Heya' Smogon, hope you're all having a good day wherever you are. I've recently gotten back into the OU Metagame, alongside a friend of mine, and we're highly competitive. He's a little shit and tries to tell me that Dragonite is the best OU pokemon out there, but I plan to take him down with my own personal favorite--Haxorus, as well as build a team that can handle the stronger teams in OU. This is my first RMT, so pardon my mistakes, but I'd be appreciative of any help I can get. I've tested this out on the ladders and feel like there's a lot of room for improvement.
I started off with Haxorus. Big, bad-ass Dragon type of the 5th Gen. Capable of shredding through teams with the right support, and leaving dents in whatever it can't knock out before it dies.
This was followed by Magnezone, who was an obvious choice for supporting Haxorus against it's checks and counters. I'm still iffy on the Air Balloon and the moveset, but it's been working out okay for the time being.
I then saw that I needed a retreat-partner for Magnazone, who I could fall back on when confronted with stronger attackers who threatened Magnezone with Fire, Fighting, and Ground type attacks. Luckily, Gyarados is a bulky dude who can take on all three with ease, as well as being able to weaken the opponents power with Intimidate to allow easier switch-ins for both Magnezone and Haxorus. It's also capable of supporting with Thunder Wave and Taunt, to prevent the foe from hindering my sweeping capabilities.
So I had a nice little core going on. Haxorus was a monster and was capable of handling Fire type offenses directed towards Magnezone, Magnezone was capable of dealing with the Steel-type forces that prevented Haxorus from sweeping with ease, as well as taking in all the Electric and Rock type attacks directed at Gyarados, while Gyarados could take on everything aimed at Magnezone, as well as hinder the opposing team. Then I realized, "Holy crap, Spikes, Stealth Rock, and Toxic Spikes are looking pretty bad." I wanted something that could absorb status, as well as spin away hazards. Natural Cure Starmie seemed like the way to go. Pretty basic, but rarely a let-down.
When I got to this point, I noticed that I had no form of hazards to help break Sashes, Multiscale, and Sturdy, as well as lower the opponents stamina to help ensure OHKO's. I also needed something that could take a hard-hitting T-Bolt or Thunder, as my spinner and team-support are both crippled by it. Did someone say, "Gliscor?" Gliscor also does a great job of walling Brelloom with Poison Heal of its own to laugh at Spore, which I am dreadfully afraid of.
And then there was one. I had a hard time deciding which way to go with this. Another heavy hitter like Starmie and Haxorus, or something that can cripple the opponent, but little else? Eventually I found that I had huge problems with Heatran, and though I can't switch it in to its attacks, Conkeldurr is able to take down Heatran pretty easily, as well as muscle through other quick threats that would otherwise outspeed my other team-mates with a powerul STAB Mach Punch backed by Guts and a Choice Band.
Haxorus @ Choice Scarf
Mold Breaker
Adamant - 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
~Outrage
~Earthquake
~Dual Chop
~Brick Break
As I've mentioned, I wanted a team based on Haxorus. I went with the Adamant nature to build upon his raw power, backed by the Choice Scarf. Jolly seemed unnecessary, since it can still outspeed +2 Multiscale Dragonite, which is one of my biggest threats. Outrage does massive damage, and generally tends to score some nice OHKO's and 2HKO's. Earthquake covers a decent spectrum, such as Bronzong, the Rotoms (bar Rotom-S) and Gengar, who are all susceptible to it thanks to Mold Breaker, as well as a large portion of Sun teams, Tyranitar (who's also covered well by Brick Break), and nice neutral damage on Scizor and Forretress. Dual Chop is great for breaking Substitutes, as well as breaking Sturdy and Multiscale. Brick Break is essentially filler, which helps deter Ferrothorn from switching in.
Magnezone @ Air Balloon
Magnet Pull
Modest - 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
~Hidden Power Fire (70)
~Thunderbolt
~Volt Switch
~Flash Cannon
Magnezone is an essential partner for Haxorus, in that it keeps his sole true counter, Skarmory, in check, as well as other bulky/defensive Steel types like Ferrothorn and Scizor. Air Balloon allows me to switch in on EQ's, as well as protecting him from foes who rely on EQ to deal with Magnezone. HP Fire is a staple that pairs alongside Magnet Pull to switch in on these threats, trap them, and eliminate them with HP Fire to allow Haxorus a clean sweep. Thunderbolt does well against a majority of Rain Team participants, as well as Starmie and Gyarados who can provide complications for Haxorus if not dealt with properly. Volt Switch is a great new scouting option, which allows me to switch and double-switch with good prediction to scout out threats, switch to an appropriate counter, and retaliate with some damage on the way out. Flash Cannon is coverage filler to help take out Rock types who get in the way, as well as attacking with a powerful STAB option against foes who resist T-Bolt and HP Fire.
Gyarados @ Leftovers
Intimidate
Impish - 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spe
~Thunder Wave
~Taunt
~Dragon Tail
~Waterfall
A nice, bulky 'mon with some offensive potential. The set is primarily defensive, so the Nature and EV's fit accordingly. Thunder Wave cripples opposing mons, while Taunt prevents them from setting up or healing. Dragon Tail allows me to shuffle status and damage around, while Waterfall hits a large portion of Sandstorm Teams, as well as Mamoswine and Heatran. Not much else to say, since it's a fairly standard set.
