Gen 7 [SMOU] Latios-M and shift gear Magearna

[Maktyum]

INTRODUCTION

Hi! Because I love Latios-M I couldn't help but enjoy building around him and what's best than my favorite mega for my first RMT. I wanted a balance but as I was building, I took a slightly more offensive approach. Indeed, a few months ago, I saw this old article about the rise in usage of mega latios and mega latias https://www.smogon.com/articles/mega-latias-latios-ou and it made me want to build around the latios and magearna shift gear core. The final result is a team I really enjoyed using on room-tour or on the ladder. The main goal of the team is to wear down the opposing side as much as possible, preparing the field for magearna in the late game. I'm open to all answers and pieces of advice!

ANALYSIS

Latios-Mega (M) @ Latiosite
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Psychic
- Earthquake
- Ice Beam
- Roost

The mag and latios core is interesting because of Latios-M ability to break with earthquake magearna’s most reliable check such as heatran, jirachi, and assault vest magearna to allow the robot to clean late game. Psychic is my way to kill toxapex which is annoying for magearna. Ice beam allows me to weaken celesteela and tapu bulu (I hesitate with t-bolt but ice bean is useful to reliably check gliscor too). And of course, recover as a way to last in the game. Because of its natural bulk, latios can act as a momentary check for heatran but watch out for toxic or the Z. The spread is self-explanatory: you want to make damage and fast.

Magearna @ Fairium Z
Ability: Soul-Heart
EVs: 248 HP / 16 Def / 96 SpA / 148 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Fleur Cannon
- Focus Blast
- Shift Gear

This is a bulky shift gear set helping magearna to set up. Fleur cannon and its Z slice through the opposing team because of their raw power. Calm mind boosts magearna and enables it to pass av tangrowth for exemple. Focus Blast hits ferro and heatran (even if the accuracy is only 70%, the damage outpout is mandatory). With this spread, magearna can survive an earthquake from scarf landorus at full hp while setting up to destroy (i stole this spread). Of course, Magearna is the late game sweeper, try to keep it as healthy as possible to clean at the end.

Kyurem-Black @ Life Orb
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Ice Beam
- Fusion Bolt
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Roost

Next, I needed something to pressure the oppositing team and hit a wide scope of the metagame, so I choose as a wallbreaker kyurem black. The Z-move is on magearna, so the best item is the life orb to enhance its damages. It hugely helps against celesteela with fusion bolt and the bolt-beam coverage is very useful to put dents on the opposite side. Ice beam allows to hit Venusaur-Mega and of course ground types. Hidden power fire is here to weaken ferrothorn for magearna to one-shot it with focus blast later. Again roost to last longer and pressure the enemy.

Landorus-Therian @ Aguav Berry
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Knock Off
- Stealth Rock

For the rocker, no surprise, I chose landorus-T. I was inspired by a set I saw sometimes on the ladder. Stealth rock put the only hazards of the team on the field and earthquake is the stab. U-turn is here for the momentum which has value for the team. Finally, knock off disables walls by removing assault vest, lefties or eviolite in the case of chansey (which can be a pain for the team). I choose a max Hp and max def spread to check kartana and scizor a lot longer and the slow u turn with no invest in speed is very useful. Because it’s the only physical wall for the team I chose the aguav berry as my way to keep landorus healthy.

Tapu Fini @ Leftovers
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 96 Def / 144 SpD / 20 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Defog
- Moonblast
- Nature's Madness
- Taunt

The team has now its main idea, but ash greninja is a real problem. Thus I chose Tapu fini as a check, taking hydro pump and dark pulse easily. Moonblast is here for ash gren mainly. Nature madness weakens future checks for magearna. Taunt and defog is my way to cope with hazards and status. Furthermore, Fini checks heatran as well, a bulky spread was required in order to check those mons: 20 in speed enables fini to be faster than heatran spedef. The rest is in spedef for gren or keldeo, hp, and defense (invests in defense allow to relieve landorus a little).

Jirachi @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Iron Head
- U-turn
- Healing Wish
- Fire Punch

At this point, two things are annoying: the lack of speed and the lack of tapu lele switch-ins. Scaf Jirachi is a perfect choice, taking lele one vs one and haxxing through with iron head :>. Healing wish is a blessing, helping kb to be healthy and continue to exert pressure. U-turn gives the team a much-needed momentum and volt-turn core with landorus while fire punch can clean the remaining steel types (scizor mainly). the spread is self-explanatory

THREATLIST

Mega Medicham
Powerful Fighting-types such as Mega Medicham, Mega Heracross will usually get a couple of KOs. Tapu fini with lando is the only answer but they are far from being reliable switch-ins.

tapu koko
Tapu Koko outspeeds the whole team and can wear down landorus with hazards and u turn. Once Landorus is gone, good luck to not get destroy by this thing.

