That is Irrelevant.

[Blackaced_]

Hello Smogonites! This my first Rate My Team on Smogon and I decided this would be the perfect time to retire my team "Irrelevant" after Salamence got banned to Uber. Before I go into detail or just general talk I would like to thank a Smogonite "Bologo" for giving me the idea to what is my most successful team. This team peaked at 1524, which isn't fantastic but hax and school work and the fact I made this team just before Salamence was banned meant I never achieved a higher CRE. I am also not a fantastic player but 1524 is pretty decent, so without further delay I shall present my team; Irrelevant.

Team Talk
I originally built this team around one word; "Unorthodox" in a Metagame which is extremely stale and unchanging, playing with with different Pokemon and sets is more enjoyable and gives you an edge as they are unpredictable. Only one Pokemon on this team can be called "Standard Standard" that is my Swampert the rest of the Pokemon are rarely seen on Shoddy but have time and time again proven its worth. Many opponents often stereotype Pokemon "Oh Kingdra! Dragon Dance! It must be...Hmm Bronzong! It must be a standard wall!...Salamence, not good it is going to Dragon Dance on me..." Get the picture? Using uncommon sets allows you to score kills from the opponent over predicting. Soon they start playing too cautious as they realise my team is definitely not standard.

My team finds that Spikes and Stealth Rock extremely helpful and important, I will often let either Swampert or Skarmory set up entry hazards even if it means them fainting. After wards I change gear and I continue to use Heatran, Salamence and Kingdra fantastic wall breaking and just raw power to punch holes in the enemy. This team as the ability to adapt, it is bulky enough to take hits from Offensive teams but has enough fire power to blow holes in Stall.

Heatran usually comes out first (Around early to middle game) and just starts throwing Life Orb Fire Blast everywhere. Salamence usually comes out when something dies and most often around middle to late game (After Heatran took care of that pesky Steel.) and I don't like switching in Salamence too early because of Stealth Rocks. Salamence's job is to rip holes in the opponent's team but most importantly special walls and Pokemon with Water Absorb. Kingdra is nearly always end game and probably my most important Pokemon, because Choice Spes hits from a Kingdra don't feel all that great. Packing fantastic typing and respectable speed and a nice Special Attack this unorthodox set often sees many Physical walls coming in like lambs to the slaughter. Finally it is Bronzong's turn, this monster sets up Trick Room and is good to go and has the easy job of picking up the scraps and blasting everything with Gyro Ball and Explosion.

Since my team is not all that fast and actually lacks priority, Trick is essential as for a few turns it gives my Pokemon the ability to deal as much damage without being hit first. Over all like I said this team is my best team up to date and I will sorely miss it.

Irrelevant.

* Phoenix
Skarmory @ Lum Berry
Ability : Keen Eye
Nature : Careful
Evs : 250 Hit Points 132 Speed 128 Special Defense
Ivs : 31/31/31/31/31/31

• 
  [*] Brave Bird / Drill Peck
  
  [*] Spikes
  
  [*] Taunt
  
  [*] Whirlwind / Roost

Nature : Careful was to allow Skarmory who already has fantastic Physical Defense to take hits from both spectrum. This gives it the ability to set up Spikes more easily on special threats like Gengar.
Evs : These Evs also allow Skarmory to sometimes survive a standard Magnezone's Thunderbolt on full Hit Points and set up one layer of spikes. I shoved a lot of Evs in Speed so it would be possible to outspeed three important leads, Metagross, Swampert and Machamp. The Speed Evs also allow Skarmory to outspeed "Rest Talk Gyarados," "CroCune" and other "Spiker Skarmorys."
Ivs : Maxed out to give Skarmory its full potential.

Set Analysis :
This Skarmory is absolutely fantastic, the amount of Swamperts and Metagross that get Taunted first turn is ridiculous. This set also allows me to hit Machamp hard in the face with Brave Bird and recovery from confusion thanks to Lum Berry. Lum Berry was easily the item of choice and its usefulness will be emphasised when I write how Skarmory deals with the top 10 leads in OU. The ability to set up Spikes early on is in valuable as it forces a lot of pressure onto my opponent making switching difficult for them. It also allows me to scout out for Rapid Spinners which are completely dealt with by Kingdra.

Brave Bird is mainly to break Focus Sash on taunters (Aerodactly) and most importantly to destroy those annoying Machamps. I have also being considering Drill Peck because without recovery then Skarmory's life expectancy is severely cut, however Drill Peck doesn't always 2HKO Machamps which is bad even if Kingdra resists Bullet Punch. Taunt is also absolutely necessary on Skarmory and once again its usefulness will be explained later with Lum Berry. However in short Taunt prevents slow Stealth Rocks and also Pokemon trying to set up or heal up. Skarmory is usually one of the first Pokemon to faint however its impact is extremely useful especially when it rips 25% off the opponent's Pokemon. In Trick Room if Skarmory is still standing it makes an effective counter to Fighting and Grass types with Brave Bird and a suicide attacker if something needs to be hit fast. One problem I have with Skarmory is it lacks recovery, thus I have often thought about Roost on its moveset however the only move I can replace is Whirlwind which is extremely helpful and scouts very well. This allows me to plan in advance which is extremely important as Trick Room can also be a nuisance to me if they have slower Pokemon. Roost also doesn't suit this team as it is Bulky Offensive and Roosting slows down the momentum. However the ability to heal up and then proceed to set up more Spikes is invaluable. Skarmory's typing and defensive bulk makes it a key partner for Heatran who can take all Fire moves aimed at this bird, Skarmory also returns the favour by setting up Spikes on Earthquakes which makes it easier for the whole team to sweep. Skarmory also draws out Fire Pokemon, especially Heatrans giving me a chance to further boost my Heatran's Special Attack to sky high levels. Skarmory also has fantastic synergy with Salamence resisting Ice and Dragon.

