October 1 2025 Version (peak #1 ~2070 ELO ~88% GXE)
^^^ this version was featured on aim ’s channel recently. shoutouts bro. i got #1 with this build in late sep/early oct 2025. but it was future sight > psynoise glowking up until the very end. i can never decide.
[rmt title is my highest elo peak, from may 2025.]
but i really dont want to update this rmt for a 3rd time. sorry.
the sets have continually changed since the team’s inception in jan 2024, and will certainly continue to change if i keep playing this tier.
but the 6 have always been the same.
and the basic strategy of aggressive bulky offense has always been the same.
see below for more details.
thank you.
enjoy.
-shnazzy
THE RAINBOW
MAY 2025 UPDATE: I made this RMT back in September 2024 when I got #10 / 1965 ELO, but just yesterday I got #1 / 2081 ELO. Rather than remake the whole RMT, I'm going to put May 2025 updates in bold like this. A lot of the old info still applies, and I think it will be helpful to see the evolution process. Also, I'm lazy.
Hello Smogon. If you have been playing SV OU since the beginning of 2024, there's a good chance you have seen this team at least once. I made the original version back in January, and peaked #4 on the ladder in early February. I passed the team to blunder, who used it in a few tournament games to great success; it was then passed around the tournament circuit, and eventually became popular enough to earn a spot on the OU Room's Sample Teams page.
Since that time, the OU meta has evolved significantly, and I have tried to evolve the team with it. The version in this RMT is therefore quite different from the original. From March to August, I would continually make updates based on meta trends, but I was not super focused on Showdown during that time (aside from participating in suspect tests) due to some changes in my personal life. I was happy enough to just grind low/mid ladder on alts, and didn't feel the need to try to peak again.
However, when I heard that
would be suspect tested again (and likely banned), I knew I had to lock in and prove that the team and I still had the sauce while I still had the chance. This RMT is the result of that recent effort. While a #10 peak is not quite as high as my original #4 back in February, I think that the current state of SV OU is among the most stressful metagames that I've ever played in all my years on Showdown. So I am very happy with this achievement, and very proud of these 6 mons.
If you'd like to stop reading here and just steal the team, feel free to do so...
HOWEVER...
Be warned...
This team is not necessarily easy to use...
As the title of the RMT implies, to consistently win with this team, you MUST play with momentum on your side. You MUST make calculated, aggressive plays to position your mons properly vs. your opponent's threats. You CANNOT play reactively - doing so will leave you down in sacks and without the tools you need to win. You will not be able to check all the broken offensive threats, or break all the dedicated anti-offensive threats. If you want to play without using your brain, then load up some
or 
or 
like everybody else. But if you want to make lord plays and use a team that rewards a good player...
(MAY 2025 / RANK 1): https://pokepast.es/bc53757836ba6579
(September 2024 / Rank 10): https://pokepast.es/a59259be99210f5f
And if you'd like to learn more, please continue reading.
"I can't believe I'm finally sitting on the Iron Throne! This is so epic." - Daenerys Targaryen, A Dream of Spring (trust)
Daenerys (Kingambit) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Supreme Overlord
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 112 HP / 252 Atk / 144 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Kowtow Cleave
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch
- Swords Dance
The EVs have been changed to outspeed uninvested
, and the Tera type has been changed to Flying. 
's EVs are relatively flexible. You could increase the speed a bit to outspeed faster paralyzed threats like 
, 
, or even up to max speed Adamant to be better vs opposing ; or you could increase the HP to tank +1 Adamant Earthquake from 
(which is a huge threat) or just to be bulkier in general. However, I think this spread is a good balance. Tera Flying is extremely clutch - the team is quite Ground weak overall, and most mons with strong Ground coverage will click it vs even if they know it will Tera, just because it's safe damage. Flying is notably also still good vs Fighting types like , 
, and 
, the latter of which is actually one of the biggest threats to the team, especially now that 
doesn't have Psychic. Tera Fairy isn't necessarily bad, and I did have success with it for a while, but being weak to opposing sucks in the endgame (as well as stuff like 
and 
), and it still takes too much from neutral Headlong Rush or boosted Earthquakes.
Daenerys (Kingambit) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Supreme Overlord
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 128 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 124 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Kowtow Cleave
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch
- Swords Dance
is ; if you don't know what this thing does by now, then respectfully I think you are on the wrong website. It is this team's primary sweeper and Ghost resist. The Speed EVs allow it to outspeed uninvested base 65s such as , 
, and 
, as well as stuff like 
, 
, and paralyzed Tera'd Modest 
, while also having enough HP to always live a +1 252+ Earthquake from . I think this is a good balance of speed and bulk, but you can tweak the EVs if you feel you must. The OG version used Tera Dark to break stall, but tbh it always lost to a well-played with Toxic, so at some point I decided to change it to Tera Fairy (and make the stallbreaker instead). In terms of the moves, I've messed around with options like Tera Blast Fairy and Low Kick, but Iron Head is just too good in too many situations. Out of all 6 members on this team, has probably changed the least since the OG version.
"*Soccer Noises*" - Kristine Lilly, probably
Kristine (Cinderace) (F) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Blaze
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Bug
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Pyro Ball
- Will-O-Wisp
- Court Change
- U-turn
You'll be happy to know that this Pokemon and I have now worked through our differences and we are doing better than ever. I *love* this mon so fucking much. All it does is *hit* its moves and *make me proud*. I went back to the max bulk set because I think its defensive capabilities (burning a threat for or to set up on it safely, or living a strong hit to guarantee getting hazards off the field) are more important than firing off stronger Pyro Balls, and anyway forcing Blaze makes Pyro Ball stronger than max attack EVs ever could. Also, with running Earthquake > Earth Power now, opposing 
isn't as annoying in the midgame. . Everything else is the same. There are still times when can be very frustrating to use due to the accuracy of its moves, but highkey you could make a strong argument for it being the most important member of the team.
