Zapdos will Zap you (OU RMT)

[Werewolf]

Team At A Glance:​

Introduction:​

Hey guys, it's another RMT from me, and a really successful team this has been. My friend from some other forum helped in making it. As you may have guessed by the name, this team is based around Zapdos. So, here goes:

In Depth:​

@ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP/104 Def/152 Spd
Impish nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Stealth Rock
- Thunder Wave
- U-turn
- Trick
Comments: ScarfUxie has been one of the best leads I've ever used. After the Scarf boost, it reaches 396 speed, enough to outspeed most common non-scarfed leads. Trick the Scarf onto the other lead, then Thunder Wave the switch in. Awesome. Two pokemon crippled straight off the bat. That and Uxie's great defenses make Stealth Rock near certain to be set up. U-turn is a great way to switch.
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@ Babiri Berry
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 Atk/4 Def/252 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Dragon Dance
- Crunch
- Stone Edge
- Fire Punch
Comments: Now, I needed a Latias and Blissey counter, since both are good Zapdos counters. Tyranitar was the first one to come to my mind, since unboosted Surfs from Latias do like 39% and Blissey's low Defense stat makes both vulnerable to Tyranitar. Dragon Dance boosts Tyranitar's only low stat, speed also boosting it's Attack. Crunch and Stone Edge are my STAB moves, and Fire Punch maims Forretress, Jirachi and Scizor.
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@ Shed Shell
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP/4 Def/252 SDef
Careful nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Rapid Spin
- Toxic Spikes
- Payback
- Earthquake
Comments: A Tyranitar counter and a Spinner was needed now, since Zapdos is setup fodder for Tyranitar and is weak to Stealth Rock . Forretress could do both, by Toxic Spikes and Rapid Spin. Also, Toxic Spikes help in handling Blissey if my Tyranitar was killed. Payback easily KO's the Spin blockers, only not if the Spin blocker is the rare Spiritomb. Earthquake gives good type coverage, also the ability to defeat Metagross and Electric types. Shed Shell is used for escaping Magnezone's, Forretress' main nemesis.
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@ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP/136 Def/120 SDef
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Discharge
- Shadow Ball
- Sleep Talk
- Rest
Comments: A status absorber was needed now, as well as a Spin blocker. Rotom does both really well, and I always prefer Rotom to Dusknoir as my Spin blocker, thanks to its great typing, with three immunities, and only two weaknesses. Discharge was chosen over Thunderbolt thanks to the paralysis chance, and Shadow Ball over Will-o-Wisp since I'm using Toxic Spikes. Rest and Sleep Talk are pretty self-explanatory.
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@ Life Orb
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk/4 Def/252 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Dragon Dance
- Waterfall
- Earthquake
- Bounce
Comments: Another Tyranitar counter was needed now. I tried Suicune here, but Gyarados did better than Suicune. Usually, Bounce is only seen on Bulky Gyarados'. I've used it now in the Offensive set, and no matter it works wonders. It also helps racking up Toxic Spikes damage. Dragon Dance is self-explanatory, Waterfall is for STAB and the occasional flinch, and Earthquake shreds Electric types (bar Zapdos) to tears.
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@ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Roost
- Heat Wave
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Grass]
Comments: The star of the team, ZAPDOS!! It is so versitile, and can sweep teams easily with no effort. It's the best Special Sweeper in OU imo. Heat Wave maims Bronzong, Scizor, Metagross and Forretress, Thunderbolt OHKO's Salamence with Stealth Rock up, and also kills Skarmory, Gyarados, Crobat and <insert any water or flying type not named Swampert/Gastrodon/Quagsire/Gliscor>. Hidden Power Grass handles Rhyperior, <insert any Rock/Ground type>, and the aforementioned Swampert, Gastrodon and Quagsire.

Hope it was a nice read!
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[Garganator]

There are two Tyranitar sets, which may deal really huge damage and one, which sweeps this team without many problems unfortunately.

Tyranitar @ Choice Band & Tyranitar @ Dragon Dance with Stone Edge/Fire Punch

DDTar may set-up on Zapdos, Rotom and Forretress (Earthquake doesn't deal enough damage, I would go with Gyro Ball as Forretress is also your most reliable Outrage absorber from Salamence, which you can't hurt seriously right now. Yes, Salamence may also give you some trouble.) and start his sweep. Fire Punch obviously OHKOes Forry, Stone Edge OHKOes Gyarados and Zapdos, Earthquake for another Tyranitar. And Rotom can't take repeated hits, as he doesn't have WoW to stop Tyranitar and he must beg for paralysis chance from Discharge. Ironically the only counter to DDTar without Crunch (Stone Edge is much more dangerous for you) is... Uxie, which stops you with T-Wave, however it can't deal serious damage and as a lead it may die too early. But even with Crunch in Stone Edge spot, Gyarados can't stop it with such spread, as it's too frail for this. And Zapdos can't take repeated hits also. I see serious problem here.

And Choice bander - your team doesn't have rock resist, which is really fatal. Everything here is OHKOed or 2OHKOed by CB Stone Edge and you can't do anything to stop it and unfortunately it may switch on Zapdos, Rotom and Forry and start spamming it. My advice here is to replace Uxie lead for Swampert. Swampert sets up rocks and has rock resist, which you really need. Also Swampert checks Tyranitar, which you also need. In other words standard set with Yawn or Roar will do the job.

CB Aggron is even worse with sandstorm support, as Head Smash ANNIHILATES every single switch and with Sandstorm can take one hit from Zapdos and Rotom. Fortunately it's not that often, however good players may support it enough for one or two Head Smash hits. Also good news is that Swampert may switch in if really neccesary.

Also I would think about one more change. Your offensive Gyarados set for BulkyGyara. Your not that weak against SDLuke, but it may sweep in right circumstances. For first that Gyara won't enjoy taking STAB Close Combat, which nearly (or there's even small chance for OHKO with SR up) OHKOes with +1 Close Combat. Zapdos outspeeds it, however will take really heavy damage from Extremespeed, as it lacks defensive EVs. Damage will be that heavy, as it will stop your dreams for Zapdos sweep. I would also think about Will-O-Wisp on Rotom, however it's not that badly needed.

I guess that's it. I hope that helps. Cheers ;).

EDIT: Swampert stops E-Vire cold without HP Grass (of course if he wants to use it), however that danger still exists is he has it and Rotom is out. And I can't imagine E-Vire going through Rotom, which wins 1vs1 with Shadow Ball, so I don't think it's a big problem.

 

[I Abuse Smeargles]

This is a SMALL nitpick, because I am not very good at the OU scene. Regardless, I will try and help you. :D

A standard Mixvire with the moveset Cross Chop / Flamethrower / Thunderbolt / Hidden Power Ice will wreck complete havoc if Rotom is dead, scoring OHKO's on Fort, Gyarados, T-Tar, and possibly Zapdos. It has a FREE switch in, if predicting a Thunder Wave from your Uxie. Again, I am not sure how to fix this weakness, but I am making you well aware of it, so you can possibly fix it with your friend, or another rater could help you out. ^^

Be careful, and good luck! :)

-IAS

 

[Snorlaxe]

Hello! This is an interesting team, but there are a few things I feel can be improved upon. First off, this team is currently lacking a resistance to Rock-type moves; this could spell doom for your team, as Choice Band Tyranitar and opposing Dragon Dance Tyranitar will be able to easily ravage through your team. After a Dragon Dance, Tyranitar outspeeds and OHKOes your Zapdos, Gyarados, Rotom-C, Uxie, plus your Foretress if said Tyranitar carries Fire Punch. Your own Tyranitar is outsped and 2HKOed by Stone Edge. This team also has problems with Life Orb Dragon Dance Gyarados, who after a Dragon Dance can outspeed and OHKO Tyranitar and Rotom-C with Waterfall (after Stealth Rock damage in Rotom-C's case), and OHKO your own Gyarados and your Zapdos with a Stone Edge. Uxie is 2HKOed by a Dragon Danced Waterfall, while it can do little to stop it except possibly Thunder Wave. Foretress is easily set up by Gyarados, while Tyranitar can set up on Zapdos with little fear of its attacks (Hidden Power Grass does around 50% damage).

I suggest that you remedy this weakness by changing your lead to Swampert. Swampert is an excellent counter to both Dragon Dance Tyranitar and Dragon Dance Gyarados, thanks to its neutrility to Water type attacks and its resistance to Rock type attacks. Swampert can then Roar out the aformentioned threats while taking little damage thanks to its high HP and Defense stat. Swampert is also a very reliable user of Stealth Rock thanks to its durability, and really only fails to set up Rocks against Taunt leads. Swampert also matches up favoably against many common leads such as Metagross, Heatran, and Jirachi. I suggest that you use a set of:

Swampert @ Leftovers | Torrent
Relaxed | 252 HP | 252 Defense | 4 Special Attack
Earthquake | Stealth Rock | Ice Beam | Roar

Earthquake is Swampert's best STAB move and is very powerful coming off of base 110 Attack, even when no EVs are used to boost it. Earthquake is also a great weapon against many common leads as it 2HKOes a vast majority of them, such as Heatran and Jirachi. Earthquake also does quite a number on enemy Tyranitar, which is great because Tyranitar is currently one of the biggest problems for this team. Stealth Rock of course is a must on virtually every team, and Swampert particularly excells at using Stealth Rock thanks to its impressive bulk and nice defensive typing. Ice Beam is another helpful move and makes Swampert one of the best counters to Dragon Dance Salamence, who this team also currently has some trouble with; a Dragon Dance boosted Outrage from Salamence will never OHKO a Swampert at full health, while Swampert OHKOes back with Ice Beam. Roar is a great move to have on a set like this, as Swampert is currently your "failsafe" on a great many threats. Gyarados no longer threatens your team thanks to Swampert, who can take a Dragon Dance boosted Life Orb Waterfall like a champion and Roar it out, not only stopping the opponent's sweep but revealing a new member of their team. The one thing you should be cautious of is making Swampert take too much damage; without him your team becomes weak to a lot of threats again.

I think that you might want to consider Spikes instead of Toxic Spikes on Foretress. Spikes is better on this sort of team, as with powerful hard-hitters like Tyranitar and Zapdos your opponent will be switching around a lot. Spikes goes further towards punishing your opponents for switching, and when combined with Stealth Rock many Pokemon will take very large amounts of damage just when trying to switch in. Factor this with the damage that they actually take from your attack and Sandstorm damage from Tyranitar, and even your opponents' bulkiest walls will be unable to keep up. Blissey is no longer a big concern for the team should you chose to add Swampert, so you are free to ditch Toxic Spikes. Lately I've noticed a big increase of Pokemon that are immune to Toxic Spikes. Whole teams are no longer taking damage from Toxic Spikes, and while they are nice for stalling out Blissey they are inferior to Spikes in every way on a team like this. Keeping the momentum in your favor is important especially on a balance team such as this one, and a combination of Spikes + Stealth Rock and Rotom-C spin blocking will go a long way towards achieving this goal.

Personally I would try and run a Jolly nature on Tyranitar as opposed to an Adamant one. It is true that with an Adamant nature you deal out more damage, but with a Jolly nature Tyranitar outspeeds Timid Life Orb Starmie who currently causes this team problems with her powerful Special Attacks. I would also consider running Ice Fang on Gyarados as opposed to Bounce. While Bounce helps to nail Celebi, most Celebi won't stay in on a Bounce, and between Life Orb recoil and the damage from Tyranitar's everlasting Sandstorm, not to mention Gyarados's weakness to Stealth Rock (should Foretress fail to Spin away the Rocks), Gyarados will die quickly if your opponent plays intellegently and makes good switches; Gyarados is forced to eat the Life Orb recoil wether the attack does a lot of damage or a little damage. Ice Fang in my opinion is a better choice for nailing Celebi and Breloom and other Grass-types right off the bat. While this now means that Gyarados can do little damage to Starmie, this isnt a big deal as Tyranitar and Zapdos both hit it extremely hard with their STAB attacks; Rotom-C makes short work of Starmie as well.

Hope the changes helped, and good luck! ;)

 

[Zach]

Problems

• Tyranitar
  With no Rock resist and no Pokemon tat outruns after a Dragon Dance, both Choice Band and Dragon Dance versions will be a pain. Dragon Dance can set up on Rotom and Zapdos and proceed to hit your entire team, minus your own Tyranitar (who will be outsped) for super-effective damage. Fire Punch kills Forry. As for Choice Band, every pokemon on this team, Forretress included, is 2HKOed by Stone Edge.
• Salamence
  Salamence can really only set up on Forretress, but once he does, things look bleak for your team. Your best bet is to lure an Outrage with Gyarados or Uxie, and then switch in Forretress. However, Forretress' weak Paybacks will do laughable damage, so from there you must rely on Salamence's own Life Orb and confusion damage to wear it out. Mix versions are no walk in the park either.

Solutions

• Machamp
  
  Machamp @ Leftovers
  252 HP / 112 Atk / 144 Spe
  Adamant nature (+Atk, -SpA)
  -DynamicPunch
  -Payback
  -Rest
  -Sleep Talk
  
  The Speed EVs outrun base 70's with minimal investment (Metagross, Skarmory). This also outruns and OHKOes all Tyranitar, and it can survive a +1 Fire Punch / Aqua Tail / Earthquake from the DDer. Rest and Sleep Talk keep it healthy. Payback for coverage. This can go over Tyranitar, because its still a Blissey counter. This change leaves you more open to Latias and does not fix Salamence problems, however.
  _
• Scizor
  
  Scizor @ Choice Band
  160 HP / 176 Atk / 4 Spe / 168 SpD
  Adamant nature (+Atk, -SpA)
  -U-turn
  -Bullet Punch
  -Superpower
  -Pursuit
  
  This specially defensive EV spread takes Draco Meteors from Latias and Salamence more nicely. Anyway Bullet Punch doesn't care about Dragon Dance speed boosts and does a number on Salamence, as well as Latias, who is also Pursuit weak. U-tun is for scouting stuff and STAB. Use this over Forretress.