Today I'd like to take a look at one of my favorite underrated megas: Tyranitar. This thing is an offensive threat more than normal TTar for this reason: it only needs one Dragon Dance. After one DDance, a Jolly TTar will outspeed most non-megas in the tier and get neutral OHKOs with its STABs and Stealth Rock support. Its also one of the few set up sweepers/cleaners thats not weak to Talonflame, a gigantic plus. I built a team with one thing in mind: eliminate Mega-TTar's checks and counters early game and allow it to clean up the opponents weakened team mid to late game. I've had a solid win-lose ratio with this team but I'm still unsure if it's worth building in game. Here is the team (CHOOSE YOUR DESTINY!!!):
I start off with mega Tyranitar, the star of my team. It's not easy building a team around a sweeper with so many weaknesses, but staggering bulk helps ease this problem
Next we have Ferrothorn. Despite sharing a crucial fighting type weakness with TTar, Ferro covers nearly all of its other weaknesses and provides hazards Tyranitar needs to get some crucial OHKO's.
I played with the idea of Gothitelle for a while, since it can trap and remove many of TTar's Major threats and has decent synergy with my team, but eventually gave up on this mon in favor of a more offensive answer to TTar's weaknesses.
Good ol' smogon bird. This thing had pretty great synergy with my team and removed fighting types which was beyond helpful at this stage of team building.
It quickly became clear this team needed RS support and Starmie was definetley my best choice. Its decent defenses allow it to switch into fighting type moves that Tflame on its own can't handle, and obviously i don't want to use defog on a team with a wallbreaker like TTar on it. On top of all that, Starmie is a special attacker, which my team lacked up to this point.
This team's worst nightmare was status. TTar gets shut down by burn, Ferro and Tflame don't enjoy being paralyzed, and Starmie can get forced out easily when it gets hit with toxic. Having access to heal bell and being the dedicated special tank this team needed, Sylveon was obviously it, along with wish support to bring back my other mons (mostly TTar) from the brink.
I was having a lot of trouble deciding on a 6th pokemon so I eventually settled for Keldeo, being the special wall breaker my team needed and having "eh" synergy. There's not much else to say, though i'm open for suggestions to replace Keldeo.
GOJIRA! (Tyranitar) @ Tyranitarite
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Stone Edge/Ice Punch
- Crunch
- Earthquake
The star of this team, it can either run STABs or use Ice Punch for coverage. This thing is great. No one expects it right now, so they will often go for a useless taunt and its amazing bulk allows it to easily set up with DDance and punch holes in opponents, even ones that resist the move it chose. Jolly nature is chosen over adamant to outspeed full investment base 130's after just 1 DDance, and still reach over 600 attack. Not much else to say, TTar is just great.
OU Utility (Ferrothorn) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 SpD
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Spikes
- Thunder Wave
- Leech Seed
Ferrothorn provides hazards which will come in handy when TTar comes in to sweep late game, as well as Thunder Wave support. Leech seed is a must, EVs are copy pasted off Smogon (LOL). Rocky helm is used over leftovers since this thing is mostly meant to serve as this team's resident physical tank. Also, it's just beyond annoying to deal with this set.
Smogon Bird (Talonflame) @ Choice Band
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- U-turn
-Roost/Overheat/Steel Wing
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz
This Talonflame set gets me a lot of hate.... running no speed doesn't actually get me a lot of outspeeds and choice band is an excellent Talonflame item that people shit on for some reason. 248 hp EVs allow 2 SR switch ins, and make recoil easier to cope with, 252 atk with adamant nature is self explanatory for this set. Brave bird is the reason I run max hp, since its pretty much the only move I'll need to be using most of the time, and it still outspeeds every priority user in the tier, even with no speed EVs. Flare blitz is for secondary STAB and predicted switch-ins, U-Turn is for switch initiative. Roost might as well be fodder, but its useful for getting another switch into SR if I need it.
Ricky (Starmie) @ Life Orb
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Scald
- Rapid Spin
- Recover
- Ice Beam/Psychic/Psyshock
Starmie is a unique pokemon in that it's a speedy rapid spin user. Obviously, this team couldn't afford to use defog since TTar needs hazards to ensure a sweep and Starmie is an excellent candidate. Natural cure makes it a pseudo-status absorber and the EVs and nature ensure it strikes first with rapid spin. Recover is used to heal off LO burn. Scald is used instead of Hydro pump since Starmie, even with life orb, doesn't have much of an offensive presence and is mostly on my team simply for RS. The final moveslot can run STAB, though I prefer ice beam.
Soul Crusher (Sylveon) @ Leftovers
Ability: Pixilate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Heal Bell
- Toxic/Protect
- Hyper Voice
- Wish
Sylveon is a dedicated special tank that can pass rather large wishes to my weakened team, though it's mainly used for heal bell, which this team GREATLY appreciates. Toxic can be used to put a timer on the opponent's sweeper, though protect is an option if recovery outside of leftovers is desirable. Other than that pixilate hyper voice makes sure it's not total taunt bait, as well as going through sub and hitting some pokemon pretty hard.
Brony4Lief (Keldeo-Resolute) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Scald
- Hydro Pump
- Icy Wind
- Secret Sword
Keldeo is my special wall breaker for this team, utilizing specs to OHKO a significant portion of the meta after SR and punching holes in even the most defensive teams. Scald, hydro pump and secret sword are all mandatory on this set while icy wind can be swapped for hp ice or another hidden power if you so choose.