Kristine (Cinderace) (F) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Blaze
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Bug
EVs: 16 HP / 240 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Pyro Ball
- Will-O-Wisp
- Court Change
- U-turn
I hate this mon so fucking much. All it does is miss its moves and let me down. Yet whenever I face an opposing it acts like it's fucking Goku. Anyway, is (on a good day) a vital member of this team. It's my only source of hazard removal, as well as a fast, strong pivot. For 99% of this team's lifespan I was using a very bulky version that could live 252 Life Orb Psycho Boost from 
, because that thing used to be everywhere. Now though, is everywhere, so I recently switched to a much more offensive EV spread to 2HKO SpDef with Pyro Ball, while still living stuff like Choice Band Wood Hammer from 
and Earth Power from 
. I also kept the same moves and ability. You might think it's odd to see an offensive EV spread with a traditionally defensive moveset and ability, but Blaze is still really good for this mon. It allows it to OHKO a lot of stuff like , , and , which is usually much more important than increased damage from U-turn. As for the other moves, Will-O-Wisp is crucial for neutering physical threats like , , and 
, to allow my own sweepers to setup vs. them. The Tera type is mostly irrelevant because is by far the lowest priority to Tera in almost every game, but Bug is nice because it resists all of 's moves and isn't weak to Ice Spinner, unlike Flying, so you can potentially get 2 chances to Wisp it. Overall, I wouldn't recommend changing too much from this spread, except maybe to run Wide Lens over Heavy-Duty Boots.
"Yummers." - Homelander
Homelandor (Landorus-Therian) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 128 HP / 132 Def / 248 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Taunt
- Stealth Rock
- U-turn
This guy has changed a fair bit. I eventually realized that 300+ speed is absolutely crucial in 99% of matchups, I'm not sure why that took me so long to figure out. The strange EV spread is for; it is more physically defensive than the standard max HP max speed, allowing to always take the following sequence: Stealth Rock (12.5%) + -1 252 Atk Rapid Spin vs. 128 HP / 132 Def : 35-42 (9.9 - 11.9%) + -1 252 Atk Ice Spinner vs. 128 HP / 132 Def : 224-264 (63.8 - 75.2%). 12.5% + 11.9% + 75.2% = 99.6%. Don't get crit tho. I switched to Earthquake > Earth Power because it's really just so much stronger, and better vs almost everything except and . However, that comes at the cost of being weaker vs those two, and they are among the most used mons in the tier, but I think this change is overall better. Just get the turns right, and can be handled with good pivoting and pressure. I also added Taunt > Psychic because it's better to stop opposing setup and healing, but again, at the cost of being weaker to (and ). I know I specifically mentioned in the old writeup as the main reason to not run Taunt, but it's pretty rare, so Taunt is better in more matchups. If you do run into tho, you need to be VERY proactive, and it could come down to getting the Tera flip correct with . And lastly, Tera Water > Dragon because Ice types like 
and DD were a bit too threatening. It is theoretically worse vs , but I've found that you really just need 1 turn vs that mon to Tera and click U-turn (where they will always click Ivy Cudgel before you've Tera'd, never the Grass move), and then is low enough to be easily picked off by , , or Sucker Punch.
Homelandor (Landorus-Therian) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Dragon
EVs: 248 HP / 132 Def / 128 Spe
Bold Nature
- Earth Power
- Psychic
- Stealth Rock
- U-turn
Some people thought this mon would fall off in Gen 9 bc of how many moves it lost, but real ones always knew it would adapt to the meta and rise to the top again. Real ones were right. is the team's primary physically defensive pivot, Ground immunity, and Stealth Rock setter. It is EV'd to outspeed Modest max speed , with the rest dumped into Def to let it take hits better. I've considered running a 300+ Speed set to outspeed , 
, and , like a lot of other do, but I think the loss of its physical bulk would be catastrophic for this team. Tera Dragon is chosen to resist Water and Grass for ; though Tera Water could potentially be used to resist Ice moves, I think Dragon is optimal in this case. Special attacks are sadly necessary because otherwise the team is way too weak to , I'd definitely love to run EQ & stronger U-Turn if that broken piece of shit was ever banned. Anyway, everything is pretty standard except Psychic. When most people see this move they think I have brain damage, but I promise it is crucial to avoid getting 6-0'd by . The increased damage vs , , and is also nice. But seriously, if you swap it out for Taunt, you will get owned by . Trust me.
Note: Stealth Rock is what I would consider to be a "luxury" move; it can give you a huge advantage, but it could also potentially give a huge threat a free switch-in. When in doubt, always keep up momentum.
"What an extraordinarily clever nickname!" - Unknown
No changes. What a beautiful Pokemon.
bless you buddy.
WALL-Y (Iron Valiant) @ Booster Energy
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Shadow Ball
- Encore
- Calm Mind
is the greatest Pokemon ever made. I love this guy so much. It does everything I ever need it to, and if it's ever unable to clutch out a game I know it's my fault for not setting it up properly. I used to run a mixed set with Moonblast, Knock Off, Close Combat, and Encore, which usually worked well, but it lacked the ability to muscle past its checks like a setup version could, so I switched to Calm Mind. Everything is pretty self-explanatory and standard here. In general you should try to save the Booster Energy for the endgame, but sometimes you will need to bring it out early to Encore a threat and not get swept on the spot. Tera Ghost allows Shadow Ball to (potentially) break past a ton of would-be checks like , , , and 
; it also grants important immunity to Extreme Speed and Body Press. Be careful of using Tera Ghost while opposing is still around, though. This mon also tends to force Tera from your opponent, so even if you've started to setup and you seemingly have a clear path to victory, you may actually have to win some 50/50s to win the game. Other than that though, it's pretty much a perfect Pokemon.
