Hey guys, Lobster here with a team I've been using for quite a long time with pretty consistent results. After actually trying to reach high elos with it during olt rather than just hovering around 1800-1900 with it I thought it was the right time to share it. The team is based around the excellent breaker core or Zard Y and banded Victini.
Still sad I tilted when I was like 50 elo off the final cutoff...
Here is the team song, chosen due to the weather aspect of the team:
And without further ado, here's the team:
Charizard @ Charizardite Y
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Fire Blast
- Solar Beam
- Focus Blast
- Roost
The start of the team, Zard is here not only to break, but also to provide sun for victini, allowing him to blow through even resists with v-create (it 2 shots pex, quag and even alomomola). I chose fire blast > flamethrower for the KOs on lele, fat lando and kyub (all are 87.5% or above chances w fire blast while avoiding the KO from thrower), while timid is chosen to outspeed these threats. Flamethrower is an option if you'd rather have more pp for stuff with tect, such as steela and bulu.
Victini @ Choice Band
Ability: Victory Star
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- V-create
- Bolt Strike
- Brick Break
- U-turn
This guy completes the fire spam core, firing off banded v creates to break through fat cores. It also provides, it provides a soft check to lele, which makes it a much more manageable threat, and an answer to fight z mage (which breaks my usual mage answer, excadrill). Bolt Strike can remove some waters that would drain too much PP from v-create in sun (such as mola), while also making tini less reliant on sun being up. It also allows me to threaten pelliper in rain matchups. Brick break allows me to remove ttars and also chip trans (although it's usually better to click bolt strike for tran as brick break is quite exploitable), and uturn is great for momentum.
Excadrill @ Leftovers
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs: 200 HP / 136 Atk / 172 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Stealth Rock
- Rapid Spin
Excadrill is a very important member of the team, allowing me to remove hazards via rapid spin and also set my own. The EV spread allows me to outspeed modest tran and OHKO it in grassy terrain, with the rest in bulk to check things better. Defensively, it answers Magearna that isn't fight z (focus blast is a roll which is more likely to miss than hit and KO), koko and clef, and can also pivot in on rotom wash's volt switches and KO/threaten it out after a little chip. Iron head allows me not only to beat clefable, but also take out weakened bulus and beat chansey 1V1 via flinches (EQ --> iron head --> EQ KOs if you get the flinch, and lefties can heal back stoss well enough for you to win much more likely than not due to softboiled turns). Toxic is an option here to have a better matchup V zapdos and latias, however.
Tapu Fini @ Mago Berry
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 156 Def / 32 SpA / 72 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Whirlpool
- Nature's Madness
- Taunt
Whirlpool fini is, in my opinion, the best partner to Zard Y that you can have. This thing can trap Pex and Chansey efficiently via whirlpool/nm/taunt, while also providing several things defensively, namely a check to ash gren and lucha, and a soft check to lop/cham/kyub if it isn't needed for something else. Misty terrain is also a massive boon, allowing exca to check stuff like pex under misty and sun (it takes like 20 from scald max in this scenario), giving a great opportunity to get rocks up or spin on something that would normally be a problem due to scald. The EV spread outspeeds standard band ttar, with the SpA guaranteeing the KO on lucha after rocks. The rest go into HP and defense in order to help V things like Lop that this team has no solid answer to, as well as dodging the ohko from rockz chomp. Mago berry is like a second wind, allowing it to answer things it often wouldn't (+2 lucha, +2 rock z chomp etc no longer cripple me, as I still have a fini on ~60/70 that can still 1v1 gren or pex for example). I also find on an offensive team such as this one, fini isn't sat around for long enough for lefties to get more recovery over the course of a game than mago, outside of some games V fat balance where it wants to trap multiple things or come into something that can't do much to it.
Landorus-Therian @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 80 HP / 124 Atk / 84 Def / 220 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Defog
- U-turn
I needed a scarfer that helped out defensively V things like medi and kart, so lando was the obvious answer. Edge allows me to beat torn t easier, as well as reg gyara and pinsir, which is otherwise a matchup win. Fog gives me a second remover, which is vital on zard y teams, particularly ones with another rock weakness. The spread is slightly faster than standard bulky scarf lando, going for +1 base 100s with a neutral nature (this scenario is rare, but I didn't want to lose to people using bad sets, and am willing to run 12 more EVs than I'd need for kommo anyway for this).
Hydreigon @ Darkinium Z
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 24 SpD / 232 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Dark Pulse
- Earth Power
- Roost
I needed a tran check that could double as a gren answer to take some pressure off fini, so I went for the underrated dragon. I chose draco meteor so I had a way to ohko gren (letting me not get flinched or if I let hydra get toxic'd), as well as bopping kyubs or luchas that thought they could SD on me. Other than that, this is standard dark z hydra. I was fine with being more walled by bulu and clef as I have iron head exca as well as two more breakers.
