ORAS NU Close Combat (First Thread)

[Tom Jones]

Howdy, This is my first thread on here for the NU tier. The team doesn't really mind rocks or anything so there is no hazard remover. Every Poke on the team can take some hits and force switches or set up hazards. Anyway, lets get into it.

Sawk (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Close Combat
- Knock Off
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake

Sawk is the mon I really wanted to use, with its ability to destroy a lot with banded Close Combat, and Knock Off for the pesky mismagius, Mesprit and Uxie. You could run Fist Plate Sawk to lure in stuff and then kill with knock off but here im using Choice Band. Stone Edge is to hit stuff flying types, The reason this is not Ice Punch/ThunderPunch is because Stone Edge avoids rocky helmet and aftermath shenanigans from Garbodor being stone edge does not make contact. EQ can weaken or KO Garbodor on switch in, if you predict it. The EVs are basic, just don't click suggested spread lol.

252+ Atk Choice Band Sawk Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 160+ Def Garbodor: 312-368 (85.7 - 101%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO

Also: 252+ Atk Choice Band Sawk Stone Edge vs. 252 HP / 160+ Def Garbodor: 156-184 (42.8 - 50.5%) -- 2.3% chance to 2HKO This can weaken garbo down as well.

Hariyama @ Assault Vest
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 228 SpD / 24 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Close Combat
- Knock Off
- Bullet Punch
- Fake Out

So, I decided for another fighting type because AV Hariyama is the best check for Typhlosion imo.(I also wanted to use 2 fighting types for "fighting spam")You can always replace fake out with Heavy Slam for mega audino. Basically as we all know Hariyama holding the assault vest, pairing with thick fat ability can take fire type moves for days from typhlosion. He can take Extrasensory relatively well too. The 24 speed is to outspeed other base 50s like hariyama, audino, regirock, and Vileplume even though effect spore bs.

252 SpA Choice Specs Typhlosion Extrasensory vs. 0 HP / 228 SpD Assault Vest Hariyama: 172-204 (40 - 47.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252+ Atk Hariyama Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Typhlosion: 249-294 (83.8 - 98.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Samurott @ Life Orb
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Taunt
- Hydro Pump
- Grass Knot
- Ice Beam

I am going with Samurott here because of his really good coverage with Ice/Grass/Water, and ability to taunt. Taunt prevents set up from pokemon that will try to set up, It gets Ludicolo when he tries to set up rain and also hits the curse rest talk muk and Rest Talk mega audino. Hydro Pump is so strong with life orb when it hits. Grass Knot is for Quagsire that decide to stay in and for seismitoads that want to switch in. Ice Beam is for physically defensive Vileplume, basically any grass type that might come in. The speed Evs and Nature are to outspeed anything that tries to set up hazards or stat boosts, because most hazard users are slow.
252+ SpA Life Orb Samurott Ice Beam vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Vileplume: 270-320 (76.2 - 90.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Black Sludge recovery

Mesprit @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- U-turn
- Psychic/Psyshock
- Energy Ball/Ice Beam/Hidden Power Fire
- Signal Beam

Mesprit is here to kill Poison types that Sawk and Hariyama might have trouble getting through, and also just a scarfer. Psychic is to kill Weezing and Garbodor, but Psyshock is an option for Hariyama. Energy Ball for Quagsire and Seismitoad, You could run ice beam if you hate Archeops that much.
Signal Beam is for other psychic types and the dreaded malamar. U-turn is just to get out of situations and revenge kill weakened mons. I needed a scarfer because my team is relatively slow. Its also one of my only Fighting resists, but gets destroyed by a well timed knock off. The EVs are simple. You could use hp fire for klinklang, but i have 2 fighting types so its not much of a problem.

Garbodor @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Aftermath
EVs: 252 HP / 160 Def / 96 Spe
Impish Nature
- Spikes
- Toxic Spikes
- Gunk Shot
- Drain Punch

I picked Garbodor because of it's Good defensive typing and Rocky Helmet Aftermath Pairing, and its ability to set up hazards with Toxic Spikes and Spikes. Gunk Shot is there for STAB and can really do a number to things even un invested being a high Base power. Drain Punch is to gets HP back if you need it to set up more hazards. The Def EVs allow it to take physical hits pretty well paired with max HP. the Speed is just to Outspeed other garbos and overall just speed creep.
252+ Atk Choice Band Mold Breaker Sawk Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 160+ Def Garbodor: 140-165 (38.4 - 45.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 Atk Guts Swellow Facade (140 BP) vs. 252 HP / 160+ Def Garbodor: 229-271 (62.9 - 74.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO < He'd be dead by then if Gunk Shot hits.

Klinklang @ Leftovers
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 92 HP / 252 Atk / 164 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Substitute
- Shift Gear
- Gear Grind
- Return/Wild Charge

The only set up sweeper on this team, and also a resist to Flying and Psychic for Sawk and Hariyama. It can get a sub up on scarf mesprit that used a psychic move {252 Atk Mesprit Zen Headbutt vs. 92 HP / 0 Def Klinklang: 51-60 (17.9 - 21.1%) -- possible 7HKO after Leftovers recovery} the speed is to outspeed adamant Sawk and the speed lets you outspeed choice scarfed base 100s after a shift gear boost (typhlosion). I choose to run Return over wild charge because return hits water types as well, and it also hits Fire types for more damage then wild charge without the recoil.

 

[HJAD]

Howdy there! Nice team you have yourself stacked with some of the top offensive threats in the NU tier. You do have checks / switch ins for pretty much all of the tier so my changes will be more so determining a better hazard balance. I know in the intro you said that the team doesn't have anything particularly weak to hazards but when I look at it, hazard removal on any and every team is crucial for success. It means the likes of hariyama don't get worn down too easily by the likes of typhlosion as they aren't taking sr + spikes damage every time it switches in.
You also have a worry lack of stealth rock. You do have spikes, which are nice but my change looks to advocate both problems in swoop, allowing you to maintain what is a good offensive structure, as sawk / hariyama weaken their checks for klinklang to sweep i n the late game.

My proposed change will be SR Defog Prinplup > Samurott. What this means for your team you are replacing a strong special attacker for hazard control and stealth rocks. This in my opinion is quite important for any team, your team won't be an exception to the rule. Prinplup is chosen as it boasts both sr and defog and has no hazard weakness, and samurott is replaced as its typing clashes with prin. Not to mention he might seem a bit useless at times due to the fact he isn't breaking the physical walls for sawk.

Another change I would like you to consider is Zen Headbutt > Stone Edge / EQ on Sawk. What this allows you to do is 2hko weezing and vileplume which maybe initially problematic for sawk and your team. Again, it allows walls to be broken for yama, to freely spam cc, which is the main object of this team.

set

Prinplup @ Eviolite
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpA
Bold Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Defog
- Scald
- Toxic

Hope these changes help!
~HJAD

 

[Tom Jones]

Howdy there! Nice team you have yourself stacked with some of the top offensive threats in the NU tier. You do have checks / switch ins for pretty much all of the tier so my changes will be more so determining a better hazard balance. I know in the intro you said that the team doesn't have anything particularly weak to hazards but when I look at it, hazard removal on any and every team is crucial for success. It means the likes of hariyama don't get worn down too easily by the likes of typhlosion as they aren't taking sr + spikes damage every time it switches in.
You also have a worry lack of stealth rock. You do have spikes, which are nice but my change looks to advocate both problems in swoop, allowing you to maintain what is a good offensive structure, as sawk / hariyama weaken their checks for klinklang to sweep i n the late game.

My proposed change will be SR Defog Prinplup > Samurott. What this means for your team you are replacing a strong special attacker for hazard control and stealth rocks. This in my opinion is quite important for any team, your team won't be an exception to the rule. Prinplup is chosen as it boasts both sr and defog and has no hazard weakness, and samurott is replaced as its typing clashes with prin. Not to mention he might seem a bit useless at times due to the fact he isn't breaking the physical walls for sawk.

Another change I would like you to consider is Zen Headbutt > Stone Edge / EQ on Sawk. What this allows you to do is 2hko weezing and vileplume which maybe initially problematic for sawk and your team. Again, it allows walls to be broken for yama, to freely spam cc, which is the main object of this team.

set

Prinplup @ Eviolite
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpA
Bold Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Defog
- Scald
- Toxic

Hope these changes help!
~HJAD

You're right thanks man! I'll make these changes right now.

 

[Ares]

Hey Tom Jones welcome to smogon!

I saw that you built this team around sawk, but tbh you really don't support sawk at all. Its just sort of there, you are running Sturdy without any hazard support so Mold Breaker is much better, because hazards are going to get up at some point through out the match. You could take HJADs suggestion of going Prinplup > Samurott but then you lose out on a lot of power and the utility of taunt. Having hazard control isn't a necessity if you have ways to pressure setters though, so offensive pressure and taunt on samurott really helps.

The first thing I saw was that you didn't have Stealth Rock, which is an essential move on every team imo. Personally I would try out Rhydon > Hariyama which opens you up to Lilligant, but Hariyama is still a shaky check due to Sleep Powder. Rhydon still does the job that you need it to do, checking Fire-types as well as providing you with rocks and a Malamar check. This also means that Camerupt is a bit more threatening, but nothing really switches in on it and Hariyama gets crippled by Will-O-Wisp, so I think that offensive pressure from your team and smart switches will allow you to handle it really well and a ton of teams are just using offensive pressure to handle it. You could also run enough speed on Rhydon to outpace max speed modest camerupt so you can have another check to it.

Your team with HJAD's changes or in the original form is incredibly weak to Jynx. Right now it can pretty much beat your entire team, your only real good check to it is Hariyama with the dual priority, which isn't the best way to handle it. Klinklang dies to a Focus Blast while nothing appreciates a sleep and Mesprit can't OHKO. The next change I would try out is Scarf Haunter > Mesprit which would give you a fast Dbond as a check to setup sweepers as well as a good check to Lilligant and Jynx. It takes care of a lot of the problems your team seems to have.

@ Eviolite | Lightning Rod
232 HP / 24 Atk / 252 SpD | Adamant
Stealth Rock | Earthquake | Rock Blast | Megahorn

@ Choice Scarf | Levitate
Sludge Bomb | Shadow Ball | Destiny Bond | Energy Ball / Trick / Dazzling Gleam / Thunderbolt

The last slot on Haunter is up to you, eball for toad and other quad weak pokemon, trick for defensive walls, dazzling gleam for malamar / tbolt for archeops and other flying types.