An Epic!! RMT (Thunder Struck)

[robdogz]

I set out to build a team capable of relentless attacks that would "take apart" and dominate the OU metagame with optimal efficiency. This, I believed could only be achieve through the use of a wide range of types of Pokemon, complementary move sets, "good synergy" as well as encorperating and formulating strategies put forth by many smogon competitive battlers. Unfortunately my team seems to be struggling when my rating it at 1390. I find it hard and mere impossible to push through this barrier of rating in which my team needs to be tweaked to ensure my flaws are minimal.


Team At a Glance:

Metagross @Occa Berry
Ability: Clear Body
Evs: 200 HP / 252 Att / 12 Def / 46 Spd
Nature: Adament
- Bullet Punch
- Meteor Mash
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
Purpose: Leadgross is the ultimate Pokemon to beat many/most of the leads in the OU metagame as well as set up stealth rock. This Pokemon easily walls lead; Arodactyl, heatran (occa berry allows metagross to withstand the most deadly fire attacks and then 1HKO heatran with earthquake) Azelf (meteor mash will almost eliminate Azelf in a single hit however a follow up bullet punch is needed which is extremely effective). This sets up a strong position for the rest of my team. No lead is better in my opinion that I have come across or trialed!



http://www.legendarypokemon.net/images/dp_artwork/130.png
Gyarados @Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 156 HP / 186 Att / 168 Spd
Nature: Jolly
- Dragon dance
- Waterfall
- Earthquake
- Stone edge
Purpose: Gyarados is a great dancer and arguably the biggest threat in OU with the possibility to annihilate the opposition within a matter of seconds. I have decided to utilize the jolly gyaradose method. This allows me to combat many threats that initially outspeed gyarados. However after one ddance, Gyarados easily destroys jolteon, electivre with earthquake and stone edge on zapdos will all 1HKO them. Gyarados is a vital member in my team.

Scizor @Leftovers
Ability: Technician
EVs: 108 HP / 252 Att / 150 Spc.D
Nature: Adament
- Bullet Punch
- Pursuit
- Brick break
- Swords Dance
Purpose: Scizor is a great finisher! I am often found switching him in to finish off an opponent; along with swords dance, it makes him a formidable opponent to anyone, no matter what type of Pokemon. Scizors deadly bullet punch along with brick break give is a wide coverage of pokemon, allowing it to take down massive defensive threats such as blissey. Now don’t be fooled by the leftovers, scizor generates enough attacking power from a swords dance to become a vicious opponent, life orb only damages his weak Hp allowing him to be swept by various threats. Along with this, it becomes merely impossible to run from scizor, due to the move pursuit. He is a fantastic asset to my team.

Infernape @Life Orb
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 74 Att / 252 Spd / 184 Spc. A
Nature: Naïve
- Close Combat
- Grass knot
- Fire Blast
- HP ice
Purpose: Infernape is a versatile Pokemon, able to wall damaged water types with grass knot and full HP swamperts as well as many steel Pokemon with fire blast and pokemon such as gliscor and flyon with Hp ice. Infernape is an incredible late stage Pokemon when the opposition usually has little to prevent it; along with this infernapes close combat is able to 1HKO all blissey’s faced throughout shoddy battle. This is when this mix ape is very dangerous.

Lucario @Life Orb
Ability: Inner Focus
EVs: 6 Hp / 252 Att / 252 Spd
Nature: Jolly
- Close Combat
- Crunch
- Extremespeed
- Swords Dance
Purpose: Lucario is quite the attacking weapon, if used correctly. This move pool allows Lucario to strike with massive damage with Close Combat as well as attack with priority using extremespeed. Match this with speed and you have a demon off the leash. Along with cover move such as crunch which takes down rotom – H!!! (he use to be a massive threat to this team…..unti now :D), it will enable a wider the range of super effectiveness. Lucario has the ability to win the game and destroy your opponent.

Cresselia @Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 242 Def / 16 Spc. D
Nature: Bold
- Grass Knot
- Ice Beam
- Moon Light
- Thunder Wave
Purpose: Cresselia, the crux of my team. Being a solely offensive team beside cresselia, he allows me the luxury to easily sub in and thunder wave the opponent, to then set up a ddance or swords dance. Cresselia not only allows a number of my team members to strike but also does vital damage itself. Thurder waving a gyarados basically eliminates him from battle, proving himself almost entirely useless. This moveset also allows me to cover annoying pokemon such as swampert and flygon even though thunder wave is out of the question. He is my newest member and one im am grateful for.

This is by far my most successful team, however as I mentioned before it becomes stuck as I hit the 1390 mark on shoddy. Suggestion will be greatly appreciated. :)
​

 

[kd24]

This seems like a decent offensive team but there are still some serious problems present. Hopefully, I can help you fix most of these problems and give this team a boost to become as competitive as possible.

Dragon Dance Tyranitar is really a big threat to this team, especially when it has a chance to start DDing in front of Cresselia (as odd as it sounds, many teams that rely on DDTar as their main sweeper will usually hold a Safeguard in there to protect him from paralysis or burn). The quick and easy solution to DDTar (assuming he is holding a Babiri Berry, protecting him from Scizor's Bullet Punch), is adding Mach Punch or Vacuum Wave on Infernape. I would suggest taking out Grass Knot, as this team doesn't seem to have too many problems with bulky Water-types, especially with SDLucario and SDScizor.

Adding Mach Punch or Vacuum Wave to Infernape has many other advantages as well, like being able to take down Scarf Heatran or Agility Empoleon lategame. These two in particular seem to give you a bit of trouble, so that extra prioity would be well appreciated.

The other thing I see is that Cresselia is being relied on too much to deal with many threats like Gyarados, Salamence, and Lucario. What you might be interested in is giving Scizor Roost over Pursuit, for a bit more survivability and giving you a more reliable killer to Salamence, as well as a well built stall team in general. It also gives you a much better chance against Gengar who really hurts this team. My other suggestion is a bit more drastic but it gives you a status absorber and a much safer way to take on Lucario. Changing Gyarados to a DD/Rest/Sleep Talk/Waterfall version will give you a great way to absorb sleep like Spore from Smeargle or Breloom and still be able to fight on. The recovery from Rest is very appreciated on a team without a Rapid Spinner, and Dragon Dance + Waterfall seems to cover everything fairly well. Jolteon is a scary threat yes, but Cresselia's Ice Beam and triple priority from Lucario, Scizor, and Infernape should deal with it rather easily.

If you really want to keep Gyarados as a Dragon Dancer with 3 attacks, the other solution is to turn Cresselia into a Rest/Sleep Talk/Ice Beam/Thunder Wave version. This gives Cresselia the ability to stick around for a long time, although it would mean losing Grass Knot. If you aren't worried about Swampert or Suicune at all, this could definitely be the right desicion.