SS OU Glowking + Hippo Stall (peaked 1918)

[Jiibriil]

https://pokepast.es/311d4590cbb46685

I posted this team on Reddit last week after peaking at ~1850. After replacing Quagsire with Skarmory I was able to climb back up and hit a new peak, 1918, rank 35 on the ladder. This is the highest I've ever been.

Full image

Before we start I want to acknowledge that this team is reasonably matchup fish-y. This is not a balance team that can beat anything, there will be matchups you lose outright. This happens less than it seems like it would on paper, because moves like Hurricane, Magma Storm, and Stone Edge are not perfectly accurate, but you have to make some ballsy plays to beat Future Sight Balance, which is super, super common right now. If you want a team you can bring to a tournament, this team is not for you. This is a ladder team.

That being said, here we go:

GreatWallOfSpina (Toxapex) (F) @ Shed Shell
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 248 Def / 8 Spe
Bold Nature
- Scald
- Knock Off
- Haze
- Recover

This is a pretty standard Pex set, the only unusual thing is Shed Shell. Shed Shell has exactly one use, which is to get rid of Heatran's Leftovers. If the enemy doesn't have a Heatran, feel free to absorb enemy Knock Offs to your heart's content. I found that even when running Black Sludge, I was losing it to Knock Off most of the time anyway.

You will barely survive a Heatran Magma Storm followed by Earth Power (252 SpA Heatran Magma Storm vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Toxapex: 60-71 (19.7 - 23.3%) -- guaranteed 4HKO after trapping damage, 252 SpA Heatran Earth Power vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Toxapex: 146-172 (48 - 56.5%) -- 86.7% chance to 2HKO) and can remove its valuable Lefties so you can get some chip in with hazards. This is not your only or even primary way of dealing with Heatran, it is just one of many because Heatran is a monster. It is the bane of stall.

TragedyOfDarthSand (Hippowdon) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Toxic
- Slack Off

Hippowdon is probably most often the teammate to close out games. He's also usually my lead. Preserving Leftovers is fairly critical for longevity, since you need Hippo to absorb Volt Switches, most notably from Regieleki and Magearna (rest in pieces you mechanical menace). If I lead against an enemy rocker, such as Swampert, Landorus, or Garchomp, I often find that it's more valuable to Toxic them before setting up your hazards. Do not be afraid to trade Toxics and then Rocks, this is an extremely common trade to have. The difference is that you have Blissey, and they probably don't. Hippo is a soft check to most things that don't hit it super-effectively. It's great at absorbing a single hit from enemy leads and healing most of it back with Slack Off, so that you can then play around the fact that their Lele is Specs, or whatever. Most people do not expect SpD Hippo, but it's a great general tank.

Hippo must be played extremely aggressively against rain. You out-slow Pelipper for leads with this set, and assuming a standard defensive Pelipper, you'll never be 2HKOed. (0 SpA Pelipper Scald vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Hippowdon: 146-174 (34.7 - 41.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO) I very frequently and recklessly switch Hippo into Pelipper to get rid of rain, and then Slack Off the damage. After scouting a few of their sets, you'll need to find a time to stay and Toxic them and/or get up Rocks, to get rid of that pesky pelican before it ends you.

WallInAnEggshell (Blissey) (F) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Soft-Boiled
- Teleport
- Seismic Toss
- Aromatherapy

Oh Blissey, I tried to make it work without you. Nah. Can't beat this fat pink blob. This is also a fairly standard set, though I find that I don't use it much until the late-game, besides healing off Toxics and Burns. Blissey provides reliable damage, one of only two members on the team to do so, and I'll often end up using those Seismic Tosses to burn through some enemy recovery. It's typically not worth switching Blissey in on something that's just going to Volt Switch back out due to chip, Glowking and Hippowdon are better suited to that task. Try to preserve this thing's health if possible, because in a pinch it can tank some pretty surprising hits on the physical side.

Blissey is very good at gaining momentum with Teleport, which is what the majority of its large healthpool is used for. I've tried it with Protect over Teleport to swap in on Future Sights, which I'm considering going back to, but for now it is as it is. There's very little I can say about this blob, its utility is unmatched and speaks for itself.