"I can't believe I'm the main antagonist of The Batman 2! This is so epic." - Mr. Freeze (trust)
EVs: 56 HP / 200 SpA / 252 Spe
I put 4 more EVs in HP so it will hit an odd HP number for Stealth Rock. Everything else is the same. I did mess around with Icicle Spear > Body Press for stall, and it definitely does make the stall matchup much easier to due the 4x PP, but it's worse vs every other playstyle. Stall can still be won pretty easily using the existing set with the team support of Court Change, Encore, Taunt, Psychic Noise, and of course Supreme Overload. And the lure vs and Air Balloon is super nice. Plus Body Press is just really funny.
Mr. Freeze (Kyurem) @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 52 HP / 204 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Freeze-Dry
- Earth Power
- Body Press
- Substitute
Despite currently being public enemy #1, is actually the mon I've had the most trouble with in the teambuilder. It was originally Choice Specs Tera Ice - a very strong breaker, but practically useless vs , bc it would just protect and switch to the appropriate teammate, then I have to switch out and take hazards when I come back in. This was a huge problem, because if can't take out , it's very difficult for its teammates to beat it. I tried running 4 attack Heavy-Duty Boots to allow it to switch moves and avoid hazards, but it was kind of weak, and this team really needs to function as a strong early-mid game breaker. I tried 4 attacks with Expert Belt and Never-Melt Ice, which weren't terrible, but the power still wasn't great compared to the chance that you'd still be forced out or revenge killed. It still wasn't able to effectively break fat teams. I tried one or two Dragon Dance variants, but without Freeze Dry it couldn't reliably beat bulky Water types without burning Tera, and a mixed DD set was trying to do too many things at once and not really excelling at any of them. I also tested all these variants with various Tera types such as Ice, Ground, Fairy, & Poison (good vs ). I want to clarify that none of these sets are "bad"; they all have their own good matchups, and the fact that can run so many sets definitely makes it hard to fight against. However, nothing seemed to be "the answer" that I was looking for, not consistently.
I finally discovered the set that everyone grew to complain about - Substitute, Protect, Freeze Dry, Earth Power. I wasn't immediately convinced, because I had already tried sets without damage boosting items with mixed results; but after losing to it several times and seeing its potency in replays, I saw the vision. Substitute doesn't just allow to avoid status - it all but removes its need to predict switchins, because you can just click the right move the next turn behind a Sub. While this set is definitely very good (and possibly broken), I found that it would still lose the PP war 1v1 to Calm Mind 
, and therefore any stall team that uses (all of them). The only way to make progress is to freeze and force a sack as it switches out to regain Natural Cure, but this is obviously not reliable. Therefore, I chose to run Body Press over Protect. With Body Press doing a solid 1/3 HP to most sets, becomes a much deadlier stallbreaker. Stall now actually has to make plays to waste your PP, they can't just rely on . It can still be a challenging matchup, especially with stuff like Pressure , but its far more winnable. Body Press is also quite nice to surprise OHKO and do big damage to Air Balloon . I'm not arguing against the general effectiveness of the Protect set, but for this team, I believe my set is optimal. Another possible option could be Icicle Spear > Body Press for 4x the PP, but with -0 Atk and no Loaded Dice, it seems very inconsistent, and practically useless for any other matchup that isn't stall. I haven't really tried it though, so who knows.
One other thing to note about is that aside from being the team's main fat/stall breaker, it is also the team's only Water resist (without Tera). Therefore, vs. physical Water types that and can't handle, you will need to play your very, very carefully.
"God Damn, he's so fucking chill" - Everyone
Psychic Noise > Future Sight
Future Sight isn't as effective without an immediately threatening nuke like Choice Specs, and Psychic Noise is really nice vs not just fat/stall but also Substitute 
. You could try Future Sight if you really want but I don't think it synergizes as well as you'd think. Everything else is the same. GOAT mon.
Chillionaire (Slowking-Galar) (M) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Regenerator
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 248 HP / 16 Def / 244 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Sludge Bomb
- Future Sight
- Thunder Wave
- Chilly Reception
Last, but certainly not least. Forget what I said before about - is the greatest Pokemon ever made. There's a reason this mon is being spammed so much right now, it's because he can somehow 1v1 the entire meta and also do your taxes for you. On this team, it is the primary specially defensive pivot. I've always used max SpDef (with enough Def to live 
Knock Off per Smogon set suggestions), Tera Water, Future Sight, & Chilly Reception. But the other 2 moves have changed quite a bit. At various points, I was running Toxic, Surf, Slack Off, and even Mud Shot (it helps vs 
and lol). It took me a long time to come around to Thunder Wave (I used to feel gross clicking this move lol), but it is sadly very necessary in this meta. It allows your teammates to outspeed a ton of opposing threats that they normally wouldn't, and almost more importantly, it maximizes your odds of success on any given turn. It's a cheap move, but we play a cheap game. Anyway this thing is the GOAT for just about any team, but it is specifically 's best friend, as the two of them have almost perfect synergy.
Note: Future Sight is another example of something I'd consider to be a "luxury" move. It can potentially set up a teammate for a nice kill, but it's also a turn you spent not doing direct damage, spreading status, or getting momentum. You must consider the risk/reward every turn carefully - the meta is just too strong to get away with free turns. I actually tried using Psychic Noise > FS at some point, mostly to ease the matchup vs, but FS is sometimes necessary to break stuff like . I do think it's an amazing move, just don't click it every time you switch in.
Thank you :)
^^^ this version was featured on aim ’s channel recently. shoutouts bro. i got #1 with this build in late sep/early oct 2025. but it was future sight > psynoise glowking up until the very end. i can never decide.
