Introduction
Thanks for taking the time to check out this team - my first proper team since BW OU apart from some very brief dabbling when XY dropped. I have decided to play it safe with a balanced team to start off. My the meta has changed and I'm still learning every battle. Thanks again and without further ado...
The Team
Greninja-Ash @ Choice Specs
Ability: Battle Bond
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Water Shuriken
- Hydro Pump
- Dark Pulse
- U-turn
Not too much explanation required - a little boring but the thing is a straight up match winner. I'd be interested if anyone thinks Protean might be a better option..
Salamence @ Flyinium Z
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Outrage
- Fly
- Dragon Dance
- Earthquake
Very handy late game cleaner. I'm a little concerned its role overlaps with Greninja's a little but its won a fair few matches for me so far. Supersonic Skystrike hits like a truck and if its gets a DD off things can snowball very very quickly. Also serves as my major fighting resist for the time being.
Metagross-Mega @ Metagrossite
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Hammer Arm
- Bullet Punch
- Meteor Mash
- Zen Headbutt
Again little explanation required. This is just clearly the best Mega available right now. I've been using it early game a fair bit - even as a lead sometimes with pretty good results. I'm carrying bullet punch over ice punch almost exclusively for Pheromosa which is easily my biggest problem right now. Hits 69.9 - 82.2% on Phero with no defensive investment.
Heatran @ Grassium Z
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 6 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Magma Storm
- Stealth Rock
- Solar Beam
- Earth Power
Normally my lead - Heatran does a lot of things for my team. It can set rocks, trap and hit hard with fantastic coverage. Almost anything that threatens it can be checked by Tangrowth - fantastic synergy between these two. In games where I struggle its quite likely I lost Heatran early - fire is such a critical offensive typing.
Tangrowth @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
- Giga Drain
- Leech Seed
- Toxic
- Knock Off
I know Assault Vest is gaining popularity right now but I've opted for a more traditional Tangrowth thanks to the bulk of Chansey being present on my team. This thing is fantastic in the current meta - probably my MVP on this team thanks to how easy it is the switch in and out of and how many big threats it can check.
Chansey @ Eviolite
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD
Bold Nature
- Toxic
- Soft-Boiled
- Aromatherapy
- Seismic Toss
Maybe I'm still living in the past but Chansey still seems to fit on almost any team I dream up. Checks huge special attacking threats and supports my team nicely.
Conclusion:
So there it is - you can probably tell I'm still adjusting from a couple generations back! My biggest concern at the moment is Phero and fighting resistance in general. I'm thinking swapping out Chansey for something like Toxapex then shifting to an AV Tangrowth might be a solid option? Really just open to any recommendations and critiques on my current party right now to improve my play in SM OU. Thanks for reading!
Thanks for taking the time to check out this team - my first proper team since BW OU apart from some very brief dabbling when XY dropped. I have decided to play it safe with a balanced team to start off. My the meta has changed and I'm still learning every battle. Thanks again and without further ado...
The Team
Greninja-Ash @ Choice Specs
Ability: Battle Bond
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Water Shuriken
- Hydro Pump
- Dark Pulse
- U-turn
Not too much explanation required - a little boring but the thing is a straight up match winner. I'd be interested if anyone thinks Protean might be a better option..
Salamence @ Flyinium Z
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Outrage
- Fly
- Dragon Dance
- Earthquake
Very handy late game cleaner. I'm a little concerned its role overlaps with Greninja's a little but its won a fair few matches for me so far. Supersonic Skystrike hits like a truck and if its gets a DD off things can snowball very very quickly. Also serves as my major fighting resist for the time being.
Metagross-Mega @ Metagrossite
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Hammer Arm
- Bullet Punch
- Meteor Mash
- Zen Headbutt
Again little explanation required. This is just clearly the best Mega available right now. I've been using it early game a fair bit - even as a lead sometimes with pretty good results. I'm carrying bullet punch over ice punch almost exclusively for Pheromosa which is easily my biggest problem right now. Hits 69.9 - 82.2% on Phero with no defensive investment.
Heatran @ Grassium Z
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 6 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Magma Storm
- Stealth Rock
- Solar Beam
- Earth Power
Normally my lead - Heatran does a lot of things for my team. It can set rocks, trap and hit hard with fantastic coverage. Almost anything that threatens it can be checked by Tangrowth - fantastic synergy between these two. In games where I struggle its quite likely I lost Heatran early - fire is such a critical offensive typing.
Tangrowth @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
- Giga Drain
- Leech Seed
- Toxic
- Knock Off
I know Assault Vest is gaining popularity right now but I've opted for a more traditional Tangrowth thanks to the bulk of Chansey being present on my team. This thing is fantastic in the current meta - probably my MVP on this team thanks to how easy it is the switch in and out of and how many big threats it can check.
Chansey @ Eviolite
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD
Bold Nature
- Toxic
- Soft-Boiled
- Aromatherapy
- Seismic Toss
Maybe I'm still living in the past but Chansey still seems to fit on almost any team I dream up. Checks huge special attacking threats and supports my team nicely.
Conclusion:
So there it is - you can probably tell I'm still adjusting from a couple generations back! My biggest concern at the moment is Phero and fighting resistance in general. I'm thinking swapping out Chansey for something like Toxapex then shifting to an AV Tangrowth might be a solid option? Really just open to any recommendations and critiques on my current party right now to improve my play in SM OU. Thanks for reading!