Hey Smogon people, this is my second attempt at a Pre-PokeBank OU team. My last one worked fine for the most part, but I was having trouble with quite a few of the OU metagame' most common pokemon, namely Mega Kangaskhan, Talonflame, Tyranitar and Greninja. Thus, I decided to come up with a new, more unique and interesting team.
BROTHERS IN ARMS, REPRESENT! My offensive core came first. I've always had a soft spot for Scrafty since the very start of Gen V, especially since he has access to Dragon Dance and Moxie, thus making him quite the interesting physical sweeper. Mega Luke is my powerhouse on the special end of the spectrum, packing Nasty Plot to really put a hole in anything that doesn't outright resist it.
Next came some of my more personally influenced choices. Out of my everlasting hatred for Talonflame and Will-O-Wisp/TWave spreaders, I brought in Rotom-H. Now people had asked me before why I didn't just run Rotom-W instead. Firstly, having immunities to two very common status moves is unbelievably helpful. Next, a Fairy-type resistance lets me switch into Moonblasts with impunity, but only if I REALLY need to. Espeon was a choice made from my even more intense hatred of anything to the tune of "Prankster Leads". Espeon was introduced to try and set up Dual Screens while spitting in the faces of anyone who dares to place a single goddamn Spike or Rock on my side of the team.
If it doesn't say anything about my personality yet, a lot of my choices are fueled by hatred. >_>
I really wanted some Pokes that could set hazards of their own with total impunity, so I brought in Skarmory and Forretress. Skarmory could phaze and Spikes while Forry set up Rocks and spun for the team in case Espeon was down.
Skarm and Forretress were introducing WAAAAAY too much of a weakness to Fire after testing them, so I switched to a defensive choice of Tentacruel and Ferrothorn. Tentacruel could Rapid Spin and try to burn/poison anything that could remotely set up in my face, and Ferrothorn was there to deter the likes of physical attacks that had a few contact moves, as well as set up Rocks and Leech Seed.
Sadly, Rotom-H was being taken out too fast or too deterred by Rock Slides and Hydro Pumps, so I begrudgingly switched him out for Rotom-W. To try and have a little more incentive against physical attacks while still sporting heavy special bulk, I chose Dragalge. Setting up Spikes while having a respectable Draco Meteor behind it was quite useful.
One of the finals draft of my team switched out Draglage for Goodra, simply by virtue of his utterly INSANE special bulk and his downright fantastic movepool. However, I simply found more use in Mandibuzz due to her being able to break the faces of anyone who dares to boost up with SD or DD, while sporting insane bulk of her own.
THE MANLIEST OF TEAMS:
Now, for the movesets and spreads:
Vader (Scrafty) (M) @ Lum Berry
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Drain Punch
- Crunch
- Ice Punch
Brother in Arms #1, reporting in! This guy is actually quite useful in the sense that Drain Punch keeps his sweep going a lot longer due to the recovery, as well as the quintessential Moxie boost you receive if you manage to KO your opponent. Given a KO or two plus a DD, you'll be virtually unstoppable. Perhaps an Unaware Quagsire could hold him back, but he isn't going to appreciate an Ice Punch regardless.
Skywalker (Lucario) (M) @ Lucarionite
Ability: Justified (Pre-Mega) / Adaptability (Mega)
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Aura Sphere
- Nasty Plot
- Dark Pulse
- Flash Cannon
Brother in Arms #2, reporting in! I can't for the life of me believe how I possibly underestimated this guy all these years. He is a downright BEAST. A Nasty Plot boost will let you trash even a Mega-Tyranitar under sand, while being able to wipe the floor using Dark Pulse on Mega-Gengar on the turn he Mega Evolves. Flash Cannon provides useful coverage against fairies, and with the questionable offensive strength of Poison and Steel moves, this is much appreciated. I usually run 0 Atk on this set just to cushion the blow from stray Foul Plays, if at all possible.
