Hello, pokefantalha(or random noob 67 if you use Showdown!) here. After a lot of experimenting in lower tiers, I decided to get back into OU, and what better time than during a suspect test? Hence this team was created.
At a Glance:
Closer Inspection:
Heracross @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Earthquake
- Megahorn
- Knock Off
Why I chose this Pokemon:
I thought it would be a good idea to use Mega Heracross, but then I remembered how goddamn SLOW it was, especially in this age of Mega Evolutions. My second idea was to use Mega Pinsir, but then I realized a scarfer would help the team immensely, and I remembered how popular and efficient ScarfCross was during BW, and this set was born.
Moveset, Item and Ability:
Close Combat: STAB, 100%Acc, and the only drawback is lowering Hera's Defenses? Hell Yes. Also helps with Air Balloon Heatran, which gives this team trouble if Mega Lopunny is dead.
Earthquake: The old standard physical move. Reliable, powerful, and no drawbacks. Smacks Life Orb Heatran HARD.
Megahorn: Not as reliable as Close Combat due to the lower accuracy, but with Alakazam, Mega-Gardevoir and Celebi running rampant, it is necessary.
Knock Off: Removes the opponents Item and hits hard. Easily the most spammable move on this set.
Choice Scarf: In this age where base 110 speed isnt high enough, every team needs either Talonflame or a scarfer. And since Talonflame is for noobs, and Moxie pairs well with a scarf, I chose the scarf for Heracross.
Moxie: A free attack boost everytime you kill something really makes it easier for Hera to do its revenge killing duties. Also pairs well with a Scarf, making Hera Fast, Strong and Fabulous all in one.
Why It Matters:
Like Ive said before, every team should have a scarfer. Heracross fits this role well, and acts as a superb revenge killer or late-game cleaner. It will often be my MVP, weakening opposing pokemon, KO-ing others, and all in all just being a pain in the ass for the opposing team.
Volcarona @ Leftovers
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 252 HP / 204 Def / 52 Spe
Bold Nature
- Quiver Dance
- Fiery Dance
- Bug Buzz
- Roost
Why I chose this Pokemon:
I figured if theres anything we learnt from Greninja, its that special sweepers are good candidates for a team slot, especially if they pull their own weight. I've wanted to use Volcarona for some time now, and since a special sweeper seemed like the way to go, all the pieces fit and this set was chosen.
Moveset, Item and Ability:
Quiver Dance: One of the best boosting moves in the game, behind only Shell Smash and Shift Gear. Boosts all the necessary stats, and makes dealing with Lati@s a piece of cake.
Fiery Dance: STAB, hits with okay power, and can raise Sp.Atk. Whats not to like about this?
Bug Buzz: STAB, hits with decent power, and my main weapon against fire resists(rock types are tricky tho).
Roost: Instant, reliable recovery. I often wont need this due to leftovers, but in a pinch it can mean escaping a KO, and its not like Volcarona has something else it would like to run instead.
Leftovers: Recovery every turn, can make an opponent 2HKO into a 3HKO, giving me ample time to Quiver Dance or Roost up.
Flame Body: One word: HAX.
Why it Matters:
Like I said, a special sweeper is necessary in todays metagame. It also deals with Latio@s(Unstabbed Ice Beam/Punch can only go so far), which would otherwise be a huge threat to this team. It is the epitome of a bulky sweeper, and is a solid win condition.
Bisharp @ Life Orb
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
- Swords Dance
Why I chose this Pokemon:
Lets get something out of the way: Bisharp is one of my favourite pokemon, and the only one who is competitively viable. I will always try to fit him onto an OU team. That being said, Bisharp is a great physical sweeper and a good counter for Sticky Web teams. And hey, It looks pretty badass.
Moves, Item and Ability:
Knock Off: Great utility move, and whats better, Bisharp gets STAB on it. Its also there so I dont have to rely on Sucker Punch mind games to do damage.
Sucker Punch: Priority+STAB=Win.
Iron Head: Deals with those goddamn fairies.
Swords Dance: In case Defiant isnt activated, this is my way to get a boost. And its a better choice than, say brick break or X Scissor.
