ORAS OU Dragalge Balanced

Hey guys, this is my first RMT and constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated :]
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I wanted to build a team around Dragalge + Mega-Gyara + Hazard Stack. When that didn't work out, I changed my formula and came up with this team.


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After I settled on my Dragalge set, I needed a partner that threatened Psychic and Ground types. Mega-Scizor immediately came to mind because it can switch in on Ice, Dragon, Psychic and some Ground types without fearing much.

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Scizor greatly appreciates Dragalge's ability to break some of its most prominent checks, such as bulky Waters and bulky Steels. Although these two Pokemon lean to the more offensive side, I still wanted to build a more balanced team. I needed something to beat Ground types and I wanted some U-Turn / Volt Switch for Dragalge.


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I decided to go Gliscor because of its stallbreaking capabilities, and it's arguably the most solid Ground immunity in OU. I chose Rotom-W because of it's good resistances, and ability to cripple many Physical attackers. Now I needed some key resistances and something to clean up lategame.

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I went Clefable + Alakazam because Clefable is a great Pokemon on balance, and it's a great Electric and Dragon check. I went Alakazam instead of other late-game sweepers because of Encore, and its ability to mess with stall and lets it beat mons it shouldn't beat.

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Dragalge @ Black Sludge
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 200 HP / 252 SpA / 56 Spe 196 HP / 168 SpA / 144 Spe
Modest Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Sludge Bomb Sludge Wave
- Focus Blast Hidden Power Fire
- Toxic Spikes

Dragalge's role usually depends on the matchup. Against offense it usually does well, living hits from things like Keldeo and Bisharp and retaliating with its often unchecked strong attacks. Against balance, Dragalge plays a more prominent role and is usually my win condition. It beats common Balance pokes, such as Clefable, Keldeo, Heatran and more and usually cleans up after everything has been weakened. It can use its good bulk to pivot on Pokes and threaten them out while getting up a layer of Toxic Spikes. Against stall, Dragalge can't really do much, against it as most version of stall usually carry a special wall. Most it can do is set up some Toxic Spikes, but stall always carries hazard removal. I went Draco Meteor + Sludge Bomb, because they're Dragalge's best options for Stab, and I went Focus Blast for the best coverage possible. I ran enough speed to out pace 0 EV base 50s, max Sp.A and the rest into HP. The spread is to outspeed and 2hko +1 Clefable.

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Scizor-Mega @ Scizorite
Ability: Light Metal
EVs: 248 HP / 44 Atk / 16 Def / 200 SpD
Impish Nature
- Bullet Punch
- Superpower
- Roost
- Swords Dance

After looking for some good Dragalge partners, I came across Specially Defensive Scizor. Scizor can switch in to stuff that threatens Dragalge such as Lati@s, Mega-Gardevoir, Weavile, fat steel types, and can set up on aforementioned threats. It also has good synergy with Dragalge, seeing as Dragalge checks some of Scizor's most common checks. Against offense, Scizor is usually my win condition as it sets up some of the most common offensive Pokes and can counterattack with its priority Bullet Punch. It also is my main check to some of the most common offensive pokes, kek. Against balance it usually performs worse than against offense, being checked by many common balance Pokes, such as Keldeo, Rotom-W and Scizor. Against stall, it does pretty well as it applies a lot of pressure on physical walls and can sweep late game, but it usually doesn't do much more than that. I went Superpower over U-Turn so it isn't set up bait for Bisharp and so it can do massive damage to Skarmory. I settled on Mega-Scizor over Megagross because of its ability to reliably check more stuff than Megagross.

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Gliscor @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 248 HP / 184 SpD / 76 Spe 244 HP / 188 SpD / 76 Spe
Careful Nature
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
- Taunt / Swords Dance
- Roost
Looking over my two Pokemon, I noticed they ere kind of weak to stall and weak to strong Ground types. Gliscor fulfills these two roles, as it can beat stall and is a really good Ground check. Gliscor is a great Pokemon that really shines on balance as it fulfills so many roles. Against offense, Gliscor usually struggles as it can be overwhelmed by common offensive Pokes. Against balance Gliscor does pretty well, beating Pokemon such as Clefable, Landorus-T and Garchomp. Against stall is where Gliscor really shines. Because of the combination of Taunt + Knock Off, Gliscor is usually able to beat most defensive Pokemon 1v1. I chose Knock Off over Toxic so I can touch Pokemon like Gengar and Skarmory. Also, I decided on Gliscor over Landorus-T, Hippowdon or Garchomp because of how well Gliscor performs against stall.