[rmt title is my highest elo peak, from may 2025.]
but i really dont want to update this rmt for a 3rd time. sorry.
the sets have continually changed since the team’s inception in jan 2024, and will certainly continue to change if i keep playing this tier.
but the 6 have always been the same.
and the basic strategy of aggressive bulky offense has always been the same.
see below for more details.
thank you.
enjoy.
-shnazzy
THE RAINBOW
MAY 2025 UPDATE: I made this RMT back in September 2024 when I got #10 / 1965 ELO, but just yesterday I got #1 / 2081 ELO. Rather than remake the whole RMT, I'm going to put May 2025 updates in bold like this. A lot of the old info still applies, and I think it will be helpful to see the evolution process. Also, I'm lazy.
Hello Smogon. If you have been playing SV OU since the beginning of 2024, there's a good chance you have seen this team at least once. I made the original version back in January, and peaked #4 on the ladder in early February. I passed the team to blunder, who used it in a few tournament games to great success; it was then passed around the tournament circuit, and eventually became popular enough to earn a spot on the OU Room's Sample Teams page.
Since that time, the OU meta has evolved significantly, and I have tried to evolve the team with it. The version in this RMT is therefore quite different from the original. From March to August, I would continually make updates based on meta trends, but I was not super focused on Showdown during that time (aside from participating in suspect tests) due to some changes in my personal life. I was happy enough to just grind low/mid ladder on alts, and didn't feel the need to try to peak again.
However, when I heard that
would be suspect tested again (and likely banned), I knew I had to lock in and prove that the team and I still had the sauce while I still had the chance. This RMT is the result of that recent effort. While a #10 peak is not quite as high as my original #4 back in February, I think that the current state of SV OU is among the most stressful metagames that I've ever played in all my years on Showdown. So I am very happy with this achievement, and very proud of these 6 mons.If you'd like to stop reading here and just steal the team, feel free to do so...
HOWEVER...
Be warned...
This team is not necessarily easy to use...
As the title of the RMT implies, to consistently win with this team, you MUST play with momentum on your side. You MUST make calculated, aggressive plays to position your mons properly vs. your opponent's threats. You CANNOT play reactively - doing so will leave you down in sacks and without the tools you need to win. You will not be able to check all the broken offensive threats, or break all the dedicated anti-offensive threats. If you want to play without using your brain, then load up some
or or like everybody else. But if you want to make lord plays and use a team that rewards a good player...(MAY 2025 / RANK 1): https://pokepast.es/bc53757836ba6579
(September 2024 / Rank 10): https://pokepast.es/a59259be99210f5f
And if you'd like to learn more, please continue reading.
All of this info is still correct. I'm very happy that these 6 have been with me the whole time. I love this team so much.
This team was originally inspired by the "German 6" team that was spammed to hell and back in tournaments last summer. This is one version of that famous squad, but one of the best parts of that team was that the same 6 mons would always change their sets. You never knew exactly what they were going to do.
After was banned, I wanted to see if I could recreate the team with . Not exactly the same mon, but potentially close enough?
I wanted a 3rd pivot in addition to and , and I've personally never loved using , so I swapped and for and . You'll notice that the total types are identical to the original German 6 squad. This was not my exact intention, but it worked out nicely.
And so, The Rainbow was born. As I said in the introduction, I have also continued to change the sets of my 6 since I created my team, but the members have always been the same. I will allude to some of the earlier versions in the next section, the Team Breakdown.
This team was originally inspired by the "German 6" team that was spammed to hell and back in tournaments last summer. This is one version of that famous squad, but one of the best parts of that team was that the same 6 mons would always change their sets. You never knew exactly what they were going to do.
After
was banned, I wanted to see if I could recreate the team with . Not exactly the same mon, but potentially close enough? I wanted a 3rd pivot in addition to
and , and I've personally never loved using , so I swapped and for and . You'll notice that the total types are identical to the original German 6 squad. This was not my exact intention, but it worked out nicely. And so, The Rainbow was born. As I said in the introduction, I have also continued to change the sets of my 6 since I created my team, but the members have always been the same. I will allude to some of the earlier versions in the next section, the Team Breakdown.
