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Welcome to Smogon! Take a moment to read the Introduction to Smogon for a run-down on everything Smogon, and make sure you take some time to read the global rules.
The moderators of this forum are Alpha1013 and Ithi.
A strong core is one of the single most valuable things to form when creating a new team. Cores are typically made up of a group of Pokémon that, when used together, work excellently toward accomplishing a specific goal, and any good player uses them, intentionally or not. The majority of cores have varying characteristics that allow them to triumph in different areas, and depending on your team, cores can be built to succeed offensively or defensively. An offensive core is a group of Pokémon that are both focused towards and designed to enable the team to break through most other team styles while being balanced for general play. A defensive core is a group of Pokémon chosen to give a team a solid set of resistances and the ability to switch into many of the common and threatening attacks in the metagame, allowing it to stick around long enough to win the match.
With such a diverse and constantly evolving metagame, there are a plethora of cores to experiment with given the huge number of Pokemon available for use. With that being said, I welcome you to Good Cores: ORAS Edition!
Posting Guidelines
Any person can post a core in this thread. The cores are broken down into four categories: offensive cores, balanced cores, defensive cores, and weather cores. When posting your core, please make sure to state which one of these categories your core falls under.
Although the way your core works may be obvious to you, this may not be the case for others. As such, when posting a core, please make sure to explain how the core operates and any other details you think are important to include. The explanations don't have to be essays; as long as your post has some substance and conveys the main idea behind the core, it's all good. Here are some things you may like to include when explaining your core:
Offensive Core: Should your core be an offensive one, such as Bisharp + Mega Gallade, you could explain how those two Pokemon work together to break down their similar checks and counters to pave the way for one of them to sweep more easily. You could also mention any weaknesses the core has and any partners you believe work well with the core. Here is a good example of what we look for.
Defensive Core: Should your core be defensive, such as Mega Venusaur + Heatran, you could explain how their typing synergy allows these two Pokemon to cover problematic Pokemon like Keldeo and Talonflame for one another. You could also mention any weaknesses the core has and any partners you believe work well with the core. Hereis a good example of what we look for.
This goes without saying, but do make sure your post includes the sets your core is using. In addition, please try to include an explanation of any EV spreads deviating from the standard 252 / 252. Replays are also very helpful and highly encouraged when posting cores.
Please be respectful of the cores people post in this thread. If someone posts a core that you think is ineffective or just plain bad, there is no need to jump at their throats. With that said, constructive criticism is welcome and encouraged - simply be nice!
Core Selection Process
This thread is being run by Infernal, starry blanket, and Nedor. We will all closely monitor the cores posted in this thread. When the time comes, we will discuss the posted cores together and decide which ones will be featured in the archive.
While the selection of good cores can often be subjective, we will take into consideration a variety of aspects before deciding which cores are featured in the archive. This includes quality of explanation, effectiveness of the core in the current metagame, and so on. We will carefully discuss everything and seek feedback from others to ensure the selected cores are of high quality.
When we decide which cores will be featured in the archive, we will try to announce them and provide brief explanations behind why certain cores were selected and why certain cores weren't. This feedback can potentially help give people a clearer picture of what we are looking for.
If a core is originally rejected from the archive, we can definitely provide some tips on how a set or spread can be tweaked so the core meets the standards we look for.
Updates: The original core had non-SD offensive Talonflame and physically defensive Gastrodon. These sets were changed to SpD Talonflame and Curse Gastrodon. SpD Talonflame fits the nature of this balanced core much better than the previous set does, which fits better on more offensively inclined builds rather than the balanced ones this core is usually on. SpD Talonflame is quite common in the metagame currently, and the added longevity gained allows the bird to handle threats like Mega Venusaur and Serperior more effectively, which Gastrodon appreciates. Curse is Gastrodon's main and most effective set now, and the change was made accordingly. It still helps Talonflame handle many of the Pokemon physically defensive Gastrodon was responding to (Mega Manectric, Slowbro, and so on), all while serving as a nice bulky win condition.
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Hippowdon @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 112 Def / 144 SpD
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Stealth Rock
- Slack Off
Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Spikes
- Leech Seed
- Power Whip
- Gyro Ball
Updates: The only thing updated here was Starmie. The EVs were changed to max speed, as there's little reason to justify forgoing the full 252. In addition, Thunder Wave and Reflect Type were slashed alongside Psyshock. Both options are used and viable in their own respective ways. This aside, everything else stayed the same and the core works no differently than described in its original description.
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Hippowdon @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream / Sand Force
EVs: 252 HP / 144 Def / 112 SpD
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Slack Off
- Stealth Rock
Updates: The core works in the same way as described originally. The EVs and move choices on Amoonguss were modified. The EVs are the standard fare, with 20 Spe EVs allowing Amoonguss to get the jump on Mega Slowbro, which is otherwise troublesome for the core. Clear Smog was added as it's the main way Amoonguss deals with threats like Clefable. HP Fire and Stun Spore were also included as move choices. The former is a good option to allow Amoonguss to threaten Pokemon like Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn, while the latter can potentially paralyze and cripple common switch ins like Tornadus-T. Lastly, Earth Power on Heatran was included because opposing Heatran can be rather annoying to deal with for this core.
Updates: The main thing modified here were move choices. Taunt was removed on Gliscor, as it's generally inferior to Swords Dance these days. On Clefable, Thunder Wave was slashed alongside Flamethrower for obvious reasons. Otherwise, the core works in the same way as originally described.
Updates: Physically defensive Gastrodon was updated to Curse for similar reasons mentioned earlier, while Mega Venusaur's EVs were modified to include more HP while remaining offensive. Everything else regarding the core works the same way as described originally.
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Sableye-Mega @ Sablenite
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 248 HP / 56 Def / 204 SpD
Impish Nature
- Toxic
- Will-O-Wisp
- Knock Off
- Recover
Updated: EVs on Mega Sableye were modified to include more SpD, which is helpful to take hits from Heatran better here (crucial considering Mega Sableye will be trying to remove its item to help Volcarona). On Volcarona, Giga Drain was included as an option alongside Bug Buzz to deal damage to Pokemon like Keldeo and Quagsire. The EVs can be edited based on your preferences, with more defense being viable on Volcarona. For example, 208 HP / 240 Def / 60 Spe with a Bold nature can be used to avoid a 2HKO from things like Mega Gardevoir and Latios' Psyshock, all while being faster than Tornadus-T after +1. More speed EVs (around 140) can also be used to get the jump on things like Mega Lopunny after +1.
Updates: This core was mainly modified to include the addition of RestTalk Keldeo, which is a great choice on teams with Reuniclus to provide a sturdier answer to Mega Scizor and Weavile. It's also a set that started to gain more attention after the core was originally posted, so it's nice to have some representation here.
Updates: A couple of modifications were made here. Slowking was changed from AV to CM. It's generally the better and more common choice on Slowking these days, and gives the core an additional win condition and way to check threats like opposing CM Clefable. It still has more than enough special bulk to respond to threats like Keldeo too. On Clefable, Thunder Wave was included as an option for obvious reasons. The need for luring Talonflame with Thunderbolt becomes less of a priority with Slowking now packing Slack Off. Lastly, Garchomp was modified to include Fire Blast. That's mainly important for Mega Scizor ad other steels like Ferrothorn, who become more annoying with the removal of Fire Blast on Slowking and the possibility of Clefable lacking fire coverage.
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Tornadus-Therian (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 168 HP / 88 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hurricane
- U-turn
- Knock Off
- Heat Wave
Updates: The EVs on Tornadus-T were modified to include more bulk and max speed, which is the standard nowadays to gain the jump on Alakazam. CM Raikou was also added as another possible set to use on this core. It works just as effectively as Choice Specs here, and is arguably the best way to currently use Raikou.
