Thrash Metal Team! My idea of an offensive team

[Sqwert]

I have been playing around with this team since the introduction of the Suspect Ladder and I really liked the concept and how it worked in the post-Garchomp metagame. But with the arrival of Platinum and my first 5-0 lose with this team (due to a DDance Kingdra) I think its proper time for a revamp. So here it goes!

Team at a glance:​

​

As the title suggests this is intended to be an offensive oriented team, but obviously that doesn't mean it shouldn't have synergy. The purpose of the team is to make SDLuke sweep as easy and lethal as possible. Now, how I intend to achieve this? Well, you're about to know if you keep reading xD

Oh, I almost forgot! any of you should be wondering why I name this team as "Thrash Metal", and it is mainly for four reasons:

1) Themed teams are funnier to read
2) My team has got three steel pokes on it
2) I have named each set inspired in Thrash Metal songs I like
3) I love thrash metal xD

Members / Songs:

Mandatory Suicide - Slayer
Azelf @ Focus Sash
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 Atk/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Hasty nature (+Spd, -Def)
- Stealth Rock
- Taunt
- Explosion
- Psychic

My Stealth Rock lead that lets me get the sweep started right away. Besides the obvious SR support it provides to any team. Azelf also attracts pokes which Heracross can scare off and set up on. It used to work great in DP but it has some difficulties with the new trick leads (specially Metagross). I may consider using Flamethrower > Psychic due to this.
---

Killing is My Business - Megadeth
Heracross (M) @ Flame Orb
Ability: Guts
EVs: 252 Atk/4 Def/252 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- Facade
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge

Usually comes right after Azelf's suicide so it doesn't reveal its item in the switch-in and it can disguise itself as a Choice Band / Scarf variant. Its main role in the team is to scout and kill possible Lucario counters. It also helps to deal immediate huge damage against troublesome walls.

---

Fight Fire With Fire - Metallica
Heatran (F) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 20 Def/236 Spd/252 SAtk
Mild nature (+SAtk, -Def)
- Earth Power
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Explosion
- Fire Blast

Good-ol-Scarftran, it's just everywhere so why not use it too? It makes up for my obvious fire weakness and is an affective revenge killer. I’m considering maxing speed to tie with other Scarftrans and maybe running Dragon Pulse > Explosion to sort of make up for my DDKingdra weakness since I usually never use Explosion.
---

Parasite - Exodus
[FONT=&quot]Scizor (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 HP/76 Atk/180 SDef
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Light Screen
- Roost
- X-Scissor
- Bullet Punch

Now, my version of the Uber Trapper set for OU and counter for LO Gengar and Hidden Power Ground Yanmega. As weird as it may look, it actually performs pretty well with the team, specially Salamence and Lucario by enabling them to set up more easily in special based pokemon (mainly bulky waters.). It also useful for revenge killing purposes with the new addition of Bullet Punch to its movepool.
---

Strike Of The Beast - Exodus
Salamence (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 216 HP/252 Def/40 Spd
Impish nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Dragon Dance
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Roost

My version of Bulkymence with 40 EVs to outspeed Jolly Tyranitar and the rest to max out its defensive abilities (if my memory is right, I think it can even survive a RestTalk Machamp Ice Punch. I’ll run some calcs later to check out this later.). It works with Sizor to form the pseudo-defensive core of the team. It can scout Ice / Rock / Dragon attacks for Lucario to come out and set up its sweep but has also scored some KOs by herself (yes, it’s a she.) mainly due to Heatran scouting bulky waters and Cresselias and then being weakened by Scizor.
---

Extreme Agression - Kreator
Lucario (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Inner Focus
EVs: 252 Atk/4 Def/252 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- Crunch
- Extremespeed

My finisher and the main guy in the team. I really prefer good ol’ Crunch instead of the new Ice Punch due to its coverage, greater BP, and the fact that, if everything goes as planned, Gliscor and co. shouldn’t be a problem. Really one of the best sweepers in the current metagame.
---

Pokemon I have trouble dealing with:
-DD Kingdra (as already mentioned)
-Machamp (as never really swept my team, but I need to rely on prediction and Scarftran to deal with it)
-Offensive Gyarados (I haven’t seen one yet in battle but if it doesn’t switch in Heracross, it should give me trouble)
-Hariyama (see Machamp and delete the Scarftran part)


So that's basically it, so please rate my team!

