Competitive OU Team

[alexpeng]

Preface: I've been developing this team for ages, but I'm not sure how else I can improve it. Would love some help.

At a glance:

The Team:

Azelf @ Focus Sash
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd
Naive nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Taunt
- Stealth Rock
- Explosion
- Psychic

Taunts the slow ones, sets up stealth rock, explodes. I don't explode straight away, usually I'll switch in once I know their ghost is gone, cause Azelf explosions are really predictable.

Overall this consistently gets SR up, and has a chance of taking another pokemon with it. It does its job, but isn't spectacular. I only need switch out of Jirachis, as I'd rather not get flinch hacked to death, as well as Metagross




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Celebi @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP/4 Def/252 SDef
Calm nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Thunder Wave
- Grass Knot
- Earth Power
- Recover

This is a specially defensive Celebi, and it's worked wonders for me. I'd say it's by far the most irreplacable pokemon on my team. It's main use is it's surprise factor, as well as a switch in to any special attack, super effective or not. (minus shadow ball, bug buzz and heatrans fireblast). Common switch ins to Celebi are Heatran, Infernape and Scizor, while pokemon such as Starmie and other waters stay in to hit with an ice beam. A Heatran's fire blast does 70-80 % to celebi, so I hit it with a thunder-wave while taking the fireblast, then OHKO it with an earth power. Ice beams do 20-35%.

The only thing Celebi is scared of are Rotom appliances, tyranitars, scizors and anything else with a U-turn. U-turn is easily handled by three of my pokemon, while pursuit users are hit with thunderwave, I recover until on full health due to parahax, and then switch, taking 60-70 damage depending on the foe. You may think celebi ends up taking a lot of hard hits, and becomes unusable for the rest of the match, however in the majority of matches it can come in after a KO on a pokemon that can't hurt it, and then recover off the damage.

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Metagross @ Choice Band
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 144 HP/252 Atk/96 Def/16 Spd
Relaxed nature (+Def, -Spd)
- Meteor Mash
- Thunderpunch
- Explosion
- Earthquake

This does really well in taking out Lucarios counters, after three switches even the NVE meteor mash will have KO'd any of the common luke counters, such as Zapdos and Rotom-A's. Physically bulky because that's what it's good at. Overall it takes out counters to my physical offense quite well, and well, Gliscor is dealt with by heatran. I'm considering running more speed EVs to outrun leadGross, as with the MeteorMash-Bullet punch combination I'd be able to get a free switch and EQ it to death. Although it's a 2HKO and I'd be taking ~50% from the enemy EQ, it would mean I don't reveal heatran, which can mean I avoid nasty predicted earthquakes instead of the expected fireblast/flamethrower. Opinions?


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Gyarados (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 156 HP/108 Atk/100 Def/144 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Stone Edge
- Dragon Dance
- Waterfall
- Taunt

Bulky Gyarados. Works well as a backup for countering scizors and tyranitars if metagross has fainted. It's also used for heatrans who have seen that I've got one too, and attempt to predict an earth power. Taunt works wonders at countering some of its common walls, while if they have jolteon, starmie or a rotom, I'll use waterfall straight off the bat rather than DD'ing while they switch, to deal hefty damage, allowing Gyarados to come back in and finish it off next time they attempt to counter it. The flying type works well as it gets lots of free switches throughout the game on earthquakes directed at metagross and heatran.

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Lucario (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Inner Focus
EVs: 4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Close Combat
- Swords Dance
- Crunch
- Extremespeed

My late-game setup sweeper, it's main threat is gliscor who walls it even after setup, (that's why I run HP Ice on heatran, more explanation below). I run max speed to stop opposing Lucarios. This one is pretty self explanatory, at the end of the game I've seen and weakened most of his pokemon, I just swords dance, keep hitting the right move and hope they can't stop me.

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Heatran (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 Atk/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Naive nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Fire Blast
- Explosion
- Earth Power
- Hidden Power [Ice]

Scarftran, great revenge killer, absorber of fire moves which are super-effective on 3 of my pokemon, kills dragons with HP-Ice, kills gliscors with EQ who never switch, then get hit by a 4x effective move. Great pokemon. It's also used to absorb shadow balls. This isnt very effective as they deal up to 35% when choice spec'd. This is why rotom appliances are a large threat to my team- I am unable to stop their shadow balls, and they can't be exploded on. (notice, I have 3 explosion users in this team). Threatened by plenty of things, as I get locked into a move, it just switches into a resist, hits hard and switches out. I'm considering changing its nature from naive to +speed - defence to better take shadow balls, however then I'd be OHKO'd by scarf-flygon's earth quake even with reflect up. Opinions?
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On another note, I've always liked the idea of a calm-mind Suicune which might replace one of my steels.

Threats:

Blissey - Two taunters and a user of close combat

Bronzong - Heatrans fireblast, taunted and then set up on with gyara, taunted with azelf and fireblasted

Celebi - Heatran's fireblast, if lucario's setup, crunch, celebi can stall it,

Cresselia - Lucario's crunch, or metagross meteor mashing it. It never does too much damage to the team.

Forretress - Forced out by heatran, or taunted

Gliscor - Lured and killed by heatran

Gyarados - T-waved and killed by celebi, or walled by metagross

Hippowdon - Taunted, grass knotted by celebi, reflected then meteor-mashed by metagross, taunted/waterfalled by gyarados

Jirachi - Heatran-fireblast, if I don't get haxxed, celebi can t-wave it then recover/kill with earth power

Rotom-A - Scary thing. Usually hit by waterfall on the switch to gyarados, I switch to celebi to take the thunderbolt, thunderwave it and recover off shadow ball damage, finally switch to heatran and force it out. Rinse and repeat next time gyarados comes in. It eventually dies though.

