set because it's walled against steel types if Hera not behind a sub so I'd recommend using Close combat over Focus punch, Sword Dance over Subsitute and Jolly over Adamant. One last thing Honchrow should run roost over pursuit because it will help heal off the SR and life damage.

tl;dr

Slowbro>Escavalier
Slowbro @ Choice Specs
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 HP / 4 Spd
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Surf
- Fire Blast
- Psyshock
- Trick / Grass Knot

Heracross
Close Combat>Focus Punch
Sword Dance>Subsitute
Jolly>Adamant

Honchrow
Roost>Pursuit

Gl with your team and I hoped I helped!

 

[Elitode]

first thoughts: arrgh, glad I haven't fought you yet.
It's obvious you have experience, but the only little thing I could see is a small flaw for weavile to exploit; without escavalier and heracross, most of the rest of the team can be under serious threat from Weavile. sure, superpower is an OHKO but I don't think you outspeed. For this reason, I'd keep escavalier- weavile can't hurt it really.

 

[PTJon7]

Hey thanks for both of the replies guys, I really appreciate your input.In regards to Pursuit vs Roost on Honchkrow, I really think Pursuit is the better option, I just find it really useful. Taking both of your comments into account I think I'm going to replace Heracross with the Slowbro and keep Escavalier. I'm also going to try and replace one of Escavalier's moves with Return, to get better coverage.

 

[Warb]

I like the SubSDLum Escavalier, although there are 2 things about it that kind of bug me:

First of all: why 8 SDef EVs instead of 4? Escavalier has equal defensive stats, so giving it 2 more points in SDef than Def instead of only 1 point is kinda pointless to me (see what I did there? in all honesty though, no pun intended).

Second: Wouldn't it be actually more beneficial to outspeed at least all neutral base 30 and below Pokémon? That way, you can sub up before things like Dusclops and Cofagrigus can burn you, either preserving your Lum Berry for later OR being able to replace the Berry with Lefties for those cases. Another nice side effect would be Iron Head actually being able to flinch stuff like Snorlax, Cofagrigus and Dusclops (and Slowbro LOL).
The spread would be either 84 Speed EVs or 52 with a Jolly nature. It's something you have to decide for yourself though, I have no experience with Escavalier in UU, so I don't know whether or not it would be worth it.

 

[PTJon7]

To be honest looking back a lot of the things I did with this team made little sense. In regards to the EV's that's just what the Smogon page said, thought I don't really know why that is. My thinking for Escavalier's speed was actually to be as slow as possible, as at one point I fought a long string of trick room teams. I thought that it was so slow anyway, might as well put that slowness to good in some situations. In general your idea makes a whole lot of sense, and I'll definitely try it. Thank you!

Edit: Just tried out what you said, and unless I'm doing it wrong it would take 208 speed EVs to outspeed base 30 pokemon with an Adamant nature.

 

[Flygoner818]

Cool team, you have a lot of 'mons that put tons of offensive pressure on the opponent. My only suggestion is that you seem very weak to Stealth Rocks: both Chandelure and Honchkrow will take 1/4th on switching in, and Escavalier and Heracross won't like hazards down either. Since you seem to have a majority of the Physical attacking responsibility on Heracross already, it might be beneficial to use Defensive Blastoise in its place. Not only will it take care of your hazards issue, but can take anything Azumarill (and Kingdra) can throw at it. Otherwise, good team and good luck!

Blastoise @ Leftovers
Trait: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Scald
- Foresight
- Roar

 

[PTJon7]

Hey thanks for the reply. I'll try out Blastoise for sure but I really think the team would benefit more from a pokemon that gives it more offensive momentum, for instance a Specs Slowbro as Pkn range suggested. This team really is too offensively based to just slap on one wall in my opinion.

 

[Warb]

To be honest looking back a lot of the things I did with this team made little sense. In regards to the EV's that's just what the Smogon page said, thought I don't really know why that is. My thinking for Escavalier's speed was actually to be as slow as possible, as at one point I fought a long string of trick room teams. I thought that it was so slow anyway, might as well put that slowness to good in some situations. In general your idea makes a whole lot of sense, and I'll definitely try it. Thank you!

Edit: Just tried out what you said, and unless I'm doing it wrong it would take 208 speed EVs to outspeed base 30 pokemon with an Adamant nature.

Base 30 uninvested speed: 2*30+5+31 = 96

Base 20 uninvested speed: 2*20+5+31 = 79

Stats needed to outspeed 96: 21
=> 21*4 = 84
=> 84 EVs needed to get to 97 speed

As to the Blastoise suggestion:
I think the point of this team is Hyper Offense, which means that Blastoise would destroy the whole offensive drive, if I may say so.

 

[PTJon7]

Base 30 uninvested speed: 2*30+5+31 = 96

Base 20 uninvested speed: 2*20+5+31 = 79

Stats needed to outspeed 96: 21
=> 21*4 = 84
=> 84 EVs needed to get to 97 speed

As to the Blastoise suggestion:
I think the point of this team is Hyper Offense, which means that Blastoise would destroy the whole offensive drive, if I may say so.

Yea I agree in regards to Blastoise, the point of the team is to not have any dedicated walls on it. And I figured out what the problem was with the speed, it turned out I had set the Speed IV to 0. Thanks Warb!

 

[IstheCakeReallyaLie]

I recommend swapping out Guts on Heracross for Moxie. Sub already blocks status, rendering Guts null most of the time. Besides, burn hurts you just because of the amount of damage it does; you can't even completely negate it with Lefties.

 

[PTJon7]

I recommend swapping out Guts on Heracross for Moxie. Sub already blocks status, rendering Guts null most of the time. Besides, burn hurts you just because of the amount of damage it does; you can't even completely negate it with Lefties.

Guts is really for things like Sableye that are faster than Heracross and can status it. Moxie could definitely work too.