SV OU Peak #1, 2115 ELO, 90% GXE - Interstellar Trick Room (Hyper Beam Porygon!)

Goobius Caesar · Saturday at 7:29 PM

The team: https://pokepast.es/b5111e6fe2bac883

Important Note: I strongly advise watching as many of the linked replays down below as possible as well as reading the team description. Many people who have asked me for advice when using my team have already found watching replays to be the most helpful thing. The replays will be split into four categories: Highlights, vs OLT, vs top 30, and vs top 100. For a live showcase at 2000+ elo, watch my showdown live linked at the top!

1. Introduction
2. Team Breakdown
3. Threats
4. Replays (highlights, vs OLT, vs top 30, vs top 100)
5. Conclusion

1. Introduction

Hello and welcome to my first RMT! My journey with Trick Room started all the way back in September 2024 when I saw a tweet from Finchinator linking a tournament game where he was facing a TR team. This made me interested to try it and I built lots of teams, the most successful one being the six in this RMT. Still, I found it to be inconsistent and was starting to lose interest in the style (and tbh OU in general) after staying hardstuck 1800s with not many interesting goobs. Just as I was about to quit, I pulled off this insane goob vs a top OU player which inspired me to keep trying with Trick Room. I refined the original six and managed to hit 1900 for the first time back in February, taking down the rank 1 ladder player in the process. My rise from 1900 to 2000 was more gradual, but with lots of practice and another small tweak to the team I managed to hit it for the first time during OLT season. By this point I had goobed lots of high level players and started to believe I could hit rank 1, which I finally did for the first time shortly after OLT finished. Now I will break down my team that let me achieve this:

2. Team Breakdown

TARS (Porygon2) @ Eviolite
Ability: Download
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Ice Beam
- Tera Blast
- Trick Room
- Hyper Beam

The star of the team, Porygon's surprising effectiveness in making progress and simplifying the game state can often be the difference between winning and losing. This is the Pokemon I most often lead with, the second being :Volcanion:

. While many opt for a defensive set on this Pokemon, I noticed that a SpAtk boosted Porygon is actually very good into a lot of the meta. Download boosted Tera Blast Ground is able to knock out big threats like :Kingambit:

,

, Raging Bolt, :Pecharunt:

, Iron Valiant, and :Ceruledge:

, while Ice Beam hits Great Tusk, :Dragonite:

+ other Dragons, :Zapdos:

,

,

, and Ting Lu among others. Before people started realizing what this little computer is capable of I won a lot of games just because the opponent was completely caught off guard by its power, especially my last move of choice Hyper Beam. This nuke option allows it to grap a surprise KO on big threats like Ogerpon Wellspring, :Kyurem:

, Offensive :Zamazenta:

, Tera'd Kingambit/Gholdengo/Landorus, Walking Wake, and Samurott Hisui, at the cost of a recharge turn and loss of momentum. This is why you need to be careful before launching one, as giving the opponent a free turn can be costly depending on the game state, and having :Cresselia:

and/or

in the back is recommended to be able to stomach hits, reset Trick Room, and swing the momentum back into your favour. Despite this, eliminating key threats that would otherwise beat you, such as in these replays

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2387445234-2dwfqp427kqf8whykusbqabfq0cd8bbpw

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2416202422

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2472717645-ckrtrsdtd1d269ls8hkh7w14o100mi8pw

is invaluable, and there are no costs to knocking out their Pokemon with Hyper Beam if it's their last one remaining, making it a great option to close the game out when not having it could actually result in a loss, such as in these replays

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2322753384-u0gww4c5yk44q9p4303t29p6imxb8dipw

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2410452756

When laddering it became clear to me that this Pokemon is extremely slept on, and I strongly believe it deserves to have a spot on the OU viability rankings!

Mann (Ursaluna) (M) @ Flame Orb
Ability: Guts
Tera Type: Normal
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def
Adamant Nature
- Facade
- Headlong Rush
- Fire Punch
- Protect

When the Flame Orb awakens this beast from hibernation, it becomes physically violent and leaves destruction in its wake. The king of Trick Room doesn't need much explanation at this point, but there are a few key differences in my set compared to what might be considered "standard". Firstly, I use Protect over something like Swords Dance (although the latter can be valuable in certain matches, mainly in lower ladder) to guarantee burn activation and secure the necessary KOs without taking excess damage or getting dropped, such as in these replays

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2451495349

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2410435581

It is also a useful move to guarantee Flame Orb activation in front of Knock Off users and Ogerpon Wellspring, scout choice locked Pokemon, and protect :Ursaluna:

during the last turn of trick room when it is actually faster than the opposing Pokemon outside of it. This leads me to the other difference, which is running Adamant with 31 speed ivs instead of min speed. This ensures that Ursaluna is able to destroy stall teams and other fat teams with Slowking Galar/Hydrapple/Ting Lu outside of trick room (again, this caught a lot of people off guard), at the cost of not moving before them under TR. These types of pokemon are better than most at taking hits, so I found that being able to reliably wear them down with no turn counter outside of trick room was more optimal. This set also provides a check to the rare opposing TR team, allowing Ursaluna to all but guarantee a win if played correctly. Tera Normal is used to guarantee the KO on threats like Great Tusk, :Zapdos:

,

,

+ most Landorus, and have a favorable roll into Offensive :Zamazenta:

, while knocking out :Corviknight:

, Ting Lu and :Dondozo:

in 2 hits every time. Fire Punch hits :Corviknight:

, balloon

, and

while providing good coverage in general.

