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Other The Dark Horse Project
- Thread starter rachet67
- Start date
- Status
Pokemon Showdown! Username: Saake
Prior Hall of Fame Standing: N/A
Current Ranking:
![ATTACH]](http://[ATTACH=full]13891[/ATTACH])
Can't seem to figure this out
Dark Horse Pokemon: Gastrodon
Description of team as a whole.
Hippowdon @ Smooth Rock
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Slack Off
- Whirlwind
- Stealth Rock
Gastrodon @ Leftovers
Ability: Storm Drain
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 SDef
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Ice Beam
- Earth Power
- Yawn
- Recover
Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spd
- Leech Seed
- Spikes
- Gyro Ball
- Knock Off
Excadrill (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Sand Rush
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Iron Head
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
Pinsir @ Pinsirite
Ability: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Quick Attack
- Return
- Earthquake
- Close Combat
Latios (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Surf
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Fire]
This team revolves around keeping Hippowdon alive long enough for a guaranteed Excadrill sweep. Hippowdon is incredibly bulky with the Def investment, which basically necessitates killing him on the special side. With Sand Rush, the only problem Excadrill faces is priority Mach Punch and Sucker Punch when already weakened. Mega-pinser is there to take a random fighting/ground attack and to punish fighting and grass types. Latios is just the utility special attacker for eliminating the likes of Landorus and Skarmory who otherwise wall Excadrill and M-pinser.
Gastrodon first is the main special wall of the team. Gastrodon is a perfect counter to Rotom-wash. Takes no damage from attacks and doesn't really mind burn since it can heal it off with recover. Putting it on a sandstorm team makes sure it's leftovers count and many opponents' don't. When the opponent eventually has to switch out to another counter, yawn it and force another switch or sleep, getting more hazard and sandstorm damage. Is perfect for sponging water attacks directed at Hippowdon and electric attacks targeted M-Pinsir. Any grass type attacks he usually draws can be walled by Ferrothorn (Looking at you M-Venu)
One of the main issues of this team is handling powerful special attacking Ice-type attacks. Gastrodon is neutral, and thats the best this team can do against them. Otherwise the plan is to outspeed with Excadrill and M-pinser.
EDIT: Added team description and ranking
Prior Hall of Fame Standing: N/A
Current Ranking:
Description of team as a whole.
Hippowdon @ Smooth Rock
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Slack Off
- Whirlwind
- Stealth Rock
Gastrodon @ Leftovers
Ability: Storm Drain
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 SDef
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Ice Beam
- Earth Power
- Yawn
- Recover
Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spd
- Leech Seed
- Spikes
- Gyro Ball
- Knock Off
Excadrill (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Sand Rush
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Iron Head
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
Pinsir @ Pinsirite
Ability: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Quick Attack
- Return
- Earthquake
- Close Combat
Latios (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Surf
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Fire]
This team revolves around keeping Hippowdon alive long enough for a guaranteed Excadrill sweep. Hippowdon is incredibly bulky with the Def investment, which basically necessitates killing him on the special side. With Sand Rush, the only problem Excadrill faces is priority Mach Punch and Sucker Punch when already weakened. Mega-pinser is there to take a random fighting/ground attack and to punish fighting and grass types. Latios is just the utility special attacker for eliminating the likes of Landorus and Skarmory who otherwise wall Excadrill and M-pinser.
Gastrodon first is the main special wall of the team. Gastrodon is a perfect counter to Rotom-wash. Takes no damage from attacks and doesn't really mind burn since it can heal it off with recover. Putting it on a sandstorm team makes sure it's leftovers count and many opponents' don't. When the opponent eventually has to switch out to another counter, yawn it and force another switch or sleep, getting more hazard and sandstorm damage. Is perfect for sponging water attacks directed at Hippowdon and electric attacks targeted M-Pinsir. Any grass type attacks he usually draws can be walled by Ferrothorn (Looking at you M-Venu)
One of the main issues of this team is handling powerful special attacking Ice-type attacks. Gastrodon is neutral, and thats the best this team can do against them. Otherwise the plan is to outspeed with Excadrill and M-pinser.
EDIT: Added team description and ranking
Attachments
Last edited:
Pokemon Showdown! Username: C QUEEN THE LEGEND
Prior Hall of Fame Standing: N/A
Current Dark Horse Pokemon: Mega Aerodactyl, Yanma, Heatmor, Lilligant, Seaking
Explanation of Dark Horse(s): .
Prior Hall of Fame Standing: N/A
Current Dark Horse Pokemon: Mega Aerodactyl, Yanma, Heatmor, Lilligant, Seaking
Explanation of Dark Horse(s): .
You mean Yanmega, don't you :-P
The point of this project isn't really to use terrible things, (ie. Seaking, Heatmor) it's to find niche's for underused, but otherwise decent pokemon that can allow them to function in OU. I'm assuming Yanma is actually Yanmega. I want to see a real explanation to why you would use either Heatmor or Seaking over much better OU pokemon.
