Trying to find a balance

McPimpin

Everyone strives to have a solid team that can check a variety of threats and perform reasonably well under all conditions. Obviously, there is no perfect team, but one can attempt to attain perfection within reason by building a team that has great synergy.

This has been my endeavor for the last little while, this standard OU team that I have constructed has been solid, but inconsistent. I'm hoping that the good folks at Smogon can give me some constructive criticism and help me win a few more matches.

Thanks in advance folks. Here is my squad...

Washer&Dryer (Rotom-W) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Trick
- Hidden Power [Ice]

My lead, this guy acts as solid scout with Volt Switch and Choice Scarf, and can double up as a very good revenge killer in the mid-to-late stages of a match. Hydro Pump is to take out threats like Heatran and Infernape, and it also puts a huge dent into physical walls like Skarmory. HP Ice is for those pesky dragons and Trick is to cripple walls, or to put boosting sweepers into a bad position. Rotom-W is the freaking man.



ThornFace (Ferrothorn) (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 SDef
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Stealth Rock
- Power Whip
- Thunder Wave
- Leech Seed


He takes attacks, and paralyzes you. Good ole' Ferrothorn has excellent synergy with Rotom-W and Gyarados for good measure as well. Stealth Rock is there out of necessity, Leech Seed is for recovery, Thunder wave is to support my team and cripple fast sweepers, and Power Whip rounds out the set.



BrooklynRage (Gyarados) (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Moxie
EVs: 56 HP / 248 Atk / 204 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Substitute
- Dragon Dance
- Waterfall
- Bounce


This guy is a killer, I've swept entire teams with him after a single DD thanks to Moxie. Waterfall and Bounce are for STAB, Substitute is to block status and DD is the boosting move of choice. This set appreciates entry hazards and paralysis support from Ferrothorn, but hates Jellicent and Rotom-W with the fiery intensity of a thousand suns.



Stampy (Donphan) (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Ice Shard
- Rapid Spin


The best physically based offensive spinner in OU, I can't count the amount of times my opponent was expecting the defensive variant only to be smacked with a STAB EQ coming from an excellent 372 Attack. He provides an immunity to Electric attacks that will be aimed at my Gyarados (and reasonable bulk thanks to 252 HP EV's and Sturdy), EdgeQuake combo is obvious, but Ice Shard is great for killing weakened Dragons.



Furnace (Heatran) (M) @ Choice Specs
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Fire Blast
- Dragon Pulse
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Earth Power


I know what you're thinking, "Specs? Really?" trust me, if you don't have a 4X resistance to Fire Blast, you're going to be in a world of hurt. This Heatran is here to break Walls, and to spread a hefty amount of damage to the other team. He also handles any fire type attacks aimed at my own wall, Ferrothorn, thus boosting his Fire Blast to astronomic levels of power. Dragon Pulse handles dragons, HP Grass does respectable damage to Gastrodon or the rare Swampert, and Earth Power is for opposing Flash Fire users.



Kid Gruesome (Conkeldurr) (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Guts
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Substitute
- Focus Punch
- Mach Punch
- Stone Edge


Another sneaky threat who has fallen under the radar in the last little while, I've taken out half a team with Conkeldurr alone before, naturally, he hates Gligar and Jellicent, but the moment I see a Tyranitar or a Ferrothorn, I switch in, set up a Sub, and start launching Focus Punches left, right, and center. Mach Punch is for priority and Stone Edge is for anything that resists fighting type attacks.




So there you have it, my team. As I've mentioned before, some constructive criticism would be much appreciated as I want to win matches more consistently.
 
Hey

Cool team you got here man. I really like the use of such unorthodox sets. They're pretty effective but to an extent. Choice Specs Heatran can definitely do a shit load of damage but due to the structure of this team, it's effectiveness is neglected. On the other hand Conkeldurr's move set is fascinating, it can clearly catch your opponent off the guard but still suffers some major issues. In my opinion your team would really appreciate Rain. I would recommend switching Heatran with Choice Specs Politoed. Since you pack Sub DD Gyarados, rain would be an excellent addition to this team. Politoed can be played like a tank, should you not require it to be healthy in order to restore rain. Its pure-Water typing gives it few weaknesses, and with good bulk, it can sponge even some super effective attacks. The Water-type attack chosen is Politoed's main weapon; all other attacks are just coverage for use based on circumstance. Ice Beam allows Politoed to check opposing Dragon and Grass-type foes, who resist Politoed's Water-type moves, while Focus Blast is useful for smashing Ferrothorn and Empoleon. The last slot is dedicated to Hidden Power Grass to cover Water Absorb Jellicent, Rotom-W, Storm Drain Gastrodon. A neutral Hydro Pump from Politoed will deal more damage than 2x super effective coverage moves. This set is clearly chosen to break through walls and fits in perfectly within your team. Gyarados really appreciates rain as it allows him to decimate opposing teams with ease. Rain also benefits your Ferrothorn by giving it one less weakness and ability to take on big power houses. Choice Specs Politoed has more power compared to Heatran in a neutral weather, here are some calcs demonstrating Modest Politoed's power:

• Hydro Pump (rain) vs. 252/4 Blissey: 40.5% - 47.9%
• Hydro Pump (rain) vs. 252/216 Scizor: 103.2% - 121.5%
• Hydro Pump (rain) vs. 252/252 Reuniclus: 101.9% - 120.1%
• Hydro Pump (rain) vs. 252/0 +1 Reuniclus: 67.8% - 79.9%
• Hydro Pump (rain) vs. 252/224+ Jirachi: 68.6% - 80.9%
• Hydro Pump (sun) vs. 0/4 Ninetales: 87.8% - 103.1%
• Hydro Pump (sandstorm) vs. 252/252+ Tyranitar: 59.9% - 71.3%
Politoed (M) @ Choice Specs
Trait: Drizzle
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Focus Blast
As Politoed is helping you break through various walls for Gyarados to sweep efficiently, it potentially gives you a massive sun weakness. To fix this dilemma, I would recommend replacing Conkeldurr with Sub Dragon Dance Dragonite. Dragonite is an excellent check to various threats to this team such as Sun, Reuniclus, Celebi. This set aims to overcome the dragon's usual issues by using Substitute in place of a secondary coverage move, enabling Dragonite to block status, scout for checks, and set up more easily than ever. Using Substitute also abolishes the pressure of choosing the appropriate item. Dragonite is therefore permitted to use Leftovers, Roost, and Dragon Claw freely, making it an extremely self-sufficient stallbreaker and attacker when its very few counters are crippled or eliminated. The primary objective of this set is to set up and outstall the opposing team by using Dragon Dance, Roost, and Substitute, attacking once Dragonite accumulates enough boosts or whenever necessary. Dragon Dance's Speed boost, in conjunction with Substitute, allows Dragonite to outrun and set up on potential status users. This is made even better when Roost comes into play, activating Multiscale and minimizing the damage dealt by common status users; this gives Dragonite even more opportunities to set up and sweep. After two Dragon Dances these EVs allow Dragonite to outspeed it's various checks and proceed to sweep from there. This set paired with Rain and Gyarados is really effective as both of them could set up on the right situation while Politoed destroys opposing walls.

Dragonite (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Multiscale
EVs: 252 HP / 12 Atk / 80 SDef / 164 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Dragon Dance
- Dragon Claw
- Substitute
- Roost
For some minor changes, Stealth Rocks would be greatly appreciated by your sweepers as they make their job much simplier. Stone Edge isn't necessary because you pack Rotom-W to hit opposing Gyarados and Dragonite. Since Stealth Rocks are now on Donphan , Ferrothorn can freely have Spikes. Both entry hazards paired with Choice Specs Politoed will do work for your sweepers. Overall, solid team man. Good Luck!

Donphan (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Ice Shard
- Rapid Spin
Ferrothorn (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 SDef
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Spikes
- Power Whip
- Thunder Wave
- Leech Seed
 
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