"I can't believe I'm finally sitting on the Iron Throne! This is so epic." - Daenerys Targaryen, A Dream of Spring (trust)
Daenerys (Kingambit) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Supreme Overlord
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 112 HP / 252 Atk / 144 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Kowtow Cleave
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch
- Swords Dance
The EVs have been changed to outspeed uninvested
, and the Tera type has been changed to Flying. 's EVs are relatively flexible. You could increase the speed a bit to outspeed faster paralyzed threats like , , or even up to max speed Adamant to be better vs opposing ; or you could increase the HP to tank +1 Adamant Earthquake from (which is a huge threat) or just to be bulkier in general. However, I think this spread is a good balance. Tera Flying is extremely clutch - the team is quite Ground weak overall, and most mons with strong Ground coverage will click it vs even if they know it will Tera, just because it's safe damage. Flying is notably also still good vs Fighting types like , , and , the latter of which is actually one of the biggest threats to the team, especially now that doesn't have Psychic. Tera Fairy isn't necessarily bad, and I did have success with it for a while, but being weak to opposing sucks in the endgame (as well as stuff like and ), and it still takes too much from neutral Headlong Rush or boosted Earthquakes. Daenerys (Kingambit) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Supreme Overlord
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 128 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 124 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Kowtow Cleave
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch
- Swords Dance
is ; if you don't know what this thing does by now, then respectfully I think you are on the wrong website. It is this team's primary sweeper and Ghost resist. The Speed EVs allow it to outspeed uninvested base 65s such as , , and , as well as stuff like , , and paralyzed Tera'd Modest , while also having enough HP to always live a +1 252+ Earthquake from . I think this is a good balance of speed and bulk, but you can tweak the EVs if you feel you must. The OG version used Tera Dark to break stall, but tbh it always lost to a well-played with Toxic, so at some point I decided to change it to Tera Fairy (and make the stallbreaker instead). In terms of the moves, I've messed around with options like Tera Blast Fairy and Low Kick, but Iron Head is just too good in too many situations. Out of all 6 members on this team, has probably changed the least since the OG version."*Soccer Noises*" - Kristine Lilly, probably
Kristine (Cinderace) (F) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Blaze
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Bug
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Pyro Ball
- Will-O-Wisp
- Court Change
- U-turn
You'll be happy to know that this Pokemon and I have now worked through our differences and we are doing better than ever. I *love* this mon so fucking much. All it does is *hit* its moves and *make me proud*. I went back to the max bulk set because I think its defensive capabilities (burning a threat for
or to set up on it safely, or living a strong hit to guarantee getting hazards off the field) are more important than firing off stronger Pyro Balls, and anyway forcing Blaze makes Pyro Ball stronger than max attack EVs ever could. Also, with running Earthquake > Earth Power now, opposing isn't as annoying in the midgame. . Everything else is the same. There are still times when can be very frustrating to use due to the accuracy of its moves, but highkey you could make a strong argument for it being the most important member of the team.Kristine (Cinderace) (F) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Blaze
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Bug
EVs: 16 HP / 240 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Pyro Ball
- Will-O-Wisp
- Court Change
- U-turn
I hate this mon so fucking much. All it does is miss its moves and let me down. Yet whenever I face an opposing
it acts like it's fucking Goku. Anyway, is (on a good day) a vital member of this team. It's my only source of hazard removal, as well as a fast, strong pivot. For 99% of this team's lifespan I was using a very bulky version that could live 252 Life Orb Psycho Boost from , because that thing used to be everywhere. Now though, is everywhere, so I recently switched to a much more offensive EV spread to 2HKO SpDef with Pyro Ball, while still living stuff like Choice Band Wood Hammer from and Earth Power from . I also kept the same moves and ability. You might think it's odd to see an offensive EV spread with a traditionally defensive moveset and ability, but Blaze is still really good for this mon. It allows it to OHKO a lot of stuff like , , and , which is usually much more important than increased damage from U-turn. As for the other moves, Will-O-Wisp is crucial for neutering physical threats like , , and , to allow my own sweepers to setup vs. them. The Tera type is mostly irrelevant because is by far the lowest priority to Tera in almost every game, but Bug is nice because it resists all of 's moves and isn't weak to Ice Spinner, unlike Flying, so you can potentially get 2 chances to Wisp it. Overall, I wouldn't recommend changing too much from this spread, except maybe to run Wide Lens over Heavy-Duty Boots."Yummers." - Homelander
Homelandor (Landorus-Therian) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 128 HP / 132 Def / 248 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Taunt
- Stealth Rock
- U-turn
This guy has changed a fair bit. I eventually realized that 300+ speed is absolutely crucial in 99% of matchups, I'm not sure why that took me so long to figure out. The strange EV spread is for
; it is more physically defensive than the standard max HP max speed, allowing to always take the following sequence: Stealth Rock (12.5%) + -1 252 Atk Rapid Spin vs. 128 HP / 132 Def : 35-42 (9.9 - 11.9%) + -1 252 Atk Ice Spinner vs. 128 HP / 132 Def : 224-264 (63.8 - 75.2%). 12.5% + 11.9% + 75.2% = 99.6%. Don't get crit tho. I switched to Earthquake > Earth Power because it's really just so much stronger, and better vs almost everything except and . However, that comes at the cost of being weaker vs those two, and they are among the most used mons in the tier, but I think this change is overall better. Just get the turns right, and can be handled with good pivoting and pressure. I also added Taunt > Psychic because it's better to stop opposing setup and healing, but again, at the cost of being weaker to (and ). I know I specifically mentioned in the old writeup as the main reason to not run Taunt, but it's pretty rare, so Taunt is better in more matchups. If you do run into tho, you need to be VERY proactive, and it could come down to getting the Tera flip correct with . And lastly, Tera Water > Dragon because Ice types like and DD were a bit too threatening. It is theoretically worse vs , but I've found that you really just need 1 turn vs that mon to Tera and click U-turn (where they will always click Ivy Cudgel before you've Tera'd, never the Grass move), and then is low enough to be easily picked off by , , or Sucker Punch.Homelandor (Landorus-Therian) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Dragon
EVs: 248 HP / 132 Def / 128 Spe
Bold Nature
- Earth Power
- Psychic
- Stealth Rock
- U-turn
Some people thought this mon would fall off in Gen 9 bc of how many moves it lost, but real ones always knew it would adapt to the meta and rise to the top again. Real ones were right.
is the team's primary physically defensive pivot, Ground immunity, and Stealth Rock setter. It is EV'd to outspeed Modest max speed , with the rest dumped into Def to let it take hits better. I've considered running a 300+ Speed set to outspeed , , and , like a lot of other do, but I think the loss of its physical bulk would be catastrophic for this team. Tera Dragon is chosen to resist Water and Grass for ; though Tera Water could potentially be used to resist Ice moves, I think Dragon is optimal in this case. Special attacks are sadly necessary because otherwise the team is way too weak to , I'd definitely love to run EQ & stronger U-Turn if that broken piece of shit was ever banned. Anyway, everything is pretty standard except Psychic. When most people see this move they think I have brain damage, but I promise it is crucial to avoid getting 6-0'd by . The increased damage vs , , and is also nice. But seriously, if you swap it out for Taunt, you will get owned by . Trust me.Note: Stealth Rock is what I would consider to be a "luxury" move; it can give you a huge advantage, but it could also potentially give a huge threat a free switch-in. When in doubt, always keep up momentum.