I hate my past self for choosing these mons they're kinda boring I'm gonna swap out (I haven't had that much time to ladder anyways ;_;). But I've really been having fun with dedicated volt-turn teams so I decided to teambuild in a new direction and this team is really fun to use!
Showdown Username: AceAscot
Prior Hall of Fame Standing: none
Current Ranking:
Current Dark Horses: Cobalion (Cobalion is below carbink in usage stats...really?) , Manetric (at least while usage is still above below 4%) and Entei (Entei's real weight to usage is quite impressive)
Post-Ranking Analysis
I'll start with Mega Manectric because it is the easiest to talk about. Mega Manectric was even better than I thought it would be acting as a really solid pivot that help mandi out of some tough spots and a very good revenge killer as well. There were not many times I felt Manectric getting KOed was because it wasn't good but more because of my misplays. Most importantly though, Mega Manectric was a fantastic late-game cleaner that really thrived when Landorous-I switched in easily on a predicted EQ and broke down its checks and counters. I understand the usual pairing is Landoge+Mega Manectric for double intimidate but give Land-I+Mega Manectric a try it will surprise how good they are together. Overall Manectric is a fantastic pivot and cleaner that deserves to be OU (and A rank) I'd give it a solid 8.5/10.
Now on to Entei, I was honestly surprised at how great Entei turned out to be on this team. Banded Sacred Fire is really nice both for its power and the threat of burn as Heatran is the only real counter and even it can get OHKOed by a predicted Bulldoze. Entei was so fun to use as well, Switch in Azumarill? Burned. Tyranitar? Burned. Garchomp? Burned. Charizard? Stone Edged, so much fun. Another great thing about Band Entei was its synergy with Landorous as they both feared Water-Type moves allowing Vest Azumarill to counter most of Entei's and Landorous's checks. Oh and Extremespeed was nice for revenge killing as well. At times Entei got outsped and Koed because I lacked a good switch-in and it was a pain when Sacred Fire didn't burn but in most matches Entei pulled its weight and was definately an asset to my team. While Entei doesn't fit on every team it is worth giving it a shot as a solid wallbreaker with one of the best and hardest moves to switch in on in the game, I'd give it a 6.5/10
Cobalion is an odd case as it wasn't outclassed per se on my team but I found myself thinking at multiple points "I wish I had Terrakion" or "I wish I had Landorous-T" or "I wish I had Heatran" but there were a couple matches where I felt Cobalion really saved my team, RK Bisharp while setting up rocks on Mandibuzz were two great things Cobalion did. My favorite part of Cobalion was it typing made it a very good ground type lure, and usually Cobalion could survive an EQ with its good defenses and 2HKO with HP ice wearing down bulky ground types for an eventual Manectric sweep. I am so torn about Cobalion, but ultimately I realize that the team I made was pretty much built to help Cobalion and on any other team he would have been pretty much deadweight so I think Cobalion gets a 4/10 but on the upside Cobalion still looks awesome (way cooler than that brute Terrakion and girly Keldeo and Virizion). Cobalion was better than I expected though and it has a niche its just so incredibly miniscule that it may just stop at my team XD.
The team as whole
I'm actually really happy with how this team turned out I was not expecting the climb to 1650 to come so easily to this team given my low expectations for Entei and Cobalion. I loved the synergy my team had as most of the mons I used on this team were mons that I never used before such as Mandibuzz, Entei, Cobalion, Landorous-I and even Mega Manectric and I never used the AV variant of Azumarill either. AV Azumarill was probably the MVP of the team being a very safe swith-in to both Zards, Keldeo and Greninja mons that could wreck the rest of my team if given the proper chance. Mandibuzz was nice but nothing exceptional while Landorous-I was great for wallbreaking and as I mentioned before had very good synergy with Entei. The mon that caused the most trouble for this team would have to be Rotom-W for pretty obvious reasons as most my team doesn't want to take any of Rotom's attacks. I'm probably going to keep laddering with this team (I'll probably drop Cobalion though ;_;) and see how far I can go as I feel this team has lots of untapped potential.
Showdown Username: AceAscot
Prior Hall of Fame Standing: none
Current Ranking:
Current Dark Horses: Cobalion (Cobalion is below carbink in usage stats...really?) , Manetric (at least while usage is still above below 4%) and Entei (Entei's real weight to usage is quite impressive)
This team developed into volt-turn with lots of strong wallbreakers in Landorous and Entei who can weaken checks and counters to a late-game sweep by Manetric. Mandibuzz is there because I need something to (pretty reliably) take on Aegislash and to be a general nuisance to set-up sweepers while Cobalion adds Stealth Rock support and can use its excellent STAB Close Combat tier to work well to break down pink blobs and other mons that annoy my wallbreakers.
Cobalion is so interesting to me it seems really excellent in theory, stealth rock, volt switch really fast while also being pretty defensive. In the matches I've used Cobalion hes actually performed really well with his standard set and although his typing is bad and his power isn't all to impressive the speed and utility more than makes up for it. The meta hasn't really developed in his favor but Justified is a bonus this gen along with being a great answer to bisharp and t-tar.
The set I'm running is actually Cobalion's fast more offensive set and its been working really well at putting alot of pressure on the opposing team in my trial matches.
Cobalion @ Expert Belt
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Spd / 56 Atk / 200 SAtk
Naive Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Volt Switch
- Close Combat
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Then Manetric is a great fast pivot that goes along with this team well because this teams goal is to create opportunities for Landorous-I to wallbreak by drawing in bulky mons for Landorous-I to smash. Manetric also functions as this teams late game cleaner, The sets pretty standard as well.
Manectric @ Manectite
Ability: Lightningrod
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Timid Nature
- Volt Switch
- Flamethrower
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Thunderbolt
Entei was a later choice and I decided on a band set as my team was beginning to take shape as a bunch of mons who are really difficult to switch into (Azumarill, Entei, Landorous-I) while further smashing teams that rely on physical wallbreakers and sweepers I chose Adamant despite losing speed to jolly Excadrill as the rest of my team can support Entei. Scared Fire is excellent as it is really really hard to switch into. Bulldoze takes out Heatran on a predicted switch-in. Entei is way better in OU just with Sacred Fire.
Entei @ Choice Band
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 HP
Adamant Nature
- Extremespeed
- Sacred Fire
- Stone Edge
- Bulldoze
Cobalion is so interesting to me it seems really excellent in theory, stealth rock, volt switch really fast while also being pretty defensive. In the matches I've used Cobalion hes actually performed really well with his standard set and although his typing is bad and his power isn't all to impressive the speed and utility more than makes up for it. The meta hasn't really developed in his favor but Justified is a bonus this gen along with being a great answer to bisharp and t-tar.
The set I'm running is actually Cobalion's fast more offensive set and its been working really well at putting alot of pressure on the opposing team in my trial matches.
Cobalion @ Expert Belt
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Spd / 56 Atk / 200 SAtk
Naive Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Volt Switch
- Close Combat
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Then Manetric is a great fast pivot that goes along with this team well because this teams goal is to create opportunities for Landorous-I to wallbreak by drawing in bulky mons for Landorous-I to smash. Manetric also functions as this teams late game cleaner, The sets pretty standard as well.
Manectric @ Manectite
Ability: Lightningrod
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Timid Nature
- Volt Switch
- Flamethrower
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Thunderbolt
Entei was a later choice and I decided on a band set as my team was beginning to take shape as a bunch of mons who are really difficult to switch into (Azumarill, Entei, Landorous-I) while further smashing teams that rely on physical wallbreakers and sweepers I chose Adamant despite losing speed to jolly Excadrill as the rest of my team can support Entei. Scared Fire is excellent as it is really really hard to switch into. Bulldoze takes out Heatran on a predicted switch-in. Entei is way better in OU just with Sacred Fire.
Entei @ Choice Band
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 HP
Adamant Nature
- Extremespeed
- Sacred Fire
- Stone Edge
- Bulldoze
Cobalion @ Expert Belt
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Spd / 56 Atk / 200 SAtk
Naive Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Volt Switch
- Close Combat
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Mandibuzz @ Leftovers
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 176 Def / 248 HP / 68 SDef / 16 Spd
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Roost
- Defog
- Foul Play
- Whirlwind
Entei @ Choice Band
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
- ExtremeSpeed
- Sacred Fire
- Stone Edge
- Bulldoze
Azumarill @ Assault Vest
Ability: Huge Power
EVs: 252 Atk / 56 HP / 200 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Waterfall
- Play Rough
- Aqua Jet
- Knock Off
Landorus @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 Atk
Naive Nature
- Earth Power
- Knock Off
- Psychic
- U-turn
Manectric @ Manectite
Ability: Lightningrod
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Timid Nature
- Volt Switch
- Overheat
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Thunderbolt
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Spd / 56 Atk / 200 SAtk
Naive Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Volt Switch
- Close Combat
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Mandibuzz @ Leftovers
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 176 Def / 248 HP / 68 SDef / 16 Spd
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Roost
- Defog
- Foul Play
- Whirlwind
Entei @ Choice Band
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
- ExtremeSpeed
- Sacred Fire
- Stone Edge
- Bulldoze
Azumarill @ Assault Vest
Ability: Huge Power
EVs: 252 Atk / 56 HP / 200 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Waterfall
- Play Rough
- Aqua Jet
- Knock Off
Landorus @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 Atk
Naive Nature
- Earth Power
- Knock Off
- Psychic
- U-turn
Manectric @ Manectite
Ability: Lightningrod
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Timid Nature
- Volt Switch
- Overheat
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Thunderbolt
Post-Ranking Analysis
I'll start with Mega Manectric because it is the easiest to talk about. Mega Manectric was even better than I thought it would be acting as a really solid pivot that help mandi out of some tough spots and a very good revenge killer as well. There were not many times I felt Manectric getting KOed was because it wasn't good but more because of my misplays. Most importantly though, Mega Manectric was a fantastic late-game cleaner that really thrived when Landorous-I switched in easily on a predicted EQ and broke down its checks and counters. I understand the usual pairing is Landoge+Mega Manectric for double intimidate but give Land-I+Mega Manectric a try it will surprise how good they are together. Overall Manectric is a fantastic pivot and cleaner that deserves to be OU (and A rank) I'd give it a solid 8.5/10.
The team as whole
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acestriker19 you have been updated accordingly (thanks for the more interesting team members bud :D) and Thundergreek you have been added as well. Only new one not added is cuteflounder as he hasn't added his details on why he chose what he did (nothing gainst the team though, I actually quite enjoy it).
No I didn't, was getting the latest posters done first bud then had to count Theorymon votes and...sue me. Leave for state competition and stuff piles up xD
EDIT: There, all nice and pretty.
Well in the meantime, here's some general experiences with my three. I've been spending more time trying to find them good teammates. A defogger/stealth rock setter has been mandatory, as they all favor hazards on the enemy side. I have mawile as my mega because she's dangerous as ever, provided she can avoid the will o wisps. More on that later.
I tried out something new with Milotic, and that's using the Competitive ability on my standard defensive set. It's actually been working out really well, since she tends to catch a lot of stat drops. Even with no SpA investment, the power that she hits with after a boost is pretty nuts. I've been able to muscle my way through both Ferrothorn and Mega Venusaur on a few occasions, depending on what sets they're running. Lefties is the standard, but I might try out a Life Orb if I feel I can consistently get her boosted.
I normally run a mixed Meloetta with Close Combat and Expert Belt, but this time I tried out both an Assault Vest, and Drain Punch for some recovery. Assault Vest has been working out really well as she gets a whole lot more switch ins than the normal. She's been really great at clearing out enemy ghosts, especially given her immunity to their stabs. Meanwhile, Drain Punch has been rather meh. The power drop from close combat is significant, and the health recovery really hasn't been much to write home about, even with OHKOing certain things from full health. As much as I enjoy not having the stat drops from Close Combat, I kinda miss the reliability of its power output. Probably gonna be going back to that some time.
As for Lilligant, I did a reverse of what I did for Meloetta, with trading Giga Drain for Petal Dance. The sheer power of Petal Dance, especially after a couple of quiver dances has been amazing. The locking thing, not so much. While I'm obviously not gonna lock when there's things like talonflame, charizard, and mega pinsir afoot, there's enough things that resist grass to make it not ideal. It does at least tear nice holes in things, but I think I'll go on and get giga drain back. Might put on chlorophyll too to better answer Zard Y
I tried out something new with Milotic, and that's using the Competitive ability on my standard defensive set. It's actually been working out really well, since she tends to catch a lot of stat drops. Even with no SpA investment, the power that she hits with after a boost is pretty nuts. I've been able to muscle my way through both Ferrothorn and Mega Venusaur on a few occasions, depending on what sets they're running. Lefties is the standard, but I might try out a Life Orb if I feel I can consistently get her boosted.
I normally run a mixed Meloetta with Close Combat and Expert Belt, but this time I tried out both an Assault Vest, and Drain Punch for some recovery. Assault Vest has been working out really well as she gets a whole lot more switch ins than the normal. She's been really great at clearing out enemy ghosts, especially given her immunity to their stabs. Meanwhile, Drain Punch has been rather meh. The power drop from close combat is significant, and the health recovery really hasn't been much to write home about, even with OHKOing certain things from full health. As much as I enjoy not having the stat drops from Close Combat, I kinda miss the reliability of its power output. Probably gonna be going back to that some time.
As for Lilligant, I did a reverse of what I did for Meloetta, with trading Giga Drain for Petal Dance. The sheer power of Petal Dance, especially after a couple of quiver dances has been amazing. The locking thing, not so much. While I'm obviously not gonna lock when there's things like talonflame, charizard, and mega pinsir afoot, there's enough things that resist grass to make it not ideal. It does at least tear nice holes in things, but I think I'll go on and get giga drain back. Might put on chlorophyll too to better answer Zard Y
Pokemon Showdown! Username: 2.69863% Usage
The username is named after the usage stats of Volcarona in OU.
Prior Hall of Fame Standing: None
Current Dark Horse Pokemon: Volcarona :)
Explanation of Dark Horse(s): Volcarona is an incredibly terrifying threat, bringing teams without a Talonflame or other checks to its knees.
The username is named after the usage stats of Volcarona in OU.
Prior Hall of Fame Standing: None
Current Dark Horse Pokemon: Volcarona :)
Explanation of Dark Horse(s): Volcarona is an incredibly terrifying threat, bringing teams without a Talonflame or other checks to its knees.
User name: Regibrick
Dark Horse: Mienshao
Current ranking: 1421
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-116511004
Mienshao @ Choice Band
Ability: Reckless
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- High Jump Kick
- Knock Off
- U-turn
- Facade
This replay is short and I'm not very far in the ladder, and admittedly he got haxed a few times,but it's a good example of Mienshao's potential, and I'm just posting a progress report.
Anyway I don't remember who posted it, but Misnshao is an insansely underrated wallbreaker, as its Reckless Choice Band HJK is stronger than Mega Medicham's! Also has a nice 105 speed tier as opposed to 100 and doesn't take a mega slot. And while Reckless only boosts HJK, it's all you need. As you can see, my opponent's team was BO and at the end of the match he has absolutely NOTHING safe to switch into me as everything is taking over 50% damage. Hippowdon shot down to 22%, Amoongus was right at 48%, but his own sand would have ensured me that 2HKO since it nullified his Black Sludge. And I didn't need that crit on Mega Scizor at the end anyway. You gotta go Choice Band for that ridiculous power, it really helps with the 2HKOs. Knock Off and U-Turn are the moves to use if you expect a switch in that's faster than you and are great in general. I would normally run Stone Edge in the fourth slot but I didn't want to rely on the accuracy and as my team rotates I often had enough Rock coverage elsewhere. Facade seemed like as good a choice as any in the last slot lest I somehow get burned. What's nice is that Mienshao as a U-Turner or wallbreaker resists Stealth Rock so multiple switches are easier, and it makes the need for Defog/Rapid Spin less essential. My team might need a little tweak but I guess you could say it's balance. Mienshao breaks walls and allows for a Mega Tyranitar DD sweep in the end. Rotom-H is scarfed for emergency revenge killing, Trick on a tough wall and status, Skarmory is a standard wall, lays Stealth Rock and Whirlwinds set up sweepers, Azumarill is bulky, handles Dragons and adds priority, and Raikou is to outspeed most of the things Mienshao can't while also able to pivot with Volt Change. If there's something I need to change on my team it's somehow fit a cleric, or scald absorber, as while AV Azumarill eats Scalds, the burn is crippling, and while Rotom cant be burned, he doesn't like Scald.
Dark Horse: Mienshao
Current ranking: 1421
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-116511004
Mienshao @ Choice Band
Ability: Reckless
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- High Jump Kick
- Knock Off
- U-turn
- Facade
This replay is short and I'm not very far in the ladder, and admittedly he got haxed a few times,but it's a good example of Mienshao's potential, and I'm just posting a progress report.
Anyway I don't remember who posted it, but Misnshao is an insansely underrated wallbreaker, as its Reckless Choice Band HJK is stronger than Mega Medicham's! Also has a nice 105 speed tier as opposed to 100 and doesn't take a mega slot. And while Reckless only boosts HJK, it's all you need. As you can see, my opponent's team was BO and at the end of the match he has absolutely NOTHING safe to switch into me as everything is taking over 50% damage. Hippowdon shot down to 22%, Amoongus was right at 48%, but his own sand would have ensured me that 2HKO since it nullified his Black Sludge. And I didn't need that crit on Mega Scizor at the end anyway. You gotta go Choice Band for that ridiculous power, it really helps with the 2HKOs. Knock Off and U-Turn are the moves to use if you expect a switch in that's faster than you and are great in general. I would normally run Stone Edge in the fourth slot but I didn't want to rely on the accuracy and as my team rotates I often had enough Rock coverage elsewhere. Facade seemed like as good a choice as any in the last slot lest I somehow get burned. What's nice is that Mienshao as a U-Turner or wallbreaker resists Stealth Rock so multiple switches are easier, and it makes the need for Defog/Rapid Spin less essential. My team might need a little tweak but I guess you could say it's balance. Mienshao breaks walls and allows for a Mega Tyranitar DD sweep in the end. Rotom-H is scarfed for emergency revenge killing, Trick on a tough wall and status, Skarmory is a standard wall, lays Stealth Rock and Whirlwinds set up sweepers, Azumarill is bulky, handles Dragons and adds priority, and Raikou is to outspeed most of the things Mienshao can't while also able to pivot with Volt Change. If there's something I need to change on my team it's somehow fit a cleric, or scald absorber, as while AV Azumarill eats Scalds, the burn is crippling, and while Rotom cant be burned, he doesn't like Scald.
Ok I got HoF on my other alt with the Staraptor and Magnezone dark horse mons, so I'm gonna sign up a new alt if that's ok with you.
Pokemon Showdown! Username: SS Goldeen (SS stands for Shell Smash lol.)
