Hello friends, I'm MegaZard29. It's been a while since I posted my last RMT, and hopefully it'll get some thoughts this time. I recently broke into the top 200 on the OU ladder with this team, which feels really good as I've been working with it for almost half a year now. The team's gone through minor changes, to complete rehashing, until I came to this formula. Without further ado, here's the team!
Charizard
@ Charizardite Y
Hasty Nature
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 Sp. Atk / 252 Spe
-Flamethrower
-Solar Beam
-Focus Blast
-Earthquake
The star of the team and my personal favorite, Mega Charizard Y is here for one purpose: hitting things hard with one of the highest Special Attack stats in the tier. Flamethrower is the go-to move over Fire Blast for accuracy reasons, and while I initially worried about a loss of power, I did a little research and discovered that Flamethrower scores many of the same notable 2HKOs that Fire Blast does, all while being more accurate. Some of these 2HKOs include:
252 SpA Mega Charizard Y Flamethrower vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Thick Fat Mega Venusaur in Sun: 218-260 (59.8 - 71.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Mega Charizard Y Flamethrower vs. 0 HP / 252 SpD Assault Vest Conkeldurr in Sun: 177-208 (50.4 - 59.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
I admit that there have been some OHKOs that Fire Blast would have gotten me if I had run it over Flamethrower, but in the long run, I have much more preferred the luxury of not losing to a missed attack when it mattered. Solar Beam and Focus Blast provide important coverage against Pokemon like Rotom-W, Quagsire, Heatran, and Tyranitar. Earthquake is my niche option as a more accurate way to 2HKO Heatran. Accuracy and surprise techs are things that I value when team-building, and this is no exception. I have had many battles where people will switch in their Specially Defensive Heatrans in on my Charizard, expecting a Focus Blast, and are instead surprised with an Earthquake. This same situation is useful when people switch in Mega Charizard X to take an incoming Flamethrower/Solar Beam, as Earthquake also nets good damage against it.
Keldeo
@ Leftovers
Timid Nature
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Sp. Atk / 4 Sp. Def / 252 Speed
IVs: 30 Atk / 30 Def
-Calm Mind
-Scald
-Secret Sword
-Hidden Power Ice
Keldeo joined the team after realizing that Specially Bulky Pokemon, like Chansey and Blissey, make Charizard's life hard. I decided to go with a Calm Mind set with HP Ice in the interest of having the power level of the Specs set without having the drawback of being locked into a single move. Keldeo forces plenty of switches in this current meta, which grants me plenty of opportunities to either click Calm Mind and set up, or simply click Scald and fish for a burn on a potential switch-in, like Azumarill or Mega Venusaur. I opted for Leftovers over Life Orb in order to extend Keldeo's longevity, especially in the sand, which can be counter-productive to his job of wall-breaking, and occasionally, sweeping.
Ferrothorn
@ Leftovers
Relaxed Nature
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 Sp. Def
-Stealth Rock
-Leech Seed
-Gyro Ball
-Power Whip
Ferrothorn earned a slot on my team after answering the call for a solid utility Grass-type that could help complete the Fire/Water/Grass core that I swear by(sometimes to my disadvantage). With his amazing defensive typing, Ferrothorn serves as a reliable pivot switch for many of the Pokemon that create problems for the other members of my team. While the entirety of the offensive pressure that my team faces is often thrown onto his shoulders, Ferrothorn proves battle after battle to be a premier defensive force. Iron Barbs, Stealth Rock, and Leech Seed are here to provide important chip damage that contributes to the rest of my team's ability to kill their targets. Gyro Ball gives Ferrothorn a way to prevent Taunt from completely crippling him, as well as scoring important damage, and sometimes even kills against faster opponents, like Greninja and Latios lacking HP Fire, as well as random Scarfers that elect to stay in against him. Power Whip rounds out the set as an important secondary source of Grass coverage to help against the Water-types that threaten my team. Some of the important targets that Power Whip hits include Rotom-W, Azumarill, Greninja, and Excadrill. Leftovers was the item of choice here over Rocky Helmet, as I felt that between Iron Barbs, Stealth Rock, and Leech Seed, I had enough chip damage being provided, and would rather have some additional form of healing to keep Ferrothorn in the game.
