Rating My OU Sweeper Team

[Bostonl1]

This team is, as the title of the thread states, an offensive-focused team across the board. The strengths lie in the type coverage and just flat-out offensive prowess. I just want some advice on how to fine tune the team, as it isn't as successful as hoped. Give me some advice on how to improve my team. I am open to all opinions and will consider all carefully. As the saying goes, "It takes a village to raise a team." Now, in no particular order, my team:


Chandelure (M)
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP/ 252 SpA/ 4 SpD
Modest Nature
-Toxic
-Fire Blast
-Energy Ball
-Shadow Ball

Special Sweeper all the way. Uses it's coverage well. I typically lead with this one, but it varies depending on how I feel the battle will go. Because all my pokemon are, by definition, sweepers, the order at which I put them is purely cosmetic. EVs build upon what is already there. Entry hazards is most definitely a problem.

Zoroark (M)
Item: Life Orb
Ability: Illusion
EVs: 4 Atk/ 252 SpA/ 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
-Foul Play
-Focus Blast
-U-Turn
-Grass Knot

My most all-around sweeper. Leans more to the special sweeper side, but has a capable attack stat. Very fast. Even with the party being seen before and during the battle, the Illusion ability has caught a few off guard. Sadly, he just doesn't last to long. I pick Chandelure, Salamence, Or Volcarona to be in the back to lower the chance that someone decides to use a fighting move.

Polygon Z
Item: ???
Ability: Download
EVs: 252 HP/ 252 SpA/ 4 SpD
Modest Nature
-Thunderbolt
-Tri Attack
-Recover
-Signal Beam

The other side of Chandalure. While lacking the interesting typing of Fellow Special Sweeper Chandelure, it has stats that easily make up for it. I am quite impressed with Porygon Z. The only problem was that I was using Choice Specs, but that doesn't really work with recover. I need help in finding a good item for it.

Electivire (M)
Item: Expert Belt
Ability: Motor Drive
EVs: 252 Atk/ 252 Spe/ 4 SpA
Lonely Nature
-Wild Charge
-Earthquake
-Flamethrower
-Ice Punch

This move set works exceptionally well with Expert Belt. Great coverage against so many types. Only problem seems to be speed, despite the EVs. If you can outrun him, then Electivire's not-so-good defences make an appearance. I wish that the ability would help out with this, but because my pokemon don't have any weaknesses to electric, it's difficult to predict when to switch in to an electric attack.

Volcarona (F)
Item: Life Orb
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 252 SpA/ 252 Spe/ 4 HP
Modest Nature
-Quiver Dance
-Hurricane
-Fiery Dance
-Bug Buzz

I honestly don't know where I went wrong on this one. So much potential, but it never seems to work. The bane of its existence (stealth rocks) always manage to catch it in its trap. It is most definitely disappointing. I try to quiver dance to set up the sweep, but to no avail. I get off one dance and then I'm forced to attack or switch out because I lose half my health.

Salamence (M)
Item: Life Orb
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk/ 252 Spe/ 4 SpA
Hasty Nature
-Stone Edge
-Draco Meteor
-Fly
-Fire Blast

Honestly, the ones you expect to be the best just seem to disappoint. I, for some reason, cannot get Salamence to work properly. Just as Volcarona, it just doesn't live up to expectations. What gets Salamence in trouble is other types matching up poorly against him. With the abundance of fairy types, all dragons face this problem, but salamence, despite his speed and absolute power, struggles. and it's not just fairy types that he struggles with. Entry hazards, ice types, other dragons, etc. I just can't win with him. When it's getting down to crunch time and I think Salamence is just going to walk to the finish line, he just falls apart.


Well, these are my Pokemon. Dissect it. Analyze it. Do whatever you want.

Thank you.


(By the way, I am open to suggestions on replacing certain Pokemon with others to help benefit the team. The team doesn't have to be all sweepers. It's just what I went with when I first started up.)

 

[Acedia]

Hey there!
It would be appreciated and of great help if you were to develop your descriptions a little more, as descriptions are vital for people who want to rate your team. Also, you need at least 3 lines for your descriptions according to the rules. Also, you might to consider a way to remove hazards off the field (either a spinner or a defogger) since you're using Volcarona, and Salamence and Chandelure would also appreciate the absence of Stealth rock and other hazards on the field.

Good luck with teambuilding and have a good day!

 

[NotBruceWayne]

Hello. I suggest you read the RMT rules and add more lines to your descriptions before the mods lock this up. Rules are found here. Anyway, a team full of all out attacking pokes with no means to defend themselves are bound to get wrecked by other well prepared teams. Take Talonflame for example. It's a common threat to the meta right now and nothing on your team would be willing to switch in on a Brave Bird. Electivire and Mence (Intimidate) could, but they are quite frail pokes too. Mence and Volc also require a lot of support to function properly. I'll give an opinion on your sets though as I really don't know what kind of changes to suggest. Note that changes are in bold.

