[Pre-Pokebank OU] Dangerous Duos (31-2 @ 2062+)

[Shroomisaur]

Hello world! Shroomisaur here. Hopefully my avatar is a familiar sight to some of you at this point! It's hard to believe I've been around the forums for nearly 4 years now, yet this is my first RMT here on Smogon. With Pokebank exactly 2 weeks away at this point, and Mega Kangaskahn soon to be banned from OU, I decided this was the perfect time to share my most successful Pre-Pokebank OU Team.

After abusing the "best of the best" on the OU ladder for over a month (read: Mega Kanga, Lucario, Gengar), I went back to the drawing board. I could see these Pokemon being banned weeks away, so I wanted to build a team that was solid yet had nothing remotely suspect.

I tried a variety of different team styles and members, and wanted to build a well-rounded team that could counter a majority of threats in OU. This is the team I came up with! Nothing really jumps out as overpowering in this lineup, but the synergy between each member surprised even myself. The team members form dual-Pokemon cores, and each core pairs well with the others. This team holds a record of 27-2 against 1800+ ranked players on Showdown, 31-2 overall, and lifted me from 2062 ACRE to a peak of 2097 (Glicko2 of +/- 36).
Meet the team:

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Tyranitar @ Leftovers
Nature: Sassy
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD

• Crunch
• Fire Blast
• Ice Beam
• Stealth Rock

Tyranitar functions as the primary special tank of my team. By holding Lefties instead of the common Assault Vest, TTar is a very reliable SR user (and there are precious few of those in Pre-bank). It can also hold out better against light hits and passive Burn damage. This TTar forgoes a Rock STAB in favor of Crunch alongside both Ice Beam and Fire Blast, which allows him to catch a lot of things like Gliscor by surprise, as most players expect only one special move.

Skarmory @ Rocky Helmet
Nature: Impish
EVs: 252 HP / 216 Def / 40 SpD

• Toxic Brave Bird
• Spikes
• Whirlwind
• Roost

Skarmory is the primary physical wall of the team and complements TTar extremely well. Combined, the two take hits from both sides of the spectrum and reliably set up both SR and Spikes. Skarmory equipped with a Rocky Helmet is a necessity for checking the monster known as Mega Kangaskahn, as well as various other physical threats. Roost provides recovery while Whirlwind racks up hazard damage and shuts down things like BellyJet Azumarill.

[Tyranitar + Skarmory combine to form my primary defensive core, tanking hits on both sides of the spectrum. They wear down the opponent with Sand, Rocky Helmet, and Hazard passive damage. Gen II pals for life!]

Rotom-W @ Leftovers
Nature: Calm
EVs: 248 HP / 60 Def / 200 SpD

• Volt Switch
• Hydro Pump
• Will-O-Wisp
• Light Screen

The maniacal washing machine is by far the most reliable utility Pokemon on this team, and was the very first Pokemon I selected. Rotom-W appears on 11 of my 18 Showdown teams and always pulls its weight, checking a huge variety of threats. A specially defensive spread makes Rotom my secondary special tank, and Volt Switch is a great move for picking up momentum as a bulky pivot. Will-O-Wisp allows Rotom to neuter physical threats for the rest of the match, as well as rack up passive damage. Light Screen in the final slot is my secret weapon. Rotom vs Rotom is an incredibly common matchup, and provides my own Rotom with a perfect setup opportunity.

Sableye @ Leftovers
Nature: Impish
EVs: 252 HP / 136 Def / 120 SpD

• Taunt
• Will-O-Wisp
• Recover
• Knock Off

Sableye was originally a Gourgeist-Small on this team, but I made the change because Prankster allows Sableye for a few different reasons, the most notable being Taunt. Prankster Taunt is often the MVP of the team, and has single-handedly forced ragequits and stalled opposing teams to death. It shuts down recovery, status, and setup attempts, allowing Sableye to slowly whittle away at the opposing team. Will-O-Wisp cripples physical attackers, most notably Mega Kangaskahn, and when a switch is predicted, Knock Off is my go-to move. It cripples nearly any Pokemon and is probably the most risk-free move in the entire game, especially with STAB. Finally, priority recovery allows Sableye to stay in the match and stall out most defensive threats.