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Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 216 Def / 44 Spe
Bold Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Volt Switch
- Will-O-Wisp
- Pain Split

I went Rotom because it's a pretty solid Water type check and provides Volt Turn, which can net safe switch ins to my Dragalge. My team needed a solid Water type resist, because Dragalge would often get overwhelmed. Rotom also baits out Pokemon such as Celebi and Lati@s, which Scizor sets up on. Against offense, Rotom-W can check many threats like Azumarill, Talonflame and Landorus-T and get a free Volt Switch on the incoming Pokemon. Against balance Rotom-W is pretty poop because Pokemon like Mega-Venusaur, Mega-Altaria and Clefable can easily switch in and force me out. However, Rotom-W is a really solid Tornadus-T check, which would otherwise steamroll my team. An alternative to Rotom-W is Keldeo, which still baits out the same Pokemon and can double as a Scarf user. However, Keldeo makes this team much too weak to Talonflame.

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Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 172 Def / 84 SpD
Calm Nature
- Moonblast
- Stealth Rock
- Soft-Boiled
- Knock Off Thunder Wave

In my opinion, Clefable is a staple on many balance teams because it performs its roles so well. I went Knock Off + Stealth Rock because Knock Off can be used to whittle many of Clefable's switch ins, as lack of Lefties + Stealth Rock switch ins really puts a dent on many Pokes. I chose Clefable because it is such a versatile Pokemon and it fulfills the many roles I needed. Dragon check, dark check, hazards, offensive utility. The spread is so that Clefable doesnt get 2hko'd by Mega-Lopunny's return. I used Clefable over other Stealth Rock setters because most Stealth Rock setters are weak to Water, and I didn't want to put too much stress on Rotom-W and Dragalge to check Water types. An alternative to Clefable is Skarmory which helps Scizor deal with Physical attackers much better and can also provide Defog. Yellow magic can be used over Knock Off, since it helps with Dragalge's low speed stat. Thunder Wave over Knock Off because it helps against faster teams.

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Alakazam @ Life Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Psychic
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
- Encore / Substitute

After looking for a final Pokemon, I wanted something that can beat Mega-Venusaur and can stop certain set-up Pokemon from setting up on me. I chose Alakazam because how well it performs against stall. With Magic Guard + Encore, I can beat a lot of Pokes I'm not supposed to. Such as Clefable and Chansey. Encore also minimizes prediction and is very useful against more defensive teams. Focus Sash is prety meh on Alakazam and misses out on some very important 2hkos. Alternative options include Substitute over Encore to bait out Sucker Punches, Dazzling Gleam over Shadow Ball. I've also used LO + Taunt Tornadus-T over Alakazam, as they are both fast, they both have hard hitting moves and they both can shut down stall with Encore or Taunt.

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- A well played ScarfTran can demolish my team if Rotom-W is gone. Seeing as Mega-Venusaur is a very common Heatran partner, it can be a problem.

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- The only actual threat is the Power-Up Punch version, as Scizor + Clefable handles the other version.

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- Water types can be a problem if Dragalge or Rotom-W is weakened. Banded Azu, TG + 3 Attack Manaphy and Specs Keld are all problematic.

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- Electric types are often troubling if Dragalge or Clefable are weak. Alakazam can revenge kill Raikou and Thund and Clefable + Dragalge handle Manectric.
Updated Importable
Dragalge @ Black Sludge
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 196 HP / 168 SpA / 144 Spe
Modest Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Sludge Wave
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Toxic Spikes

Scizor-Mega @ Scizorite
Ability: Light Metal
EVs: 248 HP / 44 Atk / 16 Def / 200 SpD
Impish Nature
- Bullet Punch
- Superpower
- Roost
- Swords Dance

Gliscor @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 244 HP / 188 SpD / 76 Spe
Careful Nature
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
- Taunt
- Roost

Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 216 Def / 44 Spe
Bold Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Volt Switch
- Will-O-Wisp
- Pain Split

Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 172 Def / 84 SpD
Calm Nature
- Moonblast
- Stealth Rock
- Soft-Boiled
- Thunder Wave

Alakazam @ Life Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Psychic
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
- Encore

Conclusion: I feel that this team has some weak points, but also has many strong points. I really like how the team handles itself against stall and balanced teams, but I often have trouble against offense.

