Overpredicted and Outplayed - A Balanced RMT

[fohg]

The title doesn't describe how good i am at this game, lol.
But as you can see, I'm new to smogon, and relatively new to competative pokemon. This is probably the first semi-decent team I've made, as i used to just take teams that i thought were good from Youtube and the like. But, w/e, that's not why you're reading this lol. Here's the team:​

OVERPREDICTED and OUTPLAYED​

​

Okay, so the idea of the team is to deal as much damage with the gross lead, hopefully boom, get sr up somewhere in the mix, as my lead doesn't have it, and attempt to set up a mence/specs luke sweep somewhere along the way. As you can see, not the best or most organized gameplan. I have problems with zapdos and rotom in general, and stall gives me fits as i lack a spinner. Baton pass can also handily take me out as i lake a phazer. Oh yea, and crocune if it gets in a calm mind. But i'll address these weaknesses in depth in the threat list.​

Metagross @ Occa Berry
Addy: Clear Body
232 Hp/ 252 Atk/ 24 Spe
~Iron Head
~Earthquake
~Bullet Punch
~Explosion

This is a lead metagross that i found somewhere posted by BetterthenLori on the marriland forums. I had never really found a lead that i had liked or one that had worked for me, so i went with one that had math behind it. According to BetterthenLori, this lead opens the battle in my favor about 85% of the time iirc. By sacrificing Stealth Rock, meta gets better coverage among the most common leads with both EQ and a steel move. BetterthenLori also explained that iron head was used instead of meteor mash due to the 100% accuracy, and because the loss of power doesn't translate into any lost 2hko's among leads (plz correct me if i'm wrong).

Lead Matchups:

Azelf: I iron head as they taunt/sr/fireblast/flamethrower, then bullet punch.

Metagross: I outspeed thanks to the 24 speed EVs, and threaten a swift 2hko with EQ.

Jirachi: I threaten a 2hko with EQ, but sometimes the scarfed ones Uturn away. I usually play it safe and just EQ first, then iron head the predicted switch.

Swampert: One of the leads i don't have an advantage over. I am forced to boom right away, but with the added bonus of them not getting sr up, due to me outspeeding.

Aerodactyl: I iron head as they taunt/sr/EQ, then bullet punch.

Infernape: I EQ after the fake out, shrugging off the fireblast with the Occa berry. Bullet punch finishes the sash.

Hippowdon: Like pert, i am forced to boom right away. No sr for them, tho.

Ninjask: More often than not, they get the boost passed. But on the off chance that i can predict through all the subbing and protects, i can bullet punch for the ko if they are caught exposed with roughly 35%.

Bronzong: I usually switch to scizor while they sr, Uturn for damage, then hope they aren't smart enough to boom the incoming luke/mence. luke kos with aura sphere, while mence kos with fireblast.

Roserade: Bullet punch before the sleep powder hits. Switch to mence afterwrods, and threaten a ko with fireblast.

Tyranitar: Threaten a 2hko with iron head or EQ for when i'm drunk.

Smeargle: Same as roserade, but i go to luke just bcoz.

Heatran: I EQ as we both use our barries to absorb the attacks. I usually switch to pert to take the expected fireblast, but some people predict that and go for sr after their first attack. I always contemplate whether or not i should just stay in a risk the ko.

Gliscor: boom. They get up sr or get a taunt/EQ off in this situation, as they outspeed.

Abomasnow: I never see these, but i would switch to scizor and threaten to ohko thru the sash by uturning into luke, who has vwave.

Empoleon: I just EQ to be safe, despite the fact that a torrent pump ohkos me back. sometimes they sr and fall to bullet punch next turn, but i pray that the bulky ones (that EQ -> bp doesn't kill) use sr first, as i outspeed.

Swampert @ leftovers
Relaxed: Torrent
252 Hp/ 252 Def/ 4 Satk
~Ice Beam
~Earthquake
~Hydro Pump
~Stealth Rock

Like i mentioned before, my Stealth rocker isn't my lead, but rather pert. I use pert to kinda check unboosted mences (or mixed ones that have used Draco Meteor), heatran, opposing metas if mine was already downed, tyranitar, apes without knot (which don't exist), luke to an extent, rotom-h, who is also a pain for this team, jirachi, gliscor, magnezone, and zapdos without hp grass. That long list basically states why pert has been such a huge help to me, checking various threats/ annoyances and even setting up sr. Kills (1, 2, 3...) 11 birds with one really awesome stone.

