Greetings, fellow individuals! I'm here again bringing you another RMT, hopefully surpassing the last one. This team was based around a concept I'd not yet properly worked with before, I tried to once but I just ended up converting it back to balanced; this is a cold-blooded Hyper Offensive team. Not sure what really got me into so desperately wanting to go with Hyper Offence, maybe because it's always been a style I've struggled to deal with, maybe it just clicked with the concept I had in mind, whatever it was I'll most likely be sticking with Hyper Offence for quite some time because it plays like butter, the most issues I've had with playing Hyper Offence is how much easier I find it to over-predict, sometimes you can get a bit carried away with momentum until losing it brings you back to reality.
Anyway, the purpose of this team was inspired from my last team, basically where I really discovered the great utility of Volt-Turn and how I seemed to always be outpaced by teams running Volt-Turn cores, the more time I spent trying to keep up the easier they could wear me down. I decided to work from there thinking Hyper Offence would be a great style to work with with this concept in the middle boasting the ability to pile pressure on opponents and bring my own threats in with much more ease and chunking opponents bit by bit. I'm pretty proud of how it turned out, I've not gone near the ladder with it because the ladder is just cancerous to me and I'm not touching that place with a barge pole, instead I've been sticking with playing some guys in Competitive Tutoring where it's held its own very well. I wanted to save this RMT for after the Official Smogon Tournament but since I am still a green child in the art of competitive Pocket Monsters I doubt I'll be able to say that it's any more of a reputable team than it is now since I don't see myself getting very far, and if I do then you can always drop in after to praise me on what a spectacular job I did, better late than never.
A downside to this team is that it is relatively uninspired, no wacky and creative sets that can catch opponents off guard with surprises, no clever tricks that make this team stand out, it's just a Hyper Offence team with standard sets and spreads. I guess if I have to bring out any sort of interesting feature it would probably be that it wasn't built to accommodate one specific win-condition, it was designed for overall synergy that tears opposing teams apart at which point any mon on this team can clean up at the end and you determine your win-con during the game rather than already have a sweeper on your team given that title. As such, there's no particular strategy that you have to play by each time and you can be flexible in how you use it depending on how you have to. The team doesn't support a Pokemon, the Pokemon support the team, if that makes any sense. I don't know, at this point I'm just pulling words out of my ass so jumping right in.
I wanted to start with something that would inevitably come to form my Volt-Turn core, a reliable mon that can definitely justify its presence on this team. Landoge was not a difficult conclusion to come to with how versatile he can be. He could be Scarfed to give me a fast U-Turn, he could be a defensive lead/pivot, he could be offensive lead, he can provide me with lots of other helpful utility such as Smack Down support of Rotoms and other Ground immunities, Knock Off support, Rock Tomb for faster threats, as well as provide the always helpful powerful STAB Earthquake that no team can really afford to not run. Landorus, you know him, you've played him, you know what he does. Clear cut choice.
Raikou was a new little gem I discovered when looking back through other RMTs and I eventually settled on him being the other half of my Volt-Turn core. I considered other options namely Rotom-W, Thundurus and Mega Manectric, but they seemed to fall short of what I was after overall. Rotom is a great defensive pivot by all accounts and has superb utility, Will-O could also be handy for other offensive teams and he has renown synergy with Landorus. Though the issue with this was that it was obvious right from the get-go that my Landorus would not be Scarfed, he would have Rocks and he'd be my lead, a suicide lead didn't really fit the concept I had in mind and no other possible leads did either, this meant Landorus would be more effective as a slow-turner, Rotom from then is also not very speedy and I wanted something a bit faster that puts more pressure on opponents. Thundy was the next obvious choice, Prankster T-Wave to handle speedy teams, power, great movepool to abuse, he's honestly something that if someone said 'I'd rather run that over Raikou' then I would not disagree. Why didn't I? Ice weakness. Running Thundy effectively would mean I have to run a good Defogger (i.e: Lati@s), that would give me three mons that get pissed on my Ice. Not my thing. Mega Manectric was simple, wasted Mega slot when I'd ideally run something else, plain and simple. Raikou avoided all of those problems while still providing me good speed, power, coverage, and even bulk to an extent. And thus the Volt-Turn core of Cate and Doge was formed! Wow!
Step 3: Dump as many anti-meta mons in there as you can. It was literally that simple. I help around in Competitive Tutoring often and I have had plenty of people get back to me to say 'X Pokemon is amazing!' as well as my general use of certain mons and moderate grip of the meta to work with. After reviewing each of them though after a few weeks of solid teambuilding in an effort to create 'the perfect team' (meaning literally a team that has no flaws or weaknesses besides that of the player) and abysmally failing since that's pretty much an impossible feat to accomplish, I decided one day mid-breakdown while I was staring at the PS! teambuilder with a glass of gin in hand trying not to be tempted by my open window on the second storey that I would give it one more go. I'd try one more time to get a team right and actually use it, and if it doesn't work then I'll quit competitive at least temporarily till I regain my sanity and stop staying up till 3am with this shit. The result was as follows:
Mega Gyarados was a Mega I overlooked, but I came to this conclusion by looking through other RMTs and noticing just how many teams can easily receive the title of being weak to DD Gyarados. I decided to try him out, there was no harm in it except for the opponent. Gyarados's power to put a stop to stall, set up and sweep, handle threats like Mega Venu and Rotom depending on the coverage really gave me a lot of interesting possibilities I could go with. All of that in one package was an enticing possibility that I could not turn down.
Having taken up Gyarados, I thought it would be a good idea to run a Defogger, if anything because the nature of this team would have me getting worn down by hazards pretty quickly if I have no way to clear them off and that was one thing I really didn't want. The whole point of this team was to constantly keep ahead of my opponent, not to wear myself down so I can be picked off. Latios could clear my hazards, had good synergy with Gyara, good speed, powerful Draco nukes to help me break walls even easier, he was a no-brainer.
Fairy weakness, run a Scizor. I was short of a good Fairy check and priority on this team and Scizor fit the bill. Allowing me to run Knock Off support, further U-Turn utility, priority and an answer to a threat that could be the death of this team. She was a pretty simple choice, her coverage and utility built on my team very nicely.
Mega Sableye and Dragons are a thing, and it's my philosophy that no team can do without a Fairy. Specs Sylveon was one of the mons that I had received very very positive feedback for suggesting and the idea of a that raw-power to help push walls to their breaking point is something I could not have this team go without running. Serving as a good check to the afore-mentioned threats as well as a great offensive nuke I could spam either little and often or completely burn out mid/late game to turn the opposing team into a steaming mush for one of my other mons to mop up is pretty much an unconditional yes.
