ORAS OU Frosty Goons (Ft. Mega-Abomasnow)

[bieme]

Intro

Hey everyone and welcome to my first RMT, any and all criticism, good or bad would be greatly appreciated, as I am very new to team building and looking to improve in all aspects of competitive play.

The Goons

Abomasnow (M) @ Abomasite
Ability: Snow Warning
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Blizzard
- Leech Seed
- Earthquake
- Giga Drain
​

So, the big guy, our ice setter. Now the set im running on him is meant to stall out their bulk under hail. Between rock/spike damage plus the Hail being up it is actually quite easy to otk most threats with blizzard. ​

Hes set on a SpA/Hp set for the big 100% STAB blizzards and for the effective seed/drain stall, with some much needed bulk.
​

Kyurem-Black @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Teravolt
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Lax Nature
- Dragon Claw
- Fusion Bolt
- Roost
- Ice Beam

Kyurem-B is a perfect fit for the Hail. Not just because of the ice stab but the threats he can take care of those pesky Lati's, T-flames and other flying friends thanks to scarfed Fusion Bolts. Running him as a Speedy Scarfed set Attacker, keeping roost to stay alive, a key member of the team in almost every match.

Skarmory (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Bold Nature
- Flash Cannon
- Defog
- Spikes
- Counter


Another main member, and a key supporter. Physically Defensive bulk running Flash Cannon to get rid of the fairies, My other possible mon right here would be Scizor but seeing as how I'm already running a Mega Abom, Skarmory sounds like my best bet, plus more hazards = easier otks.

Articuno @ Choice Specs
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Modest Nature
- Freeze-Dry
- Extrasensory
- Hurricane
- U-turn

Before you look and go, why the bird, let me tell you why, It's a very pretty bird. That isnt my sole reasoning, even though it heavily weighed on this slot, Articuno's ability to just utterly obliterate on a Banded STAB Hurricane/Freeze-Dry (that's a move?) is ridiculous. Also the U-turn can be used to pick up momentum and get up another set of spikes or hail. So all in all this mon is replaceable, but still deals massive damage.

Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Ancient Power
- Earth Power
- Lava Plume
- Stealth Rock


Heatran is essential in nearly every Hail team. He shuts down any fire switch in and with a big type coverage and added rocks, hes a huge threat all on his own. Ancient Power has been a win condition for me, while not reliable 100% of the time for procs, when it does, Heatran can sweep most teams after hazards/hail.

Azumarill @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Huge Power
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Aqua Jet
- Belly Drum
- Play Rough
- Knock Off


The power. This cancer really talks for itself. Bulk Physical Attack, Huge Power-BD Azu. The amount of teams this guy fits on/dominates is scary. With huge type coverage and the surprise knock off this is our main sweeper. While not immune to hail damage just having it sit in back makes the opponent think twice about the possible revenge kill.

Importable: http://pastebin.com/0JimNFWX

Threat List:​

Huge Threats:

• 
  This is our biggest threat. Walls us 100% and unless we want to risk Azu, every mon is at risk.
  
• 
  Both X and Y are brutal on this comp. Mainly Y as his ability to counter our hail with Mega. But a SD Flare Blitz/Dragon Claw will OTK most of our mons. My only counter to this is Azu.
  
• 
  
  Weather and Quakes.

Minor Treats:

• 
  
  Magic Bounce is super annoying.

• I'm probably missing alot of bit threats but these have annoyed me the most so far in testing.

Play Style:
​

So like with a sand team, our main objective here is to stall out until Hazards+Hail bring down our enemies to 1-2 hit K/O's. Sounds simple but with all our threats we can be a bit more aggressive than a normal stall. One of our biggest assets is our STAB 100% Blizzards, watch for mons with Pressure as this move, while very strong, only has 8 PP and we cant risk to lose any. Just wait it out, make smart switches and a solid start is necessary for this to work well. Most of the time we lead Abomasnow or Skarmory but if there is a huge threat like Y-Zard we CANNOT do this. If we lose either one early, the match will be near impossible. One last thing, One hazard is better than none, if we cant get up all our spikes its no big deal, just one set+rocks+hail will do big damage to most sweepers.

Conclusion:

Thanks so much for suffering through my guide/rmt, I know it needs lots of work but I really love the idea of a hail semi-stall team. Sorry if I wrote too much or didn't explain clearly, I tend to ramble..

Please criticize and tear my team apart if necessary, I'm more than happy to further discuss any of my selections,

Thanks again, Bieme.