"What an extraordinarily clever nickname!" - Unknown
No changes. What a beautiful Pokemon.
bless you buddy.WALL-Y (Iron Valiant) @ Booster Energy
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Shadow Ball
- Encore
- Calm Mind
is the greatest Pokemon ever made. I love this guy so much. It does everything I ever need it to, and if it's ever unable to clutch out a game I know it's my fault for not setting it up properly. I used to run a mixed set with Moonblast, Knock Off, Close Combat, and Encore, which usually worked well, but it lacked the ability to muscle past its checks like a setup version could, so I switched to Calm Mind. Everything is pretty self-explanatory and standard here. In general you should try to save the Booster Energy for the endgame, but sometimes you will need to bring it out early to Encore a threat and not get swept on the spot. Tera Ghost allows Shadow Ball to (potentially) break past a ton of would-be checks like , , , and ; it also grants important immunity to Extreme Speed and Body Press. Be careful of using Tera Ghost while opposing is still around, though. This mon also tends to force Tera from your opponent, so even if you've started to setup and you seemingly have a clear path to victory, you may actually have to win some 50/50s to win the game. Other than that though, it's pretty much a perfect Pokemon."I can't believe I'm the main antagonist of The Batman 2! This is so epic." - Mr. Freeze (trust)
EVs: 56 HP / 200 SpA / 252 Spe
I put 4 more EVs in HP so it will hit an odd HP number for Stealth Rock. Everything else is the same. I did mess around with Icicle Spear > Body Press for stall, and it definitely does make the stall matchup much easier to due the 4x PP, but it's worse vs every other playstyle. Stall can still be won pretty easily using the existing
set with the team support of Court Change, Encore, Taunt, Psychic Noise, and of course Supreme Overload. And the lure vs and Air Balloon is super nice. Plus Body Press is just really funny.Mr. Freeze (Kyurem) @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 52 HP / 204 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Freeze-Dry
- Earth Power
- Body Press
- Substitute
Despite currently being public enemy #1,
is actually the mon I've had the most trouble with in the teambuilder. It was originally Choice Specs Tera Ice - a very strong breaker, but practically useless vs , bc it would just protect and switch to the appropriate teammate, then I have to switch out and take hazards when I come back in. This was a huge problem, because if can't take out , it's very difficult for its teammates to beat it. I tried running 4 attack Heavy-Duty Boots to allow it to switch moves and avoid hazards, but it was kind of weak, and this team really needs to function as a strong early-mid game breaker. I tried 4 attacks with Expert Belt and Never-Melt Ice, which weren't terrible, but the power still wasn't great compared to the chance that you'd still be forced out or revenge killed. It still wasn't able to effectively break fat teams. I tried one or two Dragon Dance variants, but without Freeze Dry it couldn't reliably beat bulky Water types without burning Tera, and a mixed DD set was trying to do too many things at once and not really excelling at any of them. I also tested all these variants with various Tera types such as Ice, Ground, Fairy, & Poison (good vs ). I want to clarify that none of these sets are "bad"; they all have their own good matchups, and the fact that can run so many sets definitely makes it hard to fight against. However, nothing seemed to be "the answer" that I was looking for, not consistently.I finally discovered the set that everyone grew to complain about - Substitute, Protect, Freeze Dry, Earth Power. I wasn't immediately convinced, because I had already tried sets without damage boosting items with mixed results; but after losing to it several times and seeing its potency in replays, I saw the vision. Substitute doesn't just allow
to avoid status - it all but removes its need to predict switchins, because you can just click the right move the next turn behind a Sub. While this set is definitely very good (and possibly broken), I found that it would still lose the PP war 1v1 to Calm Mind , and therefore any stall team that uses (all of them). The only way to make progress is to freeze and force a sack as it switches out to regain Natural Cure, but this is obviously not reliable. Therefore, I chose to run Body Press over Protect. With Body Press doing a solid 1/3 HP to most sets, becomes a much deadlier stallbreaker. Stall now actually has to make plays to waste your PP, they can't just rely on . It can still be a challenging matchup, especially with stuff like Pressure , but its far more winnable. Body Press is also quite nice to surprise OHKO and do big damage to Air Balloon . I'm not arguing against the general effectiveness of the Protect set, but for this team, I believe my set is optimal. Another possible option could be Icicle Spear > Body Press for 4x the PP, but with -0 Atk and no Loaded Dice, it seems very inconsistent, and practically useless for any other matchup that isn't stall. I haven't really tried it though, so who knows.One other thing to note about
is that aside from being the team's main fat/stall breaker, it is also the team's only Water resist (without Tera). Therefore, vs. physical Water types that and can't handle, you will need to play your very, very carefully."God Damn, he's so fucking chill" - Everyone
Psychic Noise > Future Sight
Future Sight isn't as effective without an immediately threatening nuke like Choice Specs
, and Psychic Noise is really nice vs not just fat/stall but also Substitute . You could try Future Sight if you really want but I don't think it synergizes as well as you'd think. Everything else is the same. GOAT mon.Chillionaire (Slowking-Galar) (M) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Regenerator
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 248 HP / 16 Def / 244 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Sludge Bomb
- Future Sight
- Thunder Wave
- Chilly Reception
Last, but certainly not least. Forget what I said before about
- is the greatest Pokemon ever made. There's a reason this mon is being spammed so much right now, it's because he can somehow 1v1 the entire meta and also do your taxes for you. On this team, it is the primary specially defensive pivot. I've always used max SpDef (with enough Def to live Knock Off per Smogon set suggestions), Tera Water, Future Sight, & Chilly Reception. But the other 2 moves have changed quite a bit. At various points, I was running Toxic, Surf, Slack Off, and even Mud Shot (it helps vs and lol). It took me a long time to come around to Thunder Wave (I used to feel gross clicking this move lol), but it is sadly very necessary in this meta. It allows your teammates to outspeed a ton of opposing threats that they normally wouldn't, and almost more importantly, it maximizes your odds of success on any given turn. It's a cheap move, but we play a cheap game. Anyway this thing is the GOAT for just about any team, but it is specifically 's best friend, as the two of them have almost perfect synergy.Note: Future Sight is another example of something I'd consider to be a "luxury" move. It can potentially set up a teammate for a nice kill, but it's also a turn you spent not doing direct damage, spreading status, or getting momentum. You must consider the risk/reward every turn carefully - the meta is just too strong to get away with free turns. I actually tried using Psychic Noise > FS at some point, mostly to ease the matchup vs
, but FS is sometimes necessary to break stuff like . I do think it's an amazing move, just don't click it every time you switch in.I think most of this section is the same now as it was then. If you get every turn right and keep up momentum the entire game, this team can win almost any matchup. However, if you get even a few turns wrong and fall behind in sacks, this team can lose almost any matchup. Therefore there are a TON of threats to this team, but most of them can be mitigated through better positioning. Or, in the worst case, luck...
