XY RU Kasib Phox and Tross (Balance RU)

[JohnOrigins]

Kasib Phox and Tross!
RU Balance


Whats up guys! JohnOrigins here! and today i am showing you my first RMT, a RU Balance team centralizing around Kasib Berry Delphox and Assault vest Eelektross. The team is designed to exploit Eelektross's amazing coverage to weaken down teams allowing durant and hitmonlee to come in late game and pick off some easy kills. While Rhyperior and Aromatisse form a wall core to get up rocks and to wish pass throughout the game.

Durant @ Life Orb
Trait: Hustle
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Nature: Jolly
~ Hone Claws
~ Iron Head
~ X-Scissor
~ Stone Edge

Durant was the initial inspiration towards this team, Durant's respectable 109 attack in conjunction with its Hustle ability and Life Orb item allow Durant to either punch holes early game or clean up late on. Hustle gives Durant a 1.5x Boost in attack but lowers the accuracy of Durant's Attack, which is why Hone Claws is such a good set up move for Durant to run, it gives Durant a +1 attack boost but more importantly it gives Durant that accuracy boost to counter the weakness of its Hustle ability. In the RU Tier Durant has plenty of opportunities to set up, it can set up on Aromatisse (and basically every other fairy type like Togetic), Amoonguss (After sleep fodder), Claydol, Cresselia, Slowking, and Golbat), also with the amazing base speed of 109 with the Jolly nature can outspeed the majority of the RU tier (excluding Whimsicott, Ambipom, Cinccino, and Jolteon (Purely off base speed)) meaning that durant is highly capable of sweeping slow teams.

Durant's moveset includes dual stab in the form of Iron head and X-scissor, and stone edge. Stone edge is used to hit pokemon such as Moltres who resist the dual stab of Durant, and can hit Golbat for super effective damage. Stone edge is preferred over crunch because my team isnt necessarily weak to doublade, mainly because of rhyperior and Kasib berry Delphox being checks.

In terms of damage output, Durant hits like a truck, especially at +1 attack from the Hone Claws. It can OHKO specially defensive Amoonguss, do a solid 55% to defensive eviolite Gligar with the iron head, and +1 Stone edge OHKOs physically defensive Golbat most of the time and definitely after Rocks.

Calcs

At Neutral Attack:
252 Atk Life Orb Hustle Durant Iron Head vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Amoonguss: 302-356 (69.9 - 82.4%)
252 Atk Life Orb Hustle Durant Iron Head vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Amoonguss: 203-239 (46.9 - 55.3%)
252 Atk Life Orb Hustle Durant X-Scissor vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Tangrowth: 281-330 (69.5 - 81.6%)
252 Atk Life Orb Hustle Durant Stone Edge vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Eviolite Golbat: 338-398 (95.4 - 112.4%)
252 Atk Life Orb Hustle Durant Stone Edge vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Eviolite Golbat: 226-268 (63.8 - 75.7%)
252 Atk Life Orb Hustle Durant Iron Head vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Eviolite Gligar: 105-125 (31.4 - 37.4%)
252 Atk Life Orb Hustle Durant Iron Head vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Solid Rock Rhyperior: 205-242 (47.2 - 55.7%)
252 Atk Life Orb Hustle Durant X-Scissor vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Eelektross: 270-320 (72.1 - 85.5%)
252 Atk Life Orb Hustle Durant Iron Head vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Magmortar: 156-183 (53.4 - 62.6%)
252 Atk Life Orb Hustle Durant Stone Edge vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Braviary: 476-562 (117.8 - 139.1%)

After Hone Claws
+1 252 Atk Life Orb Hustle Durant Stone Edge vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Eviolite Golbat: 338-400 (95.4 - 112.9%)
+1 252 Atk Life Orb Hustle Durant Iron Head vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Amoonguss: 452-532 (104.6 - 123.1%)
+1 252 Atk Life Orb Hustle Durant Iron Head vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Amoonguss: 304-359 (70.3 - 83.1%)
+1 252 Atk Life Orb Hustle Durant Iron Head vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Eviolite Gligar: 157-187 (47 - 55.9%)
+1 252 Atk Life Orb Hustle Durant Iron Head vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Solid Rock Rhyperior: 304-359 (70 - 82.7%)
+1 252 Atk Life Orb Hustle Durant X-Scissor vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Delphox: 441-520 (151 - 178%)

Pokemon you will have to remove before you can consider setting up with Durant include steel types such as doublade and magneton, also removing/crippling scarfers and the speed boost twins will enable durant to outspeed most of the RU tier and run rampent.

