Hey guys, this is Heavy Quick Semi-offensive Hyper Bulky Stall with Entry Hazard, the team I used in ST6. If you couldn't tell yet, the title is basically a poke at all the stupid names being thrown around for different teams. Another thing I don't get is why people put [OU RMT] in the OU Teams forum, but I digress. I did leave rather early, losing to the talented Huntofthelion Round 2, but this team has beaten a few other players of note. It's obviously a tournament team, which means it was built through research of my opponents and what types of play they preferred. It is also an all-round anti-metagame team. However, I am not here to 'retire' this team, or show it off. I'm here to seek help. What I need isn't tweaking this team to win in tournaments (who the hell posts their tournament team in RMT whilst they are still in the tournament anyway), it's tweaking this team for optimal laddering. Let's jump right into it.
Team Building
I have no idea why most RMTs include these. Most team building sections are just six Pokemon thrown together with little explanation. You don't build a team by putting Pokemon that synergise well together, you build a team by thinking of a strategy or win condition, and picking synergistic Pokemon that tailor to said win condition. It's not just 'bulky offense, I'll use Metagross/Heatran/Latias/Salamence/Gyarados/Rotom-h', it's much more than that.
I guess my thought process in making this team was basically beating snorlax to begin with. He usually employs a fairly balanced team, so I had to expect anything (except for teams on either end of the offensive-defensive spectrum). I picked six Pokemon that would work together well to beat most balanced teams - Life Orb Dragonite, Agility Metagross, Defensive Celebi, Calm Mind Jirachi, Bait Heatran and Scarf Latias.
You'll soon realise that that looked pretty different to the final product. That's real team building, unless you got it perfect the first time, your initial six Pokemon will never be as good as your final product.
Metagross was shifted to the lead position, and Dragonite was dumped, since early Stealth Rock is crucial to the strategy. Whilst Metagross appreciates Rotom-a gone, Jirachi does as well, and Jirachi is generally the safer mid-game option. Metagross' old slot was replaced with Choice Band Mamoswine, who was a great Trick absorber and general anti-Dragon Pokemon.
Latias was changed to Expert Belt partner better with Heatran. With the lack of a fast Pokemon to take down Salamence and friends, Jirachi was changed to Choice Scarf to act as a revenge killer. Rotom-a was then declared to be no longer a threat. After my first ST6 match, Celebi was replaced with RestTalk Thunder Wave Gyarados to beat Heatran and check physical sweepers like Lucario better. Lastly, Mamoswine was changed to Babiri Berry for not only the surprise factor, but so that Scizor can't take any member of my team on bar Jirachi locked into not Fire Punch.
Heavy Quick Semi-offensive Hyper Bulky Stall with Entry Hazard!
Agaetis Byrjun (Metagross) @ Lum Berry
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP/220 Atk/36 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Bullet Punch
- Stealth Rock
- Meteor Mash
Metagross is currently the best Stealth Rock lead in the metagame. Most leads can be taken out with a combination of Earthquake/Meteor Mash + Bullet Punch or another Earthquake/Meteor Mash depending on the situation. Whilst I do love Explosion, it isn't needed here, since Metagross is too valuable to lose early game, though it isn't a huge deal if it does. Metagross beats every suicide lead, and can reliably set up Stealth Rock. Stealth Rock is an important move for this team, since I force so many switches.
Lum Berry allows it to beat status leads like Roserade and Thunder Wave users. It's also handy for switching in to check for Will-O-Wisp on Rotom or Hypnosis on Gengar, etc. Metagross' bulk allows it to survive into the mid-game, where I can beat Latias, Tyranitar, other Metagross etc. if I lost the Pokemon I usually use to beat those Pokemon. I won't go into detail about what I do against different leads, since it should be fairly obvious. Notable Pokemon I am shaky against are ShucaTran, whom I usually Earthquake and go to Latias, since they usually Stealth Rock first turn. Rain leads are also problematic, but Rain teams aren't too common.
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Funeral (Mamoswine) (M) @ Babiri Berry
Ability: Oblivious
EVs: 248 Atk/26 Spd/236 SAtk
Rash nature (+SAtk, -SDef)
- Earthquake
- Ice Shard
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Stone Edge
Mamoswine is a great anti-metagame Pokemon. It beats the Dragon-type Pokemon that everybody fears so very much, and also is a great revenge killer and powerhouse. Earthquake and Ice Shard are standard on Mamoswine, but Hidden Power Fire is a unique choice. It nets an OHKO on Scizor (and makes people throw their mouses), and deals respectable damage to Skarmory, 3HKOing it. It's great for killing weakened Skarmory that switch into Mamoswine hoping for a free Roost, but I don't usually take on Skarmory unless it's weakened. Stone Edge hits Gyarados and other Flying-types for heavy damage.
Babiri Berry allows me to take a Bullet Punch from Scizor and OHKO it right back. It also is a last-ditch defence against Jirachi's Iron Head and Metagross' attacks, though Metagross will usually OHKO with Meteor Mash. One issue I have with Mamoswine is the low Speed. It can't outspeed Heatran, which is an issue. I'm all for ditching HP Fire if it means I can beat more Pokemon, since Scizor can't really touch any of my Pokemon without bieng maimed or KOd anyway. Note that I usually save Mamoswine for late game, when most of its counters are within Ice Shard KO range or fainted. As far as synergy goes, Mamoswine doesn't really partner well with anything, but since Mamoswine is a one-man cleanup crew and not revealed early game, it doesn't really matter.
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Is This It (Latias) (F) @ Expert Belt
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Dragon Pulse
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Surf
- Thunderbolt
Bait Latias is the first half of the combination that beats so many Pokemon. I play Latias like Scarf Latias, coming in on Gyarados or Salamence. Latias partners well with Jirachi, whom I usually switch to if Gyarados or Salamence have a Dragon Dance. Gyarados also compliments Latias, as they both deal with opposing Gyarados (Jirachi's description expands on this). The four moves give great coverage, and the surprise factor of Expert Belt is great. Usually Latias will come in on one of its resistances, use the obvious move, then use a different move to KO the switchin. An example is coming in on a MixMence Earthquake, using Dragon Pulse, hitting the Scizor switchin, then using HP Fire for the kill. Between Latias and Heatran, I can essentially beat most Pokemon.
Expert Belt gives my moves a little more edge. Water/Fire/Electric gives great super effective coverage, and I can also edge out opposing Dragons with a powerful Dragon Pulse. The EVs are that of a standard Choice Latias - I do the same neutral damage as a Scarf Latias, which hopefully convinces my opponent that I am Scarfed.
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Discovery (Heatran) (M) @ Shuca Berry
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Naive nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Fire Blast
- Earth Power
- Explosion
- Hidden Power [Grass]
Heatran's role is like Latias' - to beat up Pokemon. Hidden Power Grass is only there to beat Swampert, whom the rest of my team can't OHKO. Heatran's Explosion is possibly the most important move on my team - it's required to take down defensive variants of Suicune. I don't like losing Heatran early on, but I still have Jirachi and Metagross who are secondary partners to Latias. Heatran also carries handy resistances, so I usually have little trouble getting it in. The lack of a Choice item means I don't have to worry about Scarf/Specs Heatran's greatest flaw - being locked into an attack that a common Pokemon will use to set up. I believe in using Choice items only when they are needed to cover a weakness on my team. Heatran also contributes to the anti-metagame theme of this team, beating out 8 of the top 11 Pokemon (including itself).
Shuca Berry allows me to defeat opposing Heatrans who don't have Shuca Berries of their own. It allows Heatran to switch in on Agility Metagross and various other Earthquake users with impunity as well. Again, the EVs are that of standard Scarf Heatran. If Heatran outspeeds a Pokemon (not a problem since Heatran beats a lot of Pokemon slower than it), it is virtually indistinguishable from Scarf Heatran unless it switches moves.
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The Blueprint (Gyarados) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP/80 Def/176 SDef
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Waterfall
- Thunder Wave
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
This Gyarados isn't a Dragon Dancer, which may come as a surprise. Gyarados' role in the team is to destroy any and all Fire-types that threaten my team. Gyarados is a near-perfect counter to Heatran. Since most Heatrans usually run from Gyarados, I use Thunder Wave to paralyze the switchin. My whole team loves for my opponent to be paralyzed. Paralysis alleviates Mamoswine's Speed problem, and turns Jirachi into a hax machine. Rest and Sleep Talk ensure that Gyarados survives until the very end of the game. Gyarados has more than enough bulk to take two or three hits in the duration of Rest. Waterfall is my only attacking move, and a way to actually beat Fire-types instead of simply scaring them out. Considering three members of my team are weak to Fire, Gyarados is a perfect choice. Add Intimidate to the package, and Gyarados can even stop opposing Gyarados (with Ice Fang) and Salamence.
