INTRODUCTION
Hello everyone, today I’m sharing with you a team I played a lot on the ladder. I played pokemon for quite à long time but I never shared any of my builds on Smogon. It was initially one of the many teams I built for the biggest french team tournament (STT), I tested it with my teammates (s/o aux aliens) and damn the team was smooth. So I decided to try a run on the ladder and it worked pretty well.
PROOF OF PEAK
TEAM DESCRIPTION
Terrakion @ Choice Band
Ability: Justified
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Quick Attack/Rock Slide/Toxic
- Stone Edge
- Close Combat
- Earthquake
I wanted to build a volturn-based team around Terrakion Choice Band, offensively the rock type has always been very good and the fighting type is even better. Defensively terrakion double type coupled to his bulk allows him to check common threats like weavile or survive some super-effective moves (calcs below).
In the team, Terrakion is here to break through the opponent’s defensive core, he basically enter the field after a pivoting move, deals damages then leaves. Stone Edge + Close Combat with the Choice Band make terrakion an extremely powerful breaker ; when the rocks are up he can 2HKO almost the entire game if the right move is used.
The movepool : Stone Edge & Close combat are strong mandatory 100+ power stabs, Earthquake is for the coverage and Quick Attack helps cleaning the game if needed. Note that Quick Attack can be replaced for Rock Slide or for Toxic, the second one is a very good midground especially for Slowbro and Garchomp.
During the game, do not hesitate to take significant damages if it helps you to break through the opponent defensive core. Good to know : Terrakion only takes 6% from the rocks so he can come back regulary on the field even with low HPs.
4 EVS in HPs are mandatory to survive close combat from Zeraora (whitout damage-boost item) after stealth rock.
252 Atk Choice Band Terrakion Stone Edge vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Slowbro: 165-195 (41.8 - 49.4%) -- 84.8% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock,
252 Atk Choice Band Terrakion Stone Edge vs. 240 HP / 132+ Def Buzzwole: 151-178 (36.3 - 42.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Stealth Rock,
-1 252 Atk Choice Band Terrakion Stone Edge vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Landorus-Therian: 178-210 (46.5 - 54.9%) -- 99.6% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Choice Band Terrakion Stone Edge vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Toxapex: 130-154 (42.7 - 50.6%) -- 96.1% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock
0 SpA Clefable Moonblast vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Terrakion: 216-254 (66.8 - 78.6%)
252 SpA Heatran Earth Power vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Terrakion: 214-254 (66.2 - 78.6%)
252 SpA Tapu Koko Dazzling Gleam vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Terrakion: 230-272 (71.2 - 84.2%)
252 Atk Zeraora Close Combat vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Terrakion: 258-304 (79.6 - 93.8%)
252 Atk Choice Band Terrakion Stone Edge vs. 240 HP / 132+ Def Buzzwole: 151-178 (36.3 - 42.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Stealth Rock,
-1 252 Atk Choice Band Terrakion Stone Edge vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Landorus-Therian: 178-210 (46.5 - 54.9%) -- 99.6% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Choice Band Terrakion Stone Edge vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Toxapex: 130-154 (42.7 - 50.6%) -- 96.1% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock
0 SpA Clefable Moonblast vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Terrakion: 216-254 (66.8 - 78.6%)
252 SpA Heatran Earth Power vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Terrakion: 214-254 (66.2 - 78.6%)
252 SpA Tapu Koko Dazzling Gleam vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Terrakion: 230-272 (71.2 - 84.2%)
252 Atk Zeraora Close Combat vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Terrakion: 258-304 (79.6 - 93.8%)
Landorus-Therian @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
IVs: 23 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- U-turn
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
Landorus-T is the team’s angular stone (litteraly), he sets-up the rocks that are extremely important to help Terrakion doing his job, he knocks-off nearly everything especially opposite Landorus-T and Buzzwole but above all, he pivots and brings Terrakion on the field easily. Also, Landorus-T makes the team sturdier and he helps checking Tapu Koko, Zeraora and Regieleki that are quite threatening.
