So to preface, this is my first competitive team since 3rd gen. I bought ORAS on a whim and decided to check out the competitive scene. Obviously a lot has changed but after multiple revisions and play tests, I think I finally have a team worth posting here for fine tuning. In short, I wanted to play a balanced style, OU tier singles team. I built the team around the vaunted Dragon/Steel/Fairy core of Zard X/Skarmory/Sylveon. So without further ado...
1) Mega Charizard-X @ Charizardite X
Ability: Tough Claws
EVs: 252 ATK/4 DEF/252 Spe
Adamant Nature
-Fire Punch
-Dragon Claw
-Earthquake
-Dragon Dance
When I decided I wanted to play competitive again, I wanted to build the team around Zard-X. I loved his design, his typing, and he really appealed to my sense of nostalgia. As such, I did some research and found that using him as a DD-sweeper was probably the most effective way to use the beast. I gave it Fire Punch over Flare Blitz as a form of longevity. After 1 DD+Adamant nature, Fire Punch is still devastating and keeps Zard on the field longer without wasting a move slot on roost. Dragon Claw is the other half of Zard's STAB moves and I prefer it to outrage as it prevents Zard from getting locked in on things like Azumarill and Clefairy. Earthquake gives beautiful coverage and things that formerly gave my Zard trouble (read: Heatran) are checked. Dragon Dance is obviously the catalyst for the whole set. If I get off one dance, it's tough for the opponent to survive. If I get off two, it's game over.
2) Skarmory @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP/252 DEF/4 Sp. DEF
Impish Nature
-Brave Bird
-Spikes
-Whirlwind
-Roost
With Zard in place, I knew I needed a physical wall who could also set up hazards to aid in his sweep. Skarmory has outstanding symmetry with Zard-X so it was a logical second fit. The EVs and nature are in place to make it absorb as much physical punishment as possible. I'm currently rolling with Rocky Helmet to further detour physical damage but have also worked in leftovers. I'm not really attached to one item over the other. Brave Bird is a strong STAB that allows Skarmory to retaliate with force while still functioning as a wall. I gave Skarmory spikes over Stealth Rock as I will be rolling another Poke out with SR so I figured I didn't need to be redundant with hazards. Whirlwind prevents things from setting up on Skarmory and if all the harzards are down, allows Skarmory to double down as a phaser. Roost gives Skarmory reliable recovery from both opposing Poke's damage and also Brave Bird recoil.
3) Sylveon @ Choice Specs
Ability: Pixilate
EVs: 240 HP/252 Sp ATK/16 Spe
Modest Nature
-Hyper Voice
-Psyshock
-Shadow Ball
-Baton Pass
Having my dragon and steel in place, I knew I needed a fairy to complete my core. I figured turning my fairy into the special attacking half of my offensive side wasn't a bad idea either which is how I arrived at Sylveon. The EVs and nature are designed to take full advantage of Sylveon's bulk and power while the remaining speed EVs allow it to outspeed an univested Tyranitar (which I seem to run into a lot of). Hyper voice boosted by Pixelate gives Sylveon awesome STAB. Throwing choice specs on top of that feels like I'm running a fairy-based nuke. Psyshock provides nice coverage and synergy alongside Hyper Voice and also prevents ghosts from honing in on my spinners too much. Shadow Ball is a final coverage weapon to help Sylveon check Metagross and Jirachi. Baton pass is in the last slot to help Sylveon pivot around. I usually wait for it to bait in poison/steel types and then let something like Zard take 'em out.
4) Excadrill @ Leftovers
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs: 252 HP/4 Atk/252 Sp. DEF
Careful Nature
-Earthquake
-Iron Head
-Rapid Spin
-Stealth Rock
This is kind of a funky Excadrill compared to what one usually sees but I think it slots well into my team. Upon playtesting with Zard-X, I immeditately recognized the need for a bulky spinner. Excadrill is a nice option who has the added benefit of throwing more hazards into the field. Earthquake and Iron Head are obviously there for STAB. Even though I didn't invest anything into attack, Excadrill still hits naturally hard enough to make opponents think twice. Rapid Spin clears the field of hazards and makes things so much easier on my attackers. Stealth Rock further helps their cause and due to Mold Breaker, has the awesome ability to bypass magic bounce users such as Mega-Sable Eye.
