Hello everyone, this is my first post so please forgive me if i screw up. Anyway no further delays with this RMT.
Thought process
I haven't really competitively battled in almost a year so i am a bit rusty and decided to make a team since gen 6 happened and i thought it would be a good way to get back into the world of Pokémon. My idea for the team was to be an (probably overly) offensive team that uses immunities to make up for the lack of defenses.
For the first member of the team i thought, hmm lots of immunities and lots of damage that must be Gengar. Then i remembered it has a mega form and thought that would be fun to use to trap and eliminate pokémon so the rest of my team can kill efficiently. (Little did i realize at the time that Mega Gengar is banned from OU)
For the second member of the team i wanted to have a solid dark pokémon to deal with psychic types. A quick look at Smogon's usage stats reminded me that Greninja exists and i remember someone that i know saying its a good pokémon so i had a quick look at it and found it to be interesting enough to add to the team. With always having STAB on its attacks and a Life orb it can hit incredibly hard and has very good speed, you don't need good defenses if your opponent is dead.
The third member reminded me of the hyper annoying Togekiss. With its new typing it lost an immunity to fighting but gained an immunity to dragon which is certainly nice to have (the fighting immunity is replaced by a 4x resistance which is pretty useful and i already have a fighting immune pokémon). Using it as a flinch hax pokémon also makes it live longer as the opponent gets to attack it less often. To increase the chances of out speeding opponents i gave it a choice scarf.
For the fourth pokémon i decided to cover my weakness to electric attacks that i was developing, i also needed to get some physical attackers as i was becoming special heavy. This lead me to Landorus-T as i remember him being surprisingly bulky and hitting like a train. After looking at the Smogon forum page for him i decided on an assault vest variant as it interested me and since his speed isn't great he could use the extra bulk.
Member five gave me some trouble as i couldn't think of many physical attackers. Again a quick look at the Smogon usage stats reminds me that Scizor exists and is still good. It also is a steel type and i know steel is super effective against fairy type and since my knowledge of the type chart was poor at the best time i thought that sticking with what i am likely to remember would be a good idea. Since i ran Choice band Scizor mostly before again i stuck with what i know.
For the final member of the team i was a little stuck so i spent a bit of time looking around the internet, Aegislash was mentioned many times and its stance change mechanic interested me. It also has a few immunities and good natural bulk as i found out that it is in defense stance when it switches in and still hits like a train once it swaps to attack stance. I went for a Swords Dance set with Leftovers because the leftovers recovery can make up for having to switch it in to an attack or can make a Swords Dance boost less painful to my health total.
I then went to test the team on Pokémon Showdown! and that pointed out that i was a bit of a dummy and that Mega Gengar was banned from OU so i switched to normal Gengar with a Sub Disable set to try and make it fit a similar role of eliminating tricky Pokémon.
Major Change 1(MC1): Togekiss and Aegislash have been replaced with Sylveon and Mandibuzz making the team less offensive.
Movesets and other notes
Gengar @ Black Sludge
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 80 HP / 252 SAtk / 176 Spd
Timid Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
-Disable Sludge Bomb
- Substitute
I am enjoying the Substitute part of this set as i have blocked many spores from Smeargle which (sadly) often results in a rage quit. I don't really use the disable part of this set so i might change it for greater coverage or some other interesting move.
MC1:Changed Disable to Sludge Bomb for Fairy killing, second STAB and because Disable went largely unused. Focus Blast remains on Gengar because it helps with coverage. I have left the EVs in HP for the 4x+1 health amount for Substitutes.
Greninja @ Life Orb
Ability: Protean
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Hasty Nature
- Dark Pulse
- Ice Beam
-U-turn Hidden Power (fire)
- Hydro Pump
This set seems pretty solid and i am happy with how it performs, if i had to pick a weak move in the set it would be U-turn as i don't really use it that often.
MC1: Early testing after MC1 showed me that i am terrible against Ferrothorn and hopefully HP Fire will help with that as well as removing other 4x weak fire pokémon and allowing another type i can switch to (will it make me immune to burns as that could also help?). I removed U-Turn for it as it was mostly ignored by me so this way seems better for me.
Landorus-Therian (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 124 Atk / 80 Def / 52 SDef
Careful Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- U-turn
- Knock Off
Very happy with the bulk of this set. Knock off is great too.
