Only Average

AntiMetaGame

Hello, I'm somewhat experienced with the competitive battling scene and decided to the Pokemon Bible, Smogon, to get my team rated. Its had its ups and downs, but has down well for me overall. Anyway, please tell me what I can improve on. Also there's one thing you should know:
I can't use Rotom forms because I have no AR.
Anyway, without further ado:

Only Average
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First, I need a reliable lead. Someone powerful, and someone who can put out Stealth Rocks. I decided on Azelf, a popular OU lead.

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Next, I need more entry hazards. I decided on Roserade, because I like her more than Fortress and she also can be a status absorber.

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I guess since I'm a bit reliant on entry hazards, I need a spin blocker. I tried Dusknoir, but he was easily walled and Taunted. I decided on a revenge killer: Scarf Gengar

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Now I needed a sweeper. I chose Bulky Gyarados because he can cover Roserade's fire weakness and sweep.
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Now in case Gyara can't sweep because of his electric weakness, I used Gliscor to cover it. He's also awesome at stall breaking and is a good wall.
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Now, I wasn't sure what to do now, so I decided that in case some of those pesky Steel types *coughMouthfuckingScizorcough* can around and decided to revenge kill, I could easily do the same with Magnezone. He can also explode on many threats because of his natural bulk.

More in Depth
Changes in green
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TwinBlade (Azelf)
Timid
Levitate
Holding a Life Orb
4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Stealth Rock
Fire Blast
Psychic
Taunt
Generally, I find something that's not Azelf as a lead. Sometimes its that annoying asshole Machamp, that hit taker Metagross, or just Aero. Regardless, I need Psychic to 1HKO Machamp, Fire Blast to 1HKO lead Metagross, and Grass Knot to 1HKO Swampert. For whatever reason, most people expect suicide Azelfs and proceed to set up rocks. Most of the time I'm faster and get a surprise KO. I don't use Explosion because Magnezone carries it. As awesome as 2 explosions are, I'd rather Azelf stay alive and kill rather than killing himself and some other guy.
Here's a small chart of how Azelf does against other leads:
Azelf - I don't carry U-turn so after rocks are set up, I'll either stay in and take a U-Turn or get 2HKO by Shadow Ball. Generally, I can hit the opposing Azelf so that the Focus Sash won't activate.
Machamp - Psychic 1HKOs. Rage is ensured from the other side.
Swampert - Taunt and either go to Rose to bluff a sash, or Psychic to death. Trollpert's days of trolling stops
Heatran - I actually haven't faced a Heatran lead yet, but I imagine that I have to switch Gyara before setting up rocks and scare away Heatran. I can also switch to Gengar before rocks are set up and threaten with Focus Blast.
Aerodactyl - Either we both set up rocks, or he sets up rocks and dies.
Weavile - I know he's faster, but since he assumes I'm sashed, I'll take a Fake Out and go to Gyara to wall and scare away.
Bronzong - Fire Blast doesn't 2HKO, so we both set up rocks.
Roserade - Because they are almost always sashed, I'll set up rocks and then go to my own Roserade who can take 2 HP Fires or Ice.
Hippodown - Taunt the fatass. I set up rocks and either take a Stone Edge or was his switch.
Starmie - I can't do much to Starmie because Grass Knot is too weak. I can't set up rocks either.
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TuxedoMask (Roserade)
Calm
Natural Cure
Holding Black Sludge
252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Def
Spikes
Toxic Spikes
Energy Ball
Given EVs are so I can set up better on defensive Shaymin, Starmie, and Zapdos. Rose also functions as a special wall. I use it because most people expect Sleep Powder and an easily quick kill. The majority of the time, Roserade is 2 or 3HKOd if I don't Rest up. Rest fully recovers my HP and because Natural Cure, is instantly healed of Sleep status when I switch out. I usually try to get 1 Toxic Spikes layer and 2 Spikes layers. Energy Ball is to hit opposing Waters who think they can set up and finish off weakened foes.
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Ninja (Gengar)
Timid
Levitate
Holding a Choice Scarf
4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Trick
Shadow Ball
Focus Blast
Thunderbolt
I trick walls my scarf and procede to dent whatever comes in with coverage.
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FirstBlood (Gyarados)
Adamant
Intimidate
Holding Leftovers
156 HP / 80 Att / 88 Def / 184 SpD
Dragon Dance
Waterfall
Stone Edge
Taunt
Bulky Gyarados sweeper. Usually I go in on something I wall, set up a DD on the switch and usually Taunt the incoming phazer or wall. Gyara also naturally dents many things and takes many hits.
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Blackwing (Gliscor)
Jolly
Sand Veil
Holding Leftovers
252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Toxic
Roost
Taunt
Earthquake
This is my stall breaking wall. I toxic any physical attacker that bothers me, and start Roost stalling to stay alive. I'm not sure, but I'm considering changing Taunt to something else.
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Suicune
Timid
Pressure
Holding
Leftovers
252 HP / 32 SpA / 224 Spe
Substitute
Calm Mind
Surf
Hidden Power Electric
After being suggested an offensive Calm Mind Subing Suicune from Faladran, I tried using Cune and got awesome results (though the opponent somehow ALWAYS got lucky criticals when I have a sub down). I used HP Electric over Ice Beam for my DD Gyara weakness and due to the fact that most grass types are special attackers so they won't do a thing to Cune while taking unwanted Toxic damage. Suicune is also covered by Gliscor.