I know that making dramatic changes to a team isn't recommended, but you can change any member of the team as long as it patches up a weakness.
 
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I don't have time atm for a rate, just want to point out that 244HP/188SpD/76Spe is a better spread for Gliscor. This tiny change makes you hit a Poison Heal number to recover more HP.
Will make a full rate ASAP. Until then, have a nice day!
 
Seeing you're having quite an issue here with some common OU pokemon, but no worries I have just the thing! Since two of the groups you mentioned have some of the most seen Pokemon on the ladder, I suggest running offensive Mega-Venusaur with HP investment. I'm thinking you can replace Dragalge for it since Venusaur pretty much patches up the problems as it resists water, electric, fairy, and ice moves seeing as it comes prepared with thick fat, a very useful ability.
Here's the set I recommend and that I personally use. It comes with solid moves to combat your threats and sleep powder to catch the Heatran switch in.

Sunflower (Venusaur) (F) @ Venusaurite
Ability: Chlorophyll
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 244 SpA / 12 SpD
Modest Nature
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Sleep Powder
- Hidden Power [Fire]
 
Seeing you're having quite an issue here with some common OU pokemon, but no worries I have just the thing! Since two of the groups you mentioned have some of the most seen Pokemon on the ladder, I suggest running offensive Mega-Venusaur with HP investment. I'm thinking you can replace Dragalge for it since Venusaur pretty much patches up the problems as it resists water, electric, fairy, and ice moves seeing as it comes prepared with thick fat, a very useful ability.
Here's the set I recommend and that I personally use. It comes with solid moves to combat your threats and sleep powder to catch the Heatran switch in.

Sunflower (Venusaur) (F) @ Venusaurite
Ability: Chlorophyll
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 244 SpA / 12 SpD
Modest Nature
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Sleep Powder
- Hidden Power [Fire]
I agree with this - Mega Venusaur resists Water and Electric, and unlike most Grass-types it doesn't fear HP Ice from Electric-types. However I'd like to add that Earthquake could be a viable option over HP Fire since it lures Heatran even better and can also deal with Electric-types even better. If you miss the Fire coverage go Flamethrower > Knock Off on Clefable. Since you can't run a Mega anymore, Scizor should pack Leftovers/Lum Berry.
Well, hope we've all helped. Have a nice day and good luck with the team!
 
hey man nice to see dragalge in a OU team, first thing i've notice is that core Fairy/Steel/Dragon which one of the best in the metagame, also you have some Ev's spread wrong so i help you with that and i leave it down below. So watching your threat list i dont think your really weak to scarf tran or Lopu but electric types + mana kind hurt your team a lot. I leave a couple suggestion might help your team.
  • An Ev's Spread for Dragalge which allow you to Outspeed clefable and 2hko after +1 with sludge bomb.
  • T-Wave > Knock Off on Clef is more usefull in this slow team, also this help you more agaisnt some faster threat like lopunny, Zard X, Mana, Keldeo,etc.
  • I personally run a bit more speed on Scizor because this team is weak to it, specially if rotom is down or low, also Knock Off > Superpower is better coverage and removing items is so good too.
  • And the only change I made to this would be Tornadus-T > Gliscor, you can go AV or LO Stallbreaker this mon is a great pivot for your team and also can chack a lot of thing in the current metagame like gengar, Starmie, keldeo, u-turn out for chip damage, etc.
Dragalge @ Black Sludge
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 196 HP / 168 SpA / 144 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Sludge Bomb
- Focus Blast
- Toxic Spikes

Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 172 Def / 84 SpD
Calm Nature
- Moonblast
- Stealth Rock
- Soft-Boiled
- Thunder Wave

Scizor-Mega @ Scizorite
Ability: Light Metal
EVs: 252 HP / 200 SpD / 56 Spe
Impish Nature
- Bullet Punch
- Knock Off
- Roost
- Swords Dance

Tornadus-Therian (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 96 HP / 160 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Knock Off
- U-turn
- Hurricane
- Hidden Power [Ice]

HP Ice is for opposing SD Gliscor which could be a pain.