0 Atk Ferrothorn Power Whip vs. 252 HP / 212+ Def Rotom-W: 174-206 (57.2 - 67.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 Atk Ferrothorn Power Whip vs. 92 HP / 0 Def Azumarill: 296-350 (81.3 - 96.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (Belly Drum)
0 Atk Ferrothorn Power Whip vs. 228 HP / 0 Def Azumarill: 296-350 (74.3 - 87.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (Choice Band)
0 Atk Ferrothorn Power Whip vs. 16 HP / 0 Def Azumarill: 296-350 (85.7 - 101.4%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO (Assault Vest)
0 Atk Ferrothorn Power Whip vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Greninja: 338-402 (118.1 - 140.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
0 Atk Ferrothorn Power Whip vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Excadrill: 184-217 (50.9 - 60.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Excadrill
@ Life Orb
Adamant Nature
Ability: Sand Rush
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
-Earthquake
-Iron Head
-Rock Slide
-Rapid Spin
Excadrill was a mainstay from the very beginning, as he proved to be the only reliable anti-hazard Pokemon that could fit my team's needs. From resisting almost every kind of entry hazard, to threatening out Heatran and Clefable, Excadrill got the job done. In addition, Excadrill serves as a Paralysis and Toxic absorber, a role that the other members of my team greatly appreciate. In regards to the ability of choice, I only recently made the switch to Sand Rush, and you'll see why later on in the thread. Earthquake, Iron Head, and Rock Slide provide important coverage for Excadrill, enabling him to punch holes in several of the relevant defensive and offensive threats in OU. Rapid Spin was a must-have, as Charizard lacked Roost and thus appreciated not taking any kind of passive damage, especially from Rocks. I chose Life Orb over Air Balloon in the interest of allowing Excadrill more wall-breaking power, something that my team as a whole(with the exception of Ferrothorn) does.
Thundurus-I
@ Leftovers
Timid Nature
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Sp. Atk / 252 Spe
IVs: 30 Atk / 30 Def
-Thunder Wave
-Volt Switch
-Hidden Power Ice
-Psychic
Thundurus was the most recent addition to the team, and for a number of good reasons. The previous versions of this team lacked a good way to halt faster attackers and struggled to generate momentum. Enter Prankster Attacker Thundurus. With Prankster Thunder Wave, "Thundy" became the go-to guy for halting a Charizard X or Dragonite that had gotten off a few Dragon Dances or a Greninja that became a little spam-happy with its coverage moves. In addition, Thundurus gave the team a decent lead and offensive pivot, which aided it in the dreaded Stall matchup. Volt Switch provides both a solid form of damage while also enabling him to bring in a check or counter against whoever he was facing off against. Hidden Power Ice allows him to hit Dragon, Ground, and Grass-types that either resist or are immune to Volt Switch. Psychic filled the last slot as a way to hit Fighting-types as well as Mega Venusaur, who gives this team a lot of trouble. I opted for Leftovers once again for reasons similar to those stated with Keldeo: longevity was the most important factor.
Tyranitar
@ Choice Scarf
Jolly Nature
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
-Stone Edge
-Crunch
-Pursuit
-Earthquake
Tyranitar rounds out the team as a Pokemon that offered both offensive and defensive prowess. With a Choice Scarf equipped, Tyranitar is able to hit opposing Charizards, Latis, Thundurus, and neutral-natured Talonflames. This is especially important as Tyranitar is often called upon to take hits from most of these Pokemon before firing back with a Stone Edge, and in the case of Latios and Latias, even trap them with Pursuit. Crunch and Earthquake round out the offensive coverage, allowing Tyranitar to hit Gengar, Magnezone, Mega Manectric, and even oppossing Tyranitars. Tech choices are a recurring theme with my team, and Scarfed Tyranitar is no exception. Tyranitar + Mega Charizard Y create a dual-weather core that allows me to constantly off-set any teams that rely on weather conditions to win. An interesting note that I should make is that for a brief time, I was running Mold Breaker Excadrill alongside Scarfed T-tar, until one day, a friend of mine suggested that I make Excadrill a Sand Rusher in the interest of taking full advantage of what Tyranitar was providing, as well as giving me more speed. Once Excadrill had been converted over, I gained another fast and powerful wall-breaking threat to compliment the revenge-killing and Pursuit trapping that Tyranitar was performing.
This is the full scope of my team, and I hope to receive any kind of constructive criticism from you all about how it could improve. Even with the success it has achieved, there's always room to grow(unless you all collectively believe otherwise, lol), and I would greatly appreciate it if you all would help contribute to it. Thanks!