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[Millionsunz]

Hey bieme ! Welcome to Smogon RMT, thats quite an interesting team you have yourself there, except for the fact that Mega Lopunny and Mega Medicham have a field day with it. Let me start off by saying that Mega Abomasnow is a cool Mega Evolution, but there is a reason that it is BL2. It's horrible, in my opinion, and probably in a lot of others'. Grass/Ice typing is the worst defensive typing in the game, if I'm not mistaken. Pair that with a terrible base 30 Speed, and you have a Pokemon that is KO'd by most other Pokemon. Decent 90/105/105 defenses only get you so far. Now, as you said;

Please criticize and tear my team apart if necessary, I'm more than happy to further discuss any of my selections

Its nothing personal, but your team will be ripped through and changed, for the better I hope. Lets get started shall we :)

First of all, let me say this: Hail is garbage. There is a reason why every other form of Weather control dominates, and that's because all three (Sun, Rain, and Sand) are better than Hail. Hail may sound cool, and have some cool abilities like Ice Body and such, other weather teams do it so much better. If you want to use a weather based team, go with the other forms of weather.

Lets start with the Pokemon on your team that I am going to keep: Kyurem-Black, Skarmory, Heatran, and Azumarill.

I love Scarfed Kyurem-Black, its one of my favorite Pokemon to use. It rips through all the common leads in the current metagame (Landorus-T, Garchomp, Sableye, Diancie, Landorus-T, etc.) and has almost no safe switch-in's because of it's vast movepool and great 170/120/95 offenses. I would suggest you change the EV spread to the one I'll recommend at the end of this post. Moveset wise, I would definitely change Roost for Earth Power. In case you didn't know, Choice Scarf only allows the use of one move, unless you switch out. If you decide to use Roost while you still have the Scarf, you'll only be able to use Roost, and do no damage. Earth Power is useful for hitting Pokemon like Heatran and Raikou/Mega Manetric for SuperEffective damage. Other than that, you should be good.

Skarmory is a great defensive Pokemon in the current metagame, handling threats such as Azumarill (w/o Superpower), Mega Scizor, and Landorus-T. It is however, usually prepared for on any OU team, so you must be wary of that. The first rule of thumb with Skarmory, don't run hazard-stacking with Defog. Defog gets rid of all hazards on the field, including the Spikes and Stealth Rocks you put up. Stealth Rocks are overall the better hazard, hitting every Pokemon and easily re-setup. I would opt for Stealth Rocks over Spikes, Iron Head over Flash Cannon, and Roost over Counter. Counter can be useful at times, but most hits directed toward Skarmory will probably be special ones, hitting Skarmory hard. Roost provides reliable recovery, Skarmory has higher Attack than Special Attack, making Iron Head hit harder (it also hits CM Clefable harder), and I already explained Stealth Rocks. You also have the option of running Brave Bird over Iron Head, a move that hits Mega Lopunny and Mega Medicham harder.

As your team currently lacks a stallbreaker, Stallbreaker Heatran is perfect. Heatran also forms a great defensive core with Skarmory, with Skarmory being immune to Ground type attacks and Heatran eating up Fire type ones. Offensive Heatran is okay, but Stallbreaker is better, being able to wall threats like Clefable and Mega Venusaur. Heatran's entire moveset and EV spread will be changed up, so lets get into that. Heatran's moveset should be something like Taunt, Lava Plume, Toxic, and Earth Power. Taunt prevents status moves, a must-have for a Stallbreaker, Lava Plume has a great burn chance and deals damage, Toxic is for wearing down walls, and Earth Power is for extra coverage. Heatran's entire EV spread will also be changed, so just check out the recommended set below. Max HP and Speed ensures longevity and outspending common walls, like Clefable and Mega Venusaur.

Azumarill is probably one of the best Fairy-type Pokemon in the tier, barring Clefable (Clefable is a god). With access to Belly Drum, Azumarill can rip large holes through teams, and your Azumarill set is no different. I do have one qualm with it however, and that would be replacing Knock Off with Waterfall. Waterfall just hits Pokemon like Excadrill and Landorus harder than Aqua Jet, and that extra damage can be useful in a pinch. Knock Off is useful, but Waterfall is better in my opinion.

