Other RU Alpha: Speed and Speed and more speed

[Thomas_633]

I've never made a post here before but I loved ORAS UU and most of my team has gotten the drop (bar Infernape) so I thought I'd see what y'all think of my team! It's also my only Gen 7 team that actually stands a decent chance of winning games even with my rampant incompetence:

Hermit Gastly (Cloyster) (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Skill Link
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Icicle Spear
- Explosion
- Rock Blast
- Shell Smash

I did say this was gonna be fast; he hits 514 Speed after a Smash and is the fastest of my team. He's basically a version of the set on your website and I used to use him as an opener, but I figured I'd use him for later in the game. Smash + one of the two Skill Link moves hits everything that isn't a steel or bulky water hard.

Gardenia (Roserade) (F) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Technician
EVs: 48 Def / 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 204 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hidden Power [Rock]
- Leaf Storm
- Dazzling Gleam
- Sludge Bomb

The EV and nature enable it to outspeed Aerodactyl-Mega and Beedrill-Mega. HP Rock kills Beedrill after rocks and has a 33% chance of killing Aerodactyl; I'd love to give her a Modest nature but she's a smidgen too slow for it and both destroy her. She's also top-tier against Diancie.

Evil Lamp (Chandelure) (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Infiltrator
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Fire Blast
- Shadow Ball
- Energy Ball
- Trick

The set I grabbed online, it's the newest member and the one I'm most unsure of. Holds up well and is suitably fast for the team at 426 Speed. I'd honestly say more here but it's been fundamentally average; yeah it hits things that Fire types hit hard but I'm not really feeling it, although it may just be my inexperience with it (I've playtested the team a fair bit but the rest of it is months old)

Praise the Sun (Heliolisk) (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Dry Skin
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hyper Voice
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Surf

He's here to hit anything that's a water type as they seem to do disturbingly well against my team; I tend to get locked into something that isn't Leaf Storm which is not fun and he hits Tentacruel SE I guess. Also nothing in RU walls him at all; I guess Ferroseed but I've never seen one. He's also my best bet against a Rock type assuming I've managed to kill Roserade by accident in the early-game which happens a lot (need those rocks).

Blacky (Umbreon) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Synchronize
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Toxic
- Protect
- Wish
- Foul Play

When I need something that can actually *shock* take a hit I go for this guy; Fighting types tend to have a high attack stat (and of course our old mate Beedrill) so the Foul Play works well. The Toxic helps give everyone a nice happy debilitating status condition which wears down anything without Natural Cure/Heal Bell. Wish/Protect works better than Moonlight as I can stall longer although I lose my own Heal Bell slot.

Drop the Bass (Noivern) (M) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Boomburst
- Air Slash
- Draco Meteor
- U-turn

I open with this guy and GTFO with him if it's a Steel type. He can outpace most other leads with that 380 or so speed, which really helps me kill said lead with Draco Meteor (if it doesn't resist it) before it can do its job or at the worst 2HKOing it. I've been thinking of replacing Boomburst with Flamethrower, any thoughts?


What I really need with this team right now is a way to get up Rocks; I can deal with the few things that outspeed most of my team far better with them up. Cloyster is the most likely candidate for losing his Explosion and getting rocks instead but a replacement for a slot that sets up rocks better is more than welcome (the team does have good synergy with me right now though)

 

[Morsel]

Hey bud, I noticed that no one has rated your team, so I'll give it a shot.


Your team seems centered around cleaning with shell smash Cloyster; thus, my recommendations will help support that Pokemon.


1. Run ice shard>explosion on Cloyster. Explosion was really nice in gen 6 UU to deal significant damage to conventional Cloyster checks like Empoleon, but that mon is not in the tier. Ice shard really is needed to deal with other priority users such as Lycanroc, Mega Absol, Metagross and Crawdaunt. This helps you actually sweep easier as it prevents you from being revenge killed.

2. Run spikes>HP Rock, giga drain>leaf storm and a life orb>choice scarf on Roserade. You really don't need 3 forms of speed control (2 scarfers plus a shell smash user), and spikes pairs really well with Cloyster, as it helps to wear down its conventional checks to the point where Cloyster can clean (mostly bulky steel types like Metagross, Escavalier, etc.). Secondly, life orb giga drain 2HKOs Aerodactyl anyways, and gives you something to more reliably take on Suicune (as you can negate scald damage).

3. As this team is offensive in nature, you really cannot afford to run a cleric/wish-passer, as it gives free turns to your opponent (which is not something offensive teams can afford). You also lack stealth rocks which is something that we need to fix. Finally, you are running multiple focus sash Pokemon without hazard removal, which is not acceptable. I can't believe I'm making this recommendation seeing as how I hated this Pokemon in gen 6, but I'd really replace Umbreon with Donphan (takes notes Qplaz , AnishSomani , streams ). This gives you rocks, rapid spin and with knock off, and in general something with more offensive presence that your opponent cannot take advantage of. Here is the set I recommend: it allows you to outrun base 70 speed Pokemon, while maximizing offences to hit as hard as possible. The last move is a filler, but knock off is a safe option, as removing items is always useful in the long-run.

I can't believe I'm recommending Donphan

Donphan @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 88 HP / 252 Atk / 168 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
- Rapid Spin

4. Run memento>energy ball on Chandelure. Energy ball is only really for Swampert, but even then Shadow Ball does around 30%. Memento is really nice to grant setup opportunities for Cloyster. Secondly, I'd run specs on Heliolisk to actually have a special breaker and something in general to pressure fat teams more effectively.

5. Run DD Ferraligatr>Noivern here. This naturally synergizes with memento support and spikes, and gives your team another defined win condition. Furthermore, running specs on Heliolisk means that you don't really need another special breaker, so some sort of physical presence is really needed on your team. This works well with Cloyster in particular to take on ice resists and bulky water types, which trouble your team otherwise. Here is the set I recommend:

Ferraligatr Set

Feraligatr @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Waterfall
- Ice Punch
- Aqua Jet

That is all. Hope this rate helped and good luck with the team!