XY RU Blind Bird (Peaked #1 Multiple Times)

Molk

Godlike Usmash
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Introduction:



Alright everyone, i'm back with another RMT, in fact, this is the first serious RU RMT i've posted this generation! (my past two RMTS, one of which i posted only like two weeks ago were both joke teams: Team NFE and Pawniards's Wrath). Anyways, this is a rock solid bulky offense team that i built (with some help from my friend New Breed) around Bulk Up Gurdurr after seeing Afro Smash hyping it in the viability thread for the first time (not to mention FLCL v blarajan, where blara got 6-0ed by it from the lead slot iirc x.x).

The team aims to take hits as they come, checking and countering as many threats as possible while still posing a solid offensive threat, then eventually use Moltres's excellent wallbreaking abilities to allow either Gurdurr or Doublade to clean up the rest of the team easily later on in the game, all while using Shiftry's Defog support to keep Moltres healthy and free to rip through the opponent's defensive cores. Despite the basis of the team though, Moltres kinda stole Gurdurr's thunder and became the true MVP of the team as i used it, that wallbreaking ability and early game pressure is really a lifesaver, and its what ended up making the team as good as it is.(although Gurdurr still did pretty well honestly, its p. underrated imo).

This team has been pretty successful the whole time through, peaking #1 on the ladder multiple times (i ended up #1 on an alt during the shuckle suspect using this time, i'm also currently #1 on the current RU ladder under the alt "Im Bored". This team's also granted me some wins during RUgged Mountain, both as a guardian and a challenger, and several other people have used either this team or very similar teams with potent effectiveness both on ladder and in tournaments.

Lastly, i'm aware that this team is pretty similar to another RMT out there made by Arikado, this team was made completely independently from that one regardless of the (major) similarities, and i checked in with him before posting this just to make sure he was fine w/ it :).

The RMT name comes from a little inside joke between me and a few other people caused by Moltres's annoying tendency to miss at the worst possible times, thus being dubbed "that damn blind bird"



Anyways, onto the team members themselves

The Team:


Rhyperior @ Leftovers
Ability: Solid Rock
EVs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 220 SpD / 24 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Rock Blast
- Megahorn

Rhyperior is by far the best overall Stealth Rock setter in the RU tier, and it does its job admirably here. With a combination of excellent both all around with the given EV spread and a great ability in Solid Rock to weaken 2x super effective hits such as Earthquake, Rhyperior can take pretty much non Water- or Grass-type move with ease, pretty much ensuring it can get Stealth Rock up game after game and also making it an excellent all purpose tank, tanking hit after hit easily and retaliating with frightening power because its excellent STAB combination and high Attack stat even when pretty much uninvested. In particular, Fletchinder, Jolteon, most Doublade, Drapion, Braviary, Vivillon (after something else is asleep) and some varents of Meloetta all fall to this beast, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Having Special Defense investment on Rhyperior might look a bit strange to newer players, but its actually really really helpful when it comes to improving Rhyperior's overall bulk, and makes it much better at checking certain annoying things such as various Electric-types, as the combination of that investment and Solid Rock means Rhyperior can easily take a non STAB HP Grass from even the likes of specs Jolteon. Outside of that, The Speed evs are to creep Doublade and other Rhyperior, making my team much less vulnerable to both of them.


Doublade @ Eviolite
Ability: No Guard
EVs: 200 HP / 252 Atk / 56 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Iron Head
- Shadow Claw
- Shadow Sneak

As the pre evolution of the mighty Aegislash, its only natural that Doublade would be a pivotal member of the RU tier, and this team in particular. Doublade serves as this teams main answer to most Psychic- and Fighting-type Pokemon, taking on things such as Cobalion, Virizion, Hitmonlee, Hitmontop, Cresselia, and non Shadow Ball Reuniclus with ease thanks to its excellent Steel/Ghost typing and unholy amount of physical bulk with Eviolite tacked on. Doublade also serves as this team's best answer to Speed Boost Yanmega, resisting all of its coverage moves, 4x resisting Bug Buzz, and setting up on it with Swords Dance bar flinches (this is a MAJOR reason why HP Fire and Shadow Ball are perfectly good options over Giga Drain on Yanmega, i wonder why i dont see either more). Outside of this role, Doublade is also one of this team's late game cleaners, and boy does it do it well. Its aforementioned typing and bulk make it incredibly easy to set up on a slew of offensive and defensive threats alike, and once Moltres has burned through the bulky physical walls of an opponent's team it usually has little to no problem cleaning up the mess. The given EVs maximimize Doublade's overall bulk while overshooting base 40s such as opposing Rhyperior by just a little bit (oh the rhypyblade creep wars x.x).


