Fire/Water/Grass cores were rampant in the 2010-2012 DPP OU metagame after Salamence and Latias were sent to the uber tier. Many players were automatically using a Heatran, a water, and a grass pokemon on many of their teams for the sake of completing that core without going through a natural teambuilding process to determine what pokemon they should use on their teams. It looked like a lot of players were using very similar teams on the ladder when there wasn't a shortage of good pokemon to use. When I built this team, I wanted to build a good team without using the type of core that was most common at the time.
Starmie @ Life Orb
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Hydro Pump
- Rapid Spin
- Ice Beam
Description: Starmie is an excellent attacking lead that beats most common leads, including the ability to 2HKO or OHKO bulkier leads. Attacking leads are a great option to use on bulky offense or balanced teams because they punish opposing Stealth Rock leads. Lead Life Orb Starmie puts opposing Stealth Rock leads in an awkward position: either they use Stealth Rock and are KOed by Starmie, or they fight back and lose the opportunity to set Stealth Rock. Life Orb Starmie hits extremely hard. Life Orb Starmie is a very hard pokemon to counter since water is one of the best offensive typings and because Starmie has excellent type coverage with Hydro Pump, Thunderbolt, and Ice Beam. It can 2HKO many bulky pokemon that would switch in hoping to take another one of your attacks. Starmie provides Rapid Spin support for Dragonite to greatly enhance its longevity. It clears spikes as well since Skarmory and Forretress can spike on Bronzong and Metagross. All of of Starmie's common checks like Kingdra, Roserade, and Vaporeon get handled by the rest of the team. Some leads switch out against Starmie, so sometimes I predict the switch-in and get a free kill. When leading with Starmie and you are against a Hippowdon lead, players often switch to Blissey. So when leading against Hippowdon, a good play is to double switch to Metagross or Choice Band Tyranitar to immediately put pressure on their team. If Blissey does go down, Life Orb Starmie becomes a threat to stall teams. Starmie is an additional check for pokémon like Infernape and Gengar if it's alive later during the game. Hydro Pump is an excellent STAB, but Surf can be considered since it has perfect accuracy. Rapid Spin is phenomenal utility against every team, especially stall teams. Thunderbolt hits bulky water pokemon and other Starmie. Ice Beam hits grass pokemon and lead Dragonite while providing Bolt/Beam coverage with Thunderbolt.
Metagross @ Lum Berry / Shuca Berry / Occa Berry
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 232 Atk / 24 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Meteor Mash
- Explosion
Set Notes: Set notes for Metagross are in the hide tag below.
Description: Metagross is one of the best Stealth Rockers in the game, and for good reason. Metagross has excellent bulk and resistances to set Stealth Rock up reliably and it is threatening enough to force a switch in order to use it. Metagross is a check to a large amount of pokemon OU which lack a fire move. Metagross is never dead weight, taking Draco Meteors, Outrages, Stone Edges, hitting back with an excellent STAB Meteor Mash, and using Explosion to threaten all of his counters except Rotom. Since Metagross can use Explosion to threaten almost all of his counters, Metagross is threatening even to defensive teams. Since Choice Band Tyranitar can forcibly remove Rotom, Metagross can often use Explosion whenever the best opportunity arises. Some good examples of pokemon that Metagross can use Explosion on include Zapdos, Swampert, Hippowdon, Scizor, Suicune, Gyarados, Celebi, Kingdra, Milotic, Vaporeon, Gliscor, Magnet Rise Magnezone, weakened Skarmory, or weakened Bronzong. By using Explosion at the correct time on a bulky troublesome pokemon can allow the rest of the team to sweep. Usually I am conservative with Metagross's Explosion, but the moment I see a bulky pokemon that Metagross can explode on, I either wait for the correct time to use Explosion on it or I explode right away to get rid of the pokemon immediately if it's the correct play to make. Metagross's Explosion can do 51.4 - 60.4% to physically defensive Skarmory and 67.6 - 79.6% to specially defensive Skarmory. Skarmory/Forry who would spike on Metagross also get checked by Tyranitar, Starmie, Dragonite, and Rotom W. Metagross is also slow enough to take advantage of Trick Room in case Bronzong needs to use Explosion while Trick Room is still up. Trick Room can allow Metagross to get a fast Explosion late game, or can allow him to sweep late game with Meteor Mash and Earthquake. Earthquake allows Metagross to threaten steel types and inflict neutral damage to water pokemon.
Tyranitar (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 168 HP / 248 Atk / 92 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Superpower / Aqua Tail
- Stone Edge
- Crunch
- Pursuit
Set Notes: Set notes for Tyranitar are in the hide tag below.
Description: When this team was built, most Tyranitar were Choice Scarf, with Dragon Dance Tyranitar occasionally being used. Choice Band Tyranitar was a rare set at the time, but it was a good choice for this team. Sandstream is very helpful since it allows this team to wear down opposing Life Orb pokemon. Since this team aggressively to tries to deny or Rapid Spin away Stealth Rock, Sandstream doesn't hurt this team as much as it would otherwise. Choice Band Tyranitar can get surprise kills since players often mistake Choice Band Tyranitar as a Choice Scarf Tyranitar or Dragon Dance Tyranitar. Choice Band Tyranitar hits so hard, it's almost unbelievable. Choice Band Tyranitar has very few true counters, doesn't require a lot of prediction to play effectively, and has significant bulk. When using Choice Band Tyranitar, I like to spam Stone Edges in the early game. Tyranitar can lure Scizor and Skarmory, and hitting them with Choice Band Stone Edge as they switch in can severely damage or kill either of those pokemon. This is helpful because Skarmory and Scizor are two pokemon that should be incapacitated before attempting a sweep with Offensive Trick Room Bronzong. Choice Band Tyranitar checks Electric-type pokémon such as Rotom and Zapdos, which this team needed, and Calm Mind Wish Jirachi as well. Choice Band Tyranitar can reliably pursuit most Rotom, which helps Offensive Trick Room Bronzong sweep much more easily. Removing Rotom greatly supports Metagross and Bronzong, as Rotom is one of their key counters and its removal allows them to more reliably use Explosion on non-Ghost pokémon on the opponent’s team. Choice Band Tyranitar is slow enough to sweep with Trick Room if Bronzong is unable to sweep by itself and needs to use Explosion early. In this case, Tyranitar usually spams Stone Edge or Crunch to kill as many pokemon as he can while Trick Room is up. Crunch is a reliable accurate STAB move that hits pokemon like Swampert, Jirachi, and Metagross, while Stone Edge is the STAB you use to crack teams wide open with. Crunch 2HKOs Metagross, Jirachi that aren't physically defensive, and non-defensive Swampert. Superpower hits Magnezone, Heatran, Tyranitar, Empoleon, and Breloom very hard and provides excellent neutral coverage. Aqua Tail is another great option since it OHKOs Gliscor with SR support, 2HKO's Physically Defensive Hippowdon, hits Tyranitar and Heatran hard, and also provides excellent neutral coverage.
Dragonite (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Inner Focus
EVs: 240 HP / 252 SpA / 16 Spe
Quiet Nature
- Superpower
- Draco Meteor
- Roost
- Fire Blast
Set Notes: Set notes for Dragonite are in the hide tag below.
