SM OU Zoroark Balanced Offense

[PichuEevee]

=== [gen7ou] SMOU - ZoroarkBO ===

Meet the team​

Introduction​

This was a team I made built around Zoroark and Tyranitar. I have tried to make it a balanced team with both tanks and sweeps, however it does lack defog and certain type coverage. It lacks type coverage on my tanks so I’m hoping you can help me find a way around this.

Teambuilding
​

Of course I started with Zoroark, one of, in my opinion the best designed pokemon and very fun to use. Zoroark is generally used to eliminate opposing Ferrothorn or get opponents to assume they get free set up on Celesteela when really it’s a life orb Zoroark that can put a serious dent it’s opponent.

Next Beedrill and Clefable were added, Beedrill is there to remove Special tanks for Zoroark and provide an illusion, Clefable is here for a sort of set up sweeper and to start providing wish for Zoroark.

Next I added Toxapex, Celesteela and Tyranitar. Toxapex and Celesteela are the to act as tanks while Tyranitar is a physical sweeper that usually gets 1 - 2 KOs per game. Celesteela and Toxapex are basically tanks that allow Zoroark to switch out without much damage done to my team. Tyranitar is a rocker to help break sash for Clefable and for a better chance against focus sash Kartana.

The Team: ​

Zoroark (F) @ Life Orb
Ability: Illusion
EVs: 144 Atk / 112 SpA / 252 Spe
Mild Nature
- U-turn
- Night Daze
- Flamethrower
- Low Kick

One of the best leads for this team. Zoroark with life orb works great, but behind an illusion it’s pretty hard to tell your Scizor / Ferrothorn is about to be hit by a flamethrower from a Beedrill, it also can take out Tyranitar by acting as Celesteela and hitting it with a 4 times super effective low kick with 144 Atk EVs for instant KO. Running U-turn can convince the opponent even more that it really was a Beedrill, if they don’t notice life orb damage first or Beedrill hasn’t mega evolved yet.

Beedrill-Mega (M) @ Beedrillite
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- U-turn
- X-Scissor
- Poison Jab
- Drill Run

A great team member for Zoroark, being able to eliminate annoying special tanks and provide an illusion for Zoroark to use rather effectively, luring psychic type moves and keeping fighting, bug and fairy away, to force switches many times on Pokemon not dealt with well by the others.

Toxapex (F) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Toxic
- Haze
- Scald
- Recover

An incredibly useful tank, having regenerator and recover helps it stay on the field longer, while scald can help weaken physical for Celesteela who is less invested in physical defense. Unfortunately it shares an electric weakness the Celesteela as well. Toxic helps whittling down annoyances on the field and forcing switches long term.

Celesteela @ Leftovers
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 248 HP / 28 Def / 232 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Leech Seed
- Protect
- Heavy Slam
- Flamethrower

My special tank, and capable of taking a ton of hits, especially if I predict correctly, with wish on Clefable can prolong even a weakened Celesteela, so this tank isn’t running out of uses yet! It can take down a ton of pokes with leech seed, forcing switches left and right, with more special defence than defence beast boost helps it on it’s job even further.

Tyranitar (M) @ Rockium Z
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Ice Punch
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge

The physical sweeper, dragon dance can take it quite far, getting many 6-0 sweeps, Rockium Z allows a certified hit when it matters most, or just for an easy KO to keep up the momentum. Ice Punch let's it hit LandoT and Gliscor to prevent itself from being walled and KO'd by a stab earthquake. It would be mega, but I needed mega Beedrill so that scrapped that idea, and Rockium Z just appeals to me more.

Clefable (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Moonblast
- Stealth Rock
- Wish

My rocker, wisher, and special set-up sweeper, Clefable works well to keep my pokemon healthy while preventing toxic from being used for an easier switch into Tyranitar. Stealth rock could be calm mind, but then I would have to replace Ice punch with rocks on Ttar lowering sweep potential.
The Team (Importable)


Wins:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-912017206
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-912098584
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-912209795

Losses:
(None… yet)

 

[DrPumpkinz]

I'm not sold on Zoroark running U-turn, at least not if your primary reason is tricking your opponent that it's Zoroark. As soon as your opponent sees "Life Orb Beedrill", they should immediately catch onto what's happening. I'd replace it with Hidden Power Ice to lure Landorus and Gliscor, both of which wall Beedrill to kingdom come.

