SM OU Steelix Anti-Breaker Stall (Peaked 1881 #84 on the ladder)

Introduction:

I'm a traditional balance player who decided to learn and build a stall team. This is the first decent stall team I built and while its pretty good and has some features (namely a pex reuniclus core) that I think distinguish it from a lot of other stall on the ladder I'd like to see if it can be further improved at all (or maybe if just a better player can use it better than me). The idea was to counter the mons used for breaking stall while still having an excellent stall team. Also because stall is a "sinful" playstyle, I've given my mons the deadly sin nicknames.

Note: This is my first RMT, so hopefully formatting ok

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The Team:

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"Greed" Steelix @ Steelixite
Sturdy/Sand Force
Adamant 248 hp 152 atk 108 spec. def
Stealth Rock
Heavy Slam
Earthquake
Ice Fang

Any anti-breaker stall is going to start with a mega-mawile counter. I opted for Steelix over Aggron because its ground typing gives it stab earthquake and the ability to block volt switch. Stab-earthquake allows Steelix to ohko mawile while +2 Fire Fang fails to ohko back. Ice Fang lets it hit and beat most of the defensive ground types in the tier although it loses a fair chunk to earthquake/thousand arrows. Attack evs get the 2HKO on Kyurem Black with Heavy Slam while special defense prevents the 2HKO from earth power.

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"Sloth" Clefable @ Leftovers
Unaware
Bold 252 hp 252 def 4 spec. def
Wish
Protect
Moonblast
Calm Mind

Wish support is mandatory for Steelix who otherwise has no recovery. I opted for clefable to put unaware on the team and have an answer for mega-medicham who is a problem for non-stab stall. Clefables main uses are to heal steelix while countering setup sweepers like zygarde, serperior, manaphy, volcarona etc. Calm Mind is more for checking powerful special attackers than actually sweeping as without magic guard clefable usually can't break through the tiers numerous bulky steels.

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"Gluttony" Chansey @ Eviolite
Natural Cure
Bold 248 hp 252 def 8 spec. def
Softboiled
Seismic Toss
Toxic
Heal Bell

Chansey does chansey things like spreading toxic and taking 90% of the hits in the games. Chansey's role on stall is pretty well understood so I won't go into too much detail, but to discuss the options. Toxic is pretty essential to counter mons that otherwise I have no way of killing and to put setup sweepers on a timer. Heal Bell support seems nice on paper, but in practice I almost never use it. Wonder if secondary rocks might be better.

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"Envy" Toxapex @ Black Sludge
Calm 252 hp 4 def 252 spec. def
Toxic Spikes
Recover
Scald
Haze

This is where my team diverges from the stall norm a bit. Toxapex beats one of the mons that scares most stall teams greatly: Sub CM Blacephalon. +1 Never Ending Nightmare fails to Ohko Toxapex before I haze at which point clef + chansey + tox can stall it out. Scald also breaks substitute. Beyond Blacephalon pex lays down toxic spikes which is often a faster way to get rid of hazards than defogging as my opponents aggressively defog them. Also redundantly checks a lot of the mons chansey does in case one I lose on of them. Pex is arguably the mvp of this team just doing pex things while the rest of the team covers its weakness.

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"Pride" Reuniclus @ Leftovers
Magic Guard
Calm 252 hp 4 def 252 spec. def
Calm Mind
Acid Armor
Psyshock
Recover

Reuniclus is my answer to Tapu Lele and gives me a path to victory every single game. The Calm max spec. def is not quite as threatening as the standard bold version but is necessary to eat +1 moonblasts from Lele. Psyshock is used over psychic to battle opposing calm minders. Along with natural balance partner Toxapex, Reuniclus applies sweeping pressure to my opponents and can reverse a game I've seemingly lost.

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"Wrath" Skarmory @ Shed Shell
Sturdy
Bold 252 hp 232 def 24 speed
Defog
Whirlwind
Roost
Counter

Skarmory is my designated hazard removal though most of the time its more advantageous to lay down my own hazards than to remove my opponents its sometimes necessary. Shed shell guarantees Magnezone doesn't in validate it for a match. Counter lets me take down dangerous physical breakers that can beat steelix and clefable. Whirlwind can phase mons and spread toxic/hazard damage.

