OU Dreamworld Team, feedback wanted!

[Sphyxius]

So this is my team, I've been laddering on and off on PO both on the PO ladder and on smogon's. This team has gotten me onto page 3 of the rankings in just a few hours of laddering, not sure how good that is but it keeps going up. fyi my PO username is Syzygian.

I'm not sure how you'd categorize this team, it has a little bit of stall, a little bit of support, and a good bit of boosting offense. For those of you who can't be bothered with the tl;dr in depth descriptions below, the gist of it is this:

Espy sets up screens and reflects entry hazards and the like, then switches unless the enemy is weak to Psychic or Ghost. The switch is almost always to either Volcarona (if I'm given a clean opening to get him in moderately unscathed and start BDing, or if the opponent is running a sun team), Dragonite (if I'm up against a hard hitting sweeper or someone trying to boost their stats), or Regirock (against a tank or anything else, like Blissey). Once one of them is KOed if entry hazards have somehow gotten up in the process I spin them away with Starmie, if not I bring Espy back in to reset the screens if need be (if not I just switch to one of the remaining 3 Volcarona/Dragonite/Regirock), then rinse, and repeat. Late game, I have Genesect as a late-game cleaner/sweeper. I generally only bring him out if Volcarona/Dragonite/Regirock are all KOed.

Most of my wins come from a Volcarona sweep, someone ragequitting against Dragonite, and occasionally a late-game sweep from Genesect.

I'm looking for possible replacements for Regirock and Starmie if anyone can suggest any that would do the job better or cover some holes/weaknesses in my team better. I'm thinking I may need a Poison type as I have gotten screwed by Toxic Spikes once or twice and Toxic has been a definite thorn in my side from time to time.

*****

Espeon (M) @ Light Clay
Trait: Magic Mirror
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Light Screen
- Reflect
- Psycho Shock
- Shadow Ball

I set out to base a team around Volcarona as its my favorite gen 5 mon. So Espeon was a no-brainer. I don't even know how common SR or entry hazards are anymore because most leads don't dare use them on me, although some have goofed and forgotten. Needless to say I set up screens and then bail assuming I'm not up against something that is weak to Psychic or Ghost. I've been able to bring Espy back in many a time to reset the screens, and generally it doesn't even lose half its health before the screens are up.

Volcarona (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Flame Body
EVs: 248 HP / 100 Def / 160 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Butterfly Dance
- Flame Dance
- Bug Buzz
- Hidden Power [Electric]

The star of the team. This is one of the 3 mons I switch to after Espy sets up the screens. Back when the 5th gen meta was starting I toyed around with HP Rock/Ground, I've found HP Electric to be far more effective as it still gets neutral hits on the vast majority of opponents HP Rock and Ground are meant to hit, such as Terrakion and Heatran, whilst getting much greater neutral coverage and nuking bulky waters and flyers. I run Flame Dance over Fire Blast as after a boost it has equal power and better PP/accuracy, and it only gets stronger. Plus there are times (albeit rare) that I don't find time for BD. I don't use Morning Sun because frankly I almost never need it (leftovers recover off the vast majority of damage I receive and any time I get low enough quick enough to wish I had Morning Sun I'd be OHKO'd anyway) and this team is designed to not require sun. The bulky spread is insanely helpful; I almost always get one BD off and there have been multiple occasions where my opponent has let me get 4 or 5. The EVs are for bulk, I use 248 HP in case I need to switch into SR twice (tho I never have) and the speed puts me ahead of Excadrill after two BDs.

Dragonite (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Multi-Scale
EVs: 244 HP / 252 SDef / 12 Spd
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Dragon Tail
- Roost
- Thunder Wave
- Substitute

This is the team troll and the reason people seem to love ragequitting on me. I T-wave them if they are boosting or moderately threatening, or Dragon Tail them immediately if I'm up against something immune to T-wave, otherwise I set up Sub first. Then I T-wave them and if the sub is still up I Dragon Tail them, Roost, and then Sub again if its been broken; if not I T-wave the switch-in. Then rinse and repeat. I try to sub/roost-stall until they are fully paralyzed before I Dragon Tail them so I can have a sub up against whatever comes out and then T-wave them without worry. Basically I paralyze half the team, shuffle 'em, and keep healing/subbing in between. If screens are still up even Ice moves are a joke, and I usually Roost when I'm predicting one, which always works because my opponent is paralyzed by then most of the time. This guy is ridiculous and pisses a lot of people off. By the time he's KO'ed if that ever happens, I usually have paralysis and/or damage on almost all of my opponent's team.

