Resource OU Good Cores

[Jojobobo]

Here's an offense core I've been thinking of for the Pheromosa suspect, but have been to lazy to make a team around. As Pheromosa is likely to be banned I thought I'd post it up, even if not I still it's a decent core it just becomes a little more niche.

Offensive Core: Tapu Lele and Mega Alakazam Psychic Spam

Sets

Tapu Lele @ Fightinium-Z / Terrain Extender / Shed Shell
Ability: Psychic Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psyshock
- Moonblast
- Focus Blast / Hidden Power Fire
- Calm Mind

Alakazam @ Alakazite
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psyshock
- Shadow Ball
- Dazzling Gleam / Focus Blast
- Calm Mind / Focus Blast

The name of the game is quite simple - to weaken each other's checks in order dismantle the opposing team. Fightinium-Z with Focus Blast on Lele serves as a great alternative to HP Fire, which at the +1 SpAtk which you can set on the switch nets similar OHKOes while also allowing you to breeze past Heatran, and not really impeding your stall-breaking potential. If you don't boost, then All-Out Pummelling can be used to heavily damage counters like Mega Metagross on the switch. Alternately, a Terrain Extender priority-protects and boosts Mega Alakazam for longer (and works as an alternative if you've already got your Z-move covered), while the Shed Shell allows you to escape from Dugtrio. With the latter two items, HP Fire is typically now the better choice over Focus Blast, changing Dazzling Gleam for Focus Blast on Alakazam. Standard Moonblast and Psyshock is great at handling stall, as we all know.

Alakazam is there to clean late game. Unlike previous generations, Substitute is now redundant as you can shield yourself from Sucker Punch with Psychic Terrain. At the +1 SpAtk under Psychic Terrain, even fat pivots like AV Magearna aren't safe due to Psyshock. Likewise, a +1 Shadow Ball clean OHKOes Mega Metagross, and an unboosted Dazzling Gleam OHKOes Ash-Greninja as well as making you a threat to stall. While Calm Mind might look tricky to set up, the ability of Zam to force switches as well as survive attacks at the +1 SpDef which it can set by dint of being faster (e.g. with Koko), means it's not as tricky as you'd think. Focus Blast can be run over Calm Mind for better coverage on steels, but as Lele is very good at handling the vast majority with All-Out Pummelling it becomes a little redundant - plus the terrible accuracy. As previously mentioned, it becomes the better choice if Lele is running HP Fire instead.

Calcs

252+ SpA Tapu Lele All-Out Pummeling (190 BP) vs. 252 HP / 168 SpD Ferrothorn: 346-408 (98.2 - 115.9%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Tapu Lele All-Out Pummeling (190 BP) vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Heatran: 430-508 (111.3 - 131.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ SpA Tapu Lele All-Out Pummeling (190 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Metagross-Mega: 209-247 (69.4 - 82%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Tapu Lele All-Out Pummeling (190 BP) vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Skarmory: 303-357 (90.7 - 106.8%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO
+1 252+ SpA Tapu Lele All-Out Pummeling (190 BP) vs. 248 HP / 128 SpD Scizor-Mega: 300-353 (87.4 - 102.9%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
+1 252+ SpA Tapu Lele All-Out Pummeling (190 BP) vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Mawile-Mega: 354-417 (116.4 - 137.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+1 252+ SpA Tapu Lele All-Out Pummeling (190 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Celesteela: 243-286 (61 - 71.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
+1 252+ SpA Twisted Spoon Tapu Lele Psyshock vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Celesteela in Psychic Terrain: 189-222 (47.4 - 55.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

252 SpA Alakazam-Mega Dazzling Gleam vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Greninja-Ash: 290-342 (101.7 - 120%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Alakazam-Mega Dazzling Gleam vs. 252 HP / 144+ SpD Sableye-Mega: 156-184 (51.3 - 60.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+1 252 SpA Alakazam-Mega Shadow Ball vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Metagross-Mega: 302-356 (100.3 - 118.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+1 252 SpA Alakazam-Mega Psyshock vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Magearna in Psychic Terrain: 164-193 (45.1 - 53.1%) -- 88.3% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ SpA Magearna Fleur Cannon vs. +1 0 HP / 4 SpD Alakazam-Mega: 150-177 (59.7 - 70.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+1 252 SpA Alakazam-Mega Psyshock vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tapu Koko: 280-331 (99.6 - 117.7%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO
252 SpA Magnet Tapu Koko Thunderbolt vs. +1 0 HP / 4 SpD Alakazam-Mega in Electric Terrain: 136-162 (54.1 - 64.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Alakazam-Mega Psyshock vs. 4 HP / 252+ Def Eviolite Chansey in Psychic Terrain: 325-384 (50.6 - 59.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+1 252 SpA Alakazam-Mega Psyshock vs. 4 HP / 252+ Def Eviolite Chansey in Psychic Terrain: 489-576 (76.1 - 89.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Alakazam-Mega Psyshock vs. 252 HP / 64 Def Unaware Clefable in Psychic Terrain: 294-346 (74.6 - 87.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
+1 252 SpA Alakazam-Mega Psyshock vs. 248 HP / 192 Def Tapu Fini: 186-219 (54.2 - 63.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

Overall the pair work great against stall, with both of them having breaking potential (and Zam outspeeding Dugtrio), while Zam also gives puts a lot of pressure on offense and teams in general due to it's trolly speed tier. Try the core out!

 

[Ramses]

these are a lot of cores so apologies for the very brief explanations

spikes

Sharpedo @ Sharpedonite
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Crunch
- Psychic Fangs
- Ice Fang
- Protect

Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 104 Def / 152 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Power Whip
- Leech Seed
- Spikes
- Gyro Ball

This is a pretty standard (as standard as you get with mshark) Spike Stacking core. I think Mega Shark fits better on BO than HO since bulky off. actually has the bulk to pivot around, weaken things, and really ensure a shark clean. So in general, Ferro offers a ton of defensive utility to any build its on such as a Fairy check, Metagross switch-in, Water check, etc. while Mega Shark is a good revenge killer for things like Volc, Zard X, Zard Y, etc. A Fighting check is definitely in order, most prominently Keldeo, so AV Torn-T is really good since it fits the dynamics of teams this core is usually on and U-turn support. Latios is great too. Beware Tapu Koko though since NM and HP Fire variants ravage the core.

basics

Weavile @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Icicle Crash
- Knock Off
- Ice Shard
- Poison Jab

Zygarde @ Leftovers
Ability: Aura Break
EVs: 200 HP / 176 Atk / 76 SpD / 56 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Thousand Arrows
- Extreme Speed
- Substitute
- Coil

I think Weavile is actually getting a bit better esp. with Phermosa banned on the ladder atm but Ice Shard pressured it pretty hard anyway. Zygarde really appreciates Weavile in that it weakens their shared checks, most prominently, Tapu Fini with Poison Jab and Knock Off. It also beats Defensive Landorus-T and bulky Grasses, especially Tangrowth since Zygarde lacks Toxic. In return, Zygarde slams bulky Steels since it can actually use non-SD Mega Sciz variants as fodder as well as Ferrothorn thanks to SubCoil.

