I've been very jaded with OU for the past year and every now and then I find some stupid tech or get inspired by a non-meta mon and build around it. Most teams would just get stuck in the 1500-1600s range, some would be hard stuck 1700s or creep into 1800s for a game and then I'd lose to stall a bunch of times. Because my teams almost always hate stall which leads me to descent down the ladder and into madness (this team still hates stall). Then I came across Scarf Glimmora, and its not like we haven't seen it before but I feel like its been a solid year since Scarf Glim was actually used, now its Red Card or Meteor Beam, even Focus Sash usage has dropped. I'm a massive fan of Pokémon that can get surprise KOs on lead: Scarf Kyurem or Scarf Tusk into half the meta, Banded Shadow Sneak Decidueye into Dragapult, etc. And Glimmora was a mon that I always found a bit boring but Scarf and the fact that it can OHKO many leads like Hamurott, Dragapult with Tera Fairy Dazzling Gleam and opposing Glimmora with Earth Power made it interesting to me. Then I slapped on some of my favourite reliable guys and somehow achieved my best peak with a team that I made at 1909 (the replay says 1909). Ignore my GXE, this is my main account that I have thousands of games on but I have replays showing I used this team from 1400s.
Pokepaste:
https://pokepast.es/744bcb1c7a1f4a75
Proof of Peak:
Team Breakdown:
GlimsdaleGlimadome (Glimmora) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Toxic Debris
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Power Gem
- Sludge Wave
- Earth Power
- Dazzling Gleam
The man, the myth, the DOME, Scarf Glimmora honestly has some of the best surprise coverage in the entire tier and provides support simply by virtue of its abilities. Outspeeding and OHKOing Scarf Samurott-H, Dragapult (Tera Fairy DG), and Great Tusk is a massive deal. It also OHKOs Ogerpon-Wellspring and offensive Tornadus-T with STAB. Often these Pokémon want to chip Glimmora with a pivot into their Poison-type to break the expected Focus Sash or just think they can stay in and OHKO, letting Glimmora take advantage and get rid of a big piece of the opposing team early doors. While I believe in the mantra of "Never Exhaust," turn 1 Tera Fairy Glimmora is often a good Tera still as most team structures like HO, and other offences are Fairy Weak. Fairy also provides some good defensive profile to the team as Glimmora actually has respectable bulk, is good against Kingambit in a pinch and it can even 1v1 Dragonite depending on the tera.
Sun is a major issue for this team, especially Walking Wake, but Tera Fairy Glimmora has a 37.5% roll to OHKO Wake (guaranteed after Rocks). Most Sun players lead Wake or Tusk instead of the setter vs Glimmora teams, so nuking Wake immediately is often worth it. I expected to miss Energy Ball, but never really found myself searching for it on the team.
Sun is a major issue for this team, especially Walking Wake, but Tera Fairy Glimmora has a 37.5% roll to OHKO Wake (guaranteed after Rocks). Most Sun players lead Wake or Tusk instead of the setter vs Glimmora teams, so nuking Wake immediately is often worth it. I expected to miss Energy Ball, but never really found myself searching for it on the team.
Joaterpon (Ogerpon-Wellspring) (F) @ Wellspring Mask
Ability: Water Absorb
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Ivy Cudgel
- Power Whip
- Knock Off
- U-turn
I wanted an offensive pivot for the team and someone that can break teams for Glimmora to sweep. Ogerpon-Wellspring fit the bill and did even more. This thing is a swiss-army knife and I'm not even running any support moves, just 4 attacks and of course Adamant in webs is tried and true. It hits Grounds and Waters that trouble Glimmora and removes items for the entire team being the sole item remover, which matters a ton vs Boots spam. It’s also the only realistic way this team can beat stall. I considered Spikes since I planned on using Gholdengo anyway, but felt I needed Power Whip way more.
Life Insurance (Kingambit) @ Lum Berry
Ability: Supreme Overlord
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 112 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 140 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Kowtow Cleave
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch
Honestly, I was tired of all the Gambits that have been Sucker Punch critting me recently, and I looked at the teams I did the best with, and they all had this cheap bastard. Its also just my favourite cheap bastard in the meta. The Ev spread is the one I've been using from day one, max attack adamant, 140 evs to outspeed Corviknight and rest in bulk which actually comes into play a lot. But max speed Adamant or even Jolly is definitely better with Sticky Webs because you can outspeed Gholdengo, Great Tusk, etc. More crucial is the item and Tera type. Ghost to ignore Corv and Skarm's body press, flip the matchup on Zama, and spin block for the team. Lum berry to reduce the mind games against status users and yeah this guy is my most relied on weapon.
Sulfur Surfer (Gholdengo) @ Air Balloon
Ability: Good as Gold
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 32 Def / 252 SpA / 224 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Shadow Ball
- Make It Rain
- Dazzling Gleam
This is cheap bastard number two. I don't know why I haven't used this mon more, it's the unsung hero of this team for sure. I expected to mostly use it as a spinblocker to keep Webs up, and it does that well of course, but as I climbed the ladder, the more it became my wincon. Frequently I’d set Webs, sack something, bring Ghold in safely, click Nasty Plot, and the game was basically over. Modest +2 Tera Fairy is almost unstoppable outside of stall. +2 Tera Fairy Dazzling Gleam has an 87.5% chance to OHKO Kingambit (guaranteed after rocks). The speed evs let it outspeed Adamant Dragonite, again max speed modest is better here or Jolly for Zama but I never found it that relevant and the Zamas I've been facing are all just 385 (256 after webs) to outspeed Weavile and Darkrai. You don't need me to tell you what Air Balloon is for.
