Lady and the Gents [First OU RMT - Seeking Suggestions]

[SonOfCarl]

Okay, I’ve just recently joined here after lurking for a few months, and I wanted to show you guys a team I’ve been thinking about and see what opinions you guys have about it. Any help is appreciated, and if you end up liking the idea, maybe I can use it as my go-to team? Thanks in advance! :)

Here is the layout of my thought process:

I really wanted to use Froslass. I don’t know why, I just did. I guess I felt like it was a cool Pokemon or something, but I hadn’t really seen it used regularly and wanted to try it out. That being said, it would need a lot of support.

Enter the Snowman. Froslass is nearly useless without hail support, and who better to provide that than this big fella. Okay, now I’ve given my inspirational Pokemon the competitive backing it needs, now it’s time to protect myself from getting my keister handed to me on a platter by any Pokemon with a Fire type move.

I don’t know about you, but I hate getting hit with entry hazard damage. I added Starmie to try and keep those in check.

Then came my first tough decision:

/

Which do I choose: Salamence or Dragonite? Both would draw attention from Scizor and other similar Steel-types, but Salamence lacked Multiscale, which would greatly increase his longevity on the field. After some thought, I settled on adding Dragonite to the team.

Now, with Dragonite on the team, Starmie became a huge player. Not only does it now keep away Pokemon looking for STAB Fire-type moves on my two Ice-types, it also keeps Dragonite’s Multiscale functioning long enough to let the big yellow behemoth gouge a huge hole in someone’s bigger defensive threats.

What? You want to counter my Dragonite with a Steel-type? Lolnope! Magnezone says you’re staying put! Sure there may be some Pursuit damage on Dragonite from a Scizor or whatever, but U-Turn will do it no good when trapped by Magnet Pull. That thing’s in there till the bitter end, for better or for worse.

Finally, one more Steel-type lure to let Magnezone be an annoyance. I also really like the combination of Reuniculus’ Physical bulk and Special attacking power. Another Pokemon I considered creating a team around, but decided against it until I understand the Trick Room mechanics and strategies better.

Edits:

This looks like a solid team, but I sense a weakness to SD Lucario. Unboosted, it 1HKOs or 2HKOs everything on your team with Crunch, Ice Punch, or Close Combat, and if it nags a boost then you're in for a world of hurt. To fix this problem, I'd recommend a Tentacruel over Starmie. That way, you can both lay and absorb Toxic Spikes as well as check or counter numerous other threats.

Swapping your Magnezone with an Heatran could really, really increase this team's potential. Heatran is still a solid answer to most Steel types, while being very bulky and being able to take Dragon hits much better than the frail Magnezone. Heatran sets up Stealth Rock for you, which is an amazing bonus. It's also immune to Fire attacks which Hail teams usually despise, and is a great answer to Sun teams. Overall, I think you really can't go wrong with this change.

The fact that you are using a Hail Team is enough reason to switch Dragonite to that Salamence set that you have. The damage from hail destroys Multiscale, and unless you constantly lead with Dragonite, Salamence is the better choice, as they are very similar Pokèmon, but Salamence's Moxie is worth a ton more to your team than your wrecked Multiscale.

In-Depth Look:

Froslass
Nature: Timid (+Spe, -Atk)
252 HP/4 Def/252 Spe
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Snow Cloak
Spikes | Taunt | Blizzard | Destiny Bond

Like I said earlier, this little lady was the inspiration for my team for reason I cannot explain. That being said, I really had no idea how to make her a standout on this team inspired by her. :/ What I settled on doing is a bare-bones Spikes set. She will probably come in second, set up a layer or two, Destiny Bond, spam Blizzard, and die. If there are hazards coming over to my side, she may Taunt and then set up, but I realize now that she’s really got nothing going for her other than this set.

That being said, I’m not taking her off the team. I want to use a Froslass on this team no matter what, despite its hardships.

Abomasnow
Nature: Hasty (+Spe, -Def)
16 Atk/252 SpA/240 Spe
Item: Choice Scarf
Ability: Snow Warning
Blizzard | Grass Knot | Hidden Power (Fire) | Earthquake

How do you play with an Abomasnow? Send it in and spam Blizzard, that’s how! The Scarf and EV spread will allow it to outspeed a surprising amount of other leads that decide they want to stay in on it. Oh yea, Abomasnow is my lead, if I failed to mention it before. When one of its checks switches in, I take it out. Until then, I’ll be over here spamming Blizzard.

