https://pokepast.es/f7cc918d58c533b9
It is my opinion that this meta holds no pure breakers, Pokemon whose sole purpose is to punch holes. Neither sweeping nor revenge killing are a major part of this archetype’s duties. Think of Crawdaunt, Mega Mawile, and Dracovish as examples from other metas. Of course, those first two run priority, but the point stands: their purpose is to break down fat Pokémon with overwhelming power, at the cost of speed and bulk. Nothing comparable exists in today’s meta. Breakers double as sweepers or defensive bulwarks. Respective examples are Kingambit and Gholdengo. Vanishingly few Pokémon break without boosting.
In these conditions, I believe that a fat offensive team can thrive. The Pokémon in this team are bulky and seemingly vulnerable to the meta’s boosting breakers. However, the addition of Ditto forces the opponent to think twice about setting up. The other team will have to find other means of forcing Manaphy, Cresselia, and Garganacl from the field. The alternative is to risk a reverse sweep.
I built this team to exploit a gap in the meta, and along the way I found that the concept nicely answers some recent trends. The rising Sticky Webs are easily answered by Ditto, either by copying the setter or by out-speeding the myriad sweepers. Aurora Veil teams fare better but still falter. Ditto can provide Veil in that matchup, and few Veil teams have the muscle to push through Garganacl or Manaphy behind screens. Few stall builds can answer all of a boosting Manaphy, Cresselia, and Garganacl in the same game. Cresselia answers most Ursaluna-BM, which was everywhere during the suspect test. Not every trend is in our favor, particularly the bear’s ban, but a good performance on the ladder makes me confident that the team fits today’s meta well.
Ditto @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Imposter
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
IVs: 30 Atk
- Transform
Ditto is the pin that holds this team together and makes the concept work. Ditto provides the main source of revenge killing and will often come in multiple times per game. That service alone pays its rent, but Ditto also copies Webs and Veil, greatly easing those matchups. Keep this mon alive until the end game, as sacrificing it gives the other team carte blanche to break your sweepers. Ditto shines particularly bright in endgames against Kingambit. Against stall, try to switch Ditto into a Knock Off to gain infinite PP. Take advantage of opportunities to heal through a copied Regenerator. Against Ogerpon, either Rock or Water, trade Ditto if you can before they Tera. That mon will tear apart the rest of the team after a Trailblaze, particularly the Water version. Do not rely on Ditto to revenge kill Roaring Moon or Iron Valiant. You may be forced to make some hard reads switching into Walking Wake, as nothing else can take a boosted Hydro Steam. Tera Ghost lets Ditto beat Body Press users like Zamazenta. The EV spread is just the suggested Ditto spread.
Manaphy @ Leftovers
Ability: Hydration
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Sleep Talk
- Take Heart
- Scald
- Rest
This set is devious. Rest into Sleep Talk into Take Heart can wake up Manaphy after only one sleep turn. Scald is an evil move and also a great pull off of Sleep Talk. Manaphy has full Defense EVs so we can set up on Gliscor, Great Tusk, and Kingambit. Sleep Talk is a satisfying way to skip Kingambit’s Sucker Punch mind games. No one expects Rest, so the opponent often gives you free turns to boost as they chip you down with physical moves. I found that the most common chip method was Earthquake, so our Tera type is Grass over Dragon. Tera Grass also allows Manaphy to more easily withstand Salt Cure and turn the tables on Meowscarada. This mon, pre-Tera, is our best answer to Cinderace. In some games, your best option against Roaring Moon will be to fish for a scald burn. You should get two or three chances, so the odds aren’t bad. Manaphy, Zapdos, and Sneasler create so many 30% chances for status that one will eventually stick. Burn chip on Haze Toxapex is key for the stall matchup. The EVs are a simple 252 in HP and Def to aid in setting up. At +6, everything melts even without SpA investment. Manaphy’s Tail Glow sets demand specific responses, so this set gets a few more free turns than it really should.
Garganacl @ Leftovers
Ability: Purifying Salt
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Recover
- Salt Cure
- Iron Defense
- Body Press
I wanted to use Garganacl to find out if it is still an OU caliber Pokémon. My opinion is that it clearly belongs and will rise again. Salt Cure is an obligatory move slot and effortlessly inflicts chip damage. Iron Defense and Body Press with SpD investment makes Garg a threat to win games on the spot. The 4 Atk EVs grant a 99% chance to 3HKO Iron Moth. Garg is the main Iron Moth handler on the team and appreciates preserving one Recover PP by not taking a fourth hit. Be careful to scout for Tera Grass or Ground, though. Pass those variants off to Cresselia. Garg can heal off damage from Dragapult and Zapdos, as well as some Gholdengo. Most importantly, Salt Cure allows Garg to use Gliscor as setup bait, which is amazing right now. Tera Ghost flips the Zamazenta and Rillaboom matchups. Tera Ghost is better here than Tera Water, in my opinion, to gain a free turn for the first boost. Encore users like Iron Valiant and Ninetails-A like to come in on Garg, so Salt Cure is invaluable for chipping them down on the switch. Against stall, Garg should probably not Tera but act more as a wallbreaker, dealing loads of damage on shared checks to free up Cresselia later. The EV spread makes Garganacl a good check to Dragapult and lets Garg operate as our main special tank.
