Hell Raiders (1 Year RMT)

[asterat]

Hell Raiders​

Introduction:​

When BW were first introduced, the additions were balanced- some offensive, some defensive and some of both. This led to a very balanced metagame, at least once some of the more "broken" offensive threats wer banned. At least that's what I think... I liked the BW metagame although some people do disagree... However When BW2 were introduced the vast majority of the additions were offensive- new and improved forms with tons of power, technician breloom and such. This led to a very dangerous metagame, in which if a single wall dies your whole team may be swept. However I thought this was no fun- running a bog standard rain team with the jirachi for tornadus and the amoonguss for breloom and so on. So instead I decided to try a hyper offensive team based around not even letting the opponent breathe before they are pounded with powerful attacks from a variety of dangerous assailants. This team is based around one pokémon in particular, lucario who has proved himself to b the most dangerous sweeper of the BW2 metagame. I would make team building process but the only thinking I did was jam lots of huge threats onto the same team. The only replacements have been Dragonite for Salamence and Azumarill for Mixed attacker Jirachi. Which brings me to present Hell Raiders- my first serious team for BW2 OU, one that specializes in hyper offense although not the typical Scizor/Rotom-W/Gengar/Dragonite/Deoxys team- instead I use a much different kind of team based around dual screens lead azelf- a set that has been nearly nonexistent since Gen. 4.

This thread holds more signifigance than simply a successful and cool team being presented (lol). Today, July 20, is my one year anniversary of when I first joined Smogon. Back then I now realizae I was clueless as to the world of competitive pokemon. Although I have by no means mastered it I know that I can hold my own at this game. I am proud of my accomplishments and hope the next year will bring the same warm feelings. I would not be here all by myself though, I must give a huge thanks to Faladran, who really helped me to realize going through high school playing competitive pokemon is a possibility, and can be a very rewarding experience. Although he ended up quitting and he is no longer in high school (going to Harvard or something of the caliber next year) he showed me that it was possible, even when parents are opposed to the idea. I also have to thank the rest of the guys from Faladran.com- Crystic, McBawse, PenguinX, Nubagator, Anthony, Trollmonchan, lizardguy7 (nickiminaj on Smogon) for being good friends, expect for "maybe" liz.

In Depth:​

Azelf @ Light Clay
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 216 HP / 252 Spd / 40 SDef
Timid Nature
- Light Screen
- Reflect
- Taunt
- Stealth Rock​

The first thing I must do in using Azelf over Deoxys-D in this RMT is justify its use over Deoxys-D. Deoxys is hella bulky, and gets spikes. The reason to use the speedy elfin cousin of the stone wall is his amazing speed. And I wanted a dual screen user to ensure my three set up sweepers would not fail. Hazard Deoxys-D may be great, but it does not utilize dual screens. If one were to run dual screens with dual hazards on Deoxys-D, it would lose the effectiveness it has in preventing setup via taunt and/or magic coat. If one were to run screens and hazards and taunt on Deoxys-D it would just be a slower bulkier set of my azelf. However I think the speed is neccesary with NP thundurus, scarf politoed and others running around. In a tight spot it can even beat some mamoswine as most are using Earthquake/Ice Shard/Superpower/Stealth Rock right now, except some people use endeavor over superpower. Deoxys-D does not get levitate and it can't take LO earthquake. Azelf can't take Icicle Crash/Spear either but that is pretty much non existent especially among better players, as mamoswine will pretty much die to any attack from the things it needs to kill so taking a hit is a horrible idea, it is much better to only have ice shard as icicle spear is kind of useless. Essentially Azelf is a better dual screener because it can taunt faster threats and outspeed many threats, even some that hold a choice scarf.

The moveset on my Azelf requires a lot less expalanation than why I am using it. Light Screen and reflect double my special and physical defenses, respectively. This is key for allowing my set up sweepers to plow through opposing teams because they can set up on a wide variety of threats becuase they can take hits so well. Stealth rock makes HP ice from thundurus a OHKO on opposing thundurus and dragonite, makes +2 close combat from lucario a OHKO on skarmory and most forretress, and many other things for my pokemons that allow them to kill things faster (kill, not faint). Taunt rounds out my set preventing set up sweepers from setting up on me. It also decapitates the attempts of some opposing leads that attempt to set up stealth rock. The EVs allow me to speed tie starmie and take a choice scarf hydro pump from timid politoed, in rain. Modest politoed is always outsped.