Tentacruel
Nature: Bold (+Def, -Atk)
252 HP/240 Def/16 Spe
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Clear Body
Toxic Spikes | Rapid Spin | Scald | Protect/Hex

Taking some of you guys’ advice, I have replaced Starmie with Tenacruel. Now I have Toxic Spikes support, although I can’t decide if I want Protect to increase longevity or Hex to kill off SpinBlockers. :/

Salamence
Nature: Rash (+SpA, -SpD)
64 Atk/192 SpA/252 Spe
Item: Life Orb
Ability: Intimidate/Moxie (?)
Draco Meteor | Earthquake | Fire Blast | Roost

I sort of melded the two versions of MixMence sets into an interesting (to me, at least) Pokemon. I opted against Outrage here because I wanted to focus more on Salamence’s naturally high SpA, and also because I didn’t want Salamence to be locked into Outrage if he was getting low on health. Added to first team in place of Dragonite.

Reuniculus
Nature: Bold (+Def, -Atk)
252 HP/252 Def/4 SpD
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
Calm Mind | Recover | Psyshock | Focus Blast

I’m banking on the little guy’s bulk to hold up long enough to set up a Calm Mind or two, Recover, and then slap some punks around. The only problem is that this thing is slooooooooow. So slow! Hopefully he consistently hits hard, because otherwise he’s going to get rocked. Another candidate for replacement. Psychic replaced with Psyshock.

Heatran
Nature: Calm (+SpD, -Atk)
252 HP/4 Def/252 SpD
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
Lava Plume | Stealth Rock | Roar | Hidden Power Ice

Per suggestion, Heatran comes in to replace Magnezone. This offers Rocks support and a way to counter Sun teams, as well as a sponge for Fire-type moves.​

A Final Look:

So, there it is. This is the team I have assembled around the desire to use a Froslass in OU. Any suggestions would be appreciated, as I am just starting out as a competitive player and want to learn as much as I can.

Possible Replacements:

Dragonite
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
60 HP/252 Atk/196 Spe
Item: Choice Band
Ability: Multiscale
Outrage | Extremespeed | Waterfall | Superpower

I think this Dragonite can do great things for this team, but I’m really weirded-out by how I’m going to keep Multiscale intact on a Hail team. I’ve all but eliminated my worries about entry hazards, but the weather my team is based around may render this Dragonite unusable. If I were to rework this team, I would probably do something else with this spot (possibly introduce the Salamence I will layout below).

Dragonite’s job is to tear everyone a new orifice. If Multiscale holds up, Dragonite can get off multiple attacks boosted by its Choice item and really cause problems. I chose Waterfall here because I wanted to cover a Rock-/Ground-type threat like Landorus or something that may feel like it can have some fun by switching in on Extremespeed. A quick shuffle and that thing is down. If Dragonite comes in on anything that doesn’t take it seriously, the yellow guy’s going to have a field day. Brick Break replaced by Superpower.

Relegated to Replacements in favor of Salamence.

Starmie
Nature: Timid (+Spe, -Atk)
252 HP/32 SpD/224 Spe
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
Scald | Rapid Spin | Recover | Psyshock

Per suggestion, Starmie remains a viable team option. More defensive than its previous installment, this Starmie packs a lot of pace, and will probably last longer in the Hail.

Dragonite [Variant]
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
252 Atk/4 SpD/252 Spe
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Multiscale
Dragon Dance | Dragon Claw | Fire Punch | Roost

Per suggestion, a Dragonite variant I can try. This one is more focused on keeping Multiscale intact, rather than going for full-on power.

Magnezone
Nature: Timid (+Spe, -Atk)
36 HP/252 SpA/220 Spe
Item: Air Baloon
Ability: Magnet Pull
Substitute | Thunderbolt | Hidden Power (Fire) | Charge Beam

A Steel-type trapper that will probably sit behind a Sub and spam HP Fire until the cows come home (or the other Steel-type dies, one of the two). It will switch in on Steel-types lured out by Dragonite and Reuniculus, Magnet Pull them into the field, and burninate them till they die. Thunderbolt is there for STAB along with Flash Cannon. Flash Cannon removed in favor of Charge Beam’s Stat increases.

Relegated to Replacements in favor of Heatran.

Hope you guys enjoyed! Any and all suggestions are appreciated! This is my first post here, so I’m hoping you won’t be too rough on me. :)

EDIT #1: A thought occurred to me that I may need some way to counter Nasty Plot Celebi. Any thoughts?
EDIT #2: Starmie relegated to alternates list in favor of Tentacruel. Changes made to Dragonite and Magnezone. Alternate Dragonite set added.
EDIT #3: Magnezone and Dragonite relegated to Replacements. Salamence promoted to first team. Heatran added to first team. Reuniculus move

 

[CBManBearPig]

This looks like a solid team, but I sense a weakness to SD Lucario. Unboosted, it 1HKOs or 2HKOs everything on your team with Crunch, Ice Punch, or Close Combat, and if it nags a boost then you're in for a world of hurt. To fix this problem, I'd recommend a Tentacruel over Starmie. That way, you can both lay and absorb Toxic Spikes as well as check or counter numorous other threats. Also, I would replace Dragonite with a Dragon Dance variant with Leftovers so that you can keep Multiscale intact more. Good luck, its nice to see that I'm not the only one using Hail.