Overall Skarmory has been a fantastic lead which often gains the momentum and gets at least one layer of Spikes down on the playing field which really cripples the opponent.

Leads :

• 
  [*]
  
  
  Azelf leads are a problem they can Taunt, Stealth Rock or Flamethrower Skarmory. To deal with this I just switch out to Heatran to take the Flash Fire boost or the Taunt. Fire Blast has the ability to OHKO Azelfs even without the Fire Flash boost.
  
  [*]
  
  
  Aerodactyl usually just eats a Brave Bird turn one predicting the Taunt, if they Stealth Rock or Rock Slide then I cross my fingers and try to set up one layer of Spikes next turn. If they Taunt me then no big deal I just switch to Kingdra to absolutely destroy it and anything that comes in or Swampert to Ice Beam it to hell.
  
  [*]
  
  
  I absolutely love Swampert leads as they never ever set up Stealth Rock, I always Taunt turn one because seriously who expects Skarmory with Taunt? After wards I get one layer of Spikes if they switch to a counter. Or if I get lucky they might try to Ice Beam me for the freeze (Yes I know I got Lum Berry and yes this has happened before....)
  
  [*]
  
  
  Machamp my good friend this is one lead that you can't laugh at. I Brave Bird this piece of filth to Kingdom Come and laugh as Lum Berry does its job. Skarmory > Machamp and that my friends is a fact.
  
  [*]
  
  
  Metagross, Metagross, Metagross I taunt this piece of Steel and proceed to set up Spikes, sadly I don't have a Ghost to take the obvious Explosion but Skarmory's resistance and great typing can allow it to take a hit. Hopefully this means no Stealth Rock from turn one.
  
  [*]
  
  
  Jirachi, dam these are annoying I can either take the Choice Scarf and set up 2-3 layers of Spikes before going down like a trooper or I can switch to Heatran to take the Choice Scarf and fire off a nice Fire Blast from there.
  
  [*]
  
  
  Sadly Infernape scares Skarmory half to death, I can either predict him to over predict and set up one layer of Spikes whilst Infernape sets up Stealth Rock. My second option is to run as fast as I can to Swampert to take Close Combat or the Overheat and then set up Stealth Rocks, altogether not a lead I want to face.
  
  [*]
  
  
  Ninjask has nothing on Skarmory and I just Taunt it whilst laughing in his face and proceeding to set up Spikes if it stays in then even better once Taunt wears off I just Whirlwind the Baton Pass.
  
  [*]
  
  
  Roserade usually thinks it can be a clever cat and place the quick sleep on Skarmory, however my Skarmory is win so Lum Berry prevents that as I taunt it meaning no Toxic Spikes. I then set up my Spikes even if it has got Hidden Power Fire.
  
  [*]
  

Stupid Bulbapedia, doesn't have the Heart Gold Soul Silver Hippowdon sprite.... Anyway I just Taunt this over sized Hippopotamus and then set up my Spikes. I love fighting Hippowdons as it usually means they have a Stall team and Stall teams hate Skarmory and Spikes with a passion.

* Titan
Swampert @ Leftovers
Ability : Torrent
Nature : Relaxed
Evs : 252 Hit Points 222 Defense 36 Speed
Ivs : 31/31/31/31/31/31

• 
  [*] Earthquake
  
  [*] Ice Beam
  
  [*] Stealth Rock
  
  [*] Roar

Nature : Relaxed gives Swampert the Physical bulk it requires, there really is no other nature I even consider. However I really hate the negative Speed I get from this nature.
Evs : Max Hit points is just to increase its survival rate, 36 Speed allows Swampert to outspeed Blissey and Lead Machamp by one or two points. This is vital as being hit by either a Toxic or a Dynamic Punch will severely cripple Swampert.
Ivs : Maxed out to give Swampert its full potential.

Set Analysis :
Swampert is just Swampert, there is really nothing special about this Swampert. I need something to set up Stealth Rocks and have the potential to threaten Salamence or to scare it off. Swampert was the answer as it could set up Stealth Rocks take a couple of hits and its moveset allows it to hit a lot of Pokemon for super effective. Swampert also is deadly in Trick Room meaning later in the match it can Ice Beam that Salamence, Earthquake that Heatran and just go crazy on the opponent's team. As stated before Earthquake and Ice Beam are necessary to allow Swampert to check a lot of Pokemon, the most important being Salamence, Lucario, Gliscor, Heatran etcetera. Swampert also acts as my secondary Physical check after Skarmory. Both check or counter different Pokemon and this allows me to control or keep most Physical sweepers in hold.

