Hi everyone. I'd like to get some feedback regarding my current OU team. This team was built before ORAS and served me very well (90.5% win rate) but with all the new Megas added in ORAS, I fear the team may need to find a way to adapt.
My biggest fear? Mega Metagross. My team is still sitting pretty on my X game, so I've never actually battled against a competitive Mega Meta, but everything I've read about him sounds scary. With my current team, the only way I can see myself having an answer for him is to hope Rotom-W survives long enough to get a Will-o-Wisp onto him or to be lucky enough to have Gengar be already out before he gets a chance to Mega Evolve.
My best idea at the moment is to switch out Forretress and Vaporeon for Ferrothorn and Tentacruel, but then I'd be losing a very useful pivot, my best staller, and Roar.
I'd love to hear thoughts about how to deal with the new threats in ORAS as well as other insights in general. Thanks!
"AC/DC"
Rotom-W @ Leftovers
Talonflame was added for the want of a strong priority attacker. Without him, my fastest Pokemon is Gengar, whose base 110 base speed doesn't always cut it against Scarf users, Dragon Dancers, or super-fast Pokemon like Greninja.
Brave Bird's place on this set is obvious. It's a powerful STAB that gets an extra boost from Choice Band and a full investment in attack and is capable of decimating teams that have been softened up by Stealth Rocks and had their Flying-resistant members KOed. U-Turn comes in a distant second in terms of move usage. It's great for surprising opponents being forced to switch, especially if the Pokemon they're switching in rhymes with "Syranitar" Flare Blitz is pretty much only used in the rare cases where Talonflame isn't already locked into Brave Bird and the opposing Pokemon is resistant to Flying but not Fire. Tailwind is typically a Hail Mary play where Talonflame has no chance against the current opponent and is setting up for a teammate.
We all know this guy. Full investment in attack for as much damage as possible with priority Brave Birds and HP to endure as many recoils as possible. Occasionally I use him as a scout with U-turn, but for the most part he's a late game sweeper. Since it's pretty easy to predict an opponent's answer to Talonflame, it's usually safe to switch him out for Rotom, Vaporeon, or Garchomp as the situation demands.
"Big Boo"
Gengar @ Black Sludge
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
- Substitute
- Disable
Gengar was one of my earliest picks for the team due to his speed and special attack making him a great special sweeper who also has the potential for disrupting common stallers like Gliscor, who can hold out against most of the rest of the team. The fact that he can be a spinblocker and is immune to poison and spikes didn't hurt, either. The EV spread is designed to maximize his speed and special attack damage. Black Sludge was chosen as the hold item to give some recovery while hiding behind Substitute.
Shadow Ball is an obvious first choice for STAB special damage, and the occasional -SpD procs are always nice. Focus Blast was chosen as the second solely as an answer to Normal- and Dark-types. Its lousy accuracy makes me often consider swapping it out for Dazzling Gleam. Substitute gives Gengar survivability against bulkier Pokemon he outspeeds. This works especially well if the opposing Pokemon tries to use Sucker Punch or some kind of debuff. Disable, when combined with Substitute, makes him great at confounding Normal-, Fighting-, Poison-, and Ground-types that might only carry one coverage move that can hit him.
Because he is so frail, whenever possible, I usually use one of my pivots to bring him in, preferably on a Pokemon that will most likely need to switch out, which gives me a chance to setup Substitute. Even though Mega Khan is uber, I run into a lot of them in regular wifi battles, and Gengar can shut down most of them with a strategic Disable.
"Tiamat"
Garchomp @ Yache Berry
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Att / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Fire Fang
- Sword Dance
Garchomp was chosen early to be a physical sweeper due to his great attack and speed stats, plus his bulk gives him more opportunities to setup with Sword Dance and really start causing havoc. I also wanted a ground-type on my team to check Electric-types that threaten Vaporeon and Talonflame.
The EV spread is straightforward: Max speed and max attack. Jolly nature was chosen over adamant because one Swords Dance puts him over the top for attack power in most cases. Yache Berry was chosen because Pokemon with Ice STABs are rare (except for Protean Greninja, who loses easily to Talonflame) Garchomp is usually able to survive non-STAB Ice attacks and live long enough to KO whatever my opponent tried to check him with.
