(allow me being bad at writing these lmao)
So this story basically begins with some random HO I made a few months back. Most HOs I build end up being write-offs, usually due to a lack of ability to get things set up safely, however on one of them I decided to try out Shift Gear + Desolate Land Ho-Oh because V-create is an absolutely unfair move. This mostly stems from Ho-Oh being basically the only offensive check to Pixilate Xerneas, the most common mon in the tier, as Ho-Oh can easily withstand it's hits and use it as a chance to fire off huge damage or to set up. Originally this was Heavy-Duty Boots, because it's a Ho-Oh, however there was one thing I was told to try by willdbeast - Life Orb.
So this story basically begins with some random HO I made a few months back. Most HOs I build end up being write-offs, usually due to a lack of ability to get things set up safely, however on one of them I decided to try out Shift Gear + Desolate Land Ho-Oh because V-create is an absolutely unfair move. This mostly stems from Ho-Oh being basically the only offensive check to Pixilate Xerneas, the most common mon in the tier, as Ho-Oh can easily withstand it's hits and use it as a chance to fire off huge damage or to set up. Originally this was Heavy-Duty Boots, because it's a Ho-Oh, however there was one thing I was told to try by willdbeast - Life Orb.
The Team
Severed Skyline (Ho-Oh) @ Life Orb
Ability: Desolate Land
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Shift Gear
- V-create
- Glacial Lance
- Strength Sap
Life Orb Ho-Oh is the absolute unit of this team. V-create is already an absurdly powerful 180 Base Power, but after STAB, Sun and Life Orb you reach absolutely staggering levels - such as outdamaging SpecsMaw Eternatus' Dragon Energy. Glacial Lance creates an excellent Fire/Ice attacking core which, whilst normally restricted by the popularity of Fire and Water-types, is significantly buffed in BH due to the relative absences of both of these types. Shift Gear makes Ho-Oh a brutal sweeper that OHKOs virtually the entire tier, with the +2 Speed meaning you additionally outspeed all of it (even after a V-create, you're still at +1 and outspeed everything except Dragapult). Strength Sap is a pretty standard longevity option that helps tap into Ho-Oh's defensive utility more.
For reference on how stupid this mon's damage is, see some of the below calcs:
Xerneas @ Pixie Plate
Ability: Pixilate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Boomburst
- Rapid Spin
- Fishious Rend
- Strength Sap
Well regarded as the best mon in the meta, Xerneas is appreciated on every team. Usually it ends up as the Rapid Spin user, which is what it's doing here, however i've gone for a more offensive Pixie Plate build to significantly increase Boomburst's threat level. Fishious Rend isn't revolutionary by any means but is used to break opposing Ho-Oh, most notably Magic Bounce as non-Boots Xerneas can really struggle to keep hazards off against it long-term (due to it blocking Strength Sap), however also helps out in niche cases such as against Primordial Sea Magearna or Soundproof Groudon. Diamond Storm is a secondary option which beats additionally beats opposing Desolate Land Ho-Oh but lacks most other utility. Strength Sap is again for longevity and out-healing some enemy physical attackers.
Zamazenta-Crowned @ Leftovers
Ability: Primordial Sea
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Thunderous Kick
- Flip Turn
- Knock Off
- Recover
Whilst building the team, I noticed that Imposter-proofing this Ho-Oh set (crafting your team such to limit Imposter users as much as possible) would be painfully annoying, mostly due to V-create's sheer damage outright breaking past many resists. I landed on a few options: Primordial Sea Steel-type, Fur Coat Fire Resist, Prankster + Strength Sap Fire Resist, or Volcanion. The PrimSea Steel ended up being the least unviable, so Zamazenta is here to Imposter-proof Ho-Oh, provide a Regigigas check and act as a safe pivoting option. It's not a perfect Imposter-proofer, as the Imposter user can Strength Sap on the switch with very little risk (unless somehow you're at +6 with Ho-Oh), however it's safe and isn't passive like the other options.
