This team was an HO I slapped together and ran on the ladder to a quick and easy 10-0 result. The team works well against most teams, but obviously is flawed. I don't have any special attackers, and that has caused some difficulties some times. At the same time, the physical spam, with so many special walls around, works and overwhelms normal checks. Having a special attacker though might not be a bad thing, Intimidate Incineroar certainly annoyed me although I broke it by going to +4 with Hawlucha.
Mew @ Red Card
Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Spikes
- Taunt
- Flare Blitz
Mew has a simple job and it does that job well. It comes in, sets up hazards, and dies. Rocks and Spikes are for obvious reasons and help secure a lot of KOs, and taunt prevents opposing hazards, taunts, and defogs allowing for things to stay up throughout the game. Flare Blitz is a nice form of chip against things like Corviknight, Ferrothorn, and Aegislash who is a problem for me. I have few complaints about Mew, I feel that it always does what I want it to to some extent. Red Card phasing can be nice and helpful in getting another hazard, but it has screwed me over as well. I would consider something like Mental Herb to protecting against and shut down those with faster taunts, I have lost speed-ties to other Mews and had to work around it.
Dragapult @ Life Orb
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Dragon Darts
- Phantom Force
- Steel Wing
DDPult is such an underrated and fun Pokemon in my opinion, and has put in a LOT of work for me. It has the freedom to run an Adamant nature, and that on a base 120 attack stat with a life orb, especially after a boost outspeeding the metagame, lets it hit very hard. Dragon Darts is a great stab considering that it hits twice to break focus sash and has base 100 power, Phantom Force is secondary stab and hits things like Corviknight, Aegislash, etc. and Steel Wing at +1 OHKOs SpDef Clefable. Sucker Punch was considered, but I enjoy being able to demolish Clefables that think they can switch in and handle it. Bisharp additionally already runs Sucker Punch, and Cloyster provides additional priority in Ice Shard. Infiltrator vs. Clear body is a question, as Dragon Darts will break a sub and get a hit in anyway, and this protects against Intimidate. That being said, getting two hits in through a sub with infiltrator helps secure kills, and helps fight opposing Screens teams as we can hit right through them. Even Adamant, its high speed provides some form of speed control.
Bisharp @ Black Glasses
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Knock Off
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch
Bisharp is an HO and screens-staple for a reason. It doesn't even need to come in to play its roll, its presence on the team alone can ward off users of Sticky Webs and those who try to defog away the hazards and screens that I set up - an extremely valuable point considering Mew tends to be a suicide-lead, and that Grimmsnarl often dies while setting up the screens. Dark stab and the ability to throw out knock-offs is great, and it does a good job of just racking up chip, and it provides some much needed priority with Sucker Punch. It also handles Aegislash who, unless Dragapult is already at +1 and doesn't want to take a Shadow Sneak anyway, is hard to beat for the rest of the team. That being said, it contributes but not a ton on the field, and having two taunt users I tend to be able to shut down defoggers in the first place, and Dragapult's access to Dragon Darts breaks sash Galvantulas that try to set up Webs.
Grimmsnarl @ Light Clay
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 92 HP / 252 Atk / 164 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Taunt
- Spirit Break
Of course, Grimmsnarl is here to set up screens with light clay, and it does this so well. It's a defining aspect of the team, and can shut down a lot of things that come in on it with Taunt. Spirit Break is great as with the attack investment it hits a lot of Pokemon really hard, has nabbed a few kills, provided key chip, and the special attack drops when combined with a light screen can provide for some major setup opportunities on Pokemon that can come in after this dies.
Hawlucha @ Power Herb
Ability: Unburden
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Sky Attack
- Acrobatics
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
Hawlucha is the MVP of the squad. With a screen to hide behind, it can easily setup in the face of so many things and outspeed the whole metagame with unburden. Sky Attack crit/flinches can help sometimes, but I've never needed it. Its dual stab can just run through the metagame, especially if you get some prior chip. The fact that Ditto cannot copy unburden's speed boost is extremely valuable as Ditto otherwise can be a major problem for teams of this type and prevent you from setting up. Its typing lets it resist Mach Punch and Sucker Punch, I tend to be scared of Conkeldurr, so this is a nice way to combat it. It can also sorta take a Knock Off and get its unburden boost that way which is cool.
Cloyster @ King's Rock
Ability: Skill Link
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Shell Smash
- Icicle Spear
- Rock Blast
- Ice Shard
I slapped on a King's Rock Cloyster. It's a cheesy Pokemon that can either sweep and demolish unprepared teams, even when you're in a terrible situation singlehandedly bringing back a game, and holds a 41% chance to flinch its way through normal checks and still break through anyway. It either wins, and even when it doesn't it still does 41% of the time. At the very least, it can provide nice chip, especially to common walls who try to beat the rest of the team. Ice Shard is additional priority. That being said, it doesn't seem to do much for me. It doesn't come in and die, I just don't bring it in much in the first place. I win games with it perfectly healthy sitting in the back. Considering that it does less for me then the other sweepers, and compounds potential issues against Aegislash and the monotony of physical attacking, this is the Pokemon I'm most strongly considering to swap-out, particularly for a special attacker who can beat Aegislash and hopefully take a Moonblast. Unsure of who that is though, and I'm just spitballing overall.
Mew @ Red Card
Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Spikes
- Taunt
- Flare Blitz
Mew has a simple job and it does that job well. It comes in, sets up hazards, and dies. Rocks and Spikes are for obvious reasons and help secure a lot of KOs, and taunt prevents opposing hazards, taunts, and defogs allowing for things to stay up throughout the game. Flare Blitz is a nice form of chip against things like Corviknight, Ferrothorn, and Aegislash who is a problem for me. I have few complaints about Mew, I feel that it always does what I want it to to some extent. Red Card phasing can be nice and helpful in getting another hazard, but it has screwed me over as well. I would consider something like Mental Herb to protecting against and shut down those with faster taunts, I have lost speed-ties to other Mews and had to work around it.
Dragapult @ Life Orb
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Dragon Darts
- Phantom Force
- Steel Wing
DDPult is such an underrated and fun Pokemon in my opinion, and has put in a LOT of work for me. It has the freedom to run an Adamant nature, and that on a base 120 attack stat with a life orb, especially after a boost outspeeding the metagame, lets it hit very hard. Dragon Darts is a great stab considering that it hits twice to break focus sash and has base 100 power, Phantom Force is secondary stab and hits things like Corviknight, Aegislash, etc. and Steel Wing at +1 OHKOs SpDef Clefable. Sucker Punch was considered, but I enjoy being able to demolish Clefables that think they can switch in and handle it. Bisharp additionally already runs Sucker Punch, and Cloyster provides additional priority in Ice Shard. Infiltrator vs. Clear body is a question, as Dragon Darts will break a sub and get a hit in anyway, and this protects against Intimidate. That being said, getting two hits in through a sub with infiltrator helps secure kills, and helps fight opposing Screens teams as we can hit right through them. Even Adamant, its high speed provides some form of speed control.
Bisharp @ Black Glasses
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Knock Off
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch
Bisharp is an HO and screens-staple for a reason. It doesn't even need to come in to play its roll, its presence on the team alone can ward off users of Sticky Webs and those who try to defog away the hazards and screens that I set up - an extremely valuable point considering Mew tends to be a suicide-lead, and that Grimmsnarl often dies while setting up the screens. Dark stab and the ability to throw out knock-offs is great, and it does a good job of just racking up chip, and it provides some much needed priority with Sucker Punch. It also handles Aegislash who, unless Dragapult is already at +1 and doesn't want to take a Shadow Sneak anyway, is hard to beat for the rest of the team. That being said, it contributes but not a ton on the field, and having two taunt users I tend to be able to shut down defoggers in the first place, and Dragapult's access to Dragon Darts breaks sash Galvantulas that try to set up Webs.
Grimmsnarl @ Light Clay
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 92 HP / 252 Atk / 164 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Taunt
- Spirit Break
Of course, Grimmsnarl is here to set up screens with light clay, and it does this so well. It's a defining aspect of the team, and can shut down a lot of things that come in on it with Taunt. Spirit Break is great as with the attack investment it hits a lot of Pokemon really hard, has nabbed a few kills, provided key chip, and the special attack drops when combined with a light screen can provide for some major setup opportunities on Pokemon that can come in after this dies.
Hawlucha @ Power Herb
Ability: Unburden
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Sky Attack
- Acrobatics
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
Hawlucha is the MVP of the squad. With a screen to hide behind, it can easily setup in the face of so many things and outspeed the whole metagame with unburden. Sky Attack crit/flinches can help sometimes, but I've never needed it. Its dual stab can just run through the metagame, especially if you get some prior chip. The fact that Ditto cannot copy unburden's speed boost is extremely valuable as Ditto otherwise can be a major problem for teams of this type and prevent you from setting up. Its typing lets it resist Mach Punch and Sucker Punch, I tend to be scared of Conkeldurr, so this is a nice way to combat it. It can also sorta take a Knock Off and get its unburden boost that way which is cool.
Cloyster @ King's Rock
Ability: Skill Link
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Shell Smash
- Icicle Spear
- Rock Blast
- Ice Shard
I slapped on a King's Rock Cloyster. It's a cheesy Pokemon that can either sweep and demolish unprepared teams, even when you're in a terrible situation singlehandedly bringing back a game, and holds a 41% chance to flinch its way through normal checks and still break through anyway. It either wins, and even when it doesn't it still does 41% of the time. At the very least, it can provide nice chip, especially to common walls who try to beat the rest of the team. Ice Shard is additional priority. That being said, it doesn't seem to do much for me. It doesn't come in and die, I just don't bring it in much in the first place. I win games with it perfectly healthy sitting in the back. Considering that it does less for me then the other sweepers, and compounds potential issues against Aegislash and the monotony of physical attacking, this is the Pokemon I'm most strongly considering to swap-out, particularly for a special attacker who can beat Aegislash and hopefully take a Moonblast. Unsure of who that is though, and I'm just spitballing overall.