So, I've finally made a team that has retained the same 6 pokémon for almost an entire day. It's not perfect, but I think it's got some potential. So it's time for me to steal the format from other RMT's and give it a shot. Here goes:
At a Glance
(lol Blaziken is big)
Sharpedo (F) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 6 Atk/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Mild nature (+SAtk, -Def)
- Aqua Jet
- Dark Pulse
- Ice Beam
- Surf
I've decided to replace my former physical Sharpedo with the one reccomended by Pokemon. It still acts as my anti-lead. It handles almost every common lead, as shown by the calcs below. The only thing that forces it out is the threat of a Fake Out or sleep. If forced out (by, say, an Ambipom or fast statuser), Sharpedo can come back later in the game and deal heavy damage with its massive attacking stats, priority, and good move selection. The thing keels over dead if you look at it funny, though.
Cradily (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Suction Cups
EVs: 252 HP/100 Def/152 SDef
Careful nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Curse
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Seed Bomb
This is the final holdover from when this was a sandstorm team. It may seem a bit odd on such on offensive team, but it works as a special sponge (or physical, after a few Curses) and can absolutely wreck an unprepared team. I've differed from the standard set because Seed Bomb covers subpunchers like Poliwrath and Azumarill better than Rock Slide, and Rock Slide's 90% accuracy feels more like 50% sometimes. I've also given it more defense because honestly, it's got enough SpD, and needs more protection from fighting moves. Barring things like Trick or Encore, Cradily can often lay down a few Curses without much problem, at which point only a dedicated wallbreaker can deal lethal damage, and walls like Registeel find that their resists can't stop a +4 or +5 Seed Bomb. I try to save Cradily for later in the game when trickscarfers have had their say and anything with Taunt, Encore, or Close Combat is gone. Cradily also works as a status absorber, laughing off paralysis and going straight to sleep talk if it gets sleeped. She also seems to be a Toxic magnet, which is just more setup time, as anything with Toxic usually attempts to stall it to death, and I can just Rest after a couple more Curses. Finally, Cradily stops the ever-annoying (and effective) SubSeeders from working.
Donphan (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP/252 Atk/4 SDef
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Rapid Spin
- Earthquake
- Ice Shard
- Stealth Rock
This is my all-in-one rocker/spinner/priority/heavy hitter and the closest thing I have to a wall, bar Cradily. Its moveset leaves it somewhat predictable and wallable, however: It boasts a powerful STAB that is unfortunately useless against many pokes, in which case Donphan is left with Ice Shard, at a paltry 40 BP. I generally don't sweat entry hazards much and mostly put up SR when I predict a switch and I mostly spin when I've got 3 or so turns' worth of them piled up(3 layers of spikes or 2 + SR, ect). Ice Shard is my first line of defense against SubSeeders (the third, after Cradily, being just trying to beat the crap out of them). I've briefly considered scarfing it and making it Jolly after I had a serendipitous encounter with a trick scarfer, but that option seems less appealing to me ATM.
Porygonz @ Lum Berry
Ability: Download
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Dark Pulse
- Nasty Plot
- Tri Attack
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
Ah, the infamous PorygonZ. He's one heck of a special sweeper. I was originally using this set as a(n anti-)lead, before I realized that Froslass and Ambipom pretty much have their way with it, and it has too much firepower to suicide itself every match. Most people seem to expect a Choiced P-Z (accuractely enough, though, with NP being used only 41% of the time last month), so I can give them a nasty surprise when their Registeel gets hammered by HP Fighting. Spiritomb gets 2HKO'd by a NP Dark Pulse, but is sadly only 3HKO'd without, and Mismagius doesn't appreciate Dark Pulse either. Tri-Attack lays waste to everything else and has that lovely extra effect. Nasty Plot and Download help boost its power enough to threaten many walls. I'd say that they help the sweep, but honestly, this guy's not sticking around that long.
