SM OU An Anti-Meta Team - OU with UU Semi-Stall (2017 ELO) [Peak #4]

Hey guys, I am predominantly a UU player, but I decided to give OU a try recently. I have since created a decent team that has managed to get me to an ELO of around 2017, and Rank 4th on Ladder. This team functions more as an anti-meta team and will thus be very different to what you may encounter in your regular games. Its success hinges on players running meta teams with predictable sets, which is almost always the case nowadays.

I chose to use a lot of UU Pokemon here, because that's what I'm familiar and comfortable with. Surprise is also a factor too, because these sets tend to throw off opponents, which I can then use to my advantage. The team does have a moderate weakness to Manaphy, so that is something to be wary of.

Proof of Peak:

Pokepaste is here http://pokepast.es/41b00af71ada997e


Team at a Glance:




Team-building Process



As a UU player, I started with the Blisswole core, a very infamous core in UU that took the meta by storm, when Buzzwole was first released. Now that Buzzwole has been banned, the only opportunities I get to play this core is in either OU or Ubers. I went with Blissey over Chansey because I preferred the regen from leftovers as this was a wish+protect set.



If this was UU, this core would suffice to wall nearly the entire metagame, but in OU, Tapu Lele is a prominent threat, along with M-Alakazam, both of which hit extremely hard with Psyshock. Thus I needed a deterrent to that. Muk-A, another prominent UU Pokemon was my solution.



Unfortunately, Buzzwole is unable to wall many of the physical flying and fairy types in OU such as Hawlucha, M-Pinsir, Gyarados, Z-Landorus etc. Thus I needed a second check to fix that problem. I found this in Skarmory, my only official OU Pokemon of the team. Skarmory also provides much needed hazard removal for me.



Things were going well for me, until I realised that Tapu Koko literally walks all over my team with volt switch. Thus I needed a solution to that, which I found in Mega Steelix, a fairly uncommon Pokemon, that occasionally surfaces in RU/UU. Mega-Steelix also helped me patch up some weaknesses like Pain Split Magearna and SD Mimikyu, since my Skarmory only had counter.



With the team almost complete, I desperately needed a physical fire resistance for pokemon like Victini and Charizard-X, as well as some method of breaking stall. This, I managed to find in Slowbro (although it was originally perish-trapper Azumarill). Slowbro also helps out great against my M-Medicham and Hawlucha match-ups as well as against Heatran. I decided to use a rather unorthodox approach by going for Future Sight in combination with Roar on Steelix. This strategy occasionally works and grants me the edge on unsuspecting opponents.


The Team:


Steelix-Mega @ Steelixite
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Heavy Slam
- Stealth Rock
- Roar

M-Steelix is usually my Lead Pokemon. I was running M-Aggron previously and ran into some issues with Tapu Koko, so I decided to opt for Steelix-Mega instead. This is very similar to the set I run in UU. I also have Roar for Phasing, as it is very effective with a hazard stacking core. It also combos well with Future Sight from Slowbro. This Pokemon hits extremely hard with Max Attack investment and Heavy Slam / EQ. It deals with Pokemon such as Tapu Koko, Mawile and Kyurem relatively easily. I keep it on full HP by wish passing from my Blissey.


Blissey @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Seismic Toss
- Wish
- Protect
- Toxic

Blissey is my specially defensive tank, in UU, this Pokemon was capable of walling nearly every Special Attacker, and is able to continue that position in OU. I primarily use Blissey over Chansey because I prefer Leftovers, since I'm using Wish / Protect and also Knock Off seems fairly common too. Also, better aesthetics. The rest of the set is pretty standard


Muk-Alola @ Assault Vest
Ability: Poison Touch
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- Poison Jab
- Pursuit
- Shadow Sneak

In UU, Blissey was simply enough in dealing with all the special attackers, however, in OU, I quickly realised that Tapu Lele + Alakazam deal a significant amount of damage with Psyshock under Psychic Terrain. Therefore, I had to find another Specially Defensive tank to be able to deal with this, which I found in Assault Vest Muk-A, another Pokemon that is very prominent in the UU metagame. It easily traps Latios, Alakazam, Tapu Lele, and generally any Psychic/Ghost Types. It's also an excellent switch-in to fairy types like Clefable and Tapu Fini.