[Together, Rotom-W + Sableye are the secondary special and physical tanks of my team. They both pack incredible utility and each possesses Will-O-Wisp, giving me plenty of options to cripple opposing physical sweepers.]

Excadrill @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Mold Breaker
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

• Earthquake
• Rock Slide
• Shadow Claw
• Rapid Spin

Yep, Mold Breaker Excadrill, even on a team with Tyranitar. Why? Because Rotom is everywhere, for one. For two, you might notice my item choice: Choice Scarf. This allows Excadrill to function as a great revenge killer without relying on Sand. This set is by far the "riskiest" on my team, as you need to predict very well with Excadrill. Locking into the wrong move can cost you dearly. While this set has cost me a loss before, it has also saved my bacon multiple times because Choice Scarf Mold Breaker Earthquake is a fantastic late-game cleaning tool. Shadow Claw lets Excadrill break through Trevenant and Rapid Spin allows Excadrill to pull off an emergency Spin if my opponent has lots of hazards on the field.

Manectric @ Manectite
Ability: Lightningrod -> Intimidate
Nature: Timid
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

• Volt Switch
• Thunderbolt
• Flamethrower
• Hidden Power Ice

Meet my trump card, Mega Manectric. After trying nearly every Mega in the game, I found myself settling on Mega Manectric at a time when no one else even seemed to remember it. I've been very impressed with Manectric's mix of speed, power, and utility. While it's certainly not overwhelming by any means, it has just enough to get the job done. Volt Switch is the big selling point here, as it does excellent damage, and combined with Intimidate, allows you to scout while severely weakening the opponent in the process. Thunderbolt is the reliable STAB, while Flamethrower is used instead of Overheat for much better sweeping potential. Hidden Power Ice in the final slot allows Manectric to hit Gliscor, Garchomp, and the like.

[Manectric and Excadrill are my primary offensive pair, and late-game cleaners. They pack fast, powerful hits on both sides of the spectrum.]


Well, that's the team. It fares very well against a majority of OU and it really surprised me with its success. There are so many threats in OU though that I've certainly faced some issues. Mega Lucario is the biggest one, as it's impossible to tell if it's special or physical and by then you may be 1 Pokemon down already. Excadrill was changed to Scarf primarily to revenge this thing, but special MegaLuke with Vacuum Wave is a nightmare scenario. Secondly, Gastrodon/Quagsire are major pains since I lack a Grass-type move. They aren't common, but they are still very viable in OU and give me huge problems. I've considered replacing Manectric's HP Ice with Grass for this purpose, or HP Grass on Rotom, but its so hard to give up moveslots. Stally Dual-Ghost cores also make this team sad. I would love to hear other suggestions as to how you would improve my team!

As Pokebank approaches, Lando-T is an obvious addition to this team as it complements Mega Manectric perfectly. 2 Intimidating pivots, how could you say no? I'm curious to hear other suggestions looking forward.

I hope you enjoyed my first-ever RMT, and thanks for reading!​

 

[Liquidocelot]

First things first i recognize you from the ou forums your the asshole who denied my persian set and im suprised you have never done one of these before. Secondly overall the team is really solid and i cant really think of anything to change other then like you said when pokebank comes out to lando t. It really is a brilliant team and you should be prould overall id give it a 9/10

 

[ninjawhitetiger]

First things first i recognize you from the ou forums your the asshole who denied my persian set and im suprised you have never done one of these before. Secondly overall the team is really solid and i cant really think of anything to change other then like you said when pokebank comes out to lando t. It really is a brilliant team and you should be prould overall id give it a 9/10

I think that this guy nailed it, The only major problem i can see that has not already been pointed out to you would be your lack of priority, of course with manectric and scarfdrill the only real need for it would be to take care of boosted priority users such as scizor and breloom, Speaking of breloom, it might be notable that breloom not only packs priority, but can also give you that grass type that you mentioned that you were missing, other than that this team seems very solid, anyway i hope i helped you :D

 

[farranpoison]

As you have said, your team does look like it has a ton of problems with Quagsire/Gastrodon. As ninjawhitetiger has said, Breloom could be a nice addition, what with priority Mach Punch to decimate Steel/Ice/Rock types, and with Bullet Seed to make Gastrodon sad (seriously, I hate Breloom. Threatens my cute Gastrodon all the time). However... the problem lies in what to take out. As you have handily pointed out, your team is filled with dual cores, whether they be offensive or defensive. Adding in something like Breloom would disrupt your cores.