wish

Jirachi @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 224 SpD / 32 Spe
Careful Nature
- Wish
- Protect
- Iron Head
- Body Slam

Landorus-T @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP / 212 Def / 32 SpD / 16 Spe
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- U-turn
- Stealth Rock

This is a great core for bulky offense since Landorus-T and Jirachi bring so much to a team. WishTect Rachi is used here since Landorus-T is actually an incredible defensive mon it just lacks the recovery. Wish Rachi fits that void spectacularly well while also offering passive recovery to the entire team. Fits excellently well on fat balance too where you wouldn't usually run Lando because of it's lack of recovery.

wishes

Alomomola @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 40 HP / 216 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Scald
- Toxic
- Wish
- Protect

Venusaur-Mega @ Venusaurite
Ability: Overgrow
EVs: 232 HP / 180 SpA / 80 SpD / 16 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Synthesis

Alomomola is actually pretty good since it checks a lot of things like Mega Gross, Lando, Greninja and Ash-Ninja pre-Battle Bond. Venusaur is just as good as it was last gen but it really doesn't have good recovery bar 8 pp Synthesis which leaves it really vulnerable to being worn down, so Wish Alo is a great alternative to Wish Rachi if your Steel slot is something else like Heatran.

basics 2

Weavile @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Icicle Crash
- Knock Off
- Ice Shard
- Pursuit

Landorus-T @ Rockium-Z
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- Swords Dance
- Rock Polish

Similar to the Zygarde core above, this core is around Weavile breaking Landorus-T's checks such as other Lando and bulky Grounds as well as Grasses so DD Lando has an easier time sweeping. You really want something for Tapu Koko here like AV Tang.

spikes 2

Greninja @ Life Orb
Ability: Protean
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Gunk Shot
- Ice Beam
- Hydro Pump
- Spikes

Celesteela @ Flyinium-Z
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Mild Nature
- Air Slash
- Flamethrower
- Earthquake
- Automotize

Pretty basic core centered around Greninja setting up Spikes so Celesteela has an easier time sweeping. Greninja's coverage is stupidly flexible so it can be catered to Steela's needs like Extrasensory for Toxapex or Low Kick for Chansey. In terms weaknesses, both are weak to Tapu Koko (other Electric too ig, but Koko is most relevant) so something that can sponge it or remove it in order such as AV Tang or Yache Landorus-T.

oras classics

Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 104 Def / 152 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Power Whip
- Leech Seed
- Spikes
- Gyro Ball

Dragonite @ Electrium-Z
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Thunder Punch
- Outrage
- Fire Punch
- Dragon Dance

So Dragonite offers more than Salamence in terms of defensive utility with Multiscale, which grants it easier setup opportunities and the ability to switch in on things like Mega Charizard Y (which is a huge sleeper threat atm) without getting mauled. Dragonite can also break past it's own checks due to it's great coverage of Thunder and Fire Punch which breaks every Steel-type in the tier with the exception of Heatran (but it isn't coming in easily), so that's another plus. Ferrothorn offers Spikes support while also checking Fairies and blanketing the few Ice-types in the tier.

hazards

Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 172 Def / 84 SpD
Calm Nature
- Moonblast
- Fire Blast
- Soft-boiled
- Stealth Rock

Ferrothorn @ Chople Berry
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 104 Def / 152 SpD
Impish Nature
- Power Whip
- Thunder Wave
- Spikes
- Leech Seed

I think it's safe to say this is one of the best Hazard Stacking cores right now, maybe even a bit on par with Greninja + Rocker. However, this one is best ones you could run on bo / balance since Clefable is among the top rockers in the tier since it has a great matchup against every hazard remover in the tier bar Tapu Fini and Starmie (it's getting better) and it gets up rocks against Mega Sableye, which absolutely shuts down Ferrothorn from doing anything and getting up rocks against stall is one of the most game changing events oml. Fire Blast is cool since it dumps on Physically Defensive Skarm and Defog Mega Sciz. Chople + Leech Seed + TWave Ferro is lit since Twave and Chople helps it check Hammer Arm Mega Gross and other mons with Fighting coverage that are generally hard to check. Tapu Lele and Mega Zam are also examples. Steel STAB isn't that necessary anyway since TWave technically does the same thing in crippling Lele, Bulu, Zam, etc. Only Power Whip seems mandatory these days.

pivots

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

Rotom-W @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 240 Def / 20 SpD
Bold Nature
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Pain Split
- Will-O-Wisp

This is a great bo core that was a standard last gen and is just as good as it was then. AV Torn is an incredible and versatile check to a lot of big threats like Keldeo and Gengar and it's a decent check to non-transformed Battle Bond Greninja but Hydro Pump still takes a chunk out of it. Rotom-W is cool for checking things like Mega Metagross, Mega Scizor, Landorus-T, Mega Pinsir, Protean Greninja lacking HP Grass, all with Will-O-Wisp bar the last one. pretty darn great mon atm, but the meta could be a bit more favorable.

pivots 2

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

Tapu Koko @ Zap Plate
Ability: Electric Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- U-turn
- Taunt
- Nature's Madness / Hidden Power [Ice]

This is an alternative to the core above with Tapu Koko in place of Rotom-W. Koko offers more offensive presence in place of a dramatic drop in bulk. Nature's Madness + Taunt is becoming the new standard I believe since it's a way for it to bust past it's checks and shake up stall. A bulkier spread is usually ran with one of those obscure berries but I prefer offensive spreads. HP Ice is of course, always an option.

 

[Sun King]

these are a lot of cores so apologies for the very brief explanations

spikes

Sharpedo @ Sharpedonite
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Crunch
- Psychic Fangs
- Ice Fang
- Protect

Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 104 Def / 152 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Power Whip
- Leech Seed
- Spikes
- Gyro Ball

This is a pretty standard (as standard as you get with mshark) Spike Stacking core. I think Mega Shark fits better on BO than HO since bulky off. actually has the bulk to pivot around, weaken things, and really ensure a shark clean. So in general, Ferro offers a ton of defensive utility to any build its on such as a Fairy check, Metagross switch-in, Water check, etc. while Mega Shark is a good revenge killer for things like Volc, Zard X, Zard Y, etc. A Fighting check is definitely in order, most prominently Keldeo, so AV Torn-T is really good since it fits the dynamics of teams this core is usually on and U-turn support. Latios is great too. Beware Tapu Koko though since NM and HP Fire variants ravage the core.

basics

Weavile @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Icicle Crash
- Knock Off
- Ice Shard
- Poison Jab

Zygarde @ Leftovers
Ability: Aura Break
EVs: 200 HP / 176 Atk / 76 SpD / 56 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Thousand Arrows
- Extreme Speed
- Substitute
- Coil

I think Weavile is actually getting a bit better esp. with Phermosa banned on the ladder atm but Ice Shard pressured it pretty hard anyway. Zygarde really appreciates Weavile in that it weakens their shared checks, most prominently, Tapu Fini with Poison Jab and Knock Off. It also beats Defensive Landorus-T and bulky Grasses, especially Tangrowth since Zygarde lacks Toxic. In return, Zygarde slams bulky Steels since it can actually use non-SD Mega Sciz variants as fodder as well as Ferrothorn thanks to SubCoil.