Past Members
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Aqua (Vaporeon)
Bold
Holding Leftovers
Water Absorb
188 HP / 252 Def / 68 SpD
Wish
Protect
Surf
Roar
Due to everyone saying that Magnezone is pretty useless, I changed him to Vaporeon. Truth be told, I use Vappy on all my teams and I know how to use her. I took off Toxic for Roar because Roserade already sets up the Toxic Spikes. Generally, I phaze everything in my way. I'll Surf every now and then so that I can keep the opponent guessing.
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OHAISCIZOR (Magnezone)
Naive
Holding Leftovers
Magnet Pull
40 Att / 218 Spe / 252 SpA
Hidden Power Fire
Thunderbolt
Substitute
Explosion
In case some revenge killer comes in, I'll pull out Magnezone and do the exact same thing. If I every bring in zone against something he walls, I'll set up a substitute and figure out what to do from there



Finishing up
I'm not sure of my weaknesses, or my problems. I do know some though from experience:
Offensive Life Orb Zapdos and Defensive Zapdos
I've no good counters to this guy. Generally I'll have to sac something and send in Gengar to finish the job. If he's undamaged, Gengar has no chance of KOing.
DD Gyara
​
Once my own Gyara goes down, there's nothing stopping the angry sea hydra from destroying everything. Suicune now has a slight chance because he will always take a +1 Stone Edge from any Gyarados without a critical hit though is 2HKOd while Suicune has a 2HKO chance with no Calm Minds.
 Thanks for reading. Any advice is nice to have.
 
Nice Team! I'm kind of pressed for now so the only minor nip-tick i can suggest is using U-turn > Grass knot on Azelf. Not only does U-turn hit Starmie decently it allows you to have a viable scout option.

Also I don't see a point in having Magnezone on the team. It seems like dead weight right now. Your team doesn't have much problem with Scizor since gyarados can set up on it very nicely.
 
It seems life you have no problem with Scizor, so Magnezone is unnecessary. I would try out Swampert. He checks All Zapdos forms barring HP Grass, and can Roar out Gyarados. even if Zapdos has HP Grass, it means Gliscor can toxic it to death because it means he doesn't have HP Ice. For Swampert, try:
Item: Leftovers/Rindo Berry
Earthquake
Ice Punch
Roar
Surf/Waterfall/Toxic
I'm not sure abou EVs, but Swampert takes care of both of your threats. He can also counter Scizor semi-effectively

I hope that helped!
 
I noticed one issue with Roserade: it is easily Taunted. That means, if you opt to use Uturn on Azelf instead of Grass Knot, you can have Roserade use Grass Knot instead of Stun Spore.

I may add more to this rate, but it is kind of late right now, so it'll be later.
 
Thanks for the advice everyone, but generally all Gyara I've faced carry taunt and severely Swampert's usefullness against Gyara. Zapdos that DO carry HP Grass will 1HKO most of the time and then proceed to destroy the rest of my team. Any other choice besides Swampert?
 
Well you have a pretty big weakness to some top tier like Dragonite or Infernape.

