Welcome to my Dual Dragon Sun rate my team. In this rate my team I'll organize the information presented in the order of the following
• How I built my sun team
• Pokemon sets
• How to use
• Replays
How the team was created
I love sun and like building sun, so I sat and thought about ideas that could work. Wasn’t long until I pondered the idea of dragon spam and Venusaur together. I knew that dragons along with sun support was a deadly combination since generation 5, I figured with the lack of bulky fairy pokemon I could abuse this aspect of the meta to create a consistent sun team.
The sun core
This consists of the sun setter and the best abuser of the sun, Torkoal and Venusaur, the foundation of the build, but looking for other pokemon to complement this was when building truly begins.
Dragons?
When searching for the best dragons I could find, there were many, many options to choose from as OU has a ton of options for dragons like Kyurem, Dragapult, Hydreigon, Kommo-o, and Haxorus. Because of the meta at the time, I felt that my best picks came down to choosing between Kyurem, Hydreigon, and Dragapult. Dragapult has speed, Hydreigon has nasty plot, and Kyurem was dumb, but the best combination seem pretty clear; Hydreigon and Dragapult. These two dragons compliment each other well on their own and both abused sun very well. Both of these pokemon also love the pressure and support Venusaur gives them with Venusaur’s consistency against fairy types. The dragons clear the way for Venusaur, so the dominant offensive core is done.
I love defense!
For any sun, you need a good defog user and the ability to check other weather setters with the threats that are normally paired with them. Mandibuzz was originally going to be the defog user along with drill’s spinning, but I soon realized that this seemed fairly pointless when Corviknight was the best option at checking setters and defogging consistently. Corviknight is an excellent defog user as the team supports its weaknesses very well. Fire types have to contend with Hydreigon and Dragapult and electrics don’t like them or Venusaur. Even with this, there was a glaring hole in the team, special attackers. For the main special attackers I had to worry about, it was mainly Kyurem who had me extremely worried, so I resorted to a pokemon I used on my defensive sun team, Snorlax. I had the ability to destroy fire types and special attackers, have another win condition that didn’t require sun, and gave me one of the best ghost checks in the tier.
Pokemon sets
Torkoal
Ability: Drought, gives you automatic setting of sun for your team.
EV spread: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpA, Gives you the maximum of potential physical defensive utility while being able to come in on rocks 5 times in one game with the odd number of health invested.
Nature: Bold, gives you a 10% to your great defense and maximizes the capabilities of Torkoal checking physical attackers. This nature takes away from an already weak rapid spin as your only attack, no harm done.
IV spread: 31/0/31/31/31/31, gives you maximum ability in your defenses and takes very little from confusion and foul play. This is mainly used in the Mandibuzz match-up.
Item: Heat Rock, gives you extended sun turns for abuse. This is mostly seen with Venusaur and opportunities to sweep.
Lava Plume: Gives you a reliable STAB move that hits decently hard that also can collect some very helpful burns on common switch-ins.
Rapid Spin: Gives you solid secondary hazard removal and a funny boost in speed, much needed utility.
Stealth Rock: Gives you the ability to win the hazard war as Torkoal oddly enough isn’t a bad rocker at the moment.
Toxic: Gives you the ability to cripple set-up sweepers, defog users, and other weather setters. This is extremely important against pokemon like Hippowdon, Pelipper, and Tyranitar.
Usage Tips: Keep it as healthy as you can and use it sparingly to check threats. Toxic is mainly useful when you predict a switch into something who doesn’t like toxic. It’s better to have no hazards than hazards on both sides for this team. Use rapid spin on something you feel confident you can spin on and not waste it on something that would get rocks up on Torkoal.
Dragapult
Ability: Infiltrator, Gives you the ability to hit through screens and substitutes. This is extremely helpful against substitute pokemon and screens offense.
EV spread: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe, Maximizes your power and speed while keeping the health at an odd number because of 0 investment into Hp.