Description: Mixed Dragonite is a great pokemon. It is one of the best pokemon to use against stall teams and it pulls its weight against balanced and bulky offense teams. Mixed Dragonite is a great pokemon because regardless of this team's matchup vs the opposing team, he can level the playing field. Just like Life Orb Starmie and Choice Band Tyranitar, Mixed Dragonite has very few true counters. No matter what the opponent's team is, there are very few good Pokemon to switch into Mixed Dragonite. So even bad matchups can become winnable if you predict correctly with Mixed Dragonite because he can break an important member of the opponent's team. Mixed Dragonite can often switch in on a resist and spam Draco Meteor with little consequence. On this team, Dragonite serves as an offensive tank and a wallbreaker. It is important to either deny the opponent from Stealth Rocking or having Starmie Rapid Spin Stealth Rock away to greatly enhance Dragonite's longevity. Mixed Dragonite has excellent sustain with Roost. Since this Dragonite is very bulky and has Rapid Spin support, Roost allows Dragonite to last a very long time vs teams that cannot OHKO him easily. It's good to keep Dragonite alive on this team since he provides important resists, bulk, and stall breaking ability. This Dragonite checks Breloom, Lucario (without Ice Punch), Infernape (without Hidden Power Ice), and Shaymin (without Hidden Power Ice), and is my main switch into Choice Band Scizor's U-Turn. Bulky Mixed Dragonite can survive a +2 Lucario's Close Combat after Stealth Rock. Dragonite serves as one of this team's primary answers to Skarmory, which is one of Offensive Trick Room Bronzong's largest counters. Since I already use two steel types and a Tyranitar on this team, it is natural to use at least one dragon type pokemon as well. Dragonite has excellent synergy with Metagross, Bronzong, and Tyranitar. They cover each others weaknesses very well, have very similar counters, and do a great job at breaking them down over time. Very similiar to Choice Band Tyranitar, Mixed Dragonite is slow enough and threatening enough to take advantage of Trick Room on this team. Extreme Speed would have been very useful on Mixed Dragonite, but Roost, Fire Blast, and Superpower are more important for this team. Fire Blast hits everything that resists Draco Meteor super effectively except Heatran and Empoleon. Superpower hits Blissey, Snorlax, Heatran, and Empoleon super effectively, which is important since those pokemon can take a Draco Meteor or a Fire Blast. Superpower also OHKOs Tyranitar without Chople Berry, which is important since Tyranitar can easily switch in on Dragonite's Fire Blast or a -2 Draco Meteor.
Bronzong @ Macho Brace
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Trick Room
- Earthquake
- Explosion
- Gyro Ball
Description: Offensive Trick Room Bronzong is a great pokemon and it is one of the best late game cleaners that I have used. OTR Bronzong is unable to be stopped by opposing Choice Scarf pokemon and it resists Bullet Punch and Extreme Speed. When OTR Bronzong has Macho Brace for an item and has 0 speed IVs, Gyro Ball has a base power of 150 against any pokemon that has 160 speed or greater. This means OTR Bronzong's Gyro Balls are almost always 150 base power. 150 base power Gyro Balls are very powerful, are very spammable, and can 2HKO even Gliscor and Scarf Rotom after Stealth Rock damage. OTR Bronzong is a very bulky sweeper that is difficult to OHKO. Since OTR Bronzong is so bulky and has so many resists, it serves as a great buffer for this team by checking any pokemon that is unable to OHKO it. This means OTR Bronzong serves as an additional check to Tyranitar, Metagross, and dragon pokemon. While Bronzong is normally countered by Breloom and Heatran, OTR Bronzong is able to threaten both of those pokemon when you Trick Room as they switch in. OTR Bronzong is a strong pokemon to use against offense teams, just like how Mixed Dragonite is a strong pokemon to use against stall teams. OTR Bronzong isn't very useful against stall teams since Skarmory or Forretress can spike on him, but he can still explode on something on a stall team after Choice Band Tyranitar removes Rotom, or he can check the Gliscor, Swampert, or Tyranitar that are commonly seen on stall teams. Mixed Dragonite, Choice Band Tyranitar, and Life Orb Starmie are this team's primary plan against stall. Earthquake rounds out OTR Bronzong's coverage by hitting pokemon that don't mind getting hit by a 150 base power Gyro Ball. Oftentimes when using this Bronzong you find yourself exploding on pokemon like Suicune. The strategy for using Bronzong on this team is to use Life Orb Starmie, Choice Band Tyranitar, and Mixed Dragonite to weaken the opposing team so that you can eventually sweep with Bronzong. Since Metagross and Bronzong share the same counters, Metagross often scouts and lures Bronzong's best check or counter in the early game. This allows Metagross to weaken their best Bronzong counter, or use Explosion on it. Although this Bronzong is an autonomous threat who is meant to sweep by itself, other pokemon on the team also benefit from Trick Room. Metagross, Choice Band Tyranitar, and Mixed Dragonite are all slow enough to benefit significantly from Trick Room if they are able to get in safely after it is set up. Likewise, Choice Band Tyranitar and Mixed Dragonite are even more threatening than Bronzong is when Trick Room is up. So if I use Trick Room with OTR Bronzong and I am am attempting to sweep with Bronzong but they send in pokemon that stops Bronzong, I usually use Explosion with Bronzong and then send in Choice Band Tyranitar or Mixed Dragonite to continue sweeping when Trick Room is still up. Against some teams you can Trick Room with Bronzong and directly switch in Dragonite or Tyranitar without needing to use Explosion with Bronzong if it is safe to do so. Most of the time you need to use Explosion to get Tyranitar or Dragonite in safely though. It is satisfying to sweep in the mid or late game with Choice Band Tyranitar's Stone Edge when Trick Room is up. OTR Bronzong is a pokemon that is fun to play and people should give it a try on teams that are able to support it.
Rotom-W (Rotom-Wash) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Trick / Will-O-Wisp
- Shadow Ball
- Thunderbolt
- Hydro Pump
Set Notes: Set notes for Rotom-W are in the hide tag below.
Description: When I wanted a Choice Scarf glue for this team, I wanted one which resisted priority. Although Choice Scarf Flygon is a fantastic scarf user, it takes heavy damage from Bullet Punch, Extreme Speed, and he makes this team weaker to Skarmory. The resisting priority part was important because I was becoming weak to Scizor and Lucario, and I did not want to be swept by a good offensive team using either of those pokemon. Likewise, I did not want Dragon Dance Extreme Speed Dragonite's with Dragon Claw to be as annoying either. I did not want to use Scarf Heatran or Jirachi because they would give me a ground weakness and because Jirachi would have redundant coverage with Metagross and Bronzong. Scarfed Rotom-W was the glue I chose for this team since it has the best type synergy with the rest of the team overall and it is an excellent check to Suicune, which can be an annoying pokemon to this team. Choice Scarf Rotom-W checks nearly every sweeper in the OU metagame with its great speed, resistances, and coverage. Rotom-W is pretty bulky for a pokemon that uses 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe as an EV spread. Scarf Rotom-W adds some much needed speed to this team since Starmie is the only other fast pokemon on it. If the enemy team is sufficiently weakened, Rotom-W can potentially sweep the enemy team with Thunderbolt, Shadow Ball, or Hydro Pump. Thunderbolt and Shadow Ball are great STAB moves, and I chose to use Hydro Pump to hit Heatran and Tyranitar. Tyranitar and Heatran are very annoying for Rotom-W, so being able to hit them super effectively with Hydro Pump helps serve as a deterrent to them switching into Rotom-W. Trick helps with various defensive pokemon such as Blissey, SpDef Heatran, Snorlax, and boosting sweepers. Will-O-Wisp is an option on Rotom-W since it allows it to burn Tyranitar without Lum Berry, Scizor, defensive Jirachi, Hippowdon, Swampert, CB Flygon, and CB Dragonite. Rotom-W is vulnerable to opposing Pursuit Tyranitar, so I play Rotom-W cautiously. I bring in Rotom-W whenever I need to bring it in, but not more often than that. I try not to let my opponent set up a sweeper on Choice Band Tyranitar. This is because I don't want to be forced to bring in Rotom-W when I otherwise wouldn't need to. Other than Choice Band Tyranitar being locked into the wrong move, this team doesn't give the opponent too many set-up opportunities since the team is full of hard-hitting pokemon. If Rotom does get pursuited, it can turn into a free turn for Bronzong to set up. Likewise, Rotom-W can't take repeated Waterfalls from Gyarados, Ice Punches from Lucario, or Bullet Punches from Scizor. The key to playing Rotom-W is to be careful with it so that it is able to get in safely and fulfill its role as as a failsafe for this team. Rotom-W can spinblock Stealth Rock for this team, but I would only do so if Rotom-W can get in safely against a pokemon like Donphan. This is because Rotom's main purpose is to be a line of defense against offensive pokemon that could become threatening as the game progresses.