Rhyperior @ Leftovers
Trait: Solid Rock
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Nature: Impish
~ Stealth Rock
~ Earthquake
~ roar
~ Rock Blast

the physical Juggernaut Rhyperior is here to set up rocks and get phazing to stop physical set up sweeper such as Bulk up braviary, but can also phaze out Cresselia if they decide to start Calm minding. Stealth rocks are huge for this team, not only does it break potential sashes and sturdy that will stop Durant sweeping, but it guarantees a Delphox's flamethrower OHKOing Doublade. Earthquake offers up as its strongest stab move while rock blast is favored over stone edge because of its accuracy but it also stops Braviary from setting up on Rhyperior 1v1 as Braviary can beat Stone edge Rhyperior 1v1. Roar obviously stops opponents from setting up and can also get stealth rock damage to spread around the opponents team. Rhyperiors main role is to switch in on Cobalion and doublade which stop durant 100% of the time, and can live hits from sharpedo, hitmonlee, also to counter the ever so popular Ambipom (even though i have no idea why people like it so much). Rhyperior can also prove to be a great switch in for electivire, and can be used agaisnt Sub CM delphox as those variants tend to not carry grass knot.

Rhyperior struggles agaisnt water and grass types obviously, also the abundance of pokemon in RU with great type coverage like Exploud, Delphox, Eelektross, Heliolisk, and Zoroark.

Aromatisse @ Leftovers
Trait: Aroma Veil
EVs: 252 HP / 4SpA / 252 SpD
Nature: Calm
~ Wish
~ Protect
~ Aromatherapy
~ Moonblast
​

Michelle is here! the one and only! The pokemon i personally consider to be the best specially defensive wall in the RU tier. Aromatisse serves as a wonderful cleric in the RU tier, with its ability to sponge hits from Yanmega, Heliolisk, Jolteon, Special Sharpedo, Zoroark, Shiftry, the Hitmontriplets, AV Meloetta and Slowking. Aromatisse can take hits, but it isn't its main role in the team, its priority is to throw up Wish to enable the other team members to recover HP and remain on the field as powerful threats, along with Eelektross and rhyperior not having reliable recovery it helps them the most. Aromatherapy is wonderful in removing burns from Durant and keeping pokemon speedy after removing the para. Aromatisse is needed on this team because the team does boast a weakness to clawitzer, it can take Specs and AV hits in an attempt to stall it out and get special attack drops with Moonblast. Also protect forms a great move to retrieve its own wish but also to scout potential choiced pokemon.

Aromatisse does fall to steel types and poison types, but with Hitmonlee, Delphox, Rhyperior and eelektross able to hit those types super effectively they are considered less of a threat.

Hitmonlee @ Life Orb
Trait: Reckless
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Nature: Jolly
~ High Jump Kick
~ Rapid Spin
~ Knock Off
~ Mach Punch
​

Time to break some walls! Reckless Hitmonlee does so much work for this team, not only does it just puncture most pokemon, it can provide critical Knock offs on common switch ins like Gligar and Golbat so that Durant has an easier time against them. Hitmonlee is also the spinner of the team, allowing Delphox to remain at a good HP range for checking doublade. Hitmonlee is one of the best spinners in the RU tier, mainly because of its offensive presence and the fact that it learns the all powerful knock off to hit incoming spin blockers.

High Jump kick serves as a powerful form of STAB for Hitmonlee boosted by the Reckless ability, but mach punch is a brilliant form of STAB priority which can be used to hit Sharpedo shiftry for mad damage. I have opted for the Jolly nature on Hitmonlee over adamant because Hitmonlee will be able to outspeed Adamant/Modest base 95 pokemon such as drapion, but also outspeeds them pesky base 90 pokemon Meloetta and Moltres if they choose a non speed boosting nature. It also guarentees that non-scarf Rotom Mow cannot outspeed Hitmonlee so i think it is pretty beneficial, and besides mach punch still OHKO's Sharpedo and does a solid 76%-90% to shiftry.

Delphox @Kasib Berry
Trait: Blaze
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Nature: Timid
~ Fire Blast
~ Psyshock
~ Grass Knot
~ Flamethrower
​

The Fire Goddess Delphox is a very important member to the team, not only can it hit poison types with super effect psyshock damage but can also bait in doublade and destroy it with a flamethrower/fire blast. Kasib berry is the main vocal point on this set, it acts as a choice item bluff throughout the game, but it enables delphox to eat up a super effect ghost type attack and retaliate back. You may be wondering why i have chosen Blaze over magician if i have a item that can be burnt up, simply because not in every game you will be faced with a ghost type attack, but also if i can take a hit from a ghost type attack and be put into blaze range, i can retaliate with a powerful fire type attack so i consider it to be more beneficial.

Kasib Berry Calcs

252+ Atk Doublade Shadow Sneak vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Kasib Berry Delphox: 84-100 (28.7 - 34.2%)
+2 252+ Atk Doublade Shadow Sneak vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Kasib Berry Delphox: 168-198 (57.5 - 67.8%)
252+ SpA Choice Specs Meloetta Shadow Ball vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Kasib Berry Delphox: 142-168 (48.6 - 57.5%)
252+ Atk Gallade Shadow Sneak vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Kasib Berry Delphox: 62-73 (21.2 - 25%)
+2 252+ Atk Gallade Shadow Sneak vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Kasib Berry Delphox: 122-144 (41.7 - 49.3%)

The moveset i have given to Delphox enables it to utilize its 2 STABs effectively and grass knot proves good coverage for rhyperior, gastrodon, and the big love fish Alomomola. Delphox has an awkward speed stat of 104, which makes it good agaisnt base 100's but makes it fall to to the speed of Virizion, cobalion and Heliolisk, but Timid nature is probably best to run with delphox to outspeed or atleast speed tie with other delphox, but also outspeed modest/adamant heliolisk, virizion and cobalion which can be found sometimes.

Eelektross @Assault Vest
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 240 HP / 252 SpA / 16 Spe
Nature: Modest
~ Volt Switch
~ Acid Spray
~ Giga Drain
~ Flamethrower
​

The final member is Eelektross, this pokemon and its amazing coverage really molds the team together and completes it nicely, its Levitate ability helps combat the slight ground weakness, and the AV allows it to handle bulky waters that the team can struggle against early game. You may notice that i have chosen not to include the powerful thunderbolt STAB, but have put acid spray in favour of it, this set gives Eelektross the best coverage and it stops Aromatisse from being a switch in because of Acid Sprays effect of giving a 100% -2 Special defense drop (which is insane), Volt switch is there for the slow switch advantage in an attempt to give me the momentum in the game, Giga drain is there for ground types and pokemon 4x weak to grass, and flamethrower helps handle the steel types and can hit grass types such as Amoonguss and Tangrowth for really good damage. I have 16 speed invested because Eelektross speed ties with Tangrowth, which i cannot have so that little speed creep helps handle that.

Raw Team for Import

Durant @ Life Orb
Ability: Hustle
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Hone Claws
- Iron Head
- X-Scissor
- Stone Edge

Rhyperior @ Leftovers
Ability: Solid Rock
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Roar
- Rock Blast

Michelle (Aromatisse) @ Leftovers
Ability: Aroma Veil
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Wish
- Protect
- Aromatherapy
- Moonblast

Hitmonlee (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Reckless
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- High Jump Kick
- Rapid Spin
- Knock Off
- Mach Punch

Delphox @ Kasib Berry
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Psyshock
- Grass Knot
- Flamethrower

Eelektross @ Assault Vest
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 240 HP / 252 SpA / 16 Spe
Modest Nature
- Volt Switch
- Acid Spray
- Giga Drain
- Flamethrower

Hope you guys have fun with the team :]]

 

[Molk]

Hi JohnOrigins! pretty decent team you have here, however there are definitely some ways to improve it.

