SS OU Defensive Balance

Hello this is a team I built this team because I feel it works well in the current meta game.

Pokepaste Below
https://pokepast.es/5cb6520f0139a96d

1613720014735.gif

First Pokémon is Celesteela.

Celesteela @ Leftovers
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Relaxed Nature
- Protect
- Leech Seed
- Heavy Slam
- Flamethrower

Celesteela is a Pokémon that has massive bulk and is very hard to kill. I’ve found it gets to leech seed everything flamethrower destroys ferrothorns, and heavy slam is the main way of hitting through what is in front of you Steela is in my opinion the best Tapu Lele counter eating the hits and killing Lele in return. You need to watch out for electric types and fire types especially getting trapped by magnetometer with Celesteela.

1613721145349.gif


Kyurem is the second Pokémon.

Kyurem @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 56 HP / 200 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Roost
- Freeze-Dry
- Earth Power

Kyurem is great when facing stall. It can easily waste away pp from your opponents with it’s ability pressure. Heavy duty boots helps it stay healthy when opposing stealth rocks, spikes, or t spikes It can pressure stall nicely behind a sub. Freeze dry is nice to catch swamperts, and other waters. Kyurem is threatened by most of the other dragons in the teir, but it’s ability is breakthrough things like toxapex, and pressuring stall by wasting valuable pp makes it a valuable member.


1613720669415.gif


Rillaboom is the Pokémon.


Rillaboom @ Choice Band
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- U-turn
- Knock Off
- Grassy Glide
- Wood Hammer

Rillaboom is running a standard choice band set. Grassy glide for the priority U-turn to keep up your momentum knock off to get rid of items, and wood hammer for your strong hit. From what I’ve seen Rillaboom is good at breaking through teams seems very strong Adamant nature is very nice to have for sure. It works well in tandum with kyurem setting up grassy terrain giving it extra recovery, and helping it keep up pressure against potential walls.

1613721960197.gif


The fourth Pokémon is Volcorna.


Volcarona @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 248 HP / 196 Def / 64 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Defog
- Roost
- Flamethrower
- Bug Buzz

Introducing tank Volcorna. This defensive based set makes Volcorna a great kartana switch in as well as any other physical attackers especially with the flame body ability giving it the 30% chance to burn which is very nice with crippling those physical attackers. No quiver dance makes this not a sweeper but a support Pokémon keeping hazards off your side of the field. It seems to get free defogs off with the threat of a potential Quiver Dance set. Heavy duty boots is a must on a Pokémon that could take 50% from stealth rocks, and lastly I may end up changin bug buzz for psychic to hit things like Nidoking.

1613723177700.gif


Swampert is the fifth Pokémon.


Swampert @ Leftovers
Ability: Damp
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Flip Turn
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic

Swampert is the rocker on this team. Swampert can catch Pokémon with a toxic who try to defog on it, and flip turn is nice to pivot swampert out to get in a better suited Pokémon for what is in front of you. Swampert is a Pokémon not blessed with a recovery move so it seems to die a little quickly so the grassy terrain can help with keeping Swampery healthy, although it does weaken earthquake. I don’t know how I feel about swampert it is good, but it dies a little too quickly. Let me know if you think a different rocker would work better on this build, but a ground typing is very valuable for stopping something like regieleki from volt switching around on this team.


1613724133469.gif

Last up is Jellicent.


Jellicent (M) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Toxic
- Recover
- Taunt

You may be asking why there is a jellicent on this team, and my answer is that Jellicent is an amazing counter to Urshifu-Rapid Strikes. I have been having troubles building around having to deal with something that can break so easily. Urshifu can be dangerous if left unchecked. Rocky Helmet is great for chip damage on u-turns and on physical attackers, although you could switch the items for colbur berry or heavy duty boots, but I like to be able to have reliable damage on physical attackers. Even when your opponents do not have an urshifu the scald burns toxic damage and taunts this Pokémon utiliizes can be very valuable in any battle.

This team seems to be pretty good in this meta game. Nidoking seems to be a threat to this team, and may cause you to have to pick a sack to it, but with so chip damage Rillaboom can deal with it reliably. The team does most of its damage through residual damage through toxics and leech seeds. I haven’t lost a game through testing and I’d love for you to let me know how it works for you, and what you’d change up on the team.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Fc
I think this team is quite cool overall, Celesteela seems like a nice pick that can check quite a few things. I do think that the team does have some clear weak points though, where some picks just feel outclassed by others so I'll try and fix that with a few changes.

