Hi everyone. This is my attempt at building a balanced team with Mega Gyarados. I laddered with this team for a bit and it seemed pretty nice. However I am not a very good builder so I might have ignored certain flaws, please give me any suggestions you have. :]
Let's get started:
My first mon is Mega Gyarados. This is one of my favorite Pokemon to use and I want to build a team around it. Gyara is a threatening set up sweeper with great offensive typing and decent coverage. It has respectable bulk that allows it to tank a few hits, which gives it the opportunity to set up with dragon dance. Its speed is high enough for it to out-speed many mons in OU after one dragon dance. Its move pool when combined with mold breaker can hit almost every mon for super effective or neutral damage, making it all the more threatening
Next up is Gengar. Gengar forms great synergy with Mega Gyarados. It can break down many mons that gyarados can't touch, especially the bulky fairy types such as clefable. It also resist or is immuned to most of Gyarados's weaknesses. On the other hand, Gyarados can wall or destroy mons that Gengar struggle against, such as bisharp. Knock off Spam is also prevented by Gyarados's typing and status as a mega evolution. The two of them forms a great core.
Scizor is my next pick. Its access to bullet punch offers a way to punish fast ice and rock type pokemon that can potentially give Gyara or Gengar problems. Its great defensive typing coupled with Gyarados's ability to stop fire types also makes the team more durable.
The next mon is Rotom-Wash. Rotom-Wash's bulk and will-o-wisp gives me a more reliable way to stop physical attackers such as sand rush drill and talonflame, which could otherwise sweep my team. Slow volt switch also allows me to gain momentum and bring in my other mons to set up or go for a kill next turn.
Hippowdon comes in next as arguably the best stealth rocker currently in OU (barring Lando-t and Chomp). Not only does Hippo set up hazard, it also gives me a mean to deal with electric types such as manectric and raikou. Its sheer bulk allows it to tank many hits and weaken my opponent's team making it easier for Gyara to set up and sweep or for my other mons to clean up.
And Last but not least is Latias. Being one of the best defoggers, the eon dragon controls the hazards on the field while having no weakness to stealth rock and doesn't get damaged by spikes. It also helps with checking keldeo, which threatens my team greatly.
The sets:
Gyarados-Mega @ Gyaradosite
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Waterfall
- Crunch
- Earthquake
The Gyarados set is nothing out of the ordinary. Waterfall and crunch are both powerful STABs that is highly spam-able, coupled with mold breaker earthquake the coverage is near perfect. Despite being predictable, it is nonetheless still quite effective and can massacre teams with enough dragon dance. I prefer a jolly nature to outspeed threats such as Hoopa-U, Altaria and jolly mega Ttar. The rest is dumped into attack, giving it maximum damage output. The last 4 goes to SDef, just to boost its bulk by a bit and giving Gyara an odd HP number allowing it to switch into stealth rock 4 times in regular form.
Gengar @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Shadow Ball
- Sludge Wave
- Focus Blast
The Gengar has a life orb set. Dual STAB and one coverage move for attacking. This set is also quite standard but it offers great offensive pressure along with Gyarados. Unaware Clef and Altaria gets demolished by sludge wave, which opens room for Gyara to sweep. Shadow Ball tears through Medicham, Gallade and other psychic types. Focus blast is there for dark & steel coverage. Substitute is used over icy wind because it doesn't hit as hard as Gengar's main STAB and its coverage is pretty much offered by Gyara already. Substitute blocks status moves and serve as a wall against priority such as Talon's brave bird or Scizor's BP for Gengar. Allowing Gengar to clean up or wall break.
Scizor @ Life Orb
Ability: Technician
EVs: 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Bullet Punch
- Bug Bite
- Roost
I've decided a life orb set for Scizor. I dislike the fact that choice band set locks me into a single move and and lacks recovery, which I think doesn't fit into the team very well. The defensive SD set doesn't hit as hard and I already have enough bulky mons already. It revenge kills Altaria which could plow through my team after DD. BP also breaks weavile, scarf Ttar and Kyurem which is very threatening to my team. Bug bite is simply for a strong STAB that can easily 2HKO Rotom-w after one SD. Roost is just recovery for longevity. 136 speed Evs with jolly allows scizor to outspeed defensive Rotom-wash and kill it if it's weakened before a volt switch or will-o. 120 Hp achieves a LO number so scizor last longer. lastly 252 are dumped into attack to hit as hard as possible.
Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 212 HP / 252 Def / 44 Spe
Bold Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Pain Split
- Hydro Pump
- Volt Switch
Rotom has a common defensive set. Willo to neutralize physical threats such as sand rush drill. Pain Split for recovery which is great against fat mons like chansey. Hydro to hit Talon, Heatran and other fire types. Volt switch offers valuable momentum for the team. Defensive Rotom-w can also deal with rain team to a certain extent, able to switch into Tor-t and Pert, and can volt switch against Toed or Omastar. The EVs are standard, the item is lefties to gain health.
Hippowdon (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Force
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Slack Off
- Toxic
Hippowdon is the rocker. Stealth rock helps immensely to break sash, multi scales and weaken teams in general. Slack off makes hippo even fatter. Toxic wears down opponent walls. Sand force is used over sand stream because I don't find summoning sand particularly useful, so I'd rather not weaken my own team. Sand force also makes hippo better suited to deal with sand teams, as earthquake becomes more powerful and smacks driller and ttar for massive damage. The EVs are just for maximum bulk
Latias @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 72 HP / 184 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Defog
- Draco Meteor
- Psyshock
- Recover
Latias is hazard control. It has no weakness to rocks and are not affected by spikes (unlike Zapdos, Mandibuzz or Starmie), but still manages to have powerful offensive presence (Skarmory), decent special bulk and access to recovery. Psyshock provides me a way to tear apart keldeo, conkeldur, and other fighting types which my other Pokemons can't really do. Draco is just free to drop and can weaken physical walls such as rotom. Recover is used for, well, recovery. Healing wish could've worked as a cleric move but my team has immunity to two of three common statuses (paralysis and toxic). Latios could've been used in place of Latias but I wanted the extra bulk Latias has to offer.
That is the end of my team. Feel free to make suggestions. I really appreciate it. :]
