Introduction
Hi everyone! I’m Pudistours, and I play on Showdown under the usernames Pudistor Alpha or Pudistor Black (I tend to use the former to test teams and the latter to climb the ladder, or vice versa). If you play regularly on the ladder around 1600, 1700, 1800 or more, we may have faced each other, and if so, it’s very likely you’ve come up against this team.
I can't deny it: I've been obsessed with Trick Room for years. And this Trick Room team is probably the first one I built for SV OU, right at the start of the generation. I refined it a little, and have barely touched it since. I’ve used it countless times, and it has shown a certain longevity across the various changes the Over Used meta has gone through. I’ve used it in both tournaments and on the ladder, reaching a peak of 1974 and a ranking of 15th. I’ve also used this team for most of the suspect tests I’ve taken part in (it’s quite handy for climbing quickly from 1000 to the top, as the games tend to be very short).
By now, I reckon this team has become fairly well known, and it’s even featured in recent videos by Blunder or Pinkacross. I must say I’m quite proud of this team, which is very fun and unusual, but also quite confusing for the opponent, so I think it’s time to make it official and release it for good!
Team summary
This team is based on the Trick Room mechanic which, for those who may not yet know, allows the slowest Pokémon to attack first.
The idea is to use this mechanic to capitalise on the offensive potential of Ursaluna and Torkoal, two very slow Pokémon but capable of dealing ridiculous amounts of damage. They are accompanied by three Trick Room setters: Hatterene, Farigiraf and Mimikyu, all with very different profiles, allowing the team to adapt to various situations. Finally, Slither Wing acts as the pivot for all of his teammates, providing synergy and momentum.
Team description
Hatterene @ Focus Sash
Ability: Magic Bounce
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Psychic
- Misty Explosion
- Healing Wish
- Trick Room
Hatterene is our first Trick Room setter, and he’s usually our designated Suicide Lead, as his Magic Bounce ability is essential for preventing the opponent from setting hazards, particularly Stealth Rock, which are very annoying for Torkoal, who needs to be at 100% HP to use his full strength. That’s why we run the Focus Sash, allowing Hatterene to survive any attack and set up Trick Room safely. After this, he can use Misty Explosion, dealing heavy Fairy-type damage and immediately bringing in an offensive Pokémon (for example, by getting Primarina or Ting-Lu in range of a Torkoal's Eruption), or Healing Wish, which will heal a teammate later in the match. Finally, Psychic is a very useful STAB move, which can also be used outside of Trick Room, for example to cheap out a Gliscor often sent out as a lead (especially in Stall teams), before setting up Trick Room. Steel-type Tera can prove useful for resetting Trick Room later in the game, particularly if the Focus Sash has been broken, but can also catch opponents off guard in certain situations: for example, I sometimes use the Tera against Pecharunt to avoid his Poison move, knock him out with Psychic, then set up Trick Room (with Focus Sash still active) on the next turn and bring out Ursaluna, who will be delighted to see one less Ghost-type on the field. As for the spread, nothing else came to mind apart from a classic spread with maximum HP and Special Attack to strike hard with Misty Explosion. An alternative spread would be to invest 252 EVs in Defense and the rest in HP to ensure Hatterene can withstand a Triple Axel from Choice Band Meowscarada (84.3 - 99.6%).
Farigiraf @ Throat Spray
Ability: Armor Tail
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 236 HP / 252 SpA / 20 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Nasty Plot
- Hyper Voice
- Shadow Ball
- Trick Room
Here comes the superstar of our team. The giraf! Another Trick Room setter, though in a very different style to Hatterene. When Farigiraf sets up Trick Room, he usually uses it for himself, and his moveset allows him to sweep certain games or put some pressure on the opponent a bit earlier in the battle. Here, we use Nasty Plot plus two attacks, one of which (his STAB move) activates Throat Spray and also allows him to penetrate subs — a particularly important advantage given that Substitute is an effective way for the opponent to buy time during Trick Room. Shadow Ball allows him to hit Ghost-types, notably Gholdengo. Ghost-type Tera both boosts Shadow Ball’s damage and allows you to set up Trick Room on Zamazenta’s Body Press at +3, a Close Combat from a dangerous Choice Band user, or Scizor’s U-turn, etc. Finally, one of Farigiraf’s major strengths, and the reason why I originally included in this team, is its Armor Tail ability, which grants immunity to priority moves — a benefit that’s particularly valuable in Trick Room. This applies to both priority moves themselves and all passive moves used with a priority ability such as Prankster. In this sense, Farigiraf can easily set-up on Grimmsnarl. The spread allows Farigiraf to survive a Choice Specs Hydro Steam from Walking Wake in the sun, making it easier to reset Trick Room.
(Please note that this set is countered by most special walls, notably Blissey and Clodsire, but also Toxapex. One option would be to use Psyshock to better eliminate these nuisances. It also struggles greatly against Kingambit, so another moveset featuring Terablast with Tera Fighting and an offensive item such as Life Orb could be an alternative. I guess it all depends on which bothers you more: subs, or Kingambit.)