Nature: Modest, Maximizes your ability to hit hard and gives you some much needed damage rolls. The speed you get from timid isn’t very needed as the pokemon who outspeed are checked by Venusaur and Corviknight more often than not.
IV spread: 31/31/31/31/31/31, maximizes your damage output from all moves and your decent bulk becomes a tool.
Item: Choice Specs, Gives you great damage output from your selection of special moves, makes it a great wall breaker.
U-turn: Gives you a pivot move when you think you forced someone out or pick off a very weakened pokemon and pivot into something else.
Fire Blast: Gives you essentially another STAB move under sun and great coverage overall.
Shadow Ball: Gives you an easy to click STAB move that works well in and out of sun.
Draco Meteor: Gives you very good power in order to wall break many threats.
Usage Tips: Most effective against fast and frail teams. This is your best chance to deal reliable damage against pokemon like Salazzle and Gengar behind substitute. This, along with Torkoal, don’t have reliable recovery, so be careful of switching Dragapult on too many things.
Venusaur
Ability: Chlorophyll, doubles the speed in sun, makes Venusaur extremely fast. It’s faster than any pokemon at +1 speed with 107 speed or lower.
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe, Maximizes speed and power while taking less from rocks because of no investment in Hp.
Nature: Modest, Gives it maximum power possible and takes less from foul play and confusion.
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/31, This gives you the maximum damage output, bulk, and speed while improving the no brave bird Mandibuzz match-up a ton because of less damage from foul play. This also lets you hit yourself for less damage when confused.
Item: Life Orb, gives it a huge boost to the damage output Venusaur gives out ands against a ton of pokemon for ohkos that it otherwise wouldn’t always get.
Giga Drain: Your main STAB move to hit annoying water and ground type pokemon. This move also gives you recovery from the big damage Giga Drain does, giving it longevity and a way to combat life orb recoil.
Sludge Bomb: Your best move overall and one that’s great for chipping away at targets who aren’t immune to poison like Dragapult and Mandibuzz. Generally not a move prepared by many to switch into so most teams become very Venusaur weak.
Weather Ball: Gives you great fire coverage and your strongest move while weather is up. It’s extremely reliable at getting kills on pokemon.
Growth: Lets you have a free +2 in both attack and special attack making Venusaur a devastating wall breaker and sweeper while under sun. This only gives you +1 boost out of sun, careful of boosting out of sun.
Usage Tips: Find out what can you set up on for +2 and what stops you from sweeping at +2. If there is nothing, just get a well timed growth for a likely win. If it can't, Venusaur can be supported by the dragons and rocks really well along with snorlax to chip down the opposing side.
Corviknight
Ability: Pressure, Depletes PP from pokemon moves that target Corviknight. This also pertains to hazards too. Helps out the hazard war a ton.
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD, This gives me the maximum amount of defensive investment possible for body press damage and checking physical attackers while the health is a odd number so the the ability to come in on rocks much easier. You can opt for 248 HP / 176 Def / 84 Spe for Conkeldurr. You would also use brave bird>iron head to make full use of this spread.
Nature: Impish, Maximizes defensive capabilities while lowering the special attack stat that’s not used. Also boost body press to maximum damage.
IVs: 31/31/31/31/31/31, maximizes all potential things Corviknight can do. It takes little from foul play to begin with and confusion does less than what leftovers recovers. This also maximizes body press.
Item: Leftovers, gives you passive recovery and makes things much easier for Corviknight to come in on rocks.
Body Press: Your main attacking move as this lets Corviknight check pokemon like Excadrill, Bisharp, and other physically attacking pokemon weak to body press.
Defog: Gives you much needed reliable hazard removal. The team wouldn’t work well without it.
Iron Head: Overall good STAB move and pressures pokemon like Clefable for the dragons to slay. You can also use Brave Bird in this slot if you feel Conkeldurr becomes overwhelming.
Roost: Gives you reliable recovery to last throughout the battle. This does take away the flying type so be aware of some slow Rhyperior as you roost.
