Ol’ Ironsides
peaked at 1753
peaked at 1753
So an Alien fell into earth with hopes of ruining our ever so valued OU metagame with layers upon layers of spiky garbage for our most valued land dwelling creatures to step on. Little did this Alien know, the OU metagame was already littered with this sharp trash by none other than a BURD! As everyone knows after trickroom’s prestigious RMT, birds are far superior to land creatures and aliens are no exceptions to this. Deoxys wishes it was a descendent of the mighty Archeops but alas he is not. Skarmory is and just so happens to do everything Deoxys in its defensive forme can do but in a much more bird like fashion. Whats this though, it looks like the alien is being suspected for a ban from the OverUsed tier, but due to his the glare coming off of his metal feathers, Skarmory escaped the suspect crew’s view and continues to elude them despite being superior in every way to his alien foe. In order to protect himself from the suspect team further though, Skarmory assembled a team of land creatures with fellow bird Latias as second in command, and to this day they are terrorizing the OU Suspect ladder.
Now iampie and I have been out of the loop for awhile when it comes to XY OU. We got thrown back into the mess because of the Suspect testing of Deoxys-D and S so we wanted to make a team that spikestacked like Deo-D teams but without the deo. We decided to make a stallish spike stacking team with Skarmory.
And with no further ado, iampie and WreckDra (obv PieDra) present: Old Ironsides and his squad!
Ok so we wanted to build a stall team using Skarmory to lay down a bunch of spiky garbage for the opposing teams to step on. Spikes are just great at whittling down the opposing team. This could also fit many other roles such as checking many physical threats in the meta.
Since WreckDra suggested using Sand Stall in the Ubers chat, where we usually hang out, a defensive core that really stood out to us was VenuTran as it checked many, many threats in the meta as well as working very well with Skarmory. Heatran was also able to lay down Stealth Rock in order to put the opposing team into even more pain in their feet. We also saw with that these mon’s defensive typing, they were able to force many switches, further racking up spikes damage.
So far we are very weak to EQ Mega Charizard X as well as greninja, we also lacked the offensive presence in order to break through other walls. We also lacked Priority so far which was a huge issue. For this role we decided to use Azumarill in order to break through those pesky walls which are generally very hard to break through for stall teams and also check MegaZard X and Greninja at the same time.
Now we wanted a scarf user. We chose Tyranitar for this position because with a Choice scarf, it could be a useful revenge killer for the team as well as picking off frail things with pursuit (gengar, latis, starmie, etc.) it could also surprise fast threats like thundurus with a stone edge thinking they are faster and they just get outsped. This also gave sand to the team which kind of Screws up Venusaur’s Synthesis but adds to the residual damage Spike Stacking notion of the team because Sand damage can be really clutch at times.
Ok now we are down to our last mon. So far we lacked defog (even though we have a skarmory :P), a lando check, and a good Keldeo check. The choice was pretty clear to us, we wanted a latias, now the reason we used this over Latios, which wields more offensive presence was because we wanted a better check to Landorus and Latias has more special defense. Healing Wish is also nice for healing up a very important defensive member of the team that is getting low if Latias is useless in that game.
Since WreckDra suggested using Sand Stall in the Ubers chat, where we usually hang out, a defensive core that really stood out to us was VenuTran as it checked many, many threats in the meta as well as working very well with Skarmory. Heatran was also able to lay down Stealth Rock in order to put the opposing team into even more pain in their feet. We also saw with that these mon’s defensive typing, they were able to force many switches, further racking up spikes damage.
So far we are very weak to EQ Mega Charizard X as well as greninja, we also lacked the offensive presence in order to break through other walls. We also lacked Priority so far which was a huge issue. For this role we decided to use Azumarill in order to break through those pesky walls which are generally very hard to break through for stall teams and also check MegaZard X and Greninja at the same time.
Now we wanted a scarf user. We chose Tyranitar for this position because with a Choice scarf, it could be a useful revenge killer for the team as well as picking off frail things with pursuit (gengar, latis, starmie, etc.) it could also surprise fast threats like thundurus with a stone edge thinking they are faster and they just get outsped. This also gave sand to the team which kind of Screws up Venusaur’s Synthesis but adds to the residual damage Spike Stacking notion of the team because Sand damage can be really clutch at times.
Ok now we are down to our last mon. So far we lacked defog (even though we have a skarmory :P), a lando check, and a good Keldeo check. The choice was pretty clear to us, we wanted a latias, now the reason we used this over Latios, which wields more offensive presence was because we wanted a better check to Landorus and Latias has more special defense. Healing Wish is also nice for healing up a very important defensive member of the team that is getting low if Latias is useless in that game.