The speed creep was hurting my team hard, with no Scarfer and only one mon with priority who's pretty much out-prioritised herself due to her mediocre speed, I needed something else. The conclusion I came to was that Fairies can be worn down over time throughout the game if I have to do that, but Mega Sceptile and Mega Lop can gang-bang me to no end, my priority did nothing to them and they outspeed everything else I have, barring set-up Mega Gyara who can't do much to either, or Mega Lop at the very least. Talonflame to replace Scizor seemed to be my best resolution to this problem, as well as supporting this team with much more offensive pressure given that a lot of teams seem to struggle with birdspam too, especially SD Talonflame whom I was also getting good feedback for recommending. The price of having to wear Fairies down throughout a match in order to save myself from completely losing to Mega Sceptile and Lop was a small price to pay in my opinion.
Discord (Gyarados) (M) @ Gyaradosite
Ability: Intimidate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Waterfall
- Crunch
- Taunt / Earthquake
- Dragon Dance
This is my Mega of choice. Namely because he does seem like quite the easy mon to under-prepare for and can be absolutely destructive if that is the case. He can sweep late-game depending on how it turns out, he can break stall, he can check Heatran, Latios, Landorus, Megagross, T-Tar, Excadrill, etc. This mean shrimp cocktail ironically hasn't had much time to shine on this team so far as I've used him, but he has presence and can carry his weight when he must, being able to force switches and to put momentum in my favour, he fits the job description. His differing typings between Mega and pre-Mega is also a very helpful asset, allowing him set up on things he otherwise wouldn't appreciate setting up on post-Mega; save his evolution for the right time, he can perform well without Mega evolving too so don't be too hasty puffing him up too soon.
The moves are very self-explanatory, Waterfall is his primary Water STAB with 100% accuracy and a nice little flinch chance that can be helpful at times, I don't need to justify the running of this at all since you're pretty off your rocker if you don't. It's the most that hits most of the things Gyarados is intended to check on this team and it should be what opponents fear taking. Crunch is the brilliant move he was blessed with thanks to OR/AS move tutor, allowing him to be an effective check against the likes of stuff like Gengar, Alakazam, and the main beasty I'm worried about: Mega Metagross. I wasn't convinced Crunch's support would be that potent on Mega Gyara compared to his coverage before in the X/Y days when I first heard about it, but I was dead wrong, the offensive support and coverage it provides me with is a must-have. The next move is a toss-up between Taunt and Earthquake. This team has nothing for stall besides sheer power and nothing for Electrics besides Lando, so either option is viable to run. I personally run Taunt because of how it can force switches for me to either set up or just generally get something annoying off the field to deal with later. Earthquake again is a viable option for dealing with the likes of Mega Manectric, Raikou, Rotom-W and the like, but it seemed a bit situational as I'd need to be set-up to do that anyway and I'm not staying in if I'm not because it doesn't matter if I have EQ or not, I'm going down. My team can break the afore-mentioned threats in its own right and I value the power of forcing switches for set-up or momentum to be much more valuable. Dragon Dance lets Gyara sweep when he must, it gives him the power and the speed to clean up late-game when all the nasties he's not happy to handle are gone. It can be used at any other point to punch big holes in opposing teams and have a little rampage if I see him as being suitable as a kamikaze like that, but that's uncommon.
Intimidate is also to force switches allowing me to get a DD off at the sight of a fleeing physical attacker that can't do shit to me anymore, it seemed a lot more helpful than Moxie since there's very little point having an ability to boost attack when I have a move to do the same. Again, in terms of grabbing momentum, I see Intimidate doing that for me much more effectively than Moxie. The EV spread is standard, it allows me to outspeed Mega Manectric and the like after one DD which is much more helpful if I'm running EQ but the speed is preferred in any scenario and I see no reason to change it.
Other options could be to run Ice Fang for Mega Venus and Thundys, but that's not advised. The team can handle Mega Venu to an acceptable extent and the main threat from Thundy is T-Wave which is equally prominent with or without Ice Fang. Still, the extra support may be helpful if you desire it. Sub is a good option too to avoid status and set up like a monster, but it does hold your stall support back a bit and makes Gyara a bit less spammable due to lack of recovery.
YM IOS-1 Eon (Latios) (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid / Naive Nature
IVs: 29 HP / 0 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Draco Meteor
- Psyshock
- Hidden Power [Fire] / Earthquake
- Defog
Latios is a mon who needs no introduction, he is the ultimate Defogger and Draco nuke spammer extraordinaire. His offensive capabilities, Defog utility, speed and relative versatility make him a valuable asset to any team, including this one. Being able to check Mega Venu, Rotom-W, Keldeo, Scizor, Ferro, Conk, Breloom, and slower Dragons, he provides a lot of offensive presence for this team. His offensive support and Defog utility are invaluable to the success of this team and his wall-breaking capabilities can hit stall and balanced teams where it hurts. There's not a lot of things happy switching into this fighter jet Dragon, barring Fairies and possibly some Darks.
Draco Meteor is raw power, being able to hit anything that doesn't resist or have an immunity very hard allowing them to be picked off later by Talonflame or Raikou or whoever fits the bill, provided the nuke doesn't just kill something outright. It's pretty much the 'when in doubt' move, if there's no Fairies left and you don't know what shit your opponent is going to try and pull next, then just drop a Draco, you can't go wrong. Psyshock is a pseudo-physical STAB move that helps me handle special walls that think they can shut me down, as well as hitting threats Like Mega Venu, Keldeo, Mega Lop and the like pretty hard. The coverage between Gyara's Crunch and Lati's Psyshock is pretty damn good and they can clear a good portion of threats together efficiently. Hidden Power Fire is for Ferros and Scizors who can be rather annoying to this team, I have no direct answers to either of them besides Talonflame who I'd like to spare from the recoil damage unless absolutely necessary. It is valuable coverage that keeps this team from being walled and picked off too badly by those pricks. Earthquake is slashed there though as a good answer to Heatran who can be very annoying especially depending on the set, I have various answer to both Scizor/Ferro and Heatran on this team, but nothing overly definitive so depending on your option for this moveslot one or the other can be troublesome. Lastly, Defog is to keep hazards from wearing me down. The nature of this team is to be quite switch-happy and hazards can put a stop to that completely and wear me down to the point where a speedy cleaner can wipe my team up if I try to keep going. With Gyarados and Talonflame here too, neither of whom appreciate the presence of Rocks on my side, it's not something you can avoid running.
The EVs are standard again, maximise speed and specially offensive capabilities, prioritising speed with a Timid nature. The IVs are to accommodate Hidden Power Fire (obviously not necessary if running EQ) while minimising my Foul Play damage and giving me a Life Orb number for HP. On the topic of Life Orb, Life Orb is there to give my attacks some bite, the extra damage is very much appreciated and gives Latios much more offensive presence which is vital. Levitate because it's the only damn ability he can run.