Mismagius (F) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 Def/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Shadow Ball
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
- Thunderbolt
- Trick
Again, a fairly unexpected set, but one that works. I actually thought of a Trick Specs set before I discovered it was a standard. Mismagius helps my team deal with Fighting types, which otherwise put some serious hurt down. Its moves offer decent coverage with a powerful STAB, but unfortunately, no single move can hit every pokémon out there, which makes prediction somewhat annoying. If I can play around the immunities, though, nothing appreciates being hit from a Special Attack of 462. This set can also cripple walls on the switch-in with a well-timed Trick, then proceed to select the appropriate move as coverage demands. Generally Mismagius sees action as a wallbreaker, but she's also my go-to poke in case of Ambipom leads. From there it becomes a guessing game, though Spiritomb's sudden rise in popularity makes Shadow Ball a good bet.
Blaziken (F) @ Salac Berry
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- Flare Blitz
- Quick Attack
- Low Kick
My final pokémon, and the fifth highly-offensive one. SD Blaziken is one crazy wall-breaking chicken. I try to plop her down onto something like a wounded Registeel that will force a switch (though a Twave is a risk in that specific case) and Dance. From there, nothing takes out Blaziken without taking heavy damage in return. Flare Blitz is a powerful STAB that wrecks pretty much anything that doesn't resist it. Low Kick puts the hurt on rock types and the literally bulky, bulky waters. Thunderpunch is a strong consideration for the final slot instead, but it really only offers additional coverage if I can nail a Moltres with it on the switch-in. Low Kick reaches 100 BP against Milotic, for example, dealing the exact same damage as Thunderpunch after STAB and weaknesses are factored in.
Final Thoughts
Hyper Offensive teams aren't exactly dominating the metagame right now, but this team can be fun to play. It's also pretty decent, and I'm currently in the mid-1300's in UU (decent, considering my newness and lack of skill). I've also got a bit of a weak spot when it comes to Fighters and fighting attacks. Dealing with the suddenly-popular Spiritomb can be iffy, and there's a Moltres-shaped hole in my defense that Ray Charles could see. Rain Dancers (also infuriatingly common) beat this thing like the ShamWow guy.
(lol Blaziken is big)
In Depth
Sharpedo (F) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 6 Atk/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Mild nature (+SAtk, -Def)
- Aqua Jet
- Dark Pulse
- Ice Beam
- Surf
I've decided to replace my former physical Sharpedo with the one reccomended by Pokemon. It still acts as my anti-lead. It handles almost every common lead, as shown by the calcs below. The only thing that forces it out is the threat of a Fake Out or sleep. If forced out (by, say, an Ambipom or fast statuser), Sharpedo can come back later in the game and deal heavy damage with its massive attacking stats, priority, and good move selection. The thing keels over dead if you look at it funny, though.
Cradily (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Suction Cups
EVs: 252 HP/100 Def/152 SDef
Careful nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Curse
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Seed Bomb
This is the final holdover from when this was a sandstorm team. It may seem a bit odd on such on offensive team, but it works as a special sponge (or physical, after a few Curses) and can absolutely wreck an unprepared team. I've differed from the standard set because Seed Bomb covers subpunchers like Poliwrath and Azumarill better than Rock Slide, and Rock Slide's 90% accuracy feels more like 50% sometimes. I've also given it more defense because honestly, it's got enough SpD, and needs more protection from fighting moves. Barring things like Trick or Encore, Cradily can often lay down a few Curses without much problem, at which point only a dedicated wallbreaker can deal lethal damage, and walls like Registeel find that their resists can't stop a +4 or +5 Seed Bomb. I try to save Cradily for later in the game when trickscarfers have had their say and anything with Taunt, Encore, or Close Combat is gone. Cradily also works as a status absorber, laughing off paralysis and going straight to sleep talk if it gets sleeped. She also seems to be a Toxic magnet, which is just more setup time, as anything with Toxic usually attempts to stall it to death, and I can just Rest after a couple more Curses. Finally, Cradily stops the ever-annoying (and effective) SubSeeders from working.
Donphan (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP/252 Atk/4 SDef
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Rapid Spin
- Earthquake
- Ice Shard
- Stealth Rock
This is my all-in-one rocker/spinner/priority/heavy hitter and the closest thing I have to a wall, bar Cradily. Its moveset leaves it somewhat predictable and wallable, however: It boasts a powerful STAB that is unfortunately useless against many pokes, in which case Donphan is left with Ice Shard, at a paltry 40 BP. I generally don't sweat entry hazards much and mostly put up SR when I predict a switch and I mostly spin when I've got 3 or so turns' worth of them piled up(3 layers of spikes or 2 + SR, ect). Ice Shard is my first line of defense against SubSeeders (the third, after Cradily, being just trying to beat the crap out of them). I've briefly considered scarfing it and making it Jolly after I had a serendipitous encounter with a trick scarfer, but that option seems less appealing to me ATM.
Porygonz @ Lum Berry
Ability: Download
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Dark Pulse
- Nasty Plot
- Tri Attack
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
Ah, the infamous PorygonZ. He's one heck of a special sweeper. I was originally using this set as a(n anti-)lead, before I realized that Froslass and Ambipom pretty much have their way with it, and it has too much firepower to suicide itself every match. Most people seem to expect a Choiced P-Z (accuractely enough, though, with NP being used only 41% of the time last month), so I can give them a nasty surprise when their Registeel gets hammered by HP Fighting. Spiritomb gets 2HKO'd by a NP Dark Pulse, but is sadly only 3HKO'd without, and Mismagius doesn't appreciate Dark Pulse either. Tri-Attack lays waste to everything else and has that lovely extra effect. Nasty Plot and Download help boost its power enough to threaten many walls. I'd say that they help the sweep, but honestly, this guy's not sticking around that long.
Mismagius (F) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 Def/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Shadow Ball
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
- Thunderbolt
- Trick
Again, a fairly unexpected set, but one that works. I actually thought of a Trick Specs set before I discovered it was a standard. Mismagius helps my team deal with Fighting types, which otherwise put some serious hurt down. Its moves offer decent coverage with a powerful STAB, but unfortunately, no single move can hit every pokémon out there, which makes prediction somewhat annoying. If I can play around the immunities, though, nothing appreciates being hit from a Special Attack of 462. This set can also cripple walls on the switch-in with a well-timed Trick, then proceed to select the appropriate move as coverage demands. Generally Mismagius sees action as a wallbreaker, but she's also my go-to poke in case of Ambipom leads. From there it becomes a guessing game, though Spiritomb's sudden rise in popularity makes Shadow Ball a good bet.
Blaziken (F) @ Salac Berry
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- Flare Blitz
- Quick Attack
- Low Kick
My final pokémon, and the fifth highly-offensive one. SD Blaziken is one crazy wall-breaking chicken. I try to plop her down onto something like a wounded Registeel that will force a switch (though a Twave is a risk in that specific case) and Dance. From there, nothing takes out Blaziken without taking heavy damage in return. Flare Blitz is a powerful STAB that wrecks pretty much anything that doesn't resist it. Low Kick puts the hurt on rock types and the literally bulky, bulky waters. Thunderpunch is a strong consideration for the final slot instead, but it really only offers additional coverage if I can nail a Moltres with it on the switch-in. Low Kick reaches 100 BP against Milotic, for example, dealing the exact same damage as Thunderpunch after STAB and weaknesses are factored in.
Final Thoughts
Hyper Offensive teams aren't exactly dominating the metagame right now, but this team can be fun to play. It's also pretty decent, and I'm currently in the mid-1300's in UU (decent, considering my newness and lack of skill). I've also got a bit of a weak spot when it comes to Fighters and fighting attacks. Dealing with the suddenly-popular Spiritomb can be iffy, and there's a Moltres-shaped hole in my defense that Ray Charles could see. Rain Dancers (also infuriatingly common) beat this thing like the ShamWow guy.
