RMT UU Volt-turn Offense

[Panda]

I come as a recent OU convert, so I'm still getting a handle on how this tier works. My team has brought me a decent amount of success over the past few days, but a lot of it is admittedly stuff that I threw together from scratch.

(Changes in this color)

Darmanitan @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 Att / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- U-turn
- Flare Blitz
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide

The first part of my Volt-turn core. Darmanitan's sheer offensive presence forces many switches, allowing me to scout at my leisure or simply shoot for the KO. Giving it a Choice Scarf also allows Darmanitan to function as a great revenge killer, as few things in UU can easily outspeed it. Life Orb allows Darmanitan to punch holes in even the stalliest of stall teams, and has the added benefit of no item recoil damage thanks to Sheer Force. EVs are standard max attack/speed with a Jolly nature to surpass threats like plus-speed Chandelure/Krookodile/Heracross/Roserade/Rotom-H/etc and neutral-speed Haxorus/Victini/etc.

Manectric @ Manectite
Ability: Lightningrod -> Intimidate
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Att
- Volt Switch
- Overheat
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power Ice

The next part of my Volt-turn core. It should go without saying that Mega Manectric is one of the most prevalent Pokemon in the tier, and for good reason. With blistering speed, it can outpace the rest of the unboosted meta (bar Mega Aerodactyl) and threaten back with powerful special attacks backed by an impressive base 135 SpA stat. Not to mention that Intimidate helps a lot, given how generally frail my team is. The first three attacks are fairly standard, and I opted for HP Grass because otherwise I would have nothing to take on UU's powerful Water/Ground types and I opted for HP Ice to nail dangerous Pokemon like Latias and Zygarde. EVs and nature are also standard.

Tornadus-T @ Life Orb
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 4 Att / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- U-turn
- Knock Off
- Air Slash
- Grass Knot

Yet another Volt-turn core member. Tornadus-T is a great asset, being able to switch in on the many Earthquakes and Earth Powers directed at both Darmanitan and Mega Manectric. I learned pretty quickly that Knock Off has astounding utility within UU, so adding it was a given. Hurricane's lackluster accuracy has always bothered me, and without a Rain Dance setter on my team it made sense to opt for Air Slash. Finally, even though it has the same accuracy as Hurricane, Focus Blast is there to complete Tornadus-T's coverage as there is no better alternative. Grass Knot finishes the set to punish bulky Ground/Water types who tend to give my other teammates issues. I went with Life Orb since it works fantastically with Regenerator, and the EVs are tailored for max SpA/Spe without sacrificing Att.

Mienshao @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Reckless
EVs: 252 Att / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- U-turn
- Knock Off
- High Jump Kick
- Stone Edge

Here we have last member of the Volt-turn crew. Despite its low defenses, Mienshao doesn't mind switching into the various rock-type attacks that my other Volt-turn members attract. It can often immediately threaten back and just switch out later to recover lost health with Regenerator. Knock Off makes another appearance for reasons already stated, along with how it complement's High Jump Kick. Speaking of which, High Jump Kick is able to do insane amounts of damage thanks to Reckless, making defensive walls think twice about switching in. Stone Edge complete's type coverage, obliterating threats such as Crobat, Hawlucha, Tornadus-T, Zapdos, and +1 Yanmega. I see most people normally opt for High Jump Kick on Mienshao, but I've found it a tad too unreliable for my tastes and have instead went with Drain Punch. Mienshao already loses a lot of HP thanks to Life Orb recoil, and Drain Punch is a nice way to offset that when I decide to stay in. Fake Out finishes the move set as otherwise my team wouldn't have any priority whatsoever (helps for scouting purposes, too). EVs and nature are again standard max Att/Spe with an emphasis on Spe.

Latias @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Att
- Draco Meteor
- Defog
- Healing Wish
- Thunderbolt

Latias acts not only as an offensive threat, but also as part 1 of my two-part team glue. Its typing and ability complement the resistances/weakness of my Volt-turn core, and few things appreciate taking a Life Orb Draco Meteor to the face. My team hates hazards, hence why Defog is included, along with Healing Wish to regain any lost momentum once Latias has run her course. The last slot has always been a point of contention for me, as it never seems like any move is truly the right choice. I currently use Psyshock overcome special walls like Floregess, but perhaps Thunderbolt might work better given the popularity of Pokemon such as Slowbro/Suicune/Empoleon and the seemingly many Dark types. I originally had Psyshock as the last move, but with lots of dangerous Dark types and bulky Water types running around I can't afford to give them free switch-ins. Thus, I decided to go with Thunderbolt. EVs and nature are tailored for max SpA/Spe.

Empoleon @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 172 HP / 252 SpA / 84 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Att
- Stealth Rock
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Grass Knot

Sort of the oddball on my team, but it serves a purpose nonetheless. My team needs as much help as it can get to secure those OHKOs and 2HKOs, so I enlisted the aid of Empoleon to set up Stealth Rock. Its water/steel typing also functions to resist a lot of moves which the other members are susceptible to, particularly Dragon and Rock attacks. Of course, because the rest of my team is very offensive I wanted Empoleon to follow suit. Hydro Pump acts as the main STAB, followed by Ice Beam to counter those pesky dragons. While I could have chosen another attacking move or even Roost for the last slot, I enjoy the utility of Roar to phaze opposing set-up sweepers. Grass Knot finishes things up as it allows Empoleon to harm other Water types who don't mind Hydro Pump or Ice Beam. Empoleon's EVs and nature emphasize bulky offense with max HP/SpA, along with a Modest Nature to hit just a little bit harder.

 

[Scaggz]

Ahh, Volt-Turn... Throughout all tiers that can successfully abuse this strategy(Bar Ubers 'cause everything is so strong you rarely need offensive momentum anyway), no tier except UU has managed to use it repeatedly with such proficiency and diversity.

Overall, I really like your team and feel that you have some exceptionally powerful team members that embody the hit-and-run style of VoltTurn.

Yet, I feel like the Empoleon set you chose could be improved upon from the bread-and-butter to something a little more versatile

1. With Empoleon, I think you should change the set to

Empoleon @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 236 HP / 88 SpA / 176 SDef / 8 Def
Modest
IVs: 0 Attack
-Scald
-Ice Beam
-Stealth Rock
-Roar

Why You Should Change Your Set: Firstly, when considering Empoleon, (especially a Modest set like yours) base 111 SpA is incredibly good. Unfortunately, your speed will let you down constantly.

Because of this, I think your set needs a little bit of bulk. The 236 HP maximizes Lefties recovery, while the 88 SAtk guarantees an OHKO on Darmanitan and Nidoking after stealth rocks (something bulky Empoleon wishes it could do). The SDef EVs ensure that Nidoking has a measly 6.3 % to OHKO while you are on full HP and lets you live a Mega Manectric Thunderbolt much better.

Anyway, I think the sets and Pokémon you chose synergises relatively well and I feel this is a very capable VoltTurn team

 

[Brawlfest]

Hey there this is a really cool team! VoltTurn is always a great option for offensive teams, consistently nabbing momentum. Looking over your team, I can't find any striking weaknesses, but Scarfed Heracross could potentially be annoying, and Gastrodon can wall a numerous amount of pokemon on your team, as when special defensively invested even Manectric will only do around 50%, taking over 80% from Gastro's E-Power, crippling your primary offensive pivot. Once Manectric is down, the rest of your team has a lot of difficulty beating it, Quagsire, and to an extent defensively based Swamperts. Strong electric types such as opposing Manectric and Life Orb Zapdos are also absurdly difficult for you to take down.

The easiest solution is to run Standard Offensive Stealth Rock Empoleon, who loses less momentum than your current spread by running enough speed to beat base 85's such as Suicune, and also packs Grass Knot in it's arsenal, which backs you up against the pokemon I previously highlighted in case Mega-Manectric falls. There is even a chance gastrodon will not be able to 2HKO you after leftovers with E-Power! Your team doesn't benefit from roar, as you have little hazards to take advantage of, and sheer offensive power prevents setup sweepers from getting anywhere in the first place, making it's utility minimal at best.

I would run High Jump Kick on Mienshao. Simply put, it hits far harder than Drain Punch, and despite it's massive drawback due to recoil, it is still a very reliable 130 base power attack. While Drain Punch softens your life orb, it lacks any distinct power, and regenerator gets enough LO health back to warrant High Jump Kick the far more viable move. Stone Edge can be used as a reliable option to hit flying types over knock off, but it is your choice.

My final suggestion is Scarfed Flygon over Darmanitan. While it doesn't hit quite as hard, it is a more reliable revenge killer due to it's being able to stay around longer in the match, and lets you outspeed and revenge kill +1 Haxorus, Scarf Hydreigon, and other pokemon base 95 Darmanitan is incapable of beating. On top of that, the Electric types I previously stated are completely manhandled by Flygon, as they will be forced to take an absurdly strong STAB Earthquake before even thinking about firing off an HP Ice.

Hope I helped!
_______________________________________________

Empoleon @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 SAtk / 84 Spd / 172 HP
Modest Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Grass Knot
- Ice Beam
- Stealth Rock

Mienshao @ Life Orb
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- High Jump Kick
- Knock Off / Stone Edge
- U-turn

Flygon @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 SDef
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Outrage
- Stone Edge / Fire Punch
- U-turn

 

[Panda]

Thanks a lot for the input! I'll be sure to try both Empoleon sets, along with High Jump Kick on Mienshao.

With that said, I'm a bit reluctant to exchange Darminitan for Flygon. While I have noticed that it can be difficult for my team to handle the various scarved 97+ Speed 'mons (for which Flygon would help tremendously), I'm not sure I like adding another ice weakness to my team. At least, I feel I would have to further adjust the other members to fit Flygon.

 

[Jellied Eels]

I don't really have much to add to what the others have said (I definitely second that Offensive Empoleon set, your team can't afford to lose momentum) though I might have a solution for you. If you simply give Mienshao the Choice Scarf and change its ability to Reckless (obviously replace Drain Punch with HJK and Fake Out with either Stone Edge or Aerial Ace for Chesnaught / Heracross) you have a revenge killer faster than +1 Dragons that can actually kill them with High Jump Kick. That set was killer last gen and is really unprepared for in this metagame. Since you don't need two Scarfers, this allows you to run Life orb or even Choice Band on Darmanitan. I personally find it much easier to use Darm as a nuke than a cleaner because SR and Flare Blitz recoil adds up and makes it hard sometimes to preserve Darm till the endgame, even with Healing Wish support. Resurrecting a half dead Band Darmanitan is also far more scary for stall teams !

Other changes I would make would be Grass Knot > Focus Blast on Tornadus-T. If you look at your team, you'll see that your sweepers are mostly gonna be walled by the bulky Ground- and Water-types on your opponent's team (like Hippo or Vaporeon) so catching them with Grass Knot really helps your chances of pulling off a sweep. Not to mention you really should U-turn out of the Pokemon you'd want to hit with Focus Blast. This frees up your HP slot on Manectric so I suggest you run HP Ice which helps against Latias but mostly is insurance against Zygarde which if it sets up a Sub is extremely threatening for your team.

Overall this looks like a fun team to use and certainly an effective one. I didn't give a very in-depth rate but really this kind of team is mostly dependent on whether you can play well enough with it, and you seem to do just that ^^

EDIT at below : mainly this
252 Atk Reckless Mienshao High Jump Kick vs. 36 HP / 0 Def Haxorus: 271-319 (89.7 - 105.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Reckless Mienshao High Jump Kick vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Keldeo: 271-319 (83.9 - 98.7%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Reckless Mienshao High Jump Kick vs. 252 HP / 16+ Def Filter Mega Aggron: 162-190 (47 - 55.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
I know Regenerator is really nice but idk I just really like the power that comes from Reckless, especially if Mienshao is used as a cleaner.

 

[Panda]

Hadn't considered Scarf Mienshao, but that actually sounds incredibly interesting. I have a quick question, though; are there specific situations where Reckless-boosted High Jump Kicks would net me OHKOs/THKOs that couldn't be done with Regenerator? Given how effective of a pivot Mienshao is, I'm just having a difficult time giving up all that free HP recovery.

Other than that, I like those other recommendations. Life Orb Darmanitan will be a lot of fun thanks to Sheer Force's item recoil negation.

 

[GarchompPit]

Change the Tornadus-T set to:

Tornadus-Therian (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 Atk / 72 SDef / 184 Spd
Jolly Nature
- U-turn
- Superpower
- Air Slash
- Knock Off

(Taken from Daunting - Dreadnoughts (RMT))

Honestly, in my opinion, I think this is the best set to run on UU / OU. It's up to you if you want to use it but I really recommend it.

I really like the Latias set but how about running Grass Knot on it for Slowbro (80 BP), Suicune (100 BP), Swampert (80 BP), Slowking (80 BP) (It might sound stupid, and it is I guess but I would say try it out. (Or just put Thunderbolt)).
Or, you could try out using Scarf Flygon (Double Scarf FTW) like Brawlfest said.

I hope I helped :]