wish

Jirachi @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 224 SpD / 32 Spe
Careful Nature
- Wish
- Protect
- Iron Head
- Body Slam

Landorus-T @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP / 212 Def / 32 SpD / 16 Spe
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- U-turn
- Stealth Rock

This is a great core for bulky offense since Landorus-T and Jirachi bring so much to a team. WishTect Rachi is used here since Landorus-T is actually an incredible defensive mon it just lacks the recovery. Wish Rachi fits that void spectacularly well while also offering passive recovery to the entire team. Fits excellently well on fat balance too where you wouldn't usually run Lando because of it's lack of recovery.

wishes

Alomomola @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 40 HP / 216 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Scald
- Toxic
- Wish
- Protect

Venusaur-Mega @ Venusaurite
Ability: Overgrow
EVs: 232 HP / 180 SpA / 80 SpD / 16 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Synthesis

Alomomola is actually pretty good since it checks a lot of things like Mega Gross, Lando, Greninja and Ash-Ninja pre-Battle Bond. Venusaur is just as good as it was last gen but it really doesn't have good recovery bar 8 pp Synthesis which leaves it really vulnerable to being worn down, so Wish Alo is a great alternative to Wish Rachi if your Steel slot is something else like Heatran.

basics 2

Weavile @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Icicle Crash
- Knock Off
- Ice Shard
- Pursuit

Landorus-T @ Rockium-Z
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- Swords Dance
- Rock Polish

Similar to the Zygarde core above, this core is around Weavile breaking Landorus-T's checks such as other Lando and bulky Grounds as well as Grasses so DD Lando has an easier time sweeping. You really want something for Tapu Koko here like AV Tang.

spikes 2

Greninja @ Life Orb
Ability: Protean
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Gunk Shot
- Ice Beam
- Hydro Pump
- Spikes

Celesteela @ Flyinium-Z
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Mild Nature
- Air Slash
- Flamethrower
- Earthquake
- Automotize

Pretty basic core centered around Greninja setting up Spikes so Celesteela has an easier time sweeping. Greninja's coverage is stupidly flexible so it can be catered to Steela's needs like Extrasensory for Toxapex or Low Kick for Chansey. In terms weaknesses, both are weak to Tapu Koko (other Electric too ig, but Koko is most relevant) so something that can sponge it or remove it in order such as AV Tang or Yache Landorus-T.

oras classics

Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 104 Def / 152 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Power Whip
- Leech Seed
- Spikes
- Gyro Ball

Dragonite @ Electrium-Z
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Thunder Punch
- Outrage
- Fire Punch
- Dragon Dance

So Dragonite offers more than Salamence in terms of defensive utility with Multiscale, which grants it easier setup opportunities and the ability to switch in on things like Mega Charizard Y (which is a huge sleeper threat atm) without getting mauled. Dragonite can also break past it's own checks due to it's great coverage of Thunder and Fire Punch which breaks every Steel-type in the tier with the exception of Heatran (but it isn't coming in easily), so that's another plus. Ferrothorn offers Spikes support while also checking Fairies and blanketing the few Ice-types in the tier.

hazards

Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 172 Def / 84 SpD
Calm Nature
- Moonblast
- Fire Blast
- Soft-boiled
- Stealth Rock

Ferrothorn @ Chople Berry
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 104 Def / 152 SpD
Impish Nature
- Power Whip
- Thunder Wave
- Spikes
- Leech Seed

I think it's safe to say this is one of the best Hazard Stacking cores right now, maybe even a bit on par with Greninja + Rocker. However, this one is best ones you could run on bo / balance since Clefable is among the top rockers in the tier since it has a great matchup against every hazard remover in the tier bar Tapu Fini and Starmie (it's getting better) and it gets up rocks against Mega Sableye, which absolutely shuts down Ferrothorn from doing anything and getting up rocks against stall is one of the most game changing events oml. Fire Blast is cool since it dumps on Physically Defensive Skarm and Defog Mega Sciz. Chople + Leech Seed + TWave Ferro is lit since Twave and Chople helps it check Hammer Arm Mega Gross and other mons with Fighting coverage that are generally hard to check. Tapu Lele and Mega Zam are also examples. Steel STAB isn't that necessary anyway since TWave technically does the same thing in crippling Lele, Bulu, Zam, etc. Only Power Whip seems mandatory these days.

pivots

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

Rotom-W @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 240 Def / 20 SpD
Bold Nature
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Pain Split
- Will-O-Wisp

This is a great bo core that was a standard last gen and is just as good as it was then. AV Torn is an incredible and versatile check to a lot of big threats like Keldeo and Gengar and it's a decent check to non-transformed Battle Bond Greninja but Hydro Pump still takes a chunk out of it. Rotom-W is cool for checking things like Mega Metagross, Mega Scizor, Landorus-T, Mega Pinsir, Protean Greninja lacking HP Grass, all with Will-O-Wisp bar the last one. pretty darn great mon atm, but the meta could be a bit more favorable.

pivots 2

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

Tapu Koko @ Zap Plate
Ability: Electric Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- U-turn
- Taunt
- Nature's Madness / Hidden Power [Ice]

This is an alternative to the core above with Tapu Koko in place of Rotom-W. Koko offers more offensive presence in place of a dramatic drop in bulk. Nature's Madness + Taunt is becoming the new standard I believe since it's a way for it to bust past it's checks and shake up stall. A bulkier spread is usually ran with one of those obscure berries but I prefer offensive spreads. HP Ice is of course, always an option.

Love these cores dude, thanks!

I made a team using 2 of them, slapped on a Scarfer and Zard X and it's really fun to use; it handles stall nicely http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7oususpecttest-558583321 (fair warning, low ladder, opponent made some questionable moves and I fucked up and let Zard die, but still had the upper hand all match). Really like how those cores work together in this meta.

 

[Sombolo]

Psychic Spam MMedi + Tapu Lele

Desciption

Since MMedi got released i searched for a member who would MMedi benefit the most so I found Tapu Lele. Tapu Lele beats the best MMedi counter in the game MSableye and also has ah good matchup vs stall which is the most popular playstyle for MSableye. MMedi checks the opposing steel types which could be annoying for Tapu Lele. TPunch MMedi imo is the better set because you hit everything you need but Zen Headbutt is nice to catch stuff like Clefable and it also gets boosted by the terrain.

