ORAS OU The Core Strategy

[GreyShadow]

Gallade-Mega (M) @ Galladite
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Ice Punch
- Close Combat
- Zen Headbutt
- Swords Dance
Mega Gallade was the initial Pokemon I wanted to use and despite hearing about how Mega Medicham is the better choice, I went for him anyway. 165 is a monstrous attack stat, no matter how you look at it. One swords dance and then I can begin to pierce through most common walls. Knock Off has already been covered by 2 other Pokemon, so I figured Ice Punch was the ideal coverage choice. It's also the only attacking move it has with 0 negatives minus some lower power.

Clefable @ Life Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 172 Def / 84 SpD
Calm Nature
- Moonblast
- Calm Mind
- Soft-Boiled
- Flamethrower
The answer to Mega-Sableye who would haunt Gallade and Bisharp otherwise. Clefable also does well as a special wall and is a good answer to those trying to set up on me. Although some may prefer unaware to take out said set up users, Magic Guard is the all around better option in my opinion. Letting me switch in to both Will-O-Wisps and Toxics and then set up is a great advantage to have. The EV spread keeps me bulky enough on both sides of the spectrum, and Life Orb adds a means of attacking. A good tank, if I do say so myself.

Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spe
Bold Nature
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Will-O-Wisp
- Pain Split
Irrelevant, but I've gone through almost 3 generations thinking that this thing couldn't breed. Definitely news to me. Anyway, Rotom-Wash functions as my defensive wall thanks to some of the best bulk in the game along with Will-O-Wisp. With Landorus-T on the team, allowing for VoltTurn, the 2 compliment each other quite well.

Bisharp @ Black Glasses
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 52 SpD / 204 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- Pursuit
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
Pursuit trappers are scary. If you predict correctly, your opponent gets heavily punished. It's a tad risky, but also incredibly satisfying. Knock Off is one of the best moves this generation. Bisharp functions best late game and provides some great help for Gallade. I started out with AV but power ended up appealing more to me since the bulk boost honestly wasn't giving him the best of help.

Landorus-Therian (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Stone Edge
- Knock Off
A great finisher. Landorus-T has amazing coverage and gives the team even more Knock Off support. I thought he was the best compliment to Rotom-W and for good reason with VoltTurn being a thing. Being an attacker over a defender works out very nicely with Intimidate.

Heatran @ Air Balloon
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Earth Power
- Flash Cannon
- Stealth Rock
My normal go to lead with Stealth Rock and such. Fire Blast hits hard and provides the coverage that this team seemed to lack without it. I try to set up the rocks and then get things going with the rest of the team. Clefable has most of the special bulk covered, so I was happier with Heatran functioning as an attacker. Being able to take out Fairies and a bunch of other threats with Earth Power is nothing to be laughed at.

So basically I wanted to use Mega Gallade. I found out that Bisharp was his best partner in crime so it got me thinking about other great pairs of Pokemon. I decided on Rotom-W and Landorus-T. Each pair needed someone to round them out so I chose Clefable for the former and Heatran for the latter and boom. Help is very appreciated.

 

[Hazzy!]

Hey there mate.
That's a really cool team you got there. I cannot suggest anything really. One thing I would like to point out is how you're pretty weak to PuP Mega Lopunny, which is extremely common in this metagame. Mega Lopunny is cancer, ik ik. Of course, I'm new to smogon so don't take my suggestions straight away lol. But a way of dealing with Mega Lopunny and also have a Mega Sableye counter is still using Clefable, but an Unaware physically defensive set. That way you can ignore the boosts Lopunny get from PuP and you can take some hits as well.

Hide

Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
- Moonblast
- Heal Bell
- Wish
- Protect

Other than that, your team looks really nice. Good luck!

 

[WilliXL]

ROTOM-WASH CAN BREED!?!?!? WUUUUUTTTT... That makes my life at least like 50x easier. Anyways, onto your team.

Bisharp + Gallade is a pretty common, but very powerful Core right now. Using it is very simple, and I see you've taken into account well the checks and counters that you're opponent will most likely be using (mostly in the form of Talonflame and Sableye). Overall, I believe your team could use just a tad more Special Presence, but that's not really a crucial matter as Heatran is plenty on its own.

Now on to each individual Pokemon.

