[RMT] First OU Team

[DropTheNuke]

Hey guys, I'm new. Although this is my first post as a member of Smogon, I have been lurking around (that's what I do) for sometime now. Some of you may know me as DropTheNuke on ShoddyBattle.

This is my OU team designed for ShoddyBattle. Hopefully I will eventually replicate this team on my DS for Wi-fi.

Anyways, here goes:

TEAM AT A GLANCE

Now let's break it down:

The Anti-Lead

Starmie @ Life Orb
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 6 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Grass Knot
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Rapid Spin

Starmie serves as my anti-lead of sorts. It can reliably deal with many of the metagame's most popular leads. Hydro Pump OHKO's Infernape, Aerodactyl, and Azelf 74.5% of the time, while managing a 2HKO on Metagross, Hippowdon, and Bronzong. Grass Knot easily OHKO's Swampert. Rapid Spin is used to take out any Sash users, as well as clearing the field of entry hazards. If anybody is stupid enough to trick a scarf onto Starmie, it can outspeed & OHKO +1 Salamence with Ice Beam. The best part about Starmie is that, unlike other leads, it can and usually will survive to serve as a late-game sweeper.

The Special Sweeper

Gengar (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 6 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Focus Blast
- Hypnosis
- Shadow Ball
- Substitute

Now we adjust to life after Starmie. Gengar is usually the next Poke I send out. With Gengar, first comes a Hypnosis and if that hits, I put up a substitute. I can then sweep using the Ghost/Fighting coverage combo, which (I believe) has no resistances. Gengar is also useful for a myriad of other purposes, including Earthquake immunity, Fighting immunity (Close Combat and Dynamicpunch most of the time), and perhaps most importantly Explosion immunity. If I see an Azelf or an Electrode nearly dead, chances are that they are going to explode, which I can laugh at with Gengar.

The Physical Wall

Skarmory (F) @ Shed Shell
Ability: Keen Eye
EVs: 252 HP/66 Atk/192 Def
Impish nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Drill Peck
- Roost
- Whirlwind
- Stealth Rock

Skarmory serves three purposes in my team. First, it can set up Stealth Rocks, something my anti-lead can't. Stealth Rock is a very important factor in sweeping, and it is pretty much necessary for my end-game sweepers. Skarmory is also a physical wall, with excellent defenses and a wide-range of resistances (including the ever-popular Dragon Outrages). Finally, Skarmory can act as a pHazer through the use of Whirlwind. This is important as it can disrupt Baton chains as well as getting rid of a Curselax or CM+rest anything by pHazing it out. Shed Shell allows for an escape from Magnezone, and potentially using the incoming T-bolt to my advantage (see: Electivire).

The Special Sponge

Vaporeon (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 188 HP/252 Def/70 Spd
Calm nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Wish
- Surf
- Protect
- Hidden Power [Electric]

Vaporeon is my special wall, as well as my Wish-passer. Vaporeon and Skarmory together form a pair of walls that most single-sided attackers cannot break through. In addition, Vaporeon serves as a Gyarados counter, as she can switch into a Waterfall, survive a +1 EQ, and OHKO back with HP Electric.

The Electric Conductor

Electivire (M) @ Liechi Berry
Ability: Motor Drive
EVs: 4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Ice Punch
- Meditate
- Thunderpunch
- Substitute

Electivire takes advantage of the electrical weakness on both Vaporeon and Skarmory. When I predict a Thunderbolt, Thunderpunch, or Blissey's T-wave, I switch into Electivire to gain the Speed Boost. I can then sub down to 25% HP, while meditating when I can, and eventually delivering at least a +1 Atk Boltbeam Punch. Usually, most people out the turn I switch 'Vire in, so I can usually get at least 1 meditate in. Additionally, most people expect EQ to be on Electivire, and switch into something like Salamence when I begin attacking, only to eat an Ice Punch in the face.

