New player HO team

[miguel345]

I'm new to the Showdown meta and been enjoying this team. Been stagnant at around 1200 ladder. Open to any advice and feel free to point out any glaring weaknesses in my team.

Meowscarada @ Focus Sash
Ability: Overgrow
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Spikes
- Taunt
- Knock Off
- Leaf Storm
I'm using the Meowscarada Lead build to get spikes to pressure the opponent. There's also taunt since you likely outspeed other leads e.g. Garchomp, Quagsire so I can sometimes Taunt turn 1 then get 2 spikes up. Leaf storm is for Great tusk matchup because in my experience, it OHKOs if it doesn't miss. Not sure if I should replace this lead with a screen setter like Grimmsnarl though.

Iron Valiant @ Booster Energy
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Moonblast
- Close Combat
- Thunderbolt
- Psyshock
I'm using the mixed build for Iron valiant because I don't like being locked into one move since he serves as my late game sweeper since it usually outspeeds everything. It's also resists kingambit' sucker punch late game as well.
Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Volt Switch
- Thunder Wave
- Protect
Rotom is my main pivot mon. Really good into tusk, and the common fire types.
Dragapult @ Choice Band
Ability: Infiltrator
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Darts
- Phantom Force
- Tera Blast
- U-turn
I like Dragapult choice band but I really don't like the phantom force move. It just never really feels good. I put in Fire tera blast for corviknight and amoonguss.
Volcarona @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Flame Body
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Quiver Dance
- Fiery Dance
- Bug Buzz
- Psychic
Volcarona seems really since you can usually get off a quiver dance and then you can sweep with your coverage moves. I do get walled by skeledirge though.
Corviknight @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Impish Nature
- Brave Bird
- U-turn
- Roost
- Defog
Corviknight is another defensive pivot on my team. It has tera water to get rid of its fire weakness.
Feel free to comment on my team and overall structure in general. I'm new so any advice is appreciated.

 

[Motor Hawk]

Your team is a little confusing. You say HO but your team isn't really HO.
So, with that in mind, I am going to try and gear your team more toward HO with little tweaks... Take it or leave it.

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Tusk will help gear you more toward an HO play-style over meow. Meow is good as a lead, but rotom helps fit this role better on an HO team for quick pivot action (see below) and tusk has more added power behind it.

The Tusk (Great Tusk) @ heavy-duty boots
Ability: Protosynthesis
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Headlong Rush
- Close Combat
- Rapid Spin
- Knock Off

Now you have a very strong knock-off abuser, the ability to gain a +1 speed with rapid spin, and two EXTREMELY strong moves that no mon really wants to switch into. If you find yourself needing more bulk, however, then check out the set below...

John no Loo (Great Tusk) @ Leftovers
Ability: Protosynthesis
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Def / 4 SpD / 252 Hp / 252Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Headlonging Rush
- Close Combat
- Rapid Spin
- Knock Off/ bulk up

Bulk-up is more for a wincon tusk while knock-off is good for switches. But here you can sponge up physical attacks while responding in kind with strong attacks of your own or bulking up for more devastating power.

I suggest the first build, especially on a HO team.

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Everything else is minor tweaks.



Giving your rotom a choice scarf hear allows you to pivot easier and gears your team more towards HO. It also adds a nice speed checker. I would also suggest then swapping protect for trick (to cripple) and Thunderwave for Will-o-wisp (for more cippling but this one is really up to you). You have fast mons as is so Thunderwave doesn't seem totally necessary.



I agree, I don't like phantom force either. What I will usually run and suggest you try out is tera ghost for super strong ghost tera blasts and either sucker punch or psychic fangs in replace for phantom force. Sucker punch can help you out in a pinch if you find yourself getting run over by speed-boosting mons while psychic fangs help deal with things like tusk, AV pex, amoongus, etc. (This is on switch-ins mostly. Psychic fangs isn't foolproof).



If you are going to run volcarona, try using the standard set that has made circulation.

The Volc (Volcarona) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Flame Body
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 248 HP / 108 SpA / 152 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Quiver Dance
- Fiery Dance
- Giga Drain
- Tera Blast

This helps with your fire-type weaknesses, gives you recovery, and still allows you to boost with quiver dance/ fiery dance.



Finally, since tusk acts as a better hazard remover, corv has a free slot. I would suggest either adding body press for more coverage, OR you can run bulk-up to turn corv into a potential wincon and demon (granted your opponent can't have any strong special attackers left). If you are going to run the body press route, your EV spread is fine. However, if you want to try running with bulk-up, swap your spread over to EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 SpD with a Careful Nature. I have had good success with spd corv/ bulk up. I am also in favor of tera flying but that's really up to you. Tera water might be better considering your team. Body press corv is better with fast Tusk, bulk-up corv is better with the latter Tusk IMO.