This is a fun team. It made the finals of a DPP OU tour in Smogon Tour Season 11, and three players won a DPP OU tour with it in Smogon Tour Season 14.
Starmie @ Life Orb
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Hydro Pump
- Rapid Spin
- Ice Beam
Description: Starmie is an excellent attacking lead that beats most common leads, including the ability to 2HKO or OHKO bulkier leads. Attacking leads are a great option to use on bulky offense or balanced teams because they punish opposing Stealth Rock leads. Lead Life Orb Starmie puts opposing Stealth Rock leads in an awkward position: either they use Stealth Rock and are KOed by Starmie, or they fight back and lose the opportunity to set Stealth Rock. Life Orb Starmie hits extremely hard. Life Orb Starmie is a very hard pokemon to counter since water is one of the best offensive typings and because Starmie has excellent type coverage with Hydro Pump, Thunderbolt, and Ice Beam. It can 2HKO many bulky pokemon that would switch in hoping to take another one of your attacks. Starmie provides Rapid Spin support for Dragonite to greatly enhance its longevity. It clears spikes as well since Skarmory and Forretress can spike on Bronzong and Metagross. All of of Starmie's common checks like Kingdra, Roserade, and Vaporeon get handled by the rest of the team. Some leads switch out against Starmie, so sometimes I predict the switch-in and get a free kill. When leading with Starmie and you are against a Hippowdon lead, players often switch to Blissey. So when leading against Hippowdon, a good play is to double switch to Metagross or Choice Band Tyranitar to immediately put pressure on their team. If Blissey does go down, Life Orb Starmie becomes a threat to stall teams. Starmie is an additional check for pokémon like Infernape and Gengar if it's alive later during the game. Hydro Pump is an excellent STAB, but Surf can be considered since it has perfect accuracy. Rapid Spin is phenomenal utility against every team, especially stall teams. Thunderbolt hits bulky water pokemon and other Starmie. Ice Beam hits grass pokemon and lead Dragonite while providing Bolt/Beam coverage with Thunderbolt.
Metagross @ Lum Berry / Shuca Berry / Occa Berry
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 232 Atk / 24 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Meteor Mash
- Explosion
Set Notes: Set notes for Metagross are in the hide tag below.
Metaross has three great items to choose from and the choice between them is personal preference. Shuca Berry is an great item since Earthquake is one of the most common ways that Metagross is threatened. Occa Berry is an excellent option since it lets Metagross take Fire Blast or Fire Punch from Dragonite, Fire Blast from Infernape, Heat Wave from Zapdos, and Hidden Power Fire from random pokemon. Lum Berry is a another good option since it prevents the opponent from using Will-O-Wisp or Thunder Wave to incapacitate Metagross.
The speed EVs allow Metagross to outrun max speed Adamant Rhyperior, slower Skarmory, slower Metagross, slower Breloom, and slower Choice Band Tyranitar. Metagross has the option to run a specially defensive EV spread with Leftovers to help endure Shadow Balls, Draco Meteors, and water moves. 252 HP / 16 Atk / 216 SpD / 24 Spe with an Adamant nature or 252 HP / 232 SpD / 24 Spe with a Careful nature are good specially defensive EV spreads and nature combinations for Metagross. Normally I like to use 252 HP / 232 Atk / 24 Spe with Adamant on Metagross to make him as threatening as possible while still having considerable bulk.
Iron Ball can be used on Metagross with an EV spread of 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD and a moveset of Trick / Earthquake / Meteor Mash / Stealth Rock on this team. Since Metagross and Bronzong are both countered by Zapdos, Rotom-W, Skarmory, and opposing Bronzong, luring them with Metagross and tricking an Iron Ball to one of them would cripple them and could potentially allow Bronzong to sweep later in the game since they would no longer be immune to Earthquake. It is a great set, but a lot of the time when I would use it, people would switch in pokemon like Scizor, Gliscor, Swampert, or defensive Starmie into Metagross instead of good Trick Iron Ball targets like Zapdos, Skarmory, or Bronzong. Tricking an Iron Ball to Gliscor, Heatran, Magnet Rise Magnezone, or defensive Starmie as they switch in can be useful though since it would make them easier for Metagross, Mixed Dragonite, or Choice Band Tyranitar to kill.
Leading with Metagross instead of Starmie is another option for this team using the Metagross set below. Doing this helps keep Starmie a little safer from Tyranitar and helps save Starmie for later in the game so that it can come in and Rapid Spin once the opponent uses Stealth Rock.
Metagross @ Occa Berry / Shuca Berry
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 248 HP / 236 Atk / 24 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch / Explosion
- Stealth Rock
- Meteor Mash
- Earthquake
Bullet Punch lets Metagross beat Azelf and Infernape when holding an Occa Berry, and lead Aerodactyl and Empoleon when holding either berry, but Explosion lets Metagross beat lead Hippowdon and Swampert. This is assuming that Swampert does not use Protect when Metagross uses Explosion. Swampert doesn't always run Protect, but it's important to play around Protect just in case an opposing Swampert has it. Using Explosion on lead Metagross allows it to threaten Magnet Rise Magnezone who may try to switch in to trap Metagross.
The speed EVs allow Metagross to outrun max speed Adamant Rhyperior, slower Skarmory, slower Metagross, slower Breloom, and slower Choice Band Tyranitar. Metagross has the option to run a specially defensive EV spread with Leftovers to help endure Shadow Balls, Draco Meteors, and water moves. 252 HP / 16 Atk / 216 SpD / 24 Spe with an Adamant nature or 252 HP / 232 SpD / 24 Spe with a Careful nature are good specially defensive EV spreads and nature combinations for Metagross. Normally I like to use 252 HP / 232 Atk / 24 Spe with Adamant on Metagross to make him as threatening as possible while still having considerable bulk.
Iron Ball can be used on Metagross with an EV spread of 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD and a moveset of Trick / Earthquake / Meteor Mash / Stealth Rock on this team. Since Metagross and Bronzong are both countered by Zapdos, Rotom-W, Skarmory, and opposing Bronzong, luring them with Metagross and tricking an Iron Ball to one of them would cripple them and could potentially allow Bronzong to sweep later in the game since they would no longer be immune to Earthquake. It is a great set, but a lot of the time when I would use it, people would switch in pokemon like Scizor, Gliscor, Swampert, or defensive Starmie into Metagross instead of good Trick Iron Ball targets like Zapdos, Skarmory, or Bronzong. Tricking an Iron Ball to Gliscor, Heatran, Magnet Rise Magnezone, or defensive Starmie as they switch in can be useful though since it would make them easier for Metagross, Mixed Dragonite, or Choice Band Tyranitar to kill.
Leading with Metagross instead of Starmie is another option for this team using the Metagross set below. Doing this helps keep Starmie a little safer from Tyranitar and helps save Starmie for later in the game so that it can come in and Rapid Spin once the opponent uses Stealth Rock.
Metagross @ Occa Berry / Shuca Berry
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 248 HP / 236 Atk / 24 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch / Explosion
- Stealth Rock
- Meteor Mash
- Earthquake
Bullet Punch lets Metagross beat Azelf and Infernape when holding an Occa Berry, and lead Aerodactyl and Empoleon when holding either berry, but Explosion lets Metagross beat lead Hippowdon and Swampert. This is assuming that Swampert does not use Protect when Metagross uses Explosion. Swampert doesn't always run Protect, but it's important to play around Protect just in case an opposing Swampert has it. Using Explosion on lead Metagross allows it to threaten Magnet Rise Magnezone who may try to switch in to trap Metagross.