Mimikyu @ Life Orb
Ability: Disguise
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 228 HP / 252 Atk / 28 Def
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 SpA / 0 Spe
- Play Rough
- Shadow Sneak
- Curse
- Trick Room
Mimikyu is our third and last Trick Room setter. His strength lies in his ability, which allows him to withstand any attack and thus reset Trick Room mid- or late-game, particularly when the pressure shifts in favor of opposing offensive teams. This is a major asset to be used with caution, and one that should not be squandered too early, as this could result in big regrets later on (especially against the most agressive teams). Play Rough and Shadow Sneak, coupled with the Adamant nature and Life Orb, allows Mimikyu to avoid being passive and also to revenge kill certain weakened Pokémon with his priority move. With the damage from the mask breaking, the recoil from Life Orb and Curse, Mimikyu will often have the chance to set up Trick Room and sacrifice himself the next turn (or at worst, the one after that) to bring out a more dangerous Pokémon. Curse also allows you to punish Substitute users as well as manipulate the endgame in various ways (as you will see for example in the last replay, vs Amnesia Clodsire). The Ghost Tera is useful for boosting the damage of Shadow Sneak, but also for removing the Steel weakness in certain scenarios, such as against Iron Crown or Excadrill. Using a defensive Tera (like Steel or other) is also a viable option to make it easier to set up Trick Room in late-game. The spread allows Mimikyu to survive a Headlong Rush from Great Tusk +speed after losing his mask. It also allows him to survive various threatening physical moves, such as a Pyro Ball from Cinderace (with no sun), any of Tyranitar’s attacks (except for Choice Band Tyranitar), and Iron Hands’ Thunder Punch.
Slither Wing @ Choice Band
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 108 HP / 252 Atk / 148 Def
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 SpA / 0 Spe
- First Impression
- U-turn
- Close Combat
- Flare Blitz
Let’s now move on to our offensive Pokémon — the ones for whom Trick Room will be set up — starting with Slither Wing. While Ursaluna and Torkoal are our two main weapons, Slither Wing plays a central role in the team. I would even go so far as to say that he is the cornerstone that keeps the rest of the team stable, and that, contrary to what it may seem, he is probably the most important Pokémon in the team. His double type allows him to handle Ground-type attacks that threaten Torkoal, Fighting-type attacks that threaten Ursaluna, as well as Dark-type attacks — particularly Knock Off — for which we don't have any proper switch-in. He is the one we'll want to send on Great Tusk, Darkrai, Hisuian Samurott, Ting-Lu, and many others. He is a Pokémon capable of taking the lead to bring in the Pokémon of our choice (often Hatterene, but not necessarily), of absorbing attacks during the game and then pivoting and recovering momentum, but also of putting pressure himself. Due to his middling speed, he can just as easily take advantage of Trick Room against Hyper Offense teams as he can outpace opponents outside of Trick Room against slower archetypes — or against other Trick Room teams, as a matter of fact! With the Choice Band and the attack boost provided by Torkoal’s sun, he can deal considerable damage with First Impression, a priority move that saves us in many situations; the ever-important U-turn; Close Combat, his best STAB; and Flare Blitz, which also benefits from the sun’s boost to surprise supposed counters like Gholdengo, Corviknight or Skarmory – all of which are problematic for Ursaluna. Fire-type Tera can boost this attack, as well as turning Slither Wing’s Fairy and Fire weaknesses into resistances, which can help win some crucial duels. This also allows a weakened Slither Wing to withstand a Kingambit’s Iron Head (watch out for the flinch!), a significant advantage in certain late-game scenarios. The spread allows Slither Wing to survive a Choice Band Weavile’s Triple Axel. It also gives him considerable physical bulk to take on Ogerpon, especially Ogerpon-Wellspring, who is often the preferential counter to Torkoal beacause of his Tera Water and the Special Defense boost that it gives to him.
Ursaluna @ Flame Orb
Ability: Guts
Tera Type: Normal
EVs: 204 HP / 252 Atk / 52 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 SpA / 0 Spe
- Swords Dance
- Facade
- Earthquake
- Crunch
Let's conclude with our two long-awaited beasts. The first is Ursaluna. No need to introduce him – you all know why he's so dangerous. And under Trick Room, he becomes a war machine capable of wiping out half an offensive team or neutralising defensive cores in a single round of Trick Room. I'll only comment my choice of Tera and coverage: the Tera Normal boosts the damage of Facade which, after a Swords Dance, can OHKO a large number of Steel-types, including Corviknight (yes he can). This makes Fire Punch less necessary, which led me to go for a Dark-type coverage to handle Sinistcha more easily and any Ceruledge sets that might be played with Torch or the Air Balloon. Furthermore, in certain match-ups and given the omnipresence of Dragapult (which I've actually seen with the Air Balloon during some recent games), I feel that Dark-type coverage is often easier to spam than Fire-type coverage. That said, Fire Punch remains a viable and worthwhile option, especially with the boost from Torkoal's sun. As for the spread, it allows Ursaluna to survive a Surf from a Modest Primarina (except for Choice Specs Primarina) after one turn of burn damage. This proves particularly useful for weakening or defeating Primarina, who is a particular nuisance to the last Pokémon of our team...
Torkoal @ Choice Specs
Ability: Drought
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Eruption
- Flamethrower
- Solar Beam
- Earth Power
And the final Pokémon, of course, is Torkoal. He may be the most dangerous of them all and often the one around which our entire gameplan is built. Everything relies on his powerful Eruption, combined with the boost from the sun, Choice Specs and Tera Fire. The magic of this move lies precisely in luring in Pokémon that are supposed to resist the attack, in order to 2HKO them and then deprive the opposing team of its switch-in for the rest of the battle. This includes Pokémon such as Garganacl, Blissey, Toxapex, Ting-Lu, Galarian Slowking, Clodsire (a bunch of Pokémon messing with Farigiraf, by the way), etc. As for the other moves, we stick with Flamethrower to have another STAB move to use if Torkoal’s HP has dropped, Solar Beam to hit Water-types and Earth Power, which is rarely used but can, for example, if used predictively, deprive the opponent of their Heatran, Ceruledge or other Torch user. Nothing to say about the spread; we put everything into HP and Special Attack to maximise the power of Eruption as much as possible.
