Yes, I have a FE fetish. What of it?
Introduction
Introduction
Sup Smogon ^_^ Some of you may know me from me (few) posts in C&C while anyone else more than likely knows me through one of my alts on shoddy. I'm typically not active in the RMT forum (mostly due to the fact that I give poor team advice, partially because I can't stay dedicated to a single team for long), but with my attention now geared towards B/W's metagame, I just couldn't resist making a thread for my most successful team of 4th gen.
I never consider any of my teams "perfect" by any means because of the obvious holes in them. However, I always prepare for the current metagame by figuring out the best methods of gaining momentum, studying and countering trends - G/F/W cores gaining popularity after both Latias a Salamence got the Uber stamp for example - and, of course, checking the most prominent threats. I'm also pretty fond of finding the underdogs of OU, underused Pokemon that have great potential in the OU metagame. Torterra is a prime example of what I tend to look for, as it has more than enough merits over both Metagross and Rhyperior to make it a viable threat in OU.
A few months ago, around August, I started lurking around QC and found the skeleton for Aggron's OU analysis, eventually falling in love with Tyranitar's scarier-looking cousin. Head Smash was the main quality about Aggron that stood out to me, as, and iirc, it's 9% more powerful than max attack Groudon's Earthquake, making it a very potent attacking option in OU due to how many Pokemon either are OHKOed, or lose a huge chunk of health from it. After a while of using Aggron in OU, I became accustomed to how it should be played, and eventually built a team that would make Aggron shine. With its threats either lured out and KOed or crippled by entry hazards and status, Aggron can unleash its full destructive force in OU, leaving quite a few teams smashed into pieces.
Onto this...
Team Building Process
Stealth Rock:||||||||||||||||||||Spikes:||||||||||||||||||||Toxic Spikes:
One 2x weak|||||||||||||||||||||Two Immune ||||||||||||||| Four immune
One takes .5x damage||||||||||||Four vulnerable||||||||||||||One vulnerable
Four take normal damage|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||One absorbs Toxic Spikes
I never consider any of my teams "perfect" by any means because of the obvious holes in them. However, I always prepare for the current metagame by figuring out the best methods of gaining momentum, studying and countering trends - G/F/W cores gaining popularity after both Latias a Salamence got the Uber stamp for example - and, of course, checking the most prominent threats. I'm also pretty fond of finding the underdogs of OU, underused Pokemon that have great potential in the OU metagame. Torterra is a prime example of what I tend to look for, as it has more than enough merits over both Metagross and Rhyperior to make it a viable threat in OU.
A few months ago, around August, I started lurking around QC and found the skeleton for Aggron's OU analysis, eventually falling in love with Tyranitar's scarier-looking cousin. Head Smash was the main quality about Aggron that stood out to me, as, and iirc, it's 9% more powerful than max attack Groudon's Earthquake, making it a very potent attacking option in OU due to how many Pokemon either are OHKOed, or lose a huge chunk of health from it. After a while of using Aggron in OU, I became accustomed to how it should be played, and eventually built a team that would make Aggron shine. With its threats either lured out and KOed or crippled by entry hazards and status, Aggron can unleash its full destructive force in OU, leaving quite a few teams smashed into pieces.
Onto this...
Team Building Process
Aggron was the base of this team due to not only its retard-powerful Head Smash with no recoil, but also its Rock- / Steel-typing and amazing defenses, allowing it to take advantage of Outrages and Explosions being thrown around as well as the oh-so-common sandstorm. For those reasons, I chose Tyranitar as Aggron's offensive partner in order to muscle through Swampert and Hippowdon, while giving Aggron the special bulk needed to survive a random Fire Blast, Surfs, Grass Knots, etc. After a while, I changed Tyranitar's set from Choice Band to Choice Scarf in order to trap some of OU's most threatening sweepers and prevent them from capitalizing on Aggron's shit Speed stat.
Entry hazards are very important to Aggron's rampage, as they really help weaken Swampert and Hippowdon enough for Head Smash to plow right through them. Forretress and Froslass were my first choices as spikers, but neither could fit on my team well. I looked into other Pokemon with access to Spikes that could function well in OU, even trying stuff out like Quilfish and Cacturne, and eventually found myself using Roserade as a my spiker (I was also unaware of how helpful para support is to my team). I was a bit reluctant to continue using Roserade because of how frail it is, but ultimately began relying on it as my primary check to Vaporeon, Suicune, Starmie, most Grass-types (Leech Seed Shaymin in particular), and, to an extent, Gengar.
