First OU team - first thoughts?

[gman11]

This is my first team on OU & i would like to see your oppinions on this. The movepool is quite unorthodox in some cases but i think it's could because your opponent wont be able to predict you as well. :)

Gengar:
Spell Tag & Levitate
Timid: +252 SpA/ +252 Spd/ +4 Hp
Thunderbolt
Focus Blast
Shadow Ball
Energy Ball​

I choose Gengar because he can wall most leads. Furthermore though T.bolt, Focus blast & Shadow ball are predictable, Energy ball is not so predicatble and can easily deal with swamparts, gyrados & Aerodactyl. I’m using Spell tag to boost the Shadow Ball, many times I’ve been faced with opposing gengars etc and Spell tag shadow ball has rescued me! I know this is an uncommon lead but it’s something different and it’s a nicely rounded moveset.​

​

Metagross:
Occa Berry & Clear Body
Adamant: +252 Atk/ +252 Hp/ +4 Spd
Earthquake
Meteor Mash
Zen Headbutt
Stealth Rock​

Metagross is a good back up for Gengar’s checks; it can come in a take a wide variety of moves dealing a heavy blow at the end! Metagross can deal with the common problem of Jirachi quite well forcing iron head Jirachi to switch out helping me set up rocks. It can also KO Tyraniter with Meteor mash.​

Essentially these two pokemon are putting pressure on my opponents intimidating them and allowing me to set up rocks.​

​

Heatran:
Air Balloon & Flash Fire
Modest: +252 SpA/ +100 SpD/ +100 Hp/ +56 Spd
Lava plume
H.P. electric
Stealth rock
Roar​

Heatran resists quite a lot proving to be quite a nice pokemon to switch into - also if switches in from Metagross – it can absorb a fire attack increasing it’s fire moves due to flash fire. Also with its air balloon it will be able to resist a switch in earthquake. With Heatran being weak to water (x2) H.P. electric should be able to deal sufficient damage to an unexpected opponent. Roar is used so I can shuffle the team, allowing them to rack up entry hazard damage.​

​

Dragonite:
Leftovers & Multiscale
Adamant: +252 Atk/ +252 SpD/ +4 Spd
Dragon tail
Thunder wave
Roost
Waterfall​

Dragonite is a great wall to many moves; hence allowing him to be switched in quite easily. Thuder-wave is used to merely frustrate the opponent and hopefully buy me time to roost etc. The Adamant nature is unexpected in this set so some opponents may think they will be able to take a waterfall or dragon tail, but in fact will be surprised with the damage received.​

​

Cloyster:
White herb & Shell Link
Adamant: +252 Atk/ +252 Spd/ +4 SpD
Icicle Spear
Rapid Spin
Shell smash
Hydro pump​

With entry hazards being a main concept in many players’ games, I think it’s needed to have a rapid spinner. Cloyster is a great mix of a defence wall and a potent opponent. If the opponent has set up entry hazards, it can switch in on a physical opponent and rapid spin them away OR go for a shell smash and boosting its stats making it a sweeper! Hydro Pump will eliminate threats such as Skarmory, Scizor, Forretress, and Metagross, since it hits their weaker Special Defense.​

​

Cresselia:
Light Clay & Levitate
Calm: +200 Hp/ +200 SpD/ +100 SpA/ +8 Spd
Toxic
Moonlight
Ice beam
Reflect​

I felt my team needed a bulky absorber and I think Cresselia will be able to fit that roll. Being able to absorb many attacks it can set up reflect/s to help out the team! Light Clay will make it last longer so the team is helped for longer… this can help my Gengar, Heatran & Dragonite – allowing them to take that extra blow! Toxic is always a good move – it will pick up residual damage and when unsure what the opponent will switch into toxic is always a safe option. Ice beam can deal Gliscors & dragon types.​

This is my team so far: liek to see what you lot think and i'm open to suggestions. Again i'd liek to point out that i'm trying to mix it up a little bit to be less predicatble! :') Thank you

 

[FallenFoliage]

Hello there!
And welcome to Smogon.

This is the perfect place to build a strong and resilient team.

First off, I don't believe that any Gengar that isn't Choiced should lack Subs.
Substitutes allow Gengar to do its thing, it needs to reliably be able to land two hits in order to KO a pokemon without life orb support, avoid status and it also needs it to escape the grips of nasty Ghost-Trappers, like Scizor. You would have to give up a coverage move, but that can't be energy ball because Rotom-W and Gastrodon would walk all over your team.

My suggestion is:
Gengar @ Black Sludge
Timid natured, Ability: Levitate
252Spe/4HP/252SpAtk
-Substitute
-Shadow Ball
-Focus Blast
-Energy Ball/Giga Drain

Energy ball offers a tad more power, Giga Drain offers longevity. Black Sludge won't break Item Clause which I see you follow.

Good luck!

 

[Dr Ciel]

Hello.

