INTRODUCTION
Hello everyone, I am Lialiabeast and I am back with another DPP OU RMT. This time I wanted to be bold and test a Pokemon that doesn't get much recognition. After some thinking I had to choose between Weavile and Staraptor, as I barely see them being used in both ladder and tournaments, and I believe that they are both pretty cool. I flipped a coin and Staraptor was the winner, so I am here to proudly present to you my first ever attempt on making Staraptor work! Hitting 1500s on ladder shows that this Staraptor team is at least decent (or that I am just an insane player which is also true imo). I believe I could have reached 1600s with this team, but I lost 3 games in a row after I peaked and got pissed, so there you go. Also, the FIFA World Cup is here, and since I am really excited about it, it is going to be this RMT's theme, cause why not!
TEAM BUILDING PROCESS
No need to explain much here. Staraptor was the main idea of the team, since I wanted to test something challenging, as I already stated above. However, I don't think Staraptor is that bad, as it can hit pretty hard with its STAB Brave Bird and it also has a decent stat in Speed, and therefore it can act as a decent revenge killer. The Stealth Rock really hurts though.
I felt that a spinner was needed, since Staraptor doesn't really appreciate Stealth Rock. I chose Starmie for this role over other spiners, because apparently I really like being weak to Electric attacks. Jokes aside though, I believe Starmie is a great choice overall, as it has decent Speed stat that almost guarantees 1 Rapid Spin in the game, and it can hit quite hard as well.
Looking at Staraptor, I noticed that some common Steel-types like Skarmory, Forretress, and Bronzong can switch into Staraptor's attacks quite easily. Therefore, I wanted these kind of Pokemon to be removed in order to make things easier for Staraptor, so my next member is Magnezone. Magnezone can trap and eliminate the troublesome Steel-types that are mentioned and it also provides some resistance in Electric as it was already a problem in terms of type coverage for the team.
Wow, what a surprise! After I picked Magnezone, the mon that eliminates Steel types, I thought that having a Dragon Dance sweeper would be ideal for my next step. Dragonite seemed like the perfect choice, as it's probably the best Pokemon to perform this exact role. It is a great fit to the team, as it works quite well with Life Orb Starmie and Magnezone, taking care of special walls like Clefable and Blissey. I wasn't sure if it would work well with Staraptor though, but both of them hit so damn hard so we are fine.
Of course I wanted a Pokemon that would set Stealth Rock up, not only because I always have a Pokemon like that, but this would help Staraptor secure more KOs after the Stealth Rock chip. After a lot of thinking, and testing out many different Stealth Rock setters such as Hippowdon, Azelf, Lead Infernape, and Bronzong, I ended up sticking with Metagross for the lead Stealth Rock. Metagross has decent bulk so it can take a few physical hits before setting the Stealth Rock, and can also hit some opposing leads pretty hard in return such as Azelf and Machamp. Overall, Metagross is great for that slot, and as a bonus, it works good with the trapper Magnezone vs Steel-type leads.
Honestly, I had no idea on what my last member should be, but then I realized that Rotom seemed like a huge problem against my team. At first I tried Clefable, since it is an easy switch-in to any Rotom, as it is immune to Shadow Ball, takes other attacks easily, and "absorbs" Will o Wisp thanks to Magic Guard. Also, Clefable provided Wish support for Staraptor, something that can be useful due to Brave Bird recoil. However, after some games I felt that Clefable wasn't really a great fit for the team, so I changed the last slot and turned the team into full offensive. Tyranitar felt like a good option, as it can remove Choice item Rotom with Pursuit, and is in general a goat in DPP OU, so it would naturally fit in this team.
TEAM DESCRIPTION
Waka Waka (Metagross) @ Lum Berry
Ability: Clear Body
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Meteor Mash
- Stealth Rock
- Explosion
- Bullet Punch / Earthquake
Metagross acts as the lead of this team, as it is able to set almost guaranteed Stealth Rock thanks to its decent bulk that allows it to stay in against most of the metagame's leads. It also hits hard and can take care of leads such as Azelf and Machamp with its STAB Meteor Mash, applying offensive pressure even to resisting foes such as Starmie thanks to its great Attack stat. Explosion is there because the thing is literally busted in this generation, so it would make sense to have at least one mon that has access to it, and since Metagross has the good Attack stat, as mentioned above, it deals huge damage to anything, even opposing Steel-types, securing easy KOs that will help the rest of the team perform better. The last slot is optimal, as Bullet Punch gives Metagross priority that helps it against faster leads such as Azelf and Choice Scarf Tyranitar, and on the other hand Earthquake targets opposing Metagross and Heatran that resists all other attacks, but even these 2 don't take Explosion from Adamant Metagross too well. The item of choice is Lum Berry to avoid any status such as Thunder Wave from Uxie, and cringe things such as confusion by Machamp.
