Hello all! Come the introduction of Sword and Shield, I've really gotten into Gen 8 OU battles, and decided to make a fun, gimmicky team with some good synergy. I've always loved using trick room in previous generations, as being able to outspeed some of the horrifying meta mons (such as dragapult and scarfed darm.) was always very satisfying. So, with the new gen, I decided to take advantage of some of the slow monsters that were introduced, as well as some rather interesting setups.
Grimmsnarl (M) @ Light Clay
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
- Light Screen
- Reflect
- Taunt
- Spirit Break
In most cases, Grimmsnarl is my dedicated lead. Prankster double screens is always very useful to have setup, with light clay prolonging their use. I keep taunt to prevent setup sweeps/ rocks/ other taunts from affecting my team, and is generally very useful into cinderace leads that court change after i setup screens. I have Spirit Break to cripple special attackers after I setup a light screen as a reliable STAB move with decent BP, and helps destroy nasty plot hydreigon leads that you can't taunt (due to prankster not affecting dark types).
Runerigus @ Mental Herb
Ability: Wandering Spirit
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpDef
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Trick Room
- Will-O-Wisp
- Memento
After setting up screens and taunt if needed, I swap into my runerigus, my second setup mon. I keep will - o - wisp to burn physical threats that through max defense investment, a reflect, and a burn, render them practically useless. I keep rocks to break any sashes, and it's a nice way to punish swaps. I have trick room to give runerigus and my team the first hit if needed, and memento to shutdown any threatening mons that could sweep my team.
Copperajah @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Heat Crash
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Power Whip
With sheer force, copperajah's iron head hits really hard with the sheer force boost, STAB, and the life orb boost, one shotting most mons with minimal defense investment. I keep power whip for coverage into seismitoads/ rotom- Ws. Earthquake is other coverage although it could be replaced with zen headbutt for fighting coverage and the sheer force boost. I keep heat crash because copperajah is really heavy, making heat crash a 120 BP move a majority of the time. and fire coverage is really useful to have into ferrothorn.
Hatterene (F) @ Life Orb
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Trick Room
- Mystical Fire
- Dazzling Gleam
- Psychic
I keep hatterene as a second trick room setup, and a reliable swap in for mons that try to use status against my team with magic bounce. Psychic and dazzling gleam are hatterene's best STAB moves, and mystical fire is great for crippling special attacking sweepers or just a common steel type that would usually wall hatterene out, despite its low BP. Life orb provides much needed damage that can oneshot many mons, including cinderace.
Crawdaunt @ Life Orb
Ability: Adaptability
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Swords Dance
- Aqua Jet
- Liquidation
- Knock Off
I've always loved Crawdunt for it's amazing attack stat and Adaptability, which essentially makes all of its moves have double BP. With its low speed stat, crawdunt can move first in trick room and can pick up some easy oneshots with liquidation or knock off. Swords dance is kept for predicting a swap/ protect. I like to run aqua jet by the off chance that my opponent could have a slower mon, or to be used when trick room ends and I just need a little more damage to pick up a kill.
Polteageist @ Focus Sash
Ability: Weak Armor
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Shadow Ball
- Stored Power
- Giga Drain
- Shell Smash
I refer to this as my get out of jail free card. If trick room doesn't seem to be working, or if I am down to my last mon, I send out my Polteageist and go for the reverse sweep. Shell smash and a STAB shadow ball or just a Stored Power can one shot many mons with no special defense investment. I run weak armor over cursed body in case a timid/ jolly dragapult is running around, and the speed boost is very helpful contributing towards Stored Power's BP. I like running Focus Sash, but at times I use white herb, as rocks are rather common and can negate my sash completely.
So, what are your thoughts? I've been having some really good success with this team, and would really like everyone's opinions on how I could improve this team.
