Edit: I accidentally uploaded before finishing at 5:48 PM EST, for context of the comments below
Decided to finally make my first RMT after finally hitting #1 on the ladder with a team I've been working on for over a month
paste: https://pokepast.es/a88af42ff1b7817f
I. Introduction
II. Building Process
III. Breakdown
IV: Threats
V. Replays
VI. Proof of Peak & Conclusion
I. Introduction
I wanted to build a team because I believe it is still an underrated threat in the current metagame that provides a lot of solid traits to a team. The obvious one is unaware, but it also has another overlooked resist that is hard to come by in the current metagame, that being Ice. Since most of the steels in the current metagame either don't resist ice or get blown up by earth power, slotting a true sturdy ice resist can be difficult and Skeledirge provides that. It's fairy resist is also quite valuable for taking on threats like 
, and although you don't like taking Knock Off, 
in a pinch. Thanks to Tera and Unaware you can check most setup sweepers in a emergency, which is immensely valuable in a metagame with as many threats as SV OU.
II. Building Process
I obviously started with, so the next step was of course to slot in a breaking core. I went with Spikes , since it can break pretty much anything with enough support in Tandem with Knock Off, and even provides nice defensive utility with its great natural bulk, Water typing, and speed placing it above threats such as 
and 
. Its ability to threaten the main forms of removal in the tier and 
is also a great trait to have for a spiker. I still was lacking speed control so my next addition was a Choice Specs , another underrated threat capable of revenge killing other fast guys like 
and 
while providing breaking power. The following defensive core kind of built itself from there, with for reliable removal, IDBP for its ability to blanket check physical guys while providing pivoting with U-Turn, and because it's broken.
III. Breakdown
Skeledirge @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Unaware
Tera Type: Dark
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Torch Song
- Slack Off
- Will-O-Wisp
- Earth Power
The Big Dirge himself. Already talked about him a lot in the intro so I'll just explain the set itself. Max HP and Special Defense is unquestionably the way to go imo, since two of's most important resists are Ice and Fairy, and Special Defense investment allows you to take super effective coverage like Earth Power from the likes of 
and . I went back and forth on the Tera of choice for a while, but I ultimately settled on Tera Dark, since it provides a decent neutral defensive type into stuff like 
, while allowing dirge to check 
, as well as becoming immune stored power cheese and psychic noise. I went with Earth Power as the last move to pressure 
and punish Tera Fire, while still doing a respectable amount to 
(As an aside, shoutout to mangalos810 on DeviantArt, this captures the personality of the gen 5 sprites perfectly https://www.deviantart.com/mangalos810/art/Ogerpon-Wellspring-984035536)
Ogerpon-Wellspring (F) @ Wellspring Mask
Ability: Water Absorb
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 HP / 120 Atk / 136 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Ivy Cudgel
- Knock Off
- Spikes
- Synthesis
Next, we have my least favorite Pokemon in SV OU. Kind of an unusual set with the previously mentioned spikes as well as synthesis to not get worn down by hazards and reset spikes if needed. I went with max HP here, allowing me to survive hits as strong as a +2 max special attack shadow ball. While can check , dealing with it can take a lot of pressure off of , especially with recent sets focusing on its Steel STAB with techs like Tera Steel and Metal Coat. The HP investment of course pairs incredibly well with the special defense boost from tera, making most special hits bounce off. Even without max attack investment, I rarely ever found myself wanting for power.
Dragapult @ Choice Specs
Ability: Clear Body
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Draco Meteor
- U-turn
- Hex
Specs is another overlooked threat that provides speed control and breaking power in one package. Shadow Ball, U-turn, and Draco are givens of course but instead of the usual Flamethrower I opted for a more niche option in Hex. Between Will-O-Wisp from and and Sludge Bomb from , This team can spread status quite easily, making Hex very spammable late game, especially in conjunction with Tera Ghost, 2hkoing even something as bulky as AV 
after rocks, even without Tera. The most common specs switch-ins are and , who both get U-Turned on into . I went with Clear Body over Infiltrator for the Webs MU, since Veil is rare and for the most part gets farmed by .
Weezing-Galar @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Neutralizing Gas
Tera Type: Dragon
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Sludge Bomb
- Defog
- Pain Split
- Will-O-Wisp
Not much to say here besides the EVs, enables so many teams with its reliable removal. Jolly was a major issue for my team and I didn't want to have to waste a ton of EVs on , so I decided to invest enough speed to outrun it. Catching Fast thinking they have a free U-Turn is great too. Tera Dragon for and a generally strong defensive type.