1. 252+ Atk Metagross Explosion vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Hippowdon: 394-464 (93.8 - 110.4%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO.
2. 252+ Atk Metagross Meteor Mash vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Machamp: 222-262 (69.1 - 81.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO.
3. 252+ Atk Metagross Meteor Mash vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Azelf: 247-292 (84.5 - 100%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO.
4. 252+ Atk Metagross Explosion vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Metagross: 244-288 (67 - 79.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO.
2. 252+ Atk Metagross Meteor Mash vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Machamp: 222-262 (69.1 - 81.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO.
3. 252+ Atk Metagross Meteor Mash vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Azelf: 247-292 (84.5 - 100%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO.
4. 252+ Atk Metagross Explosion vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Metagross: 244-288 (67 - 79.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO.
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We Are One (Staraptor) @ Choice Band
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant / Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- Sleep Talk / Double Edge
- Close Combat
- U-turn
POWEEEEEEEEEEER. Staraptor's Attack and Speed stat makes it an excellent canditate for a Choice Band set. Intimidate is also good to switch into Dragon Dance sweeper, but it's still dangerous to go hard Staraptor due to its poor defenses. Brave Bird is Staraptor's strongest STAB attack and with Choice Band it becomes a crazy threat. Same goes for Double Edge, but most of the games I laddered with this team I ran Sleep Talk. Sleep Talk allows Staraptor to go hard into Breloom or Roserade that might use Spore and Sleep Powder respectively, and surprise them with a potentional KO. However, Double Edge or even Return might be a better choice, since Sleep Talk can only be used once if you are locked into a Choice item, and might ruin momentum by "picking" the wrong move. Close Combat provides coverage for Staraptor, as it targets Steel-, and Rock-type Pokemon that resist both Brave Bird and Double Edge, such as Heatran and Tyranitar. U-turn is there to give Staraptor the ability to keep momentum and perhaps scout the opposing team. As for nature, I tested both Jolly and Adamant, and I can say that both of them work pretty well, but just to be safe I run Jolly more than Adamant, in order to Outspeed threats such as Lucario.
1. 252+ Atk Choice Band Staraptor Brave Bird vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Hippowdon: 195-231 (46.4 - 55%) -- 10.2% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery.
2. 252+ Atk Choice Band Staraptor Brave Bird vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Gliscor: 207-244 (58.4 - 68.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery.
3. 252+ Atk Choice Band Staraptor Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Heatran: 386-456 (119.5 - 141.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO.
4. 252+ Atk Choice Band Staraptor Close Combat vs. 240 HP / 160+ Def Jirachi: 158-187 (39.4 - 46.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery.
5. 252+ Atk Choice Band Staraptor Close Combat vs. 60 HP / 0 Def Metagross: 163-192 (51.5 - 60.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO.
6. 252+ Atk Choice Band Staraptor Brave Bird vs. 240 HP / 216+ Def Swampert: 243-286 (60.5 - 71.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery.
7. 252+ Atk Choice Band Staraptor Brave Bird vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Suicune: 199-235 (49.2 - 58.1%) -- 62.9% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery.
8. 252+ Atk Choice Band Staraptor Brave Bird vs. 252 HP / 144+ Def Forretress: 186-220 (52.5 - 62.1%) -- 98.8% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery.
9. 252+ Atk Choice Band Staraptor Brave Bird vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Scizor: 306-360 (89.2 - 104.9%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO.
2. 252+ Atk Choice Band Staraptor Brave Bird vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Gliscor: 207-244 (58.4 - 68.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery.
3. 252+ Atk Choice Band Staraptor Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Heatran: 386-456 (119.5 - 141.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO.
4. 252+ Atk Choice Band Staraptor Close Combat vs. 240 HP / 160+ Def Jirachi: 158-187 (39.4 - 46.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery.
5. 252+ Atk Choice Band Staraptor Close Combat vs. 60 HP / 0 Def Metagross: 163-192 (51.5 - 60.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO.
6. 252+ Atk Choice Band Staraptor Brave Bird vs. 240 HP / 216+ Def Swampert: 243-286 (60.5 - 71.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery.
7. 252+ Atk Choice Band Staraptor Brave Bird vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Suicune: 199-235 (49.2 - 58.1%) -- 62.9% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery.
8. 252+ Atk Choice Band Staraptor Brave Bird vs. 252 HP / 144+ Def Forretress: 186-220 (52.5 - 62.1%) -- 98.8% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery.
9. 252+ Atk Choice Band Staraptor Brave Bird vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Scizor: 306-360 (89.2 - 104.9%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO.