Dragon Claw was chosen as the Dragon STAB move of choice mainly by default. Not as strong as Outrage, but also doesn't lock him in and cause confusion, and still usually enough to KO most enemies after a Swords Dance. It's usually only used on things that Earthquake can't hit. Earthquake is the STAB of choice when Dragon Claw doesn't have the type advantage. Fire Fang was chosen a the non-STAB coverage move due to Steel-types like Skarmory and Ferrothorn being some of the most common attempts to wall Garcomp. Finally, Swords Dance is a key element to this set. The team has many pivots, and Garchomp can force out many Pokemon that would be sent out to threaten other members of my team and get a free turn to Dance, at which point the even the sturdiest team can expect to take heavy damage before wearing him down.
"Riptide"
Vaporeon @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
252 HP / 120 Def / 132 SpD
Bold Nature
- Scald
- Wish
- Roar
- Protect
My first thought when adding Vaporeon to the team was for Wish support and Roar, which lets me erase a buffed Pokemon's boosts by forcing it out. He's also the closest thing my team has to a special wall, although the EV spread was designed let him act as a mixed wall and maximize Wish support. Leftovers for recovery, and it's always nice to use along with Protect when you need a tiny bit of extra health.
Protect doesn't just let him Wish himself safely, but it also scouts for Toxic and other potential threats. Scald was chosen for its STAB and the chance to inflict burn, but DoT is not Vaporeon's primary role (Rotom-W handles that job). The Wish/Protect combo to survive as the Burn wears down the enemy, Vaporeon has been a thorn in many a would-be sweeper's side. Roar was chosen over Toxic as part of a larger team-supporting move that forces out Pokemon who have buffed themselves.
Although my first thought when I considered adding Vaporeon was that I wanted Wish support, I find myself often using him primarily as a staller or disrupter (using Roar), which he does superbly.
"Alamo"
Forretress @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Gyro Ball
- Volt Switch
- Stealth Rock
- Rapid Spin
To be honest, Forrtress' place on my team largely came as a result of my old Donphan being stuck on Gen V thanks to PokeBank still being unavailable. I needed an entry-hazard remover (which became even more critical when I added Talonflame) and ideally something that could also set up its own hazards in return. Once on the team, his usefulness as a pivot became apparent, also.
The EV spread is designed to maximize Physical Defense (although I might change it to 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD to take a little damage off Stealth Rock). Relaxed nature was chosen to further boost his defense and ensure his goes second, which means anyone he tags in using Volt Switch doesn't have to take a hit. Leftovers for recovery.
Gyro Ball is there as his go-to stab move. Forrtress' naturally low speed stat, compounded with the Relaxed Nature and 0 Speed IVs, allow Gyro Ball to hit as hard as possible on those rare instances where it's actually needed. Volt Switch, as described earlier, turns Forretress into my team's premier pivot and also gets around Taunt, which lots of people will use. Stealth Rock over Spikes to hit all incoming Pokemon and soften them up for sweeping. Rapid Spin to eliminate all entry hazards on my own side of the field, which is especially critical to Talonflame.
Don't ask me why Forretress is considered UU. Alamo has been a superb supporter with its tremendous defense, myriad resistances, ability to setup entry hazards, and all that plus immunity to Toxic Spikes makes him a great spinner. With Volt Switch, its high defense and low speed, Forretress is an excellent pivot and has great synergy with Rotom-W, with each being able to resist the other's sole weakness.
My biggest fear? Mega Metagross. My team is still sitting pretty on my X game, so I've never actually battled against a competitive Mega Meta, but everything I've read about him sounds scary. With my current team, the only way I can see myself having an answer for him is to hope Rotom-W survives long enough to get a Will-o-Wisp onto him or to be lucky enough to have Gengar be already out before he gets a chance to Mega Evolve.
My best idea at the moment is to switch out Forretress and Vaporeon for Ferrothorn and Tentacruel, but then I'd be losing a very useful pivot, my best staller, and Roar.
I'd love to hear thoughts about how to deal with the new threats in ORAS as well as other insights in general. Thanks!
"AC/DC"
Rotom-W @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Volt Switch
- Will-o-Wisp
- Thunderbolt
Rotom came onto my team primarily to check Talonflame, who can OHKO an un-substituted Gengar and 2HKO the rest of my team. He's also great for spreading burns and acting as another pivot for my team. His typing creates excellent synergy with Forretress. Between the two of them, pivoting is almost never a problem. The EV spread was chosen to maximize his Physical walling potential, although in light of feedback from davidTheMaster I plan to change it to 248 HP / 216 Def / 44 Spe
Hydro Pump is an obvious necessity for Rotom-W to actually be Rotom-W and of course is also a very useful STAB move. Will-o-wisp to burn physical attackers and let Rotom tank them even better while also causing damage over time. Rotom's many resistances mean he can often force out what Pokemon he's facing and get a free chance to burn whatever's being sent in. Volt Switch is does respectable STAB damage but mainly serves as the means to pivot. Thunderbolt was chosen over Rest because of Wish support from Vaporeon and the desire to have a good Electric move on this team without being forced to switch.