Other options include Recover/Roost for a sustainable Lati, if you find him going down too early before he can be useful enough then some healing powers over coverage might be for you, bear in mind though that this will make you more susceptible to Ferro and Scizor if you replace Hidden Power Fire. Latias for Healing Wish support over Latios may be good too, but you do sacrifice some coverage and offensive presence which are pretty valuable factors so risk vs reward.
Cate (Raikou) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 Def
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Shadow Ball
Wow! Much Cate! Very Volt Switch! Such offence! Wow! The thundercat to form 50% of my Volt-Turn core is here. Providing the team with a fast Volt Switch for utility, as well as well as great offensive prowess and boasting exceptional speed to help revenge and clean up late-game, I feel ashamed for almost overlooking him to begin with. He's my new fun thing to play around with and I've not grown bored of it yet, being able to check Keldeo, Thundurus, Talonflame, Slowbro, Gengar, Lati@s, Gyarados, etc and providing me Volt Switch utility, he performs exceptionally.
Thunderbolt is primary STAB, being able to hit Waters and Flyings hard without being forced to switch is a great thing to have, with Thundy and Rotom you'd be limited to Volt Switch which isn't helpful when you, you know, want to stay in. Raikou's Thunderbolts hurt like a bitch and help with revenging and cleaning up very nicely, although not quite wallbreaker material like Latios nukes but still effective. Volt Switch is the hot new thing I keep ranting about, giving me utility to switch out and get some damage off and put the match-up in my favour. While fast Volt Switch isn't preferred for obvious reasons, I like a combination of fast and slow in my Volt-Turn core, a fast Volt Switch is good for foes that are staying in so you can outspeed, get damage off, and send in something to take the attack intended for Raikou, still useful functionality unless faced with an opponent who's slow switching out after you, but there's not much you can do in that scenario. Hidden Power Ice is pretty much customary for any Electric type, being able to nix those Ground switch-ins. It can also catch Mega Sceptile on the switch as well as giving me super effective damage against Thundurus and the Lati-twins. Shadow Ball was recommended below frequently and I took it up over Extrasensory to handle the Lati twins who are much more threatening than Mega Venu and who Hidden Power Ice couldn't deal with as well as I'd hoped. It handles Gengar and Mega Metagross nicely too. A good piece of coverage that gives me extra options for dealing with those threats without putting too much pressure on Latios who has enough to deal with keeping hazards clear.
The EVs are standard for Raikou, the speed has now been maximised because Serp is a thing now so I need to outspeed, and at that speed tier I might as well just run mas speed; special attack is maximised to get the best damage output possible from a positive speed nature to let him hit hard and fast. Hidden Power Ice IVs edited to minimise Foul Play damage. AV was the original item, then it was replaced, now it's on again, it helps with Zard Y as AM pointed out below and various other special attackers I have few switch-ins for. Pressure because I'm still waiting on Volt Absorb...
Other options include Specs/Scarf, probably Scarf to keep up with the speed creep which this team seems to struggle with at times, though Raikou is relatively speedy in his own right so he might be a redundant option to Scarf. Also restricts you from switching your moves, but if you don't find that necessary then by all means try. Battery, Expert Belt or Life Ord too if you want to improve your offensive prowess more, though it does limit your switch-in opportunities. Extrasensory for Mega Venu and Fighting types if you think the Lati twins and Mega Metagross are manageable. Thundurus may be another option to run too as mentioned before, his Prankster Thunder Waves could help this team handle some speedier threats a bit better which could be very useful, the issues with this would be Volt Switch vs Thunderbolt syndrome as I mentioned earlier, and the massive Ice weakness which I also mentioned before. Risk vs reward, if you think it's worth it then run him.
Doge (Landorus-Therian) (M) @ Soft Sand
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 168 HP / 252 Atk / 88 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Knock Off
- Stealth Rock
Wow! Much Doge! Very U-Turn! Such Power! Wow! The U-Turning flying chunk of land appears to rub in your face even more that he exists. As if every OU team and their mothers running Lando wasn't enough, this team is bringing it to you too. Completing my Volt-Turn core and offering the other side of the spectrum in comparison to Raikou, it's pretty clear that they make a good team. This little Landoge provides a hefty portion to this team in hazard support, Knock Off utility, and being able to check Raikou, Mega Manectric, Talonflame, Mega Diancie, Tyranitar, Bisharp, Heatran and such.
Earthquake is hard-hitting STAB. Never run a team without a STAB Earthquaker, ever! Run a Landorus, run an Excadrill, run a Garchomp, run a Diglett, I don't fucking care, but Earthquake is pretty much one of the best offensive moves in the game with a high base power and perfect accuracy, so coming from an offensive beast like this is going to hurt more than a little bit. U-Turn is here to complete the Volt-Turn core, this time providing a slow(ish) U-Turn in comparison to Raikou's fast. Slow U-Turn is great for dealing with opposing U-Turners, namely other speedier Landos, allowing them to U-Turn out first meaning when I U-Turn out second I can switch into whatever handles the mon they U-Turned into before me. Switch initiative. Knock Off is for removing Choice items, slapping away Chansey's Eviolite and whatever else I whack off people. Knock off is great for this team in the long run, reducing the damage no longer Choiced users do to me, lessening the sustainability of no longer Leftovers holders and screwing over Chansey completely; it's always good support to have. Lastly, Rocks are Rocks, the token hazards, breaks Sashes and Sturdy, wears opposing teams down, chunks certain threats if hazards aren't removed, I don't need to explain hazards to you. Lando was the best thing I could think of to be my hazard setter, I considered Mamo, but nah, and a suicide lead was always out of the question since it defeats the point of this team.
The EVs are general offensive lead Landorus EVs, max attack to make the most of Landos offensive capabilities, 88 speed lets me outspeed max speed Adamant Bisharp and Breloom, and the rest goes to HP, the bulk actually lets me live a +1 Sucker Punch from Bish too which is nice. Adamant nature is chosen over Jolly for the purpose of slow U-Turn and making use of Landorus's massive attack, further supported by the Soft Sand to power up his Earthquakes to epic proportions.
Other options include Smack Down, which I was running during the Scizor days, but had to change to Knock Off after her departure. Smack Down lets you catch Rotom W and other hovering mons on the switch in and KO with an Earthquake next turn. Life Orb or Leftovers is also possible, but I like Soft Sand as a good compromise, the recoil from Life Orb would wear Lando down more than I'd like while Leftovers doesn't make as much use of his offences as you potentially could.