OR

Tornadus-Therian (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 96 Atk / 160 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
IVs: 30 Atk / 30 Def
- Knock Off
- U-turn
- Hurricane
- Taunt
Hope i help you man and Gl
 
Yo, TheDerpsaur! After testing out your team(i enjoyed it a lot btw, the Gliscor set really does great work in such a defensive metagame) you'll mostly find yourself in a position where knock off is useless on one of the Pokémon, because the other one already removed the items. So i suggest testing out another move for Clefable, as Gliscor will probably aleady get items out, as said before. Flamethrower>Knock Off sounds like a great option to stop Pokémon such as Mega Scizor(which can get really annoying after Rotom-W's HP gets low) from setting up versus the fairy.
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Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 172 Def / 84 SpD
Calm Nature
- Moonblast
- Stealth Rock
- Soft-Boiled
- Flamethrower

Another thing you should change is Sludge Wave>Sludge Bomb on the Dragalge set. While the poison chance can be nice sometimes, Sludge Wave is just the better option in general as it is the stronger move, and that can be crucial on a lot of situations. There is no point running Bomb, really.
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Dragalge @ Black Sludge
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 200 HP / 252 SpA / 56 Spe
Modest Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Sludge Wave
- Focus Blast
- Toxic Spikes

GL with the team man.
 
I don't have time atm for a rate, just want to point out that 244HP/188SpD/76Spe is a better spread for Gliscor. This tiny change makes you hit a Poison Heal number to recover more HP.
Will make a full rate ASAP. Until then, have a nice day!
Thanks, I made the change :]

Hello. I have a few suggestions.

Dragalge @ Black Sludge
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 200 HP / 252 SpA / 56 Spe
Modest Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Sludge Wave
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Toxic Spikes
  • What I see is an inability to severely dent Ferro/MScizor. HP Fire allows you to scorch them. You have enough Fight coverage to forfeit Focus Blast. Sludge Wave offers a bit more power.
Scizor-Mega @ Scizorite
Ability: Light Metal
EVs: 248 HP / 44 Atk / 16 Def / 200 SpD
Impish Nature
- Bullet Punch
- Superpower / Knock Off
- Roost
- Swords Dance
  • If you'd rather have Knock Off to remove items that's an option that doesn't have drawbacks.
Gliscor @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 244 HP / 188 SpD / 76 Spe
Careful Nature / Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
- Swords Dance
- Roost
  • You mentioned SBreaking but Gliscor doesn't have the power to SBreak without Swords Dance. This gives you another wincon that cant be burned as well. An Impish Nature gives you better mixed bulk to tackle a larger variety of threats. HP changed to Poison Heal #
Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 248 HP / 172 Def / 88 SpD
Calm Nature
- Moonblast
- Stealth Rock
- Soft-Boiled
- Thunder Wave
  • With Unaware you gain a buffer against offense that relies on boosts to do damage while Clefable chips away at it. Thunder Wave allows you to cripple faster mons on offense so your team has less trouble against it.
Alakazam @ Alakazite
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Psychic
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
- Encore / Substitute
  • Have you tried Mega Alakazam? It's a great alternative that gives you an upper hand against offense with it's power and speed. Substitute gives Alakazam breathing room against team's that it's facing.
Scizor can function without being Mega as a trapper or Defogger or still be a wincon. I suggest you wait on other comments.

Have fun!

