Gen 7 [first post] Alakazam M + Kartana offense.

[Grimji]

I wanted to use the offensive combo of Alakazam and kartana because I find it really strong and interesting against the current meta.

First, Alakazam
Alakazam-Mega @ Alakazite
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
- Recover
He has the best speed tier of non-scarfed pokemons in SM OU, 2 really strong abilities ( magic guard before mega and trace after ) allowing him to pressure toxapex and all non-scarfed mons. Zam also gets recover to be useful during all the game and not die on all priority moves.

Kartana
Kartana @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Leaf Blade
- Knock Off
- Sacred Sword
- Smart Strike
Kartana scarf is one of the best cleaner of the tier, can easily revenge kill offensive pokemons like gren, swampert-M under rain or lele and put pressure on problematics mons for zam like chansey or ferrothorn. He's also good for taking priority moves who scares zam.

Next, we have a big problem against steel types, espicially scizor, skarmory and celesteela. And the is one answer to them : Magnezone.

Magnezone
Magnezone @ Electrium Z
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Substitute
- Flash Cannon
Magnezone is here to trap rapidly these pokemons, place a sub, kill them and get free chip damage on common answer to him like lando, gliscor or excadrill. Zone allows zam and kart to do a maximum of damages after trapping enemy steel-types.

Now, let's identify the defensive weaknesses of the team. Landorus scarf can stop kart, revenge kill zam and OHKO magnzone. Kommo-o is very dangerous if he can place his z-move. Latias-M and Tangrowth can easily stall the team if kart isn't boosted and finally, victini and volcarona and very dangerous offensively.
Tapu lele
Tapu Lele @ Choice Specs
Ability: Psychic Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Psyshock
- Focus Blast
- Moonblast
Tapu lele specs is really good at destroying Lando, kommo-o, latias-M and tangrowth, runs the psychic terrain to boost zam damages and allows him to stay on priority moves, is boosted by zone trapping and apply stong damages to chansey with psyshock.

Then, the team need something who stops volcarona and check koko and heatran.

Gastrodon
Gastrodon @ Leftovers
Ability: Storm Drain
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Toxic
- Earthquake
- Scald
- Recover
Gastrodon is still having a place in OU and the Spdef version is really good in the team : he stops volcarona at +1 if he don't run giga drain (he don't in the current meagame), checks koko and can also kill heatran and victini. Toxic is useful to help kartana to sweep in end game but it is the classic gastrodon set in sm ou actually.

Now, we need a ground resist and something to deal with entry hazards and hawlucha.

To finish the team with something original, Landorus-T :
Landorus-T
Landorus-Therian (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 112 Def / 144 Spe
Impish Nature
- Defog
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Earthquake
- U-turn
Landorus is checking many physical damage dealer in the tier, 144 speed allows him to pivot on slow pokemons and defog easily without removing too much bulk.

Threats :
Charizard-Y : with no stealth rocks and only gastrodon for fire resist, he's the main danger against the team, you can just try to get the momentum and never let him apply free damages...
Hawlucha : If there is one in enemy team, try to keep lando healthy to deal with him.
Crawdaunt : Even if he isn't OU, I have to mention him because he's really dangerous against the team.
Knock off in general : this team is weak to knock off especially mawile-M and Weavaile, but you can revenge kill them hopefully.
Dragonite : same as crawdaunt, don't let him place a dragon dance.
Tapu bulu : if he clicks the right move, you lose a Pokémon, hopefully he is slow and ez to revenge kill.

I will surely post replays from ladder or tournaments when i'll find some.
Please answer to this post thread if you can give me advices to improve the team !
Here's the paste of the paste of the team if you want it : https://pokepast.es/35a7ec64bb9f9715

 

[Maktyum]

Hi! I'm here to rate your team.

positive points of the team:
is good in tandem with wearing down their common checks for each other and both making use of the psychic terrain (power boost and immune to priority)
is a good idea here to trap steel types blocking and both psychics.
is useful to check many threats such as , or and can punish them with status or earthquake.
The team has a good structure overall, to begin with, which is always good.

issues:
The lack of stealth rock is a problem for the team, making harder the work of , or .
You have no reliable switch-ins to dangerous psychic types such as opposing .

my propositions:

• major change: ->: I think specially defensive is better here. It can remove steel types such as , or just as did. Moreover, it is your check to and can place the stealth rock on the field, some things that wasn't able to do. However, you will need to be careful because can run focus blast. Toxic can cripple its common switch-ins such as or (latias).

Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 176 SpD / 80 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Magma Storm
- Earth Power
- Toxic
- Stealth Rock
​

->: is very good here but you need a more reliable way to switch into earthquake and playing around scarf. forms a good defensive core with protecting each other from their respective weaknesses. do the same job as and its access to regenerator gives it longevity as well. Knock of is useful to get rid of annoying items in your opponent's team such as assault vest helping and . You can keep if you really want but be aware that tangrowth is better here.