Regirock @ Leftovers
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SDef
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Stone Edge
- Thunder Wave
- Drain Punch
- Curse

Regirock is a supporter/tank. He T-wave's whatever he's up against and then proceeds to Curse up. Assuming the opponent is foolhardy enough to stay in the speed drops are irrelevant at that point, and if they switch I just get another free curse. I then Drain Punch them until I've recovered most of my lost HP, or T-wave the switch-in. I never use Stone Edge unless I'm up against something weak to Rock. Of the 6 on my team, Regirock is one of two I'm considering changing, mostly due to the fact that he unfortunately tends to get KO'ed more easily than everyone else for some reason, so suggestions are appreciated in this area.

Starmie @ Leftovers
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Recover
- Rapid Spin
- Thunderbolt
- Surf

The second member I'm considering changing. Starmie is my spinner, mostly because I got sick of using Forry and other spinners that have piss poor offense and no recovery. Starmie also gives me a response to status-abusers. I'm considering ditching it mostly because 90% of the time if my opponent is running entry hazards they never get a chance to get them on my side of the field due to Espy and the fact that serendipitously, my team seems to wreak the most common entry-hazard users (Ferrothorn and Excadrill are a joke, and two of my sweepers are designed to outspeed and OHKO the latter in sand).

Genesect @ Life Orb
Trait: Download
EVs: 68 HP / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 184 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Bug Buzz
- Flamethrower
- Ice Beam
- Rock Polish

My late-game cleaner. If I'm doing well and my opponent sends out something lacking a Fire attack with lower SpD than Def I sometimes send him out early (as in before Volcarona/Dragonite/Regirock are out of the game) but generally I save him as a last resort. I use Ice Beam instead of T-bolt because I have electric attacks on two of my other mons and otherwise I have little means of dealing with Dragon or Ground types (the latter especially as I do rely a fair bit on paralysis support). The EVs put me ahead of a certain fragile, overhyped mole after 1 RP. This is the only mon on my team that is 100% offensive and therefore the only one sporting life orb. This team does a lot of switching for a team lacking any choice users so I enjoy having leftovers recovery on everybody, and combined with screens it makes everyone pretty bulky.

*****

So thats it. Give me your suggestions and constructive criticism and if you can think of any better candidates for replacing Regirock/Starmie please mention them. Thanks!!!

 

[smitsmcgee]

I would suggest running a standard support Tentacruel instead of Starmie, since it fits the criteria you have listed or being able to absorb toxic/toxic spikes yet still being able to rapid spin. Also, you would be giving up a little of Starmie's offense, but Tenta is much bulkier and not without offense, as stab Surf and Sludge Bomb are nothing to scoff at.

 

[Sphyxius]

word. tried that and it worked out pretty well. Nice to have toxic spikes support too, and it doesn't die as fast as Starmie.

Any suggestions for a possible Regirock replacement? I was thinking maybe Conkeldurr could work, but I'm not sure.

 

[elDino]

Hey Sphyxius, this seems like a pretty decent team that you have here and I'm glad for your success with it. However, there are a few issues I would like to point out, and hopefully fix with my suggestions.

• Lack of a scarfer / designated revenge killer
• Ground type sweepers: Excadrill, Garchomp, Landorus
• Water types
• Thundurus

These problems are quite large ones, and Pokémon such as Thundurus must be giving your team a hard time. Anyway, down to business.

This team lacks a choice scarfer or revenge killer. You state throughout the RMT that your team can effectively deal with threats such as Excadrill, but you can only do this if your Pokémon have already set up. To fix this problem, you need a revenge killer that can deal with many of the top tier threats in this metagame. A great choice for this role, in my opinion, would be to use a choice scarf Garchomp. This helps you to deal with many of the most dangerous threats in today's metagame including SD Garchomp, Thundurus and Terrakion.

The set listed here is what would be most beneficial for your team in my eyes:

Garchomp @ Choice Scarf
Jolly Nature
Sand Veil
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
~ Outrage
~ Earthquake
~ Stone Edge
~ Fire Blast

The set listed above allows Garchomp to take out many of the metagame's premier threats, whilst also giving you a reliable late game cleaner with either Outrage or Earthquake. I feel that this Garchomp would fit more reliably over Genosect as Genosect doesn't really offer much to the team at the moment, other than acting as a late game cleaner, although Garchomp and also fill this role.

