Explosive Team

[Dakadoon]

I decided 2 create a team where every pokemon has the ability explosion. It's worked pretty well so far but maybe it needs some improvement.

Squid (Azelf) @ Focus Sash

Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 Atk/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Naive nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Stealth Rock
- Psychic
- Explosion
- Fire Blast
---

I've always liked Azelf. With a focus sash, it always manages to pull of SR, then it does whichever move is more effective until it's health is low. Then it will explode and quite often kill them.

Steel Teddy (Bronzong) @ Macho Brace

Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP/84 Atk/80 Def/92 SDef
Sassy nature (+SDef, -Spd)
- Toxic
- Earthquake
- Gyro Ball
- Explosion
---

Bronzong is nifty with a 0 speed IV and a macho brace bringing it's speed down to 31, maximizing it's Gyro Ball damage. It can toxic to weaken pokemon and earthquake to take out fire types and other steel types. Unfortunately i've almost never managed to pull of an explosion, partially because i'm bad at predicting.

Ghost (Gengar) (F) @ Life Orb

Ability: Levitate
EVs: 40 Atk/240 Spd/228 SAtk
Hasty nature (+Spd, -Def)
- Shadow Ball
- Thunderbolt
- Focus Blast
- Explosion
---

Gengar is always good for outspeeding ppl, and with a hasty nature and 40 attack EVs, it's explosion does more damage. With the combination of Shadow Ball, Thunderbolt, and Focus Blast, it can hit many things for supereffective damage. Once it eventually gets down tolow health, it will just explode.

Steel Dino (Heatran) (M) @ Leftovers

Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Naive nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Fire Blast
- Earth Power
- Substitute
- Explosion
---

Heatran is good for taking fire attacks and i think the leftovers variation is better than any Choice variation. If i have a substitute i can take a ground attack while dishing out my own attack and then switch, or if i'm faster mayber i could spontaneously combust.

Magnet (Magnezone) @ Choice Scarf

Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 84 HP/172 Spd/252 SAtk
Naive nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Flash Cannon
- Explosion
---

Magnezone is my revenge killer. Having HP Fire allows it to take out trapped Steel types by outspeeding them with a Choice Scarf, and Thunderbolt is good for taking out Flying and Water types. On this one, i've never used Flash Cannon or Explosion.

Dark Tree (Shiftry) (F) @ Life Orb

Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 6 Def/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Rash nature (+SAtk, -SDef)
- Sunny Day
- Solarbeam
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Explosion
---

Once it's sunny, Shiftry gets double speed, takes less time absorbing light, and gets a powered up HP Fire which can take out other Grass types. Shiftry is my best pokemon to take water attacks, and once he's done his work, he can blow up.

 

[DarkCyberElf]

Explosion FTW, too bad you have a win/loss rate of 2/11.... against me...

Otherwise.... you know its a nice team.... you've tested it enough to know that. The team is obviously hard to rate or give suggestions because then it might ruin the overall theme. However, I would recommend Cloyster for high Def and 95 Base Attack for Explosion plus the resistance to Water attacks, or Qwilfish for SD Explosion. Although both are NU, Qwilfish is actually a pretty good Pokemon. If you need a Pokemon who can take Special attacks like Water attacks all day long and use Explosion, I recommend Regice, who can Curse (+Attack & Defense, -Speed), increasing Explosion's power, as well as raising his lower Defense (Base Def 100 < Base 200 SpD) to make him take hits better. He can have Explosion for when he is low health, Counter to swiftly KO Fighting and Rock types going for a swift KO of their own, and Ice Shard in case Counter doesn't do enough. Otherwise, the Pokemon with access to Explosion is limited, and most have terrible typing (except Bronzong, Heatran, Magnezone etc.). Good luck using them though.

The sets you have now could be changed as well. There is too much focus on Fire attacks (which only beat Ice, Grass, Bug, and Steel, most of which are Sub-types), so perhaps some odd attacks here and there. Also, in OU, if Shiftry is your only reliable option to come in on Water attacks, you may want to add some Special bulk. Remove the Sunny-Beam set, as it is hard to set up and once Heatran is gone, none of your Pokemon can take on another Heatran. This is why I suggest removing Heatran's Substitute and give him a Shuca Berry. Shiftry should have a more defensive spread to take resisted attacks better. However, with horrible 90/60/60 defenses, HP is the only thing worth investing in. If using Sunny Day, use a Speed EV to beat a certain Pokemon. Max Speed + Timid/Naive brings you to a massive 568 Speed, which isn't necessary to run. Shiftry should run enough speed to beat certain things in and out of sunlight.

Here are Base 80 Pokemon and above that you should be outrunning and beating before sunlight:

- Dragonite: Has Base 80 Speed, but with no HP ice to handle it, outrunning it means nothing. Giving him a free switch-in can mean the end to your team if he uses Superpower and Gengar has been slain.
- Gyarados: Base 81 Speed gives him a jump, but most use Adamant Gyarados. Outrunning Gyarados and switching in on his array of Water and Ground attacks can be important, and in sunlight Waterfall won't be doing much. Therefore it is safe to run anything from 262 Speed upwards to outrun Gyarados before he dances.
- Heracross: If running HP Fire, Sunlight will guarantee his death, as most are Scarfed, and those that are not will not be running Max Speed (295). Therefore, outrunning Scarf Cross and KO'ing isn't a problem.
- Mamoswine: If he is running Ice Shard (most do), being faster automatically becomes useless. Therefore outrunning yet another Base 80 is not important.

As you can see, there are few Pokemon in OU that a Base 80 Speed Pokemon is going to be outrunning and whether or not it will matter. Outrunning Heatran in your case means nothing without HP Ground (I recommend running it so Heatran can't switch in and wall you, as well as outspeeding and KO'ing Infernape after SR damage).

That's about all, hopefully you will make minor changes!

 

[DarkCyberElf]

Edit: Sorry, right here I accidentally posted the same message twice. xD

 

[ARandomDude]

Azelf: I would run Taunt or Grass Knot over SR. Bronzong can SR instead of Explode, while Azelf could shut down SR or kill Swampert with that extra moveslot.

Bronzong: Take out Toxic for SR.

I would suggest Agiligross over Shiftry. Your team in general doesn't like fire attacks, and the sun could easily backfire on you. With Agiligross, you still have explosion and a speed boosting pokemon, but its only good for you.
Metagross@Leftovers/Life Orb
112 HP / 252 Atk / 12 Def / 132 Spe
Adamant
-Agility
-Meteor Mash
-Earthquake
-Explosion

This team is heavy on special attackers, which is fine when all your guys can blow up on Blissey and Latias, but good prediction can screw you over. Skarmory and Forretress aren't even KO'd by some explosions, and ghosts can switch in on the opportune moment.
Another weakness is your lack of speed. A Salamence could come in on Magnezone locked on HP Fire, Dragon Dance once, and outrun and KO your entire team. As a remedy, I would suggest using a choice scarf Gengar, who can outrun many threats.