Alright, I am getting rid of Abomasnow and Articuno on your team. Sorry (to quote Beyonce), but they are in low tiers for a reason. I'm not even sure they make the OU viability rankings. So, know you are down one Mega Evolution and one heavy-hitter? I'm sure what Articuno is, but you're down one whatever is its right now. Luckily, I have the perfect solution :)

A Mega Lopunny + Scarf Kyurem-Black offensive core is one that I enjoy a lot. They can check each other's counters, like Kyurem-B stopping Landorus-T and Mega Lopunny being able to deal with Ferrothorn well-enough (although it doesn't want to take the Iron Barbs damage). Mega Lopunny is currently one of the strongest Mega Evolutions in the tier, with blazing fast Speed and high Attack. It also gets great coverage, hitting every Pokemon type in the game for Neutral damage. Scrappy is a great ability, being able to hit ghost-types with Normal and Fighting type attacks. Mega Lopunny is prone to status conditions however, with Burns and Paralysis crippling it's use.

The final Pokemon I'd like to add to your team, and final change I have to make is adding Tornadus-T to the team. Tornadus-T is an awesome Pokemon to use, and eats up special hits while holding the Assault Vest. Tornadus also excels at generating momentum with fast U-Turns. With it's great coverage in moves Hurricane, Heat Wave, and Superpower, Tornadus-T provides check to Pokemon that threaten the team, like Mega Medicham and Mega Pinsir. Overall, Tornadus-T completes the team, and makes it a lot more aggressive, offensive, and fast paced.

Hopefully these changes will make your team better, and allow you to climb up the OU ladder. I tore through your team, and you may find that the tearing through of it made it even better. Check out the recommended sets below, and have fun battling! Feel free to ask me any questions you have :)

Recommended Sets

Organized in the same order as the suggestions :)

Kyurem-Black @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 32 Atk / 224 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Ice Beam
- Earth Power
- Fusion Bolt
- Dragon Claw

Skarmory @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 8 Atk / 248 Def
Impish Nature
- Roost
- Stealth Rock
- Iron Head
- Defog

Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Lava Plume
- Taunt
- Toxic
- Earth Power

Azumarill @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Huge Power
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Aqua Jet
- Waterfall
- Belly Drum
- Play Rough

Lopunny-Mega @ Lopunnite
Ability: Limber
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- Return
- High Jump Kick
- Ice Punch

Tornadus-Therian (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 96 Atk / 160 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- U-turn
- Hurricane
- Heat Wave
- Knock Off

 

[Clair]

Hail's fine, don't worry. A lot of balanced teams are weak to it. I've literally got one minute but Hail builds are all pretty similar...I'd use SubRoost Kyurem instead of Scarf Kyu-B and Taunt / Toxic / SR Heatran to weaken bulky waters, Chansey etc for it. Articuno is definitely a poor choice here though, and I'm not sold on Azumarill (CB synergises well offensively with Hail, but it's another Water resist which can't switch into Scald, and it needs to be at full health to check most of the things it's supposed to. Belly Drum in Hail is just a bad idea). Consider Calm Mind MG Clefable instead and an Articuno replacement, probably something like Heal Block Latios.

 

[Anime_Fan]

✧✧✧Hi, Anime_Fan here✧✧✧

Hello and congrats on the team, it's innovative and very interesting! I'm a huge fan of the unorthodox play-styles, I've often found myself thinking about creating a hail team of my own (because they're underestimated and difficult to work with in the current meta-game). So after a observation at your team, it's clear that you've really given its structure a lot of thought (so well done on that). With all the info you've provided, I think I have just the right ideas to help solve some your team's main problems.

I'll do some research on your team, so it's probably worth noting that most of my recommendations will be based solely on the OU meta-game. Here I'll look at some of the common threats to your team, and assess how common they are. I will then make recommendations from here, okay? :)

FYI: Please note that these changes won't necessarily make your team solid (as building around Mega Abomasnow is relatively difficult in OU). However these changes should be able to improve your team's performance in battle. Great? Okay, let's begin...

Here's a quick recap on the cons surrounding the team:

• It's vulnerable to offensive pressure e.g. from Weavile and Choice Spec Volcanion.
• Hail is currently the least effective weather.
• The team is heavily crippled by a major Stealth Rock weakness (most of the members are weak to SR).
• Stall teams pose a problem for the team.

Here are some solutions that I thought you might like:

[Minor Changes]
Abomasnow-Mega @ Abomasite
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 8 HP / 252 SpA / 248 Spe
Mild Nature
IVs: 30 Def / 30 SpA / 30 Spe (If using HP Fire)
- Blizzard
- Giga Drain / Wood Hammer
- Ice Shard
- Focus Blast / Hidden Power [Fire]

This Mega Abomasnow spread is better suited for the OU tier. I recommend keeping Ice Shard on Mega Abomasnow, as it somewhat makes up for its terrible speed stat. In addition to this, Ice Shard also has the added perk of grabbing KO's on frail and faster threats e.g. Garchomp, Latios, Gengar etc. Giga Drain is great and preferred in most situations, however Wood Hammer hits Special Walls and Politoad much harder (watch out for recoil btw). Next I'd replace Earthquake for either Focus Blast or Hidden power Fire (HP Fire). The reason for this is that Focus Blast and Hidden Power Fire hit more OU threats than Earthquake. So for example, Focus Blast hits Ferrothorn, Tyranitar and opposing Heatran very hard! Hidden Power Fire hits Ferrothorn, Mega Scizor, and even Mega Metagross for a huge amount damage!