Sets

Medicham-Mega @ Medichamite
Ability: Pure Power
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Ice Punch
- Thunder Punch / Zen Headbutt
- High Jump Kick
- Fake Out

Tapu Lele @ Shed Shell
Ability: Psychic Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psyshock
- Moonblast
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Taunt

 

[Riddikulusness]

Offensive Core: Mega Medicham + Tapu Koko

Medi + Koko Sets

Medicham-Mega @ Medichamite
Ability: Pure Power
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Thunder Punch
- Ice Punch / Zen Headbutt
- High Jump Kick
- Fake Out / Zen Headbutt

Tapu Koko @ Magnet
Ability: Electric Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- U-turn
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Volt Switch / Taunt

This is a pretty well known core right now, so i thought id might as well post it. Koko helps out medi in many ways; the main one being that it sets up electric terrain to boost its Thunder Punch. This allows it to muscle past would be counters/checks, like Mega Sableye and Clefable. Koko also pressures Mega Sableye and Clefable, making it easier for Medi to do its job, which is spam HJK and watch something drop. Koko also provides volt switch/u-turn support, allowing Medi to potentially fire of free hits vs. some of Koko's answers, like Tangrowth and Ferrothorn. Koko also deals with pokemon faster than Medi, like Gengar and Protean Greninja. You can run Zen Headbutt over Ice Punch or Fake out, but ive found those two moves to be more useful. Its all up to personal preference, i guess. Same goes with Volt Switch and taunt on koko. Ive found Volt switch more effective over taunt due to Medi's ability to dismantle bulky teams easily. Taunt is also a cool option due to how good webs/TR/BP are. Once again, up to personal preference. Overall, this is a fantastic offensive core. Just have something for Marowak, and you're good!

Boosted T-Punch Calcs

252 Atk Pure Power Medicham-Mega Thunder Punch vs. 252 HP / 112 Def Sableye-Mega in Electric Terrain: 153-181 (50.3 - 59.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 Atk Pure Power Medicham-Mega Thunder Punch vs. 252 HP / 64 Def Clefable in Electric Terrain: 244-288 (61.9 - 73%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

252 Atk Pure Power Medicham-Mega Thunder Punch vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Celesteela in Electric Terrain: 398-470 (100 - 118%) -- guaranteed OHKO

(PS: Ill have some more cores posted soon, but i just wanted to post this one now.)

EDIT: Reworded the explanation of Taunt with Koko + fixed some typos.

 

[Expert_Occultist]

Yay! Offensive Hydreigon Cores!

Sets

Metagross-Mega @ Metagrossite
Ability: Tough Claws
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Meteor Mash
- Zen Headbutt
- Ice Punch
- Thunder Punch/Earthquake

Hydreigon @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Dark Pulse
- Fire Blast
- Roost

This is definitely not an original core (or even a new one) but it is pretty sweet. Metagross beats fairies that Hydreigon hates. In return Hydreigon switches into ground and fire attacks for Metagross, checks Scizor and Ferrothorn, and OHKOs Lando with Draco Meteor. The movesets are basic, the EVs are basic, this core is basic and effective. This core is also pretty self sufficient so you can choose your hazard setter at your leisure. Just have a plan for Greninja and Volcarona and you're laughing.

Sets

Mawile-Mega @ Mawilite
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 92 HP / 252 Atk / 164 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Play Rough
- Sucker Punch
- Thunder Punch
- Fire Fang

Hydreigon @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Dark Pulse
- Earth Power/Fire Blast
- Roost

Another Hydreigon + top tier steel guy core. Mawile breaks down bulky stuff like no tomorrow while Hydreigon does his usual job of switching into the ground and fire attacks that Mawile is weak to. Earth Power is slashed first because of Hydreigon's ability to switch into and beat Heatran which is a common answer to Mawile. If your team can handle Heatran then Fire Blast is still a great option since having two mons that beat Scizor, Celesteela, and Ferrothorn is never a bad thing. As usual, feel free to pick your hazard layer. This core isn't the fastest gun in the west so some form of speed control is required. Scarf Nihilego is particularly great since in takes on Volcarona and can clean late game once your opponent is sufficiently broken by this core. Sticky Web and even Trick Room can work with this core as well.

Balance Core

Sets

Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 240 Def / 20 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Will-O-Wisp
- Pain Split

Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Power Whip
- Gyro Ball
- Leech Seed
- Spikes/Stealth Rock

This core is able to check tons of top tier threats and provides lots of utility for balance and bulk offense teams. Rotom takes on ground, steel, flying, and fire types and burns physical attackers to make their attacks easier to take for the core. In return Ferrothorn takes grass and electric moves that Rotom doesn't take on as well. Rotom and Ferrothorn cover each other well but together they take on threatening mons with multiple possible moves. For example, this core can effectively take on any Greninja and Metagross set. This core makes a great blanket check but really struggles with Zygarde, especially substitute variants, so something with ice coverage would make a great teammate. A switch in to fighting moves is also helpful since this core doesn't resist the type. Rotom can get Gengar in safely thanks to its slow Volt Switch but Marowak-A can provide Stealth Rocks and form the classic Fire/Water/Grass core with this care (although finding a spinner for Wak is a pain in the butt since your really don't want to Defog your Spikes).

 

[JTD783]

Hyper Offense Core: Mega Medicham + Bisharp

Hide

Medicham @ Medichamite
Ability: Pure Power
EVs: 252 Atk/4 Def/252 Spe
Adamant/Jolly Nature
-High Jump Kick
-Ice Punch
-Thunder Punch
-Fake Out/Zen Headbutt

Bisharp @ Lum Berry/Life Orb
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk/4 Def/252 Spe
Adamant Nature
-Swords Dance
-Knock Off
-Iron Head
-Sucker Punch

MediSharp is a core that fits best on HO but also works on Offense. The pair abuses Spike-stacking and Sticky Web, both of which are excellent in the current meta, to limit their switch-ins even further and outrun checks. Medicham rips through Bisharp's checks, such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn, Scizor, Tapu Fini, etc. while Bisharp takes on Latios, Mega Alakazam, Gengar, Alolan Marowak, and other Psychic- and Ghost-types that can give Medicham trouble. Bisharp also helps by discouraging Defog, which keeps hazards up for the core to abuse. Adamant is the preferred nature on each set since they are meant to sweep/wallbreak, not to serve as speed control. Medicham's moveset can be customized based on the team's needs.

As the core uses priority frequently, Tapu Lele is an obvious threat, especially if Scarfed. Mega Sableye is another nuisance that must be pressured by other teammates in order for the core to thrive. Neither should be used to pivot into attacks, so U-Turn/Volt Switch support as well as sacks are needed to get them in safely. Medicham typically punches holes early- to mid-game while Bisharp excels in late-game cleaning.

Good partners include Landorus-Therian, SubCoil Zygarde, Spikes Greninja, Gengar, Magearna, and Tapu Koko.

 

[BARABOY]

Defensive Pivot Core: Toxapex + Tangrowth

Sets

toxic meta (Toxapex) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Baneful Bunker
- Toxic Spikes
- Scald
- Venoshock

Noodle (Tangrowth) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Earthquake
- Giga Drain
- Rock Slide
- Hidden Power [Ice]

The point of this core is to constantly pivot between Toxapex and Tangrowth, absorbing blows and activating their regenerator. Toxapex focuses on defense, while Tangrowth focuses on spcecial defense, allowing you to confidently switch into Toxapex on pokemon like Mega Scizor, and switch into Tangrowth on pokemon like Tapu Lele. On the topic of switching, their typings allow them to switch into each other's threats. Tangrowth resists ground and electric, two thirds of Toxapex's weaknesses, and Toxapex resists poison, bug, ice, and fire, four fifths of Tangrowth's weaknesses. A good partner would be Skarmory, which takes care of Toxapex's psychic weakness, and can set hazards to compliment the toxic spikes.