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Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Lava Plume
- Toxic
- Taunt
- Stealth Rock
Updates: Unaware Clefable was changed to the standard Magic Guard CM, which is more effective in general and fits better on builds with Mega Latias + Heatran. Heatran had its EVs changed to include max speed, helping this core avoid being run over by offensive Mega Scizor. Taunt was also placed over Protect to help versus other CM Clefable, which becomes more troublesome with the removal of Unaware Clefable from the core. Lastly, standard BoltBeam Mega Latias was given the nudge over CM + Stored Power on the original core, as we felt this set assisted the core in helping to deal with a wider range of threats.
Updates: Mega Sharpedo had Zen Headbutt and Poison Jab added to its move options here. The former is a nice option to nail Keldeo harder, while the latter assists with dealing more damage to the likes of Clefable and Azumarill. Fire Blast was added as a move option on Garchomp to help damage the likes of Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn, both of which pose issues with Mega Sharpedo. Endure was also given a slash to deal more residual to several Pokemon, helping to wear them down to a range where Mega Sharpedo can clean them up later.
Updates: Flamethrower was slashed on Clefable to target problematic Pokemon like Mega Scizor. Shadow Ball was slashed with Focus Blast on Reuniclus as an option to damage Pokemon like Mew and Slowbro harder.
Updates: Psyshock was replaced with Psychic on Mega Alakazam as a more power and consistent attacking option. Without it, Mega Alakazam deals much less damage to the likes of Landorus-T and many others. Psyshock is mainly for Tornadus-T, which can be checked by Clefable and broken by Mega Alakazam with SR up. Calm Mind was also slashed with Encore. It's a relatively common move choice on Mega Alakazam and an effective one too, turning it into a nice late game sweeper. Lastly, Flamethrower was slashed on Clefable to potentially lure in things like Mega Scizor, which helps Mega Alakazam greatly.
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Mew @ Leftovers
Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 248 HP / 152 Def / 108 Spe OR 248 HP / 152 SpD / 108 Spe
Impish Nature / Careful Nature
- Knock Off
- Will-O-Wisp
- Roost
- Taunt
Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 172 Def / 84 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Thunder Wave
- Soft-Boiled
- Calm Mind
Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Lava Plume
- Toxic
- Taunt
- Stealth Rock
Updates: Mew was given enough speed for Bisharp and Breloom, which is helpful to make them less of an issue for this core. A special defensive EV spread was also slashed on Mew with a physically defensive one, as both are viable choices with this core. Heatran was made max speed primarily for Mega Scizor, who is a big danger otherwise. Clefable was then given Thunder Wave over Flamethrower, as its targets are adequately covered by Mew and Heatran. Having paralysis on Clefable to neuter wall breakers and offensive threats in general is always helpful for defensive cores like this one, too.
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Skarmory @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Iron Head
- Spikes
- Roost
- Whirlwind
Slowking @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 184 Def / 76 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Psyshock
- Calm Mind / Thunder Wave
- Slack Off
Hippowdon @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 144 Def / 112 SpD
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Slack Off
- Stealth Rock
Updates: Defog was replaced with Spikes. Skarmory doesn't usually run Defog on cores like this one, and instead prefers to lay down hazards on the teams this core is used on. Slowking was then changed to CM, giving the core a nice bulky win condition and additional ways to take on threats like Clefable. Its EVs were also modified to include more special defense, which is helpful to stomach hits from the likes of Volcanion better.
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Venusaur-Mega @ Venusaurite
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 232 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 20 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Hidden Power Fire
- Synthesis
Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 172 Def / 84 SpD
Calm Nature
- Calm Mind
- Moonblast
- Soft-Boiled
- Thunder Wave
Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Lava Plume
- Earth Power
- Taunt
- Stealth Rock
Updates: Clefable was given Thunder Wave over Flamethrower. Paralyzing threats is useful to have for a slow core like this one. Having Heatran and Mega Venusaur with fire coverage to damage the Pokemon Clefable usually targets with Flamethrower also allows for the use of Thunder Wave. Heatran was changed to max speed to help, once again, with offensive Mega Scizor and even things like Mew. Roar was replaced with Earth Power to help with opposing Heatran, who is otherwise really annoying to deal with.
_____
Slowbro-Mega @ Slowbronite
Ability: Shell Armor
EVs: 252 HP / 80 Def / 176 SpD
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Scald
- Psyshock / Iron Defense
- Slack Off
Tangrowth @ Leftovers / Rocky Helmet
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 244 HP / 216 Def / 48 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Sleep Powder
- Giga Drain
- Knock Off
- Hidden Power Fire / Leech Seed
Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Lava Plume
- Toxic
- Taunt
Updates: Mega Slowbro's EVs and nature were modified slightly, as Bold is superior to Calm on this Pokemon, especially on sets with CM. Tangrowth was changed to physically defensive, mainly to give the core a better response to offensive Ground-types and other threats like Mega Gyarados, Crawdaunt, and Breloom. The lack of AV to help deal with threats like Keldeo is made up for by Slowbro's presence. Heatran's EVs were modified slightly to go from 244 Spe EVs to 252 Spe EVs, as there's little reason to not just go max.
_____
Slowbro @ Leftovers / Rocky Helmet
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 232 Def / 24 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Psyshock
- Slack Off
- Calm Mind / Thunder Wave
Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Power Whip
- Gyro Ball
- Leech Seed
- Stealth Rock / Spikes
Updates: Slowbro had a bunch of slashes removed (such as Foul Play), as they're generally not very common or just niche. The set was cleaned up to simply include Calm Mind and Thunder Wave, which are the two most effective and consistent move options Slowbro can use on a core like this one and in general. From there, Gliscor's slashes were adjusted sightly. Roost was formerly slashed with Swords Dance, and this was modified because recovery is mandatory on Gliscor nowadays if it wants to consistently respond to certain threats. Instead, Swords Dance was slashed with Taunt, which we all agreed was the more appropriate placement. Acrobatics remains a slash with Knock Off because Mega Heracross has increased in popularity lately, and hugely threatens this core otherwise.
Updates: CM Mega Diancie is simply ineffective, and was changed to the standard set with Protect. Having Protect actually helps mega evolve you safely, which is helpful to check threats like Bisharp for this core. Latios was given Roost for more longevity against threats like Keldeo and offensive Electric-types. CM and Defog were also slashed as options, with each having their own benefits. Lastly, Specs Magnezone was added as option alongside Scarf, as both are more than viable choices with this core.
Updates: Scizor's speed was maxed here, as there's very little reason to not do so. Similarly, Talonflame's speed was also maxed to tie with other Talonflame and be faster than Weavile. This is generally better than simply investing in just enough for Raikou and placing the remaining EVs in HP for very little bulk.
Updates: Starmie was modified to a more offensive set, which generally fits the more aggressive/offensive nature of builds with Mega Beedrill. It also applies more pressure on quite a few of the Pokemon that Mega Beedrill tends to draw in, examples being Landorus-T and Skarmory. Although Knock Off is the main move choice on Mega Beedrill to remove items like Shed Shell from Pokemon like Skarmory to make them easier to trap, Drill Run and Pursuit are also viable options. As such, they were added.
Updates: Mega Lopunny was modified to include Fake Out and Ice Punch. The former is really crucial to evolve safely and either revenge kill or grab consistent chip damage on threats. The latter is also important in today's metagame given the prevalence of Pokemon like Landorus-T. Gengar mostly stayed the same, with Substitute and Icy Wind being added as possible move options in the fourth slot.
Updates: Latios was changed to LO + Defog rather than Scarf. Scarf doesn't make much sense with this core and isn't very effective in general nowadays, and the added durability from Roost is helpful to allow Latios to remove hazards and take on things like Mega Manectric more consistently here. Talonflame was simply modified to have max speed for similar reasons mentioned up above.
Updates: The main thing done here was cleaning up of slashes, with things like EQ being removed from the options Mega Metagross has move-wise. Hydreigon's slashes were also cleaned up significantly to look less messy. The most effective options were given mentions, and others like Earth Power and Superpower can be considered depending on your team and preferences. Scarf as another option added. Although generally inferior to LO variants, Scarf is still an alternative for some added speed and to bring in Mega Metagross in for free with U-turn.