Buzzwole @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 HP / 232 Def / 24 Spe
Impish Nature
- Bulk Up
- Drain Punch
- Ice Punch
- Roost

Buzzwole is the first part of my physically defensive core. I used this Pokemon very heavily in UU during its suspect test and prior to it being banned, so I know entirely what it is capable of. This Pokemon is extremely underrated, and I think this set uses the Pokemon to the best of its abilities. This Pokemon is a physically defensive monster and can survive physical attacks from almost anything. Rocky Helmet wears enemies down as you simply Roost back your lost HP. I run a Bulk Up variant to deal with setup sweepers, so that Pokemon like SD Heracross / Scizor aren't an issue. It also easily dispatches with Pokemon such as Kartana, and switches into Landorus-T easily as well. 24 Speed EVs to outrun Max Speed Base 50s, like Mawile-M.


Skarmory @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 232 Def / 24 Spe
Impish Nature
- Roost
- Counter
- Spikes
- Defog

Skarmory is the only OU Pokemon I use. I needed the utility of Defog and Spikes, and Skarmory was able to provide that. I use Skarmory in combination with Buzzwole to form my defensive core. Buzzwole's main weakness lies in Flying and Skarmory is an excellent candidate for patching up that weakness. I gave up Whirlwind on this build sadly, so M-Steelix is my only source of phasing, which I sometimes find a bit troublesome. I previously ran Shed Shell, but I've since switched out to Rocky Helmet, since Magnezone has become quite uncommon in higher ladder. Counter works pretty well with Sturdy, guaranteeing that Skarmory can survive any hit and retaliate with an OHKO.


Slowbro @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 84 Def / 172 SpA
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Slack Off
- Scald
- Future Sight
- Calm Mind

I have recently switched to Slowbro with Future Sight. This is quite effective against stall teams if used correctly. I have Roar now on my Steelix, so that it is capable of roaring out the opponent's switch in to Future Sight. Slowbro also helps me with strong physical fire attackers like Victini, as well as other hard hitters like M-Medicham and Hawlucha. 172 SpA EVs allows me to 2HKO Heatran and OHKO Chansey and Quagsire with Scald + Future Sight. Here is an example of Slowbro breaking down a stall team with Future Sight, https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-774261240


Conclusion

Overall this team has been great fun to play, and if you are into unusual and non-meta teams, then I would recommend you give it a try. If you have any suggestions, you're more than welcome to leave a comment or send me a PM. Below is a list of replays, if you want more replays, you can search up 'moarcookees' or 'cookeees' in the PS replays database.

 
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My first and likely last update. I have updated the team to accommodate for the changing meta-game. If you were running a previous version of this team, I would recommend updating to the new one. I have now managed to reach an ELO of 2017 with this new variant. Additional suggestions are welcome though.
 
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I ran a match with this team, and I must say. I do adore this team. It is in need of another spdef wall bc muk-alola wont cut it. Anyways here is the replay where I 6-0 him https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-775074429 His initial skarmory play was perfectly executed I must say. Anyways good luck with the team :)
Thanks! Currently both Blissey and Muk function as the special walls on the team. Steelix and Slowbro can also function as special walls for some sets of Magearna / Heatran. You can move some EVs on Steelix / Slowbro to Special Defense if you feel it is too much of an issue.
 
I would toss slowbro for ThePex to minimize your fairy weakness.
Hmm.. interesting suggestions. The main issue with replacing Slowbro with Toxapex is that I would likely lose my Medicham and Heatran match-ups, which would not be ideal. Also, Slowbro helps me break stall (such as https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-774261240), which Toxapex can't do unfortunately.

I'm taking a hiatus from PS at the moment, but I will test some of my own custom sets of Toxapex in the future, to see if it could work well with my team.
 
I know that you are in a hiatus but I was thinking to give a try to this team. However, at a glance, in a stall match-up or even a balanced one, it lacks a beller. I know that only two of your poks are weak against poison but one of them is really crucial against stall (Slow) you have to play very cautiously to avoid getting poisoned.

However, as I said, I will use it and maybe it is a missconception. I hope you are resting during this hiatus :) and I will post again once I have final conclusions.
 