You can sub Magnezone to Vaporeon who can check Infernape. If you do this, you should change Gyarados to something like MixNite because you've nothing which can kill the FWG core.

With Wish Vaporeon, you can play Roserade without Rest, Grass Knot'd be nice because Curse Pert'll rape your team. Only Gyarados can taunt it and he take 25% on SR.
Also, ScarfGar is in some way, useless, use the LO version. Not the SubPlint, Bliss is never on Wi-Fi.

HF.
 
Thanks for advice everyone. Recently I've been trying and Expert Belt Flygon in place of Gliscor. The results aren't the best thing ever. Anyone recommend a electric resist? I've also tried an Expert Belt Jolteon, and get some mixed results.
 
Pretty solid team, there doesn't seem much left to change now. I don't feel that Stun Spore is particularly beneficial to your team, considering that it conflicts with Toxic Spikes, so I would recommend using a STAB move such as Grass Knot or Energy Ball on Roserade's moveset instead. This will make dealing with opposing Water-types (especially LO Starmie and Offensive Suicune) considerably easier. Regarding Vaporeon, you may want to at least consider trying out a more offensively-inclined Pokemon. Roar Vaporeon is great at phazing, forcing switches, and abusing entry hazards, but I feel that your team is somewhat lacking in offensive firepower. SubCM Suicune is a great and unusual set that could help alleviate this issue and provide you with a very threatening late-game sweeper:

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Suicune @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
 EVs: 252 HP / 32 SpA / 224 Spe
 Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Substitute
 - Calm Mind
 - Surf
 - Ice Beam / Hidden Power Electric[/box]
Suicune is very similar to Vaporeon, so in theory, it should work well as a replacement. Substitute, coupled with Suicune's great bulk, is excellent at abusing entry hazards. Frailer opponents can be swept through after Spikes support and a Calm Mind boost, while bulkier walls will slowly be worn down from Toxic Spikes. One of the great things about this set is that it reaches a maximum of 404 HP; this means that Seismic Toss users, such as Blissey, will be unable to break your Substitutes. This allows Suicune to stall out and even set up on these walls. The choice for the last moveslot is up to you, as there are two good options. Ice Beam prevents you from being walled by Grass-types, while HP Electric hits opposing Water-types and gives you another useful way to check Gyarados.

Good luck with your team!
 
Suicune benefits from your entry hazards, so using Jolteon shouldn't affect its performance signficantly. However, I like Gliscor on this team for its abilities to reliably counter SD Lucario and give stall teams trouble. It also fits the "bulky offensive" theme of this team better, but the choice is up to you.
 
Thanks, last question. After doing more testing, besides the gaping Zapdos weakness, I have a weakness to electric attacks in general. Life Orb Starmie completely wrecks me and I usually need to sack something so Gengar can come in for free. I did some research and learned that Snorlax can cover both Zapdos and Starmie. If I were to switch someone with him, who would it be?
 
^ He's not that weak to Infernape. All those hazards means that ape will get one switch in maybe 2. Gyara can take it out while intimidating it, Gengar does enough damage to it, Suicune can tank hits and KO back with its bulk and Ape stands no chance vs Azelf. So only 2 members have problems with Infernape which IMO isn't "ape weak".

Nice team btw, I just wanna suggest changing the EV's on Roserade to max special bulk. 252 HP/252 SP. Def/ 4 Def, the spread you have is to survive a Bullet Punch from Scizor and KO back with HP Fire which you don't carry. Those Ev's let you take special hits a bit better.
 
I have to agree that I'm not weak to ape. Generally, Gyarados will take a hit and respond with a 1HKO Waterfall, or Gliscor will force a switch if there's no HP Ice. I am considering dropping Gyara for a DD Dragonite, but I need an intimidator to stop rampaging Gyaradoses and physical sweepers. Thanks for the Roserade advice lol, I forgot what the spread was for.
 
Infernape'll have some trouble to come but if he do it, which'll be arrive, he'll do heavy damage to the team.

