--Life in Color--
I do my best
To find some kind of glow
I'm givin' it some heart and soul, now
From the darkest grays
The sun bursts, clouds break
Personally, I wanted to have some fun playing the team as opposed to blindly aiming for just success, so I decided to use some Pokemon I felt were fun to play with. Lead Thundurus-I was one of them; I liked its speed, power, and ability to cripple threats with Thunder Wave without sacrificing any offensive power at all. Aegislash was another thing I wanted to toy with, as its ability, Stance Change, seemed very interesting. The rest was again fairly standard; Nasty Plot Mega Lucario is my setup sweeper of choice, and if you've read any of my previous RMTs, it's my teambuilding philosophy that all teams need a Steel-type setup sweeper. Mega Luc was perfect for the team, adding even more speed, powerful, and type coverage. Defog Latias came next, whisking away hazards and providing a specially bulky Fighting-type check. Rotom-W and Landorus finished off the team with some VoltTurn to pair with Thundurus-I, and while I admit it's not too manly to use VoltTurn, it's quite difficult to build balance without it. To throw in a twist, I used Scarf Rotom, not enough for revenging capabilities but also because I enjoy Tricking choice items onto walls and them setting up on them.
Playing with this team is relatively easy since it features Pokemon and sets that most people are very comfortable with. Thundurus-I is the lead, checking other leads like Genesect, Lead Mega Char Y, and Deo-S. Its Thunder Wave and Volt Switch make it an effective anti-lead. Then, for the beginning of the match, Lando-T and Rotom-W work hard to wear down opponents, with Aegislash popping in occasionally to KO things with Shadow Sneak. Keeping hazards off with Latias is key, so it's best to conserve her until the threat of Stealth Rock is safely removed. Finally, Mega Luc and Aegislash clean up with their strong attacks, with Latias and Thundurus warding off opposing setup sweepers. It's fairly simple to use and very effective.
I present to you, Life in Color
Yeah, we see that fire
From the streets of Babylon
To the road that we've been on now
The kaleidoscope claims another
Thundurus (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 HP
Timid Nature
- Thunder Wave
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Thunderbolt
Thundurus-I was the first Pokemon I put on the team, and while the team isn't centered around it necessarily, it provides a lot of key offensive support, checks important opponents, and keeps offensive momentum while providing a sponge against set up sweepers. Everything about Thundurus-I is really important and tailor made to benefit the team. Electric-type is so terrific defensively this generation, purely because Flying-types and Flying-type attacks are literally everywhere, letting Thundurus check a variety of threats, particularly Talonflame, Tornadus-T, and Mega Pinsir. Its natural Speed and power are also extremely useful, and its powerful Thunderbolt easily cleans off Bulky Water-types like Tentacruel to pave the way for Lucario sweep. Prankster Thunder Wave is another trick that landed its guaranteed spot on the team, letting me put an abrupt stop to almost any setup sweeper by crippling them and using something else to take them down. Because of Thundurus's offensive pressure, this team doesn't find it very difficult to take down hyper offensive teams.
In terms of usage, Thundurus-I is usually my lead. As I covered above, Prankster Thunder Wave and VoltTurn are extremely useful in crippling opponents and grabbing me momentum early on. Max Spe lets me beat the 110 tier, an important and common speed tier to be able to outpace naturally. Thunderbolt and Hidden Power Ice provide perfect coverage, hitting everything neutrally, though the buff to HP Ice proves quite annoying at times when it comes to wallbreaking or cleaning, so it's usually not used for that job. Volt Switch lets me maintain momentum, though I am currently testing Focus Blast at the suggestion of MCBarrett, who is super cool btw. Leftovers provide Thundurus-I with longevity, which is more important than power in my opinion, as Life Orb Thundurus-I gets worn down quite quickly. I have also been trying out Expert Belt with Focus Blast as a wallbreaking set, at the cost of pivoting and longevity. Thundurus-I is a Pokemon that I often need throughout entire matches because of its crippling role later in the match, so lefties is the best option to keep it and the team together.
Synergy: I rarely use Thundurus to tank even powerful neutral hits, as it has the least amount of natural bulk in this team. However, its typing is key in helping it check things such as Mega Pinsir or Talonflame. Mostly, it finds opportunities to come in against baited Ground-type of Fighting-type attacks. Its Rock weakness is taken care of by the team's steel-types, while its Ice weakness is taken care of by Rotom and the steel-types.
