SS OU CB Zera+Protective Pads Shifu

[RedDiamond1024]

TeamBuilding process:
The mon I wanted to build around for this team is cb . I added a standard sd to create a sort of boltbeam offensive core between the two. Next up I added protective pads since I figured it could be a good breaker and wanted to use it over the traditional cb set as I already had cb zera. As for my defensive core, I began with a standard spdef to have both a ground and electric immunity. gives me a switchin to many threats such as urshifu and skewda. Finally, I added spdef to help with fire types and even act as a ghost switchin in tandem with lando and weav.

The Team



Gigawatt (Zeraora) @ Choice Band
Ability: Volt Absorb
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Plasma Fists
- Close Combat
- Knock Off
- Toxic
The main breaker of the team as well as speed control. Max attack and speed let it do this most effectively. Toxic is used over volt switch to let it cripple incoming lando, buzz, and chomps. The other three moves are standard fair for zera, plasma fists for stab, cc to break steels, and knock off to help cripple switchins even further.


David (Weavile) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Triple Axel/Icicle Crash
- Knock Off
- Ice Shard
A secondary breaker and sweeper to zeraora that provides boltbeam coverage to the core. Moveset and item are standard, though adamant is used to maximize the power behind attacks since ice shard lets you revenge kill quite a large amount of faster threats. Taxel is used over crash for its extra power, though crash is definitely still an option. Works to overwhelm buzzwole with zera's toxic and slowbro's future sight.


Urshifu-Rapid-Strike @ Protective Pads
Ability: Unseen Fist
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Surging Strikes
- Close Combat
- U-turn
- Focus Punch/Ice Punch/Taunt
Protective pads urshifu acts a third breaker and an offensive pivot for the team. Standard moveset for protective pads with the last slot being very versatile depending on what you need. I'm using focus punch for that extra power on forced switches, though taunt and ice punch can be just as useful in certain matchups. Protective pads also let shifu join in the effort to overwhelm buzz without taking rocky helmet chip.


Behemoth (Slowbro) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Scald
- Future Sight
- Teleport
- Slack Off
Standard physdef pivot slowbro that provides pivotal future sight support for the team. Rocky helmet is to force chip on mons like buzzwole and opposing urshifu.


Clout lion (Landorus-Therian) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
IVs: 22 Spe
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Defog
- Toxic
Standard defog lando to keep hazards from chipping slowbro, heatran, and zeraora too heavily over the coarse of a game. Also provides obligate electric and ground immunities. Toxic is used over knock off as I already have two mons using knock off more offensively and to help tran in keeping rona at bay. 22 speed ivs to underspeed 23 speed iv landos, though I'll probably be lowering this speed in future rmts to deal with more lando's running lower speed ivs.


Clout frog (Heatran) @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 224 SpD / 40 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Magma Storm
- Earth Power
- Taunt
- Stealth Rock
Spdef tran acts as a fire switchin, rona counter, and rocker all in one. Keeps threats such as blacephalon and lele in check for the team as well. Taunt in chosen over toxic as this team doesnt really struggle to break through blissey, while stuff like pex and the slowtwins are bigger issues. 40 speed evs are to outspeed 36 speed ev trans with the rest being put into HP and spdef.

Pokepaste: https://pokepast.es/0fc5e5b4eccc8826

Pokepaste with nicknames: https://pokepast.es/1bdda282dd411b31

Threats:

-annoying af to switch into cause if it focus blasts into tran than it can basically spam psychic moves with no resistance.

/ -same issue with my other teams, no true switchins to the demon, but what will you do when it's few switchins are hard to fit.

-outspeeds whole team but can be revenged and has few safe switchins.

Replays:
Vs. Crawdaunt TR
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1580038100-7jn5hrmvjphla6ppsl5bb03tuxn0x5jpw

Vs. BU zera BO
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1579935468

Vs. CB Drill sand
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1575430288-cr369vdlphw7xlnrn0wgi8kqzhynsqrpw

Vs. Bisharp Balance
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1580514699

Vs. Rotom Mow grass spam
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1580606128-k0djedgoegca0l00gdeqf7oxh4ll8mypw

Other Teams:

CB Bulu+CB Melm BO

https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/cb-bulu-cb-melm-bo.3701899/

Haxorus+Future Sight Tapu Lele BO

https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/haxorus-fsight-lele.3700659/

Zeraora+Garchomp BO

https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/zeraora-garchomp-bo.3696691/#post-9163231

Specs Torn BO

https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/specs-torn-time-ft-setsustsna.3697419/#post-9123147

Haxorus+Hydreigon BO (outdated and updated since rmt)

https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/sd-haxorus-outrage.3695393/#post-9089199
This is the current version: https://pokepast.es/cdf48a80d0b9c3f9

Double Dragon HO (outdated and updated since rmt)

https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/double-drag-ho.3693564/#post-9060610
This is the current version: https://pokepast.es/067bca9982a3ce5c

Double Dragon Offense (possibly outdated due to metagame changes)

https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/double-dragon-offense-peaked-1421.3694439/

SD Lucario Team

https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/sd-lucario-team.3693773/#post-9043049

My first rmt Specs Keldeo HO (possibly outdated due to metagame changes, and has been updated since rmt)

https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/haxorus-and-melmetal-team.3690873/
This is the current version: https://pokepast.es/cbf13712b63d6d9d

 

[EeveeWillEatYou]

I feel like if your slowbro dies you will struggle with breaking many physical walls

 

[RedDiamond1024]

I feel like if your slowbro dies you will struggle with breaking many physical walls

What would you suggest I do to fix that?

