The Phox and the Tree (Peaked #4 - 1552) [RU Offense]

[JohnOrigins]

The Phox and the Tree
RU Offense

Hello friends, JohnOrigins here! here we have a team that was originally intended to shine with Hitmonchan...but as we are all aware hitmonchan is booty trash so i swapped it for the superior Hitmonlee!
The team is obviously guided towards getting up hazards and then applying the offense with its offensive threats! but more importantly it works by utilizing toxic spikes which have proven to be my favorite hazard in RU because of my experience with this team! Also i haven't seen the god known as Delphox used in a while and surprisingly it hasn't disappointed me.

And here is me hitting that #4 under my alt Hakazi http://prntscr.com/6u44xw
​

Now onto the individual mons:

Qwilfish (Lead)

Qwilfish (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Spikes
- Toxic Spikes
- Scald
- Taunt

The fish of qwils is quite the monster as a lead, with both spikes and toxic spikes it allows qwilfish to be an optimal lead, scald gives that fancy 30% burn chance and taunt can prevent opposing hazards. Its investment is simple, 252 speed with a timid nature is great with its base 85 speed allowing it to out-speed most mons in the tier and it has a dangerously close stat to meloetta and drapion so you can determine investment and spreads from those pokemon easily, max HP gives it a good amount of bulk and also gaurentees that accelgors energy ball cannot 2hitko it allowing you to get up more hazards, the rest i threw into def just incase qwilfish is alive late game for some reason (but tbh you can put it in spatk quite easily).

Calcs

252 SpA Accelgor Energy Ball vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Qwilfish: 132-156 (39.6 - 46.8%)

Shiftry (SD Sweeper)

Shiftry (F) @ Life Orb
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Seed Bomb
- Swords Dance​

Here is the 1st of 2 swords dance sweepers on this team, Shiftry! This was a great addition to the team as it provided a much needed ground and water resist, and also provided a secondary check to the monster known as Cresselia. Standard.set is what this is with knock removing them pesky items and sucker punch being fantastic priority, seed bomb hits fish and toad and swords dance is nice to set up on the switches of said waters and psychics. Standard EV spread to utilize power, went with an Adamant nature over jolly because power reigns supreme and because base 80 speed isnt the greatest as an offensive mon so why not get them KO's with the adamant nature.
With Shiftry, people seem to like switching their virizions into a knock off for that justified boost, so if you find yourself not using swords dance too often i would seriously recommend aerial ace.

Calcs

252+ Atk Life Orb Shiftry Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Heliolisk: 261-308 (98.4 - 116.2%)
252+ Atk Life Orb Shiftry Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 152+ Def Cresselia: 260-307 (58.5 - 69.1%)
252+ Atk Life Orb Shiftry Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 164 HP / 0 Def Seismitoad: 239-282 (60.9 - 71.9%)
252+ Atk Life Orb Shiftry Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Dugtrio: 344-407 (171.1 - 202.4%)
252+ Atk Life Orb Shiftry Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 160+ Def Amoonguss: 187-222 (43.2 - 51.3%)
252+ Atk Life Orb Shiftry Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Tangrowth: 156-185 (38.7 - 45.9%)
252+ Atk Life Orb Shiftry Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Durant: 142-168 (55.2 - 65.3%)

Rhyperior (Physical Wall)

Rhyperior (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Solid Rock
EVs: 252 HP / 212 Def / 44 Spe
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Rock Blast
- Earthquake
- Roar
​

I know what you are thinking, why not run offensive rhyperior with LO and rocks? quite simple, this team would get #rekt by bird spam, emboar, doublade, and drapion if i had no investment and losing HP with life orb rather then gaining with leftovers, also it gives me a semi reliable stealth rocker. Although near max defense isnt usually recommended on rhyperior as its useless the impish 212 inv just increases its ability to survive and stops SD sweepers in their tracks. 44 Speed investment speed ties with standard fletchinder and outspeeds alot of doublade sets and the creep is nice for other rhyperiors too. SR and EQ are standard, rock blast is just what i prefer to use on defensive rhyperior, stone edge can be used if desired, roar is handy for spreading hazard damage and stopping silly slurpuffs who think they can set up on rhyperior! DONT DO IT FOOL!

Calcs

+2 252+ Atk Doublade Iron Head vs. 252 HP / 212+ Def Solid Rock Rhyperior: 235-279 (54.1 - 64.2%)
+2 252 Atk Drapion Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 212+ Def Solid Rock Rhyperior: 157-186 (36.1 - 42.8%)
+2 252 Atk Drapion Aqua Tail vs. 252 HP / 212+ Def Solid Rock Rhyperior: 285-336 (65.6 - 77.4%)
+2 252 Atk Cobalion Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 212+ Def Solid Rock Rhyperior: 280-333 (64.5 - 76.7%)
+1 252 Atk Hustle Durant Iron Head vs. 252 HP / 212+ Def Solid Rock Rhyperior: 240-283 (55.2 - 65.2%)

Hitmonlee (Offensive spinner)

Hitmonlee (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Reckless
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- High Jump Kick
- Knock Off
- Rapid Spin
- Mach Punch​

Yeah so hitmonchan wasnt working out for me.... Hitmonlee on the otherhand was blessed by the gods and given access to Knock off so it is the clear choice as a spinner and as an offensive powerhouse, reckless HJK is a gem and mach punch gives my team access to another form of priority. Spin helps cuz phox fire no likely rocks. Jolly nature over adamant nature to beat none boosting nature meloetta and to beat adamant hitmonlee.

Calcs

252 Atk Life Orb Reckless Hitmonlee High Jump Kick vs. 120 HP / 136 Def Alomomola: 321-380 (64 - 75.8%)
252 Atk Life Orb Reckless Hitmonlee High Jump Kick vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Mega Steelix: 299-354 (84.4 - 100%)-- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock and 1 layer of Spikes
252 Atk Life Orb Reckless Hitmonlee High Jump Kick vs. 52 HP / 0 Def Slurpuff: 177-209 (55.6 - 65.7%)
252 Atk Life Orb Reckless Hitmonlee High Jump Kick vs. 252 HP / 160+ Def Amoonguss: 156-183 (36.1 - 42.3%)
252 Atk Life Orb Reckless Hitmonlee High Jump Kick vs. 212 HP / 252 Def Solid Rock Rhyperior: 310-365 (73.1 - 86%)
252 Atk Life Orb Hitmonlee Mach Punch vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Dugtrio: 179-212 (89 - 105.4%)
252 Atk Life Orb Reckless Hitmonlee High Jump Kick vs. 160 HP / 0 Def Drapion: 289-341 (90 - 106.2%)

Delphox (Special Scarfer)

Delphox (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Grass Knot
- Psyshock
- Switcheroo

The return of the phox, i needed something fast to beat out those cheeky little durants and cobalions, so delphox came to mind, it also baits in pains such as big fish and cresselia and can cripple them with the scarf switcheroo. Delphox also helps against the regenerator grass pokemon and with grass knot as a great coverage move can sweep late game after giving away its item. generic EV spread unfortuntely but thats all you can really do with this, i suppose you could smash a bit of investment into def for doublade's shadow sneak but aslong as you don't switch into 2 rocks and it hasn't set up you will be fine (and its not as if you have shiftry and a rhyperior to deal with the swords).

calcs

252 SpA Delphox Fire Blast vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Drapion: 208-246 (74 - 87.5%)

252+ Atk Doublade Shadow Sneak vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Delphox: 168-198 (57.7 - 68%)
252 Atk Life Orb Dugtrio Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Delphox: 216-255 (74.2 - 87.6%)

Doublade (SD Sweeper/Spin Blocker)

Doublade (F) @ Eviolite
Ability: No Guard
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 168 HP / 252 Atk / 88 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Iron Head
- Shadow Sneak
- Shadow Claw​

Ahh the swords are back in action, this lovely little guy makes a great spin blocker beating out standard spinners such as hitmonchan/top and walls threats such as sd virizion and checks pesky Cresselia. Shadow sneak priority comes in really handy agaisnt the abundance of psychic types in the tier. I opted not to use sacred sword because steelix can be handled by hitmonlee and delphox accordingly. I have 88 speed investment as it speed creeps standard doublade (44 speed) and poops on reuniclus who run speed investment, also helps me outspeed rhyperior who decide to run 44 speed inv (outspeeding by 1 point), it also allows doublade to stay relatively bulky with 168 HP. Doublade just rounds out the team pretty well.

Overall the team is pretty sweet, i sometimes have had difficulty with late game Sigilyph but a well played doublade says nah son to that threat!

Importable

Qwilfish (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Spikes
- Toxic Spikes
- Scald
- Taunt

Rhyperior (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Solid Rock
EVs: 252 HP / 212 Def / 44 Spe
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Rock Blast
- Earthquake
- Roar

Delphox (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Grass Knot
- Psyshock
- Switcheroo

Shiftry (F) @ Life Orb
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Seed Bomb
- Swords Dance

Hitmonlee (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Reckless
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- High Jump Kick
- Knock Off
- Rapid Spin
- Mach Punch

Doublade (F) @ Eviolite
Ability: No Guard
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 168 HP / 252 Atk / 88 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Iron Head
- Shadow Sneak
- Shadow Claw

Shoutouts!

Pheonixmaster1 - died to school and smash but my little italian 12 year old is top friend
Mizticall - #Mizoricall
Lord Emvee - He be a lady, but only one who still plays mons and is my #1 fan
hydreigonmaster635 - the one and only, man of the hour, crys at megas, laughs at failure
6fthax - because he is a little cry baby bitch who begged to be on this list.... nerd​

 

[col49]

yo

chill team, i appreciate the application of sash qwilfish for sure. really emphasizes just how ground-weak good spike-stack builds have to be nowadays (a reason amidst many why flygon would be sick down here, but w.e), though i would of course understand that this isn't something you (or anybody) has all that much control over here haha. scarf delphox is a pokemon that i find rather difficult to justify on teams, and while i certainly won't market as an entirely 'bad' set, i think this team does make reasonable use of it here, so props for that.

what bothers me most about this team is all the breathing room it yields houndoom in proportion to the answers you have to it (which is to say zero); delphox is food for it, shiftry and doublade are to a lesser extent, and nothing takes fire blast + appropriate dark stab follow-up, which is nasty if the opp's hazard control is more thorough. i also don't really find spin lee to be ideal here; your team doesn't actively concede hazards, so it seems like more of a panic button response to delphox being weak to sr, which isn't an optimal manner of building.

in terms of minor adjustments, there are a couple suggestions i would make. the first of which would be to simply make rhyperior spdef; it's neat that it takes so little from a drapion or ~65% from a durant, but it's hyper offense, and it shouldn't need to be responding to these pokemon in such a fashion. do yourself the kindness of having a 1-time houndoom switch, it retains so many more benefits here. as mentioned with hitmonlee, i don't find spin to be gainful enough here to warrant use, and rn this just gives way more breathing room to poisons to come in and remove tspikes at a limited loss on their end. consider double edge here, both in punishing those types of switches and restricting the breathing room of other common defensively-inclined staples. lastly, sacred sword > iron head seems really nice for this particular team, given how much it dislikes feeding turns to heliolisk and houndoom. this will give more breathing room to drapion, of course, but there has been a substantial increase in earthquake use for coverage over aqua tail, which favours this build.

lastly, with the stark increase in defensive hazard removal such as togetic and hitmontop, i might consider the use of a mixed shiftry with explosion here; the loss in additional booster is somewhat regrettable, but is an issue that is, for the most part, accommodated by spikes support, and the pokemon retains moderate 'breaking power' here, albeit in a different fashion than sd. baiting drapion also is of reasonable benefit here, i would say.


hope some of my comments were of use to you, gl in the future

Shiftry @ Life Orb
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 140 Atk / 184 SpA / 184 Spe
Mild Nature
- Leaf Storm
- Sucker Punch
- Dark Pulse
- Explosion