Whoa oh oh oh
Well this is life in color (color)
Today feels like no other (other)
And the darkest grays
The sun bursts, clouds break
Lucario @ Lucarionite
Ability: Justified
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Aura Sphere
- Dark Pulse
- Flash Cannon
I'm not even going to sugarcoat it- Mega Lucario is just so broken. Outpacing most of the tier and hitting like a truck even without boosts due to Adaptability, Special Lucario is not something that can be walled. Thankfully, this team sides with it instead of fighting against it, and it has provided a centerpoint for the team as well as a major win factor. Its natural bulk and more than just usable offensive stats along with Nasty Plot as a boosting attack makes Lucario an extremely efficient sweeper (and one that I love using because Nasty Plot is literally the funnest setup move.) After even just one Nasty Plot, it OHKOs more than just most the tier, and is almost impossible to stop with just plain bulk. Most Mega Luc carry priority Vacuum Wave, but for this team, powerful coverage is a lot more important because wallbreaking is 100% required. Aura Sphere, Dark Pulse, and Flash Cannon provide Lucario with perfect coverage and three separate possible angles to attack each opposing foe, almost guaranteeing a strike at a weak point. It's incredibly difficult to stop this thing and I've frequently met teams that can simply just be 6-0'd by this dangerous beast.
Using Lucario on this team is quite simple. VoltTurn gives it many opportunities to switch in, and from there it can fire off a powerful attack or set up. Rotom-W is Lucario's best partner when it comes to set up opportunity, as Trick + Volt Switch gives Lucario tons of chances to set up. Aura Sphere hits like an absolute truck, 2HKOing everything that doesn't resist it (literally) Flash Cannon is powerful as well, blasting away pesky Fairy-types, Bug-types, and Flying-types, and hitting Mega Venusaur for massive amounts of damage (at +2, it can KO slightly weakened Venusaur) Having Flash Cannon often lets Lucario one-up its common walls that thing they can beat it. Finally, Dark Pulse is here simply to hit Poison-types that resist Flash Cannon (Tentacruel) and Aegislash, since other Psychic-types and Ghost-types are hit just as hard by Flash Cannon. It also has a nice flinch chance, which makes it more desirable than Shadow Ball.
Synergy: Lucario is usually the one to sponge Rock, Steel, Dark, and Ice type attacks because its Fighting-type STAB can force them out or OHKO them. It has a bit of natural bulk, so I sometimes take a risk and set up against defensive walls. Lucarios weaknesses are easy to avoid; Rotom and Latias can sponge fire while Landorus beats Fighting / Ground.
Whoa oh oh oh
Well this is life in motion (motion)
And just when I could run this race no more
The sun bursts, clouds break
This is life in color
Aegislash @ Leftovers
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 SAtk
Quiet Nature
- Iron Head
- King's Shield
- Shadow Sneak
- Shadow Ball
Aegislash is one of the most powerful Gen 6 introductions, with its ability giving it an effective 60 / 150 / 150 / 150 / 150 / 60 spread. With mixed power and solid bulk, Aegislash performs multiple roles for the team. Its powerful priority Shadow Sneak helps shred off the last one third health weakened opponents have, and its King's Shield makes it an effective physical cockblock. Priority is a must on almost all teams and this team in particular really requires the quick killing that Shadow Sneak provides. Shadow Ball is so immensely powerful backed by max+ SpA and a 150 base SpA stat, and with only Dark and Normal resisting the move, can hit many teams for neutral and a lot of damage. Its typing also helps greatly when checking many offensive physical opponents, such as Choice locked Talonflame, Conkeldurr, Mega Pinsir, and Mega Heracross. Ghost / Steel is so awesome defensively and offensively, and Aegislash's ability and stats help it take advantage of those traits to help the team to the fullest.
Aegislash requires more prediction at some key situations, but mostly its job is just to spam Shadow Ball until things are weak enough for Shadow Sneak to KO. The EVs maximize its offensive potential, letting its powerful Shadow Ball cut through anything that lacks special defensive investment. No defensive investments are really needed because its defensive state is naturally extremely bulky. Leftovers provide Aegislash with the maximum amount of longevity, as helping it tank hits and dish them out easily in return. Having an offensively inclined Protect-ing Pokemon is also really useful when I want to scout out sets and eases with prediction. King's Shield also serves as a great way to check contact sweepers like Shift Gear Genesect, though prediction is needed as King's Shield is predictable and other opponents can easily set up against it. Still, Aegislash is a great team player and can often take down or weaken multiple threats.
