Hi :)
So I'm getting back into competitive after a long while away, and this is the team I've come up with for laddering in DPP OU. I'm having fun with it, but I seem to be plateauing around the low 1300s. Partially that's due to my rustiness as a player and lack of familiarity with the current metagame of course, but I'm sure the team itself could also be improved (it's more or less just six Smogon sets thrown together). The idea of the team is to pave the way for a late game Empoleon sweep, but I'm not exactly pulling that off consistently, and I need some help identifying what exactly is holding the team back if anything.
The Guys
Uxie @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 216 Def / 24 SpD / 16 Spe
Bold Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Psychic
- U-turn
- Heal Bell
I enjoy Uxie as a lead a lot for its ability to get up rocks reliably and stick around for a long while to support the team, both by acting as a defensive pivot and by clearing up status with Heal Bell. Also it's been a consistent joy U-turning on Azelf on turn 1 and then KOing it with ScarfTar on move 2 before it can get up rocks. Went with Leftovers over Lum because I like keeping this thing healthy throughout the game, but I could see myself changing it after one too many Brelooms. Honestly I don't end up using Psychic much but it really does save a headache against lead Machamp, so.
Roserade @ Black Sludge
Ability: Poison Point
EVs: 252 HP / 232 Def / 24 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Spikes
- Grass Knot
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Toxic Spikes
Roserade is here as a secondary early game hazard setter; Spikes+Toxic Spikes damage is highly useful for getting the opponent's team into KOing range for the offensive core. It also does a number on bulky waters that Empoleon Ttar and Lucario struggle with. HP fire helps as coverage against Bronzong, Metagross, and Jirachi, though I find myself not using it so much in practice. Definitely open to tweaking the moveset.
Rotom-Heat @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 40 SpA / 220 Spe
Modest Nature
- Pain Split
- Thunderbolt
- Will-O-Wisp
- Overheat
Crucial as a spin blocker and as a check for the aforementioned big three Psychic/Steels. Initially I was only bluffing Overheat while actually carrying Substitute instead, but eventually I decided it really would be nice to have a straightforward way to get Gross/Zong/Rachi out of the way in the early to middle game. Will-o-Wisp frequently catches Ttar on the switch, after which Rotom can tank a few choice-locked Pursuits and wear it down with T-bolts. 220 speed EVs to outspeed and kill Gyarados.
Tyranitar @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Sand Stream
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Crunch
- Pursuit
- Superpower
- Earthquake
ScarfTar brings some much needed speed to the team, and acts as a general revenge killer. It's here to pursuit trap Latias, Gengar, and especially Rotom-A. I went with Superpower to kill opposing Ttar, and earthquake to nail Heatran. Honestly I wonder if I might be limiting myself by going with such a simple scarf set, but again, I need the speed.
Lucario @ Life Orb
Ability: Inner Focus
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- Extreme Speed
- Bullet Punch
Lucario has a dual function as an early to mid game sweeper and as a backup revenge killer. It's often able to get up a Swords Dance early on (usually against Pursuit/Crunch-locked TTars or Pursuit/BP-locked Scizors) and punch sizeable holes in the opponent's team before it can be stopped. Failing a sweep, the double-priority of Extreme Speed and Bullet Punch make it a mean revenge killer in its own right, frequently neutralizing Dragon Dancers on the loose that Ttar can't outspeed. It also does an excellent job luring out Rotoms for Tyranitar to switch in on.
Empoleon @ Shuca Berry
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Agility
- Hydro Pump
- Grass Knot
- Ice Beam
The late game cleaner. I've always been curious to try out this Agility set, and this thing really does pack a punch. I know Petaya Berry is all the rage but I really find Shuca to be highly valuable insurance against EQs from things like Gliscor or Dragonite who outspeed before an Agility. Grass Knot I've found is useful in case Empoleon ends up needing to handle bulky waters itself, which seems to happen pretty often. Honestly I'm open to switching this to whatever Empoleon set works best; I know there are a couple other options here.
Thoughts
One problem I am noticing is that I just don't seem to be able to handle stall very well, Clefable in particular..? While Lucario and Ttar counter Clef on paper, it's vanshingly rare that the opponent ever lets let them land a hit on it. And once Lucario and Ttar go down, all the remaining firepower on my team is special, and in that case there's just no chance in hell I'm ever breaking through Clef. One change I'm considering to account for this is to switch to some sort of Swords Dance set for Empoleon, though that might have some consequences of its own?
There's also the kind of obvious problem that Emp, Luc, and Tar all have a dual Fighting/Ground weakness. I'd like to think that the defensive synergy provided by the other half of the team makes up for this, but maybe it doesn't, I don't know. Again, I'm new enough to the metagame that I'm not sure what to chalk up to my own inexperience and what to chalk up to inherent shortcomings in the team itself.
