An OU team that's 40-10

goaliedude3919

This is only my second time doing this, and no one replied to my old team, so bear with me.

This is the sixth "non-themed" (i.e. hail, sandstorm, etc) I've made for OU and I think I've found a keeper. It's kept a win rate around 80% which I think is pretty good. I'm up into the mid 1300's with this team, but I'm always looking for improvements, so any advice you guys can give would be awesome. Well, here it goes.

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Metagross @ Lum Berry
Ability: Clear Body
EV's: 252 HP/170 Atk/80 Def/8 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -Sp. Atk)
- Bullet Punch
- Meteor Mash
- Stealth Rock
- Explode

I absolutely love this lead. It almost always is able to set up Stealth Rock and get a kill in due to it being pretty sturdy and still has great attacking power. When other people lead with pokemon who can use Taunt, like Aerodactyl and Azelf, I Meteor Mash and then Bullet Punch for the kill, and then hopefully I can Explode on something like a Salamence or Gyrados.

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Scizor @ Life Orb
Ability: Technician
EV's: 252 HP/252 Atk/4 Def
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -Sp. Atk)
- Bullet Punch
- X-Scissor
- Superpower
- Swords Dance

Pretty standard Scisor, other than the EV's. Personally, I never understood the point of investing in speed EV's when your main attack is a prority move, so I made him a little bulkier. Main idea: switch in on something you resist, Swords Dance, sweep.

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Raikou @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EV's: 84 HP/252 Spd/100 Sp. Atk/72 Sp. Atk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power (Ice)

Standard Sub Calm Mind Raikou. Surprisingly, the best pokemon to switch him in on is Blissey (as long as it doesn't have Seismic Toss). Blissey will alwyas stay in on him letting me get 6 Calm Minds off. Afte a Calm Mind, he can survive a Heatran Earth Power. With his +Spd nature he can take out any dragons and is definitely the MVP of my team.

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Salamence @ Life Orb
Ability: Intimidate
EV's: 232 Atk/252 Spd/24 Sp. Atk
Naive Nature (+Spd, -Sp. Def)
- Dragon Dance
- Outrage
- Fire Blast
- Earthquake

Standard DD Mence. Switch in on something that it resists, DD, sweep. He's also usefull to switch into other physical sweepers to lower their attack.

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Washer Rotom @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EV's: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 Sp. Atk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Shadow Ball
- Trick
- Hydro Pump

Standard Scarf Rotom. I put Hydro Pump on it because I didn't have any water moves, but I never actually use it, so any suggestions for which form to replace it with would be awesome. He's a good switch in for Gyrados, Azelf, and Gengar. I also switch him in if I think the othe person's going to use a fighting move.

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Cresselia @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EV's: 252 HP/200 Def/56 Sp. Def
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Ice Beam
- Moonlight
- Reflect
- Thunder Wave

This is probably the second MVP of my team. I love this thing. It can take a lot of hit, especially with a recovery move and it can paralyze pretty much any threat. It can nulify physical attacks with Reflect and it's also handy for taking out dragons with Ice Beam.

Well, that's my team. Let me know what you think. Any input you can offer will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
 
SORRY FOR MINI-MODDING, I WON'T DO IT AGAIN. As for the team itself, seems pretty standard and well rounded, but Blissey's tend to run Seismic toss so assuming you will be able to switch in a setup Raikou thanks to that prospect is highly unlikely. It may have occured to you in the past, but it is certainly not something to bank on.

