SS OU Meteors of the Draco Variety (feat. Specs Dragalge + Zapdos-Galar core)

Introduction:

:(ss/dragalge): :(ss/kartana): :(ss/zapdos-galar): :(ss/slowking): :(ss/landorus-therian): :(ss/mandibuzz):


Hey all! I'm BoomFantastic, an average ladder player who occasionally posts halfway-decent teams here (which don't always get rated, but anyway). So, Dragalge has always been one of my absolute favorite Pokemon. Its real-life inspiration is gorgeous, the Poison/Dragon typing is really cool, and Adaptability ensures that it hits hard enough to find a niche in the upper tiers. Back in IoA, I recall seeing it frequently as it enjoyed its newfound access to Flip Turn making it an effective pivot, but I on the other hand was drawn in by the sheer power of Specs and Adaptability-boosted Draco Meteor, so I tried my hand at making it work in OU. Without further ado, let's get into the team:



Teambuilding Process:


:(Dragalge):

I started, obviously, with Dragalge. I briefly considered running the Pivot set with Black Sludge and Toxic Spikes, but I decided that there were much more effective pivots to use in OU. If I'm going to use the sea dragon, I have to make the most of its unique strengths. That meant using Choice Specs.

:(Dragalge): :(magnezone):

Next, I knew that I wanted to form a reliable core between Dragalge and something else to continue building the team around. In the previous gens, Magnezone was a commonly seen partner to Dragalge as it trapped and removed the Steels which Dragalge can't nail with its Poison/Dragon STAB. I thought of a Specs set at first, but the thought of having 2 slow Specs breakers on the same team didn't sit well with me. I tried the Iron Defense trapper set, but that proved to be way too niche and difficult to build around. However, Magnezone quickly dropped out of favor when I had a brilliant idea...

:(Dragalge): :(zapdos-galar):

Dragalge invites Steel-types in like nothing else. In earlier gens, this was a thorn in its side, but now that it has Flip Turn, I realised it could do an excellent job of luring those Steels and pivoting in a Fighting-type to smack them. Thus, I decided that the team would be built around the core of Dragalge + Zapdos.

:(dragalge): :(zapdos-galar): :(corviknight):

All it took was a brief glance to realise that Lele would have a field day killing this core, so I slotted specially defensive Corviknight onto the team.

:(dragalge): :(zapdos-galar): :(zapdos): :(melmetal):

Something in me thought that with the team's current direction, opposing Corviknight would be an issue as it had the potential to stand up to the Dragalge/Zapdos core (DragZap? DragZap.) I tried to remedy this by using Zapdos as my defogger, and using Assault Vest Melmetal to handle Lele.

:(dragalge): :(zapdos-galar): :(zapdos): :(melmetal): :(kartana):

I wanted some speed control and a wincon next, and I felt that Scarf Kartana fit this role, as it can snowball end-game with Beast Boost and it benefits greatly from opposing Steels getting shredded by the DragZap core.

:(dragalge): :(zapdos-galar): :(zapdos): :(melmetal): :(kartana): :(clefable):

The team needed a Rocker next, and I impulsively used Clefable since it also has useful utility in the form of Knock Off.

:(dragalge): :(zapdos-galar): :(zapdos): :(slowking): :(kartana): :(clefable):

I realized that the previous iteration of the team gets slaughtered by Nidoking, and the reliance on a special wall with zero recovery or pivoting was irking me, so I gave Melmetal's team slot to Slowking.

:(dragalge): :(zapdos-galar): :(mandibuzz): :(slowking): :(kartana): :(clefable):


At this point, the Dragapult matchup wasn't looking good (and I also embarrassingly forgot that Species Clause doesn't let you have 2 regional forms of the same Pokemon), so I swapped Zapdos for Mandibuzz. Admittedly, this makes the Lele matchup a little shakier, but Slowking always takes 2 specs Moonblasts from full, so it can stay in, Slack Off and pivot out into Zapdos or Kartana. Around this time, I also made an inventive change to my Dragalge set which will be detailed later.

:(dragalge): :(zapdos-galar): :(mandibuzz): :(slowking): :(kartana): :(landorus-therian):

Finally, I realised that the team had exactly zero Electric counterplay outside of Dragalge's resistance and naturally good Special Defense. Dragalge is very much not a wall though, so I swapped Clefable for defensive Landorus, as it offers the same utility of Rocks + Knock Off and completes the ever-reliable Mandi/Lando/King defensive core. Not having instant recovery sucks, but I'd rather not be 6-0'ed by any Electric attack stronger than Nuzzle.