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I hope this helps. Above all else, especially if you're new, watch some high ELO games (1700+). There's usually one or two playing and it'll help you gauge what teams the good players are using and how they play the game. Really it's about playing the game and tweaking little by little until you have a whole new team, and then repeating... ;)

 

[Max op boy]

Here’s a tip or two (not for the team but for the forum)
do

:pikachu:

to get also you can do

:sv/pikachu:

to get
also try using coulors to make it more easy to read like this blue text

 

[miguel345]

Your team is a little confusing. You say HO but your team isn't really HO.
So, with that in mind, I am going to try and gear your team more toward HO with little tweaks... Take it or leave it.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-->

Tusk will help gear you more toward an HO play-style over meow. Meow is good as a lead, but rotom helps fit this role better on an HO team for quick pivot action (see below) and tusk has more added power behind it.

The Tusk (Great Tusk) @ heavy-duty boots
Ability: Protosynthesis
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Headlong Rush
- Close Combat
- Rapid Spin
- Knock Off

Now you have a very strong knock-off abuser, the ability to gain a +1 speed with rapid spin, and two EXTREMELY strong moves that no mon really wants to switch into. If you find yourself needing more bulk, however, then check out the set below...

John no Loo (Great Tusk) @ Leftovers
Ability: Protosynthesis
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Def / 4 SpD / 252 Hp / 252Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Headlonging Rush
- Close Combat
- Rapid Spin
- Knock Off/ bulk up

Bulk-up is more for a wincon tusk while knock-off is good for switches. But here you can sponge up physical attacks while responding in kind with strong attacks of your own or bulking up for more devastating power.

I suggest the first build, especially on a HO team.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Everything else is minor tweaks.



Giving your rotom a choice scarf hear allows you to pivot easier and gears your team more towards HO. It also adds a nice speed checker. I would also suggest then swapping protect for trick (to cripple) and Thunderwave for Will-o-wisp (for more cippling but this one is really up to you). You have fast mons as is so Thunderwave doesn't seem totally necessary.



I agree, I don't like phantom force either. What I will usually run and suggest you try out is tera ghost for super strong ghost tera blasts and either sucker punch or psychic fangs in replace for phantom force. Sucker punch can help you out in a pinch if you find yourself getting run over by speed-boosting mons while psychic fangs help deal with things like tusk, AV pex, amoongus, etc. (This is on switch-ins mostly. Psychic fangs isn't foolproof).



If you are going to run volcarona, try using the standard set that has made circulation.

The Volc (Volcarona) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Flame Body
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 248 HP / 108 SpA / 152 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Quiver Dance
- Fiery Dance
- Giga Drain
- Tera Blast

This helps with your fire-type weaknesses, gives you recovery, and still allows you to boost with quiver dance/ fiery dance.



Finally, since tusk acts as a better hazard remover, corv has a free slot. I would suggest either adding body press for more coverage, OR you can run bulk-up to turn corv into a potential wincon and demon (granted your opponent can't have any strong special attackers left). If you are going to run the body press route, your EV spread is fine. However, if you want to try running with bulk-up, swap your spread over to EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 SpD with a Careful Nature. I have had good success with spd corv/ bulk up. I am also in favor of tera flying but that's really up to you. Tera water might be better considering your team. Body press corv is better with fast Tusk, bulk-up corv is better with the latter Tusk IMO.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hope this helps. Above all else, especially if you're new, watch some high ELO games (1700+). There's usually one or two playing and it'll help you gauge what teams the good players are using and how they play the game. Really it's about playing the game and tweaking little by little until you have a whole new team, and then repeating... ;)

Thanks for all the advice. The few games I've played already feel much smoother.

 

[miguel345]

 

[SirSly720312]

I would change to .
Dragapult @ Choice Specs
Ability: Infiltrator
Tera Type: Fighting
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Shadow Ball
- Flamethrower
- Tera Blast

I would also give WoW instead of TWave.

And everything else that Motor Hawk said is worth listening to.

 

[Motor Hawk]

I would change to .
Dragapult @ Choice Specs
Ability: Infiltrator
Tera Type: Fighting
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Shadow Ball
- Flamethrower
- Tera Blast

I would also give WoW instead of TWave.

And everything else that Motor Hawk said is worth listening to.

Mer... maybe. He already has strong special attackers in Volc, Valiant (and Rotom) so IMO physical Pult helps more overall. Physical Pult also pairs well with physical Tusk. You can add special Pult, but I like physical Pult better ;) (Dragon Darts is BUSTED).

 

[SirSly720312]

Mer... maybe. He already has strong special attackers in Volc, Valiant (and Rotom) so IMO physical Pult helps more overall. Physical Pult also pairs well with physical Tusk. You can add special Pult, but I like physical Pult better ;) (Dragon Darts is BUSTED).

I also prefer physical Pult but he looked like he was trying to tera Volc more, so idk which is better. Ddarts is insane (but anyone with a fairy type would switch into it knowing that's it's most likely button to mash.)