Life Orb: Do extra damage even without a boost. Despite the recoil wearing Bisharp down, Its the perfect item, though I guess leftovers would also work in a pinch.
Defiant: Gets an Extra boost against Sticky Web teams and Intimidate users? Yes Please.
Why It Matters:
To be brutally honest, apart from the priority and breaking through Lati@s, Bisharp does little that Heracross doesnt. What it does have, though, is the freedom to switch moves, and STAB on Knock Off.
Starmie @ Life Orb
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Rapid Spin
- Psyshock
Why I chose this Pokemon:
I already had Volcarona, and even the noobiest of competitive players know how difficult it is to use Volcarona if Stealth Rock are up, despite all its bulk. So I knew I needed either a spinner or a Defogger. For some reason, I dislike Defog immensely(maybe its the useless side quest they made us do in DP) so I decided to use a spinner. The spinners of OU are Excadrill and Starmie. Starmie is faster, and I heard its Life Orb set is pretty good, so this set was chosen.
Moveset, Item and Ability:
Hydro Pump: STAB, Great Power, who cares if it has low accuracy?
Ice Beam: Helps deal with Landorus and Lati@s.
Rapid Spin: Clears the field of hazards, supporting Volcarona and Dragonite.
Psyshock: Deals good damage, STAB, and makes sure that the pink blobs dont screw up my sweeps(not that chansey is seen that much these days)
Life Orb: Gives Extra Damage, and allows me to switch attacks.
Natural Cure: If the opponent already has a layer of toxic spikes up when I come in to spin them, I can just switch out and voila! The poison is gone.
Why It Matters:
Besides providing team support in Rapid Spin, Starmie can act as death fodder once their hazard setters are dead, and can be a thorn in the opponents side at times.
Dragonite @ Choice Band
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Outrage
- Extreme Speed
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
Why I chose this Pokemon:
Dragonite is a great pokemon to use in OU, and I had yet to try its Choice Band set. Its dragon dance set had never failed to impress me, so I wanted to see if this set would. Long story short, it was great, and this set was chosen.
Moveset, Item and Ability:
Outrage: The best Physical Dragon Type move. Even being locked in isnt an issue, choice band makes it so you cant switch moves anyways.
Extreme Speed: The best Priority move, and one of the most spammable on a choice band set.
Earthquake: Like always, the golden standard for physical moves.
Iron Head: Deals with annoying ass fairies.
Choice Band: Hits HARD as hell.
Multiscale: The only reason to use Dragonite in OU, and another reason why I need a rapid spinner.
Lopunny @ Lopunnite
Ability: Limber
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- High Jump Kick
- Ice Punch
- Return
Why I chose this Pokemon:
I needed a Mega Evolution, and although Lopunny wasnt my first choice(That honor went to Altaria) I decided to use it after some thought. Perfect coverage in just its STAB moves, so fast it outspeeds some slower scarfers.....Mega Lopunny is as good as Normal Lopunny is crap, and so this set was chosen.
Moves, Item and Ability:
Fake Out: Always allows Lopunny to Mega Evolve safely, thanks to scrappy, and makes Talonflame slightly less of a problem.
High Jump Kick: STAB(After mega evolution), and hits the Rock and Steel types that resist Return hard.
Ice Punch: Hits threats like Landorus and Gliscor hard.
Return: STAB, hits hard, perfect nuetral coverage with High Jump Kick.
Lopunnite: Mega evolves Lopunny, and Mega Lopunny is the only reason to ever use Lopunny.
Limber(Normal Lopunny): Prevents Paralysis. Useful when switching in.
Scrappy(Mega Lopunny): Allows Return and High Jump Kick to have perfect nuetral coverage.
Why It Matters:
Remember way back when I said Heracross was the MVP? Well, thats not exactly true, and theres a reason Mega Lopunny is the name of the team. Mega Lopunny is a great wallbreaker, Hyper Offense counter, and physical sweeper, all rolled into one. More often than not, Mega Lopunny is the Pokemon that makes it possible for the other Pokemon to do their jobs, and that is why it matters.
So there you have it. Thats the team in all its glory. Feedback would be appreciated.
CHANGES TO THE TEAM:
Instead of Scarf Heracross, Scarf Landorus is also viable, with the following set.
