SM OU STEEL BALL RUN

talah

from the river to the sea
is a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Staff Alumnusis a Past SPL Champion
there's no SBR anime so this blessed version of Great Days will have to do instead

the team and an overview:



the RMT is named after JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 7: Steel Ball run. It doesn't have a very specific connection, they're just both things I love. I do consider this team one of, if not my best yet this gen and definitely my favourite since my last RMT, while SBR is my favorite manga, so ig you can draw that connection if you really want.

I'd have wanted to keep this team a bit more but it got leaked and it's literally everywhere now so thought I'd RMT it earlier than usual; this was made during SPL week 7 for John to use against Empo, and we wanted to make something he'd be comfortable with, be strong against the classic LandoGear offenses that were very frequent from Empo but also be different enough from the teams we used prior. VenuSteela was pretty much perfect for that, I mean it was literally considered his signature playstyle for a good amount of time. In this meta however, Venu has been largely unsuccessful - until recently. PDef Venu, specifically Leech Seed, is actually a great tool for a good amount of BOs & Balances right now. It's arguably the best Mawile check in the tier, one of the best Magearna stops and a lot more that the Venu specific section will go into depth on.

the building process:


great as it is, the main issue with Venu is that it's a defensive mon that REQUIRES support from other defensive mons, which is what I really wanted & needed to tackle.


this core is nigh perfect. Venu + Fini is more than sufficient for Ash Gren, Venu + Steela covers Kart fully, Fini covers the Heatran weakness of the other 2 & Defogs, none of them are dead weight to any grounds, Venu covers Electrics, including Zapdos in terrain...could go on and on but it truly is incredibly solid, despite not quite complete.


Garchomp truly does complete it though. The best rocker in the tier atm, fantastic breaker against literally every team, backup Heatran check(especially in Misty), decent Speed tier, Ground type - natural fit.


Scarf Lando and Specs Ash round this team up: an offensive (but still VERY helpful defensively) scarfer that pressure the same things Garchomp does & can pivot everything in & the best Spiker in the tier, which also gives an extra form of breaking. They both complement the team's structure phenomenally and were easy choices.

going deep:

the links contain spoilers for various JoJo parts, don't click if you don't want them. all JoJo stands are song names, use those instead.


「OASIS」 (Venusaur-Mega) (M) @ Venusaurite
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 252 HP / 172 Def / 68 SpD / 16 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Leech Seed
- Sludge Bomb
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Synthesis

As I said earlier, the main idea of Venu is being able to basically fully wall both Mega Mawile and Magearna (except like 2 sets total), which is absolutely insane for any bulkier team at the moment, as they are arguably the 2 strongest breakers/sweepers the tier has. It also totally cockblocks Bulu, which is always very appreciated. Leech Seed is really what makes Venu here; due to Leech Seed it can afford to not click Synthesis until 100% needed, giving it a much bigger lifespan than without Leech. Thanks to it is also able to beat the aforementioned Mawile, Magearna, with significant more ease than otherwise and at the same time helping it a TON against stuff like Zapdos, Celesteela, Garchomp and Lando. Furthermore, it allows to help its team check some of the scariest stuff in the tier a lot more consistently, some examples being Heatran, Tornadus, which switch almost freely on Venu otherwise. Due to it, its teammates can last significantly longer and help the team maintain healthiness throughout a match.

Its other moves are fairly self-explanatory: Sludge Bomb is obviously needed, making it a far better check to Bulu & Clefable and able to threaten Torn, Zam and Lele on the switch. HP Fire makes it not dead weight against Ferro, allows it to handily beat Scizor, fuck with Kartana & of course hits Mawile and Mage. Synthesis is, sadly, the only reliable recovery Venu has access to. It has pitiful PP but it's obviously required. Due to that awful PP, you should avoid clicking it as much as possible; instead opt to Leech Seed. I cannot overestimate just how much Leech does for Venu in the long run.

Due to its naturally great typing, it can soft-check a number of other Pokemon, some of those being the omnipresent Ash Gren, Koko, Kartana, some Latias sets, Manaphy and Swampert. Of course, it also absorbs Toxic Spikes, which actually helps Fini quite a bit & frees up the moveslot it'd spend on Taunt otherwise.