Alright, now that I've covered the woes I suffered over 3 days trying to smooth out my rough edges, it's time for some more detail.



Team Details:

:(ss/Dragalge)::(Choice specs):
Dragalge @ Choice Specs

Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 68 HP / 252 SpA / 188 Spe
Modest Nature

- Draco Meteor
- Sludge Wave
- Thunderbolt / Toxic Spikes

- Flip Turn

The man, the myth, the legend himself. In case you're new to Dragalge and you don't know why I chose it over a myriad of powerful OU Dragons, well, it's simple: Thanks to the boost from Adaptability, you click Draco Meteor and delete something. Even specially defensive Heatran takes a hefty 38-44.8% from it, and standard Toxapex is always KO'ed after Rocks. And as for those Fairies that can take a Draco? They simply get obliterated by Sludge Wave. Between those two STABs, the only thing that can switch in comfortably is Steel-types. Now, the ubiquity of Steel-types would normally be a pretty huge issue, but Flip Turn allows you to turn the tables on them, as the Ferrothorn which thought it could comfortably switch in on Draco finds itself facing the fury of Zapdos' Close Combat. With Dragalge being such an excellent Steel lure, the core can work in tandem to demolish any Steels not named Corviknight and pave the way for a Kartana sweep later on.

The last moveslot would normally go to Focus Blast, which can theoretically hit those Steel-types on the switch, but I literally built the team around the Dragalge-Flip-Turn-into-Zapdos dynamic, and as Pinkacross puts it, "It's not even a move, it's just a reddish-brown box that gives you the illusion of Fighting-type coverage". Instead, I chose to use a tool from Dragalge's surprisingly colorful moveset: Thunderbolt. (Canonically it makes no sense for a seahorse to be using Thunderbolt, but this thing gets Play Rough so should I really be surprised?) I mentioned earlier how Corviknight could be problematic, but with Thunderbolt, instead of Flip Turning you have the option to stay in on the switch and net a guaranteed 2HKO (68.5-81% on the standard spread, 53-62.5% on the specially defensive spread). And that's where the odd EV spread comes into play: The 188 Speed EV's let you outpace Impish Corviknight by one point, and since most people expect Dragalge to be extremely slow, they'll try to Roost off the damage and lose their Corv to the second Thunderbolt. The remaining 68 EV's don't contribute here so I just put them in HP to help Dragalge stomach hits better.

The Thunderbolt tech is great for luring and removing Corviknight, but it's not the only option. Toxic Spikes, while not the best move to be locked into, helps apply even greater pressure on the opposing team, and it makes the synergy in the DragZap core even more amazing, as the opponent will have to choose between Defogging and risking my Zapdos getting a Defiant boost, or keeping the T-Spikes on the field and suffering their effects. Goes to show just how well Dragalge and Zapdos-G perform together. (A note about this though: If you choose to run Toxic Spikes, then outspeeding Corv is no longer necessary, so I would run a spread of 124 HP / 252 SpA / 132 Spe instead. This lets you outpace Clefable by one point so you don't get your Choice Specs knocked off.)


:(ss/zapdos-galar)::(choice band):

Zapdos-Galar @ Choice Band
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Thunderous Kick
- Close Combat

- Brave Bird
- U-turn


There's plenty of Fighting-types which could have been used to complete the core with Dragalge. Terrakion stood out in particular, as it hits even harder than Zapdos unboosted and has a great Speed tier to boot. However, I eventually decided on using the big orange bird for several reasons. First and foremost is Defiant. This ability synergizes extremely well with Toxic Spikes, but even if you're running the Thunderbolt tech, Defiant deters attempts to remove Stealth Rock and means that Zapdos benefits from opposing Landorus' Intimidate. Next is the fact that Zap-G has U-turn, which is great for scouting and keeping up momentum against predicted switches (Which, by the way, happen a lot since most Steels will run away screaming upon Zap's entry). And finally, Terrakion may hit very hard, but in a lot of situations you need to use a drawback-free STAB and Terrak isn't the best in that department. For example, against SubRoost Kyurem, Terrakion needs to rely on the inaccurate Stone Edge or Defense-lowering CC to break the Substitute, which leaves it vulnerable against Earth Power. Meanwhile, Zap-G can simply spam Thunderous Kick, eat a Freeze-Dry from full, and KO next turn or force it out. This situation is specific, I know, but the idea is that Zap is less risky to use and its access to Defiant and U-turn make it the superior option.

