ORAS PU Ox & Fox (Offense)

[Acast]

Introduction​

First off, this is my first RMT so hello to the RMT forum. I'm relatively new to the PU metagame as I've only been playing it for a little over a month now. I'm certainly not an expert, but after building dozens of teams, playing on the ladder, and competing in a good number of tournaments, I think I have a basic understanding of the current metagame. This team seems to be the most successful one I've built so far, so I'm posting it here in the hopes of seeing how I can improve it and my teambuilding in general. It's an offensive team primarily built around Bouffalant. Hopefully you all like it!

The Team​

Omega-Xis (Bouffalant) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Sap Sipper
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Return
- Earthquake
- Megahorn
- Pursuit

Afrobull is the primary Pokemon around which the team is built. I chose an Assault Vest set to capitalize on its very solid bulk and power without sacrificing the ability to switch moves, like a Choice Band would. Sap Sipper works well in combination with Relicanth's 4x weakness to Grass, hopefully giving Bouffalant the same boost that a Choice Band would provide if it switches in on a predicted Grass attack.

Return is preferred over Head Charge so that it won't be worn down by recoil. Earthquake and Megahorn are the best coverage moves at its disposal that also don't have recoil. Pursuit makes a great combo with Sap Sipper by letting Bouffalant switch in on any grass move and threaten the opponent out, doing some good damage as it switches.

scpinion (Ninetales) @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Fire Blast
- Energy Ball
- Substitute

Ninetales forms the special side of this team's offensive core and works very well with Bouffalant by being able to switch in on a Will-O-Wisp and punish the opponent with its Flash Fire boost. Gourgeist-XL in particular can be troublesome for Bouffalant, but Ninetales counters the pumpkin very well and provides the team with a solid wincon.

Fire Blast's higher base power than Flamethrower is necessary for sweeping. Energy Ball provides the best coverage to go along with its Fire STAB. I decided to go with Substitute instead of another coverage move to make setting up even easier against opposing defensive teams that rely on status.

Bondie (Relicanth) @ Leftovers
Ability: Rock Head
EVs: 172 HP / 252 Atk / 84 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Head Smash
- Waterfall
- Earthquake

Relicanth is my hazard setter and Normal resist. As mentioned above, its typing makes it Grass bait which Bouffalant can take advantage of with Sap Sipper. I considered Golem for this spot, but Relicanth is faster, bulkier, and generally more threatening in my opinion. Its typing is also better for its role as Grass bait because it doesn't attract Water moves like Golem does. I went with Rock Head instead of Sturdy so Relicanth can abuse its amazing Head Smash STAB. Waterfall and EQ are just great STAB and coverage moves respectively.

The 84 Speed EVs allow Relicanth to outpace pokemon with a base speed of 65, particularly Roselia. Attack is maxed out to do as much damage as possible and the rest goes to HP for added bulk.

Anttya (Swanna) @ Life Orb
Ability: Hydration
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hurricane
- Scald
- Defog
- Roost

Hazard control and Machoke check rolled into one, Swanna is a very relevant pokemon in PU at the moment. This team also greatly appreciates its immunity to Ground moves, since 3 of its teammates are weak to that type. A Life Orb allows it to OHKO the typical Machoke spread with Hurricane, and just makes it more threatening as an offensive mon. Scald is for a more reliable STAB and Roost allows it to heal away Life Orb recoil and damage from entry hazards.

Dell (Zebstrika) @ Life Orb
Ability: Lightning Rod
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 Def
- Volt Switch
- Thunderbolt
- Overheat
- Hidden Power [Ice]

Zebstrika functions somewhat similarly to Bouffalant in that it uses its ability (Lightning Rod) to take advantage of a teammate's 4x weakness. In this case, both Swanna and Relicanth can act as bait for Electric moves to give Zebstrika a respectable amount of power. The zebra also functions as a revenge killer since it happens to be the fastest pokemon on my team. The moveset is very typical with Volt Switch allowing it to keep momentum going, Thunderbolt being its strongest move, and Overheat and Hidden Power [Ice] allowing it to cover most things that resist or are immune to Electric.

Dirpz (Clefairy) @ Eviolite
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
- Soft-Boiled
- Knock Off
- Thunder Wave
- Healing Wish

Clefairy is the oddball of the team, mostly because it's the only defensive pokemon. With maxed out physical bulk, it acts as a great switch-in to Machoke and Monferno. Knock Off and Thunder Wave are used as often as possible to cripple the opposing team, making it much easier for Clefairy's teammates to break through the opponent's walls or outspeed sweepers and revenge killers. I was hesitant in using Healing Wish at first, but it has just been an outstanding move to have. Bouffalant can get worn down fairly easily throughout the battle and always enjoys a fresh start with a full HP bar and any status ailment removed. Bouffalant or Relicanth usually end up being the recipients of Healing Wish, but any of the other teammates can make use of it as well. I typically bring Clefairy in around mid-game after the opponent's team is showing signs of wear and tear. Then I use Knock Off and/or Thunder Wave and quickly follow up with Healing Wish to safely bring in a wincon against the crippled opponent.

Teambuilding Process

I've included Bouffalant on quite a few of my teams and every time I use it, it impresses me even more with how great it is in this metagame (provided it has the right support of course). Because of my success with it, I decided to build an entire team around it to put it in the spotlight and let it shine.

Bouffalant's biggest drawback is the fact that the prominent Ghost types in PU completely wall it. They can burn Bouffalant with Will-O-Wisp and it has no strong moves that can hit Misdreavus or Gourgeist for much damage. I decided to add Ninetales to form the offensive core of this team because it can turn a Will-O-Wisp into a boost with Flash Fire. It also finds plenty of opportunities to set up due to its good speed and decent special bulk, making it a great wincon.

I wanted to keep this team mostly offensive, so I knew Stealth Rock would be a very valuable thing to have. In addition, I wanted some way to take advantage of Bouffalant's Sap Sipper and get an attack boost so it can really do some damage. I considered both Golem and Relicanth since they attract Grass moves with their 4x weakness, but I ended up picking Relicanth because I didn't want my team to be too weak to Water. It's also an added bonus that it's naturally bulkier and faster than Golem.

With Ninetales being one of my wincons, Stealth Rock and Sticky Web were a huge threat that I wanted to have an answer to. I also wanted to cover the weaknesses to Fighting and Ground that became apparent among my first 3 pokemon, so Swanna was the best choice for hazard control.

Swanna covered a lot of important weaknesses, but it also introduced a very serious weakness to Electric. Zebstrika provided an immunity to Electric in addition to bringing some much-needed speed to the team.

I really wanted some sort of cleric to keep Bouffalant healthy, since the AV set can be worn down somewhat easily. It would also be nice to have a back-up plan in case I failed to predict and bring in the correct pokemon on a Will-O-Wisp or a Thunder Wave. I considered Audino for Wish passing and Heal Bell, but it was just too passive and made my team too weak to Machoke. Clefairy provided a solid check to Fighting and kept up the momentum by being able to spread Thunder Wave and pivoting out with Healing Wish.

I don't save many replays so I only have two at the moment, but hopefully they'll give you an idea of how I use the team.

This is one from low-mid ladder that ended up being closer than I expected. Unfortunately i don't have anything from mid-upper ladder.

This battle was haxy as hell.

Importable

Bouffalant @ Assault Vest
Ability: Sap Sipper
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Return
- Earthquake
- Megahorn
- Pursuit

Ninetales @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Fire Blast
- Energy Ball
- Substitute

Relicanth @ Leftovers
Ability: Rock Head
EVs: 172 HP / 252 Atk / 84 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Head Smash
- Waterfall
- Earthquake

Swanna @ Life Orb
Ability: Hydration
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hurricane
- Scald
- Defog
- Roost

Zebstrika @ Life Orb
Ability: Lightning Rod
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 Def
- Volt Switch
- Thunderbolt
- Overheat
- Hidden Power [Ice]

Clefairy @ Eviolite
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
- Soft-Boiled
- Knock Off
- Thunder Wave
- Healing Wish

If you took the time to read this, thank you and I'll appreciate any feedback you can provide!

 

[ShuckleDeath]

Nice team Acast

I feel this is a well built team I must say. I feel the biggest threat to the team is Stoutland as your best Switch in Relicanth get's 2HKO's by Superpower meaning it will have trouble switching in multiple times. Stoutland Also has the bulk to avoid the OHKO from everything on your team. You also look like you struggle with SubWisp Rotom-F and I think i have a few switches that could help. First I would add Facade onto Bouffalant over Megahorn, and than add Jolly Life Orb Monferno over Ninetales. Eveything Megahorn is meant to hit super effectively I feel is already handled by the rest of the team such as Tangela and Quiladin, Adding Monferno over Ninetales makes you a bit slower but helps greatly in the Match-up vs. Stoutland and opposing Bouffalant, while also giving you powerful priority in Iron Fist boosted STAB Mach Punch.

With this change i would also prefer to change the spread on Swanna to Defensive. As it will help you repeatedly switch into the two prevalent fighting types of the tier while still keeping a bit of an offensive presence as not much likes switching into Scald or STAB hurricane, even uninvested. and Finaly I feel with these changes that Def Clefairy is a bit redundant with the rest of your team. I feel Healing wish support is a great option for your team, and while your team is not incredibly slow it wouldn't mind a bit of extra speed, Scarf Mr.Mime over Clefairy can give you similar utility while also keeping speed control and a stronger offensive presence.

Megahorn ---> Facade

--->

Offensive ---> Defenisve

--->

Sets

Monferno @ Life Orb
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
IVs: 29 HP
- Flare Blitz
- Close Combat
- Mach Punch
- U-turn

Swanna @ Leftovers
Ability: Big Pecks
EVs: 248 HP / 232 Def / 28 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Hurricane
- Roost
- Defog

Mr. Mime @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Filter
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psyshock
- Dazzling Gleam
- Focus Blast
- Healing Wish

Nice team once again, hope I helped.

 

[Acast]

Nice team Acast

I feel this is a well built team I must say. I feel the biggest threat to the team is Stoutland as your best Switch in Relicanth get's 2HKO's by Superpower meaning it will have trouble switching in multiple times. Stoutland Also has the bulk to avoid the OHKO from everything on your team. You also look like you struggle with SubWisp Rotom-F and I think i have a few switches that could help. First I would add Facade onto Bouffalant over Megahorn, and than add Jolly Life Orb Monferno over Ninetales. Eveything Megahorn is meant to hit super effectively I feel is already handled by the rest of the team such as Tangela and Quiladin, Adding Monferno over Ninetales makes you a bit slower but helps greatly in the Match-up vs. Stoutland and opposing Bouffalant, while also giving you powerful priority in Iron Fist boosted STAB Mach Punch.

With this change i would also prefer to change the spread on Swanna to Defensive. As it will help you repeatedly switch into the two prevalent fighting types of the tier while still keeping a bit of an offensive presence as not much likes switching into Scald or STAB hurricane, even uninvested. and Finaly I feel with these changes that Def Clefairy is a bit redundant with the rest of your team. I feel Healing wish support is a great option for your team, and while your team is not incredibly slow it wouldn't mind a bit of extra speed, Scarf Mr.Mime over Clefairy can give you similar utility while also keeping speed control and a stronger offensive presence.

Megahorn ---> Facade

--->

Offensive ---> Defenisve

--->

Sets

Monferno @ Life Orb
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
IVs: 29 HP
- Flare Blitz
- Close Combat
- Mach Punch
- U-turn

Swanna @ Leftovers
Ability: Big Pecks
EVs: 248 HP / 232 Def / 28 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Hurricane
- Roost
- Defog

Mr. Mime @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Filter
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psyshock
- Dazzling Gleam
- Focus Blast
- Healing Wish

Nice team once again, hope I helped.

Thanks for the rate! I just have one question. Instead of Life Orb Monferno, do you think Nasty Plot Simisear could be used over Ninetales? It fills the same role as Ninetales (late game special sweeper/wincon) while also adding Focus Blast to deal with Stoutland. I understand that the priority Monferno provides would be valuable, but I usually like to have a setup sweeper somewhere on my teams. But if you think LO Monferno is still the better choice, I'll trust your opinion.

All the other suggestions sound great and I'll definitely be trying them out! Mr Mime especially is interesting to me, since I admit my team would appreciate more speed.

 

[ShuckleDeath]

Thanks for the rate! I just have one question. Instead of Life Orb Monferno, do you think Nasty Plot Simisear could be used over Ninetales? It fills the same role as Ninetales (late game special sweeper/wincon) while also adding Focus Blast to deal with Stoutland. I understand that the priority Monferno provides would be valuable, but I usually like to have a setup sweeper somewhere on my teams. But if you think LO Monferno is still the better choice, I'll trust your opinion.

All the other suggestions sound great and I'll definitely be trying them out! Mr Mime especially is interesting to me, since I admit my team would appreciate more speed.

Simisear is an option, but you also have to factor in the fact that while it has a high chance to OHKO Stoutland, it is not 100% and factoring in it's low accuracy it is not as reliable as a check as Monferno. Also running Simisear will leave you more suceptible to Pawniards Sucker Punch.