P.S: aim and chimpact
Heya Joey and Chimp! I'm big fans of you guys and you both have been a huge influence on my growth as a competitive Pokemon Trainer. I'd really like it if you guys could check out my team and provide any insight that you see fit to offer, as you guys are true giants in the community and as such, I can only continue to look up to you both. :]
Charizard
@ Charizardite Y
Hasty Nature
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 Sp. Atk / 252 Spe
-Flamethrower
-Solar Beam
-Focus Blast
-Earthquake
The star of the team and my personal favorite, Mega Charizard Y is here for one purpose: hitting things hard with one of the highest Special Attack stats in the tier. Flamethrower is the go-to move over Fire Blast for accuracy reasons, and while I initially worried about a loss of power, I did a little research and discovered that Flamethrower scores many of the same notable 2HKOs that Fire Blast does, all while being more accurate. Some of these 2HKOs include:
252 SpA Mega Charizard Y Flamethrower vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Thick Fat Mega Venusaur in Sun: 218-260 (59.8 - 71.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Mega Charizard Y Flamethrower vs. 0 HP / 252 SpD Assault Vest Conkeldurr in Sun: 177-208 (50.4 - 59.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
I admit that there have been some OHKOs that Fire Blast would have gotten me if I had run it over Flamethrower, but in the long run, I have much more preferred the luxury of not losing to a missed attack when it mattered. Solar Beam and Focus Blast provide important coverage against Pokemon like Rotom-W, Quagsire, Heatran, and Tyranitar. Earthquake is my niche option as a more accurate way to 2HKO Heatran. Accuracy and surprise techs are things that I value when team-building, and this is no exception. I have had many battles where people will switch in their Specially Defensive Heatrans in on my Charizard, expecting a Focus Blast, and are instead surprised with an Earthquake. This same situation is useful when people switch in Mega Charizard X to take an incoming Flamethrower/Solar Beam, as Earthquake also nets good damage against it.
Keldeo
@ Leftovers
Timid Nature
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Sp. Atk / 4 Sp. Def / 252 Speed
IVs: 30 Atk / 30 Def
-Calm Mind
-Scald
-Secret Sword
-Hidden Power Ice
Keldeo joined the team after realizing that Specially Bulky Pokemon, like Chansey and Blissey, make Charizard's life hard. I decided to go with a Calm Mind set with HP Ice in the interest of having the power level of the Specs set without having the drawback of being locked into a single move. Keldeo forces plenty of switches in this current meta, which grants me plenty of opportunities to either click Calm Mind and set up, or simply click Scald and fish for a burn on a potential switch-in, like Azumarill or Mega Venusaur. I opted for Leftovers over Life Orb in order to extend Keldeo's longevity, especially in the sand, which can be counter-productive to his job of wall-breaking, and occasionally, sweeping.
Ferrothorn
@ Leftovers
Relaxed Nature
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 Sp. Def
-Stealth Rock
-Leech Seed
-Gyro Ball
-Power Whip
Ferrothorn earned a slot on my team after answering the call for a solid utility Grass-type that could help complete the Fire/Water/Grass core that I swear by(sometimes to my disadvantage). With his amazing defensive typing, Ferrothorn serves as a reliable pivot switch for many of the Pokemon that create problems for the other members of my team. While the entirety of the offensive pressure that my team faces is often thrown onto his shoulders, Ferrothorn proves battle after battle to be a premier defensive force. Iron Barbs, Stealth Rock, and Leech Seed are here to provide important chip damage that contributes to the rest of my team's ability to kill their targets. Gyro Ball gives Ferrothorn a way to prevent Taunt from completely crippling him, as well as scoring important damage, and sometimes even kills against faster opponents, like Greninja and Latios lacking HP Fire, as well as random Scarfers that elect to stay in against him. Power Whip rounds out the set as an important secondary source of Grass coverage to help against the Water-types that threaten my team. Some of the important targets that Power Whip hits include Rotom-W, Azumarill, Greninja, and Excadrill. Leftovers was the item of choice here over Rocky Helmet, as I felt that between Iron Barbs, Stealth Rock, and Leech Seed, I had enough chip damage being provided, and would rather have some additional form of healing to keep Ferrothorn in the game.