As for using this thing, it's relatively straightforward: Send in Dragalge, Flip Turn as your opponent sends in a Steel-type, then just click CC, BB, or U-turn back into Dragalge if you expect a wall to come in and drop a nice Draco. And if you manage to bring it in on Defog, that's usually a guaranteed KO on something after the Defiant boost. Just an excellent wallbreaker overall, and one which people really sleep on nowadays. It's great, give it a try sometime.


:(ss/kartana)::(choice scarf):
Kartana @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Sacred Sword
- Smart Strike
- Leaf Blade
- Knock Off


Revenge killer, speed control, sweeper extraordinaire; you gotta love Scarf Kart. (Unrelated, but I normally don't like using Scarfed pokemon as end-game sweepers due to their less-than-stellar damage output, but between its ludicrous 181 base attack and Beast Boost, Kartana does not face this issue at all.) I selected it for this team since it can do an excellent job cleaning up what remains of an opponent's team after the DragZap core is done pummeling their Steels and denting their Kart checks. That's pretty much its main role, but it also works well as a revenge killer and, when backed by Slowking's support, even a wallbreaker if need be. The moveset is standard; early-game you'll want to spam Knock Off to cripple switch-ins, late-game your goal should be to clean up via Leaf Blade. Strike and Sword are for Fairies and opposing Steels respectively. There's little else to say about Kart, we all know just how terrifying it can be at the end of the match when your last wall is at 30%.


:(ss/slowking)::(heavy-duty boots):
Slowking @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Scald
- Teleport
- Slack Off
- Future Sight


Now that we've covered the offensive half of the team, let's talk defense. Slowking has plenty of uses on this team. First, it's my go-to special wall and blanket check to special attackers such as the aforementioned Lele and Nidoking etc. Aside from the walling capabilities, it's also a great supporter. Teleport maneuvers Dragalge and Zapdos onto the field safely, and Sight is also greatly appreciated by them as it makes their damage-per-turn even scarier. That last fact makes Slowking worth its weight in gold in the Stall matchup, as many Stall pokemon could feasibly take an attack from DragZap, but with Sight in the equation they suddenly lose their ability to switch in and survive. The last two moves are completely standard; Scald can be used to fish for Burns when needed and Slack Off is nice instant recovery. There isn't really anything unique about this Slowking, but this team has plenty of uniqueness already, and when it comes to sturdy, reliable special walls / pivots, it's hard to do better than Slowking.


:(ss/mandibuzz)::(heavy-duty boots):
Mandibuzz (F) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 248 HP / 116 Def / 144 SpD
Impish Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Foul Play
- Defog
- Roost

- Toxic


Ah, Mandibuzz. Seems like every other team I use has this on it, but it's quite reliable so I suppose that shouldn't come as a surprise. It serves as a physical wall and hazard remover, and alongside Lando it checks most of the tier's physical attackers such as Garchomp. Item choice and moves are mostly standard; Boots and Defog are self-explanatory, Roost provides instant recovery (In case I didn't make it clear the last 3 times I mentioned it, I really like immediate recovery on my defensive mons), and Foul Play is used handle setup sweepers such as the aforementioned Garchomp and SD Kartana. Not using Knock Off doesn't really matter here since we already have 2 users of that move. The last slot goes to Toxic, and although I would have loved to use U-turn here, Toxic is necessary or else Volcarona pretty much stomps on the team. It also helps with wearing down poison-susceptible walls like opposing Mandibuzz, but really its main target is Volc.


:(ss/landorus-therian)::(leftovers):
Landorus-Therian (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP / 212 Def / 48 Spe
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
- U-turn


Speaking of Pokemon which you can't seem to escape when teambuilding, SmogonLion himself arrives to provide an Electric immunity, hazards, physical defense and utility in the form of U-turn and Knock Off. I don't think this guy needs much of a detailed explanation; Stealth Rock supports the breakers and provides Zapdos with opportunities to activate Defiant, Knock Off cripples switch-ins and makes them easier to deal with later, U-turn keeps up momentum and brings Dragalge and Zapdos onto the field, and Earthquake is strong, reliable STAB which hits things like Heatran, Melmetal, Excadrill, Garchomp at -1 etc. The EV spread is bulkier than the standard one, but with Magearna not being in the tier anymore, the niche of hitting 254 speed isn't that valuable anymore so we have enough to hit 230 with the rest dumped into bulk. The item choice is a toss-up, since Rocky Helmet is a perfectly viable option to punish U-turn attempts and other contact moves. However, I personally lean more towards the passive recovery provided by Leftovers.