MC1: I didn't see any need to change this as it still seems to do a good job. I don't know what else to add really, i should probably put some effort into learning what rock and bug hit for super effective damage as i always seem to screw them up.
Scizor @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SDef
Adamant Nature
- U-turn
- Bullet Punch
- Superpower
- Pursuit
Not a lot to say about this really, doing multiple Superpowers in a row has won me a few matches as people don't seem to expect it. (someone switched in a Bisharp after 2 Superpowers which was fun for me)
MC1: Another pokémon that survived the changes while still remaining the same. I haven't really had the chance to use pursuit so far but i don't really know what else i could change it to that i would be more likely to use so i think i will leave that as it is. Bullet punch is surprisingly good when an Azumarill comes in, i keep forgetting its fairy/water now.
Sylveon @ Pixie Plate
Ability: Cute Charm
EVs: 252 SDef / 252 HP / 4 SAtk
Calm Nature
- Wish
- Protect
- Moonblast
- Heal Bell
MC1: One of the two changed pokémon that happened in MC1. I am using it as a Wish passing special tank so that my attackers can live longer. Heal Bell is there as suggested to remove burn from my physical attackers and other statuses that can cause issues like paralysis on my frail attackers. Protect is there so that self Wishing is more effective and Moonblast is there as a STAB attack just so it isn't entirely taunt bait. I chose Pixie Plate as the item because it helps to make Moonblast a little more potent to hopefully prevent someone using Sylveon as set up time and because i didn't really know what else i could use as leftovers is on the following pokémon.
Mandibuzz (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 252 Def / 248 HP / 8 SDef
Impish Nature
- Foul Play
- Roost
- Toxic
- Defog
MC1: New member number 2. This is here to hopefully remove entry hazards and spread some toxic to help my attackers steal those hard to get kills on stall style pokémon. Roost is there so it can do its job repeatedly and to help it stall out pokémon that have toxic on them. Foul Play is there for the same reasons as Moonblast is on Sylveon but with the added advantage that it uses the opponents attack stat. If i continue to have problems with Ferrothorn i will change toxic to taunt so i can stop it seeding/protecting.
Further notes
I seem to win more often than i would expect with this team (22 win and 13 loss, feels higher than that) and an annoyingly high amount of those losses were due to me doing some sort of misplay (usually not remembering types). I haven't really came across much that gives me huge problems but stealth rocks and sticky web have been annoying so a defog user might find its way into the team. Mandibuzz also annoyed me once but i think that may have been the first time i have ever battled one so i didn't really know what it was going to do so i don't think they will always be a problem for me. Thanks for your time in reading this, if there are any issues with it please let me know and i will fix them.
MC1: Testing with the new set up has been limited (for obvious reasons) but it seems to do reasonably well although it does now have a slower playing style now its not as offensive as previously. As previously mentioned i had a problem with a Ferrothorn but hopefully i should be able to play better and the hidden power on my Greninja should also help. I have tried to flesh out my descriptions for the team a bit more but i am having problems finding things to put in there since it also resides in the thought process section.
Previous team members
Togekiss @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Air Slash
- Dazzling Gleam
- Aura Sphere
- Flamethrower
As with Greninja this set is good although the number of times i have forgot i have Flamethrower on this pokémon is saddening.
Aegislash @ Leftovers
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Shadow Sneak
- Sacred Sword
- King's Shield
- Swords Dance
I am not sure about this pokémon although it does seem to be getting better as i learn how to use it. Swords dance is fun as i can get one or two boosts from it really easily but i don't know if it is worth the loss of coverage as even with a few boosts Shadow Sneak is often not enough to get the kill.
Importable
Gengar @ Black Sludge
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 80 HP / 252 SAtk / 176 Spd
Timid Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
- Sludge Bomb
- Substitute
Greninja @ Life Orb
Ability: Protean
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Hasty Nature
- Dark Pulse
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Hydro Pump
Sylveon @ Pixie Plate
Ability: Cute Charm
EVs: 252 SDef / 252 HP / 4 SAtk
Calm Nature
- Wish
- Protect
- Moonblast
- Heal Bell
Landorus-Therian (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 124 Atk / 80 Def / 52 SDef
Careful Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- U-turn
- Knock Off
Scizor @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SDef
Adamant Nature
- U-turn
- Bullet Punch
- Superpower
- Pursuit
Mandibuzz (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 252 Def / 248 HP / 8 SDef
Impish Nature
- Foul Play
- Roost
- Toxic
- Defog
Thought process
I haven't really competitively battled in almost a year so i am a bit rusty and decided to make a team since gen 6 happened and i thought it would be a good way to get back into the world of Pokémon. My idea for the team was to be an (probably overly) offensive team that uses immunities to make up for the lack of defenses.
