Any advice/changes/tweaks would be really helpful, thanks. I'm new to comp and want to learn as much as I can.
GLEKKØ (Gholdengo) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Good as Gold
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Make It Rain
- Trick
- Dazzling Gleam
Gholdengo has been a very strong generalist lead for me and I've been encountering it very often as well. Choice Scarf combined with a versatile moveset allows you to punish many different threats; a quick example is Glimmora setting up hazards, and opening up with Make It Rain will one shot unless they're running Focus Sash, which is pretty often. Shadow Ball with STAB hits hard against an opponent Gholdengo. My main question now is about the Tera type; Flying has been an interesting choice, a lot of the time the Glimmoras I mentioned earlier open up with Earthquake, so going with an instant Tera is an aggressive but often rewarding play. You will rarely be outsped or let down with Scarf Gholdengo.
Tobi-Kadachi (Chien-Pao) @ Life Orb
Ability: Sword of Ruin
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Ice Shard
- Sacred Sword
- Crunch
- Ice Spinner
Another very quick and aggressive attacker, Chien-Pao with Ice Shard has turned the game around for me more than a handful of times now. Sacred Sword is a great move as well, and coupled with the defense debuff you apply (Sword of Ruin) + the Life Orb, you end up hitting quite hard. I've considered using Sucker Punch here but I think Ice Shard seems more versatile, and I've got Kingambit in the team who's the actual Sucker Punch user.
Wise Mystical Rock (Garganacl) @ Leftovers
Ability: Purifying Salt
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Recover
- Salt Cure
- Earthquake
- Iron Defense
Garganacl has become a favorite of mine. It's good at applying pressure in many cases, given the prevalence of Steel. Recover + Iron Defense allows you to tank even super-effective physical damage from most opponents (Leftovers helps massively), and Earthquake lets you hit back at Fighting types. Garganacl has also been quite useful against Fire types; I've often seen Chi-Yu with Fire Tera, and this has been a pretty good counter to that. I have a few questions about whether to keep Iron Defense or to maybe swap it out with another coverage move, something like Ice Punch. The Tera type is also another question; Ghost Tera has been super interesting in this team, I've managed to avoid and severely weaken or KO some of the crazier Fighting types, Annihilape being a good example; the Ghost Tera has been a hard counter to an unexpecting Iron Hands. I just don't know if it's worth the Tera usage on something not very offensive like Garganacl. Quick warning, watch out for Gholdengo — Make It Rain will instantly destroy Garganacl, I've learned this the hard way.
Mordred (Corviknight) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
- Defog
- Roost
- U-turn
- Brave Bird
The prior Gen in this team, Corviknight takes the classic Defog role here. Brave Bird has been useful in a handful of situations, the only question is whether to keep U-turn as I haven't found too much use from it (maybe Iron Head instead?). The Tera Water type is more of a placeholder right now under an extreme emergency. In general, Corviknight takes a familiar role here. Like Garganacl above, Leftovers improves your sustain.
Guppy (Chi-Yu) @ Expert Belt
Ability: Beads of Ruin
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Lava Plume
- Psychic
- Dark Pulse
Another really strong choice from this Gen, I've had some very interesting plays happen with Tera Water Chi-Yu. I've had less cases where I was able to fully bring out its potential with Nasty Plot, but Chi-Yu with the above move choice offers great coverage and can sweep quite easily. I've been running Expert Belt but might want to test out Choice Scarf as well, though I'm not sure right now. The most interesting thing has been testing out the Water Tera type; I've brought it out against strong Fire types, like an opposing Fire Tera Chi-Yu, and it can be an unexpected shock which can end up in a sweep right after. In any case, the item and Tera type are questionable, and any advice about what moves to use would be nice. Fire Tera would definitely be a strong option against Fairy.
Ronove (Kingambit) @ Black Glasses
Ability: Supreme Overlord
EVs: 252 Atk / 116 SpD / 140 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Iron Head
- Kowtow Cleave
- Brick Break
- Sucker Punch
One of my favorites currently, Kingambit takes the role of a punisher here and can become a dangerous sweeper if Supreme Overlord is at a high enough stage. Sucker Punch + a high level of SO + Black Glasses pretty often ends up in a one shot when super-effective, and still offers debilitating damage when neutral. The other moves offer great coverage; Iron Head gives you some physical Steel offense, and Brick Break gives you some needed Fighting coverage. The questions are with the EVs, the item and the Tera type. I'm really not sure what Tera type to use here, I've most often lost Kingambit to an Earthquake or an unexpected Fighting move; Dark Tera makes Kingambit even more of a Sucker Punch monster, just not sure if there's a better option.