Usage Tips: Bring this in on pokemon that would otherwise sweep you like Excadrill. Identify if and what Corviknight is used for. The main role Corviknight serves is to defog away rocks and spikes so you don’t get overwhelmed by them. Venusaur can pick up toxic spikes so generally don’t worry about trying to defog them.
Snorlax
Ability: Thick Fat, Gives you a resistance to fire and ice type attacks. This makes Snorlax extremely reliable against pokemon like Kyurem and Rotom Heat.
EVs: 248 HP / 228 SpD / 32 Spe, Allows for less damage from rocks with odd number of HP, speed for other Snorlax in curse wars, and the rest into special defense to check special attackers as reliably as possible.
Nature: Careful, Boost the special defense for Snorlax to be even more reliable against them while taking away special attack, something this Snorlax doesn’t need.
Item: Leftovers, gives it passive recovery and able to switch in on hazards much easier.
Body Slam: Reliable STAB option that can paralyze opponents. This opens the door for many potential sweeps.
Heat Crash: Extremely strong with Snorlax’s weight and is only boosted under sun. Under sun at +1 you can get a couple of key faints.
Curse: Lets you boost your defense and attack stat, making this a threatening sweeper
Rest: Gives you a recovery option. Snorlax is so fat that it can pull off rest in the OU format.
Usage Tips: Identify what Snorlax is needed to check and under what conditions for it to sweep. Most games it will likely go for body slam paralysis early, curse up a couple times, and check the nasty special attackers. Careful of when you use rest, this could allow something in you didn’t want.
Hydreigon
Ability: Levitate, Gives you another ground immunity and immunity to spikes.
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe, Maximizes damage output and speed. No current spread has been found for optimal defenses.
Nature: Modest, Gives you some incredible damage rolls compared to timid, there are many but one should sum up how good it is.
IVs: 0/31/31/31/31/31, Gives you the maximum speed, bulk, and power while taking less from foul play and confusion.
Item: Life Orb, lots of damage rolls hinge on Hydreigon having this item. Many games it might not need it but it’s a lot better with it.
Draco Meteor: An extremely hard move to switch into as there are only 2 mons who resist/immune to it (steel and fairy).
Fire Blast: gives you incredible coverage against the few things draco meteor doesn’t hit. This is something Hydreigon can abuse while under sun.
Roost: Reliable recovery to check pokemon like Dracovish and Rotom Heat much more effectively. This also helps against bulky teams who try to win by chipping down Hydreigon due to life orb recoil.
Nasty Plot: Lets it get a serious boost in an already good special attack stat to insane levels of unfair damage.
Usage Tips: See what needs to be broken, Hydreigon will do just that for you. You can also identify if it’s needed to check something like sucker punch from bisharp, earthquake spam, or strong water or dark moves that Hydreigon can beat in a 1v1. Hydreigon is slower than rotom heat but is never ohko’d by overheat, even under sun if defensive nasty plot. Offensive nasty plot Rotom Heat is checked by Snorlax very well and loses to Hydreigon more often than not anyways due to the 50% chance to kill under sun at +2 if timid and the chance to miss on top of that.
How to use
Whenever you play against someone, it’s pretty simple for your gameplan. What is needed for _ mon to sweep and what mons are needed to cover _ mon. Your early game will likely consist of breaking, checking, and the hazard war. As long as you don’t lose the hazard war and play your pokemon well, you can win the game. For situational in depth stuff, well it seems like logical conclusions can do the trick to tell that tale along with some of the tips shown, but before you play your targets are this in priority.
1) How does Venusaur win
2) What pokemon are needed to check their threats (can be defensive or offensive)
3) What moment can Hydreigon get a nasty plot up or claim a pokemon
4) How does Snorlax or Dragapult sweep?
5) If there is weather, this becomes #1: how do I win the weather war and how can I win if I can’t?
There are tough match-ups like sand and hyper offense, both even rough match-ups can generally be won with good planning and recognizing what situations can lead to a win.
Once you have this covered, you should be set and I hope you enjoy using this team.