 

[myself12]

Wouldn't a careful nature over calm be better on lando to increase the damage of eq?

What would you suggest I do to fix that?

Taunt over Focus Punch on Urshifu might work to stop recovery.

 

[RedDiamond1024]

Wouldn't a careful nature over calm be better on lando to increase the damage of eq?


Taunt over Focus Punch on Urshifu might work to stop recovery.

Thx for pointing that out, I copied it from one of my grassy terrain teams and forgot to change the nature. Taunt could be nice as well, I did list it as an option for that reason.

 

[Vroxxz]

Hey, nice team! I like the core of Weavile + Zeraora on this team, and Shifu is great, but it makes you much, much weaker to Lele and Kartana.
Both Kartana and Lele come in if they're scarfed and click their STAB moves and destroy your offensive core, which is troublesome in the late game.

I've got one major change that might help out with the glaring Lele and Kartana weakness:
1. -->

Victini @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Victory Star
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- V-create
- Bolt Strike
- Will-O-Wisp
- U-turn

Victini is a great offensive pivot, which also eases the matchup against Toxapex and Volcanion with Bolt Strike. This set is especially my favorite as you can spam Wisp on predicted defensive switch-ins like Lando-T, Buzzwole, and Garchomp. Also, offensive switch ins like Weavile, Barraskewda, and Tyranitar can get crippled. Victini is also a decent switch in, into Lele and Kartana. Plus, Victory Star helps with hitting those Taxels and Magma Storms more easily :)

I didn't want to change your main core, but I felt like this is a very useful change.

Also, I feel like Volcanion should definitely be on the threat list. Just like Nidoking, it's very hard to switch into.

Hope you like these changes!

 

[RedDiamond1024]

Hey, nice team! I like the core of Weavile + Zeraora on this team, and Shifu is great, but it makes you much, much weaker to Lele and Kartana.
Both Kartana and Lele come in if they're scarfed and click their STAB moves and destroy your offensive core, which is troublesome in the late game.

I've got one major change that might help out with the glaring Lele and Kartana weakness:
1. -->

Victini @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Victory Star
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- V-create
- Bolt Strike
- Will-O-Wisp
- U-turn

Victini is a great offensive pivot, which also eases the matchup against Toxapex and Volcanion with Bolt Strike. This set is especially my favorite as you can spam Wisp on predicted defensive switch-ins like Lando-T, Buzzwole, and Garchomp. Also, offensive switch ins like Weavile, Barraskewda, and Tyranitar can get crippled. Victini is also a decent switch in, into Lele and Kartana. Plus, Victory Star helps with hitting those Taxels and Magma Storms more easily :)

I didn't want to change your main core, but I felt like this is a very useful change.

Also, I feel like Volcanion should definitely be on the threat list. Just like Nidoking, it's very hard to switch into.

Hope you like these changes!

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll try tini, but why do you have 4 spa evs without any special attacks? Also I feel like glaciate would be better here as zera already has toxic for predicted lando switchins, but I'll try it. Also volcanion was added to the threatlist, idk why I didn't before since I group it with nidoking as hard to switch into breakers.

 

[Vroxxz]

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll try tini, but why do you have 4 spa evs without any special attacks? Also I feel like glaciate would be better here as zera already has toxic for predicted lando switchins, but I'll try it. Also volcanion was added to the threatlist, idk why I didn't before since I group it with nidoking as hard to switch into breakers.

I meant it to be 4 SpD EVs. My bad. Glaciate is alright, but Wisp is just overall better. Glaciate is only hitting Lando and Garchomp, while Wisp hits every physical attacker in the game. Yeah, clicking Toxic on Lando is better, but if there is a chance to click Wisp, that will be better than waiting to poison Lando. So I suggest the same set, just change it to 4 SpD EVs

 

[RedDiamond1024]

I meant it to be 4 SpD EVs. My bad. Glaciate is alright, but Wisp is just overall better. Glaciate is only hitting Lando and Garchomp, while Wisp hits every physical attacker in the game. Yeah, clicking Toxic on Lando is better, but if there is a chance to click Wisp, that will be better than waiting to poison Lando. So I suggest the same set, just change it to 4 SpD EVs

I've been testing victini out, and tbh, its just not it. It leaves the team too open to threats like scarf kart and and especially weavile. Shifu can check weavile pretty well and atleast punishes kart for locking into knock off thanks to its resistance to the move.

 

[Initiatedog]

weavile looks like trouble here.

shifu doesnt like getting knocked off, bro dies to +2 252 Atk Weavile Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Slowbro: 404-476 (102.5 - 120.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
tran doesnt like getting knocked off either
zera is faster, but cant swap in

 

[RedDiamond1024]

weavile looks like trouble here.

shifu doesnt like getting knocked off, bro dies to +2 252 Atk Weavile Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Slowbro: 404-476 (102.5 - 120.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
tran doesnt like getting knocked off either
zera is faster, but cant swap in

The combination of zera and shifu do a good enough job at keeping weavile in check from my experience.

 

[Initiatedog]

The combination of zera and shifu do a good enough job at keeping weavile in check from my experience.

If it works for you, roll with it!

Do you potentially have a game where you play vs weavile? I'd like to see how you play against it

 

[RedDiamond1024]

If it works for you, roll with it!

Do you potentially have a game where you play vs weavile? I'd like to see how you play against it

I finally got a replay of the team dealing with weavile, a bit low ladder, but I'm not that great at playing myself https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1606192769-0u5fzvm535hcu09hbzoqo32pto8ziy7pw