Garchomp > Hydreigon: Someone suggested this to me before and it's a decent option that helps in certain matchups like mmedi or other zard y, however you're notably weaker V gren and tran, so while it is an option, the setup I have is more consistent.
Toxic Exca + Z Belch Hydra: Toxic exca improves the matchup V zap and mlati, while making you worse off V clef and bulu. This can be remedied via z belch > draco on hydra, although this does worsen the matchup V kyub and reuni (lack of z dark means you cant afford to let it get a couple of CMs if tini is unable to take it out).
HP Fire > Stone Edge Lando: If you're willing to take an L in pinsir matchups, this helps a lot V kart, although imo it isn't worth the consistency of being able to outplay bad matchups like pinsir and reg gyara.
Toxic Exca + Z Belch Hydra: Toxic exca improves the matchup V zap and mlati, while making you worse off V clef and bulu. This can be remedied via z belch > draco on hydra, although this does worsen the matchup V kyub and reuni (lack of z dark means you cant afford to let it get a couple of CMs if tini is unable to take it out).
HP Fire > Stone Edge Lando: If you're willing to take an L in pinsir matchups, this helps a lot V kart, although imo it isn't worth the consistency of being able to outplay bad matchups like pinsir and reg gyara.
As with previous RMTs, I'm colour coding the biggest threats here.
Mega Latias - Checking Zard Y and being able to burn v create PP from victini is annoying. On top of that, CM with the correct coverage (Ice Beam + Thunder) can break the team quite easily. If hazards aren't up, you can uturn with tini and lando until it's out of PP. If this isn't possible, hydra can take a beam at +1 and kill with zdark, fini can taunt + nm + moonblast, but lati has a big upper hand here.
Kartana - This wasn't a major threat until z norm popularised, meaning tini/zard no longer beat SD variants between them. Scarf can be annoying but it's just a case of predicting and going to the right thing (hydra on knock, tini/zard on anything else pretty much). Z may force you to sack things as you weaken it with landos uturn until it gets to half so EQ kills.
Mega Pinsir - Outspeeding and threatening everything that isn't lando makes this one of the worst matchups. Fortunately, barely anyone uses it and most people who do let you kill it w landos edge.
Z Gyara - If rocks go up this one isn't too bad, but a full health gyara clicking DD on exca puts you in danger. You can revenge this with landos edge but ideally don't let it set up. Mega is easily beat beat by fini, but z can end up messy.
Azumarill - The only things +6 jet doesn't kill don't do half to this, so you have to keep fini + hydra out of jet range and sack one to win. Thankfully, the rest of rain isn't particularly horrible, so just be cautious with this one.
Garchomp - Tanking a hit from and outspeeding zard/tini and threatening everything and setting rocks makes this annoying. Fini can beat it 1V1 or if it rocks as you come in if you're healthy, lando can revenge once you weaken it, hydras draco can take it out too, but it could be a better matchup.
Mega Diancie - Exca lives earth power from full but takes like ~90. Fini kinda helps, and lando can revenge, however it can revenge half the team (it can switch in to some moves too) and you don't really have a switch in so you want this gone asap.
Mega Alakazam - Wasn't sure if this should be yellow or green, but 90% of the time it's missed focus and just lost from there. To kill this safely, lando uturn is your best option, zard can also ohko and lives in psy terrain from full (if timid zam). It's mostly if everything's weakened that this is a problem, at which point pray for blast miss and kill with hydra if lando is dead (but play lando safe if zam is alive).
Mega Medicham - This is battle of the speed ties, just be lucky. In all seriousness though, healthy tini wins, lucky zard wins, fini wins after a little chip (it appreciates intimidate first, can't take 2 zens).
PP stall - Both fire breakers have 8 pp stab, so tect and pressure are both pains in the ass, as are subs. Also, tect can make sun run out and dodge KOs. Really this is just me bitching about me losing like 2 games out of a couple hundred to PP stall, rather than an actual problem.
Heatran - Not being able to spam V create is annoying, SpD particularly so as zard no longer kills with fblast after rocks. The one plus of SpD is you know it's not timid, so exca will outspeed.
Toxapex - Getting a mention for being the reason Zard is low in the VR these days, I've prepped for this enough so that worst case scenario it shouldn't be too bad, although if they have grassy you should probably keep fini healthy or it (as well as tran if they have it) will become more annoying.
Mega Lopunny - A combination of lando and fini check this, while tini can take one and kill if necessary, but it can become a problem when everything is worn down.
Mega Mawile - This kinda just kills everything, but everything other than fini also kills it (at least after a little chip), so it's not so bad.
Mega Latias - Checking Zard Y and being able to burn v create PP from victini is annoying. On top of that, CM with the correct coverage (Ice Beam + Thunder) can break the team quite easily. If hazards aren't up, you can uturn with tini and lando until it's out of PP. If this isn't possible, hydra can take a beam at +1 and kill with zdark, fini can taunt + nm + moonblast, but lati has a big upper hand here.