Special attackers that can hit super effectively or otherwise overwhelm it
is probably the single biggest threat to the team, as it has the tools to potentially 1v1 every mon. If you can predict a lead, I'd recommend leading and trying to Thunder Wave it turn 1. The odds of landing a Twave through Dark Pulse's flinch chance is 72%, which isn't bad. If that doesn't work though, it's a huge problem, and you may need to Tera something to avoid sacking your whole team. 
does similar things, but it doesn't have the coverage or power to 1v1 every mon to the same degree. You might need to let get burned though. is more manageable because is faster and can potentially OHKO it, and most of them don't run Focus Blast anymore, so can probably 1v1 it, but you never know.
Those are just the 3 OU special attackers with super effective STABs vs. There are also lower-tiered special attackers with super-effective STABs, including 
, 
, 
, 
, 
, 
, 
, 
, & 
; there are also a multitude of strong special attackers who run super-effective coverage moves, like , , , , , & . There are also special attackers that are just naturally strong enough to muscle past , such as 
, after a Fiery Dance boost, 
with Choice Specs, 
in the sun, and with Booster Energy or Calm Mind. Also CM/Stored Power cheese from stuff like 
, 
, or 
, especially with Tera.
Basically, you can't expect to just switch into any special attacker and come out the other side totally fine. If you can make a double switch to bring it in on the same turn that the threat it's supposed to check comes in, it is now much closer to a neutral situation instead of a disadvantageous one. Or, even better, double switch to a teammate that can threaten the mon offensively, and now you actually have the advantage. Keep up momentum.
Physical attackers that can hit super effectively or otherwise overwhelm it
Same deal as above, but on the physical side. These guys include, 
, , physical ; as well as random stuff like 
, 
, 
, or 
; as well as any physical attacker with Ice coverage, like the omnipresent , its little brother 
, , or 
; as well as just multiple stong physical attackers on the same team, such as , , , , 
, physical , 
, 
, 
, 
, or 
, to name a few. Notable mention to as one of the few physical attackers that can't touch at all; a well-played can be very problematic for this team, especially a fast SD Tera Normal Facade set.
is pretty much able to 1v1 any of these Pokemon (except ), but critically, it is not able to 1v1 all of them. And unlike its specially defensive partner , 's HP is finite. No Leftovers, no Regenerator, no Wish support, nothing. So again, double switching to arrive on the field with the opposing physical threat is far better than switching into it reactively, especially if you know you will need to check 2 or 3 other mons as well. Or, again, double switch to something that can beat the threat offensively. You must think ahead, and you must play aggressively and intelligently; otherwise your pivots will not be able to keep up with the pressure and you will start losing mons fast. Or you will need to burn tera defensively, which means that , , or won't have the option to Tera offensively, making your wincons more difficult to achieve. On that note...
Pokemon that check or counter, , or
For these include , , Body Press , Will-O-Wisp , Encore or Encore , with either Focus Blast, Will-O-Wisp, or Trick, , , , and 
, to name just a few. Also opposing Low Kick The tier is pretty well adapted to by now, so you won't be able to just brute force your way past most good teams. But if you get the turns correct, it's obviously broken. We all know the deal.
For, you need to weaken or remove , 
, , , , , brave bird , , 
, and 
. I'm sure there's more I'm forgetting. You should also be aware of faster mons like Booster Energy or speed boosting , 
or 
in weather, random fast scarf mons like , or strong priority users like , , , or . Also, sucker punch mons like or if you Tera Ghost.
For our, you need to weaken stuff like , spdef , spdef , spdef , 
and ; otherwise you will probably be forced out or forced to Tera to muscle past them. can deal a lot of damage to or even potentially OHKO a lot of its offensive checks behind a Sub, so I won't mention all of those, but and stand out as particularly effective offensive checks bc they can bypass Sub with Infiltrator / 2nd hit of Tachyon Cutter; and opposing can also do this with Scale Shot, but if you're behind a Sub in the snow you shouldn't take too much from those.