GLEKKØ (Gholdengo) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Good as Gold
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Make It Rain
- Trick
- Dazzling Gleam
Gholdengo has been a very strong generalist lead for me and I've been encountering it very often as well. Choice Scarf combined with a versatile moveset allows you to punish many different threats; a quick example is Glimmora setting up hazards, and opening up with Make It Rain will one shot unless they're running Focus Sash, which is pretty often. Shadow Ball with STAB hits hard against an opponent Gholdengo. My main question now is about the Tera type; Flying has been an interesting choice, a lot of the time the Glimmoras I mentioned earlier open up with Earthquake, so going with an instant Tera is an aggressive but often rewarding play. You will rarely be outsped or let down with Scarf Gholdengo.
Tobi-Kadachi (Chien-Pao) @ Life Orb
Ability: Sword of Ruin
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Ice Shard
- Sacred Sword
- Crunch
- Ice Spinner
Another very quick and aggressive attacker, Chien-Pao with Ice Shard has turned the game around for me more than a handful of times now. Sacred Sword is a great move as well, and coupled with the defense debuff you apply (Sword of Ruin) + the Life Orb, you end up hitting quite hard. I've considered using Sucker Punch here but I think Ice Shard seems more versatile, and I've got Kingambit in the team who's the actual Sucker Punch user.
Wise Mystical Rock (Garganacl) @ Leftovers
Ability: Purifying Salt
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Recover
- Salt Cure
- Earthquake
- Iron Defense
Garganacl has become a favorite of mine. It's good at applying pressure in many cases, given the prevalence of Steel. Recover + Iron Defense allows you to tank even super-effective physical damage from most opponents (Leftovers helps massively), and Earthquake lets you hit back at Fighting types. Garganacl has also been quite useful against Fire types; I've often seen Chi-Yu with Fire Tera, and this has been a pretty good counter to that. I have a few questions about whether to keep Iron Defense or to maybe swap it out with another coverage move, something like Ice Punch. The Tera type is also another question; Ghost Tera has been super interesting in this team, I've managed to avoid and severely weaken or KO some of the crazier Fighting types, Annihilape being a good example; the Ghost Tera has been a hard counter to an unexpecting Iron Hands. I just don't know if it's worth the Tera usage on something not very offensive like Garganacl. Quick warning, watch out for Gholdengo — Make It Rain will instantly destroy Garganacl, I've learned this the hard way.
Mordred (Corviknight) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
- Defog
- Roost
- U-turn
- Brave Bird
The prior Gen in this team, Corviknight takes the classic Defog role here. Brave Bird has been useful in a handful of situations, the only question is whether to keep U-turn as I haven't found too much use from it (maybe Iron Head instead?). The Tera Water type is more of a placeholder right now under an extreme emergency. In general, Corviknight takes a familiar role here. Like Garganacl above, Leftovers improves your sustain.
Guppy (Chi-Yu) @ Expert Belt
Ability: Beads of Ruin
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Lava Plume
- Psychic
- Dark Pulse
Another really strong choice from this Gen, I've had some very interesting plays happen with Tera Water Chi-Yu. I've had less cases where I was able to fully bring out its potential with Nasty Plot, but Chi-Yu with the above move choice offers great coverage and can sweep quite easily. I've been running Expert Belt but might want to test out Choice Scarf as well, though I'm not sure right now. The most interesting thing has been testing out the Water Tera type; I've brought it out against strong Fire types, like an opposing Fire Tera Chi-Yu, and it can be an unexpected shock which can end up in a sweep right after. In any case, the item and Tera type are questionable, and any advice about what moves to use would be nice. Fire Tera would definitely be a strong option against Fairy.
Ronove (Kingambit) @ Black Glasses
Ability: Supreme Overlord
EVs: 252 Atk / 116 SpD / 140 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Iron Head
- Kowtow Cleave
- Brick Break
- Sucker Punch
One of my favorites currently, Kingambit takes the role of a punisher here and can become a dangerous sweeper if Supreme Overlord is at a high enough stage. Sucker Punch + a high level of SO + Black Glasses pretty often ends up in a one shot when super-effective, and still offers debilitating damage when neutral. The other moves offer great coverage; Iron Head gives you some physical Steel offense, and Brick Break gives you some needed Fighting coverage. The questions are with the EVs, the item and the Tera type. I'm really not sure what Tera type to use here, I've most often lost Kingambit to an Earthquake or an unexpected Fighting move; Dark Tera makes Kingambit even more of a Sucker Punch monster, just not sure if there's a better option.
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