SM OU Snek & Friends

[snaildelagate]

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Made in like 10 minutes in MS Paint

Team Building Process

Teambuilding Process

This team began with Sub + Coil Zygarde since it is a really underutilized win-con and ins't particularly prepared for.

Moltres was added since I was curious how it faired in the metagame since it can counter a lot of prominent threats provided SR aren't up, and use flame body and will-o-wisp to spread burn making it easier for Zygarde to set up.

Tapu Fini was then added to defog for Moltres and to counter powerful water type attackers such as Ash-Greninja and Keldeo

Mega Venusaur was added for FWG core, I guess, and as a counter to Magearna and Tapu Koko.

Scarf Hoopa-Unbound was then added as a revenge killer for mega-meta and as a check to Lele locked into psychic moves

I need a SR setter still so I added Lando who also is a check to powerful physical attackers in the tier

Teambuilding Process

Mega-Venu was getting chipped down to easily to reliably counter what it needed to so I swapped it out for Amoongus who can use spore which helps Garde set up and can cripple threats I'm unprepared for and is hard to chip down thanks to regenerator

Moltres was also getting chipped down too easily and got forced out super easily without really accomplishing much so I exchange it for Rotom-Heat who covers a lot of the stuff I needed moltres for. Intially this was standard defensive Rotom-Heat but I eventually swapped to a specs set.

With that out of the way lets get to the team itself!

The Team
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Snek (Zygarde) @ Leftovers
Type: Dragon / Ground
Ability: Aura Break
EVs: 240 HP / 212 SpD / 56 Spe
Careful Nature (+Sp. Def. -Sp. Atk.)
Substitute | Coil | Thousand Arrows | Extreme Speed

This is standard Sub + Coil Zygarde, the goal is to set up substitute against a defensive pokemon then set up coils until you're unbeatable. While Zygarde is a decent Win-Con I feel like despite attempting to build this team around Zygarde, Zygarde doesn't really benefit from the team as they don't take out its checks and counters. While it can sweep at times I feel there is probably a better Win-Con for this team.

Rotom-Heat @ Choice Specs
Type: Fire / Electric
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
Volt Switch | Overheat | Hidden Power [Ice] | Trick

This a relatively strange set to see in the OU metagame but I feel that the meta is relatively unprepared for strong Fire Attacks especially hitting from the special side with the large prevalence of steels with teams using having only Garchomp, Zygarde or Tapu Fini as fire resists. Rotom-Heat wears these mons down or KOs them if I predict the switch. It is able to deal with Lando-T since it outspeeds and variant that isn't Jolly, max speed which is extremely uncommon and OHKOs with HP Ice or Specs Overheat. Trick is really nice vs stall and balance teams since most of Rotoms switch-ins besides Zard-X are crippled by trick. Rotom-Heat is especially helpful vs stall since it can't be trapped by Duggy but also can use trick to cripple Chansey or Volt Switch on Toxapex/Skarmory and KO their defensive grass type with Overheat. Rotom-Heat usually requires heavy prediction to be effective since it can easily lose momentum by choosing the wrong move. Rotom-Heat also can switch-into and counter Mega Metagross and Mega Scizor at least twice per match provided SR is not up. Rotom-Heat often times gets KOed too early to the point where I wish this team had wish passing just so that I could heal Rotom-Heat since he is oftentimes worn down by the sheer number of things he is useful to switch into.

Tapu Fini @ Leftovers
Type: Water / Fairy
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 152 Def / 56 SpD / 52 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
Scald | Moonblast | Taunt | Defog

Standard defogger Tapu Fini which helps out Rotom-Heat and the rest of my team by getting rid of SR but also by countering Zygarde and Ash Greninja. Tapu Fini's Misty Terrain also helps Zygarde since it can then switch into scalds and other status moves freely.

Amoonguss @ Black Sludge
Type: Grass / Poison
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 168 Def / 92 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
Spore | Giga Drain | Sludge Bomb | Hidden Power [Fire]

Amoongus is an amazing pokemon in the metagame currently with the ability to deal with strong fairy type attacks from Magearna or Choice Locked Lele while also being difficult to switch-into due to spore. Amoonguss is the defensive heart of this team since Regenerator makes it near impossible to wear down. I chose Sludge Bomb over Clear Smog in order to OHKO Tapu Bulu and weaken Tapu Fini who Amoonguss loves to switch into. EVs allow Amoonguss to avoid being 2HKOed by Tapu Bulu's Stone Edge.

Hoopa-Unbound @ Choice Scarf
Type: Psychic / Dark
Ability: Magician
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
Hyperspace Fury
- Psychic
- Gunk Shot
- Drain Punch

My team so far is extremely slow and gets its butt kicked by Specs Tapu Lele's Psyshock and other fast mons like Greninja. I decided to counter this by using Choice Scarf Hoopa-Unbound who can revenge both of these threats and also annoy predicted switch-ins with its phenomenal coverage. Its huge special defense allows it to switch-in on some decently powerful special attacks late in the game that the rest of my team cannot deal with. The only flaw is that even at +1 with Scarf Hoopa is still not that fast and loses to a lot of DDers like Zard-X and FlyMence

Landorus-Therian @ Rocky Helmet
Ground / Flying
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 216 Def / 24 SpD / 16 Spe
Impish Nature
Earthquake | Stealth Rock | Stone Edge | U-turn

This is Standard Defensive Lando who I chose since first I needed a SR on the team and I needed a pokemon that could deal with threats like Alolan Marowak and SD Garchomp. Lando generally does its job which is to set up SR and deal with the aforementioned physical threats. I find U-Turn largely useless during the match though since despite forming a volt turn with Rotom-Heat, Rotom-Heat does not want to switch into any pokemon that threaten Lando out. While I don't think Lando is the best pokemon on the team he is the best out of the options of SR setter for this team.