Stealth Rock is a must on any given team and this is no exception, Stealth Rock with Spikes really hurt the opponent's team able to chip a nice amount each time a switch happens. This greatly increases not only my momentum but also my dominance over the match. Roar is to scout (Which is another reason I am not sure if I should run Whirlwind on Skarmory.) Roar like Whirlwind just gives me information on the opposing team and lets me think of a strategy or method to beat them. Not only that it does the obvious effect of spreading the warm loving embrace of Stealth Rock and Spikes.

You are a champion Swampert.

* Magma
Heatran @ Life orb
Ability : Flash Fire
Nature : Hasty
Evs : 252 Special Attack 252 Speed 6 Attack
Ivs : 31/31/31/31/31/31

• 
  [*] Explosion
  
  [*] Fire Blast
  
  [*] Earth Power
  
  [*] Hidden Power Grass

Nature : Hasty allows Heatran to out speed or speed tie with a lot of other Pokemon. Hasty unlike Timid means no Explosion drop which is perfect, however I have been thinking if Naive would be a better decision as Heatran is my main Scizor check and better Physical defense means I can take more U-Turns.
Evs : Max Special Attack and Speed makes Heatran the threat it is. This is the standard sweeper Ev spread and you just should all know what it does, it just allows Heatran to hit hard and out speed a lot. 6 Attack is just filler to get a slightly stronger Explosion.
Ivs : Maxed out to give Heatran its full potential.

Set Analysis :
I seriously don't know why I am the only person using Heatran with Life Orb, the power increase is ridiculous and allows it to seriously dent stuff hard. Fire Blast is obvious the move of choice and if it doesn't miss it is capable of knocking out so much junk. Standard Gliscor takes 91% - 107.6% from a Fire Blast with no Flash Fire boost, slap down Stealth Rock and it is as good as gone. Offensive Gyarados eats a nice 38.4% - 45.3% from Fire Blast and 25% from Stealth Rock meaning it should be able to 2HKO. Standard Dragon Dance Salamence takes 51.7% - 60.7% from Fire Blast, slap on Stealth Rocks and Life Orb and its going to faint real soon. You guys get the picture? Life Orb 252 in Special Attack means Fire Blast is probably the most beastly move. Heatran is also deadly in Trick Room as its move set allows it to hit the majority of the Metagame for Super Effective. Heatran also shares amazing synergy with Salamence resisting (Like Skarmory) Ice and Dragon typed moves and vice versa. This allows both Pokemon to come in easily and fire off another strong attack further weakening the opponent's team.

Ok enough about the heavenly goodness about Fire Blast, Explosion allows Heatran to pave the way for Choice Specs Kingdra as knocking out that Blissey is really important. Explosion allows it to blow up on "CroCune" and blast a hole in the opponent's team hardcore. It is also useful for knocking out Gyarados who plan to Dragon Dance on me thinking Heatran is completely vulnerable. Earth Power is obvious and just allows me to predict Heatran switch in, it also has decent Base Power and 100% accuracy so if I need something dead at low Hit Points and not willing to risk Fire Blast, Earth Power is the move I use. Hidden Power Grass is not something you see on Heatran everywhere but it is slowly getting more popular (Which makes my Heatran less effective.) it allows it to smack Swampert and Suicunes really hard in the face as they are often the "Go to Pokemon to wall Heatran"

• Standard "Mix Pert Swampert" : 106.9% - 126.7%
  
• Standard "CroCune Suicune" : 44.1% - 52%

Heatran is my all out attacker that just wants to punch holes in the enemy, nothing can really wall this Heatran as all Special Walls fall prey to Explosion. Heatran is my useful Scizor check and can take U-Turns day and night, Heatran is also the first Pokemon I switch in to Rotom-H trying to bait out the Will-O-Wisp and also Thunderbolt doesn't 2HKO. Heatran is seriously and invaluable Pokemon and is the Pokemon I go to when I want something severely weaken to the state Salamence and Kingdra can blast it away.

* Ragnarok
Salamence @ Choice Band
Ability : Intimdiate
Nature : Jolly
Evs : 252 Attack 252 Speed 6 Defense
Ivs : 31/31/31/31/31/31

• 
  [*] Outrage
  
  [*] Earthquake
  
  [*] Stone Edge
  
  [*] Dragon Claw

Nature : Jolly is chosen over Adamant even if the massive Attack stat look so very tempting. Jolly allows Salamence to actually out speed and tie with other Pokemon.
Evs : Simple, simple, simple. 252 Attack and 252 Speed allows Salamence to hit as fast and hard as possible.
Ivs : Maxed out to give Salamence its full potential.

Set Analysis :
Here lives the king of Pokemon OU who took his throne at the beginning of Platnium, here lies Ragnarok my lovely Salamence. Here is the reason I decided to post this team as without Salamence I lose my main man, my cannon. Choice Band Salamence catches so many opponents off guard, and slapping on a Choice Band means Salamence instantly holds an immense amount of power. I used Choice Band over Life Orb because it is not standard and when the opponent doesn't see 10% recoil they get confused. Secondly like stated above Choice Band allows me to hit hard as soon as possible and finally I hate losing health like that. Choice Band makes Salamence less fragile as Stealth Rock and Sand Storm already really hurt Salamence.

