Uber Linoone Team

[Xing]

I swept a couple of teams with Linoone but I believe my team could be improved. Suggestions are appreciated!

At a Glance:

Lead:

@ Focus Sash
Bad Dreams / Timid Nature
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Sp.A / 252 Spe
- Dark Void
- Dark Pulse
- Substitute
- Nasty Plot

Darkrai's main goal is to put a Pokemon to sleep so I can switch to Forretress or Linnone and set up. If I feel the opponent is going to switch, I will instead use Substitute. The moveset is designed so that Darkrai can be a fearsome creature on it own while being able to fulfill its duty for the team; it can help others set up or set up itself. +6 Dark Pulse ravages unprepared teams expecting the more common Darkrais. Substitute allows me to choose whether to attack, use Nasty Plot, or switch. Focus Sash ensures that it will at least have 1 chance to use Dark Void. The EVs and Nature are self explanatory.

Steel trapper:

@ Choice Specs
Magnet Pull / Hasty Nature
EVs: 40 HP / 252 Sp.A / 216 Spe
- Thunder
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power: Fire
- Explosion

I had an extremely hard time on this one. I was, and is still, undecided on its Nature, EVs, item (Specs or Scarf), and moveset. So pretty much everything besides its ability. Its main goal is to kill the banes of Linoone: Forretress, Scizor, Metagross, and Skarmory.

First, the EVs. Max Sp.Atk is there to do the most damage, while 216 Spe on a Hasty nature outspeeds all neutral Scizors, who reach a maximum of 229 Spe. I'm wondering if this is really necessary considering that many Scizors in Ubers exchange speed for bulk, but there is always the possibility that OU-esque Scizors pop up. Because of that, I'm thinking of changing the nature to Mild. Of course, all of this is basing of the assumption that Magnezone's ONLY job is to kill the four aforementioned Pokemon; any other Pokemon in Ubers, which is pretty much almost every one of them, with a speed of over 231 can kill this thing. Now this brings up the issue of item. Should I keep Specs so I can OHKO Scizors before they can Superpower and Forretresses before they can Earthquake or should I use instead Scarf to make Magnezone more useful than just trapping Steels?

Lastly, the moveset is also worth reconsidering. Thunder is there because, you know, Kyogre is on 52% of teams. The other 48% I'll be using Thunderbolt. I really want to put a Kyogre on my team so I can replace Thunderbolt with Flash Cannon but unfortunately there's no room left on my team. Hidden Power Fire doesn't cover much with Electric moves but with Specs, it can OHKO bulky Scizors (assuming rain is not present).

Even there there's many different possibilities for Magnezone, it is an essential part of this team as it paves for way for my Linoone to sweep.

Mr. Hazard:

@ Occa Berry
Sturdy / Impish Nature
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Sp.D
- Stealth Rock
- Spikes
- Payback
- Rapid Spin

Hazards are essential for Linoone to score OHKOs on certain Pokemon, namely Lugia, Groudon, and steels. Even with Magnezone gone, the right amount of entry hazard can still allow Linoone to sweep teams.

EVs and Occa Berry allow Forretress to live through a Fire move (especially with rain) and give it another layer of Spikes, and I'm thinking about changing the nature to Careful to give it even more bulk. I need thoughts on this. Stealth Rock and Rapid Spin are self explanatory. Spikes is used over Toxic Spikes because the goal is to set up for Linoone and Linoone can't afford to wait for the effects of Toxic Spikes. I'm really undecided on the attacking move, however. Payback hits Forretress' most common switch in, Giratina-O, but it's not like it does much anyways, so I'm thinking of changing it to Explosion or quake. Thoughts?

Spin blocker:

@ Griseous Orb
Levitate / Lonely Nature
EVs: 244 Atk / 200 Spe / 64 Sp.A
- Draco Meteor
- Outrage
- Hidden Power: Fire
- Shadow Sneak

With Forretress comes Giratina-O. I need a spin blocker to keep those hazards in for my Linoone. The EVs and moveset are pretty much cookie-cuttered from Smogon's analysis. I'm skeptical, however, of HP Fire. Is this really that useful, knowing that all Forretresses and Scizors are going to switch anyways and there's no other use for it? And I already got HP Fire on Magnezone. I'm also thinking of emphasizing more on its special attacking side since I find myself using Draco more than Outrage. This Pokemon is also useful in that it's immune to fighting, a type that half of my team is weak again, and resistant to Fire, which both Magnezone and Forretresses are weak against.

Linoone's best friend:

@ Leftovers
Shadow Tag / Calm Nature
EVs: 116 HP / 140 Def / 252 Sp.Def
- Counter
- Mirror Coat
- Encore
- Tickle

Best. Pokemon. Ever. 252 Sp.Def to allow it to take 4 Draco Meteors from the likes of Rayquaza and Palkia; I will explain this later. The other EVs are kinda arbitrary... Counter and Mirror Coat are self explanatory, and it was really between Tickle, Safeguard, or Destiny Bond. I figured that Tickle would be the best option as it allows my Linoone to OHKO steels if I happened to trap a steel. Encore is the best thing this blob have when it comes to my team, and because of it, it's Linoone's best friend. I switch Wobb on a an offensive Pokemon and Encore. If it's a Dragon, it'll use Draco Meteor or a support move. Other offensive Pokemon can usually be dealt even easier as they are usually as strong as the dragons. I encore the Draco Meteor, or support move, and Tickle it until Wobb dies. In comes Linoone, who uses Belly Drum (while the opponent either futilely switches or use a pitifully weak Draco Meteor)! If the Pokemon uses a special attacking move, I'll kill it with Wobb and wait for another opportunity. Encore also works well on walls such as Forrtresses or Lugia (if it doesn't have Taunt). I proceed to Tickles them.

The Polecat of Armageddon:

@ Salac Berry
Gluttony / Adamant Nature
EVs: 28 HP / 252 Atk / 228 Spe
- Belly Drum
- Extremespeed
- Seed Bomb
- Shadow Claw

The star of my team. All 5 of the aforementioned Pokemon support this cute little guy in one way or another. Max Attack (262 x 4 = 1048) is absolutely necessary for it to do as much damage as possible. Belly Drum reduces its HP to 50%, activating Salac thanks to Gluttony. 228 Spe EVs and Salac allow it to use Extremespeed faster than a Hasty/Naive Deoxys-A. Shadow claw OHKO Giratina-O, Lugia, and Giratina, (the latter two require hazards to be OHKOed) among other bulky things that resist/immune to Extremespeed. Seed Bomb OHKOs most Groudon, and even the bulkiest Groudon is OHKOed with some entry hazard. Extremespeed just mauls almost anything that doesn't resist it and ensures that Linoone never gets outsped (except by Jolly Scarf/DDance Rayquaza and Speed Deoxys).

 

[ginganinja]

Well this does look like a fairly well thought out team. However I suggest that you replae Forretress with a Deoxys S which will set up spikes for you without slowing your offenisve momentium. The reason for this is also because your team is rather vulnerable to Mewtwo, especially Taunt + CM running Aura Sphere and Ice Beam. It can set up on Wobuffet with ease and then sweep you. I feel that Forretress gives your opponent oppotunities to set up which you want to discourage. Deoxys can still set up Spikes and SR if needed.

Also I see the team is quite weak to the rare Tyranitar which deals with Giratina O and it walls Darkrai. I would like to see a Scizor over Darkrai since with its priority it can take out or weaken faster, frailer sweepers. It also checks Tyranitar.