modedit: don't minimod
 
well since scizor and lucario are both owning the meta right now Heat Rotom is always amazing. him being able to come in and OHKO both with overheat, and if you hang on to the scarf they can only hit you with resisted/immune priority moves. However I prefer the cut version myself with hidden power fire simply because its not as obvious, thought it still isnt reall a big secret. Note: For you, the cut version only really helps in killing Swampert and since hidden power fire isnt always a OHKO on bulky scizor and wont OHKO lucario without a different ev spread its not as helpful to your team as you need a Hard counter to both right now. I suggest the heat version with overheat.
Raikou is beaten by blissey quite soundly if it carries seismic toss... I cant see you getting matched up with flamethrower blissey forever as Stoss is still common. Raikou will bring blissey out soon enough anyway, so you should look for other opportunities to get him in.
-I know people are going to say I'm wrong, but I lurk around shoddy alot and for some reason almost enjoy watching people play MORE than playing myself. I can see what kinds of mistakes people make and generally just learn what people tend to do in what situation. It is my firm belief that with the top two pokemon being very powewrful and packing priority moves that DDannce Salamence is not too helpful anymore. He will get a kill and then munch a priority move and die OR you can switch and put more stealth rock damage on him later as you lack a rapid spinner. While still dying from the same 2, mixmence, at least on paper not always in practice, is so much better against stall, which is never a bad thing.
I dont use Cress much myself, so maybe Im overestimating her prowess as a wall, but it seems as though a heatran can give you lots of trouble as it is able to OHKO 4 members of your team and 2HKO at least one more member, if not both.
-This is the point in the rate my team when I explain how amazing rotom and pory 2(heatran with these two is sex) are at countering many of the best offensive threats in the game. Crits or explosion is the only way heatran is going to beat a pory with anything more than 60 percent. He also counters gyara, salamence, can come in on blissey and force her out with toxic and heal himself, anyway the list goes on. These two can destroy aggro teams by themselves so I will say consider adding a spot for pory2. Problem is, I wouldn't know who to suggest you take out. Sorry about that part.
All the suggestions make the team look like this:
metagross
scizor(maybe pory here, not suggested)
mixmence(maybe pory here, suggested)
rotom
raikou
cresselia
with a pory 2 replacing someone
 
I had the pictures for Scizor and Salamence up, but somehow they disappeared.

Anyway, I generally, use Salamence as my Scizor/Lucario counter with Fire Blast for Scizor and EQ for Lucario. But I have noticed that he isn't as effective as he used to be. I was also thinking about changing washer Rotom to cut Rotom for Salamence and any other ground types. I can definitely see replacing Salamence with Porygon 2 though. If I used him, I could give Raikou Hidden Power Grass to deal with Swampert and then maybe use oven Rotom. What do you guys think would be the best option?

EDIT: Got the pictures back
 
Salamence is countered by scizor and luca moreso than the other way around... I would say he could go for pory 2 and be less missed than anything else. Instead of running hp grass on raikou consider it on rotom in place of thunderbolt as pory 2 carries discharge/ thunderbolt also and can kill the same things with it for the most part. that way you dont carry 3 electric attacks on the team which is redundant coverage.
 
BurtonEarny said:
Salamence is countered by scizor and luca moreso than the other way around... I would say he could go for pory 2 and be less missed than anything else. Instead of running hp grass on raikou consider it on rotom in place of thunderbolt as pory 2 carries discharge/ thunderbolt also and can kill the same things with it for the most part. that way you dont carry 3 electric attacks on the team which is redundant coverage.
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Rotom is scarfed. The only reason you'd use HP grass at all is for Swampert, and if you switch a Rotom into Swampert, they'll know something's up, whereas Swampert is a common switch-in to Raikou.

This team wants Rotom-H over W. Overheat gives you a much needed fire attack on someone that can take a hit.
 
d2m said:
Rotom is scarfed. The only reason you'd use HP grass at all is for Swampert, and if you switch a Rotom into Swampert, they'll know something's up, whereas Swampert is a common switch-in to Raikou.

This team wants Rotom-H over W. Overheat gives you a much needed fire attack on someone that can take a hit.
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Hiddden power grass is okay on raikou, but he loses a move. Either way its needed on something. But the rotom H thing is a given.
 
BurtonEarny said:
Salamence is countered by scizor and luca moreso than the other way around... I would say he could go for pory 2 and be less missed than anything else. Instead of running hp grass on raikou consider it on rotom in place of thunderbolt as pory 2 carries discharge/ thunderbolt also and can kill the same things with it for the most part. that way you dont carry 3 electric attacks on the team which is redundant coverage.
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Wait what? How does Scizor counter Salamence at all? Nearly any Salamence you see carries Fire Blast in some fashion, and Bullet Punch won't kill Salamence. I'd be surprised if it's a 2ko. Lucario only has a chance against Salamence if it has Ice Punch, and I haven't seen an Ice Punch Luke in a while, and Salamence can kill Luke with either Earthquake OR Fire Blast.
 
