Right now, all the talk of the metagame is about super threatening special attackers like darkrai, kyurem, and raging bolt. Knowing that the meta would naturally shift towards checking these special threats, I decided to build a no special attacker team mostly as a joke. However, what started out as a joke quickly became one of my most successful teams, with tools to beat most of the seemingly unsurmountable challenges that physical attackers must overcome *cough* zamazenta *cough*. Without further ado, I present: NO SPECIAL ATTACKS HO
Proof of peak:
The team: https://pokepast.es/663788f83ea54cf1
Team breakdown:
Mr. Steal ur game (Kingambit) @ Air Balloon
Ability: Supreme Overlord
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 220 HP / 252 Atk / 36 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
- Kowtow Cleave
How could a team with only physical attackers go without the #1 physical attacker in the tier? I chose kingambit since it provides the team a lot of defensive utility, gives us a way to beat fairy types, and is an all around good mon. Gambit does what it does best, save you after making a ton of misplays and robbing someone of their hard-earned victory. Air balloon since the team is weak to spikes and ground moves, tera fire since the team is weak to wisp.
Ol' reliable (Iron Valiant) @ Booster Energy
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Encore
- Close Combat
- Knock Off
The second physical sweeper I use, I'm using the standard set of SD encore + 2 attacks. Iron valiant subverts expectations greatly on this team since it looks like the sole special attacker. No one in their right minds would use an HO team with 6 physical mons right? Iron valiant also provides crucial utility with encore, making it so the team doesn't auto-lose to defense boosting moves and gouging fire. Many times your best option with valiant will be to bluff a special set into great tusk for example. If this team ever gets popular, you can change this to a special set to really fuck with people. Tera steel since it's a generally good tera, good vs stall, good vs rillaboom, good vs glowking.
Ol'er reliable (Dragonite) @ Lum Berry
Ability: Multiscale
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Extreme Speed
- Tera Blast
- Earthquake
Now we get into the nonstandard sets. This dragonite acts as a lure for typical physical walls like great tusk and zamazenta with tera blast flying. Tera blast flying was chosen instead of tera blast fairy because it hits harder, which really helps against stuff like tera water garganacl. You will tera dragonite in many of your games. Lum berry is used instead of the usual boots since iron treads is decent hazard control and the lum berry helps with the moltres, zapdos, and dragapult matchups, all of which are extremely hard matchups otherwise. It also lets you set up for free against stuff like toxic glowking/gliscor and wisp cinderace. Dragonite also provides a crucial check to iron moth.
They see me rollin (Iron Treads) @ Booster Energy
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Rapid Spin
Iron treads was chosen as the suicide lead since it keeps rocks off, gives us an electric immunity for raging bolt, and puts up rocks. Most of the time you should lead this. Against wisp pult it's often good to just let it get burned in exchange for ~60% of pult's health. Stone edge was chosen it lures and almost OHKOs moltres, which would otherwise be a very hard matchup. Often times, you don't even need to get rocks up with this guy since the team has no spinblocker, just trade it and prevent your opponent from getting up hazards, which really limits the effectiveness of dragonite.
Stall Shamoner (Ogerpon-Wellspring) (F) @ Wellspring Mask
Ability: Water Absorb
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Ivy Cudgel
- Power Whip
- Play Rough
The last sd pokemon on my team, ogerpon-wellspring was chosen since it has a good matchup into great tusk, which would otherwise destroy my team. It also is the primary breaker on my team and can often force a tera against stall or fat balance teams. One especially good sequence is if they tera fighting their dondozo, which leaves it weak to tera blast flying dnite. Play rough since this team is otherwise weak to dragons.
The better dog (Okidogi) @ Leftovers
Ability: Guard Dog
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 HP / 128 SpD / 128 Spe
Careful Nature
- Bulk Up
- Drain Punch
- Knock Off
- Taunt /poison jab
The most important mon on my team, the GOAT dog OKIDOGI. This mon single-handedly makes physical offense viable, since it completely obliterates any and all zamazenta sets, the #1 threat to physical sweepers (unless they're running the unset of psychic fangs). Not only does it stop zamazenta from sweeping, it also sets up 6 bulk ups and proceeds to reverse sweep any player to disrespect the better dog. Guard dog has some very neat applications, reversing the effect of Lando's intimidate and most importantly (many high ladder players don't even know this), stops you from getting roared out. Taunt is used to ease the stall matchup, although poison jab can be used for clefable and enamorus, which are admittingly hard matchups. Tera ghost is used as insurance for zamazenta, since many players will desparately look for a body press crit to win the game. Speed EVs are for 0 speed gliscor, which also outspeeds moltres.
Threat list:
Both breaking swipe and offensive gouging fire are very hard matchups, you pretty much have to win before gouging gets a chance to set up, which it can do on okidogi and gambit and sometimes even ogerpon-wellspring.
