Purpose
This team was devised without regard to tier. My major concern was testing out pokemon that I had previously missed or avoided. Later I helped my friend devise a team without giving away the contents of the below team. Ironically, his team seemed to be on an equal if not superior footing to my own (in terms of a match off). I concluded that I should change one of my pokemon and try to adapt the team not only for beating his but for competitive OU play. As for my friend’s team, I only know the pokemon he intends to use; nothing more, whether in regards to items, natures, movesets etc.
Opposing Team
Garchomp
Metagross
Milotic
Ninetales
Shiftry
Machamp
Any comments would be appreciated.
Genesis of Team
I began with Scizor. I have never trained one, liked the huge number of resistances and was intrigued by the various roles prescribed to it by smogon, not to mention the movesets and its ability, bullet punch on one hand and technician on the other.
 
For my rapid spinner and hazard setup I opted for Tentacruel. Really fed up of playing with Forretress. I have always overlooked Tentacool and Tentacruel respectively as simply filler pokemon - I came to this conclusion in part because of their commonality in most games - but after doing some research, on the stats in particular, I came to the conclusion that I had underrated it. Liked its typing and also thought that it would cover Scizor’s weakness.

For my third, I really like Garchomp. Such a powerhouse IF trained properly. A team I threw together in about two hours the other day had a Garchomp that couldn’t kill an Ampharos of identical level (65) with Earthquake. Factor in bad IV’s for Garchomp and a debilitating nature in attack, alongside the Ampharos’ crazy IV’s in defence and you can sort of see why.

That left me with two physical attackers and a special attacker. Next I opted for Blissey. I have never trained either a Chansey or a Blissey before. You can blame prejudice but I like pokemon that are not only competitive but aesthetically pleasing. Funny how the competitive drive can see you eschew one in favour of the other. Either way, Blissey is a solid special wall, capable of dealing with the special weaknesses of most of the above three - i.e. Fire, Psychic, Electric and Ice.

Next I chose Alakazam to cover Blissey’s weakness. Love its speed and have rarely trained them in the past. It also fits alongside Tentacruel as my second special attacker.


My final pokemon was really my first: Electivire. After seeing what my friend intended to use, particularly Metagross I checked out the list of Metagross counters and was struck by Rotom-H. The dual concept of electric fire replaces Electivire without unduly upsetting the dynamics of the team and Rotom’s levitate ability in fact removes the dual ground weakness, as shared with Tentacruel. In addition, Rotom only has two weaknesses, Rock and Water, neither being shared by the others on my team.


Team Specifics
IV wise I have opted for the maximum in certain given stats. In the case of:
Scizor: Attack
Tentacruel: Special Attack
Garchomp: Attack
Blissey: Hp
Alakazam: Special Attack
Rotom: Speed
These pokemon do not have maximum IV’s in all other stats, but to use the judge in Soulsilver’s words, they have, ‘relatively superior potential overall’: 121 - 150.
Key:
AB: Ability
NT: Nature
ITM: Iteam
WKN: Weakness(es)

Scizor (OU) - AB: Technician - NT: Adamant - ITM: Metal Coat - EV’s: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe - WKN: Fire
Bug Bite
Bullet Punch
Roost - teach
Swords Dance
Scizor is designed to beat all but fire special attackers to a pulp. I eschewed the lead, scout and trap roles for a sweeper hence the ev distribution. The intention obviously is to remove the obvious water and fire specials from my opponents team as well as hiccups like Metagross before going for the sweep. Bullet Punch and Bug Bite give stab and in the case of Punch, priority. There are too the benefits of Technician and the Metal Coat. The intent is to set up with swords, then as damage accumulates, roost it off and continue. I can see speed as an issue in spite of my ev investment and I’m still not sure about the sweeper role - I’m swinging between it and the trapper archetype with a set like Pursuit, Bullet Punch, U - Turn and Bug Bite.

