Balance has always been my favourite playstyle, and while I found moderate success with this team reaching 1850, I am looking for potential improvements I could make to improve matchups into generally popular pokemon and teams.
Kyurem @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Pressure
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Ice Beam
- Freeze-Dry
- Earth Power
- Draco Meteor
Kyurem was the main starting point for my team, with it being such a threatening pokemon that can output high damage with very few switch ins. The heavy duty-boots moveset is my favourite as it gives kyurem more longevity, allowing in safely repeatedly, which is important as it is my main counter to ogerpon-w. The ability to change moves is great too, as I can pop gholdengo's air balloon on switch in, and then knock it out after with earth power and tera ground, which also picks up a 2 hit ko on slowking-galar.
Slowking-Galar @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Regenerator
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 252 HP / 16 Def / 240 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Future Sight
- Chilly Reception
- Sludge Bomb
- Thunder Wave
Slowking-galar was an obvious pick, a staple on balance team that can take on the majority of special attackers include dangerous fairy types such as iron valiant, enamorus and Primarina. Slowking-galar is Kyurem's best friend, setting up snow with chilly reception boosting kyurem's defence and bringing it in safely. Future sight is great too, countering stall by stacking powerful attacks at the same time. I opted for thunder wave as the fourth move to slow down and cripple pokemon who try to fodder slowking for setup like volcarona.
Ogerpon-Wellspring @ Wellspring Mask
Ability: Water Absorb
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Ivy Cudgel
- Horn Leech
- U-turn
- Encore
Ogerpon-wellspring seemed like a good choice, due to it's natural offensive type synergy with kyurem, who can hit grass types and dragon types that try to resist ogerpons duel stab combinations. The pivot variant with u-turn is the one I went for, as it allows me to bring in kyurem safely. Ogerpon is one of the top offensive pokemon in the tier, so it is great at dealing damage and making progress on opposing balance teams. Encore is a great move too, locking pokemon like corviknight into recovery moves and stopping setup sweepers like kingambit and calm mind hatterene.
Kingambit @ Leftovers
Ability: Supreme Overlord
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Kowtow Cleave
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
Kingambit is the cleaner or win condition for the team, who can easily win matches once opposing defensive cores have been weakened. I went with the HP invested EV spread as sucker punches priority often eliminates the need for speed investment and the ability to sponge hits from the likes of gholdengo and dragapult paired with the gradual recovery of leftovers allows kingambit to serve a defensive role early on in games too. Defensive tera fairy gives kingambit a much better matchup into zamazenta and great tusk, who are both 2 hit koed by iron head at +2 with 2 fainted allies.
Great Tusk @ Leftovers
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 HP / 220 Def / 36 Spe
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Body Press
- Rapid Spin
I decided to use great tusk as part of my defensive core, a staple in the meta who can keep hazards off reliably. The standard defensive set lets it serve as a great wall, who can sponge hits and retaliate with earthquake and body press, which is uncommon but I decided to try it out for the surprise knockouts on roaring moon and samurott-hisui. Great tusk comfortably takes on threatening pokemon like kingambit, iron boulder without zen headbutt, and cinderace. Great tusk also serves as the stealth rock setter for the team, and the speed evs allow it to be faster than max speed kingambit. Tera water allows it to more comfortably take on the likes of gouging fire and ogerpon-w's ivy cudgel.
Moltres @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Flame Body
Tera Type: Dragon
EVs: 248 HP / 248 Def / 12 Spe
Bold Nature
- Flamethrower
- Will-O-Wisp
- U-turn
- Roost
Moltres was one of my favourite pokemon in gen 8, due to it's great defensive capabilities. It naturally synergises well with great tusk, who can take on rock type coverage moves like stone edge on zamazenta and head smash on great tusk (which I have seen quite a few times). It also keeps stealth rock off which can be a big liability for moltres when it gets knocked off. Moltres is faster than max speed kingambit, and has will o wisp to permanently cripple physical attackers like roaring moon and kingambit. It has a naturally good matchup into gholdengo, and tera dragon allows it to take hits from ogerpon and retaliate with a burn.
Kyurem @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Pressure
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Ice Beam
- Freeze-Dry
- Earth Power
- Draco Meteor
Kyurem was the main starting point for my team, with it being such a threatening pokemon that can output high damage with very few switch ins. The heavy duty-boots moveset is my favourite as it gives kyurem more longevity, allowing in safely repeatedly, which is important as it is my main counter to ogerpon-w. The ability to change moves is great too, as I can pop gholdengo's air balloon on switch in, and then knock it out after with earth power and tera ground, which also picks up a 2 hit ko on slowking-galar.
Slowking-Galar @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Regenerator
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 252 HP / 16 Def / 240 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Future Sight
- Chilly Reception
- Sludge Bomb
- Thunder Wave
Slowking-galar was an obvious pick, a staple on balance team that can take on the majority of special attackers include dangerous fairy types such as iron valiant, enamorus and Primarina. Slowking-galar is Kyurem's best friend, setting up snow with chilly reception boosting kyurem's defence and bringing it in safely. Future sight is great too, countering stall by stacking powerful attacks at the same time. I opted for thunder wave as the fourth move to slow down and cripple pokemon who try to fodder slowking for setup like volcarona.
Ogerpon-Wellspring @ Wellspring Mask
Ability: Water Absorb
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Ivy Cudgel
- Horn Leech
- U-turn
- Encore
Ogerpon-wellspring seemed like a good choice, due to it's natural offensive type synergy with kyurem, who can hit grass types and dragon types that try to resist ogerpons duel stab combinations. The pivot variant with u-turn is the one I went for, as it allows me to bring in kyurem safely. Ogerpon is one of the top offensive pokemon in the tier, so it is great at dealing damage and making progress on opposing balance teams. Encore is a great move too, locking pokemon like corviknight into recovery moves and stopping setup sweepers like kingambit and calm mind hatterene.
Kingambit @ Leftovers
Ability: Supreme Overlord
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Kowtow Cleave
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
Kingambit is the cleaner or win condition for the team, who can easily win matches once opposing defensive cores have been weakened. I went with the HP invested EV spread as sucker punches priority often eliminates the need for speed investment and the ability to sponge hits from the likes of gholdengo and dragapult paired with the gradual recovery of leftovers allows kingambit to serve a defensive role early on in games too. Defensive tera fairy gives kingambit a much better matchup into zamazenta and great tusk, who are both 2 hit koed by iron head at +2 with 2 fainted allies.
Great Tusk @ Leftovers
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 HP / 220 Def / 36 Spe
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Body Press
- Rapid Spin
I decided to use great tusk as part of my defensive core, a staple in the meta who can keep hazards off reliably. The standard defensive set lets it serve as a great wall, who can sponge hits and retaliate with earthquake and body press, which is uncommon but I decided to try it out for the surprise knockouts on roaring moon and samurott-hisui. Great tusk comfortably takes on threatening pokemon like kingambit, iron boulder without zen headbutt, and cinderace. Great tusk also serves as the stealth rock setter for the team, and the speed evs allow it to be faster than max speed kingambit. Tera water allows it to more comfortably take on the likes of gouging fire and ogerpon-w's ivy cudgel.
Moltres @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Flame Body
Tera Type: Dragon
EVs: 248 HP / 248 Def / 12 Spe
Bold Nature
- Flamethrower
- Will-O-Wisp
- U-turn
- Roost
Moltres was one of my favourite pokemon in gen 8, due to it's great defensive capabilities. It naturally synergises well with great tusk, who can take on rock type coverage moves like stone edge on zamazenta and head smash on great tusk (which I have seen quite a few times). It also keeps stealth rock off which can be a big liability for moltres when it gets knocked off. Moltres is faster than max speed kingambit, and has will o wisp to permanently cripple physical attackers like roaring moon and kingambit. It has a naturally good matchup into gholdengo, and tera dragon allows it to take hits from ogerpon and retaliate with a burn.