Grimmsnarl (M) @ Light Clay
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
- Light Screen
- Reflect
- Taunt
- Spirit Break
In most cases, Grimmsnarl is my dedicated lead. Prankster double screens is always very useful to have setup, with light clay prolonging their use. I keep taunt to prevent setup sweeps/ rocks/ other taunts from affecting my team, and is generally very useful into cinderace leads that court change after i setup screens. I have Spirit Break to cripple special attackers after I setup a light screen as a reliable STAB move with decent BP, and helps destroy nasty plot hydreigon leads that you can't taunt (due to prankster not affecting dark types).
Runerigus @ Mental Herb
Ability: Wandering Spirit
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpDef
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Trick Room
- Will-O-Wisp
- Memento
After setting up screens and taunt if needed, I swap into my runerigus, my second setup mon. I keep will - o - wisp to burn physical threats that through max defense investment, a reflect, and a burn, render them practically useless. I keep rocks to break any sashes, and it's a nice way to punish swaps. I have trick room to give runerigus and my team the first hit if needed, and memento to shutdown any threatening mons that could sweep my team.
Copperajah @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Heat Crash
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Power Whip
With sheer force, copperajah's iron head hits really hard with the sheer force boost, STAB, and the life orb boost, one shotting most mons with minimal defense investment. I keep power whip for coverage into seismitoads/ rotom- Ws. Earthquake is other coverage although it could be replaced with zen headbutt for fighting coverage and the sheer force boost. I keep heat crash because copperajah is really heavy, making heat crash a 120 BP move a majority of the time. and fire coverage is really useful to have into ferrothorn.
Hatterene (F) @ Life Orb
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Trick Room
- Mystical Fire
- Dazzling Gleam
- Psychic
I keep hatterene as a second trick room setup, and a reliable swap in for mons that try to use status against my team with magic bounce. Psychic and dazzling gleam are hatterene's best STAB moves, and mystical fire is great for crippling special attacking sweepers or just a common steel type that would usually wall hatterene out, despite its low BP. Life orb provides much needed damage that can oneshot many mons, including cinderace.
Crawdaunt @ Life Orb
Ability: Adaptability
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Swords Dance
- Aqua Jet
- Liquidation
- Knock Off
I've always loved Crawdunt for it's amazing attack stat and Adaptability, which essentially makes all of its moves have double BP. With its low speed stat, crawdunt can move first in trick room and can pick up some easy oneshots with liquidation or knock off. Swords dance is kept for predicting a swap/ protect. I like to run aqua jet by the off chance that my opponent could have a slower mon, or to be used when trick room ends and I just need a little more damage to pick up a kill.
Polteageist @ Focus Sash
Ability: Weak Armor
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Shadow Ball
- Stored Power
- Giga Drain
- Shell Smash
I refer to this as my get out of jail free card. If trick room doesn't seem to be working, or if I am down to my last mon, I send out my Polteageist and go for the reverse sweep. Shell smash and a STAB shadow ball or just a Stored Power can one shot many mons with no special defense investment. I run weak armor over cursed body in case a timid/ jolly dragapult is running around, and the speed boost is very helpful contributing towards Stored Power's BP. I like running Focus Sash, but at times I use white herb, as rocks are rather common and can negate my sash completely.
So, what are your thoughts? I've been having some really good success with this team, and would really like everyone's opinions on how I could improve this team.
Copperajah. Copperajah is already one of the heaviest Pokemon in the game, and Heavy Metal skyrockets its weight even higher, making Heavy Slam do big damage, equivalent to Sheer Force + Iron Head. Though, the bigger reason is for the buffed up Heat Crash, which isn't effected by Sheer Force anyway. If you do want to keep Sheer Force, though, then I would swap Earthquake for Zen Headbutt. Zen Headbutt is boosted by Sheer Force and allows you to hit Rotom-Heat neutrally while still hitting Toxapex super-effectively. EQ isn't as needed since most things it'll hit are hit hard by Copperajah's other moves.
