I've been playing OU again. I didn't really enjoy the Home metagame with all the Kingambit stuff so I played it when the DLC rolled around. Built a decent team with Firepon but it got banned. The DLC feels more bearable since it doesn't seem to be much of a Kingambit slugfest even after the Baxcalibur and Firepon ban so I'm trying it again
Ability: Rough Skin
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 Atk / 12 SpD / 244 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Scale Shot
- Liquidation
- Earthquake
- Swords Dance
Now that it’s finally got scale shot again, time to use it. Garchomp did just fall to UU, a sad day in history, and I hope it makes a return to OU eventually. Anyway, Garchomp’s role is to lure in and destroy Great Tusk and Gliscor. Liquidation is a strong neutral move that ironically covers these two mons quite nicely. With tera water, it is often a guaranteed kill on both of them and shedding the dragon type means I can stand my ground against IV and Enamorus and kill them both. Alternatively, tera fairy is useful to turn Dragapult into setup fodder. Steel and poison are also options to better deal with fairies but often time, water and fairy are good enough not to mention the ground weakness is not something you can just ignore. Its EV spread is to outspeed max speed Great Tusk. I don’t really see the need to run max speed since Garchomp’s speed tier is no longer that great so why not go for more damage. Also, this mon is the only one I won’t replace because I’m huffing so much copium right now
Kingambit @ Black Glasses
Ability: Supreme Overlord
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch
- Swords Dance
- Kowtow Cleave
Next up is the broken mon itself. I’m still honestly surprised this didn’t get banned at all. Either way, with Garchomp being a lure for Great Tusk, of course this mon is a great addition and it’s broken. Just the usual stabs and sd with tera flying. I’m also thinking about using low kick on this thing over iron head for opposing Kingambits but those things aren’t really a problem for me
Ability: Competitive
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 248 HP / 52 Def / 208 SpD
Calm Nature
- Surf
- Roost
- Flip Turn
- Stealth Rock
For this one, I really wanted to try out Empoleon because roost seems promising and for the most part, it works. It makes Walking Wake really sad, can fend off Greninja and Gholdengo, and steel is just a generally good typing. The EV spread is something I saw in another RMT, I forgot what it’s for, if it even was mentioned. I’m honestly not sure about the moves on this though because surf and roar both seem like good options. Ice beam could even work to delete that damn scorpion. As for its tera type, I chose fairy. Steel, water, and fairy, are tera types you’re never gonna go wrong with and since I’m uncertain, I chose fairy since it covers the fighting weakness
Gliscor @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 244 HP / 72 Def / 192 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Spikes
- Protect
- Knock Off
- Earthquake
The next one, I wanted something to synergize well with the penguin so I chose Gliscor. They have a perfect type synergy of covering each other’s weaknesses and Gliscor is just really annoying. I chose to have this be the spiker since Garchomp’s busy with something else and Empoleon gets rocks as well. Its EV spread is to outrun max speed Great Tusk and tera water is to get rid fo its pesky weaknesses and give me more room to play with against rain. The only thing I’m really considering is using toxic over knock off because realy, knock off isn’t proving its worth at all. The only thing it’s good for is hopefully knocking off opposing Gliscor on the switch, which is not reliable at all. Toxic would be more useful to deal with both Zapdos and Moltres, Zapdos because as you can see on the team, it’s a massive pain, and Moltres because Iron Valiant can’t exactly do anything to it
Among Us @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
Tera Type: Poison
EVs: 252 HP / 184 Def / 72 SpD
Bold Nature
- Spore
- Giga Drain
- Clear Smog
- Sludge Bomb
For the next one, I wanted something to deal with Ogerpon. That pokemon is ridiculous and grass water isn’t exactly a stab type you can just ignore. Fortunately, the impostor can mostly deal with it. Clear smog is to get rid of any fancy sd nonsense and even get rid of its tera boost on spdef, temporarily anyway. Sludge bomb is the general stab, and spore is spore. For its grass move, I chose giga drain over grass knot because it somehow deals more damage to Ogerpon after it teras. As much as I wish to use grass knot because it deals with Great Tusk better, Ogerpon is too much of a threat. For its EV spread, I just grabbed the one on its analysis page and I chose poison as its tera type because the second reason I chose it is to absorb toxic spikes
Iron Valiant @ Booster Energy
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Poison