Starmie @ Life Orb
Natural Cure
Timid - 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 SpD
~Rapid Spin
~Surf
~Ice Beam
~Thunderbolt
Ah, Starmie. OU since Red and Blue. Starmie's primary job is to revenge-kill and possibly sweep when it gets the chance, while it's secondary job is to clear the field of hazards. Rapid Spin serves it's purpose as a field cleric, while it can also break sashes and the like on switch-ins. BoltBeam is great coverage, dealing with Skarmory, Gliscor, dragons, Gyarados, Landorus, and many, many more. Surf is beloved STAB, which can leave a heavy dent in anything that doesn't resist it, while helping to deal with Heatran and the likes. Magnezone is a good fall-back for it, as it resists Dark, Bug, Ghost, Grass, and Electric, which all do a lot of damage to Starmie.
Gliscor @ Toxic Orb
Poison Heal
Impish - 252 HP / 184 Def / 72 Spe
~Toxic
~Protect
~Earthquake
~Ice Fang
Gliscor is my primary form of defense, outside of Gyarados. With the upgrade of Poison Heal, via Dream World, Gliscor is able to take a lot more hits, without having to rely on Roost. It also gives Gliscor the ability to take on other statuses, making threats like Brelloom and Amoongus (which has popped up a little more often that it used to) less potent. Toxic allows it to hinder the opponent's longetivity on the field, and is helpful in encouraging switches and doing periodic damage. Protect allows for a guranteed activation of the Toxic Orb, and allows some free-time to heal up between attacks. Earthquake and Ice Fang serve as offensive power and allow me to deal decent damage to opposing Dragons, Hippowdon, Tyranitar, Ninetails, Brelloom, Heatran, and more.
Conkeldurr @ Choice Band
Guts
Adamant - 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe
~Mach Punch
~Hammer Arm
~Payback
~Stone Edge
And last but not least, Conkeldurr. Mach Punch is meant to take down speedy opponents that a large portion of the team can't. Heatran becomes less of a threat, and Hammer arm can kill nearly anything that Mach Punch can't. Payback is a nice way to take out Ghosts, who would otherwise be a huge problem for it. Stone Edge hits a lot, and hits them hard. Gyarados, Shuckle, Volcarona, Chandelure, and many others become much less of a threat. After a Guts boost, Conkeldurr's Atk reaches a whopping 900+, which allows it to easily revenge-kill, and even OHKO, a fair few pokemon without fear, even after a drop from Intimidate.
Major Threats, that I just can't fully deal with.
I started off with Haxorus. Big, bad-ass Dragon type of the 5th Gen. Capable of shredding through teams with the right support, and leaving dents in whatever it can't knock out before it dies.
This was followed by Magnezone, who was an obvious choice for supporting Haxorus against it's checks and counters. I'm still iffy on the Air Balloon and the moveset, but it's been working out okay for the time being.
I then saw that I needed a retreat-partner for Magnazone, who I could fall back on when confronted with stronger attackers who threatened Magnezone with Fire, Fighting, and Ground type attacks. Luckily, Gyarados is a bulky dude who can take on all three with ease, as well as being able to weaken the opponents power with Intimidate to allow easier switch-ins for both Magnezone and Haxorus. It's also capable of supporting with Thunder Wave and Taunt, to prevent the foe from hindering my sweeping capabilities.
So I had a nice little core going on. Haxorus was a monster and was capable of handling Fire type offenses directed towards Magnezone, Magnezone was capable of dealing with the Steel-type forces that prevented Haxorus from sweeping with ease, as well as taking in all the Electric and Rock type attacks directed at Gyarados, while Gyarados could take on everything aimed at Magnezone, as well as hinder the opposing team. Then I realized, "Holy crap, Spikes, Stealth Rock, and Toxic Spikes are looking pretty bad." I wanted something that could absorb status, as well as spin away hazards. Natural Cure Starmie seemed like the way to go. Pretty basic, but rarely a let-down.
When I got to this point, I noticed that I had no form of hazards to help break Sashes, Multiscale, and Sturdy, as well as lower the opponents stamina to help ensure OHKO's. I also needed something that could take a hard-hitting T-Bolt or Thunder, as my spinner and team-support are both crippled by it. Did someone say, "Gliscor?" Gliscor also does a great job of walling Brelloom with Poison Heal of its own to laugh at Spore, which I am dreadfully afraid of.
And then there was one. I had a hard time deciding which way to go with this. Another heavy hitter like Starmie and Haxorus, or something that can cripple the opponent, but little else? Eventually I found that I had huge problems with Heatran, and though I can't switch it in to its attacks, Conkeldurr is able to take down Heatran pretty easily, as well as muscle through other quick threats that would otherwise outspeed my other team-mates with a powerul STAB Mach Punch backed by Guts and a Choice Band.