Leftovers is added survivability for Gyarados, and can somewhat soften the Stealth Rock weakness. The EVs are to make sure I don't take too much from Heatran's Fire Blasts. Lack of Speed for Base 80s isn't an issue, since the high Special Defense and Intimidate make me defensive on both sides of the spectrum. Considering Gyarados is my first response to Heatran, I am considering switching to a more specially defensive build, but I have enough Pokemon to deal with Heatran already. Gyarados pairs well with Jirachi too, since it resists Jirachi's weaknesses, whilst Jirachi resists Rock moves.
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Kid A (Jirachi) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Ice Punch
- Iron Head
- Fire Punch
- U-turn
Choice Scarf Jirachi is invaluable to me. I find it fits well on most teams, since it's basically a Dragon Dance counter. Obviously, without an Electric move, I can't deal with Gyarados as well, but the ability to U-turn is too valuable. Gyarados, as you know, is defeated by my own Gyarados. The main thing to think about when beating opposing Gyarados is whether their fourth move is Ice Fang or Stone Edge. If it's Ice Fang, I can Thunder Wave it, making it useless, and if it's Stone Edge, Latias takes a non-critical hit and Thunderbolts for the KO. The Punches basically allow me to revenge kill the dangerous stat-up sweepers of OU, like Scizor, Lucario and Salamence. Iron Head is actually not used that often, but it beats Tyranitar and Mamoswine if it comes to it. I spam Iron Head much more when I've paralyzed a few Pokemon with Gyarados. If you couldn't tell already, Jirachi makes the combination of Latias and Heatran so much more threatening. In that sense, I guess Jirachi is the 'glue' of my team. Early game, I usually just spam U-turn unless I need to revenge kill something. Jirachi loses usefulness as the game progresses, but its typing is still awesome (especially if Metagross is down) and being able to take down late-game sweepers is also amazing.
Choice Scarf and Jolly makes sure that Jirachi always beats Salamence if it has a Dragon Dance, except for the rare +Speed Salamence (protip: run +Speed Salamence, always). Attack EVs are for boosting Jirachi's average Attack. I'll take this opportunity to talk about mixed sweepers. Since the majority of this team is defensive on one side, and less so on the other side, mixed sweepers can obviously be fairly threatening. Jirachi has well-balanced defenses, but I haven't invested EVs into either since Jirachi is my revenge killer. However, it is still fairly bulky without investment. Therefore, I find Jirachi is a great Pokemon to switch into Salamence, Gengar, Dragonite, Tyranitar, Kingdra and other Pokemon that sometimes choose to run mixed sets. Jirachi is basically this team's designated scout.
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That's the team. As stated before, what I need isn't advice on changing this team to win tournaments, it's changing this team to ladder efficiently. Please keep this in mind when making your rates.
Threat List
Threat lists are great, in my opinion. They're a way for me to rate my own team in a way. I'll do my best to outline how I deal with Pokemon I don't have outright counters for.
Defensive Threats
Blissey – lead Blisseys are beaten down by Metagross. Jirachi can flinchax, and Mamoswine walks all over it. I usually try to Explode on this when I lure it with Heatran.
Bronzong – can do a whole lot of nothing, since ShucaTran beats this thing down any day. Latias and Mamoswine can use HP Fire to defeat it if it's weakened, but only if Heatran can't.
Celebi – Heatran and Jirachi walk all over this.
Cresselia – doesn't take too much, but can't do much back. I tend to keep Latias and Jirachi out of its way, since Thunder Wave is annoying. Constant U-turns and Heatran can take it down.
Dusknoir - Latias and Heatran.
Forretress – is Heatran's bitch. Jirachi makes it a threesome.
Gliscor – Gyarados is usually my first response, Latias and Mamoswine can deal with it too.
Gyarados - Latias, Gyarados and Jirachi.
Hippowdon – Metagross will Stealth Rock and run to Latias or Gyarados. Roar isn't an issue, since all of my Pokemon can weaken it.
Jirachi – Calm Mind Jirachi is a bitch to any team, I'll usually sacrifice Mamoswine or Jirachi to break the Substitute if it has one. If it doesn't, Heatran eats it up.
Rotom-A – Heatran, Latias if it's locked into not Shadow Ball.
Skarmory – Heatran, Latias and Mamoswine also defeat it.
Snorlax – Metagross and Gyarados. Again, if I have to Explode, I will.
Suicune – Latias beats offensive variants, defensive ones sadly have to be blown up on.
Swampert – Metagross will Stealth Rock and immediately go to Latias. If it comes in on Heatran, it eats a HP Grass.