The next choice was pretty simple for me. Gyarados and Roserade form one of my favorite defensive duos in OU - Roserade easily sets up on most of the stuff that Gyarados lures in, and in return, Gyarados abuses those entry hazards with Intimidate and Roar and checks Pokemon that commonly switch in Roserade, such as Heatran and Infernape. I made no hesitation plopping RestTalk Gyarados on my team and I haven't looked back on that choice yet.
I never make a team without Stealth Rock. It's incredibly easy to get up, ensures a lot of KOes, and, unlike (Toxic) Spikes, hits every Pokemon for at least some damage, ensuring that my opponent has to think twice before switching. Kabutops recently became one of my favorite OU teams due to its ability to outright troll stall with Rapid Spin and an incredibly strong Stone Edge to ward ghosts off with. Unfortunately, Kabutops would be forced to switch against most leads, usually revealing Gyarados early in the game, so a replacement was in order. Phil's Heatran set, unlike Kabutops, has much better lead match ups, including a very good chance at beating LeadChamp, so I tried it out for a while with a great success rate. There really wasn't much else to run as this team's lead, as Heatran had great type synergy, midgame utility, and, of course, a very good chance at starting a game off 6-5.
Entry hazards are a blessing to any team, and I would hate to have them spun away whenever I fuck up with Tyranitar, Gyarados, or Aggron. RestTalk Rotom-H seemed to do the trick as a great spinblocker, as it can constantly check multiple OU threats, effectively removing more pressure from my team, and further cripple bulky Ground-types that give Aggron problems.
Entry hazards are a blessing to any team, and I would hate to have them spun away whenever I fuck up with Tyranitar, Gyarados, or Aggron. RestTalk Rotom-H seemed to do the trick as a great spinblocker, as it can constantly check multiple OU threats, effectively removing more pressure from my team, and further cripple bulky Ground-types that give Aggron problems.
At a glance~
Stealth Rock:||||||||||||||||||||Spikes:||||||||||||||||||||Toxic Spikes:
One 2x weak|||||||||||||||||||||Two Immune ||||||||||||||| Four immune
One takes .5x damage||||||||||||Four vulnerable||||||||||||||One vulnerable
Four take normal damage|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||One absorbs Toxic Spikes
All types, except for Rock, are resisted at least twice
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"Of course. Who do you think I am?! I am Darin, Marquess Laus! Ruler of this world!"
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Heatran (M) @ Life Orb *** Darin
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 32 HP/224 Spd/252 SAtk
Modest nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
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Ah yes, philo's LeadTran set kicks off this team with a bang (...or at least it would've been a bang if this team didn't have such as huge weakness to stupid Baton Pass chains). Despite having just about the same checks as any other Heatran, this set has served me well in gaining momentum from the start, getting SR up, and checking the occasional steels.
Why Heatran?
The point of using Heatran is to gain an advantage from the start while having reliable access to Stealth Rock later in the game. The lead position is the most important slot on any team, as it determines which side gets the first blood and gains momentum from the start. Anti-leads such as Machamp and SpecsTran have skyrocketed in usage over the past couple of months, making the typical suicide / resist berry leads much less viable. This led me to using a lead with not only has longevity, but also has the tools to prevent it from being set up on. I didn't want to have one Pokemon to set up both Stealth Rock and Spikes - way too much pressure imo - but I didn't want to go without a spinblocker, so I chose Heatran to get rocks up and incinerate opposing leads.
EVs and moveset?
Max Special Attack Life Orb Overheat almost always OHKOes attacking lead Machamp; Hidden Power Grass snipes Swampert and bulky waters that Heatran lures in; Taunt helps a lot against Baton Pass chains and eases the prediction when pitted against Forretress leads. 346 Speed trolls Jolly Tyranitar and Pokemon that speed creep in order to beat it. The rest is thrown into HP for a bit of added bulk and a LO number as well.
Thinking about changes?
Nah, Heatran works fine here as the lead. It hasn't shown itself as deadweight and usually starts a match off in my favor.
Name Association
Both Darin and Heatran are ugly as fuck. Yeah, there isn't much else that they have in common.
