My First acctual well thought out team

[DarthChocoboz]

Hello everyone, this is my second RMT here on Smogon and this is my first sort thought out team.
Team Building

So my first member of this team is my Machamp. The reason for machamp is that i wanted to make this team with machamp as i had retired him for a long time.

Next was another Pokemon i wanted use which is a life orb zapdos.

Next Up is my lucario as i've noticed people don't like facing fighting types and they can be a real pain.

Now i have two sweepers and one annoyer so now i need Stealth Rock,walland something really fast, walls generally set up stealth rock well, so i thought of pokemon i wanted to use that would be a special wall and a user of stealth rock.Tyranitar, Blissey and registeel. I opted for registeel as i don't want sand with tyranitar which would make zapdos take even more residual damage and then i don't like using blissey because i don't like it.So i opted for registeel.

Next i need a physical wall and a phazer so i went for suicune.

Next i wanted a scarfer and i didn't want to go with anything normal.Then i thought that i may want to put something to sleep so i looked pokes that could sleep stuff in OU and i had a choice between Breloom and Roserade and i opted for roserade as i had one.
The Team

@ Lum Berry
252 HP 240 ATK 16 SPEED
Adamant
Trait: No Guard
Dynamicpunch
Payback
Ice Punch
Bullet Punch

With lead machamp being so dominant lead azelf is pretty much an extinct species and with 16 speed i outpeed led machmp and all other machamps trying to outspeed lead machamp. with 252 HP he is still very bulky and can still take a hit.Wht i want from this guy is something dead. something confused and something hit with a bullet punch any more is great. rocks usually go up but only zapdos suffers from them.

Weaknesses: Psychic, Flying
Resistances: Dark, Bug, Rock

@ Leftovers
252 HP 248 DEF 8 SPEED
Bold
Trait: Pressure
Surf
Roar
Rest
Sleep Talk

My Phazer and physcial tank. Can usually tke 2-3 Hits before having to rest up and can deal damage with surf. In all fairness this is standard so not much to say here.

Weaknesses: Electric, Grass
Resistances: Steel, Water, Ice, Fire

@ Leftovers
252 HP 8 DEF 248 SP DEF
Careful
Trait: Pressure
Iron Head
Thunder Wave
Stealth Rock
Explosion

Special wall is what this thing was made for i can bring it in on any special move take it T-Wave it Set up rocks and either, save it,T-Wave a switch in or Explode on a treat if its there. Pretty self explanitory.

Weaknesses:Fire, Ground, Fighting
Resistances: Normal,Flying, Rock, Ice, Grass, Bug, Ghost, Steel,Psychic, Dragon, Dark, Poision

@ Life Orb
4 DEF 252 SP ATK 252 SPEED
Timid
Trait: Pressure
Thunderbolt
Heat Wave
Hidden Power Grass
Roost

My Main special attacker and the first part of two late game life orb sweepers.Pretty standard moves with HP Grass over Ice as i want Swampert gone i hate it so much, even though i have roserade it will just switch this way it has to check if i have it.Roost > Substitute because i don't want zapdos taking even more residual damage then he's already taking, especially if they bring sand.

Weaknesses:Rock,Ice
Resistances:Fighting,Flying, Bug, Steel, Grass, Ground

@ Choice Scarf
4 HP 252 SP ATK 252 SPEED
Timid
Trait: Natural Cure
Sleep Powder
Leaf Storm
Hidden Power Ground
Sludge Bomb

A Normal scarf revenger?No this guy is on my team to absorb toxic spikes, sleep stuff and take care of the thing that posses the biggest threat to me and that is Heatran, i can come in always be faster and HP Ground and its gone, Sludge Bomb is for celebi who comes in on roserade and i'd rather have the STAB on Sludge Bomb then shadow ball.

Weaknesses: Fire, Flying, Psychic, Ice
Resistances: Fighting, Grass, Electric, Water

@ Life Orb
4 DEF 252 ATK 252 SPEED
Adamant
Trait: Inner Focus
Close Combat
Extremespeed
Crunch
Swords Dance

My Late game sweeper i usually keep this guy till last as lucario is one of the most destructive sweepers in OU, some people sy he isn't but the versitality it can have and the sheer power of this et is too much.Crunch for dusknoir.Inner Focus because i want to hit ambipom not get a speed boost and die to priority.

Weaknesses:Fighting, Fire, Ground
Resistances: Normal, Rock, Bug, Ghost, Steel,Grass, Ice, Dragon, Dark, Poision.

