I've recently gotten into showdown fairly hardcore, and was looking for some critiques to my current sun team.
This team relies on its supports to keep the momentum in my favor. I will nearly always lead with Torkoal to set up my weather. From there, it really depends on what their opener is. I have two main pivot choices, Blissy, and Arcanine. If they're physically threatening, an Arcanine swap into Will-O-Wisp stops that advance quickly. Or stacking two intimidates between Arcanine and Landorus (while also warding off ground threats to Arcanine via Landorus' immunity). As well as a Special wall with Blissey. This defensive capability allows me to pivot between my main 3 offensive mons with ease. Two setup sweepers, and one wall-breaker, with the two pivots and weather setter/support has been working really well for my playstyle.
Sunset (Torkoal) (M) @ Heat Rock
Ability: Drought
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpA
Bold Nature
- Lava Plume
- Rapid Spin
- Stealth Rock
- Will-O-Wisp
Pretty standard Sun setting Torkoal. Can take some defensive hits, but usually only gets swapped in when safe to set up weather. Will-O-Wisp on two of my pokemon really shuts down any/most physical threats. Especially with two Intimidates. Nice hazard control and setting when needed. The hazards can really start to chip with as many pivots as I can pull off.
Apollosaur (Venusaur) (F) @ Life Orb
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Giga Drain
- Weather Ball
- Earth Power
- Growth
Straight forward powerhouse of the sun team. at 500+ speed in the sun, after two growths Weather Ball in the sun can 2HKO a Spec. Def. Blissy. Giga Drain keeps it healthy, and Earth Power ensures I can 1HKO any Heatran that tries to wall me. Once this thing gets setup, I usually end up sweeping 2-4 Pokemon with ease. As long as the Sun is up, there aren't many things that can swap in safely. I feel like its move-set is optimal for my current team. I rarely ever need the added power from solar beam, nor a poison stab. As long as I keep my Torkoal healthy (easy with two defensive pivots) I usually don't run into issues. And even with added pivot times, I usually have 3-4 turns of +2 SpAtk/Speed from Chlorophyll/Growth to knock out a few enemy mons.
V-destroy (Victini) @ Choice Band
Ability: Victory Star
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- V-create
- Bolt Strike
- Trick
- U-turn
It's nicknamed V-destroy for a reason. In the sun, this thing hits HARD. Like, breaks through virtually everything you put in front of it. Its so threatening, and with my two pivots, I can keep it healthy and remove the -Speed/-Def/-SpDef that comes after each V-Create. Bolt strike is purely for coverage, trick can be useful, but as offensive as a team it can be, I'm nearly always hitting V-Create.
Calrissian (Landorus-Therian) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Swords Dance
- Substitute
It's a sun team, with weaknesses to ground, so having an immune pivot is essential. It also threatens out Heatran's (really one of the only common walls that's been threatening, given it benefits from sun boosts, and is immune to fire damage.) It scares a lot of things out, which opens me up for a free Sub and Swords Dance. The added resists to water in the sun is nice here as well. As stated before, Intimidate stacking between two pokemon has been very valuable to me. Especially when coupled with 2 WIll-O-Wisps. It can set up for free on a lot of the meta, and with +2 Atk, it can sweep pretty hard sometimes. It's been a very flexible mon for my team.
Clyde (Arcanine) (M) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpDef / 252 Def
Impish Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Roar
- Will-O-Wisp
- Morning Sun
- Teleport
This is the star support/pivot of my team. Defensive wall with intimidate. Great to pivot into a lot of the Physical threats of the meta. Has great sustain with Morning Sun in the Sun healing for ~70% of its HP. Will-O-Wisp has been shutting down a lot of physical sweeping threats. Most people are scared of a fire move on it as well, so it often forces out anything that would normally die to a fire attack. (Taunt is obviously a problem for it, but until they see me use my moves, they really don't ever lead with a taunt.) Roar has been amazing for phasing out anything setting up behind a Substitute, which my team would normally insta lose to in a lot situations. I've even won a match or two from phasing with rocks up and burned enemies that I walled.
Bonnie (Blissey) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Seismic Toss
- Soft-Boiled
- Toxic
- Teleport
This Blissy has been on every team iteration I've made since I started. Teleport pivots offer a lot of momentum, and a +Def/HP invested Blissey can take a lot of punishment. Special wall for pivots into things that would otherwise 1HKO the rest of my mons. Toxic stalling to end out a game has won it for me many times. Just an all around great defensive core, that works really well within the mesh of the team around her.
I was able to get my first account to 1519 on the OU ladder with this team, 1500 was my initial goal. But I think I might be able to (with a lot of luck) push for top 500. Generally my 3 main offensive mons are capable of taking out any threat in the meta if I play correclty. The only major issues I've ran into are usually against other weather teams (namely sand teams), and the occasional trick room player. Let me know what you think of the team, or any changes/additions you would make to it. Thanks!