Tyranitar – Jirachi, Gyarados. Scarf variants are begging to be killed by any member of my team.
Vaporeon – Latias completely shuts this down.
Zapdos – Heatran threatens with Fire Blast, Latias is okay. Mamoswine beats non-Heat Wave variants.
Offensive Threats:
Azelf – Metagross kills it with MM + BP without taking any damage. Jirachi kills it if it appears midgame.
Breloom – Latias, Jirachi, Gyarados, Mamoswine.
Empoleon - I go directly to Latias vs lead Empoleons. If I encounter a Timid Empoleon midgame, I have to be very careful, to set it up for a Mamoswine or Latias kill.
Gengar – Metagross, Jirachi, Mamoswine.
Gyarados – Like before, Latias and Gyarados.
Heatran – Gyarados Gyarados Gyarados.
Infernape – Gyarados, Latias.
Jolteon - most of these are Choiced, so I just send in Metagross or Latias to take whatever it's using and then play accordingly. LO is Jirachi food.
Raikou – Mamoswine, Latias, Metagross. If it has a Sub + CM I have to be pretty cautious.
Latias – Choice is easy to beat, as always. Metagross, Mamoswine and Jirachi can take it on head-to-head.
Kingdra – Rain teams have to be beaten by Mamoswine's Ice Shard and selective sacrificing. Kingdra by itself is handled by Latias and Jirachi.
Lucario – Metagross, Jirachi for the revenge kill. I try not to switch out of it.
Machamp – I'll just Mash lead Machamp until it falls. Mid-game, I have to force a Payback by switching in Latias, then going to Heatran for the Fire Blast.
Magnezone – Latias, Heatran if it's not Choiced. This is the reason why I use U-turn early game.
Mamoswine – Heatran, Metagross, Jirachi.
Metagross – Agility Metagross is a bitch as always, but Jirachi and Heatran can take it down. CB is easy.
Salamence - JIRACHI MAMOSWINE LATIAS REVENGE KILLING ETC
Scizor – U-turns like a bitch early on, usually I'll just repeatedly send in Heatran to absorb it. Scizor itself is a non-issue, since every single member of my team beats it, it's U-turn that's the problem.
Starmie – Latias and Jirachi, like a boss.
Tyranitar – I go to Heatran against the leads, everything else handles this pretty well actually.
Weavile – Metagross, Heatran, Jirachi.
Zapdos – Heatran, Mamoswine, Latias.
Team Building
I have no idea why most RMTs include these. Most team building sections are just six Pokemon thrown together with little explanation. You don't build a team by putting Pokemon that synergise well together, you build a team by thinking of a strategy or win condition, and picking synergistic Pokemon that tailor to said win condition. It's not just 'bulky offense, I'll use Metagross/Heatran/Latias/Salamence/Gyarados/Rotom-h', it's much more than that.
I guess my thought process in making this team was basically beating snorlax to begin with. He usually employs a fairly balanced team, so I had to expect anything (except for teams on either end of the offensive-defensive spectrum). I picked six Pokemon that would work together well to beat most balanced teams - Life Orb Dragonite, Agility Metagross, Defensive Celebi, Calm Mind Jirachi, Bait Heatran and Scarf Latias.
You'll soon realise that that looked pretty different to the final product. That's real team building, unless you got it perfect the first time, your initial six Pokemon will never be as good as your final product.
Metagross was shifted to the lead position, and Dragonite was dumped, since early Stealth Rock is crucial to the strategy. Whilst Metagross appreciates Rotom-a gone, Jirachi does as well, and Jirachi is generally the safer mid-game option. Metagross' old slot was replaced with Choice Band Mamoswine, who was a great Trick absorber and general anti-Dragon Pokemon.
Latias was changed to Expert Belt partner better with Heatran. With the lack of a fast Pokemon to take down Salamence and friends, Jirachi was changed to Choice Scarf to act as a revenge killer. Rotom-a was then declared to be no longer a threat. After my first ST6 match, Celebi was replaced with RestTalk Thunder Wave Gyarados to beat Heatran and check physical sweepers like Lucario better. Lastly, Mamoswine was changed to Babiri Berry for not only the surprise factor, but so that Scizor can't take any member of my team on bar Jirachi locked into not Fire Punch.
Heavy Quick Semi-offensive Hyper Bulky Stall with Entry Hazard!