Salamence pairs very well with my team especially Heatran which resists everything Salamence is weak too. This is especially important as it allows Heatran to switch into Bullet Punchs giving me another opportunity to dent the opponent's team. Salamence's job is to also weaken the foe's Dragon counter to a point a Kingdra with or without Trick Room can take it out.

I often go for the simple Dragon Claw first off to not get locked into anything and just to scout off. However as I learn more of the opponent's team I can go for the more appropriate move. As stated above this team loves Stealth Rock and Salamence is no different, with Stealth Rock present it scores a lot of 0HKO or 2HKOs;

Dragon Claw from a Choice Band Salamence does.

• Standard Physical Zapdos ; 43.1% - 50.9% without Stealth Rocks, 68.1% - 75.9% with Stealth Rocks
  
• Standard Offensive Gyarados : 48.9% - 58% without Stealth Rocks and with Intimidate, 73.9% - 83% with Stealth Rocks and with Intimidate.
  
• "Substitute+Three Attack Machamp : 41.8% - 49.6% without Stealth Rocks, 48.05% - 55.85% with Stealth Rocks
  
• Choice Band Scizor : 19.5% - 23% without Stealth Rocks, 32%-35.5% with Stealth Rocks
  
• "Mix Pert" Swampert : 25.5% - 30.4% without Stealth Rocks 31.75%-36.65% with Stealth Rocks.
  
• Gliscor : 30.8% - 36.7% without Stealth Rocks 43.3%-49.2% with Stealth Rocks.

Pretty dam powerful I must say so myself, and remember guys this is Dragon Claw not Outrage. Outrage is used for late game or when I absolutely need something dead or weakened to the point the Pokemon can not serve its purpose anymore. Earthquake and Stone Edge are just filler and are rarely used as Dragon Claw is often the better choice. Earthquake hits Heatran hard whilst Stone Edge OHKOs Zapdos and Gyarados. Salamence is my main check to physical threats who can severely damage Swampert and Skarmory, such threats include Machamp, Infernape etcetera. Salamence can come in pull and Intimidate and absolutely destroy something.

Salamence usually doesn't end up living till late game as would very much prefer to sacrifice Salamence if that means locking it in Outrage to finish off a Tyranitar or a Vaporeon. This then opens a lot of holes for the remaining team. Another reason I don't mind Salamence dying is because (As mentioned before) it is usually Scizors who switch in to Bullet Punch. This allows Heatran an easily switch in. The final reason I don't mind Salamence dying before late game is because that is when Trick Room is up. Salamence being reasonably fast can out speed quite a lot which is definitely not good.

Thanks Salamence, I loved using you every since you became a physical threat in Pearl. Cheers mate you were a legend.

* Bahumat
Kingdra @ Choice Specs
Ability : Swift Swim
Nature : Modest
Evs : 252 Attack 152 Speed 104 Hit Points
Ivs : 31/0/31/31/31/31

• 
  [*] Draco Meteor
  
  [*] Hydro Pump
  
  [*] Surf
  
  [*] Dragon Pulse

Nature : Modest is chosen because the drop from power would be too great if it wasn't. I also chose Modest as it still allows me to out speed the critical. Also since Kingdra nearly always comes out late game and Trick Room is usually up too much Speed is not a good thing.
Evs : These Evs look a bit more tricky than Salamence's 252/252. 252 Special Attack is to blast anything to oblivion, 152 Speed allows Kingdra to out speed a Jolly Max Speed Tyranitar. The rest is dumped into Hit Points to really sponge hits better.
Ivs : No Attack Ivs because Kingdra is strictly Special and more attack means Kingdra will be hitting itself harder when Kingdra is confused.

Set Analysis :
Choice Specs Kingdra eh? Who the hell predicts that? No one that's who, that is also why it is so effective. The amount of Physical walls that come to attempt to wall Kingdra is actually quite amazing. Choice Specs Kingdra seriously packs a lot of power, it has around the same Special Attack as a Timid Life Orb Latias in fact. Kingdra also has fantastic typing and resisting Water 4x is a blessing. Kingdra is my main Starmie counter and takes near nothing from a Surf even if the Starmie is Choice Specs. Kingdra is also the first Pokemon I switch into Rapid Spinning Starmies as then I can Draco Meteor it Kingdom Come.

Kingdra's move set looks actually rather stupid, however this is because Kingdra doesn't have the best move pool. Draco Meteor is to really punish something hard, I only use this when something really needs to be hit hard or needs to be taken out quick and smart. I often am hesitant to use this move because of the obvious side effect -2 Special Attack is easy to set up on. These is where the other three moves come into play, Hydro Pump is a stronger Surf and is used when Surf just doesn't have the required punch to take out the certain Pokemon. Surf is Kingdra's main attacking option, it has nice Base Power and 100% accuracy and is just a great move altogether. Dragon Pulse is Kingdra's fourth and final move, Dragon Pulse is like Surf a weaker STABBed. However it has perfect accuracy which is always a bonus. Whilst Kingdra doesn't have the best coverage with this move set the amount of power it packs by slapping on double STABBed is crazy.

Draco Meteor without Stealth Rock

• Standard Support Cresselia takes 49.5% - 58.8%
  
• "Choice Rotom-H" takes 107.5% - 127%
  
• Standard Vaporeon takes 64.3% - 75.9%
  
• "Toxic Spiker Tentacruel" takes 52.7% - 62.1%
  
• "Wish Passer Umbreon" takes 47.2% - 55.8%

Hydro Pump without Stealth Rock

• "Spiker Skarmory" takes 94.6% - 111.7%
  
• Choice Band Tyranitar takes 124.4% - 146.5%
  
• Physically Defensive Forretress takes 100.8% - 118.9%
  
• Choice Band Scizor takes 83.1% - 98%
  
• "Tank Bronzong" takes 51.8% - 61.2%

However whilst Kingdra looks deadly on paper, it is nothing compared to its power once Trick Room is set up. Able to outspeed nearly the entire Metagame for 5 turns results in nothing but absolute chaos. Thanks to Kingdra's typing and natural bulk it resists Scizor's Bullet Punch meaning more than priority is needed to stop this beast once Trick Room is set. However one thing I have to be careful of when setting up Trick Room is everything that is slower than Kingdra is fainted otherwise the plan might backfire, though it has only happened once.

I am so glad Bologo introduced Choice Specs Kingdra because this thing is an animal. Whilst Kingdra may not be as well known for its Special side, Choice Specs Kingdra is an absolute terror to play against.

* Titanium
Bronzong @ Macho Brace
Ability : Heat Proof
Nature : Brave
Evs : 252 Attack 252 Hit Points 6 Special Defense
Ivs : 31/31/31/31/31/0

• 
  [*] Explosion
  
  [*] Earthquake
  
  [*] Gyro Ball
  
  [*] Trick Room

Nature : Brave is the perfect nature for Bronzong as it allows it to lower its Speed which means a harder Gyro Ball whilst also increasing its attack.
Evs : A rather simple Ev spread, 252 Attack and 252 Hit Points gives it maximum bulk and maximum Attack. It allows Bronzong to set up easily on most Pokemon and hit hard as a truck.
Ivs : No Speed Ivs because that means it will make a stronger Gyro Ball, also it is to absolutely be slower than anything so it is faster in Trick Room.

Set Analysis :
Everyone here familiar with "The Big Bad Wolf" story? You know, the wolf dresses up as a grandmother to deceive Little Red Riding Hood right? That is exactly what my Bronzong is; the Big Bad Wolf of this team. Bronzong is really a Pokemon you would not expect to be sweeping, when the word "Bronzong" comes to mind you think of "wall, Stealth Rocks, Gyro Ball." no one ever predicts or expects a Trick Room Bronzong with Macho Brace ever. I have never use a Pokemon that can take out so much junk and be able to set up in nearly ever game. Bronzong is truly an amazing Pokemon.

Bronzong just fitted into my hard hitting team because after Choice Specs Surfs, Choice Band Outrages and Life Orb Fire Blasts Trick Room Bronzong is the last Pokemon the opponent wants to see. Bronzong's typing and natural bulk help it become even more sturdy than most Pokemon. Because of this there has never been one battle where Bronzong has been OHKOed before setting up Trick Room to save the day. Bronzong can make use of two absolutely fantastic abilities either Heat Proof or Levitate, both have their positive and negative characteristics. However in the end I decided to go with the less popular Heat Proof just because of the sheer fact no one ever expects it. The amount of other Bronzongs running Levitate force most players to go for the Fire Blast instead of the Earthquake. This ability is also why I insisted on a Taunt lead because Spikes would give away my ability (Heat Proof Bronzongs take Spike damage whilst Levitate Bronzongs don't.)

The move set is rather obvious, Gyro Ball is Bronzong's main attack and is use to nail something hard. With 0 Speed Evs, 0 Speed Ivs and a negative Speed nature, Bronzong's Gyro Ball usually hits 150 Base Power (Same Base Power as a Focus Punch) against most of the OU Metagame. Also the fact it is only resisted by a few Pokemon means Bronzong is going to be denting hardcore style. Earthquake is for Lucarios, Heatrans and Magnezone all Pokemon which don't mind taking a Gyro Ball to the face. Earthquake also allows me to hit Scizor however it doesn't do that much as it lacks STABBed and Scizor has decent bulk already. Thus I usually exploded on it, this brings us to Bronzong's last attacking move; Explosion. Explosion is used for two primary reasons, firstly it is used when I need something dented hard or fainted. Secondly I use Explosion to save Trick Room turns or when Trick Room is about to end. By exploding instead of wasting a few turns to knock out another Pokemon it gives the rest of my Pokemon a few more turns on Trick Room. Also Explosion is used when Trick Room is about to end and I know the opponent will bring in a Pokemon to take out Bronzong.

Gyro Ball damage against Pokemon without Stealth Rocks

• Dragon Dance Salamence takes 75.5% - 89.1%
  
• Stall Breaker Gliscor takes 48.3% - 57.1%
  
• Life Orb Starmie takes 45.2% - 53.6%
  
• Pain Split+Substitute Gengar
  
• Choice Scarf Flygon takes 83.1% - 98%
  
• Spore+Subsitute Breloom takes 94.7% - 111.7%
  
• Choice Band Tyranitar takes 98.2% - 116.5%
  
• Substitute+3 Attacks Machamp takes 52.5% - 61.9%

Explosion against Pokemon without Stealth Rocks

• "CroCune Suicune" takes 74.8% - 88.1%
  
• Choice Band Scizor takes 67.1% - 79%
  
• "MixPert Swampert" takes 88.1% - 103.7%
  
• Phytsically Defensive Zapdos takes 98.7% - 116.2%
  
• Bulky Dragon Dance Gyarados takes 134.6% - 158.6%
  
• Stall Breaker Gliscor takes 107.3% - 126.6%
  
• Substitute+3 Attacks Machamp takes 144.9% - 170.5%

Once again I stress Bronzong is not suppose to be taking out walls as in theory my team should be dealt with them by using a combination of Salamence, Kingdra, Heatran, Spikes and Stealth Rock. Bronzong is just meant to take out Pokemon who have been severely crippled or very fragile Pokemon (Gengar.)

 

[Blackaced_]

Threat List

Threat List

Instead of writing out all the Pokemon in OU I will just write the Pokemon I have seen become a major threat against my team, I will also list play styles and how I deal with them. So here it is to conclude my Rate My Team guys!

Individual Threats

There is few teams under Salamence's OU reign that didn't fear a Salamence. Whether this is "MixMence" or Dragon Dance Salamence, it was always a fearsome opponent. Salamence was a big problem to my team and the only way to take it out was to Ice Beam it was Swampert whilst it Dragon Dances up or switches in. However Bronzong can take +1 Outrage quite easily and set up Trick Room from there on Salamence becomes dead weight against my team. The best defense is to set up the battlefield quickly; Stealth Rocks are always nice when dealing with Salamence.

Suicune really is a thorn up my side, whether it be "CroCune" or Offensive Suicune. Suicune's impressive bulk, decent speed and nice coverage really hurts my team. My main way to deal with Suicunes is to go into Kingdra and smack it in the face with a Draco Meteor before it can get up to many Calm Minds. However it should be remember Kingdra's typing means it 4x resist Water moves.

• Draco Meteor from a Choice Specs Kingdra does 60.4% - 71.3% to a "CroCune"
  
• Dragon Pulse from a Choice Specs Kingdra does 38.9% - 46% to a "CroCune"

I can also blow up in its face with Heatran or Bronzong, however I tend not risk Heatran as Suicune can potentially out speed Timid 252 Speed Heatran still. Salamence's Outrage with Spikes and Stealth Rock support will also dent it but I don't like getting locked just to weaken or get rid of one Pokemon. Roaring it or Whirlwinding it will also help as it spreads Entry Hazards and also stops Suicune from setting up.

Team Styles

Rain Dance revolve completely around Offense, Speed and Rain Dance, but when the Rain stops raining it is my team to shine. I also pack a Kingdra which enjoys a Speed boost and resists Water moves 4x. Also on my team I have Trick Room which completely turns the tables around and for five turns my Pokemon will be hitting their fragile Pokemon first.

Sunny Day teams? Wow they exist? Really? Whilst Chlorophyll can be annoying Trick Room puts it back into back giving me a few turns to smack stuff around. Also a lot of my Pokemon resist Fire, Swampert, Heatran (Loves the Fire boost as well), Salamence and Kingdra. Jumpluff can be annoying but doing the basics like slapping down Stealth Rocks and Spikes really reduce the amount of times a Sunny Day team can switch and rips off 25% of all Fire Pokemon.

Sure Tyranitar and Hippowdon are common except pure based Sand Storm teams are rare. Spikes is my main Entry Hazard and tears a nice chunk off Pokemon like Tyranitar, Hippowdon, Cradily etcetera. Swampert is also a great counter to Sand Storm teams able to smack it in the face with Earthquake or Ice Beam. Kingdra will also be deadly as I don't see much being able to take a Choice Specs Surf. Bronzong's STABBed and Super Effective Gyro Ball will also be ripping through Pokemon.

Hail Teams are also rare, however taking down Pokemon are never easy because the amount of Hax that is involved. Snow Cloaks are extremely annoying and often cost me dearly. Stealth Rock however is very handy as every switch will cost the opponent Hit Points guaranteed. Bronzong and Heatran both have a field day with these teams and their STABBed destroys the opposing team. Also because most Pokemon in Hail Teams are fragile a nice Dragon Claw or Surf will be able to take out most Hail Team Pokemon. Once again Stealth Rocks and Spikes really help (Like always.)