Updates: Charizard-X had its EVs modified to a simple 252 / 252 spread, with Roost being slashed alongside Earthquake as another viable alternative for teams that value the recovery over hitting things like Heatran and Tyranitar super effectively. Roost was also slashed alongside Healing Wish on Latias if having a more durable check for threats like Keldeo is more suited to the needs of your team.
Updates: Same deal with Mega Lopunny as before: "Mega Lopunny was modified to include Fake Out and Ice Punch. The former is really crucial to evolve safely and either revenge kill or grab consistent chip damage on threats. The latter is also important in today's metagame given the prevalence of Pokemon like Landorus-T." Tail Glow + 3 Attacks Manaphy was also added as an option alongside Rain Dance + Tail Glow, as both options are viable here.
Updates: Mega Gardevoir was given Timid, with WoW being slashed alongside Taunt. Diggersby now has Fire Punch slashed with SD to nail things like Skarmory, Mega Scizor, and Ferrothorn without the need to power up. Jolly was also given preference over Adamant, as it allows Diggersby to get the jump on more threats in today's metagame (Timid Heatran, Breloom, Bisharp, Adamant Excadrill outside of sand, and so on).
Updates: This was modified to include SD Bisharp over Pursuit. Bisharp isn't really trapping anything notable for Mega Gardevoir, and is a generally ineffective user of Pursuit compared to other Pokemon like Tyranitar. SD turns Bisharp into much more of a threat and gives this core much more offensive presence. Everything else is self explanatory, with Lum Berry being slashed with Life Orb to stop status attempts from common Pokemon like Rotom-W and ease set up overall. On Mega Gardevoir, WoW was slashed with Taunt as another option to burn checks like Skarmory and Mega Scizor.
Updates: This was modified to include defensive Landorus-T alongside Scarf. Both are good options with Mega Manectric, with bulky Landorus-T serving as a more durable answer to things like Excadrill and Charizard-X. Scarf Landorus-T's move choices were also edited to include Explosion and Superpower, as both are great choices on this set and have their own useful advantages.
Updates: Offensive Mega Scizor was added as an option alongside bulkier SD variants. The bulky SD variant had its EVs modified slightly, with Bug Bite and U-turn being the move options of choice over Knock Off (better coverage and power, and giving Kyurem-B free switch in opportunities in the case of U-turn). Kyurem-B was edited to include Roost over Outrage for added staying power and being generally more effective than dragon coverage. Its EVs were also modified to include max speed.
___
Medicham-Mega @ Medichamite
Ability: Pure Power
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- High Jump Kick
- Zen Headbutt
- Fake Out
- Bullet Punch / Ice Punch
Sylveon @ Choice Specs
Ability: Pixilate
EVs: 208 HP / 252 SpA / 48 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hyper Voice
- Psyshock
- Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Ground
- Baton Pass
Updates: Sylveon was modified to include Baton Pass, which is a good way to bring in Mega Medicham in for free and keep up momentum. HP Ground was also slashed with HP Fire to nail Heatran, with Heal Bell and Psyshock being removed as options. Mega Medicham had Ice Punch added to its options, as it's a good choice these days to hit common threats like Landorus-T. Fake Out was also given preference over Baton pass, as it's too good to pass up on Mega Medicham for mega evolving, revenge killing, and chip damage purposes.
Updates: Mega Manectric was modified to include Overheat alongside Flamethrower. Superpower was given preference over EQ on Tyranitar, as it's generally the better option and maintains identical coverage. Kyurem-B's EVs were edited to include max speed.
Updates: Heatran was modified in a few ways. It was given Leftovers over Air Balloon and had its EVs modified to a bulkier variant with max speed, giving it more staying power to fend off threats like Mega Scizor for this core. From there, its move choices were modified accordingly to the standard: Lava Plume, Taunt, and Toxic.
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Heracross @ Heracronite
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 240 HP / 136 Atk / 132 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Close Combat
- Pin Missile
- Rock Blast
- Substitute / Swords Dance
Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Lava Plume
- Taunt
- Toxic
Updates: Mega Heracross had its EVs updated to the bulkier one used nowadays, as it's become the accepted standard. Heatran was given Leftovers over Air Balloon and more HP investment to handle things like Latios and others better for Mega Heracross. Its moves were modified accordingly to fit the nature of the set as was done in the core before this one.
___
Manectric @ Manectite
Ability: Lightning Rod
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Thunderbolt
- Flamethrower / Overheat
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Hydreigon @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 16 HP / 240 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Flash Cannon
- Dark Pulse
- Fire Blast / Roost
Updates: The main change here was changing Hydreigon to LO rather than Scarf. The breaking power Hydreigon provides to the core is nice to have because Mega Manectric struggles to do much against fatter Pokemon like Quagsire, Hippowdon, and so on. Mega Manectric's speed and coverage to threaten more offensive teams is nice, so changing Hydreigon to be more focused on breaking rather than revenge killing is definitely helpful.
___
Metagross @ Metagrossite
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Meteor Mash
- Zen Headbutt
- Hammer Arm
- Grass Knot / Pursuit
Updates: Omastar was changed to Specs. It's the most common and effective variant to use on rain. Omastar has a difficult time finding the chance to set up a Shell Smash, and prefers to deal immediate damage with its Specs-boosted attacks instead. Kingdra was simply changed to max speed, as there's little reason to not go the full 252. Waterfall and Outrage were also removed as move options, as they are generally ineffective here and don't accomplish much on sets with Specs. Kingdra is generally better off using its higher powered special attacks most of time.
with volcanion being so new, we decided to focus on the more rudimentary volcanion cores at this point. we really want people to gain a sense of how volcanion works fundamentally rather than through something a bit more "interesting" at first. also, we didn't want to add 1000 volcanion cores at once lol.
in addition to the volc cores, we added these 3 cores:
manaphy + mega diancie
latios + mega scizor
gastrodon + tornadus-t
these cores are good.
not only did we add cores, but we also removed some. we started by flat out removing all the cores from boltsandbombers's iteration of the thread. the vast majority of these cores are outdated, and those that aren't (mostly) have really outdated descriptions & sets. if any of you feel that some of these old cores deserve to be here, feel free to repost them with UPDATED SETS AND DESCRIPTIONS (if applicable). please don't c/p a post from like a year ago >.>
we also removed a few cores from team pokepals's iteration of the thread. we handpicked these ones, and they were simply removed because we deemed them inefficient and / or restrictive. also, a few of them had broken links, so we had to delete them; oddly enough, most of these were cores we would've probably removed anyways :3c.
finally, we decided to lump together "balanced" and "defensive" cores because there was a HUGE amount of overlap here other than cores with chansey or w.e. we figured that most of you will be capable of telling which of those cores are better for stall teams & which are better for balance, though.
now that i've written this 3 times... this is open! :D
Volcanion + Gengar (Offense)
Or, as I like to call it: Anti-Balance
Volcanion and Gengar are some absurdly powerful special attackers, each with their own unique benefits that compliment each other in a strange fashion. Volcanion is able to switch into many pokemon that threaten Gengar, such as Scizor, Azumarill, and ScarfRachi. It's also able to pass around burns that wear down opponents, making it easier for Gengar to nab KOs, especially after Stealth Rocks. Gengar, in return, is able to come in on predicted ground moves aimed at Volcanion, and beats Breloom and can speed tie with the Latis, pokemon that beat Volcanion. Gengar is also able to shut down balance rather effectively alongside Volcanion, due to their unique synergy offensively, and situational synergy defensively. HP Grass on Volcanion is for Gastrodon and Quagsire, as well as water types in general, and Earth Power is for smacking other Volcanions around. However, this core is very weak to Tyranitar and doesn't appreciate mons like Mega Diancie. So be sure to run something to covers these mons. Personally, I've found Mega Scizor to be a great teammate to these two.
Volcanion @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 76 HP / 252 SpA / 180 Spe
- Steam Eruption
- Fire Blast
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Earth Power
The given EV spread for Volcanion allows it to outspeed defensive Landorus-T, a pokemon that Gengar cannot switch into due to fear of Knock Off.
(P.S. I know you said you don't want people to just randomly throw Volcanion cores on here, and you wanted to avoid them for the most part, but this core has just been putting too much work in for me and I think I have a pretty clear understanding of how it works after experimenting with it for a week)
This is a pretty cool hazard control core I found recently. This core covers the vast majority of hazard setters in the metagame and also provides a decent start to semistall teams looking for reliable hazard control that doesn't come from Mega Sableye. Mega Latias is the primary Defogger, and with the help of its great speed tier and access to BoltBeam it can beat common Stealth Rock and/or Spikes setters like Landorus-T, Garchomp (watch out for sash Dragon Claw!), Skarmory, and Hippowdon. Zapdos is the secondary defogger, which takes great advantage of its amazing typing and coverage move, Heat Wave, to counter the majority of other hazard setters in OU such as Ferrothorn and Celebi. Zapdos has the additional perk of being able to freely absorb Thunder Wave from these pokemon, as well as hitting predicted Bisharp switchins hard with Heat Wave. Beyond just hazard control however, these two have great defensive synergy blanket checking a large portion of the meta checking common threats like Keldeo, Mega Lopunny, Mega or non-Mega Scizor, Tornadus-T, Jirachi, Mega Manectric, and much more.
This core has issues with a few hazard setters however, the main ones being Stealth Rock Tyranitar and Stealth Rock Heatran. As such, checks to these pokemon like Suicune are appreciated. Suicune can also serve as a wincon for the team, boosting with Calm Mind and providing a path to victory. Pokemon that can absorb status easily or heal status from other pokemon with Heal Bell or Aromatherapy are also appreciated, as status wears Mega Latias and Zapdos down quickly.
Other options for this core include running an EV spread of 248 HP / 68 Def / 192 Spe on Mega Latias in order to recieve more bulk, but it comes at the expense of not hitting a 110 base speed benchmark which is typically undesirable. Zapdos can also run Discharge instead of Thunderbolt along with an EV spread of 248 HP / 244 Def / 16 Spe if Mega Pinsir is not a large threat to your team, and comes with the advantage of potentially paralyzing switchins to Zapdos such as Tyranitar or Mega Venusaur.
Lopunny-Mega (F) @ Lopunnite
Ability: Limber
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- High Jump Kick
- Return
- Power-Up Punch
Feraligatr (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Waterfall
- Crunch
- Iron Tail
This is a pretty potent core that has some intricacies which work in its favor. The idea of this core is to lure in Lop's common checks such as Slowbro and Clefable with Iron Tail and Crunch. Feraligatr supports lop further with its ability to take on Bulky ground-types and the two form a solid core overall. Struggles against stuff like Rotom, M-Venusaur, Amoonguss, RockyHelm Tangrowth, so good partners include LO Tornadus-T, Klefki to provide Spikes support, CM Raikou to help overwhelm checks alongside Gatr/Lop, and so on
Scizor @ Choice Band / Life Orb / Metal Coat
Ability: Technician EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD (OR) 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch - U-turn / Bug Bite - Pursuit / Roost - Superpower / Swords Dance
Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 172 Def / 84 SpD
Calm Nature
- Thunder Wave / Thunderbolt
- Moonblast
- Soft-Boiled
- Calm Mind
Personally, I've been playing around a lot with M-Zam recently and it is a really terrifying mon to play with. Encore is honestly the best support move you can use on M-Zam since it's helps net you a potential kill/safe mega. It's actually really good on Balance and HO, resulting in different partners based on the type of playstyle you wish to play M-Zam around.
On HO, Sciz is an extremely powerful support to M-Zam. It helps remove a lot of things that M-Zam naturally doesn't like. M-Gross (S-Ball doesn't kill if timid, and timid is extremely crucial imo in this metagame), Lati-twins, Chansey, Clef, Bisharp, T-Tar, Weavile and some other fairies that have a huge special ass that can come in on M-Zam. What makes this a powerful core is the fact that Sciz is a slow-turner and a hard hitter. Slow turning allows M-Zam to come in safely while hard hitting allows M-Zam's checks to be naturally weakened to the point where M-Zam can just click the appropriate moves and win. Of course, with the recent meta shift, CB Sciz may not be the most optimal choice on teams anymore, but they are still equally pressured by SD LO Zor since it acts as a breaker such that they all get into range of MZor's coverages and conversely SD LO Zor can act as a powerful end game cleaner and muscle past teams.
On Balance, M-Zam appreciates support from fatter mons like Clef which also removes a lot of things that M-Zam naturally doesn't like. Not only that, but Clef (being fat in nature) provides a lot of support for the team and is capable of consistently wearing down M-Zam's checks to the point where, once again, M-Zam can just click the appropriate moves and win [: Thunderbolt on Clef can not only deal with Talon (which this core potentially has issues with) but also actually deal with sparky sparky boom man after coming in on rocks once. [0 SpA Clefable Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Volcanion: 136-162 (37.3 - 44.5%) -- 59.8% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery] it only becomes slightly redundant if people start running like max hp max spdef calm sparky sparky boom man but like as if that's ever gonna happen.
Remember, don't use Modest if you're running M-Zam on a HO squad but you can run Modest if you're running him on a Balanced squad with Clef because Modest Zam in base form speed ties with +Spe base 105 and all those mons with > 135 base speed (mainly, M-Lop, M-Man, +1 DDD M-Alt, etc.). MZam appreciates hazards on the opponent's side of the field and is also a wondrously powerful mon in this current metagame. Have fun using this core as much as I did.
note - in case you're unsure of which scizor set to use, the red and blue words are one scizor set. #freewobb
This core is actually surprisingly effective at what it does. Through stacking Pressure users, this combination of Pokémon is able to very quickly stall the opponent out of PP on their attacks. Something which is often neglected is just how much pressure running out of PP extremely quickly puts onto the opponent, as it means they can't play anywhere near as agressively as they would like to, and as such it is a good core for use on their own sub-archetypes of semistall and defensively-inclined balance that me and my good friend mac1275 (shoutouts to him btw) have been using a lot recently which aim to support the pressure users and allow them to very easily put a timer on parts of the opposing team.
First of all, take a look at Zapdos. It is running SubToxic: a set which is disgustingly underrated and easily better than its Defog sets will ever be. People underestimate just how tricky it is to take out Zapdos and how much its defensive typing does for it, and it is an incredibly consistent at just kinda stopping a buttload of stuff in their tracks. Sub allows it to gain switch initiative on stuff that it forces out (which is a surprisingly high number of Pokémon) as well as dodge status, KOff's secondary effect etc. and between Sub, Toxic, Roost and Pressure it is able to very easily just cheese past a lot of stuff. Most notably, this set beats ScarfTar if it Subs on the switch-in, BandTar loses the matchup if it locks itself into Stone Edge and it can cheese past Ground-types barring Exca and the Nidos with Toxic (although it can Sub stall Excadrill if it gets a Sub up as it comes in, as it is faster than adamant Driller and can alternate between subbing up and playing Roost mindgames outside of sand while being able to stall out sand turns by spamming Roost and then proceeding to begin the mindgame between Roosting and not Roosting once it disappears). It also hard walls and puts a timer onto the increasingly-popular Tangrowth, beats slow Talonflame (the given EVs outpace 8 Spe Talonflame so that you can sub on its Wisp, and it can't guarantee it'll take the sub out in two hits and can't hit it on the turn it is set up due to Gale Wings--leaving it open to the onslaught of Toxic+TBolt), it beats DD Lando-T 1v1 regardless of Lum v.s. non-lum if it gets a Sub up as it comes in due to outpacing it naturally, meaning it can use Toxic on it as it either breaks the sub with Stone Edge or sets up an SD/RP (if it uses SD you can get a second Toxic off if it carries Lum Berry) and then you can proceed to spam Sub and stall it out of Stone Edge PP, leaving it unable to touch you and leaving you able to use it for free Leftovers recovery (if you have a sub up you get off a Roost versus slower ones, and if it RP'd you can roost regardless of whether you have a Sub up due to it not being able to hit you with EQ) as you watch it just die to Toxic. If it gets a Sub up as it comes in it can stop Latios from mindlessly clicking Draco with Pressure and Sub stalling combined with its low PP and nasty secondary effect leaving Latios as complete Sub fodder if it uses Draco.