Conclusion + Threats + Replays + Importable
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I found this myself to be generally successful with this team as it deals with a large amount of common archetypes in the meta such as Lele + Gross Psychic Spam and Shift Gear Megearna + Magnezone well. Despite this there a large amount of threats that can simply overwhelm this team due to its generally more passive and slower nature, and I oftentimes struggle to deliver a decisive blow in most matches.
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Threatlist

DD Fly-Mence is a major threat to this team since it can DD up on Amoonguss with impunity once I put something to sleep and then OHKO my entire team with moxie boosts.

Protean Greninja is difficult for most any team to deal with but the only answer I have to Greninja is to scout its set and pray I don't lose a mon to coverage in the meantime.

Both variants of Charizard can give this team trouble moreso Zard-Y than Zard-X because Zard-Y's Fire / Grass Combo hits my entire team hard except for Rotom-Heat who gets outsped and OHKO by Focus Blast. Roost variants are especially hard to take oftentimes I end up wasting Zygardes precious HP trying to threaten out Zard-Y. Zard-X is difficult because this team struggles with DD sweepers in general. Lando-T is the only pokemon that can deal with Zard-X at +1 but it can get worn down easily in a match setting up SR to keep Zard-X.

Replays

http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7pokebankou-520185896
Best match to see Rotom-Heat in action if you're confused how he works
effectively
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7pokebankou-521289490
The team vs. a large variety of underrated threats

Importable

Snek (Zygarde) @ Leftovers
Ability: Aura Break
EVs: 240 HP / 212 SpD / 56 Spe
Careful Nature
- Substitute
- Coil
- Thousand Arrows
- Extreme Speed

Rotom-Heat @ Choice Specs
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Overheat
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Trick

Amoonguss @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 168 Def / 92 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Spore
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Hidden Power [Fire]

Hoopa-Unbound @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Magician
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Hyperspace Fury
- Psychic
- Gunk Shot
- Drain Punch

Tapu Fini @ Leftovers
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 152 Def / 56 SpD / 52 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Moonblast
- Taunt
- Defog

Landorus-Therian @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 216 Def / 24 SpD / 16 Spe
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Stone Edge
- U-turn

Hope you enjoyed the team and thanks for reading!

 

[LeNorm]

As you yourself note, this team struggles with Tapu Lele - one of the tier defining threats. While Scarfed Hoopa might take out the specs version, Scarfed Lele can OHKO Hoopa after Stealth Rocks (though not 100% of the time), and the rest of your team doesn't really have a clear answer to it. For a pokemon that is meant to add speed and revenge kill, Hoopa is still relatively slow, for instance it is out-sped and wrecked by almost every Pherosema I can think of (who also poses a threat to pretty much this whole team - Ice Beam takes out Landorus and Zygarde, and it can U-Turn out of the rest of the team).

You might want to swap Hoopa for either Specs Ash Greninja, for added priority, immunity to psychic, and sweeping potential, or protean greninja, to gunk-shot fairies. That said, both are KOed by moon blast from Lele, so they are not ideal options. Instead, you could go for a faster scarf user, that also takes out Lele, such as Nihilegio (though it cannot swap in on a psychic move, it can OHKO with sludge wave, after rocks).

 

[snaildelagate]

As you yourself note, this team struggles with Tapu Lele - one of the tier defining threats. While Scarfed Hoopa might take out the specs version, Scarfed Lele can OHKO Hoopa after Stealth Rocks (though not 100% of the time), and the rest of your team doesn't really have a clear answer to it. For a pokemon that is meant to add speed and revenge kill, Hoopa is still relatively slow, for instance it is out-sped and wrecked by almost every Pherosema I can think of (who also poses a threat to pretty much this whole team - Ice Beam takes out Landorus and Zygarde, and it can U-Turn out of the rest of the team).

You might want to swap Hoopa for either Specs Ash Greninja, for added priority, immunity to psychic, and sweeping potential, or protean greninja, to gunk-shot fairies. That said, both are KOed by moon blast from Lele, so they are not ideal options. Instead, you could go for a faster scarf user, that also takes out Lele, such as Nihilegio (though it cannot swap in on a psychic move, it can OHKO with sludge wave, after rocks).

Thanks for the rate!

You're definately right about Lele being an issue though it rarely sweeps me it the best answer I have for Lele right now is to use Fini or Lando if I don't need rocks to scout its set then depending on the move its locked into bring in either amoonguss or Hoopa-U. You can see in matches like this one http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7pokebankou-521253704 I'm heavily protecting Amoongus and Hoopa-U for this very reason. I really like the idea of Scarf Nihilego though as it does revenge both FlyMence and Zard-X as well as tapu Lele while also retaining the same useful feature of Hoopa-U with its great Sp. Def stat, but it does mean that my team has relatively little to deal with any opposing psychic type attacks, and it puts more pressure on Rotom-Heat since Nihilego draws in steel types especially Metagross which very common on teams using Tapu Lele. I'll look into that and probably update with what I like by tommorowish.