Landorus-Therian (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- U-turn
- Explosion
Im too lazy to make an analysis right now, but ill get to it.
At a Glance:
Closer Inspection:
Heracross @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Earthquake
- Megahorn
- Knock Off
Why I chose this Pokemon:
I thought it would be a good idea to use Mega Heracross, but then I remembered how goddamn SLOW it was, especially in this age of Mega Evolutions. My second idea was to use Mega Pinsir, but then I realized a scarfer would help the team immensely, and I remembered how popular and efficient ScarfCross was during BW, and this set was born.
Moveset, Item and Ability:
Close Combat: STAB, 100%Acc, and the only drawback is lowering Hera's Defenses? Hell Yes. Also helps with Air Balloon Heatran, which gives this team trouble if Mega Lopunny is dead.
Earthquake: The old standard physical move. Reliable, powerful, and no drawbacks. Smacks Life Orb Heatran HARD.
Megahorn: Not as reliable as Close Combat due to the lower accuracy, but with Alakazam, Mega-Gardevoir and Celebi running rampant, it is necessary.
Knock Off: Removes the opponents Item and hits hard. Easily the most spammable move on this set.
Choice Scarf: In this age where base 110 speed isnt high enough, every team needs either Talonflame or a scarfer. And since Talonflame is for noobs, and Moxie pairs well with a scarf, I chose the scarf for Heracross.
Moxie: A free attack boost everytime you kill something really makes it easier for Hera to do its revenge killing duties. Also pairs well with a Scarf, making Hera Fast, Strong and Fabulous all in one.
Why It Matters:
Like Ive said before, every team should have a scarfer. Heracross fits this role well, and acts as a superb revenge killer or late-game cleaner. It will often be my MVP, weakening opposing pokemon, KO-ing others, and all in all just being a pain in the ass for the opposing team.
Volcarona @ Leftovers
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 252 HP / 204 Def / 52 Spe
Bold Nature
- Quiver Dance
- Fiery Dance
- Bug Buzz
- Roost
Why I chose this Pokemon:
I figured if theres anything we learnt from Greninja, its that special sweepers are good candidates for a team slot, especially if they pull their own weight. I've wanted to use Volcarona for some time now, and since a special sweeper seemed like the way to go, all the pieces fit and this set was chosen.
Moveset, Item and Ability:
Quiver Dance: One of the best boosting moves in the game, behind only Shell Smash and Shift Gear. Boosts all the necessary stats, and makes dealing with Lati@s a piece of cake.
Fiery Dance: STAB, hits with okay power, and can raise Sp.Atk. Whats not to like about this?
Bug Buzz: STAB, hits with decent power, and my main weapon against fire resists(rock types are tricky tho).
Roost: Instant, reliable recovery. I often wont need this due to leftovers, but in a pinch it can mean escaping a KO, and its not like Volcarona has something else it would like to run instead.
Leftovers: Recovery every turn, can make an opponent 2HKO into a 3HKO, giving me ample time to Quiver Dance or Roost up.
Flame Body: One word: HAX.
Why it Matters:
Like I said, a special sweeper is necessary in todays metagame. It also deals with Latio@s(Unstabbed Ice Beam/Punch can only go so far), which would otherwise be a huge threat to this team. It is the epitome of a bulky sweeper, and is a solid win condition.
Bisharp @ Life Orb
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
- Swords Dance
Why I chose this Pokemon:
Lets get something out of the way: Bisharp is one of my favourite pokemon, and the only one who is competitively viable. I will always try to fit him onto an OU team. That being said, Bisharp is a great physical sweeper and a good counter for Sticky Web teams. And hey, It looks pretty badass.
Moves, Item and Ability:
Knock Off: Great utility move, and whats better, Bisharp gets STAB on it. Its also there so I dont have to rely on Sucker Punch mind games to do damage.
Sucker Punch: Priority+STAB=Win.
Iron Head: Deals with those goddamn fairies.
Swords Dance: In case Defiant isnt activated, this is my way to get a boost. And its a better choice than, say brick break or X Scissor.
Life Orb: Do extra damage even without a boost. Despite the recoil wearing Bisharp down, Its the perfect item, though I guess leftovers would also work in a pinch.
