Well after a while away from Shoddy Battle, I decided to make a new team using some of the new metagame pokemon. The last time I was deeply involved with competitive pokemon, things like Choice Band Tyranitar and Choice Scarf Jirachi were extremely popular. Now it's all about Choice Scarf Tyranitar, Leftovers Jirachi, etc, and I have made a team that reflects the evolution of the metagame. The following is my thought process when building this team:
: After reading the Smog issue #8 I was interested in the new Jirachi set: Thunder Wave + Substitute. Jirachi is such a versatile pokemon, but this set also supports the team by paralyzing opponents. Jirachi's excellent typing is also easy to form a team around, so I decided it would be my core member.
: Then I asked myself, what pokemon could benefit from paralysis support while maintaining a defensive stance? Torment Heatran came to mind. If Jirachi can manage to paralyze Gyarados or opposing Heatran, I can easily set up the dredged Substitute + Torment + Protect strategy.
: I realized a pokemon that could scout for the team would allow me to see what I should be paralyzing with Jirachi on the switch or simply switch out. Scizor allows me to do just that: if the opponent switches in Zapdos, Gyarados, or Rotom-A while I U-Turn out, you can bet they will be switching into Jirachi expecting a physical set. If they switch in something like Gliscor, Hippowdon, or Swampert, it is safe to say that Jirachi won't be getting a Thunder Wave off. This means I can predict around their Earthquakes and utilize Torment Heatran.
: I realized a pokemon like Hidden Power Fire + Calm Mind Latias could easily sweep through my team if I wasn't careful, and Starmie can lure in and OHKO Scizor with a LO Hydro Pump. I also have problems with pokemon like Rotom-A, who are only truly threatened by Heatran. Scarf Tyranitar allows me to revenge the aforementioned threats but also provide some speed to the team.
: My newest addition to the team-Choice Scarf Tyranitar-allows Swords Dance Lucario a free Close Combat or Swords Dance (if Jirachi is out of commission) so I thought I needed a solid check for it. Gliscor came to mind, as it has access to a speedy Taunt-to prevent DD Gyarados, CM Jirachi, etc, from setting up-as well as Toxic + Earthquake + Roost for stalling purposes. Taunt shuts down most stall teams, leaving them to die from poison or my other team members. I particularly found stall teams difficult to play against with Scarf Tyranitar, because it doesn't have the sheer power of Choice Band.
: Finally, I needed a great lead. At first I had the new Anti-Lead Machamp, but I found that Stealth Rock was necessary to use in tandem with Scizor. Azelf is extremely fast, has Stealth Rock, Taunt, and a very powerful Explosion. These are excellent tools to neuter many pokemon in the current metagame, and necessary to execute my strategy.
On to the movesets/individual pokemon:
Azelf @ Focus Sash
Ability: Levitate
Nature: Naive (+Spe, -SpD)
EV: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
- Taunt
- Stealth Rock
- Fire Blast
- Explosion
Azelf is a great lead for various reasons, but Stealth Rock is the most important on this team because of Scizor. Stealth Rock wears down threats like DD Gyarados, Salamence, and even opposing CB Scizor. This allows my pokemon like Torment Heatran, Substitute Jirachi, and Taunt Gliscor to wear down the opponent's team gradually. Taunt is an excellent move to stop things like Roserade and Smeargle from getting an early sleep, while also stopping slower leads such as Swampert from setting up rocks. While the most my team takes from Stealth Rock is 12.5%, it is still nice to make sure CB Scizor isn't worn down as quickly. Fire Blast is there for hitting steels super effectively. The choice was either Psychic or Fire Blast, and I decided Psychic just wasn't that useful. Explosion is there to go out with a bang, possibly taking down a pokemon with it.
Scizor @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EV: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spe
- U-Turn
- Bullet Punch
- Quick Attack
- Superpower
Scizor is the number one used pokemon in the standard metagame for a reason. It's utility is beyond words, and often allows me to win games I simply shouldn't have. U-Turn is the main attack, which allows me to scout for what steel counters the opponent may have-useful information for when I get Jirachi into battle. When combined with Stealth Rock, many of Scizor's counters are worn down extremely quickly. Bullet Punch is a revenge killing tool against offensive teams, helping me against things like Latias, Tyranitar, or Salamence if I allow them too many boosts. Quick Attack is the same thing, but for another set of sweepers. It is particularly useful against things that resist steel, such as Starmie, Infernape, and Gyarados. I already have Scarf Tyranitar for trapping pokemon like Gengar, Latias, Starmie, and Rotom-A, so I decided the utility of Quick Attack would be more useful. It has proven to be extremely useful in the matches I have played, when things like Nasty Plot + Vacuum Wave Infernape are too much for Tyranitar. Of course, Superpower is there for coverage, although honestly I rarely use anything except U-Turn. Superpower is great for OHKOing Magnezone and Heatran on the switch, though.
Tyranitar @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Sandstream
Nature: Jolly (+Spe, -SpA)
EV: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Pursuit
- Stone Edge
- Crunch
- Superpower
Honestly, I wasn't convinced of this set until I tried it for myself. I was always afraid of things like Scizor or Lucario getting free turns from Pursuit, but with the proper checks in place for these threats it is an excellent trapper. Pursuit is essentially a guaranteed kill against Starmie, Gengar, and Latias, and can also be used against some offensive Rotom-A that are without Will-o-Wisp. These threats are particularly threatening because of their high speed, good special attack, and great coverage. It's always great to have a safety net against them. Stone Edge is the most powerful attack on the set, and it's useful if for some reason Tyranitar is just out attacking (or revenge killing things like Infernape). Crunch is rarely used, but it's useful for things like Rotom-A or Celebi who may stay in. I decided to use Superpower > Earthquake for several reasons. First of all, it still OHKOs Lucario, but it also OHKOs opposing Tyranitar. Superpower does a lot to Heatran, and Stone Edge beats Infernape anyways. I did not want to allow things like Flygon, Salamence, and Gyarados to switch in only taking Stealth Rock damage. Although Salamence and Gyarados both have Intimidate and resistances to fighting, I find the damage builds up alongside Stealth Rock + Sandstorm + possible Life Orb recoil.
Gliscor @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Veil
Nature: Jolly (+Spe, -SpA)
EV: 252 HP / 40 Def / 216 Spe
- Toxic
- Earthquake
- Taunt
- Roost
Gliscor is an excellent stall-breaker. Toxic helps wear down pokemon like Hippowdon as well as last pokemon like Celebi and Blissey. Earthquake is there for things like Tentacruel and Heatran, while Taunt is used against Forretress and Skarmory to prevent them from setting up Spikes. Taunt also prevents Hippowdon, Blissey, Celebi, and Skarmory from recovering damage, which means they are often left using weak attacks. Roost can be used to heal off any damage, and thus the annoyance begins. Gliscor remains a great check for SD Lucario and prevents Gyarados from grabbing free DD's with Taunt. Gliscor is also my answer for Flygon, as his Earthquakes really mess up my team.
Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
Nature: Calm (+SpD, -Atk)
EV: 244 HP / 32 SpA / 12 SpD / 220 Spe
- Substitute
- Torment
- Protect
- Lava Plume
Heatran works so well with this team, and this set is extremely effective against most kinds of teams. Torment works wonders against just about every pokemon in OU, who typically only have one move to hit Heatran for super effective damage. When combined with Jirachi's paralysis support, they are often left in anger. Lava Plume is being used here instead of Taunt to do damage to things like Hippowdon and Celebi, while also having a 30% burn rate for use against Gyarados, Salamence, Swampert, and Tyranitar. While some may think the three different status moves on my team may conflict (Toxic, Lava Plume, Thunder Wave), all of them are beneficial to each other. Toxic damage with Heatran builds up extremely quickly, and Jirachi is able to flinch them occasionally until they die. Toxic is usually used on ground pokemon, Lava Plume on steel resisting attackers (Swampert, Gyarados), and Thunder Wave on fast sweepers (Latias, Salamence). The synergy is there, although it may seem to be conflicting.
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
Nature: Jolly (+Spe, -SpA)
EV: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Thunder Wave
- Substitute
- Iron Head
- Fire Punch
Jirachi is the core of the team, and easily the most annoying pokemon in existence. Every pokemon on this team is here for a specific reason to support Jirachi, through some extension. The basic premise of the set is to Thunder Wave the pokemon switching in after scouting with Scizor for what steel counter they have. If it is something like Gliscor, I will usually spam a Fire Punch to try and burn them (20% burn rate). If it is not a ground type, I am safe to paralyze it. Then I can switch to one of my other pokemon, and when Jirachi comes back in, set up a Substitute as they switch to the paralyzed pokemon. I can proceed to flinch it with Iron Head. The EV's and nature allow Jirachi to still act as an offensive pokemon, with Iron Head and Fire Punch still doing plenty of damage. Jirachi can actually check SD Lucario and SD Scizor if necessary. I was thinking of a more defensive spread, but this way I can fool the opponent into thinking this is a purely offensive set.
On to the movesets/individual pokemon:
Azelf @ Focus Sash
Ability: Levitate
Nature: Naive (+Spe, -SpD)
EV: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
- Taunt
- Stealth Rock
- Fire Blast
- Explosion
Azelf is a great lead for various reasons, but Stealth Rock is the most important on this team because of Scizor. Stealth Rock wears down threats like DD Gyarados, Salamence, and even opposing CB Scizor. This allows my pokemon like Torment Heatran, Substitute Jirachi, and Taunt Gliscor to wear down the opponent's team gradually. Taunt is an excellent move to stop things like Roserade and Smeargle from getting an early sleep, while also stopping slower leads such as Swampert from setting up rocks. While the most my team takes from Stealth Rock is 12.5%, it is still nice to make sure CB Scizor isn't worn down as quickly. Fire Blast is there for hitting steels super effectively. The choice was either Psychic or Fire Blast, and I decided Psychic just wasn't that useful. Explosion is there to go out with a bang, possibly taking down a pokemon with it.
Scizor @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EV: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spe
- U-Turn
- Bullet Punch
- Quick Attack
- Superpower
Scizor is the number one used pokemon in the standard metagame for a reason. It's utility is beyond words, and often allows me to win games I simply shouldn't have. U-Turn is the main attack, which allows me to scout for what steel counters the opponent may have-useful information for when I get Jirachi into battle. When combined with Stealth Rock, many of Scizor's counters are worn down extremely quickly. Bullet Punch is a revenge killing tool against offensive teams, helping me against things like Latias, Tyranitar, or Salamence if I allow them too many boosts. Quick Attack is the same thing, but for another set of sweepers. It is particularly useful against things that resist steel, such as Starmie, Infernape, and Gyarados. I already have Scarf Tyranitar for trapping pokemon like Gengar, Latias, Starmie, and Rotom-A, so I decided the utility of Quick Attack would be more useful. It has proven to be extremely useful in the matches I have played, when things like Nasty Plot + Vacuum Wave Infernape are too much for Tyranitar. Of course, Superpower is there for coverage, although honestly I rarely use anything except U-Turn. Superpower is great for OHKOing Magnezone and Heatran on the switch, though.
Tyranitar @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Sandstream
Nature: Jolly (+Spe, -SpA)
EV: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Pursuit
- Stone Edge
- Crunch
- Superpower
Honestly, I wasn't convinced of this set until I tried it for myself. I was always afraid of things like Scizor or Lucario getting free turns from Pursuit, but with the proper checks in place for these threats it is an excellent trapper. Pursuit is essentially a guaranteed kill against Starmie, Gengar, and Latias, and can also be used against some offensive Rotom-A that are without Will-o-Wisp. These threats are particularly threatening because of their high speed, good special attack, and great coverage. It's always great to have a safety net against them. Stone Edge is the most powerful attack on the set, and it's useful if for some reason Tyranitar is just out attacking (or revenge killing things like Infernape). Crunch is rarely used, but it's useful for things like Rotom-A or Celebi who may stay in. I decided to use Superpower > Earthquake for several reasons. First of all, it still OHKOs Lucario, but it also OHKOs opposing Tyranitar. Superpower does a lot to Heatran, and Stone Edge beats Infernape anyways. I did not want to allow things like Flygon, Salamence, and Gyarados to switch in only taking Stealth Rock damage. Although Salamence and Gyarados both have Intimidate and resistances to fighting, I find the damage builds up alongside Stealth Rock + Sandstorm + possible Life Orb recoil.
Gliscor @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Veil
Nature: Jolly (+Spe, -SpA)
EV: 252 HP / 40 Def / 216 Spe
- Toxic
- Earthquake
- Taunt
- Roost
Gliscor is an excellent stall-breaker. Toxic helps wear down pokemon like Hippowdon as well as last pokemon like Celebi and Blissey. Earthquake is there for things like Tentacruel and Heatran, while Taunt is used against Forretress and Skarmory to prevent them from setting up Spikes. Taunt also prevents Hippowdon, Blissey, Celebi, and Skarmory from recovering damage, which means they are often left using weak attacks. Roost can be used to heal off any damage, and thus the annoyance begins. Gliscor remains a great check for SD Lucario and prevents Gyarados from grabbing free DD's with Taunt. Gliscor is also my answer for Flygon, as his Earthquakes really mess up my team.
Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
Nature: Calm (+SpD, -Atk)
EV: 244 HP / 32 SpA / 12 SpD / 220 Spe
- Substitute
- Torment
- Protect
- Lava Plume
Heatran works so well with this team, and this set is extremely effective against most kinds of teams. Torment works wonders against just about every pokemon in OU, who typically only have one move to hit Heatran for super effective damage. When combined with Jirachi's paralysis support, they are often left in anger. Lava Plume is being used here instead of Taunt to do damage to things like Hippowdon and Celebi, while also having a 30% burn rate for use against Gyarados, Salamence, Swampert, and Tyranitar. While some may think the three different status moves on my team may conflict (Toxic, Lava Plume, Thunder Wave), all of them are beneficial to each other. Toxic damage with Heatran builds up extremely quickly, and Jirachi is able to flinch them occasionally until they die. Toxic is usually used on ground pokemon, Lava Plume on steel resisting attackers (Swampert, Gyarados), and Thunder Wave on fast sweepers (Latias, Salamence). The synergy is there, although it may seem to be conflicting.
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
Nature: Jolly (+Spe, -SpA)
EV: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Thunder Wave
- Substitute
- Iron Head
- Fire Punch
Jirachi is the core of the team, and easily the most annoying pokemon in existence. Every pokemon on this team is here for a specific reason to support Jirachi, through some extension. The basic premise of the set is to Thunder Wave the pokemon switching in after scouting with Scizor for what steel counter they have. If it is something like Gliscor, I will usually spam a Fire Punch to try and burn them (20% burn rate). If it is not a ground type, I am safe to paralyze it. Then I can switch to one of my other pokemon, and when Jirachi comes back in, set up a Substitute as they switch to the paralyzed pokemon. I can proceed to flinch it with Iron Head. The EV's and nature allow Jirachi to still act as an offensive pokemon, with Iron Head and Fire Punch still doing plenty of damage. Jirachi can actually check SD Lucario and SD Scizor if necessary. I was thinking of a more defensive spread, but this way I can fool the opponent into thinking this is a purely offensive set.