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Colors (Starmie) @ Life Orb
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt
Starmie is here to support Staraptor by hitting hard some of the Steel-types that wall it thanks to its decent Special Attack, and in return Staraptor can take care of Blissey and Clefable for Starmie, so they have great Synergy. Most importantly, as mentioned in Team Building Process, I picked Starmie for the Rapid Spin support that provides for Staraptor, as it truly dislikes Stealth Rock. Hydro Pump is Starmie's STAB attack, and it is stong as hell, as it can 2HKO Tyranitar, Swampert, Jirachi, Metagross, Bronzong, and even Pokemon that resist Water attacks, such as Breloom, don't take a Hydro Pump too well. However, there are some exceptions that can take Hydro Pump quite easily, and no I am not talking about Blissey. That is why the last two moves, Ice Beam and Thunderbolt, provide coverage for Starmie, as they hit specific foes. Ice Beam targets bulky Grass-type Pokemon such as Celebi, and Dragon types such as Latias and Dragonite. Thunderbolt targets bulky Water-type Pokemon such as Suicune, opposing Starmie, and OHKOes annoying Dragon Dance Gyarados. I was also thinking that instead of Life Orb, Choice Specs would be a good choice as well, but I didn't feel safe running Rapid Spin with Choice Specs that locks you into a single move (yeah I could add Trick in the set, that could also cripple Blissey or Clefable, but I still wasn't really a fan of this idea), and since Rapid Spin was the reason I picked Starmie in the first place, I decided to stick with Life Orb. Leftovers is also an option, but I don't prefer it in this team at least.
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Wavin Flag (Magnezone) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Thunder Wave
- Explosion
The Pokemon that is here for just one purpose, and that is to trap any Steel-type Pokemon that could possibly annoy Staraptor. Pokemon like this are Skarmory, Empoleon, Bronzong, Metagross etc. At first I tried the Magnet Rise set to be safe vs Bronzong and Metagross that can take a Thunderbolt or a Hidden Power Fire, but I wanted some Speed control against common threats such as Gengar and Latias. Thunderbolt is Magnezone's best choice for STAB move in my opinion. Hidden Power Fire targets Steel-Types, but specifically OHKOes Ferrothorn and Scizor, and these 2 get 2HKOed by Staraptor's Brave Bird most of the time, but it is still appreciated if they get removed by Magnezone anyway. Thunder Wave seemed like a perfect choice here, due to the fact that Choice Scarf Magnezone outspeeds some threats like Choice Specs Latias, as mentioned above, and by crippling them with Thunder Wave it allows Staraptor to outspeed and secure easy KOs. Explosion is there because I don't like Magnezone's movepool that much so I had no choice. The Smogon analyses suggests Flash Cannon as an alternative, but this move only targets Tyranitar and Ground-type Pokemon, which I switch Magnezone out anyway + Explosion deals more to the Ground-types. Also, if Magnezone traps and removes the annoying Steel-types, then it is not needed that much, so Explosion is fine to click.
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Time Of Our Lives (Dragonite) @ Lum Berry
Ability: Inner Focus
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Outrage
- Earthquake / Fire Punch
- Extreme Speed
What can I say about this menace. I used it in my first RMT with a Choice Band set and it destroyed anything in its path. However, this time, thanks to the presence of Magnezone and its ability to remove Steel-type Pokemon, I decided to run a Dragon Dance set that would work great with Magnezone. Thanks to its decent bulk it can set Dragon Dance while taking a hit or two, and at +1 it outspeeds many threats so Adamant Nature felt like a better choice for the extra damage. Outrage is undoubtely Dragonite's most powerful attack that can OHKO many walls after a Dragon Dance boost. The only walls that can't get OHKOed by Outrage, even at +1, are the Steel-types that Magnezone can take care of. However, just to be safe I wanted to run a coverage move that targets these Steel-type Pokemon, so either Earthquake to hit most of them such as Heatran and Jirachi, or Fire Punch to also hit Skarmory and Bronzong. Dragonite' speed is not that great, so at +1 there are going to be some revenge killers that outspeed it such as Choice Scarf Flygon. For that reason, Extreme Speed is the last move in the set, as it is the strongest priority move in the game.
1. +1 252+ Atk Dragonite Earthquake vs. 240 HP / 160+ Def Jirachi: 286-338 (71.3 - 84.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery.
2. +1 252+ Atk Dragonite Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Metagross: 294-346 (80.7 - 95%) -- guaranteed 2HKO.
3. +1 252+ Atk Dragonite Fire Punch vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Skarmory: 158-186 (47.3 - 55.6%) -- 21.5% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery.
4. +1 252+ Atk Dragonite Fire Punch vs. 252 HP / 128 Def Bronzong: 216-256 (63.9 - 75.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery.
5. +1 252+ Atk Dragonite Outrage vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Hippowdon: 211-250 (50.2 - 59.5%) -- 80.9% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery.
6. +1 252+ Atk Dragonite Outrage vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Clefable: 289-342 (73.3 - 86.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery.