Defiant: Gets an Extra boost against Sticky Web teams and Intimidate users? Yes Please.
Why It Matters:
To be brutally honest, apart from the priority and breaking through Lati@s, Bisharp does little that Heracross doesnt. What it does have, though, is the freedom to switch moves, and STAB on Knock Off.
Starmie @ Life Orb
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Rapid Spin
- Psyshock
Why I chose this Pokemon:
I already had Volcarona, and even the noobiest of competitive players know how difficult it is to use Volcarona if Stealth Rock are up, despite all its bulk. So I knew I needed either a spinner or a Defogger. For some reason, I dislike Defog immensely(maybe its the useless side quest they made us do in DP) so I decided to use a spinner. The spinners of OU are Excadrill and Starmie. Starmie is faster, and I heard its Life Orb set is pretty good, so this set was chosen.
Moveset, Item and Ability:
Hydro Pump: STAB, Great Power, who cares if it has low accuracy?
Ice Beam: Helps deal with Landorus and Lati@s.
Rapid Spin: Clears the field of hazards, supporting Volcarona and Dragonite.
Psyshock: Deals good damage, STAB, and makes sure that the pink blobs dont screw up my sweeps(not that chansey is seen that much these days)
Life Orb: Gives Extra Damage, and allows me to switch attacks.
Natural Cure: If the opponent already has a layer of toxic spikes up when I come in to spin them, I can just switch out and voila! The poison is gone.
Why It Matters:
Besides providing team support in Rapid Spin, Starmie can act as death fodder once their hazard setters are dead, and can be a thorn in the opponents side at times.
Dragonite @ Choice Band
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Outrage
- Extreme Speed
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
Why I chose this Pokemon:
Dragonite is a great pokemon to use in OU, and I had yet to try its Choice Band set. Its dragon dance set had never failed to impress me, so I wanted to see if this set would. Long story short, it was great, and this set was chosen.
Moveset, Item and Ability:
Outrage: The best Physical Dragon Type move. Even being locked in isnt an issue, choice band makes it so you cant switch moves anyways.
Extreme Speed: The best Priority move, and one of the most spammable on a choice band set.
Earthquake: Like always, the golden standard for physical moves.
Iron Head: Deals with annoying ass fairies.
Choice Band: Hits HARD as hell.
Multiscale: The only reason to use Dragonite in OU, and another reason why I need a rapid spinner.
Lopunny @ Lopunnite
Ability: Limber
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- High Jump Kick
- Ice Punch
- Return
Why I chose this Pokemon:
I needed a Mega Evolution, and although Lopunny wasnt my first choice(That honor went to Altaria) I decided to use it after some thought. Perfect coverage in just its STAB moves, so fast it outspeeds some slower scarfers.....Mega Lopunny is as good as Normal Lopunny is crap, and so this set was chosen.
Moves, Item and Ability:
Fake Out: Always allows Lopunny to Mega Evolve safely, thanks to scrappy, and makes Talonflame slightly less of a problem.
High Jump Kick: STAB(After mega evolution), and hits the Rock and Steel types that resist Return hard.
Ice Punch: Hits threats like Landorus and Gliscor hard.
Return: STAB, hits hard, perfect nuetral coverage with High Jump Kick.
Lopunnite: Mega evolves Lopunny, and Mega Lopunny is the only reason to ever use Lopunny.
Limber(Normal Lopunny): Prevents Paralysis. Useful when switching in.
Scrappy(Mega Lopunny): Allows Return and High Jump Kick to have perfect nuetral coverage.
Why It Matters:
Remember way back when I said Heracross was the MVP? Well, thats not exactly true, and theres a reason Mega Lopunny is the name of the team. Mega Lopunny is a great wallbreaker, Hyper Offense counter, and physical sweeper, all rolled into one. More often than not, Mega Lopunny is the Pokemon that makes it possible for the other Pokemon to do their jobs, and that is why it matters.
So there you have it. Thats the team in all its glory. Feedback would be appreciated.
CHANGES TO THE TEAM:
Instead of Scarf Heracross, Scarf Landorus is also viable, with the following set.
Landorus-Therian (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- U-turn
- Explosion
Im too lazy to make an analysis right now, but ill get to it.
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