Accomplishments
Has personally gotten me reqs for suspect testing of Vish, hit 1900 on numerous occasions, and has gotten top 10 on the ladder from my memory more than once. Sadly I have 0 definitive proof of this and I apologies for this. Reason is that I don't have it is because I didn't plan on making a rate my team of this until recently so I had no reason to save replays. The following replays were just ones saved by other people.
Replays
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1120558032
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1120555634
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1120552518
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1120546758
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1105282939
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1107164500
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1123007444
pokepaste: https://pokepast.es/cdc012fcf1b780be
• How I built my sun team
• Pokemon sets
• How to use
• Replays
How the team was created
I love sun and like building sun, so I sat and thought about ideas that could work. Wasn’t long until I pondered the idea of dragon spam and Venusaur together. I knew that dragons along with sun support was a deadly combination since generation 5, I figured with the lack of bulky fairy pokemon I could abuse this aspect of the meta to create a consistent sun team.
The sun core
This consists of the sun setter and the best abuser of the sun, Torkoal and Venusaur, the foundation of the build, but looking for other pokemon to complement this was when building truly begins.
Dragons?
When searching for the best dragons I could find, there were many, many options to choose from as OU has a ton of options for dragons like Kyurem, Dragapult, Hydreigon, Kommo-o, and Haxorus. Because of the meta at the time, I felt that my best picks came down to choosing between Kyurem, Hydreigon, and Dragapult. Dragapult has speed, Hydreigon has nasty plot, and Kyurem was dumb, but the best combination seem pretty clear; Hydreigon and Dragapult. These two dragons compliment each other well on their own and both abused sun very well. Both of these pokemon also love the pressure and support Venusaur gives them with Venusaur’s consistency against fairy types. The dragons clear the way for Venusaur, so the dominant offensive core is done.
I love defense!
For any sun, you need a good defog user and the ability to check other weather setters with the threats that are normally paired with them. Mandibuzz was originally going to be the defog user along with drill’s spinning, but I soon realized that this seemed fairly pointless when Corviknight was the best option at checking setters and defogging consistently. Corviknight is an excellent defog user as the team supports its weaknesses very well. Fire types have to contend with Hydreigon and Dragapult and electrics don’t like them or Venusaur. Even with this, there was a glaring hole in the team, special attackers. For the main special attackers I had to worry about, it was mainly Kyurem who had me extremely worried, so I resorted to a pokemon I used on my defensive sun team, Snorlax. I had the ability to destroy fire types and special attackers, have another win condition that didn’t require sun, and gave me one of the best ghost checks in the tier.
Pokemon sets
Torkoal
Ability: Drought, gives you automatic setting of sun for your team.
EV spread: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpA, Gives you the maximum of potential physical defensive utility while being able to come in on rocks 5 times in one game with the odd number of health invested.
Nature: Bold, gives you a 10% to your great defense and maximizes the capabilities of Torkoal checking physical attackers. This nature takes away from an already weak rapid spin as your only attack, no harm done.
IV spread: 31/0/31/31/31/31, gives you maximum ability in your defenses and takes very little from confusion and foul play. This is mainly used in the Mandibuzz match-up.
Item: Heat Rock, gives you extended sun turns for abuse. This is mostly seen with Venusaur and opportunities to sweep.
Lava Plume: Gives you a reliable STAB move that hits decently hard that also can collect some very helpful burns on common switch-ins.
Rapid Spin: Gives you solid secondary hazard removal and a funny boost in speed, much needed utility.
Stealth Rock: Gives you the ability to win the hazard war as Torkoal oddly enough isn’t a bad rocker at the moment.
Toxic: Gives you the ability to cripple set-up sweepers, defog users, and other weather setters. This is extremely important against pokemon like Hippowdon, Pelipper, and Tyranitar.
Usage Tips: Keep it as healthy as you can and use it sparingly to check threats. Toxic is mainly useful when you predict a switch into something who doesn’t like toxic. It’s better to have no hazards than hazards on both sides for this team. Use rapid spin on something you feel confident you can spin on and not waste it on something that would get rocks up on Torkoal.
