Hello again everyone, with my 8th RMT, and my second one for a team from a Suspect Test. I used this team on the OU (Suspect Test) ladder when Genesect, Deoxys-S, and Mega Lucario were suspected. I did not get high enough on the ladder to get reqs, but I still thought it would be worth sharing. However, for feedback, my requests are a bit different from a standard RMT. If you can, I'd like to hear back on:
A. How effective you think this team was on the Suspect Ladder (especially if you played on it).
B. How this team could be adapted to be viable on the standard OU ladder, factoring in any of the suspected threats that are not banned.
With that in mind, enjoy reading about the team's standards and screwballs.
Team Preview
In-depth Explanations
Heatran (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SDef / 252 HP / 4 SAtk
Calm Nature
- Lava Plume
- Will-O-Wisp
- Stealth Rock
- Roar
Heatran is my special wall. Despite carrying rocks, it rarely leads since the rocks often get defogged right away if I set them up early. As a result, I usually don't set them until mid game. Will-o-Wisp lets me cripple physical attackers (outside of Conkeldurr and Mega Charizard-X). Lava Plume is a good STAB in the event that Heatran is Taunted, and brings Ferrothorn/Scizor to their knees. Finally, Roar lets Heatran get around setup sweepers and rack up hazard damage. The EV spread is conventional for SpD Heatran.
Venusaur (M) @ Venusaurite
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 252 HP / 144 Def / 112 SDef
Sassy Nature
- Leech Seed
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Knock Off
Venusaur-M is my mixed wall, and makes it difficult for Rotom-W to break through this team. It also handles most Genesect, but that was a non-factor on the ladder. Leech Seed and Giga Drain compensate for the lack of Black Sludge and let Venusaur stall out non-Grass opponents well. For Grass-types and Fairy-types, Sludge Bomb does a good number, as well as having a rate of poison infliction. Finally, Knock Off is often removed in favor of HP Fire or Earthquake, but removing items is too valuable. As a bonus, it scouts for Megas, and hits Latios/Gengar/Latias trying to switch in on Giga Drain hard.
Mandibuzz (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 252 Def / 252 HP / 4 Atk
Impish Nature
- Defog
- Roost
- Knock Off/Whirlwind
-U-turn Foul Play
Mandibuzz is my primary physical wall, bringing Salamence and friends to a halt. It also removes hazards for my team, particularly Stealth Rock, since Heatran and Rotom-W lack recovery outside of Leftovers. Knock Off lets me remove items and is a fairly powerful move in general. However, Whirlwind is an option to remove the sweepers' stat boosts (let me know what you think about this slot).Finally, U-turn deals chip damage and lets me gain momentum. Foul Play handles Mega Charizard-X, Salamence, and other fiendish beasts who rely on physical brute strength to muscle through teams.
Jirachi @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Jolly Nature
- Iron Head
- Ice Punch
- U-turn
- Fire Punch
Jirachi is my revenge killer in a tier without Genesect. It functions similarly, but has its own advantages. First off is the 100 Speed Tier, letting it tie with +1 Naive/Jolly Salamence and other Pokemon on that level. This is something Genesect could never do. Iron Head also comes with the 60% flinch chance, so I can always try flinching a sweeper to death as a last resort. U-turn has the same function as it does on Mandibuzz. Fire Punch and Ice Punch, while having relatively low base powers, are mainly used for Pokemon with a 4x weakness, namely Landorus, Landorus-T, Garchomp, Gliscor, Ferrothorn, and Scizor. This has worked fairly well for revenge-killing but there may be a better option.
Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 Spd
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Will-O-Wisp
- Snatch
One of two extremely unusual sets I run. You look down and see Volt Switch, Hydro Pump, and Will-o-Wisp. Standard, right? Not quite, as Snatch lets me do unexpected things, such as steal Dragon Dance, Heal Bell, Calm Mind, Wish, Roost, and even Substitute/screens! It takes REALLY good prediction to use, but when it works, it often ruins the opponent's supportive or sweeping strategy. IVs minimize Confusion/Foul Play damage. 30 Spe lets Rotom-W out-slow 0 EV 31 IV Rotom-W, keeping the momentum.