Whirlpool (Rotom-Wash) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 SDef
Calm Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Volt Switch
- Will-O-Wisp
- Trick
I quite enjoy this set for a Rotom-W. The Rotom sets that most people are accustomed to are the ChestoRest one and the Trick one. Pain Split will have to wait until Pokebank, unfortunately. Expecting a Choice Scarf on a possible Trick set, some Pokemon like Mold Breaker Excadrill may switch in and hope to gain some momentum off the extra Speed. But nope, Choice Specs. Even if I don't Trick it off, a Choice Specs STAB Hydro Pump will hurt quite a lot. This set also makes it a hilarious counter to Air Balloon Excadrill, because if it switches in expecting a Volt Switch, I can simply Trick off his Air Balloon, giving me twofold insurance against his ability whilst gimping his attack choices.
Zen (Espeon) (F) @ Light Clay
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psyshock
- Grass Knot
- Light Screen
- Reflect
This guy is my dedicated anti-setup lead. Dual Screens has saved me more times than I can count, and is an insanely useful tool for Scrafty and Lucario to abuse while they setup and prepare to wipe the floor with virtually everyone. For people asking me why I don't run HP Fire on Espeon, I really only have one answer: I intend to make this team on my actual copy of Pokemon X, and I simply do not have the time nor the inclination to breed for Hidden Power types. That's really about it. To combat this, I ran Grass Knot to at least put a dent in Tyranitar before he tears me to pieces. Psyshock is obligatory STAB that gets through annoying Blisseys. 0 Atk is recommended, again, for those Foul Plays, although it won't help much.
Pebbles (Mandibuzz) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spd
Impish Nature
- Foul Play
- Roost
- Whirlwind
- Taunt
Ohhhhh hohoho, how I have underestimated this vulture. 110/105/95 defenses are pretty impressive, as well as his newfound strength in the current metagame against Megas like Kangaskhan. Between Reflect and his defenses, most physical Megas aren't going to do too much, and Mandibuzz can easily OHKO them with a Foul Play, especially if they decided to boost. Resisting weather damage is also a nice addon, though it isn't why I chose Mandibuzz in the first place. I'd run Defog on this guy i it didn't mean I'd lose my Screens. Knock off is also a pseudo-detriment to my team in case I need to Trick off something my Rotom has. I'd at least want Rotom to get an item back in return. It also doesn't work on Megas, which is what Mandibuzz is there to counter.
Free Hugs (Ferrothorn) (M) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Leech Seed
- Thunder Wave
- Power Whip
A bog-standard Ferrothorn set, but I still love Ferrothorn since Gen V. Stealth Rocks is easily the most useful hazard to help my team, and Leech Seed/T-Wave only make any opposing setup Pokes' jobs harder. I ran Rocky Helmet mainly because Mandibuzz is already holding onto a Leftovers, and this serves as double insurance against Mega Kanga just in case I'm retarded and manage to lose Mandibuzz before Mega Kanga comes out. An added bonus is watching Mega Heracross die horribly while trying to Arm Thrust you. I know it's quite rare to even see a Mega Heracross, much less one with Arm Thrust instead of Close Combat, but trust me on this one, you haven't lived until you have seen that sight. It's utterly gorgeous.
And that's it! If anyone has any suggestions at all as to what I could change/improve, feel free to voice your opinions!
Importable for Pokemon Showdown below:
BROTHERS IN ARMS, REPRESENT! My offensive core came first. I've always had a soft spot for Scrafty since the very start of Gen V, especially since he has access to Dragon Dance and Moxie, thus making him quite the interesting physical sweeper. Mega Luke is my powerhouse on the special end of the spectrum, packing Nasty Plot to really put a hole in anything that doesn't outright resist it.