Threat List
I'm not going to go through every mon in USUM, just some dangerous mons that can hurt the team and some common stall breakers that the team does handle well. In no particular order:

Hoopa-U: Gross. While my team handles most breakers well Hoopa-U is not one of them. My only real tactic is to toxic it and survive long enough for it to die.

Heatran: If I could patch one weakness on this team with out opening another hole it would be to stand up to m-storm heatran. Steelix can eat an m-storm and ohko back with earthquake, but is only coming back in as a sack later and this is usualy the best case scenario for the team. Note if lead matchup use sturdy in case of inferno overdrive. Taunt tran will kill either pex or chansey if played well but not both so I can usually make it through the battle with the other one and try to determine which is more important to that particular battle from team preview.

Serperior: The rare taunt serp destroys my team all I can do is try to get enough damage on it to force it out and attempt to stall out leaf storm. Other versions clefable can usually stall out leaf storm to the point where its no longer a threat.

Mega-Mawile: Steelix hard counters anything bar the rare focus punch, but its still a dangerous mon that I breathe a lot easier once its actually in the ground. Skarmory can soft check some sets with counter.

Mega-Medicham: Clefable switches into anything but zen headbut which it doesn't always carry and scare it out . Reuniclus can setup on it but should not switch in as high jump kick does a hell of a lot.

Crawdaunt: Another dangerous mon that I have to play around a bit. If its choiced clef and steelix take knock off while tox is the crabhammer switchin. If it isn't choiced click x.

Kyurem-Black: Generally can't do much to the team. I have to predict zubzero slammar a bit but steelix can survive it as can chansey and pex eats it up. Once subzero is gone chansey walls it to hell and back while steelix beats it outright.

Blacephalon: Toxapex takes this mon on with only mildly careful play.

Manaphy: Just have to avoid clef taking rain boosted hydro vortex.

Tapu Lele: Reuniclus checks choiced versions very well. Z-crystal calm mind is a little harder but generally loses to reuniclus unless you guess really wrong. Metronome is the hardest version and can only really be beaten by perfect play, although reuniclus byes some time to get a toxic.

Tapu Bulu: Skarm is the only safe answer to banded wood hammer.

Tapu Koko: Steelix laughs at just about any version and eats gigavolt havocs that would otherwise crush the team.

Tapu Fini: Annoying but generally I just sit pex in front of it and scald until it switches out. It dies very very slowly.

Kartana + Magnezone: Kartana can destroy my team if skarm dies. Knock off makes it hard to switch in if magnezone is on the same team.

Opposing Stall: Toxapex and reuniclus give this team a lot of swithing power and a lot of pp to play stall v. stall, so it does ok depending on the build and how strategic your opponent is. The exception is pyumukumuku which can trap kill many members of the team and really constrains my play.

Replays:
Some replays to show the team in action
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-826673400 Clefable calm mind replay, does work when needed
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-825276247 Webs offense build that actually just crumbles in the face of this team
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-825271489 Donphan throws me for a loop but I recover
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-825265315 Against Manaphy
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-825055815 Kyurem + Volcanion
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-824895985 Versus Trick Room
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-825043444 Versus Rain
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-824756575 Against Lele
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-824897824 Mega-Mawile match

Conclusion:
It's a good team that I'm proud of. Reuniclus + Toxapex gives it a different feel than most stall teams I've played with or agrainst while Steelix lets me handle the terrifying mega-mawile. Biggest flaw is an m-storm heatran weakness, though that's manageable if problematic. If anyone can figure out how to patch that without weakening the team I'd love to hear it. Hope you guys like the team and I appreciate helpful feedback.
 