Relevant Calcs

I'll use Talonflame as he's pretty common:
252+ Atk Talonflame Brave Bird vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Electivire: 109-129 (37.3 - 44.1%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
This is a resisted hit from an Adamant Talonflame without a damage boosting item. Remember, you also have Life Orb so you shorten your lifespan even more.

-1 252+ Atk Talonflame Brave Bird vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Salamence: 127-150 (38.3 - 45.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
Again, Talonflame 3HKOs your best switch in. You also lack hazard control so SR causes you to loose 25% of you HP every switch in.

Other than these two, Talonflame 2HKOs your team.

Set/s

Salamence (M)
Item: Lum Berry
Ability: Intimidate / Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 SAtk
Hasty Nature
- Earthquake
- Outrage / Dragon Claw
- Dragon Dance
- Fire Blast
Pretty standard DD Mence set with Fire Blast to nail Ferrothorn and Scizor. EQ to nail Steels and Outrage / Dragon Claw as the main STAB of choice with Outrage being way more powerful while Dragon Claw being more consistent. Lum Berry eases your setup. Choice of ability is totally up to you. Intimidate allows for easier setups while Moxie makes you a pretty huge threat late game

Volcarona (F)
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 240 HP / 252 Def / 16 Spd
Calm Nature
-Quiver Dance
-Roost
-Fiery Dance
-Bug Buzz
Bulky Volcarona spread (there are other spreads, feel free to try them out!). This set can come in and set up on dangerous threats like Conkeldurr, Aegislash and Scizor. Speed EVs allow you to outspeed positive base 100s (like Zards) after 1 QD iirc.

Porygon Z
Item: Choice Scarf
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spd / 4 Def
Modest Nature
-Shadow Ball
-Tri Attack
-Trick
-Thunderbolt / Ice Beam
Adaptability is such an great ability. It boosts your main stab, Tri Attack up to the point where a resisted Tri Attack does as much as a neutral Shadow Ball. Those two are the only moves you need tbh. The last move is a filler and totally up to preference (not limited to Tbolt and Ice Beam). Trick cripples walls that may switch in like Chansey and Blissey.

Add more lines to your descriptions and mix and match other pokes that may suit your team. Hope I helped and good luck with your team!

EDIT: I forgot but, welcome to Smogon!

 

[Darnell]

Volcarona - Change Hurricane for Roost/Giga Drain
Roost allows you to get back your HP quickly while setting up the Quiver Dance and Giga Drain allows you to hit Rock types really hard before they are able to take out with their own Rock move. Hurricane really isn't needed, not only does it have terrible accuracy and no STAB but it only hits two things (Bug, Grass), those two types can't touch Volcarona at all and Fiery Dance is enough to take them out anyways. In all due respect, the hardest problem you're going to encounter is picking between Giga Drain/Roost, I find that when you pick one, you need the other while battling. Can get quite frustrating and cause you to keep switching in between your battles.
Volcarona (F)
Item: Life Orb/Leftovers
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spd / 4 HP
Modest/Timid Nature
-Quiver Dance
-Roost/Giga Drain
-Fiery Dance
-Bug Buzz

Porygon-Z - Make the EVs 252 SpA / 252 Spd / 4 SpD. Item: Choice Scarf! Change Signal Beam to Ice Beam/Dark Pulse, Recover to Trick
You don't want to make a bulky Porygon-Z, you want to make it a fast and hard hitting Special attacker, therefore you change the 252 HP EVs to 252 Speed. This will allow you to out speed threats in the tier with the combination of the Choice Scarf, Signal Beam as a move is really frowned upon on Porygon-Z, either go for Dark Pulse so you are able to hit Ghost types, Ice Beam so you can hit Dragons hard, the preferred choice is Dark Pulse because Tri Attack is still going to be doing a nice amount with the Download combination. Trick over Recover so you can cripple Pokemon trying to set up and lock them in to one move. Always a nice choice.
Porygon-Z
Item: Choice Scarf
Ability: Download
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
-Thunderbolt
-Tri Attack
-Trick
-Dark Pulse/Ice Beam

Zoroark - Change Foul Play to Dark Pulse, (Grass Knot/Flamethrower Which is better!?)
Dark Pulse over Foul Play, you want to be able to hit opponents really hard and not waste those 252 SpA EVs that you are invested in but instead use them to the best of your capability. Dark Pulse utilizes just that, fair enough Foul Play is a nice move but Dark Pulse, you won't regret coming in as an illusion of a Pokemon and they opponent brings in a Psychic type of some sort. Foul Play will not get the job done in time, possible be a 2HKO in which time, the opponent will realise it is a Zoroark and potentially Focus Blast(Alakazam) or Dazzling Gleam(Espeon). Grass Knot or Flamethrower, both are good. If you feel that one isn't working too well change it up, replace them back and forth and see which one you find yourself using more in the OU tier. I would say Flamethrower for Pokemon such as Bisharp, Ferrothron, Skarmory and Scizor, not to mention many more steel threats running around in the tier.
Zoroark (M)
Item: Life Orb
Ability: Illusion
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA/ 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
-Dark Pulse
-Focus Blast
-U-Turn
-Grass Knot/Flamethrower