Threats
What defines our team (and I’d say this applies to all Trick Room teams) is the all-or-nothing aspect. We put tremendous pressure on our opponents, and then we ourselves are under that pressure. Against Hyper Offense teams, this isn’t particularly problematic, as we simply need to use Hatterene with the Focus Sash or Mimikyu with its ability to reset Trick Room and easily regain the upper hand against an opponent with no defensive core. However, what really poses a problem for our team are Pokémon that are excessively bulky and capable of stalling Trick Room. In highly defensive archetypes such as Stall, they aren’t so difficult to deal with, as these teams are very passive and will themselves struggle to overcome our wallbreakers. But where these Pokémon are truly troublesome is in more balanced teams, when they accompany dangerous offensive Pokémon that can simply come back and put pressure on us once Trick Room has been timed out.
These Pokémon include, amongst others:
Replays
Conclusion
Thank you for your kind attention! I really hope this team will spark your interest, that you’ll want to give it a go and, above all, that it will get you some victories! Although certain match-ups can prove tricky — such as bulky Sand and some Balanced teams — you'll see that the team adapts quite easily to a wide range of archetypes, from Hyper Offense to Stall. It isn’t straightforward to master, requiring a rather unconventional sense of timing, but its danger and flexibility make it well worth the effort…
So don't be afraid, give it some tryhard and that'll do the trick (room)
Hi everyone! I’m Pudistours, and I play on Showdown under the usernames Pudistor Alpha or Pudistor Black (I tend to use the former to test teams and the latter to climb the ladder, or vice versa). If you play regularly on the ladder around 1600, 1700, 1800 or more, we may have faced each other, and if so, it’s very likely you’ve come up against this team.
I can't deny it: I've been obsessed with Trick Room for years. And this Trick Room team is probably the first one I built for SV OU, right at the start of the generation. I refined it a little, and have barely touched it since. I’ve used it countless times, and it has shown a certain longevity across the various changes the Over Used meta has gone through. I’ve used it in both tournaments and on the ladder, reaching a peak of 1974 and a ranking of 15th. I’ve also used this team for most of the suspect tests I’ve taken part in (it’s quite handy for climbing quickly from 1000 to the top, as the games tend to be very short).
By now, I reckon this team has become fairly well known, and it’s even featured in recent videos by Blunder or Pinkacross. I must say I’m quite proud of this team, which is very fun and unusual, but also quite confusing for the opponent, so I think it’s time to make it official and release it for good!
Team summary
This team is based on the Trick Room mechanic which, for those who may not yet know, allows the slowest Pokémon to attack first.
The idea is to use this mechanic to capitalise on the offensive potential of Ursaluna and Torkoal, two very slow Pokémon but capable of dealing ridiculous amounts of damage. They are accompanied by three Trick Room setters: Hatterene, Farigiraf and Mimikyu, all with very different profiles, allowing the team to adapt to various situations. Finally, Slither Wing acts as the pivot for all of his teammates, providing synergy and momentum.
Team description
Hatterene @ Focus Sash
Ability: Magic Bounce
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Psychic
- Misty Explosion
- Healing Wish
- Trick Room
Hatterene is our first Trick Room setter, and he’s usually our designated Suicide Lead, as his Magic Bounce ability is essential for preventing the opponent from setting hazards, particularly Stealth Rock, which are very annoying for Torkoal, who needs to be at 100% HP to use his full strength. That’s why we run the Focus Sash, allowing Hatterene to survive any attack and set up Trick Room safely. After this, he can use Misty Explosion, dealing heavy Fairy-type damage and immediately bringing in an offensive Pokémon (for example, by getting Primarina or Ting-Lu in range of a Torkoal's Eruption), or Healing Wish, which will heal a teammate later in the match. Finally, Psychic is a very useful STAB move, which can also be used outside of Trick Room, for example to cheap out a Gliscor often sent out as a lead (especially in Stall teams), before setting up Trick Room. Steel-type Tera can prove useful for resetting Trick Room later in the game, particularly if the Focus Sash has been broken, but can also catch opponents off guard in certain situations: for example, I sometimes use the Tera against Pecharunt to avoid his Poison move, knock him out with Psychic, then set up Trick Room (with Focus Sash still active) on the next turn and bring out Ursaluna, who will be delighted to see one less Ghost-type on the field. As for the spread, nothing else came to mind apart from a classic spread with maximum HP and Special Attack to strike hard with Misty Explosion. An alternative spread would be to invest 252 EVs in Defense and the rest in HP to ensure Hatterene can withstand a Triple Axel from Choice Band Meowscarada (84.3 - 99.6%).