Dragonite @ Lum Berry
Trait: Multiscale
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Earthquake
- Outrage
- ExtremeSpeed
​

So as with every other hyper offense team I picked dragonite for its bulk, power, and general reliability. I really wanted this guy to be a Salamence for reasons I will list now. Salamence is like 800% cooler looking. It basically looks kick ass and dragonite looks like a f@cking pillow pet. Yes, looks are how I generally pick my pokemon lol. Salamence has competitive potential too- it has great special attack and successfully utilizes fire blast on dragon dance sets. Salamence also has moxie- which is basically permission for it to rape everything. Anybody play UU? Krookodile eats the tier with moxie boosts. Salamence should be the same except it is super frail with all the hard hitters and dragonite's extremespeed is super cool. My team has nothing really fast barring azelf, but four priority users makes up for it. Basically Multiscale is the best ability ever and makes dragonite the powerhouse it is, and it can set up on anything with it.

The reason Dragonite setting up is so scary is that if he sets up something will probably die. The only commmon pokemon that resists dragon and ground is skarmory, and he isn't that common. Earthquake is used over fire punch because rain is extremely popular right now, and rain reduces the power of fire punch. With Jirachi on almost all rain teams, earthquake is neccesary. With a bit of prior damage Jirachi will be OHKOed at +1. Earthquake also OHKOes tentacruel at +1 meaning ice beam tentacruel loses and I don't have to lock myself into outrage. Outrage is for obvious powerful STAB. I did use dragon claw for a while but it fails to sweep stuff at +1. Extremespeed rounds out my set as a powerful priority move which is useful for picking off threats that try to kill me off with their own priority (mamoswine). It also lets me pick off super fast threats that outspeed after a boost, like jolteon. It also works as one of my four priority moves which allow me to beat scary faster threats like NP Thundurus. The EVs are for power and speed, and are completely standard and should not require much explanation.

Azumarill @ Choice Band
Trait: Huge Power
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Waterfall
- Aqua Jet
- Ice Punch
- Superpower​

BUNNY IN THE HOUSE! No kidding Azumarill is one of the most anti-metagame pokemon around right now. With rain everywhere, his water attacks gain a huge power boost (pun intended). But the first thing you are thinking is probably why not Keldeo? I will explain. Keldeo does not have the bulk of Azumarill. Keldeo does not ahave the power of azumarill. Azumarill can easily take on calm mind reuniclus. Keldeo can not. Azumarill is not weak to hurricane, Keldeo is. Keldeo can not be a key link in a physically based hyper offense team. Azumarill can. The last and most important reason to use this over Keldeo is that people grabbed an NU to beat keldeo... Azumarill has its counters, sure, but none of them are that common or can't be handled by the rest of my team. Amoonguss is everywhere and shuts down Keldeo totally. Azumarill can ice punch it for a OHKO.

There are not many sets you could run for azumarill- there are only two. 1.) choice Band. 2.) Sub-Punch. I am not an idiot so the set is explained. Aqua Jet can take down lots of faster pokemon who try to kill me off and can do a lot of damage even to resistances. Waterfall is ridiculously powerful, and destroys even resistances. The only thing some sand team have to take a +2 hit from lucario is Rotom-W, and they get destroyed by waterfall, ensuring a lucario sweep later on. Ice punch OHKOes dragon types and grass types. Superpower rounds out the set, hitting ferrothorn for super effective damage. Although Waterfall is resisted by many, resistance does not apply to Azumarill, especially in the rain. I don't know, maybe Azumarill is stupid or something but it doesn't understand its not very effective. Or maybe it is just that strong. I have almost max HP so I take less from hazards, max attack, and the rest in speed for no reason lol.

Breloom @ Life Orb
Trait: Technician
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
IVs: 29 HP
- Mach Punch
- Bullet Seed
- Spore
- Swords Dance/Stone Edge​

I remember a few months back I was fooling around with Harsha on PO, and I was trying to play DW OU- just for fun. I remember laughing at him when his breloom didn't have toxic orb- I said something like haha you forgot... Then I found out that Breloom got technician through the dream world (all I knew about DW back then was chandelure got shadow tag and everything is allowed). I was extremely surprised when I found this out and followed up with another stupid comment- so he must be pretty good in this tier. I played DW OU, and I have learned that Breloom is a huge threat with the technician, one of the biggest threats in the tier. I don't play it too much anymore as my only succesful team was Ninetales/Mixed Blaziknen/Mixed Venusaur/AB Heatran/LO Victini/ScarfChomp. That team was fucking epic, but it didn't work once Blaziken was banned. Enough about DW OU though. When I read on Serebii like a week and a half ago that technician breloom was released, I almost fainted out of my chair with excitement. So its no surprise this guy is on my team.