Hidden Power Fire Damage cals:

Hide

252+ SpA Mega Abomasnow Hidden Power Fire vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Mega Metagross: 136-160 (45.1 - 53.1%) -- 84.4% chance to 2HKO after hail damage

252+ SpA Mega Abomasnow Hidden Power Fire vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Mega Scizor: 292-344 (103.9 - 122.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252+ SpA Mega Abomasnow Hidden Power Fire vs. 252 HP / 168 SpD Ferrothorn: 224-264 (63.6 - 75%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after hail damage and Leftovers recovery

Focus Blast Damage cals:

Hide

252+ SpA Mega Abomasnow Focus Blast vs. 252 HP / 168 SpD Ferrothorn: 222-262 (63 - 74.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after hail damage and Leftovers recovery

0 Atk Tyranitar Stone Edge vs. 8 HP / 0- Def Mega Abomasnow: 296-350 (91.6 - 108.3%) -- 50% chance to OHKO

252+ SpA Mega Abomasnow Focus Blast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Heatran: 276-326 (85.4 - 100.9%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO

To explain the EV's, nature and IV spread:
A Mild nature is used to maximise Mega Abomasnow's Special Attack stat (without reducing its Attack stat), ergo allowing all of its attack moves to hit as hard as possible. The speed investment in Mega Abomasnow may seem odd at first, but is actually useful for out-speeding uninvested base 60 Pokemon. With this sudden boost in speed, Mega Abomasnow will be faster than Tangrowth, Clefable, and even Choice Band Azumarill (who carried 84 EV's in speed)!

Note: Mega Abomasnow's typing is terrible defensively. Mega Abomasnow will most likely be KO'd easily. It's probably best to use Mega Abomasnow is an all-out-attacker before it is KO'd.

Note 2: Use Mega Abomasnow as a lure to hit its counters withs HP Fire, or Focus Blast.

[Minor Changes]
Kyurem-Black @ Life Orb
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Mild Nature
- Ice Beam
- Earth Power
- Fusion Bolt
- Outrage / Roost

I recommend this set for Kyurem-B, because a Life Orb gives it an increase in power, plus it is can now switch between its moves. This is especially important for pressuring defensive builds. The choice between Outrage or Roost comes down to personal preference. I personally recommend Outrage for it's raw power, because it will allows Kyurem-B to potentially sweep defensive/stall teams i.e. once they've been weakened, and fairy and steel types have been knocked out.

[Minor Changes]
Heatran @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 28 HP / 252 SpA / 228 Spe
Timid Nature
- Overheat
- Flash Cannon
- Earth Power
- Stone Edge / Ancient Power

This Heatran provides your team with a way to hit faster threats. You stated earlier that Mega Diancie somewhat threatens your team, well with a Choice Scarf Heatran you'll now be able to 1HKO it. Overheat has a lot of power and it hits many targets incredibly hard. Flash Cannon is useful for nailing Fairy-types, whilst Earthpower can be used to KO grounded Fire-types. Stone Edge and Ancient Power can be used to KO Flying-Type Pokemon.

Note: Ground and Rock-type moves have surprisingly great coverage. Compared to Ancient Power, Stone Edge is less accurate. However it hits most Flying-types much harder than Ancient Power.

[Major Changes: Replace Skarmory]
Landorus-Therian @ Yache Berry / Rockey Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP / 244 Def / 16 SpD
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- U-turn
- Stone Edge
Landorus-T is an excellent counter to Mega Charizard-X. Landorus-T and Rotom Wash form a great defensive core. They're capable of handling many fighting type pokemon, as well as bird-spam. A slow U-Turn is beneficial for allowing Landorus-T to safely introduce a teammate into battle. Landorus-T is capable of providing Stealth Rocks for the team, which is essential for wearing down the opponent.

Note: This Landorus-T is slower than other defensive variants i.e. the remaining 8 IV's in speed have been moved to its Special Defence. This is especially useful for providing you with the switch initiative against the opponent.