Synergy: Aegislash's typing provides much necessary defensive coverage against a multitude of type combinations. A resistance to Bug, Steel, Ice, Rock, Grass, Psychic, Flying, Dragon, and Fairy as well as an immunity to Fighting, Normal, and Poison make Aegislash my number one defensive counter to a lot of powerful offensive threats. It can easily check Genesect, which is a pretty big threat as Rotom-W can't afford to play defensive, and its resistance to common priority make it a great sweeper - stopper. Its own weaknesses are covered by Latias and Lucario, the former of which absorbs Fire and Ground and the latter which beats down Dark. Unfortunately, the team lacks Ghost-type resistance, but it still does relatively fine as Ghost-type Pokemon can not easily switch into Aegislash due to its powerful Shadow Sneak.
You've seen my worst
Yet you see some hope in me
The black and white sets us free
Like the queen to the rook
Your decision is a sure thing
Honey yeah, a sure thing
Latias (F) @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Roost
- Dragon Pulse
- Psyshock
- Defog
Latias has always been a team staple in both BW and XY because of its impressive stats and great typing. Its Speed, power, and special bulk along with resistances greatly increase its longevity and tanking ability. On this team, Latias takes more of a support role and special sponge, working together with Rotom-W to tank special attacks aimed at Landorus and the Steel-types. Although it lacks any HP or Def investment whatsoever and barely any SpDef investment, Latias is still quite bulky, and can easily sponge Timid Mega CharY's Fire Blast in the Sun and reply with a powerful LO Dragon Pulse. Although Latias's SpA isn't high; Life Orb provides all the power it needs, helping it force switches and weaken opponents to prepare for Luc / Aeg cleanup. Latias's most important role is Defog, which removes Stealth Rock and helps keep Thundurus and VoltTurn alive. Most people don't bother keeping their Taunt leads for as long as Latias can last, making it an effective hazard remover. Latias is also a weather check, what with Swift Swim sweepers and sun being better than ever, even despite the weather nerf.
Being that Latias's main job is to simply Defog and hit some things, it's not too difficult to play with. Its bulk and resistances give it plenty of opportunities to come in, and its powerful LO Dragon Pulse hits a variety of things hard. Roost helps keep Latias around for long amounts of time, which is important since it needs to stay up longer than Stealth Rock. Roost also helps Latias tackle more durable special attackers, making up for the lack of outstanding bulk coming from the other special sponge, Rotom-W. LO Psyshock is really fun, too, KOing AV Conk, something people think can stay in and defeat Latias 1 v 1. Psyshock also beats down Poison-types that Lucario doesn't really enjoy. In general, Latias provides the team with decent speed, power, and special bulk. It's the team's answer to Rotom-W and bulky water-types, and is a great asset to the team, even though its job is not always too necessary.
Synergy: Latias's plethora of resistances and few weaknesses make it more of an attack absorber than an attack baiter. However, its weakness to U-Turn does stand out, so proper measures have been taken to check things like Genesect and Scizor. Lucario, Thundurus, Landorus, and Aegislash all handle U-Turners quite well, and only Thundurus and Latias give Genesect an attack boost with Download, the former of which can survive an unboosted Special Attack and cripple with Thunder Wave. Like Aegislash, Latias's weaknesses are also relatively covered. Lucario's strong attacks munch on Ghost, Fairy, Ice, and Dark-types that Latias baits in, while Landorus and Aegislash wall Dragons such as Garchomp or Dragonite easily.
This is life in color
Today feels like no other
And the darkest grays
The sun bursts, cloud breaks
Rotom-Wash @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 Def
Modest Nature
- Trick
- Hydro Pump
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Everyone that I spoke with all questioned my placement of a Scarf on Rotom-W. It's very widely known that Defensive Rotom is a terrific check to many tier threats such as Lucario, Azumarill, and Talonflame, but the Scarf set can still do those things as long as it has a fair amount of health, and other members of the team (Latias, Aegislash) already to that with enough efficiency. I slapped on a Scarf simply because I wanted Rotom-W to be faster, while still keeping the same amount of power as bulky attacking Rotom-W. The team without Scarfed Rotom lacks anything faster than Mega Lucario, which is definitely not enough now that so many new threats (Greninja, Tornadus-T, Noivern) all even surpass 120 Spe. Rotom checks all of these, and much more, using its powerful Hydro Pump to blast through opposing defenses. Volt Switch is another cool tool that it has to keep momentum going and force switches. Rotom's access to Trick was another reason why I wasn't reluctant to give it a Scarf; Trick lets Rotom get rid of the scarf if extra speed isn't necessary, such as when I'm facing stall. The Scarf then becomes a tool of outwardly destruction, crippling walls that think they can switch into Rotom freely.