9/11 (Talonflame) (M) @ Sharp Beak
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 88 HP / 252 Atk / 168 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- Roost
- Flare Blitz
- Swords Dance
Talonflame is another beast I just couldn't overlook, with so few things appreciating a +2 Brave Bird, he's such a superb revenge killer and late-game cleaner as well as shattering walls when set up. He's not the most solid answer to the speed creep, but he certainly helps, being able to check Mega Lopunny, Mega Sceptile, Mega Venusaur, Scizor, Ferrothorn, Keldeo, Conk, and in general just decimating unprepared or worn down teams. It's a titan you'd sure as hell rather have with you than against you.
Brave Bird everything! Priority Brave Birds outspeed a damn lot and hit hard in the process, effectively revenging weakened mons and punching holes in anything else, Gale Wings Brave Birds is why so many people hate or love Talonflame. Birdspam can be quite tough to handle and plenty unprepared for so running a spammer on your team does you no harm. Roost is for sustainability, to allow him to roll back on recoil damage, regain the health lost while setting up on something's face, rolling off Rocks damage if Latios couldn't clear them, just keeping my bird healthy. Flare Blitz is secondary STAB/filler. I honestly never use it, it's just there in case I have to, i.e: I need a Scizor or Ferro removing and Latios is down. Swords Dance is what turns birdspam into just plain GG, it boosts Talon's attack nice and high and after one or two dances it's just a matter of clicking Brave Bird and watching something die.
The EVs are designed so Talonflame can outspeed max speed Raikou and get a Brave Bird off for the revenge kill before taking a hit, max attack for offensive capability and the rest dumped into HP for spare bulk which might come in handy. Sharp Beak for Brave Bird boosting, you can't really run anything else; Leftovers is for Bulk Up, and Life Orb is for retards. I chose Gale Wings because I'm not pro enough for Flame Body.
Other options include U-Turn over Flare Blitz, which may be a good additional dose of switch initiative, but it's a waste on something intending to set up and sweep. Also, Flare Blitz is something you don't want to be left missing when you need it.
Alice (Sylveon) (F) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Pixilate
EVs: 234 HP / 252 SpA / 24 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Hyper Voice
- Shadow Ball
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Baton Pass
I recommended this little adorable creature to a friend who got back to me later telling me what a monster she is. I knew she would be good, but god damn she is destructive! She can be used in two ways: little and often, switching in to kill or chunk something and switching out, or coming out mid/late game and butchering whatever's left of teams and letting one of her speedier team mates clean up the smoking mess that's left. This is a wallbreaker in every sense and she does such a good job with the role too, being able to handle numerous things like Tyranitar, the Lati twins, Bisharp, Mega Diancie, Mega Sableye, Keldeo, Conk, Breloom and anything that doesn't resist really. Raw power has never looked this cute!
Hyper Voice isan instant win button a hard-hitting STAB that pretty much defines her role entirely. Her job is to come in and just spam Hyper Voice everywhere, and generally when brought out later in the game something is going to die. In some ways it a bit of a crutch with how it removes threats that would be very difficult to deal with otherwise, namely Bisharp and Mega Diancie, if not caught in time then they can butcher my team so Sylve really needs to catch them when it counts. Shadow Ball is there mainly for Gengar and Mega Metagross and because its one of the few semi-useful things in Sylveon's piss puddle of an offensive movepool, it's one of the less reliable filler moves and one that I've had little to no reason to take advantage of yet, honestly if I predict a Megagross to come in then I'd rather pull a double switch unless it's below 50% HP than Shadow Ball it given that it's not an OHKO and Sylveon is very slow so she will get ploughed if she stays in and so is forced out anyway, and Mega Metagross is really something that you do not want to switch in to unless your name is Mega Sableye (Megagross OP, pls nerf). Regardless, it can still be useful to have. Hidden Power Fire is to handle Ferrothorn and Scizor switch-ins, it's more reliable catching them with Hidden Power Fire than Shadow Balling a Mega Metagross since it is a guaranteed OHKO on any Scizor that isn't fully specially defensive and she can outspeed Ferro before it can get a hit off so the fact that it's not an OHKO isn't problematic. Baton Pass provides me with further switch initiative which makes getting match-ups even easier, and with the switches Specs Sylveon forces it can be very helpful utility to further help me keep momentum and lets me bring safe switch-ins to stuff she's not very comfortable with handling (like, again, Mega Metagross).
Her EV spread is standard Sylveon EVs, max special attack and modest nature to maximise offensive capabilities and ensure that she hits like a train, 24 in speed to outspeed min-speed Tyranitar, and the rest in HP for added bulk, there's really no need for greater speed investment on her since base 60 isn't exactly getting you very far, you're better off running with some bulk for a little more longevity for Hyper Voice spam. The IVs are to accommodate Hidden Power Fire while minimising potential Foul Play damage.
The only other option for Sylveon is slapping Psyshock in place of Shadow Ball if you want to hit Mega Venusaur hard, but there's plenty on this team that can handle Mega Venu already so Shadow Ball is the more useful option, but it's a perfectly viable option. I guess Hidden Power Ground is an option too, but it honestly seems more viable to go with a previous option like Earthquake on Latios since that gives you freedom to switch your moves still which is much more helpful for a moveslot designed to mainly target a single opposing mon.
And that is the team. I'm very very fond of it with how smoothly it plays and I'm very much enjoying the punch-for-punch playstyle of Hyper Offence and I see myself working with this style in the future. Again, probably the best perk of this team is its lack of any solid win-condition, and if played correctly and you can keep a leg up on your opponent then any suitable mon can clean up whatever's left. A note on how to use this team effectively: Generally lead with Raikou, Landorus, and maybe Sylveon in order to get any necessary switching going right off the bat and then the fun begins. Also, while it's not priority due to Defog support, it would be ideal to not let Rocks get set up on your side at all so you don't have to waste a turn to slow down your momentum and possibly leave an opening for Bisharp. Playing this team, at least to me, can sometimes feel like running on ice, and trying to get ahead of your opponent leaves you spamming switches like a moron while they just don't budge; maybe that's just me, probably, but in case it's not then try not to get too carried away since it is sometimes just as valuable to just hit what's in front of you instead of constantly expecting switches.
Iris (Scizor) (F) @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Knock Off
- Superpower
Gone, but not forgotten, this is the Banded Scizor I ran before the Talonflame days, she provided me with a decent answer to Fairy threats, priority, more U-Turn support, Knock Off support, and generally some nice extra power I appreciate fondly. She was definitely not a bad option at the time by any stretch, but her problem was that she did fall short of being able to handle certain threats that could otherwise butcher my team and her priority wasn't all it was cracked up to be coming from a mediocre base 65 speed, she didn't really help against the speed-creep that hurts this team so much. One thing she did do better than Talonflame though is provide a solid check to Mega Diancie who does threaten this team, so that is something I very much regret having to sacrifice, but gaining an answer to Mega Lopunny and Sceptile is more valuable in my opinion.
