Second Attempt at an OU Team

AlakaSpoon1001

Long story short, I don't think I'm getting the hang out team-building, and I could use some serious help.

Metagross @ BrightPowder
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 58 Atk / 200 Def
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Meteor Mash
- Stealth Rock
- Zen Headbutt
- Explosion

My goal with Metagross as my lead is to set up stealth rocks. He has enough attack to get some decent damage with STAB Zen Headbutt or Meteor Mash, and Explosion to make him sort of a suicide lead.

Sableye (M) @ Focus Sash
Trait: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4SDef
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Will-o-Wisp
- Taunt
- Night Shade
- Metal Burst

Prankster Sableye's Will-o-Wisp cripples physical sweepers and has Taunt to infuriate walls. Night Shade gives me an attack option, and Metal Burst allows me to make up for low attacking stats.

Conkeldurr (M) @ Flame Orb
Trait: Guts
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Bulk Up
- Mach Punch
- Stone Edge
- Payback

Conkledurr's massive attack stat, combined with Flame Orb and Guts, as well as Bulk Up provides sufficient attack to take most threats down. Mach Punch allows him to get around his poor speed stat, and the other two attacks serve for type coverage.

Gyarados (M) @ Persim Berry
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Aqua Tail
- Thunder Wave
- Taunt
- Outrage

As much as I love Gyrados, I feel like there are plenty of better choices in his place. Thunder Wave serves to cripple faster foes that get around him, and Taunt prevents entry hazards, stat boosts and the like. Aqua Tail is a reliable STAB attack, but I don't know what I could use over Outrage. This Gyrados isn't really a sweeper, and could benefit from a different move.

Ferrothorn (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 58 SDef
Sassy Nature (+SDef, -Spd)
- Leech Seed
- Spikes
- Ingrain
- Power Whip

The core of my team, Ferrothorn adds spikes to Metagross's stealth rock, and sets up ingrain / leech seed to recover a huge chunk of HP at the end of every turn. Power Whip not only provides coverage against water types (which is badly needed), it gives him one semi-powerful attack after setup, and also helps leech seed take his foes out faster.

Hydreigon (F) @ Lum Berry
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252SAtk / 252 Speed
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Dark Pulse
- Dragon Pulse
- Thunder Wave
- Fire Blast

In need of a fast Sweeper, Hydreigon serves as the last Pokemon on my team. His three attacks give him great coverage as well as two STAB attacks. Thunder Wave exists in the event a faster threat needs to be immobilized.

Overall, I don't think this team really stacks up to some of the teams I've read about on Smogon. I'm lacking a lot of type coverage, and I could use a much better EV spread. I like the idea of a Stall Team, using Ferrothorn and Metagross to set up entry hazards, and eventually Hydreigon / Conkledurr to sweep. Sableye and Gyrados provide either Will-o-Wisp or Thunder Wave (both of them come with Taunt) to cripple foes.

Well Smogon this is it, give me a few pointers?
 
Just for a brief string of suggestions: you're using a bunch of unconventional sets, some of which could be effective, and some of which really couldn't. First off, I'd drop Brightpowder on Metagross for Leftovers, and consider running Meteor Mash + Bullet Punch to deal with faster leads that will attempt to get off two layers of spikes. Also, if you're a suicide lead, I'd go with Adamant 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def so you can hit as hard as possible right off the bat.

Metagross @ Leftovers
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Meteor Mash
- Bullet Punch
- Explosion
- Earthquake / Zen Headbutt

For Sableye, run Leftovers over Focus Sash - with Sandstorm and Rocks everpresent, Sash won't be doing you much good. For Conkeldurr, I suggest running Drain Punch over Stone Edge or Payback. That way, you have some way of gaining back health - burn will eat away at your health and leave you vulnerable to faster priority attacks or the huge amount of special sweepers that resist Mach Punch and can easily finish off a weakened Conkeldurr. Also work on a more SDefensive spread, that way you can set up on weaker bulky waters and other stuff like that.

Conkeldurr @ Flame Orb
Trait: Guts
EVs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 SDef
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Drain Punch
- Mach Punch
- Bulk Up
- Stone Edge / Payback

For Gyarados, I would run Smogon's traditional Bulky DD variant. Much more effective than Taunt / TWave / Outrage. If you want to run a more supporting Gyarados, I would run some sort of ResTalk set with Dragon Tail / Roar and Waterfall. Or maybe even Thunder Wave, but that's questionable with Sleep Talk. For Ferrothorn, ditch Ingrain for Gyro Ball, you're not going to be able to stay in long enough to warrant the use of Ingrain with the abundance of fire attacks, and Taunt setters-uppers.

For Hydreigon, run a Life Orb / Choice Set. I would go Choice Scarf since you lack hard hitting revenge killers aside from Conkeldurr's priority.

Hydreigon @ Choice Scarf / Life Orb
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid/Modest nature
- Surf
- Fire Blast
- Dark Pulse
- Draco Meteor / Dragon Pulse
 
I think that you first need to learn what sets work and what sets don't. Go to Smogon's strategy dex and start looking through those to get an idea of this, because at least 4/6 of your Pokemon use terrible sets. Just terrible.

I would start fixing this but literally every Pokemon besides Ferrothorn and Hydreigon need serious fixing.
 
Okay, so I'm trying to fix this team, and I appreciate suggestions. Here's what I'm gonna change:

Metagross @ BrightPowder
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Meteor Mash
- Stealth Rock
- Zen Headbutt
- Explosion

Here's the suicide lead set that was recommended for me, I'll give this a shot. Logically, more attack EVs means a bigger explosion. 'Nuff said.

Conkeldurr (M) @ Flame Orb
Trait: Guts
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Bulk Up
- Mach Punch
- Payback
- Drain Punch

Here's my Conkledurr with Drain Punch over Stone Edge so he can restore his own HP to make up for what Flame Orb drains. I chose Payback over Stone Edge to deal with psychic / ghost types that Conkledurr abhors.

Also, feeling like I need to focus more on a solid core, I replaced Sableye with this:

Smeargle (M) @ Petaya Berry
Trait: Own Tempo
EVs:
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Baton Pass
- Cosmic Power
- Spore
- Endure

This Smeargle can Baton Pass Cosmic Power to provide even more support for Ferrothorn. At that point, all I'd need to worry about is a counter for fire types because of Ferrothorn's 4x weakness.

So now my team has improved, but I still don't know what to do about Gyrados, he just seems to be taking up space.

Thanks everyone!
 
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