Excali-bird (Skarmory) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Impish Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Spikes
- Toxic
- Roost
- Body Press

This is your only long-term answer to SD users like Excadrill, Kartana, and Garchomp. Take them out as fast as possible. Alternative items include Heavy Duty Boots and Shed Shell if you're afraid of Zone, but I usually don't have too much of a problem with it. Spikes are one of two main win conditions on this team, and also prevent Corviknight denying you your hazards for the entire game. Body Press was chosen over Brave Bird due to hitting necessary threats (Kartana) and lack of recoil.

Skarmory lacks Defog, a move it usually carries, so that it can Toxic threats like Garchomp, and so that it has something to throw at whatever the enemy switches in.

BonesawBeBuzzing (Mandibuzz) (F) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD / 4 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Foul Play
- Roost
- Defog
- Toxic

Mandibuzz, used to be my only answer to Banded Rillaboom and SD Kartana. That didn't work out so well, so that task has now been delegated to Skarmory. Mandi still works in a pinch, but it's more prone to getting destroyed by hazards once it gets Knocked Off, so I prefer to keep it in the back as a defogger, mainly. U-turn is an option over Toxic but generally I get more mileage out of the latter.

TheUglyShellking (Slowking-Galar) (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Quiet Nature
- Earthquake
- Future Sight
- Sludge Bomb
- Flamethrower

Glowking is my second, more offensive win condition. Earthquake is solely for Heatran, it's a high roll for a 2HKO (0 Atk Slowking-Galar Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Heatran: 196-232 (50.7 - 60.1%) -- 82.4% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery). Given that Heatran will often come in as you throw up a Future Sight, not expecting you to be able to smack it, you'll almost always be able to force it out. Another option I've considered over it is regular Slowking, because the weakness to ground really hurts, but Glowking is really the only thing on my team that threatens enemy Slowbro, which is crucial.

Future Sight is your friend. This is how you kill enemy Toxapex, though sometimes you need to combine it with Knock Off, Burn, and Sand. This is how you break the enemy and force them to let you get Knock Offs off.

Threats:

- This guy can blast holes through your team with a CB. Be incredibly weary. He forces a lot of 50/50s.

- Not very common, but will punch a hole through your entire team. One of the reasons I classify this team as "matchup fish-y"

- Nasty Plot + Hurricane + Focus Blast + Taunt can be a bad time. You have to chip it down, get it on the switch, and hope for misses. Luckily this set is less common.

 

[vNatFly]

I can't write that much right now because I am lazy af because I am pretty busy. But all I have to say is, Tapu Lele says hello. LOL, but fr SpD Hippo gets 2hko by Modest Specs Lele (I think...), and nothing else on the team wants to take a hit. I have never done the calc, does Glowking want to take a Psychic from Lele? If it does, my apologies. Otherwise, I feel like Corviknight > Skarmory..? What do you think? I am saying this because Corviknight can check Kartana and Rillaboom, maybe Skarmory does it better but I think keeping out Lele is most important as you have Mandibuzz that can HELP with Kartana/Rillaboom.

 

[Smashburn]

I think I have to agree, Corv is a better pick for the Scarmory's slot. With threats like Cinderace and Magearna gone, the potential for its useage is decent, although Skarmory has lower HP and SpD, which are significant for a meta where Tornadus, Lele, and Koko are beginning to show their faces more as the floodgates have been opened. Not even to mention that Corv is a quick in-and-out mon that doesn't have to waste a space on attack to deal with threats like Zone with U-Turn in its arsenal.

Also unsure of Glowking is even worth having in this core as it is, you are basically using a slower wincon in a stall team and trying to get Slowking to play the role of Ferrothorn in order to annoy switches and check Slowbro. It is also generally unhealthy to be using a core where the team has 3 defensive mons electric weaknesses and stacks ground weaknesses because you have limited counter-play, big no no.

Generally the thought for the team is good but it stops at the thought of compensating for common weaknesses even on ladder, it indicates a hard frailty. Congrats on the high ELO though, I suck at making teams so I can never push remotely high or win matches, but well done!

 

[Samallmighty]

Congrats for your achievement! There's not much I'd advise for your team, I struggle to find any soft points bar gimmicky things (diggersby, specs lele, bd azu, obstagoon, taunt+np torn-t and that's about it...). To me it says how toxic stall is, not just now but almost in every metagame. Pex and blissey/chansey in particular can tank almost the whole metagame on their own and I really want them banned. Of course it'll never happen because last time they did suspect a defensive mon it was m-sableye in gen 6 days before gen 7 where it was allowed again. The council just loves this kind of degenerate and unbalanced teams. I'm not blaming the player, just the game.