Note: Your team is somewhat weak to Weavile. A Choice Scarf Heatran can KO it, however a Landorus-T equipped with a Yache Berry will provide extra protection. A Yache Berry will allow Landorus-T to survive an Ice-type attack, and KO the likes of Weavile, Thundurus, and Mega Manetric.

[Major Changes: Replace Azumarill]
Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpA
Bold Nature
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Will-O-Wisp
- Pain Split
Rotom-Wash is an excellent counter to opposing Landorus-T and Azumarill. Landorus-T and Rotom Wash form a great defensive core. They're capable of handling many fighting type pokemon, as well as bird-spam. A slow Volt Switch is beneficial for allowing Landorus-T to safely bring a teammate into battle.

Note: This Rotom-Wash is slower than other defensive variants i.e. the remaining 8 IV's in speed have been moved to its Special Attack. This is especially beneficial for providing you with the switch initiative against the opponent.

[Major Changes: Replace Articuno]
Latios @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Thunderbolt
- Roost
- Defog

Since your team is weak to Mega Charizard-Y and Volcanion, Latios makes an excellent addition to the team. Latios can counter many threats such as Mega Charizard Y, Keldeo, Mega Manetric and Volcanion. Latios is also incredibly powerful, it's Draco Meteors are useful for wall breaker and pressuring the opponent (if they lack recovery). Latios is also very fast, this benefits the team as most of its members are slow.

Note: I replaced Psyshock with Thunderbolt. This allows Latios to effectively check numerous OU, water-type Pokemon in OU, this includes a Belly Drum Azumarill at +6 (Latios can survive one Aqua Jet). Psyshock is less important now because Kyurem-B can KO Mega Venusaur and Heatran can KO Fairy-types like Clefable and Mega Diancie.
_____________

The recommendations I've made solves the following problems:

Hide

Huge Threats:

http://data:image/png;base64,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
Minor Treats:

With these changes in mind, I hope it improves your team's performance in battle :)

 

[bieme]

Frost Goons (Ft. Mega-

Hey bieme ! Welcome to Smogon RMT, thats quite an interesting team you have yourself there, except for the fact that Mega Lopunny and Mega Medicham have a field day with it. Let me start off by saying that Mega Abomasnow is a cool Mega Evolution, but there is a reason that it is BL2. It's horrible, in my opinion, and probably in a lot of others'. Grass/Ice typing is the worst defensive typing in the game, if I'm not mistaken. Pair that with a terrible base 30 Speed, and you have a Pokemon that is KO'd by most other Pokemon. Decent 90/105/105 defenses only get you so far. Now, as you said;


Its nothing personal, but your team will be ripped through and changed, for the better I hope. Lets get started shall we :)

First of all, let me say this: Hail is garbage. There is a reason why every other form of Weather control dominates, and that's because all three (Sun, Rain, and Sand) are better than Hail. Hail may sound cool, and have some cool abilities like Ice Body and such, other weather teams do it so much better. If you want to use a weather based team, go with the other forms of weather.

Lets start with the Pokemon on your team that I am going to keep: Kyurem-Black, Skarmory, Heatran, and Azumarill.

I love Scarfed Kyurem-Black, its one of my favorite Pokemon to use. It rips through all the common leads in the current metagame (Landorus-T, Garchomp, Sableye, Diancie, Landorus-T, etc.) and has almost no safe switch-in's because of it's vast movepool and great 170/120/95 offenses. I would suggest you change the EV spread to the one I'll recommend at the end of this post. Moveset wise, I would definitely change Roost for Earth Power. In case you didn't know, Choice Scarf only allows the use of one move, unless you switch out. If you decide to use Roost while you still have the Scarf, you'll only be able to use Roost, and do no damage. Earth Power is useful for hitting Pokemon like Heatran and Raikou/Mega Manetric for SuperEffective damage. Other than that, you should be good.

Skarmory is a great defensive Pokemon in the current metagame, handling threats such as Azumarill (w/o Superpower), Mega Scizor, and Landorus-T. It is however, usually prepared for on any OU team, so you must be wary of that. The first rule of thumb with Skarmory, don't run hazard-stacking with Defog. Defog gets rid of all hazards on the field, including the Spikes and Stealth Rocks you put up. Stealth Rocks are overall the better hazard, hitting every Pokemon and easily re-setup. I would opt for Stealth Rocks over Spikes, Iron Head over Flash Cannon, and Roost over Counter. Counter can be useful at times, but most hits directed toward Skarmory will probably be special ones, hitting Skarmory hard. Roost provides reliable recovery, Skarmory has higher Attack than Special Attack, making Iron Head hit harder (it also hits CM Clefable harder), and I already explained Stealth Rocks. You also have the option of running Brave Bird over Iron Head, a move that hits Mega Lopunny and Mega Medicham harder.

