Introduction:
Currently OU is just pivot spam and a bunch of offensive play so I wanted to build a team that would do well vs most of that stuff. I also wanted to use Slowking G, because it's my fav new mon this generation, and one that I think is pretty good in OU. The tier feels like it is a bit of a MU fish, but I find that going into most MU's this team has at least given me a chance to win. I don't play many OU tours right now, and was just playing around on ladder, so figured I would post this team for anyone who wanted to use it.
First: Proof of Peak (s)
Currently on the ladd in the top 500 I didn't think anyone had crossed 90 GXE, so I just thought it was cool that I crossed it one day on my main, and then the next day on an alt. On the alt account I managed to get on a some 30-40 game win streak with the team, giving me the idea to post it here.
THE TEAM
THE PROCESS
Slowking-Galar @ Assault Vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 148 SpA / 108 SpD
Quiet Nature
- Sludge Bomb
- Future Sight
- Flamethrower
- Earthquake
Whatever team I was going to build was going to start with this mon. Despite being an incredible wall that can switch in to most special attackers, this mon is single-handedly able to dent a vast amount of teams. Being able to absorb volt switch from scary special attackers, and actually dent others (unlike Chansey) means this mon can help force progress in many games. The set is somewhat standard for AV (having sludge bomb as primary STAB and for useful poisons, Fsight because its broken, and flamethrower for steels (particuarly Ferrothorn). Because Heatran is incredibly hard for stall to deal with, and scald does negligible vs Spd Heatran sets, I opted for Earthquake after finishing the rest of the team. Slowking-G does NOT like switching in to Heatran directly (while it still has leftovers), but is often vital in the the team effort to effectively deal with Heatran. The EVs allow it do be a strong special attacker, while capitalizing on the 1.5* boost that AV provides. Traditional Smogon sets run 252/176/80, but I have found the extra SpD to help in some matchups such as vs Magnezone. That being said, more SpA does also have its merits. (As an aside, most games I was even ok with this thing losing its AV, as long as I knew I could deal with the mons on the other team without it). Knock off hurts it, but after a few regens it will be fine, and able to always switch in and threaten something like Ferrothorn.
Toxapex @ Shed Shell
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Scald
- Knock Off
- Recover
- Haze
I honestly don't think I can say much about what Pex does that hasn't already been said. It is an incredible tool for stall and balance alike, and generally used to switch into every mon that you aren't sure what it does. It eats everything, and hazes away everything else. This set is standard aside from the shed shell, which is vital in the effort to deal with Heatran. As soon as Heatran is knocked, it becomes far less effective. The ability to switch into Heatran, deliver the knock, and switch out is very helpful for this team. I use Pex as a Knock Off switchin many games, but often need to be careful in games where I see a Heatran. If a team does not have Heatran, Shed Shell is useless, and you can freely let Toxapex lose its item. Its EVS maximize its physical defense, which is generally what this thing does best this generation.
Chansey (F) @ Eviolite
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Impish Nature
- Seismic Toss
- Soft-Boiled
- Toxic
- Stealth Rock
The first interchangeable mon on this team. (For Blissey, don't switch this thing for anything else pls). I think everyone knows what Blissey offers over Chansey this generation, with its ability to run HDB much more effectively. In my first build of this team, I used Mandibuzz over Tangrowth, and had two defoggers. This meant that Chansey was clearly better in most matchups than Blissey. After I decided that Tangrowth worked more favorably in more matchups, this became a much harder decision. What Chansey offers over Blissey is the ability to take defensive hits much better, which comes into play vs mons such as mixed Nidoking, which is a set that can be found (albeit somewhat uncommonly) this generation. It helps vs other physical attackers occasionally as well, such as excadrill (its not a great exca check obv), Mamoswine, etc. Chansey is this teams dedicated rocker (it isn't used as a teleport pivot like Blissey), but the set and EVS are otherwise standard. Use it like you use Chansey, just eat every SPA ever. Stoss is also invaluable chip for stall teams.
Corviknight @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Body Press
- Iron Defense
- Defog
- Roost
Probably the perfect defogger/mon. This mon does everything you could ever want a defogger to do. Live forever, check scary threats like Excadrill/Tapu Lele, Lando-T, Chomp, and pressure stall everything down. Again, the set is relatively standard for Corviknight, aside from potentially Iron Defense. ID is a tech employed on many stall teams, and one that I find pretty necessary on this team. It allows Corv to defog on mons such as SD lando and Chomp, and generally neutralize other threats such as flinches from SD Excadrill, or other setup mons. I really would not consider using any other set, after having seen how well this one has worked for me. You have to be careful if you see Magnezone (because this is not shed shell obviously), but this team traditionally has other answers for Mzone teams. If a team had spike stack AND Magnezone it would be problematic, but that is a team archetype that I very rarely see.
Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 252 HP / 248 Def / 8 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Calm Mind
- Soft-Boiled
- Heal Bell
Not to be a broken clock, but this IS the perfect stall mon. Amazing typing, amazing ability, and finally the chance to run that ability with a perfect healing move. Clefable serves as my teams cleric with heal bell, as well as backup (often primary) check to setup monsters like Garchomp. I loved running this back in the day vs Calm Mind Magearna, and watching as their +6 +6 stored powers did nothing vs +6 Spd unaware clef (and then doing 50 in return). Nowadays, CM serves a similar defensive role, allowing Clef to always defeat mons like CM Reuniclus 1v1 (barring crit). It also serves as a late game "sweeper," and in general, perfect mon.
Tangrowth
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 48 Def / 208 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Giga Drain
- Knock Off
- Focus Blast
- Protect
I want to do something different than most RMT's, which is after explaining this mon and its set, offer up a completely different, viable alternative. This is definitely the set I customized the most to fill the weaknesses in this team. Firstly, we can see that there is no item. This is vital in the effort to stop mons such as Crawdaunt (band OR sd), as well as Bisharp. The chip I got on some mons from rocky helmet, or running HDB, simply wasn't worth the very tough position I was put in some games vs these mons. Next, we can see that the last slot is protect instead of something like sleep powder or sludge bomb. This ensures that against Slowbro or Slowking, whoever they teleport into will not be killing Tangrowth. Tangrowth will still take around 40% from future sight, but it can regen off most of this damage. It is not a check to future sight Slowking-Galar, which is its own story, but Tang does well for itself in most matchups. Focus Blast is for both SD Kartana and Bisharp, both of which would otherwise provide a big struggle (you still have to hit FB unfortunately). Knock off is self-explanatory on most sets, but I originally had Toxic on this mon to help vs stuff like mixed Dracozolt. The problem is without knock off this team is far too weak to ghosts like SD Aegislash, and in the end I could not justify Toxic>Knock off. In an alternative version where I used Mandibuzz, this team is very very solid, but has a glaring weakness to physical electric pokemons. Phys Electric mons are very uncommon, but dracozolt, arctozolt, and even zeraora were incredibly tough to play around. In general, I have found Tangrowth to be SLIGHTLY better on this team.
For anyone wondering, here is the Mandibuzz set
Mandibuzz (F) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 248 HP / 204 Def / 56 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Foul Play
- Defog
- Whirlwind
- Roost
This set creeps adamant Craw, which is vital in the effort against its SD sets. Aside from being my second defogger, and incredible fsight switchin, I loved using Whirwind after a Future Sight to get unstoppable kills vs more passive teams. It is an amazing Rillaboom and Kartana check, as well as pretty much every physical attacker. The one issue with Mandibuzz>Tangrowth was the teams glaring weakness to physical electric moves, but otherwise this mon is every bit as viable as Tangrowth. I achieved the 91 GXE with this team, and the 92 GXE with the Tangrowth variant. I will include pastes to both, in case people want to experiment between the two.
Threatlist:
Heatran- Even with the precautions I employed, Heatran will often take a kill. Without more offensively designed mons, such as Garchomp, it is incredibly difficult to beat Heatran with only passive Pokemon. The good news is, Heatran will usually only take one kill, if that, and the team can proceed to beat the rest of many others.
Gengar- Absolutely nightmarish. Chansey cannot touch this thing, and it hits very very hard. If using the Tangrowth variant, aside from Pex and Slowking, there is no counterplay. The good news is Slowking G can live a +2 LO shadow ball from full, and hurt it back with EQ. If LO, it will also die relatively quickly. If Non-LO, the same thing applies, but it is even harder to beat.
Fsight Slowking G+other breakers- Although not scary on its own, Slowking G is very very scary when paired with other dangerous physical attackers. I will often go into my own Slowk G to try to set up my own fsight on it, but it is a difficult mon to beat, and must be played around carefully.
Electrics- If using the Mandibuzz variant, physical electrics are incredibly difficult.
Magnezone- Losing Corv in some matchups can be dire, so it is crucial to play around Mzone carefully.
Tapu Lele- Specifically specs with tbolt can be very scary. It is playable, with good predictions, but difficult.
Other physical threats- Typically, this team will lose to physical threats far quicker than SPA threats, and has the potential to be overwhelmed. Even mons such as Urshifu Water can be scary, if Toxapex were to die.
Despite these threats, as I've said, I do like this team vs a lot of what OU has right now.
Replays:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1308836146-s2o4c6qte1e7z0yhughe5hedtjiqyrwpw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1308826480-7ih9vekhtivb1ntzte0utpbg2vbfcijpw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1308815122-hdb9rqwje77eseu5xoflrmchex5ure0pw (this MU felt like pure stallbreak)+ Opp prob misplayed end
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1275058786-8o1y4spjbccwmwxi97p4sbdvijhaczjpw (Mandi version, I love how this replay demonstrates its perseverance, with decent play)
Imports (s)
https://pokepast.es/000559ed7687deac (Updated Tang version)
https://pokepast.es/b6eb02fbf4ac0755 (Mandi version)
Edit: someone told me heal bell is blocked by soundproof so make it aromatherapy lol
Thanks for reading this far if ya did!
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