(rank: 1300 and rising)
Hello! This is only my second RMT, my first having come after only a couple of months experience (and of course, looking back, that team was bad). I'm still in my rookie year here on Showdown, but I feel like I've come a long way in the months following that first RMT, and I also feel like the team I present to you now is one of the best/funnest I've built, certainly in OU.
This RMT is going to generally follow a three paragraph format: why I chose the Pokemon, what it can do, and what I'm thinking about changing, if anything. With that in mind, let's take a look!
Gallade (M) @ Galladite
Ability: Justified
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Bulk Up
- Drain Punch
- Ice Punch
- Knock Off
For me, teambuilding always starts with one cool Pokemon that I think would be fun to use, and this time around that Pokemon was Mega Gallade. Look how cool this thing is! With all the buffs it got through Mega Evolution, I'm surprised it isn't used more often, but I digress.
This EV spread attempts to make Gallade a bulkier sweeper. Even with the low base stat of 68, investing in HP allows Gallade to take hits with his base 95 / 115 defenses (non-mega Gallade can also come in on weaker Dark moves for a Justified boost), and the Attack investment is there in case we need to come in and attack quickly. Bulk Up is here to patch up the weaker Defense stat and make the base 165 Attack even more terrifying. Drain Punch is essential, as it keeps Gallade healthy while he punches holes in the enemy team, and Ice Punch is there to counter the commonplace Dragons and Lando-Ts.
Knock Off provides otherwise absent Dark type coverage and removes the enemy's item, but really it's just sort of... there. Gallade has a wide physical movepool, including moves like Earthquake, Leaf Blade, and Psycho Cut for Psychic STAB, so I'm very open to changing that last moveslot.
Heatran @ Assault Vest
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 Spe
Modest Nature
- Lava Plume
- Earth Power
- Dragon Pulse
- Flash Cannon
The next thing I looked for was something to cover Gallade's weaknesses, something that could handle the Flying, Fairy and Ghost type Pokemon that would check or counter him. After realising that Ghosts aren't that common in OU, I settled on Heatran as something that could check the Flying and Fairy types. I originally gave him Stealth Rock, but when a later team choice made that redundant, and I realised that an Air Balloon would be popped pretty quickly, I decided to do what I always try to do when I use something as common as Heatran - go a different direction with it.
With Assault Vest and the HP investment, Heatran reaches 385 and 372 on his HP and Sp. Def stats respectively - enough to evade a 2HKO from Rotom-W's Hydro Pump. 252 EVs go to Sp. Atk to maximise damage output, and the remaining 8 go to Speed so that we can hopefully outspeed other Heatrans that aren't Scarfed. Lava Plume, with it's 30% burn rate, is the STAB move of choice, and Earth Power is there for the handy Ground type coverage. Again, Dragon Pulse is there to deal some damage on the commonplace Dragon types, and ensure that we can get at least neutral hits on everything.
Flash Cannon is in that last slot for now, but I've been thinking of changing it, my logic being that Heatran checks Fairies so effectively that it doesn't particularly need a super effective move for them. Glancing at potential replacements, I see Dark Pulse for hitting Gengar hard, HP Grass to catch Rotom-W off guard, HP Ice for Lando-T switch-ins, or Eruption for a huge hit under the right conditions. Again, I welcome advice for this last slot.
Slowbro @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Slack Off
- Psyshock
- Scald
Ah, old reliable. For whatever reason, I just love using this happy guy and his classic Calm Mind moveset. Aside from that, Slowbro was chosen to provide some physical bulk that the other team members don't possess, as well as his ability to switch in on a hit and regenerate the health upon switching out.
It's a standard CM Slowbro set, so there's not much to explain. Non-mega Slowbro is viable in OU, but he certainly isn't a top tier threat, so setting up can prove difficult, but he is a force to be reckoned with if he manages it. Slack Off is a reliable recovery move that keeps Slowbro healthy, Scald is solid Water STAB move with the alluring 30% burn rate, and Psyshock allows us damage on special walls that might come in to stop him.
