SV OU HISUIAN GOODRA OFFENSE - PEAKED #1, 2094 ft. Thundurus-Therian

[Pinkacross]

TABLE OF CONTENTS:
1. Introduction
2. Proof of Peak
3. Live Game
4. Team + Description
5. Team Building Process
6. Team usage tips
7. Threat List
8. Replays
9. Shoutouts
10. Importable
11. Other Teams
12. Outro

1. INTRODUCTION

Hello! I’ve finally got another team for you all. This meta is certainly less forgiving to lower tier pokemon than it used to be, but still, some of them flourish. One such example is Hisuian Goodra. I actually recently made a Youtube video claiming that Hisuian Goodra wasn’t viable, so… I’m both proud and embarrassed of this team. Jokes aside, my mind was changed when I saw minbubs in the 1900s using AV Hisuian Goodra, and it really annoyed my team. I looked at the tier and realized that it walled nearly every Special attacker in the tier, so I thought I’d give it a try. This is a really strong team that brought me higher than I’ve ever been in the post-Home metagame, and it’s extremely fun and consistent. Goodra itself is extremely effective and it won loads of games on my climb to #1. I hope you enjoy using it yourself! I proudly present the Gooey Guardians!

2. PROOF OF PEAK

PROOF OF PEAK

This peak was achieved solo without any ghosting.

3. LIVE GAME

4. TEAM + DESCRIPTION

Thundurus-Therian @ Choice Specs
Ability: Volt Absorb
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Tera Blast
- Volt Switch
- Grass Knot
- Hammer Arm

Role / General Tips: Main breaker of the team. Absolutely nothing walls this Pokemon. Tera Blast Flying will be used in over half of your games, and it obliterates most teams outright. You generally want to use Tera Blast Flying early against bulkier teams or Balance teams, and use Tera on something else when facing Offense. Thundurus can also wall Zapdos temporarily if needed.
Item: Choice Specs turns Thundurus into an unstoppable breaker.
Tera Type: Tera Flying gives Thundurus a spammable STAB move to use.
Moves: Tera Blast is the main STAB Thundurus will use, easily 2HKOing or OHKOing nearly the entire tier. Volt Switch is another great STAB move and a nice pivoting move. It is especially spammable when the opponent only has a Great Tusk as a Ground type. Grass Knot hits Ground types like Great Tusk, and Ting-Lu, and OHKOs Garganacl. Lasly, Hammer Arm is here to hit Specially Defensive Blissey, the only thing that can reliably switch in on this Thundurus.
EVs & Nature: Modest with max Special Attack makes Thundurus as powerful as possible, and max Speed is necessary to outspeed Great Tusk and Baxcalibur. Lowering Attack with Modest Nature is not a big deal, since Hammer Arm is very rarely used and does loads to Blissey anyway.
Other Options: You could run Focus Blast over Hammer Arm to hit Blissey. I do not recommend this, since the main reason we have Hammer Arm is for Blissey that have maximum Special Defense investment, and Hammer Arm does 80% to this set whereas Focus Blast does 40%.
Notable Calcs:

252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Flying Thundurus-Therian Tera Blast vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Vessel of Ruin Ting-Lu: 194-230 (37.7 - 44.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Flying Thundurus-Therian Tera Blast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Baxcalibur: 350-414 (94.3 - 111.5%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO

252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Flying Thundurus-Therian Grass Knot (120 BP) vs. 252 HP / 100 SpD Garganacl: 456-538 (112.8 - 133.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Goodra-Hisui (F) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Sap Sipper
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 184 HP / 252 SpA / 72 Spe
Modest Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Flash Cannon
- Earthquake
- Flamethrower

Role / General Tips: Main Specially Defensive wall for the team, and Spore absorber thanks to Sap Sipper. Goodra can switch in easily on Greninja, Zapdos, Walking Wake, Volcanion, Iron Moth, Enamorus, and Gholdengo. However, it can’t do so forever. Fortunately Thundurus forces short games against Balance teams, and Offense has naturally short games, so it won’t have to. Still, be careful to only use Goodra when needed if it has important things it needs to wall.
Item: Assault Vest allows Goodra to switch in against Special attackers much more reliably.
Tera Type: Tera Fairy gives the team an emergency button against Iron Valiant that gets out of hand. It can also be used to stop Baxcalibur and Substitute + Will-O-Wisp Dragapult.
Moves: Draco Meteor is an extremely powerful STAB move that can nuke teams that lack a dedicated Special wall. It gets a lot of OHKOs against Offensive teams. Flash Cannon is another great STAB that hits Fairies like Iron Valiant and Hatterene super effectively. Flamethrower is great for Steels that resist both of Goodra’s STABs, such as Kingambit, Corviknight, and Gholdengo. Lastly, Earthquake allows Goodra to OHKO Iron Moth and hit Galarian Slowking and Gholdengo hard, even after a Draco Meteor drop.
EVs & Nature: 72 Speed is enough to reliably outspeed Corviknight. Modest max Special Attack prevents Goodra from being too passive. The rest is in HP for additional bulk.
Other Options: You could run Thunderbolt over Flamethrower to help against Moltres, Pelipper, and Toxapex. I would not advise this since it makes Goodra weaker to Gholdengo.
Notable Calcs:

252+ SpA Protosynthesis Walking Wake Dragon Pulse vs. 184 HP / 0 SpD Assault Vest Goodra-Hisui: 91-108 (26.2 - 31.1%) -- guaranteed 4HKO

