Community Create-a-Team 2: M-Lopunny + Lando-T

Voting to not get banned by the supreme leader cant say
  • swap Cresselia for Landorus-T - yes
  • swap Cresselia for Toxapex and Gyarados to Salamence - no
  • edit Heatran's spread (to 212 HP / 44 Def / 252 SpD) and add Magmar Storm & Earth Power - yes
  • swap Earthquake for Crunch on Gyarados - no
  • swap Earthquake for Sub on Gyarados - yes
  • swap Earthquake for Taunt on Gyarados - no
  • change Bulu from Assault Vest to Sitrus Berry with Leech Seed and a little more speed investment - no
  • change Bulu from Assault Vest to Iapapa Berry - no
  • change Blaziken from a physical Electrium Z set to a mixed Focus Sash (with Baton Pass) set - no
  • swap Blaziken for offensive Mimikyu - no
  • change Lele from Focus Sash to Choice Specs - no
  • change Lele from Focus Sash to Psychium Z - no
  • change Lele from Focus Sash to Choice Scarf - no
 
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Changes:
  • Helmet Cresselia is being replaced by Helmet Landorus-T
  • Heatran's set is being updated

I think this means our first Community Create-a-Team is finished! I think we have something pretty cool and decently solid for something built in this fashion, I hope the next one goes as smoothly as this.

The team will be prepared on cart and a QR code will be linked Soon™

Post team name suggestions below!!!
 
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Just reposting what I put in RMT here so more can see it/I can get more feedback.

"Alright. I think I have had a good amount of time with the team. This team was my first experience with Battle Spot (didn't play in XY cause of college), and as of righting I have 42 games in. I think I am currently 22 - 20. Yeah. I had a hot start, going 9 - 3 and was on the cusp of the 1600s. Then out of nowhere I lost like 6 games in a row and ever since it's been back and forth with this team. Some things I want to comment about that I never realized with console ladder:

  • Matches take forever to find. And the matchmaking system kinda sucks. I got 1368 player at one point while at like 1550 that I lost to thanks to freeze hax and then at a later point I pitted against a 1682 player. The ladder can't be that sparse. It's freaking Pokemon.
  • I swear 85% of ladder players are Japanese. It's like Western players don't care at all about online competitive play. Heck, when I check my ranking on the Global Link, I am just surrounded by tons of Japanese accounts. Do Western players only play on Smogon or do the Japanese just go that hard? lol
  • Speaking of Japanese players, I see so much bizarre stuff being run by them on there. I've run into Sash-Metal Burst Sableye, SD Bewear, slow bulky Mega Kanghaskan, and more. Hard to anticipate everything.
  • Weirdness aside it was good to get a feel for what's being run. I had no idea Shuckles were running Red Card. Wish I Taunted with Lele turn 1 instead of trying to predict a switch and setup. Live and learn I guess.
With that out of the way, I want to comment on what I like and don't like about the team.

The Good

  • The Tapu Lele build on this team has put in a TON of work. Focus Sash and Taunt on Tapu Lele make it such an amazing fallback attacker and lead. It allows me to neuter opposing support mons and stop Trick Room on threats like Skarmory and Porygon2. I particularly remember one game where Lele put in all the work by taunting a Cloyster at a key moment. Psychic Terrain is also a boon for stopping Sucker Punches from Mawile (I got saved in one game where the guy forgot and SP'd anyway lol) and Prankster. The Focus Sash makes Lele a great endgame win con against setup mons like Salamence and opposing Gyarados. Psyshock also helps a lot against AV and slow specially defensive mons that try to come in after the sash is activated. The only move I haven't gotten a ton out of though is Calm Mind. Aside from capitalizing on the occasional switch out forced by Taunt or certain Tapu Fini matchups, I haven't gotten too much out of it. It's hard to have a healthy Lele out and just CM as you don't want to lose the sash without getting some damage of and while Lele's speed tier is nice, it's far from the best. Sad too as it's fastest thing in the team but I'll get into that later.
  • The AV Bulu has a lot going for it. Assault Vest is a boon against the other Tapus as none bar the rare physical Koko can take it since it's slow. Horn Leech helps a ton with its longevity and Wood Hammer is a great nuke. (Recoil sucks though). And Rock Tomb has been great for capitalizing on switches. Bulu is also a godsend against Breloom as he's immune to Spore, eats all Breloom's attacks bar Choice Rock moves, and can beat it with Horn Leech.
  • Gigavolt Havoc on Blaziken has been a lifesaver. The Electric coverage helps against a lot of the water types I meet and gives me a no risk option for damage. And of course, Gigavolt Havoc makes a great accurate nuke. It actually saved me in a game against a freaking Minimize Chansey.
  • Gyarados has put in a ton of work. Intimidate makes switching off Bulu a little easier and DD gives me a chance to sweep or weaken everything. And being able to dump the extra Flying typing can really help at times. And of course, Ice Fang has been a godsend against all I think I should lead with it more so that it doesn't have to eat nasty hits on the switch.
  • Rock Helmet on the Landorus is great for chipping those physical attackers and Stealth Rock has had its moments.

