Hey everyone, it's me again continuing my saga of making unorthodox teams and since I just did a rain team and developed a great hatred for ferrothorn, I decided to make a sun team with another unorthodox mega.
Houndoom-Mega @ Houndoominite
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Fire Blast
- Dark Pulse
- Solar Beam
It's him, the top dog of the team. Under the sun Houndoom gains immense power just from switching in. It's Fire Blast decimates almost anything in its path (provided it doesn't miss). With a nasty plot boost almost nothing can take a hit from it. To give some perspective, Fire Blast is a guaranteed 2HKO on specially defensive toxapex under sun with a nasty plot boost. Dark Pulse is a secondary stab option to hit everything else hard. Solar Beam is on here to guarantee most OHKOs on water types that switch in before a nasty plot boost. Solar Beam is great for taking out greninja, which is the most common switch in, as the sun lets Houndoom live most water type hits from greninja (not including Ash-Greninja or waterium Z sets) and hit back.
Torkoal @ Heat Rock
Ability: Drought
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Rapid Spin
- Lava Plume
- Will-O-Wisp
Without sun there is literally no reason to run Mega-Houndoom, so we need a sun setter and Torkoal is the only legal one bar ninetales. I choose torkoal because ninetales is way too similar to houndoom as a special attacker and torkoal is a pretty decent stealth rock setter and remover. Stealth rocks are nice to net some crucial KOs. Rapid Spin is almost required to run a sun team as my mega and sun setter are weak to it. Lava Plume is there for stab and its chance to burn and Will-O-Wisp is there to cripple physical attackers like landorus-T, Zygarde, and Garchomp which ALWAYS switch into torkoal like clockwork.
Venusaur @ Life Orb
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Growth
- Sludge Bomb
- Giga Drain
- Earthquake
Now you must be thinking, man fire types are great, but what happens when the spoil-sport ground, rock, and water types come in to ruin the fun? Well my friend if you answered serperior, you'd be both wrong and very boring. This Venasaur should scare the absolute crap out of teams much more than Houndoom. This guy can both clear the way for Houndoom and clean up the mess afterwards under sun. With Chlorophyll this guy is ZOOMIN' at speeds people often don't expect from a fat plant dino. Growth allows Venasaur to boost up immensely in the sun and hits everything insanely hard. Giga Drain is there for stab and recovery. I picked Giga Drain over Solar Beam to ensure Venasaur stays healthy and to combat other common weather setters like Tyranitar. Sludge Bomb is secondary STAB and is able to hit thinks that resist grass. It also destroys Tapu Lele, a common switch in. Earthquake is there to hit primarily steel types, especially Heatran who otherwise walls the set. The growth boost makes earthquake strong enough to hit these checks hard.
Tapu Fini @ Leftovers
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 60 Def / 108 SpD / 92 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Nature's Madness
- Defog
- Taunt
Now at this point Greninja has a field day with my team, so we bring in Tapu Fini to knock the weeb out of the frog. Tapu Fini is a reliable check to many things that are threatening such as fighting types, dark types, and fire types due to the sun. I can't use scald due to its abysmal damage in the sun, so I stick with Moonblast as stab with nature power to weaken threats and walls. Defog is to make sure rocks are gone due to my team's hatred of rocks. Taunt is there to cripple setup mon's and prevent walls from healing due to the relatively passive nature of tapu fini.
Celesteela @ Leftovers
Ability: Beast Boost
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 104 Def / 156 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Heavy Slam
- Flamethrower
- Leech Seed
- Protect
The other half of the defensive core I formed is Celesteela. Tapu Fini and Celesteela cover each other's weaknesses very well and Celesteela is a very good blanket check to many things threatening me on the physical side. Kartana? fried. Tapu Lele? crushed. Anything else just gets stalled out due to how unbelievably tanky Celesteela is and it makes a good wincon if your sweepers die. Its the standard Celesteela set, nothing more needs to be said other than SpDef investment to take electric attacks.
Landorus-Therian @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- U-turn
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Since my team is pretty slow and my defensive core is weak to electric types, I needed both speed control and an electricity absorber. Choice Scarf Lando fit perfectly. Earthquake to hit electric and rock types. Stone Edge to miss flying types. U-Turn is great for momentum and chipping greninja and Hidden Power Ice is for other Landos.
Threats:
Magnezone: He traps Celesteela and tears apart my defensive core, but can be dealt with pretty easily.
Ash-Greninja/Waterium-Z: This guy doesn't care whether you have sun up or not he'll tear you apart with his bare hands.
Other Weathers: The standard threats for any weather team, other weathers.
Flaws:
Once you lose wither Venasaur or Mega-Houndoom and there are still checks for the remaining sweeper on the field, there's gonna be a problem. This team is very reliant on getting the sweepers set up and if you can't it is trouble. Priority is also a huge issue for the sweepers as well.
Houndoom-Mega @ Houndoominite
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Fire Blast
- Dark Pulse
- Solar Beam
It's him, the top dog of the team. Under the sun Houndoom gains immense power just from switching in. It's Fire Blast decimates almost anything in its path (provided it doesn't miss). With a nasty plot boost almost nothing can take a hit from it. To give some perspective, Fire Blast is a guaranteed 2HKO on specially defensive toxapex under sun with a nasty plot boost. Dark Pulse is a secondary stab option to hit everything else hard. Solar Beam is on here to guarantee most OHKOs on water types that switch in before a nasty plot boost. Solar Beam is great for taking out greninja, which is the most common switch in, as the sun lets Houndoom live most water type hits from greninja (not including Ash-Greninja or waterium Z sets) and hit back.
Torkoal @ Heat Rock
Ability: Drought
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Rapid Spin
- Lava Plume
- Will-O-Wisp
Without sun there is literally no reason to run Mega-Houndoom, so we need a sun setter and Torkoal is the only legal one bar ninetales. I choose torkoal because ninetales is way too similar to houndoom as a special attacker and torkoal is a pretty decent stealth rock setter and remover. Stealth rocks are nice to net some crucial KOs. Rapid Spin is almost required to run a sun team as my mega and sun setter are weak to it. Lava Plume is there for stab and its chance to burn and Will-O-Wisp is there to cripple physical attackers like landorus-T, Zygarde, and Garchomp which ALWAYS switch into torkoal like clockwork.
Venusaur @ Life Orb
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Growth
- Sludge Bomb
- Giga Drain
- Earthquake
Now you must be thinking, man fire types are great, but what happens when the spoil-sport ground, rock, and water types come in to ruin the fun? Well my friend if you answered serperior, you'd be both wrong and very boring. This Venasaur should scare the absolute crap out of teams much more than Houndoom. This guy can both clear the way for Houndoom and clean up the mess afterwards under sun. With Chlorophyll this guy is ZOOMIN' at speeds people often don't expect from a fat plant dino. Growth allows Venasaur to boost up immensely in the sun and hits everything insanely hard. Giga Drain is there for stab and recovery. I picked Giga Drain over Solar Beam to ensure Venasaur stays healthy and to combat other common weather setters like Tyranitar. Sludge Bomb is secondary STAB and is able to hit thinks that resist grass. It also destroys Tapu Lele, a common switch in. Earthquake is there to hit primarily steel types, especially Heatran who otherwise walls the set. The growth boost makes earthquake strong enough to hit these checks hard.
Tapu Fini @ Leftovers
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 60 Def / 108 SpD / 92 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Nature's Madness
- Defog
- Taunt
Now at this point Greninja has a field day with my team, so we bring in Tapu Fini to knock the weeb out of the frog. Tapu Fini is a reliable check to many things that are threatening such as fighting types, dark types, and fire types due to the sun. I can't use scald due to its abysmal damage in the sun, so I stick with Moonblast as stab with nature power to weaken threats and walls. Defog is to make sure rocks are gone due to my team's hatred of rocks. Taunt is there to cripple setup mon's and prevent walls from healing due to the relatively passive nature of tapu fini.
Celesteela @ Leftovers
Ability: Beast Boost
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 104 Def / 156 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Heavy Slam
- Flamethrower
- Leech Seed
- Protect
The other half of the defensive core I formed is Celesteela. Tapu Fini and Celesteela cover each other's weaknesses very well and Celesteela is a very good blanket check to many things threatening me on the physical side. Kartana? fried. Tapu Lele? crushed. Anything else just gets stalled out due to how unbelievably tanky Celesteela is and it makes a good wincon if your sweepers die. Its the standard Celesteela set, nothing more needs to be said other than SpDef investment to take electric attacks.
Landorus-Therian @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- U-turn
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Since my team is pretty slow and my defensive core is weak to electric types, I needed both speed control and an electricity absorber. Choice Scarf Lando fit perfectly. Earthquake to hit electric and rock types. Stone Edge to miss flying types. U-Turn is great for momentum and chipping greninja and Hidden Power Ice is for other Landos.
Threats:
Magnezone: He traps Celesteela and tears apart my defensive core, but can be dealt with pretty easily.
Ash-Greninja/Waterium-Z: This guy doesn't care whether you have sun up or not he'll tear you apart with his bare hands.
Other Weathers: The standard threats for any weather team, other weathers.
Flaws:
Once you lose wither Venasaur or Mega-Houndoom and there are still checks for the remaining sweeper on the field, there's gonna be a problem. This team is very reliant on getting the sweepers set up and if you can't it is trouble. Priority is also a huge issue for the sweepers as well.
