ORAS OU HO: Behind the Screens

[A golduck]

Alright so this was a fun little team that I made built around the based bunny, diggersby, the original plan to have diggersby have spikes and screens support to help it with killing everything while actually being able to talk a it.

Team At A Glance:

Construction Process:

As previously said, the original poke I wanted to build aroud was diggersby, which is (in my opinion) one of the greatest physical wallbreakers in the game, but is weak defensively and it's typing doesnt really help, being weak to fighting, water, and ice, and neutral to ground, meaning it doesn't have many setup opportunities. It also has some non-guaranteed OHKOs at +2, which spikes would really help to cover. This is where klefki come in.

I needed spikes support and screens, so I chose Klefki, which fills these roles perfectly. Klefki is one of, if not the best hazard and screen setters in the game with access to prankster, and even has T-wave to support diggersby's poor speed, but sadly has no attacks, meaning that walls that wall diggersby, sadly aren't helped by klefki.

Since I needed something to bait in physical walls to elp diggersby, namely skarmory and mega slowbro, I chose special attacking mega Altaria. It as fire blast to deal with skarm, and hyper voice to do quite a lot of damage to hippowdown, m-bro, and other physical walls. It also checks keldeo, which is vital as diggersby can not take literally any of keldeo's common moves.

Weavile was chosen for this team for many reasons. It can pursuit gengar which, if you haven't noticed, walls diggersby completely and destroys m-alt, and pursuit trap defoggers like the lati twins, which can be annoying as they defog away all of klefki's hard work. Weavile's ice stabs can be used to break down lando-t, knock off can be used for slowbro, and to knock off keldeo's choice scarf (scarf keldeo=519 speed, +2 adamant diggersby=510) etc, etc.

Now, I realized that special attacking M-alt isn't going to completely cut it when it comes to luring skarm, I mean one false prediction and ur fire blast is exposed. This is where magnezone come in. The standard choice scarf set woks beautifully with this team, trapping skarmory, ferrothorn, and even weakened heatran. It also can be used to dent fairies, which are quite problematic against my team. Thunderbolt hits bulky waters hard (cuz screw you suicune) and outspeeds thundurus, and volt switch acts as a pivot on the team.

Finally, I added starmie as a spinner. Starmie has really good synergy with this team. It can spin away rocks for pre mega altaria and weavile and not defog because defog on my team would be stupid for obvious reasons. Analytic LO starmie hits like a truck and can break down ground types, m-venu (with psychic), and even water types with thunderbolt. It also acts as a second keldeo check.

Sets, explanations, and calcs:

Keys to Success (Diggersby) @ Life Orb
Ability: Huge Power
Happiness: 0
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Frustration
- Earthquake
- Agility

The fearsome double dance set, Diggersby acts as my main sweeper and wallbreaker, able to even OHKO hippowdon, garchomp, slowbro, clef, and just about anything it hits neutrally. Frustration is diggersby's normal STAB move, destroying things with it's fairly high power. Frustration>return is for ditto, but has no difference from return in any other way. EQ is my secondary stab move, to shatter most things that resist frustration, and for chomp in case you don't want to touch it, and is only slightly less powerful than frustration. Swords dance and agility turn diggersby into a fearsome wallbreaker and sweeper. With huge power alone, diggersby reaches a terrifying 464 attack but SD and life orb raises his attack to terrifying heights. After an agility, diggersby reaches 510 speed, enough to outspeed anything up to positive speed nature max investment base 105s, making it very hard to revenge kill after it sets up. Keep in mind, SD and agility aren't both needed for it to sweep. Simply select the one that fits your needs more and sweep.

Keys to success (Klefki) @ Light Clay
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Thunder Wave
- Spikes

A pretty straight forward klefki set. Light clay extends the time light screen and reflect last. Reflect and light screen help the other pokemon absorb hits better, and spikes is for hazards to help diggersby kill more stuff. It's selected evs are just for klefki to eat up as many physical attacks, which I prefer as EQ is a very common move, and garchomp and lando-t are two very common users of that move. Bold nature and 0 attack IVs are to minimize damage from foul play. Thunder wave is to stop klefki from being complete setup fodder, as it paralyzes most pokes that try to setup on it.

Altaria-Mega @ Altarianite
Ability: Cloud Nine
EVs: 248 HP / 168 SpA / 92 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hyper Voice
- Fire Blast
- Heal Bell
- Roost

Special attacking mega altaria functions as a very good lure for skarmory, lando-t, hippo, etc as most people are more scared of the physical set than the special set. Hyper voice is M-alt's main attacking move, which after a pixilate and STAB boost, dent most physically defensive pokemon as long as it hits neutrally. Fire blast is used to get the jump on Skarmory, scizor, ferrothorn, amoonguss, and pre-mega venu on the switch and it them hard super-effectively. Roost is for longetivity, as it's slow and bulky, so it'll constantly be taking hits, although it won't mind. Heal bell is used to support the other pokemon in case diggersby gets burned, or poisoned. The speed evs allow M-alt to outspeed jolly BD azumarill (even though it's not that common) and no speed investment lando-t. 248 hp evs reduce the damage taken from stealth rocks, while maximizing overall bulk. the rest of the evs are dumped into special attack for as much of an offensive prescence as possible. Modest nature is for more special attack while reducing foul play damage. 0 atk ivs reduces it even more.