Agaetis Byrjun (Metagross) @ Lum Berry
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP/220 Atk/36 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Bullet Punch
- Stealth Rock
- Meteor Mash
Metagross is currently the best Stealth Rock lead in the metagame. Most leads can be taken out with a combination of Earthquake/Meteor Mash + Bullet Punch or another Earthquake/Meteor Mash depending on the situation. Whilst I do love Explosion, it isn't needed here, since Metagross is too valuable to lose early game, though it isn't a huge deal if it does. Metagross beats every suicide lead, and can reliably set up Stealth Rock. Stealth Rock is an important move for this team, since I force so many switches.
Lum Berry allows it to beat status leads like Roserade and Thunder Wave users. It's also handy for switching in to check for Will-O-Wisp on Rotom or Hypnosis on Gengar, etc. Metagross' bulk allows it to survive into the mid-game, where I can beat Latias, Tyranitar, other Metagross etc. if I lost the Pokemon I usually use to beat those Pokemon. I won't go into detail about what I do against different leads, since it should be fairly obvious. Notable Pokemon I am shaky against are ShucaTran, whom I usually Earthquake and go to Latias, since they usually Stealth Rock first turn. Rain leads are also problematic, but Rain teams aren't too common.
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Funeral (Mamoswine) (M) @ Babiri Berry
Ability: Oblivious
EVs: 248 Atk/26 Spd/236 SAtk
Rash nature (+SAtk, -SDef)
- Earthquake
- Ice Shard
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Stone Edge
Mamoswine is a great anti-metagame Pokemon. It beats the Dragon-type Pokemon that everybody fears so very much, and also is a great revenge killer and powerhouse. Earthquake and Ice Shard are standard on Mamoswine, but Hidden Power Fire is a unique choice. It nets an OHKO on Scizor (and makes people throw their mouses), and deals respectable damage to Skarmory, 3HKOing it. It's great for killing weakened Skarmory that switch into Mamoswine hoping for a free Roost, but I don't usually take on Skarmory unless it's weakened. Stone Edge hits Gyarados and other Flying-types for heavy damage.
Babiri Berry allows me to take a Bullet Punch from Scizor and OHKO it right back. It also is a last-ditch defence against Jirachi's Iron Head and Metagross' attacks, though Metagross will usually OHKO with Meteor Mash. One issue I have with Mamoswine is the low Speed. It can't outspeed Heatran, which is an issue. I'm all for ditching HP Fire if it means I can beat more Pokemon, since Scizor can't really touch any of my Pokemon without bieng maimed or KOd anyway. Note that I usually save Mamoswine for late game, when most of its counters are within Ice Shard KO range or fainted. As far as synergy goes, Mamoswine doesn't really partner well with anything, but since Mamoswine is a one-man cleanup crew and not revealed early game, it doesn't really matter.
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Is This It (Latias) (F) @ Expert Belt
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Dragon Pulse
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Surf
- Thunderbolt
Bait Latias is the first half of the combination that beats so many Pokemon. I play Latias like Scarf Latias, coming in on Gyarados or Salamence. Latias partners well with Jirachi, whom I usually switch to if Gyarados or Salamence have a Dragon Dance. Gyarados also compliments Latias, as they both deal with opposing Gyarados (Jirachi's description expands on this). The four moves give great coverage, and the surprise factor of Expert Belt is great. Usually Latias will come in on one of its resistances, use the obvious move, then use a different move to KO the switchin. An example is coming in on a MixMence Earthquake, using Dragon Pulse, hitting the Scizor switchin, then using HP Fire for the kill. Between Latias and Heatran, I can essentially beat most Pokemon.
Expert Belt gives my moves a little more edge. Water/Fire/Electric gives great super effective coverage, and I can also edge out opposing Dragons with a powerful Dragon Pulse. The EVs are that of a standard Choice Latias - I do the same neutral damage as a Scarf Latias, which hopefully convinces my opponent that I am Scarfed.
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Discovery (Heatran) (M) @ Shuca Berry
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Naive nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Fire Blast
- Earth Power
- Explosion
- Hidden Power [Grass]
Heatran's role is like Latias' - to beat up Pokemon. Hidden Power Grass is only there to beat Swampert, whom the rest of my team can't OHKO. Heatran's Explosion is possibly the most important move on my team - it's required to take down defensive variants of Suicune. I don't like losing Heatran early on, but I still have Jirachi and Metagross who are secondary partners to Latias. Heatran also carries handy resistances, so I usually have little trouble getting it in. The lack of a Choice item means I don't have to worry about Scarf/Specs Heatran's greatest flaw - being locked into an attack that a common Pokemon will use to set up. I believe in using Choice items only when they are needed to cover a weakness on my team. Heatran also contributes to the anti-metagame theme of this team, beating out 8 of the top 11 Pokemon (including itself).