IMPORTABLE
https://pokepast.es/4883ffa1bdbb94e5

the team if the paste isn't working

Latios-Mega (M) @ Latiosite
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Psychic
- Earthquake
- Ice Beam
- Roost

Magearna @ Fairium Z
Ability: Soul-Heart
EVs: 248 HP / 16 Def / 96 SpA / 148 Spe
Modest Nature
- Calm Mind
- Fleur Cannon
- Focus Blast
- Shift Gear

Kyurem-Black @ Life Orb
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Ice Beam
- Fusion Bolt
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Roost

Landorus-Therian @ Aguav Berry
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Knock Off
- Stealth Rock

Tapu Fini @ Leftovers
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 96 Def / 144 SpD / 20 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Defog
- Moonblast
- Nature's Madness
- Taunt

Jirachi @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Iron Head
- U-turn
- Healing Wish
- Fire Punch

 

[Slave Of Passion]

Hey, the team looks cool. Here's a possible version https://pokepast.es/80f5883ef55f7085
I don't think LO kyurem is that great, with its SR weakness and LO recoil. I think a CB tar could be better since it does break chansey and has more defensive utility. For instance, it patches your weakness to specs blacephalon and can act as a heatran switch in.
Also, scarf lando is a bit better against medi and koko. It has bulk for kartana leaf blade after rocks and HP fire to be able to dispatch it in one hit. U can use bulky jirachi as the SR setter. I kept fire punch because SD scizor is and inmense threat and you don't want to give it free set-up.

 

[Maktyum]

Hey, the team looks cool. Here's a possible version https://pokepast.es/80f5883ef55f7085
I don't think LO kyurem is that great, with its SR weakness and LO recoil. I think a CB tar could be better since it does break chansey and has more defensive utility. For instance, it patches your weakness to specs blacephalon and can act as a heatran switch in.
Also, scarf lando is a bit better against medi and koko. It has bulk for kartana leaf blade after rocks and HP fire to be able to dispatch it in one hit. U can use bulky jirachi as the SR setter. I kept fire punch because SD scizor is and inmense threat and you don't want to give it free set-up.

thank you so much! I didn't take into account blacephalon, and tyranitar seems to do a nice job for the team! I thought about scarf lando but didn't think of this spread to check kartana. As for Jirachi, I love the changes, fire punch with rocks up is a good answer to scizor (I chose scarf because of healing wish but a spedef set as more utility for sure). The changes seem good for the team and I will definitely try out your version! (I messed up the spread of magearna, so I fixed it)

 

[Slave Of Passion]

I messed up the spread of magearna, so I fixed it

Actually, you should keep the 228 speed evs or use even more, since those let you outspeed standard scarf lando at +2 (those use 208 evs nd hit 445 speed). I gave one extra point to mine (to hit 447) just in case i want to use explosion on the opposing lando, so 232 evs would be safer (hit 448 at +2)

 

[sunbhie]

Yes yes, you need to outspeed base 100s after clicking shift gear. I really like SoP's suggestion of ttar that acts as a nice blacephalon check and can always punch holes with banded stone edge.

I would think fightinium Z is better here. The rest of your team, aside I suppose from superpower ttar, struggles against steel types. Heatran, celesteela, av mag, ferrothorn can be a problem if your opponent plays smart and doesn't let you weaken them enough. Just a thought.

 

[Maktyum]

Yes yes, you need to outspeed base 100s after clicking shift gear. I really like SoP's suggestion of ttar that acts as a nice blacephalon check and can always punch holes with banded stone edge.

I would think fightinium Z is better here. The rest of your team, aside I suppose from superpower ttar, struggles against steel types. Heatran, celesteela, av mag, ferrothorn can be a problem if your opponent plays smart and doesn't let you weaken them enough. Just a thought.

Z fight on Magearna is a reliable possibility (it is true the team struggle against steel types). I aggree with both of you, magearna need to be faster than Landorus. The spread in the paste of slave of passion is bulky enough and has a 75% probability to survive an earthquake from Landorus-T (without hazards). Thank you for your answers!

 

[Navzyx-kun]

i also agree with other people's statements here. you need fightinium z to break through some steels that might hinder magearna.