To the Skies (OU RMT)

[frogbandit]

----------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------​

To the Skies​

​

​

----------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------​

Introduction



Hello Smogon, I've recently come up with a new team based on mono-flying. It is my first mono-type team and I wanted to try out something unique, and I felt that things like mono-water, mono-electric etc seem to be too simple. I've noticed that not many have tried out mono-flying so I wanted to both showcase this too the community and receive any feedback that could make this team better. I noticed that some of the most dangerous and hardhitting mons in OU are flying types (Salamence, Gyarados) and I wanted to put them to good use on this team. Also, I've experimented with new Heart Gold/ Soul Silver moves and mons (like my lead Crobat). I've also added some nice complements to them and I've tried to make the best out of the Flying-Electric synergy combo.

I've tested this out on shoddy and I've found a couple of weaknesses, mainly Hail teams, Ice types, and entry hazards. I'd like some help with dealing with these problems. But I've figured out how to play with this team and have had some success with it, to an extent. However, I'd really like some help because I'm shooting for the leaderboard :)


So without further ado, I present you the team:

----------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------​

In - Depth

Crobat (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Inner Focus
EVs: 252 HP/4 Def/252 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Super Fang
- Taunt
- U-turn
- Roost


Not a new idea definitely, but one of the main attractions of HG/SS. Crobat received Super Fang, which now makes it an ideal Anti-lead, with Inner Focus, Taunt, excellent speed (tied for the best in OU with Aerodactyl, I believe) and U-Turn. The addition of Super Fang allows me to invest fully on Defensive, Speed, and HP EVs. The EV spread, I came up with myself, I don't think its the best one out there so I would like some suggestions with this.

Taunt and U-turn are just a must as an Anti-lead, it really messes up my opponents. Taunt really screws over things like Swampert or Bronzong, basically anything that tries to set up entry hazards. Because of Crobat's superior speed, almost nothing is going to get down entry hazards after taunt. U-Turn is a great scouting move and works nicely in conjunction to both Super Fang and Taunt. Roost aids survivability greatly and just makes Crobat a tough one to take down, especially with Leftovers recovery.

Heres how she fares against other common leads in OU:

--
Metagross: Taunt to prevent Stealth Rock, Super Fang it a few times, then U-turn to finish it off or go to something else to finish it off.

Azelf: Taunt to prevent stealth rock, if I feel risky. If I suspect a psychic, I U-turn away.

Jirachi: Usually a ScarfRachi lead, so I'll U-turn out.

Swampert: See Metagross.

Aerodactyl: Oh Boy, speed tie here, so I taunt first. If it wins the tie and goes taunt, I U-turn out and theres nothing I can do to prevent rocks.

Infernape: Crobat is immune to Fake Out, so just Taunt first to prevent Stealth Rock and U-turn out.

Hippowdon: Render it useless with Taunt, then Super Fang and U-Turn out.

Bronzong: Taunt first to prevent Stealth Rock, U-Turn out to take the explosion with Gliscor or something.

Ninjask: Taunt so it can't baton pass out, then U-turn to finish it off quickly with my other sweepers.
--

Crobat does pretty nicely against many of the common leads, preventing Stealth Rock on all of them except maybe Azelf or Aerodactyl, which is big for my team.

Oh, and by the way, Crobat is female because the Crobat female sprite is a Golbat for some reason, lol


---

Salamence (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 84 Atk/208 Spd/216 SAtk
Mild nature (+SAtk, -Def)
- Brick Break
- Draco Meteor
- Outrage
- Fire Blast


There is suspicion that MixMence is getting more popular, and that it has overtaken DDMence as the most used Salamence set. I've used New MixMence on almost all my teams, and I felt that it would be an invaluable addition to this team. New Mixmence is still beast, ripping through everything from Mid-game. It is easy enough to find something to switch in, and from there I've easily 6-0 many opponents unprepared for this flying dragon's wrath.