Team Preview:
Team In-Depth:
Skarmory (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 212 HP / 194 Def / 104 Spd
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Taunt
- Spikes
- Counter / Whirlwind
- Roost
Skarm is the teams main hazard support and boy do those Spikes hurt. Unlike the Deoxys formes, Skarmory will be able to set up Spikes multiple time per game which is nice considering how many offensive Defog users there are that have survivability issues i.e. the Eon
Set Explaination:
For this team we wanted to use a Spikes Skarmory to wear the opposing team down because Skarm finds many opportunities to set up Spikes. Obligatory roost is obligatory. For our other two moveslots we decided to use Taunt+Counter to stop setup sweepers like Pinsir without breaking a sweat, you could also use Whirlwind over Taunt in order to phaze things out and get Spikes Damage on them.
EVs are to get a good HP number for Leftovers and Sturdy and to outspeed Mega-Venusaur EVed to outspeed Adamant Azumarill and Mawile and Taunt it as well as Mandibuzz. Rest is put into defense to be as bulky as possible.
Heatran (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 248 HP / 200 SDef / 60 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Lava Plume
- Roar
- Will-O-Wisp / Toxic
- Stealth Rock
(Changes suggested by aim)
Heatran, despite being a land creature, has won the friendship of Skarmory. Skarmory has close connections with the King of Avians, Ho-oh, who is unfortunately unable to be used in OU. :[. She has the job of setting the sharp floaty pebbles that stab into the feet and wings of those who float above our Spikes, especially overconfident Robins who think they are hot stuff. Unfortunately, she has a stomach issue that constantly forces lava into her esophagus. She can use here disposition to throw up molten rock into the face of stupid bugs, flammable plants, and metal monsters who think they can take her heat. Anything else that does not share her fiery side may also be left with a monstrous 3rd degree burn. The fumes she releases from deep inside her will also poison any creature without organs of steel or an already poisonous heart making her great for wearing down wicked buzzards and other obese creatures. She has also developed a mighty Roar from dealing with too many ungrateful friends. This skill is also used to mess up posses of creatures that practice the art of dancing with swords and calming their minds as well as plotting nasty things to do against our team while also rudely interrupting unsuspecting Baton races. She is a massive team player and Skarmory is lucky to have such an adept land dweller on his side even though she is not a bird.
Set Explaination:
We decided to use Specially Defensive Heatran as the first part of our VenuTran core as that is able to check many things. Lava Plume and Stealth Rock are obvious choices of moves because we don’t have another SR setter and Lava Plume is obligatory STAB. We chose to use Roar because this is a SpikeStacking team and it can rack up a lot of damage and can be useful in clutch situations. In the last slot you can either use Earth Power in order to take out opposing Heatran which can really be a pain in the neck to take out, or you can use Toxic to put some big walls on a timer as well as being a good spammable because nothing appriciates Toxic that wants to switch into Heatran.
The spread is to make sure you outspeed opposing Heatran and Earth Power them before they can do anything while still being as specially defensive as possible.
Azumarill (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Huge Power
EVs: 164 HP / 252 Atk / 92 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Waterfall
- Aqua Jet
- Play Rough
- Knock Off
Azumarill knows nothing more than how to kick ass and sip drinks at the same time. He is one of the strongest land creatures to walk the earth and that is why Skarmory has made him a close friend. His primary profession involves murdering dancing alcoholic dragons that spit a beer fueled blue flame and have Tough Claws. He has what it takes to Play Rough with these fiends and send them into their hangover the next morning. He is a seasoned slayer of evil and does not give a damn about black hearted dinosaurs or little catdogs (umbreon) of evil or even the mighty Dragons with multiple layers of armored scales. Kicking frog ass is his personal favorite pastime. Unfortunately, he needs a job for him to pay for the copious amounts of water and alcohol he drinks so when he isn’t kicking actual ass, he is cheering his teammates on in a drunk fashion. He is a fearless firefighter who not only douses flames but has made it a habit to completely dest any fiery creature that stands in the way of his mighty Waterfall. Despite his beer belly, he is actually quite quick with a jet of water flying right into the face of his enemies, enabling it to revenge kill those who dare hurt his mighty bird friends.
