Introduction
Hi guys, jamheald here. I haven't played competitive pokemon in a long time, and used to only really lurk on the forums when I did, but now I'm back I'm trying to get better and more involved. Today I'd like to show you a team I made mostly around Gardevoir-Mega with the hope that some rates will help me to improve it.
While playing I kept noticing how unprepared opposing teams seemed to be for Gardevoir-Mega. Most teams, I was facing, only had a loose check or one counter that I thought would be pretty easy to pressure. Consequently I kept regretting that I wasn't using one and decided to build a team using it.
At the same time I'd also been really enjoying using the mixed Thundurus set to weaken pokemon such as: Heatran, Tyranitar, Lati@s, Jirachi, Bronzong, Chansey, Blissey. I'd been using Thundurus with pokemon like Volcarona and Charizard-Y, but I saw that there could be some good synergy with Gardevoir-Mega.
At the time I'd also been wanting to try out Serperior in OU. I thought that since I had Thundurus to surprise kill Heatran and that Gardevoir pressured some of the Serperior counters that it could be a good fit on this team. Realistically this was just a hasty choice as I was kind of excited about using Serperior. You can probably tell that it wasn't a good fit in the end.
To help me to deal with birds and Scizor, both good checks to my offensive pokes, I decided to add a defensive core of Landorus-T and Heatran. This provided me with hazards as well as the ability to pivot into my Gardevoir-Mega, Serperior and Thundurus.
Realising my team looked fairly Bisharp weak and noting the good synergy with Gardevoir-Mega I decided to add a Keldeo.
It took me one battle to realise how stupid I'd been. I hadn't included a Defogger to help out Thundurus and I no real switch in to Keldeo. So I decided to change Serperior for Latias, a much better fit overall.
The Team
Getrektdevoir (Gardevoir) (F) @ Gardevoirite
Ability: Trace
EVs: 24 Def / 232 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Focus Blast
- Hyper Voice
- Psyshock
- Calm Mind
Gardevoir-Mega is a nightmare for many teams to deal with, there are very few pokemon that can switch in completely safely. On my team I am using Gardevoir as less of a early game nuker, to put pressure on defensive pokes and a little more of a later game cleaner. This can be seen through the use of Calm Mind and the choices for my other pokes. They create the holes for Gardevoir to exploit. However, if need be, Gardevoir can fire off some big early game hits to allow Keldeo to clean up later on. With Calm Mind Gardevoir is able to beat most defensive pokes one on one, most of all Chansey which is stalls biggest counter to Gardevoir. Gardevoir also has some defensive presence for my team being able to sponge fighting type moves and OHKO in return or check some powerful special attackers that hurt the rest of my team, like Sceptile-Mega. Lastly, the EVs are fairly standard, they allow Gardevoir to survive to Psyshocks, I'm not sure whether these should simply be put into SpA but I've liked them there for the time being.
Thugdurus (Thundurus) @ Life Orb
Ability: Prankster
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 76 Atk / 180 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Knock Off
- Thunderbolt
- Thunder Wave
Thundurus is on my team as an enabler. It is here to make holes for Keldeo and Gardevoir to abuse. Knock Off is the real star of the show, it is able to kill or neuter several checks or counters of Gardevoir, Keldeo and Latias. These pokemon are: Lati@s, Jirachi, Bronzong, Heatran, Blissey, Chansey. It's powerful special coverage also allows it to threaten out or kill many other relevant pokemon. Finally, Thunder Wave is incredibly useful for my team. It allows me to check set up sweepers, deal with fast threats like Beedrill and Sceptile and to slow the other team down to help Gardevoir to sweep. It also helps me deal with Talonflame and Pinsir.