For the first member of the team i thought, hmm lots of immunities and lots of damage that must be Gengar. Then i remembered it has a mega form and thought that would be fun to use to trap and eliminate pokémon so the rest of my team can kill efficiently. (Little did i realize at the time that Mega Gengar is banned from OU)
For the second member of the team i wanted to have a solid dark pokémon to deal with psychic types. A quick look at Smogon's usage stats reminded me that Greninja exists and i remember someone that i know saying its a good pokémon so i had a quick look at it and found it to be interesting enough to add to the team. With always having STAB on its attacks and a Life orb it can hit incredibly hard and has very good speed, you don't need good defenses if your opponent is dead.
The third member reminded me of the hyper annoying Togekiss. With its new typing it lost an immunity to fighting but gained an immunity to dragon which is certainly nice to have (the fighting immunity is replaced by a 4x resistance which is pretty useful and i already have a fighting immune pokémon). Using it as a flinch hax pokémon also makes it live longer as the opponent gets to attack it less often. To increase the chances of out speeding opponents i gave it a choice scarf.
For the fourth pokémon i decided to cover my weakness to electric attacks that i was developing, i also needed to get some physical attackers as i was becoming special heavy. This lead me to Landorus-T as i remember him being surprisingly bulky and hitting like a train. After looking at the Smogon forum page for him i decided on an assault vest variant as it interested me and since his speed isn't great he could use the extra bulk.
Member five gave me some trouble as i couldn't think of many physical attackers. Again a quick look at the Smogon usage stats reminds me that Scizor exists and is still good. It also is a steel type and i know steel is super effective against fairy type and since my knowledge of the type chart was poor at the best time i thought that sticking with what i am likely to remember would be a good idea. Since i ran Choice band Scizor mostly before again i stuck with what i know.
For the final member of the team i was a little stuck so i spent a bit of time looking around the internet, Aegislash was mentioned many times and its stance change mechanic interested me. It also has a few immunities and good natural bulk as i found out that it is in defense stance when it switches in and still hits like a train once it swaps to attack stance. I went for a Swords Dance set with Leftovers because the leftovers recovery can make up for having to switch it in to an attack or can make a Swords Dance boost less painful to my health total.
I then went to test the team on Pokémon Showdown! and that pointed out that i was a bit of a dummy and that Mega Gengar was banned from OU so i switched to normal Gengar with a Sub Disable set to try and make it fit a similar role of eliminating tricky Pokémon.
Major Change 1(MC1): Togekiss and Aegislash have been replaced with Sylveon and Mandibuzz making the team less offensive.
Movesets and other notes
Gengar @ Black Sludge
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 80 HP / 252 SAtk / 176 Spd
Timid Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
-
- Substitute
I am enjoying the Substitute part of this set as i have blocked many spores from Smeargle which (sadly) often results in a rage quit. I don't really use the disable part of this set so i might change it for greater coverage or some other interesting move.
MC1:Changed Disable to Sludge Bomb for Fairy killing, second STAB and because Disable went largely unused. Focus Blast remains on Gengar because it helps with coverage. I have left the EVs in HP for the 4x+1 health amount for Substitutes.
Greninja @ Life Orb
Ability: Protean
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Hasty Nature
- Dark Pulse
- Ice Beam
-
- Hydro Pump
This set seems pretty solid and i am happy with how it performs, if i had to pick a weak move in the set it would be U-turn as i don't really use it that often.
MC1: Early testing after MC1 showed me that i am terrible against Ferrothorn and hopefully HP Fire will help with that as well as removing other 4x weak fire pokémon and allowing another type i can switch to (will it make me immune to burns as that could also help?). I removed U-Turn for it as it was mostly ignored by me so this way seems better for me.
Landorus-Therian (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 124 Atk / 80 Def / 52 SDef
Careful Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- U-turn
- Knock Off
Very happy with the bulk of this set. Knock off is great too.
MC1: I didn't see any need to change this as it still seems to do a good job. I don't know what else to add really, i should probably put some effort into learning what rock and bug hit for super effective damage as i always seem to screw them up.