Zygarde-Complete @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Thousand Waves
- Core Enforcer
- Volt Switch
- Recover
Zygarde is the resident fat Dragon of this team. It's massive physical bulk provides an additional Regigigas check that can block the Precipice Blades variants that Zamazenta can't (and vice versa with Glacial Lance variants), acts as a slow pivot via Volt Switch, and provides excellent general utility with Magic Bounce. Volt Switch is intentionally used despite Ground-types blocking it, as any Imposter users that are trapped by Thousand Waves will not be able to escape and will struggle to death. Minimum Speed lets you under-speed other base 90 pivots like Kyogre, Dialga and Giratina.
Regigigas @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Facade
- Psycho Shift
- Precipice Blades
The second best mon in the tier, Regigigas takes on a more supporting role despite what Dragon Dance'd infer. A PrimSea Steel-type is used to Imposter-Proof Ho-Oh as it can't touch them (aside from weak Glacial Lances), meaning you need a plan if you run into these PrimSea Steel-types on the opposing team. Regigigas' +1 Precipice Blades excels at dispatching these and creating an opening for Ho-Oh, on top of acting as a stand-alone threat through STAB, status-boosted Facade. This set used to be Spikes, however after playing some test games I noticed that Ho-Oh really struggled to get past Fur Coat users that resisted Fire and weren't weak to Ice - namely, the niche Palkia and Reshiram. To help combat this, I swapped to Psycho Shift, which baits these 2 in and Toxics them, allowing Ho-Oh to actually pressure them. Both Adamant and Jolly natures can work.
Melmetal @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Impish Nature
- Anchor Shot
- Haze
- Shore Up
- Glare
Melmetal rounds out the team, filling a defensive role with Prankster. Prankster-boosted Haze and Shore Up provide reliable ways to both counter enemy setup and act as a general damage sponge, and Anchor Shot provides a relatively strong damage option that prevents Imposter users from exploiting you as an avenue for free recovery. Glare provides important speed control against most of the threats in the meta and also helps shut down dangerous damage threats if Haze and Shore Up aren't sufficient such as Shift Gear Kyurem-B. Entrainment is an option over Glare which allows Melmetal to trap and remove Poison Heal users lacking pivot moves.
Replays
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8balancedhackmons-1670139738
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8balancedhackmons-1676114053-j5zjnzz31aemayi5p8rq2sjwm8y2l7wpw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8balancedhackmons-1676055674-v2vr3ye634qhiislcgb6xf406kopfc4pw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8balancedhackmons-1676153604
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8balancedhackmons-1671540381-3myl2l0a1i3ojj40ywomn0lf43zieztpw
Threat List
- Imposter Chansey is a real pain for this team because it can use the 2 Strength Sap users as a fairly reliable source of recovery. See this replay where I don't preserve my improofing and get reverse swept, never being able to get a Knock on Imposter and push through. Bounce Volcanion could stop this but is unviable otherwise.
- Both a big damage threat (Melmetal is your only switch-in) and stands up to Ho-Oh reasonably well, however if chipped becomes increasingly vulnerable to Zygarde-C who fears Dragon Energy less and less.
- Fire and Water-type Fur Coat users are rare (and not the most viable) but need Psycho Shift to be beaten. In these matchups, don't use Regigigas to sponge Knock Off.
This team has no Ghost-types, so trapping strats such as ImprisonForm can be difficult to manage. An option to help alleviate this might be to swap Zygarde-C for Giratina, or to make Melmetal Shed Shell.
Ladder things
BH ladder is miserable to the point where I can't be asked to go for #1 (blame ImprisonForm and Gambitspam).
s/o Nihilslave for helping build the team
Severed Skyline (Ho-Oh) @ Life Orb
Ability: Desolate Land
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Shift Gear
- V-create
- Glacial Lance
- Strength Sap
Life Orb Ho-Oh is the absolute unit of this team. V-create is already an absurdly powerful 180 Base Power, but after STAB, Sun and Life Orb you reach absolutely staggering levels - such as outdamaging SpecsMaw Eternatus' Dragon Energy. Glacial Lance creates an excellent Fire/Ice attacking core which, whilst normally restricted by the popularity of Fire and Water-types, is significantly buffed in BH due to the relative absences of both of these types. Shift Gear makes Ho-Oh a brutal sweeper that OHKOs virtually the entire tier, with the +2 Speed meaning you additionally outspeed all of it (even after a V-create, you're still at +1 and outspeed everything except Dragapult). Strength Sap is a pretty standard longevity option that helps tap into Ho-Oh's defensive utility more.