Description: Metagross is one of the best Stealth Rockers in the game, and for good reason. Metagross has excellent bulk and resistances to set Stealth Rock up reliably and it is threatening enough to force a switch in order to use it. Metagross is a check to a large amount of pokemon OU which lack a fire move. Metagross is never dead weight, taking Draco Meteors, Outrages, Stone Edges, hitting back with an excellent STAB Meteor Mash, and using Explosion to threaten all of his counters except Rotom. Since Metagross can use Explosion to threaten almost all of his counters, Metagross is threatening even to defensive teams. Since Choice Band Tyranitar can forcibly remove Rotom, Metagross can often use Explosion whenever the best opportunity arises. Some good examples of pokemon that Metagross can use Explosion on include Zapdos, Swampert, Hippowdon, Scizor, Suicune, Gyarados, Celebi, Kingdra, Milotic, Vaporeon, Gliscor, Magnet Rise Magnezone, weakened Skarmory, or weakened Bronzong. By using Explosion at the correct time on a bulky troublesome pokemon can allow the rest of the team to sweep. Usually I am conservative with Metagross's Explosion, but the moment I see a bulky pokemon that Metagross can explode on, I either wait for the correct time to use Explosion on it or I explode right away to get rid of the pokemon immediately if it's the correct play to make. Metagross's Explosion can do 51.4 - 60.4% to physically defensive Skarmory and 67.6 - 79.6% to specially defensive Skarmory. Skarmory/Forry who would spike on Metagross also get checked by Tyranitar, Starmie, Dragonite, and Rotom W. Metagross is also slow enough to take advantage of Trick Room in case Bronzong needs to use Explosion while Trick Room is still up. Trick Room can allow Metagross to get a fast Explosion late game, or can allow him to sweep late game with Meteor Mash and Earthquake. Earthquake allows Metagross to threaten steel types and inflict neutral damage to water pokemon.
Tyranitar (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 168 HP / 248 Atk / 92 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Superpower / Aqua Tail
- Stone Edge
- Crunch
- Pursuit
Set Notes: Set notes for Tyranitar are in the hide tag below.
The speed EVs allow Tyranitar to outrun maximum Speed Adamant Rhyperior, slower Skarmory, slower Metagross, slower Breloom, and slower Choice Band Tyranitar. It is important for Choice Band Tyranitar to be able to outrun Skarmory so that it can 2HKO physically defensive Skarmory after Stealth Rock damage. If Choice Band Tyranitar is able to outrun Skarmory, Skarmory cannot use Roost to nullify the damage from Tyranitar's Stone Edge.
Superpower is a excellent 100% accuracy option for Choice Band Tyranitar since it hits Magnezone, Heatran, Tyranitar, Empoleon, and Breloom very hard and provides excellent neutral coverage. Aqua Tail is another great option since it allows Choice Band Tyranitar to 2HKO physically defensive Hippowdon, OHKO Gliscor after Stealth Rock damage, hits Heatran and Tyranitar hard, and also provides excellent neutral coverage. Aqua Tail is very strong against stall teams since Skarmory is commonly used alongside Hippowdon or Gliscor.
Superpower is a excellent 100% accuracy option for Choice Band Tyranitar since it hits Magnezone, Heatran, Tyranitar, Empoleon, and Breloom very hard and provides excellent neutral coverage. Aqua Tail is another great option since it allows Choice Band Tyranitar to 2HKO physically defensive Hippowdon, OHKO Gliscor after Stealth Rock damage, hits Heatran and Tyranitar hard, and also provides excellent neutral coverage. Aqua Tail is very strong against stall teams since Skarmory is commonly used alongside Hippowdon or Gliscor.
Description: When this team was built, most Tyranitar were Choice Scarf, with Dragon Dance Tyranitar occasionally being used. Choice Band Tyranitar was a rare set at the time, but it was a good choice for this team. Sandstream is very helpful since it allows this team to wear down opposing Life Orb pokemon. Since this team aggressively to tries to deny or Rapid Spin away Stealth Rock, Sandstream doesn't hurt this team as much as it would otherwise. Choice Band Tyranitar can get surprise kills since players often mistake Choice Band Tyranitar as a Choice Scarf Tyranitar or Dragon Dance Tyranitar. Choice Band Tyranitar hits so hard, it's almost unbelievable. Choice Band Tyranitar has very few true counters, doesn't require a lot of prediction to play effectively, and has significant bulk. When using Choice Band Tyranitar, I like to spam Stone Edges in the early game. Tyranitar can lure Scizor and Skarmory, and hitting them with Choice Band Stone Edge as they switch in can severely damage or kill either of those pokemon. This is helpful because Skarmory and Scizor are two pokemon that should be incapacitated before attempting a sweep with Offensive Trick Room Bronzong. Choice Band Tyranitar checks Electric-type pokémon such as Rotom and Zapdos, which this team needed, and Calm Mind Wish Jirachi as well. Choice Band Tyranitar can reliably pursuit most Rotom, which helps Offensive Trick Room Bronzong sweep much more easily. Removing Rotom greatly supports Metagross and Bronzong, as Rotom is one of their key counters and its removal allows them to more reliably use Explosion on non-Ghost pokémon on the opponent’s team. Choice Band Tyranitar is slow enough to sweep with Trick Room if Bronzong is unable to sweep by itself and needs to use Explosion early. In this case, Tyranitar usually spams Stone Edge or Crunch to kill as many pokemon as he can while Trick Room is up. Crunch is a reliable accurate STAB move that hits pokemon like Swampert, Jirachi, and Metagross, while Stone Edge is the STAB you use to crack teams wide open with. Crunch 2HKOs Metagross, Jirachi that aren't physically defensive, and non-defensive Swampert. Superpower hits Magnezone, Heatran, Tyranitar, Empoleon, and Breloom very hard and provides excellent neutral coverage. Aqua Tail is another great option since it OHKOs Gliscor with SR support, 2HKO's Physically Defensive Hippowdon, hits Tyranitar and Heatran hard, and also provides excellent neutral coverage.
Dragonite (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Inner Focus
EVs: 240 HP / 252 SpA / 16 Spe
Quiet Nature
- Superpower
- Draco Meteor
- Roost
- Fire Blast
Set Notes: Set notes for Dragonite are in the hide tag below.
I prefer to use bulky mixed Dragonite with Roost on this team. This allows Dragonite to function as an offensive tank as well as a wall breaker. Dragonite is very bulky with this EV spread. With this EV spread, Dragonite is able to check Lucario (without Ice Punch), Infernape (without Hidden Power Ice), Breloom, and switch into Choice Band Scizor's U-Turn. Rapid Spin is important, since clearing Stealth Rock makes it easier for Dragonite to check those pokemon. The HP EVs allow Dragonite to be a strong counter to Celebi and Shaymin that don't have HP Ice. The bulk helps Dragonite Roost on defensive Swampert's Ice Beam and Hippowdon's Ice Fang, which lets Dragonite's top off its HP. The speed EVs allow Dragonite to outrun Adamant Rhyperior, slower Skarmory, slower Metagross, slower Breloom, and slower CB Tyranitar.
An EV spread of 6 Atk / 252 Atk / 252 Spe with a Rash nature is an alternative option for Dragonite to outrun many pokemon outside of Trick Room. An EV spread of 240 Atk / 252 SpA / 16 Spe with a Quiet nature can be used with Extreme Speed over Roost because the attack EVs make Extreme Speed and Superpower very strong. It's good to try keep Dragonite alive on this team since he provides important resists, bulk, and stall breaking ability, so I don't normally use Extreme Speed instead of Roost or that EV spread on this team. The slower Dragonite EV spreads are able to take advantage of Trick Room more effectively, but Dragonite is more commonly used outside of Trick Room on this team.
