Introduction
Hi, I'd like to start off by saying that I hope that everyone reading this is having a great day! I recently became interested in the competitive teambuilding process and some advice on this team I've been working on would be thoroughly appreciated. Two mons that I particularly wanted to build around were Hoopa-Unbound and Mega Beedrill, as they are stellar physical attackers in my opinion and I feel as if they complement each other very well. I've had mixed success with the team thus far, and I've also been making changes to the team where I felt necessary. However, the core has remained consistent so far. Here's my current version of the team:
The Team
Hoopa-Unbound @ Choice Band
Ability: Magician
EVs: 32 HP / 224 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Hyperspace Fury
- Zen Headbutt
- Fire Punch
- Drain Punch
The first member of my team is Hoopa-Unbound. I knew that this was the mon that I wanted to potentially build around because it is one of my personal favorites and I feel that it is a fearsome wallbreaker. The EV spreads are pretty obvious, and I used a choice band to maximize Hoopa's damage output. Hyperspace Fury and Zen Headbutt is Hoopa's STAB combination, whereas Fire Punch and Drain Punch allow me to break through bulkier Steel types, with the latter giving me more longevity.
Beedrill-Mega @ Beedrillite
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Poison Jab
- U-turn
- Drill Run
- Toxic Spikes
Next on my team is Mega Beedrill. I decided to use Mega Beedrill as a check to Fairies that Hoopa has trouble with, as its Adaptability-boosted Poison Jab can put out significant amounts of damage or outright OHKO certain threats. U-Turn allows Mega Beedrill to act as a pivot and can sometimes do a chunk of damage to an opponent switching in. Drill Run gives me good coverage and sometimes lets me stay in and pick up a KO on would-be threats before switching out via U-Turn. Lastly, I went with Toxic Spikes to set up on foes that Mega Beedrill naturally forces out.
Landorus-Therian @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 230 HP / 112 Def / 166 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- U-turn
Next is Landorus-T. This is my first time incorporating Landorus-T into one of my teams, and I decided to go with a more defensive spread. Lando also serves as my team's Stealth Rocker. Earthquake is my main STAB move, while Stone Edge lets me hit Flying types such as Tornadus-T for a good amount of damage, and U-Turn lets me pivot out into one of my wallbreakers on a predicted switch. I copied the EV spread straight from Smogon, but I decided to go with an Adamant Nature because I value the added power that it gives to Landorus-T. I also decided to go with a Rocky Helmet to get damage off on opposing mons that like to use U-Turn to get momentum.
Greninja @ Waterium Z
Ability: Protean
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Spikes
I decided to include Greninja as the only true special attacker and the only attacker that isn't completely shut down by the attack drop that burn inflicts. Hydro Pump + Waterium Z gives Greninja a powerful Water Z move that can help me break through annoying mons such as Magearna and Zapdos, if my other mons fail to do so. I appreciate the extra coverage that Ice Beam gives, plus I felt that using Gunk Shot or Dark Pulse would be somewhat redundant. Hidden Power Fire helps me deal with Steel types such as Ferrothorn, while Spikes gives me a third setup hazard, potentially being able to layer hazards with Toxic Spikes and Stealth Rock.
Kartana @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Leaf Blade
- Smart Strike
- Sacred Sword
- Knock Off
My final attacker is Kartana. I equipped it with a Choice Scarf as a form of speed control, as my team would otherwise be vulnerable to faster threats and Choice Scarf Users. Leaf Blade and Smart Strike are my two STAB moves, whereas Sacred Sword gives me excellent coverage against mons like Heatran and Magnezone. I went with Knock Off in the final spot to somewhat improve the matchup against defensive mons that do not appreciate having their items knocked off.
Tapu Fini @ Leftovers
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 16 Def / 12 SpA / 40 SpD / 192 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Nature's Madness
- Taunt
- Defog
Finally I included Tapu Fini to give my team some defensive utility and to provide necessary countermeasures against certain threats. The first thing I noticed was that my team could potentially be very vulnerable to strong Fire and Water types such as Mega Charizard X and Mega Swampert. I also noticed that Hawlucha with Unburden could be a huge problem for my team, so my search for a mon that could contain these threats ended with Tapu Fini. Tapu Fini gives me both a Water and a Fire resistant mon, while also serving as a good check to Hawlucha. Moonblast is my special attack move, while Nature's Madness allows me to potentially get off 50% damage on mons that otherwise easily switch in to Tapu Fini, such as Ferrothorn. Taunt prevents my opponent from setting up or trying to get hazards up, and Defog gets rid of hazards when they are more detrimental to me then they are beneficial.
Conclusion
Overall, I've made various adjustments to this team to improve certain matchups and neutralize certain threats, and I will continue to make more where I feel are necessary. This team is fun to play with, and, as stated, I appreciate as well as encourage constructive criticism in order for this team to reach its potential. Thank you in advance!
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