Thats the team so please rate the team all advice is taken into account and mulled over by myself.

This space is for suggested team changes.​

 

[DarthChocoboz]

bump

 

[Fantom0]

Since you have no spinners/anti-leads, you should consider a replacement for Zapdos, something that doesn't lose 1/4 of its health every time it comes in. True, Roost helps, but something with more offense would be nice, as well as a neutality to SR. Try LO NPApe, which has Grass Knot to deal with Swampert super-easy, and can also outspeed and beat a lot of threats after just one NP. You don't have to listen, it was just a suggestion.

 

[DarthChocoboz]

Ape lacks the sheer raw power that zapdos can put on the opponent, usually you lose something against zapdos. And zapdos is the only SR Weak poke so i don't think stealth rock is too much of an issue

 

[hamiltonion]

Umm Darth a Hp ground from your roserade doesnt 100% OHKO heatran

Against a Scarftran it does 97.8% - 115.2%,
Against specially defensive tran it does 53.9% - 64.2% !!!!


sooo edit that.

 

[DarthChocoboz]

After SR.

 

[BKC]

Well, in all honesty, nowadays lead Machamp sucks. You have Heatran preparing for it with Specs/LO sets, Azelf preparing for it with CB/LO/Colbur sets, not to mention LumGross, who outright beats it, is popular as well. Plus the 16 Speed EVs you have is speed creep, and you never know when someone else is going to run the same amount/more EVs (I have a friend who runs 28). A somewhat unorthodox anti-lead I think you could use well is Gallade, who beats most common leads today.

Gallade @ Life Orb
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spe
Trait: Inner Focus
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Zen Headbutt
- Shadow Sneak
- Leaf Blade
- Swords Dance

Now, I don't see your Scarfed Roserade really doing anything for you. Being locked into Toxic Spikes is usually bad and is setup fodder for every sweeper in existence such as Swords Dance Lucario or Dragon Dance Dragonite, not to mention Toxic Spikes isn't the most useful entry hazard. Why not use Spikes Roserade? It works great with your Suicune and Lucario.

Roserade @ Leftovers
EVs: 240 HP / 252 SDef / 16 SAtk
Trait: Natural Cure
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Spikes
- Grass Knot
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Rest

Now even if you don't use SpikesRade, I think you should use Scarf Rotom-W to patch up your weakness to setup sweepers as well as spin blocking, the main reason to use it over Flygon. I'd use it over Zapdos since Rotom fills a similar role and that way you are losing as little as possible.

Rotom-W @ Choice Scarf
EVs: 252 HP / 40 SAtk / 216 Spe
Trait: Levitate
Timid Nature (+Spe, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Hydro Pump
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Trick

The speed allows you to outrun +1 Jolly DD Gyara and Dnite with the Scarf, while max HP lets you take a Hydro Pump from Starmie if the opponent uses that as opposed to Rapid Spin.

tl;dr
Lead Gallade > Lead Machamp
SpikesRade > Scarf T-Spikes Rade
Scarf Rotom-W > LO Zapdos

Good luck with the team.

 

[Mercy]

@ Above poster

Thats the SD Gallade set, this is the anti-lead set.

Gallade @ Life Orb
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly
- Close Combat
- Zen Headbutt
- Shadow Sneak
- Ice Punch / Stone Edge

Gallade should always be jolly or else you could be outrun and KOed by Specs Tran

And you could still keep lead Machamp but use Focus sash over Lum Berry. This will allow to beat any lead Heatran or Azelf (except Colbur which isnt that common).

Gl with the team.

 

[DarthChocoboz]

Thanks i'll try out the gallade but im going to drop zen headbutt for reasons stated by BKC that machamp isn't used and put leaf blade in its place as a choice of grass move.

I started this team on PO and i use A trick rotom wash with scarf but this is on wifi and i don't have the codes [i need the ones for britain and yes i tried googling] so i chose zapdos

My roserade doesn't have t-spikes but if i did drop it what would a bulky starmie with rapid spin surf recover HP grass do? HP grass because i will need grass moves and i don't want to get walled by starmie.....

 

[Mercy]

No you need to keep Zen Headbutt or you dont beat Machamp at all. And leaf blade is useless on Gallade. It gives no coverage and only beats Swampert, and you already have roserade for that.

 

[BKC]

@ Above poster

Thats the SD Gallade set, this is the anti-lead set.

