The Gren Squad (OU Balance)
https://pokepast.es/dac337b1cd10ed56
(Click the team or the link above to see the PokePaste)
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The Gren Squad is a team I built using various Pokemon I've grown to enjoy, or wanted to try using while going through my Suspect Test laddering for Chien-Pao (OUZO). While I don't have my reqs yet (because I'm bad at the game lmao), I've actually grown to enjoy playing this team. At first glance, it looks like a bit of a wonky OU Balance team that may or may not lose to X mon(s), but when played properly actually wins a lot of games that it feels like it shouldn't. Most of my inspiration from this was wanting to play around with Greninja in the same vein that I did with Cinderace, but actually making a "built to win" team. https://pokepast.es/dac337b1cd10ed56
(Click the team or the link above to see the PokePaste)
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Greninja @ Choice Specs
Timid Nature | Protean
Tera Water
252 SpAtk / 252 Speed / 4 SpDef
Surf
Dark Pulse
Ice Beam
Grass Knot
Greninja is the face of this team, and one of the two major offensive backbones to the whole squad. Gren was the Pokemon I wanted to start building around, so it was the obvious first pick; An excellent specially offensive Pokemon that don't need no Tera to put work in. Originally, it was an Expert Belt + U-Turn type of momentum lead, but over time I grew less and less fond of U-Turn on it, and switched whole-hog to Specs. You get just so much more mileage out of it. Surf/Dark Pulse/Ice Beam/Grass Knot gives you an insane amount of coverage, but Knot can be substituted for Extrasensory. The reason I chose GK was to beat opposing Waters, especially opposing Gastros, Rotom-Washes, and opposing Grens that either Tera'd into Water, Protean'd into Water, or are slower/lost the speed tie. I whole-heartedly do NOT support EVER committing your Tera on your Libero/Protean Pokemon unless it is a dire situation, otherwise you're turning off your ability and are better off with whatever alternative you have.
Skeledirge @ Leftovers
Modest Nature | Unaware
Tera Fairy
252 SpAtk / 220 HP / 36 SpDef
Torch Song
Shadow Ball
Earth Power
Substitute
Skeledirge was a secondary "must have" inclusion to the team. Unaware Dirge is something to not be taken lightly, as I've seen SO MANY players get greedy and try to set up in Dirge's face just for Dirge to scream at it and blow it up to kingdom come. Most Dirges are the Wisp + Hex + Slack Off set, but I wanted a Dirge that could do oh so much more. Having a base 104 HP stat means we can opt for 101/51 HP Substitutes (if playing 50/all), which stops the likes of the Seismic Toss or Night Shade from destroying your Substitute in a single hit. Sub also allows us to sit on things like Garganacl and Amoonguss without fear of Salt Cure or Spore ever hurting us while we click Torch Song and obliterate their Pokemon. A lot of this set came from a Lanturn I used in BDSP that was Sub + 3 Attacks, which was a riot to play around with. Dirge 1v1 beats Garganacl, Volcarona, Iron Moth, Amoonguss, and a whole host of other Pokemon without any speed investment. It also serves as our only check to the stupid emu, Espathra. If you're playing 50/all, then your spread changes from 220 HP / 36 SpDef to 196 HP / 60 SpDef for 204 HP (51 HP Subs).
Great Tusk @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Jolly Nature | Protosynthesis
Tera Ground
252 Atk / 252 Speed / 4 Def
Headlong Rush / Earthquake
Close Combat
Knock Off
Rapid Spin
Most would look at this Great Tusk set and go "wtf is this?" And to them I say; An offensive utility Tusk. With how prominent hazards are in the metagame in the past two generations (SV included), I basically NEVER build a team without a combo of 2 of the following; Defog and Rapid Spin. Be it 2 Defoggers, 2 Spinners, or a Defogger and a Spinner. Keeping hazard control is important! I decided on Boots Tusk over Leftovers or Choice Band so that it could come in on ANY hazards, ignore them, and threaten a Spin or a Knock, or even a KO depending upon the situation. I run Jolly on this so that you outrun non-Scarf Timid Gholdengo and non-Scarf Timid Glimmora, so you can absolutely blitz them before they can cause too much of an issue. Knock Off + Spin gives us Item and Hazard control, CC and HR or EQ gives us damage potential. The role compression this mon can give a team is nuts.
Scizor @ Choice Band
Jolly Nature | Technician
Tera Steel
252 Atk / 252 Speed / 4 SpDef
Bullet Punch
Pounce
Thief
U-Turn
Scizor is our secondary offensive backbone for the team. Tera Steel STAB Technician Bullet Punches sting real bad, but aren't always necessary. I've always been a fan of Scizor and what it brings to the table defensively for a team. Pounce is a good Bug STAB to have so you don't have to use U-Turn when unnecessary, as it both gets Technician boosts, and lowers either the current target's speed or the switch-in's speed, allowing you to possibly outpace it immediately after for a secondary hit if need be. Most Choice Band Scizors want more bulk to take more hits, but I wanted more offensive pressure with Band + better speed + Pounce. Thief is here over Close Combat purely for the Gholdengo matchup. If you're Adamant, Scarf Dengo goes down in a single hit every time, but if you're Jolly it's an 81.3% (or 13/16) roll to OHKO from full. Bulky Dengo takes 58.2 - 68.7%, which is a guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers. Iron Valiant is a clean OHKO every time, which is very enjoyable to watch. Most of the time, you'll be clicking U-Turn and Bullet Punch, however.
Corviknight @ Rocky Helmet
Impish Nature | Pressure/Mirror Armor (MA is better, IMO. I just never got around to swapping it.)
Tera Flying
244 HP / 252 Def / 12 Atk
Body Press
U-Turn
Roost
Defog
Corviknight is this game's Skarmory, and the lover of Gastrodon in most of my teams. Seriously, I hardly EVER build a team without Corvi/Gastro or Corvi/Clod just because of how amazingly good the synergy is between them. Most people would tell me that Corviknight is "too passive" of a Pokemon to use, or ask how I fare with it being Corviknight of all things. To them, I just say "Corviknight has never truly given me problems. It does its job, and it does it well." It's the second piece of my hazard control core, and sits on Pokemon that want to make physical contact. U-Turners get punished, Kingambits not played well lose to it, and I probably have a 60%+ matchup win rate against Chien-Pao. Not having Bulk Up or Iron Defense doesn't hurt me in the slightest, as I enjoy playing a faster paced pivoting game over trying to just sit on things (unless ABSOLUTELY necessary.) Non-Fire/Thunder Punch Dragonites also are very sad when they see this Pokemon, just like with Skeledirge.
Gastrodon @ Covert Cloak
Calm Nature | Storm Drain
Tera Water
244 HP / 252 SpDef / 12 SpAtk
Surf
Earth Power
Stealth Rock
Recover
WHHAAAAAAT!? A Gastrodon/Great Tusk team that DOESN'T stack hazards like Jenga blocks? Perish the thought! All jokes aside, I have never been a fan of hazard stacking. Stealth Rock is all I need to succeed, as it hits everything in the game to disable Focus Sashes and Sturdy. Everything else is gravy to me, honestly. My Gastro originally started as a dual tank Gastro on Chilling Water/Ice Beam/Stealth Rock/Recover + Leftovers, trying to mimic what I was doing with dual tank Clodsire, dual tank Skarmory, and Quagsire in BDSP. It worked to a decent degree, but I found myself wanting more of a dedicated special tank for the team. You sit on non-Grass Knot locked Greninja, you hard counter non-Hex Rotom-Wash, you sit on Garganacl all day, Gholdengo cries at the sight of you, and there is no secondary effect hax coming your way thanks to Covert Cloak. Seriously, it was like eating the world's best ice cream float when I started playing with Covert Cloak Gastrodon; It's so hard to break. Corvi/Gastro has amazing defensive coverage, and with both Surf + Earth Power, you have a lot more checking power. Even Skeledirge has some trouble with Cloak Gastro.
Side notes about the team:
-The team has a major problem with Spore. Unless you can get yourself into a situation where the opponent hard switches in Amoonguss into one of your U-Turns, you'll have to sack something to sleep and then deal with it. Hard to fit Dengo, a Grass/Insomnia mon, or Safety Goggles without messing with team balance.
-Magnezone can be an annoyance to you, with Corvi + Scizor being locked in with it. But unless it has speed investment, both can safely U-Turn out from it. Don't waste your Teras (especially Scizor's lmfao) trying to get away from it.
-As always, Chien-Pao is a problematic Pokemon for the team at times. Dirge can Tera into Fairy and nuke it with a Torch Song. Scizor can 1v1 it with Bullet Punch. Corvi CAN beat it fairly reliably, unless it is an Icicle Crash set. Then you have problems.
-This started mostly as a "proof of concept" team, but has since evolved into something that feels very capable in most games.