Dragapult
Ability: Infiltrator, Gives you the ability to hit through screens and substitutes. This is extremely helpful against substitute pokemon and screens offense.
EV spread: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe, Maximizes your power and speed while keeping the health at an odd number because of 0 investment into Hp.
Nature: Modest, Maximizes your ability to hit hard and gives you some much needed damage rolls. The speed you get from timid isn’t very needed as the pokemon who outspeed are checked by Venusaur and Corviknight more often than not.
252+ SpA Choice Specs Dragapult Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 160+ SpD Mandibuzz in Sun: 199-235 (46.9 - 55.4%) -- 74.2% chance to 2HKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Dragapult Draco Meteor over 2 turns vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Toxapex: 322-380 (105.9 - 125%) -- guaranteed KO in 2 turns after Black Sludge recovery
252+ SpA Choice Specs Dragapult Draco Meteor vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Hippowdon: 379-447 (90.2 - 106.4%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Dragapult Fire Blast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Conkeldurr in Sun: 349-411 (99.4 - 117%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Dragapult Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Corviknight in Sun: 396-468 (99 - 117%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Dragapult Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Clefable in Sun: 191-225 (48.4 - 57.1%) -- 45.3% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Choice Specs Dragapult Draco Meteor over 2 turns vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Toxapex: 322-380 (105.9 - 125%) -- guaranteed KO in 2 turns after Black Sludge recovery
252+ SpA Choice Specs Dragapult Draco Meteor vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Hippowdon: 379-447 (90.2 - 106.4%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Dragapult Fire Blast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Conkeldurr in Sun: 349-411 (99.4 - 117%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Dragapult Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Corviknight in Sun: 396-468 (99 - 117%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Dragapult Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Clefable in Sun: 191-225 (48.4 - 57.1%) -- 45.3% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
IV spread: 31/31/31/31/31/31, maximizes your damage output from all moves and your decent bulk becomes a tool.
Item: Choice Specs, Gives you great damage output from your selection of special moves, makes it a great wall breaker.
U-turn: Gives you a pivot move when you think you forced someone out or pick off a very weakened pokemon and pivot into something else.
Fire Blast: Gives you essentially another STAB move under sun and great coverage overall.
Shadow Ball: Gives you an easy to click STAB move that works well in and out of sun.
Draco Meteor: Gives you very good power in order to wall break many threats.
Usage Tips: Most effective against fast and frail teams. This is your best chance to deal reliable damage against pokemon like Salazzle and Gengar behind substitute. This, along with Torkoal, don’t have reliable recovery, so be careful of switching Dragapult on too many things.
Venusaur
Ability: Chlorophyll, doubles the speed in sun, makes Venusaur extremely fast. It’s faster than any pokemon at +1 speed with 107 speed or lower.
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe, Maximizes speed and power while taking less from rocks because of no investment in Hp.
Nature: Modest, Gives it maximum power possible and takes less from foul play and confusion.
IVs: 31/0/31/31/31/31, This gives you the maximum damage output, bulk, and speed while improving the no brave bird Mandibuzz match-up a ton because of less damage from foul play. This also lets you hit yourself for less damage when confused.
Item: Life Orb, gives it a huge boost to the damage output Venusaur gives out ands against a ton of pokemon for ohkos that it otherwise wouldn’t always get.
Giga Drain: Your main STAB move to hit annoying water and ground type pokemon. This move also gives you recovery from the big damage Giga Drain does, giving it longevity and a way to combat life orb recoil.
Sludge Bomb: Your best move overall and one that’s great for chipping away at targets who aren’t immune to poison like Dragapult and Mandibuzz. Generally not a move prepared by many to switch into so most teams become very Venusaur weak.
Weather Ball: Gives you great fire coverage and your strongest move while weather is up. It’s extremely reliable at getting kills on pokemon.