As your team currently lacks a stallbreaker, Stallbreaker Heatran is perfect. Heatran also forms a great defensive core with Skarmory, with Skarmory being immune to Ground type attacks and Heatran eating up Fire type ones. Offensive Heatran is okay, but Stallbreaker is better, being able to wall threats like Clefable and Mega Venusaur. Heatran's entire moveset and EV spread will be changed up, so lets get into that. Heatran's moveset should be something like Taunt, Lava Plume, Toxic, and Earth Power. Taunt prevents status moves, a must-have for a Stallbreaker, Lava Plume has a great burn chance and deals damage, Toxic is for wearing down walls, and Earth Power is for extra coverage. Heatran's entire EV spread will also be changed, so just check out the recommended set below. Max HP and Speed ensures longevity and outspending common walls, like Clefable and Mega Venusaur.

Azumarill is probably one of the best Fairy-type Pokemon in the tier, barring Clefable (Clefable is a god). With access to Belly Drum, Azumarill can rip large holes through teams, and your Azumarill set is no different. I do have one qualm with it however, and that would be replacing Knock Off with Waterfall. Waterfall just hits Pokemon like Excadrill and Landorus harder than Aqua Jet, and that extra damage can be useful in a pinch. Knock Off is useful, but Waterfall is better in my opinion.

Alright, I am getting rid of Abomasnow and Articuno on your team. Sorry (to quote Beyonce), but they are in low tiers for a reason. I'm not even sure they make the OU viability rankings. So, know you are down one Mega Evolution and one heavy-hitter? I'm sure what Articuno is, but you're down one whatever is its right now. Luckily, I have the perfect solution :)

A Mega Lopunny + Scarf Kyurem-Black offensive core is one that I enjoy a lot. They can check each other's counters, like Kyurem-B stopping Landorus-T and Mega Lopunny being able to deal with Ferrothorn well-enough (although it doesn't want to take the Iron Barbs damage). Mega Lopunny is currently one of the strongest Mega Evolutions in the tier, with blazing fast Speed and high Attack. It also gets great coverage, hitting every Pokemon type in the game for Neutral damage. Scrappy is a great ability, being able to hit ghost-types with Normal and Fighting type attacks. Mega Lopunny is prone to status conditions however, with Burns and Paralysis crippling it's use.

The final Pokemon I'd like to add to your team, and final change I have to make is adding Tornadus-T to the team. Tornadus-T is an awesome Pokemon to use, and eats up special hits while holding the Assault Vest. Tornadus also excels at generating momentum with fast U-Turns. With it's great coverage in moves Hurricane, Heat Wave, and Superpower, Tornadus-T provides check to Pokemon that threaten the team, like Mega Medicham and Mega Pinsir. Overall, Tornadus-T completes the team, and makes it a lot more aggressive, offensive, and fast paced.

Hopefully these changes will make your team better, and allow you to climb up the OU ladder. I tore through your team, and you may find that the tearing through of it made it even better. Check out the recommended sets below, and have fun battling! Feel free to ask me any questions you have :)

Recommended Sets

Organized in the same order as the suggestions :)

Kyurem-Black @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 32 Atk / 224 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Ice Beam
- Earth Power
- Fusion Bolt
- Dragon Claw

Skarmory @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 8 Atk / 248 Def
Impish Nature
- Roost
- Stealth Rock
- Iron Head
- Defog

Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Lava Plume
- Taunt
- Toxic
- Earth Power

Azumarill @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Huge Power
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Aqua Jet
- Waterfall
- Belly Drum
- Play Rough

Lopunny-Mega @ Lopunnite
Ability: Limber
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- Return
- High Jump Kick
- Ice Punch

Tornadus-Therian (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 96 Atk / 160 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- U-turn
- Hurricane
- Heat Wave
- Knock Off

Hey Million and thank you so much for your rating! It's got a lot of knowledge and great discussion points. While i was looking to have a team based around hail, i do understand that this isnt really Bl2/Wh2 or even X/Y, so hail may not be the stall god comp it used to. I will definitely try all your changes, as i have read your other RMT's and they all vastly improve upon the original teams. Im a huge fan of that cancer Lopunny set as well as the tonadus AV. Thanks again for your recommendations, after play testing ill post another reply!