Tentacruel (OU) - AB: Clear Body - ITM: Leftovers - NT: Timid - EV’s: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 SpD - WKN: Psychic, Electric, Ground - MOVESET: SPIKESPINNER
Toxic Spikes
Rapid Spin
Hydro Pump
Sludge Bomb
Obviously Tentacruel looks to address Scizor’s weakness while also setting up entry hazard and acting as something of a special wall. I chose Tentacruel and Toxic Spikes over another pokemon with stealth rock because in my experience Toxic Spikes is the bigger nightmare. I think Rock requires a Roar pokemon in conjunction to make the best out of it, where toxic spikes does all the work for you. Ev distribution takes advantage of Tentacruel’s high special defence while making the most of its special attack in conjunction with Hydro Pump. I have always felt more under pressure because of Toxic Spikes than Stealth Rock. Hydro Pump acts as the more risky, surprising and offensive option, as opposed to Surf. Sludge is more offensive filler and to make use of the Stab.

Garchomp (Uber) - AB: Sand Veil - ITM: Salac Berry - NT: Jolly - EV’s: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe - WKN: Dragon, Ice - MOVESET: SUBSALAC
Outrage
Earthquake
Swords Dance
Substitute
Garchomp represents the quintessential dragon in my mind. Ev’s make the most of that crazy attack stat and speed. The set is self - explanatory. Set up Substitute, Swords Dance until its broken then continue to Substitute until the berry kicks in then hit with Outrage and Earthquake. I know people sometimes suggest Dragon Claw but my Chomp is more envisaged as a Kamakazi, the intention is to take out as many pokemon as fast as possible before going down. Again, like Scizor, for a clean sweep Chomp requires the removal of a few walls, not least Metagross.

Blissey (OU) - AB: Natural Cure - ITM: Leftovers - NT: Bold - 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe - WKN: Fighting
Wish
Protect
Seismic Toss
Thunder Wave
As a special wall Blissey switches into any special attack. Heals off the damage, Twaves as some insurance should she be knocked out and proceeds to lay on the damage with Seismic Toss. I have chosen wave over toxic in lieu of Tentacruel’s set. Seismic toss is the definitive Blissey move, also allowing for more ev investment in the crucial stats of hp and defence. A good scout as well, Blissey can be sent in to Protect and Wish. Leftovers keeps her in the game for as long as possible while Natural Cure heals off any unwanted afflictions. More than anything, Blissey intends to deal with the special weaknesses of Scizor, Tentacruel and Garchomp.

Alakazam (UU, OU) - AB: Inner Focus - ITM: Focus Sash - NT: Timid - EV’s: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe - WKN: Ghost, Bug, Dark MOVESET: PSYBLASTBALL
Psychic
Focus Blast
Shadow Ball
Taunt
Alakazam is my other part special attacker, part lead. Speed is incredibly important here. Zam prevents entry hazard set up with taunt or kills off the first of my opponents pokemon to give me advantage. As with most leads, Zam has focus sash to prevent an OHKO. Psychic is the stab, Focus Blast gives me some coverage against normal and dark types while Shadow Ball can be used against corresponding Psychic types and Ghost types.