5) Starmie @ Life Orb
Ability: Analytic
EVs: 4 HP/252 Sp. Atk/252 Spe
Timid Nature
-Hydro Pump
-Ice Beam
-Thunderbolt
-Rapid Spin
A second spinner? Yes. Having spinners surround Zard can't be overstated. While both are capable of holding their own, I just like knowing that I can almost always keep the field clear for the sweep. However, I didn't want to ignore Starmie's natural offensive capabilities so unlike my Excadrill, I kept the EV spread as per norm. Hydro Pump hits like a 10-ton truck with the life orb boost and the vaunted Bolt/Beam combo ensures that Starmie takes a healthy chunk out of nearly everything. While Starmie isn't super durable (no recovery alongside the life orb damage), it is a beautiful late game clean up 'mon and I've noticed that a lot of Charizard's more annoying threats (Heatran, Suicune) can't hold up against it.
6.) Chansey @ Eviolite
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP/252 DEF/252 SpD
Bold Nature
-Thunder Wave
-Soft Boiled
-Seismic Toss
-Heal Bell
Can I just say that I hated the idea of this thing before I finally slotted it into the team? Then I fell in love. I knew that I needed more special support for the team and saw a lot of users recommending the big pink blob. With Eviolite/Natural Cure/this EV split, the thing is nye-on indestructible and is a beautiful second half to my Skarmory wall. Thunder wave cripples everything that attempts to set up on Chansey and going back to Zard, ensures that opposing sweepers can't stop him. Since Chansey can't carry leftovers, soft boiled only makes sense and adds longevity to an already annoyingly durable pokemon. Seismic Toss is there just to ensure that Chansey can cause damage when need be. Heal Bell is the final move slot and gives the team a much needed cleric.
Overview: After playing with this team, I'm splitting my battles about 50/50 (nearly all of which involve Zard getting an unabated sweep). I think that I may need a more focused lead (maybe Azelf?) as leading with either Skarmory or Excadrill to get hazards out early leaves a lot to be desired. I seem to have problems with Azumarill if Skarmory can't switch in (and really fairy types in general).
So let me know what you guys think! I'm really open to changing anything. I acknowledge that I'm new to this and while I've done tons of research, I full expect you guys to rip my team apart. So please do!
1) Mega Charizard-X @ Charizardite X
Ability: Tough Claws
EVs: 252 ATK/4 DEF/252 Spe
Adamant Nature
-Fire Punch
-Dragon Claw
-Earthquake
-Dragon Dance
When I decided I wanted to play competitive again, I wanted to build the team around Zard-X. I loved his design, his typing, and he really appealed to my sense of nostalgia. As such, I did some research and found that using him as a DD-sweeper was probably the most effective way to use the beast. I gave it Fire Punch over Flare Blitz as a form of longevity. After 1 DD+Adamant nature, Fire Punch is still devastating and keeps Zard on the field longer without wasting a move slot on roost. Dragon Claw is the other half of Zard's STAB moves and I prefer it to outrage as it prevents Zard from getting locked in on things like Azumarill and Clefairy. Earthquake gives beautiful coverage and things that formerly gave my Zard trouble (read: Heatran) are checked. Dragon Dance is obviously the catalyst for the whole set. If I get off one dance, it's tough for the opponent to survive. If I get off two, it's game over.
2) Skarmory @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP/252 DEF/4 Sp. DEF
Impish Nature
-Brave Bird
-Spikes
-Whirlwind
-Roost
With Zard in place, I knew I needed a physical wall who could also set up hazards to aid in his sweep. Skarmory has outstanding symmetry with Zard-X so it was a logical second fit. The EVs and nature are in place to make it absorb as much physical punishment as possible. I'm currently rolling with Rocky Helmet to further detour physical damage but have also worked in leftovers. I'm not really attached to one item over the other. Brave Bird is a strong STAB that allows Skarmory to retaliate with force while still functioning as a wall. I gave Skarmory spikes over Stealth Rock as I will be rolling another Poke out with SR so I figured I didn't need to be redundant with hazards. Whirlwind prevents things from setting up on Skarmory and if all the harzards are down, allows Skarmory to double down as a phaser. Roost gives Skarmory reliable recovery from both opposing Poke's damage and also Brave Bird recoil.