This team relies on its supports to keep the momentum in my favor. I will nearly always lead with Torkoal to set up my weather. From there, it really depends on what their opener is. I have two main pivot choices, Blissy, and Arcanine. If they're physically threatening, an Arcanine swap into Will-O-Wisp stops that advance quickly. Or stacking two intimidates between Arcanine and Landorus (while also warding off ground threats to Arcanine via Landorus' immunity). As well as a Special wall with Blissey. This defensive capability allows me to pivot between my main 3 offensive mons with ease. Two setup sweepers, and one wall-breaker, with the two pivots and weather setter/support has been working really well for my playstyle.
Sunset (Torkoal) (M) @ Heat Rock
Ability: Drought
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpA
Bold Nature
- Lava Plume
- Rapid Spin
- Stealth Rock
- Will-O-Wisp
Pretty standard Sun setting Torkoal. Can take some defensive hits, but usually only gets swapped in when safe to set up weather. Will-O-Wisp on two of my pokemon really shuts down any/most physical threats. Especially with two Intimidates. Nice hazard control and setting when needed. The hazards can really start to chip with as many pivots as I can pull off.
Apollosaur (Venusaur) (F) @ Life Orb
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Giga Drain
- Weather Ball
- Earth Power
- Growth
Straight forward powerhouse of the sun team. at 500+ speed in the sun, after two growths Weather Ball in the sun can 2HKO a Spec. Def. Blissy. Giga Drain keeps it healthy, and Earth Power ensures I can 1HKO any Heatran that tries to wall me. Once this thing gets setup, I usually end up sweeping 2-4 Pokemon with ease. As long as the Sun is up, there aren't many things that can swap in safely. I feel like its move-set is optimal for my current team. I rarely ever need the added power from solar beam, nor a poison stab. As long as I keep my Torkoal healthy (easy with two defensive pivots) I usually don't run into issues. And even with added pivot times, I usually have 3-4 turns of +2 SpAtk/Speed from Chlorophyll/Growth to knock out a few enemy mons.
V-destroy (Victini) @ Choice Band
Ability: Victory Star
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- V-create
- Bolt Strike
- Trick
- U-turn
It's nicknamed V-destroy for a reason. In the sun, this thing hits HARD. Like, breaks through virtually everything you put in front of it. Its so threatening, and with my two pivots, I can keep it healthy and remove the -Speed/-Def/-SpDef that comes after each V-Create. Bolt strike is purely for coverage, trick can be useful, but as offensive as a team it can be, I'm nearly always hitting V-Create.
Calrissian (Landorus-Therian) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Swords Dance
- Substitute
It's a sun team, with weaknesses to ground, so having an immune pivot is essential. It also threatens out Heatran's (really one of the only common walls that's been threatening, given it benefits from sun boosts, and is immune to fire damage.) It scares a lot of things out, which opens me up for a free Sub and Swords Dance. The added resists to water in the sun is nice here as well. As stated before, Intimidate stacking between two pokemon has been very valuable to me. Especially when coupled with 2 WIll-O-Wisps. It can set up for free on a lot of the meta, and with +2 Atk, it can sweep pretty hard sometimes. It's been a very flexible mon for my team.
Clyde (Arcanine) (M) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpDef / 252 Def
Impish Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Roar
- Will-O-Wisp
- Morning Sun
- Teleport
This is the star support/pivot of my team. Defensive wall with intimidate. Great to pivot into a lot of the Physical threats of the meta. Has great sustain with Morning Sun in the Sun healing for ~70% of its HP. Will-O-Wisp has been shutting down a lot of physical sweeping threats. Most people are scared of a fire move on it as well, so it often forces out anything that would normally die to a fire attack. (Taunt is obviously a problem for it, but until they see me use my moves, they really don't ever lead with a taunt.) Roar has been amazing for phasing out anything setting up behind a Substitute, which my team would normally insta lose to in a lot situations. I've even won a match or two from phasing with rocks up and burned enemies that I walled.
Bonnie (Blissey) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Seismic Toss
- Soft-Boiled
- Toxic
- Teleport
This Blissy has been on every team iteration I've made since I started. Teleport pivots offer a lot of momentum, and a +Def/HP invested Blissey can take a lot of punishment. Special wall for pivots into things that would otherwise 1HKO the rest of my mons. Toxic stalling to end out a game has won it for me many times. Just an all around great defensive core, that works really well within the mesh of the team around her.
I was able to get my first account to 1519 on the OU ladder with this team, 1500 was my initial goal. But I think I might be able to (with a lot of luck) push for top 500. Generally my 3 main offensive mons are capable of taking out any threat in the meta if I play correclty. The only major issues I've ran into are usually against other weather teams (namely sand teams), and the occasional trick room player. Let me know what you think of the team, or any changes/additions you would make to it. Thanks!
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