Introduction
Greetings! Fellow trainers from Smogon, and since you clicked into this RMT, I dare assume, DPP Ubers enthusiasts. Behold, this RMT is my magnum opus of my years of playing in this tier. It not only has earned me my first peak at the DPP Ubers ladder, but has also carried me into the finals of the DPP Ubers Slam, as well as achieving multiple wins in DPP Ubers Cup. Anyways, I am bad with words, so without further ado, let’s take a look at the team.
Teambuilding Process
This team’s foundation is Double Dance Groudon. Back in 2022, my BKCPL teammate Mashing made a statement that stuck with me: "Double Dance Groudon is the only setup sweeper in the meta that guarantees a win if it pulls off its boosts." While this claim has flaws—like Scarf Darkrai and Scarf Mewtwo outspeeding +2 Groudon, or Levitate/Flying Steel-types (e.g., Bronzong, Skarmory) walling its Ground-type STAB—the bulky Double Dance Groudon remains an exceptional sweeper in the format. Its immense bulk allows it to set up twice against common attackers and reverse games single-handedly. Fast-forward to 2024: I clinched a win in Smogon UPL with a Double Dance Groudon team, solidifying my faith in it. When the annual Gen 4 Ubers ladder returned, encouraged by a friend, I aimed to build a team stronger than my previous "Strange Speed" squad.
Initially, I tried Hyper Offence (HO) with Dual Screens + Double Dance Groudon, but it underperformed. I pivoted back to my comfort zone: a balance team with Ho-Oh as a wallbreaker and Groudon as the cleaner, supported by a Giratina-Origin (to block Rapid Spin) and a Stalltwo with screens facilitating setup. For hazard control, I chose Forretress as the lead (handling both Spikes and Rapid Spin) and Dialga as the Kyogre check and Stealth Rock user.
This version of the team saw success, but the Stalltwo struggled to revenge kill both Rayquaza and Darkrai with only one coverage move. After testing, I replaced it with a Calm Mind Mewtwo running Ice Beam and Aura Sphere, finalising the build. Small optimisations has been done since then, but mostly speedcreeps that I won’t get in details with, and for that reason, some calcs on this RMT may be slightly off (Offensive calcs lacking a bit of EV), as it was written before I finalised the team, and I do kindly ask you not to concern yourself too much over the details - focus on the big picture.
Set details
Forretress was selected as the lead primarily to counter opposing Stealth Rock leads, ensuring Ho-Oh retains safe switch-in opportunities later in the game. Its access to Toxic Spikes creates potent synergy with Ho-Oh’s Sacred Fire, forming a nasty combo that pressures common Ho-Oh answers like Palkia, Kyogre, and Tyranitar through residual damage. Additionally, Forretress’ Spikes help wear down bulky walls into KO range for Double Dance Groudon and Calm Mind Mewtwo. The inclusion of Explosion—a rarely seen tech—solidifies its niche over alternatives like Tentacruel. A Focus Sash-equipped Forretress can immediately trade with Kyogre on turn one, a pivotal advantage for sun-centric teams lacking reliable counterplay against Choice Specs Kyogre. The EV spread survives two Thunders from Timid max special attack Giratina-Origin, while Explosion guarantees an OHKO on 252 HP Kyogre and heavily pressures standard 252 HP / 108 Def variants, keeping them in Stealth Rock KO range even after Leftovers recovery. Minimal Speed investment lets it outpace opposing Forretress and Wobbuffet, ensuring I can explode before they can spin or encore, securing momentum crucial for the team’s late-game sweepers.
As one of the team’s two primary sweepers, Double Dance Groudon shines against offensive builds, often bulldozing through them in endgames by leveraging its bulk to secure multiple boosts. The EV spread invests 136 Speed to outpace Scarf Garchomp after a Rock Polish, with max HP ensuring longevity. A 16 Attack investment and an Adamant nature bolster its damage output, while the remaining EVs are allocated to Special Defense to patch up its weaker defensive side against special attackers. The moveset is straightforward—Swords Dance and Rock Polish are mandatory, while Leftovers provides sustained recovery and slightly improves its resilience against priority moves. Its Ground + Dragon coverage needs no introduction, offering near-perfect neutral reach.
The team’s wallbreaker. This team shares a common weakness of sun-centric builds: struggling against opposing bulky Ho-Oh. To address this, my Ho-Oh runs significant Speed investment—exceeding most standard spreads (which rarely invest beyond 244 Speed) and even outpacing Rock Polish Groudon to safely set up Substitute before eating a potential Stone Edge. The remaining EVs prioritize Attack to maximize wallbreaking power, with durability investments to sustain its control role. The 136 HP EVs ensure survival against two Thunders from max SpA Giratina-Origin while allowing two Stealth Rock switch-ins.