252 SpA Life Orb Greninja Dark Pulse vs. 184 HP / 0 SpD Assault Vest Goodra-Hisui: 68-82 (19.5 - 23.6%) -- possible 5HKO

0- Atk Goodra-Hisui Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 124 Def Iron Moth: 328-388 (108.9 - 128.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Cinderace (F) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Blaze
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 224 HP / 32 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Pyro Ball
- U-turn
- Court Change

Role / General Tips: Cinderace is removal and Speed control. Notably, it’s the only thing on the team that can outspeed Iron Valiant that’s not Choice Scarf or unused Booster Energy. Wait for the right time to use Court Change-- the team doesn’t like Stealth Rock in particular being up, but if Court Change just leads to Stealth Rock being set again, it’s not worth it.
Item: Heavy Duty Boots is essential for Cinderace to not lose to the same hazards it intends to reverse.
Tera Type: Tera Flying can make Court Change possible against pokemon that would otherwise KO Cinderace, notably Earthquake users.
Moves: Will-O-Wisp is great for crippling Great Tusk, Kingambit, Iron Valiant, Landorus-Therian, and more. Pyro Ball is a fantastic STAB move that gains absurd power with Blaze. U-turn is a nice pivoting move to have that synergizes well with Thundurus and Landorus. Lastly, Court Change inverts hazards as well as Light Screen and Reflect, making it one of the best moves in the game by far.
EVs & Nature: Jolly with max Speed is essential for lots of ties and crucial Speed tiers. 32 Attack ensures an OHKO against Gholdengo without bulk investment. The rest is in HP for increased longevity.
Other Options: You could run Tera Water. You could also run an Offensive Libero set (Pyro Ball, Court Change, Low Kick, U-turn) which can OHKO Baxcalibur.
Notable Calcs:

32 Atk Cinderace Pyro Ball vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Gholdengo: 318-374 (100.9 - 118.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Landorus-Therian @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 248 HP / 236 Def / 24 Spe
Impish Nature
- Grass Knot
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Stealth Rock

Role / General Tips: Main Defensive wall, and in rare cases, Stealth Rock user. It’s almost always better to just use U-turn when you’d normally set Stealth Rock to get in a breaker such as Thundurus. Just steal the opponent’s Stealth Rock later-- you’ll probably regret setting your own since this team only has Court Change and technically no real removal.
Item: Rocky Helmet is great for chip on Iron Valiant, Great Tusk, Kingambit, and OHKOing Sash Samurott using Thundurus Volt Switch into Landorus. This also allows Landorus to OHKO Maushold using Population Bomb, which the team otherwise has no answer to.
Tera Type: Tera Water is extremely important for the Rain matchup, and it can help against Baxcalibur.
Moves: Grass Knot is vital for dealing massive damage to Great Tusk and Dondozo. Earthquake is a powerful STAB move for general damage. U-turn is a fantastic pivot move, especially if it can lead to Thundurus entering. Lastly, Stealth Rock can be used for residual chip throughout the game, although it should only be used if it is extremely effective against the opponent’s team.
EVs & Nature: 24 Speed allows Landorus to comfortably outspeed most Defensive Great Tusk. Max HP and Defense with an Impish Nature maximizes Landorus’ Defensive walling capabilities and longevity.
Other Options: You could run a slower Landorus with more Defense to underspeed Great Tusk (although make sure to hit 219 for Kingambit). I do not recommend this due to how many Great Tusk carry Ice Spinner. You could also run Taunt over Stealth Rock. We don’t often use Stealth Rock and this would help in the Garganacl matchup and against bulkier teams.
Notable Calcs:

+1 252 Atk Iron Valiant Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 248 HP / 236+ Def Landorus-Therian: 124-147 (32.5 - 38.5%) -- 98.7% chance to 3HKO

0- SpA Landorus-Therian Grass Knot (120 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Garganacl: 178-210 (44 - 51.9%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

0- SpA Landorus-Therian Grass Knot (120 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Great Tusk: 268-316 (61.7 - 72.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Iron Valiant @ Booster Energy
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Knock Off
- Close Combat
- Encore

Role / General Tips: Iron Valiant is both a sweeper and a sweeper stopper for the team. Encore is essential for stopping otherwise threatening strategies such as Substitute Dragon Dance Baxcalibur, Calm Mind Cresselia, Curse Garganacl, and more. If you’re facing a Baxcalibur, be careful to preserve Iron Valiant’s health as well as Booster Energy for the proper moment. Iron Valiant is also the team’s only Fairy type, making it important to preserve when facing powerful Dragons such as Dragapult and Baxcalibur.
Item: Booster Energy gives Iron Valiant an incredibly useful one-time 1.5x Speed boost. This is an incredible item.
Tera Type: Tera Steel allows Iron Valiant to set up a Swords Dance on Sludge Bomb users such as Galarian Slowking, Toxapex, and Amoonguss, and then use Encore to Swords Dance again.
Moves: Swords Dance is a fantastic boosting move to help Iron Valiant sweep. Knock Off removes items and hits Gholdengo and Galarian Slowking super effectively. Close Combat is a powerful STAB move that OHKOs Baxcalibur and Kingambit or forces a Tera. Lastly, Encore locks the opponent into whatever move they last used, rendering many setup sweepers helpless against Iron Valiant. It’s also very helpful for locking Kingambit into Sucker Punch.
EVs & Nature: Jolly with max Speed is necessary to outspeed many threats, and tie with other Iron Valiant. Max Attack investment makes Iron Valiant as threatening a setup sweeper as possible.
Other Options: Tera Dark is another option that powers up Knock Off, and sometimes even scores a kill on Colbur Glowking. Tera Ghost can also be used if a particular Extreme Speed Dragonite set is troubling you.
Notable Calcs:

252 Atk Iron Valiant Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Baxcalibur: 422-498 (113.7 - 134.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO

+2 252 Atk Iron Valiant Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 16 Def Slowking-Galar: 498-588 (126.3 - 149.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Kingambit (F) @ Air Balloon
Ability: Supreme Overlord
Tera Type: Dark
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Low Kick
- Kowtow Cleave
- Sucker Punch

Role / General Tips: Sweeper, Baxcalibur revenge killer, Ghost resist, and backup Kingambit answer. Try to preserve your Air Balloon in matchups where it bothers the opponent. Usually you can avoid bringing Kingambit in until late game when needed, since Hisuian Goodra is bulky enough to take many Shadow Balls.
Item: Air Balloon allows Kingamibt to reliably revenge kill Baxcalibur.
Tera Type: Tera Dark packs a major punch and makes kingambit a late game menace.
Moves: Swords Dance is an incredible boosting move which allows Kingambit to sweep. Low Kick hits Baxcalibur super effectively, as well as Ting-Lu, other Kingambit, and Great Tusk for neutral damage. Kowtow Cleave is a powerful STAB move that doesn’t require the opponent to attack for it to work, unlike Sucker Punch. However, the priority that Sucker Punch provides makes it a must-have for the last move slot.
EVs & Nature: Jolly with max Speed and Attack gives Kingambit the ability to sweep as well as revenge kill Baxcalibur and other Kingambit.
Other Options: Tera Fire can be run to improve the Moltres matchup. Tera Fighting can also be used to avoid Low Kick Speed ties with other Kingambit in the endgame.
Notable Calcs:

252 Atk Kingambit Low Kick (120 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Baxcalibur: 290-342 (78.1 - 92.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

252 Atk Kingambit Low Kick (100 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Kingambit: 384-452 (112.6 - 132.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO

+2 252 Atk Supreme Overlord 4 allies fainted Kingambit Low Kick (120 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Great Tusk: 224-264 (51.6 - 60.8%) -- 94.1% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

5. TEAM BUILDING PROCESS

TEAMBUILDING PROCESS

The team started off with Thundurus-Therian because it broke Stall teams. A combination of Modest Choice Specs Tera Blast Flying, Volt Switch, and Hammer Arm is unwallable. Breaking stall was difficult to find, and most breakers had a horrible speed tier, like Hoopa-Unbound. Thundurus was relatively fast even with Modest nature, and it provided significant utility by being able to wall Zapdos.



I knew that Thundurus would struggle with Stealth Rock, so I added on Cinderace to dissuade the opponent from ever setting Stealth Rock. It was also nice to have another pivot to get Thundurus in.



Galarian Slowking formed a solid pivoting core with Cinderace and Thundurus. In particular, Chilly Reception was great for getting Thundurus into the field.



I knew I would need a Fairy type at some point, and Iron Valiant was the obvious choice in this metagame. It has the potential to sweep, as well as the incredible utility of Encore. So many pokemon running Substitute makes this move incredible. It can also stop Sucker Punch Kingambit.



I needed a solid wall to deal with my team’s significant weakness on the physical side. I settled on Landorus because it could run Rocky Helmet, giving me a solid Volt Switch + Rocky Helmet answer to Hisuian Samurott. It was selected instead of Great Tusk because it had U-turn, giving extra entry opportunities to Thundurus.



I needed a Ghost resist and something to help with Baxcalibur, so Air Balloon Kingambit was the only option. It also gave my team a little extra power and potential to sweep.



The team was struggling against Rain, Ghost types like Dragapult and Gholdengo, as well as Walking Wake and Battle Bond Greninja. Hisuian Goodra fixed all of these issues. Although losing Chilly Reception was unfortunate, the increased immediate power and bulk Goodra provided with Assault Vest made it the overall better choice for such a fast-paced team.

6. TEAM USAGE TIPS

TEAM USAGE TIPS

Vs HO: If the HO uses Hazard Stack, wait until they set up a fair bit before using Court Change. Often it is worth using Tera Flying on Cinderace if it leads to a Court Change that otherwise wouldn’t have happened. You can also prevent Samurott from setting Spikes by using Volt Switch Thundurus-Therian into Rocky Helmet Landorus-Therian. If the HO is a screens team, act similarly-- wait until Screens are set to Court Change. Often against Screens, Tera Blast Flying Thundurus is a good option since Screens teams tend to have bulkier and slower setup sweepers.
Vs Offense: Wait for the opponent to set hazards before using Court Change, it’s rarely a good idea to set hazards yourself. Utilize Thundurus to put pressure on your opponent’s team. Be wary of their wincons and try to preserve health on whatever is needed to revenge kill their sweepers.
Vs Balance: Use Tera Blast Flying Thundurus as early as possible, usually. Perhaps don’t lead off with it, since your opponent will be wary, but bring it in as soon as possible. Don’t try to play the long game, it won’t work out for you.
Vs Stall: Utilize Tera Blast Flying Thundurus to bust through their team, using Hammer Arm to crack open Blissey. Don’t wait too long to show off Hammer Arm-- you can only Court Change once until your opponent can get hazards up on both sides, and reliably start wearing down Thundurus. If Thundurus doesn’t work out, SD Knock Off Iron Valiant can usually remove Dondozo’s Heavy Duty Boots and then you can win with Kingambit.
Vs Rain: Tera Water early with Landorus. Sometimes it’s even a good idea to lead Landorus against Pelipper, Tera Water and U-turn. Goodra and Tera Water Landorus will break a Rain team before the rain team breaks them if you play correctly.