Usage Tips:

This team plays like your average Offense team, really. It does have a solid defensive backbone, but it's far from being a Stall team so don't play it as such. Your goal should be to punch as many holes in the opponent's team as possible using DragZap to clean up with Kartana, and falling back on the Mandi/Lando/King core when you need to. If Dragalge has Thunderbolt and your opponent has Corviknight, use the surprise factor of the 188 Spe EV's to eliminate it (although, if this post gets any attention I guess it won't be as surprising anymore). With Toxic Spikes however, you definitely want them up if your opponent's team is weak to them; you'll either benefit from their team getting worn down for the Kart sweep or you'll get an opportunity to get Zapdos to 1047 Attack. Against Stall, use Slowking's Sight support + Dragalge and Zapdos to break. Even Specially Defensive Pex will crumble to Meteor + Sight from full HP, so go wild. Be careful when positioning Dragalge; its still extremely slow by attacker standards so you'll want to bring it in against slower walls where it's free to fire off a Draco or Sludge Wave. I can't really provide more advice other than generic stuff, so if you want more usage tips you could read through posts like this one or check the Replays.


Threatlist:

:(kyurem):
We have no switch-ins to Specs Freeze-Dry, so Kyurem can be difficult to handle, but with aggressive play its danger can be limited. Leading with Kart if you see this isn't a bad idea, as you'll scare out the Kyu if it was chosen as a lead and you'll get a Knock Off on something. Slowking can't switch in on Specs Freeze-Dry, but it stomachs Ice Beam and walls the Scarf sets.

:(Weavile):
Uncommon, but threatening. You can handle Banded sets by pivoting around with Mandi and Slowking, but against SD your best bet is to sack your least valuable member in that battle and force it out / KO with Kartana.

:(Barraskewda):
The fact that half the team resists Water eases the Rain matchup slightly, but a well-played Skewda can run swim circles around you. If it's a consistent threat, then changing the Slowking spread to 252 HP / 152 Def / 104 SpD can help you, but otherwise try to play carefully around Rain and keep Barra from coming in and getting a KO. In a pinch, Dragalge lives any attack outside of Psychic Fangs and KO'es in return.

:(Volcarona):
This is why Toxic on Mandibuzz is a thing. Keep it at decently high HP in preparation or Volc sweeps without breaking a sweat.

:(Corviknight):
The standard Defog set isn't the worst thing to handle, as it can be overwhelmed; however, Sub + Bulk Up sets can be a disaster if left unchecked. This is why I like the Thunderbolt tech on Dragalge so much, as it nets a surprise 2HKO, but otherwise play aggressively to keep it from setting up. Zapdos does 68.2-80.5% with Close Combat, and if you bring it down to ~30%, Kartana's Sword will ignore the defense boosts and KO from that range.

(if there's other pokemon that pose a massive threat, be sure to let me know.)

Replays:

~(coming soon)~

(Apologies for the lack of replays but I'm currently on a break from laddering for school reasons. Once I've accumulated a few good ones, I'll be sure to post them.)



Importable:

(Thunderbolt version) (Toxic Spikes version)


Outro:

Thanks for reading this far! I enjoyed making this team, and although I haven't had much time to put it to the test lately, I think I did pretty well with this one (compared to my normally mediocre squads). But as always, I greatly appreciate any suggested improvements!
(And shoutout to Pinkacross. Your teambuilding style was a huge inspiration here, and I'm sorry if the team is too similar to your Alolachu Offense lol. Patiently awaiting the revamped Hail team!)​
 
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I usually don't comment, but I feel compelled to congratulate you on this. The teambuilding process is extremely well thought-out, the set descriptions are thorough, and the thread in general is beautiful. The idea of using Dragalge as a Fighting lure is incredibly cool. I was just looking at using a Dragalge myself, though I didn't consider a Specs set. Dragalge has 44 speed, which means with minimum speed investment and a - speed nature it can slow-flip on Toxapex. I was considering running a defensive variant with a few tricks up its sleeve. This build does a great job on Specs Dragapult, but I believe it has defensive potential as well. I would love to collaborate with you to work on this other Dragalge team, if you're willing. Also, the hail should be out sometime tomorrow. Once again, awesome thread! :)
 