Shuca Berry allows me to defeat opposing Heatrans who don't have Shuca Berries of their own. It allows Heatran to switch in on Agility Metagross and various other Earthquake users with impunity as well. Again, the EVs are that of standard Scarf Heatran. If Heatran outspeeds a Pokemon (not a problem since Heatran beats a lot of Pokemon slower than it), it is virtually indistinguishable from Scarf Heatran unless it switches moves.
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The Blueprint (Gyarados) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP/80 Def/176 SDef
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Waterfall
- Thunder Wave
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
This Gyarados isn't a Dragon Dancer, which may come as a surprise. Gyarados' role in the team is to destroy any and all Fire-types that threaten my team. Gyarados is a near-perfect counter to Heatran. Since most Heatrans usually run from Gyarados, I use Thunder Wave to paralyze the switchin. My whole team loves for my opponent to be paralyzed. Paralysis alleviates Mamoswine's Speed problem, and turns Jirachi into a hax machine. Rest and Sleep Talk ensure that Gyarados survives until the very end of the game. Gyarados has more than enough bulk to take two or three hits in the duration of Rest. Waterfall is my only attacking move, and a way to actually beat Fire-types instead of simply scaring them out. Considering three members of my team are weak to Fire, Gyarados is a perfect choice. Add Intimidate to the package, and Gyarados can even stop opposing Gyarados (with Ice Fang) and Salamence.
Leftovers is added survivability for Gyarados, and can somewhat soften the Stealth Rock weakness. The EVs are to make sure I don't take too much from Heatran's Fire Blasts. Lack of Speed for Base 80s isn't an issue, since the high Special Defense and Intimidate make me defensive on both sides of the spectrum. Considering Gyarados is my first response to Heatran, I am considering switching to a more specially defensive build, but I have enough Pokemon to deal with Heatran already. Gyarados pairs well with Jirachi too, since it resists Jirachi's weaknesses, whilst Jirachi resists Rock moves.
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Kid A (Jirachi) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Ice Punch
- Iron Head
- Fire Punch
- U-turn
Choice Scarf Jirachi is invaluable to me. I find it fits well on most teams, since it's basically a Dragon Dance counter. Obviously, without an Electric move, I can't deal with Gyarados as well, but the ability to U-turn is too valuable. Gyarados, as you know, is defeated by my own Gyarados. The main thing to think about when beating opposing Gyarados is whether their fourth move is Ice Fang or Stone Edge. If it's Ice Fang, I can Thunder Wave it, making it useless, and if it's Stone Edge, Latias takes a non-critical hit and Thunderbolts for the KO. The Punches basically allow me to revenge kill the dangerous stat-up sweepers of OU, like Scizor, Lucario and Salamence. Iron Head is actually not used that often, but it beats Tyranitar and Mamoswine if it comes to it. I spam Iron Head much more when I've paralyzed a few Pokemon with Gyarados. If you couldn't tell already, Jirachi makes the combination of Latias and Heatran so much more threatening. In that sense, I guess Jirachi is the 'glue' of my team. Early game, I usually just spam U-turn unless I need to revenge kill something. Jirachi loses usefulness as the game progresses, but its typing is still awesome (especially if Metagross is down) and being able to take down late-game sweepers is also amazing.
Choice Scarf and Jolly makes sure that Jirachi always beats Salamence if it has a Dragon Dance, except for the rare +Speed Salamence (protip: run +Speed Salamence, always). Attack EVs are for boosting Jirachi's average Attack. I'll take this opportunity to talk about mixed sweepers. Since the majority of this team is defensive on one side, and less so on the other side, mixed sweepers can obviously be fairly threatening. Jirachi has well-balanced defenses, but I haven't invested EVs into either since Jirachi is my revenge killer. However, it is still fairly bulky without investment. Therefore, I find Jirachi is a great Pokemon to switch into Salamence, Gengar, Dragonite, Tyranitar, Kingdra and other Pokemon that sometimes choose to run mixed sets. Jirachi is basically this team's designated scout.
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That's the team. As stated before, what I need isn't advice on changing this team to win tournaments, it's changing this team to ladder efficiently. Please keep this in mind when making your rates.
Threat List
Threat lists are great, in my opinion. They're a way for me to rate my own team in a way. I'll do my best to outline how I deal with Pokemon I don't have outright counters for.
Defensive Threats
Offensive Threats:
