Summer Skies - OU Balance

[LiverpoolFC]

Since the banning of Mence, I have been trying to create a successful team that suits my style of play, that being balance. After hours of testing and re-testing and changes to help my team adapt to the new metagame, I have come up with this - Summer Skies.

The Team

@ Choice Scarf
Impish ; 252 Hp / 96 Def / 8 SpD / 152 Spe

Trick
U-Turn
Stealth Rock
Thunder-wave

This is by far my favorite lead in the game. It has such amazing bulk and it also quite speedy. 252 Hp / 8 SpD means I'm garunteed to survive Specs-Trans Overheat 100% of the time, 152 Speed means I outspeed base 130's and can trick them my scarf before being Taunted or they set up Stealth Rock. The rest is thrown into defense for added survivability. I love this lead because it tricks my opponents lead, locking them into a single attack I can abuse by getting a free switch, I thunderwave on the switch if they get locked into a non-attacking move, then set up SR and U-turn away. Heatran and Skarmory take Dark, Ghost and Bug attacks and laugh them off.

@ Leftovers
Careful ; 252 Hp / 228 SpD / 28 Spe

Spikes
Whirlwird
Roost
Drill Peck

Skarmory is great at setting up spikes, which my team loves, due to the pressure that Flygon, Heatran, and Shaymin put on my opponents. Due to Uxie already walling a majority of the physical spectrum, I decided to make Skarmory a specially defensive variant in order to set up spikes on a larger majority of the metagame. 252 Hp / 228 Special Defense gives maximum bulk, while 28 Speed means I outspeed CB Tar and can roost before it stone edgees. I chose Drill Peck over Brave Bird because I'm not a fan of losing HP on a wall. Flygon takes electric attacks as well as fire, and so does Heatran.

@ Leftovers
Bold ; 252 Hp / 244 Def / 12 Spe

Surf
HP Electric
Wish
Protect

Vaporeon is here as my check to Gyara, as well as to bring life into my team via Wish., Vaporeon works well with Shaymin and Heatran to form a F/W/G combo that has amazing synergy. Vaporeon is also helped by Flygon who absorbs Electric Attacks sent her way, while Vaporeon takes Ice Beams directed at Flygon. The EV spread gives Vaporeon maximum bulk, while outspeeding 8 Spe CB Scizor. Vaporeon is the most important pokemon on the team, bar Heatran, because Wishes replenishing my members health so they can continue to come back is fantastic.

@ Leftovers
Timid ; 108 Hp / 148 Spe / 252 Spa

Seed Flare
Hp Ice
Earth Power
Rest

Shaymin is the Grass type in my Fire/Water/Grass core, and is one of the most helpful pokemon on the team. Shaymin helps beat down other Fire/Water/Grass cores through the use of Seed Flare to hit waters, HP Ice to hit grasses and Flygon, and Earthpower to hit Heatran, Infernape, and the rare Arcanine. Rest lets me heal back to 100% when I'm low and switch out to wake up. Vaporeon takes Ice attacks aimed at Shaymin, while Heatran takes the Fire and Flying attacks. Flygon can also take Fire attacks as well, and Skarmory takes the flying, Heatran and Skarmory both laugh at bug attacks. 108 Hp is a magic Lefties number, 148 Spe puts me at 300, 1 above max speed neutral base 100's, and the rest is poured into attack to hit harder.

@ Life Orb
Rash ; 76 Atk / 252 SpA / 180 Spe

Draco Meteor
Fire Blast
Earthquake
Roost

Flygon is here as a wall breaker, and he also has great synergy with the rest of my team. He is the only pokemon in OU that resists Fire Electric and Ground, so he definately has his own little niche, and he is great. He absorbs Ground attacks aimed at Heatran, Fire Attacks aimed at Shaymin, and Electric attacks aimed at Vaporeon. Likewise, Vaporeon takes ice attacks, and heatran takes dragon attacks. The EV spread puts him at 281 Speed, which I find fantastic due to the fact that a large majority of OU sits at 280 for Lucario. I also get the jump on opposing Mix-Gon as well. Flygon is even more annoying due to Roost and also Wish from vaporeon should I be able to get in on an electric attack after I wish.

@ Passho Berry
Calm ; 24 Hp / 208 SpA / 56 SpD / 220 Spe

Fire Blast
Earth Power
HP Grass
Substitute

This EV spread for heatran is of my own design, and personally I have found it to be fantastic. 24 Hp along with Passho berry allows me to survive bulky Gyara's Waterfall after a Substitute and SR, which means should it switch in as I sub, I can HP grass it twice, which kills it.
24 Hp / 56 SpD means I survive LO Starmie's hydro pump 100% of the time after a sub and SR, so the same situation with Gyara works here as well. 220 Speed outspeeds 36 Speed base 100's such as Celebi and Jirachi, and the rest is poured into Special Attack for maximum damage.
Without a doubt, heatran is the MVP of this team, he has saved my ass so many times it's remarkable. Wish from Vaporeon let's me continue to create Substitutes and wreack havoc on my opponents team.