252+ SpA Hatterene Psychic vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Pecharunt: 372-440 (97.8 - 115.7%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Hatterene Psychic vs. 244 HP / 228+ SpD Gliscor: 148-175 (42 - 49.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Poison Heal
252+ SpA Hatterene Misty Explosion vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Vessel of Ruin Ting-Lu: 234-276 (45.5 - 53.6%) -- 2% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Hatterene Misty Explosion vs. 80 HP / 0 SpD Assault Vest Primarina: 109-130 (33.9 - 40.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 Atk Great Tusk Headlong Rush vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Hatterene: 207-244 (65 - 76.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ SpA Hatterene Psychic vs. 244 HP / 228+ SpD Gliscor: 148-175 (42 - 49.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Poison Heal
252+ SpA Hatterene Misty Explosion vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Vessel of Ruin Ting-Lu: 234-276 (45.5 - 53.6%) -- 2% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Hatterene Misty Explosion vs. 80 HP / 0 SpD Assault Vest Primarina: 109-130 (33.9 - 40.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 Atk Great Tusk Headlong Rush vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Hatterene: 207-244 (65 - 76.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
Farigiraf @ Throat Spray
Ability: Armor Tail
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 236 HP / 252 SpA / 20 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Nasty Plot
- Hyper Voice
- Shadow Ball
- Trick Room
Here comes the superstar of our team. The giraf! Another Trick Room setter, though in a very different style to Hatterene. When Farigiraf sets up Trick Room, he usually uses it for himself, and his moveset allows him to sweep certain games or put some pressure on the opponent a bit earlier in the battle. Here, we use Nasty Plot plus two attacks, one of which (his STAB move) activates Throat Spray and also allows him to penetrate subs — a particularly important advantage given that Substitute is an effective way for the opponent to buy time during Trick Room. Shadow Ball allows him to hit Ghost-types, notably Gholdengo. Ghost-type Tera both boosts Shadow Ball’s damage and allows you to set up Trick Room on Zamazenta’s Body Press at +3, a Close Combat from a dangerous Choice Band user, or Scizor’s U-turn, etc. Finally, one of Farigiraf’s major strengths, and the reason why I originally included in this team, is its Armor Tail ability, which grants immunity to priority moves — a benefit that’s particularly valuable in Trick Room. This applies to both priority moves themselves and all passive moves used with a priority ability such as Prankster. In this sense, Farigiraf can easily set-up on Grimmsnarl. The spread allows Farigiraf to survive a Choice Specs Hydro Steam from Walking Wake in the sun, making it easier to reset Trick Room.
(Please note that this set is countered by most special walls, notably Blissey and Clodsire, but also Toxapex. One option would be to use Psyshock to better eliminate these nuisances. It also struggles greatly against Kingambit, so another moveset featuring Terablast with Tera Fighting and an offensive item such as Life Orb could be an alternative. I guess it all depends on which bothers you more: subs, or Kingambit.)
+2 252+ SpA Farigiraf Hyper Voice vs. 52 HP / 0 SpD Kyurem: 313-370 (77.4 - 91.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
+2 252+ SpA Farigiraf Hyper Voice vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Iron Moth: 264-312 (87.7 - 103.6%) -- 25% chance to OHKO
+2 252+ SpA Farigiraf Shadow Ball vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Gholdengo: 368-434 (97.3 - 114.8%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Tera Ghost Farigiraf Shadow Ball vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Gholdengo: 276-326 (87.6 - 103.4%) -- 18.8% chance to OHKO
+1 252+ SpA Farigiraf Shadow Ball vs. 0 HP / 0- SpD Dragapult: 362-426 (114.1 - 134.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+1 252+ SpA Farigiraf Hyper Voice vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Zapdos: 235-277 (61.3 - 72.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 252+ SpA Farigiraf Hyper Voice vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Kingambit: 164-193 (48 - 56.5%) -- 35.5% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
244 SpA Choice Specs Walking Wake Hydro Steam vs. 236 HP / 20 SpD Farigiraf in Sun: 372-438 (84.5 - 99.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Enamorus Moonblast vs. 236 HP / 20 SpD Farigiraf: 312-367 (70.9 - 83.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Protosynthesis Great Tusk Headlong Rush vs. 236 HP / 0 Def Farigiraf: 378-445 (85.9 - 101.1%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO
252 Atk Sharpness Samurott-Hisui Ceaseless Edge vs. 236 HP / 0 Def Farigiraf: 372-440 (84.5 - 100%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO
+2 252+ SpA Farigiraf Hyper Voice vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Iron Moth: 264-312 (87.7 - 103.6%) -- 25% chance to OHKO
+2 252+ SpA Farigiraf Shadow Ball vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Gholdengo: 368-434 (97.3 - 114.8%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Tera Ghost Farigiraf Shadow Ball vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Gholdengo: 276-326 (87.6 - 103.4%) -- 18.8% chance to OHKO
+1 252+ SpA Farigiraf Shadow Ball vs. 0 HP / 0- SpD Dragapult: 362-426 (114.1 - 134.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+1 252+ SpA Farigiraf Hyper Voice vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Zapdos: 235-277 (61.3 - 72.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 252+ SpA Farigiraf Hyper Voice vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Kingambit: 164-193 (48 - 56.5%) -- 35.5% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
244 SpA Choice Specs Walking Wake Hydro Steam vs. 236 HP / 20 SpD Farigiraf in Sun: 372-438 (84.5 - 99.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Enamorus Moonblast vs. 236 HP / 20 SpD Farigiraf: 312-367 (70.9 - 83.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Protosynthesis Great Tusk Headlong Rush vs. 236 HP / 0 Def Farigiraf: 378-445 (85.9 - 101.1%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO
252 Atk Sharpness Samurott-Hisui Ceaseless Edge vs. 236 HP / 0 Def Farigiraf: 372-440 (84.5 - 100%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO
Mimikyu @ Life Orb
Ability: Disguise
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 228 HP / 252 Atk / 28 Def
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 SpA / 0 Spe
- Play Rough
- Shadow Sneak
- Curse
- Trick Room
Mimikyu is our third and last Trick Room setter. His strength lies in his ability, which allows him to withstand any attack and thus reset Trick Room mid- or late-game, particularly when the pressure shifts in favor of opposing offensive teams. This is a major asset to be used with caution, and one that should not be squandered too early, as this could result in big regrets later on (especially against the most agressive teams). Play Rough and Shadow Sneak, coupled with the Adamant nature and Life Orb, allows Mimikyu to avoid being passive and also to revenge kill certain weakened Pokémon with his priority move. With the damage from the mask breaking, the recoil from Life Orb and Curse, Mimikyu will often have the chance to set up Trick Room and sacrifice himself the next turn (or at worst, the one after that) to bring out a more dangerous Pokémon. Curse also allows you to punish Substitute users as well as manipulate the endgame in various ways (as you will see for example in the last replay, vs Amnesia Clodsire). The Ghost Tera is useful for boosting the damage of Shadow Sneak, but also for removing the Steel weakness in certain scenarios, such as against Iron Crown or Excadrill. Using a defensive Tera (like Steel or other) is also a viable option to make it easier to set up Trick Room in late-game. The spread allows Mimikyu to survive a Headlong Rush from Great Tusk +speed after losing his mask. It also allows him to survive various threatening physical moves, such as a Pyro Ball from Cinderace (with no sun), any of Tyranitar’s attacks (except for Choice Band Tyranitar), and Iron Hands’ Thunder Punch.