The Late-Game Sweeper

Metagross @ Life Orb
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 112 HP/252 Atk/12 Def/132 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Agility
- Earthquake
- Explosion / Thunderpunch
- Meteor Mash

Agiligross is my late-game sweeper. It's fairly standard, but the idea is for me to take out all of it's counters before I send it out. These include Zapdos (taken by Electivire) and Rotom (taken by Gengar). When the threats are out of the way, Metagross becomes an insanely powerful force to deal with, punching holes in nearly everything. I'm currently debating whether to use Explosion (to put huge wholes in everything that walls this, bar Rotom) or Thunderpunch (to hurt bulky waters).


I think that wraps up the team. I am open to any suggestions, comments, flames, or "This team sucks, kill it right now" comments that you may have. Just be sure to give a reason behind such comments.

Thanks alot.
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EDIT: Changes in RED
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[zero_gundam]

overall good team, you may want to try a sash on your starmie though to help ensure you stay alive long enough to take out your opponents lead, i do see dugtrio being able to revenge kill a few of your pokemon but starmie and vaporeon should be able to take care of him

 

[boredomisbliss]

hmm this is quite a good team, there are very few weaknesses but i can cite one, sub rotom, it can wall/hit super effective your entire team, except for electivire, but the way you set up electivire it might get that +1 speed but its unlikely that it will get that +1 attack, especially if it ends up eating a shadow ball, and the WoW rotoms will have a field day with that annoying status
also magnezone, since you had leftovers over shed shell, a subrise magnezone can eat skarm and metagross, same goes for vapy

dont run sash on starmie, its special attack is quite mediocre really, and you need that extra power

on metagross use thunderpunch, so skarmory doesnt wall you, and you dont want your late game sweeper, which might actually be your last poke, dying do you? >.<

also the lack of a status absorber, paralysis cripples your whole team, bar maybe electivire, nobody likes a burn or toxic, though gengar and skarm resist toxic

these really are small things im pointing out, this team is very well built, gl ^^

 

[DropTheNuke]

Thank you for your feedback.

you may want to try a sash on your starmie though to help ensure you stay alive long enough to take out your opponents lead

Azelf usually packs Psychic and occasionally Fire Blast, both of which are resisted by Starmie.

Swampert is easy to take care of, Grass Knot.

Starmie can survive an EQ from the likes of Metagross, Hippowdon, and Bronzong, in addition to a gyro ball from Bronzong. Most Metagross' tend to set up SR first before attacking, and most Bronzong will try to set up Trick Room or Rocks.

Aerodactyl will use taunt 90% of the time, and even with Stone Edge it barely makes a 2HKO.

For Speed Boost leads such as Ninjask and Yanmega, I tend to switch out to Skarmory immediately to Phaze away the Speed Boosts.

Tyranitar destroys Starmie no matte what, with Pursuit doing 97-100% damage, enough for Sandstorm to KO anyways.

@boredomisbliss:

Electivire comes with a Liechi berry, meaning that as long as I can sub down to 25% health, I get an automatic +1 attack. Meditate is simply if the opponent switches or status a sub. Speaking of which, after the Motor Drive Electivire outruns Rotom, so it can simply Sub up, rendering WoW useless.

I'm not sure about this, but if Skarm whirlwinds a Magnezone, would it work? I guess it is death fodder for Magnezone, though. And regarding Metagross, I outrun Magnezone after the agility, and can easily OHKO with EQ.

I guess I do need a status absorber. Any suggestions?

Thanks for all the comments.

 

[LionFang]

I'd suggest running a shed shell on your skarmory. I've used Magnezone a lot on my teams, and whenever I see that leftovers recovery on Skarm my mind instantly says, "Free Kill". Since it's steel type protects it from residual damage from both poison and sandstorm, you wouldn't be losing that much recovery. Plus, you would then take a kill your opponent thought was free and turn it into speed for your electivire!

Also, IMO, the need of a status observer isn't that great. Electivire loves Twave and Gengar and Skarmory alone stop the toxic stall strategy. With other statuses smart gameplay should do the trick. For example, if someone comes to burn you, just switch it to a special attacker, Vaporeon works best because of it's recovery.