The Bad

  • I have to echo what RNGIsFatal in regards to Greninja. It's certainly not a dealbreaker but BOY is it annoying. I actually only fought one opponent that brought it but the lineup I had got massacred by Gunk Shot. I led Bulu who died in 1. I eventually got rid of it but the team got chipped so bad it was hopeless. I think against Greninja teams it's best to lead either Gyarados or Tapu Lele. Probably Dos since Battle Bond isn't allowed on there and the ninja's rarely pack coverage for it. You'll probably want both as well just because of how unpredictable it is.
  • I mentioned earlier that Lele's speed tier lovely. Unfortunately there in lies a probably as while the team has 2 boosters, it just sorely lacks immediate speed. No Pokemon above the 100 speed tier means foes like Salamence, Garchomp, and Gengar can be trouble depending on when they come out to play. This also makes opposing speed boosters like Cloyster and Salamence scarier as Gyardaos has to take a hit first to have a chance and +1 speed often isn't enough for regular Blaziken. (I also found after making a dumb play the hard way that Speed Boost doesn't boost on a switch. And yet Moody does. The heck Game Freak...) . Furthermore, the whole team sits in a weird speed zone where many threats can outspeed it can cause trouble while on the flip side, no of the Pokemon can really counter Trick Room well, particular the team's offensive forces. This makes Porygon2 a pain to face if it doesn't lead against Lele as it can get the TR and mess you up with Ice Beam and Tri Attack which can lead to a world of hax.
  • Speaking of hax, the team's pretty susceptible to it. Do to the modest overall speed, you often have to take hits first and I think I've been frozen at least 6 times. 3 of those times really hurt my morale as they were matches where I made great plays and would have won if not for it. The most likely victim is Bulu since he'll be having to take plenty of Ice Fangs and Ice Beams. Porygon2's Tri Attack is also a threat thanks to TR and its bulk. There are times where I wish I had Tapu Fini just take the wretch hax out of the equation. Of course I'd be lying if I said it hasn't saved me a couple times (Flare Blitz burn on Celesteela for the win), but I do feel status hack in particular really hurts this team. I pretty much always bring Bulu if I see a Breloom since it's often Sash. Don't let OU fool you folks. While 6 v 6 sucks for him since teams can easily squeeze in Fini and Grass types, Breloom is still a demon in 3 v 3.
  • Another issue on the speed dilemma is priority. Lele hits hard, but without a boosting item, it can only kill so much. Often the opponent finds opportunities to set up speed boosts on me at bad times, and I end up steamrolled if I can't debuff them with Intimidate, survive, or keep Lele's Sash intact. It's a shame no one on the team can have good priotity move to finish off those boosted monsters inches away from being defeated.
  • While we're talking about Lele's Sash, I find that the team's a bit too reliant on it to get out of bad situations if you aren't ahead of the curve. And I see enough hazards and Sandstorm that keeping it intact for the vital moment can be hard. Shame there's no room for hazard removal.
  • Another issue that arises from the team's pacing is health. Bulu is the only Pokemon on the team with recovery and he heals the opponent to wish is not good if Bulu gets haxed or invites in a scary foe like Mawile. I often have to switch but with no recovery on any of the mons, I get pressure into clean up range pretty often.
  • Heatran hasn't put in as much work as I was hoping. Most teams only have a couple mons he goes ham on and Pokemon headed love to handle like Celesteela or Skarmory often have scary teammates that can exploit him. Plus Magma Storm's accuracy also makes me hesitant to fall back on him. Maybe I am just not confident enough in him, but I only brought him to like 3 games and only in 1 was he the MVP. (It was a weird meme team with Metronome Togekiss and a Ditto that also had Pumpkaboo and Gourgeist on it. Happy Halloween?)
