ORAS Doubles OU Buzzing of the Bees

[MeepBard]

Buzzing of the Bees


Once upon a time, there was a region named Orre where many Pokemon got exclusive moves. One of those Pokemon was Electabuzz. Electabuzz got Follow Me, and when coupled with Static, okay defenses after Eviolite and the Electric-type, Electabuzz becomes a decent Pokemon in Doubles OU. Today, I will be showcasing a team that I built which includes Electabuzz. Let's get right in!

Teambuilding Process:

I started with Electabuzz. Not only does it get a godlike combination in Static and Follow Me, but it's also a nice check to Talonflame.

Originally, Charm Meowstic-M was used in this slot instead, but I eventually went with Latios, as it has amazing power in Doubles OU due to the fact that it can deal extremely high damage to a large portion of the metagame. It also resists Fire, which is quite crucial to the rest of my team.

Mega-Kangaskhan is one of the best Pokemon in Doubles OU. It has solid bulk, an amazing ability in Parental Bond, amazing offenses and nice Speed, it truly is a force to be reckoned with.

I needed a good special sweeper, so I immediately went with Sylveon. It has an amazing typing, amazing Special Attack, HP and Special Defense and an amazing ability in Pixilate.

The 5th slot for my team was rather difficult. Eventually, I decided to go with Bisharp as it's Steel/Dark typing proves extremely useful for my team, along with it's ability Defiant, which means that Intimidate users such as Landorus-T cannot get too cocky.

The final slot for my team ended up being Talonflame. With both Gale Wings and a typing that proves very useful to my team, Talonflame's raw power and coverage is too much to miss out on. Also, since entry hazard aren't as common in Doubles as they are in Singles, Talonflame finally gets a chance to shine.

Buzzkill (Electabuzz) @ Eviolite
Ability: Static
EVs: 252 HP / 228 Def / 8 SpA / 20 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Follow Me
- Protect
- Helping Hand
- Thunder Wave

The star of the show, it's Electabuzz. Due to many people thinking that Electabuzz will be an offensive set, Follow Me works really well and allows for safe redirection. Thanks to Static, if Follow Me redirects a move that makes contact, there is a 30% chance that the target will get paralyzed. Protect prevents Fake Out from affecting this set, Helping Hand boosts my ally, allowing for easy kills, and Thunder Wave is for crippling the speed of opponents.

Alpha Twin (Latios) @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 1 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 SpD
- Draco Meteor
- Psyshock
- Hidden Power [Ground]
- Protect

This is a standard Latios set. It hits most of the metagame like a truck. Draco Meteor is obvious STAB that hits extremely hard. Psyshock is also a very good move that hits hard. Since it targets Defense, specially defensive Pokemon will have to endure alot of damage. HP Ground is used to counter Heatran and to hit Poison and Steel-types, which is really good for Sylveon, another member of my team who we will get to in just a moment.

Leslie (Kangaskhan-Mega) @ Kangaskhanite
Ability: Scrappy
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 228 Def / 4 SpD / 20 Spe
Impish Nature
- Fake Out
- Sucker Punch
- Seismic Toss
- Return

This is a bulky M-Kangaskhan set, to build onto it's already solid bulk. Fake Out is great for preventing one Pokemon from making a move, Sucker Punch is to attack Ghost-types and for priority, Seismic Toss is for a good consistant 200 damage and Return is a safe STAB option.

Ribbonmaster (Sylveon) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Pixilate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 6 Def / 252 SpA
Modest Nature
IVs: 1 Atk / 30 Def / 30 SpD / 30 Spe
- Hyper Voice
- Moonblast
- Hidden Power [Rock]
- Helping Hand

Oh boy, THIS Pokemon. Sylveon is an amazing special sweeper with Choice Specs. Hyper Voice is the main spamming move, hitting extremely hard even against Pokemon who resist it (it 2HKOs regular Mawile on the switch-in) Moonblast is a secondary STAB option if the opponent used Quick Guard. HP Rock is mainly for Talonflame, although I am thinking about changing it to HP Ground and Helping Hand is a last resort option to boost my ally's attack. Usually, I pair up Sylveon with either Electabuzz (to sponge Steel-type hits and for Helping Hand support), Latios (for HP Ground coverage) or M-Kangaskhan (Fake Out support).

HIRE A SAMURAI (Bisharp) @ Life Orb
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Iron Head
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Protect

Bisharp works wonders on my team due to its unique typing and ability to counter Intimidate users such as Landorus-T. Iron Head is Bisharp's best physical Steel-type move, Knock Off is to cripple item-dependant Pokemon and to get great damage overall.