Cresselia @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
Tera Type: Poison
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Stored Power
- Moonlight
- Moonblast
Cresselia is a simple win condition. I believe this is the most common Cresselia set. The EV spread is a mirrored version of Garganacl and Manaphy, as each mon boosts its weaker defense to achieve mixed bulk. Stored Power is the heart of the set, allowing Cresselia to run over slow or frail teams. Moonblast is good coverage, especially for Ting-Lu, Iron Valiant, and Kingambit. Ting-Lu wants to Whilwind you and Valiant will click Encore, so don’t be afraid to Moonblast on a predicted switch. Moonblast also blocks Roaring Moon from having too many setup turns. Tera Poison dodges Toxic and grabs free turns against Gholdengo, Rillaboom, Greninja, and Samurott-H. With a few CMs before the switch, Cresselia can win the Sucker Punch mind games against Kingambit, but the odds are not in your favor. Cresselia is the most Tera-greedy Pokémon on the team, but the reward is another sweeper that eats Gliscor alive. Levitate stonewalls Clodsire and grants a Spikes immunity that is crucial in longer games.
Zapdos @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Static
Tera Type: Electric
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Roost
- Substitute
- Hurricane
- Thunderbolt
Zapdos was actually the first Pokémon paired with Ditto. I am a firm believer in the Sub Roost set’s ability to force progress. The downside is that the set is setup bait, but Ditto saves us again. This set does well against common threats like Great Tusk, Meowscarada, and Toxic Gliscor. Getting Knocked Off seems like a big deal, but a Spikes immunity goes a long way right now. Sub eases prediction as Zapdos forces switches, particularly against the rising Rillaboom. Hurricane brings key damage against dangerous threats like Iron Valiant, Ogerpon W, and Sneasler. Thunderbolt plus Static helps limit the number of Spikes that Samurott-H can put up. Max speed allows Substitute to serve as a scouting tool. Zapdos is a key asset in the rain matchup and, along with Manaphy, is charged with dealing damage, wasting weather turns, and spreading status. The Tera type here is Electric for more oomph on Thunderbolt and for opposing Zapdos. Maybe Dragon or Grass would be better for the Ogerpon-W matchup. On this team, though, you’re in deep trouble if Zapdos needs the Tera.
Sneasler @ Protective Pads
Ability: Poison Touch
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- Close Combat
- Dire Claw
- U-turn
Sneasler is a natural fit alongside bulky win conditions, since they become more deadly against a statused opponent. Protective Pads are the chosen item so that we can spam Fake Out and U-turn against any opponent. The speed tier is important here, so avoiding Static is key. Sneasler provides damage and maybe a status against Unaware Clefable, which otherwise dominates this team. Sneasler also hits each Ogerpon form super effectively. It is the only mon on the team besides Ditto that outspeeds unboosted Ogerpon and Roaring Moon. Fake Out brings a much needed bit of priority to the team. Everything in this meta seems to run Tera Fairy, so Sneasler gets some extra opportunities to contribute. This set falls flat on its face against Gholdengo and Gliscor, though. Tera Flying is theoretically there to bluff the SD Acrobatics set. Don’t Tera this Pokémon, though. Most of my run was actually made with Ash Greninja here as a get out of jail free card, but the peak was achieved with Sneasler. Ash Greninja brought better priority and improved the Gholdengo matchup but lost hard to Clefable.
Replays
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1961219545-k9o40465gbh183qqsrf515zpo61wmg1pw
The peak vs Webs. We traded crits, so who knows how this game would have gone.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1960597237
Tera Ghost Ditto comes in handy. Manaphy and Cresselia outlast an Empoleon with Roar.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1961209607
Ditto copied Webs, Manaphy steals a turn with Tera Grass, and Substitute Zapdos saves the end game. This person was very nice after the game, too.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-196110687
Pretty long game ended pretty much when Cresselia crit with Stored Power. I don’t feel too bad though, since the opposing Clefable was just hanging out waiting for a crit. Also features all three sweepers putting pressure on their shared checks. When this guy called me a “lunatico”, I knew I had something unique here.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1961371791-di1516xj66hchfz6yxdk1tagrm98dpkpw
This opponent had tools to beat Cresselia and Garganacl but couldn’t get past the third sweeper, Manaphy. Also demonstrates that getting three Static chances means that you’re favored to land paralysis. Did get lucky with the Scald burn though.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1960610684
Manaphy and Cresselia put too much responsibility onto opposing Pex. Sub Zapdos plays a key role in breaking.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1961103746
Vs Psychic Terrain
Threats
Tera Flying Roaring Moon cannot be revenged by Ditto. Knock Off won’t hit hard because RM already popped Booster Energy. RM is immune to Earthquake after Tera. Acrobatics from Ditto is only 55 BP. The best bet against +1 Roaring Moon is to bait a Static from Zapdos. In truly desperate straits, spam Stored Power with Cresselia and hope that they boost to +3, where Ditto can actually get the revenge KO. You’ll need to keep this Pokémon from hitting the field with momentum.
Swords Dance Waterpon is another breaker that beats Ditto. When Tera’d, this Pokémon is immune to Imposter. Manaphy cannot touch this thing, either, which is a real momentum killer. Ivy Cudgel is a crit machine and can blow through Garganacl’s boosts. Ivy Cudgel being non-contact stings for Zapdos. The best gameplan is to force a different Tera with Garganacl, get Zapdos on the field before a boost, and land a Hurricane. But that’s a tall order.
Ting-Lu sets a million spikes and runs this team through them with Whirlwind. Nothing bar Sneasler threatens significant damage on Ting-Lu, so it is free to Spike up and shuffle. The threat of Earthquake keeps Sneasler from staying on the field, too. The best way to deal with this threat is to skip the setup moves and continually attack with Scald, Moonblast, Hurricane, and Body Press. Players love to leave Ting-Lu on the field, fortunately, so you can wear it down eventually.
I don’t know how common this Skeledirge set is, but I got 6-0’d by it and don’t see any real counterplay options.
I am open to all suggestions. This team clearly has room for improvement. In particular, suggestions about hazard control are appreciated. All in all, though, I am quite pleased to have peaked pretty high with a team that is not quite like anything else I saw on the ladder.