  • Landorus got used a fair bit more than Heatran, but I still too often felt that it was rather complecent for a Landorus. I think it's probably the team's overall bulky-balanced nature, but I found that Landorus didn't hit as hard as would like it too. The bulk was great, but since it can't recover health, it was often pressured. I couldn't just send him out against all the Electric types because I knew many of them were rocking HP Ice, and bulky waters, Porygon2, Pheramosa, etc just shut him down. I think I could have led with him more, but I often worried about the opposing team's mons being able to blast him from the get-go after I got Rocks (assuming I even lived). I would have been great if it could get Swords Dance or Rock Polish to punish switches better.
  • I feel the team's type coverage in certain areas is lacking. Great a T-Punch is, no fighting move on Blaziken really sucks sometimes. A guy I fought today who brought Skarmory and Tyranitar was able to pivot all over my butt because Blaziken couldn't smack the Ttar. Bulu really wishes he had Play Rough to keep Salamence at bay but that's a problem for Bulu in general that I hope USUM. Honestly, Superpower has done spit for Bulu in my experience. It couldn't even do the damage to an SD Bewear that I really needed. (Should have brought Lele in that game. If Bewear gets Drain Punch look out). Most of the stuff I would hit with it often don't take much or -1 Att and Def suck for something in the back. I honestly don't think he'd be much worse off running Nature's Madness aside from, idk, Porygon2 or Chansey which Horn Leech is often good enough against. It especially sucks when against Skarmory and Celesteela who are often on teams too scary for me to bring Heatran. On that note, I think the team sorely lacks special Electric coverage. Blaziken only gets one Electric nuke and often doesn't get to SD safely. In the games I played against Celestella, I often wound up having my Bulu and Lele completely walled against it. If Lele had Thunderbolt instead of Calm Mind I could have won those games. It'd also make the Tapu Fini matchup easier since Fini usually overrides Lele's terrain.
  • There were particular mons that were just a pain whenever they appeared. Bulky waters were hell to fight if I didn't have Bulu in tip top shape as they either took Gyardos's attacks like they were nothing, phazed me (one player whooped out a Z-Haze Tapu Fini on me. Holy crap). Blaziken often can't get up the Swords Dance and without Thunder Punch and Gigavolt Havoc often fall short of their KO's. Salamence was a pain as it often came in a Bulu and had Intimidate to weaken Rock Tomb. This often lead me into crummy Roost/DDance mindgames where I was forced to risk a switch or Rock Tomb against. Celestella and Skarmory often have field day since there's only 1 special attacker that's a Psychic type without T-Bolt and I can't always bring in Blaziken. And even if I do, they may either live an unboosted hit or have partners whittle me down. Due to the lack of Fighting coverage, Normal types could be a pain to kill without boosts and Eletric types with Volt Switch like Thunderus were also a grievance since they had HP Ice for Landorus, could Volt Switch out of Bulu, or fry Gyardos. And as I said earlier, Greninja can definitely threaten the team too along with Cloyster if it gets a Shell Smash.
Well that was my thoughts and experience. In many games, I obviously lost because of my lack of experience, making wild plays, my opponents being obtuse or 2 steps ahead, and just bad team choice. But I do feel this team has some key weaknesses that can make a long ladder streak rough. I would love to see the community have a shot at a new team for the next season that can incorporate more speed, priority, or recovery. The team doesn't auto-lose to much, but mistakes and hax can be very punishing. Then again that's probably just a major difference between 3v3 and 6v6."
 