 

[DropTheNuke]

@Lionfang:

I've done what you said and replaced Leftovers with Shed Shell on Skarmory. I totally forgot that I could use Magnezone's T-bolt to my advantage, thanks.

 

[DropTheNuke]

Threat List

Offensive List

Abomasnow: Not so sure about this one, any feedback?
Azelf: Starmie takes care of it
Breloom:
Celebi: Starmie's Ice Beam 2HKOs, if it doesn't have HP Fire, then Metagross and Skarmory wall it.
Dugtrio: Starmie OHKO with Hydro Pump.
Dragonite: Starmie can at least 2HKO with Ice Beam, and Skarmory walls Outrage.
Electivire: My Electivire > opponent's Electivire
Empoleon: Vaporeon pretty much walls this and can kill it with HP Electric.
Flygon: Vaporeon surf, Starmie Hydro Pump and Ice Beam take care of it.

Gengar: Starmie outspeeds non-scarfed variants and OHKO with Pump and Ice Beam
Gliscor: Vaporeon and Starmie take care of this.
Gyarados: Vaporeon switches in on Waterfall, survives EQ, and OHKO with HP Electric.
Heatran: Vaporeon can switch in on any fire move and Surf it to death.
Heracross: Skarmory walls Choice Banded variants, and Starmie can always kill it with Pump.
Infernape: As a lead, Starmie destroys this. As a mixed sweeper, Vaporeon and Skarmory will eventually reduce it's defenses to shreds thanks to Close Combat, after which Gengar and Starmie can kill it.

Jirachi: Not very sure about this one, but if it's Scarfed, Starmie will have a bit of a problem.

Kingdra: If it Outrages, Skarmory walls it, and Vaporeon can take Waterfalls.
Latias: Metagross resists both Dragon and Psychic.

Lucario: Skarmory walls this most of the time and Gengar resists Extremespeed along with Close Combat.

Machamp: Gengar can come into a Dynamicpunch and Hypnosis.

Magnezone: With a shed shell, Skarmory can switch out of this and have Electivire take advantage of the incoming T-bolt.
Mamoswine: Surf and Hydro Pump from Vaporeon and Starmie end this thing.

Metagross: Gengar can put to sleep and then proceed to Focus Blast or Shadow Ball it to death.
Ninjask: Skarmory + Whirlwind.
Porygon-Z: Not so sure about this but I think Metagross walls it.

Rhyperior: With abmyssal speed and Special defence, Vaporeon and Starmie can Surf, Hydro Pump, or Grass knot this to death.
Roserade: Haven't dealt with this much before. Salamence: Outrage is walled by Metagross and Skarmory, while Starmie can OHKO with Ice Beam.

Scizor: Walled (to an extent) by Skarmory and Metagross.
Snorlax: Phaze Curselax and kill Restalkers with Metagross.
Starmie: Most scarfed Starmies trick a scarf at first opportunity, great for my Starmie.
Togekiss: Not so sure.

Tyranitar: Unless it's TyraniBoah, Skarmory walls this thing.
Weavile: Metagross usually walls this.

Yanmega: Phaze with Skarmory (?)
Zapdos: Electivire can come in on a T-bolt, survive a Heatwave and 2HKO with Ice Punch unless it roosts.

Defensive threat list coming up shortly.


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[Quickster]

Change the EVs on Skarm to this:

252HP, 64 Atk, 176 Def, 16 Speed

These EVs allow Skarm to Outrun Max speed adamant Rhyperior and 2HKOs a full health Gyarados (Counting SR but not Intimidate). :)

 

[DropTheNuke]

Thanks for the feedback. One question though, why would skarm need to outrun Rhyperior? Skarm basically can't scratch Rhyperior using drill peck anyways. Also, Skarm 2hko's Gyarados? Awesome.

Anyways, thanks for the reply. Keep it coming, guys!

 

[DropTheNuke]

24 hour-ish Bump