Draco Meteor unleashes huge damage right off the bat, and deals a lot of damage to all that aren't steel and not fat and pink. It can hit almost anything on the switch in, coupled with SR damage, into KO range. Outrage and Brick Break don't mind the SpA drop, so Salamence can continue dishing out damage even after a Draco Meteor. Fire Blast and Brick Break are both kind of filler, I don't use them as much, but needless to say, they provide nice coverage against Steels (the only type dragon doesn't resist)


---

Gliscor (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Veil
EVs: 252 HP/40 Def/216 Spd
Impish nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Roost
- Stealth Rock
- Stone Edge

Gliscor, one of my all-time faves ^^ While it adds another 4x ice weakness, Stealth Rocks are just crucial in OU nowadays, and without Gliscor I would have no where to put it (what other flying type learns SR, besides Aero?) I've used this set on other RMTs, and have seen it on other teams. Gliscor is not only my support and defensive core, it is also quite powerful and my Lucario counter, with STAB Earthquake. With only 2 weaknesses, Gliscor won't be taken down easily, especially with Roost and Leftovers. Stone Edge is to take down Gyarados and other flying types that can be a problem.

The EVs and Jolly ensure I outrun Lucario, and 252 HP is a must for a defensive Gliscor. Gliscor has great stats, a good physical movepool, and Stealth Rock, all that makes it a great counter to physical attackers and a good utility for the team.


---

Gyarados (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 156 HP/72 Atk/96 Def/184 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Dragon Dance
- Return/Bounce
- Waterfall
- Taunt


Out of all the Gyarados sets (theres a ton, I know) Bulky Gyara is my favorite. I takes the offensive power of Gyarados, Dragon Dance, and Gyara's nice defenses and combines it into one, with Taunt. Taunt is my favorite part of this set, ruining the fun of set up sweepers and allowing me to get my own DDs in.

Waterfall is my primary attack and good STAB, basically a must on every Gyarados set. I went with Adamant nature because with all my defenses, my attacks need some good power behind them to get some good KOs after a few Dragon Dances.

I'm not sure whether to go with Return or Bounce as my secondary attack. Return gives better coverage, and is pretty powerful, but Bounce is a great scouter and STAB, and can deal damage to Grass types I can't touch. I'd like some help on this.

---

Togekiss (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 4 Def/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Lonely nature (+Atk, -Def)
- Aura Sphere
- Air Slash
- Fire Blast
- Hidden Power [Ice]


Togekiss serves as the revenge killer for this team. It was the best flying-type revenge killer I could find, hitting all types hard and helping me check threats that would otherwise be the bane of this team. Aura Sphere + Air Slash gives unresisted coverage, and Fire Blast helps me hit Steel/Grass/Ice harder. Many don't see or just plain forget that Togekiss packs both a fighting and fire move, which usually gets me a free kill. Air Slash and Serene Grace give a 60% flinch rate, which is huge, because I can make 3HKOs into 2HKOs or OHKOs. And of course, everyone gets annoyed (HAXOR!!) and they leave and I win :)

My favorite part of the set is HP Ice, though, as many don't see it coming and leave their dragon in to get fried (or in this case, frozen) in one hit by the Ice attack. I've gotten quite a few dragon kills during my shoddy battles.


---

.

.

.


The WILD CARD

Electivire (M) @ Expert Belt
Ability: Motor Drive
EVs: 36 Atk/220 Spd/252 SAtk
Mild nature (+SAtk, -Def)
- Thunderbolt
- Cross Chop
- Flamethrower
- Hidden Power [Grass] / Hidden Power [Ice]


Electivire has numerous opportunities to get a speed boost with 5 other flying types on the team, and from there it just becomes easy to sweep. Not much to be explained about Electivire, after it gets a Motor Drive Boost, and with Expert Belt, very little will be able to handle the coverage of T-bolt/Cross Chop/Flamethrower/Hp Grass. I chose HP grass because my team already has a reliable counter to dragons (Togekiss) and I had to deal with Swamperts trying to switch in and stop my sweep. However, I might want to change it to HP Ice because I actually see a lot more dragons trying to switch in than Swampert.