Gurdurr @ Eviolite
Ability: Guts
EVs: 232 HP / 252 Atk / 24 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Bulk Up
- Drain Punch
- Knock Off
- Mach Punch

As mentioned in the introduction, Gurdurr is actually what the team was built around, but with Moltres taking center stage most of time, its eventually ended up playing second fiddle. This doesn't mean its not an important Pokemon in the team however. RU is crawling with frail Dark- and Normal-types such as Zoroark, Sharpedo, Heliolisk, Cinccino, and more, and thanks to Gurdurr's great Eviolite boltstered bulk and access to Drain Punch and Mach Punch, it does a great job at keeping these Pokemon in check, especially the first two, which are some of the most threatening Pokemon in the metagame. It also happens that Gurdurr's ability to lure in bulky Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon is astounding, and a simple Knock Off prediction can put me at a pretty major advantage, often cleanly 2HKOing or even OHKOing said Pokemon depending on just how bulky they are. Even Fighting-type resists that aren't of these types dislike Knock Off: Moltres and Yanmega are much easier to deal with when they dont have Choice Specs/Life Orb, and Aromatisse and Gligar are that much easier to take down without their Leftovers and Eviolite. During all of this, Gurdurr's Drain Punch keeps it alive and kicking for as long as possible, making it significantly more durable than the average Fighting-type. Lastly, like Doublade, Gurdurr's access to Bulk Up, Drain Punch, and Mach Punch makes it a great bulky cleaner, and just like spooky sword it has its fair share of matches where it cleans up the rest of the opposing team later on in the game (especially against mostly physically based teams lol), no matter what Imanalt tells you. Even if Gurdurr doesn't end up sweeping, its ability to keep some very powerful RU threats in check is still quite nice, ensuring it pulls its weight game after game.


Slowking @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 240 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD / 8 Spe
Modest Nature
- Scald
- Psyshock
- Fire Blast
- Grass Knot

Assault Vest Slowking is one of the few AV users that you'll ever catch me using, and for good reason, its one of the best possible holders of the item considering its ability, coverage, and overall bulk. Anyways, Slowking performs as this teams general bulky pivot. coming in on all kinds of attacks (mostly Special Attacks but it can take some physical ones as well), firing off an attack, and switching out no worse for wear thanks to its excellent ability in Regenerator, which provides it with great passive recovery. In particular, Slowking's ability to check Moltres and Delphox is absolutely invaluable to this team, both Pokemon would pose a massive threat otherwise, but just like that Slowking pretty much puts their offensive charge to a standstill, all while not being much of a momentum killer because of its power, coverage, and Scald's ability to burn. Slowking can even take very strong special moves such as Jolteon/Heliolisk's Thunderbolt and Yanmega's Bug Buzz in a pinch often getting me out of a bad position when my opponent gets too cocky and tries to go for the KO. Also, considering that other Slowking wall the mvp of this team: Moltres, AV Slowking's ability to stalemate and possibly Scald Burn them is a big help, ensuring i dont always have to risk my next best switch in Shiftry getting burned or smacked by Fire Blast when i need it for later.