 

[Olie]

On Azelf, I'd recommend Fire Blast over taunt, so you can OHKO Forry and 2HKO Bronzong and Metagross, who you can't do much to otherwise. Even if you taunt Bronzong/Forry, they will still likely have gyro ball, and a skilled player can easily predict this and possibly kill you off.
Now, on Heracross, flame orb activates immediately as you switch in if I recall correctly, so if your opponent happens to send in Bliss, they would likely switch to something to resist CC, Like Gengar. To help with prediction and to scout Items/movesets that your opponent is using, you may want to throw substitute on your Heracross. While this may not seem too important, it does help scan for scarfs, and you will likely avoid heavy damage from oncoming scarftrans if they witch in while OHKOing woth Close Combat. Try throwing that over stone edge for a change of pace.
The problem with using Scizor against Vaporeon or suicune (bulky waters as you mentioned), is that while they may not be able to do much to you, you can't do much to them, while Suicune always has CM and Vappy has wich support and sometimes Iron defence. The scizor set isfine, but you have nothing to deal with bulky waters. So, instead of having 3 physical sweepers, I'd swap (Salamence preferably) for something like Zapdos. I have recently been experementing with this set, and it is just amazing for stopping Suicune and Vaporeon, as well as blissey.

Zapdos@ Leftovers
Calm
252 HP / 220 SpD / 36 Spe

-Metal Sound
-Thunderbolt
-Roost
-Substitute/Hidden Power (Ice)/Heat Wave

The idea of this set is pretty simple: stay safe until late-game, kill or wear down Zapdos' counters if your opponent has them, then come in on an Earthquake or after a KO and start dishing out damage. Pretty much like any other sweeper, really. Metal Sound is here because after one use, Thunderbolt averages about 40% or 47% damage to Blissey, depending on her EV spread. That means that with some residual damage (Stealth Rock, Spikes, and/or Sand Stream), Zapdos may actually manage to beat Blissey. Calm Mind and/or Ice Beam will make it a lot tougher though.
Hidden Power Ice is highly recommended on sweeping Zapdos, as it provides superior type coverage when compared to its Grass equivalent. Swampert, (the main target of Hidden Power Grass) is 2HKOed (60 - 70% damage against standard Swampert) by Hidden Power Ice after Metal Sound. Most Celebi are OHKOed by HP Ice after a Metal Sound.
Heat Wave can be considered for opposing Scizors and Forry/Metagross/Zong etc.
This also helps against your (somewhat) DD Gyara weak.

Otherwise, the team looks quite good, so good luck with it! ^_____^

 

[Sqwert]

^ Yeah, I will definitely run Fire Blast on Azelf for a while, mainly due to Metagross.

Now, Substitute on Flame Hera doesn't seem too appealing to me. It's already losing HP each turn to Flame Orb and the occasional weather to be setting up subs. Also, it should be setting up Swords Dance in the very first turn (while the Choiced Hera illusion is on) to be able to OHKO Gliscor and co.

Next, Scizor isn't supposed to be KOing bulky waters. The idea is to come in them, set up Light Screen and pass it to a teammate (mainly Luke) for it to set up. Even though, I got quite interested in that Zapdos and I will test it for a while since it covers Sally's defensive role and also can help to get rid of waters for be Heatran to pseudo-sweep with Fire Blast more easily. But the lost of a fire resistance will hurt, though.

Anymore comments?

 

[Stathakis]

this reminds me of one of the old teams I posted >.>

man jolly sdluke @ ice punch takes care of zapdos and gliscor already. no need for flame hera anymore. and besides, you are already weak enough to scarftran. now, the big deal for you is bulky psychics, namely cm cress, slowbro, and the like. if it were me, I'd switch mence for a outraging mixmence, 308 speed, max sp.attack and 80 attack, which allows you to KO cress with draco meteor --> outrage with sr up. that basically means that everything else is destroyed by that as well. after that, pursuit > x-scissor on scizor, allowing you to pursuit those gengars and mismagiouses that can be a thorn in luke's side. in hera's spot, I really think you need something like deoxys-s, who can easily sweep the crap out of everyone should teams be weak to it, as they are these days. with him on the team, you can make more bold sacrifices to weaken the team so that deo can sweep, and you can be less afraid to blow up scarftran now that you have another possible revenge killer, meaning you can just blow up confidently on those kingdras rather than do a teensy little bit of damage with dragon pulse, while he waterfalls you to death easily or just kills you then rests it off. with deoxys, the steel types that are bitches to him have no place with this team of scarftran, lucario, fireblasting azelf and the like (btw fb > taunt on azelf). this way, if the enemy carries like gyarados, zapdos, and gliscor all on the same team you're not royally screwed. so like yea. just a few suggestions to test, after playing a very similar team for a while.

 

[Darkmalice]

Bulky waters can run over your team. Heracross may not live long enough to beat them, he can get a kill and then be outsped by the next pokemon swap in, then he swaps out and is too hurt to set up the SD needed to OHKO the bulky waters. Lucario doesn't OHKO generic Bulky waters after a CC as well. Swampert, Vaporeon and Suicune with Surf and Ice Beam are the main ones. Swampert OHKOs Lucario (though Vaporeon can 2HKO, even with Bold and 4 SpcAtt).
Scizor helps against them temporarily with Light Screen, but Swampert still destroys Lucario and Vaporeon and Suicune, if Lucario swaps in on them, should take 3 STABed Surfs, and take over 50% damage. Or, your opponent swaps to their physical wall, and then the bulky waters are still there to return one day.