Her spread was standard, max attack Adamant for strong offensive capability, 248 HP to keep me at an odd value but still maintaining good bulk, and the remaining 8 went to special defence because, well, just because.
Mega Diancie:
Mega Diancie can be very problematic for this team. Unlike other Fairies who I can hit hard and wear down Diancie holds tremendous offensive pressure against me and removing her can be quite situational. Landorus can hit her hard, so can Sylveon, and Raikou can revenge her if she's not Rock Polish, but none can safely switch in and if they've taken a good chunk of prior damage then she can efficiently remove them both and just have her way with me.
Bisharp:
Fundamentally the same concept as above. I have some answers in some very soft checks, but unless I catch him in the right circumstance then he can probably run amok on my team. The saving grace is that Bish doesn't exactly want to switch into anything, even Latios is risky while I have Hidden Power Fire, hell even a Draco nuke can chunk him quite nicely. He can be contained, but he is a noteworthy threat.
Mega Lopunny:
This thing is difficult beyond belief to deal with. If I didn't bring Talonflame with me then I'd lose to this thing on sight every time. She's not broken to the point of being banned, but if for whatever reason she is being suspected then I'm voting her out right then and there. Again, like Bisharp, she doesn't have any safe switch-ins but neither do I, I have nothing that resists her STAB, nothing but Talonflame that can outspeed, I just don't know how to handle this thing.
Heatran:
This thing may be incentive to run more Earthquake users. If it's the Scarfed variant or a speedy offensive one with HP Ice then I could be in for quite the bollocking since only Gyadaros would be ok dealing with that. It is alright to play around for the most part though, at least to me, but if he's a more prominent issue than Ferro or Scizor then you can slap Earthquake on something.
Mega Manectric and Raikou:
Opposing fast Electrics can be quite problematic. I don't really have anything specific to handle them, Ladorus has that Hidden Power Ice threat hanging over him, my best bet with them is to nail them hard with something, probably Sylveon, or just try and wear them down before they wear me down.
Mamoswine:
A good 80% of offensive teams are Mamoswine weak, and this team is no exception. Nothing wants to switch in to it, and it's a safe bet that it's taking something down with it. The Sash Endevour suicide lead pretty much removes something without question so I need to fodder something off to take it down, and the Life Orb Freeze-Dry version I have a grand total of zero switch-ins for. He's a really awkward thing to work with due to his typing.
Focus Sash:
And the No1 prize for the least competitive item goes to... This piece of shit! Sturdy I can handle, Sturdy is seen on defensive mons who really can't threaten me much, it just means I need to waste two turns to kill them rather than one, but Sash users are the offensive monsters that I need removed in one turn but I can't. Shit like the afore mentioned Mamoswine, and others like Garchomp, Cloyster and that cunt Breloom with his dumb-ass face are things that I need to sacrifice something to in order to revenge later, there's no way around it.
Trick Room:
This poor team, struggling with the speed creep, and also struggling with slow as shit teams too. Taunt on Gyara is alright for it, I guess, but all in all I don't know how to deal with Trick Room and I probably never will.
Anyway, the purpose of this team was inspired from my last team, basically where I really discovered the great utility of Volt-Turn and how I seemed to always be outpaced by teams running Volt-Turn cores, the more time I spent trying to keep up the easier they could wear me down. I decided to work from there thinking Hyper Offence would be a great style to work with with this concept in the middle boasting the ability to pile pressure on opponents and bring my own threats in with much more ease and chunking opponents bit by bit. I'm pretty proud of how it turned out, I've not gone near the ladder with it because the ladder is just cancerous to me and I'm not touching that place with a barge pole, instead I've been sticking with playing some guys in Competitive Tutoring where it's held its own very well. I wanted to save this RMT for after the Official Smogon Tournament but since I am still a green child in the art of competitive Pocket Monsters I doubt I'll be able to say that it's any more of a reputable team than it is now since I don't see myself getting very far, and if I do then you can always drop in after to praise me on what a spectacular job I did, better late than never.
A downside to this team is that it is relatively uninspired, no wacky and creative sets that can catch opponents off guard with surprises, no clever tricks that make this team stand out, it's just a Hyper Offence team with standard sets and spreads. I guess if I have to bring out any sort of interesting feature it would probably be that it wasn't built to accommodate one specific win-condition, it was designed for overall synergy that tears opposing teams apart at which point any mon on this team can clean up at the end and you determine your win-con during the game rather than already have a sweeper on your team given that title. As such, there's no particular strategy that you have to play by each time and you can be flexible in how you use it depending on how you have to. The team doesn't support a Pokemon, the Pokemon support the team, if that makes any sense. I don't know, at this point I'm just pulling words out of my ass so jumping right in.
YAY!
Discord (Gyarados) (M) @ Gyaradosite
Ability: Intimidate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Waterfall
- Crunch
- Taunt / Earthquake
- Dragon Dance
This is my Mega of choice. Namely because he does seem like quite the easy mon to under-prepare for and can be absolutely destructive if that is the case. He can sweep late-game depending on how it turns out, he can break stall, he can check Heatran, Latios, Landorus, Megagross, T-Tar, Excadrill, etc. This mean shrimp cocktail ironically hasn't had much time to shine on this team so far as I've used him, but he has presence and can carry his weight when he must, being able to force switches and to put momentum in my favour, he fits the job description. His differing typings between Mega and pre-Mega is also a very helpful asset, allowing him set up on things he otherwise wouldn't appreciate setting up on post-Mega; save his evolution for the right time, he can perform well without Mega evolving too so don't be too hasty puffing him up too soon.
The moves are very self-explanatory, Waterfall is his primary Water STAB with 100% accuracy and a nice little flinch chance that can be helpful at times, I don't need to justify the running of this at all since you're pretty off your rocker if you don't. It's the most that hits most of the things Gyarados is intended to check on this team and it should be what opponents fear taking. Crunch is the brilliant move he was blessed with thanks to OR/AS move tutor, allowing him to be an effective check against the likes of stuff like Gengar, Alakazam, and the main beasty I'm worried about: Mega Metagross. I wasn't convinced Crunch's support would be that potent on Mega Gyara compared to his coverage before in the X/Y days when I first heard about it, but I was dead wrong, the offensive support and coverage it provides me with is a must-have. The next move is a toss-up between Taunt and Earthquake. This team has nothing for stall besides sheer power and nothing for Electrics besides Lando, so either option is viable to run. I personally run Taunt because of how it can force switches for me to either set up or just generally get something annoying off the field to deal with later. Earthquake again is a viable option for dealing with the likes of Mega Manectric, Raikou, Rotom-W and the like, but it seemed a bit situational as I'd need to be set-up to do that anyway and I'm not staying in if I'm not because it doesn't matter if I have EQ or not, I'm going down. My team can break the afore-mentioned threats in its own right and I value the power of forcing switches for set-up or momentum to be much more valuable. Dragon Dance lets Gyara sweep when he must, it gives him the power and the speed to clean up late-game when all the nasties he's not happy to handle are gone. It can be used at any other point to punch big holes in opposing teams and have a little rampage if I see him as being suitable as a kamikaze like that, but that's uncommon.