Skarmory - Taunted, fireblasted or set up on.

Snorlax - completely owned by close combat

Suicune - Celebi. If it starts calm-minding and resting, I'll go to metagross once it's asleep and kill it with explode

Swampert - Celebi, gyarados

Tyranitar - Metagross, and lucario

Vaporeon - Celebi

Zapdos - Zapdos is handled via Glaceon.

Azelf - If its a lead, I fireblast and hope to win the speed tie, if its not, then celebi thunderwaves it and it's worthless.

Breloom - Spore absorbed by celebi, taunted by gyarados, if it doesnt have a sub up and I'm revenging, heatran.

Gengar - Heatran, Celebi

Gyarados - celebi/metagross

Heatran - Heatran, gyarados, celebi (situational)

Infernape - Celebi, gyarados

Jolteon - Celebi if it's thunderbolting, heatran if it's shadow balling, both can OHKO it but will take heavy damage if I predict wrong

Latias - Celebi's thunderwave then metagross,

Kingdra - Celebi

Lucario - Celebi, metagross

Machamp - Celebi, gyarados

Magnezone - celebi, heatran if I'm not locked into HP-Ice

Mamoswine - Gyarados

Metagross - Celebi, heatran.

Salamence - Heatran, lucario's extreme speed

Scizor - Heatran, lucario, gyarados

Starmie - celebi

Tyranitar - metagross

Zapdos - Heatran/Celebi

 

[alexpeng]

bump

 

[MrIndigo]

Your Azelf is purposeless without Stealth Rock. The only goal of a Suicide lead is to set up hazards, and the way your team is built you're pretty much better off running the standard Gross lead set and running him in the Lead position.

I don't really like having two physical set-up sweepers (plus Metagross) on the same team, but given that ti's Bulky Tauntados it can probably slide, because Gyarados can rip holes in the midgame, and then Luke can clean up afterwards.

I think having only a Scarfer as a special attacker is a bit risky, though.

 

[alexpeng]

if I run a metagross lead, what should I put in place of my current meta?

 

[Snorlaxe]

Your Azelf is purposeless without Stealth Rock. The only goal of a Suicide lead is to set up hazards, and the way your team is built you're pretty much better off running the standard Gross lead set and running him in the Lead position.

I don't really like having two physical set-up sweepers (plus Metagross) on the same team, but given that ti's Bulky Tauntados it can probably slide, because Gyarados can rip holes in the midgame, and then Luke can clean up afterwards.

I think having only a Scarfer as a special attacker is a bit risky, though.

Dont run a Metagross lead, just stack Stealth Rock on Azelf in place of, say, Fire Blast. Metagross is not a good lead for your team, as he is such a key player later on in the match. As far a Scarfer goes, Heatran is a good choice, as demonstrated by its popularity. What I do suggest you do, however, is make Metagross a Choice Bander. Choice Band Metagross is an amazing Pokemon, hitting ridiculously hard while still retaining quite a bit of bulk. CB Gross will also add some more offense to your team, as the previous Metagross set you were running was really a waste of Metagross's potential...no Poke on your team barring Lucario benifited from having Reflect up, and if you are interested in setting up screens, then there are many better Pokemon for the job, such as Cresselia. Here is the set:

Metagross @ Choice Band
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 Hp / 236 Atk / 8 Def / 12 Spe
Adamant nature (+Attack, -Special Attack)
~ Meteor Mash
~ Earthquake
~ Explosion
~ Thunderpunch

You will be amazed by the immense power that this thing packs. A CB Meteor Mash is a OHKO on any frail Pokemon that tries to switch in, as well as 2HKOing a vast majority of OU. If you happen to nab an attack boost from Meteor Mash, then your opponent is in a whole world of trouble. Earthquake works fabulously in conjunction with Meteor Mash, scoring super-effective damage on many Pokemon that resist Meteor Mash, such as enemy Metagross and Jirachi. Explosion is ridiculously powerful, OHKOing even standard physically defensive Skarmory (after factoring in Stealth Rock damage). Thunderpunch gets good coverage, and can be a nasty surprise for bulky waters such as Gyarados and Suicune switching in expecting a Meteor Mash. The EVs are tailored to make Metagross extremely powerful, while still very bulky. The 12 Speed EVs are to outrun fellow Metagross (who generally run 8 Spe EVs unless an AgilityGross), and Skarmory. If you do make the switch to Choice Band Metagross, try and take advantage of the amazing offesnive synergy that he and Bulky Gyarados have together.

Hope I helped, and good luck! =)

 

[alexpeng]

Thanks heaps :D

I used your suggestions, and the metagross has been working out great for me. However I'm not liking the Azelf lead because... it feels a shame to just SR and explode, as it doesn't contribute anything to the team. Not sure if anything can be done about that however.

Metagross is great, works well with the team, a question on speed IVs that's in my comments about it, "I'm considering running more speed EVs to outrun leadGross, as with the MeteorMash-Bullet punch combination I'd be able to get a free switch and EQ it to death. Although it's a 2HKO and I'd be taking ~50% from the enemy EQ, it would mean I don't reveal heatran, which can mean I avoid nasty predicted earthquakes instead of the expected fireblast/flamethrower. Opinions?"

Thanks a ton again :)

 

[Vapor Trails]

However I'm not liking the Azelf lead because... it feels a shame to just SR and explode, as it doesn't contribute anything to the team. Not sure if anything can be done about that however.

I have the almost same Azelf on another team I'm using, and the only real purpose behind a Azelf lead is to SR and then explode.
A change that might help is to replace Psychic on Azelf with Flamethrower.
It might provide a better role for Azelf, such as taking out Bronzong.