Haxorus @ Choice Scarf
Mold Breaker
Adamant - 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
~Outrage
~Earthquake
~Dual Chop
~Brick Break
As I've mentioned, I wanted a team based on Haxorus. I went with the Adamant nature to build upon his raw power, backed by the Choice Scarf. Jolly seemed unnecessary, since it can still outspeed +2 Multiscale Dragonite, which is one of my biggest threats. Outrage does massive damage, and generally tends to score some nice OHKO's and 2HKO's. Earthquake covers a decent spectrum, such as Bronzong, the Rotoms (bar Rotom-S) and Gengar, who are all susceptible to it thanks to Mold Breaker, as well as a large portion of Sun teams, Tyranitar (who's also covered well by Brick Break), and nice neutral damage on Scizor and Forretress. Dual Chop is great for breaking Substitutes, as well as breaking Sturdy and Multiscale. Brick Break is essentially filler, which helps deter Ferrothorn from switching in.
Magnezone @ Air Balloon
Magnet Pull
Modest - 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
~Hidden Power Fire (70)
~Thunderbolt
~Volt Switch
~Flash Cannon
Magnezone is an essential partner for Haxorus, in that it keeps his sole true counter, Skarmory, in check, as well as other bulky/defensive Steel types like Ferrothorn and Scizor. Air Balloon allows me to switch in on EQ's, as well as protecting him from foes who rely on EQ to deal with Magnezone. HP Fire is a staple that pairs alongside Magnet Pull to switch in on these threats, trap them, and eliminate them with HP Fire to allow Haxorus a clean sweep. Thunderbolt does well against a majority of Rain Team participants, as well as Starmie and Gyarados who can provide complications for Haxorus if not dealt with properly. Volt Switch is a great new scouting option, which allows me to switch and double-switch with good prediction to scout out threats, switch to an appropriate counter, and retaliate with some damage on the way out. Flash Cannon is coverage filler to help take out Rock types who get in the way, as well as attacking with a powerful STAB option against foes who resist T-Bolt and HP Fire.
Gyarados @ Leftovers
Intimidate
Impish - 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spe
~Thunder Wave
~Taunt
~Dragon Tail
~Waterfall
A nice, bulky 'mon with some offensive potential. The set is primarily defensive, so the Nature and EV's fit accordingly. Thunder Wave cripples opposing mons, while Taunt prevents them from setting up or healing. Dragon Tail allows me to shuffle status and damage around, while Waterfall hits a large portion of Sandstorm Teams, as well as Mamoswine and Heatran. Not much else to say, since it's a fairly standard set.
Starmie @ Life Orb
Natural Cure
Timid - 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 SpD
~Rapid Spin
~Surf
~Ice Beam
~Thunderbolt
Ah, Starmie. OU since Red and Blue. Starmie's primary job is to revenge-kill and possibly sweep when it gets the chance, while it's secondary job is to clear the field of hazards. Rapid Spin serves it's purpose as a field cleric, while it can also break sashes and the like on switch-ins. BoltBeam is great coverage, dealing with Skarmory, Gliscor, dragons, Gyarados, Landorus, and many, many more. Surf is beloved STAB, which can leave a heavy dent in anything that doesn't resist it, while helping to deal with Heatran and the likes. Magnezone is a good fall-back for it, as it resists Dark, Bug, Ghost, Grass, and Electric, which all do a lot of damage to Starmie.
Gliscor @ Toxic Orb
Poison Heal
Impish - 252 HP / 184 Def / 72 Spe
~Toxic
~Protect
~Earthquake
~Ice Fang
Gliscor is my primary form of defense, outside of Gyarados. With the upgrade of Poison Heal, via Dream World, Gliscor is able to take a lot more hits, without having to rely on Roost. It also gives Gliscor the ability to take on other statuses, making threats like Brelloom and Amoongus (which has popped up a little more often that it used to) less potent. Toxic allows it to hinder the opponent's longetivity on the field, and is helpful in encouraging switches and doing periodic damage. Protect allows for a guranteed activation of the Toxic Orb, and allows some free-time to heal up between attacks. Earthquake and Ice Fang serve as offensive power and allow me to deal decent damage to opposing Dragons, Hippowdon, Tyranitar, Ninetails, Brelloom, Heatran, and more.
Conkeldurr @ Choice Band
Guts
Adamant - 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe
~Mach Punch
~Hammer Arm
~Payback
~Stone Edge
And last but not least, Conkeldurr. Mach Punch is meant to take down speedy opponents that a large portion of the team can't. Heatran becomes less of a threat, and Hammer arm can kill nearly anything that Mach Punch can't. Payback is a nice way to take out Ghosts, who would otherwise be a huge problem for it. Stone Edge hits a lot, and hits them hard. Gyarados, Shuckle, Volcarona, Chandelure, and many others become much less of a threat. After a Guts boost, Conkeldurr's Atk reaches a whopping 900+, which allows it to easily revenge-kill, and even OHKO, a fair few pokemon without fear, even after a drop from Intimidate.
Major Threats, that I just can't fully deal with.
- Calm Mind Landorus
- Thundurus-T
- Choice Scarf Heatran
- Wish Vaporeon