0 Atk Ferrothorn Power Whip vs. 252 HP / 212+ Def Rotom-W: 174-206 (57.2 - 67.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 Atk Ferrothorn Power Whip vs. 92 HP / 0 Def Azumarill: 296-350 (81.3 - 96.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (Belly Drum)
0 Atk Ferrothorn Power Whip vs. 228 HP / 0 Def Azumarill: 296-350 (74.3 - 87.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (Choice Band)
0 Atk Ferrothorn Power Whip vs. 16 HP / 0 Def Azumarill: 296-350 (85.7 - 101.4%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO (Assault Vest)
0 Atk Ferrothorn Power Whip vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Greninja: 338-402 (118.1 - 140.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
0 Atk Ferrothorn Power Whip vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Excadrill: 184-217 (50.9 - 60.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Excadrill
@ Life Orb
Adamant Nature
Ability: Sand Rush
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
-Earthquake
-Iron Head
-Rock Slide
-Rapid Spin
Excadrill was a mainstay from the very beginning, as he proved to be the only reliable anti-hazard Pokemon that could fit my team's needs. From resisting almost every kind of entry hazard, to threatening out Heatran and Clefable, Excadrill got the job done. In addition, Excadrill serves as a Paralysis and Toxic absorber, a role that the other members of my team greatly appreciate. In regards to the ability of choice, I only recently made the switch to Sand Rush, and you'll see why later on in the thread. Earthquake, Iron Head, and Rock Slide provide important coverage for Excadrill, enabling him to punch holes in several of the relevant defensive and offensive threats in OU. Rapid Spin was a must-have, as Charizard lacked Roost and thus appreciated not taking any kind of passive damage, especially from Rocks. I chose Life Orb over Air Balloon in the interest of allowing Excadrill more wall-breaking power, something that my team as a whole(with the exception of Ferrothorn) does.
Thundurus-I
@ Leftovers
Timid Nature
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Sp. Atk / 252 Spe
IVs: 30 Atk / 30 Def
-Thunder Wave
-Volt Switch
-Hidden Power Ice
-Psychic
Thundurus was the most recent addition to the team, and for a number of good reasons. The previous versions of this team lacked a good way to halt faster attackers and struggled to generate momentum. Enter Prankster Attacker Thundurus. With Prankster Thunder Wave, "Thundy" became the go-to guy for halting a Charizard X or Dragonite that had gotten off a few Dragon Dances or a Greninja that became a little spam-happy with its coverage moves. In addition, Thundurus gave the team a decent lead and offensive pivot, which aided it in the dreaded Stall matchup. Volt Switch provides both a solid form of damage while also enabling him to bring in a check or counter against whoever he was facing off against. Hidden Power Ice allows him to hit Dragon, Ground, and Grass-types that either resist or are immune to Volt Switch. Psychic filled the last slot as a way to hit Fighting-types as well as Mega Venusaur, who gives this team a lot of trouble. I opted for Leftovers once again for reasons similar to those stated with Keldeo: longevity was the most important factor.
Tyranitar
@ Choice Scarf
Jolly Nature
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
-Stone Edge
-Crunch
-Pursuit
-Earthquake
Tyranitar rounds out the team as a Pokemon that offered both offensive and defensive prowess. With a Choice Scarf equipped, Tyranitar is able to hit opposing Charizards, Latis, Thundurus, and neutral-natured Talonflames. This is especially important as Tyranitar is often called upon to take hits from most of these Pokemon before firing back with a Stone Edge, and in the case of Latios and Latias, even trap them with Pursuit. Crunch and Earthquake round out the offensive coverage, allowing Tyranitar to hit Gengar, Magnezone, Mega Manectric, and even oppossing Tyranitars. Tech choices are a recurring theme with my team, and Scarfed Tyranitar is no exception. Tyranitar + Mega Charizard Y create a dual-weather core that allows me to constantly off-set any teams that rely on weather conditions to win. An interesting note that I should make is that for a brief time, I was running Mold Breaker Excadrill alongside Scarfed T-tar, until one day, a friend of mine suggested that I make Excadrill a Sand Rusher in the interest of taking full advantage of what Tyranitar was providing, as well as giving me more speed. Once Excadrill had been converted over, I gained another fast and powerful wall-breaking threat to compliment the revenge-killing and Pursuit trapping that Tyranitar was performing.
This is the full scope of my team, and I hope to receive any kind of constructive criticism from you all about how it could improve. Even with the success it has achieved, there's always room to grow(unless you all collectively believe otherwise, lol), and I would greatly appreciate it if you all would help contribute to it. Thanks!
P.S: aim and chimpact
Heya Joey and Chimp! I'm big fans of you guys and you both have been a huge influence on my growth as a competitive Pokemon Trainer. I'd really like it if you guys could check out my team and provide any insight that you see fit to offer, as you guys are true giants in the community and as such, I can only continue to look up to you both. :]