General Tips:
1. If you see a Baxcalibur, try hard to not let it set up. Leading with Goodra or Thundurus is a solid way to do this if you suspect your opponent will lead with Baxcalibur.
2. Use Tera Flying Blast early game with Thundurus against bulkier and balanced teams, and save Tera for something else against more offensive builds. Note that this is not a hard rule, and you’ll sometimes use different Teras than you expect.
3. Don’t try to wall out your opponent-- this team has no Leftovers and no way to heal. You’ll need to play aggressively to win.
4. Use Goodra to absorb Amoonguss Spore. Remember that it has Sap Sipper.
5. Try to preserve Kingambit’s Air Balloon for the right moment when facing a Baxcalibur team.
6. Be careful with Iron Valiant’s Booster Energy-- sometimes a very fast Encore is the only way out of a sticky situation. That being said, against some teams the speed doesn’t really matter, so don’t let the fear of burning Booster Energy keep Iron Valiant out of the game.
7. Note at preview what Goodra can wall-- if there’s no strong Special attacker, you are free to use Goodra more for offense.
8. Hit Galarian Slowking with Earthquake when it enters on Goodra-- they often don’t carry Slack Off these days, and if they do, they get completely shut down by Tera Steel SD Valiant.
9. You can block Ceaseless Edge Spikes by using Thundurus Volt Switch into Landorus Rocky Helmet damage.

7. THREAT LIST

THREAT LIST

This team has no Covert Cloak, no Leftovers, no Substitute… you get the idea. Salt Cure is rough. However, pretty much every pokemon on the team can pressure Garganacl immensely, everything other than Cinderace. Basically against Garganacl you switch into the pokemon that’s most acceptable to take chip on (usually Landorous), deal enough damage to force a Recover, and then pressure Garganacl with either Encore Iron Valiant, Choice Specs Volt Switch or Grass Knot from Thundurus (Grass Knot OHKOs even max SpDef Garganacl after Stealth Rock). Goodra and Kingambit can also pressure Garganacl with Low Kick and Flash Cannon. Once Garganacl has used Tera, it’s actually less threatening. Any normal Tera type will cause it to lose its ability to switch in on Thundurus Tera Blast, and it will be only slightly better against the rest of the team while losing the surprise factor of Tera.

I mean… It's a Baxcalibur. It’s always a threat, really. Tera Water Landorus can help as a last resort, but the best way to deal with Baxcalibur is to maintain pressure on it and not give easy setup. Cinderace can do solid damage with Pyro Ball, and the Thermal Exchange boost isn’t a big deal. Kingambit with Air Balloon is the perfect revenge killer (or a well timed switch-in). Iron Valiant can use Encore on Substitute sets and safely switch in at least once. Goodra is not a switch in, but it does beat Baxcalibur 1v1 most of the time with Draco Meteor (or Flash Cannon if you fear Tera Fairy). Lastly, Tera Blast Flying from Thundurus has a 70% chance to OHKO non Defensive Baxcalibur, so if you’re feeling lucky you can go for the OHKO. If Baxcalibur is chipped even a little, Tera Blast Flying will always KO.

Since Cinderace is the only Fire resist on the team, all Fire types are slightly scary, but Moltres is by far the most. With access to Roost and Will-O-Wisp, it can stall out Goodra and win 1v1. Still, Goodra is a solid switch-in. Draco Meteor deals significant damage and always forces a Roost, which lets in Thundurus. Landorus can also take a Will-O-Wisp and slow U-turn out if Goodra is important. Make sure to keep Thundurus around though, or Moltres will slowly wear down the entire team.

Substitute Will-O-Wisp Dragapult is difficult for this team to deal with. The best switch is Goodra, although it can’t take Dragon Darts very well. Tera Fairy on Goodra can be used to deal with it, but this is a last resort. Ideally you can Encore the Dragapult with Iron Valiant as it uses Substitute or Dragon Darts. Better yet, you can apply pressure constantly with Thundurus so that Dragapult never gets an opportunity to start setting up Substitute. Tera Blast Flying will OHKO and Dragapult cannot OHKO Thundurus, so if Thundurus is healthy you can usually block Dragapult from entering fairly easily. Note that Cinderace can always break a Substitute with Pyro Ball, should that be necessary.

