Hey all! This is my first time ever posting a thread and, as such, I apologize for my newness and hope you can look past it :). Anyways, this is a team I have been trying to make work for a while, as my favorite pokémon of all time is, as you could probably tell, Zangoose! In my opinion, he is incredibly underrated, and I am trying to utilize him to his full potential... in OU. Sounds crazy, I know, but this team has met with some success, and I am open to any criticism and want to improve. Without further ado, the team.
A first glance:
IN DEPTH:
Blank Stare (Xatu) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 248 HP / 168 Def / 92 SpD
Careful Nature
- Tailwind
- Pain Split
- Roost
- U-turn
Just look into those eyes.... They hold the answer to all predictable magic bouncers!!! (ie. an unpredictable magic bouncer!) In my personal experience, Xatu is very underrated, just like Zangoose. Many people even forget that he has Magic Bounce as his hidden ability, making him a perfect anti-lead, bouncing back anything hazard that gets thrown his way. Tailwind is a move that I love that lets Xatu be much more annoying with Pain Split, and lets anything he U-turns into become incredibly fast. Focus sash is there to make sure he survives long enough (he is rather frail), and Roost is for any chance he may get to heal. The main purpose of Xatu is to prey on the fact that he is underused, and use it to my advantage, in that a LARGE amount of people do not expect Magic Bounce.
Wrecking Balls Demolish Walls (Zangoose) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Toxic Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Close Combat
- Facade
- Swords Dance
Here he is folks, by far the best wallbreaker I have ever used. After a single turn of setup and Toxic Orb activating Toxic Boost, Zangoose is an absolute MONSTER. His 3 attacking moves in Facade, Close Combat, and Knock Off, give him perfect neutral coverage, and his Jolly nature gives him the speed he desperately needs to outrun anything he possibly can. The basic premise of Zangoose is, if he can come in safely and setup for a single turn, then anything slower than him is dead. Facade, at a 210 BP after STAB, is there for anything without a Ghost, Rock, or Steel symbol next to it's name, and Knock Off and Close Combat take care of the former and the 2 latter, respectively. Barring Mega Aggron, Skarmory, Forretress, and Defensive Multiscale Dragonite, almost nothing can stand up to this beast.
Fetus of Destruction (Mew) @ Eject Button
Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Modest Nature
- Psychic
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam
- Roost
Mew plays an interesting role on this team, and I rather like it that way. His Base 100 stats all across the board make him able to do nearly everything, and this set, for the most part, utilizes him as my main Special Attacker. The combination of a stab Psychic, as well as the deadly BoltBeam combo, makes him very difficult to switch in to. Along with this, however, I find that he is also extremely viable to soak up resisted hits, and to switch in on fighters that my Zangoose draws in. The Eject Button is situational, but extremely helpful, as it allows for a single-turn double-switch, which can allow for both move scouting, and a forced switch for my opponent. Synchronize is also very helpful as a support ability, as i can switch in on any number of status attacks and reflect them back. Overall, bulkiness combined with power allows Mew to play a big role on this team.
Is it a bunny? (Sylveon) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Pixilate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Hyper Voice
- Wish
- Toxic
- Heal Bell
Sylveon is half of the defensive core of this team that can switch in to nearly any offensive threat the opponent can throw at it, as well as strike back with some power of it's own. Her pure fairy typing, great HP and SpDef, and her Calm Nature, make her an extremely bulky special wall. Along with this, she is packing Pixilate-boosted Hyper voice, which is surprisingly powerful given little investment. Wish is her only form of recovery, letting her heal herself or an injured partner (almost always Zangoose). Toxic is self-explanatory, and Heal Bell is very helpful for curing a Synchronized Mew or any other ailments that may plague the team. And yes, I know Heal Bell gets rid of poison on Zangoose, but he needs a turn to setup again if he is switched in the first place, so its not too much of a downside. Overall, Sylveon helps the team in a MAJOR defensive way.
Tor...terra? (Venusaur-Mega) @ Venusaurite
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
- Leech Seed
- Synthesis
- Toxic
- Giga Drain
Venusaur is the OTHER half of that defensive core I was talking about earlier. His Mega Evolution has fantastic bulk, allowing for mixed-wall capabilities even with full Physical Defensive investment. Venusaur is adept at switching in on the two types that Sylveon fears, Steels and Poisons. Leech Seed is the star of this moveset, because it provides recovery for Venusaur, as well as damaging the opponent. This moveset focuses on recovery, and being extremely annoying to the entire metagame. He also serves as a fairy-repellent, and can even switch in on Fire-types if the situation calls for it. He compliments the defensive core, as well as the team in general, quite well.
Why isn't Concrete Smash an Attack? (Conkeldurr) @ Choice Band
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Drain Punch
- Fire Punch
- Ice Punch
- Mach Punch
Conkeldurr is just straight up fun to use:). He scares off a very large amount of threats (namely he checks Bisharp every time), and for good reason. This set has perfect neutral coverage, gets a suprisingly reliable form of recovery in Drain Punch, and has priority with Mach Punch. He is somewhat limited because of his Choice Band, but with the added power, he 2HKOs most RESISTS, and it only adds to his Drain Punch recovery. Iron Fist is the ability of choice here because he only needs punching moves, and the Choice Band makes it difficult to activate Guts. Conkeldurr is somewhat the physical Mew of this team, being able to soak up a large amount of physical punishment and dish out even more. He resists rocks, and attracts special attackers that my defensive core can then cripple. As the main physical attacker on the team, he is very important and is one of my favorites
Threatlist:
Charizard Y is annoying, especially because Mew isnt bulky enough to switch into him and Sylveon's stab is resisted by him
Sand and Rain are less used in OU now, but are still annoying to Venusaur and the team in general
Hazards suck... just in general
Tell me what you think!