Kyurem-Black @ Starf Berry
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 252 Def / 208 HP / 44 Spd / 4 SAtk
Lax Nature
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Dragon Tail
- Ice Beam
This is the other extremely weird set, but I don't really know what to put here since I want to avoid a full-on stall team. Kyurem-B can serve as a wall breaker and status absorber with the almost never-seen ResTalk. Dragon Tail was chosen for phasing, and Ice Beam for power and STAB. Kyurem-B is of a physically bulky variant since its physical defense is naturally higher than its special defense, and the EVs capitalize on that while out-speeding 0 EV Base 100 Pokemon and hitting a Stealth Rock number.
Note: This was originally a Meloetta with Charge Beam, Relic Song, Drain Punch, and Stone Edge with a Maranga berry, but removed it because it was not really a team player. I am very open to alternative suggestions here. If Tailwind support finds its way on the team, I could switch to a CB or LO set.
Conclusion
This team has overall done pretty well, but I can tell that it could be so much better. The VoltTurn core works, but Jirachi is underpowered, and Kyurem-B may not belong.
Weaknesses
Both Mega Charizard forms give me trouble, partially because I have trouble telling which Mega it is until it's too late. Mega Charizard-Y can be beaten by Heatran if it doesn't have Earthquake (Focus Blast doesn't worry me much). However, Mega-Charizard X is a huge problem. Rotom-W can attempt to steal Dragon Dances, but since Charizard-X can't be burned, Rotom-W can just spam Hydro Pump and hope for the best. Heatran falls to any Charizard-X with Earthquake, and Mandibuzz just becomes setup fodder. As a result, I am considering Scarf Terrakion > Scarf Jirachi to reliably revenge-kill both former (especially Y).
Please keep that in mind when rating the team. Thank you!
Import
Heatran (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SDef / 252 HP / 4 SAtk
Calm Nature
- Lava Plume
- Will-O-Wisp
- Stealth Rock
- Roar
Venusaur (M) @ Venusaurite
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 252 HP / 144 Def / 112 SDef
Sassy Nature
- Leech Seed
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Knock Off
Mandibuzz (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 252 Def / 252 HP / 4 Atk
Impish Nature
- Defog
- Roost
- Knock Off
- Foul Play
Jirachi @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Jolly Nature
- Iron Head
- Ice Punch
- U-turn
- Fire Punch
Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 Spd
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Will-O-Wisp
- Snatch
Kyurem-Black @ Starf Berry
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 252 Def / 208 HP / 44 Spd / 4 SAtk
Lax Nature
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Dragon Tail
- Ice Beam
A. How effective you think this team was on the Suspect Ladder (especially if you played on it).
B. How this team could be adapted to be viable on the standard OU ladder, factoring in any of the suspected threats that are not banned.
With that in mind, enjoy reading about the team's standards and screwballs.
Team Preview
In-depth Explanations
Heatran (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SDef / 252 HP / 4 SAtk
Calm Nature
- Lava Plume
- Will-O-Wisp
- Stealth Rock
- Roar
Heatran is my special wall. Despite carrying rocks, it rarely leads since the rocks often get defogged right away if I set them up early. As a result, I usually don't set them until mid game. Will-o-Wisp lets me cripple physical attackers (outside of Conkeldurr and Mega Charizard-X). Lava Plume is a good STAB in the event that Heatran is Taunted, and brings Ferrothorn/Scizor to their knees. Finally, Roar lets Heatran get around setup sweepers and rack up hazard damage. The EV spread is conventional for SpD Heatran.
Venusaur (M) @ Venusaurite
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 252 HP / 144 Def / 112 SDef
Sassy Nature
- Leech Seed
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Knock Off
Venusaur-M is my mixed wall, and makes it difficult for Rotom-W to break through this team. It also handles most Genesect, but that was a non-factor on the ladder. Leech Seed and Giga Drain compensate for the lack of Black Sludge and let Venusaur stall out non-Grass opponents well. For Grass-types and Fairy-types, Sludge Bomb does a good number, as well as having a rate of poison infliction. Finally, Knock Off is often removed in favor of HP Fire or Earthquake, but removing items is too valuable. As a bonus, it scouts for Megas, and hits Latios/Gengar/Latias trying to switch in on Giga Drain hard.