Porygon2 @ leftovers
Bold: Trace
252 Hp/ 216 Def/ 40 Satk
~Ice Beam
~Thunder Wave
~Recover
~Thunderbolt

This thing is the definition of utility. It counters most mence, counters all gyarados, traps and kills magnezone stuck on hp fire (or even stuck on tbolt), provides twave support (despite it not being needed as much on this team), absorbs heatran's fireblast, negates vappy without toxic, and negates jolteon stuck on tbolt of pert has been downed. It is a very solid poke that protects me from 2 of the bigger threats in OU.

Scizor @ Choice Band
Addy: Technician
244 Hp/ 252 Atk/ 12 Spe
~Bullet Punch
~U-turn
~Superpower
~Pursuit

Another solid poke, scizor comes in as the second "check." As an added bonus to what porygon2 does to mence, scizor can revenge kill it with bp. Scizor mildly checks my gengar weakness, while messing up latias and starmie, if used correctly. Predicted switches to heatran can end badly due to superpower, and Uturn easily scouts for my opponent's team. I have been contemplating changing his EV spread to a more specialy bulky set, but i was thinking it would just make it an inferior ttar (for what those stats would allow it to do). Thoughts?

Salamence @ Life Orb
Naive: Intimidate
232 Atk/ 24 Satk/ 252 Spe
~Dragon Dance
~Outrage
~Fireblast
~Earthquake

An all around beast. If not for stealth rock making me choosy about the times i let him switch in, he'd be even better of a monster. He lets me sweep when someone gives me the chance. Once main counters have been taken out of the picture, fireblast, eq, and outrage often power their way thru softened teams with that oh-so-amazing +1. Fire blast over flamethrower because i dislike skarmory and zong leads give me fits.

Lucario @ Choice Specs
Timid: Inner Focus
252 Satk/ 252 Spe/ 4 Hp
~Aura Sphere
~Vacuum Wave
~Shadow Ball
~Hidden Power Ice

HP ice is in there because i didn't like the ivs that HP rock gave, tbh. I never really use it either. But Aura sphere is a nice stab, but sometimes it just doesn't pack that much of a punch. Vacuum Wave is nice for killing other lukes, but other than that it diesn't really do much of anything... Shoadow ball does something against rotom formes that give me a hard time. tbh, i was looking for something to replace this with, whether it be a SD luke, or something completely different.


Well, that's the team. I'll probably make a threat list tomorrow, to help with rates. Thx for reading through my team, and i hope it wasn't too bad.

MKAY THREAT LIST TIME:


Defensive Threats:

Blissey - i switch in scizor and pray they don't flamethrower on the switch, forcing them out. I get fancy after that, if i find they have flamethrower, mence at low percent.

Bronzong - switch to scizor, uturn out to luke/ mence, and aura sphere/ fireblast for the ko.

Celebi - scizor, then force out with uturn, mence fireblasts ones with hp fire.

Cresselia - annoyance. scizor can nail it with uturn into luke who can try to finish it with shadow ball.

Forretress - mence fireblasts.

Gliscor - porygon2/ pert force it out with ice beam.

Gyarados - porygon2.

Hippowdon - porygon2 / pert force it out with repeated ice beams/ pumps.

Jirachi - pert, gross, and mence can land supereffective hits, putting pressure on it to switch.

Rotom-A - pert manhandles it.

Skarmory - mence fireblast, porygon2 can tbolt if it comes to that.

Snorlax - scizor and mence hit it hard.

Suicune - annoying. i can hit it with uturn into luke who nails it with aura sphere, and mence can hit it hard.

Swampert - gross booms.

Tyranitar - gross and pert force it out.

Vaporeon - porygon2 walls ones without toxic, but scizor uturns into luke if it comes to that.

Zapdos - annoying. pert can wall ones without hp grass, but mence and luke can hit it hard (luke dies in the process tho).


Offensive Threats:

Azelf - gross lol. scizor if its a sweeper.

Breloom - mence comes in after whoever was in takes the sleep and fireblast/ scares it away. ones with stone edge can go die i mean they often require me to sacrifice someone.

Gengar - a threat, but scizor can bp as most stay in assuming a pursuit.

Gyarados - porygon2.

Heatran - porygon2 absorbs stab like a beast that eats lava for dinner. but pert can force out choiced ones and luke can aura sphere non scarfers (after i take down the sub).

Infernape - a threat similar to gengar, but scizor can't keep him away. i need to first see if it has hp ice, and if it does, i need to predict my way around it. ones with hp ice often fall to luke's vacuum wave.

Jolteon - porygon2 and pert can both absorb stab, and pert can force it out.