Special attackers that can hit
super effectively or otherwise overwhelm it is probably the single biggest threat to the team, as it has the tools to potentially 1v1 every mon. If you can predict a lead, I'd recommend leading and trying to Thunder Wave it turn 1. The odds of landing a Twave through Dark Pulse's flinch chance is 72%, which isn't bad. If that doesn't work though, it's a huge problem, and you may need to Tera something to avoid sacking your whole team. does similar things, but it doesn't have the coverage or power to 1v1 every mon to the same degree. You might need to let get burned though. is more manageable because is faster and can potentially OHKO it, and most of them don't run Focus Blast anymore, so can probably 1v1 it, but you never know.Those are just the 3 OU special attackers with super effective STABs vs
. There are also lower-tiered special attackers with super-effective STABs, including , , , , , , , , & ; there are also a multitude of strong special attackers who run super-effective coverage moves, like , , , , , & . There are also special attackers that are just naturally strong enough to muscle past , such as , after a Fiery Dance boost, with Choice Specs, in the sun, and with Booster Energy or Calm Mind. Also CM/Stored Power cheese from stuff like , , or , especially with Tera.Basically, you can't expect
to just switch into any special attacker and come out the other side totally fine. If you can make a double switch to bring it in on the same turn that the threat it's supposed to check comes in, it is now much closer to a neutral situation instead of a disadvantageous one. Or, even better, double switch to a teammate that can threaten the mon offensively, and now you actually have the advantage. Keep up momentum.Physical attackers that can hit
super effectively or otherwise overwhelm itSame deal as above, but on the physical side. These guys include
, , , physical ; as well as random stuff like , , , or ; as well as any physical attacker with Ice coverage, like the omnipresent , its little brother , , or ; as well as just multiple stong physical attackers on the same team, such as , , , , , physical , , , , , or , to name a few. Notable mention to as one of the few physical attackers that can't touch at all; a well-played can be very problematic for this team, especially a fast SD Tera Normal Facade set. is pretty much able to 1v1 any of these Pokemon (except ), but critically, it is not able to 1v1 all of them. And unlike its specially defensive partner , 's HP is finite. No Leftovers, no Regenerator, no Wish support, nothing. So again, double switching to arrive on the field with the opposing physical threat is far better than switching into it reactively, especially if you know you will need to check 2 or 3 other mons as well. Or, again, double switch to something that can beat the threat offensively. You must think ahead, and you must play aggressively and intelligently; otherwise your pivots will not be able to keep up with the pressure and you will start losing mons fast. Or you will need to burn tera defensively, which means that , , or won't have the option to Tera offensively, making your wincons more difficult to achieve. On that note...Pokemon that check or counter
, , or For
these include , , Body Press , Will-O-Wisp , Encore or Encore , with either Focus Blast, Will-O-Wisp, or Trick, , , , and , to name just a few. Also opposing Low Kick The tier is pretty well adapted to by now, so you won't be able to just brute force your way past most good teams. But if you get the turns correct, it's obviously broken. We all know the deal.For
, you need to weaken or remove , , , , , , brave bird , , , and . I'm sure there's more I'm forgetting. You should also be aware of faster mons like Booster Energy or speed boosting , or in weather, random fast scarf mons like , or strong priority users like , , , or . Also, sucker punch mons like or if you Tera Ghost.For our
, you need to weaken stuff like , spdef , spdef , spdef , and ; otherwise you will probably be forced out or forced to Tera to muscle past them. can deal a lot of damage to or even potentially OHKO a lot of its offensive checks behind a Sub, so I won't mention all of those, but and stand out as particularly effective offensive checks bc they can bypass Sub with Infiltrator / 2nd hit of Tachyon Cutter; and opposing can also do this with Scale Shot, but if you're behind a Sub in the snow you shouldn't take too much from those.Also too lazy to go through these, HOWEVER there is one recent replay in particular that stands out to me, not just because it was the game to get me to Rank 1. Watch this shit LOL (Disclaimer, I've played this person like a dozen times and we both use the same team every time, so I know all the sets): https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2355583880?p2
For more recent replays, feel free to search my username on https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ to see many instances of me getting owned.
These are not really in any order I'm just pulling them off https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com as I see them
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2201149341
I think this is when I first realized just how strong sub is LOL, very dumb game
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2201719085?p2
I do NOT get owned by
, actually
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2202308306?p2
tough game vs Stall
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2202385615?p2
less tough game vs Stall
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2202425425?p2
vs opposing Bulky Offense
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2205987657-i252hq2sws1r7ylax17r2alaxbu5iyppw
I hax Mr Jamvad
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2202471743
I do NOT get owned by a UU team, actually
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2205502570?p2
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2205511033?p2
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2205522178?p2
I guess I played the same guy 3 times in a row? wtf
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2205593667
vs Bulky Offense?
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2205996989
vs Balance
[Please note that for every win I post here, there are about an equal number of losses where I get exposed bigly. I promise I'm not trying to flex on anyone, just trying to showcase the team at its best so people can learn how its meant to be used.]
ALSO
Some tournament replays from earlier in the year w/ the OG version or close to it (I'm not in these, just the team). Adding these for posterity's sake.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9ou-752336
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9ou-774189
For more recent replays, feel free to search my username on https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ to see many instances of me getting owned.
These are not really in any order I'm just pulling them off https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com as I see them
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2201149341
I think this is when I first realized just how strong sub
is LOL, very dumb gamehttps://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2201719085?p2
I do NOT get owned by
, actuallyhttps://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2202308306?p2
tough game vs Stall
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2202385615?p2
less tough game vs Stall
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2202425425?p2
vs opposing Bulky Offense
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2205987657-i252hq2sws1r7ylax17r2alaxbu5iyppw
I hax Mr Jamvad
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2202471743
I do NOT get owned by a UU team, actually
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2205502570?p2
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2205511033?p2
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2205522178?p2
I guess I played the same guy 3 times in a row? wtf
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2205593667
vs Bulky Offense?
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2205996989
vs Balance
[Please note that for every win I post here, there are about an equal number of losses where I get exposed bigly. I promise I'm not trying to flex on anyone, just trying to showcase the team at its best so people can learn how its meant to be used.]
ALSO
Some tournament replays from earlier in the year w/ the OG version or close to it (I'm not in these, just the team). Adding these for posterity's sake.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9ou-752336
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9ou-774189
May 2025 / Rank 1
September 2024 / Rank 10
September 2024 / Rank 10
Thank you :)
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