Introduction:

:(ss/dragalge): :(ss/kartana): :(ss/zapdos-galar): :(ss/slowking): :(ss/landorus-therian): :(ss/mandibuzz):


Hey all! I'm BoomFantastic, an average ladder player who occasionally posts halfway-decent teams here (which don't always get rated, but anyway). So, Dragalge has always been one of my absolute favorite Pokemon. Its real-life inspiration is gorgeous, the Poison/Dragon typing is really cool, and Adaptability ensures that it hits hard enough to find a niche in the upper tiers. Back in IoA, I recall seeing it frequently as it enjoyed its newfound access to Flip Turn making it an effective pivot, but I on the other hand was drawn in by the sheer power of Specs and Adaptability-boosted Draco Meteor, so I tried my hand at making it work in OU. Without further ado, let's get into the team:



Teambuilding Process:


:(Dragalge):

I started, obviously, with Dragalge. I briefly considered running the Pivot set with Black Sludge and Toxic Spikes, but I decided that there were much more effective pivots to use in OU. If I'm going to use the sea dragon, I have to make the most of its unique strengths. That meant using Choice Specs.

:(Dragalge): :(magnezone):

Next, I knew that I wanted to form a reliable core between Dragalge and something else to continue building the team around. In the previous gens, Magnezone was a commonly seen partner to Dragalge as it trapped and removed the Steels which Dragalge can't nail with its Poison/Dragon STAB. I thought of a Specs set at first, but the thought of having 2 slow Specs breakers on the same team didn't sit well with me. I tried the Iron Defense trapper set, but that proved to be way too niche and difficult to build around. However, Magnezone quickly dropped out of favor when I had a brilliant idea...

:(Dragalge): :(zapdos-galar):

Dragalge invites Steel-types in like nothing else. In earlier gens, this was a thorn in its side, but now that it has Flip Turn, I realised it could do an excellent job of luring those Steels and pivoting in a Fighting-type to smack them. Thus, I decided that the team would be built around the core of Dragalge + Zapdos.

:(dragalge): :(zapdos-galar): :(corviknight):

All it took was a brief glance to realise that Lele would have a field day killing this core, so I slotted specially defensive Corviknight onto the team.

:(dragalge): :(zapdos-galar): :(zapdos): :(melmetal):

Something in me thought that with the team's current direction, opposing Corviknight would be an issue as it had the potential to stand up to the Dragalge/Zapdos core (DragZap? DragZap.) I tried to remedy this by using Zapdos as my defogger, and using Assault Vest Melmetal to handle Lele.

:(dragalge): :(zapdos-galar): :(zapdos): :(melmetal): :(kartana):

I wanted some speed control and a wincon next, and I felt that Scarf Kartana fit this role, as it can snowball end-game with Beast Boost and it benefits greatly from opposing Steels getting shredded by the DragZap core.

:(dragalge): :(zapdos-galar): :(zapdos): :(melmetal): :(kartana): :(clefable):

The team needed a Rocker next, and I impulsively used Clefable since it also has useful utility in the form of Knock Off.

:(dragalge): :(zapdos-galar): :(zapdos): :(slowking): :(kartana): :(clefable):

I realized that the previous iteration of the team gets slaughtered by Nidoking, and the reliance on a special wall with zero recovery or pivoting was irking me, so I gave Melmetal's team slot to Slowking.

:(dragalge): :(zapdos-galar): :(mandibuzz): :(slowking): :(kartana): :(clefable):


At this point, the Dragapult matchup wasn't looking good, so I swapped Zapdos for Mandibuzz. Admittedly, this makes the Lele matchup a little shakier, but Slowking always takes 2 specs Moonblasts from full, so it can stay in, Slack Off and pivot out into Zapdos or Kartana. Around this time, I also made an inventive change to my Dragalge set which will be detailed later.

:(dragalge): :(zapdos-galar): :(mandibuzz): :(slowking): :(kartana): :(landorus-therian):

Finally, I realised that the team had exactly zero Electric counterplay outside of Dragalge's resistance and naturally good Special Defense. Dragalge is very much not a wall though, so I swapped Clefable for defensive Landorus, as it offers the same utility of Rocks + Knock Off and completes the ever-reliable Mandi/Lando/King defensive core. Not having instant recovery sucks, but I'd rather not be 6-0'ed by any Electric attack stronger than Nuzzle.