Another important aspect of this team that really eleveates Venu is the presence of Misty Terrain. Misty really allows Venu to ease up against a number of things it wouldn't otherwise, such as Toxapex, Rotom and Zapdos. Due to Misty it can avoid the crucial status those Pokemon would cripple it with, Leech Seed/Sludge Bomb them back, switch out once terrain is over or when they're threatened out & come out of the exchange unscathed. Rotom especially is huge here; it'd be very annoying for the team otherwise. It's an incredibly useful tool for it, and while I'd definitely not call it mandatory by any means, it is very, VERY helpful.​
Speed is so you outspeed maximum Speed Mawile, just in case.

The SpDef is so you can take 2 Ash Gren Pulses after Stealth Rocks(unevolved):
252 SpA Choice Specs Greninja Dark Pulse vs. 252 HP / 68 SpD Venusaur-Mega: 135-159 (37 - 43.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Stealth Rock

The rest goes into PDef to make it as good a Mawile & Kart check as possible:

+2 252+ Atk Huge Power Mawile-Mega Knock Off vs. 252 HP / 172+ Def Venusaur-Mega: 177-209 (48.6 - 57.4%) -- 94.1% chance to 2HKO
+2 252+ Atk Huge Power Mawile-Mega Sucker Punch vs. 252 HP / 172+ Def Venusaur-Mega: 191-225 (52.4 - 61.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 Atk Choice Band Kartana Smart Strike vs. 252 HP / 172+ Def Venusaur-Mega: 145-172 (39.8 - 47.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

252+ Atk Choice Band Tapu Bulu Stone Edge vs. 252 HP / 172+ Def Venusaur-Mega: 119-141 (32.6 - 38.7%) -- 6.3% chance to 3HKO after Grassy Terrain recovery

252 SpA Choice Specs Tapu Koko Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 68 SpD Venusaur-Mega in Electric Terrain: 107-126 (29.3 - 34.6%) -- 8.6% chance to 3HKO

+1 252 SpA Magearna Twinkle Tackle (195 BP) vs. 252 HP / 68 SpD Venusaur-Mega: 192-226 (52.7 - 62%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

+2 252 Atk Garchomp Continental Crush (180 BP) vs. 252 HP / 172+ Def Venusaur-Mega: 260-306 (71.4 - 84%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

0 SpA Latias-Mega Ice Beam vs. 252 HP / 68 SpD Thick Fat Venusaur-Mega: 70-84 (19.2 - 23%) -- possible 5HKO

252 Atk Lopunny-Mega Return vs. 252 HP / 172+ Def Venusaur-Mega: 115-136 (31.5 - 37.3%) -- 86.7% chance to 3HKO

252 Atk Choice Band Weavile Icicle Crash vs. 252 HP / 172+ Def Thick Fat Venusaur-Mega: 132-156 (36.2 - 42.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO


「SCARY MONSTERS」 (Garchomp) (M) @ Rockium Z
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Swords Dance

Garchomp is probably the best rocker in SM OU rn. A unique combination of types that fills the void of Zygarde, surprisingly high bulk even uninvested, basically unresisted coverage, Swords Dance & a Z-move to boot; it's a perfect storm that has taken over the metagame since Zygarde's ban.

Best used when doubled in, or switched into a favourable move in Misty Terrain, it's able to abuse a number of prominent Mons in the metagame, like Heatran, Mawile, Magearna, Torn(in a 1v1 scenario), Zapdos, Toxapex(in Terrain) and more. I mentioned Misty so much already but that's for quite a good reason - it really allows it to get an advantage against Pokemon it normally can't on its own, similar to Venu.

Plan with it is simple: either get Rocks up on forced switches or weak attacks -but the latter only when really needed, as a full health Garchomp is able to tank a very impressive number of hits from offensive behemoths, like Ash Gren's Pump or Kart's unboosted STABs- or SD up(also on the same things) and claim a kill against a majority of teams.

It's also able to fulfill a lot of small defensive niches, especially when in Terrain; mentioned again, Heatran, Rotom, Pex are prime targets for it. However, it being at full(or near at) is supremely important for it. When healthy enough, its strong natural bulk really shines through, being able to force out Ash Grens, Torns, Zapdos(even HP Ice) and a few more. As such, do your best to prevent it from taking unnecessary chip.​
+2 252 Atk Garchomp Continental Crush (180 BP) vs. 248 HP / 8 Def Tapu Bulu: 345-407 (100.5 - 118.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Leftovers recovery and Grassy Terrain recovery

+3 252 Atk Garchomp Continental Crush (180 BP) vs. 252 HP / 112+ Def Landorus-Therian: 431-508 (112.8 - 132.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Leftovers recovery

