Hello everyone! I'd like to ask about a few good offensive partners for alakazam. I'm trying g to build a team around it but cant think of something good.
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Resource Simple Questions, Simple Answers Thread
- Thread starter Jordy
- Start date
This is false information that doesn't blanket apply. 248 HP EVs does not always give you an HP number that can be divided by 3 on Regenerator Pokemon; Tangrowth is an example of that. 248 HP EVs can be run for various reasons, likely to maximize Leftovers recovery, to optimize Regenerator recovery, or to take less damage from entry hazards. I would recommend checking out this article for a more in-depth look into the logic behind how to use HP EVs. It's quite old at this point, but it still covers most relevant things, besides Regenerator recovery.
Oh damn. I'm really sorry for the misinformation.
DLC2 will be in November. I would say now through later this year is a great time to get started on the ladder and there are plenty of resources available in this subforum to try things out.
Hi guys, I'm new here so sorry if any of this format is off, I'm just on the road to a tutor. I guess a good place to start would be asking what a few good teams I could build would be that I could use to help me understand what I'm looking for in my team comp? I'm finding a resounding lack of success in my first attempts to build teams.
Katy
Banned deucer.
first and foremost alakazam needs good wallbreakers, which are able to take on chansey / blissey as these pkmn just simply wall the crap out of alakazam despite having nasty plot in the new generation in its arsenal:
zeraora: could be an example to take on blissey / chansey with a strong close combat and it can help alakazam with the volt switch-set; furthermore zeraora is a good electric-immunity thanks to volt absorb and zam + ora build a really good mixed-attacking core.
crawdaunt: as well is a great offensive partner due to its strong breaking power and it has knock off to knock annoying items off, like the eviolite from chansey or the heavy-duty boots from blissey, so potential 3HKOes are 2HKOes, etc. crawdaunt and alakazam build a nice offensive core with a great type synergy as well.
togekiss: togekiss is a good dark-resist thanks to its secondary-type in fairy, it can help zam with the trick-set as it disrupts many walls, which otherwise annoy zam in the long run. furthermore the nasty plot-set also forms a great offensive synergy with zam.
aegislash: the mixed-set is especially welcoming as it can break threats for zam like blissey with close combat and flash cannon helps against the nowadays less common spdef clefables and stab shadow ball with spell tag is a very strong stab-option.
weavile: while not being used a lot this pkmn can help alakazam with faster threats like opposing dragapult as an ice shard hits weakened dragapult for a good damage. triple axel is very strong and knock off is once again a blessing for zam. weavile can also force some pkmn out and you can use it for your advantage.
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Is porygon 2 viable in ou at all this gen currently?
It's not ranked on the VR at all, but I do think it has a niche as a bulky Trick Room setter with Teleport. The main issue I think is that it faces competition from Chansey and Blissey, who are bulkier overall and can use Natural Cure to rid themselves of status, as well as provide more utility with moves like Stealth Rock and Wish. Blissey also can run HDB so it isn't worn down as easily by hazards, while Chansey and Porygon2 are reliant on Eviolite. Neither Chansey nor Blissey can set up Trick Room though, so if you want to run Trick Room Porygon2 is a good choice.
That being said, I'm not exactly certain Trick Room is that viable in OU, especially now that Magearna is banned and Rillaboom is rising in usage.
Can someone please pass me a decent Galarbro team? I can't build for shit 
Thanks Bro.
So i must build an HO team i think.
Rillaboom
Hawlucha
Primarina
Necrozma
Excadrill
Volcarona
Or maybe a Prankster Dual Screen Grimmsnarl can be really good
Could excadrill running protect be a useful tool to help increase longevity and scout in the current metagame? or does it give up too much
I don't think it really has space for it in its moveslot on its standard hazard set unless you can afford to run a different rocker or hazard removal. Even then I think it'd generally just run Sash and allow that to act as a pseudo-scout. If you can afford to drop Rocks or Spin, then you could give it a try. It's not exactly a mon that demands longevity from its sets; defensive spinners are useless right now in the Ghost infested metagame.
Id argue excadrill has a use as a spinnner because the most common ghosts dont really want to try and switch into a quake.
Excadrill @ Leftovers
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Protect
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
Replace the ability with sand rush and it meshes well onto sand teams. You gain more leftovers recovery making more sand sweeps possible, but you lose toxic, so tangrowth is free game. I was just trying to see how viable it would be to drop toxic since corvinknight hard walls it.
Excadrill @ Leftovers
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Protect
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
Replace the ability with sand rush and it meshes well onto sand teams. You gain more leftovers recovery making more sand sweeps possible, but you lose toxic, so tangrowth is free game. I was just trying to see how viable it would be to drop toxic since corvinknight hard walls it.
https://pokepast.es/fffa6e45fb0ae830Can someone please pass me a decent Galarbro team? I can't build for shit
I'm not the greatest teambuilder either, but I've had some fun using this team. Bit weak to Urshifu, Hawlucha and Dragapult, but they can be played around. Black Sludge + Regen on Slowbro is also an option to give it a better Stall MU.
If you have rocks elsewhere that could work, but I generally think you would get more mileage out of SD to be more threatening to stuff like ferro, hippo, skarm.
Sample teams will be updated later this week.
The only real difference (plus and minus difference is useless) of the toxtricity form is only one move:
learn shift gear, instead 
learn magnet rise.Finch edit: moved these to SQSA to avoid meta discussion flooding
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Why was Cinderace banned and not just the ability Libero? Was looking forward to using my shiny Cinderace (with Blaze) in ranked and now I’ve discovered I can’t.
There's a thread on this in policy review: https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/banning-libero-rather-than-cinderace-in-ou.3667642/
For what it's worth, ranked formats on cart don't abide by Smogon's rulesets.
Smogon bans have no impact on the cartridge's ranked ladder. The reason it's banned on ranked is because Game Freak decided to ban some of the most used Pokemon.
Full list here
Usually, it refers to things that can switch into specific sets or sets that are running specific coverage options over others.
They don't counter all viable options that the thing they're switching into can run, but if a set is properly scouted for they can switch into that set.
Blissey and Chansey can situationally switch into a fully-offensive Quiver Dance Volcarona and completely blank it by chipping away at it with Seismic Toss or by simply statusing it and crippling it long-term. However, they're only situational switchins because some Volcarona sets have adopted Roost+Safeguard instead of two coverage options specifically to turn Blissey and Chansey into total setup fodder.
Bisharp should absolutely be Swords Dance. If you're running Togekiss, go for Air Slash / Trick / 2 of Dazzling Gleam, Flamethrower (or Fire Blast), and Nasty Plot with the Choice Scarf.
As for your potential remaining members, I would fit a Stealth Rock setter like you mention and an Urshifu-Single. From there, you can just go with an offensive Pokemon that keeps up pressure that you feel fits best! This would make for a hyper offensive team
I’m using Dragapult most likely as a special attacker with choice specs on my OU singles showdown team. Here is its info:
Dragapult @ Choice Specs
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Shadow Ball
- Fire Blast
- Thunderbolt / U-turn
(I will probably ask if I should use U-turn over Fire Blast/Thunderbolt in a different thread)
Bisharp has good type synergy with Dragapult and Togekiss has decent synergy with Bisharp (and serene grace is nice for 60% flinch chance air slash) Here’s what I’m thinking for their movesets:
Bisharp @ Black Glasses(?)
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Knock Off
- Iron Head
- I don’t know yet, maybe swords dance?
Togekiss @ Choice Scarf(?)
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Air Slash
- Dazzling Gleam
- Fire Blast
- Aura Sphere / Nasty Plot
As for my other Pokémon, I am considering Urshifu (either form), Excadrill, Shuckle (hazard setter), and Ninetales (Aurora veil setup). I like using Mimikyu but I know that it doesn’t have the best type synergy with Dragapult so I probably won’t use it.
If I should use different Pokémon or movesets, please tell me. Also I’m new to Showdown & competitive in general and am not the best at team building, so please don’t get angry if these Pokémon or movesets are terrible together. Thank you :D
Would Silvally ground be viable in OU, since its a good check to Zeraora? Defog and Parting shot are great utility and countering Trick and Knock off is nice as well.