Shiftry @ Life Orb
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Naughty Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Knock Off
- Leaf Storm
- Defog

Shiftry might seem weird to the average player, but from my experience its actually a very good Pokemon and one of the best teammates for Moltres possible. Thanks to a bunch of changes such as the Steel nerf, Defog Buff, and Knock Off buff, Shiftry has turned from a mediocre offensive Pokemon to the absolute best offensive Defog user in the lower tiers in the flip of a generation. Unlike Rapid Spinners such as Hitmonlee and Kabutops, Shiftry's hazard removal can't be blocked by spinblockers such as Doublade, and unlike other Defog users such as Gligar and Golbat, Shiftry has a bite to match its bark, with its Sucker Punch and Knock Off hitting quite hard and even outdamaging Naive Zoroark using the same moves. Meanwhile, Shiftry's powerful STAB Leaf Storm simply nukes nukes the omnipresent Stealth Rock setter Rhyperior, as well as Alomomola: bane of tsunami's existence, making Shiftry rather unique in its role. Shiftry isn't just limited to defogging though, as it also happens to have excellent synergy with the Pokemon that needs its support most: Moltres. Shiftry can easily take out bulky Water- and Rock-type Pokemon that threaten Moltres (Slowking in particular, you can predict Slowking into Moltres from a mile away and get into a good position quite easily through a simple double switch), while Moltres can switch in on and threaten the bulky Grass- and Fighting-type Pokemon that threaten Shiftry such as Amoonguss, Cobalion, Emboar, and some Virizion. This means that Shiftry isn't simply a vessel of rocks removal to Moltres, but a deadly offensive partner as well, and the two can pressure teams rather effectively when played well. Think of it as blind bird's seeing eye dog. Trust me, Shiftry's a pretty cool Pokemon in the current metagame, and definitely something to look at if your offensive team needs a reliable method of hazard clearing, and can't afford to be spinblocked. Give it a try!


Moltres @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Hurricane
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Roost

Last but not least, we have the flaming pheonix, the turkey nuke, the blind bird himself: Moltres! Moltres has been a huge threat in RU nearly since its inception, and even with BP nerfs to both of its STAB moves its still going strong. As previously mentioned, Moltres is the unintentional mvp and primiary wallbreaker/early game nuke of this team, OHKOing or 2HKOing the vast majority with its mighty STAB moves alone, and at least some of the Pokemon, such as Rhyperior who can stomach these hits easily fall to a well placed Hidden Power Grass, stopping them from ruining Moltres's reign of terror. Moltres is often able to clean up the game itself if the opposing team is slow enough, but when it can't by the time Moltres is down its most likely sufficiently weakened or completely eliminated key members of the opposing team, opening the door for a teammate to cleave through what's left. Moltres is also a great choice to lead off with early game if you don't see a Slowking on the opposing team, and the Pokemon i happen to lead with most often. Of the opponent doesn't lead with Something faster, there's a good chance you can get a KO or two early on just because of how hard it hits, making Moltres an excellent early game nuke. Sadly, Moltres's Stealth Rock weakness holds it back a little bit, but with Shiftry there to remove Stealth Rock throughout the game while having excellent synergy otherwise, this isn't as much of a problem as you'd think. Lastly, Shiftry's Sucker Punch makes it valuable as a revenge killer, which is pretty important on such an otherwise slow team. Overall, still a really excellent Pokemon, and even if you don't decide to use this team it's definitely something that anyone reading should try out, just be prepared to miss a bit.


Potential Threats:

This team should be able to handle much anything from my experience, but theres one particular Pokemon thats consistently a thorn in my side: Eelektross. It has such great coverage that i can't effectively switch into it, i can't OHKO it with a single member of my team, and it can be quite the annoying pivot with Volt Switch. This is a really big pain for this team, so be prepared to play around it if you use this team, although it'll often still end up getting at least one KO. Tinted Lens Yanmega is also an annoyance (Speed Boost gets walled by Doublade unless it runs the good coverage moves, which nobody does ._.), but between me having two 4x resists to Bug Buzz, a reliable Stealth Rock setter, a pivot that can take any non Bug Buzz coverage move, and Shiftry's Sucker Punch, i dont feel like i have as much of a hard time with it. Most teams without say Registeel are a bit Yanmega weak regardless.