Killdeo (Keldeo) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Justified
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 1 Atk / 30 SpA
- Hidden Power [Electric]
- Hydro Pump
- Scald
- Secret Sword
Keldeo has two main uses on my team. It allows me to further pressure special walls by forcing switches, getting burns and hitting hard even resisted. It also helps me to check a number of real threats to my team; Scizor-Mega, Belly Drum Azumarill, Bisharp and Gyarados along with a few others. It does this thanks to its good typing and strong attacks. I've opted for a specs version to help me to wear down opposing counters. Hidden Power Electric is used to help me deal with Azumarill and Gyarados. It can also have an auxiliary use on my team though, since Thundurus and Gardevoir pressure the Lati twins so much, if these are my opponents only real checks to Keldeo then once these are weakened Keldeo can run through my opponents team.
I'm Mega (Latias) @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 72 HP / 184 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Psyshock
- Defog
- Roost
Latias is a poke used to fill in a few holes for my team. It helps Thundurus do it's job by Defogging away hazards so that it has more switch ins. It pressures Heatran so that Gardevoir can kill it with Focus Blast. It helps to check opposing Keldeos, since my team is otherwise quite weak to it (Gardevoir can switch in on it, but I'd rather it didn't have to). I like Roost on Latias at the moment as I want it to be able to do these jobs throughout the whole match, though I am very much considering changing this for Hidden power Fire to help me deal with Scizor better and then maybe changing Latias for Latios. I'm running the standard smogon spread that lives two Hidden Power Ices from LO Thundurus, I'm not sure if this is necessary but my own use of Thundurus makes me quite scared to switch Heatran in on it sometimes.
Heatrun (Heatran) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 248 HP / 192 SpD / 68 Spe
Calm Nature
- Earth Power
- Lava Plume
- Protect
- Toxic
Heatran is used to help me answer some specific threats to my team. Talonflame, SD Scizor without Superpower and threatening, speedy special attackers like Manteric and Serperior. I'm enjoying the Toxic, Protect set on this team as it lets me deal with Slowbros and scout Scarf Landorus. Generally Heatran just helps me deal with some of the threats to Gardevoir and Keldeo. I'm running enough spead to outspeed Venusaur and try and get the burn off on it.
Landorus-Thugian (Landorus-Therian) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 8 SpD / 8 Spe
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- U-turn
- Stealth Rock
Landorus-T works great as a defensive pivot for my team. It's another poke that sures up the weakness of my first few pokes to Talonflame and Scizor as well as providing me with rocks and a way to pivot into my Gardevoir. I decided to run Stone Edge over Knock Off so that I could better deal with Talonflame and Pinsir. It's a very standard Landorus-T set for a very standard roll.
I used to run the team with Thundurus being Defiant with Superpower over Thunder Wave, but I realised that Thunder Wave was very crucial to help me get out of sticky situations and that generally Knock Off was enough to deal with the defensive threats.
This version also ran Will-O-Wisp on Gardevoir over Calm Mind, and a Modest nature, but I decided I didn't need to pressure Scizor and Jirachi that much.
This version also ran Will-O-Wisp on Gardevoir over Calm Mind, and a Modest nature, but I decided I didn't need to pressure Scizor and Jirachi that much.
As with most teams you have to predict around this beast. Gardevoir helps a lot, especially being able to KO it through a sub.
Fighting types with coverage for Landorus-T can be very hard to play around. For slower ones I normally have to bait the fighting move and take it with Gardevoir then force them out or KO them. For faster ones, particularly Lopunny, it's normally necessary to get the T-Wave off with Thundurus.
Azumarill is definitely one of the biggest threats to the team. The choiced version requires a lot of prediction to play around. The BD version I either have to pressure enough that it can't set up or just sack something to it after it is set up and revenge kill it with Latias/Keldeo.
I was reading through the RMT archive before making this to try and get inside the head of a good team builder. You might be able to tell that I was particularly inspired by TheEnder's team: http://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/magic-adapting-to-a-new-metagame-peaked-2.3515490/ so a big shoutout to him and the rest of the people good enough to have had their team archived.
Thank you very much for reading this, please share your thoughts with me.