Much as I love Slowbro, if there's one member on the team I'm open to replacing, it's probably him. Unlike Gallade, the set-up is crucial if he wants to really be effective, and there are a number of other Water types in OU. Then again, not may of them have the physical bulk that Slowbro brings, and none of them have Regenerator. I'm interested to hear your two cents on this.
Serperior @ Leftovers
Ability: Contrary
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Leaf Storm
- Giga Drain
- Dragon Pulse
- Hidden Power [Fire]
At this point in the teambuilding process, I started looking for something to provide the key Electric and Ground resistances that were completely absent from the team, which led me to look for a solid Grass type, and right now, there is perhaps no Grass type more solid than Serperior.
Contrary Leaf Storm on this set will surprise no-one. With the maxed out Speed and Sp. Atk investment, Serperior is primed to do some big damage after just one turn, and he's fortunate to have the natural bulk to take a decent hit. Giga Drain is there so that we can heal up while attacking, and once again, Dragon Pulse is there to put a dent in the Dragon-types that would otherwise wall us. With few other coverage options available, HP Fire is there to get a big hit on Steel and Grass types (lower ladder players didn't seem to expect this, judging by the number of Ferrothorn switch-ins I encountered :P)
Like I said, I believe Serperior to be one of the most solid Grass types in OU (and it's not even in OU as of this writing). If I were going to replace him, it would probably be for Shaymin, but honestly, I don't see much cause to change anything about this team slot.
Skarmory @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Whirlwind
- Roost
- Brave Bird
With a decent mix of sweeping and bulky players already in place, the last two slots focused on resistances, and making sure that the team did not have more weaknesses than resistances to any one type. Skarmory's nine resistances, coupled with his incredible physical bulk, fits this role perfectly, and provides support that meshes well with the rest of the team.
Skarmory is designed to take physical hits, and the Rocky Helmet sees that he can do so while doing some decent damage to the attacking Pokemon. Stealth Rock and Whirlwind form a nice combo that makes for even more chip damage, and Whirlwind also stops most things from setting up. In the absence of a special attacker that can bring down Skarmory, Roost gives us some big-time longevity, and also helps neutralise the issue of Brave Bird recoil, which is there for when we see an opening to attack.
Skarmory has proven to be an effective support player as is, but I would be open to taking out Brave Bird and going full support. Potential replacements may include Spikes to really screw up teams without a Defogger, Taunt to stop the opponent from trying anything tricky, or even Counter to deal some big damage to any physical attacker bold enough to challenge us.
Garchomp @ Choice Band
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Aqua Tail
For the final slot, the main thing I wanted was something to round out the resistances, and that meant finding something else that resisted Fire and Electric. There ended up being only three candidates for this in OU, and Garchomp was chosen over the Latis for a couple of reasons, including the Electric immunity, the physical-based offence, and to avoid the extra weakness to Ghost (having already fitted two Psychic types into the team).
Coming at the end of the team-building process, this set didn't have quite as much thought put into it. Garchomp is an all-out offence kind of Pokemon, and can be a real threat when equipped with a Choice Band. Outrage and Earthquake are the standard STAB moves of choice, and Stone Edge is another strong move that can devastate potential Flying type switch-ins. Aqua Tail was chosen with Lando-T and Gliscor in mind, and to give the team a Water move that packs a punch without setup. Speaking of Lando-T, Rough Skin is a nice ability that chips at it and other U-Turn leads on their way out, along with every other physical attacker that Garchomp faces.
Not to say that this set can't be effective, but having been pretty much thrown together, there's plenty of room for change here. You all probably know the viable moves, items and spreads for Garchomp as better than I do, so I welcome any suggestions on how I can optimize this monster.
And that's the team! Thank you for reading this far, and for any input you guys offer. If anyone's interested in seeing the team in action, here's the replay for the last battle I played.
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