Intimidate is also to force switches allowing me to get a DD off at the sight of a fleeing physical attacker that can't do shit to me anymore, it seemed a lot more helpful than Moxie since there's very little point having an ability to boost attack when I have a move to do the same. Again, in terms of grabbing momentum, I see Intimidate doing that for me much more effectively than Moxie. The EV spread is standard, it allows me to outspeed Mega Manectric and the like after one DD which is much more helpful if I'm running EQ but the speed is preferred in any scenario and I see no reason to change it.
Other options could be to run Ice Fang for Mega Venus and Thundys, but that's not advised. The team can handle Mega Venu to an acceptable extent and the main threat from Thundy is T-Wave which is equally prominent with or without Ice Fang. Still, the extra support may be helpful if you desire it. Sub is a good option too to avoid status and set up like a monster, but it does hold your stall support back a bit and makes Gyara a bit less spammable due to lack of recovery.
YM IOS-1 Eon (Latios) (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid / Naive Nature
IVs: 29 HP / 0 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Draco Meteor
- Psyshock
- Hidden Power [Fire] / Earthquake
- Defog
Latios is a mon who needs no introduction, he is the ultimate Defogger and Draco nuke spammer extraordinaire. His offensive capabilities, Defog utility, speed and relative versatility make him a valuable asset to any team, including this one. Being able to check Mega Venu, Rotom-W, Keldeo, Scizor, Ferro, Conk, Breloom, and slower Dragons, he provides a lot of offensive presence for this team. His offensive support and Defog utility are invaluable to the success of this team and his wall-breaking capabilities can hit stall and balanced teams where it hurts. There's not a lot of things happy switching into this fighter jet Dragon, barring Fairies and possibly some Darks.
Draco Meteor is raw power, being able to hit anything that doesn't resist or have an immunity very hard allowing them to be picked off later by Talonflame or Raikou or whoever fits the bill, provided the nuke doesn't just kill something outright. It's pretty much the 'when in doubt' move, if there's no Fairies left and you don't know what shit your opponent is going to try and pull next, then just drop a Draco, you can't go wrong. Psyshock is a pseudo-physical STAB move that helps me handle special walls that think they can shut me down, as well as hitting threats Like Mega Venu, Keldeo, Mega Lop and the like pretty hard. The coverage between Gyara's Crunch and Lati's Psyshock is pretty damn good and they can clear a good portion of threats together efficiently. Hidden Power Fire is for Ferros and Scizors who can be rather annoying to this team, I have no direct answers to either of them besides Talonflame who I'd like to spare from the recoil damage unless absolutely necessary. It is valuable coverage that keeps this team from being walled and picked off too badly by those pricks. Earthquake is slashed there though as a good answer to Heatran who can be very annoying especially depending on the set, I have various answer to both Scizor/Ferro and Heatran on this team, but nothing overly definitive so depending on your option for this moveslot one or the other can be troublesome. Lastly, Defog is to keep hazards from wearing me down. The nature of this team is to be quite switch-happy and hazards can put a stop to that completely and wear me down to the point where a speedy cleaner can wipe my team up if I try to keep going. With Gyarados and Talonflame here too, neither of whom appreciate the presence of Rocks on my side, it's not something you can avoid running.
The EVs are standard again, maximise speed and specially offensive capabilities, prioritising speed with a Timid nature. The IVs are to accommodate Hidden Power Fire (obviously not necessary if running EQ) while minimising my Foul Play damage and giving me a Life Orb number for HP. On the topic of Life Orb, Life Orb is there to give my attacks some bite, the extra damage is very much appreciated and gives Latios much more offensive presence which is vital. Levitate because it's the only damn ability he can run.
Other options include Recover/Roost for a sustainable Lati, if you find him going down too early before he can be useful enough then some healing powers over coverage might be for you, bear in mind though that this will make you more susceptible to Ferro and Scizor if you replace Hidden Power Fire. Latias for Healing Wish support over Latios may be good too, but you do sacrifice some coverage and offensive presence which are pretty valuable factors so risk vs reward.
Cate (Raikou) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 Def
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Shadow Ball
Wow! Much Cate! Very Volt Switch! Such offence! Wow! The thundercat to form 50% of my Volt-Turn core is here. Providing the team with a fast Volt Switch for utility, as well as well as great offensive prowess and boasting exceptional speed to help revenge and clean up late-game, I feel ashamed for almost overlooking him to begin with. He's my new fun thing to play around with and I've not grown bored of it yet, being able to check Keldeo, Thundurus, Talonflame, Slowbro, Gengar, Lati@s, Gyarados, etc and providing me Volt Switch utility, he performs exceptionally.
Thunderbolt is primary STAB, being able to hit Waters and Flyings hard without being forced to switch is a great thing to have, with Thundy and Rotom you'd be limited to Volt Switch which isn't helpful when you, you know, want to stay in. Raikou's Thunderbolts hurt like a bitch and help with revenging and cleaning up very nicely, although not quite wallbreaker material like Latios nukes but still effective. Volt Switch is the hot new thing I keep ranting about, giving me utility to switch out and get some damage off and put the match-up in my favour. While fast Volt Switch isn't preferred for obvious reasons, I like a combination of fast and slow in my Volt-Turn core, a fast Volt Switch is good for foes that are staying in so you can outspeed, get damage off, and send in something to take the attack intended for Raikou, still useful functionality unless faced with an opponent who's slow switching out after you, but there's not much you can do in that scenario. Hidden Power Ice is pretty much customary for any Electric type, being able to nix those Ground switch-ins. It can also catch Mega Sceptile on the switch as well as giving me super effective damage against Thundurus and the Lati-twins. Shadow Ball was recommended below frequently and I took it up over Extrasensory to handle the Lati twins who are much more threatening than Mega Venu and who Hidden Power Ice couldn't deal with as well as I'd hoped. It handles Gengar and Mega Metagross nicely too. A good piece of coverage that gives me extra options for dealing with those threats without putting too much pressure on Latios who has enough to deal with keeping hazards clear.