+2 252 Atk Garchomp Continental Crush (180 BP) vs. 248 HP / 8 Def Tangrowth: 321-378 (79.6 - 93.7%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

+2 252 Atk Garchomp Continental Crush (180 BP) vs. 244 HP / 44 Def Gliscor: 311-367 (88.3 - 104.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock and Poison Heal

+2 252 Atk Garchomp Continental Crush (180 BP) vs. 248 HP / 8 Def Tapu Fini: 345-407 (100.5 - 118.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Leftovers recovery

+2 252 Atk Garchomp Continental Crush (180 BP) vs. 248 HP / 28 Def Celesteela: 371-437 (93.4 - 110%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

252 Atk Garchomp Continental Crush (180 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Greninja-Ash: 271-319 (95 - 111.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock

252 Atk Garchomp Continental Crush (180 BP) vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Tornadus-Therian: 470-554 (129.8 - 153%) -- guaranteed OHKO

short song break, since if you're for some reason reading all of this the previous is probably over. this time it's one of my favourite tracks from my favourite game & the greatest OST ever, NieR: Automata.


「THE WORLD」 (Landorus-Therian) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 52 HP / 156 Atk / 104 Def / 196 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Stone Edge
- Hidden Power [Ice] / Knock Off / Explosion

The best Pokemon in the tier & also the best scarfer in the tier, Landorus-Therian safely secures a spot in this team. Unparalleled utility between Intimidate, U-turn, its ridiculously efficient typing and just enough Speed for some of the biggest threats of the tier makes it a must for probably a majority of teams in SuMo.

The set is standard and simple: Earthquake and U-turn don't require any explanation. Stone Edge is crucial for Torn, Zapdos and the Charizards while being great neutral coverage along with EQ. Due to having a very reliable Defogger in Fini, its last slot is flexible; HP Ice helps it check opposing Garchomps and Landos, Knock Off helps against Celesteela, Ferro, Kart, again other Landos while also giving a very nice neutral hit to mostly everything, while Explosion allows you to keep up momentum and instantly remove something when necessary (like preventing Defog, killing a Latias or an offensive threat you can't kill otherwise).

This team covers almost everything that Lando would cover, which actually helps it perform its defensive role better than usual. As it's not actually needed for anything specific, you have a lot more freedom in choosing what to switch it into. That also means it can last for a long period of the game, and coupled with Garchomp can really show up in a lot of late game scenarios. Like Garchomp, great natural bulk means keeping it healthy is very useful for tons of mid game situations but it's not nearly as crucial as it is for Garchomp, so chipping it a bit isn't the end of The World (laugh track).​
The HP + Defense is in order to take a +2 Mawile Sucker after 2 Stealth Rocks. also just in case:
+1 252+ Atk Huge Power Mawile-Mega Sucker Punch vs. 52 HP / 104 Def Landorus-Therian: 210-248 (63.2 - 74.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

The Speed is to outspeed Timid M-Alakazam. You can also go up to Excadrill or even max if you want, though.

Rest is thrown into Attack.



「DIVER DOWN」 (Greninja-Ash) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Battle Bond
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Surf
- Dark Pulse
- Water Shuriken
- Spikes

The most consistent mon in the tier this time, Ash Gren provides the team with invaluable Spikes & its second main breaker. Spikes really help the team put on pressure on opposing structures and allow Gren to wear its checks down safely. Surf is chosen over Pump since this team can play longer games quite frequently; the risk of missing is, in this case, not worth it. Another great aspect of Gren here is the presence of Venu allow it to safely set Spikes against Toxapex and ignoring opposing Toxic Spikes being thrown up; in a similar vein, Fini's Terrain allows Gren to fish pretty safely for flinches against Toxapex when in terrain. Venu is also pretty quick to shut down opposing Grasses while Fini can cripple them, aiding Gren in its attempts at game-long sweeps. Really everything pressures its checks quite well, giving it a lot of freedom to do its thing.