Rotom is my most common opener thanks to its bulk, typing, ability to inflict burn, and has the option to Volt Switch out to a more favorable teammate under most conditions. Has excellent defensive synergy with most of the team, especially Forretress.
"Red Baron"
Talonflame @ Choice Band
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Volt Switch
- Will-o-Wisp
- Thunderbolt
Rotom came onto my team primarily to check Talonflame, who can OHKO an un-substituted Gengar and 2HKO the rest of my team. He's also great for spreading burns and acting as another pivot for my team. His typing creates excellent synergy with Forretress. Between the two of them, pivoting is almost never a problem. The EV spread was chosen to maximize his Physical walling potential, although in light of feedback from davidTheMaster I plan to change it to 248 HP / 216 Def / 44 Spe
Hydro Pump is an obvious necessity for Rotom-W to actually be Rotom-W and of course is also a very useful STAB move. Will-o-wisp to burn physical attackers and let Rotom tank them even better while also causing damage over time. Rotom's many resistances mean he can often force out what Pokemon he's facing and get a free chance to burn whatever's being sent in. Volt Switch is does respectable STAB damage but mainly serves as the means to pivot. Thunderbolt was chosen over Rest because of Wish support from Vaporeon and the desire to have a good Electric move on this team without being forced to switch.
Rotom is my most common opener thanks to its bulk, typing, ability to inflict burn, and has the option to Volt Switch out to a more favorable teammate under most conditions. Has excellent defensive synergy with most of the team, especially Forretress.
"Red Baron"
Talonflame @ Choice Band
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz
- U-Turn
- Tailwind
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz
- U-Turn
- Tailwind
Talonflame was added for the want of a strong priority attacker. Without him, my fastest Pokemon is Gengar, whose base 110 base speed doesn't always cut it against Scarf users, Dragon Dancers, or super-fast Pokemon like Greninja.
Brave Bird's place on this set is obvious. It's a powerful STAB that gets an extra boost from Choice Band and a full investment in attack and is capable of decimating teams that have been softened up by Stealth Rocks and had their Flying-resistant members KOed. U-Turn comes in a distant second in terms of move usage. It's great for surprising opponents being forced to switch, especially if the Pokemon they're switching in rhymes with "Syranitar" Flare Blitz is pretty much only used in the rare cases where Talonflame isn't already locked into Brave Bird and the opposing Pokemon is resistant to Flying but not Fire. Tailwind is typically a Hail Mary play where Talonflame has no chance against the current opponent and is setting up for a teammate.
We all know this guy. Full investment in attack for as much damage as possible with priority Brave Birds and HP to endure as many recoils as possible. Occasionally I use him as a scout with U-turn, but for the most part he's a late game sweeper. Since it's pretty easy to predict an opponent's answer to Talonflame, it's usually safe to switch him out for Rotom, Vaporeon, or Garchomp as the situation demands.
"Big Boo"
Gengar @ Black Sludge
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
- Substitute
- Disable
Gengar was one of my earliest picks for the team due to his speed and special attack making him a great special sweeper who also has the potential for disrupting common stallers like Gliscor, who can hold out against most of the rest of the team. The fact that he can be a spinblocker and is immune to poison and spikes didn't hurt, either. The EV spread is designed to maximize his speed and special attack damage. Black Sludge was chosen as the hold item to give some recovery while hiding behind Substitute.
Shadow Ball is an obvious first choice for STAB special damage, and the occasional -SpD procs are always nice. Focus Blast was chosen as the second solely as an answer to Normal- and Dark-types. Its lousy accuracy makes me often consider swapping it out for Dazzling Gleam. Substitute gives Gengar survivability against bulkier Pokemon he outspeeds. This works especially well if the opposing Pokemon tries to use Sucker Punch or some kind of debuff. Disable, when combined with Substitute, makes him great at confounding Normal-, Fighting-, Poison-, and Ground-types that might only carry one coverage move that can hit him.