The EVs are standard for Raikou, the speed has now been maximised because Serp is a thing now so I need to outspeed, and at that speed tier I might as well just run mas speed; special attack is maximised to get the best damage output possible from a positive speed nature to let him hit hard and fast. Hidden Power Ice IVs edited to minimise Foul Play damage. AV was the original item, then it was replaced, now it's on again, it helps with Zard Y as AM pointed out below and various other special attackers I have few switch-ins for. Pressure because I'm still waiting on Volt Absorb...
Other options include Specs/Scarf, probably Scarf to keep up with the speed creep which this team seems to struggle with at times, though Raikou is relatively speedy in his own right so he might be a redundant option to Scarf. Also restricts you from switching your moves, but if you don't find that necessary then by all means try. Battery, Expert Belt or Life Ord too if you want to improve your offensive prowess more, though it does limit your switch-in opportunities. Extrasensory for Mega Venu and Fighting types if you think the Lati twins and Mega Metagross are manageable. Thundurus may be another option to run too as mentioned before, his Prankster Thunder Waves could help this team handle some speedier threats a bit better which could be very useful, the issues with this would be Volt Switch vs Thunderbolt syndrome as I mentioned earlier, and the massive Ice weakness which I also mentioned before. Risk vs reward, if you think it's worth it then run him.
Doge (Landorus-Therian) (M) @ Soft Sand
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 168 HP / 252 Atk / 88 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Knock Off
- Stealth Rock
Wow! Much Doge! Very U-Turn! Such Power! Wow! The U-Turning flying chunk of land appears to rub in your face even more that he exists. As if every OU team and their mothers running Lando wasn't enough, this team is bringing it to you too. Completing my Volt-Turn core and offering the other side of the spectrum in comparison to Raikou, it's pretty clear that they make a good team. This little Landoge provides a hefty portion to this team in hazard support, Knock Off utility, and being able to check Raikou, Mega Manectric, Talonflame, Mega Diancie, Tyranitar, Bisharp, Heatran and such.
Earthquake is hard-hitting STAB. Never run a team without a STAB Earthquaker, ever! Run a Landorus, run an Excadrill, run a Garchomp, run a Diglett, I don't fucking care, but Earthquake is pretty much one of the best offensive moves in the game with a high base power and perfect accuracy, so coming from an offensive beast like this is going to hurt more than a little bit. U-Turn is here to complete the Volt-Turn core, this time providing a slow(ish) U-Turn in comparison to Raikou's fast. Slow U-Turn is great for dealing with opposing U-Turners, namely other speedier Landos, allowing them to U-Turn out first meaning when I U-Turn out second I can switch into whatever handles the mon they U-Turned into before me. Switch initiative. Knock Off is for removing Choice items, slapping away Chansey's Eviolite and whatever else I whack off people. Knock off is great for this team in the long run, reducing the damage no longer Choiced users do to me, lessening the sustainability of no longer Leftovers holders and screwing over Chansey completely; it's always good support to have. Lastly, Rocks are Rocks, the token hazards, breaks Sashes and Sturdy, wears opposing teams down, chunks certain threats if hazards aren't removed, I don't need to explain hazards to you. Lando was the best thing I could think of to be my hazard setter, I considered Mamo, but nah, and a suicide lead was always out of the question since it defeats the point of this team.
The EVs are general offensive lead Landorus EVs, max attack to make the most of Landos offensive capabilities, 88 speed lets me outspeed max speed Adamant Bisharp and Breloom, and the rest goes to HP, the bulk actually lets me live a +1 Sucker Punch from Bish too which is nice. Adamant nature is chosen over Jolly for the purpose of slow U-Turn and making use of Landorus's massive attack, further supported by the Soft Sand to power up his Earthquakes to epic proportions.
Other options include Smack Down, which I was running during the Scizor days, but had to change to Knock Off after her departure. Smack Down lets you catch Rotom W and other hovering mons on the switch in and KO with an Earthquake next turn. Life Orb or Leftovers is also possible, but I like Soft Sand as a good compromise, the recoil from Life Orb would wear Lando down more than I'd like while Leftovers doesn't make as much use of his offences as you potentially could.
9/11 (Talonflame) (M) @ Sharp Beak
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 88 HP / 252 Atk / 168 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- Roost
- Flare Blitz
- Swords Dance
Talonflame is another beast I just couldn't overlook, with so few things appreciating a +2 Brave Bird, he's such a superb revenge killer and late-game cleaner as well as shattering walls when set up. He's not the most solid answer to the speed creep, but he certainly helps, being able to check Mega Lopunny, Mega Sceptile, Mega Venusaur, Scizor, Ferrothorn, Keldeo, Conk, and in general just decimating unprepared or worn down teams. It's a titan you'd sure as hell rather have with you than against you.
Brave Bird everything! Priority Brave Birds outspeed a damn lot and hit hard in the process, effectively revenging weakened mons and punching holes in anything else, Gale Wings Brave Birds is why so many people hate or love Talonflame. Birdspam can be quite tough to handle and plenty unprepared for so running a spammer on your team does you no harm. Roost is for sustainability, to allow him to roll back on recoil damage, regain the health lost while setting up on something's face, rolling off Rocks damage if Latios couldn't clear them, just keeping my bird healthy. Flare Blitz is secondary STAB/filler. I honestly never use it, it's just there in case I have to, i.e: I need a Scizor or Ferro removing and Latios is down. Swords Dance is what turns birdspam into just plain GG, it boosts Talon's attack nice and high and after one or two dances it's just a matter of clicking Brave Bird and watching something die.
The EVs are designed so Talonflame can outspeed max speed Raikou and get a Brave Bird off for the revenge kill before taking a hit, max attack for offensive capability and the rest dumped into HP for spare bulk which might come in handy. Sharp Beak for Brave Bird boosting, you can't really run anything else; Leftovers is for Bulk Up, and Life Orb is for retards. I chose Gale Wings because I'm not pro enough for Flame Body.
Other options include U-Turn over Flare Blitz, which may be a good additional dose of switch initiative, but it's a waste on something intending to set up and sweep. Also, Flare Blitz is something you don't want to be left missing when you need it.
Alice (Sylveon) (F) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Pixilate
EVs: 234 HP / 252 SpA / 24 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Hyper Voice
- Shadow Ball
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Baton Pass
I recommended this little adorable creature to a friend who got back to me later telling me what a monster she is. I knew she would be good, but god damn she is destructive! She can be used in two ways: little and often, switching in to kill or chunk something and switching out, or coming out mid/late game and butchering whatever's left of teams and letting one of her speedier team mates clean up the smoking mess that's left. This is a wallbreaker in every sense and she does such a good job with the role too, being able to handle numerous things like Tyranitar, the Lati twins, Bisharp, Mega Diancie, Mega Sableye, Keldeo, Conk, Breloom and anything that doesn't resist really. Raw power has never looked this cute!