Tangrowth @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
Hidden Power: Ice
EVs: 252 HP / 12 Def / 244 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Giga Drain
- Knock Off
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Earthquake​

• minor changes: : I gave the choice scarf, giving it more opportunities to use defog. This EVs spread allows it to tank leaf blade from kartana and survives hawlucha, therefore, giving you the opportunity to kill it with explosion (if you placed stealth rock). Defog+explosion is rare but it fits well in this team. Stone Edge is another possibility to get rid or tornadus more easily but hawlucha becomes dangerous without explosion.

Landorus-Therian @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 64 HP / 144 Atk / 92 Def / 208 Spe
Naive Nature
- U-turn
- Defog
- Earthquake
- Explosion/Stone Edge​

: now that is our scarfer and we lack a Z move user, will have the fightinium Z destroying common steel types after a sword dance such as , , and .
calcs:
+2 252 Atk Kartana All-Out Pummeling (175 BP) vs. 248 HP / 28 Def Celesteela: 464-546 (116.8 - 137.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252 Atk Kartana All-Out Pummeling (175 BP) vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Magearna: 434-511 (119.5 - 140.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252 Atk Kartana All-Out Pummeling (175 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Skarmory: 277-327 (82.9 - 97.9%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

Kartana @ Fightinium Z
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Leaf Blade
- Sacred Sword
- Knock Off​

Here is the final team with all the changes: click me
Hope you will enjoy the team :) and don't hesitate to respond or ask questions!

 

[Grimji]

Hi! I'm here to rate your team.

positive points of the team:
is good in tandem with wearing down their common checks for each other and both making use of the psychic terrain (power boost and immune to priority)
is a good idea here to trap steel types blocking and both psychics.
is useful to check many threats such as , or and can punish them with status or earthquake.
The team has a good structure overall, to begin with, which is always good.

issues:
The lack of stealth rock is a problem for the team, making harder the work of , or .
You have no reliable switch-ins to dangerous psychic types such as opposing .

my propositions:

• major change: ->: I think specially defensive is better here. It can remove steel types such as , or just as did. Moreover, it is your check to and can place the stealth rock on the field, some things that wasn't able to do. However, you will need to be careful because can run focus blast. Toxic can cripple its common switch-ins such as or (latias).

Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 176 SpD / 80 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Magma Storm
- Earth Power
- Toxic
- Stealth Rock​

->: is very good here but you need a more reliable way to switch into earthquake and playing around scarf. forms a good defensive core with protecting each other from their respective weaknesses. do the same job as and its access to regenerator gives it longevity as well. Knock of is useful to get rid of annoying items in your opponent's team such as assault vest helping and . You can keep if you really want but be aware that tangrowth is better here.

Tangrowth @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
Hidden Power: Ice
EVs: 252 HP / 12 Def / 244 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Giga Drain
- Knock Off
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Earthquake​

• minor changes: : I gave the choice scarf, giving it more opportunities to use defog. This EVs spread allows it to tank leaf blade from kartana and survives hawlucha, therefore, giving you the opportunity to kill it with explosion (if you placed stealth rock). Defog+explosion is rare but it fits well in this team. Stone Edge is another possibility to get rid or tornadus more easily but hawlucha becomes dangerous without explosion.

Landorus-Therian @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 64 HP / 144 Atk / 92 Def / 208 Spe
Naive Nature
- U-turn
- Defog
- Earthquake
- Explosion/Stone Edge​

: now that is our scarfer and we lack a Z move user, will have the fightinium Z destroying common steel types after a sword dance such as , , and .
calcs:
+2 252 Atk Kartana All-Out Pummeling (175 BP) vs. 248 HP / 28 Def Celesteela: 464-546 (116.8 - 137.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252 Atk Kartana All-Out Pummeling (175 BP) vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Magearna: 434-511 (119.5 - 140.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252 Atk Kartana All-Out Pummeling (175 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Skarmory: 277-327 (82.9 - 97.9%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

Kartana @ Fightinium Z
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Leaf Blade
- Sacred Sword
- Knock Off​

Here is the final team with all the changes: click me
Hope you will enjoy the team :) and don't hesitate to respond or ask questions!

I really like your ideas, espicially the heatran who is a good option with stealth rocks and beating steel types. Thank you for responding me with these nice advices ! Just a rapid question, how do you use the pokemon's images ?

 

[Maktyum]

I really like your ideas, espicially the heatran who is a good option with stealth rocks and beating steel types. Thank you for responding me with these nice advices ! Just a rapid question, how do you use the pokemon's images ?

Glad you like it :)
To introduce a sprite in your post, write :pokemonname: and for the 3D models :gen/pokemonname: (for example :sm/pokemonname:).

 

[Grimji]

Glad you like it :)
To introduce a sprite in your post, write :pokemonname: and for the 3D models :gen/pokemonname: (for example :sm/pokemonname:).

Ok, thanks for all!