With my little story aside I must now describe how Breloom proceeds to rape people. Spore is same broken shit it has always been, decapitating an opposing pokemon with ease thanks to the gen 5 sleep mechanics. Mach Punch is what basically makes Breloom a Scizor- it is a powerful priority move with pretty good coverage. Bullet Seed is actually really dangerous when it hits lots of times. Tornadus-T takes like 20% from one bullet seed, so if it hits four times mach punch will always be able to clean it, and it works with three after stealth rock or even a little damage. Most teams have one good switch in to breloom if any, and that switch in is always very predictable. Amoonguss likes to switch in, but then I go to Lucario or Dragonite as a double switch and destroy it. Salamence and Dragonite are in the same boat, a sinking one. Swords Dance allows Breloom to take full advantage of the dual screens created by Azelf. If you don't resist mach punch and aren't very bulky it is a OHKO at +1. Bullet Seed is not really meant for use with swords dance, it works better just attacking right off the bat as breloom is slow and kind of frail so sometimes he struggles to take a hit and then hit back with a bullet seed. Because of this sometimes I use stone edge over swords Dance because then it is very hard to switch in to this monster if I predict correctly. Flying types don-t even have to be double switched on because I can use stone edge on the predicted switch in.

Thundurus-Therian @ Life Orb
Trait: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Grass Knot
- Focus Blast
- Hidden Power [Ice]​

Thundurus was a pokemon that was banished to the infaqmous ubers tier because it nuclear weapons aren't allowed in OU. Then a new form with 20 more pseical attack comes along and gets tested in OU? I don't get it. But whatever, I am going to abuse the fuck out of this thing until it gets banned which is hopeully never. This may ber a physical based hyper offense team, but I don't care. Thundurus Therian is stupidly powerful and has a really good typing so I am going to use him. His speed isn't that god, but his new power makes up for it. Some people think prankster was so good, but the only moves used that abused it were substitute and thunder wave... Volt absorb is great though. A jolteon or whatever will come in on my predicted thunderbolt, I switch into lucario, swords dance and GG. It is that easy.

So what set to use is the problem right? My first thought was nasty plot because that is what got normal thundurus banned and it is delicously destructive. Next I tried agility, for ne reason lol. Then I came across 4 attacks with a life orb which is what is going to stay because it can destroy everything. Thunderbolt is my main STAB for this guy, and can OHKO most neutral offensive targets. Hidden Power Ice hits some grass types and dragon types, as well as other thundurus-therian. Everyone switches in their own thundurus therian predicting thunderbolt, it is kind of sad. Focus Blast hits ferrothorn and tyranitar, as well as a few less common pokemon like magnezone. Grass knot is my last move and it hits gastrodon, as well as overweight ground types in general. It also OHKOes terrakion without risky accuracy. It also hits different thing super effectively, so I can use it against a ground type for a kill, but if they switch to terrakion to take the HP ice they will be OHKOed to. Or other similar situations. I know this guy got superpower but it doesn't hit that hard without lots of attack investment so I prefer focus blast. If I predict a blob switch in I will just switch to lucario or breloom anyways. The EVs and nature should not need to be explained.

Lucario @ Life Orb
Trait: Inner Focus
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Close Combat
- ThunderPunch/Ice Punch
- Swords Dance
- ExtremeSpeed​

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Lucario has always been a personal favorite of mine so it is no huge surprise I used him on a hyper offense team. I recently played through pokemon black 2, and he was pretty much the highest level pokemon on my team for the whole game, and outperformed all the others. The changes for the BW2 metagame were also very friendly to lucario. And in the competitive side of things, many fast sweepers were introduced and one of the most common new walls is a fat set up fodder (amoonguss). Additions like thundurus and keldeo are actally helpful because they can be picked off by extremespeed. Literally every single rain team is swept by luke at +2, its that ridiculous. The only thing I have to do is figure out if politoed is scarfed first. I actually sturggle to find teams not weak to a well played lucario in BW2. Easily the MVP of over 90% of my games. If I can get him in on a weaker attack you are in for trouble.