The moveset leverages Ho-Oh’s most oppressive toolkit: Substitute + Dual STAB (Sacred Fire / Brave Bird), creating safe setup opportunities against Steel-types or special Dragon-types locked into Outrage. Recover is chosen over Roost to avoid being caught by Groudon’s Earthquake mid-heal. Typing-wise, Ho-Oh pressures Giratina-Origin and Kyogre, paving the way for Groudon and Mewtwo sweeps. Its Substitute forces Bronzong to Explode prematurely, denying free setup chances.
Offensively, Ho-Oh 2HKOs most meta threats outright. Its blind spots—Tyranitar and Heatran—are managed by teammates: Tyranitar’s poor longevity makes it setup fodder for Groudon/Mewtwo, while Heatran is handled via team support. Defensively, Ho-Oh checks Calm Mind + Recover Mewtwo to avoid drawn-out stall wars and soft-checks Darkrai that has already put something to sleep, rounding out the team’s synergy.
A standard all-out-attacking Giratina-Origin set with Hidden Power Fire, thus opting for a slower EV spread. HP investment ensures it survives Life Orb Mewtwo’s Ice Beam after Stealth Rock, while Defense EVs allow it to tank +2 Crunch from Jolly Life Orb Lucario. A 176 Special Attack investment with a Modest nature boosts damage output, with remaining EVs allocated to Speed for creeping. Draco Meteor and Shadow Sneak provide offensive presence and revenge-killing utility. Hidden Power Fire deters Forretress and Skarmory from freely setting Spikes, while Earthquake lures and eliminates Flash Fire Heatran, synergizing with Ho-Oh’s wallbreaking.
A standard specially defensive Dialga set with Stealth Rock, max Special Defense EVs to counter Kyogre, and minor Speed investment to outspeed opposing Dialga. Draco Meteor OHKOs Giratina-Origin after Stealth Rock damage. Thunder pressures Kyogre and deters Skarmory, while Earth Power lures Heatran for Ho-Oh. With its bulk and typing, Dialga also serves as the secondary check to special Dragon-types if Ho-Oh is eliminated.
Calm Mind + Recover Mewtwo stands as what I consider the meta’s ultimate pseudo-scarfer. Let’s revisit why some insist DPP Ubers teams must run a traditional Choice Scarf user: Darkrai. Its oppressive Dark Void + Nasty Plot combo makes it nearly unstoppable, demanding dedicated revenge killers. Mewtwo fills this role by outspeeding Darkrai and nuking it with Aura Sphere. Its bulk also lets it shrug off priority attacks like Extreme Speed, while Ice Beam + Aura Sphere coverage handles all major sweepers.
Beyond revenge-killing, Mewtwo’s speed and bulk allow it to muscle past special attackers outright or set up Calm Mind on them. Physical attackers, meanwhile, are checked by its Fighting/Ice coverage. Against Toxic Spikes stall teams, Mewtwo can intentionally absorb a Toxic Spike layer to block Toxic status, then freely boost to +6 against helpless Blissey and sweep. This versatility cements it as the team’s fail-safe against both hyper offense and stall.
Threat List:
Dialga
Dialga stands as one of the most versatile Pokémon in the meta, and handling its common sets requires tailored approaches. Against specially defensive Stealth Rock variants, immediately pivot to Ho-Oh to pressure it. If Stealth Rock is already active, the response depends on the game state: if the opponent’s team is heavily weakened, sacrifice a low-value teammate (e.g., Forretress) to bring in Double Dance Groudon or Calm Mind Mewtwo for a sweep. If their team remains intact, prioritize Ho-Oh’s health—swap it in aggressively if healthy, or use a weakened Ho-Oh as fodder to safely bring in your own Dialga or Giratina-Origin. Notably, specially defensive Dialga’s Thunder cannot 2HKO Forretress, allowing it to set Spikes before being KO’d by Giratina-O that it forces in, which then becomes a pivot for Ho-Oh. Late-game, this Dialga often becomes setup bait for Groudon or Mewtwo.
