Hey everyone! Welcome to my first RMT. This is the team I used to get reqs for the duggy suspect (vote ban please!). I only ever really ladder for suspect tests, because I find normal laddering kinda boring (it takes way too many games to get to #1). Proof: http://imgur.com/yEDCmSr
Seeing as school starts back up soon here in the lovely southern hemisphere I may as well share my team as I won't be playing much mons for a while.
With the metagame filled to the brim with speedy threats like Pheromosa, Greninja, and Tapu Koko, there are 2 ways to play around them: either to outspeed them or to outslow them. On this team, ScarfSerp outspeeds them, and Trick Room Magearna outslows them.
The Rock Setters
Mamoswine @ Focus Sash
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Icicle Crash
- Earthquake
- Ice Shard
- Stealth Rock
Mamo is this teams 1st Stealth Rocker and is the lead 90% of the time. Its job is to get up SR and to punish mons such as Tapu Fini that want to come in and Defog away my hazards.
This set is pretty standard, so the one bit of advice I will give is to be smart when playing mamo. If the opponent doesn't have hazard control, then you might be in a position to use mamo as a suicide lead. If your opponent has a bunch of 4x ice weaks that get easily picked off by Ice Shard, then please dont sac Mamo turn 1. The beauty of 2 Stealth Rockers is you can pick and choose when you want to get rocks up and with which mon.
Sometimes, it's better to get off Ice Shard damage on lead Pheromosa, or to EQ a lead greninja for 90%. Sometimes, its better to get rocks up first turn to immediately pressure the opposing team. You really have to play Mamo by ear.
Landorus-Therian @ Life Orb
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Earth Power
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Stealth Rock
- Sludge Wave
The most versatile mon in the game is so versatile that it can run a special attacking set.
Why special Lando? Because i was getting tired of opposing Lando-T switching in on my own Lando and getting their own rocks up.
Timid + Life Orb lets me outspeed most variants of Lando-T and OHKO them with HP Ice. Double Dance Lando usually runs Adamant, and is OHKOd by this Lando, and normal defensive variants are 100% OHKOd after rocks. This also OHKOs DD Mence, stopping it from setting up on me where it would otherwise be able to set up a DD on defensive lando.
Sludge wave is for annoying fairies such as Tapu Fini and Clef. It can also 2HKO AV Tangrowth after rocks, and 2HKOs Gyara after rocks, meaning Gyara can only get off 1 DD (allowing me to outspeed and revenge with Serp). After rocks, Sludge wave also 2HKOs 252 HP Buzzwole, a mon which can usually set up a sub on defensive Lando.
Earth Power is reliable STAB and lets me 2HKO mons like Toxapex without having to worry about Scald burns.
Why two Stealth Rockers?
SR is one of, if not the most, important moves in Pokemon, and in this gen hazard control is predominately provided by one mon: Tapu Fini
The beauty of Fini is that it will almost always get off a Defog, and this has led to the rise in SR-weak sweepers such as Volcarona, Gyarados and Salamence. Fini's downfall, however, is that it has no reliable recovery, so against this team, it can realistically only ever get off 1 defog.
Gross 2HKOs with T-punch. Lando-T 2HKOs with Sludge Wave. Serp 2HKOs with Leaf Storm. Mamo 3HKOs with EQ.
The main premise of these two mons working in tandem is usually to get rocks up first with Mamo, and then to abuse the opponent's Defogger as it switches in and goes for Defog. Mamo will likely be down to its sash, and the opponent likely feel comfortable letting their Defogger get weakened, only to have Lando-T come in and set Rocks back up again.
A very common double I will make is to go Serperior on the Defog/Moonblast/Nature's Madness, and then straight back into Mamo as your opponent brings in their bulky steel (eg Heatran) so I can get rocks back up.
Hammer Arm > Earthquake is predominately to hit Ferrothorn and Chansey. Hammer Arm also does enough damage to opposing Mega-Metagross such that Twinkle Tackle from Magearna will KO after a couple of rocks hits.
I don't run Bullet Punch because I have enough priority on my team thanks to Mamo and Ash-Gren, and the loss of a coverage move would hurt Gross much more than BP aids it.
Zen Headbutt would be nice, but again, I can't afford to lose any of the 3 coverage moves I run as they are all there for a very specific reason.
Greninja-Ash @ Choice Specs
Ability: Battle Bond
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Dark Pulse
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Water ShurikenHonestly, there's not much that I can say about this mon that hasn't already been said, so I will explain my choice of Ice Beam > U-turn and my choice of Battle Bond > Protean.
One of Greninja's greatest strengths (and the reason why it just might be broken) is the fact that you don't know whether it's Protean or Ash. I don't wish to give that information away just so I can U-turn on Tapu Fini or Toxapex for 1% damage. I play very aggressively, and I trust myself to make the correct double switch after bringing Gren in, negating the need for U-turn.
Ice Beam is still incredibly useful both pre and post Battle Bond, allowing you to pick off 4x ice weaks like Zygarde, as well as allowing for a late game clean up without having to risk Hydro missing.
Battle Bond > Protean for one simple reason: Water Shuriken. I actually think that Protean Gren is a better mon overall, however, the loss of Specs Water Shuriken is just too much for this team imo. Assuming I am in Ash-form, Shuriken can come in and pick off +1 Sp Def Volcarona after stealth rocks, as well as OHKOing Pheromosa, Landorus, Excadrill and the like.
You can choose to run HP Fire, Spikes, Gunk Shot + Filler Move Protean Greninja if you can withstand the loss of priority, as this will help with the team's M-Scizor weakness as well allow Gren to beat Fini.
Laugh all you want (and plenty of people on the ladder do) but I seriously believe ScarfSerp is one of the most underrated mons in this extremely fast and frail metagame. I used ScarfSerp on a rain team to get reqs for Genesect, and I liked it so much that I had to use it here.
This thing is an absolute monster. It is very easy to come in on a weakened mon and pick it off with Leaf Storm, and soon this thing becomes unstoppable. Scarf allows me to outspeed Greninja and get surprise KOs if I switch in on a Dark Pulse aimed at Metagross, as well as allowing me to outspeed Koko, non-scarf Pheromosa, and pretty much any other scarfer in the game.
After getting a kill, your opponent will likely send out a scarfer/'faster' mon of their own to KO you, only to have you outspeed and KO them back.
+2 Serp outspeeds and:
Once you get to +4, that's when the fun really begins.
Glare is the most important move after Leaf Storm, because it lets me get a last ditch paralysis off on +1 mons such as Gyara/Mence/Volcarona.
HP Fire for Ferro/Scizor and Dragon Pulse is just a filler move that is handy if I need to KO a Dragon that won't die to Leaf Storm.
As great of a sweeper as Serp is, its main purpose is to lure in mons that wall/check Magearna. This includes Heatran, Ferrothorn, opposing Magearna, and Celesteela. Now you might be wondering why I run two sweepers that are both essentially checked by the same mons, and the answer is that that's the point. Serp lures in all of the above mons, making them take Stealth Rocks and a Leaf Storm (or HP Fire if you predict correctly).
The last thing I want is to run 5 mons that counter/check the above Magearna checks, only for them to have never seen the light of day and be at near-full health because my opponent can't bring them in on any of my other 5 mons.
Luring these mons in allows me to either get off SR + Leaf Storm, or it allows me to double into Gross/Lando/Greninja, forcing them to either take damage or switch out once again. Seeing as none of these bulky steel types have reliable recovery outside of leech seed (which can be played around), the name of the game is to slowly wear them down to the point where Magearna can KO them.
Magearna @ Fairium Z
Ability: Soul-Heart
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Fleur Cannon
- Flash Cannon
- Aura Sphere
- Trick Room
Magearna is undoubtedly the star of the team (and the mon that I based this team around). This meta is a lot more fast paced than previous ones, making it perfect for a mon like Magearna to come in and slow things down a bit with Trick Room. Coupled with Soul Heart, this thing will destroy teams in the late-game.
Why Trick Room over Shift Gear? Honestly, I think Shift Gear Magearna sucks. If you use Shift Gear, you are forced to run Timid +252 Speed, meaning you lose a ton of power and a ton of bulk. And even if you do manage to get a Shift Gear off (likely taking some damage in the process), Scarf Pheromosa just comes in and clicks High Jump Kick to finish you off.
TR allows me to run 252 HP, giving me an easier time getting off a TR so that I can sweep. The beauty of this Magearna is that you can pretty much get a TR off on anything short of a STAB supereffective move from a very strong mon. After taking rocks damage, you have still a 87.5% chance of living +1 High Jump Kick from Scarf Pheromosa, that's how bulky Magearna is.
Fairium Z makes Fleur Cannon a 195 BP move, and lets you dodge the -2 Sp At, essentially guaranteeing you a KO and a +1 boost in the late game. Soul Heart is one of the best Abilities in the game, and those +1 boosts just keep on stacking as you keep getting KOs.
Just remember that you only get 4 turns of Trick Room after initially setting it up, so try to keep Magearna in the back until the opponent has only 4-5 somewhat weakened mons left.
Calcs vs some of the most common/threatening mons
In short, Magearna is stupid strong.
Aura Sphere > Thunderbolt so that I can pick off weakened Steel types. T-bolt is only really used for mons like Toxapex and Celesteela, both of which I usually have no trouble dealing with.
Calcs vs common steels
Flash Cannon is just a reliable, spammable STAB move that will net you most of you KOs once Magearna reaches +2 or +3.
Magearna is also my answer to the ever-annoying and ever-prevelent Scolipede baton-pass spam teams (thanks robopoke). You come in, Trick Room up on Scolipede (which usually runs Poison Jab so it cant touch you) and precede to wear it down with Flash Cannon. If you play correctly, Scolipede should never be able to pass off a substitute, and at the very least you should be at 100% and have a chance to TR up on any mon that wants to come in, completely negating its speed boosts and potentially netting yourself a KO with Twinkle Tackle.
Weaknesses
Stall. Stall. Stall.
Perhaps the team's biggest weakness is stall. Chansey, Skarm, Clef, Sab etc are just so annoying for this team to deal with. If you see a stall team, you have to keep Metagross healthy, as this is the only way you are breaking through Skarm and Chansey.
That said, the greatest weakness of stall is it's predictability. You know exactly what each mon is going to do, and you can play accordingly. You know that they are going to lead M-Sableye and protect on turn one, so lead Serp and get off a Leaf Storm as he knocks you off, and then get off a Leaf Storm on the incoming Clef/Chansey. Putting Sableye at 60ish% means it cant come in on any mon. From there, the aim is to get rock up and to hurt the opponents team with Metagross. Once one link in the stall chain is gone (be it Skarm or Chansey or Sab etc...) you will have a much easier time winning.
The reason I don't run a dedicated stall-breaker is because I usually just forfeit games against stall because I can't be bothered playing them (especially when getting reqs because I can afford to lose 10-15 games). However, I found this team actually doesnt do too bady against stall teams, and so I played (and won) most of my battles against stall.
Here is a replay against stall which I won through a combination of some very good luck and some prediction.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7oususpecttest-533307089
Mega-Scizor
This thing will sweep you if you let it get to +4. My only reliable ways of beating it are HP Fire on Serp, and Hydro Pump on Greninja (or Dark Pulse if I am in Ash form). If you see a Scizor in team preview, you have to keep Greninja and Serp healthy, as both can take a +2 BP and deal a huge chunk of damage back.
Magearna Checks
I have already mentioned Tran, Ferrothorn, Celesteela and opposing Magearna above, so I will address some other checks.
Mega-Metagross: This is the mon that you will likely run into most on ladder that poses a problem for Magearna. Seeing as Gross has no method of recovery, any damage is good damage. Twinkle Tackle will KO if gross is below 53.4%.
+2 Serperior does 44.8 - 53.1%, so if you get a chance to Leaf Storm Metagross for the damage, you should take it 99% of the time.
EQ from Metagross does only around 60-65%, so if Trick Room is up, you can always Twinkle Tackle into Aura Sphere.
M-Venusaur/Amoonguss: These two can pose some issues for the team, however a combination of Mamo, Lando-T, Greninja and Stealth Rocks are more than enough to wear these two mons down.
Toxapex: This mon gets destroyed by Mamo + Lando + Serp, so isn't a huge worry for me
Offensive Fire Types (Zard Y and X, Volcarona): These mons are the reason why Stealth Rocks are so important to this team. So if you see any of these on the opponent's team, make it your no. 1 priority to set rocks up and pressure these mons. Twinkle Tackle can OHKO both Zard Y and Volcarona after SR.
I hope you all try out the team and have as much fun with it as I did. Feel free to ask me any questions.
P.S. Get ready for many comments during the battle like 'Scarf Serp.....are you serious?'
:)
Importable
Seeing as school starts back up soon here in the lovely southern hemisphere I may as well share my team as I won't be playing much mons for a while.
With the metagame filled to the brim with speedy threats like Pheromosa, Greninja, and Tapu Koko, there are 2 ways to play around them: either to outspeed them or to outslow them. On this team, ScarfSerp outspeeds them, and Trick Room Magearna outslows them.
TEAM PREVIEW:
The Rock Setters
Mamoswine @ Focus Sash
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Icicle Crash
- Earthquake
- Ice Shard
- Stealth Rock
This set is pretty standard, so the one bit of advice I will give is to be smart when playing mamo. If the opponent doesn't have hazard control, then you might be in a position to use mamo as a suicide lead. If your opponent has a bunch of 4x ice weaks that get easily picked off by Ice Shard, then please dont sac Mamo turn 1. The beauty of 2 Stealth Rockers is you can pick and choose when you want to get rocks up and with which mon.
Sometimes, it's better to get off Ice Shard damage on lead Pheromosa, or to EQ a lead greninja for 90%. Sometimes, its better to get rocks up first turn to immediately pressure the opposing team. You really have to play Mamo by ear.
Landorus-Therian @ Life Orb
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Earth Power
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Stealth Rock
- Sludge Wave
Why special Lando? Because i was getting tired of opposing Lando-T switching in on my own Lando and getting their own rocks up.
Timid + Life Orb lets me outspeed most variants of Lando-T and OHKO them with HP Ice. Double Dance Lando usually runs Adamant, and is OHKOd by this Lando, and normal defensive variants are 100% OHKOd after rocks. This also OHKOs DD Mence, stopping it from setting up on me where it would otherwise be able to set up a DD on defensive lando.
Sludge wave is for annoying fairies such as Tapu Fini and Clef. It can also 2HKO AV Tangrowth after rocks, and 2HKOs Gyara after rocks, meaning Gyara can only get off 1 DD (allowing me to outspeed and revenge with Serp). After rocks, Sludge wave also 2HKOs 252 HP Buzzwole, a mon which can usually set up a sub on defensive Lando.
Earth Power is reliable STAB and lets me 2HKO mons like Toxapex without having to worry about Scald burns.
Why two Stealth Rockers?
SR is one of, if not the most, important moves in Pokemon, and in this gen hazard control is predominately provided by one mon: Tapu Fini
The beauty of Fini is that it will almost always get off a Defog, and this has led to the rise in SR-weak sweepers such as Volcarona, Gyarados and Salamence. Fini's downfall, however, is that it has no reliable recovery, so against this team, it can realistically only ever get off 1 defog.
Gross 2HKOs with T-punch. Lando-T 2HKOs with Sludge Wave. Serp 2HKOs with Leaf Storm. Mamo 3HKOs with EQ.
The main premise of these two mons working in tandem is usually to get rocks up first with Mamo, and then to abuse the opponent's Defogger as it switches in and goes for Defog. Mamo will likely be down to its sash, and the opponent likely feel comfortable letting their Defogger get weakened, only to have Lando-T come in and set Rocks back up again.
A very common double I will make is to go Serperior on the Defog/Moonblast/Nature's Madness, and then straight back into Mamo as your opponent brings in their bulky steel (eg Heatran) so I can get rocks back up.
The Bruisers
Metagross-Mega @ Metagrossite
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Thunder Punch
- Meteor Mash
- Ice Punch
- Hammer Arm
Though it usually doesn't sweep, Gross is one of the most important mons on this team simply due to its ability to hit so many different mons hard. T-punch is necessary for the likes of Skarm, Celesteela, Zard-Y and Gyarados. Ice Punch hits the usual suspects such as Lando-T, Chomp, and Flying/Dragon Mons.
Metagross-Mega @ Metagrossite
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Thunder Punch
- Meteor Mash
- Ice Punch
- Hammer Arm
Hammer Arm > Earthquake is predominately to hit Ferrothorn and Chansey. Hammer Arm also does enough damage to opposing Mega-Metagross such that Twinkle Tackle from Magearna will KO after a couple of rocks hits.
I don't run Bullet Punch because I have enough priority on my team thanks to Mamo and Ash-Gren, and the loss of a coverage move would hurt Gross much more than BP aids it.
Zen Headbutt would be nice, but again, I can't afford to lose any of the 3 coverage moves I run as they are all there for a very specific reason.
Greninja-Ash @ Choice Specs
Ability: Battle Bond
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Dark Pulse
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Water Shuriken
One of Greninja's greatest strengths (and the reason why it just might be broken) is the fact that you don't know whether it's Protean or Ash. I don't wish to give that information away just so I can U-turn on Tapu Fini or Toxapex for 1% damage. I play very aggressively, and I trust myself to make the correct double switch after bringing Gren in, negating the need for U-turn.
Ice Beam is still incredibly useful both pre and post Battle Bond, allowing you to pick off 4x ice weaks like Zygarde, as well as allowing for a late game clean up without having to risk Hydro missing.
Battle Bond > Protean for one simple reason: Water Shuriken. I actually think that Protean Gren is a better mon overall, however, the loss of Specs Water Shuriken is just too much for this team imo. Assuming I am in Ash-form, Shuriken can come in and pick off +1 Sp Def Volcarona after stealth rocks, as well as OHKOing Pheromosa, Landorus, Excadrill and the like.
You can choose to run HP Fire, Spikes, Gunk Shot + Filler Move Protean Greninja if you can withstand the loss of priority, as this will help with the team's M-Scizor weakness as well allow Gren to beat Fini.
The Sweepers
Serperior @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Contrary
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Leaf Storm
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Dragon Pulse
- Glare
Ability: Contrary
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Leaf Storm
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Dragon Pulse
- Glare
Laugh all you want (and plenty of people on the ladder do) but I seriously believe ScarfSerp is one of the most underrated mons in this extremely fast and frail metagame. I used ScarfSerp on a rain team to get reqs for Genesect, and I liked it so much that I had to use it here.
This thing is an absolute monster. It is very easy to come in on a weakened mon and pick it off with Leaf Storm, and soon this thing becomes unstoppable. Scarf allows me to outspeed Greninja and get surprise KOs if I switch in on a Dark Pulse aimed at Metagross, as well as allowing me to outspeed Koko, non-scarf Pheromosa, and pretty much any other scarfer in the game.
After getting a kill, your opponent will likely send out a scarfer/'faster' mon of their own to KO you, only to have you outspeed and KO them back.
+2 Serp outspeeds and:
- OHKOs Scarf Lele after rocks
- OHKOs Koko, Greninja, Scarf Lando-t and Scarf Chomp
Once you get to +4, that's when the fun really begins.
- Mega-Metagross, one of the biggest threats in this tier (and to this team) takes 68-80% damage, giving Magearna an opening to sweep.
- Physically Defensive Toxapex gets OHKOd
- Hell, even Chansey has a chance of dying if it switches in on rocks at +4 and then takes another Leaf Storm at +6.
Glare is the most important move after Leaf Storm, because it lets me get a last ditch paralysis off on +1 mons such as Gyara/Mence/Volcarona.
HP Fire for Ferro/Scizor and Dragon Pulse is just a filler move that is handy if I need to KO a Dragon that won't die to Leaf Storm.
As great of a sweeper as Serp is, its main purpose is to lure in mons that wall/check Magearna. This includes Heatran, Ferrothorn, opposing Magearna, and Celesteela. Now you might be wondering why I run two sweepers that are both essentially checked by the same mons, and the answer is that that's the point. Serp lures in all of the above mons, making them take Stealth Rocks and a Leaf Storm (or HP Fire if you predict correctly).
The last thing I want is to run 5 mons that counter/check the above Magearna checks, only for them to have never seen the light of day and be at near-full health because my opponent can't bring them in on any of my other 5 mons.
Luring these mons in allows me to either get off SR + Leaf Storm, or it allows me to double into Gross/Lando/Greninja, forcing them to either take damage or switch out once again. Seeing as none of these bulky steel types have reliable recovery outside of leech seed (which can be played around), the name of the game is to slowly wear them down to the point where Magearna can KO them.
Magearna @ Fairium Z
Ability: Soul-Heart
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Fleur Cannon
- Flash Cannon
- Aura Sphere
- Trick Room
Why Trick Room over Shift Gear? Honestly, I think Shift Gear Magearna sucks. If you use Shift Gear, you are forced to run Timid +252 Speed, meaning you lose a ton of power and a ton of bulk. And even if you do manage to get a Shift Gear off (likely taking some damage in the process), Scarf Pheromosa just comes in and clicks High Jump Kick to finish you off.
TR allows me to run 252 HP, giving me an easier time getting off a TR so that I can sweep. The beauty of this Magearna is that you can pretty much get a TR off on anything short of a STAB supereffective move from a very strong mon. After taking rocks damage, you have still a 87.5% chance of living +1 High Jump Kick from Scarf Pheromosa, that's how bulky Magearna is.
Fairium Z makes Fleur Cannon a 195 BP move, and lets you dodge the -2 Sp At, essentially guaranteeing you a KO and a +1 boost in the late game. Soul Heart is one of the best Abilities in the game, and those +1 boosts just keep on stacking as you keep getting KOs.
Just remember that you only get 4 turns of Trick Room after initially setting it up, so try to keep Magearna in the back until the opponent has only 4-5 somewhat weakened mons left.
Calcs vs some of the most common/threatening mons
252+ SpA Magearna Twinkle Tackle (195 BP) vs. 248 HP / 16+ SpD Tapu Fini: 250-295 (72.8 - 86%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Magearna Twinkle Tackle (195 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Metagross-Mega: 161-190 (53.4 - 63.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Magearna Twinkle Tackle (195 BP) vs. 252 HP / 24 SpD Landorus-Therian: 408-481 (106.8 - 125.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ SpA Magearna Twinkle Tackle (195 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Tapu Lele: 309-364 (109.9 - 129.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ SpA Magearna Twinkle Tackle (195 BP) vs. 32 HP / 0 SpD Charizard-Mega-Y: 155-183 (50.8 - 60%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ SpA Magearna Twinkle Tackle (195 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Charizard-Mega-X: 399-469 (134.3 - 157.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ SpA Magearna Twinkle Tackle (195 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Marowak-Alola: 209-246 (80 - 94.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ SpA Magearna Twinkle Tackle (195 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Assault Vest Tangrowth: 253-298 (62.6 - 73.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ SpA Magearna Twinkle Tackle (195 BP) vs. 248 HP / 20 SpD Rotom-Wash: 324-382 (106.9 - 126%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ SpA Magearna Twinkle Tackle (195 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Volcarona: 167-197 (53.6 - 63.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ SpA Magearna Twinkle Tackle (195 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Metagross-Mega: 161-190 (53.4 - 63.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Magearna Twinkle Tackle (195 BP) vs. 252 HP / 24 SpD Landorus-Therian: 408-481 (106.8 - 125.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ SpA Magearna Twinkle Tackle (195 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Tapu Lele: 309-364 (109.9 - 129.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ SpA Magearna Twinkle Tackle (195 BP) vs. 32 HP / 0 SpD Charizard-Mega-Y: 155-183 (50.8 - 60%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ SpA Magearna Twinkle Tackle (195 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Charizard-Mega-X: 399-469 (134.3 - 157.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ SpA Magearna Twinkle Tackle (195 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Marowak-Alola: 209-246 (80 - 94.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ SpA Magearna Twinkle Tackle (195 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Assault Vest Tangrowth: 253-298 (62.6 - 73.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ SpA Magearna Twinkle Tackle (195 BP) vs. 248 HP / 20 SpD Rotom-Wash: 324-382 (106.9 - 126%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ SpA Magearna Twinkle Tackle (195 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Volcarona: 167-197 (53.6 - 63.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
In short, Magearna is stupid strong.
Aura Sphere > Thunderbolt so that I can pick off weakened Steel types. T-bolt is only really used for mons like Toxapex and Celesteela, both of which I usually have no trouble dealing with.
Calcs vs common steels
252+ SpA Magearna Aura Sphere vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Assault Vest Magnezone: 140-166 (40.6 - 48.2%) -- 5.9% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ SpA Magearna Aura Sphere vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Heatran: 182-216 (47.1 - 55.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Magearna Aura Sphere vs. 252 HP / 168 SpD Ferrothorn: 146-174 (41.4 - 49.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Magearna Aura Sphere vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Heatran: 182-216 (47.1 - 55.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Magearna Aura Sphere vs. 252 HP / 168 SpD Ferrothorn: 146-174 (41.4 - 49.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
Flash Cannon is just a reliable, spammable STAB move that will net you most of you KOs once Magearna reaches +2 or +3.
Magearna is also my answer to the ever-annoying and ever-prevelent Scolipede baton-pass spam teams (thanks robopoke). You come in, Trick Room up on Scolipede (which usually runs Poison Jab so it cant touch you) and precede to wear it down with Flash Cannon. If you play correctly, Scolipede should never be able to pass off a substitute, and at the very least you should be at 100% and have a chance to TR up on any mon that wants to come in, completely negating its speed boosts and potentially netting yourself a KO with Twinkle Tackle.