The fact that Scarf is now rarer on Rotom-W nets the team a lot of surprise factor, especially against things like Excadrill that typically take advantage of greater speed to come in and KO. So many times, people have switched in Excadrill 1 v 1 only to just get outsped and OHKOd next turn. The quick and powerful attacks Rotom-W also make it a great lead, especially against things that would require a bit more power to defeat, since Rotom's Hydro Pump is far more powerful than Thundurus's Thunderbolt. Rotom's Scarfed Hidden Power Ice is also key for this team, nailing +1 Adamant Dragonite and Garchomp for massive amounts of damage, OHKOing after just the slightest amount of damage. Another key point in playing with Rotom on this team is that Trick is the team's number one way to 1. cripple stall teams and 2. open up opportunities for Lucario to sweep. Many things that like to switch in against Rotom-W despise any item besides Leftovers, and with Trick and Volt Turn Rotom-W can easily lock the opponent into a harmless support move and swap in Mega Luc to set up. With the spread, Rotom-W outspeeds everything up to max+ base 135 (Mega Manectric) and still keeps maximum special attacking power. 4 EVs are put into Defense to make up for 30 IVs from HP Ice and set Genesect's Download boost to SpA.
Synergy: 1 v 1, Rotom-W beats Choice Band Genesect, and also sponges attacks from Flying-types such as Thundurus or Talonflame. As explained earlier, Electric is a fantastic defensive typing for Rotom, and with Levitate, it has nothing to fear from Ground-types; not even Excadrill, who just gets outsped and OHKOd. Rotom's sole weakness, Grass, is more than just covered by the rest of the team- all Pokemon but Landorus, who is neutral, resist Grass, so it's never a problem at all. Venusaur, the tier's top Grass-type, is easily KO'd by Latias's Psyshock or set up on by Lucario.
Whoa oh oh oh
Well this is life in motion (motion)
Just when I could run this race no more
The sun bursts, cloud breaks
This is life in color
Landorus-Therian (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Stone Edge
- U-turn
Last Generation, Landorus-T was my favorite bulky pivot to use, and that hasn't changed this generation. A useful typing, awesome ability, and impressive movepool all give it more than enough tools to do the job. With Intimidate, it gets more bulk than Gliscor, and can delegate Atk investment to hit things hard. Landorus-T is my main physical tank and Sand wall, as well as Stealth Rock setter and physical pivot in the VoltTurn core. It checks and counters many powerful attackers in the metagame, such as Terrakion / Excadrill / Garchomp / Talonflame. Together with Aegislash, I can often utilize Landorus-T to beat down EdgeQuakers by switching between the two constantly and laying down Intimidates. Most people see Landorus-T as bulk and forget that it also has massive amounts of power backing it up- the spread maxes out its base 145 Attack stat, letting it hit extremely hard with its own EdgeQuake, easily 2HKOing things like Mega Garchomp. Its necessary Stealth Rock is also extremely vital because the VoltTurn causes many switches and the Stealth Rock can cause serious indirect damage. It also keeps Flying-types in check and wards off opposing VoltTurn.
Landorus-T has a lot of bulk even with just 252 HP investment, so it will be sponging hits throughout matches. It's best to keep Landorus very active, as the more Intimidate activates, the easier it is for the rest of the team to come and help beat the opponent. U-Turn helps you do this; Landorus-T can easily bait on Steel-types like Skarmory or Ferrothorn that can be set up on by Rotom or Lucario. U-Turn hits very hard with Landorus-T's high Attack stat, and can cause a lot of damage. Earthquake is what Landorus-T uses most of the time; it OHKOs most uninvested Steel-types and gives me a quick and easy way to defeat things like Aegislash, Excadrill, Physical Mega Luc, and Bisharp. Stone Edge provides perfect coverage, hitting incoming Flying-types and Bug-types like Volcarona for a KO. This lets Landorus-T easily check Dragonite, who falls to two Stone Edges or one if Multiscale is broken. Landorus-T is vital to the team and provides it with hazards, a physical tank, and lots of versatility.