 

[Martin]

GyaraWak

Sets

Gyarados @ Flynium Z
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Bounce
- Waterfall
- Taunt / Substitute

Marowak-Alola @ Thick Club
Ability: Lightning Rod
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Shadow Bone
- Fire Punch
- Stealth Rock / Will-O-Wisp / Bonemerang

GyaraWak is such a fun offense core which takes inspiration from that awful GyaraVire core from gen 4 in that the centre of the core focuses on the concept of Gyarados+Electric immunity being a solid concept in teambuilding. Beyond this, the core achieves a few goals nicely. Alolan Marowak, being a wallbreaker and stallbreaker, does a nice job of covering stall teams that Gyarados can have difficulty breaking whilst also softening bulky Pokemon up to allow for a Gyarados sweep later on in the match with its nuclear Shadow Bones. Furthermore, it does a good job of fucking with non-Knock Off Ferrothorn. In exchange Gyarados covers the offense matchup nicely, setting up on a number of prominent Pokemon and proceeding to sweep between Moxie and +1 Spe. The most notable example in the context of this core is that it benefits from Marowak being commonly kept in check by physically defensive Landorus-T, which it forces out and uses for total setup fodder, and it especially benefits from when Will-O-Wisp variants burn it--thus weakening its Stone Edge. Beyond this, they just have generally nice type synergy.

Given that Rock Head Marowak discourages the use of Electric-type moves until it uses its Fire-type STAB anyway, it is also worth considering running Rock Head+Flare Blitz>LRod+Fire Punch just 'cause if a team doesn't need LRod then it is a generally better option, but this detracts from its defensive utility it in the context of this core specifically (although obviously a team would extend beyond this core, hence why it remains an option).

 

[bludz]

Ok I just realized maybe one of my most used cores isn't in here at all from what I've seen

Greninja + Ferrothorn

I should start off by saying there is no correct pairing of sets here and what's great about this core is the versatility it offers. In terms of standard synergy it's fairly obvious that Water + Grass is gonna work out well. Dope tank / annoyer mon + speedy breaker is just a great combo in general since you can go in so many directions.

I'd say there are 3 "main" variations of this type of core.

Ash Greninja + Knock Off Ferrothorn

sets

Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 SpD
Impish / Careful Nature
- Spikes
- Knock Off
- Leech Seed
- Power Whip

Greninja @ Choice Specs / Wave Incense
Ability: Battle Bond
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Dark Pulse
- Water Shuriken
- U-turn / Taunt

This variation of the core seeks to achieve Battle Bond with Greninja. Spikes and Knock Off allow Ferrothorn to help whittle down Greninja's counters, like Tangrowth, Tapu Fini, and other such mons. Knock Off in particular is great as it removes AV from Tang and is a low cost move against Finis that often stay in but sometimes switch out into things such as Heatran. I like the alternate Wave Incense / Taunt variant of Greninja here on certain builds as switching up moves is excellent and Taunt can be key for mons like Toxapex.

AoA Greninja + Ferrothorn

sets

Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 SpD
Impish Nature
- Spikes
- Knock Off / Protect
- Leech Seed
- Power Whip / Gyro Ball

Greninja @ Life Orb / Expert Belt
Ability: Protean
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Hydro Pump / Ice Beam
- Gunk Shot
- Hidden Power Fire
- Extrasensory

Protean Greninja is a great lure to pokemon that naturally wall Ash Greninja such as the aforementioned Tangrowth. Paired with Ferrothorn, you can take advantage of Spikes pressure to wear down the opponent's team as they try to switch around Greninja with mons such as Keldeo. Ferro is also just a nice pivot into mons like Tapu Koko and whatnot.

Spikes Greninja + Rocks Ferrothorn

sets

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

Greninja @ Life Orb / Expert Belt
Ability: Protean
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Hydro Pump / Ice Beam
- Gunk Shot
- Hidden Power Fire
- Spikes

Generally I would say this is probably the least effective of the cores as Ferrothorn is an excellent Spiker that you might not want to waste Greninja's coverage on. However this can free up builds to an extent as you're no longer forced to run things like SR Chomp (freeing up SD 3 Atks, etc). Same deal here Greninja still beats a lot of common hazard removers but uses its own free turns to set Spikes.

Pack some Keldeo checks.

 

[Martin]

Ok I just realized maybe one of my most used cores isn't in here at all from what I've seen

Ferrothorn + Greninja

I should start off by saying there is no correct pairing of sets here and what's great about this core is the versatility it offers. In terms of standard synergy it's fairly obvious that Water + Grass is gonna work out well. Dope tank / annoyer mon + speedy breaker is just a great combo in general since you can go in so many directions.

I'd say there are 3 "main" variations of this type of core.

Ash Greninja + Knock Off Ferrothorn

sets

Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 SpD
Impish / Careful Nature
- Spikes
- Knock Off
- Leech Seed
- Power Whip

Greninja @ Choice Specs / Wave Incense
Ability: Battle Bond
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Dark Pulse
- Water Shuriken
- U-turn / Taunt

This variation of the core seeks to achieve Battle Bond with Greninja. Spikes and Knock Off allow Ferrothorn to help whittle down Greninja's counters, like Tangrowth, Tapu Fini, and other such mons. Knock Off in particular is great as it removes AV from Tang and is a low cost move against Finis that often stay in but sometimes switch out into things such as Heatran. I like the alternate Wave Incense / Taunt variant of Greninja here on certain builds as switching up moves is excellent and Taunt can be key for mons like Toxapex.

AoA Greninja + Ferrothorn

sets

Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 SpD
Impish Nature
- Spikes
- Knock Off / Protect
- Leech Seed
- Power Whip / Gyro Ball

Greninja @ Life Orb / Expert Belt
Ability: Protean
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump / Ice Beam
- Gunk Shot
- Hidden Power Fire
- Extrasensory

Protean Greninja is a great lure to pokemon that naturally wall Ash Greninja such as the aforementioned Tangrowth. Paired with Ferrothorn, you can take advantage of Spikes pressure to wear down the opponent's team as they try to switch around Greninja with mons such as Keldeo. Ferro is also just a nice pivot into mons like Tapu Koko and whatnot.

Spikes Greninja + Rocks Ferrothorn

sets

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

Greninja @ Life Orb / Expert Belt
Ability: Protean
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump / Ice Beam
- Gunk Shot
- Hidden Power Fire
- Spikes

Generally I would say this is probably the least effective of the cores as Ferrothorn is an excellent Spiker that you might not want to waste Greninja's coverage on. However this can free up builds to an extent as you're no longer forced to run things like SR Chomp (freeing up SD 3 Atks, etc). Same deal here Greninja still beats a lot of common hazard removers but uses its own free turns to set Spikes.

Pack some Keldeo checks.