For Gallade, I might recommend you switching Zen Headbutt to Psycho Cut for the accuracy. Assuming that you can use your team to find opportunities to allow Mega Gallade to set up Swords Dances, the extra power really doesn't matter when being fired from that 165 Atk stat. Mega Gallade can't take too many hits, so the accuracy could really come in clutch.

For Clefable, I agree that you should switch to an Unaware set. You don't have any phazing moves and your team is inherently or EV'd to be really bulky in general (aside from Rotom-W, but you can't have it taking all the hits). So the Unaware would really help, with a mixed Defenses, and again agreeing with Hazzy, focusing more on making sure PuP Lopunny doesn't sweep you.

Clefable

Clefable @ Life Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 172 Def / 84 SpD
Calm Nature
- Moonblast
- Heal Bell
- Wish
- Protect

With the Heal Bell, you still won't have to worry about Burns or Toxics, and you can have a safety net if an unexpected burn comes either Bisharp or Gallade's way.

For Rotom-W I have nothing to say. Make sure that you save it for the sole purpose of beating your opponent's Talonflame though. Make sure it doesn't take too many hits beforehand.

For Bisharp. You've got a not quite orthodox set going on. It seems pretty legit, though just make sure you're warned about the Latis. A lot of them have started carrying HP Fighting or HP Fire. So make sure you care careful about Pursuit trapping them. In the current metagame, it's a lot of the times better to actually Sucker Punch.

For Lando-T, the only suggestion I can think of is running Adamant over Jolly, though there could be Speed tie problems with other Scarf Landos. Though you wouldn't really stay in on a Scarf Lando with your own, it'll probably just end up being U-Turns for both of you.

And I got nothing to say about Heatran. Overall a pretty solid team. Just watch out for Talonflames and Sylveons. The best course of action for you is to conserve Rotom-W against Talonflames as much as possible and preserve Heatran's Air Balloon early game. A lot of Fairies run HP Ground now-a-days, so that's pretty important for a Heatran to stay floating.

Good Luck

 

[Perennial]

have you considered the possibility of using a Choice Scarf on Bisharp? you are using her to trap pokémon like Gengar, Latios and Latias. since you are slower, many 50/50s come into play when deciding whether to Pursuit or Sucker Punch because of the coverage they typically carry to damage Bisharp. predicting incorrectly can be costly and Scarf lessens the need for prediction, providing some surprise factor and letting Bisharp better perform the trapper role to help Gallade.

Hide

Bisharp @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Iron Head
- Pursuit
- Stone Edge / Low Kick

Stone Edge can be used if you want something to kill Charizard-Y, a pretty big threat to this team. Low Kick is also viable if you prefer the added insurance versus opposing Bisharp, who can be hard for you to handle at +2.

with this change, I would modify Landorus-T to a bulky SRer. there is no need to have two Scarf users with Bisharp now taking on the role. the threats you were revenging with Landorus-T, like Charizard-X, are still adequately checked so the loss is minor. a bulkier Landorus-T relieves the pressure placed on Rotom-W to check threats like Talonflame, who can be problematic as mentioned above. furthermore, with Landorus-T as the SRer you gain the flexibility to consider changing Heatran to a Magma Storm trapper with Power Herb and Solar Beam. this forms a nice trapping duo with Bisharp and lures in/removes an annoying obstacle to a Gallade sweep: Slowbro.

Hide

Landorus-Therian @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 8 SpD / 8 Spe
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Stone Edge
- Stealth Rock

Heatran @ Power Herb
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Magma Storm
- Flash Cannon
- Taunt
- Solar Beam

Earth Power can be used over Flash Canon but I think your team prefers hitting Clefable and Mega Altaria more than it does Charizard-X and Heatran. I suggested Thunder Wave Clefable below, which helps cripple those two and make up for the loss in Earth Power.

I would change Clefable's item to Leftovers. without, you hurt Clefable's durability and can no longer reliably avoid 2HKO's from things like LO Latios, Mega Lopunny's Return and LO Kyurem-B's Ice Beam. also consider Thunder Wave over Flamethrower. your team already covers the pokémon Flamethrower targets while Thunder Wave lets Clefable bypass checks like Mega Venusaur and cripple Manaphy, who is troublesome after a glow. lastly, modify Rotom-W's EVs to 248 HP / 216 Def / 44 Spe. you become faster than all Belly Drum Azumarill, who you don't want setting up on something like a locked Bisharp and sweeping your team.

cool team, liked!