SM OU Zard X Offense

[Lord Daedhelor]

Hello, I'm Lord Daedhelor. This is my first RMT outside of Competitive Tutoring on Showdown where I received a lot of the ideas I have put together here. I peaked at 1450 on Pokebank OU with this set (starting at 1200). I try to keep what I have in showdown the same as what I have in my cartridge in case my friends want to battle.

Charizard-Mega-X @ Charizardite X
Ability: Tough Claws
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Dragon Claw
- Dragon Dance
- Roost

Just your standard Zard X DD set up. I prefer Jolly and 252 Spe because I have found the extra speed helps in more situations. Late game sweeper.

Tapu Lele @ Choice Specs
Ability: Psychic Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psyshock
- Moonblast
- Shadow Ball
- Hidden Power [Fire]

Tapu Lele + Psychic STAB = wall breaker. I have Psyshock for the 2HKO on Chansey, Moonblast for the STAB, focus blast for the coverage, HP Fire for Scizor.

I have my Lele as Timid for the extra speed and because smogon did a give away a few weeks ago of a timid one with HP fire. I'd like to keep using it in game, so I use it in showdown to help me keep my feel for it.

Tapu Fini @ Leftovers
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 252 HP / 56 Def / 200 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Nature's Madness
- Defog
- Haze

Tapu Fini is my bulky defogger and Haze support. I have Natures Madness to severely dent healthy switch-ins and Hydro Pump for STAB Water coverage and to deal with Non-Grassium Z Heatran. I chose HP over Scald because of Misty Terrain and the extra power is noticeable and the opponent must respect it.

Magnezone @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Flash Cannon
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Volt Switch

I really like Magnezone for its amazing trapping ability and its ability to bait in any ground type the opponent has, which get hit by Stab Flash Cannon for noticeable damage, then get Lando'd. I have it max speed with a choice scarf to outspeed everything up to fully invested base-115s.

Serperior @ Leftovers
Ability: Contrary
EVs: 56 HP / 200 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Leaf Storm
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Leech Seed
- Substitute

Another cookie cutter set, Serperior is a great SubSeeder. It forces out bulky water types that would otherwise wall Zard X, while setting up a substitute while its counter comes out. I then set up a leech seed and continue to use substitute while leech seed and leftovers keep the opponent's hp decreasing at a faster rate than mine until they switch out. Also, Contrary leaf storm hits like a truck. HP Fire for coverage.

Landorus-Therian @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 240 HP / 252 Def / 16 SpD
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- U-Turn
- Knock Off
- Stealth Rock

Again, just a standard set. Lando proves to be an amazing counter and a good follow up on ground types that want to hit Magnezone or Zard X. Stealth Rocks, Knock Off, and U-turn for support and earth quake for STAB. This is my main counter for Megagross.

 

[3d]

Hi there cool team. One of the biggest issues I could spot with this team at first glance was DD Landorus-T, this was mainly a threat because if it were to ever setup even just one Swords Dance it would have the potential to win. I also noticed Pheromosa especially the Life Orb set wrecks havoc vs this team. Fighting / Ice / Poison coverage is really hard for this team to switch into, with these coverage options and a Life Orb boost it at the least can 2HKO every Pokemon on the team. Another thing I noticed you have trouble switching into is Tapu Lele. While it is true you have a Magnezone, due to it's lack of HP investment Tapu Lele can easily 2HKO with Psychic. With this said here are my proposed changes.

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Regarding Pheromosa, changing Serperior to Spdef Amoonguss helps out a ton. One of the biggest boasting factors about Amoonguss is that it's able to tank 2 Life Orb Ice Beams, meaning that it can either Spore the Pheromosa, or Spore a teammate which could open a path for Charizard to setup. Also thanks to Regenerator, after taking that Ice Beam, if the Pheromosa is Choice locked, pivoting into Tapu Fini is free. If not, Hidden Power Fire does a ton and puts Pheromosa very close to death range if it takes Stealth Rock + another Life Orb hit. This won't hurt your team too much as Amoonguss can still pressure out bulky waters with Clear Smog + Giga Drain, and the Speed tier doesn't make that much of a difference as you already having answers to things like Latios, or Garchomp.