Corviknight @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Pressure
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
- U-turn
- Iron Defense
- Body Press
- Roost
Also don't really need to go into detail here, is a balance staple for its ability to blanket check the physical metagame with IDBP and pivot with U-Turn. As mentioned in the section, I opted to run speed on it so I could run max defense on , maximizing its walling potential aganist Pokemon like , , 
, offensive , and SD 
. Tera Grass for say it with me, .
Ting-Lu @ Leftovers
Ability: Vessel of Ruin
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 248 HP / 40 Atk / 220 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Throat Chop
- Rest
Another common balance glue, but with an uncommon set. Stealth Rock and Earthquake are easy adds since I already have a spiker. I opted for Throat Chop since I needed to limit from switching in as much as I could, With the EV spread and nature above almost guarantees Throat Chop 2hkos after Rocks, preventing it from switching in safetly (Note: this is also why I chose Throat Chop over Payback) while generally catching opponents off guard with unusually high damage. Thanks to I could afford to drop Whirlwind. Lastly I added Rest, for longevity aganist bulkier teams, even allowing to maintain rocks aganist opposing . Defog can prevent from getting rocks, but we are able to outstall its defog pp by going to our own as they click the move. Rest is also valuable for allowing us to sit on subtect denying it from making progress and when asleep, denying it from fishing for freeze. Smart Pivots into on Earth Power and on Freeze-Dry can allow you to beat it even without Tera.
IV: Threats
, specifically all out attacker sets like boots (basically special sets that don't lock themselves into a move), are quite difficult to pivot around. Dragon Dance sets also require extreme caution since can't check it reliably. I recommend getting a wisp off with or and Using Tera on to revenge kill it with EQ if necessary. can handle specs fairly reliably, living even 2 modest Tera Ice Blizzards, although Earth Power will do significant damage. Tera Fairy is also a decent check, and can punish Earth Power Locks.
It's a fat team. I don't think I need to explain this one. Try to get or in on an move that isn't Ivy Cudgel, and Tera if necessary. Luckily, thanks to the tech on , nothing on this team really allows in for free. Generally, just try to limit it with hazards, and you often will need to burn tera just to deal with it.
is another major annoyance that can quickly get out of hand if given a free turn. Luckily, like before, it also doesn't get many good switch-in opportunities against us. is able to pivot into dark stab and wisp any gambit, although Tera Fire is a major concern. It will also likely be tasked with handling , meaning in an endgame it likely won't be in perfect health, allowing it to be in range of 's Earth Power.
This team doesn't have a super good salt cure switch meaning naturally will be a nuisance. Often times you will need to limit it with hazards and pivot around salt cure, and/or bring in on a predicted recover. can kind of absorb Salt Cure and rest off the damage, but be careful about resting, since it will make you more exploitable for its teammates.
Nasty Plot sets can be dealt with by and to a lesser extent . The main concern with 
is switching into its knock off. Often times the only option is to take it with either or , which is obviously exploitable. If it's a defensive set, can comfortably survive Bleakwind Storm, so you can potentially use that to your advantage.
On paper this just gets completely shut down by, but the primary issue is that 
can apply continuous pressure with U-Turn. Overall not to bad though as long as you don't let it run circles around you with U-Turn, especially since as long as it's not wisp, can eat even a Libero U-Turn and stay in.
, despite its low usage, is never a threat to be taken lightly. Being able to threaten Both and and punish switch-ins with Sludge Bomb, Will-O-Wisp, or even its Fire STAB tbh. This might actually be the worst matchup for the team lol, just be extremely cautious to not give it a ton of free turns.
V: Replays
Most of these are from 1850+, but I also chose a few others that I feel are a good showcase of a particular matchup.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2451359642 - Vs. HO and the game that got me #1, Specs cleans up
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2451292704 - Vs. an incredibly obnoxious PP Stall team, where stalls out effectively two subtect
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2451256534?p2 - Vs. Hard Stall, used my own's Pressure to allow me to maintain rocks aganist theirs
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2451102362 - Vs. another fat team, manages to break a Tera Dragon by wearing it down with hazards and an agency crit, while even walling an opposing specs
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2450667959 - Vs. another obnoxious Subtect + team
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2450211515-wu0h24as65v2nhncmjtr8lyt23ynoqqpw?p2 - Vs. a bulky offense
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2449462574-j6cm2noivrly3bu6h9tjuk50odqqdrdpw - Vs. a fairly standard HO, tanks a max attack Close Combat even after rocks and a layer of spikes
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2448680636-yrvys013wih8cw5587gkqdodq1vla5ipw - Vs a G-Terrain team piloted by a very good player
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2438398122 - Vs a very threatening Mixed DD
VI: Proof of Peak & Conclusion
Overall, very happy with how this team turned out. Some difficult matchups but overall has a very consistent matchup spread against the meta–at large.