 

[Sayonara]

Hey,

Nice team, SonOfCarl! I'd recommend a Defensive Rapid Spin Starmie over your current variant. Starmie will have to spin a lot throughout the match to keep Froslass, Abomasnow and Dragonite healthy, so the extra bulk is greatly appreciated. Hail negates the Leftovers recovery, leaving Starmie with no source of recovery. With Recover, you can get 50% of your health back, granting survivability over power to Starmie, allowing it to stay in top shape and spin more often. Scald allows you to deal damage while having a 30% burn chance, which is useful against opposing Ferrothorn. Psyshock lets you get past CM Virizion and Keldeo, ignoring their stat boosts. The EV spread maximizes bulk while giving Starmie enough speed to outspeed Tornadus-I, so Starmie can spin quickly while being able to tank hits. CB Terrakion's Stone Edge will never OHKO this Starmie having this EV spread! For some other changes, I'd go with Superpower over Brick Break on Dragonite. The extra power really helps it grab noticeable KOs against Ferrothorn in particular. Finally, I'd replace Magnezone's Flash Cannon in favor of Charge Beam. This allows you to set up on Steels behind a Sub, turning Magnezone into a deadly sweeper. After getting rid of the steel and being behind a Sub and having SpA boosts, it's pretty much a guaranteed OHKO on the incoming opponent. I don't have anything else to add - cool team, and good luck!

Defensive Rapid Spin Starmie

Starmie @ Leftovers | Natural Cure
Timid Nature | 252 HP / 32 SpD / 224 Spe
~ Scald
~ Rapid Spin
~ Recover
~ Psyshock

 

[SonOfCarl]

Thanks you guys! I made some changes using your suggestions, and I'm going to go on a simulator and try it out! x) Thanks a ton!

 

[inanimate blob]

The fact that you are using a Hail Team is enough reason to switch Dragonite to that Salamence set that you have. The damage from hail destroys Multiscale, and unless you constantly lead with Dragonite, Salamence is the better choice, as they are very similar Pokèmon, but Salamence's Moxie is worth a ton more to your team than your wrecked Multiscale.

 

[Doom Dawg]

Well what was said above is true, Dragonite with Leftovers neglects the Hail Damage keeping the Multiscale intact. I hate the Choice Band sets, they are all stupid... Just kidding. You need Leftovers and possible recovery, Dragonite sets up on almost all Metagame and I suggest you try a Dragon Dance set, my favorite one :P

The one suggested with Roost is nice. I do not like Salamence as I think it is too frail and you want to avoid frailty in your team. Try out the Salamence, it might work better with the Moxie better in hail than Dnite would ever do.

The team is pretty solid and remember you have a spin blocker!:D

 

[Jirachee]

Hi

First of all your team would really appreciate Stealth Rock support. Stealth Rock is essential in the current metagame as many of the top tier threats, like Dragonite, are weak to it, making them a whole lot easier to deal with. It also hit every pokemon for at least a small bit of damage, negative stuff like Sturdy and Focus Sash, and helping you getting key KOes. It also hurts Ninetales for 25% of its HP which is invaluable for Hail teams. Then, powerful Dragon types like Dragon Dance Salamence and Dragonite can really hurt your team. You have no way to revenge kill them reliably and their Outrages will punch gaping holes in your team's defenses. Considering they are very popular this could be bad. Swapping your Magnezone with an Heatran could really, really increase this team's potential. Heatran is still a solid answer to most Steel types, while being very bulky and being able to take Dragon hits much better than the frail Magnezone. Heatran sets up Stealth Rock for you, which is an amazing bonus. It's also immune to Fire attacks which Hail teams usually despise, and is a great answer to Sun teams. Overall, I think you really can't go wrong with this change.

Another thing you should consider is Psyshock over Psychic on Reuniclus. While Reuniclus has no troubles with Blissey and Chansey because of Focus Blast, Psyshock is still an incredibly useful move. It allows you to win Calm Mind wars against the likes of Calm Mind Latias which often aims to get on Reuniclus in order to get to +6 easily, which could mean bad news for this team. Psychic doesn't really hit that much harder anyway and after a couple of Calm Mind boosts you won't even see the difference. Another thing though, since this isn't a Rain team, Dragonite could really use Fire Punch over Waterfall. Waterfall is really weak without the boost and the main things you aim to hit with it, Steel types like Scizor and Skarmory, are just hit harder by Fire Punch. The only Steel types you'll hit harder with Waterfall are Heatran, which is covered by Superpower, and stuff like Steelix that you shouldn't care about. It really increases Dragonite's wallbreaking ability.

Here's the set you should use:

Heatran

@ Leftovers
Flash Fire
Calm
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
-Lava Plume
-Stealth Rock
-Roar
-Hidden Power Ice

Good luck!

 

[SonOfCarl]

Thanks for your suggestions! I've made some alterations and am testing the team now! x)