Gallade @ Life Orb
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly
- Close Combat
- Zen Headbutt
- Shadow Sneak
- Ice Punch / Stone Edge

Gallade should always be jolly or else you could be outrun and KOed by Specs Tran

And you could still keep lead Machamp but use Focus sash over Lum Berry. This will allow to beat any lead Heatran or Azelf (except Colbur which isnt that common).

Gl with the team.

Oops, I mixed up the SD and anti-lead sets because I've seen SD as a slash on the anti-leads. Anyways yeah this is the set I meant to post, thanks Mercy.

 

[MasterX]

If you still like lead machamp, you can make it work. Take advantage of those changes that other leads have used. ALL leads(except the rare specs/LO heatran) that try to take out machamp use psychic typed attacks so what do you do? use a payapa berry(psychic resist berry). You do lose on the ability to absorb sleep inducing leads but thats where your suicune kicks in. You should change ice punch to stone edge because that gives you better overall coverage. Don't worry about colbur berry azelf, its predictable. It stealth rocks while you payback revealing it is a colbur berry azelf. It will try to explode which is when you can take the explosion with a ghost preferably the rotom w stated above or get a scarf gengar over roserade maybe? specs/LO heatran are pretty useless outside of machamp. You could beat it by switching to suicune to see if it has overheat but you can play around it which makes it not much of a threat. Focus sash is a overall bad alternative because you would lose too much health and machamp is near useless with SR down and slow speed at 1 health.

 

[DarthChocoboz]

Heatran is something i definatly have problems with which is why roserade is there with HP Ground, Gengar can use HP Ground to as Shadow Ball doesn't OHKO Ape after SR but thats from timid so maybe, it would also help me with celebi too

 

[Fantom0]

I love Machamp leads myself. I run max spd/max atk + Focus Sash with a set of Dynamic Punch, Ice Punch, Earthquake and Payback. It allows you to beat so much stuff Machamp couldn't otherwise beat: it outspeeds bulky Metagross and Heatran, which is great. Fighting + Dark gives you excellent coverage, and I myself am not missing Bullet Punch at all. Something to try out anyway.

 

[afterburn]

Threats

1. Dragon Dancers (Gyarados / Dragonite / Kingdra)
2. Mixed Dragonite
3. Swords Dance Lucario
4. Nasty Plot / Specially Based Infernape
5. Stall

I'd like to start off by saying that Dragon Dancers in general can pose a huge threat to the team, due to the lack of a potent revenge killer. These Dragon Dancers will be carrying powerful Physical Attacks, meaning the revenge killer of the team, Roserade won't be able to switch in and cripple the threat with ease due to its meager Physical Defense, as well as relying on a 70% Sleep Powder to incapacitate these DDers, which isn't the best way of handling them (Kindgra doesn't dgaf due to Chesto Berry). With that said Gyarados, Dragonite, and Kingdra can come in on a -2 Leaf Storm-locked Roserade, or after Sleep Clause is activate, Sleep Powder-locked Roserade, boost their Attack / Speed stats and rip through the team with boosted Waterfall / Stone Edge / Earthquake (Gyarados; which can use Taunt as well), Outrage / Extremespeed / Fire Punch (Offensive Dragonite) and a combination of Outrage / Waterfall (Chesto Kingdra). Mixed Dragonite can also find similar opportunities as its Dragon Dance brethren, and wreck havoc with Draco Meteor / Flamethrower / Superpower. Swords Dance Lucario can also find ample opportunities to set-up on Roserade's immune Sludge Bomb, or after Sleep Clause is active, its Sleep Powder, or -2 Leaf Storm. Lucario can then decimate the team with +2 Close Combat and Extremespeed alone. To a lesser extent due to the presence of Suicune, NP Infernape or Specially Based Infernape could come in on Roserade's Sleep Clause activated Sleep powder or -2 Leaf Storm, either set-up and begin ripping the team apart with +2 Fire Blast / Focus Blast or if its Specially mixed, begin havoc without any set-up; Roserade can revenge it, but can't directly switch into it taking massive amounts of damage. Finally, Stall can be quite a bit of a problem, especially basic Stall teams consisting of Hippowdon|Gyarados|Blissey|Rotom-H|Skarmory, which wall every member of the team and will force the team to succumb to residual damage in the end by keeping themselves healthy by shrugging off the attacks they wall.