Latias - scizor, and if it has hp fire, porygon2 paralyzes it, and mence come in afterwords.

Kingdra - porygon2 parlyzes and breaks the subs (not in that order lol) of the ones that don't weild hydro pump. otherwise, i need to get fancy with what i've got left.

Lucario - my luke wins with vacuum wave. mence is the bigger man.

Machamp - annoying. hit it hard with whoever is in, mence can mess up the ones without stone edge and the scarfers.

Magnezone - porygon2 revenge kills it, pert can threaten it with eq, mence can outspeed and ohko nonscarfers.

Mamoswine - scizor, pert, gross' bp, luke's vacuum wave.

Metagross - my gross, pert.

Salamence - porygon2. if it has meteor, then scizor breaks it.

Scizor - gross outspeeds and booms, pert hydropumps the sd sets. luke's aura sphere ohkos ones that have switched in atleast twice.

Starmie - annoying. same deal as gengar and ape, but scizor can uturn it after some prediction, as most assume i'm going for the pursuit.

Tyranitar - gross, pert.

Zapdos - same as defensive, but it doesn't stay around for as long.

 

[fohg]

24 hour bump?

 

[Solidus]

I like your team. Focusing around a late game Mence sweep is usually difficult to commence due to it's Stealth Rock weakness, and most people find it hard to keep Salamence out until lategame due to his usefulness and extreme hard hitting power. As such, he may be brought out earlier than supposed to and the strategy will go off track, but since you're making it focused around Lucario as well, it kind of balances out since Luke is doubly resistant to SR. Before anything else, that huge MixApe weakness needs to be fixed pronto. He can easily sweep through your whole team without much effort at all. First off, I advise transitioning the SR role to Metagross instead, and this in turn allows you to exchange Swampert for something that can get rid of your biggest weakness, which is Mixape. I would turn Metagross into a Scarf lead.

Metagross @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature (+Spe, -SAtk)
~ Trick
~ Meteor Mash / Iron Head
~ Explosion
~ Stealth Rock

By changing to this set instead, you can quickly set up SR right at the beginning of the match, and also have the opportunity of debilitating your opponents lead via Trick. Setting up SR is usually your first priority though, because by doing this, common Flying types such as Zapdos who could trouble you will be constantly worn down every time they switch in. Same with Mence and Gyara, both of which aren't that big of a threat to your team thank to Porygon2, but could put a chunk of damage if given the right opportunity. The choice of which move to use on the 2nd slot depends on whether you want accuracy over power, and I'm guessing that you most likely prefer Iron Head because of what you actually said in Meta's description. Also Scarf + Iron Head is sort of a watered down version of ScarfRachi, because you'll be flinching half as much as the normal lead Jirachi would. Of course, Explosion is there to go out with a bang when you have no further use.

Now back to Swampert's empty spot, I really wanted something here that could completely halt Infernape, namely the mixed attacking variants who absolutely wreck you at this point. What I would suggest to go in this spot instead is a Starmie. Those annoying Apes won't even have a chance to stop your two late game sweepers from doing their thing while Starmie is in the picture. This will add to your Gengar weak, and Zapdos weak more than anything else, but remember that as long as Scizor is around, Gengar shouldn't pose much of a threat and since Metagross will be laying down SR right at the beginning of the match, Zapdos will be constantly worn down through every switch in, then Porygon2 can slowly wear down Zapdos from there. If they are non-Sub versions then it will be that much easier to take down, because you can just use T-Wave and debilitate it greatly. Anyways, onto the Starmie set. A standard movespread will work fine.

Starmie @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 136 HP / 156 Def / 216 Spe
Timid Nature (+Spe, -Atk)
~ Rapid Spin
~ Surf
~ Thunderbolt
~ Recover

Not only are you going to have a really good check to one of your teams biggest threats, you have another positive of being able to Spin away rocks and this slightly aids Salamence at late game sweeping because he will be at higher health. Another great thing is that you won't have to be so hesitant of bringing Salamence out earlier due to being hurt by SR because now you can Spin it away whenever you like. And let's face it; before this, Swampert was obviously the one who took all the Fire attacks aimed at your team, and even though he's resistant to them, constantly having to be hit with, say Heatran's Fire Blast will leave it's mark after a while. Now you can just heal off those attacks with Recover and also strike back with Surf.

Best of luck with your team.

 

[fohg]

thanks a lot for the rate and sets, solidus. i will try the changes, and it looks like they will help. but i'm hoping that losing gross' winning ratio won't screw me over. then again, getting sr up earlier is often more important.