SS OU Bulk Up Zeraora + Balloon Heatran Bulky Offense

[Colin]

Before all, it should be noted that I am not a high ladder player and my skill is middling at best.

This team seeks to do one of three things: enable a Zeraora sweep, force trades with air balloon Heatran and toxic + protect Melmetal until the other team's threats can no longer function, or to get CM Tapu Fini to sweep. it tries to enable one of those three options through chip targeted on ground types and pivoting through AV Tornadus-T and Landorus-T; it should also be noted that even if I play for a sweep, trading will most likely be needed. Pokepaste below:

https://pokepast.es/641c65ced87140b9​

Team + Description:




Zeraora @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Bulk Up
- Plasma Fists
- Knock Off
- Close Combat

Zeraora functions as the team's primary win condition and main speed control. It will most likely a sweep when ground types and other physical walls are weakened/KO'd, and seeks to abuse the fact that Landorus-T is many team's only check or counter to him by having the rest of the team being able to pressure it heavily. Against non-ground counters, Zera will hope to overwhelm them with trades and residual damage, or simply act as a positioning tool for Heatran.



Heatran @ Air-Balloon
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Magma Storm
- Eruption
- Stealth Rock
- Earth Power

Balloon Heatran is the team's stealth rock setter and primary wall breaker. because of its ability to pressure Landorus-T and other ground types, it makes an extremely dangerous offensive core with Zeraora. Eruption has the biggest nuke potential, but I am considering replacing it with rock tomb to break other Heatran balloons and more importantly to fight demon mew with the now faster taunts and toxics (will still most likely involve sacks as the strat is slow) while having the bonus of being obnoxious for offensive switch ins. if it cannot threaten a kill every time it enters, I often try to get rocks up and then trade with it



Landorus-T @ leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
IV's: 23 Speed
Careful Nature
- Defog
- U-turn
- Toxic
- Earthquake

In order to facilitate the offensive core above, the team needs pivots and hazard removal. Landorus-T provides both, as well as being able to toxic opposing Landorus-T and ground types and a more reliable electric immunity. 23 Speed IV's are used to under speed opposing Landorus-T to get the slower U-turn. The rest of the team is fairly well equipped to deal with strats designed to overwhelm it, such as this one, as they can provide alternative checks to pokemon trying to abuse it.



Tapu Fini @ leftovers
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 252 HP / 192 Def / 64 Spe
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Draining Kiss
- Taunt
- Scald

Tapu Fini provides insane role compression between a check to Weavile, ghosts, dragons, Urshifu-R, and Volcarona as well as an alternate win con for the situations where Zeraora won't cut it, mostly against fat but sometimes rain as well. The team is decently well equipped to deal with most strategies used to overwhelm it, but is not at all foolproof.



Tornadus-T @ assault vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 92 SpD / 168 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hurricane
- Heat Wave
- U-turn
- Knock Off

In my first draft of this team, I had a pivot-toxic Zapdos; however, I decided to take Hamiltonion's advice and change it to an AV torn. Torn fulfills the function of a pivot, and is also capable of checking many special attackers such as Dragapult and Blacephalon, while also being able to check the grasses. Unfortunately, this mon is often my only fodder to knock off, due to it being my switch in when Ferrothorn stifles my Melmetal.




Melmetal @ leftovers
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 252 Atk / 244 SpD / 12 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Double Iron Bash
- Earthquake
- Toxic
- Protect

This set is my check to Tapu Lele and other things defensive steels need to check. It is amazing at trading to make progress, which compensates for its tendency to get stuck on the field. Toxic is used to wear down things that are to dangerous to DIB, such as rocky helmet Slowbro and Buzzwole. Protect and leftovers grant it surprising longevity which makes it trading itself for another mon less exploitable. In spite of slowbro checking it, it often improves the matchup by virtue of protect nullifying the danger of future sight, provided that the abuser is not urshifu or threatens to set up on it. it also makes the zapdos-g matchup generally okay, as it can scout with protect. In my first draft, I went with a SpDef mixed Ferrothorn which was an ill fit for my team, but thankfully Hamiltonion was able to fix my team

What I noticed when playing: This team is in a winning position if it can lead Heatran to get rocks up or slap something with Eruption, then pivot around and slap things some more with either Melmetal or Heatran, and occasionally Zeraora. it loves to trade one or both of the steels, depending on their defensive value, and then attempting to either brawl it out or sweep with Zeraora or Tapu Fini. Matchups against teams that can disrupt that flow chart are more difficult, one example being rain in which I have to trade my mons for Ferrothorn, and then try to sweep with Tapu Fini, and sometimes I lose on the spot to Thunderus-T rain or certain hyper offense threats should they get in position. This team also loathes rocky helmet Ferrothorn, which forces me to take aggressive predictions I would prefer not to do, and offensive pivot zapdos, who will almost always kill me and hold momentum faster than I can combat.

Thanks to Hamiltonion for fixing my team

​

 

[hamiltonion]

Hi! I think the Zeraora + Balloon Tran concept around which you're building is solid but I think theres a couple ways you could make it more optimal. As you've identified, apart from Zeraora and Heatran, the rest of your mons are quite passive. This is problematic since, without a boost Zera doesn't KO a lot of things so that leaves the rest of your team quite weak to setup sweepers. The other issue is BU Zera + Balloon Tran work best when the rest of your team is also putting a lot of offensive pressure to force trades that are bad for your opponent, so generally you want a more offensively inclined team with some good pivots to bring in Heatran and Zera in key moments. In my opinion, the two most passive mons on your team are Zapdos and Ferrothorn. So identifying this and keeping the overall structure the same, I'll try to suggest some changes.

Major Changes

->

While I think Zapdos is a decent partner for Zera, I don't think it quite fits on these builds. AV Tornadus-T fits really well on your team since you already have Defog on Lando while compressing a special check that can also U-turn and provides the utility of a flying type to check grass mons. This essentially lets Torn-T compress pieces of the role of both Zapdos and Ferro into a single slot while also providing more utility. This lets us free up another slot for something else not quite as passive as Ferro.


Tornadus-Therian (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 92 SpD / 168 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hurricane
- Knock Off
- U-turn
- Heat Wave

->

Again, a change aimed at moving the team towards a more offensive direction. Protect + Toxic Melm is very good in the new meta with reduced Corviknight usage falling. Toxic lets Melm slowly wear down its checks and it already has excellent synergy with Fini and Lando on your team. You do give the ability to hazard stack with Ferro but I argue it would be practically difficult for you to keep hazards anyway due to a lack of offensive pressure. Melm can also wear down teams with Toxic or something is eating a DIB.


Melmetal @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 252 Atk / 244 SpD / 12 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Toxic
- Double Iron Bash
- Earthquake
- Protect

Here's the pokepaste with the new changes: https://pokepast.es/9d68fa02ae9a8de2

I feel these changes should make the team a lot less passive and let you implement your BU Zera gameplan. In general with this team, I'd try to keep constat pressure up and play generally aggressively. Keep in mind what you can set up on with Zera and Fini and especially, how much chip you need on key mons before Zera can just sweep them. Good luck!

 

[Colin]

Bump

 

[Maruchaan]

I think the strategy you're going with makes a lot of sense, and with the two changes you made it's way better than it's first rendition, but you still lose pretty hard against rain (and weather setups in general.) I think my recommendation here would be to use a weather check of some kind, swapping in a bulky mon to switch the weather and force the enemy weather off the field to really weaken their build. Looking at all the weather options in OU I think the best option is Tyranitar. This is because Tyranitar is bulky enough to use as a switch in, and with weakness to water you can easily activate weakness policy to force the opponent into a worse position, suddenly needing to take out Tyranitar or face a late game sweep (though this takes a lot of thought on your part to check Tyranitar counters before sending it out if you can.)

Who to swap

->

This was a tough decision but ultimately I think Tyranitar would work better for your team than Melmetal does. With a more varied type coverage as well as a check for rain teams, Tyranitar covers weaknesses that Melmetal simply can't deal with effectively and both Pokémon fill a similar tanky role. The set for Tyranitar was tough to think of, as it has a good balance of hard hitting status moves and offensive moves to take out enemy sweepers, but I think this is the best set I could think of for it on your team. The roar play can also be a crucial check to set up mons (Mimikyu Blaziken baton bass for example,) and force stealth rocks damage to stack.

Tyranitar @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Roar
- Crunch


Hopefully this helps somewhat, good luck with your team!

 

[Nish the Great]

I think the strategy you're going with makes a lot of sense, and with the two changes you made it's way better than it's first rendition, but you still lose pretty hard against rain (and weather setups in general.) I think my recommendation here would be to use a weather check of some kind, swapping in a bulky mon to switch the weather and force the enemy weather off the field to really weaken their build. Looking at all the weather options in OU I think the best option is Tyranitar. This is because Tyranitar is bulky enough to use as a switch in, and with weakness to water you can easily activate weakness policy to force the opponent into a worse position, suddenly needing to take out Tyranitar or face a late game sweep (though this takes a lot of thought on your part to check Tyranitar counters before sending it out if you can.)

Who to swap

View attachment 403438-> View attachment 403437

This was a tough decision but ultimately I think Tyranitar would work better for your team than Melmetal does. With a more varied type coverage as well as a check for rain teams, Tyranitar covers weaknesses that Melmetal simply can't deal with effectively and both Pokémon fill a similar tanky role. The set for Tyranitar was tough to think of, as it has a good balance of hard hitting status moves and offensive moves to take out enemy sweepers, but I think this is the best set I could think of for it on your team. The roar play can also be a crucial check to set up mons (Mimikyu Blaziken baton bass for example,) and force stealth rocks damage to stack.


View attachment 403446
Tyranitar @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Roar
- Crunch


Hopefully this helps somewhat, good luck with your team!

I’m sorry but not only is tyranitar not particularly good, the set you are using is not good either. Why would you use a wp set without ddance, and with roar for some reason?