Brand (Hatterene) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Magic Bounce
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Trick Room
- Dazzling Gleam
- Psychic Noise
- Healing Wish

While :Hatterene:

is often used as a Trick Room lead, anyone looking through my replays will notice I prefer to use it as a mid or late game guaranteed TR setup and momentum swinger. Lead Hatterene is still valid, but using it in this way has been more successful for me personally. :Hatterene:

is very useful for bouncing back hazards, and dealing with Pokemon that can use Roar to deny Trick Room like :Zamazenta:

and

. Its ability to straight up beat non Heavy Slam :Zamazenta:

is particularly useful, while its typing also gives it good matchups into Iron Valiant and the Dragons. Psychic Noise is crucial for dealing with Pokemon trying to use
Substitute to stall out Trick Room, such as Iron Moth, :Kyurem:

,

, and

. It is also useful to deal with Pokemon that use recovery to stall out Trick Room such as :Dragonite:

,

, and

. Max SpAtk ensures that :Hatterene:

still has the power to be a threat in its own right, guaranteeing the 2HKO on Landorus and Ogerpon Wellspring, and sometimes being able to close the game out on its own such as in this replay

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2427698923-05xqmatuuwctu3rfkvef33q6eupl1l8pw

Tera Steel is useful to survive steel and grass hits from Iron Crown and :Rillaboom:

respectively, then set up Trick Room. It is also a good defensive typing in general, which has allowed it to turn would be losses into wins

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2452958039-c8xso15b3gmulv5r711qo8d32bvqisapw

Healing Wish is great for maintaining momentum under Trick Room while giving a crippled sweeper another life to break through the opposing team.

Saturn (Volcanion) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Water Absorb
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Flamethrower
- Earth Power
- Steam Eruption
- Sludge Bomb

Another Pokemon that I think is extremely slept on, specs tera water :Volcanion:

is often capable of ripping through teams and winning games on its own, such as in this replay

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2424232148-v43jkx2nk5ggq9snw9u0bqtrys9fvoxpw

As you will see in my showdown live, it is capable of destroying both offense and stall. Tera water specs Steam Eruption guarantees the KO on every :Zamazenta:

,

, Ting Lu, and :Garganacl:

, while also destroying annoying Pokemon like :Zapdos:

and Weezing Galar. Flamethrower, Earth Power and Sludge Bomb are all standard moves to round out its coverage, hitting Steel types and key threats like Raging bolt and :Primarina:

. Volcanion under TR is also a good answer to :Ceruledge:

, which can be problematic if played well.

CASE (Iron Hands) @ Booster Energy
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Swords Dance
- Drain Punch
- Ice Punch
- Wild Charge

The second A.I. on the team, while less crucial, has been the most consistent Pokemon in this slot to make the team gel and provide a unique offensive threat. Swords Dance Iron hands is capable of decimating some team structures such as in these replays

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2326298555-aygeq055s4wyalb6euqd72997t7dx2upw

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2416202422

And guaranteeing a win in the endgame such as in these replays

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2423161058

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2396582784-dln492xy2ydlwjwm433wi2n6cgnht2npw

Wild Charge was a later tweak to the original Thunder Punch, guaranteeing the KO on Gholdengo and no bulk tera'd Gambit at +2, with the extra power also coming in handy in many other situations. I personally dislike the inconsistency of Supercell Slam, and after losing a game due to it missing I never ran it again. Tera Flying lets it beat Tusk, Gliscor, and other ground types, while providing a last ditch defensive answer to the problematic :Rillaboom:

. I prefer Drain Punch over CC to improve Iron Hands' longevity and sweeping capabilities in situations such as the replay linked above, while Ice Punch rounds out its coverage. Zero speed ivs and a brave nature is used to outspeed :Hatterene:

and tie AV Slowking Galar under Trick Room. Its fighting typing gives it a key resistance to Dark types which other team members lack, allowing it to switch in and deal with them.

