SM OU Mega Gyara-Kyurem Black Bulky Offense

[lycan2500]

In what is fast becoming one of my favorite teams to run, Gyara + Kyurem B have great offensive synergy, with Gyara appreciating Kyurem's ability to deal with Zapdos and Bulu, and Kyurem appreciates Gyara's ability to take advantage of Heatran, should Kyurem lack Earth Power (as this one does), and deal decently well with mons like Greninja and Magearna for it, also. Now that there's a core, let's take a look at the team:

Importable

Jörmungandr (Gyarados-Mega) (F) @ Gyaradosite
Ability: Intimidate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Waterfall
- Crunch
- Substitute

Kalameet (Kyurem-Black) @ Life Orb
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Ice Beam
- Fusion Bolt
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Roost

Rooster (Tapu Koko) @ Shuca Berry
Ability: Electric Surge
EVs: 104 HP / 12 Def / 176 SpA / 216 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Roost
- Volt Switch

Katrina (Tornadus-Therian) @ Flyinium Z
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 8 HP / 248 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hurricane
- Knock Off
- U-turn
- Defog

Thorny (Ferrothorn) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 48 Def / 208 SpD
Careful Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Power Whip
- Leech Seed
- Thunder Wave

Jafar (Landorus-Therian) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 104 HP / 184 Def / 24 SpA / 196 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- U-turn
- Stone Edge

Firstly, we are running Sub Mega Gyarados:

One of the best Balance-Stall breakers in the tier, Mega Gyarados has the ability to make teams sweat. It also benefits from the ability to bluff Flyinium, although running Moxie isn't worth it here due to Kyurem's and Tornadus' presence leading your opponent to suspect they have the Z crystal, instead of Gyara. While I usually prefer Flyinium Z Gyarados, Mega Gyarados fits this team better due to its ability to handle stall well, unlike Flyinium Z Gyarados, which the team appreciates. This mon also provides a softcheck to mons like Protean Greninja, Volcarona, Keldeo, and Magearna before Mega evolving, and hard checks Battle Bond Greninja after, which is appreciated, along with its ability to make Heatran cry if it has no Toxic. We are running Sub in order to prevent burns from Toxapex and other similar status ailments that can come due to hax, since Taunt only deals with direct status. It also allows Gyara to take advantage of the forced switches it is so good at forcing.

Next, we run the other half of our offensive core, Kyurem Black:

One of the top, if not the top, breakers in the tier, even more so than Mega Gyarados, Kyurem Black is an amazing mon in the current meta. While Z Kyurem-B is far more common due to its lack of reliable checks and ability to claim a kill for free, basically, Life Orb Kyurem-B does have a few advantages that Z does not, and that this team appreciates. For one, LO Kyub is far more reliable as a balance breaker and a Zapdos check, due to its ability to Roost, which Z usually does not have, and it's more powerful attacking progress without a reliance on its Z move, even with Fusion Bolt hitting harder than on the attack-invested Z variant. Secondly, This set is a far better check to Tapu Bulu and Ferrothorn, which Mega Gyara really likes, due to its boosted Ice Beam and Hidden Power Fire. It can easily lure in Ferrothorn due to Z Kyub's common usage, and can easily be doubled into a Bulu. It straight up can come in on Zapdos anytime it wants, since Zap's best is to para it on the switch, and has very few switch-ins. Gyara's ability to handle Heatran well also helps our Unova legend, since this set lacks Earth Power (albeit most Heatran only come in once if it gets hit by a Fusion Bolt on the switch).

As is, this core really hates 2 things: Rocks and Hawlucha. Naturally, our next 2 picks deal with both these isssues.

Firstly, we run Bulky Shuca Tapu Koko for Hawlucha:

This Pokemon is great in the meta right now, and it is extremely good on our team in particular. It provides momentum, a very reliable Hawlucha check, and Landorus/Zygarde bait, and a soft Pinsir and Tornadus-T check, which is a great boon to all teams that run it. It also provides us with a Dragon-Steel-Fairy core (taking into account the upcoming Ferrothorn) and synergizes well with the team overall.

Next, we use the single best defogger in the tier at the current time:

Tornadus-T is probably the single best defogger in the tier, and its offensive support role is invaluable for the teams it runs in. It is an excellent momentum grabber/keeper, defogs like no other mon can, and can Knock Off/Taunt teams like no one's business. It is also an annoyance to defensive cores offensively, due to its powerful STAB Hurricanes, and the 1-time unmissable Flyinium nuke that is great at preventing loses due to missing and an overall good nuke when it counts. It also forces enemy Tapu Bulu to second guess what moves they click, as otherwise Superpower would be a very free move versus the team.