8. REPLAYS

REPLAYS

Game that reached #1:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1911450312-sr4mhzrzqul6zihmfe7ywf0f7a7rzqepw
Vs Garganacl Balance:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1911448072-rkzwlbw5rxk86uxudf3j10k8f6w5smcpw
Vs Baxcalibur Offense:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1911314424-ci4oxlpmfv9e7ehqz43ldc6a5s0v9expw
Vs Sticky Web HO:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1911308826-mktvuwt4s0pglacjp65ma9wtphlsch0pw
Vs Dondozo Balance:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1910731158-qbpv9hvmyrk1cgenj7qn2v63yqa8mlupw
Vs Breloom Balance:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1910720090-bjhcx1eguolqepqgn116prh2a3xng4qpw
Vs Sticky Web HO Again:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1910714187-vrfyhy620k9xfwj2yrvrf7mmidk0lc3pw
Vs Haxorus Sticky Web HO:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1910713114-d99ks5cxnnm51pernxjd6cxw7gqdqf4pw
Vs Azumarill Offense:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1910247121-4bdcl9axxu79x4iw38bmk7gw1a9umb5pw
Vs Grimmsnarl Screens HO:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1910214578-cxxxlnr62tv1ebw6pu22rq3l390xjfapw
Vs Rabsca Screens HO:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1910204823-bmjpyx0viufrr5b9kd2npen855f3o5zpw
Vs Ceruledge HO:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1909630592-xbz14kld0ckhqcd7ch6cdiehiu4wsgspw
Vs Frosmoth Snow HO:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1909626696-3s0f3ihahm7vl3sb24ln6ejh0epx32opw
Vs Pads Sneasler Fat:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1909618633-a1wgjimp26vhh64j555gj277xcs1u7spw
Vs Flamigo Balance:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1909606153-utstj3npoxsqmyqb2pkic327l1w9k25pw
Vs Garganacl Fat:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1909602249-397pzu1ykx30bf4mdnf809959v0ryjxpw
Vs Meowscarada Balance:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1909599649-krvw6jk8wmedb45nuba00gtmk5570y4pw
Vs Cresselia Fat:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1909593958-ecbrs57skyw4tigkdl6mpfrm2td6evcpw
Vs Garchomp Offense:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1909592068-nihqznvijv1wmhi0tqsym8rvinwn9j5pw
Vs Stall:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1909027134-4smc5tqxwem9ay4ast9408pdq9o3y5ppw (earlier version of the team, but Thundurus does almost everything).

9. SHOUTOUTS

Thank you to minbubs for the original idea for this team. I saw him using AV Hisuian Goodra in the 1900s, and it was really annoying to deal with, causing me to reconsider its viability. Thank you to shawk*+:) for the incredible banner and name art! Amazing work as always.

10. IMPORTABLE

The Team: https://pokepast.es/e198d47928ec4745

Team with my Nicknames: https://pokepast.es/bf65ee9c311270cc

11. OTHER TEAMS

Slowking Balance - Peaked #1: (updated version post chien-pao ban included!): LIKELY OUTDATED
https://www.smogon.com/forums/threa...-cinderace-updated-post-pao-espathra.3714077/

CB Dragonite Balance - Peaked #1: : LIKELY OUTDATED
https://www.smogon.com/forums/threa...ying-dragonite-balance-peaked-1-2110.3721274/

12. OUTRO

Thank you all for reading this if you’ve made it this far! I hope you enjoy the team, and remember to keep being creative! If you ever see me online, feel free to ask me to rate your team or ask any other questions you may have, and I'll help you out. You can also contact me on Smogon on my page or by starting a Conversation. :]

P.S. All of the pokemon on the team are Female to avoid Cute Charm from Enamorus! Make sure to make all of your pokemon Female!

 

[shawk*+:)]

View attachment 538201

#SAVEGAMBIT

 

[zReptar]

Goat :)

 

[1LDK]

I was also planning building around gooda-h but with a different take entirely, nice team, also the art style in general is great, I wish I could do that, congrats man, really cool team

 

[Pinkacross]

I was also planning building around gooda-h but with a different take entirely, nice team, also the art style in general is great, I wish I could do that, congrats man, really cool team

Thanks so much! Yea, shawk*+:) really outdid himself this time. I will say though, you can make really solid banner art using Google Slides and Bulbapedia images. The stat bars are just snipped from Smogon, and the item pictures are from Bulbapedia. The pokemon name color transition is done using https://htmlcolorcodes.com/ and just inserting the HEX code of whatever color you want, slowly transitioning to whatever. Don't give up on your Goodra team either! Honestly it's a much more splashable pokemon than I would have thought-- it walls Special Attackers like crazy. Scream Tail + H-Goodra is another core I could see being successful on a more bulky team. If you ever want to build some time just let me know!

 

[1LDK]

If you ever want to build some time just let me know!

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1912720893

I just played against your team with the team I'm currently experimenting, and I got my ass handed badly! I played badly, Specs Modest Tornadus sure does no favors, I'll admit that I'm a terrible player in general, but I think the team is decent enough, I just wanted to show you to be honest

 

[Pinkacross]

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1912720893

I just played against your team with the team I'm currently experimenting, and I got my ass handed badly! I played badly, Specs Modest Tornadus sure does no favors, I'll admit that I'm a terrible player in general, but I think the team is decent enough, I just wanted to show you to be honest

Nobody's really a horrible player, just less and more experienced. Just have fun with ladder and you'll improve eventually. As for the team, it looks cool! I do doubt the Goodra set though-- Curse is very unreliable, especially with Encore Iron Valiant and Sacred Sword Samurott in the tier. If you'd like to discuss further though, let's start a Conversation so we don't crowd the RMT comments.

 

[Vkhss]

Very cool team and cool commentary

 

[Bice]

You've got any advice for dealing with Rotom? While Hoodra walls it, Rotom can pivot out very easily against it and Thundurus takes a billion from Hydro Pump.

 

[Pinkacross]

You've got any advice for dealing with Rotom? While Hoodra walls it, Rotom can pivot out very easily against it and Thundurus takes a billion from Hydro Pump.