An EV spread of 6 Atk / 252 Atk / 252 Spe with a Rash nature is an alternative option for Dragonite to outrun many pokemon outside of Trick Room. An EV spread of 240 Atk / 252 SpA / 16 Spe with a Quiet nature can be used with Extreme Speed over Roost because the attack EVs make Extreme Speed and Superpower very strong. It's good to try keep Dragonite alive on this team since he provides important resists, bulk, and stall breaking ability, so I don't normally use Extreme Speed instead of Roost or that EV spread on this team. The slower Dragonite EV spreads are able to take advantage of Trick Room more effectively, but Dragonite is more commonly used outside of Trick Room on this team.
Description: Mixed Dragonite is a great pokemon. It is one of the best pokemon to use against stall teams and it pulls its weight against balanced and bulky offense teams. Mixed Dragonite is a great pokemon because regardless of this team's matchup vs the opposing team, he can level the playing field. Just like Life Orb Starmie and Choice Band Tyranitar, Mixed Dragonite has very few true counters. No matter what the opponent's team is, there are very few good Pokemon to switch into Mixed Dragonite. So even bad matchups can become winnable if you predict correctly with Mixed Dragonite because he can break an important member of the opponent's team. Mixed Dragonite can often switch in on a resist and spam Draco Meteor with little consequence. On this team, Dragonite serves as an offensive tank and a wallbreaker. It is important to either deny the opponent from Stealth Rocking or having Starmie Rapid Spin Stealth Rock away to greatly enhance Dragonite's longevity. Mixed Dragonite has excellent sustain with Roost. Since this Dragonite is very bulky and has Rapid Spin support, Roost allows Dragonite to last a very long time vs teams that cannot OHKO him easily. It's good to keep Dragonite alive on this team since he provides important resists, bulk, and stall breaking ability. This Dragonite checks Breloom, Lucario (without Ice Punch), Infernape (without Hidden Power Ice), and Shaymin (without Hidden Power Ice), and is my main switch into Choice Band Scizor's U-Turn. Bulky Mixed Dragonite can survive a +2 Lucario's Close Combat after Stealth Rock. Dragonite serves as one of this team's primary answers to Skarmory, which is one of Offensive Trick Room Bronzong's largest counters. Since I already use two steel types and a Tyranitar on this team, it is natural to use at least one dragon type pokemon as well. Dragonite has excellent synergy with Metagross, Bronzong, and Tyranitar. They cover each others weaknesses very well, have very similar counters, and do a great job at breaking them down over time. Very similiar to Choice Band Tyranitar, Mixed Dragonite is slow enough and threatening enough to take advantage of Trick Room on this team. Extreme Speed would have been very useful on Mixed Dragonite, but Roost, Fire Blast, and Superpower are more important for this team. Fire Blast hits everything that resists Draco Meteor super effectively except Heatran and Empoleon. Superpower hits Blissey, Snorlax, Heatran, and Empoleon super effectively, which is important since those pokemon can take a Draco Meteor or a Fire Blast. Superpower also OHKOs Tyranitar without Chople Berry, which is important since Tyranitar can easily switch in on Dragonite's Fire Blast or a -2 Draco Meteor.
Bronzong @ Macho Brace
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Trick Room
- Earthquake
- Explosion
- Gyro Ball
Description: Offensive Trick Room Bronzong is a great pokemon and it is one of the best late game cleaners that I have used. OTR Bronzong is unable to be stopped by opposing Choice Scarf pokemon and it resists Bullet Punch and Extreme Speed. When OTR Bronzong has Macho Brace for an item and has 0 speed IVs, Gyro Ball has a base power of 150 against any pokemon that has 160 speed or greater. This means OTR Bronzong's Gyro Balls are almost always 150 base power. 150 base power Gyro Balls are very powerful, are very spammable, and can 2HKO even Gliscor and Scarf Rotom after Stealth Rock damage. OTR Bronzong is a very bulky sweeper that is difficult to OHKO. Since OTR Bronzong is so bulky and has so many resists, it serves as a great buffer for this team by checking any pokemon that is unable to OHKO it. This means OTR Bronzong serves as an additional check to Tyranitar, Metagross, and dragon pokemon. While Bronzong is normally countered by Breloom and Heatran, OTR Bronzong is able to threaten both of those pokemon when you Trick Room as they switch in. OTR Bronzong is a strong pokemon to use against offense teams, just like how Mixed Dragonite is a strong pokemon to use against stall teams. OTR Bronzong isn't very useful against stall teams since Skarmory or Forretress can spike on him, but he can still explode on something on a stall team after Choice Band Tyranitar removes Rotom, or he can check the Gliscor, Swampert, or Tyranitar that are commonly seen on stall teams. Mixed Dragonite, Choice Band Tyranitar, and Life Orb Starmie are this team's primary plan against stall. Earthquake rounds out OTR Bronzong's coverage by hitting pokemon that don't mind getting hit by a 150 base power Gyro Ball. Oftentimes when using this Bronzong you find yourself exploding on pokemon like Suicune. The strategy for using Bronzong on this team is to use Life Orb Starmie, Choice Band Tyranitar, and Mixed Dragonite to weaken the opposing team so that you can eventually sweep with Bronzong. Since Metagross and Bronzong share the same counters, Metagross often scouts and lures Bronzong's best check or counter in the early game. This allows Metagross to weaken their best Bronzong counter, or use Explosion on it. Although this Bronzong is an autonomous threat who is meant to sweep by itself, other pokemon on the team also benefit from Trick Room. Metagross, Choice Band Tyranitar, and Mixed Dragonite are all slow enough to benefit significantly from Trick Room if they are able to get in safely after it is set up. Likewise, Choice Band Tyranitar and Mixed Dragonite are even more threatening than Bronzong is when Trick Room is up. So if I use Trick Room with OTR Bronzong and I am am attempting to sweep with Bronzong but they send in pokemon that stops Bronzong, I usually use Explosion with Bronzong and then send in Choice Band Tyranitar or Mixed Dragonite to continue sweeping when Trick Room is still up. Against some teams you can Trick Room with Bronzong and directly switch in Dragonite or Tyranitar without needing to use Explosion with Bronzong if it is safe to do so. Most of the time you need to use Explosion to get Tyranitar or Dragonite in safely though. It is satisfying to sweep in the mid or late game with Choice Band Tyranitar's Stone Edge when Trick Room is up. OTR Bronzong is a pokemon that is fun to play and people should give it a try on teams that are able to support it.
Rotom-W (Rotom-Wash) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Trick / Will-O-Wisp
- Shadow Ball
- Thunderbolt
- Hydro Pump
Set Notes: Set notes for Rotom-W are in the hide tag below.
Trick is an all-around useful move to make opposing wall pokemon less useful and to lock opposing sweepers into one move. Will-O-Wisp gives Rotom the ability to burn Tyranitar without Lum Berry, Scizor, defensive Jirachi, Hippowdon, Swampert, CB Flygon, and CB Dragonite. Scarfed Rotom-W needs to be played cautiously, otherwise the opponent will use Tyranitar to trap it with Pursuit. Will-O-Wisp helps serve as a deterrence to Tyranitar without Lum Berry that want to switch in to trap Rotom. I usually prefer to use Trick, but Will-O-Wisp is another good move to use.
A bulky EV spread of 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 Spe can be used on Rotom-W, but I usually run 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe.
A bulky EV spread of 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 Spe can be used on Rotom-W, but I usually run 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe.
