OU Generating Offensive Momentum

[Abocado24]

Thread Title:
Generating Offensive Momentum

Please provide the replay link.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen3ou-978574?p2

Please provide the pokepaste for your team, if possible. This makes it easier to identify potential teambuilding issues.
https://pokepast.es/562fecff2ab2bd0e

Please tell us a bit about the replay and what you would like feedback on.
Spent the whole game making defensive switches and got worn down over time. In particular I think I needed to handle Gengar in ways that didn't give up momentum, but couldn't figure it out at the time. What could I have done here to generate offensive momentum? Getting Tyranitar in earlier and using it to break? Think the game was over once I showed my 6 without getting any kills, which let them boom their way to victory.

 

[Mom's Dumptruck]

Lead Gar is an anti-meta lead from opponent and with your team it's tricky to decide who to switch. I don't hate going Meta because you were anticipating an Ice Punch, but I think you need to be wary that Gengar can realistically click just about any move it wants in the lead. I would have gone Tyranitar; it eats an Ice Punch no problem, has Lum to deal with Wisp or Hypnosis, and can snap back with a Slide. Your Meta getting burned means your opponent doesn't have to worry about Meta boom for the rest of the game and can play more aggressively.

I don't hate anything else until Turn 19, you perhaps could have attacked more into their team and set sand earlier so the damage stuck but it's fine to still be sussing the opponent's sets out at this stage. Turn 20 I would just go for Body Slam. Yes the upside of predicting a Gengar switch-in is big, but the upside of Body Slam is more significant damage on Cune and a chance for para, both of which means either a switch (thus resetting CM anyway) or a Rest, allowing you to claw back some momentum. Meanwhile, the downside of Shadow Ball is hardly any significant chip; the downside of Body Slam is they go Gar... And you have a low HP burned Metagross whose boom isn't going to do much anyway as a sack. So the downside really isn't that big of a deal. When making predicts it's best to weigh the risk-reward like this.

Here's a tricky-to-spot optimization: On Turn 24, you should kill the Meta with anything else not Boom (and Mash I guess since it can miss). I know I've been shittalking burned Boom but your opponent still isn't going to take unnecessary damage on anything, and their low HP Metagross is the best sack. If you killed their Meta without Booming, what happens is their Meta faints, they have to switch in a Mon, then you faint and now you can respond to what's in front of you. It's a way to regain some momentum so it's worth knowing how ADV mechanics work.

Turn 26, your Zapdos is a key threat to Suicune and Salamence; as your opponent I would want to eliminate it. I probably would have gone Tar; your opponent doesn't have much of an incentive to Wisp a special attacker like Zap, and Tar can eat a boom. Threatening the Gar back with physical attacks, even if burned, is important. You still have Lax, Pert, and BB Mence to exert physical pressure on enemy Lax.

Turn 27, I would have switched to Tar; opponent is very unlikely to EQ there, and even if they did it's -1 attack. We need to preserve our Pert for the revealed physical DD Mence (use your calc!) and Lax; even taking unnecessary Psychic chip is bad. You got boomed on which was the worst case scenario.

edit: thought about it more and changed Turn 26 (originally said switch Pert but I think Pert was way too important to stop a DD Mence endgame to risk any damage)