Up next, we bring one of the best glues in the tier, and our Battle Bond Gren/Tapu Koko check, as well as rock setter:

This mon completes a lot of our missing roles, being a very reliable hazard setter and check to top threats like Ash Greninja and Tapu Koko, as well as soft-checking mons like Tyranitar for Kyurem or Tapu Bulu for Gyarados. While it can Volcarona and Kartana bait, we are running T-wave to punish those 2 mons, and appropriate doubling can be made to deal with them, also.

Lastly, we use one of the best pivots in the tier, as well as our go-to Zygarde check:

Regardless of its commonality, Landorus-T allows this team to be viable, due to its checking Koko Voltturns, Zygarde, and an overall great Scarfer and revenger. While Landoless teams are perfectly usable, this team really appreciates Lando's presence, making it far more complete than any other scarfer could.

Here are some impressive outings the team has had so far, as it is fairly new:

Replays

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-743223582

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-743484482

Bad Matchups:

1.

Setup Zigarde sets that can deal with Bulky Scarf Lando can potentially sweep through this team, although it has very little it can truly set up on. Weakness Policy sets are the most dangerous for the team, in my opinion.

2.

Volcarona and Kartana are both very annoying to this team. Volcarona can potentially sweep, depending on set and plays, if it ever gets to +1, while Scarf Kartana forces a lot of 50/50s, while SD Kartana can potentially force a sack if played well. Both of these mons are the reason we run T-Wave on Ferrothorn.

3.

AV Magearna can come in on Kyurem-B if healthy, and can revenge Mega Gyarados if it Mega Evolved, due its lack of EQ on the team. While not the worst matchup, it is an annoyance to break past and requires the team to consistently chip it. Tornadus Knock Off, Lando's EQ and U-Turn, and Koko's Volt Switch, along with it taking Kyurem's Terrain-Boosted Fusion Bolts or Gyara's Waterfalls, it should be a very doable task to handle AV Mag, however. SG and, to a lesser extent, TR Magearna is basically a threat to any team, depending on its set, unless you have an AV Magearna yourself, so not much to be done if they have the right moves. Ferrothorn's T-wave and offensive presure can easily annoy these sets, however.

4.

Due to the team's particular weakness to some setup Zygarde variants, and the lesser Magearna ones, Screens Koko teams could be an annoyance if they have both of these mons, and Tornadus will have to play a key role in preventing the Screen's longevity. Play with care against this Hyper Offense Archetype.

 

[Felloinyello]

Can you include the importable/moves+evs for the team? That makes it MUCH easier to rate. Otherwise, your rmt is formatted very well.
[edit] What I meant is the individual Pokémon's importable under its sprite.

 

[Simia]

Hey lycan2500 , cool team you've built. I think you pointed out most of the threats your team has. I'd just add SD sets of Mega Scizor in your threatlist since it can get plenty of situations to setup against Lando-T or Ferrothorn, being able to win the game if your team is weakened enough. Also, since you use Ferro as your Psychic resist, things like Mega Alakazam and Tapu Lele are going to be threatening thanks to HP Fire and Focus blast. I'll suggest some changes that can definitely improve your matchup against these threats.

>

My first (major) change is Tangrowth over Ferrothorn. This change would adress both your Kartana and your Zygarde weaknesses and could check them throughout the game thanks to Regenerator. Tangrowth takes on relatively well Kartana's STABs if scarf, while being able to threaten it back. It can also act as a soft check to SD Kartana if it's Grassium Z, but be careful against Fightinium Z sets. On the other hand, Tangrowth also is a great answer to Zygarde, taking on almost all sets of it, especially SubDD sets. CB Zygarde sometimes runs Toxic to annoy Tangrowth and some DD sets run Z Outrage though, so that's something to consider. This change also helps out against Tapu Koko which was in your threatlist. For the set, I'd run the standard AV set with Giga Drain | Knock Off | HP Ice | Earthquake, Full HP / Spd spread with a Sassy nature.