Yo random side note with this core (closest related to the SR Ferro ver), but I've actually used Spikes Gren+Spikes Ferro recently to decent success and it is really nice in general 'cause role stacking = ££££££ and because the core typically pairs well with stuff like Lando-T anyway, meaning that you won't always be short of a Rocker and 'cause having Spikers which spike vs. different types of teams or to double the number of chances u get to set a layer is extremely nice in general given how broken Spikes is in the current meta. Defo not the best variant and obvi u kinda need to structure ur team around this to account for the dropped coverage on Gren, but it is definitely something worth considering.

 

[victordoblew]

Greninja + Mega Medicham

This core i've benn used since medicham was released is so pretty and can broke balanced stall and offense easily incluiding it in the correct team.

Greninja can check so many medi check's (metagross, slowbro-mega, ghost types...) and get the spikes on to help medi destroying stall

252+ Atk Pure Power Medicham-Mega Ice Punch vs. 252 HP / 112 Def Sableye-Mega: 113-133 (37.1 - 43.7%) -- 0.4% chance to 2HKO after 1 layer of Spikes

if you use this mons sableye isn't a medicham's switch in if he has a little damage (lando u-turn for example). The core is so beatifull and works vs all play styles

para hax (Medicham-Mega) @ Medichamite
Ability: Pure Power
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- High Jump Kick
- Thunder Punch
- Fake Out
- Ice Punch

+
Greninja @ Life Orb
Ability: Protean
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Spikes
- Hydro Pump
- Gunk Shot
- Dark Pulse

or

Sgto Keroro (Greninja-Ash) @ Splash Plate
Ability: Battle Bond
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Spikes
- Hydro Pump
- Water Shuriken
- Dark Pulse

greninja should be uber soon but now we can take advantage of this mon in cores like this (we always will have ash gren... jajajajaj)
enjoy the core:P

 

[Rio Vidal]

Offensive Core
Mega Medicham + Ash-Greninja + Magearna

Sets

Medicham-Mega @ Medichamite
Ability: Pure Power
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- High Jump Kick
- Fake Out
- Ice Punch
- Zen Headbutt

Greninja-Ash @ Choice Specs
Ability: Battle Bond
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Dark Pulse
- Water Shuriken
- U-turn

Magearna @ Assault Vest
Ability: Soul-Heart
EVs: 200 HP / 12 Def / 252 SpA / 44 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Flash Cannon
- Fleur Cannon
- Aura Sphere

The idea of the core is really simple, Mega Medicham is an insane physical wallbreaker that has trouble dealing with ghost types such as Mega Sableye so as a partner Specs Ash-Greninja just blows through any ghost types that prevent Medicham from spamming HJK. Greninja though has some trouble with bulky poison types such as Specially Defensive Toxapex so Mega Medicham packs Zen Headbutt to take care of them. Again, like gen 6, Mega Medicham works best with a slow bulky pivot and what better mon then AV Magearna with Volt Switch that blanket checks so many things. Magearna's EV spread allows it to live Scarfed Excadrill and Garchomp's Earthquake, outspeeds pokemon such as no investment skarmory and all while maximizing its special attacking potential. Once this core is weakened a bit it is easily cleaned through by pokemon such as Scarf Garchomp so adding checks such as Landorus-T preferablly with U-turn for bringing in Mega Medicham would be a good idea

 

[Ema Skye]

Webs Core:

Shuckle @ Mental Herb
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Sticky Web
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic
- Infestation

Mimikyu @ Red Card
Ability: Disguise
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Shadow Sneak
- Shadow Claw
- Play Rough

Thundurus @ Flyinium Z
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Wild Charge
- Knock Off
- Superpower
- Fly

Webs are really good on the ladder right now because hazard control is basically non-existant after Pheromosa's ban. You can use Smeargle over Shuckle for Spore support, and having a better match-up against other Webs teams with Magic Coat. However, Shuckle is usually more reliable thanks to Mental Herb and Sturdy, which guarantees one of the hazards. I went with Infestation over Encore to have some way of doing damage against Steels.

No Encore does make Shuckle set up fodder, which is where Mimikyu comes in. Red Card and Disguise means that no set up attackers can beat it. Mimikyu also blocks Rapid Spin from Starmie and Excadrill (which is OHKOed by +2 Shadow Claw after Rocks). Also outspeeds Lele and Zygarde, and a lot more with Webs down.

Thundurus is my preferred Defiant user over Bisharp because it beats most of them due to its Electric STAB. Wild Charge and Knock Off beat Fini, Latios and Skarm if they choose to Defog Superpower hits Steels if Thundurus wants to try sweeping, and Fly hits bulky Grasses like Tangrowth or Venusaur. I'm not sold on the individual moves, but the set puts in work. If you don't need Fly, try Electrium-Z for a STAB attack that doesn't cause recoil, and you could try Bulk Up in the last slot.

Good teammates are anything that would normally struggle with revenge kills. Medicham is excellent here as it is now faster than Greninja and Tapu Koko after Webs. Zygarde, Celesteela, Charizard Y, Manaphy and Pinsir are also good teammates that appreciate things being slowed down. The core likes a Special Fairy type to check Mega Sableye, as all three are fairly susceptible to it if it carries Wisp.

 

[Wob]

Offensive
Nihilego + Magnezone

Scarf Nihilego is actually a really brutal wincon thanks to Beast Boost and its 127 base Special Attack stat if it can get going. Unfortunately, its STAB combo is easily walled by pretty much every steel in the tier. Although it can run hp fire to deal with steel types, it's a horrible move to get locked into, is generally fairly weak, and forces Nihilego to miss out on coverage vs Lando-t, Garchomp etc. That's what mag is for, trapping ferro/steela/magearna/mscizor/skarm and probably some other stuff I forgot about. Make sure to pair these two with at least one, possible a second ground immunity, because 2 4x ground weak Pokemon is obviously gonna make your team weak to lando and other grounds.

sets

Nihilego @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Power Gem
- Sludge Wave
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Thunderbolt

Magnezone @ Choice Specs
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 132 HP / 252 SpA / 124 Spe
Modest Nature
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power Fire
- Flash Cannon
- Thunderbolt

 

[Marigold]

(shoutouts to ultraballz for the rmt that made me discover the potency of this core)

Did somebody say nihilego??? Here's a core I've been abusing to a 22-3 ratio so far on an alt. Tapu koko and scarfed nihilego form a semi electric spam core, as the electric terrain allows nihilego to forego the garbage thunder coverage for a more reliable tbolt. You'll often only find yourself with only a couple of turns to abuse the terrain, but these are enough turns to break down predicted switch-ins or outright gain boosts to compensate for losing the terrain.

Pack coverage for ferrothorn on nihilego, as this core is hard walled by the spikeball without it. Medicham seriously wallbreaks bulky steels and grounds for these two (and we all know that kokocham is frighteningly underprepared for). Pack a ground immunity, perhaps lando-t for a voltturn core and rocks. While you're at it, might as well throw on spikes because these guys bait switches nicely.

vvv Sample Replay vvv

http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-564041406

sets

Tapu Koko @ Magnet
Ability: Electric Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- U-turn
- Taunt

Nihilego @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Power Gem
- Sludge Wave
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Fire]

 

[Sun King]

(shoutouts to ultraballz for the rmt that made me discover the potency of this core)

Did somebody say nihilego??? Here's a core I've been abusing to a 22-3 ratio so far on an alt. Tapu koko and scarfed nihilego form a semi electric spam core, as the electric terrain allows nihilego to forego the garbage thunder coverage for a more reliable tbolt. You'll often only find yourself with only a couple of turns to abuse the terrain, but these are enough turns to break down predicted switch-ins or outright gain boosts to compensate for losing the terrain.