Next came some of my more personally influenced choices. Out of my everlasting hatred for Talonflame and Will-O-Wisp/TWave spreaders, I brought in Rotom-H. Now people had asked me before why I didn't just run Rotom-W instead. Firstly, having immunities to two very common status moves is unbelievably helpful. Next, a Fairy-type resistance lets me switch into Moonblasts with impunity, but only if I REALLY need to. Espeon was a choice made from my even more intense hatred of anything to the tune of "Prankster Leads". Espeon was introduced to try and set up Dual Screens while spitting in the faces of anyone who dares to place a single goddamn Spike or Rock on my side of the team.
If it doesn't say anything about my personality yet, a lot of my choices are fueled by hatred. >_>
I really wanted some Pokes that could set hazards of their own with total impunity, so I brought in Skarmory and Forretress. Skarmory could phaze and Spikes while Forry set up Rocks and spun for the team in case Espeon was down.
Skarm and Forretress were introducing WAAAAAY too much of a weakness to Fire after testing them, so I switched to a defensive choice of Tentacruel and Ferrothorn. Tentacruel could Rapid Spin and try to burn/poison anything that could remotely set up in my face, and Ferrothorn was there to deter the likes of physical attacks that had a few contact moves, as well as set up Rocks and Leech Seed.
Sadly, Rotom-H was being taken out too fast or too deterred by Rock Slides and Hydro Pumps, so I begrudgingly switched him out for Rotom-W. To try and have a little more incentive against physical attacks while still sporting heavy special bulk, I chose Dragalge. Setting up Spikes while having a respectable Draco Meteor behind it was quite useful.
One of the finals draft of my team switched out Draglage for Goodra, simply by virtue of his utterly INSANE special bulk and his downright fantastic movepool. However, I simply found more use in Mandibuzz due to her being able to break the faces of anyone who dares to boost up with SD or DD, while sporting insane bulk of her own.
THE MANLIEST OF TEAMS:
Now, for the movesets and spreads:
Vader (Scrafty) (M) @ Lum Berry
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Drain Punch
- Crunch
- Ice Punch
Brother in Arms #1, reporting in! This guy is actually quite useful in the sense that Drain Punch keeps his sweep going a lot longer due to the recovery, as well as the quintessential Moxie boost you receive if you manage to KO your opponent. Given a KO or two plus a DD, you'll be virtually unstoppable. Perhaps an Unaware Quagsire could hold him back, but he isn't going to appreciate an Ice Punch regardless.
Skywalker (Lucario) (M) @ Lucarionite
Ability: Justified (Pre-Mega) / Adaptability (Mega)
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Aura Sphere
- Nasty Plot
- Dark Pulse
- Flash Cannon
Brother in Arms #2, reporting in! I can't for the life of me believe how I possibly underestimated this guy all these years. He is a downright BEAST. A Nasty Plot boost will let you trash even a Mega-Tyranitar under sand, while being able to wipe the floor using Dark Pulse on Mega-Gengar on the turn he Mega Evolves. Flash Cannon provides useful coverage against fairies, and with the questionable offensive strength of Poison and Steel moves, this is much appreciated. I usually run 0 Atk on this set just to cushion the blow from stray Foul Plays, if at all possible.
Whirlpool (Rotom-Wash) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 SDef
Calm Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Volt Switch
- Will-O-Wisp
- Trick
I quite enjoy this set for a Rotom-W. The Rotom sets that most people are accustomed to are the ChestoRest one and the Trick one. Pain Split will have to wait until Pokebank, unfortunately. Expecting a Choice Scarf on a possible Trick set, some Pokemon like Mold Breaker Excadrill may switch in and hope to gain some momentum off the extra Speed. But nope, Choice Specs. Even if I don't Trick it off, a Choice Specs STAB Hydro Pump will hurt quite a lot. This set also makes it a hilarious counter to Air Balloon Excadrill, because if it switches in expecting a Volt Switch, I can simply Trick off his Air Balloon, giving me twofold insurance against his ability whilst gimping his attack choices.