252+ Atk Life Orb Mimikyu Play Rough vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Raging Bolt: 351-416 (89.7 - 106.3%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO
252+ Atk Life Orb Mimikyu Play Rough vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Multiscale Dragonite: 169-200 (52.3 - 61.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Life Orb Mimikyu Shadow Sneak vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Dragapult: 187-221 (58.9 - 69.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Life Orb Tera Ghost Mimikyu Shadow Sneak vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Ogerpon-Wellspring: 114-135 (37.8 - 44.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 Atk Great Tusk Headlong Rush vs. 228 HP / 28 Def Mimikyu: 229-271 (74.3 - 87.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Cinderace Pyro Ball vs. 228 HP / 28 Def Mimikyu: 211-249 (68.5 - 80.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Tyranitar Stone Edge vs. 228 HP / 28 Def Mimikyu: 213-252 (69.1 - 81.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after sandstorm damage
252+ Atk Quark Drive Iron Hands Thunder Punch vs. 228 HP / 28 Def Mimikyu: 214-253 (69.4 - 82.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Life Orb Mimikyu Play Rough vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Multiscale Dragonite: 169-200 (52.3 - 61.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Life Orb Mimikyu Shadow Sneak vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Dragapult: 187-221 (58.9 - 69.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Life Orb Tera Ghost Mimikyu Shadow Sneak vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Ogerpon-Wellspring: 114-135 (37.8 - 44.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 Atk Great Tusk Headlong Rush vs. 228 HP / 28 Def Mimikyu: 229-271 (74.3 - 87.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Cinderace Pyro Ball vs. 228 HP / 28 Def Mimikyu: 211-249 (68.5 - 80.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Tyranitar Stone Edge vs. 228 HP / 28 Def Mimikyu: 213-252 (69.1 - 81.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after sandstorm damage
252+ Atk Quark Drive Iron Hands Thunder Punch vs. 228 HP / 28 Def Mimikyu: 214-253 (69.4 - 82.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Slither Wing @ Choice Band
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 108 HP / 252 Atk / 148 Def
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 SpA / 0 Spe
- First Impression
- U-turn
- Close Combat
- Flare Blitz
Let’s now move on to our offensive Pokémon — the ones for whom Trick Room will be set up — starting with Slither Wing. While Ursaluna and Torkoal are our two main weapons, Slither Wing plays a central role in the team. I would even go so far as to say that he is the cornerstone that keeps the rest of the team stable, and that, contrary to what it may seem, he is probably the most important Pokémon in the team. His double type allows him to handle Ground-type attacks that threaten Torkoal, Fighting-type attacks that threaten Ursaluna, as well as Dark-type attacks — particularly Knock Off — for which we don't have any proper switch-in. He is the one we'll want to send on Great Tusk, Darkrai, Hisuian Samurott, Ting-Lu, and many others. He is a Pokémon capable of taking the lead to bring in the Pokémon of our choice (often Hatterene, but not necessarily), of absorbing attacks during the game and then pivoting and recovering momentum, but also of putting pressure himself. Due to his middling speed, he can just as easily take advantage of Trick Room against Hyper Offense teams as he can outpace opponents outside of Trick Room against slower archetypes — or against other Trick Room teams, as a matter of fact! With the Choice Band and the attack boost provided by Torkoal’s sun, he can deal considerable damage with First Impression, a priority move that saves us in many situations; the ever-important U-turn; Close Combat, his best STAB; and Flare Blitz, which also benefits from the sun’s boost to surprise supposed counters like Gholdengo, Corviknight or Skarmory – all of which are problematic for Ursaluna. Fire-type Tera can boost this attack, as well as turning Slither Wing’s Fairy and Fire weaknesses into resistances, which can help win some crucial duels. This also allows a weakened Slither Wing to withstand a Kingambit’s Iron Head (watch out for the flinch!), a significant advantage in certain late-game scenarios. The spread allows Slither Wing to survive a Choice Band Weavile’s Triple Axel. It also gives him considerable physical bulk to take on Ogerpon, especially Ogerpon-Wellspring, who is often the preferential counter to Torkoal beacause of his Tera Water and the Special Defense boost that it gives to him.
