INTRODUCTION
So, with the 6th generation ending and SM coming soon, Leftiez and I decided to post a team we built together that we had fun with. Also to show off my amazing drawing skills (mostly for that).
We wanted to build an Offense where you can exploit the typing synergy of its members to have real tools to switch around instead of having a mindless chain of sweepers.
Our main guideline while building was to be the most aggro possible, hence why we play SD Landorus-T instead of the Bulky set or Specs Latios instead of Defog.
Offense is a playstyle we both appreciate given how much fun it is, even though the metagame isn’t too kind to them with all those annoyances running around in ORAS, such as Lopunny or Weavile.
The idea behind the form of this team comes from a first draft i made in approximately 2 minutes last March or something. iirc, it was something like Diancie-Mega | Scarf KyuB | Magnezone | Defog Latios | Azumarill | Chomper. Nothing too complicated, just a random Dragon/Fairy spam.
After talking with my nigga Leftiez, we thought that this idea would be really fun to incorporate on a proper build, and that’s the result.
What we wanted as its base was a cleaner which has some bulk to have more defensive utilities while being a strong weapon against other Offenses, and if possible something that’s not that common, hence why we chose to base our build around Rock Polish Metagross-Mega whose set isn’t used that much. With its raw power and sheer bulk, it was the mon that filled our criterias the best.
We won’t go much into details about how we managed to get there, but we put some quick explanations about the role of each members below.
So then, without further ado, let’s get started.
We wanted to build an Offense where you can exploit the typing synergy of its members to have real tools to switch around instead of having a mindless chain of sweepers.
Our main guideline while building was to be the most aggro possible, hence why we play SD Landorus-T instead of the Bulky set or Specs Latios instead of Defog.
Offense is a playstyle we both appreciate given how much fun it is, even though the metagame isn’t too kind to them with all those annoyances running around in ORAS, such as Lopunny or Weavile.
The idea behind the form of this team comes from a first draft i made in approximately 2 minutes last March or something. iirc, it was something like Diancie-Mega | Scarf KyuB | Magnezone | Defog Latios | Azumarill | Chomper. Nothing too complicated, just a random Dragon/Fairy spam.
After talking with my nigga Leftiez, we thought that this idea would be really fun to incorporate on a proper build, and that’s the result.
What we wanted as its base was a cleaner which has some bulk to have more defensive utilities while being a strong weapon against other Offenses, and if possible something that’s not that common, hence why we chose to base our build around Rock Polish Metagross-Mega whose set isn’t used that much. With its raw power and sheer bulk, it was the mon that filled our criterias the best.
We won’t go much into details about how we managed to get there, but we put some quick explanations about the role of each members below.
So then, without further ado, let’s get started.
THE TEAM IN DEPTH
Landorus-Therian @ Rocky Helmet ****** hedgehog's dilemma
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 40 HP / 248 Atk / 220 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake = Ground STAB, main hitting move.
- Stone Edge = EdgeQuake is a tried and true combo. Hits Levitate/Flying-type mons and other stuff that resists Earthquake.
- Swords Dance = Turns Landorus-T into a real powerhouse, not a lot of mons can withstand its assaults after a boost.
- Stealth Rock = Stealth Rock.
Why this pokemon ?
We had two options on this spot (as we all have 80% of the time when trying to build a decent ORAS OU team) : Garchomp or Landorus-T.
We chose Lando-T because of its ‘natural’ Ground immunity, proving to be clutch vs. Scarf Excadrill who became common with the recent hype around xtra’s bird spam during OLT. Being able to check Charizard X is also important on Megagross-based teams for obvious reasons.
Landorus-Therian is a mon that finds its way into most teams since its introduction in BW2, and for a good reason.
It’s one of the most splashable ones in ORAS OU, and its ability to check most Physical attackers and setting up the mandatory Stealth Rocks without being too passive is a given for all kind of teams. It’s not even rare to see the Defensive set on Hyper Offenses for those reasons.