Conclusion:
And that's the team! I m really really happy with how its done so far. From my experience, its solid, easy to use, and most importantly, its fun to nuke things with Moltres time and time again. However, if you have any suggestions on how to improve the team feel free to post a reply. If you want to try out this team for yourself, theres an importable of the team below that you can simply c/p into your PS! teambuilder, good luck!

Rhyperior @ Leftovers
Ability: Solid Rock
EVs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 220 SpD / 24 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Rock Blast
- Megahorn

Doublade @ Eviolite
Ability: No Guard
EVs: 200 HP / 252 Atk / 56 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Iron Head
- Shadow Claw
- Shadow Sneak

Gurdurr @ Eviolite
Ability: Guts
EVs: 232 HP / 252 Atk / 24 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Bulk Up
- Drain Punch
- Knock Off
- Mach Punch

Slowking @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 240 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD / 8 Spe
Modest Nature
- Scald
- Psyshock
- Fire Blast
- Grass Knot

Moltres @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Hurricane
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Roost

Shiftry @ Life Orb
Ability: Early Bird
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Naughty Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Knock Off
- Leaf Storm
- Defog
 
I'm honestly not sure why Shiftry's last 4 EVs are in Defense rather than Special Attack, but otherwise this team is quite brilliant all around. I love Shiftry getting some viable use. I am going to likely try the Shiftry + Moltres core.
 
I hate this team I hate this team I hate this team. :(((

Outside of me hating how good this team is, this is a very good teambuild. A lot of teams wish they had near perfect synergy like this and it threatens a lot of stuff.

One thing I do kinda notice is that you are slightly weak to Special/Mixed Sharpedo. Despite having a lot of priority, Gurdurr doesn't like switching into a Hydro Pump as it does about half and everything else is weak to Sharpedo's coverage moves. Slowking can switch into Special Sharpedo as it's 3HKO'd by it but you risk being 2HKO if Sharpedo carries Crunch.
 

phantom

Banned deucer.
Probably the most glaring weakness that you neglected to mention is to Weezing stall. A simple core of Weezing / Aromatisse / AV Slowking eats this entire team for breakfast. You don't have much of an efficient way to really pressure this core or take advantage of a switch due to the simple lack U-turn / Volt Switch users and the lack of Poison-types to absorb T-spikes; there's also the fact that Weezing beats your go-to entry hazard remover. So between LO recoil + weak attacks + the Poison damage it will be subjugated to due to its unfavorable matchup against Weezing (meaning it can't switch in and clear off Toxic Spikes on the spot), it will be worn down very very quickly and thus Toxic Spikes will stay there by midgame. That's not to mention that Aromatisse can Wish pass against half of your team, so breaking through this core is quite arduous unless you get SR in early game and proceed to outplay your opponent throughout the majority of the match, which isn't the most practical solution.

The one suggestion that can really give you an edge versus this type of build (without really changing it too drastically) is to simply swap out Hidden Power Grass in favor of U-turn on Moltres. You don't really miss out on much by omitting HP Grass. Rhyperior, the most notable target, is well covered by Shiftry, Slowking and Gurdurr, and just about everything else on your team can sorta "soft check" it if need be. The next target, Kabutops, is handled just fine by Gurdurr, Doublade, or even Shiftry if you must. Lastly, you have Omastar, which is only used as an offensive hazard stacker nowadays and favors terribly against Shiftry offense to begin with.

So U-turn deals about 35.6% minimum to 248/8 AV Slowking, which in tandem with SR damage adds up to 48.1%. Now taking Regenerator into account, Slowking switches out and accumulates 15.1% damage, which after another switch into SR puts it into 2HKO range for Moltres's Hurricane (unless you get really unlucky and get minimum damage rolls every time 9.9). This gives your team what it needs to go toe-to-toe with Weezing stall without sacrificing its synergy or taking away anything of value while still giving Moltres a way to pressure Rhyperior, among other targets for HP Grass.

Other than that, this team's dynamic is solid and has been used successfully by a lot of good RU players. I wouldn't be surprised to see it as the first XY RU team to be archived, it's quite literally the epitome of a well-built offensive team in this meta that also helped popularize two very underrated threats in Gurdurr and Shiftry. Really nice team, Molk.
 

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