Pack coverage for ferrothorn on nihilego, as this core is hard walled by the spikeball without it. Medicham seriously wallbreaks bulky steels and grounds for these two (and we all know that kokocham is frighteningly underprepared for). Pack a ground immunity, perhaps lando-t for a voltturn core and rocks. While you're at it, might as well throw on spikes because these guys bait switches nicely.

vvv Sample Replay vvv

http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-564041406

sets

Tapu Koko @ Magnet
Ability: Electric Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- U-turn
- Taunt

Nihilego @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Power Gem
- Sludge Wave
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Fire]

That's a sexy replay, nice T-Wave on the Katana. That said, I think this core would benefit from the addition of something that can set up rocks against Stall, as otherwise it's bullied pretty hard against it. Something like SD Alolawak could put in work alongside it, especially since it switches in nicely against Ferro for non-stall matchups. It does stack a ground weakness, so definitely make sure you cover that well with this core

 

[woofmasterarf]

Can someone please explain to me how this core hasn't been mentioned yet?
The sets https://pastebin.com/6TwC1sdQ

Mega Pinsir greatly appreciates Steel-types such as Skarmory being eliminated. Volt-Switch is also good for momentum and bringing Pinsir in safely. Tapu Koko is a good partner as Electric Terrain boosts Magnezone's T-bolts and Volt-Switches to insane levels of power. Any Water-types that can remove hazards are good too as Mega-Pinsir does not like Rocks and both are weak to fire. Tapu Fini deserves a special mention due to it being able to protect Pinsir from status.

EDIT: Don't choose Close Combat over EQ as Magnezone covers the main targets of Close Combat anyways. Knock Off users are good partners in order to remove Shed Shells. Remember that Fini's Misty Terrain only protects Pinsir from status before Mega-Evolving.

 

[Marigold]

Can someone please explain to me how this core hasn't been mentioned yet?
The sets https://pastebin.com/6TwC1sdQ

Mega Pinsir greatly appreciates Steel-types such as Skarmory being eliminated. Volt-Switch is also good for momentum and bringing Pinsir in safely. Tapu Koko is a good partner as Electric Terrain boosts Magnezone's T-bolts and Volt-Switches to insane levels of power. Any Water-types that can remove hazards are good too as Mega-Pinsir does not like Rocks and both are weak to fire. Tapu Fini deserves a special mention due to it being able to protect Pinsir from status.

EDIT: Don't choose Close Combat over EQ as Magnezone covers the main targets of Close Combat anyways.

Friendly reminder to readers that pinsir is only protected by misty terrain while non-mega. This lets pinsir set up in sableye's face, then mega up and demolish stall once skarmory is removed. Knock off support is needed to get rid of shed shell and let zone do its job.

 

[Joking all time]

You must delete Pheromosa's cores :)

 

[Ramses]

spikes + magic guard

Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barb
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 SpD
Careful Nature
- Power Whip
- Knock Off
- Leech Seed
- Spikes

Alakazam @ Focus Sash
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
IVs: 0 Def
- Psychic
- Shadow Ball / Hidden Power [Fire]
- Thunder Wave
- Counter

Everyone should know by now just how good Sash Zam really is and how much it appreciates Spikes support. Alakazam forces an incredible amount of switches as the opponent tries to play around it because regardless of what you do (unless you've got multihit priority or Fake Out) something is either gonna get KO'ed or crippled via Thunder Wave. Spikes play into this as they repeatedly punish the opponent for shuffling their team around Alakazam, and Ferrothorn is the best Spiker in the tier and brings an incredible amount of utility, it's just hard to really justify not using it.

art of the trap

Latios @ Choice Specs
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Psyshock
- Surf / Defog
- Trick

Magnezone @ Assault Vest
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 248 HP / 196 SpD / 64 Spe
Calm Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Volt Switch
- Flash Cannon

Specs Latios is a pretty cool set since it dents stuff extremely hard but has a rather exploitable STAB combo with the huge amount of Steel-types in the tier. So Magnezone comes naturally as a partner and is utilizing what I consider to be it's best set right now, Assault Vest. While you miss out on some heavy power from it's Specs set, AV brings some really good bulk to the table to switch into threats such as Tapu Lele, opposing Latios, Magearna, hell even Greninja a few times if it lacks Low Kick. This set in particular maximizes special bulk in favor of power because Magnezone is really just there to trap Steels, Volt Switch around, and function as a defensive pivot. The power isn't even really missed because you still 2HKO what you trap and hit super effectively.

matchmaking

Zygarde @ Dragonium Z
Ability: Aura Break
EVs: 112 HP / 248 Atk / 148 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Outrage
- Thousand Arrows
- Extreme Speed

Keldeo @ Choice Specs
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Scald
- Secret Sword
- Hydro Pump
- Icy Wind

This is a really fun core of Dragonium Z Zygarde + Choice Specs Keldeo. The premise is Z Outrage Zygarde blows Tang (and other things like Lando) completely back which is a major thorn in Keldeo's side when it comes to spamming it's STABs. What I really like about DD Zygade is how the opponent reacts to it. Naturally, if it was CB or Coil first they would go into Tangrowth to tank the hit and you'd be forced out. This gives the opponent the chance to double into the predicted switch-in or annoy your switch-in with Leech Seed, Sleep Power, or Knock Off. With Dragon Dance, however, the opponent can't really decide what you're going to do and you gain the advantage as they pretty much have to go into Tangrowth since nothing else in the tier can really check a +1 Zygarde capable of switching moves besides Landorus-T and probably something like Hippowdon lol. So usually after you break the Tangrowth you can easily preserve Zygarde since a Scarfed revenge killer is coming in no doubts and return lategame to finish what you started, which is where Keldeo comes in. Keldeo breaks a massive amount of bulky mons' that Zygarde would really like to be weakened before attempting to sweep and with Tangrowth gone it's a walk in the park.

generic psychic spam

Tapu Lele @ Shed Shell
Ability: Psychic Surge
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Psyshock
- Moonblast
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Taunt

Metagross @ Metagrossite
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Meteor Mash
- Zen Headbutt
- Earthquake / Hammer Arm
- Thunder Punch

Your generic psychic spam. So Tapu Lele breaks stall with virtually no effort whatsoever and sets up Psychic Terrain for Mega Metagross which bolsters Zen Headbutt to hit like a nuclear missile, breaking past it's more conventional checks such as Landorus-T, Rotom-W, Tangrowth, Alomomola, etc without resorting to coverage like Ice Punch in Lando's case so it can break past the aforementioned checks too without a ton of prior damage to beat them and that's pretty hard considering Alo and Tang have Regenerator. The Steel coverage slot is actually pretty flexible here since Lele's HP Fire hits what Hammer Arm hits bar Heatran and more than likely you're packing multiple things for Ferrothorn, which is the only notable thing Hammer Arm really hits. Earthquake is pretty decent since it hits opposing Metagross, Magearna, Jirachi while hitting most of what Hammer Arm does.

tricky rooms

Cofagrigus @ Ghostium Z
Ability: Mummy
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Shadow Ball
- Trick Room
- Will-O-Wisp
- Nasty Plot

Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 248 HP / 92 Def / 168 SpD
Careful Nature
- Power Whip
- Spikes
- Knock Off
- Leech Seed

I think OTR Cofagrigus is pretty darn good because +2 Ghostium Z nukes just about everything in the tier for massive amounts of damage and the lack of Ghost resists in general make sweeping rather easy for it. Regardless, it'd really appreciate having Spikes support to get the bulkier things into +2 Shadow Ball or Never-ending Nightmare range and Ferrothorn is pretty much the go to Spiker.