You can also tailor its sets depending on how you want to use it : if you want something to take hits you can go with the Pivot set, if you want something fast go with the Scarf set, SD+RP if you want a cleaner etc.
The big idea we had when building this team was to be the less passive possible, so we went with a Swords Dance set. It enables Lando-T to soften Physical walls (fuck PhyDef Tang though), easing the job for its teammates.
Item & Spread :
Rocky Helmet is a great item on Landorus-T because it enables it to punish Physical Attackers just by switching in, proving to be useful especially against hit-and-run mons like Lopunny or Landorus-T.
About the spread, we put enough Speed to outspeed Neutral Speed Kyurem-B and Neutral Base 100 mons. Atk maximized, the rest in HP.
Other Options :
The loss in bulk can be annoying on the long run, especially vs Talonflame whose SD set can be a headache for us to deal with.
That's why a Bulky set is perfectly usable here, the only real gripe i have about that is the fact that the team is pressured by Kyurem-B and Megacham, especially if Metagross didn’t Mega Evolved yet. As explained earlier, that’s why we went for a Jolly nature.
You can still play around though if you’re crafty enough though.
.....
Azumarill @ Sitrus Berry ****** tumbling down
Ability: Huge Power
EVs: 84 HP / 252 Atk / 172 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Aqua Jet = The move that made its Belly Drum set viable in gen 6. Can clean teams by itself with Water resists gone or weakened.
- Play Rough = Fairy STAB, mainly used to break stuff.
- Knock Off = Rounds up Azumarill’s STABs really well.
- Belly Drum = Abuse your resistances -> Belly Drum -> 1744 Atk no gg
Why this pokemon ?
Azumarill fills a lot of roles on this team, be it offensively or defensively, as weird as it sounds. Even though a Belly Drum set isn’t supposed to take damages, it’s our main Weavile check and Keldeo backup check.
It’s also one of our main breakers giving a big dong slap to even Slowbro and Tangrowth if it finds an opportunity to set-up, as well as a secondary cleaner. Aqua Jet is useful to RK the likes of Diancie or Excadrill, or just something weakened.
What we liked about BD Azumarill on this team is that it’s well supported given all the opportunities this team gives it to slap some asses, while helping the other members in return.
To explain this dynamic better, let’s take for example the complementarity between Azumarill and Latios.
Latios’ typing leaves it to the mercy of Pursuit users such as Weavile or Tyranitar which are both set-up baits for Azumarill, while on the other side Latios’ can come on Water-resists which can prevent an Azumarill sweep such as Rotom-W or Venusaur.
Those two shares a great offensive and defensive synergy, and that’s what can make Azumarill lethal, especially when paired with Magnezone.
It’s not the easiest mon to use, and you have to calculate some parameters before attempting to sweep with it. Having to bring him in to take some hits kinda sucks, but it’s the only set on this team that we wouldn’t change.
Item & Spread:
It’s the classic Azumarill spread, outspeed Skarmory and slower bulky mons. We added 8 EVs in speed compared to the spread in-site to creep other BD Azumarills, while keeping an even HP number to ensure that its Sitrus Berry is activated after the Belly Drum.
Other Options :
A Jolly Nature can be perfectly playable here to lure Rotom (if it doesnt run 44 evs in Spe) while still OHKOing PhyDef Tangrowth etc, which is great as nobody expect Azumarill to be that fast. It makes it less good at cleaning, but it puts more emphasis on its wallbreaking abilities so it might be better idk.
.....
Latios @ Choice Specs ****** fly me to the moon
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor = zbraa patate de forain ez.
- Psyshock = Allows Latios to exert some pressure on Fairies and to not have to rely on Draco Meteor to hit stuff like Keldeo.
- Surf = Cool coverage on Latios that wasn’t used much not too long ago. Hits Tyranitar without having to resort to Draco Meteor, and Heatran.