I know that you are in a hiatus but I was thinking to give a try to this team. However, at a glance, in a stall match-up or even a balanced one, it lacks a beller. I know that only two of your poks are weak against poison but one of them is really crucial against stall (Slow) you have to play very cautiously to avoid getting poisoned.

However, as I said, I will use it and maybe it is a missconception. I hope you are resting during this hiatus :) and I will post again once I have final conclusions.
Hey, yeah I don't run Heal Bell / Aromatherapy on this team, as status usually isn't that big of an issue. Against stall teams though, what you ideally want to do, is to send in Skarmory against M-Sableye to lure a Will-O-Wisp, then switch to Slowbro to get it burnt. This way, Slowbro now becomes immune to Toxic. Hope that helps.
 
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Yeah sure. I knew that it was the way. I normally find beller really useful. But in that case yup, if you play well you can do it positive. But against a setter pokémon what do you do ? You do not have an Unaware pok and MSteelix has roar that sometimes can be useful but against a SpA setter is very difficult to deal with (Volcarona, Keldeo...). And a Physical like Zygarde can do great damage if you do not wish pass to Steelix after roar.

I feel Buzzwole is a beast. It will be the first time I use it so ... I am really hyped hahah.

During this morning I thought that maybe a Waterium in Slow could be nice to ensure a OHKO after FS with Unaware poks or MSableye itself. Lefties ofc are great but Slow is a knock-off bait and many times may lose them. With waterium you can deal great damage and reduce knock too.

Just to discuss :D
 
Yeah, Waterium Slowbro could also work too, feel free to experiment and test out different sets.

Against special setters like Volcarona, you can just use Blissey to beat it. For Keldeo, go to Slowbro and for physical setters like Zygarde, Buzzwole should be able to handle them. If you have any more questions, just sending me a PM will be fine. Good luck with the team!
 
I love this team and I'm gonna playtest it when I get home. You mentioned that your team has a moderate weakness to Manaphy, how do you typically play around it?
 
Generally speaking, if it's Rest Manaphy, you're in big trouble. Fortunately, that Manaphy set is very rare because it only has Surf and no other coverage moves, so it really isn't effective against other teams. Against the standard TG/Surf/Psychic/Rain Dance Manaphy set, you need to weaken it with A-Muk. Afterwards, I would usually have to sack A-Muk, then bring in Blissey to finish it off, or even Steelix with EQ (Don't Mega). Steelix works because it has Sturdy, so it can take one hit, and has Maximum Attack Investment.
 
Nice team, I used it all day and I'm having a very fun time with it. I find that Celesteela/Pex/Venusaur are pretty hard to beat tho, much more if the opponent have Haze Pex + Celesteela. Do you have some tech to deal with those Mons and other gryndy Mons ?
 
Nice team, I used it all day and I'm having a very fun time with it. I find that Celesteela/Pex/Venusaur are pretty hard to beat tho, much more if the opponent have Haze Pex + Celesteela. Do you have some tech to deal with those Mons and other gryndy Mons ?
To break this type of core, what you can try to do is use Future Sight with Slowbro. So you can CM with Slowbro then use Future Sight. Next turn, go to M-Steelix and Roar. Then you have a 1/3 chance to OHKO the Venusaur or the Toxapex.

Use WishPass from Blissey to keep M-Steelix on Full HP. If you want, you can also put some Speed EVs into Slowbro to outrun Toxapex and FS before Haze.
 
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Moin Cookees! After a couple of weeks from vacation I'm back and hopefully better than ever. The first team I wanted to rate after the break was a team that's standing out to me, and this is definitely it. Also, the fact that it actually peaked also helped out a little bit in my decision (Congrats on the peak, by the way). While I find this team very interesting and endearing, there are a couple of aspects that -I feel- are either missing or could be improved. Additionally, I will name some threats to the team and cover them at the end.