I think you would be best off with shadow ball on Raikou. Often Raikou has to face down opposing calm minders (I'm sure in your battles that this happened often), and shadow ball gives you an opportunity to beat all opposing calm minders if you randomly lower their special defense. In a calm mind war it can often come down to hax, and shadow ball is a great help in that situation. Shadow ball is probably your only chance of beating a calm mind Latias.
 
Xephyr said:
Wait what? How does Scizor counter Salamence at all? Nearly any Salamence you see carries Fire Blast in some fashion, and Bullet Punch won't kill Salamence. I'd be surprised if it's a 2ko. Lucario only has a chance against Salamence if it has Ice Punch, and I haven't seen an Ice Punch Luke in a while, and Salamence can kill Luke with either Earthquake OR Fire Blast.
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If it is a DDance mence it is revenge killed by both, since neither are intimidated.
 
yysame said:
not intimidated yes, but they would get out sped
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It is called priority. LMAO

Use Rotom H over Rotom W.

Raikou shoulda have shodow ball since Kindra and Mence both would fear boosted waterfalls and Fygon would likely be scarfed. Specially defensive oriented Dragonites would mind Thunderbolt too if you have at least +2.
 
Lots of good suggestions. I have a couple of concerns though.

Porygon2 - If I do use him, I can't see using a set other than T-Wave, T-Bolt, Ice Beam, Recover. That being the case, he is VERY similar to Cresselia in function, but, IMO is less effective, having lower base stats and can't switch in to Sub Punchers, something that Cresselia really has going for it.

Raikou - Changing Hidden Power to grass is the only move that I would have to deal with Swampert, without it, I don't really have anything for him. Shadow Ball is a good alternative for other Calm Minders, especially Latias, but I'm reluctant to take that over HP grass

Rotom - If I decide to keep Salamence with Fire Blast, I don't really see much point in having heat form Rotom. Assuming I keep Salamence, would it maybe be better to use cut form Rotom so that I have a move to counter Swampert?

Salamence - While I like him, he doesn't seem to be as effective as he used to be with the DD set, If I decide to keep him should I maybe use the new MixMence set?

Any more advice you guys could give me would be great.
 
goaliedude3919 said:
Lots of good suggestions. I have a couple of concerns though.

Porygon2 - If I do use him, I can't see using a set other than T-Wave, T-Bolt, Ice Beam, Recover. That being the case, he is VERY similar to Cresselia in function, but, IMO is less effective, having lower base stats and can't switch in to Sub Punchers, something that Cresselia really has going for it.
he is more of a niche pokemon, but he counter 4 of the 5 most commonly used pokemon(in April) by himself
Raikou - Changing Hidden Power to grass is the only move that I would have to deal with Swampert, without it, I don't really have anything for him. Shadow Ball is a good alternative for other Calm Minders, especially Latias, but I'm reluctant to take that over HP grass
Hp grass is not worth it on him, you can save a move for him on your rotom
Rotom - If I decide to keep Salamence with Fire Blast, I don't really see much point in having heat form Rotom. Assuming I keep Salamence, would it maybe be better to use cut form Rotom so that I have a move to counter Swampert?
You dont get the OHKO on luca unless you crit, and I think bulky versions of scizor can live as well if rotom c uses hp fire(without sp. atk. ev's)
Salamence - While I like him, he doesn't seem to be as effective as he used to be with the DD set, If I decide to keep him should I maybe use the new MixMence set?
Completly agree
Any more advice you guys could give me would be great.
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Well since you know that CBscizors are going to be used to revenge kill your DDsalamence you can use this to your advantage. After salamence has been killed you can bring in something that resists bullet punch that sets up. Gyrados is especially good at thie because of intimidate. If there's no scizor than salamence can sweep and gyrados is still a dangerous sweeper. 2 intimidators is nice to.
 
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