Weaknesses
Stall. Stall. Stall.
Perhaps the team's biggest weakness is stall. Chansey, Skarm, Clef, Sab etc are just so annoying for this team to deal with. If you see a stall team, you have to keep Metagross healthy, as this is the only way you are breaking through Skarm and Chansey.
That said, the greatest weakness of stall is it's predictability. You know exactly what each mon is going to do, and you can play accordingly. You know that they are going to lead M-Sableye and protect on turn one, so lead Serp and get off a Leaf Storm as he knocks you off, and then get off a Leaf Storm on the incoming Clef/Chansey. Putting Sableye at 60ish% means it cant come in on any mon. From there, the aim is to get rock up and to hurt the opponents team with Metagross. Once one link in the stall chain is gone (be it Skarm or Chansey or Sab etc...) you will have a much easier time winning.
The reason I don't run a dedicated stall-breaker is because I usually just forfeit games against stall because I can't be bothered playing them (especially when getting reqs because I can afford to lose 10-15 games). However, I found this team actually doesnt do too bady against stall teams, and so I played (and won) most of my battles against stall.
Here is a replay against stall which I won through a combination of some very good luck and some prediction.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7oususpecttest-533307089
Mega-Scizor
This thing will sweep you if you let it get to +4. My only reliable ways of beating it are HP Fire on Serp, and Hydro Pump on Greninja (or Dark Pulse if I am in Ash form). If you see a Scizor in team preview, you have to keep Greninja and Serp healthy, as both can take a +2 BP and deal a huge chunk of damage back.
Magearna Checks
I have already mentioned Tran, Ferrothorn, Celesteela and opposing Magearna above, so I will address some other checks.
Mega-Metagross: This is the mon that you will likely run into most on ladder that poses a problem for Magearna. Seeing as Gross has no method of recovery, any damage is good damage. Twinkle Tackle will KO if gross is below 53.4%.
+2 Serperior does 44.8 - 53.1%, so if you get a chance to Leaf Storm Metagross for the damage, you should take it 99% of the time.
EQ from Metagross does only around 60-65%, so if Trick Room is up, you can always Twinkle Tackle into Aura Sphere.
M-Venusaur/Amoonguss: These two can pose some issues for the team, however a combination of Mamo, Lando-T, Greninja and Stealth Rocks are more than enough to wear these two mons down.
Toxapex: This mon gets destroyed by Mamo + Lando + Serp, so isn't a huge worry for me
Offensive Fire Types (Zard Y and X, Volcarona): These mons are the reason why Stealth Rocks are so important to this team. So if you see any of these on the opponent's team, make it your no. 1 priority to set rocks up and pressure these mons. Twinkle Tackle can OHKO both Zard Y and Volcarona after SR.
I hope you all try out the team and have as much fun with it as I did. Feel free to ask me any questions.
P.S. Get ready for many comments during the battle like 'Scarf Serp.....are you serious?'
:)
Importable
Magearna @ Fairium Z
Ability: Soul-Heart
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Fleur Cannon
- Flash Cannon
- Aura Sphere
- Trick Room
Landorus-Therian @ Life Orb
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Earth Power
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Stealth Rock
- Sludge Wave
Mamoswine @ Focus Sash
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Icicle Crash
- Earthquake
- Ice Shard
- Stealth Rock
Metagross-Mega @ Metagrossite
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Thunder Punch
- Meteor Mash
- Ice Punch
- Hammer Arm
Greninja-Ash @ Choice Specs
Ability: Battle Bond
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Dark Pulse
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Water Shuriken
Serperior @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Contrary
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Leaf Storm
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Dragon Pulse
- Glare
Ability: Soul-Heart
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Fleur Cannon
- Flash Cannon
- Aura Sphere
- Trick Room
Landorus-Therian @ Life Orb
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Earth Power
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Stealth Rock
- Sludge Wave
Mamoswine @ Focus Sash
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Icicle Crash
- Earthquake
- Ice Shard
- Stealth Rock
Metagross-Mega @ Metagrossite
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Thunder Punch
- Meteor Mash
- Ice Punch
- Hammer Arm
Greninja-Ash @ Choice Specs
Ability: Battle Bond
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Dark Pulse
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Water Shuriken
Serperior @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Contrary
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Leaf Storm
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Dragon Pulse
- Glare
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