If you are really worried about Gastrodon/Quagsire, you could indeed run HP Grass on MManectric... but you would be losing KOs and offensive presence against Gliscor, Garchomp, and Salamence. However, your Tyranitar does have Ice Beam, so perhaps it's not that bad?

I do like how you're using MManectric in a metagame filled with other, scarier Megas. This is all I could think of at the moment, perhaps later I'll figure out something better suited for your team.

Don't run HP Grass, I love having free switch-ins with Gastrodon

 

[Trevorpoke42]

Hey Shroomisaur, cool team. I like the idea of the team. Set up entry hazards with your cores and keep them on the field, then allow your offensive pokemon to gain some momentum. But there are some things I'd like to point out. First of all is Light Screen Rotom-W. You say it helps a lot vs other Rotoms, when in reality they just Will-O-Wisp, then Volt Switch. You're giving it up for an amazing opportunity to use Rest in that slot. Your Rotom-W is your main counter to Talonflames and hard hitting water types, but it will be worn down WAY too easily. With sand and Stealth Rock on the field, while also taking Burns and stuff, it's going to be hard to keep it on the field. This is why I think you should use Rest+Chesto Berry instead of Light Screen and Leftovers. I would tell you to use Physically Defensive Rotom-W over your Specially Defensive set, but your so weak to Rotom's yourself I don't think it's necessary. Another change I would make is using Foul Play over Knock Of on Sableye. This allows you to check Aegislash a lot better, and offensive teams in general. Sure, Knock Off is good vs Stall, but Taunt and Will-O-Wisp is still good enough to handle stall regardless. Foul Play also allows you to wear down Dragons a lot easier. Finally, I think a Rock Type like Rock Slide on Tyranitar would be a lot better for checking stuff like Talonflame. It's optional though since I don't think you're really weak to Talonflame. I really like Mega-Manectric though, so props for using it. I also think that your Scarf Excadrill is a really good fit on this team, to check stuff like Mega-Lucario and Talonflame. That's all!

 

[Jaroda]

Depending on what you use less have you considered Toxic on Rotom or Skarmory? Quagsire tend to rely on Recover over Rest so Toxic will make it hard for them to do their job, and its useful against more than just them unlike HP Grass would be. I'd say replace Brave Bird only because in my personal experience I've found Toxic far more useful overall, even if you're Taunt bait, because Brave Bird just doesn't hurt enough and combined with lack of Leftovers isn't good for longevity.

Scarf Excadrill is beast. Takes care of Gengar and Rotom so easily its really worth it.

Might you consider Overheat over Flamethrower on Manectric? Overheat should land a lot more OHKOs than Flamethrower alone and can certainly 2HKO the same things as Flamethrower even after the SpA drop. Plus, you're probably switching out a lot with him right? I think a slightly weaker Volt Turn is worth the huge increase in offense.

Also might you consider Pursuit over Crunch on Tyranitar? It's good for Defog Latias who can eliminate your screens and hazards. Since you're not investing in Attack you may really benefit from catching something trying to run away.

Great team.

 

[Shroomisaur]

I think that this guy nailed it, The only major problem i can see that has not already been pointed out to you would be your lack of priority, of course with manectric and scarfdrill the only real need for it would be to take care of boosted priority users such as scizor and breloom, Speaking of breloom, it might be notable that breloom not only packs priority, but can also give you that grass type that you mentioned that you were missing, other than that this team seems very solid, anyway i hope i helped you :D

Thanks for your comments! Scizor isn't much of a problem thanks to Skarmory and Manectric, but Breloom can certainly be a nuisance since I have nothing to absorb a Spore. The team originally had Gourgeist-S in the place of Sableye, but Mega Kanga amongst others forced me to make the change. Thankfully very few Breloom run SD these days so it's manageable.