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hi i watched your replays (fast forwarded it admittedly for some parts) and ive seen that u dont use cm on clef that much cept the one time u were facing manaphy. i think u can still beat manaphy if u get the protect right on the hydro vortex w/o cm. if u made toxapex shed shell and clef thunder wave which is quite good to bait heatran since clef invites tran in freely, u should be able to switch around a paralyzed heatran w/o suffering too much casualties.

also, i didnt see you use counter in the replays for skarmory. i think something like toxic over counter can also work since ur putting stealth rock setters on a timer which is nice because sr has more pp than defog and u have only 1 defogger.

best of luck with the team
 
I'm assuming that your Reuniclus has Recover because you forgot to list a 4th move for it, as well as its ability. Anyways, nice team!
 
hi i watched your replays (fast forwarded it admittedly for some parts) and ive seen that u dont use cm on clef that much cept the one time u were facing manaphy. i think u can still beat manaphy if u get the protect right on the hydro vortex w/o cm. if u made toxapex shed shell and clef thunder wave which is quite good to bait heatran since clef invites tran in freely, u should be able to switch around a paralyzed heatran w/o suffering too much casualties.

also, i didnt see you use counter in the replays for skarmory. i think something like toxic over counter can also work since ur putting stealth rock setters on a timer which is nice because sr has more pp than defog and u have only 1 defogger.

best of luck with the team
Thanks for the advice the replays obviously don't cover every situation. Counter is absolutely necessary on skarm to beat the things I need it to beat like scizor, kartana, mega swampert etc. I almost never defog stealth rock unless the setter is already dead, instead laying down toxic spikes and forcing my opponent to do the defogging. Pretty much only use defog for spike stack. Calm mind clefable helps with mguard clefable, serperior, volcarona and manaphy but I might be able to forgo it. I'll definitely try twave + shed shell pex to see if that overall helps.

Edit: I'm liking shed shell as a way of getting the necessary damage on tran without losing a mon and don't miss black sludge that much. I find I am missing calm mind a great deal in the matchups I actually use it and that twave generally has poor synergy with my toxic focused team.

Vengeance I fixed Reuniclus' set hopefully that's the last of the I forgot to list the full set problems.
 
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Greed (Steelix) @ Steelixite
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 248 HP / 152 Atk / 108 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Heavy Slam
- Earthquake
- Ice Fang

Sloth (Clefable) @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Wish
- Protect
- Moonlight
- Calm Mind

Gluttony (Chansey) (F) @ Eviolite
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Soft-Boiled
- Toxic
- Seismic Toss
- Heal Bell

Envy (Toxapex) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Toxic Spikes
- Recover
- Scald
- Haze

Pride (Reuniclus) @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Acid Armor
- Psyshock
- Recover

Wrath (Skarmory) @ Shed Shell
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 232 Def / 24 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Counter
- Defog
- Roost
- Whirlwind

if you are looking to try it here is the text in order to import
 
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Really minor, but I think you mean Steelixite, not Steelium Z.
Fixed.

Greed (Steelix) @ Steelixite
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 248 HP / 152 Atk / 108 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Heavy Slam
- Earthquake
- Ice Fang

Sloth (Clefable) @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Wish
- Protect
- Moonlight
- Calm Mind

Gluttony (Chansey) (F) @ Eviolite
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Soft-Boiled
- Toxic
- Seismic Toss
- Heal Bell

Envy (Toxapex) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Toxic Spikes
- Recover
- Scald
- Haze

Pride (Reuniclus) @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Acid Armor
- Psyshock
- Recover

Wrath (Skarmory) @ Shed Shell
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 232 Def / 16 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Counter
- Defog
- Roost
- Whirlwind

skarmory is missing 8 EVs (probably wrote wrong)

And fixed next time I'll use Showdowns automatic importable to not make these silly mistakes
 
I'm glad to see another person using Reuniclus on a semi-stall team, really. It has become my favorite "sweeper", or at least game-close as you put it. One thing that might be fun to try is Rocky Helmet on Reuniclus, since it gives it a way to damage at least some Darks while they attempt to stall you.
I think Steelix is really creative too, and fills gaps you described pretty darn well!!
 

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