Suicune not only stacks Pressure, but it also benefits from the support that Zapdos provides pretty immensely. Zapdos provides a Grass-type resistance, which is useful considering that it allows it to use some of Suicune's biggest annoyances for Sub fodder. In addition, if Zapdos has a sub up when they come in, it is able to just beat electrics 1v1 between Sub and Roost. Specs Magnezone doesn't even need a Sub up to be beaten, as it can just Sub on whatever it uses to either stop it getting switch initiative with Volt Switch or to begin to PP stall its T-bolts with its resistance as it Roosts (252+ SpA Choice Specs Magnezone Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Zapdos: 132-156 (34.3 - 40.6%) -- 46.6% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery), and versus Scarf Mag, Mega Manectric, Raikou and Thundurus it is able to stay in on them for a while and Roost as the sub gets broken when it gets too low to Sub up again, allowing it to stall them out of different amounts of PP depending on which 'mon the electric is (Specs/LO/Zap Plate/+1 Lefties Raikou and Thundy get stalled out of up to 10 PP, whereas Mega Manectric can be Roost stalled out of all of its TBolt PP, as can Scarf Magnezone). In exchange for Zapdos just kinda beating these threats to Suicune in a 1v1 situation, Suicune helps the Volcanion matchup if it comes in on something other than Zapdos, allowing it to clear it of 2 PP on its Steam Eruption or Fire Blast and use it for a free Calm Mind or Rest. It can also help out with Excadrill in case Zapdos doesn't have a sub up as it comes in due to its immense physical bulk+access to STAB Scald, and in general it just pressures what Zapdos can't beat without a Sub up--easing a number of matchups. It beats Weavile and Mamoswine in 1v1 situations as well as acting as being able to put pressure on Ice-types in general barring Kyurem(-B) which aren't locked into Ice Beam.
In general, Electric-type counters and checks like Gastrodon, Seismitoad, Mamoswine, Quagsire, Hippowdon, YacheChomp, Yache Lando etc. make good partners due to them being able to help PP stall electrics, as well as easing the matchup if they come in on anything other than post-sub Zapdos. I'm also going to give a special mention to SubRoost Kyurem, because it means more Pressure to help get an extra 2 PP out of your opponent's TBolts as well as just providing more role stacking in general. While not mandatory by any means, hazard control is helpful as it eases the switch-in for Zapdos. There is actually an E-rank that is good support for this core, being defensive Yache+Defog Flygonーwhich allows for role compression between electric check and hazard removal which can also help spread Toxic and save Zapdos turns later on. However, if you don't want to use something as otherwise-mediocre as Flygon the core has pretty decent synergy with stuff like Shed Shell Skarmory, Mega Sableye, Latios, that Xatu+MDiancie core, SpD Excadrill, Defog Togkiss and Defog variants of MLati (the latter of which are literally always team-specific), among others which I'm too lazy to list. Spikes support from Ferrothorn is generally very useful as they discourage switches--making Zapdos' job of Toxic and Pressure stalling that little bit easier due to more Toxic racking up and more PP being lost to Pressure, as are slow U-turns and Wishes due to them allowing Zapdos to get in on the stuff it forces out while taking minimal damage, as well as Wish allowing Zapdos and Suicune to recover versus things they can only take 1 hit from if they are weakened and allowing them to just generally have a slightly easier time giving the opponent a headache. Toxic users help Zapdos by spreading more Toxic, potentially saving it a turn later on, and things which apprecitate having fat Grounds and Rock-types lured and cheesed past. Finally, general stall/semistall 'mons like Chansey, CM Blissey, Quagsire, Unaware Clef, Curse Gastro etc. make for good partners due to fitting onto the teams that this core works on. There are lots more teammates that work but I've been typing for way too long and want to move onto different things so I'm not gonna keep going with this. Just experiment and see what works.
Pretty simple stuff. Tornadus kills bulky grass types, bulky water types, bulky ground types, and Skarmory, while Terrakion eliminates Chansey, Heatran, steel types, and rock types, and weakens stuff like Rotom-W for Torn-T. Choice Scarf could be used to help with Weavile, Mega Lopunny + other speed demons, Choice Band can be used for immense power, and Life Orb can be used to help with sweeps with SD.
Gen 5 God (Terrakion) @ Choice Band / Choice Scarf
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge
- Iron Head / Rock Slide
- Quick Attack / Rock Slide
OR
Terrakion @ Life Orb
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge
- Swords Dance
- Rock Polish / Substitute / Quick Attack
I bolded the stuff I preferred using, but it's your call on what you want to choose
Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Lava Plume
- Toxic
- Taunt
Kyurem-Black @ Life Orb
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive / Rash Nature
- Ice Beam
- Fusion Bolt
- Earth Power / Hidden Power Fire
- Roost / Iron Head
Core is a really simple one in the sense that Fire and Ice types tend to synergize nicely (Heatran is a great rocker for Mamo too). Basically Heatran pressures Clefable, Mew, and bulky steels like Mega Scizor which are primary switch-ins to Kyurem-Black. It also can Taunt + Toxic other absurd stuff like Chansey and bulky waters that can try to burn Kyu-B (i.e. Slowbro). So yeah Heatran supports Kyurem-Black which can donk some water types that threaten Heatran as well as pressuring Ground-types.
Weak to stuff like Keldeo and other fighting types like Mega Lopunny, plus fast stuff like Sand Rush Excadrill so things like Slowbro can make good partners. Not a huge explanation on this one since it's less of a goal oriented core and more of "Heatran is a great Stealth Rock setter to pair with Kyurem-Black due to the pressure it applies on checks to Kyu-B and ability to stallbreak some annoying mons."
Scizor-Mega @ Scizorite
Ability: Light Metal
EVs: 248 HP / 48 Atk / 104 Def / 108 SpD
Impish Nature
- Pursuit
- Roost
- U-turn
- Bullet Punch
This has been an excellent core for a long time and I'm surprised nobody's posted it. Regarding the sets they are pretty customizable but let me go over the core's main function and then discuss set possibilities.
So yeah Manaphy basically dunks on opposing Water, Fire and Steel types which are the primary checks people use for Scizor. Think things like Heatran, Suicune, Skarmory, etc. Manaphy is still an absurd wallbreaker in this metagame despite its relatively low usage, so a lot of teams can really struggle with it since most teams' main prep is a Latios or Ferrothorn, outside of offensive checks.
Scizor complements Manaphy by checking Latios and a plethora of fast mons / nukes like Mega Gardevoir, Alakazam, Terrakion etc. Just a really solid mega to build around, its ability to beat a strong number of physical attackers and pick off weakened threats is nice with Manaphy.
Ok onto the sets. RD Mana is pretty cool with Scizor since you can kinda check Latios better with rain up in case they're HP Fire variants. It's also just a better full stallbreaker which might be better depending on your team needs. TG 3 Attacks just softens up more bulky offense/balance squads and the choice of coverage really depends on what you need. I slashed in the most basic of the basics but realistically you can run Shadow Ball, HP Fire, Dazzling Gleam etc if it works best on your team.
The Scizor set I have posted here is the pivot Pursuit set, which supports Manaphy a great deal by trapping a common check in Latios. U-turn also lets you bring Manaphy out on stuff like Heatrans that switch-in and is just a great tool for momentum. That said, a Swords Dance set is perfectly acceptable too since it can weaken Ferrothorn better for Manaphy and clean up late game after Manaphy nukes some stuff.