Alright, now that I've covered the woes I suffered over 3 days trying to smooth out my rough edges, it's time for some more detail.



Team Details:

:(ss/Dragalge)::(Choice specs):
Dragalge @ Choice Specs

Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 68 HP / 252 SpA / 188 Spe
Modest Nature

- Draco Meteor
- Sludge Wave
- Thunderbolt / Toxic Spikes

- Flip Turn

The man, the myth, the legend himself. In case you're new to Dragalge and you don't know why I chose it over a myriad of powerful OU Dragons, well, it's simple: Thanks to the boost from Adaptability, you click Draco Meteor and delete something. Even specially defensive Heatran takes a hefty 38-44.8% from it, and standard Toxapex is always KO'ed after Rocks. And as for those Fairies that can take a Draco? They simply get obliterated by Sludge Wave. Between those two STABs, the only thing that can switch in comfortably is Steel-types. Now, the ubiquity of Steel-types would normally be a pretty huge issue, but Flip Turn allows you to turn the tables on them, as the Ferrothorn which thought it could comfortably switch in on Draco finds itself facing the fury of Zapdos' Close Combat. With Dragalge being such an excellent Steel lure, the core can work in tandem to demolish any Steels not named Corviknight and pave the way for a Kartana sweep later on.

The last moveslot would normally go to Focus Blast, which can theoretically hit those Steel-types on the switch, but I literally built the team around the Dragalge-Flip-Turn-into-Zapdos dynamic, and as Pinkacross puts it, "It's not even a move, it's just a reddish-brown box that gives you the illusion of Fighting-type coverage". Instead, I chose to use a tool from Dragalge's surprisingly colorful moveset: Thunderbolt. (Canonically it makes no sense for a seahorse to be using Thunderbolt, but this thing gets Play Rough so should I really be surprised?) I mentioned earlier how Corviknight could be problematic, but with Thunderbolt, instead of Flip Turning you have the option to stay in on the switch and net a guaranteed 2HKO (68.5-81% on the standard spread, 53-62.5% on the specially defensive spread). And that's where the odd EV spread comes into play: The 188 Speed EV's let you outpace Impish Corviknight by one point, and since most people expect Dragalge to be extremely slow, they'll try to Roost off the damage and lose their Corv to the second Thunderbolt. The remaining 68 EV's don't contribute here so I just put them in HP to help Dragalge stomach hits better.

The Thunderbolt tech is great for luring and removing Corviknight, but it's not the only option. Toxic Spikes, while not the best move to be locked into, helps apply even greater pressure on the opposing team, and it makes the synergy in the DragZap core even more amazing, as the opponent will have to choose between Defogging and risking my Zapdos getting a Defiant boost, or keeping the T-Spikes on the field and suffering their effects. Goes to show just how well Dragalge and Zapdos-G perform together. (A note about this though: If you choose to run Toxic Spikes, then outspeeding Corv is no longer necessary, so I would run a spread of 124 HP / 252 SpA / 132 Spe instead. This lets you outpace Clefable by one point so you don't get your Choice Specs knocked off.)


:(ss/zapdos-galar)::(choice band):

Zapdos-Galar @ Choice Band
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Thunderous Kick
- Close Combat

- Brave Bird
- U-turn


There's plenty of Fighting-types which could have been used to complete the core with Dragalge. Terrakion stood out in particular, as it hits even harder than Zapdos unboosted and has a great Speed tier to boot. However, I eventually decided on using the big orange bird for several reasons. First and foremost is Defiant. This ability synergizes extremely well with Toxic Spikes, but even if you're running the Thunderbolt tech, Defiant deters attempts to remove Stealth Rock and means that Zapdos benefits from opposing Landorus' Intimidate. Next is the fact that Zap-G has U-turn, which is great for scouting and keeping up momentum against predicted switches (Which, by the way, happen a lot since most Steels will run away screaming upon Zap's entry). And finally, Terrakion may hit very hard, but in a lot of situations you need to use a drawback-free STAB and Terrak isn't the best in that department. For example, against SubRoost Kyurem, Terrakion needs to rely on the inaccurate Stone Edge or Defense-lowering CC to break the Substitute, which leaves it vulnerable against Earth Power. Meanwhile, Zap-G can simply spam Thunderous Kick, eat a Freeze-Dry from full, and KO next turn or force it out. This situation is specific, I know, but the idea is that Zap is less risky to use and its access to Defiant and U-turn make it the superior option.