Description: When I wanted a Choice Scarf glue for this team, I wanted one which resisted priority. Although Choice Scarf Flygon is a fantastic scarf user, it takes heavy damage from Bullet Punch, Extreme Speed, and he makes this team weaker to Skarmory. The resisting priority part was important because I was becoming weak to Scizor and Lucario, and I did not want to be swept by a good offensive team using either of those pokemon. Likewise, I did not want Dragon Dance Extreme Speed Dragonite's with Dragon Claw to be as annoying either. I did not want to use Scarf Heatran or Jirachi because they would give me a ground weakness and because Jirachi would have redundant coverage with Metagross and Bronzong. Scarfed Rotom-W was the glue I chose for this team since it has the best type synergy with the rest of the team overall and it is an excellent check to Suicune, which can be an annoying pokemon to this team. Choice Scarf Rotom-W checks nearly every sweeper in the OU metagame with its great speed, resistances, and coverage. Rotom-W is pretty bulky for a pokemon that uses 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe as an EV spread. Scarf Rotom-W adds some much needed speed to this team since Starmie is the only other fast pokemon on it. If the enemy team is sufficiently weakened, Rotom-W can potentially sweep the enemy team with Thunderbolt, Shadow Ball, or Hydro Pump. Thunderbolt and Shadow Ball are great STAB moves, and I chose to use Hydro Pump to hit Heatran and Tyranitar. Tyranitar and Heatran are very annoying for Rotom-W, so being able to hit them super effectively with Hydro Pump helps serve as a deterrent to them switching into Rotom-W. Trick helps with various defensive pokemon such as Blissey, SpDef Heatran, Snorlax, and boosting sweepers. Will-O-Wisp is an option on Rotom-W since it allows it to burn Tyranitar without Lum Berry, Scizor, defensive Jirachi, Hippowdon, Swampert, CB Flygon, and CB Dragonite. Rotom-W is vulnerable to opposing Pursuit Tyranitar, so I play Rotom-W cautiously. I bring in Rotom-W whenever I need to bring it in, but not more often than that. I try not to let my opponent set up a sweeper on Choice Band Tyranitar. This is because I don't want to be forced to bring in Rotom-W when I otherwise wouldn't need to. Other than Choice Band Tyranitar being locked into the wrong move, this team doesn't give the opponent too many set-up opportunities since the team is full of hard-hitting pokemon. If Rotom does get pursuited, it can turn into a free turn for Bronzong to set up. Likewise, Rotom-W can't take repeated Waterfalls from Gyarados, Ice Punches from Lucario, or Bullet Punches from Scizor. The key to playing Rotom-W is to be careful with it so that it is able to get in safely and fulfill its role as as a failsafe for this team. Rotom-W can spinblock Stealth Rock for this team, but I would only do so if Rotom-W can get in safely against a pokemon like Donphan. This is because Rotom's main purpose is to be a line of defense against offensive pokemon that could become threatening as the game progresses.
This is a fun team. It made the finals of a DPP OU tour in Smogon Tour Season 11, and three players won a DPP OU tour with it in Smogon Tour Season 14.
Starmie @ Life Orb
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Rapid Spin
Metagross @ Shuca Berry
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 232 Atk / 24 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Meteor Mash
- Explosion
Tyranitar (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 168 HP / 248 Atk / 92 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Superpower
- Stone Edge
- Crunch
- Pursuit
Dragonite (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Inner Focus
EVs: 240 HP / 252 SpA / 16 Spe
Quiet Nature
- Superpower
- Draco Meteor
- Fire Blast
- Roost
Bronzong @ Macho Brace
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Earthquake
- Trick Room
- Explosion
- Gyro Ball
Rotom-W (Rotom-Wash) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Shadow Ball
- Thunderbolt
- Hydro Pump
- Trick
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Rapid Spin
Metagross @ Shuca Berry
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 232 Atk / 24 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Meteor Mash
- Explosion
Tyranitar (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 168 HP / 248 Atk / 92 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Superpower
- Stone Edge
- Crunch
- Pursuit
Dragonite (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Inner Focus
EVs: 240 HP / 252 SpA / 16 Spe
Quiet Nature
- Superpower
- Draco Meteor
- Fire Blast
- Roost
Bronzong @ Macho Brace
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Earthquake
- Trick Room
- Explosion
- Gyro Ball
Rotom-W (Rotom-Wash) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Shadow Ball
- Thunderbolt
- Hydro Pump
- Trick
The F/W/G mentality is disgusting. It is lazy teambuilding. It is very predictable. It also doesn't accomplish anything extra any other core can't. This team proves that teambuilding CAN be done without a Heatran, Shaymin, and a Suicune. Why go with the flow, when you actually can beat the flow?
Starmie @ Life Orb
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Hydro Pump
- Rapid Spin
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam
Starmie is an excellent attacking lead in the current metagame, beating most leads while having utility later in the game... and for spinning away Stealth Rock from other leads which helps Dragonite stay alive. It clears spikes as well since Bronzong and Metagross get spiked on. It can 2HKO most bulky leads, and the leads that Starmie has trouble with (Machamp, Aerodactyl, Tyranitar, Roserade, etc) all get handled by Metagross while laying down Stealth Rock in the process. Starmie itself is a very hard pokemon to counter, as Starmie has excellent coverage with your STAB and bolt/beam. It can 2HKO many bulky pokemon that would switch in hoping to take another one of your attacks. Some leads actually switch out against Starmie, so I usually predict the switch-in and get a free kill. It hits so extremely hard. All of its common switch-ins like Kingdra, Roserade, and Vaporeon all get manhandled by the rest of the team. Hydro Pump is excellent, albeit risky STAB. Rapid Spin is excellent utility against every team, especially stall. Ice Beam hits grasses, lead Dragonite and Gliscor while providing Bolt/Beam coverage with Thunderbolt. Thunderbolt is mainly for bulky waters of course. While it may seem somewhat lackluster without Recover... one of the main selling points to using Starmie, but remember Starmie is the lead; its not meant to last VERY long. Vs lead Hippo, I usually double switch to CB Tyranitar immediatly to trap the common Blissey partnered with it. Once Blissey is gone, LO Starmie handles most of stall nicely. Hey, it also just so happens to be an Infernape check. Starmie was always a top tier pokemon, and I honestly don't see that changing in gen 5.
Metagross @ Lum Berry
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 232 Atk / 24 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Bullet Punch
- Stealth Rock
- Meteor Mash
- Explosion
Metagross is one of the best Stealth Rockers in the game, and for good reason. It has excellent bulk to set it up reliably, resistences/raw attack to force a switch and use it, and the fact that it is never dead weight. Metagross is always useful, taking Draco Meteors, Outrages, Stone Edges, etc while hitting hard back with an excellent STAB in Meteor Mash. Heck, Meteor Mash can even raise your attack. It has actually saved me a few times. Usually Roserade leads will Leaf Storm Starmie in fear of Natural Cure, so Metagross makes a solid switch in and procedes to beat Roserade. It also beats Machamp leads as they will Payback Starmie, which means Metagross gets a free switch in. Metagross wins because of Lum Berry, since you can outspeed Machamp for the 2HKO without any fear of Dynamic Punch hax. Bullet Punch gives you limited, but useful revenge killing capabilities and a way to deal with leads more effectively. It is good for Gengar, Infernape, Breloom, and weakened Dragonite especially. Meteor Mash + BP should OHKO Infernape in Sand. Same with Dragonite. Explosion lets you break walls, with support from Tyranitar to remove ghosts. Metagross is a check to most things in OU which lack a fire move. Skarmory/Forry who would spike on it gets checked by Tyranitar, Starmie, Dragonite, and Rotom W. I can always explode on Skarmory to do around 50% to the SpDef versions. I usually explode on Scizor too because Scizor can be annoying if I give it too much time against my team. EV's give you the maximum defensive potential overall while retaining your offensive prowess, in addition to outrunning Adamant Rhyperior, 20 Spe Breloom, and other lead Metagross.