Miller (Cresselia) @ Mental Herb
Ability: Levitate
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 248 HP / 200 Def / 60 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Trick Room
- Psychic
- Moonblast
- Lunar Dance

The least interesting member of the team, but often the most necessary. Being able to survive +2 Tera Water Ivy Cudgel from Ogerpon Wellspring then set Trick Room is extremely valuable, and its great overall bulk allows it to live hits and set up TR vs threats like :Darkrai:

, Samurott Hisui, :Gholdengo:

, and Raging Bolt. Levitate also allows it to be a great switch in to Great Tusk, Iron Treads, and other ground types, while ensuring that it can't get worn down by hazards. Psychic gives it some limited offense if needed, dealing with Pokemon like :Glimmora:

, Great Tusk and Iron Moth, while Moonblast hits :Darkrai:

,

, and the Dragons. Tera fairy lets it resist Dark Type attacks and guarantee a Trick Room vs :Darkrai:

and Samurott Hisui, while also strengthening Moonblast which helps it deal with the aforementioned threats. Lunar Dance functions the same as Healing Wish while having the additional benefit of restoring PP, and can even stack with it as long as you bring in a non statused Pokemon first. Keep in mind that bringing in a Pokemon with full health that has used up some moves will eat up the Lunar Dance to restore PP, whereas it wouldn't eat the Healing Wish. Played well, these healing moves can make the opponent have to deal with essentially two Ursalunas/Volcanions instead of one, which is often too much for them to handle. In rare occasions :Cresselia:

is even capable of wrapping up an endgame on its own due to its sheer bulk

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2471500846-e4pwu5d74x06ngbcg6vncyxp4vrvxbopw

3. Threats

:Rillaboom:

, particularly banded and Swords Dance sets, is the number one enemy of Trick Room. Its blend of power and priority make it very difficult to deal with, with an early surprise Ice Beam KO from Porygon often being the simplest method. Tera Flying hands deals with it in a pinch, and if Rillaboom continues to rise then Tera Fire can be used on :Volcanion:

to create another way to handle it while also being useful in other situations such as vs Ogerpon Wellspring.

:Ceruledge:

is also a huge threat, particularly Swords Dance + Tera Ghost variations. You will need to position :Volcanion:

well in TR and also have :Ursaluna:

ready in the back in case they have Shadow Sneak.

Substitute Pokemon like :Kyurem:

and

can be a threat if not managed carefully, but can usually be dealt with by a combination of Porygon, :Hatterene:

, and

. Swords Dance :Scizor:

can be problematic if allowed too much room to set up.

4. Replays

5. Conclusion

Trick room is considered by many to be a gimmick or cheese but I disagree because I found some consistency with it, managing to stay at rank 1 for two weeks straight and remained in the top 30 for most of OLT season. I also hit rank 1 four different times across September/October/November. Could this have been done with another style maybe, but TR was the one that captured my interest which allowed me to play more and improve at the game. I've already passed this team to lots of people who have messaged me on Twitter asking for it, and some have already had some great success with it managing to reach top 15, top 30, and even trying out new variations e.g. gambit over hands. Hopefully the goobing will continue and Trick Room can keep its presence on the SV OU ladder until Gen 10 drops!

quacc · Saturday at 7:42 PM

HOLY SHIT

glass shadows · Saturday at 7:46 PM

Fire team, better than the Hoopa one

JackRG · Saturday at 8:12 PM

This is awesome, congrats on the peak!

DaddyBuzzwole · Saturday at 8:23 PM

congrats on the peak, i knew someone would make an actually cool trick room team eventually

Tio Chico · Saturday at 8:27 PM

Grats on peak, great take bringing different speeds for Luna and Hands, plus the spicy P2!

Remedy · Saturday at 8:35 PM

wake up babe new TR peak

Mewtwo's Greatest Soldier · Saturday at 8:42 PM

MRH real quiet after this dropped, gz goat

im_m0rtal. · Saturday at 11:03 PM

Love the nicknames, and congrats on the peak bro :)

t44Torkoal · Saturday at 11:43 PM

Congrats on peak!

MRH1106 · Saturday at 11:45 PM

good work goat love seeing more shiest TR

SirPeanutCronch · Sunday at 7:12 AM

porcupine21 · Sunday at 11:31 AM

insane goob, congrats!!

ausma · Sunday at 5:48 PM

this is incredibly cool and blatantly impressive given this team’s apparent long term consistency and the super high gxe to boot. time and time again i just find myself absurdly impressed by the creativity this format encourages. great work, i’m really excited to see what the future holds for you

PastaMechKaku · Sunday at 9:40 PM

I've never been a fan of Trick Room, but using Porygon 2 as an actual TR attacker and having a faster (by TR standards) Ursaluna to stomp stall are extremely tight choices make the team super sick in terms of flavor and function. Kudos to you fam.

TheDuckChris · Monday at 3:01 PM

Porygon2 clan we are back

SV OU Peak #1, 2115 ELO, 90% GXE - Interstellar Trick Room (Hyper Beam Porygon!)

Goobius Caesar

formerly Goobing Fire

quacc

glass shadows

JackRG

I COULD BE BANNED!

DaddyBuzzwole

Tio Chico

Remedy

formerly Remedy4brokenh3art

Mewtwo's Greatest Soldier

im_m0rtal.

formerly GOATED im_m0rtal.

t44Torkoal

MRH1106

SirPeanutCronch

porcupine21

ausma

wouldn’t you like to get away?

PastaMechKaku

TheDuckChris

replay watcher