SS OU Team attempt after stepping away from OU for a couple months

[Juiceinthebag]

Hey!
I've been playing alot of PU, but a friend asked me to help them learn OU so I wanted to get back into the tier. So far im hovering in the 1500s with this team but I'm having trouble dealing with setup sweepers and oddly Lele. (85% sure the Lele thing is me and not the team tho). Would really appreciate everyone here's input!

Moltres @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 248 HP / 88 Def / 28 SpD / 144 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Roost
- Defog
- Air Slash
- Mystical Fire
​

Moltres is an interesting defoger that i've been waiting for a chance to use. Rillaboom seems to be extremely popular right now, flame body crippling it is pretty consistent, as from what I know it never runs protective pads. Melmetal/Kartana are also threatened by the bird and other physical attackers don't appreciate the burn chance. Now stealth rock weakness is annoying, the mons it threatens/resists tend to run knock. Im thinking of maybe adding another hazard clearing mon?

Rillaboom @ Life Orb
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Grassy Glide
- Knock Off
- Superpower
​

Rillaboom is my biggest offensive threat and after a swords dance it can ohko ferrothorn. Its pretty much only here to threaten band so the opponent switches out and completes the water fire grass core my team was built around (Moltres, Gastrodon, Rilla). Its the standard SD set too so I know it can work and it has, but it getting statused destroys any chance my team has at offensive pressure. Grassy glide seems pretty vital for coverage, my only current idea is trying out bulu in this slot instead. Buluin' all over OU sounds fun but I think its fine as it is.

Gastrodon (M) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Storm Drain
EVs: 248 HP / 192 Def / 4 SpA / 64 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Ice Beam
- Earth Power
- Clear Smog
- Recover​

Hard counter to rain teams and water types in general. Ice beam over scald purely for coverage as the rest of my team doesn't have any ice moves. Gastro is the MVP half the time, rocky helmet chipping down moltres burnt offensive threats with consistent recovery is amazing. Clear smog is meant to mitigate my problem with setup, but so far its been so-so.

Melmetal @ Protective Pads
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 40 HP / 252 Atk / 104 SpD / 112 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Double Iron Bash
- Superpower
- Thunder Punch
- Toxic​

Melmetal is my lead mon most of the time. It deals with utility clef and I can switch into lando leads pretty well. The protective pads set negates chip from double iron bash and lead toxic can put a timer on any zapdos switch in. Suicide leads are also easily dealt with by bash. From testing superpower seems kinda useless on it, im debating if I should put earthquake or even rock slide in that slot.

Couldn't find Fini plush :(
Tapu Fini @ Leftovers
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 252 HP / 116 Def / 140 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Taunt
- Surf
- Draining Kiss
​

The team member who is by far the most subject to change. I kinda of threw it in as a panic pick, I had no fairy and no special attacker. Misty surge harms moltres but I think its a fine trade for more status avoidance on my side of the field. Taunt is just funny and makes toxapex free setup for me. Not really thrilled with it tho and I guess clef would work better both as a special attacker and status absorber? Again not too sure.

Blissey @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Seismic Toss
- Soft-Boiled
- Stealth Rock
- Teleport​

The team seemed almost entirely physically defensive so the special wall that is blissey was added to the team. Its access to rocks also conveniently solved the problem of having to fit hazards onto one of the other mons movesets. A pivot also helps get the two big threats of boom and melmetal in without them having to take the hit. Natural cure keeps status off the more important mons aswell.

Importable

https://pokepast.es/59164505a70f7992

 

[ElStefano]

Hey,

Very nice team presentation, i like the idea of using plush mons a lot =) The team has some nice ideas and sinergy. Really refreshing RMT!!! Let me try to improve it a bit:

- It's Interesting to explore Moltres in this meta, it has amazing defensive type synergy with gastrodon. It's also one of the few defoggers that can beat Heatran, but for achieving this, it should definetly run Scorching Sands. However, I think it's not the most consisting defogger, it only really fits on stallish teams with 2 defoggers (since it's knocked of so easily).

I suggest replacing it with defensive Volcarona, which outclasses it as a Flame body user that doesn't only stop Rillaboom and Kart, but also Weavile, Zeraora and Melmetal (which often run thunderpunch or can EQ Moltres on the Roost). On top, it can act as a sweeper for unprepared teams.
(Max HP and Def, Roost, QD, Fiery Dance, Psychic/ Gigadrain)

- Rilla and Gastro are fine I guess (I always run SpeDef Gastro, e.g. for Heatran, I have yet to try physdef. On first sight, SpeDef seems to suit your team better as well, maybe you want to change it) . Rilla can kill Ferro for Melmetal or Heatran for Volcarona with Superpower, which is nice. Gastro might want Toxic (e.g. over Clear Smog)

- For Melmetal, I'd suggest the AV set (with DoubleIronBash, EQ, ThunderP, IceP). This helps with the weakness to Lele you stated. On top, it lures and removes Heatran for Volcarona.

- Fini should definetly be replaced. Not only does the Terrain hurt your plan with flame body, but more important, you shouldn't run a mon for which you don't have a plush image :P
The easiest solution if you want a fairy type is your idea of using Clef. Unaware helps with set up sweepers (which you wanted to deal with). I'd run Rocks, Healbell, Moonblast, Softboiled. Boots to fake Magic Guard?

- I don't like Blissey at all. SpDef Gastro should do its job, so you can run a defogger in this place. The team also lacks speed. Since you only need defog if Volc gets knocked, you might get away with running a Scarfed Mon with Defog. Kartana might work (Grass Spam core) or something like Scarf Hydreigon (to also add a ghost resist and another Heatran switchin).
I'm a bit unsure about this last spot, maybe a defensive defogger like Mandibuzz suits your playstile better, I personally would prefer to fix the speed issue. But you will find out what fits you best while playtesting =)

I hope this helps, good luck laddering!