It's a bit of a prediction game-- Goodra is usually the right switch if you think they'll use Hydro Pump, and if you predict Volt Switch, you can go Thundurus and use Volt Switch for massive damage. There's no easy response though-- really only Water Absorb Clodsire blocks Rotom Volt Switch effectively.

 

[Soosthemoose]

Another pinkacross banger, you make building cool teams look effortless. I've been experimenting with h-goodra myself, and I though balance would be a better home for him, but he fits this team like a glove.

 

[Albret]

fire team, hit 1900s for the first time with it

 

[Pinkacross]

fire team, hit 1900s for the first time with it

Wow, congratulations!

Another pinkacross banger, you make building cool teams look effortless. I've been experimenting with h-goodra myself, and I though balance would be a better home for him, but he fits this team like a glove.

Thanks! Don't stop experimenting! Goodra is viable on lots of teams, many of which haven't been built yet. This is merely one that works, you can find more! :)

 

[GBD777]

Favorite builder OAT with another banger of a team, hit my peak for this gen with 1835 and counting. Thanks for sharing!! I also tried out iron head over kowtow on gamb (more so to catch those who know the squad off guard and saw success with that variation too. Great team!

 

[Xanto]

What Pokemon would u put in to replace kingambit if it get ban ?

 

[Pinkacross]

What Pokemon would u put in to replace kingambit if it get ban ?

Nothing can replace Kingambit here. Nothing can be a Ghost resist and handle Baxcalibur the same way. Also, if Kingambit leaves, this whole meta will be turned upside-down so this team will probably be quite outdated. If you really want a replacement, I suppose I'd put a Scizor in... but really rebuilding in the new meta would be the better solution.

 

[Ramplestilskin]

Hi !

First, I have to say I really like the flavor of your team. I felt in love with Cinderace in this meta, but most notably, the Thundy outspeeding Samurott and volt switching into Lando with Helmet to prevent any spikes is pretty nice.
I don't really know if this team in particular is the one that benefits the most from this combo as Thundy and Lando-T are already immune to spikes, Kingambit has a balloon and will usually not switch in a lot during the match and the same can be said about Iron Valiant as you don't want to waste the Booster. Cinderace being obviously booted, preventing spikes actually only benefits to Goodra as you said, and also as you mentioned the most problematic EH is Stealth Rock which you have no way to prevent efficiently (Lando, Heatran, Garchomp, Glimmora, great tusk can all set up rocks pretty reliably against the time, at least once).

That being said, having literally 4 checks to kingambit (Wow Cinderace, Encore IV, Lando-T, Low kick Gambit) is pretty reassuring during most matches even though the bad coverage shared by both Gambit and IV is sometimes a drawback (I sometimes hope I had moonblast or Iron head).

In any case, the main reason I came here is to ask you : how do you deal with Sneasler in general, and most specifically when he is paired with psychic terrain ?

There is only 1 replay showcasing a match against sneasler and I feel like the only real switch in on this team is Lando-T. However I have faced many sets that were problematic : protective pads with dire claw means Lando-T will eventually get worn down by poison+damage from dire claw+uturn+eventually rocks or even a sleep. The most problematic set is the swords dance tera flying one. As goodra is pretty passive, if sneasler comes into it (after a kill for instance) you have to switch to Lando as he swords dance. Then tera flying gives him a second sword, and you can not even predict this as u-turn or grass knot instead of EQ would do nothing. From there, granting either Psychic or Grassy terrain were up and seed has been used, it can proceed to OHKO Lando with Acrobatic, and actually kill the entire team as nothing resists Poison+Fighting STAB. Furthermore, you can almost never predict the sword dance and switch into Iron Valiant to Encore as you risk getting dire clawed and you don't even outspeed it after unburden. And anyway both stabs are resisted by Sneasler and same for Gambit, so you wouldn't do a lot. Even Cinderace is slower, so I found it was really hard to play around. I felt like the best way to kill it was either to predict it will switch (or SD) into Goodra and Draco meteor to put them low enough, or to never let it the chance to switch into you which is easier said than done.
What are your thoughts ?

On a side note, I kind of feel frustrated to be forced to EQ their lead Garchomp 3 times (sometimes 4) with lando and having no other way to play against it (aside from risking the tera flying OHKO but too risky for me).
I also feel like something could be done to OHKO Heatran more reliably with Goodra, usually you only deal around 85% and that can backfire quickly if they have magma stormed you and use protect, the difference between neat OHKO and 2HKO could matter.
Zamazenta is also sometimes hard to play around, I never feel like switching into Thundy when Zama comes out against Goodra because I prefer it being healthy. Usually I go for IV the first time it comes out because if they either sub or ID I can encore them to death, If they body press though I take around 33% of damage. The real problem is if they body press then Heavy Slam, you lose any counter play to the following ID and it becomes really annoying. I first tried to switch Lando into it but it never puts in great work, you do very little damage.
As for Lead Booster Sandy shocks, it is always a gamble to predict what they are going to do. Most of the time you can OHKO with grass knot, but sometimes they Tera ICE and with the speed boost, it is a real threat to Thundy, Cinderace, Lando, Goodra and even Gambit doesn't like to take a shit ton of damage early game from a thunderbolt.

Anyway thanks a lot for sharing this team with 2 unorthodox mons it feels so good ! I am looking forward to other builds based on "Stall killers", I actually think Tera electric Iron Leaves with SD/tera blast/Leaf blade/CC or Psyblade could do a good job at it as it can destroy Corv, Dozo, Alomomola, Blissey, Pex, Ting-Lu and Clodsire which are basically the core stall pokemon. I even think it could be a good lure against Gambit that would be destroyed by Close combat, not sure how well it would work though. I wanted to build a team around it but I don't have yet as much meta knowledge as you have to build a team from scratch (and unfortunately it takes a lot of time too).

