Back in OU

[Krow]

After a long break between Gen 4 and Gen 5, I'm finally back to my roots here in the OU tier that I used to love. Mixing a bit of my oldschool Gen 3 / Gen 4 flavor with these Gen 5 strategies.

The Team

███████ = Changes

Infernape @ Focus Sash
Trait: Blaze
EVs: 48 HP / 252 Atk / 208 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Fake Out
- Flare Blitz
- Close Combat​

Good ol' Lead Ape. I consider it a classic of Gen 4. Free rocks against everything that doesn't have Magic Bounce, Fake Out to break Sashes and then a quick follow up Flare Blitz / Close Combat to OHKO the opponent lead. Infernape is my lead almost 100% of the time, and can even kill opponents, which seems to be uncommon compared to the new-age defensive leads. EV spread seems a little weird, but 208 Spd EVs give 334 Speed, which outspeeds any positive nature'd pokemon with less than 102 base Speed. I figured HP would be the best place to place these unnecessary speed EVs.

Latias @ Choice Specs
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 72 HP / 184 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Psychic
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Ice Beam​

I feel I'm one of the few players that believe Latias to be better than it's counter-part Latios. Psychic over Psyshock is personal preference. HP Fire is for common walls, and adds great coverage in combination with Ice Beam. 184 SpA ends up being just enough with specs to kill a full SpD Dragonite, which is very common on the Rain teams I seem to play against all the time. Spd max and positive nature'd is to tie out against other Latias / Latios and OHKO if I win the coin toss. HP is for the leftover points to be a little tankier.

Conkeldurr @ Leftovers
Trait: Guts
EVs: 100 HP / 252 Atk / 156 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Bulk Up
- Drain Punch
- Mach Punch
- Payback​

Being new to Gen 5, this thing looks to be one of the strongest, non setup/band sweepers on the market. 140 Base Atk is absolutely massive, with Guts access.

Keldeo @ Expert Belt
Trait: Justified
EVs: 44 HP / 252 SAtk / 212 Spd
Timid Nature
- Surf
- Secret Sword
- Icy Wind
- Hidden Power [Psychic]​

Keldeo is the SpA version of Scizor. It fits on every team and is so strong. I use Surf over Hydro Pump, personal preference. I don't like the chance at missing. Secret Sword is standard. Icy Wind is standard if you're not running HP Ele. HP Psychic however is quite weird. I was previously running HP Ele but I found my team very weak to Venosaur, Toxicroak, and other focal points in weather teams. 212 Spd is for the exact same reason as Infernape, giving 334 and allowing it to outspeed everything with 102 speed and below. I feel Expert Belt is the best item for it. Scarf locks it down too much as well as it's already speedy, Specs is unecessary, and with this moveset it has amazing coverage on 2/3s of all pokemon.

Tyranitar @ Choice Band
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 148 HP / 252 Atk / 108 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Crunch
- Stone Edge
- Superpower
- Pursuit

Scizor @ Life Orb
Trait: Technician
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Bullet Punch
- Superpower
- Bug Bite​

Technician made an already strong pokemon even better. I'm honestly surprised he's not in Ubers, being the most picked pokemon in all of OU. He fits on almost all teams possible (Rain, Hail, Sun, Trick Room, Gravity, Standard).

Threats​

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These three are all here for the same reason. They tank my team so very well. the only one I have any chance of really killing is Skarmory with Infernape's Flare Blitz or Latias' HP Fire. If both of them are down, the only answer I have is a Thunderpunch from Conkledurr, which isn't that great.

Ninetales is here for 2 reasons. It represents Sun teams, and it's here on it's own merit. This this is super tanky in most sets. Keldeo's Surf barely kills it (105% OHKO). Most Ninetales are on lead, while my Infernape usually is. If I switch to counter it, it can predict solarbeam and OHKO Keldeo easy.

Scarf Latios/Latias pretty much manhandles any pokemon on my team. There's nothing specific to say about it, it will always kill my Latias. The only thing that could wall it temporarily would be Jarachi, which it 4HKO's with HP Fire (35%-41%, breaks subs guarnteed).

This little guy is also an amazing wall against me and my team. If running a sub / toxic / protect set, it can stall out my only checks for it (being Latias and Keldeo). It even gives Conkeldurr enough of a hassle.

