Gen 8 Tapu Koko + Urshi team from late Gen 8

[aquamarin3]

I built this team late into Gen 8 over an extended period, I think it came from a base of a sample team that I found somewhere. The changes were made over a long period so it's hard to recall the complete scope of them but I think it's different enough now to warrant posting in pursuit of advice.

I didn't really have a lot of proper knowledge about fundamentals when I built this-- I was returning after a long time of not playing Pokemon (not like, lifetime long, just a few years). But I had never really known more than the basics, and hardly even do now. Regardless, I like this team and think it has a lot of character. The highest I remember reaching with it is the 1400s, and although that's not particularly high it's better than I perform with others. It's built to function as a whole with a lot of switching, and uses strong individual attackers to cover in case a piece of the whole is lost.

Urshifu-Rapid Strike

Urshifu-Rapid-Strike (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Unseen Fist
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Surging Strikes
- Close Combat
- Ice Punch
- Poison Jab

The main physical attacker of the team, Urshi is mainly here for Surging Strikes. The move's presence forces a switch from lots of otherwise-threats, and the raw damage is nuts. CC for another STAB since I usually don't keep him in too long and I want to maximize his damage potential. Ice Punch for Flying/Grass counters, Poison takes out Fairy and Fighting quite well while also providing another layer of coverage against some Grass dual types. Band for power.

Dragapult

Dragapult @ Choice Specs
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Shadow Ball
- Draco Meteor
- Will-O-Wisp
- Flamethrower

Specs Dragapult is a core of this team for his spectacular speed and damage. Shadow Ball and Draco Meteor for STABs, Flamethrower for coverage and to catch cocky Steel-type switch-ins. Will-O-Wisp is here for the emergency shutdown of a physical mon in case one threatens the team's structural integrity. He can be hard to bring in without a sac or mind games, though.

Tapu Koko

Tapu Koko @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Electric Surge
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Dazzling Gleam
- Defog
- Roost

Koko takes care of hazards and can keep himself around for quite a while with Roost, while also possesing two reliable STABs in TB and DG. There's not much I can really say about this set that hasn't been said by more knowledgable people, I know that much.

Landorus-Therian

Landorus-Therian @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 164 Def / 92 Spe
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
- U-turn

Rocks, Knock Off, and EQ for STAB EQ. Leftovers probably isn't the best item for this set, but I don't think I was able to come up with anything better. Scarf might honestly work depending on where he fits in the speed tiers.

Blissey

Blissey @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Seismic Toss
- Soft-Boiled
- Thunder Wave
- Toxic

Blissey tanks special attackers and switches in on status moves, with Soft-Boiled for staredowns . TWave and Toxic are both there mainly because I didn't have anywhere else good to put them, and most of the time Blissey is checking a pokemon that I want to get at least one of those statuses on. Seismic Toss is reliable just to have a way to put out damage with this one.

Corviknight

Corviknight @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 168 Def / 88 SpD
Impish Nature
- Body Press
- Iron Defense
- Brave Bird
- Roost

Corvi is a shadow sweeper who slaughters the teams of the unaware, as well as being a hell of an efficient tank. Iron Defense and Roost let him power through some supereffective attackers while basically being a wincon if the other player doesn't have any. Body Press makes the most of this by crushing anything in his way at higher boost levels (which are incredibly easy to reach on account of his tankiness). Brave Bird is just a strong STAB but I should probably change it out for Iron Head or a more useful option.

I'd love to hear any and all advice/suggestions/criticism.

 

[lou dort]

Have you tried cm koko and defog corv? both are more reliable sets imo. your team also only has 1 pivot move, so i would put teleport over toxic/twave on blissey and uturn over pjab on urshifu. cool team tho

 

[aquamarin3]

Have you tried cm koko and defog corv? both are more reliable sets imo. your team also only has 1 pivot move, so i would put teleport over toxic/twave on blissey and uturn over pjab on urshifu. cool team tho

Thanks for the advice, I'll give those a whirl.

 

[Slowpoke Fan]

Hello! Urshifu and Tapu Koko are a classic offensive core in SS OU and your team is certainly quite solid. However, I think some Pokemon and set choices can be improved on for this team to truly draw out the power of that duo, and I hope my changes can do that for you!

Pokepaste: https://pokepast.es/5c08ced9d92ca54c

While ice punch is big for hitting Dragonite, thunder punch is more useful alongside electric terrain support to break through bulky water types like Slowbro and Toxapex. I also swapped poison jab for aqua jet as this team does not have much to deter Volcarona after it has set up, but u-turn is also viable for keeping up momentum when which button to click with Urshifu is not that clear.

While Tapu Koko does learn defog, you are wasting its potential if you use it as your defogger - this volt switch/toxic/dazzling gleam set allows it to be an offensive pivot that cripples its long-term checks with toxic while punishing modest Dragapult with its fairy STAB.

Just changed its nature to modest for absurd wallbreaking power while dropping wisp for u-turn so it can pivot out of the likes of Blissey to bring in Urshifu.

Specially defensive Landorus-Therian is what's used nowadays as Landorus takes a lot of special attacks in this metagame, e.g. Zapdos/Koko/Heatran/Dragapult/etc. The 16 speed EVs allow it to outspeed adamant Tyranitar so it can be an emergency check to the latter.

TO

While Corviknight is a great steel type that allows you to stonewall offensive grass types, I think Melmetal fits this team a lot better as an offensively-inclined steel type that can check the same Pokemon in the short-run while taking advantage of Tapu Koko's electric terrain to unleash extremely strong thunder punches on its water type checks.

TO

Instead of using the final team slot on something passive like Blissey, Slowbro is a much more proactive teleport pivot that can support this team with future sight while checking threats like opposing Urshifu, Garchomp and Victini reliably. The mixed spread allows Slowbro to live a draco meteor from choice specs Kingdra after stealth rock and two earth powers from choice specs Volcanion.