Prior HoF standing: http://gyazo.com/ff387e2eceb4a5b5f5c4ef6e0f6bdfa1
Dark Horse Pokemon: Ursaring, Galvantula, Blastoise
[Team]
Ursaring (M) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Quick Feet
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 HP
Jolly Nature
- Facade
- Protect
- Close Combat
- Earthquake
Galvantula (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Compound Eyes
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Timid Nature
- Thunder
- Sticky Web
- Bug Buzz
- Giga Drain
Bisharp (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 HP
Jolly Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Low Kick
- Knock Off
- Iron Head
Talonflame (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 216 Spd / 252 Atk / 40 HP
Adamant Nature
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz
- U-turn
- Sleep Talk
Gengar (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 HP
Timid Nature
- Sludge Wave
- Shadow Ball
- Giga Drain
- Focus Blast
Blastoise (M) @ Blastoisinite
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Modest Nature
- Water Pulse
- Dark Pulse
- Rapid Spin
- Aura Sphere [/hide]
Ok so before you think I'm crazy for using Ursaring, I can explain. Ursaring isn't as bad as you think, base 130 attack is the same attack stat as Scizor, and when you can have a decently high speed stat and base 140 STAB Facade, that's pretty good. The whole reason I thought of using Ursaring was because I originally thought of using Diggersby, but then I realized I can have Ursaring who's faster and has a better STAB option with the added bonus of having access to Close Combat. I have Galvantula because even with Quick Feet, Ursaring isn't very fast. Bisharp is there to abuse Defog users, while Talonflame is there because of STAB priority CB Brave Bird since I had no priority. Gengar is there because he can spinblock and he can also be a big threat with Sticky Web support, which is always good. Lastly we have Mega-Blastoise. I put it there for a spinner so that Talonflame and Ursaring don't get worn down so easily, but another reason I used this over something like Tentacruel was because he can actually beat spinblockers like Aegislash. Also chose Blastoise because he's dark horse worthy lol. Overall these aren't the best choices for dark horse mons, but I wanted to try something new. Hopefully this works lol.
Pokemon Showdown! Username: SS Goldeen (SS stands for Shell Smash lol.)
Prior HoF standing: http://gyazo.com/ff387e2eceb4a5b5f5c4ef6e0f6bdfa1
Dark Horse Pokemon: Ursaring, Galvantula, Blastoise
[Team]
Ursaring (M) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Quick Feet
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 HP
Jolly Nature
- Facade
- Protect
- Close Combat
- Earthquake
Galvantula (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Compound Eyes
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Timid Nature
- Thunder
- Sticky Web
- Bug Buzz
- Giga Drain
Bisharp (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 HP
Jolly Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Low Kick
- Knock Off
- Iron Head
Talonflame (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 216 Spd / 252 Atk / 40 HP
Adamant Nature
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz
- U-turn
- Sleep Talk
Gengar (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 HP
Timid Nature
- Sludge Wave
- Shadow Ball
- Giga Drain
- Focus Blast
Blastoise (M) @ Blastoisinite
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Modest Nature
- Water Pulse
- Dark Pulse
- Rapid Spin
- Aura Sphere [/hide]
Ok so before you think I'm crazy for using Ursaring, I can explain. Ursaring isn't as bad as you think, base 130 attack is the same attack stat as Scizor, and when you can have a decently high speed stat and base 140 STAB Facade, that's pretty good. The whole reason I thought of using Ursaring was because I originally thought of using Diggersby, but then I realized I can have Ursaring who's faster and has a better STAB option with the added bonus of having access to Close Combat. I have Galvantula because even with Quick Feet, Ursaring isn't very fast. Bisharp is there to abuse Defog users, while Talonflame is there because of STAB priority CB Brave Bird since I had no priority. Gengar is there because he can spinblock and he can also be a big threat with Sticky Web support, which is always good. Lastly we have Mega-Blastoise. I put it there for a spinner so that Talonflame and Ursaring don't get worn down so easily, but another reason I used this over something like Tentacruel was because he can actually beat spinblockers like Aegislash. Also chose Blastoise because he's dark horse worthy lol. Overall these aren't the best choices for dark horse mons, but I wanted to try something new. Hopefully this works lol.
Where you have [team], replace that with {hide=team} except using [ and ] if you want a labeled hide tag.
Pokemon Showdown! Username: HorseOfDarkness1
Prior Hall of Fame Standing: None
Current Dark Horse Pokemon: Gothitelle and Raikou
Explanation of Dark Horse(s): Gothitelle is the stallbreaker in OU right now. Any Pokemon that needs specific counters removed so that it can sweep will appreciate the help that Gothitelle brings to the table. Raikou is one such sweeper. It is very fast, and once it gets going its Calm Mind set is very hard to stop outside of Mega Venusaur, Chansey, Unaware users, and a few other Pokemon, all of which can be reliably removed by Gothitelle.
Prior Hall of Fame Standing: None
Current Dark Horse Pokemon: Gothitelle and Raikou
Explanation of Dark Horse(s): Gothitelle is the stallbreaker in OU right now. Any Pokemon that needs specific counters removed so that it can sweep will appreciate the help that Gothitelle brings to the table. Raikou is one such sweeper. It is very fast, and once it gets going its Calm Mind set is very hard to stop outside of Mega Venusaur, Chansey, Unaware users, and a few other Pokemon, all of which can be reliably removed by Gothitelle.
Dark Horse Pokemon: Gothitelle, Raikou
Screenshot of 1650+ Elo on OU ladder:
Dark Horse Complete Set:
Raikou @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 32 HP / 224 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 Def
- Calm Mind
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Substitute
Raikou has many sets it can use. I chose a Calm Mind set-up sweeper set. The Speed is enough to outspeed Timid Thundurus, which is the fastest notable target it is possible to outspeed. Max Special Attack is self-explanatory, and the rest is dumped into HP. Calm Mind is obvious, BoltBeam coverage is great, and Substitute is IMO the best option in the last slot. It can let you start a sweep even when there is something like a Choice Scarf Garchomp on the other team, protect you from Toxics and Leech Seeds that would stop your sweep, and let you stall out powerful but inaccurate moves like Stone Edge by waiting for a miss.
Raikou was the centerpiece of my team, so I can't judge how well this set would work on any team, but it was great on mine. It could even do a quick revenge kill before the opposing team was weakened enough to start sweeping. However, I have to admit that my team was built around helping Raikou set up and sweep, and it has many checks and counters that must be removed or heavily weakened first. These checks and counters include but are not limited to Chansey, Mega Venusaur, Quagsire, Ferrothorn, Specially Defensive Hippowdon, and faster Ground types. Taking this into consideration, I would give this Raikou a score of 6/10. It can pay off if you give it the right support, but the set I used needs that support. Of course, there are other options, such as Assault Vest.
Please don't ever use Aura Sphere the lack of a Timid nature isn't worth it.
Gothitelle @ Choice Specs
Ability: Shadow Tag
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 Spd / 4 SDef
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 SAtk / 30 Spd
- Psyshock
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Energy Ball
- Trick
Raikou may have been the centerpiece of my team, but Gothitelle was what allowed it to function. Gothitelle's purpose is to remove or disable Chansey, Mega Venusaur, Ferrothorn, Quagisre, and some others before Raikou tries to sweep. Each moveslot is specifically for beating one of those four Pokemon. Most Gothitelle use Thunderbolt, and I can see how that would be useful at times, but anything Gothitelle would use Thunderbolt to eliminate is not a check or counter for Raikou, whose Thunderbolt is much stronger than Gothitelle's would be. Gothitelle's presence is the reason that Raikou can run Substitute and not something like Extrasensory for Mega Venusaur.
Gothitelle is just amazing in general. Almost any team can use it to improve except Hyper Offense. Depending on the moves and item, Gothitelle can trap almost any defensive threat in existence. I can't understand why its usage is so low that it is a candidate for this project. I think that Gothitelle deserves a whopping 9/10 for filling that role. No other trapper is so versatile and reliable, and a Choice Scarf Trick/Psychic/(Taunt/Torment)/Rest set works as well, in a totally different way. Everyone should try to use Gothitelle on a team for the immense support value it provides.
Description of team as a whole:
Gothitelle @ Choice Specs
Ability: Shadow Tag
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 Spd / 4 SDef
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 SAtk / 30 Spd
- Psyshock
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Energy Ball
- Trick
Raikou @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 32 HP / 224 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 Def
- Calm Mind
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Substitute
Mandibuzz (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 248 HP / 136 Def / 108 SDef / 16 Spd
Impish Nature
- Foul Play
- Roost
- Defog
- U-turn
Ferrothorn (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 216 Def / 40 SDef / 252 HP
Impish Nature
- Leech Seed
- Thunder Wave
- Power Whip
- Stealth Rock
Azumarill @ Assault Vest
Ability: Huge Power
EVs: 252 Atk / 16 HP / 240 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Aqua Jet
- Play Rough
- Knock Off
- Waterfall
Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 248 HP / 40 Spd / 220 SDef
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Lava Plume
- Protect
- Roar
- Toxic
Ability: Shadow Tag
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 Spd / 4 SDef
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 SAtk / 30 Spd
- Psyshock
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Energy Ball
- Trick
Raikou @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 32 HP / 224 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 Def
- Calm Mind
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Substitute
Mandibuzz (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 248 HP / 136 Def / 108 SDef / 16 Spd
Impish Nature
- Foul Play
- Roost
- Defog
- U-turn
Ferrothorn (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 216 Def / 40 SDef / 252 HP
Impish Nature
- Leech Seed
- Thunder Wave
- Power Whip
- Stealth Rock
Azumarill @ Assault Vest
Ability: Huge Power
EVs: 252 Atk / 16 HP / 240 SDef
Adamant Nature
- Aqua Jet
- Play Rough
- Knock Off
- Waterfall
Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 248 HP / 40 Spd / 220 SDef
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Lava Plume
- Protect
- Roar
- Toxic
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Ah was wondering where to put that. Thanks for fleshing it out a bit more and like the idea of CB Mienshao.