Hyper Voice is
Her EV spread is standard Sylveon EVs, max special attack and modest nature to maximise offensive capabilities and ensure that she hits like a train, 24 in speed to outspeed min-speed Tyranitar, and the rest in HP for added bulk, there's really no need for greater speed investment on her since base 60 isn't exactly getting you very far, you're better off running with some bulk for a little more longevity for Hyper Voice spam. The IVs are to accommodate Hidden Power Fire while minimising potential Foul Play damage.
The only other option for Sylveon is slapping Psyshock in place of Shadow Ball if you want to hit Mega Venusaur hard, but there's plenty on this team that can handle Mega Venu already so Shadow Ball is the more useful option, but it's a perfectly viable option. I guess Hidden Power Ground is an option too, but it honestly seems more viable to go with a previous option like Earthquake on Latios since that gives you freedom to switch your moves still which is much more helpful for a moveslot designed to mainly target a single opposing mon.
Iris (Scizor) (F) @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Knock Off
- Superpower
Gone, but not forgotten, this is the Banded Scizor I ran before the Talonflame days, she provided me with a decent answer to Fairy threats, priority, more U-Turn support, Knock Off support, and generally some nice extra power I appreciate fondly. She was definitely not a bad option at the time by any stretch, but her problem was that she did fall short of being able to handle certain threats that could otherwise butcher my team and her priority wasn't all it was cracked up to be coming from a mediocre base 65 speed, she didn't really help against the speed-creep that hurts this team so much. One thing she did do better than Talonflame though is provide a solid check to Mega Diancie who does threaten this team, so that is something I very much regret having to sacrifice, but gaining an answer to Mega Lopunny and Sceptile is more valuable in my opinion.
Her spread was standard, max attack Adamant for strong offensive capability, 248 HP to keep me at an odd value but still maintaining good bulk, and the remaining 8 went to special defence because, well, just because.
Mega Diancie can be very problematic for this team. Unlike other Fairies who I can hit hard and wear down Diancie holds tremendous offensive pressure against me and removing her can be quite situational. Landorus can hit her hard, so can Sylveon, and Raikou can revenge her if she's not Rock Polish, but none can safely switch in and if they've taken a good chunk of prior damage then she can efficiently remove them both and just have her way with me.
Fundamentally the same concept as above. I have some answers in some very soft checks, but unless I catch him in the right circumstance then he can probably run amok on my team. The saving grace is that Bish doesn't exactly want to switch into anything, even Latios is risky while I have Hidden Power Fire, hell even a Draco nuke can chunk him quite nicely. He can be contained, but he is a noteworthy threat.
This thing is difficult beyond belief to deal with. If I didn't bring Talonflame with me then I'd lose to this thing on sight every time. She's not broken to the point of being banned, but if for whatever reason she is being suspected then I'm voting her out right then and there. Again, like Bisharp, she doesn't have any safe switch-ins but neither do I, I have nothing that resists her STAB, nothing but Talonflame that can outspeed, I just don't know how to handle this thing.
This thing may be incentive to run more Earthquake users. If it's the Scarfed variant or a speedy offensive one with HP Ice then I could be in for quite the bollocking since only Gyadaros would be ok dealing with that. It is alright to play around for the most part though, at least to me, but if he's a more prominent issue than Ferro or Scizor then you can slap Earthquake on something.
Opposing fast Electrics can be quite problematic. I don't really have anything specific to handle them, Ladorus has that Hidden Power Ice threat hanging over him, my best bet with them is to nail them hard with something, probably Sylveon, or just try and wear them down before they wear me down.
A good 80% of offensive teams are Mamoswine weak, and this team is no exception. Nothing wants to switch in to it, and it's a safe bet that it's taking something down with it. The Sash Endevour suicide lead pretty much removes something without question so I need to fodder something off to take it down, and the Life Orb Freeze-Dry version I have a grand total of zero switch-ins for. He's a really awkward thing to work with due to his typing.
And the No1 prize for the least competitive item goes to... This piece of shit! Sturdy I can handle, Sturdy is seen on defensive mons who really can't threaten me much, it just means I need to waste two turns to kill them rather than one, but Sash users are the offensive monsters that I need removed in one turn but I can't. Shit like the afore mentioned Mamoswine, and others like Garchomp, Cloyster and that cunt Breloom with his dumb-ass face are things that I need to sacrifice something to in order to revenge later, there's no way around it.
This poor team, struggling with the speed creep, and also struggling with slow as shit teams too. Taunt on Gyara is alright for it, I guess, but all in all I don't know how to deal with Trick Room and I probably never will.
A replay against a reputable player, it showcases this team's efficiency pretty well as well as demonstrating the raw power you can possess when you run a Hyper Offensive team blessed by RNGsus.
Der Twist vs Trinitrotoluene
A replay against a fellow Competitive Tutoring visitor. This showcases how it can handle teams that really should threaten it quite a lot while still barely making it out on top (it also showcases how easy it is to get carried away with this team with switch-spamming and over-prediction, sometimes you are your own worst enemy).
Der Twist vs TYP-Cats
Der Twist vs Trinitrotoluene
A replay against a fellow Competitive Tutoring visitor. This showcases how it can handle teams that really should threaten it quite a lot while still barely making it out on top (it also showcases how easy it is to get carried away with this team with switch-spamming and over-prediction, sometimes you are your own worst enemy).
Der Twist vs TYP-Cats
Gyarados @ Gyaradosite
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Waterfall
- Crunch
- Taunt
- Dragon Dance
Latios (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 29 HP / 0 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Draco Meteor
- Psyshock
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Defog
Raikou @ Assault Vest
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 Def
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Shadow Ball
Landorus-Therian (M) @ Soft Sand
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 168 HP / 252 Atk / 88 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Knock Off
- Stealth Rock
Talonflame @ Sharp Beak
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 88 HP / 252 Atk / 168 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- Roost
- Flare Blitz
- Swords Dance
Sylveon @ Choice Specs
Ability: Pixilate
EVs: 234 HP / 252 SpA / 24 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Hyper Voice
- Shadow Ball
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Baton Pass
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Waterfall
- Crunch
- Taunt
- Dragon Dance
Latios (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 29 HP / 0 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Draco Meteor
- Psyshock
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Defog
Raikou @ Assault Vest
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 Def
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Shadow Ball
Landorus-Therian (M) @ Soft Sand
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 168 HP / 252 Atk / 88 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Knock Off
- Stealth Rock
Talonflame @ Sharp Beak
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 88 HP / 252 Atk / 168 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- Roost
- Flare Blitz
- Swords Dance
Sylveon @ Choice Specs
Ability: Pixilate
EVs: 234 HP / 252 SpA / 24 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Hyper Voice
- Shadow Ball
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Baton Pass
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