Charizard @ Charizardite Y
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Solar Beam
- Focus Blast
- Roost
The metagame is really sleeping on Mamoswine right now as nobody really packs switch-ins to it outside of Steel-types who get roasted by Mega Charizard-Y. Zard-Y also obliterates Water-types like Manaphy and Slowbro with Solar Beam (except Volcanion who dies to Mamoswine's EQ anyway). Mamoswine also benefits from the metagame trend as it checks both Genies, fast Grounds (except Excadrill who loses to Zard-Y) and Lati@s, all of whom happen to check Zard-Y. Mamoswine also happens to beat Mega Manectric, provided it is at high health. Knock Off is a really nice move on Mamoswine to get rid of Leftovers from Clefable. (You don't need Freeze-Dry because of Zard-Y). Core needs hazard control and Speed control though as base 100 isn't the fastest.
EDIT: If a Chansey is retarded enough to let you Knock Off its Eviolite, I have no idea what to say. No idea what I was thinking when I wrote that lol.
Chansey @ Eviolite
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD
Bold Nature
- Toxic/Stealth Rock
- Soft-Boiled
- Seismic Toss
- Heal Bell
This is a tried and true defensive core I find myself putting on the vast majority of my stall teams that has been really good since even the start of BW and most certainly deserves to be here. These two pokemon are both defensive behemoths that cover each other's weaknesses very well. Chansey is a premier special wall in OU and can wall any unboosted special attacker in the tier bar specs Keldeo, which is amazing to have on a defensive team and really gives you a solid cushion on teams and helps to make sure that you don't lose to threats that offense is guilty of losing to all to often like megazam, mmane, and others. Not only that, but Chansey offers a solid cleric for stall since nothing on stall particularly likes being statused bar mons with MG and it can even set rocks if your team needs role compression and doesn't have room to fit a rocker (although toxic is significantly better). Physically defensive Skarmory is also an amazing defensive mon that can wall a very large portion of the threatening physical attackers in OU like weavile, mega metagross, excadrill, mega pinsir, mega gyarados, and others. A lot of people say to run spdef skarm, but I don't really like my weavile counter taking around 50% from knock off lol. Skarmory not only offers a really solid defensive glue, but it can also complete a hazard stacking core with chansey should chansey choose to run rocks, it can defog away hazards for valuable stall team members since you tend to switch a lot with stall, and it can also phase around mons with hazards up quite easily. Chansey struggles beating strong physical attackers like bisharp, weavile, and mega metagross among others, and this is where skarmory comes in, being able to deal with most of these mons pretty well while also being able to phase out its counters as they try to switch in. Skarmory is also weak to strong special fire and electric types, and this is where blissey comes in being able to wall basically all of them (bar like np focus blast thundy). Obviously this core is pretty weak to boosting sweepers after skarm loses its sturdy, so pairing it up with stuff that has unaware is optimal. Also, these mons are pretty passive, so hazard control is extremely nice to have. Aside from that, this core is pretty self-explanatory and easily one of the best defensive cores out there. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Offensive Core: DD Zardx+CB Azumarill
Azumarill @ Choice Band
Ability: Huge Power
EVs: 172 HP / 252 Atk / 84 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Play Rough
- Waterfall
- Aqua Jet
- Superpower/Knock Off
This is another tried and tested core that really should be on this list. These two mons are huge offensive threats that do an amazing job at pressuring each other's checks. Zardx is primarily checked by fat grounds, tran, and some fat waters. Azu puts immense pressure on all three of these, with banded play rough doing a ton to megabro and forcing it to mega evolve just so that it doesnt get blown the fuck back, waterfall obviously doing a ton to grounds, and tran also being bopped by waterfall. Azu also has the bonus of bopping mega altaria, which is another excellent zardx check, although azu can't really switch in. Superpower is the preferred option on azu to bop ferro so that zardx doesn't have to take 90 million points of damage from flare blitz recoil trying to kill it, while knock off is still nice for certain mons like regular slowbro. Ajet is a nice priority move that can clean up weakened teams after zardx busts through them or just ohko some mons from full like exca with its insane power. DD zardx is also an excellent partner to compliment azu as azu is almost exclusively checked by fat grass types like amoong, venu, etc. and STAB flare blitz roasts all of them (even mega venu gets 2hkod and +1 kos offensively inclined variants after rocks). These two devastating sweepers together can exert huge pressure on the opposing team and really give you an advantage vs your opponent if played correctly. These mons appreciate something to take on mega slowbro, as it's really hard for these two to break. Also, a fairy check is needed since this core can't switch into fairies at all. Hazard control is obviously needed for zardx, and a HW user like scarfrachi or latias is nice since both of these mons despise status. This is overall a really solid offensive core that can hold down offensive teams quite well. This is overall a really solid core that I recommend checking out sometime.
Venusaur-Mega @ Venusaurite
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 236 SpD
Bold Nature
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Synthesis
- Hidden Power Fire / Leech Seed
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 160 SpD / 96 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Iron Head
- Toxic
- Substitute
- Fire Punch
A core I have been using on a stall team recently. Cresselia is able to handle Landorus and Garchomp really well due to Leviate + Ice Beam. It is also a pretty nice pivot with reliable recovery + Thunder Wave. Cresselia also gives the its teammates a relatively good switch into Latis and an amazing switch to other Psychics which is beneficial to Venusaur. Venusaur also acts as a Leech Seed and Toxic sponge which Cresselia doesn't appreciate. It also can fare well against Dark-types to a degree being able to not take that extra damage. Venusaur is also a switch in to powerful Water-types that may try to pressure Cresselia after a few attack and chip damage. Jirachi wraps up the present nicely enjoying how the other members can deal with Ground-types and provides a much needed answer to Flying-types and other Steels. SubToxic is the prefered set as it allows you to get Toxic on Pokemon that may be harder to status as well as giving Jirachi a way to punish more passive Pokemon like Ferroseed and Chansey. Jirachi can also deal with Mega Gardevoir and occasionally get a burn with Serene Grace Fire Punch.
So, uh, I come on here and take another look at this list,
And I see a serious lack of Mega Medicham. This is not okay.
Mega Medicham + Tornadus Therian (Offense)
This core is a monstrosity. Mega Medicham has VERY few counters, with the only true reliable one being Mega Sableye. However, with the BoltBeamPunch set, Mega Venusaur becomes a threat to Mega Medicham, and Offense can be somewhat of a bane to Mega Medicham, as it has many threats that outspeed and OHKO it with ease. Tornadus T helps with both of these, bringing bulk with the Assault Vest set, and a way to gain momentum for Mega Medicham to wreck opposing teams. Tornadus-T provides a switch in to Gengar, who revenge kills MMedi rather well, provides a reliable way to beat Keldeo, who also revenge kills MMedi, and Mega Medicham helps Torn T by reliably beating almost all of it's checks and counters, including but not limited to, Skarmory, Heatran, Mega Diancie (If you decide to run Bullet Punch over Thunder Punch), Rotom-W (43% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rocks), and Chansey. However, this core is weak to some offensive threats like Thundurus, Talonflame, and even some defensive ones like Calm Mind Clefable, who can OHKO Mega Medicham with an unboosted Moonblast, while Hurricane from Tornadus-T fails to even 3HKO, so partners like Weavile and Jirachi handle Thundurus and Clefable, respectively.
Medicham @ Medichamite
Ability: Pure Power
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- High Jump Kick
- Thunder Punch / Bullet Punch
- Ice Punch
- Fake Out
Tornadus-Therian @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 96 HP / 160 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Hurricane
- Superpower / Heat Wave
- U-turn
- Knock Off
[Under Editing....]
So here is my first post...
Offensive Mega Metagross + Hydreigon + Azumarill
Metagross has a lot of counters such as skarmory and slowbro, where hydreigon could easily check them with dark pulse or flamethrower. Also, metagross is weak to ground stab like earthquake, and hydreigon could easily check with levitate. Hydreigon and Sylveon also help checking dark types that metagross is weak to. On the other hand, metagross helps with fairy attacks from azu and clefable which threats hydreigon. It also helps checking steel types attack that sylveon is week to. Sylveon plays as a cleric in case metagross gets burned. It also helps to check fighting types that threats hydreigon.