Smogon Bird (Talonflame) @ Sharp Beak
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz
- Steel Wing
- Protect

Talonflame is an amazing Pokemon in Doubles OU due to it's Signature ability Gale Wings and due to the fact that there are virtually no hazards in Doubles. Brave Bird hits extremely hard and gets priority due to Gale Wings, Flare Blitz is good for the Steel-types that otherwise wall Talonflame and Steel Wing is great for both Rock and Fairy types.

Threats:

/

While they don't exactly hard wall me, Fire-types are still a solid threat to my team.

While I can easily OHKO with Steel Wing, if it sets up Rock Polish, i'm basically doomed as it outspeeds my Talonflame and OHKOs with Diamond Storm. Not only that, but I have virtually no switchins to Diancie, so if the player uses Diancie right, i'll have to sack one Pokemon to KO it.


That's all the threats I can think of right now, there's definitely more that I'm missing as this team is far from perfect. I'd like you guys to help me improve it! I am a rather new player in Doubles and I would love to learn more. Thank you!

 

[Test Bot #]

Hey “It’s Ditto”,

Your team looks alright, but there are several Mons that I feel are outclassed. At the same time, I feel like your team building process is quite unanalytical. (Excuse my diction.) Usually, you would not start building a team with a support Mon. And, it seems that you have selected certain Mons because they’re just “a force to be reckoned with” or “a good special sweeper”. However, such description does not explain how these Mons complement each other, etc. For a better understanding of team building, you can look at the following links:
http://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/doubles-ou-teambuilding-frameworks.3571514/

Well, I’ll assume that your Mega Kangaskhan is your main Mon (although you had stated that Electabuzz is your “star”). First of all, I recommend that you change your Mega Kangaskhans’s EVs and Nature. That bulk is unnecessary, and your Mega Kangaskhan is better off as a Physical Sweeper. Thus, change Mega Kangaskhans’s EVs to 4 HP / 252 ATK / 252 SPE and its Nature to Jolly. In addition, your Mega Kangaskhan should use Power-Up Punch rather than Seismic Toss. It will boost your ATK by two stages and quite essential against Intimidate users.

For the matter of your “star,” I suggest that you use Jirachi rather than Electabuzz. You may think the combination of Static and Follow Me is innovative, but it really isn’t. The chances of paralysis is quite low, and most moves aren’t even contact moves. Now, the reason why I suggest Jirachi over Electabuzz is because it performs better in the metagame. Obviously, it has better bulk/resistances. Also, it’s worth stating that its Icy Wind is more effective than Electabuzz’s Thunder Wave; it hits both foes and all types. Furthermore, Jirachi’s capability to have Safety Goggles allows it to redirect Spores, quite a useful advantage in the metagame.

Your other Mons seem fine, but your overall team lacks coverage. You really need a dependable way to eliminate Mons like Azumarill, Bisharp, Mega Charizard-Y, Cresselia, Mega Diancie, Gyarados, Heatran, Rotom-W, Suicune, Talonflame, Volcanion, etc. (You get the point.) Thus, here are my remaining suggestions for your team:
1. I would change Latios with Hydreigon; its moveset (Earth Power / Draco Meteor / Protect / Dark Pulse) will give you a greater coverage and a dependable Ground type move. Sylveon is fine, but I would rather use the Calm Mind set. And, Talonflame would be better off using Tailwind or Taunt than Steel Wing.
2. And thanks to your previous Mons, you really don’t need Bisharp. You already have two priority users (Mega Kangaskhan and Talonflame) and in serious need of eliminating your remaining threats. Thus, I recommend that you use Rotom-W as your last Mon. Its moveset (Thunderbolt / Hydro Pump / Will-O-Wisp / Protect) is quite handy and will make your team more viable.

Good Luck!