• Infernape Close Combat Suicune: 40.8% - 48.3%
- 2HKO easy with SR
• Infernape Fire Blast max dmg + Grass Knot max dmg Suicune: 90%
- 2HKO with SR
• Infernape Close Combat min dmg + Stone Edge min dmg Gyarados : 69%
- A good chance to OHKO it with SR

Also, when we play Infernape, it's an evidence to check Gengar. Gengar is easily trapped. Here, Gengar is Scarf so ...
Azelf is here to set up SR, he hasnt even Uturn so he'll never be here when it comes to kill Infernape. I didnt mention Gliscor and Roserade on my calcul ... should be ?

So as I said, this team is Infernape weak.
 
AntiMetaGame said:
Thanks, last question. After doing more testing, besides the gaping Zapdos weakness, I have a weakness to electric attacks in general. Life Orb Starmie completely wrecks me and I usually need to sack something so Gengar can come in for free. I did some research and learned that Snorlax can cover both Zapdos and Starmie. If I were to switch someone with him, who would it be?
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That's a bit of a difficult question. Just about every member on this team serves a useful purpose already, so picking one to replace is tough. However, as you have mentioned, those Special attackers can be really troublesome, and Snorlax would be an excellent addition to the team in that regard. If I had to pick something to replace, it would probably be either Gyarados or Gliscor. Both have their uses, but only one is needed to check Lucario. Keep in mind that Gyarados lures in bulky Waters for Roserade to set up on and is able to check Agility Lucario as well, while Gliscor helps against more defensive teams. Whichever you decide to replace, I think the following set could be great for Snorlax to run; it's definitely unusual, but it works very well with your team and will alleviate your problems with Starmie and Zapdos:

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Snorlax @ Leftovers
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature (+Def, -SpA)
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Body Slam
- Whirlwind[/box]
With this set, Snorlax serves mutiple roles: status absorber, phazer, and Special wall. A more offensive set such as Curselax can be used if you wish, but I prefer this one for a few key reasons. First, it manages to switch into any status moves that could cripple your team. This is especially useful if you need a Pokemon to serve as fodder for an opposing sleep-inducing move. Second, Snorlax's access to Whirlwind allows it to function as a very effective phazer; Snorlax gets plenty of opportunities to switch in on Special attackers, and can begin phazing to force switches and rack up entry hazard damage. This strategy is excellent for abusing the Spikes and Toxic Spikes that Roserade sets up.

This team is not weak to Infernape. Azelf checks it. Suicune checks it. Gengar checks it. A weakness implies that a team has a very shaky or nonexistent strategy for dealing with a certain threat, and this isn't the case with Infernape. Even if you decide to add in Snorlax, this team is not going to be swept by an Infernape under normal conditions.
 
Jack Atlas said:
Infernape'll have some trouble to come but if he do it, which'll be arrive, he'll do heavy damage to the team.

• Infernape Close Combat Suicune: 40.8% - 48.3%
- 2HKO easy with SR
• Infernape Fire Blast max dmg + Grass Knot max dmg Suicune: 90%
- 2HKO with SR
• Infernape Close Combat min dmg + Stone Edge min dmg Gyarados : 69%
- A good chance to OHKO it with SR

Also, when we play Infernape, it's an evidence to check Gengar. Gengar is easily trapped. Here, Gengar is Scarf so ...
Azelf is here to set up SR, he hasnt even Uturn so he'll never be here when it comes to kill Infernape. I didnt mention Gliscor and Roserade on my calcul ... should be ?

So as I said, this team is Infernape weak.
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Ape can basically 2HKO everything in OU so those calcs apply to everything. Good luck switching Ape into this team, and when you do its only going to get one shot due to the entry hazards. The team has been tested and it's probably come across a few Infernapes. If it was that much of a problem I'm pretty sure it would have been mentioned in the OP
 
The reason why I say I don't have an Infernape weakness is because he needs a free switch in. The only thing that is weak to fire is Roserade, while 4/6 of my guys have no problem taking a Close Combat and 1/6 is immune. If they switch in on Gliscor, I know they have HP Ice and can set up with Gyara. If switched in on Rose, I can go Gyara again though I've got to be a bit cautious. Worst comes to worst, if Gyara dies, Gengar comes in for a revenge kill. Besides, Ape has to be revealed late game, the chance of him coming in on Rose is small and if he's choiced, Gliscor comes and says hai.
 
Super small nitpick, but Magnezone wants an EV spread of 36 Atk/220 Spe/252 SpA because running HP fire makes your speed iv 30.
 
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