Lando Norrocks (Landorus-Therian) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 248 HP / 28 Def / 232 Spe
Timid Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earth Power
- Taunt
- U-turn
Landorus acts as a check to physical attackers in the meta while providing some support in the form of Stealth Rocks + Taunt. 303 Speed to outspeed Excadrills and Tusks with the rest in Bulk. Often I fit Lando into my bulky offense teams and while this isn't that, alongside Glimmora, Balloon Ghold, and Kingambit the team has enough to take hits, and aid Lando in beating teams that double up or even triple up with Kingambit, Tusk, and Dragonite which often overwhelm Landorus throughout a game. U-turn provides more pivoting and momentum, and enables Glimmora as an offensive check. U-turning on Wellspring or Dragonite is often worth it, you survive Ivy Cudgel after Intimidate or break Multiscale, and then bring in Glimmora to outspeed and revenge kill.
Spyder (Araquanid) @ Custap Berry
Ability: Water Bubble
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 248 HP / 192 SpD / 68 Spe
Careful Nature
- Sticky Web
- Liquidation
- Lunge
- Mirror Coat
The superior webs setter. Initially I wasn't gonna run webs on this team, but the first 5 are slow for the meta, many scarfers still outspeed Glimmora, and I wanted to use Adamant Oger. Hence, Spyder. Araquanid also doubles as a web setter and a check to special attackers. This spread has always been my favorite: 192 SpDef lets it survive Modest Booster Raging Bolt Thunderbolt and Specs Kyurem Freeze Dry, then it OHKOs back with Mirror Coat and gets into Custap range. Liquidation with Water Bubble hurts everything. Lunge prevents physical setup. And it’s a much-needed Fire resist for the team. I know no endure and endeavour is unusual, however this set has always consistently done well for me and it feels the best for this team. Still you can totally run endeavour over Lunge or Mirror Coat.
Weaknesses:
- Sun can be a big problem for the team, especially the new CTC Cresselia variant because Cresselia it takes Glimmora's hits better than Hatterene and can Lunar Dance Walking Wake back into the game which the team doesn't really have a switch into besides Araquanid, which is just a one time switch anyways and needs to stay alive to gets webs up. Cinderace is also an issue since it can court change webs. As mentioned before against Sun you really just have to get Glimmora in on a turn where it can get that surprise KO on Wake, and Oger helps by Knocking Off heat rock off the Sun setter.
- Boots Weavile just dismantles this team with its stabs and Low Kick. The team is often forced to Tera Oger or Landorus just to deal with it, Scarf Glimmora can OHKO it tho. But yeah you're forced to tera early or make an aggressive play which can back fire and Weavile is usually run with hazard stack so even if it is dealt with, by the time that happens its probably made enough progress for something else to clean up.
- Stall. Pray Gholdengo crits, pray that Dondozo doesn't tera Dragon, and pray that your opponent lets you Knock everything off.
- Hazards, you just have to beat your opponent before they beat you. Landorus can taunt setters and Glimmora can OHKO Hamurott.
Replays:
First game with the team https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2479032807-2rr01jtl2o2cm09i1eugit5ostmjgrlpw
Entering 1700s https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2479887578-y1ygls8xwk8w0s8nw0u4gqx7ibqj453pw
Top 500 https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2479933181-kjeyj2p1tstdnfxud2b8yu8icjx24lipw
Glimmora Masterclass https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2480018937-t5v9f4gxsyfpqm4aevp5k1afaunjyx5pw
Dhrabb https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2481192061-8s78e4ibs8g7v08tpfu33lvxumtrwlupw
Haxxing Beating Stall https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2481195567-5k1s8e2ab6gxgmn59j598g75l24kqd9pw
I know this is someone cracked at the game but I don't know who https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2481200957-kupxd6safkit1u9col8wtt2qix2x7aepw
Peak https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2481214227-7a3s96p0u4dala13x1so6jlke1ynd0upw
Entering 1700s https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2479887578-y1ygls8xwk8w0s8nw0u4gqx7ibqj453pw
Top 500 https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2479933181-kjeyj2p1tstdnfxud2b8yu8icjx24lipw
Glimmora Masterclass https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2480018937-t5v9f4gxsyfpqm4aevp5k1afaunjyx5pw
Dhrabb https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2481192061-8s78e4ibs8g7v08tpfu33lvxumtrwlupw
I know this is someone cracked at the game but I don't know who https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2481200957-kupxd6safkit1u9col8wtt2qix2x7aepw
Peak https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2481214227-7a3s96p0u4dala13x1so6jlke1ynd0upw
All in all, I did not expect to do so well with the team. Somehow the 6 I threw together synergised really well from the start and not much needed to be changed. I think there are some issues with breaking power and you do have to play aggressive not just to keep webs up but also to get the most out of Scarf Glimmora. Nevertheless, when it works it's super fun.
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