+2 252+ SpA Life Orb Venusaur Weather Ball (100 BP Fire) vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Kyurem in Sun: 425-500 (108.6 - 127.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ SpA Life Orb Venusaur Weather Ball (100 BP Fire) vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Jirachi in Sun: 390-460 (96.5 - 113.8%) -- 75% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Life Orb Venusaur Weather Ball (100 BP Fire) vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Corviknight in Sun: 445-525 (111.2 - 131.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252+ SpA Life Orb Venusaur Weather Ball (100 BP Fire) vs. 252 HP / 160+ SpD Mandibuzz in Sun: 315-370 (74.2 - 87.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Life Orb Venusaur Weather Ball (100 BP Fire) vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Jirachi in Sun: 390-460 (96.5 - 113.8%) -- 75% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Life Orb Venusaur Weather Ball (100 BP Fire) vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Corviknight in Sun: 445-525 (111.2 - 131.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252+ SpA Life Orb Venusaur Weather Ball (100 BP Fire) vs. 252 HP / 160+ SpD Mandibuzz in Sun: 315-370 (74.2 - 87.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Growth: Lets you have a free +2 in both attack and special attack making Venusaur a devastating wall breaker and sweeper while under sun. This only gives you +1 boost out of sun, careful of boosting out of sun.
Usage Tips: Find out what can you set up on for +2 and what stops you from sweeping at +2. If there is nothing, just get a well timed growth for a likely win. If it can't, Venusaur can be supported by the dragons and rocks really well along with snorlax to chip down the opposing side.
Corviknight
Ability: Pressure, Depletes PP from pokemon moves that target Corviknight. This also pertains to hazards too. Helps out the hazard war a ton.
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD, This gives me the maximum amount of defensive investment possible for body press damage and checking physical attackers while the health is a odd number so the the ability to come in on rocks much easier. You can opt for 248 HP / 176 Def / 84 Spe for Conkeldurr. You would also use brave bird>iron head to make full use of this spread.
Nature: Impish, Maximizes defensive capabilities while lowering the special attack stat that’s not used. Also boost body press to maximum damage.
IVs: 31/31/31/31/31/31, maximizes all potential things Corviknight can do. It takes little from foul play to begin with and confusion does less than what leftovers recovers. This also maximizes body press.
Item: Leftovers, gives you passive recovery and makes things much easier for Corviknight to come in on rocks.
Body Press: Your main attacking move as this lets Corviknight check pokemon like Excadrill, Bisharp, and other physically attacking pokemon weak to body press.
Defog: Gives you much needed reliable hazard removal. The team wouldn’t work well without it.
Iron Head: Overall good STAB move and pressures pokemon like Clefable for the dragons to slay. You can also use Brave Bird in this slot if you feel Conkeldurr becomes overwhelming.
Roost: Gives you reliable recovery to last throughout the battle. This does take away the flying type so be aware of some slow Rhyperior as you roost.
Usage Tips: Bring this in on pokemon that would otherwise sweep you like Excadrill. Identify if and what Corviknight is used for. The main role Corviknight serves is to defog away rocks and spikes so you don’t get overwhelmed by them. Venusaur can pick up toxic spikes so generally don’t worry about trying to defog them.
Snorlax
Ability: Thick Fat, Gives you a resistance to fire and ice type attacks. This makes Snorlax extremely reliable against pokemon like Kyurem and Rotom Heat.
EVs: 248 HP / 228 SpD / 32 Spe, Allows for less damage from rocks with odd number of HP, speed for other Snorlax in curse wars, and the rest into special defense to check special attackers as reliably as possible.
Nature: Careful, Boost the special defense for Snorlax to be even more reliable against them while taking away special attack, something this Snorlax doesn’t need.
Item: Leftovers, gives it passive recovery and able to switch in on hazards much easier.
Body Slam: Reliable STAB option that can paralyze opponents. This opens the door for many potential sweeps.
Heat Crash: Extremely strong with Snorlax’s weight and is only boosted under sun. Under sun at +1 you can get a couple of key faints.
