Pretty sure last time I did a RMT was all the way back in Gen 6, but hey, might as well after nearly 9 or so years since then, right? This is my first team back in OU since mid-late March or April for OU, and I've been seeing a tiny bit of success with it, so I figure I might as well try and iron out issues it has.
The Team
Full exportable: https://pokepast.es/6e9cdcbeaa973ff0
When the spikes go (Samurott-Hisui) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Sharpness
Tera Type: Dark
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Razor Shell
- Ceaseless Edge
- Flip Turn
- Aqua Jet
Of all the mons returning to OU after a several month hiatus, Samurott was ideally the one I wanted to build with since stacking Spikes seems like such a brainless option. Fortunately, since barely 2 days after returning DLC dropped, Flip Turn now exists! Against webs and screens offense if they don't straight lead with their setters, Samurott either can get a free Ceaseless off or Flip Turn out as they pivot in, and if Ribombee stays in, you can Aqua Jet to stop it immediately. If Ribombee goes for Moonblast, you trade no spikes for no Webs, and if they pivot out, you get chip on the mon coming in + save Aqua Jet for later or can Ceaseless a slower mon. Sacred was the option over Flip Turn, and with Baxc running rampant at the moment I am considering returning. Tera Dark has surprised more than a few people and can let you tank a Discharge in a pinch, and also hits like a truck.
632146P (Kingambit) @ Lum Berry
Ability: Supreme Overlord
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Kowtow Cleave
- Low Kick
- Sucker Punch
- Swords Dance
Kingambit is straight cheese. This is the other mon I knew to slap onto any team because it just does everything you could possibly want. I'm aware (thanks to a very unfortunate ladder player who left mine at 2%) that most Kingambit right now are running max speed Jolly, but I do not subscribe to that philosophy. Kingambit tanking everything under the sun has saved me in far too many battles. Dark+Fighting is nice, but loses to other Tera Fairy mons, and in particular Iron Valiant, although I use Gholdengo and Zapdos as my primary deterrents for it. Tera Fairy has been the most helpful, although I've considered Tera Water just for a better Rain matchup.
the carry (Gholdengo) @ Leftovers
Ability: Good as Gold
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunder Wave
- Recover
- Shadow Ball
- Make It Rain
Bless. Max HP. Gholdengo. The number of teams Thunder Wave has saved me against is far too many to list, and max HP lets you stay in on more mons to paralyze them in emergencies. Screens/Webs Manaphy has been a terror, but it loves to click Tail Glow thinking it's a free win, only to then get outsped by Modest Zapdos. Focus Blast has been the main problem child, since Kingambit is the free-est switch in the universe and this team doesn't have solid answers for the standard Low Kick set, but paralyzing it generally is good harassment in a pinch, and can stall out Sucker PP.
win condition (Sneasler) @ White Herb
Ability: Unburden
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- Dire Claw
- Acrobatics
THE win condition. Probably the mon I was second most excited to try out, and arguably more cheese than Tusk. Rather than being an excellent answer defensively to just about anything one time, Sneasler has the job of completely screwing over Sticky Web teams while also functioning well as a way to keep opposing Gholdengo off the field as long as possible, as once Sneasler gets that +2, it's gaming time. I was running Fire Punch over Dire Claw for most of my short time with this team, but the advent of Sticky Web and Aurora Veil far more into the limelight has led me to abuse the 33% chance to either Para or Sleep a target out of (mostly) desperation. Fire Punch, for the record, was to instakill Gholdengo, although I've also considered very fringe options like Rock Slide for Zapdos, as this team struggles with it. Around 30% of games start and end when Sneasler clicks Swords Dance.
Mediocre Fangs (Great Tusk) @ Leftovers
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
Careful Nature
- Close Combat
- Rapid Spin
- Ice Spinner
- Earthquake
He spins hazards. He's the tanky boy. There really isn't much more to say, he just does a lot and everyone knows it. I'm not a fan of Corvi, meaning the best spinner was my only option. Tera Water, like Kingambit, could probably help out vs Rain a bit.
poggers in chat (Zapdos) @ Leftovers
Ability: Static
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Discharge
- Hurricane
- Roost
- Heat Wave
The glue that (somehow) holds the team together. Shoutouts to the guy who casually 1 shot 3 of my mons when I had Eternatus on this team with Modest Zapdos, which has since become the reliable check to a bunch of mons you shouldn't reasonably be checking. Static really is as valuable as everyone made it out to be, stopping Sneasler, Great Tusk, and lots more, and with Tera Water, you function as a backup answer to slow down Rain.
Biggest Team Problems (so far)
Everyone's having problems with this, so it goes without saying. Kingambit+Gholden can usually screw it up, but VeilSD or VeilDD just sucks to fight against.
Of course rain sucks to fight when you have no solid resists. Zapdos is the closest thing to a 'resist' but still eats 80% or more on Wave Crash. Skewda can usually get handled by predicting right with Kingambit, but I've gotten very close to giving up with Tera Fairy and swapping to Water just to have a better matchup. Then Manaphy comes in and I have to pray it lets me Thunder Wave.
All 2 of my wincons are very weak to static paralysis, and I have no way of handling that right now. Gunk Shot or Rock Slide on Sneasler could dunk on it fine, but the former doesn't give a 33% chance to just win the video game, and the latter option means sacrificing coverage against far more relevant targets in a bid to instakill just Zapdos and Moltres.
PROOF OF SUCCESS
Albeit, I'm pretty sure with how many people complained about brainless OU players when referring to me, I probably didn't deserve this!
I play like an absolute goblin and accidentally sacrifice Gholden to surprise Knock Offs or Zapdos to jumpscare OHKOs that I'm not expecting, or just casually guess wrong on Sucker Punch 6 times in a row into sweep with Kingambit late game.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-1943025943
...case in point, this replay.
I'm open to any advice for tweaking EV spreads to counterpick specific mons/hit speed benchmarks or whatnot, although I included a few ideas I already have in the team section. Thanks!