Any help would be highly appreciated, thanks so much for reading :)
So I'm getting back into competitive after a long while away, and this is the team I've come up with for laddering in DPP OU. I'm having fun with it, but I seem to be plateauing around the low 1300s. Partially that's due to my rustiness as a player and lack of familiarity with the current metagame of course, but I'm sure the team itself could also be improved (it's more or less just six Smogon sets thrown together). The idea of the team is to pave the way for a late game Empoleon sweep, but I'm not exactly pulling that off consistently, and I need some help identifying what exactly is holding the team back if anything.
The Guys
Uxie @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 216 Def / 24 SpD / 16 Spe
Bold Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Psychic
- U-turn
- Heal Bell
I enjoy Uxie as a lead a lot for its ability to get up rocks reliably and stick around for a long while to support the team, both by acting as a defensive pivot and by clearing up status with Heal Bell. Also it's been a consistent joy U-turning on Azelf on turn 1 and then KOing it with ScarfTar on move 2 before it can get up rocks. Went with Leftovers over Lum because I like keeping this thing healthy throughout the game, but I could see myself changing it after one too many Brelooms. Honestly I don't end up using Psychic much but it really does save a headache against lead Machamp, so.
Roserade @ Black Sludge
Ability: Poison Point
EVs: 252 HP / 232 Def / 24 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Spikes
- Grass Knot
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Toxic Spikes
Roserade is here as a secondary early game hazard setter; Spikes+Toxic Spikes damage is highly useful for getting the opponent's team into KOing range for the offensive core. It also does a number on bulky waters that Empoleon Ttar and Lucario struggle with. HP fire helps as coverage against Bronzong, Metagross, and Jirachi, though I find myself not using it so much in practice. Definitely open to tweaking the moveset.
Rotom-Heat @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 40 SpA / 220 Spe
Modest Nature
- Pain Split
- Thunderbolt
- Will-O-Wisp
- Overheat
Crucial as a spin blocker and as a check for the aforementioned big three Psychic/Steels. Initially I was only bluffing Overheat while actually carrying Substitute instead, but eventually I decided it really would be nice to have a straightforward way to get Gross/Zong/Rachi out of the way in the early to middle game. Will-o-Wisp frequently catches Ttar on the switch, after which Rotom can tank a few choice-locked Pursuits and wear it down with T-bolts. 220 speed EVs to outspeed and kill Gyarados.
Tyranitar @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Sand Stream
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Crunch
- Pursuit
- Superpower
- Earthquake
ScarfTar brings some much needed speed to the team, and acts as a general revenge killer. It's here to pursuit trap Latias, Gengar, and especially Rotom-A. I went with Superpower to kill opposing Ttar, and earthquake to nail Heatran. Honestly I wonder if I might be limiting myself by going with such a simple scarf set, but again, I need the speed.
Lucario @ Life Orb
Ability: Inner Focus
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- Extreme Speed
- Bullet Punch
Lucario has a dual function as an early to mid game sweeper and as a backup revenge killer. It's often able to get up a Swords Dance early on (usually against Pursuit/Crunch-locked TTars or Pursuit/BP-locked Scizors) and punch sizeable holes in the opponent's team before it can be stopped. Failing a sweep, the double-priority of Extreme Speed and Bullet Punch make it a mean revenge killer in its own right, frequently neutralizing Dragon Dancers on the loose that Ttar can't outspeed. It also does an excellent job luring out Rotoms for Tyranitar to switch in on.
Empoleon @ Shuca Berry
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Agility
- Hydro Pump
- Grass Knot
- Ice Beam
The late game cleaner. I've always been curious to try out this Agility set, and this thing really does pack a punch. I know Petaya Berry is all the rage but I really find Shuca to be highly valuable insurance against EQs from things like Gliscor or Dragonite who outspeed before an Agility. Grass Knot I've found is useful in case Empoleon ends up needing to handle bulky waters itself, which seems to happen pretty often. Honestly I'm open to switching this to whatever Empoleon set works best; I know there are a couple other options here.
Thoughts
One problem I am noticing is that I just don't seem to be able to handle stall very well, Clefable in particular..? While Lucario and Ttar counter Clef on paper, it's vanshingly rare that the opponent ever lets let them land a hit on it. And once Lucario and Ttar go down, all the remaining firepower on my team is special, and in that case there's just no chance in hell I'm ever breaking through Clef. One change I'm considering to account for this is to switch to some sort of Swords Dance set for Empoleon, though that might have some consequences of its own?
There's also the kind of obvious problem that Emp, Luc, and Tar all have a dual Fighting/Ground weakness. I'd like to think that the defensive synergy provided by the other half of the team makes up for this, but maybe it doesn't, I don't know. Again, I'm new enough to the metagame that I'm not sure what to chalk up to my own inexperience and what to chalk up to inherent shortcomings in the team itself.
Any help would be highly appreciated, thanks so much for reading :)