The movepool : Stealth Rock for the pressure and the residual damages that help Terrakion sweep, U-turn for the pivoting and the momentum, Earthquake for the stab and Knock-Off to remove opposite team’s items.
During the game do not hesitate to trade off Landorus-T HPs and item to remove the opponent items ; the only exception is when the opposite team has one of the electric types mentionned upper.
Lowering the speed IVs allows you to have the slowturn against the opposite Landorus-T and to keep the momentum while being faster than Crawdaunt Adamant.
Zapdos @ Heavy-Duty-Boots
Ability: Static
EVs: 252 HP / 216 Def / 40 Spe
Timid Nature
- U-turn
- Discharge/Defog
- Hurricane
- Roost
Zapdos completes the volturn core and pressures the common answers to Landorus-T like Corviknight that usually enters the field to Defog, Buzzwole, Slowbro, Tornadus-T, Tapu Fini, etc. Moreoever, he brings pokemons that are extremely threatened by Terrakion like opposite Zapdos, Blissey, Tyranitar, Heatran, Galarian-Slowking… and U-turn on. Also, Zapdos checks Melmetal, Galarian-Zapdos and menacing grass types such as Kartana and Rillaboom.
The movepool : U-turn for the pivoting and the momentum, Discharge for the stab and the chance of para, Hurricane to deal huge damages and for the coverage, Roost for the the survivability. Note that you can also run Defog instead of Discharge if you want to be safer against the hazard-stacking-based teams.
During the game do not hesitate to hard Zapdos against U-turn users and try paralyzing them nor to damage pokemons that could prevent Terrakion from spamming freely Stone Edge like Landorus-T, Melmetal, Heatran and Ferrothorn (mostly because they may be played with protect).
40+ EVS in speed allow Zapdos to outspeed Modest Nidoking and Adamant Rillaboom. You can also put 136+ EVS in speed in order to outspeed Timid Nidoking and so Modest Tapu Lele but it significantly reduces Zapdos’s bulk.
Toxapex @ Eject Button
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 124 Def / 132 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Poison Jab
- Scald
- Recover
- Haze
Toxapex completes the defensive core with Landorus-T and Zapdos ; he provides more solidity to the team thanks to his incredible bulk and ability. Toxapex also checks Urshifu-Rapid-Strikes, Volcanion and Volcarona that could be threatening.
As a momentum-based team the eject button is most of the time your joker. You usually want to proc it in situations where you are losing the momentum and the pressure. Note that the eject button cancel U-turn, Volt Switch and Flip turn.
The movepool : Poison Jab to deal with Tapu Fini CM and Clefable, Scald to deal with steel types and for the 30% chance to burn, Recover for the survivability and Haze to counter setup users.
I said above that the eject button is your joker but during the game do not hesitate to consume it if you are against setup sweepers users such as Volcarona, Blaziken, DD Dragapult, Kartana or strong knock-off users such as Weavile, Bisharp and Crawdaunt. Keeping the eject button could fatally prevent Toxapex from hazing efficiently or recovering.
The spread allows Toxapex to check both physical and special attackers. It can easily avoids OHKO from Timid Nidoking or 2HKO from Choice Specs Dragapult, Choice Scarf Blacephalon, Choice Scarf Kartana, etc.
Melmetal @ Assault Vest
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 244 HP / 252 SpD / 12 Spe
Careful Nature
- Double Iron Bash
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch/Superpower
- Thunder Punch
Melmetal with his extraordinary bulk supports and reinforces the defensive core. It allows the team to be safer against Tapu Lele and Dragapult but also against Calm Mind users such as Tapu Fini and Clefable. Moreoever Melmetal can help to check some physical attackers like Kartana or Weavile if needed.