Major Changes:
:volcarona: --> :moltres:
I feel like Volcarona's potential is being wasted when used fully defensively, since in this meta I don't think it benefits much if at all from not using Quiver Dance because of just how threatening it can be. With that in mind, I think Moltres is the better defensive Fire-type here. It is a much more reliable defogger and can help pivot around Nidoking with Swampert which you mentioned could be an issue. Nido still 2hko's with Sludge Wave but it has to pick between hitting Celesteela, Swampert, or Moltres at all times while being threatened by mons like Rillaboom in the back, so I think it could be quite beneficial.
Moltres @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 248 HP / 88 Def / 28 SpD / 144 Spe
Bold Nature
- Defog
- Mystical Fire
- Roost
- Scorching Sands

:Jellicent: --> :slowbro:
You mentioned the Jellicent being mostly for Urshifu-Rapid-Strike, and if that's the case then I think Slowbro would do a much better job at its role. Future Sight support can never be underestimated, and it helps the mu against things like Stone Edge Hawlucha more since you have to pivot but can just use fs instead of hoping for the scald burn and losing some mons if you don't get it with Jellicent. Bro prefers running Boots but I'll slash helmet on this set since you wanted the chip on things, so just depends on if you find keeping hazards off the field hard.
Slowbro @ Heavy-Duty Boots / Rocky Helmet
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Scald
- Future Sight
- Slack Off
- Teleport

Minor Changes:
:swampert:
Toxic --> Protect
Earthquake --> High Horsepower
These are the last changes I think that are needed, there's some things that could probably be played around with but this seems like it'll improve things quite a bit. Protect helps against things like Nidoking which have a chance to 3hko pert naturally as well as stalling things like rain or worse sun which looks very naturally threatening here, it isn't that common however and if the pressure is constantly applied it's winnable against Venusaur. High Horsepower isn't weakened by grassy terrain from Rillaboom, so it's preferred over eq here.

Updated RMT (pokepast.es)
Here's the updated paste with the changes, I hope you like them. The structure is still super similar, I think that Moltres and Slowbro just outclass the previous mons with the exact same roles on the team however, so overall this should make it more solid. It's quite slow, but Rillaboom can apply fast offensive priority while the defensive cores can pivot around trying to stall things out, and Kyurem seems quite solid here paired with Rillaboom for things like Zapdos.
 
I think this team is quite cool overall, Celesteela seems like a nice pick that can check quite a few things. I do think that the team does have some clear weak points though, where some picks just feel outclassed by others so I'll try and fix that with a few changes.

Major Changes:
:volcarona: --> :moltres:
I feel like Volcarona's potential is being wasted when used fully defensively, since in this meta I don't think it benefits much if at all from not using Quiver Dance because of just how threatening it can be. With that in mind, I think Moltres is the better defensive Fire-type here. It is a much more reliable defogger and can help pivot around Nidoking with Swampert which you mentioned could be an issue. Nido still 2hko's with Sludge Wave but it has to pick between hitting Celesteela, Swampert, or Moltres at all times while being threatened by mons like Rillaboom in the back, so I think it could be quite beneficial.
Moltres @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 248 HP / 88 Def / 28 SpD / 144 Spe
Bold Nature
- Defog
- Mystical Fire
- Roost
- Scorching Sands

:Jellicent: --> :slowbro:
You mentioned the Jellicent being mostly for Urshifu-Rapid-Strike, and if that's the case then I think Slowbro would do a much better job at its role. Future Sight support can never be underestimated, and it helps the mu against things like Stone Edge Hawlucha more since you have to pivot but can just use fs instead of hoping for the scald burn and losing some mons if you don't get it with Jellicent. Bro prefers running Boots but I'll slash helmet on this set since you wanted the chip on things, so just depends on if you find keeping hazards off the field hard.
Slowbro @ Heavy-Duty Boots / Rocky Helmet
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Scald
- Future Sight
- Slack Off
- Teleport

Minor Changes:
:swampert:
Toxic --> Protect
Earthquake --> High Horsepower
These are the last changes I think that are needed, there's some things that could probably be played around with but this seems like it'll improve things quite a bit. Protect helps against things like Nidoking which have a chance to 3hko pert naturally as well as stalling things like rain or worse sun which looks very naturally threatening here, it isn't that common however and if the pressure is constantly applied it's winnable against Venusaur. High Horsepower isn't weakened by grassy terrain from Rillaboom, so it's preferred over eq here.

Updated RMT (pokepast.es)
Here's the updated paste with the changes, I hope you like them. The structure is still super similar, I think that Moltres and Slowbro just outclass the previous mons with the exact same roles on the team however, so overall this should make it more solid. It's quite slow, but Rillaboom can apply fast offensive priority while the defensive cores can pivot around trying to stall things out, and Kyurem seems quite solid here paired with Rillaboom for things like Zapdos.
I think your changes are great do you think helmet over boots would be better to on the slowbro potentially also do you think Celesteela would be better with a spd set rather than defensive or maybe mixed as well?
 
Last edited:
How does this team stop a +1 Volc? (Fiery dance, Giga drain, psychic)
I’ve been starting to get higher on the ladder and this team kinda gets smashed by like nasty plot hydreigon or like latios I’ve been trying out an autotomize meateor beam steela but it doesn’t take a fiery dance/ flamethrower/ fire blast/ mystical fire so yeah it’s pretty weak to those
 
I think celesteela should be physical defense since moltres is the more special defense. In fact i think you'll have an easier time with nasty plot hydreigon/Latios if you run mystical fire over flamethrower since even if they switch in they suffer a spe-def drop. This also makes dealing with nidoking easier too. Also you could drop toxic/protect on swampert for ice punch, which also has the benefit of slamming rillaboom trying to get a free switch.
 
Back
Top