Importable

Kangaskhan-Mega @ Kangaskhanite
Ability: Inner Focus
Happiness: 0
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Power-Up Punch
- Fake Out
- Frustration

Jirachi @ Safety Goggles
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 248 HP / 180 Def / 80 SpD
Calm Nature
- Follow Me
- Iron Head
- Protect
- Icy Wind

Hydreigon @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Earth Power
- Draco Meteor
- Protect
- Dark Pulse

Sylveon @ Pixie Plate
Ability: Pixilate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Hyper Voice
- Protect
- Psyshock / Hidden Power Ground / Hidden Power Fire

Talonflame @ Life Orb
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SPA / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Brave Bird
- Taunt / Tailwind
- Protect
- Overheat

Rotom-Wash @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 100 Def / 116 SpA / 40 SpD
Modest Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Thunderbolt
- Will-O-Wisp
- Protect

 

[Idyll]

yo,

So this is basically a balls-to-the-wall HO team. While I do have a certain liking of Electabuzz, I do try to be realistic and know it ain't really that strong in the metagame. HOWEVER, seeing as it's one of the reasons why your team has its identity and makes this team "yours" in the first place, I'm going to strive to help your team be better while keeping it here. HO is more like trying to garner as much momentum as you can through a lot of pressure and damage that you can generate with fast priority attacking / fast high-damage threats, and Electabuzz does seem to help by denying damage on your bruisers, letting them do their job longer and more effectively; my recommendations will consider HO's style as a whole and your threatlist.

My first recommendation would be changing Sylveon to Choice Scarf Landorus-T. While Sylveon is a pretty strong threat and is good at generating damage across the board, it doesn't really help you much in checking the threats you need to check. In addition, your lack of significant speed control outside of Electabuzz means that Sylveon will likely be just forfeiting your position and momentum. Choice Scarf Landorus-T is a better choice as not only does it keep your spread damage generation that works well with Talonflame and Bisharp pick-offs but it also helps in applying pressure with its Speed AND can help deal with the problematic Fire-types you listed. It also helps you deal with Mega Diancie in particular, which you really don't have much checks for aside from Steel Wing Talonflame (which can't switch in and is easy to remove). Note that Rock Polish Mega Diancie is not a threat at all in the DOU metagame! Its Intimidate is also a nifty bonus as it gives Mega Kangaskhan, Elecatabuzz, and Latios some nifty pseudo-bulk Defensively.

The next change I recommend is changing Mega Kangaskhan's Seismic Toss to Low Kick, Return to Double Edge, and spread to 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe Adamant. This is because due to the nature of the team and play, you'd rather get a LOT of damage quickly than be able to take some as your team can't simply afford to play like that. One thing to note is that instead of taking some attacks, making Mega Kangaskhan an All-out Attacker can let it and its teammates avoid damage entirely through the fact that KOing foes outright means that they won't be able to damage you; that's also the mentality of HO in particular, which is to pressure as much as possible in order to get KOs. Double Edge over Return is simply because the higher damage potential means that you can get easier KOs with it or pick-offs with either priority user. You also kind of need Low Kick in order to nab that sweet swift damage on Heatran, something that is still somewhat problematic due to it being able to beat Bisharp and Talonflame. If you'd rather get some more Speed over the general power, Jolly is also an option for this recommendation.

The next following suggestions are smaller in scale but are useful nevertheless. Life Orb over Sharp Beak on Talonflame would be a useful change as aside for the slightly higher power boost it also strengthens Talonflame's Flare Blitz, letting it deal more damage and possibly generate a quicker KO on its targets such as Jirachi, Zapdos, and Mega Metagross. Life Orb also means that it can use Flare Blitz handily as a form of switch-in denial when needed without forfeiting power. Another change I suggest is implementing Thunderbolt on Electabuzz's moveset, possibly over either Protect or Helping Hand in order to make it less Taunt-bait and help you get some neat damage against Water-types and Volcanion. If you do this, using it over Protect would be the better option as it's more expendable and Helping Hand is still more useful for guaranteeing KOs; risking getting Fake Outed is fine as they also risk getting paralyzed. Overall, the team would be faster and more potent in terms of damage with the suggestions I gave; while you don't have speed control options except for Electabuzz's Tailwind, this is fine as most of your team has priority or is fast, meaning you have the speed advantage from the get go. If ever you face a threatening matchup, just be sure to play a bit more cavalierly and continue to press on with your offensive pressure; you can deal with stuff such as Hydreigon and Amoonguss this way. Electabuzz isn't certainly a top threat for sure and it has its quirks and flaws, but it's not really "unviable" totally; hopefull it works out for this team.

gl!

Sets

Kangaskhan-Mega @ Kangaskhanite
Ability: Scrappy
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Double-Edge
- Low Kick
- Sucker Punch
- Fake Out

Landorus-Therian @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- U-turn
- Superpower

 

[MeepBard]

Thank you - both of you. I have implemented most of the changes into my team, and i'm about to test.