An often overlooked part of Gren is its ability to take exactly 1 hit from a lot of Pokemon, like Heatran, Landorus even Torn. Much like Garchomp, try to not weaken it without any return, as health is often important for the late game.​


「SOFT & WET」 (Tapu Fini) @ Leftovers
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 16 SpA / 52 SpD / 192 Spe
Calm Nature
- Defog
- Knock Off
- Moonblast
- Scald

So, this set's quite weird but gaining some steam, or at least parts of it. I do wanna give full credit of the idea to BKC, he drilled Knock Fini into my head and it is fucking amazing. While Nature's Madness is obviously strong, it never really permanently cripples what it hits - Ferro, Pex, Tangrowth, Zapdos, Rotom, Bulu, they'll all heal NM off pretty quickly. With Knock, on the other hand, you can permanently cripple them and really allow your teammates to take advantage of them. This is especially true for mons such as Ferro, which love to switch back into Fini to set hazards after they're already gone, however it does significantly lower the potential of all previously mentioned Pokemon and more. Their items are always important to their roles and it gives you a lot of liberty to play around them. A Pex without Lefties will not beat Ash Gren in the long run, same with an AV-less Tangrowth, Bulu without Lefties can't effectively heal, stuff can't get in on doubles and get away freely, it goes a very long way when it hits. But the catch is, it always hits. Those Pokemon (some of them at the very least) are forced to switch into Fini to stop it from being too disruptive otherwise.

The rest is pretty standard (except for the lack of Taunt but I'll explain it shortly, it's not exactly uncommon anyway): Defog is very obviously needed & Fini's one of the best, being able to Defog Ash Gren's Spikes safely, beating most Heatran sets, great against Lando and Garchomp. Running both STABs isn't unseen but it's sort of uncommon, but it does help this team a lot. Due to Venusaur, this team doesn't need to prevent Toxic Spikes from going up. Thus, the need for Taunt is kind of gone. At the same time, the lack of NM means you're not chipping down Pex yourself, rather, you're allowing your teammates to do so, which means Taunt doesn't do that either. Moonblast allows you to sufficiently threaten Garchomp & OHKO Gren & threaten mons like Knocked Tangrowth with Fini's decent SpAtk and fantastic base power of MB. Scald allows you to actually threaten Heatran, kill Lando a lot more safely and discourage Bulu/Zap/Torn from coming in.

I already mentioned this like 15 times over the RMT, but Misty Terrain is INCREDIBLE for this team. It allows you to do so much you couldn't otherwise with Venu/Chomp/Gren, it gives it more than considerable freedom against stuff it would otherwise struggle vs.​
The Speed is to outspeed Modest Heatran, and by consequence, Timid Magerna too.

The SpAtk is to always 2HKO offensive Heatran with Scald:
16 SpA Tapu Fini Scald vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Heatran: 162-192 (50.1 - 59.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

Rest goes into SpDef for obvious reasons.

252+ SpA Flash Fire Heatran Magma Storm vs. 248 HP / 52+ SpD Tapu Fini: 93-111 (27.1 - 32.3%) -- 71.9% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery and trapping damage

252 SpA Choice Specs Greninja Hydro Pump vs. 248 HP / 52+ SpD Tapu Fini: 80-94 (23.3 - 27.4%) -- possible 5HKO after Leftovers recovery

252 Atk Garchomp Earthquake vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Tapu Fini: 145-172 (42.2 - 50.1%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

0 Atk Landorus-Therian Earthquake vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Tapu Fini: 132-156 (38.4 - 45.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

another song from one of the best game OSTs ever, Metal Gear Rising Revengeance. absolutely baller song and definitely one of the best final boss themes i've heard


「CRAZY DIAMOND」 (Celesteela) @ Leftovers
Ability: Beast Boost
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 32 Def / 216 SpD / 12 Spe
Careful Nature
- Leech Seed
- Heavy Slam
- Flamethrower
- Protect

PDef Venu allows Steela to run as much SpDef as it does here, which is great since this team would get pretty fucked by Alakazam and Lele otherwise. It's the mandatory Steel (but also one of the hardest to kill), helps against everything the rest of the team would be weak to (Psychics, Torn, Scizor, SD Kart, Lati@s). It also forms a very neat double Leech Seed core with Venu, which is a great interaction, as they're able to help each other out & the rest of the team by just existing, really. I don't really have much to say here so I'll tackle the EV spread in this section instead: Speed is for outrunning most CM Clefables & some very slow Mawiles. The defense is so it's never 2HKO'd by Kartana's Sacred Sword after Leftovers damage, it's kinda unneeded but I really do like the extra bit of safety it gives. The rest is dumped into SpDef for obvious reasons.​
252 SpA Alakazam-Mega Focus Blast vs. 248 HP / 216+ SpD Celesteela: 120-142 (30.2 - 35.7%) -- guaranteed 4HKO after Leftovers recovery