Azumarill @ Choice Band
Ability: Huge Power
EVs: 172 HP / 252 Atk / 84 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Play Rough
- Waterfall
- Aqua Jet
- Knock off
Hydreigon @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Dark Pulse
- Fire Blast
- U-turn
Metagross @ Metagrossite
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Meteor Mash
- Zen Headbutt
- Hammer Arm
- Bullet Punch
hey all, thanks to everyone who posted a core since the new version of this thread was created. as promised, i will be posting the reasoning of which cores were added to the OP (with the help of starry blanket and Infernal of course) as we did carefully read through every post.
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starting off with bludz's taunt rocks heatran + lo kyurem-b; both of these 'mons break down bulkier cores / builds quite well, especially considering the fact that taunt heatran keeps everything that switchesinto the latter restricted thanks to taunt. both have defensive utility that supports in checking electrics, latis, talon, etc. there's not much else that needs to be elaborated on that bludz did not say, other than the fact that the core also leaves a lot of room to manage offense a bit better due to the overall slowness which means you won't be restricted.
another core posted by bludz; pursuit mega scizor + tg manaphy. if you take a look at what troubles the latter, more offensive builds that are capable of revenge kill it and often pressure it into not setting up. pursuit scizor traps stuff like latis, zam, and mega gardevoir while also having a form of priority in bp to pick off weakened threats. overall, its a pretty solid core that has a few solid options in terms of building with it.
posted by thenegativeone. this core is pretty self-explanatory in terms of what it accomplishes, the combination of a pivot + strong wallbreaker to pressure slower playstyles well, focused on switch initiative and gaining momentum easily. in this case, av tornadus-t functions as a pivot into more than a few things that attempt to force m-medicham out, while giving it free switches against stuff like heatran and rotom-w for example. overall, its a solid core that has been showcased on a few past successful builds despite requiring some support defensively and offensively to work optimally.
littlelucario posted this as well as the next core shown. fairly certain everyone knows what the classic chansey + skarmory does at this point; this core has been a staple on stall for the past few generations. to put it concisely, together this duo walls a large portion of the tier and they have good defensive synergy with each other.
dd charizard-x + band azumarill, a prominent core found on more offensively based teams. band azumarill focuses on breaking down and pressuring checks to the main cleaner in dd zard-x, while abusing its prioritiy aqua jet to revenge kill 'mons like excadrill and mega diancie. on that note, azumarill can also clean late game with aqua jet once zard-x or another team member weakened the opponent significantly. the core unfortunately forces a form of hazard removal which sort of sucks, but it is solid in every single other aspect and does what its meant to do on offense.
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something i wanted to bring up about one of the cores posted by Suicunemizu, i understand where you were going with your post, but i am just iffy on your set choices and stuff like that. with the combination of m-metagross + hydreigon that form a strong offensive core that break down each others checks well, its focused more on offensively applying pressure. defensive sylveon not only restricts the team if someone chooses to build with it, but is also extremely passive and cuts momentum, which is the last thing you want. my point here is, we're willing to add this core to the archive if the sets / spreads are optimized, with sylveon being removed entirely for the reasons i brought up. just note if you're up to do this, you should most likely check the analysis of each set found through ps! or smogon (m-metagross + scarf / lo hydreigon is best in this scenario).
gamer boy, we discussed your pressure core quite a bit and we haven't reached a final verdict on if its practical. we'll give you a final answer by the end of tomorrow so look out for that.
as for anyone else wondering why their core didn't get put in the OP, feel free to pm either myself, starry blanket or infernal and we will be more than happy to explain our reasoning. aside from that, thank you again to those who posted and happy future posting :3c
Dragonite + Keldeo
While Dragonite isn't always an optimal choice for a team, he DOES have many things going for him. A great Attack stat, access to Dragon Dance, Extreme Speed, and Multiscale make Dragonite an amazing sweeper and lategame cleaner. However, he struggles with Steel types, Ice types, Landorus-T, and pokemon that don't care about Extreme Speed (i.e Pokemon like Garchomp and Ferrothorn, where Dragonite will lose a lot of HP, and/or not do a lot of damage). Luckily, Keldeo beats nigh all of these, ranging from OHKOing Kyurem-B, burning and killing Garchomp, crippling Ferrothorn, and also dealing massive damage to Skarmory. Dragonite also helps Keldeo, due to the fact that it has decent bulk and can take on nearly all the Grass and Flying types that beat Keldeo, especially when it's holding a Lum Berry. This core, however, does struggle against Fairy types and Electric types like Mega Manectric and Thundurus, who can outspeed and OHKO both of these pokemon (Granted, not through Multiscale on Dragonite). Azumarill deserves a special mention, as all it fears from this core is a Scald burn, and nothing else can touch it. So, something that can handle these pokemon, like say, a fat grass type such as Mega Venusaur, who handles every one of these threats VERY handily. PS, there are two different Keldeo sets here. One is highlighted in blue and the other in orange. The black text are the moves/stats to use regardless of the set you choose.
Regarding Sub Toxic Zapdos + Suicune, gamer boy: We are close to adding your core to the archive. Before doing so however, we'd love it if you could show a few replays of the core in action. While we understand the premise behind the core and loved your detailed description, it'd be helpful to see how well the core and the idea of pressure stalling works in practice. This is mainly because Sub Toxic Zapdos isn't something that's been explored very much in ORAS OU compared to standard Defog variants. As such, it'd be nice to look at a few replays showcasing its effectiveness and how a team it's on is structured before moving forward. This will help solidify our opinion before adding it to the archive as a core other players can use as a reference.
On the topic of replays, while they aren't 100% mandatory, we do highly encourage people to show a few of them when posting cores. It's always cool to see how a core works in practice, and showing a few replays where your core shines will not only strengthen the case for it to be added to the OP, but also help people looking to use it gain a clearer picture of how the core functions. Replays are especially helpful for the more non-standard cores that people aren't too familiar with. For quality purposes, try and show replays from a reasonable ranking (such as 1600 and up) rather than the lower ends of the ladder.
Thanks to everyone who has contributed so far, we are looking forward to seeing what other cores people share! We will continue to update this thread regularly depending on the number of cores posted, so stay tuned :)
So while everyone has been hyping up Volcanion since its release, Volcarona seems to have fallen out of favour. However, Volcarona is still very potent as Volcarona has one of the best boosting moves in the entire game with Quiver Dance. Combined with a powerful STAB moves and some solid coverage allowing to hit most of the meta, Volcarona can be devastating against unprepared teams. In addition, with Lum Berry, Volcarona can set up against Pokemon known to use status. Meanwhile, Mega Manectric is an Pokemon that excels against offensive teams and can easily eliminate Water type Pokemon that Volcarona hates, while also nabbing KO's against Charizard-Y and Talonflame, two hard counters to it. Manectric can also switch into Thunder Wave, grabbing a Lightning Rod boost against Pokemon such as Clefable. Mega Manectric also appreciates Volcarona setting up on and eliminating Grass types such as Mega Venusaur, Celebi, and Tangrowth. Due to this core being walled by Chansey, Keldeo is an excellent partner, as it can easily OHKO Chansey with a Specs Secret Sword and Volcarona also appreciates Keldeo taking out Heatran if it lacks Hidden Power Ground.
Volcarona @ Lum Berry / Passho Berry
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 72 HP / 252 SpA / 184 Spe
Timid Nature
- Quiver Dance
- Fire Blast
- Giga Drain
- Bug Buzz / Hidden Power Ground
Manectric @ Manectite
Ability: Lightning Rod
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Volt Switch
- Thunderbolt
- Flamethrower
- Hidden Power Ice
Choice Band Terrakion and SubSalac Garchomp have both starting seeing a lot usage and for good reason. Together, however, Terrakion severely weakens a staggering number of checks to Garchomp through it's sheer power and the lack of a Rock resist on a large amount of teams. After Terrakion has completed it's job of pretty much invalidating their shared checks from checking Garchomp, it can comfortably set up with Swords Dance and Substitute to clean up what scraps are left. Mega Diancie, Latios, Serperior, and Keldeo are a few of the massive threats to this core. This makes Assault Vest Tangrowth an amazing partner since it comfortably sponges attacks from the aforementioned threats and proceed to assist in the weakening of checks through its vast movepool. Jirachi functions as a nice partner as well, as it gives the team a nice speed factor to revenge kill and annoy the threats to this team. Healing Wish support is also greatly appreciated. Finally, Mega Scizor is a function partners, especially Pursuit variants which trap the Lati duo and pops Mega Diancie with Bullet Punch and helps to weaken their similar checks as well.
Slowbro @ Slowbronite
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 80 Def / 176 SpD
Bold Nature
- Scald
- Psyshock
- Slack Off
- Calm Mind
Tornadus-T @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 168 HP / 88 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hurricane
- Knock Off
- U-turn
- Heat Wave
Mega Slowbro is an amazing Calm Mind users since it's nigh unbreakable after a boost which makes it so dangerous. Like all Pokemon it has flaws, so AV Tornadus-T is a nice glue to help patch up a few. Naturally, Mega Slowbro has issues with Grass-types like Serperior and Mega Venusaur, and faces problems with wallbreakers like Gengar and Latios. AV Tornadus-T solves the slew of issues Mega Slowbro has and provides great support in U-turn and removing items from powerful Pokemon to make them more manageable. Their access to Regenerator make them incredibly hard to simply take down, which makes this a very good core. Electric-types, Mega Scizor, Tyranitar and Mega Charizard Y are huge problems for this core which makes Heatran a nice partner as it holds Mega Scizor at bay and soft checks Electric-types relatively well and threatens Mega Sableye. Tyranitar itself is a very helpful partner as it eliminates nuisances for this core through Pursuit, checks Electric-types, but compounds the Mega Scizor weakness.
Tangrowth @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Leaf Storm
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Magma Storm
- Toxic
- Stealth Rock
- Taunt
Nice balanced core with supporting the team the main goal in mind. In terms of synergy Tangrowth takes on a bevy of Heatran's checks with ease due to it's impressive mixed bulk and deceiving power, the same being true for Heatran. Physically Defensive Tangrowth works OK in the place of Assault Vest, but the core becomes very weak to Keldeo, Mega Alakazam, Mega Diancie, and the like. Opposing Heatran, Tornadus-T, Mega Metagross, and Mega Heracross to an extent trouble this core greatly, so teammates usually sum up to Tornadus-T, Mega Latias, Mega Scizor, and Skarmory could all work as function partners.
Volcanion @ Choice Specs
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 72 HP / 252 SpA / 184 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 SpA
- Steam Eruption
- Sludge Wave
- Fire Blast
- Hidden Power [Grass]
Metagross-Mega @ Metagrossite
Ability: Tough Claws
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Meteor Mash
- Zen Headbutt
- Pursuit
- Hammer Arm
I love the synergy that these two Pokemon, Pursuit Mega Gross easily eliminates Latios / Latias that bother Volcanion in exchange eliminates bulky ground as hippo, absorbs Scald, eliminates Mega Scizor and helps against Keldeo.
I recommend that you support this core a ground resistor, maybe a type grass as Serperior that by a hand against the bulky waters, in cazo Volcanion he was against pokemon as CroCune, mega Slowbro. I also recommend to use a hazard remover, so as to preserve the health of Volcanion.
So here is my first post...
Offensive/Balance Mega Metagross + Hydreigon + Sylveon
This core is offensive but kinda balanced. Metagross has a lot of counters such as skarmory and slowbro, where hydreigon could easily check them with dark pulse or flamethrower. Also, metagross is weak to ground stab like earthquake, and hydreigon could easily check with levitate. Hydreigon and Sylveon also help checking dark types that metagross is weak to. On the other hand, metagross helps with fairy attacks from azu and clefable which threats hydreigon. It also helps checking steel types attack that sylveon is week to. Sylveon plays as a cleric in case metagross gets burned. It also helps to check fighting types that threats hydreigon.
This might have been addressed in a PM or something, but I thought I should comment on this. There is never any compelling reason to use defensive Sylveon in OU as there is little to nothing that it can do better than Clefable (No yellow magic) since clef can just absorb any status aimed at Meta. I think that Hammer Arm is a must on meta over brick break, as meta really wants the extra power. Similarly, Meteor Mash's extra power is a lot more useful, even with its slightly lower accuracy. I also think that LO is more useful on hydra than specs, but that's more of a personal thing.
This is a pretty potent offensive core I've been experimenting with as of late that focuses on using Altaria's capacity to lure some of Bisharp's softer checks like Mega-Scizor with Superpower and Heatran to clear a path for Bisharp to clean late-game. From the stance of basic matchup synergy, Bisharp can check Clefable and Sylveon for Altaria, while Altaria deals with Keldeo (and other misc. fighting types), Tank-Chomp, Scarf TTar with Superpower, and other troubling dark types for Bish like Mandibuzz. Bish can also compensate for Altaria's lack of speed control with Sucker Punches.
When using this core, it's best to assess what Altaria checks the opponent is likely to switch to first; for instance, if the opposition is packing both a Heatran and a Scizor, and you've yet to reveal what Altaria's physical/special alignment is, then they're likely going to Scizor to sponge what they'll assume to be a Return. You'll want to try to Fire Blast on the switch to avoid eating BPs. If you've revealed Hyper Voice, then they'll likely assume you're a special support set, so Heatran will likely switch into M-Alt---at which point you can nail it with EQ should they decide to stay in. Be careful to not pull the trigger on EQ too early, however, as good players tend to scout for it before determining that Heatran can actually adequately check Alt; switching out of Heatran to a bulky water or something at first to feign not having EQ is a good idea.
Despite having a built-in Scizor lure, the core is still very weak to offensive SD Scizors, so packing a check that resists its dual STABs of BP and Bug Bite and threatens it is necessary. The core also dislikes Mega-Venu, as it poses a huge threat to Altaria and Bish is a sub-par answer at best. Talonflame (particularly Will-o variants) is dangerous to core as well. For these reasons, the likes of Talonflame (checks Venusaur and Scizor), Heatran (checks Scizor and Talonflame), SD Defensive Landorus-T (checks Scizor and Talonflame), and Rotom-W (Checks bulkier and slower SD Scizors and Talonflame) make solid teammates.
General ideas in the core:
This core is really fun to use as scarf jirachi is very good against offence and fast team and Mega-cross is very good against slow team like stall and balance also healing wish works very well with mega-heracross because it hate status like burn and it is very bulky and often in games I will get one or two kills and have Mega-hera at low HP healing wish it back up for it to be able to get another one or two kills Set details:
I run 144 speed on Mega heracross because it speed creeps defensive lando-t and rotom-w and suicune ect it also out speed mons out speeding lando-t by 1 point for example Volcanion which can be blasted away with rock blast .what does sub do well sub is on this set because of one heracross's amazing bulk and to sponge status sub also mean when you know the opponent it switching but your not sure what into you can sub so you don't have to make a big risk prediction .I am only running 144 speed because I feel the extra Hp is more beneficial than out speed any pokemon between the max speed and the speed that this set runs . The jirachi set is fairly standard the 4 remaining evs go into spdef because most pokemon in OU that get download are special attackers and so if I have 4 in spdef they get a boost in attack it small but it something
Heracross-Mega @ Heracronite
Ability: Skill Link
EVs: 112 HP / 252 Atk / 144 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Close Combat
- Pin Missile
- Rock Blast
- Substitute
Jirachi @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Iron Head
- Heart Stamp
- U-turn
- Healing Wish
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