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Encore
- Calm Mind
- Moonblast
- Close Combat
Lastly, I still needed some speed control. Fortunately, Iron Valiant has always been a reliable option for me and like Garchomp and Kingambit, can turn into a late game cleaner at a moments notice. Encore is an option so I don’t lose to dumb stuff like cm Clef or curse Dozo, while calm mind is for boost. Moonblast is main stab and I chose close combat over focus miss because I refuse to let the rng take any more of my sanity than it already has. For its tera type, I chose poison mainly to shed the fairy weakness if I’m ever forced into a speed tie with opposing Valiants. Steel would be a good option but I don’t really like the fighting and fire weakness it has. I’m also thinking of replacing calm mind because it rarely does much and putting destiny bond instead. Yes, I do lose some damage but I’ve been experimenting a scarf IV with trick and destiny bond over encore and calm mind, which can net some really useful kills like against Corviknight or Enamorus. In theory, destiny bond would also force the opponent not to attack which means more encore opportunities. I’ll have to try this out first
---
Threats
This is the number one enemy of this team. Zapdos just rips through the team. It destroys the entire defensive core while my offensive ones can’t really deal with it that much either. Garchomp beats it but it can’t really switch in because scale shot doesn’t kill it from full
It’s not so much as Ninetales itself but the veil abusers. It’s really annoying and can be quite troublesome to deal with. I haven’t encountered it that much to know for sure but of the less than five I encountered, it was troublesome and I lost most of them
Will this ever not be a threat? I could have chosen to build the team accounting for it but I found it wasn’t really worth it. I’ll adjust the team if it doesn’t get banned. It’s not that long til the suspect ends anyway
Hazards
One might also see that I have no hazard removal. I did that on purpose because having to run Great Tusk for it is just too much of a hassle. Plus, I mainly play Ubers and if anyone has played gen 9 Ubers, they’d know that it’s either use Origin Giratina or you die to hazards. While I often choose to use Giratina because it’s a good mon, Great Tusk right now, I don’t feel like using, mainly because I feel like it can’t even reliably check Kingambit due to tera and really only has spin to offer the team with no good candidates to replace
---
Well, that’s the team. I’m hoping someone could give me some optimal EV spreads and general feedback because I really don’t know much about the tier just yet. Thanks for any help
Ability: Rough Skin
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 Atk / 12 SpD / 244 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Scale Shot
- Liquidation
- Earthquake
- Swords Dance
Now that it’s finally got scale shot again, time to use it. Garchomp did just fall to UU, a sad day in history, and I hope it makes a return to OU eventually. Anyway, Garchomp’s role is to lure in and destroy Great Tusk and Gliscor. Liquidation is a strong neutral move that ironically covers these two mons quite nicely. With tera water, it is often a guaranteed kill on both of them and shedding the dragon type means I can stand my ground against IV and Enamorus and kill them both. Alternatively, tera fairy is useful to turn Dragapult into setup fodder. Steel and poison are also options to better deal with fairies but often time, water and fairy are good enough not to mention the ground weakness is not something you can just ignore. Its EV spread is to outspeed max speed Great Tusk. I don’t really see the need to run max speed since Garchomp’s speed tier is no longer that great so why not go for more damage. Also, this mon is the only one I won’t replace because I’m huffing so much copium right now
Kingambit @ Black Glasses
Ability: Supreme Overlord
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch
- Swords Dance
- Kowtow Cleave
Next up is the broken mon itself. I’m still honestly surprised this didn’t get banned at all. Either way, with Garchomp being a lure for Great Tusk, of course this mon is a great addition and it’s broken. Just the usual stabs and sd with tera flying. I’m also thinking about using low kick on this thing over iron head for opposing Kingambits but those things aren’t really a problem for me
Ability: Competitive
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 248 HP / 52 Def / 208 SpD
Calm Nature
- Surf
- Roost
- Flip Turn
- Stealth Rock
For this one, I really wanted to try out Empoleon because roost seems promising and for the most part, it works. It makes Walking Wake really sad, can fend off Greninja and Gholdengo, and steel is just a generally good typing. The EV spread is something I saw in another RMT, I forgot what it’s for, if it even was mentioned. I’m honestly not sure about the moves on this though because surf and roar both seem like good options. Ice beam could even work to delete that damn scorpion. As for its tera type, I chose fairy. Steel, water, and fairy, are tera types you’re never gonna go wrong with and since I’m uncertain, I chose fairy since it covers the fighting weakness