I'm looking for any advice and willing to take all suggestions seriously. All I want is to better my team and hit that Rank 1. :P

Importable​

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Infernape @ Focus Sash
Trait: Blaze
EVs: 48 HP / 252 Atk / 208 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Fake Out
- Flare Blitz
- Close Combat

Latias @ Choice Specs
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 72 HP / 184 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Psychic
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Ice Beam

Conkeldurr @ Leftovers
Trait: Guts
EVs: 100 HP / 252 Atk / 156 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Bulk Up
- Drain Punch
- Mach Punch
- Payback

Keldeo @ Expert Belt
Trait: Justified
EVs: 44 HP / 252 SAtk / 212 Spd
Timid Nature
- Surf
- Secret Sword
- Icy Wind
- Hidden Power [Psychic]

Tyranitar @ Choice Band
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 148 HP / 252 Atk / 108 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Crunch
- Stone Edge
- Superpower
- Pursuit

Scizor @ Life Orb
Trait: Technician
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Bullet Punch
- Superpower
- Bug Bite

Changes​

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● Sub CM Jarachi -> CB Tyranitar
● Flame Orb Conkledurr -> Bulk Up Conkledurr
● CB Scizor -> SD Scizor

 

[Honus]

This team looks like it has issues with 3 attacks Volcarona if it hits +1 [which really isnt all that hard]. It outspeeds the whole team after a boost and really poses a legitimate threat between Fire Blast/Bug Buzz/Giga Drain, which probably KO everything except maybe your Infernape under the sun, after a boost. I think you can remedy this by making a few changes. The first of which would be to change Keldeo to a Scarf version, in bw ou you really need insurance against stat uppers and Keldeo provides this insurance really well, with strong SpAtk and a great speed tier. Another change I'd make is to put a Choice Banded Tyranitar over Jirachi. I think you ought to focus on the Physical side of this team more, as Keldeo is a one man sweeper if its counters are removed, and Specs Latias is a great auxiliary to lure in stuff like Hippowdon that also wall physical attackers and straight fuck them. CB Tar does a lot for this team; it negates weather like sun/rain, traps Latios, traps Jellicent, Tentacruel as well if it doesn/'t scald burn. Most importantly it can outspeed and [after SR] nab a 2HKO on Skarmory, which it often lures in, with Stone Edge, thus opening up a big opportunity for your Conkeldurr/Scizor to break through. Anyways I think you can really make Conkeldurr better as well by changing it to a Bulk Up Variant. These honestly blow through teams, given that +1 Drain Punch does 41% to Skarm and Mach Punch/Payback kill everything else, Flame Orb really relies a lot on prediction and dies way too quickly, but Bulk Up can really help get pressure and has a lasting stay. I think Scizor might be better off as an SD Variant as well, as, like Keldeo, it really benefits from CB Tar, who is able to trap or lure in and kill all of its counters. I think you may want to stick with the standard, but SD Flight Gem Acrobatics Scizor is also pretty great since it can lure in and rape Jellicent/Tentacruel to help out Keldeo.

So in short:
Keldeo->Choice Scarf Variant
Scizor->Swords Dance Variant

Tyranitar (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs:148 HP / 252 Atk / 108 Spe
Adamant (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Crunch
- Stone Edge
- Superpower
- Pursuit

Conkeldurr (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Guts
EVs: 100 HP / 252 Atk / 156 SDef
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Bulk Up
- Drain Punch
- Payback
- Mach Punch

 

[Krow]

Alright Honus. A lot of of your suggestions made a lot of sense, and I'm more than willing to try anything. The only change you suggested that I did not make was Scarf Keldeo. I've tried all the variants and I really do feel that this is the best one for me and how I play. I feel like Scarf would make my team a bit too reliant on switching (having a Scarf, Band and Specs) as well as Stat ups don't really intimidate me all that much. I have yet to run into a Volcorona at all, let alone a setup one, and the only other stat upper that is a threat is Sub DD, which it seems to handle fine as it is.

 

[swwaaggeerr]

i think u shud put those "wasted evs" back into speed so u can at least speed tie wit base 108s? This team has massive truble wit rain stall as they frequntly use tentacruel and jellicent which wall at least half ur team. I highly suggest sheer force conkeldurr over ur current one. It will at least 2hko jelly and tentacruel and it is very difficult to wall so u can break through stall better.
Conkeldurr
sheer force
same evs
drain punch
ice punch
thunderpunch
mach punch
Hidden power psychic on keldeo? I rather have toxicroak problems than gyarados problems. if it works watever but i think u shud replace wit electric