Objects in Mirror are Closer than They Appear
Introduction
Hello again Smogon. The Sixth Generation of Pokemon is fast approaching and I myself am itching to see which playstyle the competitive aspect of the game chooses to favor this time around. Generations prior to Fourth Gen were so stall-based that battles seemed to never end. While Fourth Gen acted somewhat as a pivot point in featured playstyles, the game, took a turn in Fifth Gen, favoring balanced offense and heavy offensive tactics. Being more of a defensive player myself, there was quite a learning curve for me in getting accustomed to the offensive metagame. I told myself, if I were to ever build a hyper offensive team, I would center it around Zoroark and its Illusion ability. Arriving at the right cast of teammates for Zoroark was quite a challenge. A pokemon with Zororak’s frailty requires great disguising. Throughout the testing stages of this team, choosing the right physical attacker to pair with Zoroark was the most daunting task. Mons like Terrakion, Haxorus, and Infernape were either too frail or didn’t fit with the defensive synergy of the team. When Garchomp was reintroduced into the OU Tier, I knew I finally had the running mate I was looking for. Garchomp and Zoroark were a match made in heaven. The other pieces fell into place rather quickly. For the most part, every member on this team can take full advantage of a Zoroark disguise, with the exception of Tyranitar. This team was so effective and overpowering in the testing stages, I began to question why Zoroark was in the Underused Tier. Without further ado, let me get into the particulars of this team.
At A Glance
In Depth
REPTAR
Tyranitar (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Sand StreamEVs: 252 HP / 204 SDef / 52 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Stealth Rock
- Crunch
- Pursuit
- Rock Slide
Standard Tyranitar Set. Tyranitar provides residual sand damage each turn that definitely comes in handy in wearing down my opponents team. Generally, I am abusing multiple types of entry hazards, but for this team, Tyranitar is my sole hazards user with Stealth Rocks. With a nice special defensive spread and Pursuit, Tar gives me a great option for eliminating Specs Latios and CM Latias, both of with can wreck havoc on my team, if Tar were to go down early. I decided to run Rock Slide over Superpower in order to give me a backup Volcarona check, in the unlikely event I face an HP Ground variant. This team really doesn’t have a hard check to boosting dragons like Dnite and Salamence, so Tyranitar also acts as my check to these threats, provided it is at near full health
COLD BLOOD
Heatran (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Flash FireEVs: 212 HP / 136 SDef / 160 Spd
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Substitute
- Protect
- Torment
- Lava Plume
Good Ol’ Torment Tran. I fell in love with this set the first time I used it. In a metagame loaded with Banded, Specs’d, and Scarfed mons, this Heatran can truly make its presence felt. Now obviously this set is a lot more effective when abusing multiple entry hazards, but Torment Tran still serves its purpose when it comes to PP Stalling, forcing switches, and countering Sun Teams. As my only steel mon, Heatran is my primary switch into choiced dragon attacks. With just enough speed to outspeed neutral base 65 mons, Heatran is also my SD Scizor counter. As surprising as it may sound, Torment Tran, with this cast, has still managed to pull off some key late game sweeps for me, with only the assistance of residual sand damage and stealth rocks support. A very great set to say the least.
THE FAIRY
Celebi @ Leftovers
Trait: Natural CureEVs: 252 HP / 184 Def / 56 SDef / 16 Spd
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Nasty Plot
- Psychic
- Earth Power
- Recover
Celebi is a very key member to this team. Not only does it provide a great deal of offensive pressure, but it is an integral piece in the defensive and special defensive synergy of my team. I ran a mixed defensive and special defensive spread to make it an all-purpose wall. Celebi is my safest switch into Choice Band Terrakion, a mon that can pose many problems for my team if I slip up and get nailed by an X-scissor. Specs Politoed and other choiced water attacks are walled comfortably by Celebi. With great defensive spreads and Recover, Celebi can be a very annoying hit and run attacker, electing to switch out and later regain health in any case a sweep cannot be accomplished. Another big threat to this team is Sheer Force Landorus. Celebi must be kept at near full health if it is to switch in and attempt to recover stall Landy’s Hidden Power(Ice). HP ice from Modest SF Landorus inflicts 45.7%-54.3% damage to my Celebi spread. Running Psychic over Giga Drain gives me better coverage, but it also makes me very vulnerable to pursuiting Tyranitars. Psychic also allows me to fully wall Breloom and even elect to stay in after taking an expected Spore. Nasty Plot on Celebi makes it an even bigger threat when ran in conjunction with Zorark. If Celebi is able to get off a Nasty Plot unscathed, the opposition will often times be forced into a poor decision, whilst trying to distinguish if the enemy is a Celebi or a Zoroark.
ASTEROIDEA
Starmie @ Leftovers
Trait: Natural CureEVs: 252 HP / 40 Def / 216 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Scald
- Psychic
- Rapid Spin
- Recover
Standard bulky Starmie set. Starmie was a perfect addition to this team. Not only does Starmie give me a reliable rapid spinner, but it gives my team a pokemon with enough speed to act as a cleanup killer to some of the more faster, harder hitting threats in the metagame. I decided to go with just enough speed EV’s to outspeed base 110’s, most notably Gengar, Latios, and Latias. With a nice defensive and HP spread, Starmie can switch in pretty comfortably to most stealth rocks users and get rid of hazards immediately, provided there isn’t a spinblocker it would struggle against. Recover increases the longevity of Starmie and allows me to keep it around for much of the game. Starmie is another mon that works very well in conjunction with Zoroark. Often times, when facing a stall user, your opponent will be very eager to spinblock with bulky ghosts like Jellicent, Dusclops or Sableye. With a Starmie/Zoroark disguise you can take advantage of this willingness and tear ghosts to shreds with a choice specs Night Daze. With dual Stabs and great speed, Starmie serves as my last line of defense against opposing sweeps.
THE HAMMER
Garchomp (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Rough SkinEVs: 8 HP / 252 Atk / 248 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- Substitute/Fire Fang
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
I had always been a staunch opponent of using overpowered dragons like Garchomp, Salamence, and Latios in the Overused Tier, but with the banning of Sandveil and the release of Garchomp’s DW ability, I made an exception for this hammerhead creature. Garchomp, in my opinion, is the best physical attacking pokemon to run in conjuncton with Zoroark. Its blazing speed, generous bulk, and lovely dual Stabs set him apart from the likes of Terrakion, Haxorus, Kyerum-B, Conkeldurr and Lucario. Garchomp also possesses great resistances and a strong movepool that enables him to take on various threats. I decided to run enough speed to outspeed mons in the neutral base 101 and lower speed classes. This allows me to outspeed certain threats like Adamant Haxorus, Dnite, Kyerum-B, and Modest Hydreigon, Thundurus-T and Landorus. The decision to go with Substitute or FireFang is a very tough one. Obviously without FireFang, if your opponent is able to discern between Zoroak and Garchomp early in the battle, Garchomp can be walled hard by mons like Bronzong, Skarmory, and to a lesser degree Gliscor. With Substitute, Garchomp can take more of an advantage of the guessing game that your opponent will be forced to play, provided you play your cards right.
E.V.I.L.
Zoroark (M) @ Choice Specs
Trait: IllusionEVs: 12 HP / 252 SAtk / 244 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Night Daze
- Flamethrower
- Grass Knot
- Trick
The MVP of the team. The Master of Disguise. Zoroark’s Illusion ability gives every member of my team the added threat of possible concealment. Many times, Zoroark’s presence alone will force my opponent into leading with a scarfed U-turner for early scouting. I often like to use extensive team shuffling at the beginning of matches, devising a lineup best suited for the opponent I am facing. Zoroark’s presence also gives me more free reign to utilize double switches early on in matches if my opponent gives the impression of playing very cautiously. The addition of Trick to Zoroark’s movepool through the BW2 move tutors made Zoroark a much more respectable Choice Specs user. When facing stall, I often elect to get rid of Zoroark’s Choice Specs very early and cripple a key link in my opponent’s team. The decision to go with Grass Knot over Focus Blast was made primarily due to Focus Blast’s poor accuracy. Although Grass Knot does not give Zoroark the coverage that Focus Blast does, it can hit many targets for exceptional damage. I cannot speak enough on the importance of Zoroark to this team. I actually tested this team without Zoroark, implementing a more stally approach. The team did not have anywhere near the success it had when Zoroark was in the lineup. When paired with the right pieces, Zoroark is a pokemon that can more than hold its own in the OU metagame.
Closing Remarks
As I stated earlier, this team was my first true run at a Hyper Offensive/Balanced Offensive style of play. Applying offensive pressure as early as possible generally yields good results for me when using this team. I havent laddered on PO in a while, but I can attest that this team was able to consistently hang around the mid 1500's once I became very comfortable using it. That rank will likely rise once Tornadus-T and Deoxys D are banned from OU. I really cant use this team on Showdown effectively, due to the fact that you are only allowed to shuffle one pokemon in the team preview. Please guys, feel free to rate, comment and critique.