Because he is so frail, whenever possible, I usually use one of my pivots to bring him in, preferably on a Pokemon that will most likely need to switch out, which gives me a chance to setup Substitute. Even though Mega Khan is uber, I run into a lot of them in regular wifi battles, and Gengar can shut down most of them with a strategic Disable.
"Tiamat"
Garchomp @ Yache Berry
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Att / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Fire Fang
- Sword Dance
Garchomp was chosen early to be a physical sweeper due to his great attack and speed stats, plus his bulk gives him more opportunities to setup with Sword Dance and really start causing havoc. I also wanted a ground-type on my team to check Electric-types that threaten Vaporeon and Talonflame.
The EV spread is straightforward: Max speed and max attack. Jolly nature was chosen over adamant because one Swords Dance puts him over the top for attack power in most cases. Yache Berry was chosen because Pokemon with Ice STABs are rare (except for Protean Greninja, who loses easily to Talonflame) Garchomp is usually able to survive non-STAB Ice attacks and live long enough to KO whatever my opponent tried to check him with.
Dragon Claw was chosen as the Dragon STAB move of choice mainly by default. Not as strong as Outrage, but also doesn't lock him in and cause confusion, and still usually enough to KO most enemies after a Swords Dance. It's usually only used on things that Earthquake can't hit. Earthquake is the STAB of choice when Dragon Claw doesn't have the type advantage. Fire Fang was chosen a the non-STAB coverage move due to Steel-types like Skarmory and Ferrothorn being some of the most common attempts to wall Garcomp. Finally, Swords Dance is a key element to this set. The team has many pivots, and Garchomp can force out many Pokemon that would be sent out to threaten other members of my team and get a free turn to Dance, at which point the even the sturdiest team can expect to take heavy damage before wearing him down.
"Riptide"
Vaporeon @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
252 HP / 120 Def / 132 SpD
Bold Nature
- Scald
- Wish
- Roar
- Protect
My first thought when adding Vaporeon to the team was for Wish support and Roar, which lets me erase a buffed Pokemon's boosts by forcing it out. He's also the closest thing my team has to a special wall, although the EV spread was designed let him act as a mixed wall and maximize Wish support. Leftovers for recovery, and it's always nice to use along with Protect when you need a tiny bit of extra health.
Protect doesn't just let him Wish himself safely, but it also scouts for Toxic and other potential threats. Scald was chosen for its STAB and the chance to inflict burn, but DoT is not Vaporeon's primary role (Rotom-W handles that job). The Wish/Protect combo to survive as the Burn wears down the enemy, Vaporeon has been a thorn in many a would-be sweeper's side. Roar was chosen over Toxic as part of a larger team-supporting move that forces out Pokemon who have buffed themselves.
Although my first thought when I considered adding Vaporeon was that I wanted Wish support, I find myself often using him primarily as a staller or disrupter (using Roar), which he does superbly.
"Alamo"
Forretress @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Gyro Ball
- Volt Switch
- Stealth Rock
- Rapid Spin
To be honest, Forrtress' place on my team largely came as a result of my old Donphan being stuck on Gen V thanks to PokeBank still being unavailable. I needed an entry-hazard remover (which became even more critical when I added Talonflame) and ideally something that could also set up its own hazards in return. Once on the team, his usefulness as a pivot became apparent, also.
The EV spread is designed to maximize Physical Defense (although I might change it to 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD to take a little damage off Stealth Rock). Relaxed nature was chosen to further boost his defense and ensure his goes second, which means anyone he tags in using Volt Switch doesn't have to take a hit. Leftovers for recovery.
Gyro Ball is there as his go-to stab move. Forrtress' naturally low speed stat, compounded with the Relaxed Nature and 0 Speed IVs, allow Gyro Ball to hit as hard as possible on those rare instances where it's actually needed. Volt Switch, as described earlier, turns Forretress into my team's premier pivot and also gets around Taunt, which lots of people will use. Stealth Rock over Spikes to hit all incoming Pokemon and soften them up for sweeping. Rapid Spin to eliminate all entry hazards on my own side of the field, which is especially critical to Talonflame.
Don't ask me why Forretress is considered UU. Alamo has been a superb supporter with its tremendous defense, myriad resistances, ability to setup entry hazards, and all that plus immunity to Toxic Spikes makes him a great spinner. With Volt Switch, its high defense and low speed, Forretress is an excellent pivot and has great synergy with Rotom-W, with each being able to resist the other's sole weakness.
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