Gliscor @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 244 HP / 72 Def / 192 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Spikes
- Protect
- Knock Off
- Earthquake
The next one, I wanted something to synergize well with the penguin so I chose Gliscor. They have a perfect type synergy of covering each other’s weaknesses and Gliscor is just really annoying. I chose to have this be the spiker since Garchomp’s busy with something else and Empoleon gets rocks as well. Its EV spread is to outrun max speed Great Tusk and tera water is to get rid fo its pesky weaknesses and give me more room to play with against rain. The only thing I’m really considering is using toxic over knock off because realy, knock off isn’t proving its worth at all. The only thing it’s good for is hopefully knocking off opposing Gliscor on the switch, which is not reliable at all. Toxic would be more useful to deal with both Zapdos and Moltres, Zapdos because as you can see on the team, it’s a massive pain, and Moltres because Iron Valiant can’t exactly do anything to it
Among Us @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
Tera Type: Poison
EVs: 252 HP / 184 Def / 72 SpD
Bold Nature
- Spore
- Giga Drain
- Clear Smog
- Sludge Bomb
For the next one, I wanted something to deal with Ogerpon. That pokemon is ridiculous and grass water isn’t exactly a stab type you can just ignore. Fortunately, the impostor can mostly deal with it. Clear smog is to get rid of any fancy sd nonsense and even get rid of its tera boost on spdef, temporarily anyway. Sludge bomb is the general stab, and spore is spore. For its grass move, I chose giga drain over grass knot because it somehow deals more damage to Ogerpon after it teras. As much as I wish to use grass knot because it deals with Great Tusk better, Ogerpon is too much of a threat. For its EV spread, I just grabbed the one on its analysis page and I chose poison as its tera type because the second reason I chose it is to absorb toxic spikes
Iron Valiant @ Booster Energy
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Poison
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Encore
- Calm Mind
- Moonblast
- Close Combat
Lastly, I still needed some speed control. Fortunately, Iron Valiant has always been a reliable option for me and like Garchomp and Kingambit, can turn into a late game cleaner at a moments notice. Encore is an option so I don’t lose to dumb stuff like cm Clef or curse Dozo, while calm mind is for boost. Moonblast is main stab and I chose close combat over focus miss because I refuse to let the rng take any more of my sanity than it already has. For its tera type, I chose poison mainly to shed the fairy weakness if I’m ever forced into a speed tie with opposing Valiants. Steel would be a good option but I don’t really like the fighting and fire weakness it has. I’m also thinking of replacing calm mind because it rarely does much and putting destiny bond instead. Yes, I do lose some damage but I’ve been experimenting a scarf IV with trick and destiny bond over encore and calm mind, which can net some really useful kills like against Corviknight or Enamorus. In theory, destiny bond would also force the opponent not to attack which means more encore opportunities. I’ll have to try this out first
---
Threats
This is the number one enemy of this team. Zapdos just rips through the team. It destroys the entire defensive core while my offensive ones can’t really deal with it that much either. Garchomp beats it but it can’t really switch in because scale shot doesn’t kill it from full
It’s not so much as Ninetales itself but the veil abusers. It’s really annoying and can be quite troublesome to deal with. I haven’t encountered it that much to know for sure but of the less than five I encountered, it was troublesome and I lost most of them
Will this ever not be a threat? I could have chosen to build the team accounting for it but I found it wasn’t really worth it. I’ll adjust the team if it doesn’t get banned. It’s not that long til the suspect ends anyway
Hazards
One might also see that I have no hazard removal. I did that on purpose because having to run Great Tusk for it is just too much of a hassle. Plus, I mainly play Ubers and if anyone has played gen 9 Ubers, they’d know that it’s either use Origin Giratina or you die to hazards. While I often choose to use Giratina because it’s a good mon, Great Tusk right now, I don’t feel like using, mainly because I feel like it can’t even reliably check Kingambit due to tera and really only has spin to offer the team with no good candidates to replace
---
Well, that’s the team. I’m hoping someone could give me some optimal EV spreads and general feedback because I really don’t know much about the tier just yet. Thanks for any help