+1 0 Atk Snorlax Heat Crash (100 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Ferrothorn in Sun: 420-496 (119.3 - 140.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+1 0 Atk Snorlax Heat Crash (120 BP) vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Corviknight in Sun: 402-474 (100.5 - 118.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+1 0 Atk Snorlax Heat Crash (120 BP) vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Corviknight in Sun: 402-474 (100.5 - 118.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Curse: Lets you boost your defense and attack stat, making this a threatening sweeper
Rest: Gives you a recovery option. Snorlax is so fat that it can pull off rest in the OU format.
Usage Tips: Identify what Snorlax is needed to check and under what conditions for it to sweep. Most games it will likely go for body slam paralysis early, curse up a couple times, and check the nasty special attackers. Careful of when you use rest, this could allow something in you didn’t want.
Hydreigon
Ability: Levitate, Gives you another ground immunity and immunity to spikes.
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe, Maximizes damage output and speed. No current spread has been found for optimal defenses.
Nature: Modest, Gives you some incredible damage rolls compared to timid, there are many but one should sum up how good it is.
+2 252+ SpA Life Orb Hydreigon Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Clefable in Sun: 385-454 (97.7 - 115.2%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO
IVs: 0/31/31/31/31/31, Gives you the maximum speed, bulk, and power while taking less from foul play and confusion.
Item: Life Orb, lots of damage rolls hinge on Hydreigon having this item. Many games it might not need it but it’s a lot better with it.
Draco Meteor: An extremely hard move to switch into as there are only 2 mons who resist/immune to it (steel and fairy).
Fire Blast: gives you incredible coverage against the few things draco meteor doesn’t hit. This is something Hydreigon can abuse while under sun.
Roost: Reliable recovery to check pokemon like Dracovish and Rotom Heat much more effectively. This also helps against bulky teams who try to win by chipping down Hydreigon due to life orb recoil.
Nasty Plot: Lets it get a serious boost in an already good special attack stat to insane levels of unfair damage.
Usage Tips: See what needs to be broken, Hydreigon will do just that for you. You can also identify if it’s needed to check something like sucker punch from bisharp, earthquake spam, or strong water or dark moves that Hydreigon can beat in a 1v1. Hydreigon is slower than rotom heat but is never ohko’d by overheat, even under sun if defensive nasty plot. Offensive nasty plot Rotom Heat is checked by Snorlax very well and loses to Hydreigon more often than not anyways due to the 50% chance to kill under sun at +2 if timid and the chance to miss on top of that.
How to use
Whenever you play against someone, it’s pretty simple for your gameplan. What is needed for _ mon to sweep and what mons are needed to cover _ mon. Your early game will likely consist of breaking, checking, and the hazard war. As long as you don’t lose the hazard war and play your pokemon well, you can win the game. For situational in depth stuff, well it seems like logical conclusions can do the trick to tell that tale along with some of the tips shown, but before you play your targets are this in priority.
1) How does Venusaur win
2) What pokemon are needed to check their threats (can be defensive or offensive)
3) What moment can Hydreigon get a nasty plot up or claim a pokemon
4) How does Snorlax or Dragapult sweep?
5) If there is weather, this becomes #1: how do I win the weather war and how can I win if I can’t?
There are tough match-ups like sand and hyper offense, both even rough match-ups can generally be won with good planning and recognizing what situations can lead to a win.
Once you have this covered, you should be set and I hope you enjoy using this team.
Accomplishments
Has personally gotten me reqs for suspect testing of Vish, hit 1900 on numerous occasions, and has gotten top 10 on the ladder from my memory more than once. Sadly I have 0 definitive proof of this and I apologies for this. Reason is that I don't have it is because I didn't plan on making a rate my team of this until recently so I had no reason to save replays. The following replays were just ones saved by other people.
Replays
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1120558032
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1120555634
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1120552518
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1120546758
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1105282939
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1107164500
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1123007444
pokepaste: https://pokepast.es/cdc012fcf1b780be
Yes, this is my team, not Ske's
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