Introduction
*Update*
*I agree with the player above me in this photo. Nice name. lol*
After more testing I've decided to make some big changes to the team as you'll see below. I think a better player can take this team higher than I can as this is the first gen I've played since BW2, so needless to say I have a lot of catching up to do. I did manage to get top 10 back then though with my favorite pokémon, lead AV Machamp. Lol
Despite her goofy, barney-like appearance, Dragonite has always been one of my favorite pokémon since I was a kid. It was actually the first pokémon I got to level 100 after I caught her in Fire Red and traded her to Emerald. Nostalgia is a powerful thing! Now, with the introduction of Heavy-Duty Boots, entry hazards have been balanced out and Dragonite in OU has had life breathed into her. I just had to make a team around her, particularly DD Nite. The strategy is to wear down the opponent's team primarily with entry hazards and neutral bombs. After a little support from her teammates, Ole' Faithful can come in and clean up. Despite the tier still having overpowered mons, I was able to create a solid team that will only get better once they're removed. Give it a try and relive the good ole' days with Dragonite!
Swampert
Big Pert (Swampert) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Damp
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
- Flip Turn
- Toxic
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
Great utility, combined with good typing and bulk, enables Big Pert to serve as a solid defensive pivot/lead for the team. He can tank just about any hit and retaliate with Toxic, set up rocks, get off some chip damage, or slow pivot into a better match up. Damp also neutralizes any form explosion shenanigans, so that's nice I guess. lol
Latios
Lati-Bomber (Latios) @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Psychic
- Mystical Fire
- Recover
Your opponent can only pray when this animal comes out to play. The Lati-Bomber received a huge buff this gen with Mystical Fire added to it's move pool. It helps remove key threats such as Ferrothorn and allows Latios to 1v1 pokémon it shouldn't be able to when combined with Recover. I've had multiple end game scenarios where Latios would 1v1 these random SpD Clefables. lol It also makes my next switch-in safer as a cherry on top. Alongside it are Draco Meteor and Psychic which breaks through just about everything else with strong base power, stab and life orb. Lastly, Recover allows Latios to keep dropping those dracos, avoid life orb stalling child's play, and tank resisted hits, including the ever frustrating Scald.
Volcanion
Voltron (Volcanion) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Overheat
- Steam Eruption
- Sludge Bomb
- Earth Power
I've replaced Heatran with Choice Scarf Volcanion as I needed more offensive presence and a better way to deal with weather, specifically rain, which this dunks on. Volc has great offensive typing and bulk with a great ability and move pool. The speed EVs and positive nature allow me to outpace any mon under 393 speed such as Torn-T and Cinderace. Overheat hits very hard with its high base power plus stab. Steam Eruption is Volc's most spammable move as it hits hard for neutral damage and can put pressure on offensive pokémon who resist and defensive pokémon due to the burn chance. Sludge Bomb is similar in that respect as it puts pressure on defensive pokémon with poison and hits fairy-types such as Tapu Fini. Earth Power is Volc's best coverage move for the last slot to pressure mons like Toxapex. While Choice Scarf does leave Volc vulnerable to hazards, I can usually keep momentum via Flip Turn, Taunt, and type-coverage on hazard setters. This will also give me free switches into Volc who can force setters out with it's awesome offensive typing. Volc can also serve as a scald and knock off sponge against slower teams as it's ability, type-coverage and status effects will put more pressure on walls. Whether or not this is the offensive threat the team needed, it did prove it needed more offensive pressure to succeed and overall, I think Choice Scarf Volcanion is an underrated threat right now.
Skarmory
Vexy (Skarmory) (F) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 116 Def / 140 Spe
Impish Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Body Press
- Taunt
- Spikes
- Roost
Skarmory has fallen in usage. However, it's still a nice pick with its great typing, physical bulk, and solid utility. Body Press can chip opponents down and give Skarmory the opportunity to 1v1 walls alongside taunt and roost to keep them weak and keep her healthy. Taunt, with some speed investment, allows Skarmory to specifically deal with Mandibuzz, preventing her from defogging and roosting. This vexatious harpy has always been a great Spikes setter as she can easily find a switch in and set up, especially when they try to go into a wall. After a Taunt, this just gives me a free switch or another layer of Spikes. Rocky helmet punishes U-Turn, Flip Turn, and the increasing amount of physical multi-hit moves to further chip away at the opponents team. Skarmory often finds itself as another lead option due to the speed investment, Taunt, Rocky Helmet, and entry hazards. See Swampert, Hippowdon, Clefable, Ferrothorn, etc.? Lead Skarm.
Magearna
MRAI-00 (Magearna) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Soul-Heart
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Fleur Cannon
- Thunderbolt
- Focus Blast
- Ice Beam
With a solid move pool, fantastic typing, and beefy defenses coupled with an assault vest, Magearna becomes a force to be reckoned with. It can come in on just about any special attack and fire off a powerful Fleur Cannon or the appropriate coverage move. Thunderbolt helps me deal with Tapu Fini, Slowking, and Toxapex. Ice Beam hits bulky grass types like Amoonguss and Rillaboom, and can catch Landorus-T off guard if they think they can set up rocks. Focus Blast helps breakdown Heatran and Ferrothorn for Latios and Dragonite respectively. I've also moved the SpD EVs I had into SpA and choose a modest nature to hit as hard as possible. I found that Magearna's SpD plus the Assault Vest was plenty good enough to do what I needed it to do.
Dragonite
Ole' Faithful (Dragonite) (F) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Claw
- Extreme Speed
- Earthquake
- Dragon Dance
The center piece of the team. After your opponent has been withered down a bit, Dragonite is in prime real estate to sweep, sweep, sweep. Heavy-Duty Boots combined with Multiscale allows Dragonite to easily set up a DD or two. Dragon Claw is the most reliable form of dragon stab and Earthquake gives Dragonite the best neutral coverage while also dealing with the plethora of pokémon weak to ground in OU right now, specifically Heatran and Toxapex. While Roost is sometimes missed, Extreme Speed is very good right now. It puts a lot of pressure on the many fast, frail threats and helps Dragonite sweep up. Pheromosa? Whack. Cinderace? Whack. Regieleki? Whack. Dragonite also desperately needed the Atk investment instead of the HP to help her sweep. Finally, after just one Dragon Dance, the speed investment allows Dragonite to out speed Dragapult, Zeraora, and any scarfer with base speed under 80 like Heatran.
