SV OU Whimsicott trick room

[a potato mage]

So my favorite pokemon is whimsicott - that should be obvious from my profile. I found a post while lurking around the OU forums that used whimsicott as a support/trick room setter, and decided to try it out. Any advice is much appreciated, especially ev spreads - I have no clue what to do. Without further ado, here's the team!

Whimsicott @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Encore
- Trick Room
- Leech Seed
- U-turn

A bulky trick room setter with utility options. Even though whimsicott's bulk isn't the best, I've found some success using this as a late game cleaner with leftovers + leech seed, as well as a support option with encore that allows my other sweepers to break through. I decided on steel as a general tera type, especially without any good damaging move. No idea where to put my EVs, I honestly don't know what speed benchmark is crucial to hit with this mon, and where to allocate defensive EVS. I definitely want to keep him on the team (if possible), so all advice regarding my whimsicott build is welcome! Grass/fairy is also a pretty useful defensive type for pivoting, with crucial resistances to types like ground, water, and dark.

Hatterene @ Focus Sash
Ability: Magic Bounce
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Dazzling Gleam
- Psychic
- Trick Room
- Healing Wish

My usual lead for most matchups, providing healing wish support for allowing my breakers a second shot. This set was copied from some trick room teams I've found, but its job is pretty simple - set trick room and die. I've never used gleam in any of my games so far, so moveset replacements for that would be great.

Ursaluna @ Flame Orb
Ability: Guts
Tera Type: Normal
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Brave Nature
- Swords Dance
- Facade
- Headlong Rush
- Fire Punch

Pretty self-explanatory set, and the MVP of most games. It has dual STABs and fire punch to hit metal birds + balloon gholdengo. This sentence is here so I can get 3 sentences per mon.

Iron Hands @ Booster Energy
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Supercell Slam
- Drain Punch
- Ice Punch

My secondary breaker of the team, with booster energy for initial power. I opted for Supercell Slam/Drain Punch over Wild Charge/Close Combat to help it function well outside of trick room, which is also why I'm not running minimum speed. Ice Punch and tera flying is to help against grounds.

Torkoal @ Choice Specs
Ability: Drought
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Flamethrower
- Eruption
- Earth Power
- Solar Beam

Yet another breaker as well as a good counter for opposing weather teams. I opted for specs in order to secure OHKOs with eruption, as I don't usually use my other moves. Setting sun can be a blessing and a curse, as sun is invaluable against rain, sand, and veil - but I have trouble using it if at all against sun. Torkoal is usually my cleaner after resists have been removed, but against certain team structures this can be my first breaker.

Hoopa-Unbound @ Eject Pack
Ability: Magician
Tera Type: Dark
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpA
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Hyperspace Fury
- Drain Punch
- Psychic
- Trick Room

My final breaker/trick room setter - this set is copied from the other RMT featuring this exact set. Eject pack + Hyperspace Fury allows Hoopa to gain momentum while setting trick room, and can sometimes even steal an item with Magician in the right circumstances. A bit of investment in spA allows for psychic to threaten some physical walls such as Great Tusk, and I've even won some games with this as my sweeper.

This team has been fairly inconsistent - I haven't even broken top 500 after many games, and range from the 1400s-1600s mark. Any teambuilding advice as well as playstyle tips would be great, thanks so much!

 

[VicBossMG]

What was your peak with the team

 

[a potato mage]

1650ish, unfortunately don't have a screenshot

 

[VicBossMG]

1650ish, unfortunately don't have a screenshot

That's fine, if anything you can try kingambit over iron hands as a you can definitely use a priority user late game if needed, give it brave nature 0ivs in speed and 252 hp 252atk+ iron head/kowtow, low kick, SD, and sucker with Tera fighting if low kick or Tera dark with black glasses if you keep kowtow over low kick.

I understand why you want whismicott, but you can also try slowking Galar with lagging tail to not waste a trick room turn and get your big hitters in faster to maximize your turns, another item you can use on Hoopa is room service, where it lowers your speed by one stage.

Also Cresselia is a huge trick room abuser since it gives you a second Pokemon basically with lunar blessing or have it come in and always get a second TR up.

Also for slowking-g he can be either physically defensive or special depend on what your team needs and same with Cresselia, it I think everything else is fine on your team.

Here are the EVs and movesets with items with the changes I mentioned.

https://pokepast.es/f7beb7ee384b3c77

 

[a potato mage]

I still want to experiment with whimsicott as it helps late game with encore support - it also completely walls raging bolt which helps with matchups against sun and rain. I started with tera steel but I experimented also with tera rock and ghost, are there any other options for whimsicott?

 

[Owegt]

I still want to experiment with whimsicott as it helps late game with encore support - it also completely walls raging bolt which helps with matchups against sun and rain. I started with tera steel but I experimented also with tera rock and ghost, are there any other options for whimsicott?

Tera Fire might be a choice to consider. You lose your fire, ice and steel weaknesses, you can survive even better in the sun, don't get burns (ig this one is less helpful unless you really want a U-turn KO or smth) and other stuff that I cannot think of :]
You decide what's good for your team tho.

 

[weirdo faye]

- whimsicott learns memento and should be used on tr team to maximize ur trick rooms turns, pack 1 atking move like moonblast, keep the encore, and memento is esp good considering u have 2 sd pokemons the ironhands and ursaluna. try something like a red card to force something out that u would otherwise have trouble phasing it can be very useful(people love to do that with tr mimikyu js) or a sash to gurantee tr + memento, i feel lefties is redundant cos u dont get to fully use it on tr anyways

- hisui typhlosion packs more power and learns eruption too, downside is that its speed stat is way higher but it should be ok if u take -speed nature, u want maximum power with trick room turns being limited, go big or go home

- life orb on hoopau is probably better like i said with tr turns being limited u want maximum power

i dont usually do these rates anymore furthermore im not a gen9 expert(but whatever i said should be helpful anyways) but i thought since u seemed new id chime in, gl :)

 

[DaRotomMachine]

This team seems to be weak to opposing Calm Mind Hatterene if trick room is up, and nothing underspeeds it so it can set up and potetntially sweep your team. Using Kingambit may help with Hatterene, and it helps even if Trick Room is not up. It also bring Prioity to this team.
For Hoopa I would commit it to just a breaker, as having more than 2 trick room setters isn't recommened and Hoopa under Trick Room is gonna hurt.
Torkoal I think does not fit this team I think a slower SpA mon could work better, something like maybe Enamorus-I.

 

[weirdo faye]

tbh if he takes my suggestion and takes memento on whimsicott if u matched vs hatterene u tr t1 and memento t2
next turn u go ursaluna sd hatts atk do poop dmg cos of memento then u facade and 1 bang it, u still have enough tr turns to fire punch a skarm/corv or if they dont have a normal resist u collect another kill :>

 

[a potato mage]

memento sounds like a good idea(over leech seed)...but wouldn't magic bounce on Hatt deflect the stat drops????? or am I tripping

 

[a potato mage]

https://pokepast.es/ef73d728d8d17de4 this is the set i'm currently testing, I like the new whimsicott set as well as the addition of cress as my final trick room setter - double healing wish really is great especially with its bulk. The only thing I'm not sure about is what hoopa's set should be as a full trick room attacker, is what i have okay?

 

[DaRotomMachine]

Make Hatt a Offensive Trick Room user, all of them are passive and Hatt does great as a offensive wincon with Calm Mind

 

[Miyoko]

https://pokepast.es/ef73d728d8d17de4 this is the set i'm currently testing, I like the new whimsicott set as well as the addition of cress as my final trick room setter - double healing wish really is great especially with its bulk. The only thing I'm not sure about is what hoopa's set should be as a full trick room attacker, is what i have okay?

At first glance what I saw is missing was that ur hoopa-u doesnt have Trick Room
I will suggest some changes to be done.
1. Trick room --> Psychic on
Hoopa can use Room Service or Eject Pack on hoopa and use it as a trick room set up. This will help u set up trick room with a strong attacker itself

Hoopa-Unbound @ Eject Pack
Ability: Magician
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Hyperspace Fury
- Drain Punch / Knock Off
- Trick Room
- Psyshock / Zen Headbutt

2. Lack of Special attackers
U used Torkoal which was a good idea with tera fire eruption. I agree with u in that point. U can use that if u want.

Torkoal @ Choice Specs
Ability: Drought
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Heat Wave
- Eruption
- Earth Power
- Solar Beam

3. (Optional) Trick Room Setters
Use Deoxys-Defense or Porygon2 to set up trick room. They can help u a lot more than Whimsicott but if u dont want to remove whims then its fine


Else the team looks fine. I love the trick room idea cuz it has been a long time since i have a trick room team in the ladder lol. I wish u good luck laddering and enjoying with this team. Thank you
Bye

 

[averagetoxapexlover]

trick room is in such a weird spot rn, but your team will definitely benefit from having something to actually win lategame like kingambit

 

[Owegt]

https://pokepast.es/ef73d728d8d17de4 this is the set i'm currently testing, I like the new whimsicott set as well as the addition of cress as my final trick room setter - double healing wish really is great especially with its bulk. The only thing I'm not sure about is what hoopa's set should be as a full trick room attacker, is what i have okay?

Oh so you did take on Tera Fire

 

[Owegt]

https://pokepast.es/ef73d728d8d17de4 this is the set i'm currently testing, I like the new whimsicott set as well as the addition of cress as my final trick room setter - double healing wish really is great especially with its bulk. The only thing I'm not sure about is what hoopa's set should be as a full trick room attacker, is what i have okay?

Similar to Miyoko, I think Special Attack is something that you don't quite have enough of, and Hoopa being a mixed attacker doesn't really help. While Torkoal def gets the job done and synergises with Whimsicott a bit more (and also being the stereotypical meta pick), Ghost types, especially FM might be something you need to worry about a bit more, and if we're scrapping Hoopa-U, we probably want smth to deal with that. Something niche like Clawitzer might be a good addition, especially when you have nothing to hit Ground types. Here's a set that might work:

Clawitzer @ Choice Specs/Life Orb
Ability: Mega Launcher
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 152 HP / 52 Def / 252 SpA / 52 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Aura Sphere
- Water Pulse
- Dark Pulse
- Dragon Pulse/Heal Pulse

Heal Pulse is pretty niche but there is some lack of support, Clawitzer should be able to tank a few hits either way and it's boosted to a whopping 75% healing just in case someone is low of health and is a crucial sweeper or something. It stills functions as a special attacker anyway and Dragon Pulse might be worth running.

On the other hand, you don't really have Fire coverage outside of Fire Punch, which isn't extremely strong and it's non-STAB. Coupling that with a mon that can take Ghosts may be good, and to perform in Trick Room, I think Skeledirge may also work pretty well. What works better is that your team could definitely use some status as well and burn is quite good when we see that your team is pretty well geared towards Special rather than Physical defense.

Skeledirge @ Life Orb
Ability: Blaze
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Will-O-Wisp
- Hex
- Earth Power
- Torch Song

In this case, Dirge is tanky and can burn others if need be. Tera Ground works to also give you some more offensive coverage, though you may choose to give it a more defensive Tera. Torch Song and Hex probably don't need explanations. (Also, Hex actually will do supereffective damage to FM unlike Dark Pulse so)

 

[DaRotomMachine]

FM

FLutter Mane? WHy would you need to worry about Flutter Mane?

Heal Pulse is pretty niche but there is some lack of support

What?

This is not VGC or doubles, this is singles OU.

 

[Owegt]

FLutter Mane? WHy would you need to worry about Flutter Mane?

What?

This is not VGC or doubles, this is singles OU.

Well then, I messed up :/

 

[a potato mage]

At first glance what I saw is missing was that ur hoopa-u doesnt have Trick Room
I will suggest some changes to be done.
1. Trick room --> Psychic on
Hoopa can use Room Service or Eject Pack on hoopa and use it as a trick room set up. This will help u set up trick room with a strong attacker itself

Hoopa-Unbound @ Eject Pack
Ability: Magician
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Hyperspace Fury
- Drain Punch / Knock Off
- Trick Room
- Psyshock / Zen Headbutt

2. Lack of Special attackers
U used Torkoal which was a good idea with tera fire eruption. I agree with u in that point. U can use that if u want.

Torkoal @ Choice Specs
Ability: Drought
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Heat Wave
- Eruption
- Earth Power
- Solar Beam

3. (Optional) Trick Room Setters
Use Deoxys-Defense or Porygon2 to set up trick room. They can help u a lot more than Whimsicott but if u dont want to remove whims then its fine


Else the team looks fine. I love the trick room idea cuz it has been a long time since i have a trick room team in the ladder lol. I wish u good luck laddering and enjoying with this team. Thank you
Bye

what's the benefit of heat wave over flamethrower? is it just power?

 

[Miyoko]

what's the benefit of heat wave over flamethrower? is it just power?

Oh I just gave u a set there. U may use flamethrower and yes flamethrower is better than heat wave in singles