That's my team, feel free to rate, comment, or criticise because I've been looking for ways to improve. SD Lucario is only a problem if both Shaymin and Flygon are weak, which is generally not the case, as I play conservative with Shaymin.

 

[Slater]

If your not running a stall team I suggest brave bird over drill peck on skarmory because it gives him a good attacking option and will be able to do more than simply take physical attack and lay spikes down

 

[SlottedPig]

Welcome to Smogon.

I honestly don't see why you run speed evs on uxie; you outspeed aero, but so what? Without a STAB attack to hit it this is largely pointless; even moreso as you run Thunder Wave for anything else. I suggest a simple 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Speed Impish spread on your Uxie.

Also on Shaymin, if you want to hit hard, I suggest a spread of 48 HP / 208 SpA / 252 Spe spread, tying with other 100's is extremely important. Additionally I suggest you use Air Slash > Hidden Power [Ice] because Flygon takes upwards of 60% from Seed Flare anyhow, and with Air Slash, Breloom won't kill you (he seems to be a problem for this team).

Good luck.

 

[Cuiv]

I honestly don't see why you run speed evs on uxie; you outspeed aero, but so what? Without a STAB attack to hit it this is largely pointless; even moreso as you run Thunder Wave for anything else. I suggest a simple 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Speed Impish spread on your Uxie.

Beating Aerodactyl allows him to Trick it a Scarf while it tries to Taunt Uxie. Then he can U-Turn out while Aero is forced to switch, gaining momentum and preventing SR (although he doesn't get it, either). If Aero uses SR instead of Taunt, it's still locked into SR and he can T-Wave the switch-in and get a guaranteed SR the next turn. TrickScarf Uxie that outspeeds Aerodactyl beats it every time.

 

[LiverpoolFC]

I'll test air slash over HP Ice but I kinda like ohko'ing flygons on the switch, as well as dragonite. I'll also test 252 Spe but idk, losing all that bulk for just a chance to tie other base 100's doesn't seem worth it.

 

[PinkLemonade]

Switched Shaymin's EV spread to 108 Hp / 148 SpA / 252 Spe in order to tie with max speed base 100's

 

[Manaphy]

You're Shaymin looks like the Life Orb Set, so Try these EV's: 32 HP / 252 Sp.Atk / 224 Spe with a Life Orb. Keep all of your current attacks.
32 HP EVs reach 349 HP, a number which holds 11 uses of LO instead of 10. The rest of the EVs are dumped into Sp.Atk and Speed. You won't be as Bulky as before, but you'll hit a lot harder, have some more speed, and be Able to Rest off any damage thanks to Natural Cure.

Also, try an EV Spread for Vaporeon of 216 Def / 60 SpA / 232 SpD.
These EV still allow you to beat Gyarados with Hidden Power [Electric], while these EVs allow you to take things like Gengar's and Heatran's hits better. You can take 12 EVs out of SpAtk to outspeed Scizor, but you're team looks like it handles Scizor fine.

Nice Team.

 

[LiverpoolFC]

Alright I'll try that spread it seems pretty helpful actual, but I may swap speed and special attack because 252 speed is actually very helpful.

I will consider the vaporeon spread, but I kinda like the insurance against infernape because I have no priority and nothing to outspeed.

 

[Schism]

Your team is owned by SD lucario. To change this i would change you heatran to a scarf variant to outspeed and ohko luke with earth power or fire blast. Good luck.

 

[Manaphy]

Alright I'll try that spread it seems pretty helpful actual, but I may swap speed and special attack because 252 speed is actually very helpful.

I will consider the vaporeon spread, but I kinda like the insurance against infernape because I have no priority and nothing to outspeed.

I find that Vaporeon still beats Infernape pretty well.

And max speed gives you, like, 8 More Speed, so I don t think you'll outspeed anything significant. 320 Speed is usually enough.

And Schism, Shaymin can outspeed SDLuke, and OHKO with EP, while still living a ExtremeSpeed. So I don't see a huge problem there.

 

[PinkLemonade]

Okay, I'll change to the 32 Hp / 252 SpA / 224 Spe, I found it quite helpful, I just have to make sure to keep shaymin at a decent health late game or I'm finished.