Sorry I just had a little question and my post turned out to be much longer than expected -_-

PS : OHKOing those BAX with tera flying first turn feels so satisfying

 

[tr4umpchoos]

Nothing can replace Kingambit here. Nothing can be a Ghost resist and handle Baxcalibur the same way. Also, if Kingambit leaves, this whole meta will be turned upside-down so this team will probably be quite outdated. If you really want a replacement, I suppose I'd put a Scizor in... but really rebuilding in the new meta would be the better solution.

Dear lord no, don't try to use Scizor as a good Kingambit replacement. I tried to do it in some teams and has been a total let down. Mind you, I do think Scizor has a few valid niches in OU, it's just that it doesn't serve as a Kingambit replacement in the slightest (that's why I sent you a DM asking the same thing regarding a good Gambit replacement lol).

 

[Pinkacross]

Hi !

First, I have to say I really like the flavor of your team. I felt in love with Cinderace in this meta, but most notably, the Thundy outspeeding Samurott and volt switching into Lando with Helmet to prevent any spikes is pretty nice.
I don't really know if this team in particular is the one that benefits the most from this combo as Thundy and Lando-T are already immune to spikes, Kingambit has a balloon and will usually not switch in a lot during the match and the same can be said about Iron Valiant as you don't want to waste the Booster. Cinderace being obviously booted, preventing spikes actually only benefits to Goodra as you said, and also as you mentioned the most problematic EH is Stealth Rock which you have no way to prevent efficiently (Lando, Heatran, Garchomp, Glimmora, great tusk can all set up rocks pretty reliably against the time, at least once).

That being said, having literally 4 checks to kingambit (Wow Cinderace, Encore IV, Lando-T, Low kick Gambit) is pretty reassuring during most matches even though the bad coverage shared by both Gambit and IV is sometimes a drawback (I sometimes hope I had moonblast or Iron head).

In any case, the main reason I came here is to ask you : how do you deal with Sneasler in general, and most specifically when he is paired with psychic terrain ?

There is only 1 replay showcasing a match against sneasler and I feel like the only real switch in on this team is Lando-T. However I have faced many sets that were problematic : protective pads with dire claw means Lando-T will eventually get worn down by poison+damage from dire claw+uturn+eventually rocks or even a sleep. The most problematic set is the swords dance tera flying one. As goodra is pretty passive, if sneasler comes into it (after a kill for instance) you have to switch to Lando as he swords dance. Then tera flying gives him a second sword, and you can not even predict this as u-turn or grass knot instead of EQ would do nothing. From there, granting either Psychic or Grassy terrain were up and seed has been used, it can proceed to OHKO Lando with Acrobatic, and actually kill the entire team as nothing resists Poison+Fighting STAB. Furthermore, you can almost never predict the sword dance and switch into Iron Valiant to Encore as you risk getting dire clawed and you don't even outspeed it after unburden. And anyway both stabs are resisted by Sneasler and same for Gambit, so you wouldn't do a lot. Even Cinderace is slower, so I found it was really hard to play around. I felt like the best way to kill it was either to predict it will switch (or SD) into Goodra and Draco meteor to put them low enough, or to never let it the chance to switch into you which is easier said than done.
What are your thoughts ?

On a side note, I kind of feel frustrated to be forced to EQ their lead Garchomp 3 times (sometimes 4) with lando and having no other way to play against it (aside from risking the tera flying OHKO but too risky for me).
I also feel like something could be done to OHKO Heatran more reliably with Goodra, usually you only deal around 85% and that can backfire quickly if they have magma stormed you and use protect, the difference between neat OHKO and 2HKO could matter.
Zamazenta is also sometimes hard to play around, I never feel like switching into Thundy when Zama comes out against Goodra because I prefer it being healthy. Usually I go for IV the first time it comes out because if they either sub or ID I can encore them to death, If they body press though I take around 33% of damage. The real problem is if they body press then Heavy Slam, you lose any counter play to the following ID and it becomes really annoying. I first tried to switch Lando into it but it never puts in great work, you do very little damage.
As for Lead Booster Sandy shocks, it is always a gamble to predict what they are going to do. Most of the time you can OHKO with grass knot, but sometimes they Tera ICE and with the speed boost, it is a real threat to Thundy, Cinderace, Lando, Goodra and even Gambit doesn't like to take a shit ton of damage early game from a thunderbolt.

Anyway thanks a lot for sharing this team with 2 unorthodox mons it feels so good ! I am looking forward to other builds based on "Stall killers", I actually think Tera electric Iron Leaves with SD/tera blast/Leaf blade/CC or Psyblade could do a good job at it as it can destroy Corv, Dozo, Alomomola, Blissey, Pex, Ting-Lu and Clodsire which are basically the core stall pokemon. I even think it could be a good lure against Gambit that would be destroyed by Close combat, not sure how well it would work though. I wanted to build a team around it but I don't have yet as much meta knowledge as you have to build a team from scratch (and unfortunately it takes a lot of time too).