Synergy: Landorus-T doesn't have any major resistances besides Fighting and Ground, but it doesn't have any major weaknesses to attack types that I need it to handle, so type advantages usually don't play against Lando when I use it. Still, bulky Water-types are occasionally annoying, so I slapped on Rotom-W and Latias to handle them. Volt Switch from Thundurus definitely keeps them at bay as well. Ice attacks are less of a problem; Lucario and Aegi take those easily. Thankfully, Landorus doesn't have any other weaknesses, so as long as I avoid powerful Water attackers like Azumarill, I'm fine.
The team has been quite successful in some skirmish attempts on the ladder and against friends in the OU channel on PS, but I haven't put in the effort to secure a good ranking yet due to the fact that the OU ladder is borked (#1 has more losses than wins lol) Anyway, the team features a lot of standard OU powerhouses, so anything it can't beat on paper, it can certainly muscle past in the field with smart plays. Overall, it's been a great team to taste the new meta with, and is quite easy to use as well.
Thanks for reading! :)
I've done countless RMTs with shoutouts in the past and I don't feel the need to repeat the names of everyone who's been cool over the years. If you have, and I've known you for a long time, you definitely have already experienced my gratitude. This list is for people that I've met very recently and have helped me with the construction of the team.
MattL - You've been a pleasure to talk with on PS and a great room owner of the OU channel. I'm really glad to have such a smart and pleasant person to work with as a fellow PS staffer. Thanks for being awesome!
MCBarrett - We haven't talked much but I still appreciate the last minute tips you've given me for this team. They weren't massive changes by they still made a noticeable difference!
DTC - I know you're not that much into OU but I'd still like to give you a shoutout for the LC work we've done together. You've got a keen eye for detail. I hope to talk with you more in the future. :)
TCR - You're a massive noob but you're still cool :) I'm quite glad that you've finally gotten into rating and LC after being pestered by me for so long- keep up the great work and thanks for being a test dummy ;P
ZoroarkForever - It was a pleasure battling you with this team, and your teambuilding skills are quite solid. Thanks for making that awesome LC team; it's the most fun team I've ever played! Keep up the great work, man!
MattL - You've been a pleasure to talk with on PS and a great room owner of the OU channel. I'm really glad to have such a smart and pleasant person to work with as a fellow PS staffer. Thanks for being awesome!
MCBarrett - We haven't talked much but I still appreciate the last minute tips you've given me for this team. They weren't massive changes by they still made a noticeable difference!
DTC - I know you're not that much into OU but I'd still like to give you a shoutout for the LC work we've done together. You've got a keen eye for detail. I hope to talk with you more in the future. :)
TCR - You're a massive noob but you're still cool :) I'm quite glad that you've finally gotten into rating and LC after being pestered by me for so long- keep up the great work and thanks for being a test dummy ;P
ZoroarkForever - It was a pleasure battling you with this team, and your teambuilding skills are quite solid. Thanks for making that awesome LC team; it's the most fun team I've ever played! Keep up the great work, man!
Lucario @ Lucarionite
Ability: Justified
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Aura Sphere
- Dark Pulse
- Flash Cannon
Aegislash @ Leftovers
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 SAtk
Quiet Nature
- Iron Head
- King's Shield
- Shadow Sneak
- Shadow Ball
Thundurus (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 HP
Timid Nature
- Thunder Wave
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Thunderbolt
Latias (F) @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Roost
- Dragon Pulse
- Psyshock
- Defog
Rotom-Wash @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 Def
Modest Nature
- Trick
- Hydro Pump
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Landorus-Therian (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Stone Edge
- U-turn
Ability: Justified
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Aura Sphere
- Dark Pulse
- Flash Cannon
Aegislash @ Leftovers
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 SAtk
Quiet Nature
- Iron Head
- King's Shield
- Shadow Sneak
- Shadow Ball
Thundurus (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 HP
Timid Nature
- Thunder Wave
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Thunderbolt
Latias (F) @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Roost
- Dragon Pulse
- Psyshock
- Defog
Rotom-Wash @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 Def
Modest Nature
- Trick
- Hydro Pump
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Landorus-Therian (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Stone Edge
- U-turn
Last edited:
