Greetings Smogon! I've been playing this rage inducing game for quite awhile, but surprisingly this is my first post. I started out playing Gen6 and 7 Ubers, but discovered the past gens around the release of Sword and Shield and have enjoyed 3-5 OU, Ubers, and Gen 4 UU the most. Despite all the ups and downs of teambuilding in that time, many of which I'm still proud of, this team I made last month has been the one that's stuck with me the most as both my favorite and the one I'm most proud of. Since then I've spammed it a lot on ladder across multiple accounts (peaking somewhere in top 15 I can't remember exactly), until I finally ended up here, making an RMT about it.
Origins
The origins of this team was actually from me trying to experiment with Trick + Scarf Lead Azelf to answer opposing fast Azelf, Aerodactyl, and Scarf Rachi leads. From there I ended up experimenting with a bunch of different mons, and finding more success with Pokemon that could take advantage with how Azelf guaranteed a Trick Scarf right from Turn 1. And what mon takes advantage of Scarf Pokemon more than Torment Heatran? From there I had an idea I wanted to min-max and ended up making this demon squad:
Slowly We Rot
Everything Dies (Jirachi) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 80 Def / 176 Spe
Impish Nature
- Trick
- Iron Head
- U-turn
- Ice Punch
Yeah I ended up replacing that Scarf Azelf I was talking about, the good thing is that Jirachi is broken. This is probably the one I have the least to say about since everybody knows Scarf Jirachi, but it's no less an important member of the team. It's by far the best lead I have available, able to try and Hax out opposing Azelf / Aero, cripple leads like Metagross and Empoleon Turn 1 by locking them into Rocks or an exploitable attack, or pivot out with its ScarfTran creeping speed. Since I'm always gonna be throwing out the Scarf and have another mon for Rocks, I choose Trick + U-Turn to pivot out of Stealth Rock Locked leads to gain massive momentum, and some Bulk so it can live that first attack from whatever it Tricked. Ice Punch is there in case I need to revenge Dnite or need something to finish off a Dragon-Locked Flygon or Latias.
Look to (Celebi) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 248 HP / 220 Def / 40 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Grass Knot
- Recover
- Leech Seed
- Trick
Nobody ever expects the Scarf Celebi. Celebi has two important roles on this team, Trick something that doesn't want a Scarf, and put those 6 resistances to good use. Since nobody ever expects Scarf Celebi, it can do that first role very reliably, so I opted for a bulky set with the Speed to creep all the mons that love sitting at 245 Speed like DDGyara. Once its got the Scarf off it plays like your standard bulky Celebi, which is important cause this team could have real trouble with Grounds, Waters, and Fighting types otherwise. It's always my first option vs Gyarados since nobody is smart enough to run Bounce, and it isn't as afraid of Ttar. I also can't count how many times I've Tricked turn 1 with Rachi, U-turned turn 2 to Celebi, and Tricked a Bronzong or Clefable turn 3 and started with a massive advantage, there's really no understating the surprise value especially since I can still use the Scarf to beat boosted Gyara or Starmie. Originally I had HP Fire but found I wasn't using it that much so I swapped for the Seed to keep the other lads healthy.
The Skies (Rotom-Mow) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Trick
- Shadow Ball
- Thunderbolt
- Will-O-Wisp
Yep, three Trick Scarfers. This is a pretty standard Scarftom that does pretty standard Scarftom things, just with Will-O-Wisp since I'm much more likely to be Tricking with this guy. Very important mon to have since it also blocks Rapid Spin. Compared to the other two Scarfers this guy is usually the last to use Trick and also the least likely to use it since it's great at revenging so many mons (and also cause I don't like sending in early Rotom because "Pursuit Me!"). Again, not a whole lot to say cause everybody knows Scarftom and what it does, the only reason I made it Mow form is in case I need to emergency bluff a Swampert out.
To See the End (Heatran) @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 244 HP / 16 SpD / 248 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Torment
- Substitute
- Protect
- Lava Plume
The wincon, he who will watch your team rot before him. If you thought TorTran was annoying by itself or with just one Trick user, imagine what it can do with three. A lot of piloting it will come down to using the set properly and tricking the right targets, but if you do so it can solo entire teams easily. In general I try to keep it disguised as long as possible, just in case there's something like a Swampert in the back I need to Trick or a Flygon that I can't allow to lock into EQ. Popular targets for getting a Sub up are Ttar locked into Pursuit, Water types locked into Ice beam, Choice locked Dragon or Steel moves, etc. Once it comes in it NEEDS to do as much damage as possible, cause the surprise value is gone and you might not get another chance to clean house. So no getting greedy with Lava Plume kills or playing it too loose, Protect for every bit of HP you can and never be caught without a Sub up. In fact for the longest time I had Taunt instead of Lava Plume just for the added cancer and it's technically better on paper, but in practice there are a lot of problematic steels and recover Latias' that make the end game too restrictive to play in practice, plus EQ Ttar comes in with no fear.
Of All Creation (Tyranitar) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Pursuit
- Crunch
- Earthquake
With the first 4 pokemon handling win conditions just fine, my last two needed to provide extra support to TorTran to make the sweep easier and cover up some key defensive holes. Max HP / Max SpD Tyranitar is a monster. Absolutely destroys some potentially problematic mons like Gengar, Rotom, and Zapdos while being my best offensive threat against Clefable. Most importantly though, with Leftovers it can dominate opposing Heatran and switch in on it multiple times throughout the match (ShucaTran is lucky to 5HKO this with EP). Stealth Rocks is obviously a must have, and Sandstorm is even better (and the primary reason this isnt just a pink blob) since all those Tricked mons are now on a timer that makes life so much easier for Tran, also stifles Swift Swimmers which is nice. Pursuit by itself is another boon it brings to this team, you wouldn't expect Infernape to be Pursuit bait until it gets Trick locked into a Fire move. Originally I even gave it Rest over Crunch just for an even better matchup against Heatran but swapped it out when I changed Celebi to Leech Seed.
Again (Tentacruel) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Liquid Ooze
EVs: 252 HP / 120 Def / 136 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Toxic Spikes
- Rapid Spin
- Surf
- Sludge Bomb
Tentacruel is an extremely underrated mon that provides all the remaining support this team wants. TSpikes provide another fast ticking timer that makes Heatrans life so much easier and allows it to actually break through mons like Blissey, Rapid Spin clears the hazards so the lads can switch around freely, and Sludge Bomb is pretty nice for killing Breloom and potentially poisoning floaters that aren't affected by the spikes. Ttar and Tentacruel are really the gluemons that allow this team to actually work, unlike Forretress its unique resistances actually allow it to relieve pressure by helping Celebi handle Waters and Fighting Types, help Ttar handle Fires, it and TTar can actually stomach Special Ground attacks for Celebi and Rotom, etc. Importantly, it completely stuffs most Infernape sets and can come in on Skarm to prevent it from making too much progress. I always try to get TSpikes up before spinning away the hazards, Heatran can handle a lot of stuff it reasonably shouldn't be able to when they're taking 12.5% for switching in and 18.75% for the crime of existing.
Outro
I'm tempted to write a threat list, but in general Ttar + Cruel + 3 Scarfs actually handles most offensive stuff, and against most problematic defensive stuff like Clefable the gameplan is just to trick it anyways (you have 3 so it's more reliable than it sounds). When it doubt, people never suspect Celebi has Trick Scarf so it's always reliable as your second or third Trick, a lot of people don't even suspect Rotom will have it once they've already seen it on the other lads but hey that's the idea.
Got a replay today that can hopefully show off the team in action (wish I saved the one where I beat BKC but I'm stupid). If you managed to read this far, thanks and have a wonderful day!
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen4ou-1632549907
Origins
The origins of this team was actually from me trying to experiment with Trick + Scarf Lead Azelf to answer opposing fast Azelf, Aerodactyl, and Scarf Rachi leads. From there I ended up experimenting with a bunch of different mons, and finding more success with Pokemon that could take advantage with how Azelf guaranteed a Trick Scarf right from Turn 1. And what mon takes advantage of Scarf Pokemon more than Torment Heatran? From there I had an idea I wanted to min-max and ended up making this demon squad:
Slowly We Rot
Everything Dies (Jirachi) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 80 Def / 176 Spe
Impish Nature
- Trick
- Iron Head
- U-turn
- Ice Punch
Yeah I ended up replacing that Scarf Azelf I was talking about, the good thing is that Jirachi is broken. This is probably the one I have the least to say about since everybody knows Scarf Jirachi, but it's no less an important member of the team. It's by far the best lead I have available, able to try and Hax out opposing Azelf / Aero, cripple leads like Metagross and Empoleon Turn 1 by locking them into Rocks or an exploitable attack, or pivot out with its ScarfTran creeping speed. Since I'm always gonna be throwing out the Scarf and have another mon for Rocks, I choose Trick + U-Turn to pivot out of Stealth Rock Locked leads to gain massive momentum, and some Bulk so it can live that first attack from whatever it Tricked. Ice Punch is there in case I need to revenge Dnite or need something to finish off a Dragon-Locked Flygon or Latias.
Look to (Celebi) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 248 HP / 220 Def / 40 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Grass Knot
- Recover
- Leech Seed
- Trick
Nobody ever expects the Scarf Celebi. Celebi has two important roles on this team, Trick something that doesn't want a Scarf, and put those 6 resistances to good use. Since nobody ever expects Scarf Celebi, it can do that first role very reliably, so I opted for a bulky set with the Speed to creep all the mons that love sitting at 245 Speed like DDGyara. Once its got the Scarf off it plays like your standard bulky Celebi, which is important cause this team could have real trouble with Grounds, Waters, and Fighting types otherwise. It's always my first option vs Gyarados since nobody is smart enough to run Bounce, and it isn't as afraid of Ttar. I also can't count how many times I've Tricked turn 1 with Rachi, U-turned turn 2 to Celebi, and Tricked a Bronzong or Clefable turn 3 and started with a massive advantage, there's really no understating the surprise value especially since I can still use the Scarf to beat boosted Gyara or Starmie. Originally I had HP Fire but found I wasn't using it that much so I swapped for the Seed to keep the other lads healthy.