This is a solid team, espically for a first-timer like you, so I give you some huge props for that. Anyways, with every team, this one has some flaws, and hopefully my rate can fix those flaws. So, without further adu, let's get onto the rate! Alright, on Gengar, I suggest running an Offensive 3 Attacks set over your current one. This set is relatively simple, you simply set up a Substitute and start firing off Life Orb boosted attacks, which have some amazing coverage to knock out some of the main threats that OU has. Moving forward, I suggest changing your Metagross' item to Leftovers over your current choice of Occa Berry. With Leftovers, Metagross gets a whole lot more staying power, recovering 1/8 of it's health each turn. Also, I suggest you change your Metagross EV spread to one of 252 HP / 96 Atk / 160 SpD over your current spread. The aftermentioned spread allows Metagross to take some hits well, while also maintaining it's high offensive power. Finally, on Metagross, I would be running Pursuit over your choice of Zen Headbutt. Pursuit has the ability to KO many psychics in the tier, such as the Lati twins and Reuniclus. Up next, if you want your Dragonite to be a shuffler, I suggest running a spread of 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD over your current spread. These EVs allow Dragonite to tank most hits from the Special side of the spectrum, most notably Ice attacks. Finally, I would run a Special Defensive Rotom-W in the place of your current choice of Cresselia. Special Defensive Rotom-W gives you a solid switch-in for Choice Specs Tornadus-I, which otherwise flatout 2HKOs your entire team with one move or another. Well, that's all I have to say for now. I hope my advice helped. Have fun and good luck with your team!

Sets

Gengar @ Life Orb Lv. 100 -- Levitate

Nature: Timid - EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd

- Substitute
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast

Rotom-W @ Leftovers Lv. 100 -- Levitate

Nature: Calm - EVs: 248 HP / 28 SAtk / 232 SDef

- Hydro Pump
- Thunder Wave
- Pain Split
- Volt Switch

~Dr Ciel~ (The doctor is OUT)

 

[Ignus]

A decent team you've got here! I realize that I'm not the expert on this stuff, but I think Something that might help you is a personal threat list.

Gliscor
Honestly could end up being your nightmare if you aren't able to get off some Ice Beams with cressila. Earthquake will 2hko Metagross and 1hko heatran (without air balloon) and variants carrying ice fang will sometimes 2hko dragonite. It can also foreverwall Cressila if it manages to get toxic off. This pokemon is a big pain in the ass for anyone and can become a real problem if not delt with.

Ferrothorn
Will probably get a free switch in if you aren't careful, followed by either setting up on you or just outright killing your rapid spinner. Be careful of Thunder Wave when you switch in; I could end up crippling and indirectly killing both gengar and cloyster, the main damage from your team.

Landorus or Landorus(T)
Both scary revenge killers and straight out pivots, these two can be dangerous as hell if not dealt with. Their typing makes gives them some of the same advantages of Gliscor, Albeit with a more offensive twist. They Usually can be delt with with good use of Cloyster and Cressila, but will easily cream Metagross, Gengar, and Heatran; while going even with/ nullifying Dragonite.

Other things to consider
Where is most of my physical damage coming from? How do I deal with Special Walls like Blissey, Jellicent, and Tentacruel?
Is it slot efficient to have two stealth rock users without spikes? Do I need two phasers? Will Stealth rock alone do that much damage to the average team?
How do I deal with baton pass teams if they get ingrain down? Do I have the damage/pivot power to stop that much momentum?

Good Luck! let me know if you have any questions or just feel like berating my logic.

 

[gman11]

Firstly i'd like to say thank you for the advice; really appreciate it :')

I've decided to put a substitute with Gengar, taking away T.Bolt. I realised that Gengar would be to easy of a target without a sub! Also as i'm running Energy Ball, i think leftovers will be appropriate... butt hat's not to say that i could easily switch it to giga drain with a life orb! (Thank you jmurdah617-rougue & Dr Ciel)

In reagrds with Metagross - i noticed that the occa berry was hardly ever used so i'm going to change it to leftovers. After changing Zen headbutt to pursuit, you were right... it provides great damage to psych pokemon! :D With the Ev: i've decided to go for a +252 Hp, +100 Atk & +156 SpD - i prefer that extra bit of attack.

When it comes to the Dragonite - this is were I'm relluctant to change - because i'm going for a mid-shuffler attack, i don't think [SIZE=2]investing so much in speed and spD is good? I kinda want to balance it out... :s

[SIZE=2]I haven't yet tried out the Rotom-W but i think [SIZE=2]I'm going to go for the SpD option like you said:

[SIZE=2]leftovers & calm: +2[SIZE=2]48 Hp, +232 Sp[SIZE=2]D +2[SIZE=2]8 SpA
[SIZE=2]Volt Switch
[SIZE=2]Hydro-pump
[SIZE=2]T.wave
[SIZE=2]Pain Split

[SIZE=2]hopefully this will allow me to deal with Tornadus... but i'm wondering shoul[SIZE=2]d i replace pain split with h.p ice[SIZE=2]; as this will cover me with dragons, breeloms, gliscors...?

Ignus - i do appreciate your advice; i think that with this current changes i will be able to combat the threats you just mentioned (Just about) XD
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