I think now is a good time to start our second CCaT with the first season of USUM BSS finished up and allowing the meta to settle around the new things like Naganadel, Stakataka, and Mimikium Z Mimi. Post your ideas for what we should build the team around. I'll start with my idea!

naganadel.png

Naganadel @ Dragonium Z
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 20 HP / 236 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 29 Def
- Nasty Plot
- Draco Meteor
- Sludge Wave
- Fire Blast

kartana.png

Kartana @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 228 HP / 92 Def / 188 Spe (subject to change)
Impish Nature
- Leaf Blade
- Synthesis
- Knock Off / Iron Defense / Swords Dance
- Toxic / Sacred Sword / Smart Strike

I think going for the new toy with Naganadel makes sense for our first USUM team. It pretty much only loses to Mimikyu, Lando-T, Tyranitar, and Gyarados, so I reckon pairing it with bulky Kartana is a cool idea. The EVs for Kartana are very customisable, this is just a boring spread that outspeeds neutral base 100s while living +2 Never Ending Nightmare from Mimikyu. There are lots of options, like outspeeding Nihilego, or going slower (aiming for max Gyara) for more bulk. I think we can finalise those details once the team starts to take shape, just take it as a bulky Kart nom...
 
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Stakataka @ Focus Sash / Z-crystal of choice
Ability: Beast Boost
Level: 50
EVs: 244 HP / 252 Atk / 12 SpD
Lonely Nature
IVs: 16 Def / 0 Spe
- Trick Room
- Gyro Ball
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake / Superpower

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Primarina @ Primarium Z
Ability: Torrent
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
Modest / Quiet Nature
- Sparkling Aria
- Moonblast
- Encore / Hidden Power Fire
- Aqua Jet


~~

I was gonna post Naganadel + Scizor core if cant say made a different submission. This is what I would like to try out. Trick Room team was nothing more than an entertainment in BSS for me until Stakataka was released. In the metagame filled with fast threats and Choice Scarf Pokemon I believe Trick Room would be something that is fun & anti-meta at the same time.

I personally construct Trick Room team with far more complicated than just tossing two Pokemon like I did above and filling in the rest but for the sake of team's viability I stapled in Primarina (the Pokemon that excells in Trick Room while not bad at all outside it) for now. I don't want to post stuff like Mega Camerupt and get bashed on Discord.
 
tapufini.gif

Tapu Fini @ Waterium Z
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 244 HP / 252 SpA / 12 Spe
Modest Nature
- Nature's Madness
- Hydro Pump
- Moonblast
- Hidden Power Fire

landorus-therian.gif

Landorus-Therian @ Choice Specs
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Earth Power
- Sludge Bomb
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- U-turn


I kind of wanted to build around offensive Tapu-Fini and then pair it with something that lures Tapu-Bulu and such. I of course chose my favorite set in BSS, Specs Landorus-therian for filling the role of the Bulu lure! These are just the standard EV's and sets; we should be able to change them as needed. I personally really like this Core because it feels like a balance core its actually completely offensive. This is the main reason why I chose Tapu-Fini over another Water-type for example Slowbro-Mega/Base, Suicune, or Milotic. This core is shut down by Celesteela however but we should be able to check that very easily.
 
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Pheromosa @ Choice Band
Ability: Beast Boost
Level: 50
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- High Jump Kick
- Drill Run
- Poison Jab
- U-turn

I've always kinda felt that Pheromosa is underutilised in this meta (not to mention Fighting-types in general), especially with the new coverage options it received in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. Drill Run allows Pheromosa to blow past virtually all of its best defensive and offensive answers, including Toxapex, Aegislash, Gengar, and Marowak-Alola. I've chosen a Choice Band set here to capitalise on the excellent coverage of Pheromosa's main three moves, especially the aforementioned Drill Run, and to throw out nuclear U-turns for free damage. I thought about adding Tapu Lele as a partner, but while it's the obvious choice I thought I'd leave the option open just in case - this Phero build works best as a Mega Beedrill-esque fast pivot, dealing good damage and getting out until enough chip has been accumulated for a sweep. Potential partners for this Pokémon include a more solid answer to Aegislash, a slower and bulkier pivot to receive Phero's U-turns, and a solid answer to Flying-type threats that take little from Phero's moves.
 
garchomp.png

Garchomp @ Focus Sash / Dragonium Z
Ability: Rough Skin
Level: 50
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Swords Dance
- Rock Tomb
- Outrage
celesteela.png

Celesteela @ Leftovers
Ability: Beast Boost
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Relaxed Nature
- Flamethrower
- Leech Seed
- Heavy Slam
- Substitute/Protect

Garchomp has been going out of style lately, and I wonder if we can make it shine again by building a team around it.
The core is pretty basic. Garchomp can deal with Electric and Fire Types that bother Celesteela, and Celesteela can take a number of Ice Beams and Play Roughs directed towards Garchomp. Celesteela could run a speed neutral natural to outspeed Porygon2 if needed. Nagandel and Tapu Koko can easily deal with this core if Garchomp has lost/doesn't have its Focus Sash, so stuff to deal with that should be added.
 