Scizor @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SDef
Adamant Nature
- U-turn
- Bullet Punch
- Superpower
- Pursuit
Not a lot to say about this really, doing multiple Superpowers in a row has won me a few matches as people don't seem to expect it. (someone switched in a Bisharp after 2 Superpowers which was fun for me)
MC1: Another pokémon that survived the changes while still remaining the same. I haven't really had the chance to use pursuit so far but i don't really know what else i could change it to that i would be more likely to use so i think i will leave that as it is. Bullet punch is surprisingly good when an Azumarill comes in, i keep forgetting its fairy/water now.
Sylveon @ Pixie Plate
Ability: Cute Charm
EVs: 252 SDef / 252 HP / 4 SAtk
Calm Nature
- Wish
- Protect
- Moonblast
- Heal Bell
MC1: One of the two changed pokémon that happened in MC1. I am using it as a Wish passing special tank so that my attackers can live longer. Heal Bell is there as suggested to remove burn from my physical attackers and other statuses that can cause issues like paralysis on my frail attackers. Protect is there so that self Wishing is more effective and Moonblast is there as a STAB attack just so it isn't entirely taunt bait. I chose Pixie Plate as the item because it helps to make Moonblast a little more potent to hopefully prevent someone using Sylveon as set up time and because i didn't really know what else i could use as leftovers is on the following pokémon.
Mandibuzz (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 252 Def / 248 HP / 8 SDef
Impish Nature
- Foul Play
- Roost
- Toxic
- Defog
MC1: New member number 2. This is here to hopefully remove entry hazards and spread some toxic to help my attackers steal those hard to get kills on stall style pokémon. Roost is there so it can do its job repeatedly and to help it stall out pokémon that have toxic on them. Foul Play is there for the same reasons as Moonblast is on Sylveon but with the added advantage that it uses the opponents attack stat. If i continue to have problems with Ferrothorn i will change toxic to taunt so i can stop it seeding/protecting.
Further notes
I seem to win more often than i would expect with this team (22 win and 13 loss, feels higher than that) and an annoyingly high amount of those losses were due to me doing some sort of misplay (usually not remembering types). I haven't really came across much that gives me huge problems but stealth rocks and sticky web have been annoying so a defog user might find its way into the team. Mandibuzz also annoyed me once but i think that may have been the first time i have ever battled one so i didn't really know what it was going to do so i don't think they will always be a problem for me. Thanks for your time in reading this, if there are any issues with it please let me know and i will fix them.
MC1: Testing with the new set up has been limited (for obvious reasons) but it seems to do reasonably well although it does now have a slower playing style now its not as offensive as previously. As previously mentioned i had a problem with a Ferrothorn but hopefully i should be able to play better and the hidden power on my Greninja should also help. I have tried to flesh out my descriptions for the team a bit more but i am having problems finding things to put in there since it also resides in the thought process section.
Previous team members
Togekiss @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Air Slash
- Dazzling Gleam
- Aura Sphere
- Flamethrower
As with Greninja this set is good although the number of times i have forgot i have Flamethrower on this pokémon is saddening.
Aegislash @ Leftovers
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Shadow Sneak
- Sacred Sword
- King's Shield
- Swords Dance
I am not sure about this pokémon although it does seem to be getting better as i learn how to use it. Swords dance is fun as i can get one or two boosts from it really easily but i don't know if it is worth the loss of coverage as even with a few boosts Shadow Sneak is often not enough to get the kill.
Importable
Gengar @ Black Sludge
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 80 HP / 252 SAtk / 176 Spd
Timid Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
- Sludge Bomb
- Substitute
Greninja @ Life Orb
Ability: Protean
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Hasty Nature
- Dark Pulse
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Hydro Pump
Sylveon @ Pixie Plate
Ability: Cute Charm
EVs: 252 SDef / 252 HP / 4 SAtk
Calm Nature
- Wish
- Protect
- Moonblast
- Heal Bell
Landorus-Therian (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 124 Atk / 80 Def / 52 SDef
Careful Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- U-turn
- Knock Off
Scizor @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SDef
Adamant Nature
- U-turn
- Bullet Punch
- Superpower
- Pursuit
Mandibuzz (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 252 Def / 248 HP / 8 SDef
Impish Nature
- Foul Play
- Roost
- Toxic
- Defog
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