Kartana - This wasn't a major threat until z norm popularised, meaning tini/zard no longer beat SD variants between them. Scarf can be annoying but it's just a case of predicting and going to the right thing (hydra on knock, tini/zard on anything else pretty much). Z may force you to sack things as you weaken it with landos uturn until it gets to half so EQ kills.
Mega Pinsir - Outspeeding and threatening everything that isn't lando makes this one of the worst matchups. Fortunately, barely anyone uses it and most people who do let you kill it w landos edge.
Z Gyara - If rocks go up this one isn't too bad, but a full health gyara clicking DD on exca puts you in danger. You can revenge this with landos edge but ideally don't let it set up. Mega is easily beat beat by fini, but z can end up messy.
Azumarill - The only things +6 jet doesn't kill don't do half to this, so you have to keep fini + hydra out of jet range and sack one to win. Thankfully, the rest of rain isn't particularly horrible, so just be cautious with this one.
Garchomp - Tanking a hit from and outspeeding zard/tini and threatening everything and setting rocks makes this annoying. Fini can beat it 1V1 or if it rocks as you come in if you're healthy, lando can revenge once you weaken it, hydras draco can take it out too, but it could be a better matchup.
Mega Diancie - Exca lives earth power from full but takes like ~90. Fini kinda helps, and lando can revenge, however it can revenge half the team (it can switch in to some moves too) and you don't really have a switch in so you want this gone asap.
Mega Alakazam - Wasn't sure if this should be yellow or green, but 90% of the time it's missed focus and just lost from there. To kill this safely, lando uturn is your best option, zard can also ohko and lives in psy terrain from full (if timid zam). It's mostly if everything's weakened that this is a problem, at which point pray for blast miss and kill with hydra if lando is dead (but play lando safe if zam is alive).
Mega Medicham - This is battle of the speed ties, just be lucky. In all seriousness though, healthy tini wins, lucky zard wins, fini wins after a little chip (it appreciates intimidate first, can't take 2 zens).
PP stall - Both fire breakers have 8 pp stab, so tect and pressure are both pains in the ass, as are subs. Also, tect can make sun run out and dodge KOs. Really this is just me bitching about me losing like 2 games out of a couple hundred to PP stall, rather than an actual problem.
Heatran - Not being able to spam V create is annoying, SpD particularly so as zard no longer kills with fblast after rocks. The one plus of SpD is you know it's not timid, so exca will outspeed.
Toxapex - Getting a mention for being the reason Zard is low in the VR these days, I've prepped for this enough so that worst case scenario it shouldn't be too bad, although if they have grassy you should probably keep fini healthy or it (as well as tran if they have it) will become more annoying.
Mega Lopunny - A combination of lando and fini check this, while tini can take one and kill if necessary, but it can become a problem when everything is worn down.
Mega Mawile - This kinda just kills everything, but everything other than fini also kills it (at least after a little chip), so it's not so bad.
Charizard @ Charizardite Y
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Fire Blast
- Solar Beam
- Focus Blast
- Roost
Victini @ Choice Band
Ability: Victory Star
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- V-create
- Bolt Strike
- Brick Break
- U-turn
Excadrill @ Leftovers
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs: 200 HP / 136 Atk / 172 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Rapid Spin
- Stealth Rock
Tapu Fini @ Mago Berry
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 156 Def / 32 SpA / 72 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Whirlpool
- Nature's Madness
- Taunt
Landorus-Therian @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 80 HP / 124 Atk / 84 Def / 220 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Defog
- U-turn
Hydreigon @ Darkinium Z
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 24 SpD / 232 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Dark Pulse
- Earth Power
- Roost
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Fire Blast
- Solar Beam
- Focus Blast
- Roost
Victini @ Choice Band
Ability: Victory Star
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- V-create
- Bolt Strike
- Brick Break
- U-turn
Excadrill @ Leftovers
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs: 200 HP / 136 Atk / 172 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Rapid Spin
- Stealth Rock
Tapu Fini @ Mago Berry
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 156 Def / 32 SpA / 72 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Whirlpool
- Nature's Madness
- Taunt
Landorus-Therian @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 80 HP / 124 Atk / 84 Def / 220 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Defog
- U-turn
Hydreigon @ Darkinium Z
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 24 SpD / 232 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Dark Pulse
- Earth Power
- Roost
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-948108383
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-948106902
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-948014506
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-948451158
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-946460072
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-956921275
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-956971282
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-956710163
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-954965969
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-956026108
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-948106902
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-948014506
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-948451158
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-946460072
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-956921275
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-956971282
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-956710163
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-954965969
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-956026108
Thanks for reading, enjoy the team :)
and Hydreigon is super underrated in Gen 7 OU.