My favorite lucario set since the beginning of my competitive pokemon career was always Swords Dance/Close Combat/Bullet Punch/Ice Punch. The set excelled at luring out gengars and terrakions. and then wrecking dragonites that don't think they have to fear ice punch. However extremespeed is necessary to sweep with many fast sweepers resisting the steel type and the 60 base power not always cutting it even when neutral. So that is why this Lucario uses extremespeed over close combat. Swords dance doubles my attack and allows me to sweep- it becomes easier with dual screens. Close Combat kills slower hings and OHKOs anything neutral at +1 after stealth rock. Ice Punch rapes dragonite and other flying types. It also hits Celebi and to a degree amoonguss. Thunderpunch is used more commonly now and is what I tend to use more and more. It hits tentacruel and Jellicent- two pokemon that would otherwise laugh at lucario's attempts at creating pain. Thunderpunch hitting jellicent is really nice because it opens up a path for azumarill later on. Thunderpunch is definitely a better move for Lucario than crunch, by the way. It may seem totally random, but it hits more important targets harder, and most ghost types can't take a +2 thunderpunch anyways. The only ghost type where crunch was needed over thunderpunch was Jellicent which thunderpunch hits almost as hard. Psychic types like reuniclus aren't really capable of stopping other attackers from my team. EVs are obvious, built for power and speed.


Conclusion:
So that is my first serious team for BW2. I was originally planning to save it for the BW2 inaugural tournament, but I wanted to present it on my one year on Smogon day. I did get to 3-0 undisputed with it though, and that was fun. He used to be a tutor, so he must be pretty good. Again I would really like to thank everyone from FalChat, you guys were my first friends in this game and I won't forget that. If you liked my thread, please leave a luvdisc.

Yes, stallbreaker mew is a problem. But it is a weakness with the playstyle to be honest. If I can taunt it with azelf, it is easy, or if I can kill it with thundurus. It is scary though.

AmoongBro is scary on paper, but it is surprisingly easy to deal with if I play Lucario and Breloom correctly.

Please leave a suggestion if you have one, I feel that this team is good but could improve somehow.

I know I am posting this a tad early but I need to sleep and want it up. I probably will not be around tomorow :(. I hope you enjoyed the read :), if you liked it or want to try it out, leave a

One Last Look:​

 

[Episode36]

Well, I can tell you LO Starmie can really do a number to the team, taking out basically as many threats as it wants until you revenge kill it. I figure that you'll have similar troubles with anything similar to Starmie, as your team is just very slow and frail, relying on set up to sweep, but not having any time to set up due to frailty.

I'm also unsure what moves you are using for some of your Pokemon. What moves you use makes a huge difference as to what threats are covered. Without Ice Punch on Lucario, Gliscor becomes a problem, whereas without Thunder Punch, Water types particularly Jellicent become a problem. Threats such as Gengar and Terrakion are further problems without access to Bullet Punch.

You also have a huge Mamoswine weakness, as many of these "new" BW2 teams have. You'd basically have to revenge kill it with Azumarill, but by then it will switch into most likely a water or grass type, at which point your Azumarill is locked into Aqua Jet unless you predict well, and even if you predict well, that might not mean much.

Similarly, the problem with Dual Screen teams is that it's easily stalled out through defensive mons + protect, or simply brick breaked (Scizor, Weavile, etc), or just out-set-upped by the opponents bulk up/calm mind/dragon dance/quiver dance etc sweeper. I'm not saying get rid of it, but it hardly protects your Pokemon from the threats listed above.

Stall also gives a bunch of trouble. With so many Life Orb users, residual damage will take its toll as you are hazard/toxic/protect/weather stalled as they switch in different Pokemon to take your attacks. Should you set up, you can easily be revenge killed by something like Scarf Terrakion, or other priority users such as Scizor. Ditto can easily come in and take your Dragonite and sweep your team should you get cocky, so be careful for that.

Furthermore, with most of your team physical, aformentioned threats such as Jellicent, Gliscor, taunt users, and in particular your crippling weakness to Will-o-Wisp all make it so you are easily crippled and stalled out with recover etc by Porygon2's, Sableye's, etc etc. Bulky Waters scalding you will just annihilate your team unless your opponent is extremely unlucky with Scald burns, too.

Hope I helped you identify some weaknesses. Hopefully you get the moves you want down.