Decided to finally make my first RMT after finally hitting #1 on the ladder with a team I've been working on for over a month
paste: https://pokepast.es/a88af42ff1b7817f
I. Introduction
II. Building Process
III. Breakdown
IV: Threats
V. Replays
VI. Proof of Peak & Conclusion
I. Introduction
I wanted to build a
team because I believe it is still an underrated threat in the current metagame that provides a lot of solid traits to a team. The obvious one is unaware, but it also has another overlooked resist that is hard to come by in the current metagame, that being Ice. Since most of the steels in the current metagame either don't resist ice or get blown up by earth power, slotting a true sturdy ice resist can be difficult and Skeledirge provides that. It's fairy resist is also quite valuable for taking on threats like , and although you don't like taking Knock Off, in a pinch. Thanks to Tera and Unaware you can check most setup sweepers in a emergency, which is immensely valuable in a metagame with as many threats as SV OU.II. Building Process
I obviously started with
, so the next step was of course to slot in a breaking core. I went with Spikes , since it can break pretty much anything with enough support in Tandem with Knock Off, and even provides nice defensive utility with its great natural bulk, Water typing, and speed placing it above threats such as and . Its ability to threaten the main forms of removal in the tier and is also a great trait to have for a spiker. I still was lacking speed control so my next addition was a Choice Specs , another underrated threat capable of revenge killing other fast guys like and while providing breaking power. The following defensive core kind of built itself from there, with for reliable removal, IDBP for its ability to blanket check physical guys while providing pivoting with U-Turn, and because it's broken.III. Breakdown
Skeledirge @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Unaware
Tera Type: Dark
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Torch Song
- Slack Off
- Will-O-Wisp
- Earth Power
The Big Dirge himself. Already talked about him a lot in the intro so I'll just explain the set itself. Max HP and Special Defense is unquestionably the way to go imo, since two of
's most important resists are Ice and Fairy, and Special Defense investment allows you to take super effective coverage like Earth Power from the likes of and . I went back and forth on the Tera of choice for a while, but I ultimately settled on Tera Dark, since it provides a decent neutral defensive type into stuff like , while allowing dirge to check , as well as becoming immune stored power cheese and psychic noise. I went with Earth Power as the last move to pressure and punish Tera Fire, while still doing a respectable amount to
(As an aside, shoutout to mangalos810 on DeviantArt, this captures the personality of the gen 5 sprites perfectly https://www.deviantart.com/mangalos810/art/Ogerpon-Wellspring-984035536)
Ogerpon-Wellspring (F) @ Wellspring Mask
Ability: Water Absorb
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 HP / 120 Atk / 136 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Ivy Cudgel
- Knock Off
- Spikes
- Synthesis
Next, we have my least favorite Pokemon in SV OU. Kind of an unusual set with the previously mentioned spikes as well as synthesis to not get worn down by hazards and reset spikes if needed. I went with max HP here, allowing me to survive hits as strong as a +2 max special attack
shadow ball. While can check , dealing with it can take a lot of pressure off of , especially with recent sets focusing on its Steel STAB with techs like Tera Steel and Metal Coat. The HP investment of course pairs incredibly well with the special defense boost from tera, making most special hits bounce off. Even without max attack investment, I rarely ever found myself wanting for power.
Dragapult @ Choice Specs
Ability: Clear Body
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Draco Meteor
- U-turn
- Hex
Specs
is another overlooked threat that provides speed control and breaking power in one package. Shadow Ball, U-turn, and Draco are givens of course but instead of the usual Flamethrower I opted for a more niche option in Hex. Between Will-O-Wisp from and and Sludge Bomb from , This team can spread status quite easily, making Hex very spammable late game, especially in conjunction with Tera Ghost, 2hkoing even something as bulky as AV after rocks, even without Tera. The most common specs switch-ins are and , who both get U-Turned on into . I went with Clear Body over Infiltrator for the Webs MU, since Veil is rare and for the most part gets farmed by .Weezing-Galar @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Neutralizing Gas
Tera Type: Dragon
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Sludge Bomb
- Defog
- Pain Split
- Will-O-Wisp
Not much to say here besides the EVs,
enables so many teams with its reliable removal. Jolly was a major issue for my team and I didn't want to have to waste a ton of EVs on , so I decided to invest enough speed to outrun it. Catching Fast thinking they have a free U-Turn is great too. Tera Dragon for and a generally strong defensive type.
Corviknight @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Pressure
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
- U-turn
- Iron Defense
- Body Press
- Roost
Also don't really need to go into detail here,
is a balance staple for its ability to blanket check the physical metagame with IDBP and pivot with U-Turn. As mentioned in the section, I opted to run speed on it so I could run max defense on , maximizing its walling potential aganist Pokemon like , , , offensive , and SD . Tera Grass for say it with me, .
Ting-Lu @ Leftovers
Ability: Vessel of Ruin
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 248 HP / 40 Atk / 220 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Throat Chop
- Rest
Another common balance glue, but with an uncommon set. Stealth Rock and Earthquake are easy adds since I already have a spiker. I opted for Throat Chop since I needed to limit
from switching in as much as I could, With the EV spread and nature above almost guarantees Throat Chop 2hkos after Rocks, preventing it from switching in safetly (Note: this is also why I chose Throat Chop over Payback) while generally catching opponents off guard with unusually high damage. Thanks to I could afford to drop Whirlwind. Lastly I added Rest, for longevity aganist bulkier teams, even allowing to maintain rocks aganist opposing . Defog can prevent from getting rocks, but we are able to outstall its defog pp by going to our own as they click the move. Rest is also valuable for allowing us to sit on subtect denying it from making progress and when asleep, denying it from fishing for freeze. Smart Pivots into on Earth Power and on Freeze-Dry can allow you to beat it even without Tera.IV: Threats
, specifically all out attacker sets like boots (basically special sets that don't lock themselves into a move), are quite difficult to pivot around. Dragon Dance sets also require extreme caution since can't check it reliably. I recommend getting a wisp off with or and Using Tera on to revenge kill it with EQ if necessary. can handle specs fairly reliably, living even 2 modest Tera Ice Blizzards, although Earth Power will do significant damage. Tera Fairy is also a decent check, and can punish Earth Power Locks.
It's a fat team. I don't think I need to explain this one. Try to get
or in on an move that isn't Ivy Cudgel, and Tera if necessary. Luckily, thanks to the tech on , nothing on this team really allows in for free. Generally, just try to limit it with hazards, and you often will need to burn tera just to deal with it. is another major annoyance that can quickly get out of hand if given a free turn. Luckily, like before, it also doesn't get many good switch-in opportunities against us. is able to pivot into dark stab and wisp any gambit, although Tera Fire is a major concern. It will also likely be tasked with handling , meaning in an endgame it likely won't be in perfect health, allowing it to be in range of 's Earth Power.This team doesn't have a super good salt cure switch meaning naturally
will be a nuisance. Often times you will need to limit it with hazards and pivot around salt cure, and/or bring in on a predicted recover. can kind of absorb Salt Cure and rest off the damage, but be careful about resting, since it will make you more exploitable for its teammates.
Nasty Plot sets can be dealt with by
and to a lesser extent . The main concern with is switching into its knock off. Often times the only option is to take it with either or , which is obviously exploitable. If it's a defensive set, can comfortably survive Bleakwind Storm, so you can potentially use that to your advantage.
On paper this just gets completely shut down by
, but the primary issue is that can apply continuous pressure with U-Turn. Overall not to bad though as long as you don't let it run circles around you with U-Turn, especially since as long as it's not wisp, can eat even a Libero U-Turn and stay in., despite its low usage, is never a threat to be taken lightly. Being able to threaten Both and and punish switch-ins with Sludge Bomb, Will-O-Wisp, or even its Fire STAB tbh. This might actually be the worst matchup for the team lol, just be extremely cautious to not give it a ton of free turns.V: Replays
Most of these are from 1850+, but I also chose a few others that I feel are a good showcase of a particular matchup.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2451359642 - Vs. HO and the game that got me #1, Specs
cleans uphttps://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2451292704 - Vs. an incredibly obnoxious PP Stall team, where
stalls out effectively two subtect https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2451256534?p2 - Vs. Hard Stall, used my own
's Pressure to allow me to maintain rocks aganist theirshttps://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2451102362 - Vs. another fat team,
manages to break a Tera Dragon by wearing it down with hazards and an agency crit, while even walling an opposing specs https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2450667959 - Vs. another obnoxious Subtect
+ teamhttps://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2450211515-wu0h24as65v2nhncmjtr8lyt23ynoqqpw?p2 - Vs. a bulky offense
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2449462574-j6cm2noivrly3bu6h9tjuk50odqqdrdpw - Vs. a fairly standard HO,
tanks a max attack Close Combat even after rocks and a layer of spikeshttps://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2448680636-yrvys013wih8cw5587gkqdodq1vla5ipw - Vs a G-Terrain team piloted by a very good player
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2438398122 - Vs a very threatening Mixed DD
VI: Proof of Peak & Conclusion
Overall, very happy with how this team turned out. Some difficult matchups but overall has a very consistent matchup spread against the meta–at large.
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