ORAS OU Mega Zam BO (feat: +1700 Elo, choice spam)

[Seth_]

I made this team in like ~10 minutes and it works surprisingly well. Basically I wanted to support Mega Alakazam as much as I can.

So...

Alakazam-Mega @ Alakazite
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
- Protect

Mega Alakazam is main focus of this team. Everything else is used to cover it's weakness and make sweep as real as possible. I think that Zam is underused and really powerful mega and people don't recognize it's full potential because they don't know how to properly support it.

It's hard hitter that outspeeds majority of metagame but all it needs is some reducial damage to put things into OHKO range.

Protect combined with tankchomp is best thing against all VolTrun cores. Rotom generally don't want to come on Zam because it's 2HKO easily so it attracts all scarflando and scarfrachi. By protecting I can know if they will go for u-turn (and punish them by touching my chomp) or for damage move (and usually switch into my zaptos who takes 0 damage).

Protect allows me to reliably deal with Mloppuny and Mmedi which both could be huge problem for my team.

Garchomp @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 240 HP / 176 Def / 92 Spe
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Dragon Tail
- Fire Blast

Garchomp is excellent counter for few priority users that Zam don't like: Scizor and Bisharp. Even if they'll go for SD they deal very little damage and every hit puts them closer for revenge kill from my scizor. It also provides SR and phasing support which is extremely important for Zam. Second rocks hits might be diffrence between OHKO and 2HKO and looking at Zam's bulk that's worth consider.

Latios @ Choice Specs
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Psychic
- Surf
- Trick

Spec latios is best latios right now and it has important role. It's my emergancy check for things like scarf keldeo and also offensive pivot that deals with a lot. It's also great win condition against bulky teams because if you remove steel types nothing switches in spec latios (well, chansey, but who uses that?). Trick is important because it allows me to break against some though special walls (like chansey) that would win against me otherwise. Overall I did not pick HP fire because my team is already strong against steel types and scizor.

Scizor @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EVs: 204 HP / 252 Atk / 52 Spe
Adamant Nature
IVs: 0 SpA
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Pursuit
- Superpower

Band scizor is something that doesn't get much attention (I was surprised it isn't UU) but I need some kind of strong priority user, potentially offensive pivot so scizor fits perfectly. It's also trapper and that helps keeping rocks up, it provides slow u-turn that might bring Mega Zam safely and it's revenge killer to some speedy opponents. It has just enough speed to outspeed BD Azu so it can be used as "last resort". Having priority, u-turn and pursuit is truly wonderful and I'm suprised that more people don't use scizor.

Magnezone @ Choice Specs
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 160 HP / 252 SpA / 96 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Thunderbolt
- Flash Cannon
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Fire]

Trapper, clef destroyer and slow volt swicher. Another underrated mon because it provides so much support for Latios and Mega Zam. It deals quite easily with Mega Scizor and Skarmory (both could be real pain in the ass) it supports team by trapping most common hazard setters and hits hard. Usually I spam flash cannon because they do high damage to resisted and people love mindless switches to their ground types or dragons.

Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 176 Def / 68 SpA / 16 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 Def
- Thunderbolt
- Roost
- Defog
- Hidden Power [Ice]

My last slot. It provides some key defensive utility against some rare mons like Dragonite, Scarf Garchomp. Also I would not deal well with things like Bird spam so here it is - my hero and saviour! I put HP ice over heat wave because I have magnezone. I needen secondary ground resist to have extra safety against scarflandorus and scarf drill (which would put my team in bodybag otherwise).

Importable:

Hide

Alakazam-Mega @ Alakazite
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
- Protect

Garchomp @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 240 HP / 176 Def / 92 Spe
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Dragon Tail
- Fire Blast

Latios @ Choice Specs
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Psychic
- Surf
- Trick

Magnezone @ Choice Specs
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 160 HP / 252 SpA / 96 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Thunderbolt
- Flash Cannon
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Fire]

Scizor @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EVs: 204 HP / 252 Atk / 52 Spe
Adamant Nature
IVs: 0 SpA
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Pursuit
- Superpower

Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 176 Def / 68 SpA / 16 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 Def
- Thunderbolt
- Roost
- Defog
- Hidden Power [Ice]

All coments welcome! :)

Thanks in advance.