A first glance:
IN DEPTH:
Blank Stare (Xatu) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 248 HP / 168 Def / 92 SpD
Careful Nature
- Tailwind
- Pain Split
- Roost
- U-turn
Just look into those eyes.... They hold the answer to all predictable magic bouncers!!! (ie. an unpredictable magic bouncer!) In my personal experience, Xatu is very underrated, just like Zangoose. Many people even forget that he has Magic Bounce as his hidden ability, making him a perfect anti-lead, bouncing back anything hazard that gets thrown his way. Tailwind is a move that I love that lets Xatu be much more annoying with Pain Split, and lets anything he U-turns into become incredibly fast. Focus sash is there to make sure he survives long enough (he is rather frail), and Roost is for any chance he may get to heal. The main purpose of Xatu is to prey on the fact that he is underused, and use it to my advantage, in that a LARGE amount of people do not expect Magic Bounce.
Wrecking Balls Demolish Walls (Zangoose) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Toxic Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Close Combat
- Facade
- Swords Dance
Here he is folks, by far the best wallbreaker I have ever used. After a single turn of setup and Toxic Orb activating Toxic Boost, Zangoose is an absolute MONSTER. His 3 attacking moves in Facade, Close Combat, and Knock Off, give him perfect neutral coverage, and his Jolly nature gives him the speed he desperately needs to outrun anything he possibly can. The basic premise of Zangoose is, if he can come in safely and setup for a single turn, then anything slower than him is dead. Facade, at a 210 BP after STAB, is there for anything without a Ghost, Rock, or Steel symbol next to it's name, and Knock Off and Close Combat take care of the former and the 2 latter, respectively. Barring Mega Aggron, Skarmory, Forretress, and Defensive Multiscale Dragonite, almost nothing can stand up to this beast.
Fetus of Destruction (Mew) @ Eject Button
Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Modest Nature
- Psychic
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam
- Roost
Mew plays an interesting role on this team, and I rather like it that way. His Base 100 stats all across the board make him able to do nearly everything, and this set, for the most part, utilizes him as my main Special Attacker. The combination of a stab Psychic, as well as the deadly BoltBeam combo, makes him very difficult to switch in to. Along with this, however, I find that he is also extremely viable to soak up resisted hits, and to switch in on fighters that my Zangoose draws in. The Eject Button is situational, but extremely helpful, as it allows for a single-turn double-switch, which can allow for both move scouting, and a forced switch for my opponent. Synchronize is also very helpful as a support ability, as i can switch in on any number of status attacks and reflect them back. Overall, bulkiness combined with power allows Mew to play a big role on this team.
Is it a bunny? (Sylveon) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Pixilate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Hyper Voice
- Wish
- Toxic
- Heal Bell
Sylveon is half of the defensive core of this team that can switch in to nearly any offensive threat the opponent can throw at it, as well as strike back with some power of it's own. Her pure fairy typing, great HP and SpDef, and her Calm Nature, make her an extremely bulky special wall. Along with this, she is packing Pixilate-boosted Hyper voice, which is surprisingly powerful given little investment. Wish is her only form of recovery, letting her heal herself or an injured partner (almost always Zangoose). Toxic is self-explanatory, and Heal Bell is very helpful for curing a Synchronized Mew or any other ailments that may plague the team. And yes, I know Heal Bell gets rid of poison on Zangoose, but he needs a turn to setup again if he is switched in the first place, so its not too much of a downside. Overall, Sylveon helps the team in a MAJOR defensive way.
Tor...terra? (Venusaur-Mega) @ Venusaurite
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
- Leech Seed
- Synthesis
- Toxic
- Giga Drain
Venusaur is the OTHER half of that defensive core I was talking about earlier. His Mega Evolution has fantastic bulk, allowing for mixed-wall capabilities even with full Physical Defensive investment. Venusaur is adept at switching in on the two types that Sylveon fears, Steels and Poisons. Leech Seed is the star of this moveset, because it provides recovery for Venusaur, as well as damaging the opponent. This moveset focuses on recovery, and being extremely annoying to the entire metagame. He also serves as a fairy-repellent, and can even switch in on Fire-types if the situation calls for it. He compliments the defensive core, as well as the team in general, quite well.
Why isn't Concrete Smash an Attack? (Conkeldurr) @ Choice Band
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Drain Punch
- Fire Punch
- Ice Punch
- Mach Punch
Conkeldurr is just straight up fun to use:). He scares off a very large amount of threats (namely he checks Bisharp every time), and for good reason. This set has perfect neutral coverage, gets a suprisingly reliable form of recovery in Drain Punch, and has priority with Mach Punch. He is somewhat limited because of his Choice Band, but with the added power, he 2HKOs most RESISTS, and it only adds to his Drain Punch recovery. Iron Fist is the ability of choice here because he only needs punching moves, and the Choice Band makes it difficult to activate Guts. Conkeldurr is somewhat the physical Mew of this team, being able to soak up a large amount of physical punishment and dish out even more. He resists rocks, and attracts special attackers that my defensive core can then cripple. As the main physical attacker on the team, he is very important and is one of my favorites
Threatlist:
Charizard Y is annoying, especially because Mew isnt bulky enough to switch into him and Sylveon's stab is resisted by him
Sand and Rain are less used in OU now, but are still annoying to Venusaur and the team in general
Hazards suck... just in general
Tell me what you think!