I'm going with Lop stuffs again. I've built ~10 Lopunny teams over the past few weeks. I think it's an interesting mon.
lopunny-mega.gif
+
landorus-therian.gif

Lopunny-Mega @ Lopunnite
Ability: Limber
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Return
- High Jump Kick
- Ice Punch / Substitute / Quick Attack / Encore / Toxic / Healing Wish / Baton Pass / literally anything, decide later
- Fake Out

EV spreads as basic as it can be, but is pretty much best for what we want from it.
Landorus-Therian @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
EVs: 244 HP / 4 Atk / 236 Def / 4 SpD / 20 Spe
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Tomb
- U-turn
- Stealth Rock

+1 252+ Atk Mimikyu Let's Snuggle Forever vs. 244 HP / 236+ Def Landorus-T: 163-193 (83.5 - 98.9%) (Mimi takes Helmet from this)
-1 252+ Atk Mega Blaziken Flare Blitz vs. 244 HP / 236+ Def Landorus-T: 69-82 (35.3 - 42%)
+1 252+ Atk Mega Blaziken Flare Blitz vs. 244 HP / 236+ Def Landorus-T: 153-181 (78.4 - 92.8%)
These are pretty important imo.
252 SpA Nihilego Hidden Power Ice vs. 244 HP / 4 SpD Landorus-T: 160-192 (82 - 98.4%). Is something you get just for investing 4 in spdef, minor but we take it. it's 1/16 to 1HKO otherwise.
20 speed gives us 114 raw stat. Which is faster than Adamant 252 Tyranitar, and faster than -1 252+ Nihilego.
Lop just has an amazing immediate speed tier. Being faster than Koko, Gren, Naga et cetera is really valuable.
I personally really like phys def Lando as a partner. Setting SR and getting Rocky Helmet chip can let Lopunny pick off the weakened threats later on. The slow U-turn can also be used to bring it the frailer mons (Lopunny) safely.
I'm not steadfast on Landorus, but I do think they pair well together. A different mon in a simlar role could be subbed into its place later on if it fits the team.

For an idea of the places it could go
A few of my teams
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Other people's teams (all 2000+)
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(This and similar varients consistently get 2150+)
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You'll notice that nearly all of the have one of the 3 water/fairy mons, they also pair exceptionally well with Lopunny. All 3 of them can be built in a number of differnt ways and be tweaked to handle specific matchups.
 
Lately I've been trying to build a gravity team centred around hypnosis gengar + a strong earthquake mon.

Gigalith @ Smooth Rock
Ability: Sand Stream
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
- Stone Edge
- Explosion
- Gravity
- Stealth rock


Excadrill @ Groundium Z
Ability: Sand Rush
Level: 50
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Rock Slide / Substitute
- Swords Dance


Gengar-Mega @ Gengarite
Ability: Shadow Tag
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hex
- Hypnosis
- Sludge Bomb / Focus Blast
- Substitute / Will-o-Wisp / Destiny Bond / Perish Song

I think gravity + sand is a pretty strong starting point, all the sets and evs are pretty simplistic, I haven't really given any thought to the hits that gigalith needs to live, or the speed tier that exca needs to hit. My other idea was a sash lele + z-ground lando + gengar:

Tapu Lele @ Focus Sash
Ability: Psychic Surge
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Psychic
- Hidden Power Fire
- Natures Madness / Moonblast
- Gravity


Landorus-Therian @ Groundium Z
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Gravity
- Swords Dance / Explosion
- Rock Polish / U-turn


Gengar-Mega @ Gengarite
Ability: Shadow Tag
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hex
- Hypnosis
- Sludge Bomb / Focus Blast
- Substitute / Will-o-Wisp / Destiny Bond / Perish Song


Again the evs haven't been thought out yet, this is just a basic team concept that I think would be fun to build a coherant team around. With the sand core it's probably easier to set up, however it is somewhat predictable, whereas the second version can probably catch opponents off guard. Potential additions to these cores could be stuff like gravity lunar dance cresselia, 2 attacks p2 with gravity, or gravity healing wish chansey, all can support the sweep of gengar / landorus / excadrill. Also we can add another sweeper under gravity such as hypnosis xurkitree, focus blast nasty plot mega lucario, and even crazy sets like inferno charizard-y could be viable!