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"You know nothing, little lord. Nothing of Nergal's might. Nothing of his terrible power. You are ignorant, and so you hope to oppose him. You are insects railing against the heavens. Your actions will change nothing. Speak no more foolishness and begone!"
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Rotom-W @ Choice Scarf *** Uhai
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
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My team unfortunately relies on entry hazards in order to be effective, so having a spinblocker is pretty much a given. However, in order to maintain momentum throughout the game, I need a Pokemon that can patch up an obvious holes in my team such as weaknesses to a few common sweepers and defensive threats. Rotom-W fills this role very well with not only great offensive capabilities, but also access to Trick, Hydro Pump, and Thunderbolt. I haven't really committed myself to keeping it as a permanent member of this team, but Rotom, up to this point at least, has served me well as my trump card when backed into a corner by the likes of Gyarados, Suicune, and Gliscor.
Why Rotom?
Usable Ghost-types are pretty low in count, and because this team prefers longevity over sweeping potential, my options were limited to Rotom-A and Spiritomb (Dusknoir's pure Ghost-typing and meh offensive potential kept me from considering it). Rotom-A is a great Pokemon that can feign multiple sets, maintaining its utility even after its set has been revealed; it's also one of the best checks to Gyarados around as well as a very solid counter to SD Scizor. Spiritomb on the other hand didn't serve much of a purpose on my team, as Machamp, Lucario, and Gengar are checked pretty well by Gyarados and Tyranitar.
EVs and moveset?
Rotom needs as much power as it can get so in the event that it becomes option raped by a Pursuit user, Rotom can at least cause some damage. With Tyranitar, and for that matter Roserade, handling Gengar and opposing Rotom, there isn't much need for Shadow Ball; Hidden Power Ice, as suggested by Faladran, gives Rotom a much better option against Dragonite, OHKOing bulkier variants given that SR damage has been accounted for.
Thinking about changes?
Other Ghost-types, as already mentioned, don't really add anything new to this team other than a few useful niches such as countering Machamp and Gengar (Spiritomb), and abusing Gravity (Dusknoir). RestTalk Rotom-H was here previously, but it only made my team more susceptible to offense.
Name Association
In all honesty, this nick is mostly filler so Rotom doesn't break this team's theme. Yeah, sorry.
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"Tell me… Are you afraid to die?"
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Roserade (F) @ Leftovers *** Ursula
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP/80 Def/124 Spd/52 SDef
Calm nature (+SDef, -Atk)
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Roserade is, imo, the best spiker in OU, as it has to tools to beat most spinners (fuck you, tenta), absorbs Toxic Spikes on the switch in, and the stats for taking hits and setting up multiple layers of spikes. Not only that, but it has access to Stun Spore, giving a lot of Pokemon who usually benefit from Spikes support such as DDTar and Lucario, much needed paralysis support. On this team, both are very much welcome, as Aggron and Heatran can outright break slower teams in half with their ridiculously strong STAB attacks combined with residual damage from spikes.
Why Roserade?
Simple. Spikes. Lots of them. I was never fond of using Roserade as a spiker in the past, as its low Defense stat made it seem too much like Tyranitar bait. However, I eventually began to rely on it as my primary switch in to bulky Waters, Grass-types, and Rotom-A. Forretress just couldn't keep up with my team and Froslass was way too frail, usually giving me a 5-6 disadvantage from the start. I never really got to testing Skarmory out, but it just seems to be more of a liability than anything to this team - giving me an even larger weakness to Starmie and Rotom in exchange for... Roost and a second phazer?
EVs and moveset?
Maxing out Roserade's pitiful HP is obvious. 124 Speed places Roserade at 346 Speed, as with Heatran, allowing it to outpace most defensive Celebi, Wish + CM Jirachi, and the speed creeping fuckholes. 80 Def prevents Scizor's Bull(shit)et Punch from KOing Roserade after SR damage, allowing Roserade to lure out and KO a threat to Tyranitar.
Thinking about changes?
It really depends on whether or not I find Spikes and paralysis support to be less of a use to this team. Otherwise, no.
Name Association
Roserade and Ursula don't share that many traits, but both tend to constantly remind their targets of the punishment that will occur if mistakes are made - Roserade does this with Stun Spore and Spikes while Ursula emphasizes on the punishment of the Black Fang.