252+ Atk Choice Band Slither Wing First Impression vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tera Water Ogerpon-Wellspring-Tera: 288-339 (95.6 - 112.6%) -- 75% chance to OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Protosynthesis Slither Wing First Impression vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Kyurem: 354-417 (90.5 - 106.6%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Protosynthesis Slither Wing Flare Blitz vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Zapdos in Sun: 345-406 (90 - 106%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Slither Wing Flare Blitz vs. 252 HP / 196+ Def Gholdengo: 346-408 (91.5 - 107.9%) -- 50% chance to OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Protosynthesis Slither Wing First Impression vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Tera Ghost Kingambit: 138-162 (40.4 - 47.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Weavile Triple Axel (120 BP) (3 hits) vs. 108 HP / 148 Def Slither Wing: 284-337 (84 - 99.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Wellspring Mask Tera Water Ogerpon-Wellspring-Tera Ivy Cudgel vs. 108 HP / 148 Def Slither Wing: 252-298 (74.5 - 88.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Wellspring Mask Tera Water Ogerpon-Wellspring-Tera Ivy Cudgel vs. 108 HP / 148 Def Slither Wing in Sun: 124-148 (36.6 - 43.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 Atk Protosynthesis Great Tusk Headlong Rush vs. 108 HP / 148 Def Slither Wing: 131-154 (38.7 - 45.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
244 SpA Choice Specs Walking Wake Hydro Steam vs. 108 HP / 0 SpD Slither Wing in Sun: 274-324 (81 - 95.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Protosynthesis Slither Wing First Impression vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Kyurem: 354-417 (90.5 - 106.6%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Protosynthesis Slither Wing Flare Blitz vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Zapdos in Sun: 345-406 (90 - 106%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Slither Wing Flare Blitz vs. 252 HP / 196+ Def Gholdengo: 346-408 (91.5 - 107.9%) -- 50% chance to OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Protosynthesis Slither Wing First Impression vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Tera Ghost Kingambit: 138-162 (40.4 - 47.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Weavile Triple Axel (120 BP) (3 hits) vs. 108 HP / 148 Def Slither Wing: 284-337 (84 - 99.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Wellspring Mask Tera Water Ogerpon-Wellspring-Tera Ivy Cudgel vs. 108 HP / 148 Def Slither Wing: 252-298 (74.5 - 88.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Wellspring Mask Tera Water Ogerpon-Wellspring-Tera Ivy Cudgel vs. 108 HP / 148 Def Slither Wing in Sun: 124-148 (36.6 - 43.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 Atk Protosynthesis Great Tusk Headlong Rush vs. 108 HP / 148 Def Slither Wing: 131-154 (38.7 - 45.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
244 SpA Choice Specs Walking Wake Hydro Steam vs. 108 HP / 0 SpD Slither Wing in Sun: 274-324 (81 - 95.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Ursaluna @ Flame Orb
Ability: Guts
Tera Type: Normal
EVs: 204 HP / 252 Atk / 52 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 SpA / 0 Spe
- Swords Dance
- Facade
- Earthquake
- Crunch
Let's conclude with our two long-awaited beasts. The first is Ursaluna. No need to introduce him – you all know why he's so dangerous. And under Trick Room, he becomes a war machine capable of wiping out half an offensive team or neutralising defensive cores in a single round of Trick Room. I'll only comment my choice of Tera and coverage: the Tera Normal boosts the damage of Facade which, after a Swords Dance, can OHKO a large number of Steel-types, including Corviknight (yes he can). This makes Fire Punch less necessary, which led me to go for a Dark-type coverage to handle Sinistcha more easily and any Ceruledge sets that might be played with Torch or the Air Balloon. Furthermore, in certain match-ups and given the omnipresence of Dragapult (which I've actually seen with the Air Balloon during some recent games), I feel that Dark-type coverage is often easier to spam than Fire-type coverage. That said, Fire Punch remains a viable and worthwhile option, especially with the boost from Torkoal's sun. As for the spread, it allows Ursaluna to survive a Surf from a Modest Primarina (except for Choice Specs Primarina) after one turn of burn damage. This proves particularly useful for weakening or defeating Primarina, who is a particular nuisance to the last Pokémon of our team...