First off, Durant's set is kinda suboptimal at the moment and i think a few changes to it could really help the team as a whole out. You currently have no coverage to hit Steel-types such as Registeel and Cobalion with at all and Stone Edge on a Pokemon with Hustle is a recipe for disaster (even if you don't change Durant's set entirely, i'd at least change Stone Edge for Rock Slide, which grants the same KO against Moltres without the horrible accuracy, Golbat kinda loses to Durant regardless and i'd at want to at least hit my targets in the first place). Therefore, i suggest changing your Durant set to the one below.

Durant @ Life Orb
Ability: Hustle
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Hone Claws
- Iron Head
- Crunch
- Superpower

This set grants Durant with completely perfect neutral coverage all around. Many of the targets X-Scissor would be hitting (Slowking, Cress, Reuniclus, stuff like that) are hit super effectively be Crunch regardless, and on top of that it gives you a reliable way to hit both Jellicent and Doublade, who both give you trouble otherwise (the latter completely walls you), so you don't really lose out on much by not running Scissor, especially considering you have multiple ways to take out Tangrowth if need be. While Superpower easily muscles past the Steel-types such as Registeel and Cobalion who outright walled your old set. Crunch also outright OHKOs Moltres after Stealth Rock, and +1 Life Orb Crunch still does 75-90% to Moltres without Stealth Rock up, meaning all that's needed is a little bit of prior damage to get past it, making Stone Edge uneeded for the most part and it'll miss anyway. Something else to consider is trying a Lum Berry on Durant, although this isn't really needed and reduces Durant's power a bit, it makes sure Durant's sweep can't be stopped by pesky status, making it an interesting option.

Secondly, i'd probably mess around with Rhyperior's EV spread a bit. Rhyperior's physical bulk is already incredible in conjunction with Solid Rock (it can still survive +2 Cobalion's Close Combat without all the Defense investment lol), and investing into that even more is just overkill when you consider it could be invested somewhere else to excellent effect. Personally my favorite spread is 252 HP / 16 Attack / 216 Special Defense / 24 Speed with an Adamant Nature. This reaches a jump point in Attack while also increasing Rhyperior's ability to take special hits significantly, making it much better against things such as Moltres and Meloetta (it can actually take a Life Orb HP Grass from the former with some HP to spare with this spread). The 24 Speed evs just let you Speed creep Doublade a little bit, letting you EQ it before it Iron Heads while at least having a chance to surve a +2 Iron Head+Shadow Sneak combo from full HP.

Honestly i don't really think Kasib Berry Delphox is needed on this team :x, at least if you go through with implementing the changes i suggested. Between Rhyperior's new EV spread and Eelektross's good bulk+access to Flamethrower you should be fine against Doublade, especially since with Crunch Durant it can only really set up safely on Aromatisse now. I'd consider trying out a Calm Mind set on Delphox with these changes, Calm Mind Delphox is an incredibly threatening Pokemon in general, the ability to boost and the fact that it can hold Life Orb instead of a Kasib Berry mean that it hits a lot harder, and it gives you another great way to threaten/punish defensive teams in conjunction with Durant.

Some other things you could play around with include Physically Defensive Aromatisse and Thunderbolt Eelektross. running a physically defensive spread on Aromatisse gives you a significantly better switch in to Hitmonlee in particular (which can pretty much get a free KO every time it gets in at the moment, specially defensive Aromatisse takes like 65% from High Jump Kick while Physically defensive Aromatisse avoids the 2HKO), and helps out a bit against Physical Sharpedo (another mon that gets a free kill if it gets in on like Rhyperior) and Virizion too, among others. Many of the Pokemon that Specially Defensive Aromatisse would be taking on can be checked by Eelektross regardless, but not all.

I know you said that you added Acid Spray for a reason, but i feel really really uncomfortable when using a Pokemon without a STAB move that doesn't force it out personally. On top of this i don't really think Eelektross needs a way to outright break through Aromatisse, simply forcing it to switch in, doing chip damage with Volt Switch, and bringing in either Durant or (Calm Mind) Delphox to get a free attack or boost off is more than enough to pressure Aroma into a corner, especially if Stealth Rock is up on their side of the field.

Hope i helped!