3) Sylveon @ Choice Specs
Ability: Pixilate
EVs: 240 HP/252 Sp ATK/16 Spe
Modest Nature
-Hyper Voice
-Psyshock
-Shadow Ball
-Baton Pass
Having my dragon and steel in place, I knew I needed a fairy to complete my core. I figured turning my fairy into the special attacking half of my offensive side wasn't a bad idea either which is how I arrived at Sylveon. The EVs and nature are designed to take full advantage of Sylveon's bulk and power while the remaining speed EVs allow it to outspeed an univested Tyranitar (which I seem to run into a lot of). Hyper voice boosted by Pixelate gives Sylveon awesome STAB. Throwing choice specs on top of that feels like I'm running a fairy-based nuke. Psyshock provides nice coverage and synergy alongside Hyper Voice and also prevents ghosts from honing in on my spinners too much. Shadow Ball is a final coverage weapon to help Sylveon check Metagross and Jirachi. Baton pass is in the last slot to help Sylveon pivot around. I usually wait for it to bait in poison/steel types and then let something like Zard take 'em out.
4) Excadrill @ Leftovers
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs: 252 HP/4 Atk/252 Sp. DEF
Careful Nature
-Earthquake
-Iron Head
-Rapid Spin
-Stealth Rock
This is kind of a funky Excadrill compared to what one usually sees but I think it slots well into my team. Upon playtesting with Zard-X, I immeditately recognized the need for a bulky spinner. Excadrill is a nice option who has the added benefit of throwing more hazards into the field. Earthquake and Iron Head are obviously there for STAB. Even though I didn't invest anything into attack, Excadrill still hits naturally hard enough to make opponents think twice. Rapid Spin clears the field of hazards and makes things so much easier on my attackers. Stealth Rock further helps their cause and due to Mold Breaker, has the awesome ability to bypass magic bounce users such as Mega-Sable Eye.
5) Starmie @ Life Orb
Ability: Analytic
EVs: 4 HP/252 Sp. Atk/252 Spe
Timid Nature
-Hydro Pump
-Ice Beam
-Thunderbolt
-Rapid Spin
A second spinner? Yes. Having spinners surround Zard can't be overstated. While both are capable of holding their own, I just like knowing that I can almost always keep the field clear for the sweep. However, I didn't want to ignore Starmie's natural offensive capabilities so unlike my Excadrill, I kept the EV spread as per norm. Hydro Pump hits like a 10-ton truck with the life orb boost and the vaunted Bolt/Beam combo ensures that Starmie takes a healthy chunk out of nearly everything. While Starmie isn't super durable (no recovery alongside the life orb damage), it is a beautiful late game clean up 'mon and I've noticed that a lot of Charizard's more annoying threats (Heatran, Suicune) can't hold up against it.
6.) Chansey @ Eviolite
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP/252 DEF/252 SpD
Bold Nature
-Thunder Wave
-Soft Boiled
-Seismic Toss
-Heal Bell
Can I just say that I hated the idea of this thing before I finally slotted it into the team? Then I fell in love. I knew that I needed more special support for the team and saw a lot of users recommending the big pink blob. With Eviolite/Natural Cure/this EV split, the thing is nye-on indestructible and is a beautiful second half to my Skarmory wall. Thunder wave cripples everything that attempts to set up on Chansey and going back to Zard, ensures that opposing sweepers can't stop him. Since Chansey can't carry leftovers, soft boiled only makes sense and adds longevity to an already annoyingly durable pokemon. Seismic Toss is there just to ensure that Chansey can cause damage when need be. Heal Bell is the final move slot and gives the team a much needed cleric.
Overview: After playing with this team, I'm splitting my battles about 50/50 (nearly all of which involve Zard getting an unabated sweep). I think that I may need a more focused lead (maybe Azelf?) as leading with either Skarmory or Excadrill to get hazards out early leaves a lot to be desired. I seem to have problems with Azumarill if Skarmory can't switch in (and really fairy types in general).
So let me know what you guys think! I'm really open to changing anything. I acknowledge that I'm new to this and while I've done tons of research, I full expect you guys to rip my team apart. So please do!