7. +1 252+ Atk Dragonite Outrage vs. 248 HP / 228+ Def Zapdos: 271-319 (70.7 - 83.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery.
8. +1 252+ Atk Dragonite Outrage vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Suicune: 216-255 (53.4 - 63.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery.
2. +1 252+ Atk Dragonite Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Metagross: 294-346 (80.7 - 95%) -- guaranteed 2HKO.
3. +1 252+ Atk Dragonite Fire Punch vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Skarmory: 158-186 (47.3 - 55.6%) -- 21.5% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery.
4. +1 252+ Atk Dragonite Fire Punch vs. 252 HP / 128 Def Bronzong: 216-256 (63.9 - 75.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery.
5. +1 252+ Atk Dragonite Outrage vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Hippowdon: 211-250 (50.2 - 59.5%) -- 80.9% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery.
6. +1 252+ Atk Dragonite Outrage vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Clefable: 289-342 (73.3 - 86.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery.
7. +1 252+ Atk Dragonite Outrage vs. 248 HP / 228+ Def Zapdos: 271-319 (70.7 - 83.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery.
8. +1 252+ Atk Dragonite Outrage vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Suicune: 216-255 (53.4 - 63.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery.
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Magic in the Air (Tyranitar) @ Shuca Berry / Lum Berry
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 48 HP / 144 Atk / 52 SpA / 184 SpD / 80 Spe
Lonely Nature
- Crunch
- Pursuit
- Fire Blast
- Stone Edge
Last but not least, we got Tyranitar. Honestly I had no idea which set would be good here for Tyranitar. At first I tried the Choice Scarf set but then I was open to getting swept by Agility Metagross or other sweepers after I click Pursuit on Rotom. I also thought that Tyranitar could take care of Zapdos, which is a threat to Staraptor as well, and take hits from it thanks to its great special bulk during Sandstorm. Therefore, I decided to use the standard All Purpose Tyranitar set. Crunch is a realiable STAB attack for Tyranitar, that targets foolish foes that would stay in vs Tyranitar, such as Starmie and Latias. Pursuit is basically the reason why Tyranitar is here, as it traps Rotom forms for Staraptor. Fire Blast targets physical bulky Steel-type Pokemon such as Skarmory and Metagross. Metagross is basically the reason why Fire Blast is here, because with the Choice Scarf set I got swept twice by Agility Metagross so I didn't want it to set for free after these games. Stone Edge is Tyranitar's most powerful STAB attack, as it targets Gyarados, Dragonite, and Zapdos which are all threats to the team. Shuca Berry is a safe item that allows Tyranitar to take an Earthquake from foes like Flygon, but I use Lum Berry to absorb Rotom's Will o Wisp, so that Tyranitar can remove it guaranteed despite any possible set that it could run.
THREAT LIST
Fat Teams: I know this is not very specific, but as I was laddering I had a hard time breaking through strong defensive cores and fat teams in general. Probably it is because my hard hitters are pretty vunerable to entry hazards, and if Starmie is gone then things won't look good. I believe for that only reason, I could try a different Starmie set, like Recover + Leftovers or something like that.
REPLAYS + IMPORTABLE + PROOF OF PEAK
Here are some fun ladder matches with the team:
1 https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen4ou-1718135275 Dragonite + Steel-types synergy
2. https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen4ou-1718139570 Sometimes Jirachi can be too damn annoying
3. https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen4ou-1718144583 Weird game ngl
3. https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen4ou-1718153391-nzb56dyslbb6dfhpkmtq4jberfr18c1pw Staraptor and Magnezone getting it done
4. https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen4ou-1719125753-ovrxk8ytd9stfbgcj8z8hmuwjc5j8v6pw Offense is the best defense
5. https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen4ou-1719839035-rdfd0wxj3qrt4dx7hxv5c3xxm4itcd7pw Not 1, but 2 Staraptor KOs
6. https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen4ou-1720800839 Only game I didn't use Staraptor, trust
+
All games on this account were played using that team!
CONCLUSION
This team is very fun to use, but in my personal opinion it might struggle in high level games and tournaments in general. However, that is not entirely the case, as I wanted to see for myself if Staraptor works well in this metagame, and I believe that with this project I got my answer. I will also start building and testing teams around Pokemon that aren't that much used (Weavile, Heracross etc) and see how far I can go, since the RMT subforum motivates me to do so. Thank you for reading this month's RMT, and I will be back with another questionable team next month!
Previous RMTs:
A SUIIIIIIIIIIIIIICUNE team
https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/dpp-ou-a-suiiiiiiiiiiiiiicune-team-peaked-26.3710063/
Lucario Doncic and Lialia's Mavericks
https://www.smogon.com/forums/threa...the-lialias-mavericks-peaked-top-100.3709231/