- Trick = Can cripple some walls like Chansey or Clefable, also a cool tech to ease set-ups for Megagross or Azumarill.
Why this pokemon ?
A staple for most teams thanks to its great resists. It acts as our main Water/Electric-type answer and Special Wallbreaker.
The Choice Specs set fits perfectly well here mainly because it works as an incredible wallbreaker as well as providing way more offensive pressure than Life Orb variant, 2HKOing Fairies with psyshock, even though it might need Stealth Rock on the field vs. Altaria depending on the spread it's running. Also, luring Chansey out with Trick is so satisfying.
It helps against Bisharp too, as it can be annoying to deal with if we don’t play our cards optimally.
That means it's not going to be hard walled in any way, making Choice Specs the best set to use against defensive archetype who usually doesn't care that much about Latios.
All you need to do when playing it is to bait most Steels-type so Magnezone can trap them, giving more room for Azumarill and Latios to sweep.
Item & Spread:
We wanted to make that set the least passive possible, hence why we chose Choice Specs instead of Life Orb. Not being able to get Hazards out of the field can be annoying, but we’re not really fans of Defog as it kills the momentum and it restricts Latios’ coverage.
Other options
It’s possible to play a Choice Scarf set here coupled with Specs Hydreigon.
The advantage with having Latios as your Scarfer is that it can RK more things, such as Charizard X while allowing you to use Specs Hydreigon
On the other hand, being Pursuit-weak can be prejudiciable, especially vs Serperior + Pursuit support. Tbh I don’t really like Scarf Latios, but I can see it working here.
.....
Magnezone @ Occa Berry | Chopple Berry ****** longinus spear
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 40 HP / 252 SpA / 216 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Volt Switch | Thunderbolt = Momentum grabber and Electric STAB fwiw. Really useful to ease prediction or play around bulky cores. Tbolt is an alternative if you feel that Zone doesn’t pressure CM Cune/Mana enough, as having only Volt Switch to hit them can be inconvenient sometimes.
- Flash Cannon = Steel STAB, mandatory to force through Fairy-types.
- Hidden Power [Fire] = Makes Scizor and Ferrothorn regret they're born.
- Thunder Wave = mex. Can catch various stuff off-guard, like Lati twins to make an Azu sweep more likely. Pretty cool tech move on non-choiced sets to cripple offensive mons.
Why this pokemon ?
As you may have read here, we thought about building a DragFairy spam team because of the fact that, while being great offensive types in their own right, they’re walled by Steel-types, so Magnezone's role on this team is pretty self apparent.
It’s the core of the team, supporting each member in a way or another. Some people think it’s an average mon, but it has some resists that can be hard to gather on some teams. For example, it’s often our main switch-in into Fairy-types, since we don’t really want to expose Megagross much.
Speaking about Megagross, who’s our main sweeper, it traps several of its main checks such as M-Scizor, Ferrothorn or Skarmory while roasting Slowbro. Wrecking those Slowbro+Clefable cores is also a cool perk, as they can be annoying to deal with when using some Megagross-based cores, such as Megagross + Hydreigon.
As for the moveset, we didn’t feel that we would benefit from a Choice set since we already have 2, and we still had some defensive issues, hence the use of a Berry item.
All in all, it’s a cool pivot for this kind of teams and, as you may have concluded when playing around Pursuit-users or facing some Dugtrio teams on the ladder, trapping is a really strong strat.
Item & Spread :
The spread hits 209 in Spe, outspeeding most Bulky M-Scizor and Suicune, with full SpA for maximum power and the rest in HP.
About the berry, it’s a toss-up between Chople and Occa. Both can help vs various threats that can be annoying for the team.
Occa berry is useful to lure SD Flare Blitz Talonflame who can be a bitch to deal with since our Lando-T isn’t bulky. It can also lure Manectric coupled with Mirror Coat on the last slot.
Chople help against M-Alakazam who’s threatening for Megagross based teams, and Offensive SD M-Scizor who can be a pain in the ass, even though it’s not common nowadays.