Another main problem that this team has is with the plethora of ground type sweepers that now plague the OU metagame in sandstorm teams. Although the Garchomp listed above deals with other Garchomp, Landorus and Excadrill can still beat this Garchomp if they were to set up on your Espeon. For this, to keep the more offensive nature of the team, I feel that a Choice Band Azumarill would fit well over the Starmie that is currently occupying a rather pointless role, seeing that you already have Espeon to deal with the threat of entry hazards. Azumarill can OHKO Excadrill, Landorus and Terrakion easily with Aqua Jet, whilst also offering some reliable insurance against Blaziken and giving you some extra attacking power against more stall based teams. Here is the set:

Azumarill @ Choice Band
Adamant Nature
Huge Power
252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe
~ Aqua Jet
~ Waterfall
~ Superpower
~ Ice Punch

This set allows you to revenge a huge amount of the metagames main threats, including Volcarona, Terrakion, Blaziken, Landorus, weakened Thundurus, Charizard, Excadrill and Infernape, whilst also being able to do huge damage to the ever popular Gliscor and Tyranitar. Ferrothorn that enjoy switching into Azumarill's water-type attacks get smashed into the ground by Superpower, further making this a great anti-metagame set.

Anyway, most of your problems are now solved, except, you lack a sufficient way to damage or counter bulky waters. You only have two resists, whilst Dragonite is destroyed by Ice Beam if it is not at full health, a move which many water types tend to carry. Also, as Starmie is now being replaced by Azumarill, its unboosted Thunderbolt isn't going to offer you that little extra insurance that you had against them. In its place, I am going to suggest a largely overlooked Pokémon at the moment, that works well in countering the huge amounts of rain and sandstorm teams that are at large right now. That pokémon is Shaymin. With a Life Orb, it destroys any bulky waters, whilst giving some extra bulk to your team. Under Dual Screens, it is very difficult to take down. Here is the set:

Shaymin @ Life Orb
Timid Nature
Natural Cure
4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
~ Seed Flare
~ Earth Power
~ Hidden Power Ice
~ Rest

Seed Flare is Shaymin's signature move, and it completely kills almost all bulky waters, whilst Earth Power offers great coverage. HP Ice owns Dragons and Gliscor / Landorus. Rest gives Shaymin recovery as it switches out.

I hope you take my ideas into account, and good luck with the team! Well done :)

 

[masterful]

1)You need to run Jolly+Max Speed on your Volcarona, as any Excadrill can outspeed and OHKO you with Rock Slide even if you are at +1 speed.
2)I enormously agree that you need to use CB Azumarill on your team in place of Starmie, as with Espeon used effectively, entry hazards should not be an issue, yet I would run Toxic over Ice Punch, as it allows you to beat Jellicent (Ice Punch wasn't doing much for you anyway), who walls your sweepers pretty well. This addition also largely solves the problem of your lack of revengers.
3)Rock is a terrible typing in this metagame, unfortunately, so I would advise that if you really want a bulky set-up sweeper you should go with a Max HP / Max SpD Bulk Up Conkeldurr, who can't stand up to much of what Sand has to offer and beat it out.

 

[Sphyxius]

Hey Sphyxius, this seems like a pretty decent team that you have here and I'm glad for your success with it. However, there are a few issues I would like to point out, and hopefully fix with my suggestions.

• Lack of a scarfer / designated revenge killer
• Ground type sweepers: Excadrill, Garchomp, Landorus
• Water types
• Thundurus

These problems are quite large ones, and Pokémon such as Thundurus must be giving your team a hard time. Anyway, down to business.

This team lacks a choice scarfer or revenge killer. You state throughout the RMT that your team can effectively deal with threats such as Excadrill, but you can only do this if your Pokémon have already set up. To fix this problem, you need a revenge killer that can deal with many of the top tier threats in this metagame. A great choice for this role, in my opinion, would be to use a choice scarf Garchomp. This helps you to deal with many of the most dangerous threats in today's metagame including SD Garchomp, Thundurus and Terrakion.