 

[FlamingVictini]

Hey man,

One of the biggest threats I noticed to this team was Zard-X. It can potentially set-up easily on Zapdos, Magnezone, or Scizor locked into BP and just clean sweep your team. I felt like your use of TankChomp and Zapdos leaves you a little awkward against grounds and I also noticed wisp mons like sab can be a huge annoyance to you (you also have no dark resist e_e). I also felt like scizor was something that could be messed with too even though you seem to have liked what it has done.

First off, i'd recommend standard edge helmet lando-t > tankchomp. I think you already know what lando does and why I'd recommend it on this on the team, and even though you lose out on dtailing and rough skin, I think it brings a lot of benefits to the squads overall function and solidity.

Secondly, I would use Azumarill > Scizor (imo either choice banded or lum berry seem like fine options, just use what floats your boat and works best in testing). This still gives you a strong priority option and Azumarill's typing just gels with this squad, offering you a fire resist you just lost, and ways to threaten grounds and darks more directly. It also gives you another zard-x check which is great (your team is admittedly getting weaker to zard-y with the change to lando-t, however, so maybe you can try running some sdef on lando to tank fthrower in sun from full?).

Last change I had in mind may seem odd, but the more I think of it, the more I like Physical Tornadus-T (Itemless Acrobatics, Knock Off, Superpower, Substitute/U-Turn/Taunt/Other Filler) > Zapdos. It makes good use of mag and provides an interesting element of speed and pressure on a mon that an sponge hits due to regenerator and some natural bulk. Physical also lets you not mess with missing on zard-ys and subseed serps and allows you to better check bisharp (although obviously it isn't a counter by any means, just something that can win 1v1).

Also this might be an opinion thing, but I prefer LO Latios to Specs, especially on this team. LO gives you the flexibility to switch up moves, which seems nice when Tyranitar / Clefable are so ubiquitous, and heatran are nowadays speedy and pressured out by surf, allowing you to dent something hard with the appropriate move. The only reason I like specs here is because you can 2hko clefable and also don't suffer from LO Recoil, giving you the flexibility to not run roost. If you'd like the freedom to switch up moves, however, you could mess around with heal block > trick on a lo set. You'll obviously have a lot less longevity without roost however, meaning you likely won't be able to keep all 3 attacks and maintain a similar function. In this sense specs might be better, but I still feel like its a bit prediction reliant and only seems better on paper because ppl consider 1v1 situations on paper.

Anyway yeah that's all I got, hopefully I didn't change too much, lmk what you think! :D

e: oh also run enough speed on zone to outrun rotom-w

 

[Seth_]

Hey man,

One of the biggest threats I noticed to this team was Zard-X. It can potentially set-up easily on Zapdos, Magnezone, or Scizor locked into BP and just clean sweep your team. I felt like your use of TankChomp and Zapdos leaves you a little awkward against grounds and I also noticed wisp mons like sab can be a huge annoyance to you (you also have no dark resist e_e). I also felt like scizor was something that could be messed with too even though you seem to have liked what it has done.

First off, i'd recommend standard edge helmet lando-t > tankchomp. I think you already know what lando does and why I'd recommend it on this on the team, and even though you lose out on dtailing and rough skin, I think it brings a lot of benefits to the squads overall function and solidity.

Secondly, I would use Azumarill > Scizor (imo either choice banded or lum berry seem like fine options, just use what floats your boat and works best in testing). This still gives you a strong priority option and Azumarill's typing just gels with this squad, offering you a fire resist you just lost, and ways to threaten grounds and darks more directly. It also gives you another zard-x check which is great (your team is admittedly getting weaker to zard-y with the change to lando-t, however, so maybe you can try running some sdef on lando to tank fthrower in sun from full?).

Last change I had in mind may seem odd, but the more I think of it, the more I like Physical Tornadus-T (Itemless Acrobatics, Knock Off, Superpower, Substitute/U-Turn/Taunt/Other Filler) > Zapdos. It makes good use of mag and provides an interesting element of speed and pressure on a mon that an sponge hits due to regenerator and some natural bulk. Physical also lets you not mess with missing on zard-ys and subseed serps and allows you to better check bisharp (although obviously it isn't a counter by any means, just something that can win 1v1).