Overview:
So first things first, I think the team is very unique in the OU-Meta and the fact that it peaked shows that anyone can do it. I like the synergy between Buzzwole, Mega-Steelix, Blissey, and Slowbro: it covers almost every threat in the tier. It's a really solid base, but the main issue I have is the sustainability of the team. That mainly comes from the fact that some of your sets are - quite frankly - not good, or that certain Pokémon outclass others. Let's take Skarmory for example: It's a Pokémon that wants to stay alive as long as possible, but that is impossible in any Magnezone match-up if Shed Shell isn't being run. Or Blissey: Chansey and Blissey can run the exact same set, yet Chansey has better bulk thanks to the Eviolite, therefore outclassing it in almost every regard. Additionally, I think some Pokémon have too many roles to fulfill at once, making these Pokémon fall flat like a piece of toast in some match-ups: key word Skarmory with Defog and Spikes, Mega-Steelix with Stealth Rock + Roar. What I mean to say by this is, in order for this team to perform more consistently and better, I think this team needs to be standardized a bit.
What is your team weak to?
+
:
This might be the most obvious weakness here. The main issue you're going to have to face is the fact that, sonner or later, Magnezone is going to be able to switch in due to hazard-pressure or simply due to a double or a U-turn from Mega-Scizor. After Skarmory is gone, Mega-Scizor can become a huge problem depending on how well both the Chansey and Mega-Steelix are pressured with volt-turn. But obviously you can replace Mega-Scizor with other Pokémon like Mega-Mawile pressuring the Chansey out so it can't Wish into Mega-Steelix. Now there are a couple of ways to cover the core: One option is to simply make Skarmory Shed Shell so it dpesn't get trapped by Magnezone, the other one is looking for an alternative that might even benefit Mega-Steelix in terms of sustainability.
: This is one of the sole weaknesses you have. If it gets the right opportunity to set up -which it does versus Steelix, Chansey, Skarmory-, it is most likely going to be sweeping you. What really makes this a problem, though, are the multiple hitting moves that pretty much makes Skarmory's ability be useless, but also the coverage it has (assuming it's running 3 attacks) is also enough to run through your whole team: Pin Missle hits Slowbro super-effectively; Rock Blast hits Skarmory and Buzzwole; and Close Combat hits both Chansey and Mega-Steelix super-effectively as well. But it's not like Mega-Heracross is impossible to beat on stall, something like a Clefable or Brave Bird Skarmory would make a lot of sense here.
: The reason why I put Heatran as the last weakness is because it heavily depends on the set how much it can really do. In any case, Heatran is always able to something as it is able to always force out the Skarmory with Magma Storm, thus being able to set Stealth Rocks most of the time. However, Stealth Rocks alone shouldn't bother you much since you have a Slowbro, which also gets beaten by Grassium Z. Slowbro being gone would possibly pave the way for another Pokémon to sweep. Admitedly, there is no universal counter to every Heatran set, which is why it's so common afterall, but there are a few ways you can improve the match-up against it.
How can you improve the team?
Major Changes:
>
:
The first change is a pretty obvious one. Honestly, even after having read your explanation, I still don't get why you would run Blissey over Chansey here. I mean just the fact that it's bulkier than Blissey on both defensive ends is enough reason to run it over Blissey. Additionally, both can run the exact same set, so this is a pretty easy decision, in my personal opinion. However, I am going for the standard Chansey set with Stealth Rock here, since this frees up a moveslot for Mega-Steelix.
>
:
I think having Clefable on this team is pretty cruical since it not only gives you a check to the Mega-Heracross and another Wish-Passer, but it also provides Heal-Bell-Support and acts as a cleric of sorts. So rounded up Clefable functions as your universal insurence for the whole team. The reason why I decided to replace Alola-Muk is simply because it was the most expendable member on the team that, sure, brings up some weaknesses, but the weaknesses are the least common out of all.
>
:
Let me start off by saying this: Shed Shell could actually be a solid alternative for the reasons explained above. The reason why I opted to go against the change, however, was mainly because Zapdos counter-pressures other teams. It puts pressure on Heatran, Landorus-T, Clefable, and so on. Additionally it checks Mega-Scizor and Mega-Pinsir all the same -if not better- than Skarmory, although the team might struggle against Mega-Gyarados, if it flinches Zapdos down.
Minor Changes:
> (
):
What I am pursueing with this change is actually a full on set-change with almost all of the moves being replaced, which I will explain one by one: The reason why Ice Punch is being replaced for Earthquake is simply because Blacephalon is a huge threat and that is sort of a way to keep it away better. And while I think Ice Punch is nice for Landorus-T and Zygarde, those get checked by Zapdos and Clefable respectively. Drain Punch is being replaced for Leech Life since it's the stronger move of the two and because the Mega-Gyarados match-up, although doable, isn't the safest. Lastly Roost is being replaced for Substitute -again- for two reasons: The first reason is to function better versus the Hyper Offenses you often see on the ladder (key word Blacephalon) and because it's affordable due to the Wish-Pass, the Leftovers, and the Leech Life.
Rest > Stealth Rock (
):
How I see it, this Pokémon is supposed to be the "star" of the team, for that reason I wanted to actually use all of its potential (which is walling things). How do I do that? I simply use Rest here to be more sustainable. With this change you check the like of Mega-Mawile, Tapu Bulu, and even Tapu Koko. I decided to keep the mechanic of the Pokémon as I do think it's not bad and is going to work for sure. I also decided to make Merga-Steelix bulkier for that reason. The spread is therefore going to be 248HP|56Def|200SpDef Impish.
What you might be weak to:
: Don't ever let this thing come in Chansey or Buzzwole without the Substitute up, otherwise this will instantly win. The main problem we have with the team right now is that Blacephalon's usage is increasing (as shown in the viability rankings) due to the rise of HO recently. Usually what you have to do is prevent Blacephalon from coming in at all cost and be careful how you position yourself after a kill. So rounded up, it's hella restricting in your way of playing, but it is doable with the right playing.
: Tapu Lele can potentially be really threatning to the team, but in order for that to happen it has to run Calm Mind Fightinium Z with Psyshock in order for that to happen, which definitely exists but isn't that common, let alone on HO. I would usually just go Chansey first and try to Toxic it and try to switch around with Mega-Steelix and Slowbro.
Conclusion:
Well, this was a tough one to do since there were some things that were missing that ended up costing you a bit of sustainability. WIth the removal of Alola-Muk I have obviously left a hole in the team -mainly referring to Blacephalon here- that is difficult to patch otherwise. This rate isn't supposed to dictate to you what team to run, I am just giving my perspective on it in hopes of you to -at the very least- see where I'm coming from and aknowledge the points I was trying to make. I also feel like this is one of the teams that opens up a hole once you patch up another one. But with all of that being said, I hope you enjoyed this rate. If you have any questions or criticsm concerning this rate, I encourage you to tell me. I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors!
Resources:
 