Sorry I just had a little question and my post turned out to be much longer than expected -_-

PS : OHKOing those BAX with tera flying first turn feels so satisfying

Sneasler is indeed difficult for this team. Air Balloon is manageable, since it doesn't get an Unburden boost immediately, making it vulnerable to Cinderace Will-O-Wisp and Iron Valiant Encore. Against Psychic Seed, I would advise using Landorus since Tera Flying is increasingly rare these days-- most run Tera Dark or Ghost. If it DOES Tera-Fly, it becomes opened up to Kingambit Sucker Punch since Terrain will no longer protect it. Against Grassy Seed, there are fewer answers. Ideally, you can prevent giving it any great setup opportunities-- if you can hit it when it sets up, with something like Volt Switch or Tera Blast from Thundurus, Earthquake from Landorus, Pyro or Will-O-Wisp from Cinderace, or Draco Meteor from Goodra, that would be ideal. After that initial hit, usually Rocky Helmet chip from Landorus + Kingambit Sucker Punch will finish it off. That being said, sometimes against Screens + Grassy Terrain, the only way out is Tera Fairy on H-Goodra and Draco Meteor + Landorus Rocky Helmet chip. Ideally though, just deny it a good setup opportunity-- it has limited turns with Grassy Terrain, which can be taken advantage of. The next most problematic is Protective Pads. This one is very tough. Basically just let Landorus get poisoned, u-turn on the Sneasler and try to break fast with Thundurus. If Tera Flying is not needed to break, you can use Tera Steel Iron Valiant lategame to surprise Sneasler on the Dire Claw and gain setup turns.

As for the lead Garchomp, leading Landorus is usually a fine situation. What is Garchomp doing to Landorus? All they can do is stack hazards, which you can Court Change.

Heatran is quite scary but fortunately rare-- Goodra Earthquake is the best we've got, and although it doesn't often OHKO, it usually opens up the opponent's team to Thundurus. Setting Stealth Rock can also be helpful against bulkier Heatran teams.

Zamazenta situations comes down to playing-- Thundurus can handle it if healthy, Goodra with Tera Fairy can manage, and Iron Valiant encore is always a great tool. As you said, sometimes it doesn't work out, but if you predict the attack on Landorus, Rocky Helmet damage is solid and you can then U-turn into Iron Valiant or Thundurus to KO or Encore. Note that Heavy Slam is 40 BP against Goodra, so it won't do much even to Tera Fairy.

Sandy Shocks leads are difficult, yes. I wouldn't risk leaving in Thundurus, the ideal response would be either pressuring with Iron Valiant or Goodra. 2 Draco Meteors will always KO and Earth Power does much less than half. If the opponent doesn't have anything that requires Goodra, this is a good option.

I'm glad you enjoy the team, and I'll look into Iron Leaves! Perhaps it can work.

 

[FFK]

Hey, how do you deal with CB Dragapult ? I’m pretty sure I saw that team on the ladder and Dragapult cheap all your team, after, my cleaner just have to clean the game, I mean ddarts does 80% to goodra, which is the only special tank of your team (as Dragapult can be specs you can’t risk to get OHKO on Lando). OK you have tera fairy goodra and King but it does like 45% to this... (and I have Moltres to check valiant - king)

 

[Pinkacross]

Hey, how do you deal with CB Dragapult ? I’m pretty sure I saw that team on the ladder and Dragapult cheap all your team, after, my cleaner just have to clean the game, I mean ddarts does 80% to goodra, which is the only special tank of your team (as Dragapult can be specs you can’t risk to get OHKO on Lando). OK you have tera fairy goodra and King but it does like 45% to this... (and I have Moltres to check valiant - king)

There's nothing that switches in easily to every Dragapult set. That being said, Infiltrator CB sets are walled a few times by Landorus. Kingambit and Iron Valiant can also switch in on Dragon Darts, often forcing the opponent to use Tera Ghost if they want to break. Dragapult can break the team, but you have tools to switch in a few times, and enough firepower to break their team before Dragapult breaks you (hopefully).

 

[Anthest]

How do you deal with Iron Moth and Walking Walke in Sun teams ? They demolished me, Goodra-Hisui can't handle both of them...

 

[Pinkacross]

How do you deal with Iron Moth and Walking Walke in Sun teams ? They demolished me, Goodra-Hisui can't handle both of them...

Neither of those pokemon can reliably be dealt with defensively, so you need to handle them offensively. Cinderace can be switched in on Iron Moth, tank a Proto Spatk Sludge Wave, and deal enough damage that Iron Moth can be revenged by Iron Valiant. I would save Goodra-H for the Walking Wake. That being said, this is NOT a long term plan. I would advise using an early Tera-Flying on Thundurus in the sun matchup to ensure you break before you get broken.

 

[pk2]

How would you deal with Dragon Dance Dragonite? I assume the plan is to encore Dragonite into a dragon dance with Iron Valiant, but Iron Valiant can't kill Dragonite before the encore runs out. Would I switch out to Cinderace after Encore to try to burn Dragonite?

 

[Pinkacross]

How would you deal with Dragon Dance Dragonite? I assume the plan is to encore Dragonite into a dragon dance with Iron Valiant, but Iron Valiant can't kill Dragonite before the encore runs out. Would I switch out to Cinderace after Encore to try to burn Dragonite?

That is one option. You can also just attack Dragonite with whatever's on the field, and then go into Air Balloon Kingambit to revenge. If the Dragonite uses Tera Normal, Landorus can handle it well with Earthquake. The primary safety button is the Air Balloon Kingambit. Especially if Tera Dark is preserved, you can usually live 2 hits from +1 Dragonite and 2HKO.