Project ORAS OU Core Building Competition V2 (Round 30: Stalkers) Results

[Martin]

I'm torn between 2, 8 and 9, but I'll have to go with 8 and 9

 

[aki0s]

4 + 8

 

[ethanlol]

4 and 5

 

[nameless90]

Core 1
Core 7

 

[Ramses]

9 + 8

 

[Martin]

Voting closes in 25 hours (±1 hour). If you want to make a last-minute vote, make sure to get it in before then.

 

[Bendiving]

Core 4
Core 9

 

[Aragorn the King]

Core 3
Core 5

 

[Cheryl.]

Core 4
Core 5 cuz Zygarde is awesome

 

[Ramses]

I'm closing up voting a little early this week. The winner of this week is Gengar + Crawdaunt by Infernal congratulations!

Votes

Core 1: 1
Core 2: 2
Core 3: 2
Core 4: 5
Core 5: 3
Core 6:
Core 7:1
Core 8: 3
Core 9: 3
Core 10: 1

Week #6
I'm Strong Too!!!

Building Condition: Your core must include a Mega Pokemon that is ranked B+ or lower on the Viability Rankings.
For reference: Viability Rankings

SketchUp this is your time heat lord

 

[heritage]

let them in

white noise (Houndoom) @ Houndoominite
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 Def
Timid Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Fire Blast
- Dark Pulse
- Super Fang / Sludge Bomb

mirrors (Latias) @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 72 HP / 184 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Defog
- Draco Meteor
- Psyshock
- Healing Wish

smoke (Keldeo) @ Choice Specs / Choice Scarf
Ability: Justified
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Scald
- Secret Sword
- Hydro Pump
- Icy Wind

This has always been one of my favorite cores for my favorite Pokemon, and it's honestly super destructive in battle. Houndoom really struggles to make an impact in the metagame, so it's going to need just the right partners to make it work. Latias not only provides Healing Wish (meaning you can be a lot more reckless with Houndoom and send it out earlier in the game) and Defog support for the core and beat Manaphy and Garchomp, which Houndoom can struggle with, but it also loves having Houndoom's ability to check Ferrothorn, Bisharp, Scizor, Skarmory, Mega Sableye, and Gengar. Keldeo defeats the likes of Hippowdon, Tyrantitar (a big one), Landorus-T, Weavile, and Heatran, while just wearing things down in general with Scald burns so Houndoom can sweep later (Houndoom also checks Latias and Latios once Mega Evolved for Keldeo, two of its biggest offensive checks). So yeah, overall, a really solid core to be working with, just watch out for Azumarill if Houndoom doesn't have Sludge Bomb

 

[Swagata]

+

Mega Hera and Thundy

Heracross @ Heracronite
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Pin Missile
- Rock Blast
- Swords Dance

Thundurus @ Life Orb
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunder Wave
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power Ice
- Focus Blast

M-Heracross and Thundurus form a core which quite tough to wall being able to hit through most walls in OU as well as checking each others' weaknesses. Heracross can beat fat mons like M-Venu, Chansey which are a problem for Thundurus. Thundurus checks and can beat most of M-Hera's checksand counters like Talonflame, Defensive Landorus etc. Thundurus can also support with thunder wave to make up for M-Hera's low speed tier.

 

[Mega-Pokebattlerz]

+

Mega Hera and Thundy

Heracross @ Heracronite
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Pin Missile
- Rock Blast
- Swords Dance

Thundurus @ Life Orb
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunder Wave
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power Ice
- Focus Blast

M-Heracross and Thundurus form a core which quite tough to wall being able to hit through most walls in OU as well as checking each others' weaknesses. Heracross can beat fat mons like M-Venu, Chansey which are a problem for Thundurus. Thundurus checks and can beat most of M-Hera's checksand counters like Talonflame, Defensive Landorus etc. Thundurus can also support with thunder wave for make up for M-Hera's low speed tier.

I was going to post that core :(

Guess I'll be reserving a special core: Mega Blastoise + Chesnaught.

 

[aki0s]

Sets

Camerupt-Mega @ Cameruptite
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Fire Blast
- Earth Power
- Ancient Power
- Will-O-Wisp

Whimsicott @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Encore
- Trick Room
- U-turn

This is a pretty neat trick room core I sometimes use in OU. Whimsi sets TR/u-turns into camerupt & can take all attacks aimed at Camerupt. The ev's on whimsi look a bit out of place esp on trick room - but it's to ensure a slow u-turn once trick room is set up to bring Camerupt in safely. Camerupt hits hard & with its terrible speed it goes first very often in trick room. It can take most moves aimed at whimsi - esp poison moves.

Although these two cover their weaknesses very well - adding something to handle t-flame can be nice. aka; Rotom-W.

 

[Googly]

Sets

Sharpedo @ Sharpedonite
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 224 Atk / 32 SpA / 252 Spe
Naughty Nature
- Protect
- Crunch
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Fang

Gyarados @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 88 HP / 224 Atk / 196 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Bounce
- Waterfall
- Substitute

Pretty straight forward 'Water-Spam' core thing going on here. The idea behind it is pretty simple. Since Gyarados and Sharpedo both share similar checks and counters, the aim is to basically soften them up and overwhelm them. Just set up with either Gyarados or Sharpedo, do some damage, and then sweep later with the other.

 

[Cheryl.]

Sets

Sceptile-Mega @ Sceptilite
Ability: Lightning Rod
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid / Naive Nature
- Leaf Storm
- Dragon Pulse
- Focus Blast
- Hidden Power Fire / Earthquake

Rotom-W @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spe
Bold Nature
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Will-O-Wisp
- Pain Split

Jirachi @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Iron Head
- Heart Stamp / Fire Punch
- U-Turn
- Healing Wish

Cool offense core I've been testing out. Mega Sceptile is a powerful and speedy late-game cleaner that can pick apart offense teams really easily, but suffers from a few things, namely it's frailty and weakness to Talonflame, along with being weak to Scarfers and stuff like Sand Rush Excadrill. Rotom-Wash helps with Talonflame, crippling physical attackers with Will-O-Wisp so Mega Sceptile can take hits easier, and also checks Ground and Fire-types like Excadrill and Heatran. The core seemed a bit weak to Clefable, and wanted something to take out Scarfers like Kyurem-Black, so I added Scarf Jirachi to check Fairy-types and also outspeed Scarfers like the aforementioned Kyurem-Black, also has U-Turn to form a VoltTurn core with Rotom-W and Healing Wish to give a second life to the two members of the core. Something to take out Mega Venusaur if Jirachi chooses Fire Punch over Heart Stamp is needed, so something like Talonflame pairs well with the core. Overall, this is a really cool core that showcases a cool and underrated Mega in Mega Sceptile, and I hope you like it!

 

[Martin]

Sets

Tyranitar @ Shuca Berry
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spe
Relaxed Nature
- Stone Edge
- Pursuit
- Ice Beam
- Stealth Rock

Excadrill @ Life Orb
Ability: Sand Rush
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
IVs: 29 HP
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Swords Dance
- Return / Rock Slide

Garchomp @ Garchompite
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Swords Dance
- Dragon Claw / Stone Edge
- Fire Blast

Pretty self-explanitory here. Sand supports Chomp and Exca as they proceed to tear holes in shit as a setup-spam/ground-spam core (similar to SD Chomp+SD Lando-T except… sandier). Fire Blast lets Garchomp lures Skarmory and Return deals more to WashTom than Rock Slide does. Both can be swapped out for rock coverage if you so desire though. Tar PhysDef to make its matchup v.s. Lando-T as good as possible. Shuca means you don't come out of the matchup completely crippled and allows you to take it out if you're weakened. Will always put Lando into range for chomp or exca as a minimum.

 

[SketchUp]

sets

Abomasnow @ Abomasite
Ability: Soundproof
EVs: 216 HP / 40 Atk / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Blizzard
- Giga Drain
- Ice Shard
- Earthquake

Slowking @ Colbur Berry
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 240 HP / 32 Def / 236 SpA
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Nasty Plot
- Trick Room
- Scald
- Fire Blast

In my opinion this core is one of the best when using Mega Abomasnow in OU. The EV spreads are pretty standard: Mega Abomasnow uses the attack EVs to 2HKO Mega Metagross, while Slowking uses the Defense EVs to survive a Banded Hyperspace Fury from Hoopa-U. I think NP TR Slowking is a pretty underrated Slowking set in the first place. In this core it works especially good because it does not only provide Trick Room support, but it is also able to lure in Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor, especially the latter being a very problematic pokemon for Mega Abomasnow. The core has awesome type synergy: Slowking is able to take Fire-, Fighting-, and Steel-Type attacks for Abomasnow, while Abomasnow beats bulky waters, bulky grass types and offensive electric types. I used this on a team with Keldeo and Excadrill so you don't even have to build a full Trick Room team to utilise the core.

 

[Eclipse]

Reserving Mega Houndoom + Toxicroak

 

[TURBODERP]

Reserving Mega-Garchomp, Doublade, and Gastrodon

 

[Phantom Me]

Sets

Blastoise @ Blastoisinite
Ability: Rain Dish
EVs: 184 HP / 252 SpA / 72 Spe
Modest Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Scald
- Dark Pulse
- Aura Sphere
Celebi @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 148 Def / 108 Spe
Bold Nature
- Recover
- Baton Pass
- Giga Drain
- Nasty Plot

Blastoise is a great Mon to break heatran+ferrothorn core while also providing hazard removal.Azumarill and bulky Water-types tend to be an issue for this set, especially due to the former resisting every one of Blastoise's moves,so Grass types such as Celebi pair well with it,and it also appreciates blastoise's ability to switch in on weavile,talonflame and heatran.Celebi also can pass a Nasty Plot boost to Mega Blastoise, enabling it to dismantle defensive teams with ease.Not a bad core,huh?

 

[ethanlol]

Volt-Turn Core

M-Ampharos is chosen as my mega that has a ranking lower than B+. It is a viable mon, but doesn't have much versatility. It is more bulky than M-Manectric and has more resistances it. But it has three more weaknesses from Ice, Fairy, and Dragon. It's movepool is shallow and it is really slow. It's Rest-Talk set is really annoying and it's bulk makes it a very good option to annoy enemies. It's U-Turn partner is Tornadus which provides a ground resist and has really good synergy with M-Ampharos. It can switch into SpA fairy and dragon moves. Infernape rounds out the core and provides a well needed dark and ice resist. It is a Banded Wallbreaker that appreciates the free switchins from the two Volt-Turners. Core really synergizes well (I think). I am fairly proud of it and I hope it presents M-Ampharos as a potent option for an Electric-type and Mega. Core appreciates Water or Ice Types like Manaphy or Kyurem to break bulky grounds.

Sets

Ampharos-Mega @ Ampharosite
Ability: Static
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Volt Switch
- Dragon Pulse

Tornadus-Therian @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 96 HP / 160 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Hurricane
- Superpower
- U-turn
- Knock Off

Infernape @ Choice Band
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Flare Blitz
- Gunk Shot
- Mach Punch

 

[Mega-Pokebattlerz]

Sets

Blastoise @ Blastoisinite
Ability: Rain Dish
EVs: 184 HP / 252 SpA / 72 Spe
Modest Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Scald
- Dark Pulse
- Aura Sphere
Celebi @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 148 Def / 108 Spe
Bold Nature
- Recover
- Baton Pass
- Giga Drain
- Nasty Plot

Blastoise is a great Mon to break heatran+ferrothorn core while also providing hazard removal.Azumarill and bulky Water-types tend to be an issue for this set, especially due to the former resisting every one of Blastoise's moves,so Grass types such as Celebi pair well with it,and it also appreciates blastoise's ability to switch in on weavile,talonflame and heatran.Celebi also can pass a Nasty Plot boost to Mega Blastoise, enabling it to dismantle defensive teams with ease.Not a bad core,huh?

Not bad, but what about this one?

Hide

Blastoise @ Blastoisinite
Ability: Rain Dish
EVs: 184 HP / 252 SpA / 72 Spe
Modest Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Scald
- Dark Pulse
- Aura Sphere

Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Leech Seed
- Gyro Ball
- Power Whip

Talonflame @ Sharp Beak
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz
- Swords Dance
- Roost

M-Blastoise is the main Pokémon here, providing Rapid Spin support for Talonflame and hitting stupidly hard with Scald and its Mega Launcher-boosted coverage moves. Talonflame checks Grass-types that would otherwise wall Blastoise or outright murder it, such as Breloom. Finally, Ferrothorn provides hazard support and an important Electric resist.

 

[Aragorn the King]

Mega Pidgeot + Gastrodon

sets

Strong in the Real Way (Pidgeot-Mega) @ Pidgeotite
Ability: Big Pecks
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hurricane
- Heat Wave
- Roost
- U-turn

Stronger than You (Gastrodon) @ Leftovers
Ability: Storm Drain
EVs: 252 HP / 112 Def / 144 SpD / 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Scald
- Curse / Toxic
- Earthquake / Ice Beam
- Recover

​

I originally had Work Up Pidgeot + Dugtrio, but I figured that was too unoriginal / tried and true. Plus, Dugtrio a bit too frail for my tastes. So I instead went with AoA Pidgeot, the set that's better in this meta, and added Gastrodon, a Pokemon whose usage and effect on the tier are slowly but surely increasing, and also one that complements Mega Pidgeot.

Mega Pidgeot is a really nice mon, due almost entirely to the fact that it'll never miss (take that Torn-T!). It's a very reliable Pokemon – in using it you'll know exactly what you'll get (never will you have to scream about Hurrimiss, or more rarely, Heat Miss) and what you won't (you're never beating rocks, electrics, or Heatran). Thankfully, Mega Pidgeot has U-turn, which allows it to, usually after using Hurricane and hopefully confusing the opposing mon, switch to something actually capable of handling the opposing Pokemon. This is part of why Dugtrio is so common, as it's able to trap and dispose of Heatran, Tyranitar, and grounded Electrics.

But what if you want to have more longevity, reliability, and the ability to handle Thundurus/Rotom-W/etc better? Gastrodon allows you to do this, and also gives you a reliable check to basically every water-type, something Dugtrio certainly cannot give you. Curse Gastrodon handles Mega Diancie; non-band Ttar, which it can even handle so long as it doesn't use Crunch; Heatran (check for Power Herb first; this is easy, though, as Solar Beam only has one effective use); and Electric-types such as Mega Manectric, Raikou, and Thundurus, all Pokemon that give Pidgeot major headaches. If you use Toxic > Curse you gain the ability to threaten Rotom-W and are also less threatened by it (WoW isn't as bad if you aren't a Curse Sweeper), but lose the ability to act as a win condition to support Pidgeot.

Gastrodon, however, isn't the only mon providing support; Gastrodon needs Grasses such as Serperior, Ferrothorn, Mega Sceptile, Breloom, and Mega Venusaur removed before it is able to sweep, and Mega Pidgeot is able to do so very effectively thanks to Hurricane and Heat Wave. Also, in general, the core performs very well against Keldeo, which is great in this metagame.

The core obviously has weaknesses, namely to Clefable, Weavile, and the Mega Charizards, but I left it as a two mon core without adding a third member to try to alleviate some of these weaknesses because the two have so much synergy on their own. Plus, it gives a builder more slots to work with in order to fix the weaknesses.​

 

[Take Azelfie]

Sets

Garchomp-Mega @ Garchompite
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Earthquake
- Dragon Claw
- Fire Blast

Metagross @ Assault Vest
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 160 Atk / 96 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Pursuit
- Meteor Mash
- Bullet Punch
- Earthquake

Metagross is a really nice pivot for Fairy, Ice, and Dragon-types which consist of Mega Garchomp's weaknesses. Garchomp can pivot into Fire-moves as well as Metagross being able to reliably pursuit trap Lati@s and Mega Alakazam which can stop Garchomp's sweep with fast STABs