Trick Rooms are extremely rare and use extremely slow Pokemon which will out speed most of my Pokemon in Trick Room. However I do have a Bronzong which appreciates Trick Room. These teams can be annoying and I have to use the bulk, resistances and immunities to stall out the five turns. Once that happens my fast (Yet powerful) sweepers will be able to roll it hitting left and right. Still a tricky play style to fight as it is often unexpected and Trick Room teams usually pack really bulky Pokemon. So once again Stealth Rock and Spikes and Stall usually mean the end of Trick Room teams.

Thanks guys that is it, I conclude Team; Irrelevant.

5657 words, 18 Microsoft Word pages.​

:]​

 

[Shizzle]

Hey buddy :P

Ok, just a few things here to clean up, its a good team already though!!
Firstly, you are getting both Spikes AND Stealth Rock down, I think that in itself warrants a Spin Blocker. Now of course just chucking a Rotom-A/Gengar wouldn't work on this team unless other changes were made, because you would be arguably too weak on the physical offence side.

So what you could do, is change Kingdra, to a Sub Dragon Dance set, or even Yawn Dragon Dance, which will work amazingly well with your double entry hazards up, and then you could replace Salamence with either Rotom-A or Gengar, making your team line up Skarmory, Swampert, Heatran, Rotom-A/Gengar, Kingdra, Bronzong.

Also I show distaste for your current Bronzong set, I mean its a good set, but it has no place in this team, which consists of 4 pokemon using 100+ Speed EVs. What you could do, is use the same set, but change Trick Room for Light Screen, and Heatproof to Levitate. Sure Heatproof can be great, but your team already has sponges for Fire hits [Kingdra/Heatran], and another Ground immunity will be very beneficial. Light Screen is obvious, as you set it up as they go to Infernape/Heatran, and you can KO them with Earthquake the following turn. Alternatively, you could be extremely evil, and keep Trick Room on Bronzong, and replace Salamence with a bulky [TR] Breloom, something such as the following:

Breloom @ Toxic Orb
Adamant - Poison Heal
EVs: 236 HP / 252 Atk / 20 Def
Moves:
~Spore
~Substitute / Bulk Up
~Seed Bomb
~Focus Punch / Stone Edge

 

[gaburu]

Great team; I like your YouTube videos btw. Anyways, the easiest answer for Suicune that I can see is switching Swampert for Quagsire. You can run the same exact set while being completely immune to Crocune and wall/phaze other variants. The bonus is that you add more of a unique touch with Quagsire. With Skarmory at the helm, I think the drop in bulk is well worth it.

I also think Bronzong should be replaced with a spin blocker of some sort but that's just an afterthought. As for Mence's replacement, choice band Dragonite doesn't seem too bad. Dragon dance Gyrados also makes for a great pair with Heatran and you keep the intimidate factor. One setup pokemon wouldn't hurt.

I hope that helps.

 

[george182]

I often run the swampert + skarmory combo. But I always lead with swampert, as I find it easier to switch skamory in on swampert counters. Instead of skarm in on swampert counters. I also find that swampert is a more effective lead.

If you choose lead swampert then I would definately suggest a moveset of: brave bird, spikes, roost and whirlwind. Taunt is only really useful as a lead, and you can whirlwind after they have set up, but you have to use taunt before they set up. Which is why I'm not too keen on it. But if you keep skarmory as a lead, then obviously keep taunt.

Also why 132 speed ev's lol. That put's you at 209 speed for outspeeding suicune. Well I have never seen a lead suicune, ever. Also the majority of suicunes I see now are the offensive set with max speed and timid. So 132 speed ev's is kinda pointless. Although smogon still suggests it, because they never update there ev's.

Machamp and swampert you outspeed with no speed ev's and metagross has the same speed as skarmory. Smogon currently suggest 24 speed on metagross, I have no idea why 24, I think they just took the pointless spare defence ev's when they realised no one used lead Choice band dugtrio and they just dumped them in HP, a case of knowing a change was needed, but not being bothered to fully change it. But anyway I suggest you use 28 speed ev's on skarmory to just outspeed the smogon metagross.

This allows you to run more bulk, and you can put the spare ev's, first 2 into hp, to give you 252 and an extra stat point. Then the rest into defence/special defence. Or you can do what smogon suggests put 64 ev's into attack to allow you to 2hko offensive gyarados after stealth rocks, although I think this is pointless as offenisve gyarados has a life orb and is not just gonna DD up till you kill it, so they seem pointless to me.

Now for salamence. I would of used choice specs over choice band, as a choice specs dracco meteor is gonna destroy anything and suits the hit and run style of a choice user. But as mence is Uber, then maybe a choice band Flygon would be better here, with U-turn to scout, no stealth rock weakness. However a special mix flygon has worked well for me, so you can always try that out, a life orb max special attack dracco meteor surprises any physical wall that thought they were taking a scarf U-turn and when fire blast OHKO's there sp.def skarmory it sends them rage quiting.

Levitate bronzong suits your team much more than heatproof. Also why take neutral damage from the sort of rare fire, when you can have an imunity to the most common move in the game, earthquake (I don't know if it is the most common, but I often see the 100 base power, 100 accuracy TM move).