Making Magnezone Assault Vest is another solid option. One of the biggest things AV Magnezone provides for your team is a way of switching into Tapu Lele. As I stated before, Scarf 0HP Magnezone takes about 70% from Psychic meaning that it can't switch in more than once. With Assault Vest, it takes less than half meaning it can switch in multiple times and get off free volt switches. Again, the Speed it loses isn't really that big of a deal because even with an Assault Vest it still traps the things it was meant to, mainly Celesteela, and Ferrothorn. One of the drawbacks that this could bring is this makes your team weaker to Mega Metagross, but after taking Rocky Helmet damage from Landorus-T, Mega Metagross is in range of Tapu Lele's Shadow Ball.

There are a bit of things I want to change on this set. Firstly making Hydro Pump Scald is stellar option, as Scald has the nice Burn chance vs levitating pokemon, and the other Tapu's, it also doesn't have a miss chance which could be huge. The second change I would make is changing Haze, to Taunt. In conjunction with Nature's Madness this gives Tapu Fini excellent stallbreaking capability, while also doing a ton of work vs Balance. This won't really hurt your team vs setup sweepers that much as Clear Smog Amoonguss could also help. The final change is making it physically defensive. Running a spread of 248hp 200+ defense 60 speed can help Tapu Fini switch into a plethora of physical attacks, including some of Metagross' which you stated to be a threat. Tapu Fini can still counter the things it needs to, mainly Ash -Greninja so this wouldn't hurt. Also the extra speed allows Fini to outpace standard defensive Landorus-T letting you freely fire off a scald without worry of u-turn.

The only thing I would change about this is Knock Off to Hidden Power Ice. The main thing Hidden Power Ice does for this team is to stop opposing Landorus-T from easily sweeping this team. Even with a decreasing Special Attack nature, Hidden Power Ice still 2hkos meaning that if they try to setup with Landorus-T vs your Landorus-T, they will get 2HKOd by Hidden Power Ice. Killing off opposing Landorus-T, both defensive, and offensive can pave a way for Mega Charizard to sweep, since most offensive based teams' answer to Charizard is Landorus-T. The speed is used to creep other defensive Landorus. This won't hurt the team at all since the coverage that Knock Off provides doesn't really do anything, when it comes to helping Charizard.

team with my changes have fun :)

Charizard-Mega-X @ Charizardite X
Ability: Tough Claws
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Dragon Claw
- Dragon Dance
- Roost

Tapu Lele @ Choice Specs
Ability: Psychic Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psyshock
- Moonblast
- Shadow Ball
- Hidden Power [Fire]

Tapu Fini @ Leftovers
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 200 Def / 60 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Nature's Madness
- Defog
- Taunt

Magnezone @ Assault Vest
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Flash Cannon
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Volt Switch

Amoonguss @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 48 Def / 212 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Spore
- Clear Smog
- Giga Drain
- Hidden Power [Fire]

Landorus-Therian @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 240 HP / 252 Def / 16 Spe
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Stealth Rock

 

[Lord Daedhelor]

Thanks for the advice! I really do appreciate it!

I do have a question though. Would running a more defensive set on Magnezone Be more beneficial since I'm running assault vest anyway? I had it scarfed for the specific ability to outspend 110s, so if I'm not scarfing it, I won't miss the extra speed EVs.

 

[3d]

Thanks for the advice! I really do appreciate it!

I do have a question though. Would running a more defensive set on Magnezone Be more beneficial since I'm running assault vest anyway? I had it scarfed for the specific ability to outspend 110s, so if I'm not scarfing it, I won't miss the extra speed EVs.

The HP is so you don't get 2hkod by leles psychic

 

[OliSTDS]

Hi, I'm kinda new to this so my advice might not be as valued as others.
I run a similar team, but i use Magearna instead of Magnezone. It is bulkier and it has less weaknesses, the only thing is it doesnt have HP Fire/ magnet pull but a few good reads can counter this.
It also has an amazing ability.
Magearna @ Assault Vest
Ability: Soul-Heart
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Fleur Cannon
- Flash Cannon
- Volt Switch
- Aura Sphere