The Skies (Rotom-Mow) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Trick
- Shadow Ball
- Thunderbolt
- Will-O-Wisp
Yep, three Trick Scarfers. This is a pretty standard Scarftom that does pretty standard Scarftom things, just with Will-O-Wisp since I'm much more likely to be Tricking with this guy. Very important mon to have since it also blocks Rapid Spin. Compared to the other two Scarfers this guy is usually the last to use Trick and also the least likely to use it since it's great at revenging so many mons (and also cause I don't like sending in early Rotom because "Pursuit Me!"). Again, not a whole lot to say cause everybody knows Scarftom and what it does, the only reason I made it Mow form is in case I need to emergency bluff a Swampert out.
To See the End (Heatran) @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 244 HP / 16 SpD / 248 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Torment
- Substitute
- Protect
- Lava Plume
The wincon, he who will watch your team rot before him. If you thought TorTran was annoying by itself or with just one Trick user, imagine what it can do with three. A lot of piloting it will come down to using the set properly and tricking the right targets, but if you do so it can solo entire teams easily. In general I try to keep it disguised as long as possible, just in case there's something like a Swampert in the back I need to Trick or a Flygon that I can't allow to lock into EQ. Popular targets for getting a Sub up are Ttar locked into Pursuit, Water types locked into Ice beam, Choice locked Dragon or Steel moves, etc. Once it comes in it NEEDS to do as much damage as possible, cause the surprise value is gone and you might not get another chance to clean house. So no getting greedy with Lava Plume kills or playing it too loose, Protect for every bit of HP you can and never be caught without a Sub up. In fact for the longest time I had Taunt instead of Lava Plume just for the added cancer and it's technically better on paper, but in practice there are a lot of problematic steels and recover Latias' that make the end game too restrictive to play in practice, plus EQ Ttar comes in with no fear.
Of All Creation (Tyranitar) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Pursuit
- Crunch
- Earthquake
With the first 4 pokemon handling win conditions just fine, my last two needed to provide extra support to TorTran to make the sweep easier and cover up some key defensive holes. Max HP / Max SpD Tyranitar is a monster. Absolutely destroys some potentially problematic mons like Gengar, Rotom, and Zapdos while being my best offensive threat against Clefable. Most importantly though, with Leftovers it can dominate opposing Heatran and switch in on it multiple times throughout the match (ShucaTran is lucky to 5HKO this with EP). Stealth Rocks is obviously a must have, and Sandstorm is even better (and the primary reason this isnt just a pink blob) since all those Tricked mons are now on a timer that makes life so much easier for Tran, also stifles Swift Swimmers which is nice. Pursuit by itself is another boon it brings to this team, you wouldn't expect Infernape to be Pursuit bait until it gets Trick locked into a Fire move. Originally I even gave it Rest over Crunch just for an even better matchup against Heatran but swapped it out when I changed Celebi to Leech Seed.
Again (Tentacruel) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Liquid Ooze
EVs: 252 HP / 120 Def / 136 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Toxic Spikes
- Rapid Spin
- Surf
- Sludge Bomb
Tentacruel is an extremely underrated mon that provides all the remaining support this team wants. TSpikes provide another fast ticking timer that makes Heatrans life so much easier and allows it to actually break through mons like Blissey, Rapid Spin clears the hazards so the lads can switch around freely, and Sludge Bomb is pretty nice for killing Breloom and potentially poisoning floaters that aren't affected by the spikes. Ttar and Tentacruel are really the gluemons that allow this team to actually work, unlike Forretress its unique resistances actually allow it to relieve pressure by helping Celebi handle Waters and Fighting Types, help Ttar handle Fires, it and TTar can actually stomach Special Ground attacks for Celebi and Rotom, etc. Importantly, it completely stuffs most Infernape sets and can come in on Skarm to prevent it from making too much progress. I always try to get TSpikes up before spinning away the hazards, Heatran can handle a lot of stuff it reasonably shouldn't be able to when they're taking 12.5% for switching in and 18.75% for the crime of existing.
Outro
I'm tempted to write a threat list, but in general Ttar + Cruel + 3 Scarfs actually handles most offensive stuff, and against most problematic defensive stuff like Clefable the gameplan is just to trick it anyways (you have 3 so it's more reliable than it sounds). When it doubt, people never suspect Celebi has Trick Scarf so it's always reliable as your second or third Trick, a lot of people don't even suspect Rotom will have it once they've already seen it on the other lads but hey that's the idea.
Got a replay today that can hopefully show off the team in action (wish I saved the one where I beat BKC but I'm stupid). If you managed to read this far, thanks and have a wonderful day!
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen4ou-1632549907