Choice Scarf Dialga poses minimal threat. Every forced Draco Meteor (common when facing Giratina-O or your own Dialga) creates free turns for Ho-Oh, Groudon, or Mewtwo to capitalize on. Neither sweeper fears it: Groudon outspeeds after Rock Polish, while Mewtwo tanks Scarf Draco Meteor and heals with Recover. Wallbreaker Dialga (e.g., Life Orb/Expert Belt) follows similar logic but demands earlier pressure—use Ho-Oh’s faster Sacred Fire or your Dialga to bait a Draco Meteor, then sweep with Groudon/Mewtwo. Bulk Up Dialga is trivialized entirely: Groudon outpaces its setup with Swords Dance, and Mewtwo can also win the set-up war. In summary, while Dialga’s flexibility demands situational awareness, the team’s core synergies consistently turn its presence into opportunities for your sweepers.
Kyogre
Overcoming rain teams remains one of the greatest challenges for sun-based builds, and this squad is no exception. Against an unknown Kyogre under rain, Dialga serves as the primary check, reliably walling all non-Choice Specs variants. While Kyogre’s sheer power, Thunder Wave, and Calm Mind setups often force Dialga into a damage-sponge role, chipping Kyogre into range is usually sufficient. Post-Dialga, Kyogre’s limited switch-ins—due to Forretress’ Spikes/Toxic Spikes and Dialga’s Stealth Rock—leave it at a severe weather war disadvantage, while also placing it within Mewtwo or Groudon’s KO thresholds. Additionally, Kyogre struggles to bypass Substitute Ho-Oh one-on-one unless it outspeeds, often losing enough health to be cleaned up by a late-game Rock Polish Groudon. Scarf Kyogre, like Scarf Dialga, fails to revenge-kill the team’s sweepers and is easily handled by Dialga’s bulk.
The rare Choice Specs Kyogre demands immediate pressure: prioritize aggressive hazard stacking to chip it into range, then trade resources decisively. While threatening, its low modern usage outside of lead roles makes it a manageable outlier.
Giratina-Origin
While this team lacks a dedicated Giratina-Origin counter, it rarely poses a significant threat. Due to Double Dance Groudon’s presence, Giratina-Origin primarily is viewed as a wall that needs chipping rather than an offensive menace. As long as Giratina-Origin is worn below 80% health, Groudon can break through it post-boosts to secure victory.
Giratina-Origin typically runs three sets: the common mixed attacker (four attacks), Calm Mind for stallbreaking, and the rare physical attacker. Early-game, before Stealth Rock is set, pivot into Forretress (if healthy and expendable) or Ho-Oh (if their team struggles against it). If Giratina-Origin lacks Calm Mind—which it usually does—Forretress can freely layer hazards. Against Calm Mind or Substitute variants, immediately switch to Ho-Oh to prevent snowballing. In Ho-Oh vs. Giratina-Origin standoffs, use Substitute to scout for Outrage or Stone Edge (the former is neutered by burn). If neither is present, Ho-Oh dominates.
Post-Stealth Rock, Ho-Oh loses safe switch-in opportunities. If Forretress remains healthy, continue using it to set Spikes. Otherwise, pressure Giratina-Origin with your own Giratina-Origin or Dialga to force Draco Meteor drops. If the opponent’s defensive structure is compromised, bypass Giratina-Origin entirely by setting up Mewtwo or Rock Polish Groudon directly. Giratina-Origin’s passivity ensures it cannot halt the team’s win conditions once hazards and chip damage accumulate.
Groudon
Groudon is one of the easier Pokémon for this team to manage, typically falling into two categories: utility Stealth Rock sets or sweeper variants. If the opponent's lead does not carry Stealth Rock and brings Groudon in early, assume it’s a utility set. Capitalize by switching directly into Ho-Oh as they set hazards, punishing them with Substitute or attacks. Note that some utility Groudon carry Stone Edge specifically for Ho-Oh—use Substitute to scout. Against defensive sets running Dragon Claw/Earthquake + Toxic/Lava Plume/Thunder Wave, Ho-Oh can even switch in directly through Stealth Rock, choosing to attack or Recover based on the opponent’s team structure.
For Rock Polish sweeper Groudon (common on offensive teams with a dedicated Stealth Rock user), Giratina-Origin comfortably tanks its attacks and forces it out with Draco Meteor. If Giratina-Origin is statused (e.g., paralyzed) or unavailable, chip Groudon aggressively with any remaining Pokémon, then counter-sweep with your own Groudon or Mewtwo (which survives a max Attack Life Orb Earthquake and retaliates with Ice Beam).
The rising Substitute + 3 Attacks Groudon, designed to break Bronzong cores, poses minimal threat. These sets rarely run Stone Edge, making them free setup fodder for Ho-Oh. Their lack of coverage beyond Ground/Dragon/Fire ensures they cannot disrupt the team’s core synergy, allowing Ho-O to exploit their presence for decisive momentum swings.