Solutions:

• Solution A: Dual Spikes Roserade over current set

To be honest, I think a midgame Choice Scarf Roserade is a waste of Roserade's potential, as it has better things to do; Spike stacking is where Roserade really shines finding opportunities to check and/or set-up against Specially oriented threats such as Rotom-A, Suicune, Vaporeon, and Starmie. This Roserade will work as a supportive member to the team, checking troublesome Specially Offensive threats, laying down Toxic Spikes which help Suicune quite a bit, allowing it to take down entire teams if it's the last Pokemon standing in the team, as a great deal of teams have trouble with the combo of Crocune + Toxic Spikes. Lucario also benefits from this, as the Spikes and Toxic Spikes soften up grounded checks such as Hippowdon and Jirachi (Wish + CM variants), where they can be picked off by +2 Close Combat.

• Solution B: Choice Scarf Rotom-W over Zapdos

As BKC posted, Scarf Rotom-W remedies the problems with Dragon Dancers, Mixed Dragonite, Swords Dance Lucario, NP Infernape, etc. In addition to this you get a very sweet Spin Blocker, as well as a Trickster to function as an "oh-shit" button to cripple a myriad of stat uppers such as CM Jirachi. It also cripples Stall members, namely Blissey, who loves to switch into Rotom-W, but I have a better suggestion for Stall in mind with the upcoming suggestion...

• Solution C: Replace Machamp with Lum Berry Metagross, and Registeel with Specially Based Mixed Flygon

So far we've handled the threats of Dragon Dancers, SD Lucario, NP / Special Ape, and Mixed Nite; stall is still an annoying threat. Machamp has become widely popular so 90% of your opponents will know what's coming and their lead will most likely be built to take on Machamp, which kind of mitigates its Anti-Leading capabilities. Instead I think Lum Berry Metagross will work wonderfully in the lead spot. It sets up the ever important Stealth Rock early, and has excellent Lead Synergy with the rest of the team; Swampert, Infernape, and Heatran are the leads that trouble it the most, Roserade can use the former as set-up fodder for Spikes, and Suicune can handle the latter two Fire- types. Finally, I'd like to suggest Mixed Flygon over Registeel; Registeel looks misplaced on this team, and as a result slows down the team, and doesn't contribute anything new to the team either, everything it's meant to handle is already done so by the other members. Mixed Flygon however solves the issue with Stall teams, as well as being a remarkable partner in crime for Lucario. Physical walls, most notably, Swampert, Gliscor, and opposing Choice Scarf Flygon switch-in expecting a weak Earthquake, instead they are maimed by a very powerful Draco Meteor, which could pave the way for a Lucario sweep.

Optional Changes:

Due to the support of entry hazards, you could try out Agility Lucario on the team rather than Swords Dance Lucario. Agility Lucario is an unconventional threat in the metagame, as not many players prepare for it. With entry hazards set-up by Roserade and Flygon severely weakening Physically Defensive walls, Agility Lucario will be able to rip through teams even against dedicated Revenge Killers, such as Scarf Rotom-A and Scarf Flygon, due to outspeeding them. I also think you could try out a Calm Mind Roar set on Suicune which will abuse the hazards to its fullest. This will allow you beat opposing Calm mind Suicune with ease, making them eat hazard damage, while boosting your own stats.

Movesets:

Dual Spikes Roserade

Roserade (F) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SDef
Calm nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Stun Spore
- Spikes
- Toxic Spikes
- Grass Knot
---

Choice Scarf Rotom-W

Rotom-W @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spe OR 200 HP / 52 SAtk / 252 Spe
Timid Nature (+Spe, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Hydro Pump
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Trick
---

Lum Berry Metagross

Metagross @ Lum Berry
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 228 HP / 252 Atk / 28 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Stealth Rock
- Bullet Punch
- Explosion
- Meteor Mash
---

Specially Based Mixed Flygon

Flygon (F) @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SAtk / 252 Spe
Naive Nature (+Spe, -SDef)
- Draco Meteor
- Earthquake
- Fire Blast
- Roost
---
The 252 Speed EVs allow you to outspeed the standard LO Shaymin which carry Hidden Power Fire or Ice which gives them 30 Speed IV, so you can hit them with Fire Blast. If you feel this is not important, then by all means use 80 Atk / 252 SAtk / 176 Spe

So to summarize:

• Dual Spikes Roserade > Scarf Roserade
• Scarf Rotom-W > Zapdos
• Lum Metagross > Machamp
• Mixed Flygon > Registeel

GL