>

My second (major) change is Heatran over Tornadus-T. I kinda liked this Pokemon on your team but you lost two things with the lose of Ferrothorn: a Stealth Rocker and a Steel-Type. Your team was also still threaten by things like Magearna and Mega Scizor. That's why I replaced it for Heatran which provides both of these while being a consistent check to the two Steels. This change would also help against Pokemon like Clefable and Celesteela, which were more or less annoying depending on their sets. Lastly, Heatran can deal with Volcaronas that lack HP Ground, making it less threatening for your team. I'd run the Trapper set with Magma Storm | Earth Power | Taunt | Stealth Rock, with a max speed spread. As the item choice, either Leftovers or Firium Z work. Leftovers are the standard item to run thanks to the little recovery it gives, however as I freed your Z Move user, Firium Z gives you a strong fire move to surprise KO things like Greninja.

I'd run HP Fire over HP Ice on this Lando-T because Kartana can still be scary and this change would definitely prevent it from being too annoying. HP Ice isn't mandatory at all too, because both Zygarde and Lando-T are easy to deal with thanks to Tangrowth and Kyurem Black. I'd also run Defog over Stone Edge as you need that hazard removal to support your offensive core.

~~

Importable

Tha's all. I feel I made your team more standard but now your threatlist is shorter and I probably adressed most of the threats your team had. Psychic Spam or Breakers like Mega Char X and CB Tyranitar may be threatening so play carefully against them. Hope you liked the changes and good luck with your team!

 

[lycan2500]

Can you include the importable/moves+evs for the team? That makes it MUCH easier to rate. Otherwise, your rmt is formatted very well.
[edit] What I meant is the individual Pokémon's importable under its sprite.

The importable is there, on the hidden tabs

 

[lycan2500]

Hey lycan2500 , cool team you've built. I think you pointed out most of the threats your team has. I'd just add SD sets of Mega Scizor in your threatlist since it can get plenty of situations to setup against Lando-T or Ferrothorn, being able to win the game if your team is weakened enough. Also, since you use Ferro as your Psychic resist, things like Mega Alakazam and Tapu Lele are going to be threatening thanks to HP Fire and Focus blast. I'll suggest some changes that can definitely improve your matchup against these threats.

>

My first (major) change is Tangrowth over Ferrothorn. This change would adress both your Kartana and your Zygarde weaknesses and could check them throughout the game thanks to Regenerator. Tangrowth takes on relatively well Kartana's STABs if scarf, while being able to threaten it back. It can also act as a soft check to SD Kartana if it's Grassium Z, but be careful against Fightinium Z sets. On the other hand, Tangrowth also is a great answer to Zygarde, taking on almost all sets of it, especially SubDD sets. CB Zygarde sometimes runs Toxic to annoy Tangrowth and some DD sets run Z Outrage though, so that's something to consider. This change also helps out against Tapu Koko which was in your threatlist. For the set, I'd run the standard AV set with Giga Drain | Knock Off | HP Ice | Earthquake, Full HP / Spd spread with a Sassy nature.

>

My second (major) change is Heatran over Tornadus-T. I kinda liked this Pokemon on your team but you lost two things with the lose of Ferrothorn: a Stealth Rocker and a Steel-Type. Your team was also still threaten by things like Magearna and Mega Scizor. That's why I replaced it for Heatran which provides both of these while being a consistent check to the two Steels. This change would also help against Pokemon like Clefable and Celesteela, which were more or less annoying depending on their sets. Lastly, Heatran can deal with Volcaronas that lack HP Ground, making it less threatening for your team. I'd run the Trapper set with Magma Storm | Earth Power | Taunt | Stealth Rock, with a max speed spread. As the item choice, either Leftovers or Firium Z work. Leftovers are the standard item to run thanks to the little recovery it gives, however as I freed your Z Move user, Firium Z gives you a strong fire move to surprise KO things like Greninja.

I'd run HP Fire over HP Ice on this Lando-T because Kartana can still be scary and this change would definitely prevent it from being too annoying. HP Ice isn't mandatory at all too, because both Zygarde and Lando-T are easy to deal with thanks to Tangrowth and Kyurem Black. I'd also run Defog over Stone Edge as you need that hazard removal to support your offensive core.

~~

Importable

Tha's all. I feel I made your team more standard but now your threatlist is shorter and I probably adressed most of the threats your team had. Psychic Spam or Breakers like Mega Char X and CB Tyranitar may be threatening so play carefully against them. Hope you liked the changes and good luck with your team!

I'll definitely try these changes! Thank you for your input!