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"Aaargh… Lloyd… Linus… Forgive your… foolish…father……"
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Gyarados (M) @ Leftovers *** Brendan Reed
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP/164 Def/32 Spd/64 SDef
Careful nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
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What's the point of setting up entry hazards if I don't abuse them? Gyarados, one of the premier phazers in OU, fits very well on this team for its ability to check Infernape, AgiliLuke, and Heatran without much trouble, while racking up tons of entry hazard damage with Roar. Gyarados also comes in handy as a second status absorber, so I can fall back on something other than Rotom when pitted against Blissey, Jirachi, and the like; while it may seem a bit risky to carry two RestTalkers, Gyarados's primary job is to check Fighting- and Fire-types, and Rest off the damage taken when it can. With Roserade and Heatran in reserve, Gyarados forms a solid F/W/G core on this team, optimizing paralysis and entry hazard abuse in order to weaken my opponent's team enough for Tyranitar or Aggron to clean up.
Why Gyarados?
Compared to its fellow bulky Water-types, Gyarados boasts a lot of merits for this team to benefit from. For one, Flying-typing allows Gyarados to sponge hits from some of OU's most threatening powerhouses (namely Machamp), avoid Spikes and Toxic Spikes, and also gives Gyarados great type synergy with the rest of my team. Imtimidate as well as access to Roar give Gyarados the tools to constantly force switches, racking up more and more hazard damage. Vaporeon, Suicune, and Swampert have access to Roar, but give me an even bigger weakness to Lucario and Scizor.
EVs and moveset?
The Special Defense investment does a myriad of things, including taking continuous hits from the likes of Celebi and Infernape while Resting off the damage with ease. The small investment in speed places Gyarados right about 0 Spe Suicune, allowing it to Roar first in that case.
Thinking about changes?
Vaporeon and Suicune can't check Fighting-types as consistently as Gyarados, but they're options for Wish support and offensive capabilities, respectively.
Name Association
Brendan is the father of both Linus and Lloyd and was leader (and founder) of the Black Fang until Nergal's takeover. He's also very considerate of his loved ones, especially his sons. Gyarados forms very excellent type synergy with the rest of my team and greatly supports Aggron and Tyranitar by checking threats to them and spreading damage with Roar.
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"Pray. I'll give you that much time. All the evil that you've done up to now... Repent it, and sleep."
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Aggron (M) @ Choice Band *** Linus Reed
Ability: Rock Head
EVs: 4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
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Finally, we get to the crux of this team, Aggron, who has countless MVP titles under its belt thanks to its unique traits and unpredictability. With a Choice Band attached, Aggron becomes incredibly powerful, mowing through some of OU's top defensive walls with Head Smash. Its "coverage" attacks are also pretty helpful in downing stuff like Jirachi, Hippowdon, and Breloom without worrying about a Head Smash miss. Moreover, Aggron's as cute as a button (I mean, who wouldn't want to give it a nice, warm, tight hug?).
Why Aggron?
Being a underused, yet very capable Pokemon in OU is more than enough for me to use Aggron over any other Choice Bander; however, that wasn't all that tempted me to use Aggron over Tyranitar or Heracross. Its immunity to poison, resistance to Stealth Rock, and usable bulk give Aggron multiple chances to switch in and start wrecking shit with Head Smash. Speaking of which, Aggron's Head Smash is among one of the most powerful attacks in the game, 2HKOing defensively bulky Pokemon such as Skarmory and Forretress as well as Pokemon that resist Head Smash, Machamp being the most notable. Aggron also has access to other coverage attacks, allowing it hammer its way through most of OU given some prediction. Did I mention that Head Smash is fucking strong?
EVs and moveset?
Jolly + max speed places Aggron at a nice 218 Speed, allowing it to beat everything up to and including SubPetaya Empoleon, while maintaining quite a bit of power, only missing out on a few KOes without a +Attack nature.
Thinking about changes?
Hell no
Name Association
Linus is the more rash and impulsive Reed brother, but is extremely loyal to and caring of his loved ones - Linus ignores Lloyd's orders out of his own impatience, but only for the purpose of showing him that he's a very capable and powerful member of the Four Fangs. Aggron is much more powerful and unbound unlike his distant cousin, Tyranitar, not really requiring much thought to use (really, spamming Head Smash almost always guarantees that something's gonna die). Aggron's also very dedicated to this team, akin to Linus's loyalty to Lloyd and Brendan, and compassion towards his step-sister, Nino (<3).