Set Explaination:
Azumarill was our much needed check to MegaZard X as well as Greninja, although it doesn’t appreciate an HP Grass on the switch. We chose to use CB over A.Vest because this has no trouble muscling through walls and destroying teams. Waterfall lets Azumarill break through Steel types like Mega-Mawile, while being a reliable STAB move and hitting most things hard.Aqua Jet is the only priority on this team and has useful revenge killing capabilities which can really come in handy vs. things like Landorus. Play Rough is an absolute nuke and can really be spammed as nothing really wants to take one and offensive teams absolutely despise this. Knock Off in order to trouble opposing Aegislash which this team has some troubles with.
EVs are to outspeed support Sylveon and Tyranitar without speed EVs, while the rest goes into bulk and Attack to muscle through defensive teams.
Tyranitar (F) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Superpower / Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Ice Punch / Crunch
- Pursuit
Tyranitar ruined Skarmory’s property by toppling a scenic mountain near his roost. After a 7 year long feud, they finally put their differences aside. Now she has proven herself to be a very adept land creature when equipped with her fashionable Choice Scarf letting her be able to move her fat body at incredible speeds, catching many fast threats like the genies and Mega-Pinsir. In fact, Mrs.T is able to move so fast that she is able to catch opposing Pokemon on their way back to their trainer and is able to dispose of things like Gengar rather easily. Skarmory is one of the few birds that dare face Mrs. T down in fact due to the heavy stones she tosses at speeds that would break any normal bird’s wings. As Skarmory witnessed on the day they met, she also has ridiculous Superpowers that allow her to destroy any kind of terrain, obliterate other dinosaurs, smash stupid pink blobs, demon possesed chess pieces, and exterminate moles. Alternatively she can redirect this enormous power towards the ground to cause a thunderous quake warding off any possessed medieval weaponry that want to face her down. Her jaws have exorcismal properties in that they drive ghosts from this world with a single Crunch. Biting psychos and aliens is also a fun pastime of hers and they always seem to be brought to their knees because of power behind such a snap. Skarmory doesn’t tell her this, but Tyranitar is a bit on the heavy side, and there for kicks up a stupid amount of sand and dust wherever she walks. This sandstorm she creates gets in the eyes and wounds of opposing pokemon, weakening them for here and the rest of the crew. Although Tyranitar is a dinosaur, Skarmory is very happy to have a creature like her as a friend.
Set Explaination:
So Tyranitar is a massive role compressor. She Functions as a back up special tank, revenge killer, bird spam check, Thundurus check, and is a massive pain for Hyper Offense overall. Superpower and Earthquake are variable since one OHKOes Bisharp and the other hits Electric-types that the team has a weakness to. Crunch was to hit the common Deoxys-D lead but since the suspect test banned Deoxys as a whole, we can now forego Crunch for better coverage in Ice Punch which also allows her to revenge kill Landorus and is her best option vs Gliscor, Dragonite, and Garchomp. Ice Punch is far weaker than Crunch though, so Crunch can still be used if you prefer a reliable STAB move. Stone Edge allows here to check the infamous Bird Spam core as well as Thundurus, a weakened Kyurem-B, and is a strong, good coverage STAB move overall. Pursuit is for the Eon Twins and to weaken anything Tyranitar is checking as they try and switch out. It has very good utility on this team and should never be replaced.
The EVs are standard for a physically biased Choice Scarf user in order to maximise TTar’s revenge killing potential and make sure her moves aren’t weak either.
Venusaur (M) @ Venusaurite
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 248 HP / 236 Def / 24 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Synthesis
- Leech Seed/ Hidden Power [Fire]
So Mega Venusaur started out as a bird food experiment gone wrong. Professor Noctowl was surprised to see the pile of mutated bird seed he had left to grow overnight had sprouted legs as well as leaves, smashed a hole in the lab wall, stole a radioactive rock, and wandered off into the world. Venusaur is a decent fellow for a land dweller until his radioactive rock takes full control of him. Skarmory found him after he terrorized a small village due to this stone and there the two became good friends. The stone that transforms Venusaur turns his back into an overgrown mess and makes him much more obese. His newly found blubber makes it so he can survive both extreme heat and cold. He also came out of the lab with a venom drenched heart that can scare fairies and other plants from a mile away. In his uncontrollable rage he will either cover his enemies with vampiric seeds, or jab his roots into his opponents faces and begin draining them of their vital nutrients. Both of these abilities make him especially good at murdering silly water bunnies, overgrown mudfish, pwnys, hippos and more. The explosive toxins that his heart creates will usually ball up in his throat, forcing him to cough it up at something, or in this case silly little creatures that believe they are fairies. Although Skarmory likes Venusaur as a creature, he loves him when he is under the effects of radioactive power.