Darkrai
Darkrai can be categorized into three main sets for this team: Nasty Plot + Dark Pulse/Focus Blast, Choice Scarf, and other niche variants.
The Nasty Plot set is the most problematic. Sleep absorption typically falls to Forretress or Giratina-Origin (since teammates handle Rock Polish Groudon). After eating Dark Void, if Stealth Rock isn’t up, simply switch to Ho-Oh to pressure Darkrai. If hazards are active but Darkrai is within Mewtwo’s KO range, force it out by baiting Focus Blast with Dialga, then revenge-kill with Mewtwo. In the worst-case scenario—hazards up, Darkrai healthy, and Focus Blast confirmed—chip Darkrai with Groudon until Mewtwo can secure the KO.
Choice Scarf Darkrai is easily identifiable and often used as a lead to Trick its Scarf early. If encountered outside the lead position, the opponent’s team likely lacks other speed control. Late-game Scarf Darkrai in resource-drained scenarios requires cautious play; prioritize identifying its set to avoid sweeper losses.
Non-Scarf Darkrai without Focus Blast cannot break Dialga.
Mewtwo
One of the strongest and, in my opinion, most underrated Pokémon in the current metagame —its true ranking should sit above Darkrai but just below Deoxys-Speed. For my team, Mewtwo’s fall into three rough categories: those builds that cannot break through Ho-Oh, those that can, and those that aren’t even trying.
Variants that cannot threaten Ho-Oh include the Taunt Stallbreaker and the Calm Mind set without coverage. The Stallbreaker relies on Taunt combined with either Will-O-Wisp and Ice Beam or Aura Sphere, but these moves do nothing to stop Sacred Fire under sunlight, which not only shreds Mewtwo’s health but also has a high chance to burn. Even with Spikes support, Taunt Mewtwo simply can’t make headway and is hard‐countered by Ho-Oh. Likewise, a Calm Mind Mewtwo without Thunder, Thunderbolt, or Explosion is left impotent—it can set up on other threats, but against Ho-Oh it has no answer.
By contrast, the Life Orb four-attack variant can actually punch through Ho-Oh’s bulk. Its raw offensive power is terrifying, though it has horrible longevity—especially if the opponent has already laid down Toxic Spikes or Spikes. In practice, you handle it either by chipping it via a strategic rotation into Giratina-O and finishing it off with Shadow Sneak, or by baiting it into Explosion and sacrificing a less critical Pokémon. The former demands keen game sense and information analysis, while the latter risks losing a key team member if you misread your opponent’s play. As a guideline, keep your team’s HP order roughly as follows: Groudon highest, then Mewtwo, then Dialga; Ho-Oh and Giratina-O next; and finally Forretress. One effective trick is to bring in Ho-Oh or even your own Mewtwo to invite Explosion, then double-switch into Giratina-O, whose EVs let it survive a Life Orb Ice Beam even after stepping on Spikes—leaving you in a tolerable position even if your prediction isn’t perfect.
Finally, some Mewtwo builds aren’t intended to crack Ho-Oh at all. Choice Scarf Mewtwo operates much like Scarf Darkrai but is far subtler; it is hard to spot until it’s too late. Dual Screens Mewtwo simply sets Reflect and Light Screen, and your best response is to use Giratina-O to exert pressure on Rayquaza and Groudon while guarding against any surprise Explosions aimed at your core. In all cases, understanding which category your opponent’s Mewtwo falls into is half the battle.
Bronzong
Bronzong is currently the strongest Dragon-resist in the metagame, yet against my team it’s nothing more than a child’s toy to be played with. Although Bronzong is the natural archenemy of my two sweepers, it also hands many opportunities to my other Pokémon, and most of the time it can only deal with Groudon and Mewtwo via Explosion—allowing whichever sweeper remains free rein to run wild.
Almost every Bronzong will set Stealth Rock ASAP, which gives Ho-Oh the perfect window to switch in, lay down a Substitute, and start digging in. So many teams fear Ho-Oh that after Bronzong opens with rocks they can only bring in Kyogre Pokémon to tank Sacred Fire, only to discover they’re slower than my Ho-Oh and will be 2HKO’d by Brave Bird. Forced back into Bronzong for Explosion, they hand me a huge early advantage. Even when no hazards are up, Bronzong remains Ho-Oh’s perfect plaything; and if there are Stealth Rocks, I’ll often follow up with Forrestress, threatening spin whilst setting up more hazards, dominating the hazard war.