 

[bieme]

✧✧✧Hi, Anime_Fan here✧✧✧

Hello and congrats on the team, it's innovative and very interesting! I'm a huge fan of the unorthodox play-styles, I've often found myself thinking about creating a hail team of my own (because they're underestimated and difficult to work with in the current meta-game). So after a observation at your team, it's clear that you've really given its structure a lot of thought (so well done on that). With all the info you've provided, I think I have just the right ideas to help solve some your team's main problems.

I'll do some research on your team, so it's probably worth noting that most of my recommendations will be based solely on the OU meta-game. Here I'll look at some of the common threats to your team, and assess how common they are. I will then make recommendations from here, okay? :)

FYI: Please note that these changes won't necessarily make your team solid (as building around Mega Abomasnow is relatively difficult in OU). However these changes should be able to improve your team's performance in battle. Great? Okay, let's begin...

Here's a quick recap on the cons surrounding the team:

• It's vulnerable to offensive pressure e.g. from Weavile and Choice Spec Volcanion.
• Hail is currently the least effective weather.
• The team is heavily crippled by a major Stealth Rock weakness (most of the members are weak to SR).
• Stall teams pose a problem for the team.

Here are some solutions that I thought you might like:

[Minor Changes]
Abomasnow-Mega @ Abomasite
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 8 HP / 252 SpA / 248 Spe
Mild Nature
IVs: 30 Def / 30 SpA / 30 Spe (If using HP Fire)
- Blizzard
- Giga Drain / Wood Hammer
- Ice Shard
- Focus Blast / Hidden Power [Fire]

This Mega Abomasnow spread is better suited for the OU tier. I recommend keeping Ice Shard on Mega Abomasnow, as it somewhat makes up for its terrible speed stat. In addition to this, Ice Shard also has the added perk of grabbing KO's on frail and faster threats e.g. Garchomp, Latios, Gengar etc. Giga Drain is great and preferred in most situations, however Wood Hammer hits Special Walls and Politoad much harder (watch out for recoil btw). Next I'd replace Earthquake for either Focus Blast or Hidden power Fire (HP Fire). The reason for this is that Focus Blast and Hidden Power Fire hit more OU threats than Earthquake. So for example, Focus Blast hits Ferrothorn, Tyranitar and opposing Heatran very hard! Hidden Power Fire hits Ferrothorn, Mega Scizor, and even Mega Metagross for a huge amount damage!

Hidden Power Fire Damage cals:

Hide

252+ SpA Mega Abomasnow Hidden Power Fire vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Mega Metagross: 136-160 (45.1 - 53.1%) -- 84.4% chance to 2HKO after hail damage

252+ SpA Mega Abomasnow Hidden Power Fire vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Mega Scizor: 292-344 (103.9 - 122.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252+ SpA Mega Abomasnow Hidden Power Fire vs. 252 HP / 168 SpD Ferrothorn: 224-264 (63.6 - 75%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after hail damage and Leftovers recovery

Focus Blast Damage cals:

Hide

252+ SpA Mega Abomasnow Focus Blast vs. 252 HP / 168 SpD Ferrothorn: 222-262 (63 - 74.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after hail damage and Leftovers recovery

0 Atk Tyranitar Stone Edge vs. 8 HP / 0- Def Mega Abomasnow: 296-350 (91.6 - 108.3%) -- 50% chance to OHKO

252+ SpA Mega Abomasnow Focus Blast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Heatran: 276-326 (85.4 - 100.9%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO

To explain the EV's, nature and IV spread:
A Mild nature is used to maximise Mega Abomasnow's Special Attack stat (without reducing its Attack stat), ergo allowing all of its attack moves to hit as hard as possible. The speed investment in Mega Abomasnow may seem odd at first, but is actually useful for out-speeding uninvested base 60 Pokemon. With this sudden boost in speed, Mega Abomasnow will be faster than Tangrowth, Clefable, and even Choice Band Azumarill (who carried 84 EV's in speed)!

Note: Mega Abomasnow's typing is terrible defensively. Mega Abomasnow will most likely be KO'd easily. It's probably best to use Mega Abomasnow is an all-out-attacker before it is KO'd.

Note 2: Use Mega Abomasnow as a lure to hit its counters withs HP Fire, or Focus Blast.

[Minor Changes]
Kyurem-Black @ Life Orb
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Mild Nature
- Ice Beam
- Earth Power
- Fusion Bolt
- Outrage / Roost

I recommend this set for Kyurem-B, because a Life Orb gives it an increase in power, plus it is can now switch between its moves. This is especially important for pressuring defensive builds. The choice between Outrage or Roost comes down to personal preference. I personally recommend Outrage for it's raw power, because it will allows Kyurem-B to potentially sweep defensive/stall teams i.e. once they've been weakened, and fairy and steel types have been knocked out.