That's fine, just thanks for saying its another entrant.
Pokemon Showdown! Username: HorseOfDarkness1
Prior Hall of Fame Standing: None
Current Dark Horse Pokemon: Gothitelle and Raikou
Explanation of Dark Horse(s): Gothitelle is the stallbreaker in OU right now. Any Pokemon that needs specific counters removed so that it can sweep will appreciate the help that Gothitelle brings to the table. Raikou is one such sweeper. It is very fast, and once it gets going its Calm Mind set is very hard to stop outside of Mega Venusaur, Chansey, Unaware users, and a few other Pokemon, all of which can be reliably removed by Gothitelle.
Once I start reaching high points on the ladder, I will update with my team and explanation of the team.
Added
Pokemon Showdown! Username: gambitual
Prior Hall of Fame Standing: N/A
Dark Horse Pokemon: Hippowdon, Walrein, Banette*
Explanation of Dark Horses: Hippowdon is still a fantastic physical wall. With recovery in Slack Off, phazing in Whirlwind, status and pphazing in Yawn, support in Stealth Rocks, and decent Attack. Walrein has decent bulk on both sides, the best Ice resistance in the game, a Fire resistance, and Super Fang to make-up for its attacking stats. Banette is a very strong pokemon with tons of supporting options. While not the beast among beasts, it makes a great supporter/disruptor with Knock Off, Pursuit, Shadow Sneak, Pain Split, Substitute, Destiny Bond, and Prankster.
Hippowdon and Walrein make a good defensive core. They are "Dark Horses" because Skarmory is arguably better at walling than Hippowdon and Rotom-W and Swampert are better than Walrein. They aren't bad and I will hopefully work them up to 1650.
*While Banette is on my team, I don't want it to be considered strictly part of it for the rules of this project. If in doubt my current team fails, I would like the freedom to switch Banette out without having to make a new account. Please? :)
Edit: Sorry for the below picture quality, hope it is good enough.
Prior Hall of Fame Standing: N/A
Dark Horse Pokemon: Hippowdon, Walrein, Banette*
Explanation of Dark Horses: Hippowdon is still a fantastic physical wall. With recovery in Slack Off, phazing in Whirlwind, status and pphazing in Yawn, support in Stealth Rocks, and decent Attack. Walrein has decent bulk on both sides, the best Ice resistance in the game, a Fire resistance, and Super Fang to make-up for its attacking stats. Banette is a very strong pokemon with tons of supporting options. While not the beast among beasts, it makes a great supporter/disruptor with Knock Off, Pursuit, Shadow Sneak, Pain Split, Substitute, Destiny Bond, and Prankster.
Hippowdon and Walrein make a good defensive core. They are "Dark Horses" because Skarmory is arguably better at walling than Hippowdon and Rotom-W and Swampert are better than Walrein. They aren't bad and I will hopefully work them up to 1650.
*While Banette is on my team, I don't want it to be considered strictly part of it for the rules of this project. If in doubt my current team fails, I would like the freedom to switch Banette out without having to make a new account. Please? :)
Edit: Sorry for the below picture quality, hope it is good enough.
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2 dark horses seems too arbitrary. It's done in a similar way in UU (with the caveat that your whole team has to be under a certain level of usage) and it disqualifies a lot of creative teams. I couldn't use my shedinja + zoroark team in that competition because I had other, high usage mons for support.
Requiring only one still requires some adjustment to your play style. The only 2 of us who are ranked so far are using very different teams than anything else you would see that high up on the ladder.
There are other people that have achieved hall of fame, they just have slightly lower ranks, and I want to wait till the end of the month so I don't have to update twice.
On the 2 vs 1 dark horses argument, I've seen many if not most people try many dark horses, and some people like effyouzion, have been very creative with the 1 dark horse they have. For now I don't see anything wrong with only requiring 1.
On the 2 vs 1 dark horses argument, I've seen many if not most people try many dark horses, and some people like effyouzion, have been very creative with the 1 dark horse they have. For now I don't see anything wrong with only requiring 1.
Question: Can I use a Mega of a Mon that is over 4% usage?
As long as that is not your dark horse mon, then yes. Like on my team, I have a Zapdos, but that's not my dark horse mon, that's my Crawdaunt and Crobat (with Arcanine).
I guess I missed ya (there are a lot of Volcarona's around atm, sorry there bud). Will update post haste.
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