Also this might be an opinion thing, but I prefer LO Latios to Specs, especially on this team. LO gives you the flexibility to switch up moves, which seems nice when Tyranitar / Clefable are so ubiquitous, and heatran are nowadays speedy and pressured out by surf, allowing you to dent something hard with the appropriate move. The only reason I like specs here is because you can 2hko clefable and also don't suffer from LO Recoil, giving you the flexibility to not run roost. If you'd like the freedom to switch up moves, however, you could mess around with heal block > trick on a lo set. You'll obviously have a lot less longevity without roost however, meaning you likely won't be able to keep all 3 attacks and maintain a similar function. In this sense specs might be better, but I still feel like its a bit prediction reliant and only seems better on paper because ppl consider 1v1 situations on paper.

Anyway yeah that's all I got, hopefully I didn't change too much, lmk what you think! :D

e: oh also run enough speed on zone to outrun rotom-w

Thanks for reply!

Yeah, I'm well aware what zardX with roost can do to my team. However changes suggested by You make me weak to things like scizor and bisharp, both get SD and stomps on me.

I'm not huge fan of having only one psyhical spoonge without recovery (lando-t would get worn down extremly quickly).

And specs latioa also has some synergy with magnezone because most teams don't have psychic resist other than steel types so latios gets kill whenever it comes in.

Msableye get usualy dracoed turn 1 because people don't expect specs and want to get their mega asap.

However I think that your changes are reaonable (well you did not get those trophy for nothing) so I'll play with them.

 

[FlamingVictini]

Thanks for reply!

Yeah, I'm well aware what zardX with roost can do to my team. However changes suggested by You make me weak to things like scizor and bisharp, both get SD and stomps on me.

I'm not huge fan of having only one psyhical spoonge without recovery (lando-t would get worn down extremly quickly).

And specs latioa also has some synergy with magnezone because most teams don't have psychic resist other than steel types so latios gets kill whenever it comes in.

Msableye get usualy dracoed turn 1 because people don't expect specs and want to get their mega asap.

However I think that your changes are reaonable (well you did not get those trophy for nothing) so I'll play with them.

You have a magnezone, I don't see how scizor is a problem (fast superpower doesn't run roost so lando can beat it, anything else can only attempt to uturn out of a zone switch (which you aren't even pressured to do immediately becaus of lando). Bisharp is a threat for sure, its one reason I was considering colbur latios or something else over that torn slot if you feel to heavily threatened by it (heck if you want, keep zapdos and run heat wave), although I do feel you have the means to beat it (it shouldn't get an sd very easily, you can damage it into ajet range or play around sucker punch, and lando can tank a +1 hit if healthy), and I also feel its worth the tradeoff to become more solid vs a bunch of other threats. Not to mention, I think your original team is already weak to bisharp as it is because tankchomp is very prone to getting worn down quickly while trying to manage other threats that bisharp often pairs with and then you have a non-heat-wave zap that gets outrun by jolly sharp and takes 25% from a rocks switch-in as your only other answer to it, so imo you're not losing on much, although I definitely understand where you're coming from. Heck if you want, since you have an azumarill for zard-x, feel free to try out rocks taunt uturn eq gliscor since it can better take on bisharp for your team.

Also your team is very offensive so imo a physical sponge with recovery is a necessity. One of the reasons I suggested Azumarill is because the typing lets you sponge more hits from big threats and still dish back serious damage with priority options, while working well with zone. Furthermore your team should be working by exerting offensive pressure, so recovery shouldn't be a big deal imo.

Your team has a tankchomp as its rocker, which is easily defogged on by shed shell skarm or zapdos. Most teams that run Sableye won't be forced into getting off their mega quickly, and then your counterplay becomes a matter of hoping they will misplay with their sableye and not have fake out, which isn't very reliable.

That's just my take on it so go ahead with what you feel is best (I haven't played with the team and that can reveal a lot about how it works obviously). GL :D