I wanted to build a team around what I think is an underrated pokemon in SS OU, Blaziken. How could a pokemon that was Ubers 3 generations in a row not be OU in gen 8? It turns out that this was one of the best, most reliable teams I've ever built and I was able to climb to 1900 with it. I also find the team fun and rewarding to play.
Proof of peak:
Without further ado, here's the team!
https://pokepast.es/26c6016ac673e817
Blaziken @ Life Orb
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Protect
- Flare Blitz
- Close Combat
- Knock Off
The core of my team and a great and underrated sweeper. I think the LO 3 attacks + protect set is the best because it secures my team's matchup against hyper offense. Blaziken is quite powerful even without boosts due to its high base power moves and life orb. Protect is here to gain the initial speed boost against faster offensive threats like Dragapult and Tapu Lele. Knock off is somewhat unexpected on Blaziken, as most blaziken are on HO with SD and either protect or thunder punch. Many a player has stayed in with dragapult against a +1 speed Blaziken and have gotten ohkoed by knock off.
In the case of a bad matchup for Blaziken, don't hesitate to use it early to wallbreak and weaken the opponents team. Blaziken is naturally strong and trading your blaziken for 60% hp on a mon on their team can often be worth it.
Tapu Fini @ Leftovers
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Whirlpool
- Nature's Madness
- Taunt
- Moonblast
The second mon on my team. I chose whirlpool fini because it synergizes well with Blaziken, luring in Blaziken counters like Toxapex and Slow twins. It also serves as a soft check to Dragapult, Urshifu-RS, and Weavile, both of which would otherwise run my team over. Whirlpool fini also synergizes well with Blaziken due to its ability to break fat teams. While blaziken is strong against offense, Fini is strong against balance.
When using fini, you can often sacrifice much of fini's health using whirlpool to trap a problematic pokemon for your team, guarenteeing you the trade in the process. While fini might die, you still have backup checks to most relevant threats in the tier. Fini's misty terrain also helps Blaziken and Garchomp avoid status.
Tapu Lele @ Choice Specs
Ability: Psychic Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Moonblast
- Psyshock
- Thunderbolt
The third mon on my team and the primary wallbreaker. Pretty broken. Due to the slow speed tiers of SS OU, specs Lele can sometimes even act as a win con as well. The moveset is the mandatory dual stabs + psyshock, with thunderbolt as the last slot. Thunderbolt is chosen because my team would otherwise struggle against corviknight. Steel types like Heatran and Ferrothorn are dealt with my the other members of my team, and can be worn down easily over the course of a game. Lele also helps Blaziken by protecting it from priority, although this is usually not very relevant. Mostly, this helps against the rare Bisharp or if Blaziken is low, Scizor.
Garchomp @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Toxic
- Stone Edge
Whenever I teambuild, the first threat that always comes to my mind is Heatran. Knowing that my fini doesn't have scald, I wanted a backup heatran check, so I chose tank chomp. Garchomp also serves many other functions on my team. With a rocky helmet and rough skin, Garchomp does ~87.5% recoil damage to urshifu-RS trying to surging strike, easing the matchup somewhat. It also server as a soft-check to volcarona. Most importantly, Garchomp spreads passive damage efficiently and easily with its helmet, stealth rock, and toxic. The rest of my team is focused around wearing down the opponent through heavy use of passive damage so that my main win cons Lele and Blaziken can clean up late game.
Tornadus-Therian (M) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Defog
- Heat Wave
- Knock Off
- U-turn
Tornadus-T checks off 2 important boxes when teambuilding: Ground immunity and speed control. I chose bulky torn mostly to be able to improve the longevity of my team and also to spread passive damage. Knock is important for removing boots, as well as removing leftovers from otherwise annoying pokemon such as Lando-T, Heatran, and sometimes garchomp. It also servers as the defogger for my team and provides momentum with u-turn. You might notice that Torn has no flying move, and that is intentional. I like the reliability of heat wave to dispose of Kartana efficiently, as well as lure ferrothorns thinking that you have last move hurricane. It also helps against the rare excadrill and allows you to surprise corviknight when they inevitably go for the slow u-turn on you.
Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 84 Def / 172 SpD
Careful Nature
- Spikes
- Leech Seed
- Body Press
- Power Whip
Ferrothorn rounds out the team. It provides even more passive damage, as well as shoring up the rain and hail matchups. Spikes are incredible for the team because it helps Lele wear down pesky steel types that resist its stabs. Body press and power whip are chosen as the attacking moves of choice mostly as a last resort option against various dangerous threats. Body press hits weavile for a OHKO and power whip threatens out bulky waters, especially fini, that might give this team a hard time. Ferrothorn is also useful against electrics, as this team gets worn down rather quickly against Zeraora and Koko, and power whip allows ferro to have a stronger attack against them. Often times, games are won because the opposing team is unable to break Ferrothorn in the endgame.
General Play Tips:
This team is about wearing down the opponent before they can break you. Play aggresively to lay entry hazards, spread toxic and knock off in order to limit strong breakers from the opposing team. This team does not have many sturdy walls against dangerous metagame breakers, so you have to out-offense other teams. Double switches to Blaziken and Lele are often key to winning games when you are in a sticky situation.
The breakers Blaziken and Lele are very good at breaking for each other. Often times, saccing one to get chip on a key wall for the other is the key to winning games.
Threat List:
Blacephalon: Outspeeds the majority of the team and Specs shadow ball is a 2hko on every member on the team except a full health fini, which cannot OKHO back. You must play aggresively to get up hazards and try to double switch to anticipate their blacephalon coming in.
Tapu Koko: Outspeeds the entire team and has a good matchup against my team's form of speed control, Tornadus-therian. Has dazzling gleam to hit my ground type, and once garchomp is dead, is able to click volt switch with impunity. Against Koko, you must take advantage of its low power outside of terrain and try to keep Lele's health high, as it can survive any one hit. Also, if you're a baller, switch garchomp in on a predicted u-turn to get massive chip on Koko.
Kyurem: Freeze dry is very effective against my team, as it 2hkos fini. Just get up hazards fast to try to limit its switch-in opportunities.
Dragonite: Often found on HO teams, it is one member of HO that Blaziken struggles against. If it has the right coverage for garchomp (ice punch), it can be very hard to win after it has set up a Dragon Dance. You pretty much have to toxic it with garchomp and stall it out.
Urshifu-RS: Water+Fighting stabs are strong against my team. It is also resistant to stealth rock and outspeeds Lele by a tiny bit. You can often bluff hurricane with Torn to scare it out early game, and use helmet chomp and ferro to kill it with recoil. Fini is also a temporary stop to it.
Offensive Garchomp: Scale Shot + SD garchomp can almost outspeed and OHKO my entire team once it has both boosts, especially if it has LO. Fortunately, most chomps nowadays are more tanky, Often, you must sac one of your fairy types to prevent the scale shot and try to revenge it with blaziken.
Weather: Since my team is not very fast, and not very bulky, weather teams can often be problematic. Arctozolt is managable because of ferrothorn, but sun and rain can often overwhelm my team.
Proof of peak:
Without further ado, here's the team!
https://pokepast.es/26c6016ac673e817
Blaziken @ Life Orb
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Protect
- Flare Blitz
- Close Combat
- Knock Off
The core of my team and a great and underrated sweeper. I think the LO 3 attacks + protect set is the best because it secures my team's matchup against hyper offense. Blaziken is quite powerful even without boosts due to its high base power moves and life orb. Protect is here to gain the initial speed boost against faster offensive threats like Dragapult and Tapu Lele. Knock off is somewhat unexpected on Blaziken, as most blaziken are on HO with SD and either protect or thunder punch. Many a player has stayed in with dragapult against a +1 speed Blaziken and have gotten ohkoed by knock off.
In the case of a bad matchup for Blaziken, don't hesitate to use it early to wallbreak and weaken the opponents team. Blaziken is naturally strong and trading your blaziken for 60% hp on a mon on their team can often be worth it.
Tapu Fini @ Leftovers
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Whirlpool
- Nature's Madness
- Taunt
- Moonblast
The second mon on my team. I chose whirlpool fini because it synergizes well with Blaziken, luring in Blaziken counters like Toxapex and Slow twins. It also serves as a soft check to Dragapult, Urshifu-RS, and Weavile, both of which would otherwise run my team over. Whirlpool fini also synergizes well with Blaziken due to its ability to break fat teams. While blaziken is strong against offense, Fini is strong against balance.
When using fini, you can often sacrifice much of fini's health using whirlpool to trap a problematic pokemon for your team, guarenteeing you the trade in the process. While fini might die, you still have backup checks to most relevant threats in the tier. Fini's misty terrain also helps Blaziken and Garchomp avoid status.
Tapu Lele @ Choice Specs
Ability: Psychic Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Moonblast
- Psyshock
- Thunderbolt
The third mon on my team and the primary wallbreaker. Pretty broken. Due to the slow speed tiers of SS OU, specs Lele can sometimes even act as a win con as well. The moveset is the mandatory dual stabs + psyshock, with thunderbolt as the last slot. Thunderbolt is chosen because my team would otherwise struggle against corviknight. Steel types like Heatran and Ferrothorn are dealt with my the other members of my team, and can be worn down easily over the course of a game. Lele also helps Blaziken by protecting it from priority, although this is usually not very relevant. Mostly, this helps against the rare Bisharp or if Blaziken is low, Scizor.
Garchomp @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Toxic
- Stone Edge
Whenever I teambuild, the first threat that always comes to my mind is Heatran. Knowing that my fini doesn't have scald, I wanted a backup heatran check, so I chose tank chomp. Garchomp also serves many other functions on my team. With a rocky helmet and rough skin, Garchomp does ~87.5% recoil damage to urshifu-RS trying to surging strike, easing the matchup somewhat. It also server as a soft-check to volcarona. Most importantly, Garchomp spreads passive damage efficiently and easily with its helmet, stealth rock, and toxic. The rest of my team is focused around wearing down the opponent through heavy use of passive damage so that my main win cons Lele and Blaziken can clean up late game.
Tornadus-Therian (M) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Defog
- Heat Wave
- Knock Off
- U-turn
Tornadus-T checks off 2 important boxes when teambuilding: Ground immunity and speed control. I chose bulky torn mostly to be able to improve the longevity of my team and also to spread passive damage. Knock is important for removing boots, as well as removing leftovers from otherwise annoying pokemon such as Lando-T, Heatran, and sometimes garchomp. It also servers as the defogger for my team and provides momentum with u-turn. You might notice that Torn has no flying move, and that is intentional. I like the reliability of heat wave to dispose of Kartana efficiently, as well as lure ferrothorns thinking that you have last move hurricane. It also helps against the rare excadrill and allows you to surprise corviknight when they inevitably go for the slow u-turn on you.
Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 84 Def / 172 SpD
Careful Nature
- Spikes
- Leech Seed
- Body Press
- Power Whip
Ferrothorn rounds out the team. It provides even more passive damage, as well as shoring up the rain and hail matchups. Spikes are incredible for the team because it helps Lele wear down pesky steel types that resist its stabs. Body press and power whip are chosen as the attacking moves of choice mostly as a last resort option against various dangerous threats. Body press hits weavile for a OHKO and power whip threatens out bulky waters, especially fini, that might give this team a hard time. Ferrothorn is also useful against electrics, as this team gets worn down rather quickly against Zeraora and Koko, and power whip allows ferro to have a stronger attack against them. Often times, games are won because the opposing team is unable to break Ferrothorn in the endgame.
General Play Tips:
This team is about wearing down the opponent before they can break you. Play aggresively to lay entry hazards, spread toxic and knock off in order to limit strong breakers from the opposing team. This team does not have many sturdy walls against dangerous metagame breakers, so you have to out-offense other teams. Double switches to Blaziken and Lele are often key to winning games when you are in a sticky situation.
The breakers Blaziken and Lele are very good at breaking for each other. Often times, saccing one to get chip on a key wall for the other is the key to winning games.
Threat List:
Blacephalon: Outspeeds the majority of the team and Specs shadow ball is a 2hko on every member on the team except a full health fini, which cannot OKHO back. You must play aggresively to get up hazards and try to double switch to anticipate their blacephalon coming in. Tapu Koko: Outspeeds the entire team and has a good matchup against my team's form of speed control, Tornadus-therian. Has dazzling gleam to hit my ground type, and once garchomp is dead, is able to click volt switch with impunity. Against Koko, you must take advantage of its low power outside of terrain and try to keep Lele's health high, as it can survive any one hit. Also, if you're a baller, switch garchomp in on a predicted u-turn to get massive chip on Koko. Kyurem: Freeze dry is very effective against my team, as it 2hkos fini. Just get up hazards fast to try to limit its switch-in opportunities. Dragonite: Often found on HO teams, it is one member of HO that Blaziken struggles against. If it has the right coverage for garchomp (ice punch), it can be very hard to win after it has set up a Dragon Dance. You pretty much have to toxic it with garchomp and stall it out. Urshifu-RS: Water+Fighting stabs are strong against my team. It is also resistant to stealth rock and outspeeds Lele by a tiny bit. You can often bluff hurricane with Torn to scare it out early game, and use helmet chomp and ferro to kill it with recoil. Fini is also a temporary stop to it. Offensive Garchomp: Scale Shot + SD garchomp can almost outspeed and OHKO my entire team once it has both boosts, especially if it has LO. Fortunately, most chomps nowadays are more tanky, Often, you must sac one of your fairy types to prevent the scale shot and try to revenge it with blaziken. Weather: Since my team is not very fast, and not very bulky, weather teams can often be problematic. Arctozolt is managable because of ferrothorn, but sun and rain can often overwhelm my team.