Weavile @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Icicle Crash
- Knock Off
- Ice Shard
- Pursuit

Again, a pretty standard set, but it works. Icicle crash is the main ice STAB move, destroying garchomp and lando-t while also hurting hippowdon, and having a pretty nice flinch chance while being more powerful than ice punch. Knock off is used to remove opposing poke's items and is the most spammable move, being it's secondary go-to STAB move. Ice shard is for priority for pokes like scarf lando-t and weakened not fully invested speed talonflame. Pursuit is used to trap pokemon like latios or latias as they try to defog, and gengar as it walls diggersby to no end. The evs are straightforward as they just increase weavile's offensive prescence. Pressure is used just because pickpocket is useless too, except you might end up picking up like a gliscor's toxic orb. Jolly is to outpseed the lati twins, scarf ttar, most t-flames, thundy, torn-t, etc.

Magnezone @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Flash Cannon
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Volt Switch

Magnezone is the secondary steel remover in the team, in case M-alt has been ko'ed or discovered. Scarf is used over specs to ensure trapping even max speed scizor while also giving it revenge killing opoortunities on thundurus, serperior, adamant talonflame, etc. Thunderbolt acts as the main electric STAB move, taking care of stuff like manaphy, suicune, and skarmory. Flash cannon is the secondary STAB move, to hit ground types harder, hurt fairies, and hit dragon types like the lati twins. Hidden power fire is used to hit scizor and ferro harder, but besides that serves no purpose. Volt switch is to keep momentum going and if your lucky have them switch into latios or latias and volt switch into your weavile, or if they switch into like m-mane, go to diggersby and bluff a scarf. Timid and 0 atk ivs are to reduce foul play damage etc, etc (im so sick of typing that.) Magnet pull is used for obvious reasons as magnet pull's the entire reason to use magnezone.

Starmie @ Life Orb
Ability: Analytic
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Hydro Pump
- Thunderbolt
- Rapid Spin
Starmie is the spinner and secondary keldeo check. I chose the offensive starmie set as this is an HO team and reflect type starmie is quite the momentum killer. Hydro pump is it's main STAB move, capable of ohkoing hippo and lando-t, and destroying ttar, bisharp, and garchomp on the switch because of analytic. Thunderbolt is used for water types like azu, gyarados, slowbro, suicune, etc, which could cause a problem if they get time to setup, and can hit flying types pretty hard, too. Rapid spin is there to remove hazards without defogging away my own screens and hazards. Psychic is the secondary STAB move which is used to hit amoonguss, keldeo, M-venu, and other fighting and poison pokes. Psyshock is also usable but psychic is preferred as it hits rotom-w harder. I don't really think I still need to explain the IVs but the nature is because it needs max speed to outspeed scarf base 60s and outspeed/speed tie opposing base 115s.

Calcs: Offensive
+2 252+ Atk Life Orb Huge Power Diggersby Return vs. 252 HP / 232+ Def Slowbro: 383-452 (97.2 - 114.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO after 1 layer of Spikes
+2 252+ Atk Life Orb Huge Power Diggersby Return vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Suicune: 367-433 (90.8 - 107.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO after 1 layer of Spikes
+2 252+ Atk Life Orb Huge Power Diggersby Return vs. 252 HP / 144+ Def Hippowdon: 391-461 (93 - 109.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO after 1 layer of Spikes
+2 252+ Atk Life Orb Huge Power Diggersby Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 164+ Def Garchomp: 442-523 (105.2 - 124.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252+ Atk Life Orb Huge Power Diggersby Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 88+ Def Ferrothorn: 368-434 (104.5 - 123.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Life Orb Huge Power Diggersby Return vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Keldeo: 305-360 (94.4 - 111.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO after 1 layer of Spikes
+1 252+ Atk Life Orb Huge Power Diggersby Return vs. 252 HP / 240+ Def Landorus-T: 328-386 (85.8 - 101%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO This one isn't as good but come on what are the odds lando-t is gonna take 0 damage before coming in.
168+ SpA Mega Altaria Fire Blast vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Scizor: 520-616 (151.6 - 179.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Calcs: Defensive
+2 252 SpA Thundurus Hidden Power Ice vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Diggersby through Light Screen: 158-187 (50.8 - 60.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Manectric Hidden Power Ice vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Diggersby through Light Screen: 70-83 (22.5 - 26.6%) -- 26.6% chance to 4HKO
252 Atk Landorus-T Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Diggersby through Reflect: 110-129 (35.3 - 41.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252+ Atk Tough Claws Mega Charizard X Flare Blitz vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Diggersby through Reflect: 173-204 (55.6 - 65.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Technician Scizor Bullet Punch vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Mega Altaria through Reflect: 150-177 (42.4 - 50.1%) -- 0.4% chance to 2HKO

http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-321418918 A replay just to give you an idea of my team, a little haxy tho.