 

[Juiceinthebag]

Hey,

Very nice team presentation, i like the idea of using plush mons a lot =) The team aus some nice ideas and sinergy. Really refreshing RMT!!! Let me try to improve it a bit:

- It's Interesting to explore Moltres in this meta, it has amazing defensive type synergy with gastrodon. It's also one of the few defoggers that can beat Heatran, but for achieving this, it should definetly run Scorching Sands. However, I think it's not the most consisting defogger, it only really fits on stallish teams with 2 defoggers (since it's knocked of so easily).

I suggest replacing it with defensive Volcarona, which outclasses it as a Flamme body user that doesn't only stop Rillaboom and Kart, but also Weavile, Zeraora and Melmetal (which often run thunderpunch or can EQ Moltres on the Roost). On top, it can act as a sweeper for unprepared teams.
(Max HP and Def, Roost, QD, Fiery Dance, Psychic/ Gigadrain)

- Rilla and Gastro are fine I guess (I always run SpeDef Gastro, e.g. for Heatran, I have yet to try physdef. On first sight, SpeDef seems to suit your team better as well, maybe you want to change it) . Rilla can kill Ferro for Melmetal or Heatran for Volcarona with Superpower, which is nice. Gastro might want Toxic (e.g. over Clear Smog)

- For Melmetal, I'd suggest the AV set (with DoubleIronBash, EQ, ThunderP, IceP). This helps with the weakness to Lele you stated. On top, it lures and removes Heatran for Volcarona.

- Fini should definetly be replaced. Not only does the Terrain hurt your plan with flame body, but more important, you shouldn't run a mon for which you don't have a plush image :P
The easiest solution if you want a fairy type is your idea of using Clef. Unaware helps with set up sweepers (which you wanted to deal with). I'd run Rocks, Healbell, Moonblast, Softboiled. Boots to fake Magic Guard?

- I don't like Blissey at all. SpDef Gastro should do its job, so you can run a defogger in this place. The team also lacks speed. Since you only need defog if Volc gets knocked, you might get away with running a Scarfed Mon with Defog. Kartana might work (Grass Spam core) or something like Scarf Hydreigon (to also add a ghost resist ans another Heatran switchin).
I'm a bit unsure about this last spot, maybe a defensive defogger like Mandibuzz suits your playstile better, I personally would prefer to fix the speed issue. But you will find out what fits you best while playtesting =)

I hope this helps, good luck laddering!

Dude bulky volcarona is actually crazy thanks so much

 

[Mada]

Hello and welcome in OU! I will try to help you with your team. You have done pretty well but there are some things we can for sure fix and make more viable so let's see them.



Major changes:
> Moltres is a really cool mon but Tornadus/Zapdos are more viable in OU. Tornadus has a really good speed tier and regenerator which allow him to switch on tons of mons and pivot, while still saving you from mons like kartana as scarf don't 2hko you and band are slower and die to hurricane/heat wave. Knock Off is also a lot valuable, while if him or Zapdos lose HDB they don't have to be scared of losing 50% to rocks. If you don't want to listen at all and change it, you can try putting U-turn>Air slash so u will be able to pivot as well.

> Heatran can offer a lot of utility, while being able to annoying walls such as Toxapex while still being able to use Rocks + with Gastro and Tornadus they form a solid defensive backbone as they can handle mons like koko, urshifu-r, kartana etc. for each other.

Minor changes:

In this meta usually Rilla is used more bulky, with a lot of HP investments, Leftovers so that it can setup easily and then go for Grassy Glide / Drain Punch on Steel mons.

set

Rillaboom @ Leftovers
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 164 HP / 252 Atk / 92 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Grassy Glide
- Knock Off
- Drain Punch
- Swords Dance

I think HDB or Lefties are way more valuable here as we want our Gastro to keep his life. We also prefer Scald>Ice beam as it can burn annoying mons such as Melmetal while they check it and i am not sure if Clear Smog is really needed as u said u have a problem with setup sweepers but you should handle greatly mons like weavile/rillaboom/blaziken/fini, but we can keep it since it's a fine move, otherwise u can try Toxic.

Protective Pads usually runs Thunder Wave while u have Toxic which is more used on a Protect set. I would then keep Toxic, put Protect over Superpower, Earthquake Over Thunder Punch and then just replace the Protective Pads with Leftovers.

Melm

Melmetal @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 252 Atk / 244 SpD / 12 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Protect
- Double Iron Bash
- Earthquake
- Toxic

This way u can also scout your opponents move and also sometime u can use grassy terrain + protect to recover a lot of life along with leftovers, which is always helpful.


I don't love Fini on this team but i didn't wanted to change too many things, i would just use Clefable but i guess CM Fini can actually do pretty well in the lategame altho our lategame cleaner/sweeper should be Rillaboom. For Tapu Lele, you can usually scout with Tornadus-T the set and then safely switch into fini/heatran/melm when u know which move they are using (psychic/psyshock/focus blast/moonblast) while Tornadus can also Knock Off their team which makes harder to read their moves but it helps a lot as just by knock off + u-turn ur chipping it down a lot. Blaziken shouldn't be a big problem with gastrodon, rilla handles fini while fini, gastro and heatran handle weavile, so setup sweepers should be fine.
This is the team with the changes i suggested, you are free to change some things back again or keep it as it is but i really do think that we made some major improvements here, so if you have any questions let me know!
Paste: https://pokepast.es/7b8020693b7737fc