 

[Jonathan Quiles]

View attachment 76547 View attachment 76548

Sets

Mimikyu @ Ghostium Z / Life Orb
Ability: Disguise
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Shadow Claw
- Play Rough
- Shadow Sneak

Magnezone @ Choice Specs
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 128 HP / 252 SpA / 128 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Flash Cannon
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Fire]

Fun little offensive core I've been using with decent success. Mimikyu is a decent (and cute) sweeper due to Disguise giving it a free one-time Substitute letting it set up freely and unleash it's amazing STAB combination on the opponent. However, even with his alright power, bulky Steel-types such as Ferrothorn, Mega Scizor, and Skarmory are still a pain to get through, which is where Magnezone comes in. Magnezone is able to trap these Steel-types and eliminate them from the game (unless they have Shed Shell of course), making Mimikyu's sweep even easier. Magnezone also threatens other Mimikyu checks such as Toxapex with Thunderbolt and is able to soften up defensive Pokémon with his Choice Specs-boosted attacks to help Mimikyu out in the late-game. You can also run the Chople Berry Thunder Wave set on Magnezone to help this core out against Superpower Mega Scizor and Hammer Arm MegaGross (also lets Magnezone beat Kartana!), but I find Specs to be more consistent especially with Mega Meta running Earthquake nowadays over Hammer Arm. Life Orb is also an option over Ghostium Z on Mimikyu if another member on the team is already using a Z-move, although it should be noted that Never Ending Nightmare helps Mimikyu get past his defensive checks easier when trying to sweep. Good partners to this core would include pivots such as Mega Scizor who can bring Magnezone in via U-Turn so he can fire off attacks or trap Steel-types, which Mega Scizor also appreciates. Mega Scizor also checks Mega Metagross, which is a threat to the core, making it even more useful. Ground-type checks such as defensive Lando-T and Tapu Fini help out Magnezone and can also provide utility such as Stealth Rock or Defog. Overall, this is just a really cool offensive core and I hope you all try it out!

Im actually building a team with this core. Mimikyu is a favorite ghost pokemon, and Magnezone is my favorite electric type so this core was an instant favorite of mine! I was thinking about adding tank Garchomp to round out the core:

Garchomp (M) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 240 HP / 176 Def / 92 Spe
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Dragon Tail
- Toxic

We shouldn't forget that as a ghost type Mimikyu can spinblock if needed. Garchomp also creates a Dragon/Steel/Fairy core with Mimi and Mag. I opted for using Toxic over Fire Blast since Toxic helps ware down physically defensive Pokemon which can be problematic for Mimikyu if its intention is to sweep. Do be aware that Tapu Fini gives TankChomp problems so having a plan for it is ideal as Magnezone shouldn't be relied on to take it out especially if its meant to trap steel types for Mimikyu.


P.S. I am new to the smogon community and would love to learn as much as possible about cores. Thanks and have a great day!

 

[astroboy]

+

here's a cute balance/defensive core i've been slappin on a lot of semistall teams

import

Muk-Alola @ Assault Vest
Ability: Poison Touch
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Atk / 16 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- Pursuit
- Poison Jab
- Shadow Sneak

Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 244 Def / 16 Spe
Bold Nature
- Discharge
- Roost
- Heat Wave
- Defog

explanation

Muk is a cool mon that I feel can do a lot of work given proper team support, but because of its difficulty to effectively build a team around, it often goes overlooked. Zapdos is a premier partner for Muk; providing your team with a reliable answer to many things that would otherwise provide a threat, such as Steels (Bisharp, Skarm, Scizor, etc.,) Toxapex, and bulky Grounds. In return, Muk traps strong Special attackers that would give Zapdos a hard time, like Nihilego, Tapu Lele or Gengar. As far as building around the core goes, bulky Grass-types are a good place to start. Tangrowth in particular can provide much-needed support against offensive Ground-types, like CB Zygarde or SD Lando-T, while it is complemented by Muk's ability to check a good amount of Special attackers and Zapdos' ability to handle birds. I chose the on-site spread, but feel free to experiment with them to better suit your team n shit.

 

[BoronicOrcane]

Mega Scizor + Dugtrio (Offensive core)

Scizor @ Scizorite
Ability: Light Metal
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
IVs: 30 Spe
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Swords Dance
- Roost

Dugtrio @ Focus Sash
Ability: Arena Trap
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Sucker Punch
- Memento


I honestly don't understand how this core hasn't been included in this compendium yet. The two have excellent synergy. The core thrives off of Scizor's ability to set up on a variety of physical attackers as well as a slow pivot that Dugtrio loves, while Dugtrio traps a lot of Scizor's common threats such as Magnezone, Heatran, Volcarona, Marowak, etc. This core is also very adaptable to whatever kind of other Pokemon you bring . Scizor can run defog if need be, and Dugtrio can run a variety of moves and items as long as EQ and SE are present. Overall, as long as you play well this core puts in a ton of work. I've been using it recently and while I don't have any replays saved (will be adding in the future) you can take my word that it is very effective.

Edit: Replays
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-567993308
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-567996530

 

[Marigold]

Mega Scizor + Dugtrio (Offensive core)

Scizor @ Scizorite
Ability: Light Metal
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
IVs: 30 Spe
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Swords Dance
- Roost

Dugtrio @ Focus Sash
Ability: Arena Trap
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Sucker Punch
- Memento


I honestly don't understand how this core hasn't been included in this compendium yet. The two have excellent synergy. The core thrives off of Scizor's ability to set up on a variety of physical attackers as well as a slow pivot that Dugtrio loves, while Dugtrio traps a lot of Scizor's common threats such as Magnezone, Heatran, Volcarona, Marowak, etc. This core is also very adaptable to whatever kind of other Pokemon you bring . Scizor can run defog if need be, and Dugtrio can run a variety of moves and items as long as EQ and SE are present. Overall, as long as you play well this core puts in a ton of work. I've been using it recently and while I don't have any replays saved (will be adding in the future) you can take my word that it is very effective.

While you can't trap marowak-a because of its ghost typing, this core is indeed powerful because of how dugtrio is broken and should have been banned easily scizor lures in stuff that dugtrio can trap. Any core with reliable hazard removal is a good core to me.