+2 252+ Atk Guts Tera Normal Ursaluna Facade (140 BP) vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Corviknight: 368-434 (92.2 - 108.7%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO
252+ Atk Guts Tera Normal Ursaluna Facade (140 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Dondozo: 348-410 (69 - 81.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
-1 252+ Atk Guts Tera Normal Ursaluna Facade (140 BP) vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Landorus-Therian: 384-452 (100.5 - 118.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Guts Tera Normal Ursaluna Facade (140 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Great Tusk: 418-494 (112.6 - 133.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Guts Tera Normal Ursaluna Crunch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Gholdengo: 316-374 (100.3 - 118.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Guts Tera Normal Ursaluna Crunch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Dragapult: 384-454 (121.1 - 143.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252+ Atk Guts Ursaluna Crunch vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Sinistcha: 418-494 (120.8 - 142.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ SpA Primarina Surf vs. 204 HP / 52 SpD Ursaluna: 356-422 (78.7 - 93.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after burn damage
252 SpA Kyurem Ice Beam vs. 204 HP / 52 SpD Ursaluna: 332-392 (73.4 - 86.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after burn damage
252 Atk Great Tusk Close Combat vs. 204 HP / 0 Def Ursaluna: 378-446 (83.6 - 98.6%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO after burn damage
252+ Atk Choice Band Rillaboom Grassy Glide vs. 204 HP / 0 Def Ursaluna in Grassy Terrain: 362-428 (80 - 94.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Grassy Terrain recovery and burn damage
252+ Atk Guts Tera Normal Ursaluna Facade (140 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Dondozo: 348-410 (69 - 81.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
-1 252+ Atk Guts Tera Normal Ursaluna Facade (140 BP) vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Landorus-Therian: 384-452 (100.5 - 118.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Guts Tera Normal Ursaluna Facade (140 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Great Tusk: 418-494 (112.6 - 133.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Guts Tera Normal Ursaluna Crunch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Gholdengo: 316-374 (100.3 - 118.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Guts Tera Normal Ursaluna Crunch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Dragapult: 384-454 (121.1 - 143.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252+ Atk Guts Ursaluna Crunch vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Sinistcha: 418-494 (120.8 - 142.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ SpA Primarina Surf vs. 204 HP / 52 SpD Ursaluna: 356-422 (78.7 - 93.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after burn damage
252 SpA Kyurem Ice Beam vs. 204 HP / 52 SpD Ursaluna: 332-392 (73.4 - 86.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after burn damage
252 Atk Great Tusk Close Combat vs. 204 HP / 0 Def Ursaluna: 378-446 (83.6 - 98.6%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO after burn damage
252+ Atk Choice Band Rillaboom Grassy Glide vs. 204 HP / 0 Def Ursaluna in Grassy Terrain: 362-428 (80 - 94.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Grassy Terrain recovery and burn damage
Torkoal @ Choice Specs
Ability: Drought
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Eruption
- Flamethrower
- Solar Beam
- Earth Power
And the final Pokémon, of course, is Torkoal. He may be the most dangerous of them all and often the one around which our entire gameplan is built. Everything relies on his powerful Eruption, combined with the boost from the sun, Choice Specs and Tera Fire. The magic of this move lies precisely in luring in Pokémon that are supposed to resist the attack, in order to 2HKO them and then deprive the opposing team of its switch-in for the rest of the battle. This includes Pokémon such as Garganacl, Blissey, Toxapex, Ting-Lu, Galarian Slowking, Clodsire (a bunch of Pokémon messing with Farigiraf, by the way), etc. As for the other moves, we stick with Flamethrower to have another STAB move to use if Torkoal’s HP has dropped, Solar Beam to hit Water-types and Earth Power, which is rarely used but can, for example, if used predictively, deprive the opponent of their Heatran, Ceruledge or other Torch user. Nothing to say about the spread; we put everything into HP and Special Attack to maximise the power of Eruption as much as possible.
252+ SpA Choice Specs Torkoal Eruption (150 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Samurott-Hisui in Sun: 321-378 (100 - 117.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Torkoal Eruption (150 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Dragapult in Sun: 285-336 (89.9 - 105.9%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Torkoal Eruption (150 BP) vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Dondozo in Sun: 319-376 (63.2 - 74.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Torkoal Eruption (150 BP) vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Alomomola in Sun: 561-660 (105 - 123.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Torkoal Eruption (150 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Slowking-Galar in Sun: 408-482 (103.5 - 122.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Torkoal Eruption (150 BP) vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Moltres in Sun: 346-408 (90.3 - 106.5%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Torkoal Eruption (150 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Vessel of Ruin Ting-Lu in Sun: 378-446 (73.5 - 86.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Torkoal Eruption (150 BP) vs. 252 HP / 204+ SpD Garganacl in Sun: 244-288 (60.3 - 71.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Torkoal Eruption (150 BP) vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Toxapex in Sun: 170-201 (56.1 - 66.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Torkoal Eruption (150 BP) vs. 80 HP / 0 SpD Assault Vest Primarina in Sun: 178-210 (55.4 - 65.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Torkoal Eruption (150 BP) vs. 4 HP / 252+ SpD Blissey in Sun: 352-416 (53.9 - 63.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Choice Specs Torkoal Earth Power vs. 252 HP / 212+ SpD Heatran: 344-408 (89.1 - 105.6%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Torkoal Solar Beam vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Assault Vest Alomomola: 246-290 (46 - 54.3%) -- 53.1% chance to 2HKO
+2 252+ Atk Supreme Overlord 5 allies fainted Kingambit Sucker Punch vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Torkoal: 288-340 (83.7 - 98.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Cornerstone Mask Ogerpon-Cornerstone Ivy Cudgel vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Torkoal: 276-326 (80.2 - 94.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Torkoal Eruption (150 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Dragapult in Sun: 285-336 (89.9 - 105.9%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Torkoal Eruption (150 BP) vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Dondozo in Sun: 319-376 (63.2 - 74.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Torkoal Eruption (150 BP) vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Alomomola in Sun: 561-660 (105 - 123.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Torkoal Eruption (150 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Slowking-Galar in Sun: 408-482 (103.5 - 122.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Torkoal Eruption (150 BP) vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Moltres in Sun: 346-408 (90.3 - 106.5%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Torkoal Eruption (150 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Vessel of Ruin Ting-Lu in Sun: 378-446 (73.5 - 86.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Torkoal Eruption (150 BP) vs. 252 HP / 204+ SpD Garganacl in Sun: 244-288 (60.3 - 71.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Torkoal Eruption (150 BP) vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Toxapex in Sun: 170-201 (56.1 - 66.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Torkoal Eruption (150 BP) vs. 80 HP / 0 SpD Assault Vest Primarina in Sun: 178-210 (55.4 - 65.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Torkoal Eruption (150 BP) vs. 4 HP / 252+ SpD Blissey in Sun: 352-416 (53.9 - 63.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Choice Specs Torkoal Earth Power vs. 252 HP / 212+ SpD Heatran: 344-408 (89.1 - 105.6%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Torkoal Solar Beam vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Assault Vest Alomomola: 246-290 (46 - 54.3%) -- 53.1% chance to 2HKO
+2 252+ Atk Supreme Overlord 5 allies fainted Kingambit Sucker Punch vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Torkoal: 288-340 (83.7 - 98.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Cornerstone Mask Ogerpon-Cornerstone Ivy Cudgel vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Torkoal: 276-326 (80.2 - 94.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Threats
What defines our team (and I’d say this applies to all Trick Room teams) is the all-or-nothing aspect. We put tremendous pressure on our opponents, and then we ourselves are under that pressure. Against Hyper Offense teams, this isn’t particularly problematic, as we simply need to use Hatterene with the Focus Sash or Mimikyu with its ability to reset Trick Room and easily regain the upper hand against an opponent with no defensive core. However, what really poses a problem for our team are Pokémon that are excessively bulky and capable of stalling Trick Room. In highly defensive archetypes such as Stall, they aren’t so difficult to deal with, as these teams are very passive and will themselves struggle to overcome our wallbreakers. But where these Pokémon are truly troublesome is in more balanced teams, when they accompany dangerous offensive Pokémon that can simply come back and put pressure on us once Trick Room has been timed out.