Moin Cookees! After a couple of weeks from vacation I'm back and hopefully better than ever. The first team I wanted to rate after the break was a team that's standing out to me, and this is definitely it. Also, the fact that it actually peaked also helped out a little bit in my decision (Congrats on the peak, by the way). While I find this team very interesting and endearing, there are a couple of aspects that -I feel- are either missing or could be improved. Additionally, I will name some threats to the team and cover them at the end.

Overview:
So first things first, I think the team is very unique in the OU-Meta and the fact that it peaked shows that anyone can do it. I like the synergy between Buzzwole, Mega-Steelix, Blissey, and Slowbro: it covers almost every threat in the tier. It's a really solid base, but the main issue I have is the sustainability of the team. That mainly comes from the fact that some of your sets are - quite frankly - not good, or that certain Pokémon outclass others. Let's take Skarmory for example: It's a Pokémon that wants to stay alive as long as possible, but that is impossible in any Magnezone match-up if Shed Shell isn't being run. Or Blissey: Chansey and Blissey can run the exact same set, yet Chansey has better bulk thanks to the Eviolite, therefore outclassing it in almost every regard. Additionally, I think some Pokémon have too many roles to fulfill at once, making these Pokémon fall flat like a piece of toast in some match-ups: key word Skarmory with Defog and Spikes, Mega-Steelix with Stealth Rock + Roar. What I mean to say by this is, in order for this team to perform more consistently and better, I think this team needs to be standardized a bit.
What is your team weak to?
+
:
This might be the most obvious weakness here. The main issue you're going to have to face is the fact that, sonner or later, Magnezone is going to be able to switch in due to hazard-pressure or simply due to a double or a U-turn from Mega-Scizor. After Skarmory is gone, Mega-Scizor can become a huge problem depending on how well both the Chansey and Mega-Steelix are pressured with volt-turn. But obviously you can replace Mega-Scizor with other Pokémon like Mega-Mawile pressuring the Chansey out so it can't Wish into Mega-Steelix. Now there are a couple of ways to cover the core: One option is to simply make Skarmory Shed Shell so it dpesn't get trapped by Magnezone, the other one is looking for an alternative that might even benefit Mega-Steelix in terms of sustainability.
: This is one of the sole weaknesses you have. If it gets the right opportunity to set up -which it does versus Steelix, Chansey, Skarmory-, it is most likely going to be sweeping you. What really makes this a problem, though, are the multiple hitting moves that pretty much makes Skarmory's ability be useless, but also the coverage it has (assuming it's running 3 attacks) is also enough to run through your whole team: Pin Missle hits Slowbro super-effectively; Rock Blast hits Skarmory and Buzzwole; and Close Combat hits both Chansey and Mega-Steelix super-effectively as well. But it's not like Mega-Heracross is impossible to beat on stall, something like a Clefable or Brave Bird Skarmory would make a lot of sense here.
: The reason why I put Heatran as the last weakness is because it heavily depends on the set how much it can really do. In any case, Heatran is always able to something as it is able to always force out the Skarmory with Magma Storm, thus being able to set Stealth Rocks most of the time. However, Stealth Rocks alone shouldn't bother you much since you have a Slowbro, which also gets beaten by Grassium Z. Slowbro being gone would possibly pave the way for another Pokémon to sweep. Admitedly, there is no universal counter to every Heatran set, which is why it's so common afterall, but there are a few ways you can improve the match-up against it.
How can you improve the team?
Major Changes:
>
:
The first change is a pretty obvious one. Honestly, even after having read your explanation, I still don't get why you would run Blissey over Chansey here. I mean just the fact that it's bulkier than Blissey on both defensive ends is enough reason to run it over Blissey. Additionally, both can run the exact same set, so this is a pretty easy decision, in my personal opinion. However, I am going for the standard Chansey set with Stealth Rock here, since this frees up a moveslot for Mega-Steelix.
>
:
I think having Clefable on this team is pretty cruical since it not only gives you a check to the Mega-Heracross and another Wish-Passer, but it also provides Heal-Bell-Support and acts as a cleric of sorts. So rounded up Clefable functions as your universal insurence for the whole team. The reason why I decided to replace Alola-Muk is simply because it was the most expendable member on the team that, sure, brings up some weaknesses, but the weaknesses are the least common out of all.
>
:
Let me start off by saying this: Shed Shell could actually be a solid alternative for the reasons explained above. The reason why I opted to go against the change, however, was mainly because Zapdos counter-pressures other teams. It puts pressure on Heatran, Landorus-T, Clefable, and so on. Additionally it checks Mega-Scizor and Mega-Pinsir all the same -if not better- than Skarmory, although the team might struggle against Mega-Gyarados, if it flinches Zapdos down.
Minor Changes:
> (
):
What I am pursueing with this change is actually a full on set-change with almost all of the moves being replaced, which I will explain one by one: The reason why Ice Punch is being replaced for Earthquake is simply because Blacephalon is a huge threat and that is sort of a way to keep it away better. And while I think Ice Punch is nice for Landorus-T and Zygarde, those get checked by Zapdos and Clefable respectively. Drain Punch is being replaced for Leech Life since it's the stronger move of the two and because the Mega-Gyarados match-up, although doable, isn't the safest. Lastly Roost is being replaced for Substitute -again- for two reasons: The first reason is to function better versus the Hyper Offenses you often see on the ladder (key word Blacephalon) and because it's affordable due to the Wish-Pass, the Leftovers, and the Leech Life.
Rest > Stealth Rock (
):
How I see it, this Pokémon is supposed to be the "star" of the team, for that reason I wanted to actually use all of its potential (which is walling things). How do I do that? I simply use Rest here to be more sustainable. With this change you check the like of Mega-Mawile, Tapu Bulu, and even Tapu Koko. I decided to keep the mechanic of the Pokémon as I do think it's not bad and is going to work for sure. I also decided to make Merga-Steelix bulkier for that reason. The spread is therefore going to be 248HP|56Def|200SpDef Impish.
What you might be weak to:
: Don't ever let this thing come in Chansey or Buzzwole without the Substitute up, otherwise this will instantly win. The main problem we have with the team right now is that Blacephalon's usage is increasing (as shown in the viability rankings) due to the rise of HO recently. Usually what you have to do is prevent Blacephalon from coming in at all cost and be careful how you position yourself after a kill. So rounded up, it's hella restricting in your way of playing, but it is doable with the right playing.
: Tapu Lele can potentially be really threatning to the team, but in order for that to happen it has to run Calm Mind Fightinium Z with Psyshock in order for that to happen, which definitely exists but isn't that common, let alone on HO. I would usually just go Chansey first and try to Toxic it and try to switch around with Mega-Steelix and Slowbro.
Conclusion:
Well, this was a tough one to do since there were some things that were missing that ended up costing you a bit of sustainability. WIth the removal of Alola-Muk I have obviously left a hole in the team -mainly referring to Blacephalon here- that is difficult to patch otherwise. This rate isn't supposed to dictate to you what team to run, I am just giving my perspective on it in hopes of you to -at the very least- see where I'm coming from and aknowledge the points I was trying to make. I also feel like this is one of the teams that opens up a hole once you patch up another one. But with all of that being said, I hope you enjoyed this rate. If you have any questions or criticsm concerning this rate, I encourage you to tell me. I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors!
Resources:
Hey man, thanks for the rate. I can tell you spent a lot of time and effort into this, so I really really appreciate it. I'm currently on hiatus from PS, so I won't be able to test out many of your changes right now, but I will later. I also really love your formatting, I felt that the visual design makes everything so much clearer and really helps you get your points across.

