Introduction
Hi Smogon. Today I'd like to present a team that is entirely different than anything that I've built. This team was created knowing that Sun is not as optimal as it was in Gen 5 and before, but I'd like to showcase this team to display that it still has merit. USUM OU has been fairly enjoyable for me so far, and I hope that—with further innovations— that the meta can improve even more. This is some of the most fun I've had using a team on the ladder, and I'm genuinely surprised at how fluently the team worked. I played this team from 1000 ELO to 1526 and stopped on my tempSunny alt, and I went from 1500 to 1814 on my tempering account!
To further dive in, I'd like to say that Sun is a very unexplored and very unique archetype. I've been playing Pokemon from a competitive aspect for many years, and nearly every team that I've built has had some form of innovation or unique quality. Sun in USUM OU, in my opinion, is extremely anti-meta thanks to threats such as Venusaur and Volcarona, who can catch their usual checks off guard. Furthermore, a lot of Pokemon can benefit from the Sun in this generation. Be it subtle or be it major, Pokemon like Zygarde, Charizard-Mega-X, Victini, etc. heavily benefit.
With the loss of Dugtrio, though, I feel that Sun has taken a heavy hit. While it was always an uncommon and unexplored playstyle, people will stray even farther away from it. Dugtrio was the glue that kept Sun together for the most part—trapping Heatran and Tyranitar for your abusers. This fact dates back to the BW days where Sun among many other weathers was ubiquitous. Given that, Pokemon such as Garchomp, Zygarde, or Landorus-Therian are presented with new opportunities to fit on Sun.
I heavily recommend that players try out Sun, as I feel it can match-up to even Rain if used enough. People simply haven't done enough in this USUM meta, which is understandable. The Pokemon that are deemed usable on Sun could be seen as outclassed or merely not viable, especially with the prominence of Stealth Rock and hazards in general.
boi look at your GXE
Teambuilding Process
Honestly, there isn't much to explain when it comes to Volcarona on a Sun team. I'll go to far more detail when it comes to Ninetales and its purpose on this team. For starters, I'm going to need people to get the concept that Charizard-Mega-Y is a Sun setter out of their head. Charizard will barely ever set up Sun for the usage of its teammates. If anything, it abuses its own weather only. Some could argue that its usage is synonymous to the likes of Specs Pelipper on Rain builds, but Pelipper has access to a pivotal move in U-turn. Charizard finds itself in a spot where it wants to lure in Waters with a strong Solar Beam or nuke opposing teams with Fire Blasts rather than get up the Sun and swap. Ninetales captures the role as a Sun setter brilliantly, on the other hand. Its speed tier allows it to serve as a better Sun setter than Torkoal, in my opinion. Some decent special bulk, too, is what made me opt for it. Volcarona simply abuses the Sun + its Firium Z on this team. This is a concept that I had months ago, but I could never make a Sun team that allowed Volcarona to actually do something.
I considered Celesteela due to its ability to check Psychics like Tapu Lele and Latios. In Sun, it also receives a boost to its Flamethrower. Landorus-Therian acted as an Electric-immunity and Choice Scarfer to target Tyranitar and Heatran. Lastly, Clefable provided Stealth Rock to give chip damage for Volcarona.
Venusaur rounded off the team as a Chlorophyll Pokemon. It abuses the Sun to obtain 2x speed, allowing it to clean quite easily. I sometimes opt for Victreebel thanks to Weather Ball, but because of the bulky nature of this team, I went with Venusaur.
Ultimately, I decided with Mega Scizor and Zygarde over Celesteela and Landorus-Therian. This unfortunately strips me of any Ground-immunity, making offensive Landorus annoying when I'm on the defensive.
In-depth
Ninetales @
| Drought
EVs: 248 HP / 116 SpD / 144 Spe | Timid Nature | IVs: 0 Atk
Flamethrower | Sunny Day | Will-O-Wisp | Hidden Power [Ground]
Ninetales performs solidly as a lead in most match-ups. It'd get up the Sun and be able to safely switch out or Will-O-Wisp to cripple an incoming threat. It reaches a speed stat of 299. For reference, this is a neutral-natured base 100 speed Pokemon with max EVs. With that in mind, you're outpacing Adamant Landorus, Adamant Mimikyu, and 112 Speed Mew. Ninetales' SpDef investment allows it to avoid the OHKO from Specs Lele's Psychic. This means you can retaliate with about 27% chip damage back. The rest is dumped into Speed, conveniently reaching the above benchmark.
Flamethrower is the primary form of STAB for Ninetales—accurate and decently powerful. Sunny Day allows Ninetales to get up Sun even against opposing weather setters. You can Will-O-Wisp Tyranitars that potentially aren't Choice Band and follow up with a safe Sunny Day. Both Drought and Sunny Day are extended by the Heat Rock to 8 turns. Hidden Power Ground does solid chip damage—about 46%—to Heatran. This is valuable chip damage for Volcarona's sweep.
Venusaur @
| Chlorophyll
EVs: 72 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA / 180 Spe | Timid Nature | IVs: 0 Atk
Growth | Giga Drain | Hidden Power [Fire] | Sludge Bomb
Venusaur is the team's primary Sun abuser. Chlorophyll allows Venusaur's speed stat to reach insane heights. At 2x speed, Venusaur will even outspeed the likes of Choice Scarf Latios. The rest of those EVs go into bulk. Thanks to the Sun, Growth now acts as a Nasty Plot—providing +2 Special Attack rather than +1. This, coupled with the 2x speed, makes Venusaur a deadly sweeper in the Sun. Giga Drain is interchangeable with Solar Beam, but the former is more reliable when Sun isn't up and provides HP recovery. Hidden Power Fire, at +2 and in the Sun, will OHKO Celesteela, Ferrothorn and Scizor notably. Sludge Bomb is Venusaur's last move and probably fills the most flexible moveslot. Earthquake decent on this set due to Growth also giving +2 Attack, allowing you to KO Heatran. Knock Off makes dealing with Chansey easier, though a +6 Giga Drain to Sludge Bomb should get the job done eventually. Sleep Powder would also assist Venusaur in its sweeps by putting its checks to sleep. Lastly, Venusaur can afford to run Sunny Day in this slot as a secondary form of getting the Sun up. Set up on Pokemon that you know are forced out, such as Ash Greninja, Keldeo, or Ferrothorn. Conserve Venusaur's HP, as it has Life Orb, which will reduce its HP with every move.
Volcarona @
| Flame Body
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe | Timid Nature | IVs: 0 Atk
Quiver Dance | Fire Blast / Flamethrower | Giga Drain | Psychic
Volcarona is basically the star of this team. At +1 and in the Sun, this thing is an absolute beast. It OHKOs some of its resists with these factors. For example, Zygarde, Latios, Garchomp, and Gyarados are all KO'd from full by a +1 Inferno Overdrive in the Sun. The sheer power of Volcarona is insane. The Sun acts as a bit of a long-lasting Passho Berry, too, so Volcarona can set up on some more passive or weaker Waters like Manaphy. Flamethrower, while less powerful, is more consistent at actually hitting thanks to its 100% accuracy. It still reaches those benchmarks, but it's guaranteed only when Stealth Rock are on the field. Giga Drain targets Waters that you don't want to waste a Z-move on, such as Keldeo or Tapu Fini. Lastly, Psychic is primarily for Toxapex. Pex is extremely annoying for Venusaur, as a majority of them are SpDef oriented. However, Hidden Power Ground is plausible to target Heatran, which is a big threat to Sun post-Arena Trap-ban. Volcarona's snowball effect in the Sun is insane, and you'll be finding yourself many set-up opportunities thanks to its decent natural bulk, Quiver Dance's SpDef boost, and Sun's deduction of Water-type damage by 0.5x. Stealth Rocks are particularly nice before starting to set-up, especially if you're running Flamethrower.
Scizor @
| Light Metal
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD | Impish Nature
Defog | U-turn | Bullet Punch | Roost
Mega Scizor makes no sense on Sun on paper. It's already 4x weak to Fire-type attacks. Why would someone want to amplify the damage to even greater attacks? The former statement answers that question directly. Despite Sun boosting the damage even further, it's highly irrelevant. Scizor is likely going to drop to strong HP Fires or Fire Blasts regardless. Scizor-Mega's role is as a pivot and a soft check to most Ground-types. Defog, or any form of hazard control, is paramount on Sun. Volcarona, the powerhouse of Sun teams, would take 49% and Ninetales would take 24%. This'd be meaningful chip damage for the opponent and would put a damper in any opportunities of victory. U-turn lets Scizor pivot out against incoming Heatran to go Zygarde and threaten it out. Scizor's natural bulk is insane, so Roost is added for longevity and to make that bulk go to use. If you really want to get fire, though, you could slap on Hidden Power Fire over Bullet Punch for opposing Scizor, or even Superpower to further pressure Heatran.
Zygarde @
| Aura Break
EVs: 188 HP / 140 Atk / 180 Spe | Adamant Nature
Substitute | Dragon Dance | Thousand Arrows | Protect / Toxic / Coil
Zygarde's role on this Sun build is to threaten Heatran, Tyranitar, and other common checks to Volcarona and Venusaur. As far as the first three moves go, Sub, DD, and Thousand Arrows, it's pretty self explanatory. The final moveslot, however, can be one of three different moves. Each are better in a different match-up. Protect allows Zygarde to stall Rain turns from Pelipper and have an easier time PP stalling Pokemon like Ferrothorn. Toxic puts a timer on Tangrowth, Landorus-Therian, or Tapu Bulu. This could prove especially helpful for Zygarde itself. And if its checks are crippled or eliminated, Zygarde should be able to stay in the game longer and be more of use. Coil helps out vs. bulkier and more passive builds. It'll significantly increase Zygarde's bulk—making it so that Pokemon that'll usually break a Substitute will fail to do so. The move I prefer ultimately, though, is Protect. Zygarde's HP EVs avoid a Seismic Toss breaking the Sub, and you'll be able to outrun Mega Lopunny / Mega Manectric and below at +1.
Clefable @
| Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 244 Def / 12 SpD | Bold Nature
Moonblast | Soft-Boiled | Stealth Rock | Knock Off / Flamethrower / Endeavor
Clefable's movepool is very expansive, and it has access to Stealth Rock and provides me with a solid Dragon-immunity. Similarly to Zygarde, the final slot is extremely flexible. Knock Off punishes Pokemon such as Celesteela or Toxapex. It removes the item of an opposing Pokemon and provides some chip damage. This is low risk and has a high reward. Flamethrower receives a damage boost, acting as if it was STAB, in the Sun. This will melt Ferrothorn, Scizor that may SD, and deal solid chip to Celesteela or Mawile. Lastly, Endeavor is a very viable option and is probably the one I'd advise the most for this team. Endeavor allows Clefable to bring Heatran (primarily) down, meaning that you aren't useless against Trapper sets. With the 12 SpDef EVs, Clefable avoids a 2HKO from Offensive Trapper Heatran's Magma Storm. Magma into Tectonic Rage (Z-Earth Power) leaves you at 97% max., as well. You'll be on a slither of HP, allowing Clefable to fire off an Endeavor that'll also take Heatran down. This is extremely niche, and will likely only function on this team, as it needs it the most. If running Flamethrower or Endeavor, use 0 Atk IVs to take less damage from confusion and Foul Play. Also, Moonlight is a potential option over Soft-Boiled for the 3/4 HP recovery in Sun, but its PP is low and the recovery can be deterred by other weathers.
Other Option
Bronzong @
| Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD | Sassy Nature | IVs: 0 Spe
Stealth Rock | Toxic | Gyro Ball | Earthquake
Bronzong is an alternative to Clefable. The overall viability is less than Clefable, but it acts as a lure with EQ, a rocker, a Lele check, and a Ground-immunity. That being said, Jirachi is also a potential member as a Lure with Hidden Power Ground, Icy Wind / Toxic, Stealth Rock, and Iron Head. Bronzong's viability in USUM OU isn't very high due to how passive it is. Also, it lacks any form of reliable recovery, and is completely overshadowed by Celesteela. On this team, it does more than Celesteela can provide, but I feel Clefable still functions better.
Replays
Shoutouts
Importable
Threatlist
Heatran being threatening to this team is very obvious. Read the RMT if you want to know why this thing is annoying in full detail, but in short:
It walls Volcarona, Scizor and Venusaur. It pressures Clefable if I don't run Endeavor. It eats Hidden Power Grounds from Ninetales, and has the potential to be faster than Zygarde.
Tyranitar is also decently obvious. It resets the weather to Sand, and DD variants are almost unbeatable unless I get chip damage prior to their set-up. Ninetales can burn sets that aren't Banded, aiding Zygarde in its set-up.
Mega-Zam, PsychicSpam and Tapu Lele are all in this spot. Unless you're running Bronzong, which I feel is a more ladder friendly version, Psychic types are a major pain with your only resist being Scizor. Mega Alakazam and Trace Chlorophyll from Venusaur and can potentially reverse sweep. My team, without Bronzong, is not very specially bulky. Tapu Lele's Specs Psychics do significant damage, but if I'm on the offensive (i.e. +1 Zygarde, Venu in Sun, Volcarona in safely, etc.), it's a lot easier to deal with.
Garchomp itself isn't the threat. This basically signifies Ground-types. Without Bronzong, this team has no immunity to Ground. There isn't even a resist to Ground. Most Ground-types, though, are dealt with by Scizor, Venusaur, or a boosted Volcarona.
Hi Smogon. Today I'd like to present a team that is entirely different than anything that I've built. This team was created knowing that Sun is not as optimal as it was in Gen 5 and before, but I'd like to showcase this team to display that it still has merit. USUM OU has been fairly enjoyable for me so far, and I hope that—with further innovations— that the meta can improve even more. This is some of the most fun I've had using a team on the ladder, and I'm genuinely surprised at how fluently the team worked. I played this team from 1000 ELO to 1526 and stopped on my tempSunny alt, and I went from 1500 to 1814 on my tempering account!
To further dive in, I'd like to say that Sun is a very unexplored and very unique archetype. I've been playing Pokemon from a competitive aspect for many years, and nearly every team that I've built has had some form of innovation or unique quality. Sun in USUM OU, in my opinion, is extremely anti-meta thanks to threats such as Venusaur and Volcarona, who can catch their usual checks off guard. Furthermore, a lot of Pokemon can benefit from the Sun in this generation. Be it subtle or be it major, Pokemon like Zygarde, Charizard-Mega-X, Victini, etc. heavily benefit.
With the loss of Dugtrio, though, I feel that Sun has taken a heavy hit. While it was always an uncommon and unexplored playstyle, people will stray even farther away from it. Dugtrio was the glue that kept Sun together for the most part—trapping Heatran and Tyranitar for your abusers. This fact dates back to the BW days where Sun among many other weathers was ubiquitous. Given that, Pokemon such as Garchomp, Zygarde, or Landorus-Therian are presented with new opportunities to fit on Sun.
I heavily recommend that players try out Sun, as I feel it can match-up to even Rain if used enough. People simply haven't done enough in this USUM meta, which is understandable. The Pokemon that are deemed usable on Sun could be seen as outclassed or merely not viable, especially with the prominence of Stealth Rock and hazards in general.
boi look at your GXE
Teambuilding Process
Honestly, there isn't much to explain when it comes to Volcarona on a Sun team. I'll go to far more detail when it comes to Ninetales and its purpose on this team. For starters, I'm going to need people to get the concept that Charizard-Mega-Y is a Sun setter out of their head. Charizard will barely ever set up Sun for the usage of its teammates. If anything, it abuses its own weather only. Some could argue that its usage is synonymous to the likes of Specs Pelipper on Rain builds, but Pelipper has access to a pivotal move in U-turn. Charizard finds itself in a spot where it wants to lure in Waters with a strong Solar Beam or nuke opposing teams with Fire Blasts rather than get up the Sun and swap. Ninetales captures the role as a Sun setter brilliantly, on the other hand. Its speed tier allows it to serve as a better Sun setter than Torkoal, in my opinion. Some decent special bulk, too, is what made me opt for it. Volcarona simply abuses the Sun + its Firium Z on this team. This is a concept that I had months ago, but I could never make a Sun team that allowed Volcarona to actually do something.
I considered Celesteela due to its ability to check Psychics like Tapu Lele and Latios. In Sun, it also receives a boost to its Flamethrower. Landorus-Therian acted as an Electric-immunity and Choice Scarfer to target Tyranitar and Heatran. Lastly, Clefable provided Stealth Rock to give chip damage for Volcarona.
Venusaur rounded off the team as a Chlorophyll Pokemon. It abuses the Sun to obtain 2x speed, allowing it to clean quite easily. I sometimes opt for Victreebel thanks to Weather Ball, but because of the bulky nature of this team, I went with Venusaur.
Ultimately, I decided with Mega Scizor and Zygarde over Celesteela and Landorus-Therian. This unfortunately strips me of any Ground-immunity, making offensive Landorus annoying when I'm on the defensive.
In-depth
Ninetales @
EVs: 248 HP / 116 SpD / 144 Spe | Timid Nature | IVs: 0 Atk
Flamethrower | Sunny Day | Will-O-Wisp | Hidden Power [Ground]
Ninetales performs solidly as a lead in most match-ups. It'd get up the Sun and be able to safely switch out or Will-O-Wisp to cripple an incoming threat. It reaches a speed stat of 299. For reference, this is a neutral-natured base 100 speed Pokemon with max EVs. With that in mind, you're outpacing Adamant Landorus, Adamant Mimikyu, and 112 Speed Mew. Ninetales' SpDef investment allows it to avoid the OHKO from Specs Lele's Psychic. This means you can retaliate with about 27% chip damage back. The rest is dumped into Speed, conveniently reaching the above benchmark.
Flamethrower is the primary form of STAB for Ninetales—accurate and decently powerful. Sunny Day allows Ninetales to get up Sun even against opposing weather setters. You can Will-O-Wisp Tyranitars that potentially aren't Choice Band and follow up with a safe Sunny Day. Both Drought and Sunny Day are extended by the Heat Rock to 8 turns. Hidden Power Ground does solid chip damage—about 46%—to Heatran. This is valuable chip damage for Volcarona's sweep.
Venusaur @
EVs: 72 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA / 180 Spe | Timid Nature | IVs: 0 Atk
Growth | Giga Drain | Hidden Power [Fire] | Sludge Bomb
Venusaur is the team's primary Sun abuser. Chlorophyll allows Venusaur's speed stat to reach insane heights. At 2x speed, Venusaur will even outspeed the likes of Choice Scarf Latios. The rest of those EVs go into bulk. Thanks to the Sun, Growth now acts as a Nasty Plot—providing +2 Special Attack rather than +1. This, coupled with the 2x speed, makes Venusaur a deadly sweeper in the Sun. Giga Drain is interchangeable with Solar Beam, but the former is more reliable when Sun isn't up and provides HP recovery. Hidden Power Fire, at +2 and in the Sun, will OHKO Celesteela, Ferrothorn and Scizor notably. Sludge Bomb is Venusaur's last move and probably fills the most flexible moveslot. Earthquake decent on this set due to Growth also giving +2 Attack, allowing you to KO Heatran. Knock Off makes dealing with Chansey easier, though a +6 Giga Drain to Sludge Bomb should get the job done eventually. Sleep Powder would also assist Venusaur in its sweeps by putting its checks to sleep. Lastly, Venusaur can afford to run Sunny Day in this slot as a secondary form of getting the Sun up. Set up on Pokemon that you know are forced out, such as Ash Greninja, Keldeo, or Ferrothorn. Conserve Venusaur's HP, as it has Life Orb, which will reduce its HP with every move.
Volcarona @
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe | Timid Nature | IVs: 0 Atk
Quiver Dance | Fire Blast / Flamethrower | Giga Drain | Psychic
Volcarona is basically the star of this team. At +1 and in the Sun, this thing is an absolute beast. It OHKOs some of its resists with these factors. For example, Zygarde, Latios, Garchomp, and Gyarados are all KO'd from full by a +1 Inferno Overdrive in the Sun. The sheer power of Volcarona is insane. The Sun acts as a bit of a long-lasting Passho Berry, too, so Volcarona can set up on some more passive or weaker Waters like Manaphy. Flamethrower, while less powerful, is more consistent at actually hitting thanks to its 100% accuracy. It still reaches those benchmarks, but it's guaranteed only when Stealth Rock are on the field. Giga Drain targets Waters that you don't want to waste a Z-move on, such as Keldeo or Tapu Fini. Lastly, Psychic is primarily for Toxapex. Pex is extremely annoying for Venusaur, as a majority of them are SpDef oriented. However, Hidden Power Ground is plausible to target Heatran, which is a big threat to Sun post-Arena Trap-ban. Volcarona's snowball effect in the Sun is insane, and you'll be finding yourself many set-up opportunities thanks to its decent natural bulk, Quiver Dance's SpDef boost, and Sun's deduction of Water-type damage by 0.5x. Stealth Rocks are particularly nice before starting to set-up, especially if you're running Flamethrower.
Scizor @
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD | Impish Nature
Defog | U-turn | Bullet Punch | Roost
Mega Scizor makes no sense on Sun on paper. It's already 4x weak to Fire-type attacks. Why would someone want to amplify the damage to even greater attacks? The former statement answers that question directly. Despite Sun boosting the damage even further, it's highly irrelevant. Scizor is likely going to drop to strong HP Fires or Fire Blasts regardless. Scizor-Mega's role is as a pivot and a soft check to most Ground-types. Defog, or any form of hazard control, is paramount on Sun. Volcarona, the powerhouse of Sun teams, would take 49% and Ninetales would take 24%. This'd be meaningful chip damage for the opponent and would put a damper in any opportunities of victory. U-turn lets Scizor pivot out against incoming Heatran to go Zygarde and threaten it out. Scizor's natural bulk is insane, so Roost is added for longevity and to make that bulk go to use. If you really want to get fire, though, you could slap on Hidden Power Fire over Bullet Punch for opposing Scizor, or even Superpower to further pressure Heatran.
Zygarde @
EVs: 188 HP / 140 Atk / 180 Spe | Adamant Nature
Substitute | Dragon Dance | Thousand Arrows | Protect / Toxic / Coil
Zygarde's role on this Sun build is to threaten Heatran, Tyranitar, and other common checks to Volcarona and Venusaur. As far as the first three moves go, Sub, DD, and Thousand Arrows, it's pretty self explanatory. The final moveslot, however, can be one of three different moves. Each are better in a different match-up. Protect allows Zygarde to stall Rain turns from Pelipper and have an easier time PP stalling Pokemon like Ferrothorn. Toxic puts a timer on Tangrowth, Landorus-Therian, or Tapu Bulu. This could prove especially helpful for Zygarde itself. And if its checks are crippled or eliminated, Zygarde should be able to stay in the game longer and be more of use. Coil helps out vs. bulkier and more passive builds. It'll significantly increase Zygarde's bulk—making it so that Pokemon that'll usually break a Substitute will fail to do so. The move I prefer ultimately, though, is Protect. Zygarde's HP EVs avoid a Seismic Toss breaking the Sub, and you'll be able to outrun Mega Lopunny / Mega Manectric and below at +1.
Clefable @
EVs: 252 HP / 244 Def / 12 SpD | Bold Nature
Moonblast | Soft-Boiled | Stealth Rock | Knock Off / Flamethrower / Endeavor
Clefable's movepool is very expansive, and it has access to Stealth Rock and provides me with a solid Dragon-immunity. Similarly to Zygarde, the final slot is extremely flexible. Knock Off punishes Pokemon such as Celesteela or Toxapex. It removes the item of an opposing Pokemon and provides some chip damage. This is low risk and has a high reward. Flamethrower receives a damage boost, acting as if it was STAB, in the Sun. This will melt Ferrothorn, Scizor that may SD, and deal solid chip to Celesteela or Mawile. Lastly, Endeavor is a very viable option and is probably the one I'd advise the most for this team. Endeavor allows Clefable to bring Heatran (primarily) down, meaning that you aren't useless against Trapper sets. With the 12 SpDef EVs, Clefable avoids a 2HKO from Offensive Trapper Heatran's Magma Storm. Magma into Tectonic Rage (Z-Earth Power) leaves you at 97% max., as well. You'll be on a slither of HP, allowing Clefable to fire off an Endeavor that'll also take Heatran down. This is extremely niche, and will likely only function on this team, as it needs it the most. If running Flamethrower or Endeavor, use 0 Atk IVs to take less damage from confusion and Foul Play. Also, Moonlight is a potential option over Soft-Boiled for the 3/4 HP recovery in Sun, but its PP is low and the recovery can be deterred by other weathers.
Other Option
Bronzong @
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD | Sassy Nature | IVs: 0 Spe
Stealth Rock | Toxic | Gyro Ball | Earthquake
Bronzong is an alternative to Clefable. The overall viability is less than Clefable, but it acts as a lure with EQ, a rocker, a Lele check, and a Ground-immunity. That being said, Jirachi is also a potential member as a Lure with Hidden Power Ground, Icy Wind / Toxic, Stealth Rock, and Iron Head. Bronzong's viability in USUM OU isn't very high due to how passive it is. Also, it lacks any form of reliable recovery, and is completely overshadowed by Celesteela. On this team, it does more than Celesteela can provide, but I feel Clefable still functions better.
Replays
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-678351429
This replay is decently low on the ladder, but its purpose is to perfectly exemplify how Venusaur can win against a Chansey. My opponent was confident that his Chansey, the SpDef titan that it is, would be able to 1v1 the Venusaur (even at +6). Giga Drain provides enough recovery so that its spammable, allowing you to Sludge Bomb for the 2HKO.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-678564082
This replay displays the usefulness of Hidden Power Ground Ninetales and how beneficial chip damage is on Heatran. Thanks to the several Hidden Powers Ninetales was able to dish out, Heatran was at 21%, allowing Volcarona to pick it off. Volcarona was healthy enough that it got 2 QD's. Hawlucha runs enough speed for Excadrill, so Volcarona was able to outspeed and abuse Tapu Lele's own Psychic Terrain.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-678654304
This is another replay of Venusaur sweeping through in the lategame. Thanks to its decent natural bulk of 80/83/100, Venusaur is able to eat hits and Growth up in Sun. This replay also eloquently showcases how fast Venusaur becomes in Sun and how monstrously powerful it becomes at +2—OHKOing even Latios.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-678657705
This is displaying how Clefable breaks through Heatran with Endeavors. Eventually I'm able to spam it, and it becomes a scenario where the Heatran user stops attacking so that I'm not low enough to get off a good Endeavor. This only means that I'm getting recovery overtime with Leftovers, and I can Soft-Boiled if they don't Taunt. Heatran's at 63%, allowing Ninetales to leave it at 17%. This chip, even without Stealth Rock, ultimately puts Heatran in range of Venusaur's Giga Drain at +2. In the end, Venusaur sweeps by KO'ing everything at +2.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-679006269
Higher on the ladder on my tempering account—I encounter PsychicSpam. The biggest flaw for their team was that their Fire resist was Greninja. This game, and my plays, perfectly illustrate how to play in such a match-up. My opponent let the Magearna die to the Inferno Overdrive in the Sun, as he had no switch-in. However, I feel that was the biggest misplay of the game. It allowed my Venusaur to ultimately win in the end, as his Mega Alakazam was also down (only relevant due to Trace copying Chlorophyll).
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-679011267
A loss against Wally :]
Yes, I'm sharing an L, too. I definitely misplayed a ton and Wally played well. First misplay was going for Stealth Rock vs. Magnezone as Bronzong. Not KO'ing Magnezone meant Scizor couldn't KO something and not worry about Mag. The plan at that turn in my head was get up rocks to ensure it dies to the Bullet Punch, but if my ultimate gameplan was to remove hazards with it too; what was I going to choose from that point? The turn that lost me the entire game was when I Hidden Power Fired onto the Magnezone. If I went for Growth, I literally would've won, as I already determined that Latias was more offensive than a bulky, utility based set. You could see that I lost when I made the play of HP Firing, so I probably could've went for Growth that presented an even greater reward. Unfortunate, but ggwp Wally.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-679024785
Volcarona sweep thanks to Ninetales chipping Heatran with Hidden Power Ground. Even letting Ninetales die was perfectly fine for me, as Volc had just enough Sun turns to sweep. It also displays that a +1 Z-Fire Blast in Sun does indeed OHKO Latios.
There are some more replays for you to see if you'd like. Just search tempSunny or tempering on the Replays section of Showdown.
This replay is decently low on the ladder, but its purpose is to perfectly exemplify how Venusaur can win against a Chansey. My opponent was confident that his Chansey, the SpDef titan that it is, would be able to 1v1 the Venusaur (even at +6). Giga Drain provides enough recovery so that its spammable, allowing you to Sludge Bomb for the 2HKO.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-678564082
This replay displays the usefulness of Hidden Power Ground Ninetales and how beneficial chip damage is on Heatran. Thanks to the several Hidden Powers Ninetales was able to dish out, Heatran was at 21%, allowing Volcarona to pick it off. Volcarona was healthy enough that it got 2 QD's. Hawlucha runs enough speed for Excadrill, so Volcarona was able to outspeed and abuse Tapu Lele's own Psychic Terrain.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-678654304
This is another replay of Venusaur sweeping through in the lategame. Thanks to its decent natural bulk of 80/83/100, Venusaur is able to eat hits and Growth up in Sun. This replay also eloquently showcases how fast Venusaur becomes in Sun and how monstrously powerful it becomes at +2—OHKOing even Latios.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-678657705
This is displaying how Clefable breaks through Heatran with Endeavors. Eventually I'm able to spam it, and it becomes a scenario where the Heatran user stops attacking so that I'm not low enough to get off a good Endeavor. This only means that I'm getting recovery overtime with Leftovers, and I can Soft-Boiled if they don't Taunt. Heatran's at 63%, allowing Ninetales to leave it at 17%. This chip, even without Stealth Rock, ultimately puts Heatran in range of Venusaur's Giga Drain at +2. In the end, Venusaur sweeps by KO'ing everything at +2.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-679006269
Higher on the ladder on my tempering account—I encounter PsychicSpam. The biggest flaw for their team was that their Fire resist was Greninja. This game, and my plays, perfectly illustrate how to play in such a match-up. My opponent let the Magearna die to the Inferno Overdrive in the Sun, as he had no switch-in. However, I feel that was the biggest misplay of the game. It allowed my Venusaur to ultimately win in the end, as his Mega Alakazam was also down (only relevant due to Trace copying Chlorophyll).
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-679011267
A loss against Wally :]
Yes, I'm sharing an L, too. I definitely misplayed a ton and Wally played well. First misplay was going for Stealth Rock vs. Magnezone as Bronzong. Not KO'ing Magnezone meant Scizor couldn't KO something and not worry about Mag. The plan at that turn in my head was get up rocks to ensure it dies to the Bullet Punch, but if my ultimate gameplan was to remove hazards with it too; what was I going to choose from that point? The turn that lost me the entire game was when I Hidden Power Fired onto the Magnezone. If I went for Growth, I literally would've won, as I already determined that Latias was more offensive than a bulky, utility based set. You could see that I lost when I made the play of HP Firing, so I probably could've went for Growth that presented an even greater reward. Unfortunate, but ggwp Wally.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-679024785
Volcarona sweep thanks to Ninetales chipping Heatran with Hidden Power Ground. Even letting Ninetales die was perfectly fine for me, as Volc had just enough Sun turns to sweep. It also displays that a +1 Z-Fire Blast in Sun does indeed OHKO Latios.
There are some more replays for you to see if you'd like. Just search tempSunny or tempering on the Replays section of Showdown.
Shoutouts
s/os everyone
especially tours room, yt room, and the rmt community :)
especially tours room, yt room, and the rmt community :)
Importable
Threatlist
Heatran being threatening to this team is very obvious. Read the RMT if you want to know why this thing is annoying in full detail, but in short:
It walls Volcarona, Scizor and Venusaur. It pressures Clefable if I don't run Endeavor. It eats Hidden Power Grounds from Ninetales, and has the potential to be faster than Zygarde.
Tyranitar is also decently obvious. It resets the weather to Sand, and DD variants are almost unbeatable unless I get chip damage prior to their set-up. Ninetales can burn sets that aren't Banded, aiding Zygarde in its set-up.
Mega-Zam, PsychicSpam and Tapu Lele are all in this spot. Unless you're running Bronzong, which I feel is a more ladder friendly version, Psychic types are a major pain with your only resist being Scizor. Mega Alakazam and Trace Chlorophyll from Venusaur and can potentially reverse sweep. My team, without Bronzong, is not very specially bulky. Tapu Lele's Specs Psychics do significant damage, but if I'm on the offensive (i.e. +1 Zygarde, Venu in Sun, Volcarona in safely, etc.), it's a lot easier to deal with.
Garchomp itself isn't the threat. This basically signifies Ground-types. Without Bronzong, this team has no immunity to Ground. There isn't even a resist to Ground. Most Ground-types, though, are dealt with by Scizor, Venusaur, or a boosted Volcarona.
Have a Merry Christmas! And to those who don't celebrate it, Happy Holidays! I hope you guys enjoy the team. Any constructive criticism, positive remarks, or complete hatred towards the team appreciated! :]
...to 2018!
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