For reference on how stupid this mon's damage is, see some of the below calcs:
252+ Atk Life Orb Ho-Oh V-create vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Regigigas in Harsh Sunshine: 465-550 (109.6 - 129.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Life Orb Ho-Oh Glacial Lance vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Zygarde-Complete: 562-665 (88.3 - 104.5%) -- 25% chance to OHKO
252+ Atk Life Orb Ho-Oh Glacial Lance vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Giratina: 257-304 (50.9 - 60.3%) -- 89.1% chance to 2HKO
252+ Atk Life Orb Ho-Oh V-create vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Fur Coat Zamazenta-Crowned in Harsh Sunshine: 351-413 (90.4 - 106.4%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO
+1 252+ Atk Life Orb Ho-Oh V-create vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Ho-Oh in Harsh Sunshine: 399-471 (95.9 - 113.2%) -- 75% chance to OHKO
+1 252+ Atk Life Orb Ho-Oh V-create vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Kyogre in Harsh Sunshine: 399-471 (98.7 - 116.5%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO
+1 252+ Atk Life Orb Ho-Oh Glacial Lance vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Eternatus: 497-585 (102.6 - 120.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+1 252+ Atk Life Orb Ho-Oh V-create vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Fur Coat Lunala in Harsh Sunshine: 367-433 (76.7 - 90.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Life Orb Ho-Oh Glacial Lance vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Zygarde-Complete: 562-665 (88.3 - 104.5%) -- 25% chance to OHKO
252+ Atk Life Orb Ho-Oh Glacial Lance vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Giratina: 257-304 (50.9 - 60.3%) -- 89.1% chance to 2HKO
252+ Atk Life Orb Ho-Oh V-create vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Fur Coat Zamazenta-Crowned in Harsh Sunshine: 351-413 (90.4 - 106.4%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO
+1 252+ Atk Life Orb Ho-Oh V-create vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Ho-Oh in Harsh Sunshine: 399-471 (95.9 - 113.2%) -- 75% chance to OHKO
+1 252+ Atk Life Orb Ho-Oh V-create vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Kyogre in Harsh Sunshine: 399-471 (98.7 - 116.5%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO
+1 252+ Atk Life Orb Ho-Oh Glacial Lance vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Eternatus: 497-585 (102.6 - 120.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+1 252+ Atk Life Orb Ho-Oh V-create vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Fur Coat Lunala in Harsh Sunshine: 367-433 (76.7 - 90.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Xerneas @ Pixie Plate
Ability: Pixilate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Boomburst
- Rapid Spin
- Fishious Rend
- Strength Sap
Well regarded as the best mon in the meta, Xerneas is appreciated on every team. Usually it ends up as the Rapid Spin user, which is what it's doing here, however i've gone for a more offensive Pixie Plate build to significantly increase Boomburst's threat level. Fishious Rend isn't revolutionary by any means but is used to break opposing Ho-Oh, most notably Magic Bounce as non-Boots Xerneas can really struggle to keep hazards off against it long-term (due to it blocking Strength Sap), however also helps out in niche cases such as against Primordial Sea Magearna or Soundproof Groudon. Diamond Storm is a secondary option which beats additionally beats opposing Desolate Land Ho-Oh but lacks most other utility. Strength Sap is again for longevity and out-healing some enemy physical attackers.