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"In the name of the Fang, I sentence you to death. Do not blame me for your fate. It is your own doing."
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Tyranitar (M) @ Choice Scarf *** Lloyd Reed
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
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Tyranitar is notorious for its tendency to punish careless players by either trapping or killing one of their valuable team members. Aggron really appreciates fast(er) powerhouses out of the way as well as sandstorm support so it can tank uninvested special attacks and continue its rampage. That being said, Tyranitar is my most reliable option against CM Jirachi (Heatran gets stalled out of Overheat eventually and +1 Thunderbolts sting a bit), SD Lucario, Gengar, and LO Heatran. It also cleans pretty well given that faster pokes and Scarfers have all been taken care of. Despite its many benefits to my team, however, Tyranitar tends to stay hidden unless I really, really need something out of play.
Why Tyranitar?
Speed and Pursuit were top priority for this slot due to Starmie and Gengar constantly trolling my team without much punishment from entry hazards (Recover, Pain Split...). My choices where limited to ScarfZor, Heracross, and ScarfTar, as they have very little trouble trapping Ghosts and Psychics due to their natural bulk, decent speed when given a scarf, and access to a powerful Pursuit (Guts in Hera's case). Scizor and its trademark U-turn combined with entry hazard support sounded great on paper, but was a bit underwhelming in practice, forcing my team to lose a Pokemon against the likes of LOTran and NP Infernape before they could be revenged by it. Heracross's case was the same during the short time that I used it, only it required much more prediction to use without U-turn to keep the momentum going for my team. I tried ScarfTar multiple times, and it did its job pretty well. Starmie nor Gengar were problems to my team, and obligatory Fire-types became no trouble for my team at all.
EVs and moveset?
It's ScarfTar. Oh, I need a description here? Max Speed to beat base 115s and tie with +1 Jolly Tyranitar, Earthquake >>>> Superpower in order to break Jirachi and Metagross.
Thinking about changes?
Tyranitar is an invaluable asset to this team, providing sandstorm and Pursuit support as well as a much more reliable answer to Heatran; i.e, Tyranitar doesn't hinder my team much with sandstorm and removes a lot of pressure from Gyarados's back. I can't really see myself replacing it anytime soon. Regarding its moveset, I'm thinking about switching to DD in order to take advantage of the holes that Aggron opens up, but then my team wouldn't really have an answer to offensive Celebi, Lucario, or (fast) Jirachi.
Name Association
Contrary to his brother, Linus, Lloyd is a very level-headed, calm person, taking no hesitation to carry out orders given to him by his father. Tyranitar, as opposed to Aggron, doesn't just spam its STAB in order to dispatch of incoming threats. Rather, Tyranitar has to be played carefully in order to prevent becoming setup fodder for Gyarados, Dragonite, Lucario, and opposing Tyranitar.
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Conclusion
This team has been pretty good to me. It was fun to build, got my CRE on SB1 to a decent number, and of course, was very fun to use given that I played it correctly. 5th gen's metagame has taken my eye unfortunately, so it's very rare that I use this team at all these days; however, 4th gen isn't over yet and I do plan on using this team in the future as well, so any suggestions are welcome. It might be good to mention that this team managed to get me pretty high on the TU leaderboards after using it for a couple of days (FUCKING TEST in case anyone's wondering). Overall though, using Aggron in OU was very fun from my experience - it never gets old to see stall teams get destroyed by it - and I hope to troll the metagame of 5th gen with another underrated threat.
Conclusion
This team has been pretty good to me. It was fun to build, got my CRE on SB1 to a decent number, and of course, was very fun to use given that I played it correctly. 5th gen's metagame has taken my eye unfortunately, so it's very rare that I use this team at all these days; however, 4th gen isn't over yet and I do plan on using this team in the future as well, so any suggestions are welcome. It might be good to mention that this team managed to get me pretty high on the TU leaderboards after using it for a couple of days (FUCKING TEST in case anyone's wondering). Overall though, using Aggron in OU was very fun from my experience - it never gets old to see stall teams get destroyed by it - and I hope to troll the metagame of 5th gen with another underrated threat.