 

[Blackaced_]

Firstly I posted this on Serebii (Yes, Serebii there are SOME good people at Serebii and I do want to spread my Youtube name around.) and this is what a good friend wrote about Trick Room Bronzong..

AppleButter2 :
"He isn't really using that Trick Room to abuse it with Swampert and Skarmory. He is using it to clean up late game after Salamence/Kingdra/Heatran have all abused spikes so Bronzong can have an easy time sweeping with its bulk and decent attack. As he stated in his descriptions, after abusing spikes with LO Heatran, Specs Kingdra, and Banded Salamence. Offensive Bronzong cleans up the rest of the metagame nicely."

Fried Rhys
"You guys don't seem to understand the point of Offensive Trick Room Bronzong. He doesn't plan on using Trick Room to help the rest of his team, he uses it as a late game cleaner. OTR Bronzong happens to be one of the best cleaners in the game."

I couldn't have put it better Apple, Trick Room is mainly for Bronzong who always comes out at the end. Roar and Whirlwind allow me to scout for Pokemon which are slower than my sweepers so I can plan to take them out before revealing Bronzong. Also my sweepers are not exactly fast in OU, in fact they are rather slow so Trick Room usually helps them.

Gaburu, dropping Swampert means I lose a great Physical wall AND a Stealth Rocker which is absolutely critical to my team. The only Pokemon that learn Stealth Rock is either Heatran or Bronzong. Both of these Pokemon need all four of their moves right now to be effective.

George182 : I agree with you I will run 28-32 Speed Evs on Skarmory. When thinking about Levitate Bronzong think of ...The Big Bad Wolf. He acts alone he doesn't rely on other Pokemon as much. All he wants is the rest of the team to set up Stealth Rocks, Spikes and to hammer the other team hard. Then he sets up even if it is against an Infernape, that is why Heat Proof is there. To allow Bronzong that needed one turn of set up. Going to Kingdra and Heatran doesn't do very much as Kingdra takes around 60%-70% from a Close Combat and Heatran gets knocked out cold by a Close Combat.

I have also decided to run Brave Bird, Spikes, Roost, Taunt on Skarmory.

Thanks guys.

:]

 

[gaburu]

I don't think you thoroughly read the post; Quagsire gets THe SAME EXACT MOVES at the cost of 5 base defense. Water absorb will allow you set rocks on Crocunes/phaze them out. It can even help phaze Gyras without taunt. I'm sorry if I wasn't clear enough. Note that you should run ice punch(not like Salamence will be there to intimidate it anyways).

 

[Eggbert]

Like specs kingdra is a weaker but still powerful specslatias, CBflygon is a weaker but still powerful CBmence. Actually, in some ways even better. You lose intimidate and 35 base attack, but you gain much better typing. You can now switch in so many more times, and provide a way to bluff a scarf or absorb powerful thunderbolts. Flygon even learns the same exact moves, but with stab on the EQ. something to try out. also, run jolly despite what the article says, flygon doesn't outrun nearly enough stuff without jolly (gliscor, jirachi, roserade, ect)

 

[Blackaced_]

I have decided to swap Salamence for Dragonite.

It is working moderately well I need more time to experiment however I do like priority and bulk.

:]

 

[BinarySolo]

I don't think you thoroughly read the post; Quagsire gets THe SAME EXACT MOVES at the cost of 5 base defense. Water absorb will allow you set rocks on Crocunes/phaze them out. It can even help phaze Gyras without taunt. I'm sorry if I wasn't clear enough. Note that you should run ice punch(not like Salamence will be there to intimidate it anyways).

Quaggy doesn't get Stealth Rock, though, and as the OP said, there's no room for it anywhere else on the team and it's too important to just ditch. Also, once Quagsire's in it can't really do much except absorb attacks, whereas Swampert has good offenses on top of good physical defence.

 

[Shizzle]

Hey Black Aced, if you could respond to the other changes I suggested it would be nice :S

Also I wouldn't recommend Choice Band Dragonite, simply because he is slower, and it leaves your team wide open to things like SD Lucario or Dragon Dance Gyarados who can both pretty much take the team down after a single boost. Personally I would use CB Nite in tandem with a Choice Scarfer like Jirachi to revenge kill such foes, although this tactic would require a team built around that duo. In this case, something such as a Choice Band Gyarados would be more effective, or even changing Dragonite to a Bulky Dragon Dance set, which are both more reliable in their own right, and do not allow such potential foes to set up.

 

[george182]

Hey Black Aced, if you could respond to the other changes I suggested it would be nice :S

Also I wouldn't recommend Choice Band Dragonite, simply because he is slower, and it leaves your team wide open to things like SD Lucario or Dragon Dance Gyarados who can both pretty much take the team down after a single boost. Personally I would use CB Nite in tandem with a Choice Scarfer like Jirachi to revenge kill such foes, although this tactic would require a team built around that duo. In this case, something such as a Choice Band Gyarados would be more effective, or even changing Dragonite to a Bulky Dragon Dance set, which are both more reliable in their own right, and do not allow such potential foes to set up.

Which is why I suggested choice band flygon. But if you keep dragonite, use choice specs. I know his special attack is lower, but you will be dealing more damage to dragonite's common switch in's.