Zamazenta-Crowned @ Leftovers
Ability: Primordial Sea
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Thunderous Kick
- Flip Turn
- Knock Off
- Recover
Whilst building the team, I noticed that Imposter-proofing this Ho-Oh set (crafting your team such to limit Imposter users as much as possible) would be painfully annoying, mostly due to V-create's sheer damage outright breaking past many resists. I landed on a few options: Primordial Sea Steel-type, Fur Coat Fire Resist, Prankster + Strength Sap Fire Resist, or Volcanion. The PrimSea Steel ended up being the least unviable, so Zamazenta is here to Imposter-proof Ho-Oh, provide a Regigigas check and act as a safe pivoting option. It's not a perfect Imposter-proofer, as the Imposter user can Strength Sap on the switch with very little risk (unless somehow you're at +6 with Ho-Oh), however it's safe and isn't passive like the other options.
Zygarde-Complete @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Thousand Waves
- Core Enforcer
- Volt Switch
- Recover
Zygarde is the resident fat Dragon of this team. It's massive physical bulk provides an additional Regigigas check that can block the Precipice Blades variants that Zamazenta can't (and vice versa with Glacial Lance variants), acts as a slow pivot via Volt Switch, and provides excellent general utility with Magic Bounce. Volt Switch is intentionally used despite Ground-types blocking it, as any Imposter users that are trapped by Thousand Waves will not be able to escape and will struggle to death. Minimum Speed lets you under-speed other base 90 pivots like Kyogre, Dialga and Giratina.
Regigigas @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Facade
- Psycho Shift
- Precipice Blades
The second best mon in the tier, Regigigas takes on a more supporting role despite what Dragon Dance'd infer. A PrimSea Steel-type is used to Imposter-Proof Ho-Oh as it can't touch them (aside from weak Glacial Lances), meaning you need a plan if you run into these PrimSea Steel-types on the opposing team. Regigigas' +1 Precipice Blades excels at dispatching these and creating an opening for Ho-Oh, on top of acting as a stand-alone threat through STAB, status-boosted Facade. This set used to be Spikes, however after playing some test games I noticed that Ho-Oh really struggled to get past Fur Coat users that resisted Fire and weren't weak to Ice - namely, the niche Palkia and Reshiram. To help combat this, I swapped to Psycho Shift, which baits these 2 in and Toxics them, allowing Ho-Oh to actually pressure them. Both Adamant and Jolly natures can work.
Melmetal @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Impish Nature
- Anchor Shot
- Haze
- Shore Up
- Glare
Melmetal rounds out the team, filling a defensive role with Prankster. Prankster-boosted Haze and Shore Up provide reliable ways to both counter enemy setup and act as a general damage sponge, and Anchor Shot provides a relatively strong damage option that prevents Imposter users from exploiting you as an avenue for free recovery. Glare provides important speed control against most of the threats in the meta and also helps shut down dangerous damage threats if Haze and Shore Up aren't sufficient such as Shift Gear Kyurem-B. Entrainment is an option over Glare which allows Melmetal to trap and remove Poison Heal users lacking pivot moves.
Replays
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8balancedhackmons-1670139738
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8balancedhackmons-1676114053-j5zjnzz31aemayi5p8rq2sjwm8y2l7wpw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8balancedhackmons-1676055674-v2vr3ye634qhiislcgb6xf406kopfc4pw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8balancedhackmons-1676153604
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8balancedhackmons-1671540381-3myl2l0a1i3ojj40ywomn0lf43zieztpw
Threat List
- Imposter Chansey is a real pain for this team because it can use the 2 Strength Sap users as a fairly reliable source of recovery. See this replay where I don't preserve my improofing and get reverse swept, never being able to get a Knock on Imposter and push through. Bounce Volcanion could stop this but is unviable otherwise. - Both a big damage threat (Melmetal is your only switch-in) and stands up to Ho-Oh reasonably well, however if chipped becomes increasingly vulnerable to Zygarde-C who fears Dragon Energy less and less. - Fire and Water-type Fur Coat users are rare (and not the most viable) but need Psycho Shift to be beaten. In these matchups, don't use Regigigas to sponge Knock Off. This team has no Ghost-types, so trapping strats such as ImprisonForm can be difficult to manage. An option to help alleviate this might be to swap Zygarde-C for Giratina, or to make Melmetal Shed Shell.Ladder things
BH ladder is miserable to the point where I can't be asked to go for #1 (blame ImprisonForm and Gambitspam).
s/o Nihilslave for helping build the team