 

[A golduck]

I realize I didn't show a calc for ferro...
168+ SpA Mega Altaria Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 168 SpD Ferrothorn: 336-396 (95.4 - 112.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO after 1 layer of Spikes
know that it gets bodied... also as a side note, remember to abuse altaria's cloud 9 ability.

 

[Sablenite]

What do you do about talonflame?
The best thing I can suggest is To use scarf Magnaton who can outspeed jolly talonflame

Anything else changes the entire team structure.

 

[A golduck]

talonflame usually dies from a combo of screens and starmie or diggersby. If klefki can paralyze it (it can take a flare blitz from talonflame) magnezone can beat it too. besides that should all else fail, starmie will have to be used to try and take it down.

 

[Moonclawz]

Hey A golduck,

This is a mostly solid offensive team. I like the use of Magnezone to lure/trap steel-type mons, allowing Diggersby to sweep much more easily. Dual Screens Klefki is also cool, both helping you set-up a sweep and being a last minute defensive check to a lot of Pokemon.

One thing I noticed your team is that your team is very weak to fast ground-type Pokemon like Scarf Lando-T, Scarf Garchomp, and Excadrill in sand. All of these Pokemon switch in easily into Klefki and can then proceed to simply spam EQ since you don't have any ground-type resists once Altaria mega-evolves. Excadrill is especially problematic since it can hit Altaria with Iron Head and Weavile can't revenge Exca with Ice Shard. Kyruem-B can be a problem since it switches pretty easily into Magnezone and nothing on your team really can switch into it. As Sablenite mentioned, Talonflame, especially the Will-o-wisp/Taunt set, is hard to deal with since you don't have Stealth Rocks.

Right now, I also feel that Klefki is a bit overwhelmed on your team. Although Klefki checks physical threats like Bisharp, Mega-Lopunny, Azumarill pretty well through T-wave and setting up Reflect, Klefki is also worn down extremely easily. Once Klefki is KO'd, fast offensive teams become really hard to deal with (dual priority from Diggersby and Weavile does help through).

Suggestions:
I think you should try using defensive Rotom-W over Altaria. Thanks to its ability, Rotom-W gives your team an important ground-type immunity, which gives you a check to Lando-T, Garchomp, and Excadrill, allowing you to check the aforementioned Pokemon and threaten them out with Hydro Pump or Will-o-wisp. With Volt Switch, Rotom-W can also act as a slow bulky pivot for your team, allowing you switch in Diggerby and Weavile much more easily. (I actually would consider running T-wave over Will-o-wisp on this Rotom so that you don't get swept by DD Zard-X)

Since removing Altaria makes you much weaker to Keldeo and fire-types like Mega-Zard-Y, I would suggest using offensive Memento Latios with Draco Meteor, Psyshock, Surf, and Memento over Starmie. Latios has many of the same useful resistances as Starmie, but also has a nifty ground immunity, making Land-T think twice before using Earthquake. Psyshock allows Latios to check Keldeo, while Surf allows Latios to check Heatran and other fire-types. Memento allows Latios to "set up screens" on one Pokemon, giving Diggerby an opportunity to set-up and sweep. If you prefer hazard control, you can try running Defog instead of Psyshock or Surf.

With Latios providing set-up support, I would try using bulky Swords Dance Mega-Scizor with Swords Dance, Bullet Punch, U-turn, and Roost over Klefki. Mega-Scizor fixes your Kyurem-B weakness and also provides your team with another win condition thanks to Sword Dance. Thanks to Mega-Scizor's bulk and its access to Roost, Mega-Scizor can also check Scarf Excadrill and Mega-Lopunny, which would have otherwise run through your team. With U-turn, Mega-Scizor can act as a pivot like Rotom-W. This is especially useful since Mega-Scizor tends to attract Skarmory, allowing you to U-turn to Magnezone and KO Skarm. With a spread of 248 HP / 116 Def / 144 SpD, Mega-Scizor avoid the 2HKO from Mega-Lopunny's HJK most of the time - the rest of the EVs are dumped into special defense to help Mega-Scizor check opposing Latios and Mega-Gardevoir.

Finally, I would test using Stealth Rocks over Agility on Diggerby. With these changes, now your team doesn't have any hazards, making your team really weak to sash offense teams and also making it hard to check Talonflame and charizards. Stealth Rocks are always useful to have, especially in wearing down bulky Pokemon for a Scizor or Diggersby Sweep.

Hope this helps!

Sets:

Hide

Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spe
Bold Nature
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Thunder Wave or Will-O-Wisp
- Pain Split

Latios @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Psyshock
- Surf
- Memento

Scizor @ Scizorite
Ability: Light Metal
EVs: 248 HP / 116 Def / 144 SpD
Impish Nature
- Swords Dance
- Roost
- Bullet Punch
- Knock Off