These Pokémon include, amongst others:
Ting-Lu is almost impossible to OHKO and often has a Tera Water that prevents Torkoal from doing its job properly. The ideal strategy is to lure him into an Eruption for a 2HKO over two turns, but it's often a bad idea to send a Torkoal in against a Ting-Lu at full health. A good switch-in could be Slither Wing, who can withstand all of his attacks, force him to switch out, and maintain momentum with U-turn to keep the pressure on.
Garganacl is a very troublesome Pokémon capable of buying time with Protect but also of setting up Stealth Rock in the middle of the battle. It’s difficult for Torkoal to do its job, unless you manage to lure Garganacl into an Eruption early in the match and 2HKO him. However, Ursaluna proves particularly threatening. With a bit of anticipation, you can set up a Swords Dance on Protect to make the most of the Trick Room turns and snatch one or two kills in the process.
What makes Alomomola very difficult to take down is that our win condition can depend on his set. The full-physical Boots pivot is OHKOed by Torkoal's Eruption with Tera Fire, but survives Ursaluna's Facade with Tera Normal (which he can even avoid with a potential Tera Ghost) and can buy time with Protect. The Assault Vest set, on the other hand, is destroyed by Ursaluna but has a very low 2.3% chance of being 2HKOed by Torkoal, which makes Alomomola a fair switch-in. It is therefore essential to identify Alomomola’s set very quickly — ideally as soon as the team preview — to avoid making the wrong gameplan.
Dondozo is also very difficult to take down. As with Alomomola, you will generally need to either lure it onto Torkoal for a 2HKO with Eruption or eliminate it with Facade combined with Tera Normal. It is therefore essential to understand, depending on the match-up, whether Torkoal or Ursaluna is best placed to defeat him, and to adapt your gameplan accordingly.
With his ability and double-type, Dragonite is also capable of slowing you down, particularly with the most defensive sets using Roost or even Dragon Tail. And he is particularly dangerous as he can also use Dragon Dance at the end of Trick Room and deal great damage afterwards. Again, luring him in with Torkoal (at least for a bit of cheap damage) or going 1v1 with Ursaluna are our preferred options. But Farigiraf and Mimikyu also have a say in two different ways: one is immune to Extreme Speed thanks to his ability and can set-up himself; the other is also immune to Extreme Speed thanks to his Ghost-type and can deal heavy damage with Play Rough.
Heatran and Ceruledge are immune to Torkoal’s Fire-type attacks, and Heatran, in particular, can wall all three of our Trick Room setters. When facing these two Pokémon, you need to play smart. If you feel like trying an Earth Power with Torkoal in anticipation of a switch-in against one of your supposed Fire-type attacks, go ahead. Otherwise, Ursaluna will often be the key, and here too, you’ll need to anticipate switches, Protect or potential Tera Grass, Bug or others. Using Swords Dance can be a good option in either situation.
Regardless of the archetype you’re facing, the presence of a Flying-type and a Ghost-type makes Ursaluna’s job more difficult. By constantly switching into an immunity, your opponent will often force you to make a prediction at some point. It’s up to you to read well!
In theory, Hyper Offense teams are the easiest archetypes to face. But you could still come up against Focus Sash users capable of making you lose a turn in Trick Room, or even taking out one of your offensive Pokémon. In this sense, Glimmora is often a problem because it’s not always clear whether he's holding a Focus Sash or not, which can prevent us from using Torkoal’s Eruption. Also, be careful not to let your opponent overwhelm you with hazards!
Sand and Rain teams are also very difficult to handle, particularly due to their ability to completely neutralise Torkoal. And whilst Ursaluna and Farigiraf can help take over against Rain teams, it’s much harder against the bulkier Sand teams, featuring Hydrapple or Corviknight. I would even say that this is the worst match-up we could ever face. But even if the match-up looks complicated, don’t let it get you down – a game is never lost!
Replays
Conclusion
Thank you for your kind attention! I really hope this team will spark your interest, that you’ll want to give it a go and, above all, that it will get you some victories! Although certain match-ups can prove tricky — such as bulky Sand and some Balanced teams — you'll see that the team adapts quite easily to a wide range of archetypes, from Hyper Offense to Stall. It isn’t straightforward to master, requiring a rather unconventional sense of timing, but its danger and flexibility make it well worth the effort…
So don't be afraid, give it some tryhard and that'll do the trick (room)
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