Thunderbolt is my main attack, while anything that resists it I'll hit supereffectively with my other moves. The mixed set allows me also to not be walled by Blissey, and hit back with a Cross Chop.

I might want to switch out Vire for a rapid spinner, as otherwise entry hazards would deal with my team quickly. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

----------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------



So thats my OU mono-flying team! I'd appreciate some rates soon, and I take all criticism/suggestions.

EDIT: Thanks for your patience guys, I finished up the descriptions on my pokes. I'll try to be careful to press Preview instead of Submit next time >.<


One Last Glance

​

----------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------​

 

[Korski]

First off I can tell already you might want to invest that wildcard of yours in a Rapid Spinner, as a mono-Flying team really hates SR, especially with Scarf Togekiss and Gyarados being so often forced out. Starmie can really ruin this team, as well, unless you can manage to Air Slash it to death with Togekiss, which would just be allowing something else to come in and take advantage. I have nothing for you except maybe Donphan, who is immune to Electric attacks. It's UU for a reason, but it can still help you out a lot.

 

[frogbandit]

First off I can tell already you might want to invest that wildcard of yours in a Rapid Spinner, as a mono-Flying team really hates SR, especially with Scarf Togekiss and Gyarados being so often forced out. Starmie can really ruin this team, as well, unless you can manage to Air Slash it to death with Togekiss, which would just be allowing something else to come in and take advantage. I have nothing for you except maybe Donphan, who is immune to Electric attacks. It's UU for a reason, but it can still help you out a lot.

Yeah, I've been thinking about a spinner, but I thought that if I played Crobat well enough nothing should be able to get up rocks early in the game. I also thought Electivire would serve greater purpose as a lot of electric attacks will be fired at my flying types, especially Gyarados.

Donphan seems like a pretty good idea, I'll try it out and see how it works, meanwhile I'll still take more suggestions for the wildcard spot.

I suggest you finish up the descriptions ASAP. Also, it shows Latias instead of Gliscor for your "at a glance" section. Rework the post as soon as you can, that way it won't be locked and you can get in-depth rates if you put in-depth descriptions. It's how it works here (based on my experience).

Thanks for catching that, Kumar, and I just finished the descriptions.

 

[Kumar628]

Great job, now I can give a little advice/review. I like the theme used here, but I honestly must emphasize the popularity of Stealth Rock. Not only must you prevent Stealth Rock (or it means death), but you must get up your own. If MixVire actually gets a Motor Drive Boost, he will outspeed everything neutral base 90 scarf'd and anything else unboosted (except Ninjask). Now, since he gets a speed boost, he needs Stealth Rock to turn 2HKOs (most notably, 2HKO on Hippowdon) into OHKOs. So, a Rapid Spinner with Stealth Rock means you must have Forretress. Here's another bonus to Forretress: Spikes. The set I love running on Forretress is:

Forretress @ Chesto Berry
Relaxed/Bold (doesn't matter; no Gyro Ball, but nothing to outspeed)
Sturdy
252HP/140DEF/116SPD
~Rapid Spin
~Spikes/Explosion
~Stealth Rock
~Rest

This creates a very durable spinner. If you don't like Spikes, then Explosion is a good option for taking another pokemon with you. I mainly use this set for Spikes, though, to guarantee at least 2 layers. Since you need Stealth Rock mainly, you can go with the standard. However, this is for Metagross (who takes a Flamethrower and lives; with Occa, takes 3!), Electivire's most viable COUNTER (not wall, his walls are Cresselia and Rotom formes), love switching in. Spikes adds an automatic 12% with one layer, while Stealth Rock does an added 3 or so percent. 15% still isn't enough to OHKO with Flamethrower, but two layers (18%) make 21% HP downed on the switch which does OHKO on average (again, I think...). So, entry hazards are important to get rid of as they are for sweeping with your team; not just Electivire. Might I also mention, a lot of Metagross carry Ice Punch on them, so I suggest you take them out ASAP. If they do not run Ice Punch, still kill it ASAP, for Meteor Mash + Bullet Punch wreaks havoc on everything except Gliscor.

Again, I like the theme a lot, but the theme is what's bringing the team down a bit in terms of securtiy, durability, and offense. But still, I applaud you on a very nice baseline team with small room to improve & keep the theme at the same time.

 

[frogbandit]

Great job, now I can give a little advice/review. I like the theme used here, but I honestly must emphasize the popularity of Stealth Rock. Not only must you prevent Stealth Rock (or it means death), but you must get up your own. If MixVire actually gets a Motor Drive Boost, he will outspeed everything neutral base 90 scarf'd and anything else unboosted (except Ninjask). Now, since he gets a speed boost, he needs Stealth Rock to turn 2HKOs (most notably, 2HKO on Hippowdon) into OHKOs. So, a Rapid Spinner with Stealth Rock means you must have Forretress. Here's another bonus to Forretress: Spikes. The set I love running on Forretress is:

Forretress @ Chesto Berry
Relaxed/Bold (doesn't matter; no Gyro Ball, but nothing to outspeed)
Sturdy
252HP/140DEF/116SPD
~Rapid Spin
~Spikes/Explosion
~Stealth Rock
~Rest

This creates a very durable spinner. If you don't like Spikes, then Explosion is a good option for taking another pokemon with you. I mainly use this set for Spikes, though, to guarantee at least 2 layers. Since you need Stealth Rock mainly, you can go with the standard. However, this is for Metagross (who takes a Flamethrower and lives; with Occa, takes 3!), Electivire's most viable COUNTER (not wall, his walls are Cresselia and Rotom formes), love switching in. Spikes adds an automatic 12% with one layer, while Stealth Rock does an added 3 or so percent. 15% still isn't enough to OHKO with Flamethrower, but two layers (18%) make 21% HP downed on the switch which does OHKO on average (again, I think...). So, entry hazards are important to get rid of as they are for sweeping with your team; not just Electivire. Might I also mention, a lot of Metagross carry Ice Punch on them, so I suggest you take them out ASAP. If they do not run Ice Punch, still kill it ASAP, for Meteor Mash + Bullet Punch wreaks havoc on everything except Gliscor.

Again, I like the theme a lot, but the theme is what's bringing the team down a bit in terms of securtiy, durability, and offense. But still, I applaud you on a very nice baseline team with small room to improve & keep the theme at the same time.

Hmm, I get what you mean, no wonder mono-flying is not that popular. I'd really hate to break the theme of the team, though Forretress would be a good addition for the team. I'm assuming it would take the place of Gliscor then. I'll think about if for a while, I'll repost or edit once I make a decision.

EDIT: Why chesto berry though?

 

[Sheshi]

Chesto Berry is to remove sleep because Forretress has rest. The idea of the mono-type team is to have 5 Pokemon, in this case flying. To put forretress in place of Gliscor is breaking the theme. So why don't you try Forretress in place of Electivire?

 

[Get-X]

I like the idea behind the team, but Mamoswine can effectively counter everything you have for supper effective, and often, 4x effective damage. I know you highlighted this in your threats but considering the destruction, it may be worth have a dedicated counter for ice shard users.

I would consider, if you don't mind losing the flinch hax, possibly a bulky zapdos in with HP fighting to counter non ice shard ice types. You could also consider either heatran or mixape for your E-vire spot, but at the loss of the electricity immunity and the boost that comes with it could be crippling. hmmm...

Good luck with the team anyway.

 

[Vapor Trails]

Nice team.
I haven't seen many mono-flying teams (probably due to the entry hazard problems).
I don't really see anything beyond what the other posters already said; but a few words of advice:
1) Don't use Donphan.
As the previous poster said, anything with Ice Shard can kill almost all of your team.
Donphan compounds this weakness by being weak to Ice.
Either leave Electivire in, or go with one of the Forretress sets mentioned above.
I would leave Electivire in myself, but it's your choice.
By the way, where did you get those images?

 

[cmurph]

Lonely nature on Togekiss? How about modest...

 

[frogbandit]

Nice team.
I haven't seen many mono-flying teams (probably due to the entry hazard problems).
I don't really see anything beyond what the other posters already said; but a few words of advice:
1) Don't use Donphan.
As the previous poster said, anything with Ice Shard can kill almost all of your team.
Donphan compounds this weakness by being weak to Ice.
Either leave Electivire in, or go with one of the Forretress sets mentioned above.
I would leave Electivire in myself, but it's your choice.
By the way, where did you get those images?

Yeah, I really don't want anything weak to Ice as my wild card, that would mean 5 weaknesses and 1 neutral :P

I personally like Electivire too, because on this team it really has lots of chances to get a Motor Drive boost and sweep. However, Forre seems like it could be a better addition because of its useful resist to Ice and an opportunity to set up entry hazards. Like a previous rater said, entry hazards are crucial for any one of my sweepers to get some KOs.

I like the idea behind the team, but Mamoswine can effectively counter everything you have for supper effective, and often, 4x effective damage. I know you highlighted this in your threats but considering the destruction, it may be worth have a dedicated counter for ice shard users.

I would consider, if you don't mind losing the flinch hax, possibly a bulky zapdos in with HP fighting to counter non ice shard ice types. You could also consider either heatran or mixape for your E-vire spot, but at the loss of the electricity immunity and the boost that comes with it could be crippling. hmmm...

Good luck with the team anyway.

That still leaves me prone to CB Ice Shard Weavile/Mamoswine. I've actually already tried out Nasty Plot Mixape as my Wild Card, but seeing how fragile it was it had trouble switching in and setting up.

Chesto Berry is to remove sleep because Forretress has rest. The idea of the mono-type team is to have 5 Pokemon, in this case flying. To put forretress in place of Gliscor is breaking the theme. So why don't you try Forretress in place of Electivire?

Yeah, same as I said before, Forretress seems like it could fit nicely with the team. I don't want to break the mono-team so I'm guessing it'll go in place of Electivire.

Lonely nature on Togekiss? How about modest...

Woah, how'd lonely nature get on there? I'm running special Togekiss...thanks for catching that cmurph, I'll change it to Modest immediately (Maybe this will get me some more KOs now)



Thanks for all the replies/rates guys, I'll do some more shoddying with this team. Right now I'll just test Forretress and Electivire in the Wild Card. Any more rates would be appreciated if theres anything else that should be changed on my team.

Also, I don't know whether to go Bounce/Return on Gyarados or HP Grass/ HP Ice on E-vire. Could someone give me some advice on this? Thanks.

 

[Kumar628]

Chesto Berry is to remove sleep because Forretress has rest. The idea of the mono-type team is to have 5 Pokemon, in this case flying. To put forretress in place of Gliscor is breaking the theme. So why don't you try Forretress in place of Electivire?

I totally agree. Btw, I thought a monotype was all 6 being 1 type? That might not function well depenging on the type, but is it actually 'mono-type' if it's 5/6 containing the focal type? I've been making mono-type teams all this time with 6 of the same type pokes when 5 is the legal minimum? Dang! But still, answer my question please?

 

[frogbandit]

I totally agree. Btw, I thought a monotype was all 6 being 1 type? That might not function well depenging on the type, but is it actually 'mono-type' if it's 5/6 containing the focal type? I've been making mono-type teams all this time with 6 of the same type pokes when 5 is the legal minimum? Dang! But still, answer my question please?

Yeah, 5 is the legal minimum, so a mono-type team is allowed one wild card. Right now Forretress may seem like the better option, but I'll just have to do more testing.

 

[pokemon]

Seeing as your team has a lot of electric weak pokes, and if Mix-Vire went down its basically GG, but since it is a mono-flying team it cant be helped, but switch mix-vire for the forrtess Kumar628 recommended, it provides spin support, more SR/SPikes and a EXPLODER! Also a reliable wall.