Dragonite (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Inner Focus
EVs: 252 HP / 56 Atk / 196 SAtk / 4 Spd
Quiet Nature (+SAtk, -Spd)
- Draco Meteor
- Fire Blast
- Superpower
- Roost
I have been using Mix Nite on many of my teams recently, and I have been loving it. Mix Nite simply has his way with stall like no other, while having the bulk to Roost and hold his own against slower offensive teams. I run 2 steel types, so why not run Dragonite? They cover each others weaknesses very well, have very similar counters, and do a great job at breaking them down over time. I considered Extreme Speed, but without an attack boosting nature or alot of attack EV's I don't feel it is worth it. I need all the special attack I can get to spam powerful Draco Meteors with little consequence, and I need the bulk to switch into Scizor's U-Turns and to take a +2 Lucario CC after SR. Fire Blast scorches pretty much everything which resists Draco Meteor hold Heatran/Blissey/Snorlax which Superpower covers. Superpower also gets the OHKO on Tyranitar who can switch into Fire Blast or a -2 Draco Meteor easily. Roost allows me to last for a long time with all the bulk the Dragonite has especially with a spinner. I need to keep him healthy for Shaymin, fighter, and CB Sciz. The attack EV's OHKO Calm Blissey after SR. Dragonite is actually a solid Shaymin check as well, assuming they lack HP Ice, and takes on Skarm for Bronzong to sweep. The best thing about Mixed Dragonite is no matter what the team matchup is, he can actually level the playing field. No matter what kind of team you are running, chances are you are going to have trouble switching into Mixed Dragonite. If I predict correctly, it can break an important member of their core, making my life much easier.
Tyranitar (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 168 HP / 248 Atk / 92 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Aqua Tail
- Crunch
- Stone Edge
- Pursuit
I honestly have no clue why this Tyranitar set barely sees any play. It is better now than ever due to the suprise factor, and the fact that it is a great Heatran counter hold Torment Tran. In a matter of fact, I was weak to Heatran before I added Tyranitar. Sandstream is very useful on this team, as it helps me wear down Life Orb users while not hurting me nearly as much since I spin Stealth Rock away turn one. Tyranitar is an excellent Rotom check, which helps Bronzong sweep much more easily. This guy checks Zapdos, which this team sorely needed. I use CB Tyranitar early game and just spam Stone Edge most of the time. I like doing that to lure and deal with Scizor and Skarmory effectively. CB Tyranitar can reliable Pursuit any kind of Rotom, in particular the defensive kind since it still can come out on top if it gets burned. CB Tyranitar is a clutch mon because he gets suprise kills, he has few true counters, he takes very little prediction, and has great bulk. Crunch is reliable STAB, while Stone Edge is your STAB which 2HKOs the walls like Skarmory and Forretress. Pursuit gives you a trapping option, which is helpful regardless of the team. Extra helpful for this team though because if you remove Rotom, Metagross and Bronzong become a real battering crew. Aqua Tail can hit Gliscor for a OHKO with SR support, and can 2HKO Hippowodon switch ins. It also gets neutral coverage on pokemon like Machamp. Crunch 2HKO's Metagross and CM Wish Jirachi won't beat this, so losing EQ isn't a big deal at all. It is slow enough to abuse Trick Room if Bronzong is forced to Explode a turn or so early. Choice Band Tyranitar hits so hard, its almost unreal. Speed EVs outrun 16Spe Skarmory.
Bronzong @ Macho Brace
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Brave Nature (+Atk, -Spd)
- Gyro Ball
- Earthquake
- Explosion
- Trick Room
Two words for this guy. Simply incredible. This is one of the best late game cleaners I have ever used. It resists most priority, scarfers can't stop it, it hits extremely hard with a base 150 power Gyro Ball which can 2HKO Gliscor, and has bulk that make other common sweepers eat their heart out. It serves a similar function to Metagross, a good Tar/Metagross/Dragon check, and a good buffer. While most Breloom and Heatran counter Bronzong, this Bronzong set actually turns them into lunch meat after you Trick Room. This guy makes offense cry. I admit this set is lackluster against stall, but hey you can still explode on something like Hippo once Rotom is out of the way. Mix Nite is here for stall. Gyro Ball is almost always at 150 base power, which makes it very spammable. Earthquake everything which resists your balls, and Explosion makes a fool out of Suicune etc. It can 2HKO Scarf Rotom W with Rocks. Defensive Rotom H gets covered by Tyranitar, Dragonite, Starmie, and my own Rotom. Vs some teams I just set up Trick Room with Bronzong, then spam CB Stone Edges with Tyranitar. I really like this set, and enjoy the suprise factor. Try it out sometime, with Pursuit weak pokemon. It will help Bronzong get a free turn to set up more easily.
Rotom-W @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 6 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Hydro Pump
- Thunderbolt
- Shadow Ball
- Trick
When I wanted a team glue for this team, I wanted one which resisted priority. Although Scarfed Flygon is a fantastic scarf user, he makes me more Skarmory weak and is weak to priority. The resisting priority part was important because I was a bit weak to Scizor and Lucario, and I most certainly did not want to be clean sweeped by a good offensive player packing those. I also did not want ES Dragonite's with Dragon Claw to ruin my day. I did not want to use Scarf Jirachi alongside Metagross and Bronzong in fear of redundant coverage. I did not want to use Scarf Heatran because I would have a brutal ground weakness. Scarfed Rotom was the choice on this team, as it has the best type synergy overall, and it is an excellent check to Suicune which can get pretty troublesome. We all know what Rotom does, and Scarfed Rotom is no different. It checks nearly every sweeper in the OU metagame with its great speed, resistences, and coverage. Thunderbolt and Shadow Ball is great STAB, and I chose to use Hydro Pump to hit Heatran and Tyranitar. Those can be annoying for Rotom W. Trick helps with Blissey, SpDef Heatran, Snorlax, and boosting sweepers. I wanted to add some speed to my team, since only Starmie is quick. Pretty simple at the end of the day. You may call it Pursuit weak, but that means Bronzong gets a free turn to set-up. My team also doesn't give my opponent many set-up opportunities since everything hits remarkably hard. So if Rotom-w gets Pursuited, I can most definitly fight my way back into the match and not let problem pokemon be too troublesome. It can also spinblock my Stealth Rock in a pinch. It is suprisingly bulky.
Rotom-w, CB Tar, Mix Nite, Metagross all lure Bronzong's counters and hit them with great force.
Starmie @ Life Orb
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Hydro Pump
- Rapid Spin
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam
Starmie is an excellent attacking lead in the current metagame, beating most leads while having utility later in the game... and for spinning away Stealth Rock from other leads which helps Dragonite stay alive. It clears spikes as well since Bronzong and Metagross get spiked on. It can 2HKO most bulky leads, and the leads that Starmie has trouble with (Machamp, Aerodactyl, Tyranitar, Roserade, etc) all get handled by Metagross while laying down Stealth Rock in the process. Starmie itself is a very hard pokemon to counter, as Starmie has excellent coverage with your STAB and bolt/beam. It can 2HKO many bulky pokemon that would switch in hoping to take another one of your attacks. Some leads actually switch out against Starmie, so I usually predict the switch-in and get a free kill. It hits so extremely hard. All of its common switch-ins like Kingdra, Roserade, and Vaporeon all get manhandled by the rest of the team. Hydro Pump is excellent, albeit risky STAB. Rapid Spin is excellent utility against every team, especially stall. Ice Beam hits grasses, lead Dragonite and Gliscor while providing Bolt/Beam coverage with Thunderbolt. Thunderbolt is mainly for bulky waters of course. While it may seem somewhat lackluster without Recover... one of the main selling points to using Starmie, but remember Starmie is the lead; its not meant to last VERY long. Vs lead Hippo, I usually double switch to CB Tyranitar immediatly to trap the common Blissey partnered with it. Once Blissey is gone, LO Starmie handles most of stall nicely. Hey, it also just so happens to be an Infernape check. Starmie was always a top tier pokemon, and I honestly don't see that changing in gen 5.
