Why This Team?
After the more recent shifts in the metagame following the banning of Genesect, and the increased viability in Garchomp, Gyarados, and Latias resulting from this, I decided to build an offensive team arround these massively underrated threats.
The Team
Closer Look
Garchomp
Item: Choice Scarf
Trait: Rough Skin
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Outrage
- Dual Chop
- Fire Blast
- Earthquake
Moveset reasoning:
Ahh, Garchomp, how the mighty have fallen. Once the undeniable king of the metagame and the cause of much centralization, Garchomp has finally decided to calm down and join the Alliance, much to our benefit. Garchomp is absolute monster. Outrage is the obligatory Dragon move of choice, with Dual Chop my backup (and superior to Dragon Claw) sub-breaking secondary STAB. EQ is also for the great STAB coverage. EV spread is standard. Garchomp's STABs are only resisted by Flying and Levitating Steels, of which are decimated by Fire Blast. Some people seem to believe that, because of the Jolly nature and Garchomp's much lower, univested Sp. Atk, Fire Blast in inferior to Fire Fang for handling Skarm and friends. To help settle this issue, check out these calcs:
Code:
0SpAtk Garchomp (-SAtk) Fire Blast vs 4HP/0SpDef Scizor (Neutral): 110% - 130% (312 - 368 HP). Guaranteed OHKO.
0SpAtk Garchomp (-SAtk) Fire Blast vs 252HP/0SpDef Leftovers Sturdy Skarmory (Neutral): 51% - 61% (172 - 204 HP). Guaranteed 2HKO.
0SpAtk Garchomp (-SAtk) Fire Blast vs 252HP/168SpDef Leftovers Ferrothorn (Neutral): 56% - 67% (200 - 236 HP). Guaranteed 2HKO.Yeah, Chomp really has no safe switch-ins.
Gyarados
Item: Leftovers
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 20 HP / 238 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Bounce
- Substitute
- Waterfall
- Dragon Dance
Moveset reasoning:
The second member of the "Dragon" trio, SubDD Gyara! A favorite from DPP, Gyara really hasn't changed. He's great at checking a lot of the common Fighting-types that plague the meta. I took careful measures in selecting the EVs for this set- 20 HP is the closest Leftovers number, while 252 Speed allows me to (unboosted) outspeed Adamant Mamoswine and 0HKO with Waterfall. Anyways, the moves are fairly obvious, Bounce for Fighting-types like Loom, Keldeo, etc., Waterfall for STAB, and SubDD to complete the classic setup. Choosing Intimidate over Moxie was rather iffy for me; however, Intimidate is always a solid ability, and I feel it allows him to tank hits from threats like Scizor better.
Latias
Item: Life Orb
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 72 HP / 184 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Recover
- Psyshock
- Draco Meteor
- Hidden Power [Fire]
Moveset reasoning:
Latias, the severly underused Eon twin. Latias was on the downfall since Genesect's introduction into BW OU. However, once the mighty metallic bug was banished to ubers, Latias's viability has increased exponentially. Latias really helps my team cope with many threats- Keldeo, Landorus, and Thundurus just to name a few. Anyways, the move choices should be fairly obvious, with Recover for healing purposes, Psyshock and Draco as my main formes of offense, while HP Fire is for incoming Steel-types. EV spread is standard.
Terrakion
Item: Choice Band
Trait: Justified
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- X-Scissor
- Stone Edge
- Rock Slide
- Close Combat
Moveset reasoning:
Ah, Terrakion. What is there to say about it that hasn't been said already? Terrakion is one of, if not the, greatest physical force in OU. His STAB is resisted only by a measly 5 Pokemon, none of which are viable in OU. Terrakion checks many threats, such as Mamo, Kyurem-B, Ferrothorn, Salamence, etc. Really there's no downsides to this guy, other than Rock/Fighting obviously being a bad type defensively. The moveset is the standard CB set. X-Scissor for coverage, Close Combat and Stone Edge as STAB, and Rock Slide for when I don't need Stone Edge's shaky accuracy to get a KO. The EVs are standard also.
Jirachi
Item: Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SDef / 4 Def
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Wish
- Iron Head
- Body Slam
- Stealth Rock
Moveset reasoning:
Jirachi, the little wishmaker from Gen 3, and the best support mon in the game. Rachi provides a lot of utility to this team and also serves as a special tank, Draco magnet, and SR user. Choosing Jirachi for this team was a no-brainer due to it's terrific stats and typing. Wish helps keep vital threats like Gyarados, Garchomp, and Terrakion alive, while Iron Head and Body Slam are pretty self-explainatory, what with Jirachi being the hax god and all. She's also the best user of SR on this team (the other candidate being Garchomp). The EVs are standard Sp. Defensive EVs, but with no Speed investment- I don't see the need to outrun Jolly TTar when 2/3 of my team handles it nicely.
Rotom-W
Item: Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 184 HP / 4 Def / 144 SAtk / 176 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Pain Split
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Will-O-Wisp
Moveset reasoning:
Rotom-W is, like for many others' teams, the glue. He's bulky, he's a Water, he's got great support and pivoting abilities, and is overall a solid, versatile choice to help counter massive threats, such as Tornadus-T in the rain. He also has great defensive synergy with Jirachi, along with being a good secondary answer to Keldeo and other bulky water types. Pain Split is for a decent, albeit unreliable, form of recovery. Volt Switch is great for keeping up offensive pressure, and Hydro Pump is also equally great STAB. Will-O-Wisp helps soften hard-hitting physical attackers. EVs are the standard bulky spread.
Currently Considering
These are mons who I'm currently considering for a slot on my team.
Conclusion
Well, that's it! I hope you guys enjoyed! I'm currently looking for any improvements for this team. I'm mainly looking for improvements in movesets/EV spreads, but you can also suggest new team members altogether! Thanks for looking!