252 SpA Choice Specs Tapu Lele Hidden Power Fire vs. 248 HP / 216+ SpD Celesteela: 146-172 (36.7 - 43.3%) -- 98.5% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

252 SpA Tornadus-Therian Hurricane vs. 248 HP / 216+ SpD Celesteela: 59-69 (14.8 - 17.3%) -- possible 9HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Tornadus-Therian All-Out Pummeling (190 BP) vs. 248 HP / 216+ SpD Celesteela: 136-160 (34.2 - 40.3%) -- 45.1% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

+2 0 Atk Scizor-Mega Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 248 HP / 32 Def Celesteela: 187-221 (47.1 - 55.6%) -- 77.3% chance to 2HKO

+2 252 Atk Kartana Corkscrew Crash (140 BP) vs. 248 HP / 32 Def Celesteela: 276-326 (69.5 - 82.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

252 SpA Latios-Mega Ice Beam vs. 248 HP / 216+ SpD Celesteela: 85-100 (21.4 - 25.1%) -- possible 5HKO after Leftovers recovery



「OASIS」 (Venusaur-Mega) (M) @ Venusaurite
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 252 HP / 172 Def / 68 SpD / 16 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Leech Seed
- Sludge Bomb
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Synthesis

「SCARY MONSTERS」 (Garchomp) (M) @ Rockium Z
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Swords Dance

「THE WORLD」 (Landorus-Therian) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 52 HP / 156 Atk / 104 Def / 196 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Stone Edge
- Hidden Power [Ice]

「DIVER DOWN」 (Greninja-Ash) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Battle Bond
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Surf
- Dark Pulse
- Water Shuriken
- Spikes

「SOFT & WET」 (Tapu Fini) @ Leftovers
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 16 SpA / 52 SpD / 192 Spe
Calm Nature
- Defog
- Knock Off
- Moonblast
- Scald

「CRAZY DIAMOND」 (Celesteela) @ Leftovers
Ability: Beast Boost
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 32 Def / 216 SpD / 12 Spe
Careful Nature
- Leech Seed
- Heavy Slam
- Flamethrower
- Protect

#The Hallows: i was tired of losing all my hard earned ladder points to those pesky mega mawiles, so i invested in the STEEL BALL RUN™ team by talah, never again will my points be stolen!

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen7ou-426433
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen7ou-428095
both wins from SPL, there's a lot more replays but I'd have to dig through SmogTour / ladder, it's been used a fuckton.

: Torn can Knock & Taunt Steela and due to Regenerator, if left unchecked, it becomes a major problem in the long run. There's definitely ways to revenge it and wear it down but nonetheless it's arguably the biggest threat of this team due to it opening up its partners, rather than just itself. Try to pressure it with Stealth Rock & Venu/Fini poisoning/burning it.

: Knock Zam specifically can be gruesome to deal with. It's far from impossible definitely, but again, its partners can become issues when not played correctly against. Spikes are very important against it, as is not letting pressure up.

: Protean Ninja specifically is important to mention; as is a trend, it's not a huge threat directly, but since Fini can't Defog against it & it can force Venu to take Spike damage, it can become an issue in the long run. Counteract with your own Spikes and don't place yourself in situations where it can take free turns.

: Magnezone + various mons that this team relies on Celesteela to beat like Alakazam or Lele is obviously hard to deal with. Don't be careless with Celesteela and play offensively.

: Reuniclus doesn't take hazard damage, can switch freely into Venu/Steela & is hard to pivot around if it gets turns to do as it pleases. Gren is a great revenge killer, Fini knocks it & Chomp can pressure it pretty well. Punishment Lando was an idea for this but it's not that necessary imo, usable nonetheless.

i'll start with the Raiders SM OU core, The Hallows bro fist BKC
you had a huge part in the making of this & made an otherwise bad season insanely enjoyable, you're all great friends and i love talking w you about anything, hopefully it'll stay that way for a long time to come

Mana definitely wouldn't be having this much fun on this site without you, definitely my best friend on this site, all the love to you man

starry blanket you're a fucking moron but you're a very funny one at that, on jah sis wig

SoulWind you're fucking awesome and talking with u is always a blast, but also, look at that title OMFL

HARM REDUCTION: your dads are all dead
THE METHLAB: not up and coming anymore eh
the rest of the raiders: love you guys even if retarded kaori deletED OUR SERVER
the snake 2 taipans: still going strong

to anyone else i didn't tag specifically and feel you should be in here: aren't you an entitled cunt, fuck you


 
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