All in all, I am fairly open to your suggestions, all of them are logically reasonable and your arguments are well-made. I'll test them later, after my hiatus. I'll briefly go over all the changes you suggested. I think the Blissey to Chansey change is something I've been considering the most for a while, I've tested both of them thoroughly. But personally, I just felt that without Leftovers, a lot of other issues such as poison, sandstorm are exacerbated. When higher level opponents put pressure on my stall by double-switching under hazards, Blissey takes 6.25% per switch (with Leftovers), while Chansey takes 12.5%. Also, I can then use Protect to scout for these double switches, and this would regenerate my HP back by 6.25%. Especially for switching into smaller moves like Volt-Switch or U-Turn, Chansey would continually take chip damage until it was no longer able to check what it needed to check, while Blissey could restore that chip damage with Leftovers, even though it takes slightly more. Anyways, that's my controversial opinion of course, but you can definitely feel the extra bulk on Chansey with the stronger hits, so again it's something I need to explore further.

The Muk-A change to Clefable is interesting, and I will test this out and see how it goes. The only thing I'm concerned about, as you've already mentioned, is something like Specs Tapu Lele or Alakazam walking through my team and SubCM/Scarf/Specs Blace with Trick. But I agree that a Clefable would definitely help my M-Heracross match-up. Hmm, I'll play around with it when I come back and see how it goes, in combination with some other tweaks.

The Zapdos over Skarm change is something that I've actually tested before haha. Overall, I think Zapdos is a great mon, and something that I should really revisit again. Pressure Defog is very strong to guarantee that hazards remain off my field, and it could also make my Hawlucha match-up even stronger. Shed Shell on Skarm is also something that I was previously running on Skarm, but the lack of Magnezone's on higher ladder made me change it to Rocky, and also the prevalence of Knock Off users + Magnezone began to make me question running Shed Shell, but I agree that the removal of Shed Shell has made me much more vulnerable to something like Magnezone + M-Pinsir. For M-Scizor I usually just go Rocky Buzzwole, since it takes 17% when it U-Turns, and if it SDs, I can just Bulk Up along side it.

Sub Buzzwole, I'm open to testing out this set and I think it could be quite effective with the addition of Clefable to check Zygarde. Similarly with the defensive Steelix set, is something that also seems like something that could also be quite effective. I'm not fully sold on Rest over SR though at the moment, since being asleep may make me vulnerable to set-up sweepers, but I will look into it.

To conclude, I would like to really, thank you for your incredible feedback and suggestions and I'm sorry that I'm on hiatus and won't be able to test your modifications for some time. Wishing you the best!
 
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