[Minor Changes]
Heatran @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 28 HP / 252 SpA / 228 Spe
Timid Nature
- Overheat
- Flash Cannon
- Earth Power
- Stone Edge / Ancient Power

This Heatran provides your team with a way to hit faster threats. You stated earlier that Mega Diancie somewhat threatens your team, well with a Choice Scarf Heatran you'll now be able to 1HKO it. Overheat has a lot of power and it hits many targets incredibly hard. Flash Cannon is useful for nailing Fairy-types, whilst Earthpower can be used to KO grounded Fire-types. Stone Edge and Ancient Power can be used to KO Flying-Type Pokemon.

Note: Ground and Rock-type moves have surprisingly great coverage. Compared to Ancient Power, Stone Edge is less accurate. However it hits most Flying-types much harder than Ancient Power.

[Major Changes: Replace Skarmory]
Landorus-Therian @ Yache Berry / Rockey Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP / 244 Def / 16 SpD
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- U-turn
- Stone Edge
Landorus-T is an excellent counter to Mega Charizard-X. Landorus-T and Rotom Wash form a great defensive core. They're capable of handling many fighting type pokemon, as well as bird-spam. A slow U-Turn is beneficial for allowing Landorus-T to safely introduce a teammate into battle. Landorus-T is capable of providing Stealth Rocks for the team, which is essential for wearing down the opponent.

Note: This Landorus-T is slower than other defensive variants i.e. the remaining 8 IV's in speed have been moved to its Special Defence. This is especially useful for providing you with the switch initiative against the opponent.

Note: Your team is somewhat weak to Weavile. A Choice Scarf Heatran can KO it, however a Landorus-T equipped with a Yache Berry will provide extra protection. A Yache Berry will allow Landorus-T to survive an Ice-type attack, and KO the likes of Weavile, Thundurus, and Mega Manetric.

[Major Changes: Replace Azumarill]
Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpA
Bold Nature
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Will-O-Wisp
- Pain Split
Rotom-Wash is an excellent counter to opposing Landorus-T and Azumarill. Landorus-T and Rotom Wash form a great defensive core. They're capable of handling many fighting type pokemon, as well as bird-spam. A slow Volt Switch is beneficial for allowing Landorus-T to safely bring a teammate into battle.

Note: This Rotom-Wash is slower than other defensive variants i.e. the remaining 8 IV's in speed have been moved to its Special Attack. This is especially beneficial for providing you with the switch initiative against the opponent.

[Major Changes: Replace Articuno]
Latios @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Thunderbolt
- Roost
- Defog

Since your team is weak to Mega Charizard-Y and Volcanion, Latios makes an excellent addition to the team. Latios can counter many threats such as Mega Charizard Y, Keldeo, Mega Manetric and Volcanion. Latios is also incredibly powerful, it's Draco Meteors are useful for wall breaker and pressuring the opponent (if they lack recovery). Latios is also very fast, this benefits the team as most of its members are slow.

Note: I replaced Psyshock with Thunderbolt. This allows Latios to effectively check numerous OU, water-type Pokemon in OU, this includes a Belly Drum Azumarill at +6 (Latios can survive one Aqua Jet). Psyshock is less important now because Kyurem-B can KO Mega Venusaur and Heatran can KO Fairy-types like Clefable and Mega Diancie.
_____________

The recommendations I've made solves the following problems:

Hide

Huge Threats:

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Minor Treats:

With these changes in mind, I hope it improves your team's performance in battle :)

Thanks for all these great suggestions! I really like how you kept Abomasnow, i know hes trash tier but hes definitely one of my favorites and for just having fun on the ladder i think your changes will really help me out a lot. Also thanks for the gameplay tips, i found them to be super helpful in improving how i play the team. The way you took exactly what my problem was and subbed in test proven mons to make the team better was great, and all the recommended sets seem really good, Thanks again and ill make sure to post another reply after play testing!

 

[Anime_Fan]

Thanks for all these great suggestions! I really like how you kept Abomasnow, i know hes trash tier but hes definitely one of my favorites and for just having fun on the ladder i think your changes will really help me out a lot. Also thanks for the gameplay tips, i found them to be super helpful in improving how i play the team. The way you took exactly what my problem was and subbed in test proven mons to make the team better was great, and all the recommended sets seem really good, Thanks again and ill make sure to post another reply after play testing!

Aww thanks very much, I'm glad I could help ^^
P.S: If you'd like some help from me later in the future, feel free to ask. I'm always here to help ^^