As for using this thing, it's relatively straightforward: Send in Dragalge, Flip Turn as your opponent sends in a Steel-type, then just click CC, BB, or U-turn back into Dragalge if you expect a wall to come in and drop a nice Draco. And if you manage to bring it in on Defog, that's usually a guaranteed KO on something after the Defiant boost. Just an excellent wallbreaker overall, and one which people really sleep on nowadays. It's great, give it a try sometime.


:(ss/kartana)::(choice scarf):
Kartana @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Sacred Sword
- Smart Strike
- Leaf Blade
- Knock Off


Revenge killer, speed control, sweeper extraordinaire: you gotta love Scarf Kart. (Unrelated, but I normally don't like using Scarfed pokemon as end-game sweepers due to their less-than-stellar damage output, but between its ludicrous 181 base attack and Beast Boost, Kartana does not face this issue at all.) I selected it for this team since it can do an excellent job cleaning up what remains of an opponent's team after the DragZap core is done pummeling their Steels and denting their Kart checks. That's pretty much its main role, but it also works well as a revenge killer and, when backed by Slowking's support, even a wallbreaker if need be. The moveset is standard; early-game you'll want to spam Knock Off to cripple switch-ins, late-game your goal should be to clean up via Leaf Blade. Strike and Sword are for Fairies and opposing Steels respectively. There's little else to say about Kart, we all know just how terrifying it can be at the end of the match when your last wall is at 30%.


:(ss/slowking)::(heavy-duty boots):
Slowking @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Scald
- Teleport
- Slack Off
- Future Sight


Now that we've covered the offensive half of the team, let's talk defense. Slowking has plenty of uses on this team. First, it's my go-to special wall and blanket check to special attackers such as the aforementioned Lele and Nidoking etc. Aside from the walling capabilities, it's also a great supporter. Teleport maneuvers Dragalge and Zapdos onto the field safely, and Sight is also greatly appreciated by them as it makes their damage-per-turn even scarier. That last fact makes Slowking worth its weight in gold in the Stall matchup, as many Stall pokemon could feasibly take an attack from DragZap, but with Sight in the equation they suddenly lose their ability to switch in and survive. The last two moves are completely standard; Scald can be used to fish for Burns when needed and Slack Off is nice instant recovery. There isn't really anything unique about this Slowking, but this team has plenty of uniqueness already, and when it comes to sturdy, reliable special walls / pivots, it's hard to do better than Slowking.


:(ss/mandibuzz)::(heavy-duty boots):
Mandibuzz (F) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 248 HP / 116 Def / 144 SpD
Impish Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Foul Play
- Defog
- Roost

- Toxic


Ah, Mandibuzz. Seems like every other team I use has this on it, but it's quite reliable so I suppose that shouldn't come as a surprise. It serves as a physical wall and hazard remover, and alongside Lando it checks most of the tier's physical attackers such as Garchomp. Item choice and moves are mostly standard; Boots and Defog are self-explanatory, Roost provides instant recovery (In case I didn't make it clear the last 3 times I mentioned it, I really like immediate recovery on my defensive mons), and Foul Play is used handle setup sweepers such as the aforementioned Garchomp and SD Kartana. Not using Knock Off doesn't really matter here since we already have 2 users of that move. The last slot goes to Toxic, and although I would have loved to use U-turn here, Toxic is necessary or else Volcarona pretty much stomps on the team. It also helps with wearing down poison-susceptible walls like opposing Mandibuzz, but really its main target is Volc.


:(ss/landorus-therian)::(leftovers):
Landorus-Therian (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP / 212 Def / 48 Spe
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
- U-turn


Speaking of Pokemon which you can't seem to escape when teambuilding, SmogonLion himself arrives to provide an Electric immunity, hazards, physical defense and utility in the form of U-turn and Knock Off. I don't think this guy needs much of a detailed explanation; Stealth Rock supports the breakers and provides Zapdos with opportunities to activate Defiant, Knock Off cripples switch-ins and makes them easier to deal with later, U-turn keeps up momentum and brings Dragalge and Zapdos onto the field, and Earthquake is strong, reliable STAB which hits things like Heatran, Melmetal, Excadrill, Garchomp at -1 etc. The EV spread is bulkier than the standard one, but with Magearna not being in the tier anymore, the niche of hitting 254 speed isn't that valuable anymore so we have enough to hit 230 with the rest dumped into bulk. The item choice is a toss-up, since Rocky Helmet is a perfectly viable option to punish U-turn attempts and other contact moves. However, I personally lean more towards the passive recovery provided by Leftovers.