Set Explaination:
So Venusaur was a tricky member to fit because of TTar’s poor synergy with Synthesis. This pretty much forced us to use Leech Seed for emergency recovery should Venusaur need it. Otherwise, the set is pretty straight forward. Giga Drain is to take care of anything weak to it and to give Venusaur recovery enough to hard check Mega Gyarados when at full health. Sludge Bomb, as mentioned above, is for Fairy- and Grass-types and is just powerful STAB in general. Synthesis is mandatory recovery although it has very poor synergy with Tyranitar unfortunately. Venusaur also completes the Venu-tran core.
The EVs are to Outrun other Venusaur as well as outpacing Mawile and Azumarill while the rest are thrown into physical bulk. Venusaur is a pretty straight forward member of the team.
Latias (F) @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 78 HP / 188 SAtk / 244 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 1 Atk / 30 Def / 30 SAtk / 30 SDef / 30 Spe
- Draco Meteor
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
- Healing Wish
- Defog
(Changes by Subject 18)
Latias has been close friends to all birds ever since Ho-Oh decreed that both she and her brother were to be birds. Skarmory is one of her closer friends and when she heard that he was constantly trying to elude the eye of the suspect crew, she did not hesitate to join his crew. Skarmory was glad to have here on the crew due to her terrifying ability to summon meteors from the depths of space to crush her opposition. She also has an absurdly strong mind that she uses to permanently rustle the jimmies of any creature who dare try to make a fool of her. Her powerful wings keeps Spikey trash from stabbing the land dwellers in skarmory’s posse. She keeps her feathers in top shape in order to stomach waves of sewage that come from a cloud riding, marshmallow headed genie and fiery dragon like monsters that reside high in the sky. When her magical orb that sucks life has weakened her, Latias performs a ritual in wishing one of her teammates the moral to fight at their full capacity again. Although she could give herself the ability to survive 1 more turn from her magical orb, she chooses not to since she knows Skarmory needs her at full attacking power. Skarmory is always happy to have such a potent yet beautiful bird on his crew.
Set Explaination:
The moves are all pretty straight forward with Draco Meteor being for raw power, Psyshock working very well with Spikes vs stall while also being our move to hit opposing Mega Venusaur, Conkeldurr, Amoonguss ect (see threat list). Healing Wish is to give another team member a second chance assuming we mess up somewhere along the way.
We decided to max out Latias’s Special Attack instead of using the standard Life Orb number set just because she is the only Pokemon on the team that can hit relatively hard from the Special Attacking side. Landorus-I makes balance like our team a borderline unviable playstyle which is unfortunate. She is one of our very important checks to Rock Polish Landorus-I along with Azumarill which is as good as you’re going to get on balance in terms of safety vs the genie.
Conclusion:
So using the team is a lot of fun and we were very surprised that it worked so well seeing it was the first OU team either of us had built in a while. I personally didn't care enough to make requirements for the suspect ladder, but pie managed and ended up peaking pretty darn high with it. I myself had some played some games vs Level 56 Malefic and some very notable others that really showed the teams strength (I will edit in replays later if I can find them) so we both thought we would share it after the suspect ladder subsided.
Have Fun with the team and don't forget to rate it :)
Tyranitar @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 Def
Jolly Nature
- Crunch
- Superpower
- Stone Edge
- Pursuit
Venusaur @ Venusaurite
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 236 Def / 248 HP / 20 Spd
Bold Nature
- Synthesis
- Leech Seed
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 40 Spd / 248 HP / 220 SDef
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Lava Plume
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic
- Roar
Skarmory @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 248 HP / 176 Def / 84 Spd
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Taunt
- Spikes
- Counter
- Roost
Azumarill @ Choice Band
Ability: Huge Power
EVs: 252 Atk / 224 HP / 32 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Aqua Jet
- Play Rough
- Knock Off
- Waterfall
Latias (F) @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Psyshock
- Healing Wish
- Defog
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 Def
Jolly Nature
- Crunch
- Superpower
- Stone Edge
- Pursuit
Venusaur @ Venusaurite
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 236 Def / 248 HP / 20 Spd
Bold Nature
- Synthesis
- Leech Seed
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 40 Spd / 248 HP / 220 SDef
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Lava Plume
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic
- Roar
Skarmory @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 248 HP / 176 Def / 84 Spd
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Taunt
- Spikes
- Counter
- Roost
Azumarill @ Choice Band
Ability: Huge Power
EVs: 252 Atk / 224 HP / 32 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Aqua Jet
- Play Rough
- Knock Off
- Waterfall
Latias (F) @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Psyshock
- Healing Wish
- Defog
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