Zen (Espeon) (F) @ Light Clay
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psyshock
- Grass Knot
- Light Screen
- Reflect
This guy is my dedicated anti-setup lead. Dual Screens has saved me more times than I can count, and is an insanely useful tool for Scrafty and Lucario to abuse while they setup and prepare to wipe the floor with virtually everyone. For people asking me why I don't run HP Fire on Espeon, I really only have one answer: I intend to make this team on my actual copy of Pokemon X, and I simply do not have the time nor the inclination to breed for Hidden Power types. That's really about it. To combat this, I ran Grass Knot to at least put a dent in Tyranitar before he tears me to pieces. Psyshock is obligatory STAB that gets through annoying Blisseys. 0 Atk is recommended, again, for those Foul Plays, although it won't help much.
Pebbles (Mandibuzz) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spd
Impish Nature
- Foul Play
- Roost
- Whirlwind
- Taunt
Ohhhhh hohoho, how I have underestimated this vulture. 110/105/95 defenses are pretty impressive, as well as his newfound strength in the current metagame against Megas like Kangaskhan. Between Reflect and his defenses, most physical Megas aren't going to do too much, and Mandibuzz can easily OHKO them with a Foul Play, especially if they decided to boost. Resisting weather damage is also a nice addon, though it isn't why I chose Mandibuzz in the first place. I'd run Defog on this guy i it didn't mean I'd lose my Screens. Knock off is also a pseudo-detriment to my team in case I need to Trick off something my Rotom has. I'd at least want Rotom to get an item back in return. It also doesn't work on Megas, which is what Mandibuzz is there to counter.
Free Hugs (Ferrothorn) (M) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Leech Seed
- Thunder Wave
- Power Whip
A bog-standard Ferrothorn set, but I still love Ferrothorn since Gen V. Stealth Rocks is easily the most useful hazard to help my team, and Leech Seed/T-Wave only make any opposing setup Pokes' jobs harder. I ran Rocky Helmet mainly because Mandibuzz is already holding onto a Leftovers, and this serves as double insurance against Mega Kanga just in case I'm retarded and manage to lose Mandibuzz before Mega Kanga comes out. An added bonus is watching Mega Heracross die horribly while trying to Arm Thrust you. I know it's quite rare to even see a Mega Heracross, much less one with Arm Thrust instead of Close Combat, but trust me on this one, you haven't lived until you have seen that sight. It's utterly gorgeous.
And that's it! If anyone has any suggestions at all as to what I could change/improve, feel free to voice your opinions!
Importable for Pokemon Showdown below:
Vader (Scrafty) (M) @ Lum Berry
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
IVs: 0 SAtk
- Dragon Dance
- Drain Punch
- Crunch
- Ice Punch
Skywalker (Lucario) (M) @ Lucarionite
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Aura Sphere
- Nasty Plot
- Dark Pulse
- Flash Cannon
Whirlpool (Rotom-Wash) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 SDef
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Volt Switch
- Will-O-Wisp
- Trick
Zen (Espeon) (F) @ Light Clay
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psyshock
- Grass Knot
- Light Screen
- Reflect
Pebbles (Mandibuzz) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spd
Impish Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Foul Play
- Roost
- Whirlwind
- Taunt
Free Hugs (Ferrothorn) (M) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
IVs: 0 SAtk / 0 Spd
- Stealth Rock
- Leech Seed
- Thunder Wave
- Power Whip
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
IVs: 0 SAtk
- Dragon Dance
- Drain Punch
- Crunch
- Ice Punch
Skywalker (Lucario) (M) @ Lucarionite
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Aura Sphere
- Nasty Plot
- Dark Pulse
- Flash Cannon
Whirlpool (Rotom-Wash) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 SDef
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Volt Switch
- Will-O-Wisp
- Trick
Zen (Espeon) (F) @ Light Clay
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psyshock
- Grass Knot
- Light Screen
- Reflect
Pebbles (Mandibuzz) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spd
Impish Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Foul Play
- Roost
- Whirlwind
- Taunt
Free Hugs (Ferrothorn) (M) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
IVs: 0 SAtk / 0 Spd
- Stealth Rock
- Leech Seed
- Thunder Wave
- Power Whip