If the game reaches mid-stage and neither Ho-Oh nor my Berry user can finish off Bronzong, Giratina-Origin’s HP Fire under sunlight still does considerable damage, paving the way for my two sweepers. In the late game, if even Giratina-Origin can no longer deal damage, Groudon or Mewtwo can set up, force Bronzong into Explosion to clear the field, and then blaze through whatever’s left for the final sweep.
Against a Trick Room Bronzong, Substitute Ho-Oh handles it neatly, and once Trick Room ends, the Trick Room sweepers often become set up fodder for sweepers of my own.
Blissey
Generally speaking, Blissey represents a stall team, and exactly how to play this matchup will be shown in the Replay section. Against a stall team, you should make sure your Mewtwo steps on a layer of Toxic Spikes as early as possible to become poisoned (but not badly poisoned), and then in the late game switch it in on the opponent’s wall—such as Blissey—to use Calm Mind and Recover until you can sweep.
In recent years, some novel stall teams have begun running a Calm Mind + Flamethrower Mewtwo in hopes of gaining an edge in mirror matches, and these variants are correspondingly more troublesome. In that case, you should quickly fill the field with spikes, then use Ho-Oh to continuously pressure Giratina. If there are no Stealth Rocks on your side, Ho-Oh can double-switch into your Giratina-Origin so that the opponent’s Giratina takes hazard damage and falls into range for your next knockout, and you simply repeat this process until victory. Overall, stall teams are one of your most favorable MUs—nothing to fear.
As for handling Blissey specifically: if the opponent hasn’t set Stealth Rock yet, there’s a good chance Blissey itself is their hazard setter, so you can switch in Ho-Oh directly to pressure it. If Stealth Rocks are already up, choose whichever of your Sitrus-Berry user, Ho-Oh, Groudon, or Mewtwo best fits the situation to keep up the pressure. In recent metagames, Wish-support Blissey has also appeared, so be sure to watch out for that variant.
Lead guide
Deoxys-Speed
Spikes turn one. If they trick go to Giratina on the Taunt, and Draco Meteor to limit their hazards. If they click taunt / hazards, then just spin until taunt wears off, whilst waiting for opportunities to explode on the taunt or get a layer of Toxic Spikes off.
Darkrai
Rather difficult lead. Sack Giratina to sleep fodder, and then go back to Forretress. If they are scarf they will switch, giving you an opportunity to set up hazards. Otherwise, one can simply just boom on the Darkrai using Forretress' scarf.
Rayquaza
Spikes, if they set up then just boom. Otherwise, they likely clicked Fire Blast, one can simply go to Ho-oh (Or Mewtwo if you are paranoid of Stone Edge), and chase it off.
Tyranitar
Just boom. They are most likely going to click Taunt or Fire Blast, Boom does good damage and allows Groudon to force it out, preventing Stealth Rocks.
Kyogre
Boom.
Ho-oh
They will click Sacred Fire, just go to your own Ho-oh.
In general, try to set up hazards in lead matchups that are advantageous to you, and reverse the bad lead match ups using the unexpected Explosion.
Replays:
Vs Shrang
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen4ubers-811530
Vs Susciety
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen4ubers-812550
Vs Entrocefalo
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen4ubers-2346143660-g1phqbcljy813oe3lpg4ff4ni6gxh7upw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen4ubers-2346141275-fc8amws0jincfj6cvxtqb3vb2u2ndompw
Vs RichardMillePlain
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen4ubers-2341035663-2m4q8ry1mmh39lmwophpdjbmxqdy347pw
Paste
https://pokepast.es/a7e300546db1a53a
Afterword
At this point, some of you may be wondering who I am. Indeed, I am not a nobody who never existed until the end of 2024. I am strange name, but I have also used various other names on the site, the most notable of which is ‘yellow armchair’. Here I must apologise to all whom I have deceived, that was not my intention, I really just wanted to play the game, but choices are rather limited when you are a banned user. I sincerely appreciate all the friendliness shown to me throughout my short journey on Smogon.
Regardless, the reason for this RMT is a final goodbye to the competitive scene, because damn college is rough, and I really just don't have time nor effort for this anymore. I hope everyone enjoys this team, I am rather pleased with it myself. I am so burnt out with the game that I originally only wrote this RMT in Chinese, and asked Deepseek to translate it for me(though I edited it myself for the right terminology, but for those who care-ik no one does- the afterword is written by myself, aimed at Smogon readers). Regardless, farewell, all!
Prediction for when my account gets banned: Roughly 4-5 hrs.