/
Even though I have a dragonite, walking wake kinda just clicks flamethrower/draco for free, and wisp on torkoal and ninetales makes them a lot less useless than in most sun matchups.
It can spread wisp very easily onto this team since it has no fire type, try to trade early with iron treads or win fast before pult can outlast you. You can often setup a free SD if you tera fire as they wisp.
/
You have to chip these down over the course of a game, try to get rocks up and taunt with okidogi or encore with valiant. Try to trade one of your physical attackers like wellspring for most of their health, then finish them off later.
Specifically the bulk up variants, if you don't identify the threat early and go valiant, its gg. Try to win before they do and try to lure it with dragonite's tera blast flying
It clicks moonblast for free against this team, get rocks up and take it down with okidogi, dnite, and gambit. This will usually take multiple mons to take down if its scarf.
An uncommon sighting nowadays (thank god), play against this like you would skarm or corv. Agressively use valiant to encore it into an unfavorable move. Most structures with zapdos are weak to gambit, but zapdos is an extremely hard matchup.
The more common kanto bird, you would think this would be a terrible matchup. It's not the best matchup, but the team is super prepped for moltres with stuff like tera fire gambit, taunt okidogi + speed evs, and lum dnite
dual screens is very hard, since this team relies on trading and dual screens teams are very good at that. Also they don't have to set up light screen lol. This is an almost auto lose matchup. Veil is easier since half of the value of veil is wasted.
Replays:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2167891872-rwee7hjgbe9cuoex5c998bwsp1e6yn9pw?p2 -vs grassy terrain
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2168420408-pk696cpdu5hh5zsmi2u0pxfcunvfzjqpw - okidogi proves who's the better dog (also I swear 90% of high ladder doesn't know what guard dog does)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2163304082-gzypibnujkn4rpchebsltif1eos7zrbpw - okidogi shows it's worth vs stall
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2164637026-ti9t5ct3gv5drf7737r6ehccatgvrpmpw - another okidogi sweep, i kinda haxed him tbh
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2162971620-5l84edftlcjcp07pgips3325fqwp72gpw - gambit sets up on cinderace (also another person who doesn't know what guard dog does)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2167180481?p2 - beating screens
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2168721562?p2 - my peak game, forgot to screenshot (1931)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2175838762-x0p5qw4ipl6rlxmviiqdtrb0hk836supw?p2 - valiant comes in clutch vs kommo-o
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2174683414-8hr18y7jfb9480bg9nrurcinjz8mxz5pw?p2 - lum dragonite beats moltres
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2163822855?p2 - older version of the team with hsamurott
OLT replays:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2175772680?p2
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2175755118?p2 - threw this game super hard, if I kowtowed into moltres in the end game it was a free win
So what are you waiting for? Get out there and spam physical attackers to your heart's content!
Proof of peak:
The team: https://pokepast.es/663788f83ea54cf1
Team breakdown:
Mr. Steal ur game (Kingambit) @ Air Balloon
Ability: Supreme Overlord
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 220 HP / 252 Atk / 36 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
- Kowtow Cleave
How could a team with only physical attackers go without the #1 physical attacker in the tier? I chose kingambit since it provides the team a lot of defensive utility, gives us a way to beat fairy types, and is an all around good mon. Gambit does what it does best, save you after making a ton of misplays and robbing someone of their hard-earned victory. Air balloon since the team is weak to spikes and ground moves, tera fire since the team is weak to wisp.
Ol' reliable (Iron Valiant) @ Booster EnergyAbility: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Encore
- Close Combat
- Knock Off
The second physical sweeper I use, I'm using the standard set of SD encore + 2 attacks. Iron valiant subverts expectations greatly on this team since it looks like the sole special attacker. No one in their right minds would use an HO team with 6 physical mons right? Iron valiant also provides crucial utility with encore, making it so the team doesn't auto-lose to defense boosting moves and gouging fire. Many times your best option with valiant will be to bluff a special set into great tusk for example. If this team ever gets popular, you can change this to a special set to really fuck with people. Tera steel since it's a generally good tera, good vs stall, good vs rillaboom, good vs glowking.
Ol'er reliable (Dragonite) @ Lum BerryAbility: Multiscale
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Extreme Speed
- Tera Blast
- Earthquake
Now we get into the nonstandard sets. This dragonite acts as a lure for typical physical walls like great tusk and zamazenta with tera blast flying. Tera blast flying was chosen instead of tera blast fairy because it hits harder, which really helps against stuff like tera water garganacl. You will tera dragonite in many of your games. Lum berry is used instead of the usual boots since iron treads is decent hazard control and the lum berry helps with the moltres, zapdos, and dragapult matchups, all of which are extremely hard matchups otherwise. It also lets you set up for free against stuff like toxic glowking/gliscor and wisp cinderace. Dragonite also provides a crucial check to iron moth.
They see me rollin (Iron Treads) @ Booster EnergyAbility: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Rapid Spin
Iron treads was chosen as the suicide lead since it keeps rocks off, gives us an electric immunity for raging bolt, and puts up rocks. Most of the time you should lead this. Against wisp pult it's often good to just let it get burned in exchange for ~60% of pult's health. Stone edge was chosen it lures and almost OHKOs moltres, which would otherwise be a very hard matchup. Often times, you don't even need to get rocks up with this guy since the team has no spinblocker, just trade it and prevent your opponent from getting up hazards, which really limits the effectiveness of dragonite.
Stall Shamoner (Ogerpon-Wellspring) (F) @ Wellspring MaskAbility: Water Absorb
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Ivy Cudgel
- Power Whip
- Play Rough
The last sd pokemon on my team, ogerpon-wellspring was chosen since it has a good matchup into great tusk, which would otherwise destroy my team. It also is the primary breaker on my team and can often force a tera against stall or fat balance teams. One especially good sequence is if they tera fighting their dondozo, which leaves it weak to tera blast flying dnite. Play rough since this team is otherwise weak to dragons.
The better dog (Okidogi) @ LeftoversAbility: Guard Dog
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 HP / 128 SpD / 128 Spe
Careful Nature
- Bulk Up
- Drain Punch
- Knock Off
- Taunt /poison jab
The most important mon on my team, the GOAT dog OKIDOGI. This mon single-handedly makes physical offense viable, since it completely obliterates any and all zamazenta sets, the #1 threat to physical sweepers (unless they're running the unset of psychic fangs). Not only does it stop zamazenta from sweeping, it also sets up 6 bulk ups and proceeds to reverse sweep any player to disrespect the better dog. Guard dog has some very neat applications, reversing the effect of Lando's intimidate and most importantly (many high ladder players don't even know this), stops you from getting roared out. Taunt is used to ease the stall matchup, although poison jab can be used for clefable and enamorus, which are admittingly hard matchups. Tera ghost is used as insurance for zamazenta, since many players will desparately look for a body press crit to win the game. Speed EVs are for 0 speed gliscor, which also outspeeds moltres.
Threat list:
Both breaking swipe and offensive gouging fire are very hard matchups, you pretty much have to win before gouging gets a chance to set up, which it can do on okidogi and gambit and sometimes even ogerpon-wellspring./ Even though I have a dragonite, walking wake kinda just clicks flamethrower/draco for free, and wisp on torkoal and ninetales makes them a lot less useless than in most sun matchups. It can spread wisp very easily onto this team since it has no fire type, try to trade early with iron treads or win fast before pult can outlast you. You can often setup a free SD if you tera fire as they wisp./ You have to chip these down over the course of a game, try to get rocks up and taunt with okidogi or encore with valiant. Try to trade one of your physical attackers like wellspring for most of their health, then finish them off later. Specifically the bulk up variants, if you don't identify the threat early and go valiant, its gg. Try to win before they do and try to lure it with dragonite's tera blast flying It clicks moonblast for free against this team, get rocks up and take it down with okidogi, dnite, and gambit. This will usually take multiple mons to take down if its scarf. An uncommon sighting nowadays (thank god), play against this like you would skarm or corv. Agressively use valiant to encore it into an unfavorable move. Most structures with zapdos are weak to gambit, but zapdos is an extremely hard matchup. The more common kanto bird, you would think this would be a terrible matchup. It's not the best matchup, but the team is super prepped for moltres with stuff like tera fire gambit, taunt okidogi + speed evs, and lum dnite dual screens is very hard, since this team relies on trading and dual screens teams are very good at that. Also they don't have to set up light screen lol. This is an almost auto lose matchup. Veil is easier since half of the value of veil is wasted.Replays:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2167891872-rwee7hjgbe9cuoex5c998bwsp1e6yn9pw?p2 -vs grassy terrain
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2168420408-pk696cpdu5hh5zsmi2u0pxfcunvfzjqpw - okidogi proves who's the better dog (also I swear 90% of high ladder doesn't know what guard dog does)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2163304082-gzypibnujkn4rpchebsltif1eos7zrbpw - okidogi shows it's worth vs stall
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2164637026-ti9t5ct3gv5drf7737r6ehccatgvrpmpw - another okidogi sweep, i kinda haxed him tbh
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2162971620-5l84edftlcjcp07pgips3325fqwp72gpw - gambit sets up on cinderace (also another person who doesn't know what guard dog does)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2167180481?p2 - beating screens
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2168721562?p2 - my peak game, forgot to screenshot (1931)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2175838762-x0p5qw4ipl6rlxmviiqdtrb0hk836supw?p2 - valiant comes in clutch vs kommo-o
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2174683414-8hr18y7jfb9480bg9nrurcinjz8mxz5pw?p2 - lum dragonite beats moltres
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2163822855?p2 - older version of the team with hsamurott
OLT replays:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2175772680?p2
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2175755118?p2 - threw this game super hard, if I kowtowed into moltres in the end game it was a free win
So what are you waiting for? Get out there and spam physical attackers to your heart's content!