MEGA MANECTRIC and electric types in general. But let's talk specifically about Manectric. This thing.... It can switch into Tflame's BBird and intimidate it, forcing safer plays and hard switches when it is alive. It can outspeed TTar, even after one DDance and get some great chip damage on it with Volt-Switch. This thing on a VolTurn team can be a nightmare since it wrecks everything on my team with its coverage, and if TTar dies early and they still have Manectric, might as well be GG.
SAND RUSH EXCADRILL can sweep my team when fully set up. Nothing on my team doesn't get OHKO'd by its coverage moves, and if it has rock slide for Tflame, than the battle was over before it started.
BRELOOM... ANY SET. Technician Breloom specifically but if this thing starts snowballing with subseed... its the only pokemon that OHKO's 5/6 of my pokemon with its STABs. If Talonflame tries to come in on the switch and gets hit with rock tomb or spore... there's basically nothing stopping it. It's easily the biggest threat to my team next to mega manectric.
That's my team, please post some tips, I might need a lot of help with this one. Also, I'm sorry for forgetting Medicham on the underrated megas list. ;-;
GOJIRA! (Tyranitar) @ Tyranitarite
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Stone Edge/Ice Punch
- Crunch
- Earthquake
The star of this team, it can either run STABs or use Ice Punch for coverage. This thing is great. No one expects it right now, so they will often go for a useless taunt and its amazing bulk allows it to easily set up with DDance and punch holes in opponents, even ones that resist the move it chose. Jolly nature is chosen over adamant to outspeed full investment base 130's after just 1 DDance, and still reach over 600 attack. Not much else to say, TTar is just great.
OU Utility (Ferrothorn) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 SpD
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Spikes
- Thunder Wave
- Leech Seed
Ferrothorn provides hazards which will come in handy when TTar comes in to sweep late game, as well as Thunder Wave support. Leech seed is a must, EVs are copy pasted off Smogon (LOL). Rocky helm is used over leftovers since this thing is mostly meant to serve as this team's resident physical tank. Also, it's just beyond annoying to deal with this set.
Smogon Bird (Talonflame) @ Choice Band
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- U-turn
-
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz
This Talonflame set gets me a lot of hate.... running no speed doesn't actually get me a lot of outspeeds and choice band is an excellent Talonflame item that people shit on for some reason. 248 hp EVs allow 2 SR switch ins, and make recoil easier to cope with, 252 atk with adamant nature is self explanatory for this set. Brave bird is the reason I run max hp, since its pretty much the only move I'll need to be using most of the time, and it still outspeeds every priority user in the tier, even with no speed EVs. Flare blitz is for secondary STAB and predicted switch-ins, U-Turn is for switch initiative.
Ricky (Starmie) @ Life Orb
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Scald
- Rapid Spin
- Recover
- Ice Beam/Psychic/Psyshock
Starmie is a unique pokemon in that it's a speedy rapid spin user. Obviously, this team couldn't afford to use defog since TTar needs hazards to ensure a sweep and Starmie is an excellent candidate. Natural cure makes it a pseudo-status absorber and the EVs and nature ensure it strikes first with rapid spin. Recover is used to heal off LO burn. Scald is used instead of Hydro pump since Starmie, even with life orb, doesn't have much of an offensive presence and is mostly on my team simply for RS. The final moveslot can run STAB, though I prefer ice beam.
Soul Crusher (Sylveon) @ Leftovers
Ability: Pixilate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Heal Bell
- Toxic/Protect
- Hyper Voice
- Wish
Sylveon is a dedicated special tank that can pass rather large wishes to my weakened team, though it's mainly used for heal bell, which this team GREATLY appreciates. Toxic can be used to put a timer on the opponent's sweeper, though protect is an option if recovery outside of leftovers is desirable. Other than that pixilate hyper voice makes sure it's not total taunt bait, as well as going through sub and hitting some pokemon pretty hard.
Brony4Lief (Keldeo-Resolute) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Scald
- Hydro Pump
- Icy Wind
- Secret Sword
Keldeo is my special wall breaker for this team, utilizing specs to OHKO a significant portion of the meta after SR and punching holes in even the most defensive teams. Scald, hydro pump and secret sword are all mandatory on this set while icy wind can be swapped for hp ice or another hidden power if you so choose.
GOJIRA! (Tyranitar) @ Tyranitarite
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Stone Edge
- Crunch
- Earthquake
OU Utility (Ferrothorn) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 SpD
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Spikes
- Thunder Wave
- Leech Seed
Smogon Bird (Talonflame) @ Choice Band
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- U-turn
- Roost
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz
Ricky (Starmie) @ Life Orb
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Scald
- Rapid Spin
- Recover
- Ice Beam
Soul Crusher (Sylveon) @ Leftovers
Ability: Pixilate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Heal Bell
- Toxic
- Hyper Voice
- Wish
Brony4Lief (Keldeo-Resolute) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Scald
- Hydro Pump
- Icy Wind
- Secret Sword
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Stone Edge
- Crunch
- Earthquake
OU Utility (Ferrothorn) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 SpD
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Spikes
- Thunder Wave
- Leech Seed
Smogon Bird (Talonflame) @ Choice Band
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- U-turn
- Roost
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz
Ricky (Starmie) @ Life Orb
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Scald
- Rapid Spin
- Recover
- Ice Beam
Soul Crusher (Sylveon) @ Leftovers
Ability: Pixilate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Heal Bell
- Toxic
- Hyper Voice
- Wish
Brony4Lief (Keldeo-Resolute) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Scald
- Hydro Pump
- Icy Wind
- Secret Sword
That's my team, please post some tips, I might need a lot of help with this one. Also, I'm sorry for forgetting Medicham on the underrated megas list. ;-;
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