The movepool : Double Iron Bash as Melmetal’s most powerful move, Earthquake for the coverage, Ice Punch to hit Zapdos super-effectively and Thunder Punch allows Melmetal to deal decent damages to Slowbro and Corviknight. Since you have good weapons to shut down Zapdos, you can run Superpower instead of Ice Punch, it helps against Ferrothorn that is overall pretty annoying to deal with (we will talk about it later).
The spread is bulkier than the Smogon’s one because the team has enough damages to break through the defensive cores so I prefer more tankyness to bring even more solidity to the build.
Kartana @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Leaf Blade
- Sacred Sword
- Smart Strike
- Knock Off
The Choice Scarf and his huge attack combined with Beast Boost and Terrakion’s breaking power allow Kartana to clean extremely efficiently many games.
The movepool : Leaf Blade as his strongest grass move, Sacred Sword + Knock Off for the coverage and Smart Strike for the second stab.
You run Jolly paired with the Choice Scarf to outspeed almost the entire metagame except +speed Regieleki or eventually Gengar/Ti@s Choice Scarf.
TEAM BUILDING PROCESS
I started off with Terrakion plus Landorus. Landorus-T sets-up rocks, knocks-off and slowturn to bring Terrakion safely on the field. Terrakion takes advantage of Landorus-T removing opposite Landorus-T, Slowbro and Buzzwole items to break efficiently.
I added Zapdos to complete the volturn core and to have a strong answer to Melmetal, Galarian-Zapdos, Kartana and Rillaboom.
I wanted something that can help to regain the momentum when needed, that can check Urshifu-Rapid-Strike, Weavile and Volcanion and that can bring overall solidity to the team. Toxapex was the perfect option.
The team needed a powerful check to Tapu Lele and an additional answer to special attackers since Toxapex couldn’t handle that role alone so I added Melmetal.
Finally, the team required speed control to outspeed others Choice Scarf users and something that profits Terrakion breaking power to clean the game. Kartana was made for that job.
Threat List
Ferrothorn with Protect and Leech Seed is very threatening for the team. Excepting Kartana, nothing can absorb Leech Seed and you usually don’t want to hard Kartana on Ferrothorn risking Knock-Off or Body Press. Terrakion can obviously shut down him but Ferrothorn can use Protect to scout the move you are locked on and switch to the appropriate answer.
Zeraora Bulk Up if well surrounded is a big threat to the team. Oftenly, your Landorus-T will be knocked-off and so easily overtaken. After one Bulk Up Zeraora can 2HKO the entire team and can’t be revenge killed by Kartana whitout a crit.
Same reason than above, if Landorus-T is weakened enough the team has a very hard time against electric spam mostly against Regieleki if played Timid.
/ 
Rain and sun are quite hard match-ups, you have to play perfectly around Melmetal and Toxapex to deal with.
Replays
Xandes vs YoruNoxx STT W2 : https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1539923831-xfyflhqyjeiy7a3am9dwt1g7y5bqufgpw
ST TOUR R1 : https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen8ou-625422
ST TOUR R2 : https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen8ou-625605
Play without Terrakion : https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1568466944-61a8klcvf6r0db3g2oj74e6fqq441qcpw
Very interesting match to see the limits of the team : https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1573837787-fijj1yva0je2fiw0fleslxu68bz02hxpw
Mid-elo games can be intense : https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1566728059-9beg5s3h91q5usbbaa7aou9eto095xrpw
SHOUTOUTS
Shoutouts to Carkoala a.k.a Nassimoule and Cousiin for proofreading the RMT and LuluDzn for the banner.
Importable
https://pokepast.es/2ea9e615e997d01a
OUTRO
Because it is my first RMT do not hesitate to give me your feedbacks regarding the post and the team. If you like it I may give it an other try. Thank you !
Shoutouts to Carkoala a.k.a Nassimoule and Cousiin for proofreading the RMT and LuluDzn for the banner.
Importable
https://pokepast.es/2ea9e615e997d01a
OUTRO
Because it is my first RMT do not hesitate to give me your feedbacks regarding the post and the team. If you like it I may give it an other try. Thank you !
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