Hello Smogon!
My name's RoninTDL, and I've been keeping up with the Pokemon competitive scene for a while now. I've been enjoying the Gen 9 competitive scene for the time it's been active, and I've really wanted to get a good team going for this generation. This one team I've made has seen some mixed success, and I'd like some feedback on what could be changed.
The Team
Nobunaga (Kingambit) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Supreme Overlord
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 96 HP / 252 Atk / 160 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Kowtow Cleave
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
Kingambit is the primary sweeper for the team. It sets up Swords Dance, does big damage, and can clean games under the right circumstances. Tera-Fire gives me a better matchup against the ever-present Volcarona and also blocks stray Will-O-Wisps. It also works quite well alongside the next member of the team...
Goemon (Greninja) (M) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Protean
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Dark Pulse
- Ice Beam
- Grass Knot
Kingambit doesn't like Pokemon like Great Tusk and Dondozo preventing it from doing its thing. Choice Specs Greninja just so happens to bring down most, if not all, of the Pokemon Kingambit doesn't like to face. Kingambit, in turn, breaks down fatter Pokemon like Toxapex, as well as threatening the Pokemon Greninja is unable to outspeed such as Dragapult. As an added bonus, Greninja has a good matchup against prominent Pokemon in the tier, such as Gholdengo, Garganacl, Skeledirge, and Walking Wake. These first two Pokemon are indispensable, and the core of my team. If at all possible I would like to keep these two, at least.
Atlas (Great Tusk) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 252 HP / 204 Def / 52 Spe
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Rapid Spin
- Knock Off
The Gen 9 OU staple, one of the best mons in the tier, Great Tusk does a lot of things right. It provides hazards and hazard removal, as well as solid defensive utility against powerful Pokemon like Cinderace and opposing Kingambit. It also provides some item removal via Knock Off. There isn't much to say; it's an extremely valuable member of the team.
Dimitri (Iron Valiant) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Close Combat
- Moonblast
- Knock Off
- Trick
Iron Valiant is my main source of speed control and a somewhat reliable mixed revenge killer. It can take on fast Pokemon like Dragapult and Meowscarada in a pinch, as well as being able to revenge kill Kingambit without the fear of incoming Sucker Punches. Tera-Ghost expands its revenge killing options, allowing it to more easily take on Tera-Normal Extreme Speed Dragonite. Honestly though, in my experience Valiant has been the least helpful member of the team; changes to the set or the Pokemon itself would be welcome.
Branwen (Corviknight) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Brave Bird
- U-turn
- Roost
- Defog
Corviknight is my secondary defensive wall, able to switch in on a wide variety of physical threats and taking some pressure off of Great Tusk while also being able to take on other Great Tusk. U-turn pivoting is nice, and the Defog is there because I'm bad at judging when to Rapid Spin (hazard game is hard on my brain lol). That said, with some advice on good Spin opportunities I'd be open to swapping the Defog slot on Corviknight, or the Pokemon entirely.
Merlin (Slowking) (M) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Regenerator
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Chilly Reception
- Surf
- Future Sight
- Slack Off
Let me preface this by saying I hate Walking Wake. Well, I don't hate Walking Wake, I just don't really like fighting it. It causes big problems for teambuilding and the answers to it are rather limited.
That's where Slowking comes in, as our team's special wall. It's not great at it, granted, having poor matchups against many common special attackers in the tier such as Gholdengo, Volcarona, and opposing Greninja, but it does provide some extra pivoting, Future Sight damage, and snow to dismantle weather teams. It's not the most consistent thing I have, but it has yet to fail me. Tera-Fairy lets us mess around against opposing Draco Meteors and also slightly improves the Specs Dragapult matchup.
Problematic Matchups For This Team
Specifically, Shed Tail. I can sometimes play around hyper offensive Shed Tail teams if I predict reeeeally well, but sometimes I just can't stop that Orthworm from coming in and giving me a bad time.
Dragapult can be revenge killed easily by one of either Kingambit or Iron Valiant, but switching in on a powerful move or status - especially before I know which set it is between Specs, Band, or Hex - is pretty goddamn annoying.
This team has literally zero answers to Tera-Ground Volcarona, as Tera-Ground Volcarona utterly ruins the one answer I have for it. It pretty much effortlessly demolishes this setup.And that's it! If there's any ideas for changes to be made for this team, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you for reading!
, but that one’s up to you 
although the removal of clod with psyshock would help :king gambit: set up sds late game. 
is going to be a living hell for this team if it gets off a safe salt cure, lefties can be nice but I would go covert cloak here, and maybe change the tera to fairy or ground, but that’s just speculation