I love Breloom myself though (in case that wasn't obvious), so I'll certainly keep it in mind! It's just very difficult to make a Pokemon change that will disrupt the "duos" of my team, which is really what makes it work.

Hey Shroomisaur, cool team. I like the idea of the team. Set up entry hazards with your cores and keep them on the field, then allow your offensive pokemon to gain some momentum. But there are some things I'd like to point out. First of all is Light Screen Rotom-W. You say it helps a lot vs other Rotoms, when in reality they just Will-O-Wisp, then Volt Switch. You're giving it up for an amazing opportunity to use Rest in that slot. Your Rotom-W is your main counter to Talonflames and hard hitting water types, but it will be worn down WAY too easily. With sand and Stealth Rock on the field, while also taking Burns and stuff, it's going to be hard to keep it on the field. This is why I think you should use Rest+Chesto Berry instead of Light Screen and Leftovers. I would tell you to use Physically Defensive Rotom-W over your Specially Defensive set, but your so weak to Rotom's yourself I don't think it's necessary. Another change I would make is using Foul Play over Knock Of on Sableye. This allows you to check Aegislash a lot better, and offensive teams in general. Sure, Knock Off is good vs Stall, but Taunt and Will-O-Wisp is still good enough to handle stall regardless. Foul Play also allows you to wear down Dragons a lot easier. Finally, I think a Rock Type like Rock Slide on Tyranitar would be a lot better for checking stuff like Talonflame. It's optional though since I don't think you're really weak to Talonflame. I really like Mega-Manectric though, so props for using it. I also think that your Scarf Excadrill is a really good fit on this team, to check stuff like Mega-Lucario and Talonflame. That's all!

Thanks for your ideas. I initially had Chesto-Resto Rotom-W but changed it to Light Screen. I find that Lefties are essential to Rotom, and while Rest is nice, it can be difficult to pull off. In the Rotom vs Rotom scenario, we usually both Burn each other, and then I'll throw up Light Screen as they Volt Switch, which puts me in a great position against any possible switch-in.

Foul Play over Knock Off is also kinda iffy. It certainly deals with offensive teams much better than Knock Off, but against powerful physical threats I'd go for the WoW anyway and then Recover stall.

I will definitely consider Rock Slide on TTar though, because missing an actual Rock move on him is a problem sometimes!

Don't run HP Grass, I love having free switch-ins with Gastrodon

lol, of course you'd say that. You're right, the fact that Gastro/Quag are less common now in turn makes HP Grass less common, which in turn makes them all the more effective. Funny how that works. Anyway, I think the suggestion below will help solve my issues:

Depending on what you use less have you considered Toxic on Rotom or Skarmory? Quagsire tend to rely on Recover over Rest so Toxic will make it hard for them to do their job, and its useful against more than just them unlike HP Grass would be. I'd say replace Brave Bird only because in my personal experience I've found Toxic far more useful overall, even if you're Taunt bait, because Brave Bird just doesn't hurt enough and combined with lack of Leftovers isn't good for longevity.

Scarf Excadrill is beast. Takes care of Gengar and Rotom so easily its really worth it.

Might you consider Overheat over Flamethrower on Manectric? Overheat should land a lot more OHKOs than Flamethrower alone and can certainly 2HKO the same things as Flamethrower even after the SpA drop. Plus, you're probably switching out a lot with him right? I think a slightly weaker Volt Turn is worth the huge increase in offense.

Also might you consider Pursuit over Crunch on Tyranitar? It's good for Defog Latias who can eliminate your screens and hazards. Since you're not investing in Attack you may really benefit from catching something trying to run away.

Great team.

Toxic on Skarmory... what an excellent suggestion. I'd honestly never considered it because, as you mentioned, I don't want to be total Taunt bait. However it would definitely solve one of my biggest problems, and Skarmory is the best choice to use it. I really like it so I'm going to make that change!

Overheat on Manectric is something I can't really afford to do on this team. The power is nice sometimes, but Manectric is my primary late-game sweeper and Overheat really hurts his sweeping potential.

As for Pursuit on TTar, again this was a Pre-bank team, but looking forward to Post-bank I'll definitely consider it! Thanks for the feedback, Jaroda!