Thanks, I didn't run HP Fire on Dragalge in fear of Heatran switching in freely, but now that I tested it, it works better. I went Superpower over Knock Off because Scizor is my main Bisharp check, and without Superpower i wouldn't be able to touch it. I actually tried T-Wave on Clefable before I tried Knock Off and it did help against sweepers, but I chose Knock Off to cripple many of Clefable's checks, made the change. I would change Mega-Scizor to Mega-Kazam, but then Pokemon such as Bisharp and Weavile can run rampant on my team. Testing the change. Thanks!

hey man nice to see dragalge in a OU team, first thing i've notice is that core Fairy/Steel/Dragon which one of the best in the metagame, also you have some Ev's spread wrong so i help you with that and i leave it down below. So watching your threat list i dont think your really weak to scarf tran or Lopu but electric types + mana kind hurt your team a lot. I leave a couple suggestion might help your team.
  • An Ev's Spread for Dragalge which allow you to Outspeed clefable and 2hko after +1 with sludge bomb.
  • T-Wave > Knock Off on Clef is more usefull in this slow team, also this help you more agaisnt some faster threat like lopunny, Zard X, Mana, Keldeo,etc.
  • I personally run a bit more speed on Scizor because this team is weak to it, specially if rotom is down or low, also Knock Off > Superpower is better coverage and removing items is so good too.
  • And the only change I made to this would be Tornadus-T > Gliscor, you can go AV or LO Stallbreaker this mon is a great pivot for your team and also can chack a lot of thing in the current metagame like gengar, Starmie, keldeo, u-turn out for chip damage, etc.
Dragalge @ Black Sludge
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 196 HP / 168 SpA / 144 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Sludge Bomb
- Focus Blast
- Toxic Spikes

Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 172 Def / 84 SpD
Calm Nature
- Moonblast
- Stealth Rock
- Soft-Boiled
- Thunder Wave

Scizor-Mega @ Scizorite
Ability: Light Metal
EVs: 252 HP / 200 SpD / 56 Spe
Impish Nature
- Bullet Punch
- Knock Off
- Roost
- Swords Dance

Tornadus-Therian (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 96 HP / 160 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Knock Off
- U-turn
- Hurricane
- Hidden Power [Ice]

HP Ice is for opposing SD Gliscor which could be a pain.

OR

Tornadus-Therian (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 96 Atk / 160 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
IVs: 30 Atk / 30 Def
- Knock Off
- U-turn
- Hurricane
- Taunt
Hope i help you man and Gl

Thanks for the rate. Many people have suggested I change Knock Off to T-Wave on Clefable and I did. I'm testing AV Torn-T and it helps me check offensive threats like Keldeo and Serperior that Gliscor can't really touch, but I don't think I'm going to make the change due to Gliscor's ability to come in more safely on stuff like Lando and Bisharp. I also made the spread change to Dragalge. Thanks for the suggestions


haxiom edit: combined 3 posts, please reply to rates in one post to clean things up a bit.
 
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Hi TheDerpsaur, really solid team you have there however there are a few suggestions I would give to help improve this team n_n
  • Firstly, I do notice that you have a very glaring weakness to Tail Glow Manaphy that can run through your team on it's own since Alakazam doesn't OHKO it and everything else is slower and take a lot/gets knocked out from a +3 Scald/IceBeam/Energy Ball. To help cope with this weakness, I'll recommend having your Clefable to be Unaware instead while retaining the current move-set of Thunder Wave, Stealth Rock, Moonblast and Moonlight. With the Unaware ability, you might also want to consider having a little more physical bulk so as to cope with Power-Up Punch variant of Mega Lopunny. With just this slight change, you are able to help cope with the 2 Pokemons you listed in your threat list a lot better.

  • Secondly, with Unaware Clefable, a Specially Defensive Scizor along with a Specially Defensive Gliscor with Swords Dance, it'll be alright to make Dragalge a lot bulkier so as to help take hits from Thundurus/Manectric/Raikou better.

  • Lastly, you may want to consider replacing Life Orb Alakazam for a strong Fire Type such as Heatran to help cope with opposing Scizor since your only check to it is a Hidden Power Fire Dragalge/Rotom-W with Will-O-Wisp which loses to a +2 Scizor with Knock Off if weakened(which is really easy since they serve as pivots in your team). A Choice Scarfed Heatran would be useful to your team as it can provide your team with some speed control while covering several weaknesses your team have.
Hope it helps :]
 
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