Metagross @ Lum Berry
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 232 Atk / 24 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Bullet Punch
- Stealth Rock
- Meteor Mash
- Explosion
Metagross is one of the best Stealth Rockers in the game, and for good reason. It has excellent bulk to set it up reliably, resistences/raw attack to force a switch and use it, and the fact that it is never dead weight. Metagross is always useful, taking Draco Meteors, Outrages, Stone Edges, etc while hitting hard back with an excellent STAB in Meteor Mash. Heck, Meteor Mash can even raise your attack. It has actually saved me a few times. Usually Roserade leads will Leaf Storm Starmie in fear of Natural Cure, so Metagross makes a solid switch in and procedes to beat Roserade. It also beats Machamp leads as they will Payback Starmie, which means Metagross gets a free switch in. Metagross wins because of Lum Berry, since you can outspeed Machamp for the 2HKO without any fear of Dynamic Punch hax. Bullet Punch gives you limited, but useful revenge killing capabilities and a way to deal with leads more effectively. It is good for Gengar, Infernape, Breloom, and weakened Dragonite especially. Meteor Mash + BP should OHKO Infernape in Sand. Same with Dragonite. Explosion lets you break walls, with support from Tyranitar to remove ghosts. Metagross is a check to most things in OU which lack a fire move. Skarmory/Forry who would spike on it gets checked by Tyranitar, Starmie, Dragonite, and Rotom W. I can always explode on Skarmory to do around 50% to the SpDef versions. I usually explode on Scizor too because Scizor can be annoying if I give it too much time against my team. EV's give you the maximum defensive potential overall while retaining your offensive prowess, in addition to outrunning Adamant Rhyperior, 20 Spe Breloom, and other lead Metagross.
Dragonite (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Inner Focus
EVs: 252 HP / 56 Atk / 196 SAtk / 4 Spd
Quiet Nature (+SAtk, -Spd)
- Draco Meteor
- Fire Blast
- Superpower
- Roost
I have been using Mix Nite on many of my teams recently, and I have been loving it. Mix Nite simply has his way with stall like no other, while having the bulk to Roost and hold his own against slower offensive teams. I run 2 steel types, so why not run Dragonite? They cover each others weaknesses very well, have very similar counters, and do a great job at breaking them down over time. I considered Extreme Speed, but without an attack boosting nature or alot of attack EV's I don't feel it is worth it. I need all the special attack I can get to spam powerful Draco Meteors with little consequence, and I need the bulk to switch into Scizor's U-Turns and to take a +2 Lucario CC after SR. Fire Blast scorches pretty much everything which resists Draco Meteor hold Heatran/Blissey/Snorlax which Superpower covers. Superpower also gets the OHKO on Tyranitar who can switch into Fire Blast or a -2 Draco Meteor easily. Roost allows me to last for a long time with all the bulk the Dragonite has especially with a spinner. I need to keep him healthy for Shaymin, fighter, and CB Sciz. The attack EV's OHKO Calm Blissey after SR. Dragonite is actually a solid Shaymin check as well, assuming they lack HP Ice, and takes on Skarm for Bronzong to sweep. The best thing about Mixed Dragonite is no matter what the team matchup is, he can actually level the playing field. No matter what kind of team you are running, chances are you are going to have trouble switching into Mixed Dragonite. If I predict correctly, it can break an important member of their core, making my life much easier.
Tyranitar (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 168 HP / 248 Atk / 92 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Aqua Tail
- Crunch
- Stone Edge
- Pursuit
I honestly have no clue why this Tyranitar set barely sees any play. It is better now than ever due to the suprise factor, and the fact that it is a great Heatran counter hold Torment Tran. In a matter of fact, I was weak to Heatran before I added Tyranitar. Sandstream is very useful on this team, as it helps me wear down Life Orb users while not hurting me nearly as much since I spin Stealth Rock away turn one. Tyranitar is an excellent Rotom check, which helps Bronzong sweep much more easily. This guy checks Zapdos, which this team sorely needed. I use CB Tyranitar early game and just spam Stone Edge most of the time. I like doing that to lure and deal with Scizor and Skarmory effectively. CB Tyranitar can reliable Pursuit any kind of Rotom, in particular the defensive kind since it still can come out on top if it gets burned. CB Tyranitar is a clutch mon because he gets suprise kills, he has few true counters, he takes very little prediction, and has great bulk. Crunch is reliable STAB, while Stone Edge is your STAB which 2HKOs the walls like Skarmory and Forretress. Pursuit gives you a trapping option, which is helpful regardless of the team. Extra helpful for this team though because if you remove Rotom, Metagross and Bronzong become a real battering crew. Aqua Tail can hit Gliscor for a OHKO with SR support, and can 2HKO Hippowodon switch ins. It also gets neutral coverage on pokemon like Machamp. Crunch 2HKO's Metagross and CM Wish Jirachi won't beat this, so losing EQ isn't a big deal at all. It is slow enough to abuse Trick Room if Bronzong is forced to Explode a turn or so early. Choice Band Tyranitar hits so hard, its almost unreal. Speed EVs outrun 16Spe Skarmory.
Bronzong @ Macho Brace
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Brave Nature (+Atk, -Spd)
- Gyro Ball
- Earthquake
- Explosion
- Trick Room
Two words for this guy. Simply incredible. This is one of the best late game cleaners I have ever used. It resists most priority, scarfers can't stop it, it hits extremely hard with a base 150 power Gyro Ball which can 2HKO Gliscor, and has bulk that make other common sweepers eat their heart out. It serves a similar function to Metagross, a good Tar/Metagross/Dragon check, and a good buffer. While most Breloom and Heatran counter Bronzong, this Bronzong set actually turns them into lunch meat after you Trick Room. This guy makes offense cry. I admit this set is lackluster against stall, but hey you can still explode on something like Hippo once Rotom is out of the way. Mix Nite is here for stall. Gyro Ball is almost always at 150 base power, which makes it very spammable. Earthquake everything which resists your balls, and Explosion makes a fool out of Suicune etc. It can 2HKO Scarf Rotom W with Rocks. Defensive Rotom H gets covered by Tyranitar, Dragonite, Starmie, and my own Rotom. Vs some teams I just set up Trick Room with Bronzong, then spam CB Stone Edges with Tyranitar. I really like this set, and enjoy the suprise factor. Try it out sometime, with Pursuit weak pokemon. It will help Bronzong get a free turn to set up more easily.
Rotom-W @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 6 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Hydro Pump
- Thunderbolt
- Shadow Ball
- Trick
When I wanted a team glue for this team, I wanted one which resisted priority. Although Scarfed Flygon is a fantastic scarf user, he makes me more Skarmory weak and is weak to priority. The resisting priority part was important because I was a bit weak to Scizor and Lucario, and I most certainly did not want to be clean sweeped by a good offensive player packing those. I also did not want ES Dragonite's with Dragon Claw to ruin my day. I did not want to use Scarf Jirachi alongside Metagross and Bronzong in fear of redundant coverage. I did not want to use Scarf Heatran because I would have a brutal ground weakness. Scarfed Rotom was the choice on this team, as it has the best type synergy overall, and it is an excellent check to Suicune which can get pretty troublesome. We all know what Rotom does, and Scarfed Rotom is no different. It checks nearly every sweeper in the OU metagame with its great speed, resistences, and coverage. Thunderbolt and Shadow Ball is great STAB, and I chose to use Hydro Pump to hit Heatran and Tyranitar. Those can be annoying for Rotom W. Trick helps with Blissey, SpDef Heatran, Snorlax, and boosting sweepers. I wanted to add some speed to my team, since only Starmie is quick. Pretty simple at the end of the day. You may call it Pursuit weak, but that means Bronzong gets a free turn to set-up. My team also doesn't give my opponent many set-up opportunities since everything hits remarkably hard. So if Rotom-w gets Pursuited, I can most definitly fight my way back into the match and not let problem pokemon be too troublesome. It can also spinblock my Stealth Rock in a pinch. It is suprisingly bulky.
Rotom-w, CB Tar, Mix Nite, Metagross all lure Bronzong's counters and hit them with great force.
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