 

[ZoroarkforMega]

You've gone a bit over the top on Zoroark attack EVs. 144 with life orb is more than enough to one hit KO Ttar. Use 64 attack EVs instead, then you can use the remaining on special attack, especially if you change U-Turn for HP Ice (which I totally agree with). I can send you the new set later, (as it's much harder on mobile).

 

[ZoroarkforMega]

Got the new set here! You could replace the mild nature for hasty but that's just an opinion for out speeding more pokes like the Mega Charizards (Couldn't do much damage to them anyway, but you never know).

Zoroark (F) @ Life Orb
Ability: Illusion
EVs: 64 Atk / 192 SpA / 252 Spe
Mild Nature
- Low Kick
- Night Daze
- Flamethrower
- Hidden Power [Ice]

The EVs on Attack are for defensively invested Ttar and to work better against switch ins. they could be replaced with special attack but I prefer the Atk investment just in case.

 

[ZoroarkforMega]

(Not that sure about this one, see how it goes):
I would say to change Celesteela to Gliscor, this can give you a defogger and it still has reliable recovery, also you get to remove that big electric gap in your team. There are some variations on it however so free rein I suppose, but here is my recommended set:

Gliscor @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 172 HP / 84 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Defog
- Toxic
- Roost / Protect
- Earthquake / Knock Off

It appears this means it can replace Toxapex as your physical tank, however, Kartana becomes a bigger problem so change Toxapex to this:

Toxapex @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 32 Def / 224 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Toxic
- Haze
- Recover
- Scald

Remember this is the same set just different EVs, to replace Celesteela as a more specially invested tank while still holding up to Kartana for Scald to land a sweet burn, while haze stop it from overcoming this. Not the most sure about this one, as Kartana sweep could be a huge problem, and Lando can hit both tanks hard, but it does stop this electric gap and give you a defogger, if this doesn't work keep it as before and I'll come back to it.

(Oh btw finished team importable:)
https://pokepast.es/d842480ada184838

 

[PichuEevee]

Thanks! I obviously made a mistake in my calculations! and thats a great answer to my troubles with electricity, thanks! and yes, HP Ice is a great idea, thanks for all the help!

 

[PichuEevee]

Umm not sure but, would Celesteela be better here or would Gliscor have been just fine?
Replay:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-912832159

 

[ZoroarkforMega]

Yes I realise this is a problem, I opened your team up to Mega Swampert, Tyranitar and Mega Medicham, keep Celesteela, electric coverage isn't that common anyway. Again very sorry for this mistake =)

 

[xVerve]

I think a defogger is needed in nearly every team. I'm not sure how this goes, but you can try a SpDef Toxapex (classic smogon set if i'm not mistaken) and replace Celesteela with Skarmory. Same typing, but less offensive presence (heavy slam hits moderately even uninvested) but you gain a defogger.

Toxapex @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Scald
- Haze
- Recover
- Toxic

Skarmory @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Roost
- Spikes
- Whirlwind
- Toxic

For Skarm, Leftovers are viable as well, and you can run Brave Bird or Counter over Whirlwind or Toxic.
(Sorry for the bad formatting, i'm on mobile right now)

 

[temp]

• Eh, by getting rid of Celesteela, the team kinda just loses to most Psychic- and Fairy-types (such as Alakazam or Tapu Lele) on the spot. I wouldn't do that.
• Mega Beedrill is pretty terrible (as is Zoroark, but that's the whole theme so I won't replace it lol). I would HIGHLY not recommend using this Pokemon, as it loses to so much of the tier given that its STABs are resisted by a lot of Pokemon. I would personally replace it with a Pokemon like SD Scizor-Mega. You can keep it if you feel it fits within the theme of your team alongside Zoroark but that's just my opinion.
• I can see potential for replacing Zoroark's Life Orb with a Z-crystal (perhaps Fightinium Z or Firium Z lures?), while adding Choice Scarf Landorus-Therian over Tyranitar. This gives the team more speed, a Defog user, an Electric-immunity and a pivot.
• Replace Clefable's Wish with Soft-Boiled. Given that you have Magic Guard, there should be no restriction on Soft-Boiled here. You could add Wish over Calm Mind to maintain its ability to heal teammates.
• Also, make Toxapex more specially defensive (preferably just 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD Calm Nature) to help against Greninja (be weary of Protean variants, though, as they can use lures like Extrasensory or Z-Dig).