Also, being able to lure Thundurus and Keldeo is coolio, it’s the best item i think if we go for a Scarf Latios variant.
Other Options
Several options are available for his last move.
Toxic is a fun tech to catch some stuff off-guard like Hippowdon, Mirror Coat is cool to lure shit like Thundurus (if you’re running Chopple) or Manectric (if Occa) etc.
Magnezone’s set is surprisingly customisable, so don’t hesitate to toy a bit with it.
.....
Hydreigon @ Choice Scarf ****** IKARI GENDO
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Modest | Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor = Hydreigon’s most powerful STAB, can prove itself useful if we want to force through something, RK stuff like Lopunny or Kyurem, or just catch things trying to come into a predicted Dark Pulse like Keldeo.
- Dark Pulse = Consistent STAB, can also makes a good win condition given how Dark STAB is savage in Gen 6.
- Earth Power = Its appeal here is to hit Bisharp, which is the main reason we play Hydreigon in the first place. We didn’t particularly needed Fire Blast with Magnezone on the back, and Focus Blast gives us aids. Also hits Raikou harder fwiw.
- U-Turn = Momentum grabber, one of the coolest perks of Hydreigon over the competition. We didn’t need another coverage move anyway with the support this team gives.
Why this pokemon ?
I know most people think that set is a waste of a slot, but it’s a necessary evil here and tbh it’s actually not that bad. We needed it as we lacked something to contain Bisharp, also because we were terriweak to LO Starmie and Serperior. Having something fast doesn’t hurt either.
We’re not in fond of Scarfers because it’s so easy to take advantage of them and that can be lethal in offense, however Hydreigon ain’t that bad in that regard, as it got a STAB on the most threatening offensive type in gen 6 which can actually be a legit win condition if the conditions are checked.
Its typing is also pretty cool, giving us a backup check to Water/Electric-types, also to Psychic-types such as M-Alakazam who can be threatening for Megagross-based teams.
It also complements the other teammates very well, especially Azumarill’s since he can attract Keldeo, Latios etc and force them to use Secret Sword / Draco Meteor, giving some free turns for Azumarill to wreck havoc.
It can bait Steel-types and more importantly Fairy-types so that you can bring Megagross or Magnezone in safely and exert some pressure. U-Turn helps a lot to force such situations, but you should already know how brainless that move is.
Item & Spread:
Nothing too fancy here. We mostly used Modest here because of the slight gain in power (especially to RK frailer mons such as Lopunny if need arises), but Timid can be clutch to outspeed Scarf Landorus-T and Scarf Kyurem-B.
We needed Choice Scarf to have something for Serperior/LO Starmie etc, as explained above.
Other options:
It’s possible to play a Choice Specs set here coupled with Scarf Latios.
The advantage with having Hydreigon as your Special Wallbreaker instead of Latios is that it doesn’t have to take as much damage as Latios since you don’t need it to check a lot of things, plus it’s not pursuit-bait so that’s great.
We explained the cons when talking about other options on Latios above.
.....
Metagross-Mega @ Metagrossite ****** komm, süsser tod
Ability: Clear Body -> Tough Claws
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant | Jolly Nature
- Meteor Mash = Obligatory Steel-STAB, which is the main appeal of Megagross given its ability to take a dump on Fairy-types and other shit like Tyranitar. Also the Atk Raise is a given when it happens.
- Zen Headbutt = Secondary STAB that meshes well with MMash, especially against stuff like Rotom-W.
- Earthquake | Ice Punch = Hits Jirachi and Heatran, who aren’t trapped by Magnezone. Also useful vs. Charizard X which is cool on some situations since our Lando isn’t bulky. Ice Punch nails RH Lando/Chomp, the main drawbacks of using Physical Sweepers that are used on 90% of ORAS teams do it's a good alternative.
- Rock Polish = Allows Megagross to outspeed the entire metagame after a boost, making him insanely threatening coupled to his raw power.
Why this pokemon ?
As we said earlier, RP Megagross is the focal point of the build. We wanted to build an offense around something that can give other offenses a run for their money, but we wanted to try a different sweeper than the likes of Lopunny or Manectric.
Metagross is anything but marginal, but the Rock Polish set isn’t used that much so we rolled with that.
Another thing that conditioned our choice is the fact that it has some defensives utilities, his great bulk and resists allowing him to check several threats such as Fairy-types or Lati@s. That gives this team real tools to switch around and exploit the typing synergy and the bulk of the teams, and that’s what we looked for.
The fact that you have to get rid of one of your coverage moves is the main drawback of this set, so that’s something you have to make up for when building around it.
For instance, we have Magnezone taking care of pesky Steel-types such as Skarmory or Ferrothorn so we didn’t need Hammer Arm nor Thunder Punch.
Other Physical Walls are either pressured by SD Lando-T, BD Azumarill, VoltTurn from Zone/Hydreigon or sent to the shadow realm by our Special Attackers. It’s just a matter of preparing the field efficiently for an eventual Megagross sweep.
Spread :
We went with an Adamant nature to hit as hard as possible, since RP can make up for the loss in speed even though it can be inconvenient sometimes. The boost in power is noticeable though, especially when trying to pass through bulkier mons.
A Jolly nature is also useful, especially to outspeed Keldeo as our answers can be burned and taken care of quickly as they don't have recovery moves. Both have their merits, so go with the one you feel working the most for you.
With neutral 252 Spe, Megagross can outspeed Positive Speed Kyurem-B who can be a headache at times, so we wanted to inhibit the potential damages as much as possible.
Other options :
Even though we built around that specific set, it’s possible to change it for a classic All-Out Attacker set with a Jolly nature.
Being able to outspeed more things such as Base 100 mons and Keldeo takes a weight off our shoulders, as we’re not really prepared to take those hits.
THREAT LIST
It's an impossible match-up for us if the player isn't complete garbage.
It has everything this team hates to face : Sableye-Mega being a bitch to switch into because of Will-O-Wisp + Knock Off hitting our burn switch-ins, Quagsire cockblocking our Physical Attackers and blocking our Volt Turn, Weavile trapping Latios thus crippling our means to beat Quagsire, Chansey walling our Special Attackers..
Yep, click [X] if you ever face one.
Cockblocks our Physical Attackers and blocking our attempt to pressure with Volt Switch. God I hate that mon.
The combinaison of Will-O-Wisp and Knock Off is annoying to face as our burn switch-ins are nailed by Knock Off, as well as blocking our attemp to set-up rocks making it harder to pressure the opposing team.
Also Wisp lessen their lifespan so it can be annoying to break the team if Latios is dead.
Annoying because our only real switch-in is BD Azumarill. The gameplan against it depends on whether it's a LO or Band set.
If it's a LO, try to wear it down by sending your resists on predicted hits or staying in w mons that aren't KO' in one hit (for ex, Megagross can tank one Knock Off).
If it's a Choice Bander, it's harder to wear it down but you have more options as Azumarill/Magnezone/Metagross can come on its Ice-type attacks, Landorus-T/Azumarill/Hydreigon/Magnezone can tank one or more Knock Offs etc..
Also, Hydreigon can tank one Ice Shard and KO it if its healthy enough.
Annoying to deal with if Metagross hasnt Mega-Evolved. You can play aroun by sending Latios/Hydreigon on a predicted Fusion Bolt, but if it has Substitute be prepared to sac your pawns in order to break them.
Our Landorus-T is fast so that's one thing you can lure it with.
Same as Kyurem-Black, our team isn't really prepared to switch into it (like most teams without Sableye/Slowbro). Try to mega evolve with Megagross asap. If not, Landorus-T will be your primary switch-in but yeah.
It can be annoying to face as our Scald burn switch-ins don't have a recovery move.
It's more manageable if you use Jolly Megagross and/or Chople Magnezone.
Like Latios, the fact that it can burn its switch-ins and that they havn't a recovery move can be a pain on the long run, so try to not drag the battle out for too long. As with most Offenses, you want to pressure it as much as possible so it's advised to go aggro.
Try to send the optimal mon into it (Latios, Magnezone or Hydreigon) depending on how they'll be useful during the match.
A pain to deal with for Offense teams.
Our Landorus-T isn't bulky so it can fall relatively quickly on the long run. It can still tank 1/2 hits and do some residual damages with Rocky Helmet.
We have Hydreigon and Azumarill to RK it, Megagross can tank a hit.
If you go with Chople Magnezone, you can lure it.
As with most threats for this build, it's a matter to play your cards well.
Like Lopunny, the fact that Landorus-T isn't bulky makes it annoying to tank.
Try to keep the rocks on the field. Azumarill and Landorus-T can take one hit so try to damage as much as possible. Flare Blitz's recoil helps in that case.
It's the main reason why Scarf Latios is a great alternative.
Not that common atm, but it's a pain as Landorus-T is (once again) not bulky.
That's why we use Occa Berry on Magnezone for instance.
As with SD FBlitz Talon, not common but a pain. Its typing + the fact that it can outspeed Magnezone and nails it with Superpower, also tank hits from Megagross makes it a threat.
The good news is that it's not as bulky as the common set so you can pressure it with Landorus-T, Hydreigon if it hasn't set-up a SD, go for a flinch with Megagross..
Just don't let Landorus-T be too weakened as it's the one that can take it on the best.
I may have forgotten some threats tho so feel free to comment if you see other threats or if i made a mistake on my descriptions!
IMPORTABLE
hedgehog dilemma (Landorus-Therian) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 40 HP / 248 Atk / 220 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Swords Dance
- Stealth Rock
tumbling down (Azumarill) @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Huge Power
EVs: 84 HP / 252 Atk / 172 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Aqua Jet
- Play Rough
- Knock Off
- Belly Drum
flymetothemoon (Latios) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Psyshock
- Surf
- Trick
longinus spear (Magnezone) @ Occa Berry
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 40 HP / 252 SpA / 216 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Volt Switch
- Flash Cannon
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Thunder Wave
IKARI GENDO (Hydreigon) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Dark Pulse
- Earth Power
- U-Turn
komm susser tod (Metagross-Mega) @ Metagrossite
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Meteor Mash
- Zen Headbutt
- Earthquake
- Rock Polish
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 40 HP / 248 Atk / 220 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Swords Dance
- Stealth Rock
tumbling down (Azumarill) @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Huge Power
EVs: 84 HP / 252 Atk / 172 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Aqua Jet
- Play Rough
- Knock Off
- Belly Drum
flymetothemoon (Latios) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Psyshock
- Surf
- Trick
longinus spear (Magnezone) @ Occa Berry
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 40 HP / 252 SpA / 216 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Volt Switch
- Flash Cannon
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Thunder Wave
IKARI GENDO (Hydreigon) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Dark Pulse
- Earth Power
- U-Turn
komm susser tod (Metagross-Mega) @ Metagrossite
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Meteor Mash
- Zen Headbutt
- Earthquake
- Rock Polish
CONCLUSION
All in all, it’s been a fun team to play with. If you read the Other Options sections, you may have noticed that there’s a lot of options available, which makes the squad kinda flexible in term of changes.
We don’t really have much to add, so i’ll just shoutout myself for my fabulous drawing skills, and that marvelous software that is Paint for allowing me to express my intamable artist soul.
Also thanks to Leftiez for being the Best Guadeloupean Player Who Ever Lived™ and for being an inexhaustible source of memes with his blackness and lack of trophies (and for co-building the team i guess).
That’s all folks! Hope you enjoyed the RMT, feel free to comment if you see any room for improvement etc !
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