Expect the Unexpected

[timbits]

Hello everyone, I have with me a team that utilizes some pokemon not usually encountered in the OU metagame. As I am fairly new to competitive battling and have not memorized what checks what and which pokemon OHKO others and whatnot, I'd appreciate it if you could help decipher some of this team's weaknesses. So without further ado, here it is:

Espeon (F) @ Leftovers Trait: Magic Bounce
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Psyshock
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
- Shadow Ball

Espeon is an interesting pokemon with it's new ability magic bounce, which allows it almost full immunity to non attacking moves and bounces them back to the opponent. I chose espeon on my team because i like to have a hazard advantage to the opponent, but setting up/spinning away hazards allowed free switches and i would always end up out of position. This isn't a problem with espeon, as it is pretty easy to predict when your opponent is going to try to set up hazards or status you, thus allowing a free switch in, hazards/status on the opponent, plus a free turn to calm mind. Psyshock is used instead of psychic for extra power against the specially bulky, and shadow ball and HP fighting for coverage.

Arcanine (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 72 HP / 252 Atk / 184 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- ExtremeSpeed
- Flare Blitz
- Wild Charge
- Morning Sun

Here we have a team member that i'm not really sure about. Sure it hits hard with a life orb and covers a weakness to ice that my two other attacks have, but it doesn't really fit anywhere on the team. Revenge killing with this guy is a possibility, and it absolutely destroys chlorophyll teams with morning sun + flare blitz. I'd really appreciate any suggestions here, i would consider replacing him with a support if needed.

Vaporeon (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Water Absorb
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spd
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Protect
- Scald
- Wish
- Roar

The resident support + phazer on my team, mostly used to heal some of the more fragile pokes on my team and as a scout with protect. Walling with protect + wish is possible, and sometimes i scald in an attempt to burn. Would like some help with this one as well, i feel it doesn't help a whole lot.

Gliscor (M) @ Toxic Orb
Trait: Poison Heal
EVs: 252 HP / 184 Def / 72 Spd
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Ice Fang
- Swords Dance
- Taunt

Swords Dance gliscor. Yep. I feel like i don't get enough coverage on this thing, it's also tricky to switch into and try to get the toxic orb to activate. Once it's in there though, it can pretty much demolish anything, and it can prevent setups with taunt.

Archeops (M) @ Flight Gem
Trait: Defeatist
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Acrobatics
- Head Smash
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Ice]

The surprise. No one expects to see an archeops in OU. NO ONE. In fact, no one expects to see one in UU either, but it works wonders. I sometimes lead with archeops if i see a fire type on the opponent's team, as it can be VERY hard to switch in safely as the battle progresses. Notice that the first acrobatics has 247.5 power after flight gem, no item boost, and STAB on a 140 base attack pokemon. Suffice to say, it absolutely destroys anything, before defeatist activates anyways. I can usually take out about 2 pokemon before the opponent realizes that it can usually be outsped by something on their team, like rotom-w. Head smash can be used effectively even after defeatist is activated, which surprises many. In my opinion archeops is very underrated as a lead, and is a very important component of my team.

Gastrodon (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Storm Drain
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 SDef
Sassy Nature (+SDef, -Spd)
- Toxic
- Ice Beam
- Earthquake
- Recover

Gastrodon is my secondary wall, and main status inflicting poke. Originally brought in to counter rotom-w, which i realized i had a huge weakness against. Recover can be used to scout, and ice beam was chosen over scald as a way to counter very speedy dragon types by taking a hit first, as my two other pokemon who carry ice type moves are not fast enough.

 

[Sayonara]

First off, I suggest running a Naive nature over Jolly, just because you are running Hidden Power [Ice], and Jolly lowers SAtk. I'll add more to this rate later, though.

 

[cosmicfinch]

I like lots about this team.
I would switch hp ice on archeops to u-turn though. When a faster poke comes in you can get out of there. Plus as a lead you can u-turn into magic bounce when a team sends out a set up guy. Plus if defeatist activates you always have wish with vaporeon.

Your gliscor isn't really fast enough to sweep, or use taunt, imo. Why does a sweeper want to waste a move with taunt anyways? I always think of gliscor as a stall pokemon, get a toxic and protect instead of swords dance and taunt. He can poison the foe, and sit back recover and protect.

I really dont like Vaporeon at all. So many better ppl out there that do what he does....better. Chansey, blissey, skarmory, I would grab a taunt mew, to replace him though. He's a great phazer. No wish support, but he does have recover for himself.

I love Gastrodon, but his main attacks are the same as gliscor...I would grab a steel pokemon to help with coverage as opposed gas. Scizor gives you great coverage. I would give him the expert belt and swords dance him for this team. Or a choice scarf max speed and u-turn and you have a choice between arch and him for a lead switch to magic bounce. I would also consider d'nite for that last role. If crap hits the fan early, you can always attempt a dragon dance sweep.

 

[timbits]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I will probably switch that nature on archeops over, but i'm hesitant about giving it u-turn as there are really not a lot of opportunities to switch him back in. The point with gliscor here is to take hits as he sets up, and so if some poke trys to DD and get a speed advantage, that's what taunt is for. I guess it may be a good idea to look for another pokemon though, I will take that into account. I will look into some of the alternatives you have suggested for vaporeon, thanks. I think i'll keep gastrodon sinice i'm probably going to get rid of gliscor, what i really need is a pokemon that is either fast enough to hit most dragon types with an ice attack or take a hit then do it. I'm playing with bringing back my scarfed flygon if i'm getting rid of gliscor, what would be your opinions on this?