Mandibuzz (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 252 Def / 252 HP / 4 Atk
Impish Nature
- Defog
- Roost
- Knock Off/Whirlwind
-
Mandibuzz is my primary physical wall, bringing Salamence and friends to a halt. It also removes hazards for my team, particularly Stealth Rock, since Heatran and Rotom-W lack recovery outside of Leftovers. Knock Off lets me remove items and is a fairly powerful move in general. However, Whirlwind is an option to remove the sweepers' stat boosts (let me know what you think about this slot).
Jirachi @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Jolly Nature
- Iron Head
- Ice Punch
- U-turn
- Fire Punch
Jirachi is my revenge killer in a tier without Genesect. It functions similarly, but has its own advantages. First off is the 100 Speed Tier, letting it tie with +1 Naive/Jolly Salamence and other Pokemon on that level. This is something Genesect could never do. Iron Head also comes with the 60% flinch chance, so I can always try flinching a sweeper to death as a last resort. U-turn has the same function as it does on Mandibuzz. Fire Punch and Ice Punch, while having relatively low base powers, are mainly used for Pokemon with a 4x weakness, namely Landorus, Landorus-T, Garchomp, Gliscor, Ferrothorn, and Scizor. This has worked fairly well for revenge-killing but there may be a better option.
Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 Spd
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Will-O-Wisp
- Snatch
One of two extremely unusual sets I run. You look down and see Volt Switch, Hydro Pump, and Will-o-Wisp. Standard, right? Not quite, as Snatch lets me do unexpected things, such as steal Dragon Dance, Heal Bell, Calm Mind, Wish, Roost, and even Substitute/screens! It takes REALLY good prediction to use, but when it works, it often ruins the opponent's supportive or sweeping strategy. IVs minimize Confusion/Foul Play damage. 30 Spe lets Rotom-W out-slow 0 EV 31 IV Rotom-W, keeping the momentum.
Kyurem-Black @ Starf Berry
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 252 Def / 208 HP / 44 Spd / 4 SAtk
Lax Nature
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Dragon Tail
- Ice Beam
This is the other extremely weird set, but I don't really know what to put here since I want to avoid a full-on stall team. Kyurem-B can serve as a wall breaker and status absorber with the almost never-seen ResTalk. Dragon Tail was chosen for phasing, and Ice Beam for power and STAB. Kyurem-B is of a physically bulky variant since its physical defense is naturally higher than its special defense, and the EVs capitalize on that while out-speeding 0 EV Base 100 Pokemon and hitting a Stealth Rock number.
Note: This was originally a Meloetta with Charge Beam, Relic Song, Drain Punch, and Stone Edge with a Maranga berry, but removed it because it was not really a team player. I am very open to alternative suggestions here. If Tailwind support finds its way on the team, I could switch to a CB or LO set.
Conclusion
This team has overall done pretty well, but I can tell that it could be so much better. The VoltTurn core works, but Jirachi is underpowered, and Kyurem-B may not belong.
Weaknesses
Both Mega Charizard forms give me trouble, partially because I have trouble telling which Mega it is until it's too late. Mega Charizard-Y can be beaten by Heatran if it doesn't have Earthquake (Focus Blast doesn't worry me much). However, Mega-Charizard X is a huge problem. Rotom-W can attempt to steal Dragon Dances, but since Charizard-X can't be burned, Rotom-W can just spam Hydro Pump and hope for the best. Heatran falls to any Charizard-X with Earthquake, and Mandibuzz just becomes setup fodder. As a result, I am considering Scarf Terrakion > Scarf Jirachi to reliably revenge-kill both former (especially Y).
Please keep that in mind when rating the team. Thank you!
Import
Heatran (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SDef / 252 HP / 4 SAtk
Calm Nature
- Lava Plume
- Will-O-Wisp
- Stealth Rock
- Roar
Venusaur (M) @ Venusaurite
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 252 HP / 144 Def / 112 SDef
Sassy Nature
- Leech Seed
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Knock Off
Mandibuzz (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 252 Def / 252 HP / 4 Atk
Impish Nature
- Defog
- Roost
- Knock Off
- Foul Play
Jirachi @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Jolly Nature
- Iron Head
- Ice Punch
- U-turn
- Fire Punch
Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 Spd
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Will-O-Wisp
- Snatch
Kyurem-Black @ Starf Berry
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 252 Def / 208 HP / 44 Spd / 4 SAtk
Lax Nature
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Dragon Tail
- Ice Beam
Last edited:
