I set out to make a team where from the beginning of the match the opponent is placed in a hard spot where there's a 50% chance whatever they lead with or switch into at the beginning of the match is going to take a a lot of damage. Either through SE Stab or coverage moves. I think I got close to that idea. But there's still some obvious flaws that I'm not good enough to fix on my own. But I'm confident in the experienced people here to help me figure that out. The sets and EVs aren't really optimized. I was never really good at any of that. So any help with finding the right sets would be greatly apprenticed
TEAM BUILDING PROCESS
I wanted something that could hit most of the problematic leads of OU hard. Either severely denting if not outright KO them. Kyurem-B fills that role perfectly. Being able to hit some of the most common leads like Landorus-T, Geninja, Topu-Koko, and Heatran hard.
Next I wanted something that hardly anyone would want to switch into regardless of whether or not they resisted the attack. M-Mawile is one of the most strongest wall-breakers in the game. With enough coverage options to hit just about everything for neutral damage moderately hard. M-Mawile is also able to hit and KO a lot of the things that would scare out Kyurem-B, like Ferrothorn, M-Scizor, Magearna, ect. With these two alone options on the enemy team become limited.
Tapu-Koko is able synergise extremely well with these two. Providing amazing support with taunt and nature's madness, as well as boosting both Kyurem-B's and M-Mawile's electric coverage moves while also providing momentum with U-turn. Tapu-Koko also acts as a lure for things like Landorus-T and Ferrothorn. Both of them can be easily disposed of by either Kyurem-B or M-Mawile.
Landorus-T acts as a blanket check to physical attackers as well as opposing Landorus-T, while also offering a relevantly slow U-turn. Paired with Tapu-koko they create a very potent U-turn core.
This is where I tried to patch up the major Special attack weakness. No one on the team is really able to switch into any strong special attack and really survive. With not many options available that fit the teams needs, I opted for Chansey. It works. But is relatively passive and slows down the team.
This is where I'm having the most trouble. I needed something that was able to hit hard and force switches while also blending well with the rest of the team. I'll make a list of the other options I considered before landing on Ash-Greninja. But as of now, Ash-Greninja works well with the team being able to punch holes into things that other team members might not be able to.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
These are some one the other options I considered while making the team. Either they really didn't pair well, or I had the sets wrong. Still, they're worth mentioning here since I still don't know what the team really needs.
Substitute Z Magnezone
Choice Band/Assault Vest Hoopa-Unbound
Dragon Dance Sweeper Gyarados
Waterium Z Keldeo
Magic Guard/Unaware Clefable
Pivot/Assault Vest Tornadus-T
Assault Vest Tangrowth
Utility/Z-Move Trapper/Specially Defensive Heatran
Sword Dance Terrakion
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Rash Nature
- Ice Beam
- Fusion Bolt
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Earth Power
Kyurem-B is able to threaten and/or kill most of OU's popular leads and walls, either severely denting if not outright KO'ing them. With a choice scarf Kyurem-B as able to out-speed most (if not all) of the unboosted OU meta. Correctly predicting their lead and then answering with Kyurem-B puts the opponent in a bad spot right out of the gate. They either let their lead die, or make a predictable switch, letting you switch into their counter's counter. Being able to immediately disrupt their game plan and forces so many switches means most of the time you're at an advantage.
Ice Beam is a reliable Ice-type STAB move that allows Kyurem-B to damage Pokemon like Landorus-T and Mega Venusaur super effectively. Fusion Bolt has amazing coverage when coupled with Ice Beam, allowing Kyurem-B to nail Pokemon such as Celesteela and Tapu Fini. Hidden Power Fire destroys Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn, Pokemon that are generally considered very solid checks to Kyurem-B. Earth Power hits the few Pokemon that resist both Ice Beam and Fusion Bolt such as Magnezone, while also nailing Magearna and Heatran
I went with the traditional choice scarf set. But opted for Rash instead of Naive for the extra power boost. Rash offering a 50% chance to OHKO Choice specs Tapu-Koko from full health with Earth Power: 252+ SpA Teravolt Kyurem-Black Earth Power vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Tapu Koko: 258-304 (91.8 - 108.1%) -- 50% chance to OHKO.
I'm unsure if I lose more then gain with Rash instead of Naive. But rash has been working pretty well so far.
Mawile @ Mawilite
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 92 HP / 252 Atk / 164 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Play Rough
- Sucker Punch
- Thunder Punch
- Fire Fang
M-Mawile also makes a great anti-lead. Especially paired with Kyurem-B. A monstrous attack stat allows M-Mawile to at least dent whatever decides to switch in, while also most likely killing whatever decides to stay in. I opted for the All-Out Attacker set to make switching into much harder.
Play Rough serves as Mega Mawile's STAB move of choice and dents even Pokemon resistant to Fairy-type attacks significantly. Sucker Punch allows Mega Mawile to pressure offensive archetypes that would otherwise overwhelm it with ease—namely preventing it from being revenge killed by appropriately weakened threats susceptible to a Dark-type priority attack. In addition, Sucker Punch can also threaten to revenge kill certain worn-down threats. To prevent Toxapex from hindering Mega Mawile's ability to dismantle defensive cores, Thunder Punch is necessary and has the added bonus of hitting Skarmory, Celesteela, and Tapu Fini for super effective damage. Fire Fang is needed to avoid dancing around Ferrothorn, Mega Scizor, and Amoongus. Focus Punch get an honorable mention here since it enables Mega Mawile to punish predicted switches to Heatran while also being a generally strong and unforgiving attack. But I lose out on potential coverage options.
252 Attack EVs in tandem with an Adamant nature maximize Mega Mawile's wallbreaking and revenge killing capabilities. The remaining EVs are placed into enough Speed to outpace uninvested, neutral-natured Skarmory and HP for a small bulk buffer. I opted for Intimidate over Hyper Cutter to make switching into certain enemy threat's moves less unforgiving and to force switches.
Tapu Koko @ Electrium Z
Ability: Electric Surge
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Nature's Madness
- Taunt
- U-turn
Working as another great Anti-Lead, Tapu-Koko is able to harass, shutdown, and/or dent just about any lead you can think of. Ignoring misses, Nature's Madness being able to guarantee 50% off of anyone's health is brutal. Paired with M-Mawile sky high attack, would be walls and checks start to become useless.
Thunderbolt provides Tapu Koko with a strong, consistent special STAB move boosted by the Electric Terrain. Thunderbolt also turns into a strong 175-Base Power Gigavolt Havoc when powered up by Electrium Z. Combined with Nature's Madness ability to remove 50% of an enemy's HP, Tapu-Koko ability to dent most would be switch ins becomes overwhelming. Taunt is effective against defensively oriented teams and cores. Pressureing common defensive Pokemon with Thunderbolt while denying them recovery or setup. U-turn lets Tapu-Koko safely pivot versus Ground-types and gives it a safe move to use against Pokemon that it forces out.
Maximum Speed investment with a positive nature makes Tapu Koko as fast as possible and gives it the ability to outspeed Greninja. Maximum Special Attack investment ensures that Tapu Koko hits as hard as possible. Electric Surge is a significant boon that powers up not only Tapu Koko's Electric-type moves by 50%. But also Kyurem-B's and M-Mawile's as well.
Landorus-Therian @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
Impish Nature
- Defog
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- U-turn
"Anti-Landorus-T" Landorus-T. Most of the team is able to dent or kill Landorus-T. But no one can safely switch in. So why not fight fire with fire? Paradoxically, Defensive Landorus-T able to switch in to just about any other Landorus-T safely and then either kill/dent it, bring in a counter, or potentially remove opposing Landorus-T's stealth rocks.
Earthquake is Landorus-T's most consistent attack, dealing good damage to targets even without investment. Hidden Power Ice is used to hit Zygarde and opposing Landorus-T. U-turn helps Landorus-T grab momentum, allowing frail teammates to switch in without taking damage. Defog allows Landorus-T to remove hazards from common hazard setters that like to switch into Landorus-T.
The given EV spread allows Landorus-T to check physical attackers as reliably as possible, while outspeeding up to maximum Speed Adamant Tyranitar. Rocky Helmet allows Landorus-T to punish contact moves, especially U-turn from oposing Landorus-T, and help wear down the likes of Mega Medicham and Garchomp.
Chansey @ Eviolite
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 244 HP / 252 Def / 12 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Seismic Toss
- Toxic
- Stealth Rock
- Wish / Soft-Boiled
As much as the team is able to apply pressure at the begging of the game, no one is really able to switch into strong special attacks consistently enough later on to do any good. Enter Chansey.
Seismic Toss is Chansey's sole attacking move, ensuring that it is not entirely passive. It deals a consistent 100 HP of damage, effectively chipping away at most Pokemon, especially those without recovery. Toxic cripples and wears down Pokemon that try to use Chansey as setup fodder or those that can outlast its Seismic Toss. Stealth Rock chips away at all Pokemon without Magic Guard and is a staple for every team. I'm torn between Wish and Soft-Boiled. Wish allows Chansey to restore teammate's HP throughout the match. Making it easier for them to break things more consistently. But Chansey itself suffers due to the two turns it takes to heal. While Soft-Boiled allows Chansey immediate healing. But selfishly so.
Near Maximum HP and Defense investment allows Chansey to best handle mixed attackers such as Greninja and Kyurem-B and Psyshock users such as Tapu Lele, Hoopa-U, and Latios. Eviolite gives Chansey a 1.5x boost to both of its defensive stats, greatly increasing its bulk and giving it the ability to check many of the powerful offensive Pokemon that it is relied upon to check. Natural Cure rids Chansey of any status ailment it may be suffering from when it switches out, ensuring that Chansey isn't worn down by Scald burns or Toxic damage.
Greninja-Ash @ Choice Specs
Ability: Battle Bond
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Dark Pulse
- Water Shuriken
- Spikes
Ash-Greninja on paper sounds like it should work. With most of the team being able to dent most of OU with relative ease, activating battle bond seems easy enough. Combine that with it's amazing speed and special attack and nothing is gonna be able to switch in for long.
Hydro Pump is Greninja's strongest attack, dealing heavy damage to neutral targets and being capable of pressuring bulky Pokemon once Greninja has transformed. Dark Pulse deals neutral or super effective damage to common Pokemon that resist Water-type moves such as Toxapex, Ferrothorn, and Latios. After Battle Bond has activated, Water Shuriken becomes a brutally strong priority move that puts offensive teams under immense pressure while also acting as a more accurate alternative to Hydro Pump versus weakened neutral targets and Pokemon weak to Water. Spikes allows Greninja to punish the opponent's attempts to switch into defensive answers such as Toxapex, Tapu Bulu, and Magearna by pressuring their attempts to switch into Greninja later on in the match. Coupled with how many switches this team forces, hazard damage starts to add up fast
Battle Bond is what allows this set to function, giving Greninja the ability to transform into Ash-Greninja upon securing a KO. Choice Specs bolsters Greninja's firepower substantially without wearing it down over time, which is important for securing a safe transformation. Maximum investment in Special Attack and Speed allows Greninja to hit as hard and fast as possible; a Timid nature is vital for a large number of Speed benchmarks that are detrimental to miss out on, such as Speed tying with opposing Greninja before transformation, outpacing base 110s regardless of forme, outpacing Tapu Koko and Weavile post-transformation, and Speed tying with opposing Ash-Greninja after Battle Bond has activated
TEAM BUILDING PROCESS
I wanted something that could hit most of the problematic leads of OU hard. Either severely denting if not outright KO them. Kyurem-B fills that role perfectly. Being able to hit some of the most common leads like Landorus-T, Geninja, Topu-Koko, and Heatran hard.
Next I wanted something that hardly anyone would want to switch into regardless of whether or not they resisted the attack. M-Mawile is one of the most strongest wall-breakers in the game. With enough coverage options to hit just about everything for neutral damage moderately hard. M-Mawile is also able to hit and KO a lot of the things that would scare out Kyurem-B, like Ferrothorn, M-Scizor, Magearna, ect. With these two alone options on the enemy team become limited.
Tapu-Koko is able synergise extremely well with these two. Providing amazing support with taunt and nature's madness, as well as boosting both Kyurem-B's and M-Mawile's electric coverage moves while also providing momentum with U-turn. Tapu-Koko also acts as a lure for things like Landorus-T and Ferrothorn. Both of them can be easily disposed of by either Kyurem-B or M-Mawile.
Landorus-T acts as a blanket check to physical attackers as well as opposing Landorus-T, while also offering a relevantly slow U-turn. Paired with Tapu-koko they create a very potent U-turn core.
This is where I tried to patch up the major Special attack weakness. No one on the team is really able to switch into any strong special attack and really survive. With not many options available that fit the teams needs, I opted for Chansey. It works. But is relatively passive and slows down the team.
This is where I'm having the most trouble. I needed something that was able to hit hard and force switches while also blending well with the rest of the team. I'll make a list of the other options I considered before landing on Ash-Greninja. But as of now, Ash-Greninja works well with the team being able to punch holes into things that other team members might not be able to.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
These are some one the other options I considered while making the team. Either they really didn't pair well, or I had the sets wrong. Still, they're worth mentioning here since I still don't know what the team really needs.
Substitute Z Magnezone
Choice Band/Assault Vest Hoopa-Unbound
Dragon Dance Sweeper Gyarados
Waterium Z Keldeo
Magic Guard/Unaware Clefable
Pivot/Assault Vest Tornadus-T
Assault Vest Tangrowth
Utility/Z-Move Trapper/Specially Defensive Heatran
Sword Dance Terrakion
Kyurem-Black @ Choice Scarf Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Rash Nature
- Ice Beam
- Fusion Bolt
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Earth Power
Kyurem-B is able to threaten and/or kill most of OU's popular leads and walls, either severely denting if not outright KO'ing them. With a choice scarf Kyurem-B as able to out-speed most (if not all) of the unboosted OU meta. Correctly predicting their lead and then answering with Kyurem-B puts the opponent in a bad spot right out of the gate. They either let their lead die, or make a predictable switch, letting you switch into their counter's counter. Being able to immediately disrupt their game plan and forces so many switches means most of the time you're at an advantage.
Ice Beam is a reliable Ice-type STAB move that allows Kyurem-B to damage Pokemon like Landorus-T and Mega Venusaur super effectively. Fusion Bolt has amazing coverage when coupled with Ice Beam, allowing Kyurem-B to nail Pokemon such as Celesteela and Tapu Fini. Hidden Power Fire destroys Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn, Pokemon that are generally considered very solid checks to Kyurem-B. Earth Power hits the few Pokemon that resist both Ice Beam and Fusion Bolt such as Magnezone, while also nailing Magearna and Heatran
I went with the traditional choice scarf set. But opted for Rash instead of Naive for the extra power boost. Rash offering a 50% chance to OHKO Choice specs Tapu-Koko from full health with Earth Power: 252+ SpA Teravolt Kyurem-Black Earth Power vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Tapu Koko: 258-304 (91.8 - 108.1%) -- 50% chance to OHKO.
I'm unsure if I lose more then gain with Rash instead of Naive. But rash has been working pretty well so far.
Mawile @ Mawilite
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 92 HP / 252 Atk / 164 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Play Rough
- Sucker Punch
- Thunder Punch
- Fire Fang
M-Mawile also makes a great anti-lead. Especially paired with Kyurem-B. A monstrous attack stat allows M-Mawile to at least dent whatever decides to switch in, while also most likely killing whatever decides to stay in. I opted for the All-Out Attacker set to make switching into much harder.
Play Rough serves as Mega Mawile's STAB move of choice and dents even Pokemon resistant to Fairy-type attacks significantly. Sucker Punch allows Mega Mawile to pressure offensive archetypes that would otherwise overwhelm it with ease—namely preventing it from being revenge killed by appropriately weakened threats susceptible to a Dark-type priority attack. In addition, Sucker Punch can also threaten to revenge kill certain worn-down threats. To prevent Toxapex from hindering Mega Mawile's ability to dismantle defensive cores, Thunder Punch is necessary and has the added bonus of hitting Skarmory, Celesteela, and Tapu Fini for super effective damage. Fire Fang is needed to avoid dancing around Ferrothorn, Mega Scizor, and Amoongus. Focus Punch get an honorable mention here since it enables Mega Mawile to punish predicted switches to Heatran while also being a generally strong and unforgiving attack. But I lose out on potential coverage options.
252 Attack EVs in tandem with an Adamant nature maximize Mega Mawile's wallbreaking and revenge killing capabilities. The remaining EVs are placed into enough Speed to outpace uninvested, neutral-natured Skarmory and HP for a small bulk buffer. I opted for Intimidate over Hyper Cutter to make switching into certain enemy threat's moves less unforgiving and to force switches.
Tapu Koko @ Electrium Z
Ability: Electric Surge
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Nature's Madness
- Taunt
- U-turn
Working as another great Anti-Lead, Tapu-Koko is able to harass, shutdown, and/or dent just about any lead you can think of. Ignoring misses, Nature's Madness being able to guarantee 50% off of anyone's health is brutal. Paired with M-Mawile sky high attack, would be walls and checks start to become useless.
Thunderbolt provides Tapu Koko with a strong, consistent special STAB move boosted by the Electric Terrain. Thunderbolt also turns into a strong 175-Base Power Gigavolt Havoc when powered up by Electrium Z. Combined with Nature's Madness ability to remove 50% of an enemy's HP, Tapu-Koko ability to dent most would be switch ins becomes overwhelming. Taunt is effective against defensively oriented teams and cores. Pressureing common defensive Pokemon with Thunderbolt while denying them recovery or setup. U-turn lets Tapu-Koko safely pivot versus Ground-types and gives it a safe move to use against Pokemon that it forces out.
Maximum Speed investment with a positive nature makes Tapu Koko as fast as possible and gives it the ability to outspeed Greninja. Maximum Special Attack investment ensures that Tapu Koko hits as hard as possible. Electric Surge is a significant boon that powers up not only Tapu Koko's Electric-type moves by 50%. But also Kyurem-B's and M-Mawile's as well.
Landorus-Therian @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
Impish Nature
- Defog
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- U-turn
"Anti-Landorus-T" Landorus-T. Most of the team is able to dent or kill Landorus-T. But no one can safely switch in. So why not fight fire with fire? Paradoxically, Defensive Landorus-T able to switch in to just about any other Landorus-T safely and then either kill/dent it, bring in a counter, or potentially remove opposing Landorus-T's stealth rocks.
Earthquake is Landorus-T's most consistent attack, dealing good damage to targets even without investment. Hidden Power Ice is used to hit Zygarde and opposing Landorus-T. U-turn helps Landorus-T grab momentum, allowing frail teammates to switch in without taking damage. Defog allows Landorus-T to remove hazards from common hazard setters that like to switch into Landorus-T.
The given EV spread allows Landorus-T to check physical attackers as reliably as possible, while outspeeding up to maximum Speed Adamant Tyranitar. Rocky Helmet allows Landorus-T to punish contact moves, especially U-turn from oposing Landorus-T, and help wear down the likes of Mega Medicham and Garchomp.
Chansey @ Eviolite
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 244 HP / 252 Def / 12 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Seismic Toss
- Toxic
- Stealth Rock
- Wish / Soft-Boiled
As much as the team is able to apply pressure at the begging of the game, no one is really able to switch into strong special attacks consistently enough later on to do any good. Enter Chansey.
Seismic Toss is Chansey's sole attacking move, ensuring that it is not entirely passive. It deals a consistent 100 HP of damage, effectively chipping away at most Pokemon, especially those without recovery. Toxic cripples and wears down Pokemon that try to use Chansey as setup fodder or those that can outlast its Seismic Toss. Stealth Rock chips away at all Pokemon without Magic Guard and is a staple for every team. I'm torn between Wish and Soft-Boiled. Wish allows Chansey to restore teammate's HP throughout the match. Making it easier for them to break things more consistently. But Chansey itself suffers due to the two turns it takes to heal. While Soft-Boiled allows Chansey immediate healing. But selfishly so.
Near Maximum HP and Defense investment allows Chansey to best handle mixed attackers such as Greninja and Kyurem-B and Psyshock users such as Tapu Lele, Hoopa-U, and Latios. Eviolite gives Chansey a 1.5x boost to both of its defensive stats, greatly increasing its bulk and giving it the ability to check many of the powerful offensive Pokemon that it is relied upon to check. Natural Cure rids Chansey of any status ailment it may be suffering from when it switches out, ensuring that Chansey isn't worn down by Scald burns or Toxic damage.
Greninja-Ash @ Choice Specs
Ability: Battle Bond
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Dark Pulse
- Water Shuriken
- Spikes
Ash-Greninja on paper sounds like it should work. With most of the team being able to dent most of OU with relative ease, activating battle bond seems easy enough. Combine that with it's amazing speed and special attack and nothing is gonna be able to switch in for long.
Hydro Pump is Greninja's strongest attack, dealing heavy damage to neutral targets and being capable of pressuring bulky Pokemon once Greninja has transformed. Dark Pulse deals neutral or super effective damage to common Pokemon that resist Water-type moves such as Toxapex, Ferrothorn, and Latios. After Battle Bond has activated, Water Shuriken becomes a brutally strong priority move that puts offensive teams under immense pressure while also acting as a more accurate alternative to Hydro Pump versus weakened neutral targets and Pokemon weak to Water. Spikes allows Greninja to punish the opponent's attempts to switch into defensive answers such as Toxapex, Tapu Bulu, and Magearna by pressuring their attempts to switch into Greninja later on in the match. Coupled with how many switches this team forces, hazard damage starts to add up fast
Battle Bond is what allows this set to function, giving Greninja the ability to transform into Ash-Greninja upon securing a KO. Choice Specs bolsters Greninja's firepower substantially without wearing it down over time, which is important for securing a safe transformation. Maximum investment in Special Attack and Speed allows Greninja to hit as hard and fast as possible; a Timid nature is vital for a large number of Speed benchmarks that are detrimental to miss out on, such as Speed tying with opposing Greninja before transformation, outpacing base 110s regardless of forme, outpacing Tapu Koko and Weavile post-transformation, and Speed tying with opposing Ash-Greninja after Battle Bond has activated
CLOSING COMMENTS
The team and the premise work very well. But there are some flaws that I haven't been able to figure out how to circumvent yet. Namely M-Swampert under rain is able to dent just about anything on the team without me being able safely switch in or hit it first for SE damage. I was running Grass Knot on Tapu-koko in order to hit M-Swampert on the switch. But Taunt and Nature's Madness are worth way more to me. Opposing Chansey are also a bit of a problem. Topu-koko is able to either shut it down with Taunt or dent it with Nature's Madness and then U-turn out into something like M-Mawile. But nothing can remove it or threaten it immediately. It's not a big problem. But with most of the team's attacks leaning towards the special side, Chansey becomes annoying at times. There's more problems. But I can't for the life of me remember what they were/are. I think with a few tweaks this will be a very threatening team. But as of now it's just okay.
REPLAYS COMING SOON
REPLAYS COMING SOON
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