Brief Tips:

This team plays like your average Offense team, really. It does have a solid defensive backbone, but it's far from being a Stall team so don't play it as such. Your goal should be to punch as many holes in the opponent's team as possible using DragZap to clean up with Kartana, and falling back on the Mandi/Lando/King core when you need to. If Dragalge has Thunderbolt and your opponent has Corviknight, use the surprise factor of the 188 Spe EV's to eliminate it (although, if this post gets any attention I guess it won't be as surprising anymore). With Toxic Spikes however, you definitely want them up if your opponent's team is weak to them; you'll either benefit from their team getting worn down for the Kart sweep or you'll get an opportunity to get Zapdos to 1047 Attack. Against Stall, use Slowking's Sight support + Dragalge and Zapdos to break. Even Specially Defensive Pex will crumble to Meteor + Sight from full HP, so go wild. Be careful when positioning Dragalge; its still extremely slow by attacker standards so you'll want to bring it in against slower walls where it's free to fire off a Draco or Sludge Wave. I can't really provide more advice other than generic stuff, so if you want more usage tips you could read through posts like this one or check the Replays.


Threatlist:

:(kyurem):
We have no switch-ins to Specs Freeze-Dry, so Kyurem can be difficult to handle, but with aggressive play its danger can be limited. Leading with Kart if you see this isn't a bad idea, as you'll scare out the Kyu if it was chosen as a lead and you'll get a Knock Off on something. Slowking can't switch in on Specs Freeze-Dry, but it stomachs Ice Beam and walls the Scarf sets.

:(Weavile):
Uncommon, but threatening. You can handle Banded sets by pivoting around with Mandi and Slowking, but against SD your best bet is to sack your least valuable member in that battle and force it out / KO with Kartana.

:(Barraskewda):
The fact that half the team resists water eases the Rain matchup slightly, but a well-played Skewda can run swim circles around you. If it's a consistent threat, then changing the Slowking spread to 252 HP / 152 Def / 104 SpD can help you, but otherwise try to play carefully around Rain and keep Barra from coming in and getting a KO. In a pinch, Dragalge lives any attack outside of Psychic Fangs and KO'es in return.

:(Volcarona):
This is why Toxic on Mandibuzz is a thing. Keep it at decently high HP in preparation or it sweeps without breaking a sweat.

:(Corviknight):
The standard Defog set isn't the worst thing to handle, as it can be overwhelmed; however, Sub + Bulk Up sets can be a disaster if left unchecked. This is why I like the Thunderbolt tech on Dragalge so much, as it nets a surprise 2HKO, but otherwise play aggressively to keep it from setting up. Zapdos does 68.2-80.5% with Close Combat, and if you bring it down to ~30%, Kartana's Sword will ignore the defense boosts and KO from that range.

(if there's other pokemon that pose a massive threat, be sure to let me know.)

REPLAYS:

~(coming soon)~

(Apologies for the lack of replays but I'm currently on a break from laddering for school reasons. Once I've accumulated a few good ones, I'll be sure to post them.)



Importable:

(Thunderbolt tech version) (Toxic Spikes version)


Outro:

Thanks for reading this far! I enjoyed making this team, and although I haven't had much time to put it to the test lately, I think I did pretty well with this one (compared to my normally mediocre squads). But as always, I greatly appreciate any suggested improvements!
(And shoutout to Pinkacross. Your teambuilding style was a big inspiration here, and I'm sorry if the team is too similar to your Alolachu Offense lol. Patiently awaiting the revamped Hail team!)​
BoomFantastic has received an invitation from the almighty one, all hail the pink bug

:Smogjynx:
 
This is a rly cool team! Question though, how'd you put Zap-K and Zap-G on the same team? Doesn't it break the species clause? (I know it didn't make the final cut but I'm still bamboozled.)
Hey, thanks for inquiring! You're correct, it would have triggered species clause, but admittedly that slipped my mind. However, as you saw in the Zapdos-G description, there were plenty of Fighting-type options on the table, so in the earlier stages of the team Zap-G was pretty much just a placeholder for the spot of "Fighting-type breaker". If Zapdos-K did make the cut, I'd have used Terrakion or maybe even Urshifu-R, but it's a good thing I settled on Mandi as a defogger because the synergy between Dragalge and Zap-G is too good to pass up.
 
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