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PROOF OF PEAK
(not really, forgot to take a screenshot of it at the actual peak, but it's a pretty slim difference)
While I still havent "lost" the peak, I don't think I will be laddering anymore as OLT is approaching and don't wanna burn out so i'll leave it as that. I apologize if this is a bit raw, I've never written any RMT, but as I’ve had great success with it, I felt like it deserved to be shared. (shoutouts to the ladder opps, its all love)(not really, forgot to take a screenshot of it at the actual peak, but it's a pretty slim difference)
paste: https://pokepast.es/b0e161b3e4442e95
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Gholdengo @ Choice Specs
Ability: Good as Gold
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Shadow Ball
- Make It Rain
- Trick
- Focus Blast/Recover
Let's start off with the first mon in Gholdengo, absolute powerhouse, there's really few (if any) mons that can switch and not get 2HKO'd by it's stabs. A timid nature can certainly be used if deemed necessary, I just felt like having more power, plus didn't really see any necessity in being timid as there's barely any mons it helps outspeeding, while modest helps you clutch some well appreciated 2HKO's.
252+ SpA Choice Specs Gholdengo Make It Rain vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Kingambit: 188-222 (55.1 - 65.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Steel Gholdengo Make It Rain vs. 236 HP / 0 SpD Kingambit: 251-296 (62.7 - 74%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Steel Gholdengo Make It Rain vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Clodsire: 316-372 (68.2 - 80.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Steel Gholdengo Make It Rain vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Assault Vest Samurott-Hisui: 207-244 (64.4 - 76%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Steel Gholdengo Shadow Ball vs. 252 HP / 104 SpD Zapdos: 213-252 (55.4 - 65.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
With rocks or spikes up, it's an absolute monster. Sadly it'll be useless against ho as it's slow and will be used as death fodder most of the time, but as most balance use
as their special wall, it's easy to dismantle teams. I've used both focus blast and recover, but settled on focus blast being the more viable option, although I don't think i've clicked it more than twice, it can save the day against gambit with the help of tera steel to lose the dark weakness. Trick helps a lot neutralize at least one mon on stall or balance/bulky offenses, while allowing you to switch freely between the stabs if needed.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Toxapex @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Regenerator
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Infestation
- Toxic
- Recover
- Haze
Many people seem to think Pex is terrible, too passive or outright bad now, but I still think it's one of the best mons in the tier and hardly can build a team without it. Boots is absolutely necessary as there's no hazard remover on this squad (only viable item on toxapex if you ask me), helps you not worry about hazards at all and fully take advantage of regenerator. Infestation can be switched up with Surf or another attacking move if you'd like, but I found it to be the best option, trapping will forever be broken. Toxic allows it to put a third of the metagame on a timer, I don't think there need to be much explaining there. Haze is necessary so it doesn't get taken advantage of too easily. Bold nature and investment allows it to live any hit from Baxcalibur at +2 (assuming it isn't life orb), (50% chance to live a +1 tera ground earthquake), any hit from +1 Dragonite (12.5% to OHKO with earthquake at +2) and toxic them back, completely neutralize any swords dance valiant/Sneasler (assuming no weird teras). Tera Fairy allows it to completely neutralize any type of Baxcalibur (unless the rare Sub), Dragonite, Kingambit without Iron Head, while removing ground weakness to trap/toxic great tusks.
Galarian Slowking will be annoying and this is where you have to be agressive and take fully advantage of it with Gholdengo or Baxcalibur.
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Baxcalibur @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Thermal Exchange
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Glaive Rush
- Earthquake
- Ice Shard
- Swords Dance
There's really no reliable counter to this mon apart from Dondozo (which is unviable imo outside of stall). Again, Boots allow you to not worry about hazards at all and come in fully healthy all the time. This is just the standard set so I probably don't have anymore more to say than the smogon analysis. It simply breaks through teams like crazy, I don't think crash is necessary, only helps with Corv (that runs iron defense anyway) and Tusk (which GR can hit very well) and earthquake is simply too important for stuff like gholdengo and gambit. Ice Shard gives the team a priority move, which is always welcome. It puts on pressure like no other and with the help of hazards, it's really hard to deal with. I've had trouble choosing between tera dragon and fairy, and both are viable options, but tera fairy gives it more room to set up and revenge kill stuff, plus while using tera dragon i most of the time always wished I was tera fairy, while the opposite didn't happen.
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Zapdos @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Static
Tera Type: Fighting
EVs: 144 HP / 200 SpA / 164 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Tera Blast
- Roost
- Hurricane
Offensive Zapdos is an absolute monster, hits everything hard and is the main gimmick of this team to lure of Kingambit (as the team is really weak to it, but i'll get into that later). I can't stress how many time it came in clutch, and while it won't prove to be as useful as it was as more people know the trick, I believe it'll be good, but i'd be more careful and only tera it only a +2 gambit for example. Boots, once again, best item in the game, allows Zapdos to come in without worrying about hazards, i'm sure you all know the drill at this point. Volt Switch is amazing to gain momentum, paired with specs gholdengo (especially) and baxcalibur, it's an amazing combinaison to get them both in safely. Hurricane (when it hits) is also a no brainer, being an incredibly strong stab. Terablast fighting is to me one of the most underrated option atm, hitting basically everything that Zapdos will struggle with, such as Baxcalibur (won't OHKO sadly but do a great amount), Ting-Lu, Iron Treads, Garganacl, Heatran, Roaring Moon (while giving resistance to Crunch) and Ursaluna. It also obviously helps a ton against gambit, which is what it is for, but is really viable in general. The speed allows it to outspeed tusk (creeped a little to outspeed other zapdos's speed creeping, as I feel like volt switching first [does about 40] is better when you can safely get in ting lu afterwards.) It's also faster than Samurott, so against ho i'd recommend just leading and volt switching into bax with Zapdos so you only limit it to one layer of spikes. I sadly can't remember why I have this exact amount of special attack, but iirc it's simply cause i felt like max special attack wasn't needed, and allowing to put the remaining into HP helps a ton adding to it's amazing natural bulk. (Like switching into Samurott-H and having a really good chance (88.5%) not to be 2HKO'd by valiant's Moonblast). Static is also a no brainer, trying to get great tusk paralyzed will help Ting Lu a TON.
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Ting-Lu @ Leftovers
Ability: Vessel of Ruin
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Spikes
- Earthquake
- Whirlwind
Also one of my favorite mons of the tier. I think it's insanely good and not using it is almost like self sabotaging at this point. I don't really have much to say here, one of the best special walls in the game, can whirlwind most ho set up sweepers, and set up hazard like no other. Tera Ghost allows it to spinblock, which I don't recommend doing right away, but more mid game after the tusk is paralyzed/chipped. An absolute cornerstone and is the best at what it does.
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Iron Valiant @ Booster Energy
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Dark
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- Moonblast
- Knock Off
Last but not least, we have Iron Valiant. One of the best mons in the game right now, one of the best cleaners available. Just incredibly good at what it does. Booster Energy allows it to be almost impossible to outspeed late game and sweep comfortably. However, I would recommend to use it early against bulkier teams, knock off absolutely everything and use it as knock absorber (from tusk) which you can threaten with a moonblast back. I opted for moonblast over spirit break, just really annoying to not be able to get past tusk and this makes it so much easier while also giving you an out against static with a crippled zapdos. Tera fighting is also a very viable option here, but i've found tera dark to fit better, ohko'ing most gholdengos, glowkings even after tera, bulkier pults, ect.
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THREATS
Non choiced
is incredibly annoying to deal with. Specs or Scarf is not a problem as you can scout with toxapex most of the time, but sub cm, especially boots sub cm is super hard. I'd just recommend to go straight into tinglu, tera ghost, set up rocks and whirlwind it out. Pretty much the only way at this point. However, I feel like the hype really died down on Ena, a non choiced set is quite rare as running into glowking with the mon in general is really annoying. a Taunt set is also incredibly rare but this will be even harder, i'd recommend using something as a death fodder and tera'ing on bax to get rid of it.
the court change set is just a bitch to deal with as the team mainly relies on hazards. But nothing impossible, just try to chip it down/lure it into u-turning and get it paralyzed with static.
with Substitute is really almost a hard X, you have outs with tera'ing tinglu, your own baxca and valiant but it's an absolute pain. Super rare so you'll be straight
more annoying than a threat like cinderace, just go zapdos everytime as ice spinner is quite rare, to fish for a para, or try to toxic it with pex at any occasion, pex will literally be healed by 0 atk eq so don't fear it too much, also has a very great chance to live max attack headlong rush (which is rare on bulkier teams, tusks on ho's really isn't an issue.) so i'd try to take advantage of that. Also don't hesistate to use valiant as a switch in, as tusk will most likely always click knock off/rapid spin on lu, as mentionned earlier.
Probably the biggest « common » threat out there for this team. It’ll be fine against ho if you’re careful, but on balance it’ll be very hard in the long term as nothing can really switch into it. I’d still go hard zapdos everytime but kowtow will hit hard. Most likely gotta tera right away but be careful with this as more people will be aware of the set. Valiant can also revenge kill it or force it into teraing, and pex can toxic it/haze it once done. Can also trick it with Ghold or straight up tera/fb but I wouldn’t recommend this.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
REPLAYS
against rain - https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1908243662-3bm3u5ccmxeu46ghuejygumq7zmhb7opw
against stall -
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1908032405-elsai26ov4pwwtcf41n039okn8nm2ampw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1908064449-46yybxx70g5rwpeiouk71rngw6gj4z6pw (probably the worst stall i've ever seen so this is a bit shameless), https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1906124700-aoeqznl4jbhzj2vfqf19sy74f9e4m90pw
against balance - https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1908838949-srig87cm8wkzw7azw4q00adbh1lqr0rpw
Sadly I barely save any replays ever, wish I saved more winning replays especially against HO and Balance, but as I said I didn't have any plan to make an RMT, so sadly this is all i can show.
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In conclusion, I found this team to be extremly reliable, while not the most original apart from the zapdos gimmick, it's a team that matches up well against most archetype, while giving you a free win against stall most of the time, just a very solid team in general. As I said I had ton of fun/success with it and hope more people will do too.
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but then zap pulled the tera fighting 