Rotom - H (OU) - AB: Levitate NT: ITM: Life Orb - NT: Timid - EV’s: 16 HP / 240 SpA / 252 Spe - WKN: Rock, Water
Thunderbolt
Overheat
Substitute
Pain Split
Rotom provides me with good coverage as my final special attacker. Much has already been said above, but Rotom is mainly my Metagross counter. In general it gives much needed coverage against steel types. Those two weaknessess make it an awkward pokemon for the uninitiated to correctly predict type advantage. With Metagross the intent is to cause some residual damage beforehand, then Overheat, if not, then Substitute, Pain Split and Overheat. I particularly like SubSplit as part of a set given my predilection for using Chandelure in the fifth generation. In addition, Split provides greater longevity and can stall a sweeper if played correctly.
This team was devised without regard to tier. My major concern was testing out pokemon that I had previously missed or avoided. Later I helped my friend devise a team without giving away the contents of the below team. Ironically, his team seemed to be on an equal if not superior footing to my own (in terms of a match off). I concluded that I should change one of my pokemon and try to adapt the team not only for beating his but for competitive OU play. As for my friend’s team, I only know the pokemon he intends to use; nothing more, whether in regards to items, natures, movesets etc.
Opposing Team
Garchomp
Metagross
Milotic
Ninetales
Shiftry
Machamp
Any comments would be appreciated.
Genesis of Team
I began with Scizor. I have never trained one, liked the huge number of resistances and was intrigued by the various roles prescribed to it by smogon, not to mention the movesets and its ability, bullet punch on one hand and technician on the other.
 
For my rapid spinner and hazard setup I opted for Tentacruel. Really fed up of playing with Forretress. I have always overlooked Tentacool and Tentacruel respectively as simply filler pokemon - I came to this conclusion in part because of their commonality in most games - but after doing some research, on the stats in particular, I came to the conclusion that I had underrated it. Liked its typing and also thought that it would cover Scizor’s weakness.

For my third, I really like Garchomp. Such a powerhouse IF trained properly. A team I threw together in about two hours the other day had a Garchomp that couldn’t kill an Ampharos of identical level (65) with Earthquake. Factor in bad IV’s for Garchomp and a debilitating nature in attack, alongside the Ampharos’ crazy IV’s in defence and you can sort of see why.

That left me with two physical attackers and a special attacker. Next I opted for Blissey. I have never trained either a Chansey or a Blissey before. You can blame prejudice but I like pokemon that are not only competitive but aesthetically pleasing. Funny how the competitive drive can see you eschew one in favour of the other. Either way, Blissey is a solid special wall, capable of dealing with the special weaknesses of most of the above three - i.e. Fire, Psychic, Electric and Ice.

Next I chose Alakazam to cover Blissey’s weakness. Love its speed and have rarely trained them in the past. It also fits alongside Tentacruel as my second special attacker.


My final pokemon was really my first: Electivire. After seeing what my friend intended to use, particularly Metagross I checked out the list of Metagross counters and was struck by Rotom-H. The dual concept of electric fire replaces Electivire without unduly upsetting the dynamics of the team and Rotom’s levitate ability in fact removes the dual ground weakness, as shared with Tentacruel. In addition, Rotom only has two weaknesses, Rock and Water, neither being shared by the others on my team.


Team Specifics
IV wise I have opted for the maximum in certain given stats. In the case of:
Scizor: Attack
Tentacruel: Special Attack
Garchomp: Attack
Blissey: Hp
Alakazam: Special Attack
Rotom: Speed
These pokemon do not have maximum IV’s in all other stats, but to use the judge in Soulsilver’s words, they have, ‘relatively superior potential overall’: 121 - 150.
Key:
AB: Ability
NT: Nature
ITM: Iteam
WKN: Weakness(es)

Scizor (OU) - AB: Technician - NT: Adamant - ITM: Metal Coat - EV’s: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe - WKN: Fire
Bug Bite
Bullet Punch
Roost - teach
Swords Dance
Scizor is designed to beat all but fire special attackers to a pulp. I eschewed the lead, scout and trap roles for a sweeper hence the ev distribution. The intention obviously is to remove the obvious water and fire specials from my opponents team as well as hiccups like Metagross before going for the sweep. Bullet Punch and Bug Bite give stab and in the case of Punch, priority. There are too the benefits of Technician and the Metal Coat. The intent is to set up with swords, then as damage accumulates, roost it off and continue. I can see speed as an issue in spite of my ev investment and I’m still not sure about the sweeper role - I’m swinging between it and the trapper archetype with a set like Pursuit, Bullet Punch, U - Turn and Bug Bite.

Tentacruel (OU) - AB: Clear Body - ITM: Leftovers - NT: Timid - EV’s: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 SpD - WKN: Psychic, Electric, Ground - MOVESET: SPIKESPINNER
Toxic Spikes
Rapid Spin
Hydro Pump
Sludge Bomb
Obviously Tentacruel looks to address Scizor’s weakness while also setting up entry hazard and acting as something of a special wall. I chose Tentacruel and Toxic Spikes over another pokemon with stealth rock because in my experience Toxic Spikes is the bigger nightmare. I think Rock requires a Roar pokemon in conjunction to make the best out of it, where toxic spikes does all the work for you. Ev distribution takes advantage of Tentacruel’s high special defence while making the most of its special attack in conjunction with Hydro Pump. I have always felt more under pressure because of Toxic Spikes than Stealth Rock. Hydro Pump acts as the more risky, surprising and offensive option, as opposed to Surf. Sludge is more offensive filler and to make use of the Stab.

Garchomp (Uber) - AB: Sand Veil - ITM: Salac Berry - NT: Jolly - EV’s: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe - WKN: Dragon, Ice - MOVESET: SUBSALAC
Outrage
Earthquake
Swords Dance
Substitute
Garchomp represents the quintessential dragon in my mind. Ev’s make the most of that crazy attack stat and speed. The set is self - explanatory. Set up Substitute, Swords Dance until its broken then continue to Substitute until the berry kicks in then hit with Outrage and Earthquake. I know people sometimes suggest Dragon Claw but my Chomp is more envisaged as a Kamakazi, the intention is to take out as many pokemon as fast as possible before going down. Again, like Scizor, for a clean sweep Chomp requires the removal of a few walls, not least Metagross.

Blissey (OU) - AB: Natural Cure - ITM: Leftovers - NT: Bold - 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe - WKN: Fighting
Wish
Protect
Seismic Toss
Thunder Wave
As a special wall Blissey switches into any special attack. Heals off the damage, Twaves as some insurance should she be knocked out and proceeds to lay on the damage with Seismic Toss. I have chosen wave over toxic in lieu of Tentacruel’s set. Seismic toss is the definitive Blissey move, also allowing for more ev investment in the crucial stats of hp and defence. A good scout as well, Blissey can be sent in to Protect and Wish. Leftovers keeps her in the game for as long as possible while Natural Cure heals off any unwanted afflictions. More than anything, Blissey intends to deal with the special weaknesses of Scizor, Tentacruel and Garchomp.

Alakazam (UU, OU) - AB: Inner Focus - ITM: Focus Sash - NT: Timid - EV’s: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe - WKN: Ghost, Bug, Dark MOVESET: PSYBLASTBALL
Psychic
Focus Blast
Shadow Ball
Taunt
Alakazam is my other part special attacker, part lead. Speed is incredibly important here. Zam prevents entry hazard set up with taunt or kills off the first of my opponents pokemon to give me advantage. As with most leads, Zam has focus sash to prevent an OHKO. Psychic is the stab, Focus Blast gives me some coverage against normal and dark types while Shadow Ball can be used against corresponding Psychic types and Ghost types.

Rotom - H (OU) - AB: Levitate NT: ITM: Life Orb - NT: Timid - EV’s: 16 HP / 240 SpA / 252 Spe - WKN: Rock, Water
Thunderbolt
Overheat
Substitute
Pain Split
Rotom provides me with good coverage as my final special attacker. Much has already been said above, but Rotom is mainly my Metagross counter. In general it gives much needed coverage against steel types. Those two weaknessess make it an awkward pokemon for the uninitiated to correctly predict type advantage. With Metagross the intent is to cause some residual damage beforehand, then Overheat, if not, then Substitute, Pain Split and Overheat. I particularly like SubSplit as part of a set given my predilection for using Chandelure in the fifth generation. In addition, Split provides greater longevity and can stall a sweeper if played correctly.