The set listed here is what would be most beneficial for your team in my eyes:

Garchomp @ Choice Scarf
Jolly Nature
Sand Veil
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
~ Outrage
~ Earthquake
~ Stone Edge
~ Fire Blast

The set listed above allows Garchomp to take out many of the metagame's premier threats, whilst also giving you a reliable late game cleaner with either Outrage or Earthquake. I feel that this Garchomp would fit more reliably over Genosect as Genosect doesn't really offer much to the team at the moment, other than acting as a late game cleaner, although Garchomp and also fill this role.

Another main problem that this team has is with the plethora of ground type sweepers that now plague the OU metagame in sandstorm teams. Although the Garchomp listed above deals with other Garchomp, Landorus and Excadrill can still beat this Garchomp if they were to set up on your Espeon. For this, to keep the more offensive nature of the team, I feel that a Choice Band Azumarill would fit well over the Starmie that is currently occupying a rather pointless role, seeing that you already have Espeon to deal with the threat of entry hazards. Azumarill can OHKO Excadrill, Landorus and Terrakion easily with Aqua Jet, whilst also offering some reliable insurance against Blaziken and giving you some extra attacking power against more stall based teams. Here is the set:

Azumarill @ Choice Band
Adamant Nature
Huge Power
252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe
~ Aqua Jet
~ Waterfall
~ Superpower
~ Ice Punch

This set allows you to revenge a huge amount of the metagames main threats, including Volcarona, Terrakion, Blaziken, Landorus, weakened Thundurus, Charizard, Excadrill and Infernape, whilst also being able to do huge damage to the ever popular Gliscor and Tyranitar. Ferrothorn that enjoy switching into Azumarill's water-type attacks get smashed into the ground by Superpower, further making this a great anti-metagame set.

Anyway, most of your problems are now solved, except, you lack a sufficient way to damage or counter bulky waters. You only have two resists, whilst Dragonite is destroyed by Ice Beam if it is not at full health, a move which many water types tend to carry. Also, as Starmie is now being replaced by Azumarill, its unboosted Thunderbolt isn't going to offer you that little extra insurance that you had against them. In its place, I am going to suggest a largely overlooked Pokémon at the moment, that works well in countering the huge amounts of rain and sandstorm teams that are at large right now. That pokémon is Shaymin. With a Life Orb, it destroys any bulky waters, whilst giving some extra bulk to your team. Under Dual Screens, it is very difficult to take down. Here is the set:

Shaymin @ Life Orb
Timid Nature
Natural Cure
4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
~ Seed Flare
~ Earth Power
~ Hidden Power Ice
~ Rest

Seed Flare is Shaymin's signature move, and it completely kills almost all bulky waters, whilst Earth Power offers great coverage. HP Ice owns Dragons and Gliscor / Landorus. Rest gives Shaymin recovery as it switches out.

I hope you take my ideas into account, and good luck with the team! Well done :)

Thanks mate,

I've successfully replaced Starmie with Tentacruel and its definitely been a step up. I switched Regirock for Bulk-Up Conkeldurr (Bulk Up/Mach Punch/Drain Punch/Payback) and I've had some success with it, I'm reluctant to use Garchomp as that would add another quad ice weakness to my team.

The great thing about this team I've noticed is the dual-screens. The frailty you may expect from some of my team just isn't there because I go out of my way to keep Espeon in the game. I think I'll try Garchomp today and see how I do, or perhaps get one of the 108 speeds in there with a scarf.

1)You need to run Jolly+Max Speed on your Volcarona, as any Excadrill can outspeed and OHKO you with Rock Slide even if you are at +1 speed.
2)I enormously agree that you need to use CB Azumarill on your team in place of Starmie, as with Espeon used effectively, entry hazards should not be an issue, yet I would run Toxic over Ice Punch, as it allows you to beat Jellicent (Ice Punch wasn't doing much for you anyway), who walls your sweepers pretty well. This addition also largely solves the problem of your lack of revengers.
3)Rock is a terrible typing in this metagame, unfortunately, so I would advise that if you really want a bulky set-up sweeper you should go with a Max HP / Max SpD Bulk Up Conkeldurr, who can't stand up to much of what Sand has to offer and beat it out.

1) Definitely not, and you mean Timid ;) That and I don't think max-speed Volcarona at +1 can outspeed Excadrill anyway, tho I can't be bothered to check. I've yet to come across an Excadrill that has given me any trouble. IMO its way overhyped. I've endured much more pain at the hands of things like Kingdra, Ditto, Terrakion, etc.
2)I'm reluctant, but I might...
3)Already been done my friend, and so far its working pretty good...