Some calcs to show just how strong a plus 2 z-eq is from lando / exca:

+2 252 Atk Landorus-Therian Tectonic Rage (180 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Hippowdon: 213-252 (99 - 117.2%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO
+2 252 Atk Landorus-Therian Tectonic Rage (180 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Eviolite Porygon2: 171-202 (89 - 105.2%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO
+1 252 Atk Landorus-Therian Tectonic Rage (180 BP) vs. 244 HP / 0 Def Salamence-Mega: 199-235 (99 - 116.9%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO
+2 252 Atk Landorus-Therian Tectonic Rage (180 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Cresselia: 211-250 (92.9 - 110.1%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO
+2 252 Atk Landorus-Therian Tectonic Rage (180 BP) vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Tapu Bulu: 147-173 (83 - 97.7%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock and Grassy Terrain recovery
 
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Guess we'll move onto voting for where our team will start:

cant say's Naga + bulky Kart core
naganadel.png
kartana.png
naganadel.png

Naganadel @ Dragonium Z
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 20 HP / 236 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 29 Def
- Nasty Plot
- Draco Meteor
- Sludge Wave
- Fire Blast

kartana.png

Kartana @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 228 HP / 92 Def / 188 Spe (subject to change)
Impish Nature
- Leaf Blade
- Synthesis
- Knock Off / Iron Defense / Swords Dance
- Toxic / Sacred Sword / Smart Strike

I think going for the new toy with Naganadel makes sense for our first USUM team. It pretty much only loses to Mimikyu, Lando-T, Tyranitar, and Gyarados, so I reckon pairing it with bulky Kartana is a cool idea. The EVs for Kartana are very customisable, this is just a boring spread that outspeeds neutral base 100s while living +2 Never Ending Nightmare from Mimikyu. There are lots of options, like outspeeding Nihilego, or going slower (aiming for max Gyara) for more bulk. I think we can finalise those details once the team starts to take shape, just take it as a bulky Kart nom...
~~~~~~~~~~
DMDW's offensive Staka + Prim core
stakataka.png
primarina.png
View attachment 100909
Stakataka @ Focus Sash / Z-crystal of choice
Ability: Beast Boost
Level: 50
EVs: 244 HP / 252 Atk / 12 SpD
Lonely Nature
IVs: 16 Def / 0 Spe
- Trick Room
- Gyro Ball
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake / Superpower

View attachment 100910
Primarina @ Primarium Z
Ability: Torrent
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
Modest / Quiet Nature
- Sparkling Aria
- Moonblast
- Encore / Hidden Power Fire
- Aqua Jet


~~

I was gonna post Naganadel + Scizor core if cant say made a different submission. This is what I would like to try out. Trick Room team was nothing more than an entertainment in BSS for me until Stakataka was released. In the metagame filled with fast threats and Choice Scarf Pokemon I believe Trick Room would be something that is fun & anti-meta at the same time.

I personally construct Trick Room team with far more complicated than just tossing two Pokemon like I did above and filling in the rest but for the sake of team's viability I stapled in Primarina (the Pokemon that excells in Trick Room while not bad at all outside it) for now. I don't want to post stuff like Mega Camerupt and get bashed on Discord.
~~~~~~~~~~
Broken Phobias' offensive Fini + specs Lando-T core
tapu-fini.png
landorus-therian.png
tapufini.gif

Tapu Fini @ Waterium Z
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 244 HP / 252 SpA / 12 Spe
Modest Nature
- Nature's Madness
- Hydro Pump
- Moonblast
- Hidden Power Fire

landorus-therian.gif

Landorus-Therian @ Choice Specs
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Earth Power
- Sludge Bomb
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- U-turn


I kind of wanted to build around offensive Tapu-Fini and then pair it with something that lures Tapu-Bulu and such. I of course chose my favorite set in BSS, Specs Landorus-therian for filling the role of the Bulu lure! These are just the standard EV's and sets; we should be able to change them as needed. I personally really like this Core because it feels like a balance core its actually completely offensive. This is the main reason why I chose Tapu-Fini over another Water-type for example Slowbro-Mega/Base, Suicune, or Milotic. This core is shut down by Celesteela however but we should be able to check that very easily.
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ethan06's banded Phero
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Pheromosa @ Choice Band
Ability: Beast Boost
Level: 50
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- High Jump Kick
- Drill Run
- Poison Jab
- U-turn

I've always kinda felt that Pheromosa is underutilised in this meta (not to mention Fighting-types in general), especially with the new coverage options it received in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. Drill Run allows Pheromosa to blow past virtually all of its best defensive and offensive answers, including Toxapex, Aegislash, Gengar, and Marowak-Alola. I've chosen a Choice Band set here to capitalise on the excellent coverage of Pheromosa's main three moves, especially the aforementioned Drill Run, and to throw out nuclear U-turns for free damage. I thought about adding Tapu Lele as a partner, but while it's the obvious choice I thought I'd leave the option open just in case - this Phero build works best as a Mega Beedrill-esque fast pivot, dealing good damage and getting out until enough chip has been accumulated for a sweep. Potential partners for this Pokémon include a more solid answer to Aegislash, a slower and bulkier pivot to receive Phero's U-turns, and a solid answer to Flying-type threats that take little from Phero's moves.
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Garbagel's offensive Chomp + physdef Steela core
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View attachment 100912
Garchomp @ Focus Sash / Dragonium Z
Ability: Rough Skin
Level: 50
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Swords Dance
- Rock Tomb
- Outrage
View attachment 100913
Celesteela @ Leftovers
Ability: Beast Boost
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Relaxed Nature
- Flamethrower
- Leech Seed
- Heavy Slam
- Substitute/Protect

Garchomp has been going out of style lately, and I wonder if we can make it shine again by building a team around it.
The core is pretty basic. Garchomp can deal with Electric and Fire Types that bother Celesteela, and Celesteela can take a number of Ice Beams and Play Roughs directed towards Garchomp. Celesteela could run a speed neutral natural to outspeed Porygon2 if needed. Nagandel and Tapu Koko can easily deal with this core if Garchomp has lost/doesn't have its Focus Sash, so stuff to deal with that should be added.
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Jhon's Mega Lop + Lando-T core
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I'm going with Lop stuffs again. I've built ~10 Lopunny teams over the past few weeks. I think it's an interesting mon.
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+
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Lopunny-Mega @ Lopunnite
Ability: Limber
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Return
- High Jump Kick
- Ice Punch / Substitute / Quick Attack / Encore / Toxic / Healing Wish / Baton Pass / literally anything, decide later
- Fake Out

EV spreads as basic as it can be, but is pretty much best for what we want from it.
Landorus-Therian @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
EVs: 244 HP / 4 Atk / 236 Def / 4 SpD / 20 Spe
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Tomb
- U-turn
- Stealth Rock

+1 252+ Atk Mimikyu Let's Snuggle Forever vs. 244 HP / 236+ Def Landorus-T: 163-193 (83.5 - 98.9%) (Mimi takes Helmet from this)
-1 252+ Atk Mega Blaziken Flare Blitz vs. 244 HP / 236+ Def Landorus-T: 69-82 (35.3 - 42%)
+1 252+ Atk Mega Blaziken Flare Blitz vs. 244 HP / 236+ Def Landorus-T: 153-181 (78.4 - 92.8%)
These are pretty important imo.
252 SpA Nihilego Hidden Power Ice vs. 244 HP / 4 SpD Landorus-T: 160-192 (82 - 98.4%). Is something you get just for investing 4 in spdef, minor but we take it. it's 1/16 to 1HKO otherwise.
20 speed gives us 114 raw stat. Which is faster than Adamant 252 Tyranitar, and faster than -1 252+ Nihilego.
Lop just has an amazing immediate speed tier. Being faster than Koko, Gren, Naga et cetera is really valuable.
I personally really like phys def Lando as a partner. Setting SR and getting Rocky Helmet chip can let Lopunny pick off the weakened threats later on. The slow U-turn can also be used to bring it the frailer mons (Lopunny) safely.
I'm not steadfast on Landorus, but I do think they pair well together. A different mon in a simlar role could be subbed into its place later on if it fits the team.

For an idea of the places it could go
A few of my teams
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Other people's teams (all 2000+)
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(This and similar varients consistently get 2150+)
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You'll notice that nearly all of the have one of the 3 water/fairy mons, they also pair exceptionally well with Lopunny. All 3 of them can be built in a number of differnt ways and be tweaked to handle specific matchups.
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Jmal98's GravitySand core
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Lately I've been trying to build a gravity team centred around hypnosis gengar + a strong earthquake mon.

Gigalith @ Smooth Rock
Ability: Sand Stream
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
- Stone Edge
- Explosion
- Gravity
- Stealth rock


Excadrill @ Groundium Z
Ability: Sand Rush
Level: 50
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Rock Slide / Substitute
- Swords Dance


Gengar-Mega @ Gengarite
Ability: Shadow Tag
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hex
- Hypnosis
- Sludge Bomb / Focus Blast
- Substitute / Will-o-Wisp / Destiny Bond / Perish Song

I think gravity + sand is a pretty strong starting point, all the sets and evs are pretty simplistic, I haven't really given any thought to the hits that gigalith needs to live, or the speed tier that exca needs to hit.
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Jmal98's Gravity Lele core
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My other idea was a sash lele + z-ground lando + gengar:

Tapu Lele @ Focus Sash
Ability: Psychic Surge
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Psychic
- Hidden Power Fire
- Natures Madness / Moonblast
- Gravity


Landorus-Therian @ Groundium Z
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Gravity
- Swords Dance / Explosion
- Rock Polish / U-turn


Gengar-Mega @ Gengarite
Ability: Shadow Tag
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hex
- Hypnosis
- Sludge Bomb / Focus Blast
- Substitute / Will-o-Wisp / Destiny Bond / Perish Song


Again the evs haven't been thought out yet, this is just a basic team concept that I think would be fun to build a coherant team around. With the sand core it's probably easier to set up, however it is somewhat predictable, whereas the second version can probably catch opponents off guard. Potential additions to these cores could be stuff like gravity lunar dance cresselia, 2 attacks p2 with gravity, or gravity healing wish chansey, all can support the sweep of gengar / landorus / excadrill. Also we can add another sweeper under gravity such as hypnosis xurkitree, focus blast nasty plot mega lucario, and even crazy sets like inferno charizard-y could be viable!

Some calcs to show just how strong a plus 2 z-eq is from lando / exca:

+2 252 Atk Landorus-Therian Tectonic Rage (180 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Hippowdon: 213-252 (99 - 117.2%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO
+2 252 Atk Landorus-Therian Tectonic Rage (180 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Eviolite Porygon2: 171-202 (89 - 105.2%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO
+1 252 Atk Landorus-Therian Tectonic Rage (180 BP) vs. 244 HP / 0 Def Salamence-Mega: 199-235 (99 - 116.9%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO
+2 252 Atk Landorus-Therian Tectonic Rage (180 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Cresselia: 211-250 (92.9 - 110.1%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO
+2 252 Atk Landorus-Therian Tectonic Rage (180 BP) vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Tapu Bulu: 147-173 (83 - 97.7%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock and Grassy Terrain recovery


Put your votes in bold for my old man eyes. I'm not sure who I want to vote for yet so I'll hold off
 
Lots of cool stuff going on here. My pick goes to Jhon's Mega Lopunny + Landorus-T.

Mega lop kinda took a dip after lele's release but in all honesty this pokemon is very hard to deal with in offensive team's perspective because of the speed tier, dual STAB, and fake out. It is like an insurance policy against almost all setup sweepers and notably it outspeeds stuff like gyara and ttar at +1. Also I really like the idea of adding the helmet lando here because chip is what lop really needs to be successful.

Edit: John -> Jhon
 
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Torn between can't say and jhon, but going to go with jhon's mega lop + landot core because lop is a mon that I really enjoy using and doesn't see as much usage as I think it should.
 
cant say's Naga + bulky Kart core because Naga is a good new toy mon and bulky kart is a cool tech to deal with common mons/megas like Mimikyu, Metagross, and Gyarados
 
cant say's Naga+Kart

i swear i've changed my mind on this at least three times... still not sold on naga bc